Category: 2020

 11:36,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. President Sarkissian has departed to Moscow on a “private visit”, his office said in a news release on Saturday.

The Armenian president will have a meeting with “a number of representatives of Russia’s Armenian community and community organizations, during which we will address, among others, the latest developments around Artsakh and the situation in Armenia.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 12:47,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. French Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne personally attended the ceremonial donation of humanitarian aid to Armenia.

French Ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Lacote, Aznavour Foundation Director Kristina Aznavour, French Goodwill Ambassador for Armenia Youri Djorkaeff and others attended the ceremony.

This second relief plane from France has brought humanitarian aid envisaged for assisting the Armenians who were affected from the Artsakh-Azerbaijan war. The aid will be distributed among the medical facilities in Armenia.

Lemoyne and Armenian health minister Arsen Torosyan signed a document which states that France has donated a 5-tonn capacity mobile medical station with the ability of treating 500 patients and a COVID-19 batch consisting of 5 generators, 5 extractors, 25000 gloves, 900 protective gear and 10000 FFP2 masks and 2500 hygiene items.

“First of all I’d like to thank Jonathan Lacote, because we’ve been closely cooperating ever since the pandemic began, when health workers were arriving from France to assist our doctors and exchange experience. We highly appreciate any assistance from France, given the many years of friendship between our countries,” Torosyan said.

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) also arrived in Armenia as part of partnership. The organization will provide medical treatment, physical and psychological rehabilitation, equipment and material support.

The French delegation said that humanitarian support from France will be continuous.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 13:02,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Bright Armenia (LHK) party leader Edmon Marukyan says he is proposing the creation of a trilateral commission consisting of representatives of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan to deal with the repatriation of prisoners of war.

Marukyan said the idea came up during a discussion with Artak Zeynalyan, a lawyer and the former justice minister.

The opposition leader says the commission would “visit without obstruction the prisoners of war in custody in both sides, will prevent the possible ill-treatment against the prisoners of war, will specify their total number, the real location of detention and conditions.”

“The commission must be formed as soon as possible, for the protection of the prisoners of war and for their immediate return to their families,” he said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 14:45,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. A group of prominent Armenian artists organized a demonstration at the Charles Aznavour Square in downtown Yerevan, calling on all international organizations to exert pressure on Azerbaijan to release the Armenian prisoners of war and return the bodies of the fallen troops without delay, as well as not to allow Baku to forcefully march the Armenian POWs at a military parade in Baku – something numerous media reports claim could potentially happen.

Acclaimed actor Hrant Tokhatyan delivered remarks at the demonstration, asking everyone to raise this issue intensively and more actively.

“The more our voice of protest reaches the international bodies, perhaps the sooner we will be able to solve the issue of our guys. Let’s start,” he told the crowd.

The artists said they will gather once again at 12:00 on November 29 to hold a procession where each of them will hold a photo of an Armenian POW currently held in Azeri custody.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 15:39,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. France is cooperating with UNESCO to protect the cultural and spiritual heritage in Nagorno Karabakh that have come under Azeri control, French Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne told a news conference in Yerevan.

“During the past weeks the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron held numerous contacts with the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, as well as the other OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries, and had the chance to once again express his commitment. That commitment is based on different aspects, and one of them touches upon the protection of the heritage of cultural and spiritual values, a part of which are located in Azeri territory. We are cooperating with UNESCO and other organizations that have assumed this mission to protect these treasures,” he said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 16:09,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. France is expressing support to Armenia in overcoming the existing difficult situation, with the latest humanitarian aid aimed for this purpose, French Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said at a news conference in Yerevan.

“25 tons of humanitarian cargo was brought to Armenia from France. The governmental structures, as well as NGOs, associations and foundations in France were mobilized around this operation. For example the Aznavour Foundation and the local self-governing bodies. Youri Djorkaeff is also here, who symbolizes our friendly relations and has happily assumed the mission of a goodwill ambassador. I have to say that this mobilization reminds me of 1988, when there was a major unity to support the earthquake-hit Armenia,” Lemoyne said, referring to the devastating Spitak earthquake.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 16:32,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. There are issues that haven’t been included in the trilateral Nagorno Karabakh armistice, namely the withdrawal of the Syrian mercenaries who fought from the Azeri side from Nagorno Karabakh, French Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said at a news conference in Yerevan.

“There are issues that aren’t included in the statement. For example, the issue of the withdrawal of the Syrian mercenaries from Nagorno Karabakh, as well as the issue of the future potential status of Nagorno Karabakh. There are issues relating to ensuring stability and security, and that is why it is necessary for the negotiations to resume within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. By the way, this desire was expressed to both the Armenian, as well as Azerbaijani authorities,” Lemoyne said.

Lemoyne noted that the French President Emmanuel Macron was the first leader who voiced the truth and said that it is Turkey who is transferring the Syrian mercenaries to Nagorno Karabakh.

“France expects concrete actions from Turkey, so that they withdraw the mercenaries from the region. France also wants its European colleagues to discuss the issue of imposing sanctions against Turkey. Naturally, we will continue being coherent to these political issues in order to be able to reach results,” he said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 15:59,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The French government has studied the Nagorno Karabakh armistice signed between Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan and it believes that some of the points of the agreements require further discussion, French Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne told a news conference in Yerevan.

“We have studied the [armistice] agreement and naturally there are points which aren’t considered, which should be addressed. That’s already the political side. This should probably be done within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. Yesterday I met with the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ara Ayvazyan, and today I met with the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and I discussed all these issues,” Lemoyne said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan