Category: 2022

YEREVAN. – Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: The tie between [PM] Nikol Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church has been irretrievably broken after the [Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)] war [in the fall of 2020].

Pashinyan, in fact, views the valorization of state institutions, their role through his own, narrow personal prism. This year as well he did not congratulate Catholicos Karekin II on his birthday, which was celebrated on August 21, whereas Pashinyan was "warmly" congratulating His Holiness for three consecutive years after coming to power (…).

After the war, when the Catholicos publicly started criticizing the [incumbent Armenian] authorities, he became a thorn in Pashinyan's side. According to some information, media under the authorities’ control, even the Public [TV], have been instructed not to cover the activities of the Catholicos in any way.

The rights certified by the 6.8% shares of the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine have transferred to the fiduciary management of the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF). The respective decision was taken at Wednesday's Cabinet session of the government.

Deputy Chief of Prime Minister's Staff, Bagrat Badalyan, stated that Armenia had received 188,947 common shares of the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine as a donation from AMP Holding.

"They make up 6.8 percent of the total number of shares of the combine. The authority to manage them has been assigned to the Armenian Prime Minister's Office. It is proposed to hand over the shares to the Armenian National Interests Fund based on the fiduciary management agreement, preserving the ownership rights of the state over the shares," added Badalyan.

According to him, ANIF is a commercial organization with 100-percent state ownership, and one of its mandates is the effective representation of the state—as the owner—in the strategic assets of the state.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, for his part, stated that on September 30, 2021, the Armenian government had received a 15-percent share from the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine as a donation, and now they have received 6.8 percent of its shares—and again as a donation.

"The [Armenian] government has a 21.8-percent share [of the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine], which is a very important event. I made such a pre-election pledge in 2021, in Kapan [city], and I am happy to record that this pre-election pledge has also been fulfilled," added Pashinyan.

The Azerbaijani media on Monday published information about the visit of the employees of the Azerbaijan "Amelioration and Water Management" Company to the Sarsang Reservoir, with the participation of representatives of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), which has caused certain concerns and questions among the public. This was announced Wednesday by the Artsakh Information Center.

“In this regard, we inform you that considering the situation created after the 44-day war of 2020, in order to manage water resources and ensure the safety of drinking and irrigation water supplied to the public, the representatives of the Water Committee of the Artsakh Republic, with the mediation of the Russian peacekeeping troops deployed in Artsakh, have been in contact with the Azerbaijani side since 2021 and make periodic visits to the areas under the control of Azerbaijan to reach mutual agreements on the use of drinking and irrigation water supplied to a number of communities of the Republic (Stepanakert, inclusive) and settle some issues.

Within that framework, another meeting was organized near the Sarsang reservoir to discuss the issue of use of Sarsang waters on mutually beneficial terms. Ideas on the possible options for rational use of water were exchanged on the spot, taking into consideration the control of the Artsakh Republic over the Sarsang reservoir, and the control of Azerbaijan over the irrigation infrastructures. In the near future, discussions will continue and decisions will be made in the interests of the Artsakh Republic, based on the needs of both electricity generation and irrigation in the Sarsang region, as well as drinking and irrigation water needs in other parts of the Republic.

Although we understand the criticism addressed to the state structures of the Artsakh Republic, we would like to inform that the authorities of Artsakh do not seek to hide any event, they are guided merely by the interest of the Artsakh Republic and the people of Artsakh, tactfully taking all possible measures in the current situation to increase the level of security of the state and the public and neutralize the phenomena causing tension,” added the Artsakh Information Center.

The Armenian government will not compensate the business entities’ losses in Yerevan’s Surmalu shopping market explosion on August 14. Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan announced this at the press briefing after Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting of the government.

According to him, if the business owners in Surmalu had insured their property, they would have received the necessary compensation.

"The government cannot take on the burden of paying the compensations that the insurance companies have to bear. And if the businessman did not consider that risk considerable, then the government has nothing to do here. I believe that Armenian business should learn to work with high standards. And if the property and funds need to be insured, then he should do it," said Kerobyan.

The economy minister added that the Armenian government was discussing only the matter of providing social assistance to those affected by the aforesaid explosion.

The Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia proposes to discharge early the rank-and-file soldiers from compulsory military service after completing their training phase—average: 4.5 months—of the compulsory military service—and on the condition that the given serviceman pays 24 million drams (approx. $60 thousand) to the state budget.

The respective draft law on amendments and addenda to the Law on Military Service and the Status of Servicemen has been put up for public debate by the MOD on the website for the publicizing of draft legal acts.

This initiative of the MOD stems from a clause in a government program, according to which legislative grounds should be created for reducing the period of compulsory military service in Armenia

Also, MOD plans to introduce a new program, which will be called Defender of the Homeland. It implies the transition from mandatory military service for soldiers to contract military service, the term of which is planned for five years. Also, after the end of the signed respective contract, these servicemen will be given an honorarium of 5 million drams (approx. $12,500), which the given soldier or citizen can dispose of at his discretion—and without any mandatory conditions.

On August 18, Azerbaijan appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to immediately and unconditionally oblige Armenian-controlled forces and structures to stop destroying property in the town of Berdzor and nearby villages, including burning houses, and to provide information about the measures taken.

According to the office of Armenia's representative for international legal affairs, the ECHR rejected Azerbaijan's claim on Monday, noting that no new interim measure was necessary.

The leaders of the five parliamentary forces of Artsakh met with the commanders of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, today.

The reason for the meeting was the recent statement of the Russian ambassador-advisor in Armenia Maxim Seleznev, as well as another ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan and security issues that arose in early August.

During the meeting Russian peacekeepers gave explanations on the above-mentioned issues. In particular, referring to the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, it was noted that the new route will have the legal status of the same corridor and all the security components will be preserved, starting from the security zone of 5 kilometers and ending with the stationing of the checkpoints of the Russian peacekeeping forces.

Touching upon the latest events the command of Russian peacekeepers said that they have made the necessary conclusions in connection with the August events, at the same time assuring that they will make additional efforts to prevent similar violations in the future and to provide the proper security of the Artsakh population.

The head of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun faction in the Artsakh parliament, Artur Mosiyan, presented other details of the meeting. 

"From September 1 until the time the new route of the Lachin corridor is put into operation, a temporary dirt road will function. The peacekeepers assured us that everything will be done to ensure the safety of the people of Artsakh, which is not always possible," the deputy told NEWS.am.

Mosiyan expressed confidence that Pashinyan has reached many agreements not only on Artsakh, but also on Armenia, which, he said, is evidenced by the events of the last 1.5 years.

"The fact that Azerbaijan built its part of the new road along the Lachin corridor is a consequence of Pashinyan's agreements. The latest aggravations in Karabakh are the results of Pashinyan and his regime," said the faction's head.

The parliamentarian urged Pashinyan to reveal the details of all his agreements at once, as all the aggravations, according to his assessment, are connected with his verbal agreements and perceptions.

The government has approved a new draft law drafted by the Defense Ministry, which offers the possibility of buying off from compulsory military service. According to the draft law, 4.5 months after the military phase of compulsory military service, a soldier may pay AMD 24 million to the Armenian state budget and leave compulsory military service early.

 "I have a negative attitude towards it because I think that everyone should serve their country regardless of their social status," he said. According to the colonel-general, this draft law will also affect the army's moral and psychological state. "It will affect not only the army, but also families, because the son will say to his father: what parent you are that you did not exempt me from the army, another parent borrowed, took a loan and exempted his son from the army," Col. Gen. Movses Hakobyan told NEWS.am

According to the draft, a person can pay back the money at the end of the training phase of military service, which on average is four and a half months. In that regard, Hakobian said the four-and-a-half-month definition is also problematic. "I don't know where they got the four and a half months from when the training phase is six months. If the law is passed in such a way that everyone serves for six months and demobilizes, and the army is replenished with contract servicemen, if human resources allow, it is an acceptable option, because everyone in this state becomes a military man, having acquired the profession of a military man. But in this form the draft law is unacceptable for me," Hakobyan concluded.