Author: Kalantarian Kevo

                                        Tuesday, 
Pashinian Ally Hails Sarkisian Resignation Anniversary
        • Astghik Bedevian
Armenia -- Armenians celebrate the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh 
Sarkisian, Yerevan, April 23, 2018.
A close associate of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian congratulated Armenians on 
Tuesday on the first anniversary of the dramatic resignation of the country’s 
former leader, Serzh Sarkisian, announced amid mass protests against his 
continued rule.
“I want to congratulate all of us in connection with that event and say that a 
very important event happened in Armenia one year ago,” said Alen Simonian, a 
deputy parliament speaker and senior member of Pashinian’s My Step bloc.
“The people of Armenia once again proved their superior qualities,” Simonian 
told reporters.
Sarkisian stepped down on April 23, 2018 just six days after completing his 
second presidential term in office and becoming Armenia’s prime minister amid 
intensifying street protests organized by Pashinian.
“Nikol Pashinian was right, I was mistaken,” Sarkisian said in a written 
address to the nation.“There are several solutions to the existing situation 
but I will not opt for any of them. They are not to my liking.”
“The movement in the streets is against my tenure. I am fulfilling your 
demand,” he added.
ARMENIA -- A man covered with a national flag waves an opened bottle of a 
sparkling wine celebrating Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sarkisian's 
resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, April 23, 2018
The announcement sparked jubilant scenes in the streets of Yerevan filled with 
hundreds of thousands of people demanding his resignation.
Sarkisian publicly rejected the demands for his resignation as recently as on 
April 22. At a short televised meeting with Pashinian, he accused the 
opposition leader of blackmailing “the legitimate authorities of the state.” “A 
faction that got 7-8 percent of the vote [in the April 2017 parliamentary 
elections] cannot speak on behalf of the people,” he said, referring to the 
opposition Yelk bloc, of which Pashinian was a leader.
Pashinian was detained more than an hour after that meeting while holding a 
fresh demonstration in Yerevan. The arrest only added to popular anger, with 
tens of thousands of people flocking to Republic Square later on April 22.
The protests resumed in Yerevan and other Armenian cities the following 
morning. Pashinian was set free in the afternoon, shortly before the 
announcement of Sarkisian’s resignation.
The then Armenian parliament controlled by Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) 
reluctantly elected Pashinian prime minister on May 8 under relentless pressure 
from huge crowds demonstrating across the country.
Pashinian’s protest movement was also backed by other major political forces, 
notably Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK). The BHK joined his 
first cabinet formed later in May. It is now in opposition to the government.
ARMENIA -- Opposition demonstrators gathered on the Republic Square celebrating 
Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sarkisian's resignation in Yerevan, April 23, 
2018
A senior BHK figure, Gevorg Petrosian, claimed on Tuesday that the “velvet 
revolution” has not lived up to the people’s expectations yet. “The people did 
the revolution in hopes that there will be a tangible, positive improvement in 
their lives in the very near future,” he said. “In the economic sense we don’t 
have tangible growth right now.”
Simonian disagreed, saying that Pashinian’s government is consistently 
improving the economic situation in Armenia with sweeping reforms. “This is an 
ongoing process which will continue unabated,” he said. “Everything will be 
done so that Armenia’s citizens feel the difference on their skin, in their 
family budgets.”
Earlier this month the current parliament controlled by My Step approved a 
government proposal to designate the last Saturday of April as a public holiday 
called Citizen’s Day. Pashinian insisted in March that the new holiday will be 
dedicated to “the victory of the people and democracy,” rather than his rise to 
power.
Russian Military Said To Deploy More Advanced Jets In Armenia
        • Emil Danielyan
Singapore -- A Sukhoi SU-30 fighter jet from the Royal Malaysian Air Force 
performs a slow fly past during the Singapore Airshow at Changi exhibition 
center in Singapore, February 16, 2016
Russia will replace its 18 MiG-29 fighter jets stationed in Armenia with more 
sophisticated and powerful aircraft, it was reported on Tuesday
Citing an unnamed official in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, the TASS news 
agency said the Russian military will start deploying Sukhoi Su-30SM jets to 
the Erebuni airbase in Yerevan next year.
“The delivery of the aircraft will be carried out in two phases: in 2020 and 
2021,” the said the unnamed source. “It is planned that all 18 MiG-29s, which 
are currently flown by pilots of the airbase, will be replaced by Su-30SMs.”
Su-30SM is a modernized version of a heavy fighter jet developed by the Sukhoi 
company in the late 1980s. The Russian military received the first batch of 
such aircraft in 2012. It can carry much heavier and more wide-ranging rockets 
and has more advanced electronic equipment than MiG-29, which was designed in 
the 1970s.
Armenia - A Russian MiG-29 fighter jet prepares for takeoff at the Erebuni air 
base in Yerevan, 12Mar2016.
The Russian ambassador to Armenia, Sergey Kopyrkin, did not deny or confirm the 
TASS report when he spoke to journalists later on Tuesday. “I am not prepared 
to talk about this subject in detail,” Kopyrkin said, according to the Sputnik 
news agency.
For its part, Armenia’s Defense Ministry declined to comment on the possible 
deployment of Su-30SM aircraft, saying that Moscow has made no official 
statements to that effect.
An Armenian government source told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that Yerevan would 
welcome such a deployment because Su-30SM is more modern than the aging MiG-29s 
that are part of the Russian military base in Armenia. The MiG-29s were 
modernized by the Russian Air Force several years ago.
The Russia base headquartered in Gyumri is in turn part of Russia’s Southern 
Military District. The district commander, Colonel-General Alexander Dvornikov, 
met with the visiting chief of the Armenian army’s General Staff, 
Lieutenant-General Artak Davtian, on April 19.
Russia -- Colonel-General Alexander Dvornikov (L), commander of Russia's 
Southern Military District, meets with Lieutenant-General Artak Davtian (R), 
the Amrenian army chief of staff, April 19, 2019.
According to the Armenia Defense Ministry, the two generals discussed “joint 
combat readiness activities.” A ministry statement said Dvornikov also praised 
the most recent Russian-Armenian military exercises that were held at a 
training ground 50 kilometers west of Yerevan on April 1-12.
Earlier this year, Moscow and Yerevan signed a contract for the delivery of 
four Sukhoi Su-30SM jets to Armenia. Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan said in 
February that the Armenian military will receive them by the beginning of 2020. 
It plans to buy more such aircraft in the following years, he said.
Financial details of the fighter jet deal remain unknown. Membership in the 
Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) entitles Armenia to 
buying Russian weapons at discounted prices.
Armenian Law-Enforcement Body Reports Sharp Rise In Corruption Probes
Armenia -The Investigative Committee headquarters in Yerevan.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee said on Tuesday that the number of state 
officials and other individuals prosecuted by it on corruption charges more 
than doubled last year.
In a detailed statement, the law-enforcement agency, which conducts the vast 
majority of criminal investigations in the country, revealed that it opened 
1,077 corruption-related cases in 2018, up from 403 such cases in 2017. It said 
presumed embezzlement or misuse of public funds accounted for the largest share 
of those inquiries, followed by almost 130 alleged instances of bribery.
The Investigative Committee said 382 individuals working in the central or 
local government bodies, the security apparatus and other public institutions 
were charged with various corrupt practices as a result. It reported a total of 
77 corruption-related arrests of these and other people, compared with 23 
arrests made in 2017.
The committee did not specify whether the bulk of these actions were taken 
after last spring’s mass protests which toppled Armenia’s former government 
accused by its political opponents of not only tolerating but also sponsoring 
corruption.
Public discontent with widespread graft is thought to be one of the reasons for 
the “velvet revolution.” Nikol Pashinian, the revolution leader elected prime 
minister in May, claims to have already eliminated “systemic corruption” in 
Armenia.
The most high-profile corruption probes launched after the revolution have 
targeted relatives and cronies of Serzh Sarkisian, the country’s deposed former 
leader. In particular, one of his two brothers, Levon, was charged with 
“illegal enrichment” after tax inspectors discovered in June 2018 that he and 
his two children hold almost $7 million in undeclared deposits at an Armenian 
bank. Levon Sarkisian, who is known to have worked only in the public sector, 
apparently left Armenia shortly before being indicted.
Press Review
“Zhoghovurd” comments on the first anniversary of Serzh Sarkisian’s dramatic 
resignation as Armenia’s newly elected prime minister. “He resigned under 
popular pressure,” writes the paper. “Although he said the day before that ‘a 
political force that got 7 percent of the vote has no right to speak on behalf 
of the people’ and hinted at another March 1-style crackdown, he admitted on 
April 23: ‘Nikol Pashinian was right, I was wrong.’ There was a real jubilation 
in Armenia on the day of Serzh Sarkisian’s resignation.” The paper says that 
the greatest achievement of the past year was the conduct of free and fair 
parliamentary elections in December. It also praised the new government’s 
economic policies and record.
“Aravot” says that judging from continuing statements made by senior members of 
Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), they “still do not understand 
and do not even try to understand that they were rejected and are hated to this 
day.” “They think that the revolution which happened one year ago was the 
result of a skillful use of public relations and political ‘color’ techniques,” 
editorializes the paper. “Far from denying that factor, we have to point out 
that it plaid a secondary role. They key thing was the public mood which 
accumulated in the past 20 years.”
“The events of last year must also serve as a lesson for the current 
authorities. Childish jubilation and blind worship are as dangerous as 
courtier’s flattery,” concludes “Aravot.”
“Zhamanak” says Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has trouble making Armenians 
understand what the “economic revolution” promised by him is all about. The 
paper says the main reason for this is that people have traditionally expected 
their government to give them tangible economic benefits, rather than create 
conditions for prosperity. “This is where a dialogue is not taking place,” it 
says, adding that Pashinian and his associates themselves nurtured this “old 
mindset” when they were in opposition to the country’s former governments.
(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

                                        Wednesday, 
Aliyev Again Rejects Armenian Proposal To Include Karabakh In Peace Talks
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (file photo)
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has again rejected an Armenian proposal on 
the inclusion of Nagorno-Karabakh as a full party to internationally mediated 
negotiations for the settlement of the protracted conflict.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian reiterated the proposal at a press 
conference in Yerevan on March 19, insisting that it will not constitute a 
change of the current format of talks mediated by the Organization for Security 
and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group, but rather will be the restoration of 
the format that existed for several years after 1994 when Nagorno-Karabakh was 
a separate party to the ceasefire agreement that put a halt to active military 
operations in the region.
Aliyev, meanwhile, again referred to Armenia’s proposal as “a change in the 
negotiations format,” which he said is unacceptable.
“Azerbaijan cannot agree to that. And envoys of the Minsk Group co-chair 
countries made a serious statement, saying that the format of the negotiations 
should remain unchanged. Similar statements were also made by high-ranking EU 
officials. It is definitely a serious message to Armenia, and it also proves 
that Azerbaijan’s position is getting more and more support,” Aliyev said on 
Wednesday.
Speaking at yesterday’s press conference, Armenian Prime Minister Pashinian 
emphasized that his statements on the need for Nagorno-Karabakh’s engagement in 
the talks was not a “challenge”, but rather “an invitation to dialogue” in 
which Armenia was ready to listen to Azerbaijan’s counterarguments.
“We will continue discussions on this subject with our partners and will try to 
continue this discussion in the field of arguments, because negotiations are 
negotiations only when we listen to each other. At least Armenia has shown its 
ability to listen to its opponent, try to understand the other side, and we 
expect the same from them. Where our partners consider that our position can be 
viewed as excessively tough, we can soften this position, but we would expect 
the same from our partners, because otherwise no conversation will take place,” 
the Armenian leader said, in particular.
Meanwhile, at a press briefing in Yerevan today Armenian Foreign Ministry 
spokesperson Anna Naghdalian said that the expected meeting between the 
Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders will not be “negotiations around the 
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement issue proper, but an endeavor to elaborate 
appropriate interpretations regarding the principles and elements of the 
settlement process.”
“There are different interpretations of the three principles and six elements 
included in the document. Azerbaijan interprets them its own way, the Armenian 
side also makes its own interpretation… Therefore, there is a need for a 
meeting just to work out an appropriate interpretation for all three principles 
and six elements, and only then understand how to move forward,” said 
Naghdalian.
Opposition Lawmaker Sees ‘Growing Discontent’ In Armenia
        • Ruzanna Stepanian
Gevork Gorgisian, secretary of the Bright Armenia parliamentary faction
There is a growing wave of social discontent in Armenia and it is dangerous if 
the prime minister is not aware of it, an opposition lawmaker said on 
Wednesday, commenting on the statement that Nikol Pashinian amde at a press 
conference yesterday.
Pashinian, in particular, said: “There is no growing wave of discontent in 
Armenia and I am saying this for the record. In the next five years we will see 
if there is a growing wave of discontent in Armenia.”
Countering this statement, Gevork Gorgisian, secretary of the opposition Bright 
Armenia faction in parliament, referred to a number of recent protests staged 
by workers in different sectors of the economy.
“Now we are discussing the new tax legislation and there are lots of complaints 
about it. Right now the National Assembly is discussing amendments to the law 
on pawnshops, in which connection there are also different complaints in 
society. We get complaints every day, we meet with citizens who represent 
different sectors and have different issues while dealing mostly with 
government institutions. And all this must be handled and something must be 
done about it,” Gorgisian said.
The oppositionist claimed that daily contacts that he and his colleagues have 
with citizens show that “people yet do not feel the real changes after the 
revolution.”
“Very high expectations have been formed and now it is very dangerous that if 
the society does not see at least some of the expectations being met, we will 
face the risk of a very serious depression,” Gorgisian said.
According to the opposition lawmaker, the Pashinian government has also failed 
to fight against systemic corruption.
On the contrary, Pashinian and other members of his government have repeatedly 
stated that government corruption has been uprooted in Armenia.
Pashinian Congratulates Tokayev on Becoming Kazakhstan’s Interim President
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev being sworn in as Kazakhstan’s interim president
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Wednesday congratulated 
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on his assuming the office of Kazakhstan’s interim 
president following yesterday’s resignation of the Central Asian nation’s 
longtime leader Nursultan Nazarbayev.
In his message published on the prime minister’s official website Pashinian, in 
particular, said: “I cordially congratulate you on assuming the office of 
[interim] president of the Republic of Kazakhstan. I am convinced that your 
rich experience and knowledge will serve the best Kazakhstan’s further 
development and progress.
“The warm friendship and mutual respect between our peoples are a solid basis 
for the continuous strengthening of our inter-state relations. I express my 
readiness to cooperate closely with you in bilateral and multilateral formats 
for the further expansion and deepening of the Armenian-Kazakhstani relations.”
After announcing his resignation on March 19, Kazakhstan’s longtime ruler 
Nazarbayev, among other foreign leaders, also had a telephone conversation with 
Pashinian.
Armenia and Kazakhstan are both members of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic 
Union and Collective Security Treaty Organization.
Alabama Recognizes Armenian Genocide
People lay flowers to commemorate the 103rd anniversary of mass killings of 
Armenians by Ottoman Turks, at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan, 
Armenia, April 24, 2018
Alabama has become the 49th U.S. state to officially recognize Ottoman-era 
killings and deportations of Armenians as genocide.
Kay Ivey, Governor of the State of Alabama, proclaimed April 2019 as Genocide 
Awareness Month.
“We welcome this proclamation by Governor Ivey, making Alabama the 49th state 
in the union to officially re-affirm this international crime against 
humanity,” said Armenian National Committee of America-Eastern Region Board 
Chairman Steve Mesrobian.
“This proclamation serves as a powerful reminder that truth about genocides 
should never be held hostage to the denial of its perpetrators and those who 
continue to profit from that crime.”
Thus, all U.S. states except Mississippi have recognized the Armenian Genocide.
Since the 1960s, the Armenian community of the United States has sought 
Washington’s reaffirmation that the massacres of 1.5 million Armenians in 
Ottoman Turkey in 1915 constituted genocide and its condemnation of the crime. 
However, the White House leaders have generally avoided the use of the term 
genocide in their annual addresses and offered their support in the 
reconciliation of Armenians and Turks.
The 44th and 45th U.S. Presidents, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, used the 
Armenian expression “Meds Yeghern” in their April 24 messages.
Press Review
“Zhoghovurd” comments on the statement made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian during yesterday’s press conference that despite the smear campaigns 
on which “former government representatives every day spend millions of 
dollars, they still cannot get the support of the people.” “Indeed, the 
division between the former governing force and the people only grew wider over 
the past two decades and the society for years rejected that government and 
last year it finally succeeded in ousting it… But still one should not 
underestimate the opponent no matter how unenviable its situation is, 
especially that this opponent is spending huge sums of money for 
counterpropaganda against the Pashinian government,” the paper says.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” writes: “The Armenian media field is full of reports about 
planned protests and expected larger-scale demonstrations. An ordinary citizen 
does not understand well what is taking place in the country. What is taking 
place is that on the one hand there is quite a large segment in Armenia – the 
former authorities and circles linked to them – those who got richer under the 
previous government and who not only lost power and their comfort in the 
passing months, but also at every moment face the prospect of appearing behind 
bars. On the other hand, Armenia indeed has serious socio-economic, security, 
demographic and other problems to solve which serious financial means are 
required. The former authorities skillfully turn into occasions for propaganda 
any attempt to change something, optimize or restore justice in the tax field, 
awakening anti-government sentiments in society. In other words, they from the 
beginning torpedo any attempt to increase the budget.”
“Zhamanak” comments on Pashinian’s statement that Armenia is discussing with 
the European Union not the issue of shutting down the nuclear power plant, but 
the issue of creating equivalent capacities: “At first glance, it seems that 
equivalent capacities means the same amount of energy production that would 
allow closing one energy producer, having a new one, and thus not having a 
shortage of production. But the issue is more than that. For example, is a 
thermal power plant equivalent to a nuclear power plant? It is clear that only 
production capacity and cost of production cannot be considered equivalent in 
the deep sense of this word, because Armenia receives gas from abroad and in 
the case with the nuclear power plant it gets the nuclear fuel once and for 
quite a long period of time…There is also perhaps the most important political, 
geopolitical and even military-political component that a nuclear power plant 
has and no other energy producing facility has. A nuclear power plant is more 
than politics as nuclear technology at present is a desirable resource even for 
very developed, strong states.”
(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