CIVILNET

A meeting in Moscow between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan last week revealed growing pressure on Armenia, as Russian officials issued warnings over Yerevan’s westward trajectory. Meanwhile, the Armenian election campaign continues to take shape, with Armenia’s international trajectory on the ballot. Eric closes with a review of the war on Iran, its sudden ceasefire, and what the outcome means for regional and global power dynamics. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #insightswitherichacopian

📍 A group of six Armenian banks agreed to loan $300 million to a public-private, Armenian-American partnership that plans to develop the country’s first data center.📍 Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries opened a massive new distribution center in Yerevan, saying the 250,000-square-foot facility could help boost local entrepreneurs.📍 Armenia is in preliminary talks with Chinese tech giant Huawei on developing energy storage plants in the country, according to the head of Armenia’s regulatory agency.📍 The World Bank agreed to loan Armenia $200 million to support ongoing efforts to attract more foreign investment and boost the country’s competitiveness on the global stage.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #civilnetbusiness

📍 Yerevan has criticized Baku for accusing “radical Armenian groups” of committing what it called a “genocide of Azerbaijanis” in 1918, referring to the events known as the March Days during the Russian Civil War.📍 Armenia continues to import fodder wheat grain from Russia despite a reported mass outbreak of animal disease.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee has launched a criminal investigation into alleged vote buying involving a campaign office of the opposition Strong Armenia party.📍 A Yerevan court has banned the screening and distribution of a film about Armenia’s independence movement, siding with a copyright lawsuit filed by the country’s public broadcaster.📍 The American University of Armenia has reopened its campus after shutting down in-person classes for one day amid a threat of attacks on American institutions issued by Iran. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Three people were detained and a criminal case was launched after a man attempted to strike Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a Palm Sunday service at a Yerevan church. 📍 Iran’s foreign minister thanked Armenia for its humanitarian support and assistance to Iranian citizens amid the ongoing conflict. 📍 Armenia has reportedly spent around $400,000 promoting its Academic City project despite concerns over unclear plans, costs, and feasibility.📍 This Week in Business: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH-MacxvGzU&t=1s#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenia plans to roll out courses in AI in most of the country’s schools by the end of the year, according to Education Minister Zhanna Andreasyan.📍 Armenia reached a deal with Chinese e-commerce giant Temu to allow Armenian companies to sell their products on the platform, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said.📍 Lawmakers passed a bill to expand an existing ban on single-use plastic bags.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #civilnetbusiness

In July 2025, when our think tank the Regional Center for Democracy and Security published a report on hate speech targeting refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, we identified several important patterns related to this phenomenon. The first was that the volume of hate speech against refugees increases during periods of domestic political tension. In this regard, one of the main concerns ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections was that refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh would once again become targets of attacks and disinformation spread by political actors.

Following the effective start of the pre-election period in Armenia, these concerns have begun to materialize. On March 22, 2026, during a campaign event in the Yerevan metro, Nikol Pashinyan approached a forcibly displaced woman from Nagorno-Karabakh (Armine Mosiyan) and her child and offered them a pin featuring the map of the Republic of Armenia. The woman refused, explaining her reasons, after which Pashinyan continued to argue with her despite her request not to do so. He then raised his voice and spoke to her while pointing his finger.

Moreover, after the woman urged him not to raise his voice or gesture in that manner, he responded that he would speak that way, stating that billions earned by the citizens of Armenia had been spent on sustaining Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, and added: Next time, you runaways, don’t try to say that I gave away Karabakh.” Notably, the woman had made no such claim during the entire incident.

Over the course of that day, Prime Minister Pashinyan initially denied calling the woman from Nagorno-Karabakh a “runaway,” stating that such a thing was impossible. After some time, he attempted to justify and interpret his remarks, and by the end of the day, he issued an apology with certain reservations to Armine Mosiyan.

Nevertheless, even after Pashinyan’s apology, several media outlets under the ruling party’s control continued to target Armine Mosiyan. Araratnews and Medianews attributed statements to Mosiyan that she had not made during the incident with Pashinyan. Specifically, these outlets claimed that she had told Pashinyan that she “does not accept Armenia, does not care about it, and that neither she nor her child need the Republic of Armenia.” This falsehood was likely fabricated to rationalize and justify Pashinyan’s behavior.

It is noteworthy that in the aforementioned report published by the Regional Center for Democracy and Security, we had identified a well-developed mechanism through which pro-government media disseminate hate speech by collectively amplifying posts containing such rhetoric from pro-government bloggers on Facebook. The role of these media outlets was thoroughly documented in the report.

As war continues in Iran, Armenia faces refugee flows, rising energy risks and inflationary pressures. At the same time, the election campaign is heating up, with defense and security dominating the debate and opposition parties challenging the ruling government’s record. On Insights, Eric Hacopian examines the regional consequences of the Iran conflict, the Armenian leadership’s politics of fear over the possibility of a new war, and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s viral confrontation with a woman displaced from Artsakh.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #insightswitherichacopian

📍 Pashinyan said Armenia is updating its National Security Strategy, pursuing constitutional reform, and focusing on providing stability and improved conditions for displaced Nagorno-Karabakh residents. 📍 The Armenian government denied characterizations of a planned May 28 event to showcase military equipment in Yerevan’s Republic Square as a military parade, but instead said that it will be a “report to the citizens” on what has been acquired. 📍 Can Pashinyan survive Armenia’s 2026 election?- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo_oM32YQu0#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

Sponsored contentVisa’s Diana Kiguradze speaks with CivilNet about the growth of the She's Next, Empowered by Visa initiative in Armenia and the milestone of its first national pitch contest. She explains how the program supports women entrepreneurs beyond financial grants and why partnerships are key to its success. Kiguradze also shares Visa’s broader vision for expanding opportunities for women-led businesses in the Caucasus.0:00- Evolution of Visa's She's Next in Armenia 3:56- Long-term help beyond the financial 6:45- Importance of collaborative partnerships 8:18- Where is She's Next going, and Visa's broader visit in Armenia