Lost years and millions of dollars in damage. Fitch is pinning its hopes on Amuls

July 14, 2026


According to the forecasts of the international rating agency Fitch, the growth of Armenia’s economy will slow down significantly this year. Economic growth of 5.2 percent is expected instead of 7.1 percent of the previous year.

Fitch has singled out the 2 main factors that will make it possible to mitigate the risks arising in the external sector and contribute to the formation of economic growth. The agency has high hopes especially with the start of operation of the Amulsar gold mine.

“We predict that economic growth will stabilize at around 5 percent in the medium term, as the impact of the shocks recorded in recent years on the supply side will gradually decrease. At the same time, the dynamically developing information and communication technology sector and the start of operation of the Amulsar gold mine will continue to contribute to growth,” Fitch noted.

At first glance, this may be an ordinary economic forecast, but in reality it is a direct assessment of the 8-year policy of Nikol Pashinyan’s governments regarding Amulsar. The program that was close to launch in 2018. After the revolution, it came under political intrigues and was conserved for years, bringing with it serious problems.

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The start of the project was initiated by the previous authorities of RA, creating all the conditions for its implementation. We are talking about an unprecedented initiative in the scope of investments, which was obstructed by the current authorities for years, thus, on the one hand, raising the price of its implementation and putting the state in front of financial problems, on the other hand, they delayed the economic and financial benefits that we should have received a long time ago.  

The current government inherited not a project in the initial stage, but an investment program worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the start of production of which was planned already in 2018. But the implementation of the project failed due to the efforts of the government. Of all the possible options, the worst was chosen: not making a decision. The issue of Amulsar gradually moved from the scientific and legal field to the field of political calculations. The authorities were trying not to antagonize environmental groups, bear the legal responsibility of closing the project and lose a large foreign investment at the same time. It was not possible to realize those three goals together. As a result, the government simply postponed the resolution of the issue.

But it was not without loss. Each passing month and year increased the cost of mine operation, aggravated the investor’s financial problems, delayed exports, tax revenues and job creation.

Already in 2019 Recently, “Lydian International” appeared in the process of insolvency. After the restructuring, the assets of the project came under the control of the creditors. One of Armenia’s largest foreign investments, which planned to start production in 2018, became a bankrupt company within a few years, facing international disputes and problems finding new financing. 2024 it became known that the “Amulsar Investor Ventures LLC v. Republic of Armenia” case is being examined in the international arbitration court, and the government, in order to protect the interests of the state, is forced to involve an American law firm, paying millions of dollars for its services.

 The turning point related to the operation of Amulsar took place only in 2023. at the beginning, when the government, the Eurasian Development Bank and Lydian Armenia signed an agreement to restart the program. According to it, the Armenian government should receive 12.5 percent of the company’s shares free of charge and take measures so that the project is implemented without obstacles, and the Eurasian Development Bank should provide a loan of up to 100 million dollars for the continuation of the project, in parallel with the funds involved by the company.

 2024 in January, the government accepted 12.5 percent of the shares of “Lydian Armenia”. In the official message, it was specially emphasized that the state receives the shares without making a monetary investment in the capital of the company and “without any obligation on the part of the government”. But 1 year later, within the framework of the “no-obligation” shareholding, the government provided “Lydian Armenia” with a budget guarantee of up to 150 million dollars, so that the company could attract credit funds.

Thus, after years of delay and political games, the government returned to the same starting point. Only this time its price was much higher. The mine remained the same, the gold reserves remained the same, the technological program remained the same, only the amount of risk falling on the state changed.

At the moment, preparations for the operation of the Amulsar mine are still ongoing. So far, it is not known when the operation will start. But as we can see, Fitch has assigned a serious place to Amulsar in the forecasts of Armenia’s economic growth. It can help improve the foreign trade balance, create jobs, pay taxes and royalties, and stimulate economic growth. However, all that does not mitigate the losses that the economy and the state budget suffered during 8 years due to the fault of the authorities. Not counting that this whole process related to Amulsar was a serious blow to Armenia’s investment confidence.

 Although after years of delay it was finally decided to restore the operation of the Amulsar mine, no one was held responsible for the losses and damages caused by the unnecessary disruption of the project.

HAKOB KOCHARYAN



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“This is very dangerous, it means that Syunik has been put on the international altar, etc

July 14, 2026

The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States continue to make mutual accusations against each other for violating the ceasefire, and simultaneously react to the statements made by both sides.

Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad announced, that Iranian authorities are continuing to export oil despite the suspension of a master license issued by the U.S. Treasury Department in June that eased U.S. sanctions against Iran’s oil sector.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also responded to US President Donald Trump’s statement that the US will control the Strait of Hormuz from now on and will charge 20 percent of the value of the transported cargo to ensure the safety of ships passing through it.

“The US president is absolutely right. Whoever ensures the safe and secure passage of merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service. Iran has always been the guardian of the strait and will remain so forever. 20% is, of course, too much. We will be fair,” on the X social platform wrote Aragchin.

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US President Donald Trump stated that he still believes that an agreement with Iran is possible.

He also noted that the goal of the current US strikes on Iran is to destroy the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz.

YSU international relations and diplomacy chair associate professor, international scholar Grigor Balasanyan In other words, there are two important reasons for not signing the agreement and not establishing peace.

“The first reason is Israel, which is doing everything with its lobby and Netanyahu’s influence on Trump, so that the agreement is not signed, because with it Israel loses its attractiveness in the eyes of the United States in the Middle East.

Second, as they say, there is nothing personal, only business. “New York Tims” published an interesting article today, according to which Trump wants to double the fee for cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz. From this we can conclude that the struggle is to make money by establishing control over the Strait of Hormuz. This is Trump’s second goal. Therefore, even in this case, I remain skeptical that this agreement can be signed.” 168.am–Grigor Balasanyan said in a conversation with

Grigor Balasanyan answered what consequences the Iran-US military operations could have on the region. He said earlier that the NATO summit in Ankara was not just a summit, but a definition of new realities in the Middle East.

“It is no coincidence that on the very first day of starting military operations against Iran, the railway bridge on the border with Turkmenistan in the north of Iran is bombed, which is the backbone of the North-South transport and an integral part of the Eurasian integration.

With this, Trump gives a gift to Erdogan and shows that if Erdogan unconditionally supports Trump, then they will combine the two ideas of “middle corridor” and “Trump’s way”, although those who understand know that it is essentially the same thing, and they will hand over complete control to Turkey,” the international expert added.

In this context, he also noted that Trump’s praises to Erdogan were not accidental, saying that if the NATO summit was not in Ankara, he would not have participated at all.

“This is very dangerous because it means that the Armenian Syunik has been placed on the international altar and has become part of the world trade in the United States-Turkey, United States-Israel and United States-Iran negotiations. But the most painful and tragic thing is that all this happens at the expense of our territories,” Grigor Balasanyan emphasized.

—

The first results of Azerbaijan-Slovakia military deals will be presented this year

July 14, 2026

On July 13, the plane of the President of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini landed at Varanda airport in Fizuli. Today he has already visited the occupied Artsakh, Shushi, Aghdam (Akna), accompanied by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

Later, after a private meeting and talks in Shushi, the presidents of Azerbaijan and Slovakia for the media announcements have done.

Aliyev, in particular, noted that cooperation in the energy and military-technical fields is among the priorities.

The President of Slovakia made a more substantive statement regarding bilateral cooperation in the defense sector, stating:

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“Also, I would like to reaffirm that in 2027 and 2028, Slovakia will continue to perform the functions of the NATO contact embassy in Azerbaijan through its embassy in Baku. I am very pleased that our defense ministers are working very well together on security and defense capabilities. I am also happy that Slovakia will be able to show the first results of our cooperation and agreements at a major defense exhibition that will be held in September this year in Baku.”

In February of this year we wrote that Azerbaijan and Slovakia have signed a big deal. We are talking about a framework contract worth 210 million euros, with which SAM-120 automatic mortars will be supplied.

Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kaliniak said the first batch of supplies, which includes 96 mortars, had been agreed upon.

We are still in December 2025 to write that Baku intends to acquire automatic artillery systems from Slovakia when Aliyev had left Bratislava.

In that context, we also reported that Azerbaijan and Slovakia are discussing starting cooperation in the field of production of self-propelled artillery installations, ammunition: Slovak technology plus Azerbaijani money.

“Here we are talking about the formation of synergy, when by combining Slovak technologies and the financial possibilities of Azerbaijan, it is possible to create a new product that will be of interest to the world markets as well. Moreover, this will bring great benefits to us. We are working on specific projects in this direction,” the head of Azerbaijan emphasized during the press conference held during the visit.

In turn, the President of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini, who was present at the meeting, added:

“We have particularly extensive experience in the field of self-propelled artillery installations, ammunition production and not only. We can work with Azerbaijan, that is, transfer technology and use Azerbaijani financial resources to create modern production and sell it to third countries. I am also glad that Azerbaijan has shown interest in acquiring automatic artillery systems and has already announced its intention. I am sure that this type of weaponry will strengthen the armed forces of Azerbaijan.”

And it is possible that now in Baku, when the President of Slovakia says that at the major defense exhibition to be held in Baku in September of this year, you will see the first results of Azerbaijan-Slovakia cooperation and agreements, he means first of all the samples of the SAM-120 self-propelled mortar, because there is practically no information about the opening of the joint venture and the first products. In any case, let’s wait for the military exhibition organized by Baku in September.

And the foundations of all the above-mentioned treaties and agreements were actually laid when in May 2024 the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Fizo had visited In Baku, during which it was decided to start negotiations on the supply of specific weapons and the creation of joint production platforms in the field of defense industry, the Prime Minister of Slovakia announced that his country can start joint production with Azerbaijan in the military field.

It should be noted that the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense of Slovakia were present at the Baku military parade dedicated to the 5th year of the Azerbaijani victory in the 44-day war.

Let’s also remind that in 2019, when the then Slovak Foreign Minister, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Miroslav Lajčak visited Armenia and held a joint press conference with RA Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, his attention was drawn to the fact that their weapons are not arriving in Azerbaijan directly, but mediated, through third countries, particularly through Israel.

“There was a separate agreement between Slovakia and Israel, there were separate documents, in which it was stated that the final recipient is Israel. We discussed this issue several times with Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan. I think the case is closed. We have explained everything in detail to each other, we have understood each other, I think that this discussion has stopped and will not continue, and the contract has also been terminated,” assured Lajchak.

To what extent it happened in practice, one can only speculate.

By the way, in May of this year, “Will Slovakia, which helped Azerbaijan win the 44-day war and signed a contract worth 210 million euros, sell weapons to the “occupier” Armenia?” article: we have published, because within the framework of the official visit to Poland, RA Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan to meet was also with Slovakia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense Robert Kaliniak, who also participated in the “Defence24 Days” conference and discussed the directions of military-technical cooperation, an agreement was reached on giving the cooperation a practical course in the near future.

And we will look at the other episodes of the Slovak President Pellegrin’s visit to the occupied Artsakh and the meeting with the Azerbaijani President next.

—

Could modern Azerbaijan exist without Russian and Kho?

July 14, 2026

Doctor of political sciences, professor Vahe Davtyan writes:

“At the Shushi media forum, Azerbaijani President Aliyev again referred to the “colonial heritage” of the XIX-XX centuries, accusing the USSR of exploiting the republic’s resources, particularly oil wealth.

However, an important question arises. Could modern Azerbaijan exist without Russian and Soviet modernization?

It was during that period that the foundations of the country’s industrial economy were formed. the oil industry was created, the infrastructure was developed, the education system and the engineering school were formed.

Today it is convenient to talk about “billion tons of oil export”, forgetting that it was the Soviet period that turned Azerbaijan into an industrial republic with a developed energy system.

At the same time, Aliyev rightly draws attention to the environmental consequences of large-scale exploitation of resources. However, another question arises here. Why is the talk about resource “colonialism” limited only to the Soviet period?

In 1994 the so-called “Deal of the Century” was concluded, which opened the oil sector of Azerbaijan to international corporations. 11 large companies were included in the consortium, and the energy policy of the country was more closely connected with the interests of external actors.
This stage became the beginning of the formation of a new model of Azerbaijan’s dependence.

The BP company took a key role in the oil sector of Azerbaijan. However, despite huge revenues from oil exports, environmental problems in the Caspian region continued to worsen.

Moreover, it was Aliyev who repeatedly stated that the level of the Caspian Sea is approaching the historical minimum of the last 200 years.
According to the data presented by the Azerbaijani side, the level of the Caspian Sea has decreased by about 1 meter in the last 5 years, by 1.5 meters in the last 10 years, and by 2.5 meters in the last 30 years. Currently, the rate of decrease is estimated at 20-30 cm per year.

So, the question arises: if the soviet resource model is declared “colonial” due to its environmental consequences, then how should we evaluate the post-soviet model, in which the control of strategic areas was transferred to transnational corporations?

Neocolonialism differs from classical colonialism in that it comes not through administrative control, but through control over technology, investment, and resource flows.

The rhetoric about “colonialism” requires consistency. Otherwise, it turns into a tool of political conjuncture.”

—

Why did Israel suspend the Armenian Genocide recognition process?

July 14, 2026

In recent weeks, after a lot of fuss over the issue of recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Israel, it became known that the vote on the resolution on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide was suspended in the Israeli parliament. JNS wrote about this, citing an Israeli official.

Earlier, at the end of June, the Israeli government unanimously approved the proposal to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. After that step, the matter had to be submitted to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, for approval. According to JNS, the suspension of voting took place at a diplomatically sensitive time, against the background of new tensions in the region. The media reminded that the relations between Israel and Turkey have worsened in recent months due to the war in Gaza and the harsh statements made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against Israel.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who presented the recognition proposal in the government, said earlier that it was the right step and a matter of historical justice. According to AP, the Israeli government justified the decision with Turkey’s policy of denying and reducing historical facts. Turkey called the Israeli government’s decision a politically motivated move.

According to JNS, the decision to suspend the parliamentary vote can be seen as part of international efforts to reduce tensions between Israel and Turkey. JNS also notes that last month the Azerbaijani authorities condemned the Israeli government’s decision and called for its reversal. The newspaper emphasizes that Azerbaijan has historical ties with both Turkey and Israel and has been trying to mediate between the two countries for a long time. The Knesset is due to go on summer break at the end of the week and will not be in session until national elections scheduled for October 27, according to JNS.

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168.amin a conversation with Russian analyst Victor Nadein-Raevsky said that Israel’s suspension of the vote on the Armenian Genocide recognition resolution once again proves that issues of historical justice are often subordinated to current geopolitical interests and “Realpolitik” rules. According to him, while the Israeli government’s approval was seen as a response to Ankara’s harsh anti-Israel rhetoric, the suspension of the Knesset vote is indicative of Tel Aviv’s caution. According to the analyst, the Israeli elite realizes that the official recognition of the Genocide would irreversibly strain the situation in relations with Turkey, depriving Israel of any possibility to regulate relations with Turkey in the future.

“Obviously, Israel’s desire to prevent the relations with Turkey from becoming extremely tense is of key importance. Despite Erdogan’s harsh statements and economic restrictions, the ties between the two countries are not completely severed. For Israel, Turkey remains an important geographical and logistical platform, with which a complete confrontation can further complicate the circle of threats formed around Israel. By freezing the resolution, Tel Aviv is taking a “diplomatic pause”, showing that it is not ready to burn the final bridges, especially when there is international pressure on Israel on various issues,” said Victor Nadein-Raevsky.

On the other hand, in his opinion, the active mediating and lobbying activities of Azerbaijan most likely played a decisive role in this process.

“Baku, having strategic allied relations with Turkey and a deep military-political partnership with Israel, found itself in a difficult situation. For Azerbaijan, a full-scale confrontation between Turkey and Israel is an undesirable scenario, as it could endanger the interests of Baku, where Israeli weapons and Turkish support are equally vital. By actively intervening and calling on Tel Aviv to back off from that step, Azerbaijan not only acted as a defender of Ankara’s interests, but also tried to maintain the balance of regional power that allows it to maneuver between the two allies,” he said.

Viktor Nadein-Raevsky believes that the domestic political agenda and the upcoming elections became an additional excuse to put the issue on the “shelf” for a long time.

“Such tactics are not new in Israeli politics. The issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide has been used as a political whip against Turkey for decades, which was activated in moments of deterioration of relations and immediately frozen, as backstage trading and calculations began in the diplomatic backstage. Therefore, the repeated suspension of the Armenian Genocide recognition process by Israel was not a coincidence, but a clearly calculated geopolitical retreat. “Tel Aviv preferred not to deepen the conflict with Turkey and met Azerbaijan’s mediation calls, being in a not so clear foreign political situation at the moment,” explained Victor Nadein-Raevsky.

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168: If the opposition cannot rule out vote theft, take the mandates

July 14, 2026

In the “Pressing” program Satik Seyranyan the guest Former First Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, former advisor to the President of the Supreme Court, “Justice through Law” legal consultancy of the company founderdirector Grigor Muradyanis

The main theses of the interview are below.

  • Since 2018, a pattern has become evident: this government, which has been deprived of constitutional legitimacy for a long time, does not have electoral legitimacy either.: For the first time, opposition forces have quantitatively more votes than the ruling CP. And this, in the event that PAP was deprived of its votes, which was confirmed by a structure called the Constitutional Court. Despite widespread intimidation by the authorities, the people voted against this government.
  • The legitimacy of these elections is highly problematic, because the elections were held in an environment of hate speech, threats, violation of the constitutional principle of presumption of innocence, in an environment of intimidation with wide information about criminal proceedings, in which psychological pressure, an atmosphere of fear, hostility, a general environment aimed at refusing to participate in the elections of important subjects with the right to be elected was formed. There is also a practice of completely ignoring the votes of tens of thousands of voters.

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  • Regarding the loss of votes for “Prosperous Armenia” (PAP), this is, of course, an unprecedented phenomenon, but I also remember many other electoral frauds, in particular, the presidential elections of 1996 and 2003. The 2003 elections were so problematic, to say the least, that the Constitutional Court, the legitimate Constitutional Court at that time, had to propose a confidence referendum in the final part of its decision.

Nevertheless, justifying the loss of approximately 60,000 votes of the PAP with various primitive reasons is truly an unprecedented phenomenon. This means that the vote of those voters, according to the so-called relevant bodies, has no significance. We are dealing with such structures, which, in my deep conviction, also lack constitutional legitimacy. Nevertheless, these bodies make actual decisions and implement them. 

  • The number of 16,210 invalid ballots, if there were actually so many invalid ballots, speaks of the disorganized work of election commissions.
  • Whether Nikol Pashinyan’s statement on the night of the elections was an impetus to the Central Election Commission is a topic of public discussion.
  • The opposition forces could apply to the Constitutional Court only under the condition that they would simultaneously declare that there is at least a serious gap or deficit in the matter of the legitimacy of the same Constitutional Court. In the opposite case, it turns out that we turn to the Constitutional Court to decide the fate of the elections, which, as we all understand, depends on the fate of our people, perhaps even for the coming decades. Therefore, that statement should have been made before applying. Of course, some opposition forces partially made such statements, but it should be clearly understood that the leading opposition forces should have turned this trial of the Constitutional Court into a mere platform to present and expose the main issues of electoral fraud to the public and the international community. After that, in my opinion, since there could not really be any other expectation from this Constitutional Court, the leading applicants should have simply withdrawn their applications. 

What about the “Prosperous Armenia” party? since here it was about the validity of only 150-300 votes, they could continue to participate in the trial and expect justice to be restored (although in the case of this Constitutional Court, those expectations could not be justified either). It could be assumed that even this Constitutional Court should not have ignored the votes of approximately 60,000 voters, but it did just that.

  • Instead of an adequate assessment on the issue of CC legitimacy, the opposition found itself in the trap of Seda Safaryan’s impossibility to participate in that case, the issue of legitimacy, when they only raised the issue of his legitimacy. It turned out that only Seda Safaryan was illegitimate. I don’t know how the opposition will get out of this trap. If the opposition forces do not have a conceptual approach to this issue, if they resort to piecemeal solutions, they will very quickly lose public trust.:
  • Before applying to the Supreme Court and after the decision of the Supreme Court, it was necessary to assess the illegalities of the previous eight years, especially the violations of the constitutional order, because this government does not rule on the basis of the Constitution, but contrary to the Constitution. The illegitimacy of the elections is only one component of the general illegitimacy.
  • To some extent, the opposition was able to present indisputable facts of flagrant election frauds in the CC. But did they turn the CC into such a platform that as many public masses as possible were aware of election violations?
  • One of the most flagrant facts of election violations is the unequal environment of the election process, accompanied by hate speech, intimidation, and arrests. The chances of the opposition parties were obviously not equal because the state was working in favor of the CP by abusing all its administrative resources. The presumption of innocence of the opposition candidates was actually violated:
  • We are dealing with abuse of administrative resources, intimidation of voters and candidates using criminal prosecution tools, as well as directing them to refrain from participating in the campaign. We are also dealing with proven violations of the presumption of innocence, which were recorded by the decisions of the Constitutional Court itself. 

However, there is a point in the decision of the Constitutional Court, which is of the surrealist genre and directly related to the freedom of elections. There is the decision of the Administrative Court, which directly establishes that the hate speech and threats contradicted one of the previous decisions of the Constitutional Court, where the relevant standards were defined. It was also recorded there that the defendant, the Central Electoral Commission, did not carry out a sufficient and complete evaluation of the expressions that were uttered.

The Constitutional Court says the following, evaluating that rhetoric as unacceptable, rude and highly reprehensible from the point of view of public morality, and its effect shocking, and then makes a fictitious argument. That is, there is no scientific methodology to evaluate its impact on the election results.

The court itself states that there is a serious problem related to the freedom of elections, accepts the point of view of the Administrative Court, strongly condemns that speech, but concludes that it is not capable of assessing its impact on the election results.

Moreover, the court does not substantiate this claim either by referring to any scientific literature (which is the duty of the Constitutional or any other court in such cases), nor does it involve any expert, although it had ample opportunities to do so. Without mentioning any argument, he simply says that there is no scientific methodology. It turns out that he studied the world literature, the experience of other countries and international structures and came to the conclusion that there is no scientifically based methodology.

But even if there is none, you have to develop it yourself. There are many issues where there is no ready-made scientifically based methodology, and the highest courts create them themselves, involving the best specialists and experts. If there is no methodology, then how will you evaluate the validity of the election results? Should they be recognized as valid just because there is no methodology? 

  • In the combination of multiple violations of the foundations of the constitutional order committed in the previous 8 years, we are now dealing with “law-killing” in a specific country, a law-killer.
  • If the fundamental principles of the electoral system are violated – equality between voters and freedom of elections, when one of the participants creates an environment of intimidation against other forces, the CC should at least assess these violations, apply the international experience of impact assessment, return the mandates stolen by the authorities to the PAP, define a new order of mandate distribution or appoint the 2nd round of elections. The best solution would be to hold the 2nd round of elections. 
  • The election violations, their essential content, the evidence regarding them in the trials should be widely covered in the future, so that both our and the international community are aware of why these elections are illegitimate.
  • Not taking the mandates could lead to very fatal consequences. We are talking about the opposition in general, although “Prosperous Armenia” did not get its mandates, but even if it did, giving them up could also have a bad impact. 

Various colleagues have spoken about it many times, and I agree with their belief that the ruling power had all the opportunities to create an opportunity for the following through minor changes to the Electoral Code: if the opposition parties refused their mandates, they would be transferred to the parties with the next highest number of votes, which were desirable and controllable forces for them. The logic of the government was that if you did not want to take the mandates, then you should not participate in the elections. As a result, we would actually have a one-party parliament, which would implement its plans without any problems. I am not talking about the empty rhetoric when some fake oppositionists tried to create the illusion of the presence of opposition in the parliament since 2018. In reality, we would essentially have a one-party parliament, and the Constitution would certainly be amended or at least the referendum issue would be resolved. 

In addition, the parliament would no longer be the platform where the opposition would be able to use the wide opportunities reserved for it. How the ruling power would prevent their implementation is another question, but there are also certain means of fighting against it. Nevertheless, while taking the mandates, this opposition should act in an extremely reasonable way. It should clearly formulate its vision and approaches, have clear tactics both in the parliament and outside the parliament, especially from the point of view of working with the public.


  • On the other hand there is a danger that by taking the mandates, the opposition may find itself in the same situation it found itself in in 2021. For example, at that time, the major opposition force lost approximately half of its votes in the new elections, and the other force did not participate in the elections at all. Thus, there is a danger of the repetition of that situation, that is, at a time when we are facing fateful and fatal challenges.

But at the same time, today’s oppositionists should take the mandates and work with people, especially outside the Parliament. 

  • So, taking the seats is inevitable, but the risk of failure and losing votes is also high.. The only solution is to ensure the activity of the opposition through permissible alternative structures, outside the National Assembly. It is necessary to have a strategy for legislative work, to develop and present only such bills for discussion, and in other matters to show tactics of ignoring the main actors of the ruling power.
  • It is necessary to create a united opposition platform outside the Parliament and inside the Parliament. All works should be coordinated from one center with approaches derived from the program provisions; it is necessary to maintain and increase the confidence of the opposition. No mistakes can be made. They can determine the future of our country.
  • The opposition voters who voted for the opposition did not do so to see shows in the National Assembly. You don’t have to become a willing or unwilling participant of those shows, because they will not have any meaning or result. 
  • It is definitely necessary to take the positions available to the opposition, because it is not a gift given to the opposition, but the powers and opportunities defined by the law, no matter how great the danger is that the episode of Ishkhan Saghatelyan or Artur Ghazinyan will be repeated…
    Nevertheless, let that illegitimate environment be created inside the parliament as well. this parliament is not legitimate one way or another, but let that illegality be seen also from the point of view of procedures. And if, however, an opportunity arises, and they take up those positions themselves, naturally, consultants will be involved, who will guide them on how to work effectively in those positions.
  • If there was a risk that participating in the elections could lead to polling of votes, then it was right not to participate, but if the public opinion polls showed that the RPA had a chance to pass, they should have participated in the elections.

  • If Nikol Pashinyan were the president of the republic, in a semi-presidential or presidential system of government, how would he rule in your opinion? Is he doing it differently than now? It is obvious, isn’t it, that he would have a majority in the parliament as well.

What is the peculiarity of the semi-presidential form of government? if the president has his own majority in the parliament (slightly simplified wording), he gets super-powerful, super-presidential powers and is practically not controlled by the parliament. In other words, an environment of complete permissiveness would be created.

It is enough to look directly at the current practice of France, where the current president, even without a parliamentary majority, still tries to dominate the legislative body. Such is the semi-presidential system. And if the president has that majority, then there are no obstacles in his way. This is in contrast to the full presidential system, where the parliament has clear control over the government, which is headed by the president himself.

In other words, we were going to have a purely technical prime minister, who was supposed to be controlled by the parliament, while the president, who makes real decisions, would be out of this control. This was our previous practice and that is why we abandoned that system. Instead, we tried to introduce the model of full parliamentary control over the government, the highest body of executive power.

Some so-called oppositionists complain about this, and I ask them the following questions.

First, if Pashinyan was the president of the republic within the framework of the semi-presidential system, what would you do?

If you think that you would have been in power by assuming the position of Prime Minister and getting a parliamentary majority, don’t you think that the presidential elections would have been simply rigged? 

  • Dear oppositionists, get a constitutional majority in regular or special elections, develop your concept of amending the Constitution, change the Constitution, if, of course, you get the appropriate votes for it.
    But today you second the ruling power, albeit with a different reason. Moreover, sometimes you join them with completely fictitious and even absurd justifications and become an advocate of changing the Constitution, trying to delegitimize our Mother Law, just like the ruling power is doing. You are simply repeating their steps, and here your motives have absolutely nothing to do with it. If the issue of transition to the semi-presidential system is of such central importance to you, then join the government and change the Constitution together. 
  • Talks about that “super-prime ministerial” model are actually lies and do not correspond to reality. There is no super-prime ministerial model, there is unconstitutional governance. Yes, he made himself the super prime minister. But that does not mean that the management model is like that. Why are you talking about him passing illegal laws or violating the Constitution? Isn’t everything he is doing now written in the Mother Law? This is the problem.
    Allow me to ask a few questions to those presenting such arguments. if we had a legitimate Constitutional Court, how would things be arranged in our country? I mean such a Constitutional Court, which is guaranteed by this Constitution. Of course, the Constitutional Court in its previous composition was legitimate, but if the Constitutional Court, which was formed especially by virtue of this Constitution and gained complete independence, was preserved, would these authorities be able to establish dominance through illegalities, or, as you say, build a dictatorship? Of course not.
    Then what are you complaining about? After all, these institutions were formed as a result of gross violations of the Constitution.

If we had not a bogus, but a real president of the republic, who used the powers assigned to him by the Constitution and carried out his unifying function, he could change a lot. Therefore, if you are against this model of governance, speak objectively, and not ascribe your imaginary ideas to the Constitution.

 If the opposition cannot rule out vote theft, taking the mandates becomes absolutely meaningless. If Pashinyan succeeds, he will have a constitutional majority and the role of the opposition will be zero. Voting will show the bankruptcy of the opposition. All legal measures should be implemented, people with a stable profile should be sent to the Parliament: 

  • European values ​​must be saved from the European leaders themselves. It is necessary to work with the Diaspora, try to influence the authorities of those countries through them. 
  • At the hands of the current RA authorities, it seems that we want to end up in that anti-Russian camp. Although we have not yet fully settled there, we definitely seek to join the hybrid war against Russia. Moreover, that camp is not pro-European, but simply anti-Russian. This will certainly have fatal consequences for Armenia.

What dangers are hidden in this reality? when you directly destroy and undermine the current security system without having any alternative (even if that system does not work very clearly), you find yourself in a chaotic environment where any disaster can happen to you.

These authorities are so adventurous that they bet with the Republic of Armenia in the geopolitical casino. 

  • The opposition has an overarching task of achieving a change of power and must achieve it as quickly as possible with all legitimate tools, never acting reactively. Desperation should not lead to the current opposition crumbling. You need to work with the public correctly on all platforms.
  • It is not possible to expect the current CC to protect the constitutional order. 2020 The logic of “constitutional changes” was to have such a CC. 
  • By restricting the voting rights of RA citizens living abroad, he is trying to forcefully overcome the opportunities of the opposition on fatal issues.
  • I can’t rule it out, but I doubt that he will go to new special elections very quickly. He will try to fulfill Turkish demands in all possible ways, if it fails, in unconstitutional ways.
  • Whether this Parliament will have a long life or not depends on the mood of the geopolitical centers, the mood of the opposition and the political leadership.:

Details in the video.




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RFE/RL – Garegin Pays Tribute To Slain Iranian Leader

July 14, 2026


Armenia – Catholicos Garegin II meets Iranian Ambassador Khalil Shirgholami, Yerevan, July 13, 2026.

Catholicos Garegin II, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, visited the Iranian Embassy in Yerevan on Monday to pay respects to Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following his burial last week.

In a statement, the embassy said that during a meeting with Iranian Ambassador Khalil Shirgholami, Garegin “expressed his condolences and support to the government and people of Iran” and prayed for God to grant Khamenei “the highest abode in the kingdom of heaven.” He also expressed hope that Iranians will “rediscover the safe and normal course of their life” under the leadership of Khamenei’s son and successor Mojtaba.

The Armenian Church’s Mother See in Echmiadzin did not issue a readout of the meeting as of Tuesday evening.

Khamenei was killed by U.S. and Israeli forces at the start of their air strikes against Iran on February 28. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian was among foreign leaders who attended on July 3 the start of his weeklong funeral. Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian thanked Pashinian last week for his presence in an Armenian-language post on X.

“We will never forget this gesture of goodwill,” Pezeshkian wrote, adding that Ali Khamenei always stood for close ties with Armenia and regarded it as an “honest neighbor.”

In the months leading up to the war, Iranian officials, notably Khamenei’s top foreign policy aide, voiced serious concern at the Armenian government’s plans to open a U.S.-administered transit corridor for Azerbaijan that would run along the Armenian-Iranian border. Iran fears that the planned Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) could lead to U.S. security presence there.

Shirgholami indicated on July 8 that the Armenian government has still not addressed Tehran’s “very legitimate and logical” concerns. Pashinian made clear the following day that he remains committed to implementing the TRIPP project “as soon as possible.”

Armenia’s main opposition groups have voiced serious misgivings over the transit arrangement, saying that it would benefit Azerbaijan and endanger Armenian control over the border with Iran. The Armenian Church and Garegin in particular have likewise been critical of Pashinian’s concessions to Baku. Analysts view this as the main reason for Pashinian’s yearlong campaign to depose the Catholicos.

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RFE/RL – Armenian Government Faces More Demands To Reopen Tsarukian’s Firms

July 14, 2026

Armenia -Employees of Ggaik Tsarukian’s Multi Tabak company demonstrate in Yerevan, July 14, 2026.

Hundreds more workers of companies owned by jailed businessman and opposition leader Gagik Tsarukian protested on Tuesday against their effective closure by the Armenian authorities.

In a post-election crackdown promised by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, Tsarukian was arrested on July 6 as law-enforcement authorities searched his villa outside Yerevan as well as the offices of dozens of companies making up his Multi Group conglomerate. They sealed off the offices, sending home thousands of people working there.

The authorities allowed one of those companies, Armenia’s main cement plant located in the southern town of Ararat, to resume operations on July 9 right after an angry protest staged by its workers. The other Multi Group firms are still standing idle, with no explanations given by the Armenian government or law-enforcement bodies.

Workers of several of those firms, including the country’s second largest brandy distillery, demonstrated in the following days, saying that they have been left without their sole source of income. They were joined on Tuesday by employees of the Multi Tabak cigarette factory. The mostly female protesters complained that the disruption prevents the factory management even from paying their June wages.

“We patiently waited for a week without taking any action,” one of them, Mariam Mkrtchian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “We now want to understand how long this uncertainty will continue. We realize that the company’s accounts are frozen and want to see that sorted out too because people are very dependent on their salaries.”

“Someone from the government must tell us how long this is going to last and when the problem will be solved,” said Mkrtchian, who described herself as her family’s main breadwinner.

“Some of our workers live in rented apartments,” said another worker, Armenuhi Yengoyan. “How are they going to pay their rent? … We can’t live like this.”

Armenia – An aerial view of Gagik Tsarukian’s Multi Wellness fitness center in Yerevan.

Similar protests continued at Tsarukian’s Multi Stone stone-cutting factory in Abovian, a town 15 kilometers north of Yerevan. Its protesting workers said they too have not been paid for June.

“Somebody must answer for all this,” said one of them. “Who should we appeal to?”

Armenia’s Investigative Committee, which is in charge of the criminal proceedings, declined to give the answers demanded by the protesters. The law-enforcement agency would also not say why those companies cannot resume their work just like the cement plant did.

So far the authorities have explained only the forced closure of that plant and Multi Wellness, a large fitness center located in central Yerevan. The State Revenue Committee has accused both companies of tax evasion, a charge strongly denied by Multi Group.

Tsarukian was arrested on different charges rejected by him as politically motivated. He is accused of defrauding Iranian business partners.

The tycoon’s Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) was one of the three main opposition groups that ran in last month’s disputed parliamentary elections. Pashinian pledged to imprison and “dispossess” their leaders before and after the June 7 elections.

Tsarukian’s representatives say Pashinian’s statements prove that law-enforcement authorities are acting on his illegal and politically motivated orders. Multi Group said on Tuesday that it is now assessing its legal options in the face of the company shutdowns.

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“The power of family:” young woman in Yerevan donates stem cells to help save

Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry

1146 North Central Avenue, #533, Glendale, CA 91202

 

Contact person: Dr. Frieda Jordan

Phone: (323) 663-3609

Email: [email protected]

“The power of family:”

young woman in Yerevan donates stem cells 

to help save her mother’s life

 

The harvesting of the donated stem cells 

is the 45th such procedure performed by ABMDR

 

 

Los Angeles, July 14 2026 — On July 13, 2026, a young Yerevan resident donated bone marrow stem cells for an urgent transplant that might help her mother survive a life-threatening blood-related illness. 

 

The harvesting of the donated stem cells is the 45th such procedure to be performed by the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR). The harvesting took place at ABMDR’s Stem Cell Harvesting Center, in the Armenian capital. 

 

Immediately after being identified by ABMDR as a matched donor for her mother, the young woman was admitted to the registry’s headquarters for the harvesting. The painless, non-invasive procedure was performed by Dr. Andranik Mshetsyan, the Stem Cell Harvesting Center’s resident physician. 

 

“Our young donor’s gift of stem cells is significant not only in medical terms, but also as a wonderful manifestation of love and dedication among family members,” said ABMDR Executive Director Dr. Sevak Avagyan.

 

Present during the procedure were, in addition to Dr. Avagyan, ABMDR Medical Director Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan and other lab personnel. Also present were ABMDR Board of Advisors member Taleen Khatchadourian and her daughter, Jacqueline Khatchadourian, of Los Angeles. Jacqueline had just completed a two-week internship at the ABMDR Lab.

 

Shortly after the harvesting procedure, the donated stem cells were flown to Germany, personally delivered by a specially-licensed international courier. It was in Germany that the donor’s mother was to undergo a potentially life-saving transplant.

 

 As stated by ABMDR President Dr. Frieda Jordan, “Every transplant is a challenge, involving the work of many specialists. But once the process is set in motion, everyone involved focuses on a single goal, which is to get the donated stem cells to the patient as quickly as possible for helping them survive a potentially fatal illness.” 

 

Anyone in good health between the ages of 18 and 50 can register with ABMDR as a potential bone marrow stem cell donor, for a chance to save someone’s life. Given the unique genetic makeup of ethnic Armenians, ABMDR needs to maintain a robust global registry of Armenian donors. 

 

About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 33,500 donors in 32 countries across four continents, identified over 9,000 patients, and facilitated 45 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.

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Armenpress: EU foreign ministers to approve new mission for Armenia to counter

Europe12:44, 13 July 2026
Read the article in: العربيةEspañolفارسیFrançais中文Russian中文

EU foreign ministers are expected to approve a new partnership mission for Armenia aimed at countering hybrid threats and foreign information manipulation and interference.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas made the announcement ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

“We are also going to agree on a new Partnership Mission for Armenia to counter the hybrid threats and foreign information manipulation and interference that the country is facing,” Kallas said.

Read the article in: العربيةEspañolفارسیFrançais中文Russian中文

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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