Author: Emil Lazarian

 14:46, 9 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed into law the bill on adopting new media restrictions in the country, with many experts viewing it as a crackdown on independent press.

The bill has received criticism from journalists who fear that it will restrict the freedom of the press and its access to public information.

The new law requires journalists to fit specific criteria (lack of criminal record; higher education, etc.)

The law stipulates that a centralized state registry will be created to register journalists and media outlets.

The registration of journalists and media entities is voluntary — however, those who refuse to register forfeit the right to access information from public authorities or attend government events and press conferences, according to OC Media.

Moreover, political parties can from now on only run printed press, while local news outlets are banned from receiving foreign funding.

According to a December article in Eurasianet, the new law will also require owners of media outlets to live in Azerbaijan, “which would effectively ban many of the country’s independent media which are run by Azerbaijanis who fled the country’s already repressive media environment.”

 17:17, 9 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Denmark’s Queen Margrethe has tested positive for coronavirus but is only showing mild symptoms, Reuters reports citing the statement of the royal court.

The 81-year old Queen, who has sat on the throne for half a century, had cancelled her planned winter holiday in Norway which should have started on Wednesday and was isolating in a wing of the Amalienborg Palace in the heart of Copenhagen, the court said.

 12:58, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia responded to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko’s remarks on Armenia. 

“Surely, the Belarusian president’s unique geopolitical analyses are aimed first of all at serving domestic political agenda and have nothing to do with Armenia and its foreign policy,” Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan said in a statement.

In a recent interview, Lukashenko said the Union State between Russia and Belarus should expand and include most of the ex-Soviet republics. Particularly, speaking on Armenia, he said “Armenia has nowhere to run…..what, you think anyone needs them? They have already seen it, Nikol Vovayevich [Pashinyan] has already seen it.”

 20:09, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vahan Hunanyan confirms the information that the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Armenia Alexander Konyuk visited the Armenian Foreign Ministry today, February 8, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a conversation with ARMENPRESS correspondent, refraining from additional comments.

Yesterday, in an interview with Vladimir Solovyov, the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that the Union State between Russia and Belarus should expand and include most of the ex-Soviet republics. Particularly, speaking on Armenia, he said “Armenia has nowhere to run…..what, you think anyone needs them? They have already seen it, Nikol Vovayevich [Pashinyan] has already seen it.”

Armenian Church calls on the international community to strictly respond to the undisguised cultural genocide of Baku

 20:53, 8 February, 2022

ETCHMIDZIN, 8 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin calls on all countries involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, first of all, the co-chairing states of the OSCE Minsk Group, sister churches and religious institutions, specialized international organizations to strictly respond to the undisguised cultural genocide implemented by Azerbaijan. ARMENPRESS reports the statement published on the Facebook page of the Mother See reads as follows,

 “Recently the authorities of Azerbaijan, in the person of the Minister of Culture, made another anti-Armenian initiative.

According to the statement of the latter “Working Group of professionals of Caucasian Albanian history and architecture” has been set up, comprised of local and foreign experts, the aim of which is to remove “the false traces left by Armenians” from the so-called the Caucasian Albanian religious temples.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin strictly condemns this initiative of the Azerbaijani authorities and qualifies it as anti humanitarian and anti-civilizational activity with manifestation of hostility and hate against Armenia, Artsakh and Armenian people.

The Armenian identity of Christian sanctuaries under control of Azerbaijan is a scientifically proven reality and can’t become a subject of dispute within the framework of reasonable and objective thinking.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin calles on all countries included in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, first of all, the co-chairing states of the OSCE Minsk Group, sister churches and religious institutions, international professional organizations to strictly respond to the fact of undisguised cultural genocide implemented by Azerbaijan in order to stop and prevent such expressions of vandalism.”

 11:09, 7 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. 1631 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, the ministry of health reported.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country has reached 391,588.

The COVID-19 recoveries rose by 2349 in a day, bringing the total to 352,985.

The death toll has risen to 8097 (11 death cases in past day).

4803 COVID-19 tests were conducted on February 6. 

The number of active cases is 28,951.

 19:29, 7 February, 2022

YEREVAN, 7 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. The French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Moscow where talks with the President of the Russian Federation will be held, ARMENPRESS reports, “RIA Novosti” informs.

Earlier President Macron said that prior to the meeting with Putin he is optimistically minded but doesn’t believe in “sudden miracless”. According to the President, the aime of the visit is not to allow worsening of the situation around Ukraine.

After the talks the heads of the two countries will give a press conference.

Iran Resolved to Cement Ties with Armenia: FM

February, 07, 2022 – 09:51 Politics news

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian expressed the country’s determination to broaden relations with Armenia in various fields.

In a message to his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan on Sunday, the Iranian foreign minister offered congratulations on the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Iran was one of the first countries to recognize Armenia’s independence, Amirabdollahian noted, highlighting Tehran’s resolve to promote mutual and regional cooperation with Yerevan.

After a meeting in Tehran in October 2021, the foreign ministers of Iran and Armenia unveiled plans for a new road map leading to the expansion of relations at the “strategic level”.