Month: November 2023

 14:40,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. The steel mill which was being built in Yeraskh will be moved to a new location, Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan has said.

He said that the Armenian-American steelworks is still under development but in another area nearby.

When asked where the construction site was being moved, Kerobyan said: ‘Nearby.’

He said that the decisions regarding the plant are made by the private companies investing in it.

“Given the geographical and regional environment, we are trying to be maximally useful to them,” Kerobyan said.

The construction of the steelworks began 6 months ago and was supposed to be completed by yearend.

Azerbaijan falsely accused Armenia of violating the provisions of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context when the construction began. Afterwards, Azeri forces began intermittently shooting at the construction site, two workers.

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 15:10,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. The government plans to direct approximately 120 billion drams from the budget in 2024 to the improvement of Armenia’s road networks, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan told lawmakers Tuesday.

Most of the money, 103,8 billion, will be allocated for capital spending, Sanosyan said at a parliamentary committee hearing on the 2024 budget draft.

“In particular, we have major allocations in terms of the North-South Road project, 42,5 billion drams is envisaged for 2024. The Lanjik-Gyumri section is now under construction, where the main part of the work will be completed this year,” Sanosyan said.

One section of the Ashtarak-Talin road is now under construction and the construction of the other section will soon begin.

The construction of the 32km Agarak-Kajaran road section is also planned to start soon.

 15:22,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenia conducted studies after 2020 on the possibility of building a railway in the Meghri section that would link Azerbaijan’s western regions with Nakhijevan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan has said.

“We’ve had the occasion to request the University of Architecture and Construction to conduct studies. We know the condition and the volume of work that has to be done, and the timeframes. We have a preliminary understanding what has to be done to restore that railway. But this all could take place if the political, diplomatic and other factors are resolved. When the issue comes to our field, then the blueprinting and construction processes will happen, about which we have a certain understanding and we are waiting,” Sanosyan said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced after an EU-mediated meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in 2021 that an agreement was reached to restore the Yeraskh-Sadarak-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway. However, in 2023, PM Pashinyan said that this agreement was never implemented because just a week after reaching the agreement Azerbaijan refused to confirm it in a written format.

 15:40,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. The Dry Port and Industrial Estate project in Gyumri could get approved this year and enter the construction phase in 2024, the Minister of Economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan has said.

He said that MTBS, a Dutch company, is currently carrying out a feasibility study of the project and the preliminary report shows sufficient demand to build the industrial estate.

The final report is expected by yearend. Then, the Public Investments Committee must hold another hearing to determine whether or not to continue the project.

Kerobyan said he finds it likely for the committee to greenlight the project.

The Dry Port and Industrial Estate project will likely be carried out by a public-private partnership model.

“We must try to involve a leading operator that will be able to perform a high-level management both in the industrial park and the logistics section,” Kerobyan added during a press briefing when asked by Armenpress on the project. 

“I think that in 2024 we will definitely pass the phases of preparing and implementing the tender. I think we can also hope that some construction works will commence in 2024,” he said.

Kerobyan said he has presented the project in various countries such as the UK, China, UAE and in different business forums. There is interest for the project from both the Gulf states and Southeast Asia.

 15:44,

SOFIA, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS/BTA.An international conference on "Cyber Threats and Solutions: Safeguarding Europe's Digital Landscape" was held here on Tuesday. Attending were leading experts, politicians, and representatives of specialized units in the field of cybersecurity in the EU. The forum was organized by the Center for the Study of Democracy and  Konrad Adenauer Foundation. 

Following are sound bites from the conference.

Deputy Interior Minister Stoyan Temelakiev: The risk of computer crimes is a threat to both the public and the private sectors. Reporting cybercrimes is the path to a safer digital environment. It is important to report such crimes; otherwise, the real threat level remains hidden from the competent bodies and the criminals might evade justice.

Jan Kralik, Programme Manager at the Council of Europe Cybercrime Division: Cybercrime is a threat not only to organizations and institutions but also to human rights and rule of law. It can erode the foundations of democracy, for example through interference in elections. It is important to report cybercrimes to the competent institutions because a large part of them remain unsolved due to not being reported by the victims. Cyberattacks have increased in frequency after the the start of the war in Ukraine, and they are a challenge on a world scale that require work across the globe, not just in Europe.

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

 15:51,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. Trade relations with Russia are important to Armenia but the Armenian government is also making effort to simultaneously diversify its economic relations in other directions, Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan has said.

He said that the increased customs inspection targeting Armenian brandy exporters by the Russian customs agency has been lifted. “That problem, which existed for a few days, doesn’t exist anymore,” he said when asked on the matter.

Some companies have been using the ferry option for exports and no obstructions have been recorded.

Kerobyan said there are no obstacles in the Armenia-Russia exports process.

“Trade relations with Russia are very important to us, and we are developing them. But we are also spending significant efforts, resources and time in order to diversify our foreign economic relations in other directions as well,” Kerobyan said.

Pointing out successes, the minister said that there’s been a tenfold increase in mutual trade with the UAE in the past 2-3 years, and turnover already exceeds 1 billion dollars. This volume will reach 2 billion dollars, Kerobyan said.

“We are very close to surpassing 1 billion dollars in bilateral trade turnover with Germany and the US, and the trade turnover with France is also significantly growing,” Kerobyan said.

The economy minister said that Armenia will participate in one of the largest international exhibitions in China in November this year and in the UAE in February 2024.

“Overall, we’ve significantly diversified our participation in regional exhibitions,” he said.

 16:24,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. The government will allocate 20,2 billion drams in 2024 for the double extension project of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant’s lifespan.

The project will be commenced in 2024, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan told lawmakers Tuesday.

He said there are two processes pertaining to the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant.

In 2024, 7 billion drams is envisaged for the first, ongoing extension project which began several years ago. “And next year we plan to start the double extension project, the purpose of which is to extend the nuclear power plant’s lifespan until 2036, with corresponding licenses,” Sanosyan said at a parliamentary committee hearing on the 2024 budget.

20,2 billion drams will be allocated next year for this project.

 17:03,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with the newly appointed Ambassador of Poland to Armenia Piotr Skwieciński.

PM Pashinyan congratulated Ambassador Skwieciński on assuming office and wished him success in his work, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

Prime Minister Pashinyan attached importance to the continuous development of the Armenian-Polish relations in both political dialogue and the economy. He stressed the importance of utilizing the existing potential for enhancing the trade-economic ties.

The forced displacement of more than 100,000 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan’s policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and the current humanitarian situation were also discussed.

Ambassador Skwieciński stressed the willingness of the Polish government to deepen and expand cooperation with Armenia in various directions and added that he will make every effort for the further development of bilateral ties.

Views were exchanged on the Armenian-Polish relations, Armenia-EU partnership and other issues.

 17:10,

YEREVAN, 31 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 31 October, USD exchange rate up by 0.74 drams to 403.00 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 4.37 drams to 429.84 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.06 drams to 4.38 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 3.84 drams to 491.62 drams.

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

Gold price up by 237.64 drams to 25882.40 drams. Silver price up by 5.66 drams to 299.95 drams.

 18:02,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. France wants the European Union to create an independent watchdog authority to fight corruption in the EU institutions, which have been rattled by ongoing scandals in recent months.

''France’s President Emmanuel Macron and French Secretary of State for European Affairs Laurence Boone are proposing an independent anti-corruption body that would have powers to check officials’ income and spot conflicts of interest,''  Boone told POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook.