Category: News

Qatar has called on the United States and Iran to remain committed to the memorandum of understanding reached between them and continue negotiations to prevent further escalation.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said in a post on X that he made the call during a phone conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.

The two ministers discussed bilateral cooperation between their countries and ways to support and strengthen it. They also reviewed the latest regional developments, particularly diplomatic efforts and joint coordination aimed at reducing tensions and enhancing security and stability in the region.

Al Thani also stressed the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that safe passage remains a key prerequisite for regional security.

He reaffirmed Qatar’s full support for all efforts aimed at de-escalation and achieving a comprehensive agreement that would ensure lasting peace in the region.

European Union finance ministers have approved the allocation of €10 billion in funding to Hungary.

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced the decision in a post on X.

“The billions in EU funding will finally arrive. We promised, and we delivered.

Hungary’s EU Recovery and Resilience Plan has just received the unanimous approval of EU finance ministers. This removes the final obstacle to unlocking up to €10 billion in EU funds.

Many did not believe it could be done. Many thought it was impossible. Fidesz tried to obstruct it, while we worked tirelessly for three months and delivered.

The billions in EU funding are finally on their way and will go exactly where they belong: to the Hungarian people, by directly supporting transportation infrastructure, energy security, healthcare, water management, and local businesses.

Long live a European Hungary!” Magyar wrote.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The information was released by the official website of the President of Kazakhstan.

According to the statement, Tokayev congratulated Trump on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, noting that within a relatively short historical period of three generations, the United States had become a major global power.

Tokayev also said that the common-sense approach underpinning the domestic policy of the U.S. administration largely corresponds to Kazakhstan’s strategy of building a Just Kazakhstan based on the principles of the rule of law and order, adding that he supports Trump’s policies.

The statement said the two leaders also exchanged views on bilateral economic and political cooperation.

“President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted the rapid progress in implementing the important agreements reached during his visit to Washington last November. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also invited Donald Trump to visit Kazakhstan at a time convenient for him,” the statement said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow no longer trusts Western countries’ stated willingness to negotiate on Ukraine.

Russian media reported the remarks, citing statements made by Lavrov during his visit to Mozambique.

Lavrov said the Russian side had assessed the situation surrounding Ukraine, including the actions of Western countries in that context. According to him, the West is pretending to be ready for negotiations while issuing open ultimatums to Russia.

“We will no longer believe the West when it claims it wants a negotiated settlement. This reserve of goodwill and hope has been completely exhausted,” the Russian foreign minister said.

Following the NATO summit held in the Turkish capital Ankara on July 7-8, the alliance announced that it would provide Ukraine with €70 billion in weapons and military assistance in 2026 and at least the same amount in 2027.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said he plans to visit Kyiv in the near future to help advance negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

Fidan made the remarks in an interview with Turkey’s state broadcaster TRT Haber.

“In the near future, on the instructions of our President (Editor’s note: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan), we will visit Kyiv as a continuation of the process in order to provide additional momentum to the negotiations on Ukraine,” Fidan said.

He said the visit would form part of Ankara’s diplomatic efforts aimed at advancing negotiations between the parties to the conflict.

According to Fidan, Türkiye continues to maintain contacts with both Moscow and Kyiv and considers it necessary to preserve diplomatic dialogue in order to achieve a lasting ceasefire and a subsequent peaceful settlement.

A new swimming pool, co-financed by the European Union and Goris Municipality, will soon provide hydrotherapy services for children with disabilities and additional support needs in Goris. The initiative, implemented within the framework of the “Partnership for Syunik: Enhanced Community-Based Social Services” project, is being undertaken by People in Need in cooperation with the Goris WINNET Development Foundation, and Armenian Caritas.

Narek Mnatsakanyan, Head of the Financial Department of Goris Municipality, highlighted the importance of hydrotherapy, noting that there is a need for such services in communities across Armenia.

“Goris organised the project and allocate the necessary resources in cooperation with international and local organisations specialising in this field. The service will soon become fully operational and will benefit many people. At the same time, when we speak about hydrotherapy, it should be noted that the swimming pool will not only serve children with disabilities and additional support needs; it will be available to other children and adolescents. Delivering a social service of this kind can serve as a good example for other communities, creating opportunities for future cooperation and the introduction of other social services,” said Mnatsakanyan.

He added that one of the greatest challenges faced by municipalities is ensuring the long-term financing of social programmes, as needs are significant while financial resources remain limited.

“Nevertheless, specific funding has already been allocated for this project. We will do everything possible to ensure that the hydrotherapy service is sustainable and continues in the long term.” he said.

The swimming pool, which is a municipally owned facility, will be operated by the municipality, while methodological guidance and professional support will be provided by the Darman Social and Health NGO.

Shushanik Mirumyan, President of the Darman Social and Health NGO, noted that the hydrotherapy service is unique and is currently the first and only service of its kind in Goris and the neighbouring communities.

“This much-needed service is designed to provide rehabilitation therapy for children and adolescents aged 6 to 16 with disabilities. Until now, Goris has not had such a swimming pool, and this need remained completely unmet. We also intend to use the facility as an opportunity for neurotypically developing children, helping to prevent future musculoskeletal problems. Children will also be able to learn to swim here,” said Mirumyan.

In her opinion, one of the project’s important achievements in Goris was the establishment of the Community Social Committee. The committee played an active monitoring and oversight role, and provided the necessary support, throughout the construction of the swimming pool.

“We hope the committee will continue to play an important and valuable role in the future. All issues related to the social and health sectors are discussed thoroughly within the committee, and the positive results are already visible,” Mirumyan added.

The Armenpress team visited the swimming pool building to observe the final stage of construction. According to the project design, the facility includes all the necessary features to provide high-quality hydrotherapy services for children with disabilities and additional support needs. Every detail has been carefully considered to ensure accessibility and ease of movement throughout the building.

Local children eagerly await the opening of the swimming pool and believe that it will significantly enrich their lives by combining enjoyable recreational activities with rehabilitation and health benefits.

The Partnerships for Syunik – Enhanced Community-Based Social Services project is implemented by People in Need within the framework of the European Union’s Resilient Syunik – Team Europe Initiative, in cooperation with the WINNET Goris Development Foundation and Armenian Caritas. This work has been made possible thanks to cooperation with civil society, Armenia’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the Syunik Regional Administration, local government bodies, and the social committees of all seven regional municipalities.

The Resilient Syunik – Team Europe Initiative is a joint programme involving the European Union, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, ten EU Member States (Austria, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden), and Switzerland. This initiative promotes sustainable socio-economic development in the Syunik region.

The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 10 July, USD exchange rate up by 0.26 drams to 367.38 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.71 drams to 420.03 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0343 drams to 4.7873 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.97 drams to 493.58 drams.

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

Gold price up by 789 drams to 48783 drams. 

Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan received Fabrizio Zarcone, World Bank Country Manager for Armenia, on July 10.

The Armenian Ministry of Economy announced the meeting in a statement.

The sides discussed the progress of the Tourism and Regional Infrastructure Improvement Project (TRIP).

They highlighted the initiative’s role in developing tourism and modernising regional infrastructure and agreed to continue close cooperation to ensure the effective and timely implementation of the planned measures.

The TRIP project envisages an investment of €120 million to develop tourism clusters in Goris, Areni, Jermuk, Yeghegis, Dvin, Gyumri and Dilijan.

The programme aims to promote wine, wellness, adventure, cultural, educational and ecotourism, while increasing Armenia’s attractiveness as a tourist destination and strengthening the competitiveness of its regions.

Yerevan Mayor’s Press Secretary Artyom Karapetyan has issued a statement commenting on public discussions surrounding the decision to transfer animals belonging to businessman and Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan to Yerevan Zoo.

“The Yerevan Municipality’s proposal to transfer Gagik Tsarukyan’s animals to the zoo has been one of the most discussed topics over the past two days. The main narrative has been to link the investigative actions involving the businessman and political party leader with the proposal to provide what was, at this stage, perhaps the safest and most appropriate shelter for the animals. The most absurd claim has been to portray the unfortunate death of one of the animals as an act of political retaliation.

“Yes, it was deeply regrettable that one of the animals, the lioness, did not recover from sedation. However, this is a matter for professional discussion regarding the procedures followed and any possible mistakes that may have occurred. Such issues can be debated from both subjective and objective perspectives. At the same time, it was hardly difficult to foresee that the lioness’s death would be politicised and portrayed as intentional, giving rise to an entire conspiracy theory. That reflects not so much concern as manipulation — using a tragic incident to quickly construct a narrative, target individuals and simply demonise them.

“Leaving aside the debatable issue of keeping large numbers of wild animals on private property, one fact should be acknowledged: as a result of the legal proceedings, the animals had to be transferred to the only facility in the country where they could be reintegrated and remain under the continuous care and supervision of specialists. That was the sole reason behind both the proposal and the transfer — not political, but purely motivated by animal welfare,” the statement reads.

Earlier, Armenia’s Investigative Committee decided, as part of criminal proceedings involving businessman and Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan, to seize three lions, four tigers and nine crocodiles from his residence. At the proposal of Yerevan Municipality, the animals were placed in the custody of Yerevan Zoo. The lions and tigers were sedated before being transferred to the zoo, but one of the lions did not recover from the sedation and died.

Representatives of the European Union Mission in Armenia’s Kapan Field Office hosted Anne Toft Sørensen, Denmark’s Ambassador to Armenia and Georgia.

The visit was announced by the EU Mission in a post on X.

“EUMA’s Field Office in Kapan had the honour of welcoming H.E. Anne Toft Sørensen, Ambassador of Denmark to Georgia and Armenia. During her visit, the Ambassador received an overview of EUMA’s mandate, tasks and activities in the Syunik region. She also joined a Mission patrol in the Kapan area to gain first-hand insight into EUMA’s work on the ground.

During her stay, EUMA Mission Members were also delighted to participate in and enjoy performances by Armenian, Danish and European musicians at the Kapan Music Festival, supported by the Danish Embassy.

Denmark has been a steadfast supporter of EUMA, with six experts currently deployed to the Mission. We sincerely thank Denmark and the Ambassador for their continued commitment and valued support,” the post said.

The Mission also noted that Denmark currently has a contingent of six experts serving as part of EUMA.