Category: 2022

ArmInfo.Participants of a protest rally of the Resistance Movement are marching in the center of Yerevan.

The participants of the action started the march from France Square,  they intend to pass next to the hotel where the Russian delegation  and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov settled. , said one of the leaders of the  Movement, Vice Speaker of the RA Parliament Ishkhan Saghatelyan.

Earlier today, the opposition held a rally in front of the Armenian  Foreign Ministry, where the meeting of the heads of the foreign  affairs departments of the Republic of Armenia and the Russian  Federation Ararat Mirzoyan and Sergei Lavrov was to take place.  According to Ishkhan Saghatelyan, their goal is to tell their Russian  partners that any agreement reached with the current government,  which “does not have a people’s mandate to lead the country to new  concessions” is invalid.  It should also be noted that the National  Democratic Pole is holding a protest action near the Russian embassy  in Armenia, with banners with the inscription “Decolonization”. 

ArmInfo.No doubt, Iran is now concerned over the possibility of a “Zangezur corridor” running via Armenia’s Syunik rather than over demarcation of the Armenian- Azerbaijani border, expert in Iranian studies Emma Baghijanyan said  in an interview with ArmInfo. 

“Despite Armenian mass media mentioning border delimitation issue as  one of the main topics of the latest telephone conversation between  Armenia’s Premier Nikol Pashinyan and Iranian President Ebrahim  Raisi.  In fact, the state leaders discussed the issue of the  corridor. I followed Iranian mass media response to Ilham Aliyev’s  statement on an alleged agreement with Pashinyan on opening the  corridor. And I can say this issue is of main interest to Tehran,  whereas border delimitation and demarcation is only derivative,” she  said. 

Aliyev’s statements arouse concern not only in Armenia, but also in  Iran, given the fact that Armenian officials, who time and again  claim the impossibility of an extraterritorial corridor, prefer  remaining silent about Aliyev’s statement. Yerevan’s not responding  to Baku’s statements is causing uncertainty not only in Armenia,  which, in turn, necessitates top-level telephone talks, the expert  said. 

It is expeditious implementation of the North-South project that  could have prevented Baku’s “corridor- related” statements being made  not at all in the context of unblocking regional transport links, but  for the purpose of getting an extraterritorial corridor for  Azerbaijan and Turkey, which would enable them to realize their  long-term geopolitical plans, including plans against Iran. 

“The fact is that our interests coincide only with Iran’s. Sadly,  however, I do not see any serious steps on Armenia’s part to prevent  the Turkish-Azerbaijani expansionist designs. And the very  intensified mutual visits by Armenian and Iranian officials are  evidence that, in contrast to Yerevan, Tehran is perfectly aware of  its interests. And, happily, their interests coincide with ours,” Ms  Baghijanyan said. 

ArmInfo. No doubt, Baku, supported by Ankara, will try to de jure cement the results of its aggression against Artsakh, expert in Turkic studies, Professor Ruben Safrastyan said in an interview with ArmInfo. 

“In question is the Artsakh territory occupied as a result of the  44-day war and Artsakh’s final status. I think that in the context of  the discussions on Artsakh’s final status launched on various  international platforms Azerbaijan will not be able to settle the  issue ‘at one stroke’ as it sees fit, much as I would like to,” the  expert said. 

As regards Azerbaijan’s desire to establish control over of the rest  Armenian territories of Artsakh and de- Armenianize them by  committing one more genocide there, Mr Safrastyan stressed that  Aliyev will not be able to accomplish his task in the near future,  including due to Russian peacekeepers’ presence there and  international discussions on possible specification of Artsakh’s  future status. And that will incite Aliyev to realize his plans  step-by-step. 

In its turn, Turkey will seek to use its influence and involvement in  such international formats as 2+3, including for the purpose of  assisting Azerbaijan in solving the Artsakh in Baku’s favor. And  Ankara’s main goal has since 1991 been extending its influence over  the entire South Caucasus, the professor said. 

“I would note that Armenia’s defeat opened up new and favorable  opportunities for Turkey to achieve this goal by exerting more  intense pressure on Armenia by means of Azerbaijan. Ankara is  disguising its expansionist designs with talks of peace, cooperation  and conflict settlement. This is Turkey’s geopolitics,” Mr Safrastyan  said.

ArmInfo. Resistance Movement members were not allowed to approach the presidential residence at 26 Baghramyan Ave., where the CSTO Foreign Ministers’ Council is holding a meeting. 

The protesters marched from Yerevan’s France Square to the  presidential residence, but police blocked their way. 

Aram Vardevanyan, a member of the opposition parliamentary faction  Armenia, stated that they will inform all international delegations  visiting Armenia that “Armenia’s incumbent and outgoing authorities  have no mandate in this country.” 

“Discussions in the CSTO format are taking place now. It is one of  the few organizations capable of extending a helping hand in case of  threats to any of its members. And Armenia is one of them. And now  let us see the real situation: over a year ago [Azerbaijani] troops  made an incursion into Armenia’s Syunik province. Have Armenia’s  incumbent authorities turned to the CSTO? No. Why? Because they are  incompetent and unwilling to defend Armenia’s interests. So they must  go away,” he said. 

On January 6, when Armenia was CSTO chairing-country, mechanisms were  employed in Kazakhstan. 

“So Armenia’s incumbent authorities could employ mechanisms for  Kazakhstan, but did not do so for Armenia. It is absurd,” he said. 

The Basketball Federation of Armenia and SADA signed a cooperation agreement to work together towards the promotion of the National Basketball Team and the development of Basketball as a growing sport in Armenia. 

SADA, a leading Google Cloud partner and a global provider of business and technology services has become the marquee sponsor of the Armenia national basketball team and national youth teams U16, U18 men and U16, U20 women. 

This cooperation creates opportunities for the Armenia national basketball team to participate in the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries from June 28 to July 3 in Ta’ Qali, Malta. In addition, the Armenian youth team programs and training will allow the next generation of Basketball players to be better prepared to compete in the 2022-2023 European tournaments. Moreover, the first ever SADA Cup tournament will be launched in Yerevan featuring teams from 4 countries. The event will take place in Karen Demirchyan’s Sports and Concerts Complex on June 23 – 26. 

“We welcome SADA as the marquee sponsor of the Armenia national basketball and youth teams. This important cooperation will ensure financial stability contributing to the development of basketball in Armenia. The sponsorship covers the 2022 tournaments and youth training programs. We hope this is the beginning of a great collaboration that will turn into a long-lasting relationship,” said Hrachya Rostomyan, President of the BFA. “We are grateful to the leadership of SADA for the great support and we look forward to a successful cooperation.”

“SADA is connected to Armenia with its roots, and by opening an office in Yerevan a year ago,
we reaffirm our love for our homeland and express our conviction that Armenia is competitive
in the global tech industry. In cooperation with the Basketball Federation of Armenia, we
want to contribute to Armenia’s success in sports globally, provide the next generation
opportunities for careers in sports, and promote a healthy lifestyle among young people. I am
confident that the Armenian national basketball teams will make their fans proud and deliver
strong competition under a new head coach Rex Kamalian with coaching experience in the
NBA,” said Tony Safoian, CEO of SADA.

SADA, the marquee sponsor of the Armenian national basketball and youth teams, has been named Google Cloud Partner of the Year for 4-years running, as well as ranking on the Inc. 5000 America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies for 15 straight years, and the 2022 Inc. list of America’s Top 50 Workplaces.