April 22, 2026
Satik Seyranyan’s guest in “Pressing” program doctor of political science, former chairman of the RA National Assembly Tigran Torosyan is
The main points of the interview are below.
- The authorities are in an unprecedentedly bad, unfavorable position shortly before the elections, and there are obvious manifestations of this. Panic is already evident from Nikol Pashinyan’s behavior. When a person is no longer able to stay within the limits set by his position, what is it that is not panic? In addition, the number of cases when citizens express their dissatisfaction with the work of the government has significantly increased.
- Today, various public opinion polls show that since 2021 the rating of the government has dropped significantly. According to that, today the problem is not the government, the rating of the government is very low, the problem is how the opposition forces will work in order to have more than half of the votes in the Parliament.
- You should always give opportunities to the youth, but you should not cut the link between the generations. Next to the youth there should be people with experience.
- The opposition must do everything to prevent the authorities from reproducing, otherwise this continuous decline and disaster may have an obvious continuation after the elections… I am sure that the government is waiting for its reproduction to finish the disaster it has created. The task of the voter, the citizen, at this moment should be to free the country from this disaster, but also to submit demands to the opposition regarding what to do next.
- There are no full-fledged parties in Armenia that would meet the modern requirements of parties. There are parties created 10 days ago that have announced their participation in the elections. These are the spoiler or scattering or, as it is customary to say, vote dusting parties.
- The ruling party, CP, will not exist if it is not in power. There was a party that endured and did not collapse after losing power. it is the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), and I think it would be right for it to participate in these elections. RPA is an exceptional party. there was both opposition and government. His experience is the experience of Armenia. It would be right to take responsibility and go to the elections, because the opposition that exists today clearly has less experience than the RPA. I have known many of them for more than 30 years. they are honest, patriotic, upright people.
- A party is an idea-based, voluntary association of people. If the political forces of Armenia really want to bring about radical positive changes in the country, they should not only strive to come to power, but also move on to solving the internal organizational issues of their structures.
- The most shameful thing is that they have moved on to terrorizing people, including school children. Even schoolchildren are subjected to terror… How did they treat the school-age boy Davit Minasyan during the liturgy in St. Anna Church? No self-respecting person should enter a church with bodyguards. It is a sanctuary. It was a specific terror that was carried out on two brothers in St. Anne’s Church:
- By the authorities in 2021 administrative levers were also used, but still it was not possible to get more than 26%, they could not.
- In Armenia, there is a mythical idea about external influence on elections. That influence on the outcome of the elections cannot have an impact of even 1 percent. In this case, there are manifestations of support that can have a negative impact, for example, the support of Turkey and Azerbaijan to Nikol Pashinyan. The result of the election will be decided by the RA citizen. The opposition must actively work with people to explain and convince them to go to the polling station on June 7. 2021 the opposition forces could not convince people to go to the polling station, that’s why they lost.
- The government that receives the support of the absolute majority of citizens is legitimate.
- Unfortunately, the political component in the agenda of the opposition forces that applied for participation is incomplete. In particular, their position on Artsakh is worrying. We should not say that we should wait for Artsakh to be safe for the people of Artsakh to return, but we should work so that the return is safe. The opinion of the Armenian people and the Armenian government regarding the Artsakh issue are not the same, and that is gratifying. The overwhelming majority of our people is of the opinion that the issue of Artsakh is not closed. There is no need to approach the Artsakh problem with fear and caution:
- Regarding TRIPP, perhaps what constrains the opposition is that the US is interested in it. But you have to protect your interests so that they respect you and talk to you. If Armenia follows that path, not only geopolitical problems will arise, but Armenia will also lose its influence.
- Armenia must correct both the terrible and catastrophic mistakes made by these authorities and the mistakes that came before them.
- Nikol Pashinyan scares citizens with war, blackmails them. People who fear war, however, should remember what happened in the last 8 years and what happened before that. We have found ourselves in such a situation that today Artsakh and significant areas of Armenia are under the occupation of Azerbaijan. Is this peace? When one side refuses to defend itself, to resist, the other side no longer needs to fight. It is no coincidence that Aliyev said: we will not enter Yerevan with tanks, but with passenger cars… Let people look at the facts: where are the Azerbaijanis today, and where were they before 2018? So these are disaster, war, losses, bringers of genocide, ethnic cleansing. He brought war, disaster, genocide and ethnic cleansing. He did not and cannot bring peace. Garegin Nzhdeh did not say: go to war, he said: be ready for war, have a strong will and a strong army. We have been peaceful when we resisted the enemy, when we defended our home and land. At that time, father and son Aliyev did not get along, they had cut ties. Just 2 years before they came to power, Ilham Aliyev complained that behind closed doors he was being forced to recognize the independence of Artsakh. There can be real peace only after these are gone, when the other person understands: If he commits an encroachment, he will receive a well-deserved response:
- In these elections, either the opposition will win or the opposition will lose. In other words, the government can remain in power only if the opposition does not do the relevant work until June 7.
- Is the problem of Azerbaijani refugees new and Azerbaijan did not know that there are Azerbaijani refugees? The number of Armenians who became refugees from Azerbaijan is about 400,000, from Baku, Kirovabad, Sumgait, Shahumyan, Getashen… these are the figures of the United Nations and which are not talked about today. If you are a competent government, you will demand from the international courts that the problem be considered fully and impartially. At that time, it will be clear that Azerbaijan is obliged to compensate the Armenian refugees, and this should not include the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, who must return to Artsakh and fully exercise their right to self-determination.
- Azerbaijan used to talk about one million refugees, but it was quickly revealed in international courts that their number is 8,600. Azerbaijan was just embarrassed… On any issue we have strong arguments to show that we have counter-arguments on any issue raised by Azerbaijan.
- It is not necessary for Azerbaijan to recognize the territorial integrity of Armenia, who is Azerbaijan to recognize or not to recognize, it just needs to respect the UN Charter, which states that UN member states are obliged to recognize and respect each other’s territorial integrity.
- A state is a state, an unrecognized state is also a state, such as Artsakh.
- International law will return to its place, because humanity cannot throw away regulatory norms, considering the relations and conflicts of so many states. I specifically want to say that the people of Artsakh will return to Artsakh and achieve the recognition of their self-determination, only on one condition, in case of appropriate professional work.
- Have we seen the leader of any country stick his country’s imagined borders to his chest… Of course not. It does so because it is unable to protect its country’s borders. A head of state who respects himself, his people and his country can never show such behavior:
- The situation is hopeless for the authorities, if the opposition political forces work fully in the remaining period, work properly with the people, explain to the people, prepare their representatives in the commissions… In this case, at least a few opposition forces can gather more votes than the government.
- Putin strongly warned not to make a mistake and take drastic steps, otherwise the consequences will be severe.
- Anyone saying the nonsense that “Armenia should join the European Union” should be asked: what must Armenia do to become a member of the EU, what conditions must it meet, and how many years will it take? Ukraine and Georgia are a few steps ahead of Armenia in this sense and are not yet able to become EU members. Even if we think that joining the EU will be useful for Armenia, Armenia is far from it:
- Armenia does not have the right to enter between states with geopolitical conflicts in order to commit hooliganism and steal something. It will inevitably be followed by punishment. it can’t be like that, it doesn’t happen like that:
- The European political summit taking place in Armenia on May 4 has no significance. It’s a well-wishing, no-leverage gathering. It is not right to overemphasize this meeting. Armenian citizens should not care if European officials came and stayed in Yerevan for, let’s say, two days. Unfortunately, today’s European officials have very low knowledge and often say things that are laughed at within their own countries.
- People working in the state apparatus, do not betray your principles, do not leave, stay and work without violating your principles as a citizen of the Republic of Armenia. Don’t settle, don’t give up and don’t become a tool. When a person goes to the voting booth, he is free and alone. It is a lie that the election is controlled at the polls. This is spread by the authorities in order to scare and oppress. Vote according to your principles. Money is important, but not everything.
Details in the video.
—
RFE/RL – Armenian Ombudswoman Responds To Ruben Vardanyan
- Ruzanna Stepanian
Responding to an appeal from businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, Armenia’s human rights ombudswoman, Anahi Minasian, insisted on Wednesday that Azerbaijani authorities have not offered her to visit him and 18 other Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.
“I urge you to consider organizing a visit to Baku with your participation, and, under appropriate conditions, with the participation of relatives of Armenian prisoners as well,” Vardanyan said in a statement circulated through his family on Tuesday.
Vardanyan revealed that he recently met with Manasian’s Azerbaijani opposite number, Sabina Aliyeva, to discuss his concerns about the captives’ “everyday conditions, medical care, legal matters, humanitarian needs, and diplomatic issues.”
“In the course of our conversation, it was also mentioned that the possibility of your visit to Baku had already been discussed and that the Azerbaijani side had expressed readiness to facilitate such a visit,” he added, appealing to Manasian.
Manasian responded by saying that she has received no such “official proposal” from Baku or “confirmation” of the Azerbaijani side’s readiness to organize the trip. In a written statement, the ombudswoman sounded skeptical about the idea, saying that she has no mandate to inspect prison conditions in any foreign nation.
Siranush Sahakian, a human rights lawyer representing the Armenian captives in the European Court of Human Rights, also did not back the idea.
“Armenia’s human rights defender cannot carry out independent activities in Azerbaijan,” she told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Sahakian said that the Azerbaijani authorities could use Manasian’s visit to Baku to cover up their ill-treatment of the Armenian prisoners. She pointed out that they continue to deny representatives of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) access to the prisoners.
Sahakian also said that the Armenian government is in a much a better position than Manasian to campaign for their release and repatriation. The government maintains that it has been doing its best for that purpose. Its critics dismiss these assurances.
Vardanyan, who held the second-highest post in Nagorno-Karabakh’s leadership from November 2022 to February 2023, was arrested at an Azerbaijani checkpoint in the Lachin corridor in September 2023 as he fled Karabakh along with its entire ethnic Armenian population. Seven other former Karabakh Armenian leaders were also arrested during the exodus that followed an Azerbaijani military offensive.
Five of them were sentenced to life imprisonment while the two others as well as Vardanyan received 20-year jail sentences in February at the end of yearlong trials denounced by Amnesty International as a “travesty.” They all denied a long list of accusations brought against them.
—
Moscow Doubles Down On Warnings To Yerevan
A senior Russian official elaborated on Wednesday on what Moscow sees as a heavy economic price that will be paid by Armenia if its government keeps seeking to join the European Union.
Alexei Shevtsov, the deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said the South Caucasus country would lose its tariff-free access to the Russian market, a significant discount on the price of Russian natural gas imported by it as well as many Russian tourists. The Armenian economy would shrink considerably as a result, he said.
Shevtsov noted similar warnings that were publicly issued by Russian President Vladimir Putting during his April 1 meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. Putin said, in particular, that the Armenian government’s further drift to the EU is “not compatible” with Armenia’s continued membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), a Russian-led trade bloc. He also stressed that the Russian gas price for Armenia is set well below the international market-based levels.
“Indeed, an association agreement with the European Union, which is a mandatory condition for joining the EU, cannot be concluded if Armenia remains a party to the EEU treaty at that point,” Shevtsov told journalists. “Accordingly, it would be necessary to withdraw from the treaty.”
“In practice, Armenian farmers, including alcohol producers, would have to look for new export markets,” he said, according to Russian news agencies. “With the introduction of customs duties, their goods would cease to be competitive. Freight transport costs would rise while investments would be significantly reduced. Yerevan would also have to forget about preferential supplies of energy.”
According to Armenian government data, Russia accounted for 35.8 percent of Armenia’s foreign trade last year, followed by China (12.3 percent) and the EU (11.7 percent). Its share has increased significantly during Pashinian’s eight-year rule.
Shevtsov indicated that Moscow would also curb the influx of Russian tourists who he said bring Armenia’s services sector $1 billion in annual revenue
“Given that tourism accounts for approximately 13.5 percent of Armenia’s GDP and that almost a quarter of its officially employed population works in this sector, this would deal a severe blow to the country’s economy and its residents,” he said.
Russian officials have regularly issued such warnings since Pashinian’s government enacted last year a law calling for the “start of a process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union.” Moscow is doubling down on them in the run-up to Armenian parliamentary elections.
In their election manifesto published late last week, Pashinian and his Civil Contract party made clear that despite these warnings, they will continue to pursue Armenia’s eventual membership in the EU if they win the June 7 polls.
Yerevan is due to host on May 4-5 a first-ever EU-Armenian summit viewed by local analysts as a pre-election show of EU support for Pashinian and his pro-Western foreign policy. The 27-nation bloc reinforced this perception on Tuesday when it approved the dispatch of another EU mission tasked with helping the Armenian government cope with “hybrid threats” emanating from abroad, presumably Russia.
The EU already decided last month to send a separate “hybrid rapid response team” to Yerevan for the upcoming elections. It deployed a similar mission in Moldova for the parliamentary elections held there last September. Two Moldovan opposition parties deemed pro-Russian were disqualified from the vote won by the former Soviet republic’s pro-Western leadership.
Armenia’s leading opposition groups, notably a bloc led by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian, are concerned that they too could be barred from running in the polls. Putin warned Pashinian against such bans during their April 1 talks in Moscow.
—
RFE/RL – Satellite Photos Confirm Destruction Of Karabakh’s Largest Church
- Susan Badalian
Satellite photographs obtained by RFE/RL confirm that Azerbaijani authorities have recently demolished Nagorno-Karabakh’s main Armenian cathedral.
The images show an empty space at the site of the imposing Holy Mother of God Cathedral in Stepanakert. Contacted by RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service on Wednesday, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on its demolition.
The cathedral was consecrated by the Armenian Apostolic Church in 2019 after almost 13 years of construction. Its underground section was used by many Stepanakert residents as a bomb shelter during the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani war.
Sergei Shahverdian, a former Karabakh official now based in Yerevan, was the first to report on Tuesday that the cathedral appears to have been torn down. It was not visible in fresh videos of central Stepanakert posted by Azerbaijani social media users and cited by Shahverdian.
Armenian media published last week photographs suggesting that another, smaller Armenian church in Stepanakert has been razed to the ground. It had been built in the 1990s.
Several other Karabakh Armenian churches have also reportedly been destroyed after the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijan war and Azerbaijan’s full recapture of Karabakh in 2023. Also, Baku announced in early 2022 plans to erase Armenian inscriptions from medieval Karabakh churches. The move prompted serious concern from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The European Parliament likewise condemned “the elimination of the traces of Armenian cultural heritage in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.”
The Armenian government essentially stopped accusing Azerbaijan of systematically desecrating or destroying Armenian monuments in Karabakh after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian first recognized Azerbaijani sovereignty over the territory in 2022. The government remained silent on Wednesday about the demolition of the Stepanakert cathedral. Pashinian has repeatedly declared in recent years that the Karabakh issue is closed for his administration.
Exiled Karabakh activists, who fled the region in 2023 along with its entire Armenian population, say Yerevan’s silence has only encouraged Baku to continue the church demolitions. One of them, Artak Beglarian, believes Pashinian’s government could have stopped that process by raising the issue on the international stage.
Armenian Ambassador to U.S. highlights TRIPP project at GMF roundtable
Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. Narek Mkrtchyan participated in a roundtable discussion organized by the German Marshall Fund (GMF).
Participants included representatives from academia, civil society, and think tanks.
In his remarks, the Ambassador addressed the Armenia–U.S. cooperation agenda, presenting the already signed memoranda of understanding and the initiatives being implemented within their framework. The role of the TRIPP program in the context of the Crossroads of Peace initiative was highlighted, with details presented on areas of cooperation in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and energy security, the embassy said in a readout.
“Regional developments and issues related to the peace process were also addressed,” the embassy said.
The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is a connectivity project in Armenia, envisaged under the U.S.-brokered Armenian-Azerbaijani joint declaration signed in Washington, D.C. The project is expected to unlock strategic economic opportunities, create long-term benefits by promoting infrastructure investment, and enhance regional connectivity. TRIPP is part of the Crossroads of Peace project, and an Armenian-American joint enterprise is expected to develop the route.
Published by Armenpress, original at
—
Deputy PM: Armenia seeks to integrate into European transport and energy netwo
Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan met with the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos.
According to the government’s readout, the Deputy Prime Minister expressed hope that the upcoming European Political Community Summit and the EU-Armenia Summit in Yerevan would reflect the parties’ intention to continue a collaborative and mutually beneficial partnership aimed at integrating Armenia into European transport, energy, and digitalization networks, thereby contributing to regional peace and sustainable development.
Ahead of the high-level events to be held in Yerevan this May, the parties discussed agendas for strengthening democratic and economic resilience and connectivity, highlighting opportunities for Armenian and EU private-sector investment in strategically prioritized projects.
Published by Armenpress, original at
—
Armenia, Georgia discuss defense cooperation and regional security
Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan met on Wednesday with his Georgian counterpart and Deputy PM Irakli Chikovani, in Tbilisi.
Papikyan said on social media that they discussed the progress and future prospects of bilateral defense cooperation, as well as a number of issues related to regional security.
Published by Armenpress, original at
—
Armenian Defense Minister visits Heroes’ Square in Tbilisi
Armenian Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan, during his official visit to Georgia, visited Heroes’ Square in Tbilisi, the defense ministry said in a statement.
He laid a wreath at the memorial to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Earlier on Wednesday, he met with his Georgian counterpart to discuss defense cooperation and regional security.
Published by Armenpress, original at
—
Defense Minister Papikyan visits Maro Makashvili Wounded Warrior Rehabilitatio
Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, who is on an official visit to Georgia, visited the Maro Makashvili Wounded Warrior Rehabilitation Center, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
During the visit, Papikyan toured the center and reviewed the services provided to disabled servicemen.
Published by Armenpress, original at
—
Authorities investigate suspected mass poisoning in small Armenian town, water
Authorities in a small Armenian town northeast of Yerevan are investigating what could be a mass poisoning incident related to a suspected tap water issue.
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. Five of those affected required hospitalization, but their condition is currently satisfactory, according to healthcare authorities.
The local urban outpatient clinic chief, Armen Vardumyan, told Armenpress that pursuant to standard protocols, they initiated emergency notifications and alerted all relevant healthcare agencies once patients started coming in.
“We have notified the relevant authorities in accordance with the law, and inspections are currently underway. In particular, water and samples from other possible sources are being collected to determine the cause,” said the director.
According to him, there are no definitive results yet, and investigations are ongoing. “At the moment, representatives from Veolia Water [the supply operator] are in the community, conducting sampling and inspections. Nothing has been detected so far,” he added.
The director noted that the health condition of the citizens who sought help is currently considered satisfactory, and no new cases with similar complaints have been reported. “The patients’ condition is normal, and the calls have stopped. We continue to await the results of the inspections and are following the established protocols,” Vardumyan emphasized.
He also pointed out that around 300 people were treated in his clinic, but there could be more affected individuals who sought treatment elsewhere.
The Ministry of Health informed Armenpress that the ambulance service received emergency calls reporting general weakness, vomiting, and fever. “An immediate epidemiological investigation and sampling have been conducted by specialists from the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The process is ongoing, and we will announce the results once available. We have no severe cases,” the ministry said, adding that only five individuals required hospitalization and are currently in satisfactory condition.
Earlier on Wednesday, Byureghavan City Hall advised residents to seek medical attention if they develop any gastrointestinal symptoms and indicated that the issue could be related to the water supply.
“In the presence of such symptoms, please be sure to consult a doctor, avoid using [tap] water as much as possible, or use it only after boiling,” the municipal administration said.
Published by Armenpress, original at
—