Author: Parkev Tvankchian

Armenian deputy PM, French Ambassador discuss humanitarian situation in Artsakh

Parkev Tvankchian

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 16:25, 9 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan received today Ambassador of France to Armenia Jonathan Lacôte, the deputy PM’s Office told Armenpress.

During the meeting the officials discussed a number of issues relating to Artsakh. They agreed that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship is the only format for the comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Tigran Avinyan highlighted the recent adoption of resolutions by the French Senate and National Assembly on the need to recognize the Republic of Artsakh.

The officials discussed the humanitarian situation in Artsakh, as well as issues relating to the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage. In this context the Armenian side highly appreciated the engagement of the French people, President of France Emmanuel Macron in particular for providing humanitarian aid to the displaced people.

As for the exchange process of the prisoners of war, deputy PM Avinyan said the Armenian side has proposed to apply “all for all” principle, as well as to create a mechanism according to which in case of having a new POW each of the sides is obliged to return them without preconditions.

Avinyan also informed that currently the government is working on an anti-crisis economic program which should contribute to the recovery of the economic activity in the country.

In his turn the French Ambassador said the bilateral agenda is quite full and stressed the need for taking active steps to implement new projects.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenian President asks for Putin’s support in demarcation process between Armenia, Azerbaijan

Parkev Tvankchian

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 18:31, 8 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, asking him to support in the demarcation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the President’s Office, Armen Sarkissian once again thanked the Russian President for the efforts to stop bloodshed in Nagorno Karabakh and establishment of the ceasefire, allowing to avoid new casualties and tragedies.

At the same time, the President of Armenia noted that, unfortunately, there is still a potential danger of new disputes between the parties in connection with the demarcation issue.

Given the exceptional importance and urgency of the issue, President Sarkissian asked the Russian President to assist in completing the demarcation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan in order to exclude further tensions and negative developments.

French National Assembly adopts resolution on urgent need to recognize Nagorno Karabakh

Parkev Tvankchian

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 19:45, 3 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, ARMENRESS. The National Assembly of France adopted a resolution today on the urgent need to recognize Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh). 188 MPs voted in favor of the resolution and 3 MPs against it.

ARMENPRESS reports the resolution also records the facts that Azerbaijan thwarted the peace process by launching a military campaign and deployed terrorist groups in Nagorno Karabakh with the support of Turkey.

Last week the French Senate had adopted a similar resolution, urging the Government to recognize the independence of Artsakh Republic.

U.S., Armenia Explore New Defense Cooperation

Parkev Tvankchian

November 30,  2020



Armenia’s Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan (right) in a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy on Nov. 30

Opportunities to give new impetus to defense cooperation between Armenia and United States were explored during a meeting between the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia and the country’s new defense chief, Vagharsahak Harutyunyan on Monday.

Harutyunyan met with Ambassador Lynne Tracy and briefed her on the implementations of the November 9 agreement, which ended the military operations in Karabakh.

As a priority, Harutyunyan highlighted efforts on the return of prisoners of war, search for missing in action and the bodies of the dead, as well as the activities of the International Committee of Red Cross, the Russian defense ministry and the Russian peacekeeping mission in Artsakh.

The Armenian defense minister also stated that currently they are analyzing the military operations and assessing the shortcomings which can lead to structural, decision-making, strategic and legislative reforms.

The two leaders agreed that additional discussions can lead to new areas of cooperation between the U.S. and Armenia in defense and security matters.

Armenia condemns all kinds of terrorist acts: Yerevan reacts to the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist

Parkev Tvankchian
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 1 2020

Armenia condemns all kinds of terrorist acts in the region and around the world, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anna Naghdalyan said.

The comments come after nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed in Iran. The assassination was followed by reactions from Iran and a number of other countries.

“We express our deep condolences on the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a prominent Iranian scientist and head of the Defense Innovations and Research Organization of the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Naghdalyan said.

“Armenia condemns all kinds of terrorist acts in the region and around the world,” she added.

Iran believes Israel and an exiled opposition group used a remote-control weapon to shoot dead top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on Friday.

Security chief Ali Shamkhani said the attackers had “used electronic equipment” when Fakhrizadeh’s car was fired on east of the capital Tehran.


Putin hails ceasefire between Armenia & Azerbaijan, but warns final status of disputed Nagorno-Karabakh still not decided

Parkev Tvankchian
RT – Russia Today
Nov 18 2020
18 Nov, 2020 12:36


By Jonny Tickle

Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted, on Tuesday, that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is still yet to be ultimately determined, despite a recent armistice agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

After six weeks of heavy fighting, Moscow brokered a deal between the warring parties, which agreed that areas captured by Azerbaijani forces are to remain under the control of Baku. Three other regions are also to be given to them Azeris at a later date.
Despite the truce agreement, Putin maintains this is not the final chapter in deciding the destiny of the disputed region.

“The final status of Karabakh has not been settled,” he explained. “We agreed that we will maintain the status quo that exists today, what will happen next is to be resolved in the future.”

According to Putin, now that hostilities have stopped and communication lines have been restored, the agreement makes it possible to normalize the situation in the future.

“The most important thing that we managed to do is to stop the bloodshed,” he said. “This is not a movie, this is a tragedy that occurs in life with real people, real families, so the end of the bloodshed is the main result.”

On November 9, the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan adopted a trilateral agreement on the cessation of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh. As well as drawing up a new map, the parties also agreed on the deployment of Russian peacekeepers. At the time the truce was signed, Azerbaijan was at a clear advantage. In Putin’s opinion, Yerevan’s refusal to agree to stop the hostilities would have been “suicide.”

On September 27, the frozen Nagorno-Karabakh conflict suddenly erupted once again. The dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia is decades old, with both countries believing they have legitimate claims to the territory. The region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but is primarily populated by ethnic Armenians. Baku considers the enclave to be illegally occupied by Yerevan.


Armenia defense ministry has not sold any weapon or ammunition to Turkey through any channel – spox

Parkev Tvankchian

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 14:57,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenian defense ministry’s spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan has commented on the reports according to which the defense ministry of Armenia has sold weapons and ammunition to Turkey via a private company, and that weapons then appeared in the hands of pro-Turkish terrorists in Syria.

The spokesperson also commented on the reports relating to Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan, as well as the ministry.

Shushan Stepanyan stated on social media that Armenia’s defense ministry has never sold any type of weapon or ammunition to Turkey through any channel.

“Since yesterday, a number of obvious and more likely directed fake claims are being widely spread by some media outlets and Facebook users, aimed at putting a shadow on the reputation of the Armenian defense ministry. Not so much going further on the goals and selection of the applied tools of that dirty information campaign and leaving it to the actions of the law enforcement agencies, we consider it necessary to respond to some provisions presented in that reports:

  1. Armenia’s defense ministry has sold weapons and ammunition to Turkey via a private company, from where it then appeared in the hands of pro-Turkish terrorists in Syria.

This is a total and brazen lie. Armenia’s defense ministry has never sold any type of weapon or ammunition to Turkey through any channel. Most of the documents attached to the report are interpreted in a distorted way, and this disinformation is being formed based on this distortion.

By the way, having the fact of the actual leak of official documents of the state agency, it becomes very remarkable that the aforementioned documents have been confiscated by the National Security Service of Armenia for examination back in 2018.

  1. It is allegedly presented that Armenia’s defense ministry has lent 3.5 million USD to a private company for unknown reasons, and the head of that company has friendly ties with defense minister Davit Tonoyan.

This is a total and brazen lie. The defense ministry has provided that loan to that company to ensure the continuation of arms supply to Armenia from a third country. Moreover, at the moment of providing the loan, that company has already delivered a part of the ordered ammunition, the cost of which was more than the provided one. And the total cost of the deal was much more than the amount of the mentioned loan.

  1. It is stated that at the beginning of the war, some private individuals have proposed the defense ministry to purchase body armor from Russia at 300 USD, but the ministry rejected this offer and then acquired the same body armor at over 1000 USD through another private company.

This is a total and brazen lie. The defense ministry, in accordance with the respective contracts signed between Armenia and Russia, acquires Russian-made weapons, ammunition and armament at the Russian domestic prices. In this particular case, the aforementioned body armors, as well as respective armored helmets with a limited amount have been acquired exclusively for special divisions through the Russian state structures.

  1. It is also stated that during the war launched on September 27 Armenia’s defense minister Davit Tonoyan allegedly was in Maldives to attend a birthday party of one of his friends.

This is a total and brazen lie. At the beginning and the day before the war Davit Tonoyan has been in Kazakhstan for participating in the Caucasus-2020 multinational military drills, and a respective official news release has been provided. Upon the start of the war the minister returned to Armenia, but had to make his return through the territory of a third country, in particular Bulgaria due to the limited air communication caused by the coronavirus. This fact can be easily checked through respective inquiries”, the spokesperson stated.

Armenia’s defense ministry strongly condemns the spread of such kind of fake reports, viewing this as a criminal activity aimed at distorting the security grounds of the country and urges the media outlets spreading these reports to deny them. The ministry also expects an operative response from the law enforcement agencies in finding the authors who spread these documents and launching respective legal processes.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 13-11-20

Parkev Tvankchian

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 17:26, 13 November, 2020

YEREVAN, 13 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 13 November, USD exchange rate up by 0.36 drams to 495.94 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.32 drams to 586.60 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 6.42 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.18 drams to 653.55 drams.

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

Gold price up by 243.17 drams to 29894.18 drams. Silver price up by 0.36 drams to 386.1 drams. Platinum price up by 153.52 drams to 13951.73 drams.

Asbarez: Montevideo, Uruguay’s Capital, Recognizes Artsakh’s Independence

Parkev Tvankchian

November 13,  2020


Montevideo, Uruguay City Hall

Denounces ‘End of War’ Agreement as ‘Consequence of Illegal Use of Force’

The City Council of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, on Thursday recognized the independence of the Artsakh and denounced the “end of war” agreement as “a consequence of illegal use of force and not resulting from real balanced negotiation as established by the UN,” reported Diario Armenia.

The approved resolution states that “in view of the military attacks that occurred against the population of the Republic of Artsakh and Armenia by Azerbaijan with the support of the genocidal State of Turkey, transferring mercenaries for combat as a way to resolve the dispute in the Artsakh region violating the Minsk Group agreements and the ceasefire for all conflicts declared by the UN for the COVID-19 pandemic, we establish our total rejection of such action.”

In addition, Montevideo conveyed “our greatest solidarity with the entire civilian population (Armenian and Azerbaijani), the main victims of the numerous destabilizing attacks and violations of international law, as well as the recognition of the Artsakh and Armenian people who continue to fight for their survival, confronting the continuation of the genocide perpetrated in 1915.”

Later, Montevideo declared that “the agreement signed by Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia is the result of the illegal use of force and not of authentic balanced negotiations as established by the UN, representing a forced transfer of historical heritage and populated territory of Armenian origin.”

Finally, the Departmental Board of Montevideo announced its “recognition of the Republic of Artsakh, calling on the international community to respect its status as an independent State, this being the true path for a peaceful solution and a lasting peace for Artsakh and Armenia.”

Uruguay and its government have been staunch supporters of Artsakh’s right to self-determination and its independence.

In 2015, then foreign minister Luis Almagro called for the recognition of Artsakh.