The National Security Service (NSS) has detained Vachagan Ghazaryan, the former first deputy chief of the state protection service, NSS confirmed to ARMENPRESS.
“That’s true, I confirm the information. We will issue a statement later,” NSS Press Center director Samson Galstyan told ARMENPRESS.
Vachagan Ghazaryan held a top position in the security detail of third President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan.
The healthcare ministry is investigating the likelihood of human infection of tuberculosis from animals in Yerevan Zoo after the zoo said an outbreak occurred in early 2018.
Healthcare minister Arsen Torosyan told reporters that no tuberculosis case has been detected in the zoo after January-February.
“The study into the threat of human infection is in the final phase. The zoo employees have already been examined,” the minister said.
Earlier on June 15, the healthcare ministry issued a statement urging visitors of the zoo to refrain from feeding the animals and to maintain precautions.
The “Restart” initiative of Yerevan State University has reached Komitas State Conservatory.
Students at the university organized their first debate, during which they raised their concerns.
The private discussion was also closed to journalists. Students also did not want to give an interview, stressing that they did not want the public to know their complaints.
The students did not speak, but instead the rector answered the questions of the journalists.
“We need to restart the whole country and, in particular, our musical art performance, with small steps,” said the Rector Shahen Shahinyan, welcoming the initiative.
In general, the rector is proud of the students’ civic activism.
“What our students did can be written in the Guinness Book of Records, this is the restart.”
The rector agrees that the tuition fees are high and maybe that is the reason for the protest. The annual fee for study at Yerevan State Conservatory amounts to 800,000 for Vocal Art and 700,000 drams for other majors.
The state allocates 60 places per year to study at Komitas Conservatory’s free education system, and the number of students entering the university varies from 200 to 250.
Five people have been arrested in an ongoing investigation into an April 22 incident when masked men attacked demonstrators in a Yerevan intersection. Mayor of Masis Davit Hambardzumyan and his deputy are among the arrested, Sona Truzyan – adviser to the president of the investigative committee said on Facebook.
The incident happened during the mass demonstrations in April.
The citizen who reported the alleged incident told police that unknown men attacked him and several other demonstrators. The men used stones and tasers, according to the citizen.
The investigation still continues.
Marianna Mkrtchyan. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian did not participate in the projects of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund. This was announced on May 25 by Armenian President Sarkissian himself in an interview with journalists on the margins of the 27th meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.
“I personally did not contribute to the Foundation’s activities, but our family implements a number of different charitable projects, one of the examples of the font in the Holy Echmiadzin, which bears the name of St. Hovhannes and Vardan, was built by the family in May. For many years, the charitable organization” The Eurasian House, which aims to help students, and about 300 young people received help to get an education, there is a program called “Yerevan – my love”, also initiated by our family. “There is a fund – a global structure, but there are individual individuals and funds working independently.” It’s time to establish cooperation between the All-Armenian Fund and individual funds and individuals, and compare projects that are being implemented, “the Armenian President is convinced.
To comment that there are concerns that the Diaspora is being considered only as a source of financing, Sargsyan said in particular: “Of course, I share this concern, and this concern is quite serious, since if we are talking about national unity, that we must work together – this small country, but a big nation all over the world. We saw that during the protest actions, all the days compatriots from all over the world participated in these processes: through social networks, expressing opinions, coming That is, today there really is this movement of nationwide consolidation, but the question arises whether the Diaspora really exists only to send money from abroad and not have any rights and not participate in anything wrong”. At the same time, he noted that all compatriots, especially those who live in the Diaspora and possess Armenian citizenship, must make their contribution and, of course, have obligations and rights.
According to him, there may be a day when compatriots from the Diaspora will have the opportunity to take part in the electoral processes in their homeland. “If we are talking about the electoral process and the amendment of the Electoral Code, the question arises whether only those who live in Armenia or all who are citizens of Armenia should participate in elections,” Sargsyan said, and continued that for no one Today it’s no secret that there are many problems with the Diaspora. According to him, the best specialist in this or that sphere, if necessary, cannot come to Armenia and take up this or that post, since they must live in the country for at least 4 years. The President added that there are many examples of states where such a system is not applied, and Israel cited as a prime example.
He also agreed with the opinion that in recent years in the Diaspora there is frustration and anger towards the Motherland. “But I also see great love, lack of indifference, and today our task should be to engage the Diaspora fairly and openly in the processes at home.” Do not say that we expect only money from you. Give me money and do not interfere in our affairs so that our compatriots from the Diaspora with all their heart and soul were involved in the processes in Armenia, and they had the opportunity to participate, “Sargsyan said. According to the President, there are many barriers between Armenia and the Diaspora: they are moral, legal and which must be eliminated. Sargsyan expressed his conviction that until these barriers are eliminated, there will remain questions between who should help and not have the rights and the Armenian, who should receive and demand more. “We are all one nation, we need to think like one nation,” the president summed up.
Soldier wounded in Artsakh on May 13 as a result of the Azerbaijani shooting is in critical condition, Gayane Hovhannisyan – head of the military-medical department of Armenia’s defense ministry, told reporters.
“The soldier was wounded in the night of May 13, after which he has been transported to the Stepanakert military hospital where he underwent a surgery. After stabilization he has been transported to the central hospital. Now he is in intensive care unit, is connected to the artificial respiratory device”, Gayane Hovhannisyan said, adding that at this stage there is no need for another surgery.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan holds first cabinet meeting with all government appointees
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)—After completing the formation of his government, Armenia’s new Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reaffirmed his pledges to carry out sweeping reforms and push for fresh parliamentary elections on Sunday.
The three deputy prime ministers and 17 ministers handpicked by Pashinyan were formally appointed by President Armen Sarkissian on Friday and Saturday. Four of them held senior positions in the country’s previous government that was swept from power by nationwide massive protests led by Pashinyan.
The new cabinet includes experienced technocrats, young Pashinyan associates and other political appointees representing the three minority factions in the Armenian parliament that helped to install the 42-year-old protest leader as prime minister on May 8.
Businessman Gagik Tsarukyan’s alliance, the second largest parliamentary force, nominated Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan and the ministers of energy, transport and communications, emergency situations, and sports and youth affairs. Grigoryan is a 46-year-old banker.
Pashinyan also reached a de facto power-sharing deal with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), which was allied to former President and Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian until his resignation on April 23.
Dashnaktsutyun will be represented in the new government by Minister for Economic Development Artsvik Minasyan and Agriculture Minister Artur Khachatryan. Minasyan served as environment minister while Khachatryan was the governor of the northwestern Shirak province until this month.
The two other deputy prime ministers, Ararat Mirzoyan and Tigran Avinyan, are senior members of Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party. Avinyan, 29, is apparently the youngest vice-premier in Armenia’s history.
Two other Civil Contract figures, Arayik Harutiunyan and Suren Papikian, were appointed as ministers of education and local government respectively.
Pashinyan also gave two ministerial portfolios to top representatives of the Hanrapetutyun (Republic) and Bright Armenian parties making up, together with Civil Contract, the Yelk alliance. Hanrapetutyun’s Artak Zeynalyan was named justice minister while Bright Armenia’s Mane Tandilyan will manage the Armenian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
Three other other, more important cabinet posts were given to non-partisan figures. One of them, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Armenia’s ambassador to the United Nations until now, will serve as foreign minister. The 52-year-old career diplomat was the country’s deputy foreign minister from 2011-2014.
The new Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan worked as minister for emergency situations in the previous government. Tonoyan, 49, was Armenia’s first deputy defense minister from 2010-2017. A graduate of Russia’s Military-Diplomatic Academy, he represented the Armenian military at the NATO headquarters in Brussels from 1998-2007.
Pashinyan’s choice of finance minister is Atom Janjughazian, a longtime deputy finance minister and head of the Armenian state treasury.
Pashinyan met with the newly appointed cabinet members on Sunday, saying that his “government of accord” must strive to live up to the huge expectations of the country’s population that has overwhelmingly supported his protest movement. That, he said, requires a “new style, new philosophy, new culture” of work by all government agencies.
“Please get down to business, familiarize yourself with the current state of affairs today so that we don’t lose time,” he said. “There are operational issues that need to be solved as soon as possible.”
“The public must feel that this is a government formed by it and accountable to it,” added the former journalist.
Pashinyan reiterated in that regard that his government must embark on sweeping “reforms in various areas.” He pledged earlier to democratize Armenia, strengthen the rule of law, separate business from government and radically improve the broader investment climate.
Pashinyan also told his ministers to start working on the government’s comprehensive policy program which he has to submit to the parliament within the next three weeks. Its approval by lawmakers would amount to a vote of confidence.
Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia, which still holds the majority of parliament seats, has signaled its readiness to back the program despite its serious misgivings about Pashinyan’s premiership. The program’s rejection by the National Assembly would pave the way for snap general elections.
Pashinyan said on Sunday that the conduct of such polls will be his cabinet’s top “political priority.” But he again did not say just when he thinks they should be held.