Author: Arsine Chaltikian

Economist presents data on gas prices in Armenia during tenure of three leaders

Arsine Chaltikian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 17 2021

Economist Suren Parsyan, the head of the Economic Research Office of the ARF Bureau, has presented data on the Russian natural gas tariffs in Armenia during the tenure of three leaders – Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan and Nikol Pashinyan.

"Ove the past 20 years, the gas prices for Armenian consumers increased almost threefold, which has had a negative impact on the economy and the living standards of the people,” he wrote on Facebook.

“The Russian gas prices have always depended on political and economic factors. Of course, in the case of Armenia, the political agreements played a key role, but they were accompanied by the transfer of state property of Armenia to the Russian side, in particular, the alienation of the Hrazdan 5th power unit, 20% state share of ArmRosGazprom CJSC, Armenia-Iran gas pipeline, as well as the pre-emptive right to join the 400 kV Armenia-Georgia power transmission lines after their commissioning, etc. The Russian side, in turn, has made large investments in these facilities, creating thousands of jobs.

“However, the current natural gas prices in Armenia are a serious obstacle for the development of business, as a result of which Armenian products become even more expensive and lose their competitiveness in both domestic and foreign markets. The next government, using all its political and personal ties, must first of all effectively negotiate with Russia on reducing the prices of gas at the border by $30-40," the economist said. 

 

Asbarez: Filmmaker Jivan Avetisyan’s New Film to Focus on Latest Artsakh War

Arsine Chaltikian

February 17,  2021



Filmmaker Jivan Avetisyan

Filmmaker Jivan Avetisyan will begin production on his latest feature, “Reborn,” centered around the recent Artsakh War.

Avetisyan, whose mission has become to make films about Artsakh and present this corner of the world to international audiences, told Yerakouyn.am that he wants to “punish the world” through his films.

He began work on “Reborn” back in 2018 with the plot taking place during the 2016 April War. However, after the recent devastating war, he rewrote the script bringing the action to the fall of 2020.

Avetisyan said the film centers around four heroes, whose back stories are culled from actual events.

The recent Artsakh War impacted Avetisyan’s film world. In December he was informed that Artsakh native Hovhannes Khoderyan, who portrayed the titular character in Avetisyan debut feature, “Tevanik,” died during the war in defense of the homeland.

”Tevanik” was screened at the 67th Cannes International Film Festival, where it caught the attention of critics.

Avetisyan’s most recent film, “Gate to Heaven,” which also featured the 2016 April War as its backdrop, had its world premier in Yerevan 2019. Having garnered acclaim at various European film festivals, “Gate to Heave” was scheduled to debut in the United States last March, but its screening was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Avetisyan’s second feature, “The Last Inhabitant,” also focused on the human toll the Artsakh war has taken on those living there. “The Last Inhabitant,” which featured a soundtrack by Serj Tankian, went on to garner international and critical acclaim at festivals around the world.

Armenia Speaker of Parliament holds meeting with Iranian Ambassador

Arsine Chaltikian

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 16:04, 18 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan received today Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Abbas Zohouri, the Armenian Parliament told Armenpress.

During the meeting Speaker Mirzoyan said he views Iran as a friendly country and reliable partner. Touching upon the Artsakh conflict, the Speaker said after the November 9 trilateral statement on the ceasefire it is necessary to implement the agreements reached. As a priority he mentioned the exchange of the prisoners of war with “all for all” principle. Mirzoyan added that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict cannot be considered as completely resolved because the status of Nagorno Karabakh – the right to self-determination of the Artsakh-Armenians has not been solved under the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format. He said Iran cannot refrain from expressing position on the Artsakh issue, taking into account also the active involvement of other regional countries for the benefit of the Azerbaijani side both at the hostilities stage and afterwards.

The Ambassador stated that the Iranian side welcomes  the agreement on the ceasefire in Artsakh and reaffirmed the opinion of the Iranian Foreign Minister according to which the return of the prisoners of war should be quickly solved.

At the meeting the officials also discussed a number of issues relating to further boosting the inter-parliamentary ties, the economic relations and conducting joint economic activity in Armenia’s Syunik province.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

5 Armenian captives returned home from Azerbaijan

Arsine Chaltikian
JAM News
Feb 9 2021
    JAMnews, Yerevan

Five more captives have been returned to Armenia from Azerbaijan, press secretary of the Prime Minister Mane Gevorgyan confirms.

There is also preliminary and yet officially unconfirmed information that four are from the Armenian city of Gyumri and one is from Masis.

The plane with the prisoners, accompanied by the commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh, Lieutenant General Rustam Muradov, landed at Erebuni military airport late in the evening. Hundreds of people had already gathered here by that time, awaiting the return of their captured relatives.

  • Armenia and Azerbaijan exchange prisoners again
  • 62 Armenian citizens in Azerbaijan: prisoners of war or saboteurs?

The last exchange between Armenia and Azerbaijan took place on January 28. Then five captured Armenians returned to Yerevan, one Azerbaijani to Baku. The previous exchange of prisoners also took place with the mediation of the Russian side.

At this point, since the end of the second Karabakh war, 63 prisoners have returned to Armenia.

5 ventilators made in Armenia ready for clinical trials

Arsine Chaltikian

 ventilators made in Armenia ready for clinical trials

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 12:28, 9 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. 5 ventilators made in Armenia are already ready, clinical trials will soon be conducted, Minister of High technological industry Hakob Arshakyan said at a press conference, commenting on the ventilator funding project.

“5 such devices have already been prepared. They have almost passed the trial stage, and there is a need for clinical trials. No such complex devices have been made in Armenia as far as I know. They are complex systems, and acknowledge of such knowledge can have a very serious effect in Armenia”, the minister said.

He informed that the company which won the tender has participated in the programming licensing competition developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 28 out of the 330 companies representing 42 countries have won the competition, and one of them has been that company. The minister said that thanks to this it was possible to make this device in Armenia.

Arshakyan added that the first five samples will soon be introduced in a separate event.

                                                                                                                                                                                         

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia approves use of Sputnik V vaccine

Arsine Chaltikian
TASS, Russia
Feb 1 2021
The country did not hold its own trials of the Russian preparation

MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/. The Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus has been approved by the Armenian Health Ministry, according to a press release of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

"The vaccine was approved by a decree of the Ministry of Health based on data of Phase III clinical trials in Russia without conducting additional trials in Armenia," the statement reads.

The Sputnik V vaccine has already been registered in Russia, Belarus, Argentina, Bolivia, Serbia, Algeria, Palestine, Venezuela, Paraguay, Turkmenistan, Hungary, the UAE, Iran, the Republic of Guinea and Tunisia.

On August 11, 2020, Russia became the first country worldwide to register a vaccine against the coronavirus which was named Sputnik V. The preparation was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry. Sputnik V is a human adenovirus-based vector vaccine.

Another modular camp installed in Artsakh for Russian peacekeepers

Arsine Chaltikian

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 10:57, 1 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. Another modular camp has been installed in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) for the Russian peacekeepers, the Russian defense ministry reports.

The camp has been built in Khachmach for the accomodation of the specialists of the Russian defense ministry.

Earlier three similar camps have been installed in Artsakh for the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

Each camp has a gym, bathhouse, a first-aid post, etc.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenpress: Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 04-02-21

Arsine Chaltikian

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 04-02-21

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 17:32, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, 4 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 4 February, USD exchange rate up by 0.45 drams to 520.60 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.64 drams to 623.94 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.06 drams to 6.90 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.66 drams to 707.08 drams.

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

Gold price down by 376.43 drams to 30721.17 drams. Silver price down by 45.28 drams to 448.57 drams. Platinum price down by 200.74 drams to 18461.66 drams.

The EU supports Armenia-Georgia and Armenia-Iran energy and economic links

Arsine Chaltikian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 5 2021

The European Union has provided EUR 10.2m in investment grant and technical assistance for the electricity grid interconnection with Georgia to be implemented by the German Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KFW) under the Caucasus Transmission Network project.

The link allows continuous energy trade between the two countries, and in particular allows Armenia to better access regional and European markets. The link will improve security of electricity supply in both participating countries.

“The EU Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) grant will not only ensure the overall financing, but have a positive economic impact on the project finally resulting in limiting the potentially required end user tariff increases for the Armenian consumers thereby contributing to energy affordability especially for the poorer part of the population, In addition the EU NIF funds will be used to adapt energy sector regulation approximating EU standards,” said the EU Ambassador, Andrea Wiktorin.

Armenia PM: We started economic year with very strong positive signal

Arsine Chaltikian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 4 2021
12:16, 04.02.2021

YEREVAN. –The government of the Republic of Armenia has successfully issued eurobonds; with this issuing, we have issued a bond worth $750 million. And it is very important to record that the issuing took place with the most favorable terms, the lowest interest rate in the history of our country. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at Thursday's Cabinet meeting of the government.

"This is a very important signal for our economy. First, a guarantee of macroeconomic stability has been formed with this. Second, in fact, we can say that this is the first serious signal of overcoming the post-war economic shock, which also shows that international investors are confident in the economic future of the Republic of Armenia and the policy run by the government. (…). We can record that we have started the economic year with a very strong positive signal. We hope that this positive signal will cause a chain reaction," Pashinyan also said.