Author: Ani Basmajian

Armenia can receive up to $800 million for one decade from Amulsar gold mine commissioning

Ani Basmajian
ARKA, Armenia
Aug 23 2019

YEREVAN, August 23. /ARKA/. The Lydian Armenia Company's  taxes and salaries paid  can ensure up to $800 million to the country for one decade, Armenian Economy Minister Tigran Khachatryan said Thursday in an interview with the Public TV. In his words, the Amulsar gold mine will bring $45 to 50 million every year within 10 years.

"If the one-ounce gold price remains unchanged at $1,500, then products worth up to $300 million will be exported from the Amulsar gold field every year, according to the most conservative calculations," he said.
The minister said that the government budget will get up to $500 million as taxes.
Besides, he said, Lydian Armenia will pay salaries totaling $100 million.

Khachatryan said that in addition to the jobs created by Lydian Armenia other jobs will be opened at related companies.

"If we summarize the taxes and salaries to be paid by Lydian with profits of the related companies, we can say that the state is estimated to gain $800 million for ten years," Khachartyan said in his televised interview.

In February, 2019 the Armenian government decided to allocate USD 396,900 from its reserve fund to Earth Link & Advanced Resources Development (ELARD) for carrying out a comprehensive expert examination of the Amulsar project. The mine's operation was ceased.

Lydian is a gold developer focused on construction at its 100%-owned Amulsar Gold Project, located in south-central Armenia. However, illegal blockades have prevented access to Amulsar since late June 2018. Amulsar is expected to be a large-scale, low-cost operation with production targeted to average approximately 225,000 ounces annually over an initial 10-year mine life.
Estimated mineral resources contain 3.5 million measured and indicated gold ounces and 1.3 million inferred gold ounces as outlined in the Q1 2017 Technical Report. Existing mineral resources beyond current reserves and open extensions provide opportunities to improve average annual production and extend the mine life. Lydian is committed to good international industry practices in all aspects of its operations including production, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility. -0-

Վարչապետն այցելում է ԱՄՆ. հնադիպե՞ն արդյոք Փաշինյանն ու Թրամփը

Ani Basmajian
  • 22.08.2019

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ԱՄՆ նախագահ Դոնալդ Թրամփի ու Պետքարտուղար Մայք Պոմպեոյի հետ ՀՀ վարչապետ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանի հնարավոր հանդիպման շուրջ պայմանավորվածություն այս պահին ձեռք չի բերվել։


Այս մասին այսօր կառավարության նիստի ավարտին, լրագրողների հետ զրույցում հայտնեց ՀՀ ԱԳ նախարար Զոհրաբ Մնացականյանը։ «ԱՄՆ նախագահ Թրամփի և պետքարտուղար Պոմպեոյի հետ հանդիպում մեր արտաքին քաղաքական օրակարգում կա։ Կլինի, երբ կլինի»,– ասաց նախարարը։


Լրագրողների դիտարկմանը, թե ՀՀ դիվանագիտական կորպուսին չի հաջողվում կազմակերպել Փաշինյանի հանդիպումը ԱՄՆ ղեկավարների հետ, Մնացականյանը չհամաձայնեց` ասելով. «սխալ են ասում»։


«Թրամփի և Պոմփեոյի հետ հանդիպում չենք ունեցել, բայց դրանից մեր հարաբերությունների մակարդակը ԱՄՆ–ի հետ չի նվազել»,– ասաց Մնացականյանը։


Հիշեցնենք` սեպտեմբերի 22-ին նախանշված է ՀՀ վարչապետ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանի այցը ԱՄՆ` ՄԱԿ–ի գլխավոր ասամբլեայի շրջանակներում։ Լոս Անջելեսի ժամանակով ժամը 16.00-ին Փաշինյանը հանդիպելու է հայ համայնքի հետ։

MP: Artsakh has never refused the idea of reunification with Armenia

Ani Basmajian
News.am, Armenia
Aug 26 2019
MP: Artsakh has never refused the idea of reunification with Armenia MP: Artsakh has never refused the idea of reunification with Armenia

00:08, 27.08.2019
                  

September 2 is a date that represents one of the most brilliant pages in the history of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic). This is what deputy of the National Assembly of Artsakh Vardges Baghryan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The deputy recalled that the movement for the liberation of Artsakh began before 1988, that is, after Karabakh was unlawfully incorporated within the composition of Azerbaijan. However, all Armenians rise to their feet in 1988.

It so happened that on August 30, 1991, the authorities of Soviet Azerbaijan adopted a decision to step out of the USSR. It is obvious that the people of Artsakh couldn’t agree with that. On September 2, the deputies of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast and Shahumyan region held a joint sitting during which they declared the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, and the independence referendum was held on December 10. After September 2, Yeltsin and Nazarbayev paid a visit, after which a war broke out in Stepanakert.

“I wasn’t a deputy at the time, but I was attending the session as deputy head of the television and radio committee. Many audio recordings have been preserved. Of course, we didn’t think independence was going to be served for us on a silver platter, and I believe that was the right step back then. However, this doesn’t mean that Artsakh refuses to reunite with Armenia. Reunification has been and remains the ultimate goal of the movement. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic needs to be internationally recognized, and after that, the Armenian people will make a choice. I personally think there has to be one Armenian state,” the deputy emphasized.

According to Baghryan, nobody should get tired in the fair struggle of the people of Artsakh because he who gets tired will lose.

“However, September 2 is a date that remains one of the most brilliant pages in the history of Artsakh. I am proud that I witnessed the shaping of history,” Baghryan said in closing.

Government Mulls Another Amulsar Mine Audit

Ani Basmajian
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Amulsar

After strong backlash from environmental activists and the public, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan  announced Wednesday that his government was mulling another possible audit of the environmental impact of excavating a gold mine in Amulsar in the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia. Pashinyan sent a recently released report to Armenia’s Environmental Protection Ministry, which will recommend whether a new audit is warranted.

Public criticism of the Amulsar mine project escalated Monday when Pashinyan gave the green light for the excavation of the mine, after the Lebanon-based ELARD company submitted results of its environmental impact audit, which deemed that the operation of the gold mine in Amulsar would not pose ecological and environmental hazards to residents of the nearby resort town of Jermuk and surrounding communities, including Lake Sevan.

He said the environmental protection ministry is tasked to determine “whether or not the conclusion [of the ELARD audit] contains information, which according to Armenia’s laws, require the need for a new environmental impact assessment for the operation of the Amulsar mine.”

After holding a series of meeting on Wednesday that included representatives of Lydian International, the British-American company that was grated the contract for the mine several years ago, Pashinyan took to Facebook to explain that all parties were set to move forward with the excavation at Amulsar, until a representative from the environmental protection ministry called for a more detailed study of the ELARD report, prompting the prime minister to task the ministry for a final conclusion.

“I was already about to end the consultation when a representative of the environmental protection ministry said that he nevertheless believes that the question should be answered after a more deeper study. After that I tasked the staff to forward the ELARD conclusion to the ministry with a specific task,” Pashinyan said in a Facebook Live post.

When green lighting the mining project on Monday, Pashinyan said the standards by which the project will move forward, will force other mining companies to elevate their standards.

”In the event that Amulsar is developed under existing conditions, it will be developed under unprecedented environmental standards for the Republic of Armenia,” said Pashinyan on Monday adding that the so-called high standards would force other mining companies to reform their practices.

“Now the government has to go to the low-level mines and tell them that they should elevate their operations to [comply with] the new standards. This is a political obligation,” Pashinyan said Monday. “Now the companies that are operating in lower levels will be forced to spend tens of millions of dollars elevate their standards and the government has the levers to force those companies to do so.”

Film: ‘Yeva’ goes to Varna Int’l FilmFest.

Ani Basmajian
Mehr News Agency (MNA), Iran
Saturday
'Yeva' goes to Varna Int'l FilmFest.
 

 
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) – Iranian feature 'Yeva' by Anahid Abad has been accepted into the Spectrum section of 27th International Film Festival in Varna, Bulgaria.
 
The 27th edition of International Film Festival in Varna will host the screening of Iranian feature 'Yeva' in its Spectrum section.
 
Written and directed by Iranian-Armenian Anahid Abad, 'Yeva' is the story of a young woman who is forced to flee Yerevan with her daughter Nareh. She would have to stand trial there because she allegedly killed her husband. Uncle Ruben and the remote village in Nagorno-Karabakh are her last chance to go into hiding. But the villagers recognize her from the days of war when she had cared for the wounded as a doctor at the front.
 
The film has received the Audience Choice Award at the 12th annual Pomegranate Film Festival (POM) in Canada.
 
'Yeva' has recently received three nominations (best feature, best script and best director award) at the 21st Arpa International Film Festival (AIFF) in the United States.
 
The 27th International Film Festival in Varna is scheduled for 23 Aug. – 1 Sep. 2019 in Bulgaria. The festival title is "Love is folly". The IFF "Love is folly" is one of the most important art events not only for fashionable Varna but also for the life of the European cinema industry.
 
For over 26 years, the doyen of international film festivals with a Bulgarian address, led by the ambition to broadcast the latest productions in the world of the seventh art, annually presents more than 90 films from both the Bulgarian and world film list.

PM Pashinyan meets with relatives of March 1 victims

Ani Basmajian

PM Pashinyan meets with relatives of March 1 victims

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20:11,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 12, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met with the relatives March 1 victims at the Government on August 12.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, Pm Pashinyan said, ‘’I want to speak about the decision of the Government made at the last Cabinet meeting, which is about the monetary support to be provided to the successors of the victims. I want it to be clear, this is just a support and should not be taken for compensation, since the life of the citizen of the Republic of Armenia is beyond price. My position is that the final solution to this issue should be decided at the European Court of Human Rights. This decision is an interm step that reflects the political position of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The future process should take place in the context of the decisions of the ECHR''.

The relatives of March 1 victims noted that following the velvet revolution they have great hopes and expressed confidence that the changes taking place in the country will give the opportunity to carry out a trustworthy investigation and fully expose the March 1 case.

The PM and the relatives of the victims exchanged views on the investigation process of March 1 case and the works aimed at the construction of a memorial dedicated to the memory of March 1 victims.  

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan




A1+: Karen Demirchyan’s statue to be placed in front of sport and concert complex (video)

Ani Basmajian

August 8, 2019

RA Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Suren Papikyan presented today a draft law for the installation of Karen Demirchyan's statue in front of K. Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex.

Introducing the project, the minister noted that 3 million 281 thousand drams will be required for this project.

"The issue has been discussed with the family and they have proposed to place the statue there," the minister said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said there had been a decision to install Demirchyan's statue long ago. and when he asked about the deadlines, Suren Papikyan did not specify when the monument would be placed.

The decision was confirmed.


Ex-serviceman on third hunger strike in front of Armenia government building

Ani Basmajian
News.am, Armenia
Aug 6 2019
Ex-serviceman on third hunger strike in front of Armenia government building Ex-serviceman on third hunger strike in front of Armenia government building

15:19, 06.08.2019
                  

Armenia’s Ex-serviceman Tsolak Khachatryan, who had been on a hunger strike in front of the government building since July 8, restarted a hunger strike today. He told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the reason why he is on another hunger strike in front of the government building is because the Ministry of Defense hasn’t fulfilled his requirements within the time limits that it had promised to fulfill them.

“The Ministry of Defense is so impudent that it violated my rights by providing my personal data and other information to a media outlet. Instead of doing that, let the ministry fulfill its obligations. I have already filed a report on the crime to the police,” he said.

Ex-serviceman Tsolak Khachatryan had stopped his second hunger strike in front of the government building on July 25. He was demanding that the government pay him the amounts for his leave and demobilization.

Delegation of Competent Authority of Armenia to Complete Familiarization with Russian System of Veterinary Control and Inspection of Exporting Establishments

Ani Basmajian
Russian Government News
August 5, 2019 Monday 11:09 AM EST
Delegation of Competent Authority of Republic of Armenia to Complete Familiarization with Russian System of Veterinary Control and Inspection of Exporting Establishments
 
 
On July 23 a meeting between representatives of the Rosselkhoznadzor and the Food Safety Inspectorate under the Government of the Republic of Armenia was held in Moscow, that concluded the working visit of the Armenian delegation to Russia.
 
Starting on July 14 the representatives of the Armenian competent authority visited the Moscow, Leningrad, Vladimir and Belgorod Oblasts where they familiarized themselves with the work of the veterinary laboratory, the border inspection point and the Rosselkhoznadzor subordinate Federal Center for Animal Health (FGBI "ARRIAH"), as well as inspected several livestock establishments interested in supplying products to the Armenian market.
 
The Armenian delegation thanked the Rosselkhoznadzor for the high level of organization of the visit and the eventfulness of the program. The representatives of the competent authority highly assessed the FGBI "ARRIAH" research activity and laboratory equipment and were impressed by the system for product traceability "from the field to the counter" based on the Rosselkhoznadzor information programs.
 
In conclusion the Rosselkhoznadzor representatives thanked the Armenian delegation for their work and stressed that the visit would allow developing constructive Russian-Armenian relations.
 
* * * * *

Over 3,000 Armenians on pilgrimage at St. Thaddeus Monastery

Ani Basmajian
Tehran Times, Iran

TEHRAN – Over 3,000 Christian worshippers, who are natives of Iran or other countries, are on pilgrimage at St. Thaddeus Monastery, which is located in Iran’s West Azarbaijan province.

The essential core of the pilgrimage, called Badarak, was held on Saturday, attended by guests from Iran, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, the Netherlands, France, Austria, Germany, Canada and some other countries, IRNA reported.

The province’s cultural heritage department has endeavored to provide the necessary infrastructure, including camping sites, sanitary services, catering services, outdoor lighting, and setting up tents for ritual ceremonies and other services, chief of the department Jalil Jabbari said.

Baptism of children and youngsters along with performances of traditional songs and dances are amongst highlights the event.

The festivity is of high importance for Iranian-Armenians who mostly come from the cities of Tabriz, Urmia, Tehran, Isfahan and Qazvin, to stage the reunion in groups and families. It also provides them an opportunity to go on holiday and visit distant relatives.

Attendees commemorate the martyrdom of St. Thaddeus, one of the twelve disciples killed while he was preaching the Gospel. The legend says, a church dedicated to him was first built in 68 CE where Qareh Klise is standing.

Thaddeus was an apostle of Christ and the ceremony is rooted in the last supper with Jesus Christ on the night of his arrest and execution by the Roman soldiers.

Also known as the Qareh Klise (“the Black Church”), the monastery is one of the oldest surviving Christian monuments in the country. It is situated in Chaldoran county some 20 kilometers form Maku, adjacent to the borders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.

The ancient Church shows off elaborate bas-reliefs of flowers, animals and human figures on its façade and exterior walls. It bears verses of Old and New Testament in Armenian calligraphy as well.

Together with St. Stepanos Monastery and the Chapel of Dzordzor, Qareh Klise was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2008 under the name “Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran”. All the three sites are located in West Azarbaijan and are of high significance from historical and cultural perspectives. They bear credible testimony to interchanges with the ancient regional societies in particular the Byzantine, Orthodox and Persian.

UNESCO has it that the churches bear examples of outstanding universal value of the Armenian architectural and decorative traditions.

AFM/MG