Author: Jagharian Tania

 20:35,

YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS.  Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the “Dalan” technology center in Yerevan. The investment program is implemented with the support of the Armenian government and Enterprise Armenia Investment Support Fund, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

Those in charge for the project noted that the technology center will have 158,000 square meters. total area, will offer 3,000 jobs, will consist of 22 floors and will include 34,000 square meters of office space. The center will also include a scientific and educational center, an exhibition hall, a conference hall, an event hall, a hotel, etc. The investment program is estimated at 125 million USD.

TechnoPark is being built in accordance with BOMA International (Building Owners and Managers Association) standards, and the design and construction works are carried out in compliance with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) requirements. The complex is a technologically well-equipped multifunctional center.

The representatives of the project thanked the Prime Minister for the support of the Government and the Enterprise Armenia Investment Support Fund and for the smooth implementation of the project.

 15:04,

YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is not holding any Azerbaijanis who’ve trespassed into the country after getting lost, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said.

“I confirm that there is an understanding that soldiers and citizens who’ve appeared on the opposite side as a result of getting lost must be returned through a speedy procedure,” Pashinyan said at a press conference, referring to the agreements reached in Brussels. “But I also confirm that as of this moment there are no Azerbaijanis in Armenia who’ve appeared here as a result of getting lost. All Azerbaijanis who are now in Armenia have crossed the border consciously, knowing that they are trespassing the Armenian border,” Pashinyan said.

Any Azerbaijani crossing into Armenia as a result of getting lost will be released back to Azerbaijan through a speedy procedure, he added.

Asked whether or not he rules out releasing the two Azerbaijani servicemen currently jailed in Armenia for trespassing, one of whom is also accused of murdering a civilian in Syunik, Pashinyan said that the normalization of relations envisages difficult and important decisions, but not unilateral.

“Yes, we are ready to discuss, certainly after making legal procedures. Because on the other hand we can’t simply ignore the fact that a citizen of Armenia has been killed, but we are not violating anyone’s presumption of innocence too. The issue is under investigation,” Pashinyan said.

After a court verdict various solution are envisaged under legal proceedings, he said.

 16:42,

YEREVAN, MAY 17, ARMENPRESS. Police received a report on May 17 that an attempted kidnapping targeting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s son Ashot Pashinyan took place on Wednesday, a police spokesperson confirmed to ARMENPRESS.

“The police have received a report with that content. The documents will be sent to the Investigative Committee,” a police spokesperson told ARMENPRESS when asked to validate the newspaper reports.

The Armenian Times newspaper reported that Ashot Pashinyan suffered injuries in the attempted kidnapping. 

The attempted kidnapping happened near Ashot Pashinyan’s residence in Yerevan, according to the report.  

Ashot Pashinyan managed to escape.

According to the report, the kidnappers were members of an NGO called Call of Sons. They reportedly forced Ashot Pashinyan into their vehicle and drove off. At one point, when the vehicle stopped, the PM’s son jumped out of the vehicle and was hit by a car which was travelling behind, also belonging to members of the same organization.

 10:13,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. A Chinese special envoy has stressed the need to build trust among all parties to the “Ukraine crisis” and create conditions for peace talks during a two-day visit to the country, Chinese state media reported citing a foreign ministry statement.

Li Hui, special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian Affairs, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and held separate talks with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and other senior officials in Ukraine from Tuesday to Wednesday, CGTN reported citing a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry released on Thursday.

“There is no panacea to resolve the crisis,” said Li.

He called on all parties to make their own due efforts to build up mutual trust and create conditions for “ceasing the hostilities” and securing peace talks, CGTN reported.

The Chinese envoy is now on a trip to five countries – Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany and Russia – in a bid to “engage with various parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis”.

The trip comes about two weeks after a phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Zelenskyy, in which the Chinese leader renewed Beijing’s commitment to standing on the side of peace.

 16:22, 10 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has not facilitated transfer of patients from Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia since April 29 and is now discussing details pertaining to the format of its work with decision-makers from the parties involved, the ICRC told ARMENPRESS on May 10.

“In regards to developments, the International Committee of the Red Cross is discussing with all decision-makers from the parties the details pertaining to the format of our work,” ICRC Armenia Communications and Prevention Manager Zara Amatuni said when asked to comment on Nagorno Karabakh ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan’s tweet that Azerbaijan has been obstructing the ICRC’s work ever since it illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor.

Amatuni explained that the process is confidential since it is proceeding in a format of a dialogue. She did not elaborate further on the discussions.

“It’s about the continuity of our humanitarian work. We hope it will be restored. However, there’s some need for clarification, and now this process is taking place. During this period we are factually not implementing transfers because we must have clarity regarding several details with all parties involved,” Amatuni said.

 21:17,

YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev discussed on May 14 during a trilateral meeting issues related to the unblocking of regional transport and economic infrastructures, border delimitation and border security between the two countries, the treaty on the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the need to address the rights and security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh, as well as other issues related to the POWs, missing persons and other humanitarian issues.

An agreement was reached to continue the discussions on June 1 in Chisinau within the framework of the summit of the European Political Community, where a five-sided meeting with the participation of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of Azerbaijan, the President of France, the Chancellor of Germany, and the President of the European Council is scheduled, and in July, within the framework the tripartite meeting in Brussels between the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of Azerbaijan, and the President of the European Council, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a .