Category: 2023

 15:11, 4 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, ARMENPRESS. First President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan on Tuesday called on the ruling Civil Contract party to oust Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan over his actions during an altercation with a passerby in Yerevan, which the former Armenian leader described as “the end of the state”, “disgusting” and “unforgivable”.

Parliament speaker Alen Simonian allegedly spat on Sunday at an opposition activist who branded him a “traitor” as he was walking near Cascade, a popular pedestrian area. Simonian’s security detail allegedly restrained the heckler as the speaker spat on his face.

In an article published on Tuesday, Ter-Petrosyan said that Simonyan committed an “unforgivable act”. He said that the ruling Civil Contract Party ought to oust Simonyan in order “not to entirely lose its reputation before the people.”

He branded Simonyan’s actions as “the biggest damage inflicted upon the state’s image, which can be corrected only through his ouster."

"This is the only way to restore our people’s honor before the international community,” Ter-Petrosyan added.

 14:12, 4 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) have signed a €92.3 million loan agreement for the Armenia Green, Resilient and Inclusive Development Policy Operation project.

The agreement was signed by Finance Minister of Armenia Vahe Hovhannisyan and World Bank Armenia Country Manager Caroline Geginat. The IBRD is a member of the World Bank Group.

The budget support resources will be directed for funding the deficit envisaged under the law on the 2023 state budget, the finance ministry said.

The operation supports the 2021-26 Program of the Government of the Republic of Armenia and is aimed at promoting green, resilient, and inclusive development by: (i) improving the regulatory framework for environmental management to help Armenia mitigate and adapt to the pressures of climate change; (ii) enhancing equity and promoting human capital development; and (iii) supporting the anti-corruption framework and justice sector efficiency.

 16:18, 4 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan swiftly reacted on Tuesday to former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan who called for his ouster over the incident involving a heckler.

In a statement, Simonyan said he was surprised that the former Armenian leader would demand his resignation.

“I was expecting everything, but for the first President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan to demand my resignation, that was really surprising,” Simonyan said.

“…the historian President ought to well know the unforgivable mistakes and what price the leaders of countries who’ve made unforgivable mistakes pay,” he added.

Simonyan also invited the ex-president to parliament to discuss “the biggest damages inflicted upon the state’s image during history”. Ter-Petrosyan branded Simonyan’s alleged actions during the street altercation as the “biggest damage” to the state’s image.

 13:22, 5 April 2023

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. The State Minister of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Gurgen Nersisyan has denied reports claiming that Russian peacekeepers are evacuating the population of Artsakh and transferring large numbers of people to Armenia.

Furthermore, Nersisyan said that from now on travel from Artsakh to Armenia will be possible only for highly essential cases.

“From now on, traveling from Artsakh to Armenia will be possible only in highly essential cases and exclusively through applying in advance to the Center for Cooperation with the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent and with their permission.

Since Azerbaijan’s blockade of the only road linking Artsakh with Armenia, the Armenians of Artsakh were deprived for a long time of the possibility to travel to Armenia from Artsakh.

Given the constant issues people face in their lives, such as death of a relative in Armenia, funeral, severe illness of a family member in Armenia in case of separated families, surgery and others, and the growth of tension, the Russian peacekeepers recently began transporting in a certain intervals the citizens who are facing such issues.

In order to keep the abovementioned process under control and protect our citizens from possible Azerbaijani provocations in the blockaded part of the road, from now on it will be possible to travel from Artsakh to Armenia only in highly essential cases, naturally through the Russian peacekeepers, exclusively by applying in advance to the Center for Cooperation with the Russian peacekeeping contingent and with their permission. Regarding people with health issues requiring medical attention, their transfer to Armenia will be organized through the Artsakh representation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, with recommendation of the healthcare ministry of Artsakh.

At the same time, we inform that the reports claiming that the Russian peacekeepers are evacuating or transporting en masse the Artsakhians to Armenia are untrue, these reports are yet another manifestation of the Azerbaijani information attacks,” Nersisyan said.

 13:59, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. Digital economy is changing the lifestyle of people and the ways of doing business, the Governor of the Central Bank Martin Galstyan said at the first Doing Digital Forum in Yerevan organized by SPRING PR with support from Ameriabank.

“We hope that the rapid technological breakthroughs will allow our society to become more productive and prosperous. There is some caution because it could take away jobs and the whole world from us. Overcontrolling people could lead to the application of sophisticated tools without proper validation of capabilities. If this isn’t properly controlled it will have horrific consequences of distribution because only a few will be able to make use of the technological advance,” he said.

Galstyan said the Central Bank focuses on three main areas – cooperation with the private sector, creation of infrastructures and data.

He added that Armenia is making investments in cybersecurity capacity.

Galstyan said that the transforming analytical and innovative solutions are the way for advance for them. He said they want to ensure more citizens benefiting from a more digital and sustainable economy.

The governor of the cenbank described the forum as a great opportunity to speak about digital and technological issues.

Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan also delivered remarks.

“It is commendable that such platforms are guided by the private sector and the professional community,” Grigoryan said. “The digital future must become reality through the significant role of the citizens and the private sector, and the government will make efforts to introduce a policy of open and accessible data and forming the critical infrastructure, rules of gameplay and a safe and favorable environment. This is the fundamental approach of the government in implementing digital reforms.”

 14:08, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in China for a three-day state visit in which he hopes to dissuade Xi Jinping from supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while also developing European trade ties with Beijing.

“China is the only country in the world capable of having an immediate and radical impact on the conflict, in one direction or the other,” the Guardian quoted an official from the French president’s office as saying of the war in Ukraine.

Paris sees China as a possible “gamechanger” in the war: able to tip the balance in a positive way through potential dialogue on conditions for an end to the conflict, or in a negative way if Beijing were to increase support for Russia and provide arms.

But Macron wants to stand firm on the issue of Ukraine while taking a pragmatic French stance – described as “another path” from the directly confrontational tone often heard from the US, an official said.

The French president’s visit, his first to China since the Covid pandemic, will include more than six hours of time with Xi, between meetings and banquets.

Key issues under discussion will be the Ukraine war and the rebalancing of trade links after stringent zero-Covid regulations, as well as the climate crisis and renewable energy. There will also be talks on renewing cultural links and travel, as Paris wants to encourage Chinese tourists back to France.

Macron will be joined for part of the visit by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.

A delegation of 60 business leaders, including the bosses of Airbus and EDF, are traveling with Macron.

 15:11, 5 April 2023

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) released a statement on April 5 on the obstruction by Azerbaijan of the pre-arranged return of Artsakh citizens.

Below is the full statement.

“On 4 April, another flagrant violation of the rights of the citizens of Artsakh took place that indicates the true goals pursued by Azerbaijan, which has been holding the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) under a complete blockade for more than 110 days. The Azerbaijani side refused to let through the Lachin Corridor vehicles of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent with citizens of Artsakh who remained in Armenia due to the blockade and were deprived of the opportunity to reunite with their families. The Azerbaijani side stopped the vehicles on the blocked section of the Lachin Corridor and for 5 hours subjected the people in the vehicles, mainly women, children and elderly persons, to psychological terror and intimidation. Subsequently, Azerbaijan made an attempt to turn the suffering of the people into a show of hypocritical pseudo-humanism. 

This egregious incident clearly demonstrates that the Azerbaijani authorities have embarked on the next level of practical implementation of their criminal plan to ethnically cleanse Artsakh and expel its people from their historical homeland. These intentions were publicly announced by the President of Azerbaijan on 10 January 2023, in an interview with the Azerbaijani media. Subsequently, the Azerbaijani political leadership repeatedly voiced the threat that the people of Artsakh should either obey the Armenophobic authorities of Azerbaijan or leave their homeland.

In an environment of complete impunity, the criminal actions committed by Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh are becoming increasingly threatening both in nature and scale. The inaction of the international community in the face of such serious violations of human rights is tantamount to tacit approval, if not complicity in the inhumane actions of official Baku. Immediate and decisive action by the United Nations Security Council, which has the appropriate mandate and tools, is an absolute necessity to immediately end the illegal blockade and stop the crimes of Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh, which continue before the eyes of the international community.”

 15:51, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) released the Second Interim Compliance Report on Armenia corruption prevention in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors.

The Second Interim Compliance Report assesses the measures taken by the authorities of Armenia to implement the recommendations issued in the Fourth Round Evaluation Report on Armenia.

GRECO, in its Fourth Round Evaluation Report, addressed 18 recommendations to Armenia. In the Interim Compliance Report, GRECO concluded that seven recommendations (v, vi, x, xii, xiii, xiv and xvii) had been implemented satisfactorily or dealt with in a satisfactory manner and eleven recommendations (i-iv, vii-ix, xi, xv, xvi and xviii) had been partly implemented. Now, in the second report, GRECO concludes that some steps have been made by Armenia to comply with the outstanding recommendations under the Fourth Evaluation Round. Of the eighteen recommendations included in the Fourth Round Evaluation Report, nine recommendations have now been implemented satisfactorily or have been dealt with in a satisfactory manner. Nine recommendations have been partly implemented.

More specifically, recommendations v, vi, x, xii, xiii, xiv, xv, xvii and xviii have been implemented satisfactorily or dealt with in a satisfactory manner and recommendations i-iv, vii-ix, xi and xvi have been partly implemented. 

Public consultation in the law-making process has been made mandatory for draft laws initiated by the Government. A draft code of ethics for MPs and draft amendments to the National Assembly’s Rules of Procedure intended to establish a mechanism to monitor members’ compliance with ethical norms have been developed. 

GRECO noted that the Armenian government continues taking active steps for implementing the outstanding recommendations.

Armenia overcame the GRECO evaluation incompatibility process and is no longer listed as having a “globally unsatisfactory” level, which it was listed from 2015 to 2019.

 17:06, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. The former State Minister of Nagorno Karabakh Artak Beglaryan revealed new details on the April 4 incident in the Lachin Corridor when Azerbaijan breached a pre-arranged agreement with Russian peacekeepers and barred stranded Nagorno Karabakh citizens from returning from Armenia amid its blockade of Nagorno Karabakh. 

Beglaryan said that the Azerbaijani government agents posing as eco-activists, who’ve been blocking the corridor for already 115 days, demanded the group of 27 civilians – mostly women, elderly and children – to “accept Azerbaijani citizenship” and get frisked in exchange of passage.

Below is the full statement issued by Beglaryan.

 

“Key facts on the incident: Azerbaijani government agents (“eco”-terrorists) yesterday blocked the movement of 27 Artsakh civilians from Armenia to Artsakh.

1. The civilian group, comprised mostly of women, elderly and children, was taken from Goris city in Armenia with two vehicles of Russian peacekeepers to reunite with their families.
2. They were stuck in Armenia due to the ongoing Artsakh blockade, which has already lasted for 115 days.
3. They were stopped at the point of the Artsakh blockade near Shushi by Azerbaijani government agents (“eco”-terrorists).
4. For over five hours, Russian peacekeepers negotiated with the Azerbaijani side to open the road for the group, but no success was achieved.
5. The Azerbaijanis intimidated the people in the vehicles by breaking into one of the cars and using threats.
6. They put forward pre-conditions for giving access: to “accept Azerbaijani citizenship” and to check everyone.
7. Twenty-three out of the 27 people returned to Goris at night without having access to their homeland.
8. As a result of Azerbaijani intimidation, the health situation of four women sharply worsened, and three of them fainted.
9. The accompanying peacekeepers called an ambulance and transferred those four to the Stepanakert hospital with Russian and Azerbaijani vehicles.
10. The Azerbaijani side did not allow peacekeepers to bring and use the Artsakh ambulance and attempted to transfer the patients to the Shushi hospital under Azerbaijani control. However, the people protested and demanded that the patients be transferred to Stepanakert instead.
11. This is another manifestation of the Azerbaijani full blockade of Artsakh, and they block especially the entrance to the Artsakh people, not only while traveling with their own cars but often with Russian peacekeepers and Red Cross accompaniment, as it happened yesterday.
12. They sometimes create fewer obstacles to exit, as Aliyev stated on January 10, because their apparent purpose is to make ethnic cleansing of the Artsakh people.
13. The Aliyev dictatorial regime ignores not only the 2020 November 9 trilateral statement but also the binding order of the UN International Court of Justice to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.
14. With the state policy of racial/ethnic discrimination and hatred in Azerbaijan and its regular manifestations, the international community should understand the level of existential threats against the Artsakh people under any kind of Azerbaijani control.
15. The ongoing blockade and hatred-motivated periodic crimes and psychological terror by Azerbaijan, as well as the failure of the international community to effectively protect the Artsakh people and prevent new crimes, require urgent, strong, and practical steps to ensure the proper protection of the security and rights of the Artsakh people, including the right to self-determination.”

 15:52, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. Aleksander Čeferin, president of European football’s governing body UEFA, was reelected unopposed for a new four-year term on Wednesday.

First elected in 2016, Čeferin was chosen by acclamation during the organization’s annual Congress in Lisbon. As with his first reelection in 2019, Čeferin was the only candidate.

“It really means a lot to me, it is a great honor but mainly it is a great responsibility towards you and towards football,” Politico quoted him as saying Wednesday. “I will do my best not to disappoint you and to disappoint football.”