Category: 2023

 09:42, 4 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s spokesperson Nazeli Baghdasaryan has commented on Kristinne Grigoryan’s appointment as Director of the new Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS).

In an interview with Armenpress, Baghdasaryan also spoke about the mission of the new intelligence agency.

Armenpress: Ms. Baghdasaryan, Prime Minister Pashinyan has signed an order on appointing Kristinne Grigoryan as the Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service. This appointment marks the inception of the Foreign Intelligence Service. What functions will the service carry out?

Baghdasaryan: The main objective of the service is to predict the foreign threats and opportunities facing our state and society and to provide political decision-makers with the relevant reliable, trustworthy and applicable intelligence data that will have applied significance in terms of managing and preventing possible threats and existing challenges. This is essentially a function carried out by any country’s foreign intelligence service. I have to mention that the service is a politically neutral body, with a mission to serve exclusively for the state interests. The FIS will also closely cooperate with other bodies and actors of Armenia vested with intelligence [gathering] functions, for strengthening the independence, sovereignty and security of the Republic of Armenia. With this purpose the FIS will also establish cooperation with international partners.

Armenpress: What is the reason that the new foreign intelligence agency is being opened in this particular period? Why now?

Baghdasaryan: The launch of the Foreign Intelligence Service is envisaged in the government action plan. The creation of the new service is an important part of the government’s ongoing strategic reforms in the security sector. The law on the Service was adopted and took effect back in December 2022, so the creation of the service is the result of a normal process. The government has been consistently preparing for the practical launch of the establishment of the service over the course of the past nine months.

Armenpress: And does the service already have a physical location, a headquarters? Where can citizens apply to for possible recruitment?

Baghdasaryan: After the appointment of the Director, the law envisages a certain period of time for institutional formation, including its location, as well as adoption of by-laws regulating operational issues of the service.

These questions will have the answers as soon as the service becomes functional and the necessary information will be provided additionally. Certainly, the complete establishment of the service will take some time.

Armenpress: The Prime Minister has appointed former Human Rights Defender Kristinne Grigoryan as the Director of the FIS. Is Grigoryan the right candidate for this position given the fact that she doesn’t have any experience in the field?

Baghdasaryan: The Director of the new service has the objective to create an intelligence service that would effectively respond to modern-day challenges, that will have a strong institutional foundation and will be able to serve the vital interests of the Republic of Armenia. We are certain that Kristinne Grigoryan’s experience in public administration is sufficient to solve the abovementioned objectives.

Armenpress: And which Western service model is chosen as the foundation of the service?

Baghdasaryan: I’d like to emphasize that neither a Western, nor Eastern, nor Northern and nor Southern model was chosen. In our discussions, we were guided exclusively by the principles of assessing the security challenges and foreign intelligence needs of the Republic of Armenia and developing a modern foreign intelligence service quintessential to a democratic society. Reasonably, the analysis of accessible information on various professional services having the capacity to effectively respond to modern-day challenges has an important role in the FIS works, which will be assessed according to the degree of applicability in Armenia.

 13:35, 9 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS. There is no fighting going on between Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops and Hamas inside Israel, and the IDF has re-taken control of all communities around the Gaza Strip, IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters Monday morning, CNN reports. 

However, isolated clashes continue as some gunmen remain active, the IDF spokesperson said.

The announcement comes more than 48 hours after Hamas launched a surprise attack with thousands of rockets and sent fighters across the border.

At least 493 people have died in Gaza since Israel began carrying out airstrikes in response to Hamas' surprise attack, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The death toll in Israel reached 700 Monday morning.

 15:35, 9 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS. On October 7, the Armenian community of Argentina organized a demonstration outside the Azeri embassy to condemn the genocide perpetrated against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

President of the Armenian Organizations of Argentina (IARA) Alejandro Kalpakian read the address by the Armenian community condemning the Azeri ethnic cleansings of the Armenian civilian population of NK.

In his speech, Kalpakian quoted Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, who said that the Azeri actions in NK amount to genocide.

The Armenian community of Argentina also called for the immediate release of unlawfuly arrested NK officials and other captives.

“Our presence here today is a bright example that we will continue to struggle against the genocide, continuous extermination and persecutions of the Armenian people perpetrated by Turkey, which today is implemented by Azerbaijan,” Kalpakian said.

 

 17:34, 9 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will hold an urgent debate on the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia’s delegate to PACE, MP Vladimir Vardanyan said the discussion will take place on October 12.

 17:53, 9 October 2023

SOFIA, OCTOBER 05, ARMENPRESS/BTA. Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov who was in Euxinograd for a trilateral forum on Monday said that Europe can no longer afford to be divided, to have no roads connecting neighbouring countries, to have no energy connectivity, thus making it dependent on external factors. Denkov hosted the forum, which saw participation by his Greek and Romanian counterparts – Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Marcel Ciolacu.

Denkov said: "The main topics we discussed are related to the development of the Southeast European region, both in terms of transport connectivity and energy and digital connectivity. All of these issues today have a very important supra-regional aspect related to what is happening in Ukraine and what we have been witnessing in Israel for the past two days".

The forum was also attended by the European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean and the Moldovan Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov.

Denkov emphasized the importance of the states in the region having common goals, values and political stance. He shared his will to have Bulgaria join efforts with Greece and Romania to "make our region take its place and lead the European family, to be an example for other countries, not only for the EU Member States".

The Bulgarian delegation was also comprised of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel, Minister of Finance Assen Vassilev, Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeikov, Energy Minister Rumen Radev, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Andrey Tsekov, as well as Minister of Environment and Water Julian Popov.

The meeting's focus is on regional connectivity, more specifically a future Greece-Bulgaria-Romania corridor from Thessaloniki via Kavala, Alexandroupolis, Burgas and Varna to Constanta, with a possible extension to Moldova. The idea is to build up-to-date transport, communication and energy infrastructure along the route to bolster the participating countries' economic and political relations.

(This information is being published according to an agreement between Armenpress and BTA.)

 16:19, 9 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Argentina has offered to send humanitarian aid to Armenia to support the forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh who’ve arrived to Armenia as a result of Azerbaijan’s attack and ethnic cleansing, Diario Armenia reports.

The assistance was extended through the Argentine foreign ministry to the Armenian embassy in Argentina.

The assistance includes logistics and other experts, as well as essential items such as food, medication and other medical supplies.

On October 6 the President of Argentina Alberto Fernández held a meeting with a delegation of the Armenian Organizations of Argentina (IARA). The IARA leadership welcomed Argentina’s decision to send a mission of White Helmets to Armenia to provide humanitarian support to the forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Fernández said he would contact French President Emmanuel Macron to coordinate the requests of the Armenian community to protect the leadership of NK who’ve been unlawfully arrested by Azerbaijan and to prevent the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

 16:59, 9 October 2023

YEREVAN, 9 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 9 October, USD exchange rate down by 6.02 drams to 404.10 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 7.36 drams to 425.44 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.10 drams to 3.99 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 8.97 drams to 491.79 drams.

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

Gold price down by 350.20 drams to 23640.45 drams. Silver price down by 4.28 drams to 274.33 drams.

 10:49, 9 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Moscow considers the possibility of organizing a meeting between the foreign ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan within the framework of the upcoming CIS summit on October 12 in Kyrgyzstan, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told RBC in an interview.

“The dialogue between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia around the entire complex of the issues of resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict never stopped. We hope such contacts continue. We are discussing the possibility of holding such discussions at the foreign ministerial level within the framework of the upcoming CIS summit in Bishkek on October 12 this year. The Azerbaijani side has already given its principled agreement. And we expect the Armenian side to also approach this issue responsibly and agree to participate in such negotiations,” Galuzin said.

 10:24, 9 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The Israeli military on Monday said it struck hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip overnight and had sent four combat divisions south where it continued to battle Islamist militants two days after a bloody incursion, Reuters reports.

A military spokesperson said fighting was ongoing at seven or eight locations near Gaza two days after gunmen from Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more in the deadliest raid into Israeli territory since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago.

Hamas fighters also continued to cross into Israel from Gaza, the spokesman said.

Fighter jets, helicopters and artillery struck over 500 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip overnight, with targets including Hamas and Islamic Jihad command centres and the residence of senior Hamas official Ruhi Mashtaa who allegedly helped direct the infiltration into Israel.

Medics in Gaza said at least seven Palestinians were killed in two Israeli air strikes on two houses. Israeli planes carried out dozens of air strikes, many in the northern town of Beit Hanoun.

Israeli air strikes on Sunday hit housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza. The Palestinian health ministry said more than 400 people including scores of children had been killed.

Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said the country had called in around 100,000 soldiers.

Oil prices were up more than $3 a barrel in Asian trade on Monday as the violence deepened political uncertainty across the Middle East and raised concerns about supplies from Iran.

Iran is an ally of Hamas and while it congratulated Hamas on the attack, its mission to the United Nations said Tehran was not involved in the attacks.

Several international air carriers have suspended flight services with Tel Aviv in light of the Hamas attack, saying they are waiting for conditions to improve before resuming.

Beyond blockaded Gaza, Israeli forces and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militia exchanged artillery and rocket fire on Sunday, while in Egypt, two Israeli tourists were shot dead along with a guide.

The Palestinian foreign ministry denounced what it called a "barbarous campaign of death and destruction" by Israel.

Several Americans were killed by Hamas attackers, a White House National Security Council spokesperson confirmed. Thailand said 12 of its nationals had been killed and 11 kidnapped.

Palestinian fighters took dozens of hostages to Gaza, including soldiers and civilians, children and the elderly. A second Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, said it was holding more than 30 of the captives.

Appeals for restraint came from around the world, though Western nations largely stood by Israel.

On October 7, the Armenian foreign ministry called for an end to the violence. “We are shocked by the violence between the Palestinians and Israel and targeting of civilian population. We express condolences to relatives of victims and speedy recovery to those wounded. We join international calls to stop the violence,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X.

 11:54, 9 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Russia, the EU and the United States could work together in the direction of normalization of the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations only if the West takes into account the agreements that have been reached at Russian mediation, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Mikhail Galuzin has said.

“We could work together in the direction of Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization, but with an understanding that the EU and US won’t take our developments and misrepresent them as their proposals, but that their actions would fit into the formats of the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization that have already been developed between the parties at Russian mediation. We approach the contacts with the EU and US over this issue from this perspective,” Galuzin said in an interview with RBC.

Galuzin said that the 2020 ceasefire deal and the following agreements between Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are the formats for the peace process.

“And if the EU and US want to help with their implementations, then certainly we will not counter it. But if it’s about using Russian developments and acting without Russia, then understandably such approach can’t be acceptable to us. The EU isn’t as concerned about normalization as it is by pushing Russia out of the region,” Galuzin said.