2022 July 21

Daily news wrap-up

Your Thursday news digest from Armenia. Jul/21/2022.
by ar_david_hh

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11 minutes. 2965 words.

PHOTO: what did the Armenian archaeologists discover now?

Valuable materials were discovered during the excavations of the Late Bronze Age tomb in the ancient settlement Kanagegh, located in Karmirgyugh (Gegharkunik).

Professor Philiposyan: We are excavating the area of 10 tombs. One of the tombs has two vaults. In one vault the burial was made in the 15th-14th century BC, while in the second in the 3rd-2nd century BC. The time gap suggests it was not dynastic. They probably used it for the second burial because it was a known tomb.

The first vault was vandalized by burglars after we opened it last year. There is a criminal investigation. In the two vaults, we found the remains of ~20 people of various ages and gender, including two children.

The findings will allow us to understand the life expectancy, diseases, possible surgical interventions, diet, and other secrets about their ancient lifestyle.

We found several bronze rings, bracelets, a string of glass beads, a bronze pendant, sardine beads, and a glazed bead.

In various layers we also found skulls of cattle, birds, dogs, and likely a falcon.

The findings indicate a burial site of a person of high social status, with the others being relatives, servants, and animals being sacrificed and buried alongside.

The ancient site of Kanagegh is located underneath barns used by modern-day Karmirgyugh. It used to be a large settlement. The artifacts date back to 3,000 BC. Archaeologists have found 30 tombs in the location, only 9 of which have so far been excavated and examined thoroughly. The process is very costly.

This is a very important site. In 2002 we found a seal belonging to the Kingdom of Mitanni, and many pieces of bronze jewelry and pottery. //

[article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088708.html)

government approves a judiciary reforms strategy for 2022-2026

Justice Minister Andreasyan: This is the continuation of the 2019 strategy. What has already been done is being improved and perfected. Certain things were not implemented because of the pandemic and war. Some are mostly ready and will be implemented in the coming months.

... civil procedures, and later the criminal procedures, will be digitized

▶︎ Attorneys will submit evidence, pleadings, and other materials electronically.

▶︎ Court examinations can be conducted online, without the physical presence of attorneys and attendees.

... integrity checks and Anti-Corruption Courts

▶︎ The full chain of the Anti-Cor︎ruption Courts will be launched in the coming months. The 3 chambers will have specialized anti-corruption courts.

▶︎ Integrity checks are only for newly appointed judges today. After the reforms, all active judges will pass the check. This will be a very serious instrument to fight corruption.

▶︎ Integrity checks for prosecutors, investigators, prison staff, etc.

... other reforms

▶︎ A chance for judges to appeal Supreme Judicial Council's disciplinary decisions.

▶︎ We've reached a rare consensus with the bar association and lawyers to reform the practice of law. Low-income citizens will gain access to "pro bono" free legal services.

▶︎ Bankruptcy laws and compulsory enforcement systems will be reformed to eliminate corruption loopholes.

▶︎ A system of alternative solutions to disputes. The private center for arbitration will be ready in the coming months. The state will assist the center until it's able to function independently. The center will settle disputes between locals, and in the future, it'll expand to cover international disputes.

... Pashinyan about the reforms:

Of crouse we would like this process to move faster, but the critics are wrong when they claim "nothing has been done". Recently I read the report on the EU's Eastern Partnership program. Armenia is in leading positions in a number of directions among the Eastern Partnership countries. It has a section about judiciary reforms.

It's great that we demand more from ourselves, but on the other hand, let's note that the international partners have recorded very major progress in Armenia. Among Eastern Partnership countries, we are leading in a number of directions, including the credibility of elections, the fight against corruption, and freedom of speech.

Digitization is an important part of judicial reforms. It should not be separate from the rest of the system. Today we have numerous digital platforms in Armenia that are not functional. Agencies cannot pull information from each other.

The digital reforms will apply to notary services and judicial processes. In the beginning, the cases, notifications, and document circulation will be carried out digitally. Later, when the system is mature enough, some trials can be held in a written format without the need to go to court. //

[more,](https://youtu.be/tDJ96Cij65Y) [article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088713.html) [article,](https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1088716.html) [article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088719.html) [video,](https://youtu.be/4gqnwylBQAo) Tags: #JudicialReforms

police reforms: hundreds of new vehicles will be acquired from Kocharyan's car dealership ahead of the new Patrol Service's expansion to 4 provinces

The government has decided to allocate ֏3.5b for the purchase of 175 ամենագնաց vehicles.

Police chief: An auction was launched in May but we soon learned that only [Robert Kocharyan's family's] Toyota Yerevan was able to deliver the 175 needed vehicles within the requested timeframe, as long as the amount was paid in advance.

We negotiated with them to acquire 45 mechanical Toyota Fortuners for ֏15.9m each, and 130 automatic units for ֏18.4m.

Pashinyan: We have launched the Patrol's expansion to Kotayk, Tavush, Aragatsotn, and Gegharkunik provinces. The purchase of vehicles is the most expensive part.

You may wonder why the police in Tavush and Lori need vehicles with 6 speakers. There is a vehicle deficit in the market. The options weren't many, and we had to choose vehicles that met the minimum requirements. We even had to drop the requirement for the vehicles to be white and with automatic transmission. This is needed so the police reforms won't be delayed. //

Context: Some members of civil society recently criticized the government for ["favoring" Kocharyan's Toyota business](https://iravaban.net/en/365769.html).

[full,](https://youtu.be/ap6euRqxDM8) [article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088724.html)

VIDEO: ladies from Artsakh tell you about թրթերուկ, one of the oldest sweets in Artsakh

It's prepared from the same dought used in Ժենգյալով հաց.

[video,](https://youtu.be/uKpgyouO4-w)

diasporan businessman donates ֏70m for the construction of roads in Stepanavan

Russian-Armenian benefactor Rafik Yeritsyan is a native of Stepanavan. He is helping with the renovation of two roads.

[article,](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/241149)

diasporan youth are invited to visit Armenia and strengthen their bond with homeland

Diaspora Office chair Sinanyan: The "Step Toward Home" program has invited 98 young diasporans from a dozen countries. They are staying at the Monte Melkonyan military academy in Dilijan. That's also where the ArMath techno-camp is being held. The participants had an opportunity to ask questions about high-tech. //

[article,](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/241206)

Diaspora Office chief Zareh Sinanyan is against NSS's proposal to amend the citizenship law

Context in [July 13 digest](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/vye1gv/jul132022_your_wednesday_news_briefing/). The National Security Service said many applicants are abusing the citizenship laws and committing forgery, so they drafted a bill to require applicants to reside in Armenia for at least 60 days over the span of 2 years to qualify for citizenship.

Zareh Sinanyan: We don't believe this will cause major issues with repatriation, but it's not a positive amendment, so we don't support it.

[article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088731.html)

Artsakh sent a delegation to Baku on July 20

The events unfolded in 1991, after Moscow and Baku teamed up to invade Artsakh. Dozens of Armenian villages fell victim to ethnic cleansing.

Baku had offered Artsakh to take part in Azerbaijani internal elections. Artsakh denied the offer but accepted the offer to fly to Baku for negotiations.

A 6-member Artsakhi delegation, led by Artsakh leader Leonid Petrosyan, agreed to fly from Stepanakert to Baku to negotiate a mutual compromise deal to save the rest of Artsakh. Opponents called it treason. ARF was the biggest and the only opponent.

The Armenian parliament held a vote on whether the delegation should travel. The MPs, including Levon Ter-Petrosyan, voted overwhelmingly to support the move. Kocharyan and Serj also supported it.

The delegation traveled to Baku. Less than a month after returning home, one of the delegation members was murdered. The delegation leader Leonid Petrosyan was assassinated in 1999 in the Armenian parliament. The others were dubbed as traitors who wanted to "give away Artsakh". This is the last-ever visit to Baku.

Azerbaijan and its president Mutallibov were excited about the delegation's arrival. They believed Armenia was ready to give up on the idea of unifying Artsakh and Armenia.

But things unfolded differently. A month later Soviet hardliners made an unsuccessful coup attempt. The collapse of the USSR accelerated. Days later, Azerbaijan declared its independence. Two days later Artsakh did the same.

[article,](http://www.aniarc.am/2022/07/20/nk-leonard-petrossian-visit-baku-july-20-1991/) [article,](https://www.civilnet.am/news/169144/հյդ-ն-միակն-էր-որ-1991-ի-ամռանը-դեմ-էր-բաքու-արցախի-պատվիրակության-այցին/)

government introduces employment support program for veterans

The recipients will be the participants of the 2016 and 2020 wars.

They will be paid over $120/mo to attend a 5-month-long training course at a school or business, or a 3-month internship at a business.

If the veteran is ready, the employer signs an employment contract with a minimum term of 1 year. The employer receives a one-time or a monthly financial payment for one year, as an incentive.

Pashinyan: The research shows that our veterans often encounter problems with finding a job because they lack professional skills. After discussions, it was decided to implement this program to support our boys. //

[terms in detail,](https://youtu.be/fXqo1_31WgE) [article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088723.html)

Pashinyan invites his Belgian counterpart to visit Armenia:

I warmly congratulate you and the friendly people of Belgium on the occasion of the National Day of the Kingdom of Belgium.

In March we celebrated the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, which helped us evaluate our commitments based on common values, to contribute to peace and development in the European family and around the world.

I'm sure with joint efforts our relations will grow including within the AM-EU CEPA agreement. I invite you to visit Armenia at any time convenient for you. //

[article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088706.html)

over 1,000 families from Artsakh have received new housing since 2021, with another 3,800 on their way | VIDEO

Official: Large-scale housing construction began after the war with the help of Artsakh, Armenian, and Himnadram budgets.

1,000 apartments have been distributed already. A third of them are newly built apartments, mostly in Stepanakert.

The recipients include IDP families, families of fallen soldiers, disabled soldiers, activie and reservist personnel, families with 5 or more children, and orphans.

This year over 600 apartments and houses will be distributed, with 90% being in provinces.

We are currently building 1,300 new apartments in Stepanakert and 1,500 in the provinces. The design of additional 1,000 apartments and houses is underway.

There are 8,200 families waiting for a home. It will be possible to solve the issue in the coming years. //

[article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088718.html)

anti-corruption: another state property was sold 39x below its market value

Prosecutors: In 2016 a company was hired, without a proper contract, to estimate the value of state property in Yerevan. They claimed it was worth ֏8.2m. It was subsequently auctioned and sold for only ֏2m in 2018.

The investigation shows that the property was valued at ֏78m in 2016. State Property Management officials are facing felony charges. //

[article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088740.html)

27 communities of Armenia will have a new drinking water delivery and filtration network

Government: The ֏6.2 billion ($14.9m) program will include 27 settlements of Ararat, Syunik, and Gegharkunik. The tender process was launched earlier this year. The construction in some locations will last until 2024.

Some of the communities currently don't have water delivery at all. In others, the network will be rebuilt with new pipes.

Most of the communities are in Ararat province. They rely on Garni springs and outdated pumps. To address the seasonal water shortage, they will have a new infrastructure.

Meghri and Agarak will have new water filtration stations. The one in Agarak was built in the 1960s. It's too weak. //

[article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088730.html)

Aragatsavan mayor denies rumors about "armed Turks" roaming around the village, after an incident involving shepherds

Some outlets circulated reports today about Turkish border guards allegedly holding several Armenian shepherds captive, and that Russian guards negotiated for their release. The reports also claimed that armed Turkish men were traveling in the border village and that the police had urged the residents not to leave their homes.

Mayor Hovsepyan: Armenian shepherds access a specific border region, outside of our village, with a pass granted by Russian guards. They found themselves trapped beyond the border and alerted us about it. The Russian guards responded and went to bring them to our side of the border. The claims about armed Turks traveling in our village are false. //

[article,](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/241208)

Armenian programmers are developing an app for tourists and digital tour guides

[MemoPin](https://memopin.io/) startup co-founder Vardazaryan: The app will digitize the work of tour guides and will allow tourists to easily find the place they want to visit and stay. The idea arose when we noticed that during travel we spent a lot of time understanding where to go and how.

The most painful thing is that a person visits there and starts using Google Maps which doesn't provide personalized information. We decided to create a map where you can save any place you want, see how to get there from the nearest hotel, plan your trip ahead of time before flying, and receive assistance from a guide once you're there.

If tour guides normally serve 10 tourists daily, with the app they can sell their services to hundreds. The guides will have their brand with a separate page and logo. Hotels, restaurants, and other venues can also have their pages.

The app will be available on Android and iOS soon. We are the main sponsor of the October 14-16 "Extraordinary Travel Festival" in Yerevan. //

[article,](https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1088701.html)

surgeons at National Oncology Center have removed a 12kg tumor

The 40x30cm growth was in the patient's abdomen. The left kidney also had to be removed. The 70yo woman was earlier admitted to the hospital with pain complaints. It started to grow 4 years ago and had accelerated in recent months.

The procedure was carried out by Dr. Hmayak Yepremyan's team. The patient was discharged a week later.

[article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088761.html)

Healthcare Minister Avanesyan:

▶︎ Remains of 50 unidentified soldiers who died in 2020 have been sent to the Netherlands for DNA analysis.

▶︎ 45% of the adult population has been fully vaccinated against COVID. Get your booster by fall.

[article,](https://factor.am/536073.html)

PHOTO: construction company is told to restore the original facade of a highrise building in Yerevan

There is a building on Acharyan street that had a wall with giant mosaic and folklore patterns. The wall was (legally) removed during the renovations. Yerevan municipality said the firm will be required to restore its original look.

The building used to belong to a state institute, but it was privatized in 2003, said the municipality.

[article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088745.html)

look at this goal scored by Tigran Barsegyan during UEFA Champions League

His Slovenian team won 1-2.

[video,](https://www.instagram.com/p/CgP437oD89Z/)

job market grew by 8,000 in June: Economy Minister

Kerobyan shoots another record: It stood at 681,050 in June. The labor market continues to grow confidently. That's +38,000 compared to last year. //

2019 June: 605k

2020 June: 609k

2021 June: 643k

2022 June: 681k

[graph](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088766.html)

the element performed by legendary gymnast Arthur Davtyan is named after him by the international federation | PHOTO/VIDEO

Olympic bronze winner Davtyan's pommel horse performance during the 2022 World Cup in Egypt will be officially named "DAVTYAN".

[article,](https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1088720.html)

Armenian students won 1 silver and 3 bronze medals during the 54th Chemistry Olympiad

That's one extra silver compared to last year. The event was held in China last week.

[article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088722.html)

today in history

1774: Russia and Turkey end the war with the Treaty of [Kuchuk-Kainarji](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_K%C3%BC%C3%A7%C3%BCk_Kaynarca), with many concessions to Russia. It was a milestone in the history of the decline of the Ottoman Empire.

1922: Djemal Pasha, the co-organizer of the Armenian Genocide, is assassinated in Tbilisi by ARF members as part of [Operation Nemesis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Nemesis).

[article,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1088692.html) [article,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_21)

in case you missed

Yesterday's news in English, русский (by Impossible-Ad-). Archive by Armeniapedia. Donate to Armenia & Artsakh here

The accused are innocent unless proven guilty in a 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/w4qpxm/your_thursday_news_digest_from_armenia_jul212022/