Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Numan Kurtulmuş, has said that Ankara fully supports the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process and hopes that lasting peace will be established in the South Caucasus, Anadolu reported.

Kurtulmuş made the remarks during his speech at the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States in Baku.

“We welcome the peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have already produced tangible results. I would like to reaffirm that we fully support the peace process in the Caucasus. I hope that, as in the case of the settlement between the United States and Iran, a strong and lasting peace will also be established between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Caucasus, and that this region will become an area of peace, stability, and prosperity,” the Turkish Parliament Speaker said.

 The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 24 June, USD exchange rate down by 0.15 drams to 367.93 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.42 drams to 417.23 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0152 drams to 4.9162 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.63 drams to 484.05 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 747 drams to 48920 drams.

President Vahagn Khachaturyan held a meeting on Wednesday with the Chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission, Mesrop Mesropyan.

During the meeting, the President of Armenia emphasized the commission’s role in the country’s economic and infrastructure development, noting that in the context of current geopolitical and regional developments, the “stable, predictable, and efficient” functioning of the energy sector is of particular importance for Armenia, the President’s Office said in a readout.

President Khachaturyan noted that, in the context of the development of renewable and alternative energy, strengthening energy independence, and ongoing reforms in the sector, the commission’s consistent and coordinated work is essential.

Chairman Mesropyan thanked the President for the reception and presented the commission’s ongoing activities, work carried out in the sector, and upcoming programs. He spoke about the overall situation in the energy system, the challenges facing the sector, as well as the impact of international and regional developments on energy markets.

During the meeting, a number of issues related to Armenia’s energy policy were discussed, including prospects for the development of renewable energy sources, steps aimed at improving the investment environment, as well as issues related to consumer protection and improving the quality of public services.

Views were also exchanged on trends in the development of the energy sector in a rapidly changing world, strengthening energy security, and strategic directions for the long-term development of the sector.

Ambassador of India to Armenia Nilakshi Saha Sinha has lauded the effective cooperation between Armenia and India in various sectors, noting that the multifaceted partnership has been growing, especially over the past few years.

“I think the partnership between India and Armenia is multifaceted,” the ambassador said at a press briefing.

“And I think in all the areas that we look at, whether it’s education, culture, health, defense, politically, economically, we are cooperating exceedingly well. And I think the relations have been on an upswing for the last four, five years. And we are very happy to see further consolidation of these relations.”

Asked about defense cooperation, Ambassador Nilakshi Saha Sinha highlighted that the partnership encompasses both military-technical cooperation and capacity building. “And I think we are progressing very well on all those fronts,” she added.

The Indian ambassador also spoke about other issues.

Asked about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the war in the Middle East, the impact of the resulting situation on India’s economy, and how New Delhi is diversifying trade routes, the ambassador emphasized that India “uses challenges as opportunities.”

“The government of India has gone through various crises, shocks in the last few years. We had the pandemic in 2020, and with the crisis in West Asia, definitely we were sourcing a major part of our hydrocarbons from the Gulf, the GCC countries. And this war definitely had an impact. But I think what we have done in India is to use challenges as opportunities. And every time we have done that. So, India has a very comfortable strategic reserve when it comes to crude oil. So, we had around 60 plus days of crude oil reserves. There was no shortage in India as far as petrol at the pump. But obviously for some time the government held the prices.

But as the war raged on, the prices at the petrol pump increased for both petrol and diesel. Where we did face a problem was our LPG, the liquefied petroleum gas and the LNG. Because a major part, I think more than almost 70 percent of LNG and LPG were being sourced from Qatar.

And because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, India had to diversify very quickly. And today a lot of our LPG, LNG is coming from the US, almost 45 percent,” she said, adding that India now has many more countries from which it imports oil.

“And of course the petroleum gas, that is LPG and LNG. And we have already started work on having strategic reserves of LNG and LPG. So that when there is a next crisis, we will be ready for that. So every challenge, every problem is used as an opportunity to course correct and to be prepared for the next crisis,” the ambassador added.

Armenia’s Foreign Ministry has highlighted the growing role of women in diplomacy, saying that women now make up nearly half of the country’s diplomatic service and play an important role in promoting dialogue, peace, and international cooperation.

The Foreign Ministry released a statement on International Day of Women in Diplomacy.

“On International Day of Women in Diplomacy, we recognize growing role of women in diplomatic service & engagement towards building stronger dialogue, peace & security. At a time of complex global challenges, women diplomats continue to play a vital role in advancing multilateral solutions & strengthening international partnerships. We are happy to constitute that women now make up nearly half of Armenia’s diplomatic service,” the ministry said on X. 

Deutsche Welle’s 19th Global Media Forum (GMF26) has wrapped up in Bonn, Germany, bringing together hundreds of journalists, editors, media executives, public figures, researchers, technology experts, and civil society representatives from around the world. Over the course of two days, participants discussed the challenges facing the media industry and the future of the global information landscape.

Held under the theme “Journalism Out Loud,” the forum focused on some of the biggest issues shaping today’s media agenda, including the impact of artificial intelligence on journalism, disinformation, press freedom, journalists’ safety, media sustainability, digital transformation, and public trust.

During the discussions, participants noted that the media environment is changing rapidly as a result of technological developments and global political shifts. They said media organizations are facing the challenge of adapting to new realities while continuing to provide accurate information, uphold professional standards, and respond to the growing spread of disinformation and manipulation.

Artificial intelligence was among the main topics discussed at the forum. Participants looked at the opportunities new technologies offer to journalism, including data analysis, content creation, and investigative work. At the same time, they stressed that technology should not replace the core principles of journalism, such as accuracy, accountability, fact-checking, and editorial independence.

Disinformation was another major focus of the forum. Participants said the spread of false and misleading information remains a serious challenge for democratic societies, elections, and public confidence. They highlighted the importance of media literacy, stronger fact-checking efforts, and closer cooperation between media organizations internationally.

The issue of trust in journalism was also widely discussed. Participants pointed out that with the growing amount of information, the influence of social media, and increasing polarization, rebuilding public trust remains one of the media sector’s biggest challenges.

Press freedom and journalists’ safety were also central topics. Speakers discussed the difficulties journalists face in different parts of the world, restrictions on access to information, and pressures on independent media. They emphasized that free and independent journalism remains essential for transparency, accountability, and democratic societies.

Another important topic was the financial sustainability of media organizations. Participants noted that in the digital era, media outlets need to rethink traditional business models and find new ways to remain financially stable while protecting editorial independence and journalistic standards.

The forum also addressed inclusion, diversity, public dialogue, and social cohesion. Participants said that media plays a key role not only in informing the public but also in encouraging dialogue, strengthening understanding between communities, and supporting democratic values.

One of the main conclusions of the forum was that challenges facing the information environment are becoming more complex and interconnected. Participants stressed that issues such as artificial intelligence, disinformation, geopolitical tensions, and social polarization require long-term solutions involving media organizations, governments, technology companies, and civil society.

The forum highlighted that in a rapidly changing world, quality journalism remains a crucial foundation for public trust, democratic values, and informed societies.