RFE/RL Armenian Report – 02/01/2018

                                        Thursday, February 1, 2017
Armenian Cabinet To Meet Only In Closed Session
 . Hovannes Movsisian
Armenia - Prime Minister Karen Karapetian holds a cabinet meeting in
Yerevan, 18Jan2018.
Journalists will no longer be able to watch cabinet meetings in
Yerevan live, under a new bill approved by the Armenian government on
Thursday.
The bill drafted by the Justice Ministry specifies the structure and
powers of governments to be formed after Armenia becomes a
parliamentary republic in April. It also stipulates that cabinet
meetings must be held behind the closed doors. The prime minister
could only make "a part of a meeting" open to the press, it says.
The draft also bars government members from publicizing details of any
issue discussed by the government without the premier's permission.
Armenian reporters have for years been able to watch weekly cabinet
sessions through monitors placed in a press room of the prime
minister's office. Justice Minister Davit Harutiunian claimed that
this has deterred ministers from voicing critical opinions about
decisions or policies proposed by their colleagues.
"It's one thing when you argue with your wife within your family," he
told reporters. "But if a third person watches you, your dispute will
have a different nature."
Harutiunian said he does not know of any other country where cabinet
meetings are open to the media. He argued that even in established
Western democracies governments meet in closed session.
Accordingly, the minister insisted that the new rules planned by the
government are not undemocratic.
Varuzhan Hoktanian, the director of programs at the Armenian branch of
Transparency International, disagreed, calling the bill a step
backwards. "There could be more such steps that would eliminate the
culture of transparency," he told RFE/RL's Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am).
Armenian Presidential Frontrunner Visits Moscow
Armenia - Former Prime Minister Armen Sarkissian visits the TUMO
Center for Creative Technologies in Yerevan, .
Armen Sarkissian, a former prime minister widely expected to be
Armenia's next president, flew to Moscow on Thursday for a visit
during which he will meet with representatives of Russia's large
Armenian community.
"In the coming days he will also hold meetings in other Armenian
communities," his press office said in a short statement.
The statement did not name any Armenian Diaspora leaders in Moscow or
elsewhere who are due to meet with Sarkissian. It was also not clear
whether the latter will meet with Russian government officials or
politicians during the trip.
Official Moscow has not publicly commented on the outgoing President
Serzh Sarkisian's offer to nominate the former premier for the post of
president which will become vacant on April 9. The next head of state
will be elected by the Armenian parliament and have few executive
powers.
Armenia - Former Prime Minister Armen Sarkissian visits the TUMO
Center for Creative Technologies in Yerevan, .
Sarkissian, who currently serves as Armenia's ambassador to Britain,
said on January 19 he will decide whether to accept the nomination
after holding consultations with representatives of major political
groups, civic and intellectual circles as well as Diaspora
communities. He has already held a series of meetings in Yerevan.
A leading member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK)
expressed confidence on Tuesday that he will agree to run for
president. The HHK, which is headed by Serzh Sarkisian, holds a
majority of seats in the parliament.
On Wednesday, Armen Sarkissian was received by Catholicos Garegin II,
the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to a
statement by the church's Mother See in Echmiazdin, Garegin said he
hopes that the 64-year-old former Cambridge University scholar will
accept the nomination and use his executive experience and "ties with
the Diaspora" to the benefit of Armenia. He described Sarkissian as a
"beloved son of the Armenian Church."
Yerevan Downplays Armenian Names In U.S. `Kremlin Report'
 . Astghik Bedevian
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian (R) and Russian-Armenian
businessman Samvel Karapetian inaugurate a new shopping mall in
Yerevan, 13Nov2017.
A senior Armenian lawmaker downplayed on Thursday potential
consequences for Armenia of a new U.S. government list of Russian
officials and wealthy businesspeople who might risk U.S. sanctions.
The so-called Kremlin Report released by the U.S. Treasury Department
on Tuesday names 114 senior Russian political figures and 96
"oligarchs" who U.S. authorities say have gained wealth or power
through association with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Although the list itself does not impose sanctions, its creation was
mandated by the U.S. Congress in a law aimed to increase pressure on
Russia in response to Moscow's alleged meddling in the 2016
U.S. presidential election, its military intervention in Ukraine, and
other actions that have caused U.S. concern.
The list includes ethnic Armenian businessmen Samvel Karapetian, Danil
Khachaturov and Sergei Galitsky. Karapetian, who was born and raised
in Armenia, has extensive business interests in the South Caucasus
country and has pledged further large-scale investments in its
economy. Some commentators in Yerevan have suggested that possible
U.S. sanctions against the tycoon would put his business projects at
serious risk.
Armen Ashotian, the chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on
foreign relations, sought to allay these fears. "I don't think that we
should view the inclusion of our compatriots on that list as a great
tragedy, especially given that it's not known and clear what
consequences the inclusion on that list will have," he told reporters.
Armenia - Armen Ashotian speaks to reporters in Yerevan, 1 February
2018.
"The list does not mean that all those individuals are guilty or
subject to sanctions," said Ashotian, who is also a deputy chairman of
the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration earlier notified Congress
that it will not impose new sanctions on Russia at this time. However,
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Tuesday that "in the
near future, you'll see additional sanctions." Mnuchin dismissed
criticism that the list was haphazardly assembled on the basis of
media reports,
Putin was quick to condemn the report, calling it an "unfriendly act"
that will "complicate the already grave situation that
Russian-American relations are in and inflict damage, no doubt, on
international relations as a whole." But he signaled that Moscow's
response would be muted.
Ashotian acknowledged that Armenia will not benefit from U.S.-Russian
"political and economic clashes." "Armenia should continue to stay
away from confrontational agendas," he said. "Thank God, America's and
Russia's interests converge with regard to the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."
Armenia - Top executives of The Robbins Company and Debed Hydro sign a
memorandum of understanding in Yerevan, 25Oct2017.
One of Karapetian's new business projects calls for the construction
of a major hydroelectric plant in northern Armenia.The
Russian-Armenian tycoon has pledged to invest at least $22.5 million
in the $150 million project strongly backed by the Armenian
government. He hopes to attract the rest of the required funding from
other private investors as well as international lending institutions.
The U.S. Robbins Company, which manufactures giant tunnel-boring
machines, has expressed readiness to participate in the project. It
signed a relevant memorandum of understanding with a Karapetian-owned
firm in October.
Armenian Energy Minister Ashot Manukian and U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
Richard Mills attended the signing ceremony in Yerevan. Mills also
spoke at the event, reportedly calling the preliminary deal a major
"achievement" of U.S.-Armenian relations.
Press Review
"Aravot" believes that in his likely capacity as president of Armenia
Armen Sarkissian could be more powerful than many people think. "In
Armenia, a minister's driver can sometimes solve more issues than the
minister," writes the paper. "The scope of [officials'] powers and
responsibilities is drawn not only by their official job description
but also the existing correlation of forces. Therefore, Armen
Sarkissian is faced with a difficult task: to gain the kind of powers
that would enable him to realize his good intentions, the existence of
which does not seem to be questioned by anyone."
"Right from the beginning Serzh Sarkisian built the government pyramid
in a way that made everyone understand their place," writes
"Hraparak." "This also explains why they have not allowed to the
[next] Armenian president to sit [at the presidential palace in
Yerevan] on 26 Bagramian Avenue and decided not move Karen Karapetian
from the [current] government building." The paper also thinks that
the authority and influence of Armenian officials depend in large
measure on their personal traits. Turning to Armen Sarkissian, it
claims that he is "quite unaware of the Armenian reality and lacks a
political support base and a large entourage" and that the
pro-government majority in the Armenian parliament will do everything
to turn him into a "queen of England without real power and levers."
"Zhoghovurd" dismisses as nave Armen Sarkissian's assertion that the
next president of the republic will play a more than ceremonial
role. "You could not expect a different answer from Armen Sarkissian,"
writes the paper. "By acknowledging the reality Mr. Sarkissian would
have put himself in an awkward position."
"Haykakan Zhamanak" says that the National Statistical Service (NSS)
reported on Tuesday a nearly 10 percent drop in the number of children
born in Armenia last year. The paper says this is further proof that
Sarkisian's calls for increasing the country's population to 4 million
by 2040 are unserious.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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