Author: Anna Tamamian

 11:04, 9 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. A battalion commander is under arrest on charges of dereliction of duty concerning his actions which authorities say led to nine troops being killed, two taken captive and multiple combat positions being taken over by Azerbaijani military during 2020 December 11-12 clashes.

The battalion commander was charged with aggravated dereliction of duty back in April 2021 and investigators asked a court to remand him in pre-trial detention, but the motion was rejected. The supervising prosecutor appealed the decision to a higher court, which eventually ordered a renewed examination. Subsequently, a Yerevan court of general jurisdiction approved the pre-trial detention, the Investigative Committee said in a press release.

The officer, who was the commander of a rifle battalion, was ordered after the 2020 November 9 ceasefire to ensure the security of 12 combat positions of the eastern border of Hin Tagher, a district of the Hadrut region in Artsakh.

“However, during combat operations which took place between 2020 December 11-12, he committed actions amounting to dereliction of duty which led to grave consequences: 12 combat positions of the Hin Tagher district’s eastern border were taken over by enemy troops, the servicemen deployed in one of these combat positions were besieged, of whom nine servicemen were killed and two were taken captive,” the investigators said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:30, 6 November, 2021

MOSCOW, NOVEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Russia does not seek an exclusive right to communicate with Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement marking a year’s anniversary of the trilateral statement signed by the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020, TASS reports.

"Russia is not claiming a monopoly in communication with Armenia and Azerbaijan although we have bonds of a longstanding and close friendship and a large-scale partnership on all azimuths with those countries and peoples," TASS quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying in the statement. "We stand for effective use of the international community’s current potential with adequate account of the changed regional realities."

The Foreign Ministry pointed out that a year has gone since the trilateral statement was adopted, so the information on social networks and in online resources that "Russia's peacekeeping efforts were allegedly aimed at ‘breaking Nagorno-Karabakh away,’ ‘handing it over’ to Azerbaijan, and turning Armenia into a ‘protectorate’ can be safely refuted.

"These statements are populist, they show an obvious external order and have nothing to do with reality," the Foreign Ministry noted.

The ministry emphasized that the Moscow-initiated trilateral agreements and mechanisms were not imposed on the sides, but were based on a verified balance of interests and included a very respectful attitude to the sovereignty and interests of Baku and Yerevan.

"Some of our initiatives could not be agreed upon, and that is normal. On the other hand, the agreement that has already been confirmed is, as they say, hard-won and is effectively implemented in practice," the Foreign Ministry stressed.

The foreign ministry further noted that Moscow is ready to support the start of negotiations over the Armenian-Azerbaijani border determination for future delimitation and demarcation.

It noted that Moscow is determined to continue actively working with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. “The Co-Chairs plan to visit the region and continue contacts in the 3+2 format”.

The foreign ministry of Russia added that as a result of the eight meetings of the Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan deputy prime ministerial working group, a report was presented which describes specific railway and automobile routes for the restoration of communication between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with access to transport communications of neighboring countries, which would increase the transit appeal of the region and would attract additional investments. It was stressed that on this occasion additional prospects are emerging for Russia and Armenia over the realization of the North-South International corridor.

“It’s no less important, especially in light of the situation created over the so-called Zangezur Corridor, which is exaggerated in the media, that all participants of the trilateral working group have agreed that the newly created transportation routes will function based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries through which they pass.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Azerbaijani authorities search for mines laid by Armenian forces in Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Oct. 19, 2021. (AA Photo)

 17:59,

YEREVAN, 19 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Armenia Helene Sand Andresen (place of residence Tbilisi) presented credentials to the President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the President, Armen Sarkissian congratulated and wished further success to the diplomat, expressing confidence that her efforts will be directed to the continuous development of Armenian-Norwegian relations.

During the meeting issues concerning the activation and deepening of bilateral relations were discussed. The interlocutors found fields of education, ecology, green and information technologies, tourism, agriculture, efficient management of water resources particularly interesting for cooperation. From the perspective of activation of ties between the two peoples President Sarkissian gave importance also to the implementation of joint cultural programmes.

Ambassador Helen Sand Andresen expressed readiness to make all efforts for further enriching the bilateral agenda as well as promoting economic activity.

She also informed that in the near future Norway will provide a significant batch of Moderna vaccine to Armenia, expressing hope that it will be significant support in the fight against the pandemic.

Work underway to prepare Putin-Pashinyan talks in Moscow on October 12 – spokesman  

 16:34,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Work is underway to prepare a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Moscow on October 12, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS on Sunday, according Armenpress.

"Yes, this meeting is being prepared," he confirmed in reply to the question.

This year, Putin and Pashinyan met in person three times, and besides they had over ten phone calls.

 13:52, 8 October, 2021

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The Italian city of Turin has won the race to become the Host City of the 66th Eurovision Song Contest, having triumphed over 16 other competing bids, the Eurovision reports.

The Grand Final will be held in PalaOlimpico on Saturday 14 May with Semi-Finals on 10 and 12 May.

The capital of Piedmont will be the third Italian city to host the event after Naples (1965) and Rome (1991), thanks to Måneskin’s magnificent victory in Rotterdam the previous year.