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

Armenia boosts air connectivity with new routes, including Yerevan–London flig

Emil Lazarian
Armenia12:21, 23 April 2026
Read the article in: ArabicՀայերենRussian

Armenia’s civil aviation sector is expanding, with growing passenger traffic, new international routes, and plans to further develop air connectivity and airport infrastructure.

Davit Khudatyan, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, said at a Cabinet meeting that civil aviation experts continue to work on improving the quality of aviation in Armenia.

“Civil aviation specialists are doing their utmost to improve the quality of aviation in Armenia. In this regard, we have made significant progress, and the numbers also speak for themselves,” he said.

According to his data, in 2025, flights from Armenia were operated to around 70 destinations through 48 airlines.

“Last year, 48 airlines operated flights from Armenia to around 70 destinations, and passenger traffic increased to about 5.7 million,” Khudatyan noted.

He also highlighted the trend of adding new destinations.

“Last year, we launched flights to about 10 new destinations, and this year we also have agreements for new routes to both European and other countries,” the minister said.

Khudatyan added that the “long-awaited” Yerevan–London–Yerevan flight will soon be launched.

He also reported progress in launching direct flights to Kazakhstan.

“We have been working for a long time with our Kazakh partners to establish direct flights to Kazakhstan. More than one airline has already announced this, and there are clear dates and ticket sales,” Khudatyan said.

In addition, according to the minister, new flights to several European destinations are planned.

“A new flight to Brussels will be launched soon, which will be the second or third airline operating on this route. New flights will also be launched to the Netherlands,” he noted.

The minister also emphasized the importance of expanding the potential of Gyumri’s Shirak Airport.

“We are discussing the possibility of making greater use of the potential of Shirak Airport. After the opening of the North–South road, in some cases, it is faster to reach Gyumri Airport than Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan,” Khudatyan said.

He added that negotiations are already underway regarding new routes.

“We are discussing with other airlines the possibility of launching new flights from Gyumri, in addition to Larnaca, Cyprus and Russian destinations,” the minister concluded.

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Armenia, Cyprus, and Greece strengthen defense cooperation with new annual bil

Emil Lazarian
Military16:54, 23 April 2026
Read the article in: العربيةEspañolفارسیFrançais中文Russian中文

On April 22, bilateral defense consultations between Armenia and Cyprus, as well as trilateral consultations between Armenia, Greece, and Cyprus, were held in Cyprus, the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a press release. 

The delegation from the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, headed by Levon Ayvazyan, Head of the Defense Policy and International Cooperation Department, participated.

During the consultations, the process of cooperation in both bilateral and trilateral formats, as well as future tasks, were discussed. Opinions were exchanged on regional and international security issues, reforms implemented in the defense sector, and other matters of mutual interest.

The parties lauded the development of cooperation in recent years.

As a result of the consultations, the heads of the departments responsible for international military cooperation from the three countries signed the annual programs for Armenia-Cyprus bilateral and Armenia-Greece-Cyprus trilateral cooperation in the defense sector.

Read the article in: العربيةEspañolفارسیFrançais中文Russian中文

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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ANN/Groong – TLG – 04/24/2026 – Some Self-Dissassembly Required – Bedros Afeya

Emil Lazarian

The Literary Armenian News

Some Self-Dissassembly Required


When you’re at the end of your rope, hanging them on the streets no longer trending

When your identity shallow, impermanent, changing, tilted, twisted in the livid wind

When you posture strong faith and lust for glory, expansion, enslaving the infidel freely

When you are manufactured history no angel ever witnessed during your hellish spree

How may you treat hardworking, non-militarist side shows grazing in your path unconvinced?

Fun fresh tightly wound villages, monuments thousands of years in nourishing unbroken spirit

Thousands of years of permanence, belonging songs, stories, dances, seasons, cuisine, chagrins

Thousands of brooks, birds, trees, mountains, lost loves, wooden instruments haunting valleys

How strange their sheep, herders, woolen hats, staffs, mustaches, foreheads that weep for thee.

Killing has not worked all that well. Feeding them to the communists not complete.

The Middle East did not wipe their trace. North America did not erase their zeal, screed

How to eliminate these pesty natives when you have your own hate to spread and smear

Con the West and Uncle Sam, the Russian Bear, bed down with Israel, help crush Iran complete

Have a go, expand, let pan-Turanic gibberish guide your grabbing, looting, fanatic fantasiatic

And in the meantime, let Armenians talk each other out of what they are, have, have had fleeced

The new Armenian with no Genocide to redress from 111 years ago or from five or two

No Gharabagh, no ethnic cleansing, no Ararad, no Western occupied lands, denial complete

Cafés open for business, drowning memories, principles, ethics, weight and resolve to hell

New clothes, fatter lips, fake body parts, everyone a Kardashian, straining a smile with tears

And a Prime Minister conductor keeping trains to concentration camps on time, all charted

No church, no faith, no hold on the spirit, Clergy leaders jailed, looted identity sacrificed.

The new Armenian cares for nothing but conspicuous consumption, dissolution, handouts, deals

Digging out old graves with each petty transaction, little lemmings, big hair, heels, collagen lips

Learn Azeri, forget Russian, dream American, keep warm burning celluloid sparklers unpreened

Armenians? Who’s that? Parasites come invade our patria, para, fake sites, nothing but bela.

Bedros Afeyan

1-7-2026

Snowbird, UT




© Copyright 2026 Armenian News Network/Armenian News and the author.

The homepage for The Literary Armenian News is at: Armenian News.org/tlg/

Dr. Bedros Afeyan is the editor of TLG. He will consider works not only of poetry, but also of short creative fiction. Quality of language, song and images, and excellence of translation are all crucial to the aesthetic value of any work under consideration.

  • All submissions to TLG must be sent electronically to [email protected] and cc’d toArmenian [email protected]. No other submissions will be considered.
  • The editor will indicate if a piece will appear. Once an item has been published on our site we will not remove it except at our discretion.
  • In art, selection is necessarily a judgement call. As such, we will not argue why a particular submission was or was not selected over another;
  • The author may submit a piece sent to the TLG to other publications at any time. We do not try to prevent wider circulation of works.
  • On your first submission, please include a short bio and profile picture of the author;
  • Submissions may not be anonymous, but at the author’s request we may use their pen-name and/or withhold their Email address for purposes of privacy;
  • Submissions which have not yet been selected may continue to receive consideration in following months;
  • Posting time for TLG is currently on Saturdays.
  • There is no guarantee or promise that a submission will be published.
For more, check out:
  • The ANN/Armenian News Podcast
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—
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https://Armenian News.org/
Los Angeles, CA     / USA

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Verelq: The authorities have developed a new plan against the AAP

Emil Lazarian

“Hraparak” newspaper writes:


Nikol Pashinyan, it’s true, he seems to have taken a time-out in the campaign against the Church until the end of the elections, however, according to our information, they are steadily advancing the plan to destroy the Church.


We learned from a government source that the next step will be AAP hitting financial bases. And they will do it not in the territory of Armenia, but abroad. They want to start legal proceedings against about 600 real estates, various objects, productions of church items, charitable funds and accounts belonging to AAP dioceses scattered around the world.


For that purpose, they decided to use their loyal people living in the diaspora. Now it is the stage of gathering information: with the support of law enforcement officers of different countries, they are collecting evidence regarding the “illegality” of the origin of these properties and companies, they will try to initiate criminal proceedings and bring political lawsuits to courts through Armenians who are citizens of different countries.


Therefore, first abroad of the Armenian Apostolic Church they will paralyze the work of the dioceses and take a lot of resources in connection with advocacy and other services. High pay and other privileges are promised to those who will participate in the implementation of this Pashinyan program.


Our source tells us that the work of this intelligence phase is coordinated by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Armenia in cooperation with the relevant services of Turkey and Azerbaijan. Deputy heads of services Arman Boshyan, Mutalu Tokai and Zaur Ismailov are involved in the project.

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Yerevan will not apply to international courts regarding the demolition of the Stepanakert cathedral. Pashiny

Emil Lazarian
Photo: CivilNet

Despite the satellite evidence regarding the destruction of Stepanakert’s Mother of God Cathedral, the Armenian government urges maximum caution in assessments. The Prime Minister of the country stated that this incident at the state level will not become the subject of international discussions, referring to previous experience and political pragmatism.


In the last few days, news was circulating in the information field about the possible destruction of the Presbyterian Church, which was consecrated in Stepanakert just a few years ago, in 2019. Yesterday, the International Center for Cultural Heritage of the Caucasus (Caucasus Heritage Watch) officially confirmed this information. Based on the data of Sentinel satellites, the experts recorded that the religious structure was destroyed between March 3 and April 2 of this year. It is expected that higher resolution photos will be available soon, which will allow to clarify the whole picture of what happened.


However, official Yerevan has chosen a very restrained position regarding this incident. During the government briefing held on April 23, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the need to deeply and comprehensively analyze the situation before taking drastic steps. The head of the government noted that such delicate topics require exceptional prudence, describing them as a “double-edged sword”.


The head of Armenia made it clear that the country does not intend to escalate the issue on diplomatic platforms. According to him, taking into account the previous experience, Armenia will not make the fact of the destruction of the temple a subject of international discussions at the official state level. The prime minister strengthened his position by quoting from the New Testament, reminding that they will be judged by the same judgment by which they are judged, and calling for maximum balance when making political decisions.

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Yerevan is changing its approach to Baku’s war crimes

Emil Lazarian
Photo: primeminister.am

RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stated that in order to avoid a new war, Armenia should abandon the path of endless mutual accusations of war crimes with Azerbaijan. Ahead of the upcoming elections, the government intends to form a new political discourse, which will be aimed at getting the state out of the decades-long chain of enmity.


In a briefing with journalists after the government session Nikol Pashinyan commented on the issue of holding the Azerbaijani side accountable for the crimes committed in the sovereign territory of Armenia. The head of the executive acknowledged the indisputability of the facts of shooting and brutal torture of prisoners of war, but emphasized that focusing exclusively on mutual accusations leads the situation to a dead end. According to him, continuing this conversation means standing on a path where a new armed conflict becomes inevitable.


The politician called on the public to look at the history of the conflict comprehensively, comparing the process to the need to read the whole page of the book, and not just the appropriate part of it. In response to the journalists’ observation that the brutality of the sides during the military operations was incomparable, the Prime Minister noted that accusations are being made by both sides, and for the sake of the welfare of future generations, the state must break this vicious circle. He also warned the citizens not to give in to the patriotic speeches and emotional reactions of some international actors.


The formation of a new narrative aimed at the final resolution of the conflict will be the main strategic task of the authorities during the month and a half remaining before the elections. It should be recalled that during the large-scale escalation on September 13, 2022, when Azerbaijani forces attacked the border regions of Armenia, more than 200 people, including civilians, were killed.


Some territories came under the control of Baku, and international organizations recorded shocking facts of brutal treatment of Armenian prisoners, including female servicemen, sexual violence and murders.

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The Ministry of Defense on the acquisition of weapons from Russia

Emil Lazarian

April 23, 2026

On April 18, “Armenia will purchase weapons from Russia. will we take advantage of such an opportunity within the framework of the CSTO?” article: we published, based on which Nikol Pashinyan’s statement in a briefing with journalists was: “We have an agreement to implement the previously reached military-technical agreements”.

On the same day 168.amsent a written request to the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, in which we included Pashinyan’s answer to the journalist’s question regarding the agreement to purchase weapons from Russia.

In our survey, we also recalled the statement made by RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan at a meeting with journalists in 2025 that “an agreement was reached between the Ministry of Finance of Armenia and Russia that the amount paid by us will be reduced from the interstate debt.”

In other words, from the structure led by Suren Papikyan, we tried to find out what agreement Nikol Pashinyan is talking about, what contract, when was it signed and at what cost, what weapons or systems are we going to acquire from Russia, is it about the Tor-M2MK system?

Read also

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Within 5 days, the Ministry of Defense sends a response letter, in which it is mentioned about the refusal to provide the information requested by us, and as a basis, the provisions of Article 8, Clause 1, Sub-Clause 1 of the RA Law on “Freedom of Information” and the RA Government dated 11.01.2024 are mentioned. The requirements of Clause 15 of Resolution N5Z-N, as well as Clauses 159, 171 and 172 of the Annex to Order N 797-Л of the RA Minister of Defense of May 16, 2024 “On Approving the Expanded Departmental List of Encrypted Information of the RA Defense System”.

By and large, the structure led by Suren Papikyan does not deny Nikol Pashinyan’s statement.

Let us add that earlier Suren Papikyan had refused provide the information about the price tags of weapons promised by Pashinyan, and which countries, apart from Russia, before 2018 weapon to sell Armenia and which countries later refused, where did the factory D-30 come from? Ahead is the exhibition of the weapons purchased in recent years on May 28 in Republic Square, let’s wait and see if there will be any Russian weapons or systems in them.

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CP and being a CP should be banned by law. Pashinyan and his team personally entered

Emil Lazarian

April 23, 2026

Tomorrow is April 24. the 111th anniversary of the Great Genocide is coming to an end, and, naturally, these days, a number of questions are becoming more relevant, what will be the fate of the recognition, condemnation and overcoming the consequences of the Armenian Genocide, if, of course, the problem can be formulated in this way, what is its significance not only for our past, but also for our present and future, for our security, our existence and identity, and what is the state of the process of international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide by the representatives of the current government of Armenia, In the conditions of pushing the issue of the Armenian Genocide into the background and apparently engaging in the speeches of Turkish denial.

On topic 168 TVs «Revue:” is the guest of the program Hayk Demoyan, former director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, Doctor of Historical Sciences.

«We have a completely different situation on the eve of the 111th anniversary. We started 2015 with events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and a pan-Armenian declaration was also adopted. Of course, we must understand that we have no right to be emotional, we must carefully consider the situation that exists today in international relations, in international law and in general around us. This was not what Nikol Pashinyan and Ararat Mirzoyan are repeating, who want to reorganize themselves in the conditions of new realities, by honoring the memory of the victims and the victims, disrespecting the memory of the victims and the survivors, they first want to establish themselves and formulate messages to Ankara and Baku. The hybrid peace, not the “hybrid war” that they constantly emphasize, the hybrid peace that today they want to wrap around the neck of the Armenian people, has its open and hidden sides, it is another useless and fruitless effort to achieve that Turkey will at least open a little under some pretext, so to speak, the door through which they can sneak in. It won’t happen because Turkey has its own prerequisite language, Azerbaijan has its own prerequisite language, and worst case scenario for the velvet group, the two together have synchronized prerequisites that will be updated regularly.“, the Genocide expert commented in particular.

Read also

  • Bruising in a ‘repaired’ memorial
  • “If the RA government did not allow what happened in 2020, we would not be in this situation today.” Ashot Harutyunyan
  • I really want that in the elections of 2021 the scenario will not be repeated. Serzh Sargsyan

Hayk Demoyan declares that the efforts to renounce Western Armenia, Ararat, the marginalization of the memory of the Great Genocide, the making of negative statements and this “KVN” of the memory of the Armenian Genocide are purposeful, have a specific purpose and a client.

«Today, we are dealing with a government that is a follower of orders, including the issue of commemorating and forgetting the memory of the Armenian Genocide.– says the Genocide expert.

Hayk Demoyan describes Nikol Pashinyan’s famous statements about the Armenian Genocide as complete ignorance, stating:

«In such cases, in our school they say: bring your diary, TWO. Moreover, they write two of them with red ink.”

Commenting on illiteracy, of course, does not bring honor to any person, let alone science, let alone Genocide studies. Pashinyan is trying to open windows, open Overton’s window and sneak in there, start discussing the topic. If he had read a small book, instead of writing a shameful book, he should have understood that it is not necessary to approach the topic of genocide when you have not read, first, a survivor’s memoir, any scientific work,” Hayk Demoyan added.

Talking about the forced depopulation and ethnic cleansing of Artsakh in the context of the topic, the genocide expert emphasizes that it was a genocidal act, and “Nikol Pashinyan and his team were personally involved in the genocide.”

Hayk Demoyan considers the targeting of the memory of the genocide and history by the current authorities to be the most dangerous phenomenon. Drawing historical parallels with the example of the “denazification” of Germany after the defeat of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, the historian says:

“It should be prohibited by law to be a member of the Communist Party, the Communist Party, because what happened in 2018 and who organized and prepared the handing over of power to Nikol is fascism.”

Hayk Demoyan also spoke about the situation in the museum-institute after the dismissal of the director of the HCTI, Edita Gzoyan, and the situation related to the renovation of the Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex.

Speaking about the Torchlight Procession, which is traditionally held today, April 23, Hayk Demoyan mentioned that he would like this year’s Torchlight Procession to be a process of rejecting people and phenomena.

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Fwd: On June 8, we will celebrate the start of our revival. Raffi Hovhannisyan

Emil Lazarian

On June 8, we will celebrate the start of our revival

During the interview
Raffi Hovhannisyan spoke about the decision not to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
about their probable outcome and other issues. He specifically noted: “It is also important that the policy
that will come to replace today’s politics, be Armenian-centric. regardless of
where did Mr. Karapetyan earn his wealth or where did his charity come from?
(in Armenia and Artsakh he did a huge amount of charity), regardless of the fact that he
In addition to being a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, he was also a citizen of another country (as I was an American and came to Armenia).
we should be able, as individuals, leaders, oppositionists, to be Armenian-centric
in our approaches. We should do everything so that this election does not turn into a geopolitical dilemma
question One is pro-European, the other is pro-Russian.
That “pro-Russianism”, in my opinion, should leave the vocabulary of the opposition, and “Westernism”, i.e. the European Union
becoming a member…I can say one thing: Armenia under this government
will never become a member of the European Union or bearer of its true values. This power
can show itself closer to Russia, now it is the European direction
trying to serve the people, but here there is no connection between civilization and European
with values»:

 

Details here.


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Opinion: Is Azerbaijan to blame for the delay in normalising relations between

Emil Lazarian
JAM News
April 23 2026
  • JAMnews
  • Baku

Armenia’s parliamentary speaker Alen Simonyan told journalists in Istanbul that Azerbaijan is influencing the pace of efforts to normalise relations between Turkey and Armenia.

“On the one hand, Azerbaijan is negotiating with us; on the other, it does not allow Turkey to negotiate with us. It is a strange situation. Turkey has, in a way, become a hostage to these relations,” Simonyan said.

He added that earlier there had been talk of reopening the border after resolving the Karabakh issue, followed by a focus on an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace agreement. Despite reaching consensus on 17 points, this has not translated into practical results.

The remarks drew particular attention as they came shortly after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that Ankara is pursuing normalisation with Armenia “step by step in coordination with Azerbaijan”.

This apparent contradiction underscores the relevance of the issue: while Ankara and Yerevan have kept channels of normalisation open since 2022, Turkey’s leadership has openly linked the process to the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace agenda.

Simonyan’s statement therefore goes beyond a political remark, once again raising the question of how closely the two parallel processes — Turkey-Armenia rapprochement and the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement — are interconnected.

Historical and political context

The historical background is clear. Turkey recognised the independence of Armenia in 1991, but diplomatic relations between the two have never been established.

According to Turkey’s foreign ministry, Ankara closed its land border with Armenia in 1993 following the occupation of Azerbaijan’s Kalbajar district.

Armenia’s foreign ministry also notes that Turkey shut both air and land borders in 1993, although air links were partially restored in 1995.

The closure of the border has therefore been shaped not only by bilateral tensions between Ankara and Yerevan, but also by the wider regional dynamics of the Karabakh conflict.

In recent years, this alignment has taken on a more institutional form. The Shusha Declaration, signed in 2021, elevated relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey to the level of an “alliance”, formalising the principle of “one nation — two states” as the political foundation of their ties.

Analytical assessments also suggest that the main obstacles to normalisation between Ankara and Yerevan over the decades have been the Karabakh conflict and the strategic coordination between Baku and Ankara. In other words, Turkey’s position is shaped less by pressure from lobbying groups and more by interests in energy, security, transport and regional influence.

From this perspective, Turkey’s solidarity with Azerbaijan is not simply an emotional slogan, but part of a broader geopolitical choice.

Assessing Simonyan’s claims

The facts suggest that Alen Simonyan’s argument contains an element of truth, but does not capture the full picture.

As part of the current normalisation process, launched in late 2021, special envoys Ruben Rubinyan and Serdar Kılıç have held six rounds of talks. On 1 July 2022, the sides agreed to open the land border to third-country nationals and diplomats.

Direct flights resumed in February 2022, and direct cargo flights have been permitted since early 2023. On 29 December 2025, an agreement was announced to simplify visa procedures for holders of diplomatic, service and special passports, which, according to the Armenian side, entered into force on 1 January 2026.

Official statements from both sides emphasise the goal of full normalisation and a willingness to engage without preconditions.

At the same time, Turkey has explicitly linked meaningful progress to the signing of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In August 2025, Turkey’s foreign ministry welcomed progress in the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process and voiced support for “brotherly Azerbaijan”. In November, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told parliament that Turkey would be ready for full normalisation with Armenia only after a final peace agreement is signed.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated this position on 17 April in Antalya, stating that normalisation is proceeding “in coordination with Azerbaijan”.

Simonyan’s reference to an “Azerbaijan factor” is therefore not without basis. However, portraying it solely as an obstacle imposed by Baku would be an oversimplification, as Turkey has consistently framed this sequencing as part of its official policy.

Moreover, although a 17-point draft agreement was initialled on 8 August 2025 in Washington, D.C., a final peace deal has yet to be signed, due to issues related to Armenia’s constitution and other unresolved questions.

Reactions in Azerbaijan

The dominant line of reaction in Azerbaijan can be summed up as follows: Ankara does not act under Baku’s dictate on the Armenian track, but rather in close strategic coordination with it.

In an article by Caliber.az, Alen Simonyan’s remarks are criticised in a polemical tone. The publication argues that Turkey sees the opening of the border not as a result of being a “hostage”, but as a step that can only follow a final settlement, based on principles of brotherhood and alliance with Azerbaijan.

The same article cites a statement by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Antalya as a key argument. This reflects a broader trend in pro-government analytical discourse in Azerbaijan: Turkey pursues an independent policy, but its regional priorities are closely aligned with Baku.

In this context, media narratives also point to the continued open coordination between the two sides.

Regional context

Alen Simonyan’s remarks are difficult to assess in isolation from the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. At the forum, held on 17–19 April, Armenia was not represented by Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan or special envoy Ruben Rubinyan, but by Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan.

This marked the first time since 2022 that Yerevan participated in the Antalya platform at a lower level.

The Armenian side has not officially explained the decision, but experts quoted by JamNews interpret it as a signal of dissatisfaction with Turkey over the lack of progress on previously agreed steps, including the opening of the border.

At the same time, Kostanyan met his Turkish counterpart Berris Ekinci in Antalya and told CNN Türk that Armenia is ready to open the border both politically and technically, while further progress now depends on Ankara. This suggests that dialogue remains open, even as rhetoric has hardened.

Domestic political timing is also a key factor. Parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for 7 June 2026, and both the OSCE and regional analysts see them as critical for the country’s foreign policy trajectory.

Azerbaijani political analyst Farhad Mammadov noted in March that the election results, as well as a possible constitutional referendum in Armenia, could significantly affect the peace agenda. In this context, Simonyan’s sharper rhetoric may also be aimed at a domestic audience — signalling that the government remains committed to normalisation with Turkey, while avoiding the appearance of unilateral concessions.

Meanwhile, in Istanbul, Numan Kurtulmuş floated the idea of involving Armenia in the Turkey–Azerbaijan–Georgia format. This indicates that trilateral or broader regional frameworks remain open and could expand further if a peace agreement is reached.

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