Author: Emil Lazarian

 16:01,

YEREVAN, MAY 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reiterated at the 4^th Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik, Iceland that sending an international fact-finding mission to Lachin Corridor and Nagorno Karabakh is of high priority and starting Baku-Stepanakert negotiations for ensuring security and human rights to Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh under international mechanisms is of vital importance.

In his speech at the summit, the Armenian PM said that the Council of Europe will promote democracy and stability in the South Caucasus by assisting in addressing these issues.

Below is the transcript of Prime Minister Pashinyan’s speech:

“Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen,

Based on our own experience, we can say that war is the biggest threat to democracy.

For a long time, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict served as an excuse for the lack of democracy in Armenia. In 2018, our Velvet Revolution provided great democratic developments in Armenia. But in September 2020, Azerbaijan attacked Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia had to get involved in the war. Many still think that the cause of the war was Armenia’s aspiration for democracy in the region where democracy may be viewed with suspicion. On November 9, 2020, I signed a trilateral ceasefire agreement which became the reason for attacks on state institutions in Armenia. But we were able to maintain the country’s democracy, we decided to conduct early elections to safeguard public accord. On May 12, 2021, two days after mine and National Assembly’s resignation came into effect for the purpose of the elections, Azerbaijan invaded the territory of Armenia. If we diverted from our way of democracy, we would have lost our statehood. But we provided internationally recognized free and democratic elections and shaped the agenda of peace. But our agenda of peace was also attacked. In November 2021 and September 2022 Azerbaijan again invaded the territory of Armenia. On October 6, 2022 with support of the French President Macron and President of EU Council Michel, we reached an agreement with the President of Azerbaijan that we normalize our relations on the basis of the 1991 Almaty Declaration, according to which the administrative borders of the former Soviet Armenia and Soviet Azerbaijan would become our state borders.  Three days ago, with the mediation of the President of the EU Council Charles Michel, we made a step further, emphasizing that Armenia recognizes Azerbaijan’s territory of 86,6 thousand square kilometers and Azerbaijan recognizes the territory of Armenia of 29,8 thousand square kilometers. But as a result of the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh have been under siege for five months and are facing a humanitarian crisis. To send an international fact-finding mission to the Lachin Corridor and Nagorno Karabakh is of high priority today, and to start Baku-Stepanakert negotiations aimed at providing security and human rights for the Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh under the international mechanism is of vital importance. Assisting in addressing these issues, the Council of Europe will promote democracy and stability in the South Caucasus. Thank you.”

 14:58,

YEREVAN, MAY 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenian National Interests Fund’s (ANIF) subsidiary “Entrepreneur + State” Investment Fund will jointly invest with Universal Closures CJSC in expansion of the company’s bottle closures and caps production.

With years of experience in the field, Universal Closers manufactures closures and supplies local and regional companies such as Coca Cola, Bjni, Baikal, Tassay (Kazakhstan) and others.

As a result of this investment, the company will additionally acquire new machinery and equipment, which will increase the current production and sales volumes of TALOG/MASC type closures for about 80%.

With a joint project, the company will also acquire a new line for the production of Crown Cap type closures. These are produced from special steel rolling used in the food industry and are used mainly for beer, as well as water and alcoholic beverages.

All imported equipment and production lines are exclusively of Western European production, and the raw materials will be purchased only from leading European manufacturers.

The products have a strong and stable demand in the local and international markets and the project has a very specific export orientation. It is planned to export more than 85% of the total volume of products.

The “Entrepreneur+ State” Investment Fund will invest 3.9 million euros for the expansion of the factory’s production.

Universal Closures CJSC was founded in 2017. The total production capacity of the company’s equipment is up to 180 million closures per year.

Universal Closures is the only manufacturer of TALOG / MASC type closures in Armenia, and is also one of the main suppliers of the EAEU and CIS markets. The company’s products are sold in Georgia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Director of the “Entrepreneur + State” Investment Fund Bella Manoukian commented on the investment “The fund invests with companies with tangible growth potential in various fields in order to create competitive business environment. This program is a big achievement in the direction of making Armenian products visible to the international market. We aim at enabling the growth of local production and the promotion of exports and this investment project is aimed at the realization of that goal.”

 09:31,

ISTANBUL, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Turkish-Armenian community wants Armenia and Turkey to reconcile, Marmara newspaper’s Publishing Director Ari Haddeciyan told ARMENPRESS.

Ari Haddeciyan is the son of Marmara Editor-in-Chief, playwright and writer Rober Haddeciyan. He currently runs Marmara together with his brother as their 97-year-old father is having difficulties coming to the office due to health issues.

Marmara is an Armenian-language daily newspaper published since August 31, 1940 in Istanbul. Rober Haddeciyan has been its editor-in-chief since 1967.

“We have two homelands, Turkey and Armenia. We certainly wish our two homelands to reconcile, so that we will be able to freely, easily and confidently travel, speak, and live happily,” Ari Haddeciyan said, emphasizing the importance of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

Normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey will positively impact the societies of the two countries, according to Haddeciyan.

Speaking about the Turkish-Armenian community, which has an estimated population of over 50,000 and is concentrated in Istanbul, Haddeciyan said that regrettably many of them don’t speak Armenian.

“There’s no one left who speaks or reads Armenian. We have 5 high schools and 12-13 elementary schools, every year thousands of students enroll in these schools, but finding someone among them who reads or wants to read in Armenian is like finding a miracle. They assimilate with Turkish,” he said, adding that this is one of the reasons why the number of Marmara subscribers has dropped significantly.

“Just like other Armenian newspapers, Marmara has a decreasing number of readers and subscribers, today we no longer have the number of subscribers we used to have some 10 or 20 years ago. But we will persistently struggle, we will continue our path, we hope that we will be able to continue publishing the Armenian newspaper for many years,” Haddeciyan said.

Araks Kasyan

 10:25,

YEREVAN, MAY 19, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani Armed Forces breached the ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh in three different locations Thursday targeting farmers and the Kashen mine.

The Ministry of Defense of Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh said that the Azerbaijani forces opened fire on May 18 in the northern, eastern and central directions, using small arms and AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers.

The Azeri forces targeted with small arms fire the farmers working in the fields of Berdashen village and shelled from AGS-17 grenade launcher in the direction of Kashen mine.

No one was hurt from the Armenian side.

The Nagorno Karabakh authorities said they’ve notified the Russian peacekeeping contingent’s command on the ceasefire breach.

As of 10:00, May 19 the situation in the line of contact was relatively stable, the ministry said in a statement.

 14:56,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power has called for the roads into Nagorno Karabakh to be reopened.  

“Nagorno Karabakh shouldn’t have to rely on humanitarian convoys. Prior to late last year, you had commercial traffic moving freely into the area. So it’s absolutely imperative that the roads into Nagorno Karabakh are reopened,” Power said at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the FY2024 Foreign Aid Budget.

Power did not answer Congressman Brad Sherman’s question whether the blockade of Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh “meets USAID’s definition of a crisis.”

She mentioned that the ICRC has been delivering humanitarian supplies to the blockaded people of Nagorno Karabakh, and that the latest ICRC convoy moved in on May 17.

Congressman Chris Smith asked Power whether any U.S. aid has been delivered to Nagorno Karabakh.

Power said that access into Nagorno karabakh has been very limited due to the blockade. “You asked how food is getting in, when it is getting in. It should be getting in through commercial means as it always was, but since the road is blocked and the checkpoints have been erected commercial access has not been possible,” she said, adding that supplies are delivered by the ICRC and Russian peacekeepers.

She said that the USAID sent two assessment missions to the region and that the U.S. is encouraging the UN to send an interagency assessment mission as well.

[WATCH VIDEO]

Meanwhile, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) criticized Power in a Facebook post for “dodging a straightforward Congressional inquiry” when asked whether the blockade of Artsakh “meets USAID’s definition of a crisis.”

Lachin Corridor – the only road linking Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world – has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022. The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan on 22 February 2023 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. Azerbaijan has so far ignored the order.

 15:50,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Over 5000 participants from around the world are expected to gather in Armenia in August for the 8th Pan-Armenian Games.

Pan-Armenian Games World Committee President Ishkhan Zakaryan has said that “huge” organization work has already been done.

“This idea is of greater importance during such difficult times, Pan-Armenianness is important in such times,” Zakaryan told ARMENPRESS when asked on the appropriateness of holding the event in the challenging times. He said the idea of the games is unity and pan-Armenianness.

“We must not be afraid and assume responsibility in difficult times to do something good, something difficult and important,” he added, noting that the event is aimed at Armenian unity. “This is going to be a big celebration with deep layers.”

Asked on specificities and how the 8th Pan-Armenian Games will differ from the previous ones, Zakaryan said: “Of course there are differences. It will differ with the global situation, the regional situation, the blockade of Artsakh and other difficulties. Certainly, we could’ve done nothing. But we unanimously agreed that understanding all these difficulties, we must organize the 8th Pan-Armenian Games. This opinion was endorsed by the World Committee of the Pan-Armenian Games, the Armenian government launched a steering committee and the work began.”

He said that the upcoming event will feature an expanded geography.

“For example, we have fine communities in Central Asia who were not involved in the past. I visited central Asian countries, I met and negotiated with the local Armenians, we agreed to work together. I visited Moscow, where I had important meetings with the Russian minister of sports and the head of the department of sports of the Moscow government. I visited Minsk, I met with the Belarusian minister of sport, and I had detailed discussions with our ambassador. I visited Paris, Hamburg, Istanbul, Tehran. I am planning to visit Georgia and Arab countries soon. We will advance the work. I expect that Armenian communities from three or four countries that didn’t participate in the past will participate this time. While the total number of participants is expected to be over 5000.”

Zakaryan reiterated that the basis of the idea of holding Pan-Armenian Games, which was developed 25 years ago, was pan-Armenianness, strengthening of the Armenian world. The purpose of the games is to bring together Armenians from around the world, to preserve Armenian identity through a sports celebration.

The previous Pan-Armenian Games were held in Artsakh, which is currently blockaded.

Asked whether or not teams from Artsakh will be able to participate this year, Zakaryan said they are working on it. “We are thinking and working in this direction, let’s not get ahead. I can say one thing for sure, Artsakh will always be the core of pan-Armenianness, including the Pan-Armenian Games,” Zakaryan said.

The torch of the last Pan-Armenian Games was lit in historical Cilicia, on Musa Ler, in 2015 – the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, it was lit in Van, on Akhtamar island.

The Pan-Armenian Games World Committee President refused to reveal where the flame will be lit this year.

“I am getting asked this question a lot. I have one answer, wait for interesting surprises, or make haste slowly,” he said.

 17:33,

YEREVAN, 18 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 18 May, USD exchange rate up by 0.72 drams to 387.03 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.16 drams to 418.53 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.06 drams to 4.84 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.32 drams to 481.12 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 364.78 drams to 24568.06 drams. Silver price down by 0.69 drams to 294.72 drams.

 18:28,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. On May 18, the delegation led by the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan took part in the Council Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO PA) in Minsk, ARMENPRESS was informed from the parliament of Armenia.

Before the session, the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko met with the heads of the delegations of the Member States. The President of Belarus spoke about the necessity of the formation of the new system of the international relations which will be based on the universally recognized norms and principles of the international law. “Minsk intends to work in raising cohesion of the CSTO States. The strengthening of the organization, the ensuring of security in its zone of responsibility is possibly existing after the solutions of contradictions,” he said.

After the meeting the heads of parliaments laid a wreath and flowers at the Victory Square in memory of those fallen in the Great Patriotic War.

The speech by the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan at the Council Meeting of the CSTO PA is fully presented:

“Dear Vyacheslav Volodin,

Dear Vladimir Andreychenko,

Participants of the Collegial Meeting,

I welcome everybody at the Council Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO PA).

I thank you, Vladimir Pavlovich and our Belarus colleagues for warm reception and the organization of the Assembly events.

I also welcome the new Secretary General of the organization Tasmagambetov and wish him effective work in his responsible post.

Colleagues,

I would like to mention with satisfaction that the works continue by the Parliamentary Assembly on legally supporting the activity of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, elaboration of the proposals regarding the coordination of the legislative activity of national parliaments aimed at the implementation of the goals and problems of the organization. There is no need to enumerate all elaborated proposals, the model laws and statements which refer to all poles of the CSTO activity.

It is also important to understand to what extent we are adoptive to common problems. And when we speak about the positive experience of our work, we should clearly remember that the mutual respect, the aspiration of taking into consideration each other’s interests, the elaboration of consensus approaches, the support of the allies in complicated situation for reaching concrete results is the basis, on which our organization is built.

Colleagues,

The Council Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly takes place in a period, when we stand before serious threats and challenges of the security. The world is at a crossroad of hard geopolitical events and transformations, which have irreversible consequences for many countries. And the zone of responsibility of the Collective Security also is not an exception.

It is known what events happened last year, and now I would like to provide information about the situation in the South Caucasus. The situation is rather tense. Despite all agreements, Azerbaijan continues the policy of threatening the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, heats the situation up on the border with Armenia, in Nagorno Karabakh and in the Lachin Corridor.

After the illegal false-environmental blocking of the Lachin Corridor for 5 months, at the end of April Azerbaijan already officially blockaded Nagorno Karabakh. The decision of Baku on setting up a checkpoint in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping troops in the Lachin Corridor is a gross violation of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 and decision having legal compulsory force of the UN International Court of Justice in February of this year.

It’s almost half a year that 120.000 Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh live in full blockade, in conditions of acute shortage of first necessity goods, medicine. Time and again the authorities of Azerbaijan restrict the move of the International Committee of the Red Cross vehicles and the movement of the ill people through the corridor.

In the context of the abovementioned, the real targeted statements and steps by the allies and colleagues, according to the restoration of the regime of the Lachin Corridor operation in accordance with the obligations of the trilateral statement and the principles of the international law, in the conditions of security and protection from illegal actions for regulating the life of Nagorno Karabakh are important for us.

Colleagues,

We follow the attempts of destroying the Armenian rich culture and eliminating the traces of Armenian identity by Azerbaijan. It is important to mention that the UN International Court of Justice also approved the availability of the threat of causing irreversible damage to the Armenians’ rights within the framework of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

Until now Baku rejects returning Armenian prisoners of war and the civilians being held as hostages conducting mock trials against them.

Colleagues,

I will refer to the process of regulation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

We repeatedly stated about readiness of Armenia on signing peace treaty and reciprocally recognizing the territorial integrity. However, Azerbaijan continues taking aggressive position.

A few days ago, the armed forces of Azerbaijan once again opened fire by using mortars and artillery to the direction of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, because of which there are casualties and wounded. Such development of the situation proves that the instigated coordinated provocations are aimed at disrupting the negotiating active processes for imposing pressure on Armenia. Such thing also happened yesterday.

During last three years, as a consequence of creeping military occupation tactics and wide-scale military operations by Azerbaijan against territorial integrity of Armenia, about 150km2 of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, which is the zone of responsibility of the CSTO was illegally occupied.

We regret that in our organization there is no common assessment to the fact of Azerbaijan’s aggression towards the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, and the anti-legal presence of the invaded Azerbaijani armed forces on the internationally recognized territory of Armenia. In the context of the CSTO Observation Mission on the border with Azerbaijan, it was underlined that in order to have the mission effective for the country and the whole region, it is necessary to specify the zone of responsibility of the CSTO. The ambiguity of the colleagues’ positions is amazing, when there are undeniable facts of violations of internationally recognized borders of Armenia.

During our previous meeting also I warned my colleagues about the destabilizing perspectives of the policy pursued by Azerbaijan. Baku shows contempt to the international colleagues, with the presence and mediation the official Baku recognized the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia and assumed obligations also on the basis of Alma-Ata declaration in demarcation between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Dear colleagues,

The establishment of peace in the region is the goal that pursues the Republic of Armenia. And the basis of stable peace, security and stable development of the region can only be the open and constructive dialogue. Since the past year Armenia and Turkey began regulation process of relations, but there are still no tangible results, and still many issues remain unsolved. We think that the regulation process should be without preconditions.

Concluding my speech, I would like once again to stress the importance of making diplomatic efforts. I call on all my colleagues who are interested in peace and stability of the present region, who have close relationship with Azerbaijan, to take practical steps on eliminating the violations of the international law and excluding the use of force. All these challenges require from all CSTO Member States to solve the existing issues through the use of the whole toolset of the organization, and the most important thing – to express clear positions on them without biased political preferences and priorities. If we are not able to do it together, tomorrow such challenges can arise for each of the CSTO Member State.

The peaceful development of the region has no alternative.

Thank you for attention.”

 20:54,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Before the start of the regular session of the Artsakh National Assembly on May 18, Artsakh National Assembly Speaker Artur Tovmasyan made a statement addressed to the President of the Republic, in which he proposed to create a State Defense Committee and include Ruben Vardanyan and Samvel Babayan in it. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the National Assembly of Artsakh, the statement reads as follows,

“Dear compatriots,

I would like to address with an appeal, advice and request to the President of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan.

You know, I also said during the last rally that I participated in all the rallies to which I was invited.

Mr. President, I have never interfered in your affairs, and you in the affairs of the National Assembly. I proposed a model that is as follows: we need not an amorphous body, but a body that saved us in the 90s – the State Defense Committee. I proposed to the President of the country to include two people in this body – Ruben Vardanyan and Samvel Babayan. I don’t know their opinion, maybe they won’t agree.

Why? Don’t ask.

Mr. President, if this model doesn’t work, I might hurt someone for the first time.

Submit your resignation, Mr. President, or hold a referendum on confidence. If the people do not believe that you have been elected, then you will have to leave. However, this does not mean that in the event of your resignation, Artur Tovmasyan will act as president of the republic.

If it turns out that the people do not trust you, then I will also leave.”