July 18, 2026
“There is an Armenian folk saying: ‘If a man has a sword, he will make a sword on his head.’ Today, the European Union continues to buy Russian gas through the territory of Azerbaijan, for which it pays several times more. The EU has no opportunity to replace or diversify Armenia-Russia ties in the energy sector,” he said 168.amsaid in a conversation with Associate Professor of YSU International Relations and Diplomacy Chair, international scholar Grigor Balasanyan: talking about the promises of various high-ranking officials of the EU to provide various support to Armenia in the energy sector.
According to our interlocutor, Armenia is important for the EU and “has a place on the head” of EU officials to the extent that Armenia would like to be a part of their anti-Russian policy and the policy of pushing Russia out of the region.
“When Armenia declares that it is advancing its own national interests, which may not correspond to the interests of the EU, from that day Armenia will become an ordinary state in their eyes. At that time, the EU will not pin hopes on Armenia, as, for example, happened in the case of Georgia. That’s why I wouldn’t be so happy and excited about the visit of European officials of different caliber, for one simple reason. Those people who are coming to Armenia today will probably say goodbye to their positions by autumn. They are outgoing officials, and agreeing something with outgoing officials is just an adventure,” the international expert added.
According to his observation, first of all, it is necessary to understand who Ursula von der Leyen, Kaya Callas, what was the fate of Callas’s predecessor, Federica Mogherini, who is currently in prison, having been sentenced to 5 years in a bribery case.
“I think that the same thing threatens Kaya Kalas, these people, being in the business of bribery and bribery, are now trying to teach us some lessons and use Armenia for the purpose of spreading their Russophobia and anti-Russianness. This should not be in the interests of Armenia, it is not in our interests. Moreover, we should welcome the EU officials in Armenia with a smile and see them off with a smile, but not make any specific promises or agreements with them. Agreeing something with those people is already dangerous,” stressed Grigor Balasanyan.
To the question of what is expected of Armenia after the officials leave the EU, Grigor Balasanyan answered that there are solutions in any situation, for that, however, you need to have a professional team, including a team of professional diplomats.
“Officials of various calibers should be strictly prohibited from making cocky jokes and making anti-Russian statements in Armenia, now is not the time for that. Now is not the time to show “muscles”, especially since you don’t have those “muscles” and everyone knows about it. It is time to sit down and explain to our Russian partners the following: we are building our relations with the EU exclusively to improve and improve the quality of life in civil and social spheres in Armenia. However, from the economic point of view, the EU cannot be an alternative to the EAEU.
Moreover, the EU has a problem with Russia today, and Armenia can become a bridge for Russia and the EU. In addition, the reforms related to various sectors, which are needed by the Russian Federation, can be exported from Armenia to Russia through different channels. But as of now, deepening the crisis in relations with the Russian Federation and doing it through various officials is unacceptable. We must understand that the answer to any offensive statement is provided by Armenia and the citizens of Armenia,” Grigor Balasanyan emphasized.
Let’s remind that on July 2, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, visited Armenia. During the meeting with Nikol Pashinyan in the government building, addressing the question of how the EU supports Armenia in the energy sector, he to say was.
“Armenia needs a strategic, multi-layered and comprehensive approach to the issue of energy carriers.
That is why a group of experts from the EU will arrive in Armenia next week, we have rich experience with such a situation in Ukraine, Moldova, we have gone through it, we have accumulated a lot of experience, we ourselves have faced problems in the EU. At the same time, we are investing in regional energy security, opening new energy interconnection routes and supporting the formation of stronger regional energy networks. 25 million is included in that program.
—
168: US-Iran military escalation continues. A manageable crisis scenario?
July 18, 2026
In the early morning of July 18, the military operations carried out by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) entered a new and more comprehensive phase, leaving the borders of the Strait of Hormuz and spreading towards the central and southern regions of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The military campaign, now in its seventh day, is aimed at the systematic weakening of Iran’s military infrastructure, including surveillance and intelligence facilities, underground arsenals and naval capabilities. The operation, which included the use of both fighter jets and drones, essentially paralyzed strategic traffic in the Strait of Hormuz in response to Iranian missile strikes aimed at regional allies in the Persian Gulf.
Iranian state media confirmed the geographic expansion of the attacks, reporting strikes in Yazd, Ahvaz and Khuzestan provinces, as well as the destruction of infrastructure facilities, particularly bridges and airports, in southern Iran.
The situation is aggravated by Tehran’s harsh rhetoric. Major General Mohsen Rezai, a military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, has announced the possibility of launching a large-scale offensive, noting that in the event of further military escalation, Iran will no longer be limited to its current countermeasures and that “no political border will be safe.” This statement indicates a qualitative change in the confrontation, where each side claims a strategic initiative, endangering the entire regional security architecture.
168.amin a conversation with Russian analyst Vladimir Yevseyev said that the continuation of military operations and the threat of Iran to go to “large-scale offensive operations” dictate two main scenarios for the escalation of the conflict. According to him, the first is the intensification of military conflicts involving the territory of the Persian Gulf states, which can lead to a collapse in the global energy market and large-scale regional instability. The second, according to him, is the activation by Iran of its “proxy” forces throughout the Middle East, which will force the US to expand the geography of its targets, threatening Tehran’s stability.
Vladimir Yevseyev believes that these processes are fraught not only with direct military losses, but also with the formation of new geopolitical alliances and active geopolitical processes.
“For the South Caucasus, this confrontation carries existential risks, given the close connection of the region with Iran. The deepening of the conflict could lead to a sharp shift of attention and resources from Iran’s southern borders to the north. Destabilization or military exhaustion of Iran will weaken its deterrent role in the South Caucasus. As a result, the region becomes a new theater of conflict between the interests of great powers, where the role of Iran as a reliable neighbor for Armenia may come under serious test. However, it is not excluded that Iran will also conduct a vigilant policy in this direction, taking into account all possible risks, including the risk that Iran sees with the future American presence in the South Caucasus,” said Vladimir Yevseyev.
According to him, the prolongation of this military conflict is limited by the internal political agenda of the USA, in particular, the upcoming elections, which make the confrontation with Iran sensitive for Washington.
“The White House needs to avoid getting involved in a large-scale and uncontrolled war that could significantly damage the standing of the ruling administration and destabilize global energy markets right before the vote. Therefore, the intensity of operations will most likely be for a limited period of time, which means that the security vacuum created for the South Caucasus or the weakening of Iran’s positions may not be a long-term strategic change, but a “managed crisis”.
However, even this short-term escalation is enough for regional actors to try to calculate their risks and make the most of Iran’s time under domestic pressure. Iran, of course, conducts a deterrent policy also in the South Caucasus, at the same time, it has prepared for a long-term positioning internally, realizing that it is not easy to reach agreements with the USA that will be long-lasting and stable,” said Vladimir Yevseyev.
As for the theme of restarting the “3 3” format, the analyst believes that there is nothing new about this issue.
“There is still no interest in the region to work in this format,” he said.
—
Asbarez: Sununu: Gold, Greed, and the Granite State
One of Anglo Asian Mining companies digs in Azerbaijan
BY ARAM SUREN HAMPARIAN
No one expected an Armenian issue to take center stage in this year’s high-profile New Hampshire Senate race – a contest pitting U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas against former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu that may very well decide which party controls the U.S. Congress.
But it has.
And in a very big way.
The story broke on May 11 of this year, when Sununu’s U.S. Senate financial disclosure forms revealed a personal financial stake of up to $5 million in Anglo Asian Mining, a foreign company that profits from gold-mining operations on Armenian lands in Artsakh ethnically cleansed of their indigenous Armenian population by Azerbaijan in 2023.
Three key points stand out.
First, Sununu’s investment reflects deeply troubling judgment.
This is not an incidental holding buried in a diversified mutual fund. According to his own Senate financial disclosure, Anglo Asian Mining is his largest single disclosed investment. At a time when Azerbaijan remains under international scrutiny for its brutality against Armenians – including the torture of Armenian hostages – Sununu has chosen to maintain a substantial financial stake in a company whose business interests have expanded alongside Azerbaijan’s military gains. Investments are choices. Of the thousands of publicly traded companies available to investors, Sununu chose Anglo Asian Mining, and made it the largest disclosed investment in his portfolio. That decision speaks volumes about his judgment and priorities.
Second, Anglo Asian Mining knowingly profited from the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s Armenian population.
Following Azerbaijan’s military offensives, Anglo Asian Mining publicly celebrated access to mining concessions in territories that had been home to Christian Armenians for centuries. Those operations became possible only after more than 150,000 Armenians were forced from their homes in September 2023. This is not ordinary resource development. It is commercial activity made possible by the violent removal of an indigenous population. As the Armenian National Committee of America has consistently argued, economic activity that legitimizes or benefits from ethnic cleansing undermines accountability, justice, and the internationally recognized right of return of displaced Armenians.
Third, Granite State values are rooted in morality, integrity and accountability – not complicity in genocide.
The people of the Granite State demand ethical leadership from those who seek to represent them in Washington. They expect public servants whose financial interests reflect, not undermine, the values they champion. A substantial personal investment in a company benefiting from the aftermath of ethnic cleansing stands in stark contrast to those expectations.
This November, New Hampshire voters will face a clear choice. They can elect Chris Pappas – endorsed by the ANCA – whose record has consistently reflected support for human rights, democratic values, and accountability for Azerbaijan’s aggression against the Armenian people. Or they can elect John Sununu, whose own financial disclosures reveal that he’s profiting from Azerbaijan’s unprovoked attack and unpunished ethnic cleansing of Armenians.
Aram Hamparian is the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America.
—
ADB Loan Supports Stronger Earthquake Resilience at Schools in Armenia
YEREVAN, ARMENIA (17 July 2026) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Armenia have signed a $293 million loan agreement to expand resilient, inclusive school infrastructure nationwide and strengthen the country’s capacity to manage earthquake risks.
The financing is the third loan provided by ADB for the Seismic Safety Improvement Program, following earlier approvals of $88.5 million in 2015 and $72.3 million in 2023. Through the program, ADB is supporting the reconstruction and retrofitting of schools to meet international seismic resilience standards. To date, 46 schools have been supported, and the new financing will enable the reconstruction of an additional 50 schools across the country.
“Investing in safe and resilient schools is an investment in Armenia’s future,” said ADB Country Director for Armenia Lyaziza Sabyrova. “Through the new loan, we are not only protecting students and communities from earthquake risks but also strengthening education systems and creating inclusive learning environments that serve as vital community assets, especially in times of emergency.”
The program will support the government’s ongoing efforts to upgrade priority schools, enhance school safety standards, and scale up resilient infrastructure. It is expected to improve disaster preparedness, learning conditions, and the capacity of teachers and school administrators. With many of the targeted schools located in rural areas, the program will promote inclusive access to education and expand opportunities for students and vulnerable groups, including girls, children with disabilities, and those from low-income households. These measures will contribute to safer, more inclusive, and sustainable education systems across Armenia.
ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—50 from the region.
—
Inside Access Armenia: How Sharjah’s ruler helped save an ancient monastery a
In our new Inside Access series, we look at how a UAE patron revived an ancient monastery
It isn’t every day that you visit a centuries-old Christian monastery and discover that one of the people responsible for preserving it was a ruler from the UAE.
Yet that’s exactly the story waiting to be uncovered at Haghartsin Monastery, one of Armenia’s most treasured religious and cultural landmarks, tucked away in the lush mountains of Dilijan National Park.
In the latest edition of our Inside Access series with Manjusha Radhakrishnan, I take you inside this remarkable monastery, uncovering the stories, symbols and traditions that many visitors miss—from centuries-old rituals and intricately carved khachkars to the extraordinary role played by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, in helping preserve one of Armenia’s most treasured landmarks.
So the folklore goes thus: Long before it became a favourite stop on Armenia’s tourism trail, the medieval monastery had fallen into disrepair. Then, during a visit to Armenia in 2005, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, was so struck by its historical and architectural significance that he offered to support its restoration. The conservation project, carried out between 2008 and 2013, carefully revived the complex while preserving its centuries-old character. He poured Dh1.7 million dollars into the restoration.
Knowing that story changed the way I looked at Haghartsin before I had even arrived.
I recently travelled to Armenia to explore the country’s rich history, spectacular landscapes and vibrant food culture. While the itinerary promised ancient monasteries, dramatic scenery and warm hospitality, this stop felt different.
Haghartsin wasn’t simply another historic landmark. It carried a remarkable story of cultural preservation that linked Armenia and the UAE in a way I hadn’t expected.
The drive from Yerevan takes around two hours, but it’s hardly a journey you want to rush.
Leaving the capital behind, the landscape gradually softens into rolling hills, thick forests and charming villages. Roadside stalls tempt passing motorists with jars of mountain honey, warm lavash fresh from the oven and creamy local cheese. Every few kilometres, another sweeping mountain view makes you want to reach for your camera.
By the time we entered Dilijan National Park, it was easy to understand why this region is often described as Armenia’s green heart.
Then, almost hidden among the trees, Haghartsin Monastery revealed itself.
Its honey-coloured stone walls and graceful domes seemed to rise naturally from the forest floor, blending effortlessly into the surrounding mountains, as though they had always belonged there.
Founded between the 10th and 13th centuries, Haghartsin flourished as one of medieval Armenia’s leading religious, scientific and cultural centres. The monastery complex includes three churches, with the oldest—St. Gregory—dating back to the 10th century. For generations, monks studied here, manuscripts were copied and preserved, and pilgrims travelled through these mountains seeking spiritual refuge.
As part of our visit, we were given a guided tour that revealed details many visitors would probably walk past without noticing.
One of the first things our guide pointed out were the beautifully carved khachkars, Armenia’s distinctive stone crosses. Found across the country, these intricately carved monuments are unique to Armenian heritage and often commemorate important events, mark sacred spaces or serve as enduring expressions of faith. Around Haghartsin, they stand quietly among the trees, weathered by centuries yet remarkably resilient.
Then came one of the most memorable moments of the tour.
Before entering one of the churches, our guide Armig asked me to stop.
The doorway looked unusually low.
“There is a reason,” she smiled. Every person who enters must bow their head.
It wasn’t a quirk of medieval construction. The entrance was intentionally designed so that everyone—whether a king, a priest or a tourist—steps inside with humility. It was such a simple architectural detail, yet one that stayed with me long after I left.
As we stepped inside, another quiet ritual unfolded before us.
The monastery was filled with worshippers rather than tourists. It was a Sunday when I visited, and men, women and families moved silently through the ancient stone church, pausing to light slender yellow beeswax candles before offering a prayer. There were no raised voices or hurried footsteps. Just the gentle glow of candlelight, the faint scent of incense and an overwhelming sense of calm.
Our guide shared another local tradition.
After lighting a candle and saying your prayer, you’re not meant to turn back as you leave. Instead, you walk forward, placing your hopes and prayers.
Whether you’re deeply religious, spiritual or simply curious about local customs, it was one of those travel moments that quietly stays with you.
You’re no longer admiring an old building. You’re witnessing a living place of worship where traditions continue much as they have for centuries.
Walking through the monastery, it became easier to understand why Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi chose to support its restoration. This wasn’t simply about preserving beautiful architecture. It was about protecting a place that continues to hold meaning for the people who come here to pray, reflect and celebrate their faith.
The restoration itself was meticulous. The project strengthened the monastery’s foundations, repaired damaged structures, restored walls and floors, upgraded drainage and utilities, and improved the access road—all while respecting the integrity of the original medieval complex.
Rather than transforming Haghartsin, the restoration ensured it could continue telling its story for generations to come.
Perhaps that’s what makes its modern history so compelling.
At a time when so many conversations around culture and religion are framed through difference, Haghartsin quietly tells another story. Here is an example of a Muslim ruler helping preserve one of Armenia’s most significant Christian monuments—not as a political statement, but as an act of respect for history, culture and shared human heritage.
Before leaving, we wandered down to the cosy bakery-café below the monastery.
The aroma of freshly baked bread drifted through the air as local women prepared warm lavash by hand. I settled down with a slice of traditional gata, fresh local cheese and a cup of strong Armenian coffee while looking back at the monastery framed by forests and mountains.
It struck me that Haghartsin isn’t memorable simply because it is old or beautiful.
It stays with you because of the stories it quietly holds. The story of medieval monks and master craftsmen. The story of families who still gather here every Sunday to light candles and pray.
And the story of an unexpected connection between Armenia and the UAE that helped preserve one of the country’s greatest treasures.
Sometimes, the most memorable journeys aren’t about discovering another destination.
They’re about discovering a story you never expected to find.
At a glance
Location: Dilijan National Park, around 105km (about a two-hour drive) from Yerevan.
Founded: Between the 10th and 13th centuries.
Complex: Three churches, including St. Gregory, believed to date back to the 10th century.
Known for: Medieval architecture, peaceful forest surroundings and Armenia’s distinctive khachkars (carved stone crosses).
UAE connection: Restored following the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, after his visit in 2005.
Look out for: The deliberately low church doorway that encourages every visitor to bow before entering.
Don’t miss: The bakery-café below the monastery for traditional gata, Armenian coffee, fresh lavash, local cheese and the chance to watch local women baking bread.
UAE residents’ travel checklist
-
Flight time: Around 3–3.5 hours from Dubai to Yerevan.
-
Visa: Eligible UAE residents can currently visit Armenia visa-free, subject to passport nationality and residency requirements. Check the latest rules before travelling and carry your physical Emirates ID. Visa-free waiver runs until July 2027.
-
Drive: Haghartsin is about a two-hour drive from Yerevan. Leave early to avoid weekend traffic.
-
Best footwear: Comfortable walking shoes are essential for uneven stone paths and medieval steps.
-
Dress respectfully: Haghartsin remains an active place of worship, so modest clothing is recommended.
-
Pack a layer: Dilijan’s mountain climate is noticeably cooler than Dubai, even in summer.
-
Allow time: Set aside at least two hours to explore the monastery, wander the grounds, light a candle if you wish and soak up the peaceful surroundings.
-
Coffee stop: Visit the bakery-café before leaving for freshly baked gata, Armenian coffee, warm lavash and locally made cheese.
—
Armenia increases subsidies for South Caucasus Railway, Russia concession rema
—
Review | Apricot Stone: Armenian shorts at the 2026 Golden Apricot Internation
These 10 Armenian shorts delve into the tensions within Armenian society, from generational divides to unprocessed trauma and an obsession with death.
▲Still from the short film ‘Lola’.
The Golden Apricot International Film Festival’s short film competition Apricot Stone brings together 10 short Armenian films of any genre from five to 45 minutes. This year, the focus was on the ‘unease of the interior’, or as the festival’s daily magazine put it, on probing the ‘fraught tensions within Armenia’s own mental borders. The films all focus on emotions and trauma, often through characters struggling to handle their grief after losing a loved one, whether through old age, an accident, or war.
All are impressive works from some of Armenia’s most talented up-and-coming directors. Read on to see OC Media’s thoughts on this edition of Apricot Stone, and which films are not to miss.
Together Alone (2025)
Still from film.
★★★★☆
This 11-minute documentary by Arthur Sahakyan focuses on Shura, an elderly man residing in an ageing home whose wife Ofelya has recently passed.
The film opens with Ofelya’s wake — it then moves through time in a non-linear pattern, contrasting the couple’s joint existence with what remains for Shura now, his only company memories and a cat. This creative blending of footage is unusual for a documentary, giving the work a more narrative feel.
Aided by the film’s warm tones and introspective mood — there is little dialogue other than a humorous bathroom request; a priest’s prayers; and TV noise — Together Alone makes for an emotional experience, despite the short run-time.
Lola (2025)
Still from film.
★★★★☆
Russian–Armenian Tamara Ayrapetyan’s debut film focuses on a young, Armenian dancer (Inga Khachatryan) who is haunted by the English-language pop song that was playing when her sister died in a car crash. Fittingly, the song’s main lyrics are ‘get it out’, which, as her grief becomes too powerful to suppress, she does through the power of dance, turning her judged performance into an abstract piece of art through which she can finally engage with her emotions.
While the film is largely predictable due to its rather clichéd foundation, Ayrapetyan’s creative use of collage — through paper-cut outs, drawings, and 3-dimensional red string — breathes new life into the topic, making for a visually stunning 12-minute feature. Overall, it is an impressive debut, and it will be interesting to watch what Ayrapetyan will choose to focus on next, and whether she will continue to connect with her Armenian heritage.
Herostrat (2026)
Still from film.
3.5/5★
Arthur Nazaretian’s fourth short film follows Hamlet (Vahe Vayan), an office worker grappling with the death of his partner. Inspired by the themes of existentialist French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, Nazaretian follows as Hamlet begins to experience deep rage at losing his partner, his resentment towards everything else remaining the same boiling up inside of him until finally bursting out in a series of destructive acts.
It is rather fitting that the main character be named Hamlet, though perhaps a little too on the nose, as he begins to spiral into insanity, prodded by the haunting whispers of his deceased lover. This exploration of madness and unprocessed trauma is aided by the film’s saturation in blue-green tones, increasing the feature’s eeriness, as Hamlet’s emotions and actions are both understandable yet a step too far.
It’s an interesting work, but one that sometimes struggles to fill its 20-minute run-time, focusing too much attention on abstract scenes that do little to push the story forward.
Paid Mourners (2026)
Still from film.
★★★★★
The stand-out feature of the 2026 Apricot Stone selection is clearly this 35-minute short by Ovsanna Gevorgyan.
The film follows 16-year-old Margo (Armine Avetisyan), a rising TikTok star and K-pop lover who struggles to understand her elderly grandmother Bavo (Tigranuhi Ter-Martirosyan) and her work as a professional mourner. When Bavo decides she only has a few more days to live, she embarks on a frenzied task to educate Margo and prepare her to take over the family tradition. There is just one major issue — Margo has never been able to cry without hiccuping loudly, something likely to cause concern at the funerals and wakes where she would perform.
Gevorgyan does excellent work balancing the film’s humour with its deeper messages of how to experience grief in a modern society where everything is curated and can be swiped past. There is a clear generational divide between Bavo and Margo, with the latter failing to understand, at least at the beginning of the film, her grandmother’s words on how one must accept death as fact to truly live. Margo is tempted by other life paths as well, as a young man attempts to court her, convinced that the path to success lies in becoming a couple and opening up a TikTok shop.
The film also excellently portrays the ongoing gender dynamics at play in both the _expression_ of grief — where for men it is a weakness and women a domain of power — and in the everyday lives of the village women. In one scene, as the pair wander through a graveyard, Bavo tells Margo about how she mourned each person, while also telling her a bit about their lives. For a woman who spent her whole marriage being brutally beaten by her husband, Bavo gathered all of the professional mourners in the region, all of them women, to remember the woman — and perhaps warn her husband that all of these women knew what he did and would support each other.
Gevorgyan is now working on her feature debut film, which, if this short is anything to go by, will be well worth watching upon release.
Relic (2026)
Still from film.
★★★★☆
Sona Khachatryan’s first short fiction film follows Minas (Alex Melkonyan), a blind boy who struggles living in a household in which his father despises him. The boy’s only source of comfort is his loving grandmother — to Minas, she represents warmth, the reds and oranges of the sunset she describes to him, while his father is the coldness of ice.
One day, his father forces Minas to join him on a hunt, telling him to grab the rabbit he has shot. When Minas finds the rabbit, however, it appears perfectly whole, no injuries in sight — it is the first sign that Minas might have magical abilities to heal. Everything comes with a cost however, and soon after, the grandmother dies, with Minas being sent to live with the local priest.
Throughout the 23-minute film, Khachatryan explores how people with disabilities are treated in rural Armenia. The villagers look at Minas with fear and distaste, wondering why he wasn’t sent away to the orphanage, something his father clearly desired. Their narcissism is further cemented when, after the priest dies, the villagers immediately rush to the church to argue over how it should be repurposed for their own personal gain. Amidst these arguments, Minas wanders away, returning to the nature he so loves.
Relic is a beautifully atmospheric film, imbibed with folklore and wonder. It is no wonder Khachatryan will be included in the 2027 Next Step Studio programme by the Cannes Film Festival’s Critics’ Week.
A Quiet Blue (2026)
Still from film.
3.5/5★
This black-and-white short by Ovsanna Shekoyan follows 19-year-old Albert (Arnold Ghazaryan), a veteran of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War who is haunted by his lingering PTSD.
The film opens at a doctor’s office, as Albert recounts his recent experiences — his fear at leaving the house without friends, his attempts to follow through with the mandated VR therapy. There are no details about what he actually went through, the focus is instead only on the ongoing effects of trauma.
The focus then switches to an afternoon out with his friends as they hunt down a drug cache in an abandoned sanatorium. It is implied that a police crackdown on drugs is ongoing, perhaps as a result of increased trade stemming from unprocessed trauma from the conflict. A sense of foreboding follows the characters, with warnings to be cautious by one friend summarily dismissed by another, laying down the seeds of what is to come.
The film embraces the abstract, focusing on memory rather than cohesive story-telling. It is an atmospheric film, yet it never quite conveys to the audience the true depth of what Albert is experiencing, the lack of an emotional bond between the audience and the character weakening the film’s impact.
Kafka (2026)
Still from film.
★★★★☆
This surreal fiction debut by Vahan Khachatryan follows a young man named Grigor Grigoryan (Aren Voskanyan) who wakes up one day believing himself transformed into the 20th-century Czech writer Franz Kafka. It is a play, of course, on Kafka’s own novella The Metamorphosis in which a character named Gregor wakes up to find himself inexplicably transformed into a huge insect.
In Khachatryan’s version, however, Grigoryan simply wakes up feeling profound sorrow, frailty, and an emptiness in life — classic markers of depression. Has he really woken up as Kafka, or is he just attempting to understand these darker emotions for the first time?
The 16-minute film follows Grigoryan as he traverses Yerevan, attempting to talk to various people about what has happened to him, with each giving him their own solutions. His father suggests getting married or drinking; his feasting friend tells him to just eat something; a basketball player believes sports is the only answer; and so on. Eventually, Grigoryan ends up back where he started, his bedroom at home, this time, however, making his own decisions, embarking on a strange, frenzied dance through which it appears his emotions are released, presumably for the better.
For Those (2026)
Still from film.
★★★★☆
This French–Belgian–Armenian co-production by Emile Parseghian, his debut film, explores diaspora relations through a grieving family.
The film follows the French–Armenian Levon, or Léon (Louis Memmi), returning to Armenia for the first time in years to attend the burial of his cousin Hrant, who died six months earlier on the front-lines of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. No longer able to speak Armenian, Léon struggles to connect with his relatives, especially his younger cousin (Artyom Avetisyan), who has his own methods of coping with his brother’s death and begins to view Léon as a tourist, unable to understand Armenia’s reality.
It is an emotional film, showing how distance can harm even the closest of bonds, as differing experiences create different understandings and opinions of the world and our places within it. Parseghian also masterfully captures the pain of Armenia’s youth, who have seen their older male relatives off to war, many to not return, and their own fears and desires that have emerged as a result.
Dialogues Solitaires (2026)
Still from film.
4.5/5★
Beirut-born Serouj Hovsepian’s latest short, a French–Armenian co-production, explores missed connections and the meaning of love during one Parisian night.
The film centres around Aren (Vincent Pasdermadjian), a young man in love with his flatmate Van (Bleu Binet), who himself appears to be in love with a woman named Léa. Unable to confess his true feelings, Aren leaves the flat for a local queer bar, where he comes across an old flame, Théo (Victorien Bonnet). The two, after some awkward first moments, eventually settle into a conversation, Aren finally opening up about the love he feels towards Van and Théo explaining what really happened two years ago, and his own stronger feelings for Aren.
Though a simple premise, the emotional depth of conversation between the two men makes for captivating viewing. Their experiences are familiar and relatable to all, yet are told in a way that opens up the viewer to think about their own past loves in new ways.
The Eternal Red (2025)
Still from film.
3.5/5★
Though only 11 minutes, this short Armenian–German co-production by Naira Sargsyan manages to pack a wealth of story in — perhaps, at times, too much.
The film opens as a one-armed man (Armen Kerobyan) steps into a photo exhibition titled ‘War: The Eternal Red’. As visitors blithely comment on the various images, making banal statements about what they see or planning where to go clubbing next, the man stands apart, accompanied only by a scarred man (Sargis Manukyan). Both transfixed on a photo showing a prisoner exchange, the setting making it clear that both men are present in the photo, from opposing sides. Yet here, in this gallery, they are the only two who understand what war is, drawing them together.
It is an interesting premise, yet one that is weakened by trying to over-emphasise the lack of understanding from the modern youth towards these surviving soldiers. At one point, anti-plastic protesters enter the exhibition, throwing red paint all over the photos and asking the veterans why they aren’t speaking up. The scene is over-the-top, draining the fraught emotions that were building up between the two men. Torn between these different foci, the film does not quite live up to what it could have been.
All films were screened in Yerevan on 17 July 2026 as part of the 23rd Golden Apricot International Film Festival.
—
Armenia: Junior Eurovision 2026 Auditions Held in Yerevan
Image source: EBU/Corinne Cumming
Auditions to select the Armenian representative for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 were held earlier this week in Yerevan.
On Wednesday, auditions took place to help select the Armenian representative for this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Malta. The auditions come after the first round of the selection saw all applications reviewed, and the successful singers were then invited to perform live at the audition round.
The Armenian representative for this year’s competition will be chosen by a jury, with the song of the winning act being internally selected by AMPTV.
Albert represented Armenia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in “Brave Heart” where he placed 4th. Armenia received 12 points from the juries of Georgia, Malta and Ukraine and was 6th in the public vote.
Source: AMPTV
Armenia debuted in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2007, and has had 17 entries to date. The country is one of the most successful in the history of the contest, placing in the top 3 on 10 occasions, and winning twice in 2010 and 2021. Their first victory came from Vladimir Arzumanyan with his song “Mama”, which received 120 points. They won again in 2021 with “Qami Qami” by Maléna. Armenia went on to host the contest on home soil in Yerevan in 2011 and hosted it again in 2022. Their debut was almost as successful, as Arevik and their song “Erazanq” were just 1 point off the winning score.
—
A “referendum from below” is starting in Armenia to break Pashinyan’s impasse
12:07
At an extraordinary meeting on July 16, the Central Election Commission of Armenia approved the application of the civic initiative called the Eurasian Alliance to hold a referendum on amendments to the The Constitution of Armenia. As previously reported by EADaily, the initiative proposes to consolidate in The Constitution prohibits the signing by the Republic of Armenia of such interstate agreements that directly contradict other interstate agreements already signed by Armenia and in force.
It should be recalled that the civil initiative formed by representatives of the Alliance party of former Armenian MP Tigran Urikhanyan, consisting of 53 people, notarized the draft law on amendments to The Constitution of Armenia and registered it with the CEC of Armenia on July 7.
Now, after the approval of the application, in accordance with the regulations established by the CEC, the initiators must collect two hundred thousand signatures of Armenian citizens within 60 days, and if they succeed, a nationwide referendum will be scheduled, at which the people of Armenia, in fact, will decide to enter the phase of severe socio-economic crisis on a hopeless path to the European Union or to remain in the EAEU and maintain a steadily growing economy. In accordance with the CEC resolution, the official signature collection campaign will start on August 3
According to our information, intense negotiations have been going on between the CEC and the referendum initiators for the last few days, and on the last day of the deadline set by the legislation, at an extraordinary meeting on July 16, the application was approved, and the civil initiative to hold the referendum was officially registered.
It should be noted that at a meeting with the Armenian Prime Minister on April 1 of this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly recommended holding a referendum and deciding on the choice between the EAEU and the EU. Later, the heads of the EAEU countries also called on Armenia to decide on this issue as soon as possible by holding a referendum.
“Nikol Pashinyan, sitting on two chairs, trying to drag Armenia into the European Union, but earning and enriching himself at the expense of the EAEU and, first of all, Russia, did not listen to the urgent recommendations of the EAEU leaders. Meanwhile, due to the so-called law on joining the European Union, adopted on the initiative of pro—Western grant organizations on March 26, 2025, the republic began to have real problems in the field of economic integration with the EAEU countries, of which Armenia has been a member since January 2, 2015,” the author of the initiative Tigran Urikhanyan explained the situation in an interview with EADaily.
Tigran Urikhanyan. Photo: Aram Nersesyan / Sputnik
Lawyer, member of the initiative group “Eurasian Alliance ” Emil Markosyan in an interview with the newspaper “Hraparak” revealed the background of the initiative to hold a “referendum from below”, which will remove the contradictions associated with the movement in two opposite integration directions, which is already causing economic entities in Armenia is seriously damaged and generates new risks.
“Now the citizens of Armenia must choose whether to join the EAEU or go to the EU,” Markosyan said, in particular, to the Armenian edition.
“Graparak”: You have applied to the CEC with a demand to collect signatures first, and if you get enough of them, hold a referendum on the following issue: to remain part of the EAEU or to go to the EU market. By the way, a few months ago, Russian President Putin said that the Armenian society should decide on this issue through a referendum. In fact, you decided to start the process, why, for what purpose and what are your expectations?
Emil Markosyan. Illustration: “Graparak”
Emil Markosyan: Yes, you correctly noticed. However, our project does not concern the foreign policy vector — Russia or the West, but is aimed specifically at the economic sphere. Our task is to make an addition to The Constitution and fix the idea that Armenia has no right to conclude new agreements that would contradict previously concluded agreements, as well as the interests of Armenian exporters. Now at Armenia has an agreement with the EAEU, but, as we see, without terminating this agreement or without making clarifications, we are told that we are going to the EU market. First of all, this is an insult to Russians. We have heard the highest signals from there, even from the President of Russia. Russians say that it is impossible to play on two fronts, or you need to stay in the EAEU, or you need to enter the EU market. In a good way, but keep in mind that you will lose many of the benefits and support that have been provided to you over the years. This also applies to the price of gas and so on.
Due to the wrong policy pursued by the Armenian authorities, our people found themselves in a very difficult crisis. Armenia is currently under sanctions, but they will be tightened in the future. People are clearly saying that we will raise the price of gas… Armenia should not violate its obligations under the contracts it has signed, this is our goal. We must be moral and honest in order not to make unnecessary enemies, otherwise our people will suffer from this, as they are suffering now.
“Graparak”: The authorities say that the Russians are bad, they need to abandon Russia, they allegedly punish the Armenian people for being pro-Western…
Emil Markosyan: Good Russians or bad, this is one side of the question. And how kind are we to the Russians? For better or worse, Russia is our only economic ally. We are turning away from our most important strategic ally and trying to cooperate with its opponents. Who is the worst of us now?
Graparak: Now, after submitting an application to the CEC, when are you going to hold a referendum?
Emil Markosyan: We applied to the CEC in accordance with the procedure established by law, with 53 members of the initiative group, the author of the idea is the chairman of the Alliance party Tigran Urikhanyan, it was he who developed all this, but since the latter is in the status of an outcast, he is not in Armenia, we are carrying out the process. We start collecting signatures on August 3, we need to collect 200,000 signatures in a 60-day period. After collecting 200 thousand signatures, a referendum will be held. Does an Armenian citizen have to decide whether to stay in the EAEU or go to the EU market? I repeat once again, we are talking exclusively about the market, and not about changing the political vector.
Graparak: And if people go and choose the EU, what will happen? Is the market Is the EU waiting for Armenians with open arms?
Emil Markosian: The market The EU categorically refuses to work with Armenian producers. The first attempt to export apricots failed. Many quality problems have been identified that do not meet European standards. 60% of Armenia’s trade turnover depends on the Russian Federation, this is the official figure, and Russia depends on Armenia by 0.3%. Now let’s figure out which of us will suffer more losses? We do not bring even two percent of our products to the European market. Just a few days ago it was announced that Armenian goods were trying to be brought to the Russian market through Iran, but Russia again refused to accept it.
Graparak: But if people choose the market The EU as a result of the referendum, what will happen after that?
Emil Markosian: In this case, trade will collapse, and we will lose an economic ally who will further strengthen economic sanctions, and life for all of us will become more complicated. In order to export food products to the European market, it is necessary to comply with European standards. If earlier the farmer sent apricots in boxes to Russia, then the market The EU requires special sterilized plastic containers, which is also an additional cost.
Graparak: By the way, on the market The EU says that even the quality of the soil is checked for what soil fruits and vegetables are grown on.
Emil Markosyan: They check not only the soil, but also the color of the crop. They have a list of certain color shades that the product must match. Now our super goal is to keep the citizens of Armenia away from sanctions. These sanctions may be not only in the economic sphere, but also affect thousands of Armenians who have left for work in Russia.
More details: https://eadaily.com/en/news/2026/07/18/a-referendum-from-below-is-starting-in-armenia-to-break-pashinyans-impasse-the-eaeu-or-the-eu
—
Mass food poisoning occurred at a reception at the French Embassy in Armenia
17:02
Reception at the French Embassy in Yerevan, organized on the occasion of Bastille Day, turned into mass poisoning for the guests who visited it.
According to the TASS news agency, this fact was confirmed by the press service of the French diplomatic mission. They recalled that the reception was held on July 14, and Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan was among the guests.
It is impossible to understand from the statement whether he was among the victims of poisoning. The embassy says that several people were injured.
“The guests who attended the reception at the French Embassy on the occasion of the National Day on July 14, 2026, reported symptoms of food poisoning,” the press service said in a statement.
The French Embassy offered its sincere apologies to the people who “could have been inconvenienced.” Diplomats expressed hope “to establish the causes of these symptoms.”
The reaction of the French followed after the Armenian media reported that a number of people who attended the reception at the embassy turned to medical institutions in Yerevan with signs of food poisoning. There is no information about the number of victims.
Earlier, EADaily reported that the French special services helped to suppress publications critical of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan before the parliamentary elections in the republic.
More details:
—