EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos will visit Armenia on March 19.
According to her public schedule published by the European Commission, Kos will meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, and Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan in Yerevan.
Her visit was first announced in February.
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday that Armenia will attend the funeral of Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, who passed away at the age of 93 on Tuesday, “at the highest level.”
Pashinyan had earlier sent a letter of condolence to Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
Speaking at a press briefing after the Cabinet meeting, Pashinyan said he plans to call Kobakhidze.
“The Republic of Armenia will participate in the funeral at the highest level,” Pashinyan said, without specifying further.
“I am planning to call the Prime Minister of Georgia to personally offer my condolences,” he added.
According to Georgian media reports, Ilia II will be laid to rest on Sunday, March 22.
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Armenia is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to neighboring Iran if the need arises, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday.
He was asked at a press briefing whether Iran had requested humanitarian aid and whether there is such an initiative from the Armenian government.
Pashinyan said that Iran doesn’t need to ask. “The Islamic Republic of Iran does not need to appeal to us regarding humanitarian aid, because if we see any humanitarian need that we can support, we will take that step ourselves,” Pashinyan said.
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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke by phone on Thursday with his Georgian counterpart, Irakli Kobakhidze.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout that Pashinyan, on behalf of the people of Armenia and personally, once again expressed his sincere condolences to the Government of Georgia, the Georgian Orthodox Church, and the brotherly people of Georgia on the occasion of the passing of Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.
Prime Minister Kobakhidze expressed his gratitude for the kind words and support.
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The European Union will provide an additional €140 million in financial support to Armenia to promote reforms and deepen bilateral cooperation, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said in Yerevan during a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.
Marta Kos noted that Armenia is a reliable partner for the European Union in the South Caucasus, emphasizing the region’s growing significance amid global geopolitical tensions.
“This is an important year for Armenia. In May, Armenia will host the European Political Community Summit, followed by the first-ever EU-Armenia Summit. This demonstrates how much the importance of this region has increased for Europe and how deeply our partnership has developed,” she said.
According to the Commissioner, in recent years there has been significant growth in freight transport passing through the South Caucasus, which has quadrupled since 2022.
She noted that, thanks to infrastructure investments, it is possible to increase these figures even further by reducing transport times and costs.
Kos also emphasized that EU support is not limited to economic cooperation—it is also seen as a tool for promoting peace.
She welcomed the steps taken by Armenia and Azerbaijan toward peace, highlighting the importance of developing regional connectivity.
According to the Commissioner, under the “Resilience and Growth” program, the EU has already supported around 7,000 enterprises and contributed to the creation of more than 20,000 jobs.
“Projects are also being implemented in the fields of education, social services, and housing, and support is being provided for the integration of persons displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, amounting to over €70 million,” Kos emphasized.
According to Marta Kos, the new €140 million in support is also aimed at reforms necessary to advance the visa liberalization process.
“These funds will contribute to the reforms needed to make progress in the visa liberalization process,” she said.
Kos also addressed democratic processes, emphasizing that the EU is ready to support Armenia in countering hybrid threats and disinformation, ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections.
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Armenia and the European Union have signed a financing agreement for 2025–2027 under the “Resilience and Growth” plan, Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said during joint statements with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.
Grigoryan said the agreement reflects the deepening of Armenia–EU cooperation in reforms, economic development and regional connectivity.
He noted that Kos’s second visit to Armenia within six months demonstrates the active development of bilateral ties and expanding partnership between the sides.
According to Grigoryan, the visit comes ahead of the European Political Community summit and an Armenia–EU summit to be held in Yerevan.
The parties discussed progress on reforms implemented under the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
Grigoryan said the sides have set ambitious goals in key areas, including export diversification, visa liberalisation and public finance management.
He also stressed the importance of regional connectivity, noting that the sides agreed to continue cooperation within Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” project, the TRIPP route, and the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
Grigoryan added that the EU reaffirmed its support for Armenia’s involvement in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).
He expressed gratitude to the EU leadership for its support in strengthening democratic resilience in Armenia ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.
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YEREVAN, Armenia, (March 17, 2026) – Yerevan Wine Days (YWD26) will celebrate its 10th anniversary on June 5–7, 2026, transforming the center of Armenia’s capital into a three-night, pedestrian-only wine and gastronomy festival across Saryan, Moskovyan, and Tumanyan streets. Designed as a walkable city experience, Yerevan Wine Days combines winery discovery, food partnerships, and interactive activations that spotlight Armenia’s growing wine sector.
What began in 2017 with 25 winemakers on a section of Saryan Street has scaled into one of the region’s largest public-facing wine events. Recent editions have welcomed 180,000+ attendees across three days, with approximately 30,000 international visitors, and participation from around 100 Armenian wineries, creating a concentrated platform for brand visibility, consumer engagement, and destination-driven demand.
The 2026 Experience: Key Highlights
-Urban Wine Takeover: Central Yerevan becomes a pedestrian festival zone built for high-volume tasting, discovery, and hospitality-led experiences.
-Producer Scale & Variety: Visitors can explore 1,000+ wine varieties from 100 local winemakers, alongside food offerings from leading restaurants and partner pavilions.
-Wine Enjoyment Package (AMD 14,000): While entry to the festival streets is free, tasting is enabled through a package that includes a 10th-anniversary branded glass, neck pouch, 12 tasting coupons, a raffle ticket, an information booklet, and a cloth sleeve.
-Wine Talks & Creative Programming: The festival’s Wine Talks platform features masterclasses with winemakers and sommeliers, supported by interactive installations and live art moments.
-10th Anniversary Merchandise: A limited-edition capsule of streetwear and accessories will launch to mark the milestone year.
-Sustainability Practices: A reusable glass system is designed to reduce single-use waste; the festival also runs targeted recycling of event materials.
“This tenth year is an invitation to experience Armenia through its people, its energy, and its hospitality,” said the organizing team at EventToura, founded by Mary Badalyan and Nune Manukyan. “Yerevan Wine Days has become a signature city experience, and a platform to discover Armenian wine in a modern, high-visibility format.”
Dates: June 5–7, 2026 (from 16:00 until late)
Location: Central Yerevan – Saryan, Moskovyan, Tumanyan (Armenia)
Website: https://www.yerewinedays.am/en/
www.yerewinedays.am/
EventToura is an Armenia-based event tourism company specializing in large-scale city festivals that connect local culture with international audiences. Founded by Mary Badalyan and Nune Manukyan, EventToura develops and produces flagship street events in Yerevan, working with wineries, hospitality partners, and public/private stakeholders to grow destination appeal, visitor experience, and year-round tourism value.
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Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan chaired a meeting in Muscat with the heads of Armenia’s diplomatic missions accredited to Arab countries, the foreign ministry said in a readout.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Foreign Minister for Coordination of Relations with the Middle East Vahan Kostanyan and diplomats from the ministry’s central apparatus.
Participants discussed the situation in the Middle East and regional developments. Armenian ambassadors presented the realities and specific features of their countries of accreditation, followed by an exchange of views on possible ways to address the situation.
Mirzoyan referred to ongoing efforts to implement Armenia’s foreign policy priorities in the region and outlined approaches to further developing partnerships.
Discussions also covered issues concerning Armenian citizens who have remained in countries of the region since the escalation in the Middle East, including measures taken to organize their return to Armenia.
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The anti-corruption fight in Armenia gives tangible results. about 773 million dollars worth of property of illegal origin was returned to the state and communities.
This was announced by the Prosecutor General at the government meeting on March 19 Anna Vardapetyanstressing that the law enforcement system has reached a stage when criminal cases are sent to court and judgments in illegal property confiscation proceedings are made almost simultaneously.
Of the total returned assets, $504 million worth of property was transferred directly to the state. In addition, more than eighty illegal buildings have already been dismantled in the coastal part of Lake Sevan within the framework of the restoration of legality.
As a recent example of successful work, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan presented the return of the seven thousand square meter plot of land near the TV tower of the capital to the state.
This area, worth more than one million dollars, the contract of alienation of which was signed back in 2005, will now be given to the Ministry of Environment for the purpose of forest protection.
The Prosecutor General detailed that this episode is related to the settlement concluded with the confiscation proceedings of the assistant of the former mayor of Abovyan, Karapet Guloyan, and the case against the former mayor itself has already been sent to the court with a confirmed indictment. In the same area, five more similar plots were allocated to the state.
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The Armenian government is starting large-scale preparations for the 8th European Political Community Summit to be held in Yerevan on May 4, 2026. In the session of March 19, the executive made a decision to allocate urgently required 350 million drams from the reserve fund for the purpose of repairing the infrastructure of the sports concert complex.
One billion drams will be spent for the event from the state budget. It is noteworthy that “BIDEK” LLC, owned by a former deputy, was declared the winner in the tender for construction works with an offer of 573 million drams. Mher Sedrakyan որդուն՝ Davit Sedrakyan։
Despite the fact that the family has previously represented the opposition “Hayastan” faction, their company regularly receives large state orders in construction projects. The works planned by the project must be completed strictly before the start of the summit.
President of France in 2022 Emmanuel Macron The European Political Community created by the initiative is one of the most important intergovernmental platforms of European countries. A historic event for the region was registered within the framework of the first meeting of this format in Prague.
Through the mediation of European leaders, the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan, based on the Alma-Ata Declaration, mutually recognized the territorial integrity of the two countries. At that time, an agreement was reached on the location of the EU civilian mission on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, which makes the political significance of the upcoming meeting in Yerevan even more important.
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