The salaries of all employees of care centers (for children, elderly, people with mental health problems) and day care centers operating under the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia will increase by 30 percent from April 1.

This was announced by ASR Minister Arsen Torosyan in a video published on his Facebook page.

“We have achieved this thanks to budgetary discipline and also effective management. Therefore, in May, dear colleagues, you will receive a plus 30% salary,” said Torosyan.

The minister also said that he, as the head of the ministry, expects better work, greater efforts in working with thousands of citizens, caring for them and providing services.

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Public criminal prosecution will not be initiated against Armine Ohanyan, editor-in-chief of “Hraparak” daily. This was reported by the RA General Prosecutor’s Office.

“On March 23, 2026, the Prosecutor’s Office made a decision not to initiate a public criminal prosecution against A.O. in accordance with Article 12, Part 1, Clause 1 of the RA Criminal Procedure Code,” the prosecutor’s office noted.

To remind, on March 17, Armine Ohanyan was summoned to the CC as a witness.

Criminal proceedings were initiated under Article 330, Part 2, Clause 3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (public calls to commit violence, publicly justifying or advocating violence, as well as disseminating materials or objects for this purpose using publicly displayed works, mass media, or information or communication technologies).

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“Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center” NOSC presented the hydrological conditions observed in the rivers the previous day and this morning.

SNOC reports that on March 23-24, an increase in water flow is expected in most rivers of the republic.

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Another batch of Russian fertilizers was sent to Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan. 

4 wagons of fertilizer (271 tons) and 1 wagon of buckwheat (68 tons) were sent to Armenia.

The train will reach Armenia via Georgia.

Earlier, more than 23 thousand tons of grain and more than 700 tons of fertilizers were sent to Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan.

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An Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud data center cluster in Bahrain has been disrupted due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This was announced by the representative of the American company.

As reported by the Reuters agency, the disruption of the work of AWS in Bahrain is related to the “activity of unmanned aerial vehicles” in the given area. The company also noted that they are temporarily moving customers to branches in other regions. Amazon did not provide information on the extent of the damage or an estimated time frame for restoration.

On March 2, two clusters of AWS cloud data centers in the UAE were left without power after the strikes by Iranian UAVs. AWS informed about limited power supply problems in one of the clusters in Bahrain.

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The Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, announced that in the parliamentary elections to be held in June 2026, the citizens will, in fact, make a choice between peace and a possible war.

In a conversation with journalists, he emphasized that, in his opinion, the war theme has become a political tool for some political forces.

“I understand that the forces that are in the hall now, the forces that want to enter the parliament, need a war, they need a conversation about the war, so that they can build something political on it. But now there is no war, there is peace,” said Simonyan.

He also noted that there have been no casualties from the enemy’s shooting at the borders for two years. “Is it war or peace now? Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia and Azerbaijan have not traded, and the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia have not spoken about peace on both sides,” said the Speaker of the National Assembly.

According to Simonyan, it is necessary to evaluate and not lose sight of the current situation. “We should be afraid of losing that peace,” he emphasized. According to the NA Speaker, there is a clear division in the political field.

“The current government of the Republic of Armenia, the “Civil Agreement”, is a party of peace, the rest, the main opposition actors, are parties of war. That’s the reality. If people say that they should present a demand, it is called war,” said Simonyan.

He also referred to the Soviet legacy, noting that after the collapse of the USSR, unresolved border issues remained in a number of regions. “We were also told that you, who live in Armenia, always dream that your home is not only here, but also there, and we will make it your property. The goal is that we always depend on them,” he said.

Summing up, Simonyan again emphasized his assessment of the political field, noting that the elections will be a choice between maintaining peace and a possible return to war.

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During Pashinyan’s reign, Armenia’s dependence on Russia and EAEU has multiplied. Garnik Danielyan, deputy of the opposition “Hayastan” faction, expressed a similar opinion in a conversation with journalists.

In response to the question about the telephone conversation, the discussions between Pashinyan and Putin, the deputy noted that, according to all, the issue of railway restoration was discussed (ed. within the framework of the “Crossroads of Peace” project). According to the parliamentarian, the issue of concession management by a Kazakh company is being discussed.

Commenting on the obvious anti-Russian statements of the representatives of the ruling power, Danielyan noted that under Pashinyan, the dependence of the Armenian economy on Russia and the EAEU has multiplied, despite assurances about diversification. “What is the alternative if they refuse?” All over the world, economy and politics are interconnected. Economic dependence leads to political dependence. Look at the numbers yourself,” said the deputy.

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Artsakh is not a word. Artsakh is destiny. When a person holding a high state position tries to explain what the word “Artsakh” means with “clever” comparisons, he is actually explaining not the word, but his own pettiness, cynicism and willingness to adapt to external will. Davit Ananyan, a member of the “Wings of Unity” political initiative, former SRC chairman, wrote about this on his Facebook page.

“Artsakh is not a linguistic unit that can be approached with dictionary irony or cabinet coldness.

Artsakh is the blood of thousands of victims, the lost home of hundreds of thousands of people, and the broken but not extinguished dignity of an entire nation.

The word “reduce” from the official podium is not just an unfortunate expression. it is a value choice — between memory and oblivion, dignity and comfort.

When a person speaking on behalf of the state does not feel the weight of the word, it means that he does not feel the pain of the people he is speaking on behalf of. And when he doesn’t feel the pain, sooner or later he starts justifying the reasons for it.

Because there are words that simply cannot be “compared”. You either wear them or avoid them. And the people see everything and will give the answer they deserve,” he wrote.

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According to the decree of the President of Iran, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr was appointed the new secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic. Mohammad Mehdi Tabatabai, head of the public relations department of the presidential office, informed about this.

“With the approval of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the President’s decree, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr was appointed the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council,” wrote Tabatabai on his X page.

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The draft law “On ratifying the temporary trade agreement between EAEU and Mongolia” is aimed at facilitating and promoting mutual trade. Narek Hovakimyan, Deputy Minister of Economy, announced this at the session of the National Assembly.

The agreement signed in 2025 regulates a wide range of economic cooperation issues. In particular, customs regulation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, as well as problems related to other areas.

The attached lists with 367 product positions for each party are an integral part of the agreement. The parties are ready to provide tariff privileges for these products. “In the proposals presented by the Armenian side, products of primary interest for export to the Republic of Armenia were mentioned,” said Hovakimyan

The deputy minister noted that the opening of the Mongolian market will provide more competitive supply conditions for Armenian exporters for such products as: tobacco products (Mongolia’s rate: 30%), cognac (rate: 15%), chocolate (rate: 5%), mineral waters (rate: 5%) and canned fruits (rate: 5%).

“The privileges provided by Mongolia will cover around 98% of exports from Armenia to Mongolia. The average rate of customs duty on goods exported from Armenia to Mongolia will decrease from 7.5% to 1.2%. As a result, savings due to customs privileges in the case of exports from Armenia to Mongolia can be up to 1 million dollars per year,” explained the representative of the Government.

The agreement also provides for a three-year validity period, with the possibility of extending it for another three years in the future. However, it is possible that the parties will agree on other terms.

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