Category: News

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting with Bundestag President Norbert Lammert today, President’s Press Office reported.

The interlocutors attached importance to the role of inter-parliamentary cooperation in the development of interstate relations.

President Sargsyan emphasized Mr. Lammert’s personal contribution to the development of bilateral relations. “You not only encourage inter-parliamentary ties, which have formed a practical platform for full comprehension of reciprocal interests, but also keep issues related to the Armenian people in the spotlight,” the Armenian President said.

As a testament to his words, President Sargsyan noted Mr. Lammert’s participation to the events conducted in Germany in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, as well as his statement at the special session of the Bundestag dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. Norbert Lammert expressed confidence that the official visit of the President of Armenia and meetings with the leadership of Germany conducted in the framework of the visit to Berlin, will elevate the Armenian-German political dialogue to a new level and will expand cooperation of the two countries.

The parties discussed also issues related to the future development of the Armenia-EU relations and expressed hope that the new framework Agreement, which will institutionalize the RA-EU relations, will be signed in the nearest future. In response to Mr. Lammert’s question regarding the constitutional changes conducted in Armenia, President Sargsyan informed him on the forthcoming developments conditioned by the changes and expressed gratitude to the German side for the consultative assistance to the process.

At the meeting, discussed were also the latest developments related to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Two Armenian soldiers were killed in Karvachar last night. Spokesman for the Armenian Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannisyan confirmed the news to Public Radio of Armenia.

Armenia plans to complete the renovation of the strategic Vardenis-Martakert highway linking Armenia to Nagornmo Karabakh.

The Government will allocate 1 billion AMD from its reserve funds for this purpose.

“The road is of strategic importance, it’s the highway connecting to Karvachar, and we have decided to complete its renovation this year. It’s the President’s instruction,” Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan told the cabinet today.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

“The agenda of Armenian-German relations is too broad. it includes multifaceted bilateral relations, Armenia-EU, Armenia-NATO cooperation and participation in peacekeeping missions,” President Serzh Sargsyan said at a joint press conference with Merkel.

“I briefed Chancellor Merkel on the developments of the past few days. Armenia highly appreciates the support of the OSCE German Presidency to the negotiations on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group,” he said.

“Back in January, Germany expressed its support to the proposal to implement a mechanism of investigation of border incidents. Armenia backs the implementation of this mechanism, as well as the withdrawal of snipers from the line of contact,” President Sargsyan said. He added, however, that Azerbaijan has always denied any confidence-building measures and pursued different objectives.

“The objectives were finally revealed the night of April 2. Ignoring the calls of the international community for peace, Azerbaijan started large-scale military actions all along the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact in what was the worst clash ever since the 1994 ceasefire agreement. As a result Azerbaijan turned the region into a hot spot threating the security of Europe,” President Sargsyan said.

“The people of Karabakh do not want war. What they want is one simple thing – the right to determine their future, they want to live in a democratic country,” Serzh Sargsyan added.

“The people of Karabakh do not want war. What they want is one simple thing – the right to determine their future, they want to live in a democratic country, and expect the international community to recognize this right,” Serzh Sargsyan added.

President Sargsyan expressed gratitude to Germany and personally Angela Merkel for their consistent support to the development of Armenia-EU relations.

“Azerbaijan may have more modern weapons, but the power is not measured by the modernity of weapons, by the quantity of tanks, the power is in the faith among the people of Karabakh and Armenia that they will defend their Motherland at any cost,” President Sargsyan said.

Angela Merkel said, in turn, that “as a country presiding over the OSCE, Germany is ready to help the OSCE Minsk Group solve the issue, to play a constructive role. She also stressed the important of returning to the negotiation table as soon as possible.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan had a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hasan Rouhani at the initiative of the Iranian side.

The Presidents discussed the situation at the line of contact between the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh.

President Sargsyan briefed his Iranian counterpart on the military attack of Azerbaijan and the adequate response of the NKR Defense Army.

The Armenian President made a special reference to the violence against civilians, comparing it to the actions of the well-known terrorist organizations.

President Rouhani stressed that against the background of attacks of terrorist organizations and current challenges, the outbreak of new tension in the region is in no one’s interest. He said it’s necessary to make every effort to resume the process of peaceful negotiations.

President Rouhani said there is no military solution to the Karabakh issue.

The Presidents of Armenia and Iran also discussed issues on bilateral agenda and agreed on the necessity of deepening the friendly relations and the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

Russian President Sergey Lavrov is planning to visit Armenia April 21-22, Spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

It was earlier reported that Lavrov would visit Baku on April 6 to participate in a trilateral meeting with his Iranian and Azerbaijani counterparts.

The agreement on ceasefire was reached yesterday between the Defense Ministries of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Spokesman for the NKR President David Babayan told a press conference in Stepanakert today.

He added, however, that the current agreement on cessation of hostilities is very much like the negotiation process. “We have a distorted format of negotiations because of Azerbaijan’s non-constructive stance. Although Nagorno Karabakh is not a full-fledged party to the talks, we are a participant of it,” Babayan said.

“Minsk Group Co-Chairs periodically visit Stepanakert and hold discussions with the local authorities,” he said.

“Thus, the agreement on ceasefire was formally reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Karabakh is a party to it, as it is the implemented of the ceasefire,” Babayan concluded.

Two Spanish cities – Puente Genil and La Roda de Andalucía – have officially recognized the Armenian Genocide.

Corresponding resolutions have been unanimously adopted by the City Councils of the two countries.

The bills condemn the Turkish policy of denial and urge other Spanish cities and the authorities of Spain to follow their example and address a call to Turkey.

The Mayors of both countries have noted the preventive nature of the resolutions, stressing that the crime has no statute of limitations and emphasizing the importance of its condemnation.

Thirty- two Armenian soldiers have been killed, 121 wounded during the four days of military calshes along the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact, Colonel Victor Arustamyan, Head of the operative department of the NKR Defense Army, told a press conference today. He said that another 25 servicemen are missing.

He informed that the ceasefire violations continued all along the line of contact even after the parties agreed to cease all hostilities at midnight Tuesday. Col. Arustamyan said the rival used mortars in the northern direction of the frontline. He added that an Azerbaijani tank hit an ambulance in the northern direction.

This morning separate groups tried to attack and conquer military positions in the north, but failed to succeed.

Colonel Arustamyan gave clarifications about an Armenian military position left under Azerbaijani control. According to him, it’s of no strategic significance, as the area of its peak is 5 meters, and the height is 20 meters as compared to the overall landscape.

As for the reports that Azerbaijan is bringing its reserve troops to the frontline and preparing for a new attack, Victor Arustamyan said “the reserves are stationed not far from the frontline and it’s hard to assess the plans of a new attack.”

 

 

 

“The recognition of Artsakh’s independence by Armenia is not in process, but the agreement on mutual military assistance is being developed,” Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told reports today.

He said Armenia’s number one objective is to reach Nagorno Karabakh’s return to the negotiating table as a party to talks.

“The recent developments showed that there is no alternative to Karabakh’s involvement in the talks. It’s important for preventing such provocations in the future and for achieving progress in the negotiation process,” he said.

Referring to the visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Shavarsh Kocharyan clarified that they’re coming to study the situation connected with the recent events.

“The utmost objective of the Armenian side and the international community is to prevent the reoccurrence of the developments of the past days, to ensure the maintenance of the ceasefire, which will, in turn, allow to return to talks,” Shavarsh Kocharyan said.

He added that the Madrid Principles are the only basis for negotiations.