RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reaffirmed the invulnerable legitimacy of the elections and the results of the ruling party, while expressing concern about the lack of maturity of state institutions in preventing cases of distribution of election bribes by the opposition.

During the briefing following the government session on June 18, the head of the executive summarized the election process, emphasizing that the citizens had a full opportunity to freely express their will. According to his assurance, especially the indicators recorded by the “Civil Agreement” party reflect the real decision of the people.

At the same time, the Prime Minister clarified that his displeasure does not refer to the outcome of the vote, but to the vulnerability of the state system, which made possible the practice of bribing voters. Pashinyan reminded that dozens of criminal cases have already been initiated based on facts of distribution of election bribes by representatives of the opposition forces, and many recordings justifying this illegal practice are available to the public.

According to the results of the June 7 parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s “Civil Contract” party retained power in Armenia, but failed to obtain a constitutional majority.

Formally, the ruling “Civil Agreement” party did not pass the fifty percent threshold (49.81%) according to the voting results, but the peculiarities of the national legislation, however, allow it to single-handedly form a government. This is due to the redistribution of the votes received by the forces that could not overcome the threshold for entering the parliament (4% for parties, 8% for alliances).

In addition to that party, the opposition “Hzor Armenia” (23.29%) and “Hazor Armenia” (9.94%) blocs confidently pass the highest legislative body, although by a large margin. A major local businessman Gagik Tsarukyan Literally several hundred votes were not enough for the “Prosperous Armenia” party to enter the parliament.

—

The Armenian government has approved a large package of co-financing of regional projects, allocating more than 1.6 billion drams for the implementation of 16 infrastructure projects in 13 communities of the country.

The relevant decision was adopted at the June 18 executive session. Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan according to the report, state support will cover six regions. Subsidy programs will be implemented in Armavir, Ararat, Kotayk, Tavush, Gegharkunik and Aragatsotn.

The minister said that the volume of construction works in marzes is increasing significantly. there are communities whose applications for asphalting submitted for 2026 alone already exceed three to four billion drams.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has qualified the subsidy system as one of the most successful state projects, which significantly transforms the appearance and living conditions of Armenian settlements. The head of the government drew special attention to the plans for the overhaul of multi-apartment buildings.

He emphasized the strategic importance of increasing the level of energy saving in the housing stock, urging to apply the leading international experience and make this component a priority in future initiatives.

—

In Luxembourg, the Foreign Minister of Armenia urged the countries of the European Union to speed up the steps to support Armenia in the background of the latest Russian restrictions, the sources of “Freedom” reported from Brussels.

“It was a positive and important meeting to counteract Russia’s hybrid and commercial attacks,” one of the European diplomats present at the meetings told Azatutyun.

Earlier, “Azat” became aware that the European Union intends to offer Armenia preferential conditions: Autonomous Trade Measures (ATM), within the framework of which some Armenian products can enter the European market without customs duties and quotas.

During Mirzoyan’s visit, according to “Freedom” sources, the European Commission reaffirmed this commitment. It is expected that the list of products will become known in the coming weeks.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced today in a briefing with journalists. “Of course, I am grateful to our partners in the European Union for responding so quickly, including for financial support, and there are laws by which we provide more targeted support to our entrepreneurs with budgetary possibilities.” 

Pashinyan emphasized that there are already contracts for the export of large and long-term batches. “We are talking about today, because every day there is work and every day there are events. Today, if you followed the government session, the Minister of Economy mentioned that the number of new directions in which we export already exceeds a dozen countries. Moreover, most of them we had zero exports before. Now we not only have batches, but also contracts for large and long-term batches.”

“[Mirzoyan’s] visit confirmed the deepening relations between the EU and Armenia,” said another European diplomat, adding: “Foreign Minister Mirzoyan also emphasized Armenia’s desire to diversify the energy sector and emphasized the need for the EU to take steps in that direction.”

According to “Azatutyun” sources, at the meeting, Ararat Mirzoyan expressed hope that the border with Turkey will be opened in the near future. He also noted the uncertainty in the peace process with Azerbaijan, which appeared after the June 7 elections, as a result of which Nikol Pashinyan’s “Civil Pact” could not get a constitutional majority.

Yesterday, Pashinyan announced in the Parliament that the visit of the assistant to the President of Azerbaijan last week was related to the results of the June 7 elections, in particular, “managing the threats” that emerged from it.

—

Aliyev’s henchman Nikol Pashinyan has a simple explanation for another dose of speeches full of disgusting words and hatred. he did not win these elections, but only managed not to lose.

In addition, he is particularly concerned about the fact that after subjecting the Armenian people to so many trials, losses, pain, after the loss of Artsakh, after the occupation of our territories, after the invisible but very dangerous psychological and informational war waged against us together with Aliyev, 749,437 RA citizens said “no”. Those citizens, regardless of their political views, approaches and preferences, gave a simple message to both Aliyev, Pashinyan and various international actors. That message is as follows: “War is not peace, it is not normal to live in poverty, it is not normal not to have national dignity, it is not normal to have prisoners in Baku, it is not normal to have occupied territories, it is not normal to change the Constitution at Aliyev’s will, it is not normal to be afraid to pronounce the word Artsakh, it is not normal to be proud of the ethnic cleansing that took place in Artsakh, it is not normal to attack the Armenian Apostolic Church at the request of Baku, it is not normal to drag the victim’s mother, you are not normal. It’s not normal to say to a critical person, “Why didn’t you die?”

This series can be continued, but the fact remains that those who do not consider the plan of Nikol Pashinyan and his political forces to disfigure RA at the will of Aliyev as “peace” are the majority, because people have decided to be guided by simple logic, they have decided to show will, they have decided not to kill their sense of national dignity. I am not saying this to annoy or target those who voted for Pashinyan, I have never done that and I will never do that. I know that a part of people are guided by fear, interest, in the end, maybe also being under propaganda, they have no desire to raise logical questions. It is up to them to decide. I am sure that when they want to see the facts, they will see them immediately.

What I have to say is as follows: Pashinyan lost in the moral and psychological field, he lost in the ideological and value field, moreover, he did not lose to the opposition or any specific political force, but to the Armenian public itself. Now, he can call hundreds of thousands of people who voted against him “bribe takers” or “oppositionists of peace”, that does not change the reality, and he knows it. That’s why he behaves like this, it seems that he would even like to tell Aliyev to attack one more time, as if the Armenian people have not been disciplined well, they still have dignity and the will to resist. But that would also contradict the false talk about “peace” in which the “Demolish the State” political force has fallen into its trap…

Azerbaijanologist Tatev Hayrapetyan

—

Short rain and thunder are expected. hail is also possible in places. This was reported by the “Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center” of the SNOC.

In Yerevan, on the evening of June 18, 20 and 22, short-term rain and thunderstorms are possible in some parts of the city, during thunderstorms, wind intensification with a speed of 15-18 m/s is possible. Weather without precipitation is expected on June 19, 21 and 23. On the territory of the republic, in the afternoon of June 18, on the night of the 20th and 22nd and in the afternoon, on the 19th and 21st, especially in the evening hours, short-lasting rain and thunder are expected in some regions, hail is also possible in some places. Weather without precipitation is expected on June 23.

The wind will be south-west 2-5 m/s, during a thunderstorm, wind intensification is also expected at a speed of 17-20 m/s. The air temperature will gradually increase by 3-5 degrees on June 19-20, and will decrease by the same amount on June 21-22.

—

Samvel Karapetyan, the prime ministerial candidate of the “Strong Armenia” movement, told reporters about the upcoming rally with the participation of all opposition forces.

Samvel Karapetyan proposed to call it “Strong and reliable rally”, emphasizing the importance of presenting a united front.

“Only in that case we can get the real support of our people,” he said.

—

Today, the European Court of Human Rights published the first verdict in cases related to the April Four-Day War. According to Liparit Drmeyan, the former head of the office of the representative on international legal issues, the European Court has documented that Azerbaijan grossly violated the right to life of an Armenian serviceman and the prohibition of torture, including beheading and desecration of the body.

According to the court’s decision, the Azerbaijani side undertook to pay compensation in the amount of 90,000 euros to the victim’s relatives. According to Drmeyan, this is a key precedent for further claims aimed at protecting the rights of the victims during the 44-day war of 2020. We are talking about one of the most tragic episodes of the 2016 war, when Armenian servicemen were ambushed and then brutally tortured, which was reflected in detail in the ECtHR judgment.

Liparit Drmeyan expressed special gratitude to the lawyers group of the applicants for the work done. He also reminded that Armenia, according to court procedures, was involved as a third party.

Despite Baku’s constant denials of guilt, due to long and thorough work, it was possible to present indisputable evidence to the court. Among them were the videos of the Azerbaijani media, where the special forces of the enemy presented these atrocities as “heroic” actions.

—

The 2026 World Rapid Chess Team Championship in Hong Kong, China was marked by the glorious success of Armenian chess. In the 7th round of the tournament, Armenian grandmaster Shant Sargsyan won a sensational victory over Magnus Carlsen, the highest ranked chess player in the world.

As reported by the Chess Federation of Armenia, Sargsyan showed a confident and tactically flawless game, forcing the legendary Norwegian grandmaster to accept defeat. 

Representatives of the international elite participate in the world team championship held in Hong Kong, and this success of Shant Sargsyan gave additional charge to the Armenian team in the further competition.

—

Dear compatriots, since there are many questions about the stage of the legal process carried out by the “Prosperous Armenia” party, I would like to inform about the following.

As a result of the elections held on June 7, the “Prosperous Armenia” party obviously gathered the required number of votes and passed the temporary threshold set for entering the National Assembly. However, after that, the Central Electoral Commission invalidated the voting results of three polling stations with an illegal decision, as a result of which the “Prosperous Armenia” party was artificially deprived of the opportunity to be represented in the parliament.

Then the Central Electoral Commission, violating the requirements of the law, did not conduct re-voting in those precincts, violating the principle of the rule of law and the electoral rights of citizens for the second time. We have stated many times and today we reaffirm that this is in no way a matter of protecting the interests of the “Prosperous Armenia” party. This is a fight for the restoration of justice. Re-voting should be held in those three polling stations so that the will of the citizens is fully realized and each vote has its legal significance.

It is unacceptable when more than 3,000 of our compatriots are deprived of their right to vote. The voter decides which political forces should be represented in the National Assembly, and no administrative or political decision can replace the will of the people. The people decide the result of the elections, not Vahagn Hovakimyan with his pen…

The team of lawyers of the “Prosperous Armenia” party will apply to the Constitutional Court tomorrow. We will use all possible legal tools and procedures to restore the violated rights of voters.

We express our gratitude to our colleagues in the opposition field, public and political figures, lawyers and all compatriots who have expressed their support and solidarity to the “Prosperous Armenia” party these days.

We reaffirm that in this struggle for the restoration of justice, we will continue to act in a consistent, principled and exclusively legal way, without deviating from the path we have adopted. Justice must be restored, and the voice of every citizen must be respected. This is not only the issue of PAP, but a fight for justice and legality.

Iveta Tonoyan

—

The events of the last days finally revealed the true essence of what is happening.

If until now there were still people who had illusions about how the current government imagines its responsibility to society, Nikol Pashinyan’s latest statements should have finally dispelled those illusions.

It is noteworthy that on June 2, during the hottest stage of the pre-election campaign, the Prime Minister of Armenia assured the public that the problem of the sale of Armenian agricultural products was actually solved. After Russia imposed restrictions on Armenian products, Pashinyan announced that new markets had already been found for Armenian products. It is true that he did not consider it necessary to specify exactly which markets we are talking about.

However, in the conditions of the pre-election campaign, such details were apparently considered secondary. The important thing was to create the impression that the government is in complete control of the situation, and nothing threatens the Armenian producers.

The elections are over. And along with them, the promises also disappeared.

Today, the same Pashinyan actually offers businessmen to search for new markets by their own efforts and adapt to the problems that have arisen on their own. Moreover, he allows himself to give admonitions to those people who suffered losses of millions of drams, talking about the “need to adapt” to new conditions.

—