Category: News

By a decision of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, David Tavadyan has been appointed Chairman of the State Property Management Committee. The decision was published on the Armenian government’s e-gov.am website.

David Tavadyan studied at several leading universities around the world and was appointed Chairman of the State Property Management Committee following the Prime Minister’s announcement that individuals who had studied at the world’s top 200 universities and joined the Armenian government’s talent pool would be appointed to senior positions.

Below is David Tavadyan’s biography.

He was born on July 8, 1976, in Yerevan, Republic of Armenia.

From 1995 to 1998, Tavadyan studied Business Administration at Dawson College in Montreal, Canada, with a focus on accounting and taxation, and received a college diploma. From 1998 to 2001, he studied at HEC Montréal (L’École des Hautes Études Commerciales), receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a specialisation in finance. From 2002 to 2004, he continued his studies at HEC Montréal, receiving a Master of Science degree in international finance and information technology.

In 2006, he earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation from the CFA Institute in the United States. In 2019, he completed the Business Analytics – Making Decisions Using Data course at the University of Cambridge. The same year, he completed the Oxford Blockchain Strategy Programme at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

From 2001 to 2002 and from 2003 to 2004, Tavadyan worked as a Research Analyst at BCA Research Group in Montreal, Canada. From 2005 to 2007, he worked as an Investment Strategist at Commerzbank AG in London. From 2007 to 2010, he worked as Head of Derivatives at Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank in Moscow, and from 2010 to 2011 held the same position at Citi Corporate and Investment Bank in Moscow.

From 2011 to 2013, Tavadyan worked as Head of Emerging Markets at Commerzbank AG in London, and from 2013 to 2015 held the same position at Commerzbank AG in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. His areas of responsibility included Equity Capital Markets, Debt Capital Markets, Mergers & Acquisitions, Fixed Income, Currencies & Commodities. His geographical responsibilities covered Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe.

From 2016 to 2022, he worked as Managing Partner at the medical company Medkon in Moscow. From 2019 to 2026, he worked as Managing Partner at Kamertoon CJSC in Yerevan. In 2026, he worked as Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Alliance Solutions in Yerevan.

From 2020 to 2022, Tavadyan was one of the founders of The FUTURE ARMENIAN initiative and headed the work of the Futures Studio think tank on a voluntary basis.

He is married and has a daughter and a son.

As part of the 13th Fresco International Festival, Armenia will host, for the first time, a unique cultural event titled “Concert in Total Darkness.”

The festival is organized by the “Special Creative Center for Children” SNCO with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, organizers said. 

The “Concert in Total Darkness” is more than just a musical event. It is a unique experience in which the audience will be immersed in complete darkness, without lights, screens or other visual stimuli.

One of the project’s key features is the reversal of roles. Audience members will be guided through the darkness by people with visual impairments, who will act as trusted guides. Normally, people with visual impairments have to adapt to an environment designed for the sighted majority. During this concert, however, the situation will be reversed: sighted audience members will find themselves in an environment where they must rely on their other senses and the assistance of a guide to navigate and move safely.

“Inclusion is one of the key missions of the Fresco Festival, and this project provides an opportunity to turn that idea into a direct experience. By finding themselves in complete darkness, audience members can better understand the importance of accessibility and adaptations in their surroundings. At the same time, the experience allows participants to rethink their everyday environment and gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by people with visual impairments,” said festival artistic director Anna Karapetyan.

During the concert, the audience will not be able to see the stage or know who the performing musicians are. The identities of the performers will be revealed only at the end of the concert, when the lights are turned back on. Thus, throughout the event, the focus will remain solely on the music and the auditory experience, without the influence of the performers’ appearance, stage lighting or other visual stimuli.

The “Concert in Total Darkness” will take place on August 26 at 7:00 p.m. at the Hall of the Union of Architects at 17 Baghramyan Avenue. Admission is free.

The 13th Fresco International Festival invites everyone to take part in this unique experience.

Armenia will begin printing and issuing new biometric identity documents to citizens in autumn 2026, including biometric passports and ID cards, as well as new versions of almost all other types of identity documents, including ID cards issued to refugees and convention travel documents. The changes will also cover documents establishing residence status, a senior Interior Ministry official said.

Nelly Davtyan, Acting Head of the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, made the announcement at a press conference.

She said approximately 185,000 old-style passports were printed in the first half of 2026. The figure was 174,000 last year. In 2024, the number of old-style passports printed was significantly higher, at around 270,000, because approximately 100,000 documents had been printed in 2022 and were due to expire in 2024.

According to Davtyan, demand for ID cards has increased, driven by the requirements related to income declaration and electronic contracts. Approximately 160,000 ID cards were printed in the first half of this year, compared with roughly the same number printed throughout all of 2024.

“In the first phase, we will have 14 offices opened by a private operator. We want to set a new standard for the delivery of public services in our country through these new offices and a new format, and break the stereotype that the quality of passport services is low and that the conditions and infrastructure are outdated.

“In fact, here we will demonstrate groundbreaking innovations and make investments in about two months. The conditions for obtaining documents will change. If our biometric passports issued before the beginning of 2024 cost 25,000 drams, the new biometric document, which is fully competitive globally in terms of its security features and meets the highest standards currently in force in the EU, will cost 28,650 drams, while the ID card will cost 5,950 drams. The passport will be issued for 10 years, while the ID card will be valid for five years.

“Another new feature is that, at a parent’s request, minors under the age of 16 will be able to obtain an ID card. Starting at age 16, under the law, which will enter into force by November 1, our new identity document will be mandatory,” Davtyan said.

The passport will be issued to citizens who have an ID card. There will be no requirement to replace an existing passport: individuals will be free to apply for and obtain a biometric passport regardless of the validity period remaining on their current document.

Even if someone has just obtained an old-style passport valid for 10 years, they will be able to replace it immediately with the new one. The same applies to ID cards.

If a citizen wishes to continue using an old-style passport already obtained for the full 10-year validity period, there will be no problem. The state will simply stop printing old-style passports from autumn 2026.

Documents will be issued 14 working days after an application is submitted. Expedited services will also be available, with details to be announced later.

“Significant work has also been carried out to reform the population state registry. We are currently at the software-development stage. The relevant law has been adopted and will enter into force on January 1, 2027.

“The law is intended to complement the new biometric system by creating an entirely new-quality ecosystem for managing a person’s legal identity and, more broadly, for identifying individuals.

“Starting November 1 of this year, the processes for granting residence status will also be digitized, while from January 1 of next year, the process for submitting citizenship applications will be digitized.

“Essentially, from January 1, 2027, we will be able to say that all processes falling under the Migration and Citizenship Service have undergone positive changes: they have either been digitized or have undergone large-scale reforms,” Davtyan concluded.

Lydian Armenia press release 

The results of the heavy equipment operator training program launched in preparation for the operation of the Amulsar mine are already taking shape. The first group of participants to complete the training has received internationally recognized certificates.

This certification milestone marks an important achievement in the participants’ professional development while also setting a high standard for the next participants joining the program.

During the certificate award ceremony, Hayk Aloyan, Founder and Managing Director of Lydian Armenia, noted that the internationally recognized certification enables operators to work not only at mines across Armenia but also abroad, including at some of the world’s leading mining companies. At the same time, he expressed hope that the operators would not need to seek employment outside Amulsar.

“Please always keep safety in mind. Your safety is our highest priority. I hope that your example will inspire others to join and complete this training program,” he concluded.

Throughout the training, emphasis was placed on three key areas: knowledge, skills, and attitude toward work.

The operators are all from the Amulsar surrounding communities. They range in age from 29 to 52. Seeing a 52-year-old embrace the opportunity to learn something new serves as a powerful source of motivation and inspiration for others.

The training program is being implemented by Mota-Engil, a partner of Lydian Armenia.

Lydian Armenia’s training programs will continue, providing new participants with opportunities to acquire in-demand professional skills, develop their capabilities, and prepare for employment in the mining industry in line with international standards. The Company will continue to invest in developing professional capacity and building a highly skilled and qualified workforce.

The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 14 August, USD exchange rate down by 0.04 drams to 365.82 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.68 drams to 422.74 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.0006 drams to 4.3644 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.37 drams to 494.92 drams.

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

Gold price down by 636 drams to 51433 drams. Silver price down by 15.32 drams to 763.96 drams.

As a result of action taken by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia, another land plot located in Hrant Matevosyan Park has been returned to the possession of the Vanadzor community.

The Public Relations Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office said that studies conducted by the Lori Regional Prosecutor’s Office at the request of the Lori Regional Administration found that 22 entities leasing and effectively possessing areas within Hrant Matevosyan Park in Vanadzor were using them in breach of their contracts and for purposes other than those intended. As a result, the park had fallen into a state of disrepair.

Following the studies conducted by the Lori Regional Prosecutor’s Office, a motion was submitted to the Vanadzor Municipality seeking the termination of lease and gratuitous-use agreements concluded with the 22 entities.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said that, as a result of the motion, on August 14, 2026, a legal entity’s leasehold right to another 332.2-square-metre land plot located at 25/1-1 Lusavorich Street within the park, with a cadastral value approximating its market value of AMD 3.49 million, was terminated. The land plot was returned to the possession of the community.