Category: 2020

ANCA Executive Director on US decision to cut assistance to Nagorno-Karabakh

Emil Lazarian
News.am, Armenia

23:21, 25.03.2020
                  

Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Aram Hamparian went live on Facebook and shared his views and gave a precise answer to the commonly asked question “Is the Artsakh decision final?”, according to Armenpress.

“This is a very heavy attack, I think, maybe the worst we have seen. But this is nothing new. This administration is following the tradition set by Clinton, by Bush, by Obama and now by Trump,” Hamparian mentioned.

He recalled that back in 1997, when Brad Sherman brought an amendment to the House Foreign Affairs Committee in order to adopt legislation that would authorize US assistance to Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time ever, the amendment was attacked at pretty much the same language that the State Department is attacking the program today. However, this process paved a way in the next several months for the adoption of the measure, the provision in the FY98 appropriations bill and with the support of many others that aid program was adopted as part of the fiscal year 1998 foreign bill.

Speaking of the most-asked question related to the final decision, Hamparian stressed: “The final say will come in the coming weeks, within months as the fiscal year 2021 of Foreign Aid bill is drafted…Is the Artsakh decision final? The answer is no. The final decision will be the result of the interplay between the executive and the legislative branches. For our part, we are working very, very hard on this front”.

Although he assured that both Artsakh office, Armenian Embassy to the US and ANCA are teamed up, working on this issue, they need the assistance of U.S. citizens, the Armenian community in particular.

Armenia PM on destiny of unlicensed taxi drivers

Elizabeth Jabejian
News.am, Armenia

23:13, 25.03.2020
                  

Armenia has been exempting taxi drivers from paying mandatory fees, but not licensing. This is what Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared during a question-and-answer session with government officials in parliament today in response to MPs’ questions about how taxi drivers can survive during the state of emergency and due to the ban on taxi services.

According to Pashinyan, if a taxi driver doesn’t have a license, he can’t work as a taxi driver.

Moreover, the head of government said taxi drivers must do what all citizens of Armenia are doing, and that is observe the requirements of the Commandant’s Office.

He also stated that if the outcome of the restrictions is essential, citizens need to benefit from the projects for support to small and medium-sized businesses kicking off tomorrow. Pashinyan added that those who can’t benefit from the support, will have to solve their problems on their own.

Turkish Press: Armenian soldier killed in border clash with Azerbaijan

Emil Karabekian
Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Armenian soldier killed in border clash with Azerbaijan

Jeyhun Aliyev   | 24.03.2020


ANKARA 

A cross-border clash between Armenia and Azerbaijan resulted in the death of an Armenian soldier, said the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Tuesday.

“Armenian Armed Forces’ divisions attempted a provocation by violating the ceasefire in the frontline at Goranboy [district] direction,” the ministry said in a statement, referring to the occupied Azerbaijani lands.

The statement added that the vigilance of Azerbaijani military units in the region led to one Armenian soldier’s death and that the body of the soldier remained in the area between the trenches of the troops for one whole day.

It went on to say that clashes still continue in the area but that the situation is under control of Azerbaijani units.

The ministry said that the Armenian side is responsible for “escalating the situation” on the frontline.

Upper Karabakh is the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan illegally occupied by Armenia through military aggression since 1991.

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

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Minsk Group — co-chaired by France, Russia and the U.S. — was formed to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but has not reached any results.


Armenian health minster: We are trying to trace all contacts with coronavirus cases

Ara Felekian
Panorama, Armenia

Armenia has acquired all the available medications used to treat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) globally at least on an experimental level, Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan said in a Facebook live on Tuesday, shortly after midnight.

In the minister’s words, all the drugs that have proven effective in treating the disease in different countries are now in their arsenal and in active use.

Commenting on the spike in the coronavirus cases in Armenia from 194 to 235 on Tuesday, the minister said the figure shows the result of two days since fewer coronavirus tests were carried out on Sunday, stating the cases have dropped from Saturday.

“We are trying to trace all contacts, isolating cases or telling them to self-isolate,” Torosyan stressed.

According to the health minister, a total of 6 coronavirus patients are being treated at the intensive care unit of the Yerevan infectious disease hospital at the moment, but none of them are in life-threatening condition.

He stated some of the coronavirus cases have no symptoms at all.

Also, the minister said they hope a large number of patients will be declared cured on Tuesday, as well as some 50-70 people put in a 14-day quarantine will be allowed to return home after undergoing final coronavirus tests.

The first coronavirus patient’s wife, who tested positive for the virus for some time, is expected to be discharged from the hospital on Tuesday as well, the minister said.

U.S. plans to provide $16 million assistance to Armenia in 2021

Emil Lazarian
Aysor, Armenia

The United States foreign assistance to Armenia is expected to amount to $16 million in 2021, the Armenian Center for American Studies said in a Facebook post.

This is the highest volume of aid provided to the post-revolutionary Armenia through the Foreign Assistance program, but the financial assistance provided to the country before the 2018 revolution was greater, the center said.

The center also presented the infographic of the volume of planned and provided aid to Armenia within the Foreign Assistance program from 2011 to 2021.

Stepanakert says Baku’s statement about provocation and death of Armenian soldier disinformation

Garo Vardanian
Aysor, Armenia

Artsakh Republic Defense Ministry denied the statement of the Azerbaijani side about provocation by the Artsakh armed forces and loss of Artsakh soldier as a result.

“The information about provocation as a result of which an Armenian serviceman has been killed is another disinformation. The divisions of Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army are strictly following the ceasefire regime. Moreover relatively stable situation is maintained on the line of contact of Artsakh and Azerbaijani forces. We urge the Azerbaijani side to avoid the unpromising strategy of artificially escalating the situation and refrain from further escalation,” the statement said.

Only grocery stores and pharmacies to work in Armenia for 7 days

Arpi Talalian
Aysor, Armenia

During the upcoming 7 days only groceries and pharmacies will work in Armenia, commandant, deputy PM Tigran Avinyan said at the session of commandant’s office today.

“The measures we have applied till now were effective but the transfer to tougher regime will allow us to keep the control. The movement of citizens will be restricted. During the seven days we must try to keep the regime of self-isolation properly,” he said, adding that new mechanisms will be applied to allow to restrict the movement of citizens to have time to improve the toolset and continue the effective fight against coronavirus.

Armenia orders more closure to curb the spread of COVID-19

Tatoyan Vazgen
Public Radio of Armenia


The Commandant’s Office met under the chairmanship of Commandant Tigran Avinyan today to discuss further restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of the new coronavirus in the Republic of Armenia.

Tigran Avinyan said that only urgent services, shops and pharmacies will be allowed to work during the coming seven days.

He noted that the measures taken so far have been effective and a tighter seven-day regime aims to help maintain control of the situation and keep developing tools to detect and prevent infection chains.

“Restrictions on the movement of citizens will be imposed, and we should try to abide by the self-isolation regime. Therefore, we will introduce new mechanisms that will allow to limit the movement of citizens and will call on our citizens to remain self-isolated to give us time to update our tools and continue the effective fight against the coronavirus,” Avinyan stated.


Armenia President holds phone talks with Emir of Qatar

Lilit Nahapetian
News.am, Armenia

15:12, 24.03.2020
                  

President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian held phone talks with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar.

The President of Armenia and the Emir of Qatar exchanged information on the current state of the spread of the coronavirus in their respective countries and the steps that are being taken to prevent and overcome the virus. From the perspective of increase of effectiveness of the fight against the pandemic, the parties attached importance to joint efforts and cooperation with international partners.

Expressing gratitude for the friendly attitude towards and support to Armenia, President Sarkissian expressed certainty that there can be a more effective fight against the coronavirus through combined efforts.

President Sarkissian and the Emir of Qatar also exchanged views on Armenia-Qatar relations and the prospects for their development and strengthening.

Ex-president’s lawyer: Armenian judges are under enormous pressure

Albert Nalbandian
News.am, Armenia
Ex-president’s lawyer: Armenian judges are under enormous pressure Ex-president’s lawyer: Armenian judges are under enormous pressure

14:33, 24.03.2020

YEREVAN. – The judges in Armenian ex-president Robert Kocharyan’s trial who made fair judgments were immediately subjected to pressure, lawyer Hayk Alumyan told reporters.

The lawyer reminded of the pressure on judges Azaryan and Grigoryan, threats voiced by the prime minister, as well as blockade of courts.

“Neither the prosecutor’s office, nor the special investigation service, nor the police took any measures,”Alumyan stated.

Judge Anna Danibekyan realizes that if she obeys the law, she would have to rule release of Robert Kocharyan.

“It is impossible to predict what will happen. I am not saying whether she is doing it right or not. I do not give assessments. I imagine the fact that she is thinking about going into the deliberation room. I don’t even know if I had the courage if I were her. Although I’m not a shy person, I would like to believe that I could apply the law. I am not justifying Anna Danibekyan’s actions, I show how it feels to live under such fear,” Alumyan added.