Coronavirus cases reach 15 in Georgia
10:37, 9 March, 2020
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. Number of people infected with the novel coronavirus in Georgia has reached 15, the country’s authorities said, reports RIA Novosti.
Earlier 13 cases of coronavirus were reported. Most of them arrived from Italy and Iran.
Currently 141 people are under quarantine.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
13:29, 9 March, 2020
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. Major decline in remittances, significant increase in international reserves in Armenia are important features to ensure stability in the country in the context of oil price drop, Economist Gor Tsarukyan told Armenpress, commenting on the sharp decline in global oil prices.
He said Armenia’s economy is interconnected with Russia and its other trade partners. Thus, if there are problems in these economies connected with the decline of oil prices, they also can leave their effect on Armenia like that happened in 2014. But the economist added that compared to 2014, this time Armenia has all resources to ensure stability conditioned by several factors.
“First and the most important are the transfers. The remittances sent to Armenia, I mean the money transfers on behalf of individuals to GDP, have declined greatly. If in 2013 this figure was 13%, in 2014-10.5%, in 2019 it was 3.7%. We can state that the Armenian economy’s dependence on foreign transfers has declined by 3 times. If we consider the worst scenario, that is if the Russian ruble depreciates, the remittances from Russia to Armenia decline, there will be a little affect on our economy. In other words, today our economy is not so sensitive to the remittances as it was in 2013-2014”, he said.
The next key factor is the stability of the Armenian dram, as well as the great increase of Armenia’s international reserves. The economist said the Central Bank was collecting foreign currency in the market at the expense of dram, thus increasing the international reserves. In late 2019 Armenia’s international reserves comprised 2.8 billion USD which is an unprecedented high figure.
“Even if there is an undesirable effect conditioned by international developments, the Central Bank of Armenia has all resources to take actions if necessary to prevent the negative consequences. Stability will most likely be maintained”, Gor Tsarukyan said.
The cost of futures for Brent crude oil with settlement in May 2020 on the ICE Exchange in London fell by 33.4% to $33.94 per barrel.
As for the current situation caused by the novel coronavirus, the economist said the virus greatly affected China’s economy, but this country was an important link in the global economy.
“The developments caused by the coronavirus have just accelerated the process of the decline of oil prices. Here we should take into account the fact that the US, Canada and other major countries have taken steps and brought additional activeness to their economies for the crisis to have less effect. I would avoid making predictions, but I think that this situation will be short-term, I don’t think that the decline of oil prices will be in the long-run”, the economist added.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar.14
Trend:
It took Armenian Foreign Ministry four days to understand the speech of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the Parliament and prepare a statement, Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva told Trend.
“At the first meeting of the Parliament, President Ilham Aliyev made a keynote speech, and, as always, the president delivered it without looking at any notes. During the speech, the head of state, referring to historical facts, delivered another strike at Armenia. In particular, the president referred to the Kurekchay Treaty of 1805. We recommend the Armenian Foreign Ministry to study the Kurekchay Treaty; it would even be useful to prepare a brochure on this agreement. Their scrutiny of this treaty would allow to move to the conclusion of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan," Abdullayeva noted.
According to her, everyone who reads this historical treatise sees that Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijan's native land.
“On the one hand, the agreement was signed by Ibrahim-Khalil Khan, governor of Garabakh Khanate, and on the other hand, by Tsitsianov, Russia's High Commissioner of the Caucasus. As the President Ilham Aliyev said, the Kurekchay Treaty does not contain even a sentence about the Armenian people or community. The president’s words about toponyms reflect the whole truth. In this regard, it is enough to look at maps and web-resources so that the Armenian side can find out the true facts; for example, Yeghegnadzor’s original name is Keshishkend, the Hrazdan River’s original name is Zangi, and the Sevan Lake is historically Azerbaijani lake of Goycha ", said Abdullayeva.
The spokesperson for the Azerbaijani MFA emphasized that in his speech, President Ilham Aliyev also touched on issues related to the Republican Party of Armenia.
"The coat of arms of the Republican Party, which has long been in power in Armenia, was identical to Nazi symbols. However, the statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry did not mention this fact; it was simply passed over in silence. In Armenia, former government officials and ex-presidents of this country have been prosecuted and arrested. Robert Kocharyan has been detained for a year on a number of charges, and Sargsyan is accused of corruption," the spokesperson added.
"In fact, these two people should be prosecuted for the Khojaly genocide of 1992 and crimes against humanity. Talking about democracy in the context of the detention of one ex-president and the prosecution of another is ridiculous and absurd. Recently, the head of the Armenian government has filed accusation against judge of the Constitutional Court for an expensive pen, and a nationwide referendum is being organized. This policy, pursued by the Armenian government, is in fact a big attack on democracy," Abdullayeva noted.
According to her, the shameful actions of the Armenian prime minister in the subway clearly show how much disrespectful he is in the country.
“People don’t even greet him, and the fact that a young woman throws a sheet of paper torn by her in his face demonstrates to what extent he lost respect of others. Islamophobia and xenophobia blossom in Armenia, where 99.9 percent of the population are Armenians, while Azerbaijan is a multi-confessional and multi-ethnic state”, Abdullayeva said.
“In his speech, President Ilham Aliyev mentioned the statements on this issue by world religious leaders, in particular the Pope, made in connection with Azerbaijan. At the same time, so far we have never heard from the world religious leaders a word about multi-confessionality in Armenia. This is because Armenia, in fact, pursues a fascist and xenophobic policy”, the spokesperson noted.
“All these years, Armenian youth has been brought up in the spirit of the fascism ideology. Presentation by Armenia of itself as a long-suffering nation is nothing but self-humiliation and speculation with a false history. It's no secret for anyone that the current government of Armenia is illegitimate," she said.
The spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry stressed that the ongoing repressions conducted by the Armenian authorities against their political rivals openly demonstrate their anti-democratic and anti-human nature.
"As for Azerbaijan’s ties with European structures, President Ilham Aliyev positively assessed Azerbaijan’s ties with the European Union. Azerbaijan will continue to expose those individuals in some European structures who, under the influence of Armenia, are carrying out dirty intentions regarding Azerbaijan," Abdullayeva noted.
“We would advise Armenian MFA not to interfere in relations between Azerbaijan and European structures. We know well that Armenia's negotiations with the agencies and with other partners fully contradict each other. Even during contacts with Europe, Armenia comes out with the allegation that if there weren’t some of its allies and partners, the country would be yet closer to Europe. This is another example of a hypocritical policy pursued by Armenia”, the spokesperson said.
“The fact that the Armenian Foreign Ministry was able to write just a single piece of paper in four days speaks about limited intellectual capacities. All of the above are signs that Armenia is pursuing an irresponsible and dangerous policy. This very policy pursued by Armenia poses a serious threat to the regional security. If such irresponsible behavior continues, then Armenia will bear the full responsibility for the aggravation of the situation," Abdullayeva added.
18:35, 9 March, 2020
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. The meeting of the Coordinating Council of the pan-Armenian forum of journalists took place in Antelias, Lebanon. It started with the summarization of the works done, as well as the discussion of the agenda of the pan-Armenian forum of journalists to take place soon. Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I received on March 1 the members of the Coordinating Council of the pan-Armenian forum of journalists.
“The meeting with His Holiness Aram I was very important. The previous plenary session took place again in Antelias under the auspices of Aram I. We discussed the agenda and the possible places of the expected forum”, Director of ARMENPRESS news agency Aram Ananyan said.
The members of the Coordinating Council of the pan-Armenian forum of journalists focused on various issues such as media challenges and ways to withstand them, as well as professionalism of journalists.
“The modern world rapidly changes and the media feels the changes most of all. And here cooperation and exchange of experience is of key importance. I would also mention pan-Armenian issues, I mean we should talk about anything that unites us, and together should search the best ways for development of the Armenian media. By the way, for the first time we will try to bring to focus the problems of foreign-language Armenian media”, Ananayan said, adding that they also try to involve Armenian journalists working for foreign media outlets in pan-Armenian discussions.
Speaking about the expansion of cooperation, Aram Ananyan highlighted the meetings with the heads of partner news agencies both in Lebanon and the UAE. Speaking about his meeting with the Director of the National News Agency of Lebanon Ziad Harfouche, Aram Ananyan noted that they discussed issued related to the development f cooperation between the two news agencies, which plan to sign a memorandum of cooperation in the near future.
“Our cooperation with the news agency of Lebanon is not something new and I think we will be able to make our cooperation formal in the near future. During our discussions we also touched upon the issue that the National News Agency of Lebanon can have an Armenian-language newsfeed in the future”, Aram Ananyan said, expressing readiness to provide assistance in all possible forms.
Issues of expanding cooperation were discussed also in the UAE, where ARMENPRESS Director attended '”International Government Communication Forum-2020” (IGCF). The state news agency of the UAE, WAM, hosted the forum. ARMENPRESS and WAM signed a memorandum of cooperation still a year ago in Yerevan and according to Aram Ananyan, ARMENPRESS ha s a serious and professional partner in the person of WAM.
“We have to partners in the region of the Persian Gulf – the news agencies of Kuwait and the UAE. In the sidelines of the forum I also met with the new leadership of the News Agency of Jordan and outlined the ways for bilateral cooperation. We also presented our version of the memorandum for discussions, aiming to establish a media bridge with Jordan as well”, Ananyan said.
According to the Director of ARMENPRESS news agency, it’s very important to raise awareness of Armenia in the Arab world. Aram Ananyan noted that Armenia is quite interesting for Arabic media, adding that Armenia and the Armenian people have a positive reputation and it’s necessary to strengthen it. ARMENPRESS news agency has some advantage here, since it is the only media outlet in Armenia with Arabic newsfeed, which is appreciated by the partners. Aram Ananyan emphasized that he discussed cooperation prospects also with Secretary General of the Federation of Arab News Agencies Farid Ayyar.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
Tuesday,
Armenian Soldier Killed At Border With Azerbaijan
An Armenian serviceman was killed at the border with Azerbaijan on Tuesday,
Armenia’s Ministry of Defense reported.
It said that the incident occurred in the afternoon at the southwestern border
with Azerbaijan’s Nakhijevan exclave and that 26-year-old contract soldier
Zohrab Simonian was fatally wounded in the chest after a shot fired from
Azerbaijani military positions.
The incident comes days after Armenia and Azerbaijan traded accusations over
fresh border fighting that left at least one Azerbaijani soldier killed and one
Armenian soldier injured.
On March 6, the Armenian military claimed to have thwarted an Azerbaijani
commando raid on one of its positions along the northeastern section of
Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan.
According to the Defense Ministry in Yerevan, an Azerbaijani “sabotage” unit
attacked the outpost but was repelled by Armenian soldiers deployed there,
“suffering losses” as a result.
Azerbaijan’s State Border Guard Service, whose troops protect that section of
the border, denied the attempted incursion. It said that Armenian troops opened
“intensive” fire on some of its positions from heavy machine-guns and sniper
rifles earlier that day.
Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement later on Tuesday,
describing the latest ceasefire violation as “yet another attempt of Azerbaijan
to intentionally escalate the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani state
border.”
“Regular attempts by Azerbaijan to escalate the situation on the state border
with Armenia, to expand the geography of escalation and refrain from applying
the existing mechanisms of de-escalation attest to the deliberate nature of
Azerbaijan’s attempts to undermine regional security and peace,” it said.
“Such actions of Azerbaijan demonstrate that the establishment of international
risk reduction mechanisms is an important priority of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace
process, and the implementation of agreements reached in that regard is a
necessary condition for the advancement of the peace process.”
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh for
years.
A war in the early 1990s in which some 30,000 people were killed left ethnic
Armenians in control of the region.
Diplomatic efforts to settle the conflict have brought little progress.
Armenian, Russian PMs Discuss ‘Global Economy’ Processes
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (L) and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail
Mishustin, Kazakhstan, Jan. 31, 2020
Processes taking place in the global economy have become a subject of discussion
during a telephone conversation between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian
and his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin.
The conversation was reported by Pashinian during a constitutional referendum
campaign rally in the southern town of Kapan on Tuesday.
“I’ve had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Mikhail Mishustin. We discussed the processes taking place in the global market
and economy, and our plans,” the Armenian prime minister said, without
elaborating.
Pashinian took a vacation today to start a series of rallies ahead of the April
5 referendum in which his political team seeks the termination of powers of
seven of the nine judges of the Constitutional Court, including the body’s
chairman Hrayr Tovmasian.
His remarks at the rally in the provincial town came amid growing concerns among
Armenians about the economic situation in Russia fueled by plummeting oil prices.
The Russian ruble continued to depreciate on Tuesday reaching a four-year low
against the U.S. dollar amid a nearly 30-percent plunge in international oil
prices –the largest decline since 1991.
Russia is one of the key trade and economic partners of Armenia. According to
Armenia’s Statistics Committee, the Russian market accounted for nearly 28
percent of Armenia’s exports (worth over $730 million in absolute terms) in 2019.
Armenian Economy Ministry spokeswoman Anna Ohanian told RFE/RL’s Armenian
Service (Azatutyun.am) on Monday that the Armenian government was conducting “a
comprehensive analysis” of the global and regional economic trends influenced by
the falling oil prices and the tumbling Russian ruble in order to send “correct
signals” to local manufacturers and exporters.
She said that changes taking place in Russia cannot but have an effect on the
Armenian economy, which is a member of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union,
a post-Soviet trade bloc also including Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
“The Russian Federation is one of our main trading partners. The Eurasian
Economic Union, and Russia in particular, are a market for a considerable amount
of our exports. Naturally, changes taking place there cannot but have an effect
on our economy. Other things being equal, a depreciating ruble may have an
impact on the competitiveness of Armenian manufacturers as compared to other
main producers,” Ohanian said.
Pashinian Starts Rallies In Provinces Ahead Of Referendum
• Artak Khulian
• Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian addresses a campaign rally in Meghri,
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian took a vacation on Tuesday to get
actively engaged in political campaigning ahead of next month’s constitutional
referendum in which citizens will be asked to approve the termination of powers
of several High Court judges.
Pashinian and his political team believe Constitutional Court Chairman Hrayr
Tovmasian and six other judges elected before the 2015 constitution was fully
enforced in April 2018 must be removed from office and new judges must be
elected to replace them in order to maintain the spirit of the constitution.
To this end, the pro-government My Step faction in parliament initiated the
constitutional amendment in February amid objections from opposition groups,
including the extra-parliamentary former ruling Republican Party of Armenia
(HHK) that alleged that Pashinian is simply seeking to gain control over the
Constitutional Court and thus tighten his hold on power.
The HHK and other opposition parties have abstained from taking part in the ‘No’
campaign ahead of the April 5 referendum, considering the holding of the
referendum itself unconstitutional.
Tovmasian and other judges to be affected by the change have also accused the
government of putting pressure on the judiciary in an attempt to jeopardize its
independence.
In his speech at today’s rally in Meghri Pashinian described the Constitutional
Court as “the only remaining institution in Armenia that is not in compliance
with the current constitution.”
“The Constitutional Court today does not represent the people. I urge you to go
to polling stations on April 5 and confirm that you are sending home this old
Constitutional Court, which had patronized all electoral frauds in Armenia in
the past,” Pashinian said.
Pashinian earlier claimed that Tovmasian, who co-authored the 2015 constitution,
had struck a deal with the then government to be elected chairman of the
Constitutional Court only days before the new constitution was to be fully
enforced.
Running the court under the previous constitution allows Tovmasian, who is now
49, to hold the post until he is 65, that is until 2035. By contrast, had
Tovmasian been elected after April 9, 2018, he would be confined to just one
six-year tenure.
In his speech in Meghri Pashinian said: “Under the new constitution the election
of the Constitutional Court’s chairman should be held once every six years and
the same person cannot be elected for more than one term. But according to their
interpretation, the next election should be held in 2035. It would be the same
if we as a bloc that was elected to parliament for five years concocted some law
that would allow us not to hold the next elections until 2035 because of some
‘legal practice’ or something like that.”
Speaking at a rally in the town of Kapan, Syunik’s provincial center, Pashinian
emphasized that the vote of Armenian citizens in the upcoming referendum will be
a sovereign decision.“There is no force in the world that can challenge the
decision of Armenia’s sovereign citizen,” stressed the prime minister, comparing
the upcoming ballot with the 1991 referendum in which an overwhelming majority
of Armenians voted in favor of gaining independence from the Soviet Union.
Pashinian visited several other towns in Armenia’s southern Syunik province and
held rallies there today. He is expected to proceed with the campaign and hold
more public rallies in other provinces of the country in the coming days.
The ‘No’ campaign in the current referendum is represented by a group of lawyers
who have said they will not engage in public campaigning, but will limit their
campaign to Facebook posts about alleged violations and reports to the Central
Election Commission.
Former deputy Justice Minister Ruben Melikian, who represents the ‘No’ campaign,
complained on Tuesday about what he described as yet another case of the prime
minister using his administrative resource to promote his political campaign.
He, in particular, pointed to the fact that Pashinian went to Syunik on board a
helicopter that is assigned to the prime minister by law. “Using the helicopter
citizen Nikol Pashinian got an advantage in his campaign over the opposite
side,” Melikian claimed.
Earlier, the representative of the ‘No’ campaign also criticized Pashinian and
other members of his political team for allegedly campaigning in their official
capacity. The officials shrugged off the criticism.
Teenage Victim Of Domestic Violence Regains Consciousness In Armenian Hospital
• Susan Badalian
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (R) and Health Minister Arsen Torosian (L) visit
13-year-old Nazeli Khachatrian in hospital, Yerevan, March 8, 2020
A teenage girl from Gyumri who was severely beaten up by a man who had also
beaten her mother to death has regained consciousness, according to a hospital
official in Yerevan.
Nazeli Khachatrian, 13, has been treated for multiple traumas, including a brain
injury, in an intensive care unit of Yerevan’s Surb Astvatsamayr Medical Center
since last week.
The girl allegedly tried to intervene to stop the beating of her mother by her
cohabitant on March 5. Her 43-year-old mother succumbed to her injuries later
that day.
Police arrested a 28-year-old man in Gyumri. He was later charged with
manslaughter and “premeditated infliction of severe harm to other persons’
health.” The man faces up to 10 years in prison under the charges.
The case has shocked the Armenian public, renewing the debate in the country
about the need to make domestic violence a more specific crime in the penal code.
A group of civil activists held a march in Gyumri on Monday raising their
concerns about cases of domestic violence and what they described as
indifference that exists in society towards the problem.
World Vision’s child protection program manager Aida Muradian believes it is
necessary that domestic violence be separated from beatings in the criminal
code. “We are dealing with the case of domestic violence, but this is not
reflected in the indictment. Why is it so important?.. Because the victim of
domestic violence is subjected to violence by a member of her own family. As a
rule, the victim of domestic violence is in a certain dependence on the
perpetrator -- be it emotional, economic or some other form of dependence. This
means that these are significant circumstances that affect the case, and they
cannot simply be ignored,” she said.
On March 8, International Women’s Day, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian
together with Health Minister Arsen Torosian visited 13-year-old Nazeli in the
hospital’s intensive care unit when she was still switched to an artificial
ventilation apparatus.
“Many of us took with pain the news about this girl and her killed mother, but
let’s admit that this girl and her mother have also become victims of the
opinion that violence in general and violence against women in particular can
have some justification,” Pashinian wrote in a Facebook post later that day.
Gevork Derdzian, of Yerevan’s Surb Astvatsamayr Medical Center, cautioned on
Monday that despite regaining consciousness and having said a few words, “the
condition of the girl still remains heavy, as she has multiple injuries.”
Nazeli, according to the hospital spokesman, is under doctors’ strict
supervision.
The teenager, whose father died two years ago, has now become an orphan. Her
other close relatives have refused to adopt her, but according to child custody
workers in Gyumri, there are people who are ready to take care of the girl.
Armenians Urged To Return From Italy Over Coronavirus
Italy - A man wearing a protective mask passes by the Coliseum in Rome on March
7, 2020
Armenian citizens who are currently in Italy have been urged to “urgently
suspend their trips and return to Armenia” because of the spread of the new
coronavirus (COVID-19) in this part of Europe.
In a statement issued on Tuesday Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also
urged Armenian citizens to strictly refrain from visiting Italy “given the
measures being taken by the Italian authorities aimed at preventing the spread
of COVID-19.”
Authorities in Yerevan also called upon citizens who are currently in Italy to
remain in constant contact with Armenia’s embassy in Rome.
Later on Tuesday the Irish budget airline Ryanair, which entered Armenia’s civil
aviation market earlier this year, announced suspension of all flights from
Yerevan to Italy and back until April 8.
Italy appears to have become the hotbed in Europe for COVID-19, a new
coronavirus infection that broke out in China late last year, affecting more
than 100,000 people and killing over 4,000 people globally since then.
The whole of Italy, a country of some 60 million people, has been placed under
quarantine, as the Italian authorities have stepped up efforts to tackle the
coronavirus outbreak that has affected more than 9,000 people and left 463 dead
in the country.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced late on Monday that he was
extending restrictions on travel, which had been in place in the north,
throughout the country.
Earlier, authorities in Armenia also urged citizens to temporarily avoid
visiting Iran, China, South Korea, Japan and EU countries (particularly Italy,
Germany, France and Spain) over coronavirus risks, except in urgent cases.
Armenia reported its first and yet only coronavirus case on March 1. A
29-year-old citizen of Armenia who had been evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran
along with scores of others had tested positive and was hospitalized. Thirty-one
other citizens who may have had close contact with the infected person had also
been placed under a two-week quarantine in a disused hotel in Armenia’s resort
town of Tsaghkadzor.
No new coronavirus cases have been reported in Armenia since then as the country
tightened control at its border with Iran and re-introduced entry visas for
Iranian citizens.
Armenia’s universities and schools resume classes on March 9 one week after
being closed by the government following the confirmation of the first
coronavirus case.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Healthcare minister advises to follow preventive methods, stop handshaking and kissing- greetings
12:44, 1 March, 2020
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Respiratory diseases retreat at warm seasons, Healthcare Minister Arsen Torosyan said at a news conference on the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-2019) in Armenia.
“Thanks to the preventive measures, we, persevering these 40 days, can say that we are in a favorable condition. We see that the weather is getting warmer, and in this case viruses can’t survive in open environments, and by ruling out mass gatherings the spread will be prevented,” he said.
Torosyan called on the general population to avoid coming in direct contact with people who have flu-like symptoms, to wash hands frequently with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers and frequently ventilate closed areas.
He also noted a “cultural” preventive method.
“I have another recommendation, let’s stop greeting each other by kissing, we will greet each other so warmly when the weather will become warmer. Reduce handshaking also,” he said.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
15:44,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. Mayor of Yerevan Hayk Marutyan received Ambassador of Georgia to Armenia George Saganelidze.
The Yerevan City Hall told Armenpress that the officials highly valued the cooperation between Yerevan and Tbilisi in different areas, stating that, however, the partnership between the two cities has a great potential to expand and deepen.
The Yerevan Mayor and the Georgian Ambassador also discussed issues relating to holding Tbilisi days in Armenia’s capital this year in summer.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
Armenia Wine Company was awarded one gold and two silver medals by the contest jury of ProdExpo-2020 international food exhibition, the company said today in a press release.
The 27th edition of ProdExpo-2020 international food exhibition hosted by Moscow, Russia that featured over 2600 producers from 70 countries ended on February 14.
This major international exhibition is one of the best platforms for acquiring new partners, discussing industry issues, winning new markets and showcasing one’s products to consumers.
During the international beverage tasting competition organized as part of the exhibition, the representative jury consisting of winemakers, experts, representatives of consumer unions and critics evaluated approximately 800 products in accordance with the accepted international standards.
For the 8th year in a row Armenian wines captured the attention and hearts of the visitors to this annual international wine and spirits exhibition with their excellent taste and flavor, forcing them to constantly choose Armenian wines.
Armenia Wine Company was again hosted by this year’s exhibition, presenting a range of its exquisite and unique wines that have received high praise from both consumers and major international partners.
“Each time presenting our wines at international exhibitions, we also present the best traditions of the millennial history of Armenian winemaking, receiving the highest recognition. This time again our company’s representatives returned to Armenia with one gold and two silver awards. We are proud of our achievements, as our company, which has become a symbol of modern winemaking, presented to the visitors not only the excellent tastes and flavors of its wines, but once again held in high regard Armenian wine culture,” said Kristine Vardanyan, Commercial Director of the company.
According to Armenian Wine Company, the gold medal was awarded to "Armenia" cherry wine and silver medals to "Armenia Muscat" white semi-sweet wine made from Muscat grape variety and to "Armenia" semi-dry sparkling wine made from Areni variety grape.