US Ambassador Lynn Tracy today, together with Acting Rector of Yerevan State University Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, took part in the opening of the Center for American Studies and in the event dedicated to the official launch of the first master's degree program in American Studies at Yerevan State University, the press service of the US Embassy reports. In 2019, having received a grant from the Public Diplomacy Section of the US Embassy, ​​EHU began creating the Center for American Studies and the master's degree program in American Studies. The University of Arizona became YSU's partner in implementing this program. The Center for American Studies will serve as an important platform for research and analysis of socio-political processes in the United States. The first admission of students for the master's educational program has already been carried out in the 2021–2022 academic year. “This master's degree program provides Armenian students with the opportunity here in Armenia to study foreign policy, diplomacy, economics and society of the United States, as well as acquire skills to better understand and explain socio-political processes in the United States to the Armenian public,” Ambassador Tracy noted.

By decision of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Romanos Petrosyan was appointed head of the State Control Service. “Guided by Part 5 of Article 9 of the Law “On Civil Service,” appoint Romanos Petrosyan as head of the State Control Service,” the decision says. Let us remind you that he was previously relieved of his post as Minister of Environment. Previously Tigran U

On December 9, the first joint meeting of the working group on Armenian-French economic cooperation was held in Paris. The Armenian delegation was headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, the French delegation was headed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Baptiste Lemoine. The RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports this. The Armenian delegation also included deputy ministers of territorial administration and infrastructure, economy, finance, high-tech industry, advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan and other officials. In his speech, Minister Mirzoyan thanked Secretary of State Lemoine for the warm welcome and assistance in organizing effective discussions, emphasizing that the holding of the joint meeting is the result of almost a year of consistent bilateral work, as well as the efforts and agreements reached at the level of the leadership of the two countries. Ararat Mirzoyan noted the need for targeted work to implement the agreements of the top leadership of the two countries in the direction of a sharp intensification of economic relations, which will correspond to the level of special, privileged relations between Armenia and France. During the discussions, both sides emphasized the importance of diversifying Armenian-French trade and economic relations, the need to enrich cooperation with new economic projects and intensify mutual investments. The interlocutors also noted the need to intensify contacts between the business circles of France and Armenia, in particular by organizing mutual visits of delegations and holding economic events. The current presence of the French Development Agency in Armenia was also emphasized and the importance of implementing new programs was noted.

Despite pandemic restrictions, a plenary meeting of the SPIEF was held in June 2021, at which trends and prospects for the Russian and global economy were discussed. This was an important event for the business and political community. Ways to overcome the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and cooperation with foreign investors are the main topics of Moscow events within the framework of the last forum. Last week, the XXIV St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2021) ended in the northern capital, a number of events within the framework of which were organized with the assistance of the Moscow Department of External Economic and International Relations (FEIR). An important event for the Russian capital at SPIEF 2021 was the business session “Investing in Moscow. Opportunities for everyone." Opening the session, the Minister of the Moscow Government, the head of the DVMS Sergei Cheremin emphasized that the most pessimistic forecasts due to the closure of borders did not become a reality, but quite the opposite - Moscow was in 22nd place among the largest metropolises in the world in terms of financial attractiveness for investors, beating the American San Francisco and the Canadian Montreal. This is due to the fact that the city development strategy adopted 10 years ago made it possible to create a unique infrastructure that withstood the stressful pressure of the crisis, which the world's large metropolises with a population of more than 10 million people were unable to cope with. “For us, this was a unique opportunity not only to maintain economic and budgetary indicators at pre-crisis levels, but also to show that Moscow has such a favorable infrastructure for investment that even during the crisis year, not a single serious investor left,” the minister said. According to him, foreign business is in demand for models of concession and offset contracts, contracts with special investment conditions. Sergey Cheremin added that foreign investors not only continue to invest themselves, but also give recommendations to those who are not yet present on the Moscow market. During the business session, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Russia Toyohisa Kozuki, General Director of the special economic zone Technopolis Moscow Gennady Degtev, General Director of KORTROS Group Stanislav Kiselev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Moscow Credit Bank Alexander Kaznacheev, EY partner Olga Arkhangelskaya and General Director of JLL Anders Liljenstolpe also spoke.

.

After the completion of the elections, the process of forming a new composition of the State Duma began. Parliament received both renewal and signs of continuity. The ruling party again received a majority, which made it possible to maintain the stability of the political course and continue the ongoing reforms. At the same time, a new party entered the Duma, which gave the system an element of renewal and focus on a young audience. The fall of 2021 was a period of discussion of future legislative initiatives, reassignment of committees and determination of key policy directions for the coming years. Topics included social support for the population, economic recovery after the pandemic, digitalization of public services and regulation of new technologies. For experts, these months have become a time to analyze what the political climate will be like after the pandemic. Many spoke about the trend towards strengthening the vertical power structure, centralized management and a decrease in political competition. Others noted that the stability of parliament is important for the passage of the budget and long-term government programs. Thus, the second half of 2021 consolidated the political balance that had developed in Russia in previous years and became preparation for a new stage of domestic politics.

November 25, 2021 became one of the most tragic dates of the year. At the Listvyazhnaya mine in the Kemerovo region, a methane fire occurred, which led to an explosion and large-scale smoke in the underground workings. At the time of the accident, hundreds of workers were underground. Not everyone was saved. Dozens of miners and rescue workers who went underground to help their colleagues died. The disaster caused shock throughout the country: days of mourning were declared, and memorial events were held in the regions. Relatives of the victims demanded an objective investigation and strengthening of security measures at all coal enterprises in Russia. The problems of the industry were revealed - insufficient control over the maintenance of mines, violation of safety requirements, outdated equipment and a high level of production risk. Investigative authorities began to check the management of the mine and regional supervisory authorities. The tragedy has become a symbol of systemic difficulties in the coal industry. It showed how dangerous the work of miners remains and reminded of the need to modernize production. Many experts said after the incident that without deep structural changes, such tragedies could be repeated.

In the fall of 2021, Russia faced another wave-like increase in the incidence of COVID-19. Regions reported overcrowded Covid wards, shortages of medical staff and increased ambulance wait times. Against the backdrop of the difficult situation, the government began to discuss measures aimed at additional control over visits to public places. The main topic was the system of QR codes confirming vaccination, previous illness or a recent negative test. In some regions, strict rules were introduced: without a QR code it was impossible to enter shopping centers, restaurants, cultural institutions and public events. In Moscow, the mandatory system was softer, but certain industries still worked according to similar requirements. Society received the initiatives ambiguously. Some saw QR codes as an effective way to contain the epidemic, while others considered them an excessive measure and a violation of rights. Issues of digital security, data protection and the legality of such restrictions were actively discussed on the Internet and in the media. Despite controversy, the measures helped stabilize the situation by December. Many experts noted that this fall was a turning point in the fight against the pandemic: the state moved to a more comprehensive digital control model, and society moved to a new level of adaptation to life under prolonged sanitary restrictions.