11:15,
YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. Iran on Thursday announced its new Ambassador to Armenia who will replace Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri who has been serving since 2020.
In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that its current Ambassador to Syria, Mehdi Sobhani, will be appointed Ambassador to Armenia after completing his mission.
15:01,
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. The Constitutional Court of Armenia on March 24 ruled that the Rome Statute – the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC) – complies with the Constitution of Armenia.
The decision was released by Chief Justice Arman Dilanyan.
Justices Hrayr Tovmasyan, Arayik Tunyan and Yervand Khundkaryan expressed “special opinions”, i.e., reservations, he said.
The Armenian government re-launched the process of ratifying the Rome Statute in December 2022. Back then, the government applied to the Constitutional Court to check the compliance of Armenia’s present-day constitution (adopted in 2015) with the Rome Statute, because the process was disrupted in 2004 when the high court ruled that the Rome Statute contradicted the then-constitution which was adopted in 1995.
17:17,
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Azeri forces have again opened fire on Armenian farmers in Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh).
The Nagorno Karabakh Ministry of Internal Affairs said “a group of citizens carrying out pruning work in the vineyards of Machkalashen community of the Martuni region” were targeted by Azerbaijani fire on March 23 and March 24.
In a statement issued Friday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs also denied the Azerbaijani accusations on having used the Stepanakert-Ghaibalishen-Lisagor road to transport military supplies.
“The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan continues to spread disinformation that the Armenian side is allegedly using the Stepanakert-Ghaibalishen-Lisagor road to transport military supplies.
Advancing this [narrative], the Azerbaijani side is misleading the international community, preparing the ground for another provocation against the civilian population of Artsakh.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs considers it necessary to emphasize once again that the movement of civilians and the transportation of humanitarian goods are carried out along the forest and mountain road bypassing Shushi, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers.
Taking into account the geographical location of that road, the traffic is organized by large and [high-clearance] vehicles, which the Azerbaijani side misrepresents as military transport.
While Azerbaijan falsely accuses the Armenian side of transporting weapons and ammunition, yesterday, March 23 and this morning, Azerbaijani combat positions targeted and opened fire with weapons of various types and calibers at a group of citizens carrying out pruning work in the vineyards of Machkalashen community of the Martuni region.
No casualties were registered. Agricultural work has been suspended,” the statement reads.
14:53, 13 March 2023
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, ARMENPRESS. The Council of Europe is pressuring Azerbaijan to comply with the binding ruling of the International Court of Justice ordering it to open the Lachin Corridor, the Minister of Justice of Armenia Grigor Minasyan told reporters.
He said that the toolkit for enforcing the ICJ rulings is a political one.
“Unlike national courts, when a bailiff is sent to enforce the court verdict and when there’s a state agency in charge of enforcing the ruling, the toolkit for enforcing the rulings in international courts is a political one. And our international partners, particularly the Council of Europe, is already using its political toolkit, putting pressure in order for the party to fulfill the obligations which have been assigned to it,” Minasyan said.
The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. The Lachin Corridor is blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022.
The calculations that as a result of unblocking the communication channels in the region, Armenia’s GDP will grow by 30 percent is a forecast that takes into account many factors. Of course, no one predicted what kind of fragmentation would occur in the world, that different economic blocs would separate from each other, Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan said in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am
“We also have our plans: the construction of the North-South route, now the issue of building a fast transport route between Armenia and Europe is being discussed quite intensively. You also know that we are moving forward quickly in the Gyumri dry port project. All of this is to help us get those economic benefits from de-blockage of the region. Today I can say that if before we assumed it would be 30 percent, now we can expect even more. The world is fragmenting and we want to be a bridge among those fragments,” said the minister.
When asked if there is any research to claim such a thing, he answered: “We’re updating that research right now, the task force is working, we’ll have more recent research on our potential in the next few months.”
As for if only the Meghri railway is opened, what will it give to Armenia, especially considering that the country has to spend $200 million to repair that section, Kerobyan responded: “The Margara checkpoint [on Armenia’s border with Turkey] was opened first—albeit, temporary. There is already an agreement that in June the border will be opened for tourists, for third countries, there is an agreement to restore the Ani bridge.
Now we are in such a turbulent situation that various changes, exacerbations, reversals of some agreements are possible. But today, the first communication that we imagine should be opened is the tourist section of the Armenian-Turkish border.
With the opening of the road you mentioned, the direct road from Armenia to Iran will be opened near Yeraskh [village], which is also a very important road for us in terms of railway and motor vehicle transport. We do not think that the road to Meghri will be opened sooner than the road from Armenia to Iran via Nakhichevan. And if we compare those two with each other, then our economic benefits will be very big,” Kerobyan emphasized.
Armenian American pianist Kariné Poghosyan ’03 (Music Keyboard/Piano Performance) returned to her alma mater March 8, honoring her heritage with an intimate performance of works by Armenia’s best-known composer, Aram Khachaturian, and surrounded by fans seated on The Soraya stage.
Poghosyan, who made her solo Carnegie Hall debut at age 23, is known for her stylistic flair and the emotions she uncovers in the works she performs. She recently performed two sold-out recitals at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, including a CD release concert of her “Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky” recording on Centaur Records.
The first half of her sold-out show at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian for the Performing Arts featured several of Khachaturian’s compositions, including two excerpts from his ballets and a rarely performed piano sonata. Poghosyan performed her own adaptation of his piece “Oror” — which means “Lullaby” — from his ballet “Gayaneh.” She also honored Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s 150th birthday with the 1931 rewritten version of his beloved “Piano Sonata No. 2.”
This was the first alumni concert hosted by the Younes and Soraya Center for Performing Arts since the COVID-19 related closure of the theater. Poghosyan’s performance was underwritten by Milt Valera ’68 (Journalism) and Debbie Valera, including support for tickets for students and alumni across campus.
At a reception after the show, Poghosyan met students and faculty from CSUN’s Armenian Studies program in the College of Humanities and members of the CSUN Armenian Alumni Association. The day before the performance, she also conducted a master class for piano students in the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication.
19:57,
YERERVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin is conducting negotiations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Kremlin, ARMENPRESS reports, Ria Novosti informed. According to the source, the head of Syria arrived in Moscow in the evening of March 14. On the morning of March 15, he laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
During the meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that they are in constant contact and that the relations between the two countries are developing.
“Dear Mr. President, I am very happy to see you in Moscow. Thank you for accepting our invitation. We are in constant contact and our relations are developing,” Putin said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are expected to discuss issues of further development of Russian-Syrian cooperation in the political, commercial, economic and humanitarian spheres, as well as the prospects for a comprehensive settlement of the situation in Syria.
The last time Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad met was in September 2021, when the Syrian president visited Moscow.
A soldier on the frontline
Azerbaijani forces opened fire on Armenian military positions on Monday in the Verin Shorzha region of the Gegharkunik Province, defense authorities reported. This attacks follows a similar one late last week, after which Azerbaijani authorities, once again, cut off the gas supplies to Artsakh, continuing its violations of human rights and the ceasefire.
The attack on Monday happened between 7 to 7:30 p.m. local time, with Armenian authorities reporting no casualties.
On Friday, Azerbaijan again halted the gas supply to Artsakh, it what has become a norm during the three-month long blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh to the outside world.
Artsakh presidential adviser David Babayan lamented that the International Court of Justice “did not see” Azerbaijan’s intermittent halting of the gas supply as a deliberate action by Baku.
“It is interesting to know what the distinguished judges of the UN International Court [of Justice] think about this. And what do they think about the fact that in Baku they don’t just ignore, but mock the [court’s] decision to ensure unhindered movement through the Lachin corridor? Dear judges, isn’t it insulting?” Babayan added.
In speaking to News.am, Babayan, who has been stuck in Yerevan since the December 12 blockade of Artsakh, said that negotiations between Stepanakert and Baku would be possible only under conditions that the sides have equal footing in the talks.
This was in direct response to Azerbaijani officials, who have extended an invitation to Artsakh authorities to discuss, in Baku, ”integration of the population within Azerbaijan,” a topic that has been rejected as an agenda item by Artsakh.
“With this ‘proposal’ conveyed through the media, Baku once again is demonstrating that it is not even going to hold negotiations. First, as for the negotiation process, Artsakh has always been in favor of negotiations and peaceful settlement. But the negotiations can take place only between equal parties, with the participation of international mediators—in the person of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. The Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia format was specified back in 1994,” said Babayan.
“Let us remind Baku that there is no ‘Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh.’ The Artsakh Republic is a state, even if it is unrecognized. And being unrecognized for Azerbaijan is not an obstacle at all, as evidenced by its ties with the so-called ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ and Taiwan,” added Babayan, who emphasized that invitations to such negotiations are not extended through the media.
He also called for international mediation in Artsakh, reiterating that Baku is scoffing at the decision by the International Court of Justice.
17:03,
YEREVAN, MARCH 10, ARMENPRESS. United States Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien discussed the economic and security situations in Vayots Dzor and Syunik with the governors of the provinces, the embassy said in a statement on Friday.
“Ambassador Kvien met with Vayots Dzor governor Ararat Grigoryan and Syunik governor Robert Ghukasyan to discuss the economic and security situations in these regions. She pledged continued U.S. support for Armenia’s sovereignty and independence,” reads the US embassy statement posted on social media.
13:17,
YEREVAN, MARCH 10, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has submitted a proposal to the CSTO on relinquishing its quota of Deputy Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Armenian Foreign Ministry confirmed Friday.
“Indeed, we’ve presented a respective proposal to the CSTO,” foreign ministry spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan told ARMENPRESS when asked to either confirm or deny media reports claiming that Armenia has formally renounced its quota of Deputy Secretary-General.