Category: News

An Armenian official is participating in the Asia and the Pacific Transport Forum (APTF) 2026 — the Asian Development Bank’s flagship transport sector event in Manila, the Philippines, where he presented Armenia’s ongoing transport cooperation projects.

Narek Zulalyan, Deputy Executive Director of the Road Department, the state agency responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of transport projects in Armenia, participated in the “ADB Transport Investments: Past, Present and Future” panel discussion, where he presented projects implemented and currently underway in Armenia’s transport sector within the framework of cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), possible directions for future planned investments, as well as prospects for the sector’s strategic development and international cooperation.

Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan has lauded the “unprecedented” export of Armenian-made armaments worth millions of dollars, describing it as the first time homegrown defense products have been sold to foreign buyers.

Speaking at a press conference, Hayrapetyan declined to disclose the names of the companies involved, the total value of the deals, or the destination countries, saying there is still no final agreement among all parties regarding disclosure.

“This is the beginning of a long journey, as there will be new deals in the future as well,” Hayrapetyan said, adding that more companies have already received permission from the Armenian government to export to a larger number of countries, while others are still in the process of obtaining authorization.

Hayrapetyan had first announced the exports on May 19. He said the arms were exported by three Armenian companies, while the weapons were exported to two countries.

Armenia’s leading R&D companies and engineering teams will showcase their technological products, defense systems, and innovative solutions on a single platform at the two-day high-tech exhibition and forum RISE Powered by Silicon Mountains 2026, which will take place on June 3–4 at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex in Yerevan.

Armenia’s high-tech sector will present ideas from its engineering community as fully developed final products at the upcoming exhibition, Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan said during a press briefing ahead of the event.

He noted that the showcase will feature solutions designed and produced in Armenia, reflecting the country’s engineering capabilities and innovation potential. Hayrapetyan also stated that the Government of Armenia has provided 60 million drams in grant funding to the Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technologies (UEICT) to support the organization of the event.

The minister added that in recent years Armenia has managed to position itself as a technology-driven country in the region, and while this progress is welcome, it is time to transition from being a provider of technology services to becoming a country that develops, produces, and exports its own products.

He emphasized that the event will give Armenian companies an opportunity to present years of work within a framework of public accountability, showcasing the results of their long-term development efforts.

According to Eduard Musayelyan, Executive Director of UEICT, the exhibition is unique as it highlights Armenia’s most recent achievements and innovations in engineering and cybersecurity. He noted that more than 40 companies will take part in the showcase, adding: “We want to demonstrate what Armenian minds are capable of.”

Armen Baldryan, Chairman of UEICT and CEO of Unicomp LLC, said that Armenia has many strong contributors to global industry who have long been active in international technological production. He emphasized that one of the main goals is to support the development of fully fledged Armenian-made products, noting that this path will enhance the country’s economic competitiveness.

The name RISE stands for Research, Innovation, Science, and Engineering and serves as a major platform for showcasing Armenian high-tech products.

Starting in 2026, following recommendations from the members of the Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technologies (UEICT) and numerous partners, the Silicon Mountains series is expanding to include a new spring event—Silicon Mountains RISE—under the slogan “We Are Our Mountains: Rise.” The event is aimed at presenting the technological products, innovative solutions, scientific achievements, and ideas of Armenian companies, research centers, and engineering teams, as well as strengthening Armenia’s image as a high-tech country and accelerating the further development of the sector.

The exhibition will also feature a forum with three panel discussions: Cybersecurity, Defense Industry, and Engineering Solutions.

The Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technologies (UEICT)was founded in 2015 by leading industry players and today represents more than 130 member companies with more than 30.000 employees.

Since 2019, UEICT has been organizing the annual Silicon Mountains Tech Summit, which has grown into one of Armenia’s premier high-tech events. To date, the summit has brought together over 100 speakers and more than 6,000 participants, connecting Armenia’s technology ecosystem with global leaders, innovators, and decision-makers.

Beginning in 2024, UEICT expanded the geographical reach of Silicon Mountains beyond Yerevan. For the first time, the summit was held in Gyumri, Shirak region, followed by the 2025 forum at the COAF SMART Center in Lori, further strengthening regional engagement and innovation across Armenia.

In 2027, Armenia will become the country of honor for the “Next Step Studio” initiative within the La Semaine de la Critique (Critics’ Week) program of the 80th Cannes Film Festival, marking an important opportunity for the international promotion of Armenian cinema and the advancement of young filmmakers.

Within the framework of the program, four Armenian and four international directors will collaborate in Armenia to produce four short films, which will later be presented at Cannes, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport said in a statement.

With Armenia named the country in focus at the event, Armenian participants will also have the opportunity to pitch their upcoming feature-length projects to representatives of the international film industry. The initiative is considered an important step toward increasing the international visibility of Armenian cinema, expanding cooperation, and strengthening cultural diplomacy.

The announcement was made during the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, which was attended by Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia Daniel Danielyan.

“Armenia is represented at Cannes with dignity. Following the inclusion of five films by the great master of Armenian cinema Artavazd Peleshyan in the Cannes Classics program, this new announcement carries a deeply symbolic, even historic significance for us,” Danielyan said, emphasizing the unique role of Critics’ Week in world cinema, particularly in nurturing and discovering new talent.

Johannes Luchner, the Deputy Director-General at the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, visited Armenia to present the country’s progress in the implementation of the Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP).

Luchner and Armenia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Arpine Sargsyan—who is the country’s lead negotiator on the EU VLAP—held a joint press conference on Wednesday and emphasized Armenia’s achievements.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Arpine Sargsyan, first expressed her gratitude to the European Commission for its continuous and constructive cooperation with Armenia, emphasizing the positive assessments included in the progress report, which, according to her, are highly significant and create a strong sense of responsibility.

“It is also important that the progress report once again notes Armenia’s political commitment to ensuring the implementation of the action plan.

This process is not only about facilitating the mobility of Armenian citizens; it is about trust, dignified partnership, and establishing closer ties with the European family. I want to state that, on the one hand, this process will provide Armenian citizens with the opportunity for dignified travel; on the other hand, it will create opportunities for the Armenian authorities to ensure long-term institutional changes in Armenia.

I want to state that, thanks to our efforts, we are getting closer to visa liberalization day by day. This is a very important and responsible observation for us. We attach great importance to the fact that the progress report records accelerated progress, especially in such sensitive areas as biometric documents, the biometric system, border management, migration, and asylum issues.

This assessment, in essence, is yet another opportunity to state that Armenia is a predictable, responsible, and trustworthy partner for the European Union,” the minister noted.

Minister Sargsyan emphasized that the VLAP is not simply another process for Armenia. She described it as an important step and highlighted that the inaugural Armenia–EU Summit took place recently, during which highly important agreements were signed.

“As you recall, we had 74 benchmarks in this process, and we have received 53 recommendations from our partners, which are carefully reflected in the report. We are ready to continue implementing all recommendations with the same consistency. I am glad to say that cooperation with Europol has become closer as a result of the appointment of Armenia’s liaison officer, which will further develop our relations. We will make maximum use of all the opportunities that the appointment of the liaison officer will bring.

I would also like to mention that Armenia is now the only country in the world with which the EU is so actively engaged in a visa liberalization dialogue. I would like to reassure you that, as a result of joint work and mutual trust, today we already have the action plan and the first progress report. We will move forward consistently, duly implementing all actions envisaged in the plan within the set timeframes,” Minister Sargsyan said.

She noted that this is the most tangible component for Armenian citizens on the path of EU integration, which will directly affect people’s lives and quality of life, giving citizens of Armenia the opportunity to become more closely acquainted with Europe than ever before.

Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, also stated that relations between the EU and Armenia are closer today than ever. According to him, the European Political Community Summit and the first Armenia–EU Summit are clear evidence of this.

“I want to emphasize that the European Commission, the Armenian authorities, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are taking this process very seriously and are ready to deliver high-level results. Citizens of the Republic of Armenia will soon have the opportunity to obtain biometric passports. A unified population registry will be created, and work is underway to implement a number of other reforms.

I fully understand the impatience of citizens regarding the move toward a full visa-free regime. However, we must acknowledge that significant progress has already been made,” he said.

According to Johannes Luchner, the EU is now issuing more visas and multiple-entry visas to Armenian citizens and is making joint efforts to reduce the number of visa application refusals.

“At the same time, we are working in parallel to ensure more trade and investment. Active work is also being carried out in the fields of research, education, and cultural exchange, and we view visa liberalization as only one component of the broader relationship between the European Union and Armenia,” he concluded.

Armenia received the EU’s first progress report on the visa liberalization action plan on May 5 during the first Armenia–EU Summit in Yerevan.

The number of EU visas issued to Armenian citizens has increased significantly since 2019, Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan has said.

Sargsyan made the remarks during a discussion on Armenia’s first progress report under the EU Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP), alongside Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General at the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission.

Minister Sargsyan is Armenia’s lead negotiator on the VLAP with the EU.

Armenia received its first progress report from the EU on the visa liberalization action plan on May 5 during the first Armenia–EU Summit in Yerevan.

The minister emphasized that not only has the total number of visas issued increased, but also the share of long-term multiple-entry visas. In 2019, 51,000 Schengen visas were issued to Armenian citizens, of which 34.8% were multiple-entry visas. In 2024, the total rose to 86,300, with 43.5% issued as multiple-entry visas. At the same time, the refusal rate remained relatively stable, at 13.2% in 2019 and 12.4% in 2024.

According to Sargsyan, there are still issues related to document completion, appointment availability, and public awareness; however, partner countries are working to improve the capacity of their consular services.

The minister expressed confidence that if the process continues at the current pace, Armenian citizens will in the near future be relieved of complex visa application procedures, as the process is further streamlined.

Addressing the potential timeline for EU visa liberalization, the minister said it is not appropriate to set specific deadlines, as regardless of how well Armenia completes the process, the final decision rests with the European side, which is both logical and standard practice.

At the same time, Sargsyan emphasized that Armenia aims to complete the process properly within 2–3 years of the launch of the dialogue, particularly considering the final stage of introducing the biometric system.

“Let me note that Armenia has recorded higher-than-expected progress in several sensitive areas, including the biometric system, border management, migration, and asylum. EU partners should be confident that the ongoing reforms are based on sustainable and principled approaches,” she said.

The minister also addressed concerns about potential migration risks in the context of EU visa liberalization, stressing that if such concerns were valid, Armenia would not have reached this stage. She noted that 2025 was the first year in which a positive balance between entries and exits of Armenian citizens was recorded, amounting to 8,660 people.

In addition, Armenia continues to effectively implement its obligations under readmission agreements with the EU.

“If in 2016, 7,795 Armenian citizens applied for asylum in EU countries, then in 2024 that number was 5,130, and in 2025 it was 3,535. These figures show that concerns about emigration are not substantiated, and that Armenia has become a more attractive and safer country,” Sargsyan said.

Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General at the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, noted that the process is highly demanding and must be implemented with quality. According to him, at the final stage it will be necessary to convince all 27 EU member states and a majority in the European Parliament that the process is complete and credible.

Deputy Director-General Johannes Luchner emphasized that the introduction of a visa-free regime should be not only fast, but also stable and effective.

“There are difficulties in the visa issuance process in EU countries, but member states are working to increase the capacity of consular services and reduce the number of rejections,” he added.

YEREVAN, 20 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 20 May, USD exchange rate down by 0.34 drams to 367.87 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.21 drams to 426.69 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0083 drams to 5.1458 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.79 drams to 492.8 drams.

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

Gold price down by 862 drams to 53184 drams. Silver price up by 2.84 drams to 899.35 drams.

Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan took part via video link in a regular meeting of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission, the Armenian government said.

During the session, participants discussed around two dozen issues, primarily related to customs regulations and technical standards within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union.