Author: Chmshkian Vicken

Moody’s affirms Armenia’s rating at Ba3, maintains stable outlook

Chmshkian Vicken

Moody’s affirms Armenia’s rating at Ba3, maintains stable outlook

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 10:30, 1 September, 2021

SINGAPORE, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) has affirmed the Government of Armenia’s Ba3 local and foreign currency long-term issuer ratings and foreign currency senior unsecured rating. The outlook remains stable.

“The affirmation of the Ba3 ratings is driven by the credit profile’s resilience to the significant shocks of the coronavirus pandemic and geopolitical and domestic political tensions, and Moody’s expectations that growth and fiscal strength will recover over the medium term. The fiscal profile in particular has proven resilient and will stabilize over the medium term, with debt consolidation expected from 2021 onward as growth and revenue rebound, and as the government adjusts expenditure downward in line with fiscal rules. Meanwhile, Moody’s assesses that the 2020 ceasefire agreement with Azerbaijan and the June snap parliamentary election have reduced near-term political risks, supporting economic recovery and minimizing the impact to Armenia’s fundamental growth outlook. External deficits drive currency valuation risks that can transmit to fiscal strength and financial stability, although external buffers have increased to withstand these potential shocks.

The stable outlook reflects balanced risks to the Ba3 rating. While a developing track record of policy effectiveness supports the development of a diversity of higher productivity sectors, growth potential remains constrained by demographic pressures and the small scale of the economy. Upside risk stems from more effective reforms that contribute to sustained growth at higher rates than Moody’s currently assumes over the medium term. Event risk remains the key source of downside risk due to geopolitical tensions with neighboring countries, and external vulnerability and banking system risks resulting from the high share of foreign-currency debt, structural current account deficits, and a highly dollarized banking system.

Armenia’s local and foreign currency country ceilings remain unchanged at Baa2 and Ba1, respectively. The four-notch gap between the local currency ceiling and the sovereign rating reflects a balance between the government’s small footprint in the economy and strong institutions, and geopolitical tensions with neighboring countries and external deficits that expose the economy to external shocks. The two-notch gap between the foreign currency ceiling and the local currency ceiling incorporates Moody’s assessment of Armenia’s policy effectiveness and transfer and convertibility restrictions in times of stress,” Moody’s said in a  on August 31.

Deputy governor of Armenia’s Syunik: Negotiations on reopening of Goris-Kapan motorway resumed

Chmshkian Vicken
News.am, Armenia
Aug 26 2021
16:22, 26.08.2021

Negotiations on reopening the Goris-Kapan motorway have resumed Thursday at around 3pm. Kamo Avanesyan, Deputy Governor of Syunik Province of Armenia, told about this to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“There were negotiations in the morning, then they stopped, then they resumed in the afternoon. Trilateral [i.e., Armenian-Russian-Azerbaijani] negotiations are underway. We are waiting for a positive result so that the issue is resolved today, the road is [re]opened. It will be clear by 6pm,” Avanesyan said, noting that the Azerbaijani side, however, first refused to meet with the Armenian side, but then agreed.

As reported earlier, the Azerbaijani soldiers have blocked a section of the Goris-Kapan motorway as of 11pm Wednesday, and they refuse to reopen it. About four dozen cars on this road section were evacuated at night. At the moment, the Kapan-Goris motorway is closed near Vorotan.

And the Office of the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia reported that at around 12:20pm on Thursday, the Azerbaijani servicemen have closed off as well the road leading from Goris city to Vorotan village in Syunik Province.

WarGonzo: Azerbaijan soldier detained in Karabakh had photographed Russia peacekeepers’ location

Chmshkian Vicken
News.am, Armenia
Aug 26 2021
16:37, 26.08.2021

Azerbaijan claims that its soldier had gotten lost, but there is reason to believe that this soldier had come to Martakert, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) for other purposes, according to WarGonzo.

In particular, according to sources, this soldier had a smartphone with a large number of photos and videos which show the location of various facilities of the Russian peacekeeping forces and the movement of Russian equipment.

In addition, exactly one day ago, according to WarGonzo reporters, another “upsetting incident” took place in the Lisagor area, with the involvement of an Azerbaijani, the details of which, however, are not reported.

The impression is that the Azerbaijani MP’s statement about Artsakh, the Azerbaijani soldiers’ closure of the Goris-Kapan motorway in Armenia, the incident with Azerbaijani soldier in Martakert, and the situation in the Lisagor region are part of Azerbaijan’s strategy towards Artsakh to destabilize the region, WarGonzo writes in its Telegram channel.

Armenian Ambassador met with former French President François Hollande to discuss the situation around Artsakh

Chmshkian Vicken
Panorama, Armenia
July 2 2021

On June 30, Armenian Ambassador to France Hasmik Tolmajyan met with former French President François Hollande, the Embassy said in a message on Friday. According to the source, the parties discussed the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh. The Ambassador briefed the former president on the humanitarian and security issues occured after Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia and Artsakh, including the issue of Armenian captives illegally held in Azerbaijan. 

The Ambassador also thanked François Hollande for the continuous support offered to Armenia and the Armenian people and the input in  strengthening of the Armenian-French friendly relations. 

State minister: Power supply problems in Artsakh are more acute today

Chmshkian Vicken
Panorama, Armenia
July 1 2021

Due to the Azerbaijani occupation of Artsakh’s territories during last year’s war, the Armenian side has lost control over many of the country’s water resources today. The Artsakh authorities plan to build reservoirs to deal with the water-related problem.

“Large-scale programs have already been elaborated. In particular, we plan to construct several reservoirs to facilitate the management of our water resources. At the same time, we intend to solve the problem of drinking water in all communities in 3 years, with certain additional solutions to be provided for Stepanakert,” State Minister of Artsakh Artak Beglaryan told a news conference on Thursday.

He said the authorities also prioritize water quality issues, adding a research is currently underway.

“Measures are being taken to tighten control [over the system], reduce additional risks, improve water quality and have a positive impact on public health. I think that after some time we will be able to offer clear programs to our society,” the minister said.

Speaking about the damaged infrastructures, which were deliberately targeted by Azerbaijani forces during the war, Beglaryan said intense efforts have been taken to restore them.

“We can already announce that almost all our infrastructures have been restored. Only in some communities, the consequences of the war still remain due to the control of artesian wells and some other minor problems,” he said.

Speaking about the power supply in the country, Beglaryan noted that since the system of hydroelectric power plants in Artsakh basically fell under the control of Azerbaijan, additional work is needed now to ensure the independence and self-sufficiency of the system.

“We have a problem with the modernization of the power supply system, which existed even before the war, but is more acute today. There are also programs on this matter and solutions will be offered in the near future,” he said.

Turkish Press: Turkey, Azerbaijan sign protocol of alliance

Chmshkian Vicken
Hurriyet, Turkey
June 15 2021

Turkey and Azerbaijan have signed a protocol of alliance in a bid to further strengthen their ties following the latter’s victory in Nagorno-Karabakh that liberated occupied Azeri lands from Armenian occupation.

The protocol was signed between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijan President İlham Aliyev in Shusha, a city liberated by the Azeri army during the six-week armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in late 2020.

“With the Shusha Protocol, we have determined the road map of our relations in the new term. It’s very important that this protocol has been materialized in Shusha. This protocol contains a lot of aspects of our relations as well as the vision in regards to our region,” Erdoğan told a press conference with Aliyev.

Aliyev, for his part, said they will never forget the support Turkey has lent during his country’s efforts to liberate its lands.

Erdoğan informed that Turkey is planning to open a general consulate in Shusha in a bid to intensify Turkey’s contribution to Azerbaijan’s reconstruction of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

“We will also contribute to Azerbaijan’s efforts to reconstruct the region in the way we did for the liberation of its territories,” the president said, appreciating Baku’s intensified infrastructure works in the region.

“We call on everybody to look at the future. There are new cooperation opportunities for everybody. We, as Turkey, want to further deepen our geographical relations through cooperation,” he stated.

Recalling Turkey’s calls for a regional initiative with the participation of six countries, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Iran and Armenia, Erdoğan called on Yerevan to positively respond to these calls for peace and stability.

In case all the parties would abandon hate politics and provocations in the region and Azerbaijan and Armenia would sign a comprehensive peace agreement, then Turkey will take steps for the normalization of its ties with Yerevan, Erdoğan stated.

According to the Anadolu Agency, the protocol suggests “In the event of a third state’s threat to the independence or territorial integrity of any of the parties, the parties will provide the necessary assistance to each other.”

The parties make joint efforts to resolve regional and global security and stability issues, it reads, adding “The parties state that the military-political cooperation developed between the two states and in line with their interests is not against third states.”

Flavor Matters with Serge Madikians: Armineh Hovanesian, Part 1

Chmshkian Vicken
RobinHood Radio

BY EDITOR on JUNE 16, 2021 • ( 0 )

Awarded, Published and Internationally Exhibited photographer:

Born in Paris, raised in Tehran and Boston, with a little over 2 years of dormancy in Lisbon, Armineh Hovanesian is a photographer now based in Los Angeles, capturing moments since 2009. She is one of the early members of the iphoneography/mobilephotography/mobileart movement. She has had no professional training and is self-taught however her vision has been the driving force behind her creations. Her weapons of choice are an iPhone 11 Pro Max, a Sony ILCE-5000 camera and a M Minolta XD11 camera. She dreams of working with a Rolleiflex, a Hasselblad 553 ELX, a Leica SL (Typ 601) Mirrorless camera, a Leica M6 and a Sony a99 II someday! For the time being, photography is a hobby.

Artist Statement: My photographs are not generally planned in advance, and I do not anticipate that the onlooker will share my viewpoint. However, I feel that if my photograph leaves an image on the viewer’s mind, something has been accomplished.

Born in Paris, raised in Tehran and Boston, with a little over 2 years of dormancy in Lisbon, Armineh Hovanesian is a photographer now based in Los Angeles, capturing moments since 2009. She is one of the early members of the iphoneography/mobilephotography/mobileart movement. She has had no professional training and is self-taught however her vision has been the driving force behind her creations. Her weapons of choice are an iPhone 11 Pro Max, a Sony ILCE-5000 camera and a M Minolta XD11 camera. She dreams of working with a Rolleiflex, a Hasselblad 553 ELX, a Leica SL (Typ 601) Mirrorless camera, a Leica M6 and a Sony a99 II someday! For the time being, photography is a hobby.

Artist Statement: My photographs are not generally planned in advance, and I do not anticipate that the onlooker will share my viewpoint. However, I feel that if my photograph leaves an image on the viewer’s mind, something has been accomplished.

 

Shahumyan region is the historical territory of Artsakh, where people realized their inalienable right to self-determination – Artsakh MFA

Chmshkian Vicken
Panorama, Armenia

The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Artsakh has issued a statement on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the occupation of the Shahumyan region of Artsakh. It notes that as a result of a large-scale offensive launched on June 12, 1992, the Shahumyan region had been completely captured by the Azerbaijani armed forces by mid-June 1992. During the occupation, the Azerbaijani army committed numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity, including deliberate execution of people who tried to leave the occupied settlements, extrajudicial killings of prisoners and hostages, preventing the evacuation of civilians, shelling from heavy weapons civilian infrastructure.

“As a result of the occupation of the Shahumyan region and the ensuing ethnic cleansing, about twenty Armenian villages were looted, burned and destroyed, over 20 thousand people were forced to leave their homes and became internally displaced persons and refugees, hundreds of people were brutally killed or have gone missing. The subsequent offensive of the Azerbaijani armed forces on the Martakert region led to the occupation of almost half of Artsakh and drove the Republic to the verge of humanitarian catastrophe. However, thanks to their unshakable spirit and strong will, perseverance and selfless struggle, the people of Artsakh, with the support of All Armenians, managed to undermine Azerbaijan’s plans to annihilate the Republic of Artsakh and its citizens.

In September-November 2020, Azerbaijan, with the direct military participation of Turkey and international terrorists, again tried to implement its criminal and xenophobic plans and do what it failed to do in 1991-94. In the course of the new armed aggression, Azerbaijan and its supporting forces committed war crimes and crimes against humanity on an even larger scale and with greater regularity. The new war has led to even greater human suffering, a new wave of refugees and internally displaced persons, and the occupation of a large part of the Republic of Artsakh,” the statement reads. 

According to the Ministry, Shahumyan region is an integral part of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the historical territory of Artsakh, where the Artsakh people realized their inalienable right to self-determination and subsequently established their statehood. “The de-occupation of the Shahumyan region and other territories of Artsakh occupied in 1991-1994, 2016 and 2020, along with the recognition of the right to self-determination exercised by its people, is a key element of a comprehensive settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict and the establishment of a lasting peace in the region. The ongoing illegal occupation of the territories of Artsakh is a constant source of threats to regional peace and security in the South Caucasus,” the statement concluded. 

Armenian Defense Ministry reacts to reports on deployment of Turkish forces in Black Lake area

Chmshkian Vicken
Panorama, Armenia

The Armenian Defense Ministry on Saturday reacted to media reports that Turkish special forces have been stationed in the area of Black Lake (Sev Lich) in Syunik Province.

“Some media reports suggest that special forces of the Turkish army have been deployed near Black Lake in Syunik Province for two days now.

“The Republic of Armenia, in particular the Armenian Defense Ministry, has repeatedly raised the issue that the Turkish military is heavily involved in the training, instructions and even management processes of the Azerbaijani army.

“The best evidence of this was the war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, in which the Turkish armed forces were directly involved. The presence of the Turkish military in the Azerbaijani army units has long been a fact, confirmed including by the Defense Ministry of Armenia,” the ministry said in a statement.

“From this viewpoint, the accusations that the Defense Ministry of Armenia is hiding some facts related to the presence of Turkish servicemen in the Azerbaijani armed forces are simply groundless.

“With regard to the photo of a soldier with Turkish emblem, it has been taken on non-Armenian part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the movement of the troops was controlled by the units of the Armenian armed forces, and there is no question of “deployment of a Turkish army unit” in the area,” reads the statement.

Freedom House concerned with the disturbing outbreak of violent and hateful rhetoric used during Armenian election period

Chmshkian Vicken
Panorama, Armenia

“Freedom House is concerned with the disturbing outbreak of violent and hateful rhetoric used by Armenian politicians in this election period,” the organisation said in a Facebook post, sharing Armenia’s Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan’s concerns voiced on the matter. 

“These actions drive destructive polarization and hate speech in society as the country recovers from the Nagorno-Karabakh War and prepares for historic parliamentary elections. We call on all parties to refrain from such rhetoric and adhere to democratic norms of conduct throughout the election period.” the organisation said. 

To note, earlier Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan expressed deep concerns over the atmosphere during the election campaign, stating it further deepens the polarization in society and undermines the prospect of restoring solidarity in the country.

“This has to stop! All political forces must exclude insults and swear words, any rhetoric related to hatred and violence,” Tatoyan said in a statement on Wednesday.