Category: 2020

 10:49,

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS. As Armenian businesses reopen following the long coronavirus-induced shutdown, finance and business leaders (F&BLs) are coming to terms with a new business environment of lower anticipated revenues and reconfigured workplaces. Yet, companies still face a sceptical workforce who continue to be worried about returning to the workplace safely, the ministry of economy of Armenia told Armenpress.

According to COVID-19 joint study by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia and PwC Armenia, most F&BLs (80%) across all territories expect a decrease in revenues and profits. Even in countries with a more optimistic outlook, F&BLs take it as a given that the economic impact of the COVID-19 will reduce revenues and profits, with F&BLs in Armenia (60%), Switzerland (80%), Denmark (73%) and Germany (66%) all reporting that they expect to see a decrease.

“COVID-19 Joint Study was prepared only for the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia and exclusively for tracking intentions and priorities of Armenia’s financial leaders on COVID-19 outbreak with the agreed terms of the Ministry of Economy”, said Avag Avanesyan, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia.

The survey findings suggest that the urgency to reduce expenditures and cut costs is still relevant. Of those F&BLs across all territories who say they are planning cost containment measures, capex investments are the most likely to be deferred or cancelled, led by F&BLs in Mexico (97%) and Armenia (75%). Middle East F&BLs indicate they are more likely to consider layoffs, in line with the fact that they are more likely (70%) to cite workforce investments being cancelled or deferred. In Armenia, this percentage is 38%. Capex is also the top choice to be deferred or cancelled across industries, led by industrial manufacturing and automotive F&BLs at 93%.

Other bright spots include the confidence of businesses in their ability to protect their workers. In fact, nearly two-thirds (64%) of survey respondents are “very confident” their company can help create a safe workplace environment for employees and reconfigure work sites to promote physical distancing (55%). In Armenia, these measures were mentioned by 70% and 20% of respondents, respectively.

“Given the unprecedented nature of this global pandemic, it is clear that workers are very worried about being able to stay healthy and safe as they are asked to return to their offices and worksites,” said Inga Shakhnazarova, PwC’s Armenia Clients and Markets Leader. “The most important thing business leaders can do to address their employees’ worries is to communicate frequently and transparently about how they are working behind the scenes to keep them safe, healthy and employed.”

Significantly, relatively few global F&BLs (18%) say they plan to defer or cancel investments related to digital transformation. At the industry level, this ranged from 24% of energy, utilities and resources F&BLs to just 11% technology, media and telecommunications F&BLs. This overall reluctance is unsurprising, given that digital transformation stands to play a large and critical role in the latter stages of the mobilize-stabilize-strategize continuum of crisis response—especially as organizations accelerate automation or other new ways of working on-site, consider contact-tracing technologies to ensure workplace safety and look to create more integrated and tech-enabled supply chains.

PwC has created Check-In with Automatic Contact Tracing — a tool that allows companies to help quickly identify and alert employees who may have come into contact with a co-worker at the workplace who has tested positive for COVID-19.

“As more companies reopen, F&BLs are coming to terms with a new reality and managing their expectations accordingly,” said Alexey Rusanov, PwC’s Armenia Managing Director. “We are seeing many leaders begin to pull back from drastic cost containment measures as they figure out how to operationalize their businesses in a new environment that must take into consideration the calculated risks of operating during this crisis.”

Limitations in analyzing the Armenian FB&L responses: The methodology applied in the current survey prescribes that a certain number of respondents should provide their answers from each territory (generally, at least 30). Since the number of responses from Armenia was lower than 30, we present the information of Armenian FB&L as indications and sentiments and not as a statistically reliable data. The users of this report should acknowledge that if the number of respondents had been higher, other results could have been received. You can view all findings and insights by visiting: https://www.pwc.com/am/en/publications/pwc-covid-19-cfo-pulse-survey.html.

Global results from the COVID-19 joint study by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia and PwC Armenia capture the views of 870 CFOs in more than 24 countries and territories.

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 10:11,

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS. Overnight July 22-23, as well as this moment, the situation is relatively calm on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Armenian defense minister’s spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said on Facebook.

“The Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime 6 times from firearms at different parts of the border, firing around 43 shots at the Armenian combat positions. The shots were fired at the Armenian positions located in the direction of Chinari, Movses, Nerkin Karmiraghbyur and Zangakatun communities”, she said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:07,

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS. 469 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been registered in Armenia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 36,162, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said today.

478 more patients have recovered. The total number of recoveries has reached 25,244.

10 people have died in one day, raising the death toll to 688.

The number of active cases stands at 10,013.

The number of people who had a coronavirus but died from other disease stands at 217.

So far, 151,879 people have passed COVID-19 testing.

Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:12,

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on the national day – the Revolution Day, the Armenian President’s Office told Armenpress.

President Sarkissian said the firm friendship between the Armenian and Egyptian peoples, which has been formed based on close historical-cultural contacts and cooperation, has started from the early past and has always been distinguished with viability. “I praise the fact that the inter-state relations of today are just the direct reflection of this. I believe that with joint efforts we will manage to record new achievements in all aspects and consistently use the entire potential”, the Armenian President said in his letter.

The Armenian President wished his Egyptian counterpart good health and success, and to the good people of Egypt – lasting peace and welfare.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:14,

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS. 4 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been detected in the Republic of Artsakh, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 187, the ministry of healthcare said today.

The total number of recoveries stands at 144.

The number of active cases is 43.

Currently 76 people are quarantined.

No death cases have been registered in the Republic.

So far, 4216 COVID-19 tests have been conducted.

Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:53,

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS. In the past days Armenia has shown a responsible and reliable behavior to the international community, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting, adding that Armenia remained committed to the three ceasefire agreements which were subsequently violated by Azerbaijan, causing new losses to its armed forces every time.

“We didn’t make threats to Azerbaijan’s people and civilian infrastructures in case when the Azerbaijani defense ministry was threatening to strike the Metsamor nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, this threat should become a serious international topic of discussion because it shows Azerbaijan’s essence of being a terroristic state.

After July 12 the international community made numerous calls on condemning the ceasefire violations and stopping the violence. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and their countries have a great contribution to the restoration of the ceasefire. In this sense Russia’s involvement was especially effective which was expressed both at the foreign ministry’s level and the General Staffs of the Armed Forces”, the Armenian PM said.

Pashinyan said the only country which was trying not to calm down the situation, but to provoke further violence was Turkey. “Taking into account that country’s destabilizing and aggressive policy in some regions near its border, as well as its traditional anti-Armenian policy, which is expressed by the justification of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey’s such behavior was not a surprise at all. But its growing aggression brings a necessity for certainly revising our policy, in terms of also increasing our participation in international formats aimed at restraining Turkey’s aggression”, he said.

He said there is no doubt Armenia will overcome this trial victorious.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 12:06,

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS. Since the ultimate medication to cure COVID-19 is yet to be developed, many countries in the world have been applying already existing ones to prevent lethal aggravation by way of suppressing the replication of the virus. As of now, Avigan (Favipiravir) is one such example which has been attracting active interest.

Upon the request from Armenia, Japan has made a donation of Japanese made Avigan to be used for about 100 patients on July 22.

It is sincerely hoped that they will be put into the most effective use by Armenian medical specialists and contribute to further advancement of COVID-19’s clinical research, thus assisting the recovery of more patients through that process

 11:44,

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS. The planned exercises of the Armenian-Russian joint air defense system have kicked off during which new ways of fighting against the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will be developed, Armenian defense minister’s spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said on Facebook.

“The planned exercises of the Armenian-Russian joint air defense system launched today aimed at studying the methods of counterattacking reconnaissance-attacking UAVs. During the exercises new ways of fighting against UAVs will be developed aimed at improving the counterattacking system”, she said.

The commanders of Armenian and Russian zenith-missile complexes, fighter aviation are attending the exercises.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:56,

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS. US Congressman Jim Costa condemned the recent attack unleashed by Azerbaijan on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, urging to revise the US assistance to Azerbaijan.

“Beginning July 12 the Azerbaijani soldiers approached the Armenian border, a place that has been one of contention, and opened fire on Armenian civilians in Tavush province. Since then the conflict, sadly, has escalated. The Azerbaijani forces have been indiscriminate in attacking Armenian schools, factories, factories producing personal protective equipment that are essential during this pandemic. Azerbaijan must be held accountable”, Jim Costa said in his remarks.

The Congressman said now more than ever before it’s critical to work towards peace with Artsakh.

“We must re-evaluate the US security assistance to Azerbaijan immediately. As well as increase aid to Armenia to counter this Azerbaijani aggression. In the appropriations bill yesterday, a $20 million augmentation was made to the country of Armenia. I urge my colleagues to support that and to urge immediate action condemning Azerbaijan’s disgraceful actions,” the Congressman added.

 12:17,

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS. The 2020 July victorious battles showed that Armenia and its people have reached a new level of resistance and unity thanks to the 2018 peaceful, Velvet and people’s Revolution, the subsequent democratic, anti-corruption reforms and the new Army development strategy, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

“We can be encouraged by this fact, but this encouragement should be transformed into a daily creative work, the development of our country’s economic, political, military and diplomatic potential. And we will win because our victory is the victory of justice, truth and humanity”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan