Author: Boris Nahapetian

Artsakh president-elect announces upcoming administration appointments

Boris Nahapetian

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 15:32,

STEPANAKERT, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. President-elect of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan has revealed some of his picks for his upcoming government.

Harutyunyan said his Chief of Staff will be Karen Danielyan. Lusine Gharakhanyan will be appointed Minister of Education, Science and Sport.

Aram Sargsyan will serve as Minister of Urban Development.

He said that his Free Fatherland Alliance has held a meeting and decided to select Artur Tovmasyan as candidate for Speaker of Parliament.

The bloc’s parliamentary faction will be led by Artur Harutyunyan.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Ruling bloc lawmakers involved in brawl ready to resign if opposition reciprocates

Boris Nahapetian

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 16:19,

YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Parliament Majority Leader (My Step bloc) Lilit Makunts has revealed the condition when three of their lawmakers will resign over the May 8 brawl during a parliament session.

“Bright Armenia faction is not a victim, it is a party to the conflict, moreover a party inciting the conflict. Sasun Mikayelyan is ready to resign in case of Edmon Marukyan also resigning. My Step lawmakers Artak Manukyan and Vahe Ghalumyan are also ready to resign, with the condition of Bright Armenia lawmakers Hrant Ayvazyan and Sargis Alexanyan also resigning. This is our stance, fairness and political consequence which must take place,” Makunts said.

On May 8, a bitter argument during a parliament session between opposition leader of the Bright Armenia party Edmon Marukyan and My Step lawmaker Sasun Mikayelyan escalated into a fistfight. Bright Armenia boycotted the session afterwards and called for “political assessments and consequences”.

Afterwards, PM Nikol Pashinyan spoke in parliament, and said that the incident was a result of a provocation by Bright Armenia, but at the same he condemned his My Step bloc for their actions.  

The Bright Armenia party once again condemned the government’s reaction on the incident on May 11 through a statement.

Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenian MP: Referendum peremptory as long as there is parliament decision

Boris Nahapetian
News.am, Armenia
May 6 2020

17:30, 06.05.2020

The referendum is peremptory as long as there is a decision of the National Assembly, and as far as I know, a date for the referendum must be set after the end of the legal regime of state of emergency. This is what head of the Bright Armenia faction Edmon Marukyan told reporters today.

“While I was listening to the Prime Minister’s speech, I thought to myself that the government has done whatever our faction has said over the past two years after sharply criticizing us. We told the government there is no need for a referendum and there are other solutions. It’s up to the government to decide. The government decided to hold a referendum, but it might decide to cancel it,” Marukyan said.

Former Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan invited to the April War Investigation Committee

Boris Nahapetian
Arminfo, Armenia
May 7 2020

ArmInfo. Former Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan has been invited to the committee to investigate the events of the April war of 2016. On May 7, Chairman  of the Committee Andranik Kocharyan stated this in an interview with  reporters. He said that the meeting will be held on May 11 at 1:00pm.

To note, the parliamentary commission to investigate the  circumstances of the April war in Karabakh was created in 2019. The  Committee included representatives of all factions of the National  Assembly. The purpose of its work is to identify possible errors,  shortcomings or inaction on the part of the then authorities during  the aforementioned period of aggravation of the situation at the  border, which led to the death of more than 100 Armenian servicemen.

The Committee has already questioned the third president of Armenia,  Serzh Sargsyan, former Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan, former  Minister of Defense of Artsakh Levon Mnatsakanyan, head of the  General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia Artak Davtyan, while  former chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia Yuri  Khachaturov refused to attend the meeting of the committee.

Armenian deputy PM: Now we can service at least several thousand active cases

Boris Nahapetian
News.am, Armenia
May 3 2020

18:08, 03.05.2020
                  

Armenian PM urges citizens to pay utility bills to avoid ‘systemic collapse’

Boris Nahapetian
Panorama, Armenia

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on citizens to pay their electricity and gas bills, waning it could cause a systemic collapse in the county.

In a Facebook live on Tuesday, the premier stressed that the Electric Networks of Armenia and Gazprom Armenia buy raw materials to make products, pay the salaries of their employees, as well as pay large amounts of taxes.

He recalled the government’s promise not to cut off the electricity and gas supplies for consumers in case of their failure to pay off the utility bills, adding, however, while making the promise they hoped the state of emergency would end on 16 April.

“But the things did not go along with that. A situation emerged in which not only those who can’t afford payments, but also those who can began to avoid paying bills,” the PM said, adding an analysis of the list of consumers who have paid the bills has revealed that rich people have stated to avoid paying their utility bills.

“In fact, subscribers do not pay the networks, the networks – the producers, the producers – the suppliers, their employees and taxes. As a result, there is a risk that we will not be able to pay pensions,” Pashinyan said, stressing the situation may also cause a systemic collapse in which the whole energy system in the country will fail to operate.

Over the past few days 7 billion drams of bills were paid, as a result of which the system was saved from collapse.

According to the data released by the PM, there are 775,000 electricity subscribers and 623,000 gas subscribers in Armenia.

At the moment, according to him, the electricity supply of 4,300 subscribers and the gas supply of 736 subscribers have been cut off.

“My task is to respond to the operative challenges. I understand that we will all suffer losses. But my task is to bring the country out of this crisis with minimal losses. This is our strategy,” Nikol Pashinyan said.

He stated the utility crisis should be resolved in a way other than the non-payment of bills, since it could lead to speculations and threaten a systemic collapse.

“We will obviously find another solution to the issue, but it will not be 100% perfect,” he stated.

The prime minister said Armenia will start easing the coronavirus restrictions in the next 10 days with safety guidelines to be set for each sector by the Ministry of Health.

“The restrictions will only remain in place in the education system,” he added.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 21-04-20

Boris Nahapetian

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 17:56,

YEREVAN, 21 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 21 April, USD exchange rate is down by 1.65 drams to 480.87 drams. EUR exchange rate is down by 3.96 drams to 520.93 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is down by 0.21 drams to 6.28 drams. GBP exchange rate is down by 8.31 drams to 593.49 drams.

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

Gold price is down by 187.97 drams to 26069.2 drams. Silver price is down by 0.96 drams to 234.22 drams. Platinum price is down by 56.83 drams to 12043.6 drams.

SRC publishes list of top 1000 tax payers of Armenia

Boris Nahapetian

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 20:26,

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. The State Revenue Committee of Armenia has published the list of top 1000 tax payers of Armenia. ARMENPRESS reports in the 1st quarter of 2020the taxes paid by the top 1000 tax payers amounted to 245 billion and 633 million AMD.

The largest taxpayer in Armenia is “Gazprom Armenia”. The company paid 17.7 billion AMD taxes.

“Grand Tobacco” ranks second. The company over 15 billion AMD taxes.  

International Masis Tabak ranks 3rd with over 5 billion AMD payments.

CPS Oil is the 4th with over 4 billion AMD payments and MTS Armenia is the 5th – over 3.8 billion AMD payments.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Silver coins dedicated to Gevorg Chavush and 75th anniversary of Great Victory issued in Armenia

Boris Nahapetian
Armbanks, Armenia

21.04.2020 14:38

YEREVAN, April 21. /ARKA/. The Central Bank of Armenia has issued “Gevorg Chavush” and “The 75th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War” silver collection coins, the regulator’s press service reports.

Gevorg Chavush

Sterling silver coins with a face value of 1000 drams were issued in 500 pieces. They were minted at the Lithuanian Mint.

The author of the sketches is Karapet Abrahamyan. A shield and a sword against the background of sunlight are depicted on the obverse of the coin, and a prototype of a sculptural portrait of Gevorg Chavush (a fragment of the memorial complex dedicated to Armenian hayducks by Y. Minasyan), and an eagle with a sword are depicted on the reverse side.

Gevorg Chavush (Ghazorg Ghazaryan, 1870-1907 is the hero of the Armenian liberation movement.

He studied at the school of the monastery of St. Karapet (Mush). He took part in the self-defense battles of the city of Sasun (1891-1894). In September 1894, he was arrested by the Turkish government and sentenced to 15 years in prison. In 1896, he escaped from prison in Sasun, met the Commander Andranik and became his comrade in arms.

In 1901 Gevorg Chavush participated in the Berdak and Norshen battles, in the battle at the Arakelots monastery, in 1904 in the Sasun uprising, commanded the self-defense operations of Ishkhanadzor and Talvorik.

Gevorg Chavush’s fighting detachment fought heroic battles against superior Turkish forces in various regions of Western Armenia. On May 27, 1907, Turkish troops surrounded Chavush’s detachment near the village of Sulukh (Mush Plain), on the outskirts of which near the bridge Chavush died in an unequal battle.

Chavush is one of the leaders of the Armenian Fidaini movement against the Turkish political regime, devoted to the cause of the liberation of his people and a dedicated soldier.

The monument to Chavush (sculptor – Levon Tokmajyan) is installed on the square of the same name in Yerevan. Streets, schools in Yerevan, in other regions of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh are named after him.

The 75th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War

Coins with a face value of 75 drams are made of sterling silver and issued of 500 pieces. They were minted at the Lithuanian Mint.

The author of the sketches is Karapet Abrahamyan. The monument “Mother Armenia” in Yerevan and the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree are depicted on the obverse of the coin, and a shield and the St. George ribbon on the reverse side.

The Great Patriotic War (June 22, 1940 – May 9, 1945) is the war of the USSR against Nazi Germany and its allies, the most important and decisive part of the World War II (1939-1945).

Together with other nations of the Soviet Union, Armenians heroically fought against the enemy – more than 500,000 people, of whom about 200 thousand fell in battles. As many as 106 Armenian soldiers received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 27 were awarded Orders of Glory of three degrees, more than 70 thousand received orders and medals.

The command structure of the USSR Armed Forces included more than 60 Armenian generals and one admiral who commanded large military units. –0–

Asbarez: Glendale News-Press to Publish Last Edition Saturday

Boris Nahapetian

A screen shot of the Glendale News-Press website announcing the impending closure of the newspaper on April 16

The Los Angeles Times announced on Thursday that it plans to stop publishing three of its community newspapers: the Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader and La Cañada Valley Sun, adding that staff members will be laid off.

“This was a difficult business decision in a trying time for community newspapers compounded by the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The three titles, while journalistically sound, are operating at significant losses,” said the L.A. Times in a note to its readers published Thursday.

The company announced that the final editions of the Glendale News-Press and the Burbank Leader will be published Saturday, with the Valley Sun going out after its final issue slated for April 23. “The community papers’ work will be archived at latimes.com,” said the note.

The L.A. Times cited falling print circulation and advertising revenue as the impetus behind its decision. In its note to its readers, the L.A. Times pledged that it will continue to cover “larger” news stories in the areas covered by the three publications.

“It is often the smaller stories covered by local newspapers that bring out the true essence and vitality of a a city,” said Ara Khachatourian, editor of Asbarez. “It is always disheartening to see a newspaper close.”

“Without its daily online presence and its print iterations, Glendale, Burbank and La Canada sadly will lose the local insight that the three publications brought,” added Khachatourian. “We wish the journalists and staff at these publications the best in their endeavors in these difficult times.”

All three publications have had a long and storied impact on the communities they covered. Glenadle News-Press began publication in 1905 and served as the newspaper of record for all things Glendale. The Burbank Leader was founded in 1985 as a successor to the Burbank Daily Review, which was founded in 1908. The La Cañada Valley Sun started publication in April 1946.

The Los Angeles Times bought the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader in 1993 and the Valley Sun in 2005, incorporating them as part the Times Community News division.