Author: Jhanna Virabian

Nagorno-Karabakh again faces shortages as Azerbaijan closes Lachin Corridor

Jhanna Virabian
June 20 2023


 20 June 2023

ByAni Avetisyan
The Azerbaijani checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin Corridor. Source: Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry

The authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh have warned of looming shortages of critical supplies, after traffic along the Lachin Corridor connecting the region to Armenia was closed by Azerbaijan.

A source in the Azerbaijani military with knowledge of the matter told OC Media that all traffic had been blocked since Thursday, following a shooting at the Azerbaijani checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin Corridor earlier that day.

The Red Cross also told local media in Armenia that Azerbaijani soldiers had blocked entry and exit of vehicles to the region since Thursday.

Nagorno-Karabakh has relied on supplies delivered by the Russian peacekeeping mission to the region and the Red Cross through the Lachin Corridor since December 2022, when it first came under blockade.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said only that ‘relevant measures’ were being implemented ‘to investigate the causes of this provocation, to ensure the security of the border crossing point and the passage through it’.

They said it was ‘unacceptable’ to label such measures a blockade.

The announcement of shortages by Nagorno-Karabakh’s state minister came as the Red Cross said that 25 patients travelling to Armenian hospitals from Stepanakert were turned away from the Azerbaijani checkpoint. 

Speaking in a Facebook livestream on Friday, State Minister Gurgen Nersisyan called on the region’s population to conserve fuel, food, and medicine. 

‘Those who have received ration cards to buy fuel will not be able to use them for now’, said Nersisyan.

He added that agricultural production in the region would mitigate ‘the created problems’ to some extent, but warned that residents would still face shortages. 

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan condemned the blocking of humanitarian traffic through the Lachin Corridor in a speech in Armenia’s parliament on Friday, accusing Azerbaijan of continuing a ‘policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh’.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry responded to Pashinyan by dismissing the accusation, and stating that Baku would do everything to ‘integrate’ Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians into Azerbaijan’s ‘political, legal and socioeconomic frameworks’. 

The latest blocking of the Lachin Corridor took place after one Armenian and one Azerbaijani border guard were wounded near the Lachin Corridor checkpoint on 15 June.

According to Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS), Armenian border guards took measures to prevent a group of Azerbaijani servicemen from advancing into Armenian territory and erecting an Azerbaijani flag. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said the border troops did not cross into Armenia while attempting to install the flag on the bridge over the River Hakari, at the entrance of the Lachin corridor.

The region started facing food shortages in December last year when Azerbaijani government-backed ‘eco-activists’ blocked the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. 

Following the installation of the checkpoint in April, movement to and from the region appeared to become more active, with Nagorno-Karabakh residents able to cross the checkpoint accompanied by Russian peacekeepers. 

According to officials in Nagorno-Karabakh, around 175 critically ill patients are currently unable to be moved to Armenian hospitals, while the region itself faces an ‘acute’ shortage of medicines. 

The clash on the corridor came as tensions have mounted between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with both sides accusing each other of ceasefire violations almost daily, and a few weeks after Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev appeared to offer authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh an ultimatum to surrender.  

Yerevan has repeatedly accused Baku of preparing for a military escalation. 

Additional reporting by Ismi Aghayev.

 For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.

https://oc-media.org/nagorno-karabakh-again-faces-shortages-as-azerbaijan-closes-lachin-corridor/






Asbarez: Memorial Honoring Steve Artinian

Jhanna Virabian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Community, In Memoriam, Latest, Top Stories
Steve Artinian


In honor Steve Artinian, the Artinian family will be hosting a gathering for family and friends who want to pay their respects on Tuesday June 27, 2023 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Homenetmen Regional Headquarters’ Andonian Hall, 2324 Colorado Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041. There will be valet parking for everyone’s convenience.



Sports: Cymru [Wales] and Armenia set to clash at Cardiff City Stadium

Jhanna Virabian
   June 14 2023
Luke Sinclair

CYMRU and Armenia are set to lock horns at the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday, June 16. Both teams will be eager to secure a vital victory and boost their chances of qualifying for the prestigious tournament.

Cymru, led by manager Robert Page, started their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Latvia on March 28. The victory ended their nine-game winless streak, providing a much-needed morale boost for the team. Prior to their win, Cymru had suffered six defeats and three draws, including a 1-1 stalemate against Croatia in their Group D opener.

With four points from two matches, Wales currently sit at the top of the standings, level on points with second-placed Croatia. The Welsh team will be aiming to maintain their winning momentum and consolidate their position at the summit of the group.

Speaking about the upcoming clash, Robert Page expressed his optimism and emphasized the importance of building on their previous victory. He said, “The win against Latvia was a significant step for us. It gave us the belief that we can compete at this level. Now, we need to carry that momentum forward and secure another three points against Armenia. They are a tough team, but we are prepared and ready for the challenge.”

On the other hand, Armenia, managed by Oleksandr Petrakov, are still searching for their first win in the qualifiers. Having played just one match so far, they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against Turkey in March. However, Armenia showed resilience in their subsequent friendly against Cyprus, battling to a 2-2 draw.

Armenia’s winless streak extends to nine games, with seven defeats since their 1-0 victory over Ireland in June 2022. Despite the recent struggles, Petrakov remains optimistic and believes his team has the potential to turn things around. He stated, “We have faced some tough challenges lately, but our spirit remains unbroken. The players are determined to give their all and secure a positive result against Wales. It won’t be easy, but we are ready to fight.”

Yeraskh steelworks owners unfazed by Azeri gunfire, construction to proceed normally – says mayor

Jhanna Virabian

 13:04,

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Yeraskh mayor Saro Ayvazyan said Thursday that there is no panic among the residents of the village regarding the recent Azerbaijani gunfire targeting a steel plant construction site.

The construction of the plant will proceed normally, he said.

Ayvazyan told ARMENPRESS that the Azerbaijani forces began shooting at Yeraskh in the past two days, with each shooting lasting about 15 to 20 minutes, and the target of the gunfire was the steelworks which is being built by Armenian and American businessmen.

“They [Azerbaijan] want to disrupt the construction of the plant and not allow our economy to develop. This is the main reason,” the mayor said.

The construction site is just 400 meters away from Azerbaijani positions, in their direct vicinity. However, the plant’s executives are determined to continue the construction with the same pace.

“Life proceeds normally in the village. A sports school is now being built in Yeraskh, as well as gas supply construction process is underway. All works are proceeding, there is no panic whatsoever,” Ayvazyan said.

Yeraskh residents can’t be intimidated with Azerbaijani gunfire, the mayor said.

Both locals and foreigners are employed by the plant in the construction process. The mayor said more jobs will be opened at the construction site during the process.

Photos by Hayk Manukyan




FLYONE ARMENIA achieves 400,000 passenger count in five months of 2023

Jhanna Virabian

 13:58, 5 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUN 5, ARMENPRESS. FLYONE ARMENIA transported 400,000 passengers in the five months of 2023, the airline’s Chairman of the Board Aram Ananyan has said.

Ananyan said on June 5 that the airline is approaching the threshold of having a passenger count of 1,000,000 per year.

“This passenger count of 400,000 attests to the fact that passengers trust our airline, and this is what matters above all. On the other hand this speaks about the effectiveness of our airline. We were speaking about half a million passengers at the end of last year, and already today, not having concluded the year yet, we are recording a 400,000 indicator and I have to say that the most active tourism seasons are still ahead. We expect to achieve the bar we’ve set for the year,” Ananyan said.

FLYONE ARMENIA flies to over 20 destinations from Yerevan, Armenia.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 05-06-23

Jhanna Virabian

 17:20, 5 June 2023

YEREVAN, 5 JUNE, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 5 June, USD exchange rate up by 0.06 drams to 387.28 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.80 drams to 414.12 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.02 drams to 4.76 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 5.47 drams to 479.72 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 134.40 drams to 24445.09 drams. Silver price up by 4.96 drams to 297.40 drams.

Georgia supports Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks – PM Garibashvili

Jhanna Virabian

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 13:32, 1 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. Georgia supports peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on June 1.

He said that the peace talks are in the interests of the entire Transcaucasian region.

“I believe Georgia has played a neutral, unbiased role in strengthening stability and peace in the region. We have excellent relations with both Azerbaijan and Armenia. Georgia played a highly important mediation role in 2021, after the Karabakh war. We support the ongoing peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and we believe it to be in the interest of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and the whole region,” TASS news agency quoted the Georgian PM as saying at a press briefing at the 2nd European Political Community Summit in Moldova.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 31-05-23

Jhanna Virabian

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 17:01,

YEREVAN, 31 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 31 May, USD exchange rate up by 0.10 drams to 386.62 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.13 drams to 412.76 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.01 drams to 4.77 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.47 drams to 477.94 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 62.82 drams to 24269.19 drams. Silver price up by 1.44 drams to 289.06 drams.

EBRD to hold its 2024 Annual Meeting in Yerevan

Jhanna Virabian

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 13:58,

YEREVAN, MAY 25, ARMENPRESS. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and government of Armenia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which lays the foundations for the 2024 EBRD Annual Meeting to take place in Yerevan on 14-16 May 2024.

The event will be the EBRD’s 33rd Annual Meeting and is the most important event in the Bank’s calendar. A central part is the meeting of the Board of Governors, the Bank’s highest decision-making body, assessing the Bank’s performance and setting future strategic directions, the EBRD announced in a press release.

The conference also includes the Business Forum, a gathering of business representatives, investors, government officials and media who engage in panel discussions and networking events. In addition, the Annual Meeting comprises a civil society programme, a donors’ meeting and other auxiliary events.

The Memorandum of Understanding sets out the responsibilities regarding the organisation, planning and delivery of the Annual Meeting. Both parties expressed their commitment to a successful event, which is expected to attract up to 2,000 participants to Armenia.  

EBRD Secretary General Kazuhiko Koguchi said at the signing in Samarkand: “We are very pleased to sign this agreement today and we hope for a successful cooperation with the Armenian authorities. Preparations are already underway and we are confident that the event in May will be a big success for guests and the host.”

Vahe Hovhannisyan, Minister of Finance of Armenia and EBRD Governor, commented: “We are delighted to host the Annual Meeting of the EBRD in Armenia in 2024. It will give us the opportunity to showcase our country to a wider audience and attract investments of unprecedented significance.”

The EBRD is one of the leading institutional investors in Armenia. Since the beginning of its operations in the country, it has invested around €2 billion across 206 projects, supporting private sector development and the energy, infrastructure, telecommunications and financial sectors.

Armenia, China discuss possibility of launching direct flights

Jhanna Virabian

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 13:21,

YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenia International Airports CEO Marcelo Wende and General Manager Sergey Avetisyan have met with China Southern Airlines representatives led by the airline’s Vice Chairman Gan Zhiang. 

Opportunities for launching direct flights from China to Armenia were discussed.

The Armenia International Airports executives expressed readiness to support the servicing of the flights.