Category: 2022

 10:57,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Special Representatives for the normalization process between Armenia and Turkey, respectively, the Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Mr. Ruben Rubinyan and Ambassador Serdar Kılıç met on , in Moscow.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said that during their first meeting, conducted in a positive and constructive atmosphere, the Special Representatives exchanged their preliminary views regarding the normalization process through dialogue between Armenia and Turkey. 

“Parties agreed to continue negotiations without preconditions aiming at full normalization,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued an identical statement, saying: “During their first meeting, conducted in a positive and constructive atmosphere, the Special Representatives exchanged their preliminary views regarding the normalization process through dialogue between Türkiye and Armenia. Parties agreed to continue negotiations without preconditions aiming at full normalization.”

More importantly, both statements clearly state that the principle of continuing dialogue without preconditions is the basis for the full normalization process between the two countries.

Normalizing relations with Turkey without preconditions has always been the key principle of Armenia.

Armenia’s expectations in the last 30 years haven’t changed: establishment of diplomatic relations without preconditions and opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. In this context it is important that Ankara is also expressing a similar approach, and the approach of continuing negotiations without preconditions was enshrined in the statements of the foreign ministries of both countries.

Essentially, this shows that there is mutual-understanding over continuing the talks without preconditions, and this itself is a positive start for having constructive discussions in the future.

 11:03,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. 293 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total cumulative number of confirmed cases to 347,377, the Armenian Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday.

With 106 recoveries, the total number of recovered people reached 333,518.

3 people died, raising the death toll to 8018.

5635 tests were administered (total 2,636,398).

As of January 15 the number of active cases stood at 4326.

 11:27,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. More than 1500 servicemen of tank units of the Russian Armed Forces are holding live-fire exercises in the numerous training grounds of the Southern Military District, including in the Russian military base of Armenia, in South Ossetia, Crimea, Dagestan, Adigea, Ingushetia and elsewhere.

The tank crews are holding offensive tactical maneuver and firing drills.

Tank drivers also held trainings for the selection phase of the Tank Biathlon competition.

Tank crews are also developing combat and defensive tactics for nighttime and daytime.

The “combat harmonizing” process of the tank platoons will continue until February 2022, the Russian military said.

 11:29,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. NATO welcomed the first meeting between the Armenian and Turkish special representatives for normalization.

NATO welcomes today’s meeting in Moscow between the special envoys of [Armenia and Turkey]. NATO supports the normalisation of their relations, which will help in bringing stability to the region, and we encourage Ankara and Yerevan to make further efforts”, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs & Security Policy and Special Representative for the Caucasus & Central Asia Javier Colomina tweeted on January 14.

 11:54,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. The United States welcomes the first meeting between the Armenian and Turkish special envoys in Moscow.

“We warmly welcome the Armenian-Turkish dialogue and the involvement of the two countries in diplomacy and dialogue for resolving existing disagreements between each other,” the U.S. State Department told the Voice of America’s Armenian service when asked to present Washington’s position over the Armenian-Turkish dialogue.

 12:19,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. An Armenian-Austrian Business Forum will take place on February 3 in Yerevan, the Ministry of Economy said.

Over 20 Austrian companies who are looking for partners in industry, wood processing, brewing, agriculture, hydro-power plants, banking system, education, security, healthcare and other sectors will participate.

The Ministry of Economy invited Armenian companies to participate in the forum. The deadline for applications is January 19.

 12:55,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Polish Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Zbigniew Rau plans to visit Moscow in mid-February, TASS reported citing the Polish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lukasz Jasina.

As the spokesperson explained to Polish Press Agency, Rau will first visit Ukraine and the United States. "And in the middle of next month, most probably, on February 15, the OSCE chair will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. A visit to Moscow is a normal procedure for the OSCE chair as Russia is one of the most important member states of that organization," he said.

 13:58,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will hold three phases of anti-drug trafficking operations at the border with Afghanistan, the organization’s Secretary General Stanislav Zas told Rossia 24.

He said the CSTO has a range of activities planned for 2022, such as military security and fight against terrorism.

“These are measures of fighting against the illegal circulation of narcotics. This subject is especially important on the backdrop of the recent events in Afghanistan. Here we plan three stages of anti-drug trafficking measures,” Zas said.

The Secretary General said the programs were formed by taking into account the situation in the CSTO area of responsibility, as well as the decisions adopted at the CSTO summit in Dushanbe and the priorities declared by Armenia, its member-state and current holder of the CSTO Chairmanship.