Tuesday,
Opposition Bloc Again Condemns ‘Political’ Arrests
• Marine Khachatrian
Armenia - Former President Robert Kocharian (R) and senior members of his
Hayastan alliance, Vahe Hakobian (L) and Ishkhan Saghatelian, at an election
campaign rally in Yerevan, June 9, 2021.
Former President Robert Kocharian's Hayastan alliance on Tuesday strongly
condemned the arrests of four heads of local communities affiliated with it,
saying that the Armenian authorities are trying to suppress the country’s
leading opposition force.
Senior members of the bloc dismissed as politically motivated criminal charges
brought against the officials running towns and villages in Armenia’s
southeastern Syunik province.
Two of those mayors, Manvel Paramazian and Mkhitar Zakarian, were elected to the
parliament on the Hayastan ticket in the snap elections held on June 20.
Paramazian, who runs the industrial town of Kajaran, was arrested last week on
charges of vote buying and fraud while Zakarian is accused of illegally
arranging the privatization of a plot of land in his community comprising two
other Syunik towns and surrounding villages. Zakarian resigned as community head
three days before being taken into custody on Monday.
The two other arrested persons ran villages close to the town of Goris.
Law-enforcement authorities claim that financial aid allocated by them to local
residents amounted to vote bribes.
All four officials deny the accusations. Armenia’s human rights ombudsman, Arman
Tatoyan, said on Tuesday that he has sent a fact-finding team to Syunik to look
into allegations that law-enforcement bodies are using threats to clinch false
incriminating testimonies against the village chiefs.
“We believe that this is political persecution, political repression and
political terror,” said Vahe Hakobian, a former Syunik governor whose Resurgent
Armenia party set up the Hayastan bloc together with Kocharian and the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun).
“Political persecutions are continuing and we will fight against them by all
means to prevent them from breaking up our people’s resistance and isolating our
supporters with trumped-up accusations,” Dashnaktsutyun’s Ishkhan Saghatelian
said for his part.
“If it were up to Nikol [Pashinian] he would arrest all 270,000 citizens who
voted for us,” Saghatelian told a joint news conference with Hakobian. “It’s
evident that they will try to continue the repressions but … they don’t realize
that this will not subdue us or stop our struggle.”
During the election campaign Pashinian pledged to wage “political vendettas”
against village and town mayors supporting the opposition.
One of the prime minister’s close associates, Minister of Territorial
Administration and Infrastructures Suren Papikian, denied on Tuesday that the
accusations leveled against the arrested Syunik officials are politically
motivated.
Papikian, who oversee local administrations, also said: “There can be no
repressions because only the people can carry out repressions, make decisions.
The people made their decision on June 20.”
Iranians Stuck In COVID-19 Vaccination Lines In Armenia
• Satenik Hayrapetian
Armenia - Iranians wait in a line outside a mobile vaccination center in
Yerevan, .
Hundreds of Iranians visiting Armenia to get vaccinated against COVID-19
continued to spend nights on streets in Yerevan on Tuesday waiting in long lines
that formed around outdoor vaccination centers.
They are keen to get free shots offered to not only Armenian citizens and
residents but also foreign visitors. The mostly young people say that in Iran
priority is given to elderly citizens and that they have to wait for inoculation
for weeks and even months.
The influx began about two weeks, resulting in long lines at state policlinics
and other vaccination centers across the Armenian capital. This led the Armenian
Ministry of Health to restrict non-resident foreigners’ access to those
facilities on July 8.
Foreigners who do not have Armenian residency permits have since been able to
get vaccinated only at mobile sites set up in shopping malls and two major
streets in downtown Yerevan. Each of those sites is allowed to inoculate no more
than 50 foreign visitors a day.
Another restriction that will take effect on Thursday will make only those
foreigners who have spent at least 10 days in Armenia eligible for a coronavirus
vaccine.
The queues have been particularly long outside one such facility opened on
Northern Avenue, the city’s main pedestrian boulevard. Hundreds of Iranian
nationals have spent several nights there.
Most of them refused to be interviewed on camera on Tuesday. Those who agreed to
talk to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service criticized the restrictions imposed by the
Armenian authorities.
“The Armenian government had promised that all tourists can be vaccinated here,”
complained one woman who identified herself as Shohre. “I’m now having a serious
problem: they vaccinate no more than 50 people a day and I don’t know when it
will be my turn.”
“We have been registered and I’m 400th on the waiting list,” she said. “I suffer
from a heart disease and the coronavirus could be fatal for me. I will try to
spend another night here. Maybe I will get my turn.”
An Iranian man, who has spent two nights on the street, worried that he may not
make it to the front of the line by Tuesday evening despite being 20th on the
list. “If I don’t get a vaccine today it will mean that they pay bribes to cut
the line,” claimed the 30-year-old Puya, who arrived in Armenia with five other
compatriots.
Armenian Health Minister Anahit Avanesian visited the Northern Avenue site later
in the day. “This demonstrates just how desirable and important the vaccination
is,” she said, pointing to the long queue contrasting with many Armenians’
mistrust of coronavirus jabs.
Armenia - People line up at an open-air coronavirus vaccination site in Yerevan,
May 7, 2021.
According to the Ministry of Health, only about 112,000 people in Armenia making
up less than 4 percent of the country’s population received one or two doses of
vaccines as of Tuesday morning. The ministry did not specify how many of them
are non-resident foreigners.
“In the last 20 days we have had a sharp increase in the daily number of
inoculations,” Avanesian told reporters. “I’m talking about figures relating to
our citizens.”
Economy Minister Vahan Kerobian controversially touted the influx of Iranians
over the weekend, saying that Armenia should cash in on this and other forms of
“medical tourism.” Critics countered that the number of vaccine doses acquired
by the Armenian government so far is enough to vaccinate only a small percentage
of the country’s own population.
Avanesian insisted in this regard that the government is not using its
vaccination campaign to attract more tourists.
Minister Looks Forward To EU Funding For Armenian Road Project
• Satenik Kaghzvantsian
Armenia -- Workers refurbish a road in Syunik region in 2010.
Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Suren Papikian hailed
on Tuesday the European Union’s pledge to provide up to 600 million euros ($715
million) in funding for the Armenian government’s plans to upgrade major
national highways.
Papikian said the promised grants and loans would be used for rebuilding roads
in Armenia’s mountainous Syunik province leading to neighboring Iran.
The transport project is one of the European Commission’s five “flagship
initiatives” for the South Caucasus country announced last week. They are worth
a combined 1.6 billion euros and need to be approved by the EU’s 27 member
states.
“The EU will use various instruments to support the implementation of this
flagship in cooperation with the [international finance institutions]: grants,
loans, guarantees, blending,” EU’s executive body said in a statement. It gave
no details of the project.
Papikian said the money would be used for the planned reconstruction of Syunik
highways stretching about 200 kilometers towards the Iranian border. The
roadwork involving the construction of several mountain tunnels and bridges
would cost an estimated $1.5 billion in funding, he told reporters.
“The European Union has promised the assistance and we now need to understand
how, through what mechanisms and channels [it will be provided] before
proceeding accordingly,” Papikian went on.
The minister stressed that the Armenian government, whose annual budget is worth
less than $4 billion, would press ahead with the ambitious project with or
without EU funding.
“We must do everything to call an international tender in August,” he said. “Now
our task is to ascertain the financing sources so that the process can be
accelerated.”
Armenia -- Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami
visits Yerevan, May 24, 2021
Iran has also expressed readiness to help upgrade the Syunik roads. Iranian
Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami discussed the matter
with Papikian and other Armenian officials when he visited Yerevan in May.
The two sides agreed to set up a joint working group that will explore Iranian
companies’ possible participation in the planned roadwork. The group held its
first session in Tehran late last month and is scheduled to meet in Yerevan on
August 15.
Syunik borders not only Iran but also Azerbaijan and its Nakhichevan exclave.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev threatened earlier this year to forcibly open
a “corridor” connecting Nakhichevan to the rest of Azerbaijan. Yerevan strongly
condemned the threat.
Visiting Yerevan later in May, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif
reiterated that the territorial integrity of Armenia and other regional states
is a “red line” for the Islamic Republic.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Kanayan Tamar
Sports: Connah’s Quay (Wales) missing seven players in Armenia due to quarantine rules
Connah’s Quay Nomads are set to face Alashkert in the second leg of their Champions League First Qualifying round tie with seven players missing from last week’s 2-2 draw.
The 2020/21 Cymru Premier champions headed out to Armenia on Tuesday morning and have been training at their opponent’s stadium ahead of Wednesday’s crucial tie where Nomads manager Andy Morrison has been able to analyse his surroundings.
With the Nomads looking to claim another European scalp with an away victory in Armenia, his task has become that much more difficult with it being revealed that he will be missing seven players from last week’s matchday squad.
“It’s tough, that’s football,” said the former Manchester City defender.
“These things come along to test you and we are in unprecedented times, COVID has caused so many problems in so many areas.
“With the isolation period once home with it being an amber (listed) country, we’ve got lads who can’t take the best part of two weeks off work.
“So they’ve not been able to come, we’ve had a couple of injuries from last week and a couple of the squad players are still suffering from COVID.
“We’ve had to call in a couple of the youth team, a couple of seventeen-year-olds have come in. We can make five subs but we have three outfield players and two of them are seventeen-year-olds. “
Connah’s Quay missing seven players in Armenia due to quarantine rules
Morrison said: “Since we set off this morning it’s been great. The hotel is great, the opposition has been very hospitable and we are really pleased.
“Great stadium and obviously a fantastic pitch, so everything to look forward to.”
Despite the difficulties Morrison has had to face, the situation will be all too familiar to their last European campaign when they faced Dinamo Tbilisi where the Nomads boss was faced with injury woes and COVID-19 cases within the camp which left him with 14 available players to select from on matchday.
“That’s what we are up against, we’ve had the problems before, Tbilisi last year, and we found a way to be competitive.
“What’s really important is that the eleven that start and the boys that are involved in the squad give everything they’ve got and I’ll accept whatever comes along.”
It has yet to been revealed who the seven players are, however, Morrison will now be left with little luxury to chose from on the bench with Aron Williams and two youth team players available should the Nomads boss be looking to change things during the match.
Azerbaijani press: Aliyev: Armenia must determine borders with Azerbaijan as conflict is over [UPDATE]
12:05 (UTC+04:00)
1 817
By Vafa Ismayilova
President Ilham Aliyev has said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is over and Armenia must determine its borders with Azerbaijan, Azertag reported on June 26.
He made the remarks in an address at a meeting with the Azerbaijani army’s top brass and a group of servicemen on the Armed Forces Day held in Baku’s Gulustan Palace on June 26.
“I have said this many times and I want to say again that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been resolved. Armenia must accept it and work with us to determine the borders. A working group on delimitation should be established. There must be preparations for a peace agreement,” Aliyev said.
He added that there is only one way for Armenia to develop – to establish normal relations with its neighbors, give up its territorial claims, and not to use the word Nagorno-Karabakh at all.
“Because there is no territorial unit called Nagorno-Karabakh, there is no concept of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the head of state stressed.
He said that Armenia must understand that Azerbaijan will continue to grow.
“Our military strength will increase as well. After the war, relevant instructions were given, new contracts were signed and the process of purchasing new weapons, equipment, and machinery based on modern technologies continue. The structural reforms of our armed forces have been approved,” he said.
Aliyev said that the number of Azerbaijani armed forces personnel will be increased.
“I can say that the number of our armed forces personnel will be increased. We will, of course, increase our military strength by properly analyzing the results and course of the second Karabakh war. Armenia, on the other hand, will not be able to restore not only its military power and its crushed army. If they do not renounce their hostile policies against us, they will have a very limited chance of restoring any economic activity. So we will continue to grow stronger,” he said.
The president stressed that the second Karabakh war showed the Azerbaijani army’s capabilities to the whole world.
“We have created such a strong army today that we can complete any task. Therefore, the provision of our army with modern equipment, regular training, the enhanced combat potential of our army, the creation of the military industry, and the reduction of dependence on imports to a certain extent – all this was part of our focused policy,” Aliyev noted.
He underlined the role of diplomacy, political relations, and economic opportunities in contributing to the country’s victory in the war.
Aliyev recalled a series of Armenian provocations before the war.
“The April [2016] fighting was not a lesson for Armenia. Two years later, as a result of the Nakhchivan operation, we took over a large area, demonstrating our strength and professionalism once again. That did not serve them as a lesson either. Finally, the second Karabakh war was a lesson that they will remember forever. The second Karabakh war is our glorious history,” he noted.
The president stressed that the Armenian army was completely crushed during the war, losing a large number of military hardware.
“I voiced these figures before, so you know them very well. You have destroyed the Armenian army, there is no Armenian army any longer – 336 tanks were destroyed or taken as spoils of war. Eight S300 installations were destroyed, other anti-aircraft systems were destroyed, artillery pieces were destroyed. In other words, there is no Armenian army any longer,” he added.
Aliyev underscored that during the war the OSCE Minsk Group mediators sent a message to Armenia urging it to stop the operations and provide a timetable for the withdrawal.
“But they refused. After we had liberated Shusha from the occupiers, they were forced to sign an act of capitulation in the early hours of 10 November,” he said.
A guest house in Gyumri filled with humor. One success story from Converse Bank
18:58,
YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. The hospitality and sense of humor of Gyumri residents are undeniable. And in many cases, these two characteristics become the basis for business in Gyumri and serve as a key to success
Hrach Gyurjoglyan founded a guest house business in Gyumri back in 2016, allocating part of the house for this purpose. Later, in 2018, he decided to expand the guest house. ARMENPRESS reports Converse Bank became a partner in the implementation of the project, with the support of which Hrach Gyurjoglyan acquired the neighboring house, turning it into a guest house.
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Today his guest house is in demand and very much loved by guests. There is no shortage of guests and tourists. And he again thinks about expanding, establishing new, related types of business.
“There are many goals, but it depends on the period. I may apply again, acquire money to buy another house, more businesses, to represent Armenia, to demonstrate Gyumri to tourists in a more pleasant way, so that the tourists wish to stay longer in Gyumri․․․ “Because we are obliged to develop our country with our efforts”, he says.
The project was financed within the framework of Converse Bank’s “Gyumri” product. Details can be found at https://www.conversebank.am/en/gyumriloan/
Lending is available on the Bank’s online platform for financing small and medium-sized businesses:
Oversight of Converse Bank is carried out by the Central Bank.
Armenpress: Chamber of Advocates initiates process of providing legal aid to to Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan
Chamber of Advocates initiates process of providing legal aid to to Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan
18:48, 24 June, 2021
YEREVAN, JUNE 24, ARMENPRESS. The Chamber of Advocates of Armenia organized a consultation on June 24 over the effectiveness of the issue of providing legal aid to Armenian war prisoners in the ongoing trials in Azerbaijan.
As ARMENPRESS was ifnormed from the press service of the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia, Chairman of the Chamber Ara Zohrabyan, first Deputy Chairman of the Chamber Mane Karapetyan, Deputy Chairman Harut Aklunts, advocates Hayk Alumyan and Ara Ghazaryan participated in the consultations. Representative of the Republic of Armenia in the European Court of Human Rights Yeghishe Kirakosyan and deputy representative Liparit Drmeyan were present at the consultation. The Representative of Armenia to the ECHR provided general information to the advocates over the process of cases of Armenian POWs examined at the ECHR.
The advocates discussed the issue of providing legal aid to the Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan, as well as the issue of the necessity of discovering and proving possible violations. The advocates expressed concern over the fact that that Azerbaijan will hinder the providing of legal aid to the Armenian POWs by Armenian lawyers.
Based on the results of the discussion, the Chamber of Advocates made a decision to apply to the relevant bodies of the Republic of Armenia, the relevant bodies of Azerbaijan, the Chamber of Advocates of Azerbaijan, as well as other international institutions for ensuring the providing the legal aid to the Armenian POWs by the lawyers of the Republic of Armenia, permitting the entry of Armenian lawyers to Azerbaijan and ensuring their security.
”Considering the above-mentioned, we ask the lawyers specializing in criminal law to send a letter to Email until June 29, 2021, informing about their readiness to provide legal aid to the Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan”, reads the statement of the Chamber of Advocates.
Ruling My Step faction MP resigns
16:25,
YEREVAN, JUNE 25, ARMENPRESS. Member of Parliament of Armenia from the ruling My Step faction Lusine Yeganyan has submitted a resignation letter on June 25, the Speaker of Parliament said in a statement.
Mrs. Yeganyan received her parliamentary mandate on June 18 and was replacing MP Hamazasp Danielyan.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Zatulin: Azerbaijan President is demonstrating low-browed nationalism against Armenians
News.am, Armenia
18:52, 24.06.2021
Baku is striving to gain as many concessions as possible from Yerevan during the process of demarcation and delimitation of the borders in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces of Armenia. This is what Deputy of the Russian State Duma, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Russians Abroad, Director of the Institute of CIS countries Konstantin Zatulin said during today’s Sochi-Yerevan teleconference.
The Russian MP labeled Azerbaijan’s policy as not the most reasonable one since it is Azerbaijani servicemen who infiltrated into the territory of Armenia.
“Moreover, the leader of Azerbaijan is actually making attacks on Armenia and the Armenian people by demonstrating low-browed nationalism,” Zatulin emphasized.
Talking about Russia’s efforts to resolve the crisis that he had talked about in the past, Zatulin stated that President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin prefers a milder way to solve the problem, trying to have an impact on all the sides of the negotiation process.
Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijan victorious again as pressured Armenia provides minefield maps for Aghdam
14 June 2021 14:39 (UTC+04:00)
603
By Trend
Armenia has given up to pressure and has provided Azerbaijan with maps, showing the location of 97,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines in Aghdam district on June 12, 2021.
After the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region from the Armenian occupation, the most pressing issue for Azerbaijan is the de-mining and restoration of these territories.
During 30 years of occupation, the Armenians built a big number of fortifications, fences, created earthen ramparts there and planted hundreds of thousands of mines.
In all his speeches, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, spoke about the importance of maps of minefields and that Armenia must provide them to Azerbaijan. The president has repeatedly stated that the international community must intervene and urge Armenia do the right thing.
The calls of the US Department of State and the European Union on this issue, the fact that Armenia was forced to give these maps are another great achievement of President Aliyev’s diplomacy.
The process of de-mining only in Aghdam district could have taken years without these maps, not counting the finances, and the threat of having more lives lost due to mined lands.
POW issue shouldn’t be speculated in domestic political life, Bright Armenia party’s Marukyan says
11:22,
YEREVAN, JUNE 14, ARMENPRESS. Edmon Marukyan, who is leading the Bright Armenia party’s electoral list for the June 20 snap polls, welcomes the return of 15 Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan on June 12.
“Azerbaijan continues holding the Armenian prisoners of war, putting different preconditions for their return. It’s an act of a terrorist country as terrorists take hostages and put preconditions by holding them”, Marukyan told reporters on the sidelines of the party’s pre-election campaign.
He said the solution of the POW issue is within the international law, stating that the Armenian side needs to make a very serious emphasis here. According to him, in case of strengthening Armenia’s external diplomatic front, the POWs can be returned.
“Now there is a difficult situation. You know that the officials of the foreign ministry have resigned. I think that after the elections if the agenda, which we are presenting, is fulfilled, this issue can be solved very quickly. In other words, the issue of the prisoners of war can be solved very quickly if we solve our problems inside the country and strengthen in the external front. The return of POWs should not be speculated in our domestic political life in any way. Perhaps everything can be speculated, but not this one relating to the person’s release from captivity”, he added.
The electoral campaign for the June 20 snap parliamentary elections officially launched in Armenia on June 7.
The campaign will last until June 18.
25 political forces – 21 parties and 4 blocs, are participating in the elections.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
EU calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to reengage in substantive negotiations under auspices of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs
15:09,
YEREVAN, JUNE 14, ARMENPRESS. The European Union welcomes the actions taken by Armenia and Azerbaijan and facilitated by Georgia that led to the release by Azerbaijan of 15 Armenian detainees and the handing over by Armenia of maps of mined areas on June 12, EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said in a statement released on June 13.
“These are important humanitarian and confidence building gestures by Baku and Yerevan that will hopefully open the path for further cooperation between the sides and the ultimate release of all Armenian detainees, as well as the handing over of all available maps of mined areas to avoid further civilian casualties.
The European Union and other international actors have actively encouraged moves in this direction and we urge further cooperation between the countries involved.
We will continue to promote a durable and comprehensive settlement of the conflict, including where possible through support for stabilization, post conflict rehabilitation and confidence building measures and reiterate our call on Armenia and Azerbaijan to reengage in substantive negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs”, the statement reads.