Author: Emil Lazarian

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.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed on Thursday that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will soon visit Armenia, days after Politico first reported the upcoming trip.

Pashinyan told reporters after the Cabinet meeting that one of the important agenda items during von der Leyen’s visit will be facilitating access for Armenian agricultural products to the EU market.

“Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan recently participated in the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, which has created preconditions for new opportunities in this direction. There is a possibility that Armenia will have exceptional opportunities in this regard. I hope that we will manage to finalize the relevant project with the President of the European Commission, and during her visit to Yerevan we will make a joint statement on this,” Pashinyan said.

Speaking about prospects for regional cooperation, the Prime Minister stressed that Armenia will inevitably be integrated into regional projects within the framework of the TRIPP initiative.

“It is time for the countries of the South Caucasus to think of the region as a single common space with many shared interests. Of course, each country has its own national interests and vision, but I believe there is also a broad set of common interests that connect us, and we must continue working in that direction,” the Prime Minister said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has suggested that the effectiveness of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is called into question if its core principles—particularly the free movement of goods, services, labor, and capital—are not fully functioning in practice.

Asked at a press briefing whether a possible “freezing” of relations with the EAEU could occur due to Russian trade restrictions, similar to what happened with the CSTO, the Prime Minister referred to his earlier remarks during the Cabinet meeting.

“The EAEU has four principles—free movement of goods, services, labor, and capital. If there is no such free movement, then there is no EAEU,” the Prime Minister said.

According to Pashinyan, if the issue is temporary, it can be understood, but if it continues for a long period, it takes on a different meaning.

“Okay, there may be a problem for one month, two months, three months, but in the fourth month, if the problem still exists, it means there is no EAEU. If the EAEU declares that it does not exist, what are we supposed to do?” Pashinyan said.

The Armenian government is discussing support measures for exporters amid restrictions on Armenian goods in Russia, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan raising concerns over the functioning of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and warning that such trade barriers could seriously undermine the bloc’s core principles of the free movement of goods and services.

He emphasized at the Cabinet meeting that Armenia is pursuing export diversification while continuing engagement within the EAEU, but expects clear answers from the bloc regarding recent developments affecting trade flows.

Pashinyan warned that export restrictions targeting Armenian goods could have a fallout on perceptions of the bloc in other EAEU member states.

Warning of the potential union-wide fallout from Moscow’s decision, which he labeled a “misunderstanding,” PM Pashinyan said that restrictions imposed by Russia on imports from Armenia, as well as on the transit of Armenian goods through its territory to other EAEU countries, will at the very least cause serious concern in a number of EAEU member states.

National Assembly Vice Speaker Ruben Rubinyan has commented on the decision by the Civil Contract party’s governing board to nominate him for the post of Speaker of the National Assembly following a vote held during the party’s board meeting.

Speaking to reporters, Rubinyan stressed that the party’s procedures for selecting candidates for various positions or making decisions are always similar.

“Candidates deliver speeches, questions are asked, then there are concluding remarks and a vote. In this particular case, all candidates presented their visions and sought to highlight their strengths, and the well-known result was recorded. I cannot say whether it was expected or not, but I am honored by the outcome. The trust placed in me carries a great responsibility. At the same time, I cannot say that I need to do something better than the previous speaker. Alen Simonyan was a very good Speaker of the National Assembly and was the first to serve until the end of his term. Hayk Konjoryan was a very good head of the faction. Over the past five years, we have carried out significant and highly responsible work while going through major challenges,” Rubinyan said.

He added that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan had been achieved with the participation and support of their team and that they remain committed to continuing their work together.

Rubinyan recalled that votes within the Civil Contract governing board are held by secret ballot.

“I assume that most of my colleagues believed that at this stage it would be appropriate for me to hold this position, and that is a normal process. Politically, the decision has been made,” Rubinyan said.

Earlier, Ruben Rubinyan was nominated as the Civil Contract party’s candidate for Speaker of the National Assembly following discussions and a closed secret ballot at a meeting of the party’s governing board. Prime Minister and Civil Contract Chairman Nikol Pashinyan announced the decision to journalists after the meeting.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke by phone with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to a readout from Pashinyan’s office, PM Modi once again congratulated him on his victory in the parliamentary elections and wished him success in his future work.

PM Pashinyan thanked PM Modi for the congratulations and, in turn, congratulated him on becoming the longest-serving elected Prime Minister in the history of India, wishing him continued success for the benefit of India’s prosperity and development.

The parties emphasized the importance of the continued development of friendly Armenia–India relations and noted with satisfaction the positive dynamics of bilateral cooperation. They highlighted the importance of strengthening political dialogue, as well as expanding cooperation in the fields of the economy, high technologies, education, culture, and other areas of mutual interest.

The Prime Ministers also addressed cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral formats, discussing steps aimed at further deepening relations across several areas of the Armenia–India agenda.

The sides also stressed the importance of organizing high-level reciprocal visits to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries and promote new initiatives.

In the cemetery surrounding the Shoghagavank historical-architectural monument in the village of Dzoragyugh, Martuni Municipality, Gegharkunik Province, a pagan-era phallic stele has been preserved next to medieval carved khachkars (cross-stones).

As 63-year-old Dzoragyugh resident Hakob Hakobyan told Armenpress, women from the area and other places who were unable to conceive would come and sit on the stele in hopes of becoming pregnant.

Locals call the pre-Christian-era sculpture “Portakar.”

“This Portakar has not lost its significance even today. I have heard from elders that infertile women used to visit this place very often and sit on the Portakar, which is a carving of a male genital organ. They would mostly come at night or at times when no people were around. It is possible that even today, by tradition, there are women who visit here due to infertility. In the Shoghagavank cemetery there are more than a hundred ornately carved, beautifully designed khachkar tombstones created between the 9th and 17th centuries, but among them this monument also holds a unique place. Naturally, it was carved in much earlier times, during the Armenian pagan period, and was miraculously preserved next to Christian monuments,” Hakobyan said.

The Portakar phallic sculpture in the Shoghagavank cemetery in Dzoragyugh is over 1 meter long and 40 centimeters wide. It is made of local basalt stone and lies flat on the ground. It is possible that it was originally standing upright in earlier times.

There is no mention of the Portakar phallic stone of Dzoragyugh in historical sources or in the works of archaeologists who have studied the village. It is also not registered in the list of state-protected monuments. The cult of the phallus was widespread in ancient Armenia.

 The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 24 June, USD exchange rate down by 0.15 drams to 367.93 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.42 drams to 417.23 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0152 drams to 4.9162 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.63 drams to 484.05 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 747 drams to 48920 drams.

Ambassador of India to Armenia Nilakshi Saha Sinha has lauded the effective cooperation between Armenia and India in various sectors, noting that the multifaceted partnership has been growing, especially over the past few years.

“I think the partnership between India and Armenia is multifaceted,” the ambassador said at a press briefing.

“And I think in all the areas that we look at, whether it’s education, culture, health, defense, politically, economically, we are cooperating exceedingly well. And I think the relations have been on an upswing for the last four, five years. And we are very happy to see further consolidation of these relations.”

Asked about defense cooperation, Ambassador Nilakshi Saha Sinha highlighted that the partnership encompasses both military-technical cooperation and capacity building. “And I think we are progressing very well on all those fronts,” she added.

The Indian ambassador also spoke about other issues.

Asked about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the war in the Middle East, the impact of the resulting situation on India’s economy, and how New Delhi is diversifying trade routes, the ambassador emphasized that India “uses challenges as opportunities.”

“The government of India has gone through various crises, shocks in the last few years. We had the pandemic in 2020, and with the crisis in West Asia, definitely we were sourcing a major part of our hydrocarbons from the Gulf, the GCC countries. And this war definitely had an impact. But I think what we have done in India is to use challenges as opportunities. And every time we have done that. So, India has a very comfortable strategic reserve when it comes to crude oil. So, we had around 60 plus days of crude oil reserves. There was no shortage in India as far as petrol at the pump. But obviously for some time the government held the prices.

But as the war raged on, the prices at the petrol pump increased for both petrol and diesel. Where we did face a problem was our LPG, the liquefied petroleum gas and the LNG. Because a major part, I think more than almost 70 percent of LNG and LPG were being sourced from Qatar.

And because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, India had to diversify very quickly. And today a lot of our LPG, LNG is coming from the US, almost 45 percent,” she said, adding that India now has many more countries from which it imports oil.

“And of course the petroleum gas, that is LPG and LNG. And we have already started work on having strategic reserves of LNG and LPG. So that when there is a next crisis, we will be ready for that. So every challenge, every problem is used as an opportunity to course correct and to be prepared for the next crisis,” the ambassador added.