Russian authorities have suspended the sale of a batch of Armenian “Jermuk” carbonated mineral water in both offline and online stores while inspections are carried out. According to the Russian RBC media outlet, around 338,000 bottles are affected.

The decision was made following a warning from Russia’s consumer safety watchdog (Rospotrebnadzor), which cited the need to prevent possible risks to consumers’ health and safety. The agency pointed to alleged “violations of mandatory requirements” as the reason for the suspension.

The ban applies to products manufactured between February 17, 2026, and March 2026.

Armenpress has reached out to Jermuk Group for comment. 

The cause of a mass gastrointestinal illness reported last week in a small Armenian town has been linked to contaminated drinking water and the detection of multiple pathogens, including rotavirus, adenovirus, and pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains, according to healthcare authorities.

Last week, at least 300 people, all with similar gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, sought medical treatment in Byureghavan, a town of roughly 10,000 residents some 16 km northeast of Yerevan. Authorities launched an investigation but indicated that the cause was likely a tap water issue.

The suspicion was confirmed on April 28.

Armenia’s National Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported on April 28 that testing of drinking water in Byureghavan has revealed deviations, including the presence of coliform bacteria.

Biological sample analyses have also detected rotavirus, adenovirus, as well as pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli), including enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) and enteropathogenic (EPEC) types.

Authorities said appropriate measures have been taken and that relevant bodies have been notified.

“The situation is currently under control; no active spread of the outbreak has been recorded, and epidemiological data indicate that the process is subsiding. The condition of patients who sought medical care, both outpatient and inpatient, is satisfactory, and no new cases have been registered,” the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.

Armenian food safety authorities have reacted to reports regarding the temporary suspension of Jermuk mineral water sales in Russia, saying they have not received any official notification from their Russian counterparts.

The Food Safety Inspection Agency of Armenia, responding to media reports that Russia has suspended the sale of an imported batch of the Armenian bottled water pending inspections, said in a statement that it is taking measures to clarify the situation.

“The Food Safety Inspection Agency of Armenia has not yet received any official information—such as a written notice—regarding the matter in question from the relevant Russian authorities, including either Rospotrebnadzor or Rosselkhoznadzor (the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of the Russian Federation).

Measures are being taken to clarify the situation and take appropriate action.

Russian authorities have suspended the sale of a batch of Armenian “Jermuk” carbonated mineral water in the country while inspections are carried out. According to the Russian RBC media outlet, around 338,000 bottles are affected.

The decision was made following a warning from Russia’s consumer safety watchdog (Rospotrebnadzor), which cited the need to prevent possible risks to consumer health and safety. The agency pointed to alleged “violations of mandatory requirements” as the reason for the suspension.

The ban applies to products manufactured between February 17, 2026, and March 2026.

There was no public comment from Jermuk Group immediately available.

Authorities have denied as “fabricated” a report by a local media outlet claiming that Armenia intends to hand over a village in the country’s north to Georgia during the delimitation process.

The delimitation process of the Armenia–Georgia international border has not been formally concluded, although Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has previously said the process would soon be finalized.

The report claimed that the village of Jiliza in Armenia’s Lori Province would be handed over to Georgia during the process.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s spokesperson, Nazeli Baghdasaryan, denied the claim as fake news.

“Some media outlets have circulated ‘information’ claiming that, within the framework of the delimitation process, an agreement has allegedly been reached under which Armenia would transfer the village of Jiliza in the Alaverdi Municipality.

Any statement, idea, or ‘information’ about the intention, plan, or agreement to transfer any part of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia to another country cannot correspond to reality by its very nature.

Therefore, as before, we deny, are denying, and will continue to deny any such publications, both now and in the future, due to their fabricated nature,” Baghdasaryan said on social media. 

Founder and CEO of Agile Robots SE, a German-based smart robotics company, Zhaopeng Chen, led a delegation to Armenia to explore future joint initiatives and collaboration with local engineering companies.

“We were pleased to host Agile Robots SE in Armenia, led by Zhaopeng Chen, CEO, founder,” said Hakob Arshakyan, the Vice Speaker of Parliament, describing the visit as a “valuable opportunity for dialogue” on the latest developments in AI and robotics.

Arshakyan is also the Chairman of the Armenian Innovation Foundation (AIF) and Executive Committee Chairman of the Council for Science and Technology Development.

“During the visit to American University of Armenia and the Engineering City – implemented by EIF, potential areas of collaboration and future joint initiatives were explored with the local engineering companies. In this context, an ARCS.ai program by Armenian Society of Fellows (ASOF) and Armenian Innovation Foundation was presented on April 10 to the Council for Science and Technology Development to the Prime Minister of Armenia, focusing on advancing robotics and artificial intelligence—particularly Physical AI—as one of the key frontiers of the next technological wave, building on Armenia’s strong educational and research foundation. Looking ahead, we are confident that these discussions will translate into cooperation and new opportunities in advanced technologies,” Arshakyan said in a statement on LinkedIn.

The visit was held alongside AI Conf Armenia, the largest conference on artificial intelligence (AI) in Armenia.

The leading Orbeli think tank has organized a roundtable discussion in Yerevan, bringing together government officials, experts, business representatives, and international participants to discuss regional connectivity and economic cooperation.

The roundtable titled “Regional Developments and the Prospects of the Crossroads of Peace Project” is organized by the Orbeli Center, affiliated with the Prime Minister’s Office Center for Public Relations and Information, with support from the Eurasian Bank.

Orbeli Center coordinator and historian Mikayel Yalanuzyan delivered opening remarks.

Member of Parliament Arman Yeghoyan from the ruling Civil Contract Party, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration Affairs, as well as Deputy Minister of Economy Edgar Zakaryan, also delivered remarks.

The speakers highlighted the development of regional connectivity and the Crossroads of Peace initiative as a key direction for Armenia’s economic development and cooperation.

The Armenian government’s Crossroads of Peace project is a major undertaking designed to establish connections between the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea via a consolidated regional railway network and the North–South and East–West routes.

The Orbeli Center for Analytical Research, a leading Armenian think tank affiliated with the Public Relations and Information Center of the Prime Minister’s Office, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), a prominent UAE research center.

The purpose of the memorandum is to promote cooperation in the field of research and analytical activities, as well as to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise.

Under the memorandum, the parties plan to cooperate in the following areas: conducting joint research and preparing analytical materials, organizing expert discussions, roundtables and conferences, exchanging information and experience, and developing the capacities of young researchers.

Green Rock has been awarded a Gold Winner at the 5th edition of the International Architecture & Design Awards (IADA), organised by the Architecture & Design Community (ADC), a globally recognised platform celebrating excellence in design and architecture.

This year’s edition brought together a diverse pool of entries from 53 countries, with more than 500 projects shortlisted. In line with the evolving landscape of the industry, the 2026 awards also introduced new categories dedicated to artificial intelligence, underscoring its growing role in shaping the future of architecture and design.

All projects were evaluated by an international jury of leading practitioners, known for their creative work, critical approach, and contribution to the global design discourse.

Gold Winner Award — Dilijan Multifunctional Complex

Green Rock’s winning project, the Dilijan Multifunctional Complex, is conceived as a “city within a city” — a distributed, mixed-use ecosystem embedded in the fabric of Dilijan. Bringing together hospitality, culture, gastronomy, retail, and public spaces, the project creates a layered, year-round destination for both residents and visitors. At its core are a 210-room hotel and a 600-seat music hall, complemented by a hospitality school and educational programmes, as well as cafés, Art park areas, a cinema, and coworking spaces.

Rather than functioning as a single destination, the development is designed as a network of interconnected nodes, encouraging movement across the city and extending activity beyond traditional tourist zones. The project aims to diversify tourism by reducing seasonality, create long-term employment opportunities, and position Dilijan as a cultural and tourism hub not only within Armenia, but across the wider region.

Set within a protected national park, Dilijan presents a unique set of environmental and morphological constraints. Green Rock’s architectural response is grounded in sensitivity to this context, using terraced typologies, minimising land disturbance, and drawing on materials that reflect the local architectural language.

Sustainability has been embedded from the earliest design stages, supported by BIM-based coordination, value engineering, and resilient construction strategies.

Notably, the community hub building has achieved a preliminary EDGE assessment indicating approximately 35% energy savings, 30% water savings, and a 39% reduction in embodied carbon — a reflection of the project’s long-term environmental commitment.

About IADA

The International Architecture & Design Awards (IADA) is an annual global competition recognising excellence across architecture, interior design, product design, communication design, landscape, web, and AI-related fields. Organised by the Architecture & Design Community (ADC), IADA brings together a global network of architects and designers committed to thoughtful, responsible, and forward-looking design practices.

About Green Rock

Green Rock is a development company focused on shaping Dilijan into a dynamic centre for culture, tourism, and sustainable growth. By integrating hospitality, education, art, and green technologies, the company contributes to local economic development while creating meaningful, lasting value for both the community and its visitors.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday that science is a key part of Armenia’s development strategy and should be closely integrated with education and the economy. He said that the scientific community should have greater participation and presence in policy-making processes.

Speaking at the “Armenian Science in the Global Research Landscape: Competitiveness, Scientific Excellence, and the Realization of Scientific Output in the Economy” roundtable organized by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), he emphasized that science is not something his administration merely “supports,” but an essential part of state policy and national progress, especially for economic growth.

Pashinyan thanked the NAS for organizing the discussion and emphasized the importance of such meetings in shaping the government’s future policies aimed at developing the science sector.

“I believe that having discussions around programs and implementing them is a necessary but not sufficient condition, because there must be a periodic exchange of ideas about the current state and developments in the field. This also contributes to refining those ideas,” Pashinyan was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Prime Minister noted that compared to 2017, by 2025 science funding has increased by about 2.8 times, or 185 percent, while salaries in the science sector have seen a significant rise, up to 300 percent.

“The first thing is that our thinking and linguistic worldview must change. In this regard, I must also admit that it strikes my ear when it is said that the government supports science. This creates a kind of distance between the government and science. We do not support science; the development of science is our policy. In other words, we do not see the state, the government, and science as something existing at a distance that we need to support. The development of science is our policy, and this has a very concrete and tangible reason: we cannot imagine the development of the state without the development of science. And on the other hand, we cannot imagine the development of science without the development of education. But I also want to say that when we talk about the development of the state, we primarily mean the development of the economy,” the Prime Minister emphasized, adding that science and the scientific community should have greater participation and presence in policy-making processes.

He further emphasized that science is part of the economy, because managing science, properly allocating resources to it, and perceiving it as an economic sector is a very important tool that helps solve numerous problems. Pashinyan highlighted the development of science as crucial in the context of not only preserving but also further developing national identity and better “understanding ourselves.”

According to the Prime Minister, one of the major challenges is connecting all localized sectors and understanding that “we are dealing with a cycle, because in the Republic of Armenia there is no such thing as a separate district, a separate village, or even a separate sector.”

“We do not see science as a separate sector, let alone separate fields within science. It is very important that we unite our sectors and our country around one goal. And that goal is the Republic of Armenia, the development of our state. But the state, as I have said before, is both a goal and a means. It is a goal by its very existence, and it is a means because it is the only tool that can ensure the best conditions for preserving and developing our identity, security, freedom, prosperity, and happiness,” he said.

In conclusion, Pashinyan stated: “Of course, the citizens of the Republic of Armenia must love their state, and this is a very important and fundamental factor, but at the same time, the Republic of Armenia must love its citizens, including those engaged in scientific activities across all professions. And the policies we pursue are an _expression_ of that love—the Republic of Armenia’s _expression_ of love toward all people engaged in science.”

Authorities said on Tuesday that there is no full shortage of liquefied gas in the country, but some individual filling stations could experience temporary supply interruptions due to logistical issues affecting imports.

The Ministry of Economy issued a statement regarding media reports about the situation, amid a 50% increase in liquefied gas prices over the past couple of weeks.

“Due to congestion at the Lars checkpoint and temporary logistical difficulties, the entry of some trucks transporting liquefied gas into Armenia has been delayed, affecting the normal rhythm of market supply. This is not a full shortage, but temporary supply disruptions may occur at certain filling stations,” the Ministry of Economy said in a statement.

Upper Lars, or simply the Lars checkpoint, is a crossing point on the Russia–Georgia border used extensively by Armenian shippers for transit.

The ministry said the government is taking measures to address the issue and stabilize prices.

“Relevant state bodies are in constant contact with importing companies and partner organizations to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and restore normal market supply,” it said.

“Prices may be affected not only by logistical difficulties but also by fluctuations in international markets driven by regional developments. At the same time, the market is under continuous monitoring, and the authorities are tracking the situation to prevent unjustified price increases and possible speculative behavior. Citizens are urged not to engage in panic buying and to rely only on official information. Efforts to stabilize the situation are underway.”