10:21,
YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin will have a meeting with President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said, RIA Novosti reports.
Putin will also meet with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the Forum.
11:05,
YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is currently a country of opportunities with a modern, educated, hard-working human capital and different cooperation formats with multiple countries, Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan said during the Science and Business Days 2022 conference in Yerevan’s Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex.
The minister stressed the necessity of uniting the scientific potential and developing Armenia. “We will continue deepening the processes of integrating into the global economy and will offer to the world the outcome of our intellectual abilities. This conference is a wonderful opportunity for the development of the partnership of science and business, for the exchange of ideas”, he said, adding that the future of Armenia is also the technological development, the development of a science-based economy.
Kerobyan said the development of a science-based economy is the most important priority of the Armenian government.
Armenian-American molecular biologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel Prize laureate Ardem Patapoutian, as well as other famous ethnic Armenian scientists arrived in Armenia for participation to the event.
Science and Business Days aims at discovering opportunities for the improvement of science and entrepreneurship alliance, as well as the commercialization of research.
11:15,
YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met on June 14 with Speaker of the National Assembly of Bulgaria Nikola Minchev on the sidelines of his official visit in Sofia, the Armenian MFA said.
The sides highly valued the bilateral relations that are based on historical commonalities and warm friendly ties between the two nations, highlighting the contacts at inter-parliamentary level for deepening and expanding those ties. They both emphasized the readiness to boost the ties between the Armenian and Bulgarian parliamentary friendship groups, as well as expand the partnership in international parliamentary platforms.
FM Mirzoyan introduced the Bulgarian Parliament Speaker on the ongoing reforms in Armenia aimed at developing democracy, protecting human rights and ensuring rule of law. The FM stated that the democratic reforms in Armenia are irreversible.
The sides exchanged ideas also about the opportunities for developing the economic cooperation. From the perspective of intensifying the human contacts and business ties, they highlighted the implementation of the program of direct flights between Yerevan and Sofia.
The development prospects of the Armenia-European Union ties were also discussed.
Mirzoyan briefed Nikola Minchev on the efforts made by the Armenian side to establish peace and stability in the South Caucasus, as well as the latest developments relating to the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. The necessity of achieving a lasting and comprehensive settlement to the NK conflict through peaceful negotiations under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship was emphasized.
Minister Mirzoyan also touched upon the current humanitarian situation caused by the 2020 war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh, particularly the issues relating to the repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives, who are still illegally held in Azerbaijan, the preservation of the Armenian cultural and religious heritage in the territories under the Azerbaijani control and Azerbaijan’s deliberate actions to cause humanitarian problems in Artsakh.
11:44,
YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. The 2021 state budget revenues increased in Armenia connected with the economy recovery and the growth in tax revenues as a result of it, Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan said while introducing the 2021 state budget performance annual report in the Parliament.
He reminded that the annual economic growth, which was initially planned to be 3.2%, comprised 5.7%. “The economic growth was mostly connected with the growth in services, which have formed the 4 percentage point. Half of the growth has been ensured by accommodation and catering services. The impact of the industry growth has been 0.8%”, the minister said.
However, the cut in agriculture negatively affected the economic growth, as the overall growth figure has been cut by 0.2%.
“In 2021 the state budget revenues of Armenia increased connected with the recovery of the economy and the growth in tax revenues as a result. The total revenues of the budget comprised 1 trillion 683,8 billion drams, increasing 7.9% compared to the previous year, the revenue performance to the adjusted program comprised 99.6%. 94.2% of the revenues has been formed by tax revenues – 1 trillion 587 billion drams, which is the 22.7% of the GDP of 2021”, he said.
The taxes increased by 14.6% compared to the same period of the previous year. The budget’s tax revenue plan has been fulfilled by 100.2%.
The taxes-GDP rate increased by 0.3%, reaching 22.7%.
As for the capital expenditures, the performance has registered the highest growth compared to the past year – 92.5%. Compared to 2020, the current expenditures have increased by nearly 120 billion drams or 7.2%.
With the results of 2021, the government debt to GDP comprised 60.3%, which has improved by 3.2% compared to the previous year.
12:07,
YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. The new head coach of the Armenian national basketball team Rex Kalamian, who has nearly 30 years of NBA experience, says he has joined the Armenian team with a great hope and goals.
“We contacted the Armenian basketball players 2-3 months ago, trying to present them in advance what our training process will be like. We also worked with several Armenian basketball players weeks ago. The players are in a good shape”, he told reporters today.
Rex Kalamian said that at this moment the team is at a stage of understanding one another.
“I really believe that we have the potential through which we could win the European Championship for Small Countries. However, it’s important to know how the other teams are doing, as they all pass this preparation stage. I liked the basketball players who have joined the team from the domestic championship. Our task is not only to develop the Armenian basketball, but also to put it on a good ground”, he said.
13:22,
YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan calls the adoption of the energy strategy for 2040 an important achievement.
During the Parliament’s debate of the 2021 state budget performance report today, Minister Sanosyan said that all actions of the government derive from this strategy.
“The launch of the operations of the 254 MW Armpower thermal power plants last year was important, it plays an important role in our energy system, it was a major investment worth around 250 million dollars, as numerous jobs have been created, and the energy conversion efficiency of this plant is high”, the minister noted.
Minister Sanosyan also touched upon the operation of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant.
“Every year the NPP is suspending at a certain frequency, as it passes a certain stage of repair. Last year it was quite a comprehensive phase, changes were made in the important parts, and in the end we had an important achievement: since 1996 the NPP has operated with 92% of its capacity, but after the capital changes last year it has started operating with 98% of the capacity for the first time”, Gnel Sanosyan said.
13:35,
YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia Rustam Badasyan, Head of the European Union’s Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin and Head of the Yerevan Resident Office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) George Akhalkatsi visited the Meghri Customs Checkpoint Division of Southern Customs House Department to get acquainted with the customs service working process.
“Ensuring easy and fast movement for businesses and citizens through the border checkpoints is one of the priorities of the State Revenue Committee, and the modernization of Armenia’s southern border checkpoint is also very important. The program of renovating and modernizing the Meghri border checkpoint will launch soon with the financial support of EU and EBRD. The modernization of the checkpoint will boost the passenger transportation and trade turnover via Armenia’s southern economic border”, Rustam Badasyan said on social media.
13:47,
YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, who is in Bulgaria on an official visit, met with members of the Bulgaria-Armenia Friendship Group in the National Assembly of that country, the foreign ministry reported.
The Armenian FM and the head of the Bulgaria-Armenia Friendship Group Atanas Zafirov agreed that during those years the two countries have established a productive and mutually beneficial partnership in both bilateral and multilateral formats, based on the historic ties, mutual sympathy and trust between the two nations. They highlighted the major role played by the Armenian community in strengthening the Armenian-Bulgarian ties.
The sides also touched upon the parliamentary diplomacy as a key direction for developing the relations between Armenia and Bulgaria.
They exchanged ideas about the opportunities to boost the cooperation between Armenia and Bulgaria in commercial, tourism, educational and cultural sectors, for which there is a rich legal-contractual base involving more than 60 documents.
Minister Mirzoyan also introduced his colleagues on the current situation around the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as well as the latest developments aimed at establishing peace and stability in the region. The sides agreed that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict must be solved comprehensively under and within the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, through peaceful negotiations.
The Armenian FM also presented the current humanitarian problems following the 2020 war, particularly, the urgency of the return of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives from Azerbaijan and the necessity of the preservation of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage in the territories under the Azerbaijani control.
13:57,
YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. The performance of expenditures for military defense in Armenia comprised 108.9% compared to the approved level, and 99.9% compared to the adjusted program, Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on defense and security affairs Andranik Kocharyan said during the Parliament’s debate of the 2021 state budget performance report today.
“16.8% of the actual expenditures of the 2021 state budget or 336 billion drams have been provided to the defense, it is more by 7.6% than what was approved for 2021”, he said.
In the context of defense and security issues, he said that there is a change in expenditures and content following the 2020 war, which is necessary for ensuring the stable security course of the country.
In 2021 the expenditures in defense sector comprised 4.8% of the GDP, which is 0.1% less than the 2021 level, is in accordance with the actual level of 2019 and is around 0.8% more than the actual level f 2018.
“It’s worth noting that the military defense expenditures, which comprised 333.6 billion drams, surpass that of 2019 and 2019 by 9.8% and 45.7% respectively. And the performance against the approved level comprised 108.9%, and 99.9% against the adjusted program”, the lawmaker said.
The expenditures for the military industry complex development program comprised around 2 billion drams, by ensuring a 100% performance.
He stated that all these activities show that the works on raising the combat preparedness level of the Armed Forces, its technological modernization will be continuous.
He informed also that there is an increase in expenditures for the National Security Service, comprising nearly 22% compared to 2018 and 2019.
14:31,
YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will depart for Azerbaijan on a working visit on June 23-24, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
She informed that FM Lavrov will meet with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku.
“The whole complex of issues relating to the further development of the bilateral relations in accordance with the provisions of the mutual allied partnership signed between the Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Moscow on February 22 are expected to be discussed”, Zakharova said.
Zakharova said that the Russian and Azerbaijani FMs will discuss the relevant regional and international issues, focusing mainly on the implementation process of the high-level trilateral agreements of 2020 November 9, 2021 January 11 and November 26.