Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

Iran cannot participate in World Cup, minister says

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 Emil Lazarian

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Iranian sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said that Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup after co-host U.S. launched airstrikes alongside Israel, Reuters reported.

“Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” the minister told state television, according to Reuters.

The 48-team World Cup will be held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.

“Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist,” Donyamali said.

“Given the malicious actions they have carried out against Iran, they have forced two wars on us over eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people. Therefore, we certainly cannot have such a presence.”

More than 1,300 Iranian civilians have ⁠been killed since the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes began on February 28, according to Iran’s U.N. ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani.

U.S. President Donald Trump earlier told FIFA representatives that Iran is welcome to play in the World Cup tournament in the United States, CBS News reported citing officials.

The Iran war came up in the conversation with the soccer association’s president, Gianni Infantino, and White House FIFA task force executive director Andrew Giuliani in the Oval Office on Tuesday evening, CBS News reported citing sources familiar with the conversation.

Infantino later posted on social media: “We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever.”

Donyamali’s comments were in response to Infantino’s post.

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Kuwait power lines hit by drone debris after interceptions

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 Emil Lazarian

Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Six electricity transmission lines in Kuwait went out of service after debris from intercepted drones fell on the infrastructure, Al Jazeera reported citing the country’s Electricity Ministry.

Despite the incident, authorities said the overall supply of electricity and water across the country remains stable.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posing a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.

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AI education in Armenia goes nationwide to empower students with 21st-century

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 Emil Lazarian

Education09:12, 12 March 2026

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After the successful completion of the pilot phases of the ‘Generation AI’ and ‘STEP.ai’ school programs, Armenian education authorities plan to make them—and other programs with similar content—available to all public education institutions across the country.

Aimed at building a comprehensive career pipeline for the next generation of AI researchers and innovators, Generation AI begins at the high school level to doctoral level.

“The integration of artificial intelligence into the education system is inevitable; therefore, the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports is currently working on developing the appropriate tools and frameworks,” the Ministry told Armenpress.

“A roadmap has been developed that includes three main and interrelated directions aimed not only at transforming the education system, but also at shaping a creative generation capable of addressing the challenges of the future,” the ministry added.

Accordingly, short-term (general training and advanced professional training), medium-term (creation of a mentorship network), and long-term (institutionalization) targets have been established.

The integration of AI in education is considered in three main directions. The first is AI education, whose main goal is to ensure that both students and teachers acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to use AI effectively. The second direction aims to increase the overall efficiency of the education system through the use of AI tools. The third is education in the AI era, which requires a deep reconsideration of educational content and methodology, taking into account that as the world enters the AI era, the skills and competencies expected from individuals are also changing.

The ministry said that the ‘Generation AI’ school program has been implemented since 2023 by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports in cooperation with the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST). The program initially launched in 15 high schools across seven regions of the country, and the list of participating schools was later expanded to 26, covering all regions. In the 2025–2026 academic year, approximately 800 students are participating in the program.

It is expected that by the end of the program, as measurable final outcomes, students across the Republic of Armenia will be equipped with applied knowledge and skills in advanced mathematics (advanced algebra) in accordance with the requirements of the State Standard for General Education. In addition, they will possess 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking, teamwork, and skills in problem identification, problem-solving, and communication.

In addition, it is expected that AI literacy will expand among a larger number of beneficiaries, contributing to greater awareness and understanding of AI’s potential and the importance of the sector’s development in the country. It is anticipated that approximately 10–15% of high school students will acquire foundational knowledge in AI and develop motivation to specialize in and continue their education in this field. Ultimately, the program also aims to improve the education system through the implementation of innovative solutions.

Continuing the process of reforms in the field of artificial intelligence, on October 5, 2024, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Synopsys Armenia, the AGBU Armenian Virtual College, and the Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technology to implement the STEP.ai Science and Technology Education Program.

The Ministry clarified that this course provides comprehensive coverage of AI topics, adapted to the requirements set by the State Standard for General Education. Through the efforts of the Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technology, the course has been digitized and, in collaboration with the Armenian Virtual College, integrated into a digital platform, allowing students to access online lessons, interactive quizzes, laboratory exercises, and supplementary materials.

According to the Ministry, the program was piloted in a number of high schools, with the AI course delivered in a hybrid format that combines the advantages of both online and traditional teaching. By the 2025–2026 academic year, the program is being implemented in 15 schools across the Republic of Armenia.

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Timeline for EU visa liberalisation depends on Armenia, minister says

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 Emil Lazarian

Armenia18:12, 12 March 2026

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The timing of the implementation of visa liberalisation measures with the European Union depends on Armenia, Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan said.

Speaking at a joint press conference with EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Sargsyan said that within the framework of the visa liberalisation dialogue with the EU, a roadmap is being developed to define the deadlines for actions to be taken by the relevant Armenian institutions.

She said the aim is to make the results of the process visible to citizens as soon as possible.

“The visa liberalisation dialogue is also about providing our citizens with new opportunities,” the minister said, adding that the action plan provided by EU partners does not set a specific time limit.

According to Sargsyan, the timeline will depend on how quickly and effectively Armenia implements the required measures.

She noted that several actions have already been completed, while others are currently underway.

“We are committed to continuing and fully ensuring their implementation,” she said.

Sargsyan stressed that the quality of implementation is particularly important, as the programme is aimed at introducing new standards across various sectors in Armenia and improving the quality of life of citizens.

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The director of the Genocide Museum was dismissed from his position on the instruction of Pashinyan

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 Emil Lazarian

12.03.2026

Photo: aravot.am

The dismissal of the Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, Edita Gzoyan, was due to her initiative during the visit of the US Vice President JD Vance to Armenia.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that the release application was written under his direct instruction, describing the actions of the museum director as a provocative and contrary to the state’s foreign policy.

During the briefing held in the government on March 12, the Prime Minister detailed that it refers to the visit of the US Vice President to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial on February 10. Accompanying the distinguished guest Edita Gzoyan presented him with a book on the Artsakh problem, as well as presented the khachkars perpetuating the memory of the victims of the pogroms in Sumgait, Gandzak and Baku at the end of the last century and the stories of the buried freedom fighters, connecting them with the Armenian Genocide.

By: Nikol Pashinyanin the conditions when the head of the country declares the absence of the Karabakh movement, it is not permissible to present a book to a foreign official on the Artsakh issue.

The head of the government emphasized that the exclusive authority to conduct foreign policy in Armenia belongs to the government, and those government officials whose actions will contradict the official direction will be immediately dismissed from their positions.

Before this announcement by the Prime Minister, the news of Gzoyan’s dismissal was circulated without official clarification from both the museum-institute and the Ministry of Education and Culture.

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The government will allocate billions of drams to civil servants

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 Emil Lazarian

12.03.2026

Photo: primeminister.am

At the session of the Government of the Republic of Armenia on March 12, the decision to provide additional remuneration to the employees based on the results of the evaluation of the performance of the state bodies was unanimously adopted, the main purpose of which is to promote the quality and efficiency of the public service.

Deputy Prime Minister reporting the issue Tigran Khachatryan reminded that this pilot program aimed at the modernization of the state administration system was approved last year. The initiative is designed to materially encourage employees who have shown high results, thereby contributing to the maintenance of competitive and professional personnel in the system, the attraction of new specialists and the more effective management of state resources.

According to the data of the Deputy Prime Minister, 3.6 billion drams of additional remuneration fund was already allocated to 15 administrative bodies for the results of the first half of 2025 for the works performed in 57 different directions. Now, summarizing the data of the second half of the same year, a figure close to the maximum possible was recorded. Based on these results, another 4.6 billion drams will be provided for the additional remuneration of employees of state bodies.

Tigran Khachatryan specially emphasized that at this stage it will also be practically checked how the officials who were encouraged in the previous semester fulfilled the mandatory requirement of making financial investments in their education. It is planned that the successful course and analysis of the pilot program will allow to submit a new legislative package to the National Assembly already this year, which will move these public service payment mechanisms to a long-term and legally regulated dimension.

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A new phase of community enlargement. Instead of 70, Armenia will have 64 communities

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 Emil Lazarian

12.03.2026

Photo: primeminister.am

The RA government continues administrative territorial reforms. according to the new decision of the executive, nine communities are united in three regions, as a result of which the total number of local self-government units in the republic will be reduced to 64.

Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures at the March 12 meeting Davit Khudatyan presented a new project, by which it is planned to form three enlarged administrative units. In particular, Stepanavan community will be created in Lori region, including Stepanavan, Gyulagarak and Lori Berd (20 settlements in total).

In Syunik, the enlarged Goris community will be formed by uniting Goris, Tatev and Tegh (total: 28 settlements), and in Vayots Dzor, as a result of the merger of Yeghegnadzor, Areni and Yeghegis, the new Yeghegnadzor community will emerge (total: 32 settlements). Reacting to this decision, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the enlargement process gives exclusively positive results, significantly and several times increasing the subsidy possibilities of local bodies and improving the socio-economic condition of settlements.

The head of the government also emphasized the development of new mechanisms for increasing the efficiency of the work of community authorities and active and simple communication with the population about the process.

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The ban from Iran will not create a food crisis in Armenia. Pashinyan

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 Emil Lazarian

12.03.2026

Photo: primeminister.am

The head of the Armenian government assures that there will be no food security problem in our country against the background of military operations in neighboring Iran and restrictions on food exports as a result.

In a briefing with journalists after the government session held on March 12 Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the bans applied by Tehran are not a reason for serious concern. The head of the executive reminded that Armenia itself is a state that exports agricultural products and supplies foreign markets with tens of thousands of tons of food. Therefore, according to the Prime Minister, there is no need to worry in this direction.

Referring to the risks of possible inflation caused by the war situation in the neighboring country, the head of the government noted that the relevant bodies are monitoring the market on a daily basis, and appropriate preventive steps will be taken if necessary.

It should be reminded that the Iranian government imposed restrictions on the export of food after the military operations started by the USA and Israel on February 28, in response to which Tehran attacks Israel and the American military bases located in the Persian Gulf.

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168: Help. Pashinyan is losing power

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 Emil Lazarian

March: 12, 2026

Disgust. This is the only feeling that any RA citizen, regardless of political preferences, can have after listening to Nikol Pashinyan’s speech in the European Parliament yesterday.

In that speech, he condensed all his admiration and gratitude towards Azerbaijan, its president, while at the same time combining it with hatred towards everything Armenian.

From the podium of the European Parliament, Nikol Pashinyan voiced the dirtiest narratives of his intra-Armenian propaganda, about the Armenian Apostolic Church, high-ranking clergymen, and all those fighting against his anti-national policy.

Perhaps only due to the lack of confidence in the translation, he did not use the expressions “to dump”, “plaster on the walls”, “to throw something else”, in a substantive sense repeating the same bile with which he has been poisoning the Armenian society for the last two years.

At the same time, from the high European podium, he stated several times in different wordings that Armenia owes its existence today to… Azerbaijan.

The entire causality of Pashinyan’s speech was built on the fetishization of false “peace”, so that if the border delimitation process with Azerbaijan had not started two years ago, Armenia would not exist today and would instead be some territory under foreign rule. The Europeans, of course, applauded Pashinyan, not publicly showing their perception that, having saved Armenia from imaginary “foreign rule”, Pashinyan is no longer secretly handing it over to Azerbaijani-Turkish rule.

The assessment that Nikol Pashinyan has not been able to get rid of the mold of an eccentric oppositionist, even after being in power for 8 years, was once again confirmed yesterday in the hall of the European Parliament with all its misery.

In general, protesting against the political actors of one’s own country, requesting and begging for external support has been characteristic of the oppositions of different times, which, acting in European forums, have tried, often justly, to overcome the seemingly unsolvable problems with domestic instruments. Pashinyan also broke that unwritten law by aligning himself with President Sandu of Moldova and other figures with a similar political pedigree who are ready to do anything for the sake of maintaining power. Everything without exception.

What happened in the hall of the European Parliament, with all its unpleasantness, testifies to a positive reality. According to everything, Pashinyan is seriously aware of the danger of losing power and, fearing its consequences, is begging for help from the Europeans. Pashinyan hinted to Aliyev that if he too supports him in maintaining the power, he can add the phrase “long live the Republic of Azerbaijan” to the list of chants at the end of his speech.

Harutyun Avetisyan

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Having a different opinion of the church from the Prime Minister does not give the Prime Minister the right to v

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 Emil Lazarian

March: 12, 2026

The International Court of Democracy in Armenia (IODA), which monitors democracy, made preliminary assessments today.

“Armenia. the targeting of political opponents, the abuse of judicial and security structures before the June parliamentary elections, cause concerns,” the international initiative recorded.

168․am–Today, the members of the initiative were interested: yesterday in the European Parliament, Pashinyan accused the church and the clergy of being against peace, as well as being under foreign influence, how do they view these accusations?

In response, Kenneth Roth first expressed his position and specifically noted: “We are not here to stand for or against in these elections. we are not for or against any candidate, nor do we have any position on the political issues facing this country.

We know very well that questions are being raised about what should be Armenia’s relations with Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Iran, the West, we do not take a position on those issues, and we will not appreciate the church’s comments on this matter, because the church has every right to take a certain position, to be for or against the actions of the government. that is his right, that is what democracy is about.

We are here to say that the fact that the church has a different position from the prime minister does not give the prime minister the right to start taking revenge, does not give the right to start interfering with the independence of this important structure and clergy.”

Sarah Whiston added: “We have not heard any evidence of foreign political control over the church, political parties, etc. We know about the government’s accusations, which were presented to the Investigative Committee, that there are external forces that are putting pressure on Diaspora Armenians to supposedly come to Armenia and vote. But even if it were, it would not necessarily be a crime. Armenians have the right to come to Armenia and vote.”

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