A ceremony was held on Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Muscat.

The event was held under the auspices of Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, and in the presence of Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Oman’s Foreign Minister, The Times of Oman reported. 

The opening of the Armenian Embassy comes within the framework of the growing relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

It reflects the two countries shared keenness to advance the horizons of cooperation and partnership across various fields, in a manner that serves mutual interests and supports opportunities for investment, trade, and cultural exchange.

During the ceremony, Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia delivered a speech in which he expressed his pride over the opening of his country’s embassy in the Sultanate of Oman, The Times of Oman reported.

He emphasised that this step reflects the strength of bilateral relations and the shared desire to develop them, enhancing areas of cooperation to serve mutual interests.

In turn, Vahan Kostanyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the joint relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Armenia are dynamic and growing, noting that Oman was among the first Arab countries to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia.

He confirmed that bilateral relations between the two countries have witnessed continuous growth over the past two years, culminating in the decision to open an embassy for Armenia in Oman. Additionally, the foreign ministries of both countries hold continuous political consultations.

Kostanyan highlighted the importance of the economic pillar in joint cooperation for the upcoming period, emphasising several key sectors such as transport, advanced technology, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud services and mutual investments.

The Deputy Minister expressed his aspiration to receive delegations from the Sultanate of Oman in Armenia to exchange visions and ideas.

He also stressed the importance of organising joint events, holding bilateral meetings between private sector companies from both nations, and providing facilities that will further contribute to strengthening economic ties.

The embassy’s opening was attended by several foreign ambassadors, members of the diplomatic and consular corps, state officials, private sector representatives, and members of the Armenian expatriate community residing in Oman, according to The Times of Oman.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia also issued a statement regarding the event. It noted that the flag of the Republic of Armenia was raised in front of the embassy, the national anthems of both countries were played, and following a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, the opening of the embassy was officially announced.

The Armenian Foreign Minister introduced the Armenian Embassy to the Omani Foreign Minister, and a brief discussion took place with the participation of delegations from both countries.

The Government of Armenia had decided to open an embassy in Oman on April 10, 2025. Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Sultanate of Oman were established on July 7, 1992.

45 new Chinese-made trolleybuses will soon be delivered to Yerevan to replace the obsolete fleet, Mayor Tigran Avinyan announced on Thursday.

“The new trolleybuses will completely replace the old, worn-out trolleybus fleet, and all the old trolleybuses will be decommissioned,” the mayor said on social media.

About $773 million in stolen and misappropriated assets, including properties and funds, have been recovered by Armenian authorities between 2018 and 2025, according to Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan.

Speaking at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Vardapetyan said her office has compiled the indicators of assets and funds returned to the ownership or possession of the Republic of Armenia and its municipalities during 2018–2025 through criminal proceedings, court verdicts, claims and settlements for the protection of state and community interests, prosecutorial measures, and, since 2023, the enforcement of the stolen asset recovery mechanism.

“According to these indicators, between 2018 and 2025, approximately AMD 291.726 billion, or around USD 773 million, worth of assets and funds have been returned to the ownership or possession of the Republic of Armenia and its municipalities, of which 65.8%, or about AMD 193 billion, or around USD 504 million, was returned during 2023–2025,” Vardapetyan said.

The Armenian national football team manager, Yeghishe Melikyan, has announced the squad for the March 29 friendly against Belarus, the Football Federation said on Thursday.

The team will hold a training camp at the Football Federation of Armenia Technical Center and Football Academy starting March 22.

Head coach Yeghishe Melikyan has called up the following players․

Goalkeepers

Henry Avagyan – Pyunik

Arsen Beglaryan – Alashkert

Arman Nersesyan – Ararat-Armenia

Gor Matinyan – Urartu

Defenders

Kamo Hovhannisyan – Ararat-Armenia

Sergey Muradyan – Noah

Georgi Harutyunyan – Puskás Akadémia (Hungary)

Artyom Bandikyan – BKMA Moscow (Russia)

Nayir Tiknizyan – Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)

Edgar Grigoryan – Ararat-Armenia

Erik Piloyan – Urartu

Styopa Mkrtchyan – Nürnberg (Germany)

Julio Bueno – Ararat-Armenia

Midfielders

Eduard Spertsyan – Krasnodar (Russia)

Karlen Hovhannisyan – Pyunik

Tigran Avanesyan – Orenburg (Russia)

Artur Askaryan – BKMA Yerevan

Karen Nalbandyan – Alashkert

Gor Manvelyan – Noah

Forwards:

Vahan Bichakhchyan – Legia Warsaw (Poland)

Hrant-Leon Ranos – Eintracht Braunschweig (Germany)

Artur Serobyan – Ararat-Armenia

Narek Grigoryan – Farul (Romania)

Narek Hovhannisyan – BKMA Yerevan

Finn Geraghty – Sunderland U21 (England)

Karen Melkonyan – Urartu

The Armenia vs Belarus match will take place at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan. Kick-off is at 18:00.

The Office of the U.S. Director of National Intelligence has released the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment report of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), which, among others, also touches upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.

“The U.S.-sponsored Peace Summit on 8 August between Armenia and Azerbaijan has created an opportunity for the two countries to establish a lasting peace deal and contributed to increasing regional stability,” the report says. “The results of the Peace Summit included a provisional agreement on the terms of a peace treaty and plans to establish the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), managed by the U.S., that will connect Azerbaijan to its exclave of Naxcivan across southern Armenia, unlocking trade flows for both nations and the region.”

The report highlights that these developments represent a significant change in direction for Armenian–Azerbaijani relations.

“In 2020 and 2023, Azerbaijan militarily retook control of its Nagorno-Karabakh region from an ethnic Armenian population supported by Yerevan.  Since 8 August, both sides have appeared willing to maintain the momentum from the Peace Summit. Border ceasefire violations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have plummeted and now are almost nonexistent. In October 2025, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that Azerbaijan had lifted restrictions on cargo transit through Azerbaijan to Armenia, a move that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reciprocated within days. Since then, Azerbaijan has shipped gasoline and permitted transshipments of wheat to Armenia. There are still hurdles to the final conclusion of a peace deal. For example, President Aliyev continues to insist that Armenia change its constitution to remove a reference that he characterizes as claiming Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Armenia, a step which would require Armenia to hold a constitutional referendum whose passage is not guaranteed,” the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment report of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) says.

The report further touches upon Armenia in a section about regional developments in the post-Soviet space.

“Ongoing U.S. engagement to resolve regional conflicts, such as between Armenia and Azerbaijan, can improve U.S. access to the region and facilitate strategic investments and commercial opportunities,” it says.

The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is a connectivity project in Armenia, envisaged under the U.S.-brokered Armenian-Azerbaijani joint declaration signed in Washington, D.C. The project is expected to unlock strategic economic opportunities, create long-term benefits by promoting infrastructure investment, and enhance regional connectivity. TRIPP is part of the Crossroads of Peace project, and an Armenian-American joint enterprise is expected to develop the route.

Ambassador of Armenia to the United States, Narek Mkrtchyan, held a meeting with U.S. Congressman Seth Magaziner.

The Ambassador briefed the Congressman on recent developments in Armenia–U.S. bilateral relations, according to the embassy’s readout. The ambassador and the congressman discussed a number of issues of mutual interest and also touched upon opportunities to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

Both sides emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperation between the legislative bodies of Armenia and the United States.

The newly appointed Ambassador of Laos to Armenia, Siphandone Oybouabouddy, has presented his credentials to President Vahagn Khachaturyan.

Vahagn Khachaturyan congratulated the ambassador on assuming office and wished him success in his work toward developing relations between the two countries, the President’s Office said in a press release.

The President expressed hope that cooperation between Armenia and Laos will further expand, encompassing various areas of mutual interest. Ambassador Oybouabouddy thanked him for the reception and noted that, through his work, he would make every effort to strengthen and develop bilateral relations.

During the meeting, the parties discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in the political, economic, educational, and high-tech sectors.

They emphasized the importance of advancing parliamentary diplomacy, considering it a key component of bilateral relations.

The role of official mutual visits was also highlighted as an effective means of strengthening cooperation and exploring new directions.

The parties noted that close cooperation on international platforms could have a positive impact by promoting shared agendas.

The conversation also touched upon COP17—the upcoming 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, to be held in Armenia this year—as well as the Yerevan Dialogue international forum, underscoring their importance as platforms for deepening cooperation and strengthening relations.

The European Union will provide an additional €140 million in financial support to Armenia to promote reforms and deepen bilateral cooperation, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said in Yerevan during a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.

Marta Kos noted that Armenia is a reliable partner for the European Union in the South Caucasus, emphasizing the region’s growing significance amid global geopolitical tensions.

“This is an important year for Armenia. In May, Armenia will host the European Political Community Summit, followed by the first-ever EU-Armenia Summit. This demonstrates how much the importance of this region has increased for Europe and how deeply our partnership has developed,” she said.

According to the Commissioner, in recent years there has been significant growth in freight transport passing through the South Caucasus, which has quadrupled since 2022.

She noted that, thanks to infrastructure investments, it is possible to increase these figures even further by reducing transport times and costs.

Kos also emphasized that EU support is not limited to economic cooperation—it is also seen as a tool for promoting peace.

She welcomed the steps taken by Armenia and Azerbaijan toward peace, highlighting the importance of developing regional connectivity.

According to the Commissioner, under the “Resilience and Growth” program, the EU has already supported around 7,000 enterprises and contributed to the creation of more than 20,000 jobs.

“Projects are also being implemented in the fields of education, social services, and housing, and support is being provided for the integration of persons displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, amounting to over €70 million,” Kos emphasized.

According to Marta Kos, the new €140 million in support is also aimed at reforms necessary to advance the visa liberalization process.

“These funds will contribute to the reforms needed to make progress in the visa liberalization process,” she said.

Kos also addressed democratic processes, emphasizing that the EU is ready to support Armenia in countering hybrid threats and disinformation, ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections.

Armenia and the European Union have signed a financing agreement for 2025–2027 under the “Resilience and Growth” plan, Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said during joint statements with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.

Grigoryan said the agreement reflects the deepening of Armenia–EU cooperation in reforms, economic development and regional connectivity.

He noted that Kos’s second visit to Armenia within six months demonstrates the active development of bilateral ties and expanding partnership between the sides.

According to Grigoryan, the visit comes ahead of the European Political Community summit and an Armenia–EU summit to be held in Yerevan.

The parties discussed progress on reforms implemented under the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Grigoryan said the sides have set ambitious goals in key areas, including export diversification, visa liberalisation and public finance management.

He also stressed the importance of regional connectivity, noting that the sides agreed to continue cooperation within Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” project, the TRIPP route, and the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.

Grigoryan added that the EU reaffirmed its support for Armenia’s involvement in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).

He expressed gratitude to the EU leadership for its support in strengthening democratic resilience in Armenia ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.

EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has stated that, amid the crisis in the Middle East, relations with the Republic of Armenia and efforts to achieve peace in the South Caucasus have become even more important.

Kos said this in a post on X, referring to her meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on March 19.

“Armenia and the EU have never been closer.At a time of crisis in the Middle East, our relationship and the work towards peace in the South Caucasus have become even more important for trade and energy links to Asia,” reads the post.

Kos also stated that during the meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, they discussed ways to better connect the region, promote prosperity, and ensure lasting peace.