Category: 2022

Smoking ban to take effect March 15

 10:10,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. A smoking ban will take effect March 15 in Armenia. The smoking ban will be enforced in both indoor and outdoor restaurants, cafes, bars and other similar venues, as well as other public spaces.

The smoking ban is part of a law aimed at preventing and reducing the harmful effects of smoking and other tobacco products. The main provisions of the law took effect starting March 2020, while other provisions are gradually taking effect to enable the public and businesses to adapt.

Speaking to ARMENPRESS, Ministry of Healthcare Department of Public Health Chief Organizer Mariam Mnatsakanyan reminded that the recent ban that took effect prohibits retailers from publicly displaying tobacco products to customers.

“Tobacco products were frequently displayed next to sweets or children’s products, on the visual level of children, which was creating a false impression for them that tobacco products are harmless everyday items. Studies show that the ban on displaying tobacco products reduced the tobacco advertisement effect on teenagers by up to 83%,” Mnatsakanyan said.

In addition to restaurants and other eateries, the smoking ban will also be enforced in some outdoor public spaces, for example parks for children and bus stops: spaces were the risk of secondhand smoke exists.

Those violating the smoking ban will face 50,000 drams, while administrations of eateries will face from 150,000 to 200,000 drams.

Mnatsakanyan said businesses should call the police in the event of patrons refusing to adhere to the law. The police will carry out the functions of inspecting the restrictions. 

All businesses have been notified about the smoking ban as early as 2020, giving them enough time to prepare for the changes, Mnatsakanyan said.

Citing international experience, Mnatsakanyan said the restrictions don’t lead to decline of visitors to public eateries, but on the contrary the numbers increase.

Asked about hookah bars and pubs, Mnatsakanyan noted that the hookah bars are also classified as public food facilities and thus the smoking ban will be enforced there as well.

“Our goal isn’t only to make smokers quit smoking, but so that non-smokers don’t start smoking, and that our children don’t become smokers and face health hazards. This is a healthcare measure and the full implementation of this law will contribute to the decrease of the number of smokers. The number of nicotine-addicts will drop, the number of numerous diseases that are caused from smoking will decrease,” Mnatsakanyan said.

Vanik Gabrielyan, the director of the Yeremyan Projects’ Seasons, Renommee, Casa Nostra and Smoking Chef restaurants of Yerevan, noted that initially the smoking ban could be controversial for restaurant customers, especially those who are used to smoking while dining.

“I believe that some time later they will get used to this change because this is a common practice around the world. Indeed, due to national mentality this process could take a bit longer. The changes will cause a bit of inconveniences for us and our guests, but, I think there won’t be any issues a few months later,” Gabrielyan said.

Gabrielyan said that even without the smoking ban people mostly started preferring non-smoking areas in restaurants.

 10:12,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The statement of the Azerbaijani authorities related to the criminal prosecution of the President of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan is a step aimed at concealing their own war crimes, misleading the international community and intimidating the peaceful population of Artsakh, Ombudsmen of Armenia and Artsakh Arman Tatoyan and Gegham Stepanyan said in a statement.

“The Azerbaijani authorities have always pursued a policy of isolating Artsakh from the outside world, concealing human rights violations and war crimes against peace by falsifying facts. In doing so, they continue to grossly violate the absolute international requirements of human rights and humanitarian law.

The practice of targeting Armenia’s, Artsakh’s, as well as international public figures, experts and journalists; blackmailing and persecuting them with so-called blacklists is the best proof that the calls and statements of the Azerbaijani authorities about peace are false, are veiled to the outside world with the purpose of concealing their real intentions.

In reality, for years a policy of sponsoring hatred and hostility towards Armenians has been carried out with ethnic and religious pillars as two main grounds, with deep intolerance.

In fact, a genocidal policy has been carried out, which is still going on.

Even in the education system there is a policy of hatred and enmity towards Armenians, ensuring similar reproduction in the future, the spread of hatred in the society (based on facts).

This policy is the source that nurtured and encouraged the atrocities and torture by the Azerbaijani armed forces against the civilian population of Armenia and Artsakh; the ethnic cleansing of the civilian population during the 44-day Artsakh war, with various armed attacks and criminal acts before and after that war.

These are the Azerbaijani authorities that are directly responsible for war crimes against humanity, including destruction of almost all civilian communities in Artsakh, using terrorists and mercenaries to deliberately target, kill 80 and injure 165 civilians, torture Armenian captives; for mutilation of the killed servicemen’s bodies; for depriving the 40,000 civilian population of Artsakh of their homeland and houses, for forcibly displacing them, for desecrating the Armenian historical and cultural monuments in Artsakh, for vandalizing them.

The Azerbaijani authorities are responsible for the internationally unacceptable armed attacks during the COVID-19 pandemic, which paralyzed healthcare systems of Armenia and Artsakh and resulted in sharp increase in deaths.

In the same way, by initiating criminal cases against various public figures, human rights defenders and journalists (including international ones), they tried to cover up the atrocities committed and future atrocities against the peaceful Armenian population of Artsakh.

After the 44-day war, this policy of the Azerbaijani authorities has intensified and took new forms. They do not allow people to rebuild their lives after the war, they constantly try to create an atmosphere of despair for the civilian population through daily criminal encroachments on the security of people, life and other vital rights and other terrorist acts.

The above assessments of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh are based on reliable, concrete facts and have been included in our numerous reports.

Therefore, the purpose of the persecution announced by the Azerbaijani authorities against the President of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan is nothing but to intimidate every person living in Artsakh, to cause panic among the civilian population. Even the wording of the Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies clearly testifies to this goal. This, in turn, means that the persecution is politically motivated; is based on blatant manipulation of facts.

We confidently inform the international community that the Azerbaijani authorities will continue to falsify the facts, misleading with new methods, such as hiding their criminal acts against the civilian population behind calls for peace, until they are held liable for their genocidal policies; subjected to targeted response and punished for their criminal acts”, the Ombudsmen said in their statement, adding that they will send it to international organizations in separate letters.

 10:20,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Composer, Honorary Artist of Armenia, member of the Union of Composers of Armenia, Levon Chaushian has passed away at the age of 75, the Union of Composers said, offering its condolences to the composer’s family, relatives and fans.

In 1969 he graduated from the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, majoring in composition in the class of Edvard Mirzoyan. In 1970 he studied piano with Georgi Sarajev. In 1972 he graduated from the post-graduate studies.

Since 1995, he has served as the chairman of the Armenian Composers Assembly, established by him.

His works were performed in the USA, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Portugal, Bulgaria, Greece.

In 2021, Chaushian was awarded with the Movses Khorenatsi Medal.

 10:50,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. A Civil Center providing 110 services opened in Armenia’s Vanadzor town.

The Center is located in the office of HayPost postal service. It will provide the locals with an opportunity to get multiple services in one place.

The Center offers services provided by the Civil Acts Registration Agency at the Ministry of Justice, the Agency of State Registry of Legal Entities, the State Revenue Committee, the Cadastre Committee, etc.

The opening of the Center was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, Minister of Justice Karen Andreasyan and representatives of other agencies.

“Imagine when a citizen has dozens of problems with the state, he/she visits just the HayPost branch, closest to his/her place of residence, and is able to solve all the problems with the state”, the Justice Minister said, adding that the citizen must understand that communication with the state is easy and comfortable.

The Minister said they plan to increase the services, raising their number to 450, in other words to gather all types of services in one office.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t managed to gather all the services in one office. Therefore, citizens still have to visit other places for some services, such as passport department, road police, etc. And the purpose of this whole initiative is for the citizen to know only one place, one office”, Karen Andreasyan said.

Chief Executive Officer of HayPost CJSC Hayk Karapetyan said they want to establish a digital platform through which the remaining 850 offices of HayPost will be able to provide the same number of services.

Earlier similar Civil Centers have opened in Yerevan, Ijevan and Gyumri.

 11:09,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. 1417 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 413,295, the Armenian Ministry of Healthcare reported.

25 people died from COVID-19 complications, bringing the total death toll to 8278.

5659 tests were administered (total 2,851,836).

2825 people recovered (total 386,193).

As of February 18, the number of active cases stood at 17,239.

 11:21,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. On March 6, 2022, at the remarkable Carnegie Hall in New York will take place the 37th annual “Musical Armenia” concert, organized by the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The concert will feature works of Armenian-American composer and pianist Tatev Amiryan who will perform her piano compositions. The program will include also her vocal pieces performed by soprano Anna Hayrapetyan, as well as Western composers’ works performed by cellist-prodigy Laura Navasardian.

Recognizing the importance of discovering and promoting exceptionally talented young Armenian musicians from all over the world, the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church launched the “Musical Armenia” annual concert series in 1982.  Since then, the program has remained true to its objective by promoting young Armenian musicians and presenting them in a concert at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

“It’s a great honor for me to be featured at the “Musical Armenia” concert series. I’m very happy to have an opportunity not only to perform at such a remarkable concert hall, but also to present my music to wider audiences in the US.  This concert is of special importance to me, and I’m really looking forward to it”, composer Tatev Amiryan noted.

Dr. Tatev Amiryan is an Armenian-American award-winning composer and pianist. Her music has been performed in the United States, Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, England, Poland, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and Japan by such renowned ensembles and performers as German Chamber Philharmonic of Bremen, Portland Youth Philharmonic (USA), National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, CMEA Central Coast Honors Orchestra (USA), Carpe Diem String Quartet (USA), Ensemble Oktoplus (Germany), Metropolitan Choral of Kansas City (USA), Juventas New Music Ensemble (USA), Globus Music Ensemble (Russia), Playground Ensemble (USA), pianists Jeffrey Jacob (USA), Hayk Melikyan (Armenia), and thereminist Thorwald Jorgensen (Netherlands).

Her pieces have been featured at such prestigious festivals and projects as MITO Settembre Musica International Festival (Italy), GogolFest (Ukraine), Królewskie Arkady Sztuki (Poland), Blurred Edges (Germany), Women Composers Festival of Hartford (USA), London International Piano Symposium (UK), and Crossing Borders Music (USA).

Amiryan has received such awards as the 1st Prize at the UMKC Conservatory Chamber Music Composition Competition, Metropolitan Chorale of Kansas City’s Composition Contest, Abundant Silence Composition Competition, International Alliance for Women in Music Call for Scores, Crossing Borders Music Call for Scores, RMN Classical Call for Piano Works, Juventas New Music Ensemble Call for Scores, and the 2nd Prize at New Ariel Recordings Fifth Piano Composition Competition. She has been commissioned by such acclaimed organizations and performers as North German Radio NDR, Portland Youth Philharmonic, ACM Access Contemporary Music, New Ariel Recordings, Abundant Silence Music Publisher, Lilith Ensemble, American pianist Jeffrey Jacob and Armenian pianist, Honored Artist of Armenia Hayk Melikyan.

Amiryan has performed extensively in Armenia, throughout the US, and in UK, at such prestigious venues and institutions as Preston Bradley Hall at Chicago Cultural Center, San Jose State University, Southern Connecticut State University, UMKC Conservatory of Music, Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, CT, Aram Khachaturian House-museum and Komitas Museum-Institute in Yerevan, Armenia, and Royal College of Music in London, UK.

 12:15,

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Parliament of Artsakh adopted the bill on the “Occupied Territories of the Republic of Artsakh” at the second reading, State Minister Artak Beglaryan said on social media.

“The National Assembly has just adopted the bill on the “Occupied Territories of the Republic of Artsakh”. The works on developing the bill have started months before in the government. We understand very well that we have limited legal mechanisms to fulfill the functions mentioned in the law and achieve the goals, but we ought to maximally use the existing legal and political mechanisms on that direction. The territories of the Republic of Artsakh must be de-occupied, and our citizens must return to their homes”, he said.

All factions represented in the parliament of Artsakh recently put into circulation a draft law on the Occupied Territories of Artsakh, according to which there will be a ban on those foreign companies which will want to carry out activity in the territories of Artsakh occupied by Azerbaijan, without the permission of the Artsakh government. The bill also states that the territories of the Republic of Artsakh which have been captured by the Azeri forces during the conflict are considered as “occupied territories”.

 13:18,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. From 22 June 2022 Wizz Air will start operating flights on the route Larnaca- Yerevan- Larnaca, Armenia International Airports said in a press release.

Flights will be operated twice a week every Wednesday and Sunday.

Flights on the route Rome- Yerevan- Rome will be operated from 5 September 2022. The frequency of flights will be twice a week, every Monday and Friday.

For the availability of air tickets, their acquisition and other details, please visit the webpage of the airline at  or contact the local travel agency.

 13:20,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Parliament of Artsakh released a statement on the occasion of Revival Day.

The statement was presented by MP Gegham Stepanyan and was adopted with 30 votes in favor.

Particularly, the statement says that the developments in Artsakh which took place in February of 1988 fundamentally changed the future annals of not only the indigenous Armenian people living there, but also of the peoples of the former Soviet Union.

“Tens of thousands of people, using the liberal and democratic ideas declared in the USSR were seeking through peaceful referenda in Stepanakert and other cities to restore historic justice: the unrealized dream of several generations to re-unite the Armenian province with Armenia.

From the very beginning, the growing pan-national movement adopted a conduct of solving the issue peacefully through legal and political ways, which received an irreversible confirmation on February 20, during the 20th extraordinary session of the former province’s supreme representative body, the Regional Council of People’s Deputies. The historic decision to withdraw the NKAO from the Azerbaijani SSR and re-unite it with the Armenian SSR signaled the new stage of the Artsakh national liberation struggle: the decisiveness of the people of Artsakh’s to advance the Karabakh movement through a civilized and legal path.

Regrettably, the leadership of the Azerbaijani SSR was incapable of using the exclusive chance of correctly resolving the issue and as a result the region appeared in a chain of lasting instability and Azerbaijan’s temptations to solve the issue militarily.

As a result of the February 20 decision which expressed the will and desire of the absolute majority of the region’s population, Artsakh rightly became the symbol of pride and national awakening for all Armenians. The wave of the Karabakh movement spread worldwide and as a result of the struggle organized by all segments of Armenians the two Armenian republics formed in the beginning of the 90s of the previous century. The Republic of Artsakh, proclaimed on September 2 of 1991 in line with international law and the requirements of national legislation, was a conscious milestone on the path towards a united Armenian state. Our people paid an immeasurably high price in the fight for Artsakh’s freedom and independence. Thousands of our sons sacrificed their lives during the wars of 1991-1994, 2016 and 2020.

Today, the Republic of Artsakh exists and continues its struggle to achieve international recognition thanks to the sacrifices of our brave heroes. We bow before their eternal memory,” reads the statement.

The statement says that during the last 34 years Artsakh passed a long path of establishment and development, victories and failures, and during this period the idea that the Armenian Artsakh’s future is guaranteed only in the prospects of living free and independent was strengthened.

“Expressing the collective will and opinion of the people of Artsakh, the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh is reaffirming its dedication to the 1988 February 20 historic decision and decisiveness to protect its right to live freely on its native land.

The National Assembly of Artsakh is drawing the attention of international organizations and first of all the parliaments of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries on the fact that the Armenian people of Artsakh for centuries struggled to preserve their identity, created material and cultural values which today are endangered as a result of the Azerbaijani occupation of several territories of the Republic of Artsakh.

“We call on the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to take immediate steps to re-launch the negotiations process in the direction of resolving the Karabakh conflict in line with the mandate received from the OSCE. Lasting peace and stability in the region can only be achieved through respecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people of the Republic of Artsakh. For this very goal the Armenians of Artsakh began their liberation struggle in 1988 and stand ready to continue it with decisiveness to reach the final goal,” the statement said.

 14:54,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The digitization of the private library of renowned Armenian poet Hovhannes Tumanyan and the creation of e-library will be fulfilled by the funds saved as a result of the operation of the solar power station installed in the Tumanyan Museum.

Director of the Hovhannes Tumanyan House Museum Ani Yeghiazaryan told Armenpress that the initiative has been proposed by the Armenian Energy Agency foundation which launched the program “Solar Energy for the Benefit of Cultural Heritage”, and the total financial assistance has been provided by HSBC Armenia Bank.  

“This was really a very necessary initiative for us, and our cooperation started very quickly. Why is this important for us? Firstly, the share of electricity consumption of the whole year is ensured. Secondly, the money saved as a result of our talks with the Ministry of Culture will be directed to one of the key programs of the Museum – the digitization of Tumanyan’s private library and the creation of electronic library”, she said, adding that the Museum has dreamed of implementing this program for years, but it was impossible because financial resources were lacking.

According to Mrs. Yeghiazaryan, this was the best chance to have the poet’s rich library, which has nearly 8000 books, in electronic platform and make it available to the people.

The Museum Director hopes this will be an impetus for both the investors and organizers so that the program continues and other cultural centers are also able to use this opportunity.

The solar power station is operating at the Tumanyan Museum since January 2022.