20:17, 8 January 2024
YEREVAN, JANUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. On January 8, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received Louis Bono, the Senior Adviser for Caucasus Negotiations, the U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the foreign ministry said.
According to the source, during the meeting, the interlocutors discussed regional security issues, including the normalization process of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenian clerics seriously wounded in clashes with Muslim Arabs amid claims of ‘coordinated physical attack.’
By World Israel News Staff
A number of Armenian Christian clerics were injured during a physical altercation with Muslim Arabs in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The incident occurred on Thursday, police said, with officers forced to intervene to separate dozens of Muslim Arabs and Armenian Christians during what Deputy Jerusalem Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum called a “brawl.”
“There was an unfortunate incident where some Arab Muslim men and some men from the Armenian community got into a brawl in the old city of Jerusalem,” Hassan-Nahoum said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.
“Police came promptly to separate the parties, and arrests were made on both sides. The city of Jerusalem will not tolerate any criminal activity, whether religiously motivated or otherwise, and the police will prosecute those responsible.”
Leaders of the Armenian community in the Old City of Jerusalem said, however, that the incident was in fact a planned assault targeting the clerics and Christian seminary students.
In a letter addressed to the police department and obtained by the Post, the Armenian Patriarchate wrote that “A mass and coordinated physical attack was launched.”
“Several priests, students, and indigenous Armenians are seriously injured.”
Armenian leaders say the attack was retribution for their decision to sue for the cancellation of a land lease agreement signed two years ago.
Known as the Cows’ Cardel Land Deal, the agreement would lease out a plot of land owned by the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem to a pair of businessmen – one a Christian Arab and the other an Australian Jew.
The two developers, George Warwar and Danny Rothman, plan on turning the property, which currently serves as a parking lot and houses a seminary and several residential structures, into a luxury hotel.
Under heavy pressure from Armenians both in Jerusalem and abroad, the patriarchate decided to renege on the deal, filing a suit in the Jerusalem District Court to annul the 99-year lease.
After penning a letter to the developers two months ago insisting that the deal be cancelled, Armenian leaders claim they were targeted in a violent assault similar to Thursday’s incident.
https://worldisraelnews.com/armenian-christians-say-they-were-targeted-over-contentious-jerusalem-land-deal/
“We are closer to regional peace and stability more than ever. We are in uninterrupted coordination with Azerbaijan for seizing this opportunity,” Fidan told reporters at a press conference with Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov in Baku on Dec. 14.
Fidan paid a one-day visit to Baku where he had talks with his counterpart on bilateral issues as well as regional developments, particularly on the ongoing peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He was also received by President Ilham Aliyev.
Fidan expressed Türkiye’s satisfaction by recent confidence-building steps taken by the two countries, saying “We wish that additional steps will be taken, and these will pave the way for a lasting agreement between the two sides. Also, we think that these moves should also convey necessary messages to the third parties.”
Armenia and Azerbaijan are on the verge of an agreement and this will bring peace, welfare and stability to the region Fidan said, urging the Armenia diaspora to stop its efforts to abuse the difficulties the Armenian people are facing. “Instead of doing this, they should use their energy for Armenians to be in good relations with their neighboring countries,” Fidan stressed.
“Having welfare and stability in the Caucasus is to everyone’s benefit,” the minister said, calling on all the parties not to miss this very big opportunity which will have a game-changer impact in the region and in the world.
No hindrance in front of Ankara-Yerevan normalization
Hakan Fidan also underlined that Türkiye and Armenia are also in a process of normalization that it will accomplish soon after Armenia and Azerbaijan sign the lasting peace agreement. “We have kept saying that the momentum [between Azerbaijan and Armenia] will positively reflect on the normalization process between Türkiye and Azerbaijan,” he said, adding there was no hindrance to this end.
Ankara and Yerevan had four rounds of talks for normalization with the objective of the establishment of diplomatic ties and opening the borders. Ankara says it awaits the completion of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia to start a new era in its ties with Yerevan.
Bayramov, for his part, underlined that the ball is in the Armenian court for peace. “Azerbaijan has many times called on Armenia for peace,” the minister stressed, underlining that Türkiye’s role for bringing stability and comfort is very important.
“Armenia should be pragmatic and see that Türkiye’s presence at the negotiation table will be useful for Armenia, too,” he suggested.
Holistic approach to energy cooperation
The two ministers also discussed energy and economic ties. Fidan underlined that the use of the full capacity of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline and carrying the Caspian natural gas to Europe through Türkiye are strategic objectives for the two countries.
Türkiye is pursuing a holistic approach to all energy and transportation projects in the Caucasus. Increasing the capacity of the TANAP (Trans Anatolian Pipeline), the accomplishment of the railway between Kars and Nakhichevan and the pipeline between Iğdır and Nakhichevan are among the priorities.
“As for Armenia, complex processes are taking place there in connection with Karabakh. We all understand this. However, we were not the ones who abandoned Karabakh. They did it, they had not even informed us that such a decision was going to be made,” Vladimir Putin said at a news conference.
According to him, the created situation has “positive and negative sides, the processes are complicated and inner political.”
“It is not in the interests of Armenia to withdraw membership from the CIS, EAEU, CSTO. This is, after all, the state’s choice. As for the absence of the Armenian Prime Minister at the general events, as we know, it is due to some processes taking place in Armenia and is not related to the desire or lack of desire to continue the work in the integration structures,” Vladimir Putin said.
21:10,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Exactly a year ago, Wigmore Women's and Children's Hospital opened in Yerevan at 10/7 Hrachya Nersisyan Street. With 220 beds’ capacity, accredited with the highest (third) level by the Armenian Ministry of Health, this facility has fostered a culture of delivering comprehensive, accessible, and top-tier healthcare services.
In honor of its inaugural milestone, we spoke with Dr. Zaven Koloyan, the CEO of Wigmore Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
The interview is presented below:
–Zaven, what was the journey from the opening of Wigmore Clinic in 2017 to the establishment of the new stand-alone hospital?
-Reflecting on the past years, I wouldn't be mistaken to note that the journey was remarkably smooth. Surprising as it may sound, it is true, and the reason are the people who believed in the vision, shared Wigmore's values and walked this journey together with me. Establishing a multi-profile hospital together with such a team that aligns with your vision, shares the same principles, and values the culture of open and systemic management, has made the journey inspiring and easy.
-How was the concept of a hospital specializing in women’s and children’s healthcare born? Was it driven by market demand, the prevailing era, or perhaps a personal or professional dream?
-I wouldn’t define as merely a ''dream'' something that simply requires concentration, consistent work, and proper resource management. The establishment of Wigmore Women's and Children's Hospital was, indeed, influenced by both market demand and the prevailing times. Until now, our State has shaped all the essential systems and institutions necessary for its functionality. I believe we've now reached a developmental stage where emphasis on quality holds significant importance.
Strengthening one's position in the market today relies heavily on offering quality and providing high-quality services, a principle not confined to the healthcare domain alone.
-Reflecting on the hospital's first anniversary, what accomplishments or milestones do you find most noteworthy?
-It is a pride to witness a strong team of individuals who share a common vision. Their dedication and disciplined efforts demonstrate every day the feasibility of delivering high-quality and advanced medical care and services within our country.
-Wigmore's mission to establish an international benchmark in pediatric care in Armenia is a frequently discussed topic. What does this mission entail, and how do you put it into practice?
-Our mission is to develop high quality and evidence-based medical care within our homeland that aligns with the international standards of medical and hospital care, with an emphasis on accessibility for all children. In this regard within the first year of operation, we forged six significant international partnerships with leading healthcare institutions abroad. These collaborations focus on continuous education and sharing of expertise among the medical staff. All the while, in the framework of State Order all our hospitalized and emergency medical services are accessible to any family in Armenia free of charge.
-Recently Wigmore signed a significant and distinctive partnership in healthcare. Could you please shed more light on this collaboration? How did it happen, and what role might it play in shaping the broader pediatric field and the expertise within Wigmore?
-Over the past year, we have initiated multiple collaborations with esteemed medical institutions in the West and the USA, all aimed at bringing new, valuable knowledge and expertise to Armenia.
On 2 November, a pivotal Memorandum of Understanding was signed with a leading pediatric hospital in the USA – Valley Children's Healthcare, aiming to elevate the quality of pediatric healthcare in our country.
This stands as a unique milestone for the Armenian pediatric healthcare, encompassing ongoing learning and exchange of experiences among doctors, improving nursing education, and the implementation of international standards for quality assurance and patient safety in hospital management in Armenia.
-Wigmore Hospital for Children was re-branded into Wigmore Women's and Children's Hospital in September 2023, now featuring a comprehensive women's health unit. It is also known that there are plans to broaden the scope of services, including the launch of a maternity hospital. Could you please provide more details on the services that will be offered?
-In many developed countries worldwide, the integration of women's and children's health is perceived as one, a continuum of services: healthy woman, healthy child, and a healthy society at large. This is our vision for Armenia too. In the near future, we will launch our maternity ward and introduce services for IVF (in-vitro fertilization).
-Despite being a relatively young hospital, Wigmore has already established relations with a community of patients and their families who opt for your services. We assume you may have some interesting stories about them to share.
-Throughout this year, we've welcomed close to 72,000 patients, each with their own unique narrative. However, our objective isn't merely to accumulate these stories, but rather to ensure that every individual's experience at Wigmore becomes a positive one for both, the patient and their family. Hospitals should no longer be associated with fear, uncertainty, and mistrust… With our work and family-centered approach, we're actively reshaping those perceptions.
-You’ve already implemented a lot of educational programs in Yerevan and the regions of Armenia, and you also pay special attention to the component of corporate social responsibility. Tell us about it.
-We strongly believe that positive, sustainable development requires a systemic and comprehensive approach hence our firm emphasis on designing and implementing educational programs, targeting medical workers in Yerevan and across the regions of Armenia.
Undoubtedly, education stands as a fundamental pillar in the advancement of the healthcare sector. Positive changes emerge through continuous education, fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing, and developing the system.
Throughout this year, our educational endeavors have borne fruit. Twenty-one specialists from the Wigmore team had the invaluable opportunity to exchange expertise and undertake observership in renowned hospitals across Europe and the United States. Jointly with the Educational and social programs unit at Wigmore, our doctors have visited all of the regions in Armenia, delivering courses, accredited by the National Institute of Health, to 662 doctors, 826 primary care nurses, 482 nurses from kindergartens and schools, and 121 educators. During these regional visits, our specialists also offered complimentary consultations to 985 young patients in need of medical attention.
-As Wigmore’s CEO, what are the core values and principles that guide your decision making?
I prioritize equality above all. As a leader, equality stands out for me as a foundational value. At Wigmore, all employees are entitled to equal and dignified rights, and every patient receives impartial, equal and utmost medical attention, irrespective of any external attempts of ''influence''.
19:14,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna will arrive in the Republic of Armenia on a working visit on December 13-14, the Foreign Ministry of Armenia said.
The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Estonia will take place on December 13 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, which will be followed by the joint press conference of the ministers.
Tuesday,
Armenian, Azeri Prisoners Not Yet Exchanged Despite Deal
• Astghik Bedevian
ARMENIA -- A freed Armenian captive is escorted off a Russian military plane
upon arrival at a military airport outside Yerevan, December 14, 2020
Armenia and Azerbaijan did not exchange prisoners as of Tuesday afternoon almost
one week after reaching an agreement to that effect welcomed by the
international community.
Under the agreement announced on December 7, Azerbaijan is to free 32 Armenian
soldiers and civilians in exchange for Armenia’s release of two Azerbaijani
servicemen and support for Baku’s bid to host the COP29 climate summit next
year. A senior Armenian lawmaker suggested on December 8 that the prisoner swap
will be carried out within “hours or days.”
Parliament speaker Alen Simonian on Tuesday declined not give possible dates for
the repatriation of the captives. He said only that the deal struck as a result
of direct Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations remains in force.
“We are waiting,” Simonian told reporters. “I think that we will have
information very soon.”
Vagharshak Hakobian, another lawmaker representing Armenia’s ruling Civil
Contract party, said he hopes that the deal will not be scrapped.
The United Nations officially announced on Monday that Azerbaijan will host next
year’s global climate summit. In line with the December 7 deal, Armenia did not
object to that decision.
The Azerbaijani government publicized late last week the list of the 32 Armenian
captives that will be repatriated by it. Most of them were taken prisoner in
Nagorno-Karabakh in December 2020 just weeks after a Russian-brokered ceasefire
stopped the last Armenian-Azerbaijani war.
Also on the list is Gagik Voskanian, an Armenian army reservist who was
mobilized a few weeks before straying into Azerbaijani territory in August this
year in unclear circumstances. An Azerbaijani court convicted Voskanian of
“terrorism” just hours before the announcement of the prisoner swap.
Voskanian’s mother, Ashkhen Avetisian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that she
also does not know when he will return home.
“I contacted a Defense Ministry official and was told, ‘Keep waiting, we too
don’t know anything, everything will be alright,’” she said.
The Azerbaijani soldiers to be freed by Yerevan were detained in April after
crossing into Armenia’s Syunik province from Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave.
One of them was charged with murdering a Syunik resident the day before his
detention. Armenia’s Court of Appeals sentenced him to life imprisonment last
week.
Azerbaijan’s prosecutor-general expressed confidence on Tuesday that they will
be set free. But he did not give any dates.
Armenia Revives Amnesty-For-Cash Option For Draft Dodgers
• Artak Khulian
Armenia - Soldiers march at an Armenian military base, December 24, 2022.
Armenia’s parliament approved on Tuesday a bill allowing men who illegally
evaded compulsory military service to buy an amnesty.
Armenian law requires virtually all male citizens aged between 18 and 27 to
serve in the country’s armed forces for two years. Refusal to do so is a crime
punishable by five years in prison.
The bill drafted by Hayk Sargsian, a parliament deputy from the ruling Civil
Contract party, and passed by the National Assembly in the first reading will
give fugitive draft dodgers aged between 27 and 37 a range of options.
In particular, they will be able to turn themselves in and perform a
two-and-a-half-year service or legally evade it by paying the state 15 million
drams ($37,000). They could also serve in the armed forces for shorter periods
in exchange for smaller fees.
Sargsian said that about 5,000 fugitive Armenian men will be eligible for these
options. As things stands now, they cannot serve in the army “even if they want
to,” complained the lawmaker.
“I don’t want us to again declare an amnesty in order to exempt these
individuals from prosecution, but nor do I want to see 5,000 citizens sentenced
to five years in prison,” he added during a debate on the parliament floor.
The parliament declared such an amnesty in 2021. More than 1,300 draft dodgers
took advantage of it.
Sargsian also insisted that the new legal arrangements will not encourage draft
evasion among draft-age men. He argued that it applies only to citizens aged 25
and older.
Opposition deputies and even some of Sargsian’s pro-government colleagues were
not fully convinced by his assurances. Civil Contract’s Hovik Aghazarian was
concerned that the bill will foster “wrong behavior” in the country.
“I’m quite uneasy about this idea,” said Sona Ghazarian, another Civil Contract
deputy. “I think that we kind of undermine social justice and social equality
with this bill.”
“We can’t tell people that if they don’t have money … they must serve the
homeland or go to jail but if they have money they can pay up and move on,” said
Tadevos Avetisian of the opposition Hayastan alliance.
Nevertheless, the parliament’s pro-government majority voted for the bill, while
Hayastan and the other opposition bloc, Pativ Unem, abstained, instead of voting
against it.
Armenia already had a similar amnesty-for-cash arrangement from 2004-2019.
Officials say that some 10,000 draft evaders used it to avoid prosecution during
those years.
EU Details Expansion Of Border Monitoring Mission In Armenia
Armenia - European Union monitors patrol Armenia's border with Azerbaijan.
The European Union has decided to deploy an additional 71 observers and experts
to Armenia’s volatile border with Azerbaijan.
The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, announced the decision late on Monday
following a meeting of the foreign ministers of EU member states held in
Brussels. He said they agreed to “increase our presence on the ground from 138
staff to 209.”
“The fact that we have decided to increase by such an important number our staff
on this mission shows our clear commitment to stability on the border between
Armenia and Azerbaijan and an important contribution to the peace efforts,”
Borrell told a news briefing.
He said the expansion of the monitoring mission, approved by the ministers in
principle last month, also reflects the EU’s deepening relations with Armenia.
“Armenia clearly sees the benefits of increasing cooperation with us and we are
ready to respond positively,” added the EU foreign policy chief.
The mission was launched in February at the request of the Armenian government
and with the stated aim of preventing or reducing ceasefire violations along the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Russia, Armenia’s increasingly estranged ally, has
opposed it from the outset, saying that it is part of U.S. and European Union
efforts to drive Moscow out of the South Caucasus.
Moscow has pressed Yerevan to agree to a similar monitoring mission proposed by
the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinian has repeatedly declined those offers, accusing the military
alliance of not honoring its security commitments to Armenia.
The recent Azerbaijani takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh has raised more fears in
Yerevan that Azerbaijan will invade Armenia to open a land corridor to its
Nakhichevan exclave. Pashinian urged Western powers to prevent Baku from
“provoking a new war in the region” when he addressed the European Parliament in
October.
Both the EU and the United States regularly voice support for Armenia’s
territorial integrity. Unlike Russia, they have condemned Baku’s September 19-20
military offensive that forced Karabakh’s practically entire population to flee
to Armenia.
Yerevan Backs Further EU Expansion Into Former Soviet Union
Belgium - Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan arrives for a meeting in
Brussels, .
Amid its growing rift with Russia, the Armenian government has voiced support
for Georgia’s, Ukraine’s and Moldova’s membership in the European Union and
reaffirmed its desire to deepen ties with the EU.
“My government warmly welcomes the European Commission’s [recent] decision to
recommend the European Council to open accession talks with Moldova and Ukraine
and to grant candidate status to Georgia,” Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said
late on Monday. “This decision is welcomed not only by the government of Armenia
but also people of Armenia, who also have European aspirations.”
Yerevan is committed to “coming closer to the European Union to the extent the
EU will deem it possible,” Mirzoyan added in a speech delivered during a meeting
in Brussels of the foreign ministers of EU member states and five ex-Soviet
republics involved in the 27-nation bloc’s Eastern Partnership program.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian expressed that commitment when he addressed the
European Parliament in October. He stopped short of announcing plans to seek
Armenia’s eventual membership in the EU.
In his speech, Pashinian also accused Moscow of using the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict to try to topple him. A Russian official responded by saying that the
Armenian premier is helping the West “turn Armenia into another Ukraine.”
Mirzoyan and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell met in North Macedonia late
last month as a team of EU officials wrapped up a visit to Yerevan during which
they explored ways of bringing Armenia closer to the bloc.
Borrell also met with Mirzoyan in Brussels earlier on Monday. He said they had a
“good exchange of views … on concrete ways to enhance EU-Armenia relations” but
did not elaborate.
Armenia Keeps Up Contacts With Ukraine
Beglium - Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Ukrainian
counterpart Dmytro Kuleba meet in Brussels, .
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba met
in Brussels on Monday, continuing diplomatic contacts between their counties
that were denounced by Russia this fall.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry said the two ministers discussed “bilateral
cooperation on issues of mutual interest” and “regional issues” relating to the
South Caucasus. Kuleba tweeted, for his part, that they talked about the
“advancement of Ukraine-Armenia dialogue.”
That dialogue appears to have begun in early September amid a further worsening
of Armenia’s relations with Russia, its longtime ally. Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian’s wife visited Kyiv at the time to attend the annual Summit of First
Ladies and Gentlemen held there. Anna Hakobian also delivered Armenia’s first
humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.
The Russian Foreign Ministry listed Hakobian’s trip among “a series of
unfriendly steps” taken by Yerevan against Moscow when it summoned the Armenian
ambassador a few days later. The strong criticism did not stop Pashinian from
talking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during an EU summit in Spain
on October 5.
Spain - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskiy meet in Granada, October 5, 2023.
Three weeks later, the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigorian,
participated in a multilateral peace forum in Malta initiated by Ukraine.
Grigorian also met with the powerful chief of’Zelenskiy’s staff, Andriy Yermak,
during what Moscow described as a “blatantly anti-Russian event.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, called Grigorian’s
trip to Malta a “demonstrative anti-Russian gesture of official Yerevan” and
linked it with Pashinian’s conversation with Zelenskiy. She accused Pashinian’s
government of “persistently destroying our allied relations.”
The Armenian leaders’ attendance of those events contrasts with their boycott of
recent months’ meetings of top officials of ex-Soviet states making up the
Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization as well as the Commonwealth
of Independent States.
Pashinian embarked on the apparent rapprochement with Ukraie despite its stong
support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In particular, Kyiv was
quick to condemn the September 9 election by Karabakh lawmakers of the region’s
new president, saying that it is “contrary to the rules and principles of
international law.” The election came ten days before the Azerbaijani military
offensive that forced Karabakh’s practically entire population to flee to
Armenia.
“I reiterated Ukraine’s support for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity within
its internationally recognized borders,” Kuleba wrote after meeting with
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov earlier on Monday.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
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13:32,
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. No meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers is planned within the framework of the 30th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Skopje, foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan told Armenpress.