Armenia’s Central Bank said on Tuesday it had cut its refinancing rate to 6.25 percent from 6.5 percent.
Annual deflation in the country was at 0.6 percent in November, compared to 0.9 percent deflation in October, according to Central Bank data.
On a monthly basis, the inflation rate stood at 1 percent in November, up from 0.5 percent in October.
“Speaking about a peace deal is impossible unless we have targeted response regarding the maintenance of the ceasefire regime stipulated by the agreements of 1994 and 1995,” Artak Zakaryan, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, told a year-end press conference today.
According to him, 2016 failed to register intensification or even restoration of the negotiation process. “We have a negotiation format and negotiations that have stopped at a certain point,” he said, adding that “the meetings held after the April war were aimed at seeking ways out of the stalemate.”
“Considering that there is no negotiation process and the Azerbaijani side is unwilling to return to the table, we have to be ready for any scenarios of development,” the MP said.
Artak Zakaryan believes that it will be possible to speak about concessions only in case there is real political will to solve the issue, but says he does not see any will on the Azeri side at this point.
“We deal with a neighbor that hopes to solve the issue in a military way, relying upon its economic resources,” Zakaryan said. He added, however, that “the Karabakh issue is perhapes the only conflict in the world that has no military solution even under the conditions of economic privilege.”
The MP said the realization of the right of peoples to self-determination is the cornerstone, while all other details and sequence of actions will stem from the full realization of it.
“Other concessions are impossible as long as Azerbaijan fails to speak about the self-determination of the people of Artsakh and recon with the fact,” he said.
Artak Zakaryan said the military-technical cooperation with Russia has intensified after the April war. “The signing of the two agreements on creation of Joint Air Defense System and a Joint Group of Forces is an evidence of this,” the MP said. He added that Armenia keeps cooperating with NATO and Iran, as well.
The Armenian National Assembly voted 83 to 24 with one abstention today to approve State Budget for FY2017.
Speaking before the voting, MPs from Prosperous Armenia and the Armenian National Congress said the factions would vote against the bill.
MP Tigran Urikhanyan also urged lawmakers to vote against the draft.
Head of the Orinats Yerkir faction Heghine Bisharyan said they would vote against the bill because of “lack of progress and expectations for the citizens of the republic.”
The Republican Party and the Armenian revolutionary Federation backed the bill.
The State Budget 2017 envisages revenues amounting to 1 trillion 210 billion AMD. The expenditures will be maintained at the level of around 1 trillion 360 billion AMD. The budget deficit will make approximately 150 billion 150 million AMD.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan had a phone conversation with US Vice President-elect Mike Pence at the initiative of the American side.
President Sargsyan congratulated President-elect Donald TRump and his team on election victory and wished them success in their responsible mission.
The interlocutors underlined that the current high level of Armenian-American political and economic cooperation will be  maintained, but will also be furthered under the new Administration.
Reference was made to issues of reciprocal interest, including the regional problems and challenges.
Cuba’s former president Fidel Castro, one of the world’s longest-serving and most iconic leaders, has died aged 90, the BBC reports.
His younger brother and successor as president Raul Castro announced the news on state television.
Castro toppled the government in 1959, introducing a Communist revolution. He defied the US for decades, surviving many assassination plots.
His supporters said he had given Cuba back to the people. Critics saw him as a dictator.
Ashen and grave, President Castro told the nation in an unexpected late night broadcast on state television that Fidel Castro had died and would be cremated later on Saturday.
“The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died at 22:29 hours this evening (03:29 GMT Saturday),” he said. “Towards victory, always!” he added, using a revolutionary slogan.
There is to be several days of national mourning on the island.
Following an international call for tenders, Veolia, through its subsidiary Veolia Djur, has won the affermage contract for all drinking and wastewater services in Armenia. The 15-year contract is worth €800 million. Already present in Erevan for more than 10 years, Veolia will now provide the entire Armenian population with its expertise and know-how. By 2030, Veolia will be supplying drinking water 24/24 to around three million Armenians.
Under this contract, Veolia is entrusted with managing drinking water production and distribution and wastewater treatment facilities; and developing and improving the yield of the country’s drinking water network. Drinking water production, distribution and invoicing will amount to almost 174 million cubic meters a year by the end of the contract. Veolia will be extending to the entire Armenian population the service quality and continuity that it already provides to the one million residents of the country’s capital, Erevan.
International financial institutions, such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), KFW Development Bank and the European Investment Bank (EIB) will also be contributing to this major project in Armenia by financing the $200 million investment required over the coming four years.
“This success is exemplary: it is the result of a joint effort by Veolia’s teams who have managed to capitalize on the experience and professionalism of the Group’s employees in Erevan and to apply the best practices developed by a network of experts working in over 40 countries. The contract is confirmation of Veolia’s international expertise in managing and optimizing large public networks on behalf of local authorities. It is also an affirmation of the relevance of our development strategy in Central and Eastern Europe, and further strengthens our lead position in the field of drinking water production and distribution,” explains Malika Ghendouri, Vice President of Central and Eastern Europe for Veolia.
Photo: AFP
A suicide bomber has rammed a truck into a German consulate in Afghanistan, killing at least four civilians and wounding 120, officials said, the BBC reports.
Gunman attacked the building after the blast, in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, battling with German and Afghan forces.
The Taliban said it carried out the attack in retaliation for air strikes last week in Kunduz province.
Local police said at least one suspect had been arrested in connection with the bombing.
A Nato spokesman said there was “massive damage” to the consulate.
At least one car packed with explosives was rammed into the wall surrounding the compound, the spokesman said. Officials were also investigating whether a second car bomb was involved.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the fighters had been sent “with a mission to destroy the German consulate general and kill whoever they found there”, Reuters reported.
All German consulate staff were “safe and uninjured”, the German foreign ministry said, adding that troops were on site preparing to evacuate staff.
Germany leads the Nato diplomatic mission in northern Afghanistan and has nearly 1,000 troops stationed in the country.
Donald Trump’s election as 45th President of the United States will not bringserious changes in the country’s long-established policy, but will lead to a shift in the country’s position at least on some issues, Head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office Giro Manoyan said in an interview with Public Radio of Armenia.
He believes that the improvement of relations with Russia can open up opportunities for us.
However, he said “we have to take into consideration the relations between Turkey and the US, the President-elect’s relations with the Azerbaijani leadership, which will also inevitably influence the Armenia-US relations, and the US stance on the Karabakh issue and other Armenia-related issues.”
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will visit Berlin November 3-4, where he is set to meet with German Foreign Minister Frank Walter-Steinmeier.
Minister Nalbandian is also expected to meet with Christoph Heusgen, Chancellor Angele Merkel’s Foreign and Security Policy Adviser.
Within the framework of the visit Edward Nalbandian will hold meetings with Members of Parliament, leading political scientists and experts.
An NKR Defense Army vehicle has been damaged as a result of intensive firing from the Azerbaijani side.
The NKR Defense Army reports more than 50 cases of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side at the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh.
The rival fired more than 1,800 shots from weapons of different calibers in the directions of the Armenian positions.
More intensive firing was reported in the northern and northeastern directions of the line of contact, where the rival used DShK large-caliber machine guns, Istiglal rifles and sniper rifles and HAN-17 grenade launcher.
The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army resorted to response actions to pressure the activeness of the rival and confidently continued with their military duty.