14:49, 5 May, 2020
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan today chaired a consultation on the 2020 capital expenditure programs in the healthcare sector, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.
Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan reported the process of ongoing works aimed at constructing the medical centers in Martuni and Yeghegnadzor towns. Programs on renovating, building and reconstructing 12 more medical centers are also implemented in different cities and communities of the Republic. The total cost of construction of these facilities is estimated 18,5 billion drams. Additional 3,8 billion drams will be provided for acquiring necessary equipment and property.
PM Pashinyan highlighted conducting these works in high quality and within the set timeframes. He said the capital expenditure programs must ensure capital outcome and create new jobs, especially in the construction sector.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 24
Trend:
Ukraine has banned holding any events related to the so-called "Armenian genocide", Trend reports referring to Turkish media.
According to the information, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has also warned officials of the country against using the phrase such as "Armenian genocide".
The Artsakh Republic foreign ministry issued a statement on the 29th anniversary of the ‘Koltso’ Operation. Panorama.am presents the statement in its entirety:
“29 years ago, under the direct organization and coordination of the central authorities of the USSR and Azerbaijan, a large-scale operation ‘Koltso’ (‘Ring’) was carried out to deport the Armenian population of the borderline villages of Artsakh. This bloody operation ultimately transferred the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict to the military plane, initiating the subsequent full-scale aggression of Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic).
On April 30, 1991, the massive shelling of Getashen and Martunashen villages of the Shahumyan region launched the operation ‘Koltso’, in the course of which tanks, combat helicopters, and artillery were employed for the first time against the civilians. Azerbaijani special police units (OMON), with the support of internal troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Soviet Army, broke into Armenian villages formally supposedly for "checking the passport regime", but in fact for killing, robbery, terror against the Armenian population, followed by deportation.
As a result of the military-police actions, dozens of Armenian villages of Northern Artsakh, as well as the Shahumyan, Hadrut and Shushi regions were destroyed, about ten thousand people were deported, over 100 people were killed, and hundreds of people were taken hostage. The fate of many of them remains unknown so far.
The Azerbaijani authorities considered the operation ‘Koltso’ as the beginning of the complete cleansing of Artsakh from the Armenian population. It became another manifestation of the policy of ethnic cleansing conducted by Azerbaijan in 1988-1991 in Sumgait, Baku and other settlements of the Azerbaijani SSR, as well as in the villages of Northern Artsakh.
The Armenian pogroms carried out by the Azerbaijani authorities in response to the demand of the people of Artsakh to exercise its inalienable right to self-determination and the subsequent military aggression against the Republic of Artsakh in 1991, which was repeated in April 2016, demonstrated that only the establishment and strengthening of an independent statehood can ensure the right of the people of Artsakh to live freely and safely in its homeland. The international community’s recognition of this reality and the international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh will become an additional deterrent against Azerbaijan’s desire to unleash a new war and will ensure peace and security in the entire region of the South Caucasus.”
10:04,
YEREVAN, APRIL 24, ARMENPRESS. Italian lawmaker Paolo Formentini, the author of the bill which recognized the Armenian Genocide at the Italian parliament’s Chamber of Deputies years ago, has extended his support on April 24 to the Armenian nation, noting that his La Lega party and Italy are standing with the Armenian people in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.
“April 24th marks the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The entire Italy, the Lega party, are standing with the Armenian people, in order for this tragedy never to be forgotten and denied,’ he said in a video address to ARMENPRESS.
“What happened in 1915 was a premeditated extermination of a nation. Historians are now accepting that to some extent it was used as an example for the Holocaust. Rafael Lemkin even created the word to describe these horrific events by referring to the Mets Yeghern [Armenian Genocide]. To keep the memory of this horrifying bloodshed bright we must continue the struggle to achieve parliaments and governments entirely recognizing the Armenian Genocide to respect the memory of the victims. I am convinced that we must remember and condemn the genocide in order to prevent such horrifying events through recognition,” he said.
The MP also expressed hope that Turkey will also recognize the Armenian Genocide.
“I am deeply convinced that history cannot be erased – this itself is a crime and denial of a historic fact. 105 years on, the Armenian people must see recognition, we owe this to the 1,5 million victims,” he said.
Editing and translating by Stepan Kocharyan
11:10,
YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. The National Center for Disease Control said it has diagnosed 50 coronavirus cases in Armenia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 1523.
26 people recovered from the COVID-19 in the past day, raising the total number of recoveries to 659.
The number of active cases stood at 840 as of 11:00, April 23.
24 people have died from coronavirus complications since the outbreak began in Armenia.
Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
13:48, 7 April, 2020
YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. All Eurasian Economic Union countries, including Armenia, have been enabled to import a number of top priority products from non-EEU countries without customs duties, Deputy Minister of Economy Varos Simonyan told ARMENPRESS.
He described the measure as an opportunity of new markets for Armenian businesses, as well as an additional way to restrain potential price hikes.
The decision was made on April 3 by the Eurasian Economic Commission’s Council.
Simonyan said the decision covers products of “critical import” significance, such as buckwheat, rye, potato, onion, garlic, cabbage, carrot, pepper, baby food, medication. The decision will also cover some medical equipment, such as endoscopes or special thermometers.
Simonyan reminded an earlier decision by the EEU’s governing board on imposing a ban on exports of a number of priority products to non-member countries. For example, buckwheat can’t be exported to non-member states, but it can be imported on zero customs duty. Simonyan said this move is done to maintain balance to avoid a possible shortage within the union.
The food products are exempt from customs duties for three months starting April 1, while medical equipment for 6 months.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan