Wednesday,
Baku, Yerevan Hold Fresh Talks On Border Delimitation
• Artak Khulian
ARMENIA -- Azerbaijani (L) and Armenian army posts on the Armenian-Azerbaijani
border, June 18, 2021.
Senior Armenian and Azerbaijani officials held on Wednesday another round of
direct negotiations on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, a
key hurdle to a comprehensive peace deal between the two nations.
The sixth joint session of Armenian and Azerbaijani government commissions on
border demarcation and delimitation took place at a relatively peaceful section
of the heavily militarized frontier. It was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister
Mher Grigorian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Shahin Mustfayev.
The two sides issued very short and identical statements that shed no light on
the agenda of the talks or give other details. Nor did they report any
agreements.
Speaking in Yerevan earlier in the day, parliament speaker Alen Simonian said
that the Armenian side hopes the fresh talks will bring more clarity to the
delimitation issue. He indicated that Baku and Yerevan continue to disagree on a
concrete mechanism for delineating the border.
“We can show, with a deviation of meters, where the border of Armenia and
Azerbaijan passes,” Simonian told reporters. “Not just show some imaginary maps
but maps with legal basis under them.”
Armenia insists on using the most recent Soviet military maps drawn in the
1970s. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reiterated Baku’s rejection of the
idea in early January, saying that it favors the Armenian side.
Aliyev again accused Armenia of occupying “eight Azerbaijani villages” and said
their return will top the agenda of the upcoming delimitation talks. Grigorian
denied this, saying that the Armenian and Azerbaijani government commissions
will compare each other’s maps and discuss procedural issues.
Aliyev and other Azerbaijani officials also said that an Armenian-Azerbaijani
peace treaty should be signed before the delimitation and demarcation of the
border. Yerevan insists, however, that the treaty must spell out legally binding
principles of the delimitation process. Armenian analysts and opposition figures
believe that Aliyev wants to leave the door open to Azerbaijani territorial
claims to Armenia.
Armenia ‘Getting Closer To NATO’
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meets NATO envoy Javier Colomina,
January 19, 2024.
A senior NATO official has again praised Armenia for moving away from Russia and
seeking closer ties with the U.S.-led alliance, prompting another Russian
warning to Yerevan.
“We are very encouraged by the decisions that Armenia has decided to take in
their foreign policy and defense policy, the shift they have decided to
implement,” Javier Colomina, the NATO secretary general’s special representative
for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, told the Armenpress news agency in an
interview published on Wednesday.
“I know it is a decision that is difficult to implement and will probably take a
long time, but, of course, we encourage our partners to get closer to us and
that is what Armenia is doing,” Colomina said, adding that Armenian leaders
assured him in Yerevan last week that they will continue to “increase the
cooperation” with NATO.
The envoy revealed that the two sides are now close to working out a new
“individually tailored partnership program” that will flesh out Armenia’s closer
partnership with NATO. He gave no details of the action plan, saying only that
it will set “quite ambitious goals.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry was unusually quick to comment on Colomina’s
remarks that came amid Russia’s unprecedented tensions with Armenia. It warned
that closer ties with NATO could only spell more trouble for the South Caucasus
nation.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova attends the Saint
Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 16, 2022.
“We have already seen what proximity to NATO leads some countries to:
involvement in conflicts, loss of sovereignty and independence, submission to
foreign planning in all spheres and, most importantly, the absence of an
opportunity to realize their own national interests,” Maria Zakharova, the
ministry spokeswoman, told a news briefing in Moscow.
“Armenia should probably … open the map and look at the region, the countries
between which it is situated … The West gives promises to everyone, and I just
wonder which of them have been fulfilled and where,” she said.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian declared in August that his government is trying
to “diversify our security policy” because Armenia’s long-standing heavy
reliance on Russia has proved a “strategic mistake.” He claimed that Moscow is
“unwilling or unable” to defend its South Caucasus ally. Moscow has since
repeatedly accused Pashinian of “destroying” Russian-Armenian relations at the
behest of the West.
Turkey, one of Armenia’s neighbors mentioned by Zakharova, is a key NATO member
state that provided decisive military assistance to Azerbaijan during the 2020
war in Nagorno-Karabakh. NATO did not criticize the Turkish involvement in the
six-week war.
Ankara is now fully backing Azerbaijani demands for an extraterritorial corridor
to the Nakhichevan exclave and other Armenian concessions. There are lingering
fears in Yerevan that Baku will resort to military to try to clinch those
concessions.
Armenian Deputy Minister Sacked, Detained
• Susan Badalian
Armenia - Deputy Economy Minister Ani Ispirian.
One day after being relieved of her duties, an Armenian deputy minister of
economy was reportedly detained on Wednesday in a corruption investigation
launched by law-enforcement authorities.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Economy confirmed that the 32-year-old
official, Ani Ispirian, was taken in for questioning from her office in the
morning. She gave no other details.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee said, meanwhile, that its investigators as
well as officers of the National Security Service (NSS) jointly searched 15
locations, including the ministry building in Yerevan, as part of two criminal
cases opened by them. Its spokesman, Gor Abrahamian, did not confirm that
Ispirian is among seven individuals arrested as a result.
In a statement released later in the day, the committee said that unnamed
Ministry of Economy officials illegally disqualified a private entity from a
procurement tender to make sure that it is won by another bidder. The latter
offered 392 million drams (about $1 million) for the service, or nearly three
times more than its disqualified rival, the statement said, adding that six of
the arrests are related to this case.
In the other case, it went on, a ministry official, also not identified by the
law-enforcement body, abused his or her position to help other individuals
receive 238 million drams in state agribusiness funding in violation of rules
set by the ministry. Those individuals are linked to another person with whom
the official was “on close terms,” said the statement. It said that the
allocation amounted to the embezzlement of public funds.
Another source told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that the arrested suspects also
include the head of a Ministry of Economy division.
Economy Minister Vahan Kerobian claimed to be unaware of the reason why his
ministry was raided by the law-enforcement officials.
“Investigative bodies usually raid government agencies in corruption cases,”
Kerobian told reporters. “We attach great importance to fighting against
corruption but also respect the presumption of people’s innocence.”
“And I must point out that there have been no guilty verdicts against Ministry
of Economy employees in the last three years,” he added, referring to his time
in office.
Kerobian insisted that Ispirian’s dismissal and apparent detention are a
coincidence.
“She said one and a half months ago that her husband has found a job in the
Netherlands and that they are going to move there,” the minister said. “She
wrote a resignation letter a few days before the relocation.”
Ispirian lived and worked in Russia before joining the ministry in 2020 through
a government program designed to encourage Diaspora Armenians to relocate to
Armenia and work for its government bodies. She became a deputy minister a year
later.
Less than a month ago, Ispirian was also appointed as head of the governing
board of a state fund tasked with attracting foreign investment in Armenia.
Armenian Government Defends Refusal To Raise Pensions
• Robert Zargarian
Armenia - Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisian speaks at a press conference in
Yerevan, .
Finance Minister Vahe Hovannisian insisted on Wednesday that the Armenian
government is right not to raise pensions this year despite planning a 23
percent rise in its overall expenditures.
“The reason why the pensions will not rise in 2024 is our [different] spending
priorities,” Hovannisian told reporters.
The government set the spending target tax late last year as the total amount of
taxes collected by it increased by over 15 percent in 2023 amid continuing
robust economic growth in Armenia. Most of the extra spending projected by the
2024 state budget is to be channeled into infrastructure projects.
“If we raise pensions now as much as we all dream of and then suddenly one day
we can't pay those pensions, it will be a very big disaster for our country,”
said Hovannisian.
The government most recently raised the modest pensions paid to some 500,000
Armenians in June last year. The average monthly pension in the country now
stands at about 50,000 drams ($123). It is well below the per-capita minimum
cost of living. The so-called “consumer basket” calculated by the Armenian
Statistical Committee is worth just over 80,000 drams ($198).
Over the last several years, the pensions have increased by a total of just
6,000 drams per month. These increases have been offset by inflation.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2024 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Emil Lazarian
“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS
Neuralink implants brain chip in first human
10:27,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. The first human patient has received an implant from brain-chip startup Neuralink on Sunday and is recovering well, the company's billionaire founder Elon Musk said.
"Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," Musk said in a post on the social media platform X on Monday.
Spikes are activity by neurons, which the National Institute of Health describes as cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body, Reuters reports.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had given the company clearance last year to conduct its first trial to test its implant on humans, a critical milestone in the startup's ambitions to help patients overcome paralysis and a host of neurological conditions.
In September, Neuralink said it received approval for recruitment for the human trial.
The study uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move, Neuralink said previously, adding that its initial goal is to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.
The implants' "ultra-fine" threads help transmit signals in participants' brains, Neuralink has said.
The first product from Neuralink would be called Telepathy, Musk said in a separate post on X. It enables control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking. Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs, Musk said.
Armenian central bank reduces refinancing rate by 0,5%
13:03,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. The Board of the Central Bank of Armenia has decided to reduce the refinancing rate by 0.5 pp, setting it at 8.75%, the Central Bank said in a press release.
The Lombard repo facility rate is at 10.25 % and the Deposit facility rate at 7.25 %.
Lawmaker seeks airtime restrictions for gangster films
15:41,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. A Member of Parliament has drafted legislation seeking to introduce airtime restrictions for mafia films and series citing what he describes as 'negative impact' of such movies on children.
Civil Contract Party MP Artur Hovhannisyan wants to ban the broadcasting of ‘films and series promoting criminal subculture” from 06:00 until 00:00.
At a committee hearing in parliament, the lawmaker argued that the broadcasting of such films must be restricted as much as the law allows it.
He said that such films have a “negative impact” on minors.
Such films, according to the MP, contain ‘vulgarity and profanity’ and reject moral norms and promote ‘indecent lifestyle, devalue the role of education and discipline’ and lead to the ‘glorification’ of criminal lifestyle.
PM Pashinyan chairs discussion on the master plan of the "Academic City”
20:08,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a consultation was held, during which the master plan of the Academic City was presented.
The meeting was attended by members of the Board of Trustees of the "Academic City" Foundation, Tobias Keyl, Deputy Director of the gmp International GmbH Architects and Engineers company, which is developing the master plan of the Academic City, and heads of concerned departments, the PM's Office said in a readout.
Tobias Keyl presented details about the design and research works of the "Academic City" project, discussions with stakeholders and noted that as a result, the vision of the "Academic City" was reaffirmed. He noted that the main concept will be ready by the second half of this year and emphasized that related processes can already be launched.
The participants of the meeting discussed in detail issues related to engineering infrastructure, road network, landscape. Recommendations and observations related to the topic were presented.
Based on the result of the discussion, the Prime Minister gave specific instructions to the officials regarding the creation of the infrastructure of the "Academic City" and a number of other issues.
Asbarez: Armenian American Museum ‘Thrilled’ with Kicking Off Second Phase
The first structural steel beams installed at the Armenian American Museum construction site
GLENDALE—The Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California celebrated an exciting milestone with the installation of the first structural steel beams at the construction site of the highly anticipated cultural and educational center.
“We are thrilled to witness the structure of the museum rising and taking shape,” stated Executive Vice Chairman Zaven Kazazian. “We are grateful for our community’s unwavering support to build a landmark center that will advance education, preservation, and enrichment for future generations.”
The one-of-a-kind institution is currently under construction in the museum campus at Glendale Central Park. The first phase of construction featuring the museum parking garage and building foundation has been completed. The second phase of construction featuring the two-level 50,820 square foot museum building superstructure is currently underway.
The Armenian American Museum construction site The first steal beams installed at Armenian American Museum construction site
PNG Builders, the General Contractor for the museum project, contracted with Muhlhauser Steel as the structural steel subcontractor following a competitive bidding process. Muhlhauser Steel is based in Southern California and brings more than four decades of experience with commercial, industrial, educational, and entertainment facility projects.
The mission of the museum is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Armenian American experience. The museum will offer a wide range of public programming through the Permanent Exhibition, Temporary Exhibitions, Auditorium, Learning Center, Demonstration Kitchen, Archives Center, and more.
Learn more about the museum project online.
‘Armenian Genocide Looted Art and Restitution’ Conference to be Held at UCLA
"Armenian Genocide Looted Art and Restitution" conference graphic
The Armenian Genocide Research Program within The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA presents a conference titled, “Armenian Genocide Looted Art and Restitution.” The event will be held in the UCLA Fowler Museum’s Harry and Yvonne Lenart Auditorium on Saturday, February 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Pacific Time).
This event is a follow-up to a March 2023 conference at UCLA titled, “What’s Next?: Armenian Genocide Restitution in the Post-Recognition Era,” which explored the possibilities of creating an Armenian Genocide reparations movement post-recognition by President Biden and Congress in 2021.
In response to directives stemming from the March conference, during Summer 2023, the AGRP spearheaded the Armenian Genocide Looted Art Research Project (AGLARP), a multidisciplinary, collaborative research project aimed at (1) fostering research on Armenian art, cultural heritage, and other cultural objects that were looted, destroyed, or transferred in conjunction with the Armenian Genocide; and (2) engaging in critical thinking and action on the many dimensions of justice, dialogue, restitution, and repair regarding the losses of Armenian culture arising from the Armenian Genocide. The project was conducted under the academic leadership of Art History Professor Heghnar Watenpaugh of University of California, Davis, and Law Professor Michael Bazyler of Chapman University Fowler School of Law.
The program will consist of a documentary screening (in-person audience only), discussions of the AGLARP’s summer research findings, and a roundtable to consider what the pursuit of restitution looks like for both past and present threats to cultural heritage objects and sites, as well as what lies next for the AGLARP.
The conference will feature Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat as the Keynote Speaker, as well as special remarks by Law Professor Lauren Fielder, investigative researcher Simon Maghakyan, and world-renowned lawyer and genealogist E. Randol Schoenberg.
The conference will be held in the UCLA Fowler Museum’s Harry and Yvonne Lenart Auditorium on Saturday, February 10, 2023. Pre-registration is required for this hybrid event, which will also offer remote online participation via Zoom. Registration begins at 9:30 AM and the program starts at 10:00 AM (Pacific Time). Lunch and refreshments will be provided for in-person participants.
For event details and to register for in-person attendance or remote participation, visit the event website.
This conference is co-sponsored by the Fowler Museum at UCLA, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, the Mgrublian Center for Human Rights at Claremont McKenna College, the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA, and the Institute for Transnational Law at The University of Texas at Austin School of Law.
The Armenian Genocide Research Program was established within The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA in early 2022. Led by Dr. Taner Akçam, the AGRP engages in research and scholarly activities pertaining to the study of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire during the early 20th century.
Baku Insists Concerns About Armenia’s Constitution Were Raised at Onset of Talks
Reforms are being proposed to Armenia's Constitution
Official Azerbaijan is insisting that it has raised concerns about Armenia’s Constitution at the onset of talks, as official Baku said that Armenia must end its disregard toward Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity through its laws and Constitution.
Azerbaijan made the statement when it rejected a proposal from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who during a speech on Armenian Armed Forces Day on Sunday, called for a “nonaggression pact” between the two countries.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizadeh accused Pashinyan of diverting the focus from the peace treaty and normalization of relations between the two governments.
“Despite the fact that from the very beginning of the discussion on the draft agreement, Azerbaijan has called on Armenia to put an end to the encroachments on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, which are reflected in the [Armenia’s] Constitution, various laws and decisions, in the applications addressed to various international courts after the 44-day war, in official international organizations, Armenia has not yet taken any practical steps in this direction,” Hajizadeh said in a statement issued Monday in response to Pashinyan’s remarks.
“It is known that over the past 30 years, Armenia has grossly violated the international treaties recognizing our territorial integrity and sovereignty, carried out aggression against Azerbaijan, during the occupation of our territories, it hid most of its military equipment from international control mechanisms, illegally deploying them on the territory of our country,” Hajizadeh added.
The Azerbaijani diplomat described the assurances that Yerevan is serious about the peace process as political speculation. Hajizade pointed to a statement made by Pashinyan on Sunday regarding the purchase of weapons and the expansion of the military industrial complex.
“Such biased statements hinder the further development and progress of the region based on the principles of international law,” said the statement, asserting that Azerbaijan will continue its steadfast efforts for peace and expects Armenia to take adequate steps not by word, but by deed.
Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan attempted to counter Hajiyev’s statements on Tuesday, saying that the Constitution is an internal and domestic issue for Armenia and other countries should not encroach on that right.
“Constitutional changes are our internal problem, and it is the sovereign right of each state, and I think it is pointless to try to find parallels here,” Kostanyan told Armenia’s Public Television, but did not address whether Azerbaijan had insisted on a change to Armenia’s Constitution at the onset of the peace negotiations, which have been ongoing for several years.
The issue of amending — or reforming — Armenia’s Constitution has gained more momentum ever since Pashinyan called for a new Constitution earlier this month, saying that the new document must reflect the current geopolitical realities.
The preamble of the current Constitution includes references to Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, which calls for the unification of Artsakh with Armenia. In August, Pashinyan chose the anniversary of the declaration to voice his discontent with the document.
All this has raised more accusations from opposition forces, which have accused Pashinyan of kowtowing to Baku when calling for a new Constitution.
Armenia named 7th safest country in the world
12:52,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is the 7th safest country in the world, according to NUMBEO.
The analytical platform’s Crime Rate and Safety Index by Country report has ranked Armenia 7th out of 146 countries, while the city of Yerevan is 15th out of 329 cities.
Armenia and its capital city Yerevan are the safest countries among all CIS countries and cities, according to NUMBEO.
On January 11, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke about the figures during a with police officials.
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Czechia expresses support to Armenia on its ‘path towards Europe’
13:40,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. Czechia supports Armenia on its ‘path towards Europe’, the visiting President of the Chamber of Deputies of Czechia Markéta Pekarová Adamová said in Yerevan on Wednesday.
“It’s a great honor to be here today, thank you for the reception,” Adamová said at a joint press conference with Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan. “We had a productive bilateral meeting with President of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan. Czechia has been cooperating with Armenia for a very long time and we definitely support your path towards Europe, we have supported Armenia in this direction, including as part of the Eastern Partnership program. We cooperate bilaterally, the parliaments can cooperate in various areas. I have already invited Mr. Simonyan to visit Prague. I will be very happy to host him and his delegation there,” Adamová said.
The President of the Chamber of Deputies said that Armenia and Czechia are working to develop economic relations. “On this occasion, a part of my delegation are entrepreneurs, especially IT representatives, and one of the members of the delegation is from the Czech ministry of trade, which means that we still have the opportunity to improve our bilateral economic relations, and we are working in that direction,” she said, adding that cooperation includes culture and education. “On this occasion I am happy that I will be opening an exhibition in the Armenian History Museum which will present our cultural heritage. I hope it will be a good opportunity to invite Armenian tourists to our beautiful country,” the President of the Chamber of Deputies of Czechia Markéta Pekarová Adamová said.