13:58,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Apostolic Church had a “very important role” in the restoration of relations between Armenia and Hungary, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Yerevan on October 27.

He said his visit “puts an end to the decade when Armenia and Hungary didn’t have any diplomatic ties and contacts.”

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Hungary were severed in 2012 by then-President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan after Hungary extradited Ramil Safarov, the convicted murderer of an Armenian officer, to Azerbaijan. Armenian military officer Lt. Gurgen Margaryan was murdered by Azerbaijani military officer Ramil Safarov during a February 2004 training course organized by NATO in Hungary.

Gurgen Margaryan was asleep in his room when Safarov attacked him with an axe.

During the trial in Hungary, Safarov admitted in court to having killed Margaryan because of his hatred towards Armenia and Armenians. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Hungarian court. However, in 2012 Hungary extradited him to Azerbaijan upon Baku’s request. He was released upon arrival, glorified on the state-level and pardoned by President Aliyev. On the same day, then-President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan severed diplomatic relations with Hungary.

10 years later, in 2022, Armenia and Hungary agreed to restore diplomatic relations.

“We made a decision with the Armenian Foreign Minister to restore diplomatic relations and build the kind of cooperation that would serve the interests of the two nations and countries. This restoration will help us, because there is common basis, Christianity, both countries are Christian countries for many centuries. We, Hungarians, are proudly saying that we enjoy a Christian statehood for over 1000 years, and then we come to Armenia, we see the dates and immediately become humbler. Certainly, Christianity, the Armenian Christian Church played a very important role in the restoration of our relations,” Péter Szijjártó said on October 27.

Before the decision on restoring the relations, Hungary expressed its good intentions by mediating the release of 5 Armenian POWs from Azerbaijan, he said.

 14:29,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has expressed hope that the EU Eastern Partnership program will expedite the cooperation between Armenia and the EU and strengthen relations.

He made the remarks when asked whether Hungary supports Armenia’s involvement in the Black Sea Electricity Cable project.

A joint statement by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen released on October 5 said that the European Commission will support Armenia’s participation in regional projects such as the Black Sea Electricity Cable.

In terms of EU-Armenia cooperation, the Hungarian FM said that they are interested in the EU expansion.

“We’ve endorsed the development of foreign relations. Now, when the competitiveness of the EU is decreasing, we find foreign collegial relations to become more significant in such situations. The more countries the EU is able to support the more chances it will have to stop the tragic decrease of the EU competitiveness,” the Hungarian FM said, adding that that’s why they’ve always supported Eastern Partnership. “We want the EU to make maximum financial investments in that project. And we hope that the Eastern Partnership project will expedite your cooperation and strengthen your relations with the EU,” the Hungarian FM said at a joint press conference with Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan.

 15:07,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended a banquet hosted by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili in honor of the participants of the 4^th Tbilisi Silk Road Forum on October 26.

Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov also attended the banquet.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that PM Pashinyan, PM Garibashvili and PM Asadov spent several hours together during that day and discussed numerous issues.

“During the dinner the three prime ministers sat around the same table. They sat around the same table before and after the dinner as well, in the reception hall of high-ranking guests. They were together for several hours during the banquet, the welcoming and farewell (other prime ministers were not present at the official banquet).

During these contacts the most various issues were discussed, including pertaining to the normalization of the relations of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The meeting was informal and unplanned.

“The Armenian side finds the contact with Azerbaijan’s Prime Minister to be useful, in terms of clarifying nuances of the positions of the parties in at least a number of issues. The Georgian side organized all official and informal events of the Silk Road Forum on the high level, for what Prime Minister Pashinyan thanked Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

 15:53,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in Yerevan.

PM Pashinyan welcomed FM Szijjártó’s visit to Armenia and attached importance to the continuity of the Armenian-Hungarian dialogue and its consistent development in various directions, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

The Armenian Prime Minister attached importance to steps aimed at promoting partnership in the economy, education, culture, air connection and other areas.

Péter Szijjártó thanked for the warm reception and stressed the positive dynamics recorded in bilateral relations and the importance of high-level mutual visits between Armenia and Hungary. Péter Szijjártó added that the Hungarian government intends to open a consulate in Yerevan, which will in turn contribute to the expansion of the Armenian-Hungarian relations.

PM Nikol Pashinyan discussed the forced displacement of over 100,000 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the Azerbaijani policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, the current humanitarian situation and the steps taken by the government of Armenia in the direction of resolving existing issues.

Other issues pertaining to the Armenia-EU relations and regional cooperation were also discussed at the meeting.

 16:27,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan doesn’t rule out that Armenia’s relations with Türkiye will have a positive movement soon.

Speaking about the Crossroads of Peace project, Simonyan said it is aimed at peace and that the topic of “corridor” is no longer relevant, and that conversations about peace have intensified not only by Armenia but also by the leaders of neighboring countries.

“No one is surrendering anything. There will be open roads, there will be trade, Armenia’s economy will develop, and we will finally have peace. Drawing conclusions from the prime minister’s speech, as well as the latest information, I don’t rule out that our relations and the border [opening] with Türkiye will very likely have some positive movement soon,” Simonyan told reporters.

 17:14,

YEREVAN, 27 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 27 October, USD exchange rate up by 0.07 drams to 402.55 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.72 drams to 424.77 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.04 drams to 4.34 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.90 drams to 487.93 drams.

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

Gold price down by 102.95 drams to 25561.01 drams. Silver price up by 2.12 drams to 297.28 drams.

 17:15,

SOFIA, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS/BTA. Following a meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov on Thursday in Brussels, the non-governmental organisation Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontieres, RSF) welcomed his willingness and commitment to strengthening media freedom and the right to information in Bulgaria, RSF said on Friday. The organisation assured that it will continue to monitor the implementation of these goals in Bulgaria.

In the course of the conversation on the sidelines of the European Council meeting in Brussels Denkov responded positively to the RSF's call to take action in support of press freedom and the right of Bulgarian citizens to have access to reliable news and information.

Denkov expressed particular concern about the "misinformation and strong pressure journalists are subjected to in Bulgaria" and pointed out that his government is ready to use the experience of RSF to implement the necessary reforms at national and European level.

Denkov and RSF agreed to cooperate to guarantee press freedom and the right to information, using the experience and initiatives of RSF. 

"We welcome Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov's willingness to implement the necessary reforms to guarantee press freedom and the right to reliable information. We will remain vigilant in this difficult context and will be available to contribute to concrete results," RSF said in a statement.

According to the Reporters Without Borders' 2023 global media freedom index, Bulgaria is ranked 71st out of 180 countries, climbing 41 places in the ranking for the past two years.

(This information is being published according to an agreement between Armenpress and BTA.)

 17:25,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of the 15th edition of ReAnimania International Animation Film & Comics Art Festival, in the Sergei Parajanov Museum in Yerevan, the representatives of OnOff animation studio met the delegation led by the French Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak, the Ambassador of France to Armenia, Olivier Decottignies, the Minister of MoESCS of the Republic of Armenia, Zhanna Andreasyan, the Mayor of Yerevan, Tigran Avinyan, and Catherine Trotman, President of Eurimages, the largest European fund for co-production, film rental and exhibition support.

At the meeting, OnOff's co-founder, film director Tigran Arakelyan, along with the studio's executive producer, Susanna Khachatryan, introduced the animation film, ZAKO, directed by OnOff Studio and the ongoing activities regarding the film. The film is dedicated to the life story of artist Sargis Mangasaryan, who survived the Second World War thanks to his paintings. ZAKO is one of those exceptional films that gained the attention of the international animation community, even during its design and filming stages. In June of this year, OnOff signed an agreement with the prominent French company Sacrebleu during the ANNECY International Film Festival, marking a significant step towards co-producing this film. Therefore, the delegation of the French Ministry of Culture expressed their desire to learn more about the project. It's worth noting that OnOff also signed a memorandum of cooperation with another French entity, TCHACK, within the framework of the ReA Animation Film Festival.

Participants of the meeting highly appreciated the close collaboration between Armenia and France, particularly in the realm of cultural endeavors, including the production of animated films. Once again, the vital role played by the ReAnimania International Film Festival in nurturing such initiatives was underlined.

It's important to acknowledge that Yerevan Municipality serves as the main sponsor of the 15th edition of ReAnimania International Animation Film & Comics Art Festival and the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports is the primary supporter. The French Embassy in Armenia and the French Institute in Armenia have also played a crucial role in supporting the "ReA" film festival. 

 17:50,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Patriarchal delegates and leaders of the dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church in European countries, Archbishop Khazhak Parsamyan, Bishop Tatev Hakobyan, Bishop Serovbe Isakhanyan and Bishop Tiran Petrosyan held a meeting with OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid  on October 25 in Vienna, the press service of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin informed.

During the meeting, representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church conveyed to Ms. Schmid the blessings and best wishes of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, as well as presented the works carried out by the Armenian Church aimed at establishing  regional peace, taking care of the needs and protection of the rights of forcibly displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the preservation of historical, cultural and religious heritage.

 The Holy Fathers emphasized that although the European Parliament has condemned the terrible crimes committed by the Azerbaijani authorities against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, and a number of countries have adopted resolutions condemning the genocidal actions of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan still ignores the calls and decisions of the international community.

They called upon international sanctions against Azerbaijan for the genocidal policy adopted by the Baku authorities and the ethnic cleansing carried out against the Artsakh Armenians.

Such an attitude of Azerbaijan should be a reason for the European Union to re-evaluate its relations towards the latter. It should undertake a thorough investigation of war crimes, as well as to create international guarantees to ensure the return of displaced Artsakh Armenians to their historical homeland.

Ms. Schmid assured that the OSCE and she personally will do everything possible to contribute to the establishment of lasting peace in the region. She emphasized that the right of return for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and their safe life in their homeland should be taken into account.

The Secretary-General also pledged that the OSCE will continue to support the humanitarian and psychological needs of the displaced persons.

At the end of the meeting, the Holy Fathers, on behalf of all the leaders of the Armenian Church in Europe, handed a letter to Mrs. Schmid in which the main points of their discussion were summarized.

 18:34,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. The Council of Europe has emphasized its continued support to promote the establishment of a stable and long-term peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on the principles of recognizing sovereignty, inviolability of borders, and territorial integrity.

This was mentioned in the resolution adopted as a result of the two-day summit of the Council of Europe, in which the regulation of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations is also touched upon.

The Council of Europe has underscored the importance of ensuring the rights and security of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, including those who wish to return to their homes.

It expresses its support for the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement process with the mediation of Brussels and calls on the parties to engage in good faith and complete this process by the end of this year.

The resolution adopted at the EU summit also states that the Council  of Europe invites the High Representative and the Commission to present the best options  for strengthening the EU-Armenia relations in all dimensions.