Category: 2023

 12:49,

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The Nagorno-Karabakh citizens who blocked the Aghdam-Askeran road allowed the Russian aid to enter Nagorno-Karabakh under the condition that Russia will ensure its obligations on the opening of Lachin Corridor, Askeran regional administration spokesperson Anahit Petrosyan told ARMENPRESS correspondent.

“The Russian Red Cross truck was inspected in the checkpoint located on the Akna [Aghdam]-Askeran road section, after which it proceeded to Stepanakert. Negotiations with the [protesters] in Askeran were held beforehand, during which the sides agreed to open the road exclusively for the Russian vehicle, under the condition that the Russian side’s obligations, i.e., that only the Russian truck will pass and the Kashatagh road [Lachin Corridor] will be opened, will be maintained,” Petrosyan said, adding that the locals in Askeran continue to block the Aghdam-Askeran road for the Azerbaijani Red Crescent trucks.

 12:54,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has again put forward conditions for opening the Lachin Corridor.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada has said that the International Committee of the Red Cross will be allowed to transport goods along Lachin Corridor if the Aghdam-Stepanakert road opens.

He said that Azerbaijan is ready to create the conditions for the shipments of goods through the Lachin border checkpoint in line with border and customs control in parallel with the use of the Aghdam-Stepanakert road.

He described the transfer of the Russian aid through the Aghdam-Stepanakert road as a ‘positive step and important progress in the direction of opening that road.’

However, a Nagorno-Karabakh representative earlier said the Russian aid was let through under the condition that the Lachin Corridor would be opened.

 13:33,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) has opened an operating base in the Armenian town of Ijevan in Tavush province.

“Today marks the opening of EUMA operating base in Ijevan. HoM Markus Ritter together with Head of EU Delegation in Armenia, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos, Deputy Defence Minister Hrachya Sargsyan, & Governor of Tavush Province Hayk Ghalumyan cut the ribbon to the new EUMA offices in Tavush,” EUMA said in a post on X.

The Ijevan office is EUMA’s fifth operating base in Armenia.

 13:08,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday evacuated 13 patients from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia for urgent treatment, the Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Healthcare announced in a statement.

All patients were accompanied by their attendants.

Nagorno-Karabakh hospitals have suspended normal operations due to the Azerbaijani blockade.

The ICRC plans to transport another 5 patients who’ve completed treatment in Armenia back to Nagorno-Karabakh later today.

26 children are hospitalized in the Arevik clinic in Nagorno-Karabakh. 7 of them are in neonatal and intensive care.

Another 91 patients are hospitalized in the Republican Medical Center of Nagorno-Karabakh. 5 of the patients are in intensive care, 3 of whom are in critical condition.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. The ICJ reaffirmed its order on 6 July 2023.

Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials and experts warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

 15:42,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Central Bank has increased its projection for the country’s economic growth this year from 6,9% to 7,2%, Central Bank Governor Martin Galstyan said Tuesday.

“We’ve slightly revised the economic growth indicator, and instead of the previously projected 6,9 percent we are now forecasting 7,2 percent, mostly due to the high growth in services and construction sectors,” Galstyan said at a press conference.

 14:34,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense continues its disinformation campaign with false accusations against the Armenian military, the Ministry of Defense has warned.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said that the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense has again falsely accused the Armed Forces of Armenia of opening fire at Azeri outposts.

“The [Ministry of Defense] of Azerbaijan continues to spread disinformation. The statement disseminated by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan as if on September 12, at around 11:25 a.m., the Armenian Armed Forces units opened fire at the Azerbaijani combat outposts in the southwestern part of the border, does not correspond to reality,” the Armenian Ministry of Defense said.

 15:50,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) increased its patrols along the border with Azerbaijan after the information about the Azerbaijani military buildup and reported its observations to Brussels, EUMA head Markus Ritter told ARMENPRESS after the opening of the EUMA operating base in Ijevan.

“When there were these rumors and information about the buildup of Azerbaijani forces, we increased our patrols alongside the border in these areas and we regularly reported to Brussels what we were seeing. We also made some tweets to calm down the situation to decrease the tensions, and it looks that so far it worked,” Ritter said.

He added that the EUMA Ijevan operating base will enhance the mission’s capabilities.

“Today we opened a forward operating base in Ijevan to cover the Tavush province with our patrols. Until today we covered this province from Martuni, so it was always a long way to go and also it was only possible to make a few patrols. Now, having here a permanently staffed base, we can at day at night go and patrol alongside the borders to Azerbaijan. At the end of this week, we will open our huge headquarters in Yeghegnadzor, because so far we have split our headquarters, one part was in Yerevan, one in Yeghegnadzor. From Friday we will have a unique headquarters there and later we will open in Yeghegnadzor also a forward operating base that will cover the Ararat region to the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhijevan," Ritter added. 

On September 7, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned that Azerbaijan continues amassing troops and military equipment along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and around Nagorno-Karabakh.

On the same day, the EUMA announced that it increased its patrolling activity on the border with Azerbaijan in the Gegharkunik and Syunik Provinces to observe any military developments.

 16:56,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani Armed Forces on September 12 targeted Armenian military outposts in Gegharkunik Province with small arms fire, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

“On September 12, at around 2:35 p.m., the Azerbaijani Armed Forces units discharged fire from small arms against the Armenian combat outposts in the vicinity of Verin Shorzha. (Gegharkunik Province),” the Armenian Ministry of Defense said.

 17:01,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Following the holiday season, as part of the Ucom summer offer, the reduced internet rate will remain unchanged on the networks of Yettel in Bulgaria, Cosmote in Greece, Orange in Spain, and Mtel in Montenegro, which will continue to offer the rate of 9 AMD/MB. Meanwhile, subscribers on the networks of Epic in Cyprus, WINDTRE and Vodafone in Italy, and Vodafone in Greece will continue to be charged the internet rate of 15 AMD/MB.

"Ucom mobile subscribers can always choose from a range of bundles, including 300MB, 1GB, 2GB, 3GB, and the largest “Internet in Roaming 8GB” through the Ucom mobile app to stay in touch with their close ones affordably while traveling," said Ralph Yirikian, Director General of Ucom.

The 9 AMD/MB tariff applies indefinitely when connecting to Orange in Egypt, Geocell/Magticom in Georgia, du in the UAE, and T-Mobile in the USA. It's important to note that the roaming service must be activated before departure from Armenia via the Ucom mobile application or by dialing *121# and following the instructions on the smartphone.

 17:22,

YEREVAN, 12 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 12 September, USD exchange rate down by 0.26 drams to 385.84 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.85 drams to 413.47 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.07 drams to 4.07 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.02 drams to 481.03 drams.

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

Gold price down by 51.47 drams to 23879.09 drams. Silver price up by 0.99 drams to 286.62 drams.