Category: 2022

Russian peacekeepers visit Dadivank

 09:45, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. The servicemen of the Russian peacekeeping force in Nagorno Karabakh visited the Dadivank Monastic Complex, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a press release.

The abbot introduced the history of the 12th century monastic complex to the peacekeepers.

The Russian Ministry of Defense noted that Dadivank is one of the biggest complexes of medieval Armenia. It is named Dadivank after St. Dadi, a disciple of Thaddeus the Apostle who spread Christianity in eastern Armenia.

Parliament holds session

 10:00, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Parliament is holding a session today.

16 items are on the agenda of the session.

The lawmakers will debate at second hearing the bills on making amendments and changes to the Law on General Education, the Law on Compensating the damages caused to life or health of servicemen during the defense of Armenia, and the Judicial Code.

The Parliament will also debate the 2020 annual report of the 2017-2020 State Property Privatization program performance.

 10:02, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. US figure skater Nathan Chen set a new world record in the short program at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, reports TASS.

Chen scored 113.97 points. The previous world record was set during the 2020 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships by Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu (111.82 points).

 10:30, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan had a meeting with Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Armenia John Gallagher, discussing a number of issues relating to human rights, the Ombudsman’s Office said.

Arman Tatoyan introduced the Ambassador on the problems existing in the judiciary.

Protection of rights of women and children were also discussed. The Ombudsman said that during the COVID-19-related restrictions in Armenia a working group has been formed at his Office dealing with the protection of women’s, children’s rights, the prevention of domestic violence. He also presented the current challenges in the field of the protection of rights of children.

The meeting sides also highlighted the role of reporters in guaranteeing freedom of speech and ruling out hate speech.

Tatoyan also presented to the Ambassador the violations of rights of Armenia’s border residents by the Azerbaijani armed forces, with concrete facts and examples. He emphasized the urgency of the return of Armenian captives illegally held in Azerbaijan, as well as the fact that those people are held there for political and military interests, for trade purposes.

The Ombudsman said the Azerbaijani armed forces must be withdrawn from the roads near to the Armenian villages, sometimes even near to the houses of the residents, and stressed the necessity of creating a demilitarized security zone.

Arman Tatoyan highlighted UK’s role in the field of human rights, as well as the cooperation with the British human rights institutions.

In his turn the UK Ambassador highly appreciated the high quality of the cooperation with the Armenian Ombudsman, as well as expressed readiness for further joint work.

 11:10, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Member of Parliament Vagharshak Hakobyan from the ruling Civil Contract party condemned the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko’s recent remarks on Armenia.

“Yesterday, in an interview with Vladimir Solovyov, the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko made inadmissible comments unfitting to a head of state, saying ‘who needs Armenia’ and so on. I’d like to note that these kind of remarks are truly condemnable. The leader of our partner country doesn’t have the right to voice such views about his partner. I’d like to remind who needed Armenia during the latest Kazakh events, and I am sure that Mr. Lukashenko very well realized who needed and who needs Armenia,” the lawmaker said.

In the interview, Lukashenko said the Union State between Russia and Belarus should expand and include most of the ex-Soviet republics. Particularly, speaking on Armenia, he said “Armenia has nowhere to run…..what, you think anyone needs them? They have already seen it, Nikol Vovayevich [Pashinyan] has already seen it.”

 11:21, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. 2486 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 394,074.

The COVID-19 recoveries rose by 3180 in a day, bringing the total to 356,165.

The death toll has risen to 8102 (5 death cases in past day).

6807 COVID-19 tests were conducted on February 7. 

The number of active cases is 28,251.

 11:23, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan visited several military bases in the southern parts of the country on February 7.

Papikyan inspected the ongoing construction works and the training of the on-duty personnel.

The Defense Minister particularly focused on the social conditions at the barracks, and the food supply.

On the same day, Papikyan visited the Zangezur Garrison Hospital, which is equipped with modern medical devices and necessary medications.

The Defense Minister talked with servicemembers who are receiving treatment at the hospital and wished them speedy recovery.

Policy of destroying Armenian historical, cultural heritage contradicts Baku’s statements on achieving reconciliation

 11:35, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the statement made by the Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Anar Karimov (February 3) on the establishment of a working group for the destruction and change of the identity of the Armenian religious and historical-cultural monuments fallen under the control of Azerbaijan, the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan said in a statement today.

“The establishment of such a working group at the state level aimed at deliberate and illegal looting of the historical and cultural heritage of the neighbouring people and depriving them of their historical memory, is unprecedented even in the history of conflicts. It once again demonstrates the fact that the cases of vandalism and destruction of the Armenian historical, cultural and religious heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh during the 44-day war and the following period, are deliberate and pre-planned, and are part of the policy of annihilating Nagorno-Karabakh’s indigenous Armenian population.

This action of the Azerbaijani Government is a blatant defiance to the decision on application of provisional measures issued by the UN International Court of Justice on December 7, 2021, which clearly obliges 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.”

In view of the current situation, the immediate intervention and unimpeded involvement on the ground of the international community, in particular UNESCO, is becoming more urgent for the preservation and prevention of the cases of vandalism against the Armenian monuments of Artsakh, which are part of the universal cultural heritage.

This policy of destruction and distortion of the identity of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage and religious sanctuaries contradicts Azerbaijan’s statements on achieving reconciliation in the region, and creates serious obstacles to the establishment of lasting peace in the region”, the statement says.