Category: News

Armenia increases subsidies for South Caucasus Railway, Russia concession rema

Emil Lazarian
JAM News
July 17, 2026
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

The Armenian government will increase its subsidy to South Caucasus Railway CJSC by 65.22 million drams (about $178,000).

The move is not unprecedented. Under the concession agreement signed between Armenia and Russian Railways in 2008, the government partially compensates the railway operator each year for losses incurred on agreed passenger routes.

Armenia’s railway network has been operated under concession by South Caucasus Railway since 2008. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Russian Railways. The agreement grants the operator a 30-year concession. Since then, however, freight volumes on Armenia’s railways have halved, several routes have ceased operations, and mandatory investment commitments have largely remained unfulfilled.

Economist Suren Parsyan argues that the government should exercise closer oversight over both the amount of the subsidy and the mechanism for allocating it.

“The government should not approve the subsidy every year using the same wording. It should conduct thorough economic assessments to determine whether the subsidy is effective,” Parsyan said.

The latest developments concerning Armenia’s railway network were announced by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who said the government had launched the process of restoring the railway sections linking Gyumri-Akhurik and Yeraskh.

Yerevan had previously asked Russia to restore these sections, which lead towards the borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey. Reopening them would enable Armenia to achieve the full unblocking of its transport links.

So far, Moscow has neither fulfilled Armenia’s request nor indicated any willingness to do so. At the same time, Russia has made clear that it has no intention of relinquishing the railway concession. Yerevan, for its part, has suggested transferring the concession to a country that maintains friendly relations with both Armenia and Russia. Among the countries mentioned were Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

Regional affairs analyst Armen Petrosyan believes there is currently no need to terminate the concession agreement or escalate tensions with Russia.

Instead, he argues, Armenia should begin reconstruction work on its own and postpone any decision on the future of the concession.

“The cost of restoring the railway lines towards both Azerbaijan and Turkey is not so high that the Armenian government cannot finance the work itself. Later, a situation may arise in which the Russian side compensates these expenses in one way or another. The process should be approached step by step,” Petrosyan said.

  • Opinion: Armenia would benefit from returning its railways to state control
  • Armenia begins ratifying TRIPP agreement with US: foreign minister outlines key details
  • ‘We are not discussing Trump Route project with Russia’ – Armenia’s deputy foreign minister
  • Opinion: ‘Armenia will restore rail links with Azerbaijan and Turkey – with or without Russia’

Commentary

According to Armen Petrosyan, a regional affairs analyst and expert on the Middle East, the Armenian government is planning a separate project to restore those sections of the railway network that are currently operated under the Russian concession. The aim, he says, is to ensure that Armenia’s transport unblocking does not depend on Russia’s political decisions or goodwill.

Petrosyan believes Russia is likely to deliberately delay the restoration of certain railway sections. At the same time, he argues, the Trump Route—the Armenian-American joint transport initiative—would be significantly more effective if Armenia’s transport links were fully restored. Although the proposed transit corridor is intended primarily to connect Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhichevan, he says Armenia should not allow progress on the project to hinge on Moscow’s position:

“If the opportunity exists—and it does, because we are talking about relatively short stretches of railway [the Gyumri-Akhurik and Yeraskh sections]—the Armenian government can carry out the restoration work without difficulty. Moreover, there is interest from the European Union.

These railway lines should be rebuilt now. I am convinced that Russia currently lacks the resources to repair or construct railway infrastructure in Armenia. It is not going to invest in these projects. Armenia should do so itself. Everything Armenia is capable of undertaking independently, or together with partners willing to cooperate, should be done.”

As for the possibility of stripping Russian Railways of its railway concession, Petrosyan does not see it as an urgent issue. For that reason, he believes there is “no need to create a confrontational atmosphere.”

“What would Armenia gain by raising this issue now, when Russia is in such a sensitive, tense and volatile position? Moscow could easily take steps that would create serious problems for Armenia, forcing it to put TRIPP aside and deal with those challenges instead,” he said.

Applying the same logic, Petrosyan argues that Armenia should also refrain from putting the question of a possible withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)—the Russia-led economic bloc—on the political agenda. He believes that, as long as Armenia has no viable alternative, there is no point in escalating tensions with Moscow.

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Review | Apricot Stone: Armenian shorts at the 2026 Golden Apricot Internation

Kanayan Tamar
OC Media
July 18, 2026

These 10 Armenian shorts delve into the tensions within Armenian society, from generational divides to unprocessed trauma and an obsession with death.

by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning

18 July 2026•9 min read

▲Still from the short film ‘Lola’.

The Golden Apricot International Film Festival’s short film competition Apricot Stone brings together 10 short Armenian films of any genre from five to 45 minutes. This year, the focus was on the ‘unease of the interior’, or as the festival’s daily magazine put it, on probing the ‘fraught tensions within Armenia’s own mental borders. The films all focus on emotions and trauma, often through characters struggling to handle their grief after losing a loved one, whether through old age, an accident, or war.

All are impressive works from some of Armenia’s most talented up-and-coming directors. Read on to see OC Media’s thoughts on this edition of Apricot Stone, and which films are not to miss.

Together Alone (2025)

Still from film.

★★★★☆

This 11-minute documentary by Arthur Sahakyan focuses on Shura, an elderly man residing in an ageing home whose wife Ofelya has recently passed.

The film opens with Ofelya’s wake — it then moves through time in a non-linear pattern, contrasting the couple’s joint existence with what remains for Shura now, his only company memories and a cat. This creative blending of footage is unusual for a documentary, giving the work a more narrative feel.

Aided by the film’s warm tones and introspective mood — there is little dialogue other than a humorous bathroom request; a priest’s prayers; and TV noise — Together Alone makes for an emotional experience, despite the short run-time.

Lola (2025)

Still from film.

★★★★☆

Russian–Armenian Tamara Ayrapetyan’s debut film focuses on a young, Armenian dancer (Inga Khachatryan) who is haunted by the English-language pop song that was playing when her sister died in a car crash. Fittingly, the song’s main lyrics are ‘get it out’, which, as her grief becomes too powerful to suppress, she does through the power of dance, turning her judged performance into an abstract piece of art through which she can finally engage with her emotions.

While the film is largely predictable due to its rather clichéd foundation, Ayrapetyan’s creative use of collage — through paper-cut outs, drawings, and 3-dimensional red string — breathes new life into the topic, making for a visually stunning 12-minute feature. Overall, it is an impressive debut, and it will be interesting to watch what Ayrapetyan will choose to focus on next, and whether she will continue to connect with her Armenian heritage.

Herostrat (2026)

Still from film.

3.5/5★

Arthur Nazaretian’s fourth short film follows Hamlet (Vahe Vayan), an office worker grappling with the death of his partner. Inspired by the themes of existentialist French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, Nazaretian follows as Hamlet begins to experience deep rage at losing his partner, his resentment towards everything else remaining the same boiling up inside of him until finally bursting out in a series of destructive acts.

It is rather fitting that the main character be named Hamlet, though perhaps a little too on the nose, as he begins to spiral into insanity, prodded by the haunting whispers of his deceased lover. This exploration of madness and unprocessed trauma is aided by the film’s saturation in blue-green tones, increasing the feature’s eeriness, as Hamlet’s emotions and actions are both understandable yet a step too far.

It’s an interesting work, but one that sometimes struggles to fill its 20-minute run-time, focusing too much attention on abstract scenes that do little to push the story forward.

Paid Mourners (2026)

Still from film.

★★★★★

The stand-out feature of the 2026 Apricot Stone selection is clearly this 35-minute short by Ovsanna Gevorgyan.

The film follows 16-year-old Margo (Armine Avetisyan), a rising TikTok star and K-pop lover who struggles to understand her elderly grandmother Bavo (Tigranuhi Ter-Martirosyan) and her work as a professional mourner. When Bavo decides she only has a few more days to live, she embarks on a frenzied task to educate Margo and prepare her to take over the family tradition. There is just one major issue — Margo has never been able to cry without hiccuping loudly, something likely to cause concern at the funerals and wakes where she would perform.

Gevorgyan does excellent work balancing the film’s humour with its deeper messages of how to experience grief in a modern society where everything is curated and can be swiped past. There is a clear generational divide between Bavo and Margo, with the latter failing to understand, at least at the beginning of the film, her grandmother’s words on how one must accept death as fact to truly live. Margo is tempted by other life paths as well, as a young man attempts to court her, convinced that the path to success lies in becoming a couple and opening up a TikTok shop.

The film also excellently portrays the ongoing gender dynamics at play in both the _expression_ of grief — where for men it is a weakness and women a domain of power — and in the everyday lives of the village women. In one scene, as the pair wander through a graveyard, Bavo tells Margo about how she mourned each person, while also telling her a bit about their lives. For a woman who spent her whole marriage being brutally beaten by her husband, Bavo gathered all of the professional mourners in the region, all of them women, to remember the woman — and perhaps warn her husband that all of these women knew what he did and would support each other.

Gevorgyan is now working on her feature debut film, which, if this short is anything to go by, will be well worth watching upon release.

Relic (2026)

Still from film.

★★★★☆

Sona Khachatryan’s first short fiction film follows Minas (Alex Melkonyan), a blind boy who struggles living in a household in which his father despises him. The boy’s only source of comfort is his loving grandmother — to Minas, she represents warmth, the reds and oranges of the sunset she describes to him, while his father is the coldness of ice.

One day, his father forces Minas to join him on a hunt, telling him to grab the rabbit he has shot. When Minas finds the rabbit, however, it appears perfectly whole, no injuries in sight — it is the first sign that Minas might have magical abilities to heal. Everything comes with a cost however, and soon after, the grandmother dies, with Minas being sent to live with the local priest.

Throughout the 23-minute film, Khachatryan explores how people with disabilities are treated in rural Armenia. The villagers look at Minas with fear and distaste, wondering why he wasn’t sent away to the orphanage, something his father clearly desired. Their narcissism is further cemented when, after the priest dies, the villagers immediately rush to the church to argue over how it should be repurposed for their own personal gain. Amidst these arguments, Minas wanders away, returning to the nature he so loves.

Relic is a beautifully atmospheric film, imbibed with folklore and wonder. It is no wonder Khachatryan will be included in the 2027 Next Step Studio programme by the Cannes Film Festival’s Critics’ Week.

A Quiet Blue (2026)

Still from film.

3.5/5★

This black-and-white short by Ovsanna Shekoyan follows 19-year-old Albert (Arnold Ghazaryan), a veteran of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War who is haunted by his lingering PTSD.

The film opens at a doctor’s office, as Albert recounts his recent experiences — his fear at leaving the house without friends, his attempts to follow through with the mandated VR therapy. There are no details about what he actually went through, the focus is instead only on the ongoing effects of trauma.

The focus then switches to an afternoon out with his friends as they hunt down a drug cache in an abandoned sanatorium. It is implied that a police crackdown on drugs is ongoing, perhaps as a result of increased trade stemming from unprocessed trauma from the conflict. A sense of foreboding follows the characters, with warnings to be cautious by one friend summarily dismissed by another, laying down the seeds of what is to come.

The film embraces the abstract, focusing on memory rather than cohesive story-telling. It is an atmospheric film, yet it never quite conveys to the audience the true depth of what Albert is experiencing, the lack of an emotional bond between the audience and the character weakening the film’s impact.

Kafka (2026)

Still from film.

★★★★☆

This surreal fiction debut by Vahan Khachatryan follows a young man named Grigor Grigoryan (Aren Voskanyan) who wakes up one day believing himself transformed into the 20th-century Czech writer Franz Kafka. It is a play, of course, on Kafka’s own novella The Metamorphosis in which a character named Gregor wakes up to find himself inexplicably transformed into a huge insect.

In Khachatryan’s version, however, Grigoryan simply wakes up feeling profound sorrow, frailty, and an emptiness in life — classic markers of depression. Has he really woken up as Kafka, or is he just attempting to understand these darker emotions for the first time?

The 16-minute film follows Grigoryan as he traverses Yerevan, attempting to talk to various people about what has happened to him, with each giving him their own solutions. His father suggests getting married or drinking; his feasting friend tells him to just eat something; a basketball player believes sports is the only answer; and so on. Eventually, Grigoryan ends up back where he started, his bedroom at home, this time, however, making his own decisions, embarking on a strange, frenzied dance through which it appears his emotions are released, presumably for the better.

For Those (2026)

Still from film.

★★★★☆

This French–Belgian–Armenian co-production by Emile Parseghian, his debut film, explores diaspora relations through a grieving family.

The film follows the French–Armenian Levon, or Léon (Louis Memmi), returning to Armenia for the first time in years to attend the burial of his cousin Hrant, who died six months earlier on the front-lines of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. No longer able to speak Armenian, Léon struggles to connect with his relatives, especially his younger cousin (Artyom Avetisyan), who has his own methods of coping with his brother’s death and begins to view Léon as a tourist, unable to understand Armenia’s reality.

It is an emotional film, showing how distance can harm even the closest of bonds, as differing experiences create different understandings and opinions of the world and our places within it. Parseghian also masterfully captures the pain of Armenia’s youth, who have seen their older male relatives off to war, many to not return, and their own fears and desires that have emerged as a result.

Dialogues Solitaires (2026)

Still from film.

4.5/5★

Beirut-born Serouj Hovsepian’s latest short, a French–Armenian co-production, explores missed connections and the meaning of love during one Parisian night.

The film centres around Aren (Vincent Pasdermadjian), a young man in love with his flatmate Van (Bleu Binet), who himself appears to be in love with a woman named Léa. Unable to confess his true feelings, Aren leaves the flat for a local queer bar, where he comes across an old flame, Théo (Victorien Bonnet). The two, after some awkward first moments, eventually settle into a conversation, Aren finally opening up about the love he feels towards Van and Théo explaining what really happened two years ago, and his own stronger feelings for Aren.

Though a simple premise, the emotional depth of conversation between the two men makes for captivating viewing. Their experiences are familiar and relatable to all, yet are told in a way that opens up the viewer to think about their own past loves in new ways.

The Eternal Red (2025)

Still from film.

3.5/5★

Though only 11 minutes, this short Armenian–German co-production by Naira Sargsyan manages to pack a wealth of story in — perhaps, at times, too much.

The film opens as a one-armed man (Armen Kerobyan) steps into a photo exhibition titled ‘War: The Eternal Red’. As visitors blithely comment on the various images, making banal statements about what they see or planning where to go clubbing next, the man stands apart, accompanied only by a scarred man (Sargis Manukyan). Both transfixed on a photo showing a prisoner exchange, the setting making it clear that both men are present in the photo, from opposing sides. Yet here, in this gallery, they are the only two who understand what war is, drawing them together.

It is an interesting premise, yet one that is weakened by trying to over-emphasise the lack of understanding from the modern youth towards these surviving soldiers. At one point, anti-plastic protesters enter the exhibition, throwing red paint all over the photos and asking the veterans why they aren’t speaking up. The scene is over-the-top, draining the fraught emotions that were building up between the two men. Torn between these different foci, the film does not quite live up to what it could have been.

All films were screened in Yerevan on 17 July 2026 as part of the 23rd Golden Apricot International Film Festival.


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Armenia: Junior Eurovision 2026 Auditions Held in Yerevan​

Yeghisabet Arthur
EuroVoix
July 18, 2026

byAnthony Granger
18 July 2026
1 minute read

Image source: EBU/Corinne Cumming

Auditions to select the Armenian representative for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 were held earlier this week in Yerevan.

On Wednesday, auditions took place to help select the Armenian representative for this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Malta. The auditions come after the first round of the selection saw all applications reviewed, and the successful singers were then invited to perform live at the audition round.

The Armenian representative for this year’s competition will be chosen by a jury, with the song of the winning act being internally selected by AMPTV.

Albert represented Armenia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in “Brave Heart” where he placed 4th. Armenia received 12 points from the juries of Georgia, Malta and Ukraine and was 6th in the public vote.

Source: AMPTV

Armenia debuted in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2007, and has had 17 entries to date. The country is one of the most successful in the history of the contest, placing in the top 3 on 10 occasions, and winning twice in 2010 and 2021. Their first victory came from Vladimir Arzumanyan with his song “Mama”, which received 120 points. They won again in 2021 with “Qami Qami” by Maléna. Armenia went on to host the contest on home soil in Yerevan in 2011 and hosted it again in 2022. Their debut was almost as successful, as Arevik and their song “Erazanq” were just 1 point off the winning score.

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A “referendum from below” is starting in Armenia to break Pashinyan’s impasse

Kajoyan Gevork
Eurasia Daily
July 18, 2026
July 18th, 2026
12:07

At an extraordinary meeting on July 16, the Central Election Commission of Armenia approved the application of the civic initiative called the Eurasian Alliance to hold a referendum on amendments to the The Constitution of Armenia. As previously reported by EADaily, the initiative proposes to consolidate in The Constitution prohibits the signing by the Republic of Armenia of such interstate agreements that directly contradict other interstate agreements already signed by Armenia and in force.

It should be recalled that the civil initiative formed by representatives of the Alliance party of former Armenian MP Tigran Urikhanyan, consisting of 53 people, notarized the draft law on amendments to The Constitution of Armenia and registered it with the CEC of Armenia on July 7.

Now, after the approval of the application, in accordance with the regulations established by the CEC, the initiators must collect two hundred thousand signatures of Armenian citizens within 60 days, and if they succeed, a nationwide referendum will be scheduled, at which the people of Armenia, in fact, will decide to enter the phase of severe socio-economic crisis on a hopeless path to the European Union or to remain in the EAEU and maintain a steadily growing economy. In accordance with the CEC resolution, the official signature collection campaign will start on August 3

According to our information, intense negotiations have been going on between the CEC and the referendum initiators for the last few days, and on the last day of the deadline set by the legislation, at an extraordinary meeting on July 16, the application was approved, and the civil initiative to hold the referendum was officially registered.

It should be noted that at a meeting with the Armenian Prime Minister on April 1 of this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly recommended holding a referendum and deciding on the choice between the EAEU and the EU. Later, the heads of the EAEU countries also called on Armenia to decide on this issue as soon as possible by holding a referendum.

“Nikol Pashinyan, sitting on two chairs, trying to drag Armenia into the European Union, but earning and enriching himself at the expense of the EAEU and, first of all, Russia, did not listen to the urgent recommendations of the EAEU leaders. Meanwhile, due to the so-called law on joining the European Union, adopted on the initiative of pro—Western grant organizations on March 26, 2025, the republic began to have real problems in the field of economic integration with the EAEU countries, of which Armenia has been a member since January 2, 2015,” the author of the initiative Tigran Urikhanyan explained the situation in an interview with EADaily.

Tigran Urikhanyan. Photo: Aram Nersesyan / Sputnik

Lawyer, member of the initiative group “Eurasian Alliance ” Emil Markosyan in an interview with the newspaper “Hraparak” revealed the background of the initiative to hold a “referendum from below”, which will remove the contradictions associated with the movement in two opposite integration directions, which is already causing economic entities in Armenia is seriously damaged and generates new risks.

“Now the citizens of Armenia must choose whether to join the EAEU or go to the EU,” Markosyan said, in particular, to the Armenian edition.

“Graparak”: You have applied to the CEC with a demand to collect signatures first, and if you get enough of them, hold a referendum on the following issue: to remain part of the EAEU or to go to the EU market. By the way, a few months ago, Russian President Putin said that the Armenian society should decide on this issue through a referendum. In fact, you decided to start the process, why, for what purpose and what are your expectations?

Emil Markosyan. Illustration: “Graparak”

Emil Markosyan: Yes, you correctly noticed. However, our project does not concern the foreign policy vector — Russia or the West, but is aimed specifically at the economic sphere. Our task is to make an addition to The Constitution and fix the idea that Armenia has no right to conclude new agreements that would contradict previously concluded agreements, as well as the interests of Armenian exporters. Now at Armenia has an agreement with the EAEU, but, as we see, without terminating this agreement or without making clarifications, we are told that we are going to the EU market. First of all, this is an insult to Russians. We have heard the highest signals from there, even from the President of Russia. Russians say that it is impossible to play on two fronts, or you need to stay in the EAEU, or you need to enter the EU market. In a good way, but keep in mind that you will lose many of the benefits and support that have been provided to you over the years. This also applies to the price of gas and so on.

Due to the wrong policy pursued by the Armenian authorities, our people found themselves in a very difficult crisis. Armenia is currently under sanctions, but they will be tightened in the future. People are clearly saying that we will raise the price of gas… Armenia should not violate its obligations under the contracts it has signed, this is our goal. We must be moral and honest in order not to make unnecessary enemies, otherwise our people will suffer from this, as they are suffering now.

“Graparak”: The authorities say that the Russians are bad, they need to abandon Russia, they allegedly punish the Armenian people for being pro-Western…

Emil Markosyan: Good Russians or bad, this is one side of the question. And how kind are we to the Russians? For better or worse, Russia is our only economic ally. We are turning away from our most important strategic ally and trying to cooperate with its opponents. Who is the worst of us now?

Graparak: Now, after submitting an application to the CEC, when are you going to hold a referendum?

Emil Markosyan: We applied to the CEC in accordance with the procedure established by law, with 53 members of the initiative group, the author of the idea is the chairman of the Alliance party Tigran Urikhanyan, it was he who developed all this, but since the latter is in the status of an outcast, he is not in Armenia, we are carrying out the process. We start collecting signatures on August 3, we need to collect 200,000 signatures in a 60-day period. After collecting 200 thousand signatures, a referendum will be held. Does an Armenian citizen have to decide whether to stay in the EAEU or go to the EU market? I repeat once again, we are talking exclusively about the market, and not about changing the political vector.

Graparak: And if people go and choose the EU, what will happen? Is the market Is the EU waiting for Armenians with open arms?

Emil Markosian: The market The EU categorically refuses to work with Armenian producers. The first attempt to export apricots failed. Many quality problems have been identified that do not meet European standards. 60% of Armenia’s trade turnover depends on the Russian Federation, this is the official figure, and Russia depends on Armenia by 0.3%. Now let’s figure out which of us will suffer more losses? We do not bring even two percent of our products to the European market. Just a few days ago it was announced that Armenian goods were trying to be brought to the Russian market through Iran, but Russia again refused to accept it.

Graparak: But if people choose the market The EU as a result of the referendum, what will happen after that?

Emil Markosian: In this case, trade will collapse, and we will lose an economic ally who will further strengthen economic sanctions, and life for all of us will become more complicated. In order to export food products to the European market, it is necessary to comply with European standards. If earlier the farmer sent apricots in boxes to Russia, then the market The EU requires special sterilized plastic containers, which is also an additional cost.

Graparak: By the way, on the market The EU says that even the quality of the soil is checked for what soil fruits and vegetables are grown on.

Emil Markosyan: They check not only the soil, but also the color of the crop. They have a list of certain color shades that the product must match. Now our super goal is to keep the citizens of Armenia away from sanctions. These sanctions may be not only in the economic sphere, but also affect thousands of Armenians who have left for work in Russia.

More details: https://eadaily.com/en/news/2026/07/18/a-referendum-from-below-is-starting-in-armenia-to-break-pashinyans-impasse-the-eaeu-or-the-eu

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Mass food poisoning occurred at a reception at the French Embassy in Armenia

Emil Lazarian
Eurasia Daily
July 18, 2026
July 18th, 2026
17:02

Reception at the French Embassy in Yerevan, organized on the occasion of Bastille Day, turned into mass poisoning for the guests who visited it.

According to the TASS news agency, this fact was confirmed by the press service of the French diplomatic mission. They recalled that the reception was held on July 14, and Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan was among the guests.

It is impossible to understand from the statement whether he was among the victims of poisoning. The embassy says that several people were injured.

“The guests who attended the reception at the French Embassy on the occasion of the National Day on July 14, 2026, reported symptoms of food poisoning,” the press service said in a statement.

The French Embassy offered its sincere apologies to the people who “could have been inconvenienced.” Diplomats expressed hope “to establish the causes of these symptoms.”

The reaction of the French followed after the Armenian media reported that a number of people who attended the reception at the embassy turned to medical institutions in Yerevan with signs of food poisoning. There is no information about the number of victims.

Earlier, EADaily reported that the French special services helped to suppress publications critical of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan before the parliamentary elections in the republic.

More details: 
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Pottery emerges as popular form of art therapy in Armenia

Arbi Tashjian
JAM News
July 17, 2026
  • Tigranuhi Martirosyan
  • Yerevan

Pottery is one of the world’s oldest crafts. In recent years, it has also become a popular form of art therapy. In Armenia in particular, pottery-based art therapy has gained widespread popularity.

Psychologists say that touching clay and shaping it with the fingers, which contain numerous nerve endings, stimulates people’s senses and emotions. This, in turn, helps strengthen the connection between the body and emotions.

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How a hobby became a life’s work

In Mariam Gevorgyan’s hands, clay is more than just a material. Every piece she creates has its own story, character and mood. Malleable clay transforms thoughts, unspoken words and memories into works of art. It also inspires her students to express themselves in the same way.

Mariam Gevorgyan looks over her students’ work. Photo: JAMnews

However, the story did not begin with a childhood dream or a carefully planned career choice. It all started with a mug she made for a colleague.

“One day, a colleague was telling me about a moustache mug. He couldn’t find one anywhere. Feeling rather pleased with myself, I said I could make one. We made a bet over whether I could. I came to the Terracotta art studio and made the mug. The moustache turned out well, but the mug itself wasn’t very practical. I gave it to him anyway and won the bet. I don’t remember what happened next. But after that, I made many more pieces and carried on working with ceramics,” she says.

The hobby might never have become her profession had it not been for Mariam’s curiosity. During her very first lesson, she even tasted the clay. Later, she tried the glaze used to give pottery its glossy finish.

“I was fascinated by the material I was working with. I wanted to know what it tasted like. The next step was tasting the glaze, which I would never recommend to anyone because it’s essentially glass. It comes as a powder, but you definitely shouldn’t eat it. Of course, I tried it anyway. It didn’t taste good,” she recalls.

Mariam says pottery helps build resilience. It teaches patience, encourages people not to rush, and helps them overcome the fear of making mistakes.

She says those skills now help her in her other job in the service industry as well.

“Working on the potter’s wheel is the hardest part of the process. First, you have to centre the clay on the wheel. For beginners, that’s extremely difficult, and many people give up at that stage. Over time, your hands learn to feel the clay and the movement of the wheel so well that lifting and shaping the clay becomes smooth. The clay mustn’t bend or become too thin, otherwise it will collapse. I’ve broken many pieces that I didn’t like, and I’ve ruined many others because of my own mistakes. But there’s no other way to learn. You need patience and you have to keep trying again and again until you succeed,” Mariam says.

Mariam and her colleagues. Photo: JAMnews

Several years after she first learned to work with clay, the studio where she trained noticed her progress and invited her to become an instructor.

Mariam says she enjoys teaching both children and adults. She has also noticed that many people now come to the studio not because they want to learn ceramics, but because they are looking for a form of therapy.

“We live in a constant state of pressure, stress and rushing from one thing to the next. People are looking for a place where they can switch off from everyday worries and their phones, spend some time alone and gather their thoughts. This is one of the best places to do that. Couples come here to grow closer and get to know each other better. As they work with clay, people try to ease their anxiety and manage their emotions. That’s what most of them come here for.”

Mariam at work. Photo: JAMnews

She believes pottery goes beyond art and enters the realm of deeper emotions when qualified psychologists become part of the process.

Art therapy is not about creating beautiful works of art

Psychologist and art therapist Karina Khachatryan explains how art therapy differs from traditional psychotherapy. She says it provides a safe space where people can express pain, anxiety and fear not through words, but through colours, shapes, materials and symbols.

“Unlike traditional psychotherapy, which relies solely on conversation, art therapy introduces a third element. That element is the artwork itself, which becomes a kind of mediator between the therapist and the client. People often struggle to put their pain or anxiety into words. Sometimes those feelings lie so deep within the psyche that words simply are not enough. This is where artistic materials such as paper, paint, clay and sand come in. They become a bridge that allows people to bring their inner experiences into the outside world, giving them a safe way to engage with even their most difficult emotions.”

The Terracotta art studio. Photo: JAMnews

According to the art therapist, these are not ordinary painting or pottery classes. Participants do not need any artistic skills.

No one teaches painting or sculpting techniques, or how to use a brush or a carving tool. The aim of art therapy is not to create beautiful works of art, but to express emotions and personal struggles through the creative process.

“The creative process becomes therapeutic when it takes place in a professional art therapy setting and focuses on a clearly defined psychological issue that the client and the art therapist work through together. The art therapist creates a sense of emotional safety, guides the client through the process, and later helps them put into words and make sense of what they have created.

The art therapist closely observes the entire process. Do they approach the paper or clay with confidence, or with anxiety and hesitation? Every detail matters: how they choose colours, how tightly they hold a pencil, how they touch the clay, whether their movements are abrupt or gentle. Even their reaction to ‘mistakes’, such as torn paper or spilled paint, can reveal a great deal. The finished piece is the result of that process. It offers a safe representation of the client’s inner world. Together, we examine it and try to understand how it connects to their life,” Karina Khachatryan explains.

However, she says the creative process alone cannot restore mental well-being. Working with clay can become one way for people to listen to themselves and better understand who they are. But in most cases, recovering mental health also requires support from a psychologist or psychiatrist.

“People need to recognise they have a problem and want to work through it with a psychologist”

Psychologist Armen Hovhannisyan says he has encountered many different cases in his practice. He believes the best starting point is when people themselves realise they need help. According to him, unexpected life events often prompt people to seek psychological support because they overwhelm their ability to cope. At such moments, many feel they are facing insurmountable problems.

“Sometimes people don’t realise they need a psychologist. Their parents or friends recognise it and encourage them to seek therapy. But if they don’t trust the process, resist it or remain sceptical about our work, there won’t be any results. People need to recognise they have a problem and genuinely want to work through it with a psychologist. Usually, they first try to solve the problem on their own. They seek professional help only when they realise they can’t cope by themselves,” he says.

Hovhannisyan explains that psychologists study mental processes, behaviour, emotions and the way people perceive the world. Psychiatrists, meanwhile, diagnose and treat mental disorders and prescribe medication when necessary.

He says psychologists and psychiatrists sometimes work with the same patient at the same time. In such cases, they consult each other and share information with the patient’s consent.

When someone is experiencing severe depression or other serious mental health conditions, psychological counselling alone is not enough, he says. A psychiatrist then decides whether medication is needed. Hovhannisyan adds that cooperation between psychologists and psychiatrists often produces better outcomes.

He also notes that psychology and psychotherapy have become increasingly popular, yet many people still struggle to understand how they differ from simply talking to a neighbour or a close friend.

“People close to us cannot always remain impartial. They tend to see events from our perspective. A psychologist, by contrast, maintains professional neutrality and helps people view a situation from different angles.

Looking after mental health is a difficult but important part of life. One art therapy session or one conversation with a psychologist will not solve every problem. It requires daily self-care. Making pottery or seeking professional help are simply different paths towards the same goal: living a more mindful and balanced life.”

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Guests Poisoned During Reception at French Embassy in Yerevan

Emil Lazarian
FAKTI, Bulgaria
July 18, 2026

Embassy Confirms Information

Jul 18, 2026 18:5564

Milena BogdanovaAuthor at Fakti.bg

The French Embassy in Armenia has confirmed food poisoning among guests who attended a reception at the diplomatic mission on the occasion of the national holiday Bastille Day. The reception was held in Yerevan on July 14 and was attended, among others, by Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan.

„Guests who attended the reception at the French Embassy on the occasion of the National Holiday on July 14, 2026, reported symptoms of food poisoning. The French Embassy sincerely apologizes to those who may have experienced inconvenience. “We hope that the cause of these symptoms will be identified,” the French diplomatic mission in Yerevan said in a statement on Facebook.

Armenian media earlier reported that several citizens who attended a reception at the French embassy had sought medical attention in the city with signs of food poisoning. There was no information on the number of victims.

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Serena Williams’ Proudly Armenian Husband Alexis Ohanian Blows His Daughters’

Edgar Tavakalian
College Sports Network
July 18, 2026
July 18, 2026

Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, who proudly wears his Armenian heritage on his sleeve, has introduced his daughters to one of the most celebrated dishes of the West Asian country. The co-founder of Reddit celebrated the moment on X with a statement and a video of the dishes’ preparation.

On Saturday, Ohanian decided to pass on some of the Caucasus region’s timeless traditions to his daughters by taking them to a renowned Georgian restaurant in New York City that he believes is known for serving the best Khinkali – a popular Georgian-Armenian dumpling.

On his social media, Ohanian cherished the trip to the restaurant, writing:

“I had to introduce the girls to Khinkali and I found a Georgian restaurant in NYC that has the mother of all Khinkali. Great food, LALIKO!”

He also posted a video showing the dumpling being prepared, where the cook sliced open a massive Khinkali to reveal the stuffing inside. All the while, Ohanian had a sweet back and forth with his daughter.

Ohanian also put a story on his Instagram from the restaurant, writing:

“Showing my little girls some Armenian food – Kinda.”

Alexis Ohanian’s Armenian roots come from his father’s side, whose ancestors escaped the Armenian genocide back in 1915 before eventually building their lives in the United States.

The Reddit co-founder has always spoken about Armenia with great regard. During the commemoration of the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide back in 2017, as per the Armenian news company, news.am he said:

“Being Armenian means triumph to me. I ended up being born in Brooklyn, but I could’ve been born in Yerevan or probably somewhere in Western Armenia.”

Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian’s Deep Connection To Armenia

Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, has never shied away from embracing his West Asian heritage.

He traveled to Armenia for the very first time back in 2010 while performing his active duties as a volunteer for the nonprofit organization Kiva, and has described the trip as a life-changing experience.

He also recalled how his father had never visited Armenia before Ohanian’s 2010 visit.

“My father never traveled to Armenia before my first visit, and actually I had no idea about Armenia, perhaps with the only exception of Armenian cuisine.”

Chris Ohanian, Alexis’ father, was born in San Francisco after Alexis’ paternal grandfather immigrated to the United States.

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Article written by Shantanu Bhattacharjee

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The Power Vacuum Creating New Trade Routes Across Eurasia

Liana Toganian
Oil Price
July 16 2026
By Eurasianet – Jul 16, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT

  • Russia and Iran are losing their grip on the South Caucasus, creating a power vacuum that is opening the door to new geopolitical and trade alignments.
  • A lasting Armenia-Azerbaijan peace could transform the South Caucasus into a key overland corridor linking Asia and Europe, with major implications for China, Japan, and global supply chains.
  • Armenia’s constitutional reform will determine whether the region can deliver the long-term stability needed to attract investment and cement a new Eurasian trade route.

The results of Armenia’s parliamentary election in June dealt Russia’s bid to reassert its grip on the South Caucasus a serious blow, and the reverberations are not confined to Moscow, Washington and Brussels. 

For Beijing and Tokyo, both of which have quietly built stakes in the region as an overland bridge between Asia and Europe, the election’s outcome, which reaffirmed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s authority, carries real geoeconomic weight.

Pashinyan’s decisive victory represents a clear popular rejection of his Kremlin-aligned opponents and a significant failure for Moscow’s attempt to install friendlier leadership in Yerevan. It is also, by extension, a setback for Tehran. Iran was once a fervent supporter of Armenia due to shared hostility towards Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s secular majority Shi’a society is a direct repudiation of Tehran’s heavy-handed authoritarian Islamist governance.

Iran and Russia alike have a defense and security agreement and a regional partnership that relies heavily on the same opposition to Western and Turkish influence that Armenian voters just repudiated. With Russia badly weakened by the war in Ukraine and Iran preoccupied with its lingering confrontation with the United States and Israel, both traditional powers in the South Caucasus are more constrained than at any point in decades.

That vacuum matters enormously for Asian economies that have spent the last several years searching for trade routes that do not run through Russian or Iranian territory.

The Middle Corridor Problem

Since 2022, China has poured diplomatic and commercial energy into the Middle Corridor – the trans-Caspian route linking China to Europe via Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and Turkey – deliberately bypassing sanctioned Russian rail lines. Beijing has treated this corridor as a hedge for its Belt and Road ambitions: a way to keep goods moving westward even if Russia remains a sanctioned partner. It could also be a long-term strategic lifeline in the event of a conflict with the West.

Georgia and Azerbaijan have long been essential nodes in that plan. Armenia, historically on the periphery of these calculations, now looks more consequential as Georgia increasingly tilts toward Russia. It is noteworthy that a Chinese company recently withdrew from involvement in developing a deep-water port at the Georgian Black Sea town of Anaklia.

A durable Armenia-Azerbaijan peace, anchored by the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, would open new transit options through Armenian territory and stabilize the wider corridor that Chinese logistics firms and state planners have been counting on. 

But it would do so on terms set substantially by Washington, not Beijing – a dynamic that Chinese planners are unlikely to welcome even as they benefit from the added stability. Expect China to continue quietly investing in Central Asian and Caucasian infrastructure to maintain its own leverage over the corridor’s future, even as it lets Washington absorb the diplomatic cost of brokering peace.

Japan’s Quiet Diversification Play

Japan’s stakes are less about Belt and Road competition and more about supply chain diversification. Tokyo has spent the past several years deepening ties with Central Asia through its “Central Asia plus Japan“ platform, partly as a hedge against overreliance on Chinese-controlled trade routes and partly to diversify access to critical minerals and energy. A more stable South Caucasus, freed from the risk of renewed Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and less susceptible to Russian or Iranian disruption, makes that overland bridge to Europe and the Gulf considerably more attractive for Japanese trading houses and manufacturers looking to de-risk from both Russian and Chinese chokepoints.

Iran’s weakening position compounds this. Tehran has long served, however imperfectly, as an alternative transit and energy partner for Asian economies wary of relying entirely on Gulf sea lanes through the Strait of Hormuz. An Iran squeezed from its northern flank and increasingly isolated in the Gulf is a less reliable partner for that role, pushing Asian energy planners – including in Beijing, despite its 25-year strategic partnership with Tehran – to further diversify overland options through the Caucasus and Central Asia.

The Constitutional Fight Ahead

None of this is guaranteed. The Armenian election outcome is a beginning, not an endpoint. Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won 49.8 percent of the vote, good for 64 of the 105 seats in parliament, retaining its majority but falling short of the two-thirds supermajority needed to amend Armenia’s constitution. This complicates efforts to finalize an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal.

Azerbaijan has conditioned its agreement to the peace deal on a tweak to Armenia’s constitution, removing language that can be construed as a territorial claim on Nagorno-Karabakh, which Azerbaijan regained control of in 2023.

The Constitution contains no direct language claiming Azerbaijani territory. The problem lies instead in its Preamble, which adopts the principles and national aspirations of Armenia’s 1990 Declaration of Independence – a document that explicitly references the December 1, 1989, decision on the “reunification” of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijani territory. As a result, Armenia’s constitutional framework is linked to a foundational document that contains a claim to internationally recognized Azerbaijani territory.

Without a constitutional amendment, any peace agreement risks being reversible by a future government, undermining the durability that transit-dependent economies in Asia need before committing serious capital to the region. Crucially, constitutional reform is neither exceptional nor unprecedented. States have repeatedly amended their fundamental laws in pursuit of peace and strategic interests. Ireland’s constitutional changes under the Good Friday Agreement remain the most prominent example, becoming the bedrock of peace settlement with the UK. Greece, for years, insisted on constitutional changes from Macedonia – ultimately leading to the Prespa Agreement and North Macedonia’s path towards Euro-Atlantic integration.

Pashinyan’s most viable path is likely a narrow, issue-specific coalition built around the peace-related provisions, framed as technical prerequisites for international normalization rather than partisan concessions. Whether he can secure the handful of additional votes needed will determine whether Armenia’s westward drift and the broader opening of the South Caucasus corridor become irreversible.

Why Asia Should Watch Closely

For governments and firms across Asia weighing where to route the next decade of Eurasian trade, energy, and mineral flows, the outcome of Armenia’s constitutional fight is not a peripheral post-Soviet story. It is a live test of whether one of the few remaining alternative corridors between Asia and Europe can finally be stabilized – and of who will set the terms. 

Chinese and Japanese planners alike have strong incentives to see the peace process succeed, even if neither is in a position to control how it unfolds. Moscow is already working to prevent it. Tehran is watching nervously. Beijing and Tokyo would do well to watch just as closely and strive for a South Caucasus that finally works.

By Eurasianet

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Armenia begins ratifying TRIPP agreement with US: foreign minister outlines ke

Babken Chilingarian
JAM News
July 16 2026
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Armenia has begun the process of ratifying the framework agreement on strategic cooperation with the United States under the TRIPP project.

The agreement concerns the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a transit route linking Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhichevan. The project forms part of the Armenian government’s Crossroads of Peace initiative, which aims to reopen regional transport links.

The government has approved the agreement and submitted it to the Constitutional Court. The court must now determine whether it complies with Armenia’s constitution.

“If the Constitutional Court finds that the obligations set out in this international agreement are compatible with Armenia’s constitution, we will submit it to the National Assembly in accordance with the established procedure and bring it before parliament for discussion,” Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said, outlining the next steps. Parliament must ratify the agreement before it can take effect.

Mirzoyan said Armenia must also finalise two more documents before it can complete the TRIPP project. They include a shareholders’ agreement and the charter of the TRIPP Development Company.

The foreign minister also commented on reports about the TRIPP+ fund. Britain’s The Guardian reported on the fund a day earlier, prompting questions in Armenia about the new structure. Mirzoyan said it was an American investment fund and would have only “an indirect connection” with the company that Armenia plans to establish.

Armenia and the United States initialled the framework agreement on strategic cooperation under the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity project on 26 May 2026.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took part in the initialling ceremony in Yerevan. They signed the agreement shortly afterwards through a remote procedure. Rubio signed it in Washington on 1 June, while Mirzoyan signed it in Yerevan on 4 June.

“To dispel any possible questions, I would like to note that international practice and Armenian legislation both provide for the signing of such non-simultaneous, remote agreements, and this is a widely accepted practice,” Ararat Mirzoyan said during today’s government meeting.

On 8 August 2025, the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States signed a joint declaration at a summit in Washington, marking the launch of the regional connectivity project. The declaration mentioned the Trump Route project for the first time.

Before that, Armenia and Azerbaijan had failed to reach agreement on the issue. Azerbaijan had demanded a route it called the “Zangezur Corridor”. Armenia said it was ready to reopen all transport links. At the same time, it firmly rejected the term “corridor”, arguing that it implied the loss of sovereign rights over its territory.

The parties reached a compromise only in Washington. They agreed that Armenia would retain sovereign control over the route, while the United States would join the project as a business partner.

  • US stake in TRIPP project to reach 74%, Yerevan and Washington say
  • Trump Route: Western illusion or turning point in South Caucasus?
  • “Trump Route” will create conditions for new investment in Armenia – economist
  • Pashinyan believes “Trump Route” will become a new component of Armenia’s security

“Armenia and the US will help strengthen peace in the South Caucasus”

According to Armenia’s foreign minister, the TRIPP project will help bring peace, stability and prosperity to the South Caucasus. He said it would achieve this by promoting:

  • transport connectivity;
  • infrastructure development; and
  • regional and global trade.

Under the framework agreement, Armenia and the United States will establish the TRIPP Development Company. The company will have the authority to create special purpose entities and bring in additional partners to implement individual projects in Armenia.

“The entire process, from the establishment of the development company to its future operations, will fully respect Armenia’s sovereignty, jurisdiction and territorial integrity,” Ararat Mirzoyan said.

He recalled that the development company would receive land use and development rights for the relevant areas. The parties have set the initial term at 49 years. The United States will hold a 74% stake in the company, while Armenia will own the remaining 26%. If the partnership continues for another 50 years, Armenia’s share will automatically increase to 49% after the first 49-year term.

“If the term is extended, Armenia will not need to take any additional steps to obtain its 49% stake,” the minister said.

Armenia will retain control over border, customs and migration procedures

The foreign minister again stressed that, in line with Armenia’s domestic legislation and international agreements, the Armenian authorities will continue to oversee:

  • security and the protection of rights;
  • border control and border security;
  • customs and migration procedures;
  • the collection of taxes and customs duties for the state budget;
  • state information systems; and
  • public administrative functions.

He said these guarantees should address public concerns about Armenia retaining its sovereign rights over the territory.

What is the link between the TRIPP Development Company and TRIPP+?

Britain’s The Guardian reported that the US State Department had appointed Konstantin Sokolov to lead the TRIPP+ trade fund. Sokolov is a US investor who was born in the Soviet Union and now lives in Chicago.

Armenian media quickly picked up the report. However, questions remained about the nature of the fund and its relationship with the company that Armenia plans to establish to implement the Trump Route project.

Journalists raised the issue during the government meeting. Ararat Mirzoyan replied that the agreement between Yerevan and Washington provides for the creation of the TRIPP Development Company.

“Its founders will be the Armenian government and the TRIPP Development Company-USA, which will be established in the United States,” Mirzoyan said.

As for TRIPP+, he said it is an American company established under the TRIPP Development Company-USA. Its role will be to attract investment for the project.

“From a legal perspective, TRIPP+ has only an indirect relationship with the TRIPP Development Company that will be established in Armenia,” the minister said..

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