16:31, 3 November, 2020
STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Army of Artsakh released a video on the elimination of an Azeri armored convoy formation and special forces who were attacking the Shekher-Karmir Shuka – Taghavard lines.
The Defense Army said it released the video as “an additional affirmation of our previously issued statement”, since the Azeri side was refuting it.
16:32, 3 November, 2020
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. At 13:40 the Azerbaijani military launched a 30-man raid attempt in the direction of Karvajar, but the attack was thwarted by precision mortar strikes of the Artsakh army, Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said. The Azeri forces suffered losses.
Shortly afterwards, at 14:30, the Azeri forces amassed in the same direction. The movement was detected by Artsakh military units and precision strikes neutralized another 4 troops.
The Defense Army of Artsakh said it maintains control over the tactical situation in all directions of the frontline.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
16:41, 3 November, 2020
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Several artillery shells fired by Azerbaijan in the direction of Armenian units landed in Iranian territory, Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said.
“The Azerbaijani side opened artillery fire in the direction of Armenian units. Some of the shells fell into Iranian territory,” Stepanyan said.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
17:05, 3 November, 2020
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. The Republic of Armenia has submitted additional evidence to the European Court of Human Rights substantiating Turkey’s failure to comply with the decision of 6 October 2020 on applying interim measures under Rule 39, the Armenian Representation before the ECHR said in a statement.
The evidence confirms the continuous direct and indirect involvement of Turkey in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
In particular, there’s undeniable proof that Turkey recruits, transfers, and deploys mercenaries and terrorists from Syria to Azerbaijan, which directly participate in the hostilities. Turkey’s involvement in the armed conflict is confirmed not only through direct official statements, but also the conduct of high-ranking state officials.
The evidence submitted to the Court is supported by statements of high-ranking officials of different countries, including CoE member states.
17:30, 3 November, 2020
YEREVAN, 3 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 3 November, USD exchange rate down by 0.10 drams to 493.66 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.55 drams to 577.34 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.05 drams to 6.20 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 3.82 drams to 641.31 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price up by 121.72 drams to 29995.62 drams. Silver price up by 5.48 drams to 380.52 drams. Platinum price up by 44.87 drams to 13570.16 drams.
Azeri military resume bombing Artsakh’s residential areas
17:31, 3 November, 2020
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Alongside attacking the military positions of Artsakh, the Azeri forces continued bombarding peaceful settlements of Artsakh, the State Service of Emergency Situations said.
Throughout November 3 the Azeri air force bombed Martuni, the town of Shushi was bombarded, and the Shahumyan region’s residential areas were hit by an Azeri PC30 missile. According to preliminary information the civilians were unharmed.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
18:11, 3 November, 2020
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Juma Ahmadzada, son of head of Azerbaijan’s state water resources management company Ahmad Ahmadzada, lives in a luxury apartment in the heart of London, but the apartment has been purchased not by him, but an offshore firm called Vremax Properties Limited, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) said in an investigative report.
Azerbaijan’s state water resources management company led by Ahmad Ahmadzada has signed two beneficial contracts with construction companies owned by Turkish multi-millionaire Mehmet Cengiz. Several months after signing a contract, another company controlled by Cengiz in London has paid a consultancy fee of $3.07 million to Vremax.
Several months after the payment, Vremax purchased a $2.3-million luxury apartment in the heart of London. The apartment was already occupied by a young businessman from Azerbaijan, Juma Ahmadzada. Vremax immediately gave him permission to keep living there. What’s more, two years after the initial purchase, the secretive offshore company bought two other apartments next door and allowed Ahmadzada to remodel them, creating a truly palatial residence for him.
OCCRP has seen no direct evidence that the apartment represented a bribe. The owners of Vremax are unknown, as is whether the firm did any real consulting work and whether it had any other sources of income. Finally, the specific role that may have been played by Mehmet Cengiz, Juma Ahmadzada, or his father, Ahmad, in these arrangements is unknown.
The heart of the mystery lies in the offshore secrecy that makes Vremax’s true nature nearly impossible to discover. That’s why the affair warrants further investigation, according to two corruption specialists who reviewed OCCRP’s findings.
18:27, 3 November, 2020
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Russia calls on external players to use their capacities to prevent the deployment of mercenaries from the Middle East to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, as their number is already approaching 2000, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview to Kommersant.
“We, of course, are concerned over the internationalization of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the involvement of militants from the Middle East. We have repeatedly called on the external players to use their capacities to prevent the transfer of mercenaries whose number in the conflict zone is already reaching 2000 according to the existing data. This topic was discussed in particular during the October 27 telephone conversation of Russian President Vladimir Putin with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as during the regular contacts with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. We continue persistently pushing forward our position through various channels”, the Russian FM said.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
18:39, 3 November, 2020
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov considers possible the work with the Nagorno Karabakh conflicting sides aimed at the settlement, but states that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship is the only internationally recognized format for the settlement of the NK conflict.
“The three Co-Chair countries are the format having a common mediation recognition aimed at overcoming the conflict. On that occasion the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers have affirmed the inalterability of the negotiation format in the joint statement adopted in Moscow on October 10”, the Russian FM told Kommersant, asked how Moscow reacts to the idea of creating a new negotiation format on NK which will involve Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey.
Lavrov stated that Russia, in any case, supports the idea that it’s possible to work with all partners, including the neighbors of the conflicting sides which have an opportunity to influence and create conditions for achieving solution through political-diplomatic means based on fundamental principles of the settlement, which the Co-Chairs push forward during contacts with Baku and Yerevan.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
18:48, 3 November, 2020
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan has expressed his full solidarity to the people of Austria over the recent terror attack in Vienna.
“Barbarity and terrorism smearing around. Now in Vienna. Very angry about this heinous attack. In full solidarity with Austria’n friends. Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh are fighting those terrorists sponsored by Turkey and their client Azerbaijan”, the FM said on Twitter.
In Vienna on Monday night, shooting occurred in six locations, including a site near a synagogue. Three people were killed, 15 were wounded, including one police officer. One of the shooters was shot and killed by police. As the police reported, the shooting was initiated by several well-armed men, reports TASS. Austria’s Federal Minister of the Interior Karl Nehammer and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz viewed the attack as a terrorist act. Residents were recommended to avoid public places. A large-scale special operation on search and apprehension of perpetrators is underway in the city.
Editing by Aneta Harutyunyan