Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

List of 1000 top taxpayers of Armenia of 2020 published

Yeghisabet Arthur

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 13:05,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. The State Revenue Committee of Armenia has published the list of 1000 major taxpayers of 2020 and the total amount of taxes paid by them to the state budget.

The list is topped by Grand Tobacco which paid 50 billion 671 million 32 thousand drams in taxes in 2020.

The second one is Gazprom Armenia with a total of 45 billion 548 million 610 thousand drams paid in taxes. The company is followed by Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine which paid 41 billion 689 million 281 thousand drams.

The next is Geopromining Gold – 23 billion 19 million 732 thousand drams, followed by International Masis Tabak – 18 billion 794 million 418 thousand drams.

The top 10 list of the taxpayer companies also include CPS Oil, Flash, Philip Morris Armenia, GTL Armenia and MTS Armenia.

Over 987 billion 637 million drams in taxes were paid by the 1000 major taxpayers in 2020.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenpress: Pashinyan, Ambassador of Netherlands discuss development of bilateral relations

Yeghisabet Arthur

Pashinyan, Ambassador of Netherlands discuss development of bilateral relations

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 18:01,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received on January 19 first resident Ambassador of the Netherlands to Armenia Nicholas Schmemers.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, greeting the diplomat, the PM said, '' The opening of the Dutch Embassy in Yerevan and the appointment of a resident ambassador opens new opportunities for the development of cooperation between our countries. This will contribute not only to the expansion of bilateral but also multilateral relations within the European Union’'. Pashinyan highly assessed the unbiased and constructive stance of the Netherlands towards the South Caucasus region, as well as the assistancce of the Netherlands to the democratic reform agenda in Armenia.

Referring to the situation created after the Artsakh war, Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the key priority for the Armenian side is the return of the POWs, for which intensive efforts are being made.

The PM asked to convey warm greetings to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte and expressed regret for that his visit planned for the previous year was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nicholas Schmemers assessed it as honor to hold a diplomatic position in Armenia and assured that he will make all possible efforts for bringing Armenia-Netherlands relations closer. According to him, the opening of the Embassy in Armenia is aimed at ensuring balanced diplomacy in the region. Highlighting high-level mutual visits, the Ambassador hoped that in the near future the visit of PM Pashinyan to the Netherlands will take place.

Nicholas Schmemers offered condolences to the PM for the military and civilian victims during the war in Artsakh and wished the injured speedy recovery.

The interlocutors discussed issues of deepening economic relations between the two countries. The sides assessed IT, agriculture, tourism as spheres with great potential for cooperation.

The Prime Minister noted that the vision of the government is to have a knowledge-based economy, and offered the Ambassador to draw the attention of Dutch companies to the prospect of investing in these areas. Nikol Pashinyan also spoke about the opportunities created by the unblocking of the economic and transport infrastructures of the region.

Nicholas Schmemers expressed readiness to inform Dutch companies about Armenia's investment opportunities and to work actively to promote cooperation. He also praised the role of the Dutch-Armenian community in various spheres of the country's public life.

Three Russian TV Channels to broadcast in Armenia without participating in tender

Yeghisabet Arthur
Aysor, Armenia
Jan 15 2021

Three Russian TV Channels will have right to broadcast in Armenia in accordance with the inter-state agreement signed between Armenia and Russia in December.

President of the National Television and Radio Commission Tigran Hakobyan stated today that one Russian TV Channel will get republican slot and two Russian TV channels capital slots without participation in the tender and license.

Besides, as a result of the tender five Armenian TV Channels will get republican slots and seven capital slots.

The status of Artsakh should be determined as a result of a peace process – Armenian MFA Spox

Yeghisabet Arthur
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 7 2021

The November 9 statement does not impose any restrictions on relations between Armenia and Artsakh at different levels, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anna Naghdalyan told Interfax.

The comments come after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan issued a statement stating that the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia to Artsakh is a violation of the commitments undertaken by the November 9 statement.

“The November 9 trilateral statement aimed at establishing a ceasefire and deploying Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh does not indicate any agreement on Artsakh’s status. And from that point of view, all the claims that changes have taken place in the status of Artsakh do not correspond to reality,” Naghdalyan said.

The status of Artsakh should be determined as a result of a peace process, based on the principles proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the right of peoples to self-determination, she added.

Assessing the implementation of the trilateral agreement by Azerbaijan, the Spokesperson said: “The November 9 statement stopped large-scale hostilities, and Russian peacekeepers were deployed in Artsakh. At the same time, the Azerbaijani side has violated and continues to violate a number of key provisions of the trilateral statement.”

Thus, she added, according to the first point of the trilateral statement, the parties must stop on their positions occupied as of November 10 and end the hostilities.

“Meanwhile, more than a month after the ceasefire was established, the Azerbaijani side carried out military operations in the direction of Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd settlements in Artsakh’s Hadrut region, causing human losses and capturing Armenian servicemen on the spot. The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to that gross violation of the statement in its December 13 statement,” the Spokesperson said.

“To date, the Azerbaijani side has not fully complied with Article 8 of the trilateral statement, according to which prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees should be exchanged. As a result, Armenian prisoners of war and hostages are not released. Moreover, the Azerbaijani side is prosecuting Armenian prisoners of war, presenting them as terrorists at the highest level, trying to prevent the full implementation of the November 9 trilateral statement,” she added.

The Spokesperson added that cessation of violations of of the November 9 statement by Azerbaijan is necessary for its full implementation.


Prison will be the safest place for Pashinyan – Mihran Hakobyan

Yeghisabet Arthur
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 30 2020

The co-founder of Qaryak Media, opposition figure Mihran Hakobyan insists only idiots may suggest that former authorities of Armenia surrendered Artsakh to Azerbaijan 20 years ago and the current outcome of the war was inevitable. 

"I apologize to describe this kind of conversations as idiotic and it does not credit me to engage in these talks," Hakobyan said. In his words, Pashinyan would have ceded Vayots Dzor province of Armenia if there wasn't Russia. He reminded of the audio recording, in which Belarus President Alexandr Lukashenko advised former president Serzh Sargsyan to take 5 billion on behalf of Aliyev for the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. "Serzh Sargsyan refused the deal, suggesting he would give himself 6 billion for Aliyev to refuse from the territories. We have a fact that there was an offer, and Sargsyan rejected it. Serzh Sargsyan left Artsakh to Pashinyan with seven regions. 2.5 years after the change of power, there was a war, and 5000 soldiers were killed. Today, due to Pashinyan's inaptitude and incompetency there is no Artsakh and seven regions. Can we assume that Pashinyan has taken the 5 billion," Hakobyan asked rhetorically. 

In his words, if people think that one can bring a disaster of such a scale to the country and be easily cleansed, they are gravely mistaken. Hakobyan added that if no solutions are offered in the context of the legal state, the alternative might be severe. The world history, per Hakobyan, has examples of people who had a dire fate in similar situations.  

"It is noteworthy that as part of operation Nemesis all those Armenians who contributed to genocidal acts of the Turkish leadership, were eliminated as well. Nikol Pashinyan and his small team  must choose either the path of legal state and stand in front of the court or wait until the parents of soldiers killed as a result of treacherous actions will reach him. Prison will be the safest place for Pashinyan. If he flees, changes his gender or the color of hair, he will still have no sleep and will eternally wait for parents of those killed," said Hakobyan. 

Situation in Karabakh should not be used for infiltration of mercenaries to region – Russian FM

Yeghisabet Arthur

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 15:54,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Russia and Turkey agree that the situation in Nagorno Karabakh should not be used for the infiltration of foreign mercenaries to the region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference following the talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.

“Our joint opinion is that the situation in Nagorno Karabakh should not be used for the infiltration of foreign mercenaries to that region. We have completely the same position here with our Turkish partners”, the Russian FM said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Strikes and blocked roads in Armenia: how the opposition is trying to overthrow the PM

Yeghisabet Arthur
JAM News
Dec 22 2020

    JAMnews, Yerevan
  

In Armenia, after three days of mourning in memory of those killed in the Karabakh war, protests have begun again, and the opposition continues to demand the resignation of the prime minister.

In doing so, it has resorted to the same methods that were used during the ‘velvet’ revolution of 2018 by its leader Nikol Pashinyan. Oppositionists demanding his resignation are also trying to block roads and organize a nationwide strike.

The opposition called December 22 “a decisive day of the struggle” – a rally was held on the main square of Yerevan with the participation of thousands of people. The leaders of the united opposition parties, as well as their single candidate for the post of Prime Minister Vazgen Manukyan, made speeches. He called on the army and police to join the opposition movement and together to achieve the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan.

All the details of the opposition rally, which roads in Armenia are blocked, who from the military has resigned and the reaction of PM Pashinyan himself.

The opposition again spoke about its claims against the prime minister and demanded Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation, as he “betrayed national interests and signed a shameful statement on Karabakh.”

“In two and a half years, he has reached the point where people are already disgusted with pronouncing the name Nikol,” said Gegham Manukyan, a spokesman for the ARF Dashnaktsutyun party.

He even called on the demonstrators to chant not “Armenia without Nikol”, as it was in previous demonstrations, but “Armenia without him”.

Photo by JAMnews

Another representative of the Dashnaks, Ishkhan Saghatelyan, spoke about four constitutional, legal mechanisms that will allow for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan:

“The first option – the prime minister himself announces his resignation, the second way – the parliament convenes an extraordinary meeting and discusses the issue of Pashinyan’s resignation, the third way – the Prosecutor General’s Office initiates a criminal case on grounds of treason, the fourth – the government, at the request of 2/3 ministers, convenes an extraordinary meeting and discusses the question of the prime minister’s resignation”.

The opposition, according to Saghatelyan, will work in all four directions.

Opposition candidate for the post of Prime Minister Vazgen Manukyan said that he was “still ashamed of the people, of the state”:

“It’s a shame that we still haven’t thrown this man off [talking about Pashinyan]. I was one of the founders of this state [was the first prime minister of the independent Republic of Armenia] and felt personally responsible for this shameful defeat. But today I look into your eyes and I am proud. I see here the people who proudly look into the future. We will build the state we dreamed of.”

Vazgen Manukyan at a rally in Yerevan, Photo by JAMnews

Naira Zohrabyan, representing the Prosperous Armenia Party, stated that from now on, the opposition will conduct daily actions of disobedience “until Nikol Pashinyan resigns.”

After all the speeches, the opposition called on the protesters to surround the government building, blocking all entrances.

Photo by JAMnews

Which roads are closed

While a rally was going on in Yerevan, Pashinyan’s opponents blocked the Yerevan-Vanadzor road.

One of the activists of the protest movement Gegham Manukyan told the demonstrators that the Ijevan-Yerevan and Vanadzor-Dilijan roads were also blocked.

“People are demanding Pashinyan’s resignation,” the oppositionist said.

Who resigned

Khachatur Tovmasyan, deputy commander of the special battalion of the patrol and guard service, resigned in protest against the current authorities. This unit is popularly called “red berets”.

Opposition leaders announced this at the rally and read out the officer’s address. In it, Khachatur Tovmasyan says that human and spiritual values are important to him, and he “does not consider it possible to serve a deceitful and self-respecting government, irresponsible people.”

Photo by JAMnews

What Nikol Pashinyan thinks

The prime minister called this opposition movement a “riot of the elites” of the former government.

“Deprived of power as a result of the 2018 revolution, the ‘elite’ is trying to achieve revenge,” Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Facebook page.

According to him, the real confrontation is not between the government and the opposition, but between the “elite” deprived of privileges and the people:

“But in any case, the decisive word will be for the people, because if the people say their word, the“ elite ”will not be able to do anything. Of course, I will do my best to ensure that people do not miss the opportunity to have their say. But at the moment, the priority for us is to ensure the external security of Armenia and Artsakh. In these processes, external security should by no means be called into question. “

Winning Designs Announced for Friendship Park Competition in Armenia

Yeghisabet Arthur
Architecture  Daily
Dec 23 2020
 
 
 
 
Written by Eric Baldwin
 
The Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) Foundation has announced the winners of the Friendship Park competition for Gyumri, Armenia. Based on results of the second round, the jury selected 19 finalists in three categories. Located in the northern part of the city, the renovated park aims to become the first modern green area for locals and tourists alike through a series of design interventions.
 
The winner in two categories at once, the Standard Architectural Element and Landmark Architectural Element, was Moscow-based team IND Architects. The architects were inspired by the "zigzag elements of traditional Armenian architecture" and used modules that can change configuration. The design becomes linear for retail or exhibitions, wavy for food courts, and circular for diverse combinations. These forms are achieved by transforming wooden structures and a patterned awning made to resemble woven Armenian carpets.
 
The winner in two categories at once, the Standard Architectural Element and Landmark Architectural Element, was Moscow-based team IND Architects. The architects were inspired by the "zigzag elements of traditional Armenian architecture" and used modules that can change configuration. The design becomes linear for retail or exhibitions, wavy for food courts, and circular for diverse combinations. These forms are achieved by transforming wooden structures and a patterned awning made to resemble woven Armenian carpets.
 
Russian-Armenian SULIMAN, RAKOVSKAYA & SOFOYAN won the Urban Furniture category. Their modern bench design takes inspiration from the "cultural code of Armenia" with supports made of heavy stone to enable visitors to sit down next to a stranger without disturbing them. On the flat front faces of the stone, people can place art or informational graphic reliefs, telling people more about this place. At the same time, the length of the bench can vary depending on the context.
 
 
The competition is a part of the integrated development of the park reflecting the city’s identity and conveying the idea of international collaboration. A total of 84 applications were received from 16 countries and 37 cities. An expert jury selected winners by online voting. The assessment criteria included the relevance of design principles, which were functionality, environmental friendliness, ergonomics and implementation. The jury also took into account compliance with the Terms of Reference, architectural appearance, cost of implementation and solutions for local identity, namely, the adaptation of modern solutions to the cultural context of Armenia.
 
News via IDeA Foundation
 
 

More photos at 

​Armenian Ombudsman in Moscow discussing issue of returning prisoners from Azerbaijan

Yeghisabet Arthur
News.am, Armenia
Dec 24 2020
 
 
Armenian Ombudsman in Moscow discussing issue of returning prisoners from Azerbaijan
15:40, 24.12.2020
 
Armenian Ombudsman in Moscow discusses the issue of returning prisoners from Azerbaijan.
 
"I am on a working visit to Moscow," Arman Tatoyan wrote on his Facebook. "The main purpose of the visit is to facilitate the return of our prisoners on the Azerbaijani side."
 
"Given the specifics of the topic, the details of the visit and meetings will not be published," the Ombudsman noted.
 
 

Germany’s COVID-19 death toll rises by 952 in one day

Yeghisabet Arthur

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 09:58, 16 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Germany’s death toll from the coronavirus in the past day rose by 952, a new high during the entire pandemic, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), a German federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention, said, reports TASS.

The country’s total death toll from the coronavirus hit 23,427. Over the past day, 27,728 coronavirus cases were registered in the country and since the start of the pandemic the coronavirus case tally has reached 1,379,238.

Since Wednesday, Germany will introduce new quarantine measures until at least January 10. All shops besides those selling foodstuffs and other essential goods, will be shut down. Hair, beauty, massage salons and tattoo studios will be closed. Banks, pharmacies, post offices, car repair shops, petrol stations and pet shops will remain open. Not more than five people are allowed to meet in private houses and flats. This does not refer to children under 14 years of age. On December 24-26, a maximum of 10 citizens will be able to gather, but only relatives.