Category: 2017

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Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
June 9, 2017 Friday


Armenia's ruling party official raises Azerbaijan's destructive policy
issue in EPP Political Assembly



YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenia attaches importance to the
signing of the new comprehensive and expanded partnership agreement
with the European Union, assuring that it will continue its reforms in
the political and human rights arenas, Armen Ashotyan – vice president
of Armenia’s Republican Party said at the Political Assembly of the
European People’s Party (EPP).

“We fully realize that reforms will contribute to Armenia’s progress
towards a large-scale democracy and will enable to maximally benefit
from positive changes”, Ashotyan said.

He touched upon the closure of the OSCE Yerevan Office – as result of
Azerbaijan’s veto – mentioning that although Armenia and OSCE will
continue further constructive cooperation, this occurrence is yet
another proof of Azerbaijan’s destructive policy.

As a new example of Azerbaijan’s human rights violations, Ashotyan
mentioned the kidnapping of an Azerbaijani journalist from Tbilisi to
Baku, where he has been arrested and is awaiting criminal punishment.

“I would also like to emphasize the role and significance of the OSCE
Minsk Group – as the only effective tool of maintaining stability and
settlement of the conflict. In this context, I would like to
underscore that for the first time the OSCE MG Co-Chairs made a
targeted statement on May 18 in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement negotiation process – regarding the escalation in the line
of contact during May 15-17”, Ashotyan said.

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
June 9, 2017 Friday


 Armenian side adequately responds to Azerbaijani provocative speeches
at NATO PA



YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS. Spring session of NATO Parliamentary
Assembly was held in Tbilisi on May 27-29, attended by the delegation
of the National Assembly of Armenia led by the Chairman of the
Standing Committee on Defense,National Security and Internal Affairs
Koryun Nahapetyan.

“Armenpress” reports the Armenian representatives participated in the
works of the defense and security, political and financial committees,
presented the positions of Armenia on regional and geopolitical
developments.

During the Assembly the Armenian representatives also adequately
responded to the provocative and misguiding announcements and speeches
distorting the reality made by some Azerbaijani parliamentarians. This
act of the Armenian delegation was approved and positively assessed by
the international audience. Meanwhile, the attempts of anti-Armenian
propaganda contradicting the nature and content of the Assembly were a
failure becoming a self-discrediting action for the Azerbaijani side.

Business Monitor Online
June 9, 2017 Friday


Healthcare Market Limited By Demographics and Weak Economy



Healthcare expenditure in Armenia will expand at a slower rate than
its regional peers, reflecting the country's weak economic footing.
Compounding the bearish outlook is the small population and negative
demographic profile. We note that the introduction of a compulsory
health insurance system would significantly shift the market
landscape, although this is not planned until 2020 at the earliest.



BMI View: Healthcare expenditure in Armenia will expand at a slower
rate than its regional peers, reflecting the country's weak economic
footing. Compounding the bearish outlook is the negative demographic
profile. We note that the introduction of a compulsory health
insurance system would significantly shift the market landscape,
although thisis not planned until 2020 at the earliest.Armenia's
healthcare market will provide few opportunities for multinational
pharmaceutical firms and medical device manufacturers, given its small
market size and limited growth outlook. Total expenditure on
healthcare is the third smallest in the Central and Eastern Europe,
behind only Kyrgyzstan and Montenegro. Moreover, the country's small
population size (3.03 in 2016) is likely to decline over the long term
due to the high degree of emigration coupled to a low birth rate.
Indeed, according to the National Statistics Service, the number of
births declines in 2016 by 2.3% compared to 2015. This will
significantly limit potential growth opportunities.

Recent Updates In June 2017, Armenian MPs opposed the privatisation of
a number of healthcare facilities as part of the government's
privatisation program for 2017-2020. In June 2017, the Ministry of
Health announced the government's intentions to begin working on a
draft law on compulsory health insurance to be submitted to parliament
by 2020.

Market Outlook Not Reflective Of Frontier Status
Armenia - Healthcare Market Breakdown

f = BMI forecast. Source: World Health Organization (WHO), BMI
Between 2016 and 2021, we forecast that health expenditure Armenia
will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1% in local
currency terms and 6.8% in US dollar terms, from AMD221.8bnbn
(USD466mn) to AMD327.5bn (USD647mnn) in 2021. Over our extended
10-year forecast period, we project that healthcare expenditure will
reach AMD560.5bn (USD1.02bn) in 2026, posting a local currency CAGR of
9.7% and a US dollar CAGR of 8.1%. As a percentage of GDP, healthcare
expenditure was 4.3% in 2016 and is forecasted to rise to 5.3% by
2026. Per capita, healthcare spend was USD154 in 2016 and is set to
increase by 2026 to USD356.Despite healthcare spending forecast for
robust growth, we remain downbeat on the outlook for the Armenian
market. Given the market's frontier status, it represents a potential
for significant expansion highlighted by the small per capita
expenditure on healthcare. However, the market will underperform
relative to the majority of its peers in the CIS region. While the
country's economy is set to recover from its recession in 2016, this
return to growth will be stymied by the high reliance on remittances
from Russia (itself only set for a sluggish economic recovery) and
poor labour market dynamics. The government has repeatedly highlighted
the need for greater cost-efficiency within the healthcare sector
through 2017 to improve healthcare outcomes and reduce endemic corrupt
practices, posing downside risk to public expenditure growth. Further
compounding the weak outlook for healthcare expenditure growth is the
high reliance on out-of-pocket payments, with private healthcare
expenditure accounting for more than 55% of total healthcare
expenditures.We note that the potential for Armenia to follow the lead
of some of its regional peers, notably Georgia, Kazakhstan and
Azerbaijan, in implementing a compulsory health insurance system in
place of its current inefficient model would pose significant upside
risk to our long-term outlook. According to the country's Minister of
Health, a draft law on compulsory health insurance will be developed
trough 2018-2019 for consideration by parliament in 2020.

Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
June 9, 2017 Friday


Armenia sends 40 tons of humanitarian aid to Syrian people



Damascus, SANA- Armenian Orthodox Diocese of Damascus received on
Friday a new batch of aid, including 40 tons of relief and food items,
provided by the Armenian people and government to the Syrian people.

In a statement to SANA, Armenian Ambassador in Damascus Arshak
Poladian said that the aid "came under the directives of the President
of the Republic of Armenia and presented by the Armenian people,"
noting that this batch is the third in 2017.

He added that the aid includes food and other essential supplies,
pointing out that every time at least 40 tons of aid is sent and that
during the past two days quantities of aid arrived and have also been
distributed to various Syrian provinces.

On Wednesday, Armenian Defense Ministry announced that a cargo plane
belonging to the Russian Armed Force transported 18 tons of
humanitarian aid to Syria, including food and essential supplies.

Manar/Ghossoun


 

Interfax - Russia & CIS General Newswire
June 9, 2017 Friday


Yerevan accuses Azerbaijan of attack on Armenian village

YEREVAN. June 9

The Azerbaijani army shelled an Armenian border village, Baganis, in
the Tavush region on Thursday evening, the Armenian defense minister's
press secretary Artsrun Hovhannisyan told Interfax on Friday.

"The village came under attack at about 9 p.m. (Yerevan time). The
shelling lasted for about two hours with some pauses. They firing both
on defensive positions and the village itself. Luckily, casualties
were avoided," Hovhannisyan said.

Baganis village head Narek Saakyan told Interfax that the shells
damaged a number of house roofs.

Interfax has yet to obtain comments from Azerbaijan.

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Interfax - Russia & CIS General Newswire
June 9, 2017 Friday


Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry blacklists Limonov for visiting Karabakh

BAKU. June 9


The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has declared Russian writer and
politician Eduard Limonov persona non grata, ministry official Khikmet
Gadzhiyev told Interfax.

"The Limonov issue has been reviewed. His illegal visit to the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan was confirmed. His name was
included in the list of personae non grata in Azerbaijan. He can find
his name on the updated list," Gadzhiyev said.

According to the Azerbaijani authorities, Limonov illegally visited
the occupied Azerbaijani territories in early June 2017.

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