Category: News

Armenia’s Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan chaired a meeting with senior officials of the Police and the Rescue Service, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Environment.

According to the ministry’s statement, Sargsyan emphasized the importance of properly ensuring public safety during the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), an event of great significance for Armenia.

Police Chief Kamo Tsutsulyan and Rescue Service Director Aram Ghazaryan briefed the minister on the measures carried out and currently underway by their respective units ahead of COP17.

The heads of the services presented the work being carried out to ensure security at the conference venues, along major routes and in adjacent areas; maintain public order; organize traffic; and prevent potential emergencies.

The meeting also discussed the proper organization of service by the ministry’s units, personnel management, and coordination.

The minister issued instructions on maintaining public order, ensuring security, and effectively organizing the work of the Rescue Service.

Sargsyan also instructed officials to ensure that the public is properly informed about traffic restrictions, maintain regular contact with those responsible for security arrangements for COP17, and provide periodic reports on the progress of security measures.

The Sevan community in Gegharkunik Province will be represented in the Green Zone of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) in Yerevan.

The Sevan Municipality said in a press release that EcoLur Informational NGO, in cooperation with the Fridtjof Nansen Institute and with the support of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, is organizing a session titled “Communities as Biodiversity Conservationists and Sustainable Users” in the Green Zone of the 17th meeting of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17).

Sevan is one of seven communities participating in the session. On October 21, it will present a report titled “Sevan Community’s Contribution to the Protection of Lake Sevan” in the Green Zone.

“The participating communities, represented by local self-government bodies, civil society and business representatives, will present their experience in biodiversity conservation in their communities and settlements, the challenges they face, and proposals for overcoming them. In particular, they will address climate change, water resource management, forest conservation and sustainable use, ecotourism development, the impact of economic activity on biodiversity, waste management, and opportunities to create sources of income based on local cultural heritage. At the end of the session, the communities will issue a community declaration titled ‘For the Conservation, Restoration and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity,’ addressed to the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the Parties to the Convention, and international and national organizations for consideration during COP17. Through the declaration, the communities will present the challenges of biodiversity conservation and put forward proposals, declaring themselves partners in biodiversity conservation,” the Sevan Municipality said.

The indictment against a former Armenian police official who commanded the Police Troops during the 2008 post-election unrest has been sent to court, the Prosecutor General’s Office said.

A criminal investigation into the deadly post-election unrest in Yerevan in 2008 is still ongoing. Former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan had rallied supporters in Yerevan against what he described as rigged elections that declared Serzh Sargsyan president-elect in 2008. Ten people, including two police officers, were killed during mass disturbances and clashes between demonstrators and security forces on March 1, 2008, during the final days of Robert Kocharyan’s presidency.

The accused, G.G., served as commander of the Police Troops and deputy chief of police from 2003 until July 2, 2008.

Public criminal prosecution against G.G. was initiated on September 4, 2026, on suspicion of negligent performance of official duties that unintentionally resulted in grave consequences.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, G.G. failed to take measures to ensure that subordinate units were supplied with suitable, non-expired special equipment and to organize its safe and proper use.

According to the prosecution, during the events of March 1, 2008, in areas adjacent to the intersections of Paronyan, St. Gregory the Illuminator and Leo streets and Mashtots Avenue in Yerevan, he personally and through subordinate commanders ordered servicemen to fire Cheryomukha-7 tear-gas grenades from KS-23 special-purpose carbines at protesters. The grenades were intended for use in enclosed spaces. Expired special equipment that was unfit for use and should have been destroyed was used without warning, prosecutors said.

As a result, three demonstrators died, two people sustained serious injuries, and one person sustained moderately serious injuries.

“On October 7, 2026, the prosecutor submitted the criminal case materials concerning G.G. to the Yerevan First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction with the approved indictment,” the statement said.

Armenia’s Minister of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence, Davit Tadevosyan, visited imID’s office to learn about the company’s operations, progress in developing digital identity and trust infrastructure in Armenia, existing solutions, and directions for further development of the sector.

According to the Ministry of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence, Tadevosyan activated his digital identity in the next-generation imID app during the visit. The app was officially launched days earlier at the TrustConf 2026 by imID event.

The minister familiarized himself firsthand with the process of creating and using a digital identity.

During the meeting, the participants discussed the role of digital identity and trust services in Armenia’s digital transformation, opportunities to expand their use, and the importance of public-private cooperation in building a secure and interoperable digital environment.

The imID team, led by CEO Karen Mkoyan, presented the company’s history and mission, the infrastructure developed for digital identity and trust services, its existing products and services, key market indicators, and its partner ecosystem.

The meeting also addressed compliance with international standards, particularly the EU’s eIDAS requirements, as well as further directions for the sector’s development in Armenia.

The parties emphasized the importance of cooperation between the public and private sectors in effectively developing the digital trust system, highlighting the need to align technologies and services developed by the private sector with government digital systems and the regulatory environment. In this context, they stressed the importance of building a unified and trusted digital environment to ensure the security and interoperability of digital services and their widespread use by citizens and businesses.

The Minister and the imID team also discussed further steps to expand interoperability between public and private digital systems, promote the use of trust services, and develop solutions created in Armenia in line with international standards.

Newly appointed Greek Ambassador to Armenia Dimitrios Skoutas has presented a copy of his credentials to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Vahan Kostanyan.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, Deputy Minister Vahan Kostanyan congratulated Ambassador Skoutas on the start of his diplomatic mission, wishing him success in his new role.

Kostanyan emphasized that Armenia-Greece relations, rooted in traditional friendship and shared values, provide a solid foundation for elevating them to a qualitatively new level and expanding and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.

The sides also emphasized the importance of expanding bilateral partnership in the context of the comprehensive implementation of the Armenia-EU Strategic Partnership Agenda.

Particular emphasis was placed on advancing the bilateral trade and economic agenda.

Armenian Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan met with Head of the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) Satu Koivu on October 9.

According to a readout from the parliament’s press service, the meeting addressed issues related to regional stability and security.

Rubinyan thanked the EU Mission for its work to date, emphasizing the importance of the continuity and further development of its activities.

The Ministry of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Armenia office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to further strengthen their established partnership and deepen cooperation in a number of areas of mutual interest.

The cooperation is aimed at promoting digital literacy and innovation, developing cybersecurity capacities, and building modern skills.

Armenia’s Minister of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence Davit Tadevosyan said that over the past several months, the ministry had worked with its partners to advance an important program, and that the time had come to sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation.

“The goal of this program is to provide mass education, particularly in a field that is important in our era. We are talking about soft skills, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital literacy in general. Along this path, the time had also come to sign a memorandum of understanding between the ministry and the Armenia office of the United Nations Development Programme. This is an important milestone that strengthens our activities,” Tadevosyan said.

He noted that the cornerstone of the cooperation is the NEST National Ecosystem for Skills and Technology initiative, which takes a comprehensive approach encompassing the development of policies and strategic frameworks, cooperation between the public and private sectors, promotion of employment, and raising public awareness.

The minister also highlighted the mass training program, which has been implemented since 2023 and is now being carried out with the support of the UNDP.

Representatives of the organizations participating in the program and directly involved in its implementation attended the memorandum signing ceremony.

UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia Natia Natsvlishvili noted that digital technologies are extremely important and serve as a driving force for human capital development.

“But this does not happen on its own. It requires capacity building, which will enable us to ensure not only development but also inclusiveness. It is around this idea that we have joined forces with the Ministry of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence, as we are convinced that the introduction of new technologies into governance, as well as skills development, improving literacy, developing research capacities, and digitalization, are equally important in the governance system,” Natsvlishvili said.

She added that the first steps toward realizing this vision are evident, particularly in the work being carried out at the AI factory near the town of Hrazdan.

“This shows how innovative governance and cooperation can help turn major technology investments into tangible results, contributing to the development of opportunities, local businesses, and public services. It is extremely important to do everything possible to ensure that no one is left out of these initiatives. I should note that around 4,000 people from vulnerable groups have already participated in training courses on digital skills, particularly in artificial intelligence,” Natsvlishvili said.

According to the UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, AI Days are scheduled to be held in November 2026. The goal is to ensure engagement and inclusiveness throughout the country.

Natsvlishvili emphasized that the signing of the memorandum of understanding lays the foundation for a long-term partnership through which digital transformation and artificial intelligence will become accessible to the people of Armenia.

YEREVAN, 9 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 9 October, USD exchange rate down by 0.04 drams to 361.93 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.86 drams to 405.58 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.0264 drams to 4.2677 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.89 drams to 478.65 drams.

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

Gold price up by 334 drams to 47995 drams. Silver price down by 14.45 drams to 684.8 drams.

Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) has denied reports that three Azerbaijanis were spotted in one of the villages in Syunik Province.

“The information does not correspond to reality,” the NSS press service told Armenpress in response to an inquiry.

On October 9, 24News reported that residents of Kuris village, near the border in the Meghri community of Syunik Province, had said they spotted three people in civilian clothing in the village overnight who, according to the residents’ assumption, could have been Azerbaijanis.

Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan spoke by phone with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on October 9.

According to the ministry, Mirzoyan and Fidan discussed “issues related to Armenia-Türkiye engagements.”

The sides also exchanged views on regional cooperation and issues on the agenda of multilateral platforms.