Category: 2019

Thursday, 
Armenian High Court Head Rejects ‘Political’ Pressure
        • Astghik Bedevian
Armenia -- Constitutional Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasian reads out a court 
verdict on an appeal filed by former President Robert Kocharian, September 4, 
2019. The chairman of Armenia’s Constitutional Court, Hrayr Tovmasian, has denounced 
the ruling My Step alliance’s efforts to unseat him as politically motivated 
and accused the authorities of seeking potentially unrestricted powers. “In my view, this process is political and pursues one goal: to neutralize the 
Constitutional Court … as a hurdle, as an obstacle, as a body that could at 
some point block political decisions because they contradict the constitution,” 
he said in an interview with the ArmNews TV channel aired late on Wednesday. Tovmasian repeated his claims in a written statement issued on Thursday. It 
came as Armenia’s parliament began debating a draft resolution calling on 
Constitutional Court judges to replace their chairman. The resolution drafted by My Step and endorsed by senior government officials 
decries, among other things, Tovmasian’s handling of appeals against the 
legality of coup charges brought against the arrested former President Robert 
Kocharian. It also says that Tovmasian cannot make impartial decisions on this 
case because of his past membership in the former ruling Republican Party of 
Armenia (HHK). With My Step holding 88 seats in the 132-member National Assembly, the 
resolution will almost certainly be passed. Tovmasian will lose his post if at 
least six of the eight other Constitutional Court judges vote against him. In his statement, Tovmasian said he will boycott the parliament debate on the 
issue because he believes that the bid to oust him is driven by “political and 
subjective” considerations. He listed recent events which he said highlight 
ulterior motives behind it. Those include the May 2019 blockade of all court buildings in Armenia initiated 
by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and public statements by government loyalists 
questioning the legitimacy of most members of the Constitutional Court. Tovmasian also pointed to the recent arrests on corruption charges of two state 
officials linked to him. Armenia -- A session of the National Assembly, Yerevan, October 3, 2019. Alen Simonian, a senior My Step figure and deputy parliament speaker, hit back 
at the head of the country’s highest court. “It would be good if Mr. Tovmasian 
was present here,” Simonian said on the parliament floor. “I assess very 
negatively his latest statement and interview.”
“In his statement he once again proved what everyone is now saying: he remains 
a representative of the Republican Party of Armenia,” charged the close 
associate of Pashinian. My Step’s initiative has been backed by the opposition Bright Armenia Party 
(LHK). But the other, larger parliamentary opposition force, the Prosperous 
Armenia (BHK), has refused to endorse it, saying that Pashinian’s bloc has 
presented “very weak” arguments. Gevorg Petrosian, a lawyer and senior BHK lawmaker, insisted on Thursday that 
Tovmasian did not commit “major disciplinary violations” during the 
Constitutional Court’s consideration of one of the appeals lodged by Kocharian. On September 4 the court declared unconstitutional a legal provision used by 
investigators against the former president. Pashinian called that ruling 
“illegal,” citing dissenting opinions voiced by two court judges. In a July interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian service, Pashinian accused Tovmasian 
of cutting political deals with HHK leader and former President Serzh Sarkisian 
to “privatize” the Constitutional Court in early 2018. Tovmasian responded by 
warning the government against trying to force him and his colleagues to resign. Armenia To Set Up Powerful Anti-Graft Body
        • Naira Nalbandian
Armenia -- Ministers attend a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan, October 3, 
2019. The Armenian government formally decided on Thursday to set up a new 
anti-corruption agency that will be empowered to prosecute state officials 
suspected of bribery, fraud and other corrupt practices. The Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC) will be created in 2021 as part of an 
anti-graft strategy and a three-year action plan adopted by the government at a 
weekly meeting in Yerevan. The ACC will inherit most of its law-enforcement powers from the existing 
Special Investigative Service (SIS) tasked with combatting various crimes 
committed by state officials. The strategy drawn up by the Armenian Justice 
Ministry sets a three-year “transitional period” during which other 
law-enforcement bodies will still be able to deal with corruption-related 
offenses. The government will also give more powers to the Commission on Preventing 
Corruption formed under the former Armenian authorities. The commission has 
until now been primarily charged with scrutinizing income and asset 
declarations submitted by senior officials and investigating possible conflicts 
of interest among them. Speaking at the cabinet meeting, Justice Minister Rustam Badasian said Armenian 
judges will now be a key focus of the commission’s activities. The state body 
will be allowed to launch disciplinary proceedings against judges suspected of 
having dubiously acquired assets, he said. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian confirmed that this “integrity verification” 
will be a substitute for a mandatory “vetting” of all Armenian judges which he 
demanded in May. “We realized that the word ‘vetting’ causes a great deal of 
allergy and decided to change the tile but keep the essence [of judicial 
reform,]” he said. Pashinian and other Armenian officials discussed the reform with a high-level 
delegation from the Council of Europe that visited Yerevan later in May. According to an internal report subsequently released by the Strasbourg-based 
organization’s Venice Commission, they agreed that “it would be neither 
necessary nor useful to carry out a general vetting of all sitting judges.”
“Instead, disciplinary procedures should be strengthened and a link with the 
asset declaration system established,” said the report. Pashinian has repeatedly claimed to have eliminated “systemic corruption” in 
Armenia since coming to power in May 2018. During his, law-enforcement 
authorities have brought serious corruption charges against dozens of 
individuals, including close relatives and cronies of former President Serzh 
Sarkisian. The prime minister ordered law-enforcement authorities on September 20 to step 
up their anti-corruption efforts and, in particular, recover more public funds 
embezzled or wasted by former officials. Russian FM Critical Of Pashinian’s Karabakh Remark
        • Aza Babayan
RUSSIA -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a session of the 
annual Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, October 2, 2019
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has criticized Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian for describing Nagorno-Karabakh as an integral part of Armenia, 
saying that such statements hamper efforts to end the Karabakh conflict. Lavrov commented on the conflict when he spoke during an annual international 
forum held in the southern Russian city of Sochi on Wednesday. “As regards the situation on the ground, it is much calmer now than it was one 
year ago,” he said. “But the political process is on hold and we have not yet 
managed to kick-start it.”
“The parties are making quite serious statements,” he went on. “In particular, 
there has been a statement to the effect that Karabakh is Armenia, just like 
Albanian Prime Minister [Edi] Rama said from Tirana than Kosovo is Albania. This certainly does not help to create an atmosphere conducive to the 
resumption of the political [settlement] process.”
Lavrov added that the Russian, U.S. and French mediators co-chairing the OSCE 
Minsk Group will continue press for the conflict’s resolution. “This is one of 
the few situations where we have the same vision,” he said. The Armenian Foreign Ministry dismissed the criticism on Thursday. “We find it 
important that each of the mediators avoids selective or one-sided 
evaluations,” said the ministry spokeswoman, Anna Naghdalian. She argued that 
Pashinian reaffirmed Armenia’s readiness for a compromise peace deal with 
Azerbaijan when he addressed the UN General Assembly in New York late last 
month. “Artsakh [Karabakh] is Armenia. Period,” Pashinian declared at a rally held in 
Stepanakert on August 5. Azerbaijan condemned that statement as provocative. RUSSIA -- Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Azerbaijani 
President Ilham Aliyev during their meeting in Sochi, October 3, 2019
Lavrov spoke one day before Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his 
Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Valdai Forum in 
Sochi. Neither president mentioned the Karabakh conflict in his opening remarks 
at the talks publicized by the Kremlin. “For us, Russia is a very important partner, friend and good neighbor,” Aliyev 
told Putin. “We very much value this relationship.”
Putin met with Pashinian on Tuesday on the sidelines of a Eurasian Economic 
Union summit held in Yerevan. Few details of their conversations were made 
public. Senior Armenian Lawmaker Under Fire Over Insult
        • Gayane Saribekian
Armenia -- Andranik Kocharian, the chairman of the parliament committee on 
defense and security, attends a parliament session in Yerevan, October 3, 2019. A senior pro-government parliamentarian refused to apologize on Thursday for 
his offensive comments about former Justice Minister Arpine Hovannisian’s 
parents which have caused a storm of condemnation from Armenian opposition 
politicians and public figures. Andranik Kocharian, the chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on 
defense and security, made derogatory references to Hovannisian’s “mother and 
unknown father” on Wednesday after she mentioned him while criticizing 
government policies. Speaking to 24News.am earlier this week, Hovannisian said the authorities 
should scrutinize the assets of not only those former officials who served 
during former President Serzh Sarkisian’s rule but also those who held senior 
state positions in the 1990s. She named several such individuals, including 
Kocharian, who served as Armenia’s deputy defense minister from 1991-1995 and 
held a parliament seat from 1995-1999. Kocharian’s reaction to those remarks drew strong condemnations on social media 
from opposition leaders, other critics of the current government and even some 
supporters of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. “I believe that insulting, mocking a woman or making her personal life a 
subject of public discussion because of her political activities is condemnable 
and extremely unacceptable,” said Edmon Marukian, the leader of the opposition 
Bright Armenia Party (LHK). “I apologize for this political culture.”
Armenia’s human rights ombudsman, Arman Tatoyan, added his voice to the 
condemnations. “Targeting a personal or family is absolutely unacceptable 
without any exception, especially if we are talking about a woman,” he wrote. Significantly, the French ambassador to Armenia, Jonathan Lacote, shared 
Tatoyan’s “welcome and necessary reaction” on his Facebook page. Armenia - Justice Minister Arpine Hovannisian speaks to journalists during a 
congress of the ruling Republican Party, November 26, 2016. “Anything relating to the personal space, the private domain must have no place 
in our political speech,” said Lilit Makunts, the parliamentary leader of 
Pashinian’s My Step bloc. “I also want to stress that I would be very happy if 
such reaction [to Kocharian’s comments] from all sides was also displayed in 
all [similar] cases.”
Makunts also said that she discussed the controversy with Kocharian. But she 
did not specify whether she urged him to apologize to Hovannisian. Such apologies were offered by Sasun Mikaelian, another prominent 
parliamentarian representing the ruling bloc. “If Andranik Kocharian said such 
a thing I apologize in his place,” Mikaelian told reporters. Kocharian himself remained unrepentant, however. He doubled down on his mockery 
of Hovannisian and her “unknown father” when approached by journalists. “Unknown means not known to the society,” said the Pashinian ally. “Yesterday 
the whole Facebook was looking [for Hovannisian’s] father and apparently found 
him. The unknown is now known.”
Kocharian also hit out at Tevan Poghosian, a well-known pundit and former 
parliamentarian who also apologized to the former minister. “I phoned Tevan and 
said, ‘Tevan, what did you apologize for?’” he said. Hovannisian, 35, served as justice minister from 2015-2017 before becoming a 
deputy speaker of the former Armenian parliament elected in April 2017. She 
announced in February this year that she is suspending her membership in the 
former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) to start a law practice and run 
a new think-tank. She remains a vocal critic of the country’s current 
leadership which ousted HHK leader Serzh Sarkisian from power in April 2018. Press Review
Հոկտեմբեր 03, 2019
“Yerevan’s tough position on the Karabakh issue has created serious problems 
for Russia and Azerbaijan,” claims Lragir.am. “With negotiations frozen, the 
Russian plan can only be realized in a military way, which is also 
controversial and could blow up not only Azerbaijan but also Russia.” The 
publication speculates that this is what Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia 
and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan will probably be discussing in Sochi on 
Thursday. It says Putin will also brief Aliyev on the Eurasian Economic Union 
(EEU) summit in Yerevan. “Haykakan Zhamanak” says Putin proved wrong Pashinian detractors who had 
claimed that he will not attend the summit or avoid a bilateral meeting with 
the Armenian prime minister. The pro-government paper also slams them for 
playing up the significance of Putin’s meeting in Yerevan with former President 
Robert Kocharian’s wife Bella. It says that Armenians who did well during 
Kocharian’s rule now hope that thanks to Russia the former president will not 
only be freed from jail but also return to power. “Zhoghovurd” reports on the Prosperous Armenia (BHK) Party’s decision not to 
back government efforts to oust the chairman of the Constitutional Court, Hrayr 
Tovmasian. “There have been many meetings between Pashinian and [BHK leader 
Gagik] Tsarukian of late,” writes the paper. “It looks like they have not 
managed to reach a common denominator on this issue. And so the real fight 
between the BHK and [Pashinian’s] My Step got underway yesterday.” It recalls 
that one year ago the BHK already joined the former ruling Republican Party of 
Armenia in challenging Pashinian in the parliament. That development 
precipitated the holding of snap parliamentary elections in December. (Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Website: www.agbu.org
  
PRESS RELEASE
  
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
  
THE GURDJIEFF ENSEMBLE CONNECTS NEW YORK AUDIENCES TO KOMITAS WITH A UNIQUE 
TWIST
The Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at New York's renowned Symphony Space was filled 
with applause as hundreds of Komitas enthusiasts, Armenian and non-Armenians 
alike, stood to their feet for an encore from the critically acclaimed 
Gurdjieff Ensemble on the night of Friday, September 27th. The concert, 
organized by AGBU's Performing Arts Department (PAD) in celebration of Komitas' 
150th Anniversary, was the second stop in the Ensemble's American debut tour, 
performing only one day after appearing before a packed house at the World 
Music Festival in Chicago. 
The performance was planned with AGBU's PAD's mission in mind to support and 
present emerging and established artists as well as continuing its initiatives 
to connect rich Armenian art to diverse audiences. Akin to Komitas, composer 
and spiritual leader G.I Gurdjieff, the namesake of the Ensemble, travelled the 
world collecting and preserving ethnographic melodies. With over a century 
separating Komitas and audience members, the Ensemble's concert linked people 
from all over New York to the rich cultural legacy of Armenian music. 
The AGBU PAD has been proudly collaborating with the Gurdjieff Ensemble since 
2013 through AGBU's Musical Armenia Program (MAP), which connects students to 
the best Armenian musicians in Yerevan. Director Hayk Arsenyan was excited to 
present the Gurdjieff Ensemble because of its unique approach of interpreting 
Komitas' music. "The concert was programmed to showcase American music spanning 
thousands of years," Arsenyan noted,  "from the pre-Christian dances of Msho 
Shoror to the 10th century music of St. Gregory, and later the music of 
Gurdjieff and Komitas." 
Lusine Grigoryan, one of Armenia's most preeminent pianists, captivated the 
audience with her piano performance, which was showcased to mirror the 
Ensemble's performance of piano works. Musical Director Levon Eskenian 
explained that most of the original music of Gurdjieff was composed for the 
piano, thus the Ensemble was faced with the challenge of interpreting piano 
notes to an assortment of different instruments. Yet, it tackled this challenge 
with grace and spirit, using traditional Armenian instruments such as the tar, 
kamancha, duduk, zurna, oud, and kanon. Aramayis Nikoghosyan, oud player of the 
Ensemble, added his own spin by including the kshots, the flabellum used in the 
Armenian Divine Liturgy (Badarak), emphasizing the spiritual elements of 
Gurdjieff's traditions.
Not only were audience members taken through a voyage through time, they were 
also taken to various regions of the world. The program featured music from 
Karin, Mush, and other areas of Asia. 
Moments of haunting duduk notes were juxtaposed with vibrant percussion sounds 
of the tmbuk, taking the audience on an expedition through the vast extent of 
Armenian music. "There is a new language in classical music based on Armenian 
music and instruments," Eskenian remarked. 
The Gurdjieff Ensemble did indeed share this new language with audience 
members, as many musicians took turns using several different Armenian 
instruments in the span of one song. In total, 16 different instruments were 
used in their performance, illustrating the harmonious expertise of each 
musician.
Msho Shoror, the final work performed before the encore, was originally "an 
ancient piece from seven traditional dances that thousands danced to in the St. 
Garabed Monastery, which is no longer standing, explained Eskenian. The 
Monastery predates Christian times and later became an important pilgrimage 
site. "Though the monastery was destroyed, we still have the music."
Evidently, attendees left with a lingering connection to the music of the 10th 
century and the historic melodies preserved through the genius of the Gurdjieff 
Ensemble.
  
The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world's largest non-profit 
organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, 
cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a 
difference in the lives   of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the 
Armenian diaspora.  Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: 
to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more visit 
www.agbu.org.

                                        Wednesday, 
Pashinian Sees ‘New Impetus’ To Russian-Armenian Ties
Armenia -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Russian President 
Vladimir Putin meet in Yerevan, October 1, 2019.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian met twice with Russian President Vladimir Putin 
in Yerevan late on Tuesday for talks which he said will give a boost to 
Russian-Armenian relations.
The meetings followed a summit of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) 
held in the Armenian capital earlier in the day.
Putin emphasized the “strategic character” of Russia’s close relationship with 
Armenia and praised “positive results” of the summit in his opening remarks at 
the first meeting with Pashinian held in a Yerevan hotel. He pointed to the 
EEU’s trade agreements with other countries, notably Iran and Singapore.
“You are the one who made utmost efforts for such productive work,” he told 
Pashinian. “I therefore want to congratulate and thank you.”
The Armenian premier described the meeting as “brilliant.” “Our strategic 
relations are undergoing dynamic development,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
The two leaders met again at Yerevan’s Zvartnots airport before Putin flew back 
to Moscow at around midnight. In another Facebook post, Pashinian said on 
Wednesday that their “detailed conversation” there “will give new impetus to 
Russian-Armenian relations.” He gave no details of the talks.
Putin’s visit to Armenia, the first since the 2018 “Velvet Revolution” that 
brought Pashinian to power, was officially confirmed only at the end of last 
week. Some Armenian pro-opposition media outlets and commentators had 
speculated that he may cancel the trip or avoid bilateral meetings with 
Pashinian due to the Armenian authorities’ refusal to free Robert Kocharian, a 
former Armenian president facing corruption and coup charges.
Putin again heaped praise on Kocharian when he congratulated the latter on his 
65th birthday anniversary on August 31. He met with Kocharian’s wife Bella 
shortly before his departure from Yerevan.
In early September the Armenian Migration Service fueled more talk of friction 
between Moscow and Yerevan after granting asylum to a Russian anti-government 
activist who moved to Armenia after serving a four-year prison sentence in 
Russia.
The unprecedented move came almost one month after the Russian authorities 
refused to extradite Mihran Poghosian, a former senior Armenian official 
charged with corruption in Armenia. Moscow also refused late last year to 
extradite Mikael Harutiunian, a former Armenian defense minister wanted by the 
Armenian authorities on coup charges.
Putin Meets Kocharian’s Wife
        • Artak Khulian
Armenia -- Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting of the Supreme 
Eurasian Economic Council in Yerevan, October 1, 2019.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the wife of Robert Kocharian, his 
former Armenian counterpart arrested on controversial coup and corruption 
charges, late on Tuesday at the end of his latest visit to Armenia.
Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, and Kocharian’s spokesman, Victor 
Soghomonian, confirmed Armenian media reports about the meeting but gave no 
details. Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian service, Soghomonian shed no light on 
issues that were discussed by Putin and Bella Kocharian.
Putin reportedly spoke to her at the Russian Embassy in Yerevan right after 
holding talks with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on the sidelines of a 
Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) summit. The Russian president then headed to 
Yerevan’s Zvartnots international airport where held another meeting with 
Pashinian before returning to Moscow.
The Yerevan daily “Hraparak” quoted a spokesman for Pashinian as saying that 
the two leaders did not discuss Kocharian’s prosecution.
Putin has repeatedly signaled support for Kocharian ever since the latter was 
arrested and charged in connection with the 2008 post-election violence in 
Yerevan shortly after Pashinian came to power in last year’s “Velvet 
Revolution.” The Russian Foreign Ministry openly alleged political motives 
behind the criminal case in July 2018. Armenia’s government and law-enforcement 
authorities deny such motives.
Russia -- Armenian President Robert Kocharian (L) with Russian President 
Vladimir Putin meet in Sochi, 24Jan2007
Putin heaped praise on Kocharian when he congratulated the latter on his 65th 
birthday anniversary on August 31. He described the former Armenian president 
as a “true friend of Russia” who had strengthened Russian-Armenian relations 
and contributed to regional security.
Putin already made a pointing of telephoning Kocharian on his previous birthday 
anniversary. The phone call came shortly after the former Armenian president 
was released from custody.
Kocharian was again arrested in early December. He received New Year greetings 
from Putin two weeks later.
The ex-president, who ruled Armenia from 1998-2008, was also charged with 
bribery early this year. He denies all accusations leveled against him as 
politically motivated.
Kocharian was again released from jail five days after going on trial on May 
13. The Russian ambassador to Armenia, Sergey Kopyrkin, met with him on June 
13, prompting criticism from Pashinian’s political allies. Kopyrkin was 
summoned to the Armenian Foreign Ministry because of that.
Kocharian was arrested for a third time on June 25 after Armenia’s Court of 
Appeals overturned a lower court’s May 18 decision to free him pending the 
outcome of his trial.
Armenian officials maintain that Moscow’s gestures of support for Kocharian 
have not damaged Armenia’s close political, economic and military ties with 
Russia. The ex-president’s loyalists claim the opposite.
Tsarukian Refuses To Back Bid To Oust Constitutional Court Head
        • Gayane Saribekian
Armenia -- Gagik Tsarukian and other deputies from his Prosperous Armenia Party 
attend a parliament session in Yerevan, July 9, 2019.
Gagik Tsarukian said on Wednesday that his opposition Prosperous Armenia Party 
(BHK) will not join the ruling My Step bloc in trying to oust the embattled 
chairman of the country’s Constitutional Court, Hrayr Tovmasian.
Senior My Step lawmakers drafted last month a parliamentary resolution urging 
the eight other members of the court to replace Tovmasian. It denounces, among 
other things, Tovmasian’s handling of Robert Kocharian’s appeals against the 
legality of coup charges brought against the former Armenian president.
The Constitutional Court partly accepted one of those appeals on September 4. 
It declared unconstitutional an article of the Armenian Code of Procedural 
Justice used against Kocharian.
The non-binding resolution needs to be backed by at least 80 members of the 
132-seat National Assembly. My Step controls 88 parliament seats, making its 
passage all but a forgone conclusion.
The bloc led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has been trying to get the two 
other political groups represented in the parliament to also back it. One of 
them, the Bright Armenia Party (LHK), said late last month that its 18 deputies 
will vote for the measure.
Armenia -- Gagik Tsarukian talks to journalists, Yerevan, October 2, 2019.
Tsarukian said that he and the 25 other BHK deputies will not vote on the 
proposed measure because he believes that it is based on “very weak” legal 
grounds. He did not elaborate.
“It’s up to the Constitutional Court to decide [Tovmasian’s fate,]” Tsarukian 
told reporters. “Our parliamentary group has decided not to take part in that 
vote.”
Lilit Makunts, My Step’s parliamentary leader, criticized the BHK’s stance, 
saying that it is “incomprehensible.” She insisted that the ruling bloc has put 
forward “weighty” arguments in support of removing Tovmasian.
The 90-page resolution backed by the Armenian government accuses Tovmasian of 
committing serious procedural violations during the consideration of 
Kocharian’s appeal. It says the court chairman should not have dealt with the 
case also because of his personal ties to one of Kocharian’s lawyers and past 
membership in the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).
Pashinian attacked Tovmasian in July, saying that the latter was elected 
Constitutional Court chairman by the former parliament in March 2017 as a 
result of a dubious political deal cut with HHK leader and then President Serzh 
Sarkisian. Incidentally, BHK lawmakers voted against Tovmasian at the time.
Tovmasian will lose his post if at least six other Constitutional Court judges 
back the parliamentary resolution and vote against him.
Russia, Armenia Negotiating On New Gas Price
        • Ruzanna Stepanian
        • Artak Khulian
Russia -- A view shows a sign of a petrol station of Gazprom Neft company and 
the headquarters of the Russian natural gas producer Gazprom in Moscow, 
February 24, 2015
Russian and Armenian officials are holding negotiations over a new agreement on 
the price of Russian natural gas delivered to Armenia, Deputy Prime Minister 
Mher Grigorian said on Wednesday.
Russia’s Gazprom giant raised the gas price by 10 percent, to $165 per thousand 
cubic meters, following similar talks concluded in late December. The figure 
was set for this year, meaning that the two sides need to negotiate a new 
supply contract for 2020 and possibly the following years. Reports in the 
Armenian press have claimed that Gazprom is planning another, shaper price hike 
for Armenia.
Grigorian gave few details of the ongoing Russian-Armenian talks, saying only 
that they are being conducted “in a constructive format.” “Before the end of 
this year we will have a final idea about their outcome,” he said during the 
Armenian government’s question-and-answer session in the parliament.
Grigorian assured an opposition lawmaker that a possible price rise would not 
be immediately felt by Armenian consumers. “I am sure that we will not have a 
situation where we have to organize a discussion and declare in December that 
the gas tariff will go up starting from January 1,” he said.
“Whatever agreement is reached it will not be subject to implementation the 
next day, the next month or even three months later. I don’t think that the 
tariff will be revised upwards during the winter months,” added the deputy 
premier.
The issue was on the agenda of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s talks with 
Russian President Vladimir Putin held in Yerevan on Tuesday.
“They could not have bypassed the gas topic,” Pashinian’s spokesman, Vladimir 
Karapetian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “Naturally, it was discussed by the 
two leaders as a component of [Russian-Armenian] economic cooperation, but I 
think that the final, commercial decisions will be made by economic entities.”
Pashinian personally announced the increased wholesale price of Russian gas 
last December following a series of discussions with Putin. Despite that price 
increase the retail cost of gas supplied to Armenian households and corporate 
consumers has remained unchanged so far.
Press Review
“Aravot” says that Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in Tuesday’s 
Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) summit in Yerevan despite “ominous” predictions 
made by critics of the Armenian government. “Those who claimed the opposite and 
probably rejoiced at that prospect two or three weeks ago will certainly not 
say ‘Sorry, we were wrong,’” writes the paper. It says this is sad because 
political affiliations and positions must not be placed above Armenia’s 
international standing and national interests. The holding of the EEU summit in 
Armenia and Putin’s as well as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s participation 
in it are “positive facts for us,” it says.
Lragir.am says that Putin underlined “the strategic character of 
Russian-Armenian relations” at his meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian 
held on Tuesday. He said that those relations have been cemented by the 
“centuries-old history of contacts between our peoples.” Putin also thanked 
Pashinian for “good results” of the EEU summit. The publication says these 
statements disproved claims made by former Armenian officials and other critics 
of the current government in the run-up to the summit.
“Zhamanak” says that the existing situation in Armenia is profoundly at odds 
with what is happening in Russia and other EEU member states. “After the Velvet 
Revolution Armenia is really interested in the entrenchment of a democratic 
value system, anti-corruption policies and the formation of a legal governance 
system,” writes the paper. “On the other hand, other EEU member states have 
their own internal sociopolitical realities and systems based on 
totalitarianism, autocracy, corruption, and that is not a secret.”
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

                        Armenian News's Calendar of events
                        (All times local to events)
                =========================================
What:           Panel discussion "Armenia: Determined to Change"
                with Dr. Andranik Aslanyan, Foreign and Security Policy Advisor
                at the German Bundestag, CDU / CSU, Manfred Grund MdB (Member
                of the Bundestag); Dr. iur. Gurgen Petrossian, Chairman of the
                German-Armenian Lawyers Association and Research Associate at
                the Chair of Criminal and Criminal Trial Law, International
                Criminal Law and International Law at the
                Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg;
                Dr. Christoph Plo, MdB (Member of the Bundestag), CDU / CSU,
                Country Reporter Armenia of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group
                in the European Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag;
                Moderator: Dr. Raffi Kantian, Chairman of the German-Armenian
                Society
When:           Oct 11 2019 7pm
Where:          Haus der Geschichte Baden-Wuerttemberg,
                Konrad-Adenauer-Strasse 16, 70173 Stuttgart, Germany
Misc:           Armenia's relations with German and European institutions have
                received another important impulse with the signing of CEPA,
                for the implementation of which the "Velvet Revolution" has
                created very good conditions. The panel discussion will use
                selected examples to explore the reform process in Armenia in
                cooperation with German and European institutions.
Online Contact: [email protected]
Web:            
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