12:20, 7 January, 2022
YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and the United States are celebrating today the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
“Since 1992, Armenia and United States have developed a strong partnership anchored on common values of democracy, respect for human rights and rule of law”, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Twitter, congratulating both countries on this occasion.
12:46, 7 January, 2022
YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas officially notified the United Nations, the OSCE and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the CSTO’s deployment of peacekeepers to Kazakhstan.
12:49, 7 January, 2022
YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Kazakhstan’s President Kassim-Jomart Tokayev announced that he has issued an order to law enforcement agencies to “open fire at terrorists without warning.”
In a televised address to the nation, President Tokayev said that the “gangs” continue to damage state property and harm citizens.
13:08, 7 January, 2022
YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. The Syros administrative court released an order according to which prominent Istanbul-Armenian scholar and writer Sevan Nisanyan will be released on January 7.
The Armenian Embassy in Greece reports that Nisanyan must leave Greece voluntarily within 15 days according to the court decision.
“As Sevan Nisanyan is a citizen of Armenia, he can leave for Armenia if he wishes”, the Embassy said.
Sevan Nisanyan was sentenced to 17 years in prison in Turkey in 2014 on charges of illegal construction, a case he claims was punishment for his outspoken views about restrictions on freedom of _expression_ in the country. In 2017 he fled a Turkish prison and asked for a shelter to Greek authorities. Nisanyan is now facing a deportation from Greece as his residency permit was not renewed and he was placed into custody on December 30.
13:29, 7 January, 2022
YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Armed Forces sent a peacekeeping unit (100 servicemen) to Kazakhstan as part of the CSTO peacekeeping mission, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
“During the mission the Armenian peacekeeping unit will carry out functions protecting exclusively buildings and infrastructures of strategic significance”, the ministry’s statement says.
13:32, 7 January, 2022
YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan held a telephone conversation with President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the PM’s Office said.
The two leaders exchanged congratulations on Christmas.
The Armenian PM and the Russian President discussed the current situation in Kazakhstan, as well as the process of joint steps within the CSTO.
14:13, 7 January, 2022
YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev thanked Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – the current chairman of the CSTO Collective Security Council, as well as the leaders of the other CSTO member states Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for the decision to send a joint peacekeeping contingent to Kazakhstan.
“As you know, pursuant to the main clauses of the CSTO charter documents, Kazakhstan applied to the leaders of the member states requesting the deployment of a joint peacekeeping continent to support in establishing constitutional order. This contingent arrived to our country for a brief period of time for carrying out protection and logistics. I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to the Prime Minister of Armenia – who is now presiding in the CSTO, as well as the presidents of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. I am relaying special thanks to the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. He reacted to my request very swiftly, and most importantly warmly and as a friend,” President Tokayev said in a message.
15:26, 7 January, 2022
YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas held a telephone conversation today with Prime Minister of Armenia, Chair of the Collective Security Council Nikol Pashinyan, the CSTO press service reports.
The CSTO Secretary General informed Pashinyan about the details of the January 6 decision of the Collective Security Council aimed at solving the current situation in Kazakhstan.
Mr Zas also informed about the process of solving organizational issues.
The transportation of peacekeeping troops via Russian military planes continues.
The main tasks of the CSTO joint peacekeeping forces in Kazakhstan will be to protect state and strategic facilities, provide support to the law enforcement agencies of the country for stabilizing the situation.
15:47, 7 January, 2022
YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenia attaches importance to the responsibility that it assumed as part of the CSTO Chairmanship, the Secretary of Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan said in an interview to Public Television.
“One of the most important questions is why didn’t the Republic of Armenia, when it had asked for help in time, receive such help, while today Armenia is reacting when it is receiving such request. First of all I’d like to say that it is the stance of responsibility here. We attach great importance to the responsibility that we’ve assumed. There is another question here as well – is Armenia interested that the CSTO mechanisms work? The answer is definitely yes. And if the answer is yes, then Armenia, proceeding from this answer, tried to take steps for the CSTO mechanisms to function,” Grigoryan said.
“I’d like to note that the Prime Minister of Armenia, upon receiving reports on the developments in Kazakhstan and the request of Kazakhstan’s President Tokayev, launched consultations with all other CSTO member-state leaders so that the CSTO provides help. Everyone provided information and gave their assessment to the situation, and Armenia also made its decision. At that time, there were no revolutionary processes there, there were terrorist acts happening. You’ve seen videos online showing armed people outside. And the decision was made within the framework of the logic of ensuring stability and security,” Grigoryan said.
16:34, 7 January, 2022
YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Russian military planes are transporting Armenian peacekeepers to Kazakhstan from Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport, the Russian defense ministry reports.
“The transportation of servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces to Kazakhstan is being carried out by the Russian Il-76 military aircrafts. Three Il-76 planes have already departed from the Zvartnots airport to Kazakhstan”, the Russian defense ministry’s statement says.
Earlier today the Armenian defense ministry reported that 100 Armenian peacekeepers will be sent to Kazakhstan as part of the CSTO peacekeeping mission. The peacekeepers will protect strategic facilities in Kazakhstan.