LIVE: Key morning headlines from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia

●  Armenia’s Greco-Roman wrestling team has arrived in Azerbaijan to compete in the U17 World Championships, the Armenian Wrestling Federation said. The U17 Wrestling World Championships will be held in Baku from 27 July to 2 August, featuring both freestyle and Greco-Roman competitions.

●  Iran and Armenia have agreed to set up a joint working group to expand Iranian natural gas exports using Armenia as a regional transit corridor. The agreement was reached during talks in Tehran between Armenia’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan and Iran’s Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad. According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, Tehran has proposed a new commercial model that will require a comprehensive assessment of existing infrastructure. Paknejad said the two countries currently cooperate under a gas-for-electricity swap arrangement but that Iran “expects to significantly expand this cooperation.” The ministers also discussed potential joint projects, including the construction of an oil refinery in Armenia, engineering and infrastructure projects involving Iranian companies, and the construction of a hydropower plant in Meghri.

●  During his working visit to Iran, Davit Khudatyan also met with Iranian Vice President Seyed Hamid Pourmohammadi. They discussed expanding infrastructure cooperation, with particular focus on the ongoing construction of the 32-kilometre Kajaran-Agarak road section and the 7.2-kilometre Kajaran tunnel in Armenia’s Syunik region as part of the North-South transport corridor. Both projects are being built by an Iranian consortium.

●  Armenia and Iran agreed on steps to increase cargo transportation during a meeting between the Armenian delegation led by Davit Khudatyan and Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh. The talks also covered transport and aviation cooperation. Among the projects under consideration is a second bridge across the Araks River on the Armenian-Iranian border. Experts believe it would significantly increase transport capacity between the two countries.

●  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call to discuss expanding Armenia’s export opportunities, strengthening Armenia-EU cooperation, and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process. According to the Armenian government, Pashinyan thanked Macron for France’s support for democratic reforms in Armenia.

●  Armenia’s Investigative Committee has opened a new criminal case against Gagik Tsarukyan, owner of the Multi Group conglomerate and leader of the pro-Russian opposition Prosperous Armenia party. He is now accused of large-scale tax evasion. His lawyer said the new case is linked to a brandy factory and called the charges “absurd”, arguing that Tsarukyan transferred management of all his businesses after being elected to parliament in 2003. “This is political persecution,” the lawyer said. Tsarukyan was arrested on 7 July on charges of large-scale fraud, money laundering and illegal hunting.

●  Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan reported a sharp increase in Armenia’s exports in January-June 2026 compared with the same period last year. Exports to the European Union rose by 80%, to India by 81.3%, and to China by 83.4%.

●  The Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine was Armenia’s largest taxpayer in the first half of 2026, paying $113.1 million in taxes.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 20-24 July, 2026