Author: Paul Hambardsumian

 16:07,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan today held a meeting with the members of the Corruption Prevention Commission led by Commission Chair Haykuhi Harutyunyan. The meeting was also attended by justice minister Rustam Badasyan, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.

Welcoming the Commission members, the PM delivered remarks at the meeting:

“Dear compatriots, I am happy to meet with you. It’s less than a year that the Corruption Prevention Commission has been formed in Armenia, and understandably it has a conceptual significance for our country because you know that the government’s program includes the vision of having a corruption-free public, and this is very important for our country’s future development.

Of course, today one of the key issues of Armenia’s agenda is the fight against corruption, but from strategic terms it’s important that we have concrete mechanisms for preventing corruption, rather than to just have a fight against corruption, meaning that either corruption should be impossible in Armenia in terms of respective mechanisms, or it should be at the lowest level in order not to exist in the agenda as a public issue in general, of course with the existence of future fight mechanisms, when each corruption case will not remain without a discovery.

The purpose of our meeting today is to understand how the works of the Commission are taking place, what actions the government needs to take because it has many functions in terms of ensuring the normal operation of the Commission. And I hope that we will manage to solve all problems within a short period of time, which are enshrined in the Anti-Corruption Strategy. In fact, this document is a document of our joint action. Today we will also hear where we have reached in terms of implementation of this Strategy which relates to the Corruption Prevention Commission”.

The Commission Chair thanked the PM for the meeting and introduced Commission members Lilit Aleksanyan, Aramayis Pashinyan and Narek Hambardzumyan. She said the Commission is operating over 8 months and presented the actions taken during this period.

The Prime Minister and the Commission representatives exchanged views on the anti-corruption fight agenda. Issues relating to the prevention of corruption, discovery of corruption crimes, anti-corruption education were discussed during the meeting.

“The government’s political will to succeed in the fight against corruption and prevent it is beyond doubt. In this respect we should set the highest bar and continue the works”, PM Pashinyan said, highlighting the consistent implementation of measures envisaged by the Anti-Corruption Strategy.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 14:26,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian sent a congratulatory letter to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on the country’s national day – the Independence Day, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

“I am confident that with joint efforts we will be able to expand the agenda of the Armenian-Ukrainian relations and mutually beneficial cooperation”, the Armenian President said in his letter.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia and Artsakh send planeloads of humanitarian aid to Lebanon

 23:36, 9 August, 2020

YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. The Republic of Artsakh has sent a planeload of assistance to Lebanon to help in eliminating the aftermath of the devastating August 4 Beirut explosion, President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan said on social media.

The cargo “From the People of Artsakh to Lebanon” has already arrived in Beirut.

“The assistance is in the form of food,” President Harutyunyan said. “And this isn’t all, because I am going to convene a meeting on this issue tomorrow and I will inform on our decisions. Artsakh stands by Lebanon in overcoming this difficult challenge,” the President of Artsakh said.

In turn, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan tweeted: “From #Armenia ՚s heart and Artsakh ‘s people to Lebanon. First 2 airlifts of humanitarian assistance have been sent to Lebanon. We will continue the provision of assistance based on needs of Lebanon’s government and the Armenian community. #StayStrongLebanon”

The first Armenian planeload comprising medicine and medical equipment was sent to Beirut on August 8.

Editing and writing by Stepan Kocharyan

 15:57,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia is elaborating social assistance and integration programs for those Lebanese-Armenians who will express desire to leave Lebanon and settle in Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia Zaruhi Batoyan informed.

''Following the Beirut explosion naturally our compatriots in Beirut and particularly the citizens of Armenia would expect the assistance of the Republic of Armenia. Now, when the Government has provided 1st aid to Lebanon, the 1st steps are done and we must be ready to that if our compatriots living there decide to leave Lebanon for some reasons, they should come to Armenia so that they get new opportunities for living free, happy and prosperous in Armenia'', Batoyan said.

The Minister noted that everything must be done so that after they arrive in Armenia, they should not think of moving to other countries like it happened with many Syrian-Armenians.

''For this goal it's necessary to first of all elaborate social assistance and integration programs and review the old ones. Works in this direction have started and the ministry participates in the discussions'', Zaruhi Batoyan said.

On August 4, a major explosion in the Port of Beirut sent an immensely powerful shockwave across the Lebanese capital, killing at least 220 people, injuring 7000 and causing massive destruction. Around 300,000 people were left homeless. It resulted in US$10–15 billion in property damage.

Among the victims are 13 Lebanese-Armenians who died in the blast, and 300 other representatives of the community were injured.

The blast has been linked to a port warehouse where about 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate were stored in unsafe conditions. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

Armenia has sent 3 airplanes of relief aid to Lebanon. These airplanes brough back nearly 100 Lebanese-Armenians who had housing problems in Beirut following the blast.

Editing and Translating by Tigran Sirekanyan

 12:32,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. Recently, an employee of Ucom N. Harutyunyan was awarded the medal “For Cooperation” of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia, making Ucom the first corporate entity to be awarded this high departmental award.

“On behalf of Ucom, I would like to thank N. Harutyunyan for rising professionally to the challenges she faced while performing her job responsibilities as well as for keeping Ucom's business reputation high among external partners,” said Ara Sergei Khachatryan, Director General at Ucom.

Harutyunyan, who has been awarded the medal "For Cooperation", provided professional support to the General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases, the Department of Investigation of Cybercrime and High Technology Crime, the Department of Investigation of Crimes on Human Trafficking, against Sexual Immunity of Juveniles and Illegal Turnover of Drugs of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia, by ensuring that during the investigation of criminal cases full evidence was obtained in a timely manner by these departments via electronic media. She has years-long experience of cooperation with the Investigative Committee of the RA and has made a significant contribution to this field. The work N. Harutyunyan performed has played a significant role in disclosing a number of multi-layered crimes that have recently attracted serious public attention.

 14:09,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian has approved Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s petition on dismissing Deputy Chief of Police Tigran Yesayan, Sarkissian’s Office said in a news release.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan