The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Arsen Torosyan, announced on Tuesday a 30% salary increase for staff at various care institutions operating under the ministry.

 “I would like to share some good news, especially for care institutions operating under the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, as well as for day care centers. Starting April 1, the salaries of all employees at care centers under our authority—serving children, the elderly, and citizens with mental health conditions—as well as staff at children’s day care centers, will increase by 30 percent. We have achieved this through budgetary discipline and effective management. Therefore, in May, dear colleagues, you will already receive a 30 percent increased salary. As minister, I expect you to deliver better performance and to invest greater effort in working with, caring for, and providing services to our thousands of citizens. Your working conditions are a priority for me—they have been since day one—and I will do everything possible to gradually improve them,” Torosyan said in a statement on social media. 

Member of Parliament Vladimir Vardanyan has been nominated by President Vahagn Khachaturyan as a Constitutional Court judge.

The confirmation hearing is taking place on Tuesday during the plenary session of Parliament.

Vardanyan has been serving as an MP since 2019 and chairs the parliamentary Committee on State-Legal Affairs.

Vardanyan had been affiliated with the ruling Civil Contract for years but resigned from the party, after the President nominated him, to become nonpartisan, which is a requirement for serving in the independent judicial body.

Vardanyan vowed in parliament to remain impartial and uphold the constitution if elected. He pointed to lawmakers the oath of office for an MP. 

“I have been in the Parliament for seven years, and each of us is under oath, which contains a clear requirement—to uphold the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. From the moment of taking the oath, you assume responsibilities, and regardless of your political orientation or personal preferences, you are obliged to act in accordance with your oath,” Vardanyan said.

The Ministry of Defense convened a consultation with the participation of the staff at its Financial and Budgetary Department.

According to the statement released by the Ministry of Defense, key issues related to the sector were discussed, and new approaches to solving existing problems were presented. During the meeting-consultation, a number of issues were also addressed concerning the implementation of public sector accounting policies within the Ministry, the further development of the implemented software system, existing challenges, and potential solutions under consideration.

Armenia does not have territorial demands against any country, Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan, a senior member of the ruling Civil Contract party, said on Tuesday.

He told reporters that Armenia emphasizes the importance of building relations in the region so that no one even considers attacking another.

“Armenia should never have territorial claims and does not have any territorial claims toward its neighbors. We must build relations in the region in such a way that no one even thinks about attacking another. We must do everything possible to ensure our region remains peaceful, that no war happens,” he said.

Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan, a senior member of the ruling Civil Contract party, again warned voters ahead of the June 7 elections that they will have to choose between peace and a possible war.

“I understand that the forces currently in the [parliament] hall, and those who want to enter Parliament, need war—they need to talk about war in order to build something politically on it. But right now, there is no war; there is peace,” Simonyan said, referring to the opposition. 

He emphasized that for the past two years, there has been no deadly gunfire on the border, unlike before.

“Is it war now, or is it peace? Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, never before have Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in trade, and never before have the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan spoken about peace from both sides,” he said at a press briefing. 

Simonyan highlighted that the established peace must be safeguarded so it “does not slip away.”

“The current government of the Republic of Armenia—the Civil Contract party—is a party of peace, while the main opposition actors are parties of war. That is the reality. If people say that claims must be made, that is called war,” Simonyan said.

According to him, after its collapse, the Soviet Union left unresolved border issues everywhere—in Central Asia, Ukraine, and the South Caucasus region.

“And they told us: you, who live in Armenia, always dream that your home is not only here, it is also there, and we will take care of it. The goal is for us to always remain dependent on them. Yes, there is a party of war, and there is a party of peace. And yes, the 2026 election will be about peace and the possibility of war,” the Speaker of the National Assembly emphasized.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned last week that the country could face an imminent war if some opposition forces, whom he described as being controlled from abroad, win the upcoming parliamentary elections. He accused these opposition forces of attempting to revise the recently established peace and making belligerent statements.

Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan reiterated on Tuesday that the government-initiated constitutional reforms have nothing to do with Azerbaijan’s calls for constitutional changes. He said the adoption of a new constitution is in Armenia’s interests.

“The Constitution of Armenia and the proposed amendments are being made for the interests of Armenia. They are not being made for the interests of Azerbaijan. They are being made for Armenia’s survival and its future,” Simonyan, a senior member of the ruling Civil Contract party, said at a press briefing in response to allegations that the changes were initiated at Azerbaijan’s demand.

Responding to a question about whether Armenia could demand that Azerbaijan change its Constitution, the Speaker said that a peace agreement with Azerbaijan has already been negotiated, and there is no such provision in the agreement. All clauses in the peace agreement are bilateral.

“There is no such agenda. Armenia needs to have a strong military. I am working to ensure that the Armenian army can be well-armed and capable of defending itself. I am not thinking about imposing anything on Azerbaijan, Türkiye, or Georgia so that tomorrow they might think of imposing something on us. I am thinking about Armenia’s interests. And Armenia’s interest dictates that we must have a constitution that does not give anyone an excuse to see us as a threat in the region,” Simonyan emphasized.

Minister of Justice Srbuhi Galyan announced earlier in March that the text of the proposed new Constitution, developed to replace the current one via referendum, is ready and will be discussed at the ruling Civil Contract party’s board meeting, as well as by its parliamentary faction. Speaking to reporters, she was asked whether the reference to the Declaration of Independence in the current Constitution’s preamble has been removed in the new text, something Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has endorsed, citing its “conflict logic.” Galyan said the text doesn’t have a preamble but didn’t clarify. She said the final version would be published after finalization. 

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told reporters on Monday that Azerbaijan has notified that it will not finalize the initialed peace deal as long as the current wording about Nagorno-Karabakh remains in the Armenian Constitution, referring to the preamble that includes a reference to the 1990 Declaration of Independence.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly accused Armenia of having what it describes as territorial claims in its Constitution through its preamble reference to the 1990 Declaration of Independence, which in turn mentions Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia has denied that this reference constitutes territorial claims, and the country’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the mention in no way amounts to such claims. Armenian officials have stated that signing the initialed peace deal with Azerbaijan would resolve all of Azerbaijan’s concerns.

Meanwhile, the Pashinyan administration has initiated constitutional amendments, with work ongoing to develop the draft, but officials have emphasized that this is an unrelated internal matter that has been in the plans for many years.

Armenian officials have repeatedly stated that Armenia has no territorial claims against any country.

Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan held a meeting on Tuesday with South Korea’s newly appointed non-resident ambassador to Armenia, Lee Sok-bae.

According to a readout from the parliament’s press service, the Speaker congratulated the ambassador on his appointment and expressed hope that his work would contribute to the further strengthening and development of relations between the two countries.

They also discussed the development of interparliamentary ties, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

South Korea’s new ambassador to Armenia, Lee Sok-bae, presented his credentials to Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan on Tuesday.

The President congratulated the ambassador on assuming office and wished him a productive tenure for the benefit of Armenian–Korean relations.

According to a readout from the President’s Office, Khachaturyan highlighted the ambassador’s experience and knowledge of the region, noting that these could significantly contribute to deepening bilateral cooperation.

He also noted that Armenia attaches great importance to developing relations with East Asian countries, placing particular emphasis on cooperation with South Korea, and stressed that there is considerable potential for joint projects, especially in the fields of high technology, energy, culture, and tourism.

Ambassador Lee expressed gratitude for the warm reception, emphasizing that his country values cooperation with Armenia and supports its efforts to establish peace and stability in the region.

During the meeting, the sides discussed ways to expand cooperation in energy, high technology, and other sectors, emphasizing the need for consistent and targeted efforts to fully realize the existing potential.

They also underscored the importance of strengthening democratic institutions, the rule of law, and the protection of universal values as a foundation for stable and effective cooperation.

Particular emphasis was placed on further strengthening and deepening established ties in education, tourism, culture, and other people-centered sectors, viewed as key factors in enhancing mutual understanding and fostering long-term partnership.

Lee Sok-bae is a non-resident ambassador, as South Korea does not yet have a resident embassy in Armenia. In November 2023, there were reports that South Korea was planning to open a resident embassy. 

A magnitude 2.7 earthquake has struck Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province, about 8 km northeast of the town of Martuni.

The quake was registered by the Interior Ministry’s Seismic Protection Agency at 14:10 on Tuesday. It had a depth of 10 km.

The agency said in a press release that the quake measured 3–4 on the MSK scale at the epicenter. It was felt in the villages of Zolakar and Madina at an intensity of 2–3 on the MSK scale.

No damage was reported.

YEREVAN, 24 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 24 March, USD exchange rate down by 0.06 drams to 377.32 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 3.82 drams to 437.43 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.0961 drams to 4.6885 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 5.28 drams to 505.87 drams.

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

Gold price down by 1177 drams to 54181 drams. Silver price down by 62.49 drams to 815.58 drams.