Category: News

The ratification of the Armenia-U.S. framework agreement on TRIPP will be debated in parliament next week, on October 27, the project’s press service reported.

The bill to ratify the deal, officially known as the Framework Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the United States of America on Strategic Cooperation Concerning the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), was approved by the Foreign Relations Committee on October 21 and included in the agenda for the upcoming plenary session.

“Accordingly, the [bill] will be presented at the plenary session of the National Assembly on October 27,” the statement released by TRIPP Armenia’s official Facebook page said.

The procedures necessary for the Agreement’s entry into force have already been completed in the United States.

Once the relevant procedures are completed in Armenia, the international agreement concerning TRIPP will enter into force.

A Hyundai bus overturned on Acharyan Street in Yerevan on October 23, injuring 11 people, according to preliminary data, Armenia’s Interior Ministry said.

The emergency call was received by the 112 operational management center at around 9:00 a.m. The injured were taken to medical centers. The circumstances of the incident are being investigated.

One of the 11 people who sought medical attention following a bus crash on Acharyan Street in Yerevan is in serious condition, while two others are in moderately serious condition, Armenia’s Ministry of Health said.

The remaining eight people were examined, received the necessary first aid and were discharged, according to the ministry.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov has said that Armenia has “effectively already withdrawn” from the organization.

“We send all documents for consideration under domestic procedures, including to Armenia. In every case, we receive a response stating that the Armenian side does not participate in discussions or decision-making processes but has no objection to decisions being adopted in a limited format. In other words, they do not obstruct our work. The organization’s normal operations continue, and we make decisions. They do not participate in our core activities, military exercises or other similar events. Therefore, I believe this fully complies with Article 25 of the CSTO Charter. They have effectively already withdrawn from the CSTO,” the Russian news agency TASS quoted Masadykov as saying.

Article 25 of the CSTO Charter, cited by the secretary general, stipulates that a member state loses its voting rights if it fails to pay its membership contributions and fill positions allocated to it under the quota system.

The CSTO secretary general did not rule out that the leaders of the organization’s member states could address Armenia’s membership at a meeting of the Collective Security Council scheduled to take place in Moscow on November 11.

Regarding the possibility of Armenia’s formal withdrawal from the organization, the secretary general said that if the issue is put on the agenda of the Collective Security Council meeting, a decision could be adopted.

Armenia has frozen its participation in CSTO activities since February 2024, citing the bloc’s failure to fulfill its security obligations.

Rain showers are expected in some parts of Armenia on Friday afternoon (October 23), Saturday (October 24), Sunday night and afternoon (October 25), and during the day on Wednesday (October 28). Thunderstorms are also possible.

The Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center said that no precipitation is expected on Monday and Tuesday (October 26-27) or overnight on Wednesday (October 28).

Winds will be southwesterly at 2-5 meters per second. Air temperatures will remain largely unchanged.

In Yerevan, no precipitation is expected on Friday afternoon (October 23), Saturday (October 24), Monday and Tuesday (October 26-27), or overnight on Wednesday (October 28). Brief rain showers are expected on Sunday (October 25) and Wednesday (October 28).

India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has welcomed the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani APA news agency quoted Jaishankar as saying at a press conference with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov that India is closely following developments in the South Caucasus.

“India welcomes the initialing of the peace agreement by the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan last August. We hope this will lead to the establishment of lasting peace. India’s position is very clear: disputes must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” Jaishankar said.

The CPFE’s third-quarter 2026 report on freedom of _expression_ in Armenia recorded a positive development, with no cases of physical violence against journalists reported during the period.

The Committee to Protect Freedom of _expression_ (CPFE) is a non-governmental organization whose stated mission is to support the establishment of a free and responsible press in Armenia, protect the rights of journalists and media outlets, contribute to improving media legislation, and develop a self-regulation system based on professional ethics.

CPFE Chairman Ashot Melikyan said at a press conference that no cases of physical violence against journalists were recorded in the third quarter of this year.

“I want to specifically emphasize this because we have had very few quarters with such figures. We recorded one such case in each of the first and second quarters of this year, while none were recorded in the third quarter. Overall, I can say that such violations have been declining this year. If this becomes a trend, that would certainly be welcome,” Ashot Melikyan said.

In the third quarter of this year, 12 cases were recorded in which the right of journalists and media outlets to receive and disseminate information was violated. This figure decreased noticeably compared with the same period in 2025, when 23 such cases were recorded in the third quarter.

According to Ashot Melikyan, this trend is mainly due to the absence of social and political tensions during the period in question. Conflict situations in the work of the current parliament have decreased compared with the previous convocation, which has naturally had an impact.

“On the other hand, there are signs that the atmosphere has changed. This directly relates to the situation in the National Assembly, where, at the start of the 9th convocation’s work, it was stated that efforts would be made to hold debates without insults and to keep political discourse clean. This had some impact on relations with journalists accredited to parliament. I have noticed that members of different parliamentary factions are showing much more respect. In the third quarter, we recorded only two cases of pressure and disrespect, which cannot be compared with the atmosphere in the parliament of the 8th convocation. The situation has changed now,” Ashot Melikyan said.

Despite the positive indicators, Ashot Melikyan cautioned against an overly optimistic assessment of the situation. He emphasized that there are issues that need to be discussed and resolved. He considers the continued flow of lawsuits against journalists and media outlets, which has not decreased, to be a matter of concern.

“There were more new lawsuits in the third quarter than in the first and second quarters. Fourteen cases were recorded in the first quarter, 12 in the second, and 18 in the third, bringing the total to 44. The year is not over yet, so this trend may continue. Most of those filing lawsuits are representatives of state bodies and senior officials, but there are also businesspeople and other citizens,” Ashot Melikyan said.

According to him, the main reason for this situation is the deep polarization of the media landscape, the close ties between some media outlets and political forces, their service to those forces’ political interests, as well as the intolerance of certain politicians.

This week, Caroline Vik, Chief Policy Officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), visited Armenia to explore opportunities for deeper U.S.-Armenian economic cooperation, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia said in a press release.

Discussions with government officials and business representatives focused on strengthening commercial ties, expanding private-sector investment, and creating new opportunities for American and Armenian businesses.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired the ninth meeting of the Public Investment Committee, which approved six public investment projects. He emphasized the importance of the effective management and implementation of public investment programs, which contribute to economic activity, the targeted allocation of resources, infrastructure development, long-term efficiency, and more.

The approved projects include a program on the possibility of using water from the Her-Her Reservoir through the pumping method; three road infrastructure projects under the Resilient and Inclusive Road Sector Improvement Project-2; a program to strengthen the capacity of the Yerevan Rescue Department of the Rescue Service; and a program to develop Armenia’s national spatial data infrastructure, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. 

Her-Her Reservoir water use

Aramazd Ghalamkaryan, Chairman of the Water Committee of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, presented the draft public investment program on the possibility of using water from the Her-Her Reservoir through the pumping method.

The program aims to ensure irrigation water supplies to 12 settlements in Vayots Dzor Province. The agricultural land that could be served by a water pipeline to be built from the Her-Her Reservoir is estimated at approximately 2,440 hectares and includes the settlements of Her-Her, Vayk, Malishka, Zedea, Agarakadzor, Yeghegnadzor, Getap, Arpi, Aghavnadzor, Rind, Areni, and Chiva.

The construction of the water pipeline would make it possible to use the 26 million cubic meters of water accumulated annually in the Her-Her Reservoir efficiently, increase irrigated agricultural land, ensure a stable supply of irrigation water, and provide an additional flow of 10–13 million cubic meters of water into Lake Sevan, among other benefits.

Committee members discussed the project’s potential to address economic, social, and water security challenges. They emphasized the need to conduct a feasibility study, which would make it possible to assess the energy potential more precisely.

Road infrastructure projects

Kristine Ghalechyan, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, presented three draft public investment programs under the Resilient and Inclusive Road Network Improvement Program-2: the post-disaster rehabilitation of the M-6 Vanadzor (M3 intersection)-Alaverdi-Republic of Armenia border (Bagratashen) highway, the construction of a new Dilijan tunnel, and the major renovation and modernization of the Pushkin Tunnel.

The M-6 highway rehabilitation project envisages restoring and improving sections of the M-6 Vanadzor (M3 intersection)-Alaverdi-Republic of Armenia border (Bagratashen) interstate highway damaged by the floods that occurred in May 2024.

The work will include rehabilitating damaged road sections, strengthening the resilience of areas vulnerable to potential future flooding of the Debed River through bank protection measures and the construction of retaining walls, and implementing rockfall protection measures.

The discussion emphasized the importance of safe transport infrastructure resilient to climate risks. Such infrastructure would contribute to road safety, the uninterrupted and safe operation of transport systems, economic efficiency, accessibility for communities, and more.

Construction of a new Dilijan tunnel

Ghalechyan also reported on the construction of a new Dilijan tunnel. The project envisages building a new 2,365-meter-long tunnel parallel to the existing Dilijan Tunnel, approximately 50 meters to the left.

The new tunnel will comply with the requirements for a Category II road and EU Directive 2004/54/EC on minimum safety requirements for tunnels in the Trans-European Road Network. It will be equipped with modern engineering and safety systems and automated control systems, while the existing tunnel will be converted into an evacuation tunnel.

The evacuation tunnel will be connected to the new tunnel every 500 meters, allowing road users to be evacuated rapidly in emergency situations.

The officials agreed that the project’s implementation would contribute to creating modern, unimpeded, and sustainable transport infrastructure and serve people, economic development, and the environment.

They emphasized that constructing a modern tunnel complex would also contribute to effective emergency management, uninterrupted and reliable traffic, and the development of tourism, freight transportation, and economic activity.

Major renovation and modernization of the Pushkin Tunnel

Ghalechyan also presented details of the draft public investment program for the major renovation and modernization of the Pushkin Tunnel.

The project envisages rehabilitating and modernizing the tunnel’s structural elements, improving its engineering systems, and introducing modern road and fire safety solutions.

Its implementation would contribute to improved traffic safety and continuity, enhanced reliability of transport links, and bringing the tunnel into compliance with modern safety requirements.

Committee members exchanged views and emphasized the importance of work aimed at modernizing the tunnel and its technical systems, organizing traffic safely, and improving conditions for responding to emergency situations.

Strengthening Yerevan’s firefighting capabilities

Armen Mkrtchyan, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, presented the draft public investment program to strengthen the capacity of the Yerevan Rescue Department of the Rescue Service.

He reported that the firefighting vehicles operated by the fire and rescue units of the Yerevan Rescue Department of the Rescue Service had not been renewed since 2010. The vehicles currently in service are physically worn out and technologically obsolete and frequently break down.

Numerous high-rise residential and public buildings have been constructed in Yerevan and its surrounding areas in recent years. The area also contains hazardous industrial facilities and critical life-support infrastructure facilities. Effective firefighting operations at these sites require aerial ladder trucks with a reach of at least 35 meters.

The meeting addressed issues related to the program’s implementation and the possibilities of carrying it out through different formats.

National spatial data infrastructure

Suren Tovmasyan, Head of the Cadastre Committee, presented the draft investment program for the National Spatial Data Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia.

The program envisages the creation and development of Armenia’s National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) as a key element of the country’s digital transformation.

It includes a unified geodetic reference system; aerial photography and LiDAR mapping of the country’s entire territory; high-resolution 3D models of cities; mobile mapping of roads; bathymetric surveys of water areas; standardization of cadastral data; thematic datasets and digital services; and modernization of the National Geoportal, supported by reliable information security infrastructure.

During the discussion, participants addressed the program’s objectives and emphasized the importance of integrated information for strategic planning and forecasting, decision-making, management, and operational efficiency.

All six public investment projects were approved following the discussions.

Two-time world and European champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist Simon Martirosyan will rejoin Armenia’s national weightlifting team when he is in good shape, the head coach has said.

Head coach of Armenia’s men’s weightlifting team Hakob Pilosyan spoke about Martirosyan during an open training session ahead of the World Weightlifting Championships.

“Simon Martirosyan has always been one of the most beloved and talented athletes on our team. Once he is in good shape, he will immediately be back on the team. We have no issues with him,” Pilosyan emphasized.

Armenia will be represented at the 2026 IWF World Championships by the following athletes: Garnik Cholakyan (65 kg), Gor Sahakyan and Tigran Karapetyan (75 kg), Rafik Harutyunyan and Martin Poghosyan (85 kg), Davit Hovhannisyan (95 kg), Garik Karapetyan (110 kg), Varazdat Lalayan (+110 kg), Alexandra Grigoryan (57 kg), Alina Sukiasyan (77 kg), and Emma Poghosyan and Liana Gyurjyan (86 kg).

Meanwhile, women’s national team head coach Artashes Nersisyan said that Anna Amroyan, the junior world champion, will miss the 2026 World Weightlifting Championships due to an injury sustained at the European Junior Championships.

The 2026 IWF World Championships will kick off on October 27 in Ningbo, China. The championships are the first qualifying event ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games.