Category: News

Ahead of the first-ever EU–Armenia summit, France 24’s François Picard sits down with Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ararat Mirzoyan, at the country’s newly inaugurated embassy in Paris. He presents a country at a pivotal juncture: one defined by the simultaneous consolidation of peace and strategic repositioning. He asserts that “we now have peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” framing it not as a symbolic declaration but as an emerging reality, further underscored by the intention to “institutionalise this peace.”

Turkish and Armenian officials met in the eastern Turkish city of Kars on Tuesday to establish a joint working group aimed at reopening the long-idle Kars-Gyumri railway, marking a new step in efforts to restore ties between the two countries.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the meeting focused on restoring the railway’s operational capacity as part of the ongoing process of normalization between Ankara and Yerevan.

The Kars-Gyumri line, once a key trade and transit route, has been inactive since 1993, when the last train crossed the border during tensions over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Officials from both sides said reopening the railway would improve regional connectivity and support economic cooperation.

In a post on X, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack called the move “an important milestone for regional connectivity and peace.”

He also linked the development to recent diplomatic initiatives backed by Washington.

Armenian outlets also reported that the meeting followed earlier technical talks on reopening transport links between the two countries.

Turkey and Armenia have no formal diplomatic relations, and their land border has been closed since 1993, when Ankara closed it in support of Azerbaijan during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war.

The two countries have made several attempts to normalize relations, including a failed initiative in 2009 and a renewed process launched in 2022 involving special envoys.

As part of recent steps, the sides agreed to allow third-country nationals and diplomats to cross the land border and to ease visa procedures for official passport holders.

Despite these efforts, the border remains closed, with progress closely tied to developments in talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

At the Agarak border crossing, dust settles on the weary bodies of cars, while a longing for peace hangs heavy in the air. Here, at Armenia’s southern gate, where the Araks River flows silently between two worlds, news of the war does not arrive via screens, but through the stories of those crossing from Iran into Armenia.

Farhad’s story

52-year-old Farhad (name changed), who owns a printing house in Tehran, has temporarily rented accommodation near Meghri before heading to the capital, Yerevan. He says that while he is physically in Armenia, his mind remains in Iran, constantly updating the news feed on his phone.

“Do you know what the most terrifying thing is? It is not the sound of the explosion, but that split second when you hear the roar of a fighter jet in the sky and you do not know what will happen next”, explains Farhad. “We left home in a hurry. My wife wanted to take some belongings, but I told her: Leave them – only passports and medicine. Now I sit here in this calm, wondering if maybe we should have stayed. My friends are there, while I am here, quietly drinking coffee”.

According to Farhad, many Iranians now perceive Armenia as a “haven of peace”.

“We did not come here to stay We have no intention of emigrating from Armenia elsewhere. Our roots are there. I simply want my grandson not to jump out of his sleep at night when a tire bursts outside. Armenia gives us a peaceful night’s sleep”, says Farhad. He adds, however, that their financial savings are not inexhaustible, and he hopes that peace will soon return to their land so they can go back home.

Nazanin’s surprise

23-year-old Nazanin (name changed) reached Yerevan by bus with her parents during the days of conflict. This young student found more than just safety in Armenia.

“When I saw a girl playing guitar at the Cascade, I was genuinely surprised. Something like this cannot be seen in our country”, says Nazanin.

The fear of war in her voice is mixed with a sense of rebellion.

“I am very calm here. I like the pace of everyday life. People here live in the true sense of the word. I have fallen in love with Armenia. Honestly, I would love to live here, although I do not know how feasible it is”, says the student. She adds that if she knew the language, she would love to pursue a master’s degree in Armenia.

Saeid’s economic concerns

In a typical Yerevan courtyard where the children of Iranian migrants play with locals, 65-year-old Saeid sits in his car, engaged in a long phone conversation. He owned a small construction materials shop and a warehouse in Tehran. His house and a lifestyle built over years remained there.

“I am not a big factory owner, I am an ordinary shopkeeper. For fifteen years, I opened my doors at the same time every morning and drank tea with the same people. Now, my neighbor has the keys to my shop. I call every day and ask: ‘What’s the news? Is the building still standing?’. Business must live, if there is no business, there is no money”, says Saeid.

For him, Armenia is not a land of new opportunities but a peaceful harbor.

“I know Iranians who are thinking of starting a business here, but I want to return to my old address. I am currently spending the savings that were meant for buying new stock for my shop. In Iran, with 300 dollars I could feed my entire family for a month. Here, that amount disappears in a few days. Yerevan is expensive. Perhaps if I had an income based on local prices, my mindset would be different, but I am old now; maybe I cannot think anew”.

“Every day, I calculate how much longer I can stay in this rented house. As soon as things settle down a bit, I am going back. Here, I am just a guest, but my life, my goods and my work are there. The war forces us to choose: stay here and adapt, or go back home and take the risk”, says Saeid expressing hope that peace can come to Iran in the same way as it has come to Armenia.

According to Saeid, Armenians, who experienced the war firsthand, do not ask: “Why did you come?”. They simply open their doors. The visa-free regime is a lifeline for Iranians whose homes could be bombed at any moment. In Armenia, they are not strangers. Iranians, with their music, their cuisine and their daily habits, have a place here.

The FIFA Council has announced that the 2029 FIFA U-20 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Armenia and Georgia. This decision marks a new milestone in the global body’s strategy to expand its geographic reach.

This is a landmark appointment. By entrusting Armenia and Georgia with the organization of the 2029 U-20 World Cup, FIFA is betting on an unprecedented co-hosting arrangement for this age group. The two Caucasus nations will have the chance to welcome a major youth tournament, a showcase for the football stars of tomorrow.

“This is an unprecedented achievement for Armenian football. For the first time, our country will host a major international tournament of this scale, demonstrating the great confidence the international football community has in us,” stated the Armenian Football Federation in a press release.

Meanwhile, the next edition of the tournament will be hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in 2027.

This selection rewards the efforts made in recent years to modernize sports infrastructure and boost the appeal of their domestic leagues. It also reflects FIFA’s ambition to diversify the host countries for its tournaments, moving beyond the traditional destinations.

Rare books from the personal library of pioneering British scholar of Armenian and Iranian studies Professor Charles Dowsett form part of Sworders’ Books and Maps online sale running through May 4.

Dowsett (1924-1998) established the modern academic foundations for the study of Armenian in the UK, his research spanning medieval Armenian literature, Iranian philology, and the transmission of Near Eastern texts to Europe. His personal library was assembled over decades of study and travel, and the proceeds from the auction will contribute directly to the preservation of the Armenian Institute Library and the core Dowsett collection.

The 578 volumes offered in 31 lots reflect the breadth of Dowsett’s teaching, including folklore and fairytales from Europe to the Caucasus and Central Asia, comparative religion and mythology (spanning Biblical, Islamic and Indo-European traditions), philology and lexicography across Turkic, Persianate and European languages, as well as ethnography and Romani studies plus travel books from Crimea to the Hindu Kush. All have been carefully selected for deaccessioning after a curatorial review with the scope to underwrite the Armenian Institute and their activities of cultural promotion and heritage preservation.

Leading the sale are the three volumes of Richard Burton’s A Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina (1855). The copy here, a very good set complete with maps and plates is offered together with three other volumes, with an estimate of £3,000-£5000. Other highlights include a first edition copy of Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, signed and inscribed by the author Nikolaj Velimirović, the Serb theologian recently deemed Saint Nicholas of Zhicha (estimate: £300-£600), and a group of 19th and 20th century books on witchcraft including a first edition copy of Francois Lenormant’s 1877 Chaldean Magic: Its Origin and Development (estimate: £400-£800)

Proceeds from the auction will contribute directly to the preservation of the Armenian Institute Library, the core Dowsett Collection of Armenia-related volumes, the digitisation of some of its content, and the development and delivery of public and academic programmes that advance understanding of Armenian history, culture, and scholarship.