2022 March 10

Daily news wrap-up

Mar/10/2022: More water for Lake Sevan ## Thousands of army reservists will retrain ## Food security strategy amid Ukraine war ## European Parliament's pro-Artsakh resolution ## Azerbaijan's ceasefire violations ## Free apartments ## iGorts 2022 ## Diplomatic visits: Pashinyan & Mirzoyan ## and more
by ar_david_hh

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This is your 11-minute Thursday digest in 2896 words.

gov't will allocate resources to revamp a "bottleneck" canal to increase the flow of water into Lake Sevan

Government: We need to increase the inflow to raise the lake's water levels. There are several water metering junctures that require modernization; they haven't seen one since their construction. This project was delayed for years due to a lack of financial resources.

The studies have revealed that the Yeghegis canal, which connects Arpa-Sevan's #1 and #2 tunnels, has decayed walls. Besides that, the canal's height and volume are less than the tunnels' capacity. These will be revamped. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077528.html

today in history

1804: US concludes the purchase of Louisana Territory from France for only $15M ($342M today)

1917: the British capture Baghdad, forcing Turkish troops to evacuate

1940: actor Chuck Norris is born

[1](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077479.html) [2](https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/mar10/louisiana-purchased/) [3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Baghdad_(1917))

COVID stats

2.8k tested. 122 infected. 235 healed. 3 deaths.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077509.html

Azerbaijan violated ceasefire in Artsakh on Thursday

Grenade launchers were used against civilian settlements located on the eastern border. One civilian was wounded while working on his land. Azerbaijan demonstratively placed tanks near Khramort village. It's part of their efforts to force the residents to leave the village, said HRO. There is no large-scale evacuation but some families sent their kids away for now, said the mayor.

Pashinyan said they are working with the authorities of Artsakh and international partners to stabilize the situation in front lines, and refrained from making further comments.

Armenian soldiers and peacekeepers expanded the joint monitoring service in that area, reported the Artsakh authorities later.

[1](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077498.html) [2](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077502.html) [3](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077501.html) [4](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077505.html) [5](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077507.html) [6](https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1077510.html) [7](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077560.html)

the army will draft over 2,000 reservists for a 2-3 month retraining

Last year the government began retraining reservists in large numbers. Several drafts were organized.

During today's session, a decision was made to summon another 2,124 reservists for service in April-June.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077528.html

European Parliament adopts resolution condemning the destruction of Nagorno-Karabakh's cultural heritage

EP voted 635-2-42 to adopt the pro-Armenian resolution that strongly condemns Azerbaijan's ongoing policy of erasing the Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh and around it.

Kurdish-Swedish MEP Evin Incir: The world is watching, we will not be silent, that's enough.

MEP Željana Zovko: UNESCO should launch an urgent fact-finding mission and sent it to Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.

Dutch MEP Peter van Dalen: The lives of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are in danger because of Azerbaijan's actions. Ilham Aliyev is only concerned about the well-being of his family, bringing their wealth to billions of dollars, while simultaneously violating human rights in Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Report: Over the past 30 years, Azerbaijan has committed irreversible destruction of religious and cultural heritage, especially in the Nakhijevan Autonomous Republic, where 89 Armenian churches, 20,000 graves, and more than 5,000 tombstones have been destroyed.

The European Parliament resolution emphasizes that the elimination of traces of the Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh is carried out not only for damaging or destroying it, but also for falsifying history by presenting it as the so-called Caucasian-Albanian. Minister Anar Karimov announced the establishment of a working group responsible for eliminating "traces invented by Armenians on Albanian religious temples."

The EP resolution admits that Azerbaijan's policies are part of a wider systemic, state-level policy of anti-Armenianism based on hatred of Armenians, encouraged by Azerbaijani authorities, including through glorification of violence, anti-humanism, and Territorial claims to the Republic of Armenia.

The resolution calls on Azerbaijan to renounce its maximalist goals, belligerent approaches, territorial claims to Armenia and to engage in good faith in the negotiations on the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The resolution calls on Azerbaijan to fully comply with the interim order of the International Court of Justice, namely to "refrain from suppressing the Armenian language, destroying the Armenian cultural heritage or eliminating the historical Armenian cultural presence by other means."

It calls on the European Commission to use all available levers to prevent the destruction and alteration of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the prevention of vandalism. //

Foreign Minister of Artsakh: The adoption of this resolution is an important moral and political step. We've been working on this for a while. This is a victory for Artsakh, Armenia, and Diaspora. Azerbaijani delegates made failed attempts to take action at the last moment. //

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1077567.html

[2](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077568.html) [3](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077570.html) [4](https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1077570.html) [5](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077572.html) [6](https://factor.am/485620.html)

Tags: #EuropeanParliament

more families who escaped Azerbaijan in 1990s will receive apartments in Armenia

The government will give apartment certificates to 254 refugee families living in provinces.

Pashinyan: After a long break, last year we gave apartment purchase certificates to 275 families in Yerevan.

Infrastructure Minister Sanosyan: The free apartment program was launched in 2004 in provinces. In 2020, for the first time, we began giving apartments in Yerevan. The upcoming $2.8M phase will give apartments to 254 families in provinces.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077526.html

MFA Mirzoyan attended the Antalya Diplomatic Forum at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart

Participants from around the world are expected to discuss diplomacy and business. Mirzoyan met his Russian counterpart Lavrov today. Lavrov also met his Azeri counterpart.

[1](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077575.html) [2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antalya_Diplomacy_Forum) [3](https://factor.am/485731.html)

Pashinyan concluded the trip to Paris

An informal meeting was held with Charles Michel, the President of the European Council. They discussed AM-EU cooperation topics and the Artsakh conflict.

Overall, I think the visit was quite successful and we must work on implementing its agenda, said Pashinyan after meeting Macron and French officials.

[1](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077488.html) [2](https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1077517.html)

Pashinyan about V-Dem's democracy report upgrading Armenia from "electoral autocracy" to "electoral democracy": we've entered the premier league of democracies

Pashinyan: The upgrade means elections are no longer a tool for reproduction of the authorities, but rather a tool for forming the authorities. With the 2021 elections, Armenia basically entered the "premier league" of democratic countries. That doesn't mean our country is flawless. We must continue to develop our democratic institutes.

We must capitalize on this ranking and serve it to boost Armenia's economy and security. Potential investors often pay great attention to such reports. //

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1077524.html

anti-corruption: public official calls the police after a resident puts a $100 bribe on his desk

Prosecutors: Refrain from offering bribes to public officials. An official working at a social aid department learned that a resident no longer qualified for assistance. After multiple failed attempts to restore the assistance, the resident visited the office and placed $100 on the official's desk before leaving. She was told to return and take it back. A criminal case is launched. //

[Lists a few more recent examples.]

https://factor.am/485631.html

court sets another "anti-torture" precedence

A car theft suspect, with a post-surgery IV bag attached to his abdomen, was arrested in 2018 and beaten by correctional officers at Nubarashen prison. He was later found Epsteined.

The defendant was a correctional officer. The Lower court found him not guilty of the heaviest "torture" charges, so he qualified for release under the mass amnesty.

The Appeals court has just overturned his release and sent him to prison for 7.5 years, without sending the case back to the Lower court, said the victim's mother who was pleased with the verdict.

Human rights activist/lawyer believes this is new precedence that will discourage torture.

In a separate case, last December, two police officials were sentenced to 7 years for torture, "the first-ever such verdict under Article 309.1."

[1](https://youtu.be/54Zqk_t4jKg) [2](https://factor.am/485680.html) [3](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1071990.html) [4](https://factor.am/485680.html)

iGorts 2022 begins. Diasporan experts can volunteer to help the government.

Diaspora Office chief Sinanyan: In 2020, when the program was launched, our participants began to work in 19 departments. As of last year, they were in 25 departments. Thanks for supporting this project and for realizing its importance. //

The 2022 applications can be submitted until April 30. Experts with B.S. and 5+ years of experience can apply to work for a year.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077548.html

Armenia's post office wins "Innovation Award" from European postal union

PostEurop issued the award to HayPost for its digital projects. "Our HayPost Pay e-wallet is innovative even in Europe. HayPost Pay is unique in that it combines both postal and financial services."

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077542.html

Armenian Greco-Roman wrestlers won medals in the U23 European Championship

Tigran Minasyan, Sahak Hovhannisyan, and Shant Khachatryan won bronze medals, because they are certified chads.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077500.html

Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues

And so does the wave of refugees escaping Ukraine and Russia.

Two Ukrainians enter Poland every three seconds. That's 1.4 million already. The population of capital Warsaw (1.765m) has increased by 200k in just over a week. Polish women began leaving empty strollers at train stations to help the arriving refugees.

Russians flee amid concerns of new "Iron Curtain" isolation and repressions. "We were very scared," said student activist Aglaia from St. Petersburg, after the latest restrictions on reporting facts about the war. She managed to get a rare plane ticket to Yerevan, one of the few nearby locations where Russian flights are still available.

Remember that Finnish railway agent who recently noticed that many Russians began traveling with suspiciously "big luggage"? WaPo writes that thousands of Russian are, in fact, flooding European terminals. "Many did not book a return ticket." Vyacheslav, 59, left with his wife and 7yo daughter to Finland. “It is pointless to remain. There is no future for us.”

[1](https://www.wsj.com/articles/waves-of-ukrainian-refugees-overwhelm-poland-11646856187) [2](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russians-flee-putins-crackdown-ukraine-invasion-reshapes-moscows-futur-rcna19004) [3](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-kharkiv-james-elder-1e6dad5edbd594d20334273d2f936f63) [4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/03/09/ukrainie-refugee-mother-strollers/) [5](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/8/we-are-refugees-russians-flee-rising-authoritarianism) [6](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/09/europe-russians-leaving/)

... Silicon Valley tech worker was the Ukrainian mom lying dead on street in brutal photo that sparked outrage: SF Chronicle

Palo Alto startup accountant Tatiana Perebeinis (48) and her two children (9 and 18) were killed during Russia's attack on Irpin (Kyiv suburb). The family was attempting to evacuate.

Sensitive content: [1](https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/Silicon-Valley-tech-worker-was-the-Ukrainian-mom-16990037.php)

... Russia says it will no longer participate in the Council of Europe

Russia complained about "NATO and the EU abusing their majority positions" on the committee of Minister of the CoE "to impose its will on Russia". Russia will "withdraw from all mechanisms" of CoE.

Previously, Russia's voting rights were suspended after the invasion of Crimea in 2014. The ban was lifted in 2019.

[1](https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-700852)

... ughh

New Yorkers are boycotting "Russian restaurants" that are actually owned by anti-war Ukrainians and Russians. Some of them have seen a 60% drop in reservations. You can read the rest if you are a masochist:

[1](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/08/nyregion/russian-ukraine-restaurants-new-york.html)

... carbs were never good for you anyway

Ukraine has banned the exports of wheat, grains, and live cattle, so it can prioritize its citizens during the war.

Russia could soon ban the export of wheat and grains until August, even to EAEU bloc countries, according to a source familiar with the matter. If the ban is imposed, an exporter would still be able to obtain an export license from the Russian government. The source said that the EAEU countries have already imported enough reserves for the domestic market, so this potential ban is meant to prevent Russian wheat from exiting EAEU.

[1](https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ukraine-bans-exports-wheat-oats-food-staples-83337319) [2](https://www.reuters.com/business/russia-suspend-grain-exports-eurasian-economic-union-until-aug-31-2022-03-10/) [3](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077578.html) [4](https://factor.am/485782.html)

... Lars checkpoint is closed. Panic buying in Georgia. Oil and sugar prices are up.

Cooking oil and sugar are becoming more expensive in Armenia and Georgia. Oil went from ֏890 to ֏1200 in Armenia. Sugar from ֏390 to ֏480. It's expected to rise again.

In neighboring Georgia, supermarkets ran out of sugar and oil because consumers have been panic buying in recent days. The one-and-only Lars checkpoint between Georgia and Russia is closed and will be closed for 3-4 more days because of bad weather, so there are concerns that the reserves will be depleted soon. 1kg sugar sells for 3 lari [about the same as in Armenia?].

Continue: [1](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/232745)

... Armenian government held discussions about food security

Economy Ministry organized a meeting to discuss the food strategy for 2022-2026. They invited officials from the UN's World Food Programme, Agrarian University, scientists, etc.

Ministry: There is a need for a comprehensive action plan, especially considering the geopolitical developments. We should be able to respond to events quickly and adapt to climate change. //

They agreed to form a working group that will develop policies about the use of high-tech in agriculture, developing rural infrastructure, improving stats collection, human resource development, etc.

Economy Minister Kerobyan discussed food security and other topics during a visit to Qatar. He invited Qatar to invest in agricultural fertilizer production in Armenia. Some Qatari businesses are interested in agricultural processing, dried fruit, and lamb meat imports from Armenia.

[1](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077559.html) [2](https://factor.am/485293.html)

... the broomstick is working

Russia's space agency chief Dmitri Rogozin recently broke the ties with Americans and said they could use a broomstick to reach orbit.

Elon Musk's SpaceX lifted a batch of satellites to orbit on Wednesday. A SpaceX engineer joked before the liftoff: "Time to let the American broomstick fly and hear the sounds of freedom."

[1](https://news.yahoo.com/poking-fun-russia-spacex-launches-145227435.html)

... this is it guys, this is the bossfight

Italy is investigating mystery owners of a $700M superyacht that is rumored to be Putin's.

The yacht, worth more than Armenia's annual military budget, is named "Scheherazade". Locals call it "Putin's yacht" but so far there is no proof it's his.

Very scary men in dark suits recently entered the yacht and demanded ownership papers from the captain. The captain refused, but said he will comply later this week. Over 70% of the crew members are Russian.

The yacht has a swimming pool that converts to a dance floor. The gold-plated fixtures are a dead giveaway that it belongs to 90-ականներից եկած օլիգարխ։

[1](https://nypost.com/2022/03/09/italy-investigating-owner-of-700m-putins-yacht/)

... Britain arrested a private jet linked to oligarch Roman Abramovich

Abramovich was not under direct sanction, but Russian jets are. The jet is currently in a London suburb, pending investigation.

Abramovich and several others were sanctioned by the UK the following day. Abramovich will have a problem with selling Chelsea soccer club. He could sell it after receiving special permission, but he won't be able to keep the proceeds of the sale.

[1](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/09/britain-impounds-private-jet-with-suspected-links-to-russian-oligarch.html) [2](https://www.wsj.com/articles/chelsea-fc-owner-roman-abramovich-is-sanctioned-by-u-k-government-11646904912)

... some Russian officials are eyeing northern parts of Kazakhstan

Context: Russian ultranationalist figures, usually from the ruling and controlled-opposition parties, occasionally mention Kazakhstan's Soviet past and that people who live in the north are ethnic Russians. They'd like to see Russia annex northern Kazakhstan. This has led to diplomatic spats on multiple occasions, with Kremlin officially distancing itself from the idea of swallowing northern Kazakhstan.

The latest episode dropped on Thursday. Russia's Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov (pro-Putin) claimed that it's necessary to "protect the largely Russian-speaking population of northern Kazakhstan", which was the prelude to the invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022.

Kazakh government rushed to reassure everyone that Russia does not have any territorial claims to Kazakhstan. "It was confirmed at the highest level during a working visit of our president to Moscow that Russia does not have any territorial claims to Kazakhstan," said the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan. They will not send a formal note of protest to Moscow over Zyuganov's statements.

[If your president had to ask his neighbor if they plan an invasion...]

[1](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1077531.html) [2](https://eurasianet.org/russian-nationalists-again-rile-kazakhstan-by-questioning-its-nationhood) [3](https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/01/06/kazakhstan-protests-russia-intervention-troops-ethnic-separatism-secession-ukraine/) [4](https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/is-northern-kazakhstan-at-risk-to-russia/) [5 redacted]

... China is refusing to supply aircraft parts to Russia's aviation industry after sanctions

Rosaviatsia will attempt to get the parts from Turkey and India, after the failure to obtain them from China.

The Russian government plans to order domestic airlines to pay for leased aircraft in rubles, and bar them from returning the planes to foreign companies amid a shortage.

[1](https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russia-says-china-refuses-supply-aircraft-parts-after-sanctions-2022-03-10/)

... iconic Russian car manufacturer suspends production because they can't find parts

Lada has been a symbol of Russia's self-reliance since Cold War. It even had its supply chain. Today, however, it's owned by French carmaker Renault, which relies on components imported from Europe.

Thousands of factory workers are on leave. A former board member believes it'll take months or years to get production up and running again without the support of Renault.

[1](https://www.thedrive.com/news/44678/lada-production-stops-as-sanctions-cut-off-russian-automaker-from-suppliers) [2](https://theweek.com/russia/1011113/iconic-russian-car-maker-reportedly-forced-to-halt-production-due-to-western) [3](https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-car-maker-known-for-cold-war-self-reliance-idles-factories-11646828796?mod=e2tw)

... Russia's former/future president comments on the situation around companies leaving Russia

Dmitri Medvedev: I've been watching the politically-motivated exodus of foreign companies. Our response will be tough. In response to the seizures of properties belonging to our citizens and companies abroad, I think it's necessary to block and nationalize some assets in Russia. The main task is not to leave the [workers unemployed], to create new manufacturers based on the abandoned properties. Re-entering our market will not be easy for those that left. We can make great burgers, too. Hello to McDonald's! 😂 // [emoji was posted by him]

[1](https://m.facebook.com/Dmitry.Medvedev/posts/498680784952461)

... Russian economy is in "shock" from "absolutely unprecedented economic war": Kremlin

Putin's spokesman: Our economy is experiencing a shock impact now and there are negative consequences, they will be minimized. The situation is turbulent but measures to calm it are already being taken.

[1](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russian-economy-shock-unprecedented-economic-093606584.html)

... oil wars continue

Oil prices plunged 17% yesterday after UAE "broke the ranks" and expressed support for boosting oil production. They will also encourage other OPEC states to do the same.

UAE: We have been a reliable supplier of energy to global markets for >50 years and believe that market stability is critical to the global economy. //

In the US, the Energy Secretary met the industry executives and asked them to increase domestic production, "a pivot for a Biden administration that has burnished its green credentials."

[1](https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60680787) [2](https://www.ft.com/content/cd26f107-6217-4c8d-befe-11772b40ca66) [3](https://www.ft.com/content/3e74e92f-33c6-4bd8-8fbd-23ab268329e7)

more

The news in русский (by Impossible-Ad-).

News archive: http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/Daily_Anti-Corruption_Reports Donations: soldiers' families, humanitarian aid, US tax-deductible donation.

The accused are innocent unless proven guilty in the court of law, even if they "appear" guilty.

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Link to original report and comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/tb837q/mar102022_more_water_for_lake_sevan_thousands_of/