14:16,
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. Tigran Mkrtchyan has been relieved from the position of Armenia’s Ambassador to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia based on the decree signed by President Armen Sarkissian, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
According to another presidential decree, Armen Martirosyan has been appointed Ambassador of Armenia to Lithuania.
The President signed the respective decrees based on the Prime Minister’s proposal.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
13:53,
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. The Republic of Armenia Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs launched “Step Toward Home” 2021, a two-week, educational and informative summer program in Armenia intended to preserve and develop a national identity among Diaspora-Armenian youth ages 13-18, the Office of the High Commissioner told Armenpress.
The two-week, camp-style program will commence from June 21 – August 14 in 4 phases to serve 4 different cohorts of participants from all over the world. Each phase will be jam-packed with exciting activities, such as Armenian language courses in both the Eastern and Western dialects, informative visits to historical and cultural monuments, museums, academic institutions and rural communities, cultural events, among others.
“Applications are now open to young men and women from the Diaspora who are not Armenian citizens, with the exception of dual citizens, and will close one week before the beginning of each phase. Those interested in participating should apply quickly to join their desired phase. All in-country costs for the 14-day program are paid for by the Government of the Republic of Armenia, including camping, room and board, sightseeing, meetings, etc. However, participants are responsible for their own airfare to and from Armenia as well as two-week travel insurance.
If you would like to apply to the “Step Toward Home” program, please find the application here. For any questions about the program, email [email protected] or call +374 10 515-517”, the Office said.
About the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs
Established in 2019 within the Office of the Prime Minister, the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs is responsible for developing and implementing the strategies and policies for Armenia-Diaspora relations, including supporting and encouraging repatriation, ensuring smooth societal integration for repatriates, and mapping the Diaspora’s potential. The Office is made up of a diverse team of individuals, some of whom represent Diaspora communities from around the world. To learn more about our activities and programs, visit diaspora.gov.am/en, follow us on social media at @DiasporaGovAm or email us at .
13:43,
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. The Cabinet has given approval to the ratification of the treaty “Between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Singapore on excluding double taxation, tax evasion and avoidance” signed on July 8 in 2019.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
13:41,
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government approved amendments to the Law on State Border and the Administrative Offense Code making it illegal for anyone to use photo-video devices, including drones, to film “the territory of the bordering country”, or the engineering facilities, buildings, surveillance towers and transportation equipment used by border guards in the “border layer” in Armenian territory unless having a special permit issued by the National Security Service.
The amendments will specify the grounds for imposing administrative liability for people who’d violate the rules of entering or residing in “border layers”.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
13:34,
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. No unusual cases or acute side effects were recorded among the people who have received the Sputnik-V vaccine in Armenia, the Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan told reporters.
She said the vaccination is still carried out in small-scale, only among at-risk people and health workers.
Armenia had received 2000 doses of Sputnik-V from Russia as a donation.
The process of acquiring more vaccines continues.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
13:20,
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. So far, there’ve been around 300 “double positive” cases of COVID-19, Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan said, stressing that now they can’t definitively say whether or not these are re-infections or cases when the virus hasn’t completely withdrawn from a person’s body.
“To determine this, these cases are studied and analyzed, the results will be available a bit later,” she said, noting that some experts argue that in order for a case to constitute a re-infection it should happen at least 90 days after the initial infection.
Avanesyan once again called on the population to be vigilant and maintain epidemiological guidelines due to the rising infection rates in Armenia. She warned that hospitals don’t have an unlimited capacity.
There are 12 hospitals in Armenia currently treating COVID-19 patients.
On March 18, the Armenian health authorities reported 1024 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
13:15,
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant will be shut down from May 15 for 141 days for conducting some works: after the repair works in 2021 the NPP must get a new license from the regulation authority, NPP Director General Movses Vardanyan told reporters on the sidelines of the panel discussion dedicated to the atomic development prospects in Armenia.
He reminded about the program of extending the term of operation of the current unit with the Russian loan. “At that time, in 2015-2016, it has been for 10-year prospect, in other words, in 2026 the operating unit will already be in operation for 40 years. And taking into account the practice of similar units of other countries, we are planning to continue extending the operation term for another 10 years. In other words, to continue the operation of the plant after 2026, but of course in case of having respective justifications”, he said.
He considered the precautionary repair period of 2021 as one of the hardest ones in terms of organization. “The operation of the unit will be suspended for 141 days from May 15 during which we will carry out several important works for raising the safety”, he said.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
12:59,
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has sent a congratulatory letter to Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili on the occasion of her birthday, the Armenian President’s Office told Armenpress.
President Sarkissian highlighted the consistent strengthening and deepening of mutual partnership with Georgia, which, he said, is based on centuries-old friendship traditions.
“I highly value the atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust between us which contributes to the sincere and constructive discussions of various issues of the cooperation between our states.
I am sure that as the Presidents of Armenia and Georgia we can have our major contribution to the further strengthening and development of relations between the two countries in all possible spheres”, the Armenian President said in his letter.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
12:37,
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. A commander of a training battalion of the Defense Army is under arrest on charges of insubordination and desertion, the Committee of Investigations said.
According to the investigators, Commander I. Vahanyan disobeyed his superior’s orders during combat operations in the 2020 Artsakh War and deserted the battlefield. According to investigators the commander’s actions led to casualties in his battalion, with some troops getting killed, others getting wounded or taken captive.
Vahanyan is in pre-trial detention.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
12:25,
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan filed a defamation lawsuit against the President of the Yerkir Tsirani political party Zaruhi Postanjyan over her statements, court documents show.
In the suit, the Prime Minister seeks a public refutation by Postanjyan, as well as compensation. The lawsuit was lodged on March 12 and is assigned to judge Naira Avetisyan.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan