16:39,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Iran have extended the Gas for Electrical Energy agreement until 2030.

The extension was signed on August 10 at the Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures in Yerevan, between Aram Ghazaryan, the CEO of the Yerevan TPP, and Majid Chegeni, the Iranian Deputy Minister of Oil and Director of the National Gas Company, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures said in a press release.

Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan praised the agreement as one of the best manifestations of the friendly Armenian-Iranian relations.

“The extension of the agreement is a beneficial deal for the two countries. The extension enables to increase the volumes of gas imports and electrical energy exports, which will definitely have a positive impact on the economic development of the two countries,” Sanosyan said.

Chegeni also attached importance to the extension, adding that it will boost the development of Armenian-Iranian ties.

 17:08,

YEREVAN, 10 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 10 August, USD exchange rate down by 0.02 drams to 386.05 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.99 drams to 425.74 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 3.96 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.36 drams to 493.06 drams.

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

Gold price down by 46.54 drams to 23864.78 drams. Silver price down by 4.17 drams to 281.81 drams.

 17:34,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan has met with the new French Ambassador Olivier Decottignies.

During the meeting on August 10, Grigoryan congratulated Decottignies on assuming office and expressed confidence that the ambassador will contribute to the deepening and strengthening of bilateral cooperation in all sectors between Armenia and France, Secretary Grigoryan’s office said in a readout.

Secretary Grigoryan attached importance to the further development of the special relationship with France. In this context, the sides discussed prospects for intensifying and enhancing Armenian-French cooperation in a number of areas of bilateral interest.

Grigoryan and Decottignies also discussed the ongoing, deteriorating humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and underscored the need for eliminating the blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

 18:02,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. Idram and IDBank summed up the results of the next program of The Power of One Dram initiative. The companies report that 3.480.466 AMD was donated to the Children of Armenia Charitable Foundation for payments made through their platforms during July.

The companies also announced the name of next month’s beneficiary. During August, 1 AMD will be transferred to SOS Children’s Villages Armenian charitable foundation for each client’s payment through the Idram&IDBank application, IDBanking.am platform and Idram.am website.

The SOS Children’s Villages Foundation is a child-oriented organization whose mission is to help children in difficult life situations. The Foundation operates in two areas: alternative care services, as well as family strengthening services for families with minor children in a difficult social situation. The programs implemented by the Foundation are aimed at improving the child protection system in the Republic of Armenia, ensuring the right of the child to live in a family.

Spartak Sargsyan, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Armenian Charitable Foundation, notes that their cooperation with Idram and IDBank is extremely important for the foundation’s mission. “Together we support children, youth and their families who are in a difficult life situation, contributing to the development of communities,” says Spartak Sargsyan.

According to Tatevik Vardevanyan, Head of Communications unit at IDBank, companies appreciate the support to the charitable foundation, as it is one of the key areas of corporate social responsibility.

You can also become a goodwill ambassador by simply making all your payments through Idram&IDBank app, IDBanking.am and Idram.am website without spending any extra AMD.

After all, it all starts with one dram …

COMPANIES ARE CONTROLLED BY THE CBA

 18:27,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. On August 10, Minister of Defense of Armenia Suren Papikyan held a meeting with the Ambassador of Poland Piotr Skwieciński.
The meeting was attended by the Defense, Military and Air Attaché of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Armenia, Colonel Wojciech Wiśniewski, the Ministry of Defense said in a press release.
The Minister of Defense congratulated Ambassador Skwieciński on commencing the mission in Armenia and wished fruitful cooperation.
Topics related to the current status and prospects for expanding the defense cooperation between Armenia and Poland, as well as regional security, were discussed.

 18:41,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. On August 10, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a telephone conversation with Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Malta Ian Borg.

Minister Mirzoyan briefed his counterpart on the developments in the region since his official visit to Malta in March, in particular on the daily deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan’s illegal total blockade of the Lachin corridor, the foreign ministry said in a readout.  

Minister Mirzoyan emphasized the irreversible consequences for the 120,000 population of Nagorno-Karabakh, noting the regular disruptions of electricity and gas supplies by Azerbaijan and the acute shortage of medicine, food and other essential supplies, especially for the most vulnerable groups.

Minister Mirzoyan noted that Azerbaijan continues its actions despite all international calls and efforts to achieve positive change on the ground. The urgency of the immediate lifting of the blockade of the Lachin corridor and full restoration of movement in accordance with the Orders of the International Court of Justice of February 22 and July 6 was emphasized.

During the phone call, the sides also touched upon the issues of cooperation in the EU and multilateral platforms.

 19:13,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS.  The Hague District Court has sentenced the head of the Azerbaijani-Turkish Association in the Netherlands for hate propaganda and public insults against Armenians, the Armenian Ambassador to the Netherlands and Luxembourg Tigran Balayan said on social media.

 “Following separate complaints by the Armenian Embassy in the Netherlands and the Federation of Armenian Organizations in the Netherlands, the Hague District Court sentenced the head of Azerbaijani-Turkish Association in the Netherlands for hate propaganda and public insults against Armenians,” Balayan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

 19:22,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan has responded to the Aliyev regime’s attempts to misrepresent the expert opinion by the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo concluding that the Azeri blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh constitutes genocide as being biased.

In a social media post, Marukyan said that the Azeri officials would never have paid attention to the report had it been biased.

Marukyan added that Ocampo’s report may become a future indictment against Azerbaijan.

“Referring to the report of the former chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo of the International Criminal Court, the assistant of the President of Azerbaijan claimed that it was biased. The report of the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court concludes about the genocidal policy conducted by Azerbaijan, and if it was biased or not based on facts, Hikmet Hajiyev and the entire Azerbaijani propaganda would never pay attention to it or spend a minute of their time to address it. Hence, it’s a solid report with facts and analyses, which may become a future indictment against Azerbaijani leadership,” Marukyan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Ocampo has warned that Azerbaijan is preparing genocide against the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh and called for a U.S. Security Council intervention.

 21:16,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. The Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh have recorded a ceasefire violation in the Askeran region, the Russian Defense Ministry said in its August 10 news bulletin.

“The Russian peacekeeping contingent’s command is carrying out a joint investigation into the incident together with the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides,” the ministry added.

On August 9, the Nagorno-Karabakh police reported that Azerbaijani troops opened gunfire at farmers working in a village in Askeran.

 21:25,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. On August 10, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a telephone conversation with the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani.

As a continuation of the meeting of two ministers within the framework of the Dubrovnik Forum in July, Minister Mirzoyan briefed his counterpart on the details of the deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor, the ministry said in a readout.  

Minister Mirzoyan emphasized that since June 15, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh have been under total blockade and the humanitarian activities of the ICRC, the only international humanitarian organization with access to Nagorno-Karabakh, are being obstructed, as the ICRC announced on July 25.

Both sides emphasized the urgency of resolving the humanitarian situation for people on the ground and the need for joint steps with international partners in that direction. While highlighting the importance of the statements of international partners with targeted calls to Azerbaijan, Minister Mirzoyan emphasized the need for consistency and joint efforts in that direction.

The interlocutors exchanged views on collaboration within the OSCE platform.