Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan rejected suggestions that the process of opening the Armenia-Türkiye border has stalled.

“Armenia’s border with Türkiye is open. The process has not stopped; it has slowed down. I tend to associate this more with the completion of the processes between Armenia and Azerbaijan and reaching the point of no return, which, in my assessment, is definitely a matter for the near future,” he said at a press briefing.

“I mean both the point of no return, which we crossed long ago in terms of peace, and the issue of opening the border. There is no reason for me to think that this issue will not be resolved or will be delayed further,” Simonyan said.

The Security Council Secretary added that work is also underway on the Turkish side aimed at restoring infrastructure in this direction.

“We also hold meetings, and our businesspeople go there. It is a process that is progressing positively,” Simonyan said.

Türkiye unilaterally closed its land border with Armenia in 1993. The two countries have intensified normalization efforts in recent years, and Armenia has said it stands ready for Türkiye to open the border at any time. The border checkpoints have been upgraded and are ready to operate.

On September 22, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in his address to the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York that Türkiye and Armenia had made progress in the process of normalizing bilateral relations.

Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan addressed speculation about a possible increase in the price of imported Russian gas.

Speaking at a press briefing, Simonyan was asked what the Armenian authorities would do if Russia decided to raise the gas price.

“We have said, and will maintain, the position that we have four neighboring countries, and if a fifth country offers to supply us with gas through transit, we will consider that offer. The price of gas also includes a political component. We are not prepared, and will no longer be prepared, to depend on a single pipeline or a single pressure point, and we will pursue the process of diversifying all sectors of Armenia’s economy,” Simonyan said.

The Security Council Secretary emphasized that the Republic of Armenia is an independent country that forms its government through the choice of its people and has no conflict that could be used to generate political processes in Armenia or steer political processes in any direction.

“The Republic of Armenia will preserve its sovereignty. Our partners in the Russian Federation also constantly say that this is your sovereign right to decide. The Republic of Armenia has not compromised and will not compromise its interests,” he said.

Consumers in Armenia currently pay AMD 143.7 per cubic meter of gas. Socially vulnerable groups pay a subsidized tariff of AMD 100.

Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan said he sees no threat to the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia from Türkiye.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday after the Cabinet meeting, Simonyan addressed discussions about the possible withdrawal of the Russian 102nd Military Base from Armenia and the potential risks in that context.

“I see no threat to the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia from Türkiye. Since August 8, 2025, I see no threat at all,” Simonyan said.

The Security Council Secretary reaffirmed that Armenia has never raised the issue of withdrawing the Russian military base from Armenia, and that it was the Russian side that raised it.

“We are not discussing and have not discussed such an issue. It is an issue that they have put on their agenda, and we are prepared to accept any outcome,” Simonyan said.

Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan held a meeting with British Ambassador to Armenia Alexandra Cole.

According to the Security Council Office readout, the meeting addressed various agenda items related to bilateral cooperation within the framework of the strategic partnership.

“Questions related to regional developments and other topics of bilateral interest were also discussed,” the office said in a statement.

The Armenian government approved the 2026 state standardization program and the list of standardization activities. The standards included in the program must be developed by the end of the year.

Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan presented the measures at a Cabinet meeting.

He said the program envisages updating existing standards and harmonizing them with international and regional standards. The list of activities was prepared taking into account requirements received from various state bodies.

“Within the framework of state support in the field of standardization, the work being carried out makes it possible to have standards that meet international requirements. Products, services or certain processes that comply with those requirements do not face any problems when policies are subsequently developed or work is carried out, because they are already harmonized with the best practices accepted around the world,” Papoyan said.

The minister noted that requirements for bodies conducting audits and certification of food safety management systems are to be developed, along with standards related to the assessment and certification of products, processes and services.

In the environmental sector, a national standard will be developed establishing a method for determining the levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water. In the field of geospatial data, national standards related to geographic information will also be brought into line with modern requirements.

In response to Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan’s question about how long it would take to develop the standards, Papoyan said:

“Since the scope is not very large, we should complete all of them during this year and submit them, as stipulated by the annual program.”

The standards will also cover road construction, cybersecurity and privacy protection, corruption prevention, energy management, healthcare, space debris reduction, tourism and food safety.

Exports of Armenian products to several major markets increased significantly in January-August 2026, while a substantial decline was recorded in exports to the Eurasian Economic Union market, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said at a Cabinet meeting.

Exports to the European Union increased by around 70%, while exports to India grew 2.1-fold and those to the United Arab Emirates rose by around 45-46%, Papoyan said.

“The only direction where we have a significant decline in exports of Armenian-origin products is the Eurasian Economic Union market,” Papoyan said, adding that export market diversification continues actively in other directions. The decline is due to the Russian restrictions on Armenian goods. 

According to data presented by the minister, products worth around $990 million were exported in January-August 2025, compared with around $943 million in the same period of 2026. The decline was around 5%.

He said the figure was “not bad” considering Russia’s restrictions.

But aside from the restrictions, Papoyan said the decline in exports to the EAEU market was also due to crop volumes. In particular, more than 40,000 tons of apricots were exported last year, compared with around 12,000-13,000 tons this year, as the harvest was smaller due to weather conditions.

At the same time, exports of canned fruits and vegetables increased by 18%, dried fruits and vegetables by 64%, Armenian brandy by 10%, and live animals by 21%.

Businesses are expected to receive AMD 4.59 billion in compensation for products exported in August. The program provides support for exports of greenhouse products, fresh fruit, flowers, food products and certain types of beverages.

According to Papoyan, under the support program, around 3,000 tons of tomatoes, more than 2,200 tons of peppers, 3.9 million flowers, more than 2,200 tons of peaches, 292,000 liters of bottled wine and 336,000 liters of fruit and berry wine were exported.

Earlier in September, officials said Armenia had lodged a complaint within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) over restrictions imposed by Russia on Armenian products and expected the obstacles to be removed through the application of existing mechanisms.

Armenia has exported aluminum foil to Azerbaijan, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said on Thursday.

“Aluminum foil has been exported,” Papoyan told reporters, without disclosing the volume of the shipment.

Asked whether Armenia plans to export other products to Azerbaijan, the minister replied, “We’ll see.”

The Council of the EU today formally adopted temporary trade-liberalization measures for Armenian products to support Armenia’s economy following trade restrictions recently imposed by Russia.

These measures will liberalize around 80% of Armenian exports to the EU, suspending import duties on a broad range of products, including certain agricultural goods, the Council of the EU said in a press release.

This temporary preferential arrangement will apply for a period of two years.

These temporary measures will contribute to supporting and strengthening trade flows from Armenia to the EU, in line with the objectives of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The preferential arrangement comes with certain conditions and includes safeguard measures to protect the EU market if imports adversely affect EU producers. 

This final adoption follows the positive vote in the European Parliament plenary session on the Commission’s proposal without amendments.

“We are stepping up our support for Armenia and its people, who have clearly chosen a pro-European path in spite of foreign pressures. Today’s decision will help Armenia’s economy hit by trade restrictions and shows that our partners can always count on the EU,” said Helen McEntee, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland.

The regulation will now be signed and published in the Official Journal of the EU. It will enter into force the day after publication and will apply for two years from entry into force.

Armenian boxer Rudolf Garboyan took bronze at the European Boxing Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria after suffering a 0–5 semifinal defeat to Russia’s Bair Batlaev in the 50kg category.

Earlier, Elida Kocharyan had won a bronze medal for Armenia in the women’s competition at the European Championships.

The Armenian Embassy in Argentina organized a gala concert on September 21 at the National Auditorium of the Palacio Libertad in Buenos Aires, dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia.

The concert marked Armenia’s Independence Day in Argentina, bringing together Armenian and Argentine artists and creating a unique dialogue between the musical and cultural heritage of the two countries, the embassy said in a press release.

The concert opened with the Aeropuertos Argentina Orchestra, conducted by Néstor Tedesco, which performed excerpts from Aram Khachaturian’s Masquerade ballet and the “Sabre Dance.”

Renowned bandoneonist Walter Ríos performed Sayat-Nova’s “Kani Vur Jan Im” and Astor Piazzolla’s “Adiós Nonino,” while Mariel Dupetit performed Charles Aznavour’s “La Bohème.”

Soprano Alla Avetisyan performed Artemi Aivazian’s “Yerevan” and Komitas’ “Krunk.” Duduk player Hakob Barseghyan, accompanied by the orchestra, performed Astor Piazzolla’s “Oblivion” and a medley of works by Sayat-Nova.

A choir specially formed for the concert, consisting of 35 students from Armenian schools in Buenos Aires to mark the 35th anniversary of Armenia’s independence, performed the song “Erebuni-Yerevan” under the direction of Areg Knyazyan.

The concert continued with Teatro Colón ballet principals Matías Santos and Natalia Pelayo, who performed an excerpt from Aram Khachaturian’s Spartacus ballet.

The evening concluded with performances by the Argentine National Folkloric Ballet and the premiere of Armenian Ornaments, a dance choreographed by ballet master Karen Gevorgyan, which was met with a standing ovation from the audience.

“The joint performances by Armenian and Argentine artists symbolized the friendship and cultural ties that have developed between the two peoples. This dialogue between Armenian and Argentine music, dance and art once again demonstrated that culture can serve as a strong and living bridge connecting peoples,” the embassy said.