Armenian News... A Topalian

Armenpress.am

27 June, 2019

Armenia buys new assault armaments, re-equips Air Force

During the Army 2019 International Exhibition in Moscow, the Armenian military has signed agreements on purchasing new assault weaponry, new generation armaments and other means, Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan told First Channel.

He said the Armenian Air Force is currently getting re-equipped and he is having relevant meetings with executives of a number of companies during the exhibition.

“These agreements are very important for ensuring the continuity of the development of our military,” Tonoyan said.

He said the new weapons will be supplied to Armenia either by yearend 2019 or in the beginning of 2020. Tonoyan said they continue negotiations on buying new armaments.

Tonoyan also commented on the Azerbaijani Defense Minister’s recent remarks when the latter underestimated the Armenian Air Force’s capabilities in the Caucasus. “If they were to pay greater attention they would notice that the same multi-functional military aviation is also used in the Himalayas, in higher altitudes,” Davit Tonoyan said.

Armenia is participating at the Army 2019 military expo in Moscow, Russia.

Around 100 foreign delegations are participating.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

ARKA, Armenia

June 27 2019

In Armenia medical care for children under 18 will be free 

The government of Armenia approved today a decision to make medical care free for all children under 18. Currently, free inpatient treatment is available only to  children up to seven years old.

The expenses will be financed by the government, according to Deputy Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan.

The government is expected to release 1.75 billion drams to that end. According to the Ministry of Health, the program will involve about 200 thousand children.

To date, free medical services is available to children under the age of 7; children with disabilities;  children without parental care  and some other categories 

Public Radio of Armenia

June 27 2019

Armenian Genocide filmmakers accused of propaganda 

Journalists documenting the “Islamized” life of Armenians following the 1915 genocide have come under fire by the Turkish Islamists newspaper Yeni Akit, the International Christian Concern reports. 

The documentary, entitled “The Hidden Cross”, screened in Diyarbakir at a building belonging to the city council for the first time on June 16th.

Since then, the newspaper has published a series of articles attacking the documentary.

According to the source, this news outlet is aggressively promoting the government narrative that there was no genocide and that this kind of documentary supports the west’s efforts to “put Turkey in a corner.” One of the film’s directors intends to initiate legal action against the newspaper.

 Screening the film in Diyarbakir was significant, as the city lost nearly a quarter of its population during the genocide.

Some Armenians converted to Islam after the genocide to save their lives. It is known, however, that some Muslims of today have converted back to Christianity when they realized their Armenian ancestors were forcibly converted during the genocide.

PanArmenian, Armenia

June 27 2019

Armenia's government OKs raising minimum wage by 24% 

The government on Thursday, June 27 approved a draft law on raising minimum wage in Armenia by 23.6% - from AMD 55,000 (approx. $115) to AMD 68,000 ($143).

Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security Gemafin Gasparyan said the move will cover 45,000 people working in the private sector and 35,000 others employed in the public sector.

According to Finance Minister Atom Janjughazyan, the draft bill has nothing to do with the base salary which is used to calculate the salaries of public officials

The bill has yet to be discussed and approved by the National Assembly.

Earlier, lawmakers from the ruling My Step alliance had proposed raising the minimum wage in the country to AMD 63,000 ($132).

Armenpress.am

27 June, 2019

Investments grow sevenfold as result of customs privilege incentive in Armenia

investments in Armenia grew sevenfold, while jobs fourfold compared to the previous year as a result of providing customs duty exemption and VAT payment delays as part of investment programs in priority sectors, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the June 27 Cabinet meeting.

“In last year’s first five months the government approved 11 programs with this tool worth 35,5 million dollars and 502 jobs. In January-May this year we have 25 investment programs worth 254 million dollars and 2379 jobs,” he said, adding that these figures express a “concrete certain picture”.

He added that not a single case of failure to fulfill obligations was recorded by any company after being granted privileges.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

[Turkish civilian authorities meddling again in church affairs that should have nothing to do with them. What re they manipulating?]

Armenpress.am

27 June, 2019

Istanbul authorities delay Armenian patriarchal locum tenens election until July 4

The election of a patriarchal locum tenens in the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople has been delayed, Istanbul’s Agos newspaper reported.

The election was scheduled to take place on June 27.

According to Agos, the election has been delayed until July 4 at the order of the Provincial Government of Istanbul. The reason was not immediately clear.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Panorama, Armenia

June 28 2019

Massive crop loss as hailstorm hits Armenian community

Heavy hailstorm caused extensive damage to crops in Martuni community of Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province on Thursday, 27 June.

The hail, that lasted nearly 30 minutes, entirely destroyed potato sowing areas, other vegetable crops and orchards.

In a statement released on Friday, the Martuni Municipality said a special commission has been set up to measure the hail damages upon the instruction of the community head.

The commission has already prepared a report on the matter after conducting a research and will submit it to the Gegharkunik Governor’s Office for compensation. 

Public Radio of Armenia

June 27 2019

The Last Czars: New Netflix series features shots from Armenia 

                           

The trailer for Netflix’ new series “The Last Czars” features shots from Armenia, PanARMENIAN.Net reports. 

The beginning of the trailer, in particular, offers a view of Khor Virap Monastery in Armenia’s Ararat province and Mount Ararat in the background.

It’s still unclear whether the series will take viewers to Armenia or the shot was added for effect.

“A mix of documentary and reconstruction, “The Last Czars” chronicles the social upheaval that sweeps Russia in the early 20th century and follows Czar Nicholas II as he resists the change, sparking a revolution and ending a dynasty. The Last Czars takes an in-depth look into what led to the fall of the Romanov dynasty through production company Nutopia’s “mega-doc” lens, using dramatized scenes of historical events and an in-depth look into the history to create one epic series,” the synopsis of the series reads.

The Last Czars will stream on Netflix beginning July 3.

Panorama, Armenia

June 28 2019

Armenian films win awards at ECG Film Festival in London

First Eurasian Creative Guild (ECG) Film Festival was held in London as part of the British Romford Film Festival on 6-10 June.

Founded in 2017 by British filmmakers and enthusiasts, the Romford Film Festival this year teamed up with the Eurasian Creative Guild (London), which has created a unique platform for communication between British filmmakers and their post-Soviet counterparts, the official website of the festival reported.

Despite its infancy, the ECG Film Festival gathered over 60 films from 24 countries. The event kicked off with the British premiere of “My Name is Kozha” (1964) directed by Kazakh filmmaker Abdulla Karsakbayev.

During its five days, the film festival had over 1,500 attendees and screened films from diverse locations such as Kazakhstan, Russia, Italy, Finland, US, Belarus, Sweden, Germany, Iran, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Canada and the UK.

Guests of the festival also had a unique opportunity to learn about the Eurasian region, not only through cinema, but also through exhibitions of paintings, handicrafts and books created by members of the Eurasian Creative Guild. Two Silk Road Fashion shows, networking round table events and creative meetings were also held within the framework of the Eurasian Film Festival. 

On the final day of the festival, the award ceremony was orchestrated to adorne the most talented filmmakers for their efforts.

A trailer for “Three Distichus”, a book by Armenian writer Elena Aslanyan was named the best book trailer of the festival. Boris Hayrapetyan won the best short film director award for his film "Yes! Today", while Mher Mkrtchyan's “Ludwig the Hedgehog” picked up the audience choice award in the Best Cast category. 

Armenian News ... A Topalian

ARKA, Armenia 

June 17 2019

Pashinyan unveils new ideology of his party 

Speaking on June 16 at the 5th congress of his Civil Contract Party, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented its ideological peculiarities. 

"We are a party that rejects the 'isms," because in the modern world there are no more stereotyped ideologies. In a political sense, we are not liberals, neither centrists, nor social democrats. We are an exclusively civil party," he said. 

According to him, the Civil Contract party has gone beyond ideological standards and is creating an ideologically new platform which is based on four key principles - statehood, citizenship, national identity and individuality. 

"Our activities are aimed at the development of these institutions, since the modern world is changing so rapidly that the ideologies of the 17th and 20th centuries can no longer meet current requirements," he said. As an example, Pashinyan cited China, where the communist ideology is combined with the principle of private property, and the US where its liberal authorities pursue a policy of economic protectionism. 

"It is for these reasons that our ideological core is the rejection of such ideological clichés. We believe in the development, which is a combination of individualism, national identity, statehood and citizenship," he said. 

The congress of the Civil Contract Party was to elect a new 21-member executive board out of 51 candidates. 

Armenpress.am

17 June, 2019

Artsakh launches massive military exercises

 The Artsakh’s military has commenced command-staff exercises on June 17, the country’s defense ministry reported. It said the drills have been initiated “in accordance with the 2019 training plan of the Artsakh Armed Forces”.

Around 10,000 soldiers, more than 200 artillery systems, nearly 150 armored vehicles, more than 50 air defense systems, more than 400 vehicles and other mobile systems are involved in the drills. The exercises will continue until June 20.

The main emphasis of the exercises is the “completion of missions at nighttime”.

New warfare episodes are also planned to be developed, the Artsakh military said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

BBC Monitoring Trans Caucasus Unit

Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring

June 14, 2019 Friday

Azeri pundits urge Baku to start war for Karabakh

Two Azerbaijani pundits have called on the government in Baku to start war to reclaim the Armenian-controlled breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven districts around it.

Reserve army Col Sair Ramaldanov was commenting on recent reports that Armenians tried to shoot down Azerbaijani military aircraft by missiles. Ramaldanov told Report news agency that Armenia seeks to aggravate the situation at the front  line to affect the Karabakh peace process and that it might continue "to resort to these kinds of provocations". He said "tension continues to increase in Nagorno-Karabakh" and that "whenever domestic tension runs high in Armenia or another round of [peace] talks is coming up, the enemy stages more provocations at the front line and the cease-fire is violated more frequently". He said that Armenians had never fired on Azerbaijani pilots before and that "it is the first time in recent years that the enemy has used its air defence system and tried, unsuccessfully, to hit Azerbaijani aircraft by missiles". Ramaldanov concluded that that Azerbaijan needs to start war to reclaim the land if Armenia does not "see reason".

The other commentator, military expert Abuzar Abilov, told Minval.az news website that "war is inevitable in the very near future". He suggested the latest tension at the front line showed that "there is something happening in Armenia, and voters who voted for [Armenian Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinyan are now not happy that he is there". He said Pashinyan had always had "unsuccessful" talks with the Karabakh separatists, and the latter therefore "have provoked the aggravation at the front line" just to "spite" the Armenian prime minister. Abilov added that he believes that Baku should no longer pin any hopes on peace talks and needs to start war to reclaim the land.

Abilov also said that three Armenians soldiers were killed on 11 June but the Defence Ministry and media in that country kept silent about it. Meanwhile, Yerevan-based News.am has reported the defence ministry in Nagorno-Karabakh as saying that Azerbaijani troops had killed an Armenian soldier in the breakaway region on 13 June.

In the meantime, news sources have reported that the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia will meet in the United States on 20 June to discuss the Karabakh settlement.

armenpress.am

18 June, 2019

President Sarkissian sees need for changes in Hayastan All-Armenian Fund

President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, sees need for making changes in the Fund.

During the annual meeting of the Fund’s Board of Trustees today in Yerevan, President Sarkissian said the Fund needs to become more dynamic, mobile, flexible and powerful structure.

“It’s more than 25 years the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund is implementing its pan-national mission as a unique structure uniting Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora. It is the most important donor for Artsakh’s development, it is such today and should remain so in the future. In 2018 the Fund has carried out a total of 100 programs of different fields and volumes. Some programs are still in process. The Fund needs to become more dynamic, mobile, flexible and powerful structure. For this purpose first of all it is necessary to be changed with psychology, mind, acting style, composition, programs and charter. There is no need to be afraid of change, especially when the world is changing quite rapidly”, he said.

The President highlighted that the Fund should not be perceived by us as a structure that only builds road or an irrigation network.

“It should be accepted, viewed and perceived first of all as a pan-national trust institution which lives not with the past, but with the future. In other words, lets value the work done in the past and think about the future through the present. Lets move towards the future. Any change relating to the Fund’s activity, be that legal or moral-psychological, should have one clear message, and that is the following: “Hayastan All-Armenian Fund should be a structure beyond suspicions, assumptions, speculations, with Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora and Armenians goals. The Fund created in the 20th century has reached many successes, it’s time for the Fund to become a national institute of the 21st century”, President Armen Sarkissian said.

The annual meeting of the Board of Trustees of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has kicked off today in Yerevan. The meeting is attended by Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan and other high-ranking officials from Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora. 

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

RFE/RL Report

Former U.S. Mayor To Manage Armenia’s Ties With Diaspora

June 14, 2019

Arus Hakobian

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Friday appointed the Armenian-born former mayor of Glendale, a city in Los Angeles County, as head of a newly formed 

government division tasked with coordinating Armenia’s relations with its worldwide Diaspora.

Pashinian created the post of “commissioner general of Diaspora affairs” after abolishing the Ministry of Diaspora as part of a recent restructuring of the 

Armenian government. The first commissioner, Zareh Sinanyan, will have a 25-member staff.

Sinanyan, 43, was born in Soviet Armenia and lived there until emigrating to the United States with his family in 1988. He served as mayor of Glendale, a 

city with a sizable ethnic Armenian population, from 2014-2015 and 2018. 

Sinanyan resigned from the Glendale city council last week ahead of his anticipated appointment to the new government position in Yerevan.

A vocal critic of Armenia’s former government, Sinanyan strongly supported last year’s “velvet revolution” which brought Pashinian to power. In a May 2018 interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian service, he suggested that many Diaspora Armenians will be ready to move to their ancestral homeland after the 

revolution.

“We must change our policy towards the Diaspora and make it more effective,” Pashinian told Sinanyan when they met later on Friday. He said his government will seek to increase the Diaspora’s involvement in Armenia’s economic, social and even political life.

“You are not an unknown figure in Armenia and the Diaspora, and I think that there is a good chance that we will accomplish our new tasks set in the new 

era,” added Pashinian.

Sinanyan spoke, for his part, of “huge potential” for the Diaspora’s closer ties with Armenia as well as Nagorno-Karabakh.

ARKA, Armenia

June 18 2019

Around $400 million remitted from Armenia to other countries in four months of 2019

Some $396.9 million were remitted from Armenia to other countries by individuals in the first four months of 2019, an increase of 8% over the same period last year, the Central Bank said.

It said $153.7 million were remitted to the Russian Federation through Armenia-based banks, by $21.8 million or 16.6% more than in the same time span of 2019. Some $74.5 million were sent to the USA, an increase of 15.5%. 

At the same time, money transfers to Armenia in the reporting period increased by 10.7% to $535.7 million. About $272.7 million arrived from the Russian Federation, an increase of 0.65%). -- 0--

Armenpress.am

17 June, 2019

Armenia to receive 19 mln Euro support from CoE for implementing judicial reforms

 The government of Armenia does everything to ensure the independence and impartiality of judiciary, Foreign minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said during an event dedicated to the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2019-2022.

The Foreign minister said Armenia has showed that it wants to become a country that will be modeled with the European standards and will be firmly based on democracy and human rights. “This year we have a greater aspiration, the budget is quite ambitious – 18.9 million Euros, and is concentrated on those directions of the reforms which are priority for the government. They are mainly directed for the judicial reforms”, he said.

The minister added that this is the will and desire of the people which is reflected with this government’s determination and commitment.

Mnatsakanyan is confident that this action plan will serve at best for the implementation of Armenia’s judicial reforms, and in 2021 the state will already have tangible results.

“The government has clearly stated that it will do everything to ensure the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, with no pressure on judicial authorities”, he said.

The Armenian FM thanked the CoE Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland who expressed readiness to assist the implementation of these reforms.

“This is the meaning of our cooperation with Europe. High-level experts visited here from Europe within a week who started working on judicial reforms, their content and financing directions. This shows how valuable this cooperation is. The completion of the fair and impartial judicial reforms program will make complete the entire philosophy of the revolution for us”, the FM said.

 Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Panorama, Armenia

June 17 2019

The country of Parajanov in need of modern model of cinematography - Piotr Świtalsky

The European Union is set to assist Armenia in developing its cinematography, the Head of the EU delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Świtalsk stated on Monday during the parliamentary hearings on developing legislative initiatives in the sphere of cinematography. 

To note, the hearings have brought together the sector representatives to elaborate on the cinema legislation and the development of the sector.

“First, we believe that culture is a great tool for Armenia that may not only raise the country’s image but also bring investments into the economy. Secondly, cinematography is one of the spheres where Armenia has huge potential which should be restored and developed. The country of Parajanov is in need of modern model of cinematography. And finally, we want to support Armenia’s participation in the “Creative Europe” program,” Świtalsky said during his speech, adding Armenia is part of two ongoing subprograms that may bring benefits to the country.

“We learnt in Brussels that Armenia wants to participate in the 2020-2022 Cooperation Plan, and culture is a major comonent to make that involvement possible. We will do our best to ensure Armenia’s involvement in the “Creative Europe” program,” added the Ambassador.

ARKA, Armenia

June 17 2019

First smart cattle-breeding farm opens in Stepanavan

The first smart cattle-breeding farm opened today in Stepanavan, in Armenian province of Lori. The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister of Economy Artak Kamalyan.

The building of the farm was built under the program Animal Health Management in Armenia and Georgia, implemented by the CARD Foundation with the financial support of the Austrian Development Agency. 

The building was built on the basis of a greenhouse construction, which is considered an innovative method in Armenia. As an innovation, a cooling system, ventilation, lighting, and a remote animal video surveillance system have been also installed. Favorable conditions have been created for animals to increase yields and meat. The farm has 12 cows.

In early April the government of Armenia approved an assistance program for construction, reconstruction and technological re-equipment of small and medium-sized "smart cattle-breeding farms.’ The goal of the program is help farmers increase their productivity. In 2019-2021 some 3.2 billion drams are to be invested in the construction of 230 "smart’ farms. 

Earlier Deputy Economy Minister Tigran Gabrielyan said  the government  planned to finance 30 farms this year, but already received 135 applications and approved 123 of them. Gabrielyan said that all the submitted projects will get government funding. He said also ten day intensive courses will be held for farmers by the Agrarian University.

Three models of farms are offered – with 130-280 square meters, designed for 15 cattle worth 11 million drams, with 280-450 square meters for 25 cattle worth 23 million drams and with 450 square meters for 45 cattle worth 35 million drams.

The deputy minister said the government will provide grants for the construction of these cattle-breeding farms in the amount of 5.5 million drams, 11.5 million drams and 17.5 million drams respectively, which is almost half of the cost.

The size of subsidies for residents of border regions and for persons, who received disabilities during military service, will be 7.7 million drams, 16.1 million drams and 24.5 million drams respectively (70% of the cost).

Armenpress.am

17 June, 2019

Armenian international footballer Henrikh Mkhitaryan gets married at St. Lazarus Island

Midfielder of Armenia national football team and London's Arsenal club Henrikh Mkhitaryan got married with Betty Vardanyan.

ARMENPRESS reports Mkhitaryan posted a photo on his twitter page with his wife Betty Vardanyan and wrote, “Merry me and stay with me forever”. The wedding ceremony took place in Venice, in Armenian St. Lazarus Island.

Mkhitaryan’s wife is the daughter of Armenian businessman Mikayel Vardanyan.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

For photos.click on;

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Armenpress.am

24 June, 2019

“Autocracy has collapsed” – Garo Paylan on Istanbul election

Ethnic Armenian Member of Parliament of Turkey Garo Paylan has called upon the citizens of Istanbul to “build democracy on the collapsed autocracy”.

Paylan, representing Istanbul at Parliament from the HDP, made the remarks after poll results showed that politician Ekrem Imamoglu from the Turkish opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) won the mayoral election in Istanbul.  

“What mattered most in this election was that the autocracy collapsed,” Paylan told Bianet.

“Now, all of us together must hand in hand fight for democracy. We must leave aside inter-party problems, being Kurd, Turk or Armenian, and once again build democracy upon the collapse of autocracy for all citizens of Turkey,” Paylan said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

ARKA, Armenia

June 25 2019

Armenian foreign ministry slams Elmar Mammadyarov for making ‘destructive’ statements

Armenia’s Foreign Ministry slammed today Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov for making ‘destructive’ statements, saying also that this kind of approach is devaluating the seriousness of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

A spokeswoman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry Anna Naghdalyan said Mammadyarov’s statements came after he and his Armenian opposite number Zohrab Mnatsakanyan met in Washington. Following the meeting Mammadyarov said that the situation along the line  of contact should not be regarded as an obstacle to substantive negotiations on a political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 

He also called for the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the regions surrounding the administrative borders of the former autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh and deployment of peacekeepers. Naghdalyan recalled that in Washington, the ministers discussed  what could be done to stabilize the situation aggravated because of the Azerbaijani side. She said the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs called for immediate steps to restore the atmosphere conducive to establishing peace and preserving the cease-fire, and made clear  proposals regarding humanitarian sphere and risk reduction.

“The disinformation of the Azerbaijani side on issues beyond these frameworks suggests that Azerbaijan does not intend to implement these proposals and the calls of the co-chairs. Moreover, the allegations that the negotiations can be successfully conducted  under conditions of regular violation of the cease-fire regime cause significant damage to the peace efforts disrupting the peace process," said Naghdalyan.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted into armed clashes after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s as the predominantly Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan sought to secede from Azerbaijan and declared its independence backed by a  successful referendum. 

On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the military operations.  A truce was brokered by Russia in 1994, although no permanent peace agreement has been signed. Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh and several adjacent regions have been

 under the control of Armenian forces of Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh is the longest-running post-Soviet era conflict and has continued to simmer despite the relative peace of the past two decades, with snipers causing tens of deaths a year. 

On April 2, 2016, Azerbaijan launched military assaults along the entire perimeter of its contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh. Four days later a cease-fire was reached. 

Armenpress.am

25 June, 2019

Azerbaijan fails to lead OSCE mission its frontline positions during monitoring

On June 25, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh, the OSCE Mission conducted a planned monitoring of the ceasefire regime on the border of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, in the north-east direction  of Akna, the foreign ministry of Artsakh told Armenpress.

From the positions of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistants to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO) Mihail Olaru (Moldova) and Ghenadie Petrica (Moldova), as well as  staff member of the Office of the CiO Personal Representative Martin Schuster (Germany) and representative of the OSCE High-Level Planning Group (HLPG) Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Bosshard (Switzerland).

From the opposite side of the border, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistant to the OSCE CiO Personal Representative Ognjen Jovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Personal Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative Simon Tiller (Great Britain),  as well as representative of the OSCE HLPG Lieutenant-Colonel Harry O’Connor (Ireland).

The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. However, the Azerbaijani side did not lead the OSCE mission to its frontline positions.

From the Artsakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of the Republic of Artsakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense.

News.am, Armenia

June 27 2019

Azerbaijan President: War with Armenia is not over 

              

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has declared that the war with Armenia is not over and this is the reason why Azerbaijan will continue increasing its military capacity, reports Interfax-Azerbaijan.

“We are living in conditions of war. The war is not over yet, and we have to be ready to liberate the native lands from occupation at any moment. I believe that day will come, and Azerbaijan will restore its territorial integrity,” Aliyev said during a meeting with the cadets and lecturers of Azerbaijan’s military lyceum.

Eurasianet.org

June 25 2019

Former Armenian president Kocharyan arrested for the third time

Ani Mejlumyan 

The country’s Constitutional Court will rule in August whether, under the constitution, the charges under which Kocharyan is being prosecuted are valid.

An Armenian court has ordered Robert Kocharyan to be re-arrested ahead of his trial on charges related to the violent breakup of protests in 2008, when he was president. 

Kocharyan had been released on bail seven weeks earlier, a move that led Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – Kocharyan’s longtime nemesis – to launch an attack on the country’s judicial system.  

The Court of Appeals ruled on June 25 in favor of the prosecutors’ demand that Kocharyan continue to be held in jail while he awaits trial on charges of “overthrowing the constitutional order” for his role in what have become known as the “March 1 events” in Armenia. He first faced the charges last July, but has been released twice since then.

After the hearing, Kocharyan was driven to penitentiary in a black sedan, and stopped briefly at the gate to get out of the car and wave at a jeering crowd. One journalist asked him if he had anything to say. “Oh, I have so many things to say,” he replied, but did not elaborate. 

The day before the verdict Kocharyan gave an interview to “5th Channel,” a television station belonging to his friend, Armen Tavadyan. The wide-ranging interview covered his trial, his self-described successes as president, and Nagorno-Karabakh, where  he was de facto president before taking on that role in Armenia. 

He described the ongoing trial as a political vendetta against him. “They have concluded that I have somehow been endangering their political success today,” he said. He complained that the trial has been biased against him, that the judge had not allowed his lawyers to speak but has given a prominent platform to the families of the victims. Ten people died during the crackdown – eight protesters and two police officers.

As he has repeatedly done, he blamed the March 1 violence on Pashinyan, who was an opposition politician at the time and helped organized the protests. “Today’s prime minister is directly responsible for the March 1, 2008, mass disorders and of course  he is trying to rewrite history.”

Before the case goes to trial, Armenia’s Constitutional Court has to rule on the legality of the charges. On June 21, the court issued a statement saying it was considering a request from Kocharyan’s legal team to rule on whether, under the constitution, the charges under which Kocharyan is being prosecuted are valid. That hearing was set for August 29.

Adding a wrinkle to those proceedings will be the fact that the Constitutional Court now appears to be headed – for now – by a former lawyer for the March 1 victims’ families. 

Vahe Grigoryan, who made a name representing the March 1 victims in the European Court of Human Rights, was confirmed to be the newest member of the Constitutional Court on June 18. Two days later, during his inauguration at parliament, he announced that  he would be the chairman of the court, trying to exploit a semantic difference between the current constitution, adopted in 2017, in which those who sit on the court are “judges,” and the former one, in which they are “members.” The constitution says “judges”  can determine the chair, and Grigoryan – only one of two to be put on the court since the new constitution was adopted – said that means he calls the shots. 

Members of the ruling My Step alliance applauded Grigoryan’s announcement. But it was received dimly by many legal experts. “I even find it pointless to comment on such a statement. It doesn’t fit into any logic and is absurd,” said one constitutional  law expert, who told the news website panorama.am that the self-election was “absurd, anti-constitutional and unlawful.”

Vazgen Manuyan, president of the Public Council of Armenia, a government body that aims to bring together civil society and the government, agreed. “This is the first time I am hearing a person declare himself president of the Constitutional Court. I am  concerned about the fact that there are such people in our society,” he told the news site ankakh.com. 

It remained unclear whether Grigoryan’s gambit would succeed, and other members/judges of the court have yet to weigh in. Hovhannes Khudoyan, one of Kocharyan’s attorneys, told RFE/RL that the verdict will be appealed in the Court of Cassation.

Ani Mejlumyan is a reporter based in Yerevan.

Armenpress.am

26 June, 2019

Armenia tax privileges for startups attracts IT experts from around the world

Around 100 tech companies have already applied to the Armenian Ministry of High Tech Industry to be granted tax privileges after the new law has enabled new opportunities for startups.

The 2019 April amendments in the law on State Support for Information Technologies Sector, effective since May 18th, is aimed at the development and progress of a knowledge-based economy.

The ministry said the number of applicants is growing daily and 41 startups have already been granted tax privileges during the first and second sessions of the certification commission.

The applicants are startups engaged in various directions: engineering, e-shopping, web-design, mobile applications, payment systems, e-testing etc.

200-240 workplaces will be created as a result of the operations of these 41 companies alone.

“First of all this law gives faith, hope and also vigor to new, beginning companies that the government is maximally supporting, in person of our minister’s great efforts, the development of this sector,” said DataArt Director Arsen Baghdasaryan. He noted

 that the privileges support the companies in the initial period, which otherwise would be rather expensive.

The new law has also attracted repatriates.  

Months earlier two Armenian brothers participated in the Dilijan Startup Innovative Technologies Conference where they found out about the tax privilege law. They then decided to return to Armenia, leaving behind their own business in France. They now  have 10 employees working in their startup and are certain that the governmental support program will ensure progress.

Another repatriate who returned to her homeland is Diana, a data processing expert who together with her Austrian husband decided to settle in Armenia. Now they are in the process of hiring employees.

Lusine Mnatsakanyan from the Netherlands has also already established a logistic shipment startup in Armenia and is employing 5 people.

The new law is granting 0% profit tax and only 10% income tax to startups.

At the same time, there are certain requirements to be eligible to apply, for example the number of employees of the given startup should not exceed 30 and the companies should not be established as a result of the re-organization of another business.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenpress.am

24 June, 2019

Three Armenian airlines to operate more flights to Russia and Georgia

Three Armenian carriers – Armenia Aircompany, Taron Avia and Atlantis European – will increase the number of passenger flights to Russia and Georgia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s adviser Hakob Tchagharyan said on Facebook.

He said he asked all Armenian carriers about their readiness and opportunities in participating in the passenger transportations from Russia to Georgia and vice-versa immediately after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order on suspending  Russian flights to Georgia from July 8. He said three carriers responded.

“I am glad to note that three airlines – Armenia, Taron Avia and Atlantis European – are ready to participate in settling the crisis that has emerged between brotherly peoples, with five designated aircraft, the number of which can grow with another two.  The Prime Minister has been briefed on the results,” Tchagharyan wrote.

On June 20, protesters began rallying outside the parliament building in Tbilisi against the participation of Russian parliamentarians in the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly on Orthodox.

Georgia’s opposition joined the demonstrators and called for the resignation of the government and the parliament speaker. More than 200 people, including police officers and reporters, were injured.

The protests eventually forced the Speaker of Parliament of Georgia to step down.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili blamed Russia for the protests, to which Russia’s PM Dmitry Medvedev reacted by saying that the accusations are non-professional and that blaming Russia distorts the situation.

On June 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian airlines to suspend flights to Georgia effective July 8.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan