Category: 2019

In January-March 2019, compared to the same period of 2018, the indicator of economic activity in RA was 6.5%.

According to the data of the RA National Statistical Service, the volume of industrial output increased by 2%, the volume of construction by 10.8%, the volume of trade by 10.1%, and the volume of services by 17.3% during the reporting period.

The volume of the gross agricultural output decreased by 0.2%, and the foreign trade turnover decreased by 5%.

MPs of the RA NA “My Step” faction Babken Tunyan, Hayk Gevorgyan, Gevorg Papoyan, Tigran Karapetyan, Karen Hambardzumyan and Argishti Mekhakyan put into circulation the original project to amend the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Geographical Indications”.

It is proposed to replace the word “except” with the words “including” before the words “natural and mineral waters” in part 2 of Article 1 of the Law HO-60-N of May 22, 2010 (hereinafter referred to as the Law) of the Republic of Armenia “On Geographical Indications”.

What and why is it proposed to change?

The amendment to the RA Law “On Geographical Indications” is due to the fact that under the existing legislative solutions, the business entity that registered the name of a geographical location as a trademark has the opportunity to prohibit the business entity that sells products produced in the given geographical location from using the name of the given geographical place in its trademark or other means of personalization, which has a negative effect on the competitive situation in the field of sale of natural and mineral waters, leading to the given product market increasing concentration.

In other words, according to the current legislation, several business entities have an advantage compared to their competitors, which contradicts the “Constitution of the Republic of Armenia” and the principle of free and equal economic competition guaranteed by the Law “On the Protection of Economic Competition of the Republic of Armenia”.

It is proposed to extend the right of legal protection established by the law “On Geographical Indications” also to natural and mineral waters.

Adoption of the project will enable many competing companies operating in this market and to be opened in the future, which will comply with other conditions of the law, will be able to use the geographical name on the product they produce, which will lead to a decrease in market concentration, this artificial obstacle created for the development of small companies will disappear.

Mineral waters and Khachatur Sukiasyan’s denial

It is noted that as a result of this change, the monopoly of “Jermuk Group” will disappear. Some websites wrote today that this change is for the sake of businessman Khachatur Sukiasyan. Moreover, they stated that “Sil Group” will become “Bjni” after the changes. But this cannot be for a simple reason: to use the name of the place on mineral water, you need to have a factory and a well in the same village or city. And in Bjni village there is only 1 factory and 1 well, which belongs to the current “Bjni” company, that is, the legislative change cannot have any effect on “Bjni”.

Businessman Khachatur Sukiasyan, who is one of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s political comrades-in-arms, also touched on the topic. made a post on his Facebook page about the news related to him regularly recently.

He stated on his Facebook page that he was one of the initiators of the current law. “I myself would be against the proposed changes, because the current law allows to ensure the popularity of the product type according to the geographical locations of Armenia and the development of the institute of brands.

For those who are not familiar with the law, let me give a simple example to make my point clear. For example, the wine factory operating in Tavush marz cannot produce wine under the name “Areni”, and the brandy factory of Proshyan cannot produce wine under the “Ijevan” brand. This law protects the rights of both consumers and producers.

Being an advocate of freedom of speech, I once again feel pain that by spreading such misinformation, a number of mass media are discrediting the role of the press and freedom of speech in Armenia,” the businessman wrote.

Argishti Kyaramyan, deputy head of the State Control Service, was appointed temporary head of the State Control Service.

In a conversation with the media, this news was confirmed by the Department of Information and Public Relations of the SAO.

Who is Argishti Karamyan?

Before that, he was a 28-year-old deputy head of the State Security Service Argishti Kyaramyan became known to wide public circles when he did not want to reveal the sources of his declared millions of money and private houses in a conversation with the mass media.

The high-ranking official declared 32 million drams, 48 ​​thousand US dollars, two private houses, four plots of land, real estate attached to the plot and a garage. In the declaration of this official, there are also jewels exceeding eight million drams.

After the regular session of the government, Kyaramyan did not want to explain how he acquired this ability in response to questions. “I think it’s ethically wrong to discuss someone’s property. I have held various positions, worked in various power structures, I officially declare that I have never been involved in any corrupt, scandalous and clan systems, nor have I engaged in business. I do not consider it correct to discuss my property in this context. I am not trying to explain what I said was enough. I am not accountable,” he said.

By the way, Argishti Kyaramyan’s wife Ruzanna Kyaramyan, is also the owner of respectable property. In his declaration, there are jewelry made of gold, diamonds and other precious metals and precious stones, the total value of which is 10 thousand dollars. Ruzanna Khachatryan has millions more like her husband. He declared 26 million drams and 46 thousand US dollars. He also has a loan of $4,000.

Then he revealed that he gave it to his uncle

Argishti Kyaramyan, acting head of the State Control Service, published a statement on the Facebook page of the State Control Service, referring to the reactions of the media regarding his property and the declaration he submitted.

“Taking into account the reaction of the press regarding my statement, I am obliged to address this issue again.

Yesterday, during the briefing, the fact that I did not clarify the genealogy of my property in terms of content was due only to the fact that I had a sincere desire to emphasize the importance of the right to privacy of the private life of every person, including an official. However, in order not to be misunderstood by the public, I inform you that a significant part of the funds presented in my declaration was given to me by my uncle living in Europe for the purpose of making a purchase, but later I did not consider this purchase appropriate.

A part of the said money was formed from periodic donations of my close relatives working abroad in the Russian Federation and other friends of our family, who have always provided me with financial assistance, considering the fact that I am not engaged in entrepreneurial activities.

For me, one of the reasons for not answering this question was that I received part of the donations before holding public positions. I have nothing to hide from the public, I have lived my whole life with the dream of a powerful motherland, I have a pronounced hatred for corruption, which I have openly demonstrated throughout my life.

I have never been guided by personal interest, no personal connection can guide me, let alone put myself above the interest of Armenia and the Armenian people. I look forward to the support of each one of you in carrying out my responsible duties. The case that has been started should be brought to its logical conclusion,” the statement said.

On April 26, in one of the units located in the southern direction of the Defense Ministry, a tactical exercise with combat shooting was held with the involvement of various military units.

As the press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan informs, the purpose of holding such military games was to increase the tactical abilities of the participating personnel and to give them the appropriate practice of conducting defensive and counter-offensive battles.

“The military games held in conditions as close as possible to combat conditions, in which separate artillery units and armored forces were also involved, showed that the participating personnel have good tactical and morale training and are ready to carry out any combat task at a high level,” the press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia said in a statement.

Karo Paylan, the Armenian deputy of the Kurdish People’s Democratic Party of Turkey, addressed a written question to the president’s assistant, Fuat Oktay, regarding the location of the trial documents against the Young Turks for the crimes committed against the Armenian people in 1919-1922.

As reported by the Armenian “Agos” of Istanbul, Caro Paylan, reminding that in his scandalous statement of April 24, Erdogan spoke about the openness of Turkish archives, Karo Paylan emphasized that many scholars were not provided with the archive documents related to the trial of the Young Turks in 1919-1922 accused of committing a crime against the Armenian people.

The following was emphasized in Paylan’s questioning:

1. Are the documents related to the court case in the archive?

2. When did the documents of the mentioned court case enter the archive, when and in which department were they found?

3. If the claims that the trial documents are missing or inaccessible are not true, where are they now?

4. How can researchers “who want to know the truth” get the mentioned documents?

It should be noted that the Turkish court found the officials who organized the Armenian Genocide guilty and sentenced them to various punishments.