Category: 2020

 16:54,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Chancellor of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem Koryun Baghdasaryan presented clarification regarding the article which was published recently in the Jewish Press titled “Turkey Working to Take Over Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem’s Old City”.

“On February 13 an article titled “Turkey Working to Take Over Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem’s Old City” was published in the Jewish Press where the author first of all refers to the Turkish attempt to close the museum of Ilya Kahabadijan dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. Let us state that Ilya Kahabadijan has a photography studio where he is selling the photos made by his grandfather and father and it is not a museum dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. This studio is located in the Christian quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City and belongs to the Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem”, Chancellor Koryun Baghdasaryan said on Facebook.

Commenting on the point in the article which says that Turks offer grants worth 3000 USD to Armenians to remain silent, Baghdasaryan said it’s impossible to tempt the Armenians of Jerusalem with 3000 USD. “Almost all Armenians of Jerusalem live in socially good conditions, and those we are in social needs, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem has provided them with apartment, jobs and food, therefore it’s impossible to tempt the Armenians of Jerusalem with 3000 USD”, he said.

The article published in the Jewish Press also states that months ago the residents of the Armenian quarter were shocked when they revealed that one of their houses has been sold to a Muslim with three times higher price that its real cost was, and the investigation also revealed that the funds for buying the Armenian property were received from Turkey. In his clarification Koryun Baghdasaryan said no apartment in the Armenian quarter has been sold in the recent period.

“The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is the owner of both the Cathedral of Saint James and all the properties in the Armenian quarter. The apartments and shops of the quarter are provided with either protected tenancy or unprotected tenancy principle”, he said, adding that the tenants are mostly Armenians. “The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is not selling a property”, he noted.

The author of the article also wrote that one Christian trader, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that the Turks recently transferred to the Jordanian Waqf very old ownership certificates, some crumbling, including Ottoman-era documents and property ownership documents in the Armenian and Christian Quarters.

“As for the documents transferred by the Turks to the Wadf, let’s state that the right to ownership of all properties of the Armenian quarter belonging to the Cathedral cannot be appealed as they are registered under the name of the Armenian Patriarchate and the ownership documents of all properties are kept in the Patriarchate”, Baghdasaryan said.

Baghdasaryan, however, stated that in one point the author of the article was right, stating that recently a growth in visits of Turkish tourists to Jerusalem has been observed who recently tore up the posters of the Armenian Genocide from the walls of the Armenian quarter.

“The Police was immediately reported on this incident, and no such other case has been registered. Unfortunately, we should state that these posters have been on the walls for decades and have always been torn up by Jews”, he said.

The article in the Jewish Press also stated that “the growing Turkish activity in Jerusalem and its support for the Muslim Brotherhood are of concern to Israel. In its recent annual intelligence assessment, the IDF Intelligence Division has, for the first time, defined Turkey as a threat”.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 17:25,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Catholicos Garegin II has sent a letter to President of Syria Bashar al-Assad on February 14 to express gratitude on behalf of the Armenian people on the occasion of the Syrian parliament’s unanimous passage of the resolution recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin said in a news release.

“The condemnation and rejection of denial of crimes against humanity is the firm guarantee by which it is possible to prevent new genocides and crimes based on religious and national discrimination and to build a world of peace and solidarity”, the leader of the Armenian Church said, in part.

“The construction of the Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in the desert of  Deir ez-Zor during the presidency of your late father Hafez al-Assad was yet another record of the Syrian government’s adopted attitude in the Armenian Genocide issue,” the Catholicos said, praising the Syrian authorities’ “emphasized care and attention” for the Armenian people in Syria.

Garegin II, expressing support to the good people of Syria, offered wishes of peace and calm to the brotherly nation.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 15:24,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Gazprom CJSC decreased the supply of gas to Turkey by 35% in 2019, Gazprom said in its report, TASS reported.

Gazprom’s export to the countries of Eastern Europe has declined by 9%. The Eastern Europe region, in which Gazprom also included Turkey, remains the largest market for Gazprom.

The main consumers of the Russian gas in the region are Germany and France.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 17:38,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. The opposition Prosperous Armenia party (BHK) has decided not to participate in the “process of holding the Constitutional amendments referendum”, BHK lawmaker Naira Zohrabyan announced after the party’s board meeting.

“By the unanimous decision of all members of the political board, Members of Parliament, executives of regional institutions, the BHK will not participate in the process of holding the Constitutional amendments referendum,” she said.

Voters are expected to decide in the April 5 scheduled referendum whether or not the incumbent Chairman of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan, as well as most other justices appointed under the previous constitution, should remain in office. The decision to hold the referendum was passed by the parliamentary majority, the ruling My Step bloc. A campaigning period will officially start February 17^th.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 18:00,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will attend a discussion on Nagorno Karabakh conflict in the sidelines of Munich Security Conference, ARMENPRESS was informed from the official website of the Conference.

The discussion will take place on February 15, from 17:30 to 18:15 local time (20:30-21:15 Yerevan time). The facilitator will be President and Chief Executive Officer of US Russia Foundation Celeste Wallander.

The 56th Munich Security Conference launched on February 14.

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan is also participating in the Conference. Pashinyan arrived at the hotel Bayerischer Hof, the venue of the Conference, which gathered global leaders.

The Munich Security Conference is an annual conference on international security policy which gathers several dozen heads of state and government, public, political figures, diplomats, security experts under one roof. This year’s Conference will focus on topics whether the EU countries are more closely cooperating in the defense field, whether the world is facing security challenges caused by climate change, etc.

The three-day Conference will host more than 500 delegates. Presidents, prime ministers, foreign and defense ministers from over 40 countries of the world will participate in the Conference. Among the participants are French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Russian and Iranian foreign ministers are expected to deliver remarks at the event.

On the sidelines of the Conference the Armenian PM will have several bilateral meetings with his foreign counterparts and other officials.

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian attended the 2019 Munich Security Conference and this year as well will participate in the opening of the Conference.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

 19:14,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met with President of Moldova Igor Dodon in the sidelines of Munich Security Conference.

The correspondent of ARMENPRESS reports from Munich that greeting the President of Moldova, PM Pashinyan noted that he is very glad for the opportunity to meet him, adding that they often meet during various international events or sessions.  “The political relations between Armenia and Moldova are on a high level, which is very satisfying. We can see intensity in bilateral interactions, but we cannot say the same for economic relations”, Nikol Pashinyan said.

He noted that there is much to do in this sphere, including organization of business forums and other events.

PM Pashinyan plans to pay an official visit to Moldova in the near future.

The President of Moldova is not satisfied with economic results as well. Sharing the opinion of his partner, Igor Dodon said that it’s necessary to make joint efforts to activate trade and economic relations.

“Mr. Prime Minister, I am very glad for this meeting. We are looking forward to your visit in the 1^st half of this year. We see a necessity to hold a session of the intergovernmental commission and business meetings, which I think, will foster economic relations”, the President of Moldova said.

He informed that at the end of February the President of the parliament of Moldova will pay a visit to Armenia.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

 17:40,

MUNICH, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. The 56th Munich Security Conference launched on February 14.

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan is also participating in the Conference, Armenpress correspondent reports from Munich. Pashinyan arrived at the hotel Bayerischer Hof, the venue of the Conference, which gathered global leaders.

The Munich Security Conference is an annual conference on international security policy which gathers several dozen heads of state and government, public, political figures, diplomats, security experts under one roof. This year’s Conference will focus on topics whether the EU countries are more closely cooperating in the defense field, whether the world is facing security challenges caused by climate change, etc.

The three-day Conference will host more than 500 delegates. Presidents, prime ministers, foreign and defense ministers from over 40 countries of the world will participate in the Conference. Among the participants are French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Russian and Iranian foreign ministers are expected to deliver remarks at the event.

On the sidelines of the Conference the Armenian PM will have several bilateral meetings with his foreign counterparts and other officials.

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian attended the 2019 Munich Security Conference and this year as well will participate in the opening of the Conference.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan