16:18,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. The meeting of the commissions for demarcation and border security between Armenia and Azerbaijan is planned to take place by the end of August in Moscow, Russia, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan’s office said.
No separate agenda of items is decided yet.
10:01,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, ARMENPRESS. South Korea and the United States began a regular combined military exercise Monday, reviving large-scale field training suspended four years ago, Yonhap news agency reports.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise is set to run through Sept. 1, involving an array of contingency drills, like concurrent field maneuvers that were not held over the past years under the preceding Moon Jae-in administration's drive for peace with North Korea.
Under an all-out war concept, the exercise consists of two parts — the first segment involving drills on repelling North Korean attacks and defending the greater Seoul area, with the second part focusing on counterattack operations.
17:48,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, ARMENPRESS. On August 22, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Armenia Karen Giloyan received the Armenian boxers who won 2 gold and 4 bronze medals at the European Youth Championship recently held in Erzurum, Turkey.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry, Hamest Afrikyan (42 kg) and Samvel Siramargyan (66 kg) won the title of Europe’s champion. Vahram Dovlatbekyan (40 kg), Tigran Hovsepyan (50 kg), Alen Stepanyan (57 kg) and Hayk Ghahramanyan (75 kg) won bronze medals.
The Deputy Minister congratulated the young boxers for their wonderful performances and achievements.
"Thank you and congratulations. Most importantly, continue training and working with the same logic and diligence. This is just the beginning, don't overestimate yourselves. Now you have to practice better, work to win medals in the adult competition as well."
A new bridge on the border of Armenia and Georgia, aimed at easing travel and cargo transit between the two countries, was inaugurated on Friday.
The prime ministers of Armenia and Georgia, Nikol Pashinyan and Irakli Garibashvili attended the ceremony for what is being called the “Friendship Bridge.”
The prime ministers of Armenia and Georgia, Nikol Pashinyan and Irakli Garibashvili attended the ceremony
The bridge, which was partly funded by the European Union, connects Armenia’s Bagratashen region with Georgia’s Sadakhlo. The project modernized the old infrastructure that has been blocking traffic at the border between the two countries.
In his remarks, Pashinyan praised the “historic” allied relations with Georgia and pointed to an uptick in trade between the two countries.
“Nevertheless the Armenian-Georgian trade-economic relations have greater potential. There are serious opportunities for deepening cooperation in industry, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, information and communication, transport, energy, tourism and other sectors. It is obvious that connection routes have key significance for developing trade relations, which enable us to integrate into the world economy and ensure vital connection on the national, regional and international levels,” said Pashinyan.
“The priority of the transport sector in our bilateral cooperation and partnership in several international transport organizations enable us to take realistic steps not only in the Persian Gulf-Black Sea International Transport Corridor but also other initiatives ensuring nodal connection in the transport sector,” added Pashinyan.
The two prime ministers later held a meeting to discuss further cooperation on economic and regional issues.
Armenian officials say that the death toll in a fireworks storage explosion in the country's capital has risen to seven
12:23,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. The death toll in the Yerevan market explosion stands at 16 as of midday August 16, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said.
2 of the 16 bodies are yet to be identified.
8 people are missing after the blast.
Those unaccounted for are: Gagik Karapetyan, Artavazd Hayrapetyan, Vanik Amirkhanyan, Kseniya Badalyan, Aram Harutyunyan, Davit Mkhitaryan, Gegham Petrosyan and Mehri Taheri (citizen of Iran).
Monday,
Bomb ‘Almost Ruled Out’ As Cause Of Armenian Market Blast
Armenia -- Rescue workers on August 15 continued to search for survivors after
the previous day’s major explosion and fire at the Surmalu shopping center in
Yerevan.
Authorities in Armenia do not see evidence that a series of explosions and
subsequent fire at a local shopping center was due to a bomb planted there.
Talking to reporters on Monday, one day after the deadly incident at the Surmalu
wholesale market just off the center of Yerevan, Minister of Emergency
Situations Armen Pambukhchian said that such a theory is “almost ruled out.”
“Watching the footage of the explosion, we almost rule out such a theory [that a
bomb had been planted], because first there was smoke, then fire covering some
small area, then came an explosion… Quite a large amount of explosive materials
was stored there,” the minister explained.
Meanwhile, firefighters continued to fight pockets of fire throughout Monday and
rescue workers searched for survivors who may have been trapped under the rubble
after a partial collapse of a three-story building of the fireworks warehouse.
Officials said as of Monday evening at least seven people have been killed and
over 60 injured in the Surmalu market explosions and fire. Most of the injured
have already been discharged from hospitals, but about a dozen continue to
receive treatments, health authorities said.
Officials added that 21 people remain unaccounted for, including five citizens
of Iran and one citizen of Russia.
Armenia Receives Condolences On Deadly Shopping Center Blast
Armenia - Firefighters on August 15 continued to fight a blaze at the Surmalu
market in Yerevan triggered by a powerful explosition that caused multiple
detonations inside a fireworks warehouse on the location the previous day.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and officials representing other countries have
offered condolences to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian over a powerful
explosion and fire at a Yerevan market that killed at least six people and
injured dozens on Sunday.
In a message to Pashinian over the Surmalu market explosion and fire Putin,
according to the Kremlin, asked the Armenian leader to accept his “deepest
condolences” over the loss of life.
“Please convey my sincere words of sympathy and support to the families of the
victims and my wishes of a speedy recovery to all those injured,” Putin wrote.
Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also offered condolences in a Twitter post
addressed to its Armenian counterparts.
“News about a massive explosion in Yerevan, Armenia, is shocking. Our
condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the tragedy. We wish
swift and speedy recovery to all those injured and stand in solidarity with our
Armenian friends in this difficult time!” it said.
Foreign embassies in Yerevan, including the embassies of the United States and
China, also reportedly expressed condolences regarding the deadly explosion and
fire at the Surmalu market.
Earlier, on Sunday, Serdar Kilic, a Turkish envoy in normalization talks with
Armenia, also offered condolences to his Armenian counterpart on the market
explosion.
Firefighters in Yerevan are still battling the blaze at the market a day after
an explosion triggered the fire, killing at least six people and injuring 61
people.
Authorities say at least 15 people remain unaccounted for since yesterday, with
rescuers searching for any survivors who may be still trapped under the rubble
of a three-story fireworks warehouse that partially collapsed as a result of the
blast and fire.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fireworks to detonate, but
investigators are now looking into a possible breach of fire-safety regulations.
Pashinian visited the scene of the search-and-rescue operations early on Monday,
but made no public remarks immediately.
Turkish Official Sends Condolences Over Armenian Market Blast
• Tatevik Sargsian
The Armenian and Turkish envoys for normalization talks, Ruben Rubinian and
Serdar Kilic (combination photograph).
A Turkish envoy in normalization talks with Armenia has offered condolences to
his Armenian counterpart on an explosion and fire in a Yerevan shopping center
that killed at least six and injured dozens on Sunday.
Hours after the incident at the Surmalu market when there was news only about
one dead, Serdar Kilic, whom Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had
appointed special representative for talks with Yerevan, posted his condolences
on Twitter.
“I am deeply shocked by the news about the powerful explosion that took place in
the open-air shopping center in the center of Yerevan. I would like to express
my sincere condolences to the family of the victim and wish a speedy recovery to
all those injured as a result of this tragedy,” Kilic wrote, addressing his post
to Armenia’s representative at the talks Ruben Rubinian and the Armenian Foreign
Ministry.
At least six people were killed and 61 injured as a result of yesterday’s
explosions and fire at the sprawling wholesale market in Yerevan selling, among
other things, fireworks and other pyrotechnic materials.
Search and rescue operations still continue on the scene as 15 people are
considered missing.
Armenian authorities said that initial investigation showed two large explosions
brought down part of a building housing fireworks.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fireworks to detonate, but
investigators are now looking into a possible breach of fire-safety regulations.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian visited the scene of the search and
rescue operations early on Monday.
Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations. Last year Pashinian and Turkish
President Erdogan initiated a process of normalizing relations after decades of
feud between the two nations over historical events, including the Ottoman-era
genocide of Armenians that Turkey denies.
The two leaders had a phone call in July, in particular, exchanging
congratulations on different religious festivals marked in their countries
during those days.
Kilic and Rubinian have held four rounds of normalization talks since the
beginning of this year.
Search For Survivors Continues After Deadly Market Blast In Armenia
Armenia - Citizens help rescue workers remove the rubble at the site of a major
explosion and fire in the Surmalu shopping center in Yerevan. .
Firefighters and rescuers on Monday morning continued to search for over a dozen
people missing after powerful explosions and fire at a sprawling Yerevan market
the previous day in which at least 6 people were killed and over 60 others
injured.
Rescue workers sifted through twisted metal and rubble in a search for survivors
throughout the night as firefighters continued to fight the blaze amid clouds of
dust and smoke in the air just off the center in the Armenian capital.
The Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations said initial investigation showed
two large explosions brought down part of a building housing fireworks.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fireworks to detonate.
Ministry official Gari Armaghanian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that four of
the six dead had already been identified. He added that another 16 people were
still unaccounted for while the search for survivors continued as of 8 am on
Monday.
“At the moment, firefighting and rescue-and-search operations are ongoing, the
fire has not yet been contained, the search work continues,” the official said.
Videos appeared on the Internet early on Monday showing Armenian Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinian visiting the scene of the search and rescue operations.
Earlier, a criminal case was instituted over a possible breach of fire-safety
regulations that caused human death or other grave consequences. Investigators
said they would start looking into possible causes of the explosions and fire
once conditions permit.
Meanwhile, Minister of Emergency Situations Armen Pambukhchian told reporters on
Monday that the version that a bomb had been planted in the shopping center was
“almost excluded.”
Later on Monday authorities said that the list of missing persons rose to 18 and
also included a citizen of Iran and a citizen of Russia.
A major fire at Surmalu in April 2021 destroyed several pavilions and warehouses
with toys and household goods, but no casualties were reported in that fire that
occurred at night.
[see video]
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Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran has appointed a consul general in Armenia's southern city of Kapan.
– Politics news –
In line with the policy of expansion of relations with the northern neighbors, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed Abedin Varamin as the consul general of the Islamic Republic in Kapan, a town in southeast Armenia.
The Iranian administration decided to reopen the country's consul general in Kapan in late December 2021 upon a proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Kapan is the capital of Syunik Province of Armenia.
The Armenian province hosts Meghri border crossing, which is connected to Iran's border town of Nordooz.
ANKARA
Direct trade between the neighbors of Türkiye and Armenia, long estranged but now seeking rapprochement, would be a "win-win" for both sides, according to a high-level Turkish Foreign Ministry official.
Speaking to a group of journalists, the official, who declined to be named, said trade between Türkiye and Armenia currently goes indirectly through neighboring Georgia and is worth $230 million, with approximately 15,000 trucks making the journey annually.
"If both parties can ensure the evolving of relations to a positive point by showing the necessary flexibility, this will be a win-win for both countries," the official added.
Noting that the current process between Türkiye and Armenia is more seen as a "trust-building process" rather than a normalization process for both sides, the diplomat stressed that both sides have adopted an approach of taking confidence-building steps, with each step supporting the next, and not setting great expectations that may cause major disappointment.
The official added that Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kilic and Armenian Deputy Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan, the special envoys for reconciliation appointed last December by both sides, agreed to continue the process step by step.
"The current situation is not the desired picture in Turkish-Armenian relations and it is necessary to make an effort to evolve this picture into the desired one," the official added.
Confidence-building measures
On the confidence-building steps, the official said during their bilateral meeting on July 1, the special representatives agreed on two concrete proposals.
Stressing that the agreement by the envoys is not "the signing of a protocol" but rather reflects their agreement on two confidence-building measures to be taken in the coming days, the official added that they agreed to start work on realizing the confidence-building steps.
"It was written in a way not to slow down the process, but to avoid disappointments arising from excessive expectations in case there may be some problems experienced amid the process," the official added.
Expressing optimism in the next meeting set for September, the official said there are technical steps to be taken by authorities of the two countries, adding that there are many technical details.
"These (details) should only be determined by the experts of that subject coming together," the high-level official said, adding that each side is doing its own "homework" towards the next steps, identifying "the missing procedures or documents, determining the technical details needed."
"We hope for relevant authorities of each countries to come together, hopefully in September, without too much delay, and from there on we can be at a point that would enable exchange of views on technical issues and ensure quick implementation of the process."
The official also stressed that the situation on the ground is very different than anticipated from afar, pointing to the difficulties of renovating the infrastructure at border gates amid winter conditions.
"One foot of the historical Silk Road Bridge at the Ani Ruins is in Armenia and the other is in Türkiye," in the Kars province, the official added, saying that it was destroyed by Russian soldiers during the 1877-1878 Ottoman-Russian War, also known as the '93 war, based on the year 1293 in the Islamic calendar.
Stressing that repairing the historic bridge would be a "serious confidence-building step," the official added: "For all this to be done, the physical conditions must also be suitable. Such a thing can’t be tried during the winter months."
The first round of normalization talks was held in Moscow on Jan. 14, where both parties agreed to continue negotiations without any preconditions, according to a statement released after the meeting.
The Turkish and Armenian envoys met for the second time in Vienna on Feb. 24, and then on May 3 in the same city.
Also, a historic bilateral meeting took place between the foreign ministers of Türkiye and Armenia on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on the Turkish Riviera on March 12.
As part of the efforts, Türkiye and Armenia also resumed commercial flights as of Feb. 2 after a two-year hiatus.
17:32,
YEREVAN, 12 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 12 August, USD exchange rate down by 0.18 drams to 405.91 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.22 drams to 417.56 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.04 drams to 6.66 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 3.42 drams to 492.25 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price up by 11.15 drams to 23447.49 drams. Silver price up by 1.25 drams to 268.05 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.