Breaking
Nightfall is an anxious time for residents of Khnatsakh, Syunik Province of Armenia.
Every evening at around 10 p.m., automatic gunfire echoes through the tiny village in Armenia, locals say – the sound of Azerbaijani troops firing into the night sky from their positions across the border, high above.
The bullets regularly hit houses, though no one has been hurt, so far, the villagers say. Azerbaijan denies its troops have been shooting across the border and has accused Armenian troops of violating the ceasefire.
Armenia Expects Azerbaijan to Investigate Ceasefire Breaches
Two Global ARM Advisory Board Members Selected as Witnesses for Helsinki Commission Briefing on Armenia-Azerbaijani Peace Talks
Congressional Briefing: A Historic Opportunity: Advancing the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Deal June 25, 2 pm, Rayburn 2212
The U.S. Helsinki Commission will hold a public briefing on June 25 in Washington, D.C., to assess the state of the peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the risks to U.S. interests of further delay in a negotiated settlement. The Briefing will also explore the opportunities the peace deal will create.
Global ARM Advisory Board members Nerses Koplanyan and Garo Palyan have been invited to testify as witnesses at this first-ever briefing.
Global ARM President Tim Jemal Urges Stronger U.S.–Armenia Ties During Interview in Armenia
In a conversation with Reporter Astghik Sargsian on Public Radio of Armenia, Global ARM President Tim Jemal emphasized the deepening of U.S.–Armenia ties. Jemal stressed that “peace in the South Caucasus remains a priority” in Washington and said “they [Trump administration] know who the problem is in the South Caucasus — and it is Azerbaijan.” Jemal called for stronger U.S. involvement, urging that “if there is new aggression, they know who is going to be responsible for that aggression.”
Armenian Lawmakers to Visit Washington
A delegation of Armenian Members of Parliament will travel to Washington, D.C. from June 23 to 27 on a working visit. The group includes Parliament Majority Leader Hayk Konjoryan, who also heads the Armenia– U.S. Parliamentary Friendship Group, along with Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Sargis Khandanyan, MPs Arusyak Julhakyan, Maria Karapetyan and Gegham Nazaryan. The visit aims to deepen Armenia–U.S. relations and engage in key discussions on regional and international issues.
Azerbaijan's Ethnic Cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and Genocidal Policy
Swiss Government Fails to Act on “Nagorno Karabakh Peace Forum”
In May, 19 members of the Swiss parliament established the cross-party Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno Karabakh, intended to bring Azerbaijan’s government into direct dialogue with the leaders of the expelled Armenian Christian population. Now Switzerland’s Council of Ministers says the Foreign Ministry will not organize the forum.
“Symbols of Resistance”: Armenian Prisoners in Azerbaijan
At a special event on the sidelines of the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, organized by Christian Solidarity International (CSI), shocking details about the detention conditions of Armenian prisoners came to light. Dr. Joel Veldkamp, CSI’s director of public advocacy, moderated the discussion.
In a moving appeal, David Vardanyan, son of imprisoned businessman Ruben Vardanyan, has called on US President Donald Trump to use his political influence to secure the release of his father and other Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijani detention.
“My dad has been in prison for more than 550 days simply for being Christian,” reads the title of the opinion article published by Fox News. In it, David Vardanyan reminds the president of his promise to “protect persecuted Armenian Christians in Azerbaijan and beyond” and urges him to pressure the regime in Baku to release the detainees.
Driven by Fear from Nagorno-Karabakh
“My Husband Didn’t See Our Third Child”: War Survivor Anush Hayrapetyan’s Story of Loss and Resilience
Forced to flee war twice, first as a child and later as a mother, Anush Hayrapetyan survived the September 2023 Azerbaijani attack on Artsakh while pregnant, enduring a blockade, explosions, and forced displacement. Her husband, a police officer, was fatally injured in the Stepanakert gas depot explosion while trying to save a relative.
“I had a difficult pregnancy: a blockade, an explosion, a forced displacement. My husband did not see our third child,” she says. Anush named her son Eric, after his father, a child born into exile and grief, now facing his health battles.
Photo of the Week
U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer Torrey Goad and Director of the Syunik Regional Library Lianna Gasparyan at the American Corner in Kapan during the signing ceremony.
Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia.
Security
Armenia Working Intensively for Release of POWs Held in Azerbaijan, Says Security Council Secretary
At the APRI 2025 forum, Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan stated that Armenia has been consistently working to secure the release of Armenian POWs held in Azerbaijan since the 2020 war. He noted that public discussions are avoided to prevent negative impacts on the process and reaffirmed the government’s daily commitment to bringing the detainees, including former Nagorno-Karabakh officials, back home.
CoE Secretary General Voices Strong Support for Reform and Peace at Conclusion of First Visit to Armenia
On his first official visit to Armenia, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset praised Armenia’s democratic progress, reaffirmed the Council’s support for ongoing reforms, and called for the swift conclusion of a peace agreement with Azerbaijan. He also announced €2.8 million in aid for Nagorno-Karabakh refugees and emphasized the importance of youth engagement and regional cooperation.
Advancing Peace Is Armenia’s Main Response to Regional Threats, Says Security Council Chief
Economy
Ambassador Kvien Marks ContourGlobal’s 10th Anniversary and Investment in Armenia’s Energy Sector
Ambassador Kvien joined ContourGlobal’s 10th anniversary celebration, highlighting the company’s significant investment in Armenia’s energy sector and the shared benefits it continues to bring to both Americans and Armenians.
Armenian Official Highlights Opening of French Honorary Consulate in Syunik
Foreign Ministry Secretary General Davit Karapetyan met with newly appointed Honorary Consul of France in Goris, Karmen Apunts, to discuss the significance of the consulate’s opening. Both sides emphasized its role in strengthening Armenian-French ties, with a focus on cultural and economic cooperation in Syunik.
Education
Armenian Students Reflect on Life-Changing Semester at U.S. Universities through Global UGRAD Program
U.S. Embassy and Syunik Regional Library Sign New Agreement to Enhance American Corner Programs in Kapan
And Director of the Syunik Regional Library, Lianna Gasparyan, signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen ongoing cooperation at the American Corner in Kapan.
American Corners play a vital role in deepening the partnership between the United States and Armenia.
Opinion
Hunger Games: How Food Became Weaponized Again
By Stephan Pechdimaldji
Under the false pretence of environmentalism, Azerbaijan justified its blockade by claiming that they were raising the alarm about eco-terrorism in Nagorno- Karabakh. By limiting access to food, medicine, gas, electricity, and other critical supplies, Azerbaijan was able to make living conditions so unbearable that it forced Armenians to leave the region. And that is exactly what happened when, in September 2023, the entire Armenian population fled, making it the largest displacement of Armenians since the Armenian genocide of 1915.
Armenia at a Crossroads: Why the Peace Proposal Is a Test for the Region, and for Europe
By Tigran Ghalumyan
When Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently declared that Armenia is ready to “turn the page of enmity” and reach a historic peace agreement with Azerbaijan, the international community responded with polite interest — but little action. Yet what is at stake is far greater than a bilateral treaty between two post-Soviet republics. Armenia’s peace initiative is a litmus test for the future of diplomacy, democracy, and stability in the South Caucasus — a region often overlooked, but critical to Europe’s strategic interests.
Growing Up On the Border: Youth Narratives of War, Peace and Home
By Gayane Ghazaryan
Mainstream narratives on war and peace tend to reduce young people to passive victims of circumstance, overlooking their agency, attitudes and lived experiences. While children and adolescents in Armenia have been deeply affected by war in recent years, their perspectives remain largely absent in the public discourse.