Author: Kevo Kalantarian

Armenia reports 593 new coronavirus cases in past day

Kevo Kalantarian
TASS, Russia
July 2 2020
Six coronavirus patients died at Armenian hospitals in the past twenty-four hours, bringing fatalities to 459 since the start of the pandemic in the republic, the latest data indicate
© Vahram Baghdasaryan/Photolure/TASS

YEREVAN, July 2. /TASS/. Coronavirus cases in Armenia grew by 593 in the past twenty-four hours compared to 523 a day earlier, the republic’s Health Ministry reported on Thursday.

"In the past twenty-four hours, 593 new coronavirus cases were identified and 473 patients recovered from the illness. To date, 15,036 patients have recovered from the disease while the total number of the infected stands at 26,658," the ministry said in a statement.

Six coronavirus patients died at Armenian hospitals in the past twenty-four hours, bringing fatalities to 459 since the start of the pandemic in the republic, the latest data indicate.

Yerevan hospitals conducted over 2,100 coronavirus tests in the past twenty-four hours, the ministry said.

The Armenian population equals 2.9 million people, which means that the coronavirus infection has been identified among 0.9% of the republic’s residents since the start of the pandemic in the country. Over this time, 115,765 coronavirus tests have been conducted in the republic, of which 23% have been positive.

In the past week, Armenia registered no less than 400 new coronavirus cases daily whereas for three consecutive days the COVID-19 case count equaled 700.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on June 26 that the situation was prompting the authorities to tighten anti-epidemic requirements.

According to Pashinyan, Armenia was now among the states with the largest number of infections per 1 million people. He stressed again that the basic problem was that Armenian citizens did not fully realize that they were massively breaching anti-epidemic requirements.

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.

On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 10,819,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 519,270 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 6,040,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.


Dictatorship, one-person power established in Armenia: Hayrenik party urges capable forces to consolidate

Kevo Kalantarian
Aysor, Armenia

“Our homeland is in economic, political and healthcare disaster and the guilty of it are the incumbent authorities,” president of Hayrenik (Homeland) Artur Vanetsyan stated today at the opening of party’s office on Gavar.

“But the issues are not being settled by criticizing only. We must formulate our ideas of the development of the state the basis of which is security, developing economy, our science, education and culture,” Vanetsyan stressed.

The president of the party, referring to the recent developments in the country, said dictatorship is being established in Armenia with PM Nikol Pashinyan forming one-person power without standing before anything, ruining the legal security basis of the state, demoralizing the society.

“For it we need pan-national consolidation, consolidation of capable forces,” Vanetsyan said, stressing that Hayrenik party is ready for fighting, for consolidation and victory.

Australian Lawmaker With Ties to Turkey’s Grey Wolves Fired from Posts

Kevo Kalantarian

Adem Somyurek opening Grey Wolves’ Melbourne headquarters (Photos by Neos Kosmos)

SYDNEY, Australia—The Armenian National Committee of Australia welcomed the firing of Member of Parliament Adem Somyurek from the Victorian Ministry, as well as his effective expulsion from the Australian Labor Party – including from its National Executive, especially given his connection and support to ultra-nationalist Turkish organisation “Ulku Ocaklari” – better known as the “Grey Wolves.”

A 60 Minutes report last Sunday exposed Somyurek’s industrial-level branch-stacking of Australian Labor Party branches in Victoria. Videos and recordings during a year-long investigation unveiled Somyurek allegedly signing up ethnic community representatives to branches, paying their membership fees, requesting the forging of signatures, using misogynistic and homophobic comments, among other offences currently being investigated.

What the report did not reveal is Somyurek’s support for the Australian branch of the Turkish ultranationalist political organization, the Grey Wolves, who espouse the same pan-Turkism ideology of their Ottoman Young Turk forebears – the same Young Turks who planned and carried out the Armenian Genocide, as well as the genocides of the Assyrian and Greek populations of the Ottoman Empire from 1915.

In June 2014, Izmir-born Somyurek inaugurated the Grey Wolves’ offices in Melbourne, as revealed in a report by Greek-Australian newspaper Neos Kosmos, which wrote: “The (illegal branch) registrations took place last year mainly in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne, where the offices of the Victorian Grey Wolves are located.”

The Grey Wolves, which have a history of political violence and killings in Turkey, rose to international prominence following the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981  by one its members, Mehmet Ali Agca.

None of the above has any place in Australian politics and public affairs.

Immediately after the 60 Minutes exposé, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews expelled Somyurek from his Cabinet, where he served as Minister for Local Government and the Minister for Small Business.

Later, the Australian Labor Party’s National Executive accepted Somyurek’s resignation from the party and took steps to prevent his return to the ALP.  Investigations into the extent of the branch-stacking have been launched and are ongoing.

Armenia Investigative Committee chairman: Gagik Tsarukyan not involved in any case at the moment

Kevo Kalantarian
News.am, Armenia
June 9 2020
 
 
18:11, 09.06.2020
 
The Investigative Committee isn’t conducting any investigation regarding leader of Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan at the moment. This is what Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Armenia Hayk Grigoryan told reporters today.
 
“The Investigative Committee is investigating an episode of Tranche 2 of the North-South Road Corridor Project that concerns the employees of Stons LLC. There are five accused-on-trial involved in the case, and a motion had been filed to arrest them, but the court applied a pledge. Gagik Tsarukyan isn’t personally involved in this case,” he said.
 
Touching upon the dismissals of the heads of power structures and asked if the government is content with the work of the Investigative Committee, Grigoryan said he can’t say if the Prime Minister is content or not.

There are no radical changes, but optimism remains – Maria Zakharova about NK conflict

Kevo Kalantarian

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 20:51, 4 June, 2020

YEREVAN, JUNE 4, ARMENPRESS. There are no radical changes in Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement negotiations, official representative of the MFA Russia Maria Zakharova said in a weekly briefing.

‘’We support the political settlement through negotiations of that protracted crisis. And we will spare no efforts as a neighboring country, as a country linked with long lasting friendship, partnership and cooperation with those countries so as to have our constructive contribution’’, ARMENPRESS reports Zakharova as saying.

She also emphasized the role of Russia as a Co-chair, participating in the works of the OSCE Minsk Group.

''Though there are no radical changes, I can affirm that optimism still remains'', she said.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Armenia’s Lori ready to facilitate trade with Iran’s Mazandaran

Kevo Kalantarian
Tehran Times, Iran
June 7 2020

June 7, 2020 – 10:58

TEHRAN- The governor of Armenia’s Lori City announced that the city is prepared to facilitate trade for the businessmen from Iranian northern province of Mazandaran, IRNA reported.

Speaking in a video conference with the Mazandaran governor, Andrey Ghukasyan said Lori is ready to fulfill Iranian and Armenian businessmen’s demands in line with reinforcing economic ties.

The Armenian official further vowed for facilitating and accelerating clearance of goods from the customs for the Iranian businessmen.

Investment in Mazandaran is an opportunity for Armenian businessmen, he noted.

He also underlined Mazandaran’s good infrastructures in the trade and tourism fields.

“We will spare no efforts for satisfying Mazandaran businessmen”, Ghukasyan reiterated.

He went on to say that Mazandaran enjoys the good garden, food, and dairy products which can fulfill a considerable part of Armenian provinces’ needs.

He referred to signing an MOU between Mazandaran and Lori, saying we are committed to implementing these MOUs.

The MOU was signed last year aiming to develop economic interactions between Lori and Mazandaran.

Iran has resumed exports to its neighbor Armenia since early April.

“The exports are conducted via Iran’s northwestern Norduz border in a limited quantity”, Rouhollah Latifi, the spokesperson of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), announced at the time, adding, “With 250 trucks passing through the border on Aras River, trade with the neighboring country is normalizing after weeks.”

“Armenia imported over $430 million worth of Iranian goods in the past Iranian calendar year [ended on March 19] to become the country’s second export destination among the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)’s member states after Russia,” he said.

Iran’s preferential trade agreement with the EAEU has had a significant impact on the country’s trade relations with Armenia, according to the head of Iran-Armenia Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“The two sides are applying tariff discounts offered based on the agreement and there has been no problem in this regard”, Hervik Yarijanian said in January.

According to the official, the volume of trade between the two countries has witnessed an outstanding rise since the agreement became effective last October.

Iran mainly imports red meat from Armenia, while Armenia imports polymer raw materials, machinery, industrial gases, manufactured artifacts, leather, and leather goods from Iran, he said.

He further noted that Iran has a much greater export capability compared to Armenia, adding that traders have not yet gotten used to the idea of the preferential trade agreement and hopefully with the expansion of this deal, more Iranian traders will be attracted to the Armenian market.

Iran and Armenia have been emphasizing the need for preserving and expanding trade relations between the two countries since the preferential trade deal between Iran and EAEU was implemented.

While the U.S. renewed sanctions on Iran are aimed at isolating the Islamic Republic both politically and economically, Iran’s relations, especially in the economic sectors, with its neighbors are seemed not to be affected by the sanctions.

The northwestern neighbor Armenia is one of the countries preserving and expanding its economic relations with Iran regardless of the sanction condition.

Second criminal case launched against former head of Armenian Football Federation

Kevo Kalantarian
Arminfo, Armenia

ArmInfo. A second criminal case has been opened against the former president of the Football Federation of Armenia Ruben Hayrapetyan.

According to the press service of the RA Police, in 2014 Ruben  Hayrapetyan on behalf of the FFA refused land worth 800 million drams  per benefit of the mayor's office of Yerevan. After that, with the  help of the then mayor of Yerevan, Taron Margaryan and other  officials of the Yerevan municipality, a fictitious auction was held  in 2015, as a result of which land was acquired in parts for only 169  million drams by persons having ties with the head of the FFA. This  was followed by the signing of a number of documents on the transfer  of land as a gift, in the end, it was registered with members of the  Hayrapetyan family and his relatives.

In addition, the head of the FFA in 2017 first sold his "Porche  Cayenne Turbo" to one of his close associates for 2 million drams,  and two months later the Federation bought this car for 25.7 million  drams (the real value of about 6.5 million).

A criminal case has been opened, the materials have been sent to the  Special Investigation Service.

To recall, on May 21, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal  case against Hayrapetyan, accusing him and his son of arbitrariness,  deliberate and illegal deprivation of liberty. The court of general  jurisdiction of Yerevan granted the arrest of the former president of  the Football Federation of Armenia. On May 27 he was put on the  wanted list. 

Construction of Iran-Armenia 3rd power transmission line to resume soon

Kevo Kalantarian

Construction of Iran-Armenia 3rd power transmission line to resume soon

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 21:42,

YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. The deepening of relations with Iran is of paramount importance for Armenia. The two countries have mutually beneficial cooperation particularly in energy sphere. There are also great cooperation opportunities in the sidelines of the EAEU. The Government of Armenia has taken significant measures in the last two years for deepening trade relations with Iran and expanding Armenia's capacities as a transit country. Particularly, in 2019 the inter-state road linking Iran with Georgia was repaired. It's planned to modernize Meghri checkpoint this year, as well as to put into operation the 3rd power transmission line, as a result of which the volume of gas imported from Iran will increase.

Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of Armenia, Chairman of the Armenian-Iranian Intergovernmental Joint Commission from the Armenian side Suren Papikyan spoke about one of the major projects between Armenia and Iran, the construction of the 3rd power transmission line during the parliament-Cabinet Q&A session on May 27.

Answering the question of one of the MPs, Suren Papikyan said, ''Conditioned by the coronavirus, our Iranian partners were unable to visit Armenia for nearly 3 months due to the restrictions imposed by both Iran and Armenia. But the project manager of the company is already in Armenia and 5 engineers will arrive in Armenia on June 1. The entire team, nearly 60 people, are scheduled to be here within two weeks and the construction works will resume’’, Papikyan said.

He added that the construction works are planned to be finished by the end of 2020. ‘’Since the construction works had been suspended in the last months, maybe there will be some problems with the deadline, but we hope we will be able to finish the construction before the deadline’’, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of Armenia Suren Papikyan said.




Karabakh MOD: Azerbaijan attempted sabotage penetration

Kevo Kalantarian
News.am, Armenia

12:38, 23.05.2020
                  

Artsakh builds PCR lab for coronavirus tests

Kevo Kalantarian

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 13:47, 7 May, 2020

YEREVAN, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS. The Artsakhi authorities are completing the construction of an 800 square meter polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory in the Center of Epidemiology and Hygiene.

The Ministry of Healthcare of Artsakh said the lab will be used for diagnostics of various bacteria and viruses, including the novel coronavirus.

The lab is planned to be commissioned soon.

Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan