14:30,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Qatar Airways will increase its flights to Yerevan and operate them daily starting October 5, the airline said in a press release.
The airline is currently operating five weekly flights to the Armenian capital.
Earlier the Yerevan airport had announced the re-launched regular flights, with Qatar Airways operating the Doha-Yerevan flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
13:34,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Wine consumption and exports suffered a 60% and 20% drop respectively amid the coronaivrus pandemic from March until July, the Armenian Vine and Wine Foundation Director Zaruhi Muradyan said.
“Wine isn’t an essential product so people aren’t in a hurry to buy extra wine in crisis conditions,” she said. “Wine drinking is a type of leisure, but all restaurants, bars, entertainment venues were shut down, the domestic market consumption and export volumes dropped abruptly,” she said, referring to the springtime lockdown measures when eateries and cafes were closed as a precaution.
However, Muradyan says wine sales are somewhat rising since July, and she hopes that consumption will increase by yearend.
“12 million 670 thousand liters of wine was produced in 2019, usually 30% was being exported and 60% was being sold domestically, and around 10% was being kept as reserve wine in cellars. Since cellars are full of wine, winemakers will organize their [grape procurement] according to consumption levels,” she said, adding that the wine businesses will nevertheless try to buy more in order to support farmers.
Muradyan said their fund will spare no effort to support the wine business get back on track.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
14:53,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW) has signed a term sheet with the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) on negotiations concerning the acquisition of 65% of the Armenia Securities Exchange (AMX) from CBA.
GPW’s potential acquisition of AMX requires among others a due diligence and necessary corporate approvals, the Armenian Central Bank said in a statement.
The preliminary estimated valuation of 100% of AMX is approx. PLN 6 million (USD 1.6 million) On , the Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW) Management Board and the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) signed a term sheet concerning negotiations to purchase 65% majority interest in the Armenia Securities Exchange (AMX) by GPW. The agreement is not binding. The final terms of the acquisition will depend among others on results of due diligence and necessary corporate approvals. “The relations established between GPW and the Central Bank of Armenia spell good news for both parties of the agreement. Many sectors of Armenia’s economy are looking for quality investments so the country has a huge growth potential. Investments are a driver of economic growth, especially in the emerging markets. In my opinion, GPW’s acquisition of AMX would put the Armenian capital market on fast track to growth while the Warsaw Stock Exchange could make satisfying returns on the investment. It is relevant, as well, that Poland is promoting emerging markets. This is a good direction,” said Jacek Sasin, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Assets.
The term sheet signed by GPW and CBA defines the framework conditions of further negotiations aiming at a potential investment agreement. In the next step, GPW will carry out a due diligence, draft a five-year development plan for the Armenia Securities Exchange in partnership with CBA and AMX, and define the final terms of the investment agreement, which may be different from the framework conditions. “GPW is a stable and steadily growing company at the heart of Poland’s capital market and the leader of the CEE stock exchange industry. I am certain that the extensive experience and competences gained by the Warsaw Stock Exchange in the last 30 years will ensure a close and fruitful relationship with Armenia’s financial market,” said Dominik Kaczmarski, Head of Analysis and Reporting Department at Poland’s Ministry of State Assets, President of the Warsaw Stock Exchange Supervisory Board.
As a part of its analyses preceding the execution of the term sheet, GPW has defined a list of more than a dozen potential strategic projects geared at long-term development of the Armenia Securities Exchange. The key areas of development include the implementation of innovative solutions based on state-of-the-art technology, the organisation of trade in commodities, support for dual listing of GPW and AMX issuers, and the provision of a modern trading platform. “We can see many areas where we could advance the development of Armenia’s capital market. The primary areas include digitisation and process automation, which are now the key pillars of stock exchanges in developed economies. Potential acquisition of AMX would help us expand our services and step up the implementation of the strategy #GPW2022. On the other hand, it would open the GPW Group’s know-how to the Armenia Securities Exchange,” pointed out Marek Dietl, President of the GPW Management Board. The AMX Group’s consolidated revenue stood at PLN 6.4 million (USD 1.71 million), EBITDA at PLN 2.0 million (USD 0.53 million), and net profit at PLN 1.3 million (USD 0.35 million) in 2019. The AMX Group’s total assets stood at PLN 6.5 million (USD 1.73 million) as at 31 December 2019. The preliminary non-binding estimated valuation of 100% of AMX equity is equal to the company’s book value as at 30 June 2020, i.e., approx. PLN 6 million (USD 1.6 million).
The potential purchase price of interest in AMX to be paid by GPW will be confirmed after the completion of the due diligence. “We are glad to have reached an agreement on the base framework of our future cooperation with WSE. This mutually beneficial deal is of a long-term strategic importance to both sides and we are also glad to state that we see WSE as the partner sharing our vision for future development of capital markets. WSE leadership in this venture provides an opportunity for bringing their experience and know-how and transform AMX into a robust, innovative and convenient platform, serving as gateway for investors to new markets. This will also lead to fulfilling our joint aspirations for regional expansion” – said Martin Galstyan, the Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia. The core business of the AMX Group is to organise trade in financial instruments and to operate a clearing house and a settlement institution for transactions in financial instruments in Armenia. The company has its seat in the Armenian capital city Yerevan. The Central Bank of Armenia holds 90.1% of AMX. The remaining 9.9% are AMX’s treasury shares. After the deal, CBA will hold 25% of AMX and the remaining 10% will be acquired by a third party to be named by GPW.
15:14,
GYUMRI, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Mayor of Gyumri Samvel Balasanyan is isolated at his residence in the second largest city of Armenia after testing positive for COVID-19, his spokesperson Sona Arakelyan told ARMENPRESS.
She said the mayor feels well and will be treated at home.
“Doctors are following the mayor’s health condition. He will work remotely during this period of time.”
Earlier the city hall had said that Balasanyan’s deputy Hayk Sultanyan also tested positive.
26 other city hall staffers were tested as a precaution and results came back negative.
Reporting by Armenuhi Mkhoyan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
15:06,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has sent a congratulatory message to President Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique of the Republic of Chile on the occasion of Independence Day.
“On behalf of the people of Armenia, I hereby extend my heartfelt congratulations to you and to the friendly people of Chile on your country’s Independence Day,” the Armenian PM said in a telegram.
“I wish you every success and new achievements, as well as peace, prosperity and development – to the people of Chile.
I am confident that through joint efforts we will be able to upgrade and reinvigorate our bilateral relations in the near future to the benefit of our countries and peoples.”
15:28,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The reopening of regular flights between Armenia and Russia is under discussion both bilaterally and as part of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), the Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopirkin told reporters.
He said the reopening depends on the COVID-19 situation.
“We are following the epidemiological situation in Russia and Armenia because the reopening of borders depends on it. These issues are under discussion bilaterally and within the framework of the EEU,” he said.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
16:10,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Years of recurrent cross-border gunfire from Azerbaijan has become a usual thing for three generations of the Aghasyan-Chobanyan family living in the Armenian village of Chinari, which came under heavy bombardment most recently in July 2020.
“When this happens, we immediately take shelter as usual, we don’t care for these shots, but we didn’t expect them to use such heavy artillery this time,” Lidia Chobanyan, a mother of two, told ARMENPRESS’s Lilit Demuryan at the damaged home. Lidia Chobanyan and her husband Samvel Aghasyan live here with their daughter, son, daughter-in-law and 5 grandchildren.
During the Azerbaijani artillery strikes the family lost their bread bakery, solar power panels, household equipment and their house suffered major damages.
“We took shelter, but I wasn’t scared, and I am not scared of those sounds,” the family’s 7-year-old Samvel Junior, a 2nd grader said.
Lidia Chobanyan, a teacher by profession, said that one of the artillery shells directly hit the house, and one exploded in the yard. “Windows were destroyed, the bread bakery were I used to frequently bake bread is gone. The solar power station is destroyed, we’d installed it only a month before,” she said when asked what happened on the morning of July 16.
Now, the government is building a brand new 7-room house for the family, something Chobanyan says they didn’t even hope for. She said they used to rebuild the damages from cross-border shelling at their own expense in the past.
“Before this happened we had started a renovation, we didn’t manage to finish it, but now, after the July events the Prime Minister issued a directive and a new house is being built for us. We are very happy, but we don’t believe that the construction will be finished because Azerbaijan is shooting all the time, even during these past few days they started shooting more,” Chobanyan said.
As much as these incidents have become usual for them, Chobanyan admitted that every day they are living in fear, but at the same time with hope.
The government has allocated more than 64,000,000 drams for the new, 208 square meter house with an additional 110 square meter bomb shelter.
“It is very important for residents of the villages who were targeted by adversary artillery to know that the government is standing by their side and is doing more than they think,” PM Nikol Pashinyan’s advisor Robert Ghukasyan said. He said the construction will most probably be finished by yearend 2020.
Similar government-funded reconstruction works are underway in other villages of the Tavush province – Aygepar and Nerkin Karmiraghbyur – which were also damaged when Azerbaijani military began shelling peaceful civilians.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
17:28,
YEREVAN, 18 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 18 September, USD exchange rate up by 0.86 drams to 485.26 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 3.39 drams to 574.98 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 6.46 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.21 drams to 629.67 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 344.37 drams to 30208.35 drams. Silver price down by 9.15 drams to 417.26 drams. Platinum price down by 456.80 drams to 14665.38 drams.
15:33,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Embassy in Tel-Aviv, Israel was officially opened September 17.
Armenian Ambassador to Israel Armen Smbatyan emphasized in his remarks that the inauguration of the building is taking place ahead of a meaningful day - Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
In his speech, Ambassador Smbatyan congratulated all citizens of Israel on Rosh Hashanah, wishing peace and prosperity to the State of Israel, and health and successes to the residents of the country, according to Vesty Israel News.
Itzhak Carmel Kagan, the head of the Israeli foreign ministry’s Eurasia 2 department, congratulated on the opening of the embassy and emphasized that the development of the Armenian-Israeli relations is an important process.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
16:33,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Lawmaker Mkhitar Hayrapetyan from the ruling My Step bloc condemned the arson attack targeting the St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of San Francisco during his speech in parliament on September 18.
“On behalf of our parliament, I would like to strongly condemn all hate crimes with ethnic or religious motives, hoping that very soon the local law enforcement and authorities will make sufficient efforts in apprehending and bringing to account the criminals,” Hayrapetyan , the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport said.
He said that although the suspects haven’t yet been apprehended, it’s not difficult to guess who could’ve committed the crime, hinting that the arson was done with pro-Azerbaijani motives given the earlier attack on an Armenian Church again in San Francisco earlier in July when anti-Armenian and pro-Azerbaijani graffiti was sprayed on the church walls, and the vandalisms committed against Armenian monuments elsewhere, notably the Komitas statue in Paris, France – incidents which started happening after the Azerbaijani military attack on Armenia in July, which was subsequently crushed by strong countermeasures.
“We are a civilized nation, and vandalisms against schools, churches or monuments are unfathomable for us, but bearing in mind who stand behind these acts – some of our neighboring countries from the East and West, we don’t understand these actions but at the same time we are no longer surprised.”
Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan stressed that surely all lawmakers are joining the stance.
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.
Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan