15:42, 9 November, 2021
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to Paris on November 10-12 to take part in the 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference, the ministry reports.
An event marking the 75th anniversary of UNESCO will also be held on the sidelines of the 41st session.
FM Mirzoyan will also attend the opening of the 4th Paris Peace Conference.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
As part of its new policy to strengthen ties with academic institutions in Armenia and Artsakh, the Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) signed an Agreement on Cooperation on October 25, 2021, with Artsakh State University (ArSU). The Agreement aims at cooperating on different academic projects that would be beneficial to both parties and to advance the field of Armenian Studies.
The scope of the cooperation includes, but is not limited to, exchange of mutual information on academic activities carried out by both parties; exchange and loans of books relevant to both parties; exchange of knowledge and expertise with respect to Armenian Studies; sharing of advice, educational consultation, and research Armenian Study; and cooperation through local and international conferences, symposia, and lectures to advance the field of Armenian Studies.
Commenting on the Agreement, SAS President Bedross Der Matossian said, “We are looking forward to cooperating with Artsakh State University (ArSU) on academic issues pertaining to Armenians Studies in general and Artsakh history in particular. This cooperation will be mutually beneficial to all of us. SAS has members whose research deals with the political as well as cultural history of Artsakh. Through harnessing the existing potential of scholars from both institutions, the study of Artsakh’s history and cultural heritage will advance.”
Artsakh State University President Prof. Dr. Armen Sarkisyan commented saying: “I consider this Cooperation Agreement as an extremely important development for Artsakh State University. The role of the Society for Armenian Studies in developing Armenian Studies in the Diaspora has been crucial. The mission of the Society in strengthening the academic ties between the Diaspora and the homeland is a noble one. We are looking forward to a fruitful cooperation.”
As part of this mutual cooperation, Prof. Dr. Armen Sarksyan will deliver a talk via Zoom on Saturday, November 20, 2021, at 12:00pm ET (9:00am PT) titled “Artsakh State University: Past, Present, and Future.” The zoom registration link is: https://bit.ly/2ZPSujH.
Artsakh State University is the oldest and largest university in Artsakh. Over the course of its nearly fifty-year history, Artsakh State University has produced over 20,000 graduates in sixty fields of study. Currently, the university prepares specialists in thirty-one areas.
The SAS, founded in 1974, is the international professional association representing scholars and teachers in the field of Armenian Studies. The aim of the SAS is to promote the study of Armenian culture and society, including history, language, literature, and social, political, and economic questions.
The Azerbaijanis came and settled there on the very first day, and if you recall, the detachment of Arush Arushanyan [mayor of Goris] and I were fighting for Kachal Sar mountain, but we weren’t allowed to continue. This is what Deputy Mayor of Goris Karen Kocharyan said during a conversation with Armenian News-NEWS.am.
Kocharyan assured that the Azerbaijanis are strengthening their positions and building fortifications in the territory of Armenia. “I don’t know why Armenia isn’t building structures. Only the top leadership knows. We aren’t even renovating roads so that we can reach our boys and men in the winter. Even Armenia isn’t building roads like Azerbaijan is. They are building them in the territory of Armenia that they seized during the recent events,” the deputy mayor said.
When told that the authorities claim that the Armenian Armed Forces aren’t letting the Azerbaijanis carry out fortification works in Armenia’s territory, Kocharyan offered to take reporters and show them the place where the Azerbaijanis have built defensive structures.
Turkologist Varuzhan Geghamyan, co-founder of the Armenian Project NGO, says Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian efforts do not always receive opposition from Armenia.
In a public post on Facebook, he said as an orientalist, he was invited to St. Petersburg on October 29 to participate in the 9th Eurasian Economic Perspective International Forum organized by the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and to deliver a report.
His report on "Armenian Syunik as a window for the Eurasian Economic Union to the Middle East" was included in the thematic session of the forum "Development of International Transport Corridors in Greater Eurasia”.
“My task was to show the prospects of the North-South corridor running through Syunik and why it could be of significant importance for the whole EAEU organization as the shortest, most reliable and promising way to reach the Middle East region,” Geghamyan wrote on Facebook on Monday.
“Also, there were representatives from Azerbaijan, who diligently tried to promote the opening of the "Turkic/Zangazur corridor" through Syunik, as opposed to the North-South corridor, noting that its opening is beneficial first of all for Armenians.
“Naturally, they got the necessary counterattack from me. But it should be understood that now Azerbaijanis work on all possible platforms like this, and, unfortunately, do not always face opposition.
“As long as our state does not have a national authority, Armenia's foreign policy should be promoted by us, the national civil society, using all available tools of public diplomacy. No one will promote our interests instead of us. And at the moment, Armenia’s interests require efforts to foil by all means the possibility of the capitulator's granting of the corridor to the Turks and to contribute to the construction of the North-South corridor at a fast pace,” he said.
12:23,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Prominent Italian saxophonist Federico Mondelci will visit Armenia to give a concert in memory of legendary French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour and Russian-Armenian composer Michael Tariverdiev.
The concert will take place on October 26 at the Aram Khachatryan concert hall.
The State Chamber Orchestra of Armenia led by artistic director and chief conductor Vahan Martirosyan will perform at the concert.
New covers of the works of Aznavour and Tariverdiev will be presented to the audience.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s top security official, warned Azerbaijan to avoid "costly traps set by devils" after President Ilham Aliyev accused Iran and Armenia of colluding in drug trafficking.
“Accusation against a country that the world recognizes as a hero in the fight against drugs has no effect other than invalidating the speaker's words," Shamkhani tweeted Friday.
Mahmoud Abbaszadeh-Meshkini, spokesman for the parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, told Tasnim news agency Saturday that said Iran's efforts against drug trafficking were "unparalleled in the world” and that without Iranian efforts, in which thousands of security officers had died, Europe and the Caucasus would have been flooded with drugs. He said that Azerbaijan was acting again good neighborliness, with ill-wishers trying to harm relations between the two Muslim countries.
Addressing Friday a videoconference of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) heads of state, Aliyev alleged that Iran and Armenia had used Nagorno-Karabakh, which was under Armenian control from 1994 until last year’s Azerbaijan-Armenia 44-day war, to transport drugs to Europe. Armenia and Azerbaijan remain technically at war after an uncertain ceasefire.
Aliyev said Azerbaijan had shut down this drug-trafficking route, through Jabrayil region bordering Iran, after taking over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh last year and "restoring the [Azeri] 130-km border with Iran.” He also claimed that the volume of heroin his country had seized in other areas of the Azerbaijani-Iranian border had doubled since Baku took over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the CIS that law enforcement bodies of Armenia and Iran were in close cooperation against drug trafficking. "I can also present numbers which demonstrate that the volume of seized drugs and the number of arrests in illegal drug trafficking cases have grown by three, four and even more times,” he said.
Tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan in recent weeks have seen Azerbaijan arrest Iranian truck drivers travelling to Armenia in a segment of territory under its control, and military drills on both sides of the border.Tehran is wary of potential geopolitical changes, the reported presence of Sunni fighters brought by Turkey from Syria to fight alongside Azerbaijani forces, and Baku allegedly opening its airspace to Israeli military flights.Baku freed the truck drivers Wednesday.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime describes the trafficking of illicit Afghan opiates as “one of the world's greatest transnational drug and crime threats.”
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar Wednesday proposed the inclusion of Iran's Chabahar Port in the North-South Transport Corridor to bridge connectivity barriers.
PTI 7:43 pm IST
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar exchanges greetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, in Yerevan, on | ANI photo
Yerevan (Armenia): Stressing on the need for enhanced connectivity, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday proposed that the strategic Chabahar Port in Iran be included in the North-South Transport Corridor that has the potential to bridge connectivity barriers, as he agreed on a roadmap for future course of cooperation and exchanges during bilateral talks with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan.
Jaishankar was speaking at a joint press meet with Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan following their meeting here.
Jaishankar on Tuesday arrived in Armenia on the last leg of his three-nation tour to Central Asia with an aim to further expand bilateral ties and discuss key regional issues including the developments in Afghanistan. It is the first-ever visit by an External Affairs Minister to Armenia.
“Both India and Armenia are members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which has the potential to bridge the connectivity barrier. So Minister Mirzoyan and I discussed the interest which Armenia has shown in utilisation of the Chabahar Port in Iran and being developed by India,” Jaishankar said in his remarks.
“We also proposed the Chabahar Port be included in the International North-South Transport Corridor; we welcome the use of the Chabahar Port and any other initiative that will encourage regional connectivity,” he said.
The Chabahar port in the Sistan-Balochistan province in the energy-rich nation’s southern coast is easily accessible from India’s western coast and is increasingly seen as a counter to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port located at a distance of around 80 km from Chabahar.
The first phase of the Chabahar port was inaugurated in December 2017 by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, opening a new strategic route connecting Iran, India and Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.
The Chabahar port is being considered as a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries, besides ramping up trade among the three countries in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to New Delhi.
On asked about India’s interest in developing the Chabahar Port, Jaishankar said, “we are interested because if we develop more ports in Iran and then connectivity from those ports to northwards of Iran, it opens up more trade routes which are land-based, which are more efficient than these sea-based routes.
“So the key today to economic progress is to be more competitive in terms of movement of goods and that is why this is important and, at least, I mentioned Chabahar to the minister because it is a port in Iran which India is developing and for us it opens up a pathway at least one side to the Caucasus (intersection of Europe and Asia), opens up a different pathway to Central Asia and it is an initiative that we are working with the Russians very closely.”
Jaishankar said that about the regional security situation in light of the developments in the Caucuses regions since last year, India’s position has been consistent.
“Since the beginning of the hostilities, we have been calling for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in diplomatic means. We have expressed support for the resolution of dispute under the USC Ministry. We have supported the bilateral ceasefire of November 9-10, 2020. India has always been in favour of peace and stability in this region,” he said.
He said that connectivity today is a very important subject of international collaboration.
“Now, we saw just a little while ago what happened at the Suez Canal and how much it disrupted trade between Europe and Asia. So for us, the International North South Transport Corridor is a very, very important initiative. We have invested a lot of energy, given it a lot of priority and we, I think, all our participation (member countries) will add more options and more possibilities to an initiative which has been under discussion,” he said.
Jaishankar said that the two ministers also did a comprehensive review of the bilateral relations.
“We discussed regional and multilateral issues and most importantly agreed on a road map for future course of cooperation and exchanges,” he said.
Noting that the bilateral relations have expanded in political and cultural fields, Jaishankar said that there is clearly scope for further strengthening of economic and commercial cooperation and tourism, hospitality, infrastructure and investment.
The two ministers also briefed each other on their respective regional developments. “India supports the OSCE Minsk process,” Jaishankar tweeted.
He said that one important bridge between India and Armenia is the presence of a large number of Indian students.
“There are almost, I think, 3,000 of them who are pursuing medical education in Armenia. We very greatly appreciate the efforts of the government of Armenia and people for the welfare of the Indian community, in particular the students during the pandemic,” he said.
He said that India and Armenia’s progression in the UN and multilateral forums has been exclusive.
“We share Armenia’s support for our candidature of non-permanent membership of the UNSC for 2021-22 and also for the permanent membership at the UNSC. Our progression at multilateral forums reflects the strength of our relationship. We are very grateful to Armenia for supporting our candidature to other multilateral forums,” he said.
“I am very hopeful that my visit today has enabled us to further our cooperation in various stages. We stand ready to support Armenia for the spirit of our close and friendly traditions,” he said.
He said that Armenian heritage in India has been preserved with great care and respect of all traditions and the Armenian community’s contributions to India’s progress has been noteworthy.
“We recognise that Armenia has gone through a very difficult phase last year, so let me take the opportunity to convey my sincere condolences on behalf of the government and the people of India to the Armenian people, especially those who lost their near and dear ones,” he said.
Jaishankar said that he looks forward to call on the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
He also expressed his pleasure on his meeting with President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan.
“Discussed the importance of nurturing the bonds between our two parliamentary democracies. Spoke about bringing our people closer together through greater cooperation in different domains,” Jaishakar tweeted.
Pleasure to meet President @alensimonyan of the National Assembly of Armenia.
Discussed the importance of nurturing the bonds between our two parliamentary democracies.
Spoke about bringing our people closer together through greater cooperation in different domains. pic.twitter.com/jnyiiwacRw
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar)
He appreciated Simonyan’s perspective on regional and international issues of shared interest.
Jaishankar, accompanied by Mirozyan, also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in Yerevan.
“Together, we planted a tree of friendship,” he said.
He also met Indian students and Armenian friends of India in Yerevan and appreciate the efforts made by the Armenian government for the welfare of our students.
Earlier, Jaishankar began his day by paying homage at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex.
“This year will be an important year for the calendar of both our countries. For Armenia, celebrating the 30th anniversary of its Independence and we are celebrating 75 years of our Independence. Next year, which will be another milestone that will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations,” he said in the joint press meet.
https://theprint.in/diplomacy/jaishankar-meets-armenian-counterpart-ararat-mirzoyan-stresses-on-enhancing-connectivity/750110/
11:27, 6 October, 2021
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The highly contagious coronavirus Delta strain has increased its spread to 192 countries and territories over the past week. The spread of Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants has also increased, TASS reports citing the World Health Organization (WHO).
Experts classify the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta strains as "variants of concern" (VOCs). "As surveillance activities to detect SARS-CoV-2 variants are strengthened at national and subnational levels, including through the strengthening of genomic sequencing capacities, the number of countries/areas/territories <…> reporting VOCs continues to increase," the weekly epidemiological update said. It is emphasized that the reports of the Delta variant were received from 192 countries. The Delta strain was first detected in India in October 2020.
According to data published in the WHO epidemiological update, the Alpha variant that was first detected in the UK in September 2020 is currently present in 195 countries and territories (two new countries since last week). The Beta strain detected in South Africa last August is present in 145 countries (three new countries) and 99 countries (four new countries) have reported cases of the Gamma variant first recorded in Brazil last September.
According to the WHO, as of October 5, since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 235,175,106 confirmed coronavirus cases with 4,806,841 fatalities worldwide. The US is in first place in terms of the confirmed coronavirus cases reported to the WHO with 43,401,318 infections, followed by India (33,853,048), Brazil (21,468,121), the UK (7,934,940) and Russia (7,637,427). In terms of fatalities, the US is also in the lead with 696,732 deaths, followed by Brazil (597,948), India (449,260), Mexico (278,803) and Russia (211,696).
MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. The OSCE Minsk Group has expressed readiness to help organize a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, according to the statement by co-chairs of the Minsk Group Igor Khovaev (Russia), Andrew Schofer (the US) and Stephane Visconti (France) published on the OSCE website on Friday.
"The Co-Chairs have taken positive note of President Aliyev’s and Prime Minister Pashinyan’s public statements expressing their readiness in principle to meet with each other under the auspices of the Co-Chairs," the statement said.
"The Co-Chairs look forward to engaging the sides on modalities and details of such a meeting and reiterate their willingness to visit the region in the near future to discuss next steps in the process," the document noted.
In light of a recent constructive meeting of Azerbaijan’s and Armenia’s foreign ministers, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group welcomed the release of an Armenian serviceman by Azerbaijan. They also discussed possible measures on de-escalation, including with regards to those detained and missing in action as well as on the voluntary return of refugees.
On October 2, the Azerbaijani president said he was eager to meet with the Armenian prime minister when he was ready for it. He vowed to respond in kind should Armenia hand over minefield maps. On October 3, Armenian prime minister said he was prepared to meet with the Azerbaijani president. He added that he was ready to take along the maps of all minefields and urged him to take along all Armenian POWs to this meeting. At the end of September, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly and with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan with their participation.
In the fall of 2020, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh escalated with armed clashes occurring on the disputed territory. On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they had held, a number of regions would be controlled by Azerbaijan, and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region along the line of engagement and the Lachin corridor. On January 11, the leaders of the three countries agreed to create a working group at the level of deputy prime ministers which would focus on establishing transportation and economic links in the region.
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has said his country does not accept "geopolitical changes" in the Caucasus.
He made his remarks during talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
The American researcher and writer from The National Interest, Trevor Filseth, said that “while the comments were offered without reference to any nation, they were presumably directed at Azerbaijan, Iran’s northwestern neighbor, which has cooperated on defense issues with Israel, to Iran’s consternation.”
"We certainly will not tolerate geopolitical change and map change in the Caucasus, and we have serious concerns about the presence of terrorists and Zionists in this region," Amirabdollahian said during a press conference.
Filseth added, “Azerbaijan and Iran have long had a difficult relationship. In 1945, the Soviet Union sought to promote a secessionist uprising by ethnic Azeris in northwestern Iran, where they have long maintained a demographic majority.
“While the uprising was crushed the following year after Moscow withdrew its support, Iran has long feared Baku’s influence on Iranian Azeris, leading it to build closer relations with Armenia.”
“Iran maintained neutrality during the six-week war from September to November 2020 between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Both countries claim the Nagorno-Karabakh region, known in Armenia as “Artsakh,” which was part of Azerbaijan during the Soviet era but maintained a majority-Armenian population and sought to join Armenia following the Soviet collapse,” he stated.
Filseth went on saying that “while Armenia won the first war in 1994, Azerbaijan decisively won the 2020 rematch—largely owing to the influence of Israeli military technology, including drones. While Azerbaijan’s consequential victory led military planners to study its outcome for lessons, Iran quickly raised concerns about Baku’s use of Israeli weaponry.”
Bloomberg revealed that Israel “supplies Azerbaijan with drones and other high-tech weapons that helped Baku tip the military balance in its favor in last year’s war with Armenia.”
The past weeks saw tension in other fields. Azerbaijan continued its controls and imposed a “road tax” on Iranian trucks moving through its territory. In the process, some Iranian lorry drivers were detained.
“The drills carried out by our country in the northwest border areas are a question of sovereignty,” the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement on the ministry website.
Tehran “will take all measures it judges necessary for its national security”, he said, adding, “Iran will not tolerate the presence of the Zionist regime near our borders.”
As Turkey's efforts to ensure border security against irregular migration and smuggling activities continue, the 20-kilometer section of the security wall in the Caldiran district of the eastern province of Van, on the Iranian border, has been completed.
Van Governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez told Anadolu Agency that "175 kilometers of trenches have been dug. A 64-kilometer wall is being built in three stages. The installation of the 20-kilometer wall has now been completed. The stone used in the 34-kilometer wall has been produced.”