Category: News

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired a consultation to discuss efforts aimed at transforming the real estate registration system.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Head of the Cadastre Committee Suren Tovmasyan briefed the Prime Minister that extensive work has been carried out to transform the system of real estate registration, as well as the registration of rights and restrictions.

Reports were also presented on the existing legislative regulations for the protection and guarantee of rights, as well as on the risks associated with the current procedures for transferring ownership rights based on the alienation of registered property.

The meeting also addressed the current procedure for registering unregistered property. The experience of various countries regarding regulatory approaches in this field was also presented.

Tovmasyan emphasized that the goal of the reforms is to simplify administration and strengthen the protection of property rights. In this context, proposals were presented aimed at achieving these objectives.

Prime Minister Pashinyan highlighted the importance of programs aimed at transforming the sector and stressed that the most effective approach to institutional reforms is to launch them through gradual steps.

In this context, the Prime Minister issued relevant instructions.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke by phone on Tuesday with his Dutch counterpart, Rob Jetten.

According to a readout, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands congratulated Pashinyan on the holding of free and democratic elections in Armenia on June 7 and on receiving the vote of confidence from Armenian citizens.

The readout issued by Pashinyan’s office further said that PM Jetten expressed his support for the agenda of democratic reforms and economic diversification in Armenia.

Prime Minister Pashinyan thanked the Dutch Prime Minister for the congratulations and for his willingness to support the political and economic reforms being implemented by the Armenian government.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his party’s victory in Armenia’s parliamentary elections.

“I would like to convey to you the warmest congratulations of the Government of the Republic of Italy, as well as my own personal congratulations, on your re-election as the leader of the Republic of Armenia,” Meloni said in a letter published by Pashinyan’s office. “The vote of the Armenian people has, for the third time, recognized your leadership and acknowledged the courage with which you have faced challenges of exceptional complexity.

Italy is following Armenia’s process of strengthening its relations with Europe and firmly supports the process of normalizing relations with Azerbaijan. The agreement reached in Washington in 2025 is an important achievement, and you can continue to rely on our commitment to supporting further steps aimed at establishing lasting peace, with the understanding that the normalization of relations represents an important opportunity for stability and prosperity not only for Armenia but also for the entire region.

Relations between our countries are strong and continue to develop. We are united by active economic ties, long-standing cultural and archaeological cooperation, as well as tangible prospects for cooperation in areas such as infrastructure and defense. I am confident that your new mandate will provide an opportunity to further strengthen this partnership.”

Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Nurlan Yermekbayev has congratulated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the victory of the Civil Contract party in Armenia’s parliamentary elections. According to a message released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Yermekbayev extended his congratulations to Pashinyan and the ruling party on what he described as a convincing election victory. In his message, the SCO Secretary-General noted Armenia’s progress in modernising public life, maintaining strong economic growth and strengthening its international standing. He also welcomed Armenia’s active engagement as an SCO dialogue partner, saying Yerevan’s approach contributes to the organisation’s broad agenda and creates new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. Yermekbayev wished Prime Minister Pashinyan success in his state duties and conveyed his wishes for peace and continued prosperity to the people of Armenia.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas has said that foreign ministers of EU member states discussed how to further strengthen Armenia’s resilience and economic diversification.

“Last week’s elections delivered a clear message: the Armenian people voted for peace, sovereignty, and closer ties with Europe. Russia’s heavy pressure and economic coercion failed to sway the vote. Ministers discussed how we can further strengthen Armenia’s resilience and economic diversification,” the EU top diplomat said in a statement on social media, detailing the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Luxembourg.

The EU ministers had an informal exchange over breakfast with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan ahead of the FAC meeting.

Ahead of the parliamentary elections held on June 7, Russia imposed restrictions and bans on the import of numerous Armenian goods, which remain in effect today. The move prompted exporters to look for new markets, including in the EU. The EU has since announced support measures. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, following a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, announced immediate financial assistance of more than €50 million, along with other support measures to facilitate trade, including measures to expand export opportunities for Armenian goods.

Russia has cited phytosanitary violations as the reason for the ban, which has been widely viewed by the EU as “economic coercion.”

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won a landslide victory and will have 64 seats in parliament, while the opposition Strong Armenia bloc and the Armenia bloc will have 29 and 12 seats, respectively.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has notably not congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan on his party’s re-election, despite many world leaders having extended their felicitations. The Kremlin earlier said that Moscow was awaiting the final confirmation of the election results, which were released on June 14.

Restrictions on exports of Armenian-made goods to Russia could have a deflationary impact of up to 0.6% if new markets for these products cannot be found, according to Central Bank Governor Martin Galstyan.

Speaking at a press conference on June 16, Galstyan noted that, for example, a significant share of flowers produced in Armenia had been exported to Russia before the restrictions were introduced.

“The scenarios are numerous. If we are unable to change markets, then, according to our estimates, the deflationary impact could reach up to 0.6%. Our goods will remain in Armenia, supply will increase, and as a result, we expect that we may see some deflationary effects, for example, in vegetables, mineral water, certain alcoholic beverages, as well as some stone fruits. If it is possible to change markets, then this impact will be milder.”

According to Galstyan, maintaining the current situation could lead to a change of up to 2% in Armenia’s GDP.

Ahead of the parliamentary elections held on June 7, Russia imposed restrictions and bans on the import of numerous Armenian goods, which remain in effect today. The move prompted exporters to look for new markets, including in the EU. The EU has since announced support measures. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, following a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, announced immediate financial assistance of more than €50 million, along with other support measures to facilitate trade, including measures to expand export opportunities for Armenian goods.

Russia has cited phytosanitary violations as the reason for the ban, which has been widely viewed by the EU as “economic coercion.”

Restrictions on the export of Armenian goods pose deflationary risks and could also lead to the depreciation of the national currency, according to Central Bank Governor Martin Galstyan.

Asked at a press conference about the possible risks arising from the current situation, Galstyan said:

“Because of the embargo, we see deflationary risks. If exports decrease significantly and we are unable to offset this through other components of the balance of payments, it could affect the exchange rate of the dram. Yes, the Central Bank is considering the possibility that the implementation of the embargo and other economic sanctions could create certain short-term challenges for the economy.”

Galstyan also said that, under the current circumstances, the Central Bank is considering the possibility of supporting farmers with loan obligations through appropriate assistance measures.

“There is no agreement with the banks yet. At this stage, discussions must first take place with our government partners, followed by discussions with the banks. We have already gone through this several times — during the pandemic and the war. The support programs will not be new in nature,” the Central Bank governor emphasized.

Martin Galstyan added:

“If the price of gas suddenly increases, it will naturally lead to inflation and have secondary effects.”

Ahead of the parliamentary elections held on June 7, Russia imposed restrictions and bans on the import of numerous Armenian goods, which remain in effect today. The move prompted exporters to look for new markets, including in the EU. The EU has since announced support measures. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, following a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, announced immediate financial assistance of more than €50 million, along with other support measures to facilitate trade, including measures to expand export opportunities for Armenian goods.

Russia has cited phytosanitary violations as the reason for the ban, which has been widely viewed by the EU as “economic coercion.”

The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 16 June, USD exchange rate up by 0.15 drams to 368.21 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.1 drams to 427.49 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0014 drams to 5.0795 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.24 drams to 494.4 drams.

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

Gold price up by 2024 drams to 51558 drams. Silver price up by 43.65 drams to 836.84 drams.

Armenian Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, during his visit to Paris for the Eurosatory 2026 international defense technology exhibition, met on the sidelines of the event with Alice Rufo, Minister Delegate to the French Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs.

“During the meeting, we discussed opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation in the fields of the defense industry, defense innovation, and advanced technologies,” Minister Hayrapetyan said in a social media post.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the progress in implementing the provisions of the strategic memorandum of understanding signed in Yerevan on May 5 and reached agreements on further steps.

Members of Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract parliamentary faction have submitted a package of legislative amendments proposing a residency requirement for participation in nationwide elections and referendums, under which only Armenian citizens who have lived in Armenia for at least six months during the preceding year would be eligible to vote.

The authors of the draft are lawmakers Arusyak Manavazyan and Alkhas Ghazaryan.

The lawmakers’ initiative follows reports circulating in both international and Armenian media ahead of the parliamentary elections held in Armenia on June 7, alleging that Russia, in an attempt to influence the election results, was taking steps to encourage a large number of Armenian citizens residing in Russia to travel to Armenia, participate in the elections, and vote in favor of specific political forces — the “Strong Armenia” and “Armenia” alliances, as well as the “Prosperous Armenia” party.

Against the backdrop of these reports, a broad public debate emerged in Armenia over why, until now, there has been no legal regulation stipulating that the right to vote in nationwide elections should be granted to people who permanently reside in Armenia, are familiar with the situation in the country, understand the existing challenges, and make their voting decisions based on that understanding. Representatives of the ruling “Civil Contract” party had promised that, if they succeeded in the elections, they would address this issue.

As justification for the proposed legislation, the lawmakers stated that under the current regulations, there is no mechanism ensuring that the exercise of the right to participate in National Assembly elections and referendums reflects a permanent citizen–state connection (unlike elections for local self-government bodies and local referendums).

The package of draft laws proposes that, in the context of participation in nationwide elections and referendums, importance should be given not only to the formal aspect of a person’s connection with the state through citizenship, but also to the substantive aspect of that connection.

Accordingly, it is proposed to introduce an additional requirement for participation in elections and referendums: as of the 48th day before the voting or referendum day — and in the case of early National Assembly elections or a repeat vote, as of the 28th day before the voting day — a voter must have been physically present in the Republic of Armenia for 183 or more days during the preceding 365 days.