Author: Tambiyan Samvel

 11:11, 25 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and heads of government of the remaining member states of the Eurasian Economic Union met with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Nur-Sultan, the Armenian PM’s Office reports.

The President of Kazakhstan welcomed the heads of the delegations of the EAEU states, expressing hope that the session of the Eurasian Inter-governmental Council in Nur-Sultan will be held effectively.

In his remarks the Armenian PM said that the Kazakh President has noted right that today’s session, meeting coincide with the drastic escalation of the geopolitical situation.

“It’s obvious that we are in a sensitive period, in sensitive geopolitical tectonic processes, and in this context, of course, the Eurasian Economic Union is an important format in order to develop the economies of our countries.

Of course, it’s obvious that sanctions will have their effect on the economic environment in the Eurasian region, and in this sense, we need to discuss what operational decisions we must adopt in order for that negative consequences to be minimal and if possible, to bypass them, by taking respective steps.

You were right, the results of 2021 for the Eurasian Economic Union are quite positive because last year was already a crisis year, but the overall volume of trade and economic ties within the EAEU, the trade turnover have increased, which is quite a positive signal for all of us”, Nikol Pashinyan said.

He emphasized that there is a potential to expand the Eurasian economic region. “There are observer states, with which we are cooperating quite effectively. There is also a certain interest by other countries to intensify the ties with the Eurasian Economic Union. I think, this is, overall, a positive process and I hope that the Eurasian Economic Union, we all, will manage to carry out such a policy so that the EAEU is strengthened as an economic platform in the current situation and continues giving an impetus to the development of economies of our countries”, Pashinyan noted.

 11:44,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government is discussing the lifting of the indoor face mask requirement, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

He added that wearing masks will be optional in enclosed public spaces. “Even in closed areas it won’t be mandatory, we will recommend wearing masks,” Pashinyan said.

Healthcare Minister Anahit Avanesyan added that if the new cases continue decreasing some other restrictions will also be lifted, but for example wearing masks in healthcare facilities will remain mandatory.

 19:50,

YEREVAN, 24 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Ukraine offers to return to the path of peace, ARMENPRESS reports, citing RIA Novosti, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy .

 21:22,

YEREVAN, 21 FEBRUARY, ARMENPERESS. Criminal prosecutions and searches by the competent bodies of the Republic of Azerbaijan against the citizens of the Republic of Armenia and the Artsakh Republic are illegal and unfounded, Gor Abrahamyan, Adviser to the Prosecutor General of Armenia, told ARMENPRESS.  

“Those actions have political motives, also manifestations of hatred, national discrimination and hostility that underlie the war, which continue to this day. As for the measures taken by the Prosecutor’s Office, I would like to say that in all the cases when we receive such information, steps are taken through the appropriate channels, using our international cooperation tools, so that their international search initiatives do not proceed”, said Gor Abrahamyan.

 12:40,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. 10,356 people have crossed into Russia from Donbas amid the Russian-Ukrainian tensions, RIA Novosti reported citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter.

“As of 10:00, 10,356 people crossed the border, 4527 of whom are citizens of Russia, 5806 are citizens of Ukraine, and 23 are foreigners,” the source told RIA Novosti.

Earlier the authorities of Donetsk and Lugansk republics ordered evacuation of civilians into Rostov Region.

 17:30,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS.  A special sitting of the National Assembly will be convened on February 23 at 12:00 in connection with the ratification of the “Shushi Declaration” by the parliaments of Azerbaijan and Turkey, ARMENPRESS was informed from the website of the National Assembly.

“Hayastan” faction has initiated the special sitting. The opposition faction proposes to the National Assembly to make a statement condemning the ratification of the “Shushi Declaration” with the following content:

“The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia expresses deep concern over the the ratification of the Declaration signed by the presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan on June 15, 2021 by the parliaments of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

By that declaration a Turkish-Azerbaijani military-political alliance was signed within the framework of the “One Nation, Two States” concept.

Although the document states that it is not created against a third party, its entire content is directed against the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh, the Armenian people. It records the strategic goals of the two states that carried out the 44-day aggression against the Artsakh Republic, against the self-determination of the people of Artsakh, the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia, territorial integrity and the rights of the Armenian people around the world who survived the genocide.

The wording on the Zangezur Corridor in the declaration indicates that Turkey and Azerbaijan are reaching public agreements on implementing joint expansionist policies.

The agreement of the two states to struggle against the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide by distorting the content of the issue and taking it to the field of historical study is condemnable.

The Shushi Declaration is based not on the UN Charter or the principle of security adopted by the OSCE, but on the “Tribal security” approach. It contradicts the basic norms of international law. According to the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, all the international agreements which contradict the imperative norms of general international law, are null and void and can have no international legitimacy.

The National Assembly declares that the Shushi Declaration, by its provocative and un-constructive nature, is unacceptable for the Republic of Armenia. It is a serious challenge to regional and global security, does not contribute to the peaceful development of our region, contradicts the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations on the principle of ‘without preconditions’ and raises serious doubts about the real behavior and intentions of official Ankara.”

Armenian military denies as ‘disinformation’ Azeri accusations on opening fire

 10:24,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 10, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Defense is denying Azerbaijani accusations on opening fire on February 9 at the border, emphasizing that the statement is a “disinformation.”

“The statement released by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan claiming that Armenian Armed Forces opened fire on February 9 at Azerbaijani military positions deployed in the northern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is a disinformation,” the Armenian Ministry of Defense said.

The Defense Ministry of Armenia added that the situation on the border is relatively stable and is under the full control of the Armenian Armed Forces.