Category: 2022

 15:25,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. The contribution of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh is undeniable, but on the other hand in several episodes the need for raising the effectives of their activity is seen, PM Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

“The Azerbaijani military invasion into the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh, into the Parukh section, is an extremely concerning fact which is significant in terms of a general assessment of the situation, and we hope that the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh will ensure the complete withdrawal of the Azerbaijani military units,” the Armenian Prime Minister said, attaching importance to ensuring security of Nagorno Karabakh, a key component of which is the uninterrupted and unimpeded function of the Lachin corridor.

 15:27,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping extended birthday greetings to Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan.

“In the recent years a stable and firm development of the Armenian-Chinese relations is seen and the cooperation between the two countries is solidly advancing in various areas.

I attach great importance to the development of the Armenian-Chinese relations and I am ready to make joint efforts with you to raise the friendly and collaborative relations between Armenia and China to a new level for the benefit of our countries and peoples,” Xi Jinping said in a message to Khachaturyan.

 15:30,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. The Palais du Pharo of Marseille, France was illuminated in the Armenian flag colors in memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan shared a photo of the palace on Twitter and said: “This night, the Palais du Pharo of Marseille was illuminated in the memory of the 1,5 million Armenians who were tortured, deported, imprisoned and killed because of the genocidal madness of racist leaders. Let’s give a promise today that we will never allow the barbaric nationalist savage to ever rise again.”

 15:34,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that one of the important results of the talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the context of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement is the underscoring of the importance of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship’s international mandate, with subsequent political consequences.

“If we note that in the preceding days of my visit to Moscow the OSCE Minsk Group’s Russian, French and American Co-Chairs visited Armenia, we can say that the assessments on the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship are unfounded,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan said that he clearly sees that all Co-Chairing countries remain committed to their mandate of resolving the NK conflict despite the fact that the developments in Ukraine have created difficulties for the joint activities of the Co-Chairs.

“But moreover the fact that even in such conditions the co-chairs are working and making visits to the region and are recording on the political level their commitment to assist in resolving Nagorno Karabakh gives tangible grounds for optimism,” Pashinyan said.

 15:40,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that he has informed President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan on the content of his talks in Moscow related to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

“This isn’t anything new. I’ve always done so after my talks and discussions in Russia, Europe or here in Armenia, and the President of Artsakh in turn presented the results of these negotiations to the political elite of Artsakh,” Pashinyan said.

“After each phase of negotiations I am sharing in detail the information with the most various governmental and political circles of Armenia. I have always displayed readiness to share this content also with the parliamentary opposition but they are always rejecting such discussions, perhaps, for understandable reasons, to create legends on some conspiracy theories and put these legends in the foundation of their activities,” the PM added.

 15:50,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. After the 2020, November 9 trilateral statement there hasn’t been any blueprint or draft on the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh to be on the table or otherwise in circulation, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said referring to rumors.

“After November 9, 2020 ahead of my every foreign trip rumors have circulated through all possible resources claiming that I am going to sign some document regarding the Nagorno Karabakh resolution that would surrender Artsakh to Azerbaijan,” Pashinyan said, noting that these are fake news.

Speaking further on the accusations alleging that his administration is planning to surrender Artsakh, Pashinyan rejected it and said that those wanting to surrender Artsakh wouldn’t have done anything after the war and essentially the surrender would have taken place. “Forgive me but I have to say this, Artsakh is not a thing, it is not an object for it to be surrendered or not surrendered. First of all Artsakh are the people living there. If we were to surrender Artsakh we wouldn’t have spent tens of billions of drams after the 44-day war to ensure the return of Artsakhis to their homes. We are carrying out unprecedented investments in Artsakh, because keeping Artsakh means keeping Artsakhis in Artsakh, keeping Armenia means keeping the residents of Armenia in Armenia and moreover returning those who’ve left,” Pashinyan said.

 16:03,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan rules out signing any document on the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict without a “broad public discussion.”

“I rule out, I simply rule out that a document can exist close to getting signed that would be signed without a broad public discussion, including with all layers of Artsakh’s public. This is a guarantee, an iron guarantee that the fate of Artsakh cannot be decided behind the back of the people,” Pashinyan said.

He says that in this regard the pessimists are mentioning the 2020 November 9 trilateral statement as an example of a document that was singed without a broad public discussion. However, Pashinyan rejected the comparison. “This is an odd comparison because in wartime a decision was to be made within hours and sometimes minutes to save thousands of Artsakhis, 25 thousand troops and save Artsakh from exodus of Armenians and these comparisons are simply inappropriate. But on the other hand our entire policy and steps are aimed at this very issue, so that we don’t have to make decisions in such conditions,” the PM said.

Pashinyan added that the society is now aware of the content of all documents that are subject to negotiations. “It is the 5-points handed over by Azerbaijan and our response to it which was essentially entirely published through interviews and speeches and we will continue this conduct in the future as much as inter-state diplomatic ethics allows,” Pashinyan said.

 16:13,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting with the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar.

The Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin also attended the meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Highlighting the Armenia-EU cooperation, the Armenian PM highly appreciated the President of the European Council Charles Michel’s efforts aimed at stability in the region, which, jointly with other international partners’ efforts contribute to regional dialogue.

Reiterating Armenia’s commitment to the democratic reforms agenda, Nikol Pashinyan expressed satisfaction over the allocation of 2,6 billion euros to Armenia as part of the EU Eastern Partnership program’s economic and investment package and implementation of development programs.

Toivo Klaar thanked the Armenian Prime Minister for the assessment and reiterated the EU’s commitment to deepen partnership with Armenia and continue efforts aimed at regional peace.

The interlocutors exchanged views over the course of implementation of the agreements reached at the April 6 Brussels meeting of PM Pashinyan, the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Issues related to the Nagorno Karabakh issue, the delimitation and demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan and unblocking of economic and transport infrastructures of the region were discussed.

Both sides emphasized the necessity for a comprehensive resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.

The course of implementation of the programs planned under the Eastern Partnership investment package was discussed.

In this context Ambassador Wiktorin presented ongoing works and upcoming actions. The programs are aimed at strengthening democracy in Armenia, boosting the economy and development of SMEs, energy and infrastructure sectors.

 16:17,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan held a meeting with the delegation led by EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar.

The sides discussed the course of implementation of the agreements reached at the April 6 Brussels meeting and the prospects of unblocking the economic and transport infrastructures of the region, the foreign ministry said.

Special attention was drawn on existing humanitarian issues, namely the repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees.

 16:38,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says the figures of the month of March 2022 in terms of jobs are an absolute record in the entire history of Armenia.

He said there’ve been 654,784 paid workplaces recorded in March, which is a 5,3% increase compared to March 2021, and a 12,1% increase compared to 2019 and 22,4% increase compared to 2018.

“Since 2018 we have 120,660 new registered jobs. But there is a methodology issue. We can’t differentiate how many of these are newly created jobs and how many are those who came out of the shadow,” he said.

The average monthly salary in March stood at 243,607 drams, a 15,2% increase compared to 2021, and 32,4% increase compared to 2019 and 39,9% increase compared to 2018.