13:44,
YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Basketball Federation has submitted a bid to participate in the qualifying round of the 2027 Men’s Basketball World Cup.
The draws of the qualifiers will be held on August 8 in Munich.
The qualifiers will begin in February 2024. The second round of qualifiers is scheduled for June 2025.
As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes his official visit to the United States, and following the historic meeting of National Security Advisers from the United States, Japan, and the Philippines in Manila, the United States continues to develop its network of flexible partnerships, institutions, alliances, and groups of countries around the world, to balance with China.
US analyst Nicholas Gvosdev, professor of national security studies at the US Naval War College and director of the National Security Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, believes that the challenge facing the US political establishment is how to prevent these partnerships from deviating from their path.
So the fact that a coalition of states might find very close consensus on a particular issue (or set of issues) and is looking for ways to facilitate joint action does not mean that there is a complete alignment of interests or agreement on all issues.
Gvosdev said, in a report published by the American National Interest magazine, that today, when the rise of China and greater coordination between the countries of the Global South provide greater hedging opportunities, other countries have options, while the United States has little influence.
The network’s approach to international affairs means that the mix of obligations and obligations to other partners will vary on a case-by-case basis.
For example, Josh Rogin, a columnist for the American Washington Post, says that the security consultations between Japan, the Republic of the Philippines and the United States may herald the emergence of the “Garopus Triple Alliance” (Garopos is the initials of the names of Japan, the Philippines and the United States), which is It is firmly rooted in a common threat assessment emanating from China’s efforts to extend its maritime sphere of influence.
This does not automatically mean that Garopus will act along the lines of the Australia-U.S.-UK Partnership (Ocos), even though Ocos is also there to respond to China’s improvement of its naval capabilities in the Indo-Pacific basin.
The Ocos alliance, for example, involves a level of defense technological and industrial integration, and this is not a step that Japan or the Philippines, the two partners in the “Garropos Triple Alliance”, are willing to take.
These two alliances, Garopus and Ocos, do not assume the emergence of a joint security alliance with India through the Quad Alliance (which includes Japan, Australia, India and the United States).
https://globeecho.com/news/middle-east/the-united-states-urges-armenia-and-azerbaijan-to-contain-the-escalation/
Panel explores how security concerns have profoundly impacted country’s freedom of speech and fueled misinformation.
Journalists, civil society representatives and lawmakers gathered in Yerevan to discuss the challenges that journalism faces in the region’s fragile security environment.
The conference, organised by IWPR in the framework of the project Amply, Verify, Engage: Information for Democratisation and Good Governance in Eurasia (AVE), delved into how Armenia’s hurdles in recent years have profoundly impacted its media landscape, particularly freedom of speech, gender sensitivity and financial independence.
“Challenges to media freedom and freedom of speech are not unique to Armenia, which shares similarities with other countries. It encompasses misinformation, a lack of media literacy, and, naturally, politicised challenges,” said Gegham Vardanyan, editor-in-chief of the Media Initiative Centre.
War and other security issues have intensified pressure on local media. In 2020, as Armenia was battling the Covid-19 pandemic, the 44-day Second Nagorny Karabakh war claimed thousands of lives, displaced tens of thousands, and left the country in shock. Since then, volatility along the border with Azerbaijan, the prolonged blockade of the Lachin corridor and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have added further uncertainty.
“The direct impact of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict is the insufficient provision of official information to the public. This creates an information vacuum, which allows manipulation and misinformation to spread. Consequently, this gap has been filled with inaccurate and misleading information,” stated Lilit Hovhannisyan, project manager of the Public Journalism Club.
Participants noted an increasing perception among the general public that security and democracy were incompatible, resulting in de facto censorship that has allowed further manipulation and control.
This approach finds fertile soil particularly in conflict-affected areas. One participant reported a journalist from Karabakh as saying “if forced to choose between democracy and security, I will choose security”.
In this environment, distrust towards journalists is on the rise, including at the governmental level, with instances of officials labelling journalists “killers” and “verbal prostitutes”: the latter in particular, is mostly associated with women, who remain vulnerable to abuse.
“In 2022, over 20 cases of physical violence against journalists were reported, and these incidents occurred at various public events,” stated Women’s Support Centre’s Zaruhi Hovhannisyan. “Women journalists in particular are subjected to a sexist approach… [those] covering gender issues become a target of online harassment… It is crucial for journalistic organisations to be highly attentive and responsive to these issues. The inadequate response to instances of sexism is concerning, as there is a lack of meaningful actions being taken to address such manifestations.”
“Security is a major concern and it poses concrete challenges to media freedom and access to information,” said Knarik Mkrtchyan, IWPR BREN project local coordinator in Armenia. “A polarised political landscape and widespread disinformation add pressure to journalists. It is of utmost importance for authorities to guarantee a plurality of voices [and] protect reporters from abuse, in particular against women reporters.”
Gendered disinformation has added a complex layer.
“Even individuals in the audience who may have more freedom to express their views, particularly men, hesitated to engage in conversations on these topics out of fear of being associated with the LGBT community,” said Vardanyan. Participants agreed that media literacy programmes, for both journalists and audience groups, were crucial to increase knowledge and awareness and address hate speech.
The polarisation of the media landscape mirrors deep-rooted divisions in the country.
“Certain media outlets are affiliated with former authorities, others with the current [ones], and only a handful strive to maintain their independence. As a result, many journalists prioritise defending political interests rather than serving the public interest,” said Hovhannisyan,
Participants highlighted that media outlet’s financial independence was a cornerstone for unbiased, fact-based information.
“Making funding flexible and unrestricted is one of the best options,” Hovhannisyan suggested. “We aim to promote the principles of feminist philanthropy and participatory grant-making in Armenia and advance unrestricted funding, [a solution] that may also work for the media.”
12:18,
YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani policy of escalation and depopulation of Nagorno Karabakh is becoming more and more visible for the international community and the adoption of Resolution 2256 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) serves as the most recent evidence for this, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting on June 29.
Pashinyan quoted the resolution’s clause 15 as stating that PACE is extremely worried by the hostile and threatening rhetoric used against Armenians at the highest level of Azerbaijan’s leadership and urges Azerbaijan to repudiate such rhetoric and take steps to tackle both hate speech, including by public and high-level officials, and hate crimes.
Clause 8 of the resolution states that the current situation is not sustainable and may well lead to the Armenian population being forced to leave their homes and communities if there is no resolution to the conflict.
In this context, PACE urgently calls for addressing the issues of the rights and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh through dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert and a neutral international involvement in any peace implementation mechanism to be put in place.
PACE also stated that the Azerbaijani blockade of Lachin Corridor constitutes a violation of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement, recorded the fact that gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh is interrupted and called on Azerbaijan to immediately restore the supplies and comply with the ruling of the ICJ on opening the Lachin Corridor.
Pashinyan highlighted the fact that PACE is assessing the situation in Nagorno Karabakh as a humanitarian and human rights crisis, and calls for an immediate deployment of a fact-finding mission and addresses the Committee of Ministers.
“The resolution adopted by PACE is a highly important document in terms of increasing international attention around the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh and the Armenian Foreign Ministry will be consistent in keeping the provisions of the resolution in the agenda of the Committee of Ministers, the executive body of the Council of Europe,” Pashinyan said.
12:33,
YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS. The total deposit portfolio in Armenian banks amounted to 5 trillion 147 billion 288 million drams in May 2023, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the June 29 Cabinet meeting, describing the figure as a historic record.
“The total deposit portfolio in the banks of the Republic of Armenia amounted to five trillion one hundred forty seven billion two hundred and eighty eight million drams in May of 2023, which is a record number in the history of Armenia. The previous record was set in April, and it is improving. We’ve had a growth of 12 billion 841 million drams compared to last month. These are the deposit accounts where citizens keep their money. I have to note that compared to May 2018 the deposit portfolio has nearly doubled and is higher by 2,5 trillion drams or 96,7%,” Pashinyan said.
13:09,
YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian men’s football team has jumped seven notches in the FIFA world ranking released today.
Armenia has moved up to the 90th place, up from 97.
The top 5 in the ranking are Argentina, France, Brazil, England and Belgium respectively.
15:34,
YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS. Mr. Kumar Iyer, Director General, Economics, Science and Technology at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, will visit Armenia on 29-30 June to discuss with Armenian authorities issues of common interest, the British embassy in Yerevan said in a press release.
During his visit, Mr. Iyer will meet with Armenian Government officials and representatives of financial entities. The discussions will focus on Armenia’s upholding of international sanctions and how the UK can support in this regard.
Furthermore, Mr. Iyer will have the opportunity to witness Armenia's flourishing tech scene as he visits educational and business centres. He will also pay a visit to Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan.
The visit of Mr. Kumar Iyer underscores the commitment to deepening bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and Armenia, according to the embassy.
16:24,
YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS. On 27-, the 4th Meeting of the Armenia-EU Partnership Committee established under the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Extended Partnership Agreement (CEPA) took place in Brussels. The delegation of the Republic of Armenia headed by Mr. Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, participated in the meeting. As a result of the discussions, the following Joint Press Statement was adopted:
“On 27-, the Armenia-EU Partnership Committee, established under the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), met for the fourth time in Brussels. This meeting gave the opportunity to the EU and Armenia to discuss the implementation of the CEPA and touch upon other areas of bilateral cooperation.
Armenia and the EU agreed to strengthen their cooperation, emphasising the EU’s active engagement in the South Caucasus, and to pursue their efforts for the implementation of the CEPA, recognising the progress made so far. The EU welcomed Armenia’s continued commitment to reforms in line with common values, in spite of the difficult security context of the region. The EU stands ready to continue assisting Armenia on the path of the CEPA implementation and in addressing socio-economic challenges, including through the substantial Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) as well as its flagship initiatives.
The Partnership Committee reviewed developments related to the rule of law, in the fields of justice sector, law enforcement, fight against corruption, and the respect for human rights. The EU appreciated the progress in these fields. Yet, the EU recalled the importance of continuous improvement of the independence and efficiency of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, in order to increase citizens’ trust in public institutions. The EU emphasised the need to make additional efforts in eliminating discrimination on all grounds and encouraged Armenia to involve civil society in public consultations on legislative proposals.
The Partnership Committee also reviewed the progress on issues related to transport, energy, environment, climate action and disaster risk management. Armenia and the EU will continue their cooperation to enhance safety at the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant. While acknowledging Armenia’s efforts on renewable energies, energy efficiency and environmental protection, the EU encouraged Armenia to set more ambitious emission reduction targets as part of its Nationally Determined Contribution.
The meeting was also an opportunity to review the cooperation in the field of customs and economic development. The EU underlined the importance of customs cooperation to prevent the circumvention of the EU sanctions on Russia through the territory of Armenia. The discussion also took stock of developments in employment and social policies. As regards education, the EU welcomed the adoption of Armenia’s comprehensive Strategy covering the whole education spectrum, as well as its ratification of the Creative Europe Agreement.
The Partnership Committee also touched upon the possibility of launching a visa liberalization dialogue (VLD). In this regard, the EU noted that while the technical requirements for the VLD launch have been sufficiently met, this also requires a political decision. The EU continues encouraging Armenia to bilaterally engage actively with Member States on this topic.
The partners also discussed the regional dynamics and the state of play of the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalisation process that takes place in the context of increasingly challenging security situation. The Armenian side provided an update on the blockage of the Lachin Corridor. Armenia and the EU shared concerns on the risks of a humanitarian crisis. The EU and Armenia welcomed the establishment of the EU Mission in Armenia.
Finally, the discussions highlighted the constructive engagement of Armenia in the Eastern Partnership.
The meeting was co-chaired by Mr Luc Devigne, Deputy Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia at the European External Action Service and Mr Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.”
16:56,
YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS. Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") upgraded Ameriabank’s Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) to ba3 from b1 and affirmed the bank’s long-term deposit ratings at Ba3. The rating agency also changed the outlook on the Ba3 long-term deposit ratings to stable from negative.
The upgrade of Ameriabank's BCA and Adjusted BCA to ba3 from b1 is driven by the bank's asset quality resilience through pandemic combined with dramatically improved capital adequacy and profitability over the last two years. The upgrade of the bank's long-term Counterparty Risk Ratings (CRRs) to Ba2 from Ba3, and the upgrade of the long-term Counterparty Risk Assessment (CR Assessment) to Ba2(cr) from Ba3(cr) follows the BCA upgrade.
The rating agency notes that Ameriabank continues to demonstrate robust performance as reflected in a very high return on tangible assets of 3.6% in 2022 and 3.5%(annualized) during the first quarter of 2023.This was supported by strong pre-provision income, lower credit costs and robust cost efficiency with a cost to income ratio of 45% in Q1 2023.
According to Moody's, Ameriabank also materially improved its asset quality in 2021-2022 following the pandemic.The share of non-performing loans (NPL) decreased to 2.5%as ofQ1 2023 from4.2%at the end of 2020.NPL coverage by reserves remains robust at 80%as ofQ1 2023.
Ameriabank's capital buffer has materially strengthened over the recent years amid strong profitability and modest loan book growth.
The outlook on Ameriabank's long-term deposit ratings is stable, reflecting Moody’s view that the bank will maintain its sound fundamentals over the next 12-18 months. Ameriabank rating outlook update follows the sovereign rating outlook change from negative to stable.
Ameriabank CJSC
Ameriabank is a leading financial and technology company in Armenia, a major contributor to the Armenian economy, with assets exceeding AMD 1 trillion. In the course of digital transformation, it has launched a number of innovative solutions and platforms going beyond banking-only needs of its diverse customer base, thus creating a dynamically evolving financial technology space.
Ameria was the first in Armenia to create ecosystems for both businesses and individuals, which give one-window access to a range of banking and non-banking services, among them - Estate.ameriabank.am, Automarket.ameriabank.am, Business.ameriabank.am.
As a truly customer-centric company, Ameria aims to be a trusted and secure financial technology space with seamless solutions to improve the quality of life.
The Bank is supervised by the Central Bank of Armenia.
18:56,
YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the delegation headed by James O'Brien, Head of the US Department of State's Sanctions Coordination Office, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the dynamic nature of the development of Armenian-American relations and emphasized the support of the US administration in promoting democratic reforms in our country.
The interlocutors referred to the processes taking place in the region and the international arena, as well as various issues of mutual interest.
Issues related to the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulted by the illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan's provocative and aggressive actions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and on the line of contact with Nagorno-Karabakh, the progress of negotiations on the settlement of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the Armenian-Turkish process were discussed.