Khalil Shirgholami, Iran’s ambassador to Armenia, has emphasized that the border between the two countries is of vital significance.

Speaking to Armenpress amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, Shirgholami described the Armenia–Iran border as a “border of peace.”

He said he visited the border crossing point over the weekend.

“I personally visited the border checkpoint over the weekend and held meetings on the Iranian side with the heads of border, security, and customs agencies. We discussed a number of issues, addressing not only current situational problems but also broader key matters related to challenges concerning the land border. The Armenian side, in turn, had raised several concerns related to the same challenges, and we therefore discussed those issues as well. We are confident that there are no serious problems and that all issues will be resolved,” the ambassador said.

He added that he maintains regular contact with border service personnel and noted that no unusual incidents have been recorded during this period.

“There is no disorder or congestion at the border. In recent days, the flow of cargo trucks traveling from Iran to Armenia has decreased, but this is due to Nowruz in Iran. People are celebrating the national holiday with their families,” Shirgholami said.

He also noted that he met with the Governor of Syunik Province, Robert Ghukasyan, holding productive discussions on issues related to both the province and the checkpoint.

“Taking the opportunity, I also inspected on site the progress of construction work on the 32-kilometer Agarak–Kajaran road. As you know, an Iranian company is involved in this project. I was very pleased to see the quality and pace of construction. I hope that in the near future we will attend the signing ceremony of the commissioning agreement for the Kajaran tunnel.

I then visited the Noravan substation, where the third power transmission line is being constructed. We agreed that, after a short pause, work will resume as soon as possible. Unfortunately, due to the war, we were unable to ensure a larger flow of Iranian tourists to Armenia this year,” Shirgholami said.

Armenian Human Rights Defender (Ombudsperson) Anahit Manasyan, during her visit to Geneva, met with Maarit Kohonen Sheriff, Director of the Global Operations Division (D2) at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The parties discussed challenges in the field of human rights protection, ways to overcome them, as well as issues faced by human rights commissioners in carrying out their duties, according to a readout from Manasyan’s office.

HayPost press release 

On March 31st, 2026, one-sided postcard with 1 stamp dedicated to the theme “Prominent Armenians. 75th Anniversary of Gegham Grigorian” has been put into circulation.

The postage stamp of the postcard depicts the prominent Armenian opera singer (tenor), People’s Artist of the Armenian SSR, Honored Artist of the Lithuanian SSR Gegham Grigorian (1951-2016).

The postcard also depicts the National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet named after Alexander Spendiaryan and the bottom left part of the postcard depicts the inscriptions “Gegham Grigorian” and “Armenian opera singer” in Armenian and English languages.

Date of issue: March 31, 2026

Designer: David Dovlatyan

Printing house: “Ktav” Ltd.  

Stamp size: 35,0 x 25,0 mm

Postcard size: 150,0 x 110,0 mm

Print run: 1000 pcs

The Armenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre has joined the Opera Europa network.

Opera Europa is the leading service organisation for professional opera companies and opera festivals throughout Europe, currently serving over 240 members from 44 countries.

“We are delighted to announce the newest member of our network – Armenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre,” Opera Europa said in a statement.

“Opera Europa welcomes a land of millennia-old history, rich culture, musical tradition and great voices. Proudly standing in the heart of Yerevan, its grand theatre is in a vibrant new phase, firmly pursuing a mission of cultural openness and artistic excellence. Whether it is the haunting melodies of Tigranian or the ballets of Khachaturian, Armenia is resonating with pride. We look forward to the exchanges this new connection will bring!”

Telewizja Polska (TVP), Poland’s public broadcaster, has launched VT Hayastan News, a news service for audiences in Armenia and the Armenian community abroad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland announced. 

“It aims to present political, social, and economic events from the European perspective as well as strengthen Armenia’s cooperation with the European Union, particularly with Poland. The project’s mission is also to increase the public’s resilience to manipulation and information interference, and to counter disinformation targeting Armenia and its partners,” Poland’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Armenian language news service has been set up as part of TVP’s International Media Centre financed from public funds at the disposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland.  

This is the next stage in the development of a multilingual news service intended for audiences in the Eastern Partnership countries, the ministry said.

“The launch of the service marks an expansion of VT (formerly “Vot Tak”), which, following the addition of a Romanian-language programming for Moldova in February 2026, now broadcasts content in three languages. The VT Hayastan News team is composed of Armenian journalists including Razmik Martirosyan, Harutyun Voskanyan, and Nune Gevorgian, who also represents the large Armenian diaspora. TVP’s International Media Centre expands its offering into other languages in response to the growing information pressure on the countries which cooperate with the EU under the Eastern Partnership. Next language projects are underway,” it added.

The programming will be aired on the Belsat channel, from Monday to Friday, and made available on YouTube and Facebook. 

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will visit Russia on April 1, his office has announced. During the visit, the Armenian prime minister will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with Satu Koivu, the new Head of the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA).

The Prime Minister congratulated Koivu on assuming the responsible position and emphasized the importance of the EU civilian monitoring mission’s activities in Armenia, according to a readout from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Pashinyan noted that Armenia–EU relations are developing dynamically and highlighted the EU’s consistent support in strengthening democratic institutions.

EUMA Head of Mission Koivu thanked the Prime Minister for the warm reception and spoke about the activities of the EU civilian mission. She expressed confidence that close cooperation and active dialogue with the Government of Armenia will continue.

During the meeting, the parties also touched upon issues related to the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as ensuring stability in the region.

YEREVAN, 31 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 31 March, USD exchange rate down by 0.38 drams to 377.16 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.57 drams to 432.19 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0218 drams to 4.6283 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.56 drams to 497.85 drams.

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

Gold price up by 248 drams to 54920 drams. Silver price up by 35 drams to 857.91 drams.

Armenia’s Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Zhanna Andreasyan, received a delegation led by Mansour bin Abdulla Al Sulaiti, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to Armenia, the ministry said in a readout.

Deputy Minister Artur Martirosyan also participated in the meeting.

Minister Andreasyan congratulated the ambassador on the start of his mission and expressed confidence that his appointment would contribute to the further development and strengthening of Armenia–Qatar cooperation.

She emphasized the importance of expanding collaboration in the fields of education, science, culture and sports, noting the significant potential in these areas.

Ambassador Al Sulaiti thanked the minister for the reception and reaffirmed his commitment to contributing to the deepening and expansion of bilateral relations. He highlighted education, culture and sports as key areas of cooperation, noting that initiatives in these sectors could strengthen institutional ties and promote mutual understanding and friendly relations between the two peoples.

The ambassador also noted that his contacts with the Armenian community had made a strong impression on him and stressed that Armenia’s rich culture and history should be more widely presented in the Middle East.

Minister Andreasyan underscored that the development of education is a strategic priority for the Armenian government in terms of long-term development and the formation of competitive human capital.

In this context, the parties discussed cooperation in higher education and science. The minister presented ongoing reforms in these fields, including the “Academic City” project.

In turn, the ambassador noted that Armenia may find interest in Qatar’s “Education City,” which hosts a number of universities, student dormitories, and science and technology centers.

The sides also discussed prospects for deepening cultural cooperation. Minister Andreasyan highlighted culture as an important tool for strengthening ties between peoples. In this regard, the opening of an Armenian cultural corner in Qatar was noted, marked by the installation of the artwork “Freedom from Chains” brought from Armenia.

The possibility of holding Armenian Culture Days in Qatar, as well as Qatar Culture Days in Armenia, was also discussed.

Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan received Leah Gutierrez, Regional Director of the Asian Development Bank.

During the meeting, the parties discussed ongoing joint programs implemented in cooperation with the ADB. In this context, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the bank’s involvement in the implementation of key projects in Armenia.

Particular attention was paid to strengthening cooperation with the private sector. The sides also referred to ongoing reforms aimed at human capital development, as well as existing challenges in this area.

The interlocutors exchanged views on regional developments and the opportunities arising from the implementation of the “Crossroads of Peace” project.