ARKA News Agency - eng

“Anomaly in the Armenian market: Some bank bonds are trading at a yield lower than sovereign Eurobonds — KK Partners

One of the main constraints on the further development of Armenia’s capital market remains insufficient liquidity, according to Gor Gevorgyan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of investment company Landmark Capital.

In an interview with ARKA News Agency, he explained what changes he believes are needed in Armenia’s capital market, why retail investors alone cannot solve the liquidity problem, and what opportunities international financial instruments could offer Armenia.

Armbanks highlighted five key takeaways from the interview.

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🇦🇲 Obtaining and renouncing Armenian citizenship may become significantly more expensive

The Ministry of Internal Affairs proposes changing the rules for obtaining and renouncing Armenian citizenship.

🔹 fee for obtaining citizenship — from AMD 50,000 to AMD 250,000

🔹 fee for renouncing citizenship — from AMD 150,000 to AMD 1.5 million

🔹 general residency requirement for obtaining citizenship — 5 years, including at least 915 days of actual presence in the country

🔹 for ethnic Armenians — 2 years of residence and at least 366 days of actual presence

🔹 for certain family-related categories — 3 years and at least 549 days of actual presence

The proposal also envisages changes to the electronic document submission procedure, clarification of the grounds for refusal, and amendments to the rules for taking the oath of citizenship.

📅 If adopted, the new rules will take effect on January 1, 2028.

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Armenia aims to enter new markets to strengthen economic resilience – Deputy Minister

To ensure Armenia's future and economic resilience, it is essential to create and open new markets, stated Deputy Minister of Economy Tigran Gasparyan.

"Our products, which we present in international markets, must be of high quality and high quality, not only because they meet or do not meet certain requirements, but also because we have chosen a policy of having high added value," Gasparyan noted at a briefing on Tuesday.

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Apicius Armenia Opens New, Fully Equipped Hospitality School Building in Dilijan

Apicius Armenia International School of Hospitality has officially opened its new educational building in Dilijan, marking an important step in the development of international hospitality education in Armenia.

The new three-story building has been designed and fully equipped to international standards, creating a modern learning environment for students preparing for careers in Armenia’s growing tourism and hospitality sector.

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Wizz Air will add a fourth aircraft to its Yerevan base and launch three new routes

Wizz Air will base its fourth aircraft at its base at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan in December, announced the airline's Chief Commercial Officer, Ian Malin.

According to him, the base expansion will allow the airline to launch three new destinations from Yerevan.

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Armenia's foreign trade turnover increased by 1.7% in the first seven months, exceeding $11.53 billion

Armenia's foreign and mutual trade turnover in January-July 2026, compared to January-July 2025, increased by 1.7% to $11,538,233.6 thousand, according to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia.

Moreover, in July 2026, this figure amounted to $1.89 billion, an increase of 6.7% compared to July of the previous year and 9.2% compared to June of this year.

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ARKA Armenia Weekly: Key Events of the Week: Politics, Economy, and Markets (August 31 – September 6)

The main topic of the week was the further change in Armenia's foreign economic configuration: Yerevan is simultaneously discussing a new model of relations with Russia, strengthening its peace agenda with Azerbaijan, and promoting the diversification of trade and transport routes. In this context, the railway concession and TRIPP are acquiring direct economic significance, and EU trade preferences are expanding the potential geography of exports, although businesses and experts point to persistent logistical, production, and non-tariff restrictions.

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Between Record Highs and Rising Risks: How the CEO of an Investment Firm Sees the Market

Why do stock markets continue to rise despite high interest rates and numerous risks? What could derail the current bull market, and will the AI investment boom really live up to expectations?

In an interview with ARKA, Landmark Capital CEO Gor Gevorgyan explains:

▪️ why the market’s main vulnerability is the combination of high equity valuations and high long-term interest rates;
▪️ where the risks associated with multibillion-dollar investments in AI could emerge;
▪️ why Armenia’s capital market remains predominantly bank-driven;
▪️ what opportunities he sees for Armenia as a regional financial hub;
▪️ and how he would allocate his own capital over the next five years.

👉 Read the full interview — here.

Mikael Petrosyan Named Among the Top 20 Best-Dressed French by Vanity Fair France

French entrepreneur of Armenian descent Mikael Petrosyan, who represents the family-owned gastronomic brand Petrossyan, has been named one of the 20 Best-Dressed French People of 2026 by Vanity Fair France.

The list, "Who are the 20 Best-Dressed French People of 2026?" (Who are the 20 Best-Dressed French People of 2026?), was published on September 2. It included representatives from the film, fashion, sports, and business industries.

As noted by Vanity Fair France, the publication highlighted Petrossian's ability to combine classic masculine style with more relaxed elements.

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IDBank Warns of a New Extortion Scheme on Telegram

A new scam technique is becoming widespread in the Russian-language segment of Telegram, including among users in Armenia. Scammers are leveraging the messenger's features alongside psychological pressure to blackmail users and extort money in exchange for maintaining access to their accounts.

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In Armenia, 12-month inflation was 4.4% in August, with prices up 0.2% over the month

In August 2026, compared to August 2025, inflation in Armenia was 4.4%, while compared to July of this year, prices increased by 0.2%. This is according to data from the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia.

In August 2026, compared to August 2025, prices for food products and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 6.4%, while compared to July, they decreased by 1%.

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New EU trade incentives will not solve key problems of exports from Armenia - economist (EXCLUSIVE)

New EU trade concessions alone will not solve key problems affecting Armenian exports and are unlikely to lead to significant growth, according to economist Hrant Mikaelyan.

The EU Council supported the European Commission's proposal for temporary trade liberalization with Armenia, which would eliminate duties on approximately 80% of Armenian exports to the EU, with the possibility of introducing protective measures for the European market.

"The EU leadership made a political statement two or three months ago about the need to liberalize duties on Armenian goods exported to the EU. At the time, it was stated that duties on imports of Armenian goods would be abolished. Now we are seeing this decision being formalized bureaucratically and legally for a period of two years," Mikaelyan said in an interview with ARKA.

You can read interview here.

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Head of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Armenia (UIEA) does not fear Turkish businesses will displace Armenian businesses from the Armenian market

"Today, I no longer fear this. Our business is established, we have the necessary infrastructure, and we are ready to compete," Ghazaryan said, answering a question from ARKA news agency at the Armenian-Turkish business forum currently underway in Yerevan.

According to him, the Armenian private sector has reached a level that allows it to compete on an equal footing with Turkish companies.

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🇦🇲🇹🇷 Two-day Armenian-Turkish business forum underway in Yerevan

Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Vassilis Maragos described the event as “historic”, noting that the European Union supports contacts between the business communities and the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey.

💬 “Peace and normalization in this region can benefit everyone. This means new jobs, new investments, stability and benefits for all,” he said.

🔹 Maragos called the forum “a very good signal for Brussels”

🔹 The EU sees potential for cooperation between Armenia and Turkey in the electricity sector

🔹 The European Union supports the North-South project and the development of regional connectivity

🔹 Last year, the EU allocated more than €200 million to support Armenia’s private sector

The forum is organized by the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia.

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Registration Open for Second Investment and Financial Forum of Armenia 2026

Registration is now open for Armenia’s Second Investment and Financial Forum. The forum, titled “The Moment of Opportunity: Armenia in the New Architecture of Global Markets,” will take place on September 30, 2026, at Dvin Music Hall in Yerevan.

“The Investment and Financial Forum is a platform for substantive dialogue and for shaping a long-term vision for the development of capital markets. We see it as an open platform for everyone interested in Armenia’s sustainable financial future and in strengthening the country’s role in the international financial system,” said Ovak Ovakimyan, Director of Freedom Broker Armenia.

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Up to AMD 1 billion in business financing: Byblos Bank Armenia’s new offer

Byblos Bank Armenia is offering preferential terms for businesses seeking financing or refinancing.

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Armenia's EU aspirations threaten to nullify its advantages in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Putin

Armenia's EU aspirations are the legitimate right of the country and its people, Armenia, but they create difficulties in its membership in the EAEU and threaten to nullify the country's advantages in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) market and disrupt established trade chains. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated this at a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Bishkek.

"Over more than 10 years of participation in Eurasian integration processes, Armenia's GDP has nearly tripled: $10.6 billion in 2015 and $29.2 billion by the end of 2025, according to our statistics. The union's exports have increased tenfold. Today, the union's market accounts for approximately 36% of its foreign trade turnover," he said. In this regard, the Russian leader emphasized that the people of Armenia must clearly decide on the country's future political and economic course.

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Azerbaijani companies have begun purchasing goods from Armenian companies – Mirzoyan

Azerbaijani companies have purchased goods from Armenian companies, stated Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan.

"In the coming days, you will learn that Azerbaijani companies have purchased goods from Armenian companies," Mirzoyan said in an interview with Armenian Public Television.

According to him, the process will now be bilateral, and Armenia will also sell goods to Azerbaijan.

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All countries in the region will benefit from the implementation of the TRIPP project: Pashinyan

The implementation of the TRIPP project will open up new transport opportunities and benefit all countries in the region, stated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

"We are currently working with Azerbaijan and Turkey to open up interstate communications, including through the implementation of the TRIPP project, practical work on which will begin on the ground in the coming months," Pashinyan said, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO+) summit in Bishkek on Tuesday.

According to him, the project will create new transport opportunities both in the East-West direction—from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean—and in the South-North direction, linking the Persian Gulf with the Black Sea.

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Yerevan is preparing to host a reciprocal Armenian-Turkish business forum in October – Mirzoyan

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in an interview with Public Television recalled that a meeting of representatives of the Armenian and Turkish business communities recently took place in Kars, Turkey, which he described as "very successful." A representative Armenian business delegation participated.

"The Turkish side has proposed holding a reciprocal business forum in Armenia. We are planning it very quickly, and it will take place tentatively in October," the Armenian Foreign Minister said.

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