- Ruzanna Stepanian
Billionaire Samvel Karapetian has said that his Strong Armenia bloc will join forces with other opposition groups to continue challenging Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian after the disputed parliamentary elections held on June 7.
In an interview with several media outlets publicized on Thursday, Karapetian again rejected as fraudulent the official election results that gave victory to Pashinian’s Civil Contract party.
According to Armenia’s Central Election Commission (CEC), Civil Contract won the ballot with 49.8 percent of the vote, while Strong Armenia finished second with 23.3 percent, followed by former President Robert Kocharian’s Hayastan bloc (9.9 percent). Strong Armenia, Hayastan and four other opposition groups are planning to challenge the vote results in the Constitutional Court.
“I propose that we create a coordinating council, talk live on air, expose all problems to our people and … make sense of steps that need to be taken,” said Karapetian.
In his words, they need to decide, in particular, whether or not Strong Armenia and Hayastan should take up their parliament seats and how to prevent Pashinian from “ruling single-handedly” and making more concessions to Azerbaijan.
Hayastan welcomed the idea of a “post-election opposition coalition” floated by Karapetian. One of its leading members, Ishkhan Saghatelian, listed similar issues which he believes should top its agenda. He said the appeals to the Constitutional Court are the most immediate opposition task.
“Of course, we realize that the Constitutional Court is a court formed by Civil Contract, but we are giving the court a chance to prove that it serves Armenia and the constitution, not Nikol Pashinian,” Saghatelian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Many opposition supporters are skeptical about the legal action and want the opposition to challenge the election results in the streets. Saghatelian indicated that anti-government rallies will be ahead of Constitutional Court rulings on the appeals.
Karapetian likewise announced that opposition forces will jointly rally supporters in Yerevan “soon.” He disagreed with those who believe they should have launched a sustained campaign of street protests right after the elections. Such protests would not have made a difference, he said, adding that they should be staged “at the right time” later on.
Pashinian on Wednesday again rejected the fraud claims and vowed to “crush” Karapetian, Kocharian and Gagik Tsarukian, the leader of another major opposition part that challenged him in the polls.
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RFE/RL – Baku Renews Demands For ‘Return Of Western Azeris’
Less than two weeks after the Armenian parliamentary elections, Azerbaijan’s leadership renewed on Thursday its demands for Armenia to allow a mass influx of Azerbaijanis who had lived there in Soviet times.
“Every Western Azerbaijani has the right to return to the land of their ancestors,” deputy parliament speaker Ziyafet Askerov said during a “festival-conference” on their “return to Western Azerbaijan” organized by Azerbaijan’s government in the Nakhichevan exclave.
“Return is the legal, historical and moral right of Western Azerbaijanis as these lands are our ancient territories,” he added, according to Azerbaijani media.
Azerbaijani Education Minister Emin Amrulayev also addressed the even held in Ordubad, a town close to the Armenian border. He said “the topic of Western Azerbaijan” is of strategic importance to Baku.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev continued to voice such demands even after he and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian initialed an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty in Washington last August. Pashinian’s domestic critics say the demands make mockery of Pashinian’s regular claims that peace has already been established between the two nations. They claim that Aliyev’s ultimate goal is to end Armenia’s existence as a viable state.
Throughout the election campaign, the two main Armenian opposition forces said that Pashinian will allow as many as 300,000 Azerbaijanis to settle in Armenia if he wins reelection. The Armenian premier reacted angrily to those claims.
Baku rekindled the issue just three days after Aliyev’s top foreign policy aide, Hikmet Hajiyev, visited Armenia and met with the secretary of the country’s Security Council, Armen Grigorian. Pashinian said on Wednesday that he initiated their talks in order to “manage” what he described as the risk of another Armenian-Azerbaijani war increased by the Armenian opposition’s performance in the June 7 elections.
Despite winning the elections, according to their official results, Pashinian’s Civil Contract party fell short of a two-third majority in the parliament needed for enacting a new Armenian constitution demanded by Baku. Opposition leaders say the purpose of Hajiyev’s visit was to discuss this and other concessions promised by Pashinian.
Aliyev’s demands sharply contrast with Pashinian’s categoric refusal to champion the right of Nagorno-Karabakh’s displaced ethnic Armenian population to return to its homeland recaptured by Azerbaijan in 2023. Pashinian has repeatedly said in recent months that discussing the repatriation of the Karabakh Armenians and other refugees from the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict would be “dangerous for the peace process.”
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Parliament debates introducing reverse mortgage and spousal ownership rules
Parliament is debating two new legal mechanisms proposed to be introduced in civil legislation: reverse mortgage and spousal exclusive ownership rights.
The bill proposing amendments to the Civil Code of Armenia and related laws was presented in the first reading during the June 18 session of Parliament by Nane Ghazaryan, Deputy Head of the Cadastre Committee.
She said a reverse mortgage is a new type of credit agreement that will be enshrined in the Civil Code.
Under the new regulation, citizens who have reached retirement age and own residential property will be able to enter into an agreement with a bank, a credit organization, or a third party. Under this agreement, the citizen will pledge their property and, in return for its assessed market value, will receive regular monthly payments.
“The citizen will have no obligation to make payments to the bank during their lifetime. The contractual relationship will terminate upon the person’s death,” Ghazaryan explained.
According to her, after the citizen’s death, heirs will have six months to approach the bank and repay the obligations assumed by the deceased. If they choose not to do so, ownership of the property will be transferred to the bank, credit organization, or another entity specified in the contract.
The bill also proposes introducing the institution of spousal exclusive ownership rights. Under current regulations, property acquired during marriage is considered joint marital property. After the death of one spouse, half of the property belongs to the surviving spouse, while the other half is included in the inheritance estate and distributed among legal heirs.
Under the proposed regulation, spouses will be able, by mutual agreement, to assign a special status to property, which will be registered with the Cadastre Committee as spousal exclusive ownership rights.
“After the death of one spouse, the surviving spouse will have the opportunity to become the sole owner of the entire property. The property will be included in the inheritance estate only after the death of both spouses,” Ghazaryan said.
The bill was endorsed by the Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs Committee earlier.
MPs emphasized that clear protective mechanisms should be in place to safeguard the interests of pensioners.
MP Tsovinar Vardanyan, Chair of the Committee, particularly addressed the potential risks associated with the regulation of reverse mortgages.
She called for the creation of a platform where citizens could submit their suggestions, which could stimulate competition among banks, resulting in better terms being offered to citizens.
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Pashinyan reiterates legitimacy of Civil Contract’s election results
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the results achieved by his Civil Contract Party in the June 7 parliamentary elections are “undisputedly legitimate.”
“The citizens of Armenia had the opportunity to express their will in the parliamentary elections. The election results, particularly those recorded by the Civil Contract Party, are undisputedly legitimate, and at least in this regard, the results reflect the free _expression_ of the will of the citizens of Armenia,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing on June 18.
When asked whether the results are not legitimate with regard to opposition forces, Pashinyan said:
“In the case of the opposition, there are dozens of criminal cases and published recordings related to vote-buying.”
The Civil Contract Party won a majority in the new parliament. Two opposition blocs — Strong Armenia and Armenia — will also be represented.
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Pashinyan says opposition forces are controlled from a single center
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has responded to Samvel Karapetyan, leader of the “Strong Armenia” alliance, who called on the opposition to unite on June 17.
Asked at a press briefing by Armenpress whether Karapetyan’s statement could be considered a prelude to post-election processes in Armenia, Pashinyan said:
“The consolidation you are referring to is not something new; it happened a long time ago, they just did not announce it so as not to lower public morale. These forces are the same forces—controlled from the same center, operating on the basis of the same principles. What is new about that? It is an obvious fact.”
On June 17, Samvel Karapetyan, leader of the “Strong Armenia” alliance, announced the launch of a process to consolidate opposition political forces. He said:
“I announce the process of consolidation of opposition forces. We made that mistake before the elections. Many opposition forces, who may have been honestly fighting, overestimated their strength. We could not reach agreements with many opposition forces. Now this consolidation is very important for our country and our people. I believe that those opposition forces for whom our country is dear will respond, and we will definitely create a post-election opposition coalition. I propose that we create a coordinating council, communicate live, reveal all problems to our people through proper discussions, understand what is right, and move forward with those steps.”
According to the results of the parliamentary elections held in Armenia on June 7, the “Civil Contract” party entered parliament with a stable majority and will form the government. The “Strong Armenia” and “Armenia” alliances have also won seats.
Six political forces that participated in the elections—the “Strong Armenia” alliance, the “Armenia” alliance, the “Prosperous Armenia” party, the “Armenian National Congress” party, the “Bright Armenia” party, and the “National Democratic Pole” party—issued a joint statement claiming that the official election results do not reflect the real will of the people and the true outcome of the elections.
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Pashinyan says Armenia and U.S. determined to advance quickly on TRIPP project
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia and the United States are determined to move quickly toward the implementation of the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) project.
Asked by Armenpress at a press briefing about the project, Pashinyan, speaking specifically about the availability of investments and capital required for its implementation, highlighted that the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation has recently approved the creation of the TRIPP Development Company.
“A large allocation has already been made from the fund, and as for the remaining part, the Republic of Armenia will, of course, fulfill its obligations. The document has been signed, and now it is in the ratification phase, but we should not wait for formalities; we must move forward as quickly as possible. That is the approach of both us and the United States,” Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized.
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Pashinyan comments on latest Armenia–Azerbaijan meeting
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan highlighted on Thursday that the recent meeting between two senior Armenian and Azerbaijani officials took place in Armenia and not outside the region in a third country.
Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan held talks with Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department, in Dilijan on June 14.
“This means that in terms of the peace process we are moving forward and managing the risks that could have arisen,” the Prime Minister said at a press briefing when asked about the meeting.
He noted that various issues were raised during the meeting, including those related to detainees, as well as matters concerning the management of the border situation.
“I had instructed Armen Grigoryan to discuss with his Azerbaijani counterpart whether there was a need for a meeting or not. We are engaged in managing the situation,” Pashinyan said, adding that negotiations between all countries around the world are conducted to discuss each other’s positions, plans, strategies, and concerns.
Following the June 14 meeting, both governments issued identical readouts, saying they discussed issues related to the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace agenda and emphasized the importance of continuing direct bilateral dialogue.
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Pashinyan says he will attend EAEU intergovernmental council meeting
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on Thursday that he will participate in the upcoming meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Intergovernmental Council scheduled for August 15 in Kyrgyzstan.
The Prime Minister said at a press briefing that he would take part in the session and address issues related to restrictions on the export of Armenian goods, stressing that the Armenian government is already actively working on these problems.
Ahead of the parliamentary elections held on June 7, Russia imposed restrictions and bans on the import of numerous Armenian goods, which remain in effect today. The move prompted exporters to look for new markets, including in the EU. The EU has since announced support measures. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, following a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, announced immediate financial assistance of more than €50 million, along with other support measures to facilitate trade, including steps to expand export opportunities for Armenian goods.
Russia has cited phytosanitary violations as the reason for the ban, which has been widely viewed by the EU as “economic coercion.”
The restrictions come amid Armenia’s EU integration moves, with Moscow having warned Yerevan to choose whether to remain within the EAEU or opt for potential EU membership.
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DigiTec 2026 dates announced
Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises press release
DigiTec, Armenia’s largest technology event, will take place on November 20–22, 2026.
Over the past two decades, DigiTec has evolved from an exhibition occupying a single hall into one of the region’s most influential technology platforms. It has become a meeting point for technology leaders, founders, investors, policymakers, researchers, and innovators, helping shape Armenia’s technological future.
The milestone 20th edition of DigiTec in 2025 brought together more than 30,000 visitors, over 200 exhibiting companies, more than 100 international speakers, and participants from over 30 countries.
Building on this momentum, DigiTec 2026 aims to surpass the achievements of the previous year and further strengthen its position as a leading technology platform in the region.
The event comes at a pivotal moment for Armenia’s technology ecosystem. The country is rapidly emerging as a regional hub for artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Combined with Armenia’s strategic position at the crossroads of Europe, the Gulf region, and Central Asia, these developments are turning the country into a natural bridge connecting some of the world’s fastest-growing technology markets.
The vision and content of DigiTec 2026 will be strongly anchored in this historic transformation. The event’s thematic tracks and lineup of leading international speakers will be announced additionally.
Organizers promise unprecedented participation from some of the most respected and influential voices in the global technology industry.
In addition to the conference and exhibition, DigiTec 2026 will offer expanded opportunities for business networking, partnership development, and international collaboration.
The inaugural DigiTec took place in 2005. It was envisioned and brought to life by the late Karen Vardanyan, longtime UATE CEO and an extraordinary leader of Armenia’s tech community.
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Safety as a culture: Lydian Armenia records 1M man-hours without a lost-time i
Lydian Armenia press release
Employees of Lydian Armenia and representatives of contractor companies involved in the Amulsar Project came together to celebrate a major safety milestone achieved during construction activities at Amulsar: 1M man-hours without a lost-time injury (LTI).
In the mining industry, this metric is widely used to assess a company’s health and safety performance. Reaching 1M man-hours without an LTI means that employees collectively worked 1M hours without experiencing any work-related incident that resulted in time away from work or prevented them from returning to their normal job responsibilities.
During the event, Hayk Aloyan, Managing Director of Lydian Armenia, once again underscored the importance of workplace safety at Amulsar. He congratulated the team on this achievement and emphasized the importance of continuously improving safety performance every day and every hour. He reminded attendees that ensuring a safe workplace is the responsibility of every team member and that safety is about teamwork and looking out for one another.
“For Lydian Armenia-and for me personally-ensuring the highest standards of workplace safety at Amulsar has always been a top priority. These are not just words; they reflect our commitment and the safety culture we have built over the years. It is a culture that continues to guide us and one that we actively promote among our partners and in our communities. Everyone working on the Amulsar Project must return home safe and healthy every day,” said Hayk Aloyan.
The event concluded with a symbolic signing ceremony, during which every team member signed a specially prepared banner, reaffirming their commitment to working safely and looking out for one another.
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