Month: September 2020

 20:29,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan congratulated Yoshihide Suga on his election as Prime Minister of Japan, the Armenian PM’s Office told Armenpress.

The congratulatory letter reads:

“I warmly congratulate you on your election as Prime Minister of Japan.

I praise the fact that after the establishment of diplomatic relations Armenia and Japan have formed close relations based on mutual trust. I am convinced that the friendly partnership of our countries has a great future and express my readiness to make efforts with you to strengthen it for the benefit of our peoples.

Armenia and its people are grateful to Japan for the constant support which plays an important role for our country’s development. Armenia highly values Japan’s significant role in the matters on ensuring international and regional peace and preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

I wish you good health and success, and to the good people of Japan – peace and welfare”.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 10:44,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The government-backed bill on introducing spending disclosure of public officials in addition to the currently active asset disclosure passed parliament 101 to 17 at first reading.

Opposition Bright Armenia (LHK) lawmaker Taron Simonyan said they endorse the purpose of the bill but they will vote it down at first reading due to a number of “problems” during the debates. He said they are hopeful that the issues will be resolved until second reading.

Public officials spending more than 2,000,000 drams at once or if the aggregate sum of the same type of spending totals 3,000,000 drams for expenses listed by law will have to disclose it in the report.

Moreover, officials will have to disclose property which they are factually controlling but aren’t officially controlling.

The circle of officials who have to disclose assets and spending is also proposed to be expanded and will cover city councilors of towns with a population of 15000 or more.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 10:02,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The Board of Trustees of the St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of San Francisco announced on Thursday that around 4 a.m. the building adjacent to the church was set ablaze by arsonists, Asbarez reported.

“The building housed Vasbouragan Hall, as well as offices for St. Gregory Armenian Church and various organizations. The San Francisco Fire Department responded immediately, however, the building has suffered a great loss,” said the church board of trustees.

This is the second attack on an Armenian establishment in San Francisco in the past two month: In July, the Krouzian-Zekarian Vasbouragan Armenian School and the adjacent community center were targeted by vandals. The exterior of the building was spray painted with anti-Armenian, pro-Azerbaijani graffiti. Investigators have classified the vandalism as a hate crime and the suspects in that case remain at large, police said.

“The Church Board of Trustees and community leaders are on site assessing the damage and working closely with San Francisco Fire and Police Departments in their investigation. We will provide more updates to the community as they become available,” added the board.

The Armenian National Committee of America San Francisco Bay Area issued a statement condemning the attack and expressed deep concern over "an emerging pattern of hate crimes " targeting the Armenian-American community. 

Firefighters initially responded to the blaze just after 4 a.m. at St. Gregory The Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church at 51 Commonwealth Ave., police said.

Although firefighters were able to eventually extinguish the fire, the building sustained extensive damage, according to San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Lt. Jonathan Baxter. No one was injured as a result of the fire, he said.

Editing by Stepan Kocharyan

 10:57,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has sent a congratulatory message to Armenia’s Jewish community on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. 

“Dear Jewish community representatives,

I warmly congratulate you on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Today, Armenia’s Jewish community will join all Jews worldwide to celebrate a beautiful holiday that symbolizes the New Year. May this new year be a year of peace, prosperity and progress. I wish the centuries-old ties between our two nations would go strengthening in tune with the new realities.

Reiterating my congratulations, I wish our fellow citizens of Jewish descent robust health and all the best.”

 11:08,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. 239 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded over the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 46910, the Armenian Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.

138 patients recovered, raising the number of total recoveries to 42369.

1 person died from COVID-19, increasing the death toll to 926. This number doesn’t include the deaths of 285 other people (2 in the last 24 hours) infected with the virus who died from other pre-existing conditions, according to health authorities.

As of 11:00, September 18 the number of active cases stood at 3330.

Testing was ramped up starting September 8, a week ahead of the re-opening of schools which took place on September 14.

3769 tests were conducted over the past 24 hours.

Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:53,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Lawmakers from the opposition Bright Armenia and the ruling My Step bloc have brought forward a legislative initiative seeking to regulate the film industry in Armenia, notably raise the level of copyright protection, state sponsorship transparency and stipulate content rating.

“Not a single legal act regulating the cinematography sector is in place in Armenia,” Bright Armenia lawmaker Anna Kostanyan said in parliament. “The filming of foreign motion pictures in Armenia isn’t anyhow encouraged. Screening of films in cinemas and on television is done without [parental guidance content rating].”

The law is also expected to boost the film industry, contribute to foreign investments and increase competition.

Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 12:28,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Justice Yervand Khundkaryan was sworn in to the Constitutional Court in a ceremonial inauguration in parliament on September 18, a day after the two other justices assumed office.

Khundkaryan’s inauguration comes a day later since he had to resign from his position as President of the Court of Cassation to make him technically eligible to take office at the high court.

He was the General Assembly of Judges’ pick for the post, and was installed by parliament in a confirmation hearing.

The Constitutional Court is yet to name its new chief justice. 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 13:07,

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan held a meeting on September 18 in Stepanakert with a delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia headed by its Secretary General Vahagn Melikian to discuss foreign policy.

“A wide range of foreign policy issues” were discussed, Harutyunyan’s office said.

“President Harutyunyan attached importance to close and coordinated work with partner organizations, emphasizing the need for conducting a united and harmonious foreign policy for withstanding common challenges.”

Melikian told the president that the meetings and discussions will contribute to exchange of experience and strengthening of cooperation between the Armenian and Artsakhi foreign ministries.

Artsakh’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Masis Mayilian also participated in the meeting.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 12:59,

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Army of Artsakh is periodically organizing musters-trainings involving reservists in accordance to specialties, the country’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The reserve troops undergo trainings to perfect their abilities and acquire new skills and master the modern equipment and weaponry of the military, as well as blend in with their designated units with whom they will carry out combat missions in the event of possible military operations.

“Now the training musters involving reservists are held more targeted and taken into account the true nature of objectives of the participants. In this context, with these various ongoing events the army command and the country’s leadership seek to further strengthen our security environment and rule out the adversary’s any chance of success,” the Artsakh military said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan