Category: 2024

 11:52,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 10, ARMENPRESS. Armenia hasn’t been offered to engage in direct, bilateral talks with Azerbaijan, a senior lawmaker has said.

“I assume that no offer has been to Armenia to take part in bilateral negotiations with Azerbaijan at any given time and place,” Sargis Khandanyan, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, told reporters when asked to comment on statements made from Baku on bilateral talks.

“We attach importance to the formats that have already been developed to be continuous, because they convey international reputation to the negotiations, further legitimize the negotiations and make the risks more manageable. Particularly, foreign ministerial talks were held in Washington, and summits were held in the EU platforms,” the MP said.

Bilateral discussions continue in the delimitation commission talks.

Direct bilateral talks took place in December 2023 on the release of POWs. Khandanyan said Armenia is ready to continue talks.

“Our priority is the content and stipulation of the principles of the talks, regardless where they will go on, or if the talks will be bilateral. If the principles aren’t recorded, then the agreements won’t have the value we expect,” he said.

 12:31,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 10, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Wednesday said that he presented to his visiting Greek counterpart George Gerapetritis the situation in the South Caucasus after the forced displacement of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the peace process.

“Certainly, I comprehensively presented to my colleague and his delegation the situation in the South Caucasus after the forced displacement of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and also the peace process and the details and problems of that process,” Mirzoyan said at a joint press conference with Gerapetritis.

FM Mirzoyan said he also presented the Crossroads of Peace project.

He added that Armenia is committed to continue the peace talks and establish peace in the South Caucasus despite all challenges and difficulties, as well as Azerbaijan’s destructive conduct in some cases.

“We believe that in case of displaying mutual constructive approach, in case of political will, we will be able to reach a tangible destination in the issue of establishing peace in the nearest future,” Mirzoyan said.

 14:10,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 10, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government has so far allocated a total of nearly 29 billion drams for support programs for forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan has said.

 16:53, 9 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. French President Emmanuel Macron appointed 34-year-old Education Minister Gabriel Attal as his new prime minister on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

Attal, a close Macron ally who became a household name as government spokesman during the COVID pandemic, will replace outgoing Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.

One of the country's most popular politicians in recent opinion polls, Attal has made a name for himself as a savvy minister, at ease on radio shows and in parliament.

"Dear @GabrielAttal, I know I can count on your energy and your commitment to implement the project of revitalisation and regeneration that I announced," Macron said on X, who at the end of last year said he would announce new political initiatives.

Attal will be France's youngest prime minister.

 22:02, 9 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, George Gerapetritis, has arrived in Armenia on an official visit.

The Greek Foreign Minister will pay a visit to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Afterwards George Gerapetritis is scheduled to meet with his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan. A joint press conference of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Greece is planned to take place after their meeting.

 17:58, 9 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece George Gerapetritis on January 10 will pay an official visit to Armenia, the foreign ministry said.

According to the source, on January 10, the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Greece will take place at the MFA of Armenia, followed by a joint press conference.

 18:35, 9 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan authorities arrested a Frenchman on espionage charges in December, the Azerbaijani ambassador to France told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Tuesday, January 9.

"Suspected of having committed acts of espionage, Martin Ryan, a French national, was arrested on December 4, 2023," said Azerbaijan's ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva. She said the Azerbaijani judicial authorities have ordered that Ryan be detained for four months.

"The French embassy in Azerbaijan was notified as soon as he was arrested," the ambassador added.

Martin Ryan's father, Richard, said that the family had spoken to him.

"We spoke to him four times, each time for two minutes. He says he's being treated well and is getting on well with his lawyer," Richard Ryan told AFP.

According to French Le Monde, diplomatic tensions between Paris and Baku escalated at the end of December, when Azerbaijan ordered two French diplomats to leave the country. France declared two Azerbaijani diplomats "persona non grata" as a reciprocal measure.

 18:18, 9 January 2024

YEREVAN, 9 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 9 January, USD exchange rate up by 0.38 drams to 405.61 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.05 drams to 443.49 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.05 drams to 4.51 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.09 drams to 515.98 drams.

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

Gold price down by 382.39 drams to 26408.65 drams. Silver price down by 1.48 drams to 297.91 drams.

 19:49, 9 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. During the meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted the need to ensure sustainable peace for Israel and the region, including through the realization of a Palestinian state, the State Department said in a statement.

 “The Secretary and Prime Minister discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages and the importance of increasing the level of humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in Gaza. 

The Secretary reiterated the need to ensure lasting, sustainable peace for Israel and the region, including by the realization of a Palestinian state,” the State Department said.

 21:04, 9 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan on January 9  received the delegation headed by  Rory Domm, Head of Division for European External Action Service, Grigoryan said on social media.

"I welcomed the delegation's visit to Armenia and highlighted the development of Armenia-EU cooperation in the field of security. I emphasized that collaboration with the EU contributes to maintaining a stable security environment in the region,’’ said Security Council Secretary.

Grigoryan added that during the meeting they discussed the process of providing support to Armenia through the European Peace Facility.