‘Our priority is to return discussions on NK conflict to diplomatic field’ – Armenian FM
15:08, 3 December, 2020
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Newly-appointed Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Aivazian says he doesn’t consider the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as solved.
In an interview to Armenpress, the FM talked about issues relating to the further talks over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the exchange of prisoners of war, the search for missing in action, the international recognition of Artsakh, etc.
-The provisions of the statement signed by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan on November 9 have not been completely accepted by different layers of the public. According to some views, it’s possible to make some provisions of the statement more pro-Armenian as a result of negotiations. To what extent is this possible?
-We should record that the trilateral statement is directed for the establishment of a stable ceasefire in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone and the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh. As of now, some provisions of that statement have been fulfilled or are in process, which mostly are out of the diplomatic field. As we have stated repeatedly, the issues of ensuring the interests and rights of the Artsakh-Armenians should be addressed at the diplomatic domain within the frames of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. And our priority is to return the discussions over the conflict to the diplomatic field.
Currently, there are some issues which require urgent solutions, and as a priority I would mention the protection of rights of our captured compatriots and their quick and safe return to homeland, the exchange of the bodies and the search for missing persons, the return of displaced residents of Artsakh, the formation of respective conditions for their security, the restoration and protection of their rights, as well as the preservation of Artsakh’s historical-cultural and religious heritage sites which appeared under the Azerbaijani occupation. We are actively cooperating with all our international partners in this process.
In this context we have provided detailed information not only about the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, but also about the direct participation of Turkey in the Azerbaijani aggression and involvement of foreign terrorists in the military operations against Artsakh. There is already a clear approach within the international community that the Armenian people have resisted the aggression unleashed by this alliance [Azerbaijan, Turkey and terrorists]. Nevertheless, the foreign ministry together with other competent authorities of Armenia and the international partners has still a lot to do in this respect.
Artsakh is a reality on the geopolitical map, and the delay of the international structure’s presence and direct involvement is unacceptable. Our principled approach is to address the social problems of Artsakh-Armenians and the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh on the spot, aimed at quickly ensuring the return to normal life.
-You mentioned the return of our compatriots from the Azerbaijani captivity, which is the most concerning issue today within the Armenian public, as it is holding protest over this, claiming that the state structures do not take any action in this respect. Till now, no public statement by the Armenian diplomacy has been made on this matter.
-Yes, you are right, we have talked less on this matter, but the same cannot be said about our actions. As you know, there is an inter-agency commission dealing with the issues of the Armenian prisoners of war, detainees and missing persons, which is led and coordinated by the defense ministry. All talks regarding this issue are being held through this channel. The foreign ministry is also involved in this commission, with a concrete set of powers, which have recently expanded, directly engaging in the works with the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).
In this regard, given the sensitivity of the issue and the direct link with the human life, I cannot provide much more information on this. There is the personal commitment of the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders on this matter. The talk is to clarify the lists of captives in both sides and then launch exchange mechanisms. We have confirmed our committment to the “all for all” principle and expect that Azerbaijan would not create artificial obstacles for this issue.
-For years Armenia has viewed the 7 regions of Nagorno Karabakh also as a security zone of the NK people and held negotiations under the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship with this logic. In the current situation, when that regions are under the Azerbaijani control, what are going to be Armenia’s priorities in the negotiation process and how much importance do you give to the continuation of talks under the Minsk Group?
-All rights of the population of Artsakh should be fully restored and exercised in their historic homeland. The recent military operations launched by Azerbaijan with the support of Turkey aimed at completely eliminating Armenians in Artsakh, and had genocidal aspirations which are also reflected in the post-war rhetoric and developments.
In the context of the efforts for peacefully settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict I want to state that the issue of the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination is the base of the conflict, and this issue cannot be solved with the use of force. Armenia has acted and will continue to act from the positions of the recognition of the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination and the international guarantee of their security.
The Azerbaijani claims according to which the conflict is solved are baseless. It’s an impression that the President of Azerbaijan, who is making such statements, doesn’t fully perceive the essence of the document signed by him. As the text of that statement says and as the Russian President has recently noted, the issue of the final status of Artsakh is not solved and is a subject of further negotiations. The Co-Chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group also agree on this.
The Nagorno Karabakh conflict would be considered as solved only when the right to self-determination exercised by the Artsakh people is recognized by the international community.
-From the first days of the war the issue of the recognition of Artsakh by Armenia is being discussed. Is this issue being considered now?
-The recognition of the Republic of Artsakh has always been considered not only within the context of the status, but also within a broader regional and international context. We need to record that the military force used against the people of Artsakh has further strengthened the grounds of the recognition of their right to self-determination, and we are witnessing new approaches on this direction.
-As new minister of foreign affairs, what are the main foreign policy priorities of Armenia for you?
-The key foreign policy priority of Armenia has been and remains the settlement of the Artsakh issue, which is also one of the pillars of Armenia’s security system. It’s clear to all of us that our country, people are facing crisis days now, and our key task is to carry out a crisis management aimed at addressing first of all the key issues of the comprehensive development and security of Armenia and Artsakh with all its directions.
-Are changes expected in the foreign ministry’s central apparatus or diplomatic corps?
-The foreign ministry is a professional apolitical structure which attaches a special importance to the maintenance of the institute and the institutional memory. At the same time, the foreign ministry is not a static structure, and of course, it also has its logic of development and constant improvement.
-Thank you for the interview.
Interview by Norayr Shoghikyan
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Armenia PM: It is necessary to implement realistic programs in the field of military industry
A sitting of the Military Industry Committee chaired by the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took place in the government today.
In his speech Pashinyan referred to the issue of development and improvement of the military-industrial complex.
“After the adoption of the law on the” Military-Industrial Complex”in Armenia in 2015, the military industry is one of the most discussed topics in our country. But, in fact, we can state that the results we have today are not at all satisfactory, because, unfortunately, we have not been able to form such systems so that we can state – the military-industrial complex in the Republic of Armenia has been sufficiently formed. We also need to summarize what happened in the previous period, to assess the shortcomings of the previous period and understand what realistic programs we can have in the field of military industry. The goal is that first, the complex be able to become the driving force of our country’s economy and industry, on the other hand, be able to meet our security needs in line with modern challenges”, said the Prime Minister.
During the meeting a discussion was held on the directions of development and what to do next in the conditions of the realities formed after the war.
Reforms of the education system and meeting the demand for specialists needed for the military-industrial complex were considered a priority.
The list of special research and experimental design works for 2020-2021 has been presented.
Armenpress: Earthquake near Georgian town of Dmanisi felt in Armenia’s Lori province
Earthquake near Georgian town of Dmanisi felt in Armenia’s Lori province
21:23,
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. On November 30, at 19:09 local time, the Seismic Protection Survey Seismological Network of the Armenian ministry of emergency situations detected an earthquake at the northern latitude 41.310 and eastern longitude 43.980 geographic coordinates (Georgia, 19km south-west from the town of Dmanisi) with 2.9 magnitude and 10km depth, the ministry told Armenpress.
The tremor measured magnitude 4 points at the epicenter area.
The earthquake was also felt in Metsavan and Dzoramut villages of Armenia’s Lori province with magnitude 2-3 points.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Telethon 2020 raises $22.9m
The 23rd Annual Thanksgiving Telethon took place in Los Angeles on November 26th with the slogan of Unity, Strength and Faith.
“Out of respect for the solemn mood of our nation and the lives lost in the defense of our Homeland the Telethon took place over 4 hours instead of the previous years’ 12. The Armenians of the US in their unity and commitment to the people of Artsakh raised $22,990,898,” the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund said.
“In light of recent developments in Artsakh and Armenia, all proceeds of Telethon 2020 will be directed to supporting 100,000 displaced individuals and the families of our fallen soldiers who lost their lives to protect the sovereignty of both republics,” said Armenia Fund USA President Maria Mehranian.
Since September 27th the Armenian community of the United States has been one of the most active in fundraising for the support of the Homeland. Prior to the Telethon, the community had already raised close to $ 80 million and over 100tons of humanitarian aid including medical equipment and supplies as well as other essential items.
Fundraising Phonethons have also been taking place in various Armenian communities in Europe and will continue around the world through to the end of the year. On November 22nd the Annual Phonethon took place in France by the Hayastan All Armenian Fund’s partner organization Fonds Armenien de France which so far has raised over $3.13 million.
The California Courier Online, November 26, 2020
1 – Putin: Armenia Not Recognizing
Artsakh was ‘a Significant Factor’
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Pashinyan’s Future as Prime Minister Uncertain in Face of
Political Crisis
3 – Armenia continues to fight COVID-19 pandemic
4- Ara Ayvazyan Named Armenia’s New Foreign Minister
5- Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Shines In Clinical Trial
*****************************************
******************************************
1 – Putin: Armenia Not Recognizing
Artsakh was ‘a Significant Factor’
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
Pres. Vladimir Putin of Russia made several important comments in his
response to journalists on Nov. 17, 2020, regarding the recent Artsakh
War ceasefire that he brokered between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Russian leader started by providing the background of the Artsakh
conflict: “It all started in the already remote year of 1988, when
ethnic clashes took place in the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait. Armenian
civilians fell victim to these events, and later it spread to
Nagorno-Karabakh. And since Soviet Union’s leaders did not react duly
to these events… let me say it again: these are sensitive issues, and
I do not want to side with anyone or decide who was right or wrong. It
is no longer possible to determine this now, but it was necessary to
put things in order and protect civilians, and this was not done. At
that point, the Armenians themselves took up arms, and this protracted
conflict, a conflict building for many years broke out. Eventually, it
led to a declaration of independence, sovereignty and self-reliance by
Karabakh in 1991. The Bishkek agreements were signed in 1994 and this
Bishkek memorandum stopped the hostilities at that time. What happened
as a result? Karabakh declared independence, as I have said, and
another seven adjacent regions came under the control of Armenians,
that is, Armenia.”
In response to a journalist’s comment that “no one recognized
Karabakh’s status,” Putin stated: “That is true: no one recognized it
then or later. By the way, Armenia itself did not recognize it. …With
regard to recognizing or not recognizing Karabakh as an independent
state, there may be different approaches, but this undoubtedly was a
significant factor, including in the course of the bloody conflict
that I hope has ended. Because the very fact of the non-recognition of
Karabakh, including by Armenia, has left a deep imprint on the course
of events and the way it is perceived. To put it bluntly, after the
former Georgian leaders’ undoubtedly criminal moves, I mean the
attacks against our peacekeepers in South Ossetia, Russia recognized
the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. We recognized the
_expression_ of the will of the people living in Crimea to reunite with
Russia as just, and we met the people halfway, we did so openly. Some
people may like it, others may not like it, but we did it in the
interests of the people who live there and in the interests of Russia,
and we are not ashamed to speak about it openly. This did not happen
with Karabakh, and this, of course, has significantly influenced the
developments there.” Later in the interview, Putin added: “Armenia did
not recognize the independence and sovereignty of Nagorno-Karabakh. In
terms of international law, it meant that Nagorno-Karabakh and the
adjoining districts were an inalienable part of the Republic of
Azerbaijan.”
This is an important declaration by Pres. Putin. Armenia has been
reluctant to recognize Artsakh’s independence out of a concern of a
backlash from the international community. It was feared that such a
move would have disrupted the peaceful negotiations and could have
possibly resulted in war or at least rejection and sanctions against
Armenia by the United Nations.
Armenia’s leaders, up until Putin’s above comments, had no idea that
not recognizing Artsakh’s independence was viewed by the Russian
leader as a mistake, negatively affecting Russia’s support. During the
past decades of negotiations with the Minsk Group of mediators,
including Russia, one wonders if any of Armenia’s leaders ever asked
Putin or his predecessors for their reaction to Armenia’s possible
recognition of Artsakh. If Armenia’s leaders did not raise this issue,
it was a major mistake. Had Armenia known that Russia would have
welcomed its recognition of Artsakh, the subsequent events, including
the recent war, would have turned out much differently. Some Armenians
had suggested that if Artsakh had been united with Armenia, that would
have compelled Russia to defend Artsakh from any foreign attacks based
on the mutual defense treaty between Russia and Armenia. As I
suggested previously, maybe at this late stage, Armenia would finally
listen to Putin’s advice and recognize Artsakh’s independence or unify
it with Armenia in order to have a bargaining chip in the negotiations
with Azerbaijan.
In response to another question regarding the status of Artsakh, Putin
stated: “Yes, there is this problem since Karabakh’s final status has
not been settled. We have agreed to maintain the status quo. What
happens next will be decided eventually by future leaders and future
participants in this process. I think if proper conditions are created
for normal life and relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, between
people in everyday life, especially in the conflict zone, are
restored, it will create an environment for determining Karabakh’s
status.” This response provides a ray of hope that with time, Artsakh
may be able to attain its goal of securing an independent status.
Interestingly, Pres. Putin left such a decision to “future leaders and
future participants in this process.”
Another question was regarding the territories surrounding Artsakh and
the status of Shushi prior to its occupation by Azerbaijan. Pres.
Putin explained that the return of the territories surrounding Artsakh
to Azerbaijan was first suggested by Russia in 2013 and supported by
France and the United States. He said that this would have preserved
Artsakh’s status quo “as an unrecognized state,” and its final status
to be resolved in the future. Putin stated that there would have been
no war if Armenia had agreed to the return of refugees of both sides
to their previous homes.
Regarding the City of Shushi, Putin confirmed that its transfer to
Azerbaijan was never raised. Putin recalled that 20 days before the
end of the war, while Azerbaijan had only conquered “an insignificant
part” of Artsakh, he had managed to convince Pres. Aliyev to end the
hostilities on condition that Azeri refugees would be able to return
to Shushi, under Armenian control in the presence of Russian
peacekeepers. However, Prime Minister Pashinyan told Putin that this
condition is unacceptable to Armenia and continued the fighting,
resulting in the loss of Shushi. Pres. Putin added that there was no
“treason” on the part of Pashinyan.
Pres. Putin also made several important deferential remarks regarding
Turkey. The Russian leader acknowledged that “Azerbaijan is an
independent sovereign state, and has every right to choose allies as
it deems fit. Who can deny it this right? This is my first point.
Second, as I have already mentioned, nobody has recognized Karabakh’s
independence, [not] even Armenia. What does this mean in terms of
international law? It means that Azerbaijan sought to recover
territories which Azerbaijan and the entire international community
view as Azerbaijani territory. In this context, it had the right to
choose any ally who could assist it in this endeavor…. You can assess
Turkey’s actions any way you want, but it can hardly be accused of
violating international law.”
It is noteworthy that Putin did not mention Turkey’s violations of
international law by recruiting terrorists from Northern Syria and
transporting them to Azerbaijan to fight against Artsakh. Given
Russia’s multiple interests in cooperating with Turkey, it is not
surprising that he ignored Turkey’s crimes.
Pres. Putin gave an unexpected reason for blocking Turkish
peacekeepers from joining Russians in Artsakh. He stated that it was
because of “the bitter legacy of the past, the tragic and bloody
events that took place during the First World War, the genocide. This
is a factor that can be recognized or rejected; some people do and
others don’t recognize it. This is not a problem for Russia; we have
long recognized it. But why provoke the Armenian side by the presence
of Turkish military personnel on the contact line? I believe that
President Erdogan was and is fully aware of this.”
Finally, Pres. Putin justified Prime Minister Pashinyan’s agreement to
cease the hostilities. He added that any rejection of the signed
agreement would be “suicidal” for Armenia…. “It would be a huge
mistake.” Putin also acknowledged that even though he had good
relations with Armenia’s previous leaders, Russia’s relationship with
Armenia did not change after Pashinyan came to power. This statement
could be explained by the fact that since the Armenian opposition is
critical of Pashinyan signing the ceasefire agreement, Putin is
reluctant to criticize him because his opponents, should they come to
power, would reject the agreement which could possibly restart the war
with Azerbaijan.
************************************************************************************************************************************************
2- Pashinyan’s Future as Prime Minister Uncertain in Face of
Political Crisis
By Lillian Avedian
(The Armenian Weekly)—Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented a
roadmap of government activities on November 18 for the next six
months with the goal of overcoming the “present state” in Armenia and
establishing stability and security. The plan was created in response
to the political unrest and mounting calls for his resignation
following his signature on a trilateral agreement signaling Armenia’s
defeat in the 2020 Artsakh War.
The agreement, signed on November 9 and brokered by Russia, ended 45
days of military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan and
established a timetable by which Armenia must withdraw its armed
forces from the regions of Kelbajar, Aghdam and Lachin while
surrendering areas captured by Azerbaijan during the course of the
war, including Shushi and Hadrut. Russian peacekeeping forces have
already been dispatched along the new Line of Contact as per the
agreement.
Pashinyan’s agenda includes the resumption of the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process under the OSCE Minsk Group format with an emphasis on
the status of Artsakh, the restoration of infrastructure in Artsakh
and Armenia, the provision of expansive social guarantees, the
reformation of the Armenian Armed Forces and the creation of a system
of psychological rehabilitation. “I have already said that I consider
myself primarily responsible for the present state. I am also
primarily responsible for overcoming the situation and establishing
national stability and security,” he wrote. “I emphasize that not only
do I have no intention of relinquishing those responsibilities, but I
am also fully committed to that work.”
The disclosure of the deal on November 10 triggered several days of
protests in Yerevan. Yet the challenge facing the future of the
Pashinyan administration was cemented by a series of controversial
statements and Facebook posts by the PM following the announcement of
the ceasefire agreement. On the evening of November 15, in a comment
perceived as a call for civil war, Pashinyan wrote on his Facebook
page, “Today I watched dozens of videos of soldiers from the front
line. I was struck by the soldier’s wisdom. Boys, you are right. I am
waiting for you in Yerevan. To finally resolve the issue of whiners
under the walls.” In response to this comment, four members of
parliament as well as two Deputy Ministers from the ruling My Step
bloc tendered their resignations.
The Prime Minister clarified that he was not calling for violence
against his political opponents during a livestream the following
morning. However, later that day, he was once again mired in scandal
when he told Parliament that the war had been inevitable unless
Armenia had handed Shushi over to Azerbaijan. Armenian Foreign
Ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan publicly refuted this claim,
asserting that “there has been no question about renouncing the city
of Shushi in any stage of the peace process.” Just minutes after this
statement, Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, who had been at the
helm of diplomatic relations during the war, announced his
resignation. Several days later on November 18, former deputy foreign
minister Ara Ayvazyan was appointed as his replacement.
During that same speech, Pashinyan also said, “Shushi was an
unfortunate, colorless city. Did we need Shushi? If we needed it, why
was it left in that condition?” He said in a Facebook post the next
day that he had been lamenting that enough private and public
investments had not been devoted in the past decades to Shushi’s
development.
In response to criticisms facing Pashinyan, President Armen Sarkissian
called for the PM’s resignation, early parliamentary elections and the
creation of a “high quality National Consensus Government” that would
rule in the interim period during a speech broadcast this week,
effectively distancing himself from the Pashinyan administration in
case of a snap election.
After the announcement of the trilateral agreement, Chief of the
General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Onik Gasparyan asked the
parliamentary opposition political parties to wait one week before
calling for an end to martial law in order to provide the military
leadership an opportunity to explain the security issues undergirding
the ceasefire agreement. As promised, he released a statement on
Tuesday in which he argued that, presented with a “very bad scenario
and a tragedy,” the military “chose the very bad.” “Yet the
realization that as a result of that decision we succeeded in keeping
most of Artsakh and defending the primary military potential of the
Armenian Armed Forces says that we do not have a right to despair. We
must unite, recover quickly and prepare to continue the fight,” he
wrote.
Nonetheless the Prosperous Armenia and Bright Armenia parliamentary
factions have been leading calls to lift the currently imposed martial
law and remove Pashinyan from power through a vote of no confidence.
These two opposition parties have declared that they will boycott
parliamentary sessions until a motion of no confidence is placed on
the agenda. “Only one issue should be discussed in this hall: the end
of martial law, the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan, new leadership and
new negotiations,” said MP Naira Zohrabyan during a National Assembly
session.
On November 18, simultaneous rallies in support of and in opposition
to the Prime Minister were held in Yerevan. “We have no goal or desire
to rise to power,” spokesperson of the Republican Party Eduard
Sharmanazov emphasized during the opposition rally. “The salvation of
the homeland must begin with the removal of this landlord and
traitor.”
The rally in support of the PM, which his administration claims it did
not organize, was largely attended by members of the military. “If
[his detractors] found themselves in Karabakh for one minute, they
would understand that if now we unfortunately have 2,000 casualties,
if that agreement was not signed, we would have 15,000 casualties,”
one soldier in attendance told Radio Liberty.
************************************************************************************************************************************************
3 – Armenia continues to fight COVID-19 pandemic
Armenia continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic as the country is
reeling from the news that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a
trilateral agreement brokered by Russia to end the war with with
Azerbaijan, in which much of Artsakh was ceded to Azerbaijan.
Thousands have taken to Republic Square in Yerevan to protest and
demand the resignation of Pashinyan. According to the Ministry of
Health, there were 29,634 active coronavirus cases in Armenia as of
Monday, November 23. The Ministry has recorded 126,709 coronavirus
cases and 1,976 deaths; 95,099 have recovered.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************
4- Ara Ayvazyan Named Armenia’s New Foreign Minister
YEREVAN—Career diplomat Ara Ayvazian was appointed as Armenia’s new
foreign minister on Wednesday, November 18. Ayvazian also served as
deputy foreign minister before being named to replace Mnatsakanyan.
The 51-year-old was appointed to that position as recently as on
October 16. He had previously worked as Armenia’s ambassador to Mexico
and various European countries.
President Armen Sarkissian signed a relevant decree, initiated by
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, two days after the resignation of
Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan.
Pashinyan announced on Monday that he had dismissed Mnatsakanyan. The
latter insisted, however, that he himself tendered his resignation.
Mnatsakanyan gave no reason for the move. It appears based on comments
made by Mnatsakanyan throughout his recent negotiations, however, that
Pashinyan’s decisions was tripartite internationally—and unilateral
domestically.
In April 2020, Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov had called for
‘liberating’ lands, and Yerevan had said it would make ‘no
concessions.’
Citing the Madrid Principles—prepared by the Russian Federation in
2010-2011—Lavrov said that the eventual settlement of the conflict
will be done in phases, or a stage-by-stage approach.
Lavrov said in April that “the first stage the solution of the most
pressing problems, which are the liberation of a number of areas
around Nagorno-Karabakh and the unlocking of transport, economic and
other communications.”
“I am convinced that when we come to the decision to sign these
documents, it will be the most important step in the implementation of
the resolutions of the UN Security Council, which are in question and
which, once again, demanded to stop the war and start negotiating,”
said Lavrov in April. “We started to negotiate, we need to agree now.
This is what we are achieving as Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.”
Former Foreign Minister Mnatsakanyan at the time said that Lavrov’s
approaches were “unacceptable for the Armenian sides.”
“There have not been and will not be concessions. The Armenian sides
will never exercise that approach,” Mnatsakanyan had said at the time.
“Since 2018, the talks on the Karabakh conflict have been limited to
the discussion and assessment of approaches which the sides exercised
during specific times. The option of settlement, suggested in 2014, is
not on the negotiating table now. We have expressed our position
clearly, stating that security is the priority for the Armenian
sides,” explained Mnatsakanyan in April. “We have expressed our stance
and our approaches very clearly.”
The former Armenian Foreign Minister also added that the principle of
self-determination was a key factor being presented by Armenia during
the negotiations.
“Those who think that it is possible to negotiate one thing and
present something else to the public are mistaken. No decision can be
made without the people of Artsakh,” Mnatsakanyan had said in April.
Earlier on Monday, November 16 Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman
Anna Naghdalyan publicly contradicted Pashinyan’s comments regarding
Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh’s second largest city captured by Azerbaijani
forces during the recent war.
The prime minister claimed that peace proposals made by U.S., Russian
and French mediators in recent years called for the restoration of
Azerbaijani control over Shushi.
“The issue of giving up [Karabakh Armenian control of] Shushi was not
raised during any stage of the peace process,” Naghdalyan said in a
short statement.
One of Mnatsakanyan’s deputies, Shavarsh Kocharyan, also stepped down
following a Russian-mediated ceasefire that stopped the bloody war in
Karabakh.
************************************************************************************************************************************************
5- Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Shines In Clinical Trial
(NPR)—Clinical data for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine showed it was
nearly 95% effective in preventing disease, according to an interim
analysis described in a company release Monday, November 16.
The news comes a week after Pfizer and BioNTech said their vaccine was
more than 90% effective.
The results for both vaccines come from interim analyses of large
clinical studies. In the Moderna study there were 30,000 volunteers.
Half got two doses of the vaccine 28 days apart; half got two shots of
a placebo on the same schedule.
There were 95 instances of COVID-19 illness among the study
participants; only five of those cases were in the vaccinated group.
Ninety were in the group receiving the placebo. Of these, there were
11 cases of severe disease. The results indicate the vaccine was
inducing the kind of immune response that protects people if they were
exposed to the coronavirus.
“This positive interim analysis from our Phase 3 study has given us
the first clinical validation that our vaccine can prevent COVID-19
disease, including severe disease,” Stéphane Bancel, chief executive
officer of Moderna, said in a statement.
Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use the same technology to make
their vaccines. It’s based on a molecule known as mRNA, or messenger
RNA. That molecule contains genetic instructions for making proteins
inside cells.
For the vaccine, researchers created an mRNA with the code for making
the coronavirus spike protein. The protein is the key to the virus
infecting cells. It’s also what can trigger someone’s immune system to
make antibodies against the virus, but without causing infection since
the rest of the virus is missing.
That two mRNA vaccines appear to be working is remarkable, since the
technology is new and there hasn’t been an mRNA vaccine approved by
the Food and Drug Administration made to date.
The Moderna and Pfizer studies were conducted using slightly different
protocols. To be counted as a COVID-19 case, participants in the
Moderna study had to have at least two symptoms of disease in addition
to a positive test for the virus. The Pfizer study required only one
symptom. Also, Moderna waited 14 days following the second injection
to begin counting cases; Pfizer’s study started counting at seven
days.
The vaccines also differ in their storage requirements. Moderna says
its vaccine can be safely stored in freezers at about 25 degrees
Fahrenheit (minus 4 degrees Celsius), a temperature easily reached by
a home refrigerator freezer. Pfizer’s vaccine required storage in
specialized ultracold freezers capable of cooling below minus 94
degrees Fahrenheit (minus 70 degrees Celsius). Moderna also says its
vaccine will remain potent for up to 30 days at normal refrigerated
temperatures, which should ease distribution.
Both companies’ vaccine studies managed to recruit a reasonably
diverse group of people. Moderna reports 6,000 enrollees who
identified as Hispanic or Latinx and more than 3,000 participants who
identified as Black or African American, as well as 7,000 people older
than 65, and 5,000 with high-risk chronic diseases.
Pfizer and Moderna are still gathering safety data the Food and Drug
Administration has said is necessary for consideration of an emergency
use authorization that would allow the companies to distribute the
vaccine during the pandemic.
Side effects seen for the Moderna vaccine at the interim analysis
included pain at the injection site, fatigue and aching muscles and
joints. The data safety and monitoring board didn’t identify “any
significant safety concerns.”
Moderna said it intends to file “in the coming weeks” with the FDA for
authorization of the company’s vaccine for emergency use.
The federal Operation Warp Speed project to hasten development of
COVID-19 vaccines awarded Moderna a $1.5 billion contract in August to
ramp up manufacturing and deliver 100 million vaccine doses, enough
for 50 million people. The government has an option to buy up to 400
million more doses.
Moderna said Monday that it expects to be able to ship about 20
million vaccine doses in the U.S. by the end of 2020. Next year, the
company said it expects to be able to make 500 million to 1 billion
doses worldwide.
The research and development of the Moderna vaccine was aided by $955
million in federal funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and
Development Authority. Moderna has also been developing this vaccine
alongside the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
which in July told NPR it expects to spend about $410 million on the
effort.
***********************************************************************************************************************************************
California Courier Online provides viewers of the Armenian News News Service
with a few of the articles in this week’s issue of The California
Courier. Letters to the editor are encouraged through our e-mail
address, . However, authors are
requested to provide their names, addresses, and/or telephone numbers
to verify identity, if any question arises. California Courier
subscribers are requested not to use this service to change, or modify
mailing addresses. Those changes can be made through our e-mail,
, or by phone, (818) 409-0949.
Russia interested in strengthening cooperation with ICRC in Nagorno Karabakh – Lavrov
13:32,
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that Russia is interested in strengthening the mutual cooperation with the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in Nagorno Karabakh, reports TASS.
“We have received an additional field for mutual partnership, I mean Nagorno Karabakh. A week ago a trilateral statement has been signed by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan. A Russian peacekeeping contingent is being deployed there, and we know how active and how long the ICRC has been working in that region. We are interested in strengthening that cooperation which is already developing actively”, Lavrov said at a meeting with ICRC President Peter Maurer.
The Russian FM reminded that Russia and the ICRC are closely cooperating in different regions. “Our contacts are of permanent nature and there are directions for joint work because, unfortunately, the number of humanitarian crises, conflicts is not decreasing in the world”, Lavrov noted.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
President Sarkissian holds meeting with ruling My Step faction lawmakers
14:59,
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian continues holding political consultations with the parliamentary and extra-parliamentary forces, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
This time the President received the representatives of the ruling My Step faction led by Vice Speaker of Parliament Lena Nazaryan, head of the faction Lilit Makunts and chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on defense and security affairs Andranik Kocharyan.
The meeting participants exchanged views on the trilateral statement signed over the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as well as the current situation in the country within this context.
The officials stressed the importance of preservation of stability in the current situation, as well as the coordinated and uninterrupted operation of all state institutions.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
COVID-19: Armenia reports 2476 new cases, 1476 recoveries in one day
10:55, 7 November, 2020
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. 2476 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 104,249, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said today.
1476 more patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 63,258.
5339 tests were conducted in the past one day.
27 more patients have died, raising the death toll to 1533.
The number of active cases is 39,055.
The number of patients who had a coronavirus but died from other disease has reached 403 (6 new such cases).
Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Ukraine Police to take under protection official representations of Armenia and Azerbaijan
17:33, 7 November, 2020
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Ukraine’s National Police will take under protection all official representations of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Head of the National Police Ihor Klymenko has said.
“All official representations of Azerbaijan and Armenia will be taken under police protection soon. We call on everyone, especially representatives of the diaspora, citizens of both states on the territory of Ukraine, to show patience and tolerance towards each other”, Klymenko said as quoted by Interfax-Ukraine.