Category: 2020

 21:23, 8 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has sent a congratulatory message to president-elect Joe Biden of the United States of America. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime MInister, the message reads, in part:

“Dear Mr. President-elect

Please, accept our heartfelt congratulations on your election as the President of the United States of America.

I am convinced that the wealth of experience and wisdom that you gained through your distinguished career in politics and legislature will guide you well, as you lead the United States and its people on the path toward continued progress and prosperity.

Throughout your service, you have made great contributions to the strengthening of the U.S.-Armenia friendship and mutually beneficial relationship. The Armenian people appreciate your principled stance on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and your support for the pursuit of their fundamental rights.

Bilateral relations between Armenia and the United States, are built on shared democratic values. I am convinced that our cooperation will continue to flourish during your presidency, consistent with the level of the strategic dialogue that underlies the relationship between our two nations.

That process, of course, benefits from the invaluable role that the Armenian American community plays, acting as a bridge between our countries.

Armenia deeply values the role the United States plays in the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. As you are aware, for over a month now, Azerbaijan and Turkey with the use of foreign terrorists have been fighting a war of aggression against Armenia and Artsakh in defiance of all efforts of the Co-Chairs to establish ceasefire.

As a candidate you have laid out a vision for the resolution of the conflict exclusively through peaceful means. I salute that vision.

I am hopeful that your Administration will take active steps to stop the war and bring about a comprehensive settlement of the conflict based on safeguards providing for the security of the people of Artsakh through the exercise of its right to self-determination.

Please accept my congratulations again on your election as the President of the United States, and my wishes for continued good health, and a successful and fruitful term in office”.

 09:04, 9 November, 2020

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Stepanakert City was again bombarded by Azerbaijani forces overnight November 8-9, the State Service of Emergency Situations of Artsakh said.

The situation in other towns and cities was “relatively calm”, it said.

“After midnight the [Azerbaijani forces] fired several long-range cluster missiles at Stepanakert, damaging civilian infrastructures. There are no victims in the capital city. The night proceeded relatively calm in other settlements of Artsakh,” the State Service of Emergency Situations said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 10:03, 9 November, 2020

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani forces continue committing “war crimes” by bombarding the peaceful settlements and civilian population of Artsakh, the State Service of Emergency Situations of Artsakh said.

The capital city of Artsakh, Stepanakert, is being bombarded with long-range missiles.

The Azeri forces are targeting apartment blocks, residential districts and facilities of public and economic significance. The State Service of Emergency Situations of Artsakh said there is not a single military facility anywhere nearby.

International news media reporters on the scene have also recorded the non-stop explosions and air raid sirens from the morning of November 9 in Stepanakert.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 10:52, 9 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Battles continue near the town of Shushi, Armenian Defense Ministry official Lt. Colonel Artsrun Hovhannisyan said.

He said the Defense Army of Artsakh is successfully carrying out its mission and is “depriving the adversary from proactiveness.”

“This is the true state of affairs. Simply dismiss other, ungrounded opinions,” he said on social media, referring to disinformation campaigns.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:15, 9 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Amid relentless deliberate bombings of residential areas in Artsakh, including with the use of cluster munitions – documented by the BBC and the Human Rights Watch, among others, – Azeri President Ilham Aliyev was once again placed in an uncomfortable situation during an interview with the BBC when pressed on the issue of Azeri indiscriminate attacks.

In the face of evidence of war crimes, Aliyev nevertheless again started to label everything as “fake news”.

The BBC told Aliyev that BBC correspondents on the ground in Stepanakert have witnessed Azeri indiscriminate bombardments of civilians, and that in addition to the BBC the Human Rights Watch has documented Azeri use of cluster munitions. However, Aliyev started claiming that these accounts of the BBC and the Human Rights Watch are all fake news. “I doubt this witnessing…..so what they were there”.

Then, when asked about the double-strike of the Shushi Cathedral, he again said that it might’ve been the Azeri artillery’s mistake, but when the BBC reported wondered whether it is possible to make the same mistake twice, Aliyev said “yes”.

“Everything is false news?” asked the BBC, to which Aliyev blatantly said “absolutely”.

Meanwhile, Stepanakert City is again under Azeri cluster missile strikes.

 10:30, 9 November, 2020

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The Artsakh Defense Ministry reported 44 additional casualties, bringing the total military death toll to 1221.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:06, 9 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. 1042 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 107,466, Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan said at the joint session of the parliamentary standing committees.

“Today we have 1042 new cases out of 2358 tests conducted in the past one day. The total number of confirmed cases has reached 107,466, which, of course, is very high. We have 21 new death cases, the death toll has reached 1580”, the minister said.

Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:34, 9 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The European Union (EU) informed today the Government of Armenia about the disbursement of € 35.6 million in grants to support Armenia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The EU’s decision follows a positive assessment on progress in selected sector reform areas, macroeconomic stability, public financial management and state budget transparency, the EU Delegation to Armenia said in a statement.

It is part of the EU € 92 million assistance package for Armenia announced last April, which included restructured and new funds to support Armenia in its fight against the COVID-19 crisis, in order to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the Armenian people.

This direct financial contribution recognizes and supports the Government commendable efforts to preserve jobs and support SMEs, as well as to ensure basic health and social services for those most affected by COVID-19. This assistance announced today is complementary to other instruments of support with CSOs and European financial institutions to assist vulnerable households and businesses. 

H.E. Mher Grigoryan, Deputy Prime Minister, said: “As the world faces a multi-layered crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic, we highly appreciate the EU’s support to tackle the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic in Armenia. This timely allocation is the manifestation of our productive cooperation with the European Union and I’m sure that our joint efforts will result in increased COVID-19 crisis resilience of Armenia.”

H.E. Andrea Wiktorin, EU Head of Delegation, said: “This direct budget support disbursement is once again a very tangible demonstration of the EU and its citizens’ strong commitment to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Armenia. The European Union and its Member States are contributing to strengthen the health systems and meet the urgent human & economic implications of COVID-19 in Armenia. We share the challenge and we can only succeed together”.

The EU’s response follows a Team Europe approach, aimed at saving lives by providing quick and targeted support to our partners to face this pandemic. It combines resources from the EU, its Member States and European financial institutions to support partner countries and address their short-term needs, as well as the longer-term structural impacts on societies and the economy.

 11:25, 9 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan received today the delegation led by Baroness Caroline Cox, the Ombudsman’s Office told Armenpress.

The delegation included deputy director of the HART charity organization led by Baroness Cox and two journalists.

Ombudsman Tatoyan introduced the delegation on the war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani forces against the peaceful civilians of Armenia and Artsakh, which are based on the fact-finding activities of the Ombudsman’s Office. He also presented the murders and damages registered in Armenia’s Gegharkunik and Syunik provinces.

“The Azerbaijani attacks are accompanied by hate speech against Armenians on the internet. Our studies show that the videos of Armenian captives and the photos of Armenian casualties are spread on the internet, becoming a topic of deepening hate speech and joy”, the Ombudsman said, stating that the final goal of Azerbaijan is the ethnic cleansing in Artsakh.

The delegation members were introduced on the atrocities of the Azerbaijani side with concrete proofs, including the consequences of use of weapons of mass destruction containing chemical elements in Artsakh, over which, he said, the Ombudsmen of Armenia and Artsakh have published a joint report.

Baroness Caroline Cox thanked for introducing the situation in Artsakh and Armenia and wished to visit Artsakh if possible to get acquainted with the situation. The Ombudsman expressed readiness to personally accompany the delegation if they get a permit.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:55, 9 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will receive 50,000 new antigen tests which detect presence of coronavirus in human organism faster than the PCR tests, Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan said during the joint session of the parliamentary standing committees today.

“I want to announce news which will probably lead to decrease in prices of PCR tests, it’s about the import of new type of antigen tests to Armenia. These tests detect the virus faster and will more likely lead to change in the structure of the market, and people, as well as medical centers will start using them. This trend exists in the world, and we will soon get 50,000 such tests. These tests will be made for free”, the minister said.

Torosyan added that currently the world is passing from PCR tests to antigen tests.

Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan