10:10, 2 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The United States has reaffirmed its resolute support to Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Voice of America Armenian service reported citing the U.S. State Department.

The Voice of America Armenian service asked the State Department to comment on the Lemkin Institute’s latest Red Flag alert for genocide due to the alarming potential for an invasion of Armenia by Azerbaijan in the coming days and weeks.

In response, the U.S. State Department told VOA that ‘any violation of Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would lead to serious consequences.’

“The United States resolutely supports Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We’ve stressed that any violation of this sovereignty and territorial integrity would lead to serious consequences. We regularly stress our expectations, such as the call against the use of force, and we continuously follow the situation. Armenia is a close partner and friend to the United States, and we expect to work with the Armenian authorities to strengthen Armenia’s political and economic security,” the State Department said.

 10:42, 2 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government plans a 38% increase of spending for the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport in 2024 compared to this year, Deputy Minister of Finance Vahan Sirunyan told lawmakers during a parliamentary committee discussion on the 2024 state budget draft.

The ministry will receive a 345 billion 417 million dram budget for 2024, which is 95,1 billion or 38% more compared to 2023.

Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan said that the 2024 budget for her ministry will be 'unprecedented'.

“The budget has increased significantly, given the dynamics according to the years we can say that this is an unprecedented increase, because an increase of this size has never taken place before, this is the first time that the budget will be growing this much,” she said.

216 billion 398 million will go for current spending while 129 billion is envisaged for capital spending.

Authorities are currently implementing the project on building 300 new schools and 500 new kindergartens across the country.

 11:11, 2 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The salary of scientists will be ‘significantly increased’ in 2024, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said.

The first increase was made in 2022.

In 2024, a chief researcher will start receiving 500,000 drams per month compared to the previous salary of only 138,100 drams.

 12:45, 2 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has proposed Japan to join the Crossroads of Peace project, Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan said during a farewell meeting with the outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Armenia Masanori Fukushima on Thursday.

Simonyan highly appreciated the Ambassador’s work and his warm attitude towards Armenia and its people, with his readiness to learn the Armenian language being a testament to this.

The Speaker said that Japan is a very important partner for Armenia.

Armenia is interested in deepening the multipolar cooperation with Japan and considers the development of interparliamentary ties in this regard. 

Alen Simonyan stressed that Armenia highly appreciates Japan’s clear messages regarding the inadmissibility of Azerbaijan’s policy of use of force in the region and thanked Japan for the 2-million-dollar emergency aid grant for supporting the over 100,000 forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh. 

The Speaker and the Japanese Ambassador also discussed the opportunities of the Crossroads of Peace project. Speaker Simonyan said that Armenia proposes Japan to join the project.

In 2025, Armenia will participate in an expo in Osaka, Simonyan said.

The Japanese Ambassador expressed gratitude for the close work with the parliament during his tenure and noted that the projects they launched will be continuous.

The Speaker wished good luck to Ambassador Fukushima in his future work.

 13:20, 2 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Two-time world weightlifting champion Simon Martirosyan has been cleared of reckless driving/vehicular homicide charges after a court found him not guilty in the case on November 2.

The pedestrian accident happened in April 2021. A 27-year-old man was struck and killed by a car driven by Martirosyan while crossing the Arshakunyats Avenue. The victim ignored the crosswalk and was attempting to cross the road in a prohibited, unmarked section.

The Olympic bronze winning weightlifter and two-time champion of Europe was charged under paragraph 2, article 242 of the Criminal Code (violation of road safety and reckless driving which has negligently caused death).

The verdict was announced November 2 by his lawyer, Ruben Baloyan.

 15:11, 4 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s delegation was impressed to see how Armenia has been able to take in over 100,000 forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh in a matter of days, Artashat Mayor Karlen Mkrtchyan has said.

Mkrtchyan was among other officials who accompanied Baerbock during her visit to Vostan, a village within Artashat Municipality in Ararat Province.

Ararat Province has taken in 22,000 of the more than 100,000 forcibly displaced persons. 5,300 of them have been accommodated in Artashat.

After her meetings in Ararat Province, the German FM was heard comparing the accommodation of the displaced persons with the situation in Ukraine, noting that Armenia has been able to integrate the forcibly displaced persons from NK more effectively than Ukraine its IDPs, particularly children. “Even in Ukraine it hasn’t been possible to ensure normal living conditions for persons, especially children [IDPs] and swiftly integrate them to a new environment, whereas in Armenia there’s a better picture in this regard,” the German FM told local officials.

Artashat Mayor Karlen Mkrtchyan told Armenpress that he talked with the German delegation during the trip.

The members of the German delegation were surprised how Armenia has been able to receive over 100,000 forcibly displaced persons in a few days, the Artashat Mayor said.

“Mrs. Baerbock was really surprised that we were able to resolve essential organizational issues in a very short period of time. Everyone, children and adults, have harmoniously integrated into the new conditions and they have no problems of coexistence with the locals. We’ve accepted everyone like family,” Mkrtchyan said when asked to comment on the German FM’s statement.

 15:58, 4 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. All prerequisites are in place for the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Nikolay Patrushev has said.

“All prerequisites exist for this,” RIA Novosti quoted Patrushev as saying about the prospects of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

He made the remarks during the Russia Expo Forum. 

He added that the preparations for the conclusion of the peace treaty are ongoing.

 14:47, 2 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Moderna Chairman Noubar Afeyan has talked to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour about the forced displacement of over 100,000 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the ethnic cleansing campaign perpetrated by Azerbaijan and the unlawful arrest of Ruben Vardanyan.

[see video]

 14:27, 2 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. 5 suspects have been arrested in Armenia for allegedly plotting a terror attack, the National Security Service (NSS) has announced. 

The five suspects, together with unidentified accomplices plotted a bombing attack, seizure of government buildings and murder, the NSS said in a statement.

The goal of the would-be terrorists was to dismantle the activities of government bodies.

[see video]

Authorities raided the apartments of the suspects and found firearms and ammunition, a drone and two gas cylinders supposedly intended as attachment, body armor, military fatigues, handcuffs, surveillance devices, computers, mobile phones, communication devices, ten unused SIM cards of Armenian and Russian communications operators and documents outlining the preparations of the terror attack and other items.

The suspects had even come up with a codename of their plot – Northern Abscission.

The suspects had opened Ukrainian and Moldovan telegram channels under the name of National Salvation Rebellion intended for “involving broader segments” in the terror attacks.

The suspects had also acquired medical supplies and planned to move their families to Georgia before the attack.

The terror suspects planned detailed moves for ambushing, surveilling and retreating from buildings. They even planned to distribute flyers and other procedures to involve accomplices and coordinate their actions.

Authorities are working to identify other accomplices of the suspects.