Author: David Nargizian

Armenpress: Armenian FM, UK Ambassador highlight fully utilizing cooperation potential

David Nargizian

Armenian FM, UK Ambassador highlight fully utilizing cooperation potential

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 16:57,

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. Newly-appointed Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Armenia John Patrick Gallagher on March 31 presented the copy of his credentials to Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian, the Armenian foreign ministry told Armenpress.

The Armenian FM congratulated the Ambassador on assuming office and expressed confidence that he will bring his contribution to the further strengthening and enrichment of the Armenian-British agenda. In this context they both highlighted taking actions for fully utilizing the existing cooperation potential.

As prospective directions for cooperation, the Armenian FM and the UK Ambassador mentioned economy, science and education, emphasized boosting the communications between the peoples.

Issues relating to regional security and stability were discussed during the meeting.                                                              

Photos by Tatev Duryan

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

CivilNet: 2,000 Homes to be Built for Displaced Families From Artsakh

David Nargizian
CIVILNET.AM

27 Mar, 2021 10:03

By Varak Ghazarian

A joint sitting of the Security Councils of Armenia and the Artsakh Republic was held in Yerevan on March 25 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan. The meeting led to the announcement of the construction of 2,000 new households for those displaced from Karabakh territories currently under Azerbaijani occupation, including Hadrut and Shushi. 

The funding for these initiatives will come from the All-Armenian Fund and the Armenian government. 

Harutyunyan stated that Artsakh’s “main problem at this stage is housing. In terms of social payments, I think the problem will be solved in a few months, and no Artsakh family will have a problem with food, as the subsidies and the lump sums are enough for the time being. But we have a lot to do in terms of building housing, providing jobs, and providing income.” 

“At the moment we have quite tangible results, but, of course, the volume of work is very large and it is important that we express our political determination and commitment to the full implementation of this task and talk not only about the restoration of normal life in Artsakh but also about further development,” stated Pashinyan during the meeting.

President Harutyunyan thanked the Armenian government for the social programs it has been  implementing in post-war Artsakh․ “The results can be seen as the majority of the population, about 120,000 citizens of the Artsakh Republic, live in Artsakh today. In terms of everyday life, it seems that they have managed to provide everything they need.”

According to Harutyunyan, up to 30,000 Artsakhis are in Armenia, and some have emigrated out of the country.

—

On March 24, the Armenian government announced that it will extend a social assistance program for the victims of the 2020 war by three months. 

Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Mesrop Arakelyan mentioned that the program has been operating since December. The citizens of Armenia and Artsakh, who are temporarily hosting displaced people receive roughly $50 for each adult they support. 

According to the minister, about 3,000 hosts receive support monthly, and they host more than 7,000 citizens.

Dam construction in Turkey caused 30-40% decline of water resources in Araks – Levon Azizyan

David Nargizian
Panorama, Armenia
March 23 2021

We face problem of water resources in Araks-Akhuryan section due to dam construction in Turkey, the director of the Center for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Levon Azizyan told a news conference on Tuesday. 

“It is no coincidence that today, we have 100 million cubic meters less water resources in Akhuryan reservoir than last year. It is because starting from 2012, active dam construction has been carried out in Turkey which has resulted in 30-40% decreased of the overall water resources of Araks river,” Azizyan said. 

In the words of the speaker, climate change is another factor that impacts the dramatic decline of water resources as the temperature continues growing since 1994, there is no snow accumulation in the mountainous areas, while the precipitation is mostly in the form of rains. 

“According to various predictions, we will face a problem with water resources in 2024 and the overall availability of water resources will be decreased by 15% to compare with the norm. In 2070, we will face 20-25% and 35-40% decline in 2100,” said Azizyan. 

Armenia’s Minister of Economy says more than 10% growth is realistic

David Nargizian

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 11:04,

YEREVAN, MARCH 26, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan commented on his earlier statement on recording a double-digit economic growth in Armenia.

Speaking at the 2nd annual forum of the 2021-2025 Tavush Development Strategy Program, Kerobyan said that there are numerous projects which are already underway, and investments are being made in agriculture and industry.

“The 2021 January-February results are far better than those of 2020. If we maintain the same pace of growth against 2020, then by yearend we will have more than 10% economic growth against 2020,” he said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

CivilNet: Shurnukh’s Armenians Raise a 30-meter Flagpole in the Face of the Azerbaijani Army

David Nargizian
CIVILNET.AM

22 Mar, 2021 06:03

The residents of Shurnukh now find themselves as the inhabitants of a new frontier village, with Azerbaijani servicemen and flags clearly visible from the village. In the face of this, the villagers have raised a 30 meter high flagpole to signify the Armenian presence in the area. CivilNet’s team travelled to Shurnukh to gauge the situation.

Pashinyan files defamation lawsuit against Zaruhi Postanjyan

David Nargizian

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 12:25,

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan filed a defamation lawsuit against the President of the Yerkir Tsirani political party Zaruhi Postanjyan over her statements, court documents show.

In the suit, the Prime Minister seeks a public refutation by Postanjyan, as well as compensation. The lawsuit was lodged on March 12 and is assigned to judge Naira Avetisyan.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Agro-industrial production turnover between Armenia and Russia increases 7,7%

David Nargizian

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 10:27,

YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Deputy minister of economy of Armenia Arman Khojoyan met with Russia’s deputy minister of agriculture Sergey Levin on the sidelines of his working visit in Moscow, the Armenian economy ministry told Armenpress.

The meeting agenda focused on the bilateral cooperation prospects in the agriculture sector, as well as the development of commercial relations between Armenia and Russia, the increase in agro-industrial production volumes, viticulture, winemaking, etc.

Welcoming the Armenian deputy economy minister’s visit to Russia, Sergey Levin highlighted the meeting with Arman Khojoyan and stated that holding such meetings regularly will contribute to expanding the Armenian-Russian cooperation in agriculture field and developing the mutual partnership.

In his turn Arman Khojoyan thanked for the warm welcome and briefly presented Armenia’s strategic directions and priorities in the agriculture sector, as well as the assistance mechanisms provided by the government to the economic entities.

The meeting sides touched upon the agro-industrial production turnover between Armenia and Russia which in 2019 comprised 692,4 million USD, whereas in 2020 it increased by 7,7%, comprising 745,8 million USD. They both highlighted the necessity of increasing the agro-industrial production turnover. One of the problems in this area is the limitation or absence of logistic infrastructure, the solution of which will allow to more effectively organize stable and predictable supply.

The sides also discussed the opportunities of deepening the cooperation in the science field. In this context they touched upon the programs which are being implemented between the Armenian and Russian business circles. The Russian side expressed readiness to contribute to the implementation of joint initiatives and agreements.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Swedish top diplomat to visit Baku on March 15 to discuss OSCE role in Karabakh settlement

David Nargizian
TASS, Russia
The sides are also expected to discuss issues of cooperation between the OSCE and Azerbaijan

STOCKHOLM, March 14. /TASS/. Swedish Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde will visit Azerbaijan on March 15, the Swedish foreign ministry said on Sunday.

According to the ministry, Linde will meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Prime Minister Ali Asadov to discuss the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the OSCE’s role in the conflict settlement process.

The sides are also expected to discuss issues of cooperation between the OSCE and Azerbaijan. The Swedish top diplomat will also meet with representatives of civil society.

Apart from that, Linde will also visit Armenia on March 15-16.

“Travelling to Azerbaijan and Armenia in my role as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is high on the agenda on this important trip. The OSCE has a role to play in finding sustainable solutions to the challenges in the region,” she wrote on her Twitter account.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the highland region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before the Soviet Union break-up, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992-1994, tensions boiled over and exploded into large-scale military action for control over the enclave and seven adjacent territories after Azerbaijan lost control of them. Talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement have been ongoing since 1992 under the OSCE Minsk Group, led by its three co-chairs – Russia, France and the United States.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The area experienced flare-ups of violence in the summer of 2014, in April 2016 and this past July.

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 stopped at the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the engagement line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachinsky corridor that connects Armenia with the enclave to exercise control of the ceasefire observance.

Opposition MP comments on Onik Gasparyan’s decision to accept his dismissal

David Nargizian
Panorama, Armenia

The head of the opposition Bright Armenia faction in the Armenian parliament, Edmon Marukyan, has reacted to the recent developments around Onik Gasparyan’s dismissal as chief of the army’s General Staff.

In a public post on Facebook, the MP said some political forces, explicitly or implicitly, accuse Gasparyan of “unprincipled behavior” by accepting his dismissal and leaving office.

“Whereas, Onik Gasparyan is a man with such a strong state mentality that, having the support of a huge part of army generals, he still did not allow the country to be plunged into internal conflicts or bloodshed.

“This is what distinguishes a true statesman from an ordinary politician, which, of course, is incomprehensible to those whose mill the general did not pour water to, transferring his and the military’s demands and the process of getting out of this situation to another plane,” Marukyan said. 

 

Even now I see how some political circles directly or indirectly accuse the Armed Forces…

Posted by Edmon Marukyan on 

 https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2021/03/11/Opposition-MP-Onik-Gasparyan/2467459

Pashinyan congratulates diplomats on their professional day

David Nargizian

 19:37, 2 March, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan issued a congratulatory message on the professional day of diplomats, noting that Armenia’s future achievements in the international arena are particularly conditioned by the effectiveness of the work of the diplomats, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the PM’s Office.

”Dear diplomats,

I congratulate you on your professional day. In today’s complicated global atmosphere, your role and mission for our state become more and more important. The degree of your responsibility is great, the expectations from you are also great.

Despite the blows of the war, we must be able to stand up, understand the causes of our past failures, and move forward to achieve our goals. Our future achievements in the international arena are particularly conditioned by the effectiveness of your work.

I am confident that you will fulfill your mission and service with honor”, reads Nikol Pashinyan’s congratulatory message.