Latest News From Arminfo.info https://www.arminfo.info ArmInfo. Armenian Foreign  Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan held a video conference with co-chairs  of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Popov (Russia), Stefan Visconti  (France), Andrew Chaufer (USA), as well as Personal Representative of  the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. As the Armenian Foreign Ministry press service told ArmInfo, the  Armenian Foreign Minister and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs  discussed a range of issues related to the atmosphere around the  negotiation process on a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh  conflict. During the conversation, an agreement was reached, with the mediation  and participation of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, to hold a  videoconference between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and  Azerbaijan on June 30. https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53185 Politics https://www.arminfo.info/mcgallery/20190216040742.jpg https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53185 2020-06-29 22:13:09 ArmInfo. It is necessary to  restart the anti-epidemiological behavior of citizens in Armenia,  otherwise the situation with coronavirus in the country will get out  of control. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this on  June 29 during a daily briefing.  At the same time, the Prime  Minister expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that citizens do not  comply with anti-epidemiological measures, as evidenced by  photographs on social networks from trips out of town, to dachas, to  public festivities, while the statistics in the country still remain  disappointing.  According to the prime minister, all government  agencies and departments - whether applying for a visa or granting  rights, certificates or services - must continue to strictly observe  all three simple preventive measures in the fight against a pandemic,  namely, to ensure that social distance is maintained, to serve  citizens with a mandatory mask and carry out periodic disinfection.  Pashinyan also believes that the leaders of these government agencies  and units should take personal responsibility in ensuring compliance  with these measures. At the same time, the head of the executive body continued, the heads  of licensed or non-licensed organizations should strictly ensure that  preventive measures are observed not only inside the building, but  also in the territory adjacent to it. As an example, he cited the  situation near banks, noting that despite the presence of markings in  front of banks, citizens simply do not comply with the measures.  The  prime minister believes that the Central Bank, in turn, should also  deal with this issue, so that measures are observed not only in  banks, but also in adjacent territories, so that proper control is  ensured.  In addition, the head of government also believes that  police officers themselves must enforce security measures en masse  and at the same time not pass by indifferent citizens who violate  these rules. "All this is necessary to demonstrate our collective  efforts in the fight against the pandemic. Together we are able to  overcome this evil, which has already claimed the lives of 433  people. We need the discipline of our citizens and strict observance  of the measures established by the government and the commandant's  office," the head of government said. At the same time, Pashinyan explained why the government does not  resort to such a measure as a universal lockdown, noting that it will  be more detrimental and destructive for the Armenian economy if it is  not enforced en masse. According to him, if citizens follow three  simple rules, which are repeated daily, there will be no need for a  lockdown and they will be able to get out of the current situation  with the least losses for the economy. At the same time, the prime  minister added that the plan for a universal lockdown is still being  developed, and if there is such a need, they are ready to apply it. "To date, 123 patients are in critical condition, another 529 are in  serious condition, and another 1739 have been diagnosed with  pneumonia. The authors of these statistics are with you and in our  hands to change this picture. I'm sure that together we will be able  to overcome this pandemic, "summed up Pashinyan. https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53182 Politics https://www.arminfo.info/mcgallery/20191113075151.jpg https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53182 2020-06-29 19:09:52 ArmInfo. The Head of the Audit Chamber Levon Yolyan called on the National Assembly of Armenia to initiate the process of creating a special commission on  parliamentary ethics for MP Arman Babajanyan. In a statement by the Head of the AP, in particular, it was noted:  Thus, the deputy Arman Babajanyan, exercising his powers as a deputy,  expressed disrespect and violated the principle of the presumption of  innocence, accusing the Audit Chamber and its leadership of a  criminal act. On June 26, Babajanyan submitted a report to the Special  Investigation Service about the crime, which contained an  unreasonable charge against the Chamber. The MP accuses the Audit  Chamber of refusing to submit the results of its research to the RA  General Prosecutor's Office. Babajanyan was informed by the Chamber that the leadership of the  Audit Chamber submitted materials on some cases to law enforcement  agencies, after which investigative actions were carried out, after  which law enforcement officers themselves decided on the need to  initiate criminal cases. The AP called on Babajanyan to stop persecuting the leadership of the  chamber with unfounded accusations. , Yolyan   concluded.   https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53181 Politics https://www.arminfo.info/mcgallery/20170227010901Без-имени-1.jpg https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53181 2020-06-29 18:27:25 ArmInfo. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan expressed gratitude to the governments of Lithuania and Italy for sending the humanitarian mission of medical  workers to  Armenia, and implemented thanks to team work and the  initiative of Team Europe. "Thankful to our Diaspora and international partners from France and  Russia, for organizing medical missions to support us in fight  against COVID19" Pashinyan wrote on his Twitter microblog. It should be noted that on Saturday a group of doctors from Italy  consisting of 11 people arrived in Yerevan to assist Armenian  colleagues in the fight against the pandemic. In addition, from June  23, medical personnel from Lithuania (11 people) have been in  Armenia, and on June 24 the second group of the French mission also  consisting of 11 people arrived. Moreover, last week 50 doctors and  specialists from Russia arrived in Yerevan. https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53177 International https://www.arminfo.info/mcgallery/20200113091431.jpg https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53177 2020-06-29 16:52:59 ArmInfo.  For people living in  rural areas, an allowance for a child under two years of age will be  established. Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia  Smbat Saiyan announced this at a press conference on June 29. As noted, the allowance will be provided regardless of whether the  parents work or not. According to Sahiyan, the measure is aimed at  improving the demographic situation in the country. According to  preliminary estimates, about 7 thousand beneficiaries will be able to  use the program. A mandatory requirement is that the parents and the  child are registered in rural areas. The program for the payment of benefits to this category of citizens  will come into force on July 1 of the current year, while the amount  of the benefit will be 26.5 thousand drams. In addition, from the  same day, the current amount of childcare allowance will also  increase, amounting to 26.5 thousand drams. Thus, parents living in  rural areas will be able to claim both benefits at the same time. By  the end of the year, 450 million drams will be allocated for the  payment of child benefits. Saiyan noted that from July 1, one-time payments for the birth of the  first and second child will also increase - from the current 50  thousand drams and 150 thousand drams to 300 thousand drams. In  addition, from the same day, a program of monetary assistance starts  for families with children who intend to purchase housing in the  regions. Financial assistance to families with two minor children  will amount to 5% of the price of the apartment, but not more than  one million drams. The second program is aimed at prepaid insurance  when buying a home, and the third - at partial repayment of the  principal amount of a mortgage loan at birth after July 1. <In  particular, in the regional settlements, if it is the first or second  child, then state support will amount to 10% of the mortgage loan,  and in Yerevan - 5%. If a third and next child is born in a family,  then the amount of payments in the regional settlements will be 50%,  in Yerevan - 25%>, the deputy minister said. According to him, in the  near future other assistance programs will also be implemented,  including in the form of housing construction in the regions. https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53176 Society https://www.arminfo.info/mcgallery/20180726124821vyplaty-maloimushhim-semyam-v-2018-godu-1-620x330.jpg https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53176 2020-06-29 16:39:51 ArmInfo. 26 June, 2020 marked  a remote launch of the program on “IT and Entrepreneurship Skill Improvement among Unemployed Population to Promote the Economic Development of Armenian Regions” implemented by Jinishian Memorial Foundation and funded by HSBC Group. The overall budget of the program is USD149,000, of which USD105,500 is provided by HSBC Group.   The program aims at creating unique job opportunities for the residents of Armenian regions by promoting the development of information technology (IT) industry and entrepreneurship in Shirak, Lori, Gegharkunik, and Kotayk regions.   The program consists of two components. As part of the first component, 60 young people from the target regions will enjoy the opportunity to participate in a six-month IT training program led by senior specialists of Instigate Training Center and other IT companies operating in the regions, followed by a two-month-long professional internship in the regional branches of these companies.  The second component includes practical trainings on the development of entrepreneurial skills and business planning for 40 young people from the mentioned regions, providing them with the opportunity to start and develop their own businesses.   The event featured speeches of the heads of Jinishian Memorial Foundation, HSBC Bank Armenia CJSC, Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises and key partners of the program.   “We at HSBC realize that the economic development of the country is not possible without regional development. Within the framework of the program, 100 young people living in the regions will get an opportunity to receive IT related knowledge and develop their entreprenerual skills, which they can further use in their native communities. This is an important step towards decreasing unemployment rate in the target regions and promoting long-term regional economic development”, said Irina Seylanyan, CEO of HSBC Bank Armenia CJSC.   Armen Hakobyan, the executive director of Jinishian Memorial Foundation, thanked HSBC Group for productive cooperation and for entrusting the implementation of the program to the Foundation. He stressed that the program will create a unique opportunity for the residents of Armenian regions to find high paying jobs in IT and will offer various assistance tools enabling young people to call their business projects to life.    HSBC Holdings plc   HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 65 countries and territories in our geographical regions: Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, and Middle East and North Africa. With assets of USD2,715 billion as of 31 December 2019, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.   HSBC in Armenia   HSBC Bank Armenia cjsc was established in 1996. The bank is a joint venture between the HSBC Group, which has 70 per cent ownership, and a member of overseas Armenian business with 30 per cent ownership. HSBC Armenia serves around 30 000 customers through eight offices located in Yerevan and around 362 employees. As of 31 December, 2019, the Bank has assets of AMD270 billion including the ones, allocated with the mediation of the HSBC Holdings plc.   Jinishian Memorial Foundation started its operation in the early 1990s with a goal to support durable solutions to Armenia’s social and economic problems by inspiring and motivating people to realize their potential. The Foundation implements projects in five strategic areas – Economic and Community development, Civil Society and Education, and Health in Armenia, Artsakh and for Armenian communities in Georgia. More information about the work of Jinishian Memorial Foundation can be found in the official website: https://www.jinishian.org . https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53171 PR https://www.arminfo.info/mcgallery/20200629112006.jpg https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53171 2020-06-29 15:13:47 ArmInfo.I don't see the need to clean up the political field, Head of the International Center for Human Development Tevan Poghosyan expressed his opinion to ArmInfo, commenting on the statements of the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament on the need to clean up the political field  and form new political forces. <I see the need for the formation of a socio-political field in which  any citizen of the country could feel fully free, could form their  own political agenda, development concept, develop their own  programs, participate in elections, present all this to the people's  review and, in case of being elected, to implement all this. This is  called democracy, nothing else. The people and no one else should  decide whether or not to clean the political field>, he stressed. Poghosyan is convinced that laws should act in such a way as not to  leave room for the word to be conveyed to the people illegally, in  order to obtain a vote of confidence illegally. Moreover, the  presumption of innocence is a democratic value, he said. Accordingly,  the "cleaning" should be carried out exclusively within the law.  According to the expert, before talking about the parliamentary  elections of 2023, it is necessary to talk about unity in the fight  against coronavirus. Poghosyan sees the need for the development of the Electoral Code,  laws regulating the activities of parties that leave no chance for  election bribes. At the same time, he noted with regret that even  today the fight against corruption and other vicious phenomena  depends solely on the political will of one person - the Prime  Minister. According to his estimates, there are no changes in laws,  in the work of state institutions, which would allow stating the  opposite. <But all this is a matter of future. Today, since we are fighting the  epidemic, let's do it jointly, in cooperation. When a ship is in  danger during a storm, sailors fight for it and their salvation  together. Today our homeland is this ship. We must respect, love it  and, accordingly, ourselves. I appeal to all with a call for unity. I  will not take initiatives on my own. I am convinced that it will have  no followers. But for my part, I am ready to do everything necessary  to form consensus in our country. Achievement of consensus is the key  to Armenia's liberationl from the clutches of the coronavirus  epidemic>, Poghosyan summarized.  https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53164 Politics https://www.arminfo.info/mcgallery/20200629103934.jpg https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53164 2020-06-29 14:37:29 ArmInfo.On June 27, the Speaker of the National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan met with the Acting President of the Constitutional Court (CC) Ashot Khachatryan. As the press service of the parliament informs, Ararat Mirzoyan  informed Ashot Khachatryan that by the Constitutional amendments  entered into force on 26 June 2020 the powers of the CC judges  (members) Hrant Nazaryan, Felix Tokhyan and Alvina Gyulumyan  suspended. The general duration of their tenure in the post of a  member or a judge of the Constitutional Court has been more than 12  years by 26 June 2020. The NA Speaker has also informed that, in accordance with Part 4 of  Article 213 of the RA Constitution, Hrayr Tovmasyan's tenure in the  post of the President of the Constitutional Court has been suspended,  and the duties of the President of the RA Constitutional Court are  fulfilled by the oldest judge among the judges of the Constitutional  Court until the elections of the new President of the Constitutional  Court. As by 26 June 2020, the oldest judge of the RA Constitutional Court  is Ashot Khachatryan, Ararat Mirzoyan has congratulated him on  assuming the duties of the President of the Constitutional Court. In his turn Ashot Khachatryan assured that while fulfilling the  duties of the President of the Constitutional Court, he would  continue to ensure the supremacy of the Constitution, to act  independent and unbiased. It should be noted that on June 24, Armenian President Armen  Sarkissian signed a package of bills, including those related to  amendments to the law on the Constitutional Court. The relevant  amendments were approved by the National Assembly at an extraordinary  meeting on June 22. According to the amendments, the powers of the  judges of the Constitutional Court, who had been in office for more  than 12 years, were terminated. Already former head of the  Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan will continue to work as a  judge. The chairman and deputy chairman of the Constitutional Court will be  elected after the approval of the full composition of the  Constitutional Court (9 judges). Moreover, the current composition of  6 judges is sufficient for the legality of the convened meetings,  that is, the activities of the Constitutional Court will not be  interrupted. https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53163 Politics https://www.arminfo.info/mcgallery/20200123074916.jpg https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53163 2020-06-29 12:22:26 ArmInfo. US authorities will finance the promotion of anti- corruption policies in Armenia. The five-year project will be implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the involvement of third-party  organizations and small businesses. This is reported by RT. "The strategic attention in this project will be concentrated on  strengthening the ability of the government and non-state entities of  Armenia to implement an anti-corruption policy covering the whole  society and on simplifying the relevant processes," the agency said. For these purposes, it is planned to allocate up to ten million  dollars. To recall, in October last year, the RA government approved the  Anti-Corruption Strategy of the Republic of Armenia and the program  of measures for its implementation for 2019-2022. The anti-corruption  strategy is aimed at creating and developing the institutional  foundations necessary for a more targeted struggle, creating a legal  and conscientious image of a public servant, reducing the use of  double approaches to regulate the industry legislative field, the  consistent implementation of transparency tools, increasing the  efficiency of the disclosure of corruption cases, introducing  effective mechanisms of confiscation of property of illegal origin.   At the same time, the strategy focuses on anti-corruption education  and introducing the denial of corruption through information. The  strategy emphasizes the importance of uniting the efforts of all  interested parties in the fight against corruption and taking  uniform, consistent steps. https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53157 International https://www.arminfo.info/mcgallery/20171211041141Без-имени-1.jpg https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53157 2020-06-29 10:53:25 ArmInfo. Jeanne Barseghian, French environmentalist and politician of Armenian descent, was elected mayor of Strasbourg. According to the results of the vote, Barseghian secured the support  of 42.5% of voters. 39-year-old Barseghian leads the list of the  French party "Ecology - Green Party". To recall, on October 5, 2019, the caucus elected Barseghian as the  head of the list of the Strasbourg Ecologist and Citizen bloc in the  elections to the city municipality in March 2020.  Jeanne Barseghian  was born in the Paris region, but in 2002 she moved to Strasbourg.  There she studied Franco-German law, becoming an environmental  lawyer. As an eco-activist, Barseghian participated in many  environmental projects. One of them was the Living Rhine project,  which aims to revitalize the Rhine ecosystem. https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53156 Eco https://www.arminfo.info/mcgallery/20200629064655.jpg https://www.arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=53156 2020-06-29 10:41:01