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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
4 days ago
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
4 days ago
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
Pashinyan Attends Funeral of Iran’s Ali Khamenei in Tehran
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan joined foreign dignitaries in Tehran on Friday to attend the official funeral ceremony for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, whose death has reshaped the country’s leadership at a time of heightened regional tensions. Khamenei was killed on February 28 during U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, ending his decades-long rule as the Islamic Republic’s highest political and religious authority. Following his death, his son, Mojt
Analyst Warns of Threat From Azerbaijan’s ‘Western Azerbaijan’ Narrative; Pashinyan Downplays It
Azerbaijan’s renewed promotion of the concept of “Western Azerbaijan,” which refers to present-day Armenian territory, has reignited political tensions in Armenia, exposing divisions over how to respond to competing historical narratives as the two countries pursue a peace agreement. Armenian analyst Tatevik Hayrapetyan sharply criticized the government's approach after Azerbaijan's state news agency AzerTag published coverage of a recent event in Nakhijevan that promoted the
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 25
Pashinyan Dares Critics to Launch a Revolution Over Election Claims
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan challenged opponents of his government to take to the streets and seek a change of power if they disagree with the country's current political direction, framing the post-election period as a struggle between revolution and counter-revolution. “Those citizens of the Republic of Armenia who do not agree with this line, I call on you to carry out a revolution and change the government,” Pashinyan said during the first parliamentary questi
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 17
Pashinyan: Return of 300,000 Azerbaijanis to Armenia ‘Will Not Happen’
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has firmly dismissed opposition claims regarding the potential return of 300,000 Azerbaijanis to Armenia, describing the issue as a fabricated narrative that has no basis in reality. Speaking during a question-and-answer session in parliament, Pashinyan said the topic was being promoted by political forces seeking to undermine Armenia's peace agenda. “The issue of the return of 300,000 Azerbaijanis is an invented and fabricated topic. I
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 17
Months After Announcing Separation, Anna Hakobyan to Attend Global First Ladies Academy in New York as Questions Surrounding Her Relationship With Pashinyan Continue
Anna Hakobyan, the wife of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, is set to travel to New York later this month to participate in the fourth annual Global First Ladies Academy, an international leadership program that brings together spouses of world leaders and prominent experts to discuss public diplomacy, social initiatives, and global challenges. According to Armenian government decisions, Hakobyan will attend the nine-day event as part of an official delegation. The ac
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 15
Yerevan Street Q&A: How Do Armenians See the Next Five Years of Pashinyan’s Leadership?
As Armenia awaits the final certification of its parliamentary election results, The Armenian Report took to the streets of Yerevan to ask a simple question: How do Armenians envision the next five years under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's leadership? The responses reflected a country that remains deeply divided in its expectations, hopes, and frustrations. Some residents expressed cautious optimism. "We'll live and see what happens," one man said. Another respondent said
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 13
Pashinyan Congratulates Putin on Russia Day Despite Kremlin’s Silence on Election Victory
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not publicly congratulated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan or his Civil Contract party on their election victory, despite messages of support from several international leaders in recent days. Against that backdrop, Pashinyan on Thursday sent a congratulatory message to Putin on the occasion of Russia Day, emphasizing the importance of bilateral ties between the two countries. In his message, the Armenian prime minister described the holida
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 12
Pashinyan Receives Congratulations From Turkey and Pakistan Following Election Win
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has received congratulatory messages from the leaders of Turkey and Pakistan following the preliminary victory of his Civil Contract party in Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections. According to the Armenian government, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated Pashinyan on the performance of the ruling Civil Contract party, which secured 49.8% of the vote according to preliminary results released by Armenia’s Central Elect
The Armenian Report Team
Jun 11
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