Category: 2022

 15:45,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 will be available in all vaccination sites of Armenia from Monday, February 21, the Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan told reporters.

She said people are free to choose Pfizer as both their first or second dose, as well as booster.

Avanesyan noted that there is no significant difference between the Pfizer vaccine and the other vaccines currently in use.

“The only difference is that it has been officially recognized as a vaccine for persons aged 12-18,” she added.

More than 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were imported to Armenia.

 17:21,

YEREVAN, 17 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 17 February, USD exchange rate down by 0.75 drams to 478.38 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.62 drams to 543.44 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.08 drams to 6.30 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.76 drams to 650.60 drams.

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

Gold price up by 171.52 drams to 28647.3 drams. Silver price up by 2.75 drams to 361.44 drams. Platinum price up by 406.17 drams to 16041.62 drams.

 17:52,

YEREVAN, 17 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. The opportunities to unblock transport and economic ties in the region, particularly the opening of railways, are visible, the correspondent of ARMENPRESS reports from Vanadzor that Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said in a briefing with journalists, commenting on the Prime Minister’s today’s speech about the Yeraskh-Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, there are no new agreements at the moment, but in any case, the agreements on the issue will formulated in a written form in accordance with the legal requirements.

“There are common symmetrical perceptions that the potential for unblocking, in particular the opening of the railway, are visible”, said Mher Grigoryan.

To the question whether there are concrete agreements at the moment, the Deputy Prime Minister answered that at the moment there have been official statements on all the agreements.

Mher Grigoryan referred to the agreement between the Prime Minister of Armenia and the Azerbaijani side reached in Sochi on November 26, 2021 mediated by the President of Russia and reaffirmed during the December 14, 2021 meeting mediated by the President of the European Council on the restoration of the railway.

“In particular, the Brussels statement clearly states about the agreement, the approaches of the parties regarding the railway,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed hope at today’s February 17 sitting of the government that the agreements reached on the Yeraskh-Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway will be registered in the form of a document, and the de jure process will be fully start.

On February 9, Pashinyan announced in the National Assembly that a working group has been set up to organize the construction of the Yeraskh-Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway.

 17:53,

YEREVAN, 17 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister of Armenia Suren Papikyan received the Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Republic of Armenia Nico Schermers on February 17.

ARMENPRESS reports the Defense Ministry of Armenia informs that during the meeting issues related to regional security were addressed. At the request of the Ambassador, the Minister of Defense presented the border situation in Artsakh after the cessation of hostilities, the positions of the Republic of Armenia and proposals for easing tensions.

Issues related to international developments were also discussed. The interlocutors exchanged views on the regional-international security environment, opportunities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

 18:45,

YEREVAN, 17 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Donetsk police announced that the situation on the line of contact in Donbas has deteriorated sharply. ARMENPRESS reports, citing Ria Novosti, the Police informed that the Ukrainian armed forces violated the ceasefire regime 18 times on February 18.

“The situation on the line of contact has sharply deteriorated. The adversary is trying to launch active military operations. During the day, the Ukrainian armed forces violated the ceasefire 18 times,” the spokesman of the ministry told reporters.

 19:24,

YEREVAN, 17 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Chief of the Police of Armenia, Major-General Vahe Ghazaryan on February 17 received Ambassador of Lithuania to Armenia Inga Stanytė-Toločkienė.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Police of Armenia, Vahe Ghazaryan, greeting the guest, congratulated on the occasion of the National Day of Lithuania. He highly appreciated the established cooperation between the Police of Armenia and the Embassy of Lithuania.

“Vahe Ghazaryan, highlighting the planned visit of the Chief of the Police of Lithuania to Armenia, hoped that it will further promote the collaboration of the law enforcement bodies of the two countries.

Major-General Vahe Ghazaryan expressed willingness to strengthen the cooperation.

Ambassador Inga Stanytė-Toločkienė, thanking for warm welcome, referred to the programmes of the Embassy of Lithuania, which include a number of directions. ‘’She also highlighted the connection of the law enforcement bodies of the two countries, and pointed out a number of examples of effective cooperation.

The Chief of Staff of the Police Armen Mkrtchyan presented the reforms held in the Police. Mostly it was talked about the launch of the center of patrol service and the operative management.” The Police of Armenia reports.

The sides discussed issues related to new directions of cooperation and also other issues presenting mutual interest.

 20:01,

YEREVAN, 17 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. The works of the trilateral working group on unblocking all economic and transport ties of the region chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia will continue on that platform, ARMENPRESS reports Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan told reporters, answering the question whether trilateral working group meetings are planned in the near future.

“At the moment I will not say anything about specific dates, but presumably, yes, the work will continue on that platform,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

Mher Grigoryan also gave a positive answer to the question on cooperation with Russian Railways.

“Yes, there is cooperation with Russian Railways OJSC, because, regardless of the work of the triplateral platform, we need a lot of discussions in bilateral relations, because, as you know, regardless of the issue of unblocking, the subsidiary of Russian Railways is our operator, the concessionaire. This means that all types of technical documentation related to design, further operation, of course, should be discussed with partners. After all, they will be the exploiters”, the Armenian Deputy PM said.

 20:18,

YEREVAN, 17 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of Armenia to Greece Tigran Mkrtchyan met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece Nikos Dendias, ARMENPRESS reports the Embassy of Armenia in Greece informs.

The Greek Foreign Minister congratulated the Ambassador on the launch of his mission and wished him success.

Nikos Dendias said that the Armenian-Greek relations are traditionally on a solid foundation, only positive dynamics should be expected in that respect.

Ambassador Tigran Mkrtchyan presented the main directions of his mission. The Ambassador noted that in parallel with the current active political dialogue and military cooperation, there are wide opportunities to deepen bilateral economic ties, scientific-educational-cultural contacts, as well as parliamentary diplomacy.

Ambassador Tigran Mkrtchyan presented Armenia’s positions on regional developments.

Deputy PM comments on Pashinyan’s statement on North-South, East-West project

 20:37,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Unblocking means building infrastructure in as many areas as possible, ARMENPRESS reports Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said, commenting on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement today on the “North-South, East-West” transport project.

“I have said many times, and the Prime Minister has said, that our ultimate goal is to have a scenario of unblocking that will bring stability to the region, that the infrastructure will have a regional significance. It means that the more communication opportunities there are, the more efficient our expenses will be, the more efficient our infrastructure will be, the more economically efficient our initiative will be,” he said.

During today’s Cabinet meeting, PM Pashinyan said that in the context of the opening of regional connections the Armenian government re-formulated the North-South project and is terming it “North-South, East-West” Project, or “Armenian Crossroads”.

“We hope to implement this project with fast pace. Essentially this means that one of the branches, I mean the North-South, East-West, or in short one of the branches of the Armenian Crossroads, will connect north with south, meaning, essentially, from the Republic of Armenia to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the other branch, essentially, Azerbaijan, Armenia and in the future towards Nakhijevan and Turkey. We place this project in this general context. We hope we’ll have a construction company by yearend who will implement the work. Of course the east-west section of the road project isn’t done but we will realize this in the context of reaching further agreements,” Pashinyan said.

Blinken offers Lavrov to meet in Europe next week

 21:25,

YEREVAN, 17 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed that he offered to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov to meet in Europe next week.

ARMENPRESS reports, citing “RIA Novosti”, the United States offers Russia contacts in NATO, also in the OSCE.

According to Blinken, those contacts can be a basis for the meeting of the leaders of the two countries.