June: 17, 2026
On June 14, the working meeting of the Secretary of the RA Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, and the Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Hikmet Hajiyev, took place in Dilijan. About this had reported From the Security Council.
According to the statement of the Security Council, during the meeting, the parties exchanged ideas on measures to strengthen mutual trust between the civil societies of the two countries.
Armen Grigoryan and Hikmet Hajiyev also agreed to continue working contacts, noting that the next meeting will take place in Azerbaijan.
What did Grigoryan and Hajiyev discuss, what discussions are taking place in Azerbaijan regarding this meeting?
Tatevik Hayrapetyan, an expert on Azerbaijan issues speaking about these issues, he noted that the visits of Azerbaijani officials or their related experts take place according to this principle: no information is distributed beforehand, after the visit they distribute a statement with a few sentences and limit it to that.
“What these visits are about, we understand later, from the developments taking place or from the agendas put into circulation by Nikol Pashinyan and his team, which actually reflect Azerbaijan’s demands. Only 90% of the Azerbaijani press published an official statement regarding this visit, there were no special discussions about it in Azerbaijan. I have come across an article in only one place, where an Azerbaijani expert expressed the opinion that Hajiyev’s visit to Armenia could be related to discussions on “enclaves”, taking into account the fact where he visited, in particular, Tavush Marz, Dilijan, etc. of 168.am Tatev Hayrapetyan said in a conversation with
The expert reminded that on May 19, the same Hajiyev took part in an event where he once again called Armenia “Western Azerbaijan” by the invasive name, saying that Azerbaijanis dream of returning to their “homeland”.
“This was before the elections, the elections are ending, and Hajiyev immediately visits Armenia, Dilijan. Moreover, taking into account who Hajiev is, he is one of the most active propagandists of the Artsakh blockade and genocidal actions in the media field.
In general, it is difficult to speak in the conditions of such limited information, but I can say one thing that after the elections in Armenia, the most active discussions in the Azerbaijani media are about the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. They understand that Pashinyan does not constitute a constitutional majority, and articles are published with the caption “Where has he disappeared? He should change the Constitution.” In other words, the discussions are taking place around this, I will not be surprised that this topic was also discussed at the meeting with Hajiyev,” our interlocutor added.
To the question: was it a coincidence that Hajiyev was walking in Dilijan with Armen Grigoryan in the place that was reconstructed by the efforts of Ruben Vardanyan, who was illegally convicted in Baku at the moment, Tatevik Hayrapetyan answered that it is difficult to find any coincidence in the case of the synchronization of the steps of the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“In my opinion, the goal of Azerbaijan in general is the continuous degradation of the Armenian society and the Armenian state with various tools. Today they will demand to change the Constitution, tomorrow they will say: remove Mount Ararat, that is, the final goal of all these processes is to destroy us, as a society and a state, in the psychological and moral field.
Now they come, they walk in the park rebuilt by Ruben Vardanyan, but Vardanyan is in captivity in Baku, they say the worst things about him. Is this a coincidence? It’s hard to say. I think this is one of the important components of the psychological and moral invisible war waged against us,” emphasized Tatevik Hayrapetyan.
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Violent… These people simply do not care about the constitution and laws.
June: 17, 2026
What the Central Electoral Commission did is simply mandate theft. About this 168 TVof Revue announced on the air of the program Elinar Vardanyan, the candidate of the National Assembly deputy on the pre-election list of the “Prosperous Armenia” party (PAP).commenting on the CEC’s decision to invalidate the results of the June 7 vote in three polling stations, due to which the PAP does not overcome the electoral threshold.
According to the member of the National Assembly, during the summarization of the preliminary results of the National Assembly election, fewer votes were counted in favor of the PAP than the party actually received as a result of the voters’ vote.
“If I say it in one word and try to express myself in an educated manner, it is simply absurd. What the Central Electoral Commission did is simply mandate theft. Look what happened. At the beginning, when the preliminary results were being summarized on the morning of June 8, it suddenly became clear that the “Prosperous Armenia” party did not cross the threshold of 4 percent. Then, when we investigated, we saw that even without recalculation, the numbers they entered did not match the extracts from the records we have. Of course, they say that it was a technical defect, but I have an inner belief that it was a deliberate step, so that they would not notice that four forces passed into the parliament at the stage of summarizing the preliminary results,” commented Elinar Vardanyan.
Elinar Vardanyan emphasizes that before the summary of the final results on June 14, the results of the recount were published, with which it was recorded that the PAP overcomes the electoral threshold of 4 percent, after which the voting results in three polling stations were declared invalid, which means that the invalidation of voting in those polling stations affects the results of the elections.
“When you put aside the votes of more than 2,000 citizens, those votes are the same for you – that’s one side of the issue, but on the other hand, it turns out that you are directly interfering with the results of the elections. We all saw that there were problems in those two polling stations, but what is the fault of the ordinary citizen who went to vote, that the CEC and electoral district commissions are not able to properly organize elections in their polling stations?
It turns out that the CEC decides whether my vote has value or not, and this is in the event that election violations occurred due to their fault, and here the requirement of the Election Code is definitely that a re-voting should be scheduled in case of invalid results in some polling stations. This is an imperative requirement. There can be no dilemma here,” emphasizes the deputy.
Elinar Vardanyan adds that according to the Electoral Code, if the above is not possible, then the entire election is declared invalid.
“And what did they do now – riot?” You can’t describe it any other way. You know, for these people, the constitution and laws have no meaning. These people simply don’t care about the constitution and laws,” the interlocutor adds.
Elinar Vardanyan also spoke about the fact that PAP, “Strong Armenia”, “Armenia” blocs, “Unity Wings” party intend to apply to the Constitutional Court with the demand to declare the election results invalid. According to Vardanyan, at the moment the PAP and other forces are preparing their applications to submit to the Constitutional Court.
Elinar Vardanyan does not have any expectations from the CC, but he believes that it is definitely necessary to apply to the CC in order to fix all the election violations that occurred during the entire election process with those applications.
“It should be emphasized that the election was not only the June 7 vote and it was not the counting of the voting results. The election is the whole process, and such a shameful election has never happened in the history of newly independent Armenia. These elections were organized exclusively within the framework of terror. First of all, in the pre-election phase, unequal conditions were created for the government and other political forces. What was allowed to the government, was not allowed to the opposition.
For what the opposition was subjected to criminal prosecution, in the same case, no proceedings were carried out against the ruling power. Threats, hate speech, criminal prosecutions, the use of administrative resources, along with scaring people – all this cannot have an impact on the entire electoral process,” Elinar Vardanyan adds.
Let’s remind that the Central Electoral Commission recognized the results of the June 7 vote as invalid in election precincts No. 12/13, 10/51, 36/65. As a result, PAP’s votes decreased, and the party did not overcome the electoral threshold of 4 percent. According to the final results summarized by the CEC, the PAP received 58,287 votes or 3.98 percent of the votes.
Full interview in the video.
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Armenian Expats Set To Lose Voting Rights
- Shoghik Galstian
The ruling Civil Contract party has drafted legislation that would effectively disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Armenian nationals living abroad and Russia in particular.
For more than two decades, such citizens have been legally allowed to vote only in polling stations inside Armenia. A bill which Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s party plans to push through the outgoing Armenian parliament later this month stipulates that they will lose voting rights if they have stayed in the country for less than six months during a year preceding elections. This restriction will not apply to Armenian diplomats and students enrolled in foreign universities.
One of the co-sponsors of the bill, Alkhas Ghazarian, on Wednesday linked it to the June 7 parliamentary elections. But she refused to elaborate.
In the weeks leading up to the elections, Pashinian’s aides and political allies claimed that Armenian expats in Russia are paid to travel to Armenia and vote for the main opposition Strong Armenia alliance led by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian. They did not offer any proof of the allegations.
They openly warned the expats and especially men not to come to their home country to cast ballots. A deputy chief of Pashinian’s staff and a news website controlled by Civil Contract said that the men would be called up for short military service on their arrival. In a clearly related development, military police officers were deployed at Yerevan’s Zvartnots airport on the eve of the polls.
Ruling party figures have not said how many expats entered Armenia from Russia in May and early June and whether their number was up from the year-earlier period. Ghazarian pointed to the case of one such expat, Hovannes Sahakian, who got himself into trouble after flying to Armenia together with his wife and children on election day.
Sahakian told a local TV channel at Zvartnots that they will fly back to Russia hours after casting ballots because they fear post-election unrest. Shortly afterwards, he was arrested and charged with failure to alert relevant authorities about a planned “usurpation of power” in Armenia. Sahakian, who was later freed but banned from leaving the country, denies the accusation decried by Armenian opposition figures.
In March, the Armenian authorities claimed that a foreign, presumably Russian, intelligence service is pressuring wealthy Armenians doing business abroad to support opposition forces challenging Pashinian. The Investigative Committee opened a relevant criminal case at the time. Nobody is known to have been indicted in that probe.
The Civil Contract bill has led to speculation that Pashinian’s party may be gearing up for fresh elections because of its failure to secure a two-thirds majority in the parliament, which is necessary for enacting a new Armenian constitution demanded by Azerbaijan. Ghazarian dismissed the speculation.
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Vote-buying created a threat of war, PM says of opposition
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has accused opposition forces of creating a threat of war through vote-buying.
Speaking during a government question-and-answer session in parliament, Pashinyan recalled that during the election campaign the Civil Contract party had urged citizens to stand for peace. According to the prime minister, the citizens of Armenia, through the election results, stood for the peace agenda.
“Our assessment is unequivocal: the citizens of the Republic of Armenia have stood for peace,” Pashinyan said.
He argued that the election results should also be viewed from the perspective of external perceptions. According to the prime minister, there was a risk of creating the impression that hundreds of thousands of Armenians supported forces advocating a revision of the peace agenda or the continuation of past conflict-related policies.
Pashinyan said such a perception could have significantly escalated the military and political situation in the region.
“If an impression is created that there are 500,000 people in Armenia who believe we should continue the Karabakh movement or pursue a ‘sea-to-sea Armenia’ agenda, that would seriously aggravate the military-political situation in Armenia,” he said.
The prime minister argued that no such public sentiment exists and alleged that vote-buying during the election campaign had been carried out with the assistance of external actors interested in destabilising the region.
“We know the reality. We know there are no such people. Vote-buying was carried out with the assistance of external forces that are interested in seeing the region explode,” Pashinyan said.
According to the prime minister, this was one of the reasons why it was important to quickly restore momentum to the peace process after the elections.
In that context, he referred to the recent meeting between Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen Grigoryan and Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev.
“Through vote-buying, they created a direct threat of war. The need to organise a meeting in that format was precisely to manage that threat,” Pashinyan said.
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Armenia opens Billie Jean King Cup campaign with 3–0 win over Azerbaijan
In the first round of Group 3 of the Billie Jean King Cup taking place in San Marino, Armenia’s national tennis team defeated Azerbaijan 3–0, according to the press service of the Tennis Federation of Armenia.
The Billie Jean King Cup is a tournament for national teams in women’s tennis.
In singles matches, Ani Amiraghyan (6–0, 6–0) and Elina Avanesyan (6–3, 6–2) secured victories, while in doubles, Maria Azizyan and Alina Soghomonyan won 6–2, 6–1.
Meanwhile, in the second round of the Davis Cup Europe Zone Group IV competition taking place in the Armenian resort town of Tsaghkadzor, Armenia’s team defeated San Marino 2–1.
In the Armenian team, David Poghosyan won his singles match, Avetik Ghazaryan suffered an injury, and Samvel Aghayan and Mikael Avanesyan secured the doubles victory.
The Davis Cup is the premier international team competition in men’s tennis. The Europe Zone Group IV matches are taking place in Armenia.
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Thales and BooTech announce industrial partnership to advance regional securit
Thales and BooTech press release
Thales and BooTech have announced a new industrial partnership designed to strengthen strategic cooperation and enhance regional security. The partnership positions BooTech as an industrial collaborator in the field of battlefield management systems, tactical communication, cybersecurity, and more.
Through this collaboration, Thales will share its manufacturing expertise, while BooTech will contribute its integration and networking capabilities. Founded in 2019, BooTech develops digital systems for command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance on the modern battlefield, aiming to connect existing and next-generation platforms to improve operational speed and efficiency while reducing costs. The partnership’s goal is to deliver interoperable solutions that bridge multi-domain operations and create skilled jobs within Armenia.
“Thales’s global industrial scale paired with BooTech’s integration talent will accelerate the delivery of joint capabilities to armed forces in Armenia and worldwide,” said Marc Darmon, Senior Vice President for Europe, Thales. “This collaboration supports European security in light of Armenia’s growing rapprochement with the alliance and ensures that investments benefit both nations’ economies and peoples.”
“BooTech’s recognition as an industrial partner is a vote of confidence,” commented BooTech CEO Ashot Ghukasyan. “Together we are building a sovereign defence industry that strengthens regional stability and advances our technological self-reliance.”
The partnership demonstrates the continued growth of French-Armenian strategic cooperation and highlights the impact of business engagement in deepening ties between the two countries in defense, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.
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About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services helps address several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability, and inclusion. The Group allocates €4.5 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Quantum and Cloud technologies. Thales has more than 85,000 employees in 65 countries. In 2025, the Group generated sales of €22.1 billion.
About BooTech
BooTech is an Armenian defense technology company providing advanced C2/C4ISR digital solutions that integrate existing and next-generation systems into network-enabled battlefield management platforms. BooTech’s solutions create a comprehensive common operational picture, enabling multi-domain operations and supporting faster, more efficient, and better-informed mission execution. A key integrator of the Armenian Armed Forces, BooTech is a Thales key industrial partner in Armenia and collaborates with leading global defense companies to deliver interoperable systems that bridge legacy and modern capabilities. With thousands of active users across services and proven performance in operational environments, BooTech contributes to enhanced mission effectiveness, regional security, and peace.
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US sports envoys hold wheelchair basketball clinic in Armenia
Paralympic medallist Rose Hollermann and three-time Paralympic gold medallist Steve Serio conducted a wheelchair basketball masterclass for young people in Armenia as part of the US State Department’s Sports Envoy Programme, organised with the support of the US Embassy in Armenia.
The initiative was implemented in cooperation with the Armenian Wheelchair Basketball Federation, the Yerevan Municipality, Ayb School and other partner organisations.
Held as part of events marking the 250th anniversary of US independence, the programme featured training sessions with Armenian athletes, while Hollermann and Serio also took part in an exhibition match.
“The goal of the Sports Envoy Programme is to build connections and raise awareness about accessibility in sports. People often think that having a disability means the end of life as they know it, but it simply means adapting life differently. We are working to make the world more accessible for everyone,” Hollermann told reporters.
According to Arsen Makvetsyan, head of Yerevan Municipality’s Sports and Youth Affairs Department, the city authorities continue to prioritise issues affecting people with disabilities.
“Our goal is to expand the scale of such tournaments. This is not the first time Yerevan Municipality has supported the organisation of similar events,” he said.
A similar initiative was also held in the city of Gyumri.
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Armenpress: Macron says G7 agrees to increase arms supplies to Ukraine
The countries of the Group of Seven have agreed to increase arms supplies to Ukraine.
According to TASS, French President Emmanuel Macron made the announcement during a press conference following the G7 summit.
“We have agreed to increase deliveries of air defence systems and additional equipment, interceptor systems, as well as long-range weapons,” Macron said.
According to the French president, during summit discussions, U.S. President Donald Trump emphasised the importance of mobilising the American defence industry and its capacity to provide such equipment.
Macron also noted that several G7 members stressed the importance of establishing licensed weapons production in Ukraine.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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Body of one of two missing sisters recovered in Vanadzor search
A large-scale search operation involving hundreds of rescuers and volunteers in Lori Province has resulted in the recovery of the body of one of two sisters who went missing in Vanadzor on June 15, authorities said, as efforts continue to locate the second child.
The body of Nare Martirosyan, 7, was found in the Pambak River at around 9:30 on June 17, some 500 meters from where she allegedly fell into the river, the Rescue Service reported.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement earlier on June 16 that the missing children are sisters aged 7 and 13.
One emergency call reported that a child had been seen in the nearby river.
The ministry, in a statement on June 16, detailed: “The first emergency call was received on June 15 at 14:45. A citizen reported seeing a child in the Pambak River. Later the same day, at 17:05, another citizen called and reported that the two sisters, aged 7 and 13, had left an address on Narekatsi Street in Vanadzor and had not reached their intended destination.”
The Rescue Service Director and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Aram Ghazaryan, is personally coordinating the search efforts on site. Multiple first responders, including rescuers, police officers, volunteers, and divers, as well as special equipment such as UAVs, have been deployed.
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Russia claims embargo on Armenian goods is not politically motivated
Russian authorities have claimed that the ban imposed on a variety of Armenian goods is not politically motivated and have insisted that the reason is phytosanitary violations detected in the products.
Agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor director Sergey Dankvert told Russian state media that the problem allegedly lies in the organization and oversight of production in Armenia.
Dankvert told Rossiyskaya Gazeta that in Armenia there are many small farming businesses that export their products. “However, between production and delivery, there is effectively no internal system of control and cooperation.”
“In one truck, thousands of bundles of greens are collected, after which regulatory bodies must inspect this huge volume of goods. This is physically impossible,” he said.
Dankvert emphasized that product control should take place directly at the production stage. He added that for the system to work effectively, cooperation, production oversight, as well as responsibility from producer unions are necessary.
“This is what is missing today. Therefore, the reasons for restrictions lie in product quality and safety, not politics,” Dankvert said.
Ahead of the parliamentary elections held on June 7, Russia imposed restrictions and bans on the import of numerous Armenian goods, which remain in effect today. The move prompted exporters to look for new markets, including in the EU. The EU has since announced support measures. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, following a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, announced immediate financial assistance of more than €50 million, along with other support measures to facilitate trade, including steps to expand export opportunities for Armenian goods.
Russia has cited phytosanitary violations as the reason for the ban, which has been widely viewed by the EU as “economic coercion.”
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