Category: 2020

 12:25, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. The new series of Armenian banknotes won the accolade for the Best New Series at the High Security Printing EMEA-2020 contest, the Central Bank of Armenia told Armenpress.

The awards formed part of the High Security Printing EMEA annual Conference, which was organized by Reconnaissance International and held on March 9-11 in Lisbon, Portugal. 

These recognize the highest levels of achievement in three categories: Best New Series, Best New Banknote, and Best New Commemorative Banknote.

It was also noted that the series in denominations of 500, 1’000, 2’000, 5’000, 10’000, 20’000 and 50’000 Dram is produced on a composite substrate that combines the durability of polymer with the printability and inclusion of paper to produce highly durable and secure banknotes. Armenia is the first country in the world to have an entire banknote series printed on Louisenthal’s Hybrid ADDvance paper/polymer composite. The jury marked out originality of the banknotes design, which reflects the historical, cultural and religious themes.

The Best New Banknote award went to the Bank of England for its new eye-catching £20 note featuring renowned English artist JMW Turner. The banknote is produced on De La Rue’s Safeguard polymer substrate alongside CCL’s Guardian substrate. 

The Best New Commemorative Banknote accolade went to the National Bank of Poland for its 19 Zloty, which commemorates the 100th anniversary of establishment of the Polish Security Printing Works. This banknote stands out because the face value – 19 pln – is unusual, and the combination of the traditional design and modern security features is impressive.

 12:29, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenia Airline made a decision to suspend most of its flights until April 16 due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the company’s deputy CEO Gevorg Khachatryan said on Facebook.

“Armenia Airline suspends majority of its flights until April 16 due to the wide spread of the coronavirus which led to the mass return of the tickets. As of now more than 1500 tickets have been returned, all passengers have been refunded or a day change has been made free of charge. The security of the flight crew and passengers is a priority for the Armenia Airline, despite the huge financial losses”, he said.

Gevorg Khachatryan informed that all flights en route Yerevan-Lyon-Yerevan are cancelled until April 16, and Yerevan-Tel Aviv-Yerevan flights until April 9.

Armenia confirmed three new coronavirus cases on March 11. As of now the total number of the confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country is 4. The first case was reported on March 1.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 13:55, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Today the government of Armenia is a reliable institute for the people, but not at all levels and domains, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in Jermuk town during a campaign for the April 5 referendum.

Pashinyan stated that there is no systemic corruption in Armenia. “Yes, there is no systemic corruption in Armenia and I can guarantee that as long as these political realities exist which you support, there won’t be systemic corruption”, he said.

But the PM added that this doesn’t mean that separate officials are not taking bribes.

“Of course, I would not say that because every week an official is being arrested for taking bribes. So what we need to do to eliminate this? This referendum is also about this, that the remnants of that corruption system still hope that after some time their supporters will come”, the PM said, adding that this nervous situation continues in Armenia. “As long as the problem of the Constitutional Court and the judiciary in general is not solved, this nervous atmosphere will continue”, the PM added.

Armenia will hold a referendum on Constitutional amendments on April 5. The referendum proposes to suspend the powers of the President of the Constitutional Court and six judges.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 14:20, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. 57 direct contacts of the three coronavirus cases which were confirmed on March 11 have been quarantined, Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan said in a statement.

On March 11, three novel coronavirus cases were confirmed in Armenia, bringing the total number to 4.

The first case was confirmed on March 1.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 14:18, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Online reports about the situation in the town of Ethmiatsin (Vagharshapat) are highly exaggerated, Mayor Diana Gasparyan said, advising the general public to follow only official information. She presented details about the novel coronavirus patient who is a local of Ejmiatsin.

“We have one carrier who has participated in an engagement ceremony on Sunday. Direct contacts were clarified and the information was given to the healthcare ministry. The contacts are being quarantined for testing,” she said.

Direct contacts are being taken out of the city to the quarantine zone by ambulances and police.

The patient is hospitalized at the Nork Infectious Disease hospital in Yerevan. The patient is not in serious condition.

Speaking about public calls for shutting down local schools, she said the City Hall doesn’t have the authority to do so.

Gasparyan said kindergartens have been provided with disinfecting and sanitation gels. “I am personally strictly supervising it”, she said. “We don’t have a decision on shutting down kindergartens yet, but we do monitor the attendance levels”.

Mayor Gasparyan said she will postpone a scheduled campaigning rally for the constitutional referendum because of the coronavirus case.

The Mayor called on the general public not to panic and follow official news reports.

On March 11, three novel coronavirus cases were confirmed in Armenia, bringing the total number to 4. One of the three latest cases was diagnosed in a citizen of Etchmiatsin.

The first case was confirmed on March 1.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 14:51, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. The US Department of State has published the 2019 Human Rights Report on Armenia which says that in 2019 the country’s government took steps to investigate and punish alleged abuses by former and current government officials and law enforcement authorities. As an example the report brings the investigation of the 2008 March 1 case which continued during the year. The report also says that charges filed in this and associated criminal cases included allegations of overthrowing the constitutional order, abuse and exceeding official authority, torture, complicity in bribery, official fraud, and falsification of evidence connected with the investigation of the 2008 postelection events.

The State Department’s report also touched upon the report of Council of Europe commissioner for human rights Dunja Mijatovic on Armenia which highlights the “importance of conducting the process in a careful manner “in strict adherence to the principles of rule of law, judicial independence, transparency, and guarantees of fair trial”.

“On June 4, parliament adopted a law on providing assistance to the victims of the March 2008 postelection violence, and on September 5, the government allocated 720 million drams ($1.5 million) to assist victims and their families”, the State Department’s report says.

The report also touched upon Armenia’s fight against corruption, stating that after the May 2018 “Velvet Revolution,” the government opened investigations that revealed systemic corruption encompassing most areas of public and private life. “The government launched numerous criminal cases against alleged corruption by former government officials and their relatives, parliamentarians, and in a few instances, by members of the judiciary and their relatives, with cases ranging from a few thousand to millions of U.S. dollars. The government also launched such cases against a few current government officials”, stated in the report.

As for the issues existing in Armenia’s judiciary, the report says “although the law provides for an independent judiciary, the judiciary did not generally exhibit independence and impartiality. After the 2018 political transition, popular distrust in the impartiality of judges remained strong”.

Coming to the issue of refugees, it is stated that the Armenian government took steps to provide them with shelters. “On November 21, the government allocated 1.5 billion drams ($3.2 million) for permanent housing to 112 refugee families who fled from Azerbaijan in the late 1980s and early 1990s”, the State Department’s report says.

 14:55, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. The Olympic flame for the 2020 Tokyo Games was lit in ancient Olympia, Greece on Thursday without a single spectator due to precautions over the novel coronavirus outbreak in Europe.

An actress dressed as an ancient Greek high priestess lit the flame using the rays of the sun reflected off a concave mirror, launching a week-long torch relay in Greece before the flame is handed to Tokyo organisers on March 19. Greek shooter, Rio Olympics champ Anna Korakaki is the first torch bearer.