Category: 2020

2200 Russian companies operate in Armenia – Mishustin

Kevo Kalantarian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 31 2020

Russia is the main economic partner of Armenia with a market share of 26%, Russian Premier Mikhail Mishustin stated on Friday at a meeting with Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan. Mishustin said that 2200 Russian companies operate in Armenia.  “In 2018, bilateral trade turnover increased by 11%, and as you mentioned, it amounted for $2 billion USD last year. It kept growing in the previous year, registering 17.6% growth in January -November,” the head the of Russian government said.

In his words, Russia and Armenia enjoy close allied relations as the two countries cooperate in energy, industry, transport and cultural-humanitarian spheres.

“The new government of Russia is determined to continue our constructive relations, interactions with Armenian partners, including within the frames of intergovernmental commission which is co-chaired by Russian Minister of Transport Yevgeni Ditrikh. I want to emphasize that the positive dynamics should be encouraged along with efforts to identify new spheres for partnership,” added Mishustin.

Russia to drop murder charge against Khachaturyan sisters

Maral Takmazian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 31 2020

Law 13:55 31/01/2020World

Investigators in the case of three sisters accused of killing their abusive father have been ordered by Russia's Prosecutor General's office to drop the murder charge against them and instead classify their actions as self-defense, their lawyer said Friday, according to The Associated Press.

The case elicited widespread outcry after reports emerged that the sisters — 17, 18 and 19 years old at the time — acted after years of being beaten and raped. In December, Russia's Investigative Committee charged Maria, Angelina and Krestina Khachaturyan with premeditated murder, despite their lawyers arguing that young women acted in self-defense.

On Friday, their lawyer, Alexei Parshin, was quoted by the TASS news agency as saying that the Prosecutor General's office refused to support the Investigative Committee's case and ordered the murder charged to be dropped.

Prosecutors concluded the sisters' actions were “carried out within the legal limits of the necessary self-defense," Parshin said and suggested the case against the sisters might be closed altogether.

More than 350,000 people signed a petition this year demanding the sisters' release. Women's rights activists rallied in their support both in Russia and abroad.

The case prompted Russian lawmakers this year to start working on a law against domestic violence, something women's rights advocates have been unsuccessfully fighting for since 2016.

Meeting between Armenian, Russian PMs started with a selfie

Alex Jidarian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 31 2020
Politics 18:17 31/01/2020 Armenia

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan who is paying working visit to Kazakhstan, met with the newly-appointed PM of Russia Mikhail Mishustin.

After the traditional ceremony of photographing, Pashinyan offered a selfie with Mishustin. The Russian PM asked what was the Armenian translation for the word selfie and Pashinyan responded the word is in Armenian.  

“Honorable Mikhail Vladimirovich, I am pleased to meet you. Let me again congratulate You on being appointed to the post of Russian Prime Minister,” Pashinyan, said, adding that although the relations between Russia and Armenia have always been at the high level, yet we there is always the opportunity to elevate them to even a higher level.

Pashinyan noted that the trade turnover between Armenia and Russia reached 2 billion in 2019 with a possibility to continue the positive dynamics. 

Three-day gatherings of commanders of platoons held in different military formations

Adrine Hakobian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 31 2020

Gatherings of the commanders of platoons were in number of military formations of the Armed Forces from January 29-31.

As the ministry of defense reported in a released statement, the gatherings were aimed at developing the professional knowledge and practical skills of the commanders of the platoons and strengthening the level of their readiness to fulfill tasks under hard tactical operations. 

Chess: FIDE: Armenia’s Aronian still World No. 6

Vardan Badalian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 1 2020

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has published its monthly world ranking of chess players, and Armenian chess leader Levon Aronian has maintained his 6th place.

The world leader is still world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway.

Armenia’s Gabriel Sargissian (44th) and Hrant Melkumyan (77th) are also among the top 100 chess players of the world, and this time they have been joined by Karen H. Grigoryan (91th) who has made it to this top 100 for the first time.

And Armenia’s Elina Danielian (63rd), Lilit Mkrtchian (64th), and Anna M. Sargsyan (88th) are among the top 100 chess players in the women's monthly rankings.


Sports: Maradona lauds Armenian footballer

Liana Toganian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 1 2020

Diego Maradona's Gimnasia played against Huracan in the 18th round of the Argentine Super League. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

At the end of the match, Maradona highly praised the performance of Huracan and Armenian national football team striker Norberto Alejandro Briasco Balekian. The Armenian footballer played the whole match and created some dangerous moments for the opponent.

"He's a real revelation," legendary Maradona said of Balekian.

Balekian has scored two goals so far in the current season of the Argentine Super League.

The 23-year-old striker has played in four matches so far for the Armenian national team.

Sports: Sargis Adamyan is named Hoffenheim player of the month for January

Ophelia Vardapetian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 1 2020

Armenian national football team and Hoffenheim striker Sargis Adamyan has been named this German club’s player of the month for January, the Hoffenheim press service reports.

Adamyan was declared the winner with 74% of the total votes.

In January, the Armenia international scored one goal in two games for Hoffenheim.

Sargis Adamyan was also named the club's player of the month for October.

Armenian PM highlights making efforts for creation of EAEU common energy and transportation markets

Kevo Kalantarian

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 14:49,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the importance of elimination of current barriers and restrictions in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAE) in his remarks at today’s session of the Eurasian Inter-Governmental Council in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

“This is our first meeting this year under the Belarusian chairmanship. We support the main integration directions recorded within the Belarusian presidency. In this regard I would like to emphasize the importance of eliminating the existing barriers and restrictions that undermine the formation of a common economic space. It’s also necessary to intensify efforts aimed at creating single EAEU energy and transportation markets based on non-discriminative approaches in the fields of price increase, tariffs, availability of services. The increase of efficiency of the EAEU bodies and the development of transportation and logistics infrastructures is also another direction which should be under our focus”, the Armenian PM said.

He added that once again the process of work on eliminating the barriers within the operation of the domestic market was also discussed. “Today we have made decisions regarding these barriers. Nevertheless, as I have stated repeatedly we believe that it is necessary to unite efforts to eliminate the current barriers and create conditions to rule out their repetition in the future. As for the 2025 Eurasian Integration Development Strategy directions, I would like to note that we attach a special importance to the final approval of this document based on the cooperation forms enshrined by the EAEU treaty”, Pashinyan said.

He added that Armenia traditionally is actively participating in and supporting the process of creating and implementing the EAEU digital agenda. The Prime Minister said the creation of ecosystem for digital transportation corridors will enable to reduce the distance between the consumer of goods, services, the producer and the seller. “This will greatly reduce the time of searching for optimal options and methods to deliver and transport the goods, making the market more effective in this respect”, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Italy declares state of emergency to prevent coronavirus spread after two confirmed cases

Karlen Baghdasarian

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 15:03,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. The Italian government has declared a state of emergency after two Chinese tourists tested positive for the novel coronavirus, PM Conte’s office reported.

Late on Thursday, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that two Chinese tourists who were visiting Italy had contracted the virus, adding that the government had decided to close air traffic to and from China.

The two Chinese tourists were put in an isolation unit of Rome’s Spallanzani institute.

Authorities are trying to track their contacts to prevent a further spread.

The World Health Organization has declared that the coronavirus outbreak that has killed 213 people in China now constitutes a global public health emergency.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




Russian PM hands over Stolypin Medal 1st Class to EEC Board Chairman Tigran Sargsyan

Lara Chatinian

Russian PM hands over Stolypin Medal 1st Class to EEC Board Chairman Tigran Sargsyan

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 16:05,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. During the session of the Eurasian Inter-Governmental Council in Almaty, Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin handed over the Stolypin Medal 1st Class to Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Tigran Sargsyan.

On January 23 Russian PM Mishustin signed an order on awarding Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Tigran Sargsyan with the Stolypin Medal 1st Class.

“It’s a great honor for me to hand over the Stolypin Medal 1st Class to you on behalf of Russia. I am sure that there is no need to introduce you in this hall. You have governed the Armenian government at a difficult period, during the global economic crisis, but managed to carry out a number of economic reforms, take effective anti-crisis measures. Everyone, undoubtedly, values your friendly relations, including with Russia, what you have done for strengthening the cooperation between Russia and Armenia. During you tenure as Chairman of the Board you have successfully fulfilled you tasks together with your colleagues. I want to thank you for the great job, and by using this chance, I want to congratulate you on your birthday that you celebrated recently. I wish you good luck”, the Russian PM said.

In his turn Tigran Sargsyan also thanked for these words, adding that he accepts it as an appreciation of not only his personal work, but also that of the whole staff.

EEC Board Chairman Tigran Sargsyan’s term in office ends on January 31, but he will keep the status of a high-level international official heading the Digital Initiatives Fund of the Eurasian Development Bank.

The session of the Eurasian Inter-Governmental Council was held today in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The session was also attended by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The next session of the EAEU Inter-Governmental Council will take place in Minsk on April 9-10.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan