Category: 2023

 16:28,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that his March 20 meeting with Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan was very “comprehensive”.

He said the entire scope of bilateral relations in all areas was covered during the talks.

“We discussed the regional and international issues and outlined the directions for further development of strategic partnership,” Lavrov said at a joint press conference with Mirzoyan in Moscow. “We paid special attention to economic partnership, exchange of business missions and other projects.”

FM Lavrov said that the issues of implementing the North-South transport corridor with Armenia’s participation were also discussed, among other issues.

The Russian FM attached importance to close political contacts, noting that the contacts will be continuous.

 16:41,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. Russia expects that the trilateral (Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan) task force on regional unblocking will soon reach concrete agreements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

“Russia also favors the intensification of the work of the border delimitation commission with Moscow’s consultative support. Moscow is also ready to support the signing of a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku,” Lavrov added during a joint press conference with Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan in Moscow.

He said that the Armenian side reiterated PM Nikol Pashinyan’s statement on readiness to meet and now the new timeframe for a meeting between the Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers is under discussion.

“We will soon choose the timeframe convenient to the three ministers,” Lavrov said.

 16:57,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenia expects Russia’s support in sending an international fact-finding mission to Nagorno Karabakh, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

The Armenian Foreign Minister reminded about the ongoing blockade of Lachin Corridor since December 12, 2022, and said that Azerbaijan is violating every clause of the trilateral statement and is not complying with the ICJ ruling on opening the Lachin Corridor.

FM Mirzoyan said that the situation shows the need for ensuring mechanisms guaranteeing security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh and international participation.

“International participation is needed for genocide prevention, an international fact-finding mission must also be sent to the part of Lachin Corridor and Nagorno Karabakh. We hope that there’ll be cooperation with the Russian side in this matter,” Mirzoyan said.

FM Mirzoyan attached importance to the role of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh in preventing a humanitarian disaster during the blockade.

He also warned that Azerbaijan has unilaterally begun the repopulation process of Azerbaijanis in Nagorno Karabakh, whereas the Armenian side isn’t carrying out the process due to the absence of the required international mechanism.

 17:38,

YEREVAN, 20 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 20 March, USD exchange rate up by 0.20 drams to 388.48 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.58 drams to 415.48 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 5.04 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 3.62 drams to 474.80 drams.

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

Gold price up by 503.84 drams to 24506.47 drams. Silver price down by 1.42 drams to 273.34 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

 17:58,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan received the delegation headed by Vice President of Germany-South Caucasus Friendship Group of the Bundestag of Germany Tabea Rößner.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the National Assembly, Alen Simonyan informed that he will be on a working visit to Germany next week. He noted that Germany is the largest trade and economic partner of Armenia among the EU countries, emphasizing Germany's assistance to Armenia's democratic agenda. The implementation of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement and Germany's support in this matter were also emphasized.

At the meeting, the security problems facing the region and Armenia were extensively discussed. The German partners noted that the security architecture is changing every day in the world, leading to new rearrangements.

The humanitarian problems caused by the 44-day war of 2020, the consequences of the Lachin crisis were discussed.

"On February 22, 2023, the International Court of Justice made a legally binding decision against Azerbaijan, obliging it to take all necessary measures to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, vehicles and cargo in both directions through the Lachin Corridor," noted Alen Simonyan, reminding that after the Court's decision, on March 5, there was an attack by an Azerbaijani subversive group on Nagorno-Karabakh police officers, killing three citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh.

He emphasized that Armenia expects German partners to take active steps to ensure Azerbaijan's immediate implementation of the Court's decision.

Alen Simonyan thanked the German government for supporting the decision to deploy a new EU long-term monitoring mission in Armenia, expressing his belief that it will play a significant role in establishing peace and security in the region.

 18:01,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the humanitarian crisis caused by Azerbaijan's illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

Nikol Pashinyan and Antony Blinken exchanged thoughts on the perspectives of the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and the opening of communication channels in the region. The US Secretary of State reaffirmed his call for the immediate reopening of the Lachin Corridor and emphasized that the US is ready to continue supporting the above-mentioned processes.

During the telephone conversation, Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed his concern regarding the recent increasing aggressive rhetoric of Azerbaijan.

 18:04,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. On March 20, the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Alen Simonyan received the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia Giorgi Sharvashidze to the Republic of Armenia. Alen Simonyan congratulated the Ambassador on the occasion of starting a diplomatic mission in our country.

The President of the National Assembly greatly highlighted the relations with Georgia, reminding him that in the Armenian Government’s Action Plan 2021-2026 the development of special neighbourly relations with Georgia is highlighted as a priority. He noted that Armenia is interested in establishing a strategic partnership with Georgia.

The close cooperation established with the legislative body of a friendly country was discussed at the meeting. Touching upon the periodic meetings of the Parliament Speakers, Alen Simonyan informed that the next meeting at that level will take place this year in Armenia.

Close cooperation of inter-parliamentary friendly groups and relevant Committees was highlighted at the meeting.

The Ambassador of Georgia, thanking the National Assembly President for the warm reception, noted that Armenia is a dear country to him, mentioning his Armenian-Georgian friends who lived in the same yard during his childhood. He underlined that Georgia is difficult to imagine without Armenian rich culture.

The parties expressed willingness to make efforts in strengthening Armenian-Georgian historical friendship and neighbourly potential among the youth.

 19:36,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. On March 20, Finance Minister of Armenia Vahe Hovhannisyan received Rana Karadsheh, Regional Director for Europe of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group, and Sebastian Molyneux, Regional Director of the WB South Caucasus. Ivana Duarte, regional director of the IFC South Caucasus, and Carolin Geginat, Country Manager of the World Bank (WB) for Armenia, were also present at the meeting.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Finance of Armenia, at the beginning of the meeting, Minister Hovhannisyan, welcoming the guests, highly appreciated the presence of the International Finance Corporation in Armenia, particularly highlighting the expansion of the latter's investments in Armenia. The Minister emphasized the need to diversify the areas of cooperation with the IFC, as well as efforts to expand cooperation in possible new areas.

IFC representatives, congratulating Vahe Hovhannisyan on his appointment as Minister of Finance of Armenia, referred to the high economic growth recorded in Armenia in 2022 and noted that they consider the previous year's economic indicators to be impressive. The Minister presented details about the previous year’s and the current economic situation.

During the meeting, the sides emphasized the implementation of reforms aimed at expanding private investments in Armenia, as well as ensuring the continuity of experience exchange in this context.

 21:14,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. On March 20, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. The meeting started with a private conversation, then continued with the participation of the delegations in an expanded format.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia, the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Russia discussed a wide range of issues on the agenda of the Armenian-Russian allied relations and political dialogue.

Reference was made to issues of cooperation within international organizations.

Issues of regional stability and security were also discussed in detail.

Minister Mirzoyan emphasized that Azerbaijan's aggressive policy towards Nagorno-Karabakh and the sovereign territory of Armenia and the rhetoric at the highest level are aimed at aggravating the situation in the region and preparing the ground for new aggression. The imperative of condemning these practices, excluding the use of force and the threat of force, and fulfilling all obligations assumed by the tripartite declarations were emphasized in this context.

The sides emphasized the need to restore the Lachin Corridor regime in accordance with the provisions of the November 9, 2020 declaration.

The Armenian FM emphasized the need for the effective actions of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno Karabakh in preventing provocations from the Azerbaijani side, maintaining the ceasefire regime in the area of responsibility of the peacekeepers, and ensuring security in Nagorno Karabakh.

Ararat Mirzoyan highlighted the need to launch the relevant international instruments and send an international fact-finding mission to Nagorno Karabakh aimed at preventing Azerbaijan's policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh.

A reference was made to the latest developments in the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Based on the results of the meeting, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a joint press conference.