A Cabinet meeting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Before proceeding to the agenda, the Prime Minister referred to the COVID-19-related situation in Armenia. “Dear colleagues, matters took a bad turn in the coronavirus situation. 335 new cases were registered yesterday. A total of 70 deaths were reported. I had asked for a reference note on public sentiment regarding the coronavirus situation, and I learned some amazing facts, even that the government is giving money to people to have them diagnosed with COVID-19. And this has a specific explanation: higher death toll could prompt the international community to assist Armenia in the fight against the pandemic.

Dear compatriots, I would like to emphasize once again that we have not provided any inaccurate information to the public since the first day of the coronavirus. And, finally, our government has never resorted to any manipulative action or disinformation. The situation is much more serious than we can imagine or, to be more precise, as we imagine. And we need to take most stringent measures to keep the epidemic under control so that we don't have to resort to the most extreme restrictive measures. At this stage, our strategy is as follows. We must be able to provide quarantine conditions without declaring quarantine. In other words, we must be able to carry out quarantine without quarantine.”

The Government approved the first program of its 80 billion dram-worth long-term economic development strategy. The investments will be made under the logic of co-financing in order to share the risks faced by private entities in the current situation. Accordingly, it is proposed to consider an investment of up to 50 billion drams for the purchase of the Fund’s shares in ten installments, each worth up to AMD 5 billion.

The Government approved the admission procedure for state-run and non-state higher education institutions for the academic year of 2020-2021, as well as the list of professions applicable to this year’s entrance exams. Due to the state of emergency announced in the Republic of Armenia for the prevention of COVID-19, admission applications need to be submitted online while observing the sanitary and hygienic rules set by the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Armenia during the entrance exams.

The decision proposes to admit students to universities based on the results of one entrance exam. Applicants must submit an application to the Assessment and Testing Center electronically, from May 25 to June 15. The exams will take place from July 1 to July 8. The Minister said they had made sure that the process would not hinder the conscription and that the conscripts would be able to take the exams.

The Executive approved the requirements for the pre-qualification of the tender to be held under the Ayg-1 solar photovoltaic program of industrial scale in the Republic of Armenia. The decision is based on the goals of the approved Masdar Armenia Program investment program.

The program is aimed at organizing the procedure of the pre-qualification stage of the tender for the construction of an Ayg-1 200 MW solar photovoltaic station in the administrative territory of Talin and Dashtadem community of Aragatsotn Marz of the Republic of Armenia. As a result, a transparent and open competition will be held. The Prime Minister stressed that Armenia will get profitable options through this tender, and we need to apply similar rules as widely as possible in order to promote competition.

“This way we will make sure that we have an objectively realistic price, we have not limited the opportunities of others, and finally, we have received the most advantageous offer, which is very important for our country’s economic image. And this is a very clear message to potential investors that we have actually curbed monopolies in Armenia. We invite everyone to invest in the Republic of Armenia and we will do everything to ensure investment’s security. I think it crucial to introduce an effective arbitration mechanism here. The matter has been discussed since the summer of 2018. I issued relevant instructions as it is extremely important for us to choose the right working model,” Nikol Pashinyan said.