Category: 2020

Asbarez: COVID-19 Armenian Community Task Force Lends a Hand

Antranik Varosian
May 1, 2020

Supplies have been arranged at the Hollywood Youth Center to be packaged for home delivery

Armenian community members across the Western United States have gathered at local Armenian centers to provide assistance to community members by dropping off groceries at people’s homes or by taking to social media to provide updates on the latest developments and guidelines related to the COVID-19 crisis.

Soon after the “shelter in place” guidelines were in place in Los Angeles County, the Armenian Community COVID-19 task force was formed to assist the community during the crisis and to provide much-needed supplies to those staying at home to prevent the spread of the virus.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western US Central Committee, along with representatives from the Armenian Cultural Foundation, Armenian National Committee of America – Western US, Armenian Relief Society of Western USA, Armenian Youth Federation of Western US, Armenian Youth Federation Juniors, ARF Shant Student Association, Homenetmen (Armenian General Athletic Union and Scouts of Western US, Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural & Educational Society, the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Board of Regents of the Prelacy Armenian Schools have all taken an active role in this task force.

In its efforts to keep the community connected and to provide assistance to those in need, the Armenian Community Covid-19 Task Force has created a helpline at (818) 507-1933 and a website for community members to find Coronavirus related resources pertaining to health, employees, students, businesses, seniors, renters, and homeowners.

The Covid-19 Armenian Community Task Force through the generous donation from Los Angeles-area business owners Kev Kouyoumjian, along with his brother Vic Kouyoumjian and their father Jacques Kouyoumjian, distributed thousands of masks to the local community. This effort was initiated in line with guidelines announced by L.A. County and City leadership urging people to wear face masks to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

COVID-19 Armenian Community Task Force of Western U.S.S

Many of the masks were donated to the medical staff at Glendale Adventist Hospital, with its distribution being facilitated through the ARS. Other masks are being used byr volunteers and those helping distribute vital supplies to the community.

From Glendale and Hollywood, to Pasadena, Orange County and Granda Hills, ARF chapters mobilized their members and alongside volunteers from affiliate organizations, such as the ARS and AYF, came together at local centers to prepare care packages to be delivered to community members who have reached on the COVID-19 task force hotline requesting assistance.

To date more than 500 grocery and supply bags have been delivered in various communities across Los Angeles.

On Monday, Little Armenia’s ACF Hollywood Youth Center was filled with volunteers—all keeping in line with social distancing guidelines and wearing protective gear—who were joined by the pastor of St. Garabed Armenian Church Archpriest Vicken Vassilian to prepare care packages of donated groceries and other critical materials, which were delivered to residents in the Little Armenia neighborhood of Los Angeles.

FOX 11 News was on hand to capture how Armenian community members were coming together help each other and aired a segment by reporter Araksya Karapetyan on the channel’s Good Day LA program. Horizon Armenian Television was also there and reported on the local community efforts as part of its ongoing reports on the COVID-19 crisis.

In mid-March a similar scene took shape at the Melkon and Angel Melkonian Youth Center in Granada Hills, where members of the ARF Arshavir Shiragian chapter initiated an outreach effort to gauge the needs and community members and to deliver needed supplies to their doorsteps.

Over in Glendale, the Krikor and Mariam Karamanoukian Glendale Youth Center has been a bevy of activity, with ARF Aharonian Gomideh members leading the charge to keep the community informed, while at the same time, provide assistance to those in need.

The center also hosted a blood drive, as the American Red Cross has issued a call for blood donations during the COVID-19 crisis.

In Pasadena’s Hovhannes and Hripsime Jivalagian Youth Center, a similar scene has unfolded and members of the ARF Lernavayr chapter have brought together volunteers from across the community to not only prepare the care packages but also to deliver the goods to residents and community members.

In Burbank’s Beshir Mardirossian Burbank Youth Center, members of the ARF Aghbalian gomideh teamed up with the local ARS Araz chapter, whose members had decided to sew face masks to be included in the care packages being delivered to Burbank residents. At the Meher and Satig Der Ohanessian Youth Center, ARF Zavarian chapter members, with the participation of the local sister organizations, came together to gather materials, with each person leaving center carrying bags of supplies to be dropped off at people’s houses. The ARF Montebello Dro, Valley Rosdom and North Hollywood Papken Seuni chapters all took part in efforts to assist their immediate community members with a message that the task force will continue its activities until the COVID-19 crisis is over, well after county and local officials determine to reopen Los Angeles.

The Armenian Community COVID-19 Task Force is calling on community members to join its efforts either by volunteering or donating  to its efforts.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 05/01/2020

Jirair Kafian 
                                        Friday, May 1, 2020
Pashinian Urges End To Unregistered Labor
        • Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia - Workers at a new brewery in Dilijan, 21Nov2017.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Friday urged Armenians working off the books 
to press their employers to register their jobs with tax authorities, saying 
that this is essential for protecting their labor rights.
In a May Day statement, Pashinian also argued that his government finds it 
difficult to help unregistered workers hit hard by the economic shutdown 
resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our anti-crisis programs first of all target those people and companies that 
have complied with the Labor Code and the Tax Code of the Republic of Armenia,” 
he said. “We have thereby not only honored our working citizens but also taken 
advantage of the fact that it is easier to identify registered workers if they 
lose their jobs and need assistance during the crisis.”
“Having a registered job is an important guarantee for the protection of 
worker’s rights, and I call on all employed citizens to demand that their 
employers register their jobs and support the government in protecting their own 
labor rights,” added Pashinian.
Many people have for decades been involved in the informal sector of Armenia’s 
sector. Employers had not registered those workers in order to avoid paying 
their income and pension taxes.
Official statistics suggest that the number of such workers has fallen 
significantly since Pashinian came to power and pledged a tough crackdown on tax 
evasion two years ago. According the State Revenue Committee (SRC), private 
entities have reported more than 87,000 new jobs to the tax service from May 
2018 through December 2019. Most of these jobs are believed to have been created 
before that period.
The number of unregistered workers -- and day laborers in particular -- 
apparently remains high as evidenced by public reactions to recent government 
decisions to compensate people who have temporarily or permanently lost their 
jobs due to the coronavirus lockdown. The government has faced many complaints 
about compensating only officially registered workers.
Heriknaz Tigranian, a parliament deputy from the ruling My Step bloc, 
acknowledged on Friday the broader protection of labor rights in Armenia is 
still weak. She singled out the arbitrary dismissal of workers, saying that it 
remains widespread.
Tigranian criticized the former Armenian government for dissolving the State 
Labor Inspectorate, which was supposed to ensure such protection, in 2013. She 
said that decision should be offset by amendments to the Labor Code passed by 
the Armenian parliament late last year.
The amendments expanded the powers of another, existing government agency, the 
Health and Labor Inspectorate. Starting from July 2021, it will be tasked with 
not only ensuring the physical safety of workers but also protecting their 
social rights.
Armenia To Largely End Coronavirus Lockdown On May 4
        • Naira Nalbandian
Armenia -- A police officer enforcing a coronavirus lockdown checks a woman's 
documents, Yerevan, March 25, 2020.
The government announced on Friday that it will lift remaining restrictions on 
people’s movements and allow the vast majority of businesses, including many 
cafes and restaurants, to resume their work on Monday despite the continuing 
spread of coronavirus in Armenia.
Government officials stressed at the same time that employers will have to abide 
by social distancing and hygiene rules set by the Armenian Ministry of Health.
According to Deputy Economy Minister Varos Simonian, the government’s decision 
covers all types of manufacturing, services such as hairdressing and cleaning as 
well as retail and wholesale trade carried out outside shopping malls. Those 
cafes and restaurants that have outdoor areas will also be allowed to reopen.
Simonian also said that starting from May 4 Armenians will no longer have to 
carry passports and fill out special forms specifying their reasons to leave 
their homes.
He confirmed that the government will keep in place for now its ban on municipal 
public transport in Yerevan and other cities and towns. “Public transport is a 
very risky type of economic activity which allows the virus to spread very 
quickly,” explained the official.
Other government officials made clear earlier this week that all Armenian 
universities and schools will remain closed until the end of the current 
academic year. Virtually all of them switched to online courses after the 
nationwide lockdown imposed in late March.
Armenia -- An empty street cafe in Yerevan, March 15, 2020.
“This can be regarded as a sort of test,” Simonian said of the government’s 
decision to largely end the lockdown. “While we are easing the restrictions 
everyone, both citizens and businesses, must display a strong discipline and 
consciousness.”
“Depending on that, we will decide whether to maintain the mild restrictions 
regime or to revert to tougher restrictions,” he told a joint news conference 
with Deputy Health Minister Lena Nanushian.
Nanushian said, for her part, that the Ministry of Health has set specific 
coronavirus-related safety rules for companies and other entities resuming their 
work. “The requirements are pretty much the same [for everyone]: to ensure a 
physical distance of one or two meters between employees and customers and to 
take various hygiene measures, including disinfection and ventilation [of 
premises,]” she said.
The lockdown significantly slowed the spread of the virus in Armenia already at 
the beginning of April. The government began gradually reopening the Armenian 
economy on April 13. The Ministry of Health has registered increased daily 
numbers of COVID-19 cases since April 21.
The number of new confirmed cases hit a record high of 134 on Thursday. Deputy 
Prime Minister Tigran Avinian said during a cabinet meeting that the authorities 
will reverse the reopening process if it leads to “dangerous consequences” in 
the coming days or weeks.
The authorities reported on Friday morning that 82 more people tested positive 
for the virus in the past day, bringing the total number of infections to 2,148. 
They also reported another fatality which raised the country’s death toll from 
COVID-19 to 33.
The spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health, Alina Nikoghosian, said the latest 
victim was aged 27 and suffered from other “lifelong chronic diseases.”
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.

Armenia Investigative Committee: 15 charged under case of Gavar incidents

Alex Nanijanian
News.am, Armenia
May 1 2020

22:39, 01.05.2020
                  

European Business Association ‘concerned’ over persecution of Galaxy Group of Companies, its co-founder Gurgen Khachatryan

Elizabeth Jabejian
Panorama, Armenia
May 1 2020

The European Business Association has expressed concern over the persecution of Galaxy Group of Companies and its co-founder Gurgen Khachatryan. 

The European Business Association in Armenia, which was officially established with the support of the Armenian delegation to the European Union and in the activities of which progressive businesses were involved, issued a statement on Friday.

The latter referred to the events linked to Galaxy Group of Companies and its co-founder and the chairman of the board of directors at Ucom, Gurgen Khachatryan. The statement reads:

“We are closely following the events related to our affiliate Galaxy Group of Companies and we express our concern over that.

Galaxy Group of Companies, which manages 15 companies, is an important player in the Armenian economy in terms of the number of provided jobs, the amount of tax paid, and the significant impact on annual GPD. Galaxy Group of Companies manages the sole Armenian telecom, Ucom, which is of strategic importance. It is also the official partner and representative of a number of major corporations in the EU member states in Armenia through joint investment projects and activities.

It is important to mention that any action towards the group and its key players conditioned by these factors should be prudent and comprehensive as well as built exclusively on legal basis, as its chain impact on the economy of Armenia is extensive and can cause damage to the RA labor market, economy and the country’s reputation in terms of attracting foreign investment.”

On April 28, Gurgen Khachatryan reported that at the level of high-ranking officials of the country he had been demanded both directly and indirectly to alienate Ucom. He also informed that in case of non-compliance, he would be accused of committing a particularly serious crime, which would be followed by pressure on his businesses in quite a short period of time. On April 30, the Khachatryans’ house and offices were searched and a motion for arrest was filed in the court.

Lawyer seeks political, legal and moral assessments on espionage allegations against ex-NSS chief Artur Vanetsyan

Aram Torosian
Panorama, Armenia
May 1 2020

Head of the Homeland Development Fund office, lawyer Arsen Babayan, a former deputy chief of the Armenian parliament staff, seeks to get political, legal and moral assessments on the allegations of espionage concerning former Director of the National Security Service (NSS) Artur Vanetsyan.

Babayan on Friday visited the Prosecutor’s Office to have the law enforcement body check the circumstances of the statement made by MP Hrachya Hakobyan which “contains judgments about an evident crime” and give it a criminal and legal assessment. However, as expected, the doors of the building were closed.

“Today is a a non-working day, but the Prosecutor’s Office is a controlled area, with police officers always deployed inside and outside the building, and the Prosecutor’s Office has never been closed,” he told reports outside the building, adding that he had notified the office of his visit in advance.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Hakobyan, who is Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s brother-in-law, wondered whether Vanetsyan has been dismissed “because of having been recruited by foreign intelligence services.”

Arsen Babayan believes Nikol Pashinyan is behind the statement, as ‘it has been the case with the other statements” on Artur Vanetsyan.

“But the important thing is Hrachya Hakobyan makes an absurd statement, using some tricks to put it in a way to make it impossible to bring him to responsibility for defamation. They have supposed that the society will think if Pashinyan’s family member talks about such things, he is informed on them. But I reiterate that the statement is nonsense, typical to the yellow press,” Babayan said.

The lawyer stressed the remarks damage the honor and dignity of the former NSS director and an officer.

“A political, legal and moral assessment must be made, because any effort to question an officer’s dignity and devotion to his homeland and state is devoid of any moral rule. I expect a legal assessment from the Prosecutor’s Office today,” he said, adding political assessments should be made both by the authorities and opposition forces, while moral assessments are made by the society.

Artur Vanetsyan’s lawyers to file defamation lawsuit against the PM’s spokeswoman

Hunanian Jack
Panorama, Armenia
May 1 2020

The lawyers of former Director of the National Security Service (NSS) Artur Vanetsyan are set to file a defamation lawsuit against the spokeswoman of Armenia’s PM Mane Gevorgyan, the office of Artur Vanetsyan said in a released statement.

The statement came following Mane Gevorgyan’s Facebook post in which the PM’s spokeswoman alleged Vanetsyan had acquired share in Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine through illegal schemes and exceeding official authorities. Gevorgyan also conveyed the PM’s expectation from the law enforcement bodies ‘to properly investigate’ the case and ‘present reliable responses to the Armenian people.’

“We state that allegations made by the PM’s spokesperson has no touch with reality. We deem it as acceptable and appalling to disseminate explicitly defamatory allegations through the spokesperson of the head of state as well as the instruction to proper investigation the case which contains elements of political pressure,” the statement released by lawyers Lusine Sahakyan and Aramazad Kiviryan read.

It is noted that that the defense team of Vanetsyan will make use of all available legal tools to protect the rights of Artur Vanetsyan and apply to court with an administrative lawsuit.

Music: Big online pan-Armenian concert expected to last 8 hours

Dabaghian Diana
News.am, Armenia
May 1 2020
Big online pan-Armenian concert expected to last 8 hours (PHOTOS) Big online pan-Armenian concert expected to last 8 hours (PHOTOS)

15:10, 01.05.2020

YEREVAN. – The creative and technical staff of the “TOVMASYAN” Charity Foundation’s online concert to be held on Saturday is making preparations to make the live broadcast as uninterrupted as possible. Hrach Keshishyan, the chief director of this concert, said this at a press conference Friday, emphasizing that this project will be unprecedented in its scale and type.

“The whole broadcast will take place online, not on television, and this has its interesting development,” he said. “It means that we can gather a large audience, not only in Armenia, but also abroad. The team has done a lot of work, and we have come together to be able to create content and broadcast. Everything is being done at a very professional and high level.”

Keshishyan informed that this concert marathon will be held in Armenian, English, and Russian.

“We will try to work as uninterruptedly as possible on air,” he added. “During this time we are making very interesting videos. Everything is aimed at the fight against coronavirus, so that we can assist the medical staff and have a good situation.”

Hrach Keshishyan could not say exactly how long this concert will last and what scenario deviations there may be during it. According to him, this online broadcast will be interesting for this very treason. “According to preliminary forecasts, the concert will last about 8 hours. We will start at 20:20 Yerevan time, we will finish the next day at 04:00; at the moment, our assessments are as such,” he said. “But this is a live broadcast [concert] marathon, and there may be other surprises, too, that will make the broadcast even more interesting. Our entire technical staff is working to ensure that we have uninterrupted broadcasting.”

More than 60 artists from Armenia and Armenian diaspora have already joined this concert, and this number, according to the organizers, is increasing day by day.

Singers Alla Levonyan and Saro Tovmasyan, who also attended this press conference, lauded this project by the “TOVMASYAN” Charity Foundation, noting that they joined this idea without hesitation.

Food: A Recipe For Armenian Dumplings That Takes Chef Nina Festekjian Back To Her Childhood

Dabaghian Diana
WGBH
May 1 2020
Mise en place for mante (Armenian dumpings.)

Courtesy of Nina Festekjian
May 1, 2020

“My earliest memory of making mante was when I was about 10 years old,” she told us. “My sisters and I would gather around the kitchen table and help our mother in making these little boats. Nowadays, every time I make mante, I go back into that kitchen and experience the aroma of the mante cooking, my sister and I giggling while making the mante and telling each other how bad each other’s boats were.”

My mom would always say, ‘There is no such thing as bad mante as long as you do it with love and care.’ She always put her heart and soul into her cooking. That sense of cooking with love and joy serving others has lingered in me and has been the foundation of Anoush’ella.”

Ingredients:

For the dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the meat filling

  • 1/2 pound ground beef sirloin
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper

For the tomato sauce

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cups chicken and beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons red pepper paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 to one ounce lemon juice

For the yogurt-garlic sauce

  • 1 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt or 1 cup of labne mixed with 1/2 cup of water
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • Kosher salt
  • Sumac and Aleppo pepper for sprinkling

Directions:

Step 1: Prepare the dough
Beat the egg with the vegetable oil and then add salt and water. Combine the mixture with the flour and mix until a dough forms. On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Divide into two pieces and cover each with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for one hour.

Assembling the mante (Armenian dumplings.)

Courtesy of Nina Festekjian

Step 2: Make the meat filling
Combine the meat with the spices, chopped onion, and parsley; set aside in a bowl covered in the fridge.

Step 3: Make the tomato sauce
In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil for a minute and then add the tomato paste and the pepper paste and cook for another minute or so, until all is mixed well. Add the broth, lemon juice and the spices. Bring it to a boil then simmer and keep warm.

Step 4: Make the yogurt-garlic sauce
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and garlic and season with salt. Mix well and refrigerate.

Step 5: Shape the mante
Roll out the first dough into a very thin layer. Cut the dough with a pizza cutter or knife into small 1.5 inch squares. Add 1/2 teaspoon of mante filling in the middle of the squares and form small boat-shaped dumplings by pinching the two sides of the square. Using a round or rectangular pan covered with thin layer of vegetable oil, arrange the mante close together. Repeat with the second dough.

Shaping the mante (Armenian dumplings) into purses.

Courtesy of Nina Festekjian

Step 6: Cook the mante
Preheat the oven to 400F and roast the mante for about half an hour, until golden brown color. Meanwhile, heat the red sauce, making sure the mixture is almost boiling.

A finished plate of mante (Armenian dumplings.)

Courtesy of Nina Festekjian

Step 7: Serve and enjoy
Remove the pans from the oven and serve the mante in individual soup bowls. Add the tomato sauce and then top it with a dollop of yogurt-garlic sauce. Drizzle with sumac and Aleppo pepper. Enjoy!

Nina Festekjian and her mother in the kitchen.

Courtesy of Nina Festekjian

President of Artsakh introduces several key indicators of Republic’s development during his tenure

Jalatian Sonya

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 13:32,

YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan made an annual statement at the sitting of the National Assembly on April 30 introducing the performance of the Artsakh Republic President’s program in 2019 and from January 2020 till the end of term of office of the acting Artsakh Republic President, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

Bako Sahakyan presented the work carried out in various directions and noted that in 2019 large-scale activities had been realized in all the spheres of the republic’s life as a result of which positive indicators were registered, and a stable progress was ensured, one of the most important indicators of which being the 10,3% economic growth.

In the final part of the report President Sahakyan touched upon a number of key indicators of the development of the Artsakh Republic during his tenure.

“Now I will move on to some figures and indicators that characterize the results of the 13 years of our joint work, which I do not consider superfluous to speak about from this rostrum.

Quite a lot of work has been carried out, various strategically important projects have been brought to life. Our country has gone through serious difficulties and has overcome them with honor.

As is known, the most significant indicator characterizing the social and economic situation of the country is the gross domestic product. In 2007 it amounted to about 70,8 billion Drams, while in 2019 it exceeded 342 billion Drams.

If in 2007 GDP per capita constituted $1490, last year this index was $4803.

The volume of the state budget for 2007 was 30,8 billion Drams. In 2020, as you know, it amounted to about 121 billion Drams.

Here are some indices registered in different spheres in 2007 and 2019:

– the volume of industrial production has increased from 22 billion to 164,5 billion Drams,
– gross agricultural output has increased from 23,8 billion to almost 70,6 billion Drams,
– the volume of construction has increased from 20,8 billion to 64,6 billion Drams,
– the foreign trade turnover has increased from $277,4 million to more than $656 million.

If in 2007 the energy produced in our country was 90,4 million Kwh, then in 2019 only the amount of energy exported from the Artsakh Republic was almost that much – 85,7 million Kwh, while the total amount of the produced energy was 479,3 million Kwh.

As a result of the realization of state programs aimed at improving the demographic situation, the population of the Artsakh Republic has increased by more than 10 thousand people throughout these years.
Infrastructures of strategic importance have been constructed in our country. The North-South highway has been completed, the Martakert-Vardenis highway has been built, many other roads have been put into operation and repaired.

Capital Stepanakert and dozens of other settlements of the republic have been provided with round-the-clock water supply. It is a fact, that Stepanakert and Shoushi, various villages and towns have been substantially changed for the better.

Extensive work has been carried out in the field of foreign policy to make our country recognizable to the world. Thus, the process of recognition of the Artsakh Republic by the administrative units of different countries started in 2012 is underway today, the development of bilateral relations is actively going on.
Our athletes have achieved tangible results, having won various international competitions almost every year in the recent time period. We also have serious results in the field of culture.

The biggest challenge of all these years was the April war. The Defense Army, our people together with Mother Armenia and the Diaspora neutralized the enemy’s criminal plans, defended the independence, security and dignity of our country.

Speaking of all this, I would like to mention that I am far from thinking that we succeeded to solve all the problems within our terms of responsibility. There is still much to do.

The world is dynamically changing, new challenges are emerging. The problems we face are no less important and responsible, and they will require the application of maximum efforts, consolidating the potential of our entire nation. Only together can we overcome the difficulties,” highlighted the President.

Bako Sahakyan expressed confidence that the new authorities of the republic, based on the achievements of these years, would continue, in some cases, multiply them and efficiently solve all the problems aimed at dynamic improvement of the country’s socioeconomic situation, increasing the people’s welfare on a constituent basis, ensuring reliable security of the citizens, and wished everyone peace, robust health, success and fruitful work for the glory of our homeland and people.

Armenian FM holds phone talk with Italian counterpart

Christine Harutyunian

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 15:00,

YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenian foreign minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan held on April 29 a telephone conversation with Italy’s minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation Luigi di Maio, the Armenian MFA told Armenpress.

“On behalf of the Armenian people and government, FM Mnatsakanyan expressed support to the good people of Italy on effectively addressing the challenges caused by the pandemic and quickly overcoming it.

The Armenian FM introduced his Italian counterpart on the actions and programs taken by the Armenian government to prevent the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and mitigate its economic-social consequences.

In the context of fighting COVID-19 and eliminating its consequences the two FMs exchanged views on the new initiatives of the international cooperation.

Coming to the bilateral agenda-related issues, FM Mnatsakanyan stated that Armenia attaches special importance to the development of relations based on the common Armenian-Italian civilizational values. In this regard they praised the high-level political dialogue between Armenia and Italy, as well as outlined the future steps to further strengthen and expand the cooperation in the fields of mutual interest.

During the phone talk the ministers also touched upon broad range of international and regional security issues”, the Armenian MFA said in a statement.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan