The Armenian delegation delivered a statement at the 1,568th meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on the parliamentary elections held in Armenia on June 7, 2026.

Below is the full statement, as published by the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the OSCE.

“On 7 June 2026, elections to the National Assembly were held in the Republic of Armenia. The elections constituted an important exercise of democratic participation and reflected Armenia’s continued commitment to conducting free, fair and transparent electoral processes in line with its international obligations and OSCE commitments.

A total of 2,005 polling stations were established throughout the country, including nine polling stations operating in penitentiary institutions. Particular attention was devoted to ensuring the accessibility of electoral infrastructure and procedures, facilitating the participation of all eligible voters.

The elections were conducted under broad domestic and international observation. The Central Electoral Commission accredited 13 local observer missions and more than 600 observers from eight international observation missions, including the OSCE/ODIHR, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the CIS, the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and the International Organisation of La Francophonie. In addition, members of 35 diplomatic and consular missions accredited in Armenia, as well as representatives of 14 foreign electoral management bodies, followed the elections in observer and visitor capacities.

The electoral process also benefited from extensive media coverage. Seventy-one local media outlets and approximately 180 foreign journalists and media representatives were accredited to cover the elections.

A total of 2,505,228 citizens were eligible to vote. Voter turnout reached 1,477,736, representing 58.94 per cent of the electorate.

According to the preliminary results announced by the Central Electoral Commission, three political forces passed the electoral threshold and will be represented in the National Assembly: the Civil Contract Party, the Strong Armenia Alliance and the Armenia Alliance. The Civil Contract Party secured a parliamentary majority and will form the next Government of the Republic of Armenia.

The official results of the elections will be finalized and formally certified by the Central Electoral Commission on 14 June 2026, in accordance with the Electoral Code.

Mr. Chairman,

The preliminary findings of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission noted that Armenian voters were given, and took, the opportunity to make a genuine choice in a professionally managed election process and a vibrant and pluralistic political environment. Armenia highly values its cooperation with the ODIHR and other international observation missions and remains committed to carefully considering all recommendations aimed at further strengthening electoral processes, democratic institutions and public trust.

Dear colleagues,

The conduct of these elections once again demonstrated both the resilience of Armenia’s democratic institutions and the growing challenges faced by democracies across the OSCE area. As highlighted by the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, Armenian voters made their choice against the backdrop of unprecedented foreign interference and pressure. Foreign information manipulation and interference, disinformation campaigns, cyber-related threats and other hybrid activities aimed at influencing public opinion, undermining confidence in democratic institutions and polarizing society were actively employed throughout the electoral period. Armenia commends the multidimensional support of like-minded partners for excellent cooperation and support extended.

Importantly, such activities did not cease with the conclusion of voting. They continue in the post-electoral period, seeking to cast doubt on the outcome of the elections, weaken public trust in democratic institutions and deepen societal divisions. Strengthening resilience against these threats remains an important task for all participating States.

In conclusion, I would like to reconfirm the commitment of Armenia to continue strengthening its democratic institutions, upholding the rule of law and safeguarding electoral integrity. These elections represent another important step in the country’s democratic development and reaffirm Armenia’s commitment to democratic governance and the sovereign right of its citizens to determine their future through free and democratic elections. The results of the elections and support to the PM of Armenia clearly demonstrate the will of the people of Armenia to pursue the path of peace and prosperity.”

Authorities announced several arrests on Friday in an ongoing investigation into alleged vote buying by a representative of the Prosperous Armenia Party.

The Anti-Corruption Committee said in a press release that, according to evidence obtained during the investigation, the suspect, a representative of the party’s regional office in Vanadzor, Lori Province, allegedly bribed voters ahead of the June 7 elections in exchange for votes for the party. 

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the Civil Contract Party’s victory in the June 7 elections.

“I sincerely congratulate you on the victory of the Civil Contract Party, led by you, in the latest parliamentary elections held in the Republic of Armenia,” President Mirziyoyev said in the letter, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The election results are a practical confirmation of the high level of trust of the Armenian people in your domestic and foreign policies, including your efforts aimed at ensuring peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus.

I am confident that through our joint efforts we will be able to further expand our mutually beneficial cooperation in the future.

Taking this opportunity, I wish you good health, happiness, and great success in your responsible state activities, and I wish the friendly people of Armenia peace and prosperity.”

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Azerbaijan on Friday was felt across Armenia, authorities reported. 

The Seismic Protection Regional Service of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs located the earthquake 52 km south-east of the Azerbaijani town of Shaki. It was felt at an intensity of 3–4 on the MSK scale in the Armenian provinces of Tavush, Gegharkunik, and Syunik. No damages were reported. 

The newly elected Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, Shio III, has received Armenian Ambassador to Georgia Ashot Smbatyan.

The information was released by the Embassy of Armenia in Georgia.

According to the embassy, Ambassador Smbatyan expressed gratitude for the warm reception and voiced confidence that the spiritual ministry of the new Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church would continue the Christian traditions established by his predecessors, further strengthening both the Church and the Georgian people. 

The statement noted that, while extending his blessing to the Armenian people, the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian ambassador, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia emphasized the centuries-old friendship between the Armenian and Georgian peoples and the shared Christian value system that has helped both nations preserve and shape their identities throughout history.

Shio III also referred to contemporary challenges, stressing that faithfulness to spiritual and national values, as well as the preservation of identity, remains the only path to overcoming them.

 Speaking about the close relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Georgian Orthodox Church, he reaffirmed the Georgian Church’s willingness and commitment to further deepen and develop those ties.

YEREVAN, 12 JUNE, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 12 June, USD exchange rate down by 0.24 drams to 368.18 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.19 drams to 426.09 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0278 drams to 5.0686 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.45 drams to 493.73 drams.

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

Gold price down by 1170 drams to 48235 drams. Silver price down by 8.37 drams to 755.16 drams.

A widespread global outage affected Facebook, disrupting both the platform’s mobile application and website, as well as Facebook Messenger.

The information was reported by the British newspaper The Independent, which said the outage automatically logged users out of their accounts and prevented them from signing back in.

The service has since been restored.

According to the report, other Meta services, including Instagram and WhatsApp, largely remained online during the disruption.

However, some products, including Instagram’s web version, also experienced similar issues.

The problems began at around 6:45 a.m. Pacific Time, with reports of outages emerging from users across the world.

Funding for Armenia’s education, science, culture, sports and youth sectors has increased by more than 140% over the past seven years, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan said during preliminary discussions on the implementation of the 2025 state budget in the National Assembly.

According to the ministry, around 374.4 billion drams were allocated last year for 24 budget programmes comprising 234 measures, with implementation reaching 93.5% of the planned target.

Andreasyan said sectoral spending had risen from 154.5 billion drams in 2018 to 372.3 billion drams in 2025, an increase of 217.8 billion drams, or 141%.

The approved budget for 2026 provides for 422.9 billion drams, up 13.6% from the previous year.

The minister noted that most of the increase has been directed toward education.

 Education funding rose from 128.3 billion drams in 2018 to 311.4 billion drams in 2025, while a further 42 billion drams increase is planned for 2026.

Andreasyan said the growth in funding has enabled major reforms across the sector, including the government’s “300 Schools, 500 Kindergartens” programme, which has received nearly $1 billion in funding in recent years.

She also highlighted plans to improve teachers’ salaries through the voluntary certification programme. Under the proposed changes, the base salary for teachers participating in the next phase of certification is expected to increase from 200,000 drams to 300,000 drams, with bonuses calculated accordingly.

The minister said preschool education has also seen significant growth, with ministry spending in the sector rising from 800 million drams in 2018 to 9.5 billion drams in 2025, while 13.8 billion drams is planned for 2026.Andreasyan stressed that capital expenditures have increased dramatically, reaching 129.2 billion drams in 2025, compared with just 1.3 billion drams in 2018. More than 101 billion drams was spent last year on the construction and renovation of schools and preschool institutions.

She also pointed to a 180% increase in science funding in recent years, including substantial salary increases for researchers and investments in research infrastructure. Among the projects highlighted was the allocation of more than 3.7 billion drams for the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Center at Yerevan State University.

According to Andreasyan, the government’s newly approved 2026–2030 Science Development Strategy aims to raise science funding to around 1% of GDP by 2030, with at least 0.75% financed through state funding.

The minister also said preparatory work is continuing on the Academic City project, including infrastructure planning and cooperation with leading international universities on educational reforms.