Category: News

RA has officially received permission to export fish products to the EU

Emil Lazarian

In Armenia, the procedure for registering and terminating a business entity in the European Trade Control and Examination System (TRACES) for exporting fish or fish products to EU countries has been established. The relevant decision was adopted at the July 16 session of the Government.


As a result of the adoption of the decision, it will be possible to export frozen fish, processed fish and fish products from Armenia to the EU. The decision is aimed at diversifying markets and increasing export volumes.


From March 16, 2025, Armenia received permission to export fish and fish products to EU countries. According to the regulation of the European Commission, economic operators must be registered in the TRACES system in order to export. Prior to the registration of businessmen, the authorized body exercising state control in the given country must monitor the applications in terms of compliance with the requirements of the European Union.

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Narek Karapetyan got acquainted with the problems of residents in Agarak

Talar Tumanian

 


Narek Karapetyan, a member of the council of the “Strong Armenia” party, visited the Agarak community of Lori marz, got to know the residents and got to know their problems on the spot.


Residents of the community presented their problems, particularly mentioning the lack of permanent jobs and the problem of transportation.


According to them, transport has not been operating in Agarak for 2-3 months, which creates serious difficulties for the movement of residents, especially for those who need medical assistance.

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Soghoyan’s release has no political reasons and is related to the optimization process

Karagyozian Lena

Reductions in posts and personnel changes in polyclinics of the capital are exclusively the result of the optimization process and do not have any political context. This was announced to Factor.am by the mayor of Yerevan, Tigran Avinyan, commenting on the issue of dismissing Arpine Soghoyan from the position of the head of the department.


Responding to the question whether this decision is not related to the scandalous incident when Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan got into a tough and emotional fight with Soghoyan during the pre-election campaign, the mayor of Yerevan categorically denied such accusations. “The resolution of this issue has nothing to do with his political views, it was a decision made at a very early stage of optimization.”


The mayor explained that this process is systemic and started long before the incident. “In general, the optimization has started with us since 2022. medical centers are merging, and this process is continuous and not over yet.” Avinyan also added that reforms in the healthcare sector will continue. “Furthermore, new personnel changes are still expected there,” he said, emphasizing that all transfers and dismissals are made solely to increase the efficiency of the city’s medical facilities, and not for the purpose of political retaliation.

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People’s Party of Ukraine calls for the imposition of sanctions against those who preach hatred against the people of Artsakh

Toneyan Mark

 


On July 15, the Regional Center for Democracy and Security (RCSD) sent a letter to the heads of diplomatic missions of the European Union member states accredited in Armenia, other countries of the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Canada, calling for targeted sanctions, including visa restrictions, against those who have systematically spread hate speech against forcibly displaced refugees from Nagorno Karabakh.


The letter mentions five individuals: Roman Baghdasaryan, Aram Avetisyan, Anita Harutyunyan, Tatul Asilyan, and Ara Nersisyan, whose public statements and online activities have included xenophobic rhetoric, collective labeling, and calls for social isolation of refugees.


The PRC notes that these individuals were selected from a wider range of reported cases, given the particularly extreme nature of their rhetoric, the size of their public audience, and the role they played in fueling hostility towards forcibly displaced populations.


The letter argues that given the continued inaction and failure of domestic institutions to ensure accountability, the use of targeted measures by international partners will help prevent the spread of hatred and discrimination. The letter also includes links to the monthly reports of the PRC for March-June 2026.


The People’s Democratic Party to continue its work for the protection of the rights of refugees from Artsakh and democratic inclusion.

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The US-Israeli war against Iran cannot end with the latter’s defeat

Parkev Tvankchian

The puppet government of Armenia simply does not realize that the war between the USA and Israel against Iran cannot end with the latter’s defeat. No matter how long this war lasts and no matter how much destruction and deprivation it brings to Iran and its people, in the end, the USA and Israel will come out of this war defeated. And that’s when Pashinyan and his team will be held accountable for the US-Israeli-Azerbaijani-Turkish Turanakan or Zangezur corridor project, TRIPP (“Trump Road”).։


I have already repeatedly and thoroughly referred to the balance of forces, economic consequences and military perspectives of this conflict. Therefore, today I will draw attention to another, no less important aspect of it. It refers to the fact that in the USA there is serious resistance to the war against Iran not only within the framework of society and the opposition Democratic Party, but also at the highest level of state power.


The most significant representative of the “anti-war” wing of the Trump administration is Vice President JD Vance. In an interview with popular podcaster Joe Rogan on July 15, 2026, Vance made a series of controversial statements regarding Israel, Iran, and foreign influence on American politics. Here are some of them.

“I have absolutely no doubt that there were people within the Israeli government who tried to divert us from that policy because they wanted to continue the military campaign.”

“There are people within their system who are manipulating American public opinion and trying to change it so that the war goes on endlessly, not to achieve any goal, but simply endlessly.”

“They attack me like a maniac, claiming that we should not negotiate with Iran, but simply continue the military campaign indefinitely.”


“When I open Time magazine and see literally an entire foreign influence campaign being funded to undermine the very consensus I was working to achieve…my response is one thing. “Go to the writer’s lap.” I will do what is necessary for the American people. First of all, I represent the interests of Americans.”


“What worries me is that the American leadership is allowing this foreign influence to influence its judgments and the policies it advocates.”


“States do what states usually do… But your displeasure should be directed against American leaders who allow this to influence their decisions.”


All those who today despise the vital interests of Armenia and Iran should think seriously about these words. Basically, it is about the struggle of two opposing approaches within the US government. one bets on endless military escalation, and the other on political-diplomatic settlement. This circumstance is extremely important to understand how vulnerable and unstable Washington’s current policy towards Iran is.


Unfortunately, teaching the puppets and puppets has failed.



Doctor of political sciences, historian Armen Ayvazyan




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Verelq: It turned out that some people really want me not to be in the parliament

Yeghisabet Arthur

Peace out. the question is closed. I have proved that the mandate is a tenth for me. But this time, the topic of whether or not to give up my mandate was discussed a lot. I did not respond. This long pause has a name: a lousy check. I wanted to see who is who, who will receive what.


Now I say: I take the mandate. I give up my word so as not to give up the debt.


It turned out that some people really want me not to be in the parliament. I will not make them happy. From now on I will make happy only those who value me.


Without modesty, I don’t want problems to arise in the faction due to my absence.


The word is the word, but the awareness of the debt is more important.


At this stage it is my duty to be with the team. Especially next to Ishkhan Saghatelyan and Narek Karapetyan.


In the end, with or without a mandate, I am Aghvan Vardanyan. Who are you?


Aghvan Vardanyan, Member of Parliament of the National Assembly “Armenia” faction



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168: Manatin munnat: enclaves on the map and in brains

Babken Chilingarian

July 16, 2026


After the end of the parliamentary elections, as expected, the topic of exchange of so-called “enclaves” was again brought to the agenda.

After maintaining the power in the elections with the support of all foreign forces, including Azerbaijan at least, it is time to return the debts. And Nikol Pashinyan has started the propaganda of justifying the exchange of “enclaves”, in fact, the transfer of territories of strategic importance for Armenia to Azerbaijan.

In this matter, he was helped by… the monetary unit of Azerbaijan, on which Artsvashen is supposedly depicted in the form of an “enclave”, which is enough for Pashinyan to hand over the sovereign territories of Armenia to Azerbaijan.

Let’s leave aside that Pashinyan’s statement about it was another manipulation, because in fact, on all copies of the Azerbaijani banknote, the manat, printed after 2020, Artsvashen is not represented as an enclave (Armenia’s exclave), but as a part of the territory of Azerbaijan.

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Azerbaijan’s money, as you can see, has a magical effect on him and serves not only to maintain the power in Armenia, but also to carry out propaganda for the fulfillment of the obligations assumed in return.

Considering 2020 after the war, Pashinyan will succeed in handing over the enclaves. He will succeed because he was able to turn Armenia and Armenianness into an enclave in a broad sense.

In the physical sense, an enclave is a territory located in the territory of a foreign state and does not belong to that state. Not on the map, in terms of content, Armenia today is almost entirely an Azerbaijani enclave, in terms of the processes taking place in it.

Formally, Armenia does not belong to Azerbaijan, but the content of Armenian politics belongs to it. And one of the deep, invisible reasons for this is that Armenian thinking and public immunity, in general, have also turned into an enclave.

States survive and are viable primarily through internal public resistance, public consensus on fundamental issues. The tragedy is that not only the state policy of Armenia has been enclaved, but the collective thinking of the society and the political thought derived from it or tolerated by it.

The public consensus was only on the question of living well at any cost and not discriminating in any way to achieve that goal. And that means that after handing over the so-called enclaves to Azerbaijan at this stage for the officially promoted good living, tomorrow, for example, handing over part or all of the Sevan basin to Azerbaijan will be tolerated, and so on.

Today’s reality became possible after at some point the boundaries and red lines of society’s collective thinking were surrendered, turning public resistance into an enclave surrounded by material and modern pleasures or their illusions.

Public resistance can be awakened only when the abstract enclave of “good life” is in danger, which will continue to exist, including thanks to the Azerbaijani currency, the manat. Just like the current government of Armenia.



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If Argentina has the right to maintain its constitutional right to the Malvinas

Edgar Tavakalian

July 16, 2026


After Argentina’s victory over England in the semi-finals of the World Cup, the memory of the dispute over the Falkland Islands, Malvinas, came back into focus. Politicians, war veterans and commentators openly linked the meeting to the unresolved issue of sovereignty. Former RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan wrote about this.

“However, the fact that Argentina’s demand is not only political is often overlooked. it is fixed by the Constitution of the country. Since 1994, the Argentine Constitution defines the return of the Malvinas as a permanent national goal, at the same time clearly obliging the country to achieve this goal exclusively through peaceful means, diplomacy and within the framework of international law.

This raises an important question for Armenia. Azerbaijan claims that Armenia should remove all references to Nagorno Karabakh from its Constitution, presenting it as a precondition for peace. But if Argentina has the right to maintain its constitutional position regarding the Malvinas, while remaining faithful to the peaceful and diplomatic path, then why should Armenia be deprived of the same right? Constitutional aspiration, when pursued through dialogue and international law rather than the use of force, is not an obstacle to peace. it is a legitimate expression of national policy.

The real criterion is not whether the state upholds a constitutional requirement, but by what means it pursues it. “Peace is strengthened when states are committed to diplomacy, respect for international law and the protection of human rights, not when they are forced to erase their own history or abandon their constitutional principles,” he wrote.

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Execution of instructions: people who enjoy all this will understand

Jhanna Virabian

July 16, 2026

In May, when Nikol Pashinyan was still going to election campaigns in marzes, he announced in Shnogh community of Lori marz. “Very soon, the business backbone of PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan, Ararat Cement factory, will be state-owned and will belong to the Republic of Armenia.”

By the way, in this context, Pashinyan recalled the “successful” examples, including the history of the National People’s Congress.

The other day, after the regular session of the government, in a briefing with journalists, he reaffirmed: “Araratcement” will be state-owned very soon, and a manager will be appointed according to the established procedure.

Dictum ac factum, or what is said is done. The General Prosecutor’s Office issued a message today informing that “Araratcement” has been handed over to the administration of the Republic of Armenia.

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“As part of the proceedings for the confiscation of property of illegal origin, based on the petition of the General Prosecutor’s Office, Araratcement PB Company was handed over to the management and custody of the Republic of Armenia by the decision of the Anti-Corruption Court.

The decision was made within the framework of the confiscation of property of illegal origin, which was initiated against Gagik Tsarukyan and his related persons.

Let’s remind that in the same lawsuit, the Prosecutor’s Office also demands confiscation of 75 immovable properties, 42 vehicles, participation in 38 companies, as well as about 106 billion drams of illegally obtained property and funds in favor of the Republic of Armenia.

Human rights defender Nina Karapetyants 168․am– expressed his conviction that perhaps the prosecutor’s office does not present the whole truth, because in fact this is another public order given by the authorities.

“Different individuals and persons have been announced many times and mentioned by name, and it doesn’t matter how these people are treated, there have been statements of seizing businesses, making them homeless, and other kinds of expressions, and this is simply the execution of instructions,” the lawyer reminded.

Nina Karapetyants noticed, however, that what happened was expected and predictable, because, according to her, there were circles that were convinced that Nikol Pashinyan would follow this scenario if re-elected.

“Of course, this is very sad. there is a total violation of property rights, and this is not the first case. People who enjoy all of this should understand the negative implications of this from an investment perspective. any reasonable, common-sense person will never come and invest in an environment where a system called justice, based on the commitment of one person, a leader, is engaged in the process of dispossessing people.

This is very unfortunate from the point of view of the further development of Armenia, and people should realize that not having an economic investment will mean a very low rate of economic development, which in turn will lead to the fact that the increased pensions, medical insurance that people received before the elections as an “election bribe” may not be available at some point, because there will be no economic growth,” explained the human rights activist.

By the way, according to him, they will try to season these processes with “a fight against something, penny by penny, fish by fish… within stories, continuing to feed the public.”

Nina Karapetyants considers this outrageous behavior to be the problem of the structures and institutions that were supposed to prevent this process. According to him, the silence or incomprehensible behavior of both those institutions and the political society allow us to think that this will last forever.

“But, of course, this does not last forever in any country. so, I hope the society will understand as soon as possible that this type of government is, of course, destructive for the state, and it is necessary to explain to this type of government in advance that they are not in their place,” concluded the human rights defender.

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