Author: Antonian Lara

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 02/18/2020

Antonian Lara 
                                        Tuesday, 
Lawyers To Lead ‘No’ Campaign For Armenian Referendum
        • Gayane Saribekian
        • Marine Khachatrian
Armenia -- Ruben Melikian (C) and other lawyers opposed to constitutional 
changes at the Central Election Commission, Yerevan, February 2020.
More than 60 lawyers critical of the Armenian government have joined forces to 
campaign for a “no” vote in the upcoming referendum on a controversial 
government proposal to oust most members of the country’s Constitutional Court.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) on Tuesday registered them as the sole No 
side in the unfolding referendum campaign. The official status entitles them to 
free airtime on state television.
Armenians will vote on April 5 on draft constitutional amendments ending the 
powers of seven of the nine Constitutional Court judges who have for months been 
under government pressure to resign.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has repeatedly accused them -- and Constitutional 
Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasian in particular -- of maintaining ties to the 
“corrupt former regime” and impeding judicial reforms. Tovmasian and Pashinian’s 
political opponents have dismissed these claims, saying that Pashinian is simply 
seeking to gain control over Armenia’s highest court.
Leading opposition parties have questioned the legality of the proposed 
amendments, saying that they run counter to other articles of the Armenian 
constitution. But none of those parties has decided to officially campaign 
against their enactment.
Edmon Marukian, the leader of the opposition Bright Armenia Party (LHK), argued 
last week that opposition involvement in the No campaign would make it easier 
for Pashinian’s political team to portray a “yes” vote as another rejection of 
former President Serzh Sarkisian. The latter was overthrown in the 2018 “Velvet 
Revolution” that brought Pashinian to power.
The lawyers who have set up the official No camp too have denounced the 
amendments as unconstitutional. One of their representatives, Ruben Melikian, 
insisted on Tuesday that their involvement in the referendum campaign will not 
help to legitimize the process.
“In terms of our national interests, we will suffer much greater damage and 
losses if not only the constitutionality but also the fairness of this process 
is called into question,” Melikian told reporters. “We must enable people, who 
have something to say, to present their message and allow those people, who want 
to monitor [the referendum,] to take that opportunity.”
Armenia -- Supporters of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian block the entrance to 
the Constitutional Court buildin in Yerevan, May 20, 2019.
Melikian, who has served as a deputy justice minister in the past, also said 
that the lawyers are not afraid of being branded agents of the former regime by 
Pashinian’s team. “We do not support or campaign against anyone,” he said. “This 
is a fight for the Republic of Armenia.”
While saying that the No campaign will seek to avoid “political” statements, 
Melikian did not exclude that it will give opposition forces a platform to 
continue denouncing the government bid to replace the high court judges.“Yes, we 
may enable various political forces to make use of our free airtime,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pashinian met with senior members of his My Step bloc late on Monday 
for further discussions on practical modalities of the Yes campaign. One of his 
top loyalists, Alen Simonian, confirmed after the meeting that the prime 
minister will personally participate in the campaign.
“The prime minister loves talking to the people and the people love the prime 
minister,” Simonian told reporters. “We will be entering this campaign with 
great pleasure.”
Simonian did not give other details of the campaign. He said only that the 
ruling bloc should be careful not to “tire out” voters with speeches and other 
activities.
Armenian Government Mulls More Tax Reforms
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and senior government officials 
discuss tax reforms, Yerevan, .
Less than one year after introducing wide-ranging tax cuts, Armenia’s government 
announced on Tuesday plans for further tax reforms which Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian said will involve “bold” measures.
Finance Minister Atom Janjughazian presented a strategy of such reforms at a 
meeting of fellow cabinet members and other senior officials chaired by 
Pashinian. They will improve tax collection, create “favorable conditions” for 
continued economic growth and help to boost living standards in the country, he 
said, according to a government statement on the meeting.
“We are going to make very bold decisions ranging from property tax to other 
changes in taxation,” the statement quoted Pashinian as saying. “The logic 
behind those bold decisions is that state revenues must rise in a way that will 
allow the economy to develop so that they rise further in the future.”
“People must change the attitudes towards payment of taxes existing in 
modern-day Armenia,” Pashinian went on. For that purpose, he said, Armenians 
must be certain that “the government does not steal from them” and spends 
taxpayers’ money efficiently.
The statement gave no details of the measures cited by Pashinian or the reform 
“concept” proposed by Janjughazian.
The government pushed through the Armenian parliament last June a bill that 
introduced a flat personal income tax, cut the corporate profit tax rate from 20 
to 18 percent and made more small businesses eligible for preferential taxation. 
At the same time, it raised excise taxes collected from tobacco and alcohol.
Government officials have expressed confidence that despite these tax cuts, 
which took effect on January 1, Armenia’s tax revenues will continue to rise 
significantly this year.
The State Revenue Committee (SRC) collected just over 1.5 trillion drams ($3.2 
billion) in various taxes last year, up by more than 16 percent from 2018. The 
head of the SRC, Davit Ananian, has attributed the sizable increase to the SRC’s 
continued efforts to improve tax administration and combat tax evasion.
Yerevan Slams ‘Maximalist’ Baku After Summit
Armenia -- Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian (R) meets with Toivo Klaar, the 
EU's special representative for the South Caucasus, Yerevan, .
Three days after the latest Armenian-Azerbaijani summit, Foreign Minister Zohrab 
Mnatsakanian accused Baku on Tuesday of hampering progress towards a resolution 
of the Nagorno-Karabakh with “maximalist” demands.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev held a 
brief meeting in Munich on Saturday before participating in a panel discussion 
on Karabakh held as part of an annual security conference in the southern German 
city.
The two leaders publicly traded accusations during the discussion. In 
particular, Aliyev again described Karabakh as his country’s “integral part” and 
branded Armenia an “aggressor,” prompting a rebuttal from Pashinian.
Mnatsakanian appeared to refer to this verbal exchange when he discussed the 
Karabakh peace progress with Toivo Klaar, the European Union’s visiting special 
envoy for the South Caucasus. According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, the 
two men agreed that the conflicting parties should genuinely prepare their 
populations for peace.
“In that context, the Armenian foreign minister particularly stressed the 
importance of the leaders publicly sending signals and messages of peace to 
their societies and pointed out that the Azerbaijani side continues to publicly 
act from maximalist positions rejecting the rights of the Karabakh people, 
something which does not allow [the parties] to register progress in the peace 
process,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Karabakh conflict was also on the agenda of Klaar’s separate meeting with 
Pashinian. An Armenian government statement said Pashinian shared with the EU 
envoy his “observations and views” about Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks. It 
gave no details.
Aliyev and Pashinian met in Munich two weeks after Mnatsakanian and Azerbaijani 
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov concluded two days of negotiations in Geneva 
held in the presence of U.S., French and Russian mediators.
In a joint statement with the mediators, the ministers said the “intensive 
discussions” focused on “possible next steps to prepare the populations for 
peace; principles and elements forming the basis of a future settlement; and 
timing and agenda for advancing the settlement process.”
Government, Military Vow Strong Action Over Army Deaths
        • Astghik Bedevian
Armenia -- Lieutenant General Artak Davtian, the chief of Armenian army's 
General Staff, speaks at a news conference in parliament, Yerevan, February 18, 
2020.
Armenia’s leadership pledged to punish senior military officials and improve 
military discipline on Tuesday following a spate of non-combat deaths of 
Armenian army soldiers reported in recent weeks.
The Armenian military has reported 13 such deaths since the beginning of this 
year. Eight of these soldiers have died in accidents and other circumstances not 
related to their military service.
The five other victims are believed to have committed suicide or been shot dead 
by other servicemen in separate incidents investigated by law-enforcement 
authorities. The latter arrested three soldiers in connection with one of those 
deaths which occurred at an army base in Nagorno-Karabakh late last month.
The shooting incidents have caused outrage in Armenia and cast a renewed 
spotlight on the chronic problem of hazing and other abuses in the army ranks. 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian discussed them with top military and 
law-enforcement officials at an emergency meeting held on Monday amid continuing 
criticism of the army command voiced by some opposition politicians and civic 
activists.
Pashinian said on Tuesday that “a number of important, including 
personnel-related, decisions” were made at the meeting and called for an end to 
the “nervous atmosphere around the army.”
In a Facebook post, he said that the number of non-combat deaths among Armenian 
military personnel fell to a “historical low” last year thanks to the 
authorities’ efforts to tackle the problem. “Our objective is to maintain this 
dynamic,” he wrote.
The chief of the army’s General Staff, Lieutenant-General Artak Davtian, 
confirmed the impending “personnel changes” within the military but did not shed 
light on them. He declined to comment on reports that the chief of the Armenian 
military police is among senior officers who will be sacked in the coming days.
Davtian stressed that other officers have already been demoted or discharged 
from the armed forces this month because of the non-combat fatalities. He also 
expressed confidence that investigators will identify those directly responsible 
for them.
Armenia’s top military investigator, Artak Krkyasharian, discussed the ongoing 
inquiries with his subordinates on Tuesday. He was reported to order them to 
publicize details of the probes.
Davtian spoke to reporters after meeting with Armenian parliament deputies 
behind the closed doors. He assured them that the authorities are doing their 
best to eradicate “elements of the criminal subculture” and strengthen 
discipline in the army.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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Prosperous Armenia faction quits cooperation with deputy Tigran Urikhanyan due to raised differences in approaches

Antonian Lara
Aysor, Armenia
Feb 11 2020

Prosperous Armenia parliamentary faction stated about quitting cooperation with deputy Tigran Urikhanyan.

Urikhanyan has submitted application to the faction head Gagik Tsarukyan on leaving the faction.

“Tigran Urikhanyan has passed a long political path as member of Prosperous Armenia faction but at this phase the approaches and principles of the deputy are not consistent with the approaches of the Prosperous Armenia faction. For this reason, starting from this moment Prosperous Armenia faction quits cooperation with Tigran Urikhanyan. The latter will continue his activity in the status of freelance deputy,” the party’s statement said.

Who should we execute in 2040?

Antonian Lara
Aravot, Armenia
Feb 9 2020

                                                       
February 09,2020 12:30 59

The following was originally published in the Armenian language in Aravot on January 29, 2020. It was translated by Weekly staff.

Some individuals and political forces in the Armenian society believe that it is easy to govern Armenia because it is a small state, smaller than a district in Moscow, Tehran or New York.

It is true that the Republic of Armenia is a small state, but nevertheless has a myriad of problems the likes of which even the largest states or territories of the United States or Russia don’t have. Problems facing our country, which require urgent solutions, are by far more complex than problems in any average, mid-size European country. In spite of this, the ongoing political debate in Armenian society (including compatriots living abroad) rarely rises above emotions and is always driven by how one feels about the previous or present government. The real problems of Armenia, some of which are illustrated below, seem to be of less or no interest to people at all.

Energy Security

Armenia’s energy security depends heavily on the nuclear power plant. Suppose in the next few years we managed to extend the operating life of the nuclear power plant for another short period of time. What happens next? Whether we like it or not, even in the best-case scenario, it takes 15 years to build a new nuclear power plant or set up an alternative source of energy that will provide 40 to 50 percent of the demand. And in order for that to happen sometime in the 2030s, a great deal of work and planning will have to be completed in the next five years.

Is anyone in Armenia thinking and addressing this issue? Who, we wonder, will come up with a solution to this problem?

Transportation Safety

We seem to ignore or not remember the immeasurable feats of Armenian aviation in the first half of the 1990s during the war with Azerbaijan exasperated by the blockade by Turkey. These include the transportation of refugees, supply of fuel, food and weapons, and maintaining a vital aerial link with Artsakh. In the case of even a slight escalation of tensions in the region, let alone a full-blown war, foreign airlines will suspend a significant (if not all) number of their flights to the country. In a scenario like that, who will ensure the country’s aerial transportation needs and security? Let us remember that recently we faced great difficulties organizing a timely transport of a mere 100 of our stranded compatriots back to Armenia from a resort town in Egypt. A competitive national aviation fleet that meets the real needs of the country will require years of planning and hard work that must start today. The field of all other forms of transportation can at best be described as in dire need of total reform.

Is anyone in Armenia interested in addressing this issue?

Demographic Concerns

Demography requires long-term planning and institutional solutions to issues such as urban development, health, education, income, social issues and of course, employment. Putting aside optimistic romanticism, let’s point out that in the absence of real progress in this area the country’s population will at best number 2.5 million by the year 2040. This will not only exclude the possibility of sustainable development, but will put the physical existence of the state and nation at the forefront of the national agenda.

Pension Fund

The current mandatory contributions to the pension system will continue to oppress the people and the country’s budget, waste funds and feed a foreign investment vehicle that does not serve the financial interests of the country. Currently, the state’s contribution alone to the mandatory retirement pension fund is about 60 billion drams annually, excluding the mandatory contributions from individuals. This amount will naturally grow every year. Twenty years from now and if the economic development of the country is not put on the right track, people will face the problem of not only safeguarding billions worth of their mandatory contributions invested in foreign funds, but also the problem of maintaining their standard of living.

Abandoning the current pension system and substituting it with a new one that serves the interests of the state and the people will require years of extensive professional diligence, as well as political will and determination.

Poverty and Employment

It is understandable that it is easier to institute a very simple flat rate taxation system compared to a progressive system. In the upcoming years, flat taxation will most certainly create a wider gap between the rich and the poor, the financially secure and insecure segments of the society with all its dire consequences.

Relying on the private sector alone and not involving the government in a wise investment policy to solve the issues of employment and job creation is nothing more than a typical and naïve neo-liberal approach that all successive governments adopted since independence.

Agriculture and Food Security

It is no secret that the security of food sources in our country is vulnerable. Furthermore, the sheer magnitude of the problems accumulating over the past several years in the agricultural sector where one third of the population is employed (or more precisely, merely survives) is becoming more and more apparent every day. Improving the irrigation system and overall efficiency of the sector requires years of hard work, big investments, patience and perfect command of the problems facing the sector. To achieve tangible results in 10 years, planning has to start today.

Environmental Protection

The problems in this area, a much larger issue than simply protecting nature, range from healthcare to urban planning and mining. Here, implementation of effective policies requires conviction and the will and ability to think about the safety and security of future generations. Lack of focus in this area will slowly but surely turn the capital city and the regions into undesirable places to live for future generations.

Many Real Challenges

Among the many problems facing the country, cyber-security and Turkey’s overt desire to harm the nation are areas of paramount importance that require daily attention and measures to safeguard the existence of the country and the people.

By now it is obvious that the many problems facing the country require long-term planning and the implementation of long-term strategies. The absurdity of the situation is that such problems, including the most important foreign policy agendas, lack a systemic approach, solutions and consensus-building public discourse. This phenomenon is a reflection of a society ill-prepared to face the country’s challenges and rise to the task of building a modern and effective state.

There is no question that some will, and rightfully so, see the root cause of the problems facing the country today in the ineffective policies and rampant corruption in the previous governments who were unable or unwilling to appropriately resolve them. But it is also a fact that no urgency is noticeable even today to address the many issues facing the country and to implement effective solutions. We must remember that merely pointing to the past and blaming the past governments for all the woes of the nation does not make the problems go away.

History teaches us to accept governments, past and present, with their good as well as their bad.

We must agree that all future political campaigns designed to win over the public must seriously address the above-mentioned problems and propose paths for their solution. While the ordinary citizen may find character assassination and or blitzing the media with harsh criticism of past governments interesting and entertaining, that strategy will never be able to respond to the most important questions that a conscientious citizen may pose: What solutions to a myriad of problems facing the country are the messengers offering and how do they intend to accomplish their campaign promises once they come to power? Why this intense drive to take over the government? Why do people want to come to power? 

There was a time that citizens believed that the most important thing was “change.” Change the government and things will be better. But the aftermath of the purported revolution of 2018 has come to demonstrate that the question of who will come to power and what they propose to do and how is much more important than just change itself.

If the correct answers to these most important questions are not there, then the political campaigns and their struggle to power will simply mean selfish drive at best, to occupy the governmental palace and perhaps waste the state’s budget. We all know that we can’t afford such luxury anymore. The next 10 to 15 years will go by fast, and we will ultimately find ourselves staring into the abyss.

The future generation of 2040 may also argue that many of their problems were inherited from the first president’s tenure and point out the mistakes of the second or third presidents and the opportunities lost during their terms in office. They could also point out the fourth government’s childish, arrogant and amateurish behavior as the main reason opportunities for real change were wasted. Moreover, twenty years from now they may even decide who to execute for the collapse of the pension fund system with its compulsory component? Execute the central bank’s team who first proposed it during the reign of the previous regime but couldn’t implement it for lack of public and political support or the  team that came to power after the 2018 purported revolution and without hesitation implemented the previous regime’s (characterized as criminal by the revolutionary government) questionable program?

History teaches us to accept governments, past and present, with their good as well as their bad. This is the law of time and history. In the days of all former governments we have had a mixed bag of achievements, mistakes, victories and losses. But all that is now history. Maybe it’s time to think of the future that is approaching much faster than we think?

https://www.aravot-en.am/2020/02/09/249873/





Asbarez: 105-Year-Old Italian National Applies for Armenian Citizenship

Antonian Lara
February 5, 2020

YEREVAN (Armenpress)—Nurhan Yusupovich, a 105-year-old Italian citizen, wants to acquire Armenian citizenship, Head of the Passport and Visa Department of the Police of Armenia Mnatsakan Bichakhchyan told Armenpress.

“Nurhan was born in 1915 in Western Armenia. Now, he is 105-years-old and is an Italian citizen. He wants to get Armenian citizenship,” Bichakhchyan said, adding that they made exclusions and received the necessary documents from his house. “We wish him longevity and health.”

Asbarez: Yerevan Resident Donates Bone Marrow Cells to Save Brother’s Life

Antonian Lara

Donor Arman Hakobyan

Facilitated by ABMDR, the Cell-Harvesting Procedure is the 34th in the History of the Organization

LOS ANGELES—Arman Hakobyan, a Yerevan resident, donated bone marrow T cells to help save the life of his brother, a cancer patient currently undergoing treatment in Germany.

Arman Hakobyan was identified by the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry as a perfect bone marrow match for his sibling, who suffers from a life-threatening illness. The harvesting of the donor’s bone marrow T cells, facilitated by ABMDR, was performed in the Armenian capital, with the intention of using them for an urgent T cell transplant that could potentially save his brother’s life.

The painless, non-invasive harvesting of cells from the donor was the 34th such procedure in ABMDR’s history. As soon as the harvesting was completed, the donated cells were flown to Germany with the help of a special courier. Present at the harvesting procedure were ABMDR President Dr. Frieda Jordan, Executive Director Dr. Sevak Avagyan, and Medical Director Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan, among other lab-staff members.

ABMDR executive staff with the courier from Germany

“Our 34th harvesting, the first this year, is a wonderful milestone,” said Dr. Frieda Jordan. “This is what ABMDR’s life-saving mission is all about. It’s what we, our organization’s volunteers, supporters, patients, and their families, across the globe, tirelessly work for and look forward to.”

Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 31,000 donors in 33 countries across four continents, identified over 9,000 patients, and facilitated 33 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call 323.663.3609 or visit the website.

Eurovision: Armenia announces 12 acts national selection Depi Evratesil 2020

Antonian Lara
Eurovision TV
Jan 28 2020

Posted at 20:04 CET

Armenia will choose its Eurovision 2020 participant via the national selection format ‘Depi Evratesil’ again. Armenian broadcaster AMPTV received 53 valid applications that were reviewed by a professional jury, but the 12 best acts were picked to compete during the national final on 15 February. The winner will get the chance to become the country’s representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020.

Depi Evratesil 2020 will take place at 19:00 CET on 15 February 2020 on Armenia’s Channel One and www.1tv.am.

Whilst reviewing applications, the jury took into account the validness of the application, if the song was in line with the rules and the format of the contest, as well as the diversity of music genres. The jury members included Naira Gurjinyan, Anita Hakhverdyan, Lilia Nikoyan, Ruben Babayan, Vardan Hakobyan, Tigran Danielyan, David Tserunyan, Karen Tataryan and Anush Ter-Ghukasyan.

1. Athena Manoukian

2. TOKIONINE

3. ERNA

4. Miriam Baghdasaryan

5. Agop

6. Karina EVN

7. Vladimir Arzumanyan

8. Hayk Music

9. Arthur Aleq

10. Gabriel Jeeg

11. EVA Rida

12. Sergey & Nikolay Arutyunov

Armenia PM publicizes promised fact about Constitutional Court president

Antonian Lara
News.am, Armenia
Jan 26 2020

17:18, 26.01.2020
                  

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has publicized the promised fact about president Hrayr Tovmasyan of the Constitutional Court (CC) of Armenia.

“This is Hrayr Tovmasyan’s pen. I’d been thinking about whether or not throwing it to the garbage bin for a long time,” he wrote, in particular, on Facebook. “In the end, I decided to keep, as a testimony of the most bizarre buttering-up, flattery I’ve ever seen.

After being elected Prime Minister, I met with Hrayr Tovmasyan for the first time at the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund convened in May2018. He was sitting next to me.

It seemed strange to me, Mr. Tovmasyan’s obviously flattering attitude towards me—a man as a result of whose actions his longtime political team had been crushed just days earlier.

Then I had to make a note, I couldn’t find my pen, (…) he suggested this ‘elite’ pen of his.

I made my notes, gave a talk, and my attempts to return the pen to him became a story.

In short, this pen remained with me as a ‘pledge of faithfulness.’

Anyway, then the petitions for a reception by me started. I didn’t accept.

Then July 5 [Constitution Day anniversary] was drawing near. ‘Message-requests’ began for me to participate in the reception to be held at the CC that day.

I refused, moreover, several times because I understood that the person occupying the CC wanted achieve legitimacy in this way.

Then we met in the Christmas [church] liturgy in 2019. He began buttering up to [my wife] Anna [Hakobyan] that, ‘I thank you for giving my daughter scholarship.’

Then, the person whom he referenced recently came to me several times to report that ‘Hrayr says, ‘I wrote this Constitution. Why doesn’t the Prime Minister use my capabilities?’

In response, I suggested to him to go somewhere far, far away.”

7 hrs ·

This is Hrayr Tovmasyan’s pen. For a long time I thought about whether to throw it in the garbage or not.

In the end, I decided to keep it as a testament to the strangest cuddling I’ve ever seen.

After being elected Prime Minister, I met Hrayr Tovmasyan for the first time in 2018. at the meeting of the Board of Trustees of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund held in May. He was sitting next to me.

I found Mr. Tovmasyan’s apparently flattering behavior towards me, a man whose long-time political team had been crushed by his actions just days before, to be strange to me.

He used to address me exclusively as “Dear Mr. Pashinyan”, “Dear Prime Minister”. Those “gentlemen” are still scratching my ears. By the way, during the entire history of our contact, he did not address me in any other way. exclusively with “jan”.

Then he suddenly remembered and considered it important to emphasize that he is Ijevan’s son-in-law.

Then I had to make a note, I couldn’t find my pen, I don’t remember, I wanted him to notice that I was looking for a pen and offered him this “elite” pen.

I made my notes, gave a speech and my attempts to return the pen to him became history. It is your pen, please take it, what will happen, etc. It was already becoming an awkward story in front of the cameras.

In short, this pen has remained with me as a “faithful stalwart”. Now I think, when I picked up the pen back then, my subconscious was working to have an “objective fact” today.

Anyway, then applications for admission started coming to me. I did not accept.

Then July 5th approached. “message-requests” started for me to participate in the reception to be held at the CC that day.

I refused, several times, because I understood that the person occupying the CC wants to gain legitimacy that way.

Then we met in 2019. at the Christmas Mass. He started teasing Anna, thank you for giving my daughter a scholarship. When I saw that the level of flattery was going too far, I said that they didn’t know who it was. Although, it turned out, they really did not know (I should also say that knowing or not knowing would not matter for the decision: it is a matter of clear criteria).

Then several times the person to whom he had referred recently came to report to me that Hrayr says that I wrote this Constitution, why the prime minister does not use my opportunities.

In response, I offered him to go somewhere far away.



Armenpress: MPs of Armenia and Artsakh hold minute’s silence to honor victims of Baku massacres

Antonian Lara

MPs of Armenia and Artsakh hold minute’s silence to honor victims of Baku massacres

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 11:27,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The joint special session on the 30th anniversary of Baku massacres held by the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between Republic of Armenia and Artsakh started with a minute’s silence, reports ARMENPRESS.

The Committee is co-chaired by Presidents of the National Assemblies of Armenia and Artsakh Ararat Mirzoyan and Ashot Ghoulian. 

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan