Author: Chmshkian Vicken

Turkish press: Turkiye welcomes Armenia’s likely participation in Antalya Diplomacy Forum

Chmshkian Vicken
Merve Aydogan   |27.01.2022


ANKARA 

With the beginning of normalization efforts between Turkiye and Armenia, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday welcomed Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s announcement saying his country will “most likely” attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) in March this year.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Central African Republic counterpart Sylvie Baipo-Temon, Cavusoglu said Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Armenia’s Special Envoy to Turkiye Ruben Rubinyan are expected to attend the annual forum.

He noted that the normalization process with Armenia is continuing with “confidence-building steps,” referring to the first round of negotiations held in Moscow with special envoys from both countries.

He also mentioned that diplomats from the two countries are frequently in contact.

Cavusoglu welcomed Pashinyan’s earlier statement on participation at the ADF, as he also confirmed Azerbaijan’s participation.

“Both Azerbaijan and Armenia will share their thoughts at the forum. Thus, becoming a part of their confidence-building steps,” he said.

On Tuesday, Pashinyan said it would be unreasonable to miss the opportunity for dialogue at the forum.

Turkiye and Armenia have long been at odds over a myriad of issues, including Armenia’s refusal to recognize their shared border to historical incidents involving the Ottoman Empire’s Armenian population during World War I in 1915.

Ankara has frequently encouraged Yerevan to tone its confrontational posture and work for regional peace during the past year.

The first meeting of special representatives from both countries was held on Jan. 14 in Moscow, Russia.

According to a statement by Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry, the parties exchanged preliminary views on the process “in a positive and constructive atmosphere” and “agreed to continue negotiations without preconditions aiming at full normalization.”

Antalya Diplomacy Forum

Pashinyan also hoped for a peace deal with Azerbaijan, with whom Armenia had a 44-day conflict over Karabakh in late 2020.

By the time a Russian-brokered agreement brought the fighting to an end, Baku had liberated several cities and 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.

The Turkish foreign minister said the ADF is open to everyone, adding that “There is serious participation from Africa. So far, 45 foreign ministers, plus government ministers and 50 ministers, have confirmed their participation. Six or seven ministers from the Latin American region are confirmed.”

The annual forum will be held on March 11-13 under the theme of “Recoding Diplomacy.”

“Everyone regards (forum) this as a free platform,” Cavusoglu said, noting that 30 representatives from international organizations, including the NATO Secretary-General and the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, are to attend the ADF.

“In other words, let’s bring diplomacy to the fore, let’s bring the dialogue to the fore, let’s discuss the existing problems, and reveal the visions for the future,” he added.

About relations with the Central African Republic, the Turkish minister underlined that a “new page” has opened.

“Today, we have made a decision to open mutual embassies in the upcoming period. My colleagues also began the necessary work on our end,” he said.

Affirming his country’s determination to deepen ties with the Central African country, Cavusoglu said three agreements were signed during the visit of Temon.

He stated that his country “will be extremely glad to host young diplomats, especially from the Central African Republic,” citing an agreement signed by the foreign ministries of Turkiye and the Central African Republic to improve cooperation in political consultations and protocol matters.

The Central African minister, for her part, praised the bilateral ties, saying Turkiye “symbolizes a great empire in the historical sense.”

Temon also expressed gratitude to Turkiye for his unwavering support for the Central African Republic and the African continent. “Our partnership with the Republic of Turkiye is a strategic partnership,” she added.

She also stated that her country wants to benefit from “the expertise and experience of Turkiye.”

Armenpress: French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs urges partners to continue dialogue with Russia

Chmshkian Vicken

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs urges partners to continue dialogue with Russia

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 19:31, 26 January, 2022

YEREVAN, 26 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS, France calls its EU and NATO partners to do everything possible to continue the dialogue with Russia, ARMENPRESS reports, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian made a statement at the French Senate on January 26 commenting on the created situation around Ukraine.

“I will not hide that the situation is very tense. We strive to stop the escalation with our EU and NATO partners.” The Foreign Minister informed that all agree that in case of encroachments on territorial integrity of Ukraine large-scale sanctions are necessary.

“We are working on it. Nevertheless, it is necessary to do everything to continue the dialogue with Russia and that we will contribute to the easing of tensions”, Jean-Yves Le Drian announced.

Ruling faction has no decision yet over nominating presidential candidate

Chmshkian Vicken

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 16:25,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. The Civil Contract faction has no decision yet over the nomination of a candidate for the president of Armenia, faction MP Eduard Aghajanyan told reporters at a briefing, asked whether the rumors, according to which chief of staff at the Prime Minister’s Office Arayik Harutyunyan will be nominated for the president, are true or not.

“The possibilities of different candidates are being discussed, and as I said, there is no decision at the moment. The discussions continue. The decision will be made within the set timeframes”, he said.

President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian announced his resignation on January 23.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 01/21/2022

Chmshkian Vicken 
                                        Friday, 
Pashinian Ally Condemned For Insulting Journalists
        • Gayane Saribekian
Armenia - Vahagn Aleksanian, a deputy from the ruling Civil Contract party, 
speaks in theparliament, Yerevan,April 13, 2021.
Armenian press freedom groups on Friday strongly condemned a pro-government 
parliamentarian for branding journalists very critical of Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian as “prostitutes.”
The controversial lawmaker, Vahagn Aleksanian, lashed out at unnamed TV channels 
linked to the Armenian opposition in a speech delivered on the parliament floor 
this week. He claimed that ever since Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war with 
Azerbaijan they have been busy disseminating “hate speech” against Pashinian and 
his family members on a daily basis.
“They are not journalists, they are verbal prostitutes,” Aleksanian said without 
naming names or giving any examples of the alleged disinformation.
Ashot Melikian of the Yerevan-based Committee to Protect Freedom of Speech 
condemned the remarks, saying that nothing can justify public insults directed 
at reporters.
“The vocabulary used by Vahagn Aleksanian … is a classic example of hate 
speech,” Melikian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
“Vahagn Aleksanian must at least apologize to journalists,” he said. “If he 
doesn’t do that, the political force which he represents must do in his place.”
A former spokesman for Pashinian’s Civil Contract party, Aleksanian frequently 
lambastes the prime minister’s detractors in and outside the National Assembly. 
He was among three Civil Contract deputies who physically assaulted an 
opposition colleague in August, sparking a mass brawl on the parliament floor.
Armenia - Ashot Melikian, chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of 
Expression, at a news conference, October 22, 2021.
Shushan Doydoyan, the head of the Center for Freedom of Information, demanded 
that the National Assembly’s ethics commission investigate Aleksanian’s 
diatribe. She said the commission should also determine “whether his job is to 
defend the dignity of the family of a certain high-ranking official,” rather 
than pass laws.
“If so, he should starting working as a paid lawyer,” added Doydoyan.
Gegham Manukian, an opposition lawmaker who used to run a TV channel linked to 
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), added his voice to the 
criticism.
“I also want to appeal to the political majority [in the parliament,]” he said. 
“Do not forget that you may not be in power and may need protection tomorrow. 
For everyone’s sake, do not allow such bullying.”
In the course of last year Armenian media associations repeatedly accused 
Pashinian’s administration of seeking to curb press freedom in the country.
In particular, they denounced government-backed bills that tripled maximum legal 
fines for “slander” and made it a crime to gravely insult state officials and 
public figures. They also criticized parliament speaker Alen Simonian’s decision 
to seriously restrict journalists’ freedom of movements inside the parliament 
building.
Melikian said on Friday that Armenia’s current and former authorities “very much 
resemble each other in terms of their attitudes” to the media.
European Envoys Visit Armenia, Azerbaijan
        • Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meets the representative of the French 
Presidency to the Council of the European Union, Isabelle Dumont, and the EU's 
special representative to the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar, .
Senior European diplomats have visited Azerbaijan and Armenia to discuss ongoing 
efforts to de-escalate tensions along the border between the two countries.
Toivo Klaar, the European Union’s special representative to the South Caucasus, 
and French envoy Isabelle Dumont met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in 
Baku on Thursday before proceeding to Yerevan for talks with Armenian leaders 
held on Friday.
Klaar described the meetings as “excellent.” “The EU is firmly committed to 
peaceful and prosperous South Caucasus,” he tweeted at the end of what he called 
a “successful” visit.
In a separate tweet, the EU envoy said he and Dumont wanted to “follow up on 
December meetings in Brussels” held by Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian.
The two leaders met in the Belgian capital twice in the space of two days on the 
sidelines of the EU’s Eastern Partnership summit with five former Soviet 
republics. The talks were hosted by European Council President Charles Michel 
and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Michel said on December 15 that Aliyev and Pashinian agreed to take “further 
tangible steps” that would create a “conducive atmosphere” for planned 
negotiations on the demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The EU is 
ready to provide “technical assistance” to the demarcation process, he said.
Aliyev and Pashinian pledged to set up a joint commission on border delimitation 
and demarcation when they held a trilateral meeting with Russian President 
Vladimir Putin in Sochi on November 26.
Armenian officials said earlier this week that the commission should start its 
work after a set of confidence-building measures, notably the withdrawal of 
Armenian and Azerbaijani troops from their border posts. Azerbaijani Foreign 
Minister Jeyhun Bayramov rejected the Armenian “preconditions,” saying that Baku 
stands for an immediate and unconditional start of the demarcation process.
Armenia’s Foreign Ministry insisted on Thursday that the Armenian and 
Azerbaijani leaders agreed on the mutual troop withdrawal during the Brussels 
talks.
A spokesman for Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign and security policy chief, 
called for a “distancing of forces and confidence-building measures” when he 
reacted to fresh deadly fighting that erupted on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border 
last week.
Official Armenian and Azerbaijani sources gave few details of the visiting 
European envoys’ talks in the two capitals. Pashinian’s press office said the 
prime minister discussed with them “steps aimed at de-escalating the situation 
and ensuring stability on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.”
Pro-Government Lawmakers Urge Release Of Former Defense Minister
        • Anush Mkrtchian
Armenia - Former Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan.
Two members of Armenia’s parliament representing the ruling Civil Contract party 
have called for former Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan’s release from custody 
pending the outcome of his trial.
In a petition submitted on Thursday to the judge presiding over the trial, 
Kristine Poghosian and Vilen Gabrielian said they guarantee that Tonoyan’s will 
not obstruct justice if set free. The petition as also signed by Aram Sarkisian, 
the leader of the pro-government Hanrapetutyun party not represented in the 
National Assembly.
Tonoyan, the chief of the Armenian army’s General Staff, Lieutenant-General 
Artak Davtian, two other generals and an arms dealer went on trial on Wednesday, 
accused of supplying the armed forces with faulty ammunition. They all deny the 
accusations.
Unlike the other defendants, Davtian has not been arrested or fired. He has not 
publicly commented on the case so far.
The presiding judge, Manvel Shahverdian, accepted prosecutors’ demand that the 
trial be held behind the closed door because of “state secrets” involved. 
Defense lawyers strongly objected to the decision. They also demanded that 
Shahverdian free all detained suspects.
The judge began considering the demands, including the petition or Tonoyan, on 
Friday. It was not immediately clear when he will announce his decision.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian appointed Tonoyan as defense minister just days 
after coming to power in May 2018. The latter was sacked in November 2020 less 
than two weeks after a Russian-brokered agreement stopped the war in 
Nagorno-Karabakh.
In a statement released early this month, Tonoyan warned that he must not be 
made a scapegoat for Armenia’s defeat in the six-week war. He pledged to make 
“surprise” revelations in that regard.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

PRESS RELEASE – Milestone Meeting to Develop a University Innovation Hub in Armenia

Chmshkian Vicken
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


PRESS RELEASE  

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — On January 13, 2022, President of the American University of Armenia (AUA) Dr. Karin Markides, Chair of the AUA Board of Trustees Dr. Lawrence H. Pitts, AUA Chief Communications Officer Narek Ghazaryan, and AUA Corporation Trustee and CFO of SADA systems Lusine Yegiazarian were hosted at University of California (UC) Berkeley SkyDeck. The group had a meeting with Caroline Winnett, executive director of UC Berkeley SkyDeck, George Panagiotakopoulos, global innovation and partnerships director at UC Berkeley SkyDeck, and Karen Gyulbudaghyan, founder of Strategic Value Ventures (SVV), and global ambassador, key advisor, and member of the selection committee at UC Berkeley SkyDeck.

AUA, SVV, and UC Berkeley SkyDeck have been working together for the past years to define a partnership that will enable AUA to facilitate an entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem with strong links to higher education in Armenia, the region, and the world.

Spearheaded by Gyulbudaghyan, the conversations of establishing a regional innovation hub in Armenia began in 2019 at the WCIT Tech conference. Following initial conversations, AUA, SVV, and Berkeley SkyDeck have worked on identifying the right environment and key stakeholders to support this process. During this milestone meeting AUA, SVV, and Berkeley Skydeck pledged commitment to intensify discussions. AUA will explore the opportunity locally and invite key stakeholders who would partner and collaborate to dive into this undertaking. In collaboration with SVV, Berkeley Skydeck, and AUA, a model will be defined that best fits the purpose.

The discussion began with the AUA President presenting recent updates from the University. She noted the efforts of the University in fighting the global pandemic and in dealing with the aftermath of the 2020 Artsakh War. She particularly noted the institutional endeavors for growing desirable resilience to overcome future challenges and foster new achievements. Among other accomplishments, the AUA President mentioned the recently completed international review of the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) of the University.

Winnett presented updates on SkyDeck’s most recent partnership in Milan, Italy, and how that strategic collaboration was established. The model applied for Italy could be viewed as an international precedent or benchmark with many lessons learned for a successful partnership with Armenia. 

Gyulbudaghyan introduced the concept of the AUA-SVV-Berkeley SkyDeck proposed partnership model that combines the best global practices with special opportunities present in Armenia and the larger region. More importantly, the proposed partnership has a solid foundation already. A unique collaboration between SVV and Berkeley SkyDeck has helped over a dozen Armenian tech startups, including Krisp and SuperAnnotate, and propelled the Armenian startup ecosystem in general. 

With the recent launch of SVV’s Innovation Partner Program at Berkeley SkyDeck, now more diverse and mature companies like Ucraft, Hooray and Dr.Lex are eligible to accelerate their global expansion. Currently, more than 50 AUA alumni are associated with SkyDeck startups, most notably Artavazd Minasyan, the co-founder of Krisp, Gevorg Soghomonyan, the co-founder and CEO of AimHub and Ashot Vardanyan, the CPO at Ucraft.

The Armenian startup community is continuing to grow, and SVV provides a critical connection with the Berkeley SkyDeck ecosystem. By creating the regional innovation hub in Armenia with AUA as facilitator, the startup community will benefit tremendously from the cross-border infrastructure, global network and expertise brought into the region.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values. 

Sincerely,

Margarit Hovhannisyan | Communications Manager

Margarit Hovhannisyan|: Communication manager

+374 60 612 514,  

mhovhannisyan@  

__________________________________________

American University of Armenia

Republic of Armenia, 0019, Yerevan, Marshal Baghramyan Ave. 40:00

40 Baghramyan Avenue, Yerevan 0019, Republic of Armenia


AUA, SVV, and UC Berkeley SkyDeck (2).JPG
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‘We will continue to demand condemnation of crimes against Armenians’ – Artsakh Ombudsman

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 15:05,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh has issued a statement on the 32nd anniversary of the anti-Armenian pogroms in Baku.

ARMENPRESS presents the text of the statement:

“32 years ago, on January 13-19, 1990 a systematic and mass massacre of the Armenian population was carried out in Baku with apparent permission and support of the Azerbaijani authorities. Hundreds of Armenians were killed, dispossessed and hundreds of thousands of Armenians tortured during the week-long atrocities.

Armenian population of Baku and other cities were deported under the direct threat of physical existence, and found refuge in Artsakh, Armenia and other countries of the world without receiving international status and support. Over the years, Armenian cultural heritage in those areas was vandalized and desecrated, their historical value and significance were distorted by the Azerbaijani authorities being adapted to their political expediencies. 

The realization, encouragement and glorification of the Armenian massacres by the Azerbaijani authorities and unfortunately by the Azerbaijani society is systematic, large-scale and has a clear chronology: in 1905 and 1918 – the massacres in Baku, February, 1988 – Sumgait and in November of the same year in Gandzak-Kirovabad,1990s – again in Baku, Maragha, 2004 – the glorification of Ramil Safarov who axed Gurgen Margaryan, the killings of civiliansand the torture of the Armenian military during April 2026 war, and Azerbaijani-Turkish aggressionof 2020, are undeniable evidence of the systematic policy of Armenian massacres and its consequences.

Due to the poisoning of the society by the authorities for years, intolerance, hatred against and murder of Armenians, vandalism against Armenian cultural heritage and desecration of monuments in Azerbaijan have become not only a state but a national policy. This is a fact against which the urgency of taking measures is also enshrined in the decision of the UN International Court of Justice.

Under the false slogans of peace building in the region, Azerbaijani authorities continue to commit widespread violations of the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh creating an atmosphere of fear, despair, disrupting normal life in Artsakh, isolating the people of Artsakh from the world.

There is ample material documenting the crimes committed by Azerbaijan against the Armenians, it only takes an impartial and courageous eye to see it all and give a proper assessment. Unfortunately, these crimes have not received a clear legal assessment from the international community. This impunity is one of the focal reasons why Azerbaijan allows itself grossly violate the norms of international law, to speak with hatred about an entire nation without any fear it may be held accountable.

Guided by the most fundamental principle of the universality of human rights, pursuing the unconditional observance of this principle and restoration of justice, we will continue to demand the condemnation of the crimes against Armenians and the prevention of new crimes”.

‘Just a Joke’: Armenia’s minister of economy comments on his promise to quit

Chmshkian Vicken
panorama.am
Armenia – Jan 19 2022

Armenia’s Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan claims he was just joking when he said he would resign if Armenia failed to record a double-digit economic growth in 2021.

His comments came in response to a question of Aregnaz Manukyan, an MP from the opposition Hayastan (Armenia) faction, at a parliament session on Wednesday.

Taking the parliamentary floor, the lawmaker played a recording of one of Kerobyan’s speeches, where he made the promise.

The minister stated that the recording was incomplete.

“If you listen to the full recording, you will realize that it was a comment I made in jest,” Kerobyan said. “By the way, are you as demanding of the international financial institutions the forecasts of which for Armenia also did not come true?”

“You see, after such a response we will have to treat all your statements as something of a joke. And I’m telling you in all seriousness that you just lied,” Manukyan retorted.

Asbarez: In Rebuke to Yerevan’s Policies, Tatoyan Calls on Government to Not Ignore Rights of Border Residents

Chmshkian Vicken
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan holds a press conference on Jan. 12

Warns of Growing Threat from Azerbaijan

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan on Wednesday called a press conference to offer a rebuke to Armenia’s authorities saying their policies ignore the human rights of border residents, while Azerbaijan continues to advance its anti-Armenian policy of hatred.

Tatoyan warned that if Armenian officials do not have guarantees for the protection the its citizens’ rights, then the country may face larger problems as the post-war realities are forcing the authorities to make political decision at the expense of its citizens.

Using Azerbaijan’s latest provocation on Tuesday as example, Tatoyan said that the situation created in Armenia’s border regions as a result of Azerbaijan’s incursion into Armenia’s sovereign territory last May directly impacts the daily lives of those living the impacted communities.

He pointed out that such deprivation of rights was part of Azerbaijan’s ongoing anti-Armenian policy, which has developed and grown throughout decades.

Since the end of the war and more specifically after Azerbaijan’s breach of Armenia’s sovereign borders, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government have made statements that highlight their intentions for “peace in the region,” but are not pragmatic given the realities on the ground. While politically the government emerges as pursuing the lofty goal of peace, practically there are far more complicated challenges that have emerged not only as a result of the November 9, 2020 agreement, but other concessions that the Pashinyan administration has made that have come to the fore more recently. This, coupled with the complex process of delimitation and demarcation of borders have created a climate where citizens’ rights are being sidestepped in favor of a positive spin from the government.

One such instance is Yerevan’s proposal that both Armenian and Azerbaijani troops withdraw from the border, or the line-of-contact, and until a settlement of borders, international forces monitor the situation.

Tatoyan called the continued advancement of this approach flat out “wrong” because it ignores fundamental human rights of citizens currently residing in the border areas.

Tatoyan, whose office has conducted numerous fact-finding missions in the region, said that the only guarantee for a semblance of human rights protection is the withdrawal of all Azerbaijani forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia.

“I want to emphasize that the main guarantee is the removal of Azerbaijani servicemen, which we must substantiate with human rights protection mechanisms,” said Tatoyan, who called out Armenia’s foreign ministry for continuing to advance the lopsided approach of calling for an all troop withdrawal approach. He said that Yerevan’s posturing was solely political and devoid of consideration for people’s rights.

He explained that some of the areas that are currently overrun by Azerbaijani forces directly encroaches on people’s property and prevents them from performing the most menial every-day functions.

“In many places, the entire line of contact passes through houses of our citizens, through the lands belonging to our citizens, people are unable to cultivate their lands, to engage in agriculture because the Azerbaijani armed forces are physically present on their lands,” Tatoyan pointed out.

“We have legal documents that prove property rights, so this approach does not take into account human rights,” said Tatoyan. “Well, let’s say we withdrew, then in what condition are the residents left in that scenario when there is no civilian settlement on the Azerbaijani side? Will the withdrawal of those troops restore the normal life of the people? How will it restore the people who have lost their lands and are unable to use them?”

Tatoyan argued that his proposal of Azerbaijani troop withdrawal, which has received wide acceptance by international organizations, including the OSCE, envision the creation of a demilitarized zone—a neutral zone—in the region, which will allow the residents of those areas to “breathe, to be able to live and to be safe.”

Meanwhile, Tatoyan proposed that after Azerbaijani forces leave, the matter can be decided through the process of delimitation and demarcation of the borders, which he said possibly will last 10 to 20 year.

“Why should our residents in Syunik and Gegharkunik have to suffer and be deprived for so long? Our people are not to blame, they are suffering every day,” Tatoyan said.

He said the military and political officials of Armenia should stop considering the issues related to border security and the protection of the rights of our citizens only from a military and political point of view.

Armenian serviceman wounded in Azeri shooting attack

Chmshkian Vicken

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 17:36,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. A serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces was wounded when his military position near Verin Shorzha in Gegharkunik Province came under fire from the Azerbaijani military around 15:15 on January 11, the Ministry of Defense said.

The serviceman’s injuries are of “moderate severity”, according to the Armenian Ministry of Defense.

“The enemy fire was suppressed by countermeasures of the Armenian side. As of 17:00 the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively stable and is under the full control of the Armenian Armed Forces,” the Ministry of Defense said.

Turkey’s Defense Minister receives envoy for normalization with Armenia

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Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 10 2022
, 18:17

 Less than a minute

Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar received Serdar Kilic, the special representative of Turkey for the normalization of relations with Armenia, the Turkish Defense Ministry informed.

No further details were provided.

The meeting took place on the eve of the talks between the special representatives of Turkey and Armenia, scheduled for January 14 in Moscow.

Former Turkish Ambassador to Washington Serdar Kilic was appointed as Special Representative for the normalization of relations with Armenia on December 15.

Armenia will be represented by Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Ruben Rubinyan.