13:23, 4 April 2023
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, ARMENPRESS. The number of jobs totaled 692,266 as of February, the State Revenue Committee reported citing revenue tax and social payment data submitted by corporate taxpayers and businesses.
Furthermore, citing printed POS bills, the State Revenue Committee said that a total of 53,7 million transactions of 917,6 billion AMD were made in March 2023 (13,3% and 31% increase compared to March 2022 by quantity and value respectively).
13:57, 8 April 2023
11:18,
YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is explicitly preparing to commit genocide in Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on March 30.
Speaking at the Cabinet meeting, PM Pashinyan once again responded to the false claims by Azerbaijan. He said that Armenia has never shipped arms to Nagorno Karabakh and does not maintain any military presence there. PM Pashinyan repeated that he offered to send an international fact-finding mission to validate this fact, but Azerbaijan itself rejected the proposal during the quadrilateral meeting in Prague in October 2022.
“This offer still stands, and I think there’s a need for a final clarification of this issue in the international level. And the method for doing it is the deployment of a fact-finding mission to Lachin Corridor and Nagorno Karabakh. Furthermore, the existence of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army is a well-known fact. The existence and functioning of this army is explained by a single thing – Azerbaijan is making explicit preparations to subject the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh to genocide. The Lachin Corridor has been blocked for over 100 days now, gas and electricity supply to Nagorno Karabakh is suspended, farmers and agricultural equipment in Nagorno Karabakh are regularly under Azerbaijani military gunfire. Azerbaijan’s aggressive rhetoric continues,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
He called for consistent work in the direction of launching the respective international mechanisms and informing the international community.
Several hundred community members and supporters gathered on Saturday to mark the 132nd anniversary of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation at an event hosted by the Fresno ARF Soghomon Tehlirian chapter, held at the Megerdichian hall of the Garo and Alice Gureghian Armenian Cultural Center.
The event began with a flag ceremony led by the Fresno Homenetmen Sassoon chapter scouts, followed by the performance of the Armenian and American national anthems.
The evening’s Mistress of Ceremonies Stacey Avedikian Arabian welcomed the dedicated supporters whose unwavering support throughout the years has advanced the Armenian Cause.
ARF Western USA Central Committee member Dr. Harut Mekerdichian
In an inspiring presentation, Narek Khatchikian, the chair of the Fresno Armenian Youth Federation Kevork Chavoush chapter, discussed the activities of the AYF and outlined the organization’s role in promoting the just aspirations of the Armenian Nation through local programs and projects centered on assisting fellow Armenians in Armenia, Artsakh and elsewhere. Khatchikian closed his remarks by expressing the AYF chapter’s appreciation for the ongoing support and guidance from the ARF Tehlirian chapter.
Mistress of Ceremonies Stacey Avedikian Arabian Narek Khatchikian, the chair of the Fresno AYF Kevork Chavoush chapter
Keynote remarks were presented by the ARF Western USA Central Committee member Dr. Harut Mekerdichian who reflected on the dedication of ARF members throughout its history who have courageously fought for justice for the Armenian people in service of our national ideals.
Mekerdichian pledged that the ARF will continue the struggle on all fronts, including internally, to weed out elements who have diverged from the ARF’s ideology, principles and beliefs, saying those people through their divisive actions have poisoned the organization and have veered from the values that have guided the ARF for more than a century.
Singer Raffi Badoyan performs patriotic songs
“We appeal to everyone, whether they are rank and file members or supporters,” said Mekerdichian. “Let us all think and speak freely, and fight together to return our beloved organization to serving our Nation and not personal interests.”
Those gathered were treated to entertainment by DJ Raffy with patriotic songs performed by Raffi Badoyan, who had traveled from Los Angeles to take part in the event.
13:11, 20 March 2023
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. The ongoing peace treaty process with Azerbaijan is no guarantee that it will suppress a possible new provocation by Baku, therefore Armenia is increasing its defense capabilities every day, Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan told reporters when asked whether or not the talks have entered a deadlock.
Simonyan said there is a “high threat” of new provocations and attacks by Azerbaijan. “But I don’t think it’d be right to say that it’s in a deadlock. Nonetheless there is a process, it hasn’t stopped. I think calling it a deadlock would be wrong. But this doesn’t mean that it can be in a sense a suppressive tool against a new provocation by Azerbaijan. On the contrary, the reality in the talks could’ve been created intentionally to use it for some provocation,” Simonyan warned.
The Speaker added that regardless of anything, Armenia is constantly increasing its defense capabilities.
“Even if we were to have the best, the most optimistic talks, we’d still be dealing with increasing our defense capabilities.”
Armenia has found itself in a rather complicated military and political situation, Seyran Ohanyan, the leader of the main opposition Hayastan faction in the Armenian parliament, told a briefing on Thursday, referring to the possibility of renewed hostilities on the border with Azerbaijan.
According to him, the geopolitical and regional developments, joint strategic actions of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem, Azerbaijan’s preparatory actions and the overall situation in the South Caucasus testify to it.
"And there could be a possibility of war at any moment. I am not saying this to intimidate the people, but for them to stand together and defend their land," Ohanyan noted, adding only intelligence data would allow to make a full assessment of Azerbaijan’s actions, military buildups and goals.
"The current geopolitical developments, relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the fact that Azerbaijan is taking relevant actions in the region indicate that clashes may erupt at any moment," the MP stressed.
13:29,
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. The European Parliament has condemned in a new report Azerbaijan’s 2022 attack on Armenia, as well as its military incursions since May 2021and urged the return of all forces to their initial positions. It also called on Azerbaijan to ensure freedom and security of movement along Lachin Corridor.
The Report on EU-Azerbaijan relations notes that civilian traffic between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh on the Lachin Corridor has been blocked, the torture of POWs during the September fighting, the extrajudicial cases of torture and other abuse by Azerbaijani forces against Armenian civilians, including against older people, as well as a case of extrajudicial execution in 2020 and 2021.
“…the EU is ready to play an active role as a reliable trade partner and honest broker in mediating a sustainable peace settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, basing its action on the promotion of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights,” reads the report. It also mentions that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had “implications for the South Caucasus and has further complicated the security situation in the region.”
The European Parliament “strongly condemns the latest large-scale military aggression by Azerbaijan in September 2022 against multiple targets in the sovereign territory of Armenia, which constituted a serious breach of the November 2020 ceasefire statement and contradicted earlier commitments, including those made in the framework of EU-mediated talks; condemns the military incursions made across the non-delimited border since May 2021; urges the return of all forces to their initial positions; condemns any attempts to undermine the peace process and urges all parties to the conflict to refrain from further use of force; reiterates that the territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan must be fully respected by all parties; underlines the EU’s readiness to be more actively involved in settling the region’s protracted conflicts; is seriously concerned about the blockade of the Lachin corridor; urges the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure freedom and security of movement along that corridor as prescribed by the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to address all concerns relating to the functioning of the Lachin corridor through dialogue and consultations with all the parties involved.”
The report mentions that “Azerbaijan’s record in terms of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is still very negative and needs to be improved before the EU further deepens its political and energy partnership with the country.”
YEREVAN, March 10. /TASS/. Armenia has notified the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) of its refusal to use its quota to appoint a CSTO deputy secretary-general.
"We submitted a corresponding proposal to the CSTO," the Armenpress news agency quotes Foreign Ministry spokesman Vahan Hunanyan as saying.
The CSTO secretary general has three deputies.
On January 20, Armenia’s ambassador to Britain, Varuzhan Nersesyan, said that Yerevan was dissatisfied with Russia's reaction to Azerbaijan's actions, because it had hoped for concrete assistance within the framework of the CSTO. However, he noted that Armenia highly appreciated the role of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, who maintain peace and fulfill their mandate.
On January 26, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Yerevan had preferred to make a choice in favor of the EU without bringing to its logical conclusion the work on the track of the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s mission. The Russian Foreign Ministry warned that the appearance of EU representatives in the border regions of Armenia can only exacerbate the existing contradictions and geopolitical confrontation in the region.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on February 18 that Armenia and other CSTO countries continued to work to address Yerevan’s concerns.
14:45, 9 March 2023
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. The Cabinet approved on March 9 the bill on ratifying the agreement on introducing simplified visa-free travel document requirements between Armenia and Georgia whereby nationals of the two countries will have the opportunity to cross the border only with ID cards instead of passports. The agreement was signed on January 12, 2023.
It will take effect after ratification by parliament.