As part of COP17—the Seventeenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)—to be hosted in Yerevan, Armenia, a Green Zone will operate from October 19 to 30 at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex, providing a platform for events involving civil society, the scientific community, businesses, and international partners.

Speaking to reporters, Lilit Midoyan, Chief Coordinator of the COP17 Green Zone, said the conference will be held across two main venues: the Blue Zone, which will be managed by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and located at the Meridian Expo Center, and the Green Zone, which will be hosted at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex.

“Shuttle services will operate between the two zones. The Green Zone will be open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It will feature several thematic areas, including a Science and Innovation Zone, where scientific and innovative projects related to biodiversity and environmental protection will be showcased, as well as a Cultural Zone, where visitors will be introduced to Armenia’s cultural heritage through a variety of events,” Midoyan said.

She said the Ministry of Environment will develop the agenda for the Green Zone’s 12-day program, while the venue will also be open to partner organizations wishing to organize their own events and initiatives. The deadline for submitting session proposals is September 15.

“Applications will be evaluated based on three main criteria: scientific merit, alignment with environmental policy objectives, and technical feasibility. Individuals may not apply as session organizers, but organizations may host both public and closed events. Sessions may last 30, 60, or 90 minutes,” she said, adding that all materials must be submitted electronically in advance, as storage devices will not be accepted at the venue.

Midoyan also noted that online participation by speakers will be available.

Simultaneous Armenian-English and English-Armenian interpretation will be provided for Green Zone events. If interpretation into other languages is required, organizers will be responsible for arranging it.

The Green Zone will also include a press center with capacity for approximately 90 media representatives.

In addition, around 100 exhibition booths will be installed in the grandstand area of the Sports and Concert Complex.

“The rental fee for each booth is AMD 1.44 million, including taxes, for the entire 12-day period. Organizers will also encourage environmentally responsible practices throughout the venue, including minimizing the use of plastic and other materials that may harm the environment,” Midoyan said.

COP17 will unite representatives of the Parties to the Convention, alongside Indigenous peoples and local communities, civil society, scientists, youth, businesses and other stakeholders to advance global action for biodiversity.

The conference comes at a defining moment for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). For the first time since its adoption in 2022, countries will collectively review progress towards the Framework’s 23 targets, shifting the focus from commitments to evidence and from what was agreed to what has been achieved.

COP17 will provide a critical opportunity to assess collective progress, strengthen cooperation and accelerate action towards the global biodiversity goals for 2030.

Hosting COP17 places Armenia at the center of the global conversation on biodiversity. Although the country accounts for only 6.7% of the Caucasus by area, it contains approximately 60% of the region’s biodiversity and is home to diverse ecosystems and thousands of plant and animal species.

As the host, Armenia will welcome the international community to Yerevan, providing a platform for dialogue, cooperation and collective action while connecting global biodiversity priorities with its own rich natural heritage.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan held a meeting on Wednesday with Olivier Decottignies, Ambassador of France to Armenia, on the occasion of the completion of his diplomatic mission.

According to a government readout, Deputy Prime Minister Khachatryan praised the rich and dynamic agenda of Armenia-France relations in recent years and expressed gratitude to the Ambassador for his personal contribution to strengthening the bilateral partnership.

The Armenian Deputy Prime Minister expressed confidence that the work carried out has helped establish the strong foundation necessary for the continued development of bilateral relations.

The outgoing French Ambassador thanked the Deputy Prime Minister for the close cooperation in recent years and for advancing initiatives of importance to bilateral relations.

The sides also exchanged views on key areas of the Armenia-France cooperation agenda, including energy, infrastructure, export diversification, and other areas of joint work.

In recent years, the impressive economic growth recorded in Armenia has not benefited all residents of the country equally. Although the poverty rate has declined, these gains remain fragile: a significant share of households, while positioned slightly above the poverty line, remain highly vulnerable to shocks and have limited capacity to build resilience.

Senior economist Armine Manukyan highlighted this issue during a press conference on July 29, while presenting the key findings of the World Bank Group’s new report titled “Armenia’s Economic Pulse: Pursuing Poverty-Reducing Growth with More Impactful Fiscal Policy.”

“Armenia’s economic growth in recent years has been quite impressive. The poverty rate has been declining, the unemployment rate has also been decreasing, as the indicators show, and fiscal policy is fulfilling its redistributive role and having some impact on poverty reduction. However, despite all this, the benefits of high growth are not equally accessible to everyone. A significant share of households is just above the poverty line, which we consider vulnerable. Although the unemployment rate is declining, the employment rate has remained stagnant and is not increasing—it is at around 50 percent. Fiscal policy can become more effective and more targeted and have a greater impact on poverty reduction,” said Armine Manukyan.

According to her, the unemployment rate, which had remained at around 18 percent until 2019, has declined to 12.8 percent, but this level is still considered very high.

“Alongside the decline in the unemployment rate, the employment rate of the population has not increased. The employment rate is calculated as the ratio of the number of employed people to the total population aged 15–74. If the number of people aged 15–74 increases, but the employment rate does not rise proportionally, the employment indicator declines,” the economist emphasized.

Manukyan noted that not only the employment rate but also the characteristics of the labor market are important. According to her assessment, one of the distinctive features of Armenia’s labor market is that only 37 percent of the working-age population—people aged 15–74—are employed under formal written contracts. Meanwhile, in the countries of Europe and Central Asia, this figure averages 45–50 percent.

“It is also clear that salaried employees with formal contracts are concentrated in urban areas, while in rural areas people mainly work as self-employed individuals or as unpaid contributing family workers,” Armine Manukyan stated.

It was also noted that real wage growth in Armenia has occurred mainly in sectors requiring advanced professional skills, particularly IT and finance.

“In 2022, Armenia’s economic growth amounted to 12.6 percent, while in 2025 it was 7.1 percent. Economic growth has been driven mainly by the services sector, particularly financial services, insurance, IT, and professional services. Construction has also made a significant contribution to economic growth. In the industrial sector, mining recorded particularly strong growth this year,” she noted.

This World Bank Group report is one of the regular reports in the “Country Economic Update” (CEU) series, which is dedicated to monitoring socio-economic developments and promoting informed dialogue on economic policies and prospects. The report notes that the purpose of Armenia’s CEUs is to provide a continuous, comprehensive, and concise analysis of recent economic developments and the country’s economic outlook, as well as an in-depth examination of specific structural issues requiring the attention of policymakers and stakeholders.

The report is generally published twice a year, in the middle and at the end of each year. It usually consists of two sections: a summary of recent macroeconomic developments and a special topic section. This year’s special topic is titled “Poverty, Distributional Impacts and Fiscal Policy Constraints.”

Dilijan has once again strengthened its position as a leading international MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) destination, winning the Best International Destination for Business and Corporate Events award at the prestigious MICE Excellence Awards for the second consecutive year. The awards are widely recognized as one of the most prestigious distinctions in the business tourism industry across Russia and the CIS.

At the awards, Dilijan was represented by the Meet Dilijan initiative, established to promote the city as an international destination for tourism and business events. The winner was selected by an international jury comprising leading industry experts from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and the CIS.

After receiving this prestigious award for the first time in 2025, Dilijan successfully retained its title in 2026, surpassing finalists from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, the United Arab Emirates, Lithuania, and other countries. Dilijan remains the only destination from Armenia not only to have reached the finals of the competition but also to have won the award for two consecutive years.

The Meet Dilijan initiative is implemented by the Green Rock Foundation and aims to strengthen the local community, enhance Dilijan’s tourism appeal, and position the city as an international hub for business events. The Foundation’s activities are guided by four strategic pillars: education and capacity building, environmental sustainability, culture, and community development.

Today, Dilijan is known not only for its rich cultural heritage and exceptional natural beauty, but also as an emerging business events destination in the South Caucasus. Winning the MICE Excellence Awards for the second consecutive year reflects the growing confidence of international industry professionals and highlights Dilijan’s strong potential as a premier destination for international conferences, corporate events, and incentive travel.

Armenia’s Ministry of Defence has denied reports circulating online that a 19-year-old serviceman was beaten at the Jermuk military unit, describing the claims as false.

“The information circulated by a user on the Facebook social media platform does not correspond to reality.

We urge the public to refrain from spreading false and misleading information, as well as from making unfounded attempts to discredit the reputation of the Armenian Army.

Such publications mislead the public and contribute to the spread of disinformation.

Reports claiming that serviceman A.H. was severely beaten, or beaten at all, are false. He was admitted to a military hospital due to a different health issue.

The Ministry of Defence is ready to accompany representatives of the Office of the Human Rights Defender to the hospital so they can verify the facts on site,” the ministry said.

The ministry added that the serviceman, who was admitted to the military hospital with a health issue unrelated to the claims, is currently undergoing observation and medical examinations.

According to the ministry, the serviceman is in good health and there are no causes for concern.

The allegations that the serviceman had been beaten were raised by human rights journalist Zhanna Aleksanyan, who called on Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan to respond to the reported incident.

The regulations governing journalists’ professional activities at the National Assembly are not new and have been in force since 2021, Acting Speaker of Parliament and Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan said in a Facebook post.

Rubinyan was responding to criticism following the adoption of new security rules for the National Assembly’s premises and building, with critics claiming that the decision restricts the professional activities of accredited journalists.

“The ‘new and unprecedented tightening and restrictions’ on journalists’ professional activities in the National Assembly have been in force since 2021,” Rubinyan wrote.

According to him, the latest amendments to the decision on security rules in the National Assembly building did not introduce any changes related to journalists’ professional activities.

“The latest amendments to the decision on security rules in the National Assembly building did not include any changes concerning journalists’ professional activities, let alone restrictions on them,” Rubinyan said.

He urged journalists to compare the previous and the new regulations.

Earlier, security rules for the National Assembly’s premises and building were approved by a decision signed by Rubinyan.

Under the decision, security and protection of the National Assembly’s premises are provided by the State Protection Service.

According to the rules, accredited journalists may carry out their professional activities in designated areas, while work in other parts of the parliament building requires permission from the Chief of Staff-Secretary General of the National Assembly.

Lists of journalists wishing to attend committee meetings must be submitted at least two hours before the meeting begins, while journalistic activity is prohibited in specially controlled areas.

The rules also prohibit photographing, filming or recording State Protection Service personnel while they are performing their duties. People in the galleries of the National Assembly chamber are also prohibited from using photographic, film or video equipment, as well as telephone or radio communication devices.

The issue was also commented on by Marianna Ghahramanyan, an elected lawmaker from the Strong Armenia Alliance, who argued that the decision restricts journalists’ freedom of movement and creates additional obstacles to covering parliamentary activities.

This article is published under an agreement between Armenpress and the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA)

The summer edition of Plovdiv Jazz Fest opened with a concert by pianist Tigran Hamasyan and his band at Orpheus Summer Cinema on Tuesday. The Plovdiv performance was part of Hamasyan’s European tour, BTA reports.

“It has been far too long since I last played in Bulgaria. Thank you to the organizers for making this meeting possible and to all of you for being here tonight,” Hamasyan said.

The pianist combines jazz improvisation, progressive rock and Armenian folk music. Born in Gyumri, Armenia, in 1987, he began playing at three and won the Montreux Jazz Festival piano competition at 16. In Plovdiv, he performed music from Manifeste, an album blending Armenian folk, progressive rock and choral mysticism.

Tickets for both summer concerts, featuring Hamasyan and saxophonist Jan Garbarek, were sold out, Plovdiv Jazz Fest Artistic Director Miroslava Katsarova said. “These concerts again made me believe there is enormous value in building Plovdiv’s jazz community,” Katsarova added.

Garbarek will perform at Orpheus Summer Cinema on July 31, 2026, with Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu, German pianist Rainer Brüninghaus and Brazilian bassist Yuri Daniel.

The festival’s autumn edition will run in Plovdiv from November 6 to 8, 2026. The programme includes the Aaron Parks Trio, Elina Duni, the Shai Maestro Group, the Antonio Forcione and Cenk Erdogan Duo, and Rosen Zahariev with a tribute to Miles Davis.

Markovo Music Summer will follow in August with two garden concerts and a free concert in the village centre. Jazz and Baroque, featuring mezzo-soprano Svetlina Stoyanova, the Hristo Yotsov Trio and the Pilekadone Quintet, will take place on August 19, 2026. The Miroslava Katsarova Trio will perform on August 21, followed by Stefan Valdobrev and The Usual Suspects on August 22.

The summer and autumn programmes are supported by the Ministry of Culture and Plovdiv Municipality and form part of the 2026 National Cultural Calendar and the Plovdiv Cultural Calendar. BTA is the festival’s media partner.

Armenia and Iran have the technical capacity to increase the volumes of gas and electricity exchanged under the gas-for-electricity swap programme, Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan said, adding that the timeline for the programme’s expansion has yet to be determined and will be discussed by a joint working group.

“During the meeting, we noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran needs more electricity, while the Republic of Armenia needs gas. We are successfully implementing the gas-for-electricity programme at a certain scale, and it is clear that we have the capacity to expand it. For example, the pipeline has greater transmission capacity,” Khudatyan told reporters.

According to the minister, once the Armenia-Iran 400-kilovolt power transmission line is completed, Armenia will also be able to increase electricity supplies to Iran.

“Therefore, we have the opportunity to expand this arrangement, meaning to mutually supply and receive larger volumes of gas and electricity. We have agreed to establish a working group,” Khudatyan said.

On July 25, Khudatyan met with Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad in Tehran. The sides discussed increasing the volume of Iranian gas supplies to Armenia, expanding energy trade and exploring new areas of cooperation.

Lilit Makunts will be appointed Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced during a briefing with reporters.

“Lilit Makunts will be appointed Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister,” Pashinyan said.

Makunts has served as the Prime Minister’s Chief Adviser since August 29, 2025. From 2021 to 2025, she was Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States.

Previously, Makunts also served as Minister of Culture and as a member of the National Assembly.

The post of Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister is currently held by Arayik Harutyunyan, who was appointed to the position on July 1, 2021.

The situation surrounding export restrictions imposed on Armenia is not only Armenia’s problem but also an issue for the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said after a meeting of the Civil Contract party’s board, warning that failure to resolve the issue promptly could mark “the beginning of the end” for the bloc.

“We all acknowledge now that this is not Armenia’s problem. Armenia is not the issue. It is the EAEU’s problem, because what is effectively happening is that the Eurasian Economic Union is paralysed and not functioning. If this issue is not resolved quickly, allow me to predict that this will mark the beginning of the end of the EAEU,” Pashinyan said.

The prime minister also commented on his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the two sides had reached a common understanding on a number of issues.

“The most important thing is that the Republic of Armenia has the legitimate right to develop alternatives for itself. I told the President of Russia that we have declared this course and we will follow it, especially now that the people of the Republic of Armenia have voted in favour of it,” Pashinyan said.

According to him, Armenia must have alternatives in every sphere.

“As I said during the election campaign, I cannot imagine ending up in a situation as a result of our policies where the Republic of Armenia has no alternatives. Armenia must always have alternatives in every matter, and the era of having no alternatives is over. The question is when those alternatives should be put into practice,” the prime minister said.

Commenting on the possibility of a referendum on choosing between membership of the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union, Pashinyan said that before such a referendum could be held, Armenia would at least need to have formally applied for EU membership.