Author: Ekmekjian Janet

 10:09,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has presented his ways, methods and programs for overcoming the situation in the country following the Artsakh war.

Pashinyan reiterated that he finds himself to be the main responsible person for the current situation, as well as overcoming it and establishing stability and security in the country.

“Dear people, dear countrymen,

During the last week we numerously talked about the war that began on September 27, our failures, the subsequent situation and details of this situation.

The time has come to speak about the ways, methods and programs for overcoming this situation. I have already said that I am the number 1 responsible person for the situation. I am also the main responsible person for overcoming the situation and establishing stability and security in the country. I am underscoring, not only don’t I intend to refuse from this responsibility, but I am entirely engaged in this work.

The roadmap of our actions is the following:

1. The restoration of the Karabakh negotiations process in the OSCE MG Co-Chairmanship format, with the emphasis of prioritizing the status of Artsakh and the return of Artsakh residents to their place of residence.
2. Ensure the return of the residents of Artsakh to their [homes]. Entirely restore normal life in Artsakh. Restoration of damaged homes, apartments and infrastructures in the territories that are under the control of the Nagorno Karabakh authorities.
3. Ensure social guarantees for the families of killed servicemen and citizens.
4. Restoration of residential and public buildings and infrastructures in the territory of Armenia that were affected during the war.
5. Ensure social guarantees, prosthesis process and professional training for servicemen who suffered disabilities.
6. Speedy return of captured servicemen and civilians. Ensure social guarantees for their families. Speedy clarification of the fates of those missing in action. Ensure social guarantees for their families.
7. The development of a psychological rehabilitation system for people who participated in the war and overall the entire society.
8. Confirmation of a military reforms program and launch of reforms.
9. Overcoming of the coronavirus pandemic and elimination of its consequences.
10. Restoration of the economic activity environment.
11. Activation of programs for solving demographic problems.
12. Amendments of the Electoral Code and adoption of a new law on political parties.
13. Introduction of the institution of specialized judges, as the first step in creating the Anti-Corruption Court. Launch of implementation of the illicit asset confiscation law.
14. Holding permanent thematic consultations with representatives of Armenia’s political and civil community.
15. Holding permanent thematic consultations with Armenian organizations and individuals in the Diaspora. Involvement of individuals and organizations of Armenia and the Diaspora in the above-mentioned processes.

The most important purpose of this is to ensure the democratic stability of Armenia and create guarantees that nothing is threatening the formation of government in Armenia through the free _expression_ of will.

Changes are underway in the government composition for realizing this roadmap.

The meaning and goal of the changes will be the more effective implementation of this program and the maximal adjustment of the government composition to the realization of this roadmap.

Dear countrymen, dear people,

Getting the realization of these programs on irreversible institutional tracks will take 6 months. In June 2021 I will deliver the performance report of this roadmap, and the public opinion and reaction will be taken into account for deciding future actions.

I would like to express special gratitude to employees of the state administration system of Armenia, as well as the My Step parliamentary bloc for their work and unity during this difficult period of time. We have a lot of work to do and we are obliged to succeed. Let’s get to work,” Pashinyan said in a statement.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 10:29,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has issued a statement, calling on to be sober, to maintain restraint and vigilance, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

“These days we all feel pain and concern, some – loudly, some – silent, some – inside their souls.

The pain of all of us is the same – Homeland.

I call on to be sober, to maintain restraint and vigilance.

Today in the evening I will address a message”, the statement says.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 15:36,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. A meeting of the Council of the National Assembly will debate a motion on applying to the Constitutional Court with the request of suspending opposition Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan’s duties as Member of Parliament.

Prosperous Armenia Party lawmaker Naira Zohrabyan published a letter by Vice Speaker Lena Nazaryan informing Tsarukyan that the session will take place on November 16 at 16:00, and requesting him to make an appearance.

Tsarukyan is stripped of immunity since June 2020.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 14:38,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Search operations for soldiers and civilians missing in action, as well as exchange of bodies of servicemen killed during the recent military operations in Nagorno Karabakh have continued on November 14 until late at night with the involvement of Russian peacekeeping troops and ICRC representatives, Armenian defense ministry’s spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan reports.

Exchange of bodies of killed soldiers was held at the Line of Contact.

The search operations resumed today early morning with the participation of the representatives of Armenia’s defense ministry, the Russian peacekeeping troops, ICRC, Artsakh’s Defense Army and State Emergency Service.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 13:44,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired a consultation focusing on ensuring the social guarantees for the families of troops who were killed or wounded in action during the Karabakh war.

“One of the important directions of our upcoming activity must be the issue of social guarantees for the families of fallen servicemen and the servicemen who suffered disabilities during the war. We’ve gathered today to discuss the situation around the Insurance Foundation of Servicemen, to see the situation and what needs to be done in order to ensure its full operations. We must also discuss what additional tools we have in order to be able to make issues relating to this foundation’s activities more stable and comprehensive,” the PM said.

Then, the officials briefed the PM on the one-time and monthly compensation mechanisms and the upcoming actions for expanding the resources of the foundation.

In turn, the Hayastan All Armenian Fund’s Director Haykak Arshamyan presented information on the funds raised by their organization for Artsakh and the directions and purposes of its use.

The meeting also touched upon the social assistance programs for citizens of Artsakh.

“The Prime Minister issued concrete instructions to the officials in charge to implement the works maximally organized, targeted and purposeful,” the PMO said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:33,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Not going to the step on ending the war in Artsakh would lead to much more losses and casualties, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said live on Facebook, adding that that decision was made based on the analysis, assessments of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the President of Artsakh.

“The biggest guilt attributed to me is that I agreed to hand over Aghdam, Lachin, Karvachar to Azerbaijan. In fact, that episode is not about handing over, but about keeping, because that document has been signed in a situation when Shushi was fallen, when, in fact, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia was reporting that the resources were in quite a problematic situation. The political leadership of Artsakh was also sharing this view. What would happen if it was not signed? That document gave what we couldn’t keep at that situation according to military and non-military assessments. We had a situation when Stepanakert was left defenseless”, Nikol Pashinyan said.

According to him, if the military operations continued, there was a great probability that the Azerbaijani forces would have captured Stepanakert, Martuni, Askeran, the defense regions with soldiers would have appeared in blockade. A total collapse would have taken place. He said that decision was made based on this.

He said the video messages addressed by soldiers from the frontline are not coincidence because they are supporting the decision made, because they have seen and understood the situation, no matter how painful it was.

“At that moment we had a situation when Stepanakert was under a direct threat. Thousands of soldiers would have appeared in blockade, and as a result we would have lost what we have which is enshrined in that document”, he noted.

As for the rumors on the fall of Shushi, the conspiracies around Shushi, the Armenian PM said after the fall of Shushi attempts were made twice for returning it, the one was failed, and during the other one a squad managed to enter the city. Although, he said, a situation has not changed greatly. Pashinyan said all these contradictions were connected with this.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 20:12, 8 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Defense Ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan thinks that the battle for Shushi city of Artsakh that has been going on for the last days, can be over tomorrow, ARMENPRESS reports representative of MoD Armenia Artsrun Hovhannisyan said on Public TV.

”Clashes take place inside and nearby Shushi. Our troops carried out stubborn and skillful fights. I can say that the separate battle for Shushi that went on during the last 3-4 days, will be over tomorrow. I don’t want to give an early prediction but I think tomorrow the battle for Shushi will be over’’, Hovhannisyan said.