Dancers and dance figures commemorated and paid their tribute to the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide with a pan-national group dance at the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex in Yerevan. This is what artistic director of the Gevorgyan Dance Center Karen Gevorgyan posted on his Facebook page, attaching a video and adding that a video of the group dance will be presented to the public on April 23.
video at link
12:50,
YEREVAN, APRIL 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is denying the claims that he ordered the military to re-take the Varazatumb, aka Lalatapa height during the 2020 war which had been captured by Azeri forces during the 2016 April war.
“They say I had made a decision, that I said ‘go and capture it’, Serzh Sargsyan surrendered it, and in this context we took 700 casualties. This is complete nonsense,” Pashinyan said in parliament when asked on the accusations by MP Taguhi Tovmasyan.
“The recommendation of this operation was made by a general, the operation was found acceptable by a general, the assessment of the possibility for carrying it out was made by a general and the decision was made by the kind of generals who at that moment had the possibility for making that decision. I moderated the conversation and didn’t even express my own opinion. I asked the senior-most [official], he said it is a good idea after which the situation was assessed and he briefed me that indeed it can and should be done.”
Pashinyan noted that all episodes of the war must be investigated.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
11:35, 7 April, 2021
YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. Chief of General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Lt. General Artak Davtyan visited the military bases deployed in the eastern direction of the country and inspected the readiness level of the military personnel, the Ministry of Defense said in a news release.
The Lt. General also visited a combat position of a military base of 2nd Army Corps and inspected the operational situation, the conditions of combat shift service, ongoing engineering and reinforcement works in the frontline at the given part of the border.
Lt. General Davtyan instructed the commanders of the units to further raise the level of physical, combat readiness and morale of the personnel.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Tehran informs about its vessel attacked in Red Sea
21:17, 7 April, 2021
YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has announced that the Iranian vessel Saviz has been attacked in the Red Sea, ARMENPRESS was informed from Reuters.
Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the incident took place off the coast of Djibouti, the ship suffered minor damage and no one was injured. He informed that they are investigating the incident.
Monday, March 29, 2021
FM Wants ‘Radical’ Change In Turkish Policy On Armenia
March 29, 2021
• Anush Mkrtchian
Armenia - Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazian, March 29, 2021
Turkey must end its “hostile” policies towards Armenia if it wants to contribute
to peace and stability in the region, Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazian said on
Monday.
“In order to have real peace in our region, we expect that Turkey will seriously
and radically change its aggressive policy and end its hostile actions against
Armenia,” he said.
Speaking in the Armenian parliament, Ayvazian noted that Ankara has never
reciprocated Armenian attempts to improve bilateral relations.
The remarks contrasted with recent days’ statements on Turkish-Armenian
relations made by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and the secretary of his
Security Council, Armen Grigorian.
In an interview with Armenian Public Television, Grigorian pointedly declined to
clarify whether he believes that Turkey remains an enemy of Armenia after the
autumn war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“If we are opting for the unblocking of the region there have to be some
corrections in our approaches, and we are working in that direction,” he said in
that regard.
Pashinian similarly stated on Sunday that Armenia also needs to review its
policies towards Turkey as well as Azerbaijan. “We, the regional countries, must
reappraise our mutual attitudes and postures,” he said.
Grigorian’s comments were denounced by opposition leaders and other critics of
the Armenian government. They portrayed them as further proof of Pashinian’s
desire to continue sacrificing Armenia’s national interests.
Some oppositionists went as far as to claim that the government is ready to
thwart greater international recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide in return
for the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border.
Ankara shut down the border in 1993 and has refused to establish diplomatic
relations with Yerevan since then out of solidarity with Azerbaijan. It has yet
to clarify whether a Karabakh settlement acceptable to Baku remains a
precondition for normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations after the six-week war
that resulted in the restoration of Azerbaijani control over all districts
around Karabakh.
Answering a question from an Armenian opposition lawmaker, Ayvazian insisted on
Monday that he is not aware of any Turkish-Armenian talks or other diplomatic
contacts.
During the six-week war stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire on November 10,
the Turks supported the Azerbaijani army with weapons and expert advice. They
also reportedly recruited thousands of Syrian mercenaries and sent them to fight
in Ankara on the Azerbaijani side.
Armenian leaders have repeatedly described the hostilities as a
“Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression” against Armenia and Karabakh.
According to Ruben Safrastian, a Yerevan-based Turkey analyst, Turkey continues
to pose a serious security threat to Armenia and has no intention to normalize
relations with the latter.
“In these circumstances, I think that we would be wrong to pursue such a
[conciliatory] policy,” Safrastian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “It would do
us no good. It could only cause damage.”
Armenia Gets First AstraZeneca COVID-19 Shots
March 29, 2021
Armenia -- The first batch of Astra-Zeneca's COVID-19 vaccine is delivered to
Yerevan airport, March 28, 2021.
Armenia received on Sunday the first batch of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine
from the COVAX Facility, the World Health Organization’s global vaccine-sharing
scheme.
The Armenian Ministry of Health said it will use the 24,000 doses of the vaccine
to inoculate medical workers, care home personnel, persons aged 65 and older as
well as younger people suffering from chronic diseases.
The ministry reportedly purchased last month 15,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik
V vaccine. They too are supposed to be made available to “high risk” groups of
the country’s population.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Health Minister Anahit Avanesian said the
Armenian government is now trying to buy more vaccine shots when they spoke on
Monday at a meeting of an interagency commission dealing with the coronavirus
pandemic. A government statement on the meeting shed no light on the scale of
further vaccine acquisitions planned by the authorities.
A deputy director of Armenia’s National Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, Gayane Sahakian, said in December that the government has
commissioned 600,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine from the COVAX Facility. But
Sahakian and other officials indicated afterwards that the government is
planning to finance a much more limited vaccination campaign.
Avanesian hinted in February that Armenians not included in “high risk”
categories will have to pay for their vaccine shots. She said private medical
centers will be authorized to carry out such vaccination.
COVAX delivered the first batch of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and
Oxford University to Armenia as the country of about 3 million grappled with
what health officials describe as a third wave of coronavirus infections.
The daily number of such cases recorded by Armenian health authorities has
surged over the past month after falling significantly since November. The
resurgence of the disease has forced the authorities to set up hundreds of new
hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.
The Ministry of Health reported on Monday morning 424 new infections and 12
single-day deaths caused by COVID-19. According to it, the total number of
active coronavirus cases stood at 14,287, up from 6,772 reported on March 11.
Speaking at the meeting of the government commission, Avanesian warned that the
epidemiological situation will worsen further unless the authorities resume a
strict enforcement of their sanitary rules designed to curb the spread of the
disease.
The rules include mandatory mask-wearing in all public areas. Few Armenians now
wear masks not only on the street but also in shops. Cafes and restaurants
across the country have remained open since last May.
Pashinian Reaffirms Plans For Snap Elections
March 29, 2021
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks at a rally in Armavir province,
March 28, 2021.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has reaffirmed his pledge to hold snap
general elections on June 20.
“I am going to resign in April,” Pashinian said during a weekend visit to
Armenia’s southern Armavir province. “I am going to resign not to leave power
but to ensure that pre-term parliamentary elections take place. I will continue
to perform the prime minister’s duties in the meantime.”
“If you reaffirm your mandate, I and my team will serve you much better than we
have in the past. If you don’t, we will humbly cede the mandate to whom you have
elected,” he told residents of a local village.
Under the Armenian constitution, fresh elections will have to be held within two
months if Pashinian resigns and the Armenian parliament twice fails to elect
another prime minister.
Pashinian announced on March 18 his decision to pave the way for such polls
after talks held with the leaders of the two opposition parties represented in
the National Assembly. They are understood to have assured him that their
parties will not nominate prime-ministerial candidates in the event of his
tactical resignation.
One of those parties, Prosperous Armenia (BHK), is part of an opposition
alliance that has been holding street protests in Yerevan in a bid to oust
Pashinian over his handling of last year’s war with Azerbaijan. The Homeland
Salvation Movement wants the elections to be organized by an interim government.
Still, some of its key members, including the BHK, have made clear that they
will not boycott the vote planned by the current government.
As Pashinian toured several Armavir villages on Sunday the alliance held another
rally in Yerevan. Its coordinator, Ishkhan Saghatelian, said the opposition
forces will stage protests in other parts of the country in the coming weeks and
try to topple Pashinian after he tenders his resignation in late April.
“We must turn that de jure resignation into a de facto resignation and remove
him from power during those days,” Saghatelian told opposition supporters.
Saghatelian indicated at the same time that the parties making up the Homeland
Salvation Movement will not opt for an election boycott if they fail to oust
Pashinian.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
The opposition Homeland Salvation Movement, demanding the resignation of PM Nikol Pashinyan, has launched the new phase of its struggle during demonstration on March 28. As the Movement said in a released statement on Saturday, the main activities of the opposition force will move to Armenia’s provinces. The dates and locations of upcoming regional demonstrations have already been announced.
“We state once again that the ruling faction of the National Assembly have stopped implementing its main duties set by the Constitution and laws, turning into a group of incapable and unprincipled people, lacking own political and civic position,” the statement read in part.
It added, that starting from Saturday, the opposition activists will unblock Demirchyan street where they had been staging non-stops protests for the past week and promise to return to Baghramyan and Demirchyan streets after the regional tours.
“We call on all decent compatriots to get consolidated in all communities, stand up and activity participate in the meetings and gatherings of the Homeland Salvation Movement. The national demand for removal of the traitor should now turn into a nations-wide struggle to prevent new concessions and the continuation of the pro-Turkish policy,” added the statement.
The first regional meeting of the opposition Movement is scheduled for April 6 at 14.00 in Seven town.
[Editor’s Note: Today’s post consists of two articles — excerpted respectively from the January and February 2020 editions of the OE Watch, published by the Foreign Military Studies Office, TRADOC G-2 — that continue to explore the ramifications of this brief conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. While tucked away in a remote corner of the Caucasus, the consequences of this most recent flare up in a long simmering conflict are potentially far-reaching.
Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 served as a combat proving ground, facilitating the testing of new operational concepts and weapons systems for the combatants’ respective sponsor states (Russia and Turkey). The lessons learned there should resonate across the Operational Environment and the changing character of warfare. These include: the failure of national defense establishments with archaic and byzantine acquisition processes to recognize and rapidly incorporate emergent technologies; the return of Proxy Warfare; Electronic Warfare’s central role on the battlefield; weapon systems’ subcomponent supply chain issues; shortcomings of current Air Defense command and control and target acquisition systems; and the key role ISR and strike drones may play in establishing air supremacy in future warfare. Read on! (Please review this post via a non-DoD network in order to access all of the embedded links — Thank you!)]
1. Karabakh War Might Spur Russian Attack UAV Development (OE Watch, January 2020, pp. 13-14)
OE Watch Commentary: As reported last month (OE Watch, December 2020, “Early Lessons-Learned from Nagorno-Karabakh” [see also Mad Scientist Laboratory blog post 303. Insights from the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict in 2020]) Russian military analysts continue to examine how Azerbaijani forces prevailed over their Armenian counterparts. The popular daily, Moskovskiy Komsomolets, interviewed the deputy director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), Konstantin Makienko, regarding his assessment of “Azerbaijan’s victory over Armenia.” The accompanying excerpt from his analysis merits closer scrutiny.
Makienko begins by asserting that “Turkey’s participation [on the Azeri side] was, of course, very significant or even decisive.” He claims that it is likely that “the entire operation was planned by the Turkish headquarters,” and that it was not just planning, but that “Turkish officers provided support both at the headquarters level and directly on the battlefield.” He further states that, “Turkish aviation carried out jamming of radio communications of the Armenian troops.” Makienko goes on to assert that “in the Karabakh conflict, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become not just a means of reconnaissance, target designation and carriers of high-precision weapons. In this war, with their help, air supremacy was first established.”
Konstantin Makienko, Deputy Director of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) / Source: CentreAST on Twitter, st1yle=”margin:0px 0px 1.5em;padding:0px”>Makienko also describes Russia’s continued inability to produce and field an attack UAV. He recounts attending a press conference 15-20 years ago with the Russian Air Force Commander, and asking “why are we lagging behind in the development of unmanned aircraft and, in particular, in the creation of strike drones?” At the time, the commander answered, “why do we need them? We have enough planes and pilots.” Later, questions developed in the military over “who should have command of unmanned aircraft—pilots or ground forces? Who needs it more?” Makienko asserts that no one took ownership for producing an attack UAV, and the “programs for the development of unmanned aircraft were not considered a priority in the system of research and development work of the Ministry of Defense.” Even today, he argues that “there are still no centralized inter-service management bodies for such programs, including the creation of systems necessary for unmanned aviation (engines, optoelectronic systems, control systems), no proper political and administrative support, no purposeful policy to create centers of competence in this area.”
Makienko concludes the interview by repeating “as of today, there are still no attack drones in Russia… [and that] we are 20-25 years behind our American ‘partners’ in this area.” He posits that “in a typical domestic style, the demonstration of the use of drones in the Karabakh war will spur Russian unmanned programs, forcing, finally, some in Russia to finally see the importance in fielding such a weapon system.” End OE Watch Commentary (Ray Finch)
“…As of today, there are still no attack drones in Russia….”
Source: Olga Bozhiev, “The expert explained why Russia is 25 years behind in the field of attack drones (An expert explains why Russia is 25 years behind in the field of attack drones),” Moskovskiy Komsomolets, 5 December 2020. https://www.mk.ru/politics/2020/12/05/ekspert-obyasnil-pochemu-rossiya-otstala-v-oblasti-udarnykh-dronov-na-25-let.html
“The Karabakh war, its course and results are being actively discussed, including in Russia. It is not uncommon to hear statements that Azerbaijan’s victory over Armenia is actually a victory of Turkish weapons over Russian ones. And it was not Armenia that lost in this war, but Russia. Are these statements true? Is the Karabakh war really a bell for our defense industry, which has not done everything for the Russian army? Why don’t we still have strike drones? These questions were asked by “MK” analyst, deputy director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) Konstantin Makienko.
Turkish troops ready for deployment in Azerbaijan: Turkish Defense Ministry / Source: Hurriyet Daily News at www.hurriyetdailynews.com
Has Turkey increased its military presence in Azerbaijan following the war?
– Yes, it is quite obvious that the Turkish presence in Azerbaijan has increased dramatically…. First of all, Azerbaijan won, of course…. But Turkey’s participation was, of course, very significant or even decisive.
In all likelihood, the entire operation was planned by the Turkish headquarters. During the operation itself, Turkish officers provided support both at the headquarters level and directly on the battlefield. There is good reason to believe that Turkish advisers were present in battle formations at the battalion level and above, and in some cases were also at the company level.
Turkish aviation carried out jamming and jamming of radio communications of the Armenian troops…
Did the war in Karabakh show the increased importance of attack unmanned aircraft?
– Of course. But unmanned vehicles in this case are interesting mainly as another mechanism for reducing the cost of using precision weapons and increasing their proliferation…. But the main thing – I draw your attention to this fact – in the Karabakh conflict, unmanned aerial vehicles have become not just a means of reconnaissance, target designation and carriers of high-precision weapons. In this war, with their help, air supremacy was first established.
So why the Russian army, in contrast to the Turkish or Israeli, lagged behind in this segment of weapons?
Emblem of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation / Source: Wikimedia Commons
– The lag of the Russian Armed Forces in the implementation and development of unmanned technologies is primarily caused not by some technological reasons, but is a consequence of problems with the definition of development priorities.
– Exactly! I remember very well how 15-20 years ago at a press conference I asked the Air Force Commander: why are we lagging behind in the development of unmanned aircraft and, in particular, in the creation of strike drones. To which he answered absolutely seriously: why do we need them? We have enough planes and pilots
…. And at the General Staff, everyone was arguing: who should give command of unmanned aircraft – pilots or groundmen? Who needs it more? And it turned out that no one needed her.
“… programs for the development of unmanned aircraft were not considered a priority in the system of research and development work of the [Russian] Ministry of Defense.” The Russian MoD building at Frunzenskaya Embankment. Moscow. / Source: Wikimedia Commons
– Yes, programs for the development of unmanned aircraft were not considered a priority in the system of research and development work of the Ministry of Defense. And this has become a very important reason for our lag. We are still reaping the fruits of that policy. There are still no centralized inter-service management bodies for such programs, including the creation of systems necessary for unmanned aviation (engines, optoelectronic systems, control systems), no proper political and administrative support, no purposeful policy to create centers of competence in this area.
Programs for the creation of unmanned aerial vehicles are still “on their own” and are left to the mercy of industrial organizations, sometimes rather weak. As a result, we have only a mass of light small apparatuses with extensive use of imported components.
Russian UCAV Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik, currently undergoing tests / Source: Wikimedia Commons, Photo by TerHussein, via CC-SA-4.0
But the use of imported components in military equipment for the Russian army is prohibited. So there is still a problem with attack drones?
– As of today, there are still no attack drones in Russia…. That is, we are 20-25 years behind our American “partners” in this area.
But now, especially after the Karabakh war, have we started to reduce this gap?
We are maturing … In my opinion, so far in the domestic military-political circles there is no clear understanding that unmanned aerial vehicles in combination with high-precision weapons offer a cheaper and more economical version of modern warfare… So, perhaps, in a typical domestic style, the demonstration of the use of drones in the Karabakh war will spur Russian unmanned programs, forcing, finally, some of the Russian men to ‘cross themselves.’ Thunder has burst out.”
2. Armenian Assessments of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh War (OE Watch, February 2020, pp. 14-15)
OE Watch Commentary: The Armenian government carried out several reforms in the armed forces following the April 2016 clashes in Nagorno Karabakh, including acquisitions of weapons and equipment, in order to avoid another scenario of losing territory to Azerbaijan. The accompanying excerpted article provides a look at how the September-November 2020 war, which resulted in Azerbaijan gaining a significant amount of territory, is driving examinations of lessons learned for the Armenian government and armed forces following the recent conflict.
“Within the first two weeks of the ongoing clashes, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces destroyed some 60 pieces of [Armenian] air defenses, mostly 9K33 Osa [shown here] and 9K35 Strela systems” — see: Insights from the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict in 2020. 9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko) Russian 6×6 Amphibious Short-Range Tactical Surface-to-Air Missile System from the TRADOC G-2’s ODIN Worldwide Equipment GuideThe article, from the Armenian news website News.am, first looks at how “a number of Russian sources this week reported that specialists from the Military Academy of the Air Defense Forces of Russia conducted a thorough analysis of the large-scale losses of Armenian air defense systems in Nagorno-Karabakh and the almost complete dominance of Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).” The Russian sources reported that “the issue was a low radar cross-section of Turkish UAVs, which did not enable enough time to detect them, giving them an opportunity to successfully open fire,” but the article notes how “representatives of the academy did not discuss these issues (in a report) and there were no field tests that showed ‘low efficiency’ of Russian air defense systems.”
Despite the fact that there was no report from the Russian air defense academy, the article mentions how “politicians in Yerevan have also put forth various accusations against Russian weapons and air defense systems in particular.” Outside of this, the article includes statements from the former secretary of the security council of Nagorno-Karabakh. The former secretary claimed that “Armenian politicians and the military did not prepare for a large-scale armed conflict” and that officials “reassured themselves with the thought that a negotiating body would come to their assistance, having neither the capabilities nor the military contingent to deal with Azerbaijan by force.” Lastly, the article states that Armenian forces “reacted sporadically and haphazardly” to Azerbaijani actions on the line-of-contact in recent years prior to the 2020 war and that this includes “the inability to create a well-controlled, multi-component and layered air defense system.” As the Armenian government continues to assess what happened with its armed forces during the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war, air defense will be one area to watch for reforms. End OE Watch Commentary (Matthew Stein)
“For a long time, Azerbaijan was consistently preparing to break the defenses of Armenians on the line of contact, accumulating reserves and conducting reconnaissance, including reconnaissance in force.”
Source: “Lessons from Karabakh: can Russian air defense systems resist drones (Lessons of Karabakh: can Russian air defense systems counter unmanned aerial vehicles),” News.am (Armenian news website based in Yerevan), 22 December 2020. https://news.am/rus/news/620332.html
“A number of Russian sources this week reported that specialists from the Military Academy of the Air Defense Forces of Russia conducted a thorough analysis of the large-scale losses of Armenian air defense systems in Nagorno-Karabakh and the almost complete dominance of Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)…
96K6 Pantsir-S1 (SA-22 Greyhound) Russian Short-Range Air Defense Gun/Missile System, just one of several Russian Air Defense systems that “reportedly show[ed] their low efficiency when operating against small UAVs with a radar cross-section of less than 0.01 square meters…” TRADOC G-2’s ODIN Worldwide Equipment Guide“Apparently, the issue was a low radar cross-section of Turkish UAVs, which did not enable enough time to detect them, giving them an opportunity to successfully open fire,” said one of the sources… the sources stated results of field tests of air defense systems, including the Buk-M1, the Tor-M1, Osa-AKM, Pantsir-S1 and Tunguska-M1, and reportedly show their low efficiency when operating against small UAVs with a radar cross-section of less than 0.01 square meters…
However, representatives of the academy did not discuss these issues (in a report) and there were no field tests that showed “low efficiency” of Russian air defense systems… Some Russian media sources published reports with titles such as “The ineffectiveness of modern air defense systems in the Karabakh conflict”… The media outlets that circulated this information could draw attention to at least some, at first glance, insignificant issues.
Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 earned its sobriquet — “Pantsir-hunter”– on Syrian and Libyan battlegrounds, then again in Nagorno-Karabakh, due to its successful kill scorecard of the Russian-manufactured Pantsir SHORAD system. TRADOC G-2’s ODIN Worldwide Equipment Guide
For example, “the Turkish UAV’s radar cross-section was too small is to blame.” Nonetheless, the wingspan of the Bayraktar TB2 is 12m and its length is 6.5m. This is noticeable to almost any radar station… Its speed and service ceiling make it a target for almost any air defense system.
There is a notably smaller radar cross-section of the Israeli Harop UAV… The area of the reflective surface of the Harop is estimated to be 0.5 square meters.
The IAI Harop (or IAI Harpy 2) is a loitering munition developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and employed by Azerbaijan. TRADOC G-2’s ODIN Worldwide Equipment Guide
…it should be remembered that politicians in Yerevan have also put forth various accusations against Russian weapons and air defense systems in particular… The reason for the defeat and failures of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh are not in the quality of Russian weapons, but in the lack of preparation for an armed conflict, starting with operational equipment in the theater to the number of trained specialists and last but not least, the calculations of air defense systems…
Samvel Babayan, former Secretary of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Security Council
…according to Samvel Babayan, the former secretary of the security council of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Armenian politicians and the military did not prepare for a large-scale armed conflict. They reassured themselves with the thought that a negotiating body would come to their assistance, having neither the capabilities nor the military contingent to deal with Azerbaijan by force…
For a long time, Azerbaijan was consistently preparing to break the defenses of Armenians on the line of contact, accumulating reserves and conducting reconnaissance, including reconnaissance in force. Armenians reacted sporadically and haphazardly… as well as the inability to create a well-controlled, multi-component and layered air defense system. As a result, on the first day of the war on 27 September, according to Babayan, the Armenians in Karabakh lost up to 50 percent of their air defense systems and 40 percent of their artillery from Azerbaijani strikes…“
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out its companion piece at:
Insights from the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict in 2020
11:09, 2 April, 2021
YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. The Travel Without COVID-19 program – which was initially a pilot program launched from February 1 to March 1, is extended and will work without timeframe limits, allowing passengers to cross the state border with a view to traveling from Armenia to Russia and in the opposite direction in case of a negative COVID-19 test result.
The decision to lift the timeframe limits was made by the Russian Government.
Armenia’s Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan, in comments for ARMENPRESS, praised the program as an “effective and promising tool” facilitating the movements of Armenian and Russian citizens between the two countries.
In addition, Kyrgyzstan has been added to the list of countries whose citizens can use the application to visit Russia.
The Travel without COVID-19 program features a mobile app which shows the traveler’s COVID-19 test result in the form of a QR code, which is used when crossing border.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
18:23, 2 April, 2021
YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan visited Abovyan community on April 2 to get acquainted with the projects of constructing a free industrial zone and sustainable community in the sidelines of ‘’Build Armenia’’ program, as well as to discuss cooperation opportunities.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Ministry of Economy, Minister Kerobyan and Director of “Hayprospect” CJSC, “Build Armenia” program coordinator Sevak Artsruni signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of Kotayk Governor Mesrop Mesropyan and Abovyan Mayor Vahagn Gevorgyan. The Memorandum is about encouraging the implementation of the “Build Armenia “program and sustainable community building in Armenia.
Vahan Kerobyan noted that according to the Memorandum, the Ministry of Economy is obliged to assist “Hayprospect” CJSC in constructing a huge industrial and residential complex, where numerous businesses and educational facilities will operate. The Minister of Economy assessed the program very progressive and asked Sevak Artsruni to briefly present it.
Sevak Artsruni informed that the program is in the initial stage. Most part of the land has already been acquired, nearly 70 hectares.
‘’It’s expected that the infrastructures of the industrial zone will be ready by the end of the year. By now 6 million USD has been invested. By the end of the year they will increase up to 20-30 million USD. The total program is estimated at up to 1 billion USD’’, he said.
Sevak Artsruni noted that two months ago their company signed a memorandum with Abovyan Municipality and now a memorandum has been signed with the Ministry of Economy and they are very happy for that, since they greatly highlight the cooperation with the Government and the community.
‘’Naturally, this is a business and there is the logic of pursuing profits, but we also assess this something important also for the country, because our final goal is also about repatriation and we know that we can make our country powerful with the help of 10 million Armenians, if we organize everything correctly’’, Artsruni said.
Sevak Artsruni accompanied the Minister of Economy, Kotayk Governor and Abovyan Mayor to the construction site and presented the ongoing works.
“Hayprospect” CJSC has set a task to give priority to the participants of the war, servicemen with disabilities, as well as to the wives of the soldiers killed during the war during staff hiring. The hiring process will start from May.
“Hayprospect” community will be the first community environmentally and energy sustainable with cost-effective recourses in the region. The residential part of the community will have 10 thousand residents.