16:00 News in Brief: From the Scandalous Case of Ararat Cement to EU Visa Liberalization

Catch up on the latest news in a concise format:

• Major violations have been uncovered in the privatization process of the "Ararat Cement" company, leading to the initiation of a criminal investigation by the Anti-Corruption Committee.
• It has been proposed that public discussions on draft legal acts be submitted exclusively through the "I Am" national identification platform on e-draft.am, which, according to human rights defenders, limits citizen participation.
• The Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia announced significant progress towards visa regime liberalization with the European Union, stating that all requirements are expected to be met within 2-3 years.
• The Human Rights Defender has demanded that participants in the electoral campaign refrain from any discriminatory, stigmatizing, or hate-inciting rhetoric.
• The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly has denied and criticized data presented by the leader of the opposition party regarding the number of individuals who became disabled as a result of the 44-day war.
• U.S. President Donald Trump announced the construction of a six-story underground bunker and a special drone protection base at the White House funded by private donations.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin met with a Chinese engineer he was photographed with years ago in China, and they exchanged souvenirs.
• The European Commission and Kyiv have agreed on the provision of €3.2 billion in budgetary assistance to Ukraine in June, which is part of a major financial program.