Category: 2020

 16:57,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. President of Russia Vladimir Putin says the territorial problems that emerged between Armenia and Azerbaijan after the Karabakh armistice was signed must be resolved through negotiations.

“We’ve agreed on a cessation of military actions, and we’ve agreed that the sides will stand in positions where they were at the moment of the signing of the statement,” Putin said at a news conference when asked to comment on the developments in Hadrut.

“Some technical problems emerged regarding this, which are related with infrastructures, both for Armenia and Azerbaijan. These problems must be solved calmly, during the negotiations process, because the trilateral statement provides all possibilities for this, because it mentions that after the establishment of a ceasefire a complete stabilization of relations must take place in the region, with economic and infrastructural unblocking. This refers also to Nakhijevan, and Armenia’s south and north. I hope that the flare-up which happened with the violation of the ceasefire will be the only one and that it will be possible to bring all agreed sides around negotiations,” President Putin said.

Putin noted the importance of the November 9 Russia-Armenia-Azerbaijan statement because it stopped the bloodshed in Karabakh. He noted that all other matters are secondary to this.

“The preservation of people’s lives and health is the most important objective that we solved,” he said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:18,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Vice Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan says snap parliamentary elections must be held as soon as possible when it is technically and physically possible.

“We will go to elections when we are ready. I think that the elections should take place”, the Vice Speaker told reporters in the Parliament, stating that the citizens of Armenia should be granted with an opportunity on making a decision.

Asked when the elections will take place, he said he wants it as soon as possible. “As soon as possible, when it will be possible both technically and physically. I think there cannot be any other opinion”, he said.

Alen Simonyan emphasized that the power will be formed only by the people, the decision will be made by the people.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 17:33,

YEREVAN, 17 DECEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 17 December, USD exchange rate down by 1.48 drams to 523.42 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.44 drams to 640.20 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.03 drams to 7.19 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.40 drams to 710.91 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 66.18 drams to 31165.25 drams. Silver price up by 14.25 drams to 422.9 drams. Platinum price up by 18.44 drams to 17350.02 drams.

 17:40,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The Homeland Salvation Movement and its supporters are again rallying in Yerevan demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The March of Dignity kicked off near the TUMO building.

The Homeland Salvation Movement is created by 16 political parties (1 parliamentary and 15 non-parliamentary).

The movement officially declared ex-PM Vazgen Manukyan as their candidate for interim Prime Minister who they say will organize early general elections.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 18:52,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The announcements and all the publications containing elements of crimes during live broadcasts and press conferences referring to the period of the war under investigation, criminal cases have been initiated, ARMENPRESS reports Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan’s advisor Gor Abrahamyan said in a meeting with lawyers.

”There has been no statement containing some concrete elements of crime that has not appeared in the focus of the attention of the Prosecutor’s Office. Numerous criminal cases have been initiated. There will be a special publication over that”, Abrahamyan said, emphasizing that the information of allegedly providing 1400 Armenian passports to Armenian speaking Azerbaijanis is also under investigation.

”The purchases of low-quality ammunition is also under investigation’’, Abrahamyan said.

 19:29,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The claims of the Azerbaijani side about the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Artsakh pursue the goal of distorting the November 9 trilateral declaration on ceasefire and are the continuation of the recent-days’ provocations by the armed forces of that country aiming to thwart the efforts of the Russian peacekeepers, ARMENPRESS reports the Foreign Ministry of Artsakh announced, commenting on the remarks of an Azerbaijani foreign ministry official in an interview with Russian ”Kommersant” saying that the Armenian forces must withdraw from Karabakh.

”At the same time, we note that the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh was, is and will be the key guarantor of the statehood of Artsakh and its people. After the establishment of a ceasefire mediated by Russia on November 10, the Artsakh Defense Army together with the Russian peacekeeping forces continues its mission to ensure stability and peace in the conflict zone’’, reads the statement.