10:31,
YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. On the occasion of the Georgian National Holiday – Independence Day – billboards in Yerevan were lit in the colors of the Georgian flag.
The homage was initiated by the Armenian Embassy in Georgia and Ambassador Ruben Sadoyan.
“Happy holidays, brotherly Georgia”, the embassy said.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
11:28,
STEPANAKERT, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. Samvel Avanesyan has been appointed minister of labor, social affairs and housing of the Republic of Artsakh.
The respective decree has been signed by President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan on May 27, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
11:15,
YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. 372 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Armenia in the last 24 hours, bringing the total cumulative number of cases to 7774.
35 people were discharged, raising the number of recoveries to 3255.
The highest number of coronavirus-related deaths in a single day was recorded – 7 patients died. The COVID-19-related death toll reached 98.
Another 5 patients infected with the virus died, but according to authorities their deaths were caused by other pre-existing conditions. The total number of these deaths is 44.
The number of active cases stands at 4377.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
11:34,
YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. 4 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Artsakh, bringing the total number of cases to 38, the Artsakh Information Center said.
14 patients have already recovered.
No death cases have been registered.
So far, 789 people have passed testing.
Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
12:04,
YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. The coronavirus transmission figures show that we haven’t yet learnt how to live parallel with the coronavirus, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting, mentioning that the government had published the guidance and strategy of fighting the pandemic a month ago, saying that the objective was to learn to live with the pandemic.
“It is obvious that the coronavirus will be present for a year. And if we fail to prevent the coronavirus spread through public conduct, we will face problems all the time. In terms of the novel coronavirus spread, a serious situation has been created in the country, and we are dealing with a second wave of the outbreak.
The peculiarity of this situation is that we basically know the way of bringing our coronavirus figures to zero. And during this time, the [state of emergency command] has approved sectoral safety rules. We’ve set an objective on developing universal rules from these sectoral rules, and as a result of discussions with experts we concluded that in order for us to bring down the coronavirus figures to zero we need to apply three simple rules – wear a mask, frequently wash or disinfect hands and maintain social distance. Therefore, the main task today in our toolbox remains the adherence to these rules and change of public conduct which will meet the epidemiological situation,” the PM said.
As a second method, he mentioned the administrative tools. He said the administrative levers will be heightened every day so that all citizens comply with the safety rules and guidance.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
11:38,
YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Defense Ministry has commented on media reports which said that “a Nissan Patriot vehicle of an Armenian military base battalion commander was burnt from Azerbaijani gunfire”.
“Some news websites today have disseminated reports that “yesterday as a result of Azerbaijani gunfire a Nissan Patriot vehicle of an Armenian military base battalion commander was burnt”. During the everyday activities of the troops such incidents aren’t ruled out, exchange of fire happens every day at the border, which results in both our and adversary military equipment being damaged. In the direction of Nakhijevan, particularly the mentioned direction, the situation is relatively stable and controllable, there are no concerning developments.
The incident took place in the neutral zone in the area of new reinforcements being built by the Armenian Armed Forces, indeed the vehicle burned down, however the vehicle doesn’t serve the battalion commander.
As a result of responsive actions by the Armenian Armed Forces units the adversary always gets suppressed, but unlike some Armenian media outlets the Azerbaijani ones unfortunately never report it”, Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said in a statement.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
12:08,
YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. 823 businesses in Armenia have been sanctioned and shut down for 24-hours for non-compliance or violation of the national coronavirus safety guidelines, the governmental Inspection Agencies Coordination Office head Artur Asoyan said at the Cabinet meeting.
He said the inspections are carried out in the most potentially risky areas of activities such as manufacturing plants, banks or shopping areas.
87 public eateries were shut down for 24 hours during one week. Another 12 will be sanctioned today, he said.
According to Asoyan, the food safety inspection agency provided consultations to over 9500 public food sector businesses.
The health and labor inspection agency, in turn, sanctioned 290 businesses.
Asoyan said inspections are also carried out in kindergartens.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
‘ECHR decision is a ruling against Azerbaijan’s policy of Armenophobia’ – Armenia MFA
12:44,
YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. The foreign ministry of Armenia issued a statement over the ECHR ruling on “Makuchyan and Minasyan vs Azerbaijan and Hungary” case, the MFA told Armenpress.
The statement says:
“On May 26, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in the case of “Makuchyan and Minasyan vs Azerbaijan and Hungary,” which is related to the release and glorification by Azerbaijan of Ramil Safarov, who brutally killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan.
In 2004, in Budapest the Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, who was participating in a training course within the framework “Partnership for Peace” programme, murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan while he was asleep by axing him to death and attacked another Armenian officer Hayk Makuchyan. Ramil Safarov, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Hungarian court, was transferred to Azerbaijan, where enforcement of the sentence should have been continued. However, immediately after the transfer Ramil Safarov was pardoned and glorified. In this regard the ruling stated: “The court is particularly struck by the fact that, in addition to immediate release, upon his return to Azerbaijan R.S. was granted a number of other benefits, such as salary arrears for the period spent in prison, a flat in Baku and a promotion in military rank awarded at a public ceremony.”
The court has found violations of the 2nd (right to life) and 14th (non- discrimination) articles of the European Convention on Human rights by Azerbaijan.
It’s noteworthy that the ruling determined that the violation of those articles was interrelated, thus establishing that the impunity and glorification granted by the highest leadership of Azerbaijan to Ramil Safarov, who was convicted in the brutal murder on the grounds of hatred, had a causing link to the ethnicity of the victims.
This ECHR decision is a ruling against Azerbaijan’s policy of Armenophobia. It not only recognizes, but also adjudicates on the inadmissibility of the promotion on the state level of hate crimes committed against the Armenians by Azerbaijan.
The ruling imposes a legal obligation to Azerbaijan to undertake such actions which will put an end to those violations of the European Convention of Human Rights and redress the effects.
The Republic of Armenia views this ruling of the ECHR as a demand addressed to the authorities of Azerbaijan to restore justice in the dreadful murder of Gurgen Margaryan and end its racist policy towards Armenians. To this end, the Republic of Armenia will make consistent efforts in the relevant international bodies.
The release of convicted murderer Ramil Safarov by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan and his glorification is a disrespect and affront to the standard of civilization and human dignity. Today, when those actions received their legal assessment, we more than ever are determined to prevent hate crimes and protect the security of the Armenian people in the region.
We will continue to work relentlessly to achieve a peaceful and secure region free of hatred”.
12:57,
YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. 2019 stood out with significant big growth in household lending, especially in mortgage lending, Central Bank Financial Stability Department Director Andranik Grigoryan said in his report on 2019’s financial stability.
He said 2019 was a successful year both in terms of economic development and the development of the financial system.
“The trends mentioned in the 2018 report mostly continued in 2019”, he said.
“During the last couple of years, the banks showed continuous stable growth trends. I am speaking about both assets and obligations, capital, deposits. We’ve had a rather good dynamics in the last few years, including in 2019,” Grigoryan said.
He said they are monitoring the household income, loan burden, debt burden indicator developments and are ready to take necessary actions in order for the developments not to create risks neither for households nor the financial system.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
13:56,
YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia’s military cooperation with Armenia is quite close, Regionmonitor reports.
“We assess the relations as allied relations. This relates to both within the CSTO and our bilateral ties. The military cooperation is quite close”, the Russian minister said at a press conference summing up the results of the session of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers.
Lavrov added that there is a Russian military base in Armenia which assists in keeping the stability and security in the region.
“As for the military-technical cooperation and support, that we provide to Armenia, here as well quite close and productive works are being carried out”, the Russian FM said.
Mr. Lavrov said this work is constant, daily and professional, and there is no problem in this regard.
On May 26 the session of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers took place in a video conference format. Armenian FM Zohrab Mnatsakanayan also participated in the session and delivered remarks.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan