U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has shared details of his July 23 meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Philippine capital.

“I met today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial. We discussed the U.S.-Russia relationship and the need to end the Russia-Ukraine war,” Rubio wrote on X.

Russian media had earlier reported that the meeting between the two foreign ministers took place at the initiative of the U.S. side.

Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi held a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, during which the two discussed regional developments.

According to Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ministers exchanged views on efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the Gulf and the Red Sea and ensuring freedom of navigation.

“The ministers discussed regional developments and efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf and the Red Sea and to ensure freedom of maritime navigation,” the ministry said in a statement.

The two sides also discussed coordinating diplomatic efforts to strengthen security and stability across the region.

One crew member was killed and three others were injured after a drone struck the Türkiye-flagged cargo ship Mv Reyhan Sarı in the Black Sea, Turkish daily Sabah reported.

According to the newspaper, the vessel, which was transporting coal from Russia’s Port of Taman to Trabzon, Türkiye, came under attack in the Black Sea. Various sources said the incident occurred either near Novorossiysk or in international waters off the coast of Samsun.

The victim was a member of the ship’s engine room crew. The three injured crew members received first aid before being taken to medical facilities.

According to Sabah, the vessel sustained damage in the attack but remained capable of continuing its voyage.

The U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs has called on Azerbaijan to immediately and unconditionally release the Armenians unlawfully held in Baku.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) reported the development.

The measure, introduced by Rep. Brad Sherman (D-California), Vice Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, with the support of Committee Chairman Rep. Brian Mast (R-Florida), was approved by a vote of 44 to 7.

The proposal was first considered by the committee on June 10 and was put to a vote on July 22.

“The House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 44-7 in favor of my amendment calling on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners of war and political prisoners. I am proud to have officially put Congress on record on this issue, and I will continue fighting for the release of Armenians who are being illegally and unjustly detained by Azerbaijan and subjected to torture and abuse,” Sherman said.

Azerbaijan continues to unlawfully detain 19 Armenians, including former military and political leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh. They have been sentenced to prison following trials conducted on the basis of what Armenia describes as fabricated criminal charges brought against them in Azerbaijan.

In particular, former Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, former Commander of the Defense Army Levon Mnatsakanyan, former Deputy Commander of the Defense Army Davit Manukyan, and former Speaker of the National Assembly Davit Ishkhanyan have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Former Nagorno-Karabakh presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan, as well as former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, have been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayan have each been sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment. Davit Allahverdyan has been sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment, while Erik Ghazaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan, and Vasili Beglaryan have each been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, and Garik Martirosyan has been sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment.

The Armenian government has approved the ratification of a protocol amending the agreement between Armenia and Mongolia on the mutual exemption from visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and official passports.

The matter was included in the package of unreported items at the government’s July 23 meeting.

The protocol, signed on September 24, 2025, introduces amendments to the agreement originally signed on September 28, 2018.

The government has decided to apply to the Constitutional Court to determine whether the obligations set out in the protocol comply with the Constitution. If the court issues a positive ruling, the draft law on ratification will be submitted to the National Assembly.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan has been appointed as the government’s representative before the Constitutional Court.

The Armenian government has approved a progress report on the implementation of the program to extend the operating lifetime of Unit 2 of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) for a second time.

The matter was included in the package of unreported items at the government’s July 23 meeting.

The program comprises 103 measures in total. Of the 23 major activities assigned to Rusatom Service, 18 contracts have been signed. Work is ongoing under nine of the contracts, while the remaining nine have been completed.

For the 37 major activities under the responsibility of the ANPP, 45 procurement procedures have been conducted. A total of 36 contracts have been signed, with work completed under 17 of them.

In December 2023, a framework agreement worth approximately $57.5 million was signed with Rusatom Service.

As part of the safety assessment for the power unit, studies have been carried out on the impact of fires, probabilistic safety, deviations from current regulatory requirements, and additional measures to enhance safety. Some of the reports have been submitted to the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committee for review.

Implementation of the program to extend the operating lifetime of ANPP Unit 2 for a second time is ongoing.

The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 23 July, USD exchange rate down by 0.94 drams to 365.95 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.07 drams to 417.29 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0322 drams to 4.6535 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.44 drams to 489.13 drams.

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

Gold price up by 1087 drams to 48887 drams. Silver price up by 3.52 drams to 698.17 drams.

Armenian Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan met on July 23 with David Allen, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States in Armenia, and Edward Aikler, head of the Economic and Commercial Section of the U.S. Embassy, the Ministry of Economy said in a statement.

During the meeting, the sides reaffirmed that economic cooperation between Armenia and the United States continues to develop dynamically, noting the positive progress achieved in recent months.

The discussions also focused on the U.S. process of granting Market Economy Status (MES) to Armenia.

Papoyan expressed confidence that the effective cooperation established between the two countries would help advance the process and further develop the bilateral economic agenda of mutual interest.

The United States’ recognition of a country as a market economy means Washington officially acknowledges that prices and production costs in that country’s economy are determined primarily by market forces rather than direct government control. The designation can enhance a country’s investment appeal, facilitate access to the U.S. market for certain producers, reduce the risk of additional duties in anti-dumping cases, and signal U.S. confidence in the country’s market-based economic system.