Author: Arpi Talalian

Azerbaijani President fires his long-time Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov

Arpi Talalian

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 15:32,

YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS. Elmar Mammadyarov has been dismissed from the position of foreign minister of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani media report.

The respective decision has been signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Elmar Mammadyarov was serving as Azerbaijani foreign minister since 2004.

During the July 15 Cabinet meeting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev complained over the work of the foreign ministry and minister Mammadyarov. Aliyev said he could not find Mammadyarov amid the events taking place on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and the latter told the prime minister that he is working from home.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Azerbaijani forces place artillery batteries around civilian neighborhoods

Arpi Talalian
Panorama, Armenia

Razminfo news outlet released satellite images of Dondar-Kushchu village in Azerbaijani Tovuz region located 10 km away from the borderline.

The images depict artillery batteries placed around the civilian neighborhoods.

“The Azerbaijani side has surrounded own population with artillery batteries, exposing them to targets and complain that the Armenian Armed Forces shell in that direction,” the source said.

Armenian defense minister holds farewell meeting with Ambassador of Belarus

Arpi Talalian

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 14:55, 8 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. Defense minister Davit Tonoyan had a farewell meeting with Ambassador of Belarus Igor Nazaruk, the ministry told Armenpress.

The defense minister thanked the Ambassador for the active and productive work during his tenure aimed at strengthening the Armenian-Belarussian inter-state relations, wishing success to the official in his future activities.

Issues relating to the Armenian-Belarussian cooperation in the defense sector, as well as the future development directions of the mutual relations were discussed at the meeting. The officials also discussed the process of events implemented within the frames of multilateral formats, as well as regional security issues.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

“The Storm Has Definitely Hit” – Fresno ER Doctor On Rising COVID-19 Cases

Arpi Talalian
Valley Public Radio, Fresno

By Kerry Klein


Earlier this spring, even as hospital workers received new guidance for personal protective equipment and learned to strip off their work clothes before entering their homes, Dr. Patil Armenian, an emergency physician at Community Regional Medical Center and UCSF Fresno, told KVPR that the experience felt like “the calm before the storm.”

 

Four months later, as hospitals across the Valley and California approach their capacities, Dr. Armenian says the ER is becoming more and more crowded—and that COVID-19 isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. In this interview, she discusses new changes to CRMC’s ER, including an outdoor screening tent and iPads for video chatting with patients, as well as why more people are coming to the emergency rooms for reasons other than COVID-19.

Listen to the interview here https://www.kvpr.org/post/storm-has-definitely-hit-fresno-er-doctor-rising-covid-19-cases



Alen Simonyan: Hrayr Tovmasyan will do everything in his power to remain the Head of Constitutional Court

Arpi Talalian
Arminfo, Armenia

ArmInfo.  It seems to me that everyone  except us had some expectations from the ECHR. Deputy Speaker of RA  NA Alen Simonyan stated this in an interview with reporters.

Simonyan said that the ruling faction was confident that the ECHR  would not take such a measure as the suspension of the law. According  to the Deputy Speaker, no international organization could have  adopted such a resolution. , he said.

The Deputy Speaker noted that, in his opinion, Hrayr Tovmasyan will  do everything in his power to remain in the position of Head of the  Constitutional Court.

It should be noted that the European Court of Human Rights rejected  the statement of three ex-judges of the Constitutional Court and  former head of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan v. Armenia.  The judges of the Constitutional Court demanded the repeal of the  amendments to the law “On the Constitutional Court”, which deprive  them of their authority. The decision of the ECHR notes that the  court does not see the need to take such a measure as the suspension  of the law. The fact is that changes in the structure of the  Constitution do not entail such serious risks as irreversible  violation of human rights.

To recall, on June 24, Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian signed a  package of bills, including those related to amendments to the law on  the Constitutional Court. The relevant amendments were approved by  the National Assembly at an extraordinary meeting on June 22.  According to the amendments, the powers of the judges of the  Constitutional Court Feliks Tokhyan, Hrant Nazarian and Alvina  Gyulumyan, who had been in office for more than 12 years, were  terminated. Already former head of the Constitutional Court Hrayr  Tovmasyan will continue to work as a judge.

The chairman and deputy chairman of the Constitutional Court will be  elected after the approval of the full composition of the  Constitutional Court (9 judges). At the same time, the current  composition of 6 judges is sufficient for the legality of the  convened meetings, that is, the continuity of the activities of the  Constitutional Court will not be violated. According to the law, in  the absence of the chairman and deputy chairman of the Constitutional  Court, the powers of the chairman are temporarily performed by the  oldest judge, that is, Ashot Khachatryan. 

President Sarkissian congratulates writer Razmik Davoyan on 80th birthday

Arpi Talalian

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 11:19, 3 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 3, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian sent a congratulatory letter to writer, publicist Razmik Davoyan on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of birth, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

“Your literature is the spiritual bread thanks to which the reader is communicating with a real and imaginary world for decades”, the President said in his letter, wishing the renowned writer good health, optimism and all the best.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Parliament petitions Constitutional Court to delay examination of appeal relating to Kocharyan case

Arpi Talalian

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 12:36, 3 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 3, ARMENPRESS. The representative of the Armenian Parliament submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court requesting to delay the examination of the case scheduled on July 7 on determining whether Article 300.1 of the Criminal Code [2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan is charged under this article] complies with the Constitution, Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan said on Facebook.

“The representative of the Parliament to the Constitutional Court submitted a petition to the Court requesting to postpone the examination of the case scheduled on July 7, provide to the Parliament the Armenian translations of the ECHR and the Venice Commission advisory opinions, as well as give a reasonable timeframe for getting acquainted with these opinions”, the Speaker said.

On July 18, 2019, the Constitutional Court of Armenia made a decision to suspend the proceedings of the cases on determining the compliance of the Article 300.1 of the Criminal Code to the Constitution based on the applications submitted by the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction and Robert Kocharyan. The Court also applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Venice Commission for receiving opinions. The two international structures have already provided their response.

The examination of applications of 2nd President Kocharyan and the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction on determining the compliance of the Article 300.1 of the Criminal Code with the Constitution is scheduled on July 7, at 11:00.

However, few days ago, Kocharyan’s attorney withdrew their application submitted to the Constitutional Court.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Bomb alarm at Yerevan Mall: rescuers dispatched to scene

Arpi Talalian

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 14:54, 1 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENPRESS. The National Center for Crisis Management received a call today, at 14:26 that a bomb is placed at the food court of Yerevan Mall, the ministry of emergency situations told Armenpress.

Rescuers and the operative group of the Crisis Center left for the scene.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Despite protests of Armenia, Greece and Cyprus, representative of Turkey elected president of UN General Assembly

Arpi Talalian
Arminfo, Armenia

ArmInfo.Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir has been elected president of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, which begins in September 2020.

Bozkir was elected chairman of the UN General Assembly despite the  protests of Armenia, Greece and Cyprus.

Bozkir, who was running uncontested, won unanimous support of the 178  UN members that were present and voting on Wednesday, Xinhua  reported.

He will take over from Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, the current General  Assembly president, in September. A General Assembly president has a  one-year term.

As ArmInfo previously reported with reference to the press secretary  of the Armenian Foreign Ministry Anna Nahgdalyan, Armenia, Cyprus and  Greece are demanding a vote on the candidacy of the chairman of the  next, 75th in a row, UN General Assembly, which Turkey is applying  for. Naghdalyan then recalled that according to the principle of  geographical rotation at the UN, the representative of the East  European country should be elected the chairman of the 75th session  of the General Assembly.  “The candidate from Turkey Volkan Bozkir is  the only one for this post. Armenia, Greece and Cyprus, in violation  of the silence procedure, sent a letter to the President of the 74th  session of the UN General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, demanding  a vote.  I would like to emphasize that even at the request of one  country, voting is mandatory, “the representative of the RA MFA  noted, while stating that this is the first time that the only  candidate for the post of head of the General Assembly is put to the  vote.

At the same time, Naghdalyan assured that the desire of Turkey to  take this post is of concern not only to the Armenian side, but also  to a number of international partners.  “Armenia, Cyprus and Greece  made a letter of violation of the silence  procedure.  Moreover,  Armenia and Cyprus submitted a joint letter,  which specifically  states that” Turkey threatens the peace and  security of the entire  region, and in order to achieve regional  dominance, constantly  violates the UN Charter and international law,  including the UN  sanctions regime.

The Armenian side also voiced the issue of the blockade of the  country by Turkey, which has been going on for more than three  decades, its policy of constant denial of the Armenian Genocide and  even justification of this crime. In a joint letter, Armenia and  Cyprus emphasized that the chair of the UN General Assembly should be  occupied by a representative of a country whose actions and policies  are consistent with UN norms and values. Obviously, Turkey is not the  best country that can meet these standards, “Naghdalyan concluded.

It should be noted that three months before the start of a new  session of the General Assembly, its chairperson is also elected. The  candidacy for the post of chairman of the General Assembly is put  forward on the principle of rotation from regional groups:  African,  Asian, Eastern European, Latin American and Caribbean, Western  European, etc. Elections are held by secret ballot by simple majority  vote. The 74th session of the UN General Assembly opened on September  17 under the chairmanship of Tijjani Muhammad-Bande (Nigeria). 

Deputy Speaker: Donald Tusk looks at Armenia with Serzh Sargsyan`s eyes

Arpi Talalian
Arminfo, Armenia

ArmInfo.Parliament Deputy Speaker Alen Simonyan believes that the head of the European People’s Party Donald Tusk should be more restrained and not interfere in the affairs of the Armenian people. Simonyan stated this on June 18 in an interview with reporters, commenting on Tusk’s statement yesterday  that the EPP is concerned about the many cases of democratic retreat  in Armenia. True, on Twitter, the source cited by the media does not  have this statement.

According to Simonyan, earlier Tusk made similar statements regarding  Georgia and Ukraine. , Simonyan emphasized.

,  the deputy Speaker concluded.