Author: Garnik Tadevosian

Armenpress: Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 09-11-21

Garnik Tadevosian

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 09-11-21

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 18:44, 9 November, 2021

YEREVAN, 9 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 9 November, USD exchange rate is down by 0.16 drams to 475.76 drams. EUR exchange rate is up by 1.52 drams to 551.64 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is up by 0.03 drams to 6.70 drams. GBP exchange rate is up by 5.02 drams to 646.94 drams.

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

Gold price is up by 304.30 drams to 27874.73 drams. Silver price is up by 6.92 drams to 371.39 drams. Platinum price is up by 407.71 drams to 16137.32 drams.

Armenian Speaker of Parliament receives Lithuanian Ambassador

Garnik Tadevosian

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 15:50,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan received today Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Armenia Inga Stanytė-Toločkienė.

Welcoming the Ambassador, the Speaker highly appreciated the Armenian-Lithuanian friendly relations and the existing cooperation. In this aspect Alen Simonyan singled out the Ambassador’s efforts and attention in promoting the implementation of the joint agendas and in consistency.

The sides discussed the perspectives of the Armenian-Lithuanian parliamentary cooperation and the results already registered in this direction. The interlocutors referred to the themes on the parliamentary diplomacy and the enlivening of the inter-parliamentary cooperation.

Ideas were exchanged over the issues regarding democracy and protection of human rights. In this context Inga Stanytė-Toločkienė highly assessed the parliamentary elections held in Armenia. She has noted that the relations with Armenia are the priorities of her country.

According to the Ambassador of Lithuania, due to the steps taken for the implemented reforms and strengthening democracy within the framework of the Eastern Partnership, Armenia is among the leading countries.

Armenia-Lithuania cooperation in the EU framework was touched upon.

Sweden to Remove Entry Ban for Vaccinated Travellers From Armenia

Garnik Tadevosian
SchengenVisaInfo.com
Nov 11 2021

Fully vaccinated Armenians will soon be able to travel to Sweden without being subject to the entry ban or additional travel rules such as testing requirements, the Swedish authorities have announced.

“The Government today adopted amendments to the tempo­rary ban on entry into Sweden. The amend­ments primarily mean that additio­nal people who can present a vaccine certificate issued in Armenia are exempted from the entry ban and test requirement,” the statement of the Swedish Ministry of Justice reads.

The decision to remove the entry ban and the testing requirement for fully vaccinated Armenians was announced today, November 11, and will enter into force on Monday, November 15, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

In line with the newly updated list of countries that are exempted from the entry ban, travellers from Armenia will be able to skip the testing requirement when reaching Sweden. Nonetheless, they need to provide valid proof of vaccination in order to be able to do so.

Armenia has just recently been connected to the EU Digital COVID-19 Certificate system, which means that vaccination certificates issued in the country are recognised under the same conditions as those issued by the Member States. Still, travellers from Armenia need to prove that they have been immunised against the virus with one of the vaccines that Sweden recognises for travel.

>> Which COVID-19 Vaccines Are Recognised for Travel to Sweden

Recovery certificates are also in Sweden as long as the document proves that not more than six months have passed since the holder has received the last positive test.

Except for Armenia that has been newly added to Sweden list of exempted countries, travellers from Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Hong Kong, Jordan, Kuwait, Macao, New Zealand, Peru, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and Uruguay can also travel to Sweden provided that they meet entry requirements.

The entry ban that Sweden currently has against third countries was announced to remain effective only until the end of October. However, due to COVID-19, arrivals from countries that aren’t part of the exemption list will be banned from entering Sweden until January 31, 2022.On the other hand, arrivals from other third countries that are not included on the exemption list or whose COVID-19 passes are not recognised by the Swedish authorities continue to be subject to the entry ban.

Previously, the Swedish authorities announced that the country had decided to extend its internal border controls. The border control will remain effective for another six months until May 11, 2022, due to concerns related to public security and public policy.

CivilNet: In Armenia, a Korean-run company helps diasporans repatriate

Garnik Tadevosian
CIVILNET.AM

02 Nov, 2021 06:11

ArctX is a Korean-run company that recently started operating in Armenia. The team, made up of Armenians and Koreans, is making strides in the IT sector and is aiming to significantly expand its workforce. As part of this drive, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with Armenia’s government to bring in young diasporan professionals to Armenia’s growing IT sector.

Turkey expresses anger at U.S. deportation of Armenian behind diplomat’s 1982 murder

Garnik Tadevosian
Oct 31 2021

  • Oct 30 2021 09:38 Gmt+3
  • Last Updated On: Oct 30 2021 09:41 Gmt+3

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned the United States for allowing an Armenian-American assassin behind the murder of the Turkish consul in 1982 to leave the country. 

"We consider this decision regarding the aforementioned terrorist as a grave mistake and a concession to terrorism and we once again condemn it," Tanju Bilgiç, the spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, said in the written statement.

The assassin, Hampig ‘Harry’ Sassounian, murdered Turkey’s Consul General in Los Angeles Kemal Arıkan on January 28, 1982. That day, Sassounian and an accomplice, Krikor Saliba, gunned down Arıkan at a stop light in Los Angeles before being arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment. 

In 2002, an L.A. court allowed for Sassounian to become eligible for parole, but it was repeatedly denied until finally being granted in 2021. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken lamented the court decision to allow Sassounian to go free and the Turkish Foreign Ministry criticized the move. 

Armenian media outlets report that Sassounian has arrived in Armenia. But it remains unclear if the United States deported Sassounian, as alleged by Turkey, or if he left by his own volition after receiving parole.

Satanovsky: Moscow was setting forth much more favorable ideas for Armenia than what had to be accepted

Garnik Tadevosian
News.am, Armenia
Oct 28 2021
23:37, 27.10.2021

In reality, in the past, Armenia could have resolved the conflict with Azerbaijan independently, if it had listened to the advice from Moscow along with Baku. This is what President of the Russian Institute for the Near East Yevgeny Satanovsky said during an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am today.

“I’m referring to the several official and non-official meetings, negotiations and talks that were held over the past two decades. Here the Armenian side was much more persistent than the Azerbaijani side, even until the end of the second war in Nagorno-Karabakh. The ideas that Moscow was setting forth for resolution of the crisis before and in the beginning of the war were much more beneficial for Armenia than what Armenia was forced to accept. But nobody listened, and there was an idea that Stepanakert would seize Baku. However, we see the results. Today it is sad for Yerevan, but rather good for Baku and Ankara,” he said.


Armenian President honored with the Vatican’s highest award

Garnik Tadevosian
Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 29 2021
, 12:15

 1 minute read

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian has been honored with the Grand Collar of the Papal Order of Pius IX. The Pope bestowed the highest order for his outstanding contribution to the development of relations between Armenia and the Holy See.

Substitute for General Affairs to the Secretary of State Edgar Peña Parra handed over the award to the President during a meeting in Yerevan.

“The Pope has instructed me to present to you the highest award of the Vatican,” said the Deputy Secretary of State of the Holy See. “This is the evidence of the unique relations between our countries. By opening the Apostolic Diocese in Yerevan, we want to establish a very high level of relationship, to show the world the importance of the first Christian nation in history for us.”

It was noted that President Sarkissian is the first in Armenia and the only person in the region to be awarded the highest order of the Holy See, the Grand Collar of the Papal Order of Pius IX.

The President once again commended the continuous development of the interstate relations between Armenia and the Holy See and noted. “I am very happy that the Holy See will have a permanent representation here. This is good news for Armenia and the Apostolic Church.”

Noting that receiving the high award is a great honor, President Sarkissian said. “I take it as an assessment of my modest work, as well as an acknowledgment of the fact that I was the first ambassador of Armenia to the Holy See. I have always worked for the sake of close relations between Armenia and the Vatican. So I accept this, promising to do more. ”

The President of Armenia conveyed his warm wishes to Pope Francis and noted with gratitude that at times of hard and difficult challenges for our country, the Vatican extended a hand of solidarity to our state and people. “We all remember and appreciate the support we received from the Pope and the Vatican during the difficult days for Armenia,” said President Sargsyan.

PM Pashinyan pays homage to memory of 1999 parliament attack victims

Garnik Tadevosian

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 17:11,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan paid tribute to the memory of the 1999 parliament attack victims at a commemoration event.

He laid flowers at the memorial honoring the victims.

22 years ago on this day, a group of five heavily armed gunmen led by Nairi Hunanyan stormed into the parliament while it was in session and assassinated Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Speaker Karen Demirchyan, Deputy Speakers Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben Miroyan, as well as three lawmakers and a Cabinet member. The gunmen held the remaining MPs in parliament hostage until surrendering to authorities the next day.

The five perpetrators, which include Hunanyan’s younger brother and uncle, were sentenced to life in prison in 2003.

 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Turkish press: Disinformation on social media threatens democracy: Erdoğan

Garnik Tadevosian

  • 12:19:00

Uncontrolled social media platforms have come to the point of threatening social peace and national security of states, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Oct. 22.

“Social media platforms, where there is no control or self-control, have become a threat to democracy, the social peace and national security of states today,” he said in a video message to the Turkic Council Media Forum.

“We cannot trust the conscience and professional ethics of those who constantly teach us human rights, democracy and freedom lessons from an orientalist perspective,” he said.

He stated that millions of “defenseless” people around the world are depressed due to false and distorted news, suffering serious trauma.

“Just as we do not entirely rely on foreigners in the defense industry and military matters, we cannot leave the communication issue to others,” Erdoğan stated.

Like other strategic issues, they must take matters regarding media and communication into their hands, the president said.

He urged the Turkic world and relevant countries to take initiative in this regard, share experience, join forces, and seek ways to make the most effective use of the opportunities.

Erdoğan stressed that no country or society – whether it is developed or not – is free from the “devastating effect of digital fascism.”

He expressed hope for the three-day media forum, hosted by Turkey’s Directorate of Communications, to be instrumental in strengthening solidarity among countries.

Erdoğan said the Turkic world also suffers from the “double standards” of the international media.

“Especially the hypocritical attitude we witnessed during the [second] Karabakh war, which lasted for 44 days, revealed the importance of the issue for our countries,” he said.

“The massacre and ballistic missile attacks of the Armenian army targeting civilians [in Azerbaijan] were never brought up in that period. Talking about media independence and objectivity, international media outlets acted as the official news agency of Armenia,” he criticized.

He underlined that the last Karabakh war is “neither the first nor the last example of a press embargo” against the facts about the countries of the Turkic world.