Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described his meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as an important step towards activating bilateral relations.

“I had a good meeting with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. Thank you for the invitation to the European Political Community Summit. This is the first visit by the President of Ukraine to Armenia in the past 24 years. It is important that we are restoring active dialogue between our countries,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

According to him, regional developments were discussed during the meeting.

“We discussed the situation in the region, as well as security challenges and threats. I briefed the Prime Minister on the diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a real peace.”

Zelenskyy also touched on economic cooperation.“We also discussed the development of our economic partnership. I proposed resuming the work of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation and holding its next meeting this year in Kyiv,” he posted.

French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at a briefing on the results of the Yerevan summit of the European Political Community, addressed the issue of Armenian detainees held in Azerbaijan, noting that he will discuss it with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

“I will first discuss with the President of Armenia and the Prime Minister of Armenia, and after that I will call President Aliyev, and we will organize together the right way to proceed, either physically or through this phone call. But you can count on me, and I am a strong believer in this peace process,” the French president noted.

Referring to the Yerevan summit of the European Political Community, Macron highlighted the importance of holding it in Armenia.

“I think it was very important to hold the 8th meeting of the European Political Community here in Yerevan,” he said, adding that it confirms the path Armenia has taken in recent years.

The French President said that Armenia was previously considered a country dependent on Russia, but, according to him, the situation has changed.

“Since the Velvet Revolution initiated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and thanks to his policy in recent years of building peace and turning towards Europe, as well as the commitments made to Europe, we are opening a new era,” Macron noted.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin has appreciated the political will and strong leadership demonstrated by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the peace process with Azerbaijan.

Irish PM noted that Ireland had experienced conflict about 30 years ago and stressed that there is a way out of conflict and a path to resolving problems, which requires sensitivity, but above all political will and strong leadership. He added that Pashinyan, together with his Azerbaijani counterpart, had demonstrated this in an effective manner, which was appreciated.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Greece Tigran Mkrtchyan has discussed the possibility of cooperation between Armenian educational institutions and the International Hellenic University.

According to a statement published on the Armenian Embassy in Greece’s Facebook page, Mkrtchyan highlighted the importance of the comprehensive cooperation agreement signed between the two countries in the field of education, noting that it provides broad opportunities for substantive exchanges.

During the meeting with the Rector of the International Hellenic University, Professor Stamatis Angelopoulos, the sides discussed prospects for establishing cooperation between the university and Armenian educational institutions.

The university’s Vice-Rector for International Relations, Professor Konstantinos Diamantaras, presented the institution’s programmes, noting that it offers a wide range of English-taught courses across its four campuses in Greece.

Mkrtchyan underlined the growing cooperation with Greece in the education sector in recent years and presented ongoing programmes of collaboration with various Greek university centres.

The meeting was also attended by Armenia’s honorary consul in Thessaloniki Akis Dagazian.

The joint restoration of the historic Ani Bridge could create significant tourism opportunities for Armenia and Türkiye once the border is opened. This was written on Facebook by Ruben Rubinyan, Armenia’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament and the country’s special representative in the Armenia-Türkiye normalisation process.

“The joint restoration of the historic Ani Bridge, for which we signed a protocol today, will create major tourism opportunities for Armenia and Türkiye after the border is opened. One part of the Ani Bridge lies on Armenian territory, and together with the ruins of Ani on the other side of the border, these monuments could become a single tourist destination,” Rubinyan wrote. Earlier, Armenia and Türkiye signed a memorandum of understanding on the restoration of the Ani Bridge in Yerevan on the sidelines of the 8th European Political Community summit.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has invited European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas to visit Yerevan’s Red Bridge.

Pashinyan announced the invitation on his Facebook page, also sharing a video from a walk at the historic bridge.

Albert II, Prince of Monaco, has arrived in Yerevan to participate in the 8th European Political Community (EPC) Summit. He was welcomed at Zvartnots Airport by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan.

President of Bulgaria Iliana Iotova, during her trip to Armenia for the 8th European Political Community Summit, visited on Sunday in Yerevan the No. 131 school named after the renowned Bulgarian poet Peyo Yavorov.

The President’s delegation included Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev, who was accompanied by Armenpress News Agency Director Narine Nazaryan.

The two agencies have a long history of cooperation, which began in 2004 and was revitalized in 2022 with the signing of a new agreement in Sofia.

The Bulgarian high-level delegation was welcomed by school students, who performed Bulgarian songs and dances. They performed the patriotic song Moya Bulgaria (My Bulgaria) and danced a traditional Bulgarian folk dance.

Mariam Voskanian, Deputy Director for Extracurricular and After-School Activities at Peyo Yavorov School, emphasized that the centuries-old friendship between the Armenian and Bulgarian peoples has withstood the test of time, and that one of its sincere chroniclers was the great Bulgarian poet Peyo Yavorov, whose work “The Armenians”reflects the tragic history of the Armenian people during the Hamidian massacres.

“In 1966, grateful Armenians named School No. 131 after Peyo Yavorov, and since that day our educational institution has also become an important link in the bridge of Armenian-Bulgarian friendship. The school approaches this mission with honor and responsibility, presenting the ‘Peyo Yavorov’ Armenian-Bulgarian Friendship Museum, as well as Bulgarian culture, language, song, and dance to visiting delegations, including during extracurricular events,” said Mariam Voskanian. She also stressed that they are grateful to the Government of Bulgaria for its attention to the school and its effective support.

She added that they maintain very warm relations with the Embassy of Bulgaria in Armenia and hope that this close friendship will continue permanently.

Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova said she felt deeply moved when she saw the statue of Peyo Yavorov near the school.

She described it as inspiring that Peyo Yavorov, through works such as “The Armenians” and others, expressed his support for the Armenian people.

“I do not know another poet who has written about Armenia with such warmth and who has presented the history of Armenia in such an emotional way,” President Iotova noted.

The President also highlighted the importance of developing friendly relations between the two countries, pointing out that five Armenian schools currently operate in Bulgaria, and a sixth will soon open. “Children in these schools are taught Armenian art and culture. They know Armenian song and dance as well as Armenian children know Bulgarian culture,” she said.

She invited the teachers and students of Peyo Yavorov School to the poet’s birthplace, the city of Chirpan, where they could jointly present Armenian and Bulgarian culture.

During the visit, President Iliana Iotova, the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Armenia Nikola Nikolov, and other guests also toured the “Armath” engineering laboratory, which was founded in 2023 at the school by the Bulgarian Embassy and the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises. The lab is attended by students who have won various competitions in Singapore and other countries, including the “Koreez” program.

The school’s interactive classroom was also reopened in 2018 with the support of then-President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev, who attended the opening ceremony. The renovation of the gym was likewise carried out with the effective assistance of the Bulgarian government.

Prime Minister of Serbia Đuro Macut has arrived in Armenia to participate in the 8th European Political Community (EPC) Summit. He was welcomed at Zvartnots Airport by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart Inga Ruginienė, who arrived in Yerevan on Sunday.

The Prime Minister welcomed Ruginienė’s visit to Armenia and thanked her for accepting the invitation to participate in the 8th European Political Community (EPC) Summit, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

Pashinyan described hosting the EPC Summit as a “historic event” for the country and expressed gratitude for Lithuania’s endorsement of Armenia’s bid, as well as its support for the development of Armenia–EU ties.

Prime Minister Ruginienė expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality. She emphasized the importance of Armenia’s democratic path, noting that it also contributes to strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

The prime ministers discussed a range of issues aimed at deepening bilateral relations between Armenia and Lithuania and elevating cooperation to a new level.

They also touched upon topics related to Armenia–European Union cooperation, including the advancement of democratic reforms and the expansion of economic cooperation.