Azerbaijan’s attack on the people of Artsakh represents the latest violation of the November 2020 cease-fire agreement, Canadian Senator Leo Housakos wrote on his Twitter account.
“I am disturbed by Azerbaijan’s renewed aggression, and I call on Canada and the international community to condemn it in absolute terms,” he said.
Congressman Pallone calls for every US diplomatic tool available to halt Aliyev’s dangerous actions
09:07, 4 August 2022
YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. United States Congressman Frank Pallone is calling on Washington to “use every diplomatic tool available to halt Aliyev’s dangerous actions” following the latest Azerbaijani attacks in Artsakh.
“This is the latest example of Aliyev threatening the people of Artsakh over absurd demands like the closing of the Lachin corridor. I urge the US State Department and the US Mission to OSCE to condemn these actions and use every diplomatic tool available to halt Aliyev’s dangerous actions,” Pallone tweeted.
On August 3, two Artsakh soldiers were killed and around 20 others were wounded when Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire and launched an attack on Artsakh military positions. The Azerbaijani military used mortars, grenade-launchers, combat UAVs in attacking a permanent deployment location of an Artsakh military base.
11:20, 5 August 2022
YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Defense denies the statement of the Azerbaijani defense ministry on opening fire at the border.
“The defense ministry of Azerbaijan continues spreading disinformation, announcing that the units of the Armenian Armed Forces have shelled the Azerbaijani positions located in several directions of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the past few days”, the Armenian Defense Ministry said, stating that the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively stable and is under the full control of the Armenian Armed Forces.
20:43, 2 August 2022
YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, ARMENPRESS. John Kirby, NSC coordinator for strategic communications at the White House, said on CNN that due to the visit of the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, Washington does not see any reason to escalate tensions with China, ARMENPRESS reports, Gazeta website informs.
“There is no reason to escalate tensions for this or turn it into a crisis,” he said.
Kirby said the China should not overreact to Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
The official also noted that the US will take necessary measures to ensure the speaker’s safety during her visit to Taiwan.
Members of Congress are calling for an investigation into how U.S. technology ended up in Turkey’s TB2 drone, which has fast become a favorite of embattled nations. “We need a full accounting,” Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif) told ProPublica.
“We’ve been paying close attention to Turkey’s drone sales and how these weapons have been deployed around the world,” Cárdenas said. “I’m troubled about the destabilizing effects we’re seeing and the human rights concerns that follow, especially in places like Nagorno Karabakh. We need a full accounting of the role U.S manufactured parts are playing so that Congress can conduct proper oversight.”
If enacted, the legislation would require the Defense Department, in consultation with the State Department, to produce a report on U.S. parts in the TB2s used in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and any potential violations of export laws, sanctions or other regulations.
Manufactured by the Turkish firm Baykar Technology, the TB2 can hover high above a battlefield and strike targets with laser-guided missiles. A range of components were made by manufacturers in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Rep. Cárdenas recently introduced an amendment to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The annual budgeting bill is often an opportunity for lawmakers to require reports from the administration on pressing issues, and Cárdenas focused on the TB2, highlighting Azerbaijan’s deployment of the weapon in its 2020 war against Nagorno-Karabakh. Images of drone wreckage published by local media outlets and the Armenian military at the time showed parts that matched those made by several U.S.-based companies. Some of those firms have taken steps to stop direct sales to Turkey, but others continue to sell key parts.
Turkey has ramped up TB2 exports in recent years. At least 14 countries now own the drones, and 16 others are seeking to purchase them.
Iran-Armenia joint industry, mining, and trade working group held a meeting on Monday in which the two sides discussed the implementation of agreements and memorandums reached in the last meeting of Iran-Armenia Joint Economic Committee, Tehran Times reports.
Hosted by Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), the event was attended by TPO Head Alireza Peyman-Pak, Director-General of the TPO’s office of Central Asia, Caucasus, and Russia Rahmatollah Khormali, as well as Armenia’s deputy economy minister.
The parties discussed issues such as Iran’s export of engineering and technical services to Armenia, barter trade between the two countries, developing the north-south corridor, establishing joint industrial parks, and joint production of medicine and medical equipment in Iran as well as the exchange of pharmaceuticals.
While welcoming the idea of the joint production of medicine and medical equipment in Armenia, the Armenian side considered this project as an opportunity to enter international markets.
Also, referring to the 33 percent growth of trade exchanges between the two countries in the first five months of 2022, the Armenian deputy economy minister welcomed the establishment of Iran’s trade center in Yerevan and requested to send business and pharmaceutical delegations from Iran to Armenia to get to know their counterparts and hold B2B meetings.
TEHRAN, Jul. 26 (MNA) – Gevorg Parsyan, Mayor of Kapan, capital of Armenia’s southern Syunik province, said that the Islamic Republic of Iran may open a consulate in this town in the current year.
Parsyan, along with Syunik Provincial Governor Robert Ghukasyan, met with the Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri in April in Armenia and discussed the possibility of opening a consulate in this province.
“We have offered several places to the ambassador and the consul. It now seems those issues are being clarified. We saw a practical willingness and clarity on their part to have a consulate in Kapan,” Parsyan told Hetq. “Judging by their attitude, we are talking about this year.”
Armenia and Iran have embassies in the other’s country but no consulates.
In the April meeting, the Iranian ambassador reaffirmed his country’s position regarding the inviolability of the internationally recognized borders of Armenia and said that all countries should respect it.
“Talk about the corridors regarding transportation links are unacceptable for us. We believe Armenia should preserve its territorial integrity,” Zohouri said at the time.
Ghukasyan and Parsyan thanked the ambassador for Iran’s official position regarding “corridors”.
MA/PR
The second quarter of 2022 saw a surge in the cases of physical violence against journalists and other media workers in Armenia, a new report of the Committee to Protect Freedom of _expression_ shows.
The CPFE recorded 11 cases involving 12 victims, 10 of which (11 victims) were registered during opposition protests in Yerevan and one in the National Assembly.
“It is worth noting that the number of such cases is 3 more than in the same period last year, when the country was in a hot post-war and pre-election political struggle, which, in turn, was accompanied by an increase in attacks on journalists and cameramen,” the report says.
During the period under review, 11 more cases of various kinds of pressure on the media and its representatives were identified. Eight new lawsuits were filed against journalists and media outlets, all based on insult and slander under Article 1087.1 of Armenia’s Civil Code. Half of them were brought by current and former officials.
Meanwhile, violations of the right to receive and disseminate information almost halved in April-June from the previous quarter. 24 such cases were registered, the CPFE said.
13:35, 19 July 2022
YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi held a meeting with the Ambassador of Armenia Armen Gevondyan, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported.
During the meeting, topical issues of bilateral cooperation, as well as interaction between Kazakhstan and Armenia within the framework of international organizations were discussed.
The interlocutors noted the need to strengthen efforts to improve bilateral trade and create favorable conditions for the business circles of both countries.
The schedule of joint international events and issues of celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Armenia were also discussed.
The presentation of the roadmap of investment reforms of Armenia took place in Yerevan. Armenian Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan, and USAID/Armenia Mission Director John Allelo also attended this event.
This aforesaid roadmap covers the key domains of investment climate improvement, including investment effectiveness, investment policy, incentives, institutional system, as well as investment promotion and facilitation—as such.
Based on the roadmap of investment reform, and with the support of the USAID program on improving the business climate in Armenia, the latter’s Ministry of Economy has developed the draft of the investment policy concept, and this draft is currently under discussion.