Author: Alex Nanijanian

"2023 was quite successful for Armenia" – Finance Minister’s assessment

Alex Nanijanian
Dec 30 2023
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

“We will end 2023 with economic growth close to eight percent, although a month ago we forecast growth of about seven percent,” Armenian Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan said.

In financial terms, he assessed last year as “quite successful” for Armenia, as the high economic growth rate of 2022 was maintained. More in taxes were received than planned, but the minister did not say what amount was expected. He said that in 2023, the country saw a significant increase in capital expenditure, which is likely to continue next year.

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It has been reported for a long time that income declaration will be mandatory for residents, and the minister said that everyone who has an employment contract will have to submit a declaration of income. The declaration for 2024 will have to be submitted next year.

“In the near future, an information platform will be launched through which everyone who has to submit a declaration will have the opportunity to do so. There will be a website as well as a mobile app so that people can easily fill out the declaration,” he said.

By launching the system of mandatory declaration, according to Vahe Hovhannisyan, the aim is not to “gather significant financial inflows”. The goal is to obtain information about who receives what type of income, and this “will be useful for policy development and better targeting of assistance programs.”

There will also be an incentive scheme in education, health and housing. Individuals who have completed a declaration will be able, for example, to get back some of the expenditure made in education from the income tax they have paid.

“It will be possible to reduce expenses in the education sphere by 100 thousand drams [about $250] per year, and in healthcare by 50 thousand drams [about $125],” the minister clarified.

Expenditures on programs to support Karabakh refugees will amount to 47.3 billion drams [about $120 million]. This item is included in the state budget for 2024. With this amount, the government will try to solve their most urgent needs. But according to the Finance Minister, it will not be enough to solve all the problems. In addition, it is planned to develop new programs in January and February, and additional funding from the reserve fund will be allocated for these projects.

Financial aid to refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh will lead to a budget deficit of 4.6 percent instead of the originally planned 3.2 percent, says Hovhannisyan. But he immediately explains that this “will not be an additional burden on the state debt.”

“The additional debt burden is not due to these expenses at all, but due to the fact that the government of Nagorno-Karabakh had debts to the banking system of the Republic of Armenia. And a few days ago it was decided that the Armenian government will take over this debt. In this regard, there will be an impact on our debt in the amount of a little more than three percent.”

According to the finance minister, new spending obligations will result from paying this debt:

“In 2024 the budget was approved with a reserve fund of RD$156 billion [about $390 million]. However, the government has already cut 20 billion drams [about $50 million] due to the assumption of Nagorno-Karabakh’s debt.”

Hovhannisyan once again proudly emphasized that this is an unprecedented reserve fund. Presumably it will be used to manage various risks, including in a possible devaluation of the national currency.

Hovhannisyan said that 554 billion drams [about $1.4 billion] will be allocated to the defense sector in 2024, and there is an “annex of priorities” in the draft state budget, where additional needs of the country are outlined.

“If there is an opportunity, we will allocate an amount 200 billion drams [about $500 million] more to the Defense Ministry,” he said.

This would only be possible if additional funds become available.

“And new funds may appear, for example, if tax revenues are oversubscribed or some planned program is not implemented and the money returns to the reserve.”

He notes that there are other areas that may also need funds, such as infrastructure development, social protection and education.

Turkish Press: Russia’s Lavrov says Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy ‘lacks will to peace’

Alex Nanijanian
 Yeni Şafak 
Turkey - Dec 28 2023
Russia's Lavrov says Ukraine's President Zelenskyy 'lacks will to peace'

Russian foreign minister voices concern over Armenia's increasing cooperation with NATO

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lacks "will to peace."

Speaking in an interview with Russian state news agency TASS, Lavrov pointed out that the Ukrainian authorities speak only about war and use aggressive rhetoric.

"Any cease-fire is out of the question (for the Ukrainian authorities). The ban on negotiations with the Russian leadership, established by Zelenskyy on Sept. 30, 2022, continues to be in effect. Draw your own conclusions," he said.

Lavrov admitted that recent events in the Middle East shifted the focus from Ukraine, however, "inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia" continues to be one of the West's top priorities.

"The so-called Ramstein format continues to function, in which representatives of more than 50 countries discuss Kyiv's requests for military equipment and ammunition on a monthly basis," he said, referring to meetings at the US airbase in Germany.

"Neither Washington nor Brussels refuses to provide assistance to the Kyiv regime, realizing that without it, it is doomed. They are still vitally interested in holding back Russia with the hands and bodies of Ukrainians."

The West has provided unprecedented humanitarian, economic and military support to Ukraine, where Russia launched a "special military operation" in February 2022. The backing, however, is said to be waning amid internal political disputes and fiscal challenges.

Turning to the issue of arms control, the minister blamed the US for destroying its pillars, saying Washington either directly violated the agreements by withdrawing from them or created conditions that made their implementation impossible.

"Washington's logic is simple. The pillars that ensured the US dominance are slipping away from under their feet. Largely because of the mistakes of the Americans themselves. … In an attempt to slow down the loss of the hegemon's position, they relied on force. Hence the pursuit of military superiority, … the refusal from restrictions in arms control," he said.

– Russia concerned over Armenia's turn to NATO

Lavrov regretted Armenia's turn to the West, saying Yerevan is "trading a time-tested alliance with Moscow for the West's vague promises."

"To justify the course of a strategic U-turn, they (Armenian authorities) blame Russia for all the troubles of the republic, including the loss of Karabakh," he emphasized.

Azerbaijan established full control over the region after launching an anti-terror operation this September.

Russian authorities persist in considering Armenia as a strategic partner, steadfast in their belief that, with political will, any challenges can be surmounted, Lavrov said.

"Trade and economic ties and industry dialogue are developing at an impressive pace between Moscow and Yerevan. This is the foundation for the relations between the two countries, as well as the most important support for the stability of the Armenian economy and the well-being of the Armenian population.

"The rapid growth of the republic's GDP in recent years is largely due to cooperation with Russia and Yerevan's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union," he added.

According to Lavrov, the optimal path for Armenia to navigate the current challenges lies in the implementation of the trilateral agreements with Azerbaijan and Russia.

The minister criticized talks questioning the necessity of the presence of the Russian military base in the Armenian city of Gyumry, stressing that for many years the Russian military has been ensuring peace and stability in the region.

He also voiced concern over Yerevan's increasing military cooperation with NATO.

"This year, Armenia has participated in several dozen events with the alliance. It continues to modernize its armed forces according to NATO standards, and the republic's military is being trained in a number of states of the North Atlantic Bloc," he said.

The minister warned that "the true goal of NATO is to strengthen their positions in the region, create conditions for manipulation according to the 'divide and rule' scheme."

"I hope Yerevan is aware that deepening cooperation with the alliance leads to the loss of sovereignty in the field of national defense and security," he said.

 

Armenian PM to attend EAEU, CIS summits in St. Petersburg

Alex Nanijanian
Belarus – Dec 25 2023

MINSK, 25 December (BelTA) – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is headed to the Russian Federation on a two-day working visit, Armenpress reported.

The Prime Minister's Office reported that Nikol Pashinyan will take part in a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in St. Petersburg on 25 December and an informal CIS summit on 26 December.

There was a certain intrigue about the Armenian prime minister's participation in the summits, despite the fact that the country is scheduled to take over the chairmanship of the EAEU in 2024. The Armenian leader did not take part in the recent summits of the CIS in Bishkek and the CSTO in Minsk, and the official information about his trip to St. Petersburg was not confirmed until recently.

ANIF surprise Christmas gift for Artsakh children

Alex Nanijanian

 14:05, 21 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Armenian National Interests fund (ANIF) as part of its commitment to social responsibility, organized a visit to Yerevan for children from Artsakh living in the affected communities of the "Aig-1", a solar plant project implemented jointly with Masdar UAE.

Fifty children from Artsakh aged 11-17 who settled in the surrounding communities of the "Aig-1" project, in particular, in the Talin enlarged community, visited the capital Yerevan on December 20.

Then the children were hosted in the "Hard Rock Cafe" restaurant, jointly owned by the ANIF "Entrepreneur + State" investment fund and the "Dom Arena" company, enjoyed the cafe's brand food, and participated in the New Year's program organized for them.

At the end of the day, the children received gift bags of strawberries produced in the company's greenhouses from the Berrymount company, another joint project of ANIF's "Entrepreneur + State" fund and other gifts.

Another ANIF project, Armenia national airline Fly Arna, provided brand stationery as a gift.

We would like to thank all our partner organizations for joining efforts to organize the event for children from Artsakh.




RFE/RL Armenian Service – 12/21/2023

Alex Nanijanian 
                                        Thursday, 


Russia ‘Continuing’ Peacekeeping Mission In Depopulated Karabakh


Nagorno-Karabakh - Russian peacekeepers stand next to an armored vehicle at a 
checkpoint near Stepanakert, October 7, 2023.


Russian peacekeepers are continuing their mission in Nagorno-Karabakh two months 
after the mass exodus of the region’s ethnic Armenian population caused by an 
Azerbaijani military offensive, Russia’s top general said on Thursday.

Armenia has denounced the peacekeepers for their failure to prevent or stop the 
September 19-20 offensive that restored Azerbaijan’s full control over Karabakh. 
President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have rejected the criticism.

The chief of the Russian army’s General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, also 
praised the peacekeepers. Meeting with Moscow-based foreign military attachés, 
he said that the 2,000-strong contingent swiftly halted the September 
hostilities before ensuring Karabakh Armenians’ “safe departure” to Armenia.

“Our military contingent continues to carry out tasks as a guarantor of the 
possibility of building a peaceful life and the return of residents to the 
region,” added Gerasimov.

Even before their exodus, Karabakh’s leaders and ordinary residents made clear 
that they would not live under Azerbaijani rule. More than 100,000 of them took 
refuge in Armenia in late September.

The peacekeepers have since dismantled most of their observation posts along the 
Karabakh “line of contact” that existed until the Azerbaijani assault. A senior 
Russian diplomat said in early October that they should remain in the region 
because their mission “will also be necessary in the future.”

Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev discussed the issue when they 
met in Kyrgyzstan four days later. They announced no agreements on the future of 
the Russian presence in Karabakh.




Armenian Authorities Suspend Russian Radio Broadcast


RUSSIA -- A view of the main newsroom of Sputnik news, part of the state run 
media group Russia Today, in Moscow, April 27, 2018.


In a move denounced by Moscow on Thursday, Armenian authorities have suspended 
the radio broadcast of Russia’s state-run Sputnik news agency in Armenia after 
it aired a program highly critical of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

The Sputnik Armenia news service’s weekly program broadcast on November 17 was 
authored and presented by Tigran Keosayan, a Russian film director and TV 
commentator of Armenian descent. It featured disparaging comments about 
Pashinian and his government’s policies.

Keosayan and his wife Margarita Simonyan, who runs the Russian television 
network RT and several other Kremlin-funded media outlets, are vocal critics of 
the current Armenian government. Simonyan was banned from entering the South 
Caucasus country last year.

Armenia’s National Commission on Television and Radio (HRAH) on Wednesday 
accused Keosayan of making “mocking and derogatory” statements about Armenia and 
its people in breach of Armenian law. It said foreign nationals also have no 
“moral right” to do that.

The commission announced that it has therefore banned an Armenian radio station 
from retransmitting any Sputnik Armenia programs for the next 30 days.

The Russian Embassy in Yerevan criticized the decision the following day, saying 
that it limited Armenians’ right to “receive information from a source of their 
choice.”

“This step cannot but look like a concession to those who are increasingly in 
favor of breaking the traditional, mutually beneficial and mutually respectful 
allied relations between Russia and Armenia,” the embassy added in a statement.

Russia - Film director Tigran Keosayan and his wife Margarita Simonyan attend an 
event in Moscow, February 12, 2018.

For his part, Keosayan responded to the ban by attacking and insulting Pashinian 
on his Telegram channel. The Armenian premier “once again proved the correctness 
of all my words addressed to him,” he wrote on Thursday.

The embassy statement noted that the HRAH’s decision came just three days after 
Russian and Armenian government officials met to discuss Yerevan’s discontent 
with Russian television’s recent coverage of Armenia. The two sides made 
differing statements on that meeting.

Russian Ambassador Sergei Kopyrkin was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in 
Yerevan in October after Russia’s leading state broadcaster, Channel One, 
derided and lambasted Pashinian during an hour-long program aired. The program 
featured pro-Kremlin panelists who portrayed Pashinian as a Western puppet 
tasked with ending Armenia’s close relationship with Russia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Armenian charge d’affaires in Moscow 
the following day. Ministry officials condemned what they called anti-Russian 
propaganda spread by Armenia’s government-controlled media.

In the last few years, Armenian Public Television has regularly interviewed and 
invited politicians and commentators highly critical of Moscow to its political 
talk shows. Their appearances in prime-time programs of the TV channel run by 
Pashinian’s loyalists have become even more frequent lately amid rising tensions 
between Moscow and Yerevan.

The HRAH on Wednesday also fined Sputnik Armenia 500,000 drams ($1,240) for the 
latest talk show by former opposition parliamentarian Arman Abovian during which 
he effectively accused Pashinian’s government of planning to cede much of 
Armenia’s territory to Azerbaijan. The commission accused the broadcaster of 
spreading false and unverified information.




Dozens Arrested After Fishing Ban In Armenian Lake

        • Robert Zargarian

Armenia - Speedboats of the newly established water patrol service of the 
Armenian police are seen in Lake Sevan, December 9, 2023.


More than two dozen Armenian fishers have been arrested after clashing with 
officials enforcing a seasonal ban on fishing in the country’s Lake Sevan.

The Armenian government introduced the two-month ban on November 20 in an effort 
to protect the vast lake’s endangered fish stocks during the annual spawning 
period. But it was not until this month that it began enforcing the measure 
extremely unpopular in Sevan’s coastal fishery-dependent communities.

Officers of a newly established water patrol unit of the national police and 
representatives of the Sevan National Park clashed with residents of one of 
those villages, Noratus, during a joint patrol on Tuesday.

According to a police report cited by Armenia’s Investigative Committee, their 
two patrol boats were surrounded by as many as 200 smaller boats carrying angry 
local fishers. The latter threw Molotov cocktails and other objects before some 
of them boarded a Sevan National Park vessel and beat up its crew, the 
law-enforcement agency said on Wednesday. The statement added that 26 attackers 
were arrested and charged with “mass hooliganism” and violent assault after the 
incident.

Noratus residents denied the official version of events as they blocked on 
Wednesday a nearby highway to protest against the arrests and the fishing ban. 
One of them said that the fishers themselves were attacked by the police while 
trying to retrieve their fishing nets from the lake. Others accused the police 
of sinking one of the fishing boats during the clash.

Armenia - A view of Lake Sevan, September 8, 2018.

The protesters also argued that fishing has long been their main source of 
income in their community which is officially home to some 6,800 people.

“There is no other work here,” one middle-aged man told RFE/RL’s Armenian 
Service. “Let them [the authorities] give us jobs, and everyone here would love 
to stop fishing.”

“There is no spawning at the moment,” claimed another fisher. “The scientists 
who say that are wrong. Spawning happens from January 1 to January 20.”

The authorities say that earlier this month they offered to delay the 
enforcement of the ban by several days but were rebuffed by the locals.

Decades of overfishing are believed to have taken a heavy toll on Sevan’s main 
species: trout and whitefish. The Sevan trout, an Armenian delicacy, became all 
but extinct even before the collapse of the Soviet Union and the ensuing upsurge 
in poaching. The lake’s whitefish population has also declined significantly 
since the early 1990s.

Fishing bans repeatedly imposed by the current and former Armenian governments 
have not been vigorously enforced until now.




Iran Reaffirms Opposition To Outside Powers In South Caucasus


Russia - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi attends a meeting with Russian 
President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, December 7, 2023.


“Extra-regional countries” must not be allowed to intervene in disputes in the 
South Caucasus, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told Armenian Prime Minister 
Nikol Pashinian in a phone call late on Wednesday.

“Care must be taken that the Caucasus region does not become a field of 
competition for extra-regional countries and that its issues are handled by the 
countries of the region and without the interference of outsiders,” Raisi was 
quoted by his office as saying.

Raisi thus reaffirmed Iran’s strong opposition to Western presence in the 
region, which is shared by Russia. He described it as “harmful for regional 
peace and stability” during an October 23 meeting with Armenia’s visiting 
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

Mirzoyan travelled to Tehran to attend a multilateral meeting with his 
Azerbaijani, Iranian, Russian and Turkish counterparts held there within the 
framework of the so-called “Consultative Regional Platform 3+3” launched in 
December 2021 in Moscow. Georgia continues to boycott the platform, citing 
continuing Russian occupation of its breakaway regions.

Amid its deepening rift with Moscow, Pashinian’s government is now pinning hopes 
on Western efforts to broker an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal. Russian 
officials claim that the main aim of those efforts is to drive Russia out of the 
South Caucasus, rather than bring peace to the region.

Yerevan is also seeking to deepen Armenia’s ties with the United States and the 
European Union. In September, it hosted a joint U.S.-Armenian military exercise 
criticized by Moscow and Tehran.

According to the official Armenian readout of Pashinian’s call with Raisi, the 
two leaders discussed Armenian-Iranian relations and the implementation of 
bilateral economic agreements. Raisi’s office said in this regard that he 
“expressed satisfaction with the process of developing relations and 
implementing agreements between the two countries.”



Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Baku stands for addressing peace agreement, border delimitation with Armenia separately – Aliyev’s aide

Alex Nanijanian
Interfax
Dec 20 2023

BAKU. Dec 20 (Interfax) – Azerbaijan does not see serious obstacles to concluding a lasting peace agreement with Armenia and believes that the border delimitation issue could be settled separately, Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev said.

"The 35-year conflict is over. Azerbaijan's current strategy seeks peace. [That] would require efforts from both sides," Hajiyev told reporters in London on Tuesday.

"There are no more impediments to Azerbaijan on the path to the peace agenda," he said.

 

MP: Estonia should prioritize Turkish relations over recognizing Armenian genocide

Alex Nanijanian
err
Estonia – Dec 20 2023

Estonia does not need to start weakening relations with Turkey by recognizing the Armenian genocide, Chairman of the Riigikogu's Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson (Reform) said on Tuesday, in response to a proposal by the foreign minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200).

During an official visit to Yerevan last week, Tsahkna released a statement saying Estonia would work towards recognizing the 1915 genocide.

Tsahkna told ERR on Wednesday his proposal is nothing new and was first put forward by President Arnold Rüütel in 2004. Estonia's allies, such as the USA, Sweden, Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania, have also recognized the event as genocide, he added.

The issue must now be discussed in the Riigikogu and the ball is in its court, the minister said.

"And I know that there are such discussions. This is nothing urgent, but it is more of a question of values that goes along with our own broader concept of the rule of law, genocide, all the international crimes against humanity that we have been very clear about and that Russia is also carrying out today in relation to Ukraine. I have stated my position, and it is now up to the Riiigkogu to debate the matter," Tsahkna said.

Mihkelson: Issue should have been discussed with Riigikogu first

Mihkelson said Tsahkna's proposal was a "surprise" and the topic is not being discussed in the Riigikogu.

"We all read about it in the minister's social media post. The foreign minister apparently missed the little nuance that if we are seeking the widest possible support in the Riigikogu on this issue, it is better to engage with our partners and colleagues through the Parliament and see what the willingness is on the ground to get broad support for such a bill before announcing it on social media," the MP said.

"Communicating with representatives of various factions, I do not see that this is a topical issue at the moment and that such a bill be processed will by the Riigikogu," he added.

Mihkelson did not rule out putting forward a draft on the matter in the future, but said politics is always in the background. At the moment he believes prioritising relations with Turkey is more important.

"We understand perfectly well what has happened in history, and Estonia's foreign policy is, after all, more broadly set to stand up for these values, so that no crime against humanity goes unpunished or is repeated. But at this point in time, with a very turbulent world, and with the news coming out of Ukraine rather more worrying than it was six months ago, and with a number of serious problems to be solved in keeping the allied space together, any additional tension between the allies, not least because of our own actions, is certainly not in Estonia's security interests," said Mihkelson.

"What is important for Estonia in international foreign policy at the moment is precisely the issues of ensuring security and strengthening the alliance space, not weakening it. This is a clear priority in our foreign policy, this is my personal view," he added.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs communicates with Turkey

Mihkelson indicated that Turkey had a very clear and critical reaction to Tsahkna's statement.

"Estonia has concluded a very substantial defense cooperation agreement with Turkey for armored vehicles. Turkey is a very important ally in NATO. We have, of course, also conveyed these messages to our Turkish counterparts through direct contacts and diplomatic channels," he said.

Tsahkna said Turkish officials have asked what Estonia's plans are.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told ERR the Estonian ambassador in Ankara has explained Estonia's positions. There has also been communication with the Turkish ambassador in Tallinn.

"In our discussions, we stressed the importance of bilateral relations and a continued strong alliance with Turkey. Estonia does not attribute the Armenian genocide to any of today's countries. We believe that speaking openly about what happened in history will contribute to the development of democratic societies and also prevent the recurrence of these crimes," the ministry said.

The Armenian genocide took place in 1915 when the Ottoman Empire systematically destroyed and deported Armenians, causing the death of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians.

The Armenian National Institute said 32 countries have recognized the killing of Armenians as genocide. However, Turkey does not believe the claim and some countries have allegedly not recognized the genocide to keep up good relations.

Last year, representatives of the Association of Estonian National Minorities called on the Riigikogu to recognize the Armenian genocide

Chess: Levon Aronian disappointed in FIDE over scrapping of presidential term limit

Alex Nanijanian
SportStar – The Hindu, India
Dec 18 2023

Published : Dec 18, 2023 21:48 IST , CHENNAI 

S. PRASANNA VENKATESAN

The World chess federation’s (FIDE’s) approval of a motion to scrap the presidential term limit in its annual general assembly on Sunday has met with disappointment from the Armenia-born chess great, Grand Master Levon Aronian.

Previously, the president had to step down after two four-year terms in power.

Expressing his disapproval of and disappointment at the decision, Aronian said at the Chennai Grand Masters Chess Championship on Monday, “I think generally it doesn’t matter what kind of governance, serving more than two terms always leads to trouble. Leadership is something that is very infectious and it is something you want to do forever. No matter how good of a leader you are, you are going to eventually start developing those birth traits that belong to all of the leaders that stay there for too long. So, it’s my personal opinion. I think when you make such decisions, a lot of the good things that you do get undone. Because now you are perceived as an usurpator of the position. I don’t like that decision. And I’m disappointed in FIDE.”

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/chess/chennai-grand-masters-2023-levon-aronian-disappointed-fide-scrapping-president-term-limit/article67651742.ece

Armenia receives $2.9M grant to support wellbeing of displaced children in schools

Alex Nanijanian
Dec 11 2023
World Bank

The World Bank announced today that Armenia has been selected to receive a new grant from the State and Peacebuilding Umbrella Trust Fund to support the mental health and wellbeing of displaced children and adolescents from Nagorno-Karabakh region in over 200 schools across the country. The grant will finance an upcoming project to be implemented jointly by the World Bank and the Teach for Armenia Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, the Republican Pedagogical-Psychological Center, and the Armenian State Pedagogical University.

The $2.9 million grant will support the social integration of displaced children and adolescents into Armenian schools, and capacity building and mentoring of school staff to deliver tailored mental health and psychosocial support to displaced children and adolescents, their families, and students from the hosting communities.

It will provide technical assistance to design a comprehensive approach for the integration of displaced children and adolescents into the education system along with a specialized mental health and psychosocial support program through a combination of change-based learning, engagement with local communities, and robust monitoring and evaluation systems in schools. The grant will also support integrating the provision of mental health and psychosocial support into the new curriculum.

The State and Peacebuilding Umbrella Trust Fund (SPF) is a global multi-donor fund administered by the World Bank that works with partners to address the drivers and impacts of fragility, conflict, and violence and strengthen the resilience of countries and affected populations, communities, and institutions. SPF is supported by Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland.

The World Bank is currently financing 10 projects in Armenia totaling $500 million. Since its inception in Armenia in 1992, the World Bank has provided around $2.7 billion from International Development Association (IDA) to which Armenia became a donor in 2023, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and from trust funds. The World Bank is committed to continuing its support to Armenia in its development path for ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity on a livable planet. 

https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2742160-forex-dollar-rises-ahead-of-us-inflation-data-fed-meeting-yuan-heavy

Russia Welcomes Armenia, Azerbaijan Normalisation Efforts: Statement

Alex Nanijanian
BARRON'S
Dec 8 2023
FROM AFP News

Russia on Friday voiced support for an agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which announced this week that they would exchange prisoners of war and work towards normalising their relations.

"Moscow welcomed with satisfaction the Joint Statement of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia confirming the mutual intention to normalize relations and conclude a peace treaty between the two countries," Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman said in a statement.

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