The economy is facing an unprecedented challenge due to the coronavirus pandemic, Armenian Minister of Finance Atom Janjughazyan told a sitting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs on Tuesday, presenting a draft law on making amendments and supplements to the law “On State Budget for 2020."
In Janjughazyan’s words, it is already expected that the coronavirus crisis will cause an economic setback and bankruptcy. "In order to ease the impact of the pandemic, the government has implemented numerous support programs, which should naturally be reflected also in the law on the state budget,” he said.
Presenting the bill, the finance minister said that Armenia is predicted to experience a 2% economic recession.
"Unlike the 4.9% economic growth envisaged by the budget, we will have a 2% recession. Moreover, the GDP (gross domestic product) will differ from the value set in the budget: instead of 7 trillion 95 billion drams, we will have 6 trillion 485 billion drams of GDP. Therefore, the budget revenue index will be revised,” the minister said.
In such a scenario, Armenia is expected to have nearly 169-billion-drams lower tax revenues than envisaged by the budget law. “At the same time, we do not plan to cut the expenditures, taking into account the fact that the reduction of expenses, in this case, will lead to deeper recession,” Janjughazyan said.
According to him, the state budget is expected to suffer a deficit of 324 billion drams, instead of about 161 billion drams envisaged by the law on budget.
"The introduced bill follows the logic that it is proposed to limit the possibility of deficit by 5% of the projected GDP," Atom Janjughazyan said.
Former Vice-President Joseph Biden
Former Vice-President and the presumptive Democratic nominee for president Joseph Biden on Friday issued a statement, which can be characterized as tone-deaf, on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
While Biden touts his record as a senator supporting efforts for a Congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide, he does not cite his abominable record on the issue when he was vice-president.
“If elected, I pledge to support a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide and will make universal human rights a top priority for my administration,” said Biden, who seems to have forgotten that last fall the House and the Senate overwhelmingly and unanimously adopted resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
Asbarez will address this issue in an upcoming op-ed. Below is Biden’s announcement issued Friday.
Today we remember the atrocities faced by the Armenian people in the Metz Yeghern — the Armenian Genocide. From 1915 to 1923, almost 2 million Armenians were deported en mass, and 1.5 million men, women, and children were killed. Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians were also targeted. We must never forget or remain silent about this horrific and systematic campaign of extermination. And we will forever respect the perseverance of the Armenian people in the wake of such tragedy.
It is particularly important to speak these words and commemorate this history at a moment when we are reminded daily of the power of truth, and of our shared responsibility to stand against hate — because silence is complicity. If we do not fully acknowledge, commemorate, and teach our children about genocide, the words “never again” lose their meaning. The facts must be as clear and as powerful for future generations as for those whose memories are seared by tragedy. Failing to remember or acknowledge the fact of a genocide only paves the way for future mass atrocities.
During my years in the Senate, I was proud to lead efforts to recognize the genocide against the Armenian people. Last year, I was pleased to endorse bipartisan legislation in the House and Senate that officially recognized and established an ongoing U.S. commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. If elected, I pledge to support a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide and will make universal human rights a top priority for my administration.
I stand today with all Armenians and the Armenian-American community, which has contributed so much to our nation, in remembering and honoring the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
Armenians have used text messages and mobile phone flashlights to mark the 105th anniversary (24 April) of mass killings in the Ottoman Empire, dropping their usual march because of coronavirus restrictions.
Yerevan, which describes the 1915 killings of Armenians in what is now Turkey as genocide, has traditionally held annual torchlight processions to a hilltop memorial.
That description and commemorations around the world have enraged Turkey, which denies the killings were systematically orchestrated and constitute a genocide, and disputes the figures.
Armenia's government said it was calling on citizens not to go out on Friday, but instead to send text messages to be projected onto the pillars of the memorial.
On Thursday night, in the build-up to the anniversary, it asked people to turn off lights in their houses and light a candle or shine their mobile phone flashlights towards the memorial.
Streets and public squares also went dark as church bells rang out.
“This year millions of people from around the world will have the opportunity to attend the Apr 24 march that will take place in a virtual space,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a national address on Friday.
Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Monument was lit in orange and red in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide on Thursday
With the global coronavirus crisis and the guidelines imposed to curtail its spread, Armenians around the world are turning are fining innovative—mostly digital—ways to commemorate of the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on Friday.
Armenia’s Office of the High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs is calling on all Armenians around the world to make a virtual pilgrimage to the Dizidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan and collectively commemorate the Armenian Genocide.
“On April 24, we will all have a unique opportunity to collectively make a digital pilgrimage to the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide memorial,” said a statement from the High Commissioner’s office on Thursday.
Beginning at 8 a.m. Armenia time (9 p.m. PST on April 23) on April 24, Armenians from the Diaspora can send a message from abroad to 0037433191500 phone number. On the same day, starting at 10 p.m. (11 a.m. PST) Armenia time the names of the people who sent a message will be projected on the columns of the memorial. A cultural tribute program will incorporate classical and traditional music, which will be broadcast live until dawn.
On April 24, starting at 10 a.m. (11 p.m. PST April 23), the Republic of Armenia President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly, and the Catholicos of All Armenians will visit Dzidzernagapert. The Armenian government will lay 105,000 flowers at the eternal flame of the memorial, on behalf of all Armenians. The procession and the ceremony will be available live on the High Commissioner’s Facebook page.
Armenia officially kicked off the 105th anniversary commemorative events at 11 p.m. local time on April 23 when church bells across Armenia tolled for three continuous minutes, and street lights were turned off in Yerevan and other regions. Raphael Patkanian’s famed song, “Come My Nightingale” (Ari im sokhak) played across the country as Armenians directed their collective gaze to the Dzidzernagapert memorial hill, from where a purple light shot up to illuminate the night sky in the nationwide—and collective—commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.
12:05,
YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has a “reliable” situation in the food market, with no shortages expected amid the coronavirus pandemic, PM Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.
He said that after some fluctuations prices are returning to normal.
“Except for a few types of products, we don’t have and won’t have shortages of products,” the PM said.
He said that the through close cooperation with Georgia and Russia the uninterrupted exports from Armenia were secured, and there were no problems with imports. He thanked Georgian and Russian colleagues for rapidly responding to Armenia’s issues.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has released the updated ranking for national football teams on Thursday, with the Armenian squad maintaining the 102nd position as of April 2020, the Football Federation of Armenia reported.
According to the latest ranking, the list is still topped by Belgium, followed by France, Brazil England and Uruguay.
MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the measures taken to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) during a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
"They have discussed the measures taken to combat the spread of the coronavirus infection," the Kremlin press service informs. "In this regard, Nikol Pashinyan has expressed gratitude to Russia for its aid."
The phone call was held at the initiative of Armenia. The sides have discussed the current issues of bilateral cooperation, namely the cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union. They have approved a schedule for further contacts.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus – named COVID-19 by the WHO – have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. To date, approximately 1,300,000 people have been infected worldwide and roughly 70,000 deaths have been reported. That said, over 265,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.