Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev, who arrived in Yerevan at the invitation of the Armenian Foreign Ministry to participate in the “Yerevan Dialogue” forum, visited the Armenpress state news agency on May 4.

He was welcomed by Armenpress Director Narine Nazaryan, who introduced him to the agency’s history and modern capabilities, spoke about the major historical events covered by the 107-year-old news agency, and presented the media outlet’s development vision.

The sides discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation, exchange professional experience, and discuss possible new formats of cooperation in the rapidly changing media environment. They also emphasized the role of national news agencies in raising public awareness and strengthening ties between countries.

“We live in a period of rapidly changing media field, where digitalization, new technologies, and especially artificial intelligence are reshaping the entire chain of news creation, dissemination, and consumption. Under these conditions, our partnership gains new importance in terms of sharing experience, effectively using new tools, and providing reliable information,” Nazaryan said.

Nazaryan expressed confidence that Kiril Valchev’s visit would provide a good opportunity to review the results achieved so far and outline new directions for information exchange, joint projects, and expanded cooperation on international platforms.

Valchev noted that he had previously visited Armenia 22 years ago.

“The last time I spent only two days here, but I noticed that the city was dark and life was not very vibrant. This time I am very surprised, because I see the progress Yerevan has made: beautiful parks, new buildings, bright streets, and people who continue to be friendly. I think you should be proud of all this,” he said.

Armenpress and BTA have a long history of cooperation dating back to 2004, when the two agencies signed a cooperation agreement. The partnership gained new momentum in 2022 in Sofia with the signing of a new cooperation agreement between Narine Nazaryan and Kiril Valchev, under which the agencies now exchange at least one news item daily, providing broader and more diverse international coverage for their audiences.

Since the signing of the agreement, BTA has published more than 600 materials citing Armenpress.

“There is a large Armenian community in Bulgaria, and Armenian churches and schools operate in several cities across the country. BTA often covers Armenians living in Bulgaria. You will not find all this in the news feeds of other agencies. We are also interested in articles related to business opportunities and tourism in Armenia,” Valchev said, expressing hope that direct flights between Armenia and Bulgaria would soon resume and contribute to the development of tourism between the two countries.

One of the key goals of the cooperation is also the exchange of journalistic experience.

“We plan to cover the parliamentary elections in Armenia in June. It is possible that journalists from Armenpress will also visit our country to cover important and interesting events. In that case, we can be very useful to each othe,” he said.

During his visit to Armenpress, Valchev met with agency employees, visited the photo archive department, and toured the podcast and press rooms.

The visit to the agency was followed by a tour of the Garni historical and cultural complex, Geghard Monastery, which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the Khor Virap monastic complex.

Valchev also visited the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the National Gallery of Armenia, and the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran), and paid tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Accompanied by Armenpress Director Narine Nazaryan, the BTA director also attended the “Musical Bridge: Armenia–France” concert in Gyumri, where Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and French President Emmanuel Macron were the guests of honor.

Valchev also held a brief conversation with Prime Minister’s spokesperson Nazeli Baghdasaryan in Gyumri. The sides emphasized the importance of strengthening media ties, noting that such visits help media organizations better understand one another and contribute to closer understanding between societies.

Valchev also participated in the “Yerevan Dialogue” forum, which brought together high-ranking officials, experts, and representatives of international organizations from various countries to discuss global challenges and prospects for regional cooperation.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, French President Emmanuel Macron, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset addressed the opening of the forum.