News.am, Armenia
May 6 2020
10:31, 06.05.2020
Category: 2020
163 new cases of coronavirus detected in Armenia
Arminfo, Armenia
May 6 2020
ArmInfo. According to the data at 11:00am on May 6, 163 new cases of coronavirus infection were detected in Armenia. This was reported by the Unified Information Center. According to the source, another 24 patients recovered.
In total, 2782 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the republic, 1135 people recovered, 40 died. It is noted that yesterday another death was recorded when the patient had coronavirus infection, but death was due to another disease. Thus, the total number of such cases reached 7. Currently, 1600 patients are receiving actual treatment. In total, 26929 tests for coronavirus were carried out in Armenia.
Expert: Erik Grigoryan`s resignation may be related to the mining sector
Arminfo, Armenia
May 6 2020
ArmInfo. Erik Grigoryan’s resignation from the post of Minister of Nature Protection of Armenia may be related to the mining sector. This opinion was expressed by Inga Zarafyan, head of the EcoLur NGO, in an interview with ArmInfo. The expert noted that the mining sector in Armenia has been under criticism of the environmental community for many years. Over the years, it has been repeatedly pointed out that in the mining industry the superpowers are involved, including the state leaders. After the “velvet revolution”, strong changes and new processes began in this sector, which affected, in particular, Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine and the Amulsar deposit. The redistribution of property, litigation and scandals, as well as the uncertainty in implementation of such large projects as, for example, the Teghout field development turned out, according to Zarafyan, to be a too heavy burden for the former minister. “Other sectors subordinate to the ministry in cannot be compared with the mining field in financial, economic and strategic terms,” she noted. To recall, on May 5, the President of Armenia signed a decree on the dismissal of the Minister of Nature Protection Erik Grigoryan. According to media reports, Grigoryan personally resigned.
Serzh Sargsyan`s wanted son-in-law intends to return to Armenia
Arminfo, Armenia
May 6 2020
ArmInfo. . Such a statement was made yesterday on his Facebook page by the wanted son-in-law of the third president of Armenia, Mikael Minasyan. He noted that there is no justice in Armenia, and a number of people, on the orders of the Prime Minister, found him guilty, and are ready to arrest him without trial. But he still intends to return to his homeland.
Court ruled on arrest of Serzh Sargsyan`s son-in-law
Arminfo, Armenia
May 6 2020
ArmInfo. On May 6, the court of general jurisdiction of Yerevan issued a decision to use the arrest as a measure of restraint in respect of former Ambassador of Armenia to the Vatican, Mikael Minasyan. Thus, the application of the preliminary investigation body was granted. To recall, the son-in-law of former President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, Mikael Minasyan, was prosecuted as a defendant in a criminal case on illicit enrichment, money laundering and the inclusion of false data in the income statement. There is no exact information regarding his current location; Minasyan himself previously via Facebook reported the initiation of more than 10 criminal cases against people related to him and his family. Last fall, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on Minasyan to return to his homeland and answer questions from the Special Investigation Service. In particular, it was about illegal, as the prime minister noted, privatization of a strategic facility in the Lori region. According to media reports, this facility is the Dzoraget hydroelectric power station (
Premier: I am dissatisfied with my work, because I believe that I could have done more and even the impossible
Arminfo, Armenia
May 6 2020
ArmInfo. “I am dissatisfied with my work, because I believe that I could have done more and even the impossible,” RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on May 6 from the rostrum of the Parliament, answering a question from the National Assembly MP Hrant Ayvazyan about whether he was satisfied with the work of the previous Minister of the Environment Erik Grigoryan, dismissed the day before. Expressing gratitude to Erik Grigoryan for the work done, Nikol Pashinyan noted that at each stage there are questions that require decision-making. “He did his best to achieve the maximum possible result for this stage,” the head of government emphasized. In particular, water meters have been installed at small hydropower plants, thanks to which the water needed for irrigation and solving environmental problems is now saved. In the Ararat Valley, many wells that were previously illegally exploited were mothballed. About 1,000 jobs were created as part of the new forest planting program, for which workers receive wages. However, as Nikol Pashinyan noted, today the task is to achieve the maximum possible and even impossible result. In 2018-2019 it was possible to do the impossible, now the task is to do even more impossible in 2020 and subsequent years. Moreover, many environmental problems have not yet been resolved. To recall, the day before, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian dismissed Minister of the Environment Erik Grigoryan from his post. The corresponding decree is published on the website of the head of state. Grigoryan was appointed to this post on June 1, 2019.
RFE/RL Armenian Report – 05/08/2020
Friday, May 8, 2020
Former Armenian PMs Urge Kocharian’s Release
• Anush Mkrtchian
Armenia -- Former Prime Ministers Vazgen Manukian (L), Khosrov Harutiunian (C)
and Karen Karapetian attend the trial of former President Robert Kocharian,
Yerevan, May 8, 2020.
Three former Armenian prime ministers petitioned a Yerevan court to release
former President Robert Kocharian from custody when his trial resumed after a
two-month pause on Friday.
The trial of Kocharian and three other former officials prosecuted on coup
charges denied by them was suspended in March after the presiding judge, Anna
Danibekian, unexpectedly took sick leave. Danibekian officially returned to work
on April 17 but did not rush to restart court hearings.
Former Prime Ministers Vazgen Manukian, Khosrov Harutiunian and Karen Karapetian
attended the latest hearing to guarantee in writing that Kocharian will
demonstrate “proper behavior” and not go into hiding or obstruct justice if set
free. A former Karabakh prime minister, Anushavan Danielian, also signed such a
statement and handed it to Danibekian.
Manukian had served as Armenia’s first post-Communist prime minister from
1990-1991. He was succeeded by Harutiunian in 1992. For his part, Karapetian
held the post from 2016-2018, during former President Serzh Sarkisian’s rule.
None of the three men agreed to talk to reporters after leaving the courtroom.
Meanwhile, Kocharian’s lawyers submitted two separate petitions demanding his
release on health grounds or on bail. They said late last month that he risks
being infected with coronavirus in a Yerevan prison.
The ex-president, who ruled Armenia from 2008-2018, was hospitalized a few days
later. Nevertheless, he attended the latest court session.
Armenia -- Former President Robert Kocharian is brought to a courtroom in
Yerevan, May 8, 2020.
Kocharian likewise claimed to be at risk of contracting the virus when he spoke
in the courtroom. “Now I’m alone in my prison cell … but there is obviously
contact with [prison] personnel,” he told the judge. “It’s impossible to avoid
it. Given the prison conditions it’s impossible to maintain a safe physical
distance.”
The trial prosecutors continued to oppose Kocharian’s release. One of them,
Petros Petrosian, said that the ex-president could flee prosecution or obstruct
justice.
Danibekian said she will rule on the petitions on May 13. The judge had
repeatedly refused to free Kocharian pending the outcome of the trial since
taking over the high-profile case last August.
The three other defendants -- Kocharian’s former chief of staff Armen Gevorgian
and retired army Generals Seyran Ohanian and Yuri Khachaturov -- have not been
held in detention. The charges leveled against them and Kocharian mostly stem
from the 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan.
The 65-year-old ex-president also stands accused of bribe-taking. He rejects all
accusations as politically motivated.
Lawmakers Brawl In Armenian Parliament
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia -- Pro-government and opposition deputies brawl on the parliament floor,
Yerevan, May 8, 2020.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and a major opposition party traded bitter
accusations after lawmakers representing them brawled on the Armenian parliament
floor on Friday.
The brawl erupted in the presence of Pashinian and his ministers as Edmon
Marukian, the leader of the Bright Armenia Party (LHK), lambasted pro-government
deputies for their angry reactions to opposition criticism of the government.
Marukian was heckled by some of those deputies affiliated with Pashinian’s My
Step bloc and shouted back at them during his speech. One of them, Sasun
Mikaelian, then punched him before other lawmakers from My Step and the LHK
joined in the resulting fistfight or shoved and chased each other in the chamber.
The session of the National Assembly resumed several minutes later after speaker
Ararat Mirzoyan managed to stop the fight with the help of other deputies and
Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian.
“I will speak up no matter how much you hit me,” Marukian declared when he again
took the floor.
“Who was it that sneaked up and struck me in the back?” he asked, sparking
another shouting match with Mikaelian and other My Step deputies.
The session again descended into chaos, with Mirzoyan deciding to interrupt it.
It resumed later in the day. Marukian again addressed the parliament before he
and other LHK deputies walked out of the chamber in protest
Armenia -- Deputies from the opposition Bright Armenia Party attend a parliament
session in Yerevan, January 20, 2020.
“The incident must have consequences, political consequences,” said the
opposition leader. “What happened is not so much our problem as the revolution
leader’s problem. We will now leave this auditorium and, depending on political
evaluations and consequences, we will draw conclusions … and decide how we will
be working in this parliament in the future.”
Speaking in the parliament shortly after the walkout, Pashinian deplored the
violence but effectively blamed it on the LHK. He said that his political allies
should not have succumbed to what he described as a LHK “provocation” aimed at
discrediting the government.
“The incident, which is condemnable, happened over there,” Pashinian said,
pointing to an area between the parliament rostrum and the first row of seats.
“Why was the person giving the speech standing there? Why did [Marukian] walk
off the rostrum and swiftly move towards Sasun Mikaelian? For engaging in a
political dialogue?”
Pashinian said he told Marukian at a meeting Thursday that he has “grounds to
suspect that you and your activities are an integral part of a plan to use
psychological, moral and ultimately physical violence” against members of his
political team. The prime minister went on brand Marukian’s party as
“parliamentary servants” of former Presidents Serzh Sarkisian and Robert
Kocharian.
A close Pashinian associate, deputy speaker Alen Simonian, likewise accused the
LHK of deliberately provoking a violent response from Mikaelian. He dismissed
calls for Mikaelian to resign from the parliament.
Simonian and Marukian traded serious insults on the parliament floor last week.
The opposition leader was enraged by Simonian’s sexist comments about a female
LHK parliamentarian. The vice-speaker apologized to the lawmaker, Ani Samsonian,
afterwards.
Armenia - The opposition Yelk alliance led by Aram Sarkisian (L), Edmon Marukian
(C) and Nikol Pashinian holds a demonstration in Yerevan, 30Mar2017.
Pashinian and Marukian are former political allies who used to co-head the Yelk
bloc that was in opposition to Armenia’s former leadership. The bloc fell apart
after Marukian and his party refused to join mass protests launched by Pashinian
in April 2018 against then Sarkisian’s attempt to extend his decade-long rule.
The LHK is one of the two opposition parties represented in the current Armenian
parliament. It holds 17 seats in the 132-member parliament.
Armenian Authorities ‘Still Able’ To Isolate All COVID-19 Carriers
• Susan Badalian
• Gayane Saribekian
Armenia -- A medical worker clad in protecive gear and an ambulance parked at
the entrance to Surp Grigor Lusavorich hospital, Yerevan, April 8, 2020.
Armenian health authorities are still able to hospitalize or isolate all people
testing positive for coronavirus as it continues to spread in the country, the
Ministry of Health said on Friday.
The ministry reported 145 new infections which raised the total number of
confirmed coronavirus cases to 3,029. It said that one more person, a
48-year-old woman, has died from the virus, bringing the official death toll to
43.
The ministry has also reported the deaths of 10 other individuals infected with
the virus. It says that they died from other, pre-existing diseases.
Health Minister Arsen Torosian warned last week that the health authorities will
soon be no longer able to hospitalize or isolate all infected people.
Armenia has a total of 1,550 hospital beds set aside for COVID-19 patients. The
number of active cases reached 1,758 on Friday morning, according to Alina
Nikoghosian, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health.
Nikoghosian said that many of these patients are monitored or treated by doctors
at hotels isolated from the outside world. “We are talking about people showing
no symptoms at all,” she explained.
Despite the rising number of infections, the Armenian government essentially
ended on Monday a nationwide lockdown imposed by it in late March. It
specifically lifted a temporary ban on virtually all types of business activity.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has said that the onus now is also on ordinary
Armenians to stop the spread of the virus. Some critics have accused his
government of trying to dodge responsibility for its lax enforcement of
stay-at-home orders and failure to contain the epidemic.
Arman Badalian, an epidemiologist, warned that the lifting of lockdown
restrictions could speed up the spread of the virus. “A rapid spread of
infections would lead to the collapse of the healthcare system as was the case
in Italy, Spain and other countries,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
Armenia -- Epidemiologist Arman Badalian, May 7, 2020.
Badalian said the government should strictly enforce its social distancing and
hygiene rules instead of relying on people’s health consciousness. Many business
owners, their employees and other citizens are not taking “elementary”
precautions against the virus, he said.
Random interviews on the streets of Yerevan suggest that many Armenians are
still not taking the virus seriously.
“I don’t wear a mask and I don’t believe the virus exists,” said one woman
flanked by her mother and teenage son. “God is on my side.”
“I don’t believe in coronavirus,” said a young man. He argued that he does not
know of anyone infected with it.
There was also widespread evidence of shops and supermarkets not requiring
customers to wear face masks and gloves contrary to a government order. In one
supermarket located in Yerevan’s southern Shengavit district very few shoppers
wore them on Thursday.
The supermarket administration refused to explain why it is not enforcing the
requirement. It only pointed to supermarket workers wearing masks and gloves.
A smaller food store located in the area notified people of the requirement but
still let in some unprotected customers. Its manager, Davit Khosrovian, said
many elderly people claim to have trouble breathing through masks. “It’s hard to
tell whether they really have such problems,” he said.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
We proved that we can rise from ruins and create statehood – Artsakh President’s message
We proved that we can rise from ruins and create statehood – Artsakh President’s message
10:23, 9 May, 2020
YEREVAN, MAY 9, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan issued a congratulatory message in connection with the Victory Day, the 28th anniversary of the Artsakh Republic Defense Army and the Liberation of Shoushi.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press sservice of the Artsakh President’s Office, the address runs as follows:
“Dear compatriots,
Dear veterans of the Great Patriotic War and the Artsakh Liberation War,
Respected generals, officers and soldiers of the Defense Army,
On behalf of the Artsakh Republic authorities and myself personally I extend the most heartfelt congratulations on the Victory day, the 28th anniversary of the Artsakh Republic Defense Army and the Liberation of Shoushi.
Every single family celebrates this day, one of the most cherished holidays glorified by the courage and dedication of successive generations of the Armenian people.
For decades, we have been celebrating May 9 with utmost enthusiasm and triumph, honoring with deep respect our grandfathers and fathers who carved the Victory hand in hand with the peoples of the former Soviet Union.
They were ideals for us, paragons of heroism to follow their lead, take up arms and forge our share of victory, write our own chapter of history. And this chapter is heroic and glorious.
The formation of the Artsakh Republic Defense Army and the liberation of Shoushi tripled the thrill of the holiday becoming the greatest victory of Armenians worldwide, the victory of spirit, mind and arm of thousands of brave Armenians.
We have proved ourselves and the entire world that we can struggle to the last breath and defend the native soil, rise again from under debris and build a state in line with international norms and standards, a free, independent and democratic state.
Our young people – patriotic, literate, brave and dignified – will carry on the heroic traditions of our people. They are fully aware of the price of victory won by the blood of our ancestors and cherish it like the apple of eye.
Dear friends,
On this festive day we first and foremost commemorate all our heroes who gave their lives in the defense of the Homeland, and we bow to their everlasting memory.
It is our responsibility to translate their dreams and goals into reality and build a resilient, safe and developed country.
Long live our heroic Army!
Hats off to the devotees of our Homeland!
Honor and glory to the Armenian people!”
Armenpress: PM Pashinyan issues congratulatory message on triple holiday
PM Pashinyan issues congratulatory message on triple holiday
10:10, 9 May, 2020
YEREVAN, MAY 9, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan issued a message on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the victory in the WWII, Shushi liberation and Artsakh Defense Army establishment day.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, the message runs as follows,
“Dear compatriots,
Congratulations to all of us on Victory Day. This very day 75 years ago, our people joined other peoples of the former Soviet Union to celebrate the victory over fascism, one of the greatest evils in human history. The victory was achieved through enormous human suffering, sacrifice, unprecedented courage and perseverance.
The Armenian nation played a significant role in bringing about that victory and, as a result, in liberating Europe from the scourge of fascism. More than half a million Armenians were involved in the war as part of the Soviet army. Thousands of Armenians fought in the squads of resistance movements in European countries.
The Armenian people sacrificed about 300,000 lives on the altar of victory. For a nation that had survived the Genocide just a quarter of a century ago, it was an incredibly large number comparable to the human losses suffered by the great powers. While no hostilities had taken place on our soil, the population of Soviet Armenia fell by more than 13 percent at the end of the war.
Today, as we bow to the memory of our martyrs, we are proud of our ancestors’ heroism.
During the war, 107 Armenians were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest award given for exceptional heroism. The significant contribution made to mankind’s victory by the Armenians living in Armenia and the Diaspora and especially the valuable material contribution of the Armenian Apostolic Church deserve special praise.
We have fully paid off our debt for all the wars in the 20th century. And now we are well aware of the cost of peace more than anyone else. Our identity is best expressed through creative work we do in peacetime. At the same time, knowing the price of peace, we are ready to defend it at all costs and to stand up again for our freedom and dignity, where necessary.
Whether a coincidence, or perhaps a deed of Providence, on this very day we are celebrating the liberation of Shushi and the establishment of the Artsakh Defense Army, exceptional events that crowned Armenia’s modern history.
The liberation of Shushi ushered in the liberation of Artsakh. Followed up with a brilliant victory, it became the pledge for our people’s security and peace. We are firmly determined to ensure the security of the people of the Artsakh Republic: their right to self-determination is not subject to bargaining. Both are absolute values for us.
Let us commemorate and pay tribute to our heroes who died for the liberation of Shushi and Artsakh. They stood just as strong as their ancestors did about half a century ago in World War II.
Let us commemorate those brave guys who fell in the Four-Day April War – our modern-day heroes who sacrificed their lives to prove our people’s unbreakable will for freedom.
Glory to all our heroes who fought for the freedom of the Armenian people!
Long live Armenia and Artsakh!”
Armenian, Russian leaders exchange congratulations on Victory Day
11:47, 9 May, 2020
YEREVAN, MAY 9, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan sent congratulatory messages to the leaders of CIS-member States: President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, President Sooronbay Zheenbekov of Kyrgyzstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Igor Dodon of Moldova, and President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan.
In turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Premier Mikhail Mishustin and the leaders of CIS-member States have sent congratulatory messages to the Prime Minister of Armenia on the 75th Anniversary of Victory in World War II.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in his congratulatory message:
“Dear Nikol Vovayevich,
I cordially congratulate you and all citizens of Armenia on the 75th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Our peoples hold sacred and piously revere the memory of our heroes whose bravery on the frontline and selfless work in rear helped us celebrate victory over Nazism and reinstate peace for future generations.
I am convinced that the strong ties of friendship forged in wartime will continue to serve as a reliable basis for the furtherance of Russian-Armenian allied relations, strengthening multilateral partnership, and will help us defy through joint efforts modern challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic.
I would like to convey to Armenian Great Patriotic War veterans and all those who served in rear my best wishes for good health, happiness, wellbeing and long life.”
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s congratulatory message reads:
“Dear Nikol Vovayevich,
I cordially congratulate you on the 75th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
On this solemn day, we pay tribute to all those Russians and Armenians who fought side by side against the fascist invaders for the sake of future generations’ peaceful life.
I am confident that the war-tested friendship will serve as a reliable basis for the strengthening of Russian-Armenian cooperation and partnership, as well as for the furtherance integration within the Eurasian Economic Union.
Dear Nikol Vovayevich,
I would like to convey to the veterans living in Armenia words of deep gratitude, my best wishes for well-being, robust health and longevity.”