Category: 2022

EU hosts high-level Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting ahead of Pashinyan-Aliyev-Michel talks

 09:47, 31 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. The Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s Assistant Hikmet Hajiyev in Brussels on March 30, the European Union External Action Service said in a press release.

“The European Union hosted a meeting of high-level officials from Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels today to advance joint efforts to find solutions to a range of issues between both countries. In particular, discussions focused on preparations for the upcoming meeting between President Charles Michel of the European Council, President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of the Republic of Armenia in Brussels on 6 April 2022.

The meeting between Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, and Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Hikmet Hajiyev, was facilitated by EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar.

During substantive discussions, which also included a separate bilateral conversation between Mr Hajiyev and Mr Grigoryan, the participants reviewed the political and security situation and the full spectrum of issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a follow-up to the understandings reached during the meeting of leaders of both countries and President Michel, held in Brussels on 14 December 2021. 

The participants agreed to meet again over the coming weeks in order to continue discussions, among others on issues raised during the leaders’ meeting of 14 December 2021. Armenia and Azerbaijan will also address issues related to prospects for a peace agreement between them.

The European Union remains committed to continue its engagement towards sustainable peace and stability in the South Caucasus,” the European Union External Action Service said.

 09:56, 31 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. Lilit Makunts Armenian Ambassador to the United States met with Chairman of “House Democracy Partnership”, Congressman David Price (D-NC), the Armenian Embassy said in a statement on social media.

Ambassador Makunts emphasized the membership of National Assembly of Armenia as a partner to HDP and highly assessed the effective cooperation between two legislative bodies.

Ambassador Makunts briefed about the security environment around Armenia and Artsakh and stressed the need for active engagement by the US and other Co-Chairs of Minsk Group to restrain the further escalation by Azerbaijan in the region.

During the meeting Ambassador Makunts by the order of the President of the National Assembly of Armenia, handed over to Congressman Price the “Medal of Honor” for his significant contribution to the development and strengthening of the Armenian-American inter-parliamentary friendly relations.

 10:12, 31 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. The operative-tactical situation in all parts of the Artsakh frontline remained tense overnight March 30-31, the Artsakh authorities said Thursday morning.

The Artsakh authorities said no significant ceasefire violations were recorded and they continue efforts for withdrawing the Azerbaijani troops back to their initial positions in the eastern direction of the line of contact.

 11:13, 31 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made several clarification during the Cabinet meeting regarding the March 28 statement of the Security Council, which said that Azerbaijan is planning to make new provocations and attacks against Nagorno Karabakh.

“We’d recorded that there is a big possibility for such developments also at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. This statement naturally caused additional questions and I would like to make several clarifications and substantiations in order for the situation in the region to be clearer both in Armenia and in the international community,” Pashinyan said.

PM Pashinyan said that before, during and after the 2020 war Azerbaijan is engaged in a policy of developing a narrative attempting to substantiate military attack against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Pashinyan said that Azerbaijan starts off by releasing narratives, suggestions or comments into the diplomatic and public arena, and then starts to accuse Armenia in either not responding or destructively responding or rejecting these narratives, suggestions or comments, and then attributes some promises to Armenia and makes up some agreements.

“And then in this context it attributes to Armenia destructiveness, rejection, breaking promises or agreements, starts to build aggressive rhetoric on top of these accusations, followed by aggressive actions, which are then justified with the abovementioned narratives and formulas. This conduct, which was repeated numerously, now continues and it is obvious that with this Azerbaijan is trying to develop a legitimacy for a large-scale attack against Nagorno Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia and my goal is to show that this narrative is unfounded and not legitimate,” Pashinyan said.

 11:15, 31 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. 21 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Armenia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 422,519, the ministry of health said.

2024 tests were conducted on March 30.

The recoveries rose by 108 in a day, bringing the total number to 409,987.

2 death cases have been registered. The death toll has risen to 8613.

As of March 31, the number of active cases is 2243.

 11:25, 31 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan denied as fake news the reports that Armenia transferred its fighter jets to Russia for use in Ukraine.

“The fake news authored by Azerbaijani sources claiming that Armenia transferred its four SU-30SM multi-role aircraft to Russia to use in Ukraine is widely circulating in the Western world. This, certainly, is a flagrant disinformation and our SUs not even once left the borders of our country ever since being imported,” Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

Pashinyan added that sometimes such fake news have significant roles in the context of Azerbaijan being engaged in a policy of developing a false narrative both before, during and after the 2020 war in an attempt to substantiate military attack on Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

The Ministry of Defense of Armenia earlier also denied the reports by Turkish and Azerbaijani media outlets that claimed the Armenian military transferred four SU-30 fighter jets to Russia with the purpose of using them in the military operations in Ukraine.

 11:29, 31 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenia responded to the five-point proposal presented by Azerbaijan both publicly and through working-diplomatic channels. Baku’s claim that Armenia left the proposals without response absolutely has nothing to do with the reality, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during the Cabinet meeting today.

“Perhaps, the most exploited topic by Azerbaijan for provoking regional escalation is the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan continues to claim that Armenia leaves that issue without response. Whereas, this information absolutely has nothing to do with the reality because I have repeatedly publicly expressed the readiness of Armenia to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan.

But the thing is that today as well Azerbaijan continues announcing that it has transferred a five-point proposal to Armenia, but we have allegedly left these proposals without response. At the previous Cabinet meeting, I have thoroughly touched upon this issue live and stated that on March 10, a 5-point proposal of Azerbaijan was handed over to Armenia, and on March 14, four days later, two of which were non-working days, we responded in writing to that proposal, and handed over that response in the same way we received it.

It was conveyed to us by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing country, we transferred the response through the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries. We have also publicly announced that there is nothing unacceptable for us in the proposals of Azerbaijan. The Foreign Minister of Armenia announced on March 21, 2022: (I quote):

“There is nothing unacceptable for us in the proposals submitted by Azerbaijan on March 10. It’s another thing that these proposals do not address all the issues on the Armenia-Azerbaijan comprehensive peace agenda. With our response conveyed to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship we have completed that agenda and thus, are ready to the launch of peace talks on this basis” (end of quote)”, Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan emphasized that this is Armenia’s official position and Armenia responded to Azerbaijan’s five-point proposal both publicly and through working-diplomatic channels.

“This response means that the principle of mutual recognition of territorial integrity and inviolability of borders is acceptable for Armenia”, he said.

 11:31, 31 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenia again denies the reports which claimed that mercenaries are being transported to Ukraine through Armenian territory.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan talked about the problem of fake news during the March 31 Cabinet meeting.

“The fake news claiming that mercenary terrorists are being transferred to Ukraine through Armenian territory is misrepresented as truth. Any more or else informed person knows that two years ago Armenia itself suffered from mercenary terrorists and Armenia can never contribute to their involvement anywhere,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan added that sometimes such fake news have significant roles in the context of Azerbaijan being engaged in a policy of developing a false narrative both before, during and after the 2020 war in an attempt to substantiate military attack on Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

 11:40, 31 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. The Minister of Emergency Situations Andranik Piloyan is arrested in suspicion of bribery, the Anti-Corruption Committee said.

The National Security Service conducted a large scale investigation into alleged cases of bribery, abuse of power and embezzlement committed in the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

“Numerous cases” of alleged crimes were discovered.

Suspects include Minister Piloyan, his advisor, as well as more than 10 ministry officials.

Piloyan is suspected in accepting a bribe for making actions in his capacity as minister in favor of a company which works with the ministry. Piloyan’s advisor acted as an intermediary in taking the bribe, according to the Anti-Corruption Committee.

Piloyan faces 3 counts of bribery charges under Article 311 Paragraph 3, Clause 3. He was arrested on March 30. Investigators filed a motion to court requesting to remand him in custody until the trial.