Search
Pashinyan Vows to Strip Kocharyan, Sargsyan and Tsarukyan of Allegedly Illicit Wealth, Says They Should Live on Pensions and Lawful Income
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Thursday that former Presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, along with businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, should be left to live on their pensions and lawful income while any property obtained illegally is returned to the Armenian state. Pashinyan made the remarks to reporters after a government meeting, a day after a court ordered Kocharyan held in pretrial detention in a bribery and money laundering case. “The political issue is this:
The Armenian Report Team
1 day ago
Robert Kocharyan Detained Hours After Pashinyan Vows Family’s Wealth ‘Must Be Returned’
Armenia’s former President Robert Kocharyan and his eldest son, Sedrak Kocharyan, were detained Tuesday in a sweeping corruption investigation, less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stood in parliament and publicly challenged the source of the Kocharyan family’s wealth. The timing puts one of Armenia’s most prominent political families at the center of a case involving allegations of bribery, the acquisition of state property at below-market prices and finan
The Armenian Report Team
4 days ago
Armenian General Imprisoned in Baku Confronts Pashinyan Through Audio Message Played in Parliament
An audio message from Gen. Davit Manukyan, who is imprisoned in Baku, was played for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the floor of Armenia’s parliament Monday, bringing the words of an Armenian detainee directly into a debate over the government’s 2026-2031 program. In the recording, Manukyan challenged Pashinyan to publicly address charges brought against him in Azerbaijan over the 2020 war and asked Armenia’s government to clarify its position on the status of Armenians he
The Armenian Report Team
4 days ago
Pashinyan Says Beyond Hostages and Peace Deal, Armenia and Azerbaijan Must Build Lasting Relations
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia and Azerbaijan must move beyond a peace agreement, border delimitation, regional unblocking, trade and cooperation on captives and missing persons, arguing that lasting peace will require a fundamental change in relations between the two societies. Speaking at the National Assembly on Aug. 24 as he presented his government’s 2026-2031 program, Pashinyan said the “social and psychological” dimension of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations is
The Armenian Report Team
4 days ago
Pashinyan Appoints Jewish Studies Scholar, Rothschild Postdoctoral Fellow Ani Avetisyan as Deputy Foreign Minister
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has appointed Ani Avetisyan, a Rothschild Postdoctoral Fellow and scholar of Jewish history, Hebrew and Middle Eastern studies, as deputy foreign minister. The Aug. 20 appointment brings an academic with years of research on Jewish communities, Judaeo-Arabic manuscripts and Hebrew language studies into Armenia’s diplomatic leadership. Avetisyan, 34, was born in Yerevan and studied Oriental Studies at Yerevan State University, earning ba
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 21
Pashinyan Declares Beginning of Armenia’s ‘Fourth Republic,’ Breaking With Karabakh-Era Politics
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared the beginning of what he calls Armenia’s “Fourth Republic” on Thursday, saying the country is moving into a new political era built around peace and a redefined role for the state. Pashinyan made the announcement as his government presented its program for 2026-2031, laying out a vision that seeks to break with the political foundations that shaped Armenia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. “The Republic of Armenia is thus entering
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 20
‘To Weaken the Diaspora Is to Weaken Armenia’: French-Armenian Leader Mourad Papazian Responds to Pashinyan Government
A public dispute over the role of Armenia’s global Diaspora intensified Wednesday after a senior Armenian Revolutionary Federation official accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s governing party of trying to discredit long-established Armenian organizations abroad. The Armenian Report reached out to Mourad Papazian following remarks by Civil Contract MP Arman Yeghoyan in parliament, seeking his response to the lawmaker’s comments. Papazian, a member of the ARF Bureau and co
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 19
Pashinyan Meets Arizona Congressman Abraham Hamadeh in Yerevan to Discuss TRIPP Project
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and U.S. Rep. Abraham Hamadeh met in Yerevan on Tuesday, with talks focusing on closer Armenia-U.S. ties, the peace process with Azerbaijan and the TRIPP project. Pashinyan told the Arizona Republican that Armenia is seeking to build on its growing relationship with Washington, particularly in political, economic and technology cooperation, according to the prime minister’s office. The Armenian government said Pashinyan pointed to the pace of re
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 18
Pashinyan Rejects Aliyev’s Metsamor Claims, Says Armenia Seeks ‘100% Energy Independence’
Armenia has made no new commitment to close the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant and remains focused on achieving full energy independence, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Thursday, responding to recent remarks by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev about the plant and future regional energy links. Speaking after an Aug. 13 government meeting, Pashinyan said Metsamor’s operating timeline has already been established, including under international agreements signed by previous
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 13
Pashinyan Ousts Armenia’s Security Council Chief Armen Grigoryan After Eight Years, Names Alen Simonyan as Replacement
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan replaced Armenia’s longtime Security Council secretary on Thursday, naming Alen Simonyan to the post after Armen Grigoryan’s more than eight years in the role. Pashinyan announced the change during a government meeting, where Grigoryan made his final appearance as Security Council secretary. “I have decided to make a change in the position of Security Council secretary,” Pashinyan said. Grigoryan thanked Pashinyan and his colleagues before leavi
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 13
Pashinyan, Aliyev Hold Anniversary Call, Discuss Peace Process, TRIPP and Armenia-Azerbaijan Trade One Year After Washington Summit
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev spoke by phone Saturday, one year after a U.S.-backed summit in Washington. The Aug. 8 call focused on the progress Armenia and Azerbaijan have made since the 2025 Washington summit, as well as expanding economic ties and plans for a new regional transit route, according to the Armenian government. Pashinyan and Aliyev met in Washington on Aug. 8, 2025, with the support of U.S. President Donald Tru
Pashinyan Says Armenia Not Yet Choosing EU Membership, Challenges Russia Over Trade Restrictions at EAEU Meeting
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Friday that Armenia will continue seeking political and economic alternatives beyond its traditional partnerships, arguing that diversification is a sovereign right and urging the Eurasian Economic Union not to stand in the way. Speaking to Russian reporters on Aug. 7 on the sidelines of a meeting of the EAEU Intergovernmental Council, Pashinyan said the Moscow-led economic bloc should respond to Armenia’s changing foreign policy b
Senior U.S. Officials Meet Pashinyan in Yerevan to Advance TRIPP Corridor Project
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's Senior Adviser Aryeh Lightstone met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on Wednesday to discuss progress on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project. Also present at the meeting were Konstantin Sokolov, head of the U.S.-backed TRIPP investment fund, and Ambassador of the United States to Armenia David Allen. According to the Armenian government, the discussions focused on implementing the U.S
Armenia to Add $320 Million in New Loans as Public Debt Reaches Record Levels
Armenia's government is set to approve $320 million in new foreign borrowing on Thursday, adding to a public debt that has more than doubled since Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan came to power in 2018. The financing package includes two long-term loans from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. According to the government, the money will help finance this year's state budget deficit, projected at 536 billion drams, or about $1.47 billion. Officials expect the deficit
Armenia Opens Criminal Case Over Death Threats Against Pashinyan’s Wife
Armenian authorities have opened a criminal investigation after Anna Hakobyan, the wife of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, reported receiving death threats following her public comments about domestic violence. Kima Avdalyan, a spokesperson for Armenia’s Investigative Committee, said Thursday that proceedings were launched under two separate provisions of the Criminal Code. One concerns online hooliganism, while the other covers public calls for violence. Hakobyan said the th
The Armenian Report Team
Jul 31
Pashinyan Says Government Will Step Down Sunday Before Forming New Cabinet
Armenia's government will formally resign on Sunday as the country's newly elected National Assembly begins its work, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced Thursday, triggering the constitutional process for forming a new cabinet. The announcement came during what Pashinyan said was the government's final regular meeting in its current composition. Under Armenia's Constitution, the cabinet must resign after a new parliament is convened. The president will then appoint a pr
The Armenian Report Team
Jul 30
Pashinyan Names Former U.S. Ambassador Lilit Makunts as Chief of Staff
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced Wednesday that former Armenian Ambassador to the United States Lilit Makunts will serve as his new chief of staff, bringing a veteran diplomat and longtime political ally back into the center of Armenia's government. Makunts led Armenia's embassy in Washington from 2021 to 2025, representing the country during a period of expanding ties with the United States. Before her diplomatic appointment, she chaired the ruling My Step faction in
The Armenian Report Team
Jul 29
Pashinyan Asks Putin to Lift Russian Trade Restrictions, Says They Violate EAEU Rules
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene over restrictions on Armenian exports to Russia during a phone call Monday, as the two leaders also discussed Armenia's increasingly debated path toward possible European Union membership. According to the Armenian government, Pashinyan said the trade restrictions imposed on Armenian products entering the Russian market violate both bilateral agreements and the rules of the Russian-led
The Armenian Report Team
Jul 27
Armenian General Jailed in Azerbaijan Urges Pashinyan to Publicly Reject Baku’s 2020 War Claims
An Armenian general imprisoned in Azerbaijan has called on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to publicly reject Baku’s accusations that Armenia planned and waged an aggressive war in 2020. Maj. Gen. Davit Manukyan made the appeal in a message sent from prison in Baku and obtained by Pastinfo. He said one of the charges against him centers on the planning, preparation and conduct of the September 2020 war. At the time, Pashinyan was serving as Armenia’s prime minister and command
The Armenian Report Team
Jul 20
Pashinyan Removed From Speakers List at Russian Industry Forum as Armenia-Russia Tensions Continue
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been dropped from the list of speakers at Russia’s INNOPROM International Industrial Exhibition, despite earlier plans for him to address the high-profile event in Yekaterinburg. The Armenian government previously announced that Pashinyan would travel to Russia for the July 6-9 exhibition. Until recently, the event’s official program listed him among the featured speakers. His name has since been removed from the schedule, although
