Month: December 2020

 14:09,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Russia’s coronavirus cases rose by 27,927 in the past day, pushing the total case tally to 2,569,126, TASS reports citing the anti-coronavirus crisis center.

A day earlier 26,190 COVID-19 cases were reported.

According to TASS estimates, over the past seven days more than 18.8 cases of infection per 100,000 citizens have been registered in Russia on average.

The coronavirus recoveries grew by 25,877 in the past 24 hours, making 2,033,669 overall, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center.

According to the crisis center, recoveries account for 79.2% of the total number of infections.

In particular, another 1,918 patients were discharged in St. Petersburg, 830 in the Moscow Region, 624 in the Arkhangelsk Region, 571 in the Voronezh Region and 520 in the Leningrad Region.

Russia has documented 562 deaths from COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the past 24 hours, compared to 559 the day before, the anti-coronavirus crisis center informed reporters on Thursday. The overall COVID-19 death toll has climbed to 45,280.

Of these, 79 deaths from COVID-19 have been documented in St. Petersburg, 74 in Moscow, 32 in the Moscow Region, 26 in the Rostov Region, 20 in the Irkutsk Region and 19 in the Perm Region over the past 24 hours.

The preliminary lethality rate reaches 1.76%, the crisis center stated.

 15:11,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. On December 10, Human Rights Ombudsman Artak Beglaryan met with Mirza Dina, an Iraqi Yezidi writer, human rights activist and 4th laureate of “Aurora” Humanitarian Award, the Ombudsman’s Office told Armenpress.  

The Ombudsman introduced the war crimes against the people of Artsakh during the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression and stressed that despite the outrageous atrocities and all his calls, the international humanitarian and human rights community have not responded properly to the crimes against humanity and did not take practical steps apropos to prevent the humanitarian catastrophe.

Touching upon the humanitarian catastrophe situation in Artsakh, Artak Beglaryan emphasized the commitment of the international community and the need to support the return of the bodies of the victims and prisoners, as well as the solution of the problems of displaced and homeless persons.

Mirza Dinnayi stressed that he unconditionally supports the struggle for self-determination and protection of other rights of the people of Artsakh, expressing readiness to support the elimination of the consequences of the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression.

Accompanied by the Ombudsman, Mirza Dinnayi visited the Stepanakert memorial to pay tribute to the memory of the fallen servicemen.

 15:22,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government approved today the proposal to sign Armenia Mineral Sector Policy Grant II letter-agreement with the World Bank.

It is stated that all laws and other legal acts required for regulating legal relations in the mining sector are adopted, however, the regulation system is suffering due to inconsistency between uncertainty and different laws.

“The analysis of the current situation of Armenia’s mining sector shows that the sector, as a source of incomes received from export, foreign currency inflow, foreign direct investments and jobs with relatively high salary, has an important share in the national economy, providing high tax revenues.

However, the mining industry is not so fully ensuring the demands for the protection, improvement and restoration of environment, reasonable use of national resources, guided by sustainable development principle. In this sense the improvement of legislative and sub-legislative field regulating the mining sector is important”, stated in the explanation.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 16:34,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan visited the three repatriated civilians who were being held captive by the Azerbaijani military. Tatoyan’s office did not elaborate further.

On December 9, three civilian captives were returned to Armenia from Azerbaijan at the mediation of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:21,

YEREVAN, 10 DECEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 10 December, USD exchange rate up by 3.29 drams to 518.77 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.95 drams to 627.92 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.03 drams to 7.06 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.06 drams to 690.95 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 242.71 drams to 30718.26 drams. Silver price down by 3.92 drams to 401.71 drams. Platinum price up by 91.63 drams to 17062.45 drams.

 17:32,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Defense of Armenia Vagharshak Harutyunyan visited today the 5^th Army Corps, the ministry told Armenpress.

Deputy commander of the Corps, Colonel Seryozha Stepantyan briefed the defense minister on the problems of the Corps and future plans.

He also commented on the statement made by leader of Davit Bek community of Syunik province according to which that part of the border is controlled only by volunteers from villages, but Stepanyan assured that the Armed Forces fulfill their duties along the entire length of that direction of the frontline.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Syrian mercenaries tell BBC that Azerbaijanis used them as ''cannon fodder'' in NK

 18:11,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Syrian mercenaries who participated in the war against Artsakh unleashed by Azerbaijan told BBC how they were used as ''cannon fodder''.

''We were told that our mission will be patrolling Azerbaijani borders as border guards. We were offered 2 thousand USD monthly for that job. We agreed but when we arrived in Azerbaijan, we were taken to the frontline the next day’', a Syrian mercenary told BBC.

According to him, there were 30 of them in that section of the front line, and after walking 50 meters a rocket fell near them.

''Endless shooting lasted nearly 30 meters. Those minutes seemed to be a century. At that time I regretted for coming to Azerbaijan'', he said.

The mercenaries told the reporter that death was everywhere and they were used as ''cannon fodder'', while the probability of survival was only 1%.

The Syrian mercenaries that participated in the war against Artsakh were sent by Turkey, which has been confirmed by Russia, France and a Pentagon source of the USA.

 18:40,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Political statements should not disrupt the achieved result – the cessation of military operations in Nagorno Karabakh. Moreover, the political statements should foster the settlement process, ARMENPRESS reports official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said in a weekly briefing, commenting on Aliyev’s speech at the military parade saying that Yerevan, Sevan and Zangezur are Azerbaijani territories and Erdoğan’s speech saying that this day is ‘’the he day of enlightenment of the souls of Enver Pasha, Nuri Pasha and soldiers of the Caucasus Islamic Army’’.

‘’The situation in the region is very complicated, and great efforts were made for bringing back peace, stopping military operations, bringing the sides to the negotiation table and the return of refugees, restoration of infrastructures, creation of prerequisites and conditions for normal life in all the spheres of the region’’, Zakharova said, adding that it was quite a complicated work, therefore political statements should contribute to that process.

Putin's approach played an important role in normalizing situation in NK – Erdoğan

 20:06,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. President of Russia Vladimir Putin played an important role in the normalization of the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports, citing Anadolu Agency, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a press conference in Baku.

''I cannot put aside the approaches of Mr. Putin. His positive stance contributed to bringing that process to a positive path. I also want to focus on the platform (on regional security) about which my brother (Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev) talked. Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Georgia can join that platform, as well as Armenia, if it wishes'', Erdoğan said.

The Turkish leader also announced that Turkey has no problems with the Armenian people.

 19:06,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met with Ambassador of France to Armenia Jonathan Lacote on December 10.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan highly assessed the Armenian-French relations and once again expressed gratitude to friendly France for providing continuous humanitarian assistance to the Armenian population of Artsakh.

During the meeting the sides referred to the developments over Artsakh conflict.