Author: Eduard Nalbandian

Azerbaijani press: MFA: Pashinyan’s statement raises doubts about Armenia’s sincerity

Eduard Nalbandian
27 November 2018 17:36 (UTC+04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 27

Trend:

The recent statement by Armenia’s acting prime minister Nikol Pashinyan, repeating the already expressed groundless idea of participation of Nagorno-Karabakh, in the negotiations, even though aimed for internal consumption in the pre-election period, undermines the already fragile settlement process and demonstrates the true intention of Armenia to consolidate the fait accompli situation created as a result of the use of force against Azerbaijan, said Leyla Abdullayeva, the acting spokeswoman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Abdullayeva said that if Pashinyan is interested in the settlement of the conflict he would not create obstacles to the negotiations ongoing under the aegis of OSCE Minsk Group, where the direct participants are Armenia and Azerbaijan, as it is clearly determined by the 1992 CSCE (OSCE) Helsinki Ministerial Council decision.

“The controversial and unfounded statements of Armenian acting prime minister are an indicator that he would not go far from his predecessor in “designing the better future” for people of Armenia, and this raises doubts on the sincerity of Armenia in the run-up to the bilateral meeting discussed during the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs’ visit to the region,” Abdullayeva added.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.


The issue of CSTO Secretary General will be resolved on the basis of consensus. Ambassador of the Russian Federation

Eduard Nalbandian
  • 27.11.2018

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Issues arising in the CSTO should and will be resolved on the basis of consensus. Այս մասին լրագրողների հետ զրույցում հայտարարեց ՀՀ-ում ՌԴ դեսպան Սերգեյ Կոպիրկինը:


According to him, all member states of the organization are interested in making the organization work and contribute to everyone’s security. At the same time, he expressed confidence that the issue of appointing the CSTO Secretary General will be resolved without bringing the organization to its knees.


“The issue of the General Secretary is being discussed. I am confident that it will be resolved in such a way that our organization will come out of this story stronger, including in matters of clarification and reworking of the regulations,” emphasized Kopirkin.

Mnatsakanyan: In the light of the hostile mood of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Iran is an important link for Armenia

Eduard Nalbandian
Arminfo, Armenia
Nov 30 2018
Mnatsakanyan: In the light of the hostile mood of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Iran is an important link for Armenia

Yerevan November 29

Marianna Mkrtchyan. Today, when Azerbaijan and Turkey are hostile against Armenia, Iran is an important link for us. About this in an interview with the Israeli maariv said Armenian Acting Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan.

Armenian Acting Foreign Minister recalled a centuries-old joint history with Iran. “In today’s conditions, when Azerbaijan and Turkey are hostile against Armenia, Iran is an important link for Yerevan. We have good relations with many countries, and it is important that good relations with one state do not develop at the expense of another”, Mnatsakanya said.

To clarify what the Iranian reaction will be, if Armenia strengthens relations with Israel, Mnatsakanyan reiterated that relations with one country should not develop at the expense of relations with another state. Touching upon the Armenian-Israeli cooperation in the defense sector, the Armenian diplomat stated that Armenia is concerned about its own security issues. “We have a serious problem – Nagorno-Karabakh. People there are under threat. As you know, Israel sold weapons to Azerbaijan, and based on this, we want to work with you on military cooperation,” he said.

When asked to comment on the resignation of Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Mnatsakanyan stressed that his opinion about this person will not change due to the fact that he resigned. “This is a man who sold weapons to my opponent, Azerbaijan,” Mnatsakanyan concluded.

Republican Party of Armenia: Number of statements by Nikol Pashinyan are vivid example of hate speech

Eduard Nalbandian
News.am, Armenia
Nov 27 2018
Republican Party of Armenia: Number of statements by Nikol Pashinyan are vivid example of hate speech Republican Party of Armenia: Number of statements by Nikol Pashinyan are vivid example of hate speech

20:49, 27.11.2018
                  

Armenian acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s some statements, made by him today and the day before, are a vivid example of hate speech and go beyond all limits of the political struggle, as well as infringe upon the moral and human principles, in the statement of the election headquarters of the Republican Party of Armenia reads.

“Such behavior is unprecedented for our political culture, especially on the part of a high-ranking official, especially on the part of the prime minister, who is also responsible for our common security and welfare.

We call on the CEC, the Human Rights Defender and international observation missions to pay attention to the speeches, behavior and rhetoric of the Acting Prime Minister, ”the statement said.

Asbarez: Trump=Turkey # Two?

Eduard Nalbandian
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Garen Yegparian

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

It seems like every few years I get an irrepressible urge to toy with the coincidence of Turkey with turkey, right around the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. as opposed to Canada’s which is in October.   But this year’s turkey is Trump, not Turkey, but he’s a turkey because of Turkey.  Here’s how.

We’ve all been reminded ad nauseam, by President Donald Trump himself, what a great deal-maker he is.  Heck he’s even “co”-authored “Trump: The Art of the Deal” with Tony Schwartz!  That should prove it right?  He knows what he’s talking about.  Weeeeeeeeeell… maybe not so much.

It’s come down to Iran sanctions, waivers, oil, Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia, Erdoğan, Gulen, Atilla (not the Hun), and of course – Turkey.

Trump is fond of emphasizing his deal making prowess.  He mocks his presidential predecessors, especially Obama, about how they got the short end of the stick.  To prove it, he’s even picked some major international trade fights.  But according to a recent piece in Foreign Policy authored by Aykan Erdemir (Turkish opposition politician) and Merve Tahiroğlu (researcher – Foundation for the Defense of Democracies), Trump could easily get hoodwinked just like his favorite fall guy, U.S. president #44.  Apparently, this could easily happen now that the spigot for oil flow from Iran to Turkey has been left open since payments for that black stuff are permitted, shenanigans could follow.

Already, Erdoğan slammed the sanctions as “imperial” and vowed to defy them, despite having pledged to slash oil purchases in order to win the exemptions.  If that doesn’t tell you how this will end, I don’t know what will.

All this is going on against another backdrop as well, the Khashoggi murder by Saudi Arabia.  Turkey has been trying to milk this opportunity for concessions from Saudi Arabia.  But now it looks even more obvious that ever-so-clever Erdoğan is working the Saudi Arabia angle against the U.S., too.  It seems Trump is intent on shielding that Gulf state from as much of the Khashoggi fallout as possible.  Enter Gulen – the old imam hiding out in Pennsylavania’s Poconos whom Erdoğan holds culpable for Turkey 2016 attempted coup d’etat.

In a November 15 NBC news piece a Turkish official is quoted as saying: “We definitely see no connection between the two.  We want to see action on the end of the United States in terms of the extradition of Gulen. And we’re going to continue our investigation on behalf of the Khashoggi case.”  Again, this is very suggestive that the Turks are indeed connecting the two, suggesting subtly that they’ll ease up on their Khashoggi-based-Saudi-pressure in exchange for the U.S. delivering Gulen to Ankara.  From the same news item we learn that Trump has ordered a review of Gulen’s status and that U.S. officials recently discussed possibly delivering him to South Africa if certain legal thresholds can be met.

Meanwhile, there’s also speculation that Mehmet Hakan Atilla might be released as some part of this extortion operation Turkey is running against Trump.  Attila is former deputy CEO of Turkey’s state-run Halkbank, who is now in prison in New York after being convicted of complicity in the previous Turkey based Iran-sanctions-evasion scheme.

There you have it, while Erdoğan bellows his intent to defy the Iran sanctions, coddles up to Russia, and blackmails Saudi Arabia and the U.S., Trump plays the chump.  He becomes Turkey’s turkey by not only getting NOTHING for the U.S. but also possibly subverting the system of justice in the U.S.  And, he may release a guy who did exactly what Trump should be doing his best to prevent – circumvention of the sanctions he just re-imposed, but of course that presumes Trump is serious about anything when it comes to policy.

In this way, Trump’s even comes in second at being suckered, which is really bad since you’d think having the example of his predecessor would help him avoid the same trap.

Let’s all vote for Trump as Top Turkey on the occasion of Thanksgiving as a consolation prize for the election he just helped the Republican Party extensively lose!




Asbarez: Theater Review: Satamian Group Mounts Lackluster ‘Liar’ at New Manoukian Arts Center

Eduard Nalbandian
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From l to r: Aram Muradian, Artur Margaryan, and Peter Nishan in “The Liar”

BY ARAM KOUYOUMDJIAN

The long-awaited Raffi and Tamar Manoukian Performing Arts Center, the stylish new venue with state-of-the-art amenities, is finally ready for use, and the AGBU Satamian Theatre Group’s latest production opened there the first weekend in November.

What theatrical work had the troupe staged for the occasion? A newly-commissioned piece? A world premiere by an up-and-coming playwright? An innovative take on an Armenian classic?

If you thought, even for a second, that the answer to any of those questions could be “yes,” then you are not familiar with the Satamian Group, a throwback ensemble devoted to comedies that are equal parts stale and mind-numbing.

Satamian Group’s selection was “Sdakhosuh” (The Liar), an 18th-century farce by Carlo Goldoni, which, according to press materials, launched AGBU’s Vahram Papazian Theatre Group in Beirut back in 1959, the Ardashad Theatre Group in New York in 1978, as well as the Ardavazt Theatre Group (as the current Satamian Group was originally called) in 1981. Why this Italian trifle has been integral to launching not one, not two, but three AGBU theater groups is not for me to explain. Suffice it to say that it has been retrieved from some age-old vault and dusted off for another round of service.

“The Liar” is built around the commedia dell’arte tradition of stock characters (such as greedy/foolish old men or devious servants). At the play’s center is Lelio, the son of a wealthy merchant, who arrives in Venice with little money and checks into a hotel (on credit) across from one Dr. Balanzoni’s house. One of the doctor’s daughters, Rosoura, is being wooed by a secret admirer named Florindo, who sends her gifts and poems – that is, until Lelio, representing himself to be a marquis, claims to be the source behind the serenades and tries to gain Rosoura’s favor instead. The situation quickly grows complicated, ensnaring Rosoura’s sister, maid, their various suitors, and Lelio’s manservant, Arlecchino (or Harlequin), and requiring Lelio to tell an ever-escalating series of lies – which he euphemistically describes as “new discoveries” – to keep his head above water.

Given the times in which we live, where “alternative facts” are offered in the place of truth, “The Liar” could have been a devastating satire on present-day events, but the production can’t be bothered with current relevance and makes no effort in that regard. Instead, with its outmoded patriarchal themes – depicting women as marriageable commodities – it proves altogether tone-deaf to the zeitgeist.

The production isn’t entirely devoid of humor – just for the most part. It is partly weighed down by the fact that a third of the cast is comprised of neophytes inexperienced with comic timing and delivery, while another third is comprised of Satamian veterans relying on their usual shtick. Only a trio of actors rises above the material: Aram Muradian, who overcomes a tentative start to offer a nimble and engaging take on Lelio in the second act; Peter Nishan, whose impressive turn as Arlecchino is a kinetic romp of physical contortions and high-jinx; and Artur Margaryan who manages to steal scenes while playing a statue – yes, a statue – which comes to life at opportune moments to impart loaded commentary by way of a single word or gesture.

Bookended by random dances, the production looks out of place in the sleek Manoukian space. There’s no lighting design to speak of, and the set looks amateurish on the elegant stage. Without question, the company will have to considerably up its game to deserve its new home.

Aram Kouyoumdjian is the winner of Elly Awards for both playwriting (“The Farewells”) and directing (“Three Hotels”). His most recent work was the world premiere production of “William Saroyan: The Unpublished Plays in Performance” this fall.

Agriculture in Armenia degrades

Eduard Nalbandian
Agriculture Monitor Worldwide
Wednesday
Agriculture in Armenia degrades
 
 
Armenia sees a decline in almost all sectors of the economy, which is no surprise to anyone, as the country has no opportunity to develop due to its political instability and aggressive policy. However, the deepening crisis in the agriculture sector caused alarm of the experts and society.
 
There are less and less hopes for the development of agriculture in Armenia.
 
In August 2018, the gross agricultural output fell by almost 17 percent compared to August last year, or by about 20 billion drams ($41 million).
 
In turn, this led to a decrease in the indicator of economic activity (again, compared to the same indicator in 2017) to the unprecedented 100.6 percent.
 
Experts were divided in opinions due to what happened so catastrophic fall. Advisor to the Prime Minister Varazdat Karapetyan first came to the conclusion that such a significant drop in August volumes in agriculture was due to the illegal re-export of Turkish tomatoes from Armenia to Russia. Another explanation of Karapetyan was associated with bloated figures of areas allocated for crops in the past.
 
Avetik Chalabyan, owner of the company Armberry, consider that such a huge fall can only be due to one factor – namely, the fact that during the summer heat the government banned the release of water from Sevan, that ultimately resulted in a huge crop loss.
 
Agriculture losses in Armenia are due to the lack of sufficient irrigation water during the hottest period. It is not difficult to guess that the villagers, who are under the pressure of loans, have accumulated a lot of questions to Pashinyan, who opposed additional water releases from Sevan. And the current government, judging by the conversations with their officials, does not know how to solve this problem. In any case, it has not taken any steps for this purpose.
 
Modern Armenia is a country where there is no agricultural equipment, where is the level of manual labor somewhere on the level of the 19th century. Due to abnormal heat in Armenia, a lack of irrigation water appeared. And instead of helping the villagers get out of the current situation with minimal losses, Ministry of agriculture preferred to keep silent. What to say, if there is nothing to answer?
 
And it`s not just that. One of the main problems of agriculture in Armenia is the deterioration of the machine and tractor fleet, the lack of specialists, the inaccessibility of credit and leasing programs for rural residents. How can agriculture be developed if the country has the youngest combine harvester produced in 1941…
 
Armenian agriculture began to die in the late 1980s, when hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis were expelled from the country, most of whom worked on the land. The land was left without true owners, the agrarian sector of the country is currently reaping the harvest of that ethnic cleansing and it is doubtful that it will be reborn. 2018 Global Data Point.
 

Sports: School Project reaches children from one of Armenia’s least developed regions

Eduard Nalbandian
European Volleyball Confederation
Monday
School Project reaches children from one of Armenia’s least developed regions
 

 
Luxembourg: European Volleyball Confederation has issued the following press release:
 
 Gai, Armenia, October 18, 2018. The implementation of the CEV School Project continued in Armenia earlier this week, this time involving young children and school pupils from Gai, a village in the Armavir Province.
 
A training session took place in the newly built Volleyball hall of the local community’s school. Since this is one of the least developed regions in the country, the Volleyball Federation of Armenia are planning to hold a number of festivals and workshops in order to boost the interest of the local pupils in Volleyball, hoping that they will be taking part in some national competitions in the near future as well.
 
The best Volleyball players of the Caucasus country joined this session to share the ABC of Volleyball with the young attendees. More than 150 people, including schoolchildren, physical education teachers and representatives of the local community, joined the activities.

 On top of this, the Volleyball Federation of Armenia distributed equipment to support the Gai community in their efforts to develop Volleyball at the grassroots level.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 10/17/2018

Eduard Nalbandian 
                                        Wednesday, 
Pashinian Plans No Election Alliances With Other Parties
        • Sisak Gabrielian
        • Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian talks to a trader while visiting a 
Syrian-Armenian arts and crafts fair in Yerevan, .
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian made clear on Wednesday that his Civil Contract 
party will not form an alliance with any other political group ahead of 
Armenia’s forthcoming parliamentary elections.
Pashinian said it could only team up with individuals supporting his and his 
government’s political agenda.
Civil Contract already fielded such non-partisan candidates, most of them young 
civic activists, in the September 23 municipal elections in Yerevan. Their My 
Step bloc won over 80 percent of the vote. Pashinian’s team should also do very 
well in the general elections expected in December.
“We will participate [in the December elections] on our own … or in the My Step 
format,” Pashinian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
He specifically ruled out an electoral alliance with the Republic and Bright 
Armenia parties making up, together with Civil Contract, the Yelk bloc.
Yelk was set up in the run-up to Armenia’s last parliamentary elections held in 
April 2017. It won 9 of the 105 seats in the current National Assembly.
Republic and Bright Armenia refused to back Pashinian when he launched in April 
this year street protests that eventually toppled the country’s longtime 
leader, Serzh Sarkisian. They voiced support for the Pashinian-led campaign 
only after it rapidly gained momentum.
Lena Nazarian, a senior Civil Contract member, echoed Pashinian’s statements. 
“We will not form alliances with other parties,” Nazarian told RFE/RL’s 
Armenian service.
“We want to again form an alliance with individual citizens,” she said, adding 
that they must be “professionals having experience, knowledge and skills” 
needed in the parliament.
Pashinian tendered his and his cabinet’s resignation late on Tuesday in an 
effort to ensure that the snap polls are held in the first half of December. 
Sarkisian’s Republican Party and other parliamentary forces have pledged not to 
try to scuttle his plans.
Ally ‘Still Respected’ By Sarkisian Despite Support For Pashinian
        • Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Gevorg Kostanian chairs a session of an ad hoc parliamentary 
commission in Yerevan, 26 September 2018.
A senior lawmaker representing Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) claimed 
on Wednesday that the former Armenian president “respects” his unexpected 
decision to voice support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
Gevorg Kostanian, the chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on legal 
affairs, last week backed Pashinian’s efforts to force snap parliamentary 
elections in December. Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian service, he said the 
premier is “honest in his goals and desires” and enjoys overwhelming popular 
support.
The remarks came as a surprise given Kostanian’s status as a Sarkisian loyalist 
and his past criticism of Pashinian. The HHK parliamentarian insisted as 
recently as in May that the 43-year-old former journalist is too inexperienced 
to properly govern Armenia.
Kostanian said he has since become convinced that Pashinian’s actions are aimed 
at making things better in the country. “His goals, his principles, his 
direction are honest and as long as they remain honest I will fully support 
[the new government] regardless of whether I am in or outside the country,” he 
told reporters.
“Serzh Sarkisian very much respects my decision,” he claimed. “He has always 
respected everyone’s decisions.”
Kostanian, who served as Armenia prosecutor-general from 2013-2016, also 
insisted that he is not distancing himself from the HHK. “I just want to you 
bear one thing in mind: I am not a member of the party and never will be,” he 
said.
“As for [Sarkisian’s] political team, I was and remain a member of the team,” 
added the 41-year-old.
Nine other HHK lawmakers also broke ranks to endorse Pashinian’s political 
plans last week. The move raised the prospect of more defections from the 
former ruling party’s parliamentary faction.
The HHK lost control over the current parliament in June following a series of 
such defections. It now technically holds 50 seats in the 105-member National 
Assembly.
China Donates More Ambulances To Armenia
Armenia - New Chinese ambulances are donated to Armenia at a ceremony in 
Yerevan, .
China has donated 200 new ambulances to Armenia as part of its continuing 
economic assistance to the South Caucasus country.
The vehicles fitted with modern medical equipment were officially handed over 
to the Armenian side on Wednesday at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister 
Nikol Pashinian, Health Minister Arsen Torosian and other senior Armenian 
officials. Two-thirds of them are due to be distributed to public ambulance 
services outside Yerevan.
Torosian stressed the significance of the $13 million donation, saying that 65 
of those vehicles are intensive care ambulances that will enable Armenian 
doctors to save more lives when providing first medical assistance.
China’s ambassador in Yerevan, Tian Erlong, said Chinese specialists have 
trained about 350 Armenian doctors, nurses and ambulance drivers to use the new 
equipment.
China already donated 88 ambulances to Armenia in 2011. Its plans to provide 
more such vehicles and medical equipment were first announced by the former 
Armenian government last year.
Chinese government aid to Armenia has totaled at least $50 million since 2012. 
It includes 250 Chinese-manufactured buses donated to Yerevan’s public 
transportation system six years ago.
Tian attributed this “selfless” aid to what he called centuries-old “friendship 
of our peoples.” “I am confident that China and Armenia will continue to 
cooperate in various areas and that Chinese-Armenian ties will be continuous 
and strong,” the envoy said at the ceremony.
Political relations between the two nations have been cordial ever since 
Armenia gained independence in 1991. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his then 
Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian reported “mutual understanding on issues 
relating to pivotal interests and concerns of the two countries” after talks in 
Beijing in 2015.
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Chinese Ambassador Tian Erlong 
pose for a photograph with students of the Chinese-Armenian Friendship School 
in Yerevan, 22 August 2018.
The current Armenian government seems keen to maintain the warm rapport with 
Beijing. Pashinian said China and Armenia share “many common interests” when he 
attended the inauguration in August of a new school in Yerevan where hundreds 
of Armenian children study the Chinese language.
The Chinese government spent over $12 million on building and equipping the 
school. Intensive language courses there are taught by Chinese teachers.
China further underscored its interest in Armenia last year when it started 
building a new and much bigger building for its embassy in Yerevan. The vast 
embassy compound is due to be completed by the end of 2019. It will reportedly 
be the second largest Chinese diplomatic mission in the former Soviet Union.
China has been Armenia’s second largest trading partner for the last several 
years. According to official Armenian statistics, Chinese-Armenian trade soared 
by nearly 50 percent, to $342 million, in the first half of this year.
Ex-PM Abrahamian’s Brother Freed For Now
        • Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia - Former parliament deputy Henrik Abrahamian.
The brother of Armenia’s embattled former Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian was 
released from pre-trial custody on Wednesday two months after being charged 
with illegal arms possession.
The National Security Service (NSS) arrested Henrik Abrahamian on August 8 
after raiding a former industrial plant in his native village of Mkhchian and 
finding three machine guns, seven Kalashnikov assault rifles and other firearms 
stashed there.
The NSS and the Special Investigative Service (SIS) said at the time that they 
are trying to determine whether the weapons were used against opposition 
protesters in Yerevan in the wake of a disputed 2008 presidential election. The 
SIS chief, Sasun Khachatrian, admitted late last week that they have found no 
evidence of that.
An Armenian court then agreed to Henrik Abrahamian on bail. Both he and his 
once influential brother deny any connection to the confiscated weapons.
In early September, Hovik Abrahamian was charged with abuse of power and 
illegal entrepreneurial activity. Another law-enforcement agency, the 
Investigative Committee, claimed that in 2008 he forced a businessman to give 
up a majority stake in a mining company. Investigators refrained from arresting 
him.
Abrahamian, who served as prime minister from 2014-2016, denied the charges as 
politically motivated, saying that the new Armenian authorities are cracking 
down on dissent.
Abrahamian, 60, held high-ranking state posts and developed extensive business 
interests during former Presidents Robert Kocharian’s and Serzh Sarkisian’s 
tenures. He managed Sarkisian’s 2008 and 2013 presidential election campaigns.
Abrahamian fell out with Sarkisian a few months after being sacked by the 
latter in September 2016. He left Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) in January 
2017.
Press Review
“Zhamanak” says that strong popular support is what makes Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian confident that he will not lose power and will succeed in forcing 
parliamentary elections after tendering his resignation late on Tuesday. “The 
main thing is that from now own on the public, the citizens must be not just 
observers in the process of the parliament’s dissolution but also start a 
parallel process of dismantling the old [political] system,” writes the paper. 
They should also “fill the political arena with new ideas,” it says.
“Past” says that all major political forces now need to “redefine their goals.” 
“The revolution did not just end the rule of one individual or one force,” 
explains the paper. “The revolution showed that the time is up for many of the 
political veterans.” It says that they never managed to “adapt to the new 
situation.” “Now that Armenia has entered a period of active and transparent 
political processes new and old political forces need to present themselves … 
with new faces who do not shy away from actively talking and being 
transparent,” it says.
Lragir.am says that on the day of his resignation Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian made government appointments that prompted criticism even from his 
supporters. The appointment of the retired police General Hunan Poghosian as 
governor of the southern Syunik province proved particularly controversial. 
Pashinian also faced criticism when he appointed Garegin Baghramian as energy 
minister last week. Baghramian is related to Artur Vanetsian, the director of 
the National Security Service (NSS).
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

Over 2,500 Russian troops alereted in Armenia and relocated to assigned area for examination

Eduard Nalbandian 
Russian Government News
 Friday 9:28 AM EEST
Over 2,500 Russian troops alereted in Armenia and relocated to
assigned area for examination
Russian military base in Armenia was alereted within the final
examination for 2018.
During a week, staff officers of the Southern Military District will
check the combat readiness of units, combat duty and combat training,
weapons and military equipment, the morale and psychological state of
servicemen, and military discipline.
In particular, during the final exercises in field conditions,
servicemen will demonstrate skills of performing test exercises from
standard weapons and driving combat vehicles during day and night.
The final test for the past training year in the military district is
conducted under supervision of Colonel General Alexander Dvornikov,
the Commander of the Southern Military District.
In total, over 2,500 troops take part in the verification activities,
about 500 pieces of military hardware are involved, including T-72B3
tanks, BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, fighter, army and unmanned
aircraft.
* * * * *