Author: Andranik Taslakhchian

Gazprom Armenia to apply for raising gas tariffs for consumers from July 2020

Andranik Taslakhchian
Aysor, Armenia
April 1 2020

Gazprom Armenia CJSC is planning to apply to the Public Services Regulatory Commission with a request to set new natural gas tariffs, or revising them.

According to the petition, Gazprom Armenia intends to increase the price of natural gas for the country’s consumers.

It plans to set 135,909 AMD price for 1,000 cubic meters for needy families against current 100,000 AMD in case of consumption of 600 cubic meters in a year.

For the consumers using up to 10,000 cubic meters of gas in a month the price will reduce making 135,909 AMD against current 139,000 for 1,000 cubic meters.

For consumers using over 10,000 cubic meters in a month the price will be equivalent to $283,14 against $242,1 for 1000 cubic meters.

Small productions of face masks start operating in Armenia

Andranik Taslakhchian

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 13:39, 13 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 13, ARMENPRESS. A very small local production of face masks has already started in Armenia, Chairman of the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition Gegham Gevorgyan told reporters today.

“There are some price changes of face masks as they were purchased from various sources and at different prices. But the economic entities inform us that there is a tendency in the decline of prices. There is also an offer for sale from China. We also received new batch of masks. Very small local productions of face masks have already started in Armenia”, he said, adding that the price of face masks is nearly 200 drams.

Gevorgyan assured that if there is a need to acquire face masks, the state will ensure that.

Gegham Gevorgyan said by calculating the current numbers and demand, they see that the problem of face masks is not so serious. Commenting on the question that pharmacies sell masks to one person at limited amount, he said the economic entities have talked to them on this matter. “If they sell at unlimited amount, they may not be able to ensure the daily physical volume”, he said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Armenia considering emergency measures amid coronavirus spread

Andranik Taslakhchian
PanArmenian, Armenia
– 23:14 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Armenian government will on Monday, March 16 discuss the possibility of declaring a state of emergency in some parts of the country, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Facebook on Sunday.

Pashinyan said additional measures might be needed to keep the situation under control.

Also, the PM said that movements in and out of a town where most coronavirus cases have been registered so far may be restricted.

Located about 18 km west of the capital Yerevan, Vagharshapat (commonly known as Ejmiatsin) is connected to neighboring settlements via 27 routes.

Pashinyan said only three of those roads – the ones connecting the town to Yerevan, Ashtarak and Masis – may be left open.

The number of coronavirus cases in Armenia climbed again on Sunday, March 15, as two more “interconnected” cases were announced by Health Minister Arsen Torosyan. The total number of infections in the country now stands at 28.

Torosyan also revealed that Armenia’s first confirmed patient has tested negative for the second time and will be discharged shortly.

Armenian politician could become head of 15th arrondissement of Paris

Andranik Taslakhchian
PanArmenian, Armenia
– 17:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian and Turkish public figures Anouch Toranian and Agnès Evren are the main contenders to become the leader of the 15th arrondissement of Paris.

Evren is a current member of the European Parliament, formerly deputy head of the 15th arrondissement.

Evren has good chances of winning in a district with a population of more than 250,000 people.

Toranian, meanwhile, is a member of Socialist Party alongside Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris.


Azerbaijan intentionally escalates the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border: Armenia’s MFA

Andranik Taslakhchian
Aysor, Armenia

Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement over the incident on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, stressing that during the recent days it is already another attempt of the Azerbaijani side to escalate the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

“On March 10, as a result of ceasefire violation by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan in the Nakhijevan section of the state borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan Zohrab Sianosyan, servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces, was shot dead by a sniper fire. We express our deep condolences and sympathy to the family and the relatives of the  private.  This is yet another attempt of Azerbaijan to intentionally escalate the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border: on March 6 Azerbaijani armed forces attempted an infiltration in Tavush region of Armenia.

Regular attempts by Azerbaijan to escalate the situation on the state border with Armenia, to expand the geography of escalation and refrain from applying the existing mechanisms of de-escalation attest to the deliberate nature of Azerbaijan’s attempts to undermine regional security and peace.

“Such actions of Azerbaijan demonstrate that the establishment of international risk reduction mechanisms is an important priority of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, and the implementation of agreements reached in that regard is a necessary condition for the advancement of the peace process,” the statement said.

Armenian PM to depart for Georgia on official visit

Andranik Taslakhchian

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 12:35, 2 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan will depart for Georgia on an official visit on March 3-4, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.

During the visit Pashinyan will meet with Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, President Salome Zourabichvili, Speaker of Parliament Archil Talakvadze and Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II.

The Armenian PM will lay a wreath at the memorial in the Square of Heroes in Tbilisi.

Pashinyan is also scheduled to meet with the Armenian community representatives.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Armenia buys weapon locating radars from India – report

Andranik Taslakhchian

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 13:09, 2 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. According to unconfirmed media reports India has secured a 40 million dollar deal in Armenia on supplying four units of its SWATHI weapon locating radars.

India Today reported citing sources that India has already started supplies.

According to reports Armenia favored the India-made systems against competing bids from Russia and Poland.

The Armenian military hasn’t yet commented on the information.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Freedom in the World 2020: Republics of Armenia and Artsakh rated as ‘partly free’

Andranik Taslakhchian
Public Radio of Armenia
March 4 2020


Armenia and Artsakh have been rated as “partly free” in a new reports published by the Freedom House

In the reports titled Freedom in the World 2020։ A Leaderless Struggle for Democracy the Washington-based human rights watchdog notes that democracy is under assault around the globe, and the effects are evident not just in authoritarian states, but also in countries with a long track record of upholding basic rights and freedoms.

According to the report, countries that suffered setbacks in 2019 outnumbered those making gains by nearly two to one, marking the 14th consecutive year of deterioration in global freedom. During this period, 25 of the world’s 41 established democracies experienced net losses.

Armenia’s neighbor Georgia is also ranked as “partly free,” while Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran are all labeled as “not free.”

European Economic Union Members Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus also have the “not free” status, while Kyrgyzstan is “partly free.”

Of the 195 countries assessed, 83 (43 percent) were rated Free, 63 (32 percent) were Partly Free, and 49 (25 percent) were Not Free. The share of Free countries has declined by 3 percentage points over the last decade, while the percentage of Partly Free and Not Free countries rose by two and one points, respectively.

Freedom in the World is an annual global report on political rights and civil liberties, composed of numerical ratings and descriptive texts for each country and a select group of territories.

The 2018 edition covers developments in 195 countries and 14 territories from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017.

Freedom in the World 2020: Republics of Armenia and Artsakh rated as ‘partly free’

The full report at

Armenia receives weapon location radars from India

Andranik Taslakhchian
Jane's Defense Weekly
March 5 2020
Rahul Bedi, New Delhi – Jane's Defence Weekly
05 March 2020
 

Armenia has recently acquired four Indian weapon locating radars for USD40 million to enhance its counter-rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) and counter-battery fire capabilities.

Military officials in New Delhi told Jane’s on 29 February that the Swathi radars, designed by the government-run Defence Research and Development Organisation and manufactured by state-owned Bharat Electronics, were selected over competing systems from Poland and Russia following trials in 2018–19.

In service with the Indian Army since March 2017, the passive electronically scanned array weapon locating radar has a 360° scan capability to detect and track incoming heavy artillery rounds up to a range of 30 km and rockets up to 40 km.

Aliyev Angered by Armenian Toponyms on Azerbaijani Museum Maps, Orders New Ones

Andranik Taslakhchian
Armedia
March 6 2020
 
 
(VIDEO)
 
03.06.2020, 19:17
 Region,  World,  Armenia
 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has been angered upon seeing Armenian toponyms on maps displayed at an Azerbaijani arts museum in the Tovuz region, Armenpress reports.
 
Apparently by not putting up with the fact that a state of Azerbaijan did not exist during the times of the Kingdom of Urartu, Aliyev demanded the museum to have new maps with names of so-called ancient Azerbaijani cities.