2022 January 10

Daily news wrap-up

Jan/10/2022: (1) Universal Healthcare; Dental care; War on cigarettes (2) Chief of General Staff Davtyan is suspect (3) Kazakhstan kerfuffle; Officials Epsteined; Russia & Turkey (4) Turkish polls: Parties, Enemy #1, Democracy vs authoritarianism; Priorities (5) Roads & bridges (6) Fruit wine law
by ar_david_hh

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Your 10-minute Monday briefing in 2656 words.

Pashinyan cabinet discussed plans to implement universal healthcare in Armenia

For context read this. Around 61% of Armenians support the idea. 73% are ready to pay 2-6% of their paycheck for UHC. The exact amount of deductions is yet to be determined.

On Monday Pashinyan and ministers discussed the progress towards UHC.

Healthcare Ministry: We examined various models. We need a sustainable financing system that will provide the main healthcare services to all groups.

The package is still being discussed in various agencies. When it's done, a bill will be drafted and submitted. Here is what's being discussed:

- Financial sources

- Cost-effectiveness

- Recipient groups

- Quality of services

- Ensuring social solidarity & justice

- Risks

For UHC to be successful, we need to simultaneously develop the infrastructure, e-healthcare, and strengthen the capacity of primary care facilities. //

Pashinyan: UHC will be an important reform. The primary goal should be disease prevention. Therefore, it's necessary to adopt a model that will ensure quality and cost-effective services. Consult and make the necessary amendments and submit the proposal for final discussion. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072597.html

public sector workers can now use their "social package" for dental care

Additionally, the package covers more family members. The government adopted the changes last month. Details in November 2 post.

https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/news/297741/

war on smoking

Starting January 1, shops aren't allowed to publicly display cigarettes. In a few months, there will be a ban on smoking in public areas [cafés and restaurants]. But there are also tax hikes.

Excise taxes on cigarettes are increasing from $22 to $27 per 1000 units. Despite the hike, cigarettes remain significantly cheaper in Armenia than in Europe.

A similar excise hike went into effect for alcohol.

www.1lurer.am/hy/2022/01/10/Հարկերի-փոփոխությունից-ո՞ւմ-աշխատավարձը-կավելանա/639980

facilities at National Center for Infectious Diseases will be renovated with modern standards

Healthcare Ministry: As part of the government's 5-year plan, the Center's facilities will be rebuilt so we can finally have a Center with modern standards. The construction of Building B begins on February 1.

Some of the medical services in this facility will be temporarily suspended. There will be employment changes with workers being offered jobs at other facilities. //

Some workers from Building B gathered on Monday to protest the "employment contract termination without advance notice". It later appeared to be a misunderstanding, and the workers were supposed to continue their shifts. The deputy director said they are offering temporary jobs until the new facility is ready in ~2 years.

https://factor.am/461520.html https://factor.am/461513.html https://factor.am/461524.html https://factor.am/461529.html https://factor.am/461542.html

army chief Artak Davtyan is also suspect in weapons purchase shenanigans

You may recall the arrest and criminal charges against ex-MOD Davit Tonoyan. He isn't the only ranking army official, it turns out. Several others are also charged, including current CoGS Artak Davtyan.

NSS reports: The officials abused their position and accepted over 4,200 pieces of outdated ammunition from "Moston Engineering". That ammo was earlier denied for not meeting technical requirements. [Tonoyan denies wrongdoing, saying the ammo was good and it was successfully used during the war.]

In order to eliminate the obstacles and conclude the contract, the officials forged documents to claim the ammo met the requirements.

Moreover, the mentioned ammunition was acquired at a price almost twice as expensive as the previous purchase of ammunition from the same batch, resulting in embezzlement of over $4.6 million. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072609.html

Azerbaijan violated ceasefire in Artsakh

Artsakh MOD: Azeri troops opened irregular fire towards Karmir Shuka village, as a result of which a vehicle belonging to a civilian, parked next to a kindergarten, caught fire. Firefighters who went to the scene found themselves under fire for 10 minutes. No one was injured. The peacekeepers have been informed about the ceasefire violation. //

A similar violation was recorded in the north, where farmers were using a tractor. No injuries. Artsakh authorities called for the removal of Azeri positions close to settlements.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072582.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072585.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072610.html

medal for me, not for thee

A group of Azeri war veterans protested in front of the MOD building regarding being cut off from military premiums.

Azeri soldier: Our efforts were not appreciated despite Aliyev's orders to reward every participant. Those who served in the rear received medals, while we were forgotten.

Former CoGS Najmeddin Sadikov's family driver received 4 medals, while the real participants received none. After the war, we developed health problems after being forced to serve in poor conditions. //

https://factor.am/461682.html

Kazakhstan riots end | Multiple reports of official Epsteining | Russia, Turkey, and West

It all started when the price of liquid petroleum gas multiplied. Low-income residents took to the streets. It escalated into riots with armed clashes.

On Friday Taliban urged Kazakhstan to resolve the matter peacefully. 🍿🍿🍿

As we learned recently, fugitive ex-banker Mukhtar Ablyazov proclaimed himself as the leader of protesters. Some analysts, however, view him as an opportunist and a fraudster, rather than a protest leader. Ablyazov insists he has been helping to organize the protests. "Protesters often don't mention my name because our political party was declared an extremist organization in Kazakhstan so nobody wants to publicly admit the association."

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It turns out Kazakhstan has its own caste-like system. Poor and often uneducated rural residents are referred to as mambets. Lately, there has been a large migration of mambets into the cities. Some analysts believe that mambets hijacked the initially peaceful protests and turned them violent. There were claims that some of them were being coordinated from the higher echelons of security apparatus.

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There is no consensus on how things escalated after the peaceful protests. Some analysts believe it's an internal political struggle between clans, while others reject the theory. Supporters of that theory point to the fact that the criminal authority figure named "Wild Arman" (Arman Dzhumageldiev), with alleged links to some ranking officials, was arrested on Friday. Wild Arman recently returned from Turkey to support the protesters but ran into problems with them so he changed his rhetoric and began calling for peace. Six others were detained besides Wild Arman on Friday. Semi-automatic pistols were reportedly found during the raids.

In other news, Artsakh president Arayik Harutyunyan accused "radical Pan-Turkic circles" of taking an active part in riots. He praised the rapid deployment of Russian troops in the region.

Supporters of the theory of intentional sabotage and internal clan warfare also point to the hijacking of the Almaty airport (which has since been cleared). Airport workers were reportedly told the military would guard them but the airport fell, under "mysterious circumstances".

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Others believe it was a disorganized riot that began because of bad economic policies by the Kazakh government. Residents were accustomed to low fuel prices because of price caps. Then the government decided to let the market decide the price, which shot up the price too quickly. The western region, where the oil and gas are extracted, is a poverty-stricken and grim region with high levels of discontent among the residents who live in poverty despite "feeding the whole country" with fossil extraction. There were even calls to secede this region from Kazakstan. This is where the protests began.

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Retired president Nazarbayev, widely viewed as a puppetmaster, urged everyone to rally behind president Tokayev.

Kazakh authorities fired then arrested the National Security Committee chief Karim Masimov and launched a treason investigation against him. His deputy was also arrested.

The lifeless body of National Security Committee Colonel Azamat Ibrayev was found on Monday.

Police colonel Zhanat Suleimanov reportedly committed suicide with a shot to his head, after learning about criminal charges against him.

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President Tokayev: There were protests, the participants on which made socio-economic and socio-political demands, all of which were heard and fulfilled by the state, but there were also armed militants waiting for their moment to organize a coup. The main target was Almaty, the fall of which would pave the way to the south, followed by the occupation of the entire Kazakhstan. //

State Secretary Yerlan Karin rejected claims that the events were a "color revolution" [a term often used to describe western-backed revolutions]. He called the events a "hybrid terrorist attack" organized by "internal and certain external forces".

Pashinyan during CSTO meeting: Armenia, too, not long ago encountered the problem of foreign terrorists. We hope CSTO's efforts will contribute to the restoration of normal life in Kazakhstan. The bloc should strengthen crisis response mechanisms. //

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Daily life started to gradually return to normal in Almaty on Saturday. Grocery shops, banking cards, and TV stations resumed their operations. January 10 was declared a national day of mourning.

Erdogan-allied newspaper criticizes US, Russia, and China, says only Turkey can help Kazakhstan

Yeni Akit newspaper: Turkey good. Everyone else bad. We need to prevent "Arab Spring" in Central Asia.

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https://youtu.be/DarLZ1J_jjE https://newsreadonline.com/criminal-authority-wild-arman-detained-in-kazakhstan-photo/ https://youtu.be/SWa-sJBNOlY https://factor.am/461243.html https://factor.am/461294.html https://factor.am/461294.html https://factor.am/461307.html https://factor.am/461352.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072459.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072469.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072494.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072543.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072558.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072560.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072567.html https://tass.com/world/1385411 https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072571.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072577.html https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/228933 https://factor.am/461623.html

calls are made in Azerbaijan to fire pro-Russian officials to avoid the "Kazakh scenario"

Azerbaijan's "Turan" party leader Jahandar Bayoglu urged authorities to fire pro-Russian officials to "ensure itself against external influences". He said pro-Russian forces have infiltrated ministries, MOD, and security services. He called for a transition from the Russian to Turkish army model.

Bayoglu also called for greater control of NGOs and their leaders in Azerbaijan. He even suggested the dismissal of Parliament.

If the government doesn't take decisive steps, the Kazakh scenario can repeat here, said Bayoglu.

This is a good time to read Samvel Babayan's interview about Aliyev and the decisions he might face.

https://factor.am/461591.html

VIDEO: ethnic clashes reported in Turkey amid a worsening economy

Turkish nationalists attacked and burned down properties belonging to Syrians in Istanbul's Esenyurt district.

It started with ethnic clashes due to unknown reasons, followed by Turkish groups attacking Syrian shops while chanting "This is Turkey, not Syria". Seven people were arrested, including children.

The report says negative attitude towards migrants has worsened in recent times amid the lira's significant devaluation against the dollar and socio-economic problems.

>[prominent pollster is saying] that their findings indicate increasing anti-Syrian sentiments especially high among Turkish youth

75% of Turks don't agree that Syrians contribute to society. 61% want harsh stance by security forces towards Syrian refugees.

https://www.duvarenglish.com/syrian-businesses-attacked-by-fascist-mob-in-istanbuls-esenyurt-video-60096 https://factor.am/461780.html

IMAGE: Netflix show triggers the nationalist circles in Turkey

There is a show that has an episode about Hitler's plans to invade the Caucasus. The map accurately labels Western Armenia as "Armenia". Some Turkish users and officials did not appreciate it and launched an online protest.

https://www.ermenihaber.am/am/news/2022/01/10/Netflix/223065

Turkish Survey: Do you support snap elections?

57% yes

24% no

Opposition & ruling coalitions have equal support:

33% ruling AKP

28% oppo CHP

12.5% oppo iYi

11.5% HDP (separate opposition)

8% ruling MHP

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072575.html

Turkish survey: most important issues

Economy 23%

Migrants 18%

Covid 16% (was #1 last year)

Personal freedoms 7%

Terrorism 7%

Turkish survey: which countries pose threat to Turkey?

Armenia 61%

Israel 60%

USA 56%

Iraq 50%

Southern Cyprus 45% (significantly up)

Turkish survey: military actions abroad

Support for Turkey's military presence in foreign countries: 29% (lowest)

Support for Turkey's cross-border operations: 34% (lowest)

Turkish survey: do you prefer a presidential or parliamentary system?

56% presidential. 44% parliamentary. (same as last year)

Turkish survey: democracy vs authoritarianism vs Islamic state

Democracy is good: 55% (down from 61%)

We need a strong leader who does not have to deal with parliament and elections: 51% (up from 47%)

A religious leader should rule the country: 28%

The army should rule the country: 25%

More data: https://khas.edu.tr/en/haberler/turkey-trends-survey-2021-results-announced https://factor.am/461844.html

Communist Party of Russia drafts a bill to officially recognize Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent states

The author is confident the bill will pass despite his party not having a parliamentary majority.

Putin's spokesman Peskov recently said it's difficult to predict the prospects for the official recognition of DPR and LPR.

https://eadaily.com/ru/news/2022/01/10/v-gosdume-podgotovili-proekt-postanovleniya-o-priznanii-donbassa

construction of Friendship Bridge on Armenia-Georgia border is expected to be complete in a few months

The works began in May 2021 to build a new bridge on the Sadakhlo-Bagratashen area, with a higher capacity and modern standards. The €9 million project, co-financed by both states, will be ready in 1H2022.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072537.html

construction of 9.2 km Nerkin Sasnashen-Metsadzor road is complete

Co-financed by the government and World Bank, the newly restored road connects the M1 highway (east of Talin) to four rural villages.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/228943

update: Amasia election results are being challenged in court

QP party received the most votes but didn't cross 50%. They had 6 council seats. The local incumbents formed a coalition with 9 council seats and held a meeting to elect a mayor. QP filed a lawsuit, arguing that at least 10 votes were necessary to elect a mayor.

https://factor.am/461679.html

update: Parakar council elects a mayor after contested elections

Nobody won 50% in Parakar so a coalition had to be made. QP and its local ally, with combined 11 seats, decided to form a coalition, while Aprelu Yerkir had 10 and fell short of one seat.

After monthlong legal challenges and fake bomb threats (41yo female suspect detained), the council majority finally elected a mayor on the weekend. QP's ally Davit Minasyan from "Davit Minasyan Alliance" will be the mayor for 2.5 years, followed by QP's candidate for the remaining 2.5 years.

https://factor.am/461287.html https://factor.am/461412.html https://factor.am/461449.html

illegal miner confesses

Prosecutors report: A company obtained a license from Nature Ministry in 2012-2015 to extract tuf stone in Katnaghbyur (Aragatsotn). It was later discovered that, without a license, the company also exploited 4.5 hectares of nearby agricultural lands to mine tuf stones worth ֏89 million.

The director was charged with crimes. He confessed and fully recovered the ֏15.6 million in damages and unpaid fees. The case was dropped because it was deemed as medium-severity and it was his first-ever offense. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072592.html

January-November economic growth in the region:

Georgia 10.7%

Azerbaijan 5.3%

Armenia 5.2%

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/228918

Covid stats

3.4k tested. 126 infected. 99 healed. 3 deaths. 3.5k active.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072548.html

in-person classes will resume on Monday for students in grades 3-12

Grades 1-2 have another two weeks of vacation, reminded the Education Ministry over the weekend.

https://factor.am/461297.html

Armenia detects the first two cases of Omicron

Both patients came from abroad. The samples were sequenced in Armenia and revealed to be Omicron. They didn't need hospitalization and will recover at home. Healthcare Ministry advised residents to get vaccinated.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072515.html

vax stats

741k have received both shots (>24%), 952k one shot, 1.2k three shots.

In Artsakh, only 3% are fully vaccinated.

All Russian soldiers in Armenia have been fully vaccinated. Civilian workers associated with the Russian military base are almost fully vaxed.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072545.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072517.html https://www.civilnet.am/news/645845/արցախում-պատվաստվել-է-բնակչության-26-տոկոսը՝-հայաստանից-մոտ-տասն-անգամ-քիչ/

Armenian wine producers will adjust to new Russian law

Starting January 1, Russian law states that only grape wine can be labeled as "wine". Fruit wines exported to Russia must be labeled as "fruit alcohol products", a cheaper category. The main target is powder-flavor fruit wines, but "real pomegranate wines got caught in the crosshair".

To address this, Armenia plans to create a new classification for pomegranate wines – calling it Granatus.

Armenia's Vine and Wine Foundation: Professionally speaking, only grape wines are wine. Armenia produces 6 million liters (and growing) of fruit wine, 3/4th of which is exported. 80% of exports are to Russia.

Together with wine producers, we are thinking about creating an entirely new category of pomegranate wine and introducing it into the market with this new category.

Meanwhile, fruit wine producers could see a significant drop in sales because Russian consumers are sensitive to such changes. If fruit wines are placed on other shelves with other labels, they might not purchase them. //

The government negotiated and achieved a preliminary agreement regarding pomegranate wine, within the EAEU framework.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072536.html

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/s0uqtq/jan102022_1_universal_healthcare_dental_care_war/