The Armenian Speaker of Parliament, Alen Simonyan, held a meeting on Monday with members of the Belgian parliament’s Belgium–Armenia Friendship Group. 

Welcoming the delegation to Armenia, Speaker Simonyan emphasized the importance of organizing such reciprocal visits for the development of bilateral relations, according to a readout issued by the parliament’s press service.

Els Van Hoof, head of the Belgium–Armenia friendship group, in turn highlighted the deepening friendly ties between the two countries and noted that the delegation would spare no effort to achieve further progress in this process. The discussions focused on bilateral relations, the democratic reforms underway in Armenia, the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and regional developments.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan held a meeting with a delegation led by Remigijus Motuzas, Member of the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) and Chair of its Foreign Relations Committee.

According to a readout by the parliament’s press service, Rubinyan valued the interparliamentary cooperation between Armenia and Lithuania and discussed issues related to the joint cooperation agenda. 

The Deputy Speaker also highly appreciated Lithuania’s continued support for Armenia in the context of expanding Armenia–EU cooperation, as well as in advancing democratic processes. Issues related to regional security were also discussed.

The Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC) has joined the Fourth Doing Digital Forum (DDF) as the Industrial Transformation Partner.  Scheduled for April 8, DDF26 will be held under the theme “Bridging Platforms and Economies,” bringing together leading local and international experts, business executives, and public sector decision-makers.

“The digital economy is often seen through the lens of platforms and algorithms, yet its foundation lies deeper – in the industries supplying the materials that power modern technologies. At ZCMC, digitalization is a catalyst making industry smarter, safer and more sustainable”, said Vardan Jhanyan, First Deputy Director General of Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine.

The special guest of DDF26 is Leiming Chen, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Ant International. Keynote speakers include Matias Undurraga, Enterprise Technologist at Amazon Web Services (AWS); Dirk Ohlmeier, CEO of Just Better; Oleksandr Yablunivskyy, VP and Head of Products and Solutions at Visa CISSEE, Rafayel Mkrtchyan, Head of Corporate Finance at Freedom Broker Armenia, and among others.

Tatevik Simonyan, Founder of DDF, noted: “Modern digital economy is no longer shaped by isolated technological solutions, but through interconnected ecosystems and platforms. The Doing Digital Forum connects Armenia to the global technological agenda, positioning it as an important bridge for collaboration between the region and various world economies,”said  Tatevik Simonyan, Founder of DDF.

DDF26 will explore how digital technologies are reshaping financial systems, public infrastructure, and the real economy, with a focus on Open Finance, AI-native enterprises, digital identity, and global platform strategies. The agenda also covers regional financial infrastructure, the intersection of regulation and innovation, and how public-private collaboration can drive sustainable economic growth.

This year, the forum will once again bring together a wide representative lineup of speakers from Armenia and abroad, including sectoral regulators as well as executives and experts from leading financial, technological, and industrial companies.

The agenda will be packed with keynote speeches and dynamic panel discussions. Among the featured speakers, Sadyk Azimov, Vice Director for Digital Transformation at Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine, will share his expertise, presenting ZCMC’s perspectives on technological transformation.

Since its launch in 2023, DDF has brought together over 60 prominent speakers and more than 3,000 participants from Armenia, the United Kingdom, the United States, the UAE, Germany, Australia, and CIS countries.

The forum is organized by SPRING PR. The Innovation Partner for DDF26 is Visa, the Digital Identity Partner is imID, the Blockchain Partner is aeda, the Industrial Transformation Partner is Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine, and the Investment partner is Freedom Broker.

The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 30 March, USD exchange rate up by 0.36 drams to 377.54 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.37 drams to 433.76 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.0216 drams to 4.6501 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.24 drams to 499.41 drams.

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

Gold price up by 630 drams to 54672 drams. 

The 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council has unanimously adopted the resolution “Prevention of Genocide” submitted by the Republic of Armenia, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement notes that the biennial resolution is based on the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and plays a significant role in translating the provisions of this important document into the operational framework of UN policy.

The resolution aims to promote the concept of early warning in genocide prevention and to define a framework of risk factors, including hatred, discrimination, and impunity. It also emphasizes the importance of a timely response, which can significantly help prevent the escalation of violence.

By bringing the issue of genocide prevention to the international agenda, the resolution once again highlights its importance among current diplomatic priorities. It contributes to strengthening international justice mechanisms and addresses global developments and challenges that require increased attention.

The resolution presented this year proposes strengthening the mandate for genocide prevention within the framework of the UN80 reform process. It also draws attention to the risks posed by algorithmic systems and artificial intelligence tools, which can contribute to the spread of disinformation and hatred, affecting information flows and undermining human rights.

The “Prevention of Genocide” resolution also makes an important contribution to promoting the universal ratification of the Genocide Convention, encouraging states that have not yet acceded to it to do so without delay.

As in previous years, the resolution submitted by Armenia enjoys broad support from UN Member States representing all regional groups, as evidenced by the large number of co-sponsors, which had reached around six dozen at the time of adoption.

The resolution reaffirms Armenia’s call on the international community to unite in preventing the crime of genocide.

A resolution of the same name, previously submitted by Armenia, was also unanimously adopted on April 3, 2024, during the 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan held a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Tom Berendsen, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a readout.

Minister Mirzoyan congratulated his Dutch counterpart on assuming the position and wished him success, emphasizing Armenia’s commitment to consistently developing its partnership with the Netherlands.

The ministers discussed efforts aimed at enriching the strategic partnership agenda between Armenia and the Netherlands. They expressed satisfaction with the importance attached to cooperation with Armenia in the coalition agreement of the Dutch government.

The prospects for cooperation in various formats, including the deepening of the Armenia–EU partnership, were also discussed. The upcoming high-level visits and events, including the European Political Community Summit and the “Yerevan Dialogue” diplomatic forum, were addressed.

Mirzoyan and Berendsen also exchanged views on challenges on the path to democratic development.

A delegation led by Remigijus Motuzas, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, the Armenian Parliament’s press service said in a statement.

The members of the delegation laid flowers at the Eternal Flame in memory of the innocent martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.