TRIPP Plays Role in Reordering of Eurasian Trade Routes

David Nargizian
Jamestown
July 28, 2026

TRIPP Plays Role in Reordering of Eurasian Trade Routes

Irakli Laitadze

TRIPP Plays Role in Reordering of Eurasian Trade Routes

Executive Summary:

  • Civil Contract’s victory in Armenia’s elections reinforced its pro-Western stance and its peace talks with Azerbaijan, enabling the U.S.-backed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) and its integration with the Middle Corridor via Central Asia and South Caucasus.
  • Armenia can become a key transport hub, improving Türkiye–Azerbaijan connectivity and deepening peace ties while boosting its economy. Georgia may face rivalry to its transit routes, but its Black Sea ports will ensure deep integration into the expanded network.
  • If successfully realized, TRIPP could foster greater economic interdependence, support regional peace and stability, and contribute to the emergence of a more interconnected South Caucasus and wider region.

Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections were not only a vote for Armenia’s future geopolitical trajectory between the West and Russia. They were also a vote for the future path of the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process (see EDM, June 5, 17, 22). The development of transit corridors through the South Caucasus between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a major component of the ongoing peace process (see EDM, May 22). Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s pro-Western Civil Contract party’s victory in the parliamentary elections maintained Armenia’s trajectory toward peace and the West.

The West has expressed support for Armenia’s democratic pursuits and the peace process with Azerbaijan both before and after the elections (see EDM, May 11, June 3). The latest demonstration of this support was European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Yerevan on July 2. She unveiled solid economic measures that will help Armenia become more economically resilient (European Commission, July 2; see EDM, July 20). On July 16, the Armenian government approved a draft law for the ratification of the Framework Agreement on Strategic Cooperation between Armenia and the United States for the TRIPP project. According to Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, the agreement “further elaborates on the agreed details and areas of cooperation” consistent with the Washington Declaration signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the United States on August 8, 2025, and a document defining the implementation of TRIPP signed by the U.S. State Department and Armenian Foreign Ministry on January 13 (see EDM, August 12; Armenpress, July 16). The Washington Declaration included the opening of new transport and communication channels, including the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) connecting Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia’s Syunik Province (Yerevan Today, August 9, 2025).

The electoral victory of pro-Western forces in Armenia opens a window of opportunity for the major infrastructure project connecting Azerbaijan and Armenia for the first time in decades. The configuration of South Caucasus trade, energy transit flows, and geopolitical influence will be dependent on TRIPP’s realization (News Armenia, November 17, 2025)

 TRIPP created a framework where transport and energy transit corridors will function under Armenian jurisdiction, guaranteeing uninterrupted operation of the route between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan. Before the TRIPP framework was agreed upon in Washington, the route was referred to as the Zangezur Corridor in Azerbaijan. For Azerbaijan, this corridor is a direct tie between two separated territories of the country, while for Armenia, it had been a concern of its sovereignty over Syunik (News.am, September 6, 2024). Zangezur can be considered a physical landline, while the TRIPP connectivity project is political and commercial. The latter is a reconceptualized Zangezur corridor. TRIPP means creating the whole system of infrastructure, including railway, motorway, energy-carrier routes, digital networks, and logistical hubs. According to the abovementioned declarations, the development of TRIPP must be executed with the participation of the United States and mutually determined third parties (Business Media, July 17). 

TRIPP will increase trade, cargo turnover, and transactional costs and will further strengthen the trade route between Europe, Türkiye, South Caucasus, and Central Asia while bypassing Russia. Circumventing Russia is already a heavy political component, as it will allow trade with less dependence on the politically charged and unpredictable Russian route amid its war against Ukraine. TRIPP will also play an important role in the political integration of the South Caucasus. Its realization will foster peace and normalization not only in Armenian–Azerbaijan relations, but in  Armenian–Turkish relations as well (Kavkasia, May 4; see EDM, May 22).

TRIPP is not a stand-alone megaproject. It forms part of a broader regional connectivity framework. It will be linked to the Middle Corridor, an east–west trade corridor connecting the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to Europe via Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, the South Caucasus, and Türkiye (Ankasam, May 15).

For Armenia, the opening of new transport routes will represent the largest economic transformation the country has experienced since the collapse of the Soviet Union. TRIPP will break the land blockade Armenia has faced since the early 1990s as a result of the First Karabakh War. The new transport corridor will position Armenia at the crossroads of major regional trade flows. This shift would make Armenia, and Syunik province in particular, an increasingly attractive destination for foreign direct investment. Armenia will diversify its foreign economic relations, decrease its dependence on a limited number of trade partners,  and create multiple jobs.  As peace takes hold and stability endures over time, Armenia’s appeal to international investors is likely to grow steadily, gradually transforming Armenia into a dynamic economic corridor (Anadolu Ajansı, June 9).

For Azerbaijan, the successful implementation of TRIPP would deliver economic gains. By establishing a direct transport link between mainland Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan exclave, the corridor would enhance connectivity while reducing transit times and costs. Greater integration into regional transport networks, particularly into the Middle Corridor, would reinforce the country’s economic resilience. The project will encourage investment in logistics centers, customs facilities, and industrial zones along the route. Over time, these developments will create jobs, support regional economic growth, and improve the efficiency of Azerbaijan’s logistics sector, further consolidating Baku’s position as a leading transportation and commercial hub in the South Caucasus (AZERTAC, September 24, 2025).

Georgia became a connecting link between Europe, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, and Central Asia amid Türkiye and Azerbaijan’s blockade of Armenia. The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Southern Gas Corridor, and the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway all run through Georgian territory. Realizing TRIPP, however, could lead to problems for Georgia. If a portion of the goods from Azerbaijan and Central Asia are moved via Armenia and Nakhchivan, then the BTK railway will have diminished cargo turnover. With its Black Sea ports, Georgia will still have an important role in transit routes. Additionally, if Georgia develops its Black Sea infrastructure such as the Anaklia Black Sea port and continues to upgrade its transport infrastructure, it will solidify its key role in the new, wider transport infrastructure (Sputnik Georgia, December 5, 2025; see EDM, July 16).

Türkiye is one of the beneficiaries of TRIPP (see EDM, May 22). The route would deepen Ankara’s economic and political engagement with the South Caucasus and Central Asia, supporting its strategic objective of expanding its influence throughout the Turkic world and immediate neighborhood (see EDM, April 28, May 19, 21). TRIPP would further enhance Türkiye’s role as a key bridge between Europe and Asia and strengthen its position within the Middle Corridor. The project will generate economic benefits through increased trade, investment, and transit revenues. At the same time, improved regional connectivity would advance Türkiye’s ambition to serve as a major transportation and energy hub linking Europe with the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and the PRC.

The outcome of Armenia’s 2026 parliamentary elections created favorable conditions for the advancement of TRIPP and the broader normalization process in the South Caucasus. TRIPP can reshape regional trade patterns and strengthen connectivity across Eurasia. Enduring mistrust between Armenia and Azerbaijan, domestic political uncertainties, and the risk of renewed tensions, however, could complicate implementation. If successfully realized, TRIPP could foster greater economic interdependence, support regional peace and stability, and contribute to the emergence of a more interconnected South Caucasus and wider region.


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Pashinyan talks Russian import bans, possible EU referendum in first call with

Hambardsumian Paul
OC Media
July 28, 2026
by Nate Ostiller

28 July 2026 (Updated:  2 days ago)•2 min read

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking the first time the two leaders have talked, albeit on the phone, since the Armenian parliamentary elections in June that saw Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party notch another term in power. Ahead of the election, Russia stopped short of openly supporting the opposition but made it clear the Kremlin desired Pashinyan’s defeat, and has not publicly congratulated him on his victory in the almost two intervening months.

The official Russian readout of the call, held on Monday, said it had been initiated by Armenia.

The remaining details from the Russian side were brief, simply stating Putin had reiterated Armenia should hold a referendum on attempting to join the EU or maintaining membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

The Armenian readout provided more information about the talks, noting that Pashinyan had focused on ‘problems emerging in bilateral economic relations’.

Regarding Putin’s demands, Pashinyan ‘emphasised that holding a referendum is practically possible only after Armenia submits an official application to the European Union for EU membership and makes the topic substantive’.

Armenia–Russia trade turnover drops by 20.5% in first five months of 2026

Separately, Pashinyan raised the issue of the wave of Russian restrictions on Armenian imports that began before the election and continue to this day, saying the measures ‘contradict the Armenia-Russia legal framework and the regulations of the EAEU’.

Russia has banned the import of a wide range of Armenian products, including alcohol, dairy, flowers, fruits, vegetables, mineral water, fish, and others.

While Russia continues introducing new restrictions, Deputy Russian Prime Minister Aleksei Overchuk has claimed that Russia did not ‘introduce any restrictions for Armenian imports at all’, calling it ‘usual normal work’.

Other Russian officials have said they would replace Armenian products in the Russian market with Azerbaijani goods.

On Tuesday, Putin also had a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, but neither the Russian nor the Azerbaijani readouts of the conversation mentioned Armenia or any connected issues.

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Pashinyan spoke with Putin and responded to demands to hold a referendum on Ar

Ani Basmajian
LIGA
July 28, 2026
The Prime Minister of Armenia stated that the country will be able to hold a referendum on its foreign policy course after it submits its application for EU membership
Serhiy Malamura

News editor at LIGA.net
July 28, 09:21
Nikol Pashinyan and Vladimir Putin during their meeting on September 26, 2025 (Photo: Armenian Government Press Office)

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since the June parliamentary elections. The parties discussed bilateral relations, economic issues, and the prospects for Armenia’s European integration. This was reported by the Armenian government’s press service. At the same time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the parties allegedly emphasized the need to hold a referendum in Armenia as soon as possible on the country’s integration into the European Union.

See also
Armenia didn’t run away, Armenia pulled back: “forced friendship” didn’t work

According to a statement from the Armenian government, Pashinyan raised the issue of restrictions on the supply of goods of Armenian origin to Russia during the conversation. He stated that such measures contradict the existing legal framework between the two countries and the rules of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and called on Moscow to resolve the situation.

The Kremlin reported that the conversation took place at the initiative of the Armenian prime minister. According to the Russian side, Putin referred to the joint statement by the leaders of the EAEU countries, adopted on May 29 in Astana, and stressed the need to hold a referendum in Armenia to determine the country’s future foreign policy course—whether to move toward the European Union or to maintain membership in the EAEU.

Pashinyan noted that holding such a referendum will only be possible after Armenia officially submits its application for membership in the European Union, which will make this issue subject to practical consideration.

The prime minister also assured that the Armenian government is ready to resolve all contentious issues with Russia through open, constructive, and friendly dialogue.

The results of the parliamentary elections in Armenia, held on June 7, have effectively determined the country’s foreign policy course and the prospects for its relations with Moscow, the EU, and the U.S. At the same time, Russia is doing everything in its power to halt Yerevan’s rapprochement with the West.

See also
The Kremlin’s Geopolitical Betrayal: How Peace in the Caucasus Is Pushing Russia Out and Who Stands to Gain
  • In the June elections in Armenia , the party received the most support “Civic Contract,” led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which received 49.7% of the vote.
  • Prior to the elections, Russia imposed a series of trade restrictions against Armenia. However, in mid-June, the European Union provided Armenia with 34 million euros to mitigate the impact of these Russian restrictions on the private sector.

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Turkish Press: Pashinyan: Armenia’s EU referendum awaits formal bid

Markos Nalchajian
Hurriyet, Turkey
July 28, 2026
YEREVAN

 

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on July 27 told Russian President Vladimir Putin that a referendum on his country’s accession to the EU is possible only after Yerevan submits an official bid to join the 27-member union.

“Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized that holding a referendum is practically possible only after Armenia submits an official application to the European Union for EU membership and makes the topic substantive,” a statement by Pashinyan’s office said after a phone call between Pashinyan and Putin.

The statement said Pashinyan’s remarks came with regards to the topic of holding such a referendum in Armenia, which it said is also written in a joint statement adopted after a Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) leaders meeting in May.

Following the EAEU meeting in the Kazakh capital Astana on May 29, the Russian president, as well as the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, said in a joint statement that they shared the need to hold a nationwide referendum in the South Caucasus nation on EU accession or continued EAEU membership “as soon as possible.”

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Armenia’s AI Bet Is Not Chip Manufacturing. It Is Compute Sovereignty

George Mamian
AI News
July 28, 2026

Armenia’s AI Bet Is Not Chip Manufacturing. It Is Compute Sovereignty

SEO DIGITAL PROS

July 28, 2026

Armenia is not a big country. It’s not a wealthy country. It’s not a famous country. And yet, it has become not only a consumer of different AI products akin to Clideo subtitles generator for video editing, or giants like OpenAI, but also entered the headlines of global news for several reasons, not the least of which is politics. Another reason is tech advances, precisely, the alleged ‘manufacturing of chips for NVIDIA’. The latter is a big name, which you surely recognize, so let’s discuss the situation in detail.

First and foremost, news started circulating that NVIDIA was somehow “making chips in Armenia.” But clarifications are in order. Armenia is not becoming a chip fabrication country in the Taiwan sense. NVIDIA Blackwell chips are not going to be manufactured in Hrazdan or Yerevan; NVIDIA says Blackwell GPUs are manufactured using a custom TSMC 4NP process, which places the core chip-production story firmly inside the existing global semiconductor supply chain, not inside Armenia.

Armenia is trying to do something else: become a regional AI compute hub, built around imported high-end NVIDIA infrastructure, U.S.-approved chip transfers, local telecom and energy capacity, and a growing argument that smaller countries need sovereign access to AI computing power.

The centerpiece is Firebird, a U.S.-based AI cloud and infrastructure company operating between San Francisco and Yerevan. Armenia’s Ministry of High-Tech Industry says the first phase of the Firebird AI center near Hrazdan is scheduled around 2026 and involves a $500 million investment, more than 6,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs, 18 MW of capacity and up to 110.6 exaflops of FP4 Tensor compute. The government presents the second phase as far larger: approximately $4 billion in total investment and more than 41,000 additional GPUs, a scale that, if delivered as described, would place Armenia unusually high on the global AI-compute map for a country of its size.

Real Story Behind Infrastructure

The confusion is understandable because the word “chips” is everywhere in this story. U.S. export approval was required. NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs are central to the project. Dell Technologies is involved on the server side. The U.S. and Armenia also signed an AI and Semiconductor Innovation Partnership MOU on August 8, 2025, which the U.S. International Trade Administration describes as covering secure semiconductor supply chains, integrated-circuit and electronics development, AI commercialization and Armenia’s position under the U.S. export-control framework. That sounds close to “chip production,” but it is not the same thing as building fabrication plants. In practical terms, Armenia’s emerging role is closer to AI infrastructure, cloud services, electronics/IC development, engineering talent and semiconductor-adjacent R&D than mass semiconductor manufacturing.

Moreover, NVIDIA now frames major AI infrastructure as AI factories, i.e., systems that manufacture intelligence rather than physical goods. Its GB300 NVL72 platform, for example, is a rack-scale system combining 72 Blackwell Ultra GPUs and 36 Arm-based Grace CPUs in a liquid-cooled architecture designed for training and inference at very high density. Dell, one of the infrastructure partners in this broader market, describes its PowerEdge XE9712 with NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 as a rack-scale enterprise AI platform, built for high-output reasoning inference and improved throughput. In other words, Armenia’s project is not about making the chip; it is about hosting the machines that make large-scale AI development possible.

Independent regional reporting supports this reading. Eurasianet reported in November 2025 that U.S. regulators approved the transfer of advanced NVIDIA chips for Armenia’s AI hub, while also noting Dell’s PowerEdge server role and the political importance of the approval process. OC Media, citing Bloomberg, reported that the project involves a 100 MW data center using NVIDIA Blackwell chips and Dell AI servers, with the first phase expected in 2026. OC Media also reported that part of the significance lies in export controls: Armenia had previously been affected by U.S. restrictions on exports of high-performance AI chips to certain countries, making approval a strategic as well as commercial milestone.

Why Armenia Wants AI Compute So Badly

For Armenia, the strategic logic is clear. The country already has a serious technology base relative to its size, especially in software engineering, mathematics, electronic design automation and diaspora-connected entrepreneurship. Synopsys Armenia, for example, describes its local operation as covering R&D and product support for electronic design automation, design for manufacturing and semiconductor IP, with more than 1,000 employees across Yerevan and Gyumri. That does not make Armenia a chip-manufacturing giant, but it does mean the country has long been more connected to the semiconductor value chain than casual observers may assume.

The Firebird project attempts to add a missing layer: massive compute. Talent without computers becomes dependent on foreign cloud providers. Research without GPUs remains theoretical. Startups without local access to advanced infrastructure may build around someone else’s platform, pricing and policy limits. That is why the phrase “compute sovereignty” fits the Armenian case better than “chip production.” The argument is not that Armenia can replace existing semiconductor powers. The argument is that access to AI infrastructure is becoming a national development issue, the way broadband, energy grids and transport corridors once were.

There is also a public-sector AI layer. Armenia has signed a cooperation agreement with Mistral AI, and Mistral’s own customer page says the partnership with Armenia’s Ministry of High-Tech Industry focuses on AI assistants, public services and government functions, with attention to open and adaptable models that fit Armenia’s language, infrastructure and use cases. That makes the country’s AI push less like a single data-center announcement and more like a broader attempt to connect infrastructure, public services, startups, universities and international partnerships.

The Hard Part Comes After the Announcement

However, there are obstacles on the way. The factories of AI require a massive amount of energy, capital and are politically charged. A 100 MW data centre would consume as much electricity as a city of around 120,000 people, and could consume significant cooling capacity, but Armenia’s Ministry of High-Tech Industry claims that the Firebird centre is fitted out with a closed loop water-cooling system that only requires a water change every few years. This is the case of Armenia’s own energy situation: U.S. International Trade Administration reports that Armenia has an adequate current electricity generating capacity with rising consumption and is still relying on a combination of nuclear, hydro and thermal generation.

There is also a risk of execution. Firebird is young, the capital figures are big, the gap between an AI factory that has been announced and is fully leveraging and an AI compute hub that is fully utilized and commercially viable is huge. The project will require customers, a reliable power supply, cooling, network resiliency, export-control stability, and operational expertise and a local ecosystem that can absorb a part of the compute capacity. The Ministry reports that Team Telecom Armenia is installing next-generation fiber-optic infrastructure with up to 1 Tbps bandwidth, while according to OC Media, the project could include some portion of compute which would be allocated to domestic companies and the remaining compute that would be sold to U.S.-based companies operating in the region. What’s important about those details is that usage of the GPUs will impact local benefit – who will be getting them, at what price, and for what type of work.

The most accurate way to describe Armenia’s AI moment, then, is not “NVIDIA is producing chips in Armenia.” It is this: Armenia is trying to turn advanced imported chips into domestic strategic capacity. If Firebird, Dell, NVIDIA-linked infrastructure, U.S. export approvals, local telecom investment and public-sector AI partnerships come together as planned, Armenia could become one of the more unusual AI infrastructure stories of the next few years: a small, landlocked country using computers as a development strategy. The gamble is bold. Armenia is not trying to become the next chip fab. It is trying to become a place where the next generation of AI systems can be trained, hosted and commercialized.

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Putin presses Armenia to hold referendum on EU or Eurasian bloc membership

Emil Lazarian
Brussels Signal
July 28, 2026

Nikol Pashinyan told the Russian president a vote was only possible once Yerevan had formally applied to join the European Union.

Brussels Signal

Russian President Vladimir Putin has pressed Armenia to hold a national referendum on whether to join the European Union or remain in the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), during a telephone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on July 27.

According to a Kremlin readout, Putin reaffirmed his commitment to a joint statement adopted by the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in Astana on May 29. It said particular emphasis had been placed on the need for a nationwide vote “as soon as possible”.

Pashinyan’s office set out a different emphasis. It said the Armenian Prime Minister had told Putin that a referendum was “practically possible only after Armenia submits an official application” to the EU and the question acquired substance.

The Kremlin said the call had been made at the request of the Armenian side.

Armenia has not lodged a membership application with Brussels. Its parliament approved a law launching the accession process on March 26, 2025, which took effect the following month, and the Armenian Government has said the text does not constitute a formal bid.

Pashinyan also raised Russian curbs on Armenian exports, telling Putin they contradicted the legal framework governing relations between the two countries as well as EAEU rules. He asked Moscow to take steps to resolve the matter.

Russia’s agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor has restricted a widening list of Armenian goods since the spring, beginning with Jermuk mineral water and extending to alcohol, cut flowers, fruit and vegetables. From June 12 it barred almost all Armenian plant products and their transit to other EAEU states.

Moscow has cited phytosanitary breaches and the repeated detection of pests. Officials in Yerevan and Brussels have described the measures as politically driven.

The Astana statement warned that Armenian preparations for EU accession carried “serious risks” for the economic security of the bloc. The four governments are due to report in December on the consequences of suspending the EAEU treaty in relation to Armenia.

Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won 49.8 per cent of the vote and 64 of the 105 seats in the June 7 parliamentary election, days after Russia recalled its ambassador from Yerevan over what it called steps towards rapprochement with the EU.

The EU held its first summit with Armenia in Yerevan on May 5. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen opened the bloc’s market to most Armenian exports on July 2.

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Armenia’s Prime Minister raises possibility of EU membership vote

Torgomian Varazdat
RBC Ukraine
July 28, 2026
Tue, July 28, 2026 – 07:25
2 min
What is known about the conversation between Pashinyan and Putin?

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during a conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, suggested that a referendum on the country’s accession to the European Union could be held in the country, according to Armenian Radio Svoboda.

As the edition writes, yesterday, July 27, Pashinyan spoke with Putin for the first time after the parliamentary elections held in June.

According to a statement from the Armenian government, Pashinyan called on Moscow to take action regarding the restrictions Russia has imposed on the import of products from Armenia. He explained that the measures contradict bilateral agreements and the rules of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Meanwhile, in the Kremlin, presenting the details of the talks, it was reported that Putin emphasized to Pashinyan the need to hold a referendum on joining the European Union or continued membership in the EAEU as soon as possible.

The press service of the Armenian government says that Pashinyan told Putin the following: a referendum could happen, but only after the country officially applies for EU membership.

The media also note that Russia did not congratulate Pashinyan on his victory in the parliamentary elections.

What else is important to know

In March 2025, the Armenian parliament passed in the second reading a bill on European integration. This document called on the government to begin the accession process to the EU.

At the beginning of this month, the EU figured out how to save Armenia from Russian pressure. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU had abolished tariffs on almost 80% of Armenian exports. In addition, the country will receive financial assistance.

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Azerbaijan says Russian framing of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict ‘distorts reality

Alex Nanijanian
OC Media
July 29, 2026
by Nate Ostiller

29 July 2026•2 min read

Azerbaijan has criticised comments by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who again falsely claimed Armenia sought support from the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in connection with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Haykan Hajizada called Zakharova’s comments, made on Monday, a ‘distortion of reality’ and said ‘the practice of commenting on issues pertaining to Russia–Armenia relations by associating it with Azerbaijan should be ended’.

Hajizada was asked for clarification on Zakharova’s remarks on Tuesday.

The previous day, Zakharova had said, ‘although Armenia had called for the activation of the CSTO mechanism, the question was: against whom and in relation to what? Unfortunately or fortunately, Nagorno-Karabakh was recognised by Armenia neither as its own territory nor as an independent entity. Under such circumstances, it was impossible to invoke the CSTO’s collective security mechanism’.

Pashinyan says Armenia–Russia relations undergo ‘constructive transformation’

Hajizada said Zakharova’s attempts to connect Armenia’s issues with the CSTO to the internationally recognised territory of Azerbaijan ‘are not only entirely groundless but also contradict Russia’s own official position’ on Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia froze its membership in the CSTO in 2024, citing the bloc’s failure to meet its security obligations during Azerbaijani military incursions into Armenia’s internationally recognised territory in 2021 and 2022. Azerbaijan continues to hold some of the territory.

At the time, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the CSTO’s refusal to come to its aid during the Azerbaijani attacks ‘could not have gone without consequences’.

Nonetheless, Russia has since repeatedly — and falsely — claimed Armenia’s request for CSTO support was related to fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.

For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.


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Deep breathing: the asthma clinic buried 250 metres into an Armenian salt mine

Maral Takmazian
The Guardian, UK
July 29, 2026

Underground clinic’s fate hangs in the balance after government withdrew state funding

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For most people, spending hours deep underground in darkness would seem an odd prescription for better health.

Yet every morning, a handful of Armenians descend 250 metres beneath the earth into an active salt mine where they spend six hours in cavernous chambers carved from rock salt, hoping the air below ground will help them breathe more easily.

“I tried every possible treatment, and this is the only thing that worked,” said Mikayel Torosian, an asthma sufferer visiting the clinic. “I thought it was complete rubbish before I tried it, but I am a true believer now. It saved me.”

Since its opening in 1987, patients have travelled to the Soviet-era mine for an alternative treatment known as speleotherapy based on the belief that the mine’s salt-saturated, allergen-free air can alleviate respiratory diseases.

Anush Voskanyan (right), a speleotherapy doctor, and Alvart Alihanyan, a nurse, walk around the clinic to gather the patients for breathing exercises.

Anush Voskanyan, left, and Alvart Alihanyan, right, do breathing and fitness exercises with patient Marine Koklyan.

But the clinic, one of the world’s only hospitals in a deep salt mine, now hangs in the balance after Armenia withdrew state funding, raising broader questions about the state’s role in supporting alternative medicine.

The journey into the hospital begins with a rattling industrial lift that drops patients deep beneath a residential district on the outskirts of Yerevan. At the bottom, a maze of tunnels stretches through the rock. At first glance, the underground cavern looks more like a cold war bunker than a hospital. Behind curtains, patients nap on narrow beds. Others play billiards, pace around and perform breathing exercises or simply sit in silence, passing the hours in what might be one of the world’s most unusual medical facilities.

Doing activities in the salt caverns is thought to help treat bronchial asthma, bronchitis, allergic and chronic sinus diseases, allergies and skin diseases.

“It looks unusual, but after a few days, people begin to enjoy the peace,” said Anush Voskanyan, a doctor who has worked at the clinic since 1989, who guided visitors through the vast chambers.

Voskanyan said the idea to start the clinic emerged after doctors noticed that workers in salt mines appeared to suffer unusually low rates of respiratory illnesses despite spending their lives underground.

She said researchers began studying the mines’ microclimate, eventually leading to the creation of specialised underground clinics across parts of the Soviet bloc.

Voskanyan attributes the health benefits to a combination of factors: salt-rich air, year-round 19C temperatures and the absence of allergens, pollution, noise and radiation.

Dr Anush Voskanyan attributes the health benefits to salt-rich air, year-round 19C temperatures and an absence of allergens, pollution, noise and radiation.

“This is the perfect climate to live in. You basically don’t age here,” she said.

Patients typically spend six hours a day underground over a three-week course of treatment. Doctors say the first week allows the body to adapt to the mine’s unique environment before the benefits gradually begin to accumulate.

At its peak, thousands of patients descended into the Avan mine every year, many receiving treatment free of charge through Armenia’s healthcare system.

“We used to admit 60 people at one time,” Voskanyan said, looking around largely empty chambers. “Today, there are probably five.”

The clinic’s fortunes changed in 2019 when the Armenian government withdrew state funding, arguing that speleotherapy lacked sufficient scientific evidence to justify public support. Patients who once attended free of charge now have to pay for each treatment session at a cost of about £20.

The decision came as Armenia began reforming its healthcare system and preparing for the introduction of universal health insurance, forcing officials to make difficult decisions about what treatments should be covered by the state.

“We’re on the brink of closing down,” Voskanyan said. “We’re still operating, but just barely, and could close any day.”

Voskanyan insists the treatment works, particularly for children suffering from asthma and allergies.

Marine Koklyan prepares for a nap as part of her treatment. She suffers from birch tree allergies that affect her breathing.

“There have even been cases where asthma attacks stopped completely after just one course of treatment,” she said.

While speleotherapy has been practised for decades across eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, relatively few large-scale studies have been conducted and most clinics have since closed down. Many respiratory specialists view it as a complementary therapy that may ease symptoms but should not replace conventional medical treatment.

For supporters, however, the lack of definitive research does not negate decades of patient testimony. “If it didn’t help, I wouldn’t be coming back,” said Alvart Alihanyan, who has repeatedly returned to the clinic over the course of 10 years from Russia.

For now, each morning, the lift continues its descent beneath Yerevan. Whatever the debate over its medical benefits, the mine offers something increasingly rare above ground: hours of complete silence, no wifi and a brief escape from the noise of the outside world.

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Pashinyan declared the de facto collapse of the EAEU and warned of consequence

Bedik Zaminian
ARKA, Armenia
July 30, 2026
30.07.2026, 14:45

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is de facto in a state of collapse, as the provisions of the EAEU Treaty are not being implemented, stated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
YEREVAN, July 30. /ARKA/. The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is de facto in a state of collapse, as the provisions of the EAEU Treaty are not being implemented, stated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Earlier, Russia imposed restrictions on the supply of certain products from Armenia to Russia and transit through its territory, including the EAEU, citing violations of phytosanitary requirements. The restrictions apply to flowers, mineral water and alcohol, fresh and dried vegetables, fruits, berries, potatoes, fish and fish products, and dairy products.

At a briefing on Thursday, Pashinyan noted that the agenda for EAEU meetings is being formed institutionally, but the Armenian side intends to raise all issues affecting it within this forum.

He previously announced that he would attend the upcoming meeting of the Intergovernmental Council of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which will be held on August 6-7, 2026, in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan.

“Everything I said at the briefing, I will say there. And what did I say? That the EAEU is de facto in collapse and is not functioning. If the EAEU Treaty is not functioning, then neither is the union itself,” Pashinyan stated.

According to him, the crisis within the union continues to deepen, and therefore the problems that have arisen must be resolved as quickly as possible.

“If this issue is not resolved quickly, I am 100% certain that Armenia will overcome this problem, but the EAEU will not,” the prime minister emphasized.

Armenia – EAEU – EU

The Armenian authorities continue to declare their commitment to rapprochement with the EU and the transition to European standards, but intend to maintain membership in the EAEU as long as it is possible to combine both.

Moscow, for its part, warns that Armenia’s transition to EU standards will have direct economic consequences. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that in such a case, Russia would have to curtail its economic integration with Armenia, and that Armenia could lose up to 14% of its GDP if energy prices rise due to its withdrawal from the EAEU.

In turn, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan stated that gas supplies are currently secured, contacts with partners are ongoing, and the potential risks for the Armenian economy are manageable.

#EAEU

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