Author: Markos Nalchajian

 17:27,

YEREVAN, 22 JULY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 22 July, USD exchange rate up by 0.46 drams to 484.16 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 5.37 drams to 558.96 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 6.83 drams. GBP exchange rate stood at 613.72 drams.

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

Gold price up by 445.58 drams to 28681.32 drams. Silver price up by 17.64 drams to 319.96 drams. Platinum price up by 448.35 drams to 13589.21 drams.

 10:06, 8 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. By the decision of the Council of Parliament of Armenia, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on science, education, culture, Diaspora, youth and sport affairs Mkhitar Hayrapetyan has been elected as head of the Armenia-Iran friendship group, his Office told Armenpress.

“The Armenia-Iran brotherly relations have a great historical share. Today the economic component in the firm bilateral ties between our states is quite great. Iran is 6^th in the list of Armenia’s foreign trade partners. However, the close educational, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two countries can also play a vital role in these relations. And of course, we should not forget about the Armenian community of Iran which is one of the richest centers of the Armenian Diaspora and is at best represented in the Iranian parliament”, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan said at the session of the Parliament Council.

Hayrapetyan is also heading the Armenia-Cyprus inter-parliamentary commission, as well as the Armenia-Greece friendship group.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 18:29, 26 June, 2020

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS.  The Commandant’s Office has discussed the situation over COVID-19 pandemic and reached the conclusion that there is no alternative and will toughen anti-pandemic measures in the near future, ARMENPRESS reports PM Pashinyan said following a session at the Commandant’s Office.

‘’As far as we have no serious changes in numbers, as far as we have not recorded an opposite dynamic, we have to choose the policy of toughening the measures and the package of the toughening can be in various directions’’, PM Pashinyan said.

According to PM Pashinyan, the cases of violating anti-pandemic rules have become more pronounced.

‘’You may know that we have already a case of filing criminal charges for violating anti-pandemic rules against a positive-tested citizen who was driving taxi. The law enforcement bodies discovered it and pressed criminal charges’’, Pashinyan said.

By 11:00, June 26 a total of 23,247 cases have been confirmed in Armenia. 12,149 have recovered, 10,557 are active cases. A total of 105,046 tests have been done.

State of emergency has been prolonged until July 13.

Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan

Court hearing of motion on detaining Prosperous Armenia party leader resumes

 11:10,

YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. The Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction chaired by judge Robert Papoyan continues examining the motion on detaining Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan.

Tsarukyan is already in the court.

On June 16 the Armenian Parliament voted in favor of the Prosecutor General’s motion on stripping MP Gagik Tsarukyan of parliamentary immunity. 87 MPs voted in favor of the motion. The Parliament also approved another motion on depriving Tsarukyan of liberty.

On June 14 leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia party Gagik Tsarukyan was taken to the National Security Service for questioning. He stayed there until 23:30. Earlier the NSS issued a statement according to which a company, that is included Gagik Tsarukyan’s Multi Group Concern, has caused tens of billions of drams in damage to the state. In another statement, the NSS said it revealed numerous cases on giving bribes to voters by the Prosperous Armenia party members, as well as candidates to vote in favor of the party during the April 2, 2017 parliamentary elections.

Gagik Tsarukyan has been charged for giving electoral bribes.