Some days abroad in the press the information that Germany is preparing about the need for major intelligence reform long ago there are rumors. 

And if the idea of ​​this reform is put into practice, then Germany will make a complete transition from the model of “intelligence with limited capabilities” to “a modern foreign intelligence service equipped with tools of active influence”.
Moreover, the main direction of this transformation will be the deepening of intelligence integration between Berlin and Paris.

Note that earlier information France and Germany were rumored to have formed a high-level nuclear coordination group. In other words, France and Germany have decided to strengthen cooperation in the field of deterrence in response to the changing threat landscape.

Let us add that there is also a similar example between the intelligence services of France and Great Britain there is cooperation, in particular, on sharing information about deterring threats from Iran and the potential to develop nuclear weapons.

Naturally, these countries – France, Great Britain, Germany – have both general and their own interests and interests in the South Caucasus, and naturally, in this context, the special services also have their work to do, including the expulsion of Russia from the region.

As an example, consider France, which, although a historically friendly country, is also one of the countries to which the Ministry of Defense warned before the 44-day war about Turkish threats and the possibility of Turkey’s direct participation in the war.

In particular, after the July battles and before the 44-day war, in the Ministry of Defense of the RA, on the French side has been warned about the possible consequences and goals of Turkish-Azerbaijani joint military exercises. We also do not forget that France decided to supply arms to Armenia only after the depopulation of Artsakh.

In May of this year, French President Emmanuel Macron admitted in Yerevan that his country and he are the key players in the 2022 Prague process, which de facto recognized Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan. Of course, the main responsibility for this is the RA authorities.

With the article “What is the price of France’s post-war debt to Armenia?” in the article We have covered all this. However, extensive cooperation between Armenia and France in the field of defense continues: supply of weapons, military advice, etc.

Let’s remind that in parallel with the intention of supplying arms to Armenia, in 2023, France decided, that cooperation with Armenia in the field of security should also be strengthened by establishing a defense mission at the French Embassy in Armenia.

Information about the interaction between the Armenian and French intelligence services was later circulated in the non-local press.

In September 2025, Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of the RA Council of Ministers, in Paris had met With the head of foreign intelligence, Nikola Lerner.

Later Intelligence Online wrote that France will undertake the training of personnel of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Armenia.

At the same time French different in sources there are reports that Florian Escudier, who is specialized strategic issues, security and cyber security fields, and according to various reports, he is well-versed in Armenian “paperwork”. To what extent this information corresponds to reality, let’s wait for the development of events.

Instead, let us remind that the RA Foreign Intelligence Service was established in October 2023. In order to justify its necessity, Nikol Pashinyan said on one occasion that intelligence methods and formulas are developing in the world, which should be in line with them, and that Artsakh 2016. and 2020 during the wars, there were problems in the process of providing information by the intelligence agencies.

We remind you that on August 5, 2019, in Stepanakert square promised էր՝ “We will have one of the 10 most effective intelligence services in the world.”

And about a week before the 2020 war, Nikol Pashinyan, presenting the plans for the transformation of Armenia until 2050, within the framework of the events of the 29th anniversary of Armenia’s Independence. strategy, not only to announce was, whether we will have one of the 10 most efficient intelligence services in the world, but also open brackets about the reasons for this.

“This is an important point in our vision, what does this mean? Means the following: learn more about the necessary information we need to interact with the world. This means getting to know the world better from a practical point of view, and having the opportunity to understand why and where the world misunderstands us, and where we should correct the ideas about ourselves in the world,” Pashinyan explained a few days before the 44th anniversary.

It is difficult to say to what extent we can place the RA Foreign Intelligence Service in the top ten most efficient workers in the world. As for the extent to which the RA Foreign Intelligence Service prevents threats from the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem against the Republic of Armenia, we can make assumptions, perhaps claims, but it is a fact that the service has been given new powers from time to time since its creation.

First about two years ago was suggested To grant the Foreign Intelligence Service the authority to authorize individuals to access information constituting a state secret. And now it has been put into circulation a bill proposing Give it to the APS too authorization authority to install communication equipment.

Let us add that during this period, Pashinyan also decided to separate the foreign intelligence service from the National Security Service, and instead to create a foreign counter-intelligence unit.

In this context, we should mention that in one of our publications we wrote that the foreign intelligence service of Azerbaijan has a unit called “Yarasa” that participates in special forces exercises. Moreover, there are reports in Azerbaijani sources that during the 44-day military operations, the personnel of “Yarasa” acted behind the Armenian army and took part in the capture of settlements, in particular, in the Kubatli (Orotan) sector.

—

For the third month already, the entry of a number of agricultural products into the Russian market is prohibited, according to the Russian side, the reason is the quality of these products. Producers of tomatoes, apricots, peppers, cucumbers and other fruits and vegetables constantly complain that the crop spoils on the spot, in response to which the Government says it will provide compensation.

Moreover, he declares that they can export to the EU market, which Armenian producers do not consider realistic, and in the volumes that they previously exported to Russia.

Soon it will be the grape harvest season, will the grape growers also face the same problem, taking into account the fact that along with the arrest of PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan, the doors of the Yerevan wine and brandy factory were also closed.

According to former Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ashot Harutyunyan, the problem with grapes is more chain-related. if, for example, in the case of apricots, it is the grower, seller or buyer and export, then in the case of grapes it is different: technical varieties, more than 90 percent of alcohol and wine are mainly procured by Armenian companies.

“If these companies cannot export their wine and cognac normally, it means that they will have financial and container problems. It means that about 200 thousand tons of grapes (we are talking about last year’s procurement), which is a serious problem. At the moment, stocking is in danger, due to containers, if they don’t have containers, they can’t stock up, along with that, financial problems will also appear.” 168.am–said in a conversation with Ashot Harutyunyan.

According to our interlocutor, table grape varieties are mainly consumed in the local market and exported to the EAEU market.

“But, as you know, now the road is closed, the blockade is also in place, the problem is serious in this regard, because the local market with refrigerators and sales cannot provide that much.

As for exporting to the EU market, unlike apricots, which are often said to be Armenian apricots as a brand, grapes generally do not have a serious place in Europe, because in Italy, Hungary, Turkey, not to mention France, table varieties are grown that are eye-catching and taste good. There are also Kazakh grapes there, we do not have an advantage in the case of grapes in the EU market,” Ashot Harutyunyan stressed.

Last year, the grape growers were satisfied with the volume of the grape harvest, but this year they expect a small harvest.

One of the grape growers of Ararat Marz, Karen Mikayelyan, 168.amtold that although they have already signed the contract with the procurement company, the volume of the harvest this year is generally very small.

“Compared to the previous year, this year’s harvest is not good. This year’s harvest is not good. The reasons are different: the weather, well, it depends on the year. Some years we get a good harvest, some years we don’t. I personally will not have a problem with procurement, the contract is signed, the harvest is not enough, they will be harvested,” said our interlocutor.

According to him, despite the fact that the harvest is small, the procurement company has not changed procurement prices, it will procure at the same price as last year: 130-135 AMD per kg.

“I have not changed the supplier company, I always deliver to that company. We don’t export grapes outside of Armenia, they haven’t taken them for 2 years now. We used to deliver to the exporting company, that company also exported, but this year there is still no conversation. Let’s see, maybe it will be in September, during that period it happens that the grapes are already accepted and exported. But I say, there is no such conversation yet,” emphasized our interlocutor.

—

168 TV’s “Zara has a question” the guest of the program film director, screenwriter, producer is Hovhannes Galstyan.

During the conversation, Hovhannes Galstyan voiced several theses with a touch:

• The elections in Armenia are over. some say a draw, some say the opposition lost. But I am sure that the government lost, because there is simple math: in the previous parliament, their number was almost twice as large, and in this parliament, they have only a simple majority. The session will begin, and they will see. they are terrified of it now, they are afraid, because that whining and whining will not go away, because in simple numerology, 41/64, 41 is quite a weighty number for our opposition.
• The government always presents itself with one face, and that face is Nikol Pashinyan. In the case of the opposition, it does not exist. For example, I was in front of the Constitutional Court that day, and what was the real picture of our opposition: on one side was “Hayakve” with Chalabyan’s picture, on one side was “Mother Armenia” with Tevanyan’s picture, on one side was “Prosperous Armenia”, on the other side was Dashnaktsutyun, Kocharyan’s team… It doesn’t happen like this. we have already seen that they do not defeat Pashinyan individually.

If it was in art, and I was the director of that action, as a director, I would give a simple assignment. I would ask Chalabyan’s team to keep Tsarukyan’s picture… I would change the positions, I would change so that the government would understand that the opposition no longer has a narrow interest, it has a great desire to change itself, and at that moment, when the members of the People’s Party of Armenia took Ashotyan’s picture, for example, the members of the Republican Party took the picture of Tsarukyan, the government would be in a difficult position., they would understand that something has changed. I’m talking about art, staging, but the meaning is one thing: if you want to change Pashinyan, you have to rise above your narrow interests. Today, no part of the opposition is capable of defeating Pashinyan on its own.

• I have no experience of using the previous authorities. I don’t know how they behaved with the artists whom they helped, assisted, supported, but today’s authorities, think, buy artists as a package, they don’t support a program. in return for that support, they demand that the artists become their agitators, participate in all their events.

The most disgusting thing for me is the artist turned into a propagandist of the government. this one contradicts the other. That’s why, when this government is sold in a package, they are also obliged to release various nonsense. I also heard that this person used the assistance of the authorities many times, starting from the years of the administration of the First President. That is a very bad thing. the artist should not take advantage of the authorities’ assistance, but in Armenia there is always such a situation that whether the artist wants it or not…

There is no idea of ​​monogamy in Armenia, and we are trying to introduce that idea with Mr. Tsarukyan. monogamy ensures the artist’s independence.

The Armenian Apostolic Church, the pan-Armenian capital, represented by Gagik Tsarukyan and Samvel Karapetyan, is the number 1 target of those people. they are the destroyers of Armenianness and pan-Armenianism.

• I am sure that our authorities have the support of Russia. that’s how Russia is, it always supports the authorities. I do not understand why our opposition categorically rejects the support of the West and the support of Europe. There should have been people in our opposition who should have maintained contact with the West. For example, I am openly oppositionist, openly, but all my life activities are directly related to Europe, it is not that I am anti-Russian (the Moscow festival introduced me to great cinema), but one cannot be connected to one geopolitical center.

We must preserve our church, we must preserve our identity, our traditional values. on that we can remain Armenian. There is no other option: go to constant bargaining, hand over Masis, Ararat… will lead to destruction.

Details in the video

—