Author: Markos Nalchajian

Some 800 babies born in Karabakh in first half of 2022

Markos Nalchajian
PanARMENIAN
Armenia – July 18 2022
July 18, 2022 – 12:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - 792 babies, including 406 boys and 386 girls were born in the first half of 2022 in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), according to information provided by the Artsakh Ministry of Health.

Health authorities said 697 babies were born in the capital Stepanakert, 66 babies in the town of Martakert and 29 others in the town of Martuni. During the reporting period, 4 twin pairs were registered in the country.

The Health Ministry revealed that 6 babies — 3 girls and 3 boys — were born through IVF.

A further 15 children from Artsakh – 8 boys and 7 girls – were born in medical facilities in Armenia, which means total births in the first half of the year amounted to 807 children.

 

EU agrees deal with Azerbaijan to double gas exports by 2027

Markos Nalchajian
July 19 2022
By Euronews  •  Updated: 19/07/2022

The European Commission signed a deal with Azerbaijan on Monday to double imports of natural gas by 2027.

The announcement came after European commission president Ursula von der Leyen visited Baku Monday morning for talks on increasing energy supplies to the EU. 

The deal, which intends to bring imports of Azeri natural gas to at least 20 billion cubic metres a year in 15 years, will help the EU reduce its reliance on Russian energy. 

“Today, with this new Memorandum of Understanding, we are opening a new chapter in our energy cooperation with Azerbaijan, a key partner in our efforts to move away from Russian fossil fuels,” von der Leyen said.

Monday's announcement is part of a broader push by the EU to find alternative suppliers of energy since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Concerns in Brussels about a complete Russian gas shut-off grew last week after the Nord Stream 1 pipeline began scheduled maintenance, bringing supplies to a halt.

Work on the pipeline from Russia to Germany is due to continue until the end of this week, but the Russian Foreign Ministry has said that the future of the pipeline is linked to sanctions against Moscow. 

“Amid Russia’s continued weaponisation of its energy supplies, diversification of our energy imports is a top priority for the EU,” the European Commission said in a statement Friday ahead of the trip.

Moscow has denied it is using gas as a weapon against the EU, however Russian supplies have fallen by more than 60 per cent in recent weeks. 

The shutdown of Nord Stream 1, which is a crucial supply link for Russian gas to Germany and beyond, has added to concerns that Moscow could potentially end its supplies of gas to the bloc altogether.

According to a document seen by Reuters, the deal between Baku and the EU will increase gas flow into the bloc through the Southern Gas Corridor pipeline.

"The Sides aspire to support bilateral trade of natural gas, including through exports to the European Union, via the Southern Gas Corridor, of at least 20 billion cubic metres of gas annually by 2027, in accordance with commercial viability and market demand," the document said.

Last year, the pipeline transported 8 billion cubic metres of gas into the EU.

The increase would require Azerbaijan to increase its domestic gas production.

Azerbaijan is already increasing deliveries of natural gas to the EU from 8.1 billion cubic metres (bcm) in 2021 to an expected 12bcm in 2022, the Commission said.

The country, which borders Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, Russia, Iran and the Caspian Sea, started exporting natural gas to Europe via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline at the end of 2020. 

At the time, Azerbaijan said it planned to send 10 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe every year, mostly to Italy, but also to Greece and Bulgaria.

 

Yerevan mayor: City should wake up early

Markos Nalchajian
Panorama
Armenia –

Yerevan Mayor Hrachya Sargsyan says that the city "should wake up early and the working day should start early."

“From now on, from 7am the music from the Yerevan City Hall clock tower will sound simultaneously in 12 administrative districts of the capital,” he wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

“In addition, our fellow citizens will again be able to see the time of day and the air temperature on a new LED screen installed on the roof of the Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet,” he added.

Toyota Fortuner chosen as police cruiser in provinces

Markos Nalchajian

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 13:00,

YEREVAN, JULY 21, ARMENPRESS. The government approved redistributions in the state budget to allocate over 3,1 billion drams for acquisition of 175 SUVs for the new police force which will soon be launched in the provinces of Aragatsotn, Gegharkunik, Kotayk and Tavush.

The police cruisers will be Toyota Fortuner SUVs.

Out of all car companies represented in Armenia, only Toyota Yerevan was able to supply the vehicles in line with the required characteristics.

Apart from the SUVs, new sedans will also be bought for the police force as highway patrol vehicles.

Pashinyan, Mishustin discuss mutual partnership between Armenia and Russia

Markos Nalchajian

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 15:57,

YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan held a telephone conversation with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, the PM’s Office said.

The two PMs discussed issues relating to the mutual partnership between Armenia and Russia, as well as the agenda of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Nikol Pashinyan thanked Mikhail Mishustin for the operational response to a number of issues of Armenian-Russian commercial relations.

Issues relating to the agenda of the upcoming session of the EAEU Inter-governmental Council, to be held in Kyrgyzstan in August, were also discussed.

Asbarez: EU Signs Gas Deal With Azerbaijan to Double Exports by 2027

Markos Nalchajian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (left) signed an MoU with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan


The European Commission signed a memorandum of understanding with Azerbaijan to double imports of Azerbaijani natural gas to at least 20 billion cubic meters a year by 2027, Al Jazeera reported on Monday.

“Today, with this new memorandum of understanding, we are opening a new chapter in our energy cooperation with Azerbaijan, a key partner in our efforts to move away from Russian fossil fuels,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday.

She said the European Union is seeking to double gas imports from Azerbaijan as it seeks non-Russian suppliers after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Azerbaijan is a crucial energy partner for us that has always been reliable,” von der Leyen said at a joint news conference with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev following the signing ceremony in Baku, the Azeri capital.

Through the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, Azerbaijan is “delivering currently more than 8 billion cubic meters of gas per year and we will expand its capacity to 20 billion cubic meters” by 2027, she said.

The Azeri gas imports will already increase to 12bcm next year, which “will help compensate for cuts in supplies of Russian gas and contribute significantly to Europe’s security of supply,” she added.

Aliyev stressed that “issues of energy security today are more important than ever before”.
He added: “Long-lasting, predictable and very reliable cooperation between EU and Azerbaijan in the field of energy is a big asset.”

The Southern Gas Corridor transporting Azeri gas to the EU has been operational since 2020.

Ahead of the visit, the European Commission said: “Amid Russia’s continued weaponization of its energy supplies, diversification of our energy imports is a priority for the EU.”

In May, EU leaders agreed to stop most Russian oil imports by the end of the year, as part of unprecedented sanctions they slapped on Moscow over the military action in Ukraine.

Azerbaijani forces shell Armenian positions from large-caliber firearms

Markos Nalchajian
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia – July 12 2022
July 12, 2022, 12:41

 Less than a minute

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire in the direction of Armenian military positions located in the western part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Large-caliber firearms were used, the Ministry of Defense informs.

The fire of the Azerbaijani units was silenced by the retaliatory actions of the Armenian side.

At the same time the Ministry denied the reports of the Azerbaijani side claiming that in the evening of July 11, units of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire in the direction of the Azerbaijani positions located in the eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Armenpress: Secretary of Security Council of Armenia, Director of US CIA discuss Armenia-Azerbaijan and Armenia-Turkey negotiations

Markos Nalchajian

Secretary of Security Council of Armenia, Director of US CIA discuss Armenia-Azerbaijan and Armenia-Turkey negotiations

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 22:02,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. On July 15, the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan met with the Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency William Burns.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Security Council of Armenia, the interlocutors discussed the future process of Armenia-US bilateral relations.

During the meeting, the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia presented the regional security environment, existing challenges and Armenia's approach to establishing peace in the region. In this context, the parties discussed the Armenia-Azerbaijan and Armenia-Turkey negotiation processes.

Turkologist: Turkey and Azerbaijan hold the unblocking of borders as the icing on the cake of common normalization with Armenia

Markos Nalchajian
ARMINFO
Armenia – July 1 2022
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo. Judging by the latest statements by Armenian officials, there has been some disappointment in Yerevan regarding the process of normalizing relations with  Turkey.  Victor Nadein-Raevsky, Ph.D. in Philosophy, director of  the  Institute of Political and Social Studies of the Black  Sea-Caspian  region, senior researcher of IMEMO RAS (Russia) expressed  a similar  opinion to ArmInfo.

"At the initial stage of the process, there were illusions in  Armenia, conditioned by the results of the 44-day war, according to  which, after the disappearance of the main prerequisite, that is,  after the taking of territories by Azerbaijan, Turkey will go to  unblock the borders. Yerevan hoped that the normalization of  relations with Ankara would weaken Baku's influence on it. Such a  strategy was visible from the statements made from Yerevan," he  noted.

However, according to the Turkologist Ankara and Baku are guided by  their own strategic calculations, within which they hold the process  of unblocking the borders with Armenia as the icing on the cake of  the common normalization process. Since they are well aware that by  opening the border, they will not immediately receive a positive  decision on the status of Artsakh and communications through the  territory of Armenia.

At the same time, Turkey itself, according to Nadein-Raevsky, has no  weighty reasons for continuing the blockade of Armenia. In this  sense, Ankara, in his opinion, in this matter is a kind of hostage to  Baku's policy, that is aimed at resolving the issue of the status of  Nagorno-Karabakh in favor of Azerbaijan and obtaining a corridor to  Nakhichevan through Armenia.

Commenting on the current policy of Turkey, the Turkologist described  it as oriented towards national interests. Being a true ally of NATO  and trying to demonstrate this constantly, on the other hand, Recep  Erdogan repeatedly goes beyond all the limits prescribed by  Washington. And it was under Erdogan that Turkey became more active  in pursuing a policy oriented both to the West and to the East. This  was largely facilitated by the coup attempt in 2016, in which Ankara  blamed Washington.

"As of today, there are three pronounced accents in Turkish foreign  policy. First of all, it is the incitement of pan-Turkic sentiments  with the aim of consolidating all Turkic peoples into a single state  of Turan.  Second, neo-Ottomanism, expressed in the buildup of  Turkish political influence in countries that were previously part of  the Ottoman Empire. And, finally, the strengthening of geopolitical  influence through the religious factor,  Islamism," the Turkologist  summed up. 

Armenian PM congratulates President of Argentina on Independence Day

Markos Nalchajian

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 11:08, 9 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 9, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan sent a congratulatory message to President of the Republic of Argentina Alberto Fernández on the occasion of Independence Day, the PM’s Office said.

The message reads as follows:

“Your Excellency,

On behalf of the people of Armenia and myself, I warmly congratulate you and the friendly people of Argentina on the Independence Day of the Republic of Argentina.

This year, Armenia and Argentina mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, which is a good opportunity to assess the joint achievements and find new ways of cooperation.

I reaffirm my willingness to work together with you in the direction of further strengthening the historical friendly relations between our peoples. I sincerely hope that we will be able to form a more ambitious, mutually beneficial agenda in all areas of mutual interest for the benefit of our states and peoples.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration”.