Latest news in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, summary. Live

● Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan responded to statements by several senior Russian officials that Armenia cannot simultaneously be part of both the European Union and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). “We understand this perfectly well, and it is obvious that in the future we will need to make an appropriate decision. That decision will, of course, be made by the citizens of Armenia. At the moment, however, there is no such necessity,” Grigoryan said.

● Mutual insults are increasingly accompanying political slogans during Armenia’s campaign ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for 7 June. Former President Robert Kocharyan described current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as an “ambal” — a derogatory Russian slang term referring to someone with physical strength but primitive intellect. Pashinyan, during meetings with voters, has also begun using the same term in reference to Kocharyan.

● Artur Khachatryan, a member of opposition alliance Armenia Alliance, which is known for its pro-Russian reputation, accused Armenia’s Foreign Ministry of not knowing how 12 million euros provided by the European Union to counter hybrid threats during the pre-election period had been spent. Khachatryan said the ministry responded to his inquiry by saying “we do not know.” He quoted from a letter stating that the funds had been distributed, among others, to the Central Election Commission, NGOs and independent journalists. “It turns out the government is not interested in who received EU funds, how much they received, or for what purposes,” Khachatryan said.

● Armen Hovhannisyan, who had mental health problems, died by suicide in a psychiatric hospital in Nubarashen. He had previously been detained for tearing down an election campaign poster, after which Armenia’s Investigative Committee launched an inquiry into the incident.

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a phone conversation with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, congratulating him on his birthday. The two sides also discussed aspects of bilateral relations.

● Yerevan hosted its traditional “Night of Museums” on the night of 18 May. On this day, visitors can enter any museum in Armenia free of charge and remain there until midnight. Exhibition halls across the country are traditionally crowded during the annual event, and this year was no exception. May 18 marks International Museum Day, which this year was held under the slogan “Museums Unite a Divided World.”

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 11-15 May, 2026