Category: 2023

 17:32, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, 5 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 5 April, USD exchange rate up by 0.17 drams to 388.32 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.24 drams to 424.98 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 4.89 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.15 drams to 484.08 drams.

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

Gold price up by 339.19 drams to 25089.41 drams. Silver price up by 1.25 drams to 299.82 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

 18:02, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. President of the Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan today received Mexico's senators Alejandra del Carmen León Gastélum and Indira Kempis Martínez.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the office of the President of Armenia, welcoming the guests, President Khachaturyan noted that Armenia highly appreciates the adoption of the document on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Senate of Mexico on February 8 of this year and the invaluable contribution of the senators in that matter.

"I am happy for this meeting, which creates an opportunity to send you words of gratitude for your political position in the Mexican Senate, especially in the context of supporting the Armenian Genocide recognition process. It is very important for us that you have taken that step, since the Armenian Genocide is one of the most painful pages in the history of our nation.

I would also like to thank you for your position and support regarding our current situation. I am about the aggression carried out by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia in September of last year."

Thanking for the reception, Alejandra del Carmen León Gastélum noted: "The Armenian Genocide is, first of all, about the violation of human rights. The senators understand very well that the topics that concern the violation of human rights must be constantly visible so that such crimes never happen again."

During the meeting, the President of Armenia presented the Mexican parliamentarians with details about regional realities, the origin and content of the Karabakh conflict. Vahagn Khachaturyan also touched on the issue of the blockade of the Lachin humanitarian corridor by Azerbaijan, as a result of which the 120,000 people of Nagorno-Karabakh are facing the threat of a humanitarian crisis.

During the conversation, the importance of inter-parliamentary cooperation, as well as the need to activate high-level mutual visits, was emphasized by both sides. Reference was made to the opportunities for the development of cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism and trade and economy and the most effective realization of the existing potential.

 19:46, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. The President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan today received the delegation headed by Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Slovakia Marián Kéry, ARMENPRESS was informed from the President’s Office.

Greeting the guests, President Khachaturyan noted that Slovakia is one of Armenia's important partners in Europe, and our country is ready to expand cooperation with that country in all areas of mutual interest, on bilateral and international platforms.

"Since gaining independence, we have always felt the support of Slovakia. This year we mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and it is a good opportunity to think about further expanding our cooperation.

I would like to thank you for your position on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh. the statements that have been adopted by your parliament have been a support for us and we hope that it will continue in the future.

You have also done a great job in making the decision of the EU Council to deploy a long-term civilian observation mission in Armenia. Slovakia was one of the six countries that took the initiative and addressed the issue to the EU High Representative."

Thanking for the reception, Marián Kéry said: "Our visit has two main goals. The first is the occasion of the 30-year cooperation between Armenia and Slovakia. Secondly, we want to express our support to the part of the Armenian people, which is now in the zone of influence of the Karabakh crisis.

We visited the Genocide Memorial and the Museum yesterday and are very proud that our National Assembly condemned and recognized the Armenian Genocide in 2004.

In 2020, the 44-day war took place, when Azerbaijan attacked Nagorno Karabakh and also reached the borders of Armenia. That is why we adopted a resolution in 2020-2021 in our National Assembly condemning those steps taken by Azerbaijan."

During the meeting, Marián Kéry said that he is well aware of the events surrounding the blockade of the Lachin humanitarian corridor and stressed the need to restore the normal operation of the humanitarian corridor.

Referring to the regional realities, President Vahagn Khachaturyan emphasized that despite the existing problems, the goal of the Armenian authorities is to achieve lasting and stable peace in the South Caucasus. The President of the Republic emphasized that Armenia is committed to its position of establishing neighborly relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan, opening borders without preconditions and unblocking communication channels.

During the conversation, the efforts aimed at promoting inter-parliamentary diplomacy, as well as the organization of mutual visits at the highest political level, were emphasized by both sides.

 20:10, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. The dates of possible deployment of CSTO peacekeepers in Armenia depends on the Armenian side, ARMENPRESS reports, Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, announced during a briefing, talking about the possibility of sending a CSTO mission to Armenia. She said that "the ball is in Yerevan's court".

Zakharova recalled the statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Russia is satisfied with Armenia's continued interest in receiving CSTO peacekeepers. Moscow is convinced that this step will contribute to the stabilization of the situation in the region. Both Russia and other allies are ready for it.

Zakharova recalled the statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Russia is satisfied with Armenia's continued interest in receiving CSTO peacekeepers. Moscow is convinced that this step will contribute to the stabilization of the situation in the region. Both Russia and other allies are ready for it.

"Such decisions are coordinated and adopted in the CSTO and approved at a high level. When the Armenian partners are ready, the parties will be able to return to the work of strengthening the specific types of the observation mission of the organization," she said.

According to Zakharova, the ball is in Yerevan's court.

Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan said during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on March 20 that the draft decision to send a CSTO mission is on the table, and work on the draft continues. At the same time, Yerevan expects a political assessment from its partners regarding Azerbaijan's September aggression. In his turn, Sergey Lavrov stated that the possibility of sending a mission still exists, the CSTO is absolutely ready.

 13:50, 6 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 6, ARMENPRESS. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a proclamation on Tuesday designating April 24, 2023 Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, Asbarez reports.

The proclamation ceremony was led by San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson, who was joined by President of the Board Nora Vargas. The event also included remarks by St. Sarkis Armenian Church pastor Very Rev. Pakrad Berjekian, community activist and advocate John Dadian, St. Sarkis Armenian Church Board member Kathy Kassardjian, and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan.

In his remarks, Very Rev. Berjekian thanked the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for marking the Armenian Genocide, particularly in light of the imminent threat of ethnic cleansing and genocide of Artsakh’s Armenian population resulting from Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockade and aggression.

The vocal San Diego Armenian community joined Very Rev. Berjekian in welcoming this effort by the Board of Supervisors.

 15:18, 6 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 6, ARMENPRESS. The ruling Civil Contract party doesn’t consider sacking Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations MP Sargis Khandanyan (Civil Contract) said Thursday.

“No such issue was discussed neither within the Civil Contract party nor the faction. The National Assembly elected a Speaker in August of 2021 and he continues fulfilling his duties, and there’s no other discussion in our faction. No such issue exists in our agenda and I don’t think there’s a need for that,” Khandanyan said.

Speaker Alen Simonyan is accused of spitting at an opposition heckler in downtown Yerevan for calling him a “traitor”.

Former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan described Simonyan’s alleged actions as “unforgivable” and demanded his ouster.

 15:17, 6 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenia never rejected the deployment of a CSTO monitoring mission on its territory, but the document envisaging the deployment is still in the phase of amendments, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs MP Sargis Khandanyan told reporters.

“Armenia never rejected the deployment of a CSTO monitoring mission, but the document envisaging the deployment is still in the phase of amendments. And it is important for the records to be made, which we believe would objectively present what actually happened against the sovereign territory of Armenia. Naturally, without accepting this and without assessing the situation in detail, it will be difficult to imagine what kind of a mission and in what territory the mission is to be conducted,” Khandanyan said.

“And when Armenia will consider the draft document in a given stage to match Yerevan’s position and desires, that’s when it will be possible to speak about the deployment of a CSTO monitoring mission,” he added.

 16:46, 6 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 6, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan on Thursday apologized to all citizens of Armenia for spitting at a heckler in downtown Yerevan for being called a “traitor.”

“First of all I’d like to thank everyone who supported me during these days and I want to close this topic once and for all, to not allow such everyday topic to continue being circulated alongside the serious issues facing our country.

Indeed, democracy implies that an official must and can be criticized, and why not, provocations could also take place. We must not give in to them. I regret that I lost my temper from the personal insult against me. I am sure that any Armenian with dignity would not have tolerated such an insult, however the high responsibility carried by an elected official must have a restraining role. This is also a lesson for me, because most probably, my team members and I will face such situations in the future as well. This is also a proper occasion for the opposition to revise its rhetoric, its tactic of delivering personal insults and to return to the framework of civilized debate. On this given incident I’d like to apologize to all citizens of the Republic of Armenia,” Simonyan said in a statement.