Author: Kanayan Tamar

Armenian army equipped with new drones of local production

Kanayan Tamar
News.am, Armenia
Feb 15 2019
Armenian army equipped with new drones of local production Armenian army equipped with new drones of local production

15:28, 15.02.2019
                  

YEREVAN. – The Armenian armed forces are equipped with new Armenia-produced drones.

According to information obtained by Armenian News-NEWS.am, another stage of supplying the military units with improved ARMI-55M drones is underway.

The upgraded aircraft has extensive capabilities for piloting and reconnaissance. During one flight,  UAV can cover a distance of 400–500 kilometers. The maximum range of communication with the operator is 100 kilometers. If need be, reconnaissance can be conducted in the depths of the enemy’s territory 150–200 kilometers far.

The development of new generation drones, including weapon-equipped drones, has started. 

President denies reports about cooperating with a political party

Kanayan Tamar
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 16 2019

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian does not cooperate with any Armenian political force, press department at the President Office said in a released statement, after relevant reports circulated in the press.

“One of the Armenian media outlets has published another disinformation about the president of the republic and his activity, claiming the Armenian president has own interests in the political arena and allegedly cooperates with one of political forces,” the statement read.

The press department of the president slams the report as ‘imaginary and having no touch with reality.’

“President Armen Sarkissian has no party affiliation, no interests in the political field and does not cooperate with any party,” the statement read, adding however, within his capacities, and upon necessity Sarkissian holds meetings with parliamentary and extra-parliamentary forces. 

“We call on our partners to avoid the consistent efforts of disseminating disinformation,” the statement concluded.

To remind, earlier of one Armenian newspapers cited own sources, claiming President Sarkissian holds regular consultations with members of Bright Armenia party –  the third largest fraction in the Armenian parliament.

The government aimed to eliminate extreme poverty by 2023

Kanayan Tamar
  • 06.02.2019

    •  

  • Armenia:

    •  

  • arm

1
 64

The government aimed to eliminate extreme poverty by 2023. This is stated in the government program.


The section dedicated to poverty alleviation of the project states: “The policy of the Government to improve the standard of living and the social condition of citizens, to implement social rights fully and effectively, will be based on the principle of equal opportunities and encouraging work. The primary tool for overcoming poverty is work, creating real opportunities for work.


The government aimed to eliminate extreme poverty by 2023, to significantly reduce poverty. Encouraging education and work among the poor, as well as implementing programs that promote business, will be of key importance for the realization of this goal.


The implementation of the integrated social services system will increase the efficiency of the management of the social protection system, as well as the quality of social services, which will be ensured in accordance with the social needs of the family (person), by providing a multi-faceted and complete package of social services and by strengthening the professional abilities of the staff. Encouraging the entry of private organizations in the field of social services, a competitive environment will be created, alternative financing models will be introduced, and the diversity of social services will be promoted.


Measures will be taken to ensure the availability and accessibility of social services by expanding the range of services provided online. The service delivery procedures will be improved, and the range of information (data) automatically obtained and used from other information systems will be expanded.


State pensions will be regularly increased, ensuring progressive growth of the average pension in relation to inflation. The cumulative component will also be reformed, encouraging the investment of cumulative funds in the Republic of Armenia.


The focus of the government’s attention will be the expansion of women’s economic opportunities, as well as the creation of favorable conditions for the realization of equal rights and equal opportunities for women and men.


Increasing the addressability of state employment regulation programs, introducing new programs aimed at increasing the competitiveness of young people, persons with disabilities, and women in the labor market, promoting “education-labour market” interactions, filling vacancies available at employers, and as a result, reducing the unemployment rate.


In order to implement the right to decent work, the mechanisms for regulating labor relations will be continuously simplified, they will comply with the requirements set by international agreements, and also, taking into account the macro-economic indicators of the country, a continuous increase of the minimum monthly salary will be carried out. The government is determined to significantly reduce unemployment by 2023.


In the context of further reforms of the institutional, operational and legal foundations of the inspection system for the protection of workers’ rights, the introduction of a complete and effective state control system over the fulfillment of the requirements of the labor legislation will be ensured, and the role of trade unions will be increased.


Reaffirming consistent efforts to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, the Government will continue to take all necessary measures to exclude discrimination based on disability in all spheres of life.


The government will be consistent in preventing children from entering orphanages, returning them to their families, as well as smoothly organizing the process of organizing the independent life of young people leaving the orphanage.


In order to mitigate the negative trends of the demographic situation recorded in the previous period, new programs for encouraging birth and supporting young families with children will be developed and implemented, within the framework of which, as necessary, existing programs will also be reviewed. Targeted programs will also be developed for repatriated families, giving priority to young families with children.


One of the most important goals of the government’s activity will be to inventory the housing problems of the families living in shacks until now as a result of the catastrophic earthquake of 1988, with the aim of providing apartments to families in need of housing as a result of the earthquake in the shortest possible time.

Discussions on change of gas tariff continue: Gazprom Armenia not in a hurry to present details

Kanayan Tamar

Discussions on change of gas tariff continue: Gazprom Armenia not in a hurry to present details

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12:17, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Discussions are being held at all directions in connection with the change of gas tariff supplied to Armenia, Vakhtang Mirumyan – deputy director general of the Gazprom Armenia CJSC, told reporters after the session of the Public Services Regulatory Commission. He stated that as long as the discussions are not over, he cannot provide information about the change of the gas price and the subsequent developments, reports Armenpress.

“The press service of the Gazprom Armenia CJSC has issued a respective statement in regards to the gas tariff. There is no other information yet. Whether debt is accumulated or not, how the financial-economic activity must be carried out, I cannot say anything at this moment, all issues are currently being discussed. Moreover, these discussions are being carried out at all directions, including investment, capital renovations programs, losses and etc. The goal is to avoid harming the company’s activity, as well as leading to undesirable consequences”, he said.

Mirumyan informed that Gazprom Armenia CJSC is engaged in the discussions and is actively cooperating both with the Public Services Regulatory Commission and the authorized bodies of the energy field. As for the discussion timetables, he said two months are scheduled, but with the possibility to be extended.

Gazprom CJSC increased the gas price supplied to Armenia from 150 USD to 165 USD starting from January 1, 2019. Following this Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that the gas tariff for the domestic consumer will not increase, noting that the Armenian government will continue the talks with the Gazprom Armenia CJSC to reach a final agreement.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Stepan Shakaryan: I am for national jazz (video)

Kanayan Tamar
  • 19:09 | February 6,2019 | Social
  • Armenian:
  • Rus

Our folk music is has lot of jazz in it. This is the opinion of composer Stepan Shakaryan.

“We can have our type of jazz with the ideas of composer. Our dhol player, for example, are hitting rhythms that are close to jazz. It’s not necessary that the worn and kamancha be the Armenian music,  jazz can be Armenian music as well,” says the composer. In his assessment, it is necessary to propagandize the national jazz right. “If you’re a jazzman, you know jazz, if you’re a composer, you know the composer’s work, then you can make creative ideas. I am for national jazz.”

Sports: Henrikh Mkhitaryan gets birthday greetings from Armenian President

Kanayan Tamar
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 23 2019
Henrikh Mkhitaryan gets birthday greetings from Armenian President

2019-01-23 14:31:37

Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian has phoned Arsenal’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan to congratulate him on 30th birthday, the President’s Press Office said.

President Sarkissian wished the midfielder health and success.  

The President asked Mkhitaryan about the process of his rehabilitation after the foot injury. He voiced hope that Mkhitaryan would return to the pitch as soon as possible and give joy to football fans.

As a long-time supporter of London’s Arsenal, Armen Sarkissian said he hopes to attend one of Mkhitaryan’s matches in the near future. 

 

Passenger flow in Armenia’s airports increases by 11.9% in 2018 compared to 2017

Kanayan Tamar

Passenger flow in Armenia’s airports increases by 11.9% in 2018 compared to 2017

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12:26,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 10, ARMENPRESS. Passenger flow in Armenia’s two airports comprised 2,856,673 people in 2018, which surpasses the figure of 2017 by 11.9%, Armenia International Airports CJSC told Armenpress.

The passenger flow in Zvartnots airport grew up by 10% in 2018. In 2017 2,448,251 people used the services of the Zvartnots airport, whereas this number in 2018 was 2,690,727.

The passenger flow in Gyumri’s Shirak airport comprised 165,946 people, compared to 105,664 people in 2017.

Flight-landings in both airports increased by 9.8% in January-December, 2018 compared to January-December, 2017.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Turkey blames a journalist for ‘anti-state journalism’

Kanayan Tamar
AHVAL News
Jan 4 2019
Turkey blames a journalist for ‘anti-state journalism’

2019-01-04

Turkish authorities filed a lawsuit against journalist Esra Solin Dal over charges of “being a member of a terrorist organisation” and “doing journalism against the state”, pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya Agency reported on Friday. 

Turkish police on Oct. 9 arrested Esra Solin Dal, a reporter of the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya Agency, along with 141 people in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır. She was released later but the authorities launched an investigation into the detainees after the mass arrest. A court in Diyarbakır accepted the indictment prepared by the prosecutors immediately after the investigation. 

During Turkey’s military operation in northern Syria’s Afrin last year, Dal asked appointment from the human rights organisations to get information on the child and women deaths that took place as a result of armed clashes. The indictmen called this “an activity in favour a terrorist organisation” and “a gross slander against the Turkish Armed Forces”.

She also asked for an appointment from the Armenian musician Yervant Bostancı to speak on the Armenian Genocide and the indictment described it as “doing journalism against the state”, Mezopotamya said.

The indictment concluded that Dal was working for Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), which Turkey sees as a component of the armed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) that waged a decades-long insurgency in the country. 

Some of Dal’s photographs from meetings, while she was reporting on the ground, were presented as evidence by the prosecutors to prove that she was attending illegal protests, the news agency said. 

A Turkish prosecutor demanded a prison term between 7.5 and 15 years for the journalist.

Dal denied any links to the terrorist organisations. Speaking to Artı TV, Dal said Turkish police raided her home four times in the last two years. 

“I was taken into custody several times. They charged me with different allegations every time. But after the Oct. 9 arrest, the prosecutor prepared a scandalous and tragicomic indictment against me ” Dal told Artı TV. “This time, they blame me for allegedly working in the press committee of the KCK. I must say, this is completely tragicomic,” she added. 

EDB provides Armenia with loan to upgrade electricity grid

Kanayan Tamar
Emerging Europe
Dec 31 2018
Tamara Karelidze
Tamara Karelidze

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has provided a 20 million US dollar loan to the Electrical Networks of Armenia (ENA).

The project aims to implement the uninterrupted supply and distribution of electricity throughout Armenia, contribute to the country’s sustainable economic growth, help and maintain employment and ensure stable electricity supplies to consumers.

“The loan will be directed to the reconstruction of the electrical grid’s network economy, the improvement of the electricity metering system and effects on the qualitative change in the company’s financial conditions,” said Vsevolod Smakov, the head of the EDB’s industry and energy unit.

Karen Harutynyan, the general director of ENA, said that the loan represented the first step of the 10-year investment programme in the company, which is worth of a total of 726 million US dollars and aims to modernise its distribution networks and substations, connect new consumers, replace and install electricity metres and implement global management standards.

“Investors, before extending loans, assess all possible risks, including the possibility of lowering tariff rates. Besides, power grids are guided in their activities by margin rates, which are regulated by law,” said Mr Harutynyan.

The loans have been granted at interest rates of 2.7-3.7 per cent, low for Armenia. The EDB is also working with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) on a programme to modernise Armenia’s electricity grids, as well as negotiating with the EBRD, ADB and International Finance Corporation (IFC) to secure a long-term credit package.

Ucom reports case: Armenia PSRC offers unequal competitive conditions to telecom operators

Kanayan Tamar
News.am, Armenia
Dec 30 2018
Ucom reports case: Armenia PSRC offers unequal competitive conditions to telecom operators Ucom reports case: Armenia PSRC offers unequal competitive conditions to telecom operators

21:17, 30.12.2018
                  

YEREVAN. – “Today, we’d like to speak publicly about the problem that worried Ucom Armenian company and which we’ve learned about with deep regret,” reads a statement disseminated by the “Ucom” LLC PR and Communications Projects Manager.
“The matter is that the Public Services Regulatory Commission [(PSRC) of Armenia], in our opinion, manifests biased attitude, as a result of which its decisions are adapted to the communication operator, which has over 60% of the mobile communications market share,” the statement also reads. “Let us explain: on December 12, 2018 PSRC has announced a competition for the use of 811-821 MHz and 852-862 MHz radio frequencies and, in our opinion, it should have set the same conditions (the starting price, in particular) that were set out back in 2013 for the competition over permission to use the radio frequency (LTE+) enabling the same connection quality; whereto Ucom has taken part and purchased the permission at the price of 6.225 billion AMD. In addition, that permission limited Ucom to the delivery of data transmission services only (voice services were excluded). 
“Having no permission of using the mentioned radio frequencies, MTS Armenia during this year, according to our information, has built a network operating at the corresponding radio frequencies (LTE+) (acquired equipment and installed that), apparently being confident of the victorious outcome of the competition for itself. 
“Ucom considers it unacceptable to set the starting price of the same resource usage permission at 6.225 billion AMD for one operator, while reducing it for another operator for over 4 times, up to 1.5 billion AMD. Today, under the scarcity of the state budget funds, when each penny is important for the recovery of the country’s economy, the PSRC has set a lower cost of several billion drams for the permission to use the same resource. Ucom finds, that thus MTS Armenia tries to enter the mobile market of high speeds (LTE+) with unequal competitive conditions. 
“We’ll look at the case more closely after holidays.”