Category: 2021

 11:29, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The opposition Hayastan faction wants to convene an emergency session of parliament over an amended version of their bill on delimitation and demarcation issues which was voted down by the ruling party.

“Given the voting we are announcing that we are initiating the introduction of an amended version of the bill today, which will be put into circulation and we are informing that on December 14, at 12:00 we will recommend with signatures of at least one-fourth of lawmakers to convene an extraordinary session with this same agenda,” Hayastan faction secretary Artsvik Minasyan said.

The bill demands the government to refrain from any kind of negotiations, written or oral agreements which would violate the requirements of the Constitution and the “collective will of the Armenian people expressed in the Declaration of Independence, and to not anyhow separate the delimitation and demarcation issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan from the Artsakh people’s guaranteed exercise of the right to self-determination on their historical lands”. The bill also calls on the international community to condemn the ongoing crimes committed by Azerbaijan and Turkey and to take measures to hold them accountable.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 12:03, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan met with his French counterpart, Ombudsman Claire Hédon in Paris on December 6, the Office of the Armenian Ombudsman reports.

The two Ombudsmen discussed the obstacles for protection of human rights in their countries.

Arman Tatoyan emphasized the necessity of immediate return of Armenian captives illegally held in Azerbaijan and informed that they are being held for political purposes, in violations of international law.

The meeting also touched upon the Azerbaijani gross violations of rights of Armenian servicemen and civilians, including the issue of being held accountable for the tortures, atrocities carried out by the Azerbaijani servicemen.

The negative consequences of COVID-19, women and children’s rights and many other issues were also discussed during the meeting.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 12:22, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The Embassy of the United States in Armenia issued a statement on the 2021 local elections in the country.

The Embassy highly appreciated the Armenian people’s participation in the elections held on October 17, November 14 and December 5, as well as their continued commitment to Armenia’s democratic trajectory.

“A small number of Embassy staff observed the elections in a visitor capacity. We were pleased to see the elections were generally calm, peaceful, and well-administered. The diversity in results underscored the competitive nature of the elections, the vibrancy of Armenia’s democracy, and the significant progress Armenia has achieved over the years. We also note reports of pressure against opposition candidates and encourage authorities to investigate credible allegations of abuse. As we work to perfect our own democracy, we welcome Armenia’s commitment to its democratic reform agenda and look forward to strengthening our bilateral ties based on shared democratic values”, the statement says.

 12:46, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian received today Chair of the “Hanun Harapetutyan” party Arman Babajanyan on the sidelines of the meetings with extra-parliamentary political forces, the Presidential Office reports.

Armen Sarkissian and Arman Babajanyan discussed the domestic problems and the external challenges at the meeting.

Mr Babajanyan presented to the President their party’s approaches and visions.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 13:11, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia commented on the statement of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev who demanded that that Armenia should accept the terms of Azerbaijan and announce a specific date for the opening of the so-called “Zangezur corridor”.

Armenpress presents the full text of the Foreign Ministry’s statement:

“According to Azerbaijani media outlets, during the meeting with residents of the village of Gonagkand in the Guba region օn December 6, 2021, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev demanded that Armenia should accept the terms of Azerbaijan and announce a specific date for the opening of the so-called “Zangezur corridor”. The President of Azerbaijan also accused Armenia of demonstrating tortuous approaches regarding the issue of opening the roads and communications.

Regarding the above-mentioned statements the Foreign Ministry of Armenia underlines the following;

1. The agreements on opening the roads and communications between the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation are enshrined in the Statements of November 9, 2020, January 11, 2021, and November 26, 2021, where there is no obligation, condition or agreement for the Republic of Armenia to provide Azerbaijan with a corridor or a road within corridor logic.
2. The Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, underlines the agreement of the parties to unblock all economic and transport communications in the region. The same statement also underlines that the Republic of Armenia guarantees the security of transport communication between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.
3. According to the Statement of January 11, 2021, for the implementation of the 9th provision of the Statement of November 9, 2020, on unblocking all economic and transport communications in the region, a tripartite working group chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of the Republic of Armenia, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan has been formed.
4. The 3rd provision of the Statement of January 11, 2021, stipulates that for the implementation of the main activities, Co-Chairs of the working group will approve the list of expert subgroups of those fields, which will include representatives of the relevant authorities of the Parties and officials of the organizations.
5. The 4th provision of the Statement of January 11, 2021, stipulates that the working group shall submit for the Parties’ approval at the highest level the list and timetable of activities aimed at restoring or building new transport infrastructure necessary for organizing, implementing and providing the safety of international traffic through the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, as well as the transportations carried out by the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia through their respective territories.
6. During the first meeting on January 30 2021, the tripartite working group decided to form two expert subgroups, one for the issues of the automobile, railroad, combined transportation, and the other one for the insurance of transportation, including security, border, customs, sanitation, livestock and phytosanitary, as well as other issues.
7. The Republic of Armenia has repeatedly stated at the highest levels, that it is interested in unblocking all transport and economic communications in the region with the understanding that the western regions of Azerbaijan will receive rail and road communication through Armenia with the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (thus Turkey), while Armenia will receive road communication through Azerbaijan with Russia and railroad communication with Russia and Iran.
8. On November 5, 2021, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, the Co-Chair of the Tripartite working group Alexei Overchuk stated during the meeting with the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan that the search for solutions within the tripartite working group is based on the following principles: the sovereignty of the countries through which the roads will pass will be maintained and that the types of control at the border crossing will be carried out on a reciprocal basis. Earlier, Alexei Overchuk stated that  no issue related to “corridor” is being discussed within the tripartite working group.
9. On the occasion of the anniversary of signing the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation circulated an informative material, which clearly stated that all participants of the trilateral working group agreed on the term that all transportation roads that will be unblocked and reestablished, will operate respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the countries through which they will pass.
10. On November 26, 2021, the meeting of the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev was held in Sochi, Russia, during which the principles enshrined in the provision 9th of the aforementioned Statement were reiterated. 

Based on the above-mentioned circumstances, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia states:

1. A) The content of the statements of the President of Azerbaijan opposes the Statements of November 9, January 11 and November 26, contradicts the agreements reached within the Tripartite working group and the Sochi meeting, pursues destructive and provocative objectives, threatens the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia, 
2. B) The Republic of Armenia is committed to all its above-mentioned commitments and is ready for the speedy implementation of the agreements,
3. C) The list of measures and the timetable for the process of opening and restoring the regional communications – the roads and railways, is being discussed within the framework of the Tripartite working group, the activities of which are being undermined by the provocative rhetoric of Azerbaijan. 

The Republic of Armenia draws the attention of its main partner in the sphere of security – the Russian Federation, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the UN Security Council, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries and the international community to the fact that official Baku continues its blatant threats of use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity of Armenia through warmongering statements, violating fundamental principles of international law, including the UN Charter, as well as endangering regional and global security.

The Republic of Armenia urges the Republic of Azerbaijan to refrain from provocative rhetoric and actions, as well as not to hinder the implementation of the agreements on unblocking all economic and transport communications in the region”.

 14:40, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan claims that the video recording showing him at an event discussing the Armenian prisoners of war is edited.

“The material is edited. I was speaking about the negotiations, about the state’s position in various situations. And I very much regret that our countrymen, who introduce themselves as supporters and request to ask a few questions, and I answer their questions, but then I notice that a young woman was pointing her phone at me. I asked not to be recorded because we were engaged in a conversation which I didn’t want to be public, and I don’t see a need for that,” Simonyan said, adding that he was assured that he wasn’t being filmed.

He warned that people who do such things must realize the criminal responsibility in their actions.

In the video Simonyan is seen talking about the Armenian POWs held in Azerbaijan. At one point in the video he says “the captives are those who laid down their weapons, fled and got lost,” and that “I consider that the captives are no more, they [don’t exist for me]”.

Asked to comment on what he said in the video, Simonyan told reporters that all troops who have laid down their weapons and surrendered into captivity will be investigated under criminal cases.

“Criminal cases will be initiated against all those servicemen who’ve laid down their weapons and surrendered into captivity, and if the investigations will reveal that they indeed did that. That’s not what I am saying, that is the requirement of the law,” Simonyan said.

The Speaker noted that there are numerous “hero men” in the Armenian military, describing them as the nation’s “pride”, but at the same time he said that there are some soldiers and officers who have failed to perform their duties and thus appeared in captivity.

He reiterated that the issue of POWs is always raised in the negotiations.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 16:17, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian director Arman Chilingaryan’s Light Drops won the Golden Winner prize at the Tokyo Film Awards, the Armenian Embassy in Japan said.

Light Drops is a drama set in the 1990s in Armenia.

Tokyo Film Awards is a unique film competition organized by working professionals from film and TV industry. It is mainly focused on short films as its main mission is to promote young talent and their vision.

Editing by Stepan Kocharyan

 16:42, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The Nagorno Karabakh conflict has been discussed on the sidelines of the 28th OSCE Ministerial Council, which was held in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 2-3.

It can be recorded that contrary to the statements made by the top leadership of Azerbaijan that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is over, the statements made by the representatives of different countries and international organizations within the frames of the Ministerial Council come to prove that the issue of the settlement of the conflict is still relevant for the international community, as well as to reaffirm that the NK conflict settlement is viewed in the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format and under its mandate through peaceful negotiations.

Ann Linde, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, said in her remarks: “In the context of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict there are unresolved issues which were demonstrated also by the resumption of hostilities in the region last month. The OSCE plays a vital role in the region, and we all must provide full support to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office during and after this ministerial council”.

In his turn US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken welcomed the resumption of direct dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “We urge them to make progress on humanitarian issues including detainees, demining, missing persons, with investigations of alleged human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law with the perpetrators held accountable.  And I hope there, we can all work together including with Russia to continue to make progress. We urge all parties to resolve other outstanding issues like border delimitation and demarcation, the restoration of economic and transport links, and to continue to engage with the Minsk Group co-chairs for a lasting peaceful end to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict”, he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in his speech highlighted the role of the OSCE in the conflict’s settlement process.

Head of the French delegation at the 28th OSCE Ministerial Council Franck Riester also welcomed the resumption of dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. “We call on the sides to agree on taking such actions under the auspices of the Minsk Group, which would reduce tension and contribute to creation of a respective environment for progress in other areas for the benefit of peoples. We reaffirme our trust to the work to be done by the Co-Chairmanship with the sides. We call on to remain committed to the agreements reached by the November 9 statement”, Franck Riester said.

President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Margareta Cederfelt called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to achieve peace. “Border clashes between troops from Armenia and Azerbaijan have resumed one year after a deadly conflict. I will kindly ask the parties to get together and agree for a long, lasting peace”, she said.

A number of other top officials also touched upon in their speeches the current situation in the Nagorno Karabakh zone, expressing their support to the efforts aimed at the lasting solution of the conflict. All in their speech highlighted the return of prisoners of war and other persons held as a priority issue requiring urgent solution.

In its statement the European Union also made a reference to the necessity of the final settlement of the Karabakh conflict. “The European Union supports and is ready to complement the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group towards a negotiated, comprehensive and sustainable settlement”, the statement says.

The “Quint” (Albania, Sweden, Poland and North Macedonia) statement also made a reference to the NK conflict, calling for taking additional measures for the de-escalation of the situation and resumption of substantive negotiations.

In fact, the 28th OSCE Ministerial Council showed that there are two contradictory approaches over the NK conflict: on the one hand, the positions of Armenia and the international community mostly match, and on the other hand, Azerbaijan’s attempts to present the developments caused by the use of force as a base for the solution of the situation, its made-up visions and propaganda, have not been “encouraged” by the international community.

Perhaps, this is the reason that the Azerbaijani side avoided the meeting with the Armenian Foreign Minister under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs planned in Stockholm.

Truly, after the statements of both the representatives of the Co-Chair countries and other member states of the OSCE, this meeting everywhere would have been viewed in the context of moving forward the peace process for the settlement of the NK conflict, not in the context of solving the so-called “post-conflict” issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan, like the Azerbaijani side was trying to present to its public the meetings held in New York and Paris.

It’s worth noting that at the end of the Ministerial Council, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair made a statement, noting that although they held separate meetings with the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, a joint meeting under their auspices didn’t take place.

“They express their readiness to host such a meeting as soon as circumstances allow to continue discussions begun in New York in September and in Paris in November”, the statement says.

 17:19, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, 7 DECEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 7 December, USD exchange rate up by 1.38 drams to 492.41 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.37 drams to 555.14 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.04 drams to 6.62 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.73 drams to 652.79 drams.

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

Gold price up by 254.15 drams to 28158.43 drams. Silver price up by 0.83 drams to 353.67 drams. Platinum price down by 84.94 drams to 14754.82 drams.