NOV. 11 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russia will install an air defence missile system in Armenia, RIA- Novosti news agency reported quoting a statement from the Kremlin, a rival, perhaps, to the US missile system in Eastern Europe. By stationing missiles in Armenia, Russia is pulling it tighter into its field of influence.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 256, published on Nov. 13 2015)
NOV. 12 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — Unable to repay its debt to the banks, Unfish, one of Armenia’s largest fish farms, declared bankruptcy. Unfish’s exports to Russia, its main market, have fallen by 50% due to the weakening of the rouble against the Armenian dram. Armenia’s Fish Farmer’s Union asked the government to prevent more bankruptcies.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 256, published on Nov. 13 2015)
NOV. 4 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — Armenian authorities lifted a ban on imports of poultry meat and by-products from three US states — Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. In May, Armenia’s Food Safety Service had banned poultry imports from 13 US states, following an outbreak of avian influenza in the US. Armenia lifted the ban for 10 US states in July.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 255, published on Nov. 6 2015)
NOV. 4 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Almaty-based Eurasian Development Bank is close to agreeing a deal to lend the Armenian government $300m to help it through the economic malaise enveloping the Central Asia and South Caucasus region.
If it is agreed, the first $100m is due at the end of this year with the outstanding $200m handed over by the end of 2017.
Like other countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, Armenia has been trying to deal with the fallout of the drop in oil prices and a recession in Russia which have combined to tip the entire region into an economic depression.
“Current macroeconomic actions have been agreed with the Armenian government,” Dmitry Pankin, the EDB CEO, told the Armenpress news agency.
“The project has been approved by the expert council and is now being considered by the Eurasian Stabilisation and Development Fund. After the official decision, the final conditions will be agreed upon.”
The Eurasian Development Bank is an overtly political organisation. It’s membership mirrors the membership of the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union — Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia — with the addition of Tajikistan.
It was set up before the Eurasian Economic Union to give the trade bloc extra weight.
It also acts as a kind of sweetener. Armenia is reliant on Russia for economic and political support. It joined the Eurasian Economic Union at the start of this year under duress from Russia but can now access cheap loans to keep its economy running.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 255, published on Nov. 6 2015)
NOV. 5 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenia’s trade with Russia, its most important partner, has fallen sharply this year compared to the same period in 2014, official data showed. Exports to Russia were down 28% to $158.5m and imports were down over 10% to $712.7m between Jan-Sept. A recession in Russia has hit Central Asia and South Caucasus.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 255, published on Nov. 6 2015)
OCT. 31 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Armenian Orthodox Church reconsecrated the Cathedral of St George in Tbilisi, considered one of its most important churches in the region. The Cathedral was closed in 2012 for restoration work.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 255, published on Nov. 6 2015)
NOV. 5 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Campaigning has started ahead of a referendum on Dec. 6 on the Armenian constitution. The referendum debate focuses on whether to increase the powers of Parliament and the PM over the President. Opposition groups say Pres. Serzh Sargsyan wants to give himself more power once he leaves the presidency in 2018.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 255, published on Nov. 6 2015)
NOV. 4 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Five Armenian crew members, including the pilot, were killed in plane crash in south Sudan. The Antonov-12 cargo plane, operated by Armenia’s Ala International, was carrying 40 people.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 255, published on Nov. 6 2015)
OCT. 26 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russia said it would not block Armenia signing an agreement with the European Union that will deepen bilateral relations.
This is important because the deal has been drawn up to replace the Association Agreement that Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan ducked out of signing at the last moment two years ago.
Back then the West accused Russia of interfering by giving Armenia sweeteners to ditch the EU for the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union, which is joined this year. The Kremlin pulled a similar trick with Ukraine, although this led to a public outpouring of anger, street demonstrations and, eventually, a revolution.
Russian news agencies quoted Vasily Nebenzya, a Russian deputy foreign minister, saying that the Kremlin would not try to stop the deal this time.
“I think that [the planned EU-Armenia accord] does not contradict partnership with the Russian Federation,” he said.
The deal that Armenia and the EU hope to sign this year is not as deep as the Association Agreement of 2013 was intended to be but it is an important step for EU-Armenia relations.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 254, published on Oct. 30 2015)
OCT. 23 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — US’ Microsoft launched a new so- called acceleration programme for start-up companies at its Innovation Centre in Armenia. People working on 14 new projects selected for the programme will receive in- depth training in California, Australia and Russia. Armenia has been looking to attract increased investment from tech start-ups over the past few years and has brokered various deals with Microsoft.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 254, published on Oct. 30 2015)