Category: 2021

Russia calls on Azerbaijan to return all Armenian captives without preconditions – Lavrov

Emil Lazarian

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 17:18, 31 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS. Russia calls on Azerbaijan to return all Armenian prisoners of war without preconditions, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Moscow.

He stated that there was a talk in the November 9 trilateral statement about those POWs who were in captivity that time.

“At this moment Azerbaijanis hold a large group of Armenian servicemen who have appeared there in late November after when the statement came into force and an agreement was reached to stop any hostile action. The Russian President in contacts with the Azerbaijani leadership, President Aliyev, as well as we in other levels are sending this signal to the Azerbaijani partners, call on to release them without preconditions because it would be an important humanitarian step and action for building trust, which is so needed”, the Russian FM said.

He added that they will continue to act from these positions, but stated that the final decision doesn’t depend on them.

In his turn Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan stated that Armenia has fulfilled its commitment long ago as it has returned all Azerbaijani POWs with “all for all” principle. “We believe that Azerbaijan must return all prisoners of war and other detained persons, not only as a fulfillment of its commitments, but also for creating an atmosphere of mutual trust. In that atmosphere it would already be possible to pass to further discussions and solution of all issues”, Mirzoyan said.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenian Tourism Hit Hard by Pandemic – and War

Emil Lazarian
Aug 31 2021

Experts say that serious investment and rebranding efforts are key to recovery.

Tuesday, 31 August, 2021

CONTRIBUTOR

Vahagn Hambardzumyan, a master potter living in the town of Sisian in Armenia, wistfully recalls the golden era of tourism just before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

“Tourists arrived literally every day,” he said. “We held master classes for them and treated them with Armenian dishes. Visitors would come from as far as America, China, and Japan.”

Business had been booming, he continued.

“We received big orders – and suddenly everything stopped. In the summer of 2020, there was some progress, we had a couple of tourists a month, but then the war in September finally stopped everything,” Hambardzumyan said.

Whilst the pandemic has hit tourism across the world, the Karabakh war has had an additional impact for travellers to Armenia. Sisian is 150 kilometres from Yerevan, in the southern Syunik province. After hostilities in Karabakh ended on November 9, 2020, some border territories, including those adjacent to Syunik, were handed over to Azerbaijan. Locals say that this dealt the final blow to tourism in these areas.

“The flow of tourists initially stopped with Covid-19 but after the war all reservations were cancelled, and none of them were restored. Only small groups from within Armenia visit us now,” Hambardzumyan said.

The village of Tatev, which used to be one of the most popular destinations in the country and whose residents relied on the tourist industry, was also hit hard.

“Last summer, when Covid-19 restrictions were loosened, there was a little movement again, but the war paralysed everything,” said Norayr Grigoryan, a hotelier in Tatev. “Eight months later, there is little progress. People come and stay overnight, mostly Russians. As soon as people learn that the situation has stabilised, they immediately come. If we estimate the situation by the money left by tourists, with such a poor flow, very little is left for the villagers.”

In 2020, tourism was one of the areas worst affected by the war and pandemic, with visitor numbers declining by 85 per cent. According to the National Statistics Committee of Armenia, only 85,000 tourists visited Armenia in the first quarter of 2021, mostly from Russia, Georgia, Iran and the US. This marked a huge decrease from the previous year.

“I must say that the numbers are not particularly favourable: we had 86,524 overseas tourists, which is 72 per cent less than in the same period last year,” said Anush Babayan, deputy director of the department for international cooperation at the Tourism Committee of Armenia. “There were about 307,000 visitors in the first quarter of last year. In March, when the [coronavirus] restrictions were introduced, the flow of tourists stopped.”

Hambardzumyan says that although travel with many countries has opened, the fact that various embassies continued to urge their citizens not to travel to Armenia, especially to the south, has complicated the situation.

“They have defined Syunik as a zone of military operations,” he continued. “These statements have consequences – the flow of tourists has decreased. The statements even affect Armenian citizens, although not a single shot was fired here, nothing of the kind. The roads are open, people are free to travel, it is safe to come. I will not give up my plans, I will soon start building my own hotel.”

Tourism Federation chairman Mekhak Apresyan said that it was still possible to revive the industry.

“Everything must be done so that the relevant agencies of the countries do not include Armenia in the list of countries not recommended for travel,” he said.

“It is necessary to carry out information campaigns in the international markets, carry out institutional reforms in order to ensure that we are removed from the lists of dangerous or ‘red’ countries, and to actively market the region.”

Babayan said that the prospects for improvement were encouraging.

“Based on the data of the second quarter, further growth is expected,” she said. “We believe that not only will [Russia, Georgia, Iran and the US] contribute to that growth, but other countries will become more active as well.”

But Zarmine Zeytuntsyan, former head of the State Tourism Committee and now a lecturer at the American University of Armenia, said that her country’s image had been so seriously harmed by the war that a highly dynamic approach was now needed.

“A serious marketing policy and new branding is essential,” she continued. “We can position ourselves in the world as a small country with immense cultural and historical heritage, but we cannot rely on enthusiasm alone. Will and investments are needed at the state level. Average marketing investment per tourist is four US dollars globally, but in Armenia this amount was 17 cents in 2017. This is a huge problem.”

The Tourism Federation, which is planning to double the number of inbound tourist trips in 2021-24, is looking for inward investment.

Apresyan noted that the 1.9 million tourists who visited in 2019 had added some 1.5 billion dollars to the GDP.

“And this, according to the roughest estimates, means that about 300 million dollars went to the budget in revenue,”  she continued. ““What prevents us from providing at least one to two per cent of this amount for the development of the tourism sector? This is not expenditure, but an investment. It will have a multiplier effect.”

Air Arabia : ‘Fly Arna’ is Armenia’s national airline

Khoyetsian Rose
Market Screener
Sept 1 2021


The Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) and Air Arabia Group, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) operator, today announced that the new national airline to be launched by their joint venture company will be named ‘Fly Arna.’

The name was chosen by the Board of Directors of the joint venture company from over 500 suggestions received in response to the ‘Name the Airline’ competition announced in July 2021. Following a comprehensive review, the name of the airline was chosen as ‘Fly Arna’ – with the word ‘Arna’ being derived from the name ‘Armenian National Airlines’ by combining the first two letters of the words ‘ARmenian’ with the first letter of ‘National’ and the first letter of ‘Airlines’. The competition aimed to engage the citizens of Armenia to participate in naming their new national airline reflecting the commitment of ANIF and Air Arabia Group to promote stakeholder participation.

‘I thank everyone for the active participation in the contest. It is both inspiring and a sign of a shared vision of a successful endeavour we all aspire for the project,’ said David Papazian, CEO of ANIF. ‘Despite the current challenges of the pandemic, we are confident of the new opportunity that exists for ‘Fly Arna’ to deliver a winning proposition that will benefit the nation and our people.’

Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said: ‘The new name represents the aspirations of the people of Armenia and is the result of a national competition, underlining how the joint venture company prioritises the interests of the community. ‘Fly Arna’ will mark the beginning of a new era for Armenia’s aviation sector, and also create significant value to the economy by boosting the tourism, hospitality and business sectors.’

More than 800 participants suggested the 500 names via email and on ANIF’s social media pages. The name was chosen to be most inclusive and reflecting the spirit of the joint venture company to transform the aviation sector of the country.

‘Fly Arna’ will operate as a low-cost passenger airline with Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport (EVN) as its base. The company will apply for the Airline Operation Certificate in the coming weeks. More details about the launch date, fleet, and destination network will be announced in due course.

ANIF and Air Arabia Group had announced the agreement to launch Armenia’s new national airline in July 2021.

Fly Arna is Armenia’s national airline

Yeghisabet Arthur
UAE – Sept 1 2021

Muzaffar Rizvi

The Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) and Air Arabia Group on Wednesday announced that the new national airline to be launched by their joint venture company will be named Fly Arna.

The new national airline of Armenia will operate as a low-cost passenger airline with Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport as its base.

“The company will apply for the airline operation certificate in the coming weeks. More details about the launch date, fleet, and destination network will be announced in due course, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.

ANIF and Air Arabia Group had announced the agreement to launch Armenia’s new national airline in July 2021.

Adel Al Ali, group chief executive officer of Air Arabia, said Fly Arna will mark the beginning of a new era for Armenia’s aviation sector.

“The new brand will also create a significant value to the economy by boosting the tourism, hospitality and business sectors,” Ali said.

Name selection

The name was chosen by the board of directors of the joint venture company from over 500 suggestions received in response to the ‘Name the Airline’ competition announced in July 2021.

Following a comprehensive review, the name of the airline was chosen as ‘Fly Arna’ — with the word ‘Arna’ being derived from the name Armenian National Airlines by combining the first two letters of the words ‘ARmenian’ with the first letter of ‘National’ and the first letter of ‘Airlines’.

“I thank everyone for the active participation in the contest. It is both inspiring and a sign of a shared vision of a successful endeavour we all aspire for the project,” said David Papazian, CEO of ANIF.

“Despite the current challenges of the pandemic, we are confident of the new opportunity that exists for Fly Arna to deliver a winning proposition that will benefit the nation and our people,” he said.

“The new name represents the aspirations of the people of Armenia and is the result of a national competition, underlining how the joint venture company prioritises the interests of the community,” Adel Al Ali said.

More than 800 participants suggested the 500 names via email and on ANIF’s social media pages. The name was chosen to be most inclusive and reflecting the spirit of the joint venture company to transform the aviation sector of the country.

Russian, Azerbaijani senior diplomats discuss implementation of Karabakh agreements

Emil Lazarian
TASS, Russia
Sept 1 2021
According to Russian Foreign Ministry statement, a package of pressing bilateral and regional issues was discussed during an in-depth exchange of views

MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko focused on the implementation of Nagorno-Karabakh trilateral agreements of the Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in a phone call with Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Halaf Halafov on Wednesday.

“A package of pressing bilateral and regional issues, including the implementation of the agreements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, dated November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021, was discussed during an in-depth exchange of views,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The highland region of Nagorno-Karabakh has been disputed by Baku and Yerevan since February 1988 when the region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10. According to the statement, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they had held and then the Armenian forces would turn over control of certain districts to Azerbaijan. In addition, Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the contact line and to the Lachin corridor, which links Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

Tehran: Iran FM underlines need to respect borders in Caucasus

Jalatian Sonya
Tehran Times, Iran
Sept 1 2021
  1. Politics
September 1, 2021 – 18:51

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on Tuesday underlined the need to preserve internationally recognized borders in the Caucasus region days after clashes erupted between Azerbaijan and Armenia that led to the blocking of a strategic Armenia road used by Iranian merchants. 

The remarks were made during a phone conversation between Abdollahian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov. 

The Azerbaijani foreign minister has telephoned his Iranian counterpart to congratulate him on winning Parliament’s vote of confidence to become Iran’s new top diplomat.

Abdollahian thanked Bayramov, saying Iran is ready to expand ties with the Azerbaijan Republic in all areas including assistance with reconstruction efforts in the liberated areas [in the Karabakh region].

Amir Abdollahian also stressed the need for respecting internationally recognized borders, according to a statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. 

He said all disputes in the Caucasus region should be resolved peacefully.

The Azeri foreign minister also called for increasing cooperation with Iran and asked for the Islamic Republic’s help with the rebuilding of the liberated areas [of Karabakh].

Bayramov also called for transit cooperation with Iran and briefed the Iranian foreign minister on the latest developments in the Karabakh region.

Abdollahian and Bayramov invited each other to visit Iran and the Azerbaijan Republic, respectively, in as short a time as possible. They expressed hope the visits will happen soon.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry issued a similar statement. “On August 31, 2021, a telephone conversation took place between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amirabdollahian. Minister Jeyhun Bayramov congratulated his Iranian counterpart on his appointment as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran and wished him success in his activities,” the Azerbaijani statement said. 

It added, “Minister Jeyhun Bayramov stressed the existence of relations based on the principles of friendship and cooperation that have deep historical roots, broad-spectrum bilateral cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and Iran, and noted that a number of projects have been successfully implemented by the two countries. The sides also exchanged views on the current situation in the region and some issues of bilateral cooperation.”

Bayramov also invited his Iranian counterpart to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan, according to the statement. 

In July, Iran expressed concern twice over continued border clashes between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, which claimed lives on both sides and aroused concerns in neighboring countries in the South Caucasus region.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh expressed concern over the continuation of border clashes between the border guards of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Khatibzadeh expressed regret over the deaths and injuries of the two countries’ nationals, and called on both parties to show self-restraint.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry said at the time that three of its troops were killed and two more were wounded in clashes with Azerbaijani forces on the border between the two ex-Soviet nations, which have been locked in a decades-long tug-of-war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, AP reported. 

Azerbaijan announced that two of its troops were wounded. The two South Caucasus nations once again blamed each other for the latest flare-up which came on the heels of another clash a week earlier. Azerbaijan said Armenian forces opened fire at its positions on the Kalbajar section of the border. The Armenian military said its personnel was attacked by the Azerbaijani forces.

Khatibzadeh underlined the necessity of the peaceful settlement of border disputes between Baku and Yerevan.

He stressed that the two countries must overcome the tensions and clashes, and respect the internationally recognized borders.

The spokesman further emphasized the necessity of establishing sustainable peace in the South Caucasus region as soon as possible, and expressed Tehran’s preparedness to provide any kind of assistance for the establishment of sustainable peace in the region.

On July 27, a few days before the start of border clashes, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Azeri counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov had a telephone conversation.

During this phone call, the two sides conferred on the latest developments in bilateral relations and regional issues.

Earlier on July 27, Khatibzadeh expressed regret over the casualties resulting from sporadic border clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia, urging the two neighbors to exercise restraint. 

In reaction to the continuation of sporadic border clashes between border guards of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Khatibzadeh expressed sorrow over casualties on both sides, and called on the two countries to exercise restraint, according to a statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a deadly war last year in September over the Nagorno-Karabakh region which resulted in the latter retaking large swathes of the region. After the war, which lasted for 44 days and was ended thanks to a Russian-brokered ceasefire deal, Azerbaijan and Armenia clashed from time to time in border areas but the clashes soon subsided with both sides accusing each other of firing first.

Tensions between the two countries over the region have been simmering since the end of a war in the 1990s and last year’s escalation of violence was the deadliest in two decades. More than 5,000 people lost their lives and tens of thousands were displaced.

The peace deal brokered by Moscow saw Armenia forced to cede significant territory to Azerbaijan.

Both countries have repeatedly accused each other of violating the terms of the agreement since it came into force on November 10.

In addition to his conversation with Bayramov, Abdollahian also received a phone call from Croatia’s top diplomat Gordan Grlic Radman who has phoned Abdollahian to congratulate him on winning the Iranian parliament’s vote of confidence.

Abdollahian and Radman discussed Iran-Croatia ties and also the Islamic Republic’s relations with the European Union.

During the telephone conversation, the foreign ministers of Iran and Croatia underlined the need to expand ties between Tehran and Zagreb in all areas.

They agreed that deals signed by the two sides regarding investment, customs cooperation and also cultural cooperation must be put into practice.

Abdollahian also outlined Iran’s stance on the nuclear talks in Vienna. He said it’s not Iran’s policy to hold talks for the sake of talks, noting that any negotiations must exclusively focus on fulfilling the nation’s interests.

Abdollahian said the U.S. should know it can only use respectful language when talking to the Iranian people.

UK announces £500,000 fund to support UNDP to respond to last year’s Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Maghakian Mike
UK Government
Sept 1 2021

Press release

The UK has provided half a million pounds to help clear landmines in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, to make the area safe, prevent injuries and save lives.

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Wendy Morton MP
Published
1 September 2021
  • the UK has contributed £500,000 to recovery efforts and to help de-mine one of the most contaminated areas of land mines of the world
  • these funds will help with training and personnel to support de-mining and the UK is now calling on other countries to support the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiative

The UK has provided half a million pounds to help clear landmines in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, to make the area safe, prevent injuries and save lives following last year’s conflict.

The funds given to the United Nations Development Programme will help with training and personnel to support mine clearance and make contaminated land safe for human use in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.

As a leading force for good in the region, the UK was the first country to announce humanitarian support following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, with £1 million donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross to support those affected.

Now the UK is calling on other countries to support the UN initiative to help thousands of people affected by the conflict to rebuild their lives and return to the region after being driven from their homes by conflict or unexploded munitions.

Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas, Wendy Morton, said:

The territories in and around Nagorno-Karabakh are amongst some of the most heavily mined in the world, with frequent reports of civilians losing their lives or suffering life-changing injuries.

The UK’s donation will be used to harness the UN’s expertise and reduce the risk to civilian life in both Armenia and Azerbaijan through the provision of training and technical demining support to those helping make the area safer. But there’s more work to be done. That’s why we’re calling on our international partners to also support the collective effort needed if we are to ensure the safety of all people in the region.

The funding will be used by the UN to deliver support with local and national de-mining organisations in Armenia and Azerbaijan including through technical, strategic and management support.

A significant number of landmines and unexploded ordnance remains across the region which poses an indiscriminate threat to life. The UK continues to encourage both Armenia and Azerbaijan to commit to sign the Ottawa Treaty that seeks to eliminate the use of landmines around the world.

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Australian Egyptian Forum Council Calls for Recognition of Assyrian, Greek, Armenian Genocide

Ara Felekian
AINA – Assyrian International News Agency
Sept 1 2021
Syndicated News
Posted 2021-09-01 14:08 GMT

The Australian Egyptian Forum Council has joined a growing number of organisations in Australia calling on the Federal Government to recognise the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).

The Australian Egyptian Forum Council is an organisation representing the interests of the Egyptian-Australian community in New South Wales. They promote Egyptian heritage and culture in Australia, and aim to encourage and develop good relations with other communities, working towards the spirit of a multicultural Australia.

Related: The Assyrian Genocide

The President of the Australian Egyptian Forum Council, Mr Amir Salem, has written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison in support of the Armenian-Australian community’s call urging for Federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

“We believe that Australia, as a nation that upholds the values of human rights and justice, should be next in recognising the Armenian Genocide,” wrote Mr. Salem. “Accurate characterisation of the events as Genocide will ensure the healing of open wounds for current and future generations of Armenian-Australians living with this trauma.”

In April this year, Prime Minister Morrison, who called for Federal Australian recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a backbench MP in 2011, failed to correctly characterise the crimes of 1915 in his 2021 statement, despite acknowledging Australia’s first major international humanitarian relief effort to aid the “dispossession, deportations and deaths” suffered during the events.

The Australian Egyptian Forum Council joins prominent religious, political, ethnic and youth organisations who have written to Prime Minister Morrison calling on him to stand on the side of truth and justice on the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides, including the Jewish Australian community, the Arab Council of Australia, the New South Wales Young Liberals, the New South Wales Ecumenical Council representing 16 churches, Christian Charity Barnabas Fund Australia, Kurdish Lobby Australia, as well as from numerous prominent academics and former politicians.

In addition, over 20 ministers, shadow ministers and parliamentarians representing all sides of politics conveyed condolence messages to the Armenian-Australian community. Their messages contradicted Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s statement that recognised “dispossession, deportations and death” — as well as Australia’s first international humanitarian relief effort to assist surviving orphans — but failed to correctly characterise as genocide the 1915 murders of over 1.5 million Armenians, and over 1 million Assyrians and Greeks.has added to the pressure the Australian Government has faced leading up to and following this statement, with countless communities and political figures joining calls for recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides.

Mr Salem also referenced the connection between Armenian survivors of the genocide and his country of origin, Egypt.

“We are celebrating the Cosmopolitan City of Alexandria, where the Armenian community formed an essential part of the diversity of Alexandria,” he wrote. “Egypt was a safe haven for many Armenians seeking refuge from the atrocities they experienced under the Ottoman Empire.”

The ANC-AU is grateful for the support of the Australian Egyptian Forum Council, who have called on the Australian Government to recognise the Armenian Genocide.

“Armenian-Australians thank Mr Amir Salem and the Australian Egyptian Forum Council for joining a growing list of organisations that have called for Federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Australia,” said ANC-AU Executive Director Haig Kayserian.

“Many Armenians who survived the genocide found safe haven in Egypt, and we are grateful for the continued support from their community in Australia,” Kayserian added.

Sports: Armenia arrive in Skopje with 28 players

Maghakian Mike
Macedonian Football Mag
Sept 1 2021
  •  KONSTANTIN TEODHOSI

    •  

  •  1 SEP 2021

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  •  INTERNATIONAL

Spanish coach Joaquín Caparrós, who leads Armenia, arrived in the Macedonian capital with 28 players for Thursday’s WC qualifier.

photo by FFA: the Armenians before June’s friendly vs. Sweden

The Armenians first arrived with 18 players on Monday with the rest joining the following days, except for experienced central defender Varazdat Haroyan will join the team on matchday. But we won’t play anyway as he has to serve a yellow card suspension along with wight winger and former Vardar player Tigran Barseghyan and right midfielder Khoren Bayramyan.

Armenia will also be without winger Gevorg Ghazaryan who is out with an injury.

David Yurchenko – Alashkert 
Anatoli Ayvazov – Urartu 
Arsen Beglaryan – Urartu  
Stanislav Buchnev – Pyunik 

Kamo Hovhannisyan – Kairat 
Arman Hovhannisyan – Pyunik 
Taron Voskanyan – Alashkert 
Hrayr Mkoyan – Ararat 
Davit Terteryan – Ararat-Armenia 
André Calisir – Silkeborg 
Hovhannes Hambardzumyan – Anorthosis 
*Varazdat Haroyan – Cádiz 

*Tigran Barseghyan – Astana 
*Khoren Bayramyan – Rostov 
Solomon Udo – Atyrau 
Eduard Spertsyan – Krasnodar 
David Davidyan – Khimki 
Artak Grigoryan – Alashkert 
Wbeymar Angulo – Ararat-Armenia 
Zhirayr Shaghoyan – Ararat-Armenia 
Erik Vardanyan – Pyunik 
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – Roma 
Vahan Bichakhchyan – Žilina 
Arshak Koryan – Orenburg 
Artyom Avanesyan – Ararat-Armenia 

Aleksandr Karapetyan – Noah 
Sargis Adamyan – 1899 Hoffenheim 
Ishkhan Geloyan – Baltika 

*Suspended

After Macedonia the Armenians will visit Germany on the 5th and three days later will host Liechtenstein.

Gegham Nazaryan: ‘The leader of the regime has decided to kill Professor Armen Charchyan’

Edgar Tavakalian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 1 2021

Political scientist Gegham Nazaryan, a lawmaker from the opposition Armenia faction, on Tuesday demanded the immediate release of famous doctor, Armenia faction MP Armen Charchyan after the latter suffered a heart attack in pre-trial custody.

“The leader of the regime has decided to kill Professor Armen Charchyan. The professor suffered an acute myocardial infarction in the place of detention and his blood sugar level is very high. I would also like to emphasize that, regardless of his health condition, our colleague was deprived of liberty illegally and is being held in custody illegally,” Nazaryan wrote on Facebook.

“I demand the immediate release of the prominent doctor who saved many people and cured tens of thousands,” the MP said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Charchyan’s lawyer Erik Aleksanyan said that the doctor had suffered an acute myocardial infarction. In addition, Charchyan has high blood pressure, heart failure, insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney failure.

“Currently, the professor’s health is in poor condition,” the lawyer said.

Armen Charchyan, who formerly headed the Izmirlian Medical Center, was arrested in June for allegedly forcing his employees to take part in the snap parliamentary elections and vote for the Armenia bloc.

The Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction ruled to release him on bail on July 21, granting a defense motion. On August 23, the Yerevan Criminal Court of Appeals upheld an earlier ruling to arrest the opposition deputy.