Thursday,
Armenian Minister Withdraws Resignation
• Karlen Aslanian
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Labor and Social Affairs Minister Mane Tandilian speaks at a cabinet
meeting in Yerevan, .
Labor and Social Affairs Minister Mane Tandilian on Thursday withdrew her
resignation which she tendered last week in protest against the Armenian
government’s decision to complete a controversial pension reform.
Tandilian announced her decision after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian pledged
to consider amending a new pension system that will become mandatory on July 1
for all Armenians born after 1973.
Tandilian was one of the organizers of street protests in 2014 against the
reform requiring those citizens to finance a large part of their future
pensions through additional tax payments. The protests forced Armenia’s former
government to make the new system, recommended by Western donors, optional for
private sector employees until July 2018.
Shortly after Pashinian appointed her as minister last month, Tandilian
proposed that this deadline be extended by one more year. The new government
turned down the proposal, sticking to its predecessor’s plans. The only
concession it made was to get the Armenian parliament to temporarily cut the
new pension tax rate from 5 percent to 2.5 percent.
Tandilian cited the government’s stance when she stepped down on June 12.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Yerevan, Pashinian said that he did not accept
the resignation. He said he and the minister have agreed to work together on
“making that system more acceptable.”
“We need to dispel all doubts existing in the society and among ourselves in
order to be sure that we are on the right track,” the premier told cabinet
members. The new, partly privatized mechanism for retirement benefits needs a
“very serious improvement,” he said without elaborating.
Shortly after the cabinet meeting, Tandilian wrote on her Facebook page that
she will not resign after all. She said her ministry will draft amendments to
Armenian pension legislation within the next two weeks. She expressed hope that
they will be adopted by the parliament later this year.
The parliament, meanwhile, voted on Thursday to pass in the second and final
reading a government bill that prompted the minister’s resignation letter.
EU Backs New Armenian Government’s Reform Agenda
• Emil Danielyan
Belgium - EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Armenian Foreign
Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian arrive for a meeting of the EU-Armenia Partnership
Council in Brussels, .
The European Union on Thursday voiced “full support” for sweeping reforms
promised by Armenia’s new government and praised anti-corruption measures that
have already been taken by it.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, also said the 28-nation bloc
is ready to help the government implement the “very ambitious” reform agenda
and hold fresh parliamentary elections sought by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
“We agreed on the importance of combatting corruption ... and the concrete
action that is already taken by the government in this field,” Mogherini said
after holding what she called “extremely productive” talks with Armenian
Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian in Brussels.
“I was glad to hear about the government's determination and very ambitious
agenda, with a focus on public administration and on the judiciary, which is an
agenda that has our full support,” she told a joint news conference. “I
reassured the minister on the EU intention and readiness to accompany this
process every single step of the journey.”
“Upcoming visits of our European Union teams to Armenia will discuss now how
the European Union can support the reforms in the country,” she added.
Mogherini and Mnatsakanian spoke to reporters after chairing the first session
of the EU-Armenia Partnership Council, a body tasked with overseeing the
implementation of a landmark agreement signed by the two sides last November.
The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) offers the South
Caucasus state the prospect of a closer relationship with the EU in return for
major political and economic reforms. It also commits Yerevan to gradually
“approximating” Armenian economic laws and regulations to the EU’s legal
framework.
Mnatsakanian reaffirmed his government’s stated commitment to the CEPA. He
described the 350-page accord as an “important instrument for Armenia to
advance its reforms.” Accordingly, he called on EU member states to quickly
ratify it.
The Armenian parliament ratified the CEPA in April, paving the way for the
deal’s provisional entry into force this month.
Belgium - The EU-Armenia Partnership Council holds its first meeting in
Brussels, .
“The Partnership Council welcomed the peaceful nature of the recent protests in
Armenia, which led to a democratic change of government in accordance with the
Constitutional framework,” read a joint statement released after the meeting.
It said the EU side welcomed the Armenian government’s “clear commitment to
fight against corruption” and “expressed its readiness to assist Armenia with
the organization and monitoring of new elections.”
Pashinian, who led the massive protests, has repeatedly made clear his
intention to force such elections in the months ahead since being elected prime
minister on May 8.
Mogherini reaffirmed the EU’s 2017 pledge to allocate 160 million euros ($185
million) in fresh assistance to Armenia over the next four years. She would not
say explicitly whether the EU could provide extra financial aid to the new
authorities in Yerevan in support of their reform effort.
Mogherini was also non-committal on the lifting of the EU’s visa requirements
for Armenian nationals sought by both the current and previous Armenian
governments. She argued that visa liberalization has to be ultimately approved
by the European Council, the EU’s top decision-making body directly
representing the member states.
The issue was also on the agenda of the Partnership Council meeting, with
Mnatsakanian saying that the two sides “exchanged views on starting a visa
liberalization dialogue.” “We insist to be judged on our merits,” he said,
adding that visa-free travel would strengthen Armenia’s links with Europe.
EU leaders said at a summit in 2015 that such a dialogue is contingent on the
“full implementation” of an EU-Armenia agreement on “readmission” of illegal
immigrants.
The agreement was signed in April 2013 shortly after the EU eased some of its
visa rules and procedures for Armenians. Armenia unilaterally abolished its
visa regime for EU citizens around that time.
Mogherini noted on Thursday the readmission agreement is “being well
implemented.”
Armenian ‘Crime Bosses’ Rounded Up By Police
• Tatev Danielian
Armenia - A screenshot of official video of police raiding the homes of reputed
crime figures and detaining them, .
The Armenian police reported two arrests on Thursday after raiding the homes of
around three dozen men described as major crime figures.
A police statement specified the names as well as underworld nicknames of the
individuals whose homes in Yerevan and other parts of Armenia were searched on
Wednesday. It said law-enforcement officers found weapons, ammunition and
“substances resembling narcotics” in some of them.
All of those men were then taken to police stations for further questioning.
The statement referred to them as “thieves-in-law” and “criminal authorities,”
terms commonly applied to crime bosses in the former Soviet Union.
A spokesman for the national police service, Zarzand Gabrielian, said two of
them were placed under arrest. “They are Aleksandr Makarain nicknamed ‘Alo’ and
Andranik Harutiunian nicknamed ‘Masivtsi Andik,’” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian
service (Azatutyun.am). “The others were interrogated and released.”
Gabrielian added that the detained men have not been formally charged yet.
The police statement and a video attached to it said that the raids were
sanctioned by courts as part of an unspecified “criminal case.” It did not
elaborate.
The national police chief, Valeri Osipian, also declined to go into details
when he spoke to journalists on Thursday. “Everyone in the Republic of Armenia
must obey the laws,” he said vaguely.
Artur Sakunts, a veteran human rights campaigner, welcome the police raids,
saying that they are part of the new Armenian authorities’ efforts to
strengthen the rule of law in the country. “They are taking clear steps on the
basis on the notion that the criminal underworld and its rules cannot be part
of government,” he said.
Sakunts claimed that Armenia’s former leaders relied on reputed crime figures
in falsifying election results. The latter will now be discouraged from any
involvement in political processes, he said.
Press Review
“Zhoghovurd” comments on the latest bellicose statements made by Azerbaijani
Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov, saying that they run counter to the
international community’s regular calls for a peaceful resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “It is not hard to guess the reason for this
Azerbaijani rhetoric,” writes the paper. “They did not like the new Armenian
government’s position on bringing Karabakh back to the negotiating table, and
the tough Azerbaijani rhetoric is a response to that.”
“Aravot” disapproves of what it sees as unrestrained verbal abuse directed at
Manvel Grigorian, an arrested former army general accused of corruption. “If
you are so brave, speak about those who are still on top,” says the paper. “In
emotional terms, stealing food parcels sent to soldiers by schoolchildren can
only cause shock and anger.” But, it says, there are also many other corrupt
individuals in the country.
“Hraparak” similarly says that “honest and legitimate anger about the army must
not turn into a wave of repression and manhunt” and that relatives of former
and current officials accused of corruption “must not suffer.” “We learned
yesterday that the family of a lawyer defending Manvel Grigorian is having
serious problems,” writes the paper. “They have even started harassing and
abusing children.”
Citing the latest data from the National Statistical Service, “Haykakan
Zhamanak” reports that economic growth in Armenia somewhat slowed down in May.
The paper insists that “this is a fairly good indicator” given the recent
nationwide protests that thrust the country into turmoil. “Revolutions are
usually accompanied by economic shocks,” it explains. “But Armenia not only
avoided such shocks but also achieved an increase in economic activity.”
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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