Author: Ophelia Vardapetian

Lavrov: There are American biological laboratories in Armenia

Ophelia Vardapetian
PanArmenian
Armenia – May 27 2022
May 27, 2022 – 16:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S.-funded biological laboratories are located in Armenia, Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with RT Arabic on Thursday, May 26.

Lavrov said Moscow is discussing the matter with its neighbors both on a bilateral basis and within the CSTO, TASS says.

"There are such [biological] laboratories in Armenia, Kazakhstan and in the countries of Central Asia. We are considering these problems with these countries on a bilateral basis and through the CSTO. With almost all the CSTO countries and other CIS countries, we have concluded memorandums of cooperation on biological safety, involving for mutually informing each other about how biological programs are developing in our countries," Lavrov said.

“Transparency is important to make sure that these programs do not have a military dimension, as this is prohibited by the Convention [on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons]. Each of the parties should not have military representatives of any third party."

On May 19, Secretary of Armenia's Security Council Armen Grigoryan said that the questions raised by the Russian side about the biological laboratories operating in Armenia "had been fully answered".

The reaction was not encouraging: Pashinyan criticized the inaction of the CSTO during the war in Karabakh

Ophelia Vardapetian
The Saxon
May 17 2022




During his speech, the Armenian prime minister recalled that at one time the member countries of the organization not only refused to defend their ally in organizations, but also sold weapons to Azerbaijan.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan criticized the allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for reacting to the 2020 war in Karabakh and selling weapons to Azerbaijan by some members of the bloc. The head of the Armenian government made a corresponding statement at the summit of the leaders of the CSTO member countries on Monday, May 16.

Pashinyan pointed out that “there are a lot of positive things in the history of the CSTO” and the organization “was, is and will be the most important factor” in ensuring security in the region. At the same time, the Prime Minister noted that the reaction of the CSTO member countries to the war in Karabakh in 2020 was not what Armenia expected.

“… Azerbaijani troops invaded the sovereign territory of Armenia. Armenia turned to the CSTO to activate the mechanisms that are intended in the provision of the CSTO response procedure to crisis situations of December 10, 2010, which was approved by the Collective Security Council. Unfortunately, we cannot say that the organization reacted as expected by the Republic of Armenia,” the prime minister said.

“As a result, these weapons were used against Armenia and against the Armenian people. And this is also a problem. To be honest, the reaction of the CSTO member countries during the 44-day war of 2020 and after the war did not make the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people in general very happy,” Pashinyan stressed.

The Prime Minister of Armenia also assured that the government continues to adhere to the ceasefire agreements in Karabakh, and expressed gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his assistance in concluding such agreements.

“We have a positive attitude in order to fully support the organization and its further development,” Pashinyan added.

It should be noted that on May 16, the leaders of the CSTO member countries – the Russian Federation, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – met today in Moscow at a summit dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the organization. During a public meeting, Russian President Putin, in particular, stated that NATO expansion in Sweden and Finland does not pose a threat to Russia, and also repeated the thesis about “Nazis” in Ukraine.

In the fall of 2020, the armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed in Karabakh, which lasted from September 27 to November 10. During the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Moscow has obligations to Yerevan within the framework of the CSTO, but noted that “combat operations are not being conducted on the territory of Armenia.” On the morning of October 31, Pashinyan sent a letter to Putin and asked him for support in connection with the war. In response to this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation also indicated that support would be sent when hostilities begin directly on the territory of Armenia.

Already on the night of November 10, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the head of the Armenian government Pashinyan, through the mediation Putin signed an agreement according to which the Armenian side transferred the territories of the Agdam, Kalbajar, Lachin and part of the Gazakh regions of Karabakh to the control of the Azerbaijani troops.

Since then, clashes between the Azerbaijani and Armenian military have been taking place in the region from time to time, provoking which the parties accuse each other.

Former Armenian army chief’s son arrested

Ophelia Vardapetian
Armenia –

Igor Khachaturov, the son of former Armenian army and CSTO chief Yuri Khachaturov, has been arrested on charges of assaulting a police officer at opposition protests in Yerevan, the Investigative Committee of Armenia said in a statement on Friday.

The incident took place at a demonstration on Kievyan Street in the capital on May 17. The man was presumably under the influence of drugs during the attack.

"In order to establish the circumstance, the investigating body decided to carry out a toxicology test. However, Igor Khachaturov refused to provide samples,” the law enforcement agency said.

Khachaturov has been charged under Article 316 of Armenia’s Criminal Code, with a court granting a motion to remand him into custody.

The preliminary investigation continues.

Armenian opposition MPs not allowed to enter democracy forum hall

Ophelia Vardapetian
Armenia –

A group of Armenian opposition MPs today entered the Armenia Marriott Hotel in central Yerevan, which is hosting the Armenian Democracy Forum organized by the U.S.-based watchdog Freedom House.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy as well as members of several human rights organizations are attending the forum.

The opposition deputies tried to enter the conference hall, however Head of the State Guard Service Sargis Hovhannisyan refused to let them in, arguing that they were not on the guest list. As a result, a scuffle erupted between the security guards and MPs.

"We want to go in and inform the international community about what is happening in Armenia. I want to tell about my political prisoner friend who has fought in Artsakh," said Tadevos Avetisyan, an MP from the Hayastan alliance.

"In fact, let's record that Nikol Pashinyan will remain behind closed doors and police cordons. He cannot move freely in Armenia," another Hayastan faction MP Anna Grigoryan added.

The MPs who entered the hotel started chanting "Shame!", "Armenia without Nikol!", and "Struggle!".

Incidentally, journalists were also not allowed to enter the hotel.

Reporter pours water on opposition MP at protests in Yerevan

Ophelia Vardapetian
Panorama
Armenia –

A reporter of Araratnews media outlet affiliated with pro-government MP Khachatur Sukiasyan poured water on Agnesa Khamoyan, an MP from the opposition Hayastan bloc, at the ongoing peaceful acts of civil disobedience in Yerevan on Thursday.

She was interviewing the deputy when the latter offered her water to evidently calm her down. In return, the reporter angrily took the bottle and poured water on Khamoyan.

Commenting on the incident, the MP accused Khachatur Sukiasyan of “repeatedly sending” the young journalist to the scenes of daily anti-government protests to incite provocations.

“When I tried to calm her down again, she said that she only drinks water produced by "Sil" company, which is owned by Sukiasyan,” Khamoyan wrote on Facebook, sharing a video of the incident.

Prime Minister Pashinyan chairs Security Council session

Ophelia Vardapetian

Save

Share

 16:38,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired a Security Council session, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

In addition to the members of the Security Council, the President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan, Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office Arayik Harutyunyan and Deputy Minister of Defense Karen Brutyan also participated in the meeting.

“Current issues related to the dimension of the powers of the Security Council were discussed during the session.”

All necessary prosecutorial measures utilized to reveal masterminds of 1999 parliament attack – says prosecutor-general

Ophelia Vardapetian

Save

Share

 10:44, 4 May, 2022

YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Prosecutor-General of Armenia Artur Davtyan said that the law enforcement agencies still have a lot of work to do both in terms of investigative actions and tactical-intelligence activities in the October 27 case – the 1999 assassination of Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan and Speaker of Parliament Karen Demirchyan, and several other government officials.

“We’ve publicly spoken about the October 27 criminal case,” Davtyan said in parliament. “Lawmakers know about this. At my decision, the case on the organizers in this criminal case was reopened, the investigation was reopened. There is a lot to be done in this criminal case, both in terms of investigative actions and tactical-intelligence activities. I can confidently say that all required prosecutorial measures have been done and are being done to uncover this case and hold those guilty to account,” Davtyan said.

On October 27, 1999 a group of five heavily armed gunmen led by Nairi Hunanyan stormed into the parliament while it was in session and assassinated Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Speaker of Parliament Karen Demirchyan, Deputy Speakers Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben Miroyan, as well as three lawmakers and a Cabinet member. The gunmen held the remaining MPs in parliament hostage until surrendering to authorities the next day.

The five perpetrators, which include Hunanyan’s younger brother and uncle, were sentenced to life in prison in 2003.

In 2020, authorities re-opened the investigation to reveal the masterminds of the attack.

Asbarez: International Armenian Literary Alliance Young Armenian Poets Awards Deadline Fast Approaching

Ophelia Vardapetian
 by Contributor

 

 May 6, 2022

 

in Community, Latest, News, Top Stories
 0
International Armenian Literary Alliance 2022 Young Armenian Poets Awards flyer

The International Armenian Literary Alliance announced the second annual Young Armenian Poets Awards, a contest for emerging Armenian writers between the ages of 14 and 18.

The IALA encourages submissions from any young writer who identifies as Armenian, no matter gender identity and _expression_, sexual orientation, disability, creed, national origin, socio-economic class, educational background, personal style/appearance, citizenship and immigration status or political affiliation.

Submissions will be read by IALA board members and judges, Gregory Djanikian, Armine Iknadossian, and Raffi Wartanian. Awards will be granted for the top three poems, which will be published in the online cultural arts magazine h-pem. Deadline for submission is May 31 at 8:59 p.m. PST.

“Literature is a vital element of a people and a culture⎯we are our stories,” said founder Olivia Katrandjian. “As writers, we must support each other if we want to thrive not only as individuals, but as a literary community. As a people, Armenians must support our writers if we want the world to listen to our stories. IALA will provide a platform through which young Armenian writers can be heard.”

“We’re hoping to honor the next generation of Armenian poets with an opportunity to be read and a platform to be recognized for their work,” said contest director Alan Semerdjian.

The International Armenian Literary Alliance is a nonprofit organization launched in 2021 that supports and celebrates writers by fostering the development and distribution of Armenian literature in the English language. A network of Armenian writers and their champions, IALA gives Armenian writers a voice in the literary world through creative, professional, and scholarly advocacy.

For more information, please visit IALA’s website or contact Alan Semerdjian at [email protected].

Such statements do not contribute to formation of peace agenda – Armenian Security Council Secretary on Aliyev’s remarks

Ophelia Vardapetian

Save

Share

 13:41, 5 May, 2022

YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan commented on the recent statements of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev according to which the process of clarifying the borders with Armenia will be implemented on the basis of all the maps of 1918 and the once that existed before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and that according to some of the maps of 1918 to 1920, Yerevan and Syunik were allegedly part of Azerbaijan.

Speaking to reporters, Grigoryan said that he is not going to make any statement over the maps or the historical excursion, adding that all maps and historical facts exist, any member of the society both in Armenia and Azerbaijan can get acquainted with the maps and know whom which territory historically belonged to.

Armen Grigoryan said that one of the issues of the possible peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan is the recognition of each other’s territorial integrity.

“Of course, we note that in 1992 Armenia and Azerbaijan recognized each other’s sovereign territories and sovereignty within the CIS, but you also know that other developments have taken place in the future, but Armenia and Azerbaijan continue recognizing each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Of course, such statements do not contribute to the formation of a peace agenda and to working in a calm environment. We hope that such statements will be as few as possible”, he said.

17 new cases of coronavirus in Armenia

Ophelia Vardapetian

Save

Share

 11:25, 27 April, 2022

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. 17 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed over the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 422,855, the Armenian Ministry of Healthcare said.

No new deaths were recorded and the death toll stood at 8,622.

10 people recovered (total recoveries: 410,598).

2,774 tests were administered (total tests: 3,042,708).

As of April 27 the number of active cases stood at 1,952.