Tuesday,
Armenia ‘Respects’ Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic Aspirations
Georgia -- Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia (R) and his Armenian
counterpart Nikol Pashinian meet in Tbilisi, March 3, 2020.
Armenia respects Georgia’s desire to join NATO and the European Union and
believes that it must not hamper closer ties between the two neighboring
nations, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said during an official visit to Tbilisi
on Tuesday.
“We respect Georgia’s aspirations to integrate into the Euro-Atlantic area,”
Pashinian told his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Gakharia at the start of their
talks.
“It has happened so that our countries have different ideas about security
systems, but I believe we have a common idea about security,” he went on.
“Armenia cannot be a security threat to Georgia, and Georgia cannot be a
security threat to Armenia.”
Armenia is a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) and Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Pashinian has repeatedly pledged to
keep his country anchored to Russia politically, militarily and economically
since he swept to power in 2018.
Echoing statements by former Armenian leaders, Pashinian insisted in Tbilisi
that Armenia’s membership in the EEU and Georgia’s Association Agreement with
the EU create “new opportunities” for expanding bilateral trade.
Georgian-Armenian relations can also be cemented by the two countries’
“commitment to democratic values,” he said.
Gakharia similarly stressed the importance of “democratic development” in the
region when he spoke after the talks.
“Our countries have a millennia-old history of friendly relations and we must
work hard every day to make our cooperation even more productive,” the Georgian
prime minister told a joint news briefing. He too downplayed Tbilisi’s and
Yerevan’s “different foreign policy directions.”
“There is no doubt that Armenian-Georgian partnership is one of the most
important guarantees of stability in our region,” Pashinian said for his part.
Neither leader announced specific agreements reached as a result of their
negotiations. According to an Armenian government statement, they discussed ways
of expanding bilateral trade as well as “promising projects on transport, energy
and other areas.”
Yerevan Rules Out Turkish Role In Karabakh Settlement
Azerbaijan -- Azeri President Ilham Aliyev receives prayer beads from his
Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in Baku, February 25, 2020
Armenia again ruled out Turkey’s involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiating
process on Tuesday after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met with
international mediators trying to broker an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal.
The U.S., Russian and French mediators co-heading the OSCE Minsk Group held the
rare meeting with Turkey’s top diplomat in Ankara on Monday.
According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Cavusoglu told them that they should
do more to resolve the Karabakh conflict. He said the conflict’s resolution
“should be in full respect of the sovereignty, the territorial integrity and the
internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan,” reported the ministry.
Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian responded scathingly to Cavusoglu
later on Monday, tweeting a quote from the Gospel of Luke: “Physician, heal
thyself!”
“With its unfriendly policy towards Armenia and the Armenian people, which in
the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict also takes the form of unilateral
military support for Azerbaijan, Turkey cannot play any role in the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Anna
Naghdalian, said the following day.
Successive Turkish governments have lent full and unconditional support to
Azerbaijan in the Karabakh conflict. They have also made the normalization of
Turkish-Armenian relations conditional on a Karabakh settlement acceptable to
Baku. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed this policy when he
visited Baku late last month.
No New Coronavirus Cases Reported In Armenia Yet
• Susan Badalian
Armenia -- Newly arrived pasengers from Italy at Zvartnots airport, Yerevan,
March 3, 2020.
An Armenian man who returned from Iran late last week remains the sole person
diagnosed with coronavirus in Armenia so far, Health Minister Arsen Torosian
said on Tuesday.
Torosian also said that the 29-year-old man hospitalized at the weekend does not
have a fever and is not displaying other disease symptoms.
The 31 other individuals, who are kept in quarantine at a disused luxury hotel
in the resort town of Tsaghkadzor, are also “feeling well,” he told RFE/RL’s
Armenian service.
“They will stay in Tsaghkadzor for 12 more days,” he said. “They will undergo
two coronavirus tests. If they test negative we will send them home.”
The quarantined individuals were in physical contact with the infected man,
according to health authorities. They include an ambulance crew that transported
him to a Yerevan hospital and some passengers of a plane that evacuated Armenian
nationals from Iran last Friday.
In Torosian’s words, a total of 134 people in Armenia have tested negative for
the virus in recent days.
The minister reported later in the day that he telephoned his Iranian
counterpart Saeed Namaki to discuss the continuing spread of the virus in Iran,
which infected 1,500 people and killed at least 66 of them as of Monday. He said
Namaki assured him that Iranian authorities have “sufficient medical capacities”
to cope with the grave outbreak.
Iran -- A woman has her temperature checked and her hands disinfected as she
enters the Palladium Shopping Center in Tehran, March 3, 2020
The two ministers spoke as the Armenian government began enforcing its ban on
virtually all types of cargo traffic through the Armenian-Iranian border. The
government closed the border for individual travellers and suspended
Yerevan-Tehran flights last week.
On Monday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian urged Armenians to avoid nonessential
travel to another coronavirus-hit country, Italy. But he made clear that the
government has no plans yet to halt flights from Yerevan to Milan and Rome.
The Irish budget airline Ryanair carried out the latest Milan-Yerevan flight on
Tuesday, bringing 69 people to Armenia. All of them were briefly inspected at
Yerevan’s Zvartnots international airport by medics deployed by the Armenian
Ministry of Health.
One of those passengers was taken to hospital after complaining of respiratory
problems experienced by him on Monday. A sanitary inspector at Zvartnots, Hayk
Kirakosian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that the passenger will be examined
“in laboratory conditions.”
Most of the other passengers of the Milan-Yerevan flight wore medical masks as
they walked out of the airport. “There are more masked people here than there
[in Italy,]” said one of them. “We just put them on to make sure we don’t bring
the virus here. But we have fully been checked.”
Former Defense Chief Risks Fresh Charges
• Nane Sahakian
Armenia -- Former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian speaks to reporters, Yerevan,
March 3, 2020.
Former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian could be indicted in an ongoing criminal
investigation into a 2010 privatization deal which Armenian law-enforcement
autorities say cost the state millions of dollars in losses.
DzoraHEK, a medium-sized hydroelectric plant located in Armenia’s northen Lori
province, was sold by former President Serzh Sarkisian’s government to a private
company for 3.6 billion drams ($7.5 million).
Citing a police inquiry, Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General claimed in
May last year that the sell-off price was set well below DzoraHEK’s market value
estimated by a government agency at around 8 billion drams ($16.8 million). It
said it has assigned another law-enforcement body, the Special Investigative
Service (SIS), to investigate the “substantial damage” caused to on the state.
The SIS announced late on Monday that it now considers Ohanian a suspect in the
case because the hydroelectric plant belonged to the Armenian Defense Ministry
prior to its privatization. It said that the deal was proposed by the ministry.
Ohanian, who served as defense minister from 2008-2016, categorically denied
this on Tuesday. He insisted that it was the now defunct Energy Ministry that
negotiated with the buyer and proposed the terms of the deal to the government.
“The privatization process was mainly carried out by the Energy Ministry,”
Ohanian told reporters.
The plant was handed over to the Defense Ministry in 2001 one year after Serzh
Sarkisian was appointed as defense minister. He held that post until 2007.
Some media outlets suggested in 2010 that the plant’s new owner, an
offshore-registered firm called Dzoraget Hydro, is controlled by Miakel
Minasian, Sarkisian’s son-in-law. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian appeared to
link Minasian to the the Soviet-era facility in September. Minasian has not yet
commented on that.
In 2016, the plant was sold to another company, Energo Invest Holding, which is
reportedly owned by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian.
Ohanian is already standing trial, along with former President Robert Kocharian
and two other former officials, on coup charges stemming from the 2008
post-election violence in Yerevan. All four defendants deny the accusations.
Only Kocharian is held in detention.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
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ArmInfo. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sent a congratulatory message to his colleague from Bulgaria Boyko Borisov on the occasion of the country’s national holiday – Liberation Day from the Ottoman yoke.
As the RA Prime Minister’s press service told ArmInfo, Pashinyan congratulating Bulgaria and the friendly Bulgarian people on the national holiday, noted with satisfaction that the Armenian-Bulgarian friendly relations have been developing and strengthening, including after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“I am convinced that we will be able to make our cooperation more comprehensive and substantive, enriching it with new projects in essence,” said the Prime Minister of Armenia.
The congratulatory message on the occasion of the national holiday of Bulgaria was also sent by the President of Armenia Armen Sargsyan to his Bulgarian counterpart Rumen Radev.
“Armenia attaches great importance to traditional bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Bulgaria and is ready to further strengthen the Armenian-Bulgarian relations. For this we have the most important thing – the common value system and friendship of our peoples. I wish you health and success, and the people of Bulgaria peace and prosperity” , the message says.
ArmInfo. Citizens of Armenia in need of scarce medicines will be able to receive them from abroad by postal order. Amendments to the Law “On Medicines” were discussed at the plenary session of the RA National Assembly on March 3 in the first reading.
According to the author of the presented document, the deputy of the National Assembly Sisak Gabrielyan, according to the current regulations, individuals have the right to import drugs for personal use into the republic. It is allowed, in particular, to import drugs in 10 names in three boxes. However, this right does not apply to postal orders. And often the drugs received by mail that are necessary for an individual are destroyed by employees of the State Revenue Committee. Now it is proposed to allow monthly mail transfers of drugs for three items in three boxes. Thus, the total number of drugs should not exceed three boxes. But if there is a doctor’s conclusion about the need for large volumes of drugs for the patient, this maximum can be increased. In turn, the State Revenue Committee will keep statistics of incoming funds in order to exclude corruption and maintain the volumes approved by law. The order of receipt of drugs by mail will be determined by the RA government.
The vote on the bill is expected to take place on March 4.
ArmInfo. PAP head Gagik Tsarukyan criticized the government’s decision to quarantine people suspected of coronavirus in the resort of Tsaghkadzor, at the Golden Palace Hotel.
The head of the PAP emphasized that this fact is extremely negative. “People are happy to visit the ski resort in Tsaghkadzor, many already buy tickets and book hotel rooms, but as soon as people were brought to Tsakhkadzor for quarantine in connection with the case of coronavirus, the situation changed. Many canceled the reservation for hotel rooms, and those who was there, hastened to leave. Now there is nobody there, “the MP emphasized.
Nevertheless, we note that Tsarukyan , who is one of the richest people in Armenia, has a large Multi Rest House hotel complex in Tsaghkadzor. According to inaccurate data, he intends to participate in the tender for the purchase of Golden Palace, which went to the balance of the state as a result of a criminal case against its owner, the former head of the Customs Service of Armenia Armen Avetisyan, who was accused of corruption crimes.
It should be noted that at the moment in Armenia one case of coronavirus has been detected, and the patient came to the country from Iran. Doctors assess his health condition as normal. All who in one way or another had contact with the patient were isolated at the Golden Palace Hotel. On Sunday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his family went on vacation to Tsaghkadzor to demonstrate the complete safety of the resort. Prior to this, he stated that people who were quarantined would conduct it in decent and comfortable conditions. To date, none of them have revealed symptoms of coronavirus.
ArmInfo.Without Yerevan’s consent, Ankara’s desire to be actively involved in the Karabakh settlement process will remain at the desire level. The MP from the Prosperous Armenia faction Arman Abovyan stated this from the rostrum of the parliament.
Yesterday, after meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu touched upon the Karabakh conflict on his Twitter microblog page and made his advice on resolving the conflict. The Armenian Foreign Ministry has already responded to this record, noting that as long as Turkey takes a pro-Azerbaijani position, there can be no talk of its active involvement in the Karabakh settlement process.
“Turkish President Recep Erdogan has been constantly making anti-Armenian statements lately, and it is obvious that Ankara is doing everything possible to be involved in the Karabakh settlement process. But without Yerevan’s consent, Ankara’s desire to integrate into the process will remain at the desire level. But we need to calculate the possible steps of Turkey. Since, taking into account the situation in the region, I do not exclude that Ankara will try to take certain steps in the direction of Artsakh, “Abovyan concluded.
As ArmInfo previously reported, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Popov (Russian Federation), Stefan Visconti (France), Andrew Schaefer (USA) and the personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk paid a visit to Turkey. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met with the co-chairs and Andrzej Kasprzyk. Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a meeting with mediators that the OSCE Minsk Group should act more actively to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Minister noted that the conflict should be resolved on the basis of sovereignty and within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan reacting to a message about a meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in particular, quoted the chapter from the New Testament. “Mevlut Cavusoglu’s advise to OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on Nagorno Karabakh conflict invites reflection on Luke 4:23 – “Physician, heal thyself”.
World and European weightlifting champion Nazik Avdalyan shared on fakebook her photos of her painting.
“At the workshop of a good friend of mine, painter Tigran Matulyan,” Avdalyan wrote along with a photo in front of a canvas.
The Speaker of Armenia’s National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan received on Tuesday the delegation led by the General Director of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe (CoE) Christos Giakoumopoulos, press department at the parliament reported.
During the meeting Speaker Mirzoyan has noted that after their previous meeting Armenia has implemented serious reforms in a number of directions: that process goes on, particularly today the National Assembly has been discussing a huge package of judiciary reforms, and these reforms will again become essential steps for the corruption prevention and recuperation and independence of the judicial system.
Christos Giakoumopoulos has been interested in the ongoing processes over the Constitutional Court and the expecting referendum in the near future, noting that in the Council of Europe they understand that this is very important for the people of Armenia, and they will be glad to support them.
As the source said, Ararat Mirzoyan explained in detail the situation and has stressed that to his deep conviction, this referendum and, in general, the solution of this issue will be a very serious step on the way of the further democratization of Armenia. The President of the RA National Assembly has underlined that there cannot be full democracy if the branches of power don’t restrain each other, as well as the judicial power cannot be part of democratic system and restrain the other branches, if it is not independent.
The representatives of the 47 member States of the Council of Europe will meet between 3 to 5 March 2020 to examine the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, in accordance with the supervisory role of the Committee of Ministers under Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
As the official website of the organization said in a released statement, two of the cases proposed for detailed examination concern Armenia. The cases in question are Chiragov and others v. Armenia and Virabyan vs. Armenia.
Chiragov and others v. Armenia case is related to the rights to property to Azeri nationals in Nagorno Karabakh. The Grand Chamber issued judgment in 2015 and ruled that Armenia had violated ECHR articles on protection of property and right to respect for private and family life. The judgement came on same day as for the case Sargsyan v. Azerbaijan.
Minas Sargsyan, from the village of Gulistan in Shahumyan region, was forced to flee his home with his family after the Azerbaijani bombardment. The Sargsyan family demanded compensation for their property losses. The court unanimously held that in Sargsyan case Azerbaijan had to pay the applicant 5,000 euros in respect of pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and 30,000 euros in respect of costs and expenses.