15:10,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, ARMENPRESS. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has arrived in Armenia to participate in the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting in Tsaghkadzor.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will hold a meeting with Mishustin before the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council session.
16:48,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting Thursday with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ahead of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council session in Tsaghkadzor.
During the meeting Pashinyan commended the opening of new lanes in the Upper Lars border checkpoint, something the Russian authorities vowed to do during their previous meeting. PM Pashinyan lauded this as a “very important event” in bilateral relations.
“With results of 2022 the trade turnover between our countries amounted to five billion dollars. It continues to grow and this year we’ve already surpassed three billion dollars, and we will surpass the 2022 figure in yearend. We have solid and mighty relations, which allows me to confidently say that our future cooperation will be more productive,” the Armenian PM said.
In turn, Mishustin said that Russia attaches importance to the strategic partnership with Armenia.
“We attach importance to the strategic partnership between our two countries. The trade-economic ties are developing, trade turnover is increasing, which is beneficial in terms of Armenia’s participation in the EEU. There’s productive cooperation between all members of the organization. Regarding other initiatives, we are expanding partnership in energy, mining, and logistics. There are a number of programs related to IT,” the Russian PM said.
He added that the ties between business circles are positively impacting the economic growth. Russia proposes promoting the pace of cooperation in all areas, especially in terms of investment programs, he said.
“There’s productive cooperation in the humanitarian sector as well. There’s great interest among Armenian citizens in terms of obtaining education in Russian universities. Today, more than five thousand Armenian students study in Russia. We will support them in obtaining high quality education. We attach great importance to the process of teaching Russian language in Armenia and we consider the prospect of building new schools. Numerous experts from Armenia are undergoing Russian language teaching trainings in Russia. We will send more than fifty thousand textbooks for all schools in Armenia by yearend,” Mishustin added.
17:16,
YEREVAN, 24 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 24 August, USD exchange rate down by 0.84 drams to 385.96 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.98 drams to 418.92 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.01 drams to 4.09 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.21 drams to 489.55 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price up by 245.46 drams to 23783.52 drams. Silver price up by 3.83 drams to 294.71 drams.
17:56,
TSAGHKADZOR, AUGUST 24, ARMENPRESS. The extraordinary session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council has kicked off in the Armenian resort town of Tsaghkadzor.
The prime ministers of the EEU member states are set to discuss strengthening of the integration processes and define the strategic vectors of the union’s development for the mid-term and long-term prospects.
18:15,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, ARMENPRESS. Congressman Adam Schiff has called on U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to cut off military aid to Azerbaijan and make sure to bring an end to the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor which has resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe.
In a video message posted on X, Schiff said that the situation requires a UNSC resolution to end the violation of international law.
“I am desperately worried that another genocide may be taking place against the Armenian people. The [Biden] administration needs to act,” he said.
[see video]
19:06,
TSAGHKADZOR, AUGUST 24, ARMENPRESS. The Eurasian Economic Union remains open for new partners, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at the union’s intergovernmental council meeting in Armenia.
“The Eurasian Economic Union remains open for new partners. We very well realize that in the current conditions, expansion of partnership with other countries and regional unions is especially needed,” Mishustin said.
Expansion of partnership would allow to create a broad network of trade treaties and a common economic area of equal cooperation around the union, he added.
18:35,
TSAGHKADZOR, AUGUST 24, ARMENPRESS. The Eurasian Economic Union is developing well despite all challenges and the difficult international situation, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said at the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council session.
He said that the sustainable growth in trade turnover within the union is one of the achievements.
“I believe that the economy is indeed very important. We are now focused on implementing the EEU 2020-2025 development strategy. We are now working on a project, the St. Petersburg Declaration proposed by Russia. Of course, this is a very interesting project, and many provisions are acceptable. I think there is a positive approach regarding the project but there are nuances that need to be discussed,” Pashinyan said.
The Armenian PM added that the positions of EEU members somewhat differ in terms of the further integration.
“Overall, there is a chance to find a concrete solution and it is very positive that all our colleagues have a positive approach. There are nuances regarding the further development of the Eurasian Economic Union, the creation of a single gas and energy market and coordination of our governments’ credit and financial policy are of highly principled significance. We too are very closely working around this issue. Our main goal is to develop the economies of our countries, to increase the level of welfare of our citizens. I think that in this area the Eurasian Economic Union has great interest. We see certain signals that show other countries are also interested in further developing relations with the Eurasian Economic Union,” Pashinyan added.
Senator Anthony Portantino offering remarks at the senate floor on Apr. 24 during the commemoration of the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
SACRAMENTO—Senator Anthony J. Portantino introduced Senate Joint Resolution 9, which calls on Azerbaijan to end its inhumane blockade of Artsakh and ensure the free and adequate flow of food, medicine, and humanitarian goods through the Lachin corridor.
“The situation in Artsakh is dire and deeply troubling,” said Portantino. “As a genocide is unfolding before our eyes, we must act. The people of Artsakh cannot afford to wait another day without strong United States and international action to bring an end to this devastating humanitarian crisis. It is critical that we move beyond words, demand the re-opening of the Lachin Corridor, and cut off military aid to Azerbaijan. I strongly condemn Azerbaijan’s violent and genocidal campaign against the Armenian people of Artsakh, who have been left without food, medical supplies and the right to free movement.”
In September 2020, Azerbaijan launched a war of territorial expansion against the Armenians of Artsakh that resulted in the ethnic cleansing of over 70 percent of Artsakh territory. Azerbaijan perpetrated widely documented human rights abuses, including the unlawful targeting of schools, homes, hospitals, and churches with prohibited weapons. For more than eight months, 120,000 people have been under the blockade and for the last two months, in total isolation from food, water, medical supplies, fuel, electricity, and other basic needs.
Recently, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court warned that Azerbaijan is preparing genocide against ethnic Armenian in the Artsakh region and called for the United Nations Security Council to bring the matter before the international tribunal.
In 2014, the California State Legislature adopted AJR 32, which supported the Republic of Artsakh as a free and independent nation. Earlier this year, Senator Portantino led efforts to submit a letter to the White House urging President Biden to take action against Azerbaijan by immediately ending military assistance and requesting that emergency humanitarian aid be delivered to the people of Artsakh. Unfortunately, concrete steps against Azerbaijan have yet to be taken and California needs to continue to have its voice heard in Washington.
Senator Portantino has visited Armenia and Artsakh on a number of occasions. In 2021, he became the first state or federal official to visit Artsakh after the 44-day war. He continues to chair the Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia, and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art, and Cultural Exchange, which was first established in 2017 at the request of Senator Portantino to expand business opportunities through trade, economic development, cultural awareness, and education between California, Armenia, and Artsakh. California has the largest population of Armenian Americans in the country, with the 25th Senate District having the largest concentration.
Thursday,
Pashinian Reports ‘New Proposals’ On Peace Deal With Azerbaijan
• Nane Sahakian
Belgium - EU Council President Charles Michel meets the leaders of Armenia and
Azerbaijan in Brussels, July 15, 2023.
Armenia has presented Azerbaijan with new proposals regarding a bilateral peace
treaty discussed by the two countries, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on
Thursday. He did not disclose them.
The treaty has been the main focus of Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations held
over the past year. Despite reportedly making major progress, the two sides
still disagree on a number of key issues. Those include mechanisms for
delimiting the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and providing security guarantees for
Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian population.
In May, Pashinian pledged to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh
through the treaty. He complained on August 3 that Baku is seeking to sign the
kind of peace deal that would not preclude Azerbaijani territorial claims to
Armenia.
The far-reaching concession offered by Pashinian was followed by the tightening
of Azerbaijan’s blockade of Karabakh which aggravated severe shortages of food,
medicine, fuel and other essential items there. In recent days, Baku has allowed
groups of civilian residents of Karabakh to leave the region through an
Azerbaijani checkpoint set up in the Lachin corridor.
“We have received reliable information that plans are being made to open the
Lachin Corridor in one direction: that is, to allow exit from Nagorno-Karabakh
and not to allow entry,” Pashinian said on Thursday at the start of a weekly
cabinet meeting in Yerevan.
Pashinian claimed that the Azerbaijani government’s “main aim” is to drive the
Karabakh Armenians out of the region “whether by famine, military operation or
other means.” He also accused Baku of “torpedoing” direct talks with Karabakh’s
representatives encouraged by Western powers.
“At the same time, I want to emphasize Armenia’s commitment to the peace
agenda,” Pashinian went on. “I must inform you that we have passed on to the
Azerbaijani side our new proposals on a peace treaty between Armenia and
Azerbaijan.”
The Armenian premier shed no light on those proposals. In recent months, the
United States and the European Union have stepped up their efforts to broker the
peace treaty. The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers held two rounds of
intensive U.S.-mediated negotiations outside Washington in May and June.
Meanwhile, the EU’s top official, Charles Michel, hosted a series of
Armenian-Azerbaijani summits in Brussels.
By contrast, Russia warned early this month against attempts to “artificially”
speed up the signing of the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace accord, pointing to
lingering differences between Baku and Yerevan.
Armenia Again Touts Soaring Trade With Russia
• Anush Mkrtchian
Armenia - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and his Russian counterpart
Mikhail Mishustin meet in Tsaghkadzor, .
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian hailed on Thursday a continuing sharp increase in
Armenia’s trade with Russia which results in large measure from Western economic
sanctions against Moscow.
Meeting with his visiting Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin, Pashinian said
it shows that Russian-Armenian relations remain “very strong” despite
“problematic issues” causing friction between the two nations.
Russian-Armenian trade doubled last year and in the first half of this year as
the South Caucasus country took advantage of the barrage of sanctions imposed on
its main trading partner following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This,
coupled with other cash inflows from Russia, is the main reason why the Armenian
economy grew by over 12 percent in 2022.
“It must be said that our commercial exchange reached $5 billion in 2022 and
this growth is continuing. This year we have already passed the $3 billion mark
and hope that this year we will surpass last year’s volume,” Pashinian told
Mishustin in his opening remarks.
“We have a very strong and durable relationship,” he added during talks held in
the Armenian resort town of Tsaghkadzor on the sidelines of a meeting of the
prime ministers of Eurasian Economic Union member states.
“Despite the difficult foreign economic situation, Russia’s trade and economic
ties with Armenia are growing stronger … and this makes us happy,” Mishustin
said for his part.
In line with Russia’s broader efforts to reduce its dependence on the U.S.
dollar, Mishustin called for greater use of the Russian and Armenian currencies
in bilateral trade. He also proposed that Moscow and Yerevan “accelerate work”
on joint investment projects in Armenia.
The soaring trade is primarily driven by Armenian exports to Russia that tripled
in 2022 and January-June 2023. Goods manufactured in third countries and
re-exported by Armenian firms are thought to have accounted for most of that
gain. They include consumer electronics as well as other hi-tech goods and
components which Western powers say could be used by the Russian defense
industry.
The Armenian government has faced in recent months strong pressure from the
United States and the European Union to curb the re-export of these items. It
announced in late May that Armenian exporters will now need government
permission to deliver microchips, transformers, video cameras, antennas and
other electronic equipment to Russia. Pashinian said at the time that despite
its “strategic” relations with Russia, Armenia “cannot afford to be placed under
Western sanctions.”
Washington has so far blacklisted only on one functioning Armenian company for
allegedly helping Russia evade the sanctions.
Ruling Party Candidate Confident Of Yerevan Election Win
• Karlen Aslanian
• Robert Zargarian
Armenia - The ruling Civil Contract parrty's mayoral candidate, Tigran Avinian,
campaigns in Yerevan's Erebuni district, .
The ruling Civil Contract party expects to score a landslide victory in the
upcoming municipal elections in Yerevan, its mayoral candidate, Tigran Avinian,
said on Thursday.
Avinian predicted that the party headed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian will
win more than 50 percent of the vote and retain control of the city council
empowered to appoint the Armenian capital’s mayor.
“We are confident that we will manage to garner the majority [of votes,]” he
told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
“We have delivered on what we promised [in 2018,] and we are proposing a new,
more ambitious five-year plan,” he said.
Civil Contract fell short of the outright majority in Yerevan during Armenia’s
last general elections held in June 2021. Official vote results showed it doing
much better in other, especially rural parts of the country. But the party
should benefit this time around from the decision by the two main opposition
alliances to boycott the local polls slated for September 17.
Armenia - Andranik Tevanian, an opposition mayoral candidate, addresses a
campaign rally in Yerevan, .
Andranik Tevanian, a lawmaker representing one of those alliances, Hayastan,
disagreed with the boycott and set up his own electoral bloc to join the mayoral
race. Tevanian insisted that his victory would pave the way for Pashinian’s
removal from power as he and his allies campaigned in Yerevan’s northern Arabkir
district on Thursday.
“Our participation in the municipal elections in Yerevan is an opportunity to
effect regime change at the national level,” he told local residents. “Regime
change is the key precondition for ensuring the security of Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Another opposition contender, the Aprelu Yerkir party, has also described the
mayoral race as an opportunity to precipitate Pashinian’s ouster.
Avinian indicated that unlike in the last Yerevan elections held five years ago,
Pashinian will not actively participate in the ruling party’s election campaign
because of “much tougher” challenges facing his government.
Avinian also denied illegally using his administrative resources to gain unfair
advantage over his rivals and facilitate his victory. A coalition of civic
groups that will monitor the September 17 vote again accused him and Civil
Contract of foul play in an extensive report released this week.
Belgian FM ‘Snubbed By Aliyev’
Armenia - Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib attends a joint news conference
with her Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan, Yerevan, August 22, 2023.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has reportedly refused to meet Belgium’s
visiting Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib after she urged Azerbaijan to lift its
blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and recognize Armenia’s borders.
Lahbib proceeded to Baku on Thursday two days after holding talks with Armenian
leaders in Yerevan. She was expected to meet Aliyev during the trip.
The Azerbaijani government-linked news agency APA cited an unnamed government
source as saying that the meeting will not take place because Lahbib made in
Yerevan “pro-Armenian statements that are far from reality.”
Speaking at a joint news conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat
Mirzoyan, Lahbib called on Baku to reciprocate Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s
recent recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. She also expressed
serious concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Karabakh, warning
of a risk of famine in the Armenian-populated region.
“It is incumbent on Azerbaijan to ensure the security of Karabakh’s population
and free traffic through the Lachin corridor,” said the top Belgian diplomat.
The Azerbaijani leadership has repeatedly dismissed similar appeals from the
European Union, the United States and Russia. It denies blocking Karabakh’s sole
land link with Armenia and says the international community should instead
facilitate the region’s “reintegration” into Azerbaijan.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
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In a new photo, the actor showed off the massive new forearm tattoo which represented his family's journey to the United States over 100 years ago.
Manganiello's new tattoo came a month after his split from wife Sofia Vergara following seven years of marriage.
In a photo shared by award-winning artist Ruben Malayan, the 46-year-old proudly displayed his new body art. Seated with his dog in his lap, Manganiello was seen flexing his arm as he posed for the photo.
In bold, black ink that wrapped around his forearm read the word "Հրեշտակ," which Malayan explained was Armenian for "Angel."
Artist Ruben Malayan designed the calligraphy text that was tattooed on Manganiello.
"My latest work, so far largest in scale," Malayan wrote in the caption, as he translated the tattoo's text. "For @JoeManganiello who I am sure will wear it with pride."
While the artwork was intricate and visually appealing, the tattoo held a much deeper meaning for Manganiello, who was the descendant of an Armenian Genocide survivor.