On June 23 and 24, under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the meetings of the tender committee of the members of the board of trustees of the Universal Health Insurance Fund and the general director of the fund were held.
Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan noted that the selection of committee members and the general director takes place in two stages. In the first stage, announcements were made, submitted applications were examined and those candidates who meet the requirements for filling the above positions were selected. According to the presentation of Anahit Avanesyan, the second stage of the competition will take place within the framework of the sessions, and the members of the committee and the general director will be selected from the candidates selected in the first stage based on the results of the interview.
According to the agenda, the members of the committee first studied the submitted documents on the candidates and conducted an interview with the candidates. During the interview, the candidates presented their vision of increasing the efficiency of the development and management of the sector, their professional experience, and answered the questions of the members of the tender committee. After the interview stage, a vote was held, the voting results were summarized and a decision was made to recognize the winners.
Next, the Prime Minister announced the results of the competition. Accordingly, as a result of the vote, Shant Shekherdimyan, the head of pediatric surgery at the Los Angeles Hospital of the University of California, Varduhi Petrosyan, the dean of the Faculty of Public Health of the American University of Armenia, Artashes Tonoyan, the director of the Yerevan branch of the World Trade Center, Tumas Palu, the adviser of the Ukraine office of the World Health Organization, Khodam Rostomyan, the regional head of the “Kaiser Permanente” company, were elected members of the board of trustees. The head of “Berekke Bank Kazakhstan” was elected the general director of the fund financial director Ruben Melkonyan.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan thanked the members of the tender committee for their efficient work and noted: “The universal health insurance system is a very significant and turning point reform for the Republic of Armenia, and the next stage of this reform is taking place.” According to the Prime Minister, the Government delegates the management of the fund to elected members and the CEO, continuing to play a significant role in the policy-making process. According to the head of the country, the beneficiaries also have a very important role in this process, with their daily reactions and their level of satisfaction, as well as the medical community, whose representatives are involved in the tender committee.
According to Nikol Pashinyan, the selection of the members of the board of trustees and the general director was made with the logic that the Government, the Ministry of Health, the beneficiaries, the medical community, the board of trustees and the general director form a certain system of balances, which in turn will ensure the general development and success of the fund and the universal health insurance system in general.
Summing up, the Prime Minister thanked all the responsible people involved in the process, as well as Samvel Kharazyan, who is performing the duties of the general director of the fund, for the work done during this period, and expressed confidence that he will continue his participation in the process in any capacity. According to Nikol Pashinyan, there is enough potential to successfully continue the reform that has been going on until now, because a universal health insurance system covering the entire population is expected in the future, which is a big and extensive work.
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Mher Grigoryan participated in the session of the board of the Eurasian Development Bank
RA Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan participated remotely in the annual session of the Board of the Eurasian Development Bank.
During the session, decisions on a number of issues were discussed and adopted, including the approval of the Bank’s 2025 annual and financial reports, the decision on profit distribution, as well as the appointment of the external auditor for 2026 and the results of the implementation of the Bank’s 2022-2026 strategy. During the session, the development strategy of the Bank for 2027-2031 was also approved.
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The EAEU should clearly answer the question whether it exists or not. Criticism of Pashinyan?
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has criticized Russia’s steps to limit Armenian exports, stating that such a policy threatens the existence of the Eurasian Economic Union and causes serious concern in other member countries.
During the session of the government on June 25, the head of the government emphasized that EAEU is based on the principles of free movement of goods, services, finance and labor. According to him, the absence of those freedoms de facto means the suspension of the activity of the structure. Pashinyan noted that Yerevan continues to work within the framework of the union, but expects a clear answer from its partners regarding the future fate of the organization, otherwise Armenia will have to take appropriate action. “The EAEU should clearly answer the question whether it exists or not,” Pashinyan asked.
The Prime Minister also expressed his intention to raise the issue of the statement made in his absence on May 29 in the near future. The document signed by the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan called on Yerevan to hold a referendum in order to make a geopolitical choice between the EAEU and the European Union. Pashinyan considered this practice of decision-making unacceptable, equating it to the self-dissolution of the integration structure.
At the same time, the Armenian government is activating the process of diversification of trade channels, in the conditions of the Russian embargo, which was established ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections and is still being maintained. As Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan noted, the successful entry of local products into new international markets completely refutes Moscow’s claims about the alleged low quality of Armenian products. Expanding the geography of supplies is considered as the main tool to support businessmen and neutralize economic risks.
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Pashinyan commented on the agreement between “Telecom Armenia” and “Azertelecom”.
The Prime Minister of Armenia defended the new agreement between “Telecom Armenia” and “Azertelecom” on the supply of transit Internet, stressing that such projects strengthen the country’s security and political weight in the region.
Major telecommunication operators of Armenia and Azerbaijan have signed a commercial agreement, which provides for mutual Internet transit through the territories of the two states. The deal raised a wave of criticism in opposition circles, to which the Prime Minister responded Nikol Pashinyan made clarifications during the government’s briefing. The head of the government denied the claims that the project contains dangers, noting that the logic of international economic processes is different.
“Usually, transit does not depend on the transit country, but on the final point of transit, and this is a simple logic,” Pashinyan stated.
According to the Prime Minister, the increase of international communication channels is directly proportional to the stability of the state. He emphasized that the more infrastructures cross the territory of the country, the higher its economic and security level. According to Pashinyan, critics want to see the state as a dead end for the conflict, while the government’s goal is to build the “Crossroads of Peace”.
“From south to north, from north to south, from east to west, from west to east, as much as possible, cables, pipes, roads, railways, air lines should pass. That is the guarantee of peace and security,” he added.
At the same time, industry experts dispel concerns about data leaks. According to experts, Azerbaijani Internet traffic, according to the currently available information, should simply pass through the territory of Armenia, without physically connecting and penetrating the Armenian internal network.
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Pashinyan Blames Diaspora’s Advocacy for Artsakh for Baku’s ‘Western Azerbaij
Armenian families flee Artsakh after an attack in 2023 that forced the displacement the population there
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan blamed Armenian Diaspora organizations for Baku’s ongoing claims that most of modern-day Armenia is “Western Azerbaijan,” and demands to settle Azerbaijanis there.
Pashinyan claimed that Azerbaijani leaders continue to raise the so-called “Western Azerbaijan” issue in direct response to efforts by Diaspora organizations that are advocating for the rights of Artsakh Armenians forcibly displaced during Azerbaijan’s violent attack on Artsakh in September 2023.
A group calling itself the Baku Initiative Group hosted a conference in Washington on Wednesday, called “The right of return and self-determination: double standards and selective approaches.”
“The conference participants will discuss the issue of maintaining the recognition of fundamental rights – the right to safe, voluntary, and dignified return to their historical lands – in the focus of attention of international organizations, following the example of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis who were forcibly expelled from their historical lands in Armenia as a result of the policy of ethnic cleansing,” the Baku Initiative Group said in a report.
Last week, the Azerbaijani government organized a “festival-conference” on Azerbaijanis’ “return to Western Azerbaijan” in Nakhichevan. During the event, Azerbaijan’s Education Minister Emin Amrulayev said the so-called “Western Azerbaijan” issue is of “strategic importance” to Baku.
An Azerbaijani lawmaker heading a government-linked group called the Community of Western Azerbaijan said afterwards that it must be on the agenda of Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations.
Pashinyan and other government officials have not reacted to the latest efforts by Baku to advance this historical revisionist stance.
Pashinyan, who has said that the issue of “Western Azerbaijan” was not on the agenda of peace talks with Azerbaijan, has always drawn a parallel with demands for Artsakh Armenians to be guaranteed safe return to their homeland.
Pashinyan lamented to reporters on Thursday that “there is silence about the fact that just ten or a little more days ago, Armenian organizations [in the United States] brought up an issue that essentially concerns … the continuation of the Karabakh movement.”
Ahead of Tuesday, which marked the 1,000th day of captivity for Armenian hostages being held in Baku, Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone and Gus Bilirakis, Caucus Vice-Chair Brad Sherman and representatives Gabe Amo and Jim Costa introduced amendments to the national security legislation demanding the release of Armenian hostages and prisoners of war illegally held by Azerbaijan, the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from sovereign Armenian territory, the protection of Artsakh’s cultural and religious heritage, and the safe return of forcibly displaced Armenian refugees to their Artsakh homes.
The Armenian National Committee of America hailed the effort, with its Executive Director, Aram Hamparian, saying “these amendments send a clear message: Congress will not subsidize Azerbaijan’s abuses, aggression, desecration, and occupation with U.S. tax dollars.”
Pashinyan was presumably referring to this effort and the ANCA when he expressed frustration at such advocacy efforts outside Armenia, because as much he has abandoned the Artsakh issue, it angers him that others are advancing the right of Artsakh Armenians.
“I’m saying it very bluntly: as long as the Dashnaktsutyun lobbying and steps in that direction continue in the United States, they will receive [a pushback from Baku] … Now any attempt to continue the Karabakh movement at other levels will bring reciprocal reactions,” said Pashinyan. “Fruthermore, that process can cause us problems,” he added without elaborating.
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Iraq Nominates Krikor Der-Hagopian as Ambassador to U.S.
Krikor Der-Hagopian at the 9th Sulaimani Forum, in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, on Apr. 025 (AUI Sulaimani photo)
Iraq has nominated Krikor Der-Hagopian, an Armenian adviser to the country’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, as ambassador to Washington, the Al Monitor newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Regional diplomats confirmed the nomination to Al-Monitor, describing it as part of a broader effort by Baghdad to recalibrate relations with the United States.
Der-Hagopian, a US-educated Iraqi official who has served in numerous roles, including as an adviser to former President Barham Saleh and to the last prime minister, Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, is awaiting formal consent from the Trump administration before taking up his post. If confirmed, he would become Iraq’s first non-Shiite ambassador to Washington in decades.
The 49-year-old father of three, who earned a master’s in international relations at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies, is widely seen as a shoo-in, Al Monitor reported. Well-placed sources familiar with Der-Hagopian say he has an established track record of maintaining smooth relations with successive US administrations.
“I view his appointment as an extremely positive signal that the prime minister has decided to send probably the most qualified member of his own team, the person with the most insights on how Washington works,” Victoria Taylor, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran, who left the post in May 2025 to join the Atlantic Council, told Al-Monitor.
“I am not surprised to hear that Krikor is being considered for such a prestigious position,” said Denver-based political scientist Simon Maghakyan, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oxford, who got to know Der-Hagopian during the latter’s graduate studies in Denver. “I remember him as a bright, sincere, and strategic thinker and bridge-builder,” Maghakyan told Al-Monitor.
Der-Hagopian will be replacing Iraq’s former deputy foreign minister, Nizar al-Khairallah, who is the current Iraqi ambassador in Washington. In a related development, a seasoned State Department Middle East hand, Peter Shea, is expected to replace another State Department professional, Joshua Harris, as interim head of mission in Baghdad until — and if — a permanent ambassador is named.
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European Trade Union Institute warns heat stress threatens 130 million workers
Europe is experiencing record temperatures, and extreme heat is posing a threat to people’s health both at home and in the workplace, according to a report by the European Trade Union Institute.
As reported by Euronews, the institute, the research and training centre of the European Trade Union Confederation, included recommendations in the report aimed at protecting workers’ health in the context of climate change.
One of the report’s authors stressed that the risk is not confined to southern Europe.
“Of course, the situation is worst in the south because that is where the highest number of incidents is recorded. At the same time, however, the sharpest increase in such incidents is being observed in Central and Northern Europe. The south is already hot, but the centre and the north are rapidly reaching the same level,” said Andreas Flouris, Professor of Physiology at the University of Thessaly.
According to the report, around 130 million workers across Europe are exposed to heat stress in the workplace, resulting in approximately 277,000 occupational injuries and 230 deaths each year.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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Prosecutor General’s Office seeks consent to lift Tsarukyan’s immunity
Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has submitted a motion to the Central Election Commission seeking consent to strip Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan of immunity and initiate criminal proceedings against him, the CEC said.
On June 9, the Prosecutor General’s Office announced that public criminal prosecution had been initiated against businessman and Prosperous Armenia Party Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan on charges of tax evasion on an especially large scale.
A travel restriction prohibiting him from leaving his place of residence without authorization was imposed as a preventive measure.
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Armenia presents COP17 vision at UNESCO briefing ahead of 2026 Yerevan summit
A high-level briefing organized by the Permanent Representation of Armenia to UNESCO was held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris and was dedicated to the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), which will take place in Yerevan in 2026.
Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Abisoghomonyan delivered the keynote speech at the event, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
In his remarks, the Deputy Foreign Minister presented Armenia’s vision for its COP17 presidency, reaffirming the country’s commitment to ensuring inclusivity, transparency, and open dialogue throughout the organization of the conference.
He emphasized the key importance of COP17 in advancing the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly in the context of the first global review of collective progress. He noted that the conference will provide an opportunity to assess achievements, existing gaps, and challenges, as well as to outline additional efforts needed to reach global targets set for 2030.
The preparations and organizational aspects of COP17 were also presented. The Deputy Foreign Minister highlighted the Leaders’ Summit and the High-Level Ministerial Segment that will take place within the framework of the conference, stressing the importance of ensuring high-level participation and achieving concrete results.
Deputy FM Abisoghomonyan also addressed UNESCO’s important role in biodiversity conservation and its sustainable and equitable use, highlighting the need to fully utilize the organization’s multidisciplinary potential in education, science, and culture.
He stressed UNESCO’s active involvement in promoting biodiversity education and in shaping key messages on the interconnection between nature and culture. In this context, he highlighted thematic events planned during COP17, including an “Education Day” and a “Nature and Culture” thematic summit.
Concluding his remarks, he reaffirmed that COP17 in Yerevan will be an important opportunity for the international community to move from commitments to implementation.
The briefing also featured speeches by Armenia’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Aram Hakobyan, and senior UNESCO officials. The event was attended by accredited permanent representatives and diplomats to UNESCO.
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Armenia to launch crackdown on mobile phone black market
Armenia is set to introduce a nationwide IMEI code registration and monitoring system aimed at regulating the mobile phone market and curbing the circulation of illegally imported devices, with Prime Minister Pashinyan announcing the “end of the black market era” for mobile phones.
The Cabinet approved a bill on amendments and additions to the Law on Electronic Communications, envisaging a unified IMEI code registration and monitoring system, under which only legally imported or properly registered mobile phones will be activated on mobile networks.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting that the mobile phone market in Armenia is one of the largest shadow markets and that systemic and civilized solutions are needed to address it.
“The era of the black market for mobile phones is coming to an end. No phone whose legal import is not confirmed will be allowed to operate in the territory of the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinyan said.
According to the Prime Minister, the main target of the regulation is the business sector and the market. At the same time, separate rules will be established for individuals to ensure that no issues arise when importing phones for personal use.
“There is no need for any tension for individuals. There will be regulations on how often a person can import a phone for personal use—once a year or once every two years,” the Prime Minister noted.
Pashinyan said the draft will also be discussed with industry representatives and parliamentary partners, and hearings will be held, but the decision will not be delayed.
“The decision must enter into force on January 1, 2027, and it must work,” he stressed.
According to the government, the lack of IMEI code control in Armenia contributes to the circulation of undeclared, counterfeit, or altered IMEI mobile phones. This leads to tax losses, disruption of market competition, as well as increased technical and security risks.
The proposed regulation envisages the creation of a unified state IMEI system and its interoperability with databases of customs authorities, telecom operators, and other government bodies. The system will allow cross-checking of customs data, operator activations, and international registries, permitting activation only of legally imported or properly registered devices.
The draft also provides individuals with the opportunity to register the IMEI code of their new mobile phones online.
In addition, importing and selling mobile phones as a business activity will only be allowed upon notification of the authorized body. According to the government, this activity has so far been carried out without clear regulations and restrictions.
The government believes that the introduction of the system will help reduce the shadow economy, improve tax administration, regulate the mobile device market, protect consumers, and prevent phone theft and fraud.
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