Author: Babken Chilingarian

 20:48, 6 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan held a phone conversation with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Wendy Morton on September 6.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, the interlocutors discusses a broad scope of issues related to regional security and stability. Minister Mirzoyan stressed that a lasting and stable peace in the region can be achieved through a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the basis of known principles and elements. Wendy Morton, in turn, noted that the United Kingdom supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

The Foreign Minister stressed the need for the immediate repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held in Azerbaijan.

Ararat Mirzoyan also presented to Wendy Morton the situation created as a result of the provocative actions of Azerbaijan, in particular, the penetration of Azerbaijani troops into the sovereign territory of Armenia. He stressed that such a behavior by Azerbaijan undermines efforts for regional security and stability.

Accepting his colleague's congratulations on assuming the post of Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan expressed the readiness of the Armenian side to develop cooperation with the UK in areas of common interest.

In the context of coordinating the efforts of the countries against climate change, the interlocutors highlighted the effective holding of the 26th summit of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) to be held in Glasgow, UK in November this year, as well as the participation of the Armenian side in the conference.

 16:30,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS. The Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh have ensured the safe transfer of construction equipment, materials for restoration of infrastructure of houses and food.

The military policy division of the Russian peacekeeping troops accompanied the vehicles which transferred the material and equipment on route Shushi-Karmir Shuka, the Russian defense ministry said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:29, 29 July, 2021

YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. At the beginning of today’s Cabinet meeting caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan touched upon the current situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and stated that the situation is not stabilizing.

Pashinyan said that Azerbaijan continues the aggressive rhetoric and actions, leaving without response all the proposals of the international community aimed at the political and lasting solution of the situation.

“Azerbaijan is attempting to disrupt any opportunity for dialogue with all its actions, discrediting the November 9 and the January 11 trilateral statements. Azerbaijan is taking consistent actions also to discredit the topic of unblocking the regional communications. Azerbaijan continues to point out a topic of a so-called corridor, outlining concrete routes and directions. I have repeatedly stated that Armenia has not discussed, is not discussing and will not discuss any issue of corridor logic”, he said, adding that all transportation and economic communications in the region must open.

“Just as Armenia must have a communication to Russia, Central Asia and Iran via Azerbaijan, so Azerbaijan must have a communication to Nakhijevan, Georgia and Iran via Armenia. In order to implement this plan, customs points should be established in the respective sections of the border”, Nikol Pashinyan said, bringing as an example the border checkpoints operating in the CIS territory.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 10:12, 30 July, 2021

YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Sweden Ann Linde has commented on the recent escalation situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, calling on he sides to implement the 2020 November 9 statement in full.

“Reports of repeated incidents along Armenia-Azerbaijan border causes grave concern. Urge sides to build on recent humanitarian steps and implement 9 November statement in full to address unresolved issues peacefully”, she said on Twitter.

On July 28, at around 03:40, the Azerbaijani armed forces launched a provocation and violated the ceasefire in the northern-eastern section of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Three Armenian servicemen have been killed, four others have been wounded in action. The Azerbaijani attacking forces have been repelled to their initial positions, suffering losses. The sides have reached an agreement on ceasefire at the mediation of the Russian side.

On July 29, at around 03:00, the Azerbaijani armed forces, violating yesterday’s agreement on the ceasefire, again launched a provocation in the Gegharkunik section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, in the direction of Karvachar, by opening fire at the Armenian positions from firearms. A serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces has been wounded from the Azerbaijani fire.

On July 29, starting from 23:00, the units of the Armenian air defense forces prevented the attempts by Azerbaijani unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to enter into Armenia’s airspace in the Gegharkunik section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

The world is on the threshold of the third wave of coronavirus. WHO Director General

 20:56,

YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. The main reason for the increase in the number of coronavirus infections in the world is the "Delta" strain, ARMENPRESS reports the Director General of the World Health Organization Tedros Ghebreyesusat said at the opening of the sitting of the Emergency Committee.

"The Delta strain is one of the main reasons for the current increase in infections, it benefits from increased social interaction and people's mobility," he said.

According to Ghebreyesusat, the increase in the level of vaccination in Europe and North America began to give positive results, the number of deaths decreased. However, he said that now the situation is changing again – the world is on the "threshold of the third wave" of coronavirus.

"Last week was the fourth consecutive week that the number of coronavirus infections in the world increased. After 10 weeks of declining rates of the mortality rate, it has also started to rise'', the WHO Director General said.