Author: Hambik Zargarian

Asbarez: ANCA Calls for Emergency U.S. Assistance to Lebanon

Hambik Zargarian
August 5  2020

The ANCA national action campaign – anca.org/lebanon – calls for a robust relief, rebuilding, and development aid package for the people of Lebanon.

Launches nationwide campaign – anca.org/Lebanon – urging the White House and Congress to take action

WASHINGTON—In the aftermath of the powerful August 4 explosion in Beirut, which has left at least 100 dead, 5,000 injured, and Armenian business, homes, and community institutions devastated, the Armenian National Committee of America is working with the White House and Congress to provide a robust relief, rebuilding, and development aid package for the people of Lebanon.

In a nationwide action campaign launched less than 24-hours after the blast, the ANCA is calling for immediate emergency relief.  “As an American with connections to Armenians in Lebanon and who cares deeply about all the diverse communities that make up this great nation, I encourage you to work with your Congressional colleagues to ensure that U.S. and international assistance reaches all at-risk population, including Armenians and other Christians.,” notes the grassroots letter to Congressional leaders.  The message reminds elected officials that “Lebanon warmly welcomed survivors of Ottoman Turkey’s WWI-era genocide of millions of Christians, including Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and Armenians. To this day, these communities and many others – of all faiths and backgrounds – call Lebanon home. In a Middle East that is – sadly – becoming less and less diverse, Lebanon stands out as a model of pluralism, tolerance, and co-existence.”

Armenian populated areas in the city and suburbs surrounding Beirut, including the Bourj-Hammoud district, have been hit hard, with churches, community centers, schools, and homes badly damaged and requiring significant reconstruction before they can serve the population.  Lebanon Armenian community leaders have confirmed that at least 11 Armenians have been killed and over 250 injured as a result of the blast which, according to initial news accounts, was caused by the detonation of more than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored in a warehouse near the Lebanon port since 2013. Lebanon relief organizations, including the Armenian Relief Society of Lebanon, have been working non-stop to help the injured, with hospitals overloaded with victims.

The disaster comes amid Lebanon’s efforts to battle the Covid-19 pandemic and dire economic developments in the country.

Asbarez: U.S. House Intelligence Authorization Act to Shine Spotlight on Azerbaijani Aggression

Hambik Zargarian
July 31,  2020

House Select Committee on Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) includes a measure in the FY2021 Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R.7856) which calls for greater accountability on the use of force on the Azerbaijan-Artsakh-Armenia border.

Reporting Requirement will Empower Congress to Counter Azerbaijan’s Reckless Cycle of “Attack, Deny, Repeat”

WASHINGTON—In a pro-accountability move that will help check Azerbaijani aggression and contribute to the stabilization of the 1994 cease-fire, the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence – chaired by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) – has included a provision in the Intelligence Authorization Act calling upon the U.S. intelligence community to provide Congress with a written assessment regarding which side is initiating the use of force in and around Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) and the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.

“We welcome this provision of the Intelligence Authorization Act as a pro-active measure to ensure that Congress has reliable intelligence on Azerbaijan’s cease-fire violations against Artsakh and cross-border aggression into Armenia,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.  “This constructive initiative, in the spirit of the bipartisan Royce-Engel Peace Proposal, will help Congress hold Baku accountable, fact-check its denials, and contribute to a more stable cease-fire.”

“Greater intelligence community scrutiny, more Congressional oversight, and additional accountability – in the form of gun-fire locators and OSCE observers – are all needed to help break Baku’s reckless pattern of attack, deny, and repeat – a one-sided cycle of violence needlessly perpetuated by uninformed calls upon all parties to refrain from violence,” continued Hamparian, who explained the provision on an ANCA Facebook Live video.

The provision, Section 822 of H.R.7856, reads as follows:

SEC. 822. ASSESSMENT REGARDING TENSIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN.

(a) Assessment Required.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence shall submit to the congressional intelligence committees a written assessment regarding tensions between the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan, including with respect to the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Such assessment shall include each of the following:

(1) An identification of the strategic interests of the United States and its partners in the Armenia-Azerbaijan region.

(2) A description of all significant uses of force in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan during calendar year 2020, including a description of each significant use of force and an assessment of who initiated the use of such force.

(3) An assessment of the effect of United States military assistance to Azerbaijan and Armenia on the regional balance of power and the likelihood of further use of military force.

(4) An assessment of the likelihood of any further uses of force or potentially destabilizing activities in the region in the near- to medium-term.

(b) Form Of Assessment. – The assessment required under this section shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex.

The House Select Committee on Intelligence marked up the Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R.7856) on Friday, July 31st.  The Senate panel had already approved its version of the measure in June.  Upon full House consideration of H.R.7856, the Senate and House Intelligence leaders will iron out differences prior to final approval of the measure.

Armenia makes significant progress in mining sector: USAID

Hambik Zargarian

Save

Share

 10:17,

YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has made significant progress in implementing the global standard for good governance in its mining sector, USAID Armenia said on Facebook.

Recently, Armenia became the 9th out of the 53 countries participating in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to achieve the highest status rating for implementing the 2016 EITI Standard, the global document outlining the compliance requirements for countries having joined the EITI.

“Following Armenia’s first validation assessment since it joined the EITI in 2017, the EITI Board commended the Government of Armenia (GOAM) and the EITI Multi-Stakeholder Group for its exemplary progress, highlighting its efforts to elevate mining issues into broader transparency and governance efforts, integrate the EITI process into the reform agenda of the mining sector, and set a precedent for constructive dialogue and cooperation between different constituencies”, the statement says.

Armenia became an EITI candidate country in March 2017, with political and technical support from the USG. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided direct assistance to the Government of Armenia to facilitate Armenia’s application for EITI membership and catalyzed other donor support to the EITI effort. USAID’s current support focuses on strengthening civil society’s capacity to conduct oversight of the EITI implementation and fostering professional media coverage of the mining sector and the EITI process.

Azerbaijanis scream “jihad” in front of Armenian Embassy in Washington, DC, Azerbaijanis attack Armenians in Moscow

Hambik Zargarian
Jihad Watch

JUL 27, 2020 4:00 PM BY ROBERT SPENCER

The chants in Washington are clear incitement to violence against Armenians, but no one will care, because most Americans have been thoroughly propagandized to believe that jihad is a peaceful spiritual struggle, and that to be concerned about jihad violence is “Islamophobic.”

“Azerbaijani Protestors Chant About ‘Jihad’ In Front of Armenian Embassy in Washington D.C.,” Zartonk Media, July 25, 2020:

On July 20th, crowds of Azeris rallied in front of the Armenian Embassy in Washington D.C. Azeri and Turkish neo-fascists were seen flashing the insignia of the Grey Wolves organization, as they marched in front of the Armenian Embassy….

“Moscow Authorities Arrest More Than 50 Azerbaijanis For Attacking Armenians,” Zartonk Media, July 24, 2020:

Over 50 Azerbaijanis (mostly citizens of Azerbaijan) were detained in Moscow last night for attacking Armenians, the Union of Armenians of Russia reports.

They even beat one Azerbaijani, mistaking him for an Armenian….


Asbarez: Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Condemn Azeri Violence

Hambik Zargarian
July 14,  2020

Congressional Armenian Caucus chairs call on Trump Administration to hold Azerbaijan accountable

WASHINGTON—The Co-Chairs of the Armenia Caucus on Wednesday condemned the violence along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border near the village of Tavush and called on the Trump Administration to hold Azerbaijan accountable. Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14), Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-14), and Congressman Adam Schiff (CA-28) wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to request that the United States encourage Azerbaijan to accept international monitoring and remove snipers, heavy arms, and new weaponry along the Artsakh and Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

“We are extremely concerned about the recent surge in violence along the Armenian-Azerbaijani international border near the village of Tavush. The recent outbreak of violence appears to be part of a deliberate campaign of incitement given the consistent barrage of combative rhetoric and provocative actions taken by from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his ally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” the letter states. “The United States should not be aiding and abetting a reckless, autocratic state like Azerbaijan for any reason, especially not when it threatens a democratic partner like Armenia.”

The letter also expressed concerns about U.S. security assistance to Azerbaijan and its potential use against Armenia. The United States has sent over $100 million to Azerbaijan over the last two years, defying two decades of funding parity between Azerbaijan and Armenia. This funding has allowed Azerbaijan to shift resources toward offensive capabilities, threatening Armenian lives.

“We thank the Armenian Caucus for their forceful letter to Secretaries of State and Defense and echo their call for U.S. condemnation of Azerbaijan’s cross-border aggression against the Tavush region of Armenia,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.  “We share their support for the Royce-Engel Peace Proposal as the best path toward peace, as well as their alarm over Turkey’s reckless, anti-Armenian actions and rhetoric. Ankara needs to stop pouring fuel on the fire.”

Dear Secretaries Pompeo and Esper:
U.S. Department of Defense 1300 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301
We are extremely concerned about the recent surge in violence along the Armenian-Azerbaijani international border near the village of Tavush. The recent outbreak of violence appears to be part of a deliberate campaign of incitement given the consistent barrage of combative rhetoric and provocative actions taken by from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his ally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. While we appreciate the State Department’s message dated July 13 that urged calm on both sides of the ongoing conflict, we believe there is more the Trump administration can do to hold Azerbaijan accountable for violating the ceasefire in the short term and to help broker a fair and lasting peace moving forward.

On May 20, we wrote to you about the military exercises that were being held by Azerbaijan from May 18 to 22. We warned that these exercises – paired with the rhetoric of Presidents Aliyev and Erdoğan – would dangerously accelerate tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia and could potentially destabilize security in the South Caucasus. Unfortunately, our concerns appear to be coming true.

To change the course of this conflict, we ask you to take assertive action by strongly encouraging Azerbaijan to accept international monitoring and implement the principles of the 2015 Royce- Engel proposals. These principles include the deployment of gunfire locators, the addition of observers, and the recalling of deployment of snipers, heavy arms, and new weaponry along the Artsakh line-of-contact and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. We also maintain our concerns over the $100 million in security assistance the United States sent to Azerbaijan over the last two years through the Section 333 Building Partner Capacity program and continue to fear that money will be used by Azerbaijan against Armenia.

The United States should not be aiding and abetting a reckless, autocratic state like Azerbaijan for any reason, especially not when it threatens a democratic partner like Armenia. Once again, we urge you to immediately condemn the reckless actions of the Azerbaijani military and work with our allies and international partners to encourage the Aliyev regime to accept the principles of the Royce-Engel proposals.

We look forward to your prompt reply to this request. Sincerely,

FRANK PALLONE, JR. Member of Congress
JACKIE SPEIER Member of Congress
GUS M. BILIRAKIS Member of Congress
ADAM B. SCHIFF Member of Congress

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 07/15/2020

Hambik Zargarian 
                                        Wednesday, 
Armenia-Azerbaijan Border ‘Calm’ After Deadly Clashes
        • Sargis Harutyunyan
        • Emil Danielyan
Armenia -- Armenian soldiers take their position on the front line in Tavush 
region, 
Tensions on Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan appeared to have eased on Wednesday 
after three days of heavy fighting that left at least 15 soldiers dead.
The Armenian Defense Ministry reported throughout the day that there are no 
serious ceasefire violations at a section of the border between Armenia’s 
northern Tavush province and the Tovuz district in Azerbaijan, the scene of the 
clashes.
A ministry spokeswoman, Shushan Stepanian, said at around 9 p.m. local time that 
the situation there remains “calm.” There were only “sporadic gunshots” fired 
from Azerbaijani army positions, she said.
“At the moment the truce is largely observed on the border,” Stepanian wrote on 
Facebook earlier in the day.
There were also no repots of fresh Azerbaijani shelling of the local town of 
Berd and nearby Tavush villages located closer to the frontier. The Armenian 
military reported on Tuesday Azerbaijani drone attacks on “civilian 
infrastructure” in Berd.
“Berd was hit yesterday but there has been no shooting today,” a middle-aged 
resident of the town told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
“There is some tension but no panic here,” said another local man. “Everyone is 
going about their business.”
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry also did not report serious ceasefire violations. 
Citing Azerbaijan’s human rights ombudsperson, the Trend news agency claimed 
that a border village in Tovuz again came under Armenian fire on Wednesday. It 
said that nobody was hurt as a result.
The Armenian Defense Ministry strongly denied the claim.
Eleven Azerbaijani servicemen, including an army general, and four Armenian 
soldiers were killed in the clashes that broke out in disputed circumstances on 
Sunday. The fighting marked the worst escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh 
conflict since 2016.
The conflicting parties blame each other for the flare-up along their volatile 
border. They have released videos of their forces purportedly striking enemy 
positions with artillery and drone fire.
The Armenian side also publicized on Tuesday what it described as footage of a 
sophisticated Hermes 900 drone of the Azerbaijani armed forces shot down by an 
Armenian surface-to-air rocket. Hermes 900 is manufactured by an Israeli 
company, Elbit Systems.
Artsrun Hovannisian, another Defense Ministry representative, claimed that 
Armenian anti-aircraft units shot down a dozen Azerbaijani unmanned aerial 
vehicles during the three-day hostilities.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was reported to say on Wednesday 
that his troops dealt a “crushing blow” to the Armenians during “revenge 
operations” ordered by him.
Armenian Man Detained In Azerbaijan
        • Heghine Buniatian
Armenia -- Narek Sardarian, an Armenian village resident detained in Azerbaijan.
Authorities in Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave said on Wednesday that they have 
detained an Armenian man who went missing one week ago.
Local state-run television showed the 30-year-old man, Narek Sardarian, saying 
that he fled Armenia and wants to live in Azerbaijan.
Sardarian is a resident of Nerkin Khndzoresk, a village in Armenia’s 
southeastern Syunik province bordering Nakhichevan. According to his family, he 
left his home on July 8 to graze cattle near another Syunik village located 
about a dozen kilometers from the nearest section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani 
border and never came back.
Armenia’s human rights ombudsman, Arman Tatoyan, discussed Sardarian’s 
disappearance on Tuesday at a meeting with Claire Meytraud, the head of the 
Yerevan office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“Family members suspect that the young man crossed the Armenian-Azerbaijani 
border by accident,” Tatoyan wrote on Facebook after the meeting.
He said Meytraud assured him that the ICRC is already trying to ascertain 
Sardarian’s whereabouts and has contacted its office in Baku for this purpose.
Dozens of residents of Armenian and Azerbaijani border villages have crossed the 
heavily militarized frontier throughout the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Most of 
them are believed to have strayed into enemy territory mistakenly.
As recently as on June 12, Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) detained an 
Azerbaijani man who entered the country’s eastern Gegharkunik region from the 
Gedabey district in western Azerbaijan.
A local official who spoke to the man, Elshan Aliyev, shortly before his 
detention said the 26-year-old claimed to who have worked as a shepherd in a 
Gedabey village and decided to flee to Armenia because of being mistreated his 
employer. The NSS has yet to clarify whether Aliyev wants to be repatriated.
Before Sardarian’s disappearance, at least one Armenian national was known to be 
held in an Azerbaijani prison. Karen Ghazarian, a resident of the northern 
Tavush province, was captured in July 2018.
In February 2019, an Azerbaijani court sentenced Ghazarian to 20 years in prison 
on charges of plotting terrorist attacks and “sabotage” in Azerbaijan. The 
Armenian government condemned the ruling and demanded Ghazarian’s immediate 
release.
Tatoyan said he also discussed Ghazarian’s fate with the Red Cross official.
Western Funding Approved For Armenia’s First Large Solar Plant
Armenia - A newly constructed solar power plant in Talin, 7Nov2017.
The European Union and two international lending institutions have formally 
approved about $39 million in funding for a Spanish company contracted by the 
Armenian government to build Armenia’s first large solar power plant.
The company, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), won more than two years ago an 
international tender for the construction of the 55-megawatt plant in Mets 
Masrik, a village close to the eastern coast of Lake Sevan.
FRV signed a relevant contract with the Armenian Energy Ministry in July 2018. 
It said at the time that the facility will likely be built by the end of 2020. 
The construction has still not begun, however.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the European Bank for Reconstruction 
and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) said they 
each will lend FRV $17.7 million to finance the project strongly supported by 
the World Bank. They said the renewable energy company will also receive an EU 
“investment grant” worth 3 million euros ($3.4 million).
“The 55-megawatt power plant facility … will boost Armenia’s supply of renewable 
energy and will help the country reduce its reliance on imported fuels,” read 
the statement.
“Right now, nearly 70 percent of Armenia’s electricity generation depends on 
imported fossil fuels,” it said.“As the country’s demand for electricity grows, 
renewables are expected to provide a sustainable and low-cost alternative source 
of energy and the Masrik plant is designed to set an example for the rest of the 
Caucasus.”
The funding for the project was announced one week after the Armenian government 
approved a $9 million contract with the Russian company Kaskad-Energy to 
reconstruct an electricity substation located not far from Mets Masrik.
Minister for Local Government and Infrastructures Suren Papikian explained that 
the substation needs to be completely rebuilt in order to receive and transmit 
electricity to be generated by the planned solar plant. Papikian said that work 
on the plant will get underway “soon” but gave no specific dates.
Both the current and former Armenian governments have pledged to significantly 
increase the presently modest share of renewables in domestic electricity 
production. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian has said that the country could 
and should have up to 1,000 megawatts of solar power capacity by 2030.
The first Armenian solar power plant with a capacity of just 0.5 megawatts went 
on stream in September 2017. Six more such small plants were connected to the 
national power grid by November 2018. Armenian private firms began building more 
of them in the following months.
The Mets Masrik plant will be by far the biggest facility of its kind. According 
to FRV, it will occupy about 100 hectares of land and produce enough energy to 
power 21,400 households.
Azerbaijan Police Break Up Pro-War Rally In Baku
AZERBAIJAN -- People carry Azerbaijn's national flags as they rally in Baku, 
Riot police in Azerbaijan dispersed early on Wednesday thousands of people who 
rallied in Baku to demand war with Armenia following deadly clashes on the 
border between the two South Caucasus countries.
The demonstration began on Tuesday evening as a show of support for the 
Azerbaijani military, with participants reportedly chanting “Karabakh is 
Azerbaijan!” and “Mobilization!” But it appeared to have grown into an angry 
protest as the crowd reached Baku’s central Liberty Square.
News reports from the Azerbaijani capital said some protesters called for the 
resignation of General Najmaddin Sadikhov, the long-serving chief of general 
staff of the armed forces.
At one point late in the protest, a group of protesters broke into the nearby 
Azerbaijani parliament building but were quickly removed by police, who then 
used water cannons, tear gas, and batons to disperse those gathered in front.
The BBC cited the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry as saying afterwards that seven 
people were arrested for the "mass riots" and “resistance or use of force 
against a government official” which left seven police officers injured.
It was the largest demonstration in Azerbaijan in years. The protesters were 
angered by the deaths of at least 11 Azerbaijani servicemen, including an army 
general, in three days of heavy with Armenian forces which broke out at a 
western section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on Sunday.
The Armenian army has reported four combat deaths within its ranks.
Military officials in Yerevan and Baku said on Wednesday morning that there was 
no fresh fighting at the border section overnight. The conflicting parties blame 
each other for the escalation that has prompted serious concern from the 
international community.
The border clashes came days after Azerbaijani President Aliyev raised the 
possibility of a new war with Armenia and denounced stalled peace talks on 
Nagorno-Karabakh. On July 7, Aliyev threatened to withdraw from negotiations “if 
they yield no results.”
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

6 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Artsakh

Hambik Zargarian

Save

Share

 11:23, 2 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS. 6 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Artsakh in the past one day, bringing the total number of cases to 125, the Artsakh ministry of healthcare reported.

The total number of recovered patients has reached 101.

The number of active cases is 24.

70 citizens are quarantined.

So far, a total of 1,982 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Artsakh.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia’s Masha Mnjoyan had a wonderful performance at The Voice Australia battle round

Hambik Zargarian

Save

Share

 16:26,

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS. Armenian singer Masha Mnjoyan, who is currently taking part in The Voice Australia, had a wonderful performance at the battle round together with singer Ella Monnery.

They performed Aretha Franklin’s famous song – Respect.

Video Player

The performance was followed by major applauds by jury.

Masha Mnjoyan is the winner of The Voice Armenia which was held in 2013.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Australian Lawmaker With Ties to Turkey’s Grey Wolves Fired from Posts

Hambik Zargarian

Adem Somyurek opening Grey Wolves’ Melbourne headquarters (Photos by Neos Kosmos)

SYDNEY, Australia—The Armenian National Committee of Australia welcomed the firing of Member of Parliament Adem Somyurek from the Victorian Ministry, as well as his effective expulsion from the Australian Labor Party – including from its National Executive, especially given his connection and support to ultra-nationalist Turkish organisation “Ulku Ocaklari” – better known as the “Grey Wolves.”

A 60 Minutes report last Sunday exposed Somyurek’s industrial-level branch-stacking of Australian Labor Party branches in Victoria. Videos and recordings during a year-long investigation unveiled Somyurek allegedly signing up ethnic community representatives to branches, paying their membership fees, requesting the forging of signatures, using misogynistic and homophobic comments, among other offences currently being investigated.

What the report did not reveal is Somyurek’s support for the Australian branch of the Turkish ultranationalist political organization, the Grey Wolves, who espouse the same pan-Turkism ideology of their Ottoman Young Turk forebears – the same Young Turks who planned and carried out the Armenian Genocide, as well as the genocides of the Assyrian and Greek populations of the Ottoman Empire from 1915.

In June 2014, Izmir-born Somyurek inaugurated the Grey Wolves’ offices in Melbourne, as revealed in a report by Greek-Australian newspaper Neos Kosmos, which wrote: “The (illegal branch) registrations took place last year mainly in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne, where the offices of the Victorian Grey Wolves are located.”

The Grey Wolves, which have a history of political violence and killings in Turkey, rose to international prominence following the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981  by one its members, Mehmet Ali Agca.

None of the above has any place in Australian politics and public affairs.

Immediately after the 60 Minutes exposé, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews expelled Somyurek from his Cabinet, where he served as Minister for Local Government and the Minister for Small Business.

Later, the Australian Labor Party’s National Executive accepted Somyurek’s resignation from the party and took steps to prevent his return to the ALP.  Investigations into the extent of the branch-stacking have been launched and are ongoing.

Lithuania to send medical team to Armenia to help combat Covid-19

Hambik Zargarian
Public Radio of Armenia


Lithuania will send a medical team and experts to Armenia to help fight Covid-19, Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius informs.

“Armenia continues an intense fight against the pandemic. Lithuania continues standing by our Armenian friends. Today Lithuanian Government decided to send a medical team and experts to Armenia aimed at helping to combat Covid-19,” the Foreign Minister said in a Twitter post.

“Together we will overcome all trials,” he continued in Armenian.


Last month Lithuania sent medical supplies and equipment in aid to Armenia.