Category: News

Armenian National Assembly Vice Speaker Ruben Rubinyan met with EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Magdalena Grono on July 6.

According to the Armenian parliament, the two exchanged views on issues related to regional security and stability.

They also discussed regional transport and logistics opportunities, as well as the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.

A shipment of 30 railcars loaded with propane gas will be transported from Russia to Armenia via Azerbaijan.

According to Azerbaijan’s APA news agency, the shipment is scheduled to depart for Armenia on July 6 from the Balajari railway station.

Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan has appointed Karen Grigoryan as Armenia’s ambassador to Pakistan, concurrently with his current post as ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

According to a presidential decree, Grigoryan, who serves as Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Arab Emirates, will also serve as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, with residence in Abu Dhabi.

The appointment was made upon the recommendation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in accordance with Armenia’s Constitution and the Law on Diplomatic Service.

The appointment marks another step in the development of Armenia-Pakistan relations after the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2025, ending decades without formal diplomatic ties. The move comes as Yerevan and Islamabad continue efforts to build bilateral cooperation following the normalization of their relations.

The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has highlighted Armenia’s contribution to an international cybercrime investigation after a German court sentenced a key member of a criminal call center network to seven years and six months in prison.

According to Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office, the convicted individual, identified as M.B., was extradited from Armenia to Germany in May 2024 following a decision by Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan. German authorities had requested his extradition to face charges of large-scale fraud committed as part of a criminal organization through a fraudulent call center scheme.

The German court also ordered the confiscation of €2.4 million in criminal proceeds. The defendant pleaded guilty.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the court found that victims in Germany had suffered losses of approximately €8 million. In addition, the supply of specialized software to other criminal groups used to carry out similar fraud schemes caused a further €42 million in damages.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said Armenia’s decision to grant Germany’s extradition request contributed to the effective administration of international criminal justice and to the fight against organized cybercrime.

A hyper-immersive exhibition titled “The Liangzhu Era: The World of Ritual Order”, combining physical and digital elements, will open in Yerevan on July 25.

The exhibition is organized through the cooperation of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, the Belt and Road Cultural Association, the Artists’ Union of Armenia, and the Armenian-Chinese Partnership Center, with the support of the Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism of Zhejiang Province.

The Liangzhu Archaeological Site, dating back approximately 5,300 years, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 and is regarded as one of the key archaeological sites documenting the origins of Chinese civilization.

The exhibition seeks to answer a central question: how can visitors from different cultural backgrounds not only learn about the significance of the Liangzhu civilization, but also experience its profound cultural heritage and form their own informed understanding of it.

The exhibition combines authentic archaeological artifacts with cutting-edge digital technologies to present a comprehensive picture of the Liangzhu civilization through an integrated physical and digital experience.

The exhibition will be available in Chinese, English, Russian, and Armenian. It will run in Yerevan through August 31, with professionally translated texts and interactive content presented through a unified narrative designed to be accessible to audiences from different cultural backgrounds.

Armenia has recorded steady industrial growth in recent years and is increasingly being recognized by international investors as a reliable partner in the high-tech sector, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the INNOPROM 2026 International Industrial Exhibition in Yekaterinburg.

Speaking at the plenary session “Industry 360: Production Without Borders,” Pashinyan thanked Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin for the invitation to participate in the exhibition and praised its high level of organization.

He described INNOPROM as a traditional platform for showcasing advanced industrial solutions and business opportunities, noting that the global industrial landscape is undergoing structural changes driven by science, technology, digitalization, artificial intelligence and data analytics.

According to the prime minister, Armenia’s industrial output grew by 4.7% in 2025 compared with 2024, while industrial production increased by 13% during the first four months of this year compared with the same period last year. He added that the country’s manufacturing sector has doubled over the past nine years.

Pashinyan said Armenia’s industrial policy places particular emphasis on developing knowledge-intensive industries capable of driving technological progress through the adoption of digital technologies, artificial intelligence and data analytics.

He also noted that recent major investments demonstrate growing international confidence in Armenia as a reliable long-term partner in the high-tech sector. According to the prime minister, this approach will increase the country’s investment attractiveness, accelerate technology transfer and create conditions for the production of high value-added goods.

Addressing industrial cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Pashinyan said industry remains one of the key drivers of economic integration. He noted that Armenian industrial enterprises are already participating in several joint projects with partners across the EAEU.

Concluding his remarks, Pashinyan stressed that despite the rapid development of high technologies and artificial intelligence, technological progress must remain centered on people.

“Technology is intended not to replace people, but to free them from repetitive work, opening new horizons for intellectual and creative activity,” he said.

The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 6 July, USD exchange rate down by 0.32 drams to 367.47 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.36 drams to 419.65 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0275 drams to 4.7311 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.98 drams to 490.2 drams.

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

Gold price up by 370 drams to 49197 drams.

Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan met with Vivien Lyubzansky, Director of the International Committee of the Francophonie Games, to discuss preparations for the 10th Francophonie Games, which will be held in 2027.

According to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, the Permanent Council of La Francophonie unanimously decided to award Yerevan the right to host the 2027 Francophonie Games.

Deputy Ministers Artur Martirosyan and Tigran Virabyan also attended the meeting.

Welcoming the participants, Andreasyan stressed that it is a great honour and responsibility for Armenia to host the Francophonie Games and to organise them at the highest level. For his part, Lyubzansky reaffirmed the International Committee’s readiness to provide maximum support throughout the preparations.

The meeting also covered a range of issues related to infrastructure, close cooperation between the parties, public awareness efforts and organisational matters.

The 15th Human Rights Dialogue between the European Union and Armenia took place in Yerevan on July 1, with the sides discussing cooperation on human rights protection, democratic reforms and the rule of law.

The announcement was made in a statement published on the EU Eastern Partnership website.

The sides welcomed the progress made in advancing the EU-Armenia partnership since the previous dialogue held in February 2025, stressing that their cooperation is based on the shared values of democracy, human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.

The meeting reviewed developments since 2025 and discussed the latest policy changes and priorities in the field of human rights in Armenia and the European Union. The sides agreed to continue cooperation within the framework of the EU-Armenia Strategic Partnership Agenda and the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan.

Referring to Armenia’s parliamentary elections held on June 7, the European Union and Armenia discussed the preliminary findings of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission and agreed to continue consultations following the publication of its final report, including on the implementation of its recommendations.

Particular attention was paid to promoting equality and combating discrimination. The European Union welcomed the adoption of Armenia’s 2025-2028 Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan, while the Armenian side outlined ongoing efforts to adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation. The discussions also covered the prevention of domestic and gender-based violence, hate speech and hate crimes, as well as the protection of vulnerable groups, including Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.

The sides also exchanged views on the protection of children’s rights, labour rights, trafficking in human beings, informal and illegal employment, and improving access to community-based services for persons with disabilities.

The meeting also addressed the freedoms of peaceful assembly, association and _expression_, the role of civil society, and the importance of ensuring a free and independent media environment. The European Union also inquired about Armenia’s efforts to safeguard the operation of independent media.

The EU delegation was led by Deren Derya, Head of Division at the European External Action Service, while the Armenian delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan. Representatives of relevant Armenian government agencies, the European External Action Service and the European Commission also attended the meeting.

The next EU-Armenia Human Rights Dialogue is scheduled to take place in Brussels in 2027.

The Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) and Football Investment Group have announced the launch of the Benfica Academy Armenia project, under which the official academy of Portuguese club Sport Lisboa e Benfica will begin operating in Yerevan from the 2027-2028 season.

The Football Federation of Armenia announced the project in a statement.

The academy will be established at the FFA Technical Centre-Academy, part of which has been granted to Football Investment Group LLC under a long-term, rent-free agreement for the implementation of the project. According to the FFA, the decision reflects the initiative’s scale and strategic importance for the development of Armenian football, as well as the status of Benfica’s academy as one of the world’s leading football academies.

Benfica Academy Armenia will become only the third international development centre in SL Benfica’s global academy network. With planned investment, infrastructure and a projected intake of around 1,000 players, it will rank among the club’s largest international academy projects.

The initiative is aligned with the Football Federation of Armenia’s long-term strategy, which prioritises youth football development, the introduction of international best practices, improvements in coach education and the effective use of modern football infrastructure in Armenia.

Under the agreement, the FFA Technical Centre-Academy will undergo extensive modernisation before the academy begins operations. The first phase includes the renovation of six football pitches, the installation of two new artificial-turf pitches, the modernisation of the stadium, the complete replacement of the lighting system, the installation of floodlighting at all training pitches, the reconstruction of the gym and dressing rooms, and the creation of new facilities for players and parents.

The second phase envisages the construction of a new multifunctional complex comprising accommodation, educational and healthcare facilities, sports performance areas, conference halls and other infrastructure designed to provide a high-performance sporting environment.

The academy will begin operations with around 1,000 young footballers aged between four and 17. The programme will be implemented under Benfica’s technical supervision and methodology, providing continuous coach education, a unified player development system and the transfer of international best practices to Armenian specialists.

“We are confident that strategic investments of this kind will significantly enhance the competitiveness of Armenian football, create new opportunities for the development of young players and strengthen Armenia’s position on the regional football map.

“The Benfica Academy Armenia project is another important step towards creating an international-level football environment in Armenia and reflects the Football Federation of Armenia’s consistent policy of bringing the expertise and knowledge of the world’s leading football organisations to support the development of Armenian football.

“I am confident that this partnership will create significant value for Armenian football and help Armenia gradually become one of the region’s leading centres for football education and talent development,” FFA President Armen Melikbekyan said.