Category: 2021

 10:55, 27 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh are ensuring the security of the construction site of a new reservoir, which is being built to meet the needs of the population of Artsakh as well as the industry.

“The structure under construction is located near the line of contact, that’s why the presence of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is necessary,” the Russian defense ministry quoted a representative of the peacekeepers Aleksey Kolesnikov as saying.

“Here we are carrying out works in the direction of preserving artesian waters and with this purpose we requested the command of the Russian peacekeepers to ensure security. The peacekeeping contingent command provided one unit which is currently ensuring the security of our work. We thank the peacekeeping contingent for providing assistance in time,” said Adam Grigoryan, a representative of a mining enterprise.

The construction of the reservoir is expected to be completed by yearend.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:37, 27 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. The blocking of Kapan-Goris inter-state highway by the Azerbaijani armed forces in Syunik province is against to the agreements (Russian border guards are deployed in the Goris-Davit Bek section for the uninterrupted operation of traffic. The security of the 21 km long section of the Goris-Kapan highway, which passes through a disputable territory, will be provided by the Russian border guards) reached in December 2020, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting today.

He expressed hope that the situation will be quickly solved.

“From political terms it’s obvious to me that that campaign has been done for blowing the peace agenda proposed by us, for discrediting that agenda. Azerbaijan’s behavior shows that such incidents can again happen. Of course, our services need to be vigilant and careful, but on the other hand we need strong nerves, and we must develop and push forward our strategic line – the peace agenda”, the PM stated.

According to him, this situation connected with the roads of Syunik was not unexpected for the government. At this period they have worked for forming new infrastructure and will continue to work, but the opening of the road could become a very good symbol of regional stability.

Pashinyan says the Azerbaijani side claims that the current situation is connected with the recent incident when a serviceman of the Azerbaijani border forces has been stabbed.

“Our preliminary checks have showed that the Armenian side has no connection with the alleged incident. I have also announced in the Parliament that if the Azerbaijani side has concrete data, it would be desirable if they transfer it to us. We are also ready for joint investigation with the participation of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan”, he added.

Pashinyan drew the attention of deputy prime minister Suren Papikyan and minister of territorial administration and infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan on the renovation programs of inter-community and republic roads in Syunik province.

“The renovation of Tatev-Aghavni road must be completed by the end of the year. We also must complete the road construction programs of the other sections in order to make the communication of communities with the inter-community and republican roads more qualified”, Nikol Pashinyan said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:41, 27 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says he sees some positive public signals coming from Turkey in terms of regional peace.

“We will evaluate these signals and we will respond to positive signals with a positive signal,” Pashinyan said during the Cabinet meeting.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:59, 27 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. 14 hospitals are currently treating COVID-19 patients in Armenia, Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

Right now there are a total of 1500 beds for COVID-19 patients, and only 357 are now available. In an emergency mode the health authorities are capable of bringing the number of beds to 2700.

“Around 700 patients are in serious or critical condition. The proportionality of the number of overall hospitalized patients and the number of seriously ill patients is very concerning,” she said.

Avanesyan said that the Delta variant of the disease is now actively circulating in Armenia.

“We have young patients who don’t have any underlying diseases but are now in critical condition. Our doctors are fighting to save their lives.”

Avanesyan added that on August 26 alone 7114 vaccinations were carried out against COVID-19, bringing the total number of vaccinations to 267,504. She said the number of persons willing to take the vaccine is rising.

The health minister added that a vaccine mandate for employees of all businesses will be enforced from October 1, whereby employees refusing to take the jab will have to get tested twice a month.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 12:25, 27 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Defense Arshak Karapetyan visited the reservists who were called up for three-month trainings. He met with the troops and urged them to use the three month effectively.

“Everything will be done to fully involve the participants of the musters in the everyday life of the military base and combat training. I assure you the government will do everything possible to solve social issues of participants related to the musters,” Karapetyan said.

Karapetyan then visited the newly founded Army Special Corps, headed by the new commander major-general Artak Budaghyan. Praising the major-general’s contributions to military service, Karapetyan urged the command to do their best in holding the training of the reservists maximally effective.

“I assure you I will visit you regularly, and any issues related to the musters are under my personal supervision. Thank you for taking part in the protection of your country not with words but with action,” the Minister of Defense told the reserve troops.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 12:27, 27 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan says the situation on the Kapan-Goris interstate highway caused by the blocking of the road by the Azerbaijani armed forces is “strictly concerning”.

The minister told reporters that professional officials are completely involved in talks on solving the situation.

“It’s illogical for us all to engage in solution of an issue which professional responsible officials are dealing with. I think the issue will be solved soon”, he said.

He stated that Iranian vehicles have no problem with entering Armenia, they have a problem of getting to Yerevan.

“The issue is solved by a detour, which, of course, is not suitable for trucks, but that road operates, and the trucks are passing. I want to state again that we are very concerned and worried over the blocking of that road and do everything to unblock it”, the minister said.

On August 25, the Azerbaijani armed forces blocked the Karmrakar-Shurnukh section of the Kapan-Goris highway in Syunik province.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 13:09, 27 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government approved the draft on providing 13.4 billion drams to Artsakh.

Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan presented the draft at the Cabinet meeting today.

“Despite the fact that the economic life in Artsakh is gradually recovering and the tax revenues of its state budget are increasing, they are still not enough for ensuring the whole finance of social and economic programs”, he said.

He stated that this money will be provided for salaries, pensions, healthcare costs, electricity, gas supply and communication services expenses.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 15:22, 27 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister of Armenia Arshak Karapetyan received today the delegation led by Lieutenant-General Hasan Kaloev, first deputy chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, the defense ministry told Armenpress.

Lieutenant-General Hasan Kaloev has arrived in Armenia on a working visit.

At the meeting defense minister Karapetyan presented the current security environment around Armenia.

Mr. Kaloev reported the Armenian defense minister about the plans for joint operational expansion of the CSTO collective response forces.

The meeting sides also exchanged views on decision-making within CSTO and improvement of mechanisms of using collective forces.

During the visit in Armenia, Lieutenant-General Hasan Kaloev also got acquainted with issues relating to the combat preparedness of the Armenian units included in the CSTO collective response forces.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 15:57, 27 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian addressed a letter of condolences on the occasion of the terror attacks in the Kabul international airport of Afghanistan, his Office said.

“We strongly condemn the terror acts in the Kabul international airport which killed numerous innocent civilians and servicemen.

Armenia is always against any terror act against humanity, especially the participation of terrorists in military operations.

It’s necessary to unite efforts in fight against international terrorism to rule out such monstrous manifestations of intolerance and ignorance to universal values.

We wish endurance and courage to the families and relatives of the victims, and to the injured – a speedy recovery”, reads the President’s letter.

On Thursday, two suicide bombers attacked crowds of people gathered near the Kabul airport. 103 people – 90 Afghans and 13 US military personnel, have been killed.

 16:10, 27 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. Iran hopes that the latest disputes in the Syunik Province border zones and especially in the Kapan-Goris road section will be resolved in a way that the implementation of the goal of reopening the transportation routes and unblocking won’t be disrupted, the Iranian Embassy in Armenia said in response to an inquiry from ARMENPRESS.

The Iranian embassy said that since the new delimitation issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan entered the agenda Tehran has been hopeful that the sides will urgently reach the kind of a mutually-acceptable solution that would ensure the normal course of relations between Armenia and its neighbors, with minimum consequences. The embassy mentioned that the reopening of regional transportation routes and unblocking was one of the main clauses of the Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan statements.

Tehran hopes that the disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan over delimitation will be solved in peaceful atmosphere without any tension or disruption in communication routes.

“We hope that the sides will resolve the latest disagreements in the Syunik province’s border zones and especially the Kapan-Goris road section in a way that the implementation of the goal of reopening of transportation routes and unblocking won’t be disrupted. Unfortunately, in the past two days we are witnessing a disruption of transit through this road as a result of the latest developments in the Syunik province, which has caused problems not only for the normal life of Armenia’s civilian population, but also a number of Iranian cargo vehicles carrying out shipments from Iran to Armenia. Due to the difficulty of the existing situation at this road’s 21 kilometer section it is required for the sides to make efforts within the framework of goodwill principle in the direction of ensuring normal course of communication and transit, until reaching an exact and concrete situation over this matter. Thus, we still hope that the disputes related to the general delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be solved in a peaceful environment without any tension or disruption in communication routes,” the Iranian embassy said.

In relation to the importance of guaranteeing the normal course of communication, the Iranian side stressed that they have always expressed their viewpoints to the authorized bodies of Armenia.

“We are hopeful that parallel to the ongoing negotiations over solving the existing disputes regarding the use of the Kapan-Goris route, the improvement and development works of alternative routes will swiftly take place, so that the conditions return to normal both from perspective of Armenia’s citizens and our commercial relations with Armenia,” the Iranian embassy said.

The Azeri military is keeping the Karmrakar-Shurnukh section of the Kapan-Goris Armenian interstate highway blocked since August 25. The Azeri forces also blocked the Goris-Vorotan road.

The National Security Service of Armenia said on August 27 that the Armenian Border Guards and the Russian Border Guards are holding joint negotiations with the Azeri military to reopen the road.

The roadblock has also impacted Iranian cargo shipments. Economy Minister of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan told reporters that Iranian cargo trucks have problems in reaching Yerevan because of the roadblock.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan