The Embassy of Armenia in Kuwait, in cooperation with Jazeera Airways, hosted representatives of leading Kuwaiti travel companies.

Ahead of the resumption of direct Kuwait-Yerevan-Kuwait flights by Jazeera Airways in December 2026, information was presented during the meeting on Armenia’s tourism opportunities and advantages, as well as visa procedures for entering Armenia, the Embassy said in a press release.

The parties agreed to coordinate further joint efforts and work together to promote this route.

YEREVAN, 9 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 9 November, USD exchange rate up by 0.09 drams to 360.43 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.75 drams to 403.36 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.0214 drams to 4.3787 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.02 drams to 483.66 drams.

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

Gold price down by 721 drams to 46927 drams. Silver price down by 9.12 drams to 602.81 drams.

Naira Mkrtchyan, editor-in-chief of the Istanbul-based Armenian daily Nor Marmara, believes the Global Armenian Summit held in Yerevan was an extremely important event for bringing diaspora communities together around their homeland and strengthening ties.

Speaking to an Armenpress correspondent, Mkrtchyan discussed the summit’s proceedings, key issues on its agenda, concerns facing Istanbul’s Armenian community and the process of normalising Armenian–Turkish relations.

“Unfortunately, circumstances prevented me from attending the first summit, but this one was truly exceptional for me in terms of what I discovered. I met many new colleagues, and we had genuinely useful discussions on important issues. Although those discussions lasted for hours, they were not at all boring. I was invited as a speaker myself. I would particularly highlight the discussion involving Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Alen Simonyan. He agreed to let everyone present ask him the questions that concerned them. There was no time limit, unlike the discussion with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, when only six questions were put to him. It was certainly beneficial for us to receive answers to important questions from Alen Simonyan. That discussion, like all the others, took place in a packed hall,” Mkrtchyan said.

She added that most influential diaspora Armenians had attended the summit and were interested in Armenia’s foreign policy priorities and issues concerning Armenia–diaspora cooperation. In her view, organising such a summit was important for bringing diaspora communities closer to Armenia and finding common ground on important issues.

She said her presentation concerned documenting the history of Istanbul’s Armenian community.

“We have no specialist or institution in Istanbul producing a comprehensive history. Armaveni Miroghlu has defended a dissertation, but her subject concerns only the 1930s. Another member of the community, Sirvard Malkhasyan, is also writing a dissertation. Her thesis concerns the events of 1918–1923. So we have no body documenting the entire history of Istanbul’s Armenian community. Armenian publications try to fill that gap. We also have a weekly and a monthly publication, as well as Luys television, which broadcasts news programmes daily. In 50 or 100 years, anyone wishing to learn about the history of Istanbul’s Armenians or conduct research on particular subjects will certainly be able to use the media’s chronicles as a valuable source,” the Nor Marmara editor-in-chief said, noting that the newspaper was marking its 87th anniversary this year.

She said Istanbul’s Armenian community remained vibrant, describing it as one of the oldest communities in the Armenian diaspora, with established, well-organised institutions.

“The Armenian diaspora faces the challenge of preserving Armenian identity today, so the summits organised in Yerevan are extremely important platforms for discussing such issues. We plan to publish a series of articles in our newspaper about our active compatriots who came from many countries. Such summits bring Armenians around the world closer to their historic homeland and encourage cooperation. Incidentally, many people were interested in Istanbul’s Armenian community. We had the opportunity to shed light on many issues and present the community’s everyday life. Talking is better than remaining silent or engaging in fruitless arguments, and we had ample opportunity to make use of a platform that was beneficial to us,” she said.

Mkrtchyan said preserving cultural and ethnic identity was a priority for Istanbul’s Armenians today. The Armenian Patriarchate heads the community and provides spiritual leadership. Although it brings Istanbul’s Armenians together, many envisage their children’s futures abroad, and some therefore emigrate, leaving Istanbul with their families.

“Language is what preserves our identity abroad, so speaking Armenian is given considerable attention and importance within the community. Wherever we go, we proudly point out that Istanbul has 17 Armenian day schools with a century-long history. After the 1960s, many Armenians came to Istanbul from Türkiye’s provinces, but they had not received an Armenian education. Speaking Armenian at home, within the family, is one thing; learning it at school is quite another. If family members do not speak Armenian, unfortunately the language remains within the school walls and children communicate in Turkish,” she said.

Turning to relations between Istanbul’s Armenian community and Türkiye’s current authorities, Mkrtchyan said there had been some progress.

“Our community properties, which were seized by the republican leadership in the 1930s, are gradually being returned. We regained possession of them under the EU-related reforms of 2002, as Türkiye’s ruling political force had adopted a policy of seeking EU membership. Everyone who presented the relevant ownership documents to the Turkish authorities received a satisfactory response and had their claims met. Today, Türkiye’s authorities are trying to avoid problems with Istanbul’s Armenian community. The heads of our community institutions have also learnt how to engage with the authorities,” the Nor Marmara editor-in-chief explained.

She believes Armenia should organise visits to their historic homeland for diaspora children.

“After his first visit to Armenia, my son returned a completely different person, having discovered his homeland and reconsidered his identity. His visit was an important achievement for me too. If pupils at Istanbul’s Armenian schools, some of whom live in difficult social circumstances, had the opportunity to make such group visits, the positive impact would be far greater. There should be many such programmes, whereas our children form their understanding of their historic homeland through news broadcasts or newspaper reports,” she said.

Discussing attitudes within Turkish society towards issues concerning the Armenian community, Mkrtchyan stressed that she supported breaking down stereotypes.

“You know that Türkiye has an official position and political line on recognition of the Armenian Genocide, while Turkish society is divided into two or three groups. Some people believe the issue should be discussed more. There are quite a few people who want to confront their history. Others hold extremist views. After Hrant Dink’s murder, many began taking an interest in and studying the Armenian question, making discoveries for themselves. Such progressive circles also exist, and intellectuals are among them. But not all Turks have yet come to terms with their history,” she said.

Mkrtchyan welcomed the initiative to normalise Armenia–Türkiye relations, adding that opening the borders would further strengthen cooperation between the two peoples and resolve many difficult issues. She stressed that Istanbul’s Armenian community was looking forward to the borders opening and believed that the security of a peaceful, steadily developing Armenia was also a guarantee of its own security.

The Armenian Innovation Foundation (AIF) has published its annual report, “AIF BLUEPRINT: Artificial Intelligence”, which provides a comprehensive map of Armenia’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. It covers companies in the sector, human capital, research capabilities, infrastructure, the investment environment and opportunities for development.

The research was conducted to provide a data-driven basis for developing AIF’s programmes and strategic initiatives. It helps assess the ecosystem’s existing capabilities and needs, avoid duplication of programmes and direct resources towards more targeted initiatives. The published findings can also help others in the ecosystem make data-driven decisions and identify new opportunities for cooperation.

What does the report cover?

The research examines the main components of Armenia’s AI ecosystem:

● Industry and private companies — AI-related companies, areas of specialisation and Armenia’s position in the AI value chain.

● Education and human capital — university programmes, student numbers, workforce composition and professional skills.

● Research — research institutions, laboratories, fields of research, and private-sector research and development (R&D).

● Computing infrastructure — data centres, graphics processing units (GPUs) and high-performance computing capabilities.

● Funding and investment — state support mechanisms, venture investment and other funding opportunities.

● Policy and international cooperation — national priorities, the legal framework governing the sector and international partnerships.

Key findings

● The mapping identified around 118 AI-related companies.

● The employment data analysed included 882 positions directly related to artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science.

● A total of 858 students are enrolled in AI and related programmes at six higher education institutions.

● The research mapped 10 institutions conducting AI research.

● The study examined Armenia’s AI computing infrastructure, including Firebird AI, Eleveight AI and Yerevan State University’s Data Processing Centre.

These findings help assess the current potential of Armenia’s AI sector, identify areas for further development and strengthen cooperation among science, education, industry and the public sector.

Findings for the wider ecosystem

The report and its accompanying data appendices are being published to make information about the sector more accessible.

Companies can use them to build new partnerships, investors to assess the market and its opportunities, and universities and research organisations to develop education and research programmes. Government bodies and international partners can also use them to develop strategic initiatives.

By publishing the data, AIF aims to promote evidence-based decision-making, cooperation across the sector and the long-term development of Armenia’s AI ecosystem.

“AIF BLUEPRINT: Artificial Intelligence” is the first sector report in the foundation’s series mapping Armenia’s five priority deep technology areas. Reports on the other four areas will follow: biotechnology and biological sciences, semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum technologies, and robotics and space technologies.

The foundation plans to publish the reports annually.

About the Armenian Innovation Foundation

The Armenian Innovation Foundation (AIF) is an expert-led mechanism built on cooperation between the public and private sectors. It helps turn Armenia’s strategic priorities into programmes that can be put into practice. The foundation designs, validates and packages strategic initiatives based on sector needs, data, and technical and economic feasibility. It brings together expertise from government bodies, research and educational institutions, and industry to support Armenia’s scientific, technological and industrial development.

Davit Karapetyan, Secretary General of Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, received a delegation led by Jelena Mrdak, Acting Director of the Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA), on 9 November, the ministry said in a statement.

The meeting explored opportunities for the ministry and ReSPA to develop cooperation, particularly in capacity building, the exchange of professional experience and knowledge, and the delivery of joint programmes and training courses.

The two sides paid particular attention to prospects for establishing cooperation between Armenia’s Diplomatic Academy and ReSPA, including opportunities to organise courses and joint educational programmes on European integration and international trade processes.

They also discussed opportunities to cooperate on data-driven policymaking, strategic forecasting and the development of analytical capabilities.

Both sides stressed the importance of ministry representatives taking part in ReSPA programmes designed to strengthen the professional skills of public servants.

Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ararat Mirzoyan, met Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna in Tallinn on 9 November, the Armenian ministry said in a statement.

Mirzoyan thanked Tsahkna for inviting him to the ceremony marking the 108th anniversary of the founding of Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministers discussed next steps and the agenda for planned visits. They highlighted both countries’ commitment to expanding their resident diplomatic presence in each other’s capitals.

The ministers discussed further cooperation in a range of areas. They stressed the importance of implementing the memorandum of understanding on an enhanced partnership signed by the two foreign ministries.

Mirzoyan and Tsahkna discussed ways to strengthen bilateral economic ties, increase trade and expand exports of Armenian products to Estonia and other European markets. They also discussed joint initiatives to raise the profile of Armenian products. In this context, they welcomed the “Made in Armenia” exhibition held in Tallinn in July and noted that Tsahkna had attended in person.

The ministers stressed the importance of developing cooperation between Enterprise Armenia and the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency.

They also highlighted the importance of sharing expertise and continuing to build institutional capacity in digitalisation, e-governance and innovative technologies.

Mirzoyan expressed appreciation for Estonia’s support for democratic reforms in Armenia and for deepening Armenia–EU ties.

The ministers exchanged views on international developments and stressed the importance of continuing to strengthen both countries’ resilience in the current circumstances.

Armenia’s Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Zhanna Andreasyan, received India’s newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia, Armstrong Changsan, the ministry said in a statement.

Deputy Minister Kristina Tataryan also attended the meeting.

Andreasyan welcomed the ambassador, congratulated him on taking up his diplomatic post in Armenia and wished him success in his work. She praised the friendly relations between Armenia and India and their existing cooperation in education, science, culture and sport, highlighting the considerable scope for expanding it.

Changsan thanked the minister for receiving him and also stressed the importance of developing bilateral ties.

The two sides discussed cooperation in education and science, highlighting the importance of expanding opportunities for Indian citizens to study at Armenian higher education institutions. Andreasyan said Armenia was keen to increase the number of international students and was ready to discuss how best to organise their studies.

Andreasyan also outlined opportunities for researchers from abroad to take part in Armenian government research grant programmes. She suggested exploring cooperation in this area, particularly in artificial intelligence and technology.

The meeting also covered cultural cooperation, with an emphasis on developing direct links between museums in the two countries and organising joint exhibitions.

The two sides highlighted prospects for cooperation in film production and discussed ongoing talks between the Cinema Foundation of Armenia and relevant Indian organisations. They stressed the importance of joint film projects and exchanges of professional expertise, given India’s extensive experience and Armenia’s priority of developing the sector.

Changsan thanked Armenia for taking part in the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in India and stressed the importance of Armenian participation in the event planned for 2027.

The meeting also addressed plans to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and India in 2027. Exhibitions, concerts and other cultural programmes are planned to mark the occasion.

An exhibition entitled “Greek and Armenian Mythology Through Children’s Eyes” has opened in Larissa, in Greece’s Thessaly region, to mark the 35th anniversary of Armenia’s independence. It features around 70 works by children from Armenia aged 5 to 18, the Armenian Embassy in Greece said.

The exhibition was organised at the initiative of Larissa Municipality and the Armenian Embassy as part of the Universe Art international competition and festival. Pupils from schools and arts education institutions across Armenia depicted figures and symbols from Greek and Armenian mythology in their work. The exhibition was first shown in Athens in June 2025 and then in Thessaloniki in February 2026. Larissa is the third city to host it.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Greece Tigran Mkrtchyan, Larissa Mayor Athanasios Mamakos and Greek MP Maximos Charakopoulos spoke at the opening.

Mkrtchyan said the exhibition was one result of a commitment made about a year ago to develop cultural cooperation with Larissa Municipality. He highlighted the similarities between Greek and Armenian mythology and stressed the role of art and education in strengthening ties between young people in the two countries. He said showcasing young people’s artwork was a meaningful way to mark the anniversary of Armenia’s independence.

Mamakos welcomed the cooperation with the Armenian Embassy, while Charakopoulos spoke about the historical and cultural ties that unite the Armenian and Greek peoples.

The exhibition runs until 15 November in the Takis Tloupas Hall at the Hatzigiannio Cultural Centre in Larissa. Admission is free.

Representatives of Armenia’s Interior Ministry Rescue Service and the US Department of State discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in professional training for rescue personnel, joint exercises and emergency response.

The talks took place during a meeting between Aram Ghazaryan, Director of the Rescue Service and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, and Brian Breuhaus, Director of the Bureau for Disaster and Humanitarian Response at the US State Department’s regional office.

Ghazaryan stressed the importance of strengthening emergency preparedness and response capabilities and drawing on international experience. They also discussed strengthening community resilience, exchanging professional expertise and pursuing joint initiatives. Breuhaus emphasised the importance of cooperation with Armenia’s Rescue Service.

Armenpress spoke to physicist and cosmologist Professor Levon Pogosian, head of the Department of Physics at Simon Fraser University, a public research university in Vancouver, Canada, and an overseas staff member of Byurakan Observatory. Pogosian was a 2021 laureate of the prestigious Buchalter Cosmology Prize. The interview focused primarily on questions surrounding the expansion of the universe, but also covered the prospects for science in Armenia and the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

Pogosian was born in Yerevan and graduated from the Faculty of Physics at Yerevan State University, specialising in theoretical physics. In 1993, he moved to the United States, where he defended his doctoral thesis at Case Western Reserve University. He went on to work at Imperial College in England and at Syracuse University and Tufts University in the US. He later settled permanently in Vancouver, where he has lived and worked for 20 years.

What scientific question are you studying at present?

I am mainly trying to understand the trends in the expansion of the universe and what causes it. A range of fascinating astronomical observations, including observations of galaxies, are now available from international organisations that have used various observatories. The results are openly available, and any specialist can use them in their own research. I am mainly interested in studying what is known as dark matter. There are two components of the universe that remain unexplained: dark matter and dark energy. Together they account for 95% of the energy in the universe. Their nature remains unclear, and that is a major problem. Some very interesting new questions have also emerged recently.

The American astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that the universe was expanding about 100 years ago. The problem, however, is that different methods of calculating the rate of expansion give us different results. We are talking about the Hubble constant. (Editor’s note: This is the coefficient in the law named after Edwin Hubble that relates the distance to an object outside our galaxy, such as another galaxy or a quasar, to the speed at which it is moving away.) This means there is still something very important we have not understood in our theory.

You mentioned that there are different estimates of the rate at which the universe is expanding. Can you give us a rough figure?

Hundreds of kilometres per second.

How fast is that by cosmic standards?

It is fast, and the acceleration keeps increasing. In other words, the universe continues to expand at an ever-increasing rate.

What could that lead to? Could there be another Big Bang?

No. The expansion of the universe means that other galaxies are moving away from us. Now imagine that they are moving away faster and faster. If they move away faster than the speed of light, at some point we will no longer see their light. The distant galaxies we are studying today may no longer be visible in about 100 million or a billion years. I am not talking about the foreseeable future, so there is no cause for alarm. But 100 million years is not a long time on a cosmic scale.

Does expansion release energy, and could we use it to meet our needs on Earth?

No way of doing that has been found yet, but that does not mean it never will be. We currently assume that the acceleration of the expansion comes from vacuum energy. In effect, even nothingness, what we call a vacuum, has energy, even if there is no air and there are no particles. If we can understand it, who knows? Perhaps we will be able to use that energy.

Even for specialists, it is difficult at first to grasp how nothingness, a vacuum, can have energy. We know that as the volume of matter increases, its density falls. In this case, observations show that the universe is expanding, but its density does not change: the density of dark energy remains constant. It is very difficult to find another example like this in physics. Only a vacuum can have this property. That nothingness, that airless space we call a vacuum, has energy whose density does not change. Remaining constant is one of the properties of a vacuum.

To understand this, we will probably need to turn to quantum field theory and the general theory of gravitation, which do not yet exist. Cosmological research is one way for us to arrive at those theories. If we can understand gravity and the mechanics of quantum fields, we will be able to understand and describe the vacuum and work out how to obtain and use that energy.

Are people already trying to solve that problem?

Leading specialists, starting with Einstein, have been trying to understand it for about half a century. I think a clever idea that helps solve it could come at any moment. I think humanity is simply waiting for it. Observations help, of course, but we need a fresh approach.

As the universe expands, is our galaxy simply moving away from other galaxies, or is it also changing its position relative to them?

Its position relative to the others is changing. This is very important to emphasise, because there is no change in the positions within our galaxy: gravity holds all the objects in our galaxy together.

Does that prevent a possible global catastrophe?

In the unimaginably distant future, when the matter in all the stars has burnt up and been destroyed and everything has turned to dust, our galaxy may begin to expand too, which would lead to the disappearance of the remaining matter. But before that can happen, our galaxy’s enormous store of energy must burn away and be exhausted. Only then will the expansion of the universe affect our galaxy in any way.

Coming back to the present, do you work with scientific institutions in Armenia on your research?

Byurakan Observatory has a different scientific focus. It mainly studies stars and does not investigate the overall expansion of the universe. But I have colleagues at the Physics Institute and Yerevan State University who work on this question, and we are carrying out some projects together. We also plan to offer courses for master’s students and establish an international platform for doctoral studies, so that our young people can defend their theses, carry out research with help from leading specialists abroad and join the international scientific community.

Based on your contacts and observations, how do you assess Armenia’s scientific potential in astronomy and cosmology?

It is difficult to give a definitive answer, but my impression is that our young people are as well educated and knowledgeable as their peers in other advanced countries. Many simply prefer to work outside science, in fields such as IT and artificial intelligence, where there are plenty of jobs and the pay is considerably higher. Even so, Armenia has considerable scientific potential.

I am pleased to say that one of these talented young people will soon defend a thesis and continue their studies in Vancouver. I met this student and two other young people from Armenia this winter in Poland, where astronomer Professor Armen Sedrakian runs a specialised school every year. They are master’s students at Yerevan State University. We want to help increase the number of talented young scientists in Armenia. I think that if we can give them clear prospects and opportunities to do substantial research at an international level, we can reach a new level in the quality of our scientific work. It is also very important to draw on the expertise of Armenian scientists who live and work in the diaspora.

How do you assess the role and importance of artificial intelligence in science?

It is a wonderful tool, and I use it myself. AI is developing faster than people can grasp its importance and risks. Mathematicians recently expressed some concern about the rapid development of AI after it managed to solve a very difficult problem. Many people are now trying to understand what that means for science and for humanity as a whole. I do not think there is an answer to that question yet.

Will there come a time when AI pushes people out of science altogether because they cannot compete with machines?

I can say with confidence that the role of people in science will change, but it will not disappear altogether. Many things we do now will simply no longer serve a purpose. People will always have a role in science.

Traditional forms of education may change. Students may no longer need to go to universities to listen to lectures and take notes. They could do the same at home, listening to lectures on the relevant subject prepared and delivered by AI and completing the homework assignments it suggests. But that does not mean universities will no longer be needed. Universities will need to rethink how and what they teach and offer what AI still cannot. For example, they can adopt creative, practical approaches based on people working together and interacting directly. That is very important.