Author: Hambik Zargarian

ArmInfo.The members of the Armenia-UAE friendship group met with the UAE Ambassador to Armenia Mohammed Isa al-Zaabi. This was reported by the press service of the parliament.

According to the source, the head of the friendship group Narek  Zeynalyan noted that regular business forums, bilateral tourism,  flights, the presence of almost six thousandth Armenian community in  the UAE, etc., testify to the relations formed between the two  countries.

Zeynalyan noted with satisfaction that about 20 enterprises operate  with the participation of Arab capital in Armenia. He assured that in  the post-revolutionary period a favorable investment environment was  formed in Armenia.

Ambassador Mohammed Isa al-Zaabi described the bilateral relations as  excellent and noted that his country recognizes the importance of  cooperation with Armenia, in particular, in the cultural,  educational, humanitarian fields, as well as in the field of latest  technologies. He said that the Emirates are interested in the  activities of the creative center "TUMO" and would like to create  such a center in their country.  Turning to the growing tourism year  after year, the ambassador noted that Armenia is a safe country and  his compatriots visit the whole family with Armenia. N. Zeynalyan  informed the ambassador that more than 11 thousand tourists from the  UAE visited Armenia last year.

The interlocutors also discussed issues of cooperation at  inter-parliamentary venues.  The ambassador said that the UAE is  interested in the parliamentary experience of the RA, therefore,  mutual visits and contacts with parliamentarians can be very  effective.

In this context, the creation of the UAE-Armenia friendship group was  discussed. Mutually expressed the hope that the activities of  friendship groups will contribute to the further development of  productive cooperation.

The interlocutors concluded the meeting expressed confidence that the  vectors of cooperation and the ways to achieve success are numerous. 

 09:47, 6 February, 2020

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. At least three people have been killed, 179 other were injured after a passenger plane landing at an airport in Istanbul has skidded off the runway and broken into three parts, reports BBC.

The Pegasus Airlines jet was carrying 171 passengers and six crew members from Izmir province in the west when it crashed at Sabiha Gokcen airport.

The Boeing 737 was trying to land in heavy tailwinds and rain.

The airport was closed and flights diverted after the accident.

The majority of people on board were Turkish, but local media quoted the airline's records as saying there were 22 foreign passengers from 12 other countries. A small number of children are believed to have been on board.

According to the preliminary reports, the plane couldn't hold on the runway due to poor weather conditions.

ArmInfo. I am ready to return to Armenia and publicly answer all the questions of the  investigation. This is stated in the statement of the former Prosecutor General of Armenia Gevorg Kostanyan, who, to recall, who is accused in the case of the events of March 1, 2008.

The statement in particular notes: "Despite the fact that the charge  brought against me is devoid of any legal, logical and substantive  basis, I express my readiness to return to Armenia and publicly  answer all questions of the preliminary investigation body, given the  large range of the" March 1 case", including the unilateral  presentation of this issue by the authorities at various  international venues. I propose organizing a public discussion with  the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia or with his direct  participation on-line, as well as with the participation of the head  of the SIS, the Prosecutor General, lawyers and international  experts. I also insist that representatives of the Council of Europe  and the EU in Armenia be invited to and participate in this public  discussion, as well as other ambassadors, whose presence I am ready  to ensure if necessary. I leave the number of participants in the  discussion and their choice to the discretion of the Prime Minister.

Although I am not a supporter of public discussion of criminal cases,  nevertheless, my demand to answer questions publicly is due to two  main reasons. The first is a unilateral discussion of the "March 1  case", including at international venues and at the level of  ambassadors of different countries. The second is that law  enforcement agencies, without any justification, publish decisions on  bringing charges and other procedural documents in the media, and  through one-sided coverage by pro-government media, they give the  public the impression of guilt of specific people, hiding the real  circumstances of what happened in my case.

I'm even ready to return, realizing that after this meeting I will be  arrested, but our society should be informed not only about the  grounds and reasons for charging me with the question and answer  format, but also about those especially important circumstances of  the March 1 case, who are hiding from the public under the guise of a  "secret investigation".

The Prime Minister of Armenia should be especially interested in such  a public discussion for two reasons. Firstly, since transparency and  open discussion with the people has been declared by him as a  priority, and secondly, since such a discussion will give him the  opportunity to assess the level of professionalism in the work of law  enforcement agencies subordinate to him, as well as the reliability  and validity of the legal subtleties reported to him in the office.  

If in the course of this public discussion the RA law enforcement  agencies succeed in presenting at least one more or less reasonable  evidence or the justification of the charges against me (not to  mention the totality of evidence), then I am ready to bear criminal  responsibility to the fullest extent of the law. I am also ready to  bear any responsibility, even if during this public discussion I can  not justify every word I say, based on the legislation, the  Constitution and the provisions of international criminal law>.  

To recall, on September 25 last year, former police chief Alik  Sargsyan was charged in the framework of the case of March 1, 2008.  The names of Gevorg Kostanyan and Gevorg Mheryan are mentioned in the  text of the charge. According to investigators, Sargsyan also  participated in hiding the facts of the participation of the military  in dispersing the opposition. A few years ago, from the Republic  Square in Yerevan a video goes viral on the Network, where vehicles  with the numbers of the Ministry of Defense,  as well as military  personnel were recorded. 

In addition, from the point of view of the investigation, the police  leadership and representatives of the Armed Forces drew up documents  stating that the army vehicles were transported not by soldiers, but  by police officers. Correspondence between the police and the  Ministry of Defense was fabricated for this. 

 12:44, 31 January, 2020

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. The Statistics Committee has released the 2019 December economic activity figures, and the number shows that December of 2019 broke all records and secured a 10,7% economic activity growth, PM Nikol Pashinyan said on Facebook.

“Moreover, exports grew 13%. Services grew 11,6%, industry grew 6,4%, construction – 4,9%, and salaries grew 5,4%. The results of the year are more record breaking. I will present it later,” he said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenia's economic activity index highest since 2011

 10:51, 1 February, 2020

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. The economic activity index of Armenia amounted to 7.8% in 2019. This is the highest record since the index started to be calculated in Armenia, year 2011, Minister of Economy Tigran Khachatryan told ARMENPRESS.

“It’s good news that the growth of industry effected economic activity. The growth of industrial output amounted to 9%”, the Minister said.

According to Tigran Khachatryan, this growth is mainly conditioned by exports. Increase of export of cognac surpassed 26% in 2019. The export growth of wines is also impressive – 75% for fruit wines and 26% for grape wines. Chocolate is one of the most rapidly developing directions, the export of which rose by 14.2%.

The Minister of Economy also presented other economic indexes, particularly, he noted that construction has grown by 4.6%, services have grown by 15%, tourism gas grown by 15% based on preliminary examinations.

Speaking about the GDP for 2019, the Minister noted that they have not summed it up yet, but according to their assessments, it will exceed the recent forecasts, which means that economic growth of 2019 will be around 8%.

To the question what forecasts he can make for 2020, Minister Khachatryan said, ''I will refrain from making forecasts now, but I will reassure that our Government is committed to do its best in the framework of its economic policy in order we record economic results in 2020 that will be in line with the results of 2019, continuing to secure predictable, stable and equal environment for all participants in economic life”, he said.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

ArmInfo.On November 1, opponents of the Istanbul Convention gathered at the building of the Armenian parliament. In protest of the ratification of the  convention, protesters blocked Baghramyan Avenue for several minutes.  After the intervention of the Deputy Chief of Police Edgar Petrosyan,  who called on the protesters to act within the law and to refrain  from blocking the streets, the avenue was unblocked.

It should be noted that in January 2018, Armenia signed the Istanbul  Convention ("Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating  Violence against Women and Domestic Violence"). However, this  convention has not yet been sent to the country's parliament. The  Istanbul Convention (or the "Council of Europe Convention on  Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic  Violence") was signed in 2011 in Istanbul (Turkey). Of the 47 member  states of the Council of Europe, 34 have ratified the Convention, 11  have signed.

In Armenia, this convention was opposed by the general public, as  well as the Armenian Apostolic Church, who believe that it  contradicts the national, family and traditional foundations of the  Armenian people.  Earlier, the RA Ministry of Justice sent the  Istanbul Convention to the Venice Commission in order to study its  compliance with the norms of the country's legislation.