Category: 2021

 12:26,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is entering a very important stage of judicial reforms. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting today.

The PM said they will wait firstly for the formation of the patrol police. “We have a certain court staff over issues connected with detention and arrest which will investigate only the pre-trial proceedings. This is a broadly used practice in the world”, Pashinyan said, adding that a new process of electing and appointing judges will launch, where the most important is the integrity checking.

“There can be a case when the Corruption Prevention Commission may give a problematic conclusion connected with the integrity, but it can also have no effect on the appointment of a judge by the Supreme Judicial Council.

We should be guaranteed that the impartiality of judges who appear in this new status will not be questioned in any way, in other words, everyone should take into consideration the decision made, rather than to discuss whether there is any political link with that particular decision or not”, the PM said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 13:59,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan assures that major investment programs are carrying on in Armenia. Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Kerobyan said there are many investors now in Armenia and he doesn’t differentiate them as being foreigners or locals. “I am meeting every day with several such investors and every day I am giving solutions to the issues they face,” Kerobyan said.

Asked when it would be possible to see major investments in Armenia, Kerobyan said there are such major investments happening right now. “We can go and I will show you a 100 million worth investment, the Renshin company,” he said, referring to the construction company active in the Armenian real estate market development. 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 14:00,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Newly-appointed minister of economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan’s optimism for economic development has not changed. “The double-digit economic growth is my target”, he told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

The minister, however, stated that there is nearly 20% decline in import, export and consumption spheres, and according to him, the economic decline in 2020 has been 8.5%.

At the same time, he noted that they have a long list of actions for stabilizing and developing the economy. “The issues on the government’s agenda aim at protecting the economic potential and creating better working conditions for the economic entities”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 14:29,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia is now inclined to further extend the ban on imports of Turkish-made products, an embargo that came into effect January 1 for a 6-month term.

“At this moment we are inclined to extend the ban on importing Turkish products, if no such geopolitical changes happen which would make it impossible,” Armenian Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan said. “This is done to protect local products,” he added.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 14:57,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan continues consultations with the representatives of political forces, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.

The PM met today with President of the Republic party Aram Sargsyan and President of the United Working party Gurgen Arsenyan.

During the meeting issues relating to holding snap parliamentary elections in 2021, returning the Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan and the economic development prospects were discussed.

Pashinyan listened to the opinions and approaches of the party representatives.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 15:13,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. The US Embassy in Armenia informs that starting January 26, 2021, all air passengers will be required to have a negative COVID-19 test before their travel to the United States.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that air passengers are now required to get a viral test (for current infection) within three days of travel and provide written documentation to the airline”, the Embassy said in a statement.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 15:36,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Aivazian is having a working meeting with the members of the parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs.

“We are meeting days after the trilateral summit in Moscow based on the results of which a statement has been signed the main point of which is the unblocking of communications in the region. Our today’s meeting aims at analyzing the results of the meeting and the statement with the Foreign Minister and discussing our central priority, that is the possible actions for returning our prisoners of war [from Azerbaijan]”, Chairman of the committee Ruben Rubinyan said.

On January 11 Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had a meeting in Moscow as a result of which a trilateral statement has been signed.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 14:30,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Russia confirmed 24,763 new coronavirus cases in the past day, bringing the total caseload to 3,495,816, TASS reports citing the anti-coronavirus crisis center.

This is a new high since January 2 when 26,301 cases were recorded.

The average growth rate stood at 0.7%.

Currently, 549,832 people are undergoing treatment for the coronavirus in Russia.

Russia’s coronavirus recoveries rose by 27,956 to 2,882,044 in the past 24 hours.

Russia has documented 570 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, compared to 566 deaths the day before. In total, 63,940 people have died from the virus in Russia.

 15:06,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received today Ambassador of Kazakhstan Timur Urazayev who is completing his diplomatic mission in Armenia, the Armenian Parliament told Armenpress.

Speaker Mirzoyan thanked the Ambassador for his personal contributions in the relations between Armenia and Kazakhstan. He highly valued the current level of the ties between the two countries, specifically highlighting the Ambassador’s investment in deepening the mutual cooperation between the Armenian and Kazakh Parliaments.

Speaker Mirzoyan introduced the situation following the signing of the trilateral statement of November 10 to the Ambassador and stated that in line with the process of unblocking the regional infrastructures the issue of the return of the Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians remains a priority. According to him, all partner states of Armenia and Azerbaijan should make efforts for solving the issue of the return of POWs.

The Kazakh Ambassador thanked Ararat Mirzoyan for the effective cooperation, assuring that in his future activities as well he will try to contribute to the development of relations between Armenia and Kazakhstan. Timur Urazayev expressed confidence that Kazakhstan is interested in deepening the productive cooperation with Armenia and thanked the Armenian side for the participation with an observer mission to the parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan.

Highlighting peace between the countries of the region, the Ambassador stated that the Kazakh side has always called on to solve the existing problems around the negotiation table. According to him, the unblocking of the transportation infrastructure in the region can create opportunities for the development and expansion of new ties. Timur Urazayev assured that Kazakhstan will make efforts to solve the humanitarian problems.

Other issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the meeting.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 15:42,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian vowed to lawmakers today that the Armenian government will continue efforts for repatriating all Armenian prisoners of war and other detained people who are currently held in Azeri custody.

“The fabricated charges against Armenian servicemen and the initiation of criminal cases against them in Azerbaijan is a violation of not only the trilateral statement but the Geneva conventions,” Aivazian told lawmakers at the foreign relations committee of parliament.

 “These factors do not contribute to the efforts of forming trust in the region, because the most important pledge for developing trust is the implementation of the assumed obligations. Armenia pursues on the highest level the issues of returning prisoners of war. Armenia will continue its efforts with the purpose of returning all prisoners of war and hostages and finding out the fates of those missing,” he said.

Aivazian said the foreign ministry is cooperating with international partners in this direction by combining its steps with other authorized bodies.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan