21:50,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS.  Prime Minister Nikol Pashiyan chaired a consultation, during which issues related to the progress of socio-economic inclusion programs and planned measures for people forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh were discussed, the PM's Office said in a readout.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan, who coordinates the work of the "Humanitarian Center" of the government, reported that 4.4 billion AMD were allocated through regional administrations for the purpose of food security for the forcibly displaced persons located in regions. 112,000 people benefitted from the one-time support of 100,000 AMD. "Later, we defined the support program for rent and utility expenses, by which we supported those who have an apartment in the amount of 10,000 AMD, and those who do not have an apartment – 40+10 thousand AMD. This messure is for 6 months, of which 3 months have already passed. This will continue until March inclusive," said Tigran Khachatryan.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, 17,000 forcibly displaced students have been admitted to public schools, a scholarship support program is being implemented for 4,000 students in secondary professional or higher educational institutions. This number will increase in the near future.

"We have 69,000 people who are registered in the primary healthcare sector. This is also a channel through which they are able to use hospital services within the framework of the state order. As of today, we have about 7,000 cases in which people also used state-ordered hospital services. We have 20 thousand 656 applications for pensioners or allowance receivers, the pensions of 11 thousand 800 are already being paid. Let me remind you that we have made the payments for all the months following October, simply because the applications are based on registration, the person must be registered and submit an application. This is a process that will continue until everyone is fully integrated into the system. We also have 2408 applicants who applied for allowances, 585 of them actually received their allowances.

In the field of employment, 212 teachers were sent to regions within the framework of our support program, 202 medical workers found work in various institutions. In total, 725 people applied to participate in professional training programs, and we provided an opportunity for legal entities to be re-registered to ensure the continuity of their activities and to be able to smoothly continue their economic activities," said the Deputy Prime Minister. It was also noted that as of the end of December 2023, according to the data of the State Revenue Committee, 10,000 forcibly displaced people were registered as paid workers.

Next, the housing problems of people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and the possibilities of their solution were addressed, taking into account the issue of balanced territorial development. In this context, the participants of the consultation exchanged ideas on possible support tools, various observations and recommendations were presented.

Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the importance of the harmonization of social programs and instructed those responsible to continue discussions on the presented ideas and proposals.

 11:33, 1 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government will allocate a total of 3 billion 151 million drams to all 10 provincial authorities for the implementation of 43 subvention projects in 34 towns.

The decision was adopted at the Cabinet meeting on February 1.

Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan said that two of the projects have been underway since 2021, 10 since 2022 and 31 since 2023.

In 2023, the government allocated a record-high funding to the provincial governments.

 11:44, 1 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government is developing a new law on procurement, Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan said Thursday.

He said that all government ministries have been asked to submit recommendations.

“We will soon hold consultations with government bodies, NGOs and businesses, to outline all changes that we want to carry out with the new law. I’d like to underscore that this is going to be a new law, and not amendments, because we believe that the reality we are in now and the reality when the law was written are different. A lot has changed in terms of the volumes of procurements. We think we need to make fundamental steps here,” Hovhannisyan said.

The most recent changes in the procurement law were made in 2016.

 12:15, 1 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has commented on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2023 report, which shows that Armenia has stopped the regress in its score. 

“The year before we had a regress in the score of the Transparency International Corruption Perception index. We addressed this issue at the Cabinet meeting and now we can say that we have stopped the regress and we have a bit progress,” Pashinyan said Thursday at the Cabinet meeting. 

PM Pashinyan highlighted one sentence from the Transparency International report, "Despite facing challenging security threats – like many countries in the region – Armenia has the potential to navigate such difficulties and turn strong policies into better control of corruption." 

“This is a very objective sentence,” Pashinyan said.

“This means that having faced security challenges in the previous period, a context was formed that this wasn’t the most important issue, and that security issues should be dealt with. But I’d like to remind you that when we had very concrete crises in various situations, we publicly agreed that our work is to stay on track on the strategic agenda and continue the work. Unequivocally, today many countries and international organizations are taking note of the unusual manifestations of our resilience. And this is because even in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, our reforms agenda did not stop not for a minute. We’ve raised the level of our resilience thanks to our reforms, and we must continue that path,” Pashinyan said.

Armenia’s CPI 'score,' measured on a 100-point scale, rose from 46 to 47 in 2023.

Armenia ranks 62nd out of 180 countries and territories evaluated in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

 13:35, 1 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. The government has launched an interdepartmental commission tasked with preventing drug trafficking.

Minister of Internal Affairs Vahe Ghazaryan said at the Cabinet meeting on February 1 that such a commission was formally enacted in 2003 but it failed to ensure practical and sustainable operations in line with modern challenges.

The new commission will be led by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and will ensure cooperation with law enforcement agencies and support the implementation of Armenia’s international obligations regarding the fight against drug trafficking.

 08:55,

 09:15,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. Italian architect Alberto Collet, distinguished by his extensive international expertise and a profound passion for innovative projects, has made an impact in Armenia, too. His contribution includes spearheading the "Reflection of Infinity" project in collaboration with his team during the MEDS Gyumri workshop. In an interview with "Armenpress," Collet shares insights into his journey to Armenia, the successful realization of the project, and outlines his visionary plans for the country. Coming from the Veneto region in Italy, Collet's architectural endeavors have led him to diverse European cities, with Barcelona standing as his current place of residence.

– Could you please provide some insights into your background? Specifically, where were you born, and raised, and what professional path have you pursued?

I currently live in Barcelona; Spain and I was born in the Veneto region in the northwest of Italy. I have studied at the University IUAV, Faculty of Architecture in Venice. Here I learned about Armenians and Armenian culture for the first time.

During my degree, I have had the opportunity to take different courses, workshops, and seminars that have given me the possibility of relating both to the national and international panorama. Later I got my postgraduate degree in Urban Design at ArsNova Siena and then I acquired a double Master’s degree at Domus Academy and University of Wales, in Milan.

Years later I studied at the ETSAB in Barcelona.  I have also received my PhD at the FAUP in Porto, Portugal, researching the work of Álvaro Siza.

Throughout this time, I have been founding the Bauart studio and the Alternative Academic Project (AAP), a laboratory dedicated to innovative projects for public and private entities, mainly dealing with the organization of architecture workshops. I have developed an intense collaboration with different universities, including the Polytechnic University of Milan, where I currently work as a professor of architectural design.

– You mentioned that your first acquaintance with Armenia occurred in Venice. Could you please share more details about that experience?

I began to relate to Armenian culture during my university years in Venice. I started reading some books there and visited the island of Saint Lazarus. Years later I have had the possibility of meeting several members of the Armenian community of Buenos Aires in Argentina and from there discovering its history in the broadest sense, its cultural and spiritual heritage. Etchmiadzin Cathedral, built in the 4th century, is one of the oldest examples of Christian architecture.

I have always had a lot of admiration for the Armenian diaspora, which has brought Armenian culture to various parts of the world, keeping their identity. 

– In August, you were hosted and took part in the MEDS Gyumri project. Could you share some details about the process and describe the professional and emotional impact it had on you?

A few months before participating in the MEDS Gyumri project, I had prepared a very simple concept of a project for an important ephemeral architecture competition in Spain, for which I had not been selected. When I saw the announcement that they were looking for tutors for an architectural workshop in Armenia, with a project proposal, I thought that I could rethink and adapt my concept to the requirements of that workshop.

I didn't have much information about the place as initially, the area had to be outside of the city of Gyumri. So, I spent entire days studying the city from a distance, proposing options to the MEDS organization, but the proposed places were not realistic at that time.

Therefore, I had a concept of a minimal pavilion but did not know where this would be placed until I arrived in Gyumri. I remember that the first element that struck me was the stones of the buildings when I arrived in Armenia, almost like a watercolor, having different gradations of color and changing tones. After seeing that, I wanted to reinterpret those features of the black tuff by incorporating them inside the small element.

- What motivated your decision to become involved in the MEDS project?

Surely the main reason to get involved with Meds was to participate in a project workshop that can be built. Previously I had participated in different workshops, as a collaborator, tutor, and organizer, in landscape contexts, international cooperation, land art, urban planning, and architectural projects, but none of them were focused on construction. This aspect interested me and continues to interest me a lot. On the other hand, the Armenian context from the beginning has seemed very novel, and exotic, a way of getting to know a cultural history that in my opinion deserves more attention. I needed to experiment and test some elements that I wanted to implement in the field of ephemeral architecture.

- What significant discoveries did you make during your time in Armenia? Which areas of the country did you have the opportunity to explore?

The landscape is something that always remains imprinted on me in the territories I visit. The shape of the stone, its color, and its texture fascinate me very much, as it was in Armenia.

During the construction of the pavilion, I did not have time to explore some new places. However, the sponsor of our project, PROFAL Company organized an excursion for our team. It started with Lake Sevan which surprised me with its water color, its pure and crystalline shores but also with the presence of several historical monasteries. After that, we visited the Dilijan National Park, where I was fascinated by the large oaks, oriental fagus, and hornbeams. In the last part of the excursion, I had a chance to visit Yerevan, being able to appreciate the orientation towards Mount Ararat, getting lost in its streets with its lively bars in a mixture of scales, from small to large at the same time.

My tour through the center made me breathe a constant relationship with Europe and Mediterranean culture.

- Please elaborate on your project, the Pavilion. What is the concept behind this architectural monument, and what prompted its installation in the territory of Gyumri, Mother Armenia?

Our project is called “Reflection of Infinity.” The orientation of the pavilion is towards the Black Fortress (Sev Berd), an important nineteenth-century fortress where lots of historical events took place. The Pavilion serves as an observation point covered with a mirroring element. This reflection connects the statue of Mother Armenia to another important element representing in this way the strength, resilience, and protectiveness of the Armenian people. The design incorporates reflective surfaces, and a black-painted interior to symbolize the connection with the black tuff. At the same time, the pavilion becomes a dynamic game for many children visiting this park.

“Reflection of Infinity” represents a beacon of hope and a symbol of revival. Its purpose transcends mere aesthetics. Since it was prepared by architecture and design professionals from different countries, it stands as a testimony to the power of collaboration with the promise of a brighter future for this resilient city. Representing a symbol of unity and progress, this structure is an icon that ushers in a new era for Gyumri, where past and present coexist in harmony, and the future is as bright as the reflections on its mirrored surface.

 - What is the focus of your current project, and what are your plans for Armenia?

Currently, I am keeping my main focus on domestic architecture and the evolution of architectural competitions in the European context, and in parallel, I am developing a more systematic planning of ideas for ephemeral architecture projects that could be presented in these contexts. I think that in Armenia there are many places where the idea of flexible elements that can be part of dynamic processes could be implemented.

I will also be happy to collaborate with different institutions, cultural centers, companies, etc. who see the possibility of generating synergy throughout the Armenian national context but also creating a connection in the European context.

 10:27,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. The first human patient has received an implant from brain-chip startup Neuralink on Sunday and is recovering well, the company's billionaire founder Elon Musk said.

"Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," Musk said in a post on the social media platform X on Monday.

Spikes are activity by neurons, which the National Institute of Health describes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body, Reuters reports.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had given the company clearance last year to conduct its first trial to test its implant on humans, a critical milestone in the startup's ambitions to help patients overcome paralysis and a host of neurological conditions.

In September, Neuralink said it received approval for recruitment for the human trial.

The study uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move, Neuralink said previously, adding that its initial goal is to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.

The implants' "ultra-fine" threads help transmit signals in participants' brains, Neuralink has said.

The first product from Neuralink would be called Telepathy, Musk said in a separate post on X. It enables control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking. Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs, Musk said.

 10:30,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenian men’s national basketball team head coach Rex Kalamian has been appointed as assistant coach for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, the Basketball Federation of Armenia said in a statement.

Kalamian will maintain his position in Armenia.

On February 22, Armenia will play against Austria in the first-round qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.