Month: February 2021

 11:44, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the government’s issuance of the $750,000,000 eurobond a “strong positive signal of the economic year’s start.”

“It’s very important to note that the issuance took place under the most favorable conditions in our country’s history, with the lowest percentage. And this is a very important signal for our economy. First of all, with this a guarantee for macroeconomic stability was formed. Second of all, basically we can say that this is the first serious signal of overcoming the post-war economic shock, which is also a testimony to the fact that international investors have trust in the economic future of Armenia and the government’s policy,” Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

He dismissed concerns and rumors about the issuance, and noted that there was nothing extraordinary or emergency in its essence, because it was envisaged by the 2021 budget’s deficit funding tools.

“In this regard we can note that we’ve started the economic year with a very strong positive signal. And we hope that this positive signal will bring about a chain reaction.”

“It’s important to mention that the demand was far greater, nearly 3 billion, but at this moment we decided to involve 750 million dollars,” he said.

The finance minister then said that the government decided to involve 250 million more than it was originally planned under the budget. The 250 million dollars will be kept as a financial buffer and will be used as required during the year.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:47, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government has issued 750 million USD Eurobonds in 2021 not as a result of the assessment of the moment, but it has been the assessment of the comprehensive policy conducted so far, Minister of Finance Atom Janjughazyan said at today’s Cabinet meeting.

“As long as Armenia has a state budget deficit, the increase in absolute size of the state debt is inevitable. But this is one part of the story, in addition to the absolute size, the relative figures are also being taken into account: the gross indicator which is used for assessing the debt burden, is the state debt –gross domestic product ratio, in this case it is revealed how much burden the state debt is for the economy”, the minister said.

The minister said till now, at least until 2019 Armenia has been mainly assessed as a country with low debt burden.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:50, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. Former defense minister of Artsakh, former Defense Army Commander, Lieutenant-General Jalal Harutyunyan has been appointed Head of the Military Control Service of the Defense Ministry of Armenia, PR department head at the defense ministry Gevorg Altunyan told Armenpress.

Previously, Movses Hakobyan was serving as Head of the Military Control Service, but he resigned on November 18, 2020.

Jalal Harutyunyan has been relieved from the position of the defense minister of Artsakh, the Defense Army Commander on October 27, 2020, as he was wounded in action in a military position.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

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 12:13, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. During today’s Cabinet meeting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinhyan touched upon “I Am Travelling Without COVID-19” project and its implementation process, stating that a great flow of people arriving in Armenia has been observed since the launch of the program.

“This is an economic factor because during the past year many of our compatriots who wished to visit Armenia didn’t have that opportunity and now, when the air communication has resumed with Russia, it is expected that our compatriots will arrive in Armenia”, Pashinyan said.

Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan clarified that the travel model which they have agreed over with the Russian and Belarusian partners was a one-month pilot project, but according to yesterday’s decision that one-month has been removed. “Starting from February 15 we will have four flights a week on both directions. Within these three days 3900 people have left Armenia, and 3400 arrived in Armenia”, he said, adding that the number of people who departed with Armenian passports is 1423, and the number of those who arrived in Armenia with Armenian passports is 1263.

As for those citizens who departed for Russia and then returned back due to some problems, the deputy PM said this has no connection with the project app. But he noted that they will assist in solving that problem within their capacities.

PM Pashinyan tasked to conduct a necessary communication with the citizens so that they will be fully aware of the app. According to him, the resumption of regular flights with Russia will contribute to the development of tourism.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 12:45, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. Armenia expects to have a “certain batch” of COVID-19 vaccines from March to start the phased, voluntary vaccination process, the Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan told reporters.

“Soon we will have specific timeframes on the supplies,” she said, adding that the negotiations have been finalized and now they are waiting to know the date of arrival of the vaccine.

At-risk people will be prioritized, she said.

Avanesyan said they seek to have the best vaccines and at the same time ensure affordable and high quality vaccines for the population. She said that Armenia will definitely use the Russian Sputnik V vaccine also, but she declined to specify whether or not the first batch of vaccines will be Sputnik Vs.

Earlier the Healthcare Ministry had revealed that they are going to buy the AstraZeneca vaccine through COVAX Facility for 3% of the population.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 13:29, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. Senior House Foreign Affairs Committee member Brad Sherman (D-CA) demanded answers from U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lee Litzenberger following reports that the U.S. envoy congratulated the Aliyev regime for “restoring its territorial integrity” and pledging U.S. funds to rebuild on occupied Artsakh lands, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“Azerbaijani and Turkish forces initiated an unprovoked attack against Armenia on September 27, 2020, leading to six weeks of devastating fighting that killed an estimated 5,000 people and forced more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee from Karabakh.

According to a press statement issued by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy on January 27th, in a meeting with Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, you congratulated Azerbaijan for “restoring its territorial integrity” and expressed the United States’ readiness to take part in rebuilding lands that recently came under Baku’s control as a result of the war.

The United States is an active member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group process. U.S. engagement in the OSCE process is necessary to find a permanent settlement to the Artsakh conflict that protects the security of Artsakh and helps to ensure another war does not break out. I appreciate the statement Secretary Blinken gave during his confirmation hearing to this end.

Ambassador Litzenberger, your remarks to Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister are extremely concerning, and are all together out of step with Secretary Blinken’s statements to date. Thus, I would appreciate responses to the following questions:

— Is it the policy of the United States to commend Baku on its successes as a result of the
recent war, which was initiated by Azeri aggression?

— Is it the policy of the United States to encourage investments in Azerbaijan meant to marginalize Artsakh?” Brad Sherman said in his letter.

 13:44, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. The Cabinet approved the Economic Response Program and the Preliminary Action Plan defining the government’s priority anti-crisis steps, goals and circle of actions.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan said that the COVID-19 pandemic and the second Nagorno Karabakh War in 2020 were a “source of economic shock” for the country, besides having posed serious public health and security challenges.

“Official figures are already published, according to which the 2020 economic decline is assessed in the framework of 7-8%. Other main economic indicators also displayed negative dynamics. As a result of several economic actions taken by the government last year, it was possible to somewhat suppress the risk of having a greater decline,” he said.

The program emphasizes three main priorities: restoration of economic activity, ensuring a reliable business and consumer environment and the development of a mid-term economic policy agenda.

12 targeted actions and 14 assistance programs are envisaged by the program.

Targeted programs include boosting agriculture and urban development, for example the development of the 33-rd district of Yerevan, the Kond district, Old Yerevan and others.

Avinyan said the aid programs include several actions for overcoming the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“And a big segment comprises the new program, which plans to support our adopted policy whereby it won’t be possible to import some types of cargo from Turkey any longer,” he said, referring to the Armenian government’s ban on imports of Turkish goods. “And we are going to encourage the productions of such goods in Armenia. A requirement for high performance is defined for capital programs. A special monitoring and accountability mechanism is also in place,” Avinyan said.

He added that the general goal of the program is to have a 1% additional growth of GDP than projected by the budget.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 14:01, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan will pay a working visit to Kazakhstan on February 4-5, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.

The Armenian PM will take part in the session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and the Almaty Digital Forum 2021.

Bilateral meetings are also expected on the sidelines of the visit.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 16:45, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) reported on February 4 that it has received Armenia’s Inter-State complaint against Azerbaijan regarding the latter’s convention violations committed during and after the 2020 Artsakh War.

The court also said that it received numerous requests under Rule 39 concerning captives and POWs lodged by Armenia or by relatives of the captives.

The requests received so far concern 228 Armenians, it said.

Armenia’s complaint concerns Azerbaijan’s violations of the right to life, prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment, the right to liberty, the right to property, the right to personal and family life, the right to education, as well as a number of other Convention rights of the population of Artsakh and Armenia. Among other things, the Government  of Armenia raised the issues pertaining to the protection of the rights of prisoners of war; individual civilian captives; displaced people; deceased and wounded persons and their relatives; persons lost their property; local and international reporters, have been raised in the Application. A large amount of evidence has been submitted along with the Application.

Editing by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:13, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian military says that there have been no border incidents along the Armenian state border’s Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact on February 3 and 4 and the “stable operational situation” was maintained.

Citing the National Security Service (NSS), the Ministry of Defense said in a news release that no incidents took place also in the Vorotan-Davit Bek part of the Goris-Kapan interstate road, which is under the responsibility of the NSS border troops.

“The units of the Armenian Armed Forces and the National Security Service border troops continue controlling the border situation at the entire length of the borderline and are fulfilling their objectives,” the Ministry of Defense said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan