Skip to main content

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

Parliament debates 2022 state budget draft

Emil Lazarian

Save

Share

 11:01, 17 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Parliament is debating the 2022 state budget draft during today’s session.

The budget draft set security issues, education system and inclusive infrastructure development as a key target for 2022, Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan said during the debate.

“The solution of these issues must create grounds for the high economic results of the coming years, which in turn will ensure conditions for programs directed to health and social insurance, settlement of public life and other key issues”, the minister said.

Minister Khachatryan said that the government is targeting long-term high economic growth, at least 7% annually, and in case of a favorable external environment – 9%.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Azerbaijan appreciates Vatican’s balanced position on conflict with Armenia — ambassador

Emil Lazarian
TASS, Russia
Nov 17 2021
According to Rahman Mustafayev, the Vatican leadership pointed to the need to settle problems through a dialogue, based on respect for international law

ROME, November 17./TASS/. Azerbaijan greatly respects the position of the Vatican on the settlement of the post-conflict situation between Azerbaijan and Armenia and recognizes its important role in that process, Azerbaijani Ambassador to France and the Vatican Rahman Mustafayev told TASS on Wednesday.

“The issue of the post-conflict settlement and the Azerbaijani-Armenian relations is being brought up during contacts of Azerbaijan and the Vatican,” the ambassador said. “We note the very balanced position of the Vatican. Its leadership points to the need to settle problems through a dialogue, based on respect for international law, and this approach coincides with the position of Azerbaijan,” Rahman Mustafayev went on to say.

“We respect and trust the Pope and the Holy See and see the Vatican as an important partner,” the ambassador stressed.

Azerbaijan believes the Vatican could play a major role as a mediator to restore trust and mend ties between Azerbaijan and Armenia, he said. “The position of the Vatican in this context is unique, since this state is close to Christian Armenians, but at the same time it emphasizes the necessity of respecting the rules of international law. Besides, the Vatican pays great attention to the humanitarian aspects of the settlement. We value this position very much,” the ambassador stressed.

He also said that the government of Azerbaijan intended to allocate up to one billion dollars a year for the restoration of the regions of Nagorno-Karabakh that had returned under the control of Azerbaijan.

Intense clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, in Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in the conflict zone, which facilitated a complete cessation of hostilities. According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides maintained the positions that they had held, while several regions came under Baku’s control and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the contact line and the Lachin Corridor.

Intense fighting erupted between the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the border districts of Armenia’s Syunik region on November 16. Yerevan said that the Azeri troops had launched an offensive into Armenian territory. The highway that links Armenia’s capital with the southern regions and Iran was jeopardized.

Meanwhile, Baku blamed Armenia for the fighting, accusing the Armenian armed forces of provoking the situation. As the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported, the Armenian troops attacked Azerbaijan’s army posts.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held separate telephone talks with his counterparts from Armenia and Azerbaijan, Suren Papikyan and Zakir Hasanov. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that following the conversations, the Armenian and Azerbaijani defense chiefs took measures to stabilize the situation on the border.


Republican Party of Armenia spokesperson: Nikol Pashinyan gave a confessional testimony in parliament yesterday

Emil Lazarian
News.am, Armenia
Nov 18 2021
21:58, 18.11.2021

The person by the name of Nikol Pashinyan gave a confessional testimony in the National Assembly of Armenia yesterday. This is what Spokesperson of the Republican Party of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov told reporters today, commenting on Pashinyan’s statement on the order ‘to not open fire’.

Sharmazanov recalled that Pashinyan had described the order as ‘state treason’.

“Pashinyan declared that if soldiers don’t open fire and don’t show resistance, that is state treason. This is the remark of a person who, during the Azerbaijanis’ invasion of Armenia’s sovereign territory, declared that there is no need to wage a war for 30% of Sev Lake. Also, this is the remark of a person who, on December 17-18, 2020, gifted Azerbaijan tens of thousands of kilometers of Armenia’s territory, and through a verbal agreement at that,” Sharmazanov stated.

Azerbaijani press: Armenia shells Azerbaijani positions in Tovuz

Emil Lazarian
18 November 2021 11:47 (UTC+04:00)
643

By Vafa Ismayilova

Armenia’s armed forces have shelled the Azerbaijani army positions in western Tovuz region on the border with Armenia, the Defence Ministry reported on November 18.

From 1754 to 2252 on November 17, the Armenian armed forces’ units fired at the Azerbaijani army positions in the direction of Tovuz region’s Munjuglu, Aghbulag, Gosha, Kokhanebi and Asrik Jirdakhan villages, the ministry said.

The Armenian troops fired from the direction of Shamshaddin region’s Chinarli and Mughanjig villages.

The opposing side was suppressed by retaliatory fire, the report added.

It should be noted that seven Azerbaijani servicemen were killed and 10 wounded in armed clashes with Armenian troops on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in Kalbajar and Lachin regions on November 16.

Armenian military releases identity of killed soldier

Emil Lazarian

Save

Share

 10:29, 18 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Defense released the identity of the soldier who was killed in action during the November 16 Azerbaijani attack on Armenia and whose body was transported from Baku to Yerevan by the Russian military.

The fallen soldier is identified as Senior Lieutenant Taron Sahakyan of the Armenian Armed Forces, born 1990. The transfer was mediated by Lieutenant General Rustam Muradov, the Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces.

The Armenian military said they continue working in direction of finding the missing troops and returning the captives.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Life extension work completed at Armenian NPP

Emil Lazarian
Nuclear Engineering Magazine
Nov 19 2021
18 November 2021
Print Email

Upgrading of unit 2 at the Armenian NPP was completed on 16 November. The life of the station was extended until 2026 with the assistance of Rosatom, increasing the level of its safety and efficiency.

The occasion was attended by Rosatom General Director  Alexei Likhachev, who inspected the turbine room and the control room and took part in the award ceremony for the workers at the plant and in the ceremonial planting of trees.

“I am proud that we are participating in a project that helped make Armenia’s nuclear power plant safer and more efficient,” he said. “All of us – a team of professionals consisting of specialists from the Armenian NPP, repair companies, research institutes, design and engineering organizations in Armenia and Russia, as well as manufacturers of equipment for nuclear power plants – have performed a colossal amount of work to replace and modernize equipment. Thanks to the implementation of a whole range of measures, power unit 2 meets the most modern international requirements, and the station will continue to reliably provide electricity to the residents of Armenia.”

On behalf of the Republic of Armenia, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan took part in the inspection of the plant, on behalf of Haykakan Atomayin Elektrakayan CJSC – General Director of AAEK CJSC Eduard Martirosyan, First Deputy General Director – Director of the Armenian NPP Movses Vardanyan and Chief Engineer of the NPP Artur Grigoryan. The Russian side was represented by General Director of Rusatom Service JSC (the key contractor for modernization at NPPs) Evgeny Salkov, Deputy General Director for Project Management Vladimir Bredov and Head of the Integrated Projects Department Yuri Sviridenko.

Based on the results of studies and inspections carried out by specialists from Rosatom enterprises, the technical parameters of the unit will now allow it to operate for an additional 10 years. “The Armenian NPP plays a decisive role in ensuring the energy security and independence of our country,” said Armenia’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures, Gnel Sanosyan. “Without exaggeration, this large-scale project can be called one of the most important in Armenia.  We are not going to stop at this and set new goals for ourselves – this is the extension of the plant’s life after 2026 by 10 years and the further development of the industry – the construction of a new nuclear power plant.”

Construction of a new unit is being planned and considered as it will be needed in 2036, Sanosyan told press conference. He said,   based on rough calculations, this will take 7-8 years. “We can consider 10 years. This means we need to start building the new NPP in 2026 or 2027 so that it can start operating when the life of the current one expires,” he said.

The currently operating Armenian nuclear power plant was built in the 1970s with two Soviet-supplied VVER-440-V230 units, but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. However, unit 2 was recommissioned with Russian help in 1995 following severe energy shortages. In March 2014, the Armenian government decided to extend the plant’s service life to 2026 and it has now been extended until 2036.  Most of the overhaul (until 2019) was funded by an interstate loan from the government of the Russian Federation, the remaining work was carried out at the expense of the budget of Armenia.

Documentary: Nagorno-Karabakh: A Fragile Peace

Emil Lazarian
Arte TV, France
Nov 19 2021

 09/04/2021

In Armenia, the trauma of defeat continues to shake civil society. The human cost of war has been very high for this small country of 3 million inhabitants. More than 10 000 people have been injured and almost 4 000 killed with 1600 soldiers still missing.

Director :

  • Xavier Muntz, Gaspar-Thierry Karoglan

Producer :

  • Frédérique Pittau

Author :

  • Xavier Muntz

Country :

  • France

Year :

  • 2021

WATCH THE FULL DOCUMENTARY AT THE LINK BELOW

​Armenia release their Junior Eurovision 2021 song ‘Qami Qami’

Emil Lazarian
Nov 19 2021

Armenia release their Junior Eurovision 2021 song ‘Qami Qami’


This evening Armenia released their 2021 Junior EurovisionSong Contest entry.

Maléna will sing the song ‘Qami Qami’ in Paris, which means ‘wind, wind’ in Armenian.

Maléna was only confirmed as Armenia’s representative this week and was due to represent the nation at last year’s Junior Eurovision before they withdrew.

Their best Junior Eurovision result was in 2010 when they won the contest.

Junior Eurovision 2021 will take place in Paris on 19 December 2021, after the victory of France’s Valentina last year with ‘J’imagine’.

Armenpress: Nikol Pashinyan, Vladimir Putin discuss situation in the region

Emil Lazarian

Nikol Pashinyan, Vladimir Putin discuss situation in the region 

Save

Share

 14:06,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, the interlocutors discussed the situation in the region, as well as the implementation process of the agreements reached in the sidelines of the November 9, 2020 and the January 11, 2021 trilateral statements on Nagorno Karabakh.