Author: Chmshkian Vicken

Armenia’s coronavirus plight worsens with more than 1,000 more infections in two days

Chmshkian Vicken
BNE Intellinews
June 3  2020
Armenia’s official @Armenia Twitter account has been sending out face mask photography in an effort to encourage Armenians to wear the coverings, which have been compulsory outdoors since May 25.
By bne IntelIiNews June 3, 2020

Armenia has reported more than one thousand more coronavirus (COVID-19) infections registered over June 2 and 3. The country has suffered a steady growth of cases since it started relaxing a nationwide lockdown in mid-April.

June 2’s total of 517 cases was a daily record, while June 3 was only slightly behind with 515, taking the overall total to 10,524, with 170 deaths attributed to COVID-19, the Armenian Health Ministry said.

News of the spike comes shortly after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced he and four members of his family had tested positive for the virus.

Health authorities added that 3,427 patients have been logged as recovered from the disease.

Following the lockdown, virtually all sectors of the Armenian economy were allowed to reopen by May 10. The country is impoverished and officials were concerned that a prolonged lockdown could cause irreparable economic damage.

Pashinian’s government has so far not indicated that it has any plans to reimpose restrictions. It contends that face masks, social distancing and frequent handwashing should be enough stop the spread of the virus, but Pashinian has demanded that the country’s population of 2.9mn show more discipline in following the specified measures.

“We have to learn to live with the novel coronavirus,” he said.

The PM has isolated himself at his official residence. He is continuing with his activities as head of the government from there.

ADB, Electric Networks of Armenia Sign $20 Million Working Capital Support Loan

Chmshkian Vicken
India Education Diary
June 3 2020
By India Education Diary Bureau Admin
 

New Delhi: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Electric Networks of Armenia Closed Joint-Stock Company (ENA) have signed a $20 million loan for a working capital support facility to ensure vital supplies of energy as the country manages the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

ENA has sole responsibility for operating and maintaining Armenia’s entire energy distribution network, providing services to more than 1 million customers. The assistance will strengthen ENA’s liquidity, enabling it to maintain sustainable and high-quality service delivery during the pandemic. All households and businesses across Armenia will benefit from the uninterrupted supply of electricity to cities.

The loan agreement was signed by Director of Infrastructure Finance, South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia at ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department Shantanu Chakraborty, and ENA General Director Karen Harutyunyan.

“Ensuring the supply of electricity will enable economic activity across the country and enhance the ability of Armenian cities to sustain an effective response to the pandemic,” said Mr. Chakraborty. “ADB has a strong relationship with ENA and we are happy to provide this support. We believe it will set a precedent for further private sector interventions to help reduce the economic impact of the crisis.”

“We’re now facing the greatest challenge of our time. The COVID-19 pandemic is much more than a health crisis, it is also a devastating social and economic problem,” said Mr. Harutyunyan. “We are so grateful to ADB and all our partners for their commitment and great assistance in this difficult period.”

ENA is owned by Tashir Capital Closed Joint-Stock Company and by Liormand Holdings Limited. The Tashir group is one of the largest diversified industrial and construction companies operating across several industrial sectors in the Russian Federation. In 2017, ADB approved an $80 million loan to ENA to help improve electricity distribution and increase energy independence and efficiency.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.



What apartments did Azerbaijani FM Mammadyarov’s son purchase in New York?

Chmshkian Vicken
Panorama, Armenia
June 2 2020

In late May 2020, the Azerbaijani media reported that Emin Mammadyarov, the eldest son of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, purchased two apartments in New York in 2015. The Armenian Center for American Studies has revealed some important details about the deals.

Accordingly, Mammadyarov’s apartments are located at the luxurious Manhattan buildings named after Trump and served by his company at the address: 250 Riverside Boulevard, Manhattan, NY.

As a presidential candidate, Trump still had business projects in Azerbaijan and the country’s authorities were trying to establish close ties with him and his family.

The center recalls that Trump Tower was being built in Baku, and Ivanka Trump came to oversee its construction. It is noteworthy that the Azerbaijani foreign minister did not gain much from the deal, as Trump shut down his business in Azerbaijan immediately after assuming the presidency.

“Later in 2019, 74% of Trump Place residents voted to have Trump’s name removed from the building (it is interesting how Mammadyarov voted). Although the service is still run by Trump’s organization, the decision could have cost the building’s residents up to $1 million, which must be paid to Trump (Mammadyarov will also pay).

“Thus, Mammadyarov’s son has purchased two apartment units (PH2K and PH3K) in the penthouse, which are located side by side. One apartment cost $2.05 million, while the other –$2.2 million.

“The transaction was made either in cash or by transfer, as no mortgage was issued in Emin’s name. Another interesting fact is that Mammadyarov’s son is registered at the apartment located at 250 East Houston Street #6D, Manhattan, NY, which probably belongs to him, too. The apartment costs $989,894,” the center said.

The Armenian Center for American Studies also shared the photo of the document containing the details of the transaction, the photo of the building taken in 2018, as well as the images of the purchased apartment. 

Newspaper: Armenia top political forces make mutual accusations of lying at PACE

Chmshkian Vicken
News.am, Armenia

10:03, 30.05.2020
                  

823 businesses sanctioned for violating coronavirus safety guidelines

Chmshkian Vicken

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 12:08,

YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. 823 businesses in Armenia have been sanctioned and shut down for 24-hours for non-compliance or violation of the national coronavirus safety guidelines, the governmental Inspection Agencies Coordination Office head Artur Asoyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

He said the inspections are carried out in the most potentially risky areas of activities such as manufacturing plants, banks or shopping areas.

87 public eateries were shut down for 24 hours during one week. Another 12 will be sanctioned today, he said.

According to Asoyan, the food safety inspection agency provided consultations to over 9500 public food sector businesses.

The health and labor inspection agency, in turn, sanctioned 290 businesses.

Asoyan said inspections are also carried out in kindergartens.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Artsakh defense army fully controls the situation on the frontline

Chmshkian Vicken
Panorama, Armenia

Azerbaijani military breached the ceasefire along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact around 180 times in the past week. In the period from may 17 to 23, the adversary fired more than 3,000 shots towards the Armenian defense positions from firearms of different calibers, the Artsakh Defense Ministry reported.

Apart from the mentioned breaches,  Azerbaijani armed forces attempted a subversive attack on one of the combat positions of a military base of the the Defense Army. As the press department at the Artsakh Defense Ministry reported, the frontline units of the Defense Army detected the advancement of the Azerbaijani special units and thwarted them, inflicting losses. During the shooting, the Defense Army  suffered no losses, the source said. 

“The frontline units of the Defense Army continue controlling the situation on the frontline and taking necessary measures for the reliable protection of combat positions,” the statement added.

Diamond production on the rise in Armenia

Chmshkian Vicken
Panorama, Armenia
May 2 2020

The volumes of diamond production have significantly grown in Armenia, according to the data release by the country’s National Statistical Service (NSS). The newly released data suggest, 89,352 carats diamonds were produced in January-February 2020, which is 2.1 times increase over the volumes produced during the mentioned period in previous year.

The total production of January-February 2019 amounted to 41,634 karats.

According to NSS data, 195kg of jewelry were produced in Armenia in the reporting period, which is 76.2% more to compare with the last year’s volumes. To note, 110.7kg jewelry were produced in January-February 2019.

Human rights activist demands release of video of Armenian deputy parliamentary speaker and union member

Chmshkian Vicken
News.am, Armenia

23:51, 29.04.2020
                  

Human rights activist Ruben Melikyan demands that the video recording of today’s incident between Alen Simonyan and Artur Danielyan in central Yerevan immediately and completely. He posted the following on his Facebook page:

“The incident that took place between Alen Simonyan and Artur Danielyan in central Yerevan today was taped with security cameras belonging to a private organization. In response to an inquiry from lawyers, we were told that the video recordings have been seized by law-enforcement authorities.

Taking into consideration the nature of the incident and the great public resonance, I demand that the video recording be released immediately and completely. We will consider the delay of release with the excuse of “secret of preliminary investigation” illegitimate since, in this case, the right of the public to know the truth is absolutely overriding.”

Armenia decries crimes against ‘civilization’ on genocide anniversary

Chmshkian Vicken
The Loop, Canada


Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday decried crimes against “civilization” and demanded an apology from Turkey as his country marked the 105th anniversary of the First World War-era Armenian genocide.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday decried crimes against “civilization” and demanded an apology from Turkey as his country marked the 105th anniversary of the First World War-era Armenian genocide.

The genocide is a “crime not only against our ethnic identity, but also against human civilization,” Pashinyan said in a message after laying flowers at a genocide memorial in the capital Yerevan.

Commemorative events were scaled back this year due to the coronavirus restrictions imposed throughout the country, and the Yerevan memorial was closed to the public.

In a short video address at the memorial, Pashinyan said that after more than a century, “the consequences of the genocide have not been eliminated.”

“Turkey has not yet apologised for what it did,” he said, adding that Yerevan “demands” that Ankara officially recognize the massacres as genocide.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart during the First World War in what amounted to genocide, a claim supported by some 30 countries.

Turkey fiercely rejects the genocide label, arguing that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with invading Russian troops.

Yerevan has long demanded Ankara provide financial compensation and restore property rights to the descendants of those killed in the 1915-1918 massacres, which Armenians call Meds Yeghern or the Great Crime.

Pashinyan said Armenians “are still facing the challenges posed to our people at the outset of the twentieth century.”

He said that instead of visiting the memorial, Armenians worldwide will be able to send their names to a mobile number to have them displayed on the pillars of the memorial until dawn.

Commemorations started in Armenia on Thursday evening, when street lights were switched off and church bells chimed across the country.

Yerevan residents also switched off lights in their homes and many lit candles or waved mobile telephone flashlights at windowsills.

Last month, Armenia — which has reported 1,596 coronavirus cases and 27 deaths — declared a state of emergency and imposed a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the infection.

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