Month: April 2026

IDBank press release 

Recently, Armenia has seen the resurgence of one of the most psychologically stressful fraud schemes. Despite its long history, the legend of a “relative in danger” has reached a new peak in the country, exploiting the most vulnerable feelings—love for close ones and fear for their safety.

The Mechanics of Deception: A Scenario That Paralyzes the Will

Scammers rely on your shock and panic. The call can come through either a mobile or a landline. The caller pretends to be a doctor, investigator, or police officer and delivers tragic news: your loved one has been involved in a serious accident, is in intensive care, or has been detained for a serious offense.

To increase the effect, scammers often imitate the voice of your relative, with crying, background noise, or unclear calls for help. Immediately afterward, the “official” offers a solution: urgently transfer a large sum of cash to a courier or make a payment to “resolve the case” or cover an emergency operation. The main tool here is artificial time pressure. The victim is not allowed to hang up and is literally forced to act in a state of emotional distress.

This scheme is especially dangerous for elderly people. Scammers play on guilt and the urgent desire to “save” a loved one, leaving no time for fact-checking.

The Legal Trap:

The danger of this method lies in the way money is transferred. When funds are handed to a courier in cash or sent via transfer to an unknown card or electronic wallet, legal mechanisms for recovery almost cease to function. The bank cannot cancel a transaction carried out by the account owner under emotional pressure, and the “couriers” in this chain often vanish without a trace.

IDBank Recommends:

Your willingness to help loved ones is a wonderful quality—but it should never be exploited by criminals. To protect yourself and your family, remember:

Don’t give in to panic. Pause, take a deep breath, and say: “I will call back.” Verify the information immediately.Call your relative yourself, and if they don’t answer, contact other close family members. No money to couriers. Real government officials or hospital staff never send intermediaries to collect cash. This is a clear legal violation and a sure sign of fraud. Check the story. Ask a question that only your real relative could answer. A scammer will immediately end the conversation. Inform the police. Even if you recognize the scam in time, report the call to law enforcement. Your report can help block the scammers’ numbers and protect those who may be less vigilant.

Remember: This scheme relies on surprise and trust. Your money is safe as long as you do not voluntarily transfer it to scammers under emotional pressure.

IDBANK IS SUPERVISED BY THE CBA

The opening of Matenadaran’s new Laboratory for the Study and Restoration of Arabic-script manuscripts was one of the highlights of the launch of the 15th international seminar, “Faces of Memory: Newest Technologies for Preservation and Restoration of Manuscript and Printed Heritage,” which brings together global experts to discuss modern approaches to safeguarding written heritage.

The seminar was officially opened at the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran) in Yerevan, gathering specialists from around the world.

Matenadaran Director Ara Khzmalyan said during the ceremony that the “Faces of Memory” seminar, launched 15 years ago, has become a dynamic and highly in-demand international platform.

He noted that the seminar has engaged around 145 institutions, including restoration centers, libraries, museums, and archives, covering a wide geographical scope spanning the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, South America, as well as India, China, Japan, and Russia.

Khzmalyan emphasized that the seminar addresses a broad range of topics, from the physical and biochemical challenges of manuscript preservation to digitization, laser restoration, advanced conservation technologies, and the development of professional networks and long-term partnerships.

“This can be summarized in one phrase: shared responsibility for the world’s written heritage,” he said.

Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, and Chair of the Matenadaran Board of Trustees Zhanna Andreasyan, also noted that the seminar has developed into a broad international network involving institutions from over 40 countries.

She stressed that leading institutions in the field of written heritage have been involved in the seminar, turning it into an important platform for discussing key challenges and solutions in preservation and restoration.

During the event, Andreasyan awarded the Ministry’s Gold Medal to Tamara Ohanian, a specialist at the Library of Congress of the United States, in recognition of long-standing cooperation.

Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos, welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important platform created by Matenadaran for coordinated international work on manuscript heritage.

He also highlighted ongoing European Union support for the preservation of Armenia’s cultural heritage and cooperation with Matenadaran in this field.

The event concluded with the cancellation ceremony of the “Armenian Miniature Art” postage stamp.

The Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, will participate as a guest in the European Political Community summit to be held in Yerevan, Armenia, on May 4, the European Council said in a press release. This will be the first time a non-European country participates in the meeting.

The summit will be co-chaired by Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, and António Costa, President of the European Council.

The meeting will take place ahead of the first-ever EU–Armenia bilateral summit.

Forty-eight heads of state and government have been invited to take part in this eighth meeting of the European Political Community.

Aside from host Armenia, the invited participants include the 27 EU member states, as well as Albania, Andorra, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

Based on the agreements reached within the Armenia-Türkiye Normalization Process, the meeting of the Armenia-Türkiye Joint Working Group on rehabilitation and operationalization of the Gyumri-Kars railway was held in Kars on 28 April 2026.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a press release that the parties emphasized the significance of the early operation of the Gyumri-Kars railway in the context of enhancing regional transport communications.

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake that hit eastern Türkiye on April 28 was felt across northwestern Armenia, according to the country’s seismic agency.

The Seismic Protection Territorial Service of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs placed the epicenter some 43 km north of the city of Kars in Türkiye, at a depth of 10 km.

The quake was felt in the city of Gyumri in Armenia’s Shirak Province, as well as in the villages of Amasia, Zarishat, Vahramaberd, and Marmashen, at a weak intensity of 2–3 on the MSK scale. No damage was reported by Armenian authorities.

Vice Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia, Hakob Arshakyan, held a meeting in Yerevan with an Estonian parliamentary delegation comprising members of the Estonia–Armenia Friendship Group in the Riigikogu, the Baltic country’s legislature.

According to a press release from the parliament’s press service, Arshakyan said that Armenia highly values its close and reliable relationship with Estonia and considers it a key component in strengthening partnership with the EU.

The meeting took place on April 28, with the participation of the head of the Armenia–Latvia–Lithuania–Estonia Friendship Group, MP Arusyak Julhakyan, as well as the Ambassador of Estonia to Armenia, Marge Mardisalu-Kahar.

Hakob Arshakyan noted that Armenia attaches importance to efforts aimed at the continuous development of political dialogue between the two countries, emphasizing the need for reciprocal visits. He expressed confidence that the establishment of a resident Estonian embassy in Yerevan would play an important role in further expanding comprehensive cooperation.

He added that Armenia places particular importance on parliamentary diplomacy and the development of interparliamentary cooperation with Estonia. In his view, this area has significant potential, and the friendship groups in the parliaments of the two countries will continue their work to consistently strengthen bilateral ties based on long-standing traditions of friendship and mutual respect.

Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has released the preliminary voter lists for the upcoming parliamentary elections, making them available for both search and download.

 The ministry announced that the lists for the 7 June National Assembly elections are now accessible on its dedicated electoral platform at elections.mia.gov.am. Voters can search for their details by entering their first and last names to locate the polling station where they are registered to vote. For a more precise result, they may also enter their date of birth. The lists are also available for download, organised by community and polling station.

The ministry said eligible voters can access their information either by visiting the “National Assembly Elections” section of elections.mia.gov.am or by navigating to the “By Polling Stations” tab to download the full lists.

YEREVAN, 28 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 28 April, USD exchange rate down by 0.16 drams to 371.4 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.08 drams to 434.35 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0021 drams to 4.9428 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.89 drams to 500.91 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 256 drams to 56029 drams. Silver price up by 12.63 drams to 906.48 drams.

The U.S. Embassy in Armenia has lauded the “historic progress” after Armenia and Türkiye held talks in Kars on the rehabilitation of the Gyumri-Kars railway.

“Historic progress toward a peaceful and prosperous South Caucasus. Armenian and Turkish officials met today in Kars, Türkiye to establish a joint working group for rehabilitating the Kars-Gyumri Railroad. Restoring this critical link between Armenia and Türkiye is an important step in unlocking regional connectivity and solidifying regional stability. The August 8 Washington Summit hosted by President Trump set the stage for such momentous developments. U.S. Embassy Yerevan welcomes these concrete steps toward reopening economic and people-to-people links between Armenia and Türkiye after decades of closure,” the U.S. Embassy in Armenia said in a press release.

Originally published by Moldpres

Two employees of the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS), who had been held captive in Russia, were released in a 5 for 5 exchange at the Belarus–Poland border and returned to the Moldovan authorities, as part of an international prisoner swap. Moldova’s President Maia Sandu today made statements to this effect and thanked U.S. President Donald Trump and other partner states for their involvement in this complex operation.

According to the Moldovan president, actions in this case have been underway for more months, coordinated by SIS and carried out together with partner states.

‘’Moldova has managed to free and bring home two Moldovan citizens who were being held captive in Russia. Both, being SIS employees, were released and handed back to our authorities in an international prisoner exchange. I thank President Trump for his involvement and the one of the U.S. Administration in the success of this action. I thank all our partners – from the United States, Poland, and Romania – for their involvement at each stage of the process and for the support provided to our authorities. I am grateful to all our institutions for their professionalism and for the top-level international cooperation that made it possible to save our officers,” Maia Sandu said.

The head of state noted that, in order to bring them home after a complex operation, the two officers were exchanged, as requested by the other side, for two other persons: a citizen of the Russian Federation, Nina Popova, who acted against the state Republic of Moldova, and Alexandru Balan, a citizen of Moldova, accused of treason in the interest of the Belarusian KGB, who was pardoned, so that he could leave for Belarus.

“For our country, this is a gain that cannot be measured by a simple mathematical equation – we brought home two citizens who work for Moldova, in exchange for two detainees who worked against Moldova. Our officers are on their way home and we are waiting for them to arrive safely! It is important that they undergo all medical examinations – our priority is to make sure they are healthy and receive, if necessary, the treatment they need,” Maia Sandu added.

The Moldovan authorities specified that some details of the operation had not been made public earlier, in order not to endanger the entire operation, nor the lives of the two Moldovan citizens.