The Armenian foreign ministry has welcomed the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon achieved through U.S. President Donald Trump’s mediation.

“We welcome 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon, achieved through POTUS’s ‘s mediation efforts, as an important step towards de-escalation. We hope that this development will contribute to comprehensive & sustainable peace in the region with respect of territorial integrity of the parties,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X.

For the past six weeks, Israel and Hezbollah – an Iran-backed armed group – have been fighting in southern Lebanon. Israel’s strikes in Lebanon, which it described as targeting Hezbollah, killed over 2,200 people.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement “Lebanon and Israel have reached an understanding in which both nations will work to create conditions conducive to lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border, while preserving Israel’s inherent right to self-defense.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that during the remaining period of the two-week ceasefire with the United States, Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz fully open to all commercial vessels, taking into account the ceasefire established in Lebanon.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated that the country’s authorities aim to strengthen the ceasefire regime with Israel and restore control over the entire territory of the country.

Rev Lebaredian, the vice president of Omniverse and simulation technology at NVIDIA, believes Armenia has strong potential to advance in the field of artificial intelligence.

Speaking to reporters in Yerevan, Lebaredian emphasized that, in essence, no one yet fully knows how to use artificial intelligence or how to keep pace with its development.

“Because it is new and evolving very quickly, the whole world has, in this sense, become much more equal. Every individual and every country is now, to some extent, unfamiliar with it. This creates an opportunity for everyone. Anyone in Armenia who wants to work in artificial intelligence and develop expertise in it has the same opportunity as those in the United States or anywhere else in the world. Only you can decide whether to do it or not,” Lebaredian said.

He stressed the importance of having the necessary infrastructure to ensure access to artificial intelligence, adding that Armenia has great potential to make progress in this field.

“And it depends on us whether we take advantage of this opportunity or not—whether we use it or waste it,” Lebaredian emphasized.

He said with regret that, due to historical circumstances, he did not have the opportunity to be born in his homeland, but came to Armenia as soon as it became possible.

“I consider this my country; I have even obtained citizenship here. I believe in Armenia, in its capabilities and its intellect. I believe that we are hardworking, that we care about people, and that we have strong values. I also believe that we can contribute to the development of the world. I think you are already seeing proof of that.

It is thanks to Armenians’ natural work ethic and curiosity that we are beginning to do new things. Now we are seeing a unification—we are bringing all these opportunities together, and when we have a strategy that everyone can participate in and move in the same direction, the results will multiply. In that case, we will move faster than everyone else,” he said.

Lebaredian agreed with the observation that artificial intelligence is not only about science and technology, but also about geopolitical power and new opportunities.

“Of course. If you look at the second industrial revolution, it began with a completely new technology—the ability to generate electricity. That was about 100 years ago. At first, only a few countries had it—England, that is, Great Britain—and then it began to spread. The United States also developed it, but it took a long time for it to spread to other countries. Those who had it earlier had an advantage. They were the ones who brought it to the rest of the world.

Armenia is now at the very beginning of this process. As I said, we will be among the top five countries in the world in terms of the number of GPUs—more than any major country in Europe. We have this advantage, and we can use it now to become important to the rest of the world,” Lebaredian explained.

According to him, from a geopolitical perspective, it is encouraging to see peace taking shape in the South Caucasus.

“Throughout Armenia’s history, its disadvantage has been that it is a small, landlocked country in a mountainous region, at the crossroads of great empires that have constantly disrupted it. That same disadvantage can become our advantage if we are smart and learn how to navigate this position.

Being at the crossroads of empires is an opportunity. We can be a link connecting empires. We can be a bridge for the world. We have always been a link between East and West. We are at the center of the Silk Road. We can exchange our capabilities for what we need from other countries. We can bring their energy into our country and export knowledge.

This makes us important not only for ourselves, but for others as well. Ultimately, this is a prerequisite for peace and prosperity. If you are not important to others, why would they come to help you? We must make ourselves important—and this is how we do it,” Lebaredian said.

In June 2025, it was announced that, through cooperation between the Government of Armenia, NVIDIA, Firebird, and Team Group, the most powerful supercomputing and data processing center in the region—powered by artificial intelligence solutions—would be built in Armenia. An initial investment of $500 million was announced for the first phase.

On February 10, 2026, Firebird and the U.S. government officially announced the launch of the project’s second phase, with total investments expected to reach around $4 billion. By the end of the year, 50,000 GPUs planned under the second phase are expected to be deployed.

On April 17, a contract was signed between the Ministry of High-Tech Industry of Armenia and Firebird AI for the acquisition of high-performance computing resources, under which the state will purchase the relevant resources worth USD 25 million.

The agreement was signed by the Secretary General of the Ministry of High-Tech Industry, Davit Gasparyan, and the co-founder of Firebird AI, Alexander Yesayan.

Emphasizing the importance of the agreement, the Minister of High-Tech Industry, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, noted that the initiative has strategic significance for Armenia’s technological development and serves as an important example of a public–private partnership.

“Today, what is happening is the result of combining the efforts of the Republic of Armenia and our compatriots in the diaspora. Without one another, this project would not have taken place. Visionaries who had a clear understanding of how to leverage the presence of our partners at NVIDIA, along with those who had the opportunity to influence decision-making within the Government of the Republic of Armenia, began to think, dream, and bring this idea to life together. As a result, strategic agreements reached at the highest political level between the Republic of Armenia and the United States made it possible to bring this project to life and turn it into reality,” the minister emphasized.

According to Hayrapetyan, cooperation with Firebird AI aims to promote the development of artificial intelligence, science, engineering, and innovation in Armenia.

The minister noted that the computing resources to be acquired will be made available to AI specialists, researchers, scientists, research and educational institutions, as well as startups.

“To implement all this, last year we created a platform called the Virtual Institute of Artificial Intelligence. Through this virtual institute, and with access to high-performance computing resources, we will provide them to innovators, researchers, scientists, and startups.

I believe this is an excellent example of a public–private partnership, as these resources are being provided by Firebird under exclusive preferential terms. In other words, the services planned for export to other countries will naturally be offered under different conditions.

This is another strong example of cooperation between the two sides—the Government of the Republic of Armenia and Firebird. It is a joint investment in technological advancement, the development of our country’s economy, and the fields of innovation,” the minister added.

According to the co-founder and chief executive of Firebird AI, Alexander Yesayan, the volume of licenses already obtained gives Armenia a significant competitive advantage at the international level.

“The first phase currently being implemented, as well as the approval already secured for the second phase—which we will announce soon—make Armenia one of the leading countries in the world in terms of the volume of licenses obtained.

Although the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have announced larger programs, the scale of the permissions we have already received exceeds the indicators of those countries,” Yesayan noted.

According to him, the program envisions not only the development of technological infrastructure but also its broad application in science and business.

“From the very beginning, we discussed how this resource could serve our universities, startup ecosystem, and companies that are just entering this field. What we promised has now, one could say, already been formalized in documented form.

At Firebird, we are, of course, very proud and pleased to participate in this program, and this will be an ongoing effort.

We will also soon announce Firebird Labs, which will provide support to startups, particularly in the educational sphere—something we will discuss in more detail later,” Yesayan added.

NVIDIA Vice President Rev Lebaredian, in turn, noted that the initiative was conceived years ago and has undergone a long journey.

“The idea of creating artificial intelligence infrastructure so that Armenia not only catches up with others but also becomes a leader emerged back in 2018, after the revolution. At that time, I came to Armenia to meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to discuss the importance of technology and what could be done to build the right technological ecosystem.

Soon after, when the Prime Minister visited the United States, we hosted him at NVIDIA, where we discussed what Armenia could do to help its people make a leap into the future.

When he asked our CEO, Jensen Huang, what Armenia should do to advance its high-tech sector, he replied: ‘You must do for your people what I have done for mine,’” he said.

According to Lebaredian, joint efforts by various stakeholders were crucial for success.

“There were many unsuccessful attempts. Many people did not understand what we meant when we spoke about artificial intelligence, but now they recognize its value and see that it is a real, ongoing process.

In the end, we managed to bring together all the necessary components. We had the required support from the Government, and the right people joined,” he stressed.

The NVIDIA Vice President also outlined the technical scale of the project.

“The first phase is already being launched, involving around 6,000 GPUs, which places Armenia alongside countries like Germany in terms of GPU capacity.

By the end of the year, when the second phase is launched, Armenia will rank among the top five countries in the world—not per capita, but in total number of GPUs,” Lebaredian emphasized.

According to him, Armenia must act quickly to take advantage of the opportunity created.

“Today, we have favorable conditions: we have public trust, we have the support of the United States government, and there are no real obstacles in our path,” he emphasized.

At the end of his speech, he emphasized that the program is still in its initial stage.

“We are building the first layer of the foundation. There are many other layers ahead that we need to build. And this will allow our small country with a small population to operate in the same way as countries with billions of people, having the appropriate power, capabilities, and productivity.”

Armenia plans to increase its total number of GPUs to 110,000, co-founder and CEO of Firebird AI Alexander Yesayan said at the AI Conf Armenia 2026 held on April 18 at Yerevan State University.

Yesayan said the company is planning to produce an additional 60,000 GPUs in June–July, bringing the total in Armenia to 110 thousand GPUs.

“Armenia will become one of the five leading countries in the world in terms of GPU availability,” he said, noting that work is currently underway to increase electricity capacity to support expanded production.

He expressed gratitude to NVIDIA and the Armenian government for their support, emphasizing that the project required strong Armenia–U.S. cooperation and a high level of trust.

Yesayan said discussions on building a data center in Armenia began in 2024 with NVIDIA Vice President Rev Lebaredian. He noted that  at that time, attracting major partners was difficult due to high global demand and the absence of guaranteed buyers needed to secure financing.

He noted that in 2025, cooperation with Razmik Hovakimyan helped to implement the project by leveraging connections in the U.S. technology sector and attracting clients. “With NVIDIA’s support, the program was subsequently launched.”

According to Yesayan, the company announced the production of 6,000 GPUs in June 2025. After resolving financial issues by December, construction of the data center began in January, with the first phase expected to be completed in June.

He added that an agreement has been signed with the Ministry of High-Tech Industry, under which the state will purchase $25 million worth of services from Firebird over five years. These resources will also be made available to Armenian startups and universities.

Yesayan said that when the company announced the production of 6,000 GPUs, there was a lot of interest in the market, but Firebird only had a preliminary agreement to sell about 3,000 of them. However, following recent meetings in the United States, demand has increased significantly.

“There is now strong interest, and even competition among companies to use our GPUs,” he said.

According to Yesayan, Firebird’s initiative gives Armenia access to a resource that is in high demand globally, with leading international companies already expressing readiness to utilize it. 

The Embassy of Armenia in Georgia will organize a commemorative event on April 24 in Tbilisi, marking the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The wreath-laying ceremony will take place at 11:00 a.m. near the Pantheon of Armenian Writers and Public Figures, at the cross-stone honoring the victims of the Armenian Genocide. 

An official ceremony dedicated to the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was held in the French city of Antony, the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in France said.

It is noted that the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to France, Arman Khachatryan, also participated in the event. 

The ceremony took place in front of the “Eagle of Armenia” monument, which commemorates the victims of the Genocide and symbolizes the revival of the Armenian people.

Among the attendees were Armenian Ambassador to France Arman Khachatryan, French Government Spokesperson and Minister Delegate for Energy Maud Bregeon, President of the Hauts-de-Seine Department Georges Siffredi, Mayor of Antony Aude Nodé-Langlois, and Deputy Mayor Wissam Nehme.

According to the embassy, other mayors, senators, deputies, representatives of French-Armenian community structures, as well as numerous French-Armenians and French citizens, also participated in the ceremony. 

Afterwards, the participants laying wreaths and flowers in front of the “Eagle of Armenia” monument.

Significant positive developments are emerging in the Middle East, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a government session.

Pashinyan said the regional situation has shown “substantial positive developments,” pointing specifically to the strategic waterway.

He stressed the importance of continued market monitoring to manage inflationary risks, noting that prices do not always adjust downward after crises are resolved.

“It is very important that we properly monitor the market, because unfortunately, we sometimes see situations where crises arise and inflation follows, but when those crises are resolved, prices are not so eager to return to their previous levels,” Pashinyan said.

The prime minister instructed the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to maintain close oversight of market activity and intervene where necessary to ensure fair pricing.

“Where there is objective room, make sure that prices return to their previous levels,” he added.

During the upcoming Armenia–European Union summit, issues related to visa issuance for citizens of the Republic of Armenia, including difficulties in the process, will be among the agenda items, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

According to the prime minister, issues related to visa issuance are regularly discussed with EU partners.

“In recent negotiations, we have raised this issue, and of course it will also be raised during the upcoming Armenia–European Union summit,” he told Armenpress when asked about the matter at a press briefing.

Addressing concerns that, despite the government encouraging low-cost airlines, citizens still face difficulties booking visa appointments, Pashinyan said the main reason for these challenges and queues is the unprecedented increase in travel flows to EU countries—by 580% compared to 2017.

“We have been dealing with this issue for several years. Our partners say that no one had predicted such a large increase in flows,” he noted.

According to Pashinyan, this is precisely why Armenia and the EU are now negotiating visa liberalization. He emphasized that Armenia is currently the only country with which the European Union is conducting visa liberalization talks.

“I am confident that we will achieve results as quickly as possible,” Prime Minister Pashinyan said.

The first-ever EU–Armenia Summit will take place in Yerevan on May 4–5, 2026, coinciding with the Eighth European Political Community Summit, which will also be held in Yerevan on May 4.