2022 June 6

Daily news wrap-up

Jun/6/2022, daily news digest || Major army reforms, education, mgmt, reservists, territorial defense forces, pro army, engineering: Interview with Defense Minister || Armenian students will fly an object to... || Pashinyan chairs new economic council || High profile anti-corruption || More...
by ar_david_hh

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17 minutes. 4444 words.

interview with Defense Minister Papikyan about ongoing and planned army reforms

Reporter: During the last Government session we learned about a new program to provide apartments to officers who graduate from a military university. Tell us more.

MOD: Free apartments will be given to students who graduate from a military education institute and become officers. We have two such institutes today: Vazgen Sargsyan University and Military Aviation University. They can also study in foreign countries if the opportunity is provided by the Armenian state. Education is 4 years today, but it will become 5 in the future.

The apartment is given when they become an officer and receive a position. The apartment is theirs for as long as they serve. They can do everything they want with it, but not sell it. They can bring tenants and collect rent. They will become the full owners after 20 years.

Reporter: Is this being done to improve their social lives, or to make the service more attractive?

MOD: It's primarily a social program because for many years we've known that our officers had housing issues.

Reporter: What if you are already a student? You won't qualify?

MOD: For students who are currently in 2nd to 4th grades there will be mortgage subsidies. Every year officers can apply for one of 500 slots. If the lottery draws their name, the government will subsidize 10% of their mortgage. Their mortgage rate is already low at 7%; the government will subsidize a further 3%. There are also income tax refunds.

This program was drafted in 2019 and launched in 2020. We had 651 officers in 2020, a third of whom ended up using the program to buy an apartment. This year the number of applicants has doubled, so the Government has decided to double the number of officers who can qualify for benefits this year.

Reporter: Quality military education is of strategic importance today. Sometimes it's people who were rejected by other universities who end up in military universities. What is being done to make them competitive?

MOD: We launched a large-scale education reform. There will be changes to the curriculum. Some institutes will be merged. Vazgen Sargsyan University will convert into a military academy. It will have two institutes: general and aviation. We will also have a separate faculty tasked with raising the professionalism of officers.

A new education model will be implemented based on world experience that matches our conditions and takes into account our 2020 experience. Improving the officer's social status is a prerequisite, hence the aforementioned free apartment program.

That's just the beginning. There will be other opportunities to make military service more appealing. It won't be easy to graduate from a military university anymore. I don't want to scare prospective applicants. We are talking about having a modern education. The students will study languages spoken in neighboring countries.

Reporter: The opposition claims "nothing has been done" or "nothing is being done" for military reforms.

MOD: The opposition officials who claim to be unaware of army reforms are lying because, unlike the general public, they have access to information about the planned changes.

Reporter: Can you list some examples?

MOD: The first is reforms in the quality and content of military education, as I've already mentioned. The next step is the formation of a professional army. The critics who say "nothing is being done" understand very well that this isn't something you can do overnight. Whenever we implement reforms they claim we are "destroying the army". We won't be "building" the army the way they did it for decades. We will do it organically. Conscripts will smoothly transition to a contracting service after receiving social guarantees and opportunities.

With all due respect to our current contractors, we must take them and launch their process from zero, so we can have an army that we envision. An attestation process will launch for existing contractors. That will place them at the same level as soldiers who became contractors through other means.

Reporter: When will the professional army be ready?

MOD: The transition has begun. The large legal package will be introduced soon. I won't open the parenthesis right now, but it's about an organic transition from conscription.

Reporter: Critics say you aren't buying new weapons.

MOD: The opposition officials have the ability to make an inquiry and learn about the steps that we are taking. Obviously, there are things I cannot mention publicly, about weapon purchases or planned purchases. These are classified processes. The opposition intentionally uses this fact to claim nothing is being done. You cannot speak out loud about certain processes and negotiations. You don't just take a weapon and move it to Armenia. There is an entire process for that: plans, contracts, etc.

Reporter: Why don't we have a Chief of General Staff yet?

MOD: I had an opportunity [to answer that question recently](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/v2nbfo/jun12022_your_wednesday_news_digest_from_armenia/). There is another legal amendment coming soon, relating to the structure of Defense Ministry. They claim "nothing is being done" but in reality, massive work has been done. We will have a new army administration model. CoGS will report to MOD (First Deputy Minister). As a result, the army will only focus on defending the country and raising combat readiness. Defense Ministry's other (non-military) departments will take care of military purchases, servicing, etc. The bill will be introduced to parliament soon, after lengthy internal discussions.

Reporter: Will we have a CoGS afterward?

MOD: I wouldn't focus so much on the CoGS's title right now. We already have an acting CoGS who has been doing the job fully. I want to understand why you focus so much on the title of CoGS.

Reporter: The opposition says the title has been vacant for a while.

MOD: No. The opposition's problem is personal, around a person's name. We have no plans to play that game.

Reporter: What's being done to improve our reservists?

MOD: It's all about preparations and combat readiness. Our reserves must be prepared. For this, we need regular retraining so our citizens won't forget about their duties. Today, when a person returns from the army, they forget army service and where they served.

Reporter: But it's not his fault that he gets disconnected for years.

MOD: Exactly. It's not his fault. He was left out of the system. We plan to return them to the system. That's the goal of the 7-90 day retraining we've been lately organizing. We will have a separate Territorial Defense unit that will quickly mobilize and carry out its duties in the event of war. Extensive work is being done in this direction. These 7-90 day trainings will become more professional over time, and it will be done even during a time of peace.

Reporter: We had bad trenches unsuited for modern war and modern weapons. At the same time, the borders have gotten longer.

MOD: Large-scale work is being done today. I monitor it every day. We are working with 13 private construction companies right now to dig roads in mountains and plains. These are the roads that lead you to the frontlines. Simultaneously, there is engineering work in the trenches. By the end of this year, we won't have those old problems.

Reporter: What's the state of morale in the army right now?

MOD: It was difficult after the war but today the spirit is very high, it has been restored. The army needs the public's backing, trust, and support.

Reporter: Conscription will begin soon. Anything new?

MOD: Yes. Starting this autumn, a significant portion of conscripts will transition to the battalion education model. They will undergo mandatory education courses before being sent to military bases.

[video](https://youtu.be/M90EHAj4BWM)

Tags: #ArmyReforms

Pashinyan chaired the first sitting of the Economic Policy Council, attended by international experts

The government recently created the Council to discuss various economic projects and investments. The first session was held on Monday. International experts were invited to join the video conference:

Eugene Kandel from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Levon Barseghyan from Cornell University, Ruben Enikolopov from New Economic School in Moscow, Vladimir Asriyan from Barcelona School of Economics, and others.

Pashinyan: Dear members. I'm glad to host the very first meeting of the Council. Thanks for accepting the invitation and for your willingness to support the Government with your objective economic advice on the formulation of economic policies.

We have registered robust economic growth in Q1 2022 but a longer-term sustainable economic development will depend on the effectiveness of our today's reforms and projects.

I am confident that this Council, through transparent and constructive work, will grow into an institution that will guide economic reforms in Armenia. //

The next meeting is next month.

[article](https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1085213.html)

preparatory work is underway to build a modern ski & tourism resort in Aparan that will compete with Sochi and Georgia

Read details about the "Myler" resort in [March 17 digest](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/tgibhu/mar172022_new_armenian_ski_resort_to_compete_with/). An Armenian company is working with international partners to build a new multifunctional ski resort in Aparan that aims to compete with Georgia and Sochi.

They will install a ropeway and a technology that produces artificial snow. Foreign experts visited Armenia this year to discuss a deal. The snowmakers can produce 40cm coverage after operating for 70-80 hours.

... it begins

The government recently gave the company land and permission to begin. The company has just invited experts from ExoSign international firm to study the terrain near Aparan.

Myler rep.: The master plan of the project is ready. We are working on the hotel and ropeway parts right now. A ropeway system is being designed.

EcoSign rep.: The concept is a pedestrian village with a classic American style with some European nuances. The beautiful mountains and plains will attract tourists from around the world.

... helicopters were used to map the area

EcoSign: We flew in a helicopter for several days to study the terrain. This particular mountain range is perfect. It's close to the capital and has a nice view. The design work is in the final stages.

... multiple construction stages

One of the ropeways will become operational this year, followed by two more next year. The investment program's first phase will end by winter 2023. Altogether, it will be ready by 2035. The resort will have activities for all 4 seasons.

[video & article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085251.html)

discussions to liberalize visa regime between Armenia and EU

Labor Ministry: We are in constant touch with the EU about visa liberalization. More favorable conditions will be created starting in September. The European side has assured that the European Commission seems to be ready and that the issue is in the domain of individual EU states.

The process was delayed because we didn't want to raise a migration topic at the time while elections were being held in several EU states.

QP MP Yeghoyan: Because of the Ukraine war and other migration issues, two EU states have concerns that the liberalization of the visa regime can worsen illegal migration. We need all 27 states to approve this for AM-EU visa liberalization to happen.

However, it should be noted that the number of Armenians seeking refuge in the EU has been dropping 30% every year, since 2019. We will use this argument during the negotiations with our European partners. After all, no matter what that number is, in the case of Armenia the refugee numbers cannot be high enough for them to feel concerned about it. //

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085265.html) [video](https://youtu.be/cOPzJOmGzoA?t=99)

Armenian consumers are raising their standards. Regulator sees positive progress in the field of food safety.

Food Safety Department chief: We are seeing progress thanks to a good job by inspectors and an increase in the level of demand by the society.

Back in 2007, there was not a single store where we didn't find a large number of expired products. This was due to bad control and lack of awareness. The culture of paying attention to expiration date didn't exist back then.

Today the picture is completely different. There are few cases when expired food is sold. Checking the expiration date is not enough, though. Read the label fully.

... thousands of businesses will undergo food safety inspections this year

85% of them are considered "high risk" for being in the dairy and meat industry. We always try to warn and suspend them temporarily before things escalate to a fine. The size of the fine should be reviewed. $200 [for small offenses] is not always enough to discourage violations.

... markets should only sell meat that came from certified slaughterhouses

The reforms in the meat industry are underway. We have significant progress in the area of meat with documented slaughterhouse origins, thanks to stricter inspections.

The number of slaughterhouses has risen. The goal is to have a network that covers all of Armenia.

[article](https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1085221.html) [article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085233.html) [article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085245.html)

PHOTO: Armenia's new satellite establishes contact with Eath successfully; it took 8 months to start and finish the process

Armenia's partner SATLANTIC firm: SATLANTIS is proud to announce its agreement with Armenia for Urdaneta. After the successful launch of Urdaneta from Florida, the company announces an agreement to provide a full Earth Observation system to Geocosmos, the Armenian company subsidiary of the Armenian Ministry of High-Tech Industry.

Urdaneta, now renamed as ARMSAT_1, will be the first satellite in space for Armenia, and Armenia is de facto a member of the selected club of Space countries, according to the prime minister's declaration.

SATLANTIS president: We are proud to transfer our satellite Urdaneta as Armsat_1 the first satellite of the Armenian strategy. We will accompany the government's decisions in creating jobs, talent, and products.

There are many larger countries that still don't have a 2-meter resolution satellite, like the ARMSAT_1. This is only the beginning of a long-term perspective, called the Armenian New Space Strategy, that will develop the national capacities and the young engineers' talent, replicating the model proposed by SATLANTIS.

In an incredibly fast process of 8 months, Armenia is flying a satellite thanks to this agreement.

ARMSAT_1 is in good health and ready to accomplish the public service by delivering actionable data for at least 4 years. On May 26th it made its first contact with Earth and showed normal status of its subsystems. //

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085271.html)

a device made by Armenian students will be launched to space with a sub-orbital rocket

AYB school's engineering team named "Ad Astra" has won a competition. The device (197-gram payload) engineered by them will be flown to space this month, with the use of a suborbital rocket, to an up to 125km altitude (Kármán line).

The device will fly for a couple of minutes and collect flight data, temperature, pressure, acceleration, UV intensity, ozone concentration, etc. Ad Astra team was aided by a fellow team called AYAS.

[article](https://factor.am/519389.html)

another TUMO Box high-tech education center will open in Artsakh's Karmir Shuka

TUMO Boxes recently opened in Martuni, Askeran. Together with the Box in Martuni and the main TUMO Center in Stepanakert, they form a net to provide modern education to thousands of students in Artsakh. TUMO leadership and the Artsakh government agreed to open another Box in Karmir Shuka.

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085203.html)

the government discussed the ongoing police reforms and the plans to create a new Interior Ministry

The Justice Ministry presented the draft resolution that describes the structure of the new Ministry, its units, and duties. It was drafted after meetings with field experts and NGOs.

Pashinyan: We should develop this institute in a way that doesn't have duties that overlap with other agencies. //

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085254.html)

judge receives a warning for dragging a trial for 8 months

Justice Ministry asked the Supreme Judicial Council to reprimand a lower court judge for violating rules. The Council investigated the accusations and agreed that the judge violated rules that led to the trial lasting for 8 months instead of 1 month envisaged for that particular type of case.

[article](https://factor.am/519576.html)

police released a video of June 3rd riots showing protesters using hammers and rocks against the police

Dozens of officers and protesters sustained injuries on Friday after ARF-led "Resistance" protesters clashed with police. Dozens of suspects are under arrest.

[video](https://youtu.be/OcYHoAwB6Ms)

protest leader about the future of street protests

ARF Saghatelyan: The protests began 35 days ago. The police have so far made 2,100 detentions. 27 people are currently under arrest. None of this will deter us.

Reporter: There is information that some participants have begun removing their tents. They are taking a break.

Saghatelyan: There is no issue with taking a pause or taking a step back. We will continue our struggle. There is no decision to leave France Square. We are discussing new strategies to activate and expand the protests. We will make proposals by Friday on how to make the process more organized. //

Here is the background of the "tent removal" talks. One of the opposition HD MPs claimed (without evidence) that Pashinyan has plans to disperse the crowd and remove the tents from the France Square ahead of Lavrov's upcoming visit. The MP didn't articulate her Facebook message properly, leading to assumptions that it was the opposition leaders who decided to remove the tents. She later edited the post to clarify it's "Nikol" who presumably plans to remove the tents. Nikol's chief of staff urged the street protest leaders to "accept the defeat" and move on.

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085302.html) [article](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/238407) [article](https://fip.am/19458)

anti-corruption: prosecutors win appeal to reinstate a case against former MP accused of hiding properties in Dubai and Armenia

Prosecutors earlier: Hetq outlet [published an article](https://hetq.am/hy/article/97848) titled "The homes of wealthy Armenians and public officials in the luxurious complexes of Dubai". A criminal case was launched in February 2020 against the public official and his family member mentioned in the article.

The investigation has revealed that BHK MP Hrant Davtyan failed to disclose his properties from 2018 to 2019.

He concealed the ownership of several apartments and lands in Armavir and Ararat provinces, and a bank account. His family members also hid the ownership of vehicles and bank accounts. //

The lower court had earlier dropped the case against the ex-MP because of technicalities. The prosecutors have successfully appealed the verdict. A new trial will be organized.

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085215.html) [article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1050613.html) [article](https://hetq.am/hy/article/97848)

anti-corruption: former Yerevan municipality officials are accused of land embezzlement

SSS is auditing the city hall. They reported finding instances of land transaction document forgery in 2010, and the sale of lands that were 2x-6x below the market value during shady transactions in 2017-early 2018.

The findings were sent to prosecutors to initiate a criminal investigation.

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085283.html)

anti-corruption: Artsakh authorities arrest a businessman suspected of lying about poultry investments with the intent to embezzle $100,000 in state aid

[article](https://www.1lurer.am/hy/2022/06/06/Պետությունից-առանձնապես-խոշոր-չափի-հափշտակություն-կատարելու-մեղադրանքով-կալանավորվել-է-ՍՊԸ-տնօրեն/736505)

anti-corruption: Artsakh authorities press charges against Infrastructure Minister Hayk Khanumyan

Khanumyan was a prominent opposition figure in Artsakh. He has served as Minister starting December 2020. The prosecutors did not give details about the charges. It's about alleged "negligence that led to serious consequences".

[article](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/238437)

Erdogan trailing behind main political opponents in presidential election survey by Eurasia Public Research Center

Erdogan 39%, CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu 51%.

Erdogan 39%, Istanbul mayor İmamoğlu 53%.

Erdogan 38%, Ankara mayor Yavaş 52%.

Which political party would you vote for? Ruling coalition 35%, oppo parties 44% (without counting oppo HDP's 9%).

[article](https://factor.am/519721.html)

economy ministry presents import/export stats in 2021

Trade with EAEU bloc grew +21% to $2.74b: Exports +25% to $0.9b, imports +19% to $1.85b.

EAEU's investments in the real sector of the Armenian economy +112% to $71m. The majority came from Russia (mining and energy at the top) and Belarus (wholesale trade).

... trade with other states

Iran +25% to $503m, China +31%, Serbia +21%.

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085282.html)

how much did Armenia receive from its EAEU membership last year?

The bloc members periodically make payments towards obshak before splitting the funds. Last year Armenia received $191 million [unclear how much was paid to obshak]. That's $36 million more than in 2020.

Armenian official: We have a common budget, a common customs duties. Armenia is supposed to get 1.22%. We haven't received this year's payment yet because of issues relating to payment systems [sanctions?] and uncertainties around how the calculations are made. Hopefully, it will be resolved soon and we can make our payments and take our share.

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085261.html)

Russia amends its grain export ban to exclude Armenia

Economy Ministry: Armenia has solved all issues of grain supply from Russia as the temporary ban on the export of grain crops no longer applies to Armenia. //

[article](https://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/300719/)

CSTO military bloc held a session in Yerevan

Pashinyan hosted ranking officials from Russia and other member states. They discussed topics relating to security challenges in the bloc. CSTO is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

... we urge Azerbaijan not to violate peace in the South Caucasus with belligerent rhetoric: Alen Simonyan

Parliament speaker Simonyan: Dear colleagues. Last year Armenia assumed the chairmanship of CSTO. We focused on modernizing the crisis response. Appropriate steps have been undertaken.

As you know, earlier this year Armenia urgently initiated consultations with the heads of CSTO members amid the crisis in Kazakhstan. Pashinyan announced his decision to send the CSTO peacekeeping corps. We always considered that the CSTO crisis response mechanisms should work in the right way.

However, Armenia was in a situation [border incursion last year] when we were waiting for these mechanisms to work but they didn't. This year considerable efforts were made to the improvement of the response system.

The situation is tense in the CSTO responsibility zone. Several members are facing challenges. There is a difficult situation on the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border.

It's also tense in Nagorno Karabakh. Unfortunately, Azerbaijan continues pursuing an aggressive policy. The invasion of the Russian peacekeepers' zone in Parukh causes concern. We hope Russia will restore the status quo there.

The Nagorno Karabakh conflict is not a territorial dispute, but the issue of the right of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh to live safely in their homeland. OSCE MG should play a key role in the advancement of the peace process. At the same time, we call on the Azeri leaders not to violate the stability with their bellicose rhetoric. //

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085192.html) [article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085264.html) [article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085270.html) [video](https://youtu.be/aEK03FbsCLI)

majority of OSCE states agree that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict must be settled within the Minsk Group format: FM Mirzoyan

Mirzoyan: After a 1-year pause, the meetings between Armenian and Azeri were held in New York in September 2021, and in Paris in November, thanks to the consistent work of the Armenian side and the position of the concerned states.

During those meetings, we highlighted our position on fully restoring the Nagorno Karabakh (NK) conflict's peaceful settlement process in the format of OSCE MG.

Before the Paris meeting, the foreign ministers of AM and AZ also met in Minsk under Russian mediation. The next meeting was supposed to take place in December but AZ canceled it. Before the meeting was canceled, the Co-chairs had presented a clear negotiating agenda and clearly mentioned their mandate. This was the reason why AZ canceled that meeting. It's in line with their anti-OSCE attitude.

Nevertheless, during the annual OSCE ministerial conference in Stockholm, the majority of OSCE states, as well as ranking representatives of international organizations clearly emphasized the necessity of settling the NK conflict through the OSCE MG format. //

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085228.html)

EU believes the Nagorno Karabakh conflict can only be resolved if the opinion of Karabakh Armenians is heard

Reporter: When EU's Charles Michel recently stated that for a lasting and fair peace there should be a discussion on all the key issues with the participation of "all stakeholders", did he refer to Nagorno Karabakh Armenians?

EU's Toivo Klaar: Armenians of Karabakh are, of course, a party that must participate in the solution, no matter in what format. I personally do not see how we can reach a settlement without taking into account their opinion.

The recent Brussels meeting yielded some results. We saw the first AM-AZ border commission meeting, followed by a Moscow meeting to discuss the unblocking of communications, which the leaders had discussed in Brussels. We are very excited. The European Union does not claim to have copyright on this process. We are interested in seeing progress. //

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085278.html)

MATENA International School of Leadership is retraining Armenian officials who work at municipalities

Two dozen officials gathered in Dilijan. The goal is to help them with management skills, especially after the recent enlargement process that led to several smaller settlements forming larger municipalities.

The program was co-founded by Russian-Armenian businessman Ruben Vardanyan. He said the program was created based on international practices combined with local experience. "There is a large emigration in provinces. We will try to find ways to stop it."

Professor Andrei Sharonov: During the first 3-day training course we will share information about modern municipal management practices, and how to make decisions during difficult times.

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085190.html)

VIDEO: Chinese businessman wants to sell Armenian wine in China

Yerevan Wine Days festival was held in the capital on Sunday. Zhen Tianqi visited the festival for the first time. He came to taste wine and establish business contacts with Armenian firms. "Your wine is popular in many countries." He was seen getting drunk near Areni booth.

Areni wine factory chief: We launched the professional winemaking three years after the independence. Today the factory produces 200,000 bottles annually, 70% of which are made of "Areni" grape.

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085296.html)

COVID stats last week

10,329 tested. 43 infected. 15 healed. 0 deaths. 76 currently sick.

vaccination stats so far

127,040 one shot. 1,008,404 two shots. 55,855 boosted.

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085194.html) [article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085211.html)

OTTAVIO ZIINO international opera competition is coming to Armenia

Education Ministry: You can [apply](https://ilvillaggiodellamusica.it/modulo-iscrizione-2022/) if you're 33yo or older. There are two ways to go through the audition process. You can either go through a regular audition in Yerevan and Europe, or you can send two performance videos with one being in Italian. The winners will join the main concert on September 22.

[article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085249.html)

gg, chads

Armenian weightlifters concluded their performances in the European championship. You might have missed the Sunday news digest, [so here it is](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/v5w9k9/jun52022_your_weekend_news_digest_multimillion/). The team won 7 medals and finished third in the total medal count.

2 gold: Rafael Harutyunyan, Davit Hovhannisyan.

3 silver: Ara Aghanyan, Smavel Gasparyan, Varazdat Lalayan.

3 bronze: Gor Minasyan, Arsen Martirosyan.

Mini-silver: Andranik Karapetyan.

... expect new faces during future tournaments

The weighlifting coach said the results were "normal", especially considering a tougher competition this year. They are training new athletes for international tournaments.

[article](https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1085196.html) [article](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1085209.html)

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/v6jge2/jun62022_daily_news_digest_major_army_reforms/