The 2027 state budget draft envisions 450.6 billion drams for the implementation of 116 activities under 19 programs of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, of which 254.4 billion drams, or 56.5%, are capital expenditures.

Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan presented the budget figures during a joint session of the parliamentary standing committees.

He said the ministry’s expenditure programs total 362.1 billion drams, an increase of 37.7 billion drams, or 11.6%, compared to the previous year.

“An allocation of 168.2 billion drams is envisaged for the territorial administration sector, 146.3 billion drams for transport, 107.3 billion drams for energy, and 28.8 billion drams for the water sector,” the minister added.

A total of 2 billion drams has been allocated in the 2027 state budget draft for the construction of the Ajapnyak station of the Yerevan Metro, Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan has said.

If work progresses faster than planned, additional funding will be allocated, he told lawmakers at a joint meeting of parliamentary committees discussing the 2027 state budget draft.

He said the Government has an agreement with the Yerevan Municipality that additional funds will be allocated if the scope of construction work increases or work on the Ajapnyak station progresses faster.

“In our opinion, allocating more than 2 billion drams for next year would not be realistic. We have allocated this amount on the assumption that, if we are successful and work progresses faster than planned, we will add additional funds,” the minister said, adding that separate programs also provide for funding for the renovation and development of metro infrastructure.

Hovhannisyan stressed that the Yerevan Metro is state infrastructure entrusted to the Yerevan Municipality for management, while the Government also subsidizes passenger transportation.

Snowfall began on Sunday evening, November 8, in Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province and continued into the early hours of Monday.

Municipal authorities told Armenpress that snow depth reached 3–5 centimeters in populated areas and more than 10 centimeters in mountainous areas. Snowfall and cold weather caused icy conditions on the province’s roads overnight, while visibility was reduced.

According to information from the Gegharkunik Governor’s Office, road maintenance companies began clearing and treating the roads during the night to ensure safe and uninterrupted traffic.

Armenian Culture Days in Russia will kick off on November 9 in Moscow and St. Petersburg as a joint initiative of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

The Embassy of Armenia in Russia said that the cultural events will run from November 9 to 16.

The program will feature theater performances, dance, jazz and classical music, presenting Russian audiences with the diverse aspects of Armenia’s contemporary cultural life.

Participants will include Armenia’s State Dance Ensemble Barekamutyun (Friendship), the Yerevan State Pantomime Theatre, the Yerevan K. S. Stanislavski State Russian Drama Theatre, the State Jazz Orchestra of Armenia, accompanied by guest soloists, as well as pianist Anahit Dilbaryan.

Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan is participating in the 14th Meeting of Secretaries of Security Councils of the CIS Member States in Moscow.

“The 14th Meeting of Secretaries of Security Councils of the CIS Member States has kicked off in Moscow. Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan is also participating in the meeting,” the Security Council Office said in a press release.

The vision of a corruption-free state is an absolute priority for the Republic of Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said.

Speaking at a ceremonial session marking the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Committee, Pashinyan congratulated the Committee’s staff and thanked them for their work.

He said that the activities of the Anti-Corruption Committee in Armenia are becoming increasingly visible, which, however, should not be perceived as an increase in the scale of corruption.

“Corruption is classified as a latent crime. Receiving information more frequently about the detection of corruption cases does not mean that the scale of corruption is increasing. It is more likely that the approaches to combating corruption are becoming more principled,” Pashinyan said.

He said that the decision to establish the Anti-Corruption Committee in 2021, during a difficult period for the country, was an important step and demonstrated the Government’s principled approach in this area.

“We are not pretending to fight corruption; we are genuinely fighting corruption, and for us this is a matter of principle,” the Prime Minister said, adding that, according to the results of 2025, state budget revenues had increased by 135% compared to 2017, more than doubling.

He stressed that such figures would not have been possible without anti-corruption policies.

“The Government’s priority is the prevention of corruption, and extensive measures are being implemented in this direction. At the same time, corruption risks cannot be completely eliminated, so it is also important to uncover cases that have already been identified, provide them with a legal assessment, and hold those responsible accountable,” Pashinyan said.

He also highlighted the importance of the Anti-Corruption Committee having its own operational unit, which has enabled the body to operate independently since the very first day of its establishment.

“Today, the Committee is able to remain as focused as possible on its functions and have minimal dependence on other bodies in ensuring the effectiveness of its work and organizing its further activities,” the Prime Minister added.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stressed that no one should be shielded from accountability in corruption cases because of their political affiliation, saying there should be no distinction when it comes to accountability.

Speaking at a ceremonial session marking the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Committee, Pashinyan said accountability must apply equally to representatives of both the ruling party and the opposition.

He stressed that there should be no favoritism in the fight against corruption.

According to the Prime Minister, the activities of the Anti-Corruption Committee in Armenia are becoming increasingly visible, demonstrating the state’s intolerance of corruption.

Pashinyan said he regretted that the Anti-Corruption Committee’s work had also led to representatives of the ruling team and government circles being brought to trial. 

He stressed the importance of ensuring that no one evades accountability if involved in corrupt activities.

“If someone engages in corrupt activities, regardless of which political force they represent, whether the ruling party or the opposition, they must be held accountable. Otherwise, we will not achieve results. There must be no ‘us and them’ mentality in the fight against corruption,” the Prime Minister said.

He also stressed the importance of bringing to completion cases launched in 2018 that have since stalled under circumstances he said he could not understand.

“It is important that the cases launched in 2018 but which, for reasons I cannot understand, have ended up in a state of stagnation be brought to a principled conclusion. We must quickly close that chapter so that we can focus on today’s challenges,” Pashinyan said.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that, thanks to the sincere political will of the Government and the political majority, the effective work of the Anti-Corruption Committee, and the involvement of other state bodies implementing anti-corruption policies, Armenia can become a corruption-free state.

Addressing the quality of corruption investigations, Pashinyan noted that some cases are sent to court in an inadequate state.

He said public dissatisfaction arises when court proceedings in corruption cases end in acquittals, while the reasons for those outcomes remain unclear.

“If certain dark corners continue to remain, and their presumed existence is invoked to justify the failure to achieve justice, this situation irritates the public, and the issue must be addressed. It must be explained why, for example, a case investigated by the Committee reaches court and ends in an acquittal. The public must ultimately receive an answer to this question: What happened, and why was the defendant acquitted?” the Prime Minister said, adding that he would soon propose that representatives of the judiciary develop a mechanism for providing the public with explanations in such cases.

Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee has investigated 7,524 criminal proceedings over the five years since its establishment.

Arthur Nahapetyan, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Committee, presented the figures while speaking at a ceremonial session marking the fifth anniversary of the law enforcement agency.

Nahapetyan noted that of the 7,524 criminal proceedings, 1,050 were sent to court with indictments against 2,481 individuals. A total of 23,173 applications and reports were processed.

“Regarding the results for the first nine months of 2026, I would like to note that Anti-Corruption Committee investigators conducted preliminary investigations in 2,472 criminal proceedings. During the same period last year, preliminary investigations were conducted in 2,061 criminal proceedings. In the first nine months of this year, 286 criminal proceedings involving 799 individuals were sent to court with indictments. During the same period last year, 170 proceedings involving 431 individuals were sent to court. Thus, the number of proceedings sent to court increased by 116, while the number of defendants rose by approximately 85%. In ongoing and completed cases, approximately 327 million drams have been recovered. Movable and immovable property worth approximately 24 billion 300 million drams has been seized. Nineteen illegally alienated land plots have been returned to communities, with a total value of approximately 873 million drams,” Nahapetyan said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said the government will seek to provide the Anti-Corruption Committee with new premises as soon as possible.

Speaking at a ceremonial session marking the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Committee, Pashinyan said the government had been seeking solutions to the issue of the committee’s premises for quite some time.

“We have been looking for solutions to the issue of the committee’s premises for quite a long time. The committee operates from several locations and clearly needs new premises. It seems that we have already reached an agreement on when, where, how and within what timeframe the construction and commissioning of the Anti-Corruption Committee’s new complex should take place. I am confident that we will resolve this issue as quickly as possible,” Pashinyan said.

The Prime Minister said the government must continue supporting the committee by providing the material and technical resources necessary for its work and continuously improving its social benefits system.

Pashinyan said that during the committee’s initial period of operation, its employees’ remuneration system differed significantly from that of employees of other law enforcement agencies, but the systems have now been largely brought into line.

“At the proposal of the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Committee, the government is also discussing improvements to the social benefits system to ensure the long-term effectiveness of the institution,” he added.

Addressing electoral processes, the Prime Minister emphasized the Anti-Corruption Committee’s particular role in detecting and preventing crimes aimed at undermining voters’ free _expression_ of their will.

“Any pressure exerted on citizens’ _expression_ of political will is absolutely unacceptable to me, the government and our political team. Vote-buying, abuse of administrative resources and pressure on people are absolutely unacceptable,” Pashinyan said, adding that the people’s free _expression_ of their will is a fundamental and absolute value that must be preserved and protected.

At the end of the session, the Prime Minister presented awards to heads of the Anti-Corruption Committee’s departments.

Arthur Nahapetyan, Chairman of Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee, has commented on the progress of the criminal proceedings into the events of March 1–2, 2008.

Nahapetyan noted that following the European Court of Human Rights’ judgment of September 18, 2025, an investigative group was formed, and extensive evidentiary and other procedural actions were carried out.

“Based on the evidence obtained, charges have also been brought against several former high-ranking officials. During the reporting period, five criminal proceedings were separated from the main proceedings and sent to court with indictments concerning 10 individuals. The preliminary investigation is continuing in respect of another 11 defendants. The Committee will continue its work consistently to ensure a comprehensive and impartial investigation of the case. All circumstances must receive an appropriate legal assessment. Establishing the circumstances of the violence used against peaceful demonstrators, working to restore violated rights, and providing an appropriate legal assessment of what happened are matters of state responsibility,” Nahapetyan said.

In its judgment published on September 18, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found that Armenia had violated the right to life of those killed during the March 1, 2008 events. The ECHR found that, with the exception of Samvel Harutyunyan and Zakar Hovhannisyan, the state had violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to life) in the cases of the other victims. The Court also noted that the Armenian authorities had failed to ensure a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of the victims’ deaths, thereby also violating Article 38 of the Convention.

A criminal investigation into the deadly post-election unrest in Yerevan in 2008 is still ongoing. Former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan had rallied supporters in Yerevan to protest what he described as rigged elections that resulted in Serzh Sargsyan being declared president-elect in 2008. Ten people, including two police officers, were killed during mass disturbances and clashes between demonstrators and security forces on March 1, 2008, in the final days of Robert Kocharyan’s presidency.