Category: 2023

 09:38, 5 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenian military outposts in the Gegharkunik Province came under Azerbaijani gunfire in the early hours on Tuesday, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The Azerbaijani forces used small arms shortly after midnight to target Armenian outposts near the village of Kut.

“On September 5, between 12:05 a.m. and 12:20 a.m.., Azerbaijani armed forces units fired from fire arms towards the Armenian combat outposts nearby Kut (Gegharkunik [province]),” the Armenian Ministry of Defense said.

 10:45, 5 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenia plans to organize Armenian Culture Days in Egypt in 2024, the Armenian Ambassador to Egypt Hrachya Poladyan told Egypt’s Minister of Culture Neveen Youssef Al-Kilany during a meeting on September 4.

During the meeting Poladyan conveyed to the Egyptian culture minister the invitation to attend the Women Political Leaders (WPL) Democracy, Peace and Security Summit in Yerevan in October 2023. Al-Kilany expressed interest to participate in the event.

Poladyan and Al-Kilany praised the good traditions of cooperation in culture between the two friendly countries and expressed readiness to make joint efforts to further develop partnership, the foreign ministry said in a readout. In this regard, Ambassador Poladyan attached importance to updating and amending the legal-contractual framework between the two countries. The Armenian Ambassador and the Egyptian culture minister attached importance to intensifying mutual visits of official delegations and cultural groups for further enhancing cooperation.

 11:08, 5 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Two lawmakers representing the major political parties of Austria, the Greens and the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), which comprise the ruling coalition, have called on Azerbaijan to reopen the Lachin Corridor.

Austrian Member of Parliament Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, The Greens’ spokesperson for foreign policy, has released a statement calling on the EU and the international community to ramp up pressure.

“The escalation in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues constantly. We are receiving reports of an impending famine if the situation doesn’t urgently change. Nagorno-Karabakh has been cut off of supplies for months, with devastating consequences, such as malnutrition, miscarriages, absence of medication. Now there’s an urgent need to return to dialogue between the two parties to the conflict and find a solution to swiftly mitigate the disastrous humanitarian situation,” Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic said in a statement.

She added that the EU and the international community should increase pressure and that Azerbaijan must open the Lachin Corridor in line with the ICJ ruling. “We can’t tolerate when the civil society becomes a toy for politics and starves because of political reasons. As long as this is the case, Azerbaijan should not be a trade partner for the EU,” she added.

“We can’t tolerate the explicit destruction of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh, and therefore we must use all levers to prevent it,” the Austrian lawmaker added.

"Despite the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the South Caucasus developments shouldn’t be ignored", she said.

SPÖ’s spokesperson for foreign policy, MP Petra Bayr said in a statement that the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is disastrous and 120,000 people are cut off from the outside world by Azerbaijan. “There, near the gates of Europe, a crime against human rights is taking place,” Petra Bayr said.

Noting the ICJ ruling ordering Azerbaijan to open the Lachin Corridor, Petra Bayr said she expects that the EU will finally discuss the situation.

“The fact that responsible decision-makers in international organizations are silent is absolutely unforgivable. I expect Foreign Minister Schallenberg to address this crime in the EU and to bring it to the agenda as soon as possible. The National Council asked him to do so as early as last year.”

Bayr said she would send a parliamentary inquiry to Austrian FM Schallenberg asking him to present what measures the Austrian government has taken for opening humanitarian aid supplies through Lachin Corridor and what questions he’s raised during his meetings with his Azeri counterpart.

 12:26, 5 September 2023

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday facilitated the transfer of 9 patients requiring urgent treatment from blockaded Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) to Armenia ,the Nagorno-Karabakh healthcare authorities said in a statement.

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

All patients were accompanied by their attendants.

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

Another 90 patients are hospitalized in Nagorno-Karabakh’s Republican Medical Center. 3 are in intensive care (1 is critically-ill.)

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 warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

 13:17, 5 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. President Vahagn Khachaturyan has appointed Misak Balasanyan as Armenia’s new ambassador to Iraq, the presidency reported Tuesday.

The President signed the order at the advice of the Prime Minister.

With another decree, Armenia’s Ambassador to Belgium Anna Aghajanyan was relieved of duties and appointed Ambassador to Sweden.

Meanwhile, Armenia’s Ambassador to Sweden Alexander Arzumanyan was relieved of duties and appointed Ambassador to Poland.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Poland Samvel Mkrtchyan was relieved of duties.

 14:01, 5 September 2023

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. United States Congressmen Frank Pallone, Gus Bilirakis, Adam Schiff and David Valadao have congratulated the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Speaker of Parliament David Ishkhanyan on his appointment and the 32^nd anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of Artsakh Republic.

In the letter, the U.S. Congressmen said they continue to push the Biden Administration to use every diplomatic tool available to halt the Aliyev regime’s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“We write to congratulate you and the people of the Republic of Artsakh on the 32^nd Anniversary of your independence. The United States Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues offers our support and commitment to Artsakh on this celebration of over three decades of independence. We continue to stand with your people as they show incredible resilience in the face of widespread shortages of food, medical supply, and other essentials caused by Azerbaijan’s blockade of Lachin Corridor. To that end, we continue urging the United States to commit meaningful aid to the displaced families from Artsakh currently in Armenia and to those who bravely remain in your country. We also continue to push the Administration to use every diplomatic tool available to halt the Aliyev regime’s illegal actions that clearly fit the definition of ethnic cleansing. This ongoing humanitarian crisis has demonstrated the dire need for international actors to act and put pressure on Aliyev to return to direct negotiations with the democratically elected officials of Artsakh. Artsakh must be able to directly participate in negotiations regarding its future status and secure a durable and lasting peace. We remain committed to advocating for official engagement between the United States government and your administration, and we look forward to working with you to build on Artsakh’s transformation over the last three decades in the face of so many challenges. Please accept our sincerest congratulations on this important occasion. Please also accept our congratulations on your recent election as President of the National Assembly of the Republic. We wish you and colleagues in the Artsakh Parliament every success as your nation continues to strive for a safe, prosperous, and democratic future. We offer our full support to your country,” the congressmen said in the letter.

 16:12, 5 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of "The Power of one dram" initiative, AMD 3,500,572 were donated to the "SOS-Children's Villages" Armenian charity foundation in August. This means that during the month of August, 3,500,572 payments were made with the Idram&IDBank application, the IDBanking.am and Idram.am websites, and the terminals of the two companies. 

Idram and IDBank also announced the name of the next month's beneficiary. The entire amount of "one drams" accumulated during September will be directed to the "Hayq to the World" educational program, the purpose of which is to create an opportunity for the youth of Artsakh first to receive an appropriate education, and then, living in Artsakh, work in international organizations remotely.

"Under the blockade of Artsakh, the implementation of such programs is very important. We try not only to ensure the employment of children and teenagers through quality educational programs, but also to cut them off from reality and provide them with a perspective of development. Today, it is possible to continue online education and youth empowerment, which we do thanks to supporting structures and organizations. From this point of view, we attach great importance to joining us in the "The Power of One Dram" initiative, because this way, our compatriots who use Idram also contribute to this important mission by simply making payments with Idram. Every payment made by you will add another dram to the continuous education and empowerment in Artsakh. We are extremely grateful to Idram and IDBank for giving importance to the "Hayq to the World" program," says Marina Malkhasyan, head of the program.

According to Tatevik Vardevanyan, head of the Communications unit of IDBank, joining the program is not accidental. "The new academic year has started and, unfortunately, our compatriots from Artsakh not only have a problem with food and daily bread, but also with education. On the International Day of Charity, we are happy to announce that "one drams" accumulated during September will be directed to the "Hayq to the World" educational program, which will open new horizons for the youth of Artsakh. "The power of one dram" initiative has already supported more than 25 foundations and programs, allocating more than AMD 138 million," said Tatevik Vardevanyan.

You can become a goodwill ambassador too, by simply making all your payments through the Idram&IDBank application, IDBanking.am and Idram.am website, without spending a single dram.

Everything started with just one dram, doesn’t it?…

THE COMPANIES ARE CONTROLLED BY THE CBA

 14:50, 5 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Moscow has responded to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent statement that Russia itself is leaving the South Caucasus with its actions or inactions.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, reacting to the statement, said that Moscow has no plans to leave the region.

“We have deep respect for Prime Minister Pashinyan, we appreciate the working and very constructive relations between him and President Putin, but we can’t agree with those narratives. Russia doesn’t plan to go anywhere. Russia continues to play a consistent, very important role in stabilizing the situation and ending the conflict. In this context, what matters is the commitment of all regional countries to the trilateral statements on Nagorno-Karabakh. There’ve been new developments that have somewhat changed the situation, but this doesn’t mean that Russia is somehow deviating from its activity,” Peskov told reporters.

Peskov said that more Armenians live in Russia than in Armenia itself. Mentioning Armenia’s participation in integration processes, Peskov said that “Armenia has become the CIS champion with its pace of development.”

 16:49, 5 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Russia has asked Armenia to explain its intention to ratify the Rome Statute after the government sent the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC) to parliament for ratification.

“We’ve already asked explanations from the Armenian side over this issue, and we will decide our next steps based on the content of Yerevan’s response,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing on September 5.

The Armenian government on September 1 sent the Rome Statute to parliament for ratification.

In 2022, the Pashinyan Administration explained that it seeks to join the Rome Statute because it would allow to hold the government of Azerbaijan to account for its aggressions against Armenia.

On 17 March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, after an investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Ukraine.

The ICC arrest warrant for Putin accuses the Russian leader of unlawfully deporting thousands of Ukrainian children, a war crime. This has been denied by the Russian government.

Countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute would have to enforce the arrest warrant once Putin travels into their territory.