Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev condemned the European Parliament for asserting the rights of Nagorno-Karabakh’s displaced Armenian population as he addressed the European Political Community summit in Yerevan via video link on Monday.
“Since the second Karabakh war, from 2021 to 2026, the European Parliament has adopted 14 resolutions that lie about Azerbaijan in a very offensive way,” Aliyev said. “The latest one [was adopted] just four days before this summit.”
Aliyev said that Azerbaijan “put an end to separatism” in Karabakh in line with international law. He went on to announce that Azerbaijan’s parliament will sever all ties with the European Union’s legislative body in response to the “provocative” resolution overwhelmingly passed on April 30.
The resolution demanded the immediate release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan and reaffirmed support for the Karabakh Armenians’ right to return to their homeland, recaptured by Baku in 2023, safely and “under international guarantees.” In a clear reference to the destruction of Karabakh’s Armenian churches, it also said “those responsible for the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious heritage” must be held accountable.
Roberta Metsola, the European Parliament speaker attending the Yerevan summit in person, was quick to hit back at Aliyev. While its resolutions “may cause inconvenience to many,” the EU legislature “will never change our working methods and the positions we adopt,” Metsola said as several dozen Karabakh Armenian refugees demonstrated outside the summit venue.
In contrast to the European Parliament, the Armenian government has essentially stopped criticizing Baku since Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian initialed a bilateral peace treaty in Washington last August. Pashinian has declined to even denounce the recent demolition of Karabakh’s largest Armenian church. He has repeatedly said that the refugees should forget about returning to Karabakh.
“We are now working closely with Azerbaijan to consolidate and institutionalize peace between our two countries,” Pashinian told the summit.
He said he hopes to attend a European Political Community summit in Azerbaijan which is due to take place in 2028.
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Turkish Press: Ani Bridge deal marks historic step in Türkiye-Armenia normaliz
May 4 2026
Ani Bridge deal marks historic step in Türkiye-Armenia normalization: VP Yilmaz
By Yagiz Efe Parmaksiz
May 04, 2026 05:32 PM GMT+03:00
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz stated Monday that the eighth European Political Community summit in Yerevan marked a historic moment for Türkiye-Armenia relations.
He described the signing of the Ani Bridge restoration memorandum as a “symbolic” but concrete step in a normalization process that has been building since 2022 and called on the South Caucasus peace track to serve as a model for a conflict-ridden world.
“This is the first high-level visit in 18 years,” Yilmaz told reporters.
He noted that President Erdogan, the parliamentary speaker, and other officials had previously held contacts but that the Yerevan attendance represented a new level of direct engagement.
“We see a positive direction, toward peace, toward normalization,” he added.
‘A symbolic bridge toward future’
Yilmaz said the Ani Bridge memorandum, signed by special representatives of both countries with Yilmaz as a witness, would see Türkiye’s General Directorate of Highways and Armenia’s Ministry of Culture jointly restore the historic structure.
He described the bridge as straddling the two countries, one side in Türkiye and the other in Armenia, and said it had been damaged in past conflicts with Russia.
“Just as this bridge once connected us, we expect our relations to develop on very solid foundations in the future,” he said.
“Technical preparations are already complete. There are no longer any obstacles. We expect the work to begin as soon as possible,” Yilmaz noted.
‘Not just roads’
The Turkish vice president stated that the strategic importance of the Middle Corridor was a central theme of the summit and received strong EU backing.
He stressed that the corridor should be understood as a comprehensive connectivity framework, covering telecommunications, energy and digital infrastructure alongside physical transport routes.
“When you look at today’s circumstances, the war in Ukraine; the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupting Europe more than almost any other region; and competition from the Far East, Europe and Türkiye have inseparable ties and objective common interests,” he said.
He confirmed that progress had been made on the Zangezur Corridor, the route connecting Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory, saying that agreements had been reached to establish the route.
“The strengthening of the Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan connection will also lay very important groundwork for broader regional cooperation,” Yilmaz said, reaffirming Ankara’s strong support.
‘Historic progress, more to come’
Yilmaz praised both Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for their leadership in the peace process, noting that Aliyev joined the summit via live link.
He said the framework agreement signed in Washington last August represented significant progress and that positive steps were continuing on a daily basis.
“As the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace becomes permanent and Türkiye-Armenia normalization advances, a new atmosphere is being created across the South Caucasus,” he said.
“Everyone in this region will benefit, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Türkiye and all countries in this geography,” the Turkish vice president noted.
Türkiye’s diplomatic role from Gaza to Iran to Balkans
Yilmaz said President Erdogan’s peace diplomacy extended far beyond the South Caucasus, citing active Turkish engagement on the Iran-Israel-U.S. war, Gaza, Syria, Africa, the Balkans and the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
“Wherever there is conflict or dispute, President Erdogan’s serious contributions through leaders’ diplomacy are well known,” he said.
On Türkiye-EU relations, Yilmaz said Türkiye is “a natural part of Europe” and a candidate country, adding that the two sides share objective common interests across security, economic competitiveness and connectivity.
“Our positive relations with Europe in general, and with the EU in particular, will continue in the coming period,” he said.
He closed by thanking Armenian authorities for their warm hospitality, saying, “From the moment we arrived, Armenian officials, led by Prime Minister Pashinyan, showed us close attention and warm hospitality. I thank all Armenian officials and everyone who prepared this beautiful environment.”
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Mali leader says situation under control in first speech since attacks
The leader of Mali’s military government, Assimi Goita, on Tuesday made his first public appearance since insurgents launched coordinated attacks over the weekend, vowing in a televised address to “neutralize” those responsible, Reuters reported.
West Africa’s al Qaeda affiliate and a Tuareg-dominated separatist group hit Mali’s main army base and the area near Bamako’s airport in the attacks on Saturday, while also pushing Russian troops supporting government forces out of the strategic town of Kidal in the north.
Mali’s defence minister, Sadio Camara, was killed in Saturday’s attacks.
Goita had not been seen until his office on Tuesday afternoon published pictures of him meeting the Russian ambassador, Igor Gromyko.
The two men “discussed the current situation and the strong partnership between Bamako and Moscow”, and Gromyko “reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting Mali in the fight against international terrorism,” Reuters reported citing a readout from Goita’s office.
Goita also visited a hospital where people wounded in Saturday’s attacks were receiving treatment, and expressed condolences to Camara’s family, his office said.
He then delivered a brief address on the evening news in which he declared that “the situation is under control” and said operations would continue until they achieved “the complete neutralization of the groups involved” in the attacks.
In a video message distributed on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the al Qaeda affiliate, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), boasted about Saturday’s violence and described it as revenge for drone strikes and other attacks perpetrated by Malian forces.
Russia said on Tuesday that jihadi and separatist forces in Mali were regrouping after Moscow’s forces helped thwart what it described as a coup attempt on Saturday, preventing insurgents from seizing key facilities including the presidential palace.
“The enemy has not abandoned its aggressive intentions and is currently regrouping,” the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Russian forces were conducting active reconnaissance operations to destroy insurgent field camps and stood ready to repel further attacks, it added.
Mali turned to Russia for support after expelling French and U.N. troops following coups in 2020 and 2021.
Africa Corps, a paramilitary group controlled by Russia’s Defence Ministry, confirmed on Monday that its forces had withdrawn from the northern town of Kidal in Mali after fierce fighting there.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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Grigoryan–Mustafayev talks in Armenia: key takeaways
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Sukiasyan’s company in the center of budget payments
President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan visited Georgia and Kazakhstan in the last ten days of March. They were transferred by a businessman MP, a member of the ruling “Civil Agreement” faction Khachatur Sukiasyan the business class plane (business jet) of a family-owned airline.
“Flyuan Armenia” LLC of Sukiasyans received 28,600,000 drams from the RA state budget (taxes included) only to take the delegation of Deputy Prime Minister Grigoryan to Kazakhstan and bring it back. At the current exchange rate of the Central Bank, this amount is equal to about 77 thousand. dollar How much did the airline earn? To bring Khachaturyan back to Georgia, the president’s staff does not say.
Below is Hetq’s investigation in its entirety.
Yerevan-Tbilisi-Yerevan, not by a state plane, but by a private plane
On March 22, V. The delegation led by Khachaturyan flew from Yerevan to Tbilisi on a working visit to participate in the funeral ceremony of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilya II of All Georgia.
In the photos published by the official website of the president, we see that Khachaturyan was accompanied by KGS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan and RA Ambassador to Georgia Ashot Smbatyan. In addition to participating in the funeral, V. Khachaturyan had a private conversation with the President of Georgia, Mikheil Kavelashvili.
The high-ranking officials of the Republic of Armenia, in particular the President and the Prime Minister, are served by the government plane of the Republic of Armenia, the Airbus A319 ACJ type aircraft, which is a VIP aircraft. In 1998 This production plane is the property of RA and has been operated in our country since 2007.
The flights of the state board that serve the prime minister are currently numbered FIE4001, in the case of the president – FIE4002, for other officials (for example, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs) – FIE4003 (FIE is the code of “Flyuan Armenia”, which operates the state plane from September 2023, and the number identifies the official taking advantage of the flight).
On March 22, when the president was scheduled to leave for Tbilisi, the Airbus A319 was not involved in other official flights (FIE4001 or FIE4003), according to online flight tracking platforms. But why Khachaturyan did not fly on the state plane is not clear.
Instead, the president was served by a Gulfstream G450 business jet owned by “Flyuan Armenia” LLC. The plane took off from Yerevan on the morning of the 22nd of the month at 9:06, landing in Tbilisi 30 minutes later.
The president and his entourage returned the same evening. The return flight lasted 32 minutes.
The G450’s flight history on Flightradar24.com suggests that it is mostly based at Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan. But it should be emphasized that the aircraft is not registered in RA, but in Romania as YR-SIL (YR is the national symbol of Romania, and SIL is on behalf of the company “SIL Capital” owned by the Sukiasyan family, which was a shareholder in “Flyuan Armenia” in 2022-2025). The aircraft is operated by FlyOne Romania, the Romanian sister company of Flyuan Armenia (both are part of the Moldovan Fly One airline network).
Free shipping or government purchase from former partners?
50% of “Flyuan Armenia” belongs to Eduard Sukiasyan, one of the brothers of Khachatur Sukiasyan, KP MP, 4% – to the general director of the company Aram Khachatryan, the remaining 46% – to the Moldavian Fly One airline. In other words, E. Sukiasyan is the largest owner of the airline.
On the other hand, Khachatur, Saribek and Eduard Sukiasyan own the control package of “Armeconombank” OJSC, 51.45%. And in 2022, Vahagn Khachaturyan, who was elected president by the National Assembly in 2019-2021. was a free member of the board of “Armeconombank” OJSC. Moreover, the head of the air carrier A. is a member of this council. Khachatryan, and the chairman of the board is Saribek Sukiasyan.
In other words, the country’s president was served by an aircraft belonging to a large business family, on the other hand, Khachaturyan is a former partner of the Sukiasyans in the banking business. How did this happen?
Two options are likely.
The first is the option of transporting the president for free or providing him with a free service, taking into account Khachaturyan’s connection with the Sukiasyans.
However, in this case, we face a legal ban, because the Law on “Public Service” prohibits public office holders, including the president of the country, from accepting gifts in connection with the performance of their official (service) duties. The concept of “gift” implies any property advantage, including a service provided free of charge or at an inadequately low price, or other actions, as a result of which a person receives a benefit or an advantage, and which is provided due to the fact that the person occupies a position.
The second option is to make a state purchase, that is, Khachaturyan’s staff purchased a transportation service at the expense of the state budget, which was provided by the Sukiasyans’ aircraft. But by what procedure was the purchase made? If the “one-person” (without tender) procedure was chosen, then on what legal basis and why was “Flyuan Armenia” or FlyOne Romania chosen (it is not clear with which of these the contract was signed, if, of course, the state procurement was carried out)?
Let’s emphasize that the fact that the president used the Sukiasyans’ business jet (regardless of whether it was free or for a fee) raises the question of whether there is no conflict of interest here.
The Law “On Public Service” states that a person holding a position must avoid a conflict of interest situation, refrain from taking action (inaction) or making a decision in such a situation.
And the conflict of interests is a situation when the private interests of the person holding a position (in this case, V. Khachaturyan) affect or can affect the impartial and objective performance of his official duties. Private interest includes any privilege, in particular, to those persons (in this case, Sukiasyans) or organizations with whom he has business, political or other business or personal relations.
Thus, if the transportation was free, then, in fact, we are dealing not only with violating the legal prohibition of accepting a gift, but also with a conflict of interests, because such a gift should affect the impartial and objective performance of the official duties of the president. And if the transportation was for a fee, from the point of view of the conflict of interests, the question arises as to why “Flyuan Armenia” (or FlyOne Romania) was chosen, whether that choice was not influenced by V. Khachaturyan’s personal and previous business relationship with the Sukiasyans.
Considering all this, we asked President Khachaturyan if he does not see a conflict of interest in the fact that, as a high-ranking RA official, he used the services provided by the plane owned by the Sukiasyans’ airline.
We were also interested in why he did not fly on the RA state aircraft, did the G450 provide the transportation service free of charge or for a fee, if it was for a fee, was a state purchase made and from whom, the Armenian “Flyuan Armenia” or the Romanian FlyOne Romania, by what procedure was the purchase made (it is assumed that it was a “one person” procedure – ed.). If the purchase was made from “one person”, what is its legal justification, and even then, why was the company directly (Flyuan Armenia) or indirectly (FlyOne Romania) related to the Sukiasians chosen? We asked you to tell us how much the transportation service contract was value.
How high-ranking officials “protect” themselves from journalists’ questions
In response to “Hetk” inquiry, the Public Relations Department of the President’s Office informed that according to the provisions of the Law on “Purchases”, the expenses of the RA President’s stay, food, transportation, transportation services are included in the procurement plan containing state secrets. Based on this, the president’s staff refused to answer Hetk’s questions.
The Law “On Purchases” defines: “The procurement plan containing state secrets includes the goods, works and services required for the provision of ceremonial expenses, accommodation, food and transportation services for officials (including the President of RA) provided for in Article 5, Part 2 of the Law “On Ensuring the Security of Persons Subject to Special State Protection” (emphasis is ours – ed.).
Our experience shows that this provision of the law adopted in December 2016 has become a way for high-ranking officials and their staffs to “protect” themselves from unwanted questions from journalists. In this sense, the current officials are effectively duplicating the experience of their predecessors.
In 2018, we wrote that the Gulfstream G650 type business jet belonging to businessman Samvel Karapetyan transported the delegation of Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan to Zurich in January of that year to participate in the Davos World Economic Forum. The government informed the press that no money was allocated from the state budget for the aircraft lease. Considering that businessman S. Karapetyan, then (2016-2018) Prime Minister K. Karapetyan is the friend and father-in-law, we had expressed doubt that the flight was made free of charge (that is, K. Karapetyan didn’t even pay from his own pocket), but in that case, the option of violating the Law on “Public Service” arose, because a public servant is prohibited from receiving services from other persons in connection with official duties.
The government did not answer our questions, that is, they did not deny the fact of the conflict of interests and violation of the law. They also did not say whether Prime Minister Karapetyan paid for the service from his own pocket, confirming our suspicion that the plane served his delegation for free.
Then, thanks to a tip from one of our readers, we found out that S. In July 2017, Karapetyan’s business jet transported President Serzh Sargsyan to Tehran to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected president of Iran.
When S. We asked Sargsyan’s staff whether payment was made from the state budget for the air transportation service, and we received the same answer as V. Khachaturyan’s staff.
Although the staffs of the former and current presidents have referred to the Law “On Purchases”, from which it can be assumed that the transportation service was purchased and not provided to the officials for free, in reality, one cannot be sure in this matter and claim that it was so, first of all, taking into account the relations between Serzh Sargsyan and Samvel Karapetyan, as well as Vahagn Khachaturyan and Sukiasyan.
When the president’s staff refers to the state secret and, being “protected” behind it, does not comment on the possible conflict of interests, it only strengthens the suspicions that at least a conflict of interests has occurred.
Refer to the law according to discretion and political situation
Our experience has also shown that referring to the above provision of the “Procurement” Law and not disclosing information about the use of private business jets can be done according to the discretion and political situation. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did something similar. You can get acquainted with the details from the links presented below.
77 thousand dollars for the transportation of Mher Grigoryan’s delegation
On March 18, Prime Minister Pashinyan made a decision to send a delegation to Kazakhstan (Shimkend) headed by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan. It included Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mnatsakan Safaryan, RA Ambassador to Kazakhstan Armen Ghevondyan, Deputy Minister of Economy Narek Hovakimyan, Deputy Chairman of the SRC Rafael Gevorgyan, Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Head of Protocol.
Pashinyan instructed his chief of staff Araik Harutyunyan to organize a flight. on March 26 – Yerevan-Shimkend, and on March 27 – via the Shimkend-Yerevan route.
Both on March 22 (the day of the president’s flight) and on March 26-27, the RA state Airbus A319, according to aviation platforms, was not involved in flights. However, in this case too, M. Grigoryan’s delegation was taken to Kazakhstan and brought back by Sukiasyan’s Gulfstream G450.
Since the Deputy Prime Minister is not an official subject to state protection, and the above-mentioned provision of the Law on “Purchases” on state secrets does not apply to him, we are the head of the Prime Minister’s Office A. We sent a request to Harutyunyan with the same content as to the president’s office, expecting a proper answer. But Armen Khachatryan, head of the information and public relations department of the staff, did not answer the following questions.
1. Why didn’t the RA delegation use the RA government plane, or why didn’t they purchase airline tickets from regular passenger airlines, but chose to use the services of a business class plane?
2. Before signing the contract, was a price comparison made between the service provided by this aircraft and the ticket prices of airlines performing regular passenger transportation?
3. If the purchase was made through the “one person” procedure, what is its legal justification, and even in that case, why was a contract signed with a company directly (Flyuan Armenia) or indirectly (FlyOne Romania) related to the family of a member of the ruling faction?
The Prime Minister’s Office informed that the payments stipulated in the contract were made under the article “expenses for foreign business trips”, within the framework of which the expenses are not entered into the armeps.am public procurement platform. Nevertheless, they sent us the contract signed between the Prime Minister’s office and “Flyuan Armenia” LLC on March 24.
Sukiasyan’s company undertook to transport 7 people from Yerevan to Shimkend, and from there to Yerevan, by business class Gulfstream G450.
The contract included airport service, catering, VIP service, aircraft operation services, including crew, fuel, maintenance, aeronautical, airport fees. The price of the contract is 28,600,000 drams (including taxes and duties), which at the current exchange rate of the Central Bank is equal to about 77,000 drams. dollar
The questions remain unanswered as to why the delegation of the Deputy Prime Minister did not leave with “regular” airline(s). There is no direct flight between Yerevan and Shimkend, but logically, transportation could be organized by connecting flights. That is why we asked the head of the Prime Minister’s office whether a price comparison was carried out. The lack of an answer to this raises new questions, such as why “Flyuan Armenia” of Khachatur Sukiasyan’s family was chosen as a member of the ruling team.
Vahe Sarukhanyan
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India, Armenia discuss avenues for joint ventures in military hardware develop
New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan held a meeting with Armenia’s Chief of the General Staff Lt General Edvard Asryan in New Delhi on Tuesday, discussing ways to have joint ventures in the development of military hardware.
Lt General Edvard Asryan was received by CDS General Chauhan and accorded a Guard of Honour.
“General Anil Chauhan, CDS, held discussions with Lt General Edvard Asryan, Chief of the General Staff of Armenia, during his official visit to India. The General officer was received by the CDS and was accorded a Guard of Honour,” Headquarters of Integrated Defence Staff (IDS HQ) posted on X.
The engagement reflected the steady advancement of India-Armenia Defence Relations. Both sides also explored avenues for joint ventures in the development of military hardware, reaffirming their shared commitment to a robust, future-oriented and mutually beneficial strategic partnership.
Earlier in February, an Indian defence delegation led by General Chauhan visited Armenia for a four-day visit. During the visit, the delegation led by General Chauhan called on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, discussing emerging opportunities for collaboration and avenues to further strengthen defence and strategic cooperation.
Following the meeting, Headquarters of Integrated Defence Staff in a statement on X wrote, “General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff CDS, accompanied by the Indian Delegation, interacted with His Excellency Mr Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, exchanging views on the evolving Geopolitical Landscape and prevailing Security Environment. The discussions also highlighted emerging opportunities for collaboration and avenues to further strengthen Bilateral Defence and Strategic Cooperation.”
General Anil Chauhan, accompanied by the Indian delegation, also met Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Abisoghomonyan. During the meeting, the two sides exchanged perspectives on the security environment and bilateral issues.
“General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff CDS, accompanied by the Indian Delegation, interacted with His Excellency Mr Robert Abisoghomonyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Armenia, exchanging perspectives on the security environment and bilateral issues,” the Headquarters of Integrated Defence Staff posted on X.
General Anil Chauhan-led delegation and Armenia’s Defence Minister Suren Papkyan held discussions focusing on strengthening defence cooperation across various security issues related to the two nations.
Following the meeting, the Headquarters of Integrated Defence Staff in a statement shared on X wrote, “General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, led the Indian Delegation for an office call on with Suren Papkyan, Minister of Defence, The Republic of Armenia. Discussions focused on strengthening Defence Cooperation across a range of security issues concerning both the nations.”
General Chauhan also addressed faculty and students at the National Defence Research University (NDRU) and spoke about the global security environment, structural transformation and emergence of technology.
“General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, visited the National Defence Research University NDRU, Armenia, where he addressed faculty and students on the evolving global security environment, structural transformation and emergence of technology as a key determinant of power,” Headquarters of the Integrated Defence Staff posted on X.
He talked about the changing nature of war with emphasis on revolution in military affairs. He highlighted that technology is changing the character of war, especially as the world graduates towards multi-domain operations. He also covered the nuances of the new domains of warfare, viz Cyber, Electronic Warfare (EW), Space and Cognitive, the IDS HQ added.
–IANS
akl/sd
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Turkish Press: Türkiye, Armenia stress importance of reopening Kars-Gyumri ra
Türkiye and Armenia have underlined the importance of reopening the Kars-Gyumri railway as soon as possible to enhance regional transport links, following a joint working group meeting, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the ministry said the Türkiye-Armenia Joint Working Group on the rehabilitation and operationalization of the Kars-Gyumri railway convened in the eastern Turkish province of Kars on Apr. 28.
The meeting was held in line with agreements reached under the normalization process between the two countries, it added.
Both sides emphasized the significance of bringing the railway into operation as soon as possible in order to strengthen regional transport connectivity.
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Tbilisi: Police Restrict Armenian Genocide Remembrance Event Near Turkish Emba
April 25 2026
Police Restrict Armenian Genocide Remembrance Event Near Turkish Embassy Under Newer Rally Laws
A local Armenian community group said on April 24 that the Georgian Interior Ministry has denied them holding an Armenian Genocide remembrance event near the Turkish Embassy in Tbilisi in a break of tradition and under stricter rally laws that require advance police notice and allow the ministry to request changing time, location, and route of a demonstration.
Armenian Community of Georgia, a non-governmental organization, said in a statement that the community has been holding a peaceful event on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, marked on April 24 to commemorate the victims of a mass killing of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in the early twentieth century, for twenty years near the Turkish Embassy in Tbilisi.
According to the group, in 2026, too, they applied to Tbilisi City Hall in advance, “in full compliance with Georgian law and terms,” but received a call from a representative of the Georgian patrol police notifying a rejection to hold an event at the traditional place, citing the need “to avoid potential risks.”
The group said it took them days to trace the original letter in public agencies.
The Interior Ministry’s letter, when finally obtained, reportedly cited the provisions of recently tightened protest laws which allow police to request a change in time, location, or the form of an assembly. The laws, adopted in December, cite a need to strike a “balance” between freedom of assembly and rights of those living, working, or pursuing entrepreneurial activities in the areas of a planned rally, as well as public safety and order and uninterrupted movement of transport and people, and “other human rights and freedoms.”
“Since there is a probability of violation of the requirements of the above-mentioned norm by holding the assembly at the site you indicated, given its placement and location, we ask you to consider the advisability of changing the location of the assembly,” the group quoted the Ministry’s letter.
The community group said such decisions are taken “in a non-transparent form” and the parties are notified “with significant delay.”
“This practice does not comply with the rule of law standards and undermines the trust in state institutions,” the group said, adding that they “do not find it possible to change the location of the event and won’t be holding the event that has turned into a tradition at any other address but the territory near the Turkish Embassy.”
From Notification to De Facto Permit Regime?
The ruling Georgian Dream party introduced in December stricter police notice rules as part of yet another package restricting the freedom of assembly, in an apparent attempt to crack down on daily anti-government rallies on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue. Over the past months, however, other groups, too, reported restrictions on holding rallies at desired places, including miners from Chiatura who had arrived to hold protests in Tbilisi.
Under the new rules, organizers of rallies to be held “in areas of movement of people or transport” are required to notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs no less than five days in advance for non-spontaneous rallies and “immediately within a reasonable time” for spontaneous rallies.
The ministry will have three days to review the request and propose an alternative location, time, or route if the planned gathering “poses a real threat to public safety, public order, the normal functioning of enterprises, institutions, and organizations, the unimpeded movement of vehicles and people, or to human rights and freedoms.”
Those who fail to comply with the ministry’s orders will be treated as offenders and face detention of up to 15 days for participants and up to 20 days for organizers. Critics, including Georgia’s Public Defender, have warned that such provisions risk effectively introducing a de facto permit regime that contradicts the Georgian Constitution.
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Pashinyan signals tax reforms for microenterprises
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan rejected opposition claims that Armenia has a heavy tax burden for businesses, accusing these oppositionists of being former corrupt businessmen who no longer have access to such “levers” after losing the ability to evade taxes.
At the same time, he indicated plans for reforms to the microenterprise tax system.
“I fully understand the opposition’s statements about a heavy tax burden, because when they were in power, they were used to not paying taxes. Naturally, now that they are forced to operate within the tax system, it feels heavy for them. In essence, they are not businessmen; they are specialists in using corrupt systems to evade taxes, push competitors out of the market, and make money in favorable conditions—and, as it is commonly said, to loot. So it is understandable that now, when such opportunities are no longer available, it feels burdensome to them,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing when asked about claims made by some opposition figures.
Some opposition parties have argued that the country’s tax system is burdensome for businesses, notably small businesses, and have pledged to lower taxes—or even introduce tax exemptions for microbusinesses—if they win the upcoming elections.
When asked whether he sees the need for changes in the tax system in the near future, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the government is currently considering raising the 24-million-dram turnover threshold for the microenterprise regime to encourage them.
“I would like to remind you that it was during our governance that the microbusiness system was established, when special conditions were created for the smallest businesses, and our policy has been to encourage businesses to become more successful, not less successful,” he said.
“We see an opportunity to raise the microbusiness threshold in the near future. The current threshold is 24 million drams, and it is clear that this level—also due to inflationary developments—is no longer relevant. We are considering raising the threshold so that truly small businesses can operate under special conditions, while others cannot use small-business status to avoid taxes,” the Prime Minister explained.
He recalled that after 2018 it became evident that many large businesses were splitting themselves into smaller entities in order to avoid taxation, a practice that is now significantly restricted.
“I want to address the citizens of Armenia who work, create results, generate and pay taxes, and tell them that we are transforming the taxes they pay into beautiful and modern kindergartens and schools, equipped with up-to-date furniture and infrastructure. I also want to emphasize that taxes are an important attribute of the state and sovereignty. I call on citizens, when making any purchase, not to forget to request a fiscal receipt, because this is also how we ensure healthcare insurance and pension increases,” Pashinyan said.
The Prime Minister stressed that those whose public discourse focuses on demonizing taxes are effectively advocating for the cancellation of healthcare insurance, pension increases, school and kindergarten construction, road development, and other public projects.
“Where there are taxes, there is prosperity; where there are no taxes, there is no prosperity. The well-being of every citizen depends first and foremost not on how much they spend on their own welfare, but on how much the state spends on their welfare,” Nikol Pashinyan concluded.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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“Armenia: A Museum Beneath an Open Sky”: Aegean Airlines’ Blue magazine publi
The Blue magazine of the Greek Aegean Airlines has published an extensive article about Armenia under the title “Armenia: A Museum Beneath an Open Sky”, the Embassy of Armenia in Greece said in a statement.
”The Republic of Armenia is continuously presented as a country with a rich cultural heritage and modern creative potential. Yerevan, as the capital, combines historical values with innovative developments, forming a multi-layered and attractive environment,” it reads.
“In the cultural map of the capital, museums and art centers hold an important place, while young creative initiatives, including TUMO Studios, contribute to the engagement of the new generation and the reinterpreting of Armenian traditions through a contemporary perspective”.
“Armenian cuisine is presented in both traditional and modern formats; restaurants in Yerevan combine national flavors with innovative approaches, offering a high-level gastronomic experience. At the same time, Armenia is developing as an important wine-producing destination, based on centuries-old traditions and the revival of local grape varieties,” the article reads.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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