Category: 2022

After the May 22 meeting, we continued to work with Brussels. The statements that are made and do not correspond to what was discussed in Brussels, we discuss them with our partners. Secretary of the Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, stated this during a press briefing Thursday at the government of Armenia.

Answering the question about the disagreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the ongoing incidents on the border of the two countries, the secretary of the Security Council said: “Any tension at the border has a negative impact on all processes. This is the reason why before the [border] delimitation and demarcation process begins, we have proposed to take the troops out in the mirror to ensure stability at the border. Border security remains on the agenda. We will discuss the issue, and we hope to find solutions to not allow tensions at the border.

As for the disagreements, I believe that the public statements of the Armenian side correspond to what was discussed in Brussels and the process. In this matter, we strive to be as transparent as possible and inform the public what has been discussed—nothing else is reported. Naturally, negotiations are underway also because there are disagreements. We hope that it will be possible to overcome those disagreements through negotiations.”

Secretary of the Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, avoided—during a press briefing Thursday at the government of Armenia—confirming the theory “Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] is Armenia, period” that was once stated by PM Nikol Pashinyan.

According to Grigoryan, still within the framework of public discussions, Armenia has announced the documents within the framework of which it sees the negotiation process.

“We continue to emphasize the security of our compatriots living in Artsakh and their rights, from which the status [of Artsakh] shall stem. We are convinced that rights and security determine the status. We will continue to work in this direction, and we are convinced that it is an important direction where we will achieve results by working,” Grigoryan said.

To the question whether he can confirm the validity of the theory “Artsakh is Armenia, period,” Grigoryan said that this question has been answered many times.

To note, Armen Grigoryan’s predecessors also have tried to avoid voicing this theory, reasoning that negotiations are underway.

Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, believes that there is a difference between “corridor” and “corridors.” He expressed his respective view during a press briefing Thursday at the government.

Responding to the insinuation that Azerbaijan and Turkey continue to make statements about the corridor that Azerbaijan wants to get under the guise of opening regional transport communications, Grigoryan said, “Corridor or corridors? These are different things.”

The head of the Security Council, however, denied the statements of the Azerbaijani side about the possibility of a corridor, and reminded that the talks took place in Brussels.

“There was a clarification from Brussels that there were no discussions in the corridor logic. Our Moscow colleagues also said about this at the time. (…) Azerbaijan makes statements that do not correspond to the negotiations. But we can clearly state that everything we negotiate, publicly comment on has not been denied by our partners; moreover, they confirm,” Armen Grigoryan said.

One of the priorities of the office of the ombudsperson of Armenia is to assist the process of overcoming the post-war humanitarian situation. Ombudsperson Kristinne Grigoryan stated this Thursday at the joint sitting of the standing parliamentary committees—during their preliminary discussion of the 2021 state budget execution.

According to her, the aforesaid primarily concerns the facilitation of the return of prisoners of war and other detainees, as well as finding out the fate of the missing.

Also, as per Grigoryan, the Armenian ombudsman’s office provides various types of assistance to the families of prisoners of war and missing persons.

“In particular, social, economic, and psychological support is provided. That is, in this case we are talking about multi-vector assistance,” Grigoryan explained.

Artsakh is the frontline of our war and, naturally, it can see more fears and problems than any of us. Arayik Harutyunyan, the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Armenia, told this to reporters in the National Assembly Thursday—and referring to the fact that the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) authorities state that Armenia’s authorities should give up their “catastrophic position” on the Artsakh issue.

“But the Artsakh authorities are informed of all the processes that there are. I cannot say more than that. I can simply tell our colleagues in Artsakh to study the reality a little more, and they will see that there is no need for such steps, statements,” he said.

Harutyunyan claimed that the issue of enclaves is not being discussed.

“Yes. Various parties put forward those agendas, but it was said that there are no such justifications. If one side comes and says, ‘these are my maximum demands, and I cannot discuss anything else,’ everything closes there. But if you with arguments, gradually … of course, you have red lines for yourself, minimum and maximum thresholds, and you are going to the negotiations according to that logic,” said the Armenian PM’s chief of staff.

A group of participants of the second Karabakh war, about 10 people, held a protest in front of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population in Baku today.

According to “Turan”, their complaints were related to getting disability and social benefits. The veterans demanded that Minister Sahil Babayev came out to them and solved their problems.

Having been refused, the veterans stormed into the reception room, where there was confusion.

In turn, the Department of Public Relations of the Ministry of Labor confirmed that the veterans’ demand was related to the evaluation of disability.

“Each appeal is registered and will be reviewed, and measures will be taken in accordance with the results,” the Labor Ministry said. The same source indicated that some veterans “committed unlawful acts in the emergency room, broke computer equipment, the front door, the turnstile, and damaged state property.” “Measures will also be taken in connection with this,” the Labor Ministry said in a statement, the publication reported.

The press secretary of the President of Artsakh Lusine Avanesyan in conversation with the reporter of NEWS.am neither refuted, nor confirmed that President Arayik Harutyunyan had a meeting with the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan today.

“Such rumors have no comment,” Lusine Avanesyan said.

According to the rumors circulated in the media, Artsakh President arrived in Armenia and met with Prime Minister Pashinyan in the government building.

According to these sources, the reason for the meeting was a crowded rally in Stepanakert on 28 May, where Artsakh people chanted “Nikol the traitor,” and Pashinyan found the speeches and appeals made during the rally in connection with the defense of Artsakh problematic.