Category: 2022

 13:08, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Ambassador of Japan to Armenia Fukushima Masanori, the PM’s Office said.

In his remarks at the meeting, the Armenian PM highlighted expanding and developing the cooperation between the two countries in all areas.

In particular, the PM emphasized the necessity of deepening the commercial ties and stated that the Armenian government is interested in attracting Japanese investments to the country. Highly appreciating the technical support provided to Armenia in healthcare and emergency situation sectors, Pashinyan expressed hope it would be continuous and will contribute to the effective implementation of the ongoing reforms in these directions.

The Ambassador said the government of Japan attaches great importance to the development of political, economic and humanitarian relations with Armenia. He added that the Japanese side is also interested in expanding the economic cooperation and is ready to work intensively with the Armenian partners for this purpose.

Fukushima Masanori introduced Nikol Pashinyan on the programs being implemented by the Japanese Embassy in Armenia, which are aimed at providing technical equipment in different areas.

The officials also discussed issues relating to the implementation of student exchange programs, cooperation in IT, health and other sectors, as well as the participation of Armenia to the EXPO 2025 in Osaka.

 13:58, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Ukraine to meet with President Vladimir Zelensky, the French Ambassador to Kiev Etienne de Poncins said.

Macron earlier held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

French FM Jean-Yves Le Drian is accompanying President Macron to Ukraine.

 14:38, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Azeri Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov received a Turkish defense ministerial delegation led by Deputy Minister Muhsin Dere on February 8, Trend reports.

The parties “exchanged views on exhibiting aviation equipment and participation of the servicemen serving in the Azerbaijan Air Force in the TEKNOFEST-2022, which will be held in Baku,” Trend reported citing the Defense Ministry.

“In conclusion, the prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey, as well as the creation of joint working groups in the military-technical sphere and other issues of mutual interest were discussed.”

 14:58, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Three new Vice Mayors of Yerevan were appointed by the City Council at the February 8 session.

By law, Vice Mayors are appointed by the City Council at the nomination of the Mayor.

Gevorg Simonyan was appointed Vice Mayor with 51 votes in favor, 0 against and 2 present (53 registered city councilors took part). Simonyan will coordinate the healthcare and sports areas.

Suren Grigoryan was installed with 50-0-1 votes (53 registered city councilors took part), he will be in charge of the legal, trade and advertising sectors.

Stepan Machyan was appointed with 52-0-2 votes (55 registered city councilors). Machyan will be in charge of urban development.

Mayor Hrachya Sargsyan said the City Hall doesn’t have a position of chief architect anymore, but he believes that the office must be restored.

 15:08, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenians and Belarusians are brotherly nations, and no statement can affect the friendship of these peoples, Acting Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan told reporters at a briefing, commenting on the recent statement of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.

When asked to comment on the statement of Lukashenko about being a part of the Union State, the Speaker said such issue is not being discussed.

“We have heard such statements for many times. But I want to note that the Armenian and Belarusian peoples are brotherly nations, we have very close friendly ties. No statement can affect the friendship of these peoples”, Arshakyan said.

The Acting Speaker of Parliament added that such or similar statements have been made in different times. “These are statements relating to their domestic political situation, their country. No such issues are being discussed in Armenia”, he said.

In one of his recent interviews, President of Belarus Alexander 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.”

 15:13, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Member of Parliament Sona Ghazaryan (Civil Contract Party) is sounding the alarm to the international community regarding Azeri Minister of Culture Anar Kerimov’s statement on launching a task force that would destroy and change the identity of Armenian religious and historical-cultural monuments that have gone under Azeri control.

“I’d like to once again address the international community and say that this Azerbaijani policy is a challenge to the United Nations International Court of Justice 2021 December 7 decision on provisional measures, as well as to remind our colleagues, especially our colleagues from the European Union, that they are directing 2,3 billion dollars to a country that stands out not only with its authoritarian regime, but also with its policy of vandalism and destruction of historical-cultural monuments against its neighbors,” Ghazaryan said.

The lawmaker mentioned that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted resolutions which have recorded the Azeri attempts to replace the Armenian monuments with fake Albanian monuments.

“I’d also like to remind our colleagues, that it turns out that when our cultural monuments were being bombarded during the war, factually the double-strike bombing of Shushi’s Ghazanchetsots Cathedral wasn’t an accident after all contrary to the authoritarian leader’s claims, but rather a clear strategy of erasing Armenian traces. I am addressing this question to our international partners: whom are you giving that billions and for what?”

 15:20, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Moscow and Ankara have agreed on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Turkey, but no specific dates have been reported so far, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, reports TASS.

“Indeed, such a visit will likely take place in the future. As we have repeatedly stated, President Putin and [his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip] Erdogan agreed <…> that this visit would take place as soon as the president’s schedules and epidemiological situation allowed. There are no exact dates yet, but they will be agreed through diplomatic channels in a timely manner”, the Kremlin spokesman noted.

On Monday, Turkish Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin revealed that the date of Putin’s visit to Turkey would likely be announced in the next few days.

 15:56, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. On February 7th Lilit Makunts, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the United States, met with member of House Foreign Relations Committee, Congressman Jim Costa (D–CA), the Armenian Embassy said in a statement on social media.

Ambassador Makunts handed over “Mkhitar Gosh” State Award to Congressman on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and the United States and for significant contribution to the development of Armenian-American relations.

The sides discussed issues related to further deepening of bilateral relations, as well as referred to international and regional developments.

 16:12, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Three Armenian factory workers came under Azeri gunfire in the village of Khramort in Askeran, Artsakh.

The shooting happened on February 5 around 12:00.

Azerbaijani servicemen deployed in a military position known as “Oghten Mashk” near the town of Askeran opened fire from large-caliber machine guns at the three employees of the Future Generations Foundation LLC who were repairing a tractor at a stone processing site.

Before police forces arrived, the three workers were forced to take cover for two hours. The workers were calling their administration and notifying about the incident during the shooting.

The prosecution of Artsakh said the law enforcement agencies have initiated criminal-judicial proceedings.

The authorities did not report injuries in the incident.

 17:29, 8 February, 2022

YEREVAN, 8 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 8 February, USD exchange rate down by 0.97 drams to 480.29 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.88 drams to 547.77 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 6.37 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.37 drams to 650.74 drams.

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

Gold price up by 80.38 drams to 28004.26 drams. Silver price up by 4.78 drams to 353 drams. Platinum price down by 47.12 drams to 15673.31 drams.