Author: Ani Kharatian

No negotiations between Armenia and Turkey – Adviser to FM

Ani Kharatian
Public Radio of Armenia
   

No negotiations are taking place between Armenia and Turkey, Martha Aivazian, Adviser to the Armenian Foreign Minister, told a press conference today. She added that no negotiations are expected.

She noted that the international process of Armenian genocide recognition remains a foreign policy priority.

“We use every opportunity to raise the issue on relevant platforms. During our bilateral contacts we are making efforts to achieve the main goal – the widest possible recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” she said.

Construction of new Armenia-Georgia border bridge launched

Ani Kharatian

Save

Share

 12:51, 16 April, 2021

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. An Armenian-Georgian inter-governmental commission in charge of coordinating the construction of a new bridge at the two countries’ border held a remote meeting to approve the paperwork and other technicalities.

The 386-meter long bridge called Friendship will be built on the Debed River on the territory of the Sadakhlo-Bagratashen border crossing point.

The commission gave the official launch of the construction during the meeting.

Kristine Ghalechyan, the Armenian Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures and Co-chair of the commission, underscored the need to ensure quality and compliance with international standards in the construction, and highly appreciated the Georgian government’s efforts.

The joint Armenian-Georgian project is funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the governments of Armenia and Georgia. The contractor is the Iranian Ariana Tunnel Dam Co. Technical supervision is conducted by the South Korean Soosung Engineering Co., Ltd և Korea Consultants.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Azerbaijan’s display of dead soldiers’ helmets sparks outrage in Armenia

Ani Kharatian
The Independent, UK



Park publicly degrades victims of war and their families, Armenia says

Matt Mathers

| The Independent

A “park of trophies” in Azerbaijan displaying the helmets of dead Armenian soldiers has sparked outrage in Yerevan.

The two neighbouring countries have been embroiled in a decades-long ethnic conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, a mountainous area close to the border.

War gripped the region in September last year, resulting in 6,000 deaths – with nearly half those fatalities Armenia troops.

Weeks of bloodshed ended in November. Armenia lost and subsequently ceded chunks of territory to Baku.

On Monday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited a site dedicated to remembering the war, which contains military equipment seized from Armenia troops during the conflict – including the helmets of dead soldiers.

Mr Aliyev said the “park of military trophies” shows “everyone the strength of our army”.

In a video posted to his website, he added: “[Everyone] will see our willpower, and how hard it was to achieve victory”.

Armenia’s foreign ministry responded furiously, saying the trophy park “publicly degraded the memory of the victims of the war, missing persons and prisoners of war, and violating the rights and dignity of their families.”

In a statement, the ministry added: “Azerbaijan is finally consolidating its position as a global centre of intolerance and xenophobia.”

Arman Tatoyan, the Armenian ombudsman, said the park was proof of “genocidal policy” that “clearly confirms institutional hatred towards Armenians in Azerbaijan”.

Past outbreaks of fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh region have killed some 30,000 people since 1988.

The public park is due to open to the Azerbaijani public soon.

Artsakh reports 9 daily coronavirus cases

Ani Kharatian

Save

Share

 14:26,

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 15, ARMENPRESS. 9 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Artsakh in the past 24 hours, the ministry of healthcare reports.

79 COVID-19 tests were conducted on April 14.

37 infected patients receive treatment at hospital, the others – at home.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Republic has risen to 2,580.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenian Genocide survivor Ovsanna Mirkhanyan dies aged 106

Ani Kharatian

Save

Share

 14:03,

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, ARMENPRESS. One of the survivors of the 1915 Armenian Genocide Ovsanna Mirkhanyan has passed away at the age of 106 in Lenughi village of Armenia’s Armavir province, her son Sargis Mirkhanyan told Armenpress.

“She has undergone a complex surgery. Besides, she could not get out of bed because she fell in the yard. We are 5 children. My mother had 2 daughters in Syria, they both died”, Sargis Mirkhanyan said.

Ovsanna Mirkhanyan was the last Armenian Genocide survivor of the province. She was one of the heroes of the Eyewitness project of ARMENPRESS.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Azerbaijan Falsely Claims No More Armenian POWs

Ani Kharatian

04/10/2021 Armenia (International Christian Concern) –  A plane reportedly supposed to be bringing Armenian prisoners of war home from Baku, Azerbaijan arrived in Armenia’s Yerevan empty. Instead, family and friends of Armenian POWs found only the head of the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh on board.

Some encouraged the disappointed family and friends to join the parents of missing soldiers who were also protesting outside the Ministry of Defense. Armenian families are heartbroken over the uncertainty of their loved ones.

In response to the disappointment and concern at the empty plane, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told the media that there are no prisoners of war in Azerbaijan. Instead, he claimed that they only had terrorists in prison in Baku, who were not to be considered prisoners of war. He said, “soldiers are considered prisoners when they are captured during military operations. Those who were captured as a result of the anti-terrorist operation should be called terrorists, not prisoners…Baku handed over all prisoners after November 10, the issue is closed.”

However, the case of Maral Najarian proves that there are countless more civilian Armenians suffering in prison in Azerbaijan. Najarian likely only was released due to the international pressures her case received. She played no role in the war and spent four months in solitary confinement as a civilian war hostage.

Armenian-Australian community appeals to Prime Minister Scott Morrison to recognize the Armenian Genocide

Ani Kharatian

Save

Share

 11:05, 8 April, 2021

YEREVAN, APRIL 8, ARMENPRESS. As the 106th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide approaches, the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has written an open letter on behalf of Armenian-Australians calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to recognize the systematic persecution of 1.5 million Armenians, as well as over 1 million Assyrians and Greeks, perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

In the letter, the 50,000 strong community urges the Prime Minister to uphold his own beliefs articulated in his speech to Parliament on 26th May 2011, when he said: “Today, as a member of this House, I join others in this place, and in parliaments around the world, to place on record that I believe the Armenian Genocide was one of the greatest crimes against humanity … it is important that we recognise the Armenian genocide for what it was.”

This is in stark contrast to Scott Morrison’s most recent statements as Prime Minister, which have excluded the use of the word genocide.

“Now, is the time for Genocide recognition. The changing political climate on the Armenian Genocide issue in Australia and the positive steps towards Genocide recognition internationally, leads us to believe that now is the time.

Today, over 30 nations worldwide have now officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, including France, Germany, Canada and the United States of America. Yet, despite many of these nations standing on the right side of history, Australia continues to fall short of our allies footsteps, failing to formally recognize this brutal crime against humanity as what it was – a Genocide.

We believe that becoming Prime Minister shouldn’t compromise your own values and opinion and it shouldn’t compromise our Australian values standing up for human rights and standing on the right side of history”, the letter reads.

“We believe that now is the time given that you are not alone. We believe it is essential that the Prime Minister’s statement reflects the will of our elected representatives in the Australian Parliament. Like countless nations around the world it is time we reject foreign threats and gag orders imposed by an authoritarian regime.

On behalf of the 50,000 Armenian-Australian’s, we urge you to officially characterize the events of 1915 by their true name – Genocide”, stated in the letter.

Armenian van transporting bodies of the dead comes under Azerbaijani stone attack

Ani Kharatian
Public Radio of Armenia
March 29 2021

An Armenian van transporting bodies of the dead came under Azerbaijani stone attack on March 28, deputy head of Goris community Irina Yolyan informs.

“The driver says that he left Stepanakert for Goris at night amid thick fog, he felt that the car was being hit by stones. The incident took place at 01:30 am. The driver did not stop, continued driving, and took the bodies to Goris.

Last week the Azerbaijani military threw stones at cars with Armenian license plates on the way to Karmir Shuka village of Karmir village in Artsakh’s Askeran region.

Armenpress: No incidents recorded at border with Azerbaijan, says Armenian military

Ani Kharatian

No incidents recorded at border with Azerbaijan, says Armenian military

Save

Share

 17:33, 29 March, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 29, ARMENPRESS. No border incidents took place on March 28 and 29 at the entire length of the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact of the Armenian state border, and a “stable operational tactical situation” was maintained, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in its daily news release.

The situation remained unchanged also at the Vorotan-Davit Bek part of the Goris-Kapan road, which is guarded by the Armenian National Security Service border troops.

“The units of the Armenian Armed Forces and the Armenian National Security Service Border Troops are controlling the border situation at the entire length of the border line and are fulfilling their mission,” the defense ministry said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan