July 2, 2026
The South Caucasus tour of Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has ended. The visits to Baku and Yerevan on July 1-2 actually confirmed that the European Union is moving to a much more practical and practical policy in the South Caucasus, adopting a strategy of economic and infrastructural integration of the region.
If in previous years the main priority of Brussels was the mediating role in the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiation process, now the EU has moved on to the promotion of specific projects, the strategy of connecting the region to the EU, integrating it and completely removing it from Russian influence. The statements made in Baku and Yerevan once again showed that the EU views the region as a corridor connecting Europe with the Black Sea, the Caspian Basin and Central Asia. That is why von der Leyen emphasized the idea that peace is a necessary condition for economic and geopolitical investments. “We need to move peace from paper to real life,” he announced in Baku, presenting the “Peace through Connectivity” initiative.
Azerbaijan, as a regional connecting node, was at the core of the European Commission president’s messages in Baku. Von der Leyen announced a grant program of up to €200 million to boost transport, energy and digital connectivity, further attracting up to €2 billion in public and private investment. He spoke about the development of the port of Baku, railway communication in the direction of Nakhichevan, regional channels of the South Caucasus and even the possibility of electric power infrastructures passing through Armenia. At the same time, von der Leyen highly appreciated Azerbaijan’s role in Europe’s energy security, reminding that “when Russia turned energy into a weapon, Azerbaijan helped Europe.” This was a key impulse, Brussels reaffirmed that Azerbaijan remains one of the key energy partners of the EU.
In Yerevan, however, the emphasis was different. The primary topic here was not energy, but Armenia’s economic resilience and integration with European markets in the face of Russia’s economic pressures. Von der Leyen openly stated that Armenia can “rely on the European Union”, stressing that Brussels is ready to support Yerevan in mitigating the impact of Russian economic restrictions.
In that context, financial support for Armenia was announced, as well as the initiative to eliminate customs duties on around 80 percent of Armenian exports. Von der Leyen specially emphasized that it is not only about financial aid, but about changing the economic direction of Armenia through integration into the European economic system.
He noted that the EU is ready to support not only economic diversification, but also energy diversification, stressing that the EU has rich experience in such matters, which it has accumulated through the examples of Ukraine and Moldova. Therefore, according to him, EU experts will arrive in RA and study the issues on the spot. He also spoke about energy, linking it to the region.
If the two visits are considered as a whole, and they are clearly within the scope of one agenda, it becomes obvious that the European Union is trying to build a new geopolitical architecture of the South Caucasus. In that EU project, Armenia and Azerbaijan are considered not as separate partners, but as components of one regional system.
It is this political, transport and energy connectivity that will enable the EU to implement the communication, energy and digital projects planned within the framework of the “Global Gateway”. By the way, the EU recently launched the “Connectivity Agenda Platform” initiative, which was created in order to strengthen the connectivity agenda between the South Caucasus, the Black Sea region, Turkey and Central Asia and promote the interregional connectivity agenda within the framework of the EU’s “Global Gateways” strategy.
In other words, the EU strives to form a unified logistics axis, which will gradually reduce the importance of traditional communication routes passing through the territory of Russia and increase the European presence in the region.
The Russian factor was not absent from these visits. Although it was presented differently in the two capitals, it was actually the context of the entire visit. In Baku, von der Leyen reminded that Europe was able to reduce its dependence on Russian gas during the energy crisis thanks to Azerbaijan, and in Yerevan he already spoke about Russia’s economic pressures and the EU’s willingness to compensate for this impact.
Thus, Brussels solves several geopolitical problems at the same time. And it does it in a rather fast and intense mode. Therefore, von der Leyen’s visit should be considered not only as an initiative to promote Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, but also as part of the European Union’s long-term competitive strategy aimed at limiting Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus.
The European Union is starting to act in the region not as a classic mediator, but as an investor and economic actor. Thus, the visits on July 1-2 can be evaluated as the start of the new South Caucasus strategy of the European Union, where the EU starts the programs that have been talked about for years.
However, the viability of these initiatives remains conditional, as their implementation is at the center of a clash of interests between Russia, Iran and the US, where every geopolitical shift can change the rules of the game. Ultimately, the future of the South Caucasus depends not only on European ambitions, but also on the balance of China’s economic expansion and the calculations of other actors, which turn the region into a difficult point of confrontation.
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Andranik Kocharyan’s son was invited to a training camp, it turned out that he is not subject
July 2, 2026
In January 2026, the Government of the Republic of Armenia decided the schedule of the training sessions of the reservists of the first and second ranks of the first group of reservists, non-commissioned officers and officers:
1. From February 3 to April 10, 2026 inclusive,
2. From March 31 to June 19, 2026 inclusive,
3. From April 15 to July 15, 2026 inclusive,
4. 2026 year June 9-from until August 14-the inclusive,
5. From August 4 to October 9, 2026 inclusive,
6. From September 15 to December 15, 2026 inclusive,
7. From September 29 to November 20, 2026 inclusive.
In other words, immediately after the day of the National Assembly elections, the next round of training sessions started. And in those days, there were reports that notices were being actively sent to opposition circles, including journalists, who came from Russia for the election. RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan had confirmed noting this.
«How can I rule it out? A citizen of the Republic of Armenia coming from Russia is a soldier, doesn’t he have any duties towards his homeland? Naturally, I cannot rule it out. Not only from Russia, France, the United States of America, etc., etc.
In turn, the head of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, Edward Asryan, told the journalists had said it is true that all those registered in the reserve force must go to the training sessions in order, not agreeing, of course, that there is a selective approach towards those with oppositional views.
Against the background of these statements, on June 11, 168.am sent a written request to the RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan or the Ministry with the following questions:
■ Has Vazgen Kocharyan, the youngest son of Andranik Kocharyan, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Defense and Security Committee, received a notice to participate in a training camp during these years after completing his mandatory military service, and if not, why, on what grounds? In general, can you name any serving son of an official who participated in the training sessions?
What military specialization does Ashot Pashinyan have?
■ How many notices to participate in the 25-day training camp from June 9 to August 14 were sent, were they more than those sent in the previous round?
■ In the context of 25-day training camps, to what extent is the allocation of combat duty according to military specialization?
Two years ago, RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan announced in the National Assembly.
“Conscripting continues to be one of the challenges facing our country, we must speak loudly about this։ There is a phenomenon when a citizen of the Republic of Armenia renounces the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia to his child in order not to serve. In this regard, we should start lustration in our environment, I have also appealed to the Prime Minister to start a similar process in the state administration system. In my opinion, the state official should not allow himself that not only his child, but also the children of his close circle and relatives renounce their RA citizenship. That phenomenon exists, we can record painful indicators. We have to face ourselves on a moral basis and finally face the bad trend for me.”
To what extent did Nikol Pashinyan, taking this into account, start such a process in the state administration system, because after that fresh information about the release of the sons of government representatives from the army was circulated, and to what extent was this process carried out in the Ministry of Defense?
■ Some time ago, there were reports in the press about the release of Zhirayr Amirkhanyan, who was the assistant to the head of the State Security Service, is it related to the lustration process mentioned above?
In response to our questions, in its response letter sent on July 2, the defense department headed by Suren Papikyan first stated regarding the son of Andranik Kocharyan.
“In response to your request of 11.06.2026 addressed to the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, we inform you that Vazgen Andranik Kocharyan was invited to the military commissariat to participate in training sessions. and in accordance with Article 17 of the RA Law “On Military Service and the Status of Servicemen” was referred to the primary health care center, 2018 of the RA Government. to pass the examination defined by point 2.1 of Annex 2 of the decision N 405-N of April 12.
Based on the results of research conducted by the organization providing primary health care services in the prescribed manner, the Medical Commission of the Yerevan No. 2 Military Commissariat of the Republic of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, in accordance with the requirement of the 5th column of the Resolution N 404-N of the RA Government of April 12, 2018, was recognized as “Not subject to being called up for training.”
As for the question of the participation of the sons of officials in the training sessions, such statistics are not maintained.”
It should be noted that Andranik Kocharyan’s youngest son first served In the “Haykazov” military unit of the Artsakh Armed Forces, then he continued his service in Vanadzor, military specialization – artillery. Let’s not forget that Kocharyan’s eldest son did not serve in the army either.
As for Nikol Pashinyan’s son, Ashot Pashinyan, Suren Papikyan, in response to another of our written inquiries in April of this year reported that he was not sent a training camp participation notification.
“2023-2026 During this period, only 4.7 percent of those registered in the reserve force with Ashot Pashinyan’s military accounting major participated in the training sessions, and Ashot Pashinyan has not yet participated.” explained the Ministry of Defense.
The Ministry of Defense keeps Ashot Pashinyan’s military specialization a secret, which was also done in the case of our last survey: «there are some professions in military accounting that are not subject to publication.”
As for the 3rd question, the defense department said that it does not keep statistics of split notices either. In other words, they don’t calculate how many people were called to the training camp, how many were taken as a result, isn’t it interesting?
In the context of the 25-day training camps, to what extent the deployment of combat duty is carried out according to military specialization, the structure headed by Suren Papikyan informed that “the training camps of point 5 of the appendix approved by the decision of the Armenian government of October 18, 2018 N 1174-N are announced by the decision of the Republic of Armenia, based on the list, dates and events approved by the government of the Republic of Armenia on the basis of each year’s military mobilization preparation plans according to the number and professions involved”.
Suren Papikyan’s promised lustration to the process answering the related question, the Ministry of Defense assured that the process announced by the minister is continuing, without saying to what extent Nikol Pashinyan took note of it and started it in the state administration system.
As for the information about the dismissal of the former assistant of the head of the General Staff, Zhirayr Amirkhanyan, the Ministry of Defense stated that he continues to work in the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, but in what position, they did not elaborate, there are reports that he is currently an advisor to Suren Papikyan. And to Colonel Amirkhanyan on a specific occasion we have touched on, he held a rather important position under the former.
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168 Poor, pitiful, dependent… They are afraid to even say a word because of the fear of Turkey.
July 2, 2026
In the “Pressing” program Satik Seyranyan the guest is Turkologist, doctor of historical sciences, professor Ruben Melkonyan is.
Q:On June 28, the Israeli government unanimously approved the project presented by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. Nikol Pashinyan, in response to the journalists’ question, stated that he does not see the need to react to Israel’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide, because he believes that “it is in the interests of the Republic of Armenia not to get into the issue of the weaponization of the Armenian Genocide.”
In fact, Nikol Pashinyan is so afraid of Turkey and Azerbaijan that he is afraid to even say the word “thank you” to Israel.
The main theses of the interview are below.
- The world is no longer the same. In the 21st century, wars have become a different genre, when Trump can announce that he has destroyed Iran, then an hour later announce that they are successfully negotiating with Iran…
- The process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide by different countries of the world has never been free from politicization. But the former authorities of Armenia pursued such a policy that many countries simply could not make this issue a part of their political toolkit. Over the decades, Israel has either remained neutral or torpedoed the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Israel is an image of a collective enemy among Islamic states, and Erdogan has a streak of racism in his political biography. But Turkey is the first Islamic state to recognize Israel the state:
- In previous decades, when Turkey faced difficulties in the context of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, it often turned to Israel for help. But Turkey also accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The term “genocide” is trending in Turkey-Israel relations today. one accuses the other of committing genocide. Let’s not forget that Israel played a very important role in the Artsakh genocide during the 44-day war.
- Israel’s international recognition of the Armenian Genocide has a slightly different status because it is a nation that survived the Holocaust. The international recognition of the Armenian Genocide by this state has the importance of political, scientific and psychological pressure. Previously, when Israel-Turkey relations were strained, the issue of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide was raised. Of course, the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, has not yet ratified the Government’s decision, and a very big question is whether this issue will make it to the agenda of this Israeli Parliament or to be voted on… This is the decades-long problem of the two states, Turkey-Israel’s strange allies.
- As a result of the activities of these authorities, Armenia is facing such an empty diplomatic arsenal that it has no room to maneuver, and they have decided to choose the primitive option of evasion by talking about the absurd topic of weaponization. This was very predictable, but it means you don’t have the resources to get into the subject of your nation’s tragedy. Meanwhile, the activation of the issue could be used very skillfully in case of diplomacy.
There was no need to thank Israel. it is clear that Israel did not raise the issue for the sake of the Armenian people, but when the wind blows, you can advance your interest, not only protect yourself from the storm, but also make your windmills work. It could be said that you, being a nation that survived the Holocaust, always had a cold attitude towards the Armenian Genocide, you participated in the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh in 2020, and it is good that you started to raise the issue… Or say: Israel, don’t use our pain for your own interests… but, as you can see, nothing is said, they are afraid to say a word.
Any foreign citizen looking at this topic from the side, a conventional Swede, sees that two states are talking about the Armenian Genocide, but Armenia is silent. These authorities are showing what kind of pathetic, pathetic, dependent diplomacy they have. In our diplomatic arsenal is only entreaty and concession. We even stamp the Mount Ararat in our passport… To this day, they give up everything, they are ready to give up everything…
- Israel is trying to strengthen its position in the Middle East game. The F-35 deal can be seen in that logic. Israel shows by its example that it is not possible to say “peace” and there will be peace. The KP government has essentially given up on big politics and instead, they are dealing with internal construction, asphalting and free medical care issues, because they actually bring votes. They are not doing what the previous authorities were doing, perhaps neglecting the asphalt, but strengthening security. A part of the people of Armenia preferred visible asphalt to invisible from security.
To remind: The US authorities are discussing the possibility of transferring F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. The administration is working with Congress on that issue, US Vice President JD Vance said during the meeting between Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
2019 The sale of F-35s to Turkey was blocked due to sanctions. This issue was discussed during the meeting of the presidents of Turkey and the USA in March of last year. The White House made it clear that they are open to negotiations about the aircraft.
Ankara was kicked out of the F-35 program in 2019 after buying the Russian C-400 air defense system, which Washington says poses a threat to the plane’s sensitive technology.
Already in December, the US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barak, announced that Ankara wants to completely abandon the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems in order to get the opportunity to buy American fighter jets.
- In the past, the non-negotiable position of the Armenian Genocide brought the world’s greats to our door. Otherwise, why should Erdogan have said: I called Putin not to go to Yerevan for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, but he didn’t listen and didn’t go? Or why should French President Sarkozy promise to nominate 3rd President Serzh Sargsyan for the Nobel Prize if the latter renounced Artsakh, which, of course, Serzh Sargsyan did not agree to? Now, as a result of the incompetent activities of these authorities, Armenia is not in a big international political turmoil, as they say, not even in the discussions of issues concerning us, not in diplomatic negotiations. we are sitting at the table, but we are in the menu, on the plates… they are making asphalt…
- The sad thing is that there is no diplomat by Pashinyan’s side to tell him that it is not possible to achieve any result with Turkey by making endless concessions.
- Never before have I seen such joy over the election of the head of Armenia from Turkey… I have never seen any candidate being supported so much by direct text, as Pashinyan was supported by Turkey and Azerbaijan during these elections.
- The most false thing that mankind has ever used in its political life is the term “democracy”…
Ruben Melkonyan, referring to Nikol Pashinyan’s attacks against the Armenian Apostolic Church and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, said:
“In Turkey’s foreign policy concept, which is better known as Davutoğlu’s theory, there are 2 targets: the worldwide network structure, the Armenian Church, and the Armenian Diaspora. It is also fixed what to do against the Armenian Diaspora: to divide and create Turkish diasporas. The same is written about the Armenian Church: it should be destroyed so that the Armenian Church does not talk about the Genocide. This has been done and is being done, and it is sad that now the same steps are being taken inside Armenia…
There are speeches by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish state, in which he considers the thrones of the archdeacons of the Armenian Apostolic Church as targets by name. Armenian patriarchs are always direct or subconscious targets for Turks. Garegin the Second was and continues to be a Turkish target. We can clearly say that the Catholicos of All Armenians are an institutional target of Turkey and a personal target of various Turkish leaders. Therefore, what is being done now is against the church and a Turkish demand.”
In these elections, Nikol Pashinyan has included a new wave of attacks against the Armenian Church and the Patriarch in the pre-election program of his CP. By 2031, Armenia will have a new Catholicos, “Removal of the de facto head of the Armenian Apostolic Church”, wrote “Civil Contract” in its pre-election program.
The year-long non-stop struggle of the ruling team to dethrone the Catholicos is now a pre-election program provision.
Without giving each other a turn, CP members, in line with their leader’s speech, continue to speak about the clergy with insolent vocabulary.
- Throughout our history, the Armenian Church and its ruler have always been the pioneers promoting the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The attitude of Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukyur Pashazadeh, head of the Department of Muslims of Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the Caucasus, towards our Church and its leader is determined by this. The Armenian Church and Catholicos always fought against the Armenian Genocide and its consequences and became a target. In the case of Garegin 2, the historical inheritance, the mission continues.
When did the campaign against the Catholicos of All Armenians begin when he began to raise the issue of ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and the right of return of Artsakh residents on international platforms? In other words, the Catholicos of Armenia became a target because he continued the work of his predecessors. These offer Armenians the concept of material Armenia: don’t think about Artsakh and Ararat, think about pension, insurance and asphalt. They remove the spiritual from a person. Now the church is a Turkish target, and it is not a secret for anyone. And if the campaign against the Church finds a place in the pre-election program of the CP, it means that this struggle becomes institutionalized. Those who voted for Nikol Pashinyan should know that voted for Pashinyan’s attack against the Armenian Church and His Holiness:
- I repeat: it is very difficult to be a Turkologist in today’s Armenia, because when you know the history, you know the historical facts, you know the theoretical approaches of Turkey towards Armenia, and then you see what is happening in Armenia, you see what these authorities are doing, you hear what they are saying, you find yourself in a very difficult situation. You can’t believe that in your country there could be steps that coincidentally correspond to Turkish politics.
- We are fighting for our existence, traditions, great states for their influence. The South Caucasus has always been a target of interest in world politics. Turkey, USA, Europe, Russia, China are fighting for him. Isn’t it clear that if Turkey wins in the struggle for influence, we will lose a lot, we won’t even have the right to have a stamp with the image of Mount Ararat in our passports… The increase of Turkey’s influence will be destructive for us.
- There is no place in Armenia that Azerbaijanis do not consider their historical land, but when you explain this to the citizens, some do not believe. Do whatever you want. Turkish-Azerbaijani programs are static programs and are carried forward for decades.
- The state program “West Azerbaijan” is operating in Azerbaijan. It’s not just the “return”, it’s the Corridor, place names, religious issues, Armenian identity, everything… This is a serious state-funded concept under the auspices of the President of Azerbaijan, which they are promoting with these Armenian authorities.
- Throughout the Soviet period, Artsakh was called the autonomous region of Nagorno Karabakh. Was there an autonomous region of Masis or Noyemberyan in Armenia? How can the return of Artsakh residents to Artsakh be compared with the arrival of Azerbaijanis here? Or that a person wants to go, live somewhere, does it with aggression? When Azerbaijanis go to a place, they first demand that state to open a school, then to open a mosque, then other demands come forward… The arrival of Azerbaijanis to Armenia means the invasion of Armenia by soft power. This is not a fantasy, but a theory. In the concept of “West Azerbaijan”, the so-called “return” is fixed.
Details in the video.
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RFE/RL – EU’s Von Der Leyen Promises Armenia More Aid Against Russian Sanctio
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged to have the European Union open its market to food and beverage imports from Armenia effectively banned by Russia when she visited Yerevan on Thursday for the second time in two months.
Von der Leyen reaffirmed EU support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and his pro-Western foreign policy that has led to the Russian trade restrictions expected to take a serious toll on the Armenian economy. She again denounced Moscow’s “economic coercion” after her talks with Pashinian.
“We are presenting a proposal for so-called Autonomous Trade Measures that … will liberalize almost 80 percent of Armenian exports to the European Union,” von der Leyen told a joint news conference. “This means that 80 percent of your trade with us will now be tariff free. With this, we can reroute products that currently still rely heavily on the Russian market and send them to the European Union single market of 450 million consumers.”
“This measure will open the European doors for almost 99 percent of Armenia’s fresh fruits, vegetables and plants that used to be exported to Russia, and it will open the doors for more than 90 percent of your exports of beverages and spirits to the European single market,” she said.
Pashinian welcomed the initiative and expressed hope that the EU member states will approve it “in a short time.”
The import liberalization promised by von der Leyen will come on top of 52 million euros ($60 million) in urgent financial aid to the Armenian government approved by the European Commission three days before Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections. The money will most probably be used for government subsidies to local food producers finding new export markets.
Many export-oriented farmers and agribusiness firms say they will need at least years to find viable alternatives to the Russian market. They are especially skeptical about exporting their products to the EU, pointing to higher transportation costs and the bloc’s stringent food safety standards.
Citing sanitary grounds, Russia blocked imports of Armenian flowers, mineral fruits, vegetables, fish and other agricultural products after Pashinian’s government hosted two European summits in early May. President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials demanded that the Armenian government quickly choose between seeking to join the EU and remaining part of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), a Russian-led trade bloc.
Pashinian remains reluctant to make such a choice now. He made clear after the talks with von der Leyen that Armenia’s eventual membership in the EU continues to be a “strategic goal” of his administration.
“If we manage to become a member of the European Union, it will be a great achievement,” he said.
Pashinian insisted that “the people of Armenia expressed clear support” for this policy in the elections the official results of which gave victory to his Civil Contract party. Armenia’s leading opposition groups, which regard his European integration drive as reckless, have rejected those results as fraudulent.
Moscow has likewise claimed that the elections were marred by many irregularities. Putin has pointedly declined to congratulate Pashinian so far.
By contrast, the EU has described the vote as democratic and hailed its outcome. Von der Leyen said in Yerevan that Armenians voted, among other things, to “partner with the European Union.”
“Together, we must now turn their aspirations into results,” added the head of the EU’s executive body. “You can count on us.”
Armenian exports to Russia reached almost $3 billion last year, compared with $667 million worth of goods exported to EU member states. Russian officials put at $700 million the annual amount of imports from Armenia affected by the trade restrictions.
Russia is in a position to inflict even greater economic pain on Armenia by ending a significant discount on the price of Russian natural gas imported by the country. Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev warned of such a measure in a letter sent to Yerevan in late May. Another senior Russian official indicated earlier that Moscow could also curb the influx of Russian tourists who he said bring Armenia’s services sector $1 billion in annual revenue.
Von der Leyen announced that a team of EU experts will visit Yerevan next week to advise Armenian officials on how to “diversify energy supply.” She would not say whether the EU could compensate Armenia for a possible surge in the Russian gas price or help the South Caucasus country find an alternative supplier of gas.
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EU Accused Of Ignoring ‘Political Arrests’ In Armenia
- Anush Mkrtchian
Armenian opposition politicians and activists accused the European Union of continuing to turn a blind eye to government repression in Armenia as they demonstrated during European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Yerevan on Thursday.
Riot police did not allow the several dozen protesters to approach the main government building in the Armenian capital where von der Leyen held talks with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. The protesters held pictures of other prominent opposition figures who were arrested in the run-up to or after the June 7 parliamentary elections on various charges rejected by them as politically motivated.
“Ursula von der Leyen is shaking the hand of and lavishing praise on someone who has filled Armenia’s jails with political prisoners,” said Menua Soghomonian of the Hayakve opposition movement whose leader Avetik Chalabian was arrested on June 24 for allegedly urging Russia to assist the Armenian opposition in the elections.
“Before coming there, Mrs. von der Leyen, you were in Baku where you shook the hand of a man [Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev] soaked in blood … And you are here today, encouraging authoritarianism in Armenia with your diplomatic gesture,” he charged.
“Under the guise of European integration, the Armenian authorities arrest their political opponents, implementing a clearly dictatorial and anti-democratic policy directed against human rights,” said Manuk Sukiasian, a representative of another opposition group, Mayr Hayastan.
The group’s pro-Russian leader, Andranik Tevanian, was arrested on May 23 on charges of spying for Russian intelligence strongly denied by him. Mayr Hayastan ran in the elections in a de facto alliance with Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia Party, one of the ruling Civil Contract party’s three main challengers.
For its part, Hayakve is allied to the main opposition Strong Armenia alliance led by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian. Hundreds of Strong Armenia members or supporters have been detained in recent months mainly on charges of giving or taking vote bribes. Several dozen of them reportedly remain in jail or under house arrest. Karapetian’s bloc strongly denies the accusations levelled against them. The Armenian authorities maintain, for their part, that none of the opposition detainees is a political prisoner.
Also arrested ahead of the elections was Armen Ashotian, the deputy chairman of President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK). Ashotian is facing corruption charges denied by him and the HHK.
“We must force Europe to talk about human rights violations in Armenia,” Hayk Mamijanian, a member of the outgoing Armenian parliament and another senior HHK member, said during Thursday’s protest.
The EU has supported Pashinian and avoided public criticism of his government’s human rights record throughout his eight-year rule. Armenian opposition leaders claim that Pashinian has thus been rewarded for effectively siding with the West in its deepening confrontation with Russia.
They also say that the recent mass arrests were aimed at helping Civil Contract win the June 7 elections described by them as fraudulent. Pashinian’s party denies the vote-rigging allegations.
The EU has likewise described the vote as democratic and hailed its official outcome. Von der Leyen said after the talks with Pashinian that Armenians “chose democracy and rule of law” and backed their government’s efforts to “partner with the European Union.”
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Armenian Expats To Lose Voting Rights
- Karlen Aslanian
Ignoring strong objections from the opposition and civil society, the ruling Civil Contract party hastily pushed through Armenia’s outgoing parliament on Thursday a bill that will effectively disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Armenians living abroad and Russia in particular.
For more than two decades, such citizens have been legally allowed to vote only in polling stations inside Armenia. The bill approved by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government and passed by the National Assembly in the first reading stipulates that they will lose voting rights if they have stayed in the country for less than half of the two years preceding elections or a referendum. This restriction will not apply to Armenian diplomats and students enrolled in foreign universities.
Opposition lawmakers condemned the measure as unconstitutional and undemocratic during a short parliament debate. They also deplored the fact that it was not put up for public discussion or sent to international bodies, notably the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission.
“Such a violation of a fundamental right is yet another proof that Civil Contract has nothing to do with human rights,” said Artsvik Minasian of the opposition Hayastan alliance.
Several Western-funded civic organizations likewise strongly criticized the bill in a joint statement issued last week. They said that it constitutes an unconstitutional and disproportionate restriction of voting rights.
Defending the legislation, pro-government lawmakers repeated Civil Contract claims that Armenian citizens living in Russia were paid to travel to Armenia and vote for billionaire Samvel Karapetian’s opposition alliance in the June 7 parliamentary elections. But they did not come up with any estimates of the number of such people.
Minasian cited official figures which he said disprove the declared rationale for the bill. According to them, the number of expats who entered the country from January through May was up only about 3,000 from the year-earlier period.
Another Hayastan parliamentarian, Aghvan Vartanian, claimed that the real purpose of the bill is to make it easier for Pashinian to enact through a referendum a new Armenian constitution demanded by Azerbaijan. Under the existing constitution, it has to be backed by at least one-quarter of the country’s 2.5 million or so eligible voters, among them hundreds of thousands of Armenians living in Russia. The total number of such voters should decrease considerably after the disenfranchisement of expats.
“This government has promised Azerbaijan to change our constitution,” said Vartanian. “This government has lost fear of its own people but is afraid of [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev. This change is aimed at fulfilling the Azerbaijani-Turkish assignment.”
The current constitution also stipulates that the draft of a new constitution must be approved by at least two-thirds of the parliament deputies before being put on a referendum. Civil Contract fell short of such a majority in the June 7 elections. Some opposition figures and commentators have speculated that Pashinian could circumvent this requirement.
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RFE/RL – Armenian Speaker Baffled By His Removal
- Ruzanna Stepanian
Outgoing parliament speaker Alen Simonian said on Thursday that he does not know why the leadership of the ruling Civil Contract party decided last week to push him out of the job.
Simonian indicated that he has not heard any explanation for the decision. But he said he believes that it “wasn’t a punishment.”
The party’s governing board headed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian unexpectedly voted on June 25 to designate one of Simonian’s two current deputies, Ruben Rubinian, as the speaker of Armenia’s new parliament elected in the disputed June 7 elections. Speaking to journalists afterwards, Pashinian declined to give a reason for the move believed to be engineered by him.
“If I had felt that there is some reason [for the change of speaker,] I would not have run [for the post,]” Simonian told a farewell news conference.
He said that he will not take up his seat in the newly elected National Assembly and may not hold any other public office “in the near future.” He insisted that he holds no grudge against Pashinian and will continue to support the premier.
“I will always be by Nikol Pashinian’s side, half a step behind,” added the longtime Pashinian ally.
The last-minute choice of Rubinian has fueled opposition and media speculation that Pashinian wants to please neighboring Turkey amid heightened tensions with Russia. In addition to serving as parliament vice-speaker, Rubinian has represented Armenia in normalization talks with Ankara. Turkish envoy Serdar Kilic was quick to congratulate him on his new role.
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Official invitation to the event dedicated to the memory of the martyr leader Imam Khamenei
Dear colleagues,
greetings and regards
The glorious history of Iran is full of the names of such leaders and elders who, with faith, struggle and self-sacrifice, devoted their lives to God, to the dignity of the Iranian people and to the preservation of the independence and glory of this land.
The supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s wise leadership, exceptional courage, tireless struggle and endless support for the oppressed and the needy have made him a source of inspiration for resistance, love of the motherland, self-reliance and protection of human dignity, both among intellectuals and friends of Iran.
In order to appreciate the leadership activity of this great leader and his legacy, a solemn gathering is organized with the participation of scientists, intellectuals, professors, researchers and friends of Iran.
Thus, we kindly invite you to participate in that event, together with the people of Iran and the freedom-loving individuals of the world, to pay tribute to the memory of that significant person and his path.
Event time:in 2026 July 8 (Wednesday), at 18:00
Վայրը՝Ceremonial Hall of the Blue Mosque of Yerevan
Your presence will be a great honor for us.
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The Cultural Center of The Embassy of The Islamic Republic of Iran in The Republic of Armenia
Armenia, Yerevan, M. Chailakhyan Ave. 2a.
M: 094901034
T: 010 229053/ 010 229054
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Armenpress: Environmental expert says 10-12 bear-related incidents recorded in
The conflict between humans and wildlife has become increasingly evident in Armenia, as elsewhere in the world, taking on new forms year after year. Speaking to Armenpress in Vayots Dzor Province, Tsvinar Hovhannisyan, Head of Environmental Programmes at the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), discussed the country’s environmental challenges and possible solutions.
The interview took place during a media visit to the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge in Vayots Dzor. Given the location, the discussion focused in greater detail on environmental issues affecting the region.
– How urgent and significant is the issue of human-wildlife conflict in Armenia?
– The problem has become particularly acute across different regions of Armenia over the past decade, partly due to climate change. People are gradually expanding their presence into wildlife habitats, converting them into farmland, hayfields and areas for other types of economic activity.
As a result, they are reducing and fragmenting the habitats and migration routes of wild animals, which inevitably leads to conflict.
In Vayots Dzor Province, one of the most pressing issues is the longstanding conflict between beekeepers and bee-eater birds. There is also concern over the possible disappearance of otters, whose presence and the damage they cause have become a source of complaints among fish farm operators. More broadly, however, the conflict between humans and wildlife is intensifying around the world.
– Are bear incursions into settlements in Vayots Dzor also an urgent concern?
– Yes. Bears are Armenia’s largest mammals, but they are also predators. Naturally, people try to stay as far away from them as possible and increasingly report sightings near populated areas.
For several years now, the number of bear incursions into settlements in the province has ranged between 100 and 200 annually. The damage caused each year is estimated at 12–20 million drams, while the estimated value of a single bear is about 3 million drams.
I believe Armenia has the tools needed to address this issue, and their effective application could significantly reduce the number of such incidents.
– Have there been cases of bear attacks on people, including fatal ones?
– Over the past decade, one or two incidents involving bear attacks or encounters between humans and bears have been recorded each year. Only one of those incidents resulted in a fatality, although there have also been cases in which people sustained injuries of varying severity.
Several years ago, on the slopes of Mount Aragats, a very large male bear weighing around 300 kilograms attacked a group of Polish tourists. For one of them, the encounter proved fatal.
– Do leopards approach human settlements less frequently?
– There are virtually no problems involving leopards because their population in Armenia is significantly smaller and their range is much more limited.
In addition, leopards behave differently. They avoid people because they have sufficient habitat and prey in the wild.
Several years ago, there was a recorded leopard attack on a person in Armenia, but that incident occurred after the animal had first been shot at.
– How serious is the issue involving bee-eater birds, and what measures are being taken to address it?
– Armenia is home to two species of bee-eaters: the European bee-eater and the Blue-cheeked bee-eater. The latter is listed in Armenia’s Red Book and is therefore protected, unlike the former.
These birds feed on bees, and many beekeepers have found no better solution than killing them, which threatens their populations in Armenia.
It should be noted that bee-eaters breed in Armenia but migrate to Africa during the colder months, encountering numerous natural and human-made obstacles along the way.
Protecting these birds is extremely important because they play a significant ecological role. We therefore need to study international experience in addressing this issue, analyse it carefully and identify the solutions that would be most effective in Armenia.
Bee-eaters are not game species, and any attempt to hunt them is illegal.
– In this context, let us also discuss wolf attacks on livestock, including cases in which wolves enter barns in populated areas. Should this also be viewed as part of the human-wildlife conflict, or does it indicate a change in the predators’ behaviour?
– It is certainly a manifestation of human-wildlife conflict. In some cases, so-called electric fencing has proven to be an effective solution.
In general, there has been extensive research on ways to reduce such attacks. For example, one recommendation is to build circular rather than rectangular livestock enclosures, preventing wolves from driving an entire herd into a corner and attacking all the animals.
In many countries, livestock are also fitted with metal collars, which reduce the risk of fatal bites to one of the animals’ most vulnerable areas. And, of course, the use of livestock guardian dogs remains one of the most effective methods of protecting domestic animals.
In other words, I believe that applying a comprehensive set of measures can significantly mitigate the problem.
In fact, wolf attacks on livestock have declined considerably in Armenia. This is partly because electric fencing has become widely used in the country’s northern regions. Nevertheless, another case involving a wolf attack that caused substantial losses to a livestock owner was recorded recently.
The reasons vary, but there is no doubt that people also need to remain vigilant and be able to respond as quickly as possible to attacks in order to avoid major losses.
– Has the wolf population increased in Armenia?
– I cannot answer that question because no comprehensive scientific studies have been conducted. Current assessments are based mainly on the opinions of individual specialists.
– Another apparent manifestation of the relationship between humans and wildlife is the presence of reptiles and insects in or around residential buildings. What is the current situation, and how can it be addressed?
– I would not describe that as a human-wildlife conflict because one of the defining characteristics of such conflicts is material damage caused by the animal.
The presence of snakes near homes is primarily a matter of public safety and health. At the same time, people should remember that snakes also play an important ecological role by helping regulate rodent populations in agricultural areas.
People simply need to be as cautious and prepared as possible when encountering snakes, including ensuring the availability of appropriate antivenom. It is also important to take practical measures to prevent reptiles and venomous insects from entering residential buildings.
– Are you currently involved in any environmental projects?
– With the support and funding of the UK government, we are currently implementing a programme aimed at mitigating human-bear conflict in the context of climate change, strengthening community resilience and improving communities’ capacity to adapt.
As part of the project, various types of data are being collected and analysed. Environmental decisions based on those findings are already producing tangible results and helping reduce the damage suffered by rural communities.
Interview by Hrayr Nazaryan
Published by Armenpress, original at
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Yerevan Zoo welcomes new residents
Visitors to the Yerevan Zoo can now see two unique representatives of the wild cat family-Pallas’s cats named Mano and Nano.
According to the zoo, the Pallas’s cat is also of particular significance to Armenia’s wildlife.
“The species was once found in Armenia as well. However, for a long time no new records of its presence were documented, and it was considered extinct in the country. Research is currently underway to determine whether the species is still present in Armenia and to document any new sightings,” the zoo said in a statement.
Mano and Nano belong to the rufous Pallas’s cat subspecies and are currently on display exclusively at the Yerevan Zoo.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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