Third President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has not discussed the possibility of declaring a state of emergency with any foreign leader in April when he was Prime Minister, head of the former president’s office Nairi Petrossian said on Facebook in response to a Reuters article suggesting that Mr. Sargsyan mulled implementing state of emergency in phone discussions with Russian officials and his team members one day before resigning.
“In my capacity of the Head of the Office of the Third President of the Republic of Armenia I would like to inform Margarita Antidze [Reuters article author] that in the course of the events that unfolded in April 2018 in Armenia Serzh Sargsyan had not discussed the possibility of implementing a state of emergency with any foreign leader,” Mr. Petrossian said.
Reuters published an article citing an anonymous “diplomatic source” claiming that Serzh Sargsyan had contacts with Russian officials and his team members on the possibility of implementing a state of emergency one day before resigning as Prime Minister.
Reuters: In the days before protesters overthrew Armenia’s veteran leader, Russian officials had high-level phone contacts with the protest leaders and the ruling elite that was clinging to power, according to three people briefed on the discussions.News In
Weeks of protests against corruption and cronyism culminated on Tuesday in Nikol Pashinyan, the protest leader, becoming prime minister, in a dramatic rupture with the cadre of officials who have run this ex-Soviet state since the late 1990s.
Breaking the mould of previous ex-Soviet popular revolts, especially a bloody uprising in Ukraine in 2014, Moscow did not back the ruling elite or their right to use force to crush the protest movement.
Unlike his counterparts in Ukraine, Pashinyan said he had no plans to pull Armenia out of Moscow’s orbit, and he took steps to reassure Moscow on that score, including via direct contacts, two of the sources said.
During the protests, Pashinyan spoke to the Russian embassy in Yerevan, and to an official in the Russian foreign ministry in Moscow, according to one of the protest leaders, Armen Grigoryan, and a businessman close to Pashinyan’s circle who did not want to be identified.
“We worked with them,” said Grigoryan, referring to Russian officials. He said protest leaders explained to Moscow the nature of their movement and that Russia’s interests would not be served by blocking them.
Russia’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on any contacts it had with people in Yerevan during the crisis.
In the streets, Pashinyan’s supporters were encouraged to display only Armenian national symbols – a conscious break from the Ukraine revolt which angered Moscow by adopting the European Union flag.
On the other side of the stand-off, Serzh Sarksyan, Armenia’s ruler for a decade, was in touch with Russian officials as he fought for survival, according to a diplomatic source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
In the 24 hours before Sarksyan quit as prime minister on April 23, he had telephone calls with officials in Moscow, the diplomatic source said. He did not reveal the content of the calls.
Russia’s influence was not the only factor in Armenia’s revolution. Missteps by Sarksyan and the energy of the protest movement played critical roles.
But the contacts with Russia help explain how Armenia was able to sweep its rulers away without violence or a prolonged standoff with the police.
Reuters has found no evidence that Russia actively intervened in the events in Armenia. Indeed, Moscow’s decision not to do so could have been enough to tilt the balance in favor of the protesters.
The contacts also underline how President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy, focused on stopping the West encroaching on Russia’s sphere of influence, has turned the Kremlin into de facto kingmaker in parts of the former Soviet Union.
Moments after he was installed as prime minister, Pashinyan said he hoped to meet Putin for talks soon, and he was sent a telegram from the Russian leader congratulating him on his appointment, the Kremlin said.
NO EU FLAGS
Sitting in an art cafe in central Yerevan, Pashinyan associate Grigoryan recalled how, when the protests started, few imagined they would lead to a revolution. Not more than 150 people showed up for the first rally against Sarksyan in Yerevan, on March 21, he said.
The movement adopted some innovative approaches. It was not tied explicitly to a political party. It used social media to organize. It attracted young people, many not previously involved in politics.
It used humor and satire. For example, the movement organized a spoof fund-raising campaign to create a retirement fund for Sarksyan. It circulated a caricature of Sarksyan photo-shopped to look like a dim-witted character from a Soviet-era children’s cartoon.
It also used direct action. “You don’t need many people to block a road, and that’s how we started,” said Grigoryan.
Crucially, it kept the focus on domestic concerns and steered away from the kind of geopolitical themes that dominated Ukraine’s “Euromaidan” anti-Moscow uprising in 2014.
“We learned from Euromaidan that a revolution should not have an international agenda,” said Grigoryan.
He said no explicit instructions were given to supporters not to wave the EU or U.S. flags at rallies, but he said: “It was generally understood that it would be just Armenian flags at our protests.”
Armenia has missed out on making the grand final of the 63rd Eurovision after the first semi-final of Eurovision 2018 took place on Tuesday night in Portugal.
Sevak Khanagyan performed “Qami” (Wind) at Lisbon’s Altice Arena in the first semi-final and failed to impress both the jury and audience at home to make it as one of the 10 finalists from the 19 countries which took to the stage.
The countries who also advanced to the grand final from the first semi-final were: Austria, Estonia, Cyprus, Lithuania, Israel, Czech Republic. Bulgaria, Albania, Finland, Ireland.
The second semi-final will take place on Thursday before the final on Saturday 12 May.
Sunday,
Armenian Parliament Majority ‘Won’t Block’ Opposition Candidate For PM
• Tatevik Lazarian
Armenia - Deputies from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia at a parliament
session in Yerevan 28 February 2018.
A leading member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) said on Sunday
that it will not try to prevent a joint candidate of the three other
parliamentary forces from becoming the country’s new prime minister.
Vahram Baghdasarian, who leads the HHK faction in the parliament, made this
clear after meeting with opposition leader Nikol Pashinian, the main organizer
of nationwide protests that have led to the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh
Sarkisian.
“If the three other political forces represented in the National Assembly have
a joint candidate … we will not block the candidate whom they will call the
people’s candidate,” Baghdasarian told reporters. HHK deputies will not boycott
Tuesday’s session of the parliament which is due to elect the next premier, he
said.
Pashinian said he received the same assurances from Baghdasarian at their
meeting. He said the HHK faction, which controls 58 of the 105 parliament
seats, is “predisposed” towards letting him become prime minister.
The position announced by Baghdasarian still needs to be formalized by the
largest parliamentary faction. Pashinian said that he will meet with HHK
lawmakers later in the day or Monday.
Pashinian’s candidacy has been endorsed not only by his Yelk alliance but also
Gagik Tsarukian’s bloc and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun). The three forces hold a total of 47 parliament seats, meaning
that the opposition leader needs to be also backed by at least six HHK
parliamentarians if he is to succeed Sarkisian as prime minister.
Pashinian reaffirmed on Saturday his desire to serve as interim prime minister
who would organize fresh general elections. But he said he is ready to discuss
possible dates for such polls with the HHK and the other parliamentary forces.
The 42-year-old again declined to shed light on the composition of his would-be
cabinet. He said only that once in office he will be striving for an
“atmosphere of national accord and solidarity.”
Pashinian Confident About Becoming Armenian PM
• Emil Danielyan
Armenia - Supporters of opposition leader Nikol Pashinian block a street in
downtown Yerevan, .
Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian sounded confident on Sunday about his chances
of becoming Armenia’s prime minister after more than two weeks of massive
anti-government protests organized by him.
Pashinian said there is now a “very high likelihood” that “at least some
deputies” from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) will vote for him
when the National Assembly picks the next premier on Tuesday.
“This means that we have a great opportunity to turn our de facto victory into
a de jure victory, which in turn means that our candidate will be elected prime
minister,” he told thousands of supporters that again rallied in Yerevan’s
central Republic Square.
“I am prepared to take up the post of Armenia’s prime minister in a responsible
manner,” he declared.
Pashinian addressed the crowd hours after meeting with Vahram Baghdasarian, the
leader of the HHK’s parliamentary faction, the largest in the National
Assembly. Baghdasarian said after the meeting that he and other HHK lawmakers
will not “block” Pashinian’s candidacy if it is formally nominated by the three
other political forces represented in the parliament.
The opposition Yelk alliance, the Tsarukian Bloc and the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) have already endorsed Pashinian for the country’s
top executive post. They control 47 parliament seats between them, compared
with 58 seats held by the HHK.
Armenia - Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian is hugged by a supporter during a
rally in Yerevan, .
The HHK faction is due to officially announce its position on the next premier
after meeting with Pashinian on Monday. The latter said his supporters should
therefore stop blocking streets and roads or taking other “civil disobedience”
actions until he reports the results of the planned meeting to them next
evening.
But he also cautioned: “This is not yet the end of the story and we must not
lose our vigilance.”
Earlier in the day, Pashinian also met with a visiting delegation of Russian
parliamentarians headed by Leonid Kalashnikov, chairman of a State Duma
committee on relations with former Soviet republics. He said the meeting took
place in a “very warm atmosphere” and that its participants came away from it
as “friends.” Russian-Armenian relations will only deepen further as a result
of regime change in Yerevan, he added.
During his unprecedented campaign, Pashinian has repeatedly stated that he is
not planning any major change of Armenian foreign policy. In particular, he has
ruled out Armenia’s withdrawal from the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) and Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).
Pashinian opposed Armenia’s membership in the EEU as recently as in October
last year, saying that it has dealt “very serious blows” to his country’s
sovereignty.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
April 23 is a good day for Armenia’s democracy. In his congratulatory message on the occasion of the victory of democracy in Armenia, United States Senator Edward Markey mentioned this.
“Today is a good day for Armenia’s democracy, a good day for the rule of law in Armenia, a good day for the Armenian people. I congratulate the citizens of Armenia on moving towards a free and open democratic society. For my part, I intend to continue the work, strengthening the friendship between the United States and Armenia, which is based on common values,” he wrote in his message, according to Voice of America.
To remind, yesterday Serzh Sargsyan resigned from the position of RA Prime Minister.
PanARMENIAN.Net – Citizens of Armenia died while working in a manhole in the Russian city of Ufa on Friday, April 13, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia said in a statement.
In particular, Armenian citizens Kamo Petrosyan (b.1983), Meruzhan Afanikov (b. 1962), Surik Afanikov (b. 1981), Robert Hakobyan (b. 1962) and Russian citizen Rafik Grigoryan (b. 1989) died on Friday, while Rustam Melkonyan (b. 1973) was hospitalized in Ufa. The latter’s condition is deemed satisfactory.
All of the six worked at a restaurant in the Russian city.
According to the mayor’s office of Ufa, one of them was working on the site and accidentally fell into the manhole, which is part of the sewer system.
The others tried to help him and descended into the well, the preliminary data suggest they died due to gas poisoning.
Tuesday,
New Armenian President Vows To Boost ‘Strategic’ Ties With Russia
Armenia - New Armenian President Armen Sarkissian arrives for his inauguration
ceremony in Yerevan, 9 April 2018.
President Armen Sarkissian has heaped praise on his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin and said he will seek to bolster Armenia’s already close
relations with Russia, describing them as a “strategic alliance.”
Sarkissian gave an interview to the official Russian TASS news agency hours
after being sworn in as Armenia’s new and largely ceremonial head of state on
Monday.
“Taking this opportunity, I sincerely wish Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, who
won a convincing victory in recent presidential elections in Russia, new great
successes in his efforts to further develop his country’s economy and increase
the well-being of its citizens and Russia’s role in the international arena,”
he said.
“As president of Armenia, I certainly regard as a priority the further
strengthening of the Armenian-Russian strategic alliance, friendship between
our peoples and expansion of people-to-people contacts,” he added.
That alliance has a “firm historical base” which needs to be “preserved,
enriched and constantly multiplied,” said Sarkissian.
Putin was one of the first foreign leaders to congratulate Sarkissian on being
elected president by the Armenian parliament on March 2. He expressed
confidence that Sarkissian will contribute to a “further development” of
Russian-Armenian ties.
The new Armenian president told TASS that he hopes to visit Moscow “very soon.”
“Armenia’s leaders have traditionally paid their first officials visits
[abroad] to Moscow,” he said.
Sarkissian, who has lived in Britain for nearly three decades, described Russia
as a “brotherly country.” “For many generations in Armenia and me in
particular, Russian culture, art and literature has been and remains a source
of inspiration,” said the 64-year-old. “It has played a role in the formation
of my worldview.”
Karapetian ‘Very Likely’ To Become Deputy PM
• Astghik Bedevian
Armenia - Prime Minister Karen Karapetian campaigns for parliamentary elections
in Syunik province, 13Mar2017.
Outgoing Prime Minister Karen Karapetian is “very likely” to serve as first
deputy prime minister in Armenia’s new government that will be formed later
this month, the ruling Republican Party (HHK) said on Tuesday.
“Karen Karapetian will continue to play a serious role in the government
system,” the HHK spokesman, Eduard Sharmazanov, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am). “It’s just that as has been the case until now, the leader and
locomotive of that system will be [former President] Serzh Sarkisian, the head
of the ruling party.”
Karapetian has been tipped to take up what will be the second most powerful
position under Armenia’s new, parliamentary system of government since
Sarkisian signaled last month his plans to hold on to power. The two men met on
Saturday to discuss their political future two days before Sarkisian completed
his second and final presidential term. The latter indicated that they will be
Armenia’s two top leaders for the next four years.
Karapetian said on Monday that they decided to “propose” to the HHK to nominate
Sarkisian for prime minister. He cited the need for a “smooth and effective
transition to the new system of government.”
The Armenian parliament controlled by the HHK and its allies is due to vote on
the new prime minister on April 17. Sharmazanov said the party’s governing body
will discuss and field its candidate for the top government post by the end of
this week.
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian and Prime Minister Karen Karapetian arrive
for a cabinet meeting in Yerevan, 29Jun2017.
Sarkisian appointed Karapetian as prime minister in September 2016 in the hope
of speeding up sluggish economic growth through major reforms promised by the
former business executive. Karapetian has since repeatedly expressed his desire
to retain his post after Armenia is transformed into a parliamentary republic
in April 2018.
Opposition leaders scoffed at the outgoing premier’s readiness to downgrade his
nominal status. “I consider this a humiliation and deception of the Armenian
people, including by [Karapetian,]” one of them, Raffi Hovannisian, told
reporters. He argued that it was Karapetian, not Sarkisian, who led the HHK’s
parliamentary election campaign in April 2017.
Another, more outspoken opposition figure, Nikol Pashinian, branded Karapetian
a “servant” of Sarkisian. Pashinian will launch on Friday daily demonstrations
in Yerevan aimed at preventing the ex-president from extending his rule.
Karapetian on Monday reaffirmed his declared commitment to “fundamental”
reforms in the country.Armenian opposition groups have been highly skeptical
about his ambitious reform agenda all along, however. They have questioned
official statistics showing that Armenia’s economy grew by 7.5 percent last
year.
Armenian Nuclear Plant Not At Risk Of Closure, Says Government
• Tatevik Lazarian
Armenia - A general view of the Metsamor nuclear plant, 12May2011.
A landmark agreement signed by Armenia and the European Union in November does
not call for the closure of the Metsamor nuclear power plant anytime soon, a
senior Armenian official insisted on Tuesday.
The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) covers a wide range
of areas, including Armenia-EU cooperation on “energy matters.” It specifically
refers to “the closure and safe decommissioning of Metsamor nuclear power plant
and the early adoption of a road map or action plan to that effect.”
The 350-page agreement makes clear at the same time that such a plan must take
into account “the need for [the plant’s] replacement with new capacity to
ensure the energy security of the Republic of Armenia.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Karen Nazarian emphasized this provision when he
assured Armenian lawmakers that as a result of the CEPA Yerevan will not be
forced to shut down Metsamor before replacing it with a new nuclear or other
energy facility. “There is no such language in the agreement,” Nazarian said
during a parliament debate on the CEPA’s ratification.
The EU and the United State have long pressed for the decommissioning of the
plant generating roughly one-third of Armenia’s electricity. They have said
that Metsamor’s Soviet-built reactor does not meet modern safety standards.
Successive Armenian governments have sought to allay these fears.
Serzh Sarkisian pledged to build a new plant shortly after becoming Armenia’s
president in 2008. However, his government failed to attract billions of
dollars in funding needed for replacing the Metsamor facility. The government
decided instead to extend the life of Metsamor’s 420-megawatt reactor by 10
years, until 2027.
Russia is playing a key role in this endeavor, having provided Armenia with a
$270 million loan and a $30 million grant in 2015. The money is being mainly
spent on the purchase of Russian nuclear equipment and additional safety
measures taken at the plant located 35 kilometers west of Yerevan.
A 20-year energy strategy adopted by the Sarkisian administration in 2015 calls
for Armenia’s continued reliance on atomic energy.
Press Review
“Serzh Sarkisian’s presidential tenure ended yesterday, and just as some people
rushed to rejoice at that development they were in for a bitter
disappointment,” writes “Zhoghovurd.” “It was announced the same day that Serzh
Sarkisian will remain at the helm, as prime minister.” The paper points to
outgoing Prime Minister Karen Karapetian’s announcement that he and Sarkisian
will tell the ruling Republican Party to nominate the ex-president for prime
minister. It claims that Karapetian found himself in an awkward position
because he had been promised that he could retain his post in April 2018.
“Zhamanak” also reports and comments on Karapetian’s statement. “Interestingly,
until now Karapetian not only did not talk of challenges [facing Armenia] but
even expressed readiness to stay on as prime minister,” writes the paper. “It
looks like until now he did not know what he is prepared for or what it means
to be prime minister under the new model [of government.]”
“Aravot” would have liked to see someone other than Serzh Sarkisian to take
over as prime minister. “Maybe he would not have had Serzh Sarkisian’s
experience, but that could have prevented some manifestations of stagnation
that have been especially visible in recent months,” editorializes the paper.
But, it says, Armenians gave the ruling Republican Party (HHK) the mandate to
pick the next prime minister in the April 2017 parliamentary elections. “Yes,
many of them took 10,000 drams [in vote bribes,]” it says. “If the marching and
rejecting [oppositionists] acknowledge the fact that the HHK won the majority
of votes in the parliamentary elections, then everything else can be considered
secondary.”
“Haykakan Zhamanak” questions, meanwhile, the legitimacy of Armenia’s new
president, Armen Sarkissian, who was sworn in on Monday. The paper says he has
yet to prove that he has held only Armenian citizenship for the last six years
in accordance with Armenia’s constitution. It also dismisses Sarkissian’s calls
for combatting corruption and injustice and easing economic hardship in the
country, arguing that he will have few executive powers.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
Armenia to appeal IWF decision on Poghosyan’s potential anti-doping rule violation
Secretary General of the Armenian Weightlifting Federation Pashik Alaverdyan told Mediamax Sport that the tests were taken from the Armenian athlete during one of the trainings this year.
“The test results before the tournaments revealed no restricted elements. We will definitely appeal this decision and we still have time to do that,” Alaverdyan said.
International Weightlifting Federation reports that the sample of Sona Poghosyan has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for GHRP-2 (AA1-3) (S.2 Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics). According to Head of Armenian National Olympic Committee’s Anti-doping Agency Areg Hovhannisyan, the mentioned elements boost physical strength among athletes. The tests were taken by international experts without participation of the Armenians.
IWF reports that they will not make any further comments on the case until it is closed.
Today Eater heads to Florence, Italy, to focus on 10 of the city’s buzziest new restaurants and bars. Food-tour curator, food writer, and sommelier Coral Siskdivulges the latest trends in the Florentine food scene.
“Florence lags behind most European capitals in terms of a progressive dining scene, but 2017 showed promising signs,” says Sisk. “While fiercely rooted in tradition and provincial habit, Florence boasts a strong international identity, which is becoming more and more evident — in spite of nationalist pushback and attempts to ban foreign food shops.”
Among Sisk’s picks is an Armenian-Georgian newcomer (Ararat Restaurant & Wine Bar), a haute-couture dining destination by megachef Massimo Bottura (Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura), a pub serving Italian craft beers and ramen (Pint of View), and a restaurant housed inside one of the city’s top butcher shops (Macelleria a Firenze Luca Menoni). Looking for the essentials? Head to the 38.
Without further ado, and in geographic order, the Eater Heatmap to Florence, Italy.
1 Kawaii
Setting up shop asItaly’s first sake bar, Kawaii is owned and operated by the team behind neighboring Japanese restaurant Momoyama on the hip drag of San Frediano. Diners will find not only a large range of sake but also plum wines, shochu, a sweeping selection of Japanese whisky, cocktails, and international beers to marry with poke bowls, rice burgers wedged with salmon or tuna tartare, spring rolls, and bao buns.