Month: December 2023

 09:55, 13 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has been elected a member of the committee of the UNESCO 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its 1999 Protocol.

The election took place on December 12 during the committee’s meeting in Paris.

Armenia has been elected for a 4-year term.

The Armenian delegation to the meeting was led by Alfred Kocharyan, the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport.

In his remarks, Kocharyan warned that the Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh is endangered and underscored that in the past three years Azerbaijan has been blocking a UNESCO mission proposed by the organization’s director general.

Kocharyan presented multiple evidence on the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as in Nakhchivan and other parts of Azerbaijan.

He cited the statement issued to Azerbaijan by the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights expressing concern about the destruction and appropriation of Armenian historic and cultural, as well as religious sites, which constitutes a violation of international standards of human rights.

 11:42, 13 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant will sign a contract with Rosatom regarding the implementation of the lifespan extension project of reactor II. 

The decision on approving the project is included in the December 14 agenda of the Cabinet meeting.

The draft decision mentions that the cost of the contract cannot exceed 65 million USD.

 10:27, 13 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. The maternity hospital of the Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center of the RA Ministry of Health has been equipped with modern medical equipment of European, American and Japanese production. Thanks to the financial support of benefactor Mikael Vardanyan, the maternity hospital already has new neonatal incubators, a neonatal portable ultrasound system, a high frequency neonatal ventilator, birthing, neonatal resuscitation and medical electric-hydraulic operating multifunctional tables, a neonatal electroencephalograph and MRI patient monitoring system. Benefactor Mikael Vardanyan donated 116 million drams for the purchase of 15 life supporting equipment.

 12:48, 13 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia envisions the effectiveness of peace talks with Azerbaijan in the same platform where it started, a senior lawmaker said Wednesday.

“Armenia is always ready for talks,” Sargis Khandanyan, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, representing the ruling Civil Contract party, said at a press briefing when asked to comment on the latest statement from Moscow claiming that Armenia has turned down Russia-mediated negotiations, whereas Azerbaijan has agreed to it.

“Unfortunately, in the past months we’ve seen that Azerbaijan is the one who’s avoiding the negotiations and not participating. We expect our colleagues to be able to bring Azerbaijan to the negotiations table,” Khandanyan said.

The MP said it’s the content of the talks that matter, and not the type or format.

“A certain logic of negotiations has been developed, which must be continuous. Perhaps changing the platforms of negotiations is a tactics by Azerbaijan in order to avoid the negotiations. This is the reason why we want the logic of the negotiations to be continuous. And we envision the effectiveness of it in this format, meaning, to continue the conversation where it had begun,” Khandanyan said.

Asked whether Armenia finds the Russian platform to be trustworthy considering the fate of the November 9 agreement, which Russia failed to guarantee as a party, the MP said this is a legitimate concern and question.

“And unfortunately, today we’ve appeared in a situation where main principled issues of the November 9 statement relating to ensuring the security of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and their stay in Nagorno-Karabakh, also relating to the Lachin Corridor haven’t been fulfilled, and are disrupted. That legitimate concern and question still remains,” the MP said.

MP Artur Hovhannisyan from Civil Contract added that Armenia doesn’t differentiate between the platforms of talks if the principles are maintained – recognition of territorial integrities, unblocking of roads under the sovereignty of the countries.

“There was the November 9 statement, and everyone saw what happened. And basically the trust and sentiments stem from the realities,” he said.

 12:56, 13 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Azerbaijan did not exchange prisoners as of Wednesday noon almost a week after the agreement was reached.

Azerbaijan has to release 32 Armenian prisoners in exchange for Armenia's release of two Azerbaijani servicemen under the agreement.  

Asked to comment, a senior Armenian lawmaker on December 13 declined to give specific timeframes of the exchange. “First of all, I wouldn’t want to mention specific timeframes,” Member of Parliament, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs Sargis Khandanyan said at a press briefing when asked on the delay and whether Azerbaijan has breached the deal. “The logic and perception is that the process should take place in the nearest time. There’s been no signals indicating that Azerbaijan has abandoned its obligation. After all, this is an obligation assumed in a written form, in the present tense, that Azerbaijan is releasing 32 prisoners. I assume there are some organizational issues which are in process and we must expect it to happen in the nearest time,” Khandanyan said.

 14:48, 13 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. There’s been no change in the agreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan concerning the prisoner swap, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has said.

“There’s been no change in the agreements. As of this moment everything is proceeding according to the agreements. There were two components, the release of prisoners and the conference related to climate change. The conference officially ended yesterday, and today we can already expect the implementation of the second component. We have no grounds to say that Azerbaijan won’t adhere to the agreements,” Mirzoyan said.

Meanwhile, Azeri media reported that the prisoner exchange is expected on December 13.

Azerbaijan has to release 32 Armenian prisoners in exchange for Armenia's release of two Azerbaijani servicemen under the agreement.

 13:08, 13 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has met with his Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna in Yerevan.

A joint press conference is expected to take place after an extended-format meeting.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Estonian FM visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

 15:28, 13 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has vowed to start a process of official recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the Estonian parliament.

“On a meeting with Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan I emphazised that it’s Estonian dept to Armenia that we haven’t recognized genocide against Armenian people & I will start the process in Estonian parliament,” Tsahkna said in a post on X.

Margus Tsahkna visited the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan on December 13.

 15:43, 13 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. This year the Armenia-Estonia relations were distinguished by rather active political dialogue, mutual visits, contacts in international platforms and political consultations, Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan said at a joint press conference with his Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna in Yerevan.

He said they expressed willingness to take steps to maintain the dynamics of development of ties and enhance the agenda.

“Today we had the chance to discuss a rather broad circle of issues. In addition to the enhancing political dialogue, we attached importance to the economic component of bilateral ties, as well as maximal use of potential for the development of close cooperation in targeted areas,” Mirzoyan said, pointing out opportunities for exchange of experience and joint projects in IT. “Of course this sector is greatly connected with education and science, where we also have the potential to combine our capabilities,” he added.

The Armenia-EU partnership was also discussed.

The expansion of the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) and Estonia’s participation in it was highlighted in context of regional stability.

Mirzoyan reiterated Armenia’s readiness to deepen relations with the EU as much as the EU will find it possible.

 16:32, 13 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Wednesday he discussed with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan the issue of EU visa liberalization for Armenian citizens.

The Estonian FM expressed hope that the visa liberalization will be achieved next year.

He said that the discussion also focused on political cooperation, including on the readiness to work on the steps for joining the EU.

“This is difficult. We’ve worked on this for several decades, and here we are also ready to support, to train your staff, to support these processes in a practical arena,” he said.