Month: November 2023

 15:06,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. The certification process of subgroup 1 of servicemen of highest and senior officer ranks was launched on November 27.

Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan and his deputy Arman Sargsyan attended the ceremony marking the launch of the tests.

“This is an indicator that everyone in the military is equal in fulfilling their mission. The commander and the soldier standing in the last line are equal in battle, they are brothers. This is important to me. Good luck to you all,” Papikyan told the troops.

 15:22,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Vagif Khachatryan, an elderly ethnic Armenian man from Nagorno-Karabakh who was kidnapped by Azeri border guards during his ICRC-mediated medical evacuation on July 29 and later sentenced to 15 years in prison in Azerbaijan on fabricated war crime charges, has appealed the verdict to a court of appeals, his lawyer told Azeri media.

Azeri authorities pressed fabricated charges against Khachatryan and jailed him in Baku.   

The Armenian foreign ministry earlier said that the arrest of the Red Cross-protected patient from Nagorno-Karabakh amounts to war crime.

Prominent lawyer Siranush Sahakyan said that the kidnapping constitutes extraordinary rendition in terms of international law and a due process is therefore ruled out.

The kidnapped man’s daughter, in a plea to the UN to ensure the safe release of her father, said that all charges pressed by the Azeri prosecution are fabricated and her father is innocent.

Khachatryan’s testimony in court was even by an Azeri translator earlier in October.

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 15:33,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Karen Giloyan has met with boxer Noel Mikaelian, the new WBC world cruiserweight champion.

Mikaelian, 33, who has a record of 27 wins and 2 losses, won the vacant WBC cruiserweight title after defeating Ilunga Makabu in Miami.

Mikaelian defeated Makabu (Democratic Republic of the Congo) by way of knock-out in the third round.

“We were negotiating for quite some time around organizing a WBC world championship fight. My last fight was for the WBC Silver belt, which I won. The fight for the WBC championship was very important, and my opponent, the representative of the Congo, was a very strong athlete. He held the championship title for three years. As a result I knocked him out in the third round. I am very proud to represent Armenia,” Mikaelian said.

Giloyan congratulated Mikaelian on the win and wished him good luck in the future.

“Thank you for always keeping our country’s honor high and for your efforts,” Giloyan told the champion.

“You have an army of fans here in Armenia who follow your fights and get inspired by your victories.”

Noel Mikaelian thanked for the reception and expressed readiness to support the development of professional boxing in Armenia.

“I want to support the development of professional boxing in Armenia with everything I can. I am also participating in charity initiatives and I am very happy to be able to contribute to the development of my country,” the boxer added.

Giloyan said that Armenia must regularly become the location of major sports events. He said that Armenia hosted 6 European and World championships in amateur boxing, weightlifting and sambo in the last two years. He didn’t rule out that Armenia could also host professional boxing events.

 16:55,

YEREVAN, 27 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 27 November, USD exchange rate up by 0.13 drams to 402.31 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.99 drams to 440.73 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.01 drams to 4.53 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 2.50 drams to 507.84 drams.

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

Gold price up by 111.81 drams to 25880.13 drams. Silver price up by 0.74 drams to 306.61 drams.

 18:13,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan Monday hosted World Bank Regional Director for the South Caucasus Rolande Pryce.

Welcoming the guests, Tigran Khachatryan  briefed  Rolande Pryce on the humanitarian situation resulting from the forced displacement of more than 100,000 people from Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the measures implemented by the Government to overcome it, the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office said.

According to the source,  World Bank Regional Director for the South Caucasus assured that the World Bank is ready to support Armenia in effective management of the situation.

It is noted that during the meeting, the interlocutors discussed a wide range of issues related to bilateral cooperation, including irrigation, drinking water, healthcare, and several other areas.

 18:22,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan, the regular session of the interdepartmental coordination council for the implementation of the requirements and provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement was held, the Deputy Prime Minister's office said.

According to the source, during the session, the draft of the long-term strategy for the development of the Republic of Armenia with low emissions of greenhouse gases was discussed, a detailed reference was made to the actions necessary to ensure the mid-term and long-term targets set in various sectoral directions within its framework.

The members of the Council were presented with the works carried out in the direction of improving the atmospheric air monitoring system, emphasizing the importance of the continuity of the process of installing air pollution monitoring stations.

It is noted that the participants exchanged thoughts on the priority directions of the Council's work in 2024 for the purpose of effective coordination and harmonization of climate-related measures.

 19:18,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. A senior Egyptian official said on Monday that Egypt and Qatar were close to reaching a deal to extend a truce between Israeli and Hamas forces in Gaza by two days, continuing a pause in seven weeks of warfare that has killed thousands and laid waste to the Palestinian enclave, Reuters reports.

''Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS), said the extension would include the release of 20 Israeli hostages from among those seized by Hamas during its Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel. In exchange 60 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails would be freed,'' he said.

''With the release of 11 Israeli hostages expected on Monday, negotiations remain ongoing for the release of 33 Palestinians,'' Rashwan added.

 20:34,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Water has been delivered to the Gaza Strip for the first time since the beginning of the escalation, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced.

"Yesterday, our aid convoys reached areas in the north of Gaza Strip. UN agencies and the [Palestine Red Crescent Society] delivered ready-to-eat food, tents, water and urgent medical supplies. This was the first delivery of clean water that reached people sheltering in the north since the war began," the agency said on its X page.

 21:25,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan received the members of the joint delegation of the European External Action Service and the European Commission's Directorate Generals for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Migration and Internal Affairs, Research and Innovation and International Partnership.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister briefed the EU partners on the needs of forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh and the measures initiated by the government. Additionally, the Deputy Prime Minister referred to the potential challenges facing Armenia in the context of different scenarios of possible regional developments, Grigoryan’s Office said.

It is noted that the interlocutors discussed issues on the Armenia-EU relations agenda, including the progress of programs implemented within the framework of the Economic and Investment Plan. The need for full implementation of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement within the timeframe established by the roadmap was emphasized bilaterally.