The Ministries of Health of Armenia and Croatia will jointly implement an EU-funded Twinning expert support program from July 1, 2026, to July 2028.

The program aims to assess the progress and results of the rollout of the universal health insurance system in Armenia and, based on that, provide professional support for its continuous improvement, a senior lawmaker said.

Civil Contract MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration Arman Yeghoyan said on social media that he met in Croatia with the country’s deputy health minister to discuss the system.

“Today, together with Armenia’s Ambassador to Croatia, Ashot Hovakimyan, we met with Croatia’s Deputy Minister of Health, Tomislav Dulibić, and the coordinator of the Twinning program, Domagoj Dodig. We exchanged views on the structure of the implemented system. Our partners have studied it in detail and believe this is a good start toward aligning our healthcare system with EU standards,” Yeghoyan said.

Armenia produced 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2025, according to Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan.

“I would not like to present a detailed breakdown of our main generation capacities. I will mention only one type of generating capacity—solar power plants,” he said in parliament.

“Last year, 16.3% of Armenia’s total electricity production in the energy system was generated by solar power plants. Experts will confirm that this is a significant figure, and I would like to thank our partners who, despite the absence of energy storage facilities in Armenia, have managed to ensure the flexibility of the country’s energy system,” the minister said.

Khudatyan also noted that in 2025, compared to 2024, total electricity production increased by 6.7%.

“I am also pleased to note that electricity consumption in Armenia has increased, reaching 7.2 billion kilowatt-hours, with a growth rate of 6.6%,” he said.

The minister added that 33.3% of total electricity production last year was sold on the liberalized market, representing a 27.3% increase. In the liberalized electricity market, around 111,000 transactions were concluded, marking a 432% increase.

An Armenian official confirmed on Thursday that the extension of the nuclear power plant’s operational lifespan is ongoing.

Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan, speaking in parliament, told lawmakers: “At present, measures are being implemented under a long-term program to extend the operating life of the nuclear power plant, with the aim of keeping it in the energy system for another 10 years,” he said during a briefing on 2025 developments.

The minister noted that work on the Armenia–Iran 400 kV power transmission line and related infrastructure projects continued over the past year. “In this regard, we have reached about 85% completion,” Khudatyan said.

Armenia plans to build a new nuclear power plant by 2036 to replace Metsamor NPP.

The government has decided to construct a modular-type nuclear power plant and is negotiating with five countries in this regard: the United States, France, Russia, China, and South Korea.

YEREVAN, 16 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 16 April, USD exchange rate down by 0.32 drams to 374.16 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.11 drams to 440.84 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0431 drams to 4.9012 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.47 drams to 506.84 drams.

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

Gold price up by 293 drams to 58021 drams. Silver price up by 13.04 drams to 945.22 drams.

In 2025, Armenia reduced its drinking and irrigation water losses compared to 2024, according to a cabinet minister.

Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan told members of parliament that in 2025, drinking water losses decreased to 51.9% compared to 61% in 2024, while irrigation water losses were 44.3%, down from 45.5% in 2024.

The minister added that the program to build five reservoirs in Armenia has been approved by the Public Investment Committee. The projects are already prepared, and the bidding process will begin soon. “It is about the construction of reservoirs in Astghadzor, Yelpin, Kasakh, Lichk, and Artik,” Davit Khudatyan explained.

Stamp cancellation on “Armenian Heritage: Meghri – the Cultural Capital of the CIS” took place at the Agarak House of Culture.

From April 16, 2026, a stamp dedicated to the theme “Armenian Heritage: Meghri – the Cultural Capital of the CIS” has been put into circulation.

The cancellation was carried out by Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia Daniel Danielyan, Executive Director of the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Anatoly Iksanov, Head of the enlarged Meghri community Khachatur Andreasyan, and Koziev Shamsiddin, Deputy Director for Political, Humanitarian and Social Cooperation at the CIS Executive Committee.

The stamp, with a nominal value of 320 AMD, depicts the logo “Meghri – the Cultural Capital of the CIS,” and at the bottom of the stamp there is an inscription “MEGHRI – THE CULTURAL CAPITAL OF THE CIS” in English.

The author of the design is David Dovlatyan. The printing house is bpost Philately & Stamps Printing (Belgium). The dimensions are 40.0 × 30.0 mm, and the print run is 10,000 copies.

Armenia’s ambassador to Greece Tigran Mkrtchyan met with Greek Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis to discuss ways to deepen bilateral ties and expand economic cooperation.

According to the Armenian embassy in Athens, Mkrtchyan outlined the current agenda of Armenia–Greece relations, highlighting priorities for strengthening cooperation and noting recent high-level visits between the two countries.

The two officials also exchanged views on regional developments and efforts to reopen transport links. Mkrtchyan presented Armenia’s initiatives aimed at boosting regional connectivity, including the TRIPP route project, which he described as a key driver for expanding trade and investment opportunities.

Economic cooperation featured prominently in the talks. The ambassador emphasized the importance of closer business ties and proposed a visit by a Greek business delegation to Armenia, bringing together representatives of the construction, IT, renewable energy, and agriculture sectors.

The discussion also touched on upcoming international events, including the European Political Community summit in Yerevan and the COP17 UN biodiversity conference set to take place in Armenia this autumn. Mkrtchyan briefed his counterpart on preparations for both events.

Hatzidakis welcomed the prospects for deepening bilateral relations, stressing the need to elevate cooperation further and expressing readiness to support that process. 

He also expressed interest in visiting Armenia and exploring opportunities to expand economic ties.

Armenian delegations are expected to take part in several international events in Kazakhstan this year, as the two countries look to deepen cultural and broader cooperation.

The announcement came during the Artexpo exhibition held near the Agarak Cultural Centre, where delegations from CIS countries showcased traditional crafts, cultural items and products in national pavilions.

Speaking to Armenpress, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Culture and Information, Aibek Sydykov, said Armenia and Kazakhstan have long-standing ties across multiple sectors, including culture and humanitarian cooperation.

He noted that Kazakhstan hosted Days of Kazakh Culture in Yerevan last year, while an Armenian delegation visited Astana in 2024 as part of ongoing exchanges.

“There are various formats of cooperation, including on international platforms. We regularly take part in joint festivals and conferences, and we intend to further expand this cooperation,” Sydykov said.

He added that Armenia, along with other CIS partners, has already been invited to participate in a number of international events in Kazakhstan this year, including one dedicated to Turkic cultural heritage.

Sydykov, who is visiting Armenia for the first time, described the decision to designate the town of Meghri as a CIS cultural capital as a historic step.

During his visit, he toured several Armenian cultural landmarks and highlighted the significance of preserving them.

“Sites such as the Surb Hovhannes Church in Meghri could be considered for inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. The church is unique for its valuable medieval frescoes,” he said.

Sydykov also stressed the broader importance of Armenia–Kazakhstan relations, noting that cooperation between Central Asia and the South Caucasus carries growing geopolitical significance.

“Our countries should make full use of this potential, both to strengthen bilateral ties and to promote regional cooperation,” he added.