Category: 2018

Acting FM Mnatsakanyan meets CoE Secretary General in Strasbourg

10:53,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Acting foreign minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on November 20 met with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland on the sidelines of his working visit in Strasbourg, the foreign ministry told Armenpress.

During the meeting the two officials highly valued the effective cooperation between Armenia and the Council of Europe, exchanged views on a number of issues relating to Armenia’s engagement in the organization. The acting FM attached importance to the CoE role in democracy and human rights and noted that the organization’s 70th anniversary next year will be a good opportunity to sum up the achievements reached so far and outline the main future activity directions.

The sides also exchanged views on the effective implementation of Armenia-CoE action plan, as well as the ongoing works aimed at developing new action plan.

Touching upon the challenges facing the structure, the acting Armenian FM expressed Armenia’s full support to the ongoing efforts aimed at overcoming them, raising the effectiveness of its activities and strengthening its reputation. Zohrab Mnatsakanyan expressed concern over political manipulations of a number of issues in the structure, in particular those which relate to the promotion of the European values and human rights. Both highlighted the importance of ensuring cooperation unity over these issues.

The acting FM also introduced the tangible achievements and positive progress recorded by the Armenian government in the direction of reforms based on the mandate given from the people. As for the upcoming early parliamentary elections of Armenia, the acting minister said holding free, fair and transparent elections is among the priorities of the government.

During the meeting Zohrab Mnatsakanyan also introduced the CoE Secretary General on Armenia’s position and approaches over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, reaffirming the Armenian side’s commitment to the exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

My Step alliance to participate in upcoming elections under slogan “Happy individual, caring society and powerful state”

12:55,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Im Kayl (My Step) alliance will participate in the upcoming early parliamentary elections under the slogan “Happy individual, caring society and powerful state”, Yelk faction head Lena Nazaryan told reporters in the Parliament, reports Armenpress.

“This slogan is not something new. It has existed in the program of the Civil Contract party for many years. And I am happy that there is a chance to present this slogan”, she said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Official results of voting must accurately express voters’ will, Pashinyan says during visit to Aragatsotn province

12:58,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. The government of Armenia has put a task that the December 9 early parliamentary elections must be the best in the country’s history, acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during the meeting with the community leaders of Aragatsotn province, reports Armenpress.

“What do we mean by saying the best elections? We mean that the official results of the voting should accurately express the will of the voters. So what we need to do for this purpose? Firstly, we must rule out any illegal influence on the voters’ will. You know that the distribution of bribes during elections is the most widespread method of the past years, but now the Police and the law enforcement system in general have a concrete task to strictly react to any attempt of electoral bribe distribution. God forbid, if such an attempt is made somewhere, and I receive that information not from the law enforcement agencies, but from the media, because I think that the Police should have an operative information about any such attempt, and this issue must be definitely solved at the prevention level”, he said.

The acting PM added that there is a practice in Armenia when the company owners, community leaders invite villagers and try to guide them to a concrete voting with certain deals. Pashinyan said this phenomenon as well must be eradicated in Armenia. “Our task is to clearly record that each citizen of Armenia can make his/her choice without the help of another. Let me bring my example. For many years I have managed the biggest newspaper in Armenia, have been editor-in-chief, but no such case happened that I tell any staff member to vote for this person. The essence of the political process is the following: politics is public, people see who are the candidates, listen to them, read their pre-election programs, listen to comments, and they can make a decision. Our task is for the election campaign to be held in the conditions of absolute equality during these elections. In other words, no obstacle to the activity of any political force, the election campaign must take place in any corner of the Republic. If any hall is available for any political force, it must also be available for the others. Of course, we hope that the weather will be as it is now so that there will be no need for halls. I think the freedom of broadcasting is a known fact, therefore the television broadcasting should be equally available to all, let me not talk about the internet because the international organizations have ranked Armenia among the countries with free internet, and we are in the list of the world’s leading countries with this indicator”, Pashinyan said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Yelk faction dismisses administrative resource accusations over Pashinyan’s provincial visit ahead of election

13:18,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Yelk faction MP Lena Nazaryan is reassuring that there was no administrative resource usage in the meeting of caretaker PM Nikol Pashinyan with residents of Gegharkunik province.

She was speaking about accusations from Republicans alleging that Pashinyan has begun campaigning ahead of time.

The representative of any party is entitled to visit provinces and meet with the locals, Nazaryan said.

“The caretaker prime minister participated in the opening of a high school in Gegharkunik province, and also had the opportunity to meet with residents of the province. Nikol Pashinyan has regularly met with citizens during his entire time in office. And there is nothing unusual in this. What Pashinyan is able to to – interact with citizens and answer their questions, Republican candidates can also do, no one is disturbing them from going to Gegharkunik or other provinces and interact with the people through a rally. It is another matter that in my opinion they won’t succeed in doing it,” she said.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned on October 16 to trigger the process of disbanding the parliament.

Pashinyan took office after massive protests in April forced president-turned PM Serzh Sargsyan to resign. But Sargsyan’s Republican Party (HHK) still has most seats in the 105-seat parliament. Since taking office, Nikol Pashinyan has numerously said that the incumbent parliament doesn’t represent the people and that early elections should take place as soon as possible.

In accordance to the Constitution, when a Prime Minister resigns the parliament must elect a new PM within two weeks. Lawmakers deliberately failed to elect a new PM as a formality in order to pave the way for dissolution.

The last round took place on November 1 and the parliament was dissolved by virtue of law.

Later on the same day, President Armen Sarkissian signed an order on dissolving the parliament and calling early elections on December 9.

The parliament will function until the new parliament is elected.

The government is formally a caretaker government until a new government is formed after the election.

 

 

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Absence of public’s demand among reasons why no U-turn will take place in Armenia’s foreign policy – Yelk faction

14:20,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. There was no demand on changing the foreign policy during the rallies in Republic Square, and this is also among the reasons that there will not be a U-turn in Armenia’s foreign policy, according to Yelk faction leader Lena Nazaryan.

“When we were rallying in the square, there was no political demand from citizens addressed to us on changing the foreign policy. And this is the reason that we aren’t going to make any U-turn of foreign policy. The order of the citizens given at the square was for justice to be established, for state resources not to be misappropriated and for the corruption risks that have been known by the society for many years but didn’t have consequences to be uncovered,” she said.

She noted that previously there have been instances in foreign policy that have been silently passed, in many cases also by ignoring the interests of Armenia.

“Now, when concrete responses are given by Armenia, and it is expected that our partner states must consider our interests, for some reason anger is created. Why should we be silent and reckon with the situation when we are treated unfairly? I think it is very correct that we are voicing our issues,” she said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Acting foreign minister of Armenia meets ECHR President in Strasbourg

15:34,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Acting foreign minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan met with President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Guido Raimondi in Strasbourg on November 20, the foreign ministry told Armenpress.

During the meeting the acting FM valued the cooperation with the ECHR and stated that the multilateral platforms are important for small states to express the sovereign equality, but today when this multilateral platform faces new challenges, the importance of cooperation over promotion of universal interests becomes more relevant.

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan stated that this system of human rights is unique and can be really effective only in case of practical democracy.

The officials also exchanged views on deepening and further raising the efficiency of Armenia’s cooperation with the ECHR.

The acting FM introduced the official on the recent domestic political developments of Armenia. He also touched upon Armenia’s positions and approaches on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

Introducing the judicial process launched by Azerbaijan against citizen of Armenia Karen Ghazaryan, who is currently in the Azerbaijani captivity, the acting FM said the involvement of person suffering health problems by the violation of international humanitarian law is condemnable.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia’s Security Council Secretary takes part in CIS Moscow annual meeting

15:47,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan participated in the VI CIS Annual Meeting of Security Council Secretaries in Moscow, Russia.

Grigoryan said on Facebook that the agenda of the meeting included issues relating to combating terrorism, terror funding and biosecurity.

In accordance with the agenda, Grigoryan delivered remarks and presented the domestic political situation of Armenia. He highlighted the implementation of joint efforts in combating international terrorism, terror funding, extremism, money laundering and organized crime and presented the work that is being carried out in Armenia in this direction.

In his remarks, Grigoryan outlines the significance of the active reference labs in Armenia, in the context of early prevention of hazardous pandemics both inside and outside the country and organizing the actions relating to overcoming them.

Grigoryan noted that Armenia has always displayed and continues displaying willingness in cooperating with stakeholder sides for ensuring biosecurity and is acting within the framework of international law, maximally transparent and predictable.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Extraordinary session begins in Parliament, lawmakers to vote – LIVE

11:00,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. The extraordinary session launched in Parliament of Armenia on November 22, reports Armenpress.

The lawmakers will vote for the 2019 state budget draft, as well as for a number of other bills.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan