Wednesday,
IMF Sees Coronavirus-Driven GDP Drop In Armenia
Armenia -- Workers at a newly opened diamond processing plant in Abovian,
December 2, 2019.
Armenia’s GDP is on course to shrink by 1.5 percent this year as the global
economy is entering a severe recession resulting from the coronavirus pandemic,
the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.
In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF forecast the worst global economic
crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The world economy will contract
by 3 percent before rebounding in 2021, it said.
The fund cautioned that this is a “baseline scenario” which assumes that the
pandemic will fade in the second half of 2020. “The pandemic could prove more
persistent than assumed in the baseline,” it said.
The Armenian economy grew by 7.6 percent last year and continued to expand
robustly in the first two months of this year. However, the situation changed
dramatically last month as the Armenian government put the country under
lockdown to fight against coronavirus.
The IMF said that Armenia will fall into a recession in 2020 but should grow by
4.8 percent already next year. It predicted steeper GDP contractions in the two
other South Caucasus states: Azerbaijan and Georgia.
The fund also expects that the Russian economy will shrink by 5.5 percent
primarily due to the collapse of international oil prices. Russia is Armenia’s
main trading partner, export market and source of multimillion-dollar
remittances from migrant workers.
U.S. -- A man walks past the IMF logo at its headquarters in Washington, May 10,
2018.
In a similar global report released on April 9, the World Bank said that the
Armenian economy could still grow by 1.7 percent in 2020 despite the pandemic.
But it warned that a prolonged health crisis would lead to “stagnant GDP or even
an economic contraction.”
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian admitted on April 10 that his country now stands
“on the brink of a recession.” “It seems inevitable,” he said during a video
conference with the prime ministers of Russia and three other ex-Soviet states
making up the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union.
Pashinian’s government approved late last month a wide-ranging stimulus package
designed to cushion the economic impact of coronavirus. It includes cash
payments to a large part of the population, financial assistance to businesses
and loan subsidies for farmers.
On Sunday, the government decided to allow more types of business activity,
notably construction and cement and cigarette manufacturing, despite the
continuing spread of the disease which has already killed 16 Armenians.
The Armenian Ministry of Health said on Tuesday morning that 28 more people
tested positive for coronavirus in the past day, raising to 1,067 the total of
COVID-19 cases recorded in the country. Almost twice as many other people
recovered from the disease in the same period, according to it.
The ministry reported similar daily numbers of new infections in the course of
last week. The virus spread more rapidly in Armenia earlier in April and in late
March.
Also, Armenian health authorities claim to have more than doubled the daily
number of coronavirus tests in the last three days.
“I believe that right now we have a very serious chance to break the spine of
the epidemic,” Pashinian said when he cited the latest official figures in a
Facebook livestream.
The premier acknowledged that the government’s decision to reopen some sectors
of the domestic economy could reverse “recent days’ positive dynamic.” He again
urged the affected companies and their workers to follow social distancing rules
and take other precautions.
Senior Official Unimpressed By Armenian Judicial Reform
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia- The newly elected head of the Commission on Prevention of Corruption,
Haykuhi Harutiunian, at a news conference in Yerevan, November 26, 2019.
Judicial reforms launched by the Armenian government are a far cry from a
mandatory “vetting” of all judges demanded by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian
last year, the head of a state anti-corruption watchdog said on Tuesday.
Pashinian accused the Armenian judiciary of remaining linked to the country’s
“corrupt former regime” and vowed to replace many judges last May after a
district court in Yerevan freed Robert Kocharian, a former president facing coup
and corruption charges strongly denied by him.
Pashinian’s government agreed, however, to water down the planned judicial
reforms after subsequent consultations with legal experts from the Council of
Europe. In an October report, the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission praised
it for abandoning the “headstrong approach” initially adopted by the prime
minister.
The Armenian Justice Ministry said afterwards that the reforms will involve a
“verification of the integrity” of judges which will be carried out by the newly
formed Commission on Prevention of Corruption.
Under a relevant government bill passed by the Armenian parliament last month,
the commission will scrutinize their assets and income declarations. It is
empowered to not only launch disciplinary proceedings against judges suspected
of having dubiously acquired assets but also recommend their prosecution by
law-enforcement bodies.
Armenia -- Supporters of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian block the entrance to a
district court building in Yerevan, May 20, 2019.
The commission chairwoman, Haykuhi Harutiunian, seemed unimpressed with these
powers. She complained that the government declined to incorporate into the bill
proposals made by the commission.
“The commission will not be taking any actions in connection with decisions made
by judges, their conduct or so-called integrity,” she told RFE/RL’s Armenian
service.
The official appointed by the parliament argued that the anti-graft body will
only have access to detailed information about judges’ assets and financial
transactions declared after July 2017.
“The commission will have a more limited capacity to look into the legality of
assets and incomes declared in 2016, 2015, 2014 or 2013 and to take action in
case of finding violations in them,” she said.
Harutiunian insisted that the judicial reforms have therefore little to do with
vetting. The authorities will only vet lawyers aspiring to become judges, she
said.
Commenting on these remarks, Deputy Justice Minister Srbuhi Galian stressed the
importance of the powers given to Harutiunian’s commission.
Opposition groups, notably supporters of Kocharian and another former Armenian
president, Serzh Sarkisian, have repeatedly accused the current authorities of
seeking to gain control over the judiciary. They have pointed to charges brought
in July against the judge who ordered Kocharian’s release from prison. The
ex-president was arrested again in June.
The authorities deny such claims. Pashinian has repeatedly stated that the
reforms initiated by him will help to make Armenian courts “truly independent.”
Karabakh Holds Presidential Runoff Amid Coronavirus Concerns
• Sargis Harutyunyan
Nagorno-Karabakh -- A voter (L) and an election commission official at a polling
station in Stepanakert, March 31, 2020.
Residents of Nagorno-Karabakh went to the polls on Tuesday in the second round
of a presidential election held amid serious concerns about the spread of
coronavirus in the Armenian-populated territory which had broken away from
Azerbaijan in 1991.
Ara Harutiunian, a wealthy businessman and former prime minister, won over 49
percent of the vote in the first round held on March 31 and was seen as the
favorite to succeed Bako Sahakian, Karabakh’s outgoing president. His
challenger, Masis Mayilian, finished second with 26.4 percent.
Citing the coronavirus pandemic, Mayilian urged supporters on April 5 to boycott
the runoff. But he stopped short of withdrawing from the presidential race.
Sources told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that Mayilian will not cast his vote on
Tuesday.
Other political and civic figures in Karabakh as well as Armenia also called for
a postponement or cancellation of the election. The authorities in Stepanakert
dismissed those calls, saying that precautionary measures taken by them will
contain the spread of the virus.
The authorities did not change their stance, effectively backed by Harutiunian,
even after reporting the first case of coronavirus in Karabakh on April 5. Five
more people tested positive for the virus and more than a dozen others were
quarantined in the following days, according to them.
On April 12, Sahakian declared a coronavirus-related “emergency situation” in
the region but made clear that the runoff will go ahead as planned. The
emergency rule bans public gatherings, restricts transport links within Karabakh
and bars citizens of Armenia and other countries from entering the region.
All of Karabakh’s more than 280 polling stations were disinfected on the eve of
the controversial runoff. As was the case on March 31, every voter was handed a
face mask, gloves and a single-use pen when entering them. Election officials
also wore protective masks and gloves.
According to the local central election commission, 28 percent of Karabakh’s
103,000 eligible voters cast their ballots as of 2 p.m. local time. The turnout
thus seemed to be considerably lower than in the first round of voting.
Karabakh Armenians also elected on March 31 their new parliament. Harutiunian’s
Free Fatherland party won more than 40 percent of those votes and will control
16 of the 33 parliament seats.
The opposition United Homeland party of Samvel Babayan, a former Karabakh army
commander, will be the second largest parliamentary force with 9 seats. Three
other political groups will also be represented in the local legislature.
Azerbaijan strongly condemned the Karabakh elections, saying that they run
counter to Azerbaijani and international law. It also said that that Karabakh is
governed by an “illegal regime installed by Armenia.”
U.S., Russian and French diplomats co-heading the OSCE Minsk Group stressed, for
their part, that Karabakh is not recognized as an independent state by the
international community and that “the so-called general elections” cannot
predetermine the outcome of Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks mediated by them.
The European Union likewise said that the elections “cannot prejudice the
determination of the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh” and that it “does not
recognize the constitutional and legal framework within which they are being
held.”
By contrast, Armenia defended the holding of the polls. It argued that OSCE
member states had adopted in 1992 a document saying that “elected
representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh” should also participate in the peace
process.
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.
Category: 2020
Gegharkunik again became the only region of Armenia free from coronavirus
Arminfo, Armenia
ArmInfo. Gegharkunik region regained the title of the only region of Armenia free from coronavirus. Just three days ago, on April 11, the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Gegharkunik. Meanwhile, yesterday it became known that the second test for coronavirus is negative. The doctors decided to conduct the third test. As governor of the region Gnel Sanosyan wrote on his Facebook page, the third test also gave a negative result. Thus, further medical care of this patient will be carried out taking into account medical indications. Despite the good news, the governor again called on citizens to be vigilant, strictly observe personal hygiene rules and leave the house only in case of emergency. Sanosyan also expressed gratitude to the doctors, especially the staff of the Nork Infectious Disease Hospital and the Surb Grigor Lusavorich MC, for their selfless struggle for the health and life of each patient. We add that in total, 1067 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the republic, 265 people recovered. Currently, 786 citizens are receiving treatment.
Andranik Kocharyan: In terms of pandemic, some political forces are trying to create a false political agenda in the country
Arminfo, Armenia
ArmInfo. In terms of pandemic, some political forces are trying to create a false political agenda through fakes. Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Defense and Security, MP from the “My Step” faction Andranik Kocharyan stated in the parliament.
He noted that due to the spread of coronavirus infection in the country, when virtual reality occupies one of the main places in the life of the public, these political forces are trying to take advantage of the current situation.
37.5% of voters voted in Artsakh President elections as of 5:00pm
Arminfo, Armenia
ArmInfo.As of 5:00 p.m., 37.5% of eligible voters voted in the presidential elections in Artsakh. This was reported by the press service of the CEC of the republic.
According to the source, a total of 38,839 voters voted by the abovementioned time.
To recall, in Karabakh on April 14, the second round of the presidential election is taking place. Former Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan and Foreign Minister Masis Mayilyan are running.
Bako Sahakyan explained reasons for low turnout during the second round of presidential elections in Artsakh
Arminfo, Armenia
ArmInfo. Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan, in an interview with reporters, commented on the relatively low voter turnout in the NKR presidential elections.
In particular, Sahakyan stated that it is probably partially related to the spread of coronavirus infection in the country.
Artsakh President also stated that the NKR authorities to some extent assumed that turnout would be low, however, everything necessary was done to ensure the security of voting and prevent the spread of coronavirus. Bako Sahakyan also touched upon the Armenian-Russian relations, saying that they have the most significant strategic importance and should develop.
It should be noted that on March 14 the second round of the presidential election is being held in Artsakh. Former NKR Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan, who gained 49.26%, and incumbent Foreign Minister Masis Mayilyan with 26.4%, entered the second round.
Sole custodian of Armenian church in Dhaka dies at 89
Panorama, Armenia
Society 14:18 14/04/2020 World
The last Armenian who took care of the Armenian Church of Holy Resurrection in Old Dhaka, Bangladesh in the past decades, Michael Joseph Martin (Mikhail Hovsep Martirossian) has passed away at the age of 89, Arevelk newspaper reports.
His family confirmed the news, adding no other Armenians lived in the city any longer, the church had no abbot for a long time and Mikhail Martirossian was its sole custodian.
He was born on 6 June 1930 in Rangoon, Burma (currently Myanmar) and moved to Dhaka in 1942. From the 1980s, he took care of the church and the cemetery next to it, where about 400 Armenians are buried.
Mikhail Martirossian was awarded a medal by Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II for his service to the Armenian church.
He died in Canada, where he had moved due to his advanced age and illness in order to be close to his children.
Can storytelling help overcome war trauma? This Armenian film lab wants to reshape the narrative of the Syrian conflict
Calvert Journal
Culture Profile Armenia
The hakawati — Arabic for storyteller — once played a central role in Middle Eastern society, drawing together communities and disparate crowds. Based in Armenia’s lush Lori region, the modern-day Hakawati Project hopes to do similar work: healing the wounds of the war in Syria by forging new bonds and new stories.
Text: Lucía de la Torre
Top image: Sasha Baranovskaya
The Syrian War has affected the lives of millions, but much of the media narrative around the crisis has been shaped by those who view the conflict from the outside. No experience of war is the same, yet for many survivors, it is still disorienting when their memories of an event do not match the story that is told to the world.
Actress, writer, producer, and activist Sona Tatoyan is a first-generation Armenian-American from Syria who grew up between the Armenian community in Aleppo and the United States. “As a child, I was struck by how history books in the United States never mentioned the Armenian Genocide, even though these stories were essential to my family’s identity as survivors of conflict,” Tatoyan told The Calvert Journal. “From an early age, I knew I could not trust official accounts of history.”
Tatoyan felt as if part of her identity had been erased. She realised that there was a deep problem in how mainstream narratives constructed reality. Years later, when her family in Syria found themselves as victims once more, Tatoyan realised that she did not want individual stories such as theirs to be overshadowed by Western mainstream discourse. The Hakawati Project was born in order to fight back.
Scheduled to take place in the northern Armenian region of Lori in the summer of 2021, the project encompasses a comprehensive, two-month filmmaking lab aimed at those from communities affected by the Syrian conflict. During the programme, the participants will gather in Armenia to take part in workshops in different disciplines of cinema, before releasing six short films to tell the story of the Syrian crisis in fresh, unseen ways. “We hope that victims will be able to harness the power of the narrative,” Tatoyan says, “using it to tell their own stories and democratise the mainstream discourse”.
Despite still being in its development phase, the project is already transnational in practice and Armenian in nature, bringing together professionals and activists from Armenia, the diaspora, and abroad. Organised in partnership with the Sundance Institute and Film Independent — both LA-based nonprofit arts organisations — on the ground, the project relies on the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, an educational program in technology and design based in Armenia, and The Independent Filmmaker’s Community of Armenia. Following the pilot edition of the project, Tatoyan’s long-term dream would be to set up an independent film institute in Armenia. “It is through storytelling that we understand commonality and truly put ourselves in someone else’s skin,” she says.
As a country with a history of suffering and rising from the ashes, Tatoyan believes that Armenia will serve as an appropriate spot to build more bridges between victims of the Syrian war and international audiences, who are now often numbed and overwhelmed with faceless statistics and anonymous stories. At the start of the 20th century, Syria served as refuge for the thousands of civilians fleeing the Armenian Genocide, later becoming home to one of the biggest Armenian diaspora communities in the world. A century later, Armenia has taken in around 20,000 Syrian refugees, most of them of ethnic Armenian background.
Armenians, she says, are storytellers by nature. “The streets of Yerevan are named after writers, poets, and musicians. Armenians have historically been victims of the narrative, yet have found ways to transform it and move forward,” Tatoyan says. “With the arrival of Syrian refugees, Armenia has the chance to sublimate its own trauma and turn it into a valuable lesson”. The Hakawati Project aims to amplify the voices of those often silenced in mainstream media to help them transform the discourse and overcome wartime trauma. “Whoever tells the story, has the power to shape the culture. Filmmaking, both healing and informative, can reshape the narrative of the Syrian conflict.”
Armenian National Library Week dedicated to Anne Frank to be held online
15:36,
YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Library Association and the Civil Society Institute of Armenia are organizing online events as part of the National Library Week dedicated to Anne Frank and her The Diary of Anne Frank, the Khnko Aper Children’s Library said in a news release.
The Diary of Anne Frank was translated into Armenian first time in 1962.
On June 12th, 2019, the 90th anniversary of birth of Anne Frank, a more comprehensive translation from the original Dutch language was published. On this occasion, many themed events were organized in Armenian libraries dedicated to Anne Frank, and the 2020 April 13-20 National Library Week is dedicated to her as well.
Despite the coronavirus-related state of emergency and lockdown, organizers did not postpone the event but chose to hold it remotely, online, “because the issues which are touched upon in this highly emotional book are unfortunately topical in the context of present times as well”.
The project is sponsored by the Embassy of Netherlands in Armenia and Georgia.
The remote events will feature discussions, exhibitions and lectures.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
Coronavirus: 1,617 new cases confirmed in Iran
15:47,
YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS. 1,617 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Iran in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infected to 73,303, the Armenian Embassy in Iran reports.
Death toll has reached 4,585.
3,877 citizens are in serious condition.
2,089 more patients have recovered. The total number of recoveries is 45,983.
In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. WHO declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global pandemic and named the virus COVID-19.
According to the data of the World Health Organization, coronavirus cases have been confirmed in more than 210 countries and territories.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
Armenia’s Ambassador to Italy and Malta relieved from position
15:11,
YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian signed a decree on relieving Ambassador to Italy and Malta Viktoria Baghdasaryan from the position, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
The President signed the respective decree based on the Prime Minister’s proposal.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan