Armenia convenes talks after Russia bars its trucks amid diplomatic spats -Armenpress

Rose Khoyetsian
Reuters
Nov 29 2023
By Felix Light

3:32 PM GMT+2

TBILISI, Nov 29 (Reuters) – Armenia has convened emergency talks at the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union after Russia refused to allow in a growing number of its trucks amid a deepening diplomatic chill between the two nations, state news agency Armenpress reported on Wednesday.

Armenpress quoted Vahan Kerobyan, Armenia's economy minister, as saying that the number of Armenian vehicles denied entry to Russia had increased dramatically in recent days.

"It is simply strange that 35 trucks get turned around in a whole year, and then just within two days another 35 trucks (get turned around), when no changes have been made in our regulations or the quality of products of the suppliers,", Armenpress quoted Kerobyan as saying.

It cited Kerobyan as saying that emergency consultations on the matter would take place within the next two days.

Russia's agricultural watchdog said in a statement on Tuesday it had noted "a sharp increase" in sanitary violations in imported Armenian agricultural products.

The bulk of Armenian exports go via Georgia to Russia, with the only land link between the two countries being a single road connecting Georgia and Russia through the Caucasus mountains.

As of 1230 GMT on Thursday, a Russian government website said that 3,231 trucks were waiting at the Verkhny Lars border post, which is often closed due to weather conditions. It was not clear how many trucks had been turned away.

Relations between Russia and Armenia, a treaty ally of Moscow that is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, have sharply deteriorated in recent months.

Armenia has blamed Russia for the loss of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan in September – something which resulted in a mass exodus of ethnic Armenians – while Russia has reacted angrily to Armenian attempts to deepen its ties to Western countries.

Reporting by Felix Light Editing by Andrew Osborn

https://www.reuters.com/world/armenia-convenes-talks-after-russia-bars-its-trucks-amid-diplomatic-spats-2023-11-29/

Parliament war commission subpoenas former NK official Samvel Babayan

Anna Tamamian

 11:55,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The parliament select committee probing the 2020 Second Nagorno Karabakh War has subpoenaed the former Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army Commander Samvel Babayan.

Babayan will participate in a meeting of the committee on November 29.

He told reporters he was ready to answer all questions.

“I was invited, I agreed to be present and answer questions. Why would I avoid it if I am ready to answer all questions? I will answer all questions honestly,” Babayan, a former Secretary of the Security Council of Nagorno-Karabakh, told reporters in parliament.

Newly crowned WBC world cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian wants next fight to take place in Armenia

Tania Jagharian

 14:09,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The newly crowned WBC world cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian has said he’ll likely defend his title sometime in the first months of 2024.

Mikaelian, 33, who has a record of 27 wins and 2 losses, won the vacant WBC cruiserweight title after defeating Ilunga Makabu in Miami earlier in November.

Noel Mikaelian moved from Armenia to Germany with his family when he was four. He then moved to the U.S. to train for his boxing matches.

The WBC champion is now visiting Armenia, and on November 27 he met with the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Karen Giloyan.

Speaking at a press briefing on November 29, Mikaelian said it’s a great honor for him to be the second Armenian ever to have won the WBC title. The first Armenian to do so is Vic Darchinyan.

He said it’s too early to speak about future fights, but most likely he will defend his title in the first months of 2024.

“We are discussing the issue of organizing a professional boxing event in Armenia, which would make me very happy. I’d be proud to fight in the professional ring in Armenia,” he said.

Mikaelian, who represents Armenia in his fights, has won 12 of his 27 victories by way of knockout.

Speaking about his championship fight with Congolese boxer Ilunga Makabu, the Armenian champion said that organizing the fight wasn’t an easy task.

“Organizing the world championship fight was very difficult, because the boxer who had held the [WBC] title in the past [Makabu] knew that I was a tough opponent for him,” Mikaelian said.

Russia expects Armenian PM’s participation in CIS summit

Tatoyan Vazgen

 14:12,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Russia awaits Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the upcoming CIS summit in Saint Petersburg, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said.

“If Mr. Pashinyan comes [to the CIS informal summit], and he is expected there like everyone else, then it would be a wonderful opportunity to speak,” Peskov said, RT reports. He added that at this moment no phone call is scheduled to take place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The informal summit of the CIS will take place in the end of December.

Armenia, UK sign 2023-2024 Defense Cooperation Plan

Albert Nalbandian

 15:11,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The 6th Armenia-UK Strategic Defense Consultations were held on November 28 in London.

The Armenian delegation to the meeting was led by Levon Ayvazyan, the Head of the Department of Defense Policy and International Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense.

The Armenian Ambassador to the UK, Varuzhan Nersesyan, also attended the consultations.

The 2023-2024 Armenian-UK Defense Cooperation Plan was signed at the consultations, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a press release. The plan was signed by Levon Ayvazyan and David Morgan, the UK Ministry of Defense Policy Director for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Issues pertaining to regional and international security, as well as bilateral cooperation in the defense sector were discussed.

Ayvazyan presented the security situation around Armenia and the Armenian side’s steps aimed at regional peace and stability, including the Crossroads of Peace project. The major ongoing reforms in the Armenian military were also presented.

The sides comprehensively discussed the current course and prospects of development of bilateral military cooperation.

Agreements were reached around cooperating in a number of new areas with potential for partnership.

An agreement was reached to hold the next Armenia-UK Strategic Defense Consultations in Yerevan.

Armenia convenes emergency consultation in EEU after Russia bars freight trucks

Lara Chatinian

 15:14,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has convened an emergency consultation in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) after a growing number of commercial freight trucks carrying goods were banned from entering Russia, Minister of Economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan has said.

He said the emergency consultation will be held in the next two days.

Kerobyan, speaking to reporters, refused to label Russia’s move as politically motivated but said that the bans are “strange”.

Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor) earlier claimed that the Armenian goods that have been banned from entering the country did not meet the required sanitary standards.

“We are studying the materials published by Rosselkhoznadzor to understand to what extent the goods produced by our businesses do not meet the regulations applied in Russia,” Kerobyan said, adding that Armenian producers haven’t made any changes in their production.

“It is simply strange that 35 trucks get turned around in a whole year, and then just within two days another 35 trucks [get turned around], when no changes have been made in our regulations or the quality of products of the suppliers,” Kerobyan said.

Prime Minister Pashinyan meets with Amazon Web Services regional Director of Public Policy Franco Spicciariello

Boris Nahapetian

 15:49,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with Franco Spicciariello, Director of Public Policy, Italy and ECSEED (East Central and South-Eastern Europe Division) of Amazon Web Services.

Prime Minister Pashinyan attached importance to the cooperation with Amazon and said that the development of the technological sector is of primary importance to the Armenian government, the Armenian Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

The Armenian Prime Minister said that partnership and active dialogue with Amazon will contribute to the implementation of joint projects.

Spicciariello underscored readiness to develop cooperation with Armenia and added that the company is in a phase of active discussions with the Armenian Ministry of High-Tech Industry.

The sides also discussed the implementation of projects in the digitization sector and upcoming joint work in this direction.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 29-11-23

Antranik Varosian

 17:04,

YEREVAN, 29 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 29 November, USD exchange rate up by 0.21 drams to 402.50 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.19 drams to 441.78 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.02 drams to 4.52 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 2.24 drams to 510.53 drams.

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

Gold price up by 168.24 drams to 26213.28 drams. Silver price down by 1.19 drams to 318.99 drams.

First session of the Armenia-UN Joint Steering Committee held in the Government

Alex Nanijanian

 19:18,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The Government of the Republic of Armenia and the UN Office in Armenia have officially announced the commencement of the Joint Steering Committee. This committee serves as a key pillar in the implementation of the 2021-2025 UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Armenia.

During the session, the Joint Steering Committee discussed the Republic of Armenia's progress in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and addressed challenges, including the massive influx of forcibly displaced refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, Grigoryan’s Office said in a statement.

The Committee emphasized the importance of comprehensively addressing the humanitarian and development needs of refugees, ensuring their sustainable development. 

Additionally, the committee stressed the need to outline further measures for the implementation of the UN SDGs, considering the current socio-economic, humanitarian, and security situation in the country."

According to the source, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said in the opening speech: 'Armenia, committed to the implementation of the 2030 agenda, continues to make efforts towards achieving the goals of sustainable development. A vivid proof of that commitment is the ambitious agenda of reforms implemented by the Government, which is based on a people-centered, inclusive approach and the protection of human rights.


On the path of sustainable development and strengthening of democracy, the United Nations Organization has been and remains one of our most important partners, which has always been a supporter of socio-economic progress in Armenia, the introduction of a good governance system, and a number of other activities.''

It is noted that during the inaugural session, Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Nanna Skau stated: "The launch of the Joint Steering Committee is of great importance for the existing partnership between the Republic of Armenia and the United Nations.

In the conditions of open dialogue, the Armenian government and the United Nations share a common vision for the development of the country. It is through this dialogue that we aim to empower people, build capacity, and create an enabling environment."

It was emphasized that with a commitment to cooperation, inclusiveness and accountability, the meetings of the Steering Committee will be held at least once a year, strengthening the basis of a stable and developing partnership between the Government of Armenia and the United Nations.