Category: 2022

Opposition lawmaker from 'With Honour' faction Tigran Abrahamyan commented on Facebook the ongoing situation between Russia and Ukraine and its possible implications on the region of the South Caucasus. 

"The serious crisis between Russia and Ukraine with many countries indirectly involved  may lead to a new explosive situation in the region of the South Caucasus in case of escalation. Much depends on the scale of the possible clash, failure to address the crisis situation with visible or invisible sides in it. In that scenario no rapprochement with  Turkey and Azerbaijan, readiness to accept preconditions may save the Armenian leaders. The Armenian authorities have no tool of risk and crisis management which is why any explosive situation in our region may generate new threats for the  Republic of Armenia," Abrahamyan said. 

The opposition Hayastan faction submitted two applications to the Constitutional Court of Armenia in the recent past, MP Aram Vardevanyan said on Facebook on Tuesday.

“The first complaint concerns Article 135 of the Criminal Procedure Code – arrests, the wording of reasonable suspicion, the evidence threshold and its interpretation by the Supreme Judicial Council. The same application also challenges the inadmissibility of revoking the grounds for arrest,” he wrote.

The second application disputes the paragraph of the law "On Procurement", according to which the protocol expenses of the president, parliament speaker and prime minister are considered a state secret.

"The mentioned regulation and its application have proved that those officials remain outside public control, which is unacceptable in a democratic society," the MP stressed.

Vardevanyan also spoke about several legislative initiatives, including a bill calling for the elimination of penalty points for drivers, stressing the introduction of the system has not had a positive impact on road safety.

In addition, the Hayastan faction is working on another bill on the disproportionality of the minimum wage and the financial burden of PCR tests. Vardevanyan promised to provide further details in the near future.

Azerbaijan’s embassies around the world are “less diplomatic missions and more ATMs”, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) said in a tweet on Tuesday, referring to an ongoing investigation involving American businessmen and Azerbaijan.

“Increasingly clear that Azerbaijan’s embassies around the world are less diplomatic missions and more ATMs – cash machines delivering illegal bribes at Aliyev’s direction,” the ANCA tweeted.

The FBI raided Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar's home and campaign office in Texas last Wednesday as part of a wide-ranging federal probe relating to Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen, a source familiar with the matter told ABC News.

Cuellar, who represents Texas' 28th Congressional District along the U.S.-Mexico border, has been in Congress since 2005. In recent years he has served as a co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, and repeatedly met with Azerbaijan officials, including the ambassador of Azerbaijan, Elin Suleymanov.

The opposition Hayastan parliamentary faction is discussing the issue of nominating a presidential candidate, its secretary Artsvik Minasyan told a briefing on Tuesday, adding their decision will be unveiled soon.

“We are holding discussions at this point. We will announce our decision in the near future,” he noted.

Referring to Nikol Pashinyan’s remarks that the Armenian parliament should elect a new president who will be in sync with his government and the parliament majority, Minasyan the new president cannot be only "the president of the political majority".

“The president must ensure the full implementation of the approaches stipulated by the Constitution,” he said.

Hayastan faction MP Anna Grigoryan called Pashinyan's statement on political harmony between the president, legislative and executive branches “dangerous”.

"Pashinyan wants the president to be someone who will not raise objections to any issue, will not create obstacles, will be completely silent and oblivious to the situation in the country," the lawmaker said.

President Armen Sarkissian submitted resignation late on Sunday, stating that the president does not have the necessary tools to influence the important processes concerning the domestic and foreign policy in difficult times for the country.

He is entitled to withdraw his resignation within one week.

Iranian-Armenian composer, conductor Loris Tchgnavoryan have authored more than 40 works in the past two years, including two major pieces which he had dedicated to the victims of the 2020 artsakh war. The latest work is a requiem in memory of the pandemic victims. Tchgnavoryan is visiting Armenia and his remarks came on January 24 at the meeting with Armenia's Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Sport Vahram Dumanyan. 

As the press service at the ministry reported, the conductor noted that he is visiting Armenia every time with great enthusiasm and expectations: "I am linked to the motherland with the most cherished memories," Tchgnavoryan said. 

The meeting discussed joint initiatives, development and implementation of new projects, the possibilities to present the latest works of the maestro in the motherland. 

Minister Dumanyan also invited the maestro to the concert entitled 'To the Heroes:44' on January 25 at Aram Khachaturian concert hall which will feature the Armenian State Philharmonic Orchestra and is dedicated to the victims of the 44-day Artsakh war.