Category: 2020

 17:31,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The potential temporary ban on imports of Turkish goods to Armenia won’t cause shortage of products or inflation, the Armenian Deputy Minister of Economy Varos Simonyan said.

“The volumes of imports from other countries will simply increase,” he said.

The ban, if adopted, is expected to be effective for a 6-month period starting from December 31, 2020.

Simonyan said the government will assist the businesses to start importing the same products from other markets.

“December 31 is the reasonable timeframe that will allow our businesses to reposition to other markets if they are currently importing only from Turkey. There are many alternative markets,” he said.

The Ministry of Economy of Armenia has drafted and introduced for public debates a bill that seeks to temporarily ban the imports of a number of Turkish products to Armenia, the Chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Armenian Parliament Babken Tunyan earlier said. 

The decision is based on Turkey’s overt support, including the transfer of jihadist militants, to Azerbaijan in its ongoing attacks on Artsakh and Armenia.

Since Armenia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, the Eurasian Economic Commission will be notified as required by regulations.

According to the ministry of economy, although the ban on imports is an economic move, it also contains a security component.

“Not only is an economic sanction imposed against Turkey with this ban, but also in terms of security the financial flows from Armenian sources into Turkey’s state treasury are being suspended,” the ministry said, adding that it is also with these very resources that Turkey is supporting Azerbaijan now.  The ministry added that the move will also “prevent the infiltration of various threats through the import of final good products from a hostile country.”

Many businesses in Armenia have already voluntarily withdrawn Turkish-made merchandise.

The economy ministry said the halt of imports from Turkey won’t cause a shortage of these products in Armenia because these products will be substituted from other markets or locally produced ones.

Imports from Turkey to Armenia in 2019 totaled 268,1 million dollars (Clothing – 69,4 million USD, citrus fruits – 10,3 million USD, machinery, equipment  – 35,3 million USD, petroleum and oil – 24,3 million USD, chemical industry products – 23,6 million USD, base metals – 21,6 million dollars.

From the 128 billion drams worth of imports in 2019, around 100 billion were final good commodities.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:36,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, Sergey Smbatyan, has joined Armenian Goodwill Ambassadors of UNICEF of different years in their call addressed to the UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore. They are calling on the leadership of UNICEF, UN sister agencies and other Goodwill Ambassadors to break the silence in these days of Azerbaijan’s large-scale military aggression and take bold steps to save the lives of people who have become victims of merciless bloodshed.

Sergey Smbatyan’s collaboration with UNICEF has a history of many years, since Maestro established the UNICEF Children’s Chamber Orchestra in 2009 and had performances in Armenia and Europe.

Nouneh Sarkissian, the Wife of the President of the Republic of Armenia and a UNICEF High Level Advocate for Children (since 2019), Alla Levonyan, the distinguished Artist of the Republic of Armenia and the First UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador (since 2007), Maria Guleghina, the renowned soprano with Armenian origins, Honorary Board member of the International Paralympic Committee, People’s Artist of Ossetia and Alania, Honoured Artist of Belarus and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador (since 2009), Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the Professional Footballer at AS ROMA, Armenia National Football Team Captain and a UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador (since 2016) and Artur Aleksanyan, the Greco-Roman wrestler, Olympic / World / European Champion and a UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador (since 2019) have addressed their message to the UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore, reflecting upon the large-scale military offensive against Nagorno Karabakh, launched by Azerbaijan on September 27, which continues to escalate to this date with the support and participation of Turkey.

“As evidenced by ad-hoc reports of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and Ombudsman of Artsakh, massive airborne and land attacks have been targeting civilians, hospitals, emergency centers, schools, churches and other vital infrastructures, with extensive use of military aviation, weaponry banned by all international conventions, such as cluster warhead missiles and other terror inspiring means. Indiscriminate and intentional strikes against the peaceful population and civilian infrastructures have resulted in widespread destruction, numerous casualties and severe injuries, including to children and women. Today Artsakh is facing a humanitarian catastrophe.

This is a gross violation of human rights, the Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law. This is not just an attack against Armenians but an attack against the fundamental norms of humanity, an attack against what the UN stands for. Unfortunately, it takes place under the international community’s watchful eyes.

Children fall victim to violent bloodshed, they are subjected to psychological trauma and sufferings and are in dire need for help regardless of what nation they belong to and irrespective of the area they live in, with unwavering determination of leaving no one behind. Now the children of Artsakh are under existential threat, but as all children in the rest of the world, they have the right to live and the right to be protected. All of them – 15-year-old Robert who is in coma, 2-year-old Artsvik who is still struggling between life and death, Artsvik’s 9-year-old sister, who was killed, and many others….

As UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, we are calling upon the leadership of UNICEF, UN sister agencies and our fellow Goodwill Ambassadors to speak up, extend a helping hand and act now to prevent further bloodshed. Expressing concern and calls to peace have not rendered due results. Extend humanitarian assistance to people living in Artsakh, in accordance with the Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Make sure that the principle of the universality of human rights and your pledge to leave no one behind are implemented unconditionally for everyone and everywhere.

Let’s not allow our silence to stifle the cries of babies and their unarmed caretakers!

Let ourselves not fail to act as true caretakers of compassion, justice and peace!

Bold action is needed at this very critical moment to save human lives. We wish to remain proud members of a UNICEF family that notices the obvious, condemns the immoral and cares for the vulnerable and aggrieved”, reads the message.

 18:15,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Works for preparing the visit of Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan to the USA are underway, Ambassador of Armenia to the USA Varuzhan Nersesyan told The Hill.

‘’It’s expected that the visit and the meeting with Secretary of the U.S. Department of State Mike Pompeo will take place this month’’, ARMENPRESS reports the news website informs, noting that though the meeting is in the sidelines of annual Armenia-USA strategic dialogue, it has a new urgency under the light of the escalation of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as a result of which dozens of civilians, hundreds have been injured and 10s of thousands have been displaced.

Ambassador Nersesyan noted that though works are carried out to organize the visit, the details of the visit will be announced by the Foreign Ministry of Armenia and the U.S. Department of State.

 18:19,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The air defense units of Armenia destroyed 3 Azerbaijani UAVs in the airspace of the Republic of Armenia on October 17 in the period of 16:30-17:45, ARMENPRESS reports spokesperson of MoD Armenia Shsushan Stepanyan informed.

She added that another UAV was destroyed in Artsakh.

 19:17,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Military operations along almost entire Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line continued on October 17, ARMENPRESS reports President of ARtsakh Arayik Harutyunyan wrote on his Facebook page.

‘’Particularly fierce clashes took place in the southern direction. The Defense Army excellently fulfils its military tasks, inflicting heavy manpower and military equipment losses’’, Harutyunyan wrote.

 19:59,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Nearly 20 Azerbaijanis attacked Armenian peaceful protesters with sticks and stones in Israel who were holding a motor march with the flags of Armenia and Artsakh against the military cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan, representative of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem Father Tiran told ARMENPRESS.

‘’During the motor race nearly 20 Azerbaijanis with 3-4 cars blocked the way of our protesters, started to break the cars with stones and sticks, as well as hit the Armenians in the cars. Clashes started between our protesters and them, during which 4-5 young Armenians received minor injuries, while an elderly Armenian lost consciousness, who has been hospitalized. At the moment all feel well’’, Father Tiran said.

He noted that during the incident the Azerbaijanis caused property damage of 5-10 thousand dollars.

Father Tiran added that the Israeli Police arrived at the scene and arrested some of the Azerbaijanis, who had provoked the incident.

The attackers had Azerbaijani flags with them.

 20:48,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has released a footage presenting the strikes against a hospital in Artsakh’s north-eastern direction as a destruction of ammunition depots.

ARMENPRESS reports spokesperson of MoD Armenia Shushan Stepanyan shared the footage on her Facebook page, emphasizing that the footage shows the deliberate strike against a hospital in Artsakh’s north-east that took place on October 14, which Azerbaijanis present as a destruction of ammunition depots.

The press service of Artsakh’s Defense Army informed on October 14 that the Azerbaijani armed forces targeted a hospital in the north-eastern part of Artsakh, where civilians also receive treatment.

 21:08,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. UNICEF has issued a statement, urging to cease hostilities in Nagorno Karabakh, which has left negative impact on many children. ARMENPRESS reports the statement of the UNICEF runs as follows,

”The ongoing conflict in and beyond Nagorno-Karabakh is inflicting an appalling and unacceptable toll on children. In addition to the mounting number of child fatalities and injuries, dozens of homes and schools have been damaged or destroyed. Countless children and families have endured extreme psychological trauma and distress for weeks.

UNICEF appeals, in the strongest possible terms, for an immediate implementation of the humanitarian ceasefire which both parties agreed to on 9 October. Children, families and the civilian facilities that they depend upon must be protected, in line with international human rights and humanitarian law. A complete cessation of hostilities is in the best interest of all children”.

 22:23,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan have agreed to a humanitarian truce as of October 18th, 00:00 local time, ARMENPRESS reports the Foreign Ministry of Armenia announced.

”This decision was taken following the statement of the Presidents of the French Republic, the Russian Federation and the United States of America, representing the Co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, of 1 October 2020, the Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group of 5 October, and in line with Moscow Statement of 10 October 2020’’.

On October 10 the sides had again reached an agreement on humanitarian ceasefire, but the Azerbaijani side never respected the agreement, starting to violate it immediately after it entered into effect.