Category: 2020

Armenia PM: I can’t say the government’s human resource policy is ideal

Emil Lazarian
News.am, Armenia
March 3 2020
Armenia PM: I can’t say the government’s human resource policy is ideal Armenia PM: I can’t say the government’s human resource policy is ideal

19:22, 03.03.2020

During a meeting with members of the Armenian community of Georgia in Tbilisi today, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said he can’t say the Armenian government’s human resource policy is ideal.

“The Armenian government isn’t ideal, and this is a good thing. If everything is ideal, you don’t need to change or make a change. Yes, the government’s human resource policy isn’t ideal, but the government isn’t afraid of admitting this. If criminal cases are instituted against high-ranking officials, this means the government admits that not everything is ideal. The government isn’t cheating the people. The most important thing is trust,” Pashinyan said and stated that the government has come to the conclusion that the most important thing is the people’s trust.

“There was even a traitor among the ten apostles of Jesus Christ, and if even Jesus Christ wasn’t able to lead a good human resource policy, as Prime Minister, I would be arrogant to think I can lead a good human resource policy,” he said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Georgia. PHOTO / VIDEO

Maral Chavushian
JAM News
March 3 2020
JamNews
Tatia nikoladze
March 3, 2020

Yerevan and Tbilisi intend to coordinate efforts against the spread of coronavirus

On March 3, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan began an official two-day visit to Georgia. He has already met with his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Gakharia at the government administration building, where the official reception ceremony was held.

“The friendly relationship between Georgia and Armenia spans thousands of years,” said Georgian Prime Minister Georgy Gaharia after a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Gakharia says he discussed cooperation with his Armenian counterpart in the fields of economy, security, culture and education.

“The Georgian side noted that the process of democratization in the region is critical for development in the areas of economy, culture, and education. Georgian citizens made their own decision about Euro-Atlantic integration, and the country is steadily moving in this direction. We agreed that, despite the different positions we have on foreign policy, it is impossible to have a disagreement between our countries, and we continue to cooperate on friendly terms,” said Gakharia.

The Prime Minister noted that he welcomes the active cooperation of Armenia within the framework of the “Eastern Partnership.”

Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs David Zalkaliani met the Armenian Prime Minister at the airport.

“Pashinyan’s visit to Tbilisi once again confirms the mutual importance that Georgia and Armenia have for each other. During the visit, the Prime Minister of Armenia will touch upon issues of trade, economy, energy, transport, culture and, of course, regional security. Both countries are members of the Eastern Partnership. This year is important for us in that the Eastern Partnership Summit will be held, and today we need to compare our positions,” David Zalkaliani told reporters.

This is Nikol Pashinyan’s second visit to Georgia as Prime Minister of Armenia. His first visit to Tbilisi was in May 2018. During this visit, Pashinyan will also meet with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze and the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II. The Prime Minister of Armenia will also lay flowers on the graves of heroes who died fighting for Georgia.


Three more Armenian entrepreneurs to study at Draper University for free

Ekmekjian Janet
iTel.am, Armenia
March 3 2020

Five teams have won scholarships in Draper University via the contest, the results of which were summed up on February 13.

The best entrepreneurs, who have been granted the scholarships, are Karen Shahnazaryan (ForgeFiction), Svetlana Jaghatspanyan (ForestGuard), Karen Nikoghosyan (eSwap), Lusine Magauzyan (oores), and Hakob Tumanyan (Yolo). Their fees will be covered fully by the Armenian Ministry of High-Tech Industry.

Draper University had a surprise for three other contestants: taking into account their innovative thinking and potential, half of the fees for Karen Khachikyan (Robin), Ruben Hambardzumyan (Cerebrus), and Hayk Badalyan (Garoon) were also covered.

Armenian Ministry of High-Tech Industry has announced that My Step Foundation is ready to cover the remaining 50% of the fees for the three contestants mentioned above. This way, all 8 contestants will travel to Silicon Valley with 100% of their fees paid.

President: Georgia, Armenia Should Work Together to Strengthen Peace

Boris Nahapetian
Georgia Today
March 3 2020

President Salome Zurabishvili met with Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan at Orbeliani Palace as part of his official visit to Georgia on March 3-4. 

During the meeting, Zurabishvili noted that Georgia and Armenia should work together to maintain stability and peace in the region. 

The sides discussed important issues for the development of bilateral political and economic cooperation.

It was noted that the visit of the Armenian Prime Minister will contribute to the further deepening of the good neighborly relations between Georgia and Armenia.

“We should work together to maintain stability and strengthen peace in the region,” the Georgian President pointed out. 

Earlier today, Pashinyan met with Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia at government administration, where the sides discussed important cooperation issues and emphasized friendly relations between the two countries. 

By Ana Dumbadze 

Armenia PM’s wife to pay visits to US, Brazil and Argentina

Kajoyan Gevork
News.am, Armenia
March 3 2020
Armenia PM’s wife to pay visits to US, Brazil and Argentina Armenia PM’s wife to pay visits to US, Brazil and Argentina

15:41, 03.03.2020
                  

Wife of the Prime Minister of Armenia, chairperson of the boards of trustees of the My Step and City of Smile charitable foundations Anna Hakobyan today will leave for the US, and on March 4, at the invitation of the US Department of State, she will attend the annual International Women of Courage Awards where US First Lady Melania Trump is scheduled to give a speech. Hakobyan will also meet with Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Europe and Eurasia Brock Bierman. On the same day, at Washington National Cathedral, Hakobyan will attend the grand concert dedicated to the centennial of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the US and Armenia. On March 6, during a visit to Brazil, Hakobyan will meet with First Lady of Brazil Michelle Bolsonaro in the country’s capital, and on the same day, she will meet with Honorary Consul of Armenia in Brazil Hilda Burmaian in Sao Paulo.

On March 7, in Buenos Aires, Hakobyan will have a meeting with First Lady of Argentina Fabiola Yanez, and in the evening, she will return to Yerevan.

Armenia’s Pashinyan Meets Georgian Leaders in Tbilisi

Yeghisabet Arthur
Civil Georgia
March 3 2020
03/03/2020 – 13:57

 

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan who is paying a two-day official visit to Georgia on March 3-4, met his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Gakharia today.

During the face-to-face meeting this morning, the two PMs discussed future projects, which, according to Pashinyan “will have their impact on regional developments.”

At the meeting, PM Gakharia spoke of the importance of peace and stability in their “difficult region,” noting that Georgia’s integration with NATO would guarantee its peace, stability and security. 

Later at the extended meeting, the Georgian and Armenian officials expressed readiness to further deepen bilateral dialogue on political, trade, economic and other issues of common interest, including tourism.

  • Armenian PM Seeks Deeper Ties in Tbilisi
  • Georgian, Armenian PMs Meet, Pledge to Deepen Ties

At a joint press briefing, the Georgian PM said at the today’s meeting, they have “set plans” aimed to move their countries’ cooperation “to a qualitatively new level.”

“Despite [the differences in] the foreign orientation of our countries, it is impossible to have any misunderstandings… and we continue cooperation in a good-neighborly manner,” PM Gakharia said.

As part of his visit to Georgia, Nikol Pashinyan meets with President Salome Zurabishvili, Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze, and Georgian Orthodox Church’s Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II. 

Nikola Pashinyan came to power in May 2018 following peaceful protests that ousted President-turned-PM Serzh Sargsyan. In his capacity as the Prime Minister, Pashinyan visits Georgia for the third time. In May 2018, then newly-elected Pashinyan paid his first two-day visit to Tbilisi, while in January 2019, then Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze hosted his Armenian counterpart for an informal meeting in Bolnisi, southern Georgia.

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan trial: Court postpones consideration of decision on motion to end criminal proceedings

Kajoyan Gevork
News.am, Armenia
March 3 2020

14:13, 03.03.2020
                  

YEREVAN. – At today’s hearing, Judge Anna Danibekyan, who is presiding over the court hearing of the criminal case against Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan and several former senior officials, returned from the consultation room and announced the decision regarding the motion to terminate the criminal proceedings against the defendants.

The court decided to postpone the consideration of this motion.

The defendants’ lawyers had filed a motion with the court to terminate the criminal proceedings against their clients. The underlying grounds for this motion are that they were charged under Article 300.1 of the Criminal Code, whereas the alleged act was committed more than a year before this article was adopted. The defense attorneys state that if this law worsens the defendant’s condition, it cannot have retroactive effect. The prosecution, however, does not agree with this view.

Earlier, those in the “case of seven” had been released from criminal proceedings due to this very circumstance.

Armenian businessmen unable to export Iranian fruits, vegetables to Russia amid coronavirus fears in Georgia

Albert Nalbandian
Panorama, Armenia
March 3 2020

Dozens of cargo trucks transporting fruits and vegetables to Russia from Iran have been stuck on the Georgian border for several days amid coronavirus fears.

Speaking to Panorama.am, businessman Vahram Mirakyan said the Georgian authorities justify the move with the spread of the disease in Iran.

“But I consider this justification absurd and unreliable for a number of reasons, including for scientific ones. The WHO says the virus can survive on hard surfaces for 48 hours. Before arriving in Yerevan, the Iranian cargoes are loaded onto Armenian trucks in Ararat Province and the driver is replaced by an Armenian one. That is, only the product in the vehicles is Iranian, nothing else,” he said.

In addition, the businessman stressed, all the goods carried by the trucks are shipped to Russia, none of them is intended for consumption in the Georgian market.

Mirakyan last managed to deliver Iranian vegetables, namely cauliflower, to Russia last week. The kiwi-loaded truck has remained in Yerevan, he said.

Due to the Georgian authorities’ move, according to the businessman, the Armenian economy may suffer greatly in the near future. If the goods imported from Iran are returned and the businessmen have to sell them in Armenia, the Armenian market will explode, since such a great volume of consumption cannot be secured in the country, he said.

As a result, there will be a sharp drop in prices for fruits and vegetables. The situation will also affect businesses, as well as local residents who sell apples or vegetables.

Besides, the customs clearance of Iranian goods is carried out in Armenia. If they are not exported to Russia, the budget will lose revenues.

Under the current situation, the businessman offers a possible solution to the problem: “The process can be suspended for three to four days to deal with the accumulated goods. We will not make any new orders, but at least the accumulated products are consumed.”

The Ministry of Economy told Panorama.am that they are aware of the problem. The ministry promised to unveil the measures they plan to take later.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan left for Georgia on an official visit on Tuesday. It would be good if this issue was raised and resolved at the meeting with his Georgian counterparts.

By the way, according to information obtained by the businessman, the Georgian side intends to ban the entry and exit of any trucks coming to or leaving Armenia.

9 military personnel to receive compensation from Armenian defense ministry

Alex Jidarian
News.am, Armenia
March 3 2020

14:38, 03.03.2020
                  

Military personnel who are injured and the families of those killed during opponent’s sabotage operations will receive financial compensation from the state, defense minister Gabriel Balayan said at the Armenian parliament on Tuesday.

According to him, there were cases when the opponent caused harm to the life or health of the military personnel when direct military operations were not conducted or the military personnel were not on combat duty or did not carry out special tasks. Such incidents occurred as a result of artillery shelling of the Armenian territory by the enemy or sabotage and reconnaissance operations. As a result of such actions, nine military personnel have been injured since 2008.

Proceeding from the draft law, these cases should be compensated and funds are planned to be allocated from a special fund of the country’s defense ministry of.

5-star treatment: Armenia quarantines coronavirus suspects in luxurious hotel

Adrine Hakobian
InfoSurHoy
March 3 2020
(VIDEO) 

By Denis Bedoya on March 3, 2020 News

Being quarantined on suspicion of carrying a deadly contagious disease is quite an ordeal, but at least Armenia is making up for the hassle by placing coronavirus patients in a 5-star hotel.




In some countries, repatriated coronavirus patients are met with stones and threats, but in Armenia, they have so far received drastically different treatment. Thirty-two people have been quarantined in the country after coming into contact with an infected Armenian man who arrived from Iran over the weekend.

“Our countrymen, isolated because of the coronavirus, are being supplied with everything needed, including food, at a 5 star hotel… Their contacts with [the]outside world are ruled out,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on Facebook.

Pashinyan posted footage of medics in hazmat suits handing out meals to people in posh suites. There are no other guests at the hotel except for those being quarantined, “none of whom have the symptoms,” he said. “They’re all feeling well.”


The hotel is located high up in the mountains, 2,100 meters above sea level, in a popular ski resort 50 kilometers from the capital, Yerevan. It has a spa with a big swimming pool, a cigar room, and even a casino.

Unfortunately for the people in quarantine, none of this really matters all that much since they’re obviously not allowed to leave their rooms.

More than 3,000 people have died since the coronavirus epidemic began in Wuhan, China in late December and spread to 53 countries worldwide. Over 90,000 people have been infected so far, but roughly half of them have already recovered, despite there not being a vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for the disease yet.