Author: Lara Chatinian

Asbarez: FBI Raids Rep. Cuellar’s Home, Office in Probe Linked to Azerbaijan

Lara Chatinian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 January 21, 2022

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories

The home and campaign office of Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar was searched by the FBI

The FBI on Wednesday raided the home and campaign office of Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar as part of a wide-ranging federal probe relating to Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen, ABC News reported.

A federal grand jury in Washington is investigating the matter, but ABC News said it’s unclear if Cuellar is a target of the grand jury’s probe.

The Armenian National Committee of America said in a social media post that Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the United States, Elin Suleymanov, “skipped town one step ahed of high-profile FBI raid and major federal criminal corruption probe into Azerbaijani bribery schemes (long an open secret in DC circles).”

After FBI agents executed a search warrant at Cuellar’s home in Laredo, Texas, an aide to Cuellar said in a statement that the congressman “will fully cooperate in any investigation.”

“He is committed to ensuring that justice and the law are upheld,” the statement said.

On Wednesday, an FBI spokesperson emphasized that any “law enforcement activity” at Cuellar’s home and campaign office was “court-authorized.”

Cuellar, who represents Texas’ 28th Congressional District along the U.S.-Mexico border, has been in Congress since 2005. In recent years he has served as a co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, and repeatedly met with Azerbaijani officials, including the ambassador of Azerbaijan, Suleymanov, ABC News reported.

Ombudsman raises human rights violations in border communities

Lara Chatinian
Jan 22 2022
– 13:51 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - As a result of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces' blocking of the Goris-Kapan and Kapan-Chakaten roads since November 2021, the rights of the residents of said communities are being violated every day, Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan has said.

People have been facing isolation and humanitarian problems, especially due to the weather, իn the villages of Bardzravan, Shurnukh and Vorotan near Goris, in the villages of Chakaten, Shikahogh, Srashen, Nerkin Hand, Tsav, Shishkert near Kapan, Tatoyan said.

For example, in the Goris community, teachers were unable to get to work using the alternative road due to weather conditions, even driving in a Ural military vehicle.

The Human Rights Defender also said that the section of the Tatev-Kapan road leading to Bardzravan is difficult to pass and is in particularly poor condition. According to him, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on January 20 was unable to deliver food and hygiene products to the village of Bardzravan in its off-road vehicle.

“The Ministry of Emergency Situations and the border troops of the National Security Service selflessly provide food to the villages, and with great difficulty. And how will access to emergency medical care, hospitalizations, etc. be ensured? Isn't it a matter of ensuring health and the right to life? There are no questions of dignity here?” he writes.

CivilNet: Financial aid for refugees, free healthcare, and constitutional changes on the agenda in Karabakh

Lara Chatinian
CIVILNET.AM

19 Jan, 2022 10:01

  • Artsakh State Minister Artak Beglaryan summed up important developments in the region in a press conference on Wednesday.
  • Starting February 2, round trip flights will resume between Turkey and Armenia.
  • A commemoration for Hrant Dink took place in Istanbul in front of the Sebat Building, which used to house the Agos Newspaper.

Candidate for CBA deputy governor says inflation will gradually decline during 2022

Lara Chatinian

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 12:56,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Candidate for the position of deputy governor of the Central Bank Hovhannes Khachatryan, who is also a member of the CBA Board, assures that inflation in Armenia will be manageable during 2022 and will gradually decline within the year, coming to the targeted range.

During the parliament session today MP from the opposition Armenia faction Tadevos Avetisyan recalled the official statistics according to which the consumer price index in 2021 January-December increased by 7.2% compared to 2020, and it increased further in December 2021 compared to December 2020. “This is in case when the exchange rate by 6.5% in December 2021 compared to December 2020, in other words, the exchange rate declined, but the consumer price index increased”, the lawmaker said and was interested in the factors.

In response Mr Khachatryan said that the 7.2% average inflation is for the whole year. “By having a little fluctuation in the currency market both against the dollar and other currencies, we have again been appreciated after depreciation almost on the same levels, even a little more than we had during the pre-crisis period. This component doesn’t exist in the inflation”, he said.

According to him, inflation is more contributed by the increase in prices of good and energy from the outside world. As for the domestic reasons of inflation, he stated: “We had a cut in economic potential as a result of the pandemic, the war, the sharp increase in mortality rate among the population and many other factors. When the economic potential is cut, inflation takes place sooner under the same demand, as a result of which we went out of the regime of expansionary fiscal policy”.

Armenia’s state interests subordinated once again and put at risk – Gayane Abrahamyan

Lara Chatinian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 6 2022

Former lawmaker from ruling Civil Contract party Gayane Abrahamyan commented on Facebook the CSTO Council decision to send the organization's peacekeepers to Kazakhstan with the aim of stabilization and normalization of the situation in the country. 

"It is obvious that Armenia was not the party to initiate and all the more, make a decision to send the CSTO peacekeepers to Kazakhstan, yet the group of authoritarian states wanted this decision about the interference to be announced by a leader, who himself had come to power through the street protests. This was announced by the one who was left alone by the CSTO at the most decisive and critical period of its history the bloc  described the cynical violation of Armenia's borders and the war as 'a border incident'," Abrahamyan wrote on her Facebook page.

In Abrahamyan's words, the CSTO Council decision should have been communicated on the Council's behalf but not by the prime minister of Armenia, and the latter should have steered away from communicating this through the website of the prime minister and his Facebook page. 

"Armenia's chairmanship of the Collective Security Treaty Organization is a titular post. The CSTO Council comprises of the heads of members states, and the Chairman is the head of the country which chairs the the organization at a specific period. With this notorious statement and its announcement to the world on behalf of Armenia's prime minister, our country lost its main and perhaps the only trump card in its foreign relations of being a democratic state and its positioning of being an advocate for democrats values," Abrahamyan concluded. 

Opposition ‘Armenia’ Faction of National Assembly holds session chaired by Robert Kocharyan

Lara Chatinian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 28 2021
Opposition 'Armenia' Faction of National Assembly holds session chaired by Robert Kocharyan
18:56, 28.12.2021

Today the opposition “Armenia” Faction of the National Assembly of Armenia held a session chaired by leader of the “Armenia” Alliance Robert Kocharyan, Armenian News-NEWS.am learned from the press release issued by the Alliance.

“The first sitting of the eighth convocation of the National Assembly were summed up, the actions to be carried out during the second sitting and the course of implementation of the Faction’s action plan were discussed during the session,” the press release reads.

Informal CIS summit kicks off in Russia

Lara Chatinian

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 16:08,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Informal Summit of the CIS kicked off in St. Petersburg, Russia, with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in attendance.

The meeting is initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The leaders of the CIS member states are expected to recap the results of the Belarusian chairmanship of the CIS in 2021 and exchange views on the solution of general issues and future steps for social-economic development and cooperation.

The Belarusian presidency reported that this summit is meaningful because December marked the 30th anniversary of the founding of the CIS.

The leaders of CIS members Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are participating in the summit.

The last time the CIS leaders gathered for the informal summit was in 2019, again in St. Petersburg.

No agreement on meeting with Erdogan, Armenian PM says

Lara Chatinian
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 24 2021
, 20:57

 1 minute read

There has been no idea any any agreement on a meeting with Turkey’s President Regep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at an online press conference today.

He added, however, that if the discussions between the special representative go ahead successfully and the process matures to that point, meetings on high and highest level will naturally follow.

“It will definitely take place if the process goes successfully,” the Prime Minister said.

He added, however, that the date of the meeting of the special representatives is yet to been agreed. The Prime Minister said it will be a definitely be a lengthy process, not one, two or three meetings, and added that there should not be exaggerated expectations.

As for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, PM Pashinyan said “it has never been a precondition for normalization of relations with Turkey.

“The Armenian side, all authorities without exception have said that they are ready to normalize relations with Turkey without preconditions, which means that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide has not been a precondition for normalization of diplomatic relations and opening of borders,” the Prime Minister said.

He added, however, that the stance on the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is enshrined in the Government’s program.

Armenia Security Council Secretary on ‘3+3’ format: If there is opportunity, we will go to Baku and Ankara

Lara Chatinian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 22 2021
Armenia Security Council Secretary on '3+3' format: If there is opportunity, we will go to Baku and Ankara
00:19, 23.12.2021

We will hold more discussions on the Armenian-Turkish relations in the bilateral format, but if there is an opportunity to hold discussions in the ‘3+3’ format, we will also take advantage of that opportunity to have contacts with Turkey and express each other’s positions more clearly and make them more accessible. This is what Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan said in an interview aired on Armenian Public Television today, touching upon Armenia’s participation in the ‘3+3’ or ‘3+2’ regional format being formed and the possible agenda within the scope of that format.

Asked if this means that Armenia’s representatives will go to Ankara since the Turkish foreign minister informed that the next meeting will be held in Turkey and then in Baku and the representatives of Turkey and Azerbaijan will visit Armenia, Grigoryan said the following: “If there is an opportunity, we are ready to go, and we are also ready to host the representatives of those countries to organize discussions on our regional issues.”

The first meeting in this regional format was held on Dec. 10 in Moscow, and Armenia was represented at the level of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Although the Georgian national flag was seen at the meeting, Georgia didn’t participate in the meeting since it is against participation in this and any platform with Russia’s participation. Nevertheless, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu recently voiced hope that Georgia will participate in the next meeting to be held in Ankara, but Tbilisi hasn’t responded to this yet.