Category: 2023

 13:34,

YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. The main mission of the Armenian government is to diversify commercial and economic directions, have better partnership with Arab, European, American and Asian markets with the goal of building multilateral and diversified economic relations, Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan said on May 30.

Speaking at parliamentary discussions on the budget report, the minister said that the Armenian government will soon appoint trade representatives to China, Germany and the United States. At this moment Armenia has trade representatives only in Iran and the World Trade Organization.

Trade with Iran doubled since the trade representative was appointed two years ago.”We believe this is a good indicator. But you also know that there are rather many constraining circumstances for further developing trade with Iran, the reasons are both objective and subjective. But we are now planning to appoint trade representatives in China, Germany and the United States and develop turnover with these countries as well,” Kerobyan said.

Speaking about the possibility of having a trade representative in Russia, Kerobyan said the work with the Russian market has a different nature. “We are rather open towards all Russian businessmen who are interested in relations with Armenia and we are trying not to focus on a single person or institution. The work there is diversified,” Kerobyan said.

 16:15,

YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government plans to launch regular domestic passenger flights from Yerevan to Kapan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan told lawmakers on May 30.

“We have conducted one technical flight from Yerevan to the Kapan airport, certain specialized issues were outlined during that flight. We are now working in this direction, certain things must be changed in the navigation system, and some equipment must be added. We will soon conduct the second flight,” Sanosyan said. 

“We will conduct the second flight to be sure that the problems are solved, and our final goal is to have regular passenger transportation,” he added.

 14:59,

YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. Slovenia’s National Assembly President Urška Klakočar Zupančič visited the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan on May 30.

Urška Klakočar Zupančič and her delegation were accompanied by Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Hakob Arshakyan, the head of the Armenia-Slovenia Parliamentary Friendship Group MP Seyran Ohanyan and MP Mariam Poghosyan.

Slovenia’s National Assembly President Urška Klakočar Zupančič and members of her delegation laid flowers at the Eternal Flame and observed a moment of silence in honor of the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

The delegation then visited the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute to view the documents and materials on the Armenian Genocide. Slovenia’s National Assembly President Urška Klakočar Zupančič then signed the honorary guestbook.

Urška Klakočar Zupančič is on an official visit to Armenia.

 16:45,

YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan said he discussed the illegal Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor during his meeting with his Slovenian counterpart Urška Klakočar Zupančič on May 30. 

“During our meeting we discussed the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor,” Simonyan said in his statement for the press after the meeting. “For about a half year, the entire population of Artsakh is living in conditions of food crisis and humanitarian crisis. Given Baku’s growing aggressive rhetoric, we expect targeted reactions by our international partners,” Simonyan added.

Simonyan said that Armenia highly values the continuous development of relations and expansion of multi-sector cooperation with Slovenia.

“Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two states, and I think our bilateral cooperation has big potential for development. My colleague also mentioned this, we concur over this issue. We also attach importance to cooperation between our parliaments, pointing out the role of the friendship groups in the two parliaments,” he said.

The work for launching dialogue over visa liberalization was also discussed.

The parties also discussed the Armenian-Slovenian economic cooperation and emphasized the need for implementing economic and investment projects.

The Speaker of Parliament thanked Slovenia for supporting a group of children from Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh in October 2022 with the psychological and social rehabilitation program for children affected in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The program has been extended for another two years, Simonyan said.

During the meeting Speaker Simonyan reiterated Armenia’s readiness to consistently contribute to the establishment of peace and stability in the region.

Simonyan stressed that Armenia will continue to make efforts in the direction of further strengthening and enhancing the cooperation with Slovenia, expecting support from Slovenia in establishing peace in the region.

“During the meeting I said that Armenia doesn’t have any territorial claims against any of it neighbors and I asked my colleague to support Armenia’s steps aimed at peace in all international platforms. I am happy to note that I received a positive answer, because my colleague also attaches great importance to peace,” Simonyan said.

 17:04,

YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. Slovenia expects Armenia’s support for its bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, the President of the National Assembly of Slovenia Urška Klakočar Zupančič said after a meeting with her Armenian counterpart Alen Simonyan in Yerevan.

The vote at the UN will take place on June 6.

Urška Klakočar Zupančič said that in the event of becoming a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Slovenia will do everything to support the solutions that would bring peace to South Caucasus. 

She added that Slovenia is following the situation in Nagorno Karabakh and supports the EU monitoring mission in Armenia.

 17:13,

YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a delegation of lawmakers from Argentina’s Senate and the Chamber of Deputies led by legislator Guillermo Andrada, the Chair of the Armenia-Argentina parliamentary friendship group.

Pashinyan welcomed the delegation’s visit and attached importance to the continuous development of the Armenia-Argentina relations, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

PM Pashinyan was pleased to note the principled positions voiced around sensitive matters for Armenia in the Senate of Argentina and praised the members of the friendship group for their active work in this regard.

“I hope the bilateral political, economic and cultural dialogue will continue to develop and strengthen as a result of your visit,” the Armenian Prime Minister said.

The Argentine lawmakers underscored the role of the Armenian community in further strengthening cooperation with Armenia.

Andrada added that they will continue to actively contribute to the expansion of partnership in various sectors.

Issues of regional significance were also discussed.

Issues related to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh resulting from the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan’s policy of ethnic cleansing against the population of Nagorno Karabakh were discussed. Pashinyan and the Argentine legislators stated that the Azerbaijani government’s aggressive rhetoric and attempts to disrupt the negotiations process are inadmissible. Addressing the issues of the rights and security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh was highlighted.

 17:19,

YEREVAN, 30 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 30 May, USD exchange rate up by 0.35 drams to 386.52 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.11 drams to 414.89 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.04 drams to 4.78 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 3.72 drams to 480.41 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 21.92 drams to 24206.37 drams. Silver price up by 0.26 drams to 287.62 drams.

 17:26,

YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. On May 30, the Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, participated in a panel discussion with Hikmet Hajiyev, the Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Azerbaijan, in the framework of the "GLOBSEC 2023 Bratislava Forum", in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, during which he presented the position of the Armenian side regarding the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Security Council, Armen Grigoryan particularly addressed the issues regarding the international mechanism on the security and rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, the delimitation and border security processes of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and the unblocking of regional communications.

The secretary emphasized the need for a constructive position of Azerbaijan in the negotiation process, calling to refrain from maximalist aspirations.

 17:33,

YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of Armenia Gnel Sanosyan referred to the issue of building a new nuclear power plant in Armenia.

ARMENPRESS reports, during the budget discussions in the parliament, Sanosyan emphasized that the operating license of the nuclear power plant in Armenia is valid until 2026, and there is a task to extend the period of operation of the nuclear power plant until 2036. Large-scale works were carried out last year to extend the period of operation of the nuclear power plant, and these works are continuing this year.

However, discussions on building a new nuclear power plant in Armenia have already begun. The minister explained that they have started talking about a new nuclear power plant now, because the construction of nuclear power plants takes quite a long time.

The preparatory phase is also quite long, it takes about two years to prepare, and 8 or 10 years to build.

Sanosyan emphasized that the construction of a new nuclear power plant implies a difficult choice, because it is necessary to understand what power nuclear power plant will be built, and to understand this, many factors must be taken into account. "And since the new nuclear power plant is being built for 100 years, we have to make calculations from 2036 and for the following 100 years. For example, we have to calculate how much electricity we will give to Iran in 2080, whether we will give it or not, whether we will give it to Georgia or not. We need to understand what Armenia-Turkey relations will be like, whether Turkey will buy electricity from Armenia or not, because the eastern regions of Turkey need it now," Sanosyan said.

It is also necessary to understand what the local consumption will be like. It is necessary to understand whether atomic, water, solar energies will be in a certain proportion, or whether there should be a lot of dependence on the nuclear power plant.

According to Sanosyan, Armenia now has a good balance, the energy system is not too much dependent on the nuclear power plant. As an example, the minister mentioned the fact that the work of the nuclear power plant is at a standstill at the moment, but this has not led to serious problems.

 19:41,

YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received Giorgi Sharvashidze, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Armenia.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the office of the President of the Republic of Armenia, President Khachaturyan congratulated the Ambassador on May 26, the holiday of Georgia's independence and declaration of the Republic, and wished success to Georgia and the Georgian people.

Ambassador Sharvashidze thanked for the reception and congratulations and said that he mutually congratulates the President of the Republic and the Armenian people on May 28, the Republic Day.

During the meeting, issues related to the continuous development of existing close friendly relations between Armenia and Georgia were discussed. Reference was made to the importance and strategic nature of the development of multi-layered friendly relations between Armenia and Georgia.

The parties exchanged ideas on setting higher standards for political and economic relations between the two countries. Both sides emphasized the dynamic expansion of the trade turnover between Armenia and Georgia and the strengthening of economic ties.