18:19,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The air defense units of Armenia destroyed 3 Azerbaijani UAVs in the airspace of the Republic of Armenia on October 17 in the period of 16:30-17:45, ARMENPRESS reports spokesperson of MoD Armenia Shsushan Stepanyan informed.
She added that another UAV was destroyed in Artsakh.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry has said in a statement that Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will pay a working visit to Armenia tomorrow.
“The meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Greece will take place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia on October 16,” the statement said, adding that the meeting will be followed with a joint press conference by the two Foreign Ministers.
“Within the framework of the visit, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will be received by Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President Armen Sargsyan,” the statement continued.
“The meeting of Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Nikos Dendias will take place on October 16 at 12:05, which will be followed by a joint press conference of the Foreign Ministers at 12:50,” the statement said.
On September 30, just three days after the Turkish-sponsored Azerbaijani invasion attempt of Artsakh began, the Greek Foreign Ministry released a statement saying a Greek diplomatic visit to the Armenian capital of Yerevan “is imminent,” as reported by Greek City Times.
This also comes as tensions between Athens and Baku is permeating, with Greece last week recalling its ambassador from Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani’s reciprocating this move just a day later.
Azerbaijan with Turkish-backing renewed its aggression against the Armenian-majority region of Artsakh, which although is recognized as a part of Azerbaijan internationally, achieved de facto independence after a decisive victory in 1994 during their War of Independence.
19:13,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 14, ARMENPRESS. Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II addressed the nation over the Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh.
ARMENPRESS reports His Holiness said, ‘’We are living decisive days for our Motherland. We are fighting to the death for the right of our people in Artsakh to a free and independent life. Azerbaijan, ignoring the ceasefire agreement, continues military operations against Artsakh, bombing also civilian settlements and civilians population, our monuments and sanctuaries, Ghazanchetsots Cathedral of Shushi. Bordering communities of the Republic of Armenia have also been targeted.
This process by Azerbaijan shows it has failed the negotiations, aims to expel the people of Artsakh from their Motherland and exterminate them. There is no and can be no security guarantee for Artsakh inside Azerbaijan. The war is not the choice of our people. We have been obliged to self-defense as the only way to preserve our life, freedom and dignity as facing the violence and the brutality. We address all the countries that value human lives, peace and justice, particularly the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair states, to take more decisive measures to prevent the Azerbaijani genocidal actions with direct involvement of Turkey and mercenary-terrorists, force it to stop the war and pursue a final solution through negotiations. The safe life of the people of Artsakh, stable peace in Artsakh is vital imperative for preventing atrocities and humanitarian disaster in the region’’, Karekin II said, calling all Armenians, living in the Motherland or elsewhere, to consolidate for the sake of the Motherland, for protecting Artsakh and for establishing justice. ‘’We have to be consolidated and unbreakable, continue our support to Artsakh, our efforts aimed at the international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh’’, the Catholicos said.
The Catholicos of All Armenians raised prayers for the brave officers, soldiers and volunteers, who are the guarantor of the Armenian statehood, free Armenia and free Artsakh. ‘’God help our Motherland Armenia and Artsakh, our nation’’, Karekin II concluded.
Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan
23:39, 3 October, 2020
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 3, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Armenia presented the total manpower and military equipment losses of Azerbaijan.
Manpower – 2745
UAV – 123
Helicopters – 14
Aircrafts – 14
Armored vehicles – 355
Smerch system – 4
Her comments come after 21 people were killed earlier on Monday during a second day of heavy clashes over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro and Nathan Allen)
16:28,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. 2 candidates will run for the President of the Constitutional Court during the working session of the Court, Court judge Arevik Petrosyan told reporters.
“There has been one nomination and one self-nomination”, she said, refusing to release their names.
Asked whether there is a candidate from the new judges, she said yes.
The Constitutional Court has convened a working session from September 23 for electing its president and vice president. The election of the CC president and vice president will take place through a voting in a closed format.
On September 15 the Armenian Parliament elected Yervand Khundkaryan, Edgar Shatiryan and Artur Vagharshayn as Constitutional Court judges.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
“Lengthy Night” (Erken Kisher), a film by Armenian director Edgar Baghdasaryan, is set to screen at the Parana International Films Festival (PIFF) of Argentina scheduled for 4-8 September.
The film has been included in the Official Selection 2020 of the film festival, the National Cinema Center of Armenia reported.
The historical drama produced by Yerevan’s Sharm Holding pivots around three stories set across a thousand years of Armenian history, where an unusual and attractive stone is the common thread.
Beginning in the 21st century, with a story about a couple whose relationship is under stress, the film goes back in time to the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and far into the country’s distant past in the early 11th century to create three self-contained stories of human strife.
Opening with the contemporary story of a couple driving aimlessly around Yerevan at night, venting their frustrations with a scene that includes the husband picking up a prostitute, while his wife sits furiously in the car, “Lengthy Night” touches upon the tragedies of Armenia’s past, the memory of which continue to hold the country together as a nation to this day.
The film starring Shant Hovhannisyan, Samvel Grigoryan, Luiza Nersisyan and Babken Chobanyan, won best film honors and five other awards, including for best script, cinematography and director, at Armenia’s Anahit National Awards Ceremony in 2019.
Tuesday,
Government Nominates New Candidate For High Court
Armenia -- Edgar Shatirian speaks to RFE/RL, Yerevan, November 27, 2019.
The Armenian government formally nominated on Tuesday a new candidate to replace
one of the three members of the Constitutional Court controversially dismissed
in June.
The decision was announced one week after the previous government nominee,
Vahram Avetisian, withdrew his candidacy opposed by some lawmakers representing
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s My Step bloc.
Avetisian, who is a senior law professor at Yerevan State University (YSU), also
faced strong opposition from political allies of former President Levon
Ter-Petrosian. They argued, in particular, his father, Davit Avetisian, upheld
prison sentences handed to Ter-Petrosian supporters when he served as a senior
judge from 2008-2016.
The new government candidate, Edgar Shatirian, is a 40-year-old law lecturer
whom the pro-government majority in Armenia’s parliament appointed to a state
anti-corruption body late last year. Shatirian resigned from the Commission on
Prevention of Corruption after its four other members declined to choose him as
commission chairman.
President Armen Sarkissian and a national convention of Armenian judges
nominated two other candidates for the Constitutional Court in early August. The
parliament controlled by My Step is expected to vote on their and Shatirian’s
candidacies next month.
In June, Pashinian’s bloc pushed through the parliament controversial
constitutional changes calling for the gradual resignation of seven of the nine
Constitutional Court justices, who were installed by former Armenian governments.
The amendments required three of them to resign with immediate effect. They also
stipulated that Hrayr Tovmasian must quit as court chairman but remain a judge.
Tovmasian and the ousted judges have refused to step down, saying that their
removal is illegal and politically motivated. They have appealed to the European
Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to have them reinstated.
Red Cross Seeks Access To Armenian POW In Azerbaijan
• Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia -- The Ministry of Defense building in Yerevan.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Tuesday that its
representatives in Baku are trying to visit an Armenian army officer who was
captured by Azerbaijani troops over the weekend.
The Azerbaijani military claims that the junior officer, Gurgen Alaverdian, was
taken prisoner during a failed Armenian commando raid on one of its frontline
positions north of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Armenian Defense Ministry strongly denies this, saying that Alaverdian
simply lost his way due to poor weather. Its spokeswoman, Shushan Stepanian,
said the ministry has launched an internal inquiry to ascertain all
circumstances of his disappearance.
“Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross are now engaged
in a dialogue on this issue with relevant authorities in Armenia and
Azerbaijan,” Zara Amatuni, the spokeswoman for the ICRC office in Yerevan, told
RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
“Usually, the Red Cross’s role in such situations is to receive permission to
immediately visit [detained] individuals in order to be able to verify, through
periodical visits, their treatment and detention conditions and to help them
keep in touch with their families,” she said.
The ICRC hopes to be allowed to visit Alaverdian in custody “as soon possible,”
added Amatuni.
Azerbaijan’s government-controlled online media released, meanwhile, a video of
Azerbaijani servicemen insulting and humiliating the captured Armenian officer.
Armenia’s human rights ombudsman, Arman Tatoyan, condemned it as a manifestation
of ethnically motivated hatred and violation of international conventions.
“We have taken note of these troubling facts,” said Tatoyan. “With appropriate
analyses I have appealed to … relevant international bodies, human rights
commissioners, the Red Cross and others to bring the matter to their attention
and to show the blatant violation of human rights.”
Armenian Health Minister Denies Resignation Talk
• Naira Nalbandian
Armenia -- Health Minister Arsen Torosian at a news conference in Yerevan, March
26, 2020.
Health Minister Arsen Torosian denied on Tuesday press reports about his
resignation after being allowed to take a three-week vacation despite the
continuing coronavirus crisis in Armenia.
According to an executive order signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian,
Torosian will be on vacation from August 31 to September 19.
The order coincided with newspaper reports saying that Torosian has tendered his
resignation. He deactivated his private and official Facebook accounts, followed
by tens of thousands of Armenians, at the weekend for unclear reasons.
A spokeswoman for Torosian, Alina Nikoghosian, dismissed the resignation claims.
She also insisted that the 38-year-old minister’s vacation had been “planned”
beforehand.
“The minister did not submit and is not going to submit a resignation request to
the prime minister,” Nikoghosian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
The Yerevan daily “Zhoghovurd” also reported on Tuesday that a task force
coordinating the Armenian government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has
demanded a detailed financial report from Torosian.
The Armenian Ministry of Health did not confirm or refute the information.
Still, the ministry issued a statement saying that since March the health
authorities have spent a total of around 10 billion drams ($21 million) on
treatment of COVID-19 patients and other measures against the disease.
Armenia has had one of the highest infection rates in the wider region, with
nearly 43,000 coronavirus cases and at least 858 deaths recorded in the country
of about 3 million so far.
Both Torosian and Pashinian have repeatedly defended the government’s handling
of the coronavirus crisis strongly criticized by Armenian opposition groups.
They have argued, in particular, that the daily number of new confirmed cases
has shrunk by more than half since mid-July despite the virtual absence of
lockdown restrictions in the country.
Citing the downward trend, the government decided earlier this month to reopen
all schools and universities on September 15.
The Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday morning 111 new infections and the
deaths of 8 more people infected with COVID-19.
Yerevan ‘Working’ On Immigration Plan For Lebanon Armenians
• Narine Ghalechian
• Susan Badalian
Armenia -- Workers at Zvartnots airport in Yerevan load relief supplies onto a
plane bound for Lebanon, August 8, 2020.
Armenia’s government is working on a wide-ranging plan to help ethnic Armenian
citizens of Lebanon immigrate to their ancestral homeland, according to a senior
official in Yerevan.
According to various estimates, there are between 80,000 and 120,000 Armenians
living in Lebanon at present. The vast majority of them are descendants of
survivors of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey.
The once thriving community has shrunk dramatically since the outbreak of the
Lebanese Civil War in 1975. Many of its remaining members have also been gravely
affected by Lebanon’s ongoing economic woes aggravated by the August 4 massive
explosion in Beirut. At least 13 Lebanese Armenians were among 181 people killed
by the blast.
The Armenian government sent three planeloads of humanitarian aid to Lebanon in
the wake of the blast. It faced growing calls from opposition and public figures
in Armenia to facilitate the “repatriation” of Lebanese Armenians.
Lebanon -- A man stands next to graffiti at the damaged port area in the
aftermath of a massive explosion in Beirut, August 11, 2020.
Zareh Sinanyan, the government’s high commissioner for Diaspora affairs, said on
Monday that his office is already working on a relevant “package” of government
measures.
“We are putting together a social, economic, educational and healthcare package
for those people who do not want to stay in Lebanon, who plan to emigrate and
would like to come to Armenia,” Sinanyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
“We want to bring them to Armenia,” he said. “We do not want them to move to
another country. I hope our compatriots will be a little patient. I believe that
this package will be ready soon.”
Sinanyan was among several Armenian officials who flew to Beirut on August 9 on
board a plane carrying medicines, food and other relief supplies. They met with
Lebanese officials and leaders of the local Armenian community.
According to Sinanyan’s office, as many as 25,000 residents of Lebanon already
have Armenian passports or residency permits. More than 100 of them were flown
to Yerevan just days after the Beirut blast.
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (R) meets with Zareh Sinanyan, the
newly appointed commissioner of Diaspora affairs, Yerevan, June 14, 2019.
Sinanyan said ahead of his trip to Lebanon that many other community members
want to relocate to Armenia “in the medium or long term.” “They cannot do that
now because they want to solve issues connected with their properties affected
by the explosion,” he explained.
Thousands of ethnic Armenians from Lebanon’s neighbor Syria have fled to Armenia
during the bloody conflict in the Arab state. Many of them have struggled to
find decent jobs in a country that has long suffered from high unemployment.
Sinanyan, who himself is a U.S. citizen born and raised in Yerevan, cited
Armenia’s “limited resources” when he commented on a possible mass immigration
of Lebanese Armenians on August 14.
“We would have very much liked to provide all immigrants with free housing, work
and the best economic, social and healthcare packages,” the official told a news
conference. “But Armenia is not the United States or Switzerland. At any rate,
we are ready to do our best.”
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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