The Ambassador of the Netherlands to Armenia, Marieke Monroy-Winter, described Wizz Air’s network expansion from Yerevan as a sign of growing interest between Armenia and Europe.

Speaking at a press conference hosted by the Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air, where the new routes to Eindhoven and Brussels were announced, the ambassador said, “The increasing number of routes to Europe is an excellent indicator of growing interest in Europe from Armenia and in Armenia from Europe, which I truly welcome.” According to the ambassador, Eindhoven is attractive not only for tourism but also for business, science, and student exchanges. It is known for offering an excellent ecosystem for all kinds of startups and researchers.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Alexander Tieman, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission Chief for Armenia.

Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the close cooperation between the Government of Armenia and the IMF, highlighting the joint programs implemented in Armenia that support the development of various sectors of the economy, his office said in a readout. 

In this regard, he expressed confidence that the funds provided under the new IMF program approved for Armenia will help advance the government’s reform agenda.

Alexander Tieman highlighted the effectiveness of the cooperation with Armenia and noted that the IMF is ready to continue working together to ensure the successful implementation of the joint agenda.

The parties discussed matters related to ongoing cooperation and future programs, including enhancing Armenia’s economic resilience, supporting growth, and other topics of mutual interest.

YEREVAN, 27 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 27 March, USD exchange rate down by 0.18 drams to 377.18 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.02 drams to 434.13 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.0483 drams to 4.6285 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.28 drams to 501.65 drams.

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

Gold price down by 1337 drams to 54042 drams. Silver price down by 71.73 drams to 816 drams.

For the first time in the history of Armenia’s banking system, six financial institutions have signed a syndicated loan agreement to finance a major technology project, the Ministry of High-Tech Industry said in a statement.

Within the framework of the deal, leading banks and investment institutions have joined efforts to provide $300 million in financing to Firebird AI.

Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan congratulated the participants, noting that the investment is not only directed at Firebird AI, but also contributes to the development of Armenia’s technological sector, innovation, science, and overall economy.

Hayrapetyan expressed gratitude to the United States government, stating that the megaproject stems from strategic agreements signed in Washington in 2025, particularly a bilateral memorandum of understanding in the fields of artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

According to the minister, the project aims to implement the memorandum and ensure tangible results through the active support of the Armenian and U.S. governments, the efforts of the company’s founders, and the investments of Armenia’s financial and banking sector.

Remarks were also delivered by Martin Galstyan, Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia, and David Allen, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Armenia, as well as representatives of the participating institutions.

The agreement introduces a new practical lending format in Armenia’s financial market and is the largest deal to date in terms of both financing volume and investment scale.

The project envisages the establishment of a modern artificial intelligence data center in Armenia, based on advanced technological solutions from NVIDIA.

The total investment for the first phase is estimated at approximately $450 million. A large portion of the financing is being jointly provided by Ardshinbank, Acba Bank, Evocabank, Fast Bank, C-Quadrat Ampega Asset Management Armenia, and Amundi-ACBA Asset Management.

On March 27 in Paris, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan met with Alexandre Ziegler, Executive Vice President and Defense Director at Safran Electronics & Defense.

Papikyan shared a video from the meeting on his Facebook page, noting that an agreement was signed at the end of the talks.

Earlier, it was reported that the Armenian Defense Minister, who is on an official visit to France, also held meetings with the French President’s military advisor, as well as with representatives of French defense companies.

Flyone Armenia will launch regular flights on the Yerevan – Almaty – Yerevan route starting from June 12, 2026, the company said in a statement.

Flights between Yerevan and Almaty will be operated from Zvartnots International Airport to Almaty International Airport twice a week — on Mondays and Fridays.

About FlyOne Armenia

FlyOne Armenia (www.flyone.am) is the leading air carrier of the Republic of Armenia, established in 2021. The airline operates flights to over twenty-three destinations across the CIS, Europe, and the Middle East — a number that continues to grow. Since the start of its operations, FlyOne Armenia has already carried more than three million passengers. The company’s modern fleet fully complies with the safety standards of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan met with French Minister of Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Catherine Vautrin in Paris.

The meeting was also attended by Armenian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to France Arman Khachatryan, the Defense Ministry of Armenia said in a statement.

During the meeting, the ministers highly appreciated the already established level of cooperation, emphasizing the importance of its continuity and development.

The progress of programs implemented in military-technical cooperation, military education, professional training, as well as advisory support and other areas were discussed.

The parties have reached an agreement to deepen and expand cooperation, bringing it to a qualitatively new, higher level, as well as to continue joint initiatives aimed at strengthening defense capabilities.

The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan met with French Prime Minister Sébastien Le Corneille in Paris.

Suren Papikyan conveyed the warm greetings of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to the French Prime Minister, the defense ministry said in a press release.

Minister Suren Papikyan presented to Prime Minister Sébastien Le Corneille the successful progress of previously reached agreements and thanked the French government for keeping cooperation in the spotlight.

Issues related to the development and deepening of Armenia-France cooperation in the defence sector were discussed.

The parties, particularly, emphasized the importance of the continuous strengthening of the bilateral strategic partnership and emphasized the need to expand cooperation in the defence sector.

By decree of the French President Emmanuel Macron, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has been awarded the Legion of Honour of the French Republic (Legion d’honneur), Papikyan said in a Facebook post.

“The order was presented to me by French Prime Minister Sébastien Le Corneille , highly appreciating my significant contribution to the development of Armenia–France relations,” Papikyan said.

Regular flights on the Kapan–Yerevan–Kapan route will resume on March 31, Syunik Governor Robert Ghukasyan said in a Facebook post.

Regular flights on the Yerevan–Kapan–Yerevan route were initially launched on August 21, 2023. The service was temporarily suspended on September 24, 2025, due to scheduled maintenance of the L-410 aircraft operated by the “NovAir” airline.