Republican Party of Armenia

 A regular Cabinet meeting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan.

Before proceeding to the agenda, Prime Minister Abrahamyan stated in part, “The newly established IT Employers Association responded to the approach worked out by the task force set up according to the results of the latest meeting of the IT Development Support Council, which proposed to launch a public-private sector cooperation-based third-generation technological university on the basis of the Polytechnic University of Armenia.

I think this approach is promising and calls for further study. I am hereby instructing Mr. Gabrielyan to discuss the proposal and submit recommendations in cooperation with all the stakeholders and the IT Employers Association, involving international experts. I believe that the idea of creating a university of new generation has a nationwide potential, and this opportunity should be used properly.”

Economy Minister Karen Chshmarityan pointed out that as reported by the National Statistics Service of Armenia, new foreign investments keep coming in covering almost all the sectors of economic activity.

The Minister gave some details concerning the exploitation of the Amulsar goldmine. He noted that Lydian International Ltd has come to an agreement with the financial groups over the funding of the project, and a USD 325 million-worth investment is due to be implemented. The Minister said that additional funding will be provided by the International Finance Corporation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The total amount of investment is estimated at 460-480 million US dollars. According to Karen Chshmarityan, speaking in industrial terms, the production of gold bullions on the spot will be profitable in Armenia.

The Government passed a resolution on amendments to the 2016 State budget bill. Accordingly, the meeting approved the package of modifications to the indicators specified in the draft budget law, which was submitted to the National Assembly on 2 October, 2016, as well as the summary of the proposals formulated by the National Assembly Standing Committees, parliamentary groups and factions and individual MPs. Note that some 60 items or 18.6 percent of those 322 recommendations submitted by the aforementioned parties have already been approved by the Government.

Considering only those recommendations featuring exact amounts of money, it was proposed to complement the Bill’s revenue and expenditure sides by about 15 billion and 14.3 billion drams respectively.

The Cabinet endorsed a draft law on amendments to the Civil Code of the Republic of Armenia, which is expected to introduce the institute of reparations for non-pecuniary or moral prejudice to third parties. Justice Minister Arpine Hovhannisyan informed that a non-exhaustive list of entitlements had been developed covering the right to life, the ban on torture, the violation of the right to personal liberty and the non-pecuniary damage suffered as a result of illegitimate imprisonment. According to the Minister, fair trial, respect for private and family life, privacy, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, effective legal remedies and property rights are being added to the bill at this stage.

In addition, it is planned to make a few more important changes that relate to the size of retribution, which will be augmented in line with the European standards. Thus, the adoption of the draft law will ensure that the institute of moral prejudice reparation shall be introduced completely in Armenia.

Highlighting the importance of the bill, the Premier said that the citizens of the Republic of Armenia will enjoy better opportunities for demanding and getting a compensation for moral prejudice in case of violation of their fundamental rights.