Category: 2023

 16:10,

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has said that Armenia’s criticism of the CSTO is justified.

Lukashenko made the remarks while addressing a foreign ministerial meeting of CSTO member states in Minsk, Belarus.

Lukashenko said that Armenia is making justifies claims, while another member Kyrgyzstan has been asking for a long time to support in solving the border dispute with Tajikistan.

“I’d say there are problems, very serious problems. If we don’t resolve these problems, we will constantly rebuke each other and express discontent regarding the activities of the entire organization. Problems exist to be resolved. Thus, regardless of anything, we must dive into these issues that CSTO member Armenia and CSTO members Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are solving today,” Lukashenko said.

“Let’s include these issues in the agenda and resolve them. If we help resolve the conflict on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border, if we start solving this issue, they will be grateful. People will stop dying, and these countries will always be grateful to us. The same goes for the most difficult problem of Azerbaijan and Armenia,” the Belarusian leader said.

 17:01,

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani military units have again targeted the U.S.-affiliated company’s construction site in the Armenian village of Yeraskh in the latest cross-border shooting, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The Defense Ministry said that Azerbaijani forces opened gunfire on June 20, at 4:30 p.m. at the construction site of the steelworks which is being built by joint Armenian and American investments.

The Azerbaijani armed forces used various caliber small arms in the shooting.

 17:26,

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS.  The Foreign Ministers of the CSTO countries adopted a statement on preventing arms race in the outer space at the meeting held in Minsk today, ARMENPESS reports, citing "RIA Novosti".

The Ministers also adopted a statement on the situation in Afghanistan.

During the session, the foreign ministers of the CSTO countries discussed the draft decisions on establishing the "Together to Peace" medal, changing the organization's budget, and distributing quota positions in the CSTO Secretariat.

 17:54,

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS.  On June 20, the Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan received the Dutch member of the European Parliament Bert-Jan Ruissen, ARMENPRESS was informed from the parliament of Armenia.

The Chair of the National Assembly Standing Committee on European Integration Arman Yeghoyan and member of the Committee Tatevik Gasparyan attended the meeting.

“Your visit to Armenia is welcoming, especially considering the period full of challenges for our country,” Hakob Arshakyan underlined, presenting the current situation in the Lachin Corridor. “The Corridor continues to be blocked and the decision of the UN International Court of Justice and the appeals of the Council of Europe are not implemented by Azerbaijan,” the NA Vice President mentioned. 

Hakob Arshakyan also raised the issue of Armenian prisoners of war and other persons held in Azerbaijan. According to the NA Vice President, Azerbaijan does not stop encroachment on the sovereign territory of Armenia, aggressive rhetoric.

“I would like to thank you for your role in the adoption of resolutions, reports, statements on a number of issues of vital importance for Armenia,” Hakob Arshakyan noted.

Touching upon the RA-EU relations, the NA Vice President stated. “The relations between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union are multi-layered, the range of cooperation is impressive. It includes active political dialogue, implementation of initiatives arising from economic and investment programmes. The EU continues to be the primary partner supporting the reform agenda implemented by the Armenian Government.”

“Despite the challenges facing all of us in recent years, we have managed to ensure the positive dynamics of the RA-EU high-level political dialogue, expand the legal contractual field by signing a number of agreements on aviation, migration and other fields,” Hakob Arshakyan underscored and added that they should be implemented.

The NA Vice President highlighted the decision to deploy the EU observation mission in Armenia and emphasized that it can make a great contribution to the establishment of peace and stability in the region.

According to Hakob Arshakyan, the liberalization of visas between Armenia and the EU can be a stimulating step in terms of deepening cooperation with the EU and increasing the resilience of Armenia’s economy.

The Dutch member of the European Parliament Bert-Jan Ruissen , who is in Armenia for the first time, thanked the Armenian side for the invitation to our country. The guest also attached importance to the expansion of the RA-EU cooperation. Referring to the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, Bert-Jan Ruissen condemned Azerbaijan’s disregard of the decision of the International Court of Justice.

Arman Yeghoyan emphasized the necessity for the EU to impose targeted sanctions on Azerbaijan.

Bert-Jan Ruissen expressed willingness to provide support in various international formats regarding the strengthening of Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

 17:15,

YEREVAN, 20 JUNE, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 20 June, USD exchange rate up by 0.81 drams to 387.08 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.39 drams to 423.12 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.01 drams to 4.60 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.47 drams to 494.19 drams.

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

Gold price down by 55.99 drams to 24281.89 drams. Silver price up by 0.13 drams to 298.06 drams.

 18:06,

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS.  Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Khachatryan received Natia Natsvlishvili, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program in Armenia, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Government of Armenia.

Emphasizing the importance of Sustainable Development Goals within the framework of the bilateral cooperation agenda, the parties exchanged ideas on the current and prospective projects implemented in this direction. In particular, the cooperation aimed at increasing the resilience and socio-economic development of the border communities, promoting the "green" economic agenda, as well as the development of health, educational and environmental infrastructures was highlighted by both sides.

During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Khachatryan emphasized the importance of the involvement of international, including UN, agencies in Nagorno-Karabakh in order to get acquainted with the created situation and address the humanitarian problems of the population. The Resident Representative of the UNDP Armenia office, in turn, expressed concern about the created situation, expressing readiness to continue the provision of assistance aimed at the rehabilitation of border communities of Armenia.

Natia Natsvlishvili reaffirmed her readiness to support Armenia's current reform agenda, highlighting the need to expand cooperation in the specified directions.

 19:04,

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS.  13 non-governmental organizations of refugees from Azerbaijan SSR, Nakhichevan and Artsakh issued a statement demanding the international community, international organizations, and partner countries to provide security guarantees and introduce appropriate mechanisms to develop return conditions for refugees and forcibly displaced persons. ARMENPRESS reports, they also demand to create the necessary conditions to set and provide compensation for the lost immovable and movable property by Azerbaijan for refugees and their descendants, and to force Azerbaijan to fulfill its international obligations and compensate for the losses incurred to the families of refugees and their descendants.

The statement reads, "We, the refugees from Azerbaijan SSR, Nakhichevan and Artsakh, reaffirm the following.

• Hundreds of thousands of Armenians were forcibly displaced, scattered around the world, and became refugees due to the genocide committed against Armenians in various cities of the Azerbaijan SSR: Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad/Gandzak in 1987-1992. Until now, the international community has not given an assessment of what happened against the Armenians in the territory of Azerbaijan, the organizers and perpetrators of the crimes have not been identified and condemned.
• The UN recognized in 2021 the 26,750 people who arrived in the Republic of Armenia from Artsakh as a result of the large-scale aggression starting on September 27, 2020, as persons with a status equal to a refugee. And the 120,000 Armenians in the territory of the Republic of Artsakh are today under a total blockade by dictatorial Azerbaijan, being deprived of daily security, the right to free movement,
• According to paragraph 7 of the trilateral declaration of November 9, 2020, internally displaced persons and refugees can return to their homes under UN supervision. However, Azerbaijan obstructs the entry of the UN and other international structures to Artsakh, while in violation of the 6th point of the same declaration, Azerbaijan has also blocked the Lachin Corridor, which is the only road of life of Artsakh Armenians.
• Azerbaijan settles the occupied territories of Artsakh with people of unknown identity and origin, which calls into question and undermines the security of Armenians in the region, the political efforts of international structures to establish peace,
• Just as Nakhichevan, which was once inhabited by Armenians, was depopulated under the conditions of the establishment of full jurisdiction of Azerbaijan, and the Armenian cultural heritage was destroyed, so now the indigenous heritage is being destroyed in the depopulated regions of Artsakh.
• The democratic Republic of Artsakh cannot live under the rule of dictatorial Azerbaijan. its result will be the annihilation of Armenians. The situation is beyond being ominous.

 

Based on the above, we demand that the international community, international organizations, partner countries

• provide security guarantees and introduce appropriate mechanisms to develop return conditions for refugees and forcibly displaced persons;
• create the necessary conditions for determining and providing compensation by Azerbaijan for the lost immovable and movable property of refugees and their descendants, and force Azerbaijan to fulfill its international obligations and compensate the families of refugees and their descendants for the losses suffered,
• respect the fact that the people of Artsakh are self-determined through a referendum, do not compromise the right to life and do not subordinate it to the principle of territorial integrity, be guided by the fundamental rights and freedoms of peoples,

Prevent the cultural genocide in the occupied territories of Artsakh with practical steps."

 18:20,

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS.  Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the delegation led by the chairperson of the European Parliament's Security and Defense Subcommittee Nathalie Loiseau, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister emphasized the close cooperation with the European Parliament and highly commended the resolution adopted by the latter on ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the Lachin Corridor. Nikol Pashinyan expressed confidence that the visit of delegation of the European Parliament will contribute to assessing the situation in the region. The Prime Minister added that the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh is worsening as a result of the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor, given that food supplies have also been blocked for several days. In this context, the Prime Minister highlighted the entry of the international fact-finding mission into the Lachin Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh. Nikol Pashinyan also added that Azerbaijan continues its aggressive rhetoric and ceasefire violations, which increase tensions in the region.

Nathalie Loiseau emphasized the need for steps to ensure peace and stability in the region, as well as to reduce the risks of tension.

In this regard, the interlocutors highlighted the activities of the European Monitoring Mission in Armenia.

Reference was made to the opportunities for unblocking regional transport infrastructures and border delimitation. Prime Minister Pashinyan presented the positions of the Armenian side on these issues.

The sides exchanged thoughts on the course of institutional reforms and future programs implemented in our country with the assistance of the EU, as well as the process of normalizing the Armenian-Turkish relations.

 19:28,

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS.  On June 20, the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen  Simonyan received the delegation led by the Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence of the European Parliament Nathalie Loiseau, ARMENPRESS was informed from the parliament of Armenia.

Alen Simonyan welcomed the guests, noting that this visit will give an opportunity to get acquainted with the situation on the spot.

He stressed that our country greatly highlights the definite position of the European Parliament on a number of the most important issues for Armenia. In this context the RA NA President mentioned the issues regarding the Nagorno Karabakh last war, the encroachments of the armed forces of Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of Armenia, the necessity of the urgent release of Armenian prisoners of war, the blocking of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan and the humanitarian crisis caused as a consequence of it, which were reserved in a series of resolutions and reports of the European Parliament.

“The European Union (EU) continues remaining the primary partner supporting the agenda of the reforms underway in Armenia, and would like to reaffirm our commitment to deepening and expanding the cooperation with the European Union, including the implementation of the provisions of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA),” Alen Simonyan noted.

At the meeting ideas were exchanged on the decision of deploying the EU mission in Armenia, which essentially promoted the establishment of the relative stability on our eastern borders.

Reference was made to the expansion of cooperation with the European Union in the fields of defence and security at the request of providing support to Armenia.

 21:20,

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS. On June 20, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko received the Foreign Ministers of the CSTO member states in the framework of the session of the Council of Foreign Ministers.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, during the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan informed the attendees about the latest developments in the region, in particular, on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan and in Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Minister Mirzoyan, reminding once again about Azerbaijan's ongoing occupation of the sovereign territory of Armenia, a CSTO member state, referred to Azerbaijan's continuous aggressive actions against Armenia's sovereign territory and internationally recognized borders, the targeting of Armenian positions and civilian objects on the border with Armenia in recent days, emphasizing the their destabilizing effect on regional stability and security. In this context, Minister Mirzoyan emphasized the imperative of CSTO’s respond.

Armenian Foreign Minister also referred to the tense situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and around Nagorno-Karabakh, including the provocations of Azerbaijan in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping troops, the incident that took place near the Hakari bridge on June 15, as well as the humanitarian issues resulted by the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor that has been ongoing for more than six months, and the deepening risk of ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan.

Minister Mirzoyan emphasized that the mentioned actions of Azerbaijan are aimed at hindering the efforts of not only Armenia, but also all parties interested in ensuring stability and predictability in the South Caucasus.

Presenting the vision of the Armenian side on establishing long-term peace in the region, Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the key importance of giving up the policy of force or the threat of force, providing solutions to existing problems through constructive dialogue, addressing the security and rights of the people of Nagorno Karabakh.

Afterwards, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan participated in the session of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CSTO, with a narrow and expanded-formats.

Issues on the agenda of the session were discussed, including the CSTO activities and regional developments.

At the narrow-format session, FM Mirzoyan also referred to the recent events in the South Caucasus, emphasizing that against the background of the escalation of conflicts with the use of force and the unstable situation in the South Caucasus, the unconditional fulfillment of contractual obligations, proper conclusions by the CSTO, and clear assessments of the violations of Armenia's borders become more and more important.