18:25,
YEREVAN, 18 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The number of refugees from Ukraine since February 24 is 3.2 million, 185 thousand of which crossed the border of Russia, ARMENPRESS reports citing “RIA Novosti”, UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo informed.
2 million people crossed the border of Poland.
Officials from the International Organization of Migration inform that 162 thousand who have left Ukraine Ukraine are foreigners.
12:33,
YEREVAN, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia commented on the call of Ukraine’s national bank to suspend all transactions with cards of Russia’s Mir payment system.
In a query to ARMENPRESS, the Central Bank said that it will properly notify the public about any action in all cases.
“The National Bank of Ukraine has publicly announced that it has asked the central banks of the partner countries to stop transactions with cards of Mir payment system in their national systems. The decisions of the Central Bank of Armenia have always been transparent, and in all cases the public will be properly informed about any action”, the Central Bank said.
The National Bank of Ukraine has appealed to the leadership of the central banks of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Vietnam, Turkey, and the Kyrgyz Republic to suspend any transactions with payment cards of the MIR payment system in these countries. Specifically, the NBU has urged these central bankers to discontinue the servicing of MIR cards in their ATM and POS networks, and to make it impossible to use these cards in e-commerce and P2P transfers.
Ambassador Andranik Hovhannisyan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the United Nations Office in Geneva, delivered remarks at the 49th session of the Human Rights Council. His full statement is below.
"President,
Armenia expresses its appreciation to the distinguished High Commissioner for the reports and comprehensive oral update.
We would like to share with this Council our grave concern about non-compliance of Azerbaijan with its international obligations in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The High Commissioner pointed out to the extrajudicial execution of Armenians by Azerbaijani armed forces that may amount to a war crime. The Special Procedure Mandate Holders dispatched communications to Azerbaijan on extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment of Armenians, destruction of religious and cultural heritage. Azerbaijan did not even respond to recent communications. Furthermore, on November 2021 Azerbaijan announced an amnesty for all those who participated in the war against Nagorno-Karabakh conveniently putting to rest even the theoretical possibilities for accountability on the crimes identified by the OHCHR and Special procedures.
In another warrying move Azerbaijan announced about its decision to review, revise and effectively deface the cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh. With a number of monuments of Armenian cultural and religious heritage destroyed, vandalized and misappropriated this new decision may result in total elimination of what is left.
The International Court of Justice has recently obliged Azerbaijan to protect Armenian detainees and ensure their equality before the law; to prevent anti-Armenian incitement and promotion of racial hatred, including by the officials; and to take necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of destruction of Armenian cultural heritage. Azerbaijan blatantly ignores all these measures prescribed by the ICJ.
In these circumstances Armenia believes that the High Commissioner should receive unconditional and unimpeded access to Nagorno-Karabakh as she has requested a year ago.
President,
Armenia is convinced that non-politicized, constructive, open and inclusive debates are essential for the promotion and protection of human rights.
Armenia commends China for its determination to eradicate poverty and create equal opportunities for empowerment of the society and its individual members, as well as for its efforts towards the promotion of the right to health. Armenia reiterates its adherence to One China policy.
I thank you.
First Right of reply
President,
Armenia requested the floor to exercise its right of reply to Pakistan that spoke on behalf of the OIC.
Armenia will keep persistently communicating that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a religious one and it cannot be anointed in religious terms. Armenia strongly believes that human rights are universal and are not limited to religious affiliations.
It is unfortunate that Azerbaijan continues to abuse its membership and take advantage of the principle of solidarity established among the OIC members to distort the conflict-related realities. Let us bring just one illustrious example in this regard. Azerbaijan has misled the OIC that allegedly the religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh have been damaged by the Armenian side. In reality it is Azerbaijan that hinders the fact-finding mission of UNESCO to Nagorno-Karabakh to assess the state of affairs with regards to the religious sites and this has been publicly confirmed by the Assistant Director General of UNESCO in his relevant statement.
Obviously, Azerbaijan strives to conceal its own damage inflicted to the religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, on the contrary, have supported the mission of UNESCO. It is our conviction that the OIC should not take the allegations of Azerbaijan for granted and not allow Azerbaijan to disseminate such and other blatant misrepresentations through such reputable organization as the OIC.
Second Right of reply
We’d like to exercise our second right of reply in response to Azerbaijan, which put forth a blatant misrepresentation and propaganda.
Our region has been tainted with aggressive display of militarism and consequent chain of grave violations of the International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law committed by Azerbaijan.
Most recently, on March 7, sergeant Hrach Manasaryan of the Armenian Armed Forces was killed by Azerbaijan on the border of the Republic of Armenia. Armenia strongly condemns this unprovoked attack and murder.
When it comes to Armenia then we reiterate that the adoption of the peace treaty is among the priorities of the Government.
The sanctimonious talks of peace that representatives of Azerbaijan pursue in the high-end salons around the globe are not matched with the corresponding appropriate actions on the ground.
Azerbaijan continues to violate the letter and spirit of the international humanitarian law by keeping hostage the combatant and civilian detainees that should have been released and repatriated long ago without any preconditions. Azerbaijan weaponizes their suffering, unlawful and arbitrary detention to drive a bargain. It is coupled with the Government-induced and propagated extreme manifestation of intolerance and hate towards Armenians.
It does not come as a surprise that the International Court of Justice has recently ordered Azerbaijan (and I quote) “to protect from violence and bodily harm all persons captured in relation to the 2020 Conflict who remain in detention, and ensure their security and equality before the law.” Obviously, Azerbaijan fails to implement this and other measures prescribed by the ICJ, which also violates the Court’s ruling to refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute.
Instead, Azerbaijan pursues an ethno-centric approach with the well-declared objective to force the indigenous Armenian population out of their homeland.
Impunity leads to new ethnically motivated crimes. Hence, Armenia calls not to turn a blind eye to Azerbaijan’s violations of the international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
I thank you."
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter to President of France Emmanuel Macron, Azertag has reported.
Dear Mr. President,
Thank you for your letter to me on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the French Republic. In my turn, I would also like to sincerely congratulate you and the people of France on this significant occasion and convey my best wishes.
The Treaty of Friendship, Mutual Understanding and Cooperation signed between Azerbaijan and France in 1993 defined the basic principles and vectors for the development of our bilateral relations. Azerbaijan has always adhered to these principles and tried to establish equal and mutually beneficial cooperation with France.
Over the past period, Azerbaijani-French relations have developed dynamically. Fruitful cooperation has been established and good achievements have been made in many areas. Today, French companies are heavily involved in the economic life of Azerbaijan, the French Lyceum and the French-Azerbaijani University are successfully operating in Baku. I would like to emphasize the attention being paid to the development of cultural ties between our countries under the direct leadership of Mehriban Aliyeva. I believe that the development of our mutually beneficial cooperation in the economic, cultural, educational and other fields will continue to serve the well-being of our peoples and countries.
The Republic of Azerbaijan, where peoples of different civilizations, cultures and religions have historically lived together and in harmony, is a state pursuing an independent policy based on the will and interests of the people. Azerbaijan has restored its territorial integrity by ending the occupation of its historical and ancient lands by Armenia and implemented UN Security Council resolutions. The end of the 30 years of aggression has created opportunities for cooperation in the region in accordance with the new geopolitical reality. In this regard, the opening of transport and communication lines ushers ample economic opportunities for our region.
I believe that our quadripartite meeting and talks initiated by France as the current President of the European Union provided a good opportunity for building confidence in the region and ensuring lasting peace and stability.
Azerbaijan is a supporter of peace. We are ready to start negotiations on a peace agreement with Armenia on the basis of fundamental principles of international law such as territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of internationally recognized borders. Emphasizing the importance of Armenia's constructive stance on this issue, we do hope that France will support the peace agenda in the region.
Dear Mr. President,
At present, the main task facing Azerbaijan is to restore the territories completely destroyed as a result of many years of occupation. We appreciate France's support for the demining process in our liberated territories. At the same time, we welcome the attention your country has been paying to clarifying the fate of about 4,000 of our compatriots who went missing during the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
As a member of UNESCO and in accordance with its Charter, Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated its intention to host the organization's mission in its territory over the past decades. We are ready to see the UNESCO mission in our country soon based on respect for the sovereign right of the member state.
Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the diversification of cooperation with the European Union, as well as the expansion of relations and dialogue with member countries. We express our confidence that these relations will be further strengthened in the coming months within the framework of your country's presidency in the European Union.
Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.
Ilham Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Baku, 7 March 2022
Iran's Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Reza Fatemi-Amin will travel to Armenia this week at the head of a large delegation, pushing forward on the current administration's policy to fast-track trade and economic relations with neighbors.
The visit comes in the wake of a memorandum of cooperation signed between Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO) and Armenia's Investment Support Center last year, following which the first exhibition of Iran's production and industrial capabilities was held in Yerevan with a strong participation of Iranian companies.
Trade between the two neighbors, currently around $300 million, has steadily grown since Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) reached a free trade agreement in October 2018 based on which about 862 commodity items were subjected to preferential tariffs.
The EAEU is a trade bloc that includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, seen by many observers as a precursor to a future Eurasian Union to unite the regional states as a bulwark against the West's use of economic sanctions as a political pressure tool.
To put in perspective, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire declared an “all-out economic and financial war” against Russia Tuesday to bring down its economy as punishment, before rowing back on language he later said was inappropriate.
The Armenian market is a special opportunity for small and medium-sized Iranian enterprises, especially in the field of food, home appliances and nuts.
Given its geopolitical position sandwiched between often unfriendly neighbors, Armenian industry is in dire need of cooperation with Iran. This means the two countries offer each other unique opportunities for cooperation which needs to be seized in a timely manner to achieve result.
For cooperation, it is necessary to create conditions for the presence of Iranian companies – especially small and medium enterprises that can compete in the Armenian market – in order to gain access to other markets while building a permanent trade foothold in the country.
Cement, bricks, stones, tile, ceramics, doors and windows, elevators and escalators, as well as agricultural and food products and equipment, medical software and hardware equipment, home appliances and solar panels are among the products that can find a good market in Armenia.
Given that Armenia's trade tariff with countries such as Canada is 4%, the opportunity can be used to cross-sell Iranian goods to other countries and access the North American market.
Armenia's main handicap for expanding trade with the rest of the world, of course, is its geographical position that makes it perennially dependent on neighbors. Its two important neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan, do not have a normal political relationship with the country. Although they have trade relations, their relationship has always been fraught with political conflicts. This situation has created a unique business opportunity for other neighbors and countries close to Armenia, especially Iran.
The visit by the minister of industry, mines and trade, having already visited Oman, Qatar and the UAE, takes place in line with the government's determination to develop economic and trade diplomacy with the regional countries, especially Iran's neighbors.
It is also in line with the state policy to provide the necessary basis for the proactive presence of the Iranian private sector in neighboring countries and build a competitive landscape for their international operations.
“The visit comes as part of efforts to expand trade ties with Armenia, in order to use its capacities to enter the Eurasian market,” Alireza Paymanpak, head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization, was quoted as saying.
According to Paymanak, chief executives of 35 Iranian private companies will accompany Fatemi-Amin in the visit.
Since coming to office last June, Iran's President Ebrahim Raeisi has pursued a "look east" policy. In September, Tehran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a central Asian security body whose members include China and Russia.
Last September, Raeisi met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe where Iran was accepted as the new member of the Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance.
In their meeting, they stressed the need for increasing the current level of economic relations between the two neighbors.
Armenia can potentially serve as a transit route for Iranian goods, technologies as well as machinery, technical and engineering services to Russia and even to European countries.
According to General Manager of Iran's Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization Javad Hedayati, Iran's main transit route to Europe is through Turkey and Azerbaijan, but Armenia is still important as an alternative in case a problem arises with the two corridors.
The problem with the Armenia route is that it is extremely mountainous and difficult to pass, especially in winter, when trucks have to travel 400 km sometimes in three days, according to Hedayati.
In November, Iran and Georgia agreed to accelerate the finalization of a corridor linking the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea.
PanARMENIAN.Net - The Investigative Committee of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) opened a criminal case to investigate an incident which involved Azerbaijani servicemen opening fire on three Armenian civilians.
According to the press service of the Investigative Committee, the incident occurred on February 5 near the village of Khramort. The three employees of the Future Generations Fund hid from gunfire, so that not to be killed.
After the end of the 44-day war in Artsakh, the residents of of the country being periodically subjected to shelling by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Both civilians and servicemen have been killed.
The Azerbaijani military has also been threatening the residents of Khramort for several days now, using loudspeakers to demand that they leave their homes and surrender the settlement to Azerbaijan. According to journalist Tsovinar Barkhudaryan, a voice speaking in Armenian claims that if the villagers fail to leave the area voluntarily, the Azeris "will have to use force."
The authorities of Artsakh have said that Russian peacekeepers deployed in the region have been notified, and that negotiations have been launched.
PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian community of Ukraine has condemned Russia's military aggression, maintaining that Armenians have been living in Ukraine since the 10th century and describing the country as their homeland.
"Innocent people who have become victims of Russia's aggression are dying today. Many of our fellow nationals have taken up arms and are standing with their Ukrainian counterparts in defense of their cities and villages. Every day the Armenians fill up the ranks of defense," the community said in a statement on Monday, February 28.
"We, the Armenians of Ukraine, oppose the military aggression of the Russian Federation against our country and condemn the ongoing occupation. Now, side by side with the Ukrainian people, we are defending our cities, homes and loved ones."
In the statement, the Armenians also appealed to the international community with a request to use all mechanisms to stop the aggression against Ukraine.
11:36, 25 February, 2022
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, ARMENPRESS. The next session of the Eurasian Inter-governmental Council will take place in Brest, Belarus in late June, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov said today while summing up the results of the Eurasian Inter-governmental Council session held in the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan.
“The next session of the Eurasian Inter-governmental Council will be held in the city of Brest on June 21-22, 2022, at the initiative of the Belarusian side”, he said.
The Eurasian Inter-governmental Council involves Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
19:51,
YEREVAN, 23 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed to the Verkhovna Rada to impose a 30-day state of emergency in the country starting from February 24, ARMENPRESS reports, citing TASS.
The relevant decree, which is subject to discussion in the parliament, was published on the website of the Rada of Ukraine on February 23.
Zelenskyy thanks Erdogan for supporting Ukraine's position
18:43,
YEREVAN, 21 FEBRUARY, ARMENPERESS. The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with the President of Turkey, thanking Recep Tayyip Erdogan for supporting Ukraine's position, ARMENPRESS reports, the president of Ukraine announced on his Twitter page.
"I had a telephone conversation with Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I thank him for supporting Ukraine's position over Russia's recent provocative decisions. I also thanked him for supporting the initiative of holding a summit of the permanent members of the UN Security Council with the participation of Ukraine, Turkey and Germany”, Zelenskyy said.
Russia recognized the independence of tow self-proclaimed republics – Donetsk and Lugansk on February 21.