Author: Hagop Kamalian

                                        Thursday, 
Tsarukian Ignores Summons For Interrogation
        • Gayane Saribekian
Armenia -- Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukian arrives for a 
parliament session in Yerevan, May 29, 2019.
An Armenian law-enforcement agency on Thursday condemned Prosperous Armenia 
Party (BHK) leader Gagik Tsarukian for ignoring a summons from its officials 
investigating an arson attack reported ahead of a local election won by a 
BHK-backed candidate.
The Investigative Committee planned to question Tsarukian as a witness in the 
case on Wednesday evening. The wealthy businessman leading Armenia’s largest 
parliamentary opposition force did not show up for the interrogation.
A spokeswoman for the committee, Naira Harutiunian, claimed that Tsarukian 
ripped up the summons after it was handed to him by law-enforcement officials 
on Tuesday.
“I think that as a member of the parliament Mr. Tsarukian had no right to 
behave like that because his action was disrespectful towards law-enforcement 
bodies,” she told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
Harutiunian would not say whether the investigators will try to question 
Tsarukian again and what they will do if he ignores another summons. She also 
declined to explain why they want to talk to him in connection with the arson 
attack reported one day before Sunday s tense mayoral election in Abovian, a 
town just north of Yerevan that has long been the tycoon’s political stronghold.
Abovian’s pro-Tsarukian incumbent mayor, Vahagn Gevorgian, narrowly defeated 
his main challenger representing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s Civil 
Contract party. The latter’s election campaign manager, Vahan Saribekian, said 
his car and apartment door were set on fire early on Saturday. He blamed the 
BHK for the attack.
The BHK denied any responsibility for it. Tsarukian and his associates 
suggested that the incident was faked for political purposes.
“The prime minister must order [law-enforcement authorities] to solve that 
case,” Tsarukian told reporters on Monday.
“We continue to suspect that what happened in Abovian was a stage-managed 
show,” Naira Zohrabian, a senior BHK figure, said on Thursday. She challenged 
the Armenian police to “dispel or confirm our concerns.”
Pashinian’s relations with Tsarukian have been tense since April. In May, the 
pro-government majority in Armenia’s parliament implicitly threatened to strip 
Tsarukian of his parliament seat, saying that his entrepreneurial activities 
may be illegal. The BHK leader, who is one of Armenia’s richest men, insisted 
that he complies with a constitutional provision that bars lawmakers from 
directly engaging in business.
EU Boosts Aid To Armenia
BELGIUM -- Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian (L) is welcomed by EU 
Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini at the start of an EU-Armenia 
Partnership Council meeting in Brussels, .
The European Union on Thursday announced 25 million euros ($28 million) in 
additional assistance to Armenia and expressed its readiness to finance 
large-scale infrastructure projects proposed by the Armenian government.
The EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, hailed “democratic reforms” 
implemented in Armenia after chairing, together with Armenian Foreign Minister 
Zohrab Mnatsakanian, a second session of the EU-Armenia Partnership Council.
The council is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the landmark 
Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed by the two sides 
in 2017.
The CEPA offers the South Caucasus state the prospect of a closer relationship 
with the EU in return for major political and economic reforms. It commits 
Yerevan to gradually “approximating” Armenian economic laws and regulations to 
the EU’s legal framework.
“The implementation of our agreement is proceeding well,” Mogherini told a 
joint news conference with Mnatsakanian in Brussels. “The dialogue, cooperation 
and partnership we have on different issues … is excellent, and we also have 
good plans for the future.”
“Based on the country’s performance, democratic reforms during the last year, 
the EU will allocate an additional 25 million euros this year, bringing the 
total allocation for this year to 65 million euros, to support Armenia in its 
reforms and in implementing effectively our agreement,” Mogherini said.
She said the EU is also “identifying funding possibilities for the priority 
projects that Armenia has recently presented to the European Commission.” They 
relate to not only public infrastructures but also energy efficiency, police 
reform and women’s rights, she added.
BELGIUM -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (L) and the President of the 
European Council Donald Tusk arrive for a joint statement to the media 
following their meeting in Brussels, March 5, 2019
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian requested EU funding for his “mega projects” 
when he visited Brussels in March. Pashinian said after that trip that the EU 
is ready to support them provided that they are co-financed by the Armenian 
government.
The head of the EU Delegation in Yerevan, Piotr Switalski, said last month that 
some of these projects are “very costly and very complicated.” “But we are very 
seriously considering how best to implement them,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian 
service.
According to Mogherini, the EU is also ready to provide “substantial support” 
for sweeping judicial reforms planned by the Pashinian administration. “We 
support the ongoing work aimed at a comprehensive judicial reform in Armenia in 
line with the Armenian constitution and with international standards,” she 
said. “An independent, efficient and accountable judiciary benefits all.”
Mnatsakanian described the Partnership Council meeting as “very productive.” He 
reaffirmed Yerevan’s commitment to closer ties with the EU, saying that Armenia 
and the 28-nation bloc share a “common civilizational heritage” and commitment 
to democracy.
Pashinian has also repeatedly stressed the importance of closer ties with the 
EU for Armenia. He has made clear at the same time that his country will remain 
part of the Russian-led alliances of former Soviet republics.
Constitutional Court Nominee Vows Impartiality
        • Astghik Bedevian
        • Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia -- Vahe Grigorian, a nominee to the Constitutional Court, talks to 
journalists, Yerevan, .
President Armen Sarkissian’s latest nominee to the Constitutional Court said on 
Thursday that his warm relations with members of Armenia’s new ruling elite 
would not influence his judicial activities.
Sarkissian again nominated lawyer Vahe Grigorian for a vacant seat in the 
country’s highest court late last month after the current Armenian parliament 
rejected two other candidates chosen by him.
The head of state first proposed Grigorian’s candidacy last fall. The then 
Armenian parliament dominated by supporters of the former government refused to 
approve it.
Grigorian is believed to enjoy the backing of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian 
and the ruling My Step alliance, which holds a two-thirds majority in the 
current National Assembly. My Step representatives say, however, that the 
parliament majority’s support for his appointment is not a forgone conclusion. 
The parliament is due to debate and vote on the nomination next week.
Grigorian met with deputies from the opposition Bright Armenia Party (LHK) on 
Wednesday. The LHK leader, Edmon Marukian, voiced misgivings about the nominee 
after the meeting.
In particular, Marukian pointed to some lawyers’ belief that the Armenian 
constitution does not allow the president to nominate the same person for a 
second time. He also said that Grigorian’s “close ties with the authorities” 
could “inhibit” the would-be judge.
Grigorian dismissed such concerns, while acknowledging his friendly rapport 
with many members of Pashinian’s political team.
“Regarding those from the ruling majority who know me personally, I didn’t meet 
them first at barbecue parties,” he told reporters after meeting with My Step 
deputies on Thursday. “When I met them for the first time they didn’t hold any 
state positions. I have worked with many people from all political circles, not 
just My Step. I met with some of those people in prison. When I was in prison 
they dealt with [Grigorian’s case.]”
“It’s very normal when a person trusts someone they know,” said Grigorian. “I 
cannot castigate anyone for that.”
Grigorian went on to insist as a Constitutional Court judge he would not be 
influenced by these relationships in any way. “Any decision will be my 
decision,” he said. “I will never try to justify myself by saying that I was 
under [government] pressure. As soon as I find myself under pressure I will 
cease to be a judge, if I am elected a judge.”
Grigorian also made no secret of his readiness to become the Constitutional 
Court’s new chairman. “It’s up to the judges to decide. I’m ready [for that 
role,]” he said.
The current court chairman, Hrayr Tovmasian, is a former justice minister and 
senior lawmaker who represented the former ruling Republican Party (HHK). The 
HHK-controlled parliament named him to head the court in March 2018.
Another Armenian Judicial Official Resigns
Armenia -- The main meeting room of the Supreme Judicial Council, Yerevan, 
April 10, 2019.
Yet another member of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), a state body 
overseeing Armenia’s courts, stepped down on Thursday.
The official, Armen Khachatrian, gave no reason for the move in his letter of 
resignation publicized by the SJC. Khachatrian said only that he will “continue 
to support the process of judicial reforms” in his other capacity as chairman 
of Armenia’s Bankruptcy Court.
Khachatrian was elected to the newly established SJC by an assembly of 
Armenia’s judges in March 2018. He is the third member of the judicial watchdog 
to resign in the last three weeks.
The SJC chairman, Gagik Harutiunian, tendered his resignation on May 24, citing 
“ongoing developments relating to the judicial authority” and his “concerns 
expressed in that regard.” His temporary replacement, Gevorg Danielian, quit on 
June 7.
The concerns cited by Harutiunian followed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s May 
19 appeal to his supporters to block the entrances to all court buildings in 
the country. The appeal came the day after a Yerevan court ordered former 
President Robert Kocharian released from jail pending the outcome of his trial 
on coup and corruption charges. The court’s decision angered many allies and 
supporters of Pashinian.
Speaking at a May 20 meeting with senior state officials, Pashinian said that 
Armenian courts remain linked to “the former corrupt system” and distrusted by 
the population. He announced plans for a mandatory “vetting” of all judges.
Harutiunian was among the officials invited to the emergency meeting. However, 
he did not attend it because of being unable to leave the SJC building in 
downtown Yerevan blockaded by government loyalists.
Press Review
“Zhoghovurd” says it is only natural that pro-government parliamentarians 
“protect the interests of the executive branch.” “State officials now need 
support more than ever before because often times artificial tensions are 
created towards state officials,” writes the paper. “On the other hand, we have 
a situation where police officers can beat up a plainclothes man. What is 
bewildering is that when a representative of the [opposition] Bright Armenia 
party, Gevorg Gorgisian, reported the incident he was countered by [fellow 
lawmaker] Nikolay Baghdasarian of the [ruling] My Step bloc. The latter 
insisted that such things are not possible in the New Armenia. However, the 
police did not deny the incident and an internal inquiry is now underway.”
“Aravot” continues to slam a minibus driver in Yerevan who was fired after 
ignoring a commuter’s demand to stop smoking. The driver now wants to meet with 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and present his side of the story. The paper 
says that the government should not bow to pressures from any citizens flouting 
laws. It says Pashinian’s government already made a serious mistake when it 
forgave thousands of car owners that had refused to pay fines imposed on them 
for violations of traffic rules. Citizens must have no doubts that any 
delinquent behavior will have serious consequences for them, concludes the 
paper.
“Zhamanak” wonders whether former President Serzh Sarkisian’s visits to 
Nagorno-Karabakh are meant to help ward off “external dangers” facing the 
Armenians or “exert or generate pressure on the new Armenian authorities from 
there.” The paper also speculates that “some Russian circles” are trying to 
gain a foothold in Karabakh after being driven out of Armenia. “It is the same 
circles that have been targeting the Armenian velvet revolution for quite a 
while, gently blaming Serzh Sarkisian in the process for bringing things to 
such a conclusion,” it says. “They are openly saying that the revolution would 
not have happened had he not opted for a third term in office.”
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

                                        Thursday, 
Pashinian Attends Annual Celebrations In Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (C), Karabakh 
President Bako Sahakian (R) and Archbishop Pargev Martirosian leave a newly 
built church in Stepanakert, May 9, 2019.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian visited Nagorno-Karabakh on Thursday to 
celebrate the 74th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II and 
Karabakh’s main public holiday.
The holiday is dedicated to the May 1992 capture by Karabakh Armenian forces of 
Shushi (Shusha), a formerly Azerbaijani-populated strategic town overlooking 
Stepanakert. The military operation proved crucial for the Armenian victory in 
the 1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan.
“The liberation of Shushi, the cradle of the Artsakh Armenians, was one of the 
most heroic and brilliant pages of our history,” Pashinian said in a statement 
issued on the occasion.
Thursday’s celebrations began with hundreds of people led by Pashinian and Bako 
Sahakian, the Karabakh president, marching to World War II and Karabakh war 
memorials in Stepanakert. They also laid flowers at a nearby military cemetery 
where scores of Karabakh Armenians killed in action were laid to rest.
Nagorno-Karabakh -- Armenian an Karabakh leaders lead a festive march in 
Stepanakert, May 9, 2019.
The Armenian and Karabakh leaders then headed to Shushi where Sahakian hosted 
an official reception.
Pashinian and Sahakian held talks in Stepanakert after the official ceremonies. 
Their press offices gave no details of the talks.
The annual celebrations in Karabakh began on Wednesday. They were attended by 
Armenia’s Karabakh-born former President Serzh Sarkisian, who was the 
Armenian-populated territory’s top military commander at the start of the war. 
Sarkisian refused to answer questions from an RFE/RL reporter when he and 
Sahakian emerged from a state building in Stepanakert.
Kocharian’s Trial Set For May 13
        • Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia - President Robert Kocharian (R) and his senior adviser Armen Gevorgian 
at an election campaign rally in Yerevan, January 26, 2003.
The trial of Robert Kocharian and three other former senior officials 
prosecuted in connection with the 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan will 
start on May 13, lawyers for Armenia’s ex-president said on Thursday.
Judicial authorities did not immediately confirm the date of what will be one 
of the most high-profile trials in Armenia’s history.
Kocharian, his former chief of staff Armen Gevorgian and retired army Generals 
Seyran Ohanian and Yuri Khachaturov stand accused of “overthrowing the 
constitutional order” in the wake of a disputed presidential election held in 
February 2008. Investigators say they illegally used Armenian army units 
against supporters of the main opposition presidential candidate who protested 
against alleged electoral fraud.
All four men deny the charges. Kocharian, the only suspect held in pre-trial 
detention, says that they are part of a political “vendetta” waged by Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian.
Pashinian was one of the main opposition speakers during the 2008 protests. He 
subsequently spent about two years in prison for organizing what the former 
Armenian authorities characterized as “mass disturbances.”
Eight protesters and two police servicemen were killed as security forces 
quelled those protests on March 1-2, 2008. Kocharian ordered army units into 
central Yerevan during the violence.
Khachaturov served as deputy defense minister while Ohanian was the chief of 
the Armenian army’s General Staff at the time. Ohanian has repeatedly denied 
the army’s involvement in the post-election political processes.
Earlier this year, Kocharian was also charged with receiving a $3 million bribe 
from an Armenian businesswoman, Silva Hambardzumian. Prosecutors say that 
Hambardzumian also paid a separate $1 million kickback to Gevorgian. The latter 
became Armenia’s deputy prime minister after Kocharian handed over power to 
Serzh Sarkisian in April 2008.
Both Kocharian and Gevorgian deny the corruption accusations as well.
World Bank To Fund More Road Construction In Armenia
Armenia -- A road in the Syunik province, September 3, 2018.
The World Bank has disbursed a $15 million loan that will be spent on 
rebuilding and repairing 61 kilometers of more roads across Armenia.
The bank announced on Thursday that the Armenian government will contribute 
$3.8 million to the “additional financing” approved by it as part of the 
Lifeline Road Improvement Project (LRIP) launched in 2009. It said 433 
kilometers of Armenian roads have already been upgraded thanks to the LRIP.
“Despite visible improvement in the last decade, about 40 percent of the roads 
in Armenia remain in poor condition, and one-third of the rural population 
lacks access to an all-weather road,” read a statement released by the World 
Bank.
“The rehabilitation of additional lifeline roads will facilitate better access 
to jobs, markets, and other basic social services for over 60,000 people in the 
provinces,” it quoted Sylvie Bossoutrot, the bank’s country manager for 
Armenia, as saying.
This will allow local farmers and small business owners to “bring their 
products to market more easily and at a lower cost,” said Bossoutrot.
The disbursement raised to almost $2.4 billion the total amount of mainly 
low-interest loans provided by the World Bank to Armenia since 1992. It will 
solidify the bank’s status as the South Caucasus state’s leading foreign 
creditor.
The Armenian government is also planning to finance other road projects from 
the state budget. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Wednesday that most of 
62 billion drams ($129 million) in additional taxes which the government 
intends to collect this year will be spent on road construction.
Yerevan Denies Blacklisting Ukrainian Lawmaker At Russia’s Behest
        • Artak Khulian
Ukraine -- Ukrainian lawmaker Mustafa Nayyem gestures as he speaks to AFP 
journalist in his office in Kyiv, March 19, 2019.
The National Security Service (NSS) insisted on Wednesday that Russia was not 
responsible for the fact that a Ukrainian lawmaker was briefly prevented from 
entering Armenia after landing at Yerevan airport last week.
The lawmaker, Mustafa Nayyem, flew to Yerevan on April 30 to attend a 
conference as a private person. He told RFE/RL’s Armenian service on May 1 that 
it took more than two hours before he was allowed to leave the Zvartnots 
international airport.
Nayyem said immigration officers there told him that he had been barred from 
entering Armenia at the request of “a third country.” “After the [Ukrainian] 
consulate and the organizers of the conference intervened, I was finally 
allowed to enter Armenia for once,” he said.
Nayyem said he was later told by Armenian politicians and Ukrainian Embassy 
officials that Russia and Armenia are in coordination regarding Ukrainian 
citizens who are on Moscow's sanctions list.
The NSS director, Artur Vanetsian, dismissed Nayyem’s claims about Russian 
interference as “disinformation.” But he did confirm that the lawmaker was on 
an NSS list of “undesirable” individuals banned from entering Armenia.
“As soon as I was told that such an incident has occurred the issue was sorted 
out and Mustafa Nayyem entered Armenia,” Nayyem told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. 
“And Mustafa Nayyem stayed at the airport for roughly 40 minutes. There had 
been no interference by Russia.”
Vanetsian claimed that the Ukrainian politician critical of Moscow had been 
blacklisted by the NSS because of a “technical error.” He said that the 
blacklist contained the names of as many as 30,000 foreign nationals and that 
he significantly shortened it after being appointed as head of the security 
service one year ago.
Artur Sakunts, an Armenian human rights activist, dismissed this explanation, 
challenging the NSS to clarify why it regarded Nayyem as an “undesirable” 
person in the first place. Sakunts said he believes Russian authorities had 
told Yerevan to blacklist Nayyem because of the latter’s strong condemnations 
of Russia’s annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org