LIVE: Key morning headlines from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia

●  Nikol Pashinyan has been reappointed as Armenia’s prime minister. On the morning of August 2, the day the newly elected National Assembly held its first session, the government resigned as required by the Constitution. The ruling Civil Contract party, which holds a parliamentary majority, submitted the documents nominating Pashinyan for the post. Later that day, President Vahagn Khachaturyan signed the decree officially appointing him.

●  The first session of Armenia’s 9th National Assembly was chaired, by tradition, by its oldest member, Knyaz Hasanov, who represents the Yazidi community, until a speaker is elected. The president and the Catholicos of All Armenians traditionally have the right to address the opening session. However, for the first time in history, the Catholicos was not invited and did not bless the parliament’s work. The move reflects the long-running conflict between the government and Catholicos Garegin II. For the past two years, Pashinyan has called for his removal, first accusing him of breaking his vow of celibacy by allegedly having a daughter, and later claiming he had ties to foreign intelligence services. Removing the Catholicos has also been included in Civil Contract’s election program. Read more here

●  Lawmakers from the pro-Russian opposition factions Strong Armenia and Armenia refused to stand or recite the oath during the swearing-in ceremony in protest over the Catholicos’ absence. However, they signed the official oath documents, allowing them to legally take office. Anna Grigoryan, leader of the Armenia faction, said both opposition groups would personally visit the Catholicos to receive his blessing.

●  Only one candidate was nominated for parliament speaker: Ruben Rubinyan of the ruling Civil Contract party. Rubinyan previously served as deputy speaker and as Armenia’s special envoy for the normalization of relations with Türkiye. Debate on his nomination began on August 2 and continues today.

●  A court has dismissed former President Robert Kocharyan’s lawsuit against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Kocharyan had sought a retraction of statements he said damaged his reputation and demanded 6 million drams (about $16,500) in compensation after Pashinyan called him “a bribe-taker” during a government meeting. The court ruled that Pashinyan’s remarks were value judgments protected by freedom of expression, noting that in a democratic society this freedom also covers statements that may offend, shock or disturb.

●  Veronika Zonabend, the wife of former Nagorno-Karabakh state minister Ruben Vardanyan, has again appealed to Azerbaijan’s Human Rights Commissioner Sabina Aliyeva and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to help organize an international women’s humanitarian delegation to Baku. Vardanyan was sentenced by a military court in Baku to 20 years in prison on terrorism and other serious charges, while other Armenian detainees also received lengthy sentences on similar charges. Zonabend says her initiative is purely humanitarian and aims to visit Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan, deliver letters, photographs and permitted personal items from their families, and help them stay connected with their loved ones.

●  Nikol Pashinyan visited the Meridian Expo center, where preparations are underway for the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17). The event will take place in Armenia from October 19 to 30 under the slogan “Action for Nature.” Pashinyan personally inspected the construction work, with officials saying preparations for plenary halls, delegation areas and media facilities are on schedule.

●  A third branch of Armenia’s TUMO Center for Creative Technologies has opened in Buenos Aires, Armenian Ambassador Hovhannes Virabyan announced. The new center is expected to serve nearly 20,000 young people. TUMO was founded in Yerevan 15 years ago before expanding across Armenia and later internationally, with centers in France, Germany, Lebanon, Albania, Switzerland, Portugal and the United States. From September, TUMO will also begin full operations at its new branch in Kutaisi, Georgia. Read more about TUMO here.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 27-31 July, 2026