Author: Babken Chilingarian

Armenian cultural sites and attractions to get nominated for World Travel Awards

Babken Chilingarian
Public Radio of Armenia
 

In early June an Agreement on cooperation was signed between the Tourism and Urbanism (TUF) Charitable Foundation and the World Media & Events to develop the tourism industry and tourism infrastructures as well as to facilitate to the professional growth of industry specialists.

With this agreement, TUF Foundation, which implements programs for the socio-economic development in Armenia through tourism and urbanism initiatives, as well as projects aimed at shaping a decentralized tourism chains in Armenia, will partner with the World Media & Events organizing the World Travel Awards. The latter was founded in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries.

As part of the cooperation, TUF Foundation organized a visit of Graham Cooke, the Founder and the Director of the World Travel Awards, to Armenia. In the course of the three-day tour Mr. Cooke visited the most spectacular and attractive touristic sites in Armenia – Garni, Geghard, Dilijan, Tatev, as well as the Genocide Museum and the Matenadaran in Yerevan. He also participated in the Yerevan Wine Days event.

“This cooperation is an opportunity for Armenia to climb to a new level of international tourism, become more visible, and have the Armenian cultural sites and attractions nominated for the World Travel Awards. Besides, we agreed on organizing an international wine and culinary festival in Armenia in 2022 with an expressed commitment to start the work on the project,” Yelena Abovyan, the Director of the Tourism and Urbanism (TUF) Charitable Foundation, said.

The cooperation aims at developing the incoming tourism in Armenia, improve Armenia’s position as a tourist destination in the world tourism market, strengthen the unity of professional communities in tourism and related industries, improve the image of tourism and hospitality specializations and jobs, develop the professional capacities of those engaged in the industry, support state agencies in developing public policies and implementing tourism development strategy in Armenia, as well as in elaborating and developing applicable laws and regulations in the sphere.

About the Tourism and Urbanism (TUF) Charitable Foundation

In July 2020 the Tourism and Urbanism (TUF) Charitable Foundation undertook the projects by the IDeA Foundation targeted at the tourism and urbanism development (in Dilijan, Tatev, Artsakh, and Yerevan). The Foundation develops innovative projects in tourism and urbanism, promotes sustainable regional development and positions Armenia on the world map as a competive tourism destination.

Russian, Armenian defense chiefs discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Babken Chilingarian
TASS, Russia
May 31 2021
The sides also touched upon the basic directions of the reforms launched in the Armenian Armed Forces, the Russian peacekeepers’ mission in Artsakh (the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic)

YEREVAN, May 31. /TASS/. Armenian and Russian Defense Ministers Vagharshak Harutyunyan and Sergey Shoigu held a telephone talk to discuss the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the press office of Armenia’s Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

“The defense chiefs of two strategic allies discussed the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the ways of implementing the accords reached at a Moscow meeting last week to resolve it,” the press office said in a statement.

As the Armenian Defense Ministry added, “the sides also touched upon the basic directions of the reforms launched in the Armenian Armed Forces, the Russian peacekeepers’ mission in Artsakh [the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic] and also regional security and some issues related to joint actions,” the statement says.

Shoigu and Harutyunyan held a working meeting in Moscow on May 28 where they discussed the issues of regional security, in particular, the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the area of the Gegharkunik and Syunik border regions has remained tense since May 12. Both sides are reporting about provocations. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported on Thursday that six Armenian servicemen were captured during an attempt by a reconnaissance and subversive group to cross into Azeri territory.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that the Armenian servicemen had been captured but noted that they had been taken prisoner while carrying out engineering works in the border area of the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020 with intense battles in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10.

Under the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides maintained the positions that they had held, some districts passed over to Baku’s control and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the engagement line and the Lachin corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh.

https://tass.com/world/1296083

Armenia’s acting PM speaks about a case of state treason, says official report to be made soon

Babken Chilingarian
Aysor, Armenia
June 4 2021

In the upcoming days a report will be released about the solving of state treason case, Armenia’s acting PM Nikol Pashinyan said at the meeting with the residents of Ararat.

“It is not about professional military but a commander of a volunteer squad who as it has appeared being on the battlefield during the war was agent of Azerbaijani special services and provided spy information to the enemy,” Pashinyan said.

He noted that the National Security Service has already arrested the person.

“I know the name and the surname of the person, the name of the squad he was representative of. It is a concrete state treason case and of course, the guilt must be proved,” he said.

https://www.aysor.am/en/news/2021/06/04/armenia-treason/1840466

 
  

Armenia health minister: Improper storage of fallen soldiers’ bodies, remains was my omission

Babken Chilingarian
News.am, Armenia
June 1 2021
11:45, 01.06.2021

I would first like to apologize to all the relatives in connection with the improper storage of the bodies and remains of the [fallen soldiers] that was recorded at the Abovyan [city] branch of the Forensic Medical Center yesterday. The Minister of Health of Armenia, Anahit Avanesyan, on Tuesday wrote this on Facebook.

“I was my omission that after some relocation I did not personally visit again and be convinced of the details of the storage of the corpses.

(…) an internal investigation, with appropriate consequences, will be conducted in connection with the fact.

(…) the Ministry [of Health] has always worked to provide transparent information and is in constant contact with the relatives of the fallen.

(…) the bodies and remains in the morgues have already been examined, and the information about the results has always been accessible to the relatives,” Avanesyan added, in particular.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health issued a statement noting that, “There can be no question of new or ‘hidden’ corpses and remains.”

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs call for release of all POWs, relocation of troops

Babken Chilingarian

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 16:30,

YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) released a statement today over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement and the current border situation caused by the recent Azerbaijani incursion into Armenia’s territory.

Armenpress presents the statement:

“The Co-Chairs held consultations with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Peter Maurer and UN High Commissioner of Refugees Filipino Grandi in Geneva 27 and 28 May. The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in Office (PRCiO) Andrzej Kasprzyk also participated in the meetings. The Co-Chairs take note of the reported detention of six Armenian soldiers on May 27 and call for the release of all prisoners of war and other detainees on an all for all basis. The Co-Chairs underscore the obligation to treat detainees in accordance with international humanitarian law. The Co-Chairs strongly urge the sides to lift all restrictions on humanitarian access to Nagorno Karabakh immediately, and call on the sides to implement in full the commitments they undertook under the November 9 ceasefire declaration.

The Co-Chairs also note with concern several recent reports of incidents on the non-demarcated Armenia-Azerbaijan border. The use or threat of force to resolve border disputes is not acceptable. We call on both sides to take immediate steps, including the relocation of troops, to de-escalate the situation and to begin negotiations to delimitate and demarcate the border peacefully. The Co-Chairs stand ready to assist in facilitating this process.

Having in mind the terms of their OSCE mandate and the aspirations of all the people of the region for a stable, peaceful, and prosperous future, the Co-Chairs again call on the sides to reengage under their auspices at the earliest opportunity”.

Number of Azeri soldiers in Armenia’s territory does not exceed 1000 – Armenia military official

Babken Chilingarian
Aysor, Armenia

The number of Azeri soldiers in the territory of Armenia does not exceed 1000, head of the chief operative department of the Armenian Armed Forces, deputy chief of General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Mayor-General Edward Asryan told the reporters today.

He said these 1000 servicemen do not have opportunity to fulfill serious tasks in our territory.

“If to give military solution to the issue, these 1,000 servicemen cannot leave our territory, they will all be eliminated – indiscriminately,” Asryan said.

Tigran Avinyan not on Civil Contract party’s electoral list for snap elections, says senior pro-government MP

Babken Chilingarian
Panorama, Armenia

Armenia’s caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan will not be among the candidates on the Civil Contract party’s electoral list for the upcoming snap parliamentary elections, Lilit Makunts, the leader of the ruling My Step parliamentary bloc, told reporters on Wednesday.

“It is his personal decision,” Makunts said, without further elaborating.

Earlier it became known that two My Step MPs, Artak Manukyan and Nikolay Baghdasaryan, will also not run for parliament at the June 20 elections.

Makunts assured that they, too, will not be included in the party’s electoral list by their own decision.

She noted there are other ruling bloc MPs who will not be included in the Civil Contract’s list as well. 

Greek military representative inspects Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Babken Chilingarian
May 21 2021
by Paul Antonopoulos

Military attaché’s accredited in Armenia visited Syunik Province in Armenia’s south, including Greece’s Colonel .

Azerbaijan has been occupying pockets of Syunik province and other areas of Armenia to force Yerevan to open transportation corridors across its territory.

As part of the working visit, a military attaché from the Greek Embassy in Yerevan, as well as other delegates from the U.S., Ukraine, Germany, France and Georgia were present to familiarise themselves with the situation.

After negotiations stalled last weekend to see Azerbaijan withdraw from Armenian territories, a new round of talks scheduled for Wednesday were halted due to Azerbaijan’s absence, demonstrating it is uninterested in resolving the issue.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that if Azerbaijan does not withdraw “within a reasonable timeframe,” they may use force to remove the Azerbaijani troops.

Following this warning, the foreign military delegates conducted their tour of Syunik province, including Greece’s Colonel .

Caucasian Knot | Political analysts argue about mediator’s role in Armenian-Azerbaijani border demarcation

Babken Chilingarian
Caucasian Knot, EU
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During the border demarcation, Armenia and Azerbaijan will pursue their own goals; and the participation of a third party can lead to a “two versus one” format, some political analysts interviewed by the “Caucasian Knot” believe. However, their opponents think that in the course of demarcation, Russia’s mediation is a must, since the ceasefire regime testifies to the efficiency of such mediation.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on May 14, Armenia asked its allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for military help, accusing the Azerbaijani militaries of invading the country. Azerbaijan is clarifying the border; there is no conflict, President Ilham Aliev stated, in his turn. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said it would provide assistance in resolving the tensions, if both parties asked for it.

The results of Russia’s mediation in border demarcation depend on Azerbaijan’s goals, said Vladimir Evseev, the head of the division for Eurasian integration and development of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) at the Institute of CIS Countries. “If Azerbaijan wants to continue annexing Armenia’s territory, mediation is not needed. But if it is going to continue pressure on Armenia, for example, in order to achieve the withdrawal of its troops from Karabakh, it can hope to achieve this with the help of Russia,” Mr Evseev has explained.

Russia’s mediation in resolving the situation is unlikely to bring fruits, said Zardusht Alizade, an Azerbaijani political analyst. “This issue concerns only two countries, and any mediator will think not about their but about its own interests,” the expert has stated.

In his turn, Mekhman Aliev, Director of the “Turan” News Agency, believes that “Russia is now a real Armenia-Azerbaijan mediator and a moderator on issues of a peaceful settlement.”

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 22, 2020 at 10:22 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

Armenia: National Democratic Pole demands not to sign agreement with Azerbaijan, Armenian MoD reports about conflict with Azerbaijani soldiers on border, Armenian analysts name preconditions for border demarcation with Azerbaijan.

Author: Semyon Charny; Source: CK correspondent

Source:
© Caucasian Knot



Russian PM says unblocking of economic, transportation ties is in the interests of all countries in South Caucasus

Babken Chilingarian

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 16:19,

YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin says the trilateral agreements over Nagorno Karabakh have opened new opportunities for the development of the region, which, he added, is in the interests of all countries of the South Caucasus, reports TASS.

During a meeting with the Azerbaijani prime minister Ali Asadov, the Russian PM noted that the joint statement of Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders has opened more complex development opportunities for the region.

“I am convinced that the unblocking of economic and transportation ties, the creation of new infrastructure railways is in the interests of all states of the South Caucasus”, Mikhail Mishustin said.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan