2022 July 27

Daily news wrap-up

Wednesday news summary from Armenia. Jul/27/2022.
by ar_david_hh

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13 minutes. 3780 words.

Russia provides assistance to gay communities of Armenia and former Soviet republics

Russia has transferred monkeypox test kits to Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The kits were produced by the state research center VECTOR.

Official: Testing is already available in Russia. Our experts at RosPotrebNadzor are organizing special seminars for their foreign colleagues to help them with lab diagnostics.

[read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089073.html)

Русские в Армении - опрос в Ереване. Что изменилось после 24 февраля?

What has changed since February 24? A 3-hour-long documentary by a Russian blogger (an actual hobbit, no joke) interviewing Russians who migrated to Armenia after the invasion of Ukraine.

They talk about advantages and disadvantages, weird and interesting local traditions.

[watch,](https://youtu.be/vAZZBsDXiUo)

слава ударникам коммунистического труда!

The government discussed the restoration of the Soviet-era "Փառք աշխատանքին" (glory to work) statue (aka Banvor/Banvori Ardzan) dedicated to laborers.

The 11-meter statue of a man, who was walking toward Western Armenia, was built by Ara Harutyunyan in 1982 before being removed and dismantled. It was in the Shengavit district. The square where the statue was raised is commonly referred to as "Բանվորի արձանի հրապարակ" (worker statue square), even long after its demolition in 1997.

The sculptor learned about the dismantling of his work by an accident, and fell ill. This was one of many Soviet-era statues that were removed amid the rise of anti-Soviet sentiments in the early 1990s.

In 2004 a group finally found the dismantled statue in a factory in Shengavit. Only the head, fist, arms, legs, and shoe are preserved. Last month an exhibition was organized during which the head and fist were displayed to the public.

Now the hammer and sickle-swinging Pashinyan wants to revive the statue. State agencies and Armenia's art community gathered today to organize public hearings about the restoration.

[read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089100.html)

Yerevan subway was shut down after train operators went on strike for a salary increase

All stations were closed at 6:00 am because the conductors were on strike. The director launched negotiations and promised to discuss their demands. They returned to work 3.5 hours later and promised not to strike again.

[read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089058.html) [read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089066.html) [read,](https://factor.am/537896.html) [read,](https://www.azatutyun.am/a/31962136.html)

government is giving away cash and business skills to help low-income families launch their own businesses

Labor Ministry: 300 families who receive poverty benefits will qualify for up to ֏1.6m in business grants, as part of a program to transition from dependency to entrepreneurship. The families will first receive training and business management skills. //

It's financed with the help of Japan.

[read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089122.html)

chip manufacturer AMD's corporate vice presidents visited Armenia

Deputy PM Matevosyan hosted Amit Gupta and Jayshree Rangarajan on Wednesday. They were joined by representatives from Armenia's national investment promotion authority "Enterprise Armenia" (Investment Support Center).

Semiconductor company Xilinx established a branch in Yerevan in 2019. They merged with AMD earlier this year.

Deputy PM: Thanks for comping. We hope that with the help of local experts, your Yerevan office will become an important part of AMD. We have various programs to support tech and startup companies and attract leading tech players. Let's discuss opportunities for AMD to expand its activities in Armenia.

AMD reps: Armenia has the young talent we need. We will do our best to find, educate, and hire them.

Deputy PM: Two years ago we launched a program to train qualified specialists. Let's come up with joint training programs. We should also digitize the state agencies together.

[read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089080.html)

Armenia's largest taxpayer plans to invest $65 million in the Zangezur copper plant to process more copper-molybdenum ore

Recently, Russian gold miner GeoProMining purchased the majority shares of the Zangezur copper plant from other private owners, before donating 15% to the government for nationalization.

The copper plant paid a [whopping ֏b104b](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/w8usew/tuesday_news_summary_from_armenia_jul262022/) ($255 million) in taxes in H1 2022 alone, up from last year's ֏27b (pshhh).

This year they plan to invest $65 million to revamp Zangezur's equipment to increase the ore processing from 17.6m tons to 22m tons.

[read,](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/241473)

a 10-day census will be conducted electronically for the first time in Armenia

This will be the 3rd census in the history of the 3rd republic. For the first time, it will be done electronically. The full results of the October 13-22 census will be published in Q4 2023, but the summary will be made available in Q1.

Statistical Committee: This year, for the first time, a combined method will be used for the census.

The basic figures will be obtained from the administrative registrar: ethnicity, citizenship, age, gender, but these questions will nevertheless be asked in the questionnaire.

We will use the administrative registrar and conduct a 25% sample survey. The system is automatically doing the selection. Enumerators will visit every 4th household in each community and fill in the electronic questionnaire using tablets.

Citizens will also be asked about how they make a living, citizenship, and double citizenship. Other questions refer to education, health, employment, living conditions, and marital status.

This year there will be new questions about the person's health, etc. There will be 39 main questions and 5 about the living conditions of the household.

Citizens are required to answer these questions, except for the ones about their ethnicity, language, and religion. Personal information will not be published. Only general statistics are published.

Around 2,200 enumerators, one inspector every 6 enumerator, and 27 coordinators will conduct the census.

We are testing the servers. It's almost ready. In the past, we had to hire staff to enter the collected data into the electronic database. Now the completed application automatically enters the database.

The residents should allow enumerators to visit their homes. If not, they can send a household member to a designated location to answer the questions. //

[read,](https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1089089.html) [read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089089.html) [read,](http://arka.am/en/news/society/third_census_to_be_conducted_in_armenia_in_october_2022/)

diplomacy

▶︎ FM Mirzoyan visited Czechia. He met several officials to discuss regional and international issues POWs, communication links, domestic reforms, and AM-EU relations. Czechia said the Geneva Conventions must be respected while addressing humanitarian issues in Nagorno-Karabakh.

▶︎ Deputy parliament speaker Ruben Rubinyan hosted the ambassador of France to share details about the ongoing efforts to normalize diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey.

▶︎ The US is providing technical support and technical advice to Armenia and Azerbaijan to help open the regional communication routes, said ambassador Tracy, a day after Blinken's office said there is a historic opportunity to establish peace in South Caucasus.

▶︎ UN General Assembly chief Abdulla Shahid visited Armenia to discuss regional issues including POWs. He visited the Genocide Memorial and Museum after meeting officials.

[read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089096.html) [read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089075.html) [read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089103.html) [read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089109.html) [read,](https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/news/301747/) [read,](http://arka.am/en/news/politics/czech_republic_says_international_law_and_geneva_conventions_must_be_respected_as_part_of_humanitari/)

Hard Rock Cafe will open a branch in Yerevan soon | VIDEO/PHOTO

Late last year [we learned](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/rftf7r/dec132021_armenia_turkey_could_meet_soon_charter/) that the world-famous Hard Rock Cafe was in talks with the government and "Food Republic" company to open its first branch in Yerevan. Their representatives held meetings with the state ANIF fund. The plan was to open it in Q2 2022.

It will open soon on 3/1 Pushkin Street. It is not a simple restaurant or a cafe, it is an "experience" with high-quality service, said the company.

State ANIF fund has invested $500,000 in the project.

ANIF rep: We've been working with Dom Arena for about two years for the launch of the investment program. It will create 100 permanent jobs and bring new quality and culture to the hospitality sector in Armenia.

Dom Arena director: The Hard Rock Cafe will generate impressions for visitors. Here you can listen to quality music, enjoy the unique cuisine (especially American and Mexican), and see personal items belonging to Michael Jackson, Cher, and other celebrities.

Alberto Rodríguez, cafe director: We are happy about the opening of the branch in Yerevan. A place with unique architecture has been chosen for it. //

Coming SOON. There are already branches in 70 countries. The first one opened in London in 1971. ANIF has a 48% participation in the Yerevan branch.

[watch,](https://youtu.be/kwkznDf6BZk) [see,](https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1089081.html) [read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089081.html)

movie and food are not always a great match

The Union of Armenian Cinematographers has filed a lawsuit to stop the construction of a restaurant in their backyard. They've been using the Yerevan facility's backyard for movie events and gatherings for years. Now someone is building a զխտկվելանոց.

The court ordered the construction to halt in May, but the appeals court allowed it to proceed.

Union lawyer: Now-mayor Hrachya Sargsyan gave the construction permit in 2020 while he was still the deputy mayor. The backyard park was subsequently registered under someone's name. We are challenging that decision in court. We also tried to challenge the construction itself. The next step is to contact the Anti-Corruption Committee and international courts. //

The new landlord denied the accusations, saying the construction is legal.

[watch the drama,](https://youtu.be/lUcj_f8GvvU) [read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089121.html)

each Yerevan resident must be assigned a personal street sweeper to clean up the shit after them: said the deputy mayor, but more nicely

1.1 million residents means we need 1.1 million sanitation workers, jokingly said Kamo Areyan today. The city recently hired 200 more cleaners. Their shift begins at 5:30 am. A few hours later, the city is again floating in the trash, even in downtown where we have many trash cans, complained Areyan.

The fine for illegal dumping will quadruple to $500 if the government accepts the proposed amendment. In the meantime, the city relies on Russian migrants-visitors who launched an eco-campaign in April.

Mayor: ամո՛թ է որ զբոսաշրջիկներն են Երևանը մաքրում աղբից:

[read,](https://factor.am/538175.html)

man detonates a grenade in a condo backyard to scare his opponent during a fistfight

A fight broke out in Kapan. It turns out a man had told his neighbor not to drive fast in the backyard. This led to an argument. The neighbor went to his apartment, brought a RGD grenade, and blew it up in the middle of the backyard, before taking a good beating from the man.

[read,](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/241469)

parliamentary committee summons a meeting to discuss the growing injury incidents involving electric scooters

Hundreds of residents have been hospitalized in recent months. The attendees agreed that scooters should have a dedicated lane on streets or sidewalks so they won't ride in pedestrian areas.

The MPs also entertained the idea of imposing age limits for riders, and a requirement for only 1 person to be on the scooter. The discussions will continue.

Yerevan councilman Khazhakyan wants the scooter companies to use GPS to cap the scooter's speed. He earlier suggested shutting down one of Yerevan's central avenues for vehicles on weekends so that cyclists, scooters, and pedestrians can enjoy the downtown more easily.

[read,](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/241492) [read,](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/241493)

cattle will be numbered and registered starting in October to help raise the meat quality standards and allow for more exports, especially to Europe

Economy Ministry, food inspectors, and officials summoned a meeting to discuss the upcoming program.

Official: This is an important and mandatory state program. It will regulate the livestock movement, number the animals, require the use of certified slaughterhouses, prevent diseases, etc.

Guests: We are concerned that some farmers will try to hide the cattle. Similar cheating in the past has led to improper animal vaccinations and the spread of diseases. But it is possible to address this issue if various departments coordinate their activities.

[read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089119.html)

reforms in consumer protection law will prohibit "misleading discounts" starting next month

Competition Protection Commission: We studied the complaints filed by consumers and the loopholes. For example:

▶︎ The seller slaps a "discount" tag on the item but it turns out the regular price is lower than the "discount".

▶︎ The seller hides important details about the discount. The client hears about discounted tiles, visits the shop, but learns that the discount is for the 3rd tile if they buy 2.

▶︎ The seller advertises a discount on products to attract customers, who soon realize there are no discounts.

▶︎ The seller claims an item is on discount but the price hasn't changed for years. There can't be "indefinite" discounts, the maximum will be 3 months.

▶︎ The seller attracts clients with an advertised discount, but they soon realize they must buy a "bundle" that includes different items.

▶︎ The regular price before the discount must be clearly visible.

... what's the penalty?

Up to 5% of the previous year's revenue. Competitor companies and consumers will be able to report dishonest sellers. We've launched 10 new investigations on average every year, in recent years. //

[watch fully,](https://youtu.be/mvqECMS1R6U) [read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089090.html)

safety inspectors issued fines to gas stations for violating the fire safety code

Authorities: The recent inspections at gas stations in Gegharkunik have uncovered fire safety violations in 3 stations belonging to Sirakanyan, Suvaryan, and Petrosyan. They were not properly registered and did not undergo the mandatory annual tech & safety exams. They will pay a ֏1m fine.

[read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089091.html)

firefighters set up temporary bases near forests to cut the response time

Because of the hot weather, Emergency Ministry instructed firefighter and rescuer teams to set up two temporary stations right next to forests located in Vayots Dzor and Aragatsotn provinces.

[read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089107.html)

US experts arrive in Armenia to share their skills on containing forest fires

The guests are retired American forest service agents. Dozens of Armenian firefighters are attending the 3-day lecture.

[read,](https://factor.am/538170.html)

construction of Armenia's first sanitary landfill is underway | VIDEO

Europe is financing the construction of the €11m landfill with higher environmental standards.

Located in Hrazdan, the 25-hectare landfill will serve the residents of Kotayk and Gegharkunik for at least 25 years.

The two provinces will have a new integrated garbage collection system. The construction will finish this year.

[watch,](https://youtu.be/Oyzw4fv-JLU) [read,](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/241505)

Armenia sends 13 young boxers to an international tournament in Georgia, 12 of them return with medals

The tournament was named after Akaki Kakauridze. Armenian teens won 5 gold, 6 silver, and 1 bronze.

[read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089069.html)

Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler becomes the world junior champion after defeating Turkish and Iranian athletes

Gaspar Terteryan wins gold in the world junior championship.

[read,](https://factor.am/538244.html)

Chess Olympiad is about to begin

Armenia men's and women's teams will compete in India from July 29 to August 10. The women's team is led by European champion Elina Danielyan. There will be no predator robots. (thank you)

[read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089071.html)

560-million-year-old fossil found in the UK has been identified as the earliest known animal predator | VIDEO

It was a sea creature, similar to jellyfish and corals. The scientists named it after the legendary British naturalist David Attenborough.

[watch,](https://youtu.be/vtvGX6kPlcQ) [read,](https://apnews.com/article/science-fossils-england-animals-corals-43084e3f3363c5f27201676154496841)

Dr. Ourian, Kim Kardashian's dermatologist, reveals her secrets

To look her best without going under the knife, Kim Kardashian turns to a cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Simon Ourian.

According to Dr. Ourian, there are three facial features that seem to be universally considered beautiful: symmetry, proportion, and healthy skin. Kim's face is very symmetrical, her facial features are proportionate, and she takes care of her face.

[watch & read](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11018437/Kim-Kardashians-cosmetic-dermatologist-reveals-secret-looking-beautiful.html)

anti-corruption: prosecutors launch an asset forfeiture case against Serj's deputy energy minister

Prosecutors: Vardan Gevorgyan served as the deputy energy minister in 2016. Court documents have been filed to confiscate the illegal property under the possession of Gevorgyan and his wife. They are allowed to present evidence the property was obtained with legal funds. //

[read,](https://factor.am/538036.html)

anti-corruption: asset forfeiture case is launched against the family of disgraced general Manvel Grigoryan accused of embezzlement

Grigoryan died in 2020. He was arrested in 2018 and charged with illegal possession of stolen army food, which he used to feed the animals in his private zoo, as well as illegal possession of weapons. His family members are facing additional corruption charges.

Last month prosecutors filed an asset forfeiture case against Grigoryan's heirs and associates to confiscate the following:

▶︎ 28 real estate properties and 16 vehicles, worth ֏2.5b ($6.1m).

▶︎ ֏668m in loan ownership rights.

▶︎ ֏38m in allegedly illegal cash

▶︎ ֏17m, the legal origins of which could not be explained.

[read,](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1089110.html)

interview with military expert Artsrun Hovhannisyan about army reforms and generals who never even liked the idea of independent Armenia

Artsrun: For many years, the best ones were pushed out of the army because of nepotism, bribery, and generally the poor treatment of officers. Complaints from those who fought on the battlefield were ignored. New lieutenants were "stamped and manufactured" within months. The soldiers' housing and social needs weren't taken care of. Combined with the lack of decent values in society and poor education, it was a recipe for disaster.

We started taking tiny and half-baked steps after April 2016, and somewhat better steps after 2018, but the problem is rooted so deeply that it's going to be difficult.

MOD Papikyan recently introduced fantastic reforms [free housing for military academy graduates]. Our future generations will be taken care of. With a few more steps to raise the image of an elite officer, we can solve the problem.

But what about all the apartments the previous generations were promised? This is a longstanding issue that's not the fault of any particular CoGS or one person.

While studying the 1920 fall of Kars, we read the analysis of those who were present and wrote about the events. They wrote that the Armenian army's officer rank did not believe in independent Armenia, and did not want to serve an independent Armenia. They dreamed of returning to an [Russian] empire.

We have the same problem in our modern republic. A large share of officer staff, especially among the very highest, dreamed about being part of another empire. They continued to maintain connections and receive pensions from other countries.

Reporter: Why not legally execute them for treason? [dude...]

Artsrun: Raise that question at the right place, at the right time.

Reporter: Hmmm...

Artsrun: Anyways. They never believed in an independent Armenia. Can you expect them to do a great job? A generational change never took place in the Armenian army.

My generation, the generation of independence, who got all the blame for the 2020 loss, was never even given a chance to make decisions. If you are not a decision-maker, you are only an assistant, but you are expected to deliver results, that's not fair.

Reporter: We have several Colonel Generals. None of them are being asked for advice. Everyone goes to the lower rank.

Artsrun: When you have generals who have no spiritual connection to this country... a very small percentage of them have an Armenian dream. A small percentage of them fought for independent Armenia. Most of them were striving to be part of a big empire, partly because they've always dreamed of leading a bigger army.

Reporter: Is this why we had 4 colonel generals in an army size of two brigades?

Artsrun: etc., etc.,... there are many reasons. They swore to another country [presumably USSR], and you normally swear only once in your life. Another major reason was that people never read books.

Reporter: I highly doubt our general staff is literate.

Artsrun: You must continuously study the global experience, accept your mistakes, and learn from others, but most importantly you must dream and be proud of representing an independent Armenia.

Reporter: Retire everyone above colonel!

Artsrun: Not everyone. There are a few good and devoted generals. Those with a new mentality and new education must carry out the army reforms. This is why I like our newly appointed CoGS. He is well educated and has the knowledge. I have very high expectations from him about reforms in the army structure, training, etc.

Reporter: How long should we give him?

Artsrun: Ideally we would want it within 6 months, but it would be unrealistic. You would need lots of resources to implement it sooner than 1-2 years. But for a good reform, we need 5 years.

Reporter: What legal amendments do we need?

Artsrun: The ones that are being discussed in parliament aren't bad. Before this is done, we need to work on our broader doctrine, to understand what type of war we will fight next, and what type of army and weapons we will need in the future.

Even before the recent appointment of CoGS, there were already excellent reforms in the army with the formation of entirely new units. This should have been done years ago. Everyone knows that it's necessary to have a special forces command in modern warfare. It was a problem that we didn't have one. Creating it is great, but you still need to assess what type of war you will be fighting next. I'm not part of CoGS office so I don't know if a new doctrine is currently being developed. The process could be classified. //

[watch,](https://youtu.be/KKdGT9lGc9M)

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/w9nuyl/wednesday_news_summary_from_armenia_jul272022/