Category: News

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has appointed Hayk Arakelyan as Deputy Minister of Environment, his office reported Monday.

Arakelyan, 36, holds a bachelor’s degree in Law from Yerevan State University, an LLM in Commercial Law from the University of Bristol, and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London.

He also completed Harvard Business School Online’s Strategy Execution program in 2023 and is a Certified Blockchain and Digital Assets specialist (CBDA) through the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals.

He undertook professional internships at Germany’s KfW Development Bank and Fichtner Management Consulting AG. His professional experience includes serving as Head of ESG at Converse Bank, Senior Consultant in Climate Change and Sustainability Services at EY, and Advisor to the Executive Director of the Armenia Securities Exchange and Central Depository. Most recently, from 2024 to 2026, he served as Head of Fundraising Management at Renshin Investments.

The establishment of a wine cluster in Areni, Vayots Dzor Province, is set to attract significant investment as part of a major tourism and regional infrastructure development program. The €120 million initiative aims to develop tourism clusters in Goris, Areni, Jermuk, Yeghegis, Dvin, Gyumri, and Dilijan, with a focus on promoting wine, wellness, adventure, cultural, educational, and ecotourism.

Of the total investment, €12 million is earmarked for nine settlements within the Areni community.

In recent months, discussions surrounding the establishment of a wine cluster in Areni have gained momentum. A few days ago, Lusine Gevorgyan, Chair of the Tourism Committee of the Ministry of Economy of Armenia, and Zaruhi Muradyan, CEO of the Vine and Wine Foundation, visited Areni, where they met with Areni Mayor Husik Sahakyan to discuss the progress of the “Areni Wine Cluster” investment project and upcoming initiatives.

The project aims to develop wine tourism, improve local infrastructure, and strengthen Areni’s position as one of Armenia’s leading winemaking and tourism destinations.

Speaking at a press conference, Susan Margaryan, Director of the Areni Community Development Fund, said that numerous ideas are being discussed as part of the “Areni Wine Cluster” investment project, with the aim of implementing investment initiatives across each of the community’s settlements.

“Since many of the ideas are still under discussion, I will share more details once certain aspects have been clarified. However, I can say with certainty today that a major wine museum will be established in the Areni community, designed to meet international standards in every respect. We are confident that this will be an important investment for the community and will attract significant tourist flows. We have a lot to showcase, after all, Areni is one of the world’s oldest winemaking centers,” Margaryan said.

The museum will showcase the history of winemaking in Armenia, with a particular focus on Areni, including the Areni-1 Cave and its significant archaeological discoveries. The museum complex will also feature a sommelier center and a retail space showcasing a selection of the finest wine products from producers across the Areni community.

The Grape Blessing Festival, dedicated to the blessing of the first grape harvest, will be celebrated on a grand scale in Aghavnadzor village of the Areni community in Armenia’s Vayots Dzor Province.

The Grape Blessing is an Armenian Christian tradition associated with the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. Grapes are traditionally brought to church and blessed by a priest, after which people take the blessed grapes home and share them. The tradition symbolizes gratitude for the harvest and God’s blessing on the year’s produce.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Director of the “Areni Community Development” Foundation Syuzan Margaryan said that grapes will be at the heart of the celebration, while several dozen pavilions will showcase the produce and local products of Aghavnadzor and other settlements of the Areni community.

“The festival will bring together grape growers, winemakers, local producers, artisans, as well as tourists who love wine and delicious food. The festival will take place on August 16, starting at 4:00 p.m., with the blessing of the first grape harvest,” Syuzan Margaryan said.

Mariam Sahakyan, a resident of Aghavnadzor who is engaged in dried-fruit production, said that this is the third year she has participated in the Grape Blessing Festival and that residents of the village look forward to it and prepare for it every year.

“Local residents are eagerly awaiting the festival and preparing for it. They do everything possible to present as many diverse and delicious dishes as possible, all beautifully packaged. Each neighborhood decides which traditional dish to prepare. For example, I would highlight vegetable shorva, dolma, rosehip soup, and a dish made from watermelon and melon seeds,” Mariam Sahakyan said, emphasizing that, alongside the dishes, they also highlight the community’s traditions.

Armine Vardanyan, procurement coordinator at the Areni Municipality, said that they have initiated the production of films to promote the community. Filming has already taken place in the settlement of Areni, while work is currently underway in Aghavnadzor and Rind.

“In the videos, we highlight the cultural values, archaeological sites, and monuments of the settlements, while also making sure not to overlook national games and local traditions. There are even places that we, as residents of the Areni community, were not aware of. Now, we are talking both about well-known sites and making new discoveries, and by promoting them, we are trying to direct tourists’ interest toward these areas,” Armine Vardanyan said.

Syuzan Margaryan, Director of the “Areni Community Development” Foundation, noted that the municipality has adopted a policy of balanced and sustainable development of its settlements. In this context, festivals and other such events are of great importance for the development of the community.

“The economic results are visible: local residents not only sell their produce and goods, but also find partners. In addition, the local hospitality and restaurant sectors are developing. All of this is facilitated by the large number of visitors attending festivals held in the Areni community. Last year alone, 40,000 visits were recorded as part of the Areni Wine Festival,” she said.

The Food Safety Inspection Body began targeted inspections in the food delivery sector on August 1. Large-scale monitoring measures carried out over the past week jointly with the Patrol Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs focused on checking whether delivery workers had personal sanitary booklets. 

On Monday, the inspection agency reported positive results from the inspections.

According to a statement issued by the agency, among the 237 delivery workers inspected, only those who do not deliver food did not have personal sanitary booklets. A review of food delivery applications, including Yandex, Glovo and others, found no indication that these individuals were identified as food delivery workers.

Under the requirements of the Armenian Law on Food Safety, personnel involved at any stage of the food chain—including production, processing, distribution, storage, transportation, import, export and sale—must undergo a medical examination before employment and regular medical examinations every six months, and must have a personal sanitary booklet.

“A delivery worker is an important link in the food chain and is responsible for the safe and proper transportation of food. The Food Safety Inspection Body will continue its oversight of the sector, checking whether food delivery workers have undergone regular medical examinations and whether they have personal sanitary booklets,” the Food Safety Inspection Body said in a press release.

YEREVAN, 10 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 10 August, USD exchange rate down by 0.29 drams to 365.88 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.69 drams to 422.81 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0171 drams to 4.4354 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.91 drams to 494.01 drams.

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

Gold price up by 756 drams to 51000 drams. Silver price up by 29.84 drams to 756.62 drams.

Armenia’s Defense Minister Suren Papikyan held a meeting on Monday to discuss efforts to recruit personnel for the officer, non-commissioned officer and sergeant ranks of the Armed Forces, the Defense Ministry said in a press release.