April 30, 2026
Recently, a meeting of the Armenia-Turkey joint working group took place in Kars. According to the statement of the RA Foreign Ministry, in accordance with the agreements reached within the framework of the regulation of Armenia-Turkey relations, on April 28, a meeting of the Armenia-Turkey joint working group for the restoration and operation of the Gyumri-Kars railway was held in Kars.
“In the context of the expansion of transport communications in the region, the parties emphasized the importance of the early launch of the Gyumri-Kars railway,” the message stated.
It is noteworthy that the event was welcomed by Armenia’s western partners, the USA and the EU, describing it as a significant, historical event. The US Embassy in Armenia issued a statement and welcomed the taking of these concrete steps in the direction of reopening economic and social ties between Armenia and Turkey, which had been closed for decades.
“Historical progress on the way to building a peaceful and prosperous South Caucasus.
A meeting of Armenian and Turkish officials took place in Kars to form a joint working group on the reconstruction of the Kars-Gyumri railway. The restoration of this key link between Armenia and Turkey is an important step in opening regional channels and ensuring regional stability.
Grounds for such turning developments were prepared at the Washington summit hosted by President Trump on August 8.
The US Embassy in Armenia welcomes the taking of these concrete steps in the direction of reopening economic and social ties between Armenia and Turkey, which have been closed for decades,” the message said.
The EU also welcomed the April 28 meeting of the Armenia-Turkey bilateral working group in Kars, which, according to official reports, aimed to promote the restoration of railway connections between the two countries.
“The stable progress of the Armenia-Turkey relations normalization process reflects the broader positive dynamics emerging in the region, which is important for long-term peace and stability. The EU encourages the full normalization of relations between the two countries.
Once operational, the Kars-Gyumri railway connection will strengthen regional communication and provide concrete benefits for the entire population of the South Caucasus. The EU is committed to developing communications in the South Caucasus in line with our interregional connectivity agenda, the Global Gateway strategy and the Trans-Caspian transport corridor, where Armenia and Turkey both play an important role,” the EU statement said.
Russian Turkologist Viktor Nadein-Raevsky 168.amsaid that judging by the fact of the meeting and the limited information spread, no historical progress was registered during that meeting. “It is not clear what the parties agreed on,” he said.
And if progress was registered, then, according to him, there should have been some information about it included in the message.
“All this at this stage looks like a process with mostly artificially inflated results. The opening of the border or the restoration of diplomatic relations would be a historic event, but the meeting of the working groups is like a meeting of special representatives, moreover, it is unclear what issues were discussed, what progress is being made and what will follow this process. It is also not known what is the progress of the agreements reached during the meetings of the special representatives. There are meetings, but there is no real progress, implementation of agreements, because Armenia and Azerbaijan have not yet signed a document by which and the real Armenian-Turkish progress is determined,” Victor Nadein-Raevsky said.
According to him, the parties interested in the process are trying to give the impression that it is moving forward with great pace and results.
“And why are they doing this, because they cannot provide real results, as a player, and they want to show results, so that there is an impression that peace in the region is being strengthened, peaceful processes are unfolding,” the analyst said.
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168: Pashinyan “relinquished” his service in the border guard forces of the NSS
April 30, 2026
On April 29, with the article “Is Anna Vardapetyan saving the director of the NSS or did she resort to “innocent manipulation”?” article: have published, which you don’t know why, caused “commotion” in the General Prosecutor’s Office, when it is based on dry facts, and we only tried to show that mentioning the cases recorded in the border guard troops under the National Security Service among the number of deaths recorded in the RA Armed Forces or in the context is misleading and manipulative.
And today, on April 30, during the briefing organized after the Government session, Nikol Pashinyan, referring to the service of the border guards, said the following wording did
“I am the prime minister of the Republic of Armenia, but I may not know if there is a question about how the border guard of the Republic of Armenia performs his service, with what logic, because it is a matter of my agenda. no”.
Let’s remind that the Border Guard troops are under the National Security Service, and the Security Service is directly subordinated to Nikol Pashinyan.
In particular, attached to Nikol Pashinyan’s decision of June 28, 2018 on approving the RA NSS statute and structure հավելվածի՝ In the section related to NSS administration and management, it is stated that “The National Security Service is managed by the Prime Minister.” And the director of the National Security Service “manages the organizations and institutions assigned to the national security service”.
In other words, how the border guard will serve, what will happen in the border guard troops, both Nikol Pashinyan and NSS director Andranik Simonyan, and of course the NSS border guard troops commander, are responsible here. Now, when Nikol Pashinyan, who a few days ago, again with pride declared that in the demarcated part of Tavush Marz, the border guard troops of Armenia and Azerbaijan carry out their service without helmets, without body armor, and with rifle magazines not on rifles, but in bags.
Can we say that Nikol Pashinyan puts all the responsibility in this case on the director of the NSS? And in the event that, during the question-and-answer session with journalists, he stated that Armenian border guards will be stationed in the border areas with Iran and Turkey step by step, along with the strengthening of the state’s capabilities.
“According to the agreement signed with Russia in the early 1990s, it is envisaged that along with the capacity of the RA border guard troops, we should take the border under the control of our border guard troops. We also make payments to the Russian border guards for guarding the border. It happened in the past when the Russian partners raised the issue of increasing these amounts, because these amounts are not enough to provide that service.
We also calculate that there is a topic of increasing these funds, we can spend them on developing our border guard capabilities, and little by little, as much as we have the opportunity, the Russian partners will fit in the amount, which is not too difficult for us to pay, and we will take over the control of the remaining parts of the border. This is provided for in the contract,” Pashinyan elaborated.
It should be noted that the Armenian border guards have already replaced the Russian border guards on the border with Turkey At the “Akhurik” checkpoint. The same practice also applies to those on the border with Iran At the “Agarak” checkpoint.
Armenia-Turkey state border from February this year “Prophet” the border service at the crossing point is also carried out exclusively by the forces of the RA border guard troops.
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RFE/RL – Ukraine’s Zelenskyy ‘Expected’ In Yerevan For European Summit
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Thursday that he expects Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend next week’s European Political Community summit in Yerevan.
The summit scheduled for Monday is due to bring together leaders of European Union member and partner states as well as Canada. The EU initiated the annual forums following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Citing unnamed government sources, the Armenian newspaper 168 Zham reported earlier this week that Zelenskyy will arrive in the Armenian capital. Pashinian said in this regard that he has been invited to attend the upcoming summit.
“Yes, we are expecting all members of the European political community, including the president of Ukraine,” he told reporters.
A diplomatic source in Brussels told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that Zelenskyy is expected to attend the summit. His participation has not yet been officially confirmed. The Ukrainian leader visited neighboring Azerbaijan last week.
His anticipated trip to Yerevan could add to Armenia’s lingering tensions with Russia. President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have warned in recent weeks that the South Caucasus country, which still hosts a Russian military base, would pay a heavy economic price for its government’s continued drift to the EU.
Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said in July 2024 that Yerevan should not follow Kyiv’s example in reorienting Armenian foreign policy towards the West. Another Russian official claimed earlier that Pashinian is “following in Zelenskyy’s footsteps” and helping the West “turn Armenia into another Ukraine.”
Pashinian for the first time publicly denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2024. An Armenian diplomatic source told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service at the time that Zelenskyy is planning to visit Yerevan in March 2024. The visit did not take place, however.
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Armenian Man Risks Jail For Insulting Top Law-Enforcement Official
- Satenik Kaghzvantsian
A resident of Gyumri went on trial on Thursday three months after describing as a “clown” the head of an Armenian law-enforcement agency prosecuting Catholicos Garegin II and other senior clergymen at odds with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
The 36-year-old man, Mher Khachatrian, lambasted Investigative Committee chief Artur Poghosian in a social media post that followed the latter’s February 1 interview with Armenian Public Television. He said Poghosian is an “unprincipled clown” who “proved that he serves not the law and the people but the whims of a maniacal antichrist.”
Khachatrian also accused the Investigative Committee of executing Pashinian’s illegal orders to obstruct an upcoming episcopal conference of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Austria. Later in February, the committee stopped Garegin and six bishops from attending the gathering by bringing criminal charges against them.
The law-enforcement agency also charged Khachatrian with spreading “defamatory information” about the work of Poghosian and other investigators. Khachatrian, who avoided pre-trial arrest, will face up to five years in prison if found guilty by a local court. He said at the start of his trial that the criminal case is part of government efforts to stifle dissent in the country.
The Gyumri man has denounced Pashinian’s controversial efforts to depose Garegin that have been accompanied by arrests and prosecutions of many priests. He is a staunch supporter of the Gyumri-based Archbishop Mikael Ajapanian, who was arrested last June and subsequently sentenced to two years in prison on charges of calling for a violent regime change. Ajapahian was moved to house arrest in February.
Khachatrian is not the only person prosecuted for their anti-government statements made on social media. Armenian prosecutors have not denied reports that they are monitoring people posting angry comments about Pashinian and other state officials and have ordered criminal investigations into some of them. The total number of such criminal cases remains unknown.
Also in February, a young Yerevan resident was arrested for posting an offensive video about Pashinian on the TikTok platform. Another Pashinian critic, a 55-year-old woman from the northwestern town of Akhurian, was prosecuted for making a disparaging statement about the prime minister and his family in a private message sent online.
No political allies or other supporters of Pashinian are known to have been prosecuted for offending or voicing threats against opposition politicians. In late December, one government loyalist publicly called for the murder of Garegin, the supreme head of the Armenian Church. The Investigative Committee did not charge him.
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Armenia To Make Undisclosed Payment To Trump’s ‘Board Of Peace’
The Armenian government on Thursday pledged to make a financial contribution to U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative but declined to disclose its amount.
Armenia is one of more than two dozen nations, including Azerbaijan and Turkey, that have accepted Trump’s invitation to join the new body tasked with resolving international conflicts. Their leaders, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, signed its founding charter in Switzerland in January.
Pashinian’s cabinet formally recommended parliamentary ratification of the charter during a weekly meeting. The Armenian Finance Ministry said ahead of the meeting that Yerevan will have to finance its participation in the Board of Peace.
“I believe that the Republic of Armenia must move beyond the status of a poor relative,” Pashinian told journalists.
“Armenia has no obligations, but I think we should participate and we will participate [financially,]” he said, refusing to reveal how much his government will contribute.
A participating country must pay $1 billion for permanent membership in the Board of Peace. Otherwise, it will serve a three-year term which can be renewed at Trump’s discretion.
None of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council other than the United States has joined the initiative. Other major Western nations such as Germany and Italy have also shunned it, highlighting concerns that the U.S.-led body could undermine the work of the United Nations.
Trump claims to have ended multiple international conflicts, including the Armenian-Azerbaijani dispute, since returning to power more than a year ago. The U.S. president hosted last August talks between Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House which resulted in the finalizing of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty. Also, Pashinian pledged during those talks to open a U.S.-administered transit corridor for Azerbaijan through a key Armenian region.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance lavished praise on the Armenian premier and endorsed him ahead of Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections when he visited Yerevan in February. Vance said Pashinian’s reelection is essential for the launch of the transit arrangement to be named after Trump.
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RFE/RL – Pashinian On Defensive Over Baku’s Demands For ‘Return Of West Azeri
- Ruzanna Stepanian
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian rejected on Thursday renewed opposition claims that he will make further concessions to Azerbaijan and, in particular, allow a mass influx of Azerbaijanis into Armenia in case of winning of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
At least two of Pashinian’s main election challengers are seizing upon Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s repeated demands for Yerevan to ensure the return of Azerbaijanis who lived in Soviet Armenia until the late 1980s. Baku has said that as many as 300,000 Azerbaijanis must now be allowed to settle in Armenia.
That is essential for ending the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Aliyev said in December two days after Pashinian again declared that peace has already been established between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a result of their U.S.-brokered agreements reached in Washington in August.
“The issue of the return of West Azerbaijanis will not be removed from Azerbaijan’s agenda until it is resolved,” Aliyev declared last June.
Armenian opposition groups claim that having already made major unilateral concessions to Baku, Pashinian would bow to these demands as well. The issue is used by two of those groups led by businessmen Samvel Karapetian and Gagik Tsarukian as a key line of pre-election attack on the ruling Civil Contract party.
“We will make Armenia the homeland of 10 million Armenians [around the world,] while Pashinian wants to make it the homeland of 3 million Armenians and 300,000 Azerbaijanis,” Karapetian told journalists on Wednesday.
Tsarukian also makes such claims during his pre-election meetings in various parts of the country.
“They [the Armenian government] have raised the property tax,” he said earlier this week. “Are they suggesting that people sell their houses and leave so that those 300,000 Azerbaijanis come, buy them and stay here?”
Pashinian dismissed the opposition allegations as “cheap political speculation.” He hit out at Karapetian whose Strong Armenia bloc is emerging as Civil Contract’s main challenger in the June 7 elections.
“I’m 100 percent sure that the oligarch [from the Russian city of] Kaluga doesn’t understand what he’s saying and why he’s saying it,” he told a news briefing in Yerevan. “He is saying what he is instructed to say.”
The allegations picked up by some media outlets intensified on Wednesday as an Azerbaijani government delegation led by Armenian-born Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev visited Armenia for further talks on the demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and establishment of bilateral commercial ties. Pashinian insisted that Aliyev’s demands for the “return of West Azerbaijanis” were not on the agenda of the talks.
“We have never discussed and are not discussing such an issue with Azerbaijan,” he said. “We are also not discussing with Azerbaijan the issue of the return of Armenians from Karabakh and Baku because discussions in both directions have a provocative effect on the current political situation and can inflame one another.”
Former President Robert Kocharian, who leads another major opposition group running in the elections, rejected this week Pashinian’s parallels between Aliyev’s demands and the Karabakh Armenians’ right to return to their homeland recaptured by Baku in 2023.
“The Artsakh issue is a totally different topic because Artsakh had a status in Soviet times and Artsakh’s self-determination was entirely within the framework of internationally accepted principles,” argued Kocharian.
Even before the unfolding election campaign, Armenian opposition leaders maintained that Baku will continue to make more demands on Yerevan despite unilateral concessions already made by Pashinian. They claimed that Aliyev’s ultimate goal is to end Armenia’s existence as a viable state.
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Two Russian citizens arrested at Yerevan airport in back-to-back cash smugglin
Two Russian citizens have been placed under house arrest in Armenia after authorities uncovered separate cases of large-scale cash smuggling at Yerevan’s Zvartnots Airport.
The State Revenue Committee, which oversees customs, said in a statement that together with National Security Service operatives it obtained information indicating that a Russian citizen identified by the initials R.T. had conspired to smuggle a large amount of cash from Russia to Armenia.
Upon arrival at Zvartnots Airport, the suspect was searched, and authorities found 65 million Russian rubles in undeclared cash, equivalent to about 321 million Armenian drams.
The case was referred to the Investigative Committee, and a court later ordered house arrest for the suspect.
One day later, authorities found an additional 7.6 million Russian rubles in undeclared cash—about 37 million drams —in the possession of a relative of the suspect who had also arrived in Armenia. The second individual, also a Russian national, was likewise placed under house arrest by court order.
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Municipal council member running for parliament on ‘Strong Armenia’ ticket sus
A member of a municipal council in Armenia’s Lori Province is suspected of facilitating financial inducements to secure attendance at a “Strong Armenia” party rally held in Yerevan on April 11, according to law enforcement agencies.
The Investigative Committee released only the suspect’s initials, V.A., who is a member of the Gyulagarak municipal council and is running for parliament on the “Strong Armenia” ticket.
To secure attendance at a “Strong Armenia” party rally in Yerevan on April 11, 2026, individuals linked to the party leadership allegedly offered money to residents of Armenia’s Lori Province. Each participant reportedly received 3,000 drams (around $8) as part of a promised payment in order to ensure they attended the event.
V.A., who was aware of the alleged scheme, is accused of helping organize it by advising the group, providing support, and removing obstacles. The suspect is also said to have helped coordinate the recruitment of participants, their transport to Yerevan, food arrangements, and payment distribution, contributing to the alleged offence.
V.A. is facing a criminal investigation for allegedly aiding and abetting the bribery scheme for rally attendance, an offence under Article 46-236(2) of the Criminal Code.
The suspect is under house arrest and subject to a travel ban amid the ongoing investigation.
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U.S. House Committee on Appropriations approves increased support for Armenia
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations adopted the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill for 2027, which envisions expanded support for the South Caucasus, including Armenia.
“The Committee directs funds for countries in the South Caucasus to promote the strategic interests of the United States through efforts to enhance regional peace, stability, integration, and connectivity, as well as to continue robust support for active bilateral charters of strategic partnership. Within such amounts, the Committee directs funds under International Military Education and Training and Foreign Military Financing Program be made available above the prior year levels for Armenia,” the bill reads.
It further reads, “The Committee strongly supports United States efforts to advance an enduring peace in the South Caucasus and to strengthen the security and prosperity of countries in the region.”
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees on funding amounts for, and actions taken and authorities used to implement, the proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), according to the document.
Such report shall identify implementing partners, including any providing investment finance, and describe the current or anticipated role of other relevant federal agencies, such as DFC and the Trade and Development Agency, in helping implement the project’s construction, development, and secure its successful operation.
The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is a connectivity project in Armenia envisaged under the U.S.-brokered Armenian–Azerbaijani joint declaration signed in Washington, D.C. The project is expected to unlock strategic economic opportunities, create long-term benefits by promoting infrastructure investment, and enhance regional connectivity. An Armenian–American joint enterprise is expected to develop the route.
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European Parliament adopts resolution supporting democratic resilience in Arme
A resolution reaffirming the EU’s support for Armenia’s democratic development, the peace process, and the reforms being carried out toward European integration was debated and adopted at the plenary session of the European Parliament.
476 MEPs voted in favor of the resolution on supporting democratic resilience in Armenia, 47 voted against, while 48 abstained.
The resolution supports the holding of free, fair, and peaceful parliamentary elections in Armenia in June 2026, emphasizing that the election results must be determined solely by the Armenian people. It stresses the importance of the independence of electoral administration, equal campaigning conditions, media pluralism, and the full protection of fundamental freedoms. It also highlights the need to combat disinformation, illegal financing, and vote-buying.
The document welcomes the development of EU–Armenia relations and Armenia’s commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and reforms. It positively assesses the new EU–Armenia strategic agenda, progress in implementing the CEPA agreement, the visa liberalization dialogue, and the “Resilience and Growth” plan.
The resolution places particular importance on the planned European Political Community summit and the EU–Armenia summit in Yerevan in May 2026, viewing them as a significant political signal of solidarity with Armenia.
Regarding regional security, it supports the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process and calls for a comprehensive peace agreement based on sovereignty and the inviolability of borders. It also condemns the detention of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan and demands their immediate release.
The European Parliament additionally calls for increased EU financial and technical assistance to Armenia, particularly in the areas of energy, digital development, and economic resilience. It welcomes the expansion of the EU monitoring mission and cooperation with civil society.
Furthermore, the resolution supports the normalization of Armenia–Türkiye relations, including the opening of borders and efforts toward regional stability.
It strongly condemns foreign information manipulation and interference attempts, specifically highlighting the activities of Russia and its influence networks, including cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.
Overall, the resolution adopted by the European Parliament emphasizes Armenia’s democratic and sovereign choice, its European path, the pursuit of regional peace, and the need to resist external interference.
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