Author: Elizabeth Jabejian

 20:58,

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. During the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) confirmation hearing on Thursday, April 15, 2021, of Ambassador Victoria Nuland to serve as U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, SFRC Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) raised key issues relating to the Armenian people, including the Armenian prisoners of war still unjustly held captive by Azerbaijan and the need for robust humanitarian assistance, ARMENPRESS reports the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) informed.

Referring to the 44-day war launched by Azerbaijan, with the full and open support of Turkey, against the Armenian people in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) on September 27, 2020 as an "unspeakable tragedy" and the "inexcusable" absence of top-level United States diplomacy throughout the war, Chairman Menendez stated that the "U.S. must press Azerbaijan to release the prisoners of war members that it has – which [Azerbaijan] is refusing to release them – in violation of international law."

Amb. Nuland confirmed that the U.S. has to "get the prisoners released."

"I’ve worked on Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh issues for some 25 years, and the way things went down last year was absolutely tragic for so many in the region," Amb. Nuland continued.
During the afternoon hearing, Chairman Menendez also spoke about the significance and urgency of U.S. humanitarian assistance to Artsakh and the importance of "ensuring that the Armenians displaced from their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh get the assistance they need."

Amb. Nuland replied in full agreement about committing to robust humanitarian assistance, including demining funds, and to ensuring the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia, and that it can make its own decisions."

In reply to Chairman Menendez's question about how to revitalize the OSCE Minsk Group, in order to create a more sustainable peace process, Amb. Nuland discussed having conversations with Turkey.

"The Secretary [of State Antony Blinken] has spoken about needing to be clear-eyed regarding trends in Turkey," said Amb. Nuland. "We've got a lot of work to do there in our bilateral relationship to make clear our concerns about not only what Turkey's doing outside its country, but also what it's doing inside its country."

Amb.Nuland emphasized the importance of conveying "strong support for the Caucasus countries, being active diplomatically, getting high-level leadership there, and using all of our economic and humanitarian tools."

“We commend Chairman Menendez’s ongoing leadership,” stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “The release of the POWs is paramount as are the compelling humanitarian needs of the Armenian people. We continue to press forward on all fronts,” Ardouny added.

The Assembly strongly supports bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives calling on Azerbaijan to immediately release and repatriate Armenian POWs and captured civilians.

 19:36, 8 April, 2021

YEREVAN, APRIL 8, ARMENPRESS. Member of the Armenian weightlifting team Karen Avagyan became the champion of the European Championship, and Andranik Karapetyan ranked 3rd.

ARMENPRESS reports Avagyan became the European champion with the result of 375 kg, Revaz Davitadze from Georgia ranked 2nd, and Andranik Karapetyan with the result of 365 kg ranked third in the European Championship.

 17:49, 7 April, 2021

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin assured in a meeting with Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan that the trade turnover volumes that have declined because of the coronavirus pandemic will be restored.

‘’I am confident in the near future we will not only be able to restore that volume, but also move forward. I see that the inter-agency commission actively works from both sides. You actively support the activities of that commission and the Russian Deputy PM periodically visits Yerevan'', ARMENPRESS reports Putin as saying.

The Russian President also referred to the issues of opening trade-economic and transport communications in the post-war period, as a result of which, according to Putin, Armenia will get new development opportunities.

PM Pashinyan thanked Putin for the invitation and emphasized that such meetings are very important for discussing various issues. Pashinyan also welcomed the presence of the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh, which has become a key factor for regional stability and security.

Int'l community should give strong assessment to ongoing aggressive policy of Azerbaijan – Artsakh Foreign Ministry

 10:11, 2 April, 2021

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh has issued a statement on the anniversary of the 2016 April War, the ministry told Armenpress.

The statement reads:

“In April 2016, in violation of the 1994 Agreement on the complete cessation of fire and hostilities, Azerbaijan, employing its entire offensive military arsenal, launched a large-scale aggression against the Republic of Artsakh, targeting the positions of the Defense Army, the civilian infrastructures and border settlements.

During the April War, Azerbaijan committed numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity, in particular, brutal killings, tortures and inhuman treatment of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians, which were recorded and documented.

The fact that the international community did not condemn Azerbaijan for its war crimes even more intensified the militant aspirations of that country in the consequent years, the peak of which became the large-scale war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh on September 27, 2020, with the support of Turkey and the participation of international terrorists.

The international community should give a strong assessment to the ongoing aggressive policy of Azerbaijan, its extreme disregard for international law, and its attempts to reject the negotiations on the settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict.

The unity of the Armenian people and the feats of our heroes during the April War will remain forever in our history and in the memory of generations”.

 18:22,

YEREVAN, MARCH 29, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Mayor of Goris town Irina Yolyan informs that overnight March 28-29 Azerbaijanis threw stones at a van transporting bodies of killed servicemen, breaking the windows of the van.

‘’The driver tells that he left Stepanakert at night, driving to Goris. There was a heavy fog. He felt that the car was attacked with tones. The incident took place at 01:30. The driver did not stop, continued driving and reached Goris. Finally who will ensure the safe movement of peaceful civilians?’’, ARMENPRESS reports Irina Yolyan wrote on her Facebook page, adding that there are facts showing the aggressive behavior of the Azerbaijani side, which must be recorded and measures should be taken to stop it.

A similar incident took place on March 25. Armenian motorists were unharmed after being assaulted in a stone throwing incident in a village of Artsakh, with perpetrators being Azerbaijani troops who were traveling escorted by Russian peacekeepers along a road in the territory of Artsakh.

The Azerbaijani soldiers threw stones from their vehicles at Armenian residents of Artsakh who were traveling on the same road. “One of the motorists was able to avoid being hit, but the motorist driving behind him couldn’t,” Artsakh Interior Ministry spokesperson Hunan Tadevosyan told ARMENPRESS.

“After the incident, the residents of the town immediately blocked the convoy from traveling further, and the Russian peacekeepers and the commanders of the Azerbaijani troops exited their vehicles and apologized,” Tadevosyan said.

The Russian commander said the Armenian motorist whose car was damaged will receive compensation.