2022 January 3

Daily news wrap-up

News - Jan/3/2022: (1) Interview w/ Samvel Babayan: Aliyev is facing a tough choice; Roads (2) Bombshell from deceased Azeri general's mom (3) New laws: No tobacco ads, no plastic bag, higher pensions, childbirth aid (4) Grandmasters (5) Anti-Corruption Committee; Ex-Yerevan mayor Taron (6) More ...
by ar_david_hh

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I hope you enjoyed the holidays. This is your 14-minute Monday briefing in 3492 words.

laws that went into effect in 2022

1. minimum pension & aid increase

The increase applies to minimum pension for seniors, disabilities, some soldiers, loss of a breadwinner, care for children under 2, etc.

The minimum pension for seniors went from ֏26.5K to ֏28.6K, and from ֏26.5K to ֏37K for disabled children. Full list in the article.

2. e-pensions, no cash

Haypost post office will process the pensions and other benefits exclusively electronically, with cash exceptions for some groups. This was already implemented in some cities. It's rolling out everywhere.

3. more babies, more money

Parents who already have two children will receive $100/mo for 6 years for giving birth to a third and subsequent child.

There is an intentional "loophole" to help in the case of twins. If you have one child today, and give with to twins, you will receive $200/mo for 6 years.

4. begone plastic bags

The sale of plastic bags thinner than 50 omicrons is prohibited. "[The ban] will lead to the formation of a new culture, which in turn will lead to a reduction in the level of pollution of the environment," said Nature Ministry.

There is a $60 fine for shops that defy the ban. The use of thin plastic bags is still allowed for weighing and purchasing certain types of foods.

Nature Ministry has received various proposals about using biodegradable soluble bags that do not pollute the water. Armenians use up to 4,000 tons of plastic bags annually. That's 30% of all the produced plastic bags. "Eco bag_withme" is a project to promote reusable canvas bags.

5. begone cigarettes

Shops are no longer allowed to publicly display cigarette products or their logos. The law was approved in 2020 and went into effect this January 1.

On March 15, additional regulations will go into effect to ban the use of all tobacco products in all public food establishments (closed or open area).

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072116.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072117.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072115.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072118.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072132.html

VIDEO: Pashinyan visited the army to get drunk with soldiers

They danced:

https://youtu.be/4AXeZe3Ei6w

Covid stats

2.8k tested. 29 infected. 140 healed. 6 deaths. 3.5k active.

vaccine stats

1.660 million vaccinations, 944k first shot, 714k second shots, 0.8k third shots (booster).

Artsakh State Minister Beglaryan urged residents to get vaccinated:

Artak Beglaryan: I got a booster shot. I urge all unvaccinated people not to hesitate and to make this important decision. It's important for you and your family. It's necessary before the arrival of the next wave.

The other day a 40-year-old woman died after struggling for over a month. She had no underlying conditions. It can be any of us or our relatives. Don't believe in rumors and myths. Get vaccinated. My breastfeeding wife and all my brothers have also been vaccinated.

Two weeks ago a group of medical workers wrote a letter to the president to complain about the routine PCR requirement. The event led to a sharp decrease in vaccinations. Upon meeting the medical workers, we learned that many of them were vaccinated and that their complaint was over the PCR tests. Although most of them are vaccinated and believe vaccination is important, their actions harmed the vaccination efforts and perhaps led to deaths among people who planned to vaccinate but decided not to, after the protest.

Think twice before spreading propaganda against vaccination, especially if you are not an epidemiologist or a scientist in the relevant field. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072129.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072124.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072166.html

the new Anti-Corruption Committee will be "busy" in 2022

A new facility will be built in the Silikian district by 2024. This is where most corruption investigations will take place. They currently operate in the now-dissolved SIS facility.

ACC will go into full force in March. It will have 100 investigators who will be chosen independently.

ACC chief Khachatryan: The applicants will be vetted. The board that appoints them is independent, consisting of members from NGOs, HRO, Justice Ministry, and prosecutor's office.

We plan to investigate over 2,000 criminal cases this year, up from 160 that are being investigated at the moment.

We either need more resources, or fewer cases to investigate. This is why we proposed a bill to "filter out" what cases reach ACC. We need to prioritize those with great significance. Our agency should not investigate things such as domestic violence by officials. //

To improve efficiency, ACC will become the only agency tasked with anti-corruption. Until now, it was handled NSS, SIS, IRS, and Investigative Committee.

https://youtu.be/o8pUzjiYeLw https://www.1lurer.am/hy/2022/01/03/Հակակոռուպցիոն-կոմիտեն-այս-տարի-կաշխատի-գերծանրաբեռնված/636189

update: preliminary criminal investigation against ex-Yerevan mayor Taron Margaryan & ex-HHK MP Galust Sahakyan's son

Investigative Committee reports: while he was still a deputy mayor, Taron Margaryan decided to appropriate lands belonging to Yerevan's No. 16 special school, for himself and his family members.

Margaryan instructed his subordinates to redraw the school boundaries and intentionally leave out the desired lands. The subordinates committed the forgery.

As a Yerevan mayor, Margaryan approved the forgery in 2011. He then auctioned the land to a buyer for ֏22.7M, lower than the market value. Days later, the "lucky" buyer split the land into pieces and sold them to Margaryan's godson and the director of the special school.

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Similarly, Margaryan stole lands from Yerevan's No. 64 preschool. He auctioned it to a family friend for only ֏5.4M. The family friend happened to be the preschool director's father.

He then stole more lands in a similar fashion, from the same preschool, and sold them to the same family friend.

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Similarly, the former head of State Property Management Department Arman Sahakyan (the son of ex-HHK MP Galust Sahakyan), stole lands belonging to school No. 185. It was split between his brother, mayor Margaryan's aide, and relatives of Ajapnyak district chief.

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Margaryan, Sahakyan, and several others are charged with multiple criminal counts. The case is sent to the prosecutor's office for court proceedings. //

Details: https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072150.html https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1016848.html

forest agents block a wildfire from spreading in Dilijan National Park

A fire was extinguished in Dilijan Park on Sunday. Forest guards discovered an abandoned dog. They believe it belongs to poachers who fled the scene after causing a fire.

https://www.1lurer.am/hy/2022/01/03/«Դիլիջան»-ազգային-պարկում-մարդկային-գործոնի-հետևանքով-hրդեհ-է-բռնկվել/636085

post office lowers the cost of delivery of small parcels to U.S. by up to 40%

Haypost signed a contract with American USPS to lower the cost of trackable packages that weigh under 2kg. It appears to be a temporary event.

https://www.haypost.am/am/new-tariffs-USA https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072136.html

Iran Airtour launches Tehran-Yerevan-Tehran flights

Starting January 1. Twice a week.

www.iranairtour.ir

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072168.html

VIDEO: diasporans Mari Mirzoyan and Haykaz Vorberyan moved from Iraq to Armenia a decade ago

https://youtu.be/FYRpNpkLk_U

Turkish-Armenian intellectual, travel writer, and entrepreneur Sevan Nişanyan will be deported from Greece

In 2014, dissident Nishanyan was sentenced to over a decade by a Turkish court over alleged "unlicensed construction" charges. Critics argued it was politically motivated over his public activities.

Nishanyan escaped the prison shortly afterward. "Turkey has turned into a veritable madhouse in the last few years. I feel relieved and liberated for getting out of that insane pressure chamber."

Nishanyan settled in Greece after the escape but his marriage documents, which allowed him to stay in Greece, recently expired so he is facing deportation. He was on Thursday.

Because he is [also] an Armenian citizen since 2019, the Armenian embassy in Greece contacted local authorities. They visited Nishanyan in jail. The court will soon announce which country he will be deported to.

https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/09/28/546999577/turkey-has-turned-into-a-veritable-madhouse-says-intellectual-who-escaped-jail https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072120.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072178.html https://www.civilnet.am/news/645489/սևան-նշանյանին-հունաստանում-ձերբակալել-են-հնարավոր-է՝-արտաքսեն-թուրքիա/ https://www.civilnet.am/news/191345/սևան-նշանյանը-հայաստանի-անձնագիր-է-ստացել/

Kanye West continues to "stalk" Kardashian and her new lover Pete Davidson 🍿

News piece was requested by readers.

Kanye West is an emotional man. After outbursts over his divorce and the decision to purchase the property in front of Kim's house, West surprised his fans with an announcement about hosting a new year's show in the same city where Kim's lover Pete Davidson planned to host his.

>West is still hoping that he and his estranged wife can work things out — even as she takes steps to make their split legally official.

>"He's not giving up without a fight. Kim is the mother of his children and he's not going to just let that go," the source said

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kanye-west-announces-surprise-years-042250027.html

Ninety-Nine Fascinating Finds Revealed in 2021

The year’s most exciting discoveries include a Viking “piggy bank,” a lost Native American settlement and a secret passageway hidden behind a bookshelf

>Several decades after the Picasso painting’s creation, Armenian American artist Arshile Gorky pasted a work titled The Limit (1947) over another abstract creation now known as Untitled (Virginia Summer).

>Gorky’s daughter Maro Spender had long suspected that another composition was hidden beneath The Limit, and lockdown presented the perfect opportunity to investigate further. Separating the work on paper from its canvas, conservators spotted a vibrant landscape rendered in shades of green and blue. Gorky probably painted the scene in the summer of 1947 and reused its canvas as a cost-cutting measure.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/99-fascinating-finds-revealed-in-2021-180979281/

Ranking: Armenia has given birth to many chess grandmasters since 1992

Russia 37 GMs

India 35

USA 19

China 17

Ukraine 15 (Pop. 44 million)

Armenia 11 (Pop. 3 million)

Germany 11 (Pop. 83 million)

https://arka.am/en/news/sport/armenia_shares_6th_7th_places_in_ranking_of_gms_born_after_1992/

beloved Azeri general's mother claims her son was murdered by a jealous colleague, not Armenians

Azerbaijan attacked Armenia's Tavush province with drones and special forces in July 2020. During the clashes, Azeris reported that a famous general Polad Hashimov was killed in action. His mother thinks otherwise.

Azeri reporter Mirza Mammadov: The mother of the Major General Polad Hashimov told the truth that his son was killed by the chief of staff Karim Veliyev to take his place. MOD of Azerbaijan spread a lie that the general was killed by the Armenian forces in July 2020. //

Mother: Karim Valiyev had my son killed so that he would get the position. Let President Ilham Aliyev hear this. A general of Azerbaijan died, and no commemoration was held even for a day. The guilt of this is all on Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov. //

https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/news/297692/ https://twitter.com/Mirzali_FR/status/1477653152518258693 https://archive.fo/YGQ9t

Azeri soldier is wounded from a landmine explosion in Artsakh's Azeri-controlled Karvachar region

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072138.html

Kurdish SDF: Turkish forces bombed a mosque in northeast Syria

>Turkish forces bombarded villages of Hasaka province in northeast Syria (Rojava) late Thursday, killing at least two civilians and injuring three others

https://youtu.be/SB2H8auTwwA https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/30122021

Turkey wants to reduce reliance on gas imports by pumping own gas from the Black Sea

Turkey recently discovered 540 bcm gas reserves in its Black Sea territories. Its annual consumption is 48 bcm. Only 0.4 bcm is currently produced locally.

They plan to reduce the reliance on imports by pumping their gas to all provinces. A new large gas processing factory is being built for that purpose.

By 2027, domestic gas is expected to cover a third of demand.

https://www.dw.com/ru/turcija-namerena-obespechit-vsju-stranu-chernomorskim-gazom/a-60310298 https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-lights-first-gas-flare-at-sakarya-field-in-black-sea-166662 https://factor.am/460286.html

France: We will continue to act in favor of strengthening cooperation between Armenia and EU

France has recently taken over the presidency of the Council of EU. The French ambassador sent New Year wishes to Armenia and vowed to strengthen the AM-EU ties.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072185.html

Armenia assumes CSTO rotating chairmanship

It rotates every year.

>Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the CSTO Viktor Biyagov assumed this post, while the country’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan became the Chairman of the CSTO Collective Security Council.

https://arka.am/en/news/politics/armenia_assumes_csto_rotating_chairmanship/

Iranian president Raisi: Tehran supports Armenia's sovereignty over all roads passing through Armenia

Raisi and Pashinyan spoke over the phone on Monday. Iran welcomes the efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072184.html

==interview with Gen. Samvel Babayan about relations with Russia, geopolitics, new roads, the choice that Azerbaijan has to make:

It's a long interview so here are some parts.

Reporter: Azerbaijan likes to talk about a "corridor". What is it about?

Babayan: Azerbaijan says what it wants to hear, but there isn't going to be a "corridor". There is going to be an international Turkey-Armenia-Azerbaijan-Russia road with customs. They also need to discuss border demarcation and the Artsakh conflict to establish peace.

Reporter: Will there be Armenian and Russian border agents, or only Russian?

Babayan: Armenia already has a contract with Russia. There are and will be Russian border guards in Armenia. There is an agreement for Russian guards to conduct border checks. When you come from Georgia, Russians check your passport before the Armenian customs does.

If we open a road with Azerbaijan tomorrow, it will work the same way. Russians are the first line, followed by Armenian customs.

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Reporter: Anything new in Sochi and Brussels?

Babayan: Nothing new. They agreed to open the railways. It won't happen until 2025-26. Azerbaijan hopes by 2024 but I have doubts because of the difficult terrain in Horadiz-Jabrayil-etc.

The same about a road. They won't finish the Horadiz-Araks-Armenia road until June 2023 at best.

The road will be beneficial for Armenia and Azerbaijan. From the Mediterranean to Rostov, see how many countries can use that highway. Part of today's Turkish flow to Russia will go through this road for cost reduction.

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Babayan: NATO and Russia will negotiate in January. If it's confirmed that the ex-USSR and the Caucasus region will remain under Russia's sphere of influence, Azerbaijan will either resist that, or they will wise up and treat negotiations with Armenia more seriously.

Reporter: Analysts say Turkey has left the Western sphere of influence and that the West could take steps that will be fatal for Turkey. There is the issue of Kurdistan and Wilsonian Armenia. What is Turkey's future?

Babayan: Turkey will sooner or later pay for its actions. When the West comes to its senses 5-10 years from now, Turkey will pay for the problems it created for the West. Turkey wants to forcefully create its own market and "steal" from others. The West won't let that happen.

Russia is suffocating. They need a 300 million market to thrive. That's why they are working on getting the ex-USSR region. Turkey wants to compete here by stealing Central Asia and South Caucasus markets. Turkey has to stop. Their march is over. Russia could explain this to them in private.

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Babayan: Azerbaijan will wise up and realize Karabakh isn't its property and it has to agree to serious concessions, otherwise they'll deal with Russia. Time will show what it will look like.

Why did Russia enter Karabakh? Not to defend Armenians. It should be viewed under the context of January 10 NATO-Russia talks about regional influence.

If Azerbaijan truly wants peace, it should resolve the Karabakh conflict. Aliyev's words that the conflict was resolved is cynicism. Every day he talks about "Armenians wanting a revanche". By refusing to resolve the conflict, he is creating ground for a revanche. Careful because a revanche could end at an unexpected place.

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Reporter: How do you explain Aliyev's childish behavior with his taunts at Pashinyan after the war?

Babayan: They were waiting for a victory for 26 years. They got it because our military leadership was weak. Azerbaijan saw that. They won the lottery. Every week Aliyev talks about Armenians wanting a revanche because he understands that they attacked small Artsakh with Azeri and Turkish forces. They understand they won a lottery. Unless they go for concessions, there will be another war.

It's possible to find a formula to keep Artsakh independent while making the Azeri and Armenian sides satisfied. As far as I can tell, the Armenian government is ready. Are Azeris?

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Reporter: If there is another war, what makes you think we won't lose again? Has the corruption and unprofessionalism ended in the military?

Babayan: First. We had those problems because we never really understood what the 1990s victory was. It was like a food served to you. People took it for granted.

Second. There are Iran and Russia, and neither want Azerbaijan to gain power.

Azerbaijan started the war because it had received a green light. Armenia can also receive that "permission" later.

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Reporter: Which countries stood behind Azerbaijan in 2020?

Babayan: Turkey had been trying to enter the Caucasus for 30 years. They sent their special forces and the hired militants. What was our main ally Russia doing in the meantime? Silence. That silence helped Azerbaijan. The Caucasus was supposed to be your sphere of influence. Why are you now holding talks with NATO to reaffirm it?

Canada sold them Bayraktars' brains. Americans sold something. Russia sold them $6B weapons. Israel sold $5B weapons, etc. but it was mainly Turkey and their mercenaries that carried out the organized attack on tiny Artsakh.

Where was the "regional influencer" Russia looking at? They don't like it now when Ukraine buys Bayraktars, right? Russia scolds Turkey for selling the drones to Ukraine. Turkey says "it's just business". Russia gave the same answer to Armenia 10 years ago when they sold weapons to Azerbaijan. "It's just business." Do you like what you got?

Reporter: Do you believe Armenia should remain with Russia or move towards the West?

Babayan: It depends on Russia's actions. If you tell me you're my ally then stab me in the back and say "Azerbaijan is also our ally", then I don't want to be your ally. That's not how it works. You've sacrificed so many people [presumably Armenians] to appease Azerbaijan. That was a mistake.

Reporter: But on the other hand, some influential media and political figures in Russia (Margarita Simonyan, Kurginyan, etc.) claim it's Armenia that damaged the relations by arresting the sitting CSTO chief Yuri Khachaturov.

Babayan: That's not how diplomacy and relations work. Pashinyan has been a better Russian ally than any other previous Armenian leader. I have never seen him shift towards West. It's one thing when he makes statements as an opposition politician, but as a leader, he has been pro-Russian. Today, too, Pashinyan is the closest to Russia, closer than Aliyev and ex-leaders of Armenia.

I have a question for people making those assertions about relations. Azerbaijan had purchased $20 billion in weapons. $6 billion of that came from you, Russia. Your intel knew about all the purchases made by Azerbaijan. Couldn't you either arm Armenians or force them to leave the territories? You did neither. Now you say you made "suggestions". That's not a serious talk one would expect from an ally.

Russia did not take steps during the war. Then the Russian press claimed that Russia helped Armenia a lot during the war. How did you help? With missile deliveries? For your 102nd military base in Gyumri? Be quiet now, just as you were quiet during the war.

Russia did use its influence to stop the war while protecting Azeri interests in order not to offend them. But sooner or later you will have to offend Azerbaijan. You will have to offend them because they want a big cake, they want to help their Turkish brothers with Central Asia and South Caucasus. Think about it.

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Reporter: Don't you think Russia's rhetoric has changed after the war? If before the war the major Russian outlets, including those led by ethnic Armenians [Margarita, Roman Babayan, Keosayan, Kurginyan] were attacking Pashinyan, after the war Vladimir Putin publicly defended Pashinyan, saying he is working to protect Armenia's interests. What has changed? Putin said that although the world recognizes that Karabakh is de jure Azerbaijan, "there are nuances" there. Then MFA Lavrov gave an interview and said "The status of Nagorno-Karabakh is not mentioned in the November 9 document. That's intentional. The territory where the Russian peacekeepers are deployed is a zone of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers". He did not refer to it as part of Azerbaijan. Is something changing?

Babayan: So far I don't have the sense that something has changed. Russian officials can use terminology beneficial to them. They can do that as a hint for Azerbaijan that "it can be this way if you don't play along". We should not rush. We should hold negotiations. Russia must understand that without Karabakh, Armenia will not be its ally.

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Reporter: Russia wants to integrate Azerbaijan into EAEU. Russian politician Alexander Dugin openly said that Azerbaijan recovered control of Karabakh territories only because Russia agreed to it, and that "now it's Azerbaijan's turn" to return the favor by joining EAEU. Maybe that's his personal opinion. Earlier you said Azerbaijan would not join EAEU. Do you still think that way?

Babayan: Let's wait for the Brussels negotiations between NATO-Russia. Azerbaijan does not want to join EAEU. Why would Azerbaijan want to lose its sovereignty? Either they will go for a Karabakh concession, or they will lose part of their sovereignty. That's what Georgia did by giving Abkhazia and Ossetia. Azerbaijan will eventually do the same if they face the same issue. So far they think they are smart. We will see. Let's not rush. //

https://youtu.be/z7PkL3dlJMI

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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/rvba32/news_jan32022_1_interview_w_samvel_babayan_aliyev/