Month: May 2021

 12:37, 20 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the possibility of delimitation and demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Much is talked about demarcation, delimitation, adjustment of borders. And now they are trying to scare and terrorize the Armenian society also with this fact. I want to say with utmost responsibility, and this is my position, that Armenia needs the border adjustment as much as Azerbaijan does, because adjustment of borders and eventually at some phase the demarcation and delimitation are important security guarantees,” Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

Pashinyan underscored that people should realize that this is a simple process. “In our region, there isn’t a single post-Soviet country which has finalized the delimitation and demarcation process,” he said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 12:40, 20 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan highlights the fact that the international community, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries are more actively speaking about the necessity of finding a long-term political settlement to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Pashinyan said this is important in the context of a claim according to which the Karabakh issue is solved.

“I think now we already can state that the international community records that the Karabakh issue is not solved and it still needs to be solved. And I want to highlight our government’s political will to go and solve the issue. Why? Because the solution of all these difficult, painful, problematic issues is necessary for us for ruling out war in the long-term perspective and opening an era of peaceful development for the Armenian people”, he said, adding that this is not an easy work, it’s quite a difficult work, a political will is needed here, as well as an open, sincere dialogue with the public is needed. “And we will move on that path”, Pashinyan said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 12:42, 20 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stated once again that Armenia has not discussed, is not discussing and will not discuss an issue of corridor in the context of unblocking of regional communications.

At the Cabinet meeting today, he said the opening of regional communications is one of the priorities of the Armenian government.

“I want to draw the attention of all of us to the fact that since 1992 a policy of blocking, in other words, a policy of blocking the communications has been adopted against Armenia. And given this fact we need to understand that the agenda of opening communications is beneficial to Armenia. On the other hand, as we have stated repeatedly, I don’t think that we need to announce this every day, I say this for all times – we have not discussed, are not discussing and will not discuss a corridor logic issue in the context of communications”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 13:18, 20 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan touched upon the process of the control of the Armenian-Azerbaijani borders during today’s Cabinet meeting.

“According to the view of the Armenian side, the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan must be controlled by the border guards. Yes, the Azerbaijani armed forces have crossed Armenia’s border. And for the normal launch of the long-term process I mentioned, the Azerbaijani armed forces must immediately leave Armenia’s territory. In our view, along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, now especially in that particular section, the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces must go back to their permanent deployment positions. And in that sections and later also on the entire border the border guard services should carry out control. But such solution won’t be easy, let’s not give in to illusions”, he said.

Pashinyan noted that during this period the Armenian side has constantly proposed this and continues to propose, “because it’s eventually the solution which will really be a sign for the long-term stability of the region”.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 14:39, 20 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenian servicemen and civilians captured during the recent Armenian-Azerbaijani war and after that must be immediately released without preconditions, Vice-Chair of the European People’s Party (EPP), MEP representing Bulgaria Andrey Kovatchev said during the discussion at the EP plenary session relating to the POWs captured during the recent Nagorno Karabakh war.

“Baku should refrain from applying any arbitrary detention and must fully implement the trilateral agreement which envisages exchange of all prisoners of war, captives and other detained persons”, the MEP said.

He noted that although Azerbaijan is using these persons calling them criminals or terrorists, they all are under the protection of the Geneva Convention and the international law and must be returned to their families in accordance with this.

“Azerbaijan must assist the European Court of Human Rights by providing necessary information about the persons it holds and their health condition. That country should refrain from any action torturing these people. An independent and impartial investigation is needed over the violations of the Geneva Convention and the international law, the fundamental accusations about the possible war crimes. In addition, Baku must close the so-called Victory Park which displays mannequins depicting Armenian soldiers”, the MEP said, adding that the existence of that park contributes to maintenance of hatred and harms the establishment of trust between the two countries.

He added that the European Parliament has always tried to be objective. “If we had reliable information that Azerbaijani citizens are being held on the Armenian side, we would have demanded the same from Yerevan – their immediate release without preconditions. Every human life is priceless and must be protected”, Andrey Kovatchev said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 15:02, 20 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. The fact that Armenian prisoners of war are today held in Azerbaijan is unacceptable, Member of the European Parliament (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats) Isabel Santos from Portugal said at the plenary session of the European Parliament during debates on the Armenian POWs of the Nagorno Karabakh war.

“We see reports that they [Armenian POWs] are subjected to violence and humiliating treatment. This is a clear violation of the Geneva Convention. We demand the release of all prisoners of war without pre-conditions,” Santos said, emphasizing that the November 2020 trilateral agreement must be fully implemented.

She called on the sides to abandon hostile rhetoric and return to the negotiations table by working with the OSCE Minsk Group. “A negotiated political resolution based on the recognition of fundamental rights is the only way to have a peaceful and stable future in the region.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 15:17, 20 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. The Barcelona City Council has recognized the 1915 Armenian Genocide, the Embassy of Armenia in Spain reports.

The Embassy has also shared on Facebook the document approved by the Barcelona City Council over the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

In their April 24^th messages on the occasion of the 106^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, several members of the Spanish Congress have expressed concerns that Spain has not yet recognized the Armenian Genocide.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 15:51, 20 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian presidency says President Sarkissian is not involved in processes related to a new possible document.

“The president of the republic is not and hasn’t been involved in processes related to your mentioned document,” Sarkissian’s office told ARMENPRESS when asked about a new possible delimitation and demarcation document. “Therefore, [he] is totally unaware about the details of that document and discussions related to it. The president of the republic believes that such processes must be maximally public and with the involvement of all parties concerned.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 15:57, 20 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. In order to clarify the future status of Artsakh, a long-term, negotiated and political solution to the conflict is needed, based on the principles of non-use of force, territorial integrity, equal rights and the peoples’ right to self-determination, Member of European Parliament representing Spain Pernando Barrena Arza said at the discussion during the EP plenary session relating to the prisoners of war captured during the recent Nagorno Karabakh war.

He reminded that the recent attack by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh has ended by a trilateral statement which is not respected and is violated by Azerbaijan. “Around 200 Armenians are still held captive in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani servicemen are killing these prisoners of war, which is a war crime. It’s the time for this Parliament to urge Azerbaijan to immediately release without preconditions all those Armenians who have been captured during the conflict and after that, to fully respect the ceasefire agreement and refrain from further military incursion into an Armenian territory”, the MEP said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan