Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 20-04-

Economy17:11, 20 April 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

YEREVAN, 20 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 20 April, USD exchange rate down by 0.49 drams to 372.85 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.47 drams to 438.88 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.0651 drams to 4.9588 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.96 drams to 503.98 drams.

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

Gold price down by 76 drams to 58385 drams. Silver price down by 1.25 drams to 950.84 drams.

Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Published by Armenpress, original at 

Armenia’s first ambassador to Eritrea presents credentials to President

Politics18:47, 20 April 2026
Read the article in: العربيةEspañolՀայերենRussian

Armenia’s Ambassador to the State of Eritrea, Armen Sarkissian (residence in Cairo), presented his credentials to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki at the presidential palace in the capital Asmara, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a readout.

During the private conversation following the credential presentation ceremony, Ambassador Sarkissian conveyed the warm greetings and best wishes of the President of Armenia to the President of Eritrea, expressing Armenia’s readiness to develop bilateral relations with Eritrea and to form a multi-sectoral agenda between the two countries.

President Afwerki welcomed the decision of the Armenian government to accredit the first Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the State of Eritrea and noted that the launch of the diplomatic mission is an important and significant beginning in the formation of interstate cooperation, as well as the development of friendly relations between the peoples of the two countries.

Read the article in: العربيةEspañolՀայերենRussian

Published by Armenpress, original at 

2026 European Weightlifting Championships: Alexandra Grigoryan wins silver

Sports20:33, 20 April 2026
Read the article in: ArabicՀայերենRussian

Armenia’s Alexandra Grigoryan has won a silver medal at the 2026 European Weightlifting Championships held in Batumi.

Competing in the 58 kg weight category, Grigoryan lifted 88 kg and 91 kg in the snatch. In the clean and jerk, she lifted  115 kg and 119 kg, finishing third in that discipline.

With a total of 210 kg, Grigoryan secured the silver medal, becoming a European vice-champion for the second time in her career.

The gold medal was won by Ukraine’s Kamila Konopov with a total of 221 kg.

Earlier, Armenia’s Garnik Cholakyan also claimed silver at the championships, registering a total of 274 kg in the combined event.

Read the article in: ArabicՀայերենRussian

Published by Armenpress, original at 

Armenia has chosen peace over conflict, says MP Hripsime Grigoryan at PACE

Politics21:40, 20 April 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Armenian  Civil Contract faction MP Hripsime Grigoryan stated that Armenia has chosen peace over conflict, democracy over control, and dialogue over polarization during her speech at the annual session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Grigoryan said Armenia has made a conscious and, at times, difficult choice in recent years by placing democracy and peace at the core of its statehood.

She noted that since 2018 Armenia’s democratic path has faced serious challenges, including war, regional instability, and domestic pressures, but has endured and grown stronger. According to her, Armenia is now recognized by leading international indices as a country with a high level of freedom of speech and media.

“This is not an abstract achievement; it reflects a reality where public debate is vibrant, critical, sometimes uncomfortable, but free,” she said.

Grigoryan emphasized that this is particularly important in the broader European context, where increasingly complex electoral dynamics are observed, including attempts to interfere in domestic processes through hybrid tools.

She added that Armenia also faces similar challenges, including organized disinformation campaigns and efforts to advance agendas serving foreign interests.

The MP expressed concern that high-ranking clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church are allegedly being instrumentalized to serve the interests of third countries against Armenia.

According to Grigoryan, ahead of parliamentary elections, law enforcement agencies have reported attempts to channel significant financial resources into Armenia, with suspicions of their illegal use in electoral processes.

She also pointed to documented cases, including recordings, which she said indicate attempts at electoral bribery by the opposition, stressing that democracy in Armenia is not only declared but actively protected.

Grigoryan noted that the region is undergoing significant changes, highlighting that the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2025 has altered long-standing realities. She said that for the first time since independence, more than two years have passed without casualties or injuries on the border, while regional communications are reopening.

At the same time, she warned that progress remains fragile due to the broader geopolitical environment, pointing to recent developments in Iran and military actions in the wider region.

Concluding her remarks, Grigoryan said Armenia stands at a crossroads between past patterns and future opportunities and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to its chosen path, expressing appreciation for the support of international partners.

Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Published by Armenpress, original at 

Armenpress: Phone Conversation between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Be

Politics23:45, 20 April 2026
Read the article in: العربيةFrançaisõ

On April 20, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan held a phone conversation with Maxime Prévot, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation of Belgium.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Belgium noted with satisfaction the active political dialogue established between the two countries, emphasizing the importance of further deepening cooperation both at the bilateral level and within the framework of the European Union.

The interlocutors touched upon the agenda items of the upcoming European Political Community and Armenia-EU summits to be held in Yerevan in May, including issues on strengthening democratic resilience and expanding economic ties.

Touching upon regional developments, the ministers exchanged views on the new realities that have emerged in the South Caucasus. In the context of the established peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the importance of promoting connectivity and infrastructure development projects was underscored.

Ararat Mirzoyan and Maxime Prévot also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.

Read the article in: العربيةFrançaisõ

Published by Armenpress, original at 

Verelq: A person should not choose between medicine and food. Gagik Tsarukyan

As you know, our party is going to the elections with the “Offer to Armenia” program, where the most important problems related to the life of our country and our proposals for their solution are presented.

One of the problems is health care, about which conversations have intensified in recent months with the introduction of a universal insurance system.

My basic approach is: health care insurance is an important system, and it should definitely work, but the reforms should be done thoughtfully, carefully, not at the expense of health workers’ income, at the expense of health workers’ health, at the expense of health workers’ well-being.

Doctors and medical workers should be provided with a decent salary commensurate with their workload. Health insurance should provide a sense of security to both patients and healthcare workers.

We propose an insurance system that will provide guarantees to our citizens throughout their lives, rather than being a pre-election campaign with unclear mechanisms for project financing.
We offer such an insurance system that does not lead to endless queues and hassles.
Universal health insurance must be accompanied by infrastructure investments.
The re-equipment, modernization, and improvement of building conditions of medical institutions are an important issue, especially in marzes, which the state should solve together with the private sector.

The state is obliged to protect the citizen in the drug market in the same way as it protects in the field of energy or food safety.

One should not choose between medicine and food. Health should not be a victim of the market or monopolies. This is the political and human obligation of the authorities.


Gagik Tsarukyan




Armenia’s economic growth slowed down to 7.2% in February. WB:

Photo: Lava Media

The pace of economic activity in Armenia recorded a slight decrease in February, reaching 7.2 percent, while inflationary pressures continued to increase against the backdrop of rising food prices. This is reported in the monthly report of the World Bank on the economic development of Armenia.


According to analysts, overall growth slowed slightly after the 7.6 percent rate recorded in January, but the industry and construction sectors made significant progress. Consumer prices have also maintained growth dynamics. In March, inflation reached 4.5 percent, mainly due to the increase in food prices. The foreign trade sector recovered after the decline at the beginning of the year, registering a double-digit growth in both exports and imports in February.


At the same time, the volume of net non-commercial remittances increased moderately by 5.2 percent year-on-year. As for public finances, a budget deficit was formed in February, in the amount of 0.2 percent of the projected annual GDP, although the cumulative balance is still in surplus according to the results of the first two months.

Tsarukyan proposes to forgive loans of up to 3 million drams in villages

Photo from Gagik Tsarutyun’s Facebook page

Gagik Tsarukyan, head of the “Prosperous Armenia” party, expressed concern about the socio-economic condition of rural residents within the framework of his visit to Kotayk region, calling for the restoration of the Ministry of Agriculture and the announcement of credit amnesty for citizens.


The politician emphasized that today the residents of rural communities are virtually alone with their problems and have to fight for mere survival in the absence of basic resources, particularly water, fuel, seeds and fertilizers. According to Tsarukyan, the liquidation of the sectorial department deepened the crisis, forcing people to either emigrate or move to cities.


He stressed that agriculture should become a stable and decent source of income, because the peasant is the pillar of the state and the guarantor of food security.


Referring to the social policy, the PAP leader avoided unrealistic promises of a sharp increase in pensions, noting that the increase in social payments is impossible without the real development of the economy and the provision of appropriate budget revenues.


As an urgent and effective way to support the population in the current situation, Tsarukyan proposed to forgive citizens’ credit obligations of up to three million drams at the state level.

Gagik Tsarukyan also made a note.
“A warm and open-hearted welcome in Kotayk.

Regional visits continue, and at every stop I feel people’s trust and expectations.
There are many problems in the villages, and often the villager is left alone with his worries.

Our approach is clear: the village should not become a source of survival, but a source of decent income. The peasant is the pillar of our country, the one who guards the border, the creator of crops and good things, the one who feeds the people.

The development of the village is the strength of the country, and the well-being of the villagers is our priority.”

Tatoyan suggests making state universities free and introducing flexible loans

Photo from Arman Tatoyan’s Facebook page

Arman Tatoyan, head of the “Wings of Unity” party, proposed to make public higher education free for citizens of Armenia, and introduce a flexible credit system for students of private universities.


The politician emphasized the importance of using the international experience, in particular, the American experience, where educational loans cover not only tuition fees, but also living expenses. According to Tatoyan, the main advantage of this model is that the repayment of the loan begins only after graduation and employment, which significantly eases the financial burden of parents.


He also added that such an approach will force universities to cooperate more actively with the labor market and the state, contributing to the employment of graduates and ensuring the demand for young professionals.

CSTO welcomes the peace process between Yerevan and Baku

Photo: sputnik

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) positively assesses the trends towards the conclusion of a comprehensive peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The leadership of the alliance expresses its belief that the final settlement of bilateral relations will become the main guarantee of long-term stability in the entire South Caucasus.


Speaking at the session of the Council of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, the general secretary of the organization, Taalatbek Masadikov, emphasized that the alliance continues to focus on regional developments and records hopeful diplomatic developments. The current optimism is largely based on the historic agreements reached in Washington in August 2025.


It should be reminded that within the framework of the tripartite declaration signed with the participation of the USA, Yerevan agreed to grant Washington exclusive rights for 99 years to develop the infrastructural “Route 741”. This transport corridor, which will continue to operate exclusively under the legislation of Armenia, will provide a land connection between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. It is expected that the American side will hand over the management of the road to the international consortium on a sublease basis.


Within the framework of the same negotiation process, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed and published the text of the peace treaty, as well as signed a joint application on the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group.