16:10, 7 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan has visited the Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Budapest.

Hungarian President Katalin Novák and Pázmány Péter Catholic University Rector Géza Kuminetz welcomed the Armenian President.

“It’s a great honor to be here in this 400-year-old educational center,” the Armenian President said. He described his visit as very meaningful because the Pázmány Péter Catholic University is one of the “symbols of the Armenian-Hungarian historical and cultural relations.”

The Armenian President recalled that as a result of the 2016 agreement signed with the Armenian State Pedagogical University, the Pázmány Péter Catholic University established a Department of Armenian Studies, which, according to Khachaturyan, “was truly a historic event aimed at the development of the traditions of Armenian studies.”

Today, 45 Armenian students from various countries study at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University. They receive scholarships from the Hungarian government and the Gulbenkian Foundation.

President Khachaturyan praised Dr. Balint Kovacs, the head of the Department of Armenian Studies at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University, for his daily efforts aimed at developing the area.

Kovacs is among the 2024 laureates of the Pro Cultura Minoritatum Hungariae award which pertains to Hungary’s national minorities. Khachaturyan said that the professor received the award for his academic work concerning Armenian studies, the cultural heritage of the Armenian Catholic Church, and the foundation of the Department of Armenian Studies at Pázmány Péter Catholic University.

The Armenian President pointed out the potential for development of bilateral ties not only in humanitarian sector, but in all sectors of science, especially in IT, AI, biotechnologies, pharmaceuticals and others.

During the visit the Armenian State Pedagogical University and the Pázmány Péter Catholic University signed another agreement.

 13:44, 7 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian and Swiss foreign ministries have held political consultations in Yerevan, the Armenian foreign ministry said in a press release.

Armenia was represented by Foreign Ministry Department of Europe Director Samvel Mkrtchyan and Switzerland was represented by Swiss Foreign Ministry Eurasia Division Director Muriel Peneveyre.

“The parties were pleased to note the high level of political dialogue between Armenia and Switzerland and discussed a broad range of issues pertaining to the bilateral relations agenda. Both sides underscored the need for developing the existing cooperation in the economy, high-tech, culture, tourism and other sectors,” the foreign ministry said in a press release.

The effective partnership in international platforms and possibilities for mutual support within this framework were also discussed.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process was also discussed. Mkrtchyan presented the Armenian government’s Crossroads of Peace project. Views were exchanged on regional and international security issues.

 14:29, 7 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Lebanese Judge Nawaf Salam was today elected President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by his peers, for a term of three years, the ICJ said in a press release.

President Salam has been a Member of the Court since 6 February 2018. Before joining the Court, President Salam was Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations in New York from July 2007 to December 2017.

 14:57, 7 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. The Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus at the European Parliament MEP Marina Kaljurand has congratulated Armenia on officially joining the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“Sincere congratulations to Armenia on formally joining the International Criminal Court on 1 February 2024,” Kaljurand said in a post on X. “A clear signal of the country's commitment to the rule of law and a great basis for EU-Armenia cooperation.”

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) officially  for Armenia on February 1.

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 15:16, 7 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Greece welcomes and supports Armenia’s approach in establishing peace because it is based on international law, Greek Ambassador to Armenia Christos Sofianopoulos has said.

The new Greek Ambassador met with Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan on February 7.

During the meeting Ambassador Sofianopoulos praised Armenia’s policy in context of establishing regional peace.

“Greece welcomes and supports Armenia’s approach in the process of establishing peace because it is based on international law, jurisdiction and is carried out diplomatically. We are ready to support Armenia by all means in establishing peace,” the Greek ambassador said, according to a readout issued by the parliament’s press service.

Speaker Simonyan congratulated the ambassador on his appointment and wished him good luck. He highlighted the strong, friendly relations between Armenia and Greece based on age-old brotherhood, mutual support and common values between the Armenian and Greek peoples.

Citing the high-level interstate ties between the two countries, the Speaker called for an intensification of interparliamentary cooperation in order to utilize the untapped potential.

Speaker Simonyan attached importance to close cooperation in international parliamentary organizations. He highly appreciated cooperation with Greece as part of the EU-Armenia CEPA, as well as the Greek support to the Armenian parliament through the Twinning program.

The Armenia-Greece-Cyprus trilateral cooperation format was also discussed.

The Armenia-EU ties, the security issues in the South Caucasus, namely the humanitarian issues resulting from the ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks were also discussed.

 15:20, 7 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. A Civil Contract-led motion to oust Yerevan City Councillor Zaruhi Postanjyan representing the Mother Armenia faction was just one vote short to pass on Wednesday. 

32 councillors voted in favor and 2 against ousting the city legislator. The motion required at least 33 votes to pass.

The Civil Contract faction sought to remove Postanjyan from office citing “unexcused absences” from sessions and votes.

Earlier on Wednesday, National Progress faction councillor Hayk Marutyan and Mother Armenia faction councillors Sona Aghekyan and Narine Hayrapetyan lost their seats in similar motions filed by Civil Contract.  A similar motion seeking to oust Mother Armenia faction councillor Gevorg Stepanyan failed to pass.

 17:08, 7 February 2024

YEREVAN, 7 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 7 February, USD exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 404.26 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.40 drams to 435.11 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.02 drams to 4.43 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 3.66 drams to 510.46 drams.

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

Gold price up by 167.66 drams to 26394.83 drams. Silver price down by 2.59 drams to 289.90 drams.

 17:19, 7 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s permanent population stood at 2,990,900 as of January 1, 2024, which is an increase by 53,4 thousand compared to the same period of 2023, according to official data released by the Statistical Committee.

According to preliminary data, by January 1, 2024, 41,4 thousand people registered in the state population registry (including forcibly displaced persons of NK). Whereas the natural population growth in 2023 comprised 12,000.

Yerevan’s population is 1,104,200 (increase by 15,6 thousand).

The most populated province is Kotayk with 278,000 people, followed by Armavir (259,4 thousand), Ararat (255,8 thousand), Shirak (237,9 thousand), Lori (225,3 thousand), Gegharkunik (213,2 thousand), Aragatsotn (131,5 thousand), Syunik (119,5 thousand), Tavush (117,1 thousand) and Vayots Dzor (49 thousand).

 17:50, 7 February 2024

 17:59, 7 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan believes that the agreement on strategic partnership between Armenia and Georgia reflects the determination of both countries' governments to advance their entire agenda of relations.

 Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said while answering the question of Alkhas Ghazaryan, an MP of the ruling majority faction, during Wednesday’s question-and-answer session with the government at the National Assembly of Armenia.

"Regarding the declaration on strategic cooperation and dialogue signed with Georgia, I can say that, in fact, all the aspects are carefully planned. This demonstrates the mutual determination of both countries' governments to advance this entire agenda," noted the Prime Minister.

Armenia and Georgia signed an agreement on strategic partnership on January 26. The signing of the agreement took place within the framework of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's visit to Georgia.