Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan held a meeting with the Ambassador of France to Armenia, Olivier Decottignies.

The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the importance of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Armenia for the May 4 European Political Community Summit, as well as his state visit scheduled for the following day. 

According to a readout of the Deputy Prime Minister’s meeting, ahead of the visit, a detailed discussion was held on a number of items on the bilateral agenda, including French involvement in drinking water supply and wastewater management, the construction of the Sisian–Kajaran section of the North–South Road Corridor, educational cooperation, as well as other strategic projects and initiatives.

Both sides emphasized the importance of the established constructive cooperation, with the aim of effectively addressing issues requiring coordination within this framework and ensuring the continued expansion of bilateral relations.

Armenian Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan has received a French Senate delegation led by Senator Gilbert-Luc Devinaz, the Chairman of the France–Armenia Friendship Group of the upper house of the French Parliament.

According to a readout from the parliament’s press service, while welcoming the French delegation’s visit to Armenia, the Speaker emphasized the importance of organizing such mutual visits for the development of bilateral ties.

The discussion focused on interparliamentary cooperation, bilateral relations, Armenia–EU relations, the established peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as regional developments.

“Alen Simonyan drew the attention of the delegation of the Senate of the French Republic to the issue of Armenian captives and detainees held in Azerbaijan, as well as those considered missing,” the readout said.

Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan received NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Kevin Hamilton on Tuesday in Yerevan.

According to a readout from the parliament’s press service, Speaker Simonyan congratulated Hamilton on assuming office, “expressing confidence that Armenia–NATO relations will enter a new stage of development during his tenure.”

Simonyan and Special Representative Hamilton “discussed various issues related to Armenia–NATO cooperation, jointly implemented programs, as well as regional developments.”

On April 21, Armenian Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan participated in the UNDP Board Meeting of MAP 2.0 “Fostering Responsiveness, Effectiveness, Transparency and Inclusiveness of Armenian Parliament” project, the press service of the Parliament said in a readout.

Simonyan made opening remarks, underscoring the great role of the UNDP in the development of the institutional capacities of the National Assembly.

The progress of jointly implemented programmes was discussed, as well as priorities for future steps were set. At the end of the meeting, the Speaker of Parliament signed the Decree on creating “Equal Treatment and Equal Opportunities Council.”

A website that had previously published fake news has once again targeted Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his family in what Yerevan described as yet another disinformation campaign.

The website known as VT Foreign Policy published a false report accusing Mariam Pashinyan, the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, of running an illegal scheme through her Atlix service business and embezzling over 80 million USD from the state budget. The article was subsequently posted on X by an account named RussiaNews.

Nazeli Baghdasaryan, the spokesperson for the Prime Minister, denied the report.

“The article is a lie and has nothing to do with reality. This is yet another disinformation campaign against the country’s prime minister and members of his family,” Baghdasaryan said in a statement.

The article also linked the alleged scheme to Armenian businessman Samvel Alexanyan, falsely describing him as a member of the ruling Civil Contract party—which he has never been—and accusing him of using Atlix for gunrunning to “Kurdish groups” abroad.

False information was also published about Pashinyan’s ex-wife, Anna Hakobyan, as well as her brother and lawmaker Hrachya Hakobyan, accusing them of involvement in corruption scandals.

President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan has arrived in Astana, Kazakhstan, to participate in the Regional Ecological Summit 2026, his office said. 

The Regional Ecological Summit 2026 (RES 2026), initiated by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, will take place on April 22–24, 2026, in Astana under the theme Shared Vision for a Resilient Future. 

The United Nations is a strategic partner of the summit, which will bring together governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders to advance environmental sustainability in Central Asia. Eighteen UN agencies will co-organize 27 sessions and five workshops focused on key thematic areas related to climate action, environmental resilience, and sustainable development, according to organizers. 

The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 21 April, USD exchange rate down by 0.26 drams to 372.59 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.68 drams to 438.2 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.0064 drams to 4.9652 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.57 drams to 503.41 drams.

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

Gold price down by 723 drams to 57662 drams. 

The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, Suren Papikyan, left for Georgia on an official visit on April 21, the minister said in a social media post.

“I arrived in Georgia on an official visit,” Papikyan wrote, sharing photos from the welcoming ceremony.

The Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Armenia on Tuesday hosted a delegation led by Scott Mastic, Vice President of the International Republican Institute.

The CEC said it had earlier decided to invite a foreign non-governmental organization to conduct an observation mission for the June 7, 2026 parliamentary elections.

CEC Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan welcomed the delegation and answered their questions regarding the legislation.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Robert Abisoghomonyan had a meeting with Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the foreign ministry said in a readout.

The interlocutors commended the robust cooperation established between Armenia and ESCAP. Views were exchanged on the further deepening of the partnership, including in the fields of transport and digital connectivity. In this vein, the Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized the vital importance of knowledge-sharing, expertise exchange and capacity building.

The Deputy Foreign Minister drew the attention of the Executive Secretary of ESCAP to the priorities of Armenia regarding the promotion of regional connectivity as a cornerstone for ensuring peace and stability, fostering economic growth, strengthening resilience and advancing social development. Within the framework of leveraging the untapped transit and logistical potential of the South Caucasus, Robert Abisoghomonyan highlighted the importance of implementing the “TRIPP” project.

During the meeting, views were exchanged on the prospects for cooperation and joint initiatives between Armenia and ESCAP in the lead-up to and within the margins of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17).