Category: 2019

Armenian Parliament Speaker holds meeting with Lebanese Ambassador

17:00, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan on February 7 received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Lebanon to Armenia Maya Dagher, the Parliament told Armenpress.

Speaker Mirzoyan highly valued the current level of friendly relations between the two countries, highlighting the key role of the Lebanese-Armenian community in the country’s political, public life, as well as on deepening the bilateral relations.

The Speaker highlighted raising the role of parliamentary diplomacy and stated that most of the newly-elected MPs are interested in strengthening the ties with Lebanon.

Ararat Mirzoyan highly appreciated the inter-parliamentary cooperation in terms of deepening the bilateral ties and noted with satisfaction that the two countries are actively working in the international platforms which must further develop.

In her turn the Lebanese Ambassador congratulated the Speaker on assuming office and the victory of his political force in the snap parliamentary elections.

The Ambassador expressed readiness to boost the activities of the parliamentary friendship groups and the actions aimed at expanding the bilateral partnership.

The sides also touched upon other issues relating to the development of democracy, protection of human rights and freedoms, improvement of the legislative field and etc.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 07-02-19

17:11, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, 7 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 7 February, USD exchange rate up by 0.43 drams to 488.69 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.81 drams to 554.22 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 7.40 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.23 drams to 630.65 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 10.11 drams to 20620.1 drams. Silver price down by 1.90 drams to 247.15 drams. Platinum price down by 35.77 drams to 12867.92 drams.

President of Football Federation of Armenia takes part in 43rd UEFA Congress

17:25, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. President of the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) Artur Vanetsyan participated in the 43rd Ordinary UEFA Congress in Rome and the elections of the president by voting in favor of incumbent UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, the FFA told Armenpress.

The delegates unanimously voted in favor of Aleksander Čeferin.

The Armenian delegation included FFA Secretary General, 1st Vice President Armen Melikbekyan and head of the FFA Football department, deputy Secretary General Artur Azaryan.

The UEFA financial report and the works conducted by the committees were presented during the Congress. The new UEFA budget has been approved.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Pashinyan assesses Macron’s declaration of April 24 a "national day of commemoration of the Armenian genocide" a powerful demonstration of solidarity

17:48, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has commented on the announcement of French President Emmanuel Macron who declared April 24 a "national day of commemoration of the Armenian genocide". ARMENPRESS reports  Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Twitter micro blog, saluting the declaration of the French President.

“Salute the statement of Emmanuel Macron. Powerful manifestation and act of solidarity, determination to protect human rights and prevent mass atrocities”, Pashinyan wrote.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on February 6 that France will make April 24 “a national day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide”, France24 reported.

Armenia and Armenians around the world mark April 24 annually as the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

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 also said that he personally in formed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about his decision.

France criminalized denial of the Armenian Genocide in 2016.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Speaker of Armenian Parliament, Polish Ambassador discuss cooperation prospects

17:49, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan on February 7 received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to Armenia Pawel Cieplak, the Parliament told Armenpress.

Welcoming the guest Ararat Mirzoyan thanked the Marshal/Marszałek of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland Marek Kuchciński for the congratulation on his being elected as Speaker of the Armenian Parliament.

The Head of the legislative body has noted that the Armenian-Polish relations are based on the two friendly peoples’ firm ties, expressing conviction that due to joint efforts it will be possible to give new impetus to those relations.

Highlighting the inter-parliamentary cooperation the Speaker underlined the mutual visits and the active work and contacts of the Parliamentary Friendship Groups.

Ararat Mirzoyan has highly assessed the warm attitude shown through many centuries by the authorities of Poland towards the Polish-Armenians, noting with satisfaction that the Armenians with their work and devotion have considerable contribution in the most different spheres of life in Poland.

In his turn Pawel Cieplak emphasized the development of cooperation in all spheres, noting that in its expansion the inter-parliamentary ties and the effective contacts of the Friendship Groups can have an important role.

The Ambassador presented to the Head of the parliament the programs and events which had been pinpointed within the frameworks of the inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The officials exchanged thoughts over the perspectives and possibilities of deepening the cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenian police aware of four stranded Indian nationals

17:50, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian police and the foreign ministry of India are closely monitoring the case of four Indian nationals who appear to be stranded in Armenia as result of fraudulent Indian travel agents.

The Armenian police said they are aware of the matter and noted that the individuals have been deceived in India.

“The Armenian police is aware of the information,” police spokesperson Ashot Aharonyan told ARMENPRESS, referring to an article by Hindustan Times describing how the four Indian nationals have appealed for help.

“The mentioned information is about a crime committed in the territory of India,” he said.

According to the Hindustan Times, four Indian youths stuck in Armenia have uploaded a video on social media requesting India’s Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann to bring them back. Kapurthala (Punjab) police have booked six people, for fraudulently sending the four men to Armenia on tourist visa in December last year after promising work visa, according to Hindustan Times.

India’s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted later that she is also aware of the situation.

“I have seen the news report in Daily Hindustan dated 7th February reg four Indians from Punjab who are stranded in Armenia. Indian Ambassador in Armenia has reached them and is providing all help and assistance”, she said on Twitter.

Swaraj also said she spoke with Punjab’s police chief to apprehend the fraudulent travel agents. “He has promised immediate action on the matter”, she said.

In an alarming article titled – ‘Haven’t eaten in 5 days’: 4 Punjab youth trapped in Armenia send video SOS – the Hindustan Times reported that the four Indian nationals have not had anything to eat for five days and that their landlord is demanding them to leave their home, apparently due to failure to pay the rent.

According to the newspaper, the four Indian citizens have said that a group of seven travel agents from Dhilwan and Patti duped them of Rs 4 lakh each and fraudulently sent them on tourist visa to Armenia.

In 2018, the number of Indian nationals who have been granted residency permits was 1882. 25 received permanent residency status.

The growth in inbound citizens from India in the recent years to Armenia is also associated with visa policy.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

1st President of Armenia interrogated as witness over March 1 case

19:26, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. First President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan has been interrogated as a witness at the Special Investigation Service in the sidelines of the criminal case of March 1, ARMENPRESS reports Arman Musinyan, spokesperson of the 1^st President, informed.

“The interrogation lasted 1.5 hours”, Musinyan added.

There were media reports that on February 6 3^rd President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan was also interrogated, but the Special Investigation Service did not comment on the information.

2^nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan is kept in detention pending trial over March 1 case. He is accused of overturning constitutional order in 2008.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

From revolutionary to Prime Minister – Pashinyan assures he has not changed, Swiss RTS radio

20:54, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. New Prime Minister of Armenia, leader of the velvet revolution Nikol Pashinyan has an aspiration to revolutionize the economy of the country, preserving the balance between Russia and Europe, ARMENPRESS reports Swiss RTS radio reads, the reporter of which met with Pashinyan in Davos earlier.

“Nikol Pashinyan, wearing his new suit that fits his position of Prime Minister, accompanied by a large delegation, tours in the corridors of the World Economic Forum. A few months ago that same person, a former journalist, wearing a military uniform, cap and a backpack was addressing the crowd with a speech in the capital city of Armenia, Yerevan.

The popular movement that was named “Velvet revolution” due to its peaceful nature raised him to the post of Prime Minister.

From opposition leader to head of the executive, Nikol Pashinyan assures RTS that he remains the same person. “I assess myself the servant of the people. As long as the people are satisfied, I will continue my mission. As soon as the people decide to remove me from that position, I will most probably go back to journalism or will write books”, ARMENPRESS reports RTS quotes Pashinyan.

The article runs as follows,

From political revolution to economic revolution

His mission, as he usually says, has been “making Armenia corruption free”. After reaching this goal Nikol Pashinyan sees an economic revolution that will take place in his country.  

This is what brought him to the World Economic Forum in Davos. He also met with Swiss and Diaspora-Armenian businessmen in Switzerland.

But not everything depends on the Government – warns the PM. Like in case of the political revolution, Nikol Pashinyan relies on the people for the economic revolution. “The citizens know that they have a precise role. The only difference now is that we need to attract investments”.

 

Balance between Russian and Europe

But how can a former USSR country, located between east and west, develop political and economic relations with Europe without offending its key ally, Russia? This seems to be a matter of balance.

“We are member to the Eurasian Economic Union, which is a very important market for our country. But Armenia has an agreement also with the EU and this is not incompatible.

Our relations with Russia are important from the perspective of economy and security, but our relations with the EU give us an opportunity to improve our political and legal system and develop our society, making it more competitive”.

Anyway, the Armenian PM should be cautious not to breach the balance. For example, joining NATO is not on the agenda.

“We do not plan to join that organization. We already cooperate with NATO member states, particularly in carrying out peacekeeping missions in Kosovo, Afghanistan and soon in Lebanon. This cooperation will continue and develop further, because we know the real value of peace”.

 Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Political component of Armenia-Iran relations at high level – Ambassador Tumanyan’s interview

09:25, 8 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. The favorable conditions created for Armenia thanks to the free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Iran will be effectively served for ensuring the growth of trade volumes, Armenia’s Ambassador to Iran Artashes Tumanyan said in an interview to ARMENPRESS, talking about the Armenian-Iranian relations, as well as the upcoming visit of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Iran.

-Mr. Tumanyan, PM Nikol Pashinyan plans to visit Iran in late February. What kind of meetings and agenda of issues are scheduled?

-Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will depart for Tehran on February 27 at the invitation of President of Iran Hassan Rouhani. This is Pashinyan’s first visit to Iran. The organizational issues of the visit are being discussed at the moment. The agenda of meetings will cover a broad range of bilateral issues. During the talks the officials will touch upon the regional security and bilateral cooperation affairs.

-This year marks the 28th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties with Iran. How would you assess the current level of Armenia-Iran relations?

-From the time of their formation to this day Armenia and Iran had friendly and partnering relations. However, not all opportunities of both sides have been utilized.

-What achievements will you identify in the Armenian-Iranian diplomatic relations in the recent period?

-The main achievement is the high level of political component of the bilateral relations. The sides have always managed to avoid lined problems. But as for the recent period, we can mention the facts of distribution of various information about Armenia among the Iranian circles, mutual awareness raising. Many Iranian businessmen visited Armenia to discuss the opportunities of conducting an economic activity.

-Iran remains one of Armenia’s key partners. What prospects do you see for expanding the economic cooperation between the two countries?

-Iran is really one of the key partners of Armenia, and the development of the relations derives from Armenia’s interests. Of course, Armenia also has an important place in Iran’s foreign policy agenda.

The level of bilateral economic relations is far from being enough, and both sides need to take serious actions in this regard. I would like to inform that the Armenia-Iran trade turnover has never crossed 300 million USD (also given the gas-electricity exchange), and the import volumes of goods from Armenia to Iran have always been quite small.

Currently the possibilities to serve effectively the favorable conditions created for Armenia thanks to the EAEU-Iran free trade deal for ensuring bilateral trade growth are being discussed. I want to state that serious obstacles emerged here due to the US sanctions, but in order to overcome them certain mechanisms will be needed.

-There is quite activeness in tourism sector in the recent years. What development prospects do you see on this direction?

-Before the US sanctions and the unfavorable financial-economic developments in Iran, the number of Iranian tourists visiting Armenia was constantly increasing. But now, due to the current situation in Iran, their number is decreasing. It’s understandable that under the current circumstances some changes will be needed in the works of this field, at least for preventing the further negative developments.

-Mr. Ambassador, the Armenian community plays an important role for strengthening and developing the Armenian-Iranian relations. What are the main activities of Armenians in Iran? In which sectors they are represented and what are the agenda issues relating to the community?

-The Armenian community of Iran has passed a great path and enjoys a great respect for the great contribution in Iran’s life. The community members are represented in different sectors-science, education, culture, economy and etc. According to Iran’s Constitution, Armenians have a status of a religious minority which allows to have two MPs in the Iranian Parliament.

The community structures constantly carry out great works for the preservation of the Armenian identity and cultural values.

 

Interview by Anna Gziryan

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Volume of mortgage loans provided by Armenian banks increases – Pashinyan presents details

09:58, 8 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. During 2018 the volume of mortgage loans provided by the Armenian banks surpassed the figure of 2017 by 20%, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Facebook, reports Armenpress.

The PM said after the revolution the banks, in fact, have provided as much mortgage loans as in the whole 2017, and the bank interest rates are constantly decreasing.

“Moreover, the mortgage lending growth rate increases especially under the influence of the government’s decisions. The growth within the frames of Apartment for Youth program comprised 41% in November 2018 against November 2017, 85% in December 2018 against December 2017, 131% in January 2019 against January 2018. 131% – this means that free, young citizen of Armenia is linking his/her future with the homeland, exclusively with the own homeland”, Nikol Pashinyan said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan