Category: 2022

 16:39, 2 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. The European Union has disconnected Russian banks subject to sanctions from SWIFT.

Seven major lenders in the country have been targeted, including VTB, Rossiya, Otkritie, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Sovcombank, and VEB.RF, RT reported citing the EU’s official journal.

Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, is not on the list for now.

The banks now have 10 days to stop their SWIFT operations. According to a senior EU official, those on the list were selected based on their connections to the Russian government.

“All these banks that we have listed under SWIFT… are all [included] based on their connection to the state and the implicit connection to the war effort. We have not gone for a blanket ban across the whole banking system,” the official said.

Neither Sberbank nor Gazprombank has so far been targeted, as they are the main channels for payments for Russian oil and gas, which have not yet faced EU penalties. The two will be subject to other sanctions, however, the official stated.

 17:16, 2 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Kristinne Grigoryan says Armenophobia in Azerbaijan is a result of state policy which has existed both in the Soviet times and also continued since its independence.

During a public debate today relating to the Armenophobia in Azerbaijan and the danger of ethnic cleansing in Artsakh, the Defender said that the 2020 September 27 war unleashed by Azerbaijan was accompanied by large-scale hate and hostility propaganda supported by the Azerbaijani authorities.

“Armenophobia finds its practical _expression_ in the public speeches of the Azerbaijani president. He is making expressions full of threats, insults and hostility addressed to the Armenian people, the populations of Armenia and Artsakh. His is making such remarks which obviously contain manifestations of fascism. Unfortunately, Armenophobia is an internal and external political tool for the Azerbaijani authorities”, she said.

She emphasized the fact that during the 2020, while torturing, beheading the Armenian servicemen and civilians, and conducting other violent acts, the Azerbaijani servicemen were using the same expressions which their President used and continues using.

According to the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, that propaganda in Azerbaijan has two grounds – ethnic and religious.

She says the violation of the special measure imposed by the International Court is proved by the working group set up by Azerbaijan at a state level, whose task is to falsify and eliminate the Armenian cultural heritage.

Representative of Armenia to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Yeghishe Kirakosyan in his turn said that the propaganda of hatred against ethnic Armenians has several components, the first one of which is the propaganda within Azerbaijan, which is reflected in public speech by their top officials.

“The statements of the Azerbaijani president served as a base for brutal killings during the war. It is the atmosphere created by such propaganda that awakens atrocities in people leading them to war crimes”, he said.

 17:18, 2 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. The Armed Forces of Armenia have entered an era of very serious reforms and it is high time to entrust numerous battle-hardened, capable and young officials with high positions, Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan said in parliament during Questions Time referring to the new appointments in the General Staff of the Armed Forces.

Minister Papikyan said that taking into consideration the developments in the region and around the world the reforms in the military are a necessity and delaying is inadmissible.

He said that the acting chief of staff has all legal grounds for decision-making and issuing orders.

“I think we didn’t bring any threats with this and we aren’t planning to. Moreover, everything is aimed for swiftly having a more motivated command staff, and this is a signal to all officers under the authority of the ministry of defense. All worthy officers will have the opportunity of holding high positions regardless of their family connections or other ties,” Papikyan said.

On February 24, new top appointments were announced in the military. Days later a  was appointed.

 17:37, 2 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan positively assesses the second meeting of the Armenian and Turkish special representatives held in Geneva.

“I assess the second meeting of the representatives of Armenia and Turkey as positive. You can read everything in the statement made by the representatives. The parties reaffirmed that the process takes place without preconditions, that the end result of the process is the normalization of relations, and, of course, for us, the opening of the Armenia-Turkey border”, ARMENPRESS reports Mirzoyan as saying, answering the question of MP from “Civil Contract” Party Sargis Khandayan.

FM Mirzoyan mentioned that during the second meeting the discussion was much more specific than the during first meeting.

“At the same time, I think we all understand that it is difficult to expect very tangible results even from the second meeting, a process that must provide solutions to the problems of centuries and decades,” Mirzoyan concluded.

Armenian FMA doesn’t have a decision concerning participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum

 17:52, 2 March, 2022

YEREVAN, 2 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. There is no decision concerning the participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, ARMENPRESS reports, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan said at the National Assembly during the Q&A session answering to the question of MP Sargis Khandanyan of “Civil Contract” faction about the position the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

“I hope that you will agree that in the world, let me say, events develop very rapidly and change  every day, every second. And when the deadlines approach, we will make a decision”, said Mirzoyan.

Earlier Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu informed that Armenia also is invited to the diplomatic forum of March 11-13 to be held in Antalya. Ministers of Foreign Affairs participate in the forum. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan announced at the press conference that Armenia will very likely accept the invitation of participation in the Antalya diplomatic forum , but everything depends on the situation at that moment.

 18:11, 2 March, 2022

YEREVAN, 2 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. On March 2, the Steering Committee Meeting of the Armenia/Council of Europe Action Plan for 2019-2022 took place in a hybrid format.

Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and Verena Taylor, the Director of the Office of the Director General of the Council of Europe delivered opening remarks. High-ranking representatives of the agencies of the Republic of Armenia involved in the Action Plan, those responsible for their implementation at the Council of Europe Secretariat and the CoE Armenia Office participated in the discussions, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia.

Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan touched upon the period after the previous session of the Steering Committee in July 2020, noted the humanitarian issues as a consequence of the 44-day war in Artsakh, highlighted the importance of ensuring access to international assistance in Artsakh and the conditions necessary for the full realization of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the population. In this regard, the Deputy Foreign Minister reffered to the statements of the high-ranking leaders and various bodies of the Council of Europe, the resolution on the humanitarian and human rights consequences of the Artsakh war, adopted by the PACE in September 2021, and the Memorandum of the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights, published in November 2021.

On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, the Deputy Foreign Minister expressed the gratitude to the donor countries of the Action Plan, in particular the European Union, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, as well as the Foundation for the Elimination of Violence Against Children and Human Rights Trust Fund.

During the meeting, the results of the programs implemented with the Council of Europe in the fields of protection and promotion of human rights, rule of law and democratic governance were presented.  The Armenian side reaffirmed its readiness to continue close cooperation in the implementation of the Action Plan.  The participants exchanged views on the projects to be included in the Armenia-Council of Europe for 2023-2026.

 18:33, 2 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rules out NATO intervention in the Russian-Ukrainian war, ARMENPRESS reports the German “Deutsche Welle” informs.

“We will not intervene militarily. In this situation, it would not be right,” said the German Chancellor after meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister in Jerusalem.

Scholz stressed that the current situation is very dangerous, as one of the nuclear powers is involved in the conflict. According to the head of the German government, in the current situation, the West “has taken the right position between consistency and necessary caution”.

 17:43, 2 March, 2022

YEREVAN, 2 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 2 March, USD exchange rate up by 4.50 drams to 489.36 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.51 drams to 651.93 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.20 drams to 4.57 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.21 drams to 543.19 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 467.47 drams to 30239.38 drams. Silver price up by 8.09 drams to 387.67 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

 18:48, 2 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan is sure that the launch of the Yeraskh-Julfa-Meghri-Horadiz railway will have positive results, it will be profitable for the country, ARMENPRESS reports Mher Grigoryan mentioned that the restoration of Yeraskh-Julfa-Meghri-Horadiz railway will cost 226-230 million dollars, the construction duration will be up to 36 months.

“If we look at the tax revenues of the South Caucasus Railway, they amount to about 4.7 billion drams a year. If we take into account that in case of unblocking, the cargo flows will at least double, even at the expense of the internal potential, we will have at least 5% yield, which is not bad. This allows to enter the next stage and carry out more in-depth calculations and project, as a result of which, of course, the numbers will be adjusted. But I am absolutely confident that in terms of the profitability of this initiative we will get more positive data, we will see better profitability,” Grigoryan said, answering the question of “Hayastan” faction MP Artur Khachatryan how much revenue the government expects from the operation of Yeraskh-Julfa-Meghri-Horadiz railway.

The Russian delegation leaves for talks with the representatives of Ukraine

 18:49, 2 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. The Russian delegation has left for the place of meeting with the representatives of Ukraine for negotiations, ARMENPRESS reports, citing TASS, BelTa agency informed, without providing details.

According to earlier reports, the second round of consultations will be held in the area of Belovezhskaya Pushcha in the Brest region of Belarus.