Category: 2020

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan makes attempt of sabotage penetration, 2 servicemen wounded

Emil Lazarian
News.am, Armenia

21:55, 30.03.2020
                  

Today at around 7 p.m. Azerbaijan made an attempt of sabotage penetration in the direction of the Armenian military posts of the Noyemberyan region of Tavush Province. Thanks to the operations of the Armenian border guard troops, the adversary was thrown back, and the information about the casualties is being specified. This is what Spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense Shushan Stepanyan wrote on her Facebook page today.

The statement particularly states that the Armenian side doesn’t have casualties, and only two servicemen received slight injuries as a result of the operations. The adversary also targeted the Baghanis and Voskevan villlages of Armenia, and a young resident of Voskevan was injured during the shootings (the young person was standing at the balcony of the house).

The Armed Forces of Armenia will take actions adequate to the situation in order to stabilize the situation in the border zone and to suppress the impertinent actions that the Azerbaijani armed forces, in this case the border guard troops have taken during the current pandemic, and Azerbaijan’s military-political leadership will be held fully responsible for the consequences.

Azerbaijani troops target Armenian villages, two soldiers and a child wounded

Dabaghian Diana
Public Radio of Armenia

Two Armenian servicemen and a child were wounded as the Azerbaijani troops undertook a subversive infiltration attempt in the direction of the Armenian military posts near Noyemberyan region in Tavush Province at 7 pm today, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense Shushan Stepanyan informs.

The enemy was thrown back thanks to the actions of the Armenian Armed Forces, the information about the losses is being clarified, she said, adding that no casualties have been registered on the Armenian side.

At the same time, the Spokesperson said the enemy targeted the villages of Baghanis and Voskevan, injuring a child in the Voskevan community who was on the balcony at the moment.

The Armenian Armed Forces will take relevant actions to stabilize the situation at the border and to deter the inhumane actions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces during the pandemic, she said.

“The military-political leadership of Azerbaijan will bear full responsibility for the consequences,”  Stepanyan stated.

Armenian child wounded in Azerbaijani shooting in serious, but stable condition

Ophelia Vardapetian
Public Radio of Armenia


The child wounded in Armenia’s Voskevaz community as a result of shooting from the Azerbaijani side is in serious, but stable condition, the injury is not life-threatening, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health Alina Nikoghosyan informs.

The child received a gunshot wound to the chest, the Spokesperson said, adding that necessary first aid was provided.

The child is being transported to the Surb Astvatsamayr Medical Center in Yerevan.

Two soldiers and a teen-age child were wounded as Azerbaijan undertook a subversive penetration attempt in the direction of Noyemberyan region.

Caucasus unrecognized states remain coronavirus-free

Arpi Talalian
UNPO – Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization
Mar 30, 2020

Below is an article by Eurasianet, written by Joshua Kucera. Photo by Nycz.photo/bored panda

The isolation of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh have served them well as the disease spreads all around them.

In a global pandemic, there may be a benefit to be an isolated, unrecognized state.

The three de facto breakaway states of the South Caucasus – Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh – all officially remain coronavirus-free even as the proper states surrounding them have seen spikes in cases of the disease.

In all three territories, large events have been canceled and “border” protocols strengthened as a result of COVID-19. But in a sign of relative normalcy, upcoming elections in Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh are still going ahead.

The territories have no doubt benefited from their pariah statuses, as it is relatively difficult to get in and out of them all even in the best of times. Nagorno-Karabakh forms a sort of cul-de-sac, its only access being from Armenia. South Ossetia and Abkhazia both abut both Russia and Georgia proper, though both heavily restricted access to Georgia shortly after the first cases appeared there, and have subsequently cut it off entirely. Both territories’ de-facto borders with Russia, however, remain open.

In his announcement of a state of emergency for Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the measures would include stronger controls on the boundary between Karabakh and Armenia, the territory’s only outlet to the rest of the world. “We urge our citizens to travel from Artsakh to Armenia and vice versa only in cases of exceptional need,” Pashinyan said March 16, using the alternate Armenian term for Karabakh.

Meanwhile, schools in Karabakh, which had been closed February 29 and then reopened on March 10, were then re-closed on March 14. Large events have been canceled and government officials’ trips abroad have been canceled except in special cases.

Karabakh’s elections – for the de facto president and parliament – are scheduled for March 31. Pashinyan said that given there were no cases reported so far, he saw no reason for the vote not to go ahead.  

In Abkhazia, too, elections for the de facto presidency – which had been under threat due to the mysterious illness of the leading candidate – are still going ahead in spite of the coronavirus. The candidate, Aslan Bzhania, returned to Abkhazia on March 14 following his hospitalization in Russia and the election is scheduled for March 22.

The elections will, however, proceed without foreign observers because of the travel restrictions imposed by Russia on its government officials, and because European observers haven’t been invited, RFE/RL .

Abkhazia also has banned large public events and stepped up its disinfection of public transportation in spite of the lack of reported cases.

The authorities in South Ossetia also were closely monitoring the situation. “It’s an emergency situation, which shouldn’t be a surprise as there is an active migration of the population,” said the de facto state’s top public health doctor, Marina Kochiyeva, RFE/RL . “Maybe not as active as in other countries, but for our small republic it’s enough.”

EU extends support programme for Eastern Partnership countries

Alex Nanijanian
Emerging Europe
Emerging Europe

The European Commission has reallocated 140 million euros for the most immediate needs of the six Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine) in the fight against coronavirus. In addition, the Commission will also redirect the use of existing instruments worth up to 700 million euros to help mitigate the socio-economic impact of the crisis.

“These are very difficult times not only for the EU, but for our partner countries as well,” said Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi. “We are doing all we can to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on human lives and livelihoods. We are responding both to the immediate needs of the health systems, as well as longer term needs to the most vulnerable groups in society and small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of the economies in the six countries.”

At the request of the partner countries, the Commission will respond to immediate needs by supporting the supply of medical devices and personal equipment, such as ventilators, laboratory kits, masks, goggles, gowns, and safety suits. The European Commission is working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), and is deploying 30 million euros to ensure these necessary supplies are jointly purchased and effectively distributed to the health systems of the six countries in the coming weeks.

In addition, the funds will support national health administrations to train medical and laboratory staff and carry out awareness raising measures to the wider population.

The Commission has also made available more than 11.3 million euros in small grants to civil society organisations. These funds are already responding to immediate needs, through the ongoing regional Rapid Response Mechanism, such as supporting local schools with distance learning. By the summer, and as part of this package, the Commission will launch an Eastern Partnership Solidarity Programme which will target the most affected parts of the populations through civil society support and notably sub-grants to smaller, local organisations.

The Commission is working closely with international financial institutions and relevant financing institutions from EU member states to coordinate the European response for the real economy, including SMEs in particular, through the launch of a new support programme of 100 million euros to help SMEs, including the self-employed, to easily access credit and boost their businesses after the crisis.

The Commission is also facilitating, simplifying, accelerating, and reinforcing 200 million euros worth of existing credit lines and grants to SMEs in local currency, including through its EU4Business Initiative

In addition, the EU has mobilised its major de-risking instrument, the European Fund for Sustainable Development, worth a total of 1.55 billion euros, with 500 euros million being made available for the EU’s neighbourhood.

This will rapidly provide liquidity, including through working capital, trade finance, or moratoria on debt service. This support is in addition to the ongoing macro financial assistance support to partners, including Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

EU to provide funds to Armenia to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 outbreak

Parkev Tvankchian
Public Radio of Armenia

As part of its global response to the coronavirus outbreak, the European Commission stands by Eastern Partner countries and has reallocated €140 million for the most immediate needs including for Armenia. In addition, the Commission will also redirect the use of existing instruments worth up to €700 million across the region to help mitigate socio-economic impact of the coronavirus crisis.

Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Olivér Várhelyi said: ”These are very difficult times not only for the EU, but for our partner countries, such as Armenia, as well. We have to do what we can to mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on human lives and livelihoods. Today’s package responds both to the immediate needs of the health systems, as well as a longer term needs to the most vulnerable groups in society and small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of the economies in the six countries”. 

Responding to immediate needs:

Support to the Armenian health system: At the request of the partner countries, including Armenia, the Commission will respond to immediate needs by supporting the supply of medical devices and personal equipment, such as ventilators, laboratory kits, masks, goggles, gowns, and safety suits.

The European Commission is working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), and is deploying €30 million to ensure these necessary supplies are jointly purchased and effectively distributed to the health systems of the six countries in the coming weeks. In addition, the funds will support national health administrations to train medical and laboratory staff and carry out awareness raising measures to the wider population.

Support to the people who are most affected by the crisis, together with civic partners. The EU has made available more than €11.3 million in small grants to civil society organisations across the region. These funds are already responding to immediate needs, through the ongoing regional “Rapid Response Mechanism”, such as supporting local schools with distance learning. In Armenia, a project with the Red Cross will be launched in the coming days to support the elderly, vulnerable families, and people with disabilities.

By the summer, and as part this package, the Commission will the launch of the “Eastern Partnership Solidarity Programme” which will target the most affected parts of the populations through civil society support and notably sub-grants to smaller, local organisations. Additionally a new call for proposals, worth €3 million, was launched on 25 March, to support civil society organisations contribute to social well-being, including those impacted by the COVID19 outbreak.

Mitigating socio-economic impact of the outbreak:

Support to Armenia’s economy, notably small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) The EU is working closely with International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and relevant financing institutions from EU Member States as TEAM EUROPE providing a coordinated European response for the real economy, including SMEs, in particular through:

  • Launching of a new regional support programme of €100 million to help SMEs, including self-employed and others to easily access credit and boost their businesses after the crisis. This will be complemented by a new support programme targeting Armenian SMEs worth €13 million
  • The EU is also exploring to mobilise over €30 million from existing programmes in coordination with the Armenian government
  • Facilitating, simplifying, accelerating, and reinforcing €200 million worth of existing credit lines and grants to SMEs in local currency including through its EU4Business Initiative;
  • In addition, in the current crisis the EU has mobilised its major de-risking instrument worth €500 million, the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD). This will rapidly provide liquidly and can be urgently deployed by IFI partners to facilitate the provision of liquidity in the EU’s Neighbourhood including through working capital, trade finance, or moratoria on debt service.

The EU is also reorienting ongoing support programmes to address Armenia’s needs to respond to the pandemic. As a result, €1.75 million has already been disbursed under a Public Finance Policy Reform budget support programme to provide immediate support to the government.

In parallel, a new Twinning programme of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in partnership with the Swedish and Lithuanian civilian protection agencies has been approved and will start soon to improve civil protection and disaster risk management. The Commission also stands ready to provide assistance to Armenia through TAIEX, its peer to peer instrument, by using EU Member States expertise, experience and examples of good practice on assessing emergency preparedness response scheme and health systems.

Armenian President pens letter to China’s Xi Jinping

Anna Tamamian
Public Radio of Armenia
 
 
 
President Armen Sarkissian has sent a letter to the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping. President Sarkissian has congratulated the President of China on the great progress made in the fight against the new type of coronavirus.
 
Emphasizing that the epidemic was contained due to the decisive actions of the Chinese government, as well as the tireless and selfless dedication of the people, President Sarkissian noted: “The new type of coronavirus has once again proven that international solidarity is the only effective way to deal with such global challenges, as no region of the world can avoid the spread of the virus.”
 
Highlighting the consistent strengthening and deepening of traditional close cooperation with China, President Sarkissian expressed his deep gratitude for China’s continued assistance to Armenia in preventing and overcoming the new type of coronavirus.
 
Noting that China’s experience in preventing the spread of the infection and effectively combating the disease is exemplary to Armenia, President Sarkissian also suggested considering China’s further support to Armenia in the form of equipment, supplies, and professional assistance.

Turkish Press: Turkey says Karabakh elections violate international law

Ani Tigranian
Yeni Safak, Turkey
Turkey says Karabakh elections violate international law

News Service 14:23 AA

    Turkey on Monday called Armenia’s attempt to hold elections in the occupied Upper Karabakh region “a flagrant violation of international law.”

    The so-called presidential and parliamentary elections set for Tuesday in Upper Karabakh – also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, a region illegally occupied by Armenia – show Armenia’s “efforts to unilaterally legitimize the current unlawful situation” there, said a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement.

    “This is a flagrant violation of international law as well as UN Security Council resolutions and OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] principles,” the statement added.

    The elections undermine efforts for a peaceful and permanent solution in the Upper Karabakh region, said the statement, urging the international community and the OSCE Minsk group to not recognize the illegal polls.

    “Turkey does not recognize these illegitimate elections,” which would further violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, said the ministry, stressing Turkey’s continued support for efforts to find a fair and permanent solution to the Upper Karabakh conflict.

    Azerbaijan and Armenia, two former Soviet republics, fought a war over the disputed region of Upper Karabakh in 1988-1994. The two signed a cease-fire in 1994, but never reached a peace deal. Upper Karabakh remains unrecognized internationally as a separate state.

    Turkey maintains that any resolution of the Upper Karabakh conflict should take into account Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

    Upper Karabakh is an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan which has been illegally occupied since 1991 by Armenian military aggression.

    Four UN Security Council and two General Assembly resolutions, as well as decisions by many other international organizations, refer to this fact and demand the withdrawal of Armenia’s occupation forces from Upper Karabakh and seven other occupied regions of Azerbaijan.

    The OSCE Minsk Group – co-chaired by France, Russia and the U.S. – was formed to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but has yet to get any results.


    Opposition Bright Armenia party: Why is ruling force talking via Viber, WhatsApp inside country?

    Ani Basmajian
    News.am, Armenia

    16:04, 30.03.2020

    YEREVAN. – Much money will be spent to process, study, manage the base, identify, transmit those data from body to body, whereas our country is in a serious socioeconomic crisis today. Edmon Marukyan, chairman of the opposition Bright Armenia party and head of the Bright Armenia faction in parliament, stated this during Monday’s National Assembly debates on the draft to intervene—due to the coronavirus—in the rights to protection of personal data, the inviolability of the private and family life, and the freedom and secrecy of communication.

    Referring to the matter of trust toward the government, Marukyan said: “The whole government, the ruling faction, all have Viber, WhatsApp and other programs and talk with it inside the country. Why? Don’t you trust your systems? Why are you talking with those systems? Therefore, the issue of trust also has a problem in it.”

    Marukyan suggested thinking seriously about resolving the problems of people currently on the verge of poverty. “Bright Armenia is against this draft,” the MP stressed. “We are against giving up our freedoms, and in the case when it has zero impact in connection with the spread of the pandemic.”

    Armenia parliament majority: Sometimes we are under total oversight because of our behavior

    Maral Chavushian
    News.am, Armenia

    15:22, 30.03.2020
                      

    YEREVAN. – If we can solve another goal by taking small information, in reality, we will not be able to prevent the spread of this epidemic in any way; it is better to approach a little more tactful in curtailing human rights freedoms. Babken Tunyan, member of the majority My Step faction at the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia and Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, said this in parliament Monday, referring to the issue of making an amendment to the Law on Electronic Communication.

    “[Justice Minister] Mr. [Rustam] Badasyan said ‘big data’ in his speech,” Tunyan said, in particular. “Its meaning is that information is gathered from all possible places (…) and information and assumptions about that person’s possible behavior are generated through certain algorithms. (…). Social media work the same way (…). Today, sometimes we are under total oversight without being aware because of our behavior.”

    Tunyan noted that another question arises here as to whether the government has the technical capacity to process all this information. “I think in such situations we have to go with the curtailing of certain rights,” he added, in particular. “But we have to do it in a very balanced way.”