California Courier Online, March 9, 2026

David Nargizian
California Courier Online, March 9, 2026

1- By Attacking the ANCA,

UK PR Firm Damages its Own Reputation
By Harut Sassounian
http://www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Israel expands travel warnings to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan
3- Pashinyan faces unusual request from a woman
4- Haifa Municipality restores damaged street sign marking Armenian Genocide Square
5- Armenia bars Iranians from protesting in Yerevan
6- 195 Armenians missing in 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War
7- Armenia Added To European List Of Journalist Jailers
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1- By Attacking the ANCA,

UK PR Firm Damages its Own Reputation

By Harut Sassounian
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

After successfully recruiting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijan and Turkey are trying to neutralize the Armenian Diaspora, the final step for their conquest of Armenia. Both Aliyev and Erdogan are very pleased with the compliant regime in Armenia and do not wish to see the Diaspora stand in the way of their anti-Armenian plots.

On March 2, 2026, Apollo Strategic Communications (ASC), a London-based public relations firm, attacked the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) by sending a covert memo to the U.S. media titled “Armenian Diaspora Voices Russian Interests on Capitol Hill.” ASC has ties to Azerbaijan and its Caspian Sea petroleum partners. The firm is listed in the UK Companies House registry as being involved in “public relations and communication activities.” It has undergone several name changes in recent years: “Apollo Public Relations Limited” (Aug. 13, 2009 – Aug. 29, 2014), and “Red Public Relations Limited” (Apr. 14, 2008 – Aug. 13, 2009).

The ASC memo spreads lies and disinformation by claiming that “U.S. administration efforts [in Armenia]…face resistance and opposition from the influential Armenian National Committee of America, the largest Armenian organization in the U.S., which, it is feared by some on Capitol Hill, is seeking to undermine the ongoing peace process in Congress. ANCA is accused of aligning with pro-Moscow forces, while working against Armenian national interests by endorsing Russian positions and misinformation narratives, often verbatim, at the heart of American institutions.” The memo goes on to condemn “senior ANCA officials” for issuing “an impassioned defense of the Armenian Apostolic Church.” The ANCA and the Diaspora oppose a fake peace, not genuine peace, and are not against Armenia’s national interests. On the contrary, they want to protect Armenia from Pashinyan’s endless concessions to Aliyev, which could lead to the demise of the homeland.

I would like to point out several questionable aspects of ASC’s memo:

1.  Election Timing: The memo makes a direct reference to the “crucial general election in Armenia,” indicating that Azerbaijan and Turkey are doing everything possible to ensure that Prime Minister Pashinyan remains in power after the parliamentary election of June 7.

2.  Unusual Choice of PR Channel: Azerbaijan is paying millions of dollars to public relations and lobbying firms in Washington. Yet, strangely, this hit piece is being circulated to the U.S. media by a London-based firm rather than the ones in Washington to which Azerbaijan pays large sums each year to lobby and do PR. This appears to be a waste of money and a slap in the face to the PR firms hired by Azerbaijan in Washington.

3.  Sources ASC offered to Journalists: ASC offered the names of four individuals who would “be happy to share further materials and information”:

. An unnamed “senior staffer at the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe — a congressional commission.” The ANCA should determine if this individual is receiving payment from a foreign firm with Azeri ties, while working for Congress. If so, he should be fired.

. “Maria Karapetyan, Member of Parliament for Armenia’s Ruling Civil Contract party and a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations.” Maria should be questioned about her collaboration with a foreign lobbying firm against an Armenian organization, and possibly being compensated for it.

. “Nzhdeh Hovsepyan, a respected academic and historian, who can speak to the fraternity between ANCA and the pro-Moscow Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) party in Armenia, as well as links between the ARF and Russia itself.” He has listed several positions in the Pashinyan government on his LinkedIn page.

. “Garo Paylan, visiting scholar with the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, is available to speak off the record on Armenian politics, Russian interference operations, as well as ANCA’s affiliation with pro-Moscow actors.” Paylan, a former member of the Turkish Parliament, contradicted the ASC when he posted on X: “It has come to my attention that messages were sent to journalists on my behalf regarding Armenia that I did not authorize. I speak publicly and with reporters, and my views are well known.”

4.  Possible FARA violation: The ASC memo was sent to the American media by a UK, not U.S., PR firm, possibly intending to circumvent the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which requires U.S. firms working on behalf of foreign entities to register with the Dept. of Justice. This may constitute a violation of American law.

5.  ASC’s lack of response: I sent several emails to ASC last week asking the firm to provide, as it had promised in its memo, additional information on the ANCA. ASC did not respond. Such unprofessional behavior can only result in a PR firm doing negative PR against itself.

6.  Commercial ties to Azerbaijan: Apollo’s parent company, RSK Group, has a wholly owned company, “Azerbaijan Environment and Technology Centre Ltd (AETC),” with an in‑country office and project work in the Caspian region, demonstrating long‑standing commercial activity in Azerbaijan.

The ANCA should consider filing a lawsuit against ASC for making false and defamatory statements about the organization.

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2– 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 

Moran Azula, ynetnews.com

As the war with Iran enters its second week, Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) has expanded its travel warnings to additional countries, advising Israelis to avoid visiting Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
The announcement follows earlier warnings urging Israelis to avoid travel to the United Arab Emirates and to refrain from nonessential stays in Egypt and Jordan.
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.

“At present, the Israeli public staying in the UAE is advised, where possible, to return to Israel using commercial flights,” the NSC said at the time. “In addition, the NSC recommends avoiding travel to the UAE at this time and refraining from transit flights through the UAE to or from other destinations.”
Regarding Egypt and Jordan, the council said Israelis returning to Israel should do so only via flights landing in Taba, Aqaba or Amman, and not through other airports.
It also recommended that Israelis avoid remaining in Egypt or Jordan, where Level 4 travel warnings remain in effect, and instead travel directly from the airport to the nearest land border crossings with Israel.
Warning of Iranian attempts to target Israelis abroad
The NSC said Israelis abroad should remain especially vigilant amid concrete concerns that terrorist actors are attempting to harm Israelis overseas.
“Since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, an increased motivation and expansion of hostile terrorist activity and threats by Iranian security bodies against Israeli and Jewish targets worldwide has been identified,” the statement said.
The council also warned of potential Iranian kinetic attacks in countries in the region and around Iran, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan.
Officials said there is growing concern that Israeli targets could be attacked, particularly in these areas.
In recent days, several attempted attacks against Israelis abroad were reportedly thwarted, according to the NSC.
Safety recommendations for Israelis abroad
Israeli authorities issued several guidelines for citizens traveling overseas.
These include avoiding transit flights through the United Arab Emirates, concealing visible Jewish or Israeli symbols in public spaces and exercising heightened caution in all destinations worldwide, particularly in countries surrounding Iran.
Israelis were also advised not to share personal information in real time on social media and to avoid visiting locations identified with Israeli or Jewish communities, such as Chabad centers and synagogues.

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3- Pashinyan faces unusual request from a woman

Panorama

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan faced an unusual request from a citizen during a meeting in Ashtarak, Aragatsotn Province, as part of his regional tour on Saturday.

A local woman told him she had three sons, the eldest aged 30, and asked whether the government had any programs to help young people get married. Pashinyan replied that no such initiative existed.

The woman then pointed out that Pashinyan himself has three daughters and asked if he might consider one of them for her son.

Pashinyan laughed off, saying: “I won’t, because they are mature people. It’s for them to make their own decisions.”

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4- Haifa Municipality restores damaged street sign marking Armenian Genocide Square

Siranush Ghazanchyan
Armradio.am
The Haifa Municipality has restored the damaged street sign marking Armenian Genocide Square in the city, Jerusalemite Armenian Kegham Balian informs.
The Armenian community of Haifa is considering installing cameras near the sign to help prevent such incidents in the future.
The cause of the damage remains unconfirmed. Some sources suggest vandalism; others suggest the sign was already in poor condition and may have been knocked over by wind.
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Armenian police barred Iranian protesters in Yerevan from
rallying near the Iranian Embassy on Sunday following the US and Israeli
strikes that killed top members of Iran’s leadership, including Supreme Leader
Ali Khamenei, as well as numerous civilians.

Around 30–40 demonstrators were detained and taken to the National Security Service or local police stations before being released on Sunday. The detentions occurred despite the protesters securing permission from Yerevan authorities to hold a rally near the embassy on Sunday afternoon.

Hosein Setoode, an Iranian protester, told OC Media that some participants had arrived at the location in advance to prepare for the demonstration, but later called him and advised him not to come, as police had not allowed them to proceed.

‘I asked why, they responded that they were not aware and that the police did not allow them to stay in the park [adjacent to the embassy]’, Setoode said.

According to him, as the group attempted to change locations, police intervened, and around 20 people were detained.

Later, as he headed toward the Yerevan Municipality building, he saw police blocking other protesters who were attempting to approach on foot.

After parking nearby and walking to assess the situation, he said a white Nissan Rogue stopped beside him, and two officers called him over. As he approached, additional police vehicles arrived, and he was taken to the criminal police station.

‘They very roughly and inhumanely detained us right near the municipality’, Setoode said, adding that the treatment was different at the police station, where they were told that the Iranian authorities were receiving condolences from people at the embassy.

‘They said to make a decision and do not go [near the embassy] for a few days until things calm down a bit, then apply again, obtain permission [for rallies]’, Setoode said.

Following the detentions, no further gatherings were held in the following days. Instead of protests, people left flowers and toys in memory of the victims, including children.

The Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor rights group strongly condemn[ed]’ the authorities’ actions, including the arrest and phone calls urging Iranians to appear before the police and the National Security Service (NSS).

The group also noted that for a ‘considerable period of time’, it had been receiving alerts from Iranians that their peaceful assemblies near the embassy were being hindered and Iranians were threatened ‘with deportation and extradition’.

‘We demand the immediate safeguarding of Iranian citizens’ right to peaceful assembly, [and] the immediate cessation of unlawful actions aimed at mass human rights violations’, the statement read.

Iranians in Armenia have been holding daily rallies near the embassy since January in support of widespread anti‑government protests which broke out in Iran starting in late December 2025. The brutal crackdown at the hands of Iranian authorities resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.

Amid those earlier protests, Iranians told OC Media that they faced various forms of pressure from the Armenian authorities, with some having been questioned by the NSS.

In the meantime, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Khalil Shirgholami criticised the daily demonstrations, saying that they have continued despite Tehran’s protests.

In response, Yerevan said Armenia is a democratic country that ensures the right of free assembly, but reports of pressure on protesters have nonetheless continued.

Later in February, Shirgholami expressed gratitude to the Armenian authorities ‘for the steps taken to resolve the situation with the protests in front of the Iranian Embassy in Armenia’.
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6– 195 Armenians missing in 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War

Armenpress

One hundred ninety-five Armenians, mostly servicemembers, are still considered missing following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, also known as the 44-Day War, which was launched by Azerbaijan, according to Armenia’s Minister of Justice, Srbuhi Galyan.

“According to official data, we have 195 missing persons, of whom 175 are servicemembers and the others civilians,” Galyan said in parliament in response to a question from MP Garnik Danielyan (Hayastan faction).

Galyan also spoke about the DNA identification process of the remains.

She said that the remains of 75–80 deceased individuals have not been accepted by their next of kin, who argue that the identification was conducted inaccurately. However, Galyan underscored that qualified professionals conducted a double analysis and assured that the identification is accurate.
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7- Armenia Added To European List Of Journalist Jailers

  • Gayane Saribekian
Azatutyun.am 

A coalition of Western press freedom groups has for the first time included Armenia on its list of countries in wider Europe jailing journalists or other media figures.
As part of an annual report released on Tuesday, the Platform for the Safety of Journalists also blacklisted neighboring Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia as well Russia and Belarus. The platform consists of 15 watchdogs, including the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists and Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, cooperating with the Council of Europe.
“At the end of 2025, Armenia was recorded for the first time on the Platform with journalists or other media actors in detention, following the pre-trial detention of podcasters Vazgen Saghatelian and Narek Samsonian on hooliganism charges,” says its report.
Samsonian and Saghatelian are currently standing trial for verbally abusing parliament speaker Alen Simonian in response to his personal insults. Simonian branded the two outspoken men as “sons of a b*tch” when he commented on their seven-hour interview with former President Serzh Sarkisian broadcast live on YouTube in early November. They responded to him with offensive language.
Simonian demanded criminal proceedings against them on November 11. Two days later, officers of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) demonstratively detained the two podcasters, searching their homes and their Imnemnimi podcast studio in the process. No action was taken against Simonian, who is a leading political ally of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian notorious for spitting at a heckler in Yerevan in 2023.
Both Saghatelian and Samsonian again pleaded not guilty to the hooliganism charge at the start of their trial in January. They said they are prosecuted for exercising their freedom of speech. Samsonian also went on hunger strike in protest against their detention.
He stopped refusing food two weeks later, after prison authorities reluctantly allowed him to undergo surgery at a Yerevan hospital of his choice. An Armenian appeals court moved him to house arrest on February 19. Saghatelian remains in jail.
Ashot Melikian, the chairman of the Yerevan-based Committee to Protect Freedom of Speech, described Armenia’s inclusion on the list of journalist jailers as a blow to its international reputation. He said it was an inevitable consequence of the “disproportionate measures” taken against the two pro-opposition podcasters.
“The mere fact that journalists are in prison is enough of a reason for serious [international] criticism,” Melikian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Dozens of other critics of Pashinian, including an opposition mayor and three archbishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church, have also been prosecuted in recent months in what the Armenian opposition calls a pre-election government crackdown on dissent. The authorities deny that they are political prisoners.
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If you wish to read daily updated Armenian news and
commentary,
Please send me your email address: [email protected]
Website: TheCaliforniaCourier.com
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Trade as Leverage: Russia’s Enduring Economic Role in Armenia

Anna Tamamian
Special Eurasia
Mar 11 2026

Trade as Leverage: Russia’s Enduring Economic Role in Armenia

Executive Summary

This report evaluates Armenia’s trade relationship with Russia, focusing on economic interdependence and its strategic implications.

Moscow remains Yerevan’s principal trading and investment partner, accounting for over 35% of external trade in 2025, with cooperation concentrated in consumer goods, food production, and key industrial sectors.

Political distancing between Yerevan and Moscow contrasts with sustained economic integration. The situation reflects a structural gap between Armenia’s economic realities and its foreign policy repositioning.

Key Takeaways

  1. Russia continues to exercise significant economic influence through trade dominance and sectoral investment.
  2. Armenia’s economic cooperation with Russia persists despite political mistrust and security disagreements.
  3. Economic interdependence limits the speed and scope of Armenia’s geopolitical reorientation.

Background Information

According to Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Economy Narek Hovakimyan, Russia accounted for over 35% of Armenia’s total external trade in 2025, confirming its role as one of the country’s most important trading partners.

Economic ties between the two nations have grown lately, especially in food and consumer items. These areas stimulate job creation, boost local spending, and improve the economy. Armenian officials emphasise cooperation in the food industry, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural production chains, supported by state and private modernisation programmes aimed at expanding output and improving quality.

Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin reaffirmed Moscow remains Yerevan’s major trade, economic, and investment partner. The Russian capital maintains a firm presence in mining, energy, metallurgy, transport and logistics, banking, and information-communication technologies.

The current situation underscores a history of economic interdependence, according to the Russian diplomat, amplified by Armenia’s eleven years within the Eurasian Economic Union, which has facilitated increased trade and industrial partnerships through its established frameworks.

Why Does It Matter?

Strategically, Russia views Armenia as a key geopolitical foothold in the South Caucasus, rather than an ideological partner. As part of its blizhnee zarubezhe (near abroad), the Kremlin views Yerevan as structurally dependent because of geography, infrastructure links, and economic integration.

Russia’s aim is not absolute dominance but preventing hostile regional consolidation that could exclude Moscow’s influence from transport routes, mediation processes, and security arrangements.

Armenia’s economy remains closely tied to Russia, even when its leadership seeks diversification toward Western partners. Because disrupting economic ties with Russia would have a direct impact on jobs, investment, and industrial output, concentrated trade makes it difficult to enact swift policy changes. Moscow maintains influence via its capital’s involvement in key industries and through economic frameworks associated with the Eurasian Economic Union.

For Russia, maintaining economic primacy supports broader strategic goals without requiring overt political alignment. Economic integration maintains access to logistics networks, financial channels, and regional influence despite deteriorating military and political relations.

Politically, Armenia attempts to reduce dependence while avoiding economic shock. Deterioration of confidence in Russia-dominated frameworks has occurred after the capitulation of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh under an Azerbaijani military offensive, though economic divestment presents prompt internal hazards.

A two-pronged policy emerges, characterised by a divergence between political pronouncements and economic implementation. The imbalance increases exposure to pressure from external actors, including Azerbaijan and Turkey, which monitor Armenia’s strategic positioning during this transition.

Indicators to Monitor

  • Share of Russia in Armenia’s total external trade volume.
  • Russian investment levels in Armenian strategic sectors.
  • Development of joint agricultural and industrial cooperation chains.
  • Policy signals regarding Yerevan’s participation in Eurasian Economic Union mechanisms.
  • Changes in logistics, banking, or commercial programmes supporting bilateral trade.

Outlook

Armenia is likely to maintain deep trade relations with Russia in the near term because of structural economic dependence and existing industrial integration.

Political distancing will continue, especially if the current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wins the parliamentary elections in June 2026, driven by security concerns and diversification efforts, yet economic disengagement will remain gradual. Moscow expects to tolerate political friction while preserving economic footholds and awaiting clearer signals from Yerevan’s domestic political cycle, including the 2026 parliamentary elections.

The most probable scenario involves sustained economic cooperation and controlled geopolitical competition, rather than a rapid strategic rupture.

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Azerbaijan resettling Azerbaijanis in formerly Armenian-inhabited villages of

Kajoyan Gevork
Panorama, Armenia
Mar 11 2026

Azerbaijan has begun actively resettling Azerbaijani citizens in villages of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) that were historically inhabited exclusively by Armenians, according to a report by the cultural heritage monitoring group Monument Watch.

The organization, which tracks the condition of Armenian cultural heritage in the region, said the policy is part of Azerbaijan’s government program known as the “great return to the territories liberated from occupation” launched in 2022.

According to the Monument Watch, the initiative envisions the return and settlement of Azerbaijani residents in what Baku describes as “liberated historical territories”. In practice, the group said the policy involves resettling Azerbaijani citizens across Nagorno-Karabakh.

The resettlement process accelerated after 2023, when Azerbaijan seized full control of Artsakh and the Armenian population left the territory following a military offensive.

The Monument Watch said Azerbaijani authorities have prioritized settlements that were historically Armenian-populated and had no Azerbaijani residents in the past, particularly in the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast during the Soviet era.

Between 2024 and 2025, Azerbaijanis have reportedly been resettled in several villages and towns, including in Vank, Haterk, Chapar, Kolatak, Drmbon, Horatagh and Nerkin Horatagh of the Martakert district, the town of Martuni and the villages of Karmir Shuka and Sos in the Martuni district, the town of Hadrut in the Hadrut district, as well as Aygestan, Patara, Astghashen, Khachen, Noragyugh, Khnapat, Khnatsakh and Shosh in the Askeran district.

The policy has also extended to Stepanakert, including the suburb of Krkzhan, according to the report.

The Azerbaijani authorities present the resettled residents as “displaced indigenous inhabitants,” the Monument Watch said. The monitoring group disputes this characterization, arguing that Soviet-era demographic records show that many of the villages now being resettled had no Azerbaijani population.

The group said Azerbaijani media frequently present renovated Armenian houses as newly constructed homes and portray schools, kindergartens and apartment buildings built during the Soviet period or under the Artsakh authorities as new infrastructure.

The Monument Watch also said Azerbaijani officials and media have begun assigning new Azerbaijani place names to settlements and promoting historical narratives that omit Armenian historical and cultural presence.

The group cited the historic region of Khachen, including the village of Vank, as an example where such efforts intensified in 2024.

The Monument Watch warned that the resettlement process could place Armenian cultural and historical sites at risk, including churches, monuments, cemeteries and other heritage sites located within or near the settlements.

According to the group, a monument in Vank dedicated to victims of World War II and the Artsakh liberation war has already been dismantled.

In the village of Khnatsakh, the monitoring group said monuments commemorating World War II and the Karabakh war were removed and replaced with a sign displaying the village’s newly assigned Azerbaijani name, “Xanyurdu kəndi”.

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Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addresses MEPs on peace efforts with

Garo Vardanian
European Parliament
Mar 11 2026
Press Release

On Wednesday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed MEPs, highlighting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and his country’s EU membership aspirations.

Pashinyan opened his address by saying that, since his last visit to the European Parliament in 2023, changes of centennial — if not millennial — significance have taken place in Armenia and in the South Caucasus. “The most memorable of these changes is the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, formalised on 8 August 2025 in Washington DC, when President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and I signed a Joint Declaration in the White House, effectively securing peace between our two nations”, he said.

Pashinyan also highlighted the Armenian government’s intention to take the next steps as regards the US-brokered TRIPP infrastructure programme, which is intended to establish unimpeded, multimodal transit connectivity on Armenian territory and connect the main part of Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Latest developments in Armenia

The Armenian Prime Minister touched upon the latest political developments in Armenia, ongoing efforts to resettle Armenians who fled the previous conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh in the Republic of Armenia, attempts by certain clergy and political opposition forces to undermine peace efforts, and attempts to secure the freedom of Armenian prisoners of war still held captive in Azerbaijan.

Addressing those issues is critical to the current peace process, he said: “We are criticised for the fact that the peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not perfect. But I ask you: Where is peace perfect? Where has perfect peace ever existed, and when? (…) On the contrary, it is the will to care for peace that can bring it as close to perfection as possible (…).”

Continue reforms with support from European partners

Pashinyan further highlighted his country’s adoption of the law on the “Launch of the Process of the Republic of Armenia’s Accession to the European Union”, which initiates the process of Armenia’s accession to the EU. (…) Now, after the adoption of this law, many in Armenia ask: When will Armenia become a member of the European Union? Our answer is very clear: No country can become a member of the EU without meeting its standards. Therefore, our task is to continue the path of reforms with the support of our European partners and first objectively meet the EU’s accession criteria.”

He also said that one of the biggest obstacles on Armenia’s path to EU integration at this moment is the frozen state of political dialogue between the EU and Georgia. “Georgia is our path to the European Union, and we adopted the law on the Launch of the Process of the Republic of Armenia’s Accession to the European Union after Georgia received EU candidate status. This made Armenia’s EU membership perspective tangible, and our expectation and request is that the constructive EU-Georgia process will develop. This is as important for Armenia as it is for Georgia.”

The Armenian Prime Minister concluded by saying that the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia on 7 June must serve to cement peace. “Our democracy must make peace irreversible, and then peace will make democracy irreversible.”

You can watch the speech again here (11.3.2026)

Contacts:

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20260306IPR37529/prime-minister-nikol-pashinyan-addresses-meps-on-peace-efforts-with-azerbaijan

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TRIPP project is in the crystallization stage, Armenia ready to ensure Azerbai

Jhanna Virabian
Aysor, Armenia
March 11 2026

“In the near future, Armenia and the United States will sign a relevant agreement, which will mark the practical launch of the project. It will create new transport opportunities for communication from east to west and vice versa, and from south to north and vice versa. This is an epoch-making change,” Pashinyan said. 

According to Pashinyan, these developments open up new opportunities for the European Union and Armenia to deepen and further specify cooperation in the field of transport connectivity.

“Armenia has neither the intention nor any reason to delay the implementation of the TRIPP project, as it fully corresponds to the short-term, medium-term, and long-term interests of the Republic of Armenia. It does not in any way undermine Armenia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, or jurisdiction. Armenia is ready to provide a road connection between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic through the Kornidzor, Goris, Yeghegnadzor, and Yeraskh routes using the infrastructure currently in operation,” Nikol Pashinyan stated. 

According to him, just as Azerbaijan expects the establishment of a connection to Nakhichevan through the territory of Armenia, Armenia also expects the establishment of a railway connection between the southern and northern parts of the country through the territory of Nakhichevan. 

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Return of the loot will happen, including the one committed during Nikol Pashi

Karapet Navasardian
Aysor, Armenia
March 11 2026

The authorities have once again presented figures on the recovery of loot from former officials – this time $773 million in property and funds returned over the past eight years, wrote Mesrop Arakelyan, co-founder of the “Land to Live” party.

“Let us set aside the fact that the overwhelming majority of the recovered assets consist of real estate, which in practice has a zero impact on the state budget, and try to understand how much the former authorities actually looted.

In 1998-2017, the total amount of state budgets totaled about $39 billion, which in today’s terms would amount to approximately $170 billion. In other words, the returned property and funds account for only about 0.5% of the total budgets during the 20 years of the former authorities’ rule.

When we see how former officials continue to expand their businesses during Nikol Pashinyan’s rule and enjoy their lives, it becomes clear that the return of the loot is not a reality but yet another unfulfilled promise.

The return of the loot will happen – including the looting committed and still being committed during Nikol Pashinyan’s rule,” Arakelyan wrote.

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A hungry mob talks about filling the state budget while the country’s foreign

Maral Takmazian
Aysor, Armenia
March 11 2026

The Prosecutor General’s Office report, according to Armen Ashotyan, deputy chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia, “serves as a propaganda balloon for Nikol Pashinyan’s regime,” claiming that over the past seven years, “property and funds worth $773 million have allegedly been returned to the state.”

Ashotyan emphasized that official figures, like any other reported information, must always be verified.

“Let us put aside the fact that the vast majority of such cases proceed and end with blatant legal violations. I fully acknowledge that in some cases, the outcomes can be legitimate.

Yet, here we have a hungry mob talking about filling the state budget, during whose tenure: the country’s external debt has increased by more than $8 billion; weapons worth over $6 billion have been donated to Azerbaijan; a bounty exceeding $200 million has been distributed; tens of billions of dollars’ worth of property, resources, and territories in Artsakh have been handed over to Azerbaijan. Not to mention thousands of human lives lost.

To grasp the audacity, consider this calculation: $773 million ÷ 5,000 = $154,600. This is the value assigned to each human loss under their tenure – roughly the price of a three-room apartment.

Would you exchange the life of your son, husband, brother, grandson, or father for a three-room apartment?” Ashotyan remarked.

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Armenian PM: Armenia expects and requests that constructive process between th

Kalashian Nyrie
1TV Georgia
Mar 11 2026
Armenian PM: Armenia expects and requests that constructive process between the EU and Georgia develop; Georgia for us is a path to EU
18:19, 11.03.2026
 

“I should say frankly that the biggest problem on Armenia’s EU integration path at this moment is the frozen state of political dialogue between the EU and Georgia. Georgia, for us, is a path to the European Union. We adopted the law on launching the process of Armenia’s EU accession after Georgia was granted a candidate status of EU membership. It made Armenia’s EU membership prospect tangible,” said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

According to the Armenian PM, Armenia expects and requests that the constructive process between the EU and Georgia develop.

“Many people in Armenia ask when Armenia will become a member of the European Union. Our answer is very clear: No country can become a member state of the EU without meeting the standards of the EU. Therefore, our task is to continue the path of reforms with the support of our European partners, and first of all to objectively meet the EU membership criteria.

When this happens, there are two ways: Either the EU will accept us as a full-fledged member or it will not. I say this because I understand that EU enlargement, the accession of a new member, is not a simple matter. It is also a matter of political decisions. Therefore, if the EU accepts Armenia as a full member, it will be great. If it does not, we will still get the benefit because we will be a country that has fully complied with EU standards.

However, I should say frankly that the biggest problem on Armenia’s EU integration path at this moment is the frozen state of political dialogue between the EU and Georgia. Georgia, for us, is a path to the European Union. We adopted the law on launching the process of Armenia’s EU accession after Georgia was granted a candidate status of EU membership. It made Armenia’s EU membership prospect tangible. We expect and request that the constructive process between the EU and Georgia develop. This is important for Armenia, just as it is important for Georgia,” he said.

By - Elene Dobordjginidze
https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/armenian-pm-armenia-expects-and-requests-that-constructive-process-between-the-eu-and-georgia-develop-georgia-for-us-is-a-path-to-eu/

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‘We have been betrayed’: Nagorno-Karabakh ex-minister on Armenia-Azerbaijan pe

Emil Lazarian
France 24
Mar 11 2026

FRANCE 24 spoke to Artak Beglaryan, former state minister and human rights ombudsman of Nagorno-Karabakh. The peace declaration signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan last August in Washington raised cautious hopes, but for displaced residents of Nagorno-Karabakh the situation remains difficult. “It’s relatively good news,” Beglaryan said, “but nothing was written in this declaration about Nagorno-Karabakh and the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

In August, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a peace declaration in Washington in the presence of US President Donald Trump. In an interview with FRANCE 24, Aliyev said that “peace is achieved” with Armenia.

But according to Beglaryan, the agreement falls far short. “The declaration says nothing about the rights, security or status of the 150,000 people of Nagorno-Karabakh. Nobody consulted us. […] At least politically, yes, we have been betrayed by the Armenian authorities.”

Since Azerbaijan regained control of the region in 2023, nearly all Armenians have fled. “We were forcibly displaced. The suffering of my people is immense.” The former state minister also sharply criticised the Armenian government.

“Prime Minister Pashinyan claims he is proud of the results and says we should forget our return. That is absurd. Armenia was a party to the conflict and host to refugees, and should have done everything to protect our rights.”

Beglaryan also highlighted what he described as ongoing violations and human rights abuses. Aliyev has refused to grant clemency to imprisoned Nagorno-Karabakh separatist leaders, who have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

“Aliyev himself is a Nazi leader. He and his regime have committed crimes including crimes against humanity and genocide against our people,” Beglaryan said.

Blind since a landmine accident, Beglaryan says Azerbaijani authorities wanted to punish him personally. “I never fought. I only defended my people’s rights. And yet we are punished for our very existence.”


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