Month: December 2020

 17:47, 1 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The session of the Council of Defense Ministers of the CSTO member states was held in a video conference mode on December 1.

Armenia’s Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan also participated in the online session, the ministry told Armenpress.

During the session the defense ministers exchanged views on international and regional security issues in the CSTO collective security regions.

Armenia’s defense minister briefed his colleagues on the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, specifically stressing the issue of significant cut in timetables of implementation mechanisms of crisis response in the CSTO member states. He highlighted Russia’s efforts aimed at stabilizing the military-political situation in the region, the process and efficiency of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Karabakh, the humanitarian activity, the works on returning the captured citizens, searching for the bodies of the dead and missing in action.

The defense ministers approved the decision of the CSTO collective security council on 2021-2025 military cooperation development plan of the CSTO states.

Other agenda issues were discussed during the session.

The next session is expected to take place in the first half of 2021 in Tajikistan.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 18:07, 1 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. 846 people have returned to Artsakh from Armenia in one day by the mediation of the Russian servicemen conducting peacekeeping mission in Nagorno Karabakh, Russian defense ministry’s official representative Igor Konashenkov said, RIA Novosti reports.

“846 people have returned to Karabakh from Armenia in one day by the mediation of the Russian peacekeepers. More than 26,000 refugees have already returned to their homes”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 18:21, 1 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Prosecutor General of Armenia Artur Davtyan received today Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, the Office of the Prosecutor General told Armenpress.

Artur Davtyan congratulated the Iranian Ambassador on assuming the mission in Armenia. He stated that the relations between Armenia and Iran are at a high level in all areas, including the legal partnership sphere.

In turn the Iranian Ambassador thanked for the warm welcome and affirmed the readiness of the Embassy to continue the close and highly effective cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Armenia.

At the meeting the sides discussed a number of issues relating to the development of the bilateral cooperation.

The Iranian Ambassador thanked Armenia’s law enforcement agencies for the attitude towards the Iranian citizens. He expressed confidence that after the cessation of the military operations the stabilization of the situation will enable Iran and Armenia to implement the planned joint projects, stating that Iran views Armenia as an old friend and a “secure window”.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 18:18, 1 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. President of Russia Vladimir Putin will chair the meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s Collective Security Council via videoconference scheduled on December 2, the Kremlin reports.

Participants in the meeting will discuss allied interaction within the organization and further efforts to improve the efficiency of the CSTO. They will also exchange opinions on current issues of international and regional security.

The key decisions of the session participants will be reflected in a final declaration and other documents.

 19:00, 1 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Moscow doesn’t see deliberate delay in the exchange process of the bodies of those killed in Karabakh and the prisoners of war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the online session of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, RIA Novosti reports.

“It’s difficult to say that a deliberate action is taken to prolong that process. We do not see it, but it’s a fact that there are objective difficulties, but I hope they will be solved quickly”, the Russian FM said.

He added that the geography of the territory and how the hostilities have developed make it difficult to quickly solve the issue, especially when there are no concrete lists of missing persons.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 19:12, 1 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenian prime minister’s chief advisor Arayik Harutyunyan has departed for Syunik province on a business trip.

The decision has been signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Arayik Harutyunyan will be in Syunik province until December 4.

The PM’s decision, however, doesn’t mention the reason of sending Harutyunyan to Syunik on a business trip.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 19:56, 1 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. No issue of handing over any village of Armenia’s Syunik province to Azerbaijan is being discussed, Deputy governor of Syunik Narek Babayan said on Facebook.

“At this moment the roads of Syunik province, Kapan-Goris highway are safe, the borders of the province are under control and safe, no demarcation works are being carried out in the province, no issue of handing over any village of the province is being discussed, the Kapan airport will remain in the territory of the Kapan community”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 20:22, 1 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Member of Parliament from the opposition Bright Armenia faction Ani Samsonyan has applied to Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Third Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Issues Kyriakos Hadjiyianni over the case of Armenian servicemen who are currently in the Azerbaijani captivity.

“As a member of the Armenian delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly I have applied to Chair of the Assembly’s Third Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Issues Kyriakos Hadjiyianni over the issue of our captives”, the lawmaker said on social media, adding that she has also provided the videos showing inhuman treatment against the Armenian POWs.

She expressed hope that the Committee chaired by a Cyprus colleague will examine the issue.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan