Category: 2019

CIS news agencies plan to organize joint photo exhibition on 75th anniversary of Victory

18:19, 7 June, 2019

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. A photo exhibition dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Victory of the Great Patriotic War can become a joint project of the news agencies of the CIS member states in 2020. CIS Informational Council chairman, TASS news agency’s Executive Director Sergey Mikhaylov suggested the initiative, speaking at the 26th session of the CIS Council of Heads of State News Agencies (CIS Informational Council), which took place on June 7 in St. Petersburg in the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Director of ARMENPRESS news agency Ararm Ananayan also attended the session.

“I suggest jointly preparing for a photo exhibition dedicated to the 75^th anniversary of the Victory”, Sergey Mikhaylov said. He noted that during the last years efforts are made to distort historical truth, justifying pro-Hitler figures and their partners and even glorifying them.

ARMENPRESS Director Aram Ananyan offered to regularly organize joint livestream press conferences. “Holding joint press conferences covering issues of mutual interest livestream will be a serious informational achievement in the CIS area and I think a very expected event for our publics”, Ananyan said.

The CIS Informational Council was founded in November 1995. Among participants are heads of state news agencies of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Tajikistan.

The CIS Informational Council aims to ensure informational cooperation among CIS countries, to create favorable conditions for unhindered access to information and effective exchange of professional experience, and to strengthen the media partnership.

The session of the CIS Informational Council will be held on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Court to examine complaints of Prosecutor’s Office over Robert Kocharyan’s case on June 12

18:33, 7 June, 2019

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. The complaints of the Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia against the court decision of suspending the proceedings of the criminal case of Robert Kocharyan and others and sending it to the Constitutional Court, as well as the decision of changing the preventive measure of Robert Kocharyan, releasing him from jail, will be examined at the Court of Appeal on June 12 at 12:00, reports ARMENPRESS.

Prosecutor General’s Office appealed the two decisions made by judge Davit Grigoryan of Yerevan City Court of Common Jurisdiction on May 23.

Kocharyan is accused of overthrowing constitutional order in 2008 and taking bribes of particularly large amount.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Armenia ready to contribute to improvement of Russia-EU relations – Pashinyan

18:41, 7 June, 2019

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan announced that Armenia is ready to contribute to the development of relations between Russia and the EU, the correspondent of ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said during his speech at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

To the question of the facilitator of the session if Armenia can in the future abandon the EAEU if the shift towards the EU continues, Pashiyan answered that there is no shift towards any direction.

“There is no shift towards the European Union, because Armenia remains in the place it is now. This is very important to emphasize, because we cooperate with the EU over issues of our domestic reforms. The EU is very interested in improving relations with Russia. I often contact with European leaders and I want to say that all of them support Armenia in developing relations with the Russian Federation. And this is very important. We are very transparent with our Russian partners in our relations with the EU, and we are transparent with our European partners in our relations with the RF. Of course, ruling out some security-linked nuances”, Pashinyan said.

The Armenian PM said that geopolitical games do not lead to any good thing and Armenia does not plan to participate in them. “I want to say that really many European leaders are interested in normalizing relations with Russia. I think the presence of the two European leaders here also speaks about that. I think many have understood in the world that geopolitical games do not lead to any good thing, and this particularly refers to the countries and peoples which become a platform for such geopolitical games. For that reason Armenia’s position is very clear – we do not plan to become part of geopolitical games. We have to establish normal relations with the European Union and the Russian Federation. We are a EAEU member state, holding the chairmanship of this year. Recently I paid a visit to the People’s Republic of China, where I mentioned in my speech that I am very glad we have a positive dynamics of relations with China. I think China, the EU and Russia are all interested in universal stability and I think that our main priority in these relations is stability and security. Of course, we, as an EAEU member state, understand our role and will contribute to the improvement of relations between our colleagues, not to worsening”, the Armenian PM said.  

Answering the question if Armenia has made an unequivocal decision in favor of the EAEU, Pashinyan said, “We are an EAEU member state. This is the only economic integration process we are member to and we will continue our membership, but it does not mean that we will no have relations with China. We will have bilateral relations with China and will contribute to the development of China-EAEU relations. As refers to the EU, here we cooperate for example, for the reforms in the judicial sphere in our country. It’s important for us to have a judicial system in line with the European standards. We are very glad for the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of relations between the EU and Russia and Armenia can be a bridge in this context”,

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

We intend to make Armenia heaven on earth for talented people – Nikol Pashinyan attends plenary session at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

18:59, 7 June, 2019

YEREVAN, June 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, who is paying a working visit to the Russian Federation, attended the 23rd plenary meeting of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, referred to as “Forming an agenda for sustainable development.”

President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation, PRC President Xi Jinping, President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev, Prime Minister of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini, UN Secretary General António Guterres were in attendance.

Addressing the forum, Prime Minister Pashinyan stated:

“Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,
President Xi Jinping,
President Radev,
Prime Minister Pellegrini,
Secretary General Guterres,

I will start my speech with the traditional remarks of appreciation for organizing this meeting and for the opportunity to share thoughts about our country’s development paths and the steps taken by our government on the way to achieving the proposed goals.

Today, Armenia is experiencing an important period in its modern history. Against the background of political stability and an unprecedentedly high degree of legitimacy of the authorities, fundamental changes are taking place in the country.

Their ultimate goal is to create a competitive and technologically advanced economy and modern society based on the universal principles of equality, justice and the rule of law.

What is the essence of these transformations? We can state in short that they are aimed at improving the efficiency of our political and economic institutions.

Armenia is a country that has no direct access to the sea, with limited economic and natural resources and a difficult geographical position in terms of logistics corridors and the geopolitical features of the region. These challenges are prompting us to be in permanent search of ways of increasing competitiveness and efficiency. What does this mean for us?

First of all, this means increasing efficiency in the state governance system. I can say with full confidence that we have already managed to achieve tangible results in this regard.

Systemic corruption has been eradicated in the country. The activity of artificial monopolies and oligopolies is minimized. However, we faced a fundamental problem while trying to improve the economic and political environment of our country.

The judicial power, unlike the executive and legislative branches where we made tangible progress in terms of optimizing institutions, has not been subject to any tangible transformation. As a result, there was a huge breach in public confidence in the judiciary. And this, in turn, creates serious obstacles to the development of the country as a whole.

All our efforts to protect capital, create equal conditions for economic activity and a favorable environment for attracting foreign investment cannot lead to the desired result if the judiciary is not qualitatively transformed.
Therefore, the creation of a truly independent judiciary, free from corruption and political influence, is today a pressing problem for our society and a priority in the reform strategy of the Armenian government.

The second priority is the full use of the potential inherent in foreign economic relations and participation in international integration structures. Institutionalizing access to global economic centers and activity is extremely important for countries like Armenia. This primarily relates to our cooperation with the Russian Federation and participation in the Eurasian Economic Union.

We are committed to the further improvement of our strategic partnership with Russia and the most productive participation in the Union. To this end, we will make every effort to improve cooperation mechanisms and maximize integration between the members of our association. This is also true for our CSTO membership.

I would like to emphasize our interest in expanding the geographic coverage of EAEU’s foreign economic relations. China is of particular importance in this respect. I am pleased to note that for a month now, we have achieved a high dynamics in the development of bilateral relations with China, which plays a key role in the global economy.

As an EAEU-member country, we see the importance of creating institutional cooperation between various integration associations and projects. I am prioritizing the idea of pairing the EAEU and the Silk Road Economic Belt. It seems to be both logical and reasonable. I also consider as quite promising the policy of seeking closer cooperation between the EAEU and the European Union. I feel that such cooperation is feasible and even inevitable if not in the near future, but at least in the medium term.

Armenia has signed an enhanced partnership agreement with the EU, which we intend to use with maximum efficiency for the design and implementation of reforms in our country. Partnership with the EU in no way contradicts our membership of the EAEU. They are complementing each other and enriching our capabilities with new comparative advantages.

The third priority is the most effective use of human resources. Human capital is our core asset. Our government seeks to create favorable conditions for full development of our citizens’ creative, intellectual and business potential. We intend to make Armenia heaven on earth for talented people.

We see the future of Armenia in the development of an innovative economy. It has no alternative for a country like Armenia. The technological sector is a top priority for us. Education in this regard is of particular importance. Armenia inherited a strong school of physics and mathematics from Soviet times, and today we are doing everything possible to consolidate and use this potential.

Over the past seven years, the IT and high-tech sectors have grown fivefold in Armenia. They have become the drivers of Armenia’s economic growth and most promising industries.

Education and innovation, cooperation and integration, the rule of law and good governance are what we believe to be our competitive edge, which will help us tap our resources and provide conditions for sustainable economic development.

We think that we have already embarked on this path, because in the first quarter of this year, Armenia recorded a GDP growth of 7.1%, while the economic activity index rose to 9.2% in April.
International business is invited to invest in Armenia. We have even formulated a motto for potential investors: we invite them to get richer and enrich our country.

Thank you.”

Prior to the plenary session, Nikol Pashinyan toured the stands of an exhibition organized as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The Premier got acquainted with the achievements of participating companies.

During the tour, the Prime Minister was interviewed by Euronews, RIA Novosti and CGTV.

Armenia can recorded over 7% economic growth as a result of reforms – IMF report

19:12, 7 June, 2019

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. If the government successes in implementing the planned structural reforms, Armenia can record over 7% economic growth, ARMENPRESS reports reads the reports of the IMF called “Republic of Armenia, Selected Issues”.

On June 5 the IMF published 2 reports on Armenia. In the first report the possible impact of the Government-initiated reforms was evaluated. Particularly, it was recorded that if the planned reforms are successfully implemented, it will be possible to ensure annual 7% economic growth.  

According to the report, in the upcoming decade unemployment will decline by 3% and there will be 2.5% of GDP growth.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

We discussed with Russian President issues of future cooperation in defense – PM Pashinyan

19:57, 7 June, 2019

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia NIkol Pashyinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed issues of future cooperation in defense during their meeting on June 6, the correspondent of ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said during a press conference following the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, answering the remark of a reporter that during the interview on the meeting the PM noted that the issue of buying “Iskander” from Russia has not been discussed.

“The reporter asked me if I want to buy a second Iskander. I answered who said that we have only one Iskander and need a second one? I said that we have enough Iskanders and discuss other issues. We discuss the opportunities for future cooperation in that sphere. No doubt, Russia is a strategic partner for Armenia, including from the prespective of ensuring security. Our countries are CSTO members, and we have a lot to discuss in the sphere of security”, Pashinyan said.

Armenian parliament adopts Tax Code amendment package at first reading

20:13, 7 June, 2019

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. The National Assembly of Armenia approved the Tax Code amendment package at first reading. ARMENPRESS reports during June 7 extraordinary session of the parliament 72 MPs voted in favor and 32 MP – against.

Before the voting “Prosperous Armenia” party member Mikayel Melkumyan informed that their party will vote against the bill, presenting their disagreements. He particularly noted that minimal salaries should not be taxed.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

How can people occupy territory where they have lived for centuries – Pashinyan responds to Azerbaijani reporter

20:50, 7 June, 2019

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan answered the question of an Azerbaijani reporter in a press conference in St. Petersburg. ARMENPRESS reports an Azerbaijani reporter used the formulation “occupied territories” in his question, which has become a usual thing for Azerbaijani propaganda, to which PM Pashinyan responded,

“How can a territory be occupied by people, who were born there, whose grandfathers and ancestors were born and lived there? How can that territory be occupied? A territory, where those people have lived for many generations, how can it be occupied?”.  

The Armenian PM told the Azerbaijani reporter that the Governments of Armenia and Artsakh are ready to install mechanisms investigating incidents on Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line.

“In order we avoid the disputes about who, where and when fired, it’s necessary to discuss the agreements reached still back in 2016 in Vienna. I am about the mechanisms investigating incidents in the conflict zone”, Pashinyan added.

Referring to the issue of ARSENAL club midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who did not go to Baku to participate in Europa League final, Pashinyan reminded that a footage went viral on the net where the Azerbaijani police officers approached fans wearing Mkhitaryan’s shirt.

“Only imagine, fans appear in the focus of attention of Azerbaijani police only for wearing Mkhitaryan’s shirts. I think it speaks about everything”, he said, adding that there have been numerous cases when Russian citizens of Armenian origin have not been allowed to enter Azerbaijan.

‘It’s a very bad sign. I think such cases should be ruled out, since they cause more tensions. There is no such issue in Armenia. Recently, a reporter of Azerbaijani “Turan” news agency visited Armenia and I know that he had no troubles. No security issue was even raised”, Pashinyan emphasized,

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Economy, finances, artificial intelligence – “Summit of minds” has large agenda

11:02, 8 June, 2019

YEREVAN, JUNE 8 ARMENPRESS. The founder of “Monthly barometer”. Which is the organizer of “Summit of minds” Thierry Malleret is confident that it’s a good opportunity for new projects and ideas. The correspondent of ARMENPRESS informs Thierry Malleret noted that this is the first time that the summit goes out of the French city Chamonix.

“My friends and I are very proud for holding the summit in Dilijan. We will refer to various issues – Economy, finances, artificial intelligence and so on”, he said. Thierry Malleret noted that this summit is an opportunity for developing personal connections, since people with unbelievable intellectual and social capital representing 27 different countries have gathered in one place.

“Each one is a leader in his sphere – business, investments, politics. Spending here 3 days we have a chance to interact and get to know each other better, there will also be investment proposals. We will put a small stone on the building of the development of the country, fostering the welfare of the public”, Thierry Mallere said.

Among the participants of the event are French Prime Minister (2005-2007) Dominique de Villepin, United States National Security Advisor at Obama administration, retired United States Marine Corps general James Jones, Special Presidential Representative for International Cultural Cooperation and Ambassador at Large Mikhail Shvydkoy,  Director of Investment and Enterprise at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) James Zhan, Former UK Health Minister, Professor Ara Darzi, President of the Italian National Research Council Massimo Inguscio, Siemens CEO Jan-Marc Lischka and others.