Month: November 2023

 16:37, 9 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Celebrating the illustrious Johannes Brahms' 190th birthday, a cherished musical duo is set to captivate the hearts of classical music enthusiasts. On the evening of November 17, at 7:30 p.m., an extraordinary musical soirée will grace the stage of the Komitas Chamber Music House. Anush Nikogosyan, the virtuoso violinist, and the outstanding pianist Hayk Melikyan, both adored figures in the Armenian music scene, will come together to pay homage to the great Brahms in a concert of unparalleled beauty.

This exceptional performance promises to be a highlight of the musical calendar. Anush Nikogosyan and Hayk Melikyan have a special treat in store for the audience, as this concert marks their final collaborative appearance in Yerevan for the year. Their artistic partnership has enchanted audiences worldwide, and their return to the heart of the Armenian capital is an occasion not to be missed.

The concert is made possible by the collaboration between the Embassy of the German Federation in Armenia and the esteemed National Chamber Music Center. This partnership underscores the deep-rooted cultural ties between Armenia and Germany, as they join hands to celebrate the legacy of Johannes Brahms.

Audiences can expect a sublime evening of chamber music, featuring Brahms's chamber treasures and Wolfgang Rihm's evocative Klavierstück 6.

 16:50, 9 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Russia will soon send 40 tons of humanitarian aid to Armenia for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova has said.

Speaking at a press briefing, the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson said the 40 tons of aid will be delivered to Yerevan in the coming days.

Russia had earlier sent 6 tons of aid for NK Armenians.

A Russian charity foundation, Doctor Lisa, earlier sent more than 20 tons of humanitarian aid to Armenia, Zakharova said.

Zakharova said that 1,5 tons of aid was delivered to several towns, including Sevan and Gavar, on October 20-21 through the Russian-Armenian Humanitarian Response Center.

On November 2, the National Scientific-Research Institute of Communications of Russia delivered food and warm clothing to Areni.

Zakharova mentioned a number of Russian organizations that have sent aid to Armenia to meet the needs of the forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh.

 17:17, 9 November 2023

SOFIA, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS/BTA. Bulgarian Nuclear Society (BNS) President Mladen Mitev Thursday told BTA that the Bulgarian nuclear energy sector is in a good condition and many countries strive to achieve what this country has had for years now. "We need to develop it because nuclear energy has no alternative since it is part of the low carbon electricity sources strategy", he added.

Mitev was speaking during an annual BNS conference themed "Nuclear Energy for the People" held in Veliko Tarnovo on November 8-11. During the forum, members of the BNS from various fields of application of nuclear energy discussed the sector’s future and ways to attract staff.

"Sooner or later, every government in the last 20 years has come to the conclusion that it cannot do without nuclear energy, and Bulgaria has had a strong focus in this direction in the last seven years," Mitev said. He stressed that what is currently at the forefront is a strategy for attracting staff, because "it is clear what needs to be done, but the question is who will do it".

"In the next five years, 700 experts in the industry will retire. Some 130 people leave the nuclear power industry every year," Iskren Tsvetkov of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) said. He added that their replacement takes a long time because a nuclear unit operator needs at least 18 months of specialized training at the Kozloduy NPP.  Tsvetkov added that 3,700 people work in the plant at present. “It is one of the largest employers in the country, providing scholarships and good starting salaries for young specialists,” he said.

The experts noted that over 30 countries across the world develop nuclear energy. Some 440 nuclear reactors are currently in operation, another 50 to 60 are being built. The participants concurred that Bulgaria needs four 1,000-megawatt reactors, as laid down in a 2050 strategic development plan. This will enable this country to maintain its energy independence and respond adequately to climate change.

(This information is being published according to an agreement between Armenpress and BTA.)

 17:20, 9 November 2023

YEREVAN, 9 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 9 November, USD exchange rate up by 0.17 drams to 402.68 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.86 drams to 430.34 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 4.37 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.97 drams to 494.33 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 6.76 drams to 25366.65 drams. Silver price down by 1.11 drams to 290.52 drams.

 20:19, 9 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of the 42nd session of UNESCO General Conference in Paris, Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan on November 9 held a meeting with the Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay, the Foreign Ministry of Armenia said in a statement.

''At the meeting Ararat Mirzoyan touched upon the consequences of the ethnic cleansing of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, presenting the efforts of the Armenian Government to meet the priority needs of more than 100,000 refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Minister Mirzoyan emphasized the importance of realizing the right to education for about 21 thousand refugee children of school age, noting that most of them had already been provided with the opportunity to realize the right to education.

In this context, the Minister of Foreign Affairs appreciated UNESCO's   rapid deployment of the UNESCO emergency mission to Armenia for the assessment of educational needs of refugee children.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay touched upon the issue of preserving the Armenian cultural and spiritual heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Mirzoyan expressed concern about the serious risks of their destruction, desecration or appropriation, stressing the need for the active involvement of UNESCO in the protection of cultural monuments. 

The importance of sending a fact-finding mission of UNESCO to Nagorno-Karabakh to conduct independent monitoring and mapping of cultural monuments on-site was emphasized by both sides,'' reads the statement.

 23:52, 9 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The meeting between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and French President Emmanuel Macron took place at the Élysée Palace.

The President of France first expressed his condolences to the Prime Minister on the death of Christian Ter-Stepanyan, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to UNESCO, Personal Representative of the Prime Minister of Armenia to the International Organization of La Francophonie. Emmanuel Macron once again emphasized France's support to Armenia in the direction of further development and overcoming existing challenges.

Nikol Pashinyan thanked for the warm hospitality and condolences. The Prime Minister emphasized the development of Armenian-French cooperation in all fields, stressing the interest of the Armenian government in this matter.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the process of normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations. The importance of the principles set down in the four-sided Granada declaration of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of France, the Chancellor of Germany and the President of the European Council was emphasized in the matter of the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Reference was made to the humanitarian problems of more than 100,000 persons forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing policy, as well as to the steps taken by the Armenian government to overcome them. The support of the international community in solving the existing problems was highlighted.

Issues related to further deepening and expansion of Armenian-French cooperation in economy, infrastructure development and other fields were also discussed. The parties expressed their willingness to consistently continue the work in that direction.

Nikol Pashinyan and Emmanuel Macron exchanged thoughts on the issues of regional peace and stability, as well as Armenia-European Union cooperation.

 20:25, 9 November 2023

 21:01, 9 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan gave a speech at the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference.

The speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia is presented below:

''Madame President of the General Conference,

Madame Chair of the Executive Board,

Madame Director-General,

Excellences,

Distinguished Delegates,

At the outset, I would like to congratulate H.E. Ms. Simona-Mirela Miculescu on her election as President of the 42nd session of the General Conference, and wish every success in her responsible mission. I also want to express my sincere appreciation to H.E. Mr. Irazabal Mourao for his excellent work during his tenure as President of the 41st session of the General Conference.

Madam President,

The persistent challenges that the world faces today, ranging from armed conflicts to the impacts of climate change, underscore the imperative to redouble our joint efforts in all the fields of competence of UNESCO.

Therefore, we support UNESCO’s future strategic orientations and programmatic priorities, in particular in the field of right to education for all, cultural rights, freedom of _expression_, and the fight against racism, discrimination, intolerance and hate speech.

As a member of the Executive Board, Armenia will further contribute to the successful implementation of programs in favour of the Global Priorities Africa and Gender Equality, as well as priority groups – Youth and Small Island Developing States.

As a co-chair of the Group of Friends of Small Island Developing States, we will continue to support the implementation of Operational Strategy to address the systemic vulnerabilities of this group of states.

Armenia stands firmly behind UNESCO's endeavors to protect cultural heritage, especially in the regions affected by conflicts and natural disasters and condemns any attacks on cultural symbols due to their diverse origins or identities.

In this regard, Armenia reiterates its commitment to further contribute to the restoration of Iraqi documentary heritage in the framework of UNESCO's flagship initiative “Revive the spirit of Mosul”.

2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention and this landmark occasion creates an important momentum for renewing the commitment of the international community for protection of cultural property during armed conflicts. Armenia stands ready to contribute to observation of this important anniversary.

Madam President,

Amid our shared struggle to maintain the fragile peace in various corners of the world, while promoting the values of living together, it is with deep concern that I draw your attention to the dire situation in our region.

The 10 month-long blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, humanitarian crisis, absence of food, medicine, gas and electricity supplies and, as a culmination, the large-scale military offensive and indiscriminate targeting of the civilian population and infrastructure resulted in forcible displacement and ethnic cleansing of the entire indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, leaving behind their homes, shrines and the millennia-old cultural and religious heritage.

Armenia is currently facing a massive influx of more than 100 000 refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, among them 30 thousand children, who fled their ancestral homeland in just a few days, under the fear of persecution and atrocity crimes. The Government of Armenia, in cooperation with the international organizations and partner states, has undertaken a number of measures to address the life-saving, protection and early recovery needs of the refugees. In this regard, I wish to extend Armenia's gratitude to the UNESCO and its Director-General for the rapid deployment of the UNESCO emergency mission to Armenia for the assessment of educational needs of refugee children.

With regard to the cultural and religious heritage left in Nagorno-Karabakh, its protection from vandalism and looting is crucial. Since the fall of 2020 the Republic of Armenia has consistently alerted the international community on Azerbaijan’s state-led policy of destruction, desecration and appropriation of the vast religious and cultural heritage in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.

The legally binding order on the Provisional Measures issued by the International Court of Justice on 7 December 2021, compels Azerbaijan to “take all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration affecting Armenian cultural heritage, including but not limited to churches and other places of worship, monuments, landmarks, cemeteries and artefacts”.

Deployment of UNESCO's independent fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh with the view of independent monitoring and mapping of the Armenian cultural heritage is a key prerequisite to prevent destruction or distortion of the Armenian cultural property, as was the case with the complete annihilation of the Armenian cultural heritage in Nakhijevan between 1997-2006.

In conclusion, I would like to stress Armenia’s unwavering support to the Organization in its efforts to foster a culture of peace and tolerance anchored on upholding and promoting human rights.

Thank you.''

 18:25, 9 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS.  In a new analytical report, the World Bank offers Armenia ways to improve the efficiency of public spending, including those aimed at improving Armenia's fiscal performance. The report entitled Armenia Public Expenditure Review: Improving Spending Efficiency was presented by the Office of the World Bank  in Armenia.

‘’Increasing cost efficiency is an extremely important goal for us. And we  are taking measures in this direction together with our international partners. And we have a deep awareness of the importance of this issue, because we know that if we do not carry out significant work in this direction, then we will not be able to be competitive in the long term and ultimately achieve all our dreams,” said  the Minister of Finance of Armenia  Vahe Hovhannisyan.

According to the Minister, the report is very important for the Government, it also opens up a broader perspective for a better understanding of the problems.

The report was compiled by a large team of World Bank specialists in collaboration with Armenian departments. The report refers to the improvement of cost efficiency in terms of social protection, health care, capital expenditure.

“The report is mainly designed for ministry employees and presents proposals for increasing the cost efficiency,’’ said World Bank senior economist Armine Manukyan.

The World Bank economist noted that in the health sector, for example, more money is spent on hospitals than on primary health care institutions. “This increases the overall cost. It is recommended to improve the efficiency of the primary health care system so that the funds spent on the general health sector are reduced,” she said.

The Public Expenditure Review report found that, with support for tax policy and administration reforms, tax collection has increased in Armenia. The government currently has sufficient resources to maintain spending and keep debt levels stable. The report thus makes concrete proposals for increased capital expenditures, changes to social assistance and pensions, and the introduction of comprehensive health insurance.

“I think Armenia should be proud of the reforms that have been implemented in the last few years. The Public Expenditure Review documents that Armenia's fiscal performance is showing signs of improvement. This is due to the very well-thought  reforms implemented by the Armenian Government," said the Regional Director for Human Development for Europe and Central Asia of the World Bank, Michal Rutkovski. 

Michal Rutkovski noted that the human capital study shows that there are many opportunities to increase the efficiency of spending in key sectors in Armenia, such as infrastructure, transport, healthcare and other sectors.

 He also spoke about the crisis created in Armenia related to the people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. He emphasized that this is a tragedy that cannot be ignored from the point of view of cost-benefit analysis.