Month: August 2018

Journalist Sona Mashuryan died seriously because of serious illness. She worked for “Pastinfo” news agency and she was covering the judiciary news for already two decades.

Director of the National Security Service of Armenia Artur Vanetsyan on August 20 received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Armenia Seyed Kazem Sadjadi.

Welcoming the Ambassador, the NSS chief said Iran is a friendly country for Armenia with which the firm cooperation and working relations are very important.

Ambassador Sadjadi congratulated Artur Vanetsyan on appointment and touched upon the cooperation of the two countries. The Ambassador also affirmed that Armenia and Iran have been and will remain friendly countries, expressing confidence that the previous firm partnership will continue and will further deepen for the interests of the two countries. He said Iran has no restriction for Armenia and currently works are underway to find new cooperation directions.

Touching upon the already existing cooperation areas, the NSS Director said Armenia has a specific approach to tourism issues, attaches importance to the great interest and active flow of Iranian tourists to Armenia. He assured that everything is being done to ensure the security of tourists.

In his turn the Iranian Ambassador thanked the NSS chief for the warm reception and productive meeting.

Armenia’s delegation led by defense minister Davit Tonoyan has departed for Moscow on a working visit at the invitation of Russian defense minister, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, in order to participate in the opening of the Army 2018 International Military and Technical expo and the National Security Week forum.

During the visit minister Tonoyan will have several working meetings.

The mission of “Gutan” Armenian traditional song-dance festival is to preserve Armenian national-traditional music, and pass it through generations. The 5th annual cultural festival will be held on August 24 at 19:30 in the Cafesjian Sculpture Garden. The festival is held with the support of the RA Honored Artist Arsen Grigoryan and with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Armenia and Yerevan Municipality.

The festival will start two days before August 24. Starting from August 22, each group will perform a concert in any administrative district of Yerevan. On August 23, the flashmob will take place from the Cafesjian Sculpture Garden (Cascade) to North Avenue.

During the festival, films about the life and work of Armenia will be screened. The organizers of the festival hope that “Gutan” will be held in Artsakh as it did in previous years.

The “Gutan” Armenian traditional song-dance festival is being held since 2014.

President of the National Assembly of Armenia Ara Babloyan issued a statement over the domestic political situation, noting that he plans meetings with the President, Prime Minister, Ombudsman, Supreme Judicial Council of Armenia and representatives of international diplomatic missions to discuss the existing situation, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia.

The statement reads as follows,

“Dear compatriots,

I have attentively followed the activities of the Government during the 100 days and as the head of the parliament I expected to see a program aimed at the preservation of the country’s security, economic development, improvement of people’s welfare and of course further strengthening of democracy from my colleague, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. 100 days might be little time for hearing the complete vision of the PM over these issues and the constructive ways to solve them.

Definitely, I find that it’s necessary to fight against corruption. It’s definitely necessary to fight against monopolies.

I am convinced that people’s voice should always be heard. People should be maximally informed and involved in making the key decisions, since, as we know, the power in Armenia belongs to the people. But when doing all these we must be guided by only and only by the Constitution and laws, as well as by the full respect towards the international commitments assumed by the Republic of Armenia.

In this regard I record with regret that I am deeply concerned by the situation in the country.

The normal social-political life of the country, the legal-constitutional relations of state power bodies and public solidarity are under risk. I see dangers tendencies of dividing the public into supporters of revolution and counterrevolution and deepening of intolerance.

My concerns further rise especially after hearing this remark during PM Pashinyan’s speech. I quote ‘So I advise everyone to think before speaking. And you say that we limit your freedom of speech. You should first learn to think before speaking and then think about your freedom of speech.’

I have to admit that it was such remarks were unexpected for me to hear from PM Pashinyan for the simple reason that it’s just an encroachment against pluralism.

And frightening the judges and threatening the dissidents by the National Security Service parallel to this is not only a pressure against the judicial body, but also against anyone in the country who holds an opposite opinion.

There were also messages in PM Pashinyan’s speech very dangerous for the Constitutional order of the Republic of Armenia, and the fundaments of statehood, that are in direct contradiction with the international commitments assumed by Armenia for establishing a legal and democratic country.

Particularly, the way of addressing the judges by the Head of the Executive in a way like this “sober up,” is a merely threat for the independence of the judiciary and an interference to all the ongoing and future judicial examinations and decisions. Under the theory of “transitional justice” an anti-legal hint of giving retroactive effect to the laws was made.

At the same time, the implementation of possible constitutional changes at the National Assembly of Armenia, moreover, with the threat to ensure the desired outcome, is an overt pressure and compulsion against the legislative branch.

For me, this is further incomprehensible given the fact that the opportunities for such discussions and making decisions at the parliament were not exhausted.

Therefore, taking into account the aforementioned, I plan meetings with the President, Prime Minister, Ombudsman, Supreme Judicial Council of Armenia and representatives of international diplomatic missions to discuss the existing situation.

Remaining faithful to my constitutional mission, I assure you that the National Assembly will continue to exercise the powers vested in it by the law.”