Category: 2021

 17:17,

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. From now on it is possible to purchase all home-related services and gadgets at Ucom as a single package, control them via voice instructions or through a mobile application, while saving time and electricity. By the way, the range of innovative smart devices for the “Smart Home”, presented in a number of sales and service centers of the company, has been expanded and is available with a 10% discount, in particular, for the current and new subscribers of Ucom’s fixed service uMix packages. Smart devices, including the uTV box connected to them, can be turned on or off at a preferred time, monitored on power consumption, managed with a smartphone, or with Alisa, Siri and Google smart assistants. The entire assortment is presented in Ucom sales and service centers on Northern Avenue, in Megamol and Yerevan City, as well as in the Ucom online shop.

“In the daily hustle and bustle, technologies are created to make work easier, to save time, energy resources, make the house more comfortable and safe. You can be outside the house, controlling all the devices from one place, switching on the preferred uTV channel via smartphone for the other members of your family, heating the food, checking the air humidity and temperature, ” said Ara Khachatryan, Director General at Ucom.

Let us note that on a variety of devices Alisa, Google, or Siri smart assistants respond quickly to voice commands and can turn on or off, for example, any device connected to a smart socket: from a kettle to a Wi-Fi router. uTV subscribers will enjoy watching their favorite program or movie without having to get up from the chair, as the smart assistant is able to turn on the TV, control the volume and perform any action within the uTV services; customers just need to pre-configure the universal remote controller.

Let us add that the installation and configuration of individual gadgets or “Smart Home” gadget sets is easy. To control, one just needs to add the corresponding devices to the smartphone app. All gadgets can be purchased both as a set and individually.

 14:09,

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Moscow doesn’t see any risks for regional security in Azerbaijan’s upcoming military drills, the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

Zakharova pointed out that these drills were planned and that all stakeholder parties are notified in advance.

“According to our information the exercises are of planned nature, are aimed at perfecting combat readiness and do not create risks for stability and security in the region,” Zakharova said at a press briefing.

The Azeri military announced it will start exercises involving 10,000 troops March 15-18.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 13:43,

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. German lawmaker Mark Hauptmann (CDU) has resigned amid lobbying allegations, Deutsche Welle reports.

Hauptmann’s departure follows a report by news magazine Spiegel over Azerbaijani, Taiwanese and Vietnamese tourism ads run in the “Südthüringer Kurier,” a CDU-near local newspaper he publishes. He had been accused of accepting money from foreign agencies.

He denies wrongdoing.

Mark Hauptmann is the third German parliamentarian among Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives to exit over lobbying claims.

On March 5, the Bundestag stripped MP Axel Fischer from immunity to pave way for an investigation into alleged bribery from Azeri authorities.

 12:30,

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. In accordance to the 2021 Q1 readiness plan, the Armenian Armed Forces will launch combined arms (including special forces) joint tactical military exercises in all operational directions from March 16 to 20, the Armenian Defense Ministry said.

7500 servicemen, 200 rocket-artillery systems, more than 150 anti-tank systems, 100 armored equipment and more than 90 air defense systems will be involved in the drills. Attack aircraft will also participate in the exercises.

The purpose of the drills is to check the combat readiness, the capabilities of the operational management and abilities of responding to situations, to hold firing exercising in various operational-tactical scenarios, including LFX.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 10:10,

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ara Aivazian had a meeting in the United Arab Emirates with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Aivazian reaffirmed Armenia’s intention to further deepen relations with the UAE as a link between Armenia and the Gulf’s Arab states for cooperation.

“Ministers Aivazian and Al Nahyan comprehensively touched upon a broad range of items on the bilateral agenda. Preserving the dynamics of political dialogue, including through consultations was highlighted,” the Armenian foreign ministry said.

As promising directions for commercial cooperation the sides pointed out IT, agriculture, food security, renewable energy and tourism. In this context, the sides underscored the continuity of the Armenian-Emirati intergovernmental commission’s work.

The ministers attached importance to the role of the Armenian community of the UAE in strengthening the Armenia-UAE relations which are based on mutual trust. Aivazian highly appreciated the UAE’s caring attitude for the Armenian community – a testament to UAE’s commitment for tolerance and cultural diversity.

The meeting focused on regional security and stability as well. “In this context, the Armenian FM stressed that the Middle East has an important place in Armenia’s comprehensive security environment, and the latest developments showed how interconnected the security of South Caucasus and Middle East are. The ministers concurred that conflicts don’t have a military solution and that any manifestation of extremism is a threat to regional peace and stability.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 09:56,

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. During the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, on March 8, 2021, the video message of the Republic of Armenia (RA) Human Rights Defender was published and broadcast in a special format. Only national human rights institutions with an international “A” status have such an opportunity.

Prior to the video message, a more extensive written report of the Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan was submitted to the Council.

Both in the video message and in the written report refer to the atrocities during the 2020 September-November war, setting forth the Azerbaijani armed forces torture and ill-treatment of Armenian servicemen and civilians. In addition, references are made to Azeri servicemen’s use of the same words and utterances in videos depicting such tortures and ill-treatment as those made in official Azeri speeches.

Ethnically motivated crimes against Armenians are encouraged by the Azerbaijani authorities and thus fact has been confirmed by ECHR judgments.

The video message and written report specifically emphasize the Azerbaijani authorities’ artificial delay of the release and return of prisoners as well as servicemen and civilians, despite the unequivocal requirements of international humanitarian law, which causes mental anguish to the families of the illegally held prisoners, and inflicts deep emotional pain to Armenian society.

This particular session was dedicated to the discussion with the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.

[see video]

 21:45,

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister of Armenia Vagharshak Harutyunyan  received on March 12 Ambassador of Finland to Armenia Kirsti Narinen.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of Armenia, during the meeting the Defense Minister of Armenia presented the situation following the military operations, the implementation process of the agreements, the security and humanitarian issues in Artsakh under the light of the Russian peacekeeping forces on the ground, particularly highlighting the issue of return of POWs.

The interlocutors also discussed other issues related to the security atmosphere of the region, existing threats and expected developments.

 19:32,

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian underwent a medical examination at Astghik Medical Center on March 12.

As ARMENPRESS was ifnormed from the press service of the President’s Office, the examination is already completed and the President has returned to ordinary work routine.

”The President has complications caused by coronavirus and now he is undergoing medical examination at Astghik Medical Center”, a presidential press service official had said earlier today.

Sarkissian tested positive for the coronavirus days after travelling to the United Kingdom in late December to spend New Year’s Eve with his sons and grandchildren living in London.

The presidential office announced on January 13 that Sarkissian was hospitalized there after developing double pneumonia and showing other symptoms of COVID-19. It said on January 26 that he has been discharged from hospital but has not yet fully recovered from the disease.