Author: Shushan Frangulian

Arrests taking place in Armenia ahead of opposition Saturday’s major rally: 4 people arrested

Shushan Frangulian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 20 2021
Arrests taking place in Armenia ahead of opposition Saturday's major rally: 4 people arrested
12:20, 20.02.2021

A number of people were detained Friday evening on suspicion of creating a fake account named Gagik Soghomonyan on Facebook.

Employees of the National Security Service detained the co-founder of Quartet Media Karen Bekaryan when he was home. A search was also carried out in the office of the former Chief of Staff of the Armenian National Assembly Ara Saghatelyan and two other adjacent offices, after which Ara Saghatelyan was brought to the National Security Service (NSS). Lawyer Mikael Shkhimyan wrote on his Facebook that his client, Mher Avagyan, was knocked to the ground and videotaped in the presence of the NSS building to stage a show.

Azerologist Anzhela Elibegova and constitutional expert Gohar Meloyan were also detained by the NSS but were later released. Friday night, Legal Way NGO co-founder Ruben Melikyan told reporters in front of the NSS building that Karen Bekaryan, Ara Saghatelyan, and Mher Avagyan had been arrested as well.

Immediately after this information became known, the fake user 'Gagik Soghomonyan' shared a post, shortly after which another person was arrested, Melikyan noted adding that the arrested person was also in the NSS building. Thus, the number of arrested has reached 4 at the moment.

    

Strong winds pound Yerevan

Shushan Frangulian

Save

Share

 10:16,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Winds up to 25 m/s have caused damages in Yerevan Wednesday morning. The damages occurred in the Charbakh district, according to images provided by the Hydro-Meteorological and Monitoring Center.

“As forecast, strong winds are currently observed in most parts of the country, and the speed reaches 25 m/s in individual areas,” the agency said.

The winds are expected to fade away after midday.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenpress: Magnitude 2,0 earthquake recorded near Yerevan

Shushan Frangulian

Magnitude 2,0 earthquake recorded near Yerevan

Save

Share

 09:44,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. A magnitude 2,0 earthquake at a depth of 10km was recorded at 07:26, February 17, some 12km south-east from Yerevan.

The tremors were felt in Yerevan and Artashat with an intensity of MSK 2.

The Seismic Protection Service said the tremors are aftershocks of the February 13 Yerevan earthquake.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenia-EU Agreement to enter into force on March 1, ratification completed

Shushan Frangulian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 10 2021

On February 10, 2021, the European Union notified the Republic of Armenia about the completion of the ratification process by the EU and its Member States of the Armenia-European Union Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. The Agreement will fully enter info force on March 1, 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs.

The agreement, which was signed in the framework of the Eastern Partnership Summit held in Brussels on 24 November 2017, takes the bilateral relations between Armenia and the European Union to a new, partnership level and regulates the dialogue in the political and economic spheres, as well as sectoral cooperation and trade relations.

The CEPA is an inclusive document, which creates a solid legal basis for the Armenia-EU partnership, outlining cooperation in various spheres, spanning from justice, security, economy, agriculture and infrastructures to environment and climate, education and science, culture, health, etc.

“The effective implementation of the Agreement will bring tangible results to our citizens by promoting democracy, political, economic and social stability through extensive reforms, thus improving quality of life of our citizens,” the Foreign Ministry says.

The CEPA addresses the issue of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, reaffirming the EU’s stated commitment to support the efforts and approaches of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, particularly on the basis of equal rights and self-determination of peoples.

The Government of Armenia has constantly reaffirmed its commitment to the effective implementation of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, which is fully in line with Armenia’s broad reform agenda.

Yerevan City Hall to purchase 161 new buses

Shushan Frangulian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 12 2021

Yerevan’s City Hall will purchase 161 buses to improve the city’s transportation system, Mayor Hayk Marutyan said at a special session of the City Council.

“The British company WIG has designed a new bus network for us. It is planned to purchase about 850 buses, of which 450 should be 7.5, 8.5 meters, and the rest – 12 and 18 meters. At the moment, we are confirming the purchase of 161 7.5- to 8.5-meter buses,” Marutyan said.

The Mayor saիդ that the tender will open on March 31.

According to him, the purchase will help get rid of the minibuses, which are “dangerous, problematic and inconvenient.” 

Turkish Press: Armenia no match for ‘superpower Turkey,’ concedes former official

Shushan Frangulian
Yeni Şafak, Turkey
Feb 2 2021

Armenia no match for ‘superpower Turkey,’ concedes former official

Months after Azerbaijan regained control over territories occupied by Armenia, Yerevan’s humiliating defeat that sent shockwaves across the country continues to make headlines after former Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan’s sobering assessment about Turkey’s role in the Karabakh conflict.

In a recent interview, Hovhannisyan admitted that his country’s army was no match for Turkey’s state-of-the-art drones, which have been game-changers in Syria and Libya, according to international reports.

Asked about Turkey’s role in the Karabakh conflict, Hovhannisyan pointed that “Turkey’s intervention was one of the reasons that Armenia lost the war.”

Hovhannisyan also stressed that Armenia was facing a foe boasting forces that are “ten to twelve times bigger,” ceding that “facing such a superpower is extremely difficult.”

During the 44-day conflict in Karabakh, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages, while at least 2,802 of its soldiers were martyred. There are differing claims about the number of casualties on the Armenian side, which, sources and officials say, could be up to 5,000.

The two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10 to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

A joint Turkish-Russian center is being established to monitor the truce, and Russian peacekeeping troops have also been deployed in the region.

The cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have withdrawn in line with the agreement. Violations, however, have been reported in the past few weeks, with some Armenian soldiers said to have been hiding in the mountainous enclave.

Special flight from Germany transports 30 tons of humanitarian aid to Armenia

Shushan Frangulian
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 25 2021  

 

About 30 tons of humanitarian aid – medicines, medical equipment, various items necessary for the social sphere – were transported to Yerevan by a special flight of the German Federal Ministry of Defense, the Government reports.

The flight was carried out through close cooperation between the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Germany, the Prelacy of the German-Armenian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the “Silva Kaputikyan” Union of German-Armenian Women.

Opposition’s PM nominee accuses Armenian authorities of ‘deliberately’ losing war in Artsakh

Shushan Frangulian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 26 2021

During the previous war in Artsakh, the people were aware of all developments on the frontline and Armenia managed to secure a victory, but it was not the case in the recent autumn war, Vazgen Manukyan, the joint candidate of the opposition Homeland Salvation Movement for interim prime minister, told a meeting with residents of Armenia’s Ararat Province on Tuesday.

According to Manukyan, while Azerbaijan was preparing for victory in the war, Armenia was preparing for defeat.

He condemned the prosecution and arrests of army generals by the authorities in 2018 over alleged corruption offences, adding it caused distrust in the military.

The opposition leader believes the modernization of the army was another step that led Armenia to defeat.

"In 2016, Azerbaijan attempted an attack, but realized that it was facing the army which had defeated the country in 1994 and stopped the war. We, in turn, realized what could await us during the next war – use of UAVs, new technologies, but no steps were taken in that direction,” he stated.

He said the former Armenian authorities sought to acquire Tor missile systems to guard against UAVs, however after the change of government the arms purchase plan was revised and, instead, the authorities decided to purchase “toy” airplanes.

“These planes were of no use during the war and were never used. On October 3, France proposed to provide us with weapons to protect against the drones, but we refused. On October 11, France reiterated its offer, but we again turned it down," he said.

Referring to the recent interview of the former Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan, Vazgen Manukyan highlighted the part in which he said that they failed to control the armed forces regularly.

"Reserve forces were taken to forests and left there, with one of the members tasked to lead the groups. It was not a war; it was a slaughterhouse,” he said. “Secret talks were held, due to which Shushi was handed over to the enemy. Russia repeatedly proposed to stop the war, but they [the authorities] did not agree. On the 4th day of the war, the chief of the General Staff [of the Armenian Armed Forces] and the Artsakh leadership called for stopping the war and making concessions, but they did not agree. This was a deliberately defeated war aimed at getting rid of Artsakh," Vazgen Manukyan said.

Armenian President congratulates King Abdullah II of Jordan on birthday

Shushan Frangulian

Save

Share

 12:25,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian sent a congratulatory message to King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on his birthday, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

President Sarkissian noted in particular that Armenia and Jordan have mutual interests and great prospects for cooperation. The recent meetings and fruitful discussions outline new ways of developing the existing relations between the two countries.

The President of Armenia expressed confidence that the agreements reached due to constructive discussions on bilateral, regional and international issues will come to life in the near future.

President Sarkissian wished good health and plenty of success to the King of Jordan.