Armenia’s railway operator, South Caucasus Railway, has announced the seasonal resumption of international passenger service on the Yerevan–Tbilisi–Batumi–Yerevan route.

Passengers traveling from Armenia to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, and the Black Sea resort city of Batumi will be served by the “Armenia” branded train, featuring modern and comfortable carriages designed for long-distance travel, the company said in a press release.

The train will begin operating on June 14 and will run every other day until October 1. Tickets can be purchased at railway station ticket offices in Armenia and Georgia, as well as online.

The Yerevan–Sevan–Shorzha–Yerevan route will also resume on June 12. The electric train will operate on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It will depart from Yerevan station at 8:30 a.m. and return from Shorzha station at 5:00 p.m.

To improve convenience for passengers traveling on the No. 101 Gyumri–Yerevan express train, the departure time of the electric train from Gyumri station will be moved from 5:55 p.m. to 7:40 p.m. starting June 12.

A senior member of Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia Party has been arrested on suspicion of money laundering and paying citizens to attend the tycoon’s rallies.

Alik Aleksanyan, a member of the party’s board who is not running for parliament on the alliance list, has been arrested, and a motion will be filed in court to remand him in custody during the investigation, the Investigative Committee said.

The law enforcement body said in a press release that a joint probe with police revealed that Aleksanyan — who led the “Mer Dzevov” (Our Way) NGO movement, a precursor to the Strong Armenia Party — allegedly concealed his true intentions and formally hired around 1,400 citizens under civil law and service contracts for different periods in the movement’s offices across Armenia, more than 400 of whom were also simultaneously employed by other companies.

During the pre-trial investigation, it was established that between October 8, 2025, and March 31, 2026, approximately 1.6 billion drams, €230,000, and $75,000 were transferred to the bank accounts of the “Mer Dzevov” NGO from the Tashir Charitable Foundation and affiliated companies “Inteko Energo” and “Tashir Capital,” linked to Samvel Karapetyan, under the labels of “donations” and “loan provisions,” allegedly constituting proceeds of criminal activity.

During the same period, Aleksanyan allegedly laundered large-scale illicit funds by disguising them as lawful activity, paying salaries and service fees to hired citizens, and materially incentivizing them to participate in rallies and gatherings organized by Karapetyan’s supporters, the “Mer Dzevov” NGO, and the Strong Armenia Party between September 2025 and May 2026.

As a result, the majority of the hired individuals either did not attend work or visited the organization’s offices only once or a few times per month, reportedly without being aware of the nature or purpose of their roles within the NGO.

Subsequently, Aleksanyan dismissed the employees without fulfilling the statutory objectives of the NGO.

Thus, according to the Investigative Committee’s statement, Aleksanyan allegedly disbursed 703,835,953 drams as salaries and equivalent payments from funds transferred to the NGO’s accounts through criminal activity, and an additional 59,428,521 drams as remuneration under civil law contracts, amounting to a total of 763,264,474 drams.

Around 500 individuals have been questioned in the ongoing investigation into the scheme.

Aleksanyan faces charges of material inducement to participate in assemblies under Article 236(2) of the Criminal Code and aggravated money laundering under Article 296(3)(3).

Samvel Karapetyan is currently under house arrest on unrelated charges, while his nephew Narek is leading the Strong Armenia alliance list in the parliamentary election on June 7.

Armenia’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan attended on Tuesday in Georgia the official opening ceremony of the new Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway line.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev, and Türkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu were in attendance, Georgia’s public broadcaster First Channel reported.

Furthermore, present were members of the Georgian government, members of Parliament, representatives of the diplomatic corps and partner nations, as well as guests from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

According to Georgia’s Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, this railway is a joint strategic project between Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Türkiye, playing a vital role in enhancing connectivity between Europe and Asia.

“The new railway route increases regional capacity, promotes diversification of freight routes, and strengthens regional connectivity. The Marabda–Kartsakhi section stretches 180 kilometres, of which 153 kilometres have been rehabilitated and reconstructed, and a brand-new 27-kilometre railway line built to European standards. Freight volumes on the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars line are steadily rising each year. Once fully operational, the line’s capacity is expected to reach five million tonnes, enabling the region to handle additional cargo and significantly boost its transport capabilities. The complete commissioning of this section was made possible during Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, alongside Minister Kvrivishvili and Azerbaijan’s Minister Nabiyev. The signing of the Protocol of the Bilateral Coordination Council by Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport, cemented the achievement,” the Georgian public broadcaster quoted the country’s economy ministry as saying.

Armenia’s Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Zhanna Andreasyan, visited the Dilijan-based Green Rock company and familiarised herself with its ongoing projects. She was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Araksia Svajyan.

According to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Green Rock Foundation Director Ekaterina Bredikhina presented the foundation’s activities and outlined planned investments in the fields of education and culture. Deputy CEO Feliks Dilanyan presented the project for a multifunctional complex to be built in Dilijan, highlighting the impact of the initiatives on the development of the town as a tourism destination.

The parties discussed prospects for cooperation, particularly with the Apicius Armenia International School of Hospitality, which was established through a partnership between the Green Rock Foundation and the Apicius Florence International School of Hospitality.

 The accommodation section of Green Rock’s multifunctional complex, known as PPLS Rooms coliving, is expected to open soon and will also house students of Apicius Armenia. A new building for a culinary school operating in line with modern international standards is currently under construction adjacent to PPLS Rooms. Andreasyan and Svajyan reviewed the progress of the construction work.

Designed to provide a modern and comfortable learning environment, the facility will include professional training kitchens, classrooms and production areas. The school will offer academic programmes, advanced professional training courses and culinary masterclasses for students, professionals and tourists alike.

Andreasyan stressed the importance of cooperation with state colleges, opportunities for localising international experience, and the potential for expanding such collaboration in various directions.

During the visit, the minister and deputy minister also toured construction sites within Green Rock’s multifunctional complex and familiarised themselves with the ongoing works. As part of her visit to Dilijan, Andreasyan also toured the summer residence of Aghasi Khanjian.

Discussions focused on issues related to the reinforcement and restoration of the historic building through public-private cooperation, with particular emphasis placed on compliance with regulations governing the restoration of cultural heritage monuments.

Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan has attended a conference organised by the Central Bank titled, “Can Nations Agree? Macroeconomic Policy in a World Without Cooperation.”

The information was released by the Office of the President of Armenia. 

In his opening remarks, the president addressed the economic situation that emerged in Armenia following the 2018 Velvet Revolution, the state’s efforts to combat systemic corruption, and the achievements recorded in that process.

Vahagn Khachaturyan also provided participants with details on the process of establishing peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) initiative and the “Crossroads of Peace” project.