Author: Maral Takmazian

Yerevan State University electing new rector, protest being staged at main building

Maral Takmazian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 17 2021
12:04, 17.12.2021

Rector elections are scheduled at Yerevan State University (YSU) Friday, in which only one candidate will run: the government’s nominee and acting rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan.

A while ago, Hovhannisyan and minister of defense Suren Papikyan, who is also Chairman of the YSU Board of Trustees, came to the YSU main building together.

In this regard, a group of youth are staging a protest in the building. They are holding banners protesting the politicization of Armenia’s universities.

One of these youth announced over the loudspeaker that they will continue their fight until they achieve their goals.

According to them, defense minister Papikyan has no place in the post of Chairman of the YSU Board of Trustees.

Armenia’s National Security Council Secretary meets with U.S. National Security Adviser in Washington D.C.

Maral Takmazian

Save

Share

 09:53,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan met with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington D.C. on December 15.

In a statement the White House said that Mr. Sullivan conveyed the commitment of the United States to peace, security, and prosperity in Armenia and the South Caucasus region. 

“He expressed concern over ongoing tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and emphasized that military movements near un-demarcated borders are irresponsible and provocative. He welcomed the ongoing communication between the two sides and emphasized the U.S. commitment to continue supporting confidence-building measures and regional reconciliation both bilaterally and as a Minsk Group Co-Chair. 

Mr. Sullivan welcomed the announcement yesterday that Turkey and Armenia will appoint special envoys to discuss the normalization process. 

Mr. Sullivan appreciated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s participation in The Summit for Democracy and underscored our strong cooperation on reform, democratic institution-building, and economic development in Armenia”, the statement says.

​Armenia says Azerbaijan intensively shelling its military positions in one region

Maral Takmazian

Dec 9 2021

Breaking News

Armenia says Azerbaijan intensively shelling its military positions in one region

By REUTERS Published: DECEMBER 9, 2021 15:54
   
Armenia’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday that Azerbaijan had begun intensively shelling its military positions in Armenia’s Gegharkunik province, the TASS news agency reported.
Azerbaijan said earlier on Thursday that one of its soldiers had been killed on the border with Armenia in what it described as an Armenian “provocation.”

Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a ceasefire at their border on November 16 after Russia urged them to step back from confrontation following the deadliest clash since a war last year.
 

Investigative Committee: Motion filed for arrest of 5 of 10 POWs returned to Armenia on Dec. 4

Maral Takmazian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 9 2021
23:50, 09.12.2021

Charges have been brought against 5 of the 10 prisoners of war who were returned to Armenia on December 4, and the motion to arrest them has been filed with the court. This is what Spokesperson of the Investigative Committee of Armenia Vardan Tadevosyan said during a conversation with Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to the Investigative Committee, the servicemen are charged with violating the rules for on-duty combat service or combat service that caused heavy consequences.

The spokesperson also informed that the Investigative Committee is currently considering the motions for arrest, and the court hearings are in progress.

On December 4, through Russia’s mediation, Azerbaijan transferred to Armenia 10 Armenian servicemen who were captured during the battles that took place in the eastern direction of the border of Armenia (the servicemen were transferred to Yerevan via a plane by former commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh, Deputy Commander of the Southern Military Okrug of the Russian Armed Forces, General Rustam Muradov).

Earlier, on November 23, during an online press conference, Nikol Pashinyan declared that there are criminal cases launched and it is necessary to clarify the circumstances behind each case of capture.

Turkish press: Multirotor mini UAV by Turkish company ready for export to India

Maral Takmazian
 ISTANBUL DEC 10, 2021 – 2:20 PM GMT+3

Mini multi-rotor UAV platform ZCQM is in a flight test on unknown date and location. (AA Photo)

Amultirotor mini-UAV model developed by Ankara-based Zyrone Dynamics is ready to be exported after the company attracted international investment.

According to report by Anadolu Agency (AA), Zyrone Dynamics, which offers unique UAV solutions with its advanced technologies, is preparing for the first product delivery to India. Thirty percent of the company was sold to India-based DCM Shriram Industries for $3.5 million with the agreement made at the 15th International Defense Industry Fair in August.

Zyrone Dynamics will carry out the first export of the mini multi-rotor UAV platform ZCQM before the end of the year, and will continue to deliver in batches in 2022. The company is expected to deliver nearly 100 vehicles next year.

The company will also make demo flights for the defense tenders in India in March 2022, and is making plans to expand to Far East countries via India.

Zyrone Dynamics has completed the international military certification processes for the ZCQM platform, which was tested in different weather conditions such as desert, sandstorm, arctic cold, heavy showers and snowstorms etc., and met the requirements of international military certification (MIL-STD-810G).

After the weathers tests are completed, flight tests will be conducted with the ZCQM in different environments. Zyrone Dynamics will continue development tests in different areas.

The ZCQM has increased its flight time by 10 minutes to 80 minutes by breaking its own record by reaching an altitude of 1.2 kilometers (.7 miles) above the ground.

The growing interest in domestic UCAVs is a boost for the Turkish government as it tries to increase exports and underline the growing importance of armed drones in modern warfare.

The Turkish military used drones last year in Syria as well as in Libya where Ankara backed the Tripoli-based government against eastern forces supported by Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt.

In Nagorno-Karabakh, the drones helped Turkey’s ally Azerbaijan defeat Armenia-backed occupying forces.

Yerevan says Azerbaijan’s forces tried to attack eastern border Friday

Maral Takmazian
TASS, Russia
Dec 10 2021
Tensions on this section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border remain for a second day running

YEREVAN, December 10. /TASS/. The Armenian Defense Ministry has said that Azerbaijan’s armed forces on Friday tried to carry out an attack towards the Armenian army’s positions on the eastern section of the border.

“At about 12:00 (11:00 Moscow time) on December 10 Azerbaijani forces attacked Armenian positions on the eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. As a result of retaliatory measures by the Armenian side the enemy sustained losses in manpower and was forced to retreat to the initial positions. The fire exchange is continuing at the moment,” the Armenian Defense Ministry said.

Tensions on this section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border remain for a second day running. On Thursday morning, the Armenian Defense Ministry said Armenian forces had come under fire on the eastern section of the border from Azerbaijan.

Fierce clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces took place in the border districts of Armenia’s Syunik Region on November 16. Yerevan said the Azerbaijani military had launched an offensive into Armenian territory. The road connecting the country’s capital with southern regions and Iran was under threat. Baku blamed the incident on Armenia, accusing the Armenian armed forces of a provocation. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said Armenian troops had attacked Azerbaijani military posts.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has held telephone conversations with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts. The Russian Defense Ministry’s press-service said the Azerbaijani and Armenian defense minsters later took measures to stabilize the situation.

Ararat Mirzoyan holds productive meeting with the US Secretary of State in Stockholm

Maral Takmazian

Save

Share

 18:26, 2 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a productive meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Stockholm, ARMENPRESS reports the Armenian Foreign Minister wrote on its Twitter microblog.

“A productive meeting was held with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The need for full resumption of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs was stressed during the meeting”, FM Mirzoyan said during the meeting.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan paid a working visit to Stockholm on December 1-3 to participate in the 28th OSCE Ministerial Conference. The Foreign Minister will have a number of bilateral meetings within the framework of the visit. In particular, a meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov is possible.




Opposition MP slams arrest of Artsakh war veteran Ashot Minasyan

Maral Takmazian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 2 2021

MP Tigran Abrahamyan from the opposition With Honor faction on Wednesday strongly condemned the arrest of Artsakh war veteran Ashot Minasyan (a.k.a. Ashot the Iron).

Minasyan, who was the commander of the Sisakan volunteer unit that took part in two Artsakh wars, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of plotting to kill Nikol Pashinyan and seize power along with several other political and military figures in 2020.

In a public post on Facebook, Abrahamyan highlighted that the veteran “has dedicated his entire life” to Armenia and Artsakh.

He denounced the charges against Minasyan as “fabricated”, stating the authorities thus step up crackdown on “patriotic Armenians ready to do everything to defend their homeland”.

“However, it’s impossible to oppress, weaken or force people like Ashot the Iron to stop their ideological struggle,” the lawmaker wrote.

“Such men are used to defending their dignity, family, friends, everything connected with the homeland, I believe that Ashot Minasyan will emerge stronger and more determined from this struggle,” he said, adding the authorities “will eventually be held to account” for their steps.

PM Pashinyan chairs Security Council meeting

Maral Takmazian

Save

Share

 13:29, 15 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired a meeting of the Security Council. Aside from members of the Security Council, the Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan, Prime Minister’s Office Chief of Staff Arayik Harutyunyan and Parliament Majority Leader (Civil Contract Party) Hayk Konjoryan were also in attendance.

“Since yesterday we’ve had several meetings and discussions in this composition and various formats,” the Prime Minister said at the meeting. “The subject of discussions was the fact of Azerbaijani troops invading into the territory of the Republic of Armenia in one of the eastern parts of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The goal of today’s session is to summarize the discussions and also to provide complete information to our public on the developments. Before that I’d like to emphasize that I have made a decision to dismiss Arshak Karapetyan as Minister of Defense and to appoint [Deputy PM] Suren Papikyan instead. This decision was made as a result of analyzing the developments taking place since yesterday. I’ve invited Mr. Karapetyan in the morning and thanked him for his work as Minister of Defense, I told him that I appreciate what he’s done, but right now the situation led me to a decision that there should be a change of the Minister of Defense. Today we will first of all listen to the briefing of the Chief of General Staff Mr. Davtyan on the situation and generally the tactical situation, and we will also analyze the situation and we will try to make a decision on several directions regarding our actions aimed at defending the security, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinyan said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

CivilNet: Armenia’s first skate park opens in Yerevan

Maral Takmazian
CIVILNET.AM

21 Nov, 2021 07:11

Armenia’s first skate park opened on November 15 in Yerevan’s Ring Park in the city’s downtown. The initiative was funded by the Union of Armenians of Ukraine. The opening ceremony was attended by members of that organization, as well as by Armenian politicians, members of the Ukrainian parliament, and other celebrities.