Month: October 2019

ArmInfo.The holding of the International Subject Olympiad in Biology in Armenia in 2022 will help equip local schools with modern equipment. As Minister of  Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia  Arayik Harutyunyan said at a budget hearing in the parliament on  October 31, hundreds of laboratories will be acquired for the  competition to be transferred to school institutions.

Harutyunyan informed that in 2020 the budgetary financing of the  ministry will amount to 179.5 billion drams, of which 2.2 billion  drams will be allocated to support the apparatus, 145 billion drams  to the education sector, and 12.6 billion drams to science. Another  12.9 billion drams were used in the field of culture and 4 billion  drams will be used to develop sports. In general, budget financing of  the education sector will increase by 18.9 billion drams. Part of the  additional budget increase will be directed to a 10% increase in  teacher salaries. The Minister also said that the budget plans to  almost 2.5 times increase the payment of compensation for  transportation costs to teachers and students. This item of  expenditures in 2020 will be about 200 million drams.

He also reminded that due to the increase in tax collections, it was  possible to implement a program worth over 800 million drams, under  which engineering laboratories are being created in schools. It is  expected that these works will cover up to 50% of local schools.

The Office will continue to implement programs aimed at improving the  conditions in secondary schools.  Schools in 22 communities of the  country will be repaired. In the coming years, the number of  preschool educational institutions will also be increased. According  to Harutyunyan, in 2020 it is planned to overhaul 8 agricultural  colleges.

The Minister drew attention to the fact that investment programs  worth 2.5 billion drams were implemented this year. , he said.

To recall, on July 10, at a closed meeting, the Armenian government  approved a medium-term spending program for 2020-2022. According to  the program, economic growth is projected to average 5% per annum.  Growth will mainly be driven by growth in services and industry. So,  in 2019, a 5.4% growth is forecasted, against the budgeted 4.9%, and  during 2020-2022. – 4.9%, 5% and 5.1%, respectively.

ArmInfo.Turkey’s first reaction to the adoption by the US Congress of a resolution on the Armenian Genocide was milder than expected. However, we should wait for the  results of the behind-the-scenes negotiations between the Turkish and  American sides. Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the  National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Ruben Safrastyan, stated  this at a meeting with reporters on October 31, recalling the planned  visit of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to the United States,  scheduled for November 13.

, Safrastyan said.

According to the forecasts of the Orientalist, the United States and  Turkey will be able to achieve some mutual agreement, and Turkey will  not tighten its rhetoric.

At the same time, Safrastyan did not rule out that recent events  could lead to increased pressure on the Armenian community of Turkey.

“In fact, the Armenians of Constantinople are hostages,” the director  of the Institute of Oriental Studies said, recalling that tens of  thousands of people in Turkey are being persecuted for their  political views. 

ArmInfo. Head of the Public Council, Vazgen Manukyan, admitted that he was surprised at the criminal case against parliamentary Speaker Ara Babloyan. At a press  conference on October 30, Manukyan said the charges are based on a < wrong semicolon>.

As for the head of the Constitutional Court, Hrayr Tovmasyan, it was  stated here that the authorities were persecuting him in order to get  this position. According to Manukyan, prior to his appointment,  Tovmasyan was “checked by X-ray, and nothing was found”. “This means  that this person is clean and not corrupt,” the head of the Public  Council noted.

It should be noted that the Investigative Committee of Armenia found  factual evidence of abuses committed by the current head of the  Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia Hrayr Tovmasyan  during his tenure as head of the Ministry of Justice. In the  framework of the criminal case, in addition to Hrayr Tovmasyan, the  charge under part 2 of article 308 of the Criminal Code of Armenia is  an abuse of official powers, entailing by negligence, grave  consequences were also brought against Norayr Panosyan, who in  2011-2014 held the post of head of the Inspectorate for the Legality  of the Ministry of Justice.

In addition, according to the report of the Special Investigation  Service, there is evidence that in March 2018, in the process of  Gagik Harutyunyan’s resignation of the powers of the Chairman of the  Constitutional Court, officials, based on group interests, personally  and also through non-officials committed an official forging to  appoint Hrayr Tovmasyan to the post of head of the Constitutional  Court.  In fact, a criminal case was initiated on usurpation of  power, in the framework of which charges were brought against  ex-speaker of the parliament Ara Babloyan and head of the  parliament’s apparatus Arsen Babayan. 

ArmInfo. The Armenian government respects the institutions of power by providing cars to former presidents – Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan. On October  30, Eduard Aghajanian, the head of the RA government apparatus,  stated this in an interview with reporters.

According to him, Serzh Sargsyan was offered options with residential  premises, but he rejected all these proposals. In addition, as the  head of the apparatus noted, the third president took with him an  armored car.  “In any case, they are provided with cars, security  officers, and a number of other benefits,” said Aghajanyan.