13:03,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. The Board of the Central Bank of Armenia has decided to reduce the refinancing rate by 0.5 pp, setting it at 8.75%, the Central Bank said in a press release.
The Lombard repo facility rate is at 10.25 % and the Deposit facility rate at 7.25 %.
15:41,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. A Member of Parliament has drafted legislation seeking to introduce airtime restrictions for mafia films and series citing what he describes as 'negative impact' of such movies on children.
Civil Contract Party MP Artur Hovhannisyan wants to ban the broadcasting of ‘films and series promoting criminal subculture” from 06:00 until 00:00.
At a committee hearing in parliament, the lawmaker argued that the broadcasting of such films must be restricted as much as the law allows it.
He said that such films have a “negative impact” on minors.
Such films, according to the MP, contain ‘vulgarity and profanity’ and reject moral norms and promote ‘indecent lifestyle, devalue the role of education and discipline’ and lead to the ‘glorification’ of criminal lifestyle.
20:08,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a consultation was held, during which the master plan of the Academic City was presented.
The meeting was attended by members of the Board of Trustees of the "Academic City" Foundation, Tobias Keyl, Deputy Director of the gmp International GmbH Architects and Engineers company, which is developing the master plan of the Academic City, and heads of concerned departments, the PM's Office said in a readout.
Tobias Keyl presented details about the design and research works of the "Academic City" project, discussions with stakeholders and noted that as a result, the vision of the "Academic City" was reaffirmed. He noted that the main concept will be ready by the second half of this year and emphasized that related processes can already be launched.
The participants of the meeting discussed in detail issues related to engineering infrastructure, road network, landscape. Recommendations and observations related to the topic were presented.
Based on the result of the discussion, the Prime Minister gave specific instructions to the officials regarding the creation of the infrastructure of the "Academic City" and a number of other issues.
The first structural steel beams installed at the Armenian American Museum construction site
GLENDALE—The Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California celebrated an exciting milestone with the installation of the first structural steel beams at the construction site of the highly anticipated cultural and educational center.
“We are thrilled to witness the structure of the museum rising and taking shape,” stated Executive Vice Chairman Zaven Kazazian. “We are grateful for our community’s unwavering support to build a landmark center that will advance education, preservation, and enrichment for future generations.”
The one-of-a-kind institution is currently under construction in the museum campus at Glendale Central Park. The first phase of construction featuring the museum parking garage and building foundation has been completed. The second phase of construction featuring the two-level 50,820 square foot museum building superstructure is currently underway.
The Armenian American Museum construction site The first steal beams installed at Armenian American Museum construction site
PNG Builders, the General Contractor for the museum project, contracted with Muhlhauser Steel as the structural steel subcontractor following a competitive bidding process. Muhlhauser Steel is based in Southern California and brings more than four decades of experience with commercial, industrial, educational, and entertainment facility projects.
The mission of the museum is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Armenian American experience. The museum will offer a wide range of public programming through the Permanent Exhibition, Temporary Exhibitions, Auditorium, Learning Center, Demonstration Kitchen, Archives Center, and more.
Learn more about the museum project online.
"Armenian Genocide Looted Art and Restitution" conference graphic
The Armenian Genocide Research Program within The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA presents a conference titled, “Armenian Genocide Looted Art and Restitution.” The event will be held in the UCLA Fowler Museum’s Harry and Yvonne Lenart Auditorium on Saturday, February 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Pacific Time).
This event is a follow-up to a March 2023 conference at UCLA titled, “What’s Next?: Armenian Genocide Restitution in the Post-Recognition Era,” which explored the possibilities of creating an Armenian Genocide reparations movement post-recognition by President Biden and Congress in 2021.
In response to directives stemming from the March conference, during Summer 2023, the AGRP spearheaded the Armenian Genocide Looted Art Research Project (AGLARP), a multidisciplinary, collaborative research project aimed at (1) fostering research on Armenian art, cultural heritage, and other cultural objects that were looted, destroyed, or transferred in conjunction with the Armenian Genocide; and (2) engaging in critical thinking and action on the many dimensions of justice, dialogue, restitution, and repair regarding the losses of Armenian culture arising from the Armenian Genocide. The project was conducted under the academic leadership of Art History Professor Heghnar Watenpaugh of University of California, Davis, and Law Professor Michael Bazyler of Chapman University Fowler School of Law.
The program will consist of a documentary screening (in-person audience only), discussions of the AGLARP’s summer research findings, and a roundtable to consider what the pursuit of restitution looks like for both past and present threats to cultural heritage objects and sites, as well as what lies next for the AGLARP.
The conference will feature Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat as the Keynote Speaker, as well as special remarks by Law Professor Lauren Fielder, investigative researcher Simon Maghakyan, and world-renowned lawyer and genealogist E. Randol Schoenberg.
The conference will be held in the UCLA Fowler Museum’s Harry and Yvonne Lenart Auditorium on Saturday, February 10, 2023. Pre-registration is required for this hybrid event, which will also offer remote online participation via Zoom. Registration begins at 9:30 AM and the program starts at 10:00 AM (Pacific Time). Lunch and refreshments will be provided for in-person participants.
For event details and to register for in-person attendance or remote participation, visit the event website.
This conference is co-sponsored by the Fowler Museum at UCLA, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, the Mgrublian Center for Human Rights at Claremont McKenna College, the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA, and the Institute for Transnational Law at The University of Texas at Austin School of Law.
The Armenian Genocide Research Program was established within The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA in early 2022. Led by Dr. Taner Akçam, the AGRP engages in research and scholarly activities pertaining to the study of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire during the early 20th century.
Reforms are being proposed to Armenia's Constitution
Official Azerbaijan is insisting that it has raised concerns about Armenia’s Constitution at the onset of talks, as official Baku said that Armenia must end its disregard toward Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity through its laws and Constitution.
Azerbaijan made the statement when it rejected a proposal from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who during a speech on Armenian Armed Forces Day on Sunday, called for a “nonaggression pact” between the two countries.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizadeh accused Pashinyan of diverting the focus from the peace treaty and normalization of relations between the two governments.
“Despite the fact that from the very beginning of the discussion on the draft agreement, Azerbaijan has called on Armenia to put an end to the encroachments on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, which are reflected in the [Armenia’s] Constitution, various laws and decisions, in the applications addressed to various international courts after the 44-day war, in official international organizations, Armenia has not yet taken any practical steps in this direction,” Hajizadeh said in a statement issued Monday in response to Pashinyan’s remarks.
“It is known that over the past 30 years, Armenia has grossly violated the international treaties recognizing our territorial integrity and sovereignty, carried out aggression against Azerbaijan, during the occupation of our territories, it hid most of its military equipment from international control mechanisms, illegally deploying them on the territory of our country,” Hajizadeh added.
The Azerbaijani diplomat described the assurances that Yerevan is serious about the peace process as political speculation. Hajizade pointed to a statement made by Pashinyan on Sunday regarding the purchase of weapons and the expansion of the military industrial complex.
“Such biased statements hinder the further development and progress of the region based on the principles of international law,” said the statement, asserting that Azerbaijan will continue its steadfast efforts for peace and expects Armenia to take adequate steps not by word, but by deed.
Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan attempted to counter Hajiyev’s statements on Tuesday, saying that the Constitution is an internal and domestic issue for Armenia and other countries should not encroach on that right.
“Constitutional changes are our internal problem, and it is the sovereign right of each state, and I think it is pointless to try to find parallels here,” Kostanyan told Armenia’s Public Television, but did not address whether Azerbaijan had insisted on a change to Armenia’s Constitution at the onset of the peace negotiations, which have been ongoing for several years.
The issue of amending — or reforming — Armenia’s Constitution has gained more momentum ever since Pashinyan called for a new Constitution earlier this month, saying that the new document must reflect the current geopolitical realities.
The preamble of the current Constitution includes references to Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, which calls for the unification of Artsakh with Armenia. In August, Pashinyan chose the anniversary of the declaration to voice his discontent with the document.
All this has raised more accusations from opposition forces, which have accused Pashinyan of kowtowing to Baku when calling for a new Constitution.
12:52,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is the 7th safest country in the world, according to NUMBEO.
The analytical platform’s Crime Rate and Safety Index by Country report has ranked Armenia 7th out of 146 countries, while the city of Yerevan is 15th out of 329 cities.
Armenia and its capital city Yerevan are the safest countries among all CIS countries and cities, according to NUMBEO.
On January 11, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke about the figures during a with police officials.
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13:40,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. Czechia supports Armenia on its ‘path towards Europe’, the visiting President of the Chamber of Deputies of Czechia Markéta Pekarová Adamová said in Yerevan on Wednesday.
“It’s a great honor to be here today, thank you for the reception,” Adamová said at a joint press conference with Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan. “We had a productive bilateral meeting with President of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan. Czechia has been cooperating with Armenia for a very long time and we definitely support your path towards Europe, we have supported Armenia in this direction, including as part of the Eastern Partnership program. We cooperate bilaterally, the parliaments can cooperate in various areas. I have already invited Mr. Simonyan to visit Prague. I will be very happy to host him and his delegation there,” Adamová said.
The President of the Chamber of Deputies said that Armenia and Czechia are working to develop economic relations. “On this occasion, a part of my delegation are entrepreneurs, especially IT representatives, and one of the members of the delegation is from the Czech ministry of trade, which means that we still have the opportunity to improve our bilateral economic relations, and we are working in that direction,” she said, adding that cooperation includes culture and education. “On this occasion I am happy that I will be opening an exhibition in the Armenian History Museum which will present our cultural heritage. I hope it will be a good opportunity to invite Armenian tourists to our beautiful country,” the President of the Chamber of Deputies of Czechia Markéta Pekarová Adamová said.
13:10,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. President of the Chamber of Deputies of Czechia Markéta Pekarová Adamová and members of her delegation visited the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial on Wednesday after arriving in Armenia on an official visit.
The Czech delegation was accompanied by Deputy Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Ruben Rubinyan and MP, head of the Armenia-Czechia Parliamentary Friendship Group Artur Hovhannisyan.
The Czech parliamentarians placed a wreath at the memorial and flowers at the Eternal Flame commemorating the victims of the Armenian Genocide. They then visited the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute.
Adamová is on a visit in Armenia at the invitation of Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan.
Russian operator group MTS offloaded its Armenian unit MTS Armenia to Cyprus-based Fedlico Group after finally gaining regulatory approval.
Interfax reported, the sale is for 100% of MTS Armenia, as well as the sale of the MobiDram payment system, a wholly owned subsidiary of MTS Armenia.
MTS gained regulatory approvals from the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition and the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), which threatened to scupper the deal last year.
The PSRC approved the deal in mid-November and this is the second attempt from the Russian operator group to sell MTS Armenia. The first attempt was in spring 2023, which was rejected without a reason.
"The transaction is a continuation of implementing the MTS Group's transformation strategy aimed at further developing the ecosystem and core business in Russia. When there are favourable offers, MTS sells non-core assets or assets with limited potential for growth in value, directing the proceeds to developing key ecosystem business in Russia," said MTS in a statement to Interfax.
MTS Armenia recorded RUB1.1 million (US$12,300) in operating profit and RUB3.4 million (US$38,000) revenue in Q3 2023, up from RUB606,000 and RUB1.9 million respectively.