Month: February 2019

President of Artsakh attends conference dedicated to Tumanyan’s 150th birthday anniversary

14:50,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan on February 19 attended a conference devoted to the 150th anniversary of renowned Armenian poet Hovhannes Toumanyan in Gandzasar’s Matenadaran Scientific-Cultural Center, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The conference has been organized by the Artsakh Union of Writers and Stepanakert’s Grigor Narekatsi University.

The President highlighted the perpetuation of the memory of great Armenians stating with satisfaction that such events had become an integral part of the country’s literary life.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Gurgen Margaryan’s murder in Budapest was Aliyev’s first message to the world: 15 years passed since Armenian officer’s death  

14:56,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The crime committed against Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan in Budapest, in 2004, was Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s first message to the world what policy he is going to run and what are his plans, Marina Grigoryan – Ordinary Genocide project manager, told a press conference in ARMENPRESS.

“That crime proved that Aliyev’s plan was to make Armenophobia a state policy of Azerbaijan. All actions which took place shortly after this incident, such as the trial of Ramil Safarov who killed Margaryan with an axe, his extradition, as well as the ongoing actions show that Aliyev is consistently carrying out that policy”, she said.

Grigoryan said that crime has been organized at the state level and was Aliyev’s state order to Ramil Safarov. “This was proved in the first days when Safarov gave his first testimony.

“He said everything very frankly, and the other Azerbaijani participant Anar Aliyev has confirmed what he said. After the incident Safarov told his partner to go to Baku and state that he has done what he had to do. This exists in the official document, as well as in the materials of the judicial case”, she said.

Grigoryan said Azerbaijan is responsible for the murder of Gurgen Margaryan.

Lawyer Nazeli Vardanyan said the interference at the state level during that years, the opening of embassy in Hungary, the influence on expertise, releasing Safarov after extradition was a planned operation.

“It’s obvious that there is a state order here. When you examine Safarov’s activity, you see that he has been a prospective officer. He has graduated from a college in Baku, continued studies in Turkey, participated in the military drills in Northern Cyprus and was sent to Hungary to learn English”, she said.

15 years have passed since the murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan, who was brutally killed by Azerbaijani criminal Ramil Safarov.

On January 11, 2004, Gurgen Margaryan left for Budapest, Hungary, to participate in a three-month English language course which was part of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program. On February 19 he was axed, while asleep, by his fellow Azerbaijani participant, Lieutenant Ramil Safarov. The murder took place at 5 am, while the victim was asleep.

Safarov, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, was transferred back to his home country on August 31, 2012 under an extradition agreement. Although Azerbaijan formally pledged that the life sentence handed down to him in Hungary would be directly continued when he was returned to his homeland, the Azerbaijani president granted him a pardon and formally recognized him as a “national hero” upon his arrival.

Serzh Sargsyan’s brother “voluntarily transfers” $18.5 million to state amid investigation

15:10,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Amid ongoing criminal investigations and frozen assets, ex-President Serzh Sargsyan’s brother Alexander Sargsyan has returned millions of dollars to the state, the government’s staff told ARMENPRESS.

“During the timeframe of various criminal cases and investigations against Alexander Sargsyan, he voluntarily transferred 18,5 million dollars to the state”, the government’s staff said.

The money that has been technically donated to the state is not among the frozen assets.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenian authorities uncover “embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funds” with FBI’s support

15:17,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Investigative Committee chief Hayk Grigoryan has held a meeting today with U.S.’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regional legal attaché assistant Matthew Boyden, the Investigative Committee said in a news release.

“During this brief period of time of activities of the Investigative Committee we have already felt the unconditional support of the U.S. partners, an individual demonstration of which is the duly legal assistance of the FBI in concrete criminal cases investigated by the Investigative Committee, including a case of embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars of state funds,” Grigoryan said.

Grigoryan also attached importance to a training program organized by the FBI earlier in 2017, which led to the creation of a direct e-communication platform between the legal assistance department of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Investigative Committee’s international inquires department. He also attached importance to visits of Armenian investigators to the FBI headquarters at the invitation of the American side, during which agreements were reached on conducting training of Armenian investigators in the U.S., which is already in stage of implementation.

Boyden thanked for the reception and congratulated Grigoryan on assuming office.

“I highly appreciate all the achievements you mentioned that we have had during our joint activity. I am sure that the developed relations will have deeper roots,” he said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

German businessmen introduce their business plans in Armenia to minister Khachatryan

17:10,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Minister of economic development and investments Tigran Khachatryan received the delegation of German businessmen accompanied by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Armenia Bernhard Matthias Kiesler, the ministry told Armenpress.

Minister Khachatryan welcomed the businessmen’s visit to Armenia and stated: “We are ready to assist any business activity initiated by foreign investors”. The minister added that one of the goals of the Armenian government is to increase the investment volumes ad export the products made by investments to the EAEU, EU and other markets. He introduced the economic priorities of the government’s Action Plan that will be interesting for investors. Tigran Khachatryan also touched upon Armenia’s investment attractions.

The German Ambassador congratulated the minister on appointment and expressed satisfaction that the Action Plan contains many economic highlights.

The guests introduced their activity circles, starting from agriculture up to engineering, asked their questions to the minister, as well as touched upon their business plans in Armenia.

Minister Khachatryan drew the attention of the guests on the fields which have a great potential that is not utilized. At the end of the meeting the minister said the ministry and Business Armenia staff will spare no efforts for the business mission to be extremely effective and targeted by organizing respective meetings with the Armenian partners.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 19-02-19

17:14,

YEREVAN, 19 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 19 February, USD exchange rate up by 0.07 drams to 487.50 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.46 drams to 551.07 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 7.36 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.58 drams to 629.90 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 143.24 drams to 20775.21 drams. Silver price up by 1.44 drams to 247.09 drams. Platinum price up by 315.25 drams to 12664.18 drams.