Russia continues to pressure Armenia with words and deeds

May 20 2026

Russia continues to pressure Armenia with words and deeds

Former Russian Defense Minister, and now Secretary of the Security Council, Sergei Shoigu stated that the recent actions of the Armenian authorities do not correspond to allied relations with Russia and are unfriendly in nature. He expressed a number of complaints to the Armenian side.


According to Sergei Shoigu, in 2025-2026, Armenia began to focus on cooperation with countries that Russia considers unfriendly. He also criticized the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, which, he claimed, was disrespect for the memory of Armenians who fought against Nazism.


Shoigu emphasized that Russia supplies Armenia with a number of important goods — gas, grain, flour, fertilizers, and gasoline — at significantly lower prices, approximately three times below market rates. At the same time, he questioned how profitable it would be for Armenia to supply its products, such as apricots, trout, and mineral water, to European Union countries.


He also noted that cooperation with Russia is the foundation of Armenia’s economy, and added that in the 1990s, thanks to Russia, the country was able to preserve its sovereignty.


These statements by Shoigu are not accidental, as in parallel, Rosselkhoznadzor announced that it would impose restrictions on the import of flowers from Armenia starting May 22.


“The decision was made to protect Russia’s phytosanitary well-being and export potential. Despite the guarantees provided by the Food Safety Inspection Body of Armenia, the detection of quarantine objects for the EAEU continues,” the agency reported.


Rosselkhoznadzor claims that during the import of 96.2 million units of flower products, 135 cases of infestation were detected. This, they say, accounts for 77% of the total detections for the entire year 2025.


Formally, this looks like restrictions due to purely technical reasons, but it has long been known that sanitary restrictions on imports from countries whose leadership or people have displeased the Kremlin are a standard practice of the Russian authorities. Rosselkhoznadzor’s discovery of something harmful in products almost always miraculously coincides with a general deterioration of interstate relations.


https://nashaniva.com/en/395696

The procurement legislative initiative is in committee

At the May 20 session of the RA NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, the package of draft laws “On making amendments and additions to the Law on “Purchasing” and “On making additions to the Law on the Budgetary System of the Republic of Armenia” was discussed in the first reading. With the adoption of the package of draft laws, it is planned to increase the efficiency, transparency and accountability of procurement, promote the competitive environment and provide an opportunity to test new mechanisms.


RA Deputy Minister of Finance Avag Avanesyan presented the proposed changes in detail. In particular, clear definitions of grant, framework agreement, public control, artificial intelligence were given. The competitive procedure, evaluation of pre-qualification, qualification and quality criteria are defined. A more flexible formulation was given to the functional description of the procurement object. Clarified cases of trademark references. New conditions for purchasing from one person have also been defined.


The proposed regulations aim to improve and modernize procurement processes, ensuring sufficient efficiency, transparency, accountability and a competitive environment.


Senior Avanesyan answered the MPs’ questions, presenting clarifications regarding the proposed changes and additions. He informed that the proposed regulations were discussed with a wide range of interested businessmen and representatives of public organizations.


The draft law received a positive conclusion.

This is a battle… Choosing Nikol means the end of Armenia. Marine Petrosyan

May 202026

If suddenly Nikol Pashinyan is re-elected, we will lose Armenia, and that is a very real danger. About this 168 TVof Revue said on the air of the program the poet Marine Petrosyancalling on people most importantly to go to the polls on June 7 and choose one of the opposition forces that have real chances to win.

“The victory of the opposition is very real, let me tell you. We have the bitter experience of the 2021 elections. We sinned then. I did not choose, but if the people chose, I say we. If we did not elect Nikol again in 2021, we probably would not have lost Artsakh, but if suddenly Nikol is elected again this time, we will lose Armenia. It is a very real danger, it is not an exaggeration,” said Marine Petrosyan.

The poet drew attention to the fact that Nikol Pashinyan, who had accused the Artsakh citizen of repeating Azerbaijani narratives the previous day, openly repeated Azerbaijani narratives during the campaign in Spitak yesterday, declaring the following. “Now in the Republic of Armenia, 90 percent are Armenians, never before were 90 percent Armenians.”

Read also

  • KP’s SECRET PLAN. Turks and Azerbaijanis will become land owners in Armenia. Avetik Chalabyan
  • Pashinyan’s “historical” theses, reality and Aliyev’s material benefit
  • “Nikol Pashinyan still wants to maneuver, he speaks with imitation words among the people”

Marine Petrosyan sees a very clear danger of advancing the Azerbaijani line in the footnote of this speech. “It is Azerbaijan’s plan. It cannot be a coincidence. He is leading the line of Azerbaijan. What does this mean? I don’t know the reason: they scared me, they were interested in what they did. I don’t know the “internal kitchen”, but it is a fact, that’s why I say: electing Nikol means the end of Armenia, the actual dissolution of Armenia. They say don’t exaggerate. I am not exaggerating.

If you advance the thesis that Azerbaijanis lived in these areas, it is the central thesis of Azerbaijan, and if the candidate who wants to be elected as the Prime Minister of Armenia again advances this thesis, it means that he is serving the agenda of Azerbaijan itself. Nikol Pashinyan is implementing a plan»։

As an active participant of the 1988 Artsakh movement, Marine Petrosyan also responded to Pashinyan’s attempts to falsify the history of the Artsakh issue. “He cunningly uses a lie for this: he opposes the independence of Armenia to the Karabakh movement. That is the biggest lie… The Artsakh movement was an attempt to get out of humiliation, which succeeded. You are destroying the independence of Armenia, the Republic of Armenia»։

According to Marine Petrosyan, the Armenian society, the people, is under a psychological attack today, and in these conditions of information war and media terror, it is extremely difficult for the people to find the right direction.

“Let’s focus on the positive. If we managed to oust Nikol Pashinyan in these elections, and something new begins, how much excitement will arise and a new page will be opened. It is a really difficult task, but it is doable. We must realize that this is not an ordinary election, this is a great test. We lost the war, we lost Artsakh, but this is an opportunity… Of course, this is not a war, but it is something like a war. This is a moral test. For me, this is in the moral field.

This is an attack on us. they are trying to manipulate us. If we can endure it and if we can win these elections, the Armenian nation will show that its backbone is not broken, then a way will be opened for us. This can be a moral victory for us. Let’s take that victory because defeat is not a good thing. This is a moral battle for us,” the poet added.

Full interview in the video.




Pashinyan’s “historical” theses, reality and Aliyev’s material benefit

May 202026

During the pre-election campaign, Nikol Pashinyan put forward “historical” theses about the number of Armenians, claiming: “There was no state in the territory of today’s Armenia from 1045 to 1918, people. There was no Armenian state. Can you imagine, after the fall of the Bagratun kingdom, there was no Armenian state in the territory of today’s Armenia, there were Mongol-Tatars, they came, they left, they migrated, they got mixed up, we migrated, etc., etc. But there have been states in this area, no state has ever existed in this area.

There were states here, but not Armenian states. 1000 years, can you imagine what that is? If we have to return to some place, we provoke that place so that they also say: we are also returning here. Because it’s a fact, we can’t say… In the Republic of Armenia, 90 percent are Armenians. Never before were 90 percent Armenians.”

Let’s remind that in February 2020, within the framework of the Munich Security Conference to the discussion entitled “Update on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue”. Nikol Pashinyan, responding to the statement of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev that “Nagorno Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan, it is a historical fact”. had noted.

“I would advise President Aliyev not to go so far into history. Because when the Armenian king Tigran the Great was negotiating with the Roman military leader Pompey, there was no state in the South Caucasus and in the whole world that was called Azerbaijan. So I don’t think it’s the right approach to go that far, because I can go even further and start, for example, in BC. 405, but I won’t do it because I don’t think it’s the right approach.”

Read also

  • KP’s SECRET PLAN. Turks and Azerbaijanis will become land owners in Armenia. Avetik Chalabyan
  • This is a battle… Choosing Nikol means the end of Armenia. Marine Petrosyan
  • “Nikol Pashinyan still wants to maneuver, he speaks with imitation words among the people”

Then he continued.

“Mr. President, it was not very constructive, but I will say that In the time of Tigran the Great, there were only two nations in our region: Armenians and Georgians. And not only in the times of Tigran the Great, but also in the times of Bagratunis and Arshakunis. It can be found in any history book.”

Of course, here we do not forget the historical “myths” of journalist Pashinyan, critical articles, and the following thought written many years ago:

“I am surprised that there are still people in our country who have illusions about the occupied, if you like, liberated, if you like, occupied territories. I do not accept the view that or good diplomacy can prevent these territories from being returned to Azerbaijan.

… After all, this country has no owner, and we, who are supposed to be the owners of this country, want to be owners of someone else, leaving our own. Or, in our case, it is more correct to say that we don’t want someone else to own it. And, really, why should the 7 regions of Azerbaijan be ours, to sell a few general railway rails to Iranians, to destroy nature and export them as logs, to demolish factories and sell them? People tell legends from the gardens and fruits of Zangelan and Fizuli. Where was that fruit, did anyone in Armenia see it from the “liberation” of those territories?“after…”.

We all saw what happened after the change of power in 2018. At first, Pashinyan announced, “Artsakh is Armenia, and that’s it”, then he announced that he would not hand over the regions on the negotiation table, lest they say he was a traitor, even though he thought the same as in the article mentioned above. Well, then the 44-day war began, and we lost more territory than was on the negotiating table. And it turned out that Azerbaijan benefited more than all this. In other words, Pashinyan’s claim that he had a revival as a result of 2020 is a normal manipulation. he has always thought the way he is already openly talking about today, denying Aliyev the opportunity to hire scientists to falsify history and turn it in his favor.

We will not address Pashinyan’s past and present historical claims now, we will leave it to the historians, why not his teammate, the historian-minister of defense Suren Papikyan, who used to teach his students very correctlywho are the Azerbaijanis, or, as he called it, the Caucasian Tatars, how they penetrated into our region.

As for “In the Republic of Armenia now, 90 percent are Armenians, never before were 90 percent Armenians while these experts have already proven this to be untrue.

Available with information During the last census conducted in the USSR, in 1989, the number of Armenians living in the territory of the ASSR was more than the figure he said: 93.3 percent. Before that, a census was conducted in the USSR in 1979, and during that census it was found that the number of Armenians in the territory of the USSR was 89.7 percent.

Aniarc.amstudies have shown that if in 1931 Soviet Armenia had a population of a little more than 1 million, then in 1989 – 3.4 million.

In this context, let us recall that after the 44-day war, Nikol Pashinyan several times stated that Before the conflict and liberation, Shushi had 90 percent or more Azerbaijani population.

We in response: we presented evidence the number of Armenians in Shushi at different times and as a result of which the number of Azerbaijanis gradually increased, this fact cannot be ignored.

For example, different with information In 1886, the population of the city of Shushi 56.7 percent were Armenians, 43.3 percent – the Tatars. Already 1926The number of Armenians in the city of Shushi is 1.8 percent, Turks: 96 percent.

Let’s remind that In 1920 march 23-26-The armed units of Azerbaijan, together with the Shushi Tatar guerrilla groups, organized and carried out the massacre of the local Armenian population. massacre. Various sources mention up to 8-10 thousand killed. Naturally, this has led to depopulation.

However, in Hadrut region, according to different reports, in 1939 Armenians made up the population 95.7 percent, Azerbaijanis 2.7, 1959The number of Armenians living here has reached 93.3 percent, Azerbaijanis: 6.1 percent.

1970The number of Armenians decreased by several percent in 87.5, Azerbaijanis – increased10.4. And already in 1979 according to this data, Armenians made up the population of Hadrut region 84.4 percent, Azerbaijanis 15.1: That’s about it.

However, in this context, it is necessary to remind that after the first Artsakh war, Baku from all international platforms announced of more than 1 million refugees and forcibly displaced people.

6 years have passed since the 44-day war, as a result of which significant areas of Artsakh came under the control of Azerbaijan, and it has been almost 3 years since Artsakh has been completely depopulated, but recently the president of Azerbaijan to announce, which resettled another 85,000 people, possibly less than that.

According to Azerbaijani sources, many of the settlers want to return to Baku, where they have lived for 30 years.

And yesterday the Armenian media? reported Aliyev’s aide stated: “300,000 Azerbaijanis were deported from Armenia.”

Actually not so much no to be told

“Azerbaijan provided housing to around 300,000 internally displaced persons who suffered as a result of the conflict and the “occupation” of the country’s territories. During that period, the Government of Azerbaijan provided all possible support to IDPs and refugees by providing them with housing, affordable food and other social services. The main demand of these people was the return to their native lands and the opportunity to live there in safe and dignified conditions,” he said.

The fact that Baku has not abandoned the “Western Azerbaijan” state political program is indisputable, moreover, it does not consider it as a mirror response to some statements made in RA, but considers the return of Azerbaijani refugees purely in the context of human rights.

In February of this year 168.am– was an article with the caption “Aliyev’s dangerous and cunning proposal to Pashinyan”. to publish where some nuances are mentioned.

However, no matter how much the thesis of “300,000 Azerbaijanis” is spread by various circles, including Azerbaijani ones, we should emphasize the following: where did that number come from, are there so many Azerbaijanis living in RA, because it is probably far from reality. And for this very reason, their return should also be considered impossible, should be flexible and reasoned, not to allow both the authorities and Baku the opportunity to maneuver and catch lies. And no matter how much the RA authorities say that we should forget about Armenian refugees, at the right moment we should discuss the number of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan, the number of forcibly displaced people from Artsakh, and remind us of the Azerbaijani thesis in the past. of more than 1 million refugees.

By the way, according to different calculations, even the 20 percent number of “occupied territories” was disputed.

And Nikol Pashinyan will continue to help Azerbaijan to save financial resources in hiring foreign scientists.

The shadow of the new Iran-US escalation. What is in store for the South Caucasus?

May 202026

After his visit to China, US President Donald Trump renewed threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran. While Russian President Vladimir Putin is in China after Trump’s visit to China, and while the Russia-China-US triad is trying to reach new geopolitical positions, US President Donald Trump says that the United States may strike Iran again in the coming days if diplomatic efforts do not lead to an agreement with Tehran.

Trump said earlier that the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had asked him to delay the attack, insisting that an agreement would be reached that would be “very acceptable” to the United States. The head of the White House informed that there was one hour left before authorizing a new attack against Iran, when he decided to postpone it.

When asked how much time he is giving Iran to reach an agreement, the president answered: “two or three days”. “Maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, maybe next weekend,” Trump said, adding that time is limited because “we cannot allow them [Iran] to have nuclear weapons.” “I hope we won’t start a war, but we might have to give them another big blow. I’m not sure yet,” President Trump told reporters at the White House.

US Vice President J. D. Vance has also stated that the country’s army is in a state of high combat readiness, and the United States will not conclude such a deal with Iran that would allow the country to have nuclear weapons. According to Vance, the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran will involve the region in an arms race, which will make the world less safe. Vice President Vance assured that Washington continues to make efforts to conclude a deal with Tehran, adding, however, that “it takes two people to dance the tango.”

Read also

  • KP’s SECRET PLAN. Turks and Azerbaijanis will become land owners in Armenia. Avetik Chalabyan
  • Pashinyan thinks these people are stupid? the game of two chairs is over: either…or. Karen Kocharian
  • Pashinyan’s pre-election “fog”. As the elections approach, Pashinyan is trying to reassure the Armenian public

Referring to the stalled US-Iran talks, Vance spoke of “great progress”, adding that according to Washington, Tehran also wants to make a deal. The vice-president emphasized that the option of resuming military operations “to achieve the goals of the United States” remains, at the same time adding that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, does not want it.

Iranian “Fars” state agency published a list of five US demands on May 17, which it claims Washington presented to Tehran ahead of the second round of peace talks.

According to “Fars” data, Washington refuses to pay any compensation to Tehran for the damages caused during the war started by the USA and Israel on February 28. The US also intends to withdraw 400 kg of enriched uranium from Iran and agrees to operate only one complex of nuclear facilities in that country. In addition, the administration of President Donald Trump does not agree to the unfreezing of “even 25%” of Iran’s frozen assets, and the cessation of war is directly linked to the progress of negotiations.

According to the Iranian authorities, by proposing such conditions, the United States is trying to achieve the goals it failed to achieve during the war. They also point out that the “threat of aggression” by the USA and Israel will remain even if the presented demands are fulfilled. In this regard, the “Mehr” agency, sponsored by the Iranian authorities, reported on the “dead end” in the negotiations.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also warned that if the United States and Israel resume attacks against Iran, the war in the Middle East will spread beyond the region. “If the aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will spread far beyond the region this time, and our devastating strikes will crush you,” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement published on the Sepah News website.

This warning came after US President Donald Trump announced that Washington could strike Iran again if an agreement on a long-term settlement is not signed in the coming days. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in X that “a return to war will bring many more surprises.”

Iranian media sources reported that Pakistan’s interior minister is traveling to Tehran to hold talks with Iranian officials.

No other details were released. Earlier, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran announced that the process of negotiations with the mediation of Pakistan is continuing. Reuters also wrote that Pakistan has forwarded to the United States a revised proposal by Iran to end the conflict in the Middle East.

Russian orientalist Viktor Nadein-Raevsky 168.amtold that immediately after Donald Trump’s visit to China, the revival of the Iranian agenda and the sharp tightening of rhetoric cannot be considered a coincidence. According to him, the negotiations held in Beijing most likely gave the White House clarity on a key issue. China, despite its deep economic ties with Tehran, is not ready to go to a global confrontation with Washington for the sake of saving Iran.

The analyst believes that the five tough demands put forward by the US, including the export of enriched uranium and maintaining a freeze on financial assets, prove that Washington intends to capitalize on the outcome of the war with an absolute capitulation agreement.

“Trump’s two-three day ultimatum is nothing more than a psychological attack on Iran’s political leadership.” Iran will not accept this. One of the possible scenarios is the resumption of targeted strikes against Iran, if the Pakistani mediation fails. The IRGC’s warning that the war will go beyond the borders of the region shows that Tehran is ready to go for an “asymmetric escalation”, putting US allies and energy hubs in the Persian Gulf under attack,” the analyst said.

He believes that in the context of these geopolitical upheavals, the South Caucasus is under direct attack, as the region borders Iran and is of vital importance to all parties. The new round of military operations against Iran can destabilize the situation in the South Caucasus in political and other aspects.

In addition, the escalation of the Iran-US war may also affect the “North-South” transport corridor, increasing the influence of the West and Israel in the region, which, in turn, will force Russia, despite its current preoccupation, to take drastic countermeasures in order not to lose its positions in the South Caucasus. This warming will also delay some US-brokered projects in the South Caucasus.

Ultimately, the future development of events depends on how effective Pakistan’s mediation mission will be and whether Iran’s revised offer will contain concessions that Trump will be able to present as his own “big win.”

J.D. Vance’s latest statement suggests that Washington is still leaving open the way for a diplomatic retreat: the parties may reach a temporary tactical ceasefire, but the deep-rooted causes of the conflict and the strategic goal of the US-Israel axis, to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, will maintain the riskiness of the situation in the long run,” said Victor Nadein-Raevsky.

KP’s SECRET PLAN. Turks and Azerbaijanis will become the owners of the land in Armenia

May 202026

In the “Pressing” program Satik Seyranyan the guest is Avetik Chalabyan, coordinator of the “HayaVote” national-political union is

The main theses of the interview are below.

  • 2020 On the morning of November 10, at 3-4, when I found out what happened, I sincerely wished the victims that they did not see all that… Now that I think back, maybe it would have been better if I had also died, so that I did not see everything that Nikol Pashinyan brought to the head of the country…
  • I have no doubt that what was done in the elections in Moldova will be done in Armenia as well. But I am also sure that the Moldovan scenario will not work here, because these elections are a referendum for us: whether to be a national state or to swallow the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem. Unlike Moldova, our case is not a matter of foreign policy orientation. The technology is the same, the efficiency will be differentPashinyan will even be able to use the playing card of the Artsakh people to a limited extent, because his main opponent is an Armenian, not a Gagauz (Maya Sandu’s opponent in Moldova, Alexander Stoyanoglou, is a Gagauz by nationality, – ed.), as in Moldova. The scenario of making Samvel Karapetyan an anti-hero doesn’t work either, because people know who Karapetyan is and what he did in Armenia. 
  • Pashinyan isolated himself even within his team. His team also predicts Pashinyan’s defeat and tries not to appear or speak. He has nothing to lose, but those around him do:
  • Undoubtedly, information flows affect people, but not for long. When the first informational shock passes, people start to analyze and think. I would suggest to our citizens to look down on the dark technology of sites like The Insider. judge men by their works.

Read also

  • The shadow of the new Iran-US escalation. What is in store for the South Caucasus?
  • This is a battle… Choosing Nikol means the end of Armenia. Marine Petrosyan
  • Pashinyan’s “historical” theses, reality and Aliyev’s material benefit
  • Nikol Pashinyan, who are you, what do you represent to close the Artsakh issue? The issue of Artsakh is not closed for the Armenian people. Maybe they don’t talk about it now, but that doesn’t mean that the time won’t come and the issue will be back on the agenda. Pashinyan reaps what he sowed. Whom you have destroyed, taken away and massacred, now they are coming, they are demanding an answer from you:
  • The Corruption Prevention Commission is responsible for Pashinyan’s ugly behavior, if he does not initiate proceedings this time, as he did when he called the voters dogs and shangyal. In addition, the candidate who calls for violence against his opponents during the election campaign should be removed from the election campaign. The General Prosecutor’s Office also closed its eyes and covered up many apparent crimes of Pashinyan. The Prosecutor General is also responsible for Pashinyan’s apparent criminal behavior because he has continuously covered up his crimes, and cover-up is a criminal offense. Main: the prosecutor will stand before the court and answer for it:
  • One of the 19 forces participating in the elections is clearly above the law, breaking the laws every day. this creates an uneven playing field. This gang is out for the last fight of their lives. They decided so. Our law enforcement agencies should not pay tribute to the illegal activities of these adventurers. Dear people, Pashinyan is going to leave, don’t make him an accomplice. Stand by the law. Do not fall under the influence of Pashinyan, who goes on extreme adventures based on his love of fur.
  • The CEC’s consent is needed to imprison a candidate on the campaign trail. I exclude that he will do it, because he has already made a statement that Narek Karapetyan has no document problems. This is an act of desperation on the part of Pashinyan’s administration:
  • I have no doubt that Pashinyan is ready for anything. He is ready to shed the blood of thousands of people to maintain his power. But will it save him? I think not, because people will not become his accomplice once again. 
  • Pashinyan actually admitted that he will hand over Tigranashen, he did not deny the issue of Azerbaijani resettlement, because if you are ready to give up everything for a false peace, you will give up that too. 

  • A draft of the constitutional amendment has been prepared, which the CP keeps secret until the elections. According to our information, they want to remove from the Constitution the article that prohibits foreigners from owning land, so that Turks and Azerbaijanis can come here, become land owners and, as a result, take the land from our hands.:
  • Pashinyan does not hide that if he changes the Constitution, the judges will be elected for a term, as is the case with the Constitutional Court. Dear judges, if by some miracle Pashinyan is re-elected, all of you will lose your job, and you will not continue your tenure until you pass under his sword.
  • It escaped the attention of the Armenian public when the status of Nakhichevan was lowered, while it was an important step on the way to creating “Western Azerbaijan”. With this, he is preparing for the annexation of Syunik. In essence, Aliyev says that Azerbaijan is not up to Syunik or Artsakh, but to the end of Nakhichevan, between which the wedge of Syunik should be eliminated.:
  • Pashinyan will say next step: dear people, if Azerbaijanis do not come to Armenia, there will be a war. There is no marginal force in Armenia that has declared that it will go to military action with Azerbaijan if it comes to power. 

Why should there be war? Azerbaijan in 2020 started a war at the behest of major geopolitical players. It is clear to me that the new government will negotiate better with the power centers and prevent any war, because in everyone’s eyes, Pashinyan is a burden, a dead card, who can’t do anything, can’t solve issues even within the country. Azerbaijan cannot take the risk of starting a war at this moment, because it will immediately make itself vulnerable to Iran. A person who has been in Syunik once, a person who has seen the consulate in Kapan will immediately understand what importance Iran has for us.

  • Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, what is your role if weapons are produced and exported from Armenia? It was done privately, without naming names. What have you done about it? What you have done is to under budget the military industry and avoid working. And the fact that weapons were exported now was done against youI repeat, how many years have you been underperforming the military industry budget…
  • Cooperation with Russia and the European Union is in Armenia’s interest, as it has been since independence, but Pashinyan has turned this into an adventure. No one is waiting for us in the European Union. Or where is Armenia’s border with the EU, how will Armenia become a member of the EU as an enclave? Instead of implementing the CEPA document signed in 2017, deepening relations with the EU, they passed a meaningless law in the National Assembly… We must continue our cooperation with the EU within the framework of CEPA, at the same time we must continue to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the EAEU, which is the largest market for us for goods, investments, and labor.

Details in the video.




168: Russia restricts the import of flowers from Armenia

May 202026

Russia will limit the import of flowers from Armenia from May 22.

“Rosselkhoznadzor” stated that the purpose of the decision is to ensure the protection of a healthy phytosanitary environment.

“Despite the guarantees presented by the RA Ministry of Education, quarantine plants for the Ministry of Agriculture continue to be found. During the importation of 96.2 million flowers and plants, 135 such cases were recorded, which is 77 percent of the total cases detected in the entire year 2025,” noted “Rosselkhoznadzor”.

Asbarez: Roman Church Inducts Saint Nerses Shnorhali into its Martyrology Cale

St. Nerses the Gracious (Nerses Shnorhali), a saint of the Armenian Orthodox Church, has been inducted added into the Roman Martyrology. Pope Leo XIV says the inclusion is an example for the “ecumenism of the saints,” Vatican News reports.

Pope Leo XIV announced the decision after a meeting with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church – See of Cilicia, on May 18.

The decision to include St. Nerses Shnorhali reflects the shared spiritual heritage of Christians and highlights the role saints can play in strengthening unity between Churches, said Pope Leo.

St. Nerses’day in the Roman Martyrology will be observed on August 13, the anniversary of his death in 1173.

A towering figure of the 12th-century Armenian Church, St. Nerses Shnorhali was renowned not only as a Catholicos but also as a mystic, theologian, poet, composer and diplomat. His contemporaries gave him the title “Shnorhali,” meaning “the Gracious” or “full of grace,” in recognition of both his personality and the spirit reflected in his writings.

He became Catholicos in 1166, taking the name Nerses IV, and led the Armenian Church until his death in 1173.

Pope Leo XIV described St. Nerses as one of the most ancient and illustrious figures of the Armenian Church and emphasized his pioneering role in dialogue among Christian communities. His theological vision, combined with deep humanity and a commitment to peace, made him a prominent advocate of reconciliation.

His legacy has also gained international recognition beyond Church circles. In 2023, marking the 850th anniversary of his death, UNESCO included St. Nerses in its calendar of anniversaries of eminent personalities and significant events.

Flyer for the 2023 Conference

That same year, St. Nerses was the subject of an international conference at the Vatican organized by the Pontifical Oriental Institute. Scholar Marco Bais drew comparisons between Nerses and two great Western saints: Francis of Assisi and Bernard of Clairvaux.

According to Bais, St. Nerses throughout his career as head of church combined humility and devotion to the poor with refined theological insight and strong political leadership.

In September 2023, the Vatican Post Office issued a commemorative stamp honoring St. Nerses, describing him as “an original spiritual author, deeply versed in the doctrine of his Church, with total dedication to the passion of Christ.”

Political retaliation against Tsarukyan. Whose interests does Pashinyan serve?

Nikol Pashinyan’s statements about the Ararat cement factory once again showed that the state in Armenia is gradually turning into a tool of political reprisal.


When the country’s prime minister publicly announces that a private factory “will be state-owned” and “congratulates its employees on the occasion of liberation”, this is a clear message that the government is ready to interfere in property relations for political purposes and pre-determine the fate of private business.


If there are legal issues related to any company’s activities, they should be resolved exclusively within the law, based on the principles of courts, legal procedures and the rule of law. However, when the Prime Minister personally announces what will happen to a specific enterprise, the impression is created that the political decision has already been made, and the legal process is just a formality.


Pashinyan’s vocabulary: “mafia”, “retribution”, “business backbone”, clearly shows that it is not about economic policy, but about political revenge. Gagik Tsarukyan has been one of the main political opponents of the government for many years and is one of the leaders of the favorite forces in this electoral process, and today it becomes obvious that an attempt is being made to attack not only his political influence, but also his economic supports.


However, this story is much deeper than the issue of one person or one factory.


Ararat cement factory is one of the important components of the industrial system of Armenia. It is a system-creating production that provides thousands of jobs, participates in maintaining the country’s construction and economic stability, and plays an important role in terms of economic self-sufficiency. Creating an atmosphere of political pressure, property redistribution and instability around such an enterprise is a blow to Armenia’s economic resilience.


All this is happening at a time when Armenia is facing serious security and geopolitical challenges. Under such conditions, any step that weakens the country’s industrial potential objectively harms Armenia’s economic sovereignty.


And here the most important question arises. Whose interests does the weakening of Armenia’s industrial system serve?


There are states in the region, Azerbaijan and Turkey, which are interested in having a weak, dependent and economically vulnerable Armenia. The processes of political pressures, property redistribution and economic destabilization around Armenia’s large production systems cannot but coincide with these interests.


At the same time, the pre-election calculation is also obvious. Pashinyan is trying to revive the old manipulative opposition of “the people against the oligarchy” before the elections, presenting to the public that “property is being returned to the people”. However, in reality, this is not a policy of social justice, this is a political technology, the purpose of which is to mobilize one’s own electorate and divert the public’s attention from the accumulated problems.


The most dangerous consequence of this process is the deterioration of the investment environment.


Which investor will invest capital in a country where the level of property protection depends not on the law, but on the political sentiments of the government, on the whim of one person? Who will trust the state where the prime minister can announce the future of private enterprise with a public speech?


In a rule of law, property issues are resolved in the courts, not in political speeches.


The fate of a businessman is determined by the law, not by the political expediency of the government or the whim of one person. The state cannot turn into a tool of pressure and punishment against political opponents.


Political scientist Suren Surenyants




Verelq: Regardless of the attacks, information terror, PAP will continue its preference

An unprecedented process took place today in the electoral history of Armenia and international practice. the current prime minister of the country announces during the rally that in the evening, during the next rally, he will give the name of the candidate of one of the leading opposition forces, against whom the NSS should initiate a case.


Hours later, Andranik Tevanyan’s name is heard at another rally. From the point of view of legal practice, this is an absurd and unprecedented behavior. The Prime Minister orders to open a case against the candidate of the leading opposition force, not only exceeding his authority, but also violating the logic of legal practice and international experience.

All activities of Andranik Tevanyan have always been transparent, he acted openly in accordance with his principles and value system. All his steps were always in front of the public eye.
We assess this as a blatant pre-election manifestation and an unacceptable attempt to disrupt the normal campaign.

These steps are, by and large, the assessment of the pre-election process. the authorities clearly see the dethronement of their own ranking and try to interfere in the pre-election processes by forceful methods. This is illegal and shows disrespect to the entire political field and voters. We call on the law enforcement system to serve only the law and not obey political orders.

Let’s remind how many people Nikol Pashinyan ordered as criminals of various scales during his tenure, arresting and instigating illegal criminal cases. People were later acquitted due to lack of criminal record, but the law enforcement system and human lives suffered irreversible consequences.

The public knows very well the true value and reasons for such statements. In case of any development, we will be next to our teammate. Regardless of all the blows, power and information terror, PAP will confidently continue its pre-election campaign, which implies a direct, open dialogue with the public, programmatic discussions on all issues that concern the people. Our goal is the establishment of internal solidarity in the country, stability, guaranteed peace, the well-being of our citizens and the post-war reconstruction of Armenia.

Surely, these will be the priorities of the new government to be formed after June 7.

PAP pre-election headquarters