Category: 2022

Armenia, Brazil celebrate 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations

 09:53, 17 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Brazil are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Federative Republic of Brazil were established on February 17, 1992.

Armenia has partnering and constructive relations with Brazil.

The first high-level visit from Armenia to Brazil took place in December 1991 when Foreign Minister Raffi Hovhannisyan paid a working visit to that country. Next year, in June 1992, President Levon Ter-Petrosyan visited Brazil on an official visit. The first high-level visit from Brazil was held in November 2017 when Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira arrived in Armenia on an official visit.

The Armenian Embassy in Brasilia was established in 2011. The Embassy of Brazil in Yerevan is operating since August 2006.

Over the past 30 years, the two countries have signed 8 agreements, the first one was signed on May 7, 2002, relating to the cultural cooperation between the Armenian and Brazilian governments. On the same day, the Presidents of Armenia and Brazil adopted a joint statement.

According to the data of the Statistical Committee of Armenia, the bilateral trade turnover between Armenia and Brazil in 2021 comprised nearly 55 million dollars.

There is an Armenian community in Brazil. Armenians have settled in Brazil since the second half of the 19^th century. Nearly 100 Armenians were living in Brazil in 1895. Currently, approximately 20-25,000 Armenians live in Brazil.

Brazil has recognized the Armenian Genocide. On May 27, 2015, the Federal Senate of Brazil unanimously adopted a resolution which was officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

 10:28, 17 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan and Human Rights Defender of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan were on a fact-finding mission from February 14 to 16 regarding human rights in the communities of Taghavard, Karmir Shuka, Aghavno, Khramot and elsewhere in the Republic of Artsakh.

The Human Rights Defender’s Office said in a press release that shootings from Azerbaijan happen nearly every day in Taghavard and Karmir Shuka.

“Just few days ago, on February 11, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire in the direction of residential civilian homes. Walls and roofs of houses were damaged. Women and children were inside the homes at the time of the shooting. A window was hit by the bullets, and at that time a toddler was asleep in the room. The Azerbaijani military servicemen are deployed directly in front of these residential houses, only a few hundred meters away, and people are under their full observation,” the Human Rights Defender’s Office said, adding that the Azerbaijani troops are deployed on the lands owned by the residents: pastures and grasslands.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani soldiers have direct vantage point on the Taghavard public school.

“Separate meetings and discussions with teachers and students revealed that targeted shootings happen also in the direction of the school. Moreover, residents said that in Taghavard and Karmir Shuka the Azerbaijani servicemen are releasing special lights from their positions or vehicles onto residential houses, including inside the homes in order to terrorize the residents. This is frequently done especially at nights or evenings. Moreover, during our time in Artsakh we were directly convinced in the Azerbaijani criminal acts. Particularly, on February 15, around 15:30, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces fired targeted shots at farmers who were engaged in agriculture in Khramort village on Askeran region, which resulted in a tractor’s tire being damaged. Yesterday, on February 16, between 10:00 – 11:00, when residents were working in the vineyards of Khramort village, they were approached by armed servicemen of Azerbaijan and were forced to leave the field. Moreover, most of the residents who were working were women. In all communities, residents noted that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces fire targeted shots whenever they attempt to approach agricultural lands which are even a few hundred meters away. These acts cause the most serious social problems for people. They are deprived of the opportunity to earn income for their families. It is obvious that associated with the seasonal period, not working would lead to serious problems for people. In Aghavno community, people are facing serious problems of drinking and irrigation water supply: Nearly all residents told us how they witnessed Azerbaijani armed servicemen slaughtering cattle and then throwing the remains into the water used by residents of the village. This has caused mass poisoning from the water among the residents of the village: women and children and elderly people were poisoned. Several villages in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia are also deprived of water supply because of the Azerbaijani incursions, the water security in several communities of Syunik province is under real danger.

It is obvious that the Azerbaijani authorities are engaged in a criminal policy of terrorizing peaceful residents and creating an atmosphere of despair, which is of coordinated and targeted nature.

In all places where Azerbaijani armed servicemen are deployed the security of people is disrupted, life is under real danger.

The Azerbaijani servicemen who have appeared in the direct vicinity of villages in Armenia and Artsakh are doing everything to make the life of peaceful population impossible and that life doesn’t restore after the war: they shoot at villages, obstruct farmers from doing agricultural work, steal domesticated animals etc. All facts prove that the criminal actions of Azerbaijani armed servicemen against the peaceful population in both Armenia and in Artsakh are same in nature, with aggressive manifestations in Artsakh.

It is obvious for us that the foundation of this all is the continuous policy of Armenophobia and propaganda of hate of the Azerbaijani authorities against Armenia and Artsakh.

As long as the Azerbaijani authorities are engaged in this policy (and this is the source of their political life), the terroristic criminal actions committed by their armed servicemen won’t stop, therefore the only way to protect the peaceful population is that these servicemen must not be stationed in the vicinity or nearby Armenian villages and roads, in order for peaceful residents to exercise their rights,” Tatoyan and Stepanyan said in a joint statement.

 11:02, 17 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The death toll in the floods in Brazil’s Petropolis reached 104, G1 news portal reported.

Earlier the death toll was reported as 94 after heavy rains caused mudslides and floods through a mountainous region of Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state.

The historic city of Petrópolis was directly in the path of the devastating floods when it hit on Tuesday.

Petropolis mayor Rubens Bomtempo warned that the number of victims could rise as rescuers worked through the wreckage.

Rio de Janeiro state governor Claudio Castro was quoted by The Guardian as saying that “the situation is almost like war … Cars hanging from poles, cars overturned, lots of mud and water.”

Civilians joined the recovery efforts on Wednesday.

 11:14, 17 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. 1723 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, the ministry of health reported.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country has reached 411,878.

The COVID-19 recoveries rose by 1668 in a day, bringing the total to 383,368.

The death toll has risen to 8253 (24 death cases in past day).

5734 COVID-19 tests were conducted on February 16. 

The number of active cases is 18,674.