10:02, 5 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS.  U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. O’Brien will travel to Baku, Azerbaijan this week to support the peace talks with Armenia, the U.S. Department of State said in a press release.

“While in Baku, the Assistant Secretary will meet with Azerbaijani officials on strengthening bilateral relations and supporting the peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia,” the Department of State said.

 10:22, 5 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Sixty U.S. Senators and Representatives, led by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), called on congressional leaders to send security assistance to Armenia and provide additional refugee relief aid for the forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of the national security supplemental funding bill, set to be reviewed as early as next week, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Specifically, the Padilla-Eshoo letter calls for $10 million in U.S. foreign military financing (FMF) for Armenia and requests humanitarian assistance allocated in the supplemental aid bill to be made available to Armenia to meet the needs of over 100,000 forcibly displaced Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Azerbaijan’s brutal, unprovoked military assault on Nagorno-Karabakh on the heels of their months-long blockade of the Lachin Corridor has created a horrific humanitarian crisis, forcing more than 100,000 ethnic Armenian refugees to flee their homes,” said Senator Padilla. “The U.S. must step up to address this emergency. I strongly urge Congressional leadership to include essential security and humanitarian assistance for Armenia in the foreign aid package.”

In the letter to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), legislators cite Azerbaijan’s September 19th attack on Nagorno-Karabakh and forced displacement of over 100,000 indigenous Armenians.

“We are particularly concerned that Azerbaijan will continue its aggression by invading the sovereign territory of Armenia. Ominously, Aliyev recently referred to southern Armenia as “western Azerbaijan” and called for the “liberation” of eight Armenian villages along the Azerbaijani border,” state the congressional lawmakers. They go on to stress, “At this inflection point for the Caucasus, U.S. leadership is needed to deter further Azerbaijani aggression and enable Armenians to defend their democracy.”

“As a small democracy in a region dominated by autocrats, Armenia is particularly vulnerable. This is especially true now that Armenia has distanced itself from Russia, Armenia’s traditional security guarantor, in pursuit of closer ties with western democracies,” the U.S. lawmakers said in the letter.

 11:05, 5 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, has met with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the White House in Washington. 

Grigoryan and Sullivan discussed issues of mutual interest in the areas of security and the economy, and lauded the steady dynamics of development of Armenia-U.S. bilateral relations, Grigoryan’s office said in a readout.

The officials also discussed the regional security situation, and Secretary Grigoryan reiterated Armenia’s commitment to continue the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization and peace process.

 11:19, 5 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, Toivo Klaar, has expressed concern about the shootings on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, which led to the death of an Armenian serviceman on December 4.

“Worrying report of shootings and death on Armenia-Azerbaijan border. The EU is constantly engaged with Baku and Yerevan. It is essential that calm prevails on the ground and decisive progress is achieved at the negotiating table,” Klaar said in a post on X.

A serviceman of the Armed Forces of Armenia was shot dead by Azerbaijani forces in a cross-border shooting in Vayots Dzor province around 14:35, on December 4.

 12:08, 5 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Iran welcomes the latest steps made by the Armenian government for peace and security, Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani has said.

“We support Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we support lasting and sustainable peace in the region,” the Iranian Ambassador said at a forum entitled New Regional Reality and the Crossroads of Peace.

Ambassador Sobhani spoke about the historic relations between Armenia and Iran and the good-neighborly relations between the two governments which enable the side to further develop ties.

He said that Armenia and Iran have the shortest common border which has always been a border of friendship and peace.

Ambassador Sobhani mentioned the growing trade between the two countries, and that turnover is already reaching 1 billion dollars.

“Our two countries have mutually beneficial agreements in infrastructure development and energy. We are trying to reveal untapped potential for the benefit of the relations between the two countries. Undoubtedly, the opening of transit infrastructures and connection routes will contribute not only to the development of the economic and trade relations between the two countries, but will pave the way for regional participation. We believe that connection corridors from India up to the Chabahar Port, Armenia and the Black Sea, will provide a reliable road for shipping goods to the north, to Europe. The development of this route will safeguard our countries from foreign harm. In this context, we attach importance to India’s role in the development of the Chabahar Port, and we welcome the Armenian participation in this work. I believe that if the countries have more connection routes, they will acquire a more significant role in the international arena. This is the new concept of power,” the Ambassador said.

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 12:55, 5 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan will not participate in the upcoming CSTO Parliamentary Assembly Council meeting, the Armenian parliament’s press service said in a statement.

The 16^th plenary session of the CSTO PA Council will take place on December 19 in Moscow.

The Armenian parliamentary delegation will not participate in the session.

Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan has sent a letter to Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin notifying him about the decision on not attending the meeting.

 13:15, 5 December 2023

 14:20, 5 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The centuries-old relations between Armenia, India and Iran are a strong foundation for cooperation in present days, Ambassador of India to Armenia Nilakshi Saha Sinha has said.

Speaking at the New Regional Reality and the Crossroads of Peace forum in Yerevan, the Indian Ambassador said that Armenia and India have historic ties, and Iran is a bridge that has contributed to the development of the relations.

“India and Iran are closely cooperating as part of the North-South international transport corridor initiative, which connects the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf with the Caspian Sea, towards Russia and Europe. We are ready to work with Armenia to understand how the country can benefit from the opportunities of this corridor,” the ambassador said.

Speaking about the Crossroads of Peace project developed by the Armenian government, the Indian ambassador said that this initiative presented by Prime Minister Pashinyan seeks to promote connectivity in the Caucasus, including railways, roads and power transmission lines, through the development of infrastructures.

“Armenia is currently developing its road infrastructure, from the southern border with Iran to the northern border with Georgia. Certain Indian companies have displayed interest towards this project. We are ready to participate in infrastructure development projects in Armenia,” the Indian ambassador said.

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 14:24, 5 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. India will simplify the possibility of using the Chabahar Port for Armenia, Ambassador of India to Armenia Nilakshi Saha Sinha has said.

The Ambassador said that the Indian government has made a key decision to make investments to develop the Chabahar Port given the importance of regional connectivity.

“Not only is this a transit commercial hub, but it also contributes to the transfer of humanitarian aid. Armenia has expressed interest regarding the port. Armenia’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures and the Deputy Foreign Minister recently participated in the Global Maritime India summit. We will simplify the possibility of using the port for Armenia to overcome the challenges given that Armenia is a landlocked country,” the ambassador said at the New Regional Reality and the Crossroads of Peace forum.