Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, held a telephone conversation on Friday.
According to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources, the two ministers reviewed the current stage of the talks between Tehran and Washington.
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A senior Armenian lawmaker has said that strong democracy depends on effective communication between politicians and citizens.
Speaking at a panel discussion during the Yerevan Dialogue 2026, MP Sargis Khandanyan from the ruling Civil Contract party and Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs said that politicians often fail when they treat people only as voters rather than as the source of their legitimacy.
The moderator of the discussion, Gayane Abrahamyan, addressing Sargis Khandanyan, noted that past experience has shown that countries choosing the path of democracy end up facing war. She cited the example of Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014, asking Khandanyan what role parliaments play in protecting democracy.
“That narrative was proven wrong, that democracy brings war,” the Armenian MP said.
“And the best democracy is good communication. We need to provide people with better communication. And sometimes politicians fail treating citizens as electorate. But they are source of our legitimacy, and we need to go down and talk to the people. And those politicians, those political parties who are able to go to listen to people and to talk to people, they are successful, and this will be also proven in a month in Armenia. So I think it is very important sometimes to go out from the digital space and talk to the people physically. And I would like to narrow down one specific group of people which is the most challenging now, it is young people. Not only in Armenia, everywhere else young people are getting more disintegrated from politics, from decision making, so it is very important also to talk to young people to see what they are thinking about their lives, their future and to adapt our policies and adapt our narratives to their priorities. That is, I believe, the most challenging part, because in Armenia we have many young politicians, as you can see, but me as a young politician, I blame the previous generations of politicians for leaving the conflict and the problems as a burden on our shoulders to solve. And now we do not have the right to do the same, I do not want to be blamed by future politicians for leaving problems unsolved for them.”
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The inaugural Armenia–EU Summit kicked off in Yerevan on Tuesday morning.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa at a ceremony in the Presidential Palace. Before the summit, Pashinyan will hold a meeting with the EU’s political leadership. A press conference will take place after the summit.
Angel Rodriguez was an impressive winner for Venezuela and Anna Amroyan from Armenia was in tears after a dramatic victory with the last lift of the day at the IWF World Junior Championships in Ismailia, Egypt. It was the first day without a winner from Asia.
The top three in the women’s 77kg had all won medals at the senior European Championships in Georgia 12 days ago, where Amroyan set a junior continental record in clean and jerk after bombing out in snatch. The leading two in Georgia, Janette Ylisoini from Finland and 17-year-old Varvara Kuzminova from Russia, finished second and third here.
This time Amroyan made all six attempts to finish 106-134-240. She won with her final lift, then fell flat on her back in tears. There were more tears on the podium as her anthem was played.
Ylisoini made only one snatch but it was enough for gold. She missed her final clean and jerk and finished 108-131-239. Kuzminova made 107-130-237 and with the Georgian snatch silver medallist Nana Khorava next on 108-126-234, the top four were all European.
Seine Stowers, the Samoan who was within 3kg of the junior world record when she won the Oceania title on 254kg last month, had the highest entry total but did not make it to Egypt.
Ylisoini was competing internationally for the 22nd time in less than five years. She likes to keep busy but said, “I had only five days at home after Georgia before I flew to Egypt. I need a break so I will take some rest now and my next competition will be the World Championships in China (in October and November).”
Rodriguez, narrowly beaten last year, made five good lifts for 168-197-365 at 88kg.
Asian athletes still had cause to celebrate when Kazakhstan’s two men in the session both won medals. One of them, 17-year-old Alikhan Askerbay, increased his body weight by 23.43 per cent in 190 days – and said he will put on more weight yet.
At last year ‘s World Juniors Rodriguez weighed in light in the 89kg category and gave a 4kg body weight advantage to the Georgian winner Goga Jajvani. He was beaten by one kilogram.
Venezuela had high hopes of Rodriguez, who prepared well and weighed in within a few grams of the limit this time. He dominated from the start and led by 7kg at halfway. After missing his final attempt on 200kg he was 9kg clear of Yerasyl Saulebekov, who needed to equal the world record in clean and jerk to overtake him. He could not do it.
“I tried very hard and did what I could but I’m not satisfied with silver,” Saulebekov said. “I was here for gold.”
Askerbay weighed 70.73kg and lifted in the 71kg category at the Asian Youth Games in October 2025, his last international competition before today. In Ismailia 190 days later he was 87.3kg, up by 16.57kg.
“I ate a lot of horse meat, I ate a lot of everything,” he said of his remarkable weight gain. “I’m going to get even heavier because the plan is for me to go up and Yerasyl to go down to 85.”
Askerbay, who holds all three youth world records at 71kg, took silver in snatch, bronze in clean and jerk and finished third on total. He made all six lifts for 161-194-355.
Saulebekov, a Youth world champion at 67kg and 73kg, improved his best total by 12kg on 157-199-356. Fourth-placed Moustafa Bakry from Egypt won snatch bronze on 158kg.
By Brian Oliver
https://iwf.sport/2026/05/06/ismailia-day-5-golds-for-venezuela-and-armenia-and-17-year-old-wins-medal-after-16kg-weight-gain/
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The European Union’s two top officials on Tuesday pledged to continue deepening ties with Armenia but stopped short of promising the South Caucasus country’s eventual membership in the EU sought by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government.
European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen heaped praise on Pashinian as they met him with in Yerevan for the first-ever EU-Armenia Summit.
“Armenia and the European Union are closer than ever,” von der Leyen said during the talks held the day after a separate European Political Community summit in the Armenian capital attended by dozens of other European leaders.
“Today’s summit marks an important milestone in the deepening of partnership between the European Union and Armenia,” Costa told an ensuing joint news conference.
He praised Pashinian for having “changed radically the conditions of your country” and hailed his “vision for the democratic, resilient and prosperous Armenia.”
“Prime Minister Pashinian, thank you once again for hosting us and for the spirit of cooperation of our discussions. We look forward to continuing this vital work together in the years ahead,” added Costa.
Remarks will likely reinforce the Armenian opposition’s perception of the European summits in Yerevan as EU endorsement of Pashinian of ahead of Armenia’s parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7. In a weekend statement, the Hayastan alliance, one of the main opposition election contenders, accused the EU of effectively meddling in “Armenia’s internal political processes.”
It alluded to the impending deployment in Armenia of two EU missions tasked with helping Yerevan cope with “hybrid threats” emanating from abroad, presumably Russia. Costa said on Tuesday that they will boost the Armenian authorities’ “crisis response capacities and contribute to the country’s long-term stability.” Opposition leaders claim, however, that the missions will be used by the authorities to legitimize possible election fraud or foul play.
Activists representing Hayastan and another opposition group, the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia, staged small-scale protests during the summits. They accused the EU of turning a blind eye to what they see as Pashinian’s pre-election crackdown on the opposition for geopolitical considerations.
Amid mounting tensions with Russia, Pashinian’s administration has been seeking to reorient Armenia towards the West. It enacted last year a law declaring the “start of a process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union.” No EU member state or institution has officially voiced support for such a prospect.
In a joint declaration with Pashinian, Costa and von der Leyen took note of the law but did not encourage Yerevan to make a formal EU membership bid. They said only that the 27-nation bloc “acknowledges the European aspirations of the Armenian people.” Pashinian reiterated, meanwhile, that Yerevan’s “immediate objective is to conform to EU standards.”
“If they admit us to the EU, we will be happy with that,” he told the press. “If they don’t, we will still be in a beneficial position as Armenia will be a country meeting EU standards.”
Russia has repeatedly warned that Armenia will risk losing its vital tariff-free access to the Russian market and significant discount on the price of Russian natural if it keeps seeking EU membership. Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly repeated those warnings when he met with Pashinian at the Kremlin on April 1.
Russia is Armenia’s number one trading partner, having accounted for 35.8 percent of its foreign trade last year, followed by China (12.3 percent) and the EU (11.7 percent). Armenian exports to Russia totaled nearly $3 billion in 2025.
The EU leaders were careful not to comment on the retaliatory measure implicitly threatened by Putin or openly accuse Moscow of posing “hybrid threats” to Armenia. Nor did they promise additional economic aid to the Armenian government. Von der Leyen mentioned a three-year aid program for Yerevan, worth 270 million euros ($315 million), launched by Brussels in 2024.
“Possible avenues for financial support beyond 2027 may be considered to further support the country’s reform agenda and closer alignment with the EU,” the joint declaration says in this regard.
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Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset has arrived in Armenia to participate in the 8th European Political Community (EPC) Summit in Yerevan.
The government said in a press release that Secretary General Berset was welcomed at Zvartnots Airport by Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Abisoghomonyan.
The 8th Summit of the European Political Community will take place on May 4, 2026, under the motto “Building the Future: Unity and Stability in Europe.” The summit will bring together European leaders and heads of international organizations at a pivotal moment in shaping and strengthening Europe’s collective path. It will serve as an inclusive forum for open dialogue, strategic coordination, and shared reflection on Europe’s priorities, fostering collaboration, mutual understanding, and tangible initiatives to support a more resilient and forward-looking continent.
The summit will be co-chaired by Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, and António Costa, President of the European Council. Nearly fifty heads of state and government have been invited to take part in this eighth meeting of the European Political Community.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his remarks at the European Political Community Summit in Yerevan, wished Armenia and Azerbaijan “sustainable, comprehensive, long-lasting peace.”
Zelenskyy emphasized Armenia’s participation in this large-scale format together with the EU. He described it as significant that, for the first time in 24 years, the President of Ukraine is visiting Armenia.
“Dear friends, the challenges are clear, absolutely. First, we all see it: the war in Iran remains unresolved, and it could cause instability for a long time, and it may raise the cost of living in all our countries these years. And this could lead to major political shifts. So first of all, our energy and security cooperation needs to be real cooperation, and we need to help each other prepare for winter and deal with energy challenges, and we should also push for a long-term solution for the Strait of Hormuz and for the people of Iran,” he said.
The President of Ukraine also noted that “Russia’s war against Ukraine and Europe” is continuing as strongly as before. According to him, this summer will be the period when the Russian president decides what the next step will be — whether to expand the war or turn to diplomacy.
He expressed gratitude to all the leaders for sanctions against Russian oil, the military industry, and Russian banks.
“We must continue this pressure; we must move Russia to diplomacy. Please oppose any ideas to ease sanctions; this is important. And thank you also to those who are fighting against Russia’s shadow oil fleet,” Zelenskyy said.
“As long as this war continues, strong support for Ukraine must continue. Every support package matters, especially air defense.”
“And one more thing: we need to focus on what we will do if Russia does not end this war. We need continued pressure, and we need peace. And of course, it’s number one: we need to find a workable diplomatic format, and Europe must be at the table in any talks. And we are in contact with the United States, and we understand their views and positions, but it would be good to develop one common European voice for talks with Russians,” he added.
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At first glance, Armenia’s upcoming elections may seem easy to dissect. They are anything but. Below the surface is a tangle of thresholds, partnerships and swing voters that makes this race a conundrum of political maths – one that, at least for now, is still tilting toward the incumbent. Two new polls released in recent weeks provide a fresh and updated look at where things stand. Crucially, they follow a two-month hiatus since the previous batch of surveys was produced, thus allowing sufficient time for alliances to harden and preferences amongst voters to coalesce.
A subtle shift toward the incumbent
The latest EVN poll is particularly useful as it uses the same methodology as its February edition, and it shows that Civil Contract is gaining ground. Support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashiyan’s party has risen from 26.1% to 33.6%, while opposition numbers have barely nudged. Importantly, the share of undecided voters has declined somewhat, from 42% in February to (a still large) 37% in April, but remains uncomfortably high.
This combination matters. The slight increase in backing for the incumbent indicates some consolidation of power rather than erosion of attraction. Crucially, the still-large share of undecided voters keeps the race open, suggesting a positive trend for Civil Contract, but also an outcome that is not locked in.
The three diverse simulations with final seat assignments
The most under-appreciated factor in this election is not voter sentiment, but the opaqueness of the electoral system. Armenia’s rules create a structural advantage for larger, more cohesive players. Thresholds matter. Single parties need just 4% to enter parliament while alliances face higher barriers — 8% or even 10%, depending on their size. That’s a problem for the opposition, which remains fragmented across several blocks. While three forces are almost certain to make it into parliament — Civil Contract (party), Strong Armenia (alliance), and Prosperous Armenia (party) — a fourth, the Armenia Alliance (alliance), is hovering right on the edge. Moreover, the stable majority rule dictates that 52% of seats are required for the formation of a stable government. There is still another rule that says that at least a third of parliament seats must be held by the opposition.
And this is where things start to get interesting.
In the baseline simulation, which I centre on the average of released 2026 polls, Civil Contract and the three main opposition forces make it through to the National Assembly. The exact figures indicate that, while it may not be a perfectly even split, it certainly favours the incumbent (Table 1). Civil Contract would be expected to win 54 out of the total 101 parliamentary seats — a clear majority, yet a far cry from its dominance in 2021 when it won 71 seats.
Table 1: Simulation based on average of 2026 polls suggests that four entities will enter parliament
But if Armenia Alliance slips below the threshold in a second scenario, which I generate mechanically by removing a mere 0.3% off its showing in the baseline and assigning it to the “Other” category, the maths shifts, albeit not dramatically (Table 2). Civil Contract’s seat count jumps to 60, strengthening its majority in a single-party government.
Table 2: Simulation assumes that borderline Armenia Alliance does not enter parliament
The wild card in the elections are the undecided voters, and there are many of them — roughly 35-40% of the electorate. In theory, undecided voters could swing the election. In practice, the bar for doing so might be prohibitively high.
Hence, I calculate the break-even point for the undecided voters that would allow the united opposition to claim just enough seats for a majority. Assuming a 90% voter turnout (the April EVN poll suggests that many people intend to vote), I infer what percentage of undecided voters would need to cast their lot with the opposition, so that, if united, it would get the law-mandated 52% of parliament seats. Table 3 shows that, if 73% of the undecided voters who intend to vote end up siding with the opposition, the ultimate distribution of seats will be the following: 48 for Civil Contract and 53 in total for Strong Armenia, Prosperous Armenia and Armenia Alliance.
Table 3: 73% of undecided voters need to lean to the opposition for it to stand a chance of forming a government
This strikes me as unlikely, albeit not impossible. It may also be structurally difficult. Even if such a shift were to occur, there is no guarantee that a government can be formed as the three opposition forces may not be able to coalesce around a single programme to lead Armenia. In this case, a runoff may be necessary between the two leading contenders, Civil Contract and Strong Armenia, to determine the final winner.
What this means for policy and investors
For markets and policymakers, the message is relatively clear: continuity remains the base case, although with less political comfort and room for manoeuvre. A Civil Contract-led government is still the most likely outcome, and this would imply broad policy continuity, continued engagement with the EU and Western partners, and gradual reform rather than abrupt shifts.
Even the alternative, as unlikely as it might appear at this stage, may not be as disruptive as generally feared. Armenia’s course is pretty clear for anyone who follows the geopolitics of the region. The country is now facing a fait-accompli in the necessity of completely normalising its relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan even at conditions that it deems unjust and unfair. Losing the 2020 war, the emptying of Artsakh, and the weakening of its ally Russia may have essentially taken any suspense out of the elections. Even if the opposition wins, it will have to more or less continue the policy of this government. The 4th republic and Real Armenia slogans represent the varnished and well packaged submission of Armenia to its eastern and western neighbours, and one should not necessarily be critical of it as it has little other choice. This is arguably best Armenians can get (if they are lucky) at this point in history.
Ivan Tchakarov is partner for the Caucasus and Central Asia at GlobalSource Partners.
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The parliament of Sweden has hosted a remembrance event on the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
“Today in the Parliament we commemorated the Genocide 1915,” MP Björn Söder said in a statement on social media.
“The Genocide in the Ottoman Empire during World War I is often referred to as the Genocide 1915, the Armenian Genocide or, by especially Assyrians and Syrians, as Seyfo. During the Genocide around 1.5 million Armenians were killed, but also other Christian minorities in the Empire:
Assyrians, Syrians, Chaldeans and Pontic Greeks were killed. Most died over the years 1915-1916, but the persecutions and the killings continued until 1923. The victims constituted more than half of the Armenian population of the area, most of those who survived fled the country. The Ottoman Empire was largely emptied of its Christian population.
On March 11, 2010, the Riksdag announced to the government that Sweden must recognize the Genocide of Armenians, Assyrians/Syrians/Chaldeans and Pontic Greeks.
In the Riksdag, a commemoration of the Genocide 1915 is arranged annually.
After I gave introduction remarks, a speech was given by H.E. Anna Aghadjanian, Ambassador of Armenia to Sweden. A clip from the film “Map of Salvation” was screened and beautiful music was performed by Aram Arsen Bedros, violinist and Dennis Jie Xu, pianist. Concluding remarks were given by my dear colleague Arin Karapet. Thank you all for participating. Let us always remember and never forget,” he said.
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The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 23 April, USD exchange rate down by 0.55 drams to 371.83 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 3.18 drams to 434.37 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0106 drams to 4.9452 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.97 drams to 501.41 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 499 drams to 56690 drams.
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