Author: Paul Hambardsumian

Turkish press: Azerbaijan gives Anadolu Agency award for coverage during Karabakh War

Paul Hambardsumian
Ruslan Rehimov   |21.07.2022


BAKU, Azerbaijan

Anadolu Agency received an award Thursday by Azerbaijan for its coverage of the Karabakh War.

Azerbaijan gave the Ekinci Award, named after Azerbaijan's first Turkish newspaper, for Türkiye's leading news agency’s reports on the war and the reconstruction and revival process of the regions liberated from Armenian occupation.

The Azerbaijan National Press Day Award Ceremony was held in the country's capital of Baku with attendance by politicians, artists and the media.

Relations between the two former Soviet countries have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

New clashes erupted in September 2020 and the 44-day conflict saw Azerbaijan liberate several cities and more than 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.

A tripartite agreement was brokered by Russia to bring an end to the war in November 2020.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar

General who demanded PM Pashinyan’s resignation heads of General Staff of Armenian Armed Forces

Paul Hambardsumian



  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

New Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia

A new Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces has been appointed. The position has been vacant for six months. At the suggestion of the Prime Minister, Major General Eduard Asryan was appointed head of the General Staff. This is one of those generals who, after the defeat in the war in Karabakh, demanded the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan.

Following the recent changes to the Defense Law, the Chief of the General Staff is also considered the First Deputy Minister of Defense, but is not authorized to replace him.

The previous head of the General Staff was Artak Davtyan. He was relieved of his post on 24 February. Together with a number of other high-ranking military officials, Davtyan appears as a defendant in a criminal case on the supply of “unsuitable missiles” to the army.

Before Artak Davtyan, Onik Gasparyan held the position of Chief of the General Staff. He was fired after he, along with 40 senior military officials, demanded the resignation of the prime minister. Pashinyan himself assessed this situation as an “attempted military coup”.

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According to the Armenian constitution, the chief of the general staff of the armed forces is the highest military position in the country. Eduard Asryan was appointed to this position for a period of five years. Since May last year, he has served as deputy chief.

In early June, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, answering the question of why the post of head of the General Shatab was empty, said that it was necessary to “make the right decision.” In addition, the minister said that the appointment will take place after the amendments to the law “On Defense”. Parliament approved them a week ago.

In a new interview with the Minister of Defense of Armenia, a threat of a new war, as well as an improvement strategy of the country’s army have been discussed

The authorities of the country say that the purpose of the changes is to increase the effectiveness of the leadership of the army.

“The package of legislative changes aims to make the administration in the Ministry of Defense and the armed forces more efficient. Here, vertical control is essential. This will help to get more detailed first-hand information about the civilian control that we carry out,” the minister said.

According to the official justification for the bill, it was necessary to clarify the powers of the staff of the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense, including the minister and head of headquarters.

Prior to the changes, the operational, technical, and logistical support of the armed forces was carried out by the General Staff. Now all these functions are entrusted to departments of the ministry. The procurement process necessary for the needs of the Armed Forces will also now be carried out by the Ministry of Defense.

Military spending of Armenia and Azerbaijan in numbers – an overview by the Fact Investigation Platform – an independent fact-checking media based in Armenia

The legislative package was approved in parliament only by deputies of the ruling faction “Civil Contract”. Both opposition factions did not participate either in the meeting or in the voting.

The opposition criticized the government’s initiative and called it “an attempt to subordinate the armed forces to the minister.” The Minister of Defense himself emphasized that this is not an attempt, but a clear step in this direction.

“The armed forces should be subordinate to the Minister of Defense and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief,” Suren Papikyan said.

After the second Karabakh war, most residents of the border villages of the Syunik region of Armenia are facing identical problems, with safety being the main one

According to the parliamentary opposition, with this change, the government is politicizing the highest military position. This opinion was expressed by the former Minister of Defense, head of the Hayastan faction (Armenia) Seyran Ohanyan, as well as the secretary of the I have the Honor faction Tigran Abrahamyan.

“They are solving a purely domestic political problem. They believe that by doing so they will ensure comprehensive control over the military, will not allow any political statements or political actions on the part of the military at any stage,” Tigran Abrahamyan stressed, recalling the precedent with the former Chief of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan.

It turned out that in this sense the opinion of the opposition and the approach of the authorities coincide as well. MP of the ruling Civil Contract faction Armen Khachatryan did not deny that they were trying to prevent situations like this particular case.

“Yes, the chief of the general staff had no right to make such statements, he violated the constitutional norms, being a military man. And it is precisely because of this shortcoming in the law that such situations could arise. Until an appropriate situation arises, such problems in the legislation are not so obvious,” Khachatryan said.

Excavations planned in more than 20 monuments in Armenia this year

Paul Hambardsumian

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 09:58,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. On June 7 the presidency of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia elected Arsen Bobokhyan Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography. Arsen Bobokhyan has been working in the Institute since 1998. He has published 208 academic articles, 9 books. In an interview to ARMENPRESS, Mr. Bobokhyan told about the future plans and shared his concerns connected with the field.

The excavation period has already started in the Republic. Bobokhyan said that excavations are carried out in monuments of all ages, starting from the Stone Age to the Middle Age. “Currently, different excavations are taking place in monuments of stone age (Aghitu), bronze and iron ages (Karnut, Solak), ancient (Artashat), medieval (Tavush, Aruch). The excavations will intensify in the second half of July and especially in August (Dvin, Dashtadem, Artanish, etc). More than 20 expeditions will work this year, most of them are international. All monuments are important and could give an unexpected result”, he said.

Arsen Bobokhyan notes that archaeology of the 21st century is oriented not by findings, but by the excavation process. “Therefore, the excavations that are done methodically correctly are valuable. There are excavations which do not have outstanding findings, but they are carried out in such detail and care, that they could be considered highly effective. I highly value all excavations carried out by the Institute, there are just some excavations of a sensational nature. The tomb that was accidentally opened in Shahumyan village last year was like that, it dates back to 2800-2600 BC, and the bulk material with hundreds of metal objects and pottery is exclusive in its significance not only in regional context”, he said.

He informed that the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography carries out a lot of excavations, but the existing space is not enough for preserving that materials. “Now we are trying to give the findings of old excavations to museums, make a free space in the Institute, but the area is not enough again. The processing of archaeological material lasts long and archaeologists, including me, fail to do it quickly. Years are passing and we do not manage to repay our debts. But in case of existence of a space and opportunities, that process would have been gone faster. We have been promised to be provided with at least one or two floors in the building of the library of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia in order to transfer the Institute’s laboratories there. We are looking forward to that day”, he said.

As for the funding to the excavations, he said that the government provides them with respective funding, but they also have extra-budgetary programs provided by the Science Committee. “Foreign expeditions also make some investments. In particular, we have Armenian-American, Armenian-French, Armenian-Italian, Armenian-Israeli, Armenian-German and other expeditions”, he noted.

Asked how many archaeological sites of Artsakh have become under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the 2020 war, and what is the Institute going to do for them, Arsen Bobokhyan said: “There are many lost ancient sites. We have a group of Artsakh in the Institute, which has created a website about the monitoring of Karabakh monuments in cooperation with American archaeologists. The presentation of the website will take place soon in the National Academy of Sciences. Quantitative data will be presented there. The main excavations in Artsakh were in Tigranakert, however, archaeological activities were also being carried out in other sites as Azokhi and Mirik. Several new books dedicated to various issues of Artsakh’s ancient and medieval culture have been published by the Institute recently and will be published.

He also talked about the fate of the findings from Artsakh’s monuments that were saved. “The material of Tigranakert has been mostly brought to Armenia. Many materials in Shushi Museum have been left. However, it was possible to evacuate and exhibit some materials, particularly some values from Shushi were displayed at the Erebuni Museum. Of course, there has been a major loss in cultural values. But this is not something new for our history. We are like a pottery that is constantly being broken and recovered”, he added.

 

The full version of the interview is available in Armenian.

Interview by Ani Danielyan

Photos by Hayk Badalyan




PM Pashinyan, EU Special Representative refer to steps aimed at peace and stability in South Caucasus

Paul Hambardsumian

 

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 19:50,

YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Toivo Klaar, the EU's Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia. The Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin was also present at the meeting, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minster.

The Prime Minister highly appreciated the efforts of the President of the European Council Charles Michel aimed at strengthening mutual understanding and stability in the region.

At the meeting, reference was made to the processes taking place in the South Caucasus region, the situation around Nagorno Karabakh, the steps aimed at ensuring peace and stability. In particular, the sides exchanged thoughts on the results of the trilateral meetings held in Sochi with the mediation of the President of the Russian Federation and the President of the European Council in Brussels and the implementation of the agreements.

The consistent attention of the international community towards the protection of the Armenian cultural heritage in the territories that have passed under the control of Azerbaijan was highlighted, in particular, the provision of the access of the UNESCO mission and international humanitarian organizations to the NK conflict zone, considering the steps already taken towards the destruction of a number of Armenian monuments.

The interlocutors also referred to the Armenian-Turkish normalization process.

Council of Armenian Parliament puts into circulation draft decision on stripping opposition MPs of mandate

Paul Hambardsumian

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 15:51,

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. The Council of the National Assembly of Armenia put into circulation a draft decision which envisages applying to the Constitutional Court on stripping members of opposition “Hayastan” and “I have an Honor” factions of mandates, the Parliament’s press service said.

According to the draft decision, the list of MPs does not include lawmakers Taguhi Tovmasyan and Ishkhan Zakaryan, who were elected to the Parliament with the quota of “I have an Honor” faction.

Earlier Ishkhan Zakaryan announced leaving “I have an Honor” faction.

By the way, the list does not include also the name of Martun Grigoryan, who received a parliamentary mandate after Artur Vanetsyan resigned on June 30. Grigoryan is included in the "I have honor" faction.

The Universal Appeal Of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540

Paul Hambardsumian
Bustle
June 29 2022
By Audrey Noble

TikTok beauty trends and viral products are many and fleeting, but one fragrance has remained a constant for the past couple of years — Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris Baccarat Rouge 540.

The hold that this fragrance has on everyone’s hearts (and algorithms) is only surprising in that it’s not a new scent and it’s a pretty big investment, especially for young beauty lovers. But its popularity seems to only be getting stronger despite that. Research done by Hey Discount in 2022 shows that the Baccarat Rouge remains a highly sought-after fragrance, with just under six million Google searches and over 110 million TikTok views yearly.

“I don’t know, I don’t have an account on TikTok,” Francis Kurkdjian, perfumer and creative director at Maison Francis Kurkdjian, tells Bustle lightheartedly when asked about its current status as Gen Z’s favorite scent. “More seriously, it makes me very happy; it means my creations are connected to the younger generation.”

Baccarat Rouge 540 launched in 2016 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the French luxury and crystal manufactory brand Baccarat. Kurkdjian had partnered with Baccarat many times before and it only made sense for him to be the one to create the signature scent for this milestone.

“The [president of Baccarat] wanted me to encapsulate the spirit of Baccarat in a bottle. I asked, what is its signature, and she answered, ‘Red crystal: the exact same crystal that hangs on each Baccarat chandelier,’” he says. “I started looking into the impressive heritage of the maison and focused on the process of creation behind their signature golden red.”

Baccarat Rouge 540 strikes the perfect balance of being floral without being too overwhelmingly sweet, and has a woody aroma that is decadent in all the best ways. Its ingredient list is surprisingly short compared to other beloved fragrances; it only contains seven ingredients — such as jasmine, saffron, and woody amber — which are divided by three accords. Kurkdjian says that its specific formulation remains a secret, despite the efforts of many counterfeits and dupes to replicate it out on the market. But what he can share about the formula is that its ingredient layering is based on a technique created by famed perfumer Jean Carle, the man responsible for another iconic fragrance Miss Dior.

The technique is pretty straightforward. You start with two ingredients and balance them. Then you add another ingredient and balance. And you keep going until you’re done. With Baccarat Rouge, he says that he put in a dash of orange and Tagetes and a few natural notes at the very end. The other notes — moss oakmoss, ethyl maltol, ambroxan, and hedione — are aroma molecules put together by a very precise, modern technology.

“It is truly the balance between these four raw materials based on my emotions and vision that makes this fragrance completely new,” he says. “That specific balance delivers a clear and recognizable olfactory signature.”

What was meant to be a limited-edition release (there were only 5,000 bottles produced for one year) sold out in two months. That was when Kurkdjian decided to make Baccarat Rouge a permanent part of the collection — and the rest is history.

“When I created it, I knew the fragrance was amazing because every time I was wearing it, I had so many good comments. Numerous people [who wore the scent] told me the same thing,” he says. “Its trail is distinctive and memorable.”

“I'm an unabashed stan of this Tiktok-dubbed ‘rich girl’ scent, and I always have a travel-sized version in my carry-on,” writes BDG executive beauty director Faith Xue of the scent. “I’m guaranteed instant compliments from anyone around me.”

What makes a product go viral is the existential question beauty brands have sought to answer since the inception of social media. But if Baccarat Rouge 540 proves anything, it takes more than just a good product to win the hearts of a younger generation (and TikTok’s current obsession with “old money ” and the “night luxe” aesthetic definitely helps). It has to evoke a good feeling.

“This fragrance resonates with people in different ways; people are passionate and feel very strongly about this scent,” he says. “There’s no rational explanation for it, but it shows again how much perfume is linked to people’s state of mind and how powerful the effect of a scent can be.”

We at Bustle only include products that have been independently selected by our editors. We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

https://www.bustle.com/style/maison-francis-kurkdjian-baccarat-rouge-540-tiktok 

PM welcomes Iranian firms’ participation in Armenia’s infrastructure projects

Paul Hambardsumian
Iran – July 7 2022
Thursday, 5:48 PM  [ Last Update: Thursday, 5:48 PM ]

The photo shows a meeting between Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani (4th-L) and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (3rd-R) on July 7, 2022, in Yerevan, Armenia. (Photo by Armenian prime minister office)

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says the Caucasus country embraces the participation of Iranian firms in its infrastructure projects while also highlighting the need to further enhance bilateral relations.

Pashinyan made the remarks on Thursday in a meeting with Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), in Yerevan.

Hailing the growing bilateral cooperation between Iran and Armenia, Pashinyan called for boosting the ties in all fields.

He welcomed the participation of Iranian companies in infrastructure projects in Armenia, noting that Yerevan is ready to enhance all-out ties in line with the interests of the Iranian and Armenian nations.

Resolving differences through dialogue

For his part, Shamkhani named maintaining regional security and increasing collective regional cooperation without the participation of foreign powers as “the most urgent” needs of the region on the path of development.

He highlighted the necessity of resolving differences through dialogue and avoiding violence, adding, “Any tension in the region will prepare the ground for the presence and role-assumption of trans-regional countries, and certainly, there will be no benefit in that.”

Expressing satisfaction with the level of political ties between the two states, he noted that “given the determination of the two countries' leaders in expanding all-out ties, the level of economic cooperation should also expand accordingly, and even beyond that.”

Earlier on Thursday, Shamkhani held a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Armen Grigoryan, discussing the status of bilateral relations.

The Iranian delegation arrived in Yerevan on Thursday morning as part of a tour to the Caucasus countries.

Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Reza Fatemi Amin said in early March that Iran and Armenia had agreed on launching infrastructure projects.

“During the meetings with Armenian Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan and Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan and the Armenia deputy PM, we made preliminary agreements on a range of issues such as building dams and roads by Iranian companies in Armenia,” Fatemi Amin said after visiting Yerevan.

“We agreed on building a transit road to complete the infrastructure projects in Armenia in the long run. Iranian companies will also participate in the relevant tenders,” he noted.

Iran has already announced its readiness to cooperate with Armenia in the construction of a new transportation route (Kajaran-Sisian road).

The 64-kilometer long route is part of the Iran-Armenia-Georgia Transportation Corridor which comes as part of Iran’s bid to launch the North-South Transport Corridor.

The International North-South Transport Corridor is a 7,200-kilometer-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road routes for moving freight between Iran, India, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia, Central Asia, and Europe.

It is aimed at boosting trade connectivity among the regional as well as ultra-regional states. 

“Another attempt to reproduce power?” – Armenia to carry out more сonstitutional reforms

Paul Hambardsumian

July 6 2022

  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

PM Pashinyan pledged more reforms to Constitution

On July 5, Armenia celebrates Constitution Day. The main law of the country was adopted in 1995, and it has already been amended twice – in 2005 and 2015. In 2018, according to the constitutional changes adopted in the 2015 referendum, Armenia finally switched to a parliamentary form of government.

The current authorities of the country have once again initiated the process of reforming the constitution, which is planned to be completed by 2023. A separate Council and a professional commission have been set up to prepare the reform project. Until June next year, they must submit their proposals to the Prime Minister’s office. If the draft contains a clause on changing the form of government by the state, then a referendum will be held on this issue again.

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On the Constitution Day, the Prime Minister of Armenia delivered a congratulatory message. Referring to the constitutional reform project, Nikol Pashinyan stressed that “Armenia must preserve the parliamentary form of government.”

He substantiated his position by recalling the events of 2021, the deep political crisis that occurred in Armenia after the defeat in the Karabakh war.

Back then, the opposition demanded the resignation of the prime minister, who signed the ceasefire agreement and “surrendered the territories of Nagorno-Karabakh.” To overcome the crisis, early parliamentary elections were held in Armenia, and the political force led by Pashinyan again received a vote of confidence.

According to Pashinyan, these events proved that the parliamentary form of government provides more effective mechanisms, such as:

  • crisis management;
  • involvement of society in the solution of political issues.

What elements of their sovereignty are Armenia and Azerbaijan ready to give up if the so-called South Caucasian federation is created? The answer is – probably none

In January 2022, the composition of the council, which will prepare constitutional reforms, was approved. It included only the MPs of the ruling Civil Contract faction. Both opposition factions boycotted the initiative and did not nominate candidates. The Council is chaired by Minister of Justice Karen Andreasyan.

The Council for Constitutional Reforms includes Armenia’s representative to the European Court, two deputies from the ruling power, including the head of the parliamentary commission on legal issues, a human rights defender, and a member of the Supreme Judicial Council. Representatives of civil society – three human rights activists – were also involved in the work of the Council on a competitive basis.

The Council, in turn, formed a professional commission, which included a group of scientists. They will be engaged in the development of a new draft constitution.

“The challenge before us is to, so to speak, audit the current constitution after four years of work and see what room there is for improvement”, the prime minister said.

According to Pashinyan, this initiative does not mean that the constitution will necessarily be amended.

“The time for a political decision will come”, the prime minister said after the end of the commission’s work.

A similar commission to develop the concept of constitutional changes was also created in 2020. The members of that commission were unanimous that the question of changing the form of government by the state was not subject to discussion. According to the official version, the work of the previous commission failed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Human rights activists who are members of the reform council do not raise the issue of changing the country’s governance system, but emphasize that the current constitution needs to be reformed.

In particular, human rights activist Artur Sakunts believes: “The Constitution does not provide for the principle of separation of powers and mutual deterrence and does not guarantee parliamentary control over the executive branch”.

“The only advantage this title has is a free spot at the cemetery” – Abolition of honorary titles in Armenia has sparked heated discussion among artists

The opposition believes that the goal of the Pashinyan government is the reproduction of power.

In response, Minister of Justice Karen Andreasyan stated that the aim of the constitutional amendments is to “balance the branches of power”.

As for the extension of Nikol Pashinyan’s term, according to the minister, the current constitution provides for unlimited opportunities for his re-election as prime minister.

“It is not worth measuring each initiative by its own standards and by previous experience,” Karen Andreasyan emphasized.

The minister alludes to the constitutional referendum initiated by the previous authorities, which took place in 2015. As a result, Armenia switched to a parliamentary form of government. Then the opposition said that the goal of the reforms was to reproduce the power of President Serzh Sargsyan.

His second presidential term was coming to an end, and Serzh Sargsyan could no longer take the post of head of state. And after changing the system of government, he could become prime minister, that is, again take the main leadership position in the country.

Oppositionist Nikol Pashinyan once called the issue of changing the form of government a “false agenda.” After the Velvet Revolution of 2018 and coming to power, the prime minister managed to make conflicting statements on this topic.

For example, in March 2021, Pashinyan stated that the current constitution “creates many crisis risks” and did not rule out the possibility of a return to a semi-presidential system of government and that this issue would be put to a referendum.

A few months later, in his July 5 address, the Prime Minister stated that “the principle should be guided by the principle of looking before leaping”. At a press conference at the end of the year, the prime minister announced that he was in favor of a parliamentary form of government.

https://jam-news.net/another-attempt-to-reproduce-power-armenia-to-carry-out-more-%D1%81onstitutional-reforms/

Rep. Schiff introduces NDAA amendment calling for immediate release of Armenian POWs

Paul Hambardsumian
Panorama
Armenia – July 6 2022

Congressman Adam Schiff  has introduced an ANCA-backed bi-partisan amendment to the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) calling for Azerbaijan's immediate release of Armenian POWs and captured civilians, the ANCA reports.

Amendment #698 is co-sponsored by Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA), Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA), Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Congressman Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Rep. Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), and Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA).

The ANCA is leading a grassroots effort to secure additional co-sponsors prior to next week's House Rules Committee consideration of the amendment.

NDAA amendments  ruled "in order" by the House Rules Committee will be voted on by the full U.S. House.

PM considers high inflation rate concerning

Paul Hambardsumian

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 12:50, 30 June 2022

YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s economic activity index in May comprised 13% compared to the same month of the previous year, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting today, presenting the data of the Statistical Committee.

He said that the main locomotives of the growth are the construction sector, the increase of which comprised 18.1% in May, and the services field, the increase of which comprised 30.2%, as well as the electricity production with an increase of 8.2% and the export growth which increased by 33.7% this May compared to last May.

“But, in line with good indicators, there is also a figure that creates concern, particularly the industrial production volume increased by just 2%, and also high inflationary environment is maintained which is concerning, but with the figures of five months we have entered a double-digit economic growth zone”, the PM said, adding that the plan envisaged for the first half of the year has been overperformed by 47 billion drams.

“We still have more than 10 billion EAEU customs allocations to receive”, he said.