Rainwater flooded the street in Kapan. A video was published on the Facebook page of Syunik region.

Earlier we informed that as a result of heavy rains, rockfalls and other obstacles appeared on the roads of Syunik region. Syunik Marz Governor Robert Ghukasyan urged to stay away from riverside areas.

To remind, yesterday, the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center informed that due to the entry of an active cyclone from the south, on March 27-28 precipitation is expected in most regions from time to time, wet snow in the mountain zones, rain in the form of rain in the foothills and valley zones, accompanied by low horizontal visibility and strengthening of the wind at a speed of 14-17 m/s in some regions.

Rainfall will be intense on March 27 in Syunik and in separate parts of Vayots Dzor, on March 27-28 in Lori and Tavush.

Due to the expected precipitation, on March 27-28, an increase in water output is expected in the rivers of the republic, significantly in the basins of the Voghji, Gorisget, Meghriget, Arpa, Debed and Aghstev rivers.

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According to the weekly analysis of cases of acute respiratory infections hospitalized in “Heratsi” No. 1 and “Muratsan” hospital complexes and the Michael Institute of Surgery, during the 12th week of 2026 (16.03.2026 – 22.03.2026), the number of people hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infections (SRI) continues to increase, new the number of cases was 90, which increased by 4% compared to the cases of the previous week.

The “Heratsi” center states that new cases of HCV made up 7% of the total number of hospitalized patients. The analysis of the distribution of cases in age groups indicates that the total cases were again distributed in two age groups: 0-4 and 5-14 years old. It should be noted that the cases prevailed (60%) in the group of 0-4 years old, which increased by 20% compared to the previous week. 5 of those hospitalized in this age group were in the intensive care unit. In the 5-14 age group, the incidence was 40%.

During the mentioned period, the number of new cases of STD examined for influenza was 4. No cases of death were recorded among those hospitalized with STD.

According to the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (ECDC) weekly summary of influenza surveillance data, the regional influenza index fell below the epidemic threshold from March 9 to 15, 2026. The latter is especially expressed in the primary link. Case activity has been reported in only a few countries. People aged 65 and older predominate among those hospitalized. It should be noted that the share of the A(H1) influenza virus circulating in the region continues to increase, making 43%, and the A (H3) subtype – 57%. At the regional level, the number of tests with a positive flu result decreased from the 10% epidemic threshold to 8%. 22 countries the average rate of positive tests was 3%, with 9 countries reporting at least 10%.

The regional level of SARS-CoV-2 infection activity remained at the same low level (2%) as last week.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity remains high at 10%. It should be noted that the upward trend started 2-3 weeks ago. The burden of disease and the number of positive results remain highest among children under 5 years of age.

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Agriculture not only feeds our people, but is one of the most important factors of our country’s national security. In today’s changeable and unpredictable world, no country can have a future without a stable, thoughtful agricultural strategy and developing agricultural production, this is presented on the “Offer to Armenia” Facebook page.

“The climatic conditions of Armenia allow to have and develop stable and multi-branch agriculture, and the state policy in this field should be one of our main priorities.

Gagik Tsarukyan

State policy in the field of agriculture of RA

1. Reopen the Ministry of Agriculture

2. To make the village not a source of survival, but a source of prosperous living and earning income. The work and activities of the peasant must be profitable.

3. To significantly improve the quality of rural life by enriching it with cultural, educational, health and other important components.

4. State investments are needed in the field of agriculture in order to reduce poverty and population outflow from villages.

5. RA agriculture requires a special state policy and cannot be considered as a normal branch of the market economy. It performs at least four important functions:

a. ensuring food security

b. employment regulation and poverty alleviation

c. balanced and sustainable development of territories

d. formation of raw material base for processing and export

6. It is necessary to develop complex development programs for all 10 regions of Armenia, taking into account the production and agricultural specialization formed since the Soviet years. At the same time, sectoral priorities for economic development should be defined, focusing on the creation of highly productive jobs, the introduction of high technologies and digital services, as well as the development of modern machine-tractor plants.

7. To create conditions in the regions for the farmer to sell the food profitably all year round, having secured markets and modern reception and procurement stations for agricultural products with packaging, refrigeration and storage infrastructures, ensuring reliable and efficient sales for the producer.

8. To create full conditions for increasing the efficiency of activities in rural communities, paying special attention to animal husbandry, the entire chain of milk and meat sales, the location of slaughterhouses and the quality of services provided.

9. The state should participate in large investment projects with a 25-30% share, ensuring the stable sale of goods and services in the first 5 years, and after the establishment of the business, sell its share to the entrepreneur.

10. It is necessary to radically transform the management system of water management, excluding middlemen, reducing the cost of irrigation water and strengthening trust between water suppliers and water users. In the next three years, the fee for irrigation water for 1 ha of land should be set at 1000 drams.

11. Over the years, the heavy credit burden has put thousands of citizens at risk of losing their property, especially in the case of consumer and agricultural loans, where interest, penalties and fines often exceed the principal amount. The state, together with the Central Bank, should establish phased regulations for the mitigation of penalties, the application of loan holidays and the restructuring of debts. The interest rate of agricultural loans should not exceed 2.5-3%.

The state should take an active part in the process of regulating agricultural relations in Armenia.

Key formulas.

– The state does not intervene where the market works, but it is obliged to intervene where the market works against food security and producer’s income.

– The goal of food security is the guaranteed minimum own production of basic products and resistance to external shocks.

– Agriculture is an element of national security, not just a market.

– The export of agricultural products does not start from the customs point, but from the field, the garden and the farm.

The efficiency of agriculture in Armenia is determined by the following main factors:

Irrigation. the foundation of the field

The focus should be on physical infrastructure, management and fair distribution, loss reduction, energy efficiency.

Subsidies and insurance

Subsidies and insurance are seen as an integrated risk management mechanism rather than as discrete measures.

Technics

The priority is access (leasing, service centers), not ownership.

Fertilizers and means of production

The task of the state is not to fix prices, but to ensure affordability, stability and predictability.

Product realization. the market as the center of politics

Domestic market

In equal conditions of quality and price, the priority is local products.

Export

Exporting is an outcome, not a goal.

Quality and certification

Not only EAEU, but also in order to enter the EU markets are necessary.

. modern laboratories

. certification centers”.

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The Department of Investigation and Operational Intelligence of the RA SRC, within the scope of the functions assigned to it by law, has strengthened the activities carried out in the direction of controlling the circulation of cash transferred to RA through the air and land borders, in order to ensure financial transparency and prevent possible violations.

In particular, during the operational-investigative measures, the Investigation and Operational Intelligence Department of the RA SRC received operative information that some citizens arrived in the Republic of Armenia by air and brought with them a total of 113 million Russian rubles in cash.

After arriving in RA, from “Zvartnots” airport, on the basis of a reasonable suspicion of committing a crime under the relevant article of the RA Criminal Code, the employees of the Investigation and Operational Intelligence Department took those persons into custody. They were brought to the SRC investigation and operational intelligence department, where they were arrested. In addition, as a result of the operative-intelligence measures taken by the employees of the RA SRC investigation and operational-intelligence department, information was also obtained that a number of citizens, upon arriving in the Republic of Armenia, regularly brought with them cash from 18 to 100 million Russian rubles. It was found that the imported cash was handed over to some foreign currency exchange points operating in Yerevan.

The persons who transferred cash, violating the requirements of the RA Law “On Currency Regulation and Currency Control”, handed them over to the employees of some exchange points. Without appropriate formalities and documentation, cash Russian rubles were exchanged for US dollars, which were later exported. The information was forwarded to the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia in order to discuss the issue of administrative responsibility and resolve the further process. The performed analyzes give reason to assume that the foreign currency imported in cash is not only exchanged without proper formalities at the exchange points, which is later exported, but there are also risks that the said cash is invested shadowily in various branches of the economy, with the aim of hiding the real taxable objects.

SRC urges business entities dealing in foreign currency to comply with the requirements of the laws regulating currency relations and other legal acts adopted based on them, and citizens, in order to avoid possible risks, refrain from transporting large amounts of cash and carry out financial transactions through bank transfers, which are safer and more transparent.

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