Author: Mary Lazarian

Deputy PM Grigoryan receives World Bank Vice President

Mary Lazarian

Save

Share

 12:59, 15 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan received World Bank’s Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Anna Bjerde, the deputy PM’s Office told Armenpress.

Welcoming the guest, deputy PM Grigoryan thanked the World Bank, in particular its team in Armenia for supporting and assisting Armenia in the difficult period, highlighting the role of the Bank’s support to the fight against COVID-19. Mher Grigoryan said that the cooperation with the World Bank is of key importance for Armenia both from scale and content perspective. Introducing the main directions of the government’s action plan, he said that the comprehensive partnership framework with the World Bank creates a base to continue the joint works in conducting the government’s key reforms.

World Bank Vice President Anna Bjerde thanked for the reception and stated that both the World Bank and other development partners of Armenia have assessed the government’s action plan as a targeted and comprehensive program for resisting the challenges. On behalf of the Bank she expressed readiness to continue assisting the implementation of the government’s action plan.

Both sides also highlighted the public administration reforms, including the digitization process and the actions aimed at raising the efficiency of the public administration system. The efforts aimed at developing human capital were also discussed.

They also touched upon the development of green economy in Armenia, as well as the necessity of introducing promoting tools by the government on this path.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Azerbaijani, Russian defense chiefs discuss situation on Azerbaijan’s border with Armenia

Mary Lazarian
TASS, Russia
Nov 16 2021
According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Sergey Shoigu “confirmed Russia’s readiness to help stabilize the situation and end military activities”

BAKU, November 16. /TASS/. The defense ministers of Azerbaijan and Russia, Zakir Gasanov and Sergey Shoigu, have held a telephone conversation to discuss the situation on Azerbaijan’s border with Armenia, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

“During the conversation, Colonel General Zakir Gasanov informed his Russian counterpart that that the provocation that Armenia had staged on the border had been resolutely thwarted,” the statement reads.

According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Shoigu “confirmed Russia’s readiness to help stabilize the situation and end military activities.”

Gasanov also held a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akara who expressed support for Azerbaijan, the ministry added.

Intense fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops broke out in the border areas of Armenia’s Syunik region on Tuesday. According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Armenian troops attacked Azerbaijani positions, wounding two people. The Armenian Defense Ministry, in turn, said that Azerbaijani forces had shelled Armenian positions on the border, causing casualties and the loss of two combat posts.


Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 16-11-21

Mary Lazarian

Save

Share

 17:32, 16 November, 2021

YEREVAN, 16 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 16 November, USD exchange rate down by 0.33 drams to 475.32 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 4.60 drams to 539.92 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.02 drams to 6.55 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.84 drams to 639.83 drams.

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

Gold price down by 29.67 drams to 28422.79 drams. Silver price up by 3.64 drams to 385.26 drams. Platinum price up by 187.26 drams to 16626.7 drams.

Russia obliged to defend Armenia in case of war with Azerbaijan – Yerevan

Mary Lazarian
RT – Russia Today
Nov 17 2021

17 Nov, 2021 13:27

FILE PHOTO. Armenian soldiers take cover as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flies above the front line while troops hold positions on October 18, 2020, during the ongoing fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region. © AFP / ARIS MESSINIS

By Layla Guest

After a series of firefights and fatalities reported on the country’s border with Azerbaijan, Armenia has said it expects Russia to step in and help prevent a return to all-out conflict that threatens the Moscow-backed ceasefire.

The secretary of the national security council, Armen Grigoryan, claimed that Azerbaijani forces had entered Armenian territory “as an act of aggression” on Wednesday. “In 1997, Armenia and Russia agreed to mutually help each other in such cases,” he said. “In this regard, we turned to Moscow.”

When asked to explain what kind of assistance Yerevan is requesting, the official said that it hopes to arrive at a resolution through diplomatic channels. If this is not possible, however, “then it is necessary to solve the problem by military means.”


The situation at the Azerbaijani-Armenian frontier has stabilized since reports of skirmishes on November 16, according to both sides. Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu implored the two former Soviet republics to stop any actions which could worsen tensions. Moscow subsequently announced there had been a pause in fighting.Azerbaijan announced on Wednesday that seven of its servicemen died during combat operations and that 10 had been injured. Yerevan, meanwhile, has reported one fatality, but said that it had lost communication with 24 of its personnel, who are still unaccounted for.

Both sides have both pointed fingers at one another for the latest clashes, with Armenia accusing Azerbaijan of invading its territory and taking numerous soldiers prisoner, as well as capturing installations on the border.

Azerbaijan has claimed that it was acting in self-defense, however, looking for Armenian anti-tank weapons that had allegedly shot at its positions across the frontier.

The clashes sparked concerns over a resumption of full-blown conflict, with both nations having fought a bloody war last year over the disputed province of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region is a de jure part of Azerbaijan, but has been run in recent years by the ethnic Armenian majority.

A Moscow-brokered deal ended conflict in the region and saw peacekeepers sent there. The agreement also required Yerevan to sign over a significant amount of territory to Baku, including most of the lands held by Armenians since a bloody conflict in the early 1990s.

Turkish press: Erdoğan discusses Turkey-Niger relations with Bazoum

Mary Lazarian
 ISTANBUL NOV 18, 2021 – 5:17 PM GMT+3

Niger President Mohamed Bazoum (R), shakes hands with Turkey’s Ambassador Mustafa Türker Arı in Niamey, Niger, Nov. 16, 2021. (AA Photo)

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed Turkey-Niger ties with President Mohamed Bazoum in a phone call on Thursday, a statement by the Presidential Communications Directorate said.

Noting that Turkey values its relations with Niger, Erdoğan said he believes the country will continue to cooperate in the fight against the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).

Erdoğan also extended condolences to Bazum over the deadly attacks that took place on Tuesday, adding that Turkey supports the country’s fight against terrorism.

Regarding Niger’s defense purchases from Turkey, including the Bayraktar TB2 armed drone, Hürkuş-C armed close air support and training aircraft and armored vehicles, Erdoğan said he believes they will enhance the security capacity of Niger’s military and police forces.

Turkey established diplomatic relations with Niger in 1967 and opened its first embassy in the country in 2012. The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) provides technical assistance programs for Niger and is involved in several projects in schools, clinics, parks and orphanages.

Avetik Ishkhanyan: Reliable reports suggest that a ‘corridor document’ has already been signed

Mary Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 20 2021

Credible reports suggest that a document on a transport corridor, that would give Azerbaijan access for unimpeded movement to Nakhichevan through Armenia’s Syunik Province, has already been signed, Chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanyan told a discussion on Saturday.

“We have found ourselves in a critical situation, and if we lose Syunik, we will lose everything else, which is quite likely. There are even reliable reports that a document concerning the corridor has already been signed,” he said.

Ishkhanyan noted that when the “regional power sees one side in the region making concessions, it sides with the other.”

“The war started back in 2018. As I have repeatedly stated, it is when the foundation for a defeat was laid through consistent anti-Russian policy, making our ally an enemy at least in paper and giving Azerbaijan the opportunity to launch an offensive,” Ishkhanyan said.

In his opinion, the resistance movement should have started in Armenia immediately after November 9, 2020, but no one led the people who took to the streets, while each member of a party created later was “concerned only about himself.”

Ishkhanyan called for a strong resistance movement in Armenian “at least now”.

UNSC ready to discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Mary Lazarian

Save

Share

 20:11,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The UN Security Council does not plan to convene a session on the border situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan yet, but the members of the Security Council can discuss it, ARMENPRESS reports, citing Ria Novosti, French Permanent Representative to the UN Nicolas de Rivière said.

‘’There is nothing on the agenda, but we will see. We can discuss it”, he told the reporters.

On November 16 Azerbaijan attacked the eastern borders of Armenia. There are casualties from both sides.




Pashinyan, Putin discuss border situation

Mary Lazarian

Save

Share

 21:22,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, ARMENPRESS reports, the official website of the Kremlin informs.

It’s mentioned that during the conversation initiated by the Armenian side, the Armenian and Russian leaders discussed the situation created by a number of incidents on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The sides agreed to continue contacts on this issue.

Sports: Caparros apologizes for Armenia national football team losing 0-5

Mary Lazarian
News.am, Armenia
Nov 11 2021

Spanish manager of the Armenia national football team Joaquin Caparros commented on Armenia losing to North Macedonia 0-5 during a post-match press conference.

“First of all, I need to apologize to our fans. We had high hopes and were very excited about this match and aspired to make our fans happy, but the match didn’t go well. We missed a goal during the first minutes, and this had a negative impact on our game. After the match, it is easy to say we could have chosen other players. The newcomers aren’t really to blame for this defeat. The opponent played well, but we didn’t. Now we need to analyze this match, criticize ourselves and understand which footballers are psychologically strong to play during the next match against Germany,” Caparros stated.

The Germany team will play against Armenia on Nov. 14.

2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, 9th round

Group J

Armenia-North Macedonia: 0-5 (video)

Aleksandar Trajkovski, 22, Enis Bardhi, 37, 66, 11m, 90, 11m, Milan Ristovski, 79

Tigran Abrahamyan: Those opening ‘era of peace’ actually reinforce enemy’s victory

Mary Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 6 2021

Armenian MP Tigran Abrahamyan from the opposition With Honor faction visited the church in Artsakh’s Berdzor region under the control of Russian peacekeepers.

“This is the Berdzor church. It looks abandoned, the doors are closed. Trying to deceive ourselves, we walked around the area for a while, prayed silently and left,” he wrote on Facebook on Friday, sharing several photos of the church.

“The daily life in Berdzor, built stone by stone over 3 decades and symbolizing victory, is no longer the same today: there are ruined buildings, empty streets and few Armenians there.

“Those opening the “era of peace” actually reinforce the victory of the enemy, breaking the public struggle, and dashing any hope for victory and the future,” Abrahamyan said.