Author: John Hovhannisian

AW: ARS of Eastern USA convenes 102nd Convention in Richmond, Virginia

John Hovhannisian
 Armenian Relief Society Eastern U.S. Nonprofit News, Diaspora 0

ARS of Eastern USA 102nd Convention, Richmond, VA, July 14-16, 2023

RICHMOND, Va.—The 102nd convention of the Armenian Relief Society Eastern United States of America (ARS-EUSA) was held from July 14-16 in Richmond, Virginia. Thirty-eight delegates representing 21 chapters, the Regional Executive Board, organizational representatives, and observers and guests were in attendance.

The convention was called to order on Friday, July 14 with the singing of the anthems of the Republic of Armenia, the United States and the Armenian Relief Society. During the opening ceremony, ARS EUSA Regional Executive Board chairperson Caroline Chamavonian invited the delegates to observe a moment of silence in honor of ARS members, benefactors and supporters of the organization who passed away during the year. In her remarks, she thanked the chapters for their unwavering dedication and support for the organization’s regional and international programs, saying, “Your dedication embodies the spirit of an exemplary Armenian woman, a caring mother and a compassionate sister.”

As the proceedings progressed, Silva Takvorian, ARS Central Executive Board (CEB) treasurer and the region’s liaison; Georgi Oshagan, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Eastern US Central Committee member; Aline Baghdassarian, Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society representative; and Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Church, made remarks on behalf of their respective organizations, expressing gratitude for their partnership with the ARS EUSA and wishing the organization success. A letter from the Homenetmen Armenian General Athletic Union was also read. Also in attendance was Archpriest Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian of Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church of Greater Washington D.C. On behalf of the Virginia “Hooys” chapter, Leiza Bouroujian and Sona Kerneklian Pomfret welcomed the guests to their state, and ARF Virginia “Vrej” chapter representative Murad Kerneklian relayed congratulatory remarks and thanked the organization for its dedication to its motto: “With the People, For the People.” Then, the delegates attended a reception hosted by the Regional Executive Board.

The convention was chaired by Mimi Parseghian (Lowell “Lousintak”) and Sevan Koledjian (Washington D.C. “Satenig”). Meline Topouzian (Cambridge “Shushi”) and Lisa Kupelian (Detroit “Maro”) served as secretaries, diligently keeping meeting minutes throughout the weekend. Nayiri Balanian (Philadelphia “Artemis”) served as the Armenian secretary.

Guests of the convention included Angele Manoogian, Ani Attar, Maral Nakkashian and Stella Bandazian. Lucine Melikian, a member of the newly-established ARS “Sevan” chapter of Tampa, Florida was also invited as a guest, along with Susie Kanian-Andriole of the Cambridge “Shushi” chapter.

On Friday night, Takvorian presented the CEB’s 2022-2023 report. The report summarized the emergency relief efforts undertaken and the various programs implemented by the ARS in the homeland and around the world.

During the convention, Floria Kasbarian (New Jersey “Agnouni”), Pearl Teague (Vermont “Noor”), Tamitza Dakesian (Detroit “Tzolig”), Anoush Bargamian (Chicago “Zabelle”) and Nora Hovanesian Mann (Bergen Country “Armenouhi”) served as members of the nominating committee. The correspondence committee, responsible for reviewing the files and minutes of the regional office, included Fimy Ishkhanian (Philadelphia “Ani”), Violet Krikorian (Providence “Arax”) and Sirvart Telbelian (Detroit “Shakeh”). Auditing committee members were Lena Mekhsian (New Jersey “Agnouni”), Danielle Shegerian (Washington D.C. “Satenig”) and Suzi Kevorkian (Cambridge “Leola Sassouni”). Tasked with gathering decisions and intentions for future projects and plans for both the regional and the 73rd international convention, the resolutions committee comprised Yn. Maggie Kouyoumjian (New Jersey “Shakeh”), Linda Wyatt (Worcester “Knar”) and Talin Teague (Vermont “Noor”).

On Saturday, July 15, the meeting began with the presentation of the activities of the Eastern United States, where it was announced that more than $430,000 was allocated by the ARS-EUSA to local, regional and global projects. Delegates expressed their appreciation to the board and staff for their work during the fiscal year and commended their commitment to the organization’s humanitarian mission. Throughout the day, organizational topics such as recruitment and expanding membership, program evaluation and expansion, marketing/public relations and increasing financial resources were discussed. The resolutions committee presented a list of goals to guide the newly-elected Regional Executive Board in the upcoming fiscal year and a list of resolutions that Eastern Region delegates will present to the 73rd international convention to be held in October of 2023 in Yerevan. The convention also heard a report about the activities of the Armenian Youth Federation-Youth Organization of the ARF (AYF-YOARF) of Eastern Region from Central Executive member Niree Kaprielian.

That night, a banquet in honor of the convention and delegates was hosted at the Omni International Hotel in Vermont, Virginia. In attendance were Archbishop Tanielian, CEB treasurer Takvorian, representatives of the state of Virginia’s American Red Cross, who work closely with the chapter, and ARS supporters. On behalf of the host chapter, chairperson Kerneklian Pomfret welcomed the guests to Virginia and spoke about the chapter’s name “Hooys” (Յոյս), which translates to hope. She explained that “Hooys” is dear to each member’s heart because “the name encapsulates how the ARS continues to provide hope for Armenia and Armenians around the world through its activities and especially with the youth who are the hope for the continuation of our heritage, culture, traditions and the Armenian spirit.”

Then, Chamavonian thanked outgoing executive members Irma Kassabian and Carol Jaffarian, who diligently and wholeheartedly served on the board during the past four years, and congratulated the newly-elected board members.

The convention concluded with the election of Regional Board members and approval of the budget. The 2023-2024 Regional Executive Board members are Caroline Chamavonian, Talin Daghlian, Margaret Babikian, Seda Aghamianz, Mary Andonian, Tamitza Dakesian and Anoush Bargamian.

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The ARS Eastern USA has 35 chapters located throughout the New England, Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern and Southeastern regions of the United States.


Will the Russians leave Nagorno-Karabakh? Erdogan gave the date

John Hovhannisian
SriLanka –
 

 

Arzu

Azeris and Armenians have been fighting for more than 100 years. From the beginning, the spirit of Moscow hung over him, assuming the role of a sovereign who decides the fate of every man.

After the October Revolution, religious conflict erupted in the predominantly Catholic Armenian land., incorporated into Bolshevik-conquered Islamic Azerbaijan. All this in the name of good relations with Turkey, which has always been viewed favorably by the Azeris.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan withdrew its status as an autonomous region from Karabakh, prompting opposition from Armenians living there., the Azeris decided to silence aspirations for independence in Nagorno-Karabakh. In January 1992, a bloody war broke out, claiming 17,000 lives.

Rest of the article below the video

Russia has been a guarantor of peace in Nagorno-Karabakh for years. It is a major arms supplier to both warring nations.

Now Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced this NATO summit In Vilnius, Russian peacekeepers will withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh by 2025. This is because the agreement already made between the countries will expire.

Note that the region is within the territory of Azerbaijan, based on international legal rules.. In 1993, the UN Security Council adopted four resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh, confirming that the disputed territory belongs to this state.

https://www.lankatimes.com/will-the-russians-leave-nagorno-karabakh-erdogan-gave-the-date-o2/

Armenian Airline Operates First Flight to IKIA

John Hovhannisian
Financial Tribune, Iran

Fly Arna Airlines operated its first flight from Armenia to Imam Khomeini International Airport on July 11, according to Mohammad Reza Fardi, the acting deputy head of Imam Khomeini International Airport.

Fardi added that the airline will operate the flights twice a week.

Fly Arna is the third Armenian airline that operates flights from Armenia to IKIA, the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development reported.

https://financialtribune.com/articles/domestic-economy/119153/armenian-airline-operates-first-flight-to-ikia

Pashinyan Administration denies rift with Nagorno Karabakh authorities

John Hovhannisian

 13:23, 3 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 3, ARMENPRESS. The Pashinyan administration has denied media reports alleging that it has stopped contacts with the authorities in Nagorno Karabakh.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s spokesperson Nazeli Baghdasaryan issued a statement on July 3 regarding the rumors.

“Various media outlets have been circulating reports claiming that the authorities of Armenia have ceased contacts with their Nagorno Karabakh colleagues at all levels. Furthermore, the reports claim that the humanitarian crisis resulting from the blockade of Lachin Corridor is outside of the agenda of the government of Armenia. Regarding this totally untrue claim, we find it noteworthy that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has mentioned on many occasions that he maintains intensive, daily contacts with Arayik Harutyunyan. The Nagorno Karabakh President has confirmed this in public speeches and various other formats. As a reminder, a working group led by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan was set up in late 2022 with the purpose of managing the humanitarian crisis resulting from the blockade of the Lachin Corridor and supporting the people of Nagorno Karabakh, tasked with monitoring humanitarian issues together with the authorities of Nagorno Karabakh and providing the necessary urgent support, including with the help of international organizations. The working group is composed of the Minister of Healthcare, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructrures, Minister of Economy, as well as representatives of other government agencies,” Baghdasaryan said in the statement.

The Impact of Geopolitics on Armenia’s Energy Market

John Hovhannisian
EnergyPortal.eu
July 2 2023
 News2 July 2023 

The impact of geopolitics on Armenia’s energy market is significant, as the small landlocked country finds itself at the crossroads of major regional powers with competing interests. The influence of these regional powers, namely Russia, Iran, and Turkey, plays a crucial role in shaping Armenia’s energy security and its ability to diversify its energy sources. As a result, understanding the complex interplay between these powers and their interests in the region is essential for assessing the future of Armenia’s energy market.

Russia has long been the dominant player in Armenia’s energy sector, providing the majority of the country’s natural gas and owning significant stakes in its energy infrastructure. This relationship is rooted in a strategic partnership between the two countries, which includes a mutual defense pact and Russian military presence in Armenia. While this alliance provides Armenia with a certain degree of security against potential threats from its neighbors, it also limits the country’s ability to pursue alternative energy sources and partnerships.

In recent years, Armenia has sought to reduce its dependence on Russian gas by increasing its imports from Iran. The Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, which became operational in 2007, was initially hailed as a major step towards diversifying Armenia’s energy sources. However, the pipeline’s capacity has remained limited due to technical issues and the influence of Russian energy giant Gazprom, which owns a majority stake in the Armenian gas distribution company. Furthermore, the reimposition of US sanctions on Iran in 2018 has complicated efforts to expand energy cooperation between the two countries.

Turkey, another regional power with significant influence over Armenia’s energy security, has a more contentious relationship with the country. The two nations have no diplomatic relations and their shared border has been closed since 1993 due to the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a close ally of Turkey. This has effectively cut off Armenia from the vast energy resources of the Caspian Sea region and the possibility of importing gas from Azerbaijan or Turkmenistan.

Despite these challenges, Armenia has made some progress in diversifying its energy sources and increasing its energy security. The country has invested in renewable energy projects, particularly in the solar and hydroelectric sectors, which have the potential to reduce its reliance on imported gas. Additionally, the Armenian government has been exploring the possibility of importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) through Georgia, which would provide an alternative to Russian and Iranian gas.

The recent escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2020 has further highlighted the importance of energy security for Armenia. The fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces led to concerns about the safety of critical energy infrastructure, including the Metsamor nuclear power plant, which provides around 40% of Armenia’s electricity. Although a ceasefire was eventually brokered by Russia, the conflict underscored the vulnerability of Armenia’s energy sector to regional tensions.

In conclusion, the impact of geopolitics on Armenia’s energy market is significant and multifaceted. The influence of regional powers, particularly Russia, Iran, and Turkey, shapes the country’s energy security and its ability to diversify its energy sources. While Armenia has made some progress in developing alternative energy options, it remains heavily reliant on imported gas and vulnerable to external pressures. As the regional landscape continues to evolve, it will be crucial for Armenia to navigate these complex dynamics and find ways to enhance its energy security and resilience.

https://www.energyportal.eu/news/the-impact-of-geopolitics-on-armenias-energy-market/44780/

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 06/26/2023

John Hovhannisian 
                                        Monday, 


Armenian Lawyers On Strike Over ‘Police Violence’

        • Anush Mkrtchian

Armenia - Lawyers demonstrate in Yerevan, .


Dozens of court hearings in Armenia were cancelled on Monday as lawyers went on 
strike to show support for their colleagues allegedly beaten up by police 
officers.

One of the lawyers, Karen Alaverdian, claims to have been subjected to “undue 
physical force” after trying to stop several policemen kicking and punching his 
client at the police headquarters of Yerevan’s central Kentron district earlier 
this month.

Armenia’s Investigative Committee effectively denied the allegations on June 13, 
saying that Alaverdian himself shoved and even hit the officers in a bid to free 
the criminal suspect. They had to briefly detain the lawyer, the law-enforcement 
agency said, adding that he was rightly charged with “hooliganism” and 
obstruction of legitimate police actions.

Armenia’s Chamber of Advocates voiced support for Alaverdian and demanded a 
proper investigation into the incident. The national bar association organized 
the one-day strike to protest against what it sees as an official cover-up of 
the incident. Dozens of its members marched to the Kentron police headquarters 
to demand the sacking of its chief officer.

“We believe that if the police service does not react strongly to this case it 
will implicitly take full responsibility for this situation,” said one of the 
protesters.

Armenia - Lawyer Karen Alaverdian speaks during a news conference, June 13, 2023.

Two other lawyers claimed to have been ill-treated at another Yerevan police 
station in February while representing a teenage criminal suspect. Their 
allegations were likewise denied by the police and the Investigative Committee.

The chairman of the Chamber of Advocates, Simon Babayan, decried the fact that 
the police have not even suspended or taken other disciplinary action against 
any officers accused of assaulting the lawyers. He said prosecutors and 
investigators dealing with those incidents must also face disciplinary 
proceedings.

The Office of the Prosecutor-General announced, meanwhile, that it has assigned 
the probe of Alaverdian’s alleged beating to the National Security Service. 
Alaverdian welcomed that decision, saying he hopes that the incident will now be 
investigated in earnest.

“This problem is not so much about me or my client as about addressing the 
causes of all this and reviewing state mechanisms for countering torture,” the 
lawyer told journalists.

Human rights activists say that ill-treatment of criminal suspects remains 
widespread in Armenia despite sweeping law-enforcement reforms promised by Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government.

As recently as on June 22, a man in Yerevan claimed that the Investigative 
Committee chief, Argishti Kyaramian, personally tortured and threatened to kill 
him following his arrest on June 17. A spokesman for Kyaramian denied the 
allegations.




Yerevan Insists On ‘International Mechanism’ For Karabakh

        • Ruzanna Stepanian
        • Heghine Buniatian

Armenia - Parliament speaker Alen SImonian chairs a session of the National 
Assembly, November 24, 2022.


Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks will lead nowhere if Baku persists in rejecting 
an “international mechanism” for dialogue with Nagorno-Karabakh’s leadership, 
Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonian said on Monday.

Yerevan has been pressing for such a “mechanism” during ongoing negotiations on 
an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty, saying that it is essential for protecting 
“the rights and security” of Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian population.

Foreign Ministers Jeyhun Bayramov of Azerbaijan and Ararat Mirzoyan of Armenia 
are scheduled to start a new round of those talks in Washington on Tuesday. 
Bayramov made clear late last week that Baku will not agree to any special 
security arrangements for the Karabakh Armenians.

Simonian played down Bayramov’s statement, expressing confidence that “they will 
agree to that at some point.”

“I think that even now this is done for setting the bar high ahead of the 
negotiations and … then taking a step back,” he told journalists.

But Simonian went on to warn: “If this issue is not discussed and solved it will 
mean that most of the negotiations can be considered meaningless.”

Azerbaijani leaders have repeatedly ruled out any internationally mediated talks 
with Stepanakert, with President Ilham Aliyev saying in April that the Karabakh 
Armenians “will either live under Azerbaijani rule or leave” their homeland.

Aliyev warned in late May that they must dissolve their government bodies and 
unconditionally accept Azerbaijani rule or risk fresh military action by Baku. 
Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov echoed that threat in televised 
remarks publicized on Monday.

“We do not rate highly the capabilities of illegal armed formations located in 
the Karabakh economic zone of Azerbaijan,” Hasanov told the Azerbaijani TV 
channel CBC. “We know their number, weapons, morale, and we know what they are 
capable of.”

“If they resort to any provocations and illegal actions, then the problem of 
these illegal armed formations can be solved by a single corps of the 
Azerbaijani army and not even with full strength,” he said.

Tensions along the Karabakh “line of contact” and the Armenian-Azerbaijani 
border have increased significantly over the past month, with the conflicting 
sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire on a daily basis. The 
Armenian government said earlier this month that Baku may be gearing up for 
another attack on Nagorno-Karabakh.




Red Cross Resumes Medical Evacuations From Karabakh

        • Artak Khulian

Nagorno-Karabakh - Red Cross vehicles are seen outside Stepanakert, January 4, 
2023.


Ten days after blocking the movement of humanitarian convoys through the Lachin 
corridor, Azerbaijan allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 
on Sunday to resume the evacuation of seriously ill persons from 
Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

“We resumed yesterday the transfer of patients to Armenia through the Lachin 
corridor,” Eteri Musayelian, a spokeswoman for the ICRC office in Stepanakert, 
told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Monday. “We evacuated 15 patients yesterday 
and 16 others today.”

Videos released by Azerbaijani government-controlled media showed those 
patients, family members accompanying them and ICRC vehicles undergoing 
meticulous checks at an Azerbaijani checkpoint controversially set up in the 
corridor in April.

According to health authorities in Stepanakert, nearly 190 Karabakh residents 
were waiting to be evacuated to Armenian hospitals for urgent treatment as of 
Saturday.

The medical evacuations have been carried out only by the ICRC ever since 
Azerbaijan stopped last December commercial traffic though the sole road 
connecting Karabakh to Armenia. Baku blocked them as well as Russian 
peacekeepers’ food supplies to Karabakh on June 15 following a shooting incident 
near the Azerbaijani checkpoint.

The evacuations resumed one day after Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun 
Bayramov met with an ICRC delegation in Baku. The situation in the Lachin 
corridor was reportedly high on the meeting’s agenda.

Gegham Stepanian, Karabakh’s human rights ombudsman, linked the development to 
serious concerns expressed by Russia, the European Union and the Parliamentary 
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) at the tightening of the Azerbaijani 
blockade, which aggravated food shortages in Karabakh.

“But we cannot consider [the international pressure] fully effective because 
although the transport of patients and medicine through the Red Cross has been 
restored, 120,000 people are still denied access to food and other essential 
items,” said Stepanian.


Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Fashion: There is great anticipation in Yerevan for the first edition of the Armenian Fashion Week

John Hovhannisian
Italy – June 20 2023
20/06/2023 -  Marilisa Lorusso Yerevan

Armenia has never had a Fashion Week of international scope, and for an event of this type to take shape, various components must come to fruition. We talked about it on a sunny morning in Yerevan with one of the two organisers, Vahan Kachatryan, President of the Chamber of Fashion and Design.

We spoke to Vahan in 2016, when his career as a stylist was in full swing. At the time he had expressed the desire to be a forerunner, and highlighted how important it was to get out of a certain isolation of the country from the world of fashion.

Seven years later, the first Fashion Week will bring 25 Armenian or Armenian-born designers to the catwalks. In addition to the Armenian citizens, in fact, three Armenians from the diaspora from France, Lebanon, and the Russian Federation will showcase their work in front of an international audience: about thirty guests from the sector and from the specialised press from England, Germany, the Emirates, Lebanon, and – in the lion's share – Italy will attend three days of fashion shows, from 1 to 3 July, plus three of showrooms. There will also be a cultural programme for guests, even though time is limited, to make the country and its culture known and appreciated.

Photo courtesy of the Armenian Chamber of Fashion and Design

We asked Vahan what made it possible to achieve this ambitious goal in recent years, what elements have created the critical mass to make a leap in quality. “Going from one fashion show to twenty-five in a single event is not trivial. So the first requirement is that we, the stylists and the organisation, were ready. But this is only one cog in a much more complex mechanism that makes a Fashion Week possible”. A second important requirement is the threshold of interest that must be crossed towards a product for it to attract enough to become an event. The product is Armenian fashion and textile industry.

Armenian textiles have an ancient tradition, but are less branded than nearby productions, for example from Turkey or Iran. From carpets to fabrics and fabric prints, Armenian culture has generated quality products which, however, have not yet become as recognisable and marketable as those across the border. Yet, on the basis of previous knowledge and professionalism, an internal production has taken shape in the last decade which has gradually gained national attention first and foremost.

“If you have to look for a bit of luck in bad luck, an encouragement to reevaluate domestic production came from the 2020 war. The war shock led many Armenians to boycott Turkish products, including textiles, and to pay more attention to local production. At the time it happened, Armenian stylists were ready with their products and today in the very central Sayat Nova, at number 5, there is 5concept  , a shop that displays Armenian-created collections where Armenians and foreigners can discover and buy Armenian fashion”.

The union of creatives has been strong not only in being able to conquer an exhibition space in the city centre, but also in creating a tool that could act as a pressure group for those who work in the fashion sector. This is how the Chamber of Fashion and Design   was born, with the aim of providing a platform for all designers to – as its mission states – "join efforts into a unifying organisation to support their needs and challenges as well as represent them in relations with suppliers, government officials, and other partners in Armenia and abroad”.

And in fact, one of the mechanisms that had to be unlocked for Fashion Week to take shape was the support of national and international agents who financed it. The government has recently launched a strategy for the textile industry, the first of its kind. A Department for the textile and creative industry has been created in the Ministry of Economy.

In short, the government has moved in the direction of promoting the sector and has made a good percentage of funding available for Fashion Week. Then there is the German GIZ   foundation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit). Private sponsors also attended. The British are also very active, having financed a Fashion Scout within the event which will guarantee the winners a visit to London Fashion Week and an internship   in a fashion company in Florence.

Vahan tells us: “Funds are limited, it's the first edition and it will take a good turnout for the Week to become a regular event. It's an effort for everyone, and the initial budget has ballooned as the event has taken shape. It wasn't easy because the first criterion for allocating funds is absolute transparency, for which the margins of approximation of the expenditure items were very narrow, but we did it and managed to put together the logistics, the show, and professional teams”. Vahan and his colleague Helen Manukyan cooperate and coordinate the various teams: models, make-up, administration, and various technicians who will take care of the flow of the fashion shows.

Yerevan Fashion Week is the result of a process. The world of Armenian fashion has been growing for years, creating international contacts through other Fashion Weeks, or realities such as White Milan and Pitti Super, presenting itself to the national and international public, and creating spaces for a sector that has its own historic role in the country's identity, and which now also has institutional recognition. At the same time, the Fashion Week intends to be the first step in a new process that will bring to fruition what has been done so far, creating a new dimension and visibility.

https://www.balcanicaucaso.org/eng/Areas/Armenia/Fashion-Week-Yerevan-s-first-time-225740

European Parliament delegation joins EU mission in Armenia for ‘planned patrol to Lachin corridor’

John Hovhannisian

 12:50, 21 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. The European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defense (SEDE) delegation led by Chair Nathalie Loiseau have joined the EU Mission in Armenia for a planned patrol to Lachin Corridor, the EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) tweeted.

“Head of EU Mission in Armenia Markus Ritter and Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin welcome European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defense Chair Nathalie Loiseau and the SEDE delegation at the Sisian airfield to join EUMA for a planned patrol to Lachin corridor,” EUMA tweeted.

The Members of the European Parliament are visiting Armenia from 19 to 22 June to assess the security situation, the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the operation of the civilian EU mission – EUMA.

The Lachin Corridor has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022. 

The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. Azerbaijan has so far ignored the order. Furthermore, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor in violation of the terms of the 2020 ceasefire statement.

Government of Armenia to provide additional 2,9 billion AMD to Nagorno Karabakh to help mitigate social tension

John Hovhannisian

 15:34,

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government will provide an additional 2,9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh in the form of an “interstate loan” to help mitigate the social tension.

The bill was approved at the Cabinet meeting on June 22.

The bill envisages providing a 2,9 billion dram interstate loan from the tax revenues of the 2023 state budget to Nagorno Karabakh for additional funding aimed at mitigating the social tension in Nagorno Karabakh in the post-war period.

Armenia ready for regional unblocking in accordance with 2020 agreement – PM

John Hovhannisian

 11:48,

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is ready for the unblocking of regional transport and economic connections as envisaged under the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on June 16.

“The attempts to create tension in various parts along the border after Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to recognize each other’s territorial integrity is unacceptable and incomprehensible. Now the next step must be done, to record the basis for delimitation and launch the delimitation and demarcation work itself. Regarding the unblocking of regional transport and economic connections envisaged under the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement, I reiterate that Armenia is ready for this, based on the principles of sovereignty, jurisdiction, reciprocity and equality of the countries,” Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting. 

He ruled out any extraterritorial corridor through Armenia.

“In this regard I expect international partners to avoid using the provocative lexicon used by Azerbaijan,” the Armenian PM added.