Category: News

Manasaryan: Amulsar, AI center, and Trump Route project alone will not ensure

Emil Lazarian
ARKA, Armenia
July 22, 2026
22.07.2026, 13:00

Large investment projects such as the development of the Amulsar mine, the construction of an artificial intelligence data center, and the implementation of the Trump Route project will have a positive impact on Armenia’s economy, but they alone will not be able to ensure sustainable economic growth of approximately 5%, according to Tatul Manasaryan, Doctor of Economics and head of the Alternative research center.
YEREVAN, July 22. /ARKA/. Large investment projects such as the development of the Amulsar mine, the construction of an artificial intelligence data center, and the implementation of the Trump Route project will have a positive impact on Armenia’s economy, but they alone will not be able to ensure sustainable economic growth of approximately 5%, according to Tatul Manasaryan, Doctor of Economics and head of the Alternative research center.

“Certainly, the launch of the Amulsar mine, the construction of a large artificial intelligence data center, and the implementation of the Trump Route project can have a positive impact on the country’s economy. They can ensure an influx of foreign direct investment, create new jobs, increase tax revenues, expand export opportunities, and stimulate the development of related infrastructure,” Manasaryan said in an interview with ARKA.

He emphasized, however, that the impact of such projects is gradual.

Commenting on Fitch’s forecasts for Armenia’s economic growth to remain at approximately 5% in the medium term, Manasaryan expressed skepticism.

“Given the government’s current policies, I view this forecast with considerable skepticism,” he said.

He stated that sustainable economic growth is impossible without increased labor productivity, expanded export potential, technological modernization of industry, and an increased share of high-value-added products.

“Sustainable growth of approximately 5% requires not only investment, but also increased labor productivity, expanded export potential, improved technological development in industry, and an increased share of high-value-added products,” the economist noted.

He emphasized that growth based primarily on consumption, construction, or temporary factors cannot be considered sustainable in the long term.

Manasaryan also addressed the issue of diversifying Armenia’s foreign economic relations. According to him, developing trade with the European Union and other countries is necessary, but this should not come at the expense of worsening relations with Russia.

“Even the world’s largest economies, despite political disagreements and sanctions restrictions, continue to maintain certain economic ties with Russia, guided primarily by their own national interests. Why should small Armenia abandon trade and economic cooperation with Russia?” he stated.

According to Manasaryan, even the implementation of several large-scale projects alone cannot ensure long-term economic growth.

“No. Even several large investment projects cannot ensure such growth. The economy must develop in a balanced manner. Only by forming a sustainable gross domestic product structure can we expect long-term economic growth. So far, in my opinion, this is not happening,” the expert concluded.

#INTERVIEW

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Armenia’s Farmers Face Export Crisis as Russian Market Closes

Chalian Meline
Pravda, Russia
July 22, 2026
Lyuba Lulko

  22.07.2026 14:09

World » Former USSR

Long-standing trade relationships can unravel in a matter of months, but rebuilding them-or replacing them with new ones-often takes years, if it is possible at all. Armenia is now confronting that reality as farmers and fish producers struggle to find alternative markets after losing access to Russia, their traditional export destination.

Tomatoes and Fish Pile Up in Armenian Warehouses

Armenian farmers, followed by fish producers, have begun protesting after losing access to both their established export markets and the alternative markets they were promised.

Farmers recently blocked the strategic Yerevan-Yeraskh highway, saying processing plants have stopped purchasing their harvest because they can no longer export finished products abroad. One farmer said he had been unable to sell nearly 60 tons of tomatoes. According to protesters, two processing facilities that had previously bought produce from local growers refused this year’s harvest because export opportunities had disappeared.

The following day, fish farmers gathered outside the Armenian government headquarters in Yerevan, demanding a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan. They said they had no market for approximately 15,000 tons of live fish that had previously been exported to Russia, while frozen fish products have also remained unsold.

Gor Grigoryan, head of the public organization Union of Fish Farmers of Armenia, said the two support programs introduced by the government are far from sufficient to address the industry’s growing problems.

“Neither the export procedures for the European market nor the subsidy issue has been resolved. The European market remains effectively closed to us. Selling our current production volumes there is simply unrealistic,” Grigoryan said.

Replacing the Russian Market Proves Difficult

Russia previously restricted imports of several Armenian products-including certain vegetables, fruit, beverages, and fish products-after reporting violations of phytosanitary regulations.

Armenian authorities pledged to compensate producers for unsold goods, while the European Union allocated €50 million in financial assistance. However, the continuing protests suggest those measures have not resolved the industry’s difficulties.

Trade with the European Union remains governed by quotas and strict regulatory requirements. Armenia currently has no dedicated agricultural export quotas under the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which does not establish a free trade regime.

Although some customs barriers have been eased, Armenian agricultural products must still meet demanding European certification and phytosanitary standards-requirements that many domestic laboratories and producers are not yet fully equipped to satisfy.

Before the most recent elections, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan promised that if export problems emerged, the government would step in to purchase agricultural products directly. Farmers and fish producers are now urging the authorities to fulfill those commitments.

Exporting perishable goods to Europe also presents major logistical challenges, requiring long overland transport through Georgia, ferry crossings, and significantly higher transportation costs.

Mounting Losses for Armenia’s Agricultural Sector

The combined direct export losses for Armenia’s agricultural and aquaculture sectors this season are estimated at between $180 million and $200 million. When secondary effects-including idle processing facilities, logistical disruptions, and growing warehouse inventories-are taken into account, total losses across the agricultural sector could approach $350 million.

For some agricultural products, export volumes have reportedly fallen by as much as 70-80 percent. Fish producers alone could lose approximately $80 million in revenue after Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance suspended veterinary certification for exports to the Russian market.

For many Armenian producers, replacing decades-old commercial ties has proven far more difficult than expected. While hopes of expanding exports elsewhere remain, businesses continue to face significant economic and logistical obstacles before alternative markets can absorb the volumes that once went to Russia.

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Why Armenia’s Tatev ropeway belongs on the travel wish list

Emil Karabekian
July 22, 2026
Partner Content
  • By Partner Collaborator

  • Armenia has spent the past few years shedding its reputation as one of Europe’s best-kept secrets. Travellers who once overlooked the small South Caucasus nation now come for its ancient monasteries, its mountain scenery and a food scene that rewards the curious. Among the headline attractions is one that reliably tops the itinerary: a record-breaking cable car that carries visitors high above a dramatic river gorge to a thousand-year-old monastery. For London travellers after somewhere different within a manageable flight, southern Armenia makes a compelling case.

    A Record-Breaking Ride Above the Gorge

    The tatev ropeway, known as the Wings of Tatev, opened in 2010 and still holds a Guinness World Record as the longest reversible aerial tramway on the planet. Its cabins run for 5.7 km between the village of Halidzor and Tatev Monastery, crossing the Vorotan River gorge in around twelve minutes, at points several hundred metres above the valley floor. The ride rewards a slow, camera-ready approach: the Swiss-built cabins are glass-sided, and the views over the gorge, the river and the surrounding peaks are the sort that end up framed on a wall back home.

    The Monastery at the End of the Line

    The ropeway is only half the story. Its far station sits beside Tatev Monastery, a ninth-century complex of the Armenian Apostolic Church perched on a basalt plateau above the gorge. For centuries it ranked among the country’s most important centres of learning, home to a medieval university, and its churches, bell tower and old defensive walls still command the plateau. Wandering the grounds after the ride, with the gorge falling away on every side, a visitor quickly understands why the monks chose so remote and defensible a spot.

    Getting There, and What It Involves From London

    Tatev sits in Syunik, the mountainous province of southern Armenia, about 250 km from the capital, Yerevan, or roughly four hours by road. Most visitors reach Yerevan by air, with flights from London running direct or with a single change depending on the season, then head south by hire car, taxi or organised tour. The drive is part of the appeal, climbing through gorges and mountain villages, and many travellers break the journey with a night in the town of Goris, about an hour from the ropeway.

    More to See in Southern Armenia

    Those who make the trip south rarely stop at Tatev alone. Below the ropeway, a short walk leads to the Devil’s Bridge, a natural stone arch over the Vorotan with warm mineral springs beneath it. The nearby cave town of Old Khndzoresk, its abandoned dwellings carved into the cliffs and a swaying footbridge strung across the ravine, makes another memorable half-day. Goris itself, with its stone houses and strange rock formations, is a pleasant base for exploring this quiet, dramatic corner of the country.

    When to Go

    Timing shapes the trip. Late spring and early autumn, roughly May to June and September to October, bring mild weather and clear views, the best conditions for the ride and the drive. Summer is warm and busy, though the mountains stay cooler than Yerevan. Winter turns the region snowy and still, and while the ropeway usually keeps running, mountain roads can be harder going, so anyone heading south in the cold months should check conditions before setting off.

    An Easy Highlight to Build a Trip Around

    Few attractions justify a long drive quite like Tatev. The combination of a record-breaking ride, a thousand-year-old monastery and some of the finest scenery in the Caucasus makes the effort worthwhile, and it anchors a wider trip through a country that still feels genuinely undiscovered. For anyone in London plotting somewhere new for the year ahead, Armenia and its famous ropeway deserve a place near the top of the list.

  • https://www.londondaily.news/why-armenias-tatev-ropeway-belongs-on-the-travel-wish-list/

  • 22 Ju

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Healthcare rights of transgender people and gender affirmation practices in Ar

Karapet Navasardian
July 22, 2026

This research examines gender affirmation practices and healthcare rights of transgender people in Armenia. Combining legal analysis with sociological research, the study explores healthcare needs, legal frameworks, and personal experiences of transgender individuals, highlighting gaps in service provision and protection. The objective of this research is to examine in depth the specifics of gender affirmation processes in Armenia, as well as the healthcare needs of trans people at all stages of these processes. This research combines an analysis of legal regulations, international standards, and best practices with a sociological study. The focus of the sociological research is the individual experiences of transgender people.

This research is available in English and Armenian.

Year: 2025

transhealth_enDownload

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Armenpress: U.S. not interested in meeting with Iran for now, Trump says

Jirair Kafian
Iran20:41, 21 July 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

U.S. President Donald Trump said on July 21 that the United States is not interested in meeting with Iran unless Tehran is prepared for substantive talks.

“Until they are ready for a meeting that would be meaningful, we’re not interested,” Trump told reporters, according to RIA Novosti.

Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Trump says he would not rule out strike on alleged Iranian nuclear facility

Greg Madatian
Iran20:39, 21 July 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

The United States does not intend to end its confrontation with Iran in the near future and is prepared to strike an alleged new Iranian nuclear facility if necessary, U.S. President Donald Trump has said.

Trump made the remarks during an address broadcast on the White House’s YouTube channel.

Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Merz says peace, security and stability in the South Caucasus are essential

Edgar Tavakalian
Politics18:01, 21 July 2026
Read the article in: FrançaisՀայերենRussian中文

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that peace, security and stability in the South Caucasus are essential.

According to the Azerbaijani APA news agency, Merz made the remarks during a joint press conference in Berlin with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Merz said Germany and the European Union remain fully committed to promoting stability in the geopolitically important region.

He also congratulated Aliyev on the initialling of the peace agreement with Armenia.

“The agreement has been initialled by Azerbaijan and Armenia. This historic agreement offers a new opportunity to finally overcome the long-standing conflict,” the German chancellor said.

On August 8, 2025, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a declaration on the normalisation of relations between Yerevan and Baku in Washington with the mediation of U.S. President Donald Trump.

At the same time, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov initialled the 17-article peace agreement on the normalisation of relations and the establishment of interstate relations between the two countries.

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Germany seeks to further diversify energy supplies through cooperation with Az

Jhanna Virabian
Azerbaijan19:47, 21 July 2026
Read the article in: Armenian:

Germany intends to continue diversifying its energy supplies by expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani APA news agency reported.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Berlin with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that, amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, cooperation on oil and natural gas supplies via the Southern Gas Corridor has taken on particular importance.

“We discussed this issue in detail. We want to continue diversifying our energy supplies through deliveries from Azerbaijan,” Merz said.

The chancellor also welcomed the dynamic development of bilateral relations between the two countries.

According to Merz, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid the first-ever state visit to Azerbaijan in the spring of 2025, while parliamentary contacts between the two countries have intensified this year.

Merz said the Joint Declaration on the Strategic Agenda for Bilateral Partnership signed between Germany and Azerbaijan provides an important foundation for further deepening bilateral ties.

He also announced that the two sides had agreed to establish a German-Azerbaijani Economic Council.

“This decision sends an important signal to companies in both countries and demonstrates that we are serious about expanding relations between Germany and Azerbaijan,” the German chancellor said.

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Aliyev comments on reports of secret meeting between German and Russian repres

Emil Lazarian
Azerbaijan19:46, 21 July 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said the Azerbaijani authorities first learned about reports of a possible secret meeting between German and Russian representatives in Baku from an article published by The Times, according to the Azerbaijani APA news agency.

Speaking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Aliyev said the Azerbaijani authorities launched an inquiry following the publication.

According to Aliyev, before departing for Berlin, he requested information from Azerbaijan’s State Border Service, which confirmed that the individuals named in the report had been in Azerbaijan during the same period.

Aliyev said that on July 12, Ronald Pofalla, former head of the Federal Chancellery under former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and former German politician Matthias Platzeck arrived in Baku from Berlin and departed on July 14.

On the same day, former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov and Valery Fadeyev, chairman of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, arrived in Baku from Moscow. One of them left Baku on July 13, while the other departed on July 14, Aliyev said.

The Azerbaijani president added that neither Germany nor Russia had informed Baku about the visits.

“I cannot say with certainty that such a meeting took place because we did not witness it. However, the available information provides grounds to assume that such a secret meeting took place in Baku. If it contributes to ending the Russia–Ukraine war, we would, of course, welcome it,” Aliyev said.

He also stressed that the Russia–Ukraine war should end immediately and that peace should be ensured in the region.

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Aliyev says Azerbaijan-Germany cooperation to expand in energy, transport and

Ani Tigranian
Azerbaijan19:49, 21 July 2026
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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said cooperation between Azerbaijan and Germany will continue to expand across a number of strategic areas, particularly energy, transport, connectivity and investment.

According to the Azerbaijani APA news agency, Aliyev made the remarks during a joint press conference in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Aliyev said the documents signed by the two sides would elevate bilateral relations to a new level. He added that Azerbaijan has already launched a strategic dialogue with Germany and that the bilateral agenda covers a broad range of areas of cooperation.

The Azerbaijani president said Azerbaijan began supplying natural gas to Germany this year and noted that the volumes could be increased. He also expressed the view that European banks should reconsider their decisions regarding the financing of oil and gas projects.

Aliyev further said Azerbaijan intends to export not only oil and natural gas to Europe in the future, but also green energy. According to him, energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Germany will be broad in scope, while German companies will also participate in projects aimed at developing connectivity and transport infrastructure.

He said several working groups would be established in these areas, as envisaged by the agreements signed between the two countries.

Aliyev also said that more than 200 German-capital companies are currently operating in Azerbaijan and expressed hope that their number would increase following the talks. He added that opportunities for mutual investment had also been discussed and proposals had been presented to expand the activities of German companies in Azerbaijan.

Aliyev said cooperation between Azerbaijan and Germany would contribute not only to the development of bilateral relations but also to strengthening peace and cooperation in the region.

He added that he had invited German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to visit Azerbaijan at a time convenient for him.

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