Author: Adrine Hakobian

Sports: Armenian gymnasts snatch gold, silver at European Championships

Adrine Hakobian
PanARMENIAN
Armenia – Aug 22 2022
– 14:00 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian gymnasts Harutyun Merdinyan and Artur Davtyan won gold and silver medals, respectively, on the final day of the European Championships on Sunday, August 21, the country’s Gymnastics Federation said.

The 38-year-old Merdinyan regained the European title on pommel horse that he first earned in 2016. His other top results earlier in his lengthy career included second at the 2015 Europeans, third at the 2015 Worlds, third at the 2017 Europeans, fifth at the 2017 Worlds and seventh at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Merdinyan said he owes his achievement-filled longevity to persistence, International Gymnast reports.

“I don’t know how I’m doing it, but I’m always trying to stay in shape and I go for it,” he said. “It pays off.”

Davtyan, meanwhile, won silver title on the vault after recording an average score of 14.983 to tie for the top spot with English gymnast Jake Jarman, who was awarded gold based on achieving the highest individual score, The Mail revealed.

Vahagn Davtyan and Artur Avetisyan came fourth and eighth on the rings, while Gagik Khachiyan secured a chance to participate in the World Championships.

AFP: Armenian blast death toll rises to 6, over 60 injured

Adrine Hakobian

Aug 15 2022

Yerevan (AFP) – The death toll from an explosion at a bustling market in the Armenian capital Yerevan rose to six on Monday as search operations continued for people believed trapped under rubble.

Another 61 people were injured and 15 were missing after Sunday's blast that led to the collapse of a building at the Surmalu wholesale market, Armenia's Emergency Situations Minister Armen Pambukhchyan said.

Rescue operations were continuing "very carefully" with people still believed to be trapped beneath the debris, he added.

Pambukhchyan told reporters that video footage of the incident showed that "there can be no talk of a terrorist attack" as the fire started before the explosion.

He said the fire spread to "pyro materials". Local media had earlier said the explosion went off at a place that stored fireworks.

The cause of the fire was being established.

The minister said that smoke and small fire could persist for several more days with lots of plastic smouldering at the scene.

Photos and videos posted on social media after the blast showed a thick column of black smoke over the market and what appeared to be a series of detonations can be heard.

Prosecutors meanwhile launched a probe into violations "on stocking inflammable goods", breaches in fire safety standards and the death of people "due to negligence".

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the site of the blast on Monday, according to his press service.

In all, 200 firefighters and medical workers were sent to the scene, as well as fire engines and construction site equipment.

Rescue workers used a digger to clear away rubble, an AFP journalist at the scene reported earlier.

The disaster comes as the country of three million people is still recovering from a 2020 war with Azerbaijan, which ended in a heavy defeat and sparked a political crisis.

© 2022 AFP

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220815-armenian-blast-death-toll-rises-to-6-over-60-injured
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Baku is concerned about safety of its diplomatic mission in London

Adrine Hakobian
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 16 2022
11:32, 16.08.2022

Baku expects that the provocation against the Azerbaijani embassy in London will be investigated in detail and the persons who committed this provocation will be held accountable, said Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva, Azerbaijani media reported.

According to Abdullayeva, the Azerbaijani embassy in the UK was attacked by members of a radical religious group and this incident seriously raises the issue of the security of the diplomatic mission.

The security of diplomatic missions, including diplomats, must be ensured by the host country in accordance with international obligations, she noted.

In this regard, it is important that the British Minister mentioned the security of diplomatic personnel as a priority issue. As far as the _expression_ "freedom of opinion" is concerned, the ways/rules for applying this principle in a free society, which have nothing to do with the attack on our embassy in London, are probably well known to the relevant institutions in Britain, which is an old Western democracy. Otherwise, the interpretation of any radical and illegal actions under the guise of the _expression_ "freedom" can cause serious problems for the country's security, she added.

Stepanakert Mayor: Alternative road under construction does not cause inconvenience to Artsakh residents

Adrine Hakobian
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 12 2022
17:51, 12.08.2022

There have been no problems with electricity, gas and communications in Stepanakert for a long time, the mayor of Stepanakert David Sargsyan told journalists in Shurnukh today.

He said he can't give the exact number of citizens who settled in Stepanakert after the 44-day war but that there are many of them. According to Sarkisian, the alternative road to the Lachin corridor, which is under construction, does not create inconveniences for Artsakh residents. "They are ready for the inconveniences. Artsakh people are ready to pass 4-5 km. The government is working on the road, and the mood of the people of Karabakh is very good. They are firmly on their land after the war. The builders are working, in a short time there will be a normal road," he said.

The Mayor replied, "I wasn't interested in that, but all the issues are already solved.

Asked why the society learns about the decisions on Artsakh after they are made or from the Azerbaijani side, Sarkisyan said he couldn't answer that question. "I am a mayor, I do not deal with politics," he said.


No significant ceasefire violations recorded – Artsakh Ministry of Defense

Adrine Hakobian

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 10:12,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 12, ARMENPRESS. The situation at the line of contact overnight August 11-12 and as of 09:00 was relatively stable despite the certain remaining tension, the Artsakh Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

No significant ceasefire violations or incidents were recorded.

“Measures continue being taken together with the Russian peacekeeping contingent for further stabilizing the situation,” the ministry said.

Russia’s daily coronavirus cases exceed 25,000 for first time since March 25

Adrine Hakobian

Russia's daily coronavirus cases exceed 25,000 for first time since March 25

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 13:09,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS. Russia identified 25,815 coronavirus patients in the past 24 hours, TASS reported citing the anti-coronavirus crisis center.

New daily cases exceeded 25,000 for the first time since March 25. The total number of cases has reached 18,796,472.

As many as 2,525 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, down from 2,666 the day before. Hospitalizations declined in 44 regions of the country and rose in 33 regions.

Moscow’s COVID-19 cases surged by 7,899 to 2,885,222 in the past day, St. Petersburg’s coronavirus cases increased by 2,940 to 1,578,609.

Coronavirus recoveries

Russia’s coronavirus recoveries rose by 14,221 to 18,089,941 in the past 24 hours, the crisis center reported. Recoveries increased by 6,202 to 2,657,606 in Moscow and by 1,887 to 1,523,156 in St. Petersburg.

Coronavirus death toll

Russia reported 52 coronavirus fatalities in the past 24 hours, down from 56 the day before. The total death toll has climbed to 382,954. Moscow’s coronavirus death toll rose by 16 to 44,634 in the past day and St. Petersburg’s fatalities were up by nine to 34,425.

Russia MFA: Lachin corridor issue should be resolved on basis of trilateral statement

Adrine Hakobian
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 11 2022
14:02, 11.08.2022
R

The issue of the Lachin corridor should be resolved on the basis of point 6 of the trilateral statement by the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020. This was announced by Ivan Nechayev, Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

According to him, the abovementioned point assumes that, with the consent of the parties, the plan for the construction of a new route through the Lachin corridor will be decided within the next three years, this route will ensure the link between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, and the Russian peacekeepers will be redeployed there to protect that route.

"The situation in the region remains in the center of Russia's attention," Nechayev added.

Also, he recalled that on August 4, the Russian MFA issued a statement regarding the escalation of tension in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, calling on both sides to show restraint and maintain the ceasefire.

Russian and Armenian Leaders Discuss Yerevan-Baku Ties

Adrine Hakobian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 August 2, 2022

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

The Armenia-Azerbaijan border


Armenian and Russian leaders held separate telephone conversations on Tuesday to discuss the implementation of agreements reached following the 2020 Artsakh War.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan President Vladimir Putin spoke about these issues with the Kremlin and Pashinyan’s office releasing identical statements. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

Pashinyan and Putin discussed “individual practical aspects of implementation of the 2020 November 9, 2021 January 11 and November 26 trilateral agreements between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on Nagorno Karabakh,” according the statement released on Tuesday.

According Russia’s foreign ministry, Mirzoyan and Lavrov discussed the normalization of relations between Yerevan and Baku.

The ministers reportedly reviewed the course of the implementation of trilateral statements made the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021 and confirmed their commitment to their comprehensive and effective implementation, particularly, the commitment to unblock transport and economic ties in the South Caucasus and delimit the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported that during the conversation the sides exchanged also views on the humanitarian problems created as a result of the 44-day war in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

To this end, the release and return of Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees was mutually stressed, it said.

The two top diplomats also discussed bi-lateral agenda items, including prospects for further strengthening of Russian-Armenian relations, as well as the implementation of agreements reached during Pashinyan’s visit to Russia in April and discussions held on the sidelines of the CSTO summit in May, the Russian foreign ministry reported.

Soon after reports of the telephone conversations were publicized, the Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement saying that Azerbaijan was violated the ceasefire in the line of contact in Artsakh on Monday. https://asbarez.com/russia-says-azerbaijan-violated-ceasefire-artsakh-soldier-injured/

Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that Russia continues to actively contribute to the preparation of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, adding that Moscow’s special representative on the Caucasus Igor Kovaev, who was until recently Russia’s OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, continues to engage with the sides to determine mutually acceptable basic principles, parameters of the peace agreement.

“Delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is also an important direction of Russia’s mediation efforts to improve the dialogue between our Transcaucasian neighbors. Moscow’s consultative role in this process is fixed in the Sochi trilateral statement at the highest level of November 26, 2021. As you know, at the end of May a relevant bilateral commission was established and the first exploratory meeting of representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan was held on the border between the two countries. For our part, we are always ready to host our Armenian and Azerbaijani friends in Russia. We are confident that Russia’s unique, professional capabilities to delimit demarcation in the post-Soviet space can significantly strengthen security on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and in the region as a whole,” said Zakharova.

Armenian Vice Speaker of Parliament, French Ambassador discuss regional security

Adrine Hakobian

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 15:33,

YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMENPRESS. Vice Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan held a meeting today with Ambassador of France to Armenia Anne Louyot, the Parliament’s press service said.

At the request of the Ambassador, the Vice Speaker of Parliament presented the current situation in the process of normalizing the Armenia-Turkey relations, as well as touched upon the agreements that have been reached recently.

A number of issues relating to regional security were also discussed during the meeting.