Category: News

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck southern Armenia around midday on Tuesday, authorities reported.

According to the Seismic Protection Regional Service, the earthquake occurred at 11:54 about 23 kilometers southwest of the town of Sisian, near the border with Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan, at a depth of 10 kilometers.

The tremor was felt in the towns of Sisian and Dastakert in Syunik Province, as well as in several nearby villages.

No damage was reported.

Defense Minister Suren Papikyan held a meeting on Tuesday with senior military officials to discuss the progress of field testing and the introduction of new military uniforms.

Papikyan shared a video of the meeting on social media.

Lt. Gen. Edward Asryan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and First Deputy Defense Minister, also attended the meeting.

The new uniforms were unveiled during the May 28 military parade in Yerevan.

Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Viktor Vasilyev, commented on the possibility of Armenia being stripped of its voting rights within the organization.

RIA Novosti quoted Vasilyev as saying that depriving Armenia of its voting rights in the CSTO would require consensus among the organization’s members.

“The next meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization will be held in Moscow on November 11. It is likely that the heads of the member states will discuss this issue (the issue of depriving Armenia of its voting rights in the CSTO). A decision on this matter, if needed, will be adopted by consensus,” he said.

The Russian Permanent Representative to the CSTO added that Article 25 of the CSTO Charter addresses the ability of member states to nominate candidates for quota-based positions, as well as the suspension of voting rights in the organization’s bodies in cases where a member state fails to fulfill its financial obligations to the organization for two years.

“In fact, such a situation has existed for more than two years, because Armenia does not nominate its citizens for quota-based positions and has also recalled its representatives from the CSTO Joint Staff,” Vasilyev said.

Armenia has frozen its participation in CSTO activities since 2024, citing the bloc’s failure to fulfill its security obligations.

No proposal to establish a migrant detention center in Armenia for illegal migrants from European Union member states has been presented to Yerevan, and no such issue has been discussed with the Armenian side, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan said in response to a Euronews article.

“We have not received such a proposal, and no such issue has been discussed with us,” Badalyan told Armenpress.

Euronews earlier reported that Italy is bringing to the EU a plan to set up new return centers, based on the Albania model, in safe third countries. The proposal, revealed by leading Italian media outlets and confirmed by government officials, will be presented by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi at the extraordinary Council of European Union interior ministers convened for Tuesday, according to the report.

According to Euronews, Italy is proposing the creation of expulsion hubs of foreign nationals arriving on EU turf unlawfully to safe third countries while their asylum and immigration files are examined.

Among the potential host countries are several African states, with Uganda cited as one of the most concrete options. The question of the resources needed to fund the project, however, remains open. The new hubs, under the Italian proposal, would be financed through the bloc.

An initial list includes also some countries located outside the traditional migration routes. Potential candidates include Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Egypt, Uganda, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, Armenia and Montenegro, according to Euronews.

In the second quarter of 2026, 12-month inflation continued to run above target, reaching 5.1% in June, while 12-month core inflation stood at 4.9%, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank Hovhannes Khachatryan said at a press briefing.

“Amid geopolitical uncertainty, high energy prices, and a slowdown in the global economy, inflationary risks remain elevated,” Khachatryan said, adding that the likelihood of major central banks maintaining high interest rates for an extended period or raising them further has increased.

“In Q2 2026, economic activity in Armenia remained strong, supported largely by growth in construction and services. At the same time, difficulties in certain export markets have increased the risks of lower incomes in the Armenian economy and excess supply in some goods markets, which could have disinflationary effects,” he said.

Earlier today, the Central Bank announced that it would keep the policy rate unchanged at 6.50%.

Khachatryan added that the Central Bank’s Board will continue to monitor economic development scenarios and stands ready to take appropriate measures to ensure the 3% inflation target is achieved over the medium term and to maintain price stability.

A senior Central Bank official has said that the instability surrounding Iran has affected and continues to affect Armenia’s economy, particularly in terms of logistics chains and energy prices.

“On the other hand, we have observed a redirection of tourist flows from a number of Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates, toward our region. Since May, we have recorded a sharp increase in tourist arrivals,” Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia Hovhannes Khachatryan said at a press briefing.

Addressing trade with Russia, Khachatryan noted that the impact of export restrictions has not yet fully materialized, as they have been in effect for only two months.

Ahead of the June 7 elections in Armenia, Russia began imposing restrictions on imports of numerous Armenian goods, prompting producers to seek new export markets. 

According to him, the restrictions have already been reflected in current indicators; however, Armenia’s economy maintained high growth rates in June and July.

“This is because other sectors, particularly construction and services, continue to be the main drivers of economic growth and are developing at a rapid pace. We are constantly monitoring various scenarios, assessing both inflation developments and potential changes in economic activity,” he said.

The United States government has doubled the funding for the TRIPP+ Enterprise Fund, increasing it from the initial $201 million to $402 million.

The data was published by the U.S. government’s official spending database, USAspending.gov, which lists Armenia as the primary place of performance for the project.

The funding is linked to the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) connectivity initiative, which envisages the development of a transport route through southern Armenia aimed at connecting the South Caucasus to the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor.

According to the published data, on January 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs awarded a $201 million grant to the TRIPP+ Enterprise Fund, with the implementation period set to run until December 31, 2036. On July 16, an amendment to the grant agreement increased the funding commitment to $402 million, without extending the project completion deadline.

The data indicates that the full $402 million financial commitment has already been recorded for the project.

The TRIPP+ Enterprise Fund was established on January 26, 2026, two weeks after a Washington meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the sides released a document stating that they would establish the TRIPP Development Company — an entity responsible for ensuring the development and implementation of infrastructure for the TRIPP project. The Republic of Armenia will hold a 26% stake in the company, while the United States will hold a 74% stake.

The TRIPP+ Enterprise Fund and the TRIPP Development Company are separate entities. The latter is intended to oversee the development and implementation of the infrastructure project.

The TRIPP Development Company is expected to operate under the auspices of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

Unlike the development company, the TRIPP+ Enterprise Fund was established as a separate investment fund. Businessman Konstantin Sokolov has been appointed as its head. 

The increase in U.S. funding comes at a time when Washington is seeking to expand its engagement in the South Caucasus by supporting the development of transport and economic connectivity, as well as advancing projects linking the region to the Trans-Caspian Corridor.

The growth in real estate prices in Armenia resumed in the second quarter of 2026, according to Central Bank Deputy Governor Hovhannes Khachatryan.

“Over the past year to year and a half, growth in real estate prices had stalled and slowed significantly; however, in the second quarter, we are already seeing a recovery,” he said at a press briefing.

Khachatryan added that it is still unclear to what extent this trend is driven by changes in the conditions for purchasing real estate.

Mortgage transactions continue, he said, including purchases made by non-residents.

“Most likely, a trend is emerging whereby developers are beginning to more actively target non-resident buyers in order to ensure sales of their apartments,” the Central Bank deputy governor said.

The Armenian parliament is holding a confirmation hearing on the candidacy of Civil Contract faction MP Vahagn Aleksanyan for the position of Deputy Speaker of Parliament.

The Civil Contract faction has nominated Vahagn Aleksanyan for one of the two vacant Deputy Speaker positions. The ruling faction has also nominated Hayk Konjoryan for the other vacant Deputy Speaker post, whose candidacy has already been reviewed by parliament ahead of a confirmation vote.

Deputy Speakers of the National Assembly are elected separately through a secret ballot by a majority of the total number of MPs.

The right to nominate a candidate for the third Deputy Speaker position belongs to the largest opposition faction.

In Armenia’s new parliament, the largest opposition faction is Strong Armenia, which has nominated Aram Vardevanyan for the position of Deputy Speaker.

Armenian Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan spoke by phone with his Ukrainian counterpart Ruslan Stefanchuk on Tuesday.

According to a readout from the Armenian parliament’s press service, Stefanchuk congratulated Rubinyan on his election as Speaker of Parliament, wishing him success and effective work.

The sides discussed the cooperation agenda between the two parliaments — the National Assembly of Armenia and Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada — emphasizing the further strengthening of parliamentary ties and the use of new opportunities for cooperation.

They also discussed issues related to Armenia-Ukraine relations, as well as matters of mutual interest.