Category: 2023

 21:30,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. On October 27, His Holiness Garegin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The Catholicos of All Armenians, welcoming the visit of the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, referred to the restoration of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Hungary. His Holiness Garegin II noted that the minister's visit to Armenia will undoubtedly contribute to the further development and strengthening of Armenian-Hungarian relations.

During the conversation, the Catholicos of All Armenians touched upon the expansionist policy of Azerbaijan and the security challenges facing Armenia, and also noted the need for clear and consistent steps by the international community to curb the unrestrained aggressive aspirations of Azerbaijan.

The Catholicos expressed gratitude to the government of Hungary for the assistance in the repatriation of five Armenian prisoners of war in 2021, as well as for the support provided to Christian communities in the countries of the Middle East, the Armenian Church, Armenia and forcibly  displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh in these difficult days.

The Catholicos also touched upon the problems of the return of prisoners and the preservation of the spiritual and cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In his turn, Minister Szijjártó valued the role of the Armenian Apostolic Church in restoring diplomatic ties between Armenia and Hungary.

The minister emphasized that the Armenian and Hungarian peoples have a universal Christian value system, which is an important basis for further strengthening and development of relations.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary also emphasized that Hungary is ready to implement various programs to support displaced Artsakh citizens, as well as take consistent steps in the direction of preserving the spiritual and cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh.

 21:16,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. On October 26, Tobias Billström, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden received Ambassador of Armenia Anna Aghadjanian, Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to Sweden informs. 

FM Billström reiterated Sweden's strong support to Armenia. Discussion focused on regional developments, ways to further expand bilateral agenda, as well as the cooperation through EU framework.

 21:55,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. On October 27, Human Rights Defender of Armenia Ms. Anahit Manasyan received the member of the French National Assembly and co-chair of the France-Armenia friendship group Anne-Laurence Petel and the head of the Armenia-France friendship group of the Armenian Parliament, the chairman of the standing committee on state-legal issues, Vladimir Vardanyan.

At the meeting, Anahit Manasyan presented the issues related to the protection of the rights of people of Nagorno- Karabakh forcibly displaced as a result of the Azerbaijani aggression, which were recorded as a result of the fact-finding activities.

The Defender specifically referred to the policy of ethnic cleansing carried out against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as other cases of torture, mutilation, and ill-treatment by the Azerbaijani forces prohibited by the international law.

The mentioned information was included in the extraordinary report of the Human Rights Defender, which was the first to be presented by the Defender to international organizations and actors with a mandate to protect human rights.

Anne-Laurence Petel and Vladimir Vardanyan expressed their gratitude for the reception and emphasized the role of the Human Rights Defender's institution in the implementation of the high mission of human rights protection.

 10:54,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, ARMENPRESS. The top 1000 taxpayers in Armenia paid a total of over 1 trillion 266 billion 911 million drams in taxes and customs duties to the state budget in January-September 2023, the State Revenue Committee has said.

The sum of taxes paid to the tax service amounted to more than 967 billion 676 million while the sum of payments to the customs body amounted to 299 billion 235 million drams.

 10:50,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan will visit Malta on October 27 at the invitation of Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg.

Grigoryan will participate in the Peace Formula meeting, his office said in a press release.

 11:42,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, ARMENPRESS. French Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak visited on October 26 the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

The French Minister of Culture placed a wreath at the memorial and flowers at the Eternal Flame honoring the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

She then visited the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute.

The French Minister was accompanied by the Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan and the French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies.

 12:10,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly has visited an Armenian military position outside Jermuk to become acquainted with the situation on the border with Azerbaijan.

Commander of the 5^th Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Armenia Colonel Sasun Badasyan presented the situation to the Canadian Foreign Minister and briefed her on the Azerbaijani occupation of sovereign Armenian territory in that section.

Badasyan said that Azerbaijan invaded and captured 7600 hectares of territory in that section of Vayots Dzor province in 2022.

 12:41,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Canada will send two observers to Armenia to join the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA), Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan has said.

The observers will arrive in a short period of time, he said.

“The Canadian Foreign Minister said that Canada is the first country outside of EU that has expressed willingness to send observers to Armenia, and two observers will arrive to Armenia in a short period of time. We hope that Canada will enhance its contribution in the future,” Hovhannisyan told reporters in Jermuk during Canadian FM Melanie Joly’s visit.

He described the opening of the Canadian embassy in Yerevan as a sign of special attention towards Armenia.

“During the visit the Canadian foreign minister addressed humanitarian support issues, Canada tripled its assistance, and all directions for deepening the cooperation were outlined. Canada is interested in the prospect of increasing its support to the democratic and human rights reforms in Armenia and numerous issues were discussed in this regard. Politically, the minister numerously stressed that Armenia’s independence, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders are important for Canada,” the Armenian Deputy FM said.

Hovhannisyan said Joly’s visit to the town of Jermuk was meaningful and symbolic. “The minister observed the situation on the ground and is now meeting with the refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, and before that she observed the Azerbaijani military that invaded Armenia’s sovereign territory in September 2022. It’s no secret that Canada is a powerful country whose voice is rather influential in international organizations,” Hovhannisyan said, adding that Joly’s visit created very good prerequisites for deepening cooperation between Armenia and Canada.

On October 26, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly visited the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) operating base in Jermuk. Then, together with EUMA observers, Joly visited an Armenian military position outside Jermuk to become acquainted with the situation on the border with Azerbaijan. She then met with forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh who have been accommodated in Jermuk.

[see video]

 12:53,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Armenia hopes to conclude a peace agreement and establish diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan in the “coming months”, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in his speech at the 4th Tbilisi Silk Road Forum on October 26.

Pashinyan also unveiled the Crossroads of Peace concept developed by his administration.

“The key meaning of this project is the development of connections between Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Iran, through restoring, building and launching roads, railways, pipelines, cables and transmission lines,” he said.

The project is based on the principles of respect of sovereignty of the countries.

“Principle number one: All infrastructures, including roads, railways, air routes, pipelines, cables and transmission lines will function under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through the territory of which they pass. Principle number two: Each country will implement border and customs control on its territory through its state institutions, and will ensure the security of the infrastructures, including the safe passage of goods, vehicles and persons. By the way, soon a special division will be created in the Armenian law enforcement system with a function of ensuring the security of international connections passing through Armenia and safety of the passage of goods, vehicles and persons, jointly with our patrol police of course. Principle number three: the abovementioned infrastructures can be used for both international and domestic transportation. Principle number four: All countries will use each other’s infrastructures by the principle of equality and reciprocity. Some simplifications of border and customs control procedures can be carried out under the principle of equality and reciprocity,” Pashinyan said, adding that the Armenian government is ready to open, reopen, rebuild and build all regional connections based on these principles.

He said that the mutual recognition of each other’s territorial integrity between Armenia and Azerbaijan – with Armenia’s territory recorded as 29,800 square kilometers and Azerbaijan’s 86,600, is one of the significant principles for peace. The border delimitation should be carried out based on the 1991 Alma-Ata declaration, Pashinyan reiterated.

“As I said, we hope to sign an agreement on peace and establishment of relations with Azerbaijan in the coming months based on these principles. I hope that soon there will also be developments in the direction of opening the border between Armenia and Turkey for citizens of third countries and diplomatic passport holders, which will also bring a positive signal to the whole region,” Pashinyan said.

Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov also participated in the forum.