Friday,
Armenian Government Mum On Pashinian’s Trip To Moscow
• Artak Khulian
Armenia -- Armenian Justice Minister Rustam Badasian talks to journalists and
opposition protesters in Yerevan, January 8, 2021.
The Armenian government did not confirm or refute on Friday reports that Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian will fly to Moscow on Monday for further talks on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Armenian opposition figures and some media outlets critical of the government
have said in recent days that Pashinian will hold there a trilateral meeting
with Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.
A pro-opposition social media account claimed on Thursday that they will sign an
agreement on Armenian territorial concessions to Azerbaijan in an effort to
cement the Russian-brokered ceasefire in the Karabakh conflict zone. It said the
draft agreement has already been sent to Armenian Ministry of Justice for
examination.
Justice Minister Rustam Badasian and his press office were quick to deny the
claim in separate statements.
Despite the denials, several dozen opposition activists and supporters rallied
outside the ministry building in Yerevan on Friday to demand explanations.
Badasian emerged from the building to talk to the protesters and repeat his
assurances.
Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, Pashinian’s press secretary, Mane
Gevorgian, also denied the existence of such a document.
Earlier this week Gevorgian did not rule out the possibility of Pashinian’s
visit to Moscow. She did not comment further.
The opposition claims appeared to have prompted concern from President Armen
Sarkissian. In a statement issued by his office, Sarkissian said the government
should be accountable to the public and stick to Armenia’s constitution and laws
when implementing the ceasefire agreement that stopped the war on November 10.
Meanwhile, Pashinian identified his administration’s top “priorities” in the
implementation process: the release of all Armenian prisoners remaining in
Azerbaijani captivity, the recovery of the bodies of Armenian soldiers and
civilians killed during the war, and the opening of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
border for cargo and passenger traffic.
The truce accord commits Yerevan to opening a transport link between the
Nakhichevan exclave and the rest of Azerbaijan, which would pass through
Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province.
In a Facebook post, Pashinian again stressed that Baku will have to allow, for
its part, Armenia to use Azerbaijani territory as a transit route for cargo
shipments to and from Russia and Iran.
Armenian Ministers At Odds Over Coronavirus Restrictions
Armenia -- Officials from Armenia's Health and Labor Inspectorate inspect a shop
in Yerevan to verify its compliance with coroanvirus safety rules, July 22, 2020.
Economy Minister Vahan Kerobian has publicly objected to a Ministry of Health
proposal to extend restrictions aimed at preventing coronavirus infections in
Armenia.
The Armenia government kept the restrictions in place when it lifted a
coronavirus-related state of emergency in September. The government introduced a
nationwide “quarantine” regime which allowed it to continue requiring people to
wear face masks in all public areas and enforcing social distancing and hygiene
rules set for businesses.
The new regime was due to remain in force until January 11. The Ministry of
Health formally asked the government late last month to extend it by six month
months, citing the continuing large number of coronavirus cases in the country.
Kerobian criticized the request in an interview with Armenian Public Television
aired late on Thursday.
He claimed that the restrictions would hurt the Armenian economy which has
already been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The economy badly needs more
“oxygen” after contracting by at least 7 percent in 2020, said he 44-year-old
businessman who was appointed as economy minister in late November.
Armenia - Businessman Vahan Kerobian at a news conference in Yerevan, January
17, 2019.
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Arsen Torosian dismissed the criticism on
Friday, saying that the existing rules do not place restrictions on economic
activity and only reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections within businesses and
other entities.
“Minister Vahan Kerobian noted that what the economy needs most now is oxygen,”
the official, Alina Nikoghosian, said. “Individuals treated for the coronavirus
over the last several months have also needed oxygen first and foremost, which
has been provided by the Ministry of Health.”
“We hope that the Ministry of Economy too will save no effort to provide the
economy with oxygen without increasing the number of [COVID-19] patients,” she
said.
Nikoghosian insisted that the rules criticized by Kerobian are essential for
containing the further spread of COVID-19. She argued that many other countries
are still imposing lockdowns and other tougher restrictions to deal with the
pandemic.
Armenia -- A healthcare worker clad in protective gear looks after COVID-19
patients at the Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center, Yerevan, June 5, 2020.
The Armenian authorities largely stopped fining people and businesses to enforce
the rules following the September 27 outbreak of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The daily number of new COVID-19 cases reported by them grew rapidly as a
result. But it has been steadily falling since mid-November.
According to the Ministry of Health, there were 9,850 active cases in Armenia as
of Friday morning, sharply down from 22,850 cases reported on December 1.
More than 161,000 coronavirus infections and at least 2,908 deaths caused by
them have been officially confirmed in the country of about 3 million to date.
The real number of cases is believed to be much higher.
Citing “some international projections,” Nikoghosian warned that another 1,000
Armenians may well die from the disease by April 1.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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