2022 February 28

Daily news wrap-up

Feb/28/2022: [1] Armenia to implement universal income tax declaration; Combat shadow economy; Debt structure [2] How Russia-Ukraine conflict affects Armenia & others [3] Gen. Babayan about Shushi [4] VR for vets [5] Gymnast keeps winning [6] Sumgayit Pogroms [7] Mirzoyan in UN [8] Other news
by ar_david_hh

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This is your 22-minute Monday digest in 5589 words.

34th anniversary of Sumgayit Pogroms

HR Ombudsman: Karabakh Deputies decided on 20 February 1988 to peacefully protect Artsakh Armenians' right to live freely and safely in their homeland.

The response was the torture and murder of ethnic Armenians in Sumgayit, 27 km from Baku. The attacks were organized and directly incited by the Azerbaijani authorities. Armenian civilians were tortured and killed, while their properties were destroyed or stolen.

The lives of 20,000 Armenians were endangered because of their ethnicity. Even though the massacres were documented by Soviet authorities, the organizers and perpetrators were never brought to justice.

These massacres marked the beginning of a series of crimes against humanity committed by Azerbaijan, which continue to this day. 500,000 Armenians had to flee Kirovabad (Gandzak), Baku, etc.

To violently suppress the Artsakh people's right to self-determination, Azerbaijan unleashed a war in 1991-1994 to continue the genocidal policies. One example is the 1992 massacres of Armenian civilians in village Maragha (Martakert). Over 50 civilians were massacred. No Armenians were left.

The Republic of Azerbaijan inherited and perfected Soviet Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian policies in Artsakh. The practice of glorifying murders committed exclusively on ethnic grounds became the Azerbaijani government's signature.

It gave birth to "heroes" like [Ramil Safarov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramil_Safarov), Mubariz Ibrahimov, soldiers [who attacked the civilian population](https://hetq.am/en/article/66976) during the April 2016 war and received rewards for beheading Armenian soldiers. //

Continue: https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076626.html

Armenian MFA: https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076639.html

US embassy in Armenia: Today, we join with Armenians mourning and acknowledging all who lost their lives in Sumgait in 1988.

https://www.facebook.com/usembarmenia/posts/317535337075255

VIDEO: virtual exhibition titled "Sumgait 1988" will open on exhibbit.com platform

Organized by the Armenian embassy in Greece, available in English and Greek.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=488134979698872

Foreign Minister Mirzoyan in UN Human Rights meeting: Armenians should be able to return to their homes in all parts of Karabakh

Mirzoyan: Armenia intends to table anew the draft resolution on the Prevention of genocide. Our team in Geneva is going to organize a process of consultations with all interested States...

Armenia held democratic elections during a difficult period in 2021 and reaffirmed its commitments to the values of democracy and human rights...

It was no coincidence that the opening line of the UN Charter referred to “We the peoples” as the source of its legitimacy. The right to self-determination has been one of the main purposes of the UN and the use of force against this right can trigger an entire chain of human rights violations. This is something we observe during and after the war initiated by Azerbaijan against the people of Karabakh in 2020...

The UN should visit Karabakh. The people of Karabakh should not be discriminated against because of their origin. We strive to achieve the safe, dignified and voluntary return of the Armenians to their ancestral homes in all parts of Karabakh.

Full: https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1076728.html https://youtu.be/X8zXv5t57Kk

Armenian company QaylTech will help people with disabilities walk again using VR

Their upcoming device Qaylaber aims to help war veterans with rehabilitation. The product was showcased at Dubai Expo 2020. They've been entertaining the idea since the 2016 war.

Founder Arsenyan: We had a patient who was shot in the head by sniper fire. 45% of his brain was removed, including the language center. Everyone thought he was never going to speak again.

One day I was walking down the hospital corridor to his room while singing a patriotic song "Getashen". While singing a verse, I entered his room, and to everyone's surprise, he continued the verse. We all froze for a moment.

Then I found out that Getashen was the song of his company in the army. We researched and realized that this happened due to brain plasticity. The function of the damaged center is being assumed by the function of the neighboring healthy center. This led me to start working on QaylTech.

In 2018 we made out first exoskeleton model and perfected it in the next years. It's time-consuming, so we simultaneously worked on Qaylaber - a walk simulator device, a verticalizer, a tilt-bed, electric-powered wheelchairs with 30 km/h speed [huh?], etc.

What is Qaylaber? The person who is unable to walk stands on the device and starts operating it with arms and legs. It's equipped with our sensors connected to a VR headset. The patient walks and plays sports in virtual reality. We want to organize tournaments via ZOOM.

QaylTech devices are successfully used in hospitals and rehabilitation centers. The device costs a lot but we're trying to find the means wherever we can. We're working with charities.

Our first-ever investment was ֏6M from the High-Tech Ministry. It takes 4-5 years for a startup to start making income. We need to access the international markets. We already have internationally certified high-quality equipment at a competitive price. There will be a crowd-funding next year. //

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1076661.html

interview with Gen. Samvel Babayan about liberating Shushi in 90s and the mistakes in 2020

Reporter: Do you personally feel guilty for 2020?

Babayan: My guilt is for not being harsh enough on some people. To this day, people remind me about my "rude" conduct after we won the 90s war.

Reporter: What did we have in the 90s that we didn't in 2020?

Babayan: We were in an even worse situation in 1992. Same people, same everything. There was mass panic and indifference. I took over in August and introduced discipline. We then started back-to-back operations and succeeded. Strong discipline. No one could think about not following orders. I was monitoring them with radio to help maximize the efficiency.

That was missing in 2020. No discipline, no effective use of weapons, the command was clueless about the evens in the frontline, and more importantly, it was impossible to properly manage the battlefield hundreds of kilometers away from Yerevan. The command must be located on the battlefield, not in Yerevan. The decision to transfer the command from Karabakh to Armenia was made in December 1999, after I left. That's what led to this.

Reporter: Why couldn't people who won the 90s war ensure a generational change and transfer the skills?

Babayan: 1) Even today they can't accurately evaluate how they won. 2) The political leadership didn't need. They wanted to usurp the victory and give credit to specific people while pushing the "undesired" ones out. To do that, you have to falsify the history. That's what they've been doing for over 20 years.

The strategy to encircle and destroy enemy troops in Fizuli, Jabrayil, Horadiz is very well known and was used in the 90s. I offer them to do it in 2020, but they give excuses. Those were the only strategies to win. They didn't do it.

There is no operative mindset in the military. You must be able to receive info and quickly analyze it to give an order. You can't hesitate. They never got it.

Discipline is important. I wasn't enjoying being harsh on people in the 90s, nobody wants to make enemies, they compared me to Stalin and Hitler, but look at the benefits to the homeland that it brought.

So many lies have been told about the liberation of Shushi in the 90s, about assaulting from the front, climbing through the rocks, etc. All of it is a lie. All of it. We began encircling Shushi, they panicked and fled, and we entered. There were no battles. I suggested the same strategy in 2020 but they didn't listen and decided to launch a [frontal] assault, and left 500 dead in just 2 days.

Today, the people who refused to follow their duty talk about Babayan saying this, Babayan saying that, Babayan is guilty of this and that. Babayan's only guilt was not breaking your neck and taking over the command. //

Full: https://youtu.be/f61VOR8aocY

Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues

Russian troops from Donetsk and Crimea marched towards the southern port town of Mariupol in a bid to encircle and capture the strategically important town. If they succeed, Ukraine could lose access to the Sea of Azov, and their troops in the Donetsk front could find themselves encircled soon after.

... Kyiv was bombed all night, said the leader of the Union of Armenians of Ukraine

Mkrtchyan: The targets are mostly military objects but this morning civilian objects were hit. I don't know how many Armenians left Kyiv. Many had left the city in multiple directions.

Resident Gharibyan: I'm in Kyiv right now. Today was calmer, likely because of negotiations. Long queues are formed for meat, dairy, etc. We had to wait an hour to enter. Sirens ring ~15 times a day. We're advised to sleep in [bomb shelters](https://youtu.be/sDv_Z5JQr-w?t=7).

Gas stations are empty. People use social media to ask for fuel to reach another town. ATMs had very long lines on the first day amid the panic. I haven't used one in a while; people mostly use electronic payments. The Armenian embassy and local community offered us to evacuate but we chose to stay.

Even when Russians target an airport, bombs often damage the surrounding civilian areas. The battles are very close, you can watch them from your window. What amazes me is that people aren't emptying stores en masse, they only take what's necessary.

... the situation is tense in Ukraine's Lysychansk, a town not far from the LoC with breakaway Luhansk

Lysychansk Armenian Community leader: The situation is catastrophic. It's being bombarded. We're trying to deliver food and shelter for Ukrainian refugees. The local Armenians don't need assistance. There is no way to leave. The town is besieged. The bombing intensified in the morning. A cafe was destroyed yesterday.

... local Armenians have joined Ukrainian defense forces in some cities

Armenian bakeries [began distriburing](https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/news/298748) free bread to seniors in Kherson (north of Crimea).

Local Armenian leader: We've lived in Ukraine since the 10th century and played a major role in the development of this country. Today, we are defending the cities and our relatives side by side with the Ukrainians. Many Armenians began joining the Territorial Defense Forces.

... pro-Russian activists in Yerevan hang a Russian army banner from Kievyan Bridge

The event lasted 10 minutes. Video: https://youtu.be/3sJJpAn7rYE?t=45

A protest was held in Yerevan's Circular Park to express solidarity with the Ukrainian people. https://youtu.be/3sJJpAn7rYE?t=116

... Russia's ambassador to Armenia commented on the situation in Ukraine and the impact on Armenia

Reporter: What is happening in Ukraine?

Kopyrkin: Nazi elements took over Ukraine in 2014 and chose the "anti-Russian" path, aided by American money, media, and NGOs. They began persecuting Russian language speakers and violated democratic and human rights.

One example is the law on indigenous peoples [which, for the record, excluded not only ethnic Russians but also Ukrainians, according to research by a Russian media outlet Meduza. The law's main beneficiaries were Turkic-speaking groups in Crimea.]

Kopyrkin continues: President Zelensky refused to respect the 2015 Minsk Protocols about Donbas. The parties were supposed to withdraw military units from LoC and not install heavy weapons. OSCE would monitor the borders. Ukraine would adopt a law to grant special status to Donetsk and Luhansk regions, pardon the war participants, and amend the Constitution to secure the regions' decentralized nature to respect their legal rights. Ukrainian government would gain control of eastern borders [presumably with Russia proper]. This would put an end to the conflict. Russia did everything to ensure the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Kyiv rejected the protocols and began drafting blitzkrieg plans. The civilians of Donetsk and Luhansk have had to endure ceasefire violations for 8 years.

Reporter: Why weren't the Minsk Protocols implemented?

Kopyrkin: Kyiv wanted to rewrite the agreement to remove everything that the Ukrainian side was supposed to do. Meanwhile, they were asking for Western aid and sanctions against Russia, even though Russia was not a party in the actual agreement. The bloodshed continued. Russia couldn't let it go on forever.

Nobody plans to occupy Ukraine. The goal is to save the people of Donbas from genocide and guarantee the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. We want to have a neighbor with independent and responsible foreign policy, that will represent all people of Ukraine.

Reporter: There are concerns that Azerbaijan could take advantage of the Ukraine situation and launch provocations on the Armenian border. Is Moscow taking steps to prevent this?

Kopyrkin: We value the great relations with AM and AZ. This is what allows Russia to act as a mediator in the region. AM and AZ should choose diplomacy. It is important for us that Armenia and Armenian people feel safe. It is guaranteed by our alliance and the desire to strengthen it.

Reporter: What impact will the sanctions have on AM-RU trade, amid the ruble's devaluation?

Kopyrkin: These are illegal sanctions unauthorized by the UN Security Council. The Russian government had prepared for sanctions by creating an alternative trade/financial information system, and an active import replacement program. There are mechanisms to protect trade with our foreign partners, especially with EAEU partners. Washington's latest sanctions package became the post-jubilee: 101st.

... public TV regulator advised Armenian channels to maintain neutrality in Ukraine coverage

Agency chief: This is not an attempt to force editorial policies, but rather a reminder that Armenian channels should not serve a specific party's agenda. News coming from the warring parties is often misleading. Try to fact-check before broadcasting.

... Russians worry about import restrictions on vehicles & parts

A Russian car expert was [interviewed](https://youtu.be/VppOn2ylhs8?t=8743) about the problem that official car dealers will face in Russia. General Motors, Jaguar, VW, Audi, Skoda, Porche, Lamborgini, Bently, etc. have stopped loading the containers, he said. Renault and another manufacturer are suspending their manufacturing [presumably in Russia] for now.

A typical $29,000 Mitsubishi could soon cost $47,000. There is already a 22% hike in the market. The best option for Russians could become Hyundai Kia and some Chinese brands [oooohhh boy, the Armenian car resellers are going to get rich ANY MOMENT NOW?]. Russia is headed towards an "Iran-ification", believes the expert.

Parts for imported and locally-manufactured vehicles will also become difficult to obtain, which will increase the maintenance costs. Domestic manufacturer LADA could be forced to use Chinese parts, while AvtoVaz was forced to temporarily suspend some operations.

If you truly need a car, you better buy it now, otherwise save the cash because you might need it to escape the country, advised the Russian expert to comrades.

... Russians worry about sanctions on the aviation industry

Eastern European states have [banned](https://youtu.be/VppOn2ylhs8?t=9274) the entry of Russian airlines, so to travel from Moscow to Kaliningrad exclave, Russians have to fly north and use the Baltic Sea corridor to travel south again.

It's not just Kaliningrad. An aviation expert said he spent 6h in the air instead of the usual 3.5h in a different direction, and 7.5h just to reach Cyprus. The host joked about the Maldives becoming more accessible than Cyprus. Moscow-Yerevan flights are also taking longer, but that's possibly because the western Russian air is currently closed.

Russian airlines lease Airbus and Boeing jets from other countries. They might have to return them and use expensive middlemen services to obtain the jets. They hope Kazakh middlemen will help import jet parts, "but it will greatly complicate the process and raise the prices". If importing a part from Europe usually takes one day, it could take 7 now, plus the additional expenditure on the middleman.

One option is for airline companies to purchase the jets now so they won't face leasing issues later, but many of them are cash-strapped because of COVID, which they survived only because of state subsidies. Importing parts for maintenance would still be a problem even if they bought the jets.

On Monday, Russia announced counter-sanctions against Western airlines. They cannot land in Russia.

... the situation in Moscow and other Russian cities

Over 3,000 people were arrested for protesting the war. Long lines were formed in front of ATMs across Russia over the weekend. The ruble was 71 before the kerfuffle began in late-2021. It fell as low as 119 per dollar on Monday.

... ruble's devaluation is already having an impact on Armenia

Juice and canned food manufacturer Sis Natural has suspended exports to Russia because the ruble fluctuations make it unprofitable, said the director.

They're waiting for the market to stabilize, and if it doesn't happen, they will look for other markets that do not depend on the ruble. They already export to the US, Canada, and the EU, so they could increase sales in these countries.

... Russian residents don't know how many soldiers they've lost so far

Residents of Russia watch videos of destroyed Russian columns with bodies lying around, yet the government provides no information about the death toll (as of writing this). One captured Russian soldier said they weren't aware why they were entering Ukraine, and that they were allegedly instructed to just drive forward and take positions near towns.

... Margo can't earn ad dollars from YouTube, Google, and Facebook anymore

Simonyan's Russia Today and other state-owned outlets can't receive money from Google ads, be it on YouTube or their own websites. The channels' videos will come up less often in the recommended section of YouTube. Facebook also blocked their ability to earn ad revenue.

... Kremlin-linked businessmen's yachts and mansions could be seized

It's part of Western sanctions against several prominent Russian figures. They will form a transatlantic task force to hunt down and freeze the assets. "We’ll go after their yachts, their luxury apartments, their money, and their ability to send their kids to fancy colleges in the West."

... Finland and Sweden brush off Russia's warning not to join NATO

Russia: We regard the Finnish government’s commitment to a military non-alignment policy as an important factor in ensuring security and stability in northern Europe. Finland’s accession to NATO would have serious military and political repercussions.

Sweden: It is Sweden that itself and independently decides on our security policy line.

Finland: We are not in a position that we will get scared because of one statement. We have a strong defense. We have really good international partners. [just make sure you don't rely on Germany /s]

... CIA has deployed its most powerful asset

Hollywood actor Sean Penn is in Ukraine to film a movie about Vladimir Putin's war. Sean Penn = shit is about to go down, in case you didn't know.

Penn had earlier traveled to Mexico where he was "blindfolded" and taken to meet the notorious drug kingpin El Chapo to discuss the production of a movie about him. A few days after the meeting, authorities located Chapo but the raid was unsuccessful. He was captured a few months later.

Penn is in Ukraine now to film a war documentary. He encouraged the US to send more help to the struggling country. "Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost." He believes Putin has made a horrible mistake.

... Chechen leader openly criticized Russian army strategy

Ramzan Kadyrov said the Russian troops were being "too kind" to Ukrainian defenders "who are now well equipped with modern tech". He criticized the decision that in the hope to convince Zelenaky to surrender, Russia has chosen to sacrifice its own soldiers by sending them to patrol cities in light vehicles, instead of a mass assault. We don't need losses, it's time to change the tactics, he directly urged Putin.

Unconfirmed reports had earlier claimed that one of Kadyrov's associates was killed during a fight for an airfield. This hasn't been verified (as of writing this), but if it is true, it could explain Kadyrov's social media behavior. In one video, a Ukrainian man filmed a destroyed Russian column and claimed it belonged to Chechen fighters. It was reported that the column was targeted by Bayraktar drones.

... Chechen leader Kadyrov gave Europe until February 31 to lift the sanctions

Kadyrov: Lift sanctions by February 31 [not a typo], or we will impose counter-sanctions. Chechnya will close it air for your jets, we'll freeze Boris Johnson's assets in ruble held in Chechen banks, place an embargo on British oligarchs in Achkhoy-Martan and Samashki, recognize left-hand traffic as a vile relic of the Middle Ages, and finally admit that there is no such thing as English tea. // [Is the boy having a meltdown?]

... Putin ordered nuclear weapons to be placed on a special regime of duty

In response, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a prominent Russian opposition figure on exile, urged Russian citizens to either pray or take to the streets. Chechnya's Ramzan Kadyrov called Khodorkovsky a "traitor".

Russia Today media outlet's ethnic-Armenian chief Margarita Simonyan told the ethnic Russians that they aren't "real Russians" if they feel ashamed of being a Russian right now. She was told to "f&ck off" by Ethereum ethnic Russian founder Vitalik Buterin.

... ex-president Dmitri Medvedev unleashed a rant against the West

Medvedev: There is good news, too. The sanctions imposed by several states can be a great opportunity to review our relations with them once and for all. We also can't rule out the possibility of withdrawing from the СНВ-3 agreement [the New START treaty between US and RU to limit offensive arms]. It's time to shut down the embassies and continue the contacts by using binoculars and weapon optics.

... sports sanctions

Putin lost the title of Honorary President of the International Judo Federation.

World Cup playoff matches are supposed to happen next month. Poland, Sweden, and Czechia have refused to play against the Russian team. If Russia does play a game, they will be forced to do so under a neutral flag without an anthem.

Update: A day later, FIFA and UEFA released a message saying Russian clubs and national teams are suspended from all competitions until further notice.

UEFA soccer body canceled a €100M agreement with Russian Gasprom. They've been a sponsor since 2012.

... need a ride, chief?

Ukrainian driver [encontered](https://youtu.be/AoEbVeOAz54?t=67) a couple of Russian soldiers standing next to an armored vehicle and asked them if the vehicle was disabled. The soldiers said they simply ran out of fuel. The driver offered to tow them back to Russia for free.

Driver: do you even know where you're headed?

Soldier: [unintelligible, chewing food]

Driver: na Kyiv, blyat, huyarite.

Soldier: Ya?

Driver: Ya.

Soldier: what is the news media writing?

Driver: well, your fellow soldiers are turning themselves in. They, too, didn't know where they were headed. I've met several columns. Nobody knows where they are headed to. //

There were videos of several Russian POWs saying they didn't know where they were headed and that they were told to just drive straight and help encircle a city. Others claimed they were told it was going to be an "exercise" but instead they were deployed in Ukraine.

There were also videos of Ukrainians allegedly turning themselves in on the border with Russia amid reports that the breakaway republics' militia has advanced dozens of kilometers in the east.

... Armenia is ready to accept refugees from Ukraine

That includes foreign citizens fleeing the war-torn country. As for Armenian citizens, the gov't is seeking additional ways to evacuate them, days after reaching an agreement with Poland and Romania earlier to temporarily shelter Armenians.

Armenian embassies and consulates remain operational in Kyiv, Odesa, and Rostov-on-Don [RU].

... Yerevan's former airport building is in such a poor shape, people mistook it for a bombed airport in Ukraine

Slap a sanction and call me daddy. The [image](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/232030) of the abandoned Zvartnots airport was circulated by Turkish social media users who claimed it was from Ukraine.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/27/sports/soccer/fifa-russia-poland-ukraine.html https://youtu.be/VppOn2ylhs8?t=9040 https://youtu.be/VppOn2ylhs8?t=9789 https://thehill.com/policy/international/russia/596007-over-3000-russians-arrested-for-protesting-attack-against-ukraine https://www.reuters.com/technology/youtube-blocks-rt-other-russian-channels-generating-revenue-2022-02-26/ [link redacted] https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/biden-administration-us-allies-russian-yachts-mansions https://www.foxnews.com/world/finland-ambassador-russia-threats-nato-membership https://news.yahoo.com/russian-officials-warn-finland-sweden-164903686.html https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1497234734765780997 https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2022-02-26/actor-sean-penn-in-ukraine-zelensky-russia-conflict [redacted] https://abcnews.go.com/International/timeline-el-chapo-kate-del-castillos-relationship-evolved/story?id=37697837 https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-02-27/more-than-100-000-people-in-berlin-protest-russias-invasion%3fcontext=amp https://twitter.com/olex_scherba/status/1497931292247134212 https://twitter.com/christogrozev/status/1497941632209108992 https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/putin-suspended-honorary-president-international-judo-federation-2022-02-27/ https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russian-official-issues-stark-threats-west-83126363 https://youtu.be/AoEbVeOAz54?t=63 [link redacted] https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076724.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076606.html [link redacted] https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076623.html https://factor.am/480621.html https://factor.am/480658.html https://factor.am/480916.html https://factor.am/480952.html https://factor.am/481082.html https://factor.am/481115.html https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/mediaservices/mediareleases/news/0272-148df1faf082-6e50b5ea1f84-1000--fifa-uefa-suspend-russian-clubs-and-national-teams-from-all-com/ https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/231975 https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/232030 https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/232052 [redacted] https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/news/298748/ https://hetq.am/hy/article/141697

government plans to increase the share of national currency dram in Armenia's debt structure: Finance Minister

Reporter: How would you describe the financial situation today?

Khachatryan: 2021 was a difficult year amid two significant challenges. Nevertheless, we were able to restore trust in the macroeconomy. Not only did we finish 2021 with results [+5.8% GDP] that were above expectations [+3.2% GDP], but we also made investments in multiple important directions that will help with the long-term development.

The debt-to-GDP ratio was 63.5% in 2020 and we were expecting it to reach 66% in 2021 while drafting the 2021 budget. As a result of our steps, by the end of 2021 it was 60.3% (?).

Reporter: What steps are you taking this year to further reduce the ratio to bring it within the acceptable limit?

Khachatryan: There is no "unacceptable" %. It's an indicator of risk. It was "unacceptable" in the past but legal amendments a few years ago began emphasizing the response mechanisms. Every time it's above 60%, the government has to submit a plan of action to Parliament on how to manage the debt within the next 5 years. That will happen this year.

We're ahead of schedule by 1 year. Our initial assessment was that it would be 55% by 2026. We expect 54%-55%.

We could reduce the ratio even faster than that, but we prefer not to because that's already manageable. Instead of spending the additional budget revenues on that, we believe it would be better to invest them in capital and development programs, which would also allow us to borrow less for those programs.

Reporter: Will 2022 end with 60%?

Khachatryan: We think it'll be around 60%. You know that we've recently been reducing the share of foreign currency in our debt. It went from 75% to 70% in the past few years. The GDP-to-debt ratio also depends on dram vs dollar at the end of the year. We think by the end of this year the ratio will hover around 60%.

It's more important to focus on trends and medium-term policies. We plan to further increase the share of dram in the debt. It helps negate the risks associated with currency fluctuations vs dollar.

Also, when it comes to repaying the debt, it's better if your debtees are local residents with dram. That way, the repaid debt stays in Armenia instead of leaving the economy.

Full: https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076698.html https://youtu.be/ERIpWvzEmIw

Tags: #debt

universal income tax declaration will be introduced in Armenia

Universal healthcare and universal tax filing are on the agenda. We learned about the healthcare portion earlier. The Finance Minister explains the tax filing reforms.

Reporter: Why is this needed?

Khachatryan: In Armenia we already have legal requirements for employers to calculate and pay workers' salary taxes to the state. So what's the purpose of the new universal tax declaration?

Our citizens participate in the economic life as consumers. They not only work and earn salaries, but they also use their salaries to purchase goods and services. Today there are mechanisms to refund taxes, via mortgage subsidies, university tuition, etc.

One of the outcomes of the mortgage/tuition refund program is that workers began to urge their employers to exit the shadow economy and declare the real salaries, so they can get more tax refunds later. We saw more transparent registrations in the construction field. The more income tax refund scenarios we have, the more transparency we will have.

Today, when you seek paid medical services, are you sure the hospital properly registers it as a taxable service with the state? When we have the universal declaration system, the citizens will be motivated to declare their expenses so they can take advantage of tax deductions.

While the income salary of a worker is more or less already taxed, the new system will combat the shadow economy in the services.

Reporter: So people will receive compensation after paying for certain services?

Khachatryan: Yes. That will be one of the components of the system.

Reporter: Will everyone be required to participate?

Khachatryan: TBD. Eventually, it will be beneficial for everyone to voluntarily participate in this system. We'll do this in phases. We'll explain which groups will benefit the most and make a decision. The lines between "beneficial" and "required" will be eventually blurred.

The declaration system should be simple enough for everyone to understand. In many cases, the IRS itself can do the calculations and send the document to the taxpayer for confirmation, so not much else will be left to do. We're still discussing this.

Reporter: Will the remittances coming from abroad need to be declared for taxation?

Khachatryan: Gift/aid transfers are not taxable. No plans to change that. You can declare that you've received it, but it won't be taxed.

Reporter: What about workers who receive salaries from abroad?

Khachatryan: Today many Armenians physically work abroad, even though they are registered as Armenian residents and taxpayers. They transfer remittances to Armenia. In general, the issue of taxing remittances applies to workers instead of people who receive the remittances in Armenia.

But if these workers have already paid taxes in the country where they work, or if that country has taxes that are not lower than in Armenia, then they don't have to pay income taxes in Armenia because we'll consider that you've already paid taxes. The reforms will be written in a way not to create burdens for these workers.

Reporter: When?

Khachatryan: A meeting was recently held by the council consisting of government, international, and NGO representatives to discuss the reforms and implementation timeframes. If hypothetically we implement this for 2023, you'd have to declare the 2023 taxes in 1Q2024. We'll have more info by the end of May.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076675.html https://youtu.be/giLRuDpGUqY

Tags: #taxes #universalincometax

what do chemical factories, EVs, and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week have in common?

Economy Minister Kerobyan hosted the German ambassador Richter.

Kerobyan: We need your advice on how to develop small and medium enterprises, tourism, industry, and education.

Armenia has the potential to develop its chemical industry. There are many factories that need to be restarted.

We're currently discussing the production of electric vehicles in Armenia. We'd like to invite German industry leaders. We already have a "trade-in" system for vehicles [recently adopted tax reforms encourage people to swap their old vehicles for a new one].

Armenia is paying attention to the textile industry and the development of fashion. We'd be happy if Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was held in Armenia. It can help with tourism and fashion.

Richter: We're ready to cooperate in all these areas. Despite the 2 big shocks in 2020, Armenia's macroeconomic indicators are quite impressive.

https://factor.am/480546.html

would you like to transfer your business to Armenia, or launch a new one?

Economy Ministry formed a taskforce with a hotline to help the businesses make the transfer. The ticket will be redicted to Ministry's Enterprise Armenia and National Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship for processing.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076739.html

Pashinyan met non-parliamentary opposition parties

It's a tradition now. The Premier and parties excluded from Parliament regularly meet to discuss various topics. Aram Sargsyan, Norayr Norikyan, Tigran Khzmalyan and others were present.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076633.html

Kamo Kochunts is named as the new army CoGS

Artak Davtyan was fired last week amid a criminal investigation against several ranking army officials over alleged corruption.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076706.html

U.S. embassy staff received training on how to detect fake Armenian passports

The police's "passport department" organized a training for dozens of embassy officials on Monday.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076749.html

COVID stats

2804 tested. 139 infected. 837 healed. 12 deaths.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076670.html

Yerevan's Cinema House is being revamped with new equipment so you can destroy your hearing more easily now

Golden Apricot Film Festival is cooperating with German and Armenian organizations to modernize the center with DCP projectors, Dolby Audio, etc. German experts who service the cinemas in Berlin were invited to Yerevan.

The center will renovate the smaller ones after this 510-capacity hall.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076596.html

the singing fountains in Yerevan's main square are being upgraded

Yerevan official: There are 22 fountains and 8 pools in Yerevan today. This year we plan to add 4 more. The main fountain will be completely revamped with a new engine, lighting system, and special effects. A new water screen could reflect video clips that promote Armenia's historical-cultural sites.

VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=487491792757089

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076620.html

PHOTO: Pont de l'Archevêché bridge in Paris lit up in Armenian flag covers

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

https://factor.am/480555.html

VIDEO: a rare Caucasian Leopard was filmed by nature cameras in Zangezur forests

https://youtu.be/peNjw1Jnlsc

VIDEO: Shirak Winter 2022 festival was held in Mets Sariar

Shirak government and the UN organized the annual Shirak Winter festival near the forests. There wasn't much snow this year but it was enough to hold an honest skiing competition.

Economy Minister Kerobyan spoke about the booming tourism in Gyumri in recent years and the infrastructure programs meant to assist that. He said that after renovating downtown Gyumri, the government is currently financing the renovation of Gyumri's Barekamutyun Park. The minister promised the park will be so beautiful that people from Yerevan and abroad will want to see it. Ready by October. He didn't say whether he'd resign if the park wasn't as beautiful as advertised.

https://youtu.be/2bPhLuV_Bv4?t=45

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076622.html

https://youtu.be/XXt0F8--wW4

this guy keeps winning medals. what's going on?

2022 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup was held in Germany.

Arthur Davtyan won the gold medal in the Vault exercise, while Vahagn Davtyan won silver in Rings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIG_Artistic_Gymnastics_World_Cup_series https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076650.html

ICYM

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/t3u7iw/news_feb282022_1_armenia_to_implement_universal/