2022 April 5

Daily news wrap-up

Your daily news digest from Armenia. Tuesday, Apr/5/2022.
by ar_david_hh

---

14 minutes. 3562 words[1]

welcome, new readers

Daily news is also [available in Russian](https://www.reddit.com/r/ArmDailyReports_RUS_/), thanks to /u/Impossible-Ad-.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ArmDailyReports_RUS_/

Pashinyan hosted diasporan experts who work in state offices as part of iGorts program

Pashinyan: Good to see you here. Glad to know that iGorts is working as intended. Some of the participants were appointed to ranking positions. We have a deputy economy minister and the head of the Tourism Committee from the diaspora.

This shows the seriousness of our intentions to involve the diaspora's potential in the public administration system to solve the country's problems. We want diasporans to see the problems from the inside, to assess and offer solutions.

I could be wrong, but I think this is the first time the government is using this format to organize such cooperation. This is an important result of institutional changes. The High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs (Zareh Sinanyan) is himself a representative of diaspora. Before that, just like many others, Sinanyan was an Armenian representative. We are blurring these lines.

iGorts participants have done a lot of work in ministries, and participated in the development and implementation of laws and government decisions. //

Diaspora Office chief Sinanyan: iGorts launched in 2020. In the first year, we received over 800 applications from 27 countries. 52 experts were invited to work in 19 agencies. 70% of them decided to stay in Armenia upon completion.

In 2021 we received 350 applications from 30 countries. 50 experts were invited to work in 25 agencies. //

The participants thanked the government for the opportunity to contribute and presented their work. They came from Russia, the US, Lebanon, Belgium, Germany, Syria, France, Cyprus, Switzerland, and elsewhere.

[video](https://youtu.be/gc6oD4j3Axk) [article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079866.html)

looking for a job in Armenia?

Labor Ministry has a spreadsheet of vacant positions.

[source](https://www.mlsa.am/?page_id=2664)

opposition HD and PU alliances held a rally

It took place in front of the Opera building. Around 11,200 attendees were counted. The "traitor-talk" aside, here are the main demands:

1) We reject agendas forced by the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem. Azerbaijan must return all POWs to create preconditions for peace.

2) Azeris must withdraw troops from Armenia and Artsakh to their Nov. 9 positions.

3) Artsakh cannot have a status within Azerbaijan. Artsakh cannot have a status that would not ensure a reliable land connection to Armenia.

4) Efforts are needed to resume the negotiation process.

5) Don't give any "corridor" to Azerbaijan that's at the expense of Armenia's sovereignty.

6) Don't demarcate the AM-AZ borders as long as Azerbaijan is making physical threats.

7) Don't sign any agreement that doesn't ensure Artsakh's right to self-determination.

8) Rapprochement with Turkey should not be at the expense of the agenda of Genocide recognition.

9) We are not encouraging war by making these demands.

The rallygoers then moved to the nearby France Square and closed the intersections for an hour while waving the flags of Artsakh and Armenia.

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079891.html) [source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079892.html) [source](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/234424) [source](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/234429) [video](https://youtu.be/idXOYQGF9cE)

Pashinyan is in Brussels to meet Aliyev and EU's Charles Michel tomorrow

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079882.html)

Pashinyan spoke with U.S. foreign minister Anthony Blinken

They discussed topics relating to Armenia-US cooperation, regional conflicts, relations with Turkey, unblocking of communication routes, domestic reforms, and tomorrow's meeting in Brussels.

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079880.html)

U.S. and Turkey spoke about deescalating the situation in South Caucasus

Victoria Nuland and Erdogan aide Ibrahim Kalın met on Tuesday and discussed various topics, diplomatic and energy security issues, including Turkey's relations with Armenia.

[source](https://factor.am/495837.html)

U.S. ambassador to Armenia urged Azerbaijan to release remaining POWs

Tracy after meeting POW families: We urge the release of all prisoners as well as increased efforts to obtain information about the fate of missing service members, including from the 1990s, noting the pain of families who do not know their loved ones’ whereabouts or fate. //

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079806.html)

interview with army expert Artsrun Hovhannisyan about the domestic military industry and army reforms

Reporter: What can we expect from the domestic weapons industry? Several drones and other weapons were presented during ArmHighTech.

Artsrun: It will take several years to achieve tangible results because there haven't been enough efforts and investments in high-tech. We are not investing hundreds of millions of dollars in research.

We made a mistake starting in 2012 by expecting quick results from the domestic industry instead of importing these weapons. But of course, it's important to develop the domestic industry, too. There are some very good projects. The purchase and development can happen simultaneously.

Reporter: Can the Armenian army resist an invasion if a war begins today? Have we lost most artillery units?

Artsrun: If the army command has learned lessons from 2020, that means our situation wouldn't be as bad as you think:

1) We have not yet fully restored the losses sustained in 2020, and what we had in 2020 was insufficient, but certain things have been acquired, and certain things have been repaired.

2) Our army is more or less familiar with the enemy now. This wasn't the case in 2020.

3) Intensive 3-month-long reservist trainings have been organized in the past two years.

4) Today we would start the war from the mountains instead of having to defend more difficult plains.

5) And other reasons.

We need a much better command and control for the above to matter. We need harsher punishments. In Ukraine, they tie their traitors, marauders, and deserters to trees. If we correct our mistakes made in 2020 and use "ATVs" to transport troops to positions instead of placing them all together in one Ural truck, and if we form mobile combat groups, it may not be as bad as you think. //

[source](https://youtu.be/xSLaHvpJoZE?t=1634)

Russian military base in Armenia conducted exercises with Ka-52 and Mi-8MVT helicopters

Ka-52 is also known as Alligator. They conducted "complex exercises" in mountainous areas. The engineering team conducted helicopter maintenance exercises.

130 troops took part. 50 units of various military equipment were used.

[video of a flying crocodile](https://www.facebook.com/100000768523525/videos/1052993675256578/) [source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079835.html)

Armenian company assembled and tested Russian armored vehicles last year

Buran is an armored vehicle produced in Russia. They license other countries to assemble them locally. An Armenian company in Charentsavan has been assembling those (locally named "Lusan") since last year. Two units so far. They underwent testing last year. The serial assembly will begin in about a month.

[source](https://fip.am/18901)

here is what the Chinese ambassador said about the history of Armenia and China

Armenia and China are marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Ambassador Fan Yong: Armenia is an ancient civilization with a lengthy history and culture. Archeological excavations show that the roots of Armenian civilization date back to 4,000 BC.

Although Armenia and China are thousands of miles apart, friendly relations have a long history. Over 2,000 years ago the ancient Silk Road connected China and Armenia.

According to historians, in 1-2 century BC the apricot reached Armenia from China via Persia, and from there to Ancient Greece. Europeans, unaware of Chinese origins of the apricot, named it the "Armenian apple" [⚠️this is big if true⚠️].

[continue](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079824.html)

Georgia wants to join EU? hmm 🤔 մենակ-մենա՞կ, ապեր

Georgian parliament leader visited Armenia. Alen Simonyan and Shalva Papuashvili discussed a range of topics and congratulated each other on the 3000th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

They discussed processes relating to Georgia's membership in the EU, regional conflicts, etc.

Papuashvili and MP Rubinyan [visited the Genocide Momorial](https://youtu.be/RwvziosrNKw?t=6).

[source](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=720979598893102) [source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079841.html) [source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079842.html) [source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079879.html)

Armenian media operated freely in 2021: TV & radio regulatory agency chief

Tigran Hakobyan: 2021 was a very busy year. There were auctions for public multiplex, elections, etc. Last year we conducted more investigations than in 2011-2020 combined.

The media operated freely in 2021; the government kept its promises for the most part. According to an international media freedom index, Armenia was 63rd, up 17 positions from 2018. That's two positions down from 2020, because of more lawsuits against media outlets and certain decisions being made without considering the media's opinion.

We have a different opinion regarding lawsuits. While in [Western countries] lawsuits against media outlets are viewed negatively, in Armenia it shows an opposite trend: the disputes between media and authorities are now resolved in courts, [instead of breaking necks].

... media lawsuits

Last year, media outlets filed more lawsuits against us (6) than in the entire previous record (2). Again, this is a good thing in our case. We disagree with the international index.

... intervention

Last year, the number of complaints filed by media outlets about state intervention had significantly dropped. That's amid a significant rise in 2020 when the police began enforcing COVID mandates. We believe it was a mistake to require TV hosts to wear masks.

There were instances of parliament members disrespecting journalists but we didn't find it to be systemic. We urge all officials to respect journalists.

... Russian language

We need better regulation over cable operators' content and quality. Armenian cable networks have 68 Armenian programs, 167 Russian, 42 European, 38 American, and 9 other.

Russian content is 2x the Armenian. That's in response to some of our Russian colleagues who circulated propaganda [a few years ago] by claiming that the Russian-language population's rights were under attack in Armenia.

... Armenian language

Over 55% of programming must be in Armenian. Kentron, Yerkir Media, and H2 used to score below this mark because of many Russian-language movies and TV series, but everyone complies today because we began enforcing and issuing fines.

Two years ago we began negotiating with Armenian-language content creators for them to license the content to provincial outlets. Rural outlets still lack the resources to comply with the minimum requirements.

... unethical journalism

There are two methods to enforce ethics rules. The outlet itself can form a commission and ombudsman to monitor journalists' compliance. The second method is for multiple outlets to form one commission to monitor multiple outlets.

89 outlets had formed one such commission. When we find a problem, we contact the commission. Armenia, ATV, and TV5 are notable exceptions with separate commissions.

They often deny violating ethics rules and it goes unpunished. I won't give names, but there is one outlet whose ethics board member is busy cursing on Facebook all day long, and we can't do anything about it.

Last year our agency submitted 8 ethics complaints. 0 complaints were filed from state offices. This model is not working. There should be more efforts to enforce ethics rules. We can't do all the work.

January-June 2021 [post-war pre-elections] was the worst in our media's history. I don't remember anything like this since 1980. To make things worse, we don't have enough authority to stop it. Some outlets repeatedly aired phrases like B.T. [son of a bch] without resistance from parliament. [Talks about derogatory language in general.]

The British Ofcom, for example, publishes a list of prohibited words annually. Our media began broadcasting more dirty words. We don't have Ofcom-like lists. Armenia has the most liberal laws in this regard. //

[continue](https://youtu.be/Xht9aNyw7qg?t=633) [source](https://youtu.be/VRDy9jbVDlw)

Tags: #journalism #language

the bargaining continues

[In February we learned](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/snv95t/news_recap_feb82022_forty_drivers_charged_wbuying/) that, to address the high inflation, the opposition proposed a bill to raise the minimum wage from ֏68K to ֏100K. The ruling party rejected the bill, citing economic and employment risks associated with a drastic hike.

The opposition then proposed raising it to ֏80K, starting next year. The proposal was rejected again for similar reasons.

Ruling MP: The increase in the minimum wage should be accompanied by an appropriate economic opportunity as a source of financing additional costs. The proposed resolution could harm the GDP and employment rate, and the state budget expenditure would increase by ֏99B annually [~$200M]. //

The government had earlier announced plans to more gradually raise the minimum wage to ֏85K until 2026. The previous raise was approved in 2019 when it went from ֏55K to the current ֏68K.

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079825.html)

March inflation was officially 61% in Turkey; 143% according to other economists

59% of survey respondents said their income is not enough to make ends meet. 27% said it's barely enough. 13% said their income is comfortably above expenses.

41% of Erdogan party voters said they can't make ends meet. It's 73%-88% among opposition voters.

[source](https://factor.am/495724.html) [source](https://factor.am/496137.html)

3,000 Armenians have moved from Ukraine to Poland during Ukraine invasion: Polish ambassador to Armenia

2.4 million people migrated to Poland, with the vast majority being Ukrainian. The second largest group were Polish citizens. The third-largest were Uzbeks with 7,800. Azeris were 7th with 4,000. Armenians were 11th with 3,000.

[video](https://youtu.be/IgoWsFS0PdQ) [article](https://factor.am/495848.html)

it is trendy these days to build a guesthouse in Gyumri amid a rise in tourism, but there is one problem... they can't find workers

Most new guesthouses are near areas popular among tourists. Two large hotels are under construction. The owner of one of them is a diasporan businessman from Sochi, with Gyumri roots.

Hotel directors complain about workforce shortage despite the high unemployment rate. There is a stigma associated with working in the hospitality industry, they believe. One hotel administrator had to use personal connections to find someone who agreed to work as a janitor. [Have you tried giving good salaries?]

There is also the problem with finding multilingual administrators who speak basic English. At least three guesthouses have vacant spots right now. Sometimes the business owner is forced to do the job.

[source](https://factor.am/495778.html)

where do Russians plan to spend their May vacations?

1) Turkey 23%

2) Uzbekistan 9%

3) Armenia 8%

According to OneTwoTrip analysts.

[source](http://arka.am/en/news/tourism/armenia_is_third_most_popular_destination_for_russian_tourists_for_may_holidays_/)

Armenia issues a medal to Russian ruling party MP for humanitarian aid to Artsakh population

Armenia's ambassador met United Russia MP Vitali Milonov today. President Khachaturyan sent Milonov a commemorative medal and a letter of gratitude for his role in the 2021 humanitarian efforts for the children of Artsakh.

[source](http://www.1lurer.am/hy/2022/04/06/ՌԴ-ում-ՀՀ-դեսպանը-Պետդումայի-պատգամավորին-հանձնել-է-ՀՀ-ԱԺ-նախագահի-հուշամեդալը/697091)

energy efficiency transformation projects in Armenia: what does thermal insulation accomplish?

Diana Harutyunyan, Climate Change Programme Coordinator UNDP:

In 2017 the Green Climate Fund approved a $20M grant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Armenia by improving buildings' energy efficiency. In 2020 a history was made when the government joined the efforts and decided to allocate state funds.

This thermal image shows the difference between insulated and non-insulated buildings.

We're talking about saving 5.8 million tons of CO2 over 20 years. It is equivalent to the emissions from 630,000 homes' energy use for one year, or the CO2 sequestered by around 6,500,000 acres of U.S. forests in one year.

Armenia can get very cold in the winter. Many people use gas boilers to heat the apartments while living in a non-insulated building. The program directors have seen promising signs of interest in local communities throughout the last two years, especially after several residential buildings were retrofitted and presented to the public.

This means lower bills in the winter and summer months. This can help low-income families many of whom are women-headed. They account for up to 30% of beneficiaries in selected regions.

The project focuses on the 60s-80s buildings that lack any signs of energy efficiency. Retrofit plans were harmonized with improved building codes in Armenia.

The retrofits provide 60% savings in heating and cooling costs. The market value of retrofitted apartments has grown by 15%.

Having the government as a primary co-funding partner was a significant step forward in the international collaboration with Armenia regarding climate change. However, the GCF, UNDP, and the government can't fund the whole project independently. International communities' role in supporting the project is very noticeable. //

[full article](https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1079800.html)

prosecutors investigated fire & electricity safety standards in schools & elsewhere

Prosecutors report: Last year we discussed the safety of students attending preschools, schools, and universities. Suggestions were sent to Education Ministry to draft relevant legal amendments. The Ministry, in turn, contacted the schools under its jurisdiction to request information to analyze the current conditions.

We investigated instances of electrocution and urged the Infrastructure Ministry to raise safety in crowded places and around electricity facilities, through proper safety mechanisms and signs. A taskforce was formed, joined by Electric Networks of Armenia.

The process of enforcing the fire safety code was also reviewed. Given the alarming number of building fires, the Emergency Ministry was asked to increase safety inspections.

New fire hydrants were installed and several broken ones were fixed in areas near forests. //

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079826.html)

Shirak province is preparing for possible floods

Meteorologists recently warned about possible floods after rapid changes in weather. Shirak government launched a process in 50 settlements to clean up floodgates from objects that could block the flow.

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079813.html)

water levels in Lake Sevan remain below 2021 mark amid last year's severe drought

The lake is 1900.46 m above sea level, 18 cm lower than this time last year. Last summer was too hot. Additional lake water was used for agriculture. The government hopes to reduce reliance on lake water with the help of dozens of new reservoirs.

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079848.html)

so it begins: two Armenian consumers have switched their electricity supplier amid energy market liberalization

[March 28 news has context](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/tqlwo9/mar282022_new_housing_road_projects_in_arm_art/) for changes in the energy market.

Public Services Regulator: The sale of electricity was recently liberalized to create competition. We already have 6 licensed companies that can find customers and sell electricity at unregulated prices.

An e-platform was launched on February 1, where customers can choose their new electricity company. Two customers have already left the Electric Networks of Armenia.

Electric Networks of Armenia sells and distributes electricity. The sale part is liberalized.

The out-of-warranty small hydro plants have the opportunity to sell electricity in the open market at a contract price. //

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079859.html)

Armenia's Corruption Prevention Committee signs a cooperation memorandum with International Anti-Corruption Academy

They vowed to fight corruption together.

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079845.html)

anti-corruption: former Premier Hovik Abrahamyan's family mansion is under arrest again

[On March 14 we learned](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/te7vr6/news_recap_mar142022_national_cybersecurity/) that Serj-era premier Abrahamyan's son received permission to sell his house after a court order. One of the law enforcement agents, without waiting for the appeal, gave the green light, raising the prosecutors' ire. Law enforcement agencies began pointing fingers at each other.

The NSS has taken over the case. They will investigate the circumstances that led to the property arrest being lifted.

[source](https://factor.am/495997.html)

what is being done against gambling addiction in Armenia?

Armenians placed ֏3.2T (~$6.6B) in bets last year. The number of gamblers skyrocketed in recent years from 18k to 44k.

You may already know about the ban on gambling ads and other proposals made recently, such as a ban on the use of cash to top up a gambling account so the gambler would have to use a bank account, which would leave a visible trace for family members to see where the money goes. A bill to regulate this has been drafted by the ruling party.

Co-author QP MP Vardanyan: It has gotten so bad the addicts are committing insurance fraud to spend the cash on gambling. The bill will require the bet and the prize to be transferred electronically, so the gambler will need a bank account. Moreover, the prize must be transferred to the same account that was used for placing the bet.

These requirements will reveal whether the gambler is a minor, whether they have the means to gamble, etc. The banks would have a better understanding on whether the loan they intend to issue will be used for intended purposes or wasted on gambling.

Some residents receive poverty aid and waste it on gambling. This is unacceptable. Electronic transactions will be a powerful tool against these issues. //

Ministry psychiatrist Gevorg Pashikyan: We've seen a very small increase in specialist referrals despite the rapid rise in gambling. Very often the addicts don't understand they have a problem. Sometimes they do, but they try to address it without professional help. It's more often family members who contact us for guidance.

Internet gambling is very easy to access, so it's difficult to prevent it. The ban on cash bets will only partially address the issue. Gamblers themselves need to realize they will never get rich that way. They need to impose restrictions on themselves. For example, I'm not going to spend more than 3% of my salary.

Sometimes people gamble without becoming addicts. Pathological gambling is a mental disorder. A harsh response will not help. It's necessary to explain to the gambler that they have a problem so they can seek treatment. //

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079809.html)

Tags: #gambling

COVID stats

2733 tested. 13 infected. 105 healed. 2 deaths.

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079810.html)

European Individual Chess Championship is underway

After 9 rounds, Armenia's Gabriel Sargsyan is in second place with 7 points, just 0.5 behind the frontrunner Matthias Blübaum. The final 11th round ends on Thursday.

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079797.html)

IMAGES: concert dedicated to 125th anniversary of poet Yeghishe Charents was performed in Opera

Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra entertained the guests. It was organized by the Orchestra, Charents Museum, and Education Ministry.

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079819.html)

today in history

1614: Pocahontas marries Englishman John Rofle.

1913: Armenian actor [Azat Sherents](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azat_Sherents) is born, one of the founders of Armenian cinematographic comedy.

1942: Hitler issues Directive No. 41 summarizing [Case Blue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_Blue), the invasion of southern USSR and Stalingrad.

1953: Hovhannes Tumanyan museum opens in Yerevan.

1956: Cuban Revolution: Fidel Castro declares war against President Batista.

1984: Armenian showman and cyclist Aram MP3 is born.

[source](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079785.html) [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_5) [source](https://wtop.com/back-in-the-day/2022/04/today-in-history-april-5-rosenbergs-sentenced-to-death/)

more

The news in русский (by Impossible-Ad-).

News archive: http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/Daily_Anti-Corruption_Reports Donations: soldiers' families, humanitarian aid, US tax-deductible donation.

The accused are innocent unless proven guilty in the court of law, even if they "appear" guilty.

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Link to original report and comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/tx5ygt/your_daily_news_digest_from_armenia_tuesday/