The Prime Minister’s Office released the agenda of French President Emmanuel Macron’s upcoming visit to Armenia.

Macron will visit Armenia from May 3–5.

As part of the visit, the French president will first participate in the European Political Community Summit in Yerevan.

Macron’s state visit to Armenia will begin on May 5.

A private meeting will take place between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the French president, followed by an expanded meeting between the delegations of the two countries.

After a document-signing ceremony, Pashinyan and Macron will make statements to the media.

Macron will pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan and will also visit the Matenadaran.

A meeting will also take place between Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan and French President Emmanuel Macron.

As part of the state visit, Macron, accompanied by the Armenian prime minister, will visit Gyumri, where he will pay tribute to the victims of the 1988 earthquake.

Pashinyan and Macron will also attend a concert titled “Musical Bridge: Armenia–France” in Gyumri.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Armenia will include a trip to the city of Gyumri.

A concert dedicated to Armenian-French friendship and the deepening of cultural cooperation is scheduled for May 5 at Vardanants Square in Armenia’s second-largest city.

The concert will feature Armenian and French performances by well-known artists from both countries, accompanied by the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra.

Organizational matters were discussed at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Macron and other European leaders are set to arrive in Armenia for the May 4 European Political Community Summit. The French leader will also pay a state visit.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated that water management across the country will be a priority of state policy over the next five years.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting on April 30, the prime minister noted that there is virtually no settlement in Armenia without water-related problems.

He said that in many communities, due to shortages of irrigation water, residents use drinking water for irrigation, which leads to both water losses and a reduction in supplied volumes.

“In the next five years, water issues will be one of our five priorities. Just as the peace agenda was a priority in the previous period, water-related issues will be an absolute priority in the next five-year period,” Pashinyan said.

According to him, without deep and systemic reforms in the water sector, further economic development could stall.

“Our economy has developed to a point where, without fundamental reforms in the water sector, we will begin to stagnate,” he emphasized.

The prime minister said preparatory work in this direction has been ongoing for about two years, and that it will soon be possible to move to the implementation phase of the programmes.

He also stressed the scale of the issue, noting that it involves a broad transformation of the country’s water infrastructure.

According to Pashinyan, there are uncultivated irrigated lands as well as settlements and districts with limited access to water. He also drew attention to sewage and wastewater management issues, noting that even in Yerevan there are entire districts without sewerage systems.

The prime minister emphasized the importance of wastewater management, stressing that in the future no water should be discharged into nature without treatment.

“Our strategic approach is that no water should be released into nature without treatment after use,” he said.

Pashinyan added that reforms in the sector require not only infrastructure investment but also educational and socio-psychological work aimed at forming a culture of water use.

Pashinyan made similar remarks on April 29 during a visit to a village.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has lauded the “historic” reciprocal visits by Armenian and Azerbaijani deputy prime ministers.

Pashinyan was asked to comment on Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev’s recent visit to Armenia.

“A very important event has taken place. I consider the visits of the deputy prime ministers of the two countries to be part of the institutionalization logic of the historical peace process. I am very glad that we have reached this stage,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing.

Pashinyan stressed that relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be continuously improved and that peace should be strengthened over time.

“Normal relations must be established, and in the long term—strategically—good-neighbourly relations,” the prime minister said.

On April 29, Armenia and Azerbaijan held the 13th meeting of the border delimitation and security commissions, led by Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan and Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev. The meeting took place in Armenia, while the previous one was held in Azerbaijan.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated on Thursday that his administration is carrying out daily work to secure the release of the remaining Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.

“When will there be results? When there are results, we will see them. Why am I saying this? Not because I have any information that I do not want to share, but because my experience shows that until someone crosses the border and appears on the territory of Armenia, it is, at the very least, not serious to announce such a possibility,” the prime minister said at a press briefing.

The 19 remaining Armenian captives and detainees in Azerbaijan include former political and military leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, such as former presidents Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arkady Ghukasyan; former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan; former Defense Minister Levon Mnatsakanyan; and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.

The Armenian government has repeatedly stated that it continues efforts to secure the release of the captives and other detainees.

Earlier in February, an Azerbaijani military court sentenced several former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh to life imprisonment on war-crime-related charges, which are widely seen as fabricated and part of a sham trial.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Yerevan and Baku are not discussing the reciprocal return of Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

“We have not discussed, and are not discussing, the issue of the return of Azerbaijanis, nor are we discussing the return of Armenians from Karabakh or Baku, or Armenians from other places. Discussions in both directions have a provocative effect on the current political situation and tend to inflame each other,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing.

Pashinyan branded those promoting the narratives as engaging in “cheap political manipulation,” pointing to the Strong Armenia party and its leader, businessman Samvel Karapetyan.

The prime minister added that both issues are being kept on the political agenda in an escalatory manner by the same forces.

“At first they escalate one issue; if it does not produce sufficient effect, they escalate the other. It is cheap political manipulation, nothing more. For example, I am sure the oligarch from Kaluga does not even understand what he is talking about—he is given instructions and he speaks,” Nikol Pashinyan said, referring to Samvel Karapetyan.

Strong Armenia party members have been making allegations that Pashinyan has supposedly agreed to ensure the “return of 300,000 Azerbaijanis” to Armenia.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia, as a founding member of the Board of Peace, should make its share of financial contributions to the international body.

Speaking at a press briefing after a Cabinet meeting where a bill on ratifying the Board of Peace Charter was approved, Pashinyan told reporters that it does not envisage financial obligations for the country and is based on a voluntary principle.

“We should contribute to the extent we can. Armenia has no obligations, but I believe we should participate—and we will participate,” the prime minister said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed the Board of Peace Charter alongside other world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22.

Pashinyan was invited to sign the charter as a founding member by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The bill on ratifying the Board of Peace Charter will now be sent to parliament. 

Armenia has reaffirmed its firm commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons during the general debate of the 11th Review Conference at the United Nations, stressing the need for tangible steps to advance disarmament efforts and reduce the risks of nuclear conflict.

This was stated in a release issued by Armenia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. The delegation also highlighted the important role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in promoting international cooperation on nuclear safety.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Belgium and representative to the EU, Tigran Balayan, has thanked the European Parliament for adopting a resolution in support of Armenia’s democratic resilience.

Balayan expressed his gratitude in a post on the social media platform X.

“Grateful to MEPs for adopting this timely resolution ahead of the EPC and EU–Armenia summits in Yerevan. A strong signal of support by European Parliament for Armenia’s democratic resilience and our shared commitment to deeper partnership,” he wrote.

At a plenary session of the European Parliament on April 30, a resolution on Armenia was adopted, reaffirming EU support for Armenia’s democratic development, the peace process and reforms aimed at European integration.

The resolution was supported by 476 Members of the European Parliament, with 47 voting against and 48 abstaining.

The 8th European Political Community Summit and the first-ever EU–Armenia summit, to be held next week in Yerevan, are highly important in terms of boosting the country’s international standing, improving the security environment, and deepening ties with the EU, according to the head of a prominent educational organization.

In an interview with Armenpress, For Equal Rights Educational Center President and former lawmaker Gayane Abrahamyan said the importance for Armenia is not limited to the upcoming event but is of a continuous nature, starting from the first European Political Community summit.

“Since the very first summit in 2022, when the Prague agreements were adopted and it was decided to deploy the European Union monitoring mission in Armenia, this format has consistently emphasized cooperation with Armenia and support, particularly in the security sphere,” Abrahamyan said.

She noted that the European Political Community format, which includes both EU member states and partner countries, has at various stages contributed to strengthening Armenia’s security, including through practical decisions. In this context, the summit to be held in Yerevan has particular significance as it is taking place in Armenia.

Abrahamyan stressed that holding the event in Yerevan also sends an important political and security message.

“Even taking into account regional tensions, including the wartime situation around Iran, the fact that the summit is being held in Armenia shows that the European Union considers Armenia a reliable partner and a secure country,” she said.

According to her, the event also serves as an indirect signal to the international community and business circles.

“When one of the important EU summits is held in Armenia, it is in itself a message that Armenia is a partner country where investments can also be made. This is part of the process of increasing Armenia’s visibility and becoming an important actor on the map,” Abrahamyan said.

The expert said the summit will contribute to enhancing Armenia’s international reputation.

She added that this impact is further emphasized by the fact that the first EU–Armenia summit will be held alongside the EPC summit, with the participation of European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“This is extremely high-level participation, which increases Armenia’s role in the region. It is also a political message that Armenia is seen as an important anchor for the European Union,” she said.

Speaking about expectations regarding peace and security in the South Caucasus, Abrahamyan said it is important to consider possible EU involvement in the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process.

“Although the current format is primarily bilateral negotiations, the European Union can play an important role both politically and financially,” she said.

She added that EU involvement could create additional security guarantees and contribute to the stability of the peace process.

“American mediation alone is not sufficient, and in this regard, EU participation can raise the level of security and strengthen the process,” Abrahamyan said.

Speaking about economic and investment opportunities, she stressed that the summit agenda prioritizes energy, transport, and digital connectivity.

“These are the main areas where discussions are planned in the context of peace, security, and connectivity development in Armenia,” she said.