13:56, 8 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenia hopes that the US will put sufficient effort and pressure on Azerbaijan in order for the negotiations to continue in Washinton, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations Sargis Khandanyan told reporters.

“There’s no information at this moment regarding the date and the conditions, but as you know Armenia is always in favor of continuing the negotiations on the foreign ministerial level in this format,” he said when asked on an expected meeting with Azerbaijan in the U.S. capital. “We hope that our colleagues in the United States will put sufficient effort, and perhaps pressure, on Azerbaijan so that the negotiations continue in Washington,” he said when asked about Baku’s participation.

Armenia has accepted the offer to hold talks with Azerbaijan in Washington.

Asked whether Armenia would be ready to hold talks in Moscow, Khandanyan said, “As far as I know there are no specific timeframes or proposals on holding negotiations in Moscow. It is also very important to ensure the continuity of the logic of the negotiations, and a logic has been developed that rounds of foreign ministerial negotiations were held in Washington and summits were held in Brussels, so it would be better to ensure the continuity in order not to start everything again from a new point.”

 14:11, 8 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Russia welcomes the prisoner swap deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Russian foreign ministry has said.

“We welcome the agreement between Baku and Yerevan regarding the release of Armenian and Azerbaijani servicemen,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

She added that Russia is ready to “continue providing possible support on unblocking of transport connections, border delimitation, signing of the peace treaty and contacts between civil societies.”

Zakharova said that Russia also welcomes Armenia’s support to the bid of the Republic of Azerbaijan to host the 29th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, by withdrawing its own candidacy.

Following the talks between the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan, an agreement has been reached on taking tangible steps towards building confidence between two countries.

Driven by the values of humanism and as a gesture of goodwill, the Republic of Azerbaijan releases 32 Armenian military servicemen.

In its turn, driven by the values of humanism and as a gesture of goodwill, the Republic of Armenia releases 2 Azerbaijani military servicemen.

As a sign of good gesture, the Republic of Armenia supports the bid of the Republic of Azerbaijan to host the 29th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, by withdrawing its own candidacy. The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan do hope that the other countries within the Eastern European Group will also support Azerbaijan’s bid to host. As a sign of good gesture, the Republic of Azerbaijan supports the Armenian candidature for Eastern European Group COP Bureau membership.

The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan will continue their discussions regarding the implementation of more confidence building measures, effective in the near future and call on the international community to support their efforts that will contribute to building mutual trust between two countries and will positively impact the entire South Caucasus region.

 12:14, 9 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. France welcomes the positive signal sent by the joint statement issued by Armenia and Azerbaijan and the goodwill gestures by both countries, particularly regarding a prisoner exchange, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France said in a statement.

“We hope these announcements are a first step toward resolving the situation of prisoners, detainees and the disappeared,’’  said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France.

France supports the swift resumption of negotiations on a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the support of the EU and the United States.

 The Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France added that, as the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs has said repeatedly, there can be no lasting peace without respect for international law and the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the borders between the two nations.

 11:58, 9 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The United States has vetoed a United Nations Security Council demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.

Thirteen Security Council members voted in favor of a brief draft resolution, put forward by the United Arab Emirates on Friday, while the United Kingdom abstained, Al Jazeera reports.

“While the US strongly supports a durable peace in which both Israel and Palestine can live in peace and security, we do not support calls for an immediate ceasefire. This would only plant the seeds for the next war, because Hamas has no desire to see a durable peace, to see a two-state solution,” Al Jazeera quoted Robert Wood, deputy US ambassador to the UN as saying.

 12:57, 9 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The OSCE stands ready to help as a platform for continued dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, said on social media.

“Yesterday’s joint statement by Armenia and Azerbaijan is exactly the sort of positive step forward needed on the path to sustainable peace. The OSCE stands ready to help as a platform for continued dialogue & as an implementation partner for agreements,” he posted on X on Friday.

In a joint statement Armenia and Azerbaijan reconfirmed their intention to normalize relations and to reach the peace treaty on the basis of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Driven by the values of humanism and as a gesture of goodwill, the Republic of Azerbaijan releases 32 Armenian military servicemen. In its turn, driven by the values of humanism and as a gesture of goodwill, the Republic of Armenia releases 2 Azerbaijani military servicemen.

 12:33, 9 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS.France will allocate 15 million euros in emergency aid to Armenia to assist forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France said in a statement.

“France will continue its support for Armenia and the Armenian people following the November 30th vote in Parliament, providing €15 million in emergency aid for Armenia and refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh.

This additional aid will help support the efforts by NGOs, the ICRC, the Armenian Red Cross and UN agencies to welcome and look after the social, medical, educational and financial needs of these particularly vulnerable populations. This latest aid package brings our 2023 contribution to €27.5 million,” reads the statement.

It is noted that  emergency medical supplies were also turned over to the Armenian authorities, and French hospitals are caring for several burn patients.

According to the statement, this support is accompanied by fundraising efforts by civil society organizations and local governments to help the Armenian people.

 13:23, 9 December 2023

 14:17, 9 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Iran’s Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber has said that the Islamic Republic is resolved to expand economic cooperation with Syria as the two sides enjoy cordial, close, and strategic ties in various areas.

Mokhber made the remarks in a meeting held in Tehran on Saturday with the visiting Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous, IRNA reports.

“Iranian nation and government have special eye on Syria,” Mokhber said, adding that the Islamic Republic prioritizes Syrian welfare, success, independence and tranquility.

According to the source, in his remarks, Mokhber mentioned to the recent crimes being committed by the Zionist regime of Israel in Gaza and called those crimes as massacre, war crime and crime against humanity.

For his part, Arnous said the Syrian nation and government will not forget the Islamic Republic’s honorable stance.

In his remarks, the Syrian prime minister described his Tehran visit as a turning point in bilateral ties.

It is noted that the Syrian prime minister expressed hope that the two nations would soon feel the achievements to be made during the Tehran visit.

 15:58, 9 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The Egyptian and Russian presidents, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Vladimir Putin, have discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip and the issues of delivery of humanitarian assistance to the enclave in a telephone conversation and agreed on continued efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Palestinian sector, the Egyptian presidential spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said, Tass reports.

The sides also discussed "Egypt’s efforts on delivery of most humanitarian assistance required for providing support to Gaza residents to the sector," the spokesman added.

''Al-Sisi and Putin agreed on "continuation of seriously reaching a ceasefire in the sector, as well as making sure that the international community assumes responsibility for reaching this target," he noted.