Category: 2022

Sri Lankan president officially resigns — parliament speaker

 09:48,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has stepped down, and his official resignation letter has been received, Sri Lankan parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena told reporters in Colombo on Friday, reports TASS.

“Gotabaya Rajapaksa has stepped down legally from his post from the 14th of July 2022”, the Newsfist portal quoted him as saying. The speaker demonstrated the resignation letter, delivered to him from Singapore late on Thursday, via the embassy of Sri Lanka.

According to the speaker, the constitutional process of electing a new president will begin from this moment. During the transition period, the presidential duties will be performed by the prime minister, in accordance with the constitution.

The country’s parliament will convene on Saturday to discuss political settlement in the country.

The president tendered his resignation letter via email after arriving in Singapore from the Maldives. Rajapaksa fled his country and flew to the Maldives on Tuesday night after mass protests demanding his resignation broke out last Saturday. On Thursday, Rajapaksa departed to Singapore.

On July 9, protesters in Colombo captured the residences of the president and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. A total of 103 people were injured during the riots.

The popular discontent in Sri Lanka was caused by a sharp decline in living standards due to an ongoing economic crisis. In an interview to TASS, Wickremesinghe said that the state was going through the worst crisis in its modern history. According to the prime minister, Sri Lanka is experiencing an acute shortage of foreign currency, fuel, oil products, fertilizers, food for certain social groups, and medicines. In his opinion, it would take at least three years to fully recover from the economic crisis.

 09:58,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. On June 7 the presidency of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia elected Arsen Bobokhyan Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography. Arsen Bobokhyan has been working in the Institute since 1998. He has published 208 academic articles, 9 books. In an interview to ARMENPRESS, Mr. Bobokhyan told about the future plans and shared his concerns connected with the field.

The excavation period has already started in the Republic. Bobokhyan said that excavations are carried out in monuments of all ages, starting from the Stone Age to the Middle Age. “Currently, different excavations are taking place in monuments of stone age (Aghitu), bronze and iron ages (Karnut, Solak), ancient (Artashat), medieval (Tavush, Aruch). The excavations will intensify in the second half of July and especially in August (Dvin, Dashtadem, Artanish, etc). More than 20 expeditions will work this year, most of them are international. All monuments are important and could give an unexpected result”, he said.

Arsen Bobokhyan notes that archaeology of the 21^st century is oriented not by findings, but by the excavation process. “Therefore, the excavations that are done methodically correctly are valuable. There are excavations which do not have outstanding findings, but they are carried out in such detail and care, that they could be considered highly effective. I highly value all excavations carried out by the Institute, there are just some excavations of a sensational nature. The tomb that was accidentally opened in Shahumyan village last year was like that, it dates back to 2800-2600 BC, and the bulk material with hundreds of metal objects and pottery is exclusive in its significance not only in regional context”, he said.

He informed that the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography carries out a lot of excavations, but the existing space is not enough for preserving that materials. “Now we are trying to give the findings of old excavations to museums, make a free space in the Institute, but the area is not enough again. The processing of archaeological material lasts long and archaeologists, including me, fail to do it quickly. Years are passing and we do not manage to repay our debts. But in case of existence of a space and opportunities, that process would have been gone faster. We have been promised to be provided with at least one or two floors in the building of the library of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia in order to transfer the Institute’s laboratories there. We are looking forward to that day”, he said.

As for the funding to the excavations, he said that the government provides them with respective funding, but they also have extra-budgetary programs provided by the Science Committee. “Foreign expeditions also make some investments. In particular, we have Armenian-American, Armenian-French, Armenian-Italian, Armenian-Israeli, Armenian-German and other expeditions”, he noted.

Asked how many archaeological sites of Artsakh have become under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the 2020 war, and what is the Institute going to do for them, Arsen Bobokhyan said: “There are many lost ancient sites. We have a group of Artsakh in the Institute, which has created a website about the monitoring of Karabakh monuments in cooperation with American archaeologists. The presentation of the website will take place soon in the National Academy of Sciences. Quantitative data will be presented there. The main excavations in Artsakh were in Tigranakert, however, archaeological activities were also being carried out in other sites as Azokhi and Mirik. Several new books dedicated to various issues of Artsakh’s ancient and medieval culture have been published by the Institute recently and will be published.

He also talked about the fate of the findings from Artsakh’s monuments that were saved. “The material of Tigranakert has been mostly brought to Armenia. Many materials in Shushi Museum have been left. However, it was possible to evacuate and exhibit some materials, particularly some values from Shushi were displayed at the Erebuni Museum. Of course, there has been a major loss in cultural values. But this is not something new for our history. We are like a pottery that is constantly being broken and recovered”, he added.

 

The full version of the interview is available in Armenian.

Interview by Ani Danielyan

Photos by Hayk Badalyan

 10:01,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. The U.S. House passed four Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)-backed amendments demanding Baku’s release of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs), calling for investigations into Azerbaijani war crimes, reporting on the impact of U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, and placing restrictions on the sale of F-16s to Turkey, ANCA reports.

Three of the measures were adopted as part of larger groupings, or blocs, of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA – H.R.7900). The fourth, placing restrictions on F-16 sales to Turkey, passed by a vote of 244 to 179, withstanding powerful opposition from pro-Erdogan lobbyists during final days of consideration of the measure. The U.S. House is expected to pass the underlying NDAA measure later Thursday evening.

“The ANCA thanks the Congressional leaders, coalition partners, and tens of thousands of ANCA activists from across the United States who made today’s victories possible,” said ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian. “Working together – against deeply entrenched and powerfully vested interests – we are helping to protect Artsakh, promote Armenia, hold Azerbaijan accountable, and stop the flow of U.S. arms to Turkey.”

The four pro-Artsakh/Armenia amendments adopted by the U.S. House are provided below:

Amendment #121: Spearheaded by Representatives Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA), the amendment calls for a report by the State Department and Defense Department that would detail the use of U.S. parts in Turkish drones used by Azerbaijan against Armenia and Artsakh; Azerbaijan’s use of white phosphorous, cluster bombs and other prohibited munitions deployed against Artsakh; Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters during the 2020 Artsakh war.

The amendment was adopted by voice vote as part of “en bloc 1” – a larger grouping of amendments to (H.R.7900)

Joining Representatives Tony Cardenas, Brad Sherman, and Adam Schiff (D-CA) as Congressional cosponsors of the bipartisan amendment include Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Judy Chu (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Andy Levin (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and David Valadao (R-CA).

Amendment #611: Introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the amendment expresses the sense of Congress that the government of Azerbaijan should immediately return all Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians. The amendment was adopted by voice vote as part of “en bloc 5” – a larger grouping of amendments to H.R.7900.

Joining Rep. Schiff as Congressional cosponsors of the bipartisan amendment include Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Young Kim (R-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Andy Levin (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and David Valadao (R-CA).

Amendment #337: Introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), the amendment directs the U.S. Department of State in coordination with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to:

1) document the State Department’s consideration of all waiver requirements of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act

2) report on whether U.S. security assistance to the government of Azerbaijan undermines efforts toward a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan; and

3) provide an assessment of Azerbaijan’s use of offensive force against Armenia or violations of Armenian sovereign territory from November 11, 2020, to the date of the enactment of this Act.

In powerful remarks on the House floor, Rep. Frank Pallone condemned the annual U.S. presidential waiver of Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan and urged passage of the amendment. “We don’t believe that there is any justification for waiving [Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act] because of the constant threat that Azerbaijan poses not only to Nagorno Karabakh but also to Armenia itself, that continues ever since [the 2020] war.”

The amendment was adopted as part of “en bloc 3” – a larger grouping of amendments to the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R.7900) – by a vote of 362 to 64.

Joining Rep. Speier as congressional cosponsors of the bi-partisan measure include Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and David Valadao (R-CA).

Amendment #399: Led by Representatives Frank Pallone, Chris Pappas (D-NH), and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), the amendment places conditions upon the sale or transfer of F-16s or F-16 modernization kits to Turkey.

Rep. Pallone rallied Congressional support for the amendment during floor debate prior to the vote. “The sale of American advanced fighter jets to Turkey will not incentivize Erdogan to suddenly transform into a good ally. More likely these weapons will lead to further death and destruction in the region. For far too long the United States has allowed Erdogan to dictate his terms and hide behind Turkey’s status as a NATO ally. He has avoided facing real-life consequences greater than a slap on the wrist for his flagrant violations of international law at home and abroad and it’s time we finally say enough is enough. This amendment will do just that and help take the leveraging power out of Erdogan’s dangerous autocratic hands,” argued Pallone.

Former Congressional Turkey Caucus Co-Chair Pete Sessions’ (D-TX) arguments – calling Erdogan a “reliable ally,” citing Committee jurisdictional issues, and questioning whether Turkey really violates Greek airspace – fell flat.

The measure was adopted by a bipartisan vote of 244 to 179.

Armenian Minister of Emergency Situations, Chargé d'Affaires of Georgian Embassy discuss ongoing and future projects

 10:28,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Emergency Situations of Armenia Armen Pambukhchyan received Chargé d'Affaires of the Georgian Embassy in Armenia Irakli Kvanchakhadze, the ministry said in a news release.

During the meeting Minister Pambukhchyan said that the ministry is ready to cooperate with the Georgian side in different areas.

Irakli Kvanchakhadze in turn thanked for the warm welcome and expressed hope that the cooperation will continue.

The ongoing and future programs were discussed during the meeting.

The sides highlighted the presence of mutual support and trust between the two friendly countries.

 11:11,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Lilit Makunts, Armenian Ambassador to the United States, met with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), the Embassy of Armenia to the USA said on social media.

Ambassador Makunts presented Armenia's position on regional developments during the meeting with Senator Van Hollen.

Ambassador Makunts referred to the humanitarian issues followed by the 44-day war and emphasized the importance of the repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and other civilians detained in Azerbaijan.

Joint efforts aimed at further enhancement of Armenian-American relations were discussed with Congresswoman Lee.

Ambassador Makunts handed over “Mkhitar Gosh” State Awards to US legislators on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and the United States and for significant contribution to the development of Armenian-American relations.

 11:37,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is planning to open a diplomatic office in Cyprus, Ambassador of Armenia to Cyprus Tigran Mkrtchyan said during the meeting with Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) Michalis P. Michael.

The Ambassador of Armenia arrived in Cyprus on a first official visit.

Tigran Mkrtchyan said that the upcoming diplomatic office will be represented by an Armenian diplomat and expressed hope that Cyprus will also open a diplomatic office in Armenia.

Ambassador Mkrtchyan said that long-term close relations exist between Armenia and Cyprus. He expressed hoped that there will be an opportunity in the near future to mutually open diplomatic representations in Yerevan and Nicosia.

The Armenian Ambassador also touched upon the Cyprus-Armenia-Greece cooperation, stating that a number of meetings have taken place within the frames of this partnership, particularly in military, political and Diaspora fields, expressing hope for the further expansion of this collaboration.

He expressed gratitude to Cyprus for the support provided to Armenia.

In his turn Michalis P. Michael stated that efforts will be made to further expand and deepen the cooperation with Armenia, including the partnership in the fields of news and information, adding that CyBC is broadcasting daily radio programs specially for Cypriot-Armenians.

 12:55,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas resigned in order to form a new government coalition.

“I will form a new government. According to the constitution, I just announced that the current government will resign”, Kaja Kallas tweeted. “I’ve proposed to convene extraordinary parliament sitting on Friday, where I'll ask for a mandate for the new government coalition”.

Following constitutional protocol, Kallas informed the Riigikogu of her wish to end the current government on Thursday morning and handed a resignation notice to President Alar Karis at Kadriorg Palace, ERR reports.

The prime minister and the remaining Reform Party ministers have all resigned from the government.

Karis has now nominated Kallas as prime ministerial candidate to form the next government.

 15:00,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Around 220 people on average seek asylum in Armenia every year. And as Armenia has always given a priority to human rights, it seeks to provide proper solutions meeting international standards to the issues of refugees and migrants. For this purpose, the Armenian state agencies have initiated reforms of refugee and asylum system with the support of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the European Union.

Today, a meeting was held in Yerevan between the Migration Service of Armenia, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the structures interested in the comprehensive reforms of migration protection legislation.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the Head of the Migration Service, the Deputy Minister of Justice, the Human Rights Defender, the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, acting representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, as well as representatives of judiciary, state structures, international organizations and civil society.

In his remarks Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia Vache Terteryan said that these reforms will be implemented within the frames of the two-year program that launched in February 2022, which in its turn is in accordance with the agenda of reforms being implemented under the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and is aimed at creating a system for ensuring resident and rights of migrants and refugees. According to Mr. Terteryan, this is a key political challenge for Armenia because the country has always accepted the priority of the rule of law.

“This is really a very important start. I think it is logical to address the situation from time to time after experimenting our legal regulations and working in a real life, as well as to analyze the strong and weak sides, and depending on the next milestone of our country’s economic, political, public organization and development to also make reforms and corrections in the regulations of an important sector such as those connected with the asylum of refugees and migrants and its related issues”, he said.

Deputy Justice Minister of Armenia Arpine Sargsyan added that the planning of institutional, proper changes in the field of migration and migration management is a high priority, in the person of the upcoming Minister of Interior, that will come to help solve all the problems existing in migration sector and among refugees and asylum-seekers.

She also thanked the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure and the UN Refugee Agency for organizing this event, as well as the international partners for paying attention to the issues relating to refugees and asylum-seekers.

Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin also highlighted the meeting, stating that the European Union decisively supports the Armenian government’s initiative to strengthen the migration system. She said that these reforms are in accordance with the commitments of the sides assumed within the frames of CEPA.

 15:17,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Rossiya Airlines (a part of Aeroflot Group) is launching flights from Volgograd to Yerevan.

The flights will launch on July 23 and will be operated twice a week on Thursdays and Saturdays, the company said.

“Rossiya Airlines is expanding the geography of flights and is opening new international destinations by developing the air communication with friendly countries. Volgograd has become the 6th Russian city from where the airline is operating regular direct flights to the capital of Armenia. Now it’s possible to depart to Yerevan from Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Mineralnye Vody, Moscow, Samara and Sochi”, the statement said.

 15:40,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Daniel Ezukam, who was born in an Armenian-Nigerian family, was drafted into the Armenian Army today, on July 15, Spokesperson of the Armenian defense minister Aram Torosyan said on social media.

“Daniel Ezukam was born in Armenia, but spent most of his live in other countries. He has been in the homeland of his mother mostly during the summer. But last year they made a decision to stay in Armenia for a longer period of time”, the spokesperson said.