Month: February 2019

Police Chief testifies in court at 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis hearing

11:58, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. A court hearing is underway at the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction on the 2016 Yerevan police station ambush case, which became known as the 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis.

Incumbent national Police Chief Colonel Valeriy Osipyan is testifying in the hearing as a victim.

In 2016, Osipyan served as Deputy Chief of the Yerevan Police Department. He himself was taken hostage during the ambush.

During today’s court hearing Osipyan presented all details from the events.

Two of the 10 assailants are currently under arrest. The remaining seven were released on bail.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

New governors of Shirak and Tavush provinces named: PM puts a task to attract investments

12:04, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. According to the decisions of the government, Hayk Chobanyan has been appointed governor of Tavush province and Tigran Petrosyan – governor of Shirak province, reports Armenpress.

During today’s Cabinet session Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan congratulated the new governors and wished them good luck.

“I want to tell the new governors that in fact the attraction of new investments and creation of jobs in all provinces that will lead to the change of the socio-economic situation is a priority task”, he said, adding that the public administration bodies and governors should encourage, invite potential investors to show what investments can be made for ensuring the development of the provinces.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Discussions on change of gas tariff continue: Gazprom Armenia not in a hurry to present details

12:17, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Discussions are being held at all directions in connection with the change of gas tariff supplied to Armenia, Vakhtang Mirumyan – deputy director general of the Gazprom Armenia CJSC, told reporters after the session of the Public Services Regulatory Commission. He stated that as long as the discussions are not over, he cannot provide information about the change of the gas price and the subsequent developments, reports Armenpress.

“The press service of the Gazprom Armenia CJSC has issued a respective statement in regards to the gas tariff. There is no other information yet. Whether debt is accumulated or not, how the financial-economic activity must be carried out, I cannot say anything at this moment, all issues are currently being discussed. Moreover, these discussions are being carried out at all directions, including investment, capital renovations programs, losses and etc. The goal is to avoid harming the company’s activity, as well as leading to undesirable consequences”, he said.

Mirumyan informed that Gazprom Armenia CJSC is engaged in the discussions and is actively cooperating both with the Public Services Regulatory Commission and the authorized bodies of the energy field. As for the discussion timetables, he said two months are scheduled, but with the possibility to be extended.

Gazprom CJSC increased the gas price supplied to Armenia from 150 USD to 165 USD starting from January 1, 2019. Following this Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that the gas tariff for the domestic consumer will not increase, noting that the Armenian government will continue the talks with the Gazprom Armenia CJSC to reach a final agreement.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Macron personally informs Erdogan on declaring April 24th National Day of Armenian Genocide Commemoration

12:48, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. President of France Emmanuel Macron has informed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the decision to declare April 24th a National Day of Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in advance.

Speaking at the annual dinner of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF), where he announced the initiative, he said he informed Erdogan in advance because “he wanted to keep an open dialogue with Turkey”, Euronews reported.

“We have disagreements over the fight against the Islamic State, human rights and civil liberties in Turkey and on the genocide,” Macron said, according to Euronews.

“We also have points of agreement such as the necessity for a political transition in Syria. As such, dialogue with Turkey is indispensable,” Macron said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Government releases its draft Action Plan

13:04, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. The draft Action Plan of the Armenian government has been posted on e-gov.am, reports Armenpress.

It will be submitted to the parliament after being approved by the Cabinet.

According to the draft, the Armenian government’s actions in the next five years will be directed for building a competitive and inclusive economy aimed at export.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Artsakh’s status and security among Armenia’s top priorities: Government’s Action Plan

13:25, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. The government has introduced Armenia’s foreign policy priorities in its draft Action Plan released today, reports Armenpress.

According to the draft, the Armenian government, while conducting a foreign policy, is guided by the collective interests of Armenia and its people.

The government’s foreign policy aims at preserving Armenia’s sovereignty, ensuring the security of Armenia and Artsakh, raising Armenia’s international reputation, constantly developing the mutually beneficial and equal relations with all states, increasing Armenia’s engagement in international and regional processes, deepening the cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats, sustainable development of Armenia and the modernization of the economy, ensuring access to new markets and attracting new foreign investments to Armenia and Artsakh.

The principled priorities of the government’s foreign policy are ensuring international and regional security and the peaceful settlement of conflicts, international and regional cooperation aimed at sustainable development, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, strengthening of democracy and prevention of crimes against humanity.

The draft says in the foreign policy field the government will towards settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict exclusively peacefully within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format, which must be based on the fundamental principles of the international law, in particular, the peoples’ right to equality and self-determination. Artsakh’s status and ensuring its security are Armenia’s top priorities in the negotiation process.

The government will also take actions to ensure the continuation of the international recognition and condemnation process of the Armenian Genocide. The recognition of this crime against humanity will lead to regional security, stability and solidarity between the peoples, as well as the prevention of crimes.

According to the draft, the government will actively work on ensuring Armenia’s active and initiating participation in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) by contributing to further raising the effectiveness of these structures.

The government will develop the strategic-allied relations with Russia considering this goal as one of its key priorities. The Armenia-Russia relations are based on friendship, equality and the readiness to solve the issues with joint efforts. The government views Armenia’s strategic partnership with Russia as a key component on ensuring Armenia’s security system.

The draft states that the government will consistently develop the friendly partnership with the United States. The government is inclined to deepen the partnership with the US aimed at assisting Armenia’s development and reforms agenda and expanding the dialogue for regional stability.

The government will deepen the friendly relations and will expand the partnership with the European Union, its member states and other European countries.

It will also develop the unique and friendly ties with Iran and Georgia. The government is also inclined to develop the relations with China and the partner states of the Middle East.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia’s Police Chief objects to granting amnesty to participants of 2016 Yerevan police station attack

13:33, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Police Chief of Armenia Valery Osipyan objects to granting amnesty to the participants of 2016 Yerevan police station attack. ARMENPRESS reports judge Mesrop Makyan informed that the National Assembly of Armenia adopted a law on November 1, 2018 on announcing amnesty for criminal cases on the occasion of the 2800^th anniversary of Erebouni-Yerevan and the 100^th anniversary of the 1^st Republic of Armenia. The amnesty law provides a separate point for the people who participated in Yerevan police station attack from June 17-31, 2016, but the amnesty also provides a reservation, according to which if the people who were taken hostage during those days or suffered physical damage object to granting amnesty, the investigation into the case will continue according to the standard procedure.

Police Chief of Armenia Valery Osipyan, who was taken hostage in 2016 by the gunmen when he was Yerevan Police Deputy Chief, objected to the granting amnesty. “I have lost friends. If I had not lost friends, maybe my position would be otherwise. I think everyone should be punished in line with the law”, Osipyan said.

To the question of the judge if he objects to granting amnesty, Valery Osipyan said, “Yes, I object”.

Only 2 of the 10 gunmen are currently kept in detention pending trial – Armen Bilyan and Smbat Barseghyan. The others have been released on bail or personal guarantee of MPs.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Government approves its five-year Action Plan

13:37, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government approved its Action Plan for the upcoming five years, reports Armenpress.

Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said the Action Plan reflects the government’s main goals, tasks, key actions and value system. “In the next five years the government’s activity will be directed towards export in line with high technologies, industry and highest environmental standards, and then the actions deriving from this will be approved”, he said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said it’s worth to mention that the government has worked on the text of the Action Plan for several times.

Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan said the Action Plan has been prepared based on the pre-election program of the My Step alliance.

The PM proposed to finalize it until tomorrow evening or Friday morning.

Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan said they will submit the Action Plan’s edited version to the Parliament before February 8.

According to the Constitution of Armenia, the Parliament approves the government’s Action Plan within seven days by the majority of votes of the total number of MPs.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Actions of Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders contribute to reduction of tension in region – Chief of CSTO Joint Staff

13:56, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov, Chief of Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), has summed up the recent actions of Armenia and Azerbaijan aimed at settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, reports Armenpress.

During today’s Moscow-Yerevan-Minsk-Bishkek-Astana video conference, Anatoly Sidorov said the actions of the leaders of the two countries have contributed to the reduction of tension in the region.

“The joint efforts of the international mediators and regional states, as well as the intensification of dialogue which is necessary for the future works aimed at peacefully settling the NK conflict, have led to the reduction of tension. The regular meetings of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan enabled to take concrete actions for strengthening trust”, the Chief of CSTO Joint Staff said.

He also highlighted the direct connection established between the two countries at the top leadership level recently.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had a brief meeting in Dushanbe on September 28, 2018, during which they reached an agreement to reduce tension and prevent incidents in the border. An “operative connection” has been established between the sides since the meeting of the two leaders.

Thereafter, they held another informal meeting in St. Petersburg in December on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the heads of CIS states.

Pashinal and Aliyev also met on January 22, 2019 in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

‘I’ll whack you right here’ – Police Chief recounts dramatic moments from 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis

14:31, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Police Chief of Armenia Colonel Valeriy Osipyan has testified in court today regarding the 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis case when gunmen ambushed a police station (Erebuni station).

In his testimony, Osipyan, who served as Deputy Police Chief of Yerevan at that time, said that in the early morning of July 17, 2016 he received a call that the headquarters of the patrol police service has been seized by gunmen.

“Upon being notified, I rushed to the [station] on my patrol car,” he said.”Upon reaching the Erebuni police station, I saw a group of officers and patrol vehicles. I noticed a minivan and an ambulance parked at the gates and I saw that people armed with assault rifles are moving sporadically, I also saw officers of our department. The men immediately reported to me on what was happening and urged me to take cover from sporadic gunfire”, Osipyan says.

“One of the men had radio on him, I heard and recognized the voice, it was Pavlik Manukyan’s voice, I immediately understood that they have breached into the station and seized our radio devices. I contacted him immediately on the radio. I said, Pavlik, Pavlik…he went – yes, who is it? I said this is Colonel Osipyan speaking, he replied – yeah, what’s up, I said – I recommend you to come out and lower your firearms,” Osipyan said.

According to him, Manukyan accepted the offer to come outside and speak, and Osipyan, together with Deputy Chief of Police Vardan Yeghiazaryan, who was on the scene, approached the building.

Then, when Osipyan and Yeghiazaryan were approaching the building, they saw one of the gunmen standing across the street, and at that time Pavlik Manukyan, together with two other gunmen, came out.

Osipyan says the conversation was tense and he understood that negotiating will not succeed. “We were trying to find out if anyone is hurt, they said they have helped whoever was in need and that they don’t have fatalities”.

“We were about to return when Sedrak Nazaryan [gunman] grabbed my radio, I resisted, they began pushing me, everyone drew their weapons on me, threatening “I’ll whack you here””. Osipyan says the gunmen then began hitting him with their weapons, he says he was battered by 5-6 gunmen, and he was trying to defend himself.

He was then taken inside the station where other hostages were being kept. “There were eight officers with us, some were handcuffed. They handcuffed us also. We didn’t stop negotiating, I succeeded in convincing them to uncuff us.

Then I was taken outside. They gave me a loudspeaker and they drew their weapons on me – “Address the officers and tell them to lower their weapons and join us, or we will kill you right here”. And this threat lasted for 3-5 minutes. I didn’t comply, I simply addressed officers by saying: “Dear officers, this is your colleague Colonel Osipyan speaking. Please, don’t shoot at this direction, and they will not shoot in your direction”. The gunmen then said “this isn’t what we want”. But the Colonel said “I can’t do more than that”.

Two of the 10 assailants are currently under arrest. The remaining seven were released on bail.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan