Month: June 2022

Prosecutor General of Armenia pays working visit to Belarus

David Nargizian

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 11:54,

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS. Prosecutor General of Armenia Artur Davtyan departed for Belarus on a working visit to attend the 32nd session of the Coordination Council of Prosecutors General of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Minsk, his Office said in a statement.

The statement adds that the session participants will discuss legalization and return of criminally acquired assets, protection of business rights within criminal procedures, fight against extremism, terrorism and illegal migration, experience of CIS states in other areas and functions of prosecutions.

The Prosecutor General of Armenia will also have meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the session.

Tax revenues of 2022 state budget to increase by 40 billion drams

Markos Nalchajian

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 12:03,

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS. The tax revenues of the 2022 state budget of Armenia will increase by 40 billion drams, and these funds will be directed to the reserve fund.

The decision was unanimously approved at the Cabinet meeting today.

Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan said in the first half of the year the state budget’s semi-annual tax revenues are higher than originally planned.

“As of June 22, the tax revenues are nearly 911 billion drams, and this is 30% more than the figure of the same period of the previous year”, he said, stating that the growth in tax revenues is connected with a number of factors, such as the improvement of tax administration. The minister said that as of today the actual figures of tax revenues are sufficient ground for increasing the figure of tax revenues by 40 billion drams at this stage.

“During the discussions of the 2023-2025 medium-term expenditure programs when we were summing up the actions to be taken in 2023, we recorded that we have capital programs in different areas which could be implemented also in 2022 if funding is available. We have discussed the capital programs that are included in the appendix of the expenditure priorities as approved by the 2022 state budget and plan to include some of them in the programs that will be financed soon”, he said, adding that the increase in revenues will allow to start implementing new programs in education, healthcare and physical infrastructure in coming weeks, which were to launch in the beginning of 2023.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that with the results of 2021 the revenue part of the state budget has been fulfilled by 147 billion drams more than planned.

“As of today, we have collected 46 billion drams more in terms of the performance of the revenue part of the 2022 budget. We think that if nothing extraordinary happens, the budget revenues will increase more, and we are now waiting for the ministries to present new programs”, the PM said.

Sports school named after retired professional boxer Vic Darchinyan expected to be built in Vanadzor – PM Pashinyan

Emma Jilavian

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 12:17,

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS. During the Cabinet meeting today Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said that it is planned to open a sports school in Vanadzor town named after retired professional boxer Vic Darchinyan.

“We have planned to open the boxing school named after Artur Abraham, and as a result of discussions we came to the conclusion that we should establish a school named after Vic Darchinyan in Vanadzor”, the PM said, adding that at this period the projects should be ordered. “We also need to talk to our champions because there is an important nuance here, they should also participate in the future management”, the PM added.

Newspaper: Draft amendments to Armenia Electoral Code already been put into circulation

Vanyan Gary
NEWS.am
Armenia –
10:09, 24.06.2022

YEREVAN. – Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: The draft [amendments to the Electoral Code (EC)] has already been put into circulation, and yesterday, hearings were being held in the NA [(National Assembly)] [Standing] Committee on State and Legal Affairs, with the participation of representatives of NGOs and extra-parliamentary forces attached to the authorities.

As we had written [before], the [ruling] CC [(Civil Contract Party)] is once again reshaping the EC in its “clothes.” [CC MP] Vahagn Hovakimyan, the main speaker of the draft, said in his opening speech during the hearings that the need for amendments had arisen after the 2021 parliamentary and then after the local elections at the end of last year, and that the addenda are more of a technical nature.

However, during the discussion it became clear that the authorities are making the CC look like it will be able to seize power more unhindered in the upcoming elections—even in the communities where the CC has lost.

In short, they have decided to learn lessons from the local elections and remove all legislative and legal obstacles that complicate the process of snatching power from the opposition.





Russia ready to consult Armenia, Azerbaijan on border delimitation: Lavrov

Emil Lazarian
India –
  • IANS
  • World News
  • 2022-06-24 07:45

Baku, June 24 (IANS) Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed Moscow’s official readiness to consult Azerbaijan and Armenia on delimitation and demarcation of borders.

At a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, Lavrov said Russia is ready to consult on the work of the Azerbaijani and Armenian commissions that were set up for delimitation and demarcation of borders, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We have concrete proposals in this regard. I will be glad to discuss them with you,” Lavrov told Aliyev.

The Russian Foreign Minister pointed out “certain progress” in the work of the trilateral working group between Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia on the opening of communications.

“We stand ready to do everything possible to assist in the implementation of the three documents signed by the leaders of the three countries in November of 2020, in January and November of 2021,” he said.

Lavrov also expressed Moscow’s commitment to providing assistance with the negotiations on the signing of a peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan.

“We heard that the Armenian side, Prime Minister Pashinyan is ready to hold negotiations on this issue. We are ready to help with Azerbaijan’s and Armenia’s consent,” he added.

–IANS

https://in.investing.com/news/russia-ready-to-consult-armenia-azerbaijan-on-border-delimitation-lavrov-3251833





Ex-President Kocharyan refuses to join Hayastan All Armenian Fund Board of Trustees

Lilit Nahapetian
NEWS.am
Armenia –

14:12, 24.06.2022

A meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund will be convened Saturday.

Yerevan.Today asked Bagrat Mikoyan, the coordinator of the office of second President Robert Kocharyan, whether the latter will attend this meeting, as he is a member of the aforesaid board.

Mikoyan responded: “President Kocharyan has refused to join the Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund—in connection with the loss of financial transparency, reliability, and accountability by the Fund in recent times.”

To note, during the 44-day Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war in the fall of 2020, $107 million of the money donated to the Hayastan All Armenian Fund from a pan-Armenian fundraiser was transferred to the state budget of Armenia and, as PM Nikol Pashinyan said, it became an ordinary expense—salary, bonuses, etc. This decision was made without the participation of all members of the Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund, including the former presidents of Armenia and Artsakh. Moreover, no invitation was sent to them.

Greece, Cyprus and Armenia Sign MoU on Expatriates Issues

Hovhannisian John
Greece –
By Athens News Agency

ATHNS – Greece, Cyprus and Armenia signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation on issues concerning expatriates during a trilateral meeting held on Friday in Patras.

Deputy Foreign Minister in charge of Hellenes Abroad, Andreas Katsaniotis, stressed in his statements, “we are working together for the international recognition of the Pontian Genocide, the Armenian Genocide, as well as for the international condemnation of the occupation of Cyprus.”

The memorandum is comprised of nine separate articles, which describe the joint actions that the three countries will take to exchange information and know-how in the field of diaspora, but also to promote their national positions.

According to the foreign ministry, “Greece, Cyprus and Armenia are committed to the joint effort for international recognition of the Pontian Genocide, the Armenian Genocide and the international condemnation of the Turkish occupation of the northern part of Cyprus.”

https://www.thenationalherald.com/greece-cyprus-and-armenia-sign-mou-on-expatriates-issues/

Lavrov and Bayramov declare termination of OSCE Minsk Group activities on Karabakh issue

Liana Toganian
NEWS.am
Armenia –

16:45, 24.06.2022

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has confirmed Moscow’s readiness to provide advisory services to Baku and Yerevan on the delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border.

“The Russian side is ready to provide advisory services on the issue of border delimitation,” Lavrov said Friday in Baku at a briefing following talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

He positively assessed the work of the trilateral working group on the level of the deputy prime ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia to unblock communications in the South Caucasus, Interfax-Azerbaijan reported.

The minister noted that the Armenian side reiterated its commitment within the framework of border delimitation. “We are now discussing the issue of the date of the meetings. I have received confirmation from the Armenian side that the border delimitation process is very important,” the Foreign Minister said.

Lavrov noted that the OSCE Minsk Group ceased its activities at the initiative of the U.S. and French sides.

In his turn, Bayramov said that the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia cannot be held hostage to the format.

“Since February 2022, the format of interaction between the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group has been completely paralyzed for well-known reasons. And we received this information from different sources, including our Russian partners, but not only. In this situation, Azerbaijan’s position is that our priority is to achieve a long-term, durable and sustainable peace in the region. And from that prism, the process cannot be held hostage to the format. Naturally, we cannot be guided by a non-existent format,” he said.

Armenian-Azerbaijani border delimitation on agenda of FM Lavrov, President Aliyev talks

Christine Harutyunian



  • JAMnews
  • Baku

Aliyev and Lavrov discussed border delimitation

During the meeting of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the parties discussed the issue of unblocking transport communications between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The issue of border delimitation between the two countries was also discussed. “There are specific proposals”, Lavrov said.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is visiting Baku. He arrived to Azerbaijan from Iran, where he held meetings with the leadership of the Islamic Republic.

As soon as he landed in the capital of Azerbaijan on Thursday evening, Lavrov met with President Ilham Aliyev.

Speaking at a meeting with the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev noted that his country’s position “is aimed at establishing long-term peace in the region.”

Ilham Aliyev received Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Baku, . Photo: AzərTAc

“I am sure that the efforts that we are making will also be positively received by the Armenian side, and the long-term confrontation will be put to an end. Our proposal to start work on a peace treaty has so far remained unanswered, but we still hope that this proposal will be positively received”, Aliyev said.

The Azerbaijani leader touched upon the work of the trilateral working group chaired by the vice-premiers of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, calling it positive.

“We hope that there will also be practical steps in the implementation of the November 2020 declaration in the context of opening communications and ensuring unhindered access for Azerbaijani cargo and citizens to communicate with the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, which is a legal obligation of the Armenian side. But, unfortunately, more than a year and a half after the end of the second Karabakh war, this paragraph of the declaration has not yet been fulfilled”, he said.

“The trilateral working group on unblocking communications, in our assessment, is making some progress. We are discussing the issues to be agreed upon with the Armenian side. And it seems to me that we have a common understanding of how to solve the problem of organizing car traffic in the most comfortable way, so as not to create any artificial obstacles. Russia will contribute to this work until results are achieved. I hope this will happen soon,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.

Lavrov also raised the issue of delimiting the borders between Azerbaijan and Armenia:

“In accordance with other agreements, we are also ready to provide advisory services to the work through two commissions that were created in Azerbaijan and Armenia for the delimitation and demarcation of borders. There are specific proposals in this regard.

The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry also announced his country’s readiness to assist in the process of negotiations on a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

“You mentioned the normalization of relations, the peace treaty, the provisions of the future treaty that you conveyed. By the way, we heard the readiness of the Armenian side, Prime Minister Pashinyan, to negotiate on this topic. Here, too, we are ready to provide assistance with the consent of Azerbaijan and Armenia”, he added.

https://jam-news.net/armenian-azerbaijani-border-delimitation-on-agenda-of-fm-lavrov-president-aliyev-talks/

Azerbaijan and Russia sign agreement on security cooperation

Christine Harutyunian
NEWS.am
Armenia –
16:51, 24.06.2022

Azerbaijan and Russia on Friday signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of security, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

“This document concerns security in cyberspace,” Lavrov said Friday in Baku at a briefing after talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

In turn, the Azerbaijani foreign minister added that the sides signed about 250 documents and agreements for 30 years of cooperation.

Bayramov and Lavrov noted that they discussed economic cooperation, the Caspian Sea issues, the development of the North-South transport corridor and cooperation between the media structures of Azerbaijan and Russia during the talks.