Author: Garnik Zakarian

 16:15,

YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. On the initiative of the Armenian Embassy in Spain, the 2nd channel of the Spanish State Radio and Television (La 2 de TVE) has prepared a special TV and radio program in memory of the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

ARMENPRESS reports in the sidelines of the program Ambassador of Armenia to Spain Sos Avetisyan, world-famous Armenian violinist Ara Malikyan, lecturer at the Autonomous University of Madrid, historian Fernando Camacho, Spanish-Armenian lawyer Emma Hakobyan gave interviews to the Spanish TV.

The Ambassador stressed that Armenia has been the furerunner of the fight against this crime in the international arena for many years, noting that in 2015, December 9 was included in the UN list of International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.

The program was broadcast on a number of other Spanish TV channels.

 17:22,

YEREVAN, 19 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 19 April, USD exchange rate down by 0.52 drams to 470.83 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.04 drams to 508.07 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.01 drams to 5.96 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.14 drams to 612.93 drams.

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

Gold price down by 32.83 drams to 29718.76 drams. Silver price down by 0.43 drams to 388.35 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

 20:40,

YEREVAN, APRIL 15, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hosted renowned physicist, Scientific Director of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reaction of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), Academician Yuri Hovhannisyan, and Director of JINR, Academician Grigory Trubnikov, ARMENPRESS was infomred from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister welcomed their visit to Armenia, noting that the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, of which the Science Committee of Armenia is a member, is a good platform for developing international cooperation, including with the partners of the Russian Federation. Nikol Pashinyan stressed that the Armenian Government is ready to support the further development of bilateral cooperation and the implementation of joint programs in the field of science.

Addressing Yuri Hovhannisyan, the Prime Minister noted. “I am glad that you maintain persistent contact with Armenia and the local partners, you have new ideas, you successfully continue your scientific activity”. The Prime Minister wished the prominent scientist good health.

Yuri Hovhannisyan and Grigory Trubnikov presented the details of the visit to Armenia and the steps aimed at the implementation of new programs in the field of science, in particular, establishment of new scientific centers at the YSU and other higher educational institutions in Yerevan. Yuri Hovhannisyan expressed confidence that our country has good opportunities in the field of science, adding that he will continue to contribute to the progress of the field with his experience.

Issues related to the involvement of young scientists in new programs within the framework of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research were discussed at the meeting.

Prime Minister Pashinyan noted that in the recent period the Armenian Government has increased the funding of science by 82%, and the salary of scientists by 40-160%. The Prime Minister stressed that the development of science is of strategic importance for the Armenian Government, it will continue to be in the center of the Government’s attention.

 17:20,

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has a perception that Azerbaijan will release more Armenian captives and negotiations in this direction continue, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in parliament, speaking about the Pashinyan-Aliyev-Michel trilateral meeting in Brussels.

“The issue of the missing persons and the release of captives and other detainees is in our primary focus. It is the subject, topic and target of our everyday work, every hour. I can’t recall any serious discussion or meeting where this topic wasn’t brought up. Yes, to this day Azerbaijan has not fulfilled the obligation it assumed under the November 9 trilateral statement on immediately releasing all prisoners of war, captives and other detainees. By bringing forward different pretexts, then linking the issue with the minefield maps, although the November 9 statement doesn’t have any such correlation, then bringing other pretexts, and now Azerbaijan attempts to link the issue with the issue of searching for those missing in the first Karabakh war,” FM Mirzoyan said.

The FM emphasized that these issues have nothing to do with one another. And the Armenian side, nevertheless, as a sign of goodwill, has done and continues doing many humanitarian steps and expects a similar conduct from Azerbaijan, both for humanitarian reasons and because it is simply Azerbaijan’s obligation under the agreement.

“As expected this subject was discussed during the latest meeting between the Armenian Prime Minister, the Azerbaijani President and the [President of the European Council] Charles Michel. And there is a perception that a new group of Armenian captives must be released. We now continue negotiating over this,” the FM said.

Mirzoyan said there are many mediations in this matter because the issue is of highly humanitarian nature. He reminded that Russia, France and the US have continuously offered mediations and each of them at a given period of time recorded success, but also other colleagues like Charles Michel’s office, Hungary.

Russian MoD reports about ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan and injury of an Armenian soldier

 20:37,

YEREVAN, 12 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. During the past 24 hours, the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh registered one case of violation of the ceasefire by the Azerbaijani armed forces in the Parukh area, as a result of which a serviceman was wounded from the Armenian side, ARMENPRESS reports the Russian Defense Ministry informed.

The command of the peacekeeping contingent, in cooperation with the representatives of both sides, settled the incident.

“Continued cooperation with the General Staffs of the Azerbaijani and Armenian Armed Forces is maintained to ensure the security of Russian peacekeepers and to prevent possible incidents,” the statement said.