Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Thursday said Armenia is moving toward broader export diversification, which he believes will eventually lead to better results than before, despite potential short-term logistical issues.

Speaking at the Cabinet meeting, Mirzoyan said the search for new markets for Armenian agricultural products—particularly fruits, vegetables, berries, and flowers—has generated strong interest in several directions.

The minister noted that potential new export destinations for Armenian products under consideration include the European Union, Central Asian countries, Arab states (including Iraq), as well as Armenia’s immediate neighbors, including Türkiye, despite existing restrictions.

“In some cases, pilot shipments are already being made, and in others we will see developments in the coming weeks. I cannot hide the fact that logistical problems arise in certain directions, but we are addressing and managing them and trying to support businesses,” Mirzoyan said.

The Foreign Minister stressed that despite existing challenges, the situation has not turned into a serious crisis, as also reflected in the figures.

The current situation, he said, has created new opportunities for the diversification of Armenian exports.

“In essence, what is happening now is what we have long been discussing and planning—the diversification of Armenian production [destinations]. I believe that logistical and unfamiliarity-related obstacles will be overcome quickly, and we will achieve better results than before,” the minister said.

A high-level briefing organized by the Permanent Representation of Armenia to UNESCO was held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris and was dedicated to the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), which will take place in Yerevan in 2026.

Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Abisoghomonyan delivered the keynote speech at the event, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

In his remarks, the Deputy Foreign Minister presented Armenia’s vision for its COP17 presidency, reaffirming the country’s commitment to ensuring inclusivity, transparency, and open dialogue throughout the organization of the conference.

He emphasized the key importance of COP17 in advancing the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly in the context of the first global review of collective progress. He noted that the conference will provide an opportunity to assess achievements, existing gaps, and challenges, as well as to outline additional efforts needed to reach global targets set for 2030.

The preparations and organizational aspects of COP17 were also presented. The Deputy Foreign Minister highlighted the Leaders’ Summit and the High-Level Ministerial Segment that will take place within the framework of the conference, stressing the importance of ensuring high-level participation and achieving concrete results.

Deputy FM Abisoghomonyan also addressed UNESCO’s important role in biodiversity conservation and its sustainable and equitable use, highlighting the need to fully utilize the organization’s multidisciplinary potential in education, science, and culture.

He stressed UNESCO’s active involvement in promoting biodiversity education and in shaping key messages on the interconnection between nature and culture. In this context, he highlighted thematic events planned during COP17, including an “Education Day” and a “Nature and Culture” thematic summit.

Concluding his remarks, he reaffirmed that COP17 in Yerevan will be an important opportunity for the international community to move from commitments to implementation.

The briefing also featured speeches by Armenia’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Aram Hakobyan, and senior UNESCO officials. The event was attended by accredited permanent representatives and diplomats to UNESCO.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Abisoghomonyan met in Paris with Dov Lynch, the Chief of Staff of the Director-General of UNESCO.

According to the foreign ministry’s readout, Deputy FM Robert Abisoghomonyan reaffirmed Armenia’s readiness to continue constructive cooperation with UNESCO.

The sides exchanged views on the implementation of joint initiatives with UNESCO and prospects for cooperation within the framework of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, which will be held in Yerevan this year. In this context, the importance of UNESCO’s active involvement in thematic events—particularly “Education Day”—was emphasized, as well as the adoption and launch of a Global Action Plan on biodiversity education.

The Deputy Foreign Minister highlighted the importance of high-level participation in the Leaders’ Summit and the High-Level Ministerial segment planned within COP17.

Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Abisoghomonyan also underscored Armenia’s continued support for UNESCO’s efforts in education and peace, referring in this context to the “Education for Peace” resolution, which was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly at Armenia’s initiative.

The Armenian government is advancing preparations for co-hosting the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2029, with the Cabinet on Thursday approving the procurement of design and cost-estimation works for the construction of a UEFA-standard 10,000-seat football stadium in Ijevan.

Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan presented the procedural decision.

Andreasyan noted that one of the key requirements for hosting the tournament in Armenia is the availability of UEFA Category 4 stadiums.

She said that work in this direction began last year. In Vanadzor, the design process for the reconstruction of a stadium has already started, and the government expects to have the completed design within the next 1–2 months.

Andreasyan noted that in December last year, the government had already acquired the necessary land plots from 20 owners for the Ijevan stadium.

The design works are expected to be entrusted to the internationally experienced company VenueEra Holding LLC. The minister said the company is also involved in the Vanadzor stadium reconstruction project and has experience in designing and constructing high-level stadiums.

As examples of the company’s portfolio, Andreasyan mentioned Budapest’s Puskás Aréna, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Sports City, and Saint Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena, all of which have hosted major international competitions.

She added that negotiations are also underway with the company regarding possible joint implementation of the stadium construction phase.

“As a result of this decision, we will be able to urgently launch and implement the construction of a 10,000-seat UEFA-standard football stadium in Ijevan within the set timeframe, ensuring its completion by January 2029,” she said.

To implement the decision, a reallocation of 177.828 million drams in the state budget is proposed, which will be directed to design and cost-estimation works.

The FIFA U-20 World Cup 2029 will take place in Armenia and Georgia.

Around 30 matches will be held in Armenia. Preliminarily, up to 20 matches will take place in Yerevan, while the rest will be held in Vanadzor and Ijevan.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Abisoghomonyan met in Paris with UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture Nayef Al-Fayez.

The discussion focused on expanding the scope of cooperation and deepening collaboration between Armenia and UNESCO in the field of culture, the foreign ministry said in a press release.

The Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized Armenia’s readiness to continue active and constructive engagement in the work of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

Deputy FM Robert Abisoghomonyan also reaffirmed Armenia’s readiness to contribute to the expansion of UNESCO’s toolkit.

In this context, he highlighted the resolution titled “Enhancing the Protection and Restoration of Cultural Heritage through the Use of New and Emerging Technologies,” which was proposed by Armenia and unanimously adopted last year during the 16th Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

The officials highly valued the cooperation between Armenia and UNESCO and stressed the importance of its continued development within the organization’s mandate, particularly in the areas of cultural heritage preservation, restoration, and the promotion of cultural diversity.

The Armenian government is planning to ease financial pressure on farmers and agribusinesses involved in the intensive orchard development program.

It proposes extending loan repayment deadlines by one year and granting an additional grace period for repayment of the principal for eligible beneficiaries, especially those who have already completed or are close to completing their initial grace periods.

The changes were presented for approval at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

According to Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan, the amendments are driven by restrictions faced by Armenia’s fruit and vegetable producers and exporters, particularly in the Russian market.

The decision proposes extending the loan repayment period by one year for beneficiaries who established orchards under the state support program for intensive orchard development, based on monitoring results conducted up to 2026. This applies to beneficiaries whose principal repayment grace period has already expired or will expire by July 31, 2027.

“If the orchard has already yielded produce, that produce has been sold, and the grace period has ended, then the loan term is extended by one year, and an additional one-year grace period for principal repayment is granted to the orchard owner,” Papoyan said.

The minister clarified that in the case of greenhouses, such support had previously been set at six months, while for intensive orchards a one-year extension is proposed, as orchard yields are generally harvested once a year.

According to Papoyan, this approach will allow loan obligations to be distributed over subsequent years and help avoid a heavy financial burden within a short period.

To benefit from this extension, beneficiaries must apply to a financial institution by September 1, 2026. The application must be accompanied by a certificate issued by the ministry confirming, based on monitoring results, that the orchard has been established, as well as a certificate from the State Revenue Committee regarding agricultural production sold in 2026.

Changes are also envisaged for large-scale investors. Legal entities and individuals will be allowed to implement projects without a contractor if they establish intensive orchards of 10 hectares or more, or construct reservoirs with a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters or more.

In such cases, the beneficiary must submit an audit opinion on their financial statements issued by an audit organization registered in the auditor registry and affiliated with an international network.

“Previously, this was done by the contractor; now we say the beneficiary can also do it, but if a professional auditing organization conducts the audit, we will also accept that option,” Papoyan noted.

Armenian Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan has received an official invitation from Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade to participate in an upcoming economic forum in Yekaterinburg, but the Ministry has clarified that reports claiming he personally requested the opportunity to attend are incorrect.

The Ministry’s refutation comes in response to a report by Hraparak newspaper, which claimed, citing unnamed sources within the ministry, that Papoyan himself asked Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov to be given the chance to attend the July 6–7 meeting, further alleging that there has been no response from Moscow so far.

Papoyan’s spokesperson, Lilit Shaboyan, denied the report.

“Today, yet another piece of disinformation has been circulated in the press regarding Armenia’s Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan, specifically about his upcoming business trip,” she said, adding that Papoyan will attend the meeting.

“Recently, Minister Gevorg Papoyan received an invitation from his Russian counterpart to participate in the trade and economic forum to be held in Yekaterinburg in July.

This is the only fact. The other parts of the publication are assumptions and interpretations made by the author, which are false.

Relations between Armenia and Russia continue to be built on the principles of mutual respect and constructive dialogue. Within this framework, contacts and meetings at various levels have been and continue to be part of an ongoing working process.

Therefore, I urge people not to present personal wishes as facts and not to mislead the public,” Shaboyan said in a statement on social media, also publishing an image of the invitation sent by Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov.

In May 2026, Armenia recorded an all-time high number of registered jobs, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said, highlighting economic growth.

The Prime Minister said at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday that job growth has continued over the past three months.

“In May 2026, we have the highest number of registered jobs in history. In May, 823,584 jobs were recorded,” Pashinyan said.

He noted that the previous record was set in December 2025, with 822,662 registered jobs.

Pashinyan said that December is usually the month when peak figures are recorded, but achieving such growth in May is an important signal for the economy.

“Our economy continues its growth pace. Of course, there will be certain impacts, but I am pleased to note that international institutions have raised their forecasts for Armenia’s economic growth,” the Prime Minister said.

The upward revision of growth forecasts, he added, is also linked to major investment programs being implemented and planned in Armenia.

The Prime Minister stressed that existing challenges should be treated as part of the government’s working agenda.

“The government is precisely designed to identify all issues, respond to them, and provide solutions,” Pashinyan noted.

Armenia’s economic growth in the first five months of 2026 was driven primarily by strong performance in construction and industry, while the services sector also posted steady expansion.

According to data released by the Statistical Committee, the economic activity index grew by 8% in January–May 2026 compared to the same period last year.

In May alone, the index was 9.9% higher than in April and 11.7% higher than in May 2025.

The strongest growth was again recorded in the construction sector. In the first five months of 2026, construction output increased by 24.1% year-on-year, reaching 207.34 billion drams.

In May, construction activity rose by 27.2% compared to April and by 27.1% compared to May last year, reaching 62.69 billion drams.

Industrial output increased by 12.2% in January–May compared to the same period last year, reaching 1.266 trillion drams.

In May alone, industrial production rose by 1.2% compared to April and by 9.5% year-on-year, totaling 262.99 billion drams.

Retail and wholesale trade turnover increased by 1.2% in January–May year-on-year, reaching 2.570 trillion drams.

However, in May, trade fell by 1.6% compared to April and remained unchanged compared to May last year. Total trade turnover in May stood at 555.78 billion drams.

The services sector (excluding trade) grew by 9.1% in January–May compared to last year, reaching 1.734 trillion drams.

In May, services increased by 6.9% compared to April and by 14.7% compared to May 2025, totaling 391.31 billion drams.

Consumer prices increased by 4.5% in January–May compared to the same period last year.

In May, prices fell by 0.8% compared to April but were 4.2% higher than in May 2025.

Industrial producer prices rose by 8.9% in January–May year-on-year. In May, they increased by 1.6% compared to April and by 9% compared to May last year.

Armenia produced 3.994 billion kWh of electricity in January–May 2026, up 7.7% year-on-year.

In May, electricity production fell by 2.3% compared to April but increased by 13.3% compared to May last year, reaching 656.9 million kWh.

The figures exclude electricity produced by self-generating autonomous producers. To ensure comparability, electricity produced by autonomous producers involved in electricity exchanges was also excluded from the corresponding indicators of previous periods when calculating growth rates.

Data on agricultural output and average monthly nominal wages were not published for the reporting period.

Armenia’s foreign trade saw a slight overall decline in the first five months of 2026, with total turnover edging down by 0.1% compared to the same period last year, according to the Statistical Committee.

Official data show that Armenia’s foreign trade turnover in January–May 2026 decreased by 0.1% compared to the same period last year, amounting to $7.8647 billion.

In May, compared to April, trade turnover decreased by 5.6%, and compared to May of the previous year, it fell by 5.3%. In the last month of spring, trade turnover amounted to $1.5029 billion.

Exports in January–May were 3.7% lower than in the same period last year, totaling $2.8649 billion. In May, export volume decreased by 4.7% compared to April and by 11.5% compared to May 2025. Exports from Armenia in May were valued at $522.7 million.

Imports in January–May increased by 2.2% compared to the same period in 2025, reaching $4.9998 billion. In May, imports decreased by 6.1% compared to April and by 1.6% compared to May of the previous year. Import volume in May amounted to $980.2 million.

The average exchange rate of the Armenian dram against the US dollar from January to May was 375.53, while in May it stood at 368.55 drams per dollar.