Category: 2023

 13:50,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan must be held accountable for perpetrating ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia’s Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan has said.

“Rivers of cars are flowing to Armenia with refugees forced out of Nagorno Karabakh, from their ancestral land, their homes, communities, villages and cities, because no one guaranteed their rights and securities in Nagorno Karabakh. This is a classic case of ethnic cleansing implemented by Azerbaijan in the 21st century. There is no doubt Azerbaijan must be held accountable for this act,” Marukyan said on X, posting a video showing multiple cars lined up along the Stepanakert-Goris road in Lachin Corridor.

 13:38,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. USAID Administrator Samantha Power has arrived in Syunik as part of her Armenia trip.

In Goris, she was welcomed by Syunik Governor Robert Ghukasyan.

Goris is now receiving thousands of forcibly displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Vehicles are lined up several kilometers along the Lachin Corridor.

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power and U.S. State Department Acting Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim arrived in Armenia on September 25 to affirm U.S. support for Armenia’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and democracy and to address humanitarian needs stemming from the recent violence in Nagorno-Karabakh.

[see video]

 14:03,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Japan is ready to make effort and provide support for overcoming the social issues of the forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh, Japan’s Ambassador to Armenia Masanori Fukushima said during a meeting with Armenia’s Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan.

Mkrtchyan and Ambassador Fukushima discussed a number of issues related to the ministry’s assistance program for the forcibly displaced persons from NK as well as issues related to cooperation in the direction of overcoming the social problems of the refugees.

Minister Mkrtchyan presented the Armenian government response to the humanitarian crisis in NK and attached importance to the role of cooperation with international partners. He said that the ministry will continue to actively work with partner organizations to jointly resolve the issues of the displaced persons.

Ambassador Fukushima expressed condolences over the developments in NK and said that the Japanese government stands ready to contribute necessary efforts and support the overcoming of the social problems of the forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh.

 17:56,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. 6,650 forcibly displaced people entered Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh as of 17:00, September 25, the Armenian government said in a statement.

The government is providing accommodation to everyone in need.

The needs assessment is ongoing.

 19:00,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Germany is closely following the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and is concerned about the Armenian population’s condition in the region, a German foreign ministry representative said at a press briefing, TASS reports.

“We were very closely monitoring the situation over the weekend and we are very concerned about the condition of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh,” the German foreign ministry spokesperson said. The spokesperson said that Azerbaijan’s use of military force was unacceptable. “The expulsion or forced repopulation of ethnic Armenians are unacceptable,” the German MFA representative said.

The German foreign ministry representative said that Azerbaijani authorities must ensure the protection of the rights of the peaceful population of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Azeri military must adhere to international humanitarian law. “We will make a conclusion about Azerbaijan with these steps,” the spokesperson added, stating that Russian peacekeepers in NK must likewise contribute to ensuring the protection of the peaceful population.

Speaking about EUMA, the German foreign ministry representative said, “The EU mission works only on the Armenian side of the border and can’t report from Nagorno-Karabakh.”

 18:26,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno-Karabakh representatives and Azerbaijani authorities held their second meeting today in Ivanyan (Khojaly.)

According to a statement released by the Azeri government, issues related to a number of humanitarian issues were discussed.

An agreement was reached to hold another meeting in the coming days. The third meeting will be held in Stepanakert. Azerbaijan will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev at the meeting.

 19:52,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Several media outlets and social media users are reporting an explosion at a gas station in Stepanakert. Multiple injuries are reported.

Member of Parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh Metakse Hakobyan told ARMENPRESS correspondent that the gas station where the explosion happened is outside Stepanakert but close to the city. “A gasoline warehouse exploded. The warehouse was used to give out fuel to those who wanted to leave Artsakh by their cars. Hundreds of people were gathered there when the explosion took place. I can’t say whether there are fatalities or not, or how many, but there definitely will be victims. We can’t clarify it quickly,” Hakobyan said, adding that there will definitely be many injuries.

The fuel depot was about 2 kilometers away from the city.  “The explosion was very powerful.”

The Nagorno-Karabakh State Service of Emergency Situations said the explosion took place at a fuel depot near the Stepanakert-Askeran road. The powerful blast resulted in deaths and injuries. The authorities did not specify the number of victims.

Multiple people with burns have been hospitalized.

This story has been updated with comments from Metakse Hakobyan and the State Service of Emergency Situations. 

[SEE VIDEO]

 20:25,

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. A Russian-mediated meeting took place on September 25 between representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

The meeting took place in Ivanyan (Khojaly) at the base of Russian peacekeepers, the Nagorno-Karabakh InfoCenter reported.

A number of humanitarian issues were discussed, including the course of search and rescue operations of the victims and missing persons of the hostilities. The need for restoring natural gas supply and the uninterrupted work of electricity system and water supply was highlighted.

The Nagorno-Karabakh representatives underscored the need for transporting wounded persons, pregnant women, children and others in need of urgent medical assistance to hospitals in Armenia for treatment. The parties reached an agreement on the issue and outlined the agenda of the next meeting.

 20:17,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Deaths and injuries are reported in the fuel depot explosion outside Stepanakert.

The Nagorno-Karabakh State Service of Emergency Situations said the explosion took place at a fuel depot near the Stepanakert-Askeran road. The powerful blast resulted in deaths and injuries. The authorities did not specify the number of victims.

Multiple people with burns have been hospitalized.

[see video]

 21:49,

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Hundreds of people were wounded in the September 25 fuel depot explosion in Nagorno-Karabakh. The exact number of deaths and those wounded is still unclear, Human Rights Defender of Nagorno-Karabakh Gegham Stepanyan said in a statement.

He warned that Nagorno-Karabakh is unable to provide sufficient medical assistance to the wounded.

“Medical assistance is being provided to those wounded in the Republican Medical Center and the Stepanakert Children’s Hospital in conditions of limited possibilities in terms of treatment and medications, which is insufficient. There is an urgent need to evacuate those wounded by airlift to save their lives," he said.