Category: 2021

 18:15, 7 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian foreign ministry condemned the assassination attempt on Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi.

“We strongly condemn assassination attempt on PM of Iraq Mustafa Al-Kadhimi”, the foreign ministry tweeted. “We express our support & solidarity to friendly Iraq in its fight against terrorism & efforts aimed at regional & domestic security & stability.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi escaped unharmed in an assassination attempt by armed drone in Baghdad on Sunday.

Six members of Kadhimi’s personal protection force stationed outside his residence in the Green Zone were wounded, Reuters reported citing security sources.

Three drones were used in the attack, including two that were intercepted and downed by security forces while a third drone hit the residence, the Iraqi state news agency INA reported.

Editing by Stepan Kocharyan

 19:21, 7 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented Armenia’s stance over the possible 3+3 format of regional cooperation.

“Our stance is the following, that the possible 3+3 format shouldn’t have the kind of items on its agenda which we are already discussing alongside in other formats,” PM Pashinyan said in an interview with Public Television’s Petros Ghazaryan.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 22:18, 7 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gave an interview to the Public TV about the implementation process of the 2020 November 9 trilateral statement on the ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh. Pashinyan said that the first point of the statement relates to the cessation of fire and all military operations. He said that it can be recorded that the war has stopped with that statement. In this respect he highly valued Russia’s and President Vladimir Putin’s contribution to the stop of the war.

“One of the very important points of the statement has been fully implemented, as Russian peacekeepers are deployed in Nagorno Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor, and we highly value their activity and they play a key role today in ensuring security in Nagorno Karabakh. On the other hand, I must regret over the fact that the ceasefire regime is not being fully observed also in Nagorno Karabakh, this has also been recorded by the peacekeepers. I hope that a proper investigation over these cases will be carried out and necessary measures will be taken”, he said, adding that after the November 9 statement the Armenian side had many losses and wounded. “We had nearly 28 losses, especially as a result of the incident in the Khtsaberd-Hin Tagher section, as well as incidents have taken place along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border when we had losses. This fact is very concerning. I must note that we also had cases of military actions, especially in Khtsaberd-Hin Tagher and Sotk-Khoznavar sections which is a gross violation of the trilateral statement. I must state that most of the 40 confirmed captives have been captured after the November 9 statement and have not been released yet despite the point 8 of the statement which clearly says that the prisoners of war, hostages and other persons held must be released”, the PM said.

The next concerning fact, according to Pashinyan, relates to the ceasefire violations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, which is also a gross violation of the statement. Pashinyan said that till today the right of the Armenian residents of Shushi and Hadrut region to return has not ensured yet.

The next problem, Pashinyan said, is that the regional communication has not unblocked yet, although he stated that an important work is being done on this path and expressed hope that they will achieve concrete results soon.

“All this, of course, raises also some concerns, although there is no doubt that the November 9 statement and the deployment of peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh is the cornerstone result that has been recorded. The ceasefire violations, the facts on the killings of our soldiers lead us to a concern that Azerbaijan has adopted a policy of discrediting the activity of the peacekeepers”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 22:39, 7 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The issue of regional cooperation is included in the Armenian government’s action plan as an important provision and from the very beginning Armenia has been interested in the opportunities of regional cooperation, the problem is just in the nuances, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview to Public TV, commenting on the possible 3+3 format of regional cooperation.

“Two days ago, Armenia, at the level of the deputy foreign minister, has expressed its stance on this issue. The possible 3+3 format must not have issues on its agenda which we have agreed upon and are already discussing in other formats. In particular, the issue of the opening of regional communications, the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and so on. If that format brings new agenda, a mutually acceptable agenda, for instance, a study of region’s economic transit opportunities, we could be interested in it. If there is an agreed upon format, the agendas of those formats must not be discussed in the other formats. It may turn out that the 3+3 is not the only offer that interests us. We have expressed and are expressing this position”, the PM said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 23:18, 7 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan assures that the government is taking daily actions for the return of the Armenian captives from Azerbaijan.

“We must work tirelessly for the quick return of our brothers. And we do so. Work is being done on this direction every day”, he said in an interview to Public TV.

Pashinyan said that work needs to be done with the international partners, the international community and also with Azerbaijan for this issue to be solved as soon as possible.

Despite the commitments assumed by the 2020 November 9 statement on the ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan still refuses to return all Armenian captives.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 10:06, 8 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The servicemen of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh have delivered together with philanthropists around 2 tons of humanitarian aid to the needy and large families of Khnushinak village, the Russian defense ministry said.

“A charity campaign was held today in Khnushinak village together with the Merci association, which was attended by all residents. Large families have been provided with economic items, clothing, shoes. 10 large families live in this community”, representative of the Russian peacekeeping contingent Dmitry Tusidi said.

Nearly 1000 residents of the village received an aid on the sidelines of the campaign.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 10:30, 8 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The budget of the Armenian ministry of healthcare has increased by nearly 27 billion drams in 2021, against compared to the budget that was confirmed at the beginning of the year, Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan said during the parliamentary standing committees’ debate of the 2022 state budget draft.

“According to the 2022 state budget it is envisaged that nearly 120 billion drams must be spent with the programs being carried out by the healthcare ministry, against the 114 billion 500 million drams approved for 2021. This is an increase of 4.7% against the budget confirmed for 2021”, the minister said.

He, however, informed that the ministry’s budget has been regularly revised during the year and additional allocations have been made connected with the fight against COVID-19. If we look at the budget only as of November 8, 2021, it is about 142.2 billion drams. It means that we have made nearly 27 billion AMD allocations during the year. And 18 billion AMD of this is connected with the fight against coronavirus or measures aimed at preventing its consequences”, he added.

Minister Khachatryan assured that in all cases when there are obvious actions to be taken in 2022, they will make respective decisions about financial allocations.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 10:37, 8 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. One more pregnant woman died from COVID-19 in Armenia, Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan said during the joint session of the parliamentary standing committees dedicated to the debate of the 2022 state budget draft.

“810 new cases have been confirmed yesterday, a total of 6220 tests were conducted, and we had 30 deaths. Unfortunately, we had a coronavirus-related death of a pregnant woman at night”, the minister said.

She informed that the Delta variant is very aggressive. Pregnant women are more in danger if they are infected with this strain. Currently more than 100 pregnant women are infected with COVID-19. “This figure is constantly being maintained, and almost half of these women have pneumonia of various degrees. Our doctors do the utmost to provide them with the best medical care”, the minister added.

Avanesyan said that the COVID-19 situation in Armenia remains tense. She said that the fall breaks in schools and the remote learning in universities of the past 2 weeks had a certain positive tendency at least in terms of the maintenance of the cases. “Avoiding the disease, the death cases is possible only thanks to vaccinations”, the minister said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 10:44, 8 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Nearly 30% of the adult population of Armenia has received the first dose of the vaccine against COVID-19, Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan said during the joint session of the parliamentary standing committees dedicated to the debate of the 2022 state budget draft.

890,797 vaccinations have been carried out as of November 7. The minister assures that no cases of post-vaccination complications have been registered so far. Based on Armenia’s example, the minister says that vaccinations are safe, effective and the only mean for preventing the deaths.

“The number of citizens who received the first dose is 613,846. This is almost the 30% of the adult population. And the number of those who received the second dose is 276,948”, the minister said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:12, 8 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The first hearing of the Armenian Genocide recognition bill will take place in the House of Commons on November 9, the Armenian National Committee of the United Kingdom reports.

It will be presented as a ten-minute rule motion by conservative MP Tim Loughton.

The bill’s aim is to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance. It contains three main provisions.

First, that there shall be a formal recognition that the killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire and the surrounding regions during 1915-1923 were genocide. Second, that there shall be an annual commemoration of victims of genocides, including the Armenian Genocide. Third, that it will encourage education and public understanding of the facts of the Armenian Genocide and the relevance of the Armenian Genocide to modern-day crimes against humanity and war crimes.