Tuesday,
Armenia To Evacuate Nationals From Coronavirus-Hit Iran
Iran -- Emergency first responders wearing protective masks stand along a street
in Tehran,
Armenia said on Tuesday that it will evacuate at least 65 of its citizens from
neighboring Iran hit by the new coronavirus.
The announcement followed the Armenian government’s decision to close the
Armenian-Iranian border for individual travel and essentially suspend flights
between the two countries for two weeks.
The border will remain for open cargo shipments to and from Iran. Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinian indicated on Monday that the drivers of Iranian trucks entering
Armenia will be monitored by Armenian health authorities.
Pashinian also stressed that Armenian nationals living in Iran will be able to
return to their home country by land or air. Iranians based in Armenia will
likewise remain free to go back to the Islamic Republic, he said.
According to a senior official from the Foreign Ministry in Yerevan, Arsen
Avagian, 65 Armenians in Iran have responded to an evacuation offer made by the
Armenian Embassy in Tehran late last week. They are due to be flown to Yerevan
on Wednesday, Avagian said in written comments to Aysor.am.
The official noted that some of these individuals are dual citizens of both
Armenia and Iran.
IRAN -- IRAN -- A man disinfects the shrine of Saint Masoumeh against
coronavirus in the city of Qom,
A much larger number of Armenians lived and worked in China until the outbreak
of coronavirus there last month. Around 200 of them returned to Armenia by the
beginning of this month, according to government estimates. Many others had
trouble doing the same due to the widespread cancellation of flights to and from
China.
In an update posted on its website on Tuesday, the Armenian Ministry of Health
said it has registered no “confirmed cases” of coronavirus in Armenia so far. It
said it is continuing to take precautionary measures against the possible spread
of the deadly virus.
“The ministry has acquired a new batch of test kits and has no problems now in
terms of diagnosing [coronavirus,]” the statement said, adding that it is also
trying to import more medical masks and disinfectants to the country.
In Iran, meanwhile, two more people infected with coronavirus died on Tuesday,
raising to 14 the total number of coronavirus deaths reported by the Iranian
authorities. Citing the authorities, the Reuters news agency reported that 61
people were infected and around 900 other cases were suspected in Iran as of
Monday.
To prevent the spread of the virus, the Iranian government has ordered the
nationwide cancellation of concerts, soccer matches, closures of schools and
universities in many provinces as a precaution.
Russian, Armenian FMs Discuss Karabakh
Switzerland -- Foreign Ministers Zohrab Mnatsakanian (R) of Armenia and Sergey
Lavrov of Russia meet in Geneva, .
The foreign ministers of Russia and Armenia discussed international efforts to
resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict when they met in Geneva on Tuesday.
According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Sergey Lavrov and Zohrab
Mnatsakanian touched upon a “broad range of issues” during the talks held on the
sidelines of a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Those
included the “Nagorno-Karabakh peace process,” the ministry said in a statement.
A separate statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry said the two men
discussed “topical issues on the bilateral and regional agenda” and “exchanged
views” on the unresolved conflict.
The official press releases gave no details of the meeting held less than a
month after fresh high-level Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations.
Mnatsakanian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov concluded in
Geneva on January 30 two days of what they called “intensive discussions”
mediated by the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. In a
joint statement with the mediators, they said they focused on “possible next
steps to prepare the populations for peace; principles and elements forming the
basis of a future settlement; and timing and agenda for advancing the settlement
process.”
Two weeks later, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijan’s
President Ilham Aliyev held a brief meeting before participating in a panel
discussion on Karabakh held as part of an annual security conference in Munich.
The two leaders publicly traded accusations during the discussion.
Mnatsakanian accused Baku on February 18 of hampering progress towards a
Karabakh settlement with “maximalist” demands. Still, the chief Armenian
diplomat said on Monday that the fact that Pashinian and Aliyev publicly debated
the long-running conflict was “very positive” in itself.
Serzh Sarkisian’s Trial Starts
• Anush Mkrtchian
• Artak Khulian
Armenia -- Former President Serzh Sarkisian arrives at a courtroom in Yerevan,
.
Nearly two years after resigning amid mass protests against his continued rule,
Armenia’s former President Serzh Sarkisian went on trial on Tuesday on
corruption charges which he rejects as politically motivated.
Sarkisian stands accused of giving privileged treatment in 2013 to his longtime
friend and businessman Barsegh Barseghian which cost the state 489 million drams
(just over $1 million) in losses. According to law-enforcement authorities, he
made sure that a government tender for supplies of subsidized diesel fuel to
farmers is won by Barseghian’s Flash company, rather than another fuel importer
that offered a lower price.
Sarkisian is standing trial together with Barseghian, former Agriculture
Minister Sergo Karapetian and two other former Agriculture Ministry officials
also indicted as part of the criminal case. All five suspects deny any
wrongdoing.
Sarkisian’s lawyers again dismissed the embezzlement charges leveled against him
when they spoke during the first session of the high-profile trial at a district
court in Yerevan. One of them insisted that they are based on “contradictory,
incredible and illogical” testimony given by a single person.
Armenia -- Former President Serzh Sarkisian and four other defendants stand
trial in Yerevan, .
The trial prosecutor, Arsen Martirosian, denied that, saying that investigators
collected enough evidence to press the charges against the man who ruled Armenia
from 2008-2018.
The incriminating pre-trial testimony was reportedly given by Karapetian. The
former minister was jeered by the ex-president’s supporters when he entered the
courtroom moments before the start of the trial. He refused to talk to reporters
afterwards.
The defense lawyers also alleged numerous procedural violations committed by
investigators. They accused Martirosian of being biased against their client and
demanded his replacement by another prosecutor. The presiding judge, Vahe
Misakian, adjourned the court hearing to consider the demand.
Sarkisian, 65, was greeted by more than 100 supporters rallying outside the
district court building when he arrived for the hearing. Addressing the small
crowd, he seemed to link the case against him to his position on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“From the highest podiums of the world I have periodically stated and will
repeat now that Nagorno-Karabakh will never be part of Azerbaijan. This has been
the supreme goal of my life and it will accompany me to the end,” the
Karabakh-born ex-president said in a short speech greeted with applause and
“President!” chants.
Armenia -- Supporters of former President Serzh Sarkisian rally outside a court
building in Yerevan, .
The crowd included senior members of the former ruling Republican Party of
Armenia (HHK) still headed by Sarkisian. In a statement issued earlier in the
day, the HHK leadership similarly alleged a connection between the trial and the
current state of the Karabakh negotiating process.
“With such steps the authorities aim to deflect the Armenian people’s attention
from numerous internal and external problems that are becoming more acute by the
day,” said the statement.
HHK representatives claimed earlier that their leader was indicted in early
December in retaliation for his public criticism of Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian. Law-enforcement officials and Pashinian’s political allies brushed
aside those statements.
Sarkisian accused Pashinian’s government of jeopardizing democracy and stifling
dissent in a November 20 speech at a congress of the European People’s Party
held in Croatia. He had kept a low profile since resigning in April 2018.
Pashinian repeatedly implicated Sarkisian, his family and political entourage in
corruption both before and after coming to power in the “Velvet Revolution” led
by him.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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