Armenia regional leader in press freedom index

Armenia maintains the positions of regional leader in press freedom as revealed in the latest index published by Reporters without Borders.
In the list of 180 world countries, it places the 78^th, being much ahead of Georgia and Azerbaijan (which rank the 84^th and 160^th, respectively). Turkey and Iran are the 154^th and 173^th in this year’s ranking. Armenia and Azerbaijan have climbed down four points in comparison with 2013. Georgia ranked the100^th in last year’s index; Turkey came in the 154^th.
In the section addressing the press freedom in Azerbaijan, the authors note that the country successfully copies “Russia’s repressive legislation and communications surveillance methods”.
A leading country in the 2014 index is Finland. The other states in the top ten list include the Netherland, Norway, Luxemburg, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Denmark, Iceland, New Zealand and Sweden.
The 2014 World Press Freedom Index spotlights the negative impact of conflicts on freedom of information and its protagonists.

 

Domestic violence statistics up in Armenia this year

The past months’ statistics has revealed a threefold increase in the cases of domestic violence in Armenia.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Perchuhi Kazhoyan a member of the Coalition to Stop Violence against Women, said they had 1,501 reported cases in this year against the 580 in 2013. As for the cases with a lethal outcome, their number has increased from seven to nine.
Noting that women victims of domestic violence often avoid reporting cases to the police, Kazhoyan said that many often apply to NGOs instead. She added that many of them avoid seeking aid, constrained by stigma, feeling of fear and the desire not to lose family.
Nvard Margaryan, another member of the NGO also attending the news conference, stressed the importance of adopting relevant legislation to broaden the protection guarantees for all family members. “We cannot fully prevent violence, but we are able to reduce the cases,” she noted.
Speaking further, Arman Gharibyan unveiled the coalition’s plan of actions. He said that they are scheduling events in different districts of Yerevan on Wednesday, as well as a candlelight vigil in commemoration of victims. “We will gather outside the Government building from 10 in the morning to call for adopting the law,” he said.
Asked whether he thinks that the statistics is due to the increased number of reported cases, as well as the reforms in the police,
Kazhoyan replied, “The cases of violence increase along with the willingness to apply to the police.”
She said that the organization knows very good policemen with whom it collaborates to reveal and reduce cases of domestic

Armenia’s premier receives IMF delegation

Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan received a delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headed by Mr Mark Horton.

The sides discussed issues related to bilateral cooperation, Armenia’s economic policy and economic development tendencies.

Armenia’s premier noted that the government is taking steps to improve the economic environment, combat black economy and corruption and reduce corruption. One of the fundamental guarantees is institutional reforms Armenia’s government is consistently implementing.

Mr Horton expressed his satisfaction with the first stage of a new 3-year IMF program for Armenia.

With respect to the tendencies in Armenia’s economic development, Mr Horton pointed out achievement in aviation and agriculture, which is the result of the government’s policy. The IMF is ready to render further assistance to Armenia’s government in meeting possible challenges and implementing the planned reforms.

Preventing constitutional reforms major task – MP

The deadline for Armenia’s authorities is expiring, and the Prosperous Armenia party’s being against constitutional amendments means to prevent authorities’ reproduction, Prosperous Armenia parliamentary group member Stepan Margaryan told reporters.

“They are artificial things. We believe that the most important task now is to say ‘no’ to constitutional reforms, which means ‘no’ to reproduction. This is a change of power,” he said.

With respect to the party’s public meetings in Armenia’s regions, he said:

“We are well aware the people are waiting for this situation to end and when they can breathe freely.”

Armenia’s foreign debt tops $4bn

 

The second quarter of 2014 saw Armenia’s net foreign debt jump from $24,670,000 to $4,708,340, recent findings suggest. 
The records, published by the National Statistical Service, reveal that the gross foreign debt amounted to $8,489,290,000 as of late June, $96.130,000 less compared to the previous quarter.
The highest debts – 40.55% – were in the state administration sector. In the Central Bank of Armenia, deposit organizations and the private sector, they amounted to 7.24%, 26.34% and 16.99%, respectively.
As for the gross foreign assets, they decreased by $120,000,000 to $3,780,950,000 in the reporting period.

Sales of grapes, peaches up in Armenia

As of September 30, the grape sales totaled 161,300 tons against 108,718 last year, Ani Smbatyan, Spokesman for Armenia’s Minister of Agriculture, told Tert.am.

The sales of peaches totaled 2,516 tons against 1,341 tons last year.

We have smarter generation in Armenia today, says lieutenant- general

Tert.am has interviewed Muraz Sargsyan, a retired Armenian lieutenant-general who now teaches military education in secondary schools.
The merited high ranking serviceman, who for 30 years served in the Soviet Army and some 22 years in the Armenian Armed Forces, expressed his high esteem and trust of the younger generation whom he considered smarter, more literate and devoted.
“Our future is in the hands of a good youth, so we have to help them to choose the right path and be above us in everything,” he said.
Asked whether he doesn’t see disappointment in the younger generation (which very often complains about social injustice in the military), the lieutenant-general said he doesn’t think it would be right to expect absolute equality everywhere.
“My son is a general’s son, and he was on the frontline for 19 years. Could the sons of [Minister of Defense] Seyran Ohanyan and [Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces] Yuri Khachaturov have served in a different place? That’s the law of nature, but let us not follow the things that others are doing. Injustice has always existed. The way I maintained law and order in the Soviet Army surprised all people. I never saw the son of a library director or a rich person serve in the military then. I no longer even look for such people. Let the parent himself think about it, as such an attitude is a sign of faithlessness in the child. So we cannot label everyone.”

Labor migration, social problems, sterility major causes of divorce in Armenia

In an interview with Tert.am, Anush Danielyan, Head of the Public Relations Department, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs spoke of Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan’s order to find out the causes of a higher number of divorces in Armenia.

Mentioning quite a number of causes, Ms Danielyan said the current task is to examine them and prevent a further increase in divorce rate.

Speaking of the divorce statistics, Ms Danielyan pointed out an upward tendency.

“In 1990, 154 divorces were registered per 1,000 marriages, whereas 258 divorces per 1,000 marriages have been registered this year. The upward tendency has been observed since the early 1980s, socio-economic factors and changes in the set of values being the reason,” she said.

Among the major causes of divorces are labor migration – when a spouse’s long absence results in divorce – alcoholism or drug addiction, socio-economic problems, as well as sterility.

After a comprehensive study has been completed, the Ministry of labor and Social Affairs will identify its priorities and submit them to the public.

Acceding to Customs Union disastrous for Armenia now – activist

Surprising indifference to the sanctions against Russia is being shown in Armenia, though, according to US President Barack Obama and EU member-states’ official, are going to last long, with the Russian ruble depreciating day by day, Vahram Soghomonyan, a member of the European Choice action group, told reporters on Monday.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s decision in favor of Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union on September 3, 2013, aroused concern.

“I believe it would be disastrous for Armenia to accede to this economic union, without having a common border, under the circumstances,” he said.

According to him, a referendum – a mechanism of public responsibility – is a solution to the problem. Acceding to the Customs Union without a referendum or parliamentary debates is unacceptable, Mr Soghomonyan said.

“A referendum is everyone’s personal responsibility. Russia’s economy will start collapsing soon,” he said.

Director of the Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan considers it important to see Armenia’s interests in the ongoing process.

“I have been convinced that the people pinning their hopes on Russia and think it has no alternative cannot be made to change their mind,” he said.

Uncertainty poses a great danger, and Kazakhstan may raise the issue of postponing the signing of an agreement, which will prove to be one more occasion for the non-coalition forces to discredit Armenia’s authorities. This is the result of a short-sighted policy, Mr Navasardyan said.

Free Armenian keypad now available on iPhones – education minister

Armenian users of Apple’s mobile devices will from now have access to a free keypad enabling them to write messages and posts in their native language, Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan told Tert.am.
“Given that the internet the communication is largely carried out through Apple Inc devices, iPhones and iPads, as well as the great number of their users, Iapplied to the corporation back in 2013, offering them to launch an Armenian language keypad. But the question received another solution. A group of Armenian authors created an Armenian digital keypad which is compatible with the Apple iOS. The software received a wide public resonance, but it wasn’t free. We applied to the authors, requesting them to resolve the question in the way it actually looks now,” the minister said.
Ashotyan noted that unlike the Apple products, Android-powered devices initially had software enabling users to use messaging services in Armenian.
“If, from now on, you see Armenian messages in Latin letters, there will no longer be room for excuses that no Armenian keypads are available. It is highly desirable that everybody leave posts in the Armenian language. We must us communicate in Armenian, using Armenian letters,” he added.