Armenia’s Ambassador to Belgium and representative to the EU, Tigran Balayan, has thanked the European Parliament for adopting a resolution in support of Armenia’s democratic resilience.

Balayan expressed his gratitude in a post on the social media platform X.

“Grateful to MEPs for adopting this timely resolution ahead of the EPC and EU–Armenia summits in Yerevan. A strong signal of support by European Parliament for Armenia’s democratic resilience and our shared commitment to deeper partnership,” he wrote.

At a plenary session of the European Parliament on April 30, a resolution on Armenia was adopted, reaffirming EU support for Armenia’s democratic development, the peace process and reforms aimed at European integration.

The resolution was supported by 476 Members of the European Parliament, with 47 voting against and 48 abstaining.

The 8th European Political Community Summit and the first-ever EU–Armenia summit, to be held next week in Yerevan, are highly important in terms of boosting the country’s international standing, improving the security environment, and deepening ties with the EU, according to the head of a prominent educational organization.

In an interview with Armenpress, For Equal Rights Educational Center President and former lawmaker Gayane Abrahamyan said the importance for Armenia is not limited to the upcoming event but is of a continuous nature, starting from the first European Political Community summit.

“Since the very first summit in 2022, when the Prague agreements were adopted and it was decided to deploy the European Union monitoring mission in Armenia, this format has consistently emphasized cooperation with Armenia and support, particularly in the security sphere,” Abrahamyan said.

She noted that the European Political Community format, which includes both EU member states and partner countries, has at various stages contributed to strengthening Armenia’s security, including through practical decisions. In this context, the summit to be held in Yerevan has particular significance as it is taking place in Armenia.

Abrahamyan stressed that holding the event in Yerevan also sends an important political and security message.

“Even taking into account regional tensions, including the wartime situation around Iran, the fact that the summit is being held in Armenia shows that the European Union considers Armenia a reliable partner and a secure country,” she said.

According to her, the event also serves as an indirect signal to the international community and business circles.

“When one of the important EU summits is held in Armenia, it is in itself a message that Armenia is a partner country where investments can also be made. This is part of the process of increasing Armenia’s visibility and becoming an important actor on the map,” Abrahamyan said.

The expert said the summit will contribute to enhancing Armenia’s international reputation.

She added that this impact is further emphasized by the fact that the first EU–Armenia summit will be held alongside the EPC summit, with the participation of European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“This is extremely high-level participation, which increases Armenia’s role in the region. It is also a political message that Armenia is seen as an important anchor for the European Union,” she said.

Speaking about expectations regarding peace and security in the South Caucasus, Abrahamyan said it is important to consider possible EU involvement in the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process.

“Although the current format is primarily bilateral negotiations, the European Union can play an important role both politically and financially,” she said.

She added that EU involvement could create additional security guarantees and contribute to the stability of the peace process.

“American mediation alone is not sufficient, and in this regard, EU participation can raise the level of security and strengthen the process,” Abrahamyan said.

Speaking about economic and investment opportunities, she stressed that the summit agenda prioritizes energy, transport, and digital connectivity.

“These are the main areas where discussions are planned in the context of peace, security, and connectivity development in Armenia,” she said.

A leading international relations and security analyst has said that by hosting the European Political Community Summit, as well as the first-ever EU–Armenia summit, Armenia enhances its role in international affairs.

In an interview with Armenpress, Sossi Tatikyan, President and Co-Founder of the Yerevan Centre for Foreign and Security Policy, an independent think tank, recalled the first two meetings of the European Political Community (EPC), the first of which was held in Prague in 2022 and the second in Granada in 2023.

She noted that the first high-level event to be held in Yerevan in May—the 8th European Political Community Summit—has no direct link to Armenia in terms of content, and that Yerevan is simply the host, but added that hosting the event highlights Armenia’s position as one of the EU’s closest partners.

“These meetings have been very important for us because decisions directly related to Armenia were adopted, particularly at the Prague summit. In the case of Granada, a supportive decision was also made regarding us, but as you may recall, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev boycotted the meeting, using as a pretext a statement by the French foreign minister that Paris would begin supplying arms to Armenia,” Tatikyan said.

She highlighted that European Political Community meetings are held in EU member states as well as in candidate or partner countries.

“What makes hosting this summit in Yerevan important is, first, that it demonstrates the high level of relations with the European Union and the fact that we are, in effect, among its closest partner countries. Second, as a small country, it is a major opportunity to host such a large number of heads of state, as well as the leadership of the European Union,” she said.

According to the expert, hosting such an event in Yerevan also highlights Armenia’s role as a factor in international relations.

“This is about the fact that Armenia, as a small state, is increasing its role by hosting such an event. The fact that the EU’s top leadership and a large number of world leaders will visit Armenia is already very important for the country’s visibility and international standing,” Tatikyan said, expressing confidence that Yerevan will be able to host the events at a high level.

She also noted an additional interesting factor, pointing out that despite the war in neighbouring Iran, the European Union did not change its decision to hold the summit in Armenia.

“When the war in Iran began, I personally had concerns that the EU might decide not to hold the event in Armenia due to security issues. However, we see that the venue was not changed. This says a lot—it shows a certain level of trust in Armenia’s ability to ensure security. It means Armenia is considered a safe country capable of hosting such a high-level event,” she said.

Speaking about the EU-Armenia summit to be held after the EPC summit, Tatikyan stressed that it represents another step on the path of European integration.

“As an advocate of the European Union, I would very much like Armenia’s aspirations for future membership to be formalized at that summit, meaning an official application for EU membership. However, I have no such information, and I do not think such a risky step will be taken ahead of elections in Armenia. In any case, the summit is another step that brings the EU’s highest leadership to Armenia,” she said.

Tatikyan also suggested that the European Union could become more involved in Armenia–Azerbaijan dialogue.

“It could relate to the unblocking of communications, Armenia’s participation in the Middle Corridor, and other infrastructure projects,” Tatikyan concluded.

The Armenian government approved on Thursday a Defense Ministry proposal to provide housing to nearly 3,000 servicemen, some of whom have been on waiting lists since the 1990s or 2000s.

Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, speaking at the Cabinet meeting, said the program will be implemented in four phases and aims to resolve long-standing housing issues for beneficiaries.

Papikyan said the initiative targets 2,850 beneficiaries who have served under the Defense Ministry or are otherwise eligible.

The program will be implemented through a mortgage lending mechanism, with 90% of financing provided by the government via banks and the remaining 10% covered by the Defense Ministry’s annual budget.

Under the plan, 735 beneficiaries will be provided housing in 2027, 812 in 2028, 719 in 2029, and 584 in 2030.

Beneficiaries include contract servicemen and civil servants in the defense system, former servicemen discharged on legal grounds, persons with service-related disabilities, and families of fallen or deceased servicemen.

Member of Parliament Hayk Konjoryan, head of the ruling Civil Contract party faction, has held a meeting with Khalil Shirgholami, Iran’s ambassador to Armenia.

According to a readout issued by the parliament’s press service, Konjoryan and Ambassador Shirgholami “emphasized the importance of efforts aimed at establishing long-term and lasting peace in the region.”

They also discussed prospects for developing interparliamentary ties between Armenia and Iran.

The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 30 April, USD exchange rate down by 0.41 drams to 370.78 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.14 drams to 434.41 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0088 drams to 4.9378 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 501.41 drams.

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

Gold price down by 571 drams to 53907 drams.

A new batch of cargo has been transported from the Russian Federation to Armenia via the territory of Azerbaijan.

This was reported by Azerbaijani media. It was noted that four wagons of grain, totalling 279 tonnes, and three wagons of fertiliser, totalling 203 tonnes, departed from Bilajari station towards Boyuk-Kesik.

It was reported that to date, more than 25,000 tonnes of grain, over 1,600 tonnes of fertiliser and 68 tonnes of buckwheat have been transported from Russia to Armenia via Azerbaijan in transit.

In addition to transit transportation, petroleum products are also exported from Azerbaijan to Armenia.

A concept has been developed to restore the “Artashat Capital” archaeological site and transform it into a tourism hub, following nearly a year of studies carried out by the French Development Agency (AFD) in cooperation with Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and the EU Delegation in Armenia.

The ministry said the concept was presented at the Komitas Museum-Institute, attended by Minister Zhanna Andreasyan, Deputy Minister Alfred Kocharyan, Head of Cooperation Section of the EU Delegation to Armenia Frank Hess, and a representative of the French Development Agency.

Welcoming participants, Andreasyan said the historic capital of Artashat is one of the most important symbols of Armenia’s statehood and remains insufficiently explored. According to the development concept, the site is expected to become one of the country’s most visited destinations in the coming years.

“This monument reflects our state traditions from centuries ago. The aim of the programme is to fully present and realise the site’s potential, both in terms of preserving and transmitting cultural heritage and developing it as a tourist destination. International experience and cooperation are essential in developing the roadmap, which will ensure a worthy approach to presenting the historic capital of Artashat to the public and tourists as a sign of respect for our history,” Andreasyan said, thanking all parties involved.

She added that engagement with cultural environments significantly changes perceptions of architectural thinking, design features and engineering infrastructure.

Andreasyan also said work has long been under way to make the Getamerdz district of the historic capital of Artashat more accessible to the public. Design work is ongoing for site improvement, road separation, restoration and reinforcement.

At the same time, construction of a modular centre, including a waiting area, is under way in cooperation with the community. Archaeological excavations were carried out in the Getamerd district in 2025 by order of the ministry, and a project has been commissioned for the reinforcement, restoration and improvement of the excavated sections. Steps are also being taken to further improve accessibility of the district for tourists.

Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Greece, Tigran Mkrtchyan, held meetings with Central Macedonia Governor Athina Athenasiadou and Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis during a working visit to Thessaloniki.

This was reported by the Armenian Embassy in Greece.

During the meetings, Ambassador Mkrtchyan discussed prospects for interregional and decentralised cooperation with Armenia. In talks with Governor Athenasiadou, the sides focused in particular on opportunities to establish cooperation in three main areas: innovative technologies, tourism and culture. In this context, the potential for joint participation in various programmes within the European Union framework was highlighted.

In discussions with Mayor Angeloudis, the sides addressed events organised and planned during the year through joint efforts of the Armenian Embassy in Greece and the Honorary Consulate of Armenia in Thessaloniki, including events marking the 35th anniversary of Armenia’s independence. They also discussed the possibility of celebrating bilateral city days.

The importance of introducing a new methodology for presenting the rich Armenian presence in Thessaloniki was emphasised, taking into account the significant increase in tourism to Greece’s second city and surrounding areas during the summer period, including from Armenia.

The ambassador also briefed his interlocutors on regional developments, Armenia’s process of unblocking and normalising relations with its neighbours, and recent achievements in Armenia–Greece bilateral relations.

Ambassador Mkrtchyan thanked the mayor for hosting an exhibition in February 2026 at the city hall as part of the “Universe Art” international competition-festival, titled “Greek and Armenian mythology through the eyes of children”, featuring around 100 works by children aged 5 to 18 from Armenian art schools.

Honorary Consul of Armenia in Thessaloniki Akis Dagazian also attended the meetings.

A regular meeting of the inter-agency commission coordinating the organisation and staging of the “Tour of Armenia” international professional cycling race, scheduled to take place in Armenia on September 10–13, was held under the chairmanship of Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan.

According to the ministry, the meeting was attended by Deputy Minister Hasmik Avagyan, Chief Secretary Hasmik Hakobyan, Director of consulting company RCS Napoli Micelle, which provides advisory support for the organisation of the race, as well as other officials and representatives of a number of state and sports bodies.

Andreasyan thanked members of the commission for their cooperation and readiness, stressing the importance of coordinated efforts to ensure the proper organisation of the event.

During the meeting, participants discussed proposed route options developed after extensive study. According to the proposals, the routes will cover road sections in Yerevan and the regions of Gegharkunik, Tavush, Lori and Aragatsotn. Potential issues along the routes were identified, along with measures to align them with the requirements of the race, determine route centres and ensure the availability of necessary infrastructure.

The importance of effectively showcasing Armenia’s landscapes during the race was highlighted, with emphasis on the event’s role in developing tourism in Armenia, particularly in promoting cycling tourism.

The meeting also addressed preparatory and organisational work, as well as ensuring proper implementation of marketing and awareness campaigns.

Andreasyan stressed the importance of coordinated organisation, strict adherence to deadlines and full compliance with international standards, noting that the quality of work depends on effective cooperation among the stakeholders.

The multi-day race is expected to feature experienced cyclists from around 20 teams, each consisting of six members.