Category: 2019

Armenian Nuclear Power Plant can smoothly operate until 2026, says Russian expert

 12:26,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant’s reactor system can smoothly operate until 2026, according to Vladimir Bredov – the head of the Russian side of the plant’s lifecycle extension project.

Bredov was commenting on the Armenian NPP’s re-connection to the country’s energy system after the NPP’s planned maintenance works.

According to him the conclusion of the expert group was reached as a result of operation supervision and necessary engineering calculations.

Simultaneously with the reactor system nearly 5000 units of equipment were analyzed – which were either given approval for operations until 2026 or recommended to be replaced.

Nearly 5000 units of equipment were analyzed simultaneously with the reactor system.

“Today, the automated block’s equipment are entirely changes, which has allowed to increase energy generation up to 15% with the same expenses. Works continue, and we can say that as a result of the project Armenia will have a nuclear power plant equipped with modern equipment and in line with global safety standards. This all will become possible as a result of the harmonious work and professionalism of the Armenian and Russian nuclear experts,” Bredov said.

In turn, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Hakob Vardanyan said that after the planned-preventive repair, thanks to the professional work of Armenian and Russian experts, the NPP was connected to the country’s energy system 60 hours in advance from the schedule.

“The Armenian NPP is a strategically-significant facility for Armenia with more than 1/3 of Armenia’s electricity energy being produced here. Providing the population with electric energy under acceptable tariffs is a energy and economic security issue for us,” Vardanyan said.

The Metsamor NPP was re-connected to the country’s energy system on September 8, 2019.

 Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Parliament supply staffer arrested for faking commemorative medals

 12:36,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. An official in charge of supplying the Parliament of Armenia staff with gold-plated silver commemorative medals for awarding occasions has been arrested in suspicion of embezzlement.

The Investigative Committee said the Head of the Administrative Supply Department of the National Assembly Staff is in custody for supplying fake medals. Authorities said they were investigating a report on the alleged misconduct since June 24 after being tipped off by another staffer.

According to preliminary information staffers at the parliament have violated the law on procurement from 2015 to 2017.

All medals at the parliament’s warehouse have been confiscated and the apartments of employees of the parliament’s staff have been searched.

The arrested staffer has caused nearly 10,000,000 drams in damages by his actions, according to authorities.

The suspect collaborated with one of his acquaintances who happens to be a jeweler, and awarded him the official tender to supply the commemorative coins (278 units of the Commemorative Medal of the National Assembly President and 75 units of the National Assembly Medal of Honor). The jeweler was paid more than 12 million drams. However, the latter supplied the parliament’s staff with fake medals with each having the cost of around 4000 drams and being made from copper and zinc.

A lab test confirmed that the medals are gold-plated cheap fakes.

The Head of the Administrative Supply Department has been arrested on September 19 on charges of abuse of power and embezzlement.

 Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

President of Artsakh receives chair of Armenian Athletic Federation

 12:43,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan on September 19 received president of the Armenian Athletic Federation Robert Emmiyan and prominent opera tenor Vahram Tadevosyan, the President’s Office told Armenpress.

Issues related to the development of sports, culture and upbringing of the younger generation in the republic were on the discussion agenda.

Artsakh Republic minister of education, science and sports Narine Aghabalyan, minister of culture, youth affairs and tourism Lernik Hovhannisyan, chairman of the Artsakh Republic Athletics Federation Arthur Tovmasyan attended the meeting.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenian Ambassador meets with Georgian Speaker of Parliament

 12:46,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Ambassador to Georgia Ruben Sadoyan on September 18 met with Speaker of Parliament Archil Talakvadze, the Armenian MFA told Armenpress.

The parties touched upon bilateral relations and discussed inter-Parliamentary cooperation agenda, stressing the scheduled visit of Armenia-Georgia Friendship Group. In this context, the parties underlined importance of the exchange visits and Friendship Group ties.

They also discussed the expected official visit of the Georgian Speaker of Parliament to Armenia.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Strategic military drills in unprecedented scale to be held in Armenia

 13:38,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government today adopted a decision on holding military mobilization readiness trainings from September 24 to October 5, 2019.

During today’s session Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan said the goal of these strategic military exercises is to determine the preparedness and capacities of state and regional administration bodies, local self-government bodies and organizations.

These trainings are of strategic military drills nature.

The trainings will enable to assess the military mobilization opportunities of the military security system, reveal problematic issues of military mobilization readiness, as well as to develop mechanisms to raise the efficiency of military mobilization readiness and mobilization.

The minister said military drills with such a scale have not been held in Armenia. “But the most important is that these drills are within the domain of our international duties, in terms of numbers and measures to be used”, he said.

In his turn Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said a large-scale event is being prepared. “During those days our citizens will see and notice that processes are taking place, and I hope that those people who have a duty by law should be involved as well. Certain recruitment processes will take place. I call on our citizens to actively take part in this process. This aims at raising the combat readiness level of our Armed Forces. This is an unprecedented event”, the PM said, adding that there should a proper attitude and reaction to these events.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

EAEU states feel the positive effect of integration – Russian Federation Council Speaker 

 13:46,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have felt the positive impact of the integration, Speaker of the Russian Federation Council (lower house) Valentina Matviyenko said in her address to the participants of the international conference titled “Five Years of the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty: The Role of the Court”, reports RIA Novosti.

“Today we can record that during the past years the Eurasian Economic Union has been developed as an international integration union. All member states of the EAEU have felt the positive effect of integration, their partnership has been expanded in the financial-banking sector, transportation, industry and medicine”, Matviyenko said in her address.

The conference is being held in Minsk from September 19 to 20 and is attended by more than 200 participants.

The EAEU Treaty was signed on May 29, 2014 in Kazakhstan’s capital and entered into force on January 1, 2015.

The member states of the Union are Armenia, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

My Step faction submits draft to suspend Constitutional Court President’s power to Speaker Mirzoyan

 14:21,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The ruling My Step faction of the Armenian Parliament has submitted the draft decision to apply to the Constitutional Court to suspend the powers of President (member) of the Court Hrayr Tovmasyan.

MP Suren Grigoryan has been appointed as the main reporter on the current matter.

The My Step faction asks to put the draft into circulation in the prescribed manner.

The draft states that there are grounds of impossibility of Hrayr Tovmasyan’s participation to the proceedings of 2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan’s appeal.

In his turn Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan informed on Facebook that he has submitted the aforementioned draft decision to the parliamentary standing committee on state-legal affairs for conclusion.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

For the first time Dubai Burj Khalifa will light up in colours of Armenian national flag on Sep. 21

 14:48,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. On September 21, at 21:10 for the first time Dubai Burj Khalifa will light up in the colours of the Armenian national flag on the occasion of Independence Day of Armenia, the Armenian Embassy to the United Arab Emirates said on Facebook.

The Burj Khalifa, known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration in 2010, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 829.8 m and a roof height of 828 m, the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest structure and building in the world since its topping out in 2009. 

On September 21 the third Republic of Armenia will celebrate the 28th anniversary of independence.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

New postage stamp dedicated to theme “Religion. The Pontifical Residence” put into circulation

 14:52,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. On September 18th, 2019, one postage stamp dedicated to the theme “Religion. The Pontifical Residence” has been cancelled and put into circulation by HayPost CJSC in the premises of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, HayPost CJSC told Armenpress.

The postage stamp with nominal value of 220 AMD is printed in “Cartor” printing house in France with a print-run of 60 000 pcs. The author of the stamp’s design is the designer Gevorg Poghosyan.

The postage stamp depicts the Pontifical Residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians. The background of the postage stamp presents the Holy Etchmiadzin Cathedral and the right and left parts of the postage stamp depict the Pontifical symbols.

The postage stamp was cancelled by the Minister of High-Technological Industry of the Republic of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan, Operations Director of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin His Grace Bishop Mushegh Babayan, Chief Executive Officer of HayPost CJSC Haik Avagyan.

The official cancellation ceremony was held in the presence of the President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sargsyan, Prime Minister Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

The Pontifical Residence (1910-1914) is the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians. It houses the Throne room and the Conference Hall, the private study of the Catholicos and the vestibule, the Manuscript Depository of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the treasury-museum, the Catholicosate library and the apartment of the Catholicos. The new two-storied building of the Pontifical Residence was built through the donation of the great national philanthropist Alexander Mantashyan in 1914 by the project of architect Poghos Zohrabyan.