Month: February 2021

 15:57, 3 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, ARMENPRESS. A group of lawmakers from the ruling My Step bloc are advancing a bill which seeks to prohibit the news media to write articles citing what they describe as sources of unknown origin, most likely referring to unreliable social media news accounts which are frequently cited by the Armenian press in their reporting.

My Step lawmaker Artur Hovhannisyan told reporters that their bill on amending the Law on Mass Media aims at helping to differentiate conscientious and fair reporters and media organizations from "unknown sources" which cannot be identified.

“There are journalistic organizations whom people can identify, people know them, they have editorial boards. Parallel to this, some telegram channels and Facebook accounts are emerging who generate information without doing any work, and then this information appears on the pages of real news media outlets through citation. Therefore, real media outlets star factually promoting sources whose origins are unknown,” said Hovhannisyan.

The law will point out the outlets which are deemed as “anonymous sources” who are not disclosing their ownership details to the readers. “Then, we record that the news media won’t be able to cite such sources,” the MP said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

President of Artsakh discusses post-war situation with parliamentary factions

 09:45, 4 February, 2021

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan received on February 3 the members of the Free Fatherland, the Justice and the Democracy parliamentary factions, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The situation in Artsakh caused by the recent war, the domestic and foreign policy issues were discussed during the meeting.

President Harutyunyan stated that at this period the unity of all political forces in the Republic and the demonstration of a political will aimed at the cooperation are highly important because ensuring the security of the people of Artsakh, solving the humanitarian crisis are the priorities of the domestic and foreign political agenda. He emphasized the need for joint efforts aimed at overcoming the challenges with the use of the potential of all.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 09:48, 4 February, 2021

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan received on February 3 Primate of the Artsakh Diocese, Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan and Pontifical Nuncio-at-large, Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

President Harutyunyan expressed gratitude to Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan for his decades-long patriotic mission in Artsakh and for standing by the people of Artsakh at the crucial moments, attaching great importance to his role in the development of the Fatherland and the preservation of spiritual values. According to the President, Pargev Martirosyan has always been and will remain the symbol of Artsakh and the heroic pages of its history for all generations.

President Harutyunyan also congratulated Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan on appointment as the Primate of the Artsakh Diocese, expressing confidence that his activity will greatly contribute to the joint efforts and the strengthening of the people’s faith.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 09:51, 4 February, 2021

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan received on February 3 philanthropist Aleq Baghdasaryan, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

Arayik Harutyunyan thanked the philanthropist for the charitable projects being implemented in Artsakh, stating that the post-war difficulties are possible to overcome only with joint efforts of the people.

Aleq Baghdasaryan thanked the President for the warm welcome and informed that they are going to carry out additional activities in Artsakh aimed at the education development.

The meeting was also attended by chief of staff of the Artsakh President’s Office Artak Beglaryan.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 10:27, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. Susanna Safaryan has been relieved from the position of Chairwoman of the Tourism Committee.

The respective decision has been signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Susanna Safaryan has been serving as Chair of the Tourism Committee since March 2019.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 10:49, 4 February, 2021

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. The Artsakh search and rescue teams are unable to resume their operations to find casualties of the 2020 war because the Azerbaijani authorities are still banning the operations for unknown reasons.

The most recent S&R operation – usually conducted every day – took place on February 2.

On February 3, the Azeri authorities indefinitely banned the Artsakh rescuers from resuming their operations without giving any explanation.

On February 4, the Artsakh rescue service said the Azeri authorities aren’t allowing them to work because of the “various kinds of works that the Azerbaijanis are implementing in the settlements that have gone under their control.”

Since 2020 November 13 – the day the search operations for bodies of the dead and MIAs began – Artsakh authorities have found the remains of 1355 persons. According to preliminary information, 15 of the 1355 victims were civilians, while the remaining 1340 were military servicemen.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:08, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. 147 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 167,568, the ministry of healthcare said today.

352 more patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 159,045.

11 more patients have died, raising the death toll to 3107.

1829 tests were conducted in the past one day.

The number of active cases is 4637.

The number of people who had been infected with COVID-19 but died from other disease has reached 779 (2 new such cases).

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:13, 4 February, 2021

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. The Secretary of the Security Council of Artsakh Vitaly Balasanyan is denying social media reports claiming that the country’s Defense Army will be dissolved. On the contrary, he said that the government of Artsakh is now working on “the formation of professional units on contractual basis.”

“There are rumors claiming as if Azerbaijani state flags will be installed on governmental buildings at the Renaissance Square in Stepanakert City. I find it necessary to categorically deny these reports. Some news media and social media accounts are circulating reports claiming that the Artsakh Defense Army will be dissolved and according to the logic of these reports there won’t be an organization of the border protection of Artsakh. In this regard I’d like to inform the public that the government bodies of Artsakh are now working on the issue of forming contractual basis, professional units for the protection of our borders,” he said in a statement.

He reiterated that the government of Artsakh is always committed to fulfilling “its duties of ensuring the security of the population and normal living.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:15, 4 February, 2021

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. 10 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Artsakh in the past 24 hours.

49 tests were conducted on February 3, the ministry of healthcare told Armenpress.

The number of active cases is 25.

The ministry of healthcare has again urged the citizens to follow all the rules to avoid new outbreaks and overcome the disease.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:18, 4 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. US President Joe Biden sent to the US Senate the nomination of former US Ambassador to Russia William Burns for the position of director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Wednesday, TASS reports citing the White House.

“Nominations sent to the Senate: William Joseph Burns <…> to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency”, the statement said.

Biden’s decision to nominate the career diplomat for this position was announced on January 11. Now the relevant Senate’s committee should schedule a hearing where the nominee will answer lawmakers’ questions with the subsequent vote on approving his nomination.

Burns was an ambassador to Russia in 2005-2008. In 2011-2014 he was deputy secretary of state and in recent years, served as president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.