Category: 2019

Bright Armenia parliament faction: Government program has no clear timeframes for implementing economic reforms

Liana Toganian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 7 2019
Bright Armenia parliament faction: Government program has no clear timeframes for implementing economic reforms               

YEREVAN. – There are no mechanisms, clear timeframes and criteria for implementing economic reforms in the program which the government has submitted, and that’s a problem.

National Assembly “Bright Armenia” Faction member Ani Samsonyan told the aforementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The MP noted that certain provisions need to be developed in the economic program, and therefore now it is impossible to make final conclusions.

“The National Assembly hasn’t formally received the government’s program yet,” Samsonyan added. “The [parliamentary] faction of the Bright Armenia Party has not discussed the program. Once we discus the program, we will be able to present our position, recommendations, solutions.”

Adviser to Armenian Investigative Committee’s chief steps down

Hambik Zargarian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 6 2019

Sona Truzyan, the adviser to the Armenian Investigative Committee’s chairman, has resigned, unveiling plans to continue her activities in the private sector.

“During this period, I continued to fulfill my duties until the resignation was accepted. I intend to continue my future professional activities in the private sector,” she said in a post on Facebook.

Truzyan didn’t provide any other details. 

Attorney slams court ruling on Kocharyan’s appeal as ‘politically motivated’

Tania Jagharian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 6 2019

Hayk Alumyan, a member of second President Robert Kocharyan’s defense team, strongly condemn the ruling of the Yerevan appellate court to keep the ex-president in custody as ‘politically motivated’.

The Yerevan Criminal Court of Appeals, under presiding judge Mnatsakan Harutyunyan, upheld today the ruling of a lower court to keep Kocharyan in pre-trial custody and rejected his lawyers’ motion to release the ex-president on bail.

“I believe the ruling lacks a legal component. This decision is absolutely politically motivated made in the wake of a political order,” the lawyer said.

He added that Kocharyan will appeal the ruling to the Court of Cassation and will also lodge a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Earlier on January 18, the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction granted the motion filed by the Special Investigative Service to extend the ex-president’s pre-trial arrest for two months and denied his lawyers’ petition to release Kocharyan on bail.

The former president’s defense team appealed the ruling to the higher court.

Kocharyan has been placed in custody since December 7, 2018, pending trial. He is charged with overthrowing Armenia’s constitutional order during the March 1-2, 2008 post-election events in Yerevan, but the ex-president strongly denies any wrongdoing.      

Armenia’s governing agencies racing for €6-million grant – media

Tania Jagharian
ARKA, Armenia
Feb 6 2019

YEREVAN, February 7. /ARKA/. Armenia’s governing agencies have started struggling for a €6-million grant, 168 Hours reports. According to the media source, the Armenian government will receive the grant soon, and the governing agencies will compete for obtaining the money – they will have to explain why these financial resources will be given to them. 

Under this grant, digitalization of files connected with government agencies’ activities will be carried out.  
The necessity of optimization will be pointed out as one of arguments in favor of the grant reception. 

Advanced electronic systems have already been introduced in the State Revenue Committee, the Passport Agency, the State Real Estate Cadastre, the labor and social affairs ministry, the national archive and the national library. -0—

Prosperous Armenia parliament faction: We tried to find consensus, it failed

Emil Lazarian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 7 2019
Prosperous Armenia parliament faction: We tried to find consensus, it failed               

YEREVAN. – Since three factions are represented in the parliament, all three should have been represented at all international assemblies and international organizations.

Naira Zohrabyan, a member of the “Prosperous Armenia” Faction at the National Assembly (NA), on Thursday told the above-said to reporters in the legislature.

She noted this reflecting on the fact that not all three parliamentary factions are represented in the NA delegations to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) and to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

“We tried to find a consensus, it failed,” she added, in particular. “[But] we will try to work with this format.”

SIS declines commenting on Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s interrogation over March 1 events

Aram Torosian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 7 2019

First President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan was questioned at the Special Investigation Service as a witness over the criminal case investigating the circumstances behind the March 1-2, 2008 post-election crackdown in Yerevan. The press department at the SIS neither confirmed nor denied to Panorama.am the reports circulated by media.

“We are not commenting on the matter,” the representative at SIS told.

To remind, earlier the SIS neither confirmed nor denied reports about summoning former President Serzh Sargsyan.

To remind, second President Robert Kocharyan and former CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov were charged over breaching the constitutional order of Armenia in the scope of the same criminal case. Khachaurov was released on bail, while Robert Kocharyan is in detention.

New Armenia chooses “self-isolationist” path: Bright Armenia MP

Emma Jilavian
Aysor, Armenia
Feb 7 2019

MP from Bright Armenia faction Arman Babajanyan described the foreign policy presented in the government’s program as “self-isolationist”.

“The “revolved” Armenia is not being forces, pressured, from various opportunities Armenia chooses the isolation path on its own. The huge store of legitimacy even does not allow the new authorities to open to the world,” Babajanyan wrote in Facebook.

“No one is against deepening strategic relations with Russia but without new foreign political opportunities, new allies, partners and friends and new political priorities which will go in line with modern rapidly changing world new Armenia cannot serve the challenges of Armenia, Artsakh and all Armenians,” he wrote.

Armenian Church commemorates St. Sophia and her three daughters

Hambik Zargarian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 7 2019

The Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates today Saint Sophia and her daughters – Pistis, Elpis and Agape.

These names have Christian origin and in Greek they correspondingly mean wisdom, faith, hope and love, Qahana.am reported.

Sophia was born in a noble family and lived nearby the city Rome. After the death of her husband she devoted herself to God. Being a pious Christian, she educated her daughters Pistis, Elpis and Agape in Christian spirit. Christian values and ideas were the principles of their life.

A heathen young man fell in love with one of the daughters of Sophia and wished to marry her. However, Sophia rejected the young man saying: “We are Christians and virginity is dearer to us than gold and pearl.” Getting angry the young man complained to the King Adrianos. The king called the three young ladies and demanded to offer sacrifice to the idols. Being since childhood educated according to the Christian commandments the sisters opposed to the king and remained unshaken in their faith. Then the king got angry and ordered to behead them.

Sophia buried the bodies of her daughters and prayed God asking to take her soul as soon as possible, so that she would join her beloved daughters. God listened to Sophia’s prayers and Sophia passed away. 

Atom Janjughazyan has to provide explanation over big bonuses

Emil Lazarian
ARKA, Armenia
Feb 7 2019

YEREVAN, February 7. /ARKA/. The Armenian National Assembly’s My Step faction intends to demand from Armenian Finance Minister Atom Janjughazyan explanations over bonuses, 168 Zham reports. 

According to the newspaper, Janjughazyan has received a bonus of more than AMD 5 million ($10,000) and his godson Karen Brutyan a bonus amounting to AMD 7 million ($14,000) – the biggest bonuses among those provided to governing agencies’ employees in Armenia ahead of New Year and Christmas holidays. -0—

The Finance Minister is surprised at how stubbornly many media continue to be interested in the size of the premiums he received.

Boris Nahapetian
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 7 2019
Naira Badalian

ArmInfo.Armenian Finance Minister Atom Janjughazyan is surprised at how stubbornly many media continue to be interested in the size of the bonuses he received. He  stated this on February 7 in the National Assembly of Armenia, where  to a closed meeting the "My Step' parliamentary faction invited him.

Immediately upon arrival, the journalists asked Atom Janjughazyan  about the purpose of the invitation.  "The meeting is closed," he  said. Earlier, the parliamentary majority invited the head of the  State Revenue Committee Davit Ananyan, as it turned out, for  clarification about the sensational awards. According to the media,  the head of the Ministry of Finance will also discuss the proposed  changes in the Tax Code.

"It surprises me that the media continue to be interested in the size  of the premiums I received," Janjughazyan told journalists. According  to him, his position over the past 20 years, the imperative procedure  establishes a certain degree of publicity, including in terms of  disclosure of income. Again, without going into details, the head of  the Ministry of Finance said that, compared to 2017, his salary  increased by 10%. "I think that his responsibility in 2018 also  increased by at least 10%," he said.

When asked by a journalist that the amount of premiums, according to  official information, amounted to more than half a million dollars  and "is this not much for the Ministry of Finance?", Atom  Janjughazyan first called for dramas in the Republic of Armenia, and  further noted that it was not enough for him to judge this, or many.  "I urge you to be guided by the law. The premiums paid were within  the law, and their amount is not half a million dollars, but much  more – 10% of the entire salary fund (for civil servants) plus 30%  within the framework of the stipulated bonus fund," the minister  explained.