Yerevan welcomes European Political Community summit participants. Photos, vid

Hambardsumian Paul
JAM News
May 3 2026
  • Yerevan

At Yerevan’s Zvartnots Airport, planes carrying high-ranking participants of the European Political Community summit are landing roughly every half hour. The 8th EPC summit will begin its work on Monday, May 4. In total, up to 50 high-level delegations are expected to participate, including heads of state and government, as well as representatives of international organizations.

The European Political Community was created in 2022 on the initiative of the President of France. The goal of this platform is political coordination and dialogue between European countries, including EU member states and non-EU countries, in order to strengthen security and cooperation. The community includes 27 EU member states, the United Kingdom, and 19 non-EU countries.

“Relations between the European Union and Armenia have become closer than ever. Our cooperation is based on shared values, a shared vision of the future, and clear respect for Armenia’s sovereign right to choose its partners. The EU supports Armenia by helping strengthen security, prosperity, and stability, which will bring tangible results for the people of Armenia,” said the head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Armenia, Vassilis Maragos, on the eve of the summit.

Full details below on arrivals in Yerevan and meetings already held in the government with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Who has already arrived in Yerevan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is already in Yerevan.

Until the very last moment, it was unclear whether the Ukrainian president would travel to Armenia. Meanwhile, Armenia’s pro-Russian opposition had warned the authorities about “negative consequences” for Armenia.

When asked whether Zelensky had been invited and whether his participation in the summit could be expected, the Armenian prime minister said at his latest briefing that he was expecting the Ukrainian president, and that invitations had been sent to all participating countries of the European Political Community (EPC).

By the time of publication, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had also arrived in Yerevan. Notably, he is the first non-European leader to take part in the meeting as a guest since the creation of this European format.

Already in the Armenian capital are:

  • Moldovan President Maia Sandu,
  • Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas,
  • Romanian President Nicușor Dan,
  • Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden,
  • OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu,
  • Liechtenstein Prime Minister Brigitte Haas,
  • Prince Albert II of Monaco,
  • Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo,
  • Serbian Prime Minister Đuro Macut,
  • Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk,
  • Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš,
  • Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre,
  • Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever,
  • Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti,
  • Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze,
  • Andorran Prime Minister Xavier Espot Zamora,
  • Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin,
  • and Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović.

By the evening, the European Union delegation had also arrived. It includes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.

It is known that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will not participate in the summit in Yerevan. Germany will be represented by the President of France.

Government meetings and document signing

Some of the guests have already met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the government building, including Prime Minister of Lithuania Inga Ruginienė and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

The OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu also met with Nikol Pashinyan. The meeting focused on the development of cooperation and the regional agenda.

The Armenian Prime Minister’s office reported that special emphasis was placed on the importance of programs aimed at strengthening Armenia’s capacities and projects related to the unblocking of communications.

Sinirlioğlu highlighted the stability and progress observed in Armenia, as well as the high level of international interest in the summit.

Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova and the Armenian prime minister have already signed a joint declaration on a strategic partnership between the two countries.

A meeting between Pashinyan and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also took place at the government building. This is the first official visit by a Canadian prime minister to Armenia in nearly a decade.

The French president’s visit will not be limited to the summit

French President Emmanuel Macron also arrived in Armenia.

Notably, he is visiting not only to take part in the EPC summit.

This is Macron’s first state visit to Armenia.

Armenia’s Foreign Ministry believes it will become “an important milestone,” as the strategic nature of relations between the two countries will finally be formally documented. A strategic partnership agreement between the countries is expected to be signed.

Experts say that Armenia–France relations have long corresponded to this status.

As part of his visit, the French president will also travel to the city of Gyumri, where he will attend the large-scale concert “Musical Bridge: Armenia – France.”

What the summit participants will discuss

According to the official EPC website, discussions in Yerevan will focus on strengthening the resilience of democracies, developing transport infrastructure, and enhancing economic and energy security, as well as decision-making in a changing security environment:

“Participants will exchange ideas on how closer cooperation and coordinated action can help create a more resilient, secure, and united European space.”

According to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the summit will address “the most important topics” – from hybrid threats and democratic resilience to connectivity and energy issues.

He said it is a great honor for Armenia to host the summit and “play an active role in shaping Europe’s future”:

“For Armenia, this summit is not only an important milestone in cooperation with European partners, but also an opportunity to reaffirm our firm and unwavering commitment to democratic values and the rule of law.”

Guests are walking around Yerevan and visiting museums

A delegation led by Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas also visited the site.

A delegation led by Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand also toured the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute.

Armenian journalists also spotted Anita Anand walking in central Yerevan.

Meanwhile, Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova, together with members of the Bulgarian delegation, visited a Yerevan school named after the renowned Bulgarian poet Peyo Yavorov.

https://jam-news.net/epc-summit-in-armenia-participants-photos-video/

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GOP Lawmaker Faces Backlash From Armenian Americans Over ‘Racist Rant’

Boris Nahapetian
Newsweek
May 3 2026
By 

Weekend Night Editor

Representative Randy Fine, a Florida Republican, is facing backlash from an Armenian American advocacy group after telling a podcast host that “we don’t want Armenians to be able to serve in Congress”—a remark made during an attack on his GOP primary challenger Dan Bilzerian.

The congressman’s remarks arrive at a moment of heightened scrutiny over discriminatory rhetoric in Republican primary contests, and from a lawmaker who has been endorsed three times by President Donald Trump. How GOP leadership responds could shape whether the comments become a sustained political liability for Fine in the primary where he faces a challenger whose own platform openly includes antisemitic claims that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has identified as conspiracy framing.

For Armenian Americans, who number an estimated 1.5 million in the United States and have a long history of public service, the comments touch a particularly raw nerve. The remarks come less than three years after Azerbaijan’s 2023 ethnic cleansing of more than 100,000 Armenian Christians from Nagorno-Karabakh—a campaign Fine has been criticized for indirectly supporting through legislation backing Azerbaijan, according to the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), the largest and most influential U.S.-based grassroots Armenian American advocacy organization.

Newsweek reached out to Fine’s office and Bilzerian’s campaign via email on Saturday for comment.

What Representative Randy Fine Said

Fine, who is Jewish, appeared Thursday on The Jenny Beth Show where he attacked Bilzerian and extended his criticism to Armenians as a group. His full statement on the show was:

“Israel just put out a list of the top 10 most dangerous antisemites in the world. And to my amazement, a guy I’d never even heard of until about three weeks ago was ranked number one. He’s got a very large social media following, not from Florida, he lives in Las Vegas when he’s not in his foreign country of Armenia. But you know, he’s just a terrible antisemite. I think what he’s trying to show is that this group of hate-filled lunatics and losers can take hold in the Republican Party.

“But look, my, constituents are smart. The little Armenian said, I think that President Trump was a pedophile rapist who should be impeached. That’s not a winning argument. It may work in Armenia, where he’s from [sic], but that’s not an argument. That’s not gonna work in the United States. So, it’s bad. We have to take it seriously because we don’t want this to take root in our party. We don’t want Armenians to be able to serve in Congress. But I’m not gonna lose too much sleep about it.”

The Israeli government list Fine referenced ranked Bilzerian first among “prominent influencers in the global anti-semitic and anti-Zionist arena in 2025.”

The list placed climate activist Greta Thunberg in second and white supremacist Nick Fuentes in eighth.

Fine Doubles Down on X

The lawmaker returned to the issue Sunday on X, expanding his comments to include several other ethnic and national groups while framing the issue around dual citizenship.

“Armenians should not serve in Congress. Neither should Somalis. Or Guatemalans. Or — wait for it — Israelis,” Fine wrote. “If you are a citizen of a foreign country, you shouldn’t serve in ours. We need to pass my bill to stop the invasion of dual citizens in Congress. NOW.”

The post broadened Fine’s original framing — which had singled out Armenians during his Thursday podcast appearance — to a categorical position against any dual citizen serving in Congress. Notably, Fine included “Israelis” in his list, an apparent attempt to deflect criticism that his original remarks were specifically targeted at Bilzerian’s Armenian heritage.

The Armenian National Committee of America Responds

The remarks drew immediate condemnation from the ANCA.

“The ANCA condemns this racist anti-Armenian rant by US Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL), cosponsor of a reckless Congressional resolution to ship US arms and aid to genocidal Azerbaijan,” the advocacy organization wrote on X on Friday.

Aram Hamparian, executive director of the ANCA, told The Armenian Report on Saturday Fine’s statement was bigoted and politically self-interested.

“Randy Fine’s racist rant targeting Armenians comes as no surprise—after all, he’s backing a bill to arm and abet Azerbaijan, a genocidal dictatorship fresh off its ethnic cleansing of 150,000 Armenian Christians,” Hamparian said. “This hate-filled bigot has no place in Congress.”

In addition, ANCA Advocacy Director Gev Iskajyan wrote on X on Friday: “This isn’t just racist—it’s disqualifying. Saying Armenians shouldn’t be allowed to serve in Congress is blatant bigotry. No elected official who traffics in this kind of hate should be running for office.”

Who Is Randy Fine?

Fine, 51, was elected to represent Florida’s 6th Congressional District in April 2025 in a special election to replace former Congressman Michael Waltz. He serves on the House Foreign Affairs and Education and Workforce Committees. A third-generation Floridian, Fine built a career as an entrepreneur in retail, technology and hospitality before entering politics.

Fine was elected to the Florida House in 2016 and served the maximum eight years before moving to the Florida Senate and then Congress. As the only Jewish Republican in the Florida Legislature, his colleagues nicknamed him “The Hebrew Hammer” for his work opposing antisemitism. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. Trump endorsed him for reelection in October, calling him a “MAGA Warrior” on Truth Social. Fine’s campaign has noted he is the only person Trump has endorsed three times in the past two years.

Fine has been a controversial figure throughout his political career. He has called Representative Ilhan Omar, a Michigan Democrat, a “Muslim terrorist,” compared New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and said dropping nuclear weapons on Gaza would be a bad idea only because “the fallout would drift into Israel.”

Who Is Dan Bilzerian?

Bilzerian, 45, of Las Vegas, is a social media personality, professional poker player, and Ignite International Brands founder who filed to run for Congress in Florida’s 6th District in April as a Republican. Born in Tampa on December 7, 1980, he served in the U.S. Navy from 1999 to 2003 before attending the University of Florida and pursuing professional poker. He gained mass online following on Instagram and X and is also an Armenian citizen.

Bilzerian’s campaign platform—published on his official website—includes proposals to abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Federal Reserve, end all foreign aid, prosecute politicians for “dual loyalty,” and what he calls ending “Jewish Supremacy.” The ADL classifies “Jewish supremacy” as an antisemitic conspiracy framing that plays into longstanding tropes alleging Jewish people are responsible for global tragedies.

Bilzerian has questioned the death toll of the Holocaust and claimed Jewish people were responsible for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He has called Fine a “fat Jew” and a “Jewish supremacist,” and told TMZ in April the term “antisemitic” is “made-up.” His campaign website states America “is being run into the ground by Jewish Special Interests,” among other antisemitic claims.

In an interview the same month with The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Bilzerian called Trump “a complete fraud, disaster, and a liar”—despite previously supporting him in 2016 and 2020. He told the outlet he believes the U.S. should “decouple from Israel completely” and called U.S. foreign aid to Israel “treason.”

Bilzerian said he would relocate to Florida if elected.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Weighs In

The dispute drew commentary from former GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who has faced accusations of antisemitism throughout her time in Congress, posted on X that Fine’s targeting of Armenians was directly tied to his primary race.

“This is the ‘Armenian’ that Randy Fine is talking about when he says Armenians should not be in Congress,” she wrote. “Dan Bilzerian is also primarying Zionist First Randy Fine so naturally Randy said Armenians are antisemitic [sic].” Greene noted Armenia is 94 percent Christian and adopted Christianity as its state religion in 301 AD.

The Broader Race

Florida’s 6th Congressional District covers a large swath of northeast and central Florida, including Palm Coast, Volusia County, and parts of Marion, Putnam, Lake, St. Johns and Flagler Counties. The Republican primary features Fine, Bilzerian, Palm Coast City Councilman Charles Gambaro, and Lake County contractor Aaron Baker. Democrats Robert Cooper II, Jennifer Jenkins, Ronnie Murchinson-Rivera, and Eric Yonce are also running.

What Happens Next

The Republican primary on August 18 will be the next major test for both candidates, with Fine holding Trump’s endorsement and the institutional support of the GOP, and Bilzerian running as a self-styled outsider against what he calls the establishment.

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After Armenian Mother Church Demolished in Nagorno-Karabakh, Europe Is Startin

Parkev Tvankchian
May 3 2026

Artsakh advocates are arriving at the May 4 European Summit in Yerevan with unexpected momentum — after a European Parliament resolution calling on Azerbaijan to respect Armenian heritage sparked a fierce reaction from Baku.

Solène Tadié WorldMay 3, 2026

Editor’s Note: The Register’s Europe correspondent visited Armenia Sept. 20-26, 2025, as part of a press delegation organized by U.S. advocacy organization Save Armenia. She has produced a series of articles examining how Armenia — the world’s oldest Christian nation — still reeling from its recent war with Azerbaijan, struggles to secure its survival and spiritual heritage amid ongoing regional instability.

The main cathedral of Stepanakert in Nagorno-Karabakh — also known as Artsakh — has become the latest casualty in what Armenian church officials describe as a systematic effort to erase Armenian presence from the region, in the aftermath of the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive that displaced the entire population — more than 120,000 Armenians.

The issue has now erupted onto the European stage. On April 30, the European Parliament adopted a resolution explicitly calling for those responsible for the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh to be held accountable and demanding renewed international pressure for a UNESCO mission to assess the affected sites. The reaction in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, was swift. On May 1, Azerbaijan’s parliament voted to sever ties with the European Parliament entirely, while the European Union’s ambassador in Baku was summoned and handed a diplomatic note condemning the resolution as distorting facts. 

The alarm was first raised by the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which warned on April 23 that Armenian Christian sites were systematically being targeted and spoke of a “state-sponsored vandalism.” Suspicions based on satellite imagery were subsequently confirmed by Baku authorities.

In a communiqué dated April 27, the Azerbaijani government-affiliated Caucasus Muslims Board referred to the demolition of “two buildings” — without naming them — widely understood to be the cathedral and a smaller religious building, St. Jacob Church. It argued the action “cannot be distorted in any way as the destruction of religious or cultural heritage,” describing the structures as illegally built during what it calls the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territory.

For Artak Beglaryan, Stepanakert-born president of the Artsakh Union, former state minister and ombudsman of Artsakh Republic, this destruction is far from being an isolated incident. “This is not the first episode, and, unfortunately, it will not be the last — unless there is sufficient international pressure,” he told the Register on the eve of the 8th European Political Community Summit and the first EU-Armenia Summit, both to be held in Yerevan May 4-5.

A Pattern, Not an Exception

The two churches destroyed in April were relatively recent constructions, reflecting the modern development of Stepanakert, Artsakh’s capital city, established and largely built during the Soviet period.

St. Jacob Church had been built in 2005, while Holy Mother of God Cathedral — completed in 2019 — had quickly become the largest place of worship in the region, effectively serving as the “mother church” of Artsakh. “It was the central church,” Beglaryan explained, underscoring its symbolic importance for the local population.

Above, L to R: Holy Mother of God Cathedral in Stepanakert and St. Jacob Church, demolished in April 2026. ‘My second daughter was baptized at the central cathedral of Stepanakert in 2022. My first daughter was baptized at ‘Kanach Zham’ John the Baptist Church of Shushi in 2018, where my wife and I were married in 2017. That church was also fully demolished in 2024. So the destruction of both churches was very brutal for my family,’ Artak Beglaryan told the Register. (Photo: Edgar Kamalyan)

He insisted the destruction fits into a broader pattern. “They are not demolishing only the newly built churches,” Beglaryan said. “They are demolishing also medieval churches and in other cases vandalizing them or changing their identity — reclassifying them as ‘Caucasian Albanian’ churches — even when Armenian inscriptions from the Middle Ages remain visible.” 

Independent monitoring groups such as Caucasus Heritage Watch and Monument Watch estimate that between 100 and 150 Armenian Christian sites have been destroyed or severely damaged since the 2020 war, with the scope likely broader still after the 2023 offensive. Researcher Simon Maghakyan has estimated that up to 98% of Armenian Christian monuments in Nakhchivan were already destroyed between the 1990s and 2010. 

A Contested Legal Argument

Azerbaijani authorities have defended the demolitions as lawful, arguing that the churches were built “illegally” during what they describe as the Armenian “occupation” of Azerbaijani territory — a claim rooted in the decades-long dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, a historically Armenian-populated enclave assigned to Azerbaijan during the Soviet era.

The Caucasus Muslims Board also argued that returning Azerbaijani residents had called for the removal of structures that did not exist prior to the conflict.

Armenian representatives strongly dispute these claims. “The U.N. International Court of Justice clearly ordered Azerbaijan to protect the cultural heritage and private property of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh,” Beglaryan said, referring to rulings issued in 2021 and 2023. “These obligations apply regardless of the political status of the territory.”

A Wall of Silence — and the Price of Breaking It

Until the EU resolution, international reaction remained limited. To explain this omerta, observers point to Azerbaijan’s role as a major energy supplier to Europe as a key factor, especially in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war. 

“Azerbaijan supplies gas and oil to many European countries, and that explains, in part, the silence of most European leaders,” Beglaryan said. He also suggested that Azerbaijan has developed influence in various international institutions, further complicating efforts to mobilize a coordinated response.

The Christian world has been conspicuously slow to react. The Vatican, in particular, has faced criticism for its lack of response, with critics pointing to Azerbaijan’s funding of Vatican-led restoration projects at Catholic sites in Rome as a possible explanation — fueling accusations of “caviar diplomacy” by a state grown considerably wealthier in recent decades through the exploitation of its vast energy resources.

The severity of Baku’s reaction to the European Parliament resolution revealed why that silence has been so hard to break. Accountability carries a diplomatic price, and most Western governments have so far been unwilling to pay it.

The Armenian government’s own posture has offered little help. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently described this issue as a “double-edged sword,” urging caution.

This stance is consistent with his broader policy of rapprochement with Turkey and Azerbaijan that has prompted him to sideline deeply sensitive historical issues such as the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. “I’m afraid that some of their statements might further encourage Azerbaijan in their actions,” Beglaryan lamented.

Calls for Action

The Armenian government’s unwillingness to champion the cause internationally has prompted displaced Armenians and civil society groups to seek their own avenues for pressure. And the upcoming European summits in Yerevan present a rare opening.

The Artsakh Union welcomed the European Parliament  resolution with cautious but pointed optimism. While praising the parliament’s “consistent and principled stance,” it noted that such resolutions “serve as clear benchmarks for the executive branches of the EU and its member states” — bodies that, it warned, “frequently ignore the rights of the people of Artsakh due to narrow interpretations of their own geopolitical interests.”

“As European leaders gather in Yerevan, they must decide whether to prioritize narrow energy interests or to uphold the values-based framework set by their own parliament,” Beglaryan said.

Christian Solidarity International has already called on Swiss President Guy Parmelin to use the summit to initiate an international peace forum addressing the right of return for displaced Armenians under international guarantees.

With more than 6,000 cultural monuments in Artsakh — including around 400 churches, some dating back to the third and fourth centuries — the stakes, Beglaryan warned, could hardly be higher. “We are the frontline of Christian civilization in this region; the world can no longer remain silent.”

https://www.ncregister.com/news/europe-pushes-back-armenian-church-demolished

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Verelq: Our priority is to think about people and create decent

Frangulian Shushan

Continuing the daily meetings with the citizens, from Yerevan to remote and border settlements of the country, this time we visited Gegharkunik Marz, Karchaghbyur, Akunk and Geghamasar communities.

Border communities have been in the center of my constant attention for years, because it is the working people who build the country, create crops and good things, and guard the border. That is why I always emphasize that one should love the motherland not with words, but with deeds, realizing its real value.

Our priority is to think about people and create conditions so that they can work and live with dignity.


Gagik Tsarukyan




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Armenpress: Pashinyan attends consecration of restored 19th-century church in

Manouk Vasilian
Armenia11:25, 2 May 2026
Read the article in: العربيةFrançaisՀայերենRussian

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and government ministers attended on Saturday the consecration ceremony of the newly restored 19th-century Holy Trinity Church in Kirants, a village in Tavush Province.

The Holy Trinity Church, built in 1888, has been undergoing government-funded renovation since 2023, with the work completed this year.

A video shared online by the prime minister shows Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan and Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan, along with local officials and residents, attending the ceremony.

Kirants is a border village in northeastern Armenia, where a section of the international border with Azerbaijan has been successfully delimited.

Read the article in: العربيةFrançaisՀայերենRussian

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Yerevan Dialogue 2026 to feature public discussion with Foreign Minister

Nahapetian Zhanna
Politics11:56, 2 May 2026
Read the article in: Russian

Applications are now open for a discussion with Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan within the framework of the Yerevan Dialogue 2026 international forum, the Armenian Foreign Ministry has announced.

Individuals up to the age of 35 are eligible to attend, and registration is open.

The youth discussion, titled a Conversation with the Foreign Minister, will focus on Armenia’s foreign policy priorities, efforts to implement them, existing challenges and opportunities, as well as regional and international developments.

It will be held in a Q&A format, with participants encouraged to prepare questions in advance.

The meeting will take place at 7:00 p.m. on May 5.

Yerevan Dialogue 2026, to be held on May 5–6 in Yerevan, Armenia, will convene senior government representatives, the private sector, NGOs, academia, youth, and other stakeholders in the immediate aftermath of the European Political Community Summit in Yerevan. The forum aims to advance discussions on shared challenges facing Europe as a community of values and its wider neighborhood, as well as to address pressing challenges across different regions of the world.

Following the success of its first two editions, the Yerevan Dialogue seeks to deepen strategic conversations and foster practical collaboration among a broad range of participants from diverse backgrounds and levels of responsibility. The goal is to make tangible progress in addressing the pressing threats and challenges of today’s world.

Key themes of Yerevan Dialogue 2026 include: Beyond Geopolitical Divides, EU Enlargement and European Integration, Global Connectivity, Democratic Resilience, Hybrid Threats and AI, Green Transition, and Tech and Security Architecture.

Read the article in: Russian

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Pashinyan signals new phase in environmental awareness with Eco-Patrol expansi

Maral Takmazian
Armenia12:33, 2 May 2026
Read the article in: FrançaisՀայերենRussian

Armenia has launched the regional division of its Eco-Patrol Service in Tavush Province, making it the second region after Syunik where the service is now operational, in a move aimed at strengthening environmental protection and the sustainable management of natural resources.

The launch ceremony took place in Ijevan and was attended by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, as well as government ministers and local officials.

“This process will be continuous. I believe this marks a new phase in Armenia in terms of environmental awareness and attitudes,” Pashinyan said.

He stressed the importance of fostering public understanding that nature is one of the country’s most valuable assets.

“Today, we must recognize that forests and their protection can generate millions and even billions of drams in revenue for the Republic of Armenia and its people, as nature is already attracting significant tourist flows to the country and to Tavush Province,” the prime minister said.

Pashinyan added that several forest areas in Tavush are currently seeing investment in roads and other infrastructure aimed at boosting tourism and unlocking the region’s economic potential.

The Eco-Patrol Service was established in 2024 with a mandate to better protect Armenia’s natural resources.

Read the article in: FrançaisՀայերենRussian

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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PM urges rangers to crack down on illegal logging

Manouk Vasilian
Armenia13:05, 2 May 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has called for an end to illegal logging in Armenia, emphasizing that forests should be seen as a source of long-term national wealth rather than short-term exploitation.

Speaking at the ceremony marking the launch of the Eco-Patrol Service’s Tavush regional division on Saturday, Pashinyan stressed the need to change public attitudes toward forests.

He noted that in some communities in the Tavush region, tourism based on surrounding forests has already created new business opportunities, generating higher revenues.

“Therefore, our forests are a great asset that belongs to the people, to the citizens of the Republic of Armenia. We should not squander this capital, but instead use it in a way that brings increasing income to people, while it remains not only intact but also grows and develops,” Pashinyan said, also underscoring environmental and public health considerations.

The prime minister added that the Eco-Patrol Service, operating with new equipment and a modern approach, will be at the forefront of efforts to protect, develop, and pass on natural resources to future generations.

“This will all be meaningless if there is no real substance behind it, no real service, and no deep understanding of how important the work being done is. We must fully achieve our goal, and illegal logging must be brought to an end,” the prime minister said, adding that the launch of the service would be pointless unless this issue is clearly defined and addressed.

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Armenia takes center stage as government highlights policy success in attracti

Christine Harutyunian
Armenia14:36, 2 May 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

As Armenia takes center stage in international diplomacy and global events, a senior government official has credited the Pashinyan administration’s policies for bringing major political and cultural summits to Yerevan. Arayik Harutyunyan, the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office, highlighted on social media a series of major international political and sporting events planned in the country.

He said that about fifty heads of state and leaders of international organizations will take part in the European Political Community summit, which will be held in Yerevan on May 4.

Delegations from up to 100 countries are expected to visit Armenia for the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), later in 2026.

The hosting of major global political, cultural, sporting, and other events in Armenia is presented as evidence of the success of the government’s policies.

Nearly 30 matches of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2029 will be held in Armenia, with the rest co-hosted by Georgia. Delegations from around 100 countries are expected to arrive in Armenia in 2027 for the World Weightlifting Championships, while around 50 countries will take part in the 2027 La Francophonie Games (Jeux de la Francophonie), also to be hosted in Armenia. The 2027 European Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships will also take place in Armenia.

Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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