Karen Nazaryan appointed Armenia’s Ambassador to Holy See
15:30, 28 December, 2018
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian signed a decree on appointing Karen Nazaryan Armenia’s Ambassador to the Holy See (residence in Vatican), the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
The President signed the decree based on the prime minister’s proposal.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
Armenia, Russia to intensify talks on gas, Kremlin says
15:57, 28 December, 2018
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Russia will intensify negotiations on gas, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said, according to TASS.
Peskov said that the matter was addressed by Armenian caretaker PM Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their December 27 meeting in Moscow.
"It was agreed to intensify the conversation on gas, because until yesterday, unfortunately, we could not state active negotiations between our Gazprom and Armenian colleagues," Peskov said, according to TASS.
Meanwhile, according to RIA Novosti, the issue has also been discussed between Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Armenia’s caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan in St. Petersburg today.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
Pashinyan holds meeting with retired military servicemen
16:09, 28 December, 2018
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received a group of retired military servicemen, his Office told Armenpress.
The guests introduced Pashinyan on their observations and proposals in connection with the decision adopted by government according to which 5 billion 705 million drams will be provided to the defense ministry in state assistance for servicemen in need of housing improvement.
According to the decision, the beneficiaries will receive apartment acquisition certificates valued 5.000.000 AMD each.
“In fact, today we have nearly 1200 beneficiaries who are included in the list of receiving an apartment. We had a deadlock situation on this issue because no process was taking place, or just minor ones were taking place. Our task was to move forward this process. We have recorded that today the government can really provide 5 billion AMD and offer that assistance to the people, but this doesn’t mean that we say take these 5 billion AMD and the accounts are clear. This means that there is such an opportunity, we are creating this opportunity. There will be people in this 1200 for whom this will not only be an opportunity, but also a solution of the issue”, Nikol Pashinyan said.
Pashinyan said there may be people for whom this solution would not be beneficial. He added that the defense ministry will make a decision within a month with what principle and how this 5 billion AMD will be distributed. Pashinyan said all proposals in this regard should be presented to the respective commission. At the same time he accepted the proposal of the meeting participants and expressed readiness to include their representative in that commission. Pashinyan highlighted that he has put a task to implement the process maximally transparent.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
Ombudsman tackles prison subculture in special report/concept
16:11, 28 December, 2018
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan has released a concept, in the form of an extraordinary report, of combating criminal subculture in correctional facilities in Armenia.
The Human Rights Defender’s Office said they studied and monitored the prison subculture and its affect in the relations between incarcerated individuals and the prison system.
The goal of the concept is to identify possible pathways for ruling out favorable conditions for the subculture’s existence, minimizing its effect and preventing its distribution, and to make recommendations for solving the problems.
Both practical and legislative complex recommendations requiring direct resolutions are included in the report.
The office said it attaches importance to the stance of the justice ministry in this issue.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
Armenian President appoints new Ambassador to Czech Republic
16:26, 28 December, 2018
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic and Slovakia Tigran Seyranyan has been relieved from the position, according to the decree of President Armen Sarkissian, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
According to the President’s another decree, Ashot Hovakimyan has been appointed Armenia’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
Acting FM Mnatsakanyan awards ARMENPRESS for covering at best recent La Francophonie Summit
16:30, 28 December, 2018
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Acting foreign minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan today awarded the staff members of ARMENPRESS news agency and the Public TV for covering at best the recent 17th La Francophonie Summit held in Yerevan.
Director of ARMENPRESS Aram Ananyan and Executive Director of the Public TV Margarita Grigoryan have been awarded with MFA Honorary Medals.
The staff members of the news agency and the TV channel received certificates.
Acting FM Mnatsakanyan expressed confidence that the cooperation will continue. “We will have new occasions for promoting Armenia’s reputation for which we have all capacities, a rich, huge human resource”, he said.
The 17th Summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie was held in Armenia on October 7-12. Delegations from 84 countries arrived in Armenia to attend the Summit. Leaders of 38 states participated in the Summit.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
Armenia’s Ambassador to Sweden and Finland relieved from position
16:46, 28 December, 2018
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Artak Apitonyan has been relieved from the position of Armenia’s Ambassador to Sweden and Finland according to the decree of President Armen Sarkissian, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
The President signed the respective degree based on the prime minister’s proposal.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
Court hearing on Kocharyan’s bail request underway
17:20, 28 December, 2018
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. A Yerevan court of general jurisdiction is currently examining former President Robert Kocharyan’s motion on granting him bail.
2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, who ruled the country from 1998 to 2008, spent two weeks in jail in summer 2018, but was eventually freed. But on December 7, a higher court overruled the release and ordered him to be remanded into custody pending trial again.
At the time the court announced the verdict, Kocharyan turned himself in to authorities by going to a Yerevan jail.
Kocharyan is charged for ‘overthrowing constitutional order’ during the 2008 post-election unrest, when clashes between security forces and protesters left 10 people dead during his final days as president.
He vehemently denies wrongdoing.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
Appeal court denies complaint of Vachagan Ghazaryan’s lawyer
18:53, 28 December, 2018
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Court of Appeal of Armenia has denied the complaint of the lawyer of Vachagan Ghazaryan, a former high ranking security official in the Serzh Sargsyan administration, and has left the decision of the court of 1st instance in force.
ARMENPRESS reports lawyer Armen Harutyunyan had appealed the decision of the court of 1stinstance on prolonging Vachagan Ghazaryan’s pre-trial detention.
Vachagan Ghazaryan was detained by National Security Service (NSS) agents on June 25 and placed under arrest the same day. Two days later he was charged for illicit enrichment and false asset declaration. He was remanded in custody pending trial on June 28.
Ghazaryan carried about half a million dollars in cash on him at the time of his arrest. He claimed that he withdrew the money from a bank with the purpose of returning it to the real owner of the money, without mentioning a name. Another 50,000 dollars was discovered in his car. The National Security Service said it had intelligence reports that Ghazaryan was planning to withdraw an additional 3,000,000 dollars from his and his wife’s bank accounts.
His wife is also charged with illicit enrichment.
Earlier in November, authorities said that couple is also suspected in money laundering involving an upscale restaurant in Yerevan.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
Robert Kocharyan’s trial on changing pre-trial detention into release on bail postponed until January 9
19:14, 28 December, 2018
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The court of general jurisdiction of Yerevan postponed the trial on examining the motion of Kocharyan’s lawyers to change their client’s pre-trial detention into release on bail until January 9, ARMENPRESS reports Kocharyan’s lawyer Aram Orbelyan told the reporters.
“In fact, no session took place. The investigator wanted to submit a motion on judge Nelli Baghdasaryan to recuse herself and asked for time to examine the materials to understand if it’s necessary to submit a relevant motion “, the lawyer said.
He added that Kocharyan did not attend the session, since it was a technical session and there was no necessity for his participation.
The court of general jurisdiction of Yerevan is examining the motion on changing Robert Kocharyan pre-trial detention into an alternative preventive measure, release on bail. The motion was submitted by his lawyers on December 26.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan