Author: Rose Khoyetsian

President Sarkissian plans to meet Chief of General Staff Onik Gasparyan

Rose Khoyetsian

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 12:23,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian is planning to have a meeting with Onik Gasparyan, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces.

“As we had informed, President Sarkissian is initiating a series of discussions with the purpose of finding ways for peaceful resolution of the situation and de-escalation of the tension in the country,” Sarkissian’s Office said.

On February 25, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he was dismissing Gasparyan from duties. This still requires the President’s approval.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

COVID-19: Armenia reports 283 new cases over past day

Rose Khoyetsian

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 11:07,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. 283 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 171,510, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said today.

181 patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 163,165.

4 patients have died, raising the death toll to 3183.

3947 tests were conducted in the past one day.

The number of active cases is 4349.

The number of patients who had coronavirus but died from other disease has reached 813 (4 new such cases).

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Political scientist: Pro-Armenian reports appeared in Ukrainian media due to Ara Saghatelyan’s efforts during war

Rose Khoyetsian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 23 2021

A group of people, including political scientists and NGO representatives, on Tuesday held a rally outside the National Security Service of Armenia (NSS) in support of Ara Saghatelyan, a former chief of staff of the National Assembly, who has been placed under a two-month arrest in compliance with a court ruling.

Political scientist, head of the Voskanapat Analytical Center Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan told reporters that they have gathered outside the building of the law enforcement agency to show both the public and the NSS investigators who Ara Saghatelyan is and how he counteracted the Azerbaijani propaganda machine to make Armenia's position clear and accessible to all those dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“We have brought materials which we will hand over to the NSS so that they understand who they are dealing with. I deeply regret that the agency intended to ensure security, leaving aside the issues of national security, actually serves the traitor and makes every effort to complete the betrayal started by Nikol Pashinyan in regard to the Artsakh issue,” he said.

According to Melik-Shahnazaryan, people who can offer pro-Armenian solutions in the current situation are factually isolated.

The political scientist strongly believes that Nikol Pashinyan has a plan and is consistently implementing it.

“He did everything possible to pave the way for our defeat in the war and the surrender of our homeland to the enemy. He signed documents, which will make it difficult to rectify the situation. Now he orders arrests of people who did their best for the Artsakh issue to be properly covered by the international media,” he said.

The political scientist stated that during the 2020 Artsakh war, when Ara Saghatelyan worked with foreign media representatives in Stepanakert, coordinating their work and using his personal ties and opportunities, the NSS wiretapped his phone calls.

“Let me bring an example: Saghatelyan managed to change the situation overnight amid the anti-Armenian propaganda in the Ukrainian media from the first days of the war. He did his best to change the situation in our favor. On these very days, the NSS wiretapped Saghatelyan’s phone calls, but failed to find anything,” Melik-Shahnazaryan said. 



We should stay ready to instantly take power through uprising every moment – Vazgen Manukyan

Rose Khoyetsian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 20 2021

"The moment is exciting, as 33 years ago on this day and under similar weather conditions we gathered here for our first rally that marked the beginning of the Karabakh movement," Vazgen Manukyan, the candidate for the PM's post from the Homeland Salvation Movement stated on Saturday during the opposition rally in Yerevan. 

Manukyan reminded that after the Genocide 'Artsakh was the only island settled by ethnic Armenians' who applied to rejoin with Armenia. "Artsakh applied to Mother Armenia with a desire to rejoin, and the whole nation stood up," said Manukyan. He reminded that the Karabakh movement formulated the primary task of creating an independent state based on ideas of freedom and liberty, justice in the state and prosperity for the whole people not only for a group. 

Speaking of 'the 2018 revolution' in Armenia and its consequences, Manukyan said: "What do we have after three years? We have lost everything. All our military victories vanished. Our country is not even independent, as our security is ensured by Russia which means we are totally dependent on Russians in security issues. They [government] tried to eliminate the national ideas. They have spoken about freedom, while in reality our country is turning into a police state where dedicated and patriotic people are arrested," said Manukyan, pointing also to the unfortunate situation in the economy.  

The opposition figure next spoke of the two options as a way out of the existing situation, which, in his words, require the removal of the current leaders in the first place.  

"Only after that real actions may follow. Some of the steps are not only about recovering what we have lost, but also building the state we have dreamed about. If Pashinyan is gone or replaced by others who are fond of electoral fraud, money and thirst for power,  we will again fail. It will be quite difficult as we need to rebuild our army, and our security should be ensured not by Russian but Armenian troops," said Manukyan. 

"Let me state that no matter how many rallies we hold Pashinyan may not leave the post on this own. That is why we should break the pillars supporting him. Which are those pillars? First, they are the part of our compatriots who does not realize the way our country moves forward. Our task is to explain these citizens the real state of affairs in the country. The law enforcement is the second pillar – the Police the National Security Service. They do not perceive they are serving the Turkish-Azerbaijani interests. We should be tough and convincing at the same time. We should also leave an exit strategy for those parliamentarians who are still supporting Pashinyan. Armenia must boil," said Manukyan. 

As to the second option, Manukyan noted every moment they should stay ready to uprise and instantly take the power. 

"We will proceed with the first option, always staying ready for the second one," concluded the oppositionist. 

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 02/20/2021

Rose Khoyetsian 
                                        Saturday, 

Armenian Opposition Resumes Anti-Government Protests

        • Artak Khulian

Armenia -- Opposition supporters demonstrate in Yerevan to demand Prime Minister 
Nikol Pashinian's resignation, February 2021.

Traffic was brought to a standstill in much of central Yerevan on Saturday as an 
alliance of more than a dozen Armenian opposition parties resumed street 
protests aimed at forcing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to resign.

The Homeland Salvation Movement alliance rallied several thousand supporters in 
the city’s Liberty Square in what its coordinator, Ishkhan Saghatelian, 
described as a “new start of our movement” sparked by the autumn war with 
Azerbaijan.

“As long as Nikol [Pashinian] is in power there will be no stability, peace and 
calm in our country,” Saghatelian told the crowd that gathered in the square 
amid a heavy snowfall. The opposition forces will continue “nonstop” civil 
disobedience actions in the days ahead, he said.

At the organizers’ urging, the protesters split and marched in four different 
directions after the rally, chanting “Armenia without Nikol!” and blocking major 
street intersections in the city center. Riot police did not attempt to disperse 
them and guarded key government buildings instead.

The opposition alliance blames Pashinian for Armenia’s defeat in the six-week 
war in Nagorno-Karabakh stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire on November 10. 
It staged a series of demonstrations later in November and December in a bid to 
force him to hand over power to an interim government.


Armenia -- The opposition Homeland Salvation Movement holds a rally at Liberty 
Square in Yerevan, .

Those protests did not attract large crowds, leading Pashinian to insist that he 
still has a popular mandate to govern the country.

The prime minister also expressed readiness on December 25 to hold snap 
parliamentary elections to end the political crisis in the country. Opposition 
leaders continued to insist on his resignation.

The ruling My Step bloc pointed to the opposition stance when it stated on 
February 7 that Pashinian and his allies see no need to dissolve the current 
parliament. It also claimed that most Armenians do not want snap elections. The 
Homeland Salvation Movement announced afterwards its decision to resume 
anti-government rallies.

“As long as there are upheavals there will be no development in our country. If 
they don’t resign things will get even worse,” Gagik Tsarukian, the leader of 
the movement’s largest party, Prosperous Armenia, said in a speech delivered 
during the Liberty Square rally.

“Armenia must boil. There must be daily rallies. The city must be paralyzed,” 
said Vazgen Manukian, another opposition leader whom the alliance wants to take 
over as a caretaker prime minister after Pashinian’s resignation.


Armenia -- Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukian speaks at an 
opposition rally in Yerevan, .

Manukian also declared that the opposition should be prepared to mount an 
“uprising” if it fails to topple Pashinian with conventional street protests. 
“We will follow Plan A but must always be ready for Plan B,” he said.

Saghatelian, who is affiliated with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation 
(Dashnaktsutyun), backed the idea when he spoke with journalists after the 
rally. He said Armenians have a right to revolt against “this government of 
evil.” He stressed at the same time they must be patient and ready for a 
prolonged struggle against Pashinian’s administration.

While demanding Pashinian’s resignation, Tsarukian and another opposition 
leader, former National Security Service Director Artur Vanetsian, again made 
clear that their parties would participate in possible fresh elections organized 
by the current authorities. Other alliance leaders, notably Manukian, believe 
the opposition should boycott such a vote.

Saturday’s rally was timed to coincide with the 33rd anniversary of the start of 
a popular movement for Karabakh’s unification with Armenia.

Pashinian issued a statement on the anniversary. “I am sure that, like many 
peoples who have faced serious problems throughout their history, the Armenian 
people will soon heal the wounds of the past war and take even more decisive and 
firm steps into the future,” he said.


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Musical journey to 1st half of 20th century: State Jazz Orchestra of Armenia to give concert Feb. 19

Rose Khoyetsian

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 11:18,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The State Jazz Orchestra of Armenia under the direction of Armen Husnunts will hold a concert on February 19 – a musical journey into the first half of the 20th century, the golden age of great jazz bands, the Orchestra said in a statement.

The Retro Jazz will take place in the hall of the Union of Architects.

The works of Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Artemi Ayvazyan will be performed during the concert.

“Everything new is well forgotten by the old. Taking a retrospective look at the past, we get a unique opportunity to discover the new, the modern, to comprehend it through the reassessment of the old”, the statement says.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Yerkir.am: Armenian doctor demanding Pashinyan’s resignation dismissed, to sue regional governor

Rose Khoyetsian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 18 2021
Yerkir.am: Armenian doctor demanding Pashinyan's resignation dismissed, to sue regional governor
15:00, 18.02.2021

Director of #3 Polyclinic of Vanadzor Artak Yedoyan has been dismissed for demanding the resignation of Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. He confirmed the news during a conversation with Yerkir.am.

“I had joined the call of doctor, freedom fighter Taron Tonoyan to demand the resignation of Pashinyan. I’m not politically affiliated. I assume that I was dismissed because of this since there was no other reason to dismiss me,” he said.

Yedoyan says there is a reason for him to believe this because during his conversation with newly appointed regional governor Aram Khachatryan, who used to be a deputy of the My Step faction of the National Assembly before being appointed, started talking about politics and asked Yedoyan why he was against Pashinyan.

“The regional governor asked me if I could express my opinion during the administration of the former authorities, to which I gave an affirmative answer and brought up an example and added that I had never faced such a problem in the past,” the doctor said, adding that he will sue the regional governor and has already reached an agreement with lawyers and human rights activists.

Representatives of the medical community of Armenia had issued a statement demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Pashinyan, who is responsible for the devastating situation created in Armenia, as well as the resignation of his Cabinet.

    

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 02/13/2021

Rose Khoyetsian 
                                        Saturday, 

Yerevan Jolted By Earthquake
Փե February տրվար 13, 2021

Armenia -- People wait anxiously in a courtyard in Yerevan after an earthquake, 
.

A major earthquake struck Yerevan and surrounding areas on Saturday, causing 
many of their residents to rush out of their homes.

The earthquake measured at magnitude 4.7 at its epicenter 8 kilometers southeast 
of Armenia’s capital, reported the national seismic protection agency. It said 
tremors were also felt in five of the country’s ten provinces.

According to the Armenian Ministry of Health, the quake did not kill or injure 
anyone. The ministry reported only minor injuries sustained by three people “as 
a consequence of panic caused by the earthquake.”

The Ministry of Emergency Situations urged local residents to stay outdoors 
shortly after Yerevan was jolted by the quake at around 3:30 p.m. local time. It 
said it has registered 46 aftershocks.

In another statement issued at 7 p.m., the ministry told people to return to 
their homes. “The analysis of available data shows that the likelihood of a 
powerful earthquake is low,” it said.

The quake appeared to have caused no serious material damage in or outside 
Yerevan. The Ministry of Emergency Situation reported tentatively that it 
damaged only one house and three buildings in the city of one million.

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck another Armenian region on February 5. It too 
did not result in casualties. The authorities warned on February 6 that more 
“earthquakes of low or medium magnitude” could occur in the days ahead.

Armenia is located in a seismically active zone and earthquakes are a regular 
occurrence there. The most powerful quake in the country’s modern history killed 
in 1988 more than 25,000 people and left hundreds of thousands of others 
homeless.


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia hold meeting on restoration of transport communication

Rose Khoyetsian
TASS, Russia
Feb 12 2021
The first meeting of the Deputy Prime Ministers took place on January 30 in Moscow

YEREVAN, February 12. /TASS/. Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan held the second meeting on restoration of regional transport communication, Armenia Deputy Prime Minister’s press service announced Friday.

"The meeting discussed the process of joint work, based on the November 9 statement of Prime Minister of Armenia and Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan, as well as implementation of clauses 2, 3 and 4 of January 11 statement. The schedule for further operations was negotiated," the announcement says.

Two expert groups were established under the Deputy Prime Ministers’ decision. The first group will include representatives of Armenian National Security Service, Ministries of the Interior, Economy, Territorial Management and Infrastructures. The second group will represent Armenia’s State Revenue Committee, Food Safety Inspection Body, as well as the National Security Service and Foreign Ministry.

The first meeting of the Deputy Prime Ministers took place on January 30 in Moscow.

On November 9, Prime Minister of Armenia and Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan signed a joint statement of full cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. On January 11, they agreed to establish a working group at the level of Deputy Prime Minister that focuses on restoration of transport and economic ties in the region.

Armenpress: Ukraine plans finding new cooperation directions with Armenia – Ambassador

Rose Khoyetsian

Ukraine plans finding new cooperation directions with Armenia – Ambassador

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 18:33,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Ukraine plans finding new directions for developing cooperation with Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports Ambassador of Ukraine to Armenia Ivan Kuleba told AnalitikaUA.net.

''We attentively watch the efforts of the Government of Armenia aimed at the development of technologies and we think that direction has potential for a mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries. We also expect that during this year the works of the Armenian-Ukrainian intergovernmental commission will be restored'', Kuleba said.

According to the Ambassador, the Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Ukraine jointly develop a promising agenda, which mainly refers to the activation of the political dialogue, searching for cooperation opportunities in trade and economy, culture and other directions.