21:28, 14 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS. The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) will support 1,000 persons who were displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) to Armenia, the Spanish Embassy in Russia announced on social media.

“The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) is activating its Acción contra el Hambre (Action against Hunger) humanitarian initiative to help 1,000 people who were displaced to Armenia as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the embassy said on X.

Around 250 families will receive financial, psychological and social assistance.

 21:43, 14 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS. The building of the Armenian Consulate-General in Odessa was damaged to some extent as a result of the August 14 events, but the staff is unharmed, Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan told ARMENPRESS.

Badalyan earlier said that no Armenian citizens were injured in Odessa on August 14.

The consulate-general continues to function normally. 

Odessa came under a major air strike on August 14, and local authorities reported that nearly 300 buildings were damaged.

 22:57, 14 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS. A serviceman of the Armed Forces of Armenia was wounded Monday evening when Azerbaijani forces opened gunfire at Armenian positions near Verin Shorzha, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The Azeri troops opened fire around 19:50, on August 14, from various caliber small arms at Armenian military outposts near Verin Shorzha.

The wounded serviceman is in serious condition.

 09:17, 15 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Wednesday in response to a call from Armenia.

Associated Press reported that the U.S. Mission to the U.N. said Monday the emergency open meeting will take place on Wednesday afternoon.

Permanent Representative of Armenia to the U.N., Mher Margaryan, in an August 11 letter addressed to the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the current President of the U.N. Security Council, said that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are on the verge of a full-fledged humanitarian catastrophe as a result of the Azerbaijani blockade.

 09:26, 15 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan will participate on August 16 in the U.N. Security Council emergency meeting on the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

“On August 16, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will be in New York to participate in the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council convened at the request of Armenia regarding the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh as a result of the total blockade by Azerbaijan,” foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan said in a statement.

 10:12, 15 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has congratulated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Independence Day.

“I extend my warmest congratulations to you on Independence Day of the Republic of India. The independence struggle of the people of India waged for centuries attests to the highest value of having a sovereign and democratic state, which is the foundation of the traditionally friendly ties and mutual respect between our two peoples,” PM Pashinyan said in a congratulatory telegram addressed to PM Modi.

“During our last meeting, we assumed commitment to maximally utilize the existing potential between Armenia and India in the most various areas, and now we can proudly note that the Armenian-Indian age-old friendship has entered a new qualitative phase, attested by the intensification of the bilateral agenda and dialogue between our two countries. We attach importance to the increasing role of India, the bearer of democratic values, in global politics and we support India’s efforts in advancing international institutional reforms. I am convinced that through joint efforts the partnership between our countries in bilateral and multilateral formats will further strengthen, and mutual high-level visits between the sides will significantly contribute to this. I reiterate my invitation to visit Armenia at a time of your convenience. Your Excellency, taking this opportunity, I wish you robust health and new successes, and all the best and welfare to the friendly people of India,” Pashinyan added.

 19:12, 15 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has congratulated his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the occasion of Independence Day of India.

“I extend warmest congratulations to my Indian colleague Dr. S. Jaishankar, our friends in India, wishing all the best of peace & well-being to friendly people of India. Armenia-India partnership is anchored on civilizational ties and we are committed to make it stronger,” FM Mirzoyan said on social media platform X.

India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar thanked Mirzoyan for the kind wishes in a post, and added, “Our long-standing connections are today expressed in practical cooperation.”

 11:07, 15 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno-Karabakh has denied and condemned the false accusations made by the Azerbaijani government on troops movements and warned that Baku’s disinformation campaign seeks to pave the way for future provocations.

In a statement, the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged all international actors, and in particular, the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent, to immediately take appropriate steps to deter the possible provocative actions of Azerbaijan.

Below is the full statement:

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh strongly refutes and condemns the fake news spread by the Azerbaijani mass media that the Defense Army of Artsakh is moving and concentrating various military equipment in different directions of the Line of Contact.

“As we have repeatedly made sure, Azerbaijan is paving the way for further provocations by filling the media field with such fake news.

“We draw the attention of international actors, and especially the UN Security Council, to the fact that Azerbaijan is escalating the situation just two days after the request of the Republic of Armenia to convene an emergency session of the UN Security Council related to the deteriorating humanitarian situation caused by the complete blockade imposed on the civilian population of Artsakh by Azerbaijani authorities. It is nothing but an attempt to distract the attention of international structures from the humanitarian disaster provoked in the Republic of Artsakh by Azerbaijan’s illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor.

“We reiterate that since December 12, 2022, the Republic of Artsakh has been under total siege, resulted from Azerbaijan’s illegal actions. Moreover, since June 15, 2023, the people of Artsakh has been deprived of the opportunity to import even the least amount of food products, medicines and all other vital goods through the Lachin Corridor via the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent.

“Thus, due to the lack of efficient steps by the international community, Azerbaijan continues to violate the provisions of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, universal international legal norms, and specific international legal acts related to the Lachin Corridor, including the legally binding decisions of the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights on lifting the blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

“We urge all international actors, and in particular, the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent, to immediately take appropriate steps to deter the possible provocative actions of Azerbaijan.

“In the current situation, we consider it imperative to convene an emergency session of the UN Security Council as soon as possible for passing a decision on taking the necessary and efficient measures aimed at the complete and unconditional unblocking of the Lachin Corridor.”

 11:57, 15 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan has denied Azerbaijan’s accusations that Armenia is laying mines and emphasized that Yerevan has given Baku all maps of minefields as part of building confidence.

Marukyan responded on social media to Azeri presidential assistant Hikmet Hajiyev, who falsely accused Armenia of laying mines.

“Till today, the Armenian parties have taken all the necessary steps, in the context of confidence building, including handing over all the landmine maps to Azerbaijan, but in response, Azerbaijan continues to make false accusations about ongoing installation of minefields and contrary to the agreements didn’t even release prisoners of war and other people in its prisons as a measure to build confidence. Azerbaijan regularly attacks and occupies different parts of the sovereign territory of Armenia, violates the fundamental obligations of November 9 and keeps the people of Nagorno Karabakh under a complete blockade. It would be better for Hikmet Hajiyev to stop this campaign of falsehood, because it by no means can distract the attention of the international community from the topic of ethnic cleansing policy conducted by Azerbaijan,” Marukyan said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

 13:12, 15 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan awarded outgoing EU Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin with the Medal of Honor of the National Assembly during a farewell meeting on August 15.

Simonyan thanked the Head of the Delegation of the European Union for her great contribution to the strengthening and deepening of relations between Armenia and the EU and Armenia’s sustainable development.

“Knowing you and seeing your caring work for the development of democratic institutions, I reiterate our commitment to democratic values and readiness to not spare any effort,” Simonyan said during the meeting.

He highlighted the ambassador’s direct participation in the projects that are aimed at supporting the development and strengthening of resilience of Armenia’s southern regions. 

Wiktorin said that the EU continues to be the primary partner supporting the Armenian government’s reforms agenda.

During the meeting the parties also discussed the deployment of the EU monitoring mission in Armenia and the upcoming UN Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Simonyan presented the Medal of Honor of the National Assembly to Wiktorin for “significant contribution in strengthening the interparliamentary friendly ties and development of democracy’, the parliament’s press service said.