Category: News

A magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded 15 km northeast of the Armenian town of Jermuk in the early hours of Friday.

The quake was recorded by the Seismic Protection Territorial Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on October 30 at 00:31 local time (October 29 at 20:31 GMT), at a depth of 10 km. 

The earthquake was felt at an intensity of 2-3 on the MSK scale in the town of Jermuk and the villages of Gndevaz and Saravan in Vayots Dzor Province, as well as in the villages of Gorayk and Sarnakunq in Syunik Province.

Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan attended the closing event of a three-day training course for Armenian police commanders, jointly organized by the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), on October 29 and presented certificates to the participating police officers.

The training, held on October 27–29, was titled “Human Rights in Policing Assemblies” and focused on planning and managing police operations during assemblies in accordance with international human rights standards.

In her remarks, the Human Rights Defender emphasized that despite reforms implemented over the years, challenges remain in ensuring the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, her office said in a press release.

She stressed the importance of continuously improving police officers’ knowledge and skills in this regard and addressing human rights-related issues in the field. At the same time, she highlighted the importance of ensuring proper and favorable working conditions for police officers.

Despite her critical stance on issues in the sector, Manasyan emphasized that the Office of the Human Rights Defender maintains a stable and effective partnership with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In this context, the Human Rights Defender pointed, among other things, to the high rate of implementation of her recommendations by state bodies in 2025, highlighting the increased rate of implementation of systemic recommendations by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Concluding her remarks, Anahit Manasyan thanked the OSCE ODIHR for its cooperation with the Office of the Human Rights Defender and for jointly organizing the training.

At the end of the training, certificates were presented to the participating police officers.

“The Human Rights Defender attaches importance to the continuous development of the professional capacities of personnel of competent authorities and the consistent observance of human rights standards during assemblies to ensure the full exercise and effective protection of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly,” Manasyan’s office said.

Armenian national team weightlifter Alexandra Grigoryan is set to compete at the World Weightlifting Championships in Ningbo, China, on October 30.

Grigoryan, a European champion and multiple medal winner, as well as a World Championships bronze medalist, will compete in the women’s 57kg category.

The competition is scheduled to begin at 12:00 Yerevan time.

Earlier, Armenia’s Garnik Cholakyan competed in the men’s 65kg category, finishing 18th overall.

Alexandra Grigoryan has won Armenia’s first medal at the 2026 World Weightlifting Championships in China, taking bronze in the clean and jerk event in the women’s 57kg category.

Grigoryan had only one successful attempt in the snatch, lifting 85kg. She failed to lift 90kg in her next two attempts. In the clean and jerk, she successfully lifted 114kg and 120kg, securing the bronze medal in the event.

With a total of 205kg, Grigoryan finished fourth overall.

Armenian freestyle wrestler Vazgen Tevanyan has become world runner-up.

In the 65kg final at the World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, Tevanyan faced Bo Bassett of the United States.

Tevanyan lost 9–1, taking the silver medal.

Ambassador of Armenia to the United States Narek Mkrtchyan participated in a roundtable discussion organized by the Virginia/DC District Export Council.

In his remarks during the event, Ambassador Mkrtchyan presented the bilateral agenda between Armenia and the United States, discussed prospects for cooperation across various sectors, and highlighted Armenia’s investment potential, the embassy said.

Ambassador Mkrtchyan also held a brief conversation with David Bolls, Deputy Associate Administrator for the Office of Manufacturing and Trade at the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The Virginia/DC District Export Council brings together representatives of the private and public sectors who support the promotion of U.S. exports and the development of the business community by providing expert advice and mentoring support.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Mnatsakan Safaryan held meetings in New Delhi on October 29 with the Confederation of Indian Industry, the investment promotion agency Invest India, and the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil).

The Deputy Minister presented Armenia’s economic development potential and current trends, as well as steps being taken to diversify export markets. He emphasized the new economic opportunities created by expanding connectivity amid the establishment of peace in the region, according to a ministry press release.

The two sides discussed prospects for developing Armenia-India trade, economic and investment cooperation, particularly opportunities to deepen collaboration in information technology and high technology, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, and transport links.

Both sides emphasized the importance of establishing direct contacts between the business communities of the two countries, making more effective use of existing potential, and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation.

Eduard Hakobyan, Chairman of Armenia’s State Revenue Committee (SRC), participated in the global event of the Smart Customs project at the World Customs Organization (WCO) headquarters in Brussels.

Delivering the keynote address at the opening session, he presented Armenia’s vision and initiatives for the technological transformation of customs administration, the SRC said in a press release.

Hakobyan presented Armenia’s vision for the digital transformation of tax and customs administration, the main areas of the Smart Border program, and initiatives involving e-commerce management and the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The SRC Chairman highlighted the importance of applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to risk assessment, X-ray image analysis, anomaly detection, and improving the effectiveness of customs controls.

He also addressed the Smart Border program, which envisages the introduction of a unified electronic platform for border crossing points, advance cargo information systems, and electronic truck queue management systems. Other planned measures include weigh-in-motion systems, AI-assisted X-ray scanning, electronic seals for transit shipments, and remote release of goods where no risks are identified.

Regarding e-commerce, it was noted that the number of courier consignments arriving in Armenia from third countries increased from 1.8 million in 2022 to 6.9 million in 2025. To respond to this growth, initiatives were presented involving a special customs declaration, obtaining information on the value of goods from online marketplaces, and identifying risks associated with commercial imports.

The SRC Chairman also emphasized the importance of a responsible approach to the use of artificial intelligence, including data protection and continuous oversight. He announced Armenia’s intention to use the WCO’s AI and Machine Learning Readiness Self-Assessment Tool and share the results with other member countries, stressing the importance of international cooperation and professional capacity development.

The World Customs Organization’s Smart Customs project is funded by the Customs Cooperation Fund of China (CCF-China). The project aims to support customs administrations in exploring and applying advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and other innovative solutions, to improve the effectiveness of customs controls and facilitate legitimate trade.

Within the framework of the project, practical, legal, organizational, and technical aspects of technology adoption, as well as the needs and experience of member countries, are being examined. Regional and global events, national case studies, and an online community platform are used to promote knowledge exchange and cooperation among customs administrations. One of the project’s outputs is an updated WCO study on disruptive technologies, building on the joint WCO/WTO report published in 2022.

The global Smart Customs event, held at WCO headquarters in Brussels, is dedicated to reviewing the project’s results, presenting the updated study, and discussing future opportunities for the application of technology in the customs sector. Representatives of customs administrations, international organizations, and other stakeholders are participating in the event.

Armenia’s Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan participated on October 29 in a panel discussion held as part of COP17 in Yerevan on issues ranging from the legal interpretation of environmental principles to their practical application and ensuring effective environmental protection.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the discussion was an opportunity for Vardapetyan to present the experience of the Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia in ensuring environmental justice.

She also addressed the return of illegally alienated environmentally significant lands, the elimination of legislative and law enforcement gaps that lead to environmental damage, and prosecutorial measures aimed at protecting wildlife and biodiversity.

Addressing the work carried out by the Prosecutor’s Office to protect state and community interests, Vardapetyan emphasized the importance of preserving specially protected natural areas, including green spaces.

“An important principle underlying our work is that specially protected natural areas, including green spaces, cannot be privately owned; they belong to the present and future generations of Armenia,” the Prosecutor General said, adding that, as a result of the Prosecutor’s Office’s successful lawsuits and prosecutorial measures, state and community ownership rights over environmentally significant lands have been restored in various regions of Armenia and in Yerevan.

The Prosecutor General’s Office reported the following returned lands:

In Yerevan, in the area adjacent to the TV tower, the Republic of Armenia’s ownership rights have been restored over six land plots with a total area of 7.5 hectares, valued at no less than $9.215 million.

A 67-hectare environmentally significant land plot located within Dilijan National Park has been returned to the possession of the Dilijan community. Its value is estimated at no less than $12.436 million.

In the Ararat and Vayots Dzor provinces, approximately 5,330 hectares of environmentally significant land have been returned to the possession of the Republic of Armenia, with a value of at least $167.347 million.

In the coastal zone of Lake Sevan, as a result of measures taken since December 2025 based on prosecutorial intervention, approximately 12 hectares of recreational land have been cleared of illegal structures. Forty-one land plots, valued at no less than $1.696 million, have been returned to the possession and use of the Republic of Armenia and the Sevan National Park.

The Prosecutor General emphasized that the institutional role of the Prosecutor’s Office in the environmental sector is not limited to protecting state and community interests. The Prosecutor’s Office also focuses on legislative and law enforcement gaps that may lead to environmental damage.

As an example, Vardapetyan presented the findings of a study conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office following the flooding of the Debed River in May 2024. The study identified shortcomings in the legal regulations governing land use and construction in the coastal areas of the Debed and Aghstev rivers. The Prosecutor’s Office appealed to the Government, proposing that the necessary steps be taken to approve the river basin management plan and define the list of lands belonging to the water fund.

“The purpose of the initiative was not only to provide a legal assessment of the events that had taken place, but also to help reduce the risks of similar disasters in the future,” Anna Vardapetyan stressed.

Addressing the legislation governing the use of national park lands, she also presented the Prosecutor’s Office’s proposals aimed at preventing improper land use and damage to natural landscapes in specially protected natural areas.

“Expanding opportunities for economic activity in specially protected natural areas must not lead to improper land use, the degradation of natural landscapes and, ultimately, harm to the public interest,” the Prosecutor General emphasized.

Anna Vardapetyan also referred to a specific example of prosecutorial intervention aimed at protecting wildlife.

“Three brown bears listed in the Red Book, which were being kept in violation of legal requirements in the courtyard of an apartment building in one of Yerevan’s residential neighborhoods, were transferred on March 19, 2025, as a result of prosecutorial intervention and within the framework of criminal proceedings, to the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets, in the settlement of Urtsadzor in the Vedi community, where they were placed in the Foundation’s care to ensure their further welfare. This example demonstrates that legal proceedings aimed at protecting wildlife cannot be limited solely to recording a violation or bringing charges. It is also necessary to ensure the safe relocation, protection and proper subsequent care of the animals,” Anna Vardapetyan said.

Addressing the Prosecutor’s Office’s international cooperation in combating environmental offenses, the Prosecutor General highlighted the fact that the Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia had joined the European Network of Prosecutors for the Environment (ENPE) as an observer.

In conclusion, Vardapetyan emphasized that environmental justice requires consistent work at every stage of the legal process, from the interpretation of environmental principles to the investigation of violations, judicial assessment, implementation of legal measures and prevention of further damage.

“The rule of law and environmental protection are not separate objectives. And it is our responsibility to ensure tangible and visible results for the protection of nature, the biosphere, biodiversity and the human genome,” Anna Vardapetyan said.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Armenia Robert Abisoghomonyan met with OSCE Co-ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities Bakyt Dzhusupov on the sidelines of COP17 in Yerevan.

According to the ministry’s press release, Abisoghomonyan welcomed the OSCE being granted observer status at COP17, praising the organization’s active participation and engagement in the work of the Conference.

The meeting also addressed issues on the Armenia-OSCE cooperation agenda.

The importance of OSCE programs implemented in Armenia and the need to ensure the continuity of initiatives aimed at strengthening Armenia’s national capacities were emphasized.

The sides exchanged views on recent regional developments. In this context, they discussed opportunities to promote connectivity across the OSCE area.