Category: 2021

IRICA head visits Armenia, Georgia to explore customs co-op

Christine Harutyunian
Tehran Times
Dec 10 2021
  1. Economy
– 15:35

TEHRAN – A high-ranking Iranian delegation led by Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Mehdi Mirashrafi traveled to Armenia to review mutual interests.

The Iranian delegation entered Armenia through the Moghri border crossing, in which Mirashrafi held talks with the border authorities to get more familiar with the services rendered to Iranian citizens and traders at the border.

Upon arrival in Armenia, he met with the Chairman of the Revenue Committee of Armenia to discuss customs issues, exchange trade information, and follow up on previous agreements.

During his stay in Armenia, the IRICA head also met Armenian Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan and Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan.

He also had a meeting with Iranian businessmen and economic activists living in Armenia.

Mirashrafi then left Armenia for Georgia on Friday Morning.

EF/MA

U.S. to build "defense facilities" in Georgia and Armenia?

Alex Nanijanian
Vestnik Kavkaza
Dec 10 2021
 10 Dec in 12:40

The United States plans to build new "defense facilities" in Georgia and Armenia, according to preliminary documentation provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, writes RT.

The document says that the U.S. wants to sign two separate contracts with companies that could undertake the design and construction of new, as well as the restoration of old facilities in Georgia and Armenia "in support of the defense activities of the United States."

It is noted that the new contracts will relate primarily to "construction, design, reconstruction of buildings, repair of roads, sidewalks." The total value of the contracts may reach $45 million.

Armenia: Appeals court overturns Sasna Tsrer verdicts

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
PanArmenian, Armenia
Dec 10 2021
– 15:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Criminal Court of Appeal overturned the verdict of Armen Bilyan, who was earlier acquitted of murder during an episode involving members of an armed group storming a police station in Yerevan in summer 2016. On Friday, December 10, Bilyan was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was remanded in custody.

In February, the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction handed a prison term of 4 years and 11 months to Bilyan, who, however, was released on his own recognizance.

The court also handed a jail term of 7 years to Pavel Manukyan, 7 years and 4 months to Vatuzhan Avetisyan, 7 years and 6 months to Mkhitar Avetisyan, 6 years and 6 months to Eduard Grigoryan, 7 years and 5 months to Gagik Yeghiazaryan, 7 years and 1 month to Areg Kyureghyan, 8 years and 2 months to Sedrak Nazaryan, and 25 years to Smbat Barseghyan, who was accused of killing a police officer.

The group known as Sasna Tsrer (named after the Armenian epic "Daredevils of Sassoun") stormed a police patrol department in summer of 2016 and took everyone inside hostage.

Throughout the following days, the group released the captives one by one. After negotiations that lasted a little over two weeks, the gunmen agreed to surrender to law enforcement officers. Three police officers were killed throughout the crisis.

Armenian Defence Ministry Says Repelled Azerbaijan’s Attack at Border

Arpi Talalian
Sputnik
Dec 10 2021
YEREVAN (Sputnik) – The Armenian army has repelled an assault by Azerbaijani troops on its military bases at their common border, the Armenian Defenсe Ministry said on Friday.
"On 10 December, at around noon [08:00 GMT], units of the Azerbaijani armed forces attacked Armenian combat positions stationed in the eastern area of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. As a result of the retaliatory actions of the Armenian side, the enemy suffered losses and was thrown back to its original positions," the ministry said in a statement.
Shooting on the border is ongoing, it added.
One Armenian soldier died as a result of a shooting at the border with Azerbaijan, the Armenian Defense Ministry said.
"On 10 December, at around noon [08:00 GMT], as a result of a shootout caused by the aggressive actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces, one person from the Armenian side was killed, several soldiers were wounded," the ministry said in a statement.
Further information about the incident will be released later, the ministry noted.

Russian peacekeepers promise to oversee return of all Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan

Ani Basmajian
Dec 10 2021


    JAMnewsYerevan

“The work on the return of captured Armenian soldiers is ongoing at the moment, it is positive, there is understanding. I believe that this issue should be resolved completely and the Russian peacekeepers will bring this matter to an end”, said Rustam Muradov, deputy commander of the Southern Military District. Previously, he served as the commander of the peacekeeping contingent which has been stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh since the signing of the ceasefire agreement in the fall of 2020.

Rustam Muradov oversaw all of the previous prisoner exhcanges, even after leaving the post of commander of the peacekeeping contingent.

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The Russian general also said that he regards the work on the return of prisoners “as a civil duty of peacekeepers”.

“As a military man, I understand who the prisoners of war are, what they experienced while in captivity. I remember the first flight, when we flew to Baku, and on my return I saw the faces of those servicemen when they had already flown to Yerevan, to the Erebuni airfield. They were crying, they could not believe that they had returned home”, said Rustam Muradov.

Return of the prisoners of war is a painful issue in Armenian society. According to the tripartite declaration of the cessation of hostilities on November 9, 2020, the parties undertake to return all prisoners to each other. All Azerbaijani prisoners were returned by the Armenian side, but dozens of Armenian prisoners still remain in Baku.

After the second Karabakh war, 126 prisoners of war and civilians returned to their homeland from Azerbaijan, they were returned in small groups. Baku does not report exactly how many people remain in Azerbaijani prisons. Those Armenians who remain in captivity are declared “terrorists” in Azerbaijan and are going to be tried.

The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov also commented on this topic on December 9. He stated that within the framework of the peacekeeping operation on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh the Russian military personnel is now focused on the return of prisoners, the implementation of infrastructure projects and the solution of other humanitarian tasks.

This refers to the demining of terrain and objects, the search for the bodies of the dead and ensuring the safety of the delivery of humanitarian supplies.

“In addition to ensuring the observance of the ceasefire, the efforts of our peacekeepers are focused on restoring peaceful life in the region and humanitarian issues are being successfully resolved”, said Valery Gerasimov.

At a briefing with the military attachés of the diplomatic missions operating in Russia, he said that the Russian Armed Forces continue to carry out peacekeeping tasks in Nagorno-Karabakh:

“More than a year ago, we managed to stop the bloody war and create conditions for the restoration of peace in the region. In order to reduce tensions and comply with the ceasefire regime, Russian peacekeepers organized watch posts and patrols in the area of the peacekeeping operation”.

We are entering a quantum era: Armenian President participates in Ada Lovelace festival

Garnik Tadevosian
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 10 2021
, 13:52

 2 minutes read

President Armen Sarkissian participated online in the Ada Lovelace festival in Germany titled “Quantum World.”

The festival, named after mathematician Ada Lovelace, is a unique platform for talented techies and tech enthusiasts to discuss the impact of technological change on different aspects of life. Representatives of the German government and leading technology companies are taking part in the festival.

Within the framework of the festival, President Sarkissian answered the questions on challenges of the changing world and quantum politics.

“What we are witnessing now, I call R-evolution, that is, rapid evolution,” said the President. “In other words, we will live in a period of constant rapid evolution, where quantum computing will completely change our lives. I’m sure that the people who are present at the conference are well aware of that. “

President Sarkissian noted that we must realize that we live in a world that is completely different even from the world 30 years ago. “The way we communicate, the fact that everyone has a device in their hands that contains a wealth of information, the fact that people can express their ideas on social media, the way we manage our healthcare system have completely changed our planet,” he said.”

“The planet has now become smaller, more crowded, very fast. Each of us leads two lives. We have our material life, and the electronic or alternative life that is constantly with us. This life is absolutely quantum in the sense that it travels at the speed of light, allowing you to receive large-scale information. That life also affects our material life,” President Sarkissian stated.

Asked about the impact of technological changes on the policy, President Sarkissian noted that the policy is changing. “Thirty, fifty or a hundred years ago, classical politics was implemented through a parliamentary, presidential or monarchical structure, through international structures. “Everything is different today,” he said. ” You vote not every 5 years, but at least 5 times a day through Facebook. Democracy has changed. The political events in the world over the last 10-15 years have become very unpredictable and unstable. We need to understand that we are entering a completely different era for humanity, which has one formulation – quantum.”

According to President Sarkissian, in the future people will make decisions with the help of artificial intelligence. “To compare what can happen, I will give an example from different areas of our lives. Take chess, for example. It’s a great game. I am proud to say that every child in Armenia learns chess from the first grade at school, because it is a fantastic tool to develop logic, concentration, thinking discipline,” said the President.

“Today chess has become a combination of a person with fantastic talent and a computer. No one can become a world champion today if he does not train with a computer. In other words, it has become an excellent helper that can analyze all possible steps. Tomorrow, the supercomputer, with the help of artificial intelligence, can help chess players take the right steps. But in any case, the chess players will be individuals, because chess is not just about making the right move. It is completely different when you see the person sitting in front of you, you have a struggle of personalities, characters, knowledge, cultures, maybe it is a struggle of morality. In other words, the decision-maker will be the person, but he can be supported by artificial intelligence. It will be the same in politics. Decisions will be made by people, but they will be helped by artificial intelligence. “

Armenian American spiritual leaders call on Biden to cease all military aid to Azerbaijan

Kevo Kalantarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 10 2021
December 11, 2021, 00:50

 2 minutes read

The spiritual leaders of American Christians of Armenian heritage have called on President Biden to cease all U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan – fully enforcing Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act.

” As you know, Armenia, the world’s first Christian nation is today a landlocked, blockaded, genocide survivor state, striving to survive on the frontiers of global freedom. The United States should stand in solidarity with Armenia in every way, and that must begin by ending any and all U.S. military aid to a nation that would erase our ancient nation from the map of the world. We must never, as Americans, be complicit in such genocidal violence,” the leaders say.

Below is the full text of the letter:

Dear President Biden,

We write today, as the spiritual leaders of American Christians of Armenian heritage, to ask you to cease all U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, a wealthy nation that has used its vast riches to assault and ethnically-cleanse Christian Armenians living upon our ancient and indigenous homeland.

We welcomed your support as a Senator for Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, and were encouraged by your call, as a candidate, for the enforcement of this law by your predecessor. You were correct in assessing that Azerbaijan has violated both the spirit and the letter of this statute. Inspired and informed by the very stand that you have taken on this issue, we are today asking you to withdraw your waiver of Section 907 and fully enforce this provision of U.S. law.

As you know, Armenia, the world’s first Christian nation is today a landlocked, blockaded, genocide survivor state, striving to survive on the frontiers of global freedom. The United States should stand in solidarity with Armenia in every way, and that must begin by ending any and all U.S. military aid to a nation that would erase our ancient nation from the map of the world. We must never, as Americans, be complicit in such genocidal violence.

In light of these concerns, and given Azerbaijan’s thoroughly documented pattern of violating internationally recognized human rights, we call upon you to suspend U.S. security and military assistance to Azerbaijan.

We look forward to learning of your renewed leadership in saving Christian Armenian lives.

Prayerfully,

Archb. Hovnan Derderian
Primate, Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Archb. Anoushavan Tanielian
Prelate, Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Bishop Daniel Findikian
Primate, Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Bishop Torkom Donoyan
Prelate, Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Bishop Mikhael Mouradian
Eparch, Armenian Catholic Eparchy

Rev. Hendrik Shahnazarian
Minister, Armenian Evangelical Union

Zaven Khanjian
Executive Director Armenian Missionary Association of America

Esplanade of Armenia inaugurated in Paris

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 10 2021
December 11, 2021, 01:22

 2 minutes read

The Esplanade of Armenia was inaugurated in Paris today.

Attending the ceremony were Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, Armenia’s Ambassador to France Hasmik Tolmajian, other elected officials, local Armenians and guests.

“One year after the war, Paris attests to its solidarity with the Armenians,” Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said. He noted that the centuries-old links between Armenia and France go back to the kingdom of Cilicia, and relations between the Armenians and Paris were particularly tightened after the genocide. The capital then becomes one of the centers of the Armenian world with personalities like Aznavour, Manouchian, Essayan or Missakian.  

Minister Mirzoyan stressed that the last three decades in particular have been marked by strong cooperation in many areas between the two states. Among the important moments, Ararat Mirzoyan pointed to the reception by Jacques Chirac, then city councilor, of the leaders of the Karabakh movement or, in recent months, the vote on the recognition of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh by the Paris City Council. He described it as “a strong signal sent to French society and to the world.”

He expressed gratitude to Mayor Anne Hidalgo, her Deputy Arnaud Ngatcha and all the members of the Council of Paris for the creation of this place.

The City Council of Paris voted unanimously on October 14 to establish an Esplanade of Armenia in the 8th arrondissement of the capital.

This space encompasses the part of Court Albert I where the statue of Komitas is located, the Garden of Armenia, and extends as far as the Pont de l’Alma, – an exceptional location in the heart of the prestigious 8th arrondissement of Paris, right in the center of the capital.

“As Mayor of Paris, I have always defended the right of the Armenian people to truth and recognition,” Anne Hidalgo said. Fortunately, she said, since 2018 the state has followed Paris on this path and every year the first genocide of the 20th century is commemorated every year on April 24, which has been designated as a National Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.  

“With this new esplanade bearing the beautiful name of Armenia, this day of commemoration can be held here. We will then be able not only to commemorate the past, but also and above all to transmit this memory so that it guides our daily steps, especially at a time when Armenia is once again facing an existential danger,” the Mayor said.

She stressed that “the esplanade must be the symbol of living Armenia, of proud and upright Armenia.”

Armenia reports 1 dead, 8 wounded in clashes with Azerbaijan

Arbi Tashjian
NBC News
Dec 10 2021

Armenia's Defense Ministry blamed the casualty on "aggressive actions" by Azerbaijan's troops.
By The Associated Press

The Armenian military reported Friday that one of its soldiers was killed and eight more were wounded in yet another clash with Azerbaijani forces on the border between the two countries, where tensions have simmered for months.

Armenia's Defense Ministry blamed the casualty on "aggressive actions" by Azerbaijan's troops, alleging they attacked Armenian positions on the eastern section of the border. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, in turn, claimed Armenian forces opened fire first.

Both countries reported a similar clash on Thursday, with Azerbaijan reporting one casualty and Armenia saying two of its troops sustained injuries.

By The Associated Press

The Armenian military reported Friday that one of its soldiers was killed and eight more were wounded in yet another clash with Azerbaijani forces on the border between the two countries, where tensions have simmered for months.

Armenia's Defense Ministry blamed the casualty on "aggressive actions" by Azerbaijan's troops, alleging they attacked Armenian positions on the eastern section of the border. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, in turn, claimed Armenian forces opened fire first.

Both countries reported a similar clash on Thursday, with Azerbaijan reporting one casualty and Armenia saying two of its troops sustained injuries.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/armenia-reports-1-dead-8-wounded-clashes-azerbaijan-n1285746
Read also
https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/wireStory/armenia-reports-dead-wounded-clashes-azerbaijan-81676945 
https://www.theridgefieldpress.com/news/article/Armenia-reports-1-dead-8-wounded-in-clashes-with-16691383.php

Armenia will allow employers to fire unvaccinated workers

Zhanna Nahapetian
ABC News
Dec 10 2021

Armenia’s parliament has passed a law that would allow employers to fire those who refuse to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test result

, 15:44
2 min read

YEREVAN, Armenia — Armenia's parliament approved a law Friday that would allow employers to fire workers who refuse to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test result.

Russia’s ex-Soviet neighbor has some of the lowest vaccination rates in the Caucasus region.

The new rule follows an August order by the ministry of health which required Armenian citizens to provide their employers with proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test every two weeks or face a fine.

“If the employee is not providing a vaccination certificate, or a negative COVID-19 test, the employer is given the right to turn the employee away from the workplace, suspend their pay and fire the employee, if they are off for 10 working days because of that,” Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ruben Sargsyan said Friday.

The new vaccination requirement will not apply to the country’s president, prime minister, members of parliament or the National Assembly, the ombudsman, judges of the Constitutional Court and a number of other officials, Sargsyan said.

“This exception was established for the reason that these positions are either (institutional), as in the case of parliamentary deputies, or their holders are appointed in accordance with the Constitution,” he said.

Armenia began its mass vaccination campaign in April with authorities planning to inoculate 700,000 of the country's 2.9 million citizens by the end of the year. However, only 516,989 citizens had been fully vaccinated by Dec. 6.

In Armenia, citizens can choose to get vaccinated with the Sputnik V, AstraZeneca, CoronaVac, Sinopharm or Moderna jabs.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/armenia-employers-fire-unvaccinated-workers-81672587
Also at 
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/nation-world/story/2021-12-10/armenia-will-allow-employers-to-fire-unvaccinated-workers 
https://krdo.com/news/ap-national-news/2021/12/10/armenia-will-allow-employers-to-fire-unvaccinated-workers/