Month: May 2021

 16:06,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. Member of Parliament Taguhi Tovmasyan says she personally contacted the commander of the army corps encompassing her constituency of Gegharkunik Province to clarify the media reports on Azeri military advancements near the province’s village of Shorzha.

“The information that the Azerbaijani military has advanced in the Shorzha settlement’s section of the Vardenis region extremely concerned me as well,” she said in a statement. “I just spoke to our army corps commander. I’d like to relay his words that the Azerbaijani military hasn’t committed any encroachment against the Armenian state border in the Gegharkunik province, and hasn’t displayed any aggression against our province,” she said.

“And what did actually happen? After the signing of the November 9-10 ill-starred document, when Karvajar was surrendered, the Azeri military positioned in that parts wherever it was able to due to heavy snow. Now the snow has melted, they are advancing in the areas which are under their control, they are positioning in areas closer to us. The general underscored that [Azeri military] hasn’t and can’t advance even one millimeter from the Armenian state border.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 16:17,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian visited the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO during his working visit in Russia where he met with Chairman of the Board of Directors of the school Alexander Voloshin, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The Armenian President got acquainted with the activity of one of the leading business schools of Russia, its ongoing educational and research projects, innovations, the studies and analysis conducted in economy, management and a number of other fields.

Armen Sarkissian and Alexander Voloshin discussed the opportunities of cooperation, implementation of joint programs between the Skolkovo and Armenian educational, analytical institutions.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 16:37,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. Negotiations, including with the involvement of a Russian representative, are underway over the border incident in Syunik, the Chair of the Armenian parliament’s defense and security affairs committee Andranik Kocharyan told reporters. He said no shots were fired during the incident and no one is injured. The solution of the issue is now underway, he said.

“The Azerbaijanis, with a 1974 map in their hands, came to some heights and are claiming that it is theirs. Naturally, this can’t not transform into tension, because issues related to the ceasefire regime, also the Armenian state border are solved within the framework of entirely different documents and agreements. This issue appeared under the pretext of border clarifications,” Kocharyan said, adding that Azerbaijan, albeit on non-state levels, has started to voice that Russia’s presence in the ceasefire regime isn’t desirable for them.

Kocharyan says the Azerbaijani actions contain political component aimed at causing tension in the Armenian domestic political life.

“Right now the representative of the Russian side involved in the ceasefire regime is there, our border troops commander is there, we are in the phase of negotiations. And I am sure this will end in a resolution,” he said.

He said the disinformation that gunfire was exchanged was a planned provocation.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 16:40,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. Governor of Armenia’s Gegharkunik province Gnel Sanosyan has presented details from the ongoing border situation.

Commenting on the reports about the advancement of the Azerbaijani forces in the direction of the borders of the province, the Governor told Armenpress that the Azerbaijani side should have to be positioned in the territories which have come under its control according to the 2020 November 9 trilateral statement, but it didn’t manage to do that because of the bad weather conditions.

“At the moment they are conducting positioning works. In some suspicious territories the clarifications are being agreed upon with the Armenian forces. The situation is under the control of the Armenian armed forces”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 16:48,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. The development of unique friendly relations with Georgia has a special place in Armenia’s foreign policy, Caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a joint press conference with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili in Yerevan.

Pashinyan said he is happy for hosting his Georgian counterpart in Armenia. “It’s always a great honor and pleasure for me to meet with the Prime Minister of Georgia and discuss the cooperation agenda between our countries in an atmosphere of friendship”, Pashinyan said.

According to him, the centuries-old friendship between the two peoples, the common values of democracy and rule of law comprise the firm ground the partnership of the two countries is based on.

“The Armenian community in Georgia, which has a history of centuries, is the bridge which more firmly connects the two countries. We have a broad agenda of dynamically developing cooperation. It covers many areas”, the Armenian caretaker PM said, calling the existing dialogue with Georgia as constructive.

The two PMs during their private meeting have discussed the cooperation in transportation, energy and other areas, as well as its development prospects.

“We decided to pay more focus on the development of trade and economic ties in our relations. From our part we in particular emphasized the importance of more effectively using the regional transportation communications and developing the transit potential. The cooperation potential between the two states in the field of high technologies and the necessity of utilizing it were emphasized. As always, the cooperation issues in education, science and culture sectors were discussed. We exchanged views on the actions taken in both countries for fighting the pandemic”, Nikol Pashinyan said.

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili arrived in Armenia on an official visit on May 12.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 16:49,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian-Georgian partnership is one of the most important guarantees for ensuring stability in the region, Caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a joint press conference with his Georgian counterpart Irakli Garibashvili in Yerevan, noting that regional security matters were addressed during their meeting.

“I expressed conviction that the Karabakh conflict must get its final resolution within the framework of the process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and based on the principles proposed by them. I also expressed conviction that each conflict has its peculiarity. In this context I attached importance to maintaining balanced and constructive stance over issues that are sensitive for one another,” Pashinyan said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 18:38,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. The Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili together with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Avinyan visited Tsitsernakaberd on May 12, laid flowers and paid tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims, as well as watered the tree he had planted earlier at the ''Memory Park'', ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of Tigran Avinyan.

Earlier today, Avinyan had met Irakli Garibashvili at Zvartnots airport.

 19:15,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Ayvazian met with Georgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, who has arrived in Armenia as part of Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili's delegation.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, the interlocutors exchanged views on cooperation on both bilateral and multilateral agendas. The sides reaffirmed mutual commitment to take steps to give new dynamics to the existing traditional neighborly relations, to raise the cooperation in the spheres of mutual interest to a qualitatively new level. Regular consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries was highlighted in this regard.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Georgia also referred to issues of regional security and interconnectedness. Ara Ayvazian emphasized that use of force hampers the settlement of conflicts and disrupts regional peace and security.

 19:37,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. The ECHR Grand Chamber has accepted for consideration the complaints of Armenia and Azerbaijan against each other on charges of violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, ARMENPRESS was informed from the website of the ECHR.

It’s mentioned that the complaints are mainly about the recent military operations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and contain complaints about widespread violations of the Convention, including attacks against civilians, civilian and public property, mistreatment against soldiers and civilians, hostage taking and forceful eviction of citizens from territories affected by the military operations.

Armenia submitted the complaint against Azerbaijan on September 27, 2020, while Azerbaijan did that on October 27, 2020.

Following the November 9, 2020 trilateral declaration signed by Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan, Armenia returned all Azerbaijani war prisoners, including 2 charged for killing a minor, but Azerbaijn has failed to respect the agreement so far. There are also documented proofs about torturing Armenian POWs by the Azerbaijani side. 19 cases of killing Armenian POWs by Azerbaijan have been confirmed.

Armenian, Russian Defense Ministers discuss situation in locations of Russian peacekeepers

 21:19,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and Armenian Defense MInister Vagharshak Harutyunyan  held a phone conversation, during which they discussed the situation in the locations of the Russian peacekeepers, ARMENPRESS reports Russian Defense Ministry informed.

The sides also discussed other issues of bilateral interest.