March: 14, 2026
After the 44-day war of 2020, as we reported earlier, a criminal case was also initiated against the former First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Tiran Khachatryan (under Part 3 of Article 376 of the Criminal Code adopted on 18.04.2003: negligent attitude towards service).
According to the accusation, having been appointed as the commander of the southern group of troops by the combat order of the head of the RA Armed Forces General Staff, Between October 7-17, 2020, showed a negligent attitude towards the performance of his official duties, that is, he did not create a command point of the southern group with all its elements, during the conduct of combat operations he did not fully perform a number of measures characteristic of management, which inadvertently caused serious consequences.
And the said, according to the Investigative Committee, led to the failure of the defense of the army character of the Armed Forces, undermined the troop management system, failed to fulfill the set combat task, as a result the enemy took advantage of the created situation and unimpededly took possession of a strategic height, broke through the existing terrain, in another case bypassed his own units and, developing the attack, took control of the territories entrusted to the group’s defense:
In this context, let us remind that 168.am-ը՝ “Ashot Pashinyan, his commander during the war, the retreat from Alpasha hill and the case of Tiran Khachatryan” with the text article: was published, where there are notable episodes.
Let’s add that on October 20, 2020 Nikol Pashinyan announced on his Facebook page that «First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Tiran Khachatryan and Major General Andranik Piloyan, Commander of the 5th Army Corps especially during the last hours, on the battlefield, they crowned their name with glory and will be awarded the title of national hero.”
Of course, later after the war, the representatives of the government began to say that the former head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia Onik Gasparyan suggested that they be awarded the title of National Hero of the Republic of Armenia. In other words, Nikol Pashinyan, who declared himself supreme commander during the war, also placed this responsibility on the military leadership. And Tiran Khachatryan did not take the “attributes” of the title of national hero of the RA, the court demanded that Andranik Piloyan take all the titles he had in the context of the non-war criminal case.
Anyway, within the framework of Tiran Khachatryan’s case, let’s look at an important circumstance in the legal dimension, which may be encountered in other cases related to the 44-day period.
It refers to the following questions: was the alleged crime committed outside the territory of the Republic of Armenia or in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, if it was committed in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, where is the place of commission and where should the jurisdiction of the place of commission be?
168.amin the conversation with about this Armen Andrikyan, one of Tiran Khachatryan’s defenders mentioned.
“The problem is as follows. Criminal proceedings of the Code Articles 260 and 261 provide for subject and territorial jurisdiction. The subject matter judgment regulates the specifics of the cases subject to examination by specific courts, for example, the cases subject to examination by the courts of general jurisdiction, and also in connection with the corruption crimes provided by the Criminal Code, which are already examined by the Anti-Corruption Court. This is the objective criticism.
And Article 261 of the Criminal Procedure Code refers to the territorial jurisdiction, according to which, where the alleged crime was committed, the case should be investigated by the court of that territory, regardless of where the investigative authority is.
But the 4th part of that article provides that «Proceedings regarding a crime allegedly committed on the territory of another state are subject to the court in whose jurisdiction the last place of residence or registration of the accused is located, and if it was not possible to determine it, then to the court in whose jurisdiction the seat of the preliminary investigation body that last conducted the pre-trial proceedings is located. There is no other legal norm here, that is, the Code of Criminal Procedure clearly defines it.
Now, if they consider that the territory of the Republic of Artsakh is the territory of Azerbaijan, under these conditions, for example, in the case of Tiran Khachatryan, it turns out that the alleged crime was committed “in the territory of another state”. and in this case, according to Article 261, Part 4 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the case should be examined at Tiran Khachatryan’s address of residence or registration, but the case is examined in the court of first instance of Syunik region:
We raised this issue during the court session, we were told that there is some document, I don’t know what it is about, or it is an accepted practice that the crimes committed in Artsakh should be investigated in the court of general jurisdiction of Syunik region, but we did not receive any other exhaustive answer. I would like to add that all this was said in the discussion on the issue of the counter-judgment within the framework of the preliminary proceedings, and we moved on, the court did not change the counter-judgment, of course, we are not facing a problem at this moment., but a legal problem, in general, I see here.”
Let us add that on February 18, 2025, at the first court session in the case of Tiran Khachatryan, lawyer Andrikyan to observation.
“In the legal dimension, the territory of the Republic of Armenia is the territory under the legislation of the jurisdiction of the Republic of Armenia. It is stated in the indictment: in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Now let’s understand whether it is the territory of the Republic of Armenia, do you have the authority to investigate the case, or should it be investigated by the place of residence, the act was committed outside the territory of the Republic of Armenia?”
The prosecution responded that in 2020 according to the logic of November 9, the Republic of Armenia was the guarantor of the security of the RA Armed Forces stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“There is no question of subordination, and at least from a moral point of view, I think that the alleged crime took place in Artsakh, in the territory under the control of the RA, at least from a military point of view.” the prosecutor continued.
By the way, later, during the court session in the case of Tiran Khachatryan, when the issue of changing the restraining order was discussed, the prosecution The RA Armed Forces considered it a small social group where, perhaps, according to his logic, the hierarchical bond is strong.
These are delicate issues that, in fact, involve certain risks that we would not like to “open up”.
And Tiran Khachatryan’s lawyer informed us that at the moment the court case is at the stage of questioning witnesses.
“Currently, more than 10 witnesses have been questioned. Among the witnesses subpoenaed in the case are Onik Gasparyan, Artak Budaghyan, the former head of the RA Armed Forces General Staff, both of whom have not yet been interrogated.”
Earlier we wrote that the number of witnesses exceeds two dozen.
It should be noted that according to information, Artak Budaghyan himself testified against Tiran Khachatryan.
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“The pettiness of the government has no limits. don’t forget to change the Armenian Genocide
March: 14, 2026
If in the past Nikol Pashinyan could fire the ministers and the chairman of the Central Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan with one “sms”, today without such “luxury” – a message – he can directly instruct any person to write an application for dismissal. The other day, he gave a similar instruction to the former director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, Edita Gzoyan, who “dared” to present a book about Artsakh to US Vice President Vance during his visit to the Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex.
Artak Beglaryan, former state minister of Artsakh, human rights defender he is not surprised by any move of Nikol Pashinyan.
“This is not surprising, sometimes the opposite behavior is surprising when the government does something outside of its norms.
The surprising thing here is that the government of RA is becoming more and more petty, they even go after the director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute to give the US Vice President some obscure book. You would go and accompany, control so that nothing like this would happen, and then don’t forget to change the name of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute.” of 168.am Artak Beglaryan said in a conversation with Artak Beglaryan, adding, isn’t it clear that if Edita Gzoyan was the director of that museum, and if the crimes committed against Artsakh Armenians and Azerbaijani Armenians are included in the subject of research and activity of that museum, then the latter acted within the scope of her powers, presenting all of that.
“Edita Gzoya acted very correctly, as an Armenian scientist and an Armenian, I respect her. But on the other hand, this pettiness of the RA government has no limits, I’m just sorry that after Nikol Pashinyan’s instruction, Edita Gzoyan agreed and wrote an application. He should not have written an application and should have argued in court, proving in court that he was right. I think the entire staff of the museum should actively stand up and protect their rights first, and then the dignity of all of us,” emphasized Artak Beglaryan.
Let’s remind that after last Thursday’s Cabinet session, Nikol Pashinyan said in a press conference with journalists that on his instructions, Edita Gzoyan wrote an application for release, because the latter gave a book about Artsakh to the US vice president.
On March 11, Edita Gzoyan wrote an application for dismissal, a few days later Hrachya Tashchyan, who was once in the staff of Nikol Pashinyan, head of the Department of Foreign Relations, was appointed as the acting director of her museum. Yesterday, in a conversation with one of the media, he said that they will do as Nikol Pashinyan says.
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It’s a shame, they bought many people for a reward, made them servile and liars
March: 14, 2026
Only God’s mercy can sustain us. All this was readable a long time ago, the way of working was simple. It was clear from their behavior during the war that Armenia was not their homeland. They were bought, and now who will unmask them? They are bought head and foot, until their last breath. First of all, we are carriers of a specific nation, and being a specialist is not a reason to renounce the nation, let alone the motherland. The motherland is not to blame for anything, the state is to blame. We have a wonderful homeland and an ugly state. 168TVof « expressed such an opinion during the program director Artur Sahakyan.
“Not all of them agree with what they do, but one thing is that they do it. They cannot help it, they are under orders. We may have lost the gene of statehood, we just lost it. We hear that a thousand years ago we were deprived of statehood, and there was no other statehood except Cilicia. But no one cries over it. The loss of Artsakh will be written in the same way. People close loans, so what should they do? The only positive news is that everything came to the surface. “Nzhdeh gave us the plan for living in a state of war, which was then used by the Jews,” said the artist.
“They inject it with side conversations and false debates, and we accept that foreign blood. There is very little of our blood left. Is it in your heart to live in fear like this? All this transition is for the sake of money. There are many powerful people, but evil is aggressive and conspicuous. Perhaps this is the necessary amount of suffering that each of us will have to bear. Everything must come to an end one day, and yet, good is much stronger, although evil is also very cunning, very powerful. Lying is their specialty. A part of the heavenly kingdom is placed in all of us: conscience and soul,” Sahakyan noted.
According to the director, they had eight years to come to their senses. “Who do we see converted?” They have the Herostratus syndrome, the important thing is that the names remain in history. Where does this hatred for your roots come from? It’s a terribly difficult situation, but by opposing them, one should not go crazy, one should find the balance. Theaters have become buildings for daily rent, what else is logic or aesthetics? Renting the theater stage for one day costs from 500 thousand to 1 million 300 thousand drams. At one time, they at least kept the formal side, but now they say, “What about our bonuses?”
“When they give a bonus, they buy you. That inferiority complex and servility is not only our disease, but the artist should be ashamed of being like that, he should be free and rebellious, not agree with anything.
An artist should always be an opponent, but they say that an opportunity has barely fallen into my hands, I should not lose it suddenly. You will lose, you will definitely lose, everything will end one day. Everything has become small. Look at the levels then and today. Let’s say, instead of de Gaulle, it is Macron today,” said Artur Sahakyan.
Details in the video
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“Dear friends, have you been to hospitals, have you seen the queues… this is optional
March: 14, 2026
For a long time, experts in the field of health care, doctors have been warning that the universal medical insurance implemented in RA has not been implemented properly, it has brought with it many problems, which the department coordinating the sector, the Government do not want to pay attention to in any way.
For example, one of the problems is that after the introduction of this system, the workload of doctors has increased, but their salary has remained the same.
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Garik Aghabekyan in other words, what the Ministry of Health is doing today is haste, they are doing everything hastily, they are in a hurry.
“They do it just to fill the eyes and ears of the people, saying, ‘Look, look, we are doing work for you.’ I think all these are pre-election steps and they do more harm than good to the industry.
I agree that everyone should be insured, and that is a good thing, but, dear friends, the insurance that you do is the elite of the ministry: the minister, the deputy or, I don’t know, the head of the department, have they gone to the hospitals, polyclinics, have they seen the situation? We understand, they tell the people, the pensioners, that it is free, but have they seen the queues in the hospitals, man, aren’t those doctors guilty? How can a doctor admit so many patients in a day? Don’t they think that because of making a decision quickly, they compromise the quality?” 168.amGarik Aghabekyan said in a conversation with
According to the professor, a doctor who works very hard in the hospital, has a family, children, when he works so much, one day he may ask himself: why, why should the work increase, but the salary remains the same?
“We understand, a person loves his profession, took an oath to be a doctor, loves his homeland, but he should not work like that. Raise the doctor’s salary, let them calculate, understand, give a normal salary.
Medicine has 3 pillars: availability, quality and affordability. Now we have access, everyone goes to the doctor, waits for their turn, and the doctor accepts them. Especially among our people, it is accepted that what is free, everyone goes to use it, regardless of whether they need it or not. Medicine should not be like this, they will not get quality with this, they increase employment and there is no quality. We don’t get the quality, but the availability, go to hospitals and polyclinics and you will see,” emphasized our interlocutor.
According to Garik Aghabekyan, if the situation in the healthcare system continues like this, then people’s faith in doctors will decrease, moreover, there will not be such a quality that when a person wants to receive medical care, he simply will not receive it.
“They should give the doctors a normal salary and say: go do your job, suffer.
If this continues, our best doctors will simply leave Armenia and work abroad. Today, many doctors are looking for work abroad, all of them are tired of this situation, the same doctors say that we suffer so much, we get little salary, when they can do the same work in Europe, in Moscow, and get four times as much,” emphasized Garik Aghabekyan.
He is sure that the Ministry of Health will not take these issues into account in general, so he raises a rhetorical question: has there been any improvement during the tenure of the minister in charge of the sector?
“Previously, regional hospitals were under the care of head offices, this was abolished, now all regional hospitals are under the Ministry of Health. In other words, does the minister have so much time, is he so informed about the condition of regional hospitals, managers, chief doctors, that he is able to control? I think this is a fairy tale. Previously, the governorates barely managed all that, now can the minister bear all the weight?
It is sad, but I think it is a norm for the current authorities that we have a Minister of Health who is not a doctor. Let them bring the builder and appoint him the director of the hospital, what happened, he has a good education? It is not allowed. Without that, our health care system was in a dilapidated state, there is no need to demolish it, if they cannot strengthen it, at least preserve the existing one,” emphasized Garik Aghabekyan.
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168: It is a world war. Turks are waiting for a suitable opportunity. Syunik to Haya
March: 14, 2026
From the beginning, Pashinyan’s administration refused any strategy, particularly related to Armenia’s national security. The working style of Pashinyan’s government is strategic incompetence. About this 168TVof Revue mentioned on the air of the program Member of the “HayaVote” national-civil unification department, former chairman of the Military Industry Committee (2018-2020) Avetik Kerobyanspeaking about the concept of the national security strategy of Armenia presented by “HayaVote” the previous day and the topic of threats to Armenia’s security.
Avetik Kerobyan reminds that the RA national security strategy document was last adopted in 2007, and in 2020, a few months before the 44-day war, the document with the same title, published by Nikol Pashinyan’s administration, did not receive legal status.
According to Kerobyan, “HayaVote” has adopted a set of national interests in its proposed concept of the national security strategy of the Republic of Armenia as the cornerstone of building a lasting security and a lasting Armenian state. By developing this strategy, as he stated during the presentation of the concept, they aim to “turn from food at the table into an eater, from a topic of conversation into a conversation leader”.
As Avetik Kerobyan comments, the concept mentions the increase in the probability of regional conflicts and the possibility of Armenia’s territory becoming the scene of these conflicts as an external threat.
In this context, speaking about the US-Israel-Iran military operations that have been going on for two weeks and the threats arising from them, the former head of the military-industrial complex of Armenia emphasized that we are dealing with a large-scale war.
“This is a real war. The United States and Israel have failed to achieve their primary goal of regime change, and quite the opposite has happened, with a new leader filled with a thirst for revenge and radicalized from the start coming to power. We are dealing with a government full of thirst for revenge, and judging by what is happening, it is a situation contrary to the goals of the United States and Israel, and parallel to this attack, a very strong internal consolidation is taking place in Iran,” the interlocutor notes.
According to Kerobyan, the Iran-US-Israel conflict is an element of a “great war”. He believes that the Iran-Israel conflict, Libya, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, India-Pakistan, India-China, Russia-Ukraine and other well-known conflicts are enough to call all this a world war.
“Considering what is happening in the world with the participation of the United States, it is already a world war, which has not yet taken the form we used to call a world war, that is, large coalitions have not been formed and these coalitions are not clashing with each other, but its turn will come,” concludes the expert.
According to our interlocutor, China is very seriously preparing for a conflict with the United States.
Avetik Kerobyan sees clear dangers in the backdrop of the Iranian war. According to Kerobyan, the Turks are waiting for an opportune moment to cut off Syunik from Armenia. According to him, Turkey and Azerbaijan will most likely engage in a ground operation against Iran if the United States and Israel make such a demand to them.
“Turkey is playing a very skillful diplomatic game, as always, although it is clear that Turkey’s military infrastructure can be used at any time to escalate an attack against Iran, and I think that they will go to war against Iran if they calculate that they can digest it, that is, it will not cause them harm or harm that is not acceptable. There is a clear danger for us here. if the northern and western fronts were opened in the ground war against Iran, Turkey will most likely take the short border between Armenia and Iran under military control with the tacit or active consent of the USA, and this is fraught with irreversible consequences. Turks, as you know, consider that wherever a Turkish soldier steps, it is “Turkish land”.
And they are just waiting for a suitable opportunity to cut off Syunik from Armenia. We need to clearly understand these threats and clearly imagine what we need to face them. The most important thing is to understand our interest and have a government in the country that pursues that interest,” Avetik Kerobyan predicts and analyzes.
Full interview in the video.
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Opinion: A new era dawns for California’s involvement in the south Caucasus
America’s foreign policy effectiveness is being tested in an often-overlooked region of Eurasia.
Can the U.S. still translate power into durable outcomes? In the south Caucasus, the answer is increasingly taking shape.
In August 2025, President Donald Trump brought together Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and helped move their long-simmering conflict toward a durable settlement. What followed was not symbolism, but substance: decisive American leadership replacing decades of diplomatic inertia.
California, home to more than half of the Armenian diaspora population in the U.S., is hardly a bystander in the South Caucasus. Yet for decades, when it came to the Caucasus, that influence was often channeled in one direction — away from cooperation and into an impasse that only served to weaken Armenia as a state. That is why the current White House-led breakthrough matters not only for Baku and Yerevan, but also for Sacramento and Silicon Valley.
For three decades, members of Congress from California — with the lobbying of Armenian groups — helped perpetuate Armenia’s illegal occupation of internationally recognized Azerbaijani territory. They became impediments to peace. But today, leaders across California have the opportunity to write a new chapter. They can step forward as champions of the U.S.-Azerbaijan relationship in a way that advances American interests in Eurasia, opens new markets for California-based companies, and broadens cultural awareness.
Beyond diplomacy and trade corridors, one of the most enduring foundations for peace and long-term partnership is cultural and educational exchange. California’s relationship with Azerbaijan should not be defined solely by geopolitical calculations or the shifting winds of politics in Washington. Instead, it should be strengthened through direct engagement between students, educators, entrepreneurs, artists and civic leaders—building people-to-people ties that outlast political cycles and create mutual understanding.
Last August’s White House-brokered peace agreement was more than a ceremonial moment. It has given way to sustained and structured diplomatic follow-through between Washington and Baku. Vice President J.D. Vance visited Azerbaijan this month to sign a strategic partnership agreement, as the two nations committed to expanding their economic and security cooperation. America will provide Azerbaijan with an undisclosed number of ships to help the country protect its territorial waters, Vance said on Feb. 10 in Baku.
Since last August, there have been at least four senior Azerbaijani delegations to the U.S. and multiple American delegations to Azerbaijan, in addition to Vance’s trip. Aliyev himself traveled to the U.S. twice — once to Washington, D.C., and again to New York for the U.N. General Assembly. Azerbaijani delegations included members of parliament; the Prosecutor General; the ministers of economy, energy, education, and digital development and transport; as well as Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade. U.S. congressional delegations and business leaders also visited Azerbaijan, while Trump and Aliyev met at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Equally important is the people-to-people dimension. Azerbaijani civil society representatives are currently visiting Armenia, marking the latest initiative in a series of reciprocal meetings and exchanges between the countries that would have been politically impossible in the past. These interactions lay the social groundwork that durable peace requires — trust built not only by governments, but by citizens.
It is time for Californians to take notice of this historic momentum. In an era when international politics can feel distant and polarized, people-to-people diplomacy offers something more durable: human trust. Expanding cultural and educational exchange between California and Azerbaijan would allow both populations to transcend stereotypes and political narratives, replacing suspicion with curiosity and building cooperation through shared experiences.
If Californians are serious about shaping the future of America’s ties with the south Caucasus, they should invest not only in policy but in the friendships, exchanges and civic partnerships that will make strategic cooperation sustainable for generations to come.
Peter Tase is the founder of the Azerbaijan-United States Economic and Education Council, an expert on South American geopolitics, and the author of six books on international relations. He is a Distinguished Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy at the National University of Santiago del Estero, Argentina.
https://timesofsandiego.com/opinion/2026/03/08/new-era-dawns-california-involvement-south-caucasus/
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Israel expands travel warnings to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan
The National Security Council urges Israelis to avoid travel to three additional countries and warns of heightened Iranian efforts to target Israelis and Jews abroad since the launch of Operation Roaring Lion
The NSC said the new guidance comes amid growing concerns that terrorist groups may attempt to carry out attacks against Israelis abroad.
At the start of Operation Roaring Lion, Israel’s campaign against Iran, the NSC warned Israelis to avoid travel to the United Arab Emirates due to concerns that terrorist organizations might attempt attacks targeting Israeli citizens.
Warning of Iranian attempts to target Israelis abroad
Safety recommendations for Israelis abroad
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Yerevan 2026: Landmark triumph for European Shooting
The continental 10m competition concluded on Wednesday with Ukraine topping the table ahead of forty national federations. Over 350 athletes showcased precision in high-stakes challenge formats, delivering a transformative week for the discipline.
Ukraine emerged as the dominant force of the tournament, topping the overall medal table with an impressive total of 14 medals, including five golds. Viltorya Rybovalova alone won three gold medals, one in women’s moving targets moxed event and two more in teams. In the final standings, Ukraine was followed by Norway and Hungary, each with five gold medals. Hungary’s Veronika Major also won three gold medals, including one in the Olympic air pistol womens category.
Norway’s position was bolstered by Pernille Nor-Woll, who delivered a career-defining performance by setting a new European Record in the senior air rifle women’s final after already securing the Junior title.
In the pistol events, Anton Aristarkhov (AIN) proved untouchable by becoming a double individual champion, while Türkiye enjoyed significant success, punctuated by a dramatic final-day victory for the legendary Yusuf Dikeç and his teammates in the air pistol trio.
The introduction of the ESC Challenge and trio formats brought a theatrical flair to the competition, with many finals decided by the narrowest of margins. Both the men’s and women’s air rifle solo gold medal matches ended in 15-14 scores, with Croatia’s Josip Sikavica and Türkiye’s Damla Köse emerging victorious in these high-pressure duels.
The Karen Demirchyan Complex also provided the stage for a transformative performance by the Armenian national team, which finished fourth in the overall medal standings. This success was anchored by a remarkable coincidence as two different athletes named Lilit Mkrtchyan dominated the moving target disciplines. The senior Lilit Mkrtchyan solidified her status as a continental force by claiming her forth European title, while her younger namesake mirrored this excellence by securing gold medals in both the individual and team junior categories.
The Armenian success was rounded off on the final day as the men’s air pistol trio, featuring Zaven Igityan, Benik Khlghatyan, and Gevorg Melkonyan, fought through a tense bronze medal match to ensure the host nation remained a top force until the final shot.
Beyond the moving target range, the emotional peak of the championships occurred during the air pistol solo women’s final. Local favourite Elmira Karapetyan, competing while seven months pregnant, displayed extraordinary composure to secure a silver medal. The achievement drew thunderous applause from the Yerevan crowd and was described by observers as an inspiring testament to the resilience of elite athletes.
Reflecting on her path to the podium, Karapetyan noted the immense physical challenge. “Actually, it was very difficult to prepare. No one can imagine how complicated this process is,” she stated. “But I am very happy that I have a medal. I am very excited that I managed to shoot this competition.”
Despite the enthusiastic local support, Karapetyan admitted the pressure of competing on home soil. “The home walls do not help shooting, I would say they rather hinder, because you feel more responsible,” she explained. However, she expressed immense pride in her achievement. “I do not think my silver medal is somehow less than gold, knowing my path and how I reached it. I am satisfied with my result, simply that girl shot better.”
Looking ahead, she confirmed her sights will set on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle, only after she welcomes her child and completes her recovery. The flawless execution of the championships was the result of long-term planning. Secretary General of the Armenian Shooting Federation, Areg Saribekyan, detailed the extensive preparations required to bring the event to reality.
“The initiative started about two years ago. It was a unique dream for all the athletes, the staff, and the federation,” Saribekyan explained. “The president of the federation started taking active steps, cooperating with state bodies, because we realised what an important event this is.”
The effort clearly paid dividends, with international delegates praising the host nation. “All teams are very satisfied,” Saribekyan noted. “They were surprised by our Armenian hospitality, which is simple for us but extraordinary for them. They mentioned they would be very happy if we organised other events too, especially since about 98 percent of the participants visited Armenia for the first time.”
In an interview with Inside The Games, Alexander Ratner, president of the European Shooting Confederation, reflected on the historic significance of the Yerevan event. Ratner admitted that the bid from the Armenian Federation was both unexpected and remarkably ambitious.
“The European Shooting Confederation received a proposal from the Armenian Shooting Federation to hold such a large tournament right here only two years ago,” Ratner explained. “For many, this was an ambitious challenge as never before shooting competitions of such scale have been organized in the country. Now we can say with confidence that our Armenian friends have undoubtedly met this challenge. The championship was a great success.”
Ratner highlighted the atmosphere as a key indicator of the event’s victory, “Athletes are satisfied, we as organisers are satisfied, and I think the Armenian side is also satisfied. It was pleasant that the championship was visited by many guests and many residents of Yerevan. I think this is a good sign that there is interest in this sport and such a large event.”
He also highlighted the crucial support provided by the national leadership, stating, “We are grateful to the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The Prime Minister was personally present at the opening. We know that he was the initiator of this idea. We are also grateful to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, and of course, the Armenian Shooting Federation, who made maximum efforts to ensure that everyone was truly satisfied.”
Looking to the future, Ratner noted that while the ESC calendar is largely fixed until 2029, the door remains open for Armenia to host again, “I hope that this championship has left behind what we call a legacy for the development of shooting sports in the country.
The presence of ISSF President Luciano Rossi further validated the tournament’s success. Given the often strained relationship between the ESC and the ISSF leadership, Rossi’s visit to Yerevan was closely watched.
Addressing this tension, Ratner noted, “The President of the International Federation was at the opening, he visited the competitions, and we provided him with the opportunity to present medals and reward the winners and medallists. Judging by the publication on the ISSF website, the President gave a high assessment of the organisation of the championship and the efforts of both the European Confederation and the Armenian Federation. In general, we can speak of a certain positive effect from the visit of the President of the International Shooting Sport Federation.”
Addressing this tension, Ratner noted, “The ISSF President was among guests at the opening, he visited the competitions, we provided him with the opportunity to present medals and reward the winners. Judging by the publication on the ISSF website, we can speak of a certain positive effect from the visit of Mr. Rossi to our Championship”.
In the interview with the ISSF’s official website, Rossi stated that the commitment shown by the Armenian authorities, together with the excellent work of the national federation and the European Shooting Confederation, has ensured the successful organisation of this European Championship.
“Armenia has demonstrated that it is fully capable of hosting major international competitions at the highest level,” told Rossi. This successful staging has strengthened Armenia’s position within the international shooting community and created a permanent legacy for the sport as the federation turns its focus toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle.
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Kyrgyzstan and Armenia’s films shine at Umut Film Forum
The 13th International Film Forum of Young Filmmakers from CIS countries, Umut, took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on March 4–7, showcasing 38 films alongside master classes and a pitching session for new projects, Qazinform News Agency cites Kabar.
Seagulls over Calvary by Armenian director Lia Karapetyan won the Best Film Award in the international competition.
Nurlan Hasanli from Azerbaijan awarded the Best Director Prize for his Early Feelings.
In the national competition, Balyk (Fish) by Tolomush Zhanibekov won the Best Film Award, while Daniyar Abirov was named Best Director for Obonchu.
Following the pitching session, Kyrgyzfilm studio pledged support for the project You and I. Financial backing was also awarded to Accomplice, Ultrasound, and Gesture projects.
The festival highlighted both accomplished works and promising new projects, reinforcing Bishkek’s role as a hub for young filmmakers across the region.
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In a shift, Armenia offers compensation to travellers stranded by Iran war
The Armenian government will provide up to ֏250,000 ($670) in financial compensation per person to Armenian citizens who were forced to book new tickets to return to Armenia after their original flights were cancelled amidst the Iran war. Earlier, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said it would be unfair to expect the government to cover such costs.
If the newly purchased tickets cost less, the compensation will equal the amount actually paid, Mirzoyan said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
Saturday’s decision, however, marked an apparent U-turn from earlier remarks by Mirzoyan.
On 4 March, during a government–parliament Q&A session, Mirzoyan highlighted efforts to organise the safe return of Armenian nationals, but added that the government would not provide financial support to citizens stranded in Asia or the Middle East after flights were disrupted by the war in Iran that began on 28 February.
The remark came in response to a question from an MP who cited media reports claiming that it cost up to $1,400 for citizens to reach Yerevan.
‘I know a specific private case who has been in Sri Lanka for almost a month posting photos in a swimsuit as much as possible, that means they are financially capable, right? They can buy a ticket’, Mirzoyan said. He also assessed it as ‘a bit unfair toward the government’, further suggesting that many Armenians in those countries were likely there on vacation.
‘There will also be other groups and other segments, we will think about it and consider, of course, the issue of taking that financial burden on ourselves as well’, Mirzoyan said.
Three days after his statement, Mirzoyan announced his ministry’s initiative to compensate travel expenses, following online outcry highlighting that not all Armenian nationals can afford expensive holidays. Many plan trips a year in advance to secure affordable options.
One such post was made by Arpi Bekaryan, who was in Thailand on vacation with friends. She wrote in a Facebook post that planning the trip a year ahead allowed them to pay only $150 for flights and $550 for a 10-day hotel stay.
‘We never planned for tickets costing $1,000 or more. That didn’t fit our budget then, and it still doesn’t’, Bekaryan wrote, noting that after their cancelled flight, alternative flights to Armenia could cost at least $1,000. On top of that, they would need to cover additional expenses for extra days, including hotel and daily costs.
In addition to the newly adopted initiative to provide financial compensation, the Armenian authorities also provide a free bus transfer from Dubai, UAE, to Muscat Airport in Oman, a journey of around 400 kilometres, from where Armenian authorities secured flights to Armenia.
Highlighting the work of the Foreign Ministry assisting Armenian nationals since the beginning of the war, Mirzoyan noted that flights no longer operate along the usual Muscat–Yerevan route due to increasing costs.
‘I was told that the cost of one flight is $170,000’, Mirzoyan said.
The flight from Oman is operated by FlyOne, an airline owned by the family of the ruling Civil Contract party MP Khachatur Sukiasyan, with tickets starting at €1,100 ($1,270), according to RFE/RL.
Over the weekend, the Armenian authorities also announced that from 28 February to 6 March, citizens of 41 countries departed Iran through Armenia, without specifying the number of evacuees.
Since the escalation, the Armenian–Iranian land border has closed for two times, the Armenian authorities said the checkpoint was shut due to a technical failure on the Iranian side, with the crossing open only to lorries.
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