Month: June 2022

 17:34,

YEREVAN, 27 JUNE, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 27 June, USD exchange rate up by 1.08 drams to 409.64 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.98 drams to 433.52 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 7.69 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.10 drams to 502.63 drams.

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

Gold price down by 152.69 drams to 24041.60 drams. Silver price down by 3.55 drams to 274.73 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

 17:48,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II received the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Syrian Arab Republic to Armenia Nora Arisian at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin on June 27.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin informed ARMENPRESS that His Holiness, congratulating the Ambassador on the occasion of her appointment, wished an effective mission for the benefit of the continuous strengthening of the centuries-old friendly relations and cooperation between the two peoples. His Holiness spoke with satisfaction about the Armenian-Syrian historical ties, emphasizing the important role of the Armenian community in Syria in strengthening them.

During the meeting, the Catholicos of All Armenians referred to the tragic losses and devastation caused by terrorist attacks in Syria and the 44-day war in Artsakh, expressing confidence that the two friendly nations will overcome the challenges they face with a spirit of optimism and strong faith.

His Holiness also expressed gratitude to the Syrian authorities for the caring attitude towards the Armenian community.

Ambassador Nora Arisian presented to the Catholicos the difficulties faced by the Armenian community due to the conflict in Syria, confirming that the Syrian authorities are making every effort to improve the situation of the Armenian community. The Ambassador also emphasized the role of the Syrian-Armenian community in overcoming the current challenges in Syria, which has always been highly appreciated in the country.

At the end of the meeting, the Catholicos of All Armenians wished the Ambassador fruitful activity for the strengthening of the Armenian-Syrian relations.

 18:12,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia, in cooperation with the World Bank, the European Union and the United Nations Development Program, today launched the “Growth and Recovery for the Strengthening, Upgrading and Prosperity of Armenia” platform in support of Armenia’s promising sustainable development, green recovery and growth, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Hambardzum Matevosyan.

The discussion chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan was attended by World Bank Regional Director for the South Caucasus Sebastian Molineus, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Sweden to Armenia Patrik Svensson, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia Natia Natsvlishvili, Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan, and representatives of other concerned structures.

The goal of the GREEN Armenia platform is to combine and optimize policies and investment initiatives for the sake of Armenia’s transition to green economy.
Today’s event was the first in a series of thematic dialogues jointly organized by beneficiaries to come up with innovative ideas and to learn about global knowledge, which is key to building resilience to climate change.

Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan welcomed the participants of the discussion, emphasizing that the Armenian Government highly appreciates such initiatives in terms of summarizing the work done, learning lessons and outlining the next steps. “This is best expressed in the Government’s Action Plan 2021-2026, by which we have planned a number of measures, from increasing the share of green energy to the promotion of alternative vehicles, the introduction of related infrastructure, afforestation, and other necessary works”, the Deputy Prime Minister said, adding that on the way to building a modern low-carbon economy, Armenia attaches importance to ensuring an inclusive, participatory process with the active participation of international partners, the private sector, civil society, and academia.

According to Sebastian Molineus, WB Regional Director for the South Caucasus, the GREEN Armenia platform will assist Armenia in its efforts to transition to a sustainable economy. “The green transition may be a stimulus for Armenia’s economy, but it will be necessary to set priorities in cooperation with the private sector and international development partners and implement low- carbon, resource efficient policies and programs, in line with environmental goals,” the WB representative said.

According to EU Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, the green agenda, which is considered one of the leading among the priorities set by the EU for Europe and the planet, implies much more than the reduction of emissions. “It implies systemic changes in economies, societies and industries. In the case of Armenia, this opportunity is clear. A greener economy will not only improve the quality of life of the Armenian people, but will also stimulate sustainable growth and new jobs,” the EU Ambassador said, hoping that the GREEN Armenia platform will contribute to an open and transparent transition to a green economy.

According to UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia Natia Natsvlishvili, making Armenia’s economy greener is the right policy in these difficult times, it can serve as a national strategic framework to ensure an equitable and inclusive transition to sustainable, zero-emission, climate-friendly economy while minimizing potential challenges that can be faced by the affected population and communities. She reaffirmed the UNDP’s readiness to combine efforts with the EU, the WB and other partners to assist the Government of Armenia in the fact-based, equitable and strategic policy of green transition, contributing to economic growth, human development and the unique natural capital of the country.

During the discussions, the Government presented its vision for the transition to a green economy in Armenia and its policy on climate and environment, which will help strengthen Armenia’s resilience. The representatives of the scientific-educational community, the public sector and international organizations presented their experience and position on the challenges and opportunities on the way to the transition to a green and resilient economy.

Deputy Prime Minister Matevosyan praised the efforts and readiness of all partners and stakeholders to combine their knowledge, experience and resources for the sustainable growth of the country through the GREEN Armenia platform.

 19:02,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan made a statement to the press following the meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, noting that no one and nothing can question the strong Armenian-Greek brotherhood.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of MFA Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan said,

“Dear Mr. Minister,
My friend and brother Nikos,
Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to thank my dear colleague Nikos Dendias for the warm hospitality. It is a great pleasure for me to be in Athens, especially as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Armenia and Greece.

The dynamically developing interstate relations of 30 years between Armenia and Greece are first of all based on the millennial friendship, mutual assistance between our two peoples and common values.

Armenians and Greeks lived, fought and created side by side. Our common path through the twists and turns of history has established a solid Armenian-Greek brotherhood, which cannot be questioned by anyone or anything. Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my respect for the Armenian community in Greece and the Greek community in Armenia, and appreciate their significant contribution to the continuous strengthening of the relations between our peoples and states.

Today, together with my colleague we discussed in detail the prospects for deepening the political dialogue, multilateral cooperation between our countries and outlined the joint work to be carried out in economic and trade, defence, cultural, scientific and other dimensions.

We believe that there is a huge potential for strengthening the economic cooperation between Armenia and Greece. I think that the extensive bilateral legal bases and the works of the Armenian-Greek Intergovernmental commission will contribute to the full utilization of that potential.

Dear colleagues,

Armenian-Greek relations are developing not only within bilateral but also on multilateral important platforms. In this regard, I would like to highlight three important dimensions.

First of all, the cooperation within the framework of the Armenia-Greece-Cyprus trilateral format was at the centre of our discussions. We consider this important initiative an effective tool for establishing stability, security and peace in the region, and are hopeful that through joint efforts it will serve the vital interests of our three countries and peoples. As Minister Dendias noted we have very important and concrete agreements regarding this format.

Of course, in a rapidly changing world, the implementation of the programs in transport communication, which are the vessels of the modern economy, gradually become more important. In this regard, we emphasize the importance of signing of the multilateral agreement on the establishment of the “Persian Gulf-Black sea international transport-transit corridor”. I think that intensive work should be carried out in this direction together with the stakeholders and succeed in this direction too.

We also exchanged views on issues on the Armenia-EU partnership and the Eastern Partnership. We stressed that the roadmap for the implementation of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement provides great opportunities also for deepening mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Of course, today we referred to the issues related to international and regional security and stability.
I presented to my colleague in detail the situation created around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the position of Armenia on the processes aimed at establishing regional peace and stability, the negotiations on the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

I also touched upon issues related to the processes of the unblocking of the regional economic communications and transport infrastructure, the works within the Commission of delimitation and border security and overall the process on peace agreement.

I stressed the key role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship in promoting the peace process for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia appreciates the position of Greece in support of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the mandate and within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.

I would also like to seize the opportunity and thank my good friend Nikos, who visited Yerevan during the 44-day war and expressed the sympathy of Greece and the Greek people to us in that crucial period. We will never forget that gesture of a strategic partner.

Dear colleagues,

Unfortunately, more than a year and a half after the ceasefire, Azerbaijan continues its provocative actions against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, while the warmongering and expansionist rhetoric has become an integral part of the daily discourse of the leadership of Azerbaijan.

Violating international humanitarian law and the obligations undertaken with the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, Azerbaijan continues to hold the Armenian PoWs and civilians in captivity, while the fate of hundreds of missing persons, including dozens of enforced disappeared, remains unresolved. All the civilized countries of the world, I repeat, all the civilized countries, using all possible opportunities, should contribute, call and insist Azerbaijan to return our prisoners.

Dear attendees,

Throughout the millennia-long history, the Armenian people have created wonderful churches and monuments that are an integral part of the global cultural heritage. Today, unfortunately, part of this heritage is in danger of imminent destruction. As a result of the state-sponsored, official policy of the Azerbaijani authorities, we have desecrated churches, shattered monuments annihilated of their Armenian trace in the territories fallen under the control of Azerbaijan. Unlike many other such unacceptable cases, we can not say that the world is silent. The world, indeed, talks, and has expressed itself very clearly. One bright example of that is the the decision of the UN Court of Justice to apply provisional measures in 2021, which obliges Azerbaijan to end this policy.

We expect a clear, targeted and continuous response of the international community to this behaviour of Azerbaijan and emphasize the urgency of the involvement of relevant international organizations in Nagorno-Karabakh, especially the implementation of the UNESCO fact-finding mission, which will be a significant step towards preserving this heritage.

And, of course, today I want to emphasize once again that peace is our principle, our policy and strategy. We are really aiming to build a peaceful, secure, stable South Caucasus, we hope that our neighbour will restrain from its expansionist aspirations, and will demonstrate a more constructive position on all issues.

Dear Nikos,

Thank you once again for the warm welcome and substantive discussion. I will be happy to host you in Yerevan”.

 19:12,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, who is in Greece on a working visit, held a meeting with Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Kyriakos Mitsotakis on June 27.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, the interlocutors stressed that the Armenian-Greek relations are based on friendship, mutual support and common values.

Ararat Mirzoyan and Kyriakos Mitsotakis commended the rich agenda of cooperation and the high level of political dialogue, expressing readiness to make joint efforts towards further development of cooperation and its promotion to a qualitatively new level.

They also touched upon the current level of trade and economic relations between Armenia and Greece, the prospects of further expansion of economic ties, including through the utilization of the opportunities of a wide legal field, the works of the Armenian-Greek intergovernmental commission and activation of business to business contacts.

They have also discussed cooperation within the framework of the Armenia-Greece-Cyprus trilateral format. 

The Foreign Minister of Armenia briefed the interlocutor on the current developments in the South Caucasus. The sides exchanged views on the issues of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the process of normalization between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the unblocking of regional economic communication and transport infrastructure, the work of the commissions on delimitation and border security.

Ararat Mirzoyan touched upon the humanitarian consequences of Azerbaijan’s military aggression against Artsakh, accompanied by gross violations of international humanitarian law. Among other urgent issues, the need for the repatriation of the Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees and preservation of the Armenian historical-cultural and religious heritage in the territories fallen under the Azerbaijani control was stressed.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia highly appreciated the support of the Greek government during the 44-day war – a challenging period for Armenia, as well as its assistance in overcoming the resulting humanitarian issues. 

Minister Ararat Mirzoyan also briefed the Prime Minister of Greece on the developments in the Armenia-Turkey normalization process.

That’s done to legitimize a new war against Armenia. Pashinyan comments on Azerbaijan’s baseless accusation

 20:52,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. According to Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijan refuses to talk with the Armenian side and publicly accuses Armenia aiming to legitimize a new war against Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said in a live broadcast on Facebook, answering the questions of media and NGOs.

Asked whether the peace agenda in today’s geopolitical realities has a real alternative in relations with Azerbaijan and even Turkey, Pashinyan gave a negative answer.

“It didn’t have an alternative even yesterday, the day before yesterday. It’s another issue to what extent we will be able to fulfil that agenda. It is very important to state that the establishment of peace cannot be a one-sided agenda, it must be a mutual constructive movement. My assessment is that there is no alternative, there was no alternative yesterday, there will be no alternative tomorrow. There is no alternative, and that is the reason why we have done, are doing and will do everything we can to open an era of peaceful development for Armenia and our region,” Pashinyan said.

He stressed that the alternative to the peace agenda is a new war. Azerbaijan refuses to talk, publicly accusing Armenia of refusing to talk. My assessment is one: it is done to legitimize a new war against Armenia. We do not have illusions about Azerbaijan’s far-reaching goals and intentions, but even in this case, it is more important for us to consistently and patiently push forward the peace agenda. I have said many times that on this path we need strong nerves, balanced, maximum non-emotional state,” the Prime Minister said, emphasizing once again that there is no alternative to the peace agenda.

 21:02,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. The representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan have discussed several times and stated that the perceptions on the peace treaty have yet to be harmonized, at what pace, on what platform and what kind of provisions the peace treaty should include in general, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said in a live broadcast on Facebook, answering the questions if there is any progress in the preparation works of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and when the talks will start, when the treaty will be signed.

The Prime Minister assesses the statements made by Azerbaijan strange, where an attempt is made to show that Armenia is allegedly delaying the negotiations on the peace treaty.

“In order not to go into details, I must say that after these statements, as they are strange in nature, the Armenian Foreign Ministry sent an offer to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry to hold a meeting of foreign ministers to try to reach an agreement on the further process.

By the way, I must say that as a result of the previous discussions, it was decided that Armenian and Azerbaijani officials should be in touch with each other and should have contacts in order to be able to organize further work, but Azerbaijan (we already have at least one case) has boycotted and has not involved in the work, despite the agreements, and there is no response to the proposal of the Foreign Ministry,” said the Prime Minister.

Nikol Pashinyan noted that there were preliminary discussions on the process of preparation for the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks, but after that there are no concrete ideas or text.

“An agreement has been reached to continue the work. By the way, a meeting was scheduled for today at the level of the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia and Advisor to the President of Azerbaijan, but the Azerbaijani side has not responded yet and has refused to participate. Meanwhile, there is no other document on the table except what has been published,” said the Prime Minister.

 21:42,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is interested in advancing the processes of demarcation and delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and unblocking of transport communications, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said in a live broadcast on Facebook, answering the questions about the border delimitation process.

“In the recent period, the representatives of Azerbaijan are trying to create the impression that the Republic of Armenia is trying to delay also the work of the Commission on Border Delimitation and Security. Meanwhile, it should be noted that at the previous meeting, which took place on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, a joint decision was made that the next meeting will take place in Moscow at least a month later, because the parties had stated that there is some work to be done based on the results of the discussions which would not be possible to do sooner than a month. Moreover, this was a joint proposal and a joint decision. But when we read the texts and headlines of Azerbaijan’s statements, one may get the impression that Armenia avoids participating in that work. While the reality is totally different. I must state that in the past, in May, the Republic of Armenia has twice expressed readiness. There was even a preliminary agreement to start the sitting of the Joint Commission on Border Delimitation and Security, but they were postponed or delayed by the Azerbaijani side”, Pashinyan said.

According to the Prime Minister, with these steps Azerbaijan is trying to gain legitimacy for a new war against Armenia and Artsakh.

“The same is for the opening of the roads. Azerbaijan is constantly trying to create the impression that Armenia does not want to open communications in the region and implement the provisions of trilateral statements. But the reality is the opposite. And there is a key reality that in the last 30 years Azerbaijan and even more Azerbaijan has pursued a policy of blockading Armenia, in fact, Azerbaijan is the one that delays the process. Why? Because they thought that the policy of blockading Armenia was effective or at least there is no sense in making decisions now that would allow Armenia to overcome the blockade”, the Prime Minister said, adding that as a result of the opening of transport communications, Armenia will get a railway connection with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia, Syunik region will get a railway connection with the northern parts of Armenia, etc.

The Prime Minister stressed that Armenia is interested in advancing the process, but Azerbaijan is trying to do so that Armenia remains in the blockade, which does not correspond to the November 9, 2020 declaration.

 22:51,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. Thanks to the active construction work and efforts of the Georgian side, the traffic was recently resumed in Lars. The road is open, ARMENPRESS reports the spokesperson of the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Sona Harutyunyan wrote about this on her Facebook page.

“Let me remind you that Lars was closed since yesterday. Due to heavy rains and flooding of the Terek River, part of the 136th kilometer (neutral zone) of the Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Lars highway was damaged,” she wrote.

According to the Prime Minister, the bio-laboratories operating in Armenia pose no threat to Russia

 23:21,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. The bio-laboratories operating in Armenia are 100% owned by the Republic of Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports PM Pashinyan said in a Facebook live. The journalist noted that the Russian side has repeatedly stated that there are biolaboratories in Armenia, within the framework of which there is cooperation between the United States and Armenia, including in the direction of military departments. In addition, the Russian Embassy in Armenia stated that there are structures in Armenia that have participated in biological projects in Ukraine.

“It is true that it was created with the support of the United States, but they are owned by the Republic of Armenia. This topic was raised in 2018, our Russian partners expressed concern, we invited them, we said, come and show what the concern is. There have been visits and discussions, but no concerns were raised as a result of those discussions,” said the Prime Minister.

Pashinyan noted that a document on cooperation in the field of biosafety was signed between Armenia and Russia, there is close cooperation between the two countries in that field, cooperation will continue.

“But this does not mean that we will not cooperate with other countries in the field of developing science and infrastructure. It’s another issue that we have to see whether this cooperation poses a threat to the Russian Federation or not. We guarantee that during our cooperation we have not and will not create threats for our allies. Although we hear concerns, we try to understand if we may have missed something. If it turns out that we have missed something, we create a threat, although that’s impossible, we are open to those discussions. I have expressed concerns about those public statements, but so far I have not received any specific information about it,” Pashinyan concluded.