Category: 2022

 10:15,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. So far, a total of 2736 people in Armenia received a booster shot against COVID-19, the ministry of health said today.

The total number of COVID-19 vaccinations in the country is 1 million 761 thousand 529, of which the number of fully vaccinated is 784,849.

The following vaccinations are available in Armenia: Coronavac (only the second dose), AstraZeneca, Sputnik-V, Sinopharm and Moderna. Armenia also offers Sputnik Light vaccine which can be used as a booster shot.

Vaccinations are free of charge.

 10:42,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Members of Parliament of Armenia held a moment of silence at today’s session in memory of the three Armenian soldiers who were killed as a result of the Azerbaijani attack on January 11.

The respective proposal was made by the opposition “Armenia” faction MP Andranik Tevanyan.

 11:04,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. 168 new cases of COVID-19 and 1 death were recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 347,785.

The death toll reached 8020, the Armenian National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.

46 people recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 333,655.

4040 tests were administered (total 2,644,655)

As of January 17 the number of active cases stood at 4594.

 11:05,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Belgian Le Vif Weekend online journal has published the list of the best architectural monuments relating to the heritage of the Ancient Roman Period (754/753 BC – 476 AD).

The Armenian Temple of Garni is included in the list of the top 51 most beautiful monuments. It is the 37th in the list. The Temple of Garni is the only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia and the former Soviet Union. Built in the Ionic order in the village of Garni, in central Armenia, it is the best-known structure and symbol of pre-Christian Armenia. The structure was built by king Tiridates I in the first century AD as a temple to the sun god Mihr.

Rome’s Colosseum tops the list of the most beautiful monuments in the world. The Colosseum is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world today, despite its age.

 11:08,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The Republic of Armenia is in favor for the borders with Turkey to be opened and relations to be normalized swiftly without preconditions, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hakob Arshakyan said in his speech to lawmakers during the January 17 session.

Answering a question from opposition Hayastan MP Agnessa Khamoyan, he said the normalization is in the interests of Armenia and the Armenian people.

MP Khamoyan asked for details from the meeting between the special envoys of Armenia and Turkey which took place recently in Moscow.

“Mr. Arshakyan, the foreign ministry’s statement says that the meeting was held in a positive and constructive atmosphere. As your colleague stated, since important processes are taking place in the country, could you eventually inform the society on the processes and this positive and constructive atmosphere? Could you also explain where the agreement on having special representatives for attempting a normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey was reached?” Khamoyan asked Arshakyan, who is the Acting Speaker of Parliament due to Speaker Alen Simonyan currently being on an official trip abroad.

Arshakyan responded by saying that ever since Armenia’s independence and from the time when Turkey closed the borders the official position of Armenia has always been in favor of establishing relations and repoening of borders without preconditions.

“This logic hasn’t changed, the Republic of Armenia is maintaining this position now as well, and we are in favor of the reopening of borders and swift normalization of relations without preconditions. This is in the interests of Armenia and the Armenian people. Regarding the negotiations which took place during the meeting: the statement that the foreign ministry released is essentially describing the course of the negotiations. But if you want to obtain deeper and more comprehensive information regarding the course of the very negotiations itself, I believe from collegial and institutional perspective all mechanisms are in place for us to have such discussion and for you to have the chance to ask your questions,” Arshakyan said.

MP Khamoyan was dissatisfied from Arshakyan’s answers, and Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan himself – the Armenian special envoy for dialogue with Turkey – took the floor to present some details from the meeting with his Turkish counterpart.

“If you remember, back in 2021 the official representative of the Russian foreign ministry said that there is a process and the Armenian side has spoken with the Russian side about beginning a potential process with Turkey, which was then confirmed by the Armenian foreign ministry, and then Turkey announced the appointment of its special representative, which was welcomed by the Armenian foreign ministry and which noted that it will also appoint a special representative, and after that the Turkish side appointed its special representative, and after that the Armenian side appointed its special representative. This is how the agreements were reached. While the agreements on the exact location were reached with the help of the Russian side and the meeting took place in the Russian foreign ministry’s reception building in Moscow. You asked what we mean by saying ‘constructive atmosphere’. We mean a constructive atmosphere. As a result of the meeting the Armenian and Turkish foreign ministries issued press released which presented what the special representatives have discussed. The Russian foreign ministry also issued a press release,” Rubinyan said.

Hayastan MP Gegham Manukyan inquired from the technicalities, asking whether or not Rubinyan engaged in the negotiations with the Turkish envoy on behalf of the Armenian parliament given that he was sent to Moscow formally under the instruction signed by the Speaker on January 13.

Manukyan asked whether or not the parliament had authorized Rubinyan on behalf of the state to engage in negotiations on behalf of Armenia, whether or not the matter was discussed at the National Assembly Council.

“Each negotiation has a delegation, a head of delegation, there is a respective procedure, the agenda, timeframes, and expenses. All these procedures were adhered to in this case as well,” Arshakyan said, adding that they are open to answer remaining questions from the opposition MPs.

 11:16,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. During his working visit in the United Arab Emirates, President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian reached a new agreement with the UAE authorities about the expansion of cooperation between the two countries in the field of air communication, the Presidential Office said.

According to the agreement, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will soon start operating flights to Yerevan.

President Sarkissian said that the new air bridge between the two countries is another important step for strengthening the trade-economic and business ties between Armenia and the United Arab Emirates, adding that this will also greatly boost tourism.

 12:01,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The Vice Speaker of Parliament and Special Representative of Armenia for Dialogue with Turkey Ruben Rubinyan is angry over statements coming from opposition MPs who claim that the processes between Armenia and Turkey are taking place secretly.

Speaking in parliament, Rubinyan said that this is actually the first time that a process of normalization is being launched between Armenia and Turkey and the first point of this process is public.

Rubinyan said all events taking place within the framework of the process have been made public by the foreign ministry.

“When you say that secret processes are taking place, this is what angers me the most, because dear colleagues, negotiations with Turkey have taken place in the history of the Republic of Armenia during the tenures of all presidents, moreover in various formats. What do you think, how much was secret and how much was open during that time? Most was secret. For example, the same football diplomacy, the public part of which was launched during the presidency of Serzh Sargsyan. Do you think the non-public part of the process was launched during the presidency of Serzh Sargsyan? No, it started during Robert Kocharyan’s presidency. I am asking, did secret processes take place between Armenia and Turkey and why weren’t the secret negotiations publicized during Robert Kocharyan’s presidency, because what you are doing now, I apologize, seems to be hypocrisy. This process is the only case when a normalization process of the Armenia-Turkey relations is starting and the first point of it is being made public,” Rubinyan said.

Referring to an earlier question about his appointment as Special Representative, he underscored that he is a Special Representative and not an envoy.

“In our case a special representative is not a formal position, it is a function. Meaning, I wasn’t appointed to any position, I continue being Vice Speaker of Parliament just like before, but I also carry out the function of special representative which I’ve been delegated with publicly, including by the formal statement of the foreign ministry.”

 13:32,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Parliament adjourned the session after a shouting match erupted between opposition MPs from the Hayastan faction and the Vice Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan.

The quarrel began after the opposition MPs accused Rubinyan – who is the Special Representative for Dialogue with Turkey – in being an agent of influence of Turkey. He strongly denied these accusations.

Then, the Vice Speaker Hakob Arshakyan took the floor to again address the matter.

“I’d like to inform our opposition colleagues, that to try and label a man, to connect the fact of him having been in any given country during the revolution or in any given period of time with being an agent of influence is the same as accusing someone of being an agent just because of their surname. Please look among yourselves, you might find a suspicion surname,” Arshakyan said.

During his speech, opposition MP from Hayastan faction Hripsime Stambulyan started to speak, but inaudibly. As the loud quarrel began, Rubinyan adjourned the session.

[see video]

 13:56,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian attended the opening ceremony of the leading international forum Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week during his visit in the United Arab Emirates, the Presidential Office reports.

The opening of the forum was held in Dubai, at the Expo 2020 Dubai center.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize awarding ceremony was held on the sidelines of the opening of the forum. This prize is awarded to companies operating in healthcare, food, energy, education and water economy industries, who offer innovative and inspiring solutions to sustainable development.

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week forum is being held since 2008. Through its year round initiatives and events, ADSW brings members of the global community together to accelerate sustainable development.

Working with its public and private partners, ADSW hosts a series of events that welcome heads of state, policy makers, business leaders and technology pioneers, providing them with a global platform to share knowledge, showcase innovation and outline strategies for delivering climate action.

 15:09,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s agenda for the negotiations with Turkey has not changed, it continues to be the opening of borders and establishment of diplomatic relations without preconditions, Vice Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan told reporters today.

“Since Armenia’s independence, the country’s borders are tense, and we had thousands of losses both during the war and the peaceful times. I think that the peace agenda we are currently pushing forward and for which we received a mandate from our people is directed to that purpose in order to ensure the security of our borders and Armenia as soon as possible so that no soldier will be killed in peaceful times, so that Armenia will never appear in wars”, Arshakyan said.

As for the recent meeting of the special envoys of Armenia and Turkey, Arshakyan said that it was their first meeting and it’s normal that there is not so much information.

“The first meeting took place, people got acquainted with one another, our side has presented its agenda on what we are interested in, the Turkish side brought its agenda, and a discussion has taken place. After that discussions the sides left for their capitals to clarify and discuss that agenda issues”, the Vice Speaker commented.

Asked what Armenia is interested in, Hakob Arshakyan said Armenia is interested in the opening of borders and the establishment of diplomatic relations without preconditions.

“Our agenda has not changed. All authorities of independent Armenia have announced that our agenda for talks with Turks is the following – the borders must be opened and diplomatic relations must be established with Turkey without preconditions”, he said.

Asked what trust there is that Turkey won’t push forward preconditions, the Vice Speaker said that there is such a risk. He reminded that those meetings, negotiations are taking place at Russia’s mediation, the Russian foreign ministry also has a positive reaction. “I hope that with the help of also international partners we will be able to solve the issue of opening borders, establishing diplomatic ties. And this derives from Armenia’s interests”, the Vice Speaker of Parliament added.

The first meeting of the special envoys of Armenia and Turkey for the dialogue between the two countries was held in the Russian capital of Moscow on January 14.