Author: Hovhannisian John

Asbarez: Armenia ‘Under Pressure’ from UK and US over Amulsar, says EU report

Hovhannisian John
May 6, 2020

Gold mining facilities constructed by Lydian International company at Amulsar deposit on May 18, 2018. (Source: Azatutyun.am)

An internal EU report claims that the UK government has pressured the Armenian government in a two-year standoff between protesters, an international mining company and the authorities.

BY THOMAS ROWLEY
From Open Democracy
An internal report by the European Union Delegation to Armenia states that the UK and US have pressured the country over a controversial gold mining project.

The Amulsar gold mine shot to the forefront of Armenian politics after the country underwent its “Velvet Revolution” in 2018, when public protests forced the ruling Republican Party out of power. In the aftermath local residents and environmental activists began a blockade of the unfinished $400m mining project, bringing them into conflict with British-American mining company Lydian International, the company’s international supporters and the Armenian government.

“It doesn’t matter to us who wants to exploit the mine. There will be no mining industry in Jermuk,” local activist Shirak Buniatyan recently told the newspaper Hraparak. “Those who try to open a mine here will waste their money.”

The internal EU report, dated October 2019, touches on the international dimension to the Amulsar standoff. As a result of the nearly two-year blockade, Lydian has been unable to access the Amulsar site and finish construction on the project, which is backed by resource investment funds, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), as well as the UK and US governments.

The report, obtained under Freedom of Information from the European External Action Service (EEAS), states that ‘Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been under pressure from the different stakeholders, including US and UK governments’ over the Amulsar standoff.

‘The US and UK governments,’ the partially redacted report continues, ‘hope Lydian would not be discriminated [against] and a similar approach towards other mining companies operating in Armenia would be applied.’

“There will be no mining industry in Jermuk. Those who try to open a mine here will waste their money”

Lydian calls the mine blockade illegal, and accuses the Armenian government of ‘inaction’ over the situation. In March 2019, the company notified Armenia of a potential international arbitration dispute under British and Canadian bilateral investment treaties. For some observers, the impasse over Amulsar is deemed worrying for foreign investors in the country.

Campaigners, as well as a British MP, have criticized the role of the UK Foreign Office in supporting Lydian International in its dispute with the Armenian government.

“This report confirms the suspicions held by many that the UK is acting on behalf of a company seeking to open a dangerous gold mine,” said Jean Blaylock, campaign and policy manager at Global Justice Now. “And more, a company that is using ‘corporate courts’ to try and bully the Armenian government into shutting down public protests against the mine.”

An FCO spokesperson said: “We do not accept this characterization of the Embassy’s routine engagement with the Armenian Government on the Amulsar gold mine.”

Lydian, which is registered in Jersey and headquartered in Canada, states it has followed the highest international standards on environmental mitigation and protection – as required by the EBRD and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, which withdrew from the Amulsar project in 2017.

Anti-Amulsar protesters in Yerevan’s Republic Square

Opponents of the mine, which former British Ambassadors have called ‘potentially the largest British investment in Armenia’ and an ‘excellent example of UK-Armenia business cooperation’, claim their concerns over potential environmental damage are well-founded.

Internal correspondence from British Embassy Yerevan obtained by openDemocracy under Freedom of Information contains redacted emails relating to Embassy meetings with both Lydian International and the Armenian government regarding Amulsar in 2018, as well as redacted internal Foreign Office correspondence concerning the mine. A list of contacts between the Embassy and Lydian shows regular contact over a five-year period.

A 2018 register of British Embassy documents relating to Amulsar contains titles such as “Possible meeting with Armenian PM – urgent advice requested”, “Questions for the Ambassador”, “Meeting with Acting PM Pashinyan key points” and “Readout of meeting with Lydian”. Embassy documents relating to the Amulsar project also include redacted correspondence about a EU Heads of Mission meeting with prime minister Pashinyan in November 2018.

“There seems to be no good reason for UK diplomats to throw their weight behind a mining company with main offices variously in Colorado, Canada and Armenia, a company registration in a Channel Island tax haven, and a recent letterbox registration in a building in London where no one from the company actually works,” said Jean Blaylock from Global Justice Now. “It appears Lydian doesn’t even have a bank account in the UK.”

Official statements by the UK Foreign Office tend to downplay support of Lydian International, which was set to become one of Armenia’s biggest taxpayers prior to the start of the public campaign in 2018.

“British Embassy Yerevan officials regularly make representations to the Government of Armenia on a range of issues,” a Foreign Office minister commented in response to a parliamentary question earlier this year.

The report does not disclose the nature of official UK or US pressure on Armenia over the Amulsar gold mine, the largest foreign investment in the country. The EEAS noted that the ‘full public release of the whole document would reveal assessments concerning aspects and impact of this project by the EU Delegation in Yerevan intended for internal use only’.

‘Unimpeded access to the public of the internal note would also give valuable information to adverse actors to jeopardize the success of possible future EU diplomatic moves,’ the EEAS stated in its accompanying letter.

An FCO spokesperson said: “It is the role of diplomatic missions to talk to host governments on a wide range of issues, including on behalf of businesses. In this case, the British Embassy in Yerevan has discussed the mine with the Government of Armenia, to better understand their approach to the situation.”

Lydian stated via email that ‘considering the current situation around the project, we do not give any comments.’.

Hayk Aloyan, head of Lydian Armenia, meets British ambassador Judith Farnworth in June 2018 at the Queen’s birthday party event at the UK Embassy in Yerevan (Photo from UK Embassy Yerevan / Facebook)

The EU Delegation report remarks that Armenian prime minister Pashinyan is ‘having to weigh environmental considerations against the economic benefits of the [Amulsar] project’ in a mining industry which has a ‘notoriously poor’ environmental protection record. With the mine finished, Lydian says it was set to employ 750 people, create an additional 3,000 jobs via local companies, and contribute $488 million to the Armenian state budget over a ten-year period.The report notes the tense situation in which the company’s foreign backers, including the UK government, have found themselves in Armenia. The Amulsar standoff is ‘heavily politicised’, the report states, ‘with opponents (but also some supporters) of the revolutionary Armenian authorities uniting around this issue, albeit pursuing different goals.’

In response to a government-ordered environmental audit of the Amulsar project in August 2019, representatives of Armenian civil society called on the British and US Embassies, as well as Sweden, to withdraw support for the Amulsar mine, calling the audit ‘staggering in its implications’.

‘We request that you as Ambassadors of western democracies stand by high environmental standards for people in Armenia and with human rights values,’ the open letter stated, noting that the UK, US and Swedish governments ‘have invested significantly in democracy building in Armenia’.

‘Perhaps it would be more fair to put [this] into a context of being in the United States or Great Britain or Sweden. Would any license to operate an open pit mine, in your backyard, ever be granted on the basis of incomplete, inaccurate and fraudulent ESIA [Environmental and social impact assessment]? We know the answer to this is “no” and ask that this standard be applied to the citizens and residents of Armenia.’

Prime minister Pashinyan initially ordered inspections in Armenia’s mining industry after taking the post in 2018, saying that he would have opposed the Amulsar project if he had been in power during the approval process.

“The Prime Minister is in a very difficult situation”

Following the publication of a government-ordered independent audit of the project in August 2019, Pashinyan, an opposition politician who led mass protests against Armenia’s former regime, began calling on protesters to end the mine blockade. He stated that there was no legal basis to oppose Amulsar, and that the mine should reopen.

Lydian International states that there was no basis for the government-ordered independent audit in Armenian law, and that the company has succeeded in ‘meeting or exceeding rigorous and leading global standards of environmental stewardship and sustainability’.

“The Prime Minister is in a very difficult situation, I believe,” said Sona Ayvazyan, executive director of Transparency International Armenia.

“He has his own values, such as democracy and care for the environment, his promises that the voices of Armenian citizens matter and that they are the masters of their own lives, that his government is different from the previous corrupt regime, etc. But Pashinyan faces strong public pressure and boosted expectations of people who supported the 2018 revolution, and meanwhile his actions are not in line with his values and promises.

“Apparently, he has been under significant pressure from the international community and, more specifically, the UK and US Embassies, risking to affect future foreign investments in the country. Obviously, it has been very hard for the Prime Minister to make a decision in this situation.”

A US State Department spokesperson said: “We hope the Armenian Government and Lydian International will continue to work together to discuss all possible options for a mutually agreeable, impartial, and expeditious resolution regarding Amulsar.

“We wish to see an orderly resolution of this issue in accordance with the law. The predictable, transparent, and uniform application of the law to all investors assures stakeholders and provides confidence to existing and potential investors.”

The Armenian Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

In December 2019, Lydian filed for a court-protected restructuring process in Canada. Court filings for the company, which was delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange in January this year, state that it is currently ‘advancing discussions with a potential purchaser’ for the mine, and continuing dialogue with the Armenian government ‘to see whether an agreement can be reached regarding access to the Amulsar Project.’

Armenia to lift restrictions on movement of citizens starting from May 4

Hovhannisian John
News.am, Armenia
May 1 2020

16:00, 01.05.2020

Under the new package of measures that will enter into force on May 4, restrictions on freedom of movement will be lifted, citizens won’t have to fill out a form before going out, but there will still be a ban on public transport, including intercity transport due to the high risk of the spread of the coronavirus. This is what Deputy Minister of Economy of Armenia Varos Simonyan told reporters today.

He added that almost all types of economic activities will be permitted, except for retail and wholesale trade at trade centers. “Public food outlets will operate and will serve customers outdoors. The operation of botanical gardens and reserves will also be allowed. In the sport sector, activities will only be permitted for professionals,” Varos Simonyan said.

According to him, there will be stricter oversight over conformity with the prescribed norms than in the past, especially in closed factories and offices. “Operation in all sectors of the processing industry will be permitted, including textile, furniture and shoes. However, in closed facilities, the administration needs to designate a person who will be responsible for observing all standards, including hygienic accessories, employees’ health condition, etc. In addition, employers need to ensure their employees’ safe movement and not let them leave the premises of the company during working hours,” he said.

Armenia Defense Minister visits Artsakh

Hovhannisian John

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 11:40, 2 May, 2020

STEPANAKERT, MAY 2, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan visited Artsakh between May 1-2 as part of the military cooperation and combined action plan of the two countries.

Accompanied by Artsakh’s Defense Minister Jalal Harutyunyan, Tonoyan visited a number of active duty military bases in the northern and central directions, toured various barracks and rear units and met with the troops, the Artsakh Defense Ministry said in a news release.

The main discussion points focused on the improvement of the service and social-household conditions of the servicemen, as well as combat and morale readiness, effective application of arsenal and military equipment, modernization and logistical issues.

Tonoyan praised the current level of military cooperation between Armenia and Artsakh.

The priority directions of future actions as part of the cooperation were adjusted.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Artsakh MFA issues statement on 29th anniversary of Operation ‘Ring’

Hovhannisian John

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 17:43,

YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of foreign affairs of Artsakh issued a statement on the 29th anniversary of the Operation ‘Koltso’ on the deportation of the Armenian population of the borderline villages of Artsakh, the ministry told Armenpress.

The statement says:

“29 years ago, under the direct organization and coordination of the central authorities of the USSR and Azerbaijan, a large-scale operation ‘Koltso’ (‘Ring’) was carried out to deport the Armenian population of the borderline villages of Artsakh. This bloody operation ultimately transferred the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict to the military plane, initiating the subsequent full-scale aggression of Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic).

On April 30, 1991, the massive shelling of Getashen and Martunashen villages of the Shahumyan region launched the operation ‘Koltso’, in the course of which tanks, combat helicopters, and artillery were employed for the first time against the civilians. Azerbaijani special police units (OMON), with the support of internal troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Soviet Army, broke into Armenian villages formally supposedly for “checking the passport regime”, but in fact for killing, robbery, terror against the Armenian population, followed by deportation.

As a result of the military-police actions, dozens of Armenian villages of Northern Artsakh, as well as the Shahumyan, Hadrut and Shushi regions were destroyed, about ten thousand people were deported, over 100 people were killed, and hundreds of people were taken hostage. The fate of many of them remains unknown so far.

The Azerbaijani authorities considered the operation ‘Koltso’ as the beginning of the complete cleansing of Artsakh from the Armenian population. It became another manifestation of the policy of ethnic cleansing conducted by Azerbaijan in 1988-1991 in Sumgait, Baku and other settlements of the Azerbaijani SSR, as well as in the villages of Northern Artsakh.

The Armenian pogroms carried out by the Azerbaijani authorities in response to the demand of the people of Artsakh to exercise its inalienable right to self-determination and the subsequent military aggression against the Republic of Artsakh in 1991, which was repeated in April 2016, demonstrated that only the establishment and strengthening of an independent statehood can ensure the right of the people of Artsakh to live freely and safely in its homeland. The international community’s recognition of this reality and the international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh will become an additional deterrent against Azerbaijan’s desire to unleash a new war and will ensure peace and security in the entire region of the South Caucasus”.

Armenia NO2 pollution drops drastically amid lockdown

Hovhannisian John

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 15:12,

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. A drastic drop of nitrogen dioxide air pollution has been recorded in Armenia from April 1 to 16 compared to March 1 to 15 amid the coronavirus lockdown, the Environmental Monitoring and Information Center reported.

While the decrease in Yerevan is only 4%, the drop was 48% in Tsakhkadzor and 42% in Alaverdi. The biggest decrease in nitrogen dioxide pollution was recorded in Vanadzor with 49%.

The pollution dropped 12% in Kajaran, 36% in Hrazdan and 32% in Alaverdi.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

CIVILNET.Russia and the Nagorno Karabakh Peace Negotiations: An Interview with Emil Sanamyan

Hovhannisian John
CIVILNET.AM

22:06 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on April 21 that the parties to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict have been presented with projects that suggest a step-by-step solution of the conflict, which “are currently actively discussed.” Lavrov added that these proposals suggest moving towards a step-by-step settlement, assuming at the first stage the solution of the most pressing problems, including the withdrawal of Armenian troops from “some territories around Nagorno Karabakh” and the unblocking of transport, economic and other communications. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan responded immediately that “this kind of approaches had appeared in 2014 and 2016, and are not acceptable for the Armenian parties.” He stressed that for Armenia and Karabakh the paramount issues remain security and the status of Nagorno Karabakh. 

Emil Sanamyan, editor of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies Focus on Karabakh platform and expert on South Caucasus elaborates the recent moves in Nagorno Karabakh negotiations with CivilNet’s Karen Harutyunyan. 

– The widely discussed so-called Lavrov plan has been rejected by Armenia before and after the 2016 April war. Meanwhile, Armenia’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister both have been denying a discussion of any concrete plan in negotiations. What is your view on these statements? 

– Foreign Minister Lavrov is the most prominent international figure to comment on the Karabakh conflict with some regularity and in the absence of much other commentary at this level, Lavrov’s words always become news. Typically, these comments are prompted by Azerbaijani or Armenian journalists during his media availabilities, and this time was not an exception as Lavrov was answering questions via an online event hosted by Gorchakov Fund.

Lavrov’s previous comments were made six months ago, when he expressed certainty that militarily the situation in Artsakh would remain stable. Those comments must have been based on assurances given by Ilham Aliyev. However, Aliyev has offered that stability as an advance to Nikol Pashinyan, hoping to convert it into serious discussion of Armenian compromises. It appears that Pashinyan has been resisting such discussions. This is the main context for Lavrov’s comments.

– Almost two years have passed since the revolution in Armenia with the new leader Nikol Pashinyan bringing new sort of discourse to the process. For example, he said that any solution to the problem must consider the interests of the peoples of Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, while also stating that “Karabakh is Armenia, period” and that Karabakh’s participation in negotiations is a sine qua non. What kind of impact does this rhetoric have on the negotiation process and atmosphere, if any?

– I don’t think those specific comments have had any effect, as they are vague to the extreme and therefore open to interpretation. Even “Karabakh is Armenia, period” – something that was said by everyone from Leonid Azgaldyan to Serzh Sargsyan before as well – is not a statement of policy, but a very generic slogan akin to “Armenia is Europe, period.”

It is so far unclear if Pashinyan has made it a policy to make Artsakh part of the Republic of Armenia and what intermediate steps he is ready to take in that regard. Until that is clear all we have is “kicking the can down the road” approach that we had before.

– How do you see Russia’s role in the current stage of Karabakh negotiations? Why has Moscow moved to highlight the step-by-step option, knowing well that it puts the Armenian government in an “awkward position”?

– Fundamentally, this has always been the case in the Karabakh conflict and associated negotiations. If we recall the start of this conflict in 1988, the Armenian side was the one challenging the status quo and Moscow was its protector. So, compromise solutions offered by Moscow tended to fall short of the Armenian goal of Artsakh’s reunification with Armenia.

As a reminder: In 1988 Gorbachev’s offer was to raise NK’s status from autonomous oblast to autonomous republic, it was rejected. In 1991 Yeltsin’s offer was to re-establish autonomy and a similar offer was made by Yevgeni Primakov and it was again rejected in the mid-1990s. I would note that all those proposals were so-called “package proposals,” it’s just the Armenian side did not like the content of those packages.

As we know from diplomatic documents, the shift to “step-by-step” option came at the suggestion of the United States in 1997 and at the time it also had Russia’s support. The thought was that if the parties cannot agree on status, why not agree on everything else and keep the status indefinitely unresolved. As we recall, Levon Ter-Petrossian was inclined to agree to that approach and lost his job as a result. 23 years later this remains Aliyev’s preferred option for resolution, and this is occasionally reflected in comments by mediators.

But just as with “package” solutions, judgment on “step-by-step” has to be made on the basis of specific content. In general, the Armenian side is ready for steps that lead to stabilization of cease-fire and normalization of relations. That is the Armenian “step-by-step” approach. But we have yet to see a strong diplomatic effort by Armenia to promote that approach.

– Although  there has not been a turn in Armenia’s  foreign policy since the revolution, relations between Armenia and Russia have become uneasy in certain spheres. For example, asked about the possibility of decreasing the price of Russian gas for Armenia, Mr. Lavrov stressed that some Russian companies in Armenia are being prosecuted, and “if we talk  about being allies, then, perhaps, the alliance should be displayed in all areas.” How would you assess the current state of Armenian-Russian relations? Do Armenia’s domestic developments impact these relations, and to what extent? What implications can these relations have for the Nagorno Karabakh peace negotiations, given Russia’s exclusive role in the region?

– The Russian leadership has been generally unhappy with Armenia events. At the same time, in the absence of obvious signs of change in foreign policy, Vladimir Putin has opted to take a patient approach and basically wait out Nikol Pashinyan. Considering the centralized nature of Russian leadership, personal relations with Putin remain paramount when it comes to relations between countries. The older people get, the harder it is for them to make friends, and it is hard for me to imagine any kind of friendship between Pashinyan and Putin. Armenia-Russia relations will remain in danger of deterioration, be that over Pashinyan’s treatment of Robert Kocharyan or some other issue to which Putin has shown to be sensitive.

Lack of a strong relationship between Moscow and Yerevan is of course a strategic opportunity, which Aliyev will continue to exploit. And I would note that this did not begin under Pashinyan. In fact, the “social distancing” that happened between Putin and Serzh Sargsyan was a key factor that led to the security deterioration in Karabakh and the April War.

– The calamities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic were reflected in the April 21 joint statement of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who stressed the importance of maintaining the ceasefire regime. Will the impending economic recession all over the world and in this region in particular impact  the NK peace process in any way?

Uncertainty remains as to how long the current “stoppage” in the global economy will last and if it might be repeated later this year or next. I think it is clear that the demand for oil will remain low for the foreseeable future and Russian and other post-Soviet economies will be struggling as a result. I doubt that the NK peace process, difficult as it is, will become less difficult in these new conditions. 

Armenia comes to this crisis better prepared than most other countries because of its natural geographic isolation and existing blockades, and Diaspora networks have helped it adjust to economic disruptions in the past, but Armenia will no doubt be hurting as well. It remains to be seen to what extent Armenia’s leadership will be able to handle this crisis with its challenges and opportunities. 

Asbarez: ANCA Welcomes State Department’s Confirmation of Adjusting COVID-19 Aid to Armenia

Hovhannisian John

The ANCA has, since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, consistently advocated for the reprogramming of the U.S. aid program to help Armenia deal with this health emergency.

Progress toward ANCA’s $25 Million Reprogramming Request

WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America, which since the start of the COVID-19 crisis has consistently advocated for the reprogramming of the U.S. aid program to help Armenia deal with this health emergency, welcomed formal confirmation that the U.S. State Department has directed the U.S. Embassy in Armenia to examine how existing assistance programs can be adjusted to match Armenia’s priority needs in the midst of this pandemic.

“We welcome, as a first step, our Department of State’s confirmation that the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan is open to adjusting the existing U.S. aid program to help Armenia meet its urgent priorities related to the COVID-19 crisis,” said ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian. “The ANCA looks forward to learning more about how these repurposed funds can be smartly allocated to help Armenia deal with this health emergency and its economic aftermath,” Hamparian added.

The Administration’s confirmation came in response to ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian’s April 3, 2020, letter calling on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to reprogram “at least $25 million from the Congressionally-appropriated aid package for Armenia as part of an expanded U.S. assistance program to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.” The Department of State’s response to the ANCA, written on behalf of Secretary Pompeo, was signed by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Caucasus and Eastern Europe, George Kent.

To date, the U.S. government has dedicated $1.7 million in health assistance to Armenia to support COVID-19 response efforts, including preparing laboratory systems, activating case-finding and event-based surveillance, assisting technical experts for response and preparedness, and bolstering risk communication.

AGMI launches "virtual memory march" on Armenian Genocide anniv.

Hovhannisian John
PanArmenian, Armenia
– 12:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute has announced a “virtual memory march” to commemorate the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24.

The AGMI said on Friday, April 10 that they were going to encourage people hold in their hands the portraits or the names of their ancestors who were killed in or survived the Genocide, when they visited the Memorial in Yerevan on April 24.

But the Museum cited the coronavirus outbreak and the state of emergency in the country, which is likely to be extended beyond April 14, and proposed taking the initiative to a virtual dimension, where users can change their profile pictures and add a special frame (available on the AGMI’s Facebook page) to it.

“The purpose of the commemorative march is to remember our grandparents who were killed in or survived the Genocide,” the AGMI said.

April 24, 1915 is the day when a group of Armenian intellectuals were rounded up and assassinated in Constantinople by the Ottoman government. On April 24, Armenians worldwide will be commemorating the 105th anniversary of the Genocide, which continued until 1923. Some three dozen countries, hundreds of local government bodies and international organizations have so far recognized the killings of 1.5 million Armenians as Genocide. Turkey denies to this day.

Armenia’s healthcare system capable to deal with treatment of all coronavirus patients – minister

Hovhannisian John

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 17:14,

YEREVAN, APRIL 10, ARMENPRESS. Armenian healthcare minister Arsen Torosyan says the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus in the country is normal and assures that the healthcare system is capable to deal with the treatment of such number of patients.

“I urge our citizens not to condition the situation only by numbers, the number of coronavirus infected people is normal, and our healthcare system is capable of dealing with their treatment. We should not allow a situation when one day the designated hospitals will have no place to accept critical patients as a result of which we will start treating them in non-hospital conditions”, the minister said.

Torosyan stated that the average age of deaths from coronavirus in Armenia is 75.

According to the latest data, the total number of people infected with coronavirus in Armenia is 937. The death toll is 12. 5,144 people tested negative so far. The number of recovered patients has reached 149.

On March 16 Armenia declared a 30-day state of emergency to battle the spread of COVID-19. The state of emergency is effective until April 14, 17:00.

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. WHO declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global pandemic and named the virus COVID-19. 

According to the data of the World Health Organization, coronavirus cases have been confirmed in more than 210 countries and territories.

Reported by Lilit Demuryan

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Armenia among few countries to not have empty store shelves during coronavirus crisis

Hovhannisian John

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 14:05, 9 April, 2020

YEREVAN, APRIL 9, ARMENPRESS. The State Commission for the Protection of the Economic Competition is carrying out daily monitoring of the developments taking place in the commodity markets during the coronavirus crisis, chairman of the watchdog agency Gegham Gevorgyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

He said they see a certain trend of price decrease.

“The price increase is somewhere between 1 and 4 percent and no abrupt increase has taken place. We’ve made a comparison against the same period of 2018 and for example sugar price in February 2020 was 230 drams, and 250 drams as of April 8, whereas in 2018’s same period it was 338 drams,” he said.

He said the prices and the figures show that a competition exists in the market.

Gevorgyan said regular type petroleum costs 310 drams per liter, whereas the price in 2018 was 450 drams.

PM Nikol Pashinyan added that deflations happened in 2019 and 2020 in numerous directions and this circumstance must be taken into account.

“If we were to attempt to make artificial intervention against prices, we will have deficit in the market, businessmen will simply stop importing goods. There are two lines here, first is for there not to be an artificial intervention and second is that no occurrences of situational over-profit happen,” he said, adding that Armenia is among the very few countries which doesn’t have shortages of any goods in the store shelves during the coronavirus crisis.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan