Author: Emil Lazarian

The man accused of murdering his three-year-old son in an Armenian village near Lake Sevan in 2025 has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Three-year-old Tigran Ovanesov, from the village of Tsapatagh in Gegharkunik Province, went missing on October 27, 2025, outside his home, prompting a massive search and rescue operation. 

He was found dead a few days later near the village.

Armen Ovanesov, the boy’s father, was named the prime suspect and jailed without bail.

Authorities said he strangled the child outside their home and then hid the body. Police said he had moved the body to various locations to prevent search and rescue teams from discovering it.

The motive was reportedly the man’s suspicion that he was not the child’s biological father.

Court documents showed that Armen Ovanesov was found guilty and sentenced to life by Judge Artavazd Karapetyan on March 25.

Authorities said on Thursday that a criminal investigation into suspected arson has been launched in connection with the massive fire at the abandoned 4-storey Kanaz Culture Center building at 19 Azatutyun Street, Yerevan.

Multiple firefighting teams were dispatched to the building after a 911 call was made at 19:12. The fire was extinguished around midnight. Nearby residential buildings were evacuated as a precaution. No one was hurt in the fire. 

“A criminal case has been initiated regarding the fire that broke out on Azatutyun Avenue under Article 264, Part 2, Point 2 of the Criminal Code (destruction or damage of property committed by arson, explosion, or other generally dangerous method). A preliminary investigation is underway. Comprehensive examinations have been appointed,” the Investigative Committee said.

The Secretary General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, David Karapetyan, received a delegation of international experts specializing in foreign policy, international security, and democratic governance.

The experts visited Armenia from March 23 to 26 as part of a program organized by the Bucharest office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, in cooperation with the Yerevan-based Foundation for Culture and Civilization Studies.

During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on key regional and international developments.

Karapetyan highlighted the importance the Government of Armenia attaches to continuous engagement with civil society and the sustainable development of democratic institutions.

He also invited the members of the delegation to participate in the third international forum “Yerevan Dialogue,” scheduled to take place in Yerevan on May 5–6, 2026.

As part of his official visit to France, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan on March 26 met with French Army General Vincent Giraud, the Chief of the Personal Staff of the French President and his chief military advisor.

Papikyan reported about the meeting in a post on Facebook.

The Armenian Defense Minister is in France on an official visit.

Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan met with representatives of French defense companies at the Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF), Papikyan said in a post on Facebook.

Suren Papikyan is on an official visit to France on March 26.

Earlier on March 26, Papikyan met with French Army General Vincent Giraud, Chief of the Personal Staff of the French President and his chief military advisor.

Article by Kabar News Agency 

Kyrgyzstan is preparing to host the sixth World Nomad Games from August 31 to September 6, with the opening ceremony scheduled in Bishkek and competitions set to continue in the Issyk-Kul region.

More than 90 countries are expected to participate, while the program will include 43 sports along with cultural events, exhibitions and international forums. Organizers say accreditation of participants will begin in May, with preparations entering the final stage.

Launched in 2014 on the basis of the Bishkek Declaration, the World Nomad Games have grown into a global platform promoting traditional sports, cultural heritage and intercultural dialogue. The first three editions were held in Kyrgyzstan, while Turkiye hosted the Games in 2022 and Kazakhstan in 2024, reflecting the project’s expanding international reach.

The event is recognized as a tool for strengthening cultural ties and tourism, bringing together athletes, artists and researchers from around the world.

The world is preparing to witness the sixth edition of the Games. The host country, Kyrgyzstan, is actively preparing for this large-scale event, and the participating countries are also thoroughly preparing for their performances.

The World Nomad Games is an international event that unites the national games and cultures of nomadic peoples at the global level. Its uniqueness lies in the revival of forgotten traditions and the ability to unite countries around a common goal. This event aims to preserve the heritage of nomadic civilization and promote it worldwide. In particular, it provides a unique opportunity to see the entire nomadic world in one place.

Furthermore, the Games serve an important mission to strengthen interstate ties and develop global tourism.

The World Nomad Games have received the following high praise and status:

– Recognized by the UN as an effective tool for intercultural dialogue;

– Supported by international sports federations and cultural institutions;

– Included in the global sustainable development agenda;

– Inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Games’ core content includes equestrian races, traditional wrestling, and intellectual and folk games. In addition, the event includes international scientific conferences and symposia, large-scale cultural programs, exhibitions of crafts and national cuisine, and art and fashion shows.

In 2012, following a summit of the heads of Turkic-speaking states involving Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkiye, the Bishkek Declaration was signed. This document laid the foundation for the World Nomad Games, initiated by Kyrgyzstan.

Based on this initiative, the first World Nomad Games were held from September 9 to 14, 2014, in Kyrgyzstan. 583 athletes from 19 countries competed in 14 sports.

The first three editions of the Games were held in Kyrgyzstan.

Following the first World Nomad Games in 2014, the second (2016) and third (2018) Games were also held in Kyrgyzstan.

In particular, from September 3 to 8, 2016, the city of Cholpon-Ata hosted the 2nd World Nomad Games, which attracted 1,200 athletes and coaches competing in 23 sports. This time, the number of participating countries reached 62, tripling the number of participating countries at the first Games. Of these, 17 presented their unique cultural programs. Furthermore, the range of sports disciplines expanded, and the number of media representatives covering the event exceeded 650.

The program included national games reflecting the daily life, martial arts, hunting traditions, and intellectual culture of nomadic peoples, such as: jerit (spear throwing on horseback), tayaq tartysh (stick tug-of-war), goresh (traditional wrestling of the Turkic peoples), gulesh (Turkish oil wrestling), aba kureshu (horseback wrestling), archery (on foot, on horseback, and long-range), burkut saluu (golden eagle hunting), dalba oynotuu (the art of controlling a falcon using a lure on a cord), taigan zharish (dog racing of the Taigan breed), and mangala (a board game of logic).

Furthermore, these Games strengthened the foundation of the project’s scale and laid the groundwork for its development as a global international platform.

The III World Nomad Games were held from September 2 to 8, 2018, in Cholpon-Ata. This time, the number of participating countries reached 80, and approximately two thousand athletes competed in 37 sports.

The program also included such sports as arm wrestling, mongol bokh (Mongolian wrestling), vari, pahlavani (Iranian wrestling), three types of traditional archery, sambo, ssireum (South Korean wrestling), and sumo.

In the lead-up to the Games, an international Altaic conference entitled “Folk Games, Rituals, and Traditions” was held, bringing together scholars from more than 45 countries. These Games played a decisive role, leading to the decision to further host the event in other countries. Thus, Turkey was confirmed as the next host country.

Hosting the World Nomad Games in other countries

Thus, the mission to host the World Nomad Games was handed over to Turkiye. The Games were held from September 29 to October 2, 2022, in the cities of Iznik and Bursa, bringing together representatives from 102 countries. 3,000 people competed in 40 sports, and approximately 150,000 spectators witnessed this massive event.

The Games were originally planned for 2020, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event was postponed to 2022. The baton for hosting the next Games was passed to Kazakhstan.

The 5th World Nomad Games were held from September 8 to 13, 2024, in Astana, Kazakhstan. 2,800 athletes from 89 countries competed in 21 sports. A unique feature of these Games was the inclusion of women’s categories in the competition program, at the initiative of the participants.

The “Nomad Universe” ethno-village hosted over 100 cultural programs, as well as an international conference on “Nomads: History, Knowledge, and Lessons.”

Preparations for the 6th World Nomad Games

The 6th World Nomad Games will be held this year from August 31 to September 6. The opening ceremony will take place in Bishkek at the Bishkek Arena stadium, currently under construction and designed to accommodate 51,000 spectators, after which the events will continue in the Issyk-Kul region.

According to Nursultan Adenov, Head of the International Secretariat of the World Nomad Games, invitations to participate in the Games have been sent to 100 countries. To date, participation confirmations have been received from approximately 50 countries. Overall, representatives from more than 90 countries are expected to attend. 400 representatives of foreign media are also expected to arrive.

It’s worth noting that this year’s Games will feature 43 sports. The program already includes the Kazakh national game “kokpar” and the Yakut national wrestling “khapsagay.” Agreements with other federations are expected to be signed.

The host country for the 7th World Nomad Games will be announced in the next 1-2 months. To date, bids have been received from 3-4 countries to host the next event.

The World Nomad Games are not a bygone era, but living history that continues today. This is an event worth seeing at least once in a lifetime.

The “Armenia in UNESCO” event was held at the headquarters of Uruguay’s Ministry of Foreign Relations, the Santos Palace, where Armenia’s cultural heritage registered with UNESCO was showcased.

Armenian Ambassador to Uruguay Mariam Gevorgyan, Acting Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs at Uruguay’s Ministry of Foreign Relations Soledad Martínez, and Acting Director of the UNESCO Regional Office Alcira Sandoval delivered remarks, the Armenian embassy reported. 

The showcased Armenian heritage included the Armenian duduk, performed by renowned Argentine-Armenian duduk player Gagik Gasparyan, along with the Armenian Kochari dance, performed by members of the senior generation of the “Gayane” dance ensemble of Uruguay.

A photography exhibition was held in the Pedro Figari Hall of the Santos Palace and will be open to the public until March 27.

The event was attended by the Secretary General of the Latin American Integration Association, Sergio Abreu, senior officials from Uruguay’s Ministry of Foreign Relations, a number of foreign ambassadors, political and public figures, as well as representatives of the Armenian community.

The event was organized at the initiative of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Uruguay, in cooperation with Uruguay’s Ministry of Foreign Relations and the UNESCO Regional Office.

Armenia’s foreign trade turnover in January–February 2026 exceeded the same period of the previous year by 9.3%, reaching USD 3.0641 billion, according to the Statistical Committee.

In February, trade turnover increased by 37.1% compared to January and by 30.8% compared to February of the previous year. Trade in the last month of winter amounted to USD 1.7718 billion.

Exports in the first two months of the year exceeded the same period of the previous year by 12.6%, estimated at USD 1.1688 billion. Month-on-month growth compared to January was 44.2%, and year-on-year growth compared to February 2025 was 37.6%. Exports in February totaled USD 690.2 million.

Imports in January–February were 7.3% higher than in the same period of 2025, estimated at USD 1.8953 billion. In February, imports increased by 32.9% compared to January and by 26.9% compared to February of the previous year. Imports in February amounted to USD 1.0816 billion.