Category: 2020

 18:29, 26 June, 2020

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS.  The Commandant’s Office has discussed the situation over COVID-19 pandemic and reached the conclusion that there is no alternative and will toughen anti-pandemic measures in the near future, ARMENPRESS reports PM Pashinyan said following a session at the Commandant’s Office.

‘’As far as we have no serious changes in numbers, as far as we have not recorded an opposite dynamic, we have to choose the policy of toughening the measures and the package of the toughening can be in various directions’’, PM Pashinyan said.

According to PM Pashinyan, the cases of violating anti-pandemic rules have become more pronounced.

‘’You may know that we have already a case of filing criminal charges for violating anti-pandemic rules against a positive-tested citizen who was driving taxi. The law enforcement bodies discovered it and pressed criminal charges’’, Pashinyan said.

By 11:00, June 26 a total of 23,247 cases have been confirmed in Armenia. 12,149 have recovered, 10,557 are active cases. A total of 105,046 tests have been done.

State of emergency has been prolonged until July 13.

Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan

 19:13, 26 June, 2020

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. The Vatican has issued a new stamp dedicated to the fourth anniversary of the Pope Francis’ visit to Armenia. The Holy See has thus joined the UN’s initiative, which has declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH), Massis Post reports citing the Armenian Embassy to the Holy See.

The stamp depicts Pope Francis and His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, watering the symbolic vine planted in Noah’s Ark, thus confirming that the theme of plant and earth health is a spiritual value.

Pope Francis visited Armenia in June 2016. In 2017 the Vatican issued stamps dedicated to the Pope’s “Visit to the First Christian Nation.”

 19:44, 26 June, 2020

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS. The closing ceremony of the first online Pan-Armenian Chess Tournament will take place today, June 26, from 21:00 to 22:00 Yerevan time, ARMENPRESS was informed from AGBU Armenian Virtual College. 

About 520 schoolchildren from 36 countries took part in this online tournament. For the first time, a virtual community has been created for young Armenian chess fans around the world.

Today, on June 26, 2020 from 21:00 to 22:00 (GMT+4) Yerevan time, AGBU Armenian Virtual College together with the Chess Academy of Armenia is hosting an Online Closing Ceremony of the first of the kind Pan-Armenian Chess Tournament.
The Pan-Armenian Chess Tournament is one of the initiatives launched by the AGBU Armenian Virtual College in association with the Chess Academy of Armenia during the covid-19 pandemic. For the last three weeks, the contest has been uniting around 520 Armenian school-age chess players from 36 countries creating a global virtual network of young Armenian chess enthusiasts.
The contest consisted of two challenging stages, semi-finals for five separate regions (Armenia and Artsakh, Asia and Oceania, Middle East and Africa, and Europe) and final tournaments. Yet, the participants not only competed, but enhanced their chess skills and knowledge by attending live chess lessons on various topics provided by Armenian grandmasters.

Join today’s Closing Ceremony via Zoom to meet the 23 finalists of the Pan-Armenian Chess Tournament from five regions (Armenia and Artsakh, Americas, Asia and Oceania, Middle East and Africa, Europe) and congratulate the three winners who outplayed everyone. The online event will become a memorable occasion for all the participants, for they will play online chess games, participate in a quiz and awarding ceremony, meet famous Armenian Chess Champions, and many more!

Among the honorable guests of the event are:
Dr. Yervant Zorian, AGBU AVC Founding President
GM Smbat Lputian, President of Chess Academy of Armenia,
GM Gabriel Sargsyan, Three-time Chess Olympic Champion,
GM Tigran L. Petrosyan, Two-time Chess Olympic Champion
GM Rafayel Vahanyan, Two-time Chess Olympic Champion,
GM Robert Hovhannisyan, World Team Champion
GM Mher Hovhannisyan, Eight-time Belgium champion
GM Karen Movsisyan, Spain World Senior Champion
GM Elina Danielyan European, Women team Champion
WGM Lilit Mkrtchyan European, Women team Champion
GM Arshak Petrosian, Head Coach of Armenian Men National team

 20:41, 26 June, 2020

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS.  Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia Anna Naghdalyan commented on the remarks of Azerbaijani president during the opening ceremony of a military regiment. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, Anna Naghdalyan said,

“The remarks by the President of Azerbaijan during the opening of the N military unity clearly indicates that the authorities of that country view the ongoing democratic changes in Armenia as a threat to their power. 

It is obvious, the decades-long power of single family, which will be remembered in the history by bring Azerbaijan to the leading positions in the global index on corruption, the infamous case of laundromat, oppression of freedom of speech and other freedoms of its own people, has all grounds to demonstrate strong prejudice towards the democratic changes in Armenia.

We believe that the Aliyev dynasty, which seeks its legitimacy in manipulating the conflict and promoting enmity between the peoples, instead of revealing its class antagonism towards the Armenian authorities formed as a result of democratic processes, should at least accept that Azerbaijani people also deserve democracy.

We are convinced that not the authorities who inherited power, but those formed by people and accountable before the people can contribute towards the reconciliation, regional peace and stability”.

Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan

 19:57, 26 June, 2020

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS. Mane Gevorgyan, spokesperson of the Prime Minister of Armenia, commented on the reaction of former President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan to the speech of Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev. ARMENPRESS reports Mane Gevorgyan wrote on her Facebook page that Ilham Aliyev makes such arrogant announcements, because he sees that in contrast to 2,5 years ago, today a 5th column operates in Armenia with the participation of Serzh Sargsyan’s family. “And the interesting thing is that the announcements of both Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan over developments in Armenia are very similar to each other. The notorious corrupt officials against whom criminal charges are pressed are assessed as politically persecuted by both Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan. The recent Constitutional changes in Armenia are illegal for both Ilham ALiyev and Serzh Sargsyan ’’, she wrote, bringing a number of other examples of coinciding opinions between the former President of Armenia and current president of Azerbaijan.

Mane Gevorgyan also noted that Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan’s son-in-law Mikael Minasyan use similar false texts. ‘’It’s necessary to find out if it’s Ilham ALiyev who writes texts for Serzh Sargsyan’s family, or it’s Serzh Sargsyan’s family that writes texts for Ilham Aliyev. Anyway, the common interests between Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan’s family are obvious’’, she wrote.

Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan

 21:34, 26 June, 2020

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS.  A large fire has broke out in the territory of Tsitsernakaberd  Armenian Genocide memorial complex. ARMENPRESS reports Facebook users post photos and footgaes of the fire.

Details are being clarified.

The fire broke out in the grassy area.

The correspondent of ARMEPRESS reports from the scene that several fire brigades of the rescue service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are trying to put out the fire.

Spokesperson of Yerevan Mayor Hakob Karapetyan wrote on his Facebook page that a while ago large-scale firework display was organized in that territory.

Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan

 11:10,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. 662 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 23,909 the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said today.

762 more patients have recovered. The total number of recoveries has reached 12,911.

10 people have died in one day, raising the death toll to 420.

The number of active cases stands at 10,445.

The number of people who had a coronavirus but died from other disease has reached 133 (2 new such cases).

So far, 107,108 people have passed COVID-19 testing.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 12:53,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. Ukraine International Airlines will resume flights to 9 cities in July and 16 cities in August, AnalitikaUA.net reports.

Armenia’s capital Yerevan is in the list of August flights.

The flight destinations will be from Kiev to Istanbul, Odessa, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, Paris, Athens, London, etc.

Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 12:12,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. 1 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in the Republic of Artsakh, bringing the total number of cases to 115, the ministry of healthcare said.

The total number of recovered patients has reached 87.

At the moment 52 people are quarantined.

1,904 COVID-19 tests have been conducted so far.

No death case has been registered in the Republic.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan