Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan held a meeting on Friday with the Iranian Ambassador to Armenia, Khalil Shirgholami.

According to a readout issued by the Parliament’s press service, the meeting discussed issues related to Armenia-Iran relations.

Both sides emphasized the importance of inter-parliamentary cooperation. Deputy Speaker Rubinyan and Ambassador Shirgholami also exchanged views on regional developments.

Olympic champion, two-time silver and bronze medalist, and multiple world and European champion Arthur Aleksanyan will not participate in the upcoming European Wrestling Championships.

According to a report by the Armenian Wrestling Federation’s press service, recent media claims suggesting that Aleksanyan would miss the entire 2026 season are inaccurate.

In an official statement, the federation clarified that the renowned Armenian wrestler will only skip the European Championship for now as he is currently recovering from an injury.

“Over the past few hours, information has been circulating in the media that Olympic, world, and European champion Arthur Aleksanyan will miss the whole of 2026 season. We officially announce that, at this stage, Arthur Aleksanyan will only miss the European Championship, as he is recovering from an injury,” the statement said.

The European Wrestling Championships are scheduled to take place from April 20 to April 26.

Consultations between the foreign ministries of Armenia and Russia were held in Moscow on the current agenda of the two countries’ foreign policy in the African direction.

According to a press release issued by Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting was co-chaired by Levon Petrosyan, Acting Head of the Middle East and Africa Department of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, and Tatyana Dovgalenko, Head of the Department for Partnership with Africa at Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

The officials discussed prospects for developing cooperation with African states, the African Union, and other regional organizations, as well as expanding trade and economic relations with African countries and deepening humanitarian cooperation. They also addressed the current situation in Africa and related security issues.

 The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 3 April, USD exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 376.98 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.26 drams to 435.22 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.0178 drams to 4.6982 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.76 drams to 498.86 drams.

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

Gold price down by 1205 drams to 56230 drams. 

Armenia plans to launch a new support program that will enable large families to purchase or build housing with full state assistance.

The draft measure has been published by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs on the government’s unified platform for legal acts.

The initiative aims to improve access to housing for large families and enhance their living conditions. According to the draft, only one housing assistance scheme is currently available, under which beneficiaries receive a one-time payment while remaining responsible for loan repayment.

The new program proposes full subsidization, allowing eligible families either to buy a home or build one. Under the proposal, 4 million drams would be allocated per minor child. Families choosing to settle in rural areas would receive an additional 4 million drams, which could be used either to acquire land or build a house.

Preliminary data show that Armenia has 643 families with six or more minor children. Of these, 390 families have six children and 143 have seven, while the remaining families have more.

The program also sets a minimum housing standard of 10 square meters per person. This means a family with six children would require at least 80 square meters of living space and could qualify for around 24 million drams in support.

If all eligible families participate, the program could require up to 31.9 billion drams from the state budget over the next decade.

IDBank has signed a memorandum of cooperation with Yerevan State University. Within the framework of its “Side by Side” social responsibility initiative, the Bank will finance the tuition fees of 103 Artsakh students, amounting to more than AMD 35 million.

Within the framework of the memorandum, scholarships will be provided to 103 Artsakh students at YSU, contributing to their educational progress and social stability.

According to Mher Abrahamyan, Chairman of the Management Board of IDBank, it is extremely important for the Bank to stand by its compatriots.

“A needs assessment conducted by Yerevan State University showed that 103 Artsakh students were at risk of interrupting their studies due to social challenges. Recognizing the importance of education and its continuity, IDBank decided to cover the tuition fees of all 103 students at YSU. Through such initiatives, we aim not only to provide financial support but also to offer young people a sense of stability and confidence, helping them build their future in Armenia,” said Mher Abrahamyan.

According to Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, Rector of Yerevan State University, YSU has supported Artsakh students from the very first days, striving to assist them in continuing their education and overcoming social challenges.

“We have reached out to our partners and all institutions willing to share this responsibility and contribute to shaping the future of our students. Today, we are especially pleased to note that IDBank has joined this important initiative, making a truly significant contribution. We highly appreciate this partnership and express our deep gratitude to IDBank for its trust, care, and commitment to ensuring the continuity of education for our students,” noted the Rector.

In addition to financial support, IDBank will also contribute to the financial literacy of young people. Bank specialists will visit various faculties and conduct financial education courses. It should be noted that such sessions have already been held with first-year students of the Faculty of Economics and Management at YSU.

IDBank’s “Side by Side” program has been implemented since 2024. Below are some of the programs:

“By Your Side”: IDBank’s new support program for displaced Artsakh citizens

IWith the Financing of IDBank, the Village of Svarants Will Have a Kindergarten: The “Side by Side” Program Continues

Side by Side: IDBank Launches New Program for women forcibly displaced from Artsakh

Scholarship for 100 Artsakh Students as Part of IDBank’s “Side by Side” Program

IDBank summarizes results of financial education program for Artsakh schoolchildren

THE BANK IS SUPERVISED BY THE CBA

Flyone Armenia, the first national airline of Armenia, has launched regular direct flights on the Yerevan – Vienna – Yerevan route starting from April 3, 2026.

The official inauguration ceremony of the regular direct flights took place at Zvartnots International Airport, the press service of the airline said in a statement.

“Today marks our inaugural flight. We are very pleased that Vienna has become part of our route network. We are confident that this destination will be in high demand,creating new opportunities for tourism and travel, as well as for our compatriots and transit passengers traveling to Europe,” said Aram Khachatryan, CEO of Flyone Armenia.

Flights will be operated from Zvartnots International Airport to Vienna International Airport twice a week — on Mondays and Fridays — with a convenient schedule and affordable fares.Tickets are available at flyone.am and via the FLYONE mobile app.

The third meeting of Armenia-U.S. Bilateral Working Group in Support of the Outcomes of the August 8, 2025 Peace Summit was held, the Foreign Ministry of Armenia said in a readout.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vahan Kostanyan and Sonata Coulter, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, continued discussions and highlighted concrete progress in different areas of bilateral cooperation.

The Working Group members exchanged views on issues aimed at strengthening strategic partnership between Armenia and the U.S., including economic cooperation, energy, critical and emerging technologies.

Education authorities announced on Friday that a possible ban on social media access for children under 16 is currently under consideration. Tamara Sargsyan, Head of the Department of General Education at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport, said at a press conference that the potential ban is being discussed jointly with the Ministry of High-Tech Industry and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

“A study is being conducted to identify all major opportunities, risks, and challenges. Only after having this complete picture will it be possible to understand what regulations are needed and how they can be applied accurately and in a targeted way. Accordingly, we will also understand which websites need to be restricted. The topic is sensitive, and there are many questions and layers involved,” said Sargsyan.

The Ministry representative noted that there are problems in this area and a need to establish proper regulations. The digital protection of children is a priority, and the state must be confident that sufficient tools and regulations are in place to protect children in the digital environment.

Australia in December 2025 became the world’s first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them from platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. The ban comes amid mounting concerns over the impact of social media on children’s health and safety. Companies that fail to comply could ‌face penalties of up to A$49.5 million ($34.7 million).

Austria will ban social media for children up to the age of 14. Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler and junior digitization minister Alexander Proell said draft legislation for the ban would be finalized by June, according to Reuters. Brazil’s Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents, which requires minors under 16 to link their social media accounts to a legal guardian and bans addictive platform features such as infinite scroll, came into force on March 17. Greece is “very close” to announcing a social media ban for children under 15, a senior government source told Reuters on February 3. In Germany, minors aged 13-16 are allowed to use social media only if their parents provide consent. But child protection advocates say controls are insufficient.

For the second consecutive year, representatives of Armenia’s men’s and women’s weightlifting teams have been nominated for the European Weightlifting Federation EWF–AIPS Europe Weightlifter of the Year title. 

Ten athletes are nominated in each category for the 2025 EWF – AIPS Europe Weightlifter of the Year title. 

From the men’s team, World and European champion and Olympic silver medalist Varazdat Lalayan—and from the women’s team, European champion Aleksandra Grigoryan—are nominated alongside other athletes from Europe. 

The winners will be announced ahead of the European Championship, which will take place from April 19–26 in Batumi, Georgia.