Month: December 2023

 12:56, 8 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. COP28 has mobilized over $83 billion in the first five days, setting the pace for a new era in climate action.

These include the first ever declarations on food systems transformation and health, plus
declarations on renewable energy and efficiency, as well as initiatives to decarbonize
heavy emitting industries.

11 pledges and declarations have been launched and received historic support.

On day one of COP28, the Presidency facilitated a historic agreement to operationalize
and capitalize funding for Loss and Damage, supporting those on the front lines of the
climate crisis with $726 million already pledged to date.

$3.5 billion in new money announced to replenish the Green Climate Fund (GCF)

$133.6 million announced toward the Adaptation Fund

$129.3 million announced toward the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDC)

$31 million to the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)

• UAE launched a $30 billion catalytic fund, ALTÉRRA, to drive positive climate action.
The fund seeks to mobilize an additional $250 billion globally.
• The UAE committed $200 million to help vulnerable countries through Special Drawing
Rights (SDRs) and $150 million to fund water security solutions.
• The World Bank announced an increase of $9 billion annually for 2024 and 2025 to
finance climate-related projects. Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) announced a
cumulative increase of over $22.6 billion toward climate action.
The full breakdown of pledges and declarations so far is as follows:
•  The Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge has been endorsed by
123 countries.
•  The COP28 UAE Declaration on Agriculture, Food, & Climate has received
endorsements from 140 countries.
• The COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health has been endorsed by 132
countries.
•  The COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate Relief, Recovery & Peace has been
endorsed by 75 countries and 40 organizations.
•  The COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate Finance has been endorsed by 13
countries.
• The Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) Pledge has
been endorsed by 65 countries.
•  The Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter has been endorsed by 52 companies,
representing 40 percent of global oil production.
COP28 CLIMATE ACTION TRACKER
Media Fact Sheet
• The Industrial Transition Accelerator has been endorsed by 35 companies and
six industry associations, including World Steel Association, International
Aluminium Institute, Global Renewable Alliance, Global Cement and Concrete
Association, Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, International Air Transport
Association.
Breakdown of financial pledges and contributions so far:
• Loss and Damage: $726 million
• Green Climate Fund: $3.5 billion (increasing second replenishment to $12.8
billion)
•  Adaptation Fund: $133.6 million
•  Least Developed Countries Fund: $129.3 million
• Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF): $31 million
•  Renewable Energy: $5 billion
•  Cooling: $25.5 million
•  Clean Cooking: $30 million
• Technology: $568 million
•  Methane: $1.2 billion
• Climate Finance: $30 billion from UAE, $200 million in Special Drawing Rights,
and $32 billion from Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)
•  Food: $3.1 billion
•  Nature: $2.6 billion
• Health: $2.7 billion
• Water: $150 million
• Gender: $2.8 million
•  Relief, Recovery and Peace: $1.2 billion
•  Local Climate Action: $467 million․

 12:59, 8 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan which resulted in the joint statement were held bilaterally, without mediators, according to a senior Armenian lawmaker.

“The negotiations were bilateral, the statement doesn’t mention any other side,” said Sargis Khandanyan, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations, when asked whether the talks involved mediators.

Asked when the Armenian prisoners will return from Azerbaijan, the MP said it’s a matter of ‘hours or days.’

“According to the statement it must take place in the nearest time. It is a matter of hours or days. If I’m not mistaken, the prisoner return process must take place on the state border of Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he said.

Khandanyan declined to confirm or deny the list issued by Azerbaijan of names of the POWs who are to be released. He said that Armenia cannot release names until the prisoners cross the border.

“I’d avoid mentioning names, first of all because I am unaware of details, but also because this is a highly sensitive topic. I think the names shouldn’t be released until the prisoners cross the state border of Armenia, because, understandably, this can be very difficult for the families of the prisoners,” he said when asked on the authenticity of the list of names of the detainees issued by the Azeri authorities.

He added that the government of Armenia will continue to work to achieve the release of all POWs and other detainees held in Azerbaijan.

“This was a part of the process, and there is certain result regarding the process, and the government of Armenia will continue to carry out diplomatic and legal work, so that all prisoners and other detainees who are in Azerbaijan are released as a result of such a process,” Khandanyan said.

 

Following the talks between the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan, an agreement has been reached on taking tangible steps towards building confidence between two countries.

Driven by the values of humanism and as a gesture of goodwill, the Republic of Azerbaijan releases 32 Armenian military servicemen.

In its turn, driven by the values of humanism and as a gesture of goodwill, the Republic of Armenia releases 2 Azerbaijani military servicemen.

As a sign of good gesture, the Republic of Armenia supports the bid of the Republic of Azerbaijan to host the 29th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, by withdrawing its own candidacy. The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan do hope that the other countries within the Eastern European Group will also support Azerbaijan’s bid to host. As a sign of good gesture, the Republic of Azerbaijan supports the Armenian candidature for Eastern European Group COP Bureau membership.

The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan will continue their discussions regarding the implementation of more confidence building measures, effective in the near future and call on the international community to support their efforts that will contribute to building mutual trust between two countries and will positively impact the entire South Caucasus region.

 13:56, 8 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenia hopes that the US will put sufficient effort and pressure on Azerbaijan in order for the negotiations to continue in Washinton, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations Sargis Khandanyan told reporters.

“There’s no information at this moment regarding the date and the conditions, but as you know Armenia is always in favor of continuing the negotiations on the foreign ministerial level in this format,” he said when asked on an expected meeting with Azerbaijan in the U.S. capital. “We hope that our colleagues in the United States will put sufficient effort, and perhaps pressure, on Azerbaijan so that the negotiations continue in Washington,” he said when asked about Baku’s participation.

Armenia has accepted the offer to hold talks with Azerbaijan in Washington.

Asked whether Armenia would be ready to hold talks in Moscow, Khandanyan said, “As far as I know there are no specific timeframes or proposals on holding negotiations in Moscow. It is also very important to ensure the continuity of the logic of the negotiations, and a logic has been developed that rounds of foreign ministerial negotiations were held in Washington and summits were held in Brussels, so it would be better to ensure the continuity in order not to start everything again from a new point.”

 14:11, 8 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Russia welcomes the prisoner swap deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Russian foreign ministry has said.

“We welcome the agreement between Baku and Yerevan regarding the release of Armenian and Azerbaijani servicemen,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

She added that Russia is ready to “continue providing possible support on unblocking of transport connections, border delimitation, signing of the peace treaty and contacts between civil societies.”

Zakharova said that Russia also welcomes Armenia’s support to the bid of the Republic of Azerbaijan to host the 29th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, by withdrawing its own candidacy.

Following the talks between the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan, an agreement has been reached on taking tangible steps towards building confidence between two countries.

Driven by the values of humanism and as a gesture of goodwill, the Republic of Azerbaijan releases 32 Armenian military servicemen.

In its turn, driven by the values of humanism and as a gesture of goodwill, the Republic of Armenia releases 2 Azerbaijani military servicemen.

As a sign of good gesture, the Republic of Armenia supports the bid of the Republic of Azerbaijan to host the 29th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, by withdrawing its own candidacy. The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan do hope that the other countries within the Eastern European Group will also support Azerbaijan’s bid to host. As a sign of good gesture, the Republic of Azerbaijan supports the Armenian candidature for Eastern European Group COP Bureau membership.

The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan will continue their discussions regarding the implementation of more confidence building measures, effective in the near future and call on the international community to support their efforts that will contribute to building mutual trust between two countries and will positively impact the entire South Caucasus region.

 12:14, 9 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. France welcomes the positive signal sent by the joint statement issued by Armenia and Azerbaijan and the goodwill gestures by both countries, particularly regarding a prisoner exchange, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France said in a statement.

“We hope these announcements are a first step toward resolving the situation of prisoners, detainees and the disappeared,’’  said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France.

France supports the swift resumption of negotiations on a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the support of the EU and the United States.

 The Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France added that, as the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs has said repeatedly, there can be no lasting peace without respect for international law and the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the borders between the two nations.

 11:58, 9 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The United States has vetoed a United Nations Security Council demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.

Thirteen Security Council members voted in favor of a brief draft resolution, put forward by the United Arab Emirates on Friday, while the United Kingdom abstained, Al Jazeera reports.

“While the US strongly supports a durable peace in which both Israel and Palestine can live in peace and security, we do not support calls for an immediate ceasefire. This would only plant the seeds for the next war, because Hamas has no desire to see a durable peace, to see a two-state solution,” Al Jazeera quoted Robert Wood, deputy US ambassador to the UN as saying.

 12:57, 9 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The OSCE stands ready to help as a platform for continued dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, said on social media.

“Yesterday’s joint statement by Armenia and Azerbaijan is exactly the sort of positive step forward needed on the path to sustainable peace. The OSCE stands ready to help as a platform for continued dialogue & as an implementation partner for agreements,” he posted on X on Friday.

In a joint statement Armenia and Azerbaijan reconfirmed their intention to normalize relations and to reach the peace treaty on the basis of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Driven by the values of humanism and as a gesture of goodwill, the Republic of Azerbaijan releases 32 Armenian military servicemen. In its turn, driven by the values of humanism and as a gesture of goodwill, the Republic of Armenia releases 2 Azerbaijani military servicemen.

 12:33, 9 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS.France will allocate 15 million euros in emergency aid to Armenia to assist forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France said in a statement.

“France will continue its support for Armenia and the Armenian people following the November 30th vote in Parliament, providing €15 million in emergency aid for Armenia and refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh.

This additional aid will help support the efforts by NGOs, the ICRC, the Armenian Red Cross and UN agencies to welcome and look after the social, medical, educational and financial needs of these particularly vulnerable populations. This latest aid package brings our 2023 contribution to €27.5 million,” reads the statement.

It is noted that  emergency medical supplies were also turned over to the Armenian authorities, and French hospitals are caring for several burn patients.

According to the statement, this support is accompanied by fundraising efforts by civil society organizations and local governments to help the Armenian people.

 13:23, 9 December 2023