Category: News

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Yerevan and Baku are not discussing the reciprocal return of Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

“We have not discussed, and are not discussing, the issue of the return of Azerbaijanis, nor are we discussing the return of Armenians from Karabakh or Baku, or Armenians from other places. Discussions in both directions have a provocative effect on the current political situation and tend to inflame each other,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing.

Pashinyan branded those promoting the narratives as engaging in “cheap political manipulation,” pointing to the Strong Armenia party and its leader, businessman Samvel Karapetyan.

The prime minister added that both issues are being kept on the political agenda in an escalatory manner by the same forces.

“At first they escalate one issue; if it does not produce sufficient effect, they escalate the other. It is cheap political manipulation, nothing more. For example, I am sure the oligarch from Kaluga does not even understand what he is talking about—he is given instructions and he speaks,” Nikol Pashinyan said, referring to Samvel Karapetyan.

Strong Armenia party members have been making allegations that Pashinyan has supposedly agreed to ensure the “return of 300,000 Azerbaijanis” to Armenia.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia, as a founding member of the Board of Peace, should make its share of financial contributions to the international body.

Speaking at a press briefing after a Cabinet meeting where a bill on ratifying the Board of Peace Charter was approved, Pashinyan told reporters that it does not envisage financial obligations for the country and is based on a voluntary principle.

“We should contribute to the extent we can. Armenia has no obligations, but I believe we should participate—and we will participate,” the prime minister said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed the Board of Peace Charter alongside other world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22.

Pashinyan was invited to sign the charter as a founding member by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The bill on ratifying the Board of Peace Charter will now be sent to parliament. 

Armenia has reaffirmed its firm commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons during the general debate of the 11th Review Conference at the United Nations, stressing the need for tangible steps to advance disarmament efforts and reduce the risks of nuclear conflict.

This was stated in a release issued by Armenia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. The delegation also highlighted the important role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in promoting international cooperation on nuclear safety.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Belgium and representative to the EU, Tigran Balayan, has thanked the European Parliament for adopting a resolution in support of Armenia’s democratic resilience.

Balayan expressed his gratitude in a post on the social media platform X.

“Grateful to MEPs for adopting this timely resolution ahead of the EPC and EU–Armenia summits in Yerevan. A strong signal of support by European Parliament for Armenia’s democratic resilience and our shared commitment to deeper partnership,” he wrote.

At a plenary session of the European Parliament on April 30, a resolution on Armenia was adopted, reaffirming EU support for Armenia’s democratic development, the peace process and reforms aimed at European integration.

The resolution was supported by 476 Members of the European Parliament, with 47 voting against and 48 abstaining.

The 8th European Political Community Summit and the first-ever EU–Armenia summit, to be held next week in Yerevan, are highly important in terms of boosting the country’s international standing, improving the security environment, and deepening ties with the EU, according to the head of a prominent educational organization.

In an interview with Armenpress, For Equal Rights Educational Center President and former lawmaker Gayane Abrahamyan said the importance for Armenia is not limited to the upcoming event but is of a continuous nature, starting from the first European Political Community summit.

“Since the very first summit in 2022, when the Prague agreements were adopted and it was decided to deploy the European Union monitoring mission in Armenia, this format has consistently emphasized cooperation with Armenia and support, particularly in the security sphere,” Abrahamyan said.

She noted that the European Political Community format, which includes both EU member states and partner countries, has at various stages contributed to strengthening Armenia’s security, including through practical decisions. In this context, the summit to be held in Yerevan has particular significance as it is taking place in Armenia.

Abrahamyan stressed that holding the event in Yerevan also sends an important political and security message.

“Even taking into account regional tensions, including the wartime situation around Iran, the fact that the summit is being held in Armenia shows that the European Union considers Armenia a reliable partner and a secure country,” she said.

According to her, the event also serves as an indirect signal to the international community and business circles.

“When one of the important EU summits is held in Armenia, it is in itself a message that Armenia is a partner country where investments can also be made. This is part of the process of increasing Armenia’s visibility and becoming an important actor on the map,” Abrahamyan said.

The expert said the summit will contribute to enhancing Armenia’s international reputation.

She added that this impact is further emphasized by the fact that the first EU–Armenia summit will be held alongside the EPC summit, with the participation of European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“This is extremely high-level participation, which increases Armenia’s role in the region. It is also a political message that Armenia is seen as an important anchor for the European Union,” she said.

Speaking about expectations regarding peace and security in the South Caucasus, Abrahamyan said it is important to consider possible EU involvement in the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process.

“Although the current format is primarily bilateral negotiations, the European Union can play an important role both politically and financially,” she said.

She added that EU involvement could create additional security guarantees and contribute to the stability of the peace process.

“American mediation alone is not sufficient, and in this regard, EU participation can raise the level of security and strengthen the process,” Abrahamyan said.

Speaking about economic and investment opportunities, she stressed that the summit agenda prioritizes energy, transport, and digital connectivity.

“These are the main areas where discussions are planned in the context of peace, security, and connectivity development in Armenia,” she said.

A leading international relations and security analyst has said that by hosting the European Political Community Summit, as well as the first-ever EU–Armenia summit, Armenia enhances its role in international affairs.

In an interview with Armenpress, Sossi Tatikyan, President and Co-Founder of the Yerevan Centre for Foreign and Security Policy, an independent think tank, recalled the first two meetings of the European Political Community (EPC), the first of which was held in Prague in 2022 and the second in Granada in 2023.

She noted that the first high-level event to be held in Yerevan in May—the 8th European Political Community Summit—has no direct link to Armenia in terms of content, and that Yerevan is simply the host, but added that hosting the event highlights Armenia’s position as one of the EU’s closest partners.

“These meetings have been very important for us because decisions directly related to Armenia were adopted, particularly at the Prague summit. In the case of Granada, a supportive decision was also made regarding us, but as you may recall, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev boycotted the meeting, using as a pretext a statement by the French foreign minister that Paris would begin supplying arms to Armenia,” Tatikyan said.

She highlighted that European Political Community meetings are held in EU member states as well as in candidate or partner countries.

“What makes hosting this summit in Yerevan important is, first, that it demonstrates the high level of relations with the European Union and the fact that we are, in effect, among its closest partner countries. Second, as a small country, it is a major opportunity to host such a large number of heads of state, as well as the leadership of the European Union,” she said.

According to the expert, hosting such an event in Yerevan also highlights Armenia’s role as a factor in international relations.

“This is about the fact that Armenia, as a small state, is increasing its role by hosting such an event. The fact that the EU’s top leadership and a large number of world leaders will visit Armenia is already very important for the country’s visibility and international standing,” Tatikyan said, expressing confidence that Yerevan will be able to host the events at a high level.

She also noted an additional interesting factor, pointing out that despite the war in neighbouring Iran, the European Union did not change its decision to hold the summit in Armenia.

“When the war in Iran began, I personally had concerns that the EU might decide not to hold the event in Armenia due to security issues. However, we see that the venue was not changed. This says a lot—it shows a certain level of trust in Armenia’s ability to ensure security. It means Armenia is considered a safe country capable of hosting such a high-level event,” she said.

Speaking about the EU-Armenia summit to be held after the EPC summit, Tatikyan stressed that it represents another step on the path of European integration.

“As an advocate of the European Union, I would very much like Armenia’s aspirations for future membership to be formalized at that summit, meaning an official application for EU membership. However, I have no such information, and I do not think such a risky step will be taken ahead of elections in Armenia. In any case, the summit is another step that brings the EU’s highest leadership to Armenia,” she said.

Tatikyan also suggested that the European Union could become more involved in Armenia–Azerbaijan dialogue.

“It could relate to the unblocking of communications, Armenia’s participation in the Middle Corridor, and other infrastructure projects,” Tatikyan concluded.

The Armenian government approved on Thursday a Defense Ministry proposal to provide housing to nearly 3,000 servicemen, some of whom have been on waiting lists since the 1990s or 2000s.

Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, speaking at the Cabinet meeting, said the program will be implemented in four phases and aims to resolve long-standing housing issues for beneficiaries.

Papikyan said the initiative targets 2,850 beneficiaries who have served under the Defense Ministry or are otherwise eligible.

The program will be implemented through a mortgage lending mechanism, with 90% of financing provided by the government via banks and the remaining 10% covered by the Defense Ministry’s annual budget.

Under the plan, 735 beneficiaries will be provided housing in 2027, 812 in 2028, 719 in 2029, and 584 in 2030.

Beneficiaries include contract servicemen and civil servants in the defense system, former servicemen discharged on legal grounds, persons with service-related disabilities, and families of fallen or deceased servicemen.

Member of Parliament Hayk Konjoryan, head of the ruling Civil Contract party faction, has held a meeting with Khalil Shirgholami, Iran’s ambassador to Armenia.

According to a readout issued by the parliament’s press service, Konjoryan and Ambassador Shirgholami “emphasized the importance of efforts aimed at establishing long-term and lasting peace in the region.”

They also discussed prospects for developing interparliamentary ties between Armenia and Iran.

The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 30 April, USD exchange rate down by 0.41 drams to 370.78 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.14 drams to 434.41 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0088 drams to 4.9378 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 501.41 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 571 drams to 53907 drams.

A new batch of cargo has been transported from the Russian Federation to Armenia via the territory of Azerbaijan.

This was reported by Azerbaijani media. It was noted that four wagons of grain, totalling 279 tonnes, and three wagons of fertiliser, totalling 203 tonnes, departed from Bilajari station towards Boyuk-Kesik.

It was reported that to date, more than 25,000 tonnes of grain, over 1,600 tonnes of fertiliser and 68 tonnes of buckwheat have been transported from Russia to Armenia via Azerbaijan in transit.

In addition to transit transportation, petroleum products are also exported from Azerbaijan to Armenia.