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.

Tigran Petrosyan, Head of the Food Safety Inspectorate Body of the Republic of Armenia, held a meeting with Rishan Chaudhry, Agricultural Attaché, USDA, U.S. Embassy in Türkiye; Demna Dzirkvadze, Senior Agricultural Affairs Specialist, USDA, U.S. Embassy in Georgia; and Edward Eichler, Chief of the Economic and Commercial Section, U.S. Embassy in Armenia.

The inspection agency said in a press release that the meeting addressed issues related to the export of agricultural products and flowers from Armenia to the United States, as well as transit shipments to other countries via Türkiye, the issuance of phytosanitary certificates, ensuring product traceability, registration of economic operators in the TRACES system, maximum allowable levels of residue substances in products, and the development of laboratory capacity.

The parties, while examining issues hindering the development of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, emphasized the importance of implementing joint steps to overcome them.

An agreement was reached to deepen cooperation between the authorized bodies of the two countries, which is expected to contribute to increased trade turnover, the strengthening of economic ties, and the diversified development of the market.

U.S. Chargé d’Affaires a.i. David Allen has visited the Syunik region to become familiar with programs implemented through the Armenian-American partnership and the possibilities for their expansion.

“From Kapan to Meghri, Goris, and Sisian, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. David Allen’s visit to Syunik highlighted the growing U.S.-Armenia partnership across the region,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement, posting a video of Allen detailing his visit.

Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan held a meeting on Thursday with exporting business representatives.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss existing state support programs and to hear business representatives’ proposals in order to make them more effective and better targeted, the ministry said in a press release.

The discussion also covered issues related to increasing the competitiveness of Armenian products, developing new export destinations, boosting export volumes, and expanding the presence of Armenian goods in international markets.

The minister emphasized that export promotion and market diversification are key priorities of the government’s economic policy.

He presented programs implemented by the Ministry of Economy, which are aimed at addressing challenges faced by exporters and creating new opportunities. The business representatives raised their concerns, outlined risks in external markets, and presented their proposals and vision for sector development.

Armenian Minister of Environment Hambardzum Matevosyan attended an environmental reception in London, where he met King Charles III.

King Charles joined delegates from politics, science, business, and international climate diplomacy at the reception at St James’s Palace, held during London Climate Action Week 2026.

Matevosyan was invited to the event by the King.

“The reception brought together high-level representatives from international climate policy, science, business, and philanthropic sectors, with the aim of strengthening cooperation on joint efforts to reduce emissions of super pollutants and combat climate change. Such prestigious international platforms contribute to deepening dialogue between countries, strengthening mutual trust, and shaping new directions for cooperation. Armenia values the continued development of its partnership with the United Kingdom in the fields of environmental protection, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity conservation,” the Armenian minister said in a social media post, sharing a photo of himself greeting Charles III.

According to The Independent, the reception focused on accelerating momentum for action against super-pollutants, featuring speeches from UK energy secretary Ed Miliband, Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley, and UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres.