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Articles by Lia Avagyan
Pesticide oversight gaps could hamper Armenian produce exports to the EU, report warns
By Lia Avagyan Weaknesses in Armenia’s pesticide controls could become another obstacle for Armenian fruit and vegetables trying to reach European markets, according to a position paper by the Confederation of Trade Unions of Armenia published this month.
Armenia’s 2027 budget falls short of its own science strategy, Gituzh says
By Lia Avagyan Armenia’s draft budget for 2027 does not fund the science strategy the government adopted earlier this year, according to Tigran Shahverdyan, a member of the Gituzh (Power of Science) advocacy initiative. Shahverdyan, co-founder of Robomart, told CivilNet in an interview published Monday that the strategy’s action plan implies an increase of 12.5 bn to 21.5 bn drams ($35 mn to $60 mn) in science funding next year.
Court dismisses lawsuit at center of criminal case against Catholicos
By Lia Avagyan An Armenian court has dismissed a civil lawsuit brought by a former bishop against the Armenian Apostolic Church, ruling that the appointment and dismissal of diocesan leaders fall exclusively under the authority of the Catholicos of All Armenians, according to lawyer Ara Zohrabyan.
Opposition candidate arrested days before local vote
By Lia Avagyan Armenia’s law enforcement on Wednesday arrested Arsen Gevorgyan, the opposition Strong Armenia party's mayoral candidate in the northern town of Stepanavan alongside 13 other individuals on vote-buying charges. The arrests came four days before a local election. Gevorgyan is accused of bribing several dozen voters. Investigators said Gevorgyan had planned to bribe around 30 more people. Stepanavan's council elections are set for Sunday.
Postcard from Shirak: The last residents of a vanishing village
Lernagyugh. (Screenshot: CivilNet) By Lia Avagyan Hrant Minasyan has given himself a title. “I call myself the last resident of a dying village,” he says. HIs village, Lernagyugh, sits nearly 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) above sea level, in a highland valley about 15 kilometers (9 miles) northeast of Gyumri, in Armenia’s Shirak province. Fields of hay roll out toward the surrounding hills. The village is reached by a dirt road that branches off the main highway at the neighboring village of Torosgyugh.
Sokolov’s Armenia holdings create conflict of interest in TRIPP-linked U.S. fund, experts tell Reuters
By Lia Avagyan Konstantin Sokolov, the Russian-born businessman heading a $201 million U.S.-backed investment fund established to support the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP, and wider Trans-Caspian trade, has major business interests in Armenia that six ethics experts told Reuters create a conflict of interest.
Armenia’s public pay reform would deliver biggest raises to senior officials, study finds
By Lia Avagyan Armenia’s planned overhaul of public-sector pay would deliver some of the largest salary increases to senior political and administrative officials, while many civil service salaries already compare favorably with private-sector pay, according to a study by economist Vache Gabrielyan.
Mirzoyan says final destination of Armenia’s EU path remains unknown
By Lia Avagyan Neither Armenia nor the European Union knows where their deepening relationship will ultimately lead, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Tuesday, despite Yerevan’s adoption of a law declaring the start of an EU accession process. Speaking during a panel at the Warsaw Security Forum on October 13, Mirzoyan said cooperation was expanding, while the question of eventual membership remained open.
Amulsar expected to generate $120–130 million in annual taxes, government representative says
By Lia Avagyan Armenia’s Amulsar gold mine is expected to generate $120–130 million a year in taxes and royalties at current gold prices, the government’s representative at its operator said, as environmental activists renewed calls to halt the project. Gnel Sanosyan, a board member at Lydian Armenia representing the government’s 12.5 percent stake, gave the estimate in an interview published by Armenia’s Public TV on Tuesday evening. The figure excludes dividends payable to the state.
Armenia sees COP17 as chance to strengthen global role and advance biodiversity protection, minister says
By Lia Avagyan Armenia expects the upcoming COP17 biodiversity conference to strengthen its international role and help countries accelerate efforts to meet conservation targets they cannot reach at the current pace, Environment Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan told CivilNet. In an interview recorded on Friday, Matevosyan said the gathering would offer opportunities to develop international partnerships and draw attention to Armenia’s environmental challenges.
Armenia to expand health insurance in 2027; minister says premiums could rise in future
By Lia Avagyan Armenia plans to extend mandatory health insurance to roughly 400,000 more people in 2027, Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan said, adding that premiums could rise in future but would remain unchanged next year. In an interview with BOON TV published Saturday evening, Avanesyan said the next phase would include employees earning up to 200,000 drams (about $550) a month, taxi drivers and associated beneficiaries.
EU trade preferences for Armenia take effect; ambassador says they cover around 80 percent of exports to bloc
By Lia Avagyan Temporary EU tariff preferences for a range of Armenian goods take effect on October 10. In written responses to CivilNet, EU Ambassador to Armenia Vassilis Maragos said customs duties would be suspended on around 80% of Armenian exports to the European Union. The regulation, published in the EU’s Official Journal on October 9, grants tariff preferences to a broad range of agricultural and industrial goods originating in Armenia. The measures apply until October 11, 2028.
Armenia has legal grounds to terminate Russian railway concession, Pashinyan says
By Lia Avagyan Armenia has legal grounds to terminate the Russian concession to manage its railway network but would prefer Moscow to sell the management rights to a third country acceptable to both sides, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with Infocom published on Tuesday. “The legal grounds exist; the issue is a political decision,” Pashinyan said, adding that the necessary legal justification was already available if the government decided to terminate the agreement.
Armenian watchdog flags 202 party donations, legal follow-up remains unclear
By Lia Avagyan Armenia’s corruption watchdog referred 202 potentially suspicious political donations for further checks in connection with this year’s parliamentary elections, but investigators have not disclosed whether any led to criminal proceedings, according to anAzatutyun investigation published on October 5. The Corruption Prevention Commission flagged the donations after finding discrepancies between the amounts contributed and donors’ income and assets.
Armenia considers taxing church and returning payments to fund its programs
By Lia Avagyan Armenia’s government is considering taxing the Armenian Apostolic Church and returning the payments to finance its programs and activities, Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan said. In an interview with BOON TV aired on Saturday evening, Hovhannisyan said the proposal was being discussed with lawmakers, but the details had yet to be settled. “The church should pay taxes like everyone else,” he said, adding that separate rules would be needed to return the tax payments to the church.
Pashinyan’s peace push comes amid democratic backsliding, Foreign Policy article says
By Lia Avagyan Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s pursuit of peace with Azerbaijan has unfolded alongside democratic backsliding and growing hostility toward displaced Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, journalist Francesca Ebel writes in Foreign Policy.
Armenia seeks ‘Yerevan agreement’ at COP17 biodiversity summit
By Lia Avagyan Armenia aims to secure a “Yerevan agreement” at this month’s U.N. biodiversity summit to guide efforts to meet global conservation targets by 2030, Environment Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan said. In a television interview broadcast on October 2, Matevosyan said reaching agreement on how to address gaps in implementing those targets would be a key measure of the summit’s success. “We plan to name the document after Yerevan, for example, the Yerevan agreement,” he said.
Russia offers most concrete nuclear proposal for Armenia, UN energy expert says
By Lia Avagyan Russia currently has the most developed proposal for Armenia’s new nuclear power plant, Ara Marjanyan, a United Nations national energy expert in Armenia, said, arguing that the country needs a proven reactor ready to operate by 2036–2037. Speaking to CivilNet on October 2, Marjanyan said Russia was effectively the only prospective partner offering a comprehensive proposal developed in engineering terms and supported by an economic justification.
Talin’s temple-style museum plan sparks a wave of online satire
By Lia Avagyan Plans to build a museum resembling Armenia’s ancient Garni Temple in the town of Talin have prompted a wave of online satire, with social media users recasting the mayor as an ancient Greek ruler and his town as a budding Hellenistic capital. The municipality announced the project on September 29, publishing an architectural sketch for a two-story museum near the central square. The two-story museum is planned near the central square in Talin, a town of about 7,000 residents.
Pashinyan critic detained over Facebook post, drawing accusations of selective justice
By Lia Avagyan Armenian authorities detained writer and playwright Vahram Sahakyan, an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, on September 29 over a Facebook post, prompting accusations that speech-related laws are being used selectively to silence government opponents. A court later placed Sahakyan under administrative supervision. His lawyer, Ruben Melikyan, said the court also banned him from posting on social media, except on subjects related to his professional work.
Armenia postpones phone registration bill for technical revisions
By Lia Avagyan Armenia has postponed parliamentary consideration of a bill requiring mobile phones to be registered by their IMEI numbers for up to two months to clarify technical provisions, High-Tech Industry Minister Davit Tadevosyan said Wednesday. Speaking at a parliamentary committee meeting, Tadevosyan said the additional time would allow officials to make the bill’s terminology more precise and address comments received on the proposal.
Christian Solidarity International rejects Armenian government’s Church report
By Lia Avagyan Christian Solidarity International has urged Armenia’s government to withdraw a report on the Armenian Apostolic Church, saying its proposed path to replace the Church’s leader violates religious autonomy. In a statement issued Monday, the Swiss-based Christian rights group rejected the report’s findings and accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government of trying to bring the Church under state control.
Armenia should use COP17 to raise detainees’ plight, experts say at CivilNet forum
By Lia Avagyan Armenia should use next month’s COP17 conference in Yerevan to draw international attention to the Armenians held in Azerbaijan, peacebuilding and conflict resolution specialist Hrair Balian said at a CivilNet public forum on Monday. Balian, who has worked on conflict resolution and human rights for 35 years, has held senior roles with the United Nations, the OSCE, the Carter Center and the International Crisis Group.
Poor PISA results do not make Armenian students ‘illiterate,’ minister says
By Lia avagyan Armenia’s education minister has rejected descriptions of the country’s students as illiterate after an international assessment found that fewer than one in five Armenian 15-year-olds reached baseline proficiency in reading. Education, Science, Culture and Sports Minister Zhanna Andreasyan said the results highlighted serious difficulties in applying knowledge to practical situations. She said curriculum reforms would improve performance in the next assessment.
Turkey turns gas transit into geopolitical leverage
By Lia Avagyan Turkey has spent more than two decades building gas routes that give Ankara leverage over both suppliers and European buyers, while generating transit revenue and helping Turkish industry secure competitively priced energy, according to an analysis by Didier Holleaux.
Armenia awards $9 million COP17 contracts to firm in $1.3 million repayment dispute
By Lia Avagyan Armenia has awarded nearly $9 million in COP17 contracts to a company that is disputing a government demand to return more than $1.3 million from an earlier publicly funded concert. The government signed contracts worth about 3.5 billion drams, or more than $8.9 million, with Doping Space to help organize COP17 in Yerevan. The conference, formally the 17th meeting of the parties to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, is scheduled for Oct.
Russia could be best partner to build Yerevan metro station, Pashinyan says
By Lia Avagyan Russia could be the most suitable partner to build Yerevan’s long-planned Ajapnyak metro station because Armenia no longer has the expertise needed to undertake such a project on its own, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said. Pashinyan made the remarks in an interview with BOON TV published on Saturday evening, renewing the possibility of Russian involvement in the first substantial expansion of the Yerevan Metro since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Pashinyan does not rule out Russia building Armenia’s new nuclear plant
By Lia Avagyan Armenia has not ruled out choosing Russia to build its new nuclear power plant and will select a partner based on price, quality and construction time, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said. Pashinyan made the remarks in an interview with BOON TV published on Saturday evening, as Armenia considers proposals from several countries to replace its aging Metsamor nuclear power plant.
Pashinyan asks Russia to sell Armenian railway concession to third party
By Lia Avagyan Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has urged Russia to sell its concession to manage Armenia’s railway network to a third party acceptable to both countries, warning that Yerevan could otherwise be sidelined from emerging regional trade routes. Pashinyan made the remarks in an interview with BOON TV that was published on Saturday evening.
Armenia’s solar growth is outpacing its power system, former energy official says
By Lia Avagyan Armenia should accelerate the construction of utility-scale electricity storage facilities to strengthen its energy security and prepare for possible disruptions in natural gas supplies, a former senior energy official said. Hakob Vardanyan, a former deputy minister of territorial administration and infrastructure who oversaw the ministry’s energy portfolio, told CivilNet on Friday, September 11, that Armenia needs at least 5 gigawatt-hours of storage capacity.
Armenian criticism grows over diplomats’ Karabakh visit as state remains silent
By Lia Avagyan Former Nagorno-Karabakh officials, Armenian scholars and civil society figures have criticized a recent Azerbaijani-organized visit to Nagorno-Karabakh by foreign diplomats, accusing Baku of using the tour to promote its account of the region’s Armenian cultural heritage. The criticism has drawn no public response from Armenia’s government or major state academic institutions.
Release of Armenian detainees in Baku remains on agenda, former security chief says
By Lia Avagyan The release of all Armenians held in Azerbaijan remains on the agenda of talks between Yerevan and Baku, former Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said in a Boon TV interview published on Friday, September 11. Grigoryan said Armenia continues to work on the release of the detainees, border delimitation, reopening regional transport links and implementing the August 8, 2025, Washington agreements.
Yerevan looks for ways to ease worsening traffic
By Lia Avagyan Yerevan is considering new restrictions on car use, expanding bus lanes and building new road infrastructure as Armenia’s capital struggles with worsening congestion. The number of registered vehicles in Armenia doubled between 2014 and 2025 to around one million, increasing pressure on Yerevan’s road network. Traffic slows sharply during morning and evening rush hours and can come close to a standstill on some major streets.
Armenian-Russian cemetery in Shushi destroyed during redevelopment
By Lia Avagyan Azerbaijan has destroyed an Armenian-Russian cemetery in the Nagorno-Karabakh town of Shushi, the Caucasus Heritage Watch project said in a report Saturday. Based on satellite imagery, the report said the cemetery was destroyed in May to make way for the construction of a wastewater treatment facility. The destroyed heritage includes five medieval Armenian khachkars, or cross-stones, dating back about 800 years, as well as dozens of tombstones from the 19th century.
Baku trial against Vardanyan was built on implausible charges, lawyer says
By Lia Avagyan Azerbaijani authorities treated philanthropic projects linked to jailed Armenian businessman Ruben Vardanyan, including the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and the financing of a mass wedding in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2008, as evidence of criminal activity, according to details of his verdict made public by his legal team.
Graduates of top 50 global universities may qualify for exemption from military service in Armenia
By Lia Avagyan Armenian citizens who graduate from one of the world’s top 50 universities may qualify for exemption from compulsory military service after working in designated sectors in Armenia for at least three years, the Education Ministry said. The measure applies to citizens who studied full-time in bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programs. The list of eligible universities is based on the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities.
Armenia discusses Ajapnyak metro construction with Russia, Pashinyan says
By Lia Avagyan Armenia is discussing possible Russian involvement in building Yerevan’s long-planned Ajapnyak metro station, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday, as the government seeks to move ahead with a project that has faced repeated delays and sharply rising costs. “We are discussing the construction of the Ajapnyak station with Russia,” Pashinyan told reporters.
Armenia’s foreign minister does not rule out enclave swaps after border delimitation
By Lia Avagyan Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan did not rule out possible exchanges involving enclaves between Armenia and Azerbaijan after the two countries complete border delimitation, while stressing that no substantive negotiations on such arrangements are currently underway.
Armenia to begin selling goods to Azerbaijan soon, Mirzoyan says
By Lia Avagyan Armenian companies are expected to begin selling goods to Azerbaijan in the coming days, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said, pointing to the development as another sign of expanding economic ties between the two countries. “In the coming days, you will learn that Azerbaijani companies are buying goods from Armenian companies,” Mirzoyan said in an interview broadcast on Armenia’s Public Television on Monday evening.
Second judge declines to hear criminal case against Armenian Catholicos
By Lia Avagyan A second judge has declined to proceed with the criminal case against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and six senior clerics, sending the case to a Yerevan court over questions about territorial jurisdiction. Judge Serzh Rushanyan made the ruling during a hearing on Friday in Vagharshapat. He said the indictment against Karekin II does not specify where the alleged offense took place.
Armenia cannot join EU ‘today, tomorrow or next year,’ finance minister says
By Lia Avagyan Armenia is not yet in a position to choose between joining the European Union and remaining in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan said, days after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Yerevan would probably soon begin the process of formally applying for EU membership.
Armenia targets 6% growth, but economists warn of structural risks
By Lia Avagyan Armenia’s government has set an average annual economic growth target of 6% for 2026-2031, alongside 125,000 new jobs, a doubling of exports of Armenian-origin goods and a sharp expansion of high-tech infrastructure. Two economists interviewed by CivilNet broadly described the headline targets as achievable, but questioned whether the economy’s current structure can sustain them and whether the government program sets out enough measurable targets on investment and productivity.
Robert Kocharyan taken to Anti-Corruption Committee after son’s heated exchange with Pashinyan
By Lia Avagyan Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan was taken to Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee early on Tuesday, a day after a heated parliamentary exchange between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Kocharyan’s son, opposition lawmaker Levon Kocharyan. Law enforcement officers also searched the home of Levon Kocharyan, a member of parliament from the Armenia Alliance, according to opposition lawmakers.
Armenia’s top diaspora official laments diaspora groups’ stance against government
By Lia Avagyan Armenia’s top diaspora official has criticized some traditional Armenian diaspora organizations, saying they should align their activities with the interests of the Armenian state and accusing some groups of working against its government. Zareh Sinanyan, High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, also questioned the representative mandate of established diaspora bodies and challenged the long-running campaign for international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Arrest of Armenian tycoon slows construction of giant Jesus statue
By Lia Avagyan Construction of a monumental statue of Jesus Christ on Armenia’s Mount Hatis is continuing, but work has slowed following the arrest of the project’s main sponsor, businessman and Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan. The 33-meter statue itself is being built in Zovuni, outside Yerevan, while a 44-meter reinforced-concrete pedestal is under construction near the summit of Mount Hatis.
Displaced Karabakh Armenians, cultural heritage absent from Armenia’s new government program
By Lia Avagyan Armenia’s government has presented its program for 2026-2031, with no specific provisions addressing the social issues of Armenians forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh or the preservation of Armenian cultural and religious heritage there.
Russia no longer a ‘strategic ally’ in Armenia’s new government program
By Lia Avagyan Armenia’s new government program for 2026-2031 significantly recasts the country’s foreign policy compared with the previous five-year program, with one of the most striking changes concerning Russia. Five years ago, the government described ties with Moscow as the “Armenian-Russian strategic alliance” and pledged to strengthen “allied relations and strategic partnership.” The new program instead presents Russia as a partner with which relations are to be transformed and deepened.
Armenia’s state postal operator withholds management details amid scrutiny of CEO’s appointment
By Lia Avagyan Armenia’s state-owned postal operator Haypost has refused to disclose the identities of advisers and assistants working under its chief executive, Shushan Aleksanyan, the wife of one of the country’s senior ruling party lawmakers, extending a series of refusals to provide information about her appointment and the company’s management.
Armenia’s plastic raw-material imports have nearly doubled in a decade
By Lia Avagyan Armenia’s imports of primary plastic raw materials have nearly doubled over the past decade, reflecting growing domestic demand for plastics even as the country faces persistent challenges in collection and recycling, according to a new report released on Tuesday.
Armenian lawmaker says 44-day war report was shelved due to misreading of law
By Lia Avagyan A senior Armenian lawmaker said the long-awaited parliamentary report on the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war ended up in parliament’s classified archive because of what he described as a misinterpretation of the law, and pledged to explore ways to make it accessible to the public. Vilen Gabrielyan, a lawmaker from the ruling Civil Contract party and the nominee to chair parliament’s Standing Committee on Defense and Security, made the comments in an interview with CivilNet on Tuesday.
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