Category: 2022

Armenia should continue to maintain the parliamentary system of governance – PM Pashinyan

 11:15, 5 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan issued a congratulatory message on the occasion of the Constitution Day. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, the message reads as follows,

“Dear compatriots, dear people.

Today, the Republic of Armenia marks the Constitution Day, on the occasion of which I congratulate all of us. The immutable articles of our Constitution defined the national-state vision of the Republic of Armenia.

Accordingly, the Republic of Armenia is a sovereign, democratic, social, legal state.

Power in the Republic of Armenia belongs to the people. The people exercise their power through free elections, referenda, as well as through state and local self-governing bodies and public officials as provided by the Constitution.

I must proudly record that after the non-violent, velvet, people's revolution of 2018, Armenia is internationally recognized as a democratic state. The goal of giving the power to the people has been achieved, and our greatest task is to turn the democracy of the Republic of Armenia into a lasting factor ensuring the security of the country.

I have to also note that we have a lot of work to do on the way to ensuring the other fundamental constitutional goals and the reforms implemented by our government are aimed at those goals.

On the occasion of the Constitution Day, I would like to emphasize the provisions of Article 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, according to which the inalienable dignity of a person is the inseparable basis of his rights and freedoms. I have to say with pain that democracy, freedom of speech and _expression_ of opinion sometimes leads to hate speech, blasphemy, speech that degrades human dignity.

The strong legal system, the independent judicial system, the mechanisms for legality should also become reliable guarantees for the protection of human dignity, without limiting and damaging democratic values, and the solution of this issue is among the priorities of our agenda.

Dear compatriots, you are aware that the Specialized Commission for Constitutional Reforms has been formed and a draft concept of constitutional reforms should be presented by the end of the year.

Considering it obvious that the Constitution needs to be constantly developed and improved, at the same time I must emphasize my belief that Armenia should continue to maintain the parliamentary system of governance, because the events of 2021 proved that this system provides more effective mechanism for crises management, involvement and decisive participation of the people in the political debate.

Once again, I congratulate all of us on the occasion of the Constitution Day of the Republic of Armenia. I want the right, the law to become, if not the only, at least a key and decisive factor in the regulation of our public and civil relations”.

 11:41, 5 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will leave for the Kingdom of Spain on a working visit on July 5-7, ARMENPRESS was informed from the MFA Armenia.

Within the framework of the visit, Minister Mirzoyan's meetings with the President of the Congress of Deputies Meritxell Batet, the Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, the Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organization Zurab Pololikashvili are planned.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Spain will make statements to the press based on the results of their meeting.

 12:36, 5 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. The Secretary for West of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of India Sanjay Verma visited the Tsitsernakaberd memorial and paid tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

ARMENPRESS reports Sanjay Verma laid a wreath at the memorial, and flowers at the eternal flame.

The Secretary for West of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of India Sanjay Verma participated in the 8th session of the Armenian-Indian intergovernmental commission on cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, technology, science, education and culture in Armenia. On April 4, Sanjay Verma met with Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan.

 12:46, 5 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. On July 4, around 9:15 p.m., the units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan opened fire from various, including large-caliber firearms, at Armenian military positions located in the western part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, specifically in the Khachik village of Vayots Dzor region, as well as in the direction of the road leading to the village, as a result of which the car of the head of the community was damaged, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Defense Ministry of Armenia.

The fire of the Azerbaijani units was silenced by the retaliatory actions of the Armenian side. There are no casualties on the Armenian side.

 14:17, 5 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. “To honor and support the heroic, inspiring, and strong people of Artsakh who choose to raise future generations in their Homeland”

This is the motto of the "Ser Artsakh" charity program initiated by "Anna Astvatsaturian" Foundation: to bring love to all those Artsakh families living in such difficult conditions.

All the items included in the gift boxes that are provided to the mothers of Artsakh in the framework of the "Ser Artsakh" Program: onesies, pajama sets, sleeping sacks, towels and blankets, health care essentials (diapers, wipes, baby shampoo, thermometer and pacifier), as well as maternity hygiene necessities for the new mother, custom-made soft baby book and a wooden wheeled toy are made in Armenia or Artsakh.  In Artsakh, they are carefully packaged and delivered to maternity hospitals right in time for the next baby to be born, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Foundation.

There are three maternity hospitals in Artsakh: Martakert, Martuni and Stepanakert. Since the launch of the program, 161 children, 10 of them in Martakert, 6 in Martuni, have received their gift-boxes. Among the newborns were 2 sets of twins, a pair of beautiful sisters and a pair of brothers with their grandfather's strength in the veins.

Victoria is one of the most common names: parents hope that the choice of the child's name will be decisive in the fate of both the child and Artsakh.

"The news about the donation of 18 boxes in one day made me very happy. When mothers told me how helpful these items are for them to raise these babies that was the moment when I realized how important for the diaspora to keep donating to maintain the continuity of this project," said Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte, president of the "Anna Astvatsaturian" Foundation, and added, "Despite my childhood of a refugee from Baku, I was taught by my parents to always work toward more out of life. With this project, I choose to do the same in Artsakh. Armenian children and their future are my constant focus and I will never stop expecting and working toward a better future for them.”

An individualized approach is taken with each mother. Working with Ministry of Health of Artsakh the Foundation is aware when these mothers will be checking out of the hospital. It is important to the Foundation that no baby leaves the hospital without receiving a gift box.

"Mothers always accept the gift with gratitude. Many are even waiting for our gift boxes. There was a case when a pregnant woman contacted us and informed that her child will be born in a few months. She asked us not to forget about her baby and to visit her with a box as well," Armine Vardanyan, representative of the "Anna Astvatsaturian" Foundation in Artsakh, recalls with a smile.

Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte is an American-Armenian writer, philanthropist, lawyer, elected official, president of the Westbrook City council and the president of the "Anna Astvatsaturian'' foundation. Anna also is an author of a book "Nowhere, a Story of Exile, 2012"based on her diaries which she wrote as an 11 year old child escaping the Baku massacres. In 2013 Anna spearheaded a successful recognition of Artsakh at the state of Maine legislature. Since then Astvatsaturian Turcotte has implemented a number of charitable programs in Armenia and Artsakh. In 2020 she founded the Anna Astvatsaturian Charitable Foundation. One of the fund's major projects is the "Artsakh War 2020: Losses, Challenges – Opportunities for resistance development'' survey conducted after the 44-day war.

 14:20, 5 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. The US administration has again reaffirmed the circumvention of Resolution 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which blocks direct military aid to Azerbaijan, ARMENPRESS reports Brad Sherman, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a member of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, expressed his disagreement with the decision in an interview with "Voice of America".

"We should not abandon Resolution 907 and provide any assistance to oil-rich Azerbaijan, which has unleashed an aggressive war. The aid we provide is not large, but I think it is important diplomatically, so it should be stopped," said the congressman.

In his opinion, American aid for humanitarian projects in Artsakh should be increased, and Armenia should be given the opportunity to be included in the "Millennium Challenge" program.

"The World Bank ranked Armenia among those with above average income. I would like it to be so, but we have to take into account the economic consequences of the terrible war, the coronavirus epidemic," he said.

 16:13, 5 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. Today, on July 5, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh David Babayan had a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Vitaly Ignatev, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of Artsakh’s Foreign Ministry.

David Babayan congratulated his counterpart on his birthday, wishing him productive work and success.

The parties discussed the regional situation and possible developments. They stressed the need to maintain and expand the cooperation between Artsakh and Pridnestrovie, as well as the Foreign Ministries of the two countries.