12:22,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan paid tribute to the memory of the soldiers fallen at the recent Artsakh war in the Sisian city pantheon during the visit to Syunik province.
The PM laid flowers at the tombs of the victims, extended his condolences to their families.
Pashinyan arrived in Syunik province today. He has already toured the town of Sisian, had a talk with the locals.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
12:39,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. The Artsakh authorities have retrieved 1039 bodies from the battle zones since the end of the war, the State Service of Emergency Situations of Artsakh told ARMENPRESS.
“Since 13 November 2020, the rescue detachments of the State Service of Emergency Situations are carrying out search and rescue operations in areas where military operations have taken place. As a result of these works, 1039 remains including remains of civilians have been discovered as of December 20,” the State Service of Emergency Situations said in a statement.
The search for the bodies continues in the mountainous-forest terrains of the Shushi region, as well as in Martuni, Hadrut and Fizuli.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Armenia’s former Ambassador to the Vatican Mikayel Minasyan took to Facebook on Monday to denounce the attempts to pressure and intimidate the priest of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in the town of Sisian in Syunik Province, Father Pargev Zeynalyan after he snubbed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s offered handshake at the church and instead showed the exit door.
“I appeal to all those who are carrying out Nikol's hysterical order, trying to pressure and intimidate the pastor of the Sisian church, Father Pargev Zeynalyan.
“Without any ambiguity and subtext, I warn the wealthy thief hiding under the fake account of “Maestro” (soon the accused) and the vermins from the Civil Contract party who have been sent from Yerevan [to Sisian]: don't you dare to come any closer to Fr. Pargev or the Sisian church, don’t even dare to think that you can make a tart remark about him or give him a dirty look, blasphemers!” he wrote.
“The father may even forgive you, after all, he is a priest, but many, including me, won’t. I will punish you as an Armenian, as a man, as a follower of the Apostolic Church, and only after that I will let you to be judged with the full force of the law,” Minasyan added.
Protesters in Armenia’s Syunik Province continue blocking traffic on Goris-Tatev highway, demanding the release of Goris Mayor Arush Arushanyan.
Syunik residents have shut down the highway since Monday morning, forcing Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to cut short his visit to the region.
Protesters insist that they will open the road only when the mayor personally tells them to.
Arush Arushanyan was arrested early on Monday after urging Goris residents to block the main regional highway and bar Pashinyan from entering Syunik. The mayor is charged with organizing an illegal gathering.
14:33,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. The World Health Organization has no information at its disposal yet on how the novel coronavirus strain influences mortality rates, WHO representative to Russia, Melita Vujnovic, said on the round-the-clock television news channel Rossiya-24, reports TASS.
“The first data that we have received from British scientists indicates that this virus may be more contagious. At this point there is no proof, no sufficient evidence to say that it influences pathogenicity, the seriousness of the disease and mortality”, Vujnovic said, adding that the WHO kept in touch with British scientists.
On December 14, Britain’s Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, said British scientists had identified a new coronavirus strain that might be to blame for high infection rates in southeastern England. Hancock said preliminary analysis indicated that the newly-discovered virus strain was spreading faster than any of those exposed previously.
14:20,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says he is returning from the province of Syunik after visiting the town of Sisian.
Protesters had blocked the road leading to Goris and several other towns.
“Now I am convinced that the road is blocked so that it doesn’t become obvious that the atmosphere in Goris, Kapan, Kajaran and Meghri is the same as in Sisian,” he said, referring to the fact that his supporters had gathered in Sisian. “Moreover, we won’t resort to forceful actions amid mourning. We are returning to Yerevan. I owe a visit to Goris, Kapan, Kajaran and Meghri. Peace be upon our martyrs,” Pashinyan said on social media.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
14:30,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. The construction of a block-modular camp for the accommodation of 250 servicemen of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Stepanakert, Nagorno Karabakh, has been completed, the Russian defense ministry reports.
Currently, the commissioning of the engineering equipment of the camp is being completed.
The complete set of block-modular camp includes residential units, a gym, an officer's house, a bathhouse, a first-aid post, a dryer, a clothing cleaning room, a leisure room, a headquarters and an office, a storage room, a canteen, a kitchen, a grocery store, sanitary modules, a room for storing weapons, engineering equipment.
The block-modular camp will create comfortable living conditions for the personnel.
The block-modular town is full-fledged objects, which are equipped with all the necessary components of life support systems (electricity, autonomous heating, a bathroom, water supply, drainage), equipped with furniture (bed, wardrobe, kitchen set, tables, chairs, shower) and household appliances (electric stove, refrigerator, washing machine, microwave oven, TV, air conditioner, boiler).
In addition, such camps are designed for outdoor temperatures from +35 to – 45 degrees, which allows them to be used in various climatic zones.
15:09,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin considers the Russian peacekeepers who are currently deployed in Nagorno Karabakh as a security guarantor, RIA Novosti reports.
“Russian peacekeepers have become a security guarantor in Karabakh. They are endangering their lives in order to return the peaceful life there”, Putin said.
Russian peacekeepers have been deployed in Nagorno Karabakh in accordance with the November 9 statement signed by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan on complete cessation of hostilities in the NK conflict zone.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Governor of Armenia’s Tavush Province Hayk Chobanyan on Monday refuted rumors about handing over some villages in the region to Azerbaijan.
“Dear residents of Tavush, they are spreading yet another disinformation about the alleged handover of our villages, not realizing the numerous threats that may emerge as a result of it. They don’t care about the distress that a person living in border areas may have reading such news,” he said in a statement released by the Tavush Regional Administration.
“This is simply the peak of irresponsibility. Our law enforcement agencies must take the strictest measures.
“Dear people, keep calm! Our borders are strong due to our army, our people, our will and our work,” the statement said.
17:26,
YEREVAN, 21 DECEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 21 December, USD exchange rate down by 0.57 drams to 521.66 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 4.77 drams to 634.96 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.15 drams to 6.95 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 15.53 drams to 689.43 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 219.14 drams to 31526.71 drams. Silver price up by 0.78 drams to 432.96 drams. Platinum price down by 136.56 drams to 17409.08 drams.