Category: 2022

U.S. to give $120 mln grant to Armenia to boost democracy and economic stability

Hambardsumian Paul
June 23 2022

YEREVAN. June 23 (Interfax) – The United States Agency of International Development (USIAD) will issue a $120 million grant to Armenia to help it promote democracy and economic stability.

The Armenian government has approved the signing of a grant agreement on cooperation with the U.S.

“In light of the shocks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war unleashed against Nagorno-Karabakh, and given the fair and transparent parliamentary elections held [in Armenia] in 2021, the U.S. pledges in this agreement to help Armenia establish a system of efficient and accountable governance, safeguard its democratic achievements and overcome economic challenges,” according to a feasibility evaluation, which was published on the Armenian government’s website following the government’s meeting.

USAID plans to distribute the grant as follows: $68.565 million will be spent on promoting democracy, and $51.435 million will be used to improve economic security.

 

Karabakh raises post-war problems in education system

Emil Lazarian
PanARMENIAN
Armenia – June 23 2022
June 23, 2022 – 14:12 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) State Minister Artak Beglaryan has said that many problems have arisen or become acute in the education system following the war in the fall of 2020.

Beglaryan on Wednesday, June 22 participated in in the conference Forum 405 organized by Teach for Armenia and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport.

According to him, said issues have a negative impact on the quality of education, affecting the behavior and psychology of everyone involved– students, teachers and families.

“We must provide effective and innovative solutions to these problems, seeking to offset their negative impact on the one hand, and to use the crisis as an opportunity for rebirth and further development on the other,” Beglaryan said.

During the war, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces attacked civilian infrastructure, including schools and kindergartens across Artsakh. The Azeri army also used cluster munitions to target civilian settlements and the peaceful population of Artsakh.

250 foreigners applied for asylum in Armenia in 2022

Arpi Talalian
PanARMENIAN
Armenia – June 23 2022
June 23, 2022 – 17:08 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – More than 250 foreigners, most of them from Ukraine, have applied for refugee status and asylum in Armenia since the beginning of the year, the country’s Migration Service of reveals, according to Armenpress.

In January-March 2022, the Migration Service received applications from 13 countries of the world, including Ukraine, Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Lebanon, Syria.

Over the past ten years, Armenia has provided a refugee status to more than 1500 asylum seekers. In the past five years, the Migration Service has been receiving an average of 220 applications for asylum per year.

During the 2020 war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the Migration Service collected the data about displaced persons from Artsakh, which it processes and sends to other agencies if necessary. Nearly 91,000 persons, 88% of whom are women and children, have been registered in the electronic database.

Citizens of Ecuador can now visit Armenia visa-free

Alex Nanijanian
PanARMENIAN
Armenia – June 23 2022
June 23, 2022 – 18:45 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Citizens of Ecuador will be able to visit Armenia visa-free, according to a decision approved by the government on Thursday, June 22.

People traveling to Armenia from the South American nation will be allowed to stay in the territory of the country for a maximum of 180 days in a year.

The move is expected to promote the development of tourism, as well as the promotion of business relations.

The mutual abolition of the visa regime between Armenia and Ecuador comes after “steps to develop and strengthen the cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and that country,” the document approved by the government says.

USAID’s $120 million grant to support democratic development and economic strengthening of Armenia

Adrine Hakobian
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia – June 23 2022

The government approved today the proposal to sign a grant agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the United States of America. The grant program aims to assist Armenia in the process of reforms targeted at strengthening democracy and economic stability.

The USAID investment to achieve the objectives totals $120,000,000, which will be disbursed in parts. USAID will provide $68,565,000 to promote democracy and $51,435,000 to improve economic security.

Taking into account the shocks caused by the COVID-19, the war unleashed against Artsakh in 2020, as well as the fair and transparent parliamentary elections of 2021, “with this document the US undertakes to support the Republic of Armenia in effective and accountable management, preservation of democratic achievements and overcoming the economic challenges.”

US Ambassadors to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan discuss policies and programs in the three countries

Chalian Meline
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia – June 23 2022

While in Washington DC at the Chiefs of Mission Conference at the State Department, Ambassadors Tracy, Degnan, and Litzenberger exchanged ideas and coordinated policies and programs in Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

They underscored our commitment to strengthening our partnerships, supporting independence, and promoting a more secure, stable, and prosperous future for the people of the region.

Armenian court orders release of two ARF members on bail

Emil Lazarian
Panorama
Armenia – June 23 2022

A first instance court in Armenia’s Armavir Province has ordered the release of two members of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) party, Aramayis Mkhitaryan and Aleksan Aleksanyan, ARF Supreme Council member Lilit Galstyan, an MP from the opposition Hayastan bloc, said on Thursday.

The two oppositionists, who were arrested after security officers raided the ARF office in Armavir on May 8, have been released on bail.

“The prosecution, in fact the political persecution, of my fellow ARF members, who are participants in the three Artsakh wars, began after a telephone conversation of unknown origin was released on the pro-government news site Media News,” Galstyan wrote on Facebook.

They were held in pre-trial custody for two months.

Opposition members paid three-day visit to Artsakh

Ara Felekian
Panorama
Armenia – June 23 2022

Members of Armenia’s opposition resistance movement have paid a three-day visit to the Artsakh Republic on June 21-23 to meet with local political parties, lawmakers and former presidents, the opposition Hayastan alliance said in a statement.

The movement coordinator and deputy parliament speaker, Ishkhan Saghatelyan, MPs Tigran Abrahamyan, Aghvan Vardanyan, Aram Vardevanyan, Artur Sargsyan and Gegham Manukyan together with Artsakh MPs visited the Askeran, Martakert and Martuni districts, met with local residents and heads of the local administrations.

A separate meeting was also held at the Stepanakert City Hall with the participation of the administrative leadership of the Artsakh capital as well as heads of educational and cultural institutions.

During the meetings, Ishkhan Saghatelyan presented the further activities of the opposition movement, its challenges and tasks. Artsakh’s role in making the resistance movement nationwide and comprehensive was highlighted.

“It was agreed that despite the lack of reasonable and proper interaction between the Armenian authorities and Artsakh, joint programs and mutual visits should be carried out,” the statement said.

“It was reaffirmed that the statement adopted unanimously by the Artsakh National Assembly on April 14, which lays out the key principles and red lines for the future of the country, remains the guideline for the authorities and people of Artsakh,” it added.

Armenian judicial watchdog dismisses Ruben Vardazaryan

Toneyan Mark
Panorama
Armenia – June 23 2022

The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), a state body overseeing Armenian courts, has decided to dismiss its suspended chairman Ruben Vardazaryan.

The SJC approved a motion for disciplinary action against Vardazaryan, a judge of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction.

“Ruben Vardazaryan’s powers are terminated on the grounds of a serious disciplinary violation,” acting SJC head Gagik Jhangiryan announced on Thursday.

The decision takes effect immediately after its delivery and is not subject to appeal, he said.

Vardazaryan was suspended as SJC chairman after being charged with obstruction of justice in April 2021. Jhangiryan took over the SJC pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings.

Earlier on Monday, Vardazaryan released a secretly recorded audio of his conversation with Jhangiryan, who can be heard warning the official to resign or face criminal charges.

CE, PACE should be very vocal in calling state-level hate speech, racism and xenophobia by name – Armenian MP

Emil Lazarian
ARMINFO
Armenia – June 23 2022

ArmInfo. The member of the RA NA delegation to PACE Sona Ghazaryan gave a speech at PACE Plenary Session.

“I highly appreciate the report, well-penned and very much on time.  Political parties, among other actors, are responsible for combating  hate speech, racism, and xenophobia. However, what we often see today  is that political parties, instead, build their election campaigns,  rhetoric, sometimes even actions on hatred, racism, and xenophobia.

This happens in Europe, and this happens beyond Europe.

And then sometimes, these political parties and their leaders find  themselves in their own trap. They build up and build on hate so much  that they then do not know how to control and deal with the amount of  hatred they have created themselves.

This is especially dangerous when hatred is proliferated towards a  society living in close proximity, towards a neighbor. And even more  dangerous when there is an unresolved conflict in need of a robust  peace process. This is the case in the context of the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the systemic Armenophobia in  Azerbaijan.

You know too well the case of the trophy park in Baku that glorifies  war and that depicted Armenian soldiers in captivity degrading human  dignity and dehumanizing Armenians. Schoolchildren were taken to this  park. This was an outrageous case of state-sponsored hatred and  racism. The mannequins of Armenian soldiers were taken down only  after Armenia filed a case at the International Court of Justice  based on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial  Discrimination.

The International Court of Justice has already produced an interim  decision in which it calls on Azerbaijan to “take all necessary  measures to prevent the incitement and promotion of racial hatred and  discrimination, including by its officials and public institutions,  targeted at persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin.” I would  like to draw your attention to the fact that the International Court  of Justice has stated that it is the officials and public  institutions in Azerbaijan that incite and promote hatred against  Armenians.

I believe that the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly  should also be very vocal and direct calling state-level hate speech,  racism and xenophobia by name, and we should together combat this  because hatred is a poison similar to mercury; it is very hard to  collect once it spills over.” Sona Ghazaryan said in her speech.