Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday that ongoing efforts to relaunch the railway between Armenia and Türkiye are continuing, but noted that it is too early to provide any timeline.

Based on the agreements reached within the Armenia–Türkiye Normalization Process, a meeting of the Joint Working Group on the rehabilitation and operationalization of the Gyumri–Kars railway was held on 28 April 2026.

The meeting took place in the Turkish city of Kars.

Pashinyan was asked at a press briefing to comment on the meeting.

“We are working in that direction, and at this point I cannot say anything about the timelines, because there are many technical assessment tasks. Even now, during the work, we are identifying technical issues that we were unaware of a month ago, two months ago, and so on, because for about 40 years we have not properly maintained this infrastructure. We need to assess the needs and get to work,” the Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stressed the importance of holding the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for June 7, in line with international democratic standards, emphasizing safeguards for the free _expression_ of voters’ will and the prevention of illegal interference.

“Of course, up to this point our law enforcement bodies have carried out enormous work, but vigilance should not be reduced in order to exclude the impact of vote-buying and other illegal means on the election results,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing, also stressing the importance of law enforcement attention to ensuring the legality of the campaign process.

The campaigning period will start on May 8.

Pashinyan said that all prerequisites exist for the elections to be held properly and in line with all democratic rules and standards, ensuring the free _expression_ and recording of the will of all citizens of Armenia, as well as competition of ideas, concepts, and programs.

Armenia’s High-Tech Industry Minister Mkhitar Hayrapetyan has highlighted the country’s artificial intelligence strategy and plans for large-scale investment in AI infrastructure, emphasizing sovereign AI development, public–private cooperation, and the integration of advanced technologies across the economy during a panel discussion at Yerevan Dialogue 2026.

Hayrapetyan participated in the “AI Sovereignty and Scale: Governing Frontier Technologies in a Competitive World” panel discussion alongside Omran Sharaf, UAE Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology; Christos Harpantidis, Group Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Philip Morris International; and Arsen Babayan, Chief Technology Officer, Ineco Group.

During the discussion, issues related to the development and effective governance of artificial intelligence were addressed, as well as the importance of ensuring technological sovereignty amid global competition, in the context of technological progress, security, and the resilience of democratic systems.

During the panel discussion, Minister Hayrapetyan referred to Armenia’s initiative to establish an artificial intelligence factory in cooperation with NVIDIA and Firebird AI, noting that a roadmap has already been presented, which envisages more than $4 billion in investments. He emphasized that the program is aimed not only at creating computational capacity, but also at the comprehensive and phased integration of AI across all sectors of Armenia’s economy.

The minister also presented the concept of “Armenia as a garden of AI factories,” highlighting the country’s energy potential. He noted that the Government of Armenia encourages investments in the energy sector, ensuring the efficient use of generated energy for the operation of AI data centers as well.

According to Hayrapetyan, the development of sovereign AI requires not only computing power, but also protected data, model development, and the formation of language ecosystems. In this regard, the state and the private sector are working closely together with the aim of gradually realizing this vision.

The minister outlined three priority directions: investment in human capital development, support for the private sector, and public administration reforms. In education, emphasis is placed on the introduction of AI tools and access to high-performance computing resources through the AI Virtual Institute, which cooperates with Amazon Web Services and Firebird AI.

In the private sector, the government encourages innovation and research, supporting companies in transitioning from outsourcing to product development, while also ensuring access to computing resources. In public administration, the focus is on digitalization and the application of AI solutions to promote smart governance.

The minister also referred to the application of AI in scientific research and development, emphasizing that high-performance computing resources can significantly accelerate innovation processes.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated on Thursday that Armenia is not an ally of Russia on the issue of Ukraine.

Speaking at a press briefing after the Cabinet meeting, Pashinyan was asked to comment on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Yerevan for the EPC Summit on May 4 and the criticism surrounding it.

“As for the visit of the President of Ukraine, I have previously made statements on this topic. We have sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and I have said that on the issue of Ukraine we are not allies with Russia,” Pashinyan said.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Alma-Ata Declaration is of fundamental importance for Armenia, and that Yerevan is also building the peace process with Azerbaijan on that basis.

The Alma-Ata Declaration is a key political document signed in 1991 at the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It confirmed the independence of former Soviet republics and stipulated that administrative borders from the Soviet era would become international borders.

“You know how important and fundamental the Alma-Ata Declaration is for us, and we rely on that declaration and build peace with Azerbaijan on that basis. This is our principled position,” the Prime Minister noted.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the public will see the scale of French President Emmanuel Macron’s support for Armenia on May 28, when the government plans to showcase recently acquired military equipment at a military parade in Yerevan.

“As for the question of what French President Emmanuel Macron has done, we will see on May 28 what he has done. What should I say? I will show it,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing when asked what Macron has done for Armenia.

The Armenian government will showcase military equipment acquired over the past few years during a May 28 Republic Day event in central Yerevan.

Pashinyan had earlier said that the event would be a “report to citizens” on his administration’s defense reforms.

Macron was on a state visit earlier this week in Armenia. He was awarded the Order of Glory for significant contribution in strengthening the friendly relations between the two countries.

Multiple cooperation agreements were signed during the visit.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday that he will not attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow.

“During my visit to Russia in April, I informed the President of Russia that, due to the campaigning period, I would not be able to participate in the May 9 events,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing. 

The campaigning period for the June 7 election in Armenia will start on May 8.

The ruling Civil Contract party earlier said that party members, including Pashinyan, will be campaigning on May 8 and 9 in Syunik Province.

The 2026 Moscow Victory Day parade, marking the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, is scheduled to take place on May 9.

President Vahagn Khachaturyan said Thursday that Armenia highly values Latvia’s contribution to strengthening regional stability and security.

Speaking alongside his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkēvičs at a joint press conference in Yerevan, Khachaturyan said that regional and extra-regional issues were discussed during their meeting, including the situation in the Middle East.

“I also presented President Rinkēvičs with the latest developments in the South Caucasus, including the process of normalizing relations with our neighbors. Armenia highly values Latvia’s balanced approach to regional processes and its contribution to strengthening regional stability and security,” Khachaturyan emphasized.

Rinkēvičs arrived in Armenia on Thursday for an official visit.

President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs has lauded the Armenia–Azerbaijan initialed peace deal and expressed hope that the process would lead to regional stability and normalization between the two countries.

Speaking during his official visit alongside Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan at a joint press conference, Rinkēvičs said that the main goal of his visit is to support Armenia in ongoing reforms and the deepening of ties with the EU.

President Rinkēvičs also addressed the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, stressing that Latvia supports and highly values the steps taken by Yerevan and Baku toward peace.

“We highly value the peace agreement that Armenia and Azerbaijan are working toward, and I hope that this process will lead to the normalization of relations between the two countries, as well as greater stability and security in the wider region,” the Latvian President said.

He noted that Latvia considers Armenia a very important partner in the South Caucasus.

President Rinkēvičs stressed that, in addition to political relations, Armenia and Latvia should also take steps to promote economic cooperation.

The Latvian President expressed confidence that his visit would contribute to and further deepen cooperation with Armenia. He also praised the level of parliamentary ties between the two countries.

“Latvia highly values Armenia’s choice of the European path, and on that path we will help you as much as possible and look forward to finding new practical avenues for cooperation,” President Rinkēvičs emphasized.

Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs emphasized closer bilateral cooperation and a shared commitment to democratic values, sovereignty, and peace during talks in Yerevan, with discussions focusing on technology, cybersecurity, reforms, and Armenia’s partnership with the European Union.

“The Armenian–Latvian partnership is based on friendship, democratic values, and a shared commitment to ensuring a prosperous and more secure future for our peoples,” President Vahagn Khachaturyan said at a joint press conference with his Latvian counterpart, Edgars Rinkēvičs, who is visiting Armenia.

The President noted with satisfaction that in recent years Armenia and Latvia have taken active steps toward developing strong and dynamic cooperation.

“Armenia and Latvia are like-minded countries in promoting independence, sovereignty, democratic values, and peace, and are determined to further deepen cooperation in this regard,” the Armenian President said.

Khachaturyan noted that during the meeting with his Latvian counterpart, the sides thoroughly discussed various components of bilateral relations, emphasizing the promotion of trade and investment and considering the utilization of the significant potential in the high-tech sector to be promising and mutually beneficial.

“Taking into account Latvia’s significant achievements in the fields of information technology, digitalization, innovation, and cybersecurity, as well as the successful experience of Armenia’s innovation and technology centers and other important reforms implemented in both the public and private sectors,” the Armenian President said.

He added that during the meeting with the President of Latvia, the sides emphasized the need to implement more targeted cooperation programs in cybersecurity, air connectivity, education, and other areas of bilateral interest. In the context of advancing sectoral cooperation, they also stressed the importance of expanding the legal and contractual framework, which currently includes more than two dozen documents.

Khachaturyan stressed that he had expressed gratitude to the Latvian President for the support provided by his government to reforms being implemented in Armenia within the framework of development cooperation. According to the Armenian President, during the talks the sides also highlighted the importance of continuing cooperation between Armenia and the Nordic-Baltic (NB8) countries format established after 2024.

“In the context of our cooperation, of course, the dialogue carried out within the framework of the partnership between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union is of particular importance. First of all, I expressed gratitude to Mr. President for his contribution to advancing Armenia–European Union cooperation. I noted the importance of the continuation of Latvia’s support for programs of primary importance for Armenia, emphasizing their role in strengthening Armenia’s resilience. I also highly appreciated Latvia’s participation in the European Union civilian monitoring mission in Armenia. We hope that with Latvia’s support we will also be able to advance our reform agenda, which is a cornerstone for realizing Armenia’s aspirations for European Union membership in the future,” President Khachaturyan emphasized.