13:45, 18 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government has approved a program aimed at creating maximally appealing conditions for international investment funds.

“What we are saying is this, if you are a fund that is managing over 1 billion dollars, and in the event of creating any investment fund in Armenia when you will invest at least 250 million drams the government will add 30% of that money to the fund,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

“With this, we seek to promote the activities of international investment companies in Armenia,” he added.

Eligible investment funds are those who will invest in the charter capital of resident companies in Armenia working in priority sectors. Deputy Minister of Economy Ani Ispiryan explained that the sectors of process manufacturing, energy and tourism are considered priority in this context. Another criteria concerns the portfolio of the funds: the investment funds must be managed and have investors in the form of companies that manage at least 1 billion dollars in assets.

 13:50, 18 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Cabinet approved on Thursday the appointment of Yerevan Thermal Power Plant Director Aram Ghazaryan as the new Governor of Lori province.

Ghazaryan is a retired police Colonel who’s been the director at the Yerevan TPP since June 2023.

The most recent position he held in his police career was Police Commissioner of Shirak Province.

 14:27, 18 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan has met with French President Emmanuel Macron during the World Economic Forum in Davos.

During the brief conversation, the presidents discussed the regional realities and latest developments in the South Caucasus, Khachaturyan’s office said in a readout.

 15:26, 18 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan has met with International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin within the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The effective cooperation that has been developed as part of the ITU and ongoing projects in Armenia were discussed at the meeting, Khachaturyan’s office said in a readout.

Khachaturyan and Bogdan-Martin discussed the possibilities for enhancing the technical assistance given to Armenia by the ITU in telecommunication and high technology sectors.

President Khachaturyan said that the high technology sector is a priority direction for Armenia’s development and the government keeps the area under focus.

The sides also discussed the possible impact and consequences of AI on the economy, public life and global realities. They expressed readiness to continue steps aimed at deepening cooperation.

 15:38, 18 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The so-called Zangezur corridor has never been discussed within the framework of the trilateral agreements between Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

“The Zangezur Corridor has never been discussed as part of the agreements that were made by President Putin, President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan on November 9 in 2020,” he said at a press briefing. 

Speaking about unblocking regional connections, Lavrov said the three countries have decided during trilateral task force meetings that the countries will retain sovereignty and jurisdiction over routes which will be unblocked through their territory. This was agreed and discussed with Putin during his Yerevan visit for the CSTO summit, Lavrov said.

Lavrov said the agreement wasn’t realized for unknown reasons.

“I remember quite well, how positively this was accepted, but then it just went away….I don’t know what hindered the implementation of the agreements on opening connections between Azerbaijan proper and Nakhijevan,” the Russian FM said.

 16:08, 18 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan has held a meeting with Ambassador of Austria to Armenia Thomas Mühlmann.

A readout issued by the parliament’s press service said Rubinyan and Mühlmann discussed the Armenian-Austrian cooperation, as well as the situation in the region.

 16:45, 18 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. French retired football player Nicolas Anelka visited the F.C. Pyunik Academy in Yerevan on Thursday during his Armenia trip.

Anelka toured the academy and watched the training of F.C. Pyunik Yerevan II.

He then met with the young players of Pyunik and was gifted the club’s shirt with his name.

 17:36, 18 January 2024

YEREVAN, 18 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 18 January, USD exchange rate down by 0.24 drams to 405.25 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.59 drams to 441.48 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.01 drams to 4.57 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.06 drams to 514.18 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 359.69 drams to 26211.27 drams. Silver price down by 3.37 drams to 297.13 drams.

 18:08, 18 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS.  French retired football player Nicolas Anelka and the President of the Football Federation of Armenia Armen Melikbekyan discussed the prospects of establishing a football academy in Armenia, the Football Federation of Armenia said.

On January 18, Nicolas Anelka visited the FFA Technical Center/Football Academy and familiarized himself with the infrastructures.