19:43,
YEREVAN, 16 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met with Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Special Representative for the Armenia-Turkey normalization process Ruben Rubinyan, representatives of the scientific and expert community, ARMENPRESS reports Foreign Ministry Spokesman Vahan Hunanyan said.
During the meeting, the participants exchanged views on the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey.
19:50,
YEREVAN, 16 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the regular sitting of the Anti-Corruption Policy Council took place at the Government, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.
The first issue on the agenda referred to the recommendations of the GRECO and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on the results of the 2021 evaluation of the Republic of Armenia. These are about the activities of the Corruption Prevention Commission, the Prosecutor’s Office, investigative bodies, the National Assembly and the implementation of certain functions. A discussion took place in connection with the proposals, during which various observations and opinions were presented.
Prime Minister Pashinyan highlighted the continuous increase of Armenia’s rating in the reports of reputable international organizations, noting that in this context it is necessary to acknowledge the received signals. The Prime Minister stressed that these recommendations should be considered in view of the need to increase the efficiency of state institutions. According to the Prime Minister, institutional reforms, including in the anti-corruption and judicial spheres, are of key importance for the Government. In this regard, Nikol Pashinyan particularly stressed that as a result of these reforms, for example, public confidence in court decisions should increase significantly. “Our task is to continuously raise the image of Armenia in the rankings given by reputable international organizations, so we must be as consistent as possible in this issue,” Nikol Pashinyan stressed.
PM Pashinyan instructed to evaluate the above-mentioned recomendations and make appropriate changes based on their results.
Next, the report on the activities of the Corruption Precention Commission in 2021 was presented to the Council. It was noted that during the reporting period, the declarations of more than 210 officials were checked and analyzed, 139 of which were judges. The declarations of the family members of the above-mentioned officials were also additionally checked. As a result, both disciplinary proceedings were initiated and some cases were sent to the Prosecutor’s Office.
It was noted that starting from June 2021 the system that includes the declaration of expenses was re-launched, and a new form was developed to fill in the declaration.
Last year, the Corruption Precention Commission investigated 45 cases of incompatible requirements and conflicts of interest, 15 of which were based on media reports. 3 proceedings were initiated on the above-mentioned grounds. At the same time, the ethics of 103 candidates for state position was examined and relevant conclusions were given.
The Council assessed the activity of the Corruption Precention Commission in 2021 as positive. Prime Minister Pashinyan stressed the importance for continuously developing the mechanisms of the Commission, including their improvement through digitalization.
The meeting also addressed the problems arising during the selection of investigators and Neighborhood Police Officers of the Anti-Corruption Committee, the proposals aimed at their solution, as well as the “Draft Law on Making Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia” submitted by the Anti-Corruption Committee.
20:36,
YEREVAN, 16 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Collective Security Treaty Organization is a strong partner of the United Nations, ARMENPRESS reports UN Secretary General António Guterres said on February 16.
“Currently, more than ever, the UN is relying on closer and deeper cooperation with regional organizations. The CSTO is a strong partner for the UN”, ARMENPRESS reports, citing TASS, Guterres said in a meeting on cooperation with the CSTO.
He expressed hope for strengthening cooperation with the CSTO in the field of peacekeeping missions.
Russian, Azerbaijani FMs discuss normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations
21:12,
YEREVAN, 16 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov discussed the process of normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, ARMENPRESS reports the Russian MFA informed.
During the telephone conversation on February 16, the FMs exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues. Special attention was paid to the situation in the South Caucasus, first of all to the process of normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In this context, the importance of the implementation of all provisions of the trilateral agreements between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia of November 9, 2020, as well as January 11 and November 26, 2021 was emphasized.
The ministers also discussed the prospects for further development of the Russian-Azerbaijani strategic partnership.
Wednesday,
Opposition Bloc Ends Boycott Of International Bodies
Armenia - Deputies from the opposition Hayastan bloc wear T-shirts emblazoned
with pictures of arrested opposition figures during the inaugural session of the
recently elected National Assembly, Yerevan, August 2, 2021.
The main opposition Hayastan alliance said on Wednesday that it will stop
boycotting sessions of international parliamentary bodies because the Armenian
authorities have freed three of its lawmakers and lifted travel bans imposed on
several others.
The bloc announced on December 7 that its parliament deputies not charged with
any crimes will not join Armenian parliamentary delegations travelling abroad
out of solidarity with their colleagues facing what they see as politically
motivated charges.
Two days later, the Constitutional Court declared the arrest of the three
Hayastan deputies illegal, saying that they enjoy immunity from prosecution.
They were set free the next day.
In a statement, Hayastan’s parliamentary group said their release was followed
by the lifting of some of the travel bans.
“Given that a considerable part of our demands for the lifting of illegal
restrictions on the deputies’ activities have been fulfilled, the Hayastan
faction has decided to resume its participation in the work of international
organizations,” read the statement. It did not specify which of those lawmakers
can now go abroad.
As of December 7, twelve of the 29 Hayastan deputies were not allowed to leave
Armenia because of having been indicted in various criminal cases. They included
the bloc’s parliamentary leader Seyran Ohanian, deputy speaker Ishkhan
Saghatelian and Armen Gevorgian, the chairman of the parliament’s Committee on
Regional and Eurasian Integration.
Gevorgian is the sole full-fledged opposition member of the Armenian delegation
in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). He and Hayastan’s
top leader, former President Robert Kocharian, are standing trial on corruption
charges strongly denied by them.
The judge presiding over the trial refused to allow Gevorgian to attend the
PACE’s winter session held in Strasbourg late last month. Earlier, she also
banned Kocharian from visiting Moscow at the invitation of Russia’s ruling party.
Hayastan condemned those decisions, saying that they were made under strong
government pressure. The bloc expressed confidence on Wednesday that it will
also succeed in forcing the authorities to scrap the remaining travel bans and
free several other opposition figures still held in detention.
Authorities Still Vague On Constitutional Changes
• Naira Nalbandian
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks at an official ceremony outside
the presidential palace in Yerevan, September 21, 2019.
Justice Minister Karen Andreasian declined to shed more light on constitutional
changes planned by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian after chairing on Wednesday a
second meeting of an ad hoc body formed for that purpose.
Pashinian called for major changes to the Armenian constitution last spring. He
said at the time that his administration will consider restoring the
presidential system of government. But he stated afterwards, most recently in
late January, that Armenia should remain a parliamentary republic.
Andreasian insisted that the premier’s remarks on the subject were
“complementary, not contradictory.”
“The purpose of all those statements is this: to find the most optimal way of
resolving the government order in Armenia and to distribute the powers of all
government branches in a way that will give people a sense of justice and at the
same time ensure efficient governance,” he told reporters.
He would not be drawn on which concrete articles of the constitution could be
amended and how.
Andreasian heads a constitutional reform “council” that consists of state
officials, pro-government politicians and representatives of non-governmental
organizations. It is due to nominate five legal scholars who will be tasked with
drafting constitutional amendments.
The two opposition alliances represented in the Armenian parliament were offered
to appoint two other council members. But they refused, saying that the purpose
of the planned amendments is to help Pashinian cling to power.
Former President Serzh Sarkisian, faced similar accusations when he engineered
Armenia’s transition to the parliamentary system through sweeping constitutional
changes enacted in 2015. Sarkisian’s attempt to remain in power as prime
minister after completing his second and final presidential term in 2018 sparked
mass protests that brought Pashinian to power.
Andreasian confirmed that his council will discuss the wisdom of reverting back
to the presidential system of government.
“A political decision on what form of government Armenia should choose will
start from this council,” he said. “I can assure you that no other body has made
such a political decision.”
Armenia's Vaccine Rollout Slowing Down Despite Health Pass Rule
• Marine Khachatrian
Armenia - A medical worker fills a syringe with COVID-19 vaccine at a mobile
vaccination center in Yerevan, January 14, 2022.
The pace of coronavirus vaccinations in Armenia has slowed further since the
recent introduction of a mandatory health pass for entry to cultural and leisure
venues.
The requirement, effective from January 22, means that only those people who
have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have had a recent negative test are
allowed to visit bars, restaurants, museums, theaters or other public venues.
The Armenian government hoped that this will boost the country’s vaccination
rate which remains the lowest in the region. Government data shows an opposite
trend, however.
According to the Ministry of Health, the daily number of people receiving the
first dose of a coronavirus vaccine averaged roughly 3,200 from January 23
through February 13, down from about 3,370 earlier in January and more than
5,100 in December.
About 877,000 people making up approximately one-third of the country’s
population were fully vaccinated as of February 13. Only 15,539 of them also
received “booster” shots. The vaccination rate is especially low among elderly
Armenians.
Armenia -- Customers at a cafe in Yerevan, May 4, 2020.
There is growing anecdotal evidence that many Armenian bars and restaurants have
stopped checking the health passes of their customers. Government agencies
tasked with enforcing the requirement are not known to have fined any of them.
Some restaurant owners strongly criticized the introduction of the health pass
last month, predicting a major loss of their revenues.
Davit Melik-Nubarian, a public health expert, suggested on Wednesday that the
vaccination numbers are falling also because Armenians are now less worried
about the more contagious but less severe Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Omicron was the main driving force behind the latest wave of coronavirus
infections in Armenia that began in mid-January. The daily number of cases
recorded by health authorities reached a new record high of over 4,500 on
February 2. But it has fallen significantly since then, with an average of
roughly 1,500 cases a day reported in the last few days.
Armenia - People line up outside a mobile vaccination center in Yerevan's
Liberty Square, September 24, 2021.
Still, the number of coronavirus-related deaths reached 145 in the first half of
February, sharply up from 81 fatalities reported in the whole of January. On
Tuesday alone, 28 people died from COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Health.
“We have virtually no vacant beds right now,” said Petros Manukian, the deputy
director of Yerevan’s Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center, the largest
hospital treating COVID-19 patients.
“During the previous wave [of infections,] we admitted many young and
middle-aged citizens with infected lungs and serious breathing difficulties
whose condition deteriorated rapidly,” Manukian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
“The picture is a bit different at this stage. There are more patients with
underlying diseases that are aggravated by COVID-19 and often cause their
deaths.”
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
By Ayya Lmahamad
The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Iran has increased by 30 percent in 2021, despite the negative consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
The remarks were made during the online meeting between Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev with Iran’s Roads and Urban Development Minister Rostam Ghasemi, Day.az has reported.
During the meeting, the parties noted the successful cooperation in the transit-transport sphere, stressing that the volume of road transport between the two countries increased by 70 percent in 2021.
They underlined that the North-South international transport corridor remains a priority in terms of the development of trade and transit-transport links between the two countries.
The sides also expressed satisfaction with the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran in various fields, particularly in the economy, trade, transport and transit, energy, industry, agriculture and other areas.
The historical significance of the meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi that was held in Ashgabat on November 28 last year within the Economic Cooperation Organization summit was emphasized. The parties noted that this meeting marked the beginning of a new stage of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations.
It was noted that 2022 will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Iran.
The issues of holding the next meeting of the commission as well as the ways of further expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran in various fields were also discussed at the meeting.
After liberating its lands from Armenian occupation in the 44-day war in 2020, Azerbaijan regained control over a 132-km section of the Azerbaijan-Iran border. The re-establishment of control over the state border opened up new prospects for deeper cooperation between the two countries.
The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Iran in 2021 was $440.8 million.
By Sabina Mammadli
Baku has pledged to arrest the leader of the self-proclaimed regime in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, Araik Arutyunyan, soon
The head of the investigation department at the Azerbaijani Prosecutor-General’s Office, Nemat Avazov, made the remarks.
Araik Harutyunyan
Arayik Harutyunyan, the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh” group’s leader, will be arrested soon, and an investigation will be launched in Azerbaijan. Harutyunyan is charged with committing four terrorist attacks against civilians in Azerbaijan’s Ganja city in October 2020, Avazov noted.
“The terrorist attacks were committed from Armenia’s territory. As a result, 26 Azerbaijani civilians were killed and 175 were injured. Harutyunyan claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack on his social network account on October 4,” he said.
Avazov underlined that criminal cases had been initiated based on various articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code and Harutyunyan had been put on the wanted fugitives list.
The fact that Harutyunyan has not been brought to trial is temporary, he added.
“I think that in accordance with the international convention, Harutyunyan will be detained by the investigative team and handed over for launching an investigation in a short period of time,” he added.
Sumgayit
In a separate statement, the head of the investigation department noted that work is underway to continue the search for persons accused of rioting in Azerbaijan’s Sumgayit city in 1988.
According to the document presented to the General Assembly by Azerbaijan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Yashar Aliyev, the official investigation confirmed that the February 1988 events were planned and carried out by Armenian extremist organizations to undermine Azerbaijan’s authority and conceal Armenia’s illegal occupation intentions.
“In 1988, Eduard Grigoryan, the organizer of the events in Sumgayit, and others were put on the wanted list. Currently, operational and search measures are being carried out in this case. Work is underway to bring these people to the investigation,” Avazov added.
A reminder that in March 2020, the Azerbaijani government submitted a document to the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly in connection with the events in Azerbaijan’s Sumgayit city as of February 1988.
As a result of riots in Sumgayit city, 32 people were killed on the night of February 28, 1988, 26 of them are Armenians, six – Azerbaijanis.
On the night of February 28, 1988, 32 people were killed as a result of riots in Sumgayit, 26 of whom were Armenians and six Azerbaijanis.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva previously described the 1988 killing of 32 people in Sumgayit as a well-planned provocation against Azerbaijan.
As a result of the military aggression by Armenia, 100 Azerbaijani civilians were killed, including 12 children and 27 women. As many as 454 people were injured, including 35 children. Some 181 children lost one parent, five children lost both parents, one family died. In total, 12,292 residential and non-residential buildings and 288 vehicles were damaged.
A criminal case has been initiated into the death of every civilian in Azerbaijan caused by the Armenian terror, and appeals have been sent to international courts and organizations.
A Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal that Baku and Yerevan signed on November 10, 2020, brought an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.
The peace agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan’s Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions and urged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city.
KARS, Turkiye
A train which ran between Turkiye and Armenia brings back nostalgia to people on both sides of the border.
Amid a thaw in relations between Turkiye and Armenia, people in Turkiye’s eastern province Kars are waiting for the Dogukapi border crossing to reopen after nearly three decades.
The border was closed in 1993 in response to Armenia’s occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory.
Turkiye’s Eastern Express line, which attracts many tourists, departs from the capital city of Ankara, and arrives in eastern province Kars after a 25-hour-long journey with picturesque views all along the route of 1,310 kilometers (814 miles). From Kars, there is another regional train departing for Akyaka district, located near the Armenian border. Through the Dogukapi border crossing, one can reach Armenia’s border city Gyumri.
Recaling those busy days when trains would travel between Turkiye and Armenia, business people and former railway workers say a possible reopening of the line would contribute to the trade and tourism in the region.
Ilim Goktas, who worked for six years at the Dogukapi train station, told Anadolu Agency he hopes “the gate will reopen.”
“Peace and tranquility will come to the region, our economy will revive,” he added.
Stating that he had to leave his job after the Dogukapi border crossing was closed, Goktas said: “At that time, coal, fiber, sunflower, cotton and iron would come in (to Turkiye through that route).”
“We stayed very busy transferring the cargo coming from Armenia and Russia to Turkish trains at our station,” he recalled.
He added that around 100 people would work in shifts at the border crossing at the time.
Livestock from the Turkish provinces of Van, Mus, Agri, Kars and Erzurum would also be sent to the Soviet Union through that gate, he added.
Cahit Akbulak, a retired worker, stated that they operated three shifts due to the high workload on the railway line between the two countries.
Kenan Akbulak, a village head, said: “With the opening of Dogukapi, there will be job opportunities, imports and exports in our village.”
Businessperson Alican Alibeyoglu said: “We should see the railway here as the old Silk Road that extends to China and Siberia. Opening the gate will contribute to Kars and other cities in the region.”
* Writing by Iclal Turan.
Sarky Mouradian
Sarky Mouradian, a prolific broadcaster credited with establishing Armenian television programs in the Diaspora, passed away in Los Angeles. He was 90.
The news was reported by the Armenian Film Society, which in a statement said that the broadcaster passed away on February 10.
“The passing of Sarky Mouradian is a huge loss, not just for the Armenian community but for the film community at large. Mr. Mouradian was a pioneer in more ways than one and was prolific up until his passing at the age of 90. The Armenian community will remember him for his incredible contributions to film and television,” said the Armenian Film Society as reported by Deadline.
His grandson Tristan said that Sarky Mouradian left “a legacy spanning decades. His influence on Armenian television, music and film in America will never be forgotten.”
In 1978, Mouradian established Armenian Teletime, one of the first Armenian television broadcasts. The programs featured interviews with Armenian community members, elected officials and celebrities. The program that featured Mouradian’s iconic voice became staple of Armenian-American households on weekends.
Prior to that Mouradian tried his hand at filmmaking. He wrote and directed such films as Sons of Sassoun (1973), Tears of Happiness (1975), Promise of Love (1978) and Alicia (2002). Mouradian also adapted Franz Werfel’s 1933 novel The Forty Days of Musa Dagh into a feature film in 1982. This made him a constant target of Turkish government revisionism.
Mouradian was born on November 15, 1931, in Beirut. He began performing music at the age of 16. In 1955, he moved to Boston to continue his education in music then relocated to Los Angeles in 1960 to pursue his passion for film. There he attended the Theater of Arts and began working in the industry.
He was awarded an honor by Armenia’s Culture Ministry in 2016.
Despite the proliferation of Armenian television channels and a changing landscape, Mouradian continued to pursue his passion of preserving Armenian culture. Armenian Teletime continued to be produced and broadcast on YouTube, along with his archive of decades of footage
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization said it is continuing its efforts to send an independence mission to Karabakh, the organization’s press office told Armenpress, adding that it hopes hopes that such a mission will take place soon.
Calls for UNESCO and other international organizations intensified after Azerbaijan’s culture minister announced the establishment of a special government commission that will appropriate Armenian religious landmarks located in Artsakh territories that are now under Azerbaijani occupation as having Albanian roots.
“We continue working to send a UNESCO Independent Technical Mission within the framework of the 1954 Convention. We hope that it will be possible soon, but for the moment the necessary conditions are not in place. So discussions are still ongoing,” Thomas Mallard, UNESCO’s spokesperson told Armenpress.
The International Court of Justice, on December 7, ordered Azerbaijan to “take all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration affecting Armenian cultural heritage, including but not limited to churches and other places of worship, monuments, landmarks, cemeteries and artifacts.”
When pressed about UNESCO’s response to Azerbaijan’s failure to adhere to the ICJ’s provisional measure, Mallard warned against using culture and history for political gains.
“Heritage and history should not become instruments of politics,” said Mallard. “We urge all our Member States, all over the world, to respect this principle.”
Several members of the European Parliament this week added their voices to the growing chorus of international condemnation of Azerbaijan and its cultural ministry for attempting to label Armenian monuments as Albanian.
The European lawmakers took to social media warn of the dangers of the destruction and misappropriation of Armenian historical and cultural heritage in the territories of Artsakh currently being occupied by Azerbaijan. They also urged the international community to take action and condemn Azerbaijan.
“The international community must act now. We must condemn and stop any attempt to distort or destroy the Armenian historical and cultural heritage in Artsakh,” Demetris Papadakis, a Cypriot member of the European Parliament, wrote on his Twitter page.
Commenting on the brazen initiative of Azerbaijan’s culture ministry, a Dutch member of the European Parliament, Peter van Dalen wrote on Twitter that Aliyev’s crimes have no bounds.
“Azerbaijan has announced that it plans to erase Armenian traces from churches,” van Dalen wrote, urging the European Parliament to condemn the Azerbaijani initiative.