Category: 2021

 12:07,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will have at least 3-4 athletes at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games, the President of the Armenian Ski Federation Gagik Sargsyan told ARMENPRESS.

“The international federation has changed the method of providing ranking quotas for the Olympics. Now, we are 31st among 63 countries. With this ranking we have at least 2-3 quotas, but these could change. We are advancing step-by-step, and if we succeed to enter at least the 30 in the Olympic Games then it would truly be an achievement. But this year there’s a very busy schedule due to the pandemic, because the cancelled tournaments of the previous year are held now,” he said.

Armenia will have at least one athlete in alpine skiing, most likely Harutyun Harutyunyan.

The “at least 3-4 athletes” will represent Armenia in alpine skiing and cross-country skiing, he added.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Azerbaijan’s military provocations aim at violating Armenia’s territorial integrity, thwarting trilateral agreements- PM

 13:04,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan participated in the expanded-format sitting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council at the Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex in Yerevan, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.

Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Mikhail Myasnikovich and the Heads of Government of the EEU member states – Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin, Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Akylbek Japarov participated in the sitting.

The Prime Minister of Armenia delivered remarks, where he particularly said,

“Dear Heads of Government,

Dear members of delegations,

I welcome all of you in Armenia. We are sincerely glad to have the opportunity to host the regular sitting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council.

Dear colleagues,

Unfortunately, today’s meeting is held in a tense situation for our country. I can not fail to note that just like a year ago, when we were hosting the regular session of the Intergovernmental Council, today Armenia is facing serious challenges threatening its security.
Our region was pushed into a new phase of tension, which, unfortunately, led to another human losses. The responsibility of that falls on Azerbaijan, whose military provocations are aimed at violating the territorial integrity of our country and thwarting the agreements reached by the trilateral statements of November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021.

Dear colleagues,

For almost two years now, the world, including the Eurasian integration, has been developing against the backdrop of new global socio-economic challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The serious epidemiological situation and the heavy burden on the healthcare system raised the need for a speedy resolution of problems, including in the pharmaceutical sector, has emerged.

In this context, we believe that in the long run, the consistent implementation of the action plan aimed at increasing the level of supply of medicines of strategic importance to the member states of the Union will allow us to establish their entire production cycle, increase the level of self-sufficiency of our countries.

Restrictions on movement and other measures taken to protect public health have generally had a negative impact on many sectors of the economy. This situation is reflected in the report on the “State of mutual trade between the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union in 2020″. We believe that the results and assessments summarized in the report are useful and demanded even today, as we are trying to find incentives for the further progress of trade and economic relations in the current conditions.

In this regard, I would like to note that in 2021 Armenia has already registered stable growth rates of trade and cooperation with the EEU countries. The numbers speak for themselves: Armenia’s foreign trade turnover with the EEU countries in January-September 2021, compared to the same period in 2020, has increased by 12.8%. The volume of exports from Armenia to the EEU countries in the first nine months of this year increased by 27.8%. I am glad to state that the growth is registered for all EEU partners. Exports to the Russian Federation increased by 27.4%, to Belarus – by 19.2%, to Kazakhstan – by 89.5%, to Kyrgyzstan – by 48.0%.

This testifies not only to the development of trade cooperation within the EEU, but also to the existence of new opportunities, which have been launched in the conditions of global structural changes in the world economy.

Thus, the expansion of e-commerce opportunities is a qualitatively new mechanism to support small and medium-sized businesses, which may and should contribute to the increase of trade turnover between the countries of the Union.

At the same time, the growth of transborder e-commerce poses new challenges for us and requires effective solutions to ensure the security of goods, the protection of consumer rights, as well as the integrity of tax and customs revenues.

In the context of digital transformation, it’s also necessary to consider the completion of the complex and long process of agreeing on the draft Agreement on the use of navigation seals for cargo transportation in the EEU. In this regard, I would like to mention the work of the sectoral departments of the EEU member states in the process of testing and coordination at the national level.

The application of the provisions of the agreement will enable the transition to digital control of cargo transportation, reduce the time and financial costs of the participants of the transport-logistics process, optimize the customs procedures, without reducing their efficiency.

I would also like to emphasize the importance of the Agreement on the procedure for the exchange of data included in credit histories within the EEU. The signing of the agreement will create conditions for the development of trans-border lending in the EEU common financial market, as well as will allow the citizens of the Union to receive loans in the territory of all the five countries.

Dear colleagues,

In conclusion, I would like to once again welcome all of you in Armenia. Congratulations to the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, who has joined us online. Taking into account that this is the last sitting of the Intergovernmental Council this year, I would also like to thank everyone for their active cooperation and intensive work in 2021.”

A number of agenda issues were discussed at the sitting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council. In particular, issues related to the situation over mutual trade, the development of the agro-industrial complex, the program of measures for the supply of raw materials to the metallurgical enterprises of the EEU countries for the period of 2021-2024, the approximation of the positions of the Union states on the climate agenda were raised. The Agreement on the use of navigation seals to track shipments in the EEU, the draft EEU Biosafety Strategy, issues on the e-commerce development and other issues on the agenda were discussed. Documents were signed based on the results of the sitting.

It was decided to hold the next sitting of the EEU Intergovernmental Council in January 2022, in Almaty.

 13:16,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Russia will continue assisting the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union in the production of vaccines against COVID-19, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at the session of the Eurasian Inter-governmental Council in Yerevan today.

“The Russian vaccines proved their reliability, and the Russian authorities are ready to assist the partner countries in producing those vaccines in their own countries”, the Russian PM said.

He also talked about the Travel Without COVID-19 app, stating that it already has more than one million users. Mishustin said this app mitigated the border control on passengers, in other words it greatly contributed to safe passenger transportations in difficult conditions.

“The EAEU countries have already joined the system, the joining of the remaining CIS states and also other countries is being considered”, the Russian PM said.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 14:55,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The member states of the Eurasian Economic Union signed an agreement on exchange of data about the credit histories, Minister in charge of Economy and Financial Policy at the Eurasian Economic Commission Ruslan Beketaev told reporters.

According to the agreement, the central banks of the EAEU member states will soon approve the technical rules for the exchange of data, which are kept in the national bureau of credit histories. These data must have a high protection level.

As a result, the residents of one of the countries of the Union can apply for a loan to the banks of the remaining countries, which will be able to check their credit histories and make decisions on providing loans.

“In conditions of remote lending, it is necessary to develop online banking mechanisms which are already developing both in Russia, Kazakhstan and other member states”, he said.

During today’s session of the Eurasian Inter-governmental Council in Yerevan, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that the citizens of the EAEU states will get equal opportunities in case of receiving a loan in the Union’s territory.

“Decisive steps are being taken for making closer the financial markets”, he said. “It would allow the banks to check the customer’s credit history regardless of his/her citizenship”.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 16:24,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. 15 documents were signed today as a result of the session of the Eurasian Inter-governmental Council.

The documents relate to industry, agriculture and healthcare sectors.

The member states of the Eurasian Economic Union also signed the agreement on exchange of data about credit histories.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 17:01,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. A trilateral Russia-Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting on Nagorno Karabakh will take place, but this requires consensus of all sides, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters.

“A meeting requires consensus, so that all those who want to meet agree to it,” Lavrov said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:28,

YEREVAN, 19 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 19 November, USD exchange rate up by 0.04 drams to 476.28 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.43 drams to 538.20 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.04 drams to 6.50 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.99 drams to 639.55 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 34.18 drams to 28486.32 drams. Silver price down by 4.36 drams to 382.36 drams. Platinum price down by 418.55 drams to 16323.4 drams.

 17:33,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Georgia will not participate in “3+3” format, ARMENPRESS reports, citing TASS, Foreign Minister of Georgia David Zalkaliani said at the parliament of his country.

“Georgia will not participate in the “platform of six” initiative. I told this also during my visits to Turkey and Azerbaijan”, the Georgian FM said.

The initiative launched by Turkey after the 44-day Artsakh war presupposes a new platform, in which the three countries of the South Caucasus – Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and their three neighbors – Russia, Turkey and Iran – will participate.

 18:22,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the delegation led by Vice President of the Lithuanian Seimas Andrius Mazuronis.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan welcomed the visit of the parliamentary delegation of Lithuania to Armenia and noted with pleasure that the relations between the two countries have been dynamically developing in the recent period. In this regard, the Prime Minister highlighted the bilateral mutual visits, noting that Armenia is interested in developing cooperation in political, economic, cultural and other spheres.

Nikol Pashinyan stressed particularly the need to strengthen trade and economic ties and take appropriate steps in that direction. The Prime Minister highlighted the organization of the upcoming flights between Yerevan and Vilnius, which will give a new impetus to the expansion of cooperation in the field of tourism.

In his turn, Andrius Mazuronis thanked for the warm reception, adding that Lithuania also attaches special importance to the development of multilateral relations with Armenia. The Vice President of the Lithuanian Seimas noted that he was impressed with the democratic reforms being implemented in Armenia, and stressed that his country is ready to contribute to their effective implementation with its experience, including through programs envisaged by the European Union. In terms of strengthening bilateral cooperation, the latter also highlighted the continuous development of inter-parliamentary ties, noting that this visit will also best serve that purpose.

During the meeting, the sides touched upon the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, as well as the processes taking place in the South Caucasus region.

 18:39,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani side handed over the bodies of three Armenian servicemen killed in November 16 attack by the Azerbaijani armed forces against the eastern part of the Armenian border through the direct mediation of the Russian peacekeeping troops in Shushi, late in the evening of November 18, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Emergency Situations Service of Artsakh.

It’s mentioned that according to preliminary information, the bodies were evacuated from the administrative territory of Ishkhanasar village of Syunik Province.

The bodies were taken to Yerevan on November 19.

In the afternoon of November 16, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces once again violated the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia, attacking the Armenian positions in the eastern border area, using artillery, armored vehicles, firearms of various calibers. According to the agreement reached through the mediation of the Russian side, the fire was stopped at 18:30 on the same day.