Month: March 2021

“Russian weapons are the best” – Vice Speaker Alen Simonyan

 12:03, 2 March, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Vice Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan has praised Russian weapons as being “the best” and also stated that Russia’s actions were “maximally allied” towards Armenia during the 2020 Artsakh War.

“I consider Russian weapons to be the best weapons,” Simonyan told reporters in parliament. “I consider that the actions of the Russian Federation during the war were maximally allied, and I consider that the problems which had emerged are no less well known also to our Russian colleagues,” he said.

Simonyan’s comments come a day after the Prime Minister’s Office issued a clarification over PM Pashinyan’s remarks on the Iskander missile systems.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:25, 2 March, 2021

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. 5 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Artsakh in the past 24 hours, the ministry of healthcare reports.

123 COVID-19 tests were conducted on March 1.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Republic has reached 2390.

The ministry once again urges citizens to follow all the rules to prevent the further spread of the pandemic.

 11:07, 2 March, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s National Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports 240 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 172,456.

With 227 recoveries, the total number of recoveries reached 163,738.

5 people died from COVID-19 complications, raising the death toll to 3200. This number doesn’t include the deaths of 818 other individuals (1 in the last 24 hours) infected with the virus, who according to authorities died from other, pre-existing illnesses.

As of 11:00, March 2 the number of active cases stood at 4700.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:05, 2 March, 2021

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. The rescue service of Artsakh re-started the search operations for the bodies of the war casualties and MIAs.

The search and rescue mission was halted since February 15, when Azeri authorities had banned the search operations in territories under their control. 

Artsakh Interior Ministry spokesperson Hunan Tadevosyan told ARMENPRESS that their rescuers re-launched the search operations in Hadrut, Varanda and Jrakan.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 10:15, 2 March, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. On March 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ara Aivazian had a phone conversation with European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi, the foreign ministry told Armenpress.

The officials discussed in detail a number of issues on the Armenia-EU partnership agenda.  Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian and the European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi conveyed their congratulations upon the entry into force of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, expressing confidence that it will give a new impetus to Armenia-EU relations.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the EU Commissioner exchanged views on the post-2020 vision of the Eastern Partnership, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the integrity and inclusiveness of this initiative.

During the phone conversation the sides also touched upon issues of regional security and stability.  Both sides stressed the importance of providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Artsakh on the ground.  The Minister of Foreign Affairs specifically emphasized the imperative for the implementation of the humanitarian obligations enshrined in the trilateral statement of November 9, particularly, the repatriation of prisoners of war and other people detained.

 15:01, 2 March, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. The leader of the Bright Armenia (LHK) opposition party Edmon Marukyan says he visited President Armen Sarkissian and discussed the domestic situation and the possible resolutions for the political crisis.

“I visited President Armen Sarkissian and wished him good health,” Marukyan said. 

On March 1, the presidency had said that the president is feeling unwell.

“We discussed the possible resolutions for the crisis domestic political situation, the issue of early elections of parliament, and the appropriateness of shifting to a semi-presidential system of governance through constitutional amendments,” Marukyan said in a statement.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 15:48, 2 March, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian again rejected Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s motion on dismissing the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Colonel-General Onik Gasparyan.

The presidency said in a news release that Sarkissian attaches importance to the immediate resolution of the political crisis around the issue of Gasparyan’s dismissal, and that in this regard he’s held meetings with the Prime Minister, with Gasparyan himself and the high command of the military.

“The Prime Minister’s substantiations regarding not accepting the President’s objections on the draft decree on the dismissal were studied. Clearly, this situation is a result of existing disagreements – at times with highly personalized approaches – among the political and military figures in the war and post-war period,” the presidency said, noting that the president’s objections were also based on problematic interpretations in terms of law, the practice of applying the law and the potential gap in the law.

“In his previous statements the President stressed that a speedy and constitutional resolution of the issue is of primary importance for the security and stability of Armenia and Artsakh and is an absolute necessity for preservation of statehood, for preventing a further division of society, for restoring national unity and public solidarity, overcoming the uncertain situation and reaching a final solution. The President decided to not sign the draft decree. At the same time, pursuant to paragraph 4, clause 1, Article 169 of the Constitution, the President will apply with a separate application to the Constitutional Court with a request to determine the constitutionality of the 2017 November 15 law On Military Service and the Status of Servicemen. Faithful to his commitment, the President will continue steps aimed at further stabilizing the situation, and, by serving the institute of the president as a platform, is calling on everyone to negotiate to find a comprehensive solution to all existing problems.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 18:01, 2 March, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. A stable operational situation with no incidents has been maintained along the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact of the Armenian state border overnight March 1-2, the Defense Ministry of Armenia told ARMENPRESS.

According to the information provided by the Armenian National Security Service, no border incidents were registered in Vorotan-Davit Bek section of the Goris-Kapan inter-state road which is under the responsibility of the NSS border troops.

The Armed Forces of Armenia and the NSS border troops confidently control the border situation along the entire borderline.

 19:37, 2 March, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan issued a congratulatory message on the professional day of diplomats, noting that Armenia's future achievements in the international arena are particularly conditioned by the effectiveness of the work of the diplomats, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the PM’s Office.

''Dear diplomats,

I congratulate you on your professional day. In today's complicated global atmosphere, your role and mission for our state become more and more important. The degree of your responsibility is great, the expectations from you are also great.

Despite the blows of the war, we must be able to stand up, understand the causes of our past failures, and move forward to achieve our goals. Our future achievements in the international arena are particularly conditioned by the effectiveness of your work.

I am confident that you will fulfill your mission and service with honor'', reads Nikol Pashinyan's congratulatory message.