Category: 2019

The political supporter of RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, businessman Khachatur Sukiasyan does not think that the current authorities have targeted the companies of the big businessman, PAP chairman Gagik Tsarukyan.

“I don’t think so Gagik Tsarukyan the companies are targeted”, said Khachatur Sukiasyan, head of “Sil” concern, well-known businessman, in a conversation with journalists in Gyumri on September 21, referring to the fact that inspections are underway in the companies of the PAP leader, and the general director of “Multi Group”. Sedrak Arustamyan charged with “North-South” and money laundering cases.

Khachatur Sukiasyan, who is also Gagik Tsarukyan’s brother-in-law, believes that it is about strengthening the legal state.

“I think that if we want to become a legal state, it doesn’t matter if it is Gagik Tsarukyan’s company or Khachatur Sukiasyan’s or a third party’s, we have to go that way. I don’t see that they are targeted. Of course, everyone’s organizations in Armenia should be equal, and any state body should have the right to check any organization and understand whether that organization has fulfilled its obligations towards the state or not,” he is confident.

And here, in his opinion, it does not matter whose organization or business structure we are talking about. “And with that, we can say that we have a legal state,” emphasized Sukiasyan.

During the preliminary investigation of the criminal case on the cases of apparent abuses committed during the development and implementation of the “North-South Road Corridor” project in the main department of the RA Investigative Committee’s investigation, he actually managed the activities of “Stones” SP company. Sedrak Arustamyan (he too Gagik Tsarukyan is the head of the “Multi Group” concern) was also charged with committing a criminal act provided for by Article 190, Part 3, Clause 1 of the RA Criminal Code, that is, for legalizing particularly large amounts of property obtained through criminal means (money laundering).

On September 18, 2019, Sedrakyan was charged under Article 38-189, Part 3, and Article 38-205, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code.

According to the criminal case, it is about 2.7 billion drams. Petitions were submitted to the court by Sedrak Arustamyan, who actually managed the activities of “Stones” SP company. Suren Avagyan, Gurgen Sargsyan about choosing detention as a preventive measure. As of today, 15 persons have the status of accused in the criminal case.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s working visit to the United States of America has begun. The working visit started with the planned agenda in the city of Los Angeles.

On September 22, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with the members of the Central Board of the Social-Democratic Hnchakyan Party of the West Coast of America, the chairman of the Central Board of the SDHAP. Hambik Sarafyan led by

Welcoming the representatives of the SDP leadership, Prime Minister Pashinyan noted. “Dear Mr. Sarafyan, dear colleagues, I am glad to meet with you here today and also to discuss the issues of our current agenda. Of course, this visit, no matter how much we try to make it practical, turns out to be more emotional than practical. At least it is not bad, because it creates a better background for discussing many issues of the agenda related to our country and people in a much better atmosphere. I am very happy, I welcome you, and I hope that our contacts and discussions will be the same in the future.”

Hambik Sarafyan, the chairman of the Central Board of the SDAP, on behalf of the Central Board of the SDAP, welcomed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and noted that the SDAP welcomes and supports the reforms taking place in Armenia.

“Dear Mr. Prime Minister, SDHAP expresses its support to you and the Armenian government in the process of democratic, economic and legal changes implemented in the homeland. We are ready to support you and we are sure that under your leadership we will be able to successfully continue the progress of mother Armenia”, said the chairman of the central board of the SDAP.

At the meeting, the changes implemented in Armenia, the strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora ties, the involvement of the Diaspora in the reforms implemented in our country, combining efforts to ensure Armenia’s economic progress and other issues were discussed.

Referring to the trends of economic development of Armenia, the Prime Minister of Armenia noted that the indicators of economic growth are becoming more and more optimistic in different directions every month, there is a good dynamic, the reaction of the international community also contributes to this process. “At this stage, I emphasize building the right atmosphere of communication with the Diaspora, I mean that there should not be any feeling of alienation, isolation in the Diaspora, the Diaspora should be fully involved in the process of Armenia’s progress. For this purpose, during my visits abroad, I have meetings with the widest possible circles of Armenian communities in the Diaspora. I think it’s time to consolidate our national potential around Armenia,” said Nikol Pashinyan.

On the same day, Nikol Pashinyan met in Los Angeles with the leadership of the Armenian Democratic Liberal (Ramkavar) Party of the West Coast of America, the chairman of the party, Dr. Raffi Balyan led by

Welcoming the representatives of the leadership of the Ramkavar Liberal Party on the West Coast of America, the Prime Minister of Armenia noted. “Dear colleagues, dear Mr. Balya, I am very happy for today’s meeting. This is a very good opportunity to meet and discuss in Los Angeles. Of course, today we will have several opportunities to meet and discuss. We highly appreciate the role of your organization in general Armenian preservation, in the Republic of Armenia, outside its territory.

We also make this emphasis during the meeting with our other partners. One of the most important tasks of our government is to not only preserve and develop the positive background that exists between the Armenian government and the Diaspora, but also to make it permanent and a tradition for all Armenian governments. In our situation today, our task is to generate, double, triple the success and turn it into a national, nationwide result. That is why it is very important to build the right atmosphere in relations with the Diaspora, to create the right working mechanisms, and, most importantly, to make the entire Diaspora feel like a full beneficiary of the Republic of Armenia. This is our problem, which we hope to solve with the participation of you and our other structures and parties in the Diaspora.”

Raffi Balyan, chairman of the Armenian Democratic Liberal (Ramkavar) Party of the West Coast of America, welcomed the Prime Minister of Armenia, noting: “Dear Mr. Prime Minister, on behalf of the leadership of the West American region of the Ramkavar Liberal Party, we would like to welcome you to the city of Los Angeles and congratulate you on the 28th anniversary of Independence Day. Մենք շնորհակալ ենք այս առիթի համար։ Our party, which is a hundred-year-old traditional Armenian party, carries out its activities in the territory of Western America, especially in the cities of Fresno and Los Angeles. We continue that patriotic activity even today, and we are always ready for the motherland.” The members of the leadership of the party stated that they support the Prime Minister of Armenia and support the large-scale reforms implemented by the government, which are aimed at the progress and prosperity of Armenia.

Issues related to the strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora relations, the development of Armenia, and the full involvement of the Diaspora in the ongoing processes were discussed at the meeting.

Mr. Vanetsyan spoke about the officer’s honor in his statement. The fact that he, being the de jure director of the National Security Service, makes a statement against his supreme commander, there is no greater dishonor to the officer’s honor than that. RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced this during a press conference in Los Angeles, referring to Artur Vanetsyan’s resignation, the latter’s statement and the removal of that statement from the official website of the NSS.

“It’s a lot… by the way, I didn’t even know that that statement… I found out later that it was posted on the website of the NSS. And then, even after the signing of the decree, questions arise… Would an officer do such a thing? You know what that is? It means throwing the shoulder straps in the trash, because the putschists of 1991 did such a thing last time. RA is not the country where such a thing can happen. it’s an insult to the military. And I am very happy that the public of Armenia has given its assessment to this phenomenon very clearly,” he said.

To remind, Artur Vanetsyan submitted his resignation to RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on September 16.

RA Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan received the delegation led by Major General Oleg Belokonev, First Deputy Minister of Defense of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus, who is on an official visit to Armenia.

During the meeting, the parties expressed their satisfaction with the progress of Armenian-Belarusian bilateral cooperation, exchanged ideas on the current situation and prospects of cooperation in the field of defense, as well as issues related to regional and international security.