2022 March 29

Daily news wrap-up

News - Mar/29/2022: Armenia's nuclear & renewable energy projects in 2021 __ Russian MP wants to punish Azerb. __ Asset forfeiture & Minister __ U.S. aid for Arm. FY2023 __ Apartments owned by Azeris __ German official about UN/OSCE observers __ Parukh & Khramort __ Alen wars __ Jesus statue __ More
by ar_david_hh

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Your 11-minute Tuesday digest in 2925 words.

asset forfeiture: ex-IRS official & associated accused of illegal enrichment

Prosecutors report: We asked the court to confiscate properties belonging to ex-IRS official Vahram Guroghlyan and 3 of his associates. It includes:

💰 8 apartments in Yerevan, 6 garages on Northern Avenue, 4 public areas, a recreation area in Kotayk, 2 lands, 2 vehicles. They are valued at $3.2M.

💰 $342K that was used on purchasing two properties in Austria.

💰 $586K in illegal cash balance.

💰 $1.5M, the origins of which cannot be explained legally.

This is the fifth asset forfeiture case accepted by the court, filed by a newly formed special department in the prosecutor's office. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079194.html

authorities raided the Emergency Ministry | Officials summoned for questioning

Pashinyan sent Emergency Minister Piloyan on a 2-week vacation yesterday, after the law enforcement began searching Polyan's assistant's office. Piloyan and several officials were invited by the Anti-Corruption Committee to answer questions.

https://factor.am/493302.html https://news.am/arm/news/693770.html

ex-president Kocharyan is sick, trial postponed again

Kocharyan and co-defendants are accused of taking millions of dollars in bribes from a mining businesswoman.

Prosecutors reported: Robert Kocharyan, with the help of [H2 media outlet owner] Samvel Mayrepetyan, took $3M in bribes from a mining company director Silva Hambardzumyan in February-May of 2008, in exchange for not hindering the sale of her licensed mining exploration company to a non-resident company.

Kocharyan's aide Armen Gevorgyan [currently HD MP], with the help of Samvel Mayrapetyan, took a $1M bribe between February 2006 and April 2008 as part of that deal, and laundered it. // [More details in February 15 news.](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/stcvk4/news_feb152022_kochayrans_bribery_trial_reaches)

The trial was postponed today because Kocharyan was unwell and his doctor said the treatment could take 10 days.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079198.html

how many apartments do Azeri citizens own in Armenia?

Last year, amid the efforts to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey, members of the former administration launched a campaign to develop an impression that the Pashinyan administration is selling Armenian properties to Turks and Azeris at an alarming rate. Fact-checkers dismissed the claims (and some of it was presented here).

The latest claim, made by Serj-era deputy Justice Minister Ruben Melikyan, states that Azeris are "freely purchasing real estate" in Armenia, "five already".

Factchecker: The record shows that Azeri citizens have been obtaining properties since 2012. [Ruben Melikyan became Deputy Justice Minister in January 2012, if that matters.]

2012: 3

2018: 1

2019: 2

A total of 6 properties. The Cadastre Committee explained how the process works. They basically need to obtain another passport in Armenia first, and go through the relevant "vetting" process.

>երբ Ադրբեջանի քաղաքացիները Հայաստանում անշարժ գույք են ձեռք բերում, նրանք ունենում են ճամփորդական անձնագրեր։

>Այսինքն՝ որևէ այլ քաղաքացի չի գալիս իր այն անձնագրով ՀՀ-ում այդ գույքը ձեռք բերում։ Ինքը մեզ մոտ ստանում է ճամփորդական անձնագիր, այդ ճամփորդական անձնագիրը ստանալու ընթացքում այդ բոլոր ձեր մտավախությունները փարատվում են, որովհետև եթե ունի ճամփորդական անձնագիր, դա նշանակում է, որ ամեն ինչ, կոպիտ ասած, տեղին է

https://www.civilnet.am/news/655640/ադրբեջանցիները-հայաստանում-անշարժ-գույք-են-ձեռք-բերել՝-սկսած-2012-ից/ https://youtu.be/vVGMjNweGPQ https://lurer.com/?p=9794&l=en

renewable energy projects in Armenia: 2021 report

Government report: Last year we aimed to increase energy independence and security while ensuring stable delivery of gas. Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is one of the goals.

22 condos were revamped to conserve energy. New roofs, windows, wall insulation. Another 37 are underway.

70 condos in Yerevan have solar panels now, as part of a EU program. They will power the interior and exterior lighting and half of the energy needed to operate the elevators.

19 kindergartens in Yerevan will soon have new solar panels, thermal insulation, modern HVAC systems.

... nuclear power in 2021

NPP's 2nd bloc was revamped to extend the lifespan. The nuclear fuel storage was renovated. For the first time since 1995, the thermal power was allowed to increase from 92% to 98%, resulting in 40MW higher production.

...new power plants and electrical substations

Last year the 250MW gas-fired combined-cycle cogeneration power plant was put into operation in Yerevan. It's run by ArmPower, co-owned by Italian Renco Power and German Siemens Project Ventures.

>[the plant] is expected to have an annual production of up to 2,000GWh and it is touted to be the country’s first greenfield project-financed power plant.

The reconstruction of 220kW "Ashnak" voltage substation was completed.

... large solar projects

The government signed a cooperation memorandum with Abu Dhabi's MASDAR regarding the construction of the 200MW Ayg-1 solar farm. It will be put into operation in 2023.

... small solar stations are becoming more popular

The number of small autonomous solar stations has risen from 4.1k to 6.9k. They have a combined capacity of 136MW.

The [energy market was liberalized](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/tqlwo9/mar282022_new_housing_road_projects_in_arm_art/).

Armenia has improved its ranking in [World Energy Trilemma Index 2021](https://www.worldenergy.org/publications/entry/world-energy-trilemma-index-2021): 60th in 2019, 54th in 2020, 53rd in 2021. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079161.html https://en.armradio.am/2020/06/18/250-mw-power-plant-to-be-constructed-in-armenia/ https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/armpower-loans-gas-power-plant/

Tags: #energy #electricity

some shoppers began using reusable bags after the plastic ban

Thin single-use plastic bags were banned in Armenia. The stores are allowed to sell thicker ones.

Although there hasn't been a major change in consumer behavior yet, supermarkets are seeing more shoppers with canvas and paper bags now. There are also customers who reuse their thick plastic bags. Their number is still small. Provinces are lagging behind.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079170.html

a building so weak, that even a wind poses a threat

The only school in Hayanist (Ararat) was built in 1971 and serves hundreds of students from nearby settlements. It's in an emergency condition. The Ministry is examining its safety after a strong wind destroyed one of the walls last year. Parents are afraid to send their kids to school.

A decision was made to demolish it and build a new one with better seismic resilience, as part of a cooperation program between the government and the Asian Development Bank.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079178.html

U.S. Congressmen urged State Department to "halt Aliyev’s belligerent actions"

Schiff, Pallone, Speier, Bilirakis, and Valadao: We condemn the actions taken by Azerbaijan in Nagorno Karabakh. Azerbaijan’s troop movements into Artsakh land, their use of drones, and the weaponization of gas clearly violate the 2020 ceasefire and threaten innocent lives.

The U.S. must not turn a blind eye. We must ensure peace and stability in the region. We urge the State Department to halt President Aliyev’s belligerent actions and bring him back to the negotiating table within OSCE format. //

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1079215.html

budget & aid discussions were held in the U.S.

Joe Biden wanted to provide $24M in aid to Armenia this year but the Congress and ANCA lobbied to increase it to $45M for Armenia and $2M for Artsakh.

Next year's budget discussions were held. ANCA expressed disappointment because Biden wants to allocate the same $24M to Armenia, down from this year's $47M.

In comparison, next year Biden wants to provide $10M in aid to Azerbaijan. That doesn't include military aid. False information was circulated claiming the U.S. will provide $164M in military assistance to Azerbaijan next year. That number shows the total provided in the past several years.

The U.S. will provide $600,000 in military assistance to Armenia.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079223.html https://www.civilnet.am/news/655694/ամն-ը-ադրբեջանին-164-մլն-դոլարի-ռազմական-օգնություն-չի-նախատեսում-տրամադրել /

Artsakh gov't expressed gratitude to countries that responded to Azerbaijan's provocations

Artsakh MFA: Azerbaijan had twice blocked the gas supply to Artsakh for a lengthy period. This humanitarian terrorism was strongly condemned by the international community. Steps were taken to restore it. The role of the Russian peacekeepers was significant.

We're grateful to every country, organization, and politician who made efforts to end the humanitarian catastrophe. The politicization of humanitarian issues is unacceptable and immoral. Any such attempt is a challenge to the civilized world. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079185.html

the evacuated families of Khramort and Parukh will receive assistance

Children, women, and the elderly residents of Khramort and Parukh, approximately 200 people, were evacuated during last week's clashes. Artsakh govt is assessing their needs to provide aid. The Red Cross has joined the efforts.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079210.html

Arayik Harutyunyan has figured it all out

Azerbaijan's aggression against Artsakh settlements and civilians is conditioned by geopolitical processes, said the president of Artsakh on Tuesday during a meeting with defense agencies.

Arayik praised the courageous conduct of Defense Army soldiers and volunteers on eastern borders. They discussed the efforts to return Azeri troops to initial positions.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079239.html

Video of Russian peacekeepers stationed in Parukh

https://youtu.be/NbolnN40RX0?t=3

German official about Russian peacekeepers and OSCE/UN observation mission in Artsakh

Stefan Meister, head of International Order and Democracy Program at German Council on Foreign Relations: Russia's attention is on Ukraine. It has turned into a very complex and costly war. Russia is withdrawing its troops from [Ossethia] and Armenia. This is weakening its position in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan can use this as an opportunity to put more pressure on Armenia to make concessions.

Russian peacekeepers are not very active and don't always want to engage in conflicts. It would have been better if the peacekeepers provided more detailed information about the events that unfolded.

Armenia is heavily dependent on Russia in this situation. It is problematic that the role of OSCE has weakened, and that there are no international observation missions that could truly control the situation, deescalate, and ensure transparency.

Pashinyan asked Putin to investigate the peacekeepers. By doing so, he is attempting to make Moscow more active, but he has limited influence. Azerbaijan is bolstered by assistance from Turkey. They are testing how far they can go with confronting Russia. //

https://factor.am/493381.html

Russian MP wants Azerbaijan to be punished harshly for provoking peacekeepers in Artsakh

A pro-Kremlin parliamentarian Mikhail Delyagin, a frequent guest of popular talk shows broadcasted on Russian state channels, was not happy about Azerbaijan's public spat with Russia regarding the breach of the peacekeepers' zone in Parukh. Some in Moscow viewed Azerbaijan's response as an attempt to make a mockery of Russia.

If they don't understand words, it's time to act, Delyagin said. He then entertained the idea of using a tactical nuclear bomb against Azerbaijan's oil industry. He ran a poll on social media. Around 47% supported the idea.

Putin's spokesman said Delyagin is "emotional" and should refrain from making statements about attacking Azerbaijan. An Azeri MP criticized Delyagin and disagreed that Azerbaijan is Turkey's "proxy" tool, an idea suggested by Delyagin during the show.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079211.html [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]

Russia vs Ukraine

Amid Ukraine's willingness to be "neutral" and "without nukes" in the future, capturing Kyiv no longer appears to be the goal of the Russian army, indicated Russian diplomats today, and sources say "denazification" won't be actively pursued, either. Russia's main goal is to capture and hold southeastern Ukraine.

MOD Shoygu said the primary mission of the "special operation" has been accomplished, and that they can focus on Donbas now.

Not everyone is happy with the fact that there are negotiations with the Zelensky administration. Chechen leader Kadyrov believes the war should continue until the resistance is fully broken.

Meanwhile, the ruble is inching closer to its pre-war value of 82.

>The Russian rouble strengthened to a more than one-month high in Moscow trade on Tuesday, firming past 88 to the dollar, while stocks regained some ground in the fourth session since trading resumed after a near month-long suspension.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-03-29/russia-ukraine-war-turkey-negotiations https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/rouble-hits-one-month-high-vs-dollar-russian-stocks-regain-ground-2022-03-29/ [redacted] [redacted] https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/233926

just how bad is the situation in Mariupol?

Head of Union of Armenians of Ukraine: Those who managed to leave the city tell us about horrifying scenes. Bodies of civilians and soldiers are piled up on the roads. They can't be buried because the fire never stops.

Residents waited for the snow to melt so they could drink the water. Not everyone is able to take advantage of humanitarian deliveries that bring food and water. 15% of the population has left within the past two weeks.

The situation is also serious in Kharkiv. We were able to send two vehicles with humanitarian assistance. Kyiv is relatively calm. There are food and medicine shortages in the occupied Kherson, Sumi, and Chernihiv. Since they are encircled, we cannot send aid there. //

Various reports: We don't know exactly how many Armenians have been killed, but half of the 400,000 community has left Ukraine. Not many have the ability to leave. Most of those who do, prefer to move to the EU rather than Armenia because of more assistance. //

https://factor.am/493337.html https://factor.am/493233.html

CIS republics held a meeting (mini-clash unfolded)

The heads of legislative bodies of CIS republics convened a meeting to praise how good and important CIS is. Armenia and Azerbaijan had an exchange about the Artsakh conflict.

Alen Simonyan: We expect Russian peacekeepers to take practical steps to resolve the situation and to return Azeri troops to their initial positions. We appreciate Russia's targeted response. //

Azeri official: [Expresses Azerbaijan's position, claims ethnic Armenian soldiers are in Artsakh illegally, claims it wasn't Azerbaijan that violated the ceasefire.]

Alen Simonyan: I don't want to enter into an argument right now, but even Russia announced the violation by Azeri troops. I'd like to repeat again that Armenia offers Azerbaijan to launch peace negotiations ASAP.

Russian Senate leader Matvienko: Yes. We are for peace, too.

Azeri official: Ms. Matvienko. One moment. I absolutely don't want to continue this, but Azerbaijan was the first to offer a 5-point peace negotiation. We invited Armenia to sign it but sadly no progress has been achieved yet. We're waiting.

Alen Simonyan: Sorry, colleagues, one small remark. As we've stated before, the 5-point proposal submitted by Azerbaijan is acceptable for us, and if we add a few more things to it, we can launch the talks.

[Audience claps. Simonyan and the Azeri official exchange some words and nod. Simonyan claps.]

Russia's Matvienko: Yes. We hope this will end with a peace agreement.

https://youtu.be/Y-drz720wYk https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1079177.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079186.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079205.html https://factor.am/493248.html

other diplomatic meetings

OSCE leadership, led by Poland's MFA, will visit Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia this week, to discuss peace in the region.

Foreign Minister Mirzoyan met Georgian Premier Gharibashviili and MFA Davit Zalkalian in Tbilisi to discuss regional topics and mutual cooperation.

President Khachaturyan met the ambassador of the Netherlands to discuss cooperation in education, high-tech, science.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079162.html https://factor.am/493229.html https://factor.am/493316.html

Russia has an Instagram alternative after the state censor banned the app earlier this month

It's called... Rosgram. The two co-founder developers promised that the app will have similar features. It should be available this week on iOS, Google, and RosOS.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/233945

no one challenged the Vedi election results

The deadline has passed to file for a recount or to declare the results invalid. The electoral commission will provide the final results today. The ruling QP party won the municipal elections with 56% on Sunday.

https://factor.am/493128.html

here is a detailed video of what the new Vedi reservoir and its irrigation network will look like

More about the reservoir in [January 23 news.](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/sbaaui/news_jan232022_how_armen_sarkissian_became/) 60% is complete. The feeding canal will use gravity to transport water to save on electricity.

https://youtu.be/PRHS20eVSN4

you might want to celebrate Vardavar in Noyemberyan this year

Koghb Foundation is inviting tourists and Armenians to enjoy concerts by famous singers, the traditional Vardavar jrotsi, tightrope walker performances, and other cultural stuff in Noyemberyan (Tavush) on July 16-17.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079167.html

VIDEO: police arrested a store manager for blackmailing the parents of teenage theft suspects

Police reports: A store manager in Vanadzor caught teenage girls shoplifting candy and illegally detained them in the backroom under threats. He called the girls' parents and demanded $1,000 in exchange for not calling the police and not publicly shaming the girls.

The parents informed the manager about being financially tight. They agreed to pay the sum in small pieces. The manager regularly called the parents to remind them about the payments.

The police organized a sting operation during one of the transactions and arrested the manager. Marijuana and knives were discovered in his possession. //

https://youtu.be/DVZN635kJsk https://factor.am/493199.html

someone keeps making false bomb threats

Yerevan-Moscow-Yerevan jet was examined by bomb squads after someone made a false report. This is the third case in two weeks.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079192.html

Armenian FlyOne airline launches regular flights to Sochi

https://factor.am/493041.html

COVID stats

2416 tested. 16 infected. 34 healed. 1 death.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079176.html

global climate craze: from -8°C to +32°C in under two weeks

The temperature is expected to rise sharply across Armenia and Artsakh later this week. Up to 32°C in Artsakh, Ararat, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik. +26°C in Yerevan.

https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/news/299319/

>!Norway 9-0 Armenia lol!<

It was a "friendly" soccer match. The Armenian team was left with 10 players starting the 16th minute after Arman Hovhannisyan received a red card.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079264.html

freestyle wrestler Arman Andreasyan wins silver in European Championship

Manvel Khndzrtsjan had earlier won bronze in a different weight category.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079260.html

Gagik Tsarukyan's Jesus Committee responds to church

The millionaire wants to build a giant statue of Jesus to attract tourists. A committee was formed to accept design and construction ideas.

The church said the statue would be against its traditions, and advised against it.

The commission thanked the church for its opinion but said they will proceed with the plan because it's an "architectural monument that aims to become a symbol of unity not only for the Armenian people but for the humanity of the world."

https://factor.am/493038.html

today in history

845: Vikings trash Paris and loot a bunch of stuff.

1632: Quebec is returned to French control after the English had seized it three years earlier.

1831: Bosnians rebel against Turkey.

1947: Madagascar rebels against France.

2004: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia become full NATO members.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1079146.html

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/trjop1/news_mar292022_armenias_nuclear_renewable_energy/