Category: 2020

 10:55,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. 861 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 152,253, the ministry of healthcare said today.

1223 more patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 131,213.

2567 tests were conducted in the past one day.

15 more patients have died, raising the death toll to 2596.

The number of active cases is 17,796.

The number of patients who had coronavirus but died from other disease has reached 648 (6 new such cases).

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 12:20,

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. 35 bodies of Armenian troops and 1 body of a civilian person were found during search operations for the remains of the Artsakh war victims in Fizuli, Jabrayil and Hadrut, the State Service of Emergency Situations of Artsakh told ARMENPRESS.

“The body of the civilian, an elderly woman, was found in the village of Vardashat in Hadrut. So far, a total of 969 bodies of the missing persons were found,” State Service of Emergency Situations spokesperson Hunan Tadevosyan said.

He said that volunteers familiar with the terrain and family members of those missing have joined the rescuers in the search operations in Nerkin Tchartar, Fizuli, Jabrayil and Ishkanadzor of Kashatagh region.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 13:09,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan is summoned to parliament by the ruling My Step bloc for a closed meeting, his spokesperson Albert Nerzetyan told ARMENPRESS.

Other details weren’t immediately available.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 13:27,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia delivered 80 tons of humanitarian aid to Artsakh. The supplies were taken to Stepanakert, Martuni, Martakert and Askeran.

The aid will be distributed among the residents, the ministry said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 14:24,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Until January 31, 2021 the subscribers of Ucom fixed services will benefit from faster internet and get the opportunity to watch the maximum number of TV channels. All subscribers of uNet fixed internet service will benefit at no extra charge from the increased speed of up to 100 Mb/sec via cable connection, while all the subscribers of uTV service will be able to watch all 191 multi-genre TV channels.

The subscribers of uMix and Triple Play packages will enjoy both the increased speed of the fixed internet, and watching the programs/ projects of all available TV channels. “We thank all Ucom subscribers for being by our side this difficult year, for overcoming all the challenges with joint efforts. May the upcoming year be good and peaceful”, said Ara Khachatryan, Director General at Ucom.

 15:54,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin says the Nagorno Karabakh war has increased the risk of terrorism spreading in the region.

“We were all concerned over the armed conflict in the Nagorno Karabakh region, where Azerbaijan and Armenia – CIS member-states close to us all, were involved,” Putin said at the CIS summit.

“Unfortunately the military clashes led to many human losses, escalated the already difficult situation in Transcaucasia and increased the risk of spread of terrorism,” he said.

Putin added that the Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh are doing everything in order for the situation not to escalate again.

Thousands of mercenaries recruited by Turkey from Syria were fighting for the Azeri military during the Artsakh war. Some of these militant-mercenaries have been captured by the Artsakh Defense Army and are now facing international terrorism charges.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 16:31,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Condolence books for the victims of the Artsakh war will be opened in all Armenian embassies abroad during the three day-mourning period, the foreign ministry told ARMENPRESS.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Armenian Embassy in Iran said they will accept condolences online at .

A three-day mourning period is declared in Armenia and Artsakh from December 19 in memory of the Artsakh war victims.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:23,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that he’ll visit the Syunik Province on December 21 where he will meet citizens, local government authorities in Meghri, Kapan, Goris and Sisian.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:31,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has ratified the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which was earlier approved by the country’s parliament, the Armenian embassy said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:22,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Russian border guards will be deployed alongside Armenian border guards in some parts of Armenia’s eastern border with Azerbaijan in the southernmost Syunik Province, the ministry of defense told ARMENPRESS when asked to comment on media reports alleging that PM Pashinyan ordered Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan to sign a secret deal with Russia on handing over the defense of positions in Syunik to them.

“Naturally the Defense Minister couldn’t have signed any secret document, and he hasn’t,” the defense ministry said, refuting the report. “Moreover, the Defense Minister ex-officio doesn’t have the authority to sign any document related to the demarcation of the Armenian borders. The Defense Minister has only agreed with his Russian colleagues that in some parts of Syunik’s borders, due to security reasons, Russian border guards will be stationed as well.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan