2020 – Page 893 – Armenian Directory & News

Asbarez: EAFJD Criticizes E.U.’s ‘Discouraging’ Stance on Artsakh Elections

April 3, 2020March 12, 2026 Talar Tumanian

April 2, 2020

A ballot box in Artsakh

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy, the ANC of Europe, expressed its disappointment with a recent statement by a high-ranking European Union official who disparaged Tuesday’s presidential and parliamentary elections in Artsakh.

The official in question is Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative and the Vice-President of the European Commission, who in comments to the press before Tuesday’s election said that the EU “does not recognize the constitutional and legal framework within which they [the Artsakh elections] are being held.”

Borrell went on to say that “this event [the elections] cannot prejudice the determination of the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh or the outcome of the ongoing negotiation process.”

EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian

In an open letter publicized on Wednesday, EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian said Borrell’s comments send “a signal that the political status of a country is a prerequisite for enjoying universal human rights”

Below is the text of the letter.

As a European grassroots organization with members in fourteen Member States of the European Union and first of all as citizens of the European Union, we would like to express our disappointment and deep discontentment with the recent statement of the European External Action Service concerning the presidential and parliamentary elections in the Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh Republic – a statement that unfortunately discourages a democratic way of organizing a society.

We do believe that the European Union is a union that is based on values and attaches great importance to upholding the universal human rights and democracy, within the borders of the EU and outside of it. In fact, any elected government in the EU is accountable for standing for these values.

On 31. March the people of Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh exercised their right to vote and reiterated their commitment to organize their society according to the principles of transparency and democracy. This is a path that they consciously and willingly chose more than 25 years ago and have been faithful to since the collapse of the Soviet Union without any help from the outside and despite extremely complex, unfriendly geopolitical situation.
With such discouraging statements the EEAS sends a signal that the political status of a country is a prerequisite for enjoying universal human rights. In fact, international law does not recognize any limitation over human rights of individuals or groups based on the status of the country of their residence and contains no discriminatory provisions in relation to non-recognized states.

No conflict has been solved in a sustainable way through isolating, marginalizing the people who are directly affected by it and without speaking or listening to them. As citizens of the EU we therefore call on the External Action Service to reconsider its position regarding this matter and we do sincerely hope that it does so.

Sincerely,

Kaspar Karampetian
EAFJD President

Azerbaijan Bears Legal Responsibility for April War, Says Stepanakert

April 3, 2020March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

April 2, 2020

Artsakh soldiers man a cannon during the 2016 April War (Reuters photo)

On the fourth anniversary of Azerbaijan’s egregious and violent attack on Artsakh, which is commonly known as the 2016 April War, the Artsakh Foreign Ministry said that Azerbaijan bears international and legal responsibility not only for unleashing the brutal attack, but also for the barbaric criminal acts its soldiers committed against civilians and military personnel at the time.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Artsakh foreign ministry pointed to how official Baku elevated its military servicemen who committed heinous acts against Artsakh civilians and soldiers, but added that the 2016 April War further strengthened the resolve of the people of Artsakh to advance its statehood, “which is the best guarantee for the safe existence and peaceful development of the people of Artsakh.”

Below is the foreign ministry statement.

Four years ago, on April 2, 2016, in flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement, the Azerbaijani armed forces attacked the Republic of Artsakh. They targeted not only the front-line positions of the Defense Army of Artsakh, but also the civilians. The intensity and scale of the hostilities, the number of forces and military equipment deployed by Azerbaijan, as well as the actions of the Azerbaijani side taken prior to the attack to deliberately escalate the tensions and disrupt the peace process indicate that the April 2 aggression was a carefully planned and prepared military operation.

Azerbaijan’s aggression was accompanied by gross violations of international humanitarian law and the rules of warfare. These crimes were documented in detail by the Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh and presented to the international community in two special reports.

The aggression in April 2016 was another attempt by Azerbaijan to resolve the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict by force. Only thanks to the decisive actions of the Artsakh Defense Army, as well as the support by all Armenians, it was possible to disrupt the military plans of Baku and to force the Azerbaijani side to comply with the ceasefire regime.

Azerbaijan’s attack on Artsakh became a challenge not only for our Republic, but also for the peace process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmanship, for the peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict. It is noteworthy that shortly before the April aggression, on March 19, 2016, the President of Azerbaijan openly accused the Minsk Group Co-Chairmen of “using their destructive activities to freeze the conflict, and therefore the faith of the Azerbaijani people in their activities is completely undermined.

Azerbaijan bears international legal responsibility for both unleashing the April aggression and for the criminal acts committed by its servicemen during the aggression against Artsakh. The fact that the Azerbaijani servicemen, who had committed war crimes, were personally awarded by the President of Azerbaijan is another confirmation that these actions were committed either on the instructions, or under the leadership or control of the Azerbaijani authorities. Given that such crimes have no statute of limitations, the Republic of Artsakh will continue exerting consistent efforts to bring those responsible to justice.

The April aggression only strengthened the determination of the people and authorities of the Republic of Artsakh to continue the chosen path of further consolidation and development of their statehood, which is the best guarantee for the safe existence and peaceful development of the people of Artsakh.

Today, we pay tribute to all those that deceased, repelling the Azerbaijani aggression in April 2016, or became innocent victims of the military adventure of Baku. We also express our gratitude to all and everyone who supported the people of Artsakh during these tragic days.

ANCA: OSCE Response to Artsakh Elections Betrays America’s Commitment to Democracy

April 3, 2020March 12, 2026 Hovik Karapetian

April 2, 2020

The U.S. Declaration of Independence affirms certain unalienable rights, including free and fair elections as the basis for democratic self-determination. “Sadly, this week’s OSCE Minsk Group statement on the elections in Artsakh falls far short of this democratic yardstick,” stated ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian.

WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America on Thursday voiced sharp disappointment with the U.S. Co-Chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group for its role in a joint U.S.-French-Russian statement dismissing the March 31 Artsakh elections, underscoring that such reactions – in addition to setting back the cause of peace – denigrate America’s own founding commitment to free and fair elections as the basis for democratic self-determination.

“The United States can only apply one standard when it comes to elections – the benchmark set by our founders in the Declaration of Independence – establishing our unconditional support for the unalienable right to establish democratically elected governments deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” said ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian. “Sadly, this week’s OSCE Minsk Group statement on the elections in Artsakh falls far short of this democratic yardstick.”

“Instead of emboldening an already overly-aggressive Aliyev regime by echoing its patently anti-democratic talking points, American leaders should be praising Artsakh’s free and fair elections. The search for a peaceful resolution of outstanding status and security issues between Artsakh and Azerbaijan requires more democracy, not less – more diplomacy, not less – despite Aliyev’s dictates,” added Hamparian.

The OSCE/CSCE – of which the U.S. is a leading member – launched the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) peace process (now known as the Minsk Group, co-chaired by the U.S., France, and Russia) in March of 1992 with official, written reference to the “elected representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh” as a party to these talks.
Artsakh holding free and fair elections is entirely in keeping with the OSCE’s mandate that it be represented in the peace process by “elected representatives.”
The 1994 Artsakh cease-fire (known as the Bishkek Protocol) that has held for more than a quarter-century – despite countless Azerbaijani violations – featured the signature of the duly elected leadership of the Artsakh Republic, along with those of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The OSCE Minsk Group – including the U.S. Co-Chairman – regularly consults, in Stepanakert, with the Artsakh government, seeking its support in bringing about a peaceful resolution of outstanding Artsakh status and security issues.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 19, 1966, affirms the universal principle that: “All peoples have the right of self-determination.”

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 04/02/2020

April 3, 2020March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

                                        Thursday, April 2, 2020
EU Announces Coronavirus Aid Package For Armenia
Belgium -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen holds a news 
conference detailing EU efforts to limit economic impact of the coronavirus 
outbreak, Brussels, April 2, 2020.
The European Union announced on Thursday 51 million euros ($55 million) in 
assistance designed to help Armenia deal tackle the coronavirus epidemic and its 
severe socioeconomic consequences.
The EU Delegation in Yerevan said this includes 18 million euros in “new funds” 
allocated to Armenia and 33 million euros that will be “redirected” from other 
projects which it had planned to finance in the country.
It said the aid package will be used for supplying medical equipment, training 
medical personnel, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and providing 
humanitarian assistance to socially vulnerable groups of the population.
“More is yet to come through access to important regional banking facilities and 
further restructuring of projects,” the delegation added in a statement.
According to additional information posted on the mission’s Facebook page, the 
EU will spend 30 million euros on supporting Armenian businesses by improving 
their “access to cheap loans, working capital and guarantees.”
It also says: “Over 3,000 vulnerable households with elderly people, people with 
disabilities and large families in Shirak, Tavush and Lori regions will receive 
humanitarian aid packages.”
The EU announcement marks the largest coronavirus-related aid allocation secured 
by Armenia so far.
The United States last week pledged to provide with more than $1 million in 
similar aid. It is primarily aimed at strengthening Armenian health authorities’ 
capacity monitor infections and detect the virus.
Armenia Praises Karabakh Polls
Nagorno-Karabakh -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (C), Karabakh 
President Bako Sahakian (R) and Archbishop Pargev Martirosian leave a newly 
built church in Stepanakert, May 9, 2019.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday described the latest presidential and 
parliamentary elections in Nagorno-Karabakh as democratic and said they could 
facilitate a resolution of the Karabakh conflict.
“I think that those were high-quality elections and that is evidenced by their 
official results,” Pashinian said as he opened a weekly cabinet meeting in 
Yerevan.
“The unprecedentedly large number of presidential candidates and participants of 
the parliamentary elections is quite telling,” he said. “Also quite telling is 
the fact that opposition, rather than pro-government, forces finished second and 
third in the parliamentary elections.”
“And I think that further development of democracy in Artsakh (Karabakh) is 
important also in terms achieving a just settlement of the conflict and security 
and stability in the region,” added Pashinian.
Azerbaijan strongly condemned the Karabakh elections held on Tuesday, saying 
that they run counter to Azerbaijani and international law. It also said that 
that the Armenian-populated territory, which broke away from Azerbaijani rule in 
19991, 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 mediators noted at the same time that they “recognize the role of the 
population of Nagorno-Karabakh in deciding its future” as part of a future 
resolution of the conflict.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry called the latter point “noteworthy,” saying that 
peace proposals made by the three mediating powers uphold the Karabakh 
Armenians’ right to self-determination.
Official election results showed Ara Harutiunian, a wealthy businessman and 
Karabakh’s former prime minister, winning the first round of the presidential 
ballot with over 49 percent of the vote. Masis Mayilian, the outgoing Karabakh 
foreign minister, came in second with 26.4 percent, meaning that the two men 
will face each other in a runoff two weeks later.
Also, five parties won seats in the Karabakh legislature. Harutiunian’s Free 
Fatherland will control the largest number of seats but will lack an overall 
majority.
Both Harutiunian and Mayilian have good relations with the current Armenian 
government, unlike Vitaly Balasanian, a retired general who finished third in 
the presidential race.
Balasanian has harshly criticized Pashinian over the past year. Pashinian’s 
political allies have responded by accusing him of maintaining close ties with 
Serzh Sarkisian, Armenia’s former president toppled in the 2018 “Velvet 
Revolution.”
Incidentally, Sarkisian also praised the conduct of the “democratic” elections 
and urged all Karabakh factions to recognize their official results.
Mayilian stopped short of doing so in a statement released on Thursday. “We are 
now holding political consultations and will inform the public about our further 
steps in the coming days,” he said.
Balasanian made clear, meanwhile, that he will not endorse Harutiunian or 
Mayilian ahead of the planned runoff because of his “ideological differences” 
with them. He also urged the rival camps to “avoid upheavals and 
destabilization.”
Both Mayilian and Balasanian again criticized the authorities in Stepanakert for 
not postponing the polls because of serious concerns about the spread of 
coronavirus in Karabakh. Mayilian pointed out that the coronavirus epidemic 
inhibited the work of hundreds of election observers who arrived from Armenia.
Some of those observers reported serious irregularities on election day. They 
were particularly alarmed by the fact that many Karabakh voters photographed 
their marked ballots before casting them.
Government Approves More Cash Handouts To Struggling Families
        • Artak Khulian
Armenia -- Labor and Social Affairs Minister Zaruhi Batoyan at a news conference 
in Yerevan, April 2, 2020.
The Armenian government approved on Thursday cash payments to more people who 
have been hit hard by economic disruptions resulting from the coronavirus 
epidemic.
The fresh financial assistance will be provided to the underage children of 
those Armenians who had no officially registered jobs or businesses or did not 
receive poverty benefits when the unprecedented shutdowns began on March 12. 
Their parents will receive 26,500 drams ($52) per child.
The government already allocated on Monday 68,000 drams to registered workers 
who have lost their jobs during the crisis. The employees of hotels, travel 
agencies, restaurants, clothing stores and other businesses closed since March 
13 will be paid up to 136,000 drams.
The government initially planned no such one-off payments to people involved in 
the informal sector of the Armenian economy.
Labor and Social Affairs Minister Zaruhi Batoyan said the government will now 
also help “those citizens who could not benefit from the measures announced by 
us” earlier. Speaking during a cabinet meeting in Yerevan, she gave no estimates 
as to the number of the new recipients of the government aid.
As part of its efforts to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus 
lockdown, the government also decided last week to allocate grants to many 
private firms and subsidize commercial bank loans to small businesses and 
farmers.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Thursday that this aid package “will help 
hundreds of thousands of our compatriots to overcome this crisis.”
Pashinian’s political opponents have dismissed these measures as insufficient.
More Armenian Hospitals To Treat Coronavirus
        • Ruzanna Stepanian
        • Narine Ghalechian
Armenia -- Medical workers are seen outside the Nork hospital in Yerevan where 
coronavirus patients are treated, March 20, 2020.
Health authorities are setting up hundreds of additional hospital beds to cope 
with a continuing rise in coronavirus cases in Armenia.
The Armenian Ministry of Health on Thursday added the country’s largest 
hospital, the Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center, to the list of hospitals that 
are currently treating only people infected with coronavirus.
Dozens of ambulances began transporting its patients suffering from other 
diseases to three other hospitals also located in Yerevan.
“We will finish [the evacuation] today and be ready to admit [coronavirus] 
patients starting from tomorrow,” Grigorich Lusavorich’s deputy director, Petros 
Manukian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
Manukian said that around 400 hospital beds, including those of an intensive 
care unit, will be made available for that purpose.
Eight other hospitals located in Yerevan and four other cities were turned into 
COVID-19 clinics last month. According Health Minister Arsen Torosian, a total 
of 16 medical centers across the country are currently treating coronavirus 
patients.
Torosian said on Thursday that the authorities are also making contingency plans 
to convert indoor sports arenas into makeshift hospitals that would accommodate 
hundreds and possibly thousands of more patients. “We must be prepared for any 
scenario,” he told a news conference.
More than a hundred beds have already been placed at Yerevan’s Karen Demirchian 
Sports and Concert Complex, Armenia’s largest concert hall.
Armenia -- Health Minister Arsen Torosian at a news conference in Yerevan, March 
26, 2020.
The urgent measures were announced as the number of officially registered 
coronavirus cases in the county reached 663, up from 571 cases reported on 
Wednesday morning.
Torosian said that the vast majority of the 92 persons who tested positive for 
the virus in the past day had come into contact with known COVID-19 patients. 
Others include Armenians who were infected abroad and returned home in recent 
weeks, the minister said at a cabinet meeting in Yerevan.
The Ministry of Health also reported another coronavirus-related death on 
Thursday, raising the nationwide death toll from the virus to 5. In Torosian’s 
words, four other people infected with the disease are in a critical condition. 
No other patients are connected to lung ventilators at present, he added.
Coronavirus cases in the country are thus continuing to rise despite 
stay-at-home orders, travel restrictions and business shutdowns initiated by the 
Armenian government. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian blamed that on “widespread 
complacency” among Armenians.
“It is this complacency which is creating the danger of a faster pace of 
infections,” complained Pashinian. He stressed at the same time that “the 
situation is still manageable.”
Torosian also informed Pashinian and fellow cabinet members that the health 
authorities will sharply increase the number of coronavirus tests which have 
reportedly averaged over 200 a day in the past week.
“Very soon 400-500 tests will be conducted on a daily basis,” he said. “This 
number will reach 1,500 after we acquire new equipment.”
The equipment also includes 100 ventilators which are due to be shipped from 
China to Armenia in the coming days. Armenian hospitals currently have more than 
70 such life-saving devices set aside for coronavirus cases.
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.

ACNIS reView from Yerevan #10, 2020_Weekly Update_21-28 March

April 3, 2020March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

Weekly Update

29 MARCH 2020

On March 28, as of 10 am 43 new cases of infection with COVID-19 have been reported, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention informed. In total, as of March 28 372 people have been infected with coronavirus. 2172 tests were negative. At the moment, 343 people are receiving treatment. 28 patients have recovered. 1 patient died, Lragir.am informed.

The ANCA welcomed confirmation, shared today with the ANCA by the State Department, that the global U.S. COVID-19 emergency aid package – which will provide $274 million in resources to 64 of the world’s most at-risk countries will include $1.1 million for Armenia. ArmInfo was informed about this in the press service of the Armenian National Committee of America. Earlier this week, ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian encouraged U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy “to ensure that needed U.S. foreign assistance resources are directed to help Armenia deal with this health emergency, in cooperation with Armenia’s Ministry of Health and in support of other public health stakeholders, such as the American University of Armenia’s Center for Health Services Research and social service organizations like the Armenian Relief Society.” Hamparian’s March 24th letter to Ambassador Tracy went on to note that “Funds appropriated by Congress can play a vital role at this crucial moment, as can U.S. technical assistance in public health reporting, data collection, and capacity building.” The additional U.S. health assistance will help Armenia prepare laboratory systems, activate case finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, and bolster risk communication.

RFE/RL’s Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am) reported, Armenian banks have agreed to suspend loan repayments for tens of thousands of individual borrowers and businesses hit hard by economic fallout from by the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced on Friday. “The volume of the restructured loans is around 200 billion drams ($404 million),” Pashinian wrote on Facebook. They were borrowed by around 97,000 individuals and nearly 3,400 local firms, he said. The Armenian government last week imposed strict restrictions on people’s movement and ordered the closure of most firms to tackle the spread of coronavirus. The lockdown has left scores of Armenians facing a loss of jobs and income.

The US now has more confirmed cases of coronavirus than any other country, with more than 85,500 positive tests, BBC reported. According to the latest figures collated by Johns Hopkins University, the US has overtaken China (81,782 cases) and Italy (80,589). But with almost 1,300 Covid-19-related fatalities, the US death toll lags behind China (3,291) and Italy (8,215). The grim milestone came as President Donald Trump predicted the nation would get back to work “pretty quickly”.

TASS informed, Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed G20 leaders introduce a moratorium on various restrictions placed on countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, he said, speaking at the G20 summit held as a video conference on Thursday. “Much was said now about the need to ensure supply chains are not interrupted, it is undeniably crucial. However, it is equally vital to create the so-called ‘green corridors’ free of trade wars and sanctions to exchange medicine, food, equipment and technology during the crisis,” he said. Putin underlined that G20 countries “ideally” “should introduce a moratorium in solidarity on restrictions placed on essential goods as well as financial transactions to purchase them.”

REUTERS reported, a 72-year-old woman diagnosed with the coronavirus died in Armenia on Thursday, the Health Ministry’s spokeswoman said, reporting the country’s first death related to the virus. The patient had coronary heart disease as well as other underlying conditions. Armenia, a country of around 3 million people, had reported 290 coronavirus cases as of Thursday, the highest number among countries in the South Caucasus region. Eighteen patients have recovered. The country’s Defence Ministry reported on Thursday that three servicemen had tested positive for coronavirus.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan considers the January-February 2020 economic indicators as a proof of the competitiveness and justification of the country’s policy, ARMENPRESS reported. “In February as well we had amazing economic indicators. But we record these figures just as a proof of the competitiveness and justification of our policy. Now we are obviously in a phase of decline and need to apply other development scenarios at this coronavirus and post-coronavirus stage. These scenarios should be more ambitious. We must double our GDP in the next five years. In the previous scenario achieving such result was not possible. Crisis, although it creates ongoing problems, but also opens new and great opportunities”, the PM said on Facebook.

Armenian Deputy Prime Minister, commandant Tigran Avinyan held a consultation on the upcoming steps of Armenia amid the coronavirus pandemic, NEWS.am said. According to him, only primary services, shops, and pharmacies would work within seven days. “The measures we have generally taken up to this point have been effective and the aim of a more stringent seven-day regime will be to maintain control and continue to develop tools that will allow us to detect and prevent infection chains,” he said. He noted they would later share the list with new mechanisms to limit the movement of citizens across Armenia. The participants discussed in detail the constraints of economic activity, continuous preventive steps as well as upcoming steps.

U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said on Monday the world body wants $2 billion to help poor countries combat coronavirus and warned that a massive, coordinated package would also be needed to deal with the pandemic’s social and economic impact around the world. “The package needs to make households be afloat, make businesses be afloat, keep societies being afloat,” Guterres told a virtual news conference. “This will require a double-digit of GDP (gross domestic product) support in the developed world and creating the conditions through the IMF (International Monetary Fund), through the swaps among central banks, through the creation of new facilities,” he said. So far more than 351,00 people have been infected and over 15,330 have died, according to a REUTERS tally.

The Presidential Office informed, today, in Stepanakert President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian had a meeting with the President of Artsakh Bako Sahakian. The Presidents of two Armenian states exchanged views on the most urgent topic of these days – the situation created by the spread of the new coronavirus and steps taken to prevent and contain the virus. In prevention of the spread of the coronavirus, they viewed as very important comprehension by the public and individuals of the gravity of the situation, people’s alertness and responsibility as well as cooperation with international partners. Presidents Armen Sarkissian and Bako Sahakian discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to the cooperation between Armenia and Artsakh. Armen Sarkissian expressed confidence that Bako Sahakian would continue to contribute his rich experience acquired during his active work, state and public service for the development of the Republic of Artsakh and advancement of our nation.

Sources: https://www.president.am, https://www.reuters.com/, https://tass.com, https://www.bbc.com/, https://armenpress.am, https://news.am/eng/, https://www.lragir.am/en/, https://www.azatutyun.am/en, https://arminfo.info/.

ACNIS reView from Yerevan #11, 2020_Editorial_The Pandemic and the World Order

April 3, 2020March 12, 2026 Boris Nahapetian

Editorial

28 MARCH 2020

The coronavirus epidemic seems to be transforming the world. Regional conflicts have been frozen, and the UN secretary general is trying to formalize that development. Governments are in panic, concerned about possibly large-scale economic crisis and, as its consequence, social explosions. Simultaneously, and without coordination, new formats for the regulation of education and employment are being organized. The planet has turned small in a way, and states have been compelled to cooperate more closely, at the same time closing borders in front of each other. Everyone agrees that the world is changing, but we can only suggest scenarios as to the directions in which we might move.

The European Union, which constituted the symbol of globalization and was the godfather of that greatest project of the 20th Century, is turning out to be, it seems, coronavirus’s most probable victim or, more correctly, the symbol of globalization’s decline. While those considered globalization’s enemies, such as the most influential Trump and Putin, together with Britain (Brexit is one of the most blatant anti-globalist initiatives), have become the beneficiaries of none other than the coronavirus.

During one of the debates in the EU parliament on the struggle against the virus, many would note that the main fighters were the nation-states because the international bodies were not effective. The Estonian president suggested that, against the backdrop of the pandemic, the EU was unable to carry out its main mission—to facilitate the work of a united market, to secure a union of national governments.

It is noteworthy that throughout history during epidemics the role of local governments increases. In particular, as a result of the 14th Century’s great plague, during which many say Europe lost more than half of its population, the role of the Catholic Church (the EU of the time) began to weaken and the significance of the local authorities started to rise. That was also a strong signal aimed toward the future “Reformation” against the Catholic Church.

At the present moment, as fate would have it, as a result of the virus, Turkey’s blackmail connected with sending refugees to Europe completely failed. Now there is a convincing reason to shut down the frontiers, at once solving the refugee knot.

The borders are being closed, the common market is crumbling, a string of rights (_expression_, movement, etc) is being restricted, hopefully temporarily. However, any temporary limitation has the power of inertia, especially when many “threaten” that similar plagues can recur more frequently.

In a word, as with the medieval plagues, today’s epidemics change our mentality, value system, economic structure, and so on.

But the main thing is: are we capable of keeping up with the world and also changing, becoming a more prudent society, and transforming our state policy? In such cases, the winners are those nations which presage the pulse of the time and, before the others, orient themselves in extraordinary circumstances.

CIVILNET.Armenia Does Not Expect But Is Readying for The Worst Case Scenario of COVID-19

April 3, 2020March 12, 2026 Adrine Hakobian

CIVILNET.AM

2 April, 2020 20:10

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan paid tribute to fallen soldiers of the 2016 April War at the Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan. “High-quality elections were held in Karabakh, and the official results of the elections prove that,” stated Nikol Pashinyan. According to Armenia’s Health Minister Arsen Torosyan, the government is taking all efforts to avoid the scenario where hospitals would have to choose who to treat first in case of a sharp increase of coronavirus cases.

New respiratory devices to be brought to Armenia from China by special flight

April 2, 2020March 12, 2026 Babken Chilingarian

Aysor, Armenia

April 3 2020

More respiratory devices will be engaged in the fight against coronavirus, health minister Arsen Torosyan told the reporters today.

“So far we have mobilized 55 devices for the solution of the issue, of which 5 are being used currently. The devices will be used in Surb Grigor Lusavorich medical center where we have other 20 artificial ventilation devices,” he said.

The minister also said that respiratory devices will soon reach Armenia from China by a special flight. He said 100 of them are of one type, 5-6 of another.

“We have also ordered 50 devices, part of which will be here in mid-April and part in mid-May,” the minister said, adding that the process of acquiring the devices is continuous.

Change of gas prices in Armenia to result in drastic rise of prices, poverty

April 2, 2020March 12, 2026 Arbi Tashjian

Vestnik Kavkaza

April 3 2020

Nine medical institutions in Armenia re-profiled to serve coronavirus patients only

April 2, 2020March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

Public Radio of Armenia

April 3 2020

There are sixteen establishments that house patients with mild or no symptoms, as well as the contacts of coronavirus patients, Health Minister Arsen Torosyan said at a government sitting today.

He said nine medical institutions in Armenia have been re-profiled to serve only patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

“Taking into consideration the growing number of cases we have decided to designate the St. Grigor Lusavorish Medical Center – the largest medical institution in Armenia – to serve this purpose, as well” Minister Torosyan said.

He added that the reorganization will allow us to have enough beds to serve patients that need treatment.

Armenia has so far confirmed 633 cases of the new coronavirus, 33 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital, four deaths have been reported.