Author: Yeghisabet Vorskanian

Money transfers grow in Armenia, says cenbank

Yeghisabet Vorskanian

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 11:58,

YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. Despite the drop in remittances (money transfers made to Armenia by seasonal workers abroad), the total transfers have increased compared to the previous year at the expense of the significant transfers made by “international visitors”, the Vice Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia Hovhannes Khachatryan said at the parliamentary committee on financial-credit and budgetary affairs.

He reminded that in the beginning of the year the Central Bank projected a decline in money transfers, including 50% drop from Russia.

“We’ve divided the transfers into two parts now. We see that the non-commercial transfers, meaning the money sent by seasonal workers, have dropped, at the same time the transfers made by international visitors grew, they are also making transfers to Armenia in various ways, including transfers made by themselves to their name. There is growth in terms of the sum compared to 2021,” Khachatryan said.

He said these transfers have significantly impacted the overall dynamics.

37 foreign embassies resume work in Kiev, Ukraine

Yeghisabet Vorskanian

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 11:16,

YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. Embassies of 37 countries resumed their operation in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.

“37 foreign missions have already resumed their work in Kiev. I am grateful to all of them”, the Ukrainian President said, expressing confidence that other missions will be back in the capital city soon.

Soutenir l’Arménie, pas la diffamer [Support Armenia, not defame it]

Yeghisabet Vorskanian
La Tribune, France
12 Mai 2022


OPINION. Dans une tribune publiée le 11 avril, Sébastien Boussois affirmait qu'Erevan soutenait l'agression de Vladimir Poutine contre l'Ukraine. Cet article reprend les éléments de langage de la propagande anti-arménienne du régime Aliev, considèrent dans leur réponse Alexandre Del Valle, géopolitologue et essayiste, Eric Denecé, directeur du Centre français de recherche sur le renseignement, et Ara Toranian, coprésident du CCAF (Conseil de coordinations des organisations arméniennes de France).
Alexandre Del Valle, Eric Denecé et Ara Toranian

12 Mai 2022, 19:03


Dans une tribune publiée le 11 avril dans la Tribune, Sébastien Boussois se pique de revenir à nouveau à la charge contre l'Arménie tout en dressant en contrepoint un portrait flatteur de l'Azerbaïdjan. Faut-il le préciser ? Ce n'est pas la première fois que ce polémiste se fait le relais de la propagande de la pétrodictature azerbaïdjanaise, ni qu'il tente dans un même mouvement de noircir l'image de l'Arménie, seul État démocratique de la région. Notre auteur est coutumier du fait. Et ses articles anti-arméniens sont naturellement repris et cités par la presse « officielle » azerbaïdjanaise. Y en a-t-il d'ailleurs une autre dans ce pays positionné à la 163e place sur 180 au classement de RSF sur la liberté de la presse ?

Mais la capacité d'indignation de notre auteur ne se mobilise pas pour de telles peccadilles. Ce qui l'intéresse, c'est le blason terni de l'Azerbaïdjan qu'il s'agit de redorer. Il faut dire qu'il y a de quoi faire : cet État occupe le bas du tableau de toutes les ONG spécialisées dans la défense de droits de l'homme. Le dernier rapport de Freedom House le situe dans la catégorie des Etats les moins libres du monde et Transparency International dénonce non seulement « la corruption endémique » qui y sévit, mais également son exportation qui « mine les institutions démocratiques de l'Occident, comme le Conseil de l'Europe, mais aussi l'intégrité des marchés financiers et autres ».

Selon les révélations de l'enquête internationale « La lessiveuse azerbaidjanaise » publiée en 2017, sur la simple période comprise entre 2013 et 2014, 2,5 milliards de versements ont eu lieu pour « acheter » des amitiés à l'étranger.  Mais qu'importe. Pour M. Boussois, l'« urgence » est ailleurs. Il s'agit de « dénoncer et condamner le soutien de l'Arménie à la Russie dans la guerre contre l'Ukraine ». Car l'on s'imagine bien que ce « soutien » allégué d'un petit pays exsangue comme l'Arménie pourrait peser d'un poids décisif dans la bataille… Tout cela est bien sûr cousu de fil blanc. L'Arménie n'a jamais apporté la moindre aide militaire à la Russie dans cette guerre. La légende des 4 avions de combat de type SU-30 qu'elle aurait envoyée, selon M. Boussois, pour participer aux bombardements contre l'Ukraine, constitue une pure fake news, fabriquée de toute pièce par le régime Aliev et propagée à dessein sur les réseaux sociaux pour discréditer l'Arménie. On s'étonne que l'auteur de ces accusations ne se soit pas donné la peine d'en vérifier la véracité, alors que des attachés militaires de l'OTAN et des pays de l'UE qui ont effectué une mission en ce sens à Erevan le 31 mars ont formellement démenti ces calomnies.

On s'étonne également que M. Boussois dénonce la mini-manifestation pro-russe organisée le 19 mars 2022 à Erevan, mais qu'il ne pipe mot de celle, beaucoup plus massive, contre la Russie, organisée à l'appel de l'Alliance démocratique nationale le 9 avril. On regrettera enfin que notre docteur en sciences politiques ne se soit pas donné la peine de regarder les votes de l'Arménie à l'ONU. Il aurait pu constater qu'elle n'a pas été avec la Russie, mais qu'elle s'est abstenue lors du scrutin à l'Assemblée générale du 3 février 2022 sur l'agression contre l'Ukraine, et qu'elle n'a pas pris part au vote, comme d'ailleurs l'Azerbaïdjan, lors de la consultation du 7 avril suspendant la Russie du Conseil des droits de l'homme de l'ONU. Cette forme de neutralité diplomatique courageuse aurait au contraire mérité d'être mise en valeur. D'une part parce que la sécurité de l'Arménie est très largement tributaire des forces d'interposition russes qui bloquent pour l'instant les velléités azerbaïdjanaises d'envahir ce qu'il reste de la République du Haut-Karabakh ainsi que le sud de l'Arménie. Ensuite, parce que si le peuple et les médias ukrainiens se sont majoritairement montrés pro-arméniens, il n'en a pas été de même du régime de Zélinsky, proche allié d'Erdogan et d'Aliev, qui a défendu l'offensive militaire anti-arménienne de l'automne 2020.

Les contrevérités et les omissions de M. Boussois se devaient d'être dénoncées, alors que le régime d'Aliev fait feu de tout bois pour améliorer son image considérablement noircie par l'opération de nettoyage ethnique lancée contre les Arméniens durant l'automne 2020, mais aussi par «  les actes de dégradation et de profanation du patrimoine culturel arménien, les églises et autres lieux de culte, monuments, sites, cimetières et artefacts » condamnés par la Cour de Justice internationale le 7 décembre dernier. Un jugement qui a également enjoint Bakou à  « prendre toutes les mesures nécessaires pour empêcher l'incitation et l'encouragement à la haine et à la discrimination raciales, y compris par ses agents et ses institutions publiques ».  Car il s'agit bien d'un racisme promu par l'Etat dont il est ici question et non de simples expressions spontanées émanant d'une société civile chauffée à blanc par la guerre.

On ne peut en tout cas laisser passer ce renversement des rôles qu'opère M. Boussois qui entend visiblement occulté le fait que l'agression du 27 septembre, préparé de longue date avec la Turquie, visait à casser le processus de négociation placée sous l'égide du Groupe de Minsk, seul détenteur d'un mandat international pour résoudre le conflit et à réaliser par la force ce qu'il était devenu impossible d'obtenir par des moyens légaux et pacifiques. Comment dès lors ne pas s'offusquer, lorsque M. Boussois justifie cette attaque aussi meurtrière qu'inégale par le droit de l'Azerbaïdjan à récupérer son territoire, alors qu'il s'agissait surtout selon le mot d'Aliev d'en « chasser les Arméniens comme des chiens », eux qui avaient eu l'audace d'opposer à sa dictature leur droit à l'autodétermination sur le Haut-Karabakh, ex-république autonome de l'URSS où ils ont toujours été largement majoritaires ?

Faut-il rappeler que cette terre, berceau de la nation arménienne depuis l'antiquité, a été machiavéliquement octroyée par Staline à l'Azerbaïdjan en 1921, afin de diviser pour mieux régner ?  Faut-il également se souvenir que l'Azerbaïdjan et la Turquie formant deux Etats pour un même peuple, selon leurs propres termes, ne cessent ne conspirer à la perte de l'Arménie, considérée comme un verrou géographique culturel et religieux faisant obstacle à leur jonction territoriale ?

N'était-ce d'ailleurs pas l'objet du génocide du 1915, à l'égard duquel Ankara comme Bakou, pratique un insupportable négationnisme d'Etat ?

A l'heure où l'Azerbaïdjan entend justement mettre à profit la focalisation de l'attention mondiale sur l'Ukraine pour pousser son avantage militaire contre l'Arménie à qui et à quoi sert la « tribune » du 11 avril de M. Boussois ? La réponse se trouve peut-être sur le site officiel de l'Azerbaïdjan, Azertag, qui a publié le 12 avril un long article d'Aslan Aslanov, porte-voix officieux du président Aliev, qui y dresse le bilan des raisons de la victoire de l'Azerbaïdjan. Ils les résument notamment en ces termes :  « Nous pouvons dire sans exagérer que cet avantage dans la guerre de l'information a été l'un des facteurs qui ont assuré le triomphe au Karabakh et a joué un rôle aussi important dans notre victoire que les armes et les batailles ». Diffusés le lendemain de l'article de propagande de M. Boussois, ces propos se passent de tout commentaire.

Alexandre Del Valle, Eric Denecé et Ara Toranian

“Baku wants Karabakh without Armenians” – Pashinyan on Azerbaijan’s policy

Yeghisabet Vorskanian



  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Pashinyan’s statements in the Netherlands

“Recently, Azerbaijan has made statements that give the impression that only Azerbaijan’s proposals will be discussed at the negotiating table. This, at th very least, does not correspond to the agreements reached by us [with the President of Azerbaijan] in Brussels”. This was stated by the Prime Minister of Armenia during his visit to the Netherlands.

After the completion of his meetings within the framework of the official visit, Nikol Pashinyan spoke at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations (Clingendael).

The Netherlands Institute of International Relations is a leading think tank and academy of international relations. Based in The Hague. Clingendael’s mission is research, education and public debate that “will inspire and equip societies, businesses and governments to create a safe, sustainable, prosperous and just world”.

Pashinyan made a number of statements about the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan, the reasons for the start of the second Karabakh war, as well as the “peace agenda” that he personally promotes.

  • What should be expected from Karabakh talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
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In his speech, Nikol Pashinyan discussed the reasons that led to the second Karabakh war. He said that in Armenia, many are of the opinion that “it was democracy that led to the 44-day war”. This refers to the democratic transformations that Pashinyan, as the leader of the Velvet Revolution of 2018, promised the people and tried to implement. According to him, after the war, many are wondering how democracy can ensure the security of the country.

Meanwhile, according to the prime minister, the war in Karabakh had nothing to do with democracy in Armenia:

“The situation is much more serious. It is my deep conviction that the war of 2020 has become another sign indicating the expected global geopolitical changes and changes in the world order as a whole.

Actually there were two reasons for the war. One was the change in the balance of global and regional forces that has taken place over the years, as well as the negotiating policy of Azerbaijan: “Give us what we want, otherwise we will get it by military means”. In this sense, it is obvious and unambiguous that the war in this context was inevitable.

Armenian political scientists comment on the ongoing anti-government protests in Armenia, explain what to expect in the near future and discuss whether the opposition will achieve Pashinyan’s resignation

The prime minister assessed the situation in the region as extremely tense. Pashinyan stressed that after the war, Azerbaijan is of the opinion that the Karabakh conflict has allegedly been resolved:

“This is not only a political statement, but, in fact, the pinnacle and culmination of Azerbaijan’s ideas – both past and present – regarding the settlement of the Karabakh issue. If we formulate this policy in one word, it will be as follows: Karabakh without Armenians. And there is no exaggeration in this. Everything is being done so that the Armenians consider their presence in Nagorno-Karabakh impossible”.

The prime minister gave several examples to support his words. Pashinyan, in particular, spoke about the recordings with calls to leave, which are played through the loudspeakers of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces near the Armenian villages in Nagorno-Karabakh. The prime minister also touched upon the explosion of the pipeline through which gas is supplied from Armenia to NK.

The accident occurred in the territory under the control of Azerbaijan, then a valve was installed here, and the gas was turned off despite unprecedentedly cold weather, which led to a critical humanitarian situation in NK.

The prime minister also dwelled on Azerbaijan’s attempts to erase the Armenian trace from historical and cultural monuments:

“Recently, the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan made a strange statement. They announced that a working group had been formed to, in their words, “remove false inscriptions from the walls of churches considered to be Armenian”. And a few months ago, the President of Azerbaijan, visiting the territory that came under the control of Azerbaijan, where the ancient Armenian church is located, literally stated the following: “The inscriptions are false and must be removed”.

By taking such steps, Azerbaijan, according to Pashinyan, seeks to show that the Armenians of Karabakh have recently found themselves in Nagorno-Karabakh, therefore “they do not have a legitimate right to live there”.

Meanwhile, according to the prime minister, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a territorial issue, but that of people’s rights. And the message of the Armenian side to the international community is the need to protect the rights of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinyan’s address in parliament on the implementation of the government’s program for 2021 consisted of an analysis of the country’s domestic and foreign policy and possible further steps

According to Pashinyan, it is not easy to promote a peace agenda after the war. But this obligation is entrusted to the current government by the people, who gave the authorities this mandate in the elections precisely after the defeat in the war. And the prime minister considers it the duty of the government to do everything to establish peace in the region, including in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations:

“Many of our compatriots believe that by talking about a peaceful agenda, we are betraying our national identity, the interests of our country, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, leaving them defenseless. However, we are convinced otherwise. We take this criticism, we analyze and try to understand it.

We even partially and generally understand it. But the main task of the politician and the political team, the government elected by the people, is to go the hard way, because easy ways do not lead to good results. And the result we expect is an era of peaceful development for our country and our region. That is why we need to open regional communications so that our railways and roads with Azerbaijan work”.

  • Protests in Armenia continue – what will happen next?
  • Protesters in Armenia up pressure for PM Pashinyan’s resignation. Video

Regarding the negotiations on a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister reiterated his position: there is nothing unacceptable in Baku’s five-point proposal, but they do not cover the entire agenda of bilateral relations. Pashinyan said that the Armenian side supplemented the negotiation agenda with items on the rights and security of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the final status of this territory.

According to the prime minister, during a meeting on April 6 in Brussels, this issue was discussed with the President of Azerbaijan:

“Having returned from Brussels, I said that we had reached an agreement, in fact, the Azerbaijani side also stated this. But recently there have been statements from Azerbaijan that create an impression that only Azerbaijan’s proposals will be discussed at the negotiating table. This, at the very least, does not correspond to the agreements we reached in Brussels”.

Tomorrow, the second over the last 6 months meeting of Azerbaijani President, Armenian PM and European Council President will take place in Brussels. What do Yerevan and Baku expect from negotiations?

Pashinyan made a sensational statement that during the last meeting with the President of Azerbaijan in Brussels, he promised to release another group of Armenian prisoners, but this did not happen:

“Today, at least 38 Armenian prisoners remain in Azerbaijan. Attempts are constantly being made to make this process the subject of bidding on a variety of issues.

The prime minister recalled that the situation was the same when Baku wanted to receive maps of minefields from the Armenian side:

“We handed over to Azerbaijan all the maps we had, hoping that this humanitarian step would be followed by another humanitarian step”.

As a result of the 44-day war in 2020, thousands of families lost their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh. We gathered real stories of IDPs from Karabakh in Armenia

At the end of his speech, Pashinyan said that Armenia has experienced very difficult trials over the past two years, but he is convinced that the country is moving in the right direction – towards establishing peace in the region:

“We know that it will be very difficult, but we are ready to take on this political responsibility, because we feel, we see that we have the responsibility to make a decisive contribution to the establishment of global peace – in our country and in the region as a whole”.

At the same time, the prime minister expects that the international community and all of Armenia’s foreign partners, including the Netherlands, will support Yerevan’s efforts.

New cooperation bridge: Armenian community of Serbia to organize conference bringing together different figures

Yeghisabet Vorskanian

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 09:45,

YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. At the initiative of the Armenian community of Serbia, a conference will be held in autumn this year, gathering Armenian and Serbian figures from sport, culture, science and tourism sectors.

President of the Armenian National Community of Serbia Biljana Obradović-Shakhrimanyan, who was in Armenia recently, told Armenpress that the Armenian community is seeking to hold a number of events, by gathering specialists of Armenia and Serbia.

“For many years no works have been done to intensify the Armenia-Serbia relations at a public level. Moreover, there was no community as such. But now, thanks to my and my friends’ efforts actions have been taken to form that community and hold events. This conference is one of the programs of the community, which aims at creating a cooperation platform”, she said.

Biljana Obradović-Shakhrimanyan said that the initiative has been discussed in Serbia’s respective agencies and was approved. One of the goals of the visit to Armenia together with the Serbian partners was this, to introduce the initiative to the Armenian agencies and officials. It was approved here as well, both in the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport.

“We want the conference to be attended not only by cultural, scientific, sport figures, but also officials of the two countries. It’s very important for us to make the opening of the conference in Armenia. When officials visit from Armenia, it also strengthens the positions of our Armenian community. Such visits give another emphasis to these events and open a new opportunity”, Biljana Obradović-Shakhrimanyan said, expressing confidence that Armenian and Serbian figures will cooperate, carry out exchange of experience, implement joint programs, etc.

She is convinced that the Armenian community could play a big role in forming, intensifying and strengthening cooperation between Armenia and Serbia.

“The Armenian community as such has not operated for 20 years. In 2019 I decided to carry out a coordinated work, collect data, create a platform for communication and joint work, and give a chance to recognize each other. For 10 years I have been engaged in collecting information about Armenians in Serbia. It’s a very difficult process, requires a daily work, but I never gave up and continued my work. According to my latest data, nearly 5000 Armenians live in Serbia. They are both the generations of the Genocide survivors and those who came from Armenia recently. I can state that Armenians are engaged in almost all sectors – education, science, politics, culture, business community”, she said, adding that she does everything to raise awareness on Armenia in Serbia.

Borba cultural journal will contribute to this process. Its editor-in-chief Elena Stojanovic was also in Armenia these days. She is going to share her impressions, materials on Armenia in the journal.

“When I was visiting Armenia, I didn’t want to read much on the internet, I wanted to get acquainted on the spot. I am impressed with Armenia, with the architecture of churches, culture. I specifically want to highlight the warmth shown by the local people. I can surely state that we feel ourselves home here. We don’t feel that we are in a foreign country. We are going to dedicate 4-6 page of the next volume of our magazine to Armenia with pleasure”, she said.

Darko Obradovic, Program Manager of the Center for Strategic Analysis of Serbia, also shared his impressions from Armenia. He said they are interested in cooperating with Armenian specialists in science field.

“We have a great cooperation experience with international partners. The purpose of the visit to Armenia is to find partners who are interested in cooperation in science sector. We could respond to current challenges through joint work. The upcoming conference is a very important initiative in terms of finding partners, which is going to gather representatives from different areas. When scientists, cultural figures, different specialists start talking, I am sure that officials will also follow them”, Darko Obradovic said.

He is convinced that the peoples of Armenia and Serbia have many commonalities and a rich experience, and there are big opportunities for joint work.

 

Interview by Anna Gziryan




Armenian government does everything possible to advance peace agenda despite existential threats facing nation – PM

Yeghisabet Vorskanian

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 15:10,

THE HAGUE, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. During the ongoing official visit to the Netherlands, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the Peace Palace and inaugurated an Armenian cross-stone (khachkar).

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The cross-stone, a replica of a medieval cross-stone sculpted by Atom Verakatsu, is installed at the garden of the Peace Palace and symbolizes Armenia’s contribution to world peace.

It is the first gift in 17 years that the Peace Palace is accepting.

“This is history that we are shaping together today, because this is the first Armenian cross that is being installed in a city known as the world capital of international law and justice,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan said the cross-stone symbolizes friendship, solidarity, cooperation and gratitude.

“For millennia, Armenia and Armenians strived for peace as the ultimate goal of living and creating in their homeland. Our government is now doing everything possible to encourage the agenda of peace in the region despite the existential threats that my nation is facing. This cross-stone symbolizes the Armenian perception of peace and endurance and the constant struggle for peace, be it in the Armenian highlands or elsewhere.”

The cross-stone was chosen as a gift to the Peace Palace to symbolize the Armenian generations who contributed to establishing world peace.

“With this gift, Armenia is reiterating its strong commitment to continue contributing to peace in our region and in the world,” Pashinyan said.

President of the Board of The Hague Academy of International Law and Chairman of the Carnegie Foundation Peace Palace Piet Hein Donner said: “We are very grateful for this Armenian cross-stone. This gift to the Peace Palace isn’t simply a contribution to the art collection, it is a dedication that implies commitment to the idea that the Peace Palace stands for – peace, justice and rule of law.”

Music: 50 Cent Yerevan concert: Tickets, dates, and all about the rapper’s performance in Armenia

Yeghisabet Vorskanian
May 5 2022

Renowned American rapper 50 Cent took to Twitter to announce that he will be performing in Yerevan, Armenia on July 1.

Alongside the rapper, ZAZ, a French pop singer, will also perform her first solo concert in Armenia on June 25. Led Zeppelin Symphonics will also take to the stage on July 9. All three concerts will take place at Yerevan's historic Hrazdan Stadium.

Tickets for the concert are currently on sale and can be purchased from the ticketon.am website. The ticket pricing starts at 30,000 AMD and goes up to 300,000 AMD for a VIP ticket.

The rapper’s performance in Armenia is sponsored by HAYA, a new project that aims to raise the bar for concert activities in Armenia. The target audience for the project is large-scale events attended by tens of thousands of people.

The HAYA Festival serves as a meeting place for the region's top artists performing in a variety of musical genres. It ushers in a new era for Armenia's tourism industry and introduces new economic development incentives.

The HAYA Festival will run throughout September and October, showcasing world-renowned pop musicians whose names will be revealed at a later date. HAYA concerts will also be held on scenic strips of land outside Yerevan, where attendees can stay in campsites overnight and enjoy the "festival city" of HAYA.

The festival was founded by Sona Hovhannisyan, the Director of the Yerevan Perspectives 23rd International Music Festival. The creative team is made up of Armenia's most experienced specialists as well as international experts.

Apart from the concert in Armenia, the In Da Club singer will embark on a multi-country international tour, stopping in several sports in Europe before arriving in Jerusalem. He will perform on July 4 at Tel Aviv's Menora Mivtachim Arena.

50 Cent has been described as a "master of the nuanced art of lyrical brevity" for his influence on the hip-hop industry. He rose to prominence as one of the world's best-selling rappers. The rapper has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and has received numerous awards, including a Grammy, thirteen Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards, and much more.

https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/50-cent-yerevan-concert-tickets-dates-rapper-s-performance-armenia

Protesters in Armenia up pressure for PM Pashinyan’s resignation. Video

Yeghisabet Vorskanian

May 5 2022


  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

A wave of protests of Armenian opposition and its supporters began on May 1. The movement is led by two opposition parliamentary factions – Hayastan (Armenia) and I Have the Honor. Oppositionists are demanding the resignation of the prime minister. They believe that Nikol Pashinyan is pursuing a flawed policy of surrendering the territories of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh”. They claim that the change of power is the only way out of this situation. However, so far the opposition leaders have not communicated their plans on “saving Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Protesters block the streets, hold marches and rallies, but so far there is no critical number of protesters on the streets. Experts believe that the problem of the opposition is that they repeat the methods of street fighting used by the leader of the Velvet Revolution Nikol Pashinyan in 2018. In addition, according to political scientists, a new, alternative content of the movement is needed, which is not yet available.

Another factor that, according to experts, does not allow the opposition to gather more supporters is the unwillingness of the inhabitants of Armenia to return to the past, that is, to allow the return of the “former” authorities. The fact is that behind both parliamentary factions, which call on the people to take to the streets, are politicians from the former governments. These are the ex-presidents of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, who are considered by society as politicians with a pro-Russian orientation.

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Reuters: Protesters demand resignation of Armenian PM, opposition walks out

Yeghisabet Vorskanian
May 4 2022
Reuters

TBILISI, May 4 (Reuters) – Protesters demanded the resignation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday and opposition lawmakers walked out of parliament as pressure mounted against the embattled politician.

After blocking major roads in the capital Yerevan, demonstrators rallied outside parliament to voice their discontent while Pashinyan was speaking inside.

Protesters brandishing tricolour Armenian flags shouted "Armenia without Nikol!" and "Leave!", according to video from the scene.

The opposition walkout came as Pashinyan was delivering a fiery speech. "You run like you always run," he shouted at lawmakers leaving the session, while his supporters clapped.

Pashinyan has faced heavy criticism since Armenia was defeated by Azerbaijan in a six-week war in 2020 and lost significant territory in and around the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinyan said he had been compelled to accept a Russian-brokered peace deal, which prompted a wave of protests, to avoid greater human and territorial losses.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/protesters-block-streets-armenian-capital-call-pms-resignation-2022-05-04/ 
ALSO AT
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/2025328-protesters-demand-resignation-of-armenian-pm-opposition-walks-out
https://kfgo.com/2022/05/04/protesters-block-streets-in-armenian-capital-to-call-for-pms-resignation/
https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/protesters-demand-resignation-of-armenian-pm-opposition-walks-out
https://news.yahoo.com/protesters-block-streets-armenian-capital-073617571.html
https://www.metro.us/protesters-block-streets-in/

FLYONE Armenia starts operating Yerevan-Tbilisi-Yerevan regular direct flights

Yeghisabet Vorskanian

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 14:58, 2 May, 2022

YEREVAN, MAY 2, ARMENPRESS. FLYONE Armenia airline started operating regular direct flights Yerevan-Tbilisi-Yerevan from May 1, the aircompany said in a statement.

The flights will be operated from Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport to the Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport, 4 times a week – on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. It is expected to increase the number of flights starting from June.

All the tickets and additional services can be purchased from the website www.flyone.am.

FLYONE Armenia (www.flyone.am) started its operations in 2021. On 27 October 2021, the Civil Aviation Authority of Armenia offered us the National Air Operator Certificate, assigning the IATA 3F code, which contains 2 characters and ICAO FIE code- 3 characters.


Airline offers affordable tickets to several destinations such as Moscow, Paris, Lion, Istanbul and Sochi.

The airline's fleet consists of Airbus A320 aircraft. Each aircraft has 180 seats and meets all International Air Transport Association (IATA) and EASA safety standards. Also, in pandemic conditions, the aircraft is equipped with HEPA air filters, which remove 99.97% of viruses and bacteria.

FLYONE (www.flyone.eu) was launched in 2016 on the Republic of Moldova market and is currently one of the leaders in the aviation market there. FLYONE has received IOSA certification, the highest safety standard in operational management. As well, it has been ranked multiple times in 2018, 2019 and 2020 in the TOP 10 "Most punctual company" according to the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) category.