make preferableArmenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 01.10.2019:
· Today the joint sitting of the Armenian parliament’s Standing Committees on State and Legal Affairs, Foreign Relations, and Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs was scheduled, to be attended also by the members of the CoE Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, Vice-President of the Venice Commission, Head of the CoE Human Rights and Gender Affairs Office.
Amid this, the protest action was held against the Istanbul Convention’s ratification outside the Armenian Parliament which has turned into a march on the Yerevan streets.
According to the participants of the action, CoE representatives came to Armenia to put pressure on Armenian government to ratificate the Convention.
According to him, tens of thousands of citizens are ready to stand up and carry out disobedience actions in various cities of Armenia.
“We say there is no need for it until the document has entered into ratification,” he added.
Protests were also held in front of CoE Office in Yerevan.
“We urge the Council of Europe to understand that it might face problems when trying to make Armenia sign international agreements from now on,” one of the participants said.
Narek Malyan’s VETO initiative and activist Narek Samsonyan also joined the protest.
Narek Malyan stated that the propaganda for the Istanbul Convention is based on lies and falsehood.
· A joint meeting of the standing parliamentary commissions during a preliminary discussion of the draft state budget for 2020 continued on Friday.
According to the Armenian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, compared to 2019, expenses increased by almost AMD 48 billion.
As Zaruhi Batoyan noted, the state plans to allocate AMD 700 million to the families of the fallen national heroes, awarded posthumously.
Meanwhile, Armenian health minister noted that it is planned to allocate at least AMD 109 billion 14.6 million to the healthcare sector of Armenia in 2020.
According to Arsen Torosyan, the health policy will be aimed at maintaining public health, preventing diseases, increasing the availability and quality of medical services and increasing the birth rate and average life expectancy.
· Yerevan zoo boss Ruben Khachatryan has submitted his resignation amid the recent incidents at the zoo when stray dogs gobbled up three mouflons at the zoo.
The incident occurred a day after the tragic incident when dogs ate three kangaroos.
His resignation came after Yerevan Vice Mayor Tigran Virabyan had offered him to resign.
· The resignations still continue in Armenia.
Two bosses of national parks in Armenia have submitted their resignations on Friday.
Thus, director of Sevan National Park Vahe Gulanyan has submitted his resignation and noted that wrote a statement for a long time, but so far there has been no move.
Arpi Lake National Park, ARF member Hovsep Simonyan has also submitted his resignation amid ‘health problems.’
