Category: 2019

Government approves its five-year Action Plan

13:37, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government approved its Action Plan for the upcoming five years, reports Armenpress.

Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said the Action Plan reflects the government’s main goals, tasks, key actions and value system. “In the next five years the government’s activity will be directed towards export in line with high technologies, industry and highest environmental standards, and then the actions deriving from this will be approved”, he said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said it’s worth to mention that the government has worked on the text of the Action Plan for several times.

Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan said the Action Plan has been prepared based on the pre-election program of the My Step alliance.

The PM proposed to finalize it until tomorrow evening or Friday morning.

Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan said they will submit the Action Plan’s edited version to the Parliament before February 8.

According to the Constitution of Armenia, the Parliament approves the government’s Action Plan within seven days by the majority of votes of the total number of MPs.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Actions of Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders contribute to reduction of tension in region – Chief of CSTO Joint Staff

13:56, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov, Chief of Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), has summed up the recent actions of Armenia and Azerbaijan aimed at settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, reports Armenpress.

During today’s Moscow-Yerevan-Minsk-Bishkek-Astana video conference, Anatoly Sidorov said the actions of the leaders of the two countries have contributed to the reduction of tension in the region.

“The joint efforts of the international mediators and regional states, as well as the intensification of dialogue which is necessary for the future works aimed at peacefully settling the NK conflict, have led to the reduction of tension. The regular meetings of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan enabled to take concrete actions for strengthening trust”, the Chief of CSTO Joint Staff said.

He also highlighted the direct connection established between the two countries at the top leadership level recently.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had a brief meeting in Dushanbe on September 28, 2018, during which they reached an agreement to reduce tension and prevent incidents in the border. An “operative connection” has been established between the sides since the meeting of the two leaders.

Thereafter, they held another informal meeting in St. Petersburg in December on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the heads of CIS states.

Pashinal and Aliyev also met on January 22, 2019 in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

‘I’ll whack you right here’ – Police Chief recounts dramatic moments from 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis

14:31, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Police Chief of Armenia Colonel Valeriy Osipyan has testified in court today regarding the 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis case when gunmen ambushed a police station (Erebuni station).

In his testimony, Osipyan, who served as Deputy Police Chief of Yerevan at that time, said that in the early morning of July 17, 2016 he received a call that the headquarters of the patrol police service has been seized by gunmen.

“Upon being notified, I rushed to the [station] on my patrol car,” he said.”Upon reaching the Erebuni police station, I saw a group of officers and patrol vehicles. I noticed a minivan and an ambulance parked at the gates and I saw that people armed with assault rifles are moving sporadically, I also saw officers of our department. The men immediately reported to me on what was happening and urged me to take cover from sporadic gunfire”, Osipyan says.

“One of the men had radio on him, I heard and recognized the voice, it was Pavlik Manukyan’s voice, I immediately understood that they have breached into the station and seized our radio devices. I contacted him immediately on the radio. I said, Pavlik, Pavlik…he went – yes, who is it? I said this is Colonel Osipyan speaking, he replied – yeah, what’s up, I said – I recommend you to come out and lower your firearms,” Osipyan said.

According to him, Manukyan accepted the offer to come outside and speak, and Osipyan, together with Deputy Chief of Police Vardan Yeghiazaryan, who was on the scene, approached the building.

Then, when Osipyan and Yeghiazaryan were approaching the building, they saw one of the gunmen standing across the street, and at that time Pavlik Manukyan, together with two other gunmen, came out.

Osipyan says the conversation was tense and he understood that negotiating will not succeed. “We were trying to find out if anyone is hurt, they said they have helped whoever was in need and that they don’t have fatalities”.

“We were about to return when Sedrak Nazaryan [gunman] grabbed my radio, I resisted, they began pushing me, everyone drew their weapons on me, threatening “I’ll whack you here””. Osipyan says the gunmen then began hitting him with their weapons, he says he was battered by 5-6 gunmen, and he was trying to defend himself.

He was then taken inside the station where other hostages were being kept. “There were eight officers with us, some were handcuffed. They handcuffed us also. We didn’t stop negotiating, I succeeded in convincing them to uncuff us.

Then I was taken outside. They gave me a loudspeaker and they drew their weapons on me – “Address the officers and tell them to lower their weapons and join us, or we will kill you right here”. And this threat lasted for 3-5 minutes. I didn’t comply, I simply addressed officers by saying: “Dear officers, this is your colleague Colonel Osipyan speaking. Please, don’t shoot at this direction, and they will not shoot in your direction”. The gunmen then said “this isn’t what we want”. But the Colonel said “I can’t do more than that”.

Two of the 10 assailants are currently under arrest. The remaining seven were released on bail.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Heads of CSTO states are wise people, will make a right decision: Chief of Joint Staff on issue of Secretary General

14:46, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. The heads of CSTO member states are wise people and they will make a right decision over the issue of the Secretary General,  Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov, Chief of Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), said during today’s Moscow-Yerevan-Minsk-Bishkek-Astana video conference, reports Armenpress.

“The heads of the CSTO member states are wise and experienced people, they will make a right decision. The CSTO Joints Staff is an operating structure that is ready to implement any decision made by the heads of state”, he said, commenting on the current situation in the CSTO.

On November 2 Armenia’s Yuri Khachaturov was dismissed from the position of the CSTO Secretary General after Armenia applied to the CSTO member states to launch the process of recalling him as criminal case was filed against Khachaturov over the 2008 March 1 unrest in Yerevan. 

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Development of allied relations with Russia among key priorities of Armenian government

14:55, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will actively work on ensuring its active and initiating participation in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) by contributing to further raising the effectiveness of these structures, the government’s draft Action Plan, that was released today, says, reports Armenpress.

According to the draft, the actions on developing the strategic-allied relations with Russia are among the top priorities of Armenia.

“The Armenia-Russia relations are based on friendship, equality and the readiness to solve the issues with joint efforts. The government views Armenia’s strategic partnership with Russia as a key component on ensuring Armenia’s security system”, the draft says.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Unsurprisingly, Turkey lambastes Macron for declaring April 24 Armenian Genocide Commemoration Day

15:07, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Turkey was quick to respond to French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent announcement on France declaring April 24th to be a National Day of Armenian Genocide Commemoration.

Being committed to the infamous denial policy, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin labeled Macron’s statement about the Armenian Genocide as “a political lie” and “strongly condemned” it, Anadolu reported. 

He even accused Macron in “trying to rescue himself by using historical events as political fodder”.

President Emmanuel Macron has said France will make April 24 “a national day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide”.

Speaking to the Armenian community at a dinner organized by the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organisations of France (CCAF), Macron said: “France is, first and foremost, the country that knows how to look history in the face, which was among the first to denounce the killing of the Armenian people, which in 1915 named genocide for what it was, which in 2001 after a long struggle recognised it in law”, according to France24.

France "will in the next weeks make April 24 a national day of commemoration of the Armenian genocide," he added.

Macron said he has informed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the decision to declare April 24th a National Day of Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in advance.

"We have disagreements over the fight against the Islamic State, human rights and civil liberties in Turkey and on the genocide," Macron said, according to Euronews.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Judge orders to resume 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis hearing in camera

15:11, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. During the ongoing court hearing of the 2016 Yerevan police station attack, judge Mesrop Makyan ordered to continue the hearing in camera.

Prior to this, the judge ordered to remove one of the defendants from the courtroom, which sparked anger among those in the audience.

The judge said that the citizens in the courtroom are obstructing the hearing and ordered them to clear the room.

Earlier, Police Chief Valeriy Osipyan testified in court in the case. He was among those taken hostage during the 2016 attack when he was serving as deputy chief of the Yerevan Police Department.

Two of the 10 assailants are currently under arrest. The remaining seven were released on bail.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenia to continue consistently developing friendly partnership with US

15:29, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will continue taking actions to consistently develop the friendly partnership with the United States, the Armenian government’s draft Action Plan, released today, says, reports Armenpress.

According to the draft, the government is inclined to deepen the partnership with the US aimed at assisting Armenia’s development and reforms agenda and expanding the dialogue for regional stability.

The government will deepen the friendly relations and will expand the partnership with the European Union, its member states and other European countries. The draft says the implementation of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is considered as a significant factor contributing to the government’s reforms agenda aimed at the development of Armenia.

The government will continue taking steps to ensure the EU visa liberalization for the Armenian citizens.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Al Jazeera publishes article about life story of Syrian-Armenian refugee jeweler living in Yerevan

15:33, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Al Jazeera media outlet has released a report about the life story of Vahe Hovhannesian, a 31-year-old jeweler, a Syrian-Armenian refugee, Armenpress reports citing Al Jazeera.

The author of the article says Vahe is one of tens of thousands of Christian Armenians who have returned to Armenia in the wake of Syria’s civil war. 

“Two years ago, he was living in Aleppo, dodging snipers on his way to work”, the author says.

“Every day leaving my apartment, I knew that I could not turn right”, Vahe Hovhannesian said. “I should always go to the left, otherwise I might be killed. There was a small territory in our district I had to cross to go to my workplace. I knew that there was a sniper and I was running so that he could not target me. Every day I had to run”, he added.

In early 2016 a rocket exploded in front of Hovhannesian's house.

“The rocket fell right on our building”, he said. “It was useless to run or try to hide”.

The explosion nearly levelled their home.

“At that moment I realized that I had to leave Syria”.

Hovhannesian lives with his brother Zareh and parents, Andranik Hovhannesian and Vergin Khachaturyan in an apartment. They settled in Aleppo in 1946, where they found a home for 70 years. 

Prior to the Syrian conflict, neither Vahe nor his parents had set foot in Armenia.

Arriving as a refugee was “numbing”, he said. 

“My first days in Yerevan were quite difficult”.

“Although I knew Armenian, I couldn't understand when people were saying to me. They were using so many Russian words and expressions in their speech. I had never heard a single Russian word in my life before”, he said.

Jeweler Vahe Hovhannesian is currently working 12 hours a day with his brother Zareh in Yerevan.

Armenia to expand mutual partnership with partner countries of Middle East

15:51, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government will take active steps to develop the unique and friendly relations with Iran and Georgia that will be free of other geopolitical impacts as much as possible, the government said in its draft Action Plan released today, reports Armenpress.

According to the draft, the government will actively work to expand multisectoral broad cooperation with China, develop and deepen the friendly and mutually beneficial partnership with India and Japan.

Armenia plans to expand the mutual partnership with the partner countries of the Middle East, develop the cooperation with the American, Asian, African and Pacific states.

An importance is attached to Armenia’s active engagement in the multilateral platforms – the UN, OSCE, CoE and other international structures, as well as protection of its interests including in the fields of security, sustainable development and human rights.

The active cooperation within the CSTO, as well as the development of the bilateral relations with the CIS states, the continuation of political dialogue with the NATO, the consistent implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan, the deepening of Armenia’s engagement in the International Organization of La Francophonie and conducting Armenia’s chairmanship at the IOF at the highest level are highlighted.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan