The signing of a strategic partnership document between Armenia and Iran will create a new atmosphere in bilateral relations and open a new window for cooperation in various areas, including politics, the economy, investment and security, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Khalil Shirgholami said.

Speaking at a press conference on July 8, the ambassador said Tehran is committed to institutionalizing Armenia-Iran cooperation within the framework of the planned strategic partnership document.

“It is our desire and will to carry out serious and decisive work to institutionalize Armenian-Iranian cooperation within the framework of the strategic partnership document. This has been discussed at various levels, and clear statements have been made. Last week, when the Armenian prime minister met with the Iranian president, the importance of this issue and the need to achieve results as soon as possible were once again emphasized,” Shirgholami said.

He said Iran is taking consistent steps toward signing the document.

“We are working on the text and hope to finalize and complete it soon and begin the signing process. Iran would warmly welcome the visit of honorable Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Iran, where the document will be signed. This will create a new atmosphere in Armenian-Iranian relations and open a new window for further cooperation in various fields, including politics, the economy, investment and security,” the Iranian ambassador said.

Armenian-American interventional pain specialist Dr. Armen Deryan believes Armenia can significantly strengthen its healthcare system by expanding international professional cooperation and systematically engaging the expertise of the Armenian diaspora.

Speaking during a visit to Armenia organized under the BRIDGE initiative, Deryan said the combination of medical education, clinical collaboration and long-term professional partnerships could help advance the country’s capabilities in pain management and minimally invasive medicine while positioning Armenia as a regional center for specialized healthcare.

Practicing in the United States, Deryan specializes in interventional pain management, regenerative medicine, spine interventions and image-guided minimally invasive procedures. Alongside his clinical work, he has been involved in physician education, mentorship programs and international medical cooperation.

“Armenia has always held a special place in my heart, and I have long wanted to find ways to contribute professionally to the development of its healthcare system,” he said.

According to Deryan, the BRIDGE initiative is designed to build sustainable links between Armenia and the diaspora through educational exchanges, mentorship, clinical cooperation and long-term institutional partnerships rather than short-term professional visits.

He said Armenia possesses considerable medical potential and that many of the country’s healthcare institutions are led by highly qualified and motivated professionals committed to expanding minimally invasive treatment options and strengthening international cooperation.

During his visit, Deryan toured several leading medical centers, including Erebuni Medical Center, the Interventional Radiology Center, Arabkir Medical Complex and ArtMed Medical Center, where he met physicians and administrators working to modernize clinical practice.

Deryan also highlighted the complementary role of the MEDam platform, which aims to strengthen links between healthcare, international cooperation and medical tourism by promoting quality standards, professional accreditation and patient-centered care.

He believes Armenia has the potential to become a regional hub for specialized medical services, particularly in pain management, interventional radiology, rehabilitation medicine and minimally invasive procedures.

The physician said many Armenian doctors abroad are already interested in contributing through initiatives such as BRIDGE, not to replace local professionals but to share expertise, mentor young physicians and build lasting professional networks.

“Medicine today is international, collaborative and rapidly evolving. The most important thing is to continue building bridges between generations, countries, institutions and ideas,” Deryan said.

The BRIDGE initiative promotes medical tourism in Armenia and facilitates visits by internationally recognized Armenian physicians to share their expertise with healthcare professionals in the country.

The European Union is discussing with the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan how it can best support the development of regional transport and connectivity routes in the South Caucasus, Magdalena Grono, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, said in Yerevan.

Speaking to reporters, Grono said the progress achieved toward building sustainable peace in the region had been “incredibly impressive.”

“As the European Union, we seek to be a strong partner for the Republic of Armenia, but also for Azerbaijan, so that this peace becomes a lasting reality that benefits all people,” she said.

Grono noted that the EU supports the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process through political engagement as well as practical initiatives.

She said the bloc is also looking at ways to support areas where discussions are still ongoing and which could benefit communities on both sides, including humanitarian demining.

According to Grono, demining has a direct impact on communities affected by conflict and could also facilitate broader regional connectivity and the development of new transport links.

Referring to the EU-funded remote-controlled demining machine delivered to Armenia on July 8, she said the equipment forms part of the EU’s broader support for peacebuilding efforts.

Grono also reaffirmed that regional connectivity and the wider unblocking of transport links in the South Caucasus remain high on the EU’s agenda.

“We are discussing with the Armenian authorities, but also with our Azerbaijani partners, how we can best support the development of these routes so that all countries are involved and all communities along them benefit. We also want to make a meaningful contribution to what is a priority for the European Union – the Middle Corridor, which connects Asia with Europe through the South Caucasus,” she said.

The European Union plans to support the construction of three border crossing points in Armenia, with demining expected to be the first prerequisite for implementing the projects, EU Ambassador to Armenia Vassilis Maragos said.

Speaking to reporters in Yerevan during the presentation of a remote-controlled demining machine donated by the EU, Maragos said the equipment would contribute both to humanitarian demining and future infrastructure projects.

Asked whether the machine would serve only the safety of border communities or also infrastructure development, the ambassador said it would play an important role in both.

“Connectivity projects require clearing the areas through which they will pass. As you know, we have already committed to supporting the construction of three border crossing points and are now working on the details of the project. Demining will be the first necessary step to allow these important construction works to move forward,” Maragos said.

He did not specify where the planned border crossing points would be located.

Maragos added that the European Union continues to deepen its partnership with Armenia through investments in both security and infrastructure.

“We are working to deepen relations between the European Union and Armenia, and this is bringing very tangible benefits to the Armenian people. The European Union has invested in the security of conflict-affected communities through various programmes, as well as through the activities of the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA). We are now also investing in saving lives through our cooperation with Armenia’s Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise,” he said.

According to Maragos, the demining machine, manufactured in Croatia, represents a tangible _expression_ of solidarity by European taxpayers with Armenia.

The announcement comes as the European Commission advances its Connectivity Agenda, which envisages mobilizing up to €2 billion for investments in transport infrastructure, border crossing points and trade facilitation across the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus as part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.

Armenia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has returned a request seeking its consent to initiate criminal proceedings against Gagik Tsarukyan, a parliamentary candidate on the Prosperous Armenia Party’s electoral list.

The decision was approved by seven votes in favour during a CEC session.

The issue was presented by CEC Deputy Chair Nune Hovhannisyan, who said the request had been submitted by the head of the Department for Crimes Against State Authority at the Prosecutor General’s Office.

“The request seeks the Commission’s consent to initiate public criminal prosecution against Gagik Kolya Tsarukyan, a parliamentary candidate included in the Prosperous Armenia Party’s electoral list for the June 7, 2026 National Assembly elections,” Hovhannisyan said.

She recalled that on May 3, the CEC had registered the Prosperous Armenia Party’s electoral list for participation in the June 7, 2026 parliamentary elections, with Tsarukyan registered as the first candidate on the list.

Citing Article 91(1) of the Electoral Code, the CEC decided to return the request, along with the accompanying documents, seeking consent to initiate criminal proceedings against Tsarukyan.

During the same session, the Commission also returned a similar request seeking consent to prosecute Levon Nalbandyan, a parliamentary candidate on the electoral list of the Strong Armenia Alliance. That decision was also adopted by seven votes in favour.

The CEC explained that, under the Electoral Code, the rights and obligations granted to parliamentary candidates remain in force until the expiry of the deadline for challenging the Commission’s decision on the election results, or, if such a challenge is filed, until the Constitutional Court issues its ruling. Accordingly, the legal status of parliamentary candidate applied until July 4, 2026.

The Commission added that it has no authority to grant consent for criminal prosecution or detention of a person who no longer holds the legal status of a parliamentary candidate.

Tsarukyan was earlier placed in pre-trial detention for two months. He has been charged with fraud and money laundering.

He was detained on July 6 and taken to the Investigative Committee before later being transferred to court.

The Investigative Committee has said that, as part of the criminal proceedings, simultaneous searches were carried out at more than 70 locations in cooperation with the National Security Service, the State Revenue Committee and the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Police.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired a meeting to review the findings of a study on the wheat value chain and discuss measures to boost domestic wheat production.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan presented an analysis of wheat production and import volumes, the country’s self-sufficiency level, and wheat yield indicators. He also outlined the main challenges facing the sector and addressed issues related to wheat quality and storage.

Following the presentation of the study’s findings and the identified challenges, the economy minister put forward proposals aimed at addressing the issues.

Participants underlined the importance of introducing effective mechanisms to improve the wheat value chain and adopting measures in line with developments and emerging trends in the sector. They also stressed the need to adopt a strategy for intensive wheat cultivation.

Emphasising the importance of increasing wheat production, Prime Minister Pashinyan instructed the relevant authorities to identify unused agricultural land suitable for wheat cultivation, prepare a draft investment programme and submit it for further discussion.

The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 8 July, USD exchange rate down by 0.18 drams to 367.29 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.13 drams to 419 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0149 drams to 4.7987 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.75 drams to 490.11 drams.

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

Gold price up by 151 drams to 49074 drams. 

A total of 106 parliamentary candidates included on the electoral list of the Strong Armenia Alliance have submitted applications to the Central Election Commission (CEC) withdrawing their candidacies.

The matter was discussed during the CEC’s regular session on July 8.

The Commission invalidated the registration of the 106 candidates who had been included on the Strong Armenia Alliance’s electoral list for the June 7, 2026 parliamentary elections.

According to the CEC, the withdrawal applications were submitted in accordance with the law and were notarised.

Following the results of the June 7 parliamentary elections, the Strong Armenia Alliance secured representation in the National Assembly. Earlier, alliance representative Narek Karapetyan announced that the bloc had decided to take up the parliamentary mandates it won in the election.

The Strong Armenia Alliance contested the election with a list of 199 candidates.

Three political forces won seats in parliament: the Civil Contract Party, the Strong Armenia Alliance and the Armenia Alliance. Civil Contract will hold 64 seats in the new parliament, the Strong Armenia Alliance 29 seats, and the Armenia Alliance 12 seats.

The animals transferred to Yerevan Zoo from the reception residence owned by Prosperous Armenia Party leader and businessman Gagik Tsarukyan are under continuous veterinary supervision and undergoing the necessary medical examinations.

Footage released by Yerevan Municipality shows that the zoo’s new residents are currently being kept in a quarantine area. After completing their adaptation period, they will be moved to outdoor enclosures.

According to Ashot Aslanyan, Yerevan Zoo’s Deputy Director for Science, the animals transferred to the zoo include three lions—two males and one female—as well as four white tigers.

“The female lion died during the transfer due to age-related conditions and underlying health problems. All the other animals handled the transfer well and are currently being kept in the zoo’s quarantine area, which is closed to visitors. The young male lion had a pre-existing leg injury that had only partially healed, while the female white tiger is missing several teeth as a result of age-related changes. The animals transferred to the zoo are feeding normally,” Aslanyan said.

Earlier, Prosperous Armenia Party spokesperson Iveta Tonoyan said the animals kept at Tsarukyan’s reception residence had been sedated and transferred to Yerevan Zoo during searches carried out there.

The zoo later confirmed that the female lion transferred from the property did not recover from sedation due to her advanced age and underlying medical conditions, as documented in the post-mortem examination report.