09:57, 1 March, 2022
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Acting President Alen Simonyan paid tribute today to the memory of the victims of the 2008 March 1 events in Yerevan.
The PM posted a video about their visit on Facebook.
[see video]
10:29, 1 March, 2022
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. US Congressman Brad Sherman issued a statement commemorating Azerbaijan's massacre of Armenians in Sumgait and Baku, the Armenian National Committee of America reported.
His full statement is below.
“I stand in solidarity with the Armenian American community in commemorating the February 1988 Sumgait Pogroms. Thirty-four years ago, in the Azerbaijani town of Sumgait, Azerbaijani mobs targeted and assaulted peaceful Armenian residents on the basis of their ethnicity and endured unspeakable crimes. The violence left hundreds of Armenian civilians dead and injured, women and girls were raped, some victims were burned alive, and thousands were forced to flee their homes.
This tragic anti-Armenian massacre helped touch off a wave of anti-Armenian violence that spread to Kirovabad in November 1988 and to Baku in January 1990, which culminated in the forcible expulsion of 390,000 Armenians from Azerbaijan and the 1991-94 war over Artsakh.
As we pause to honor the memories of the victims of the Sumgait Pogroms, must also use this solemn anniversary to remember the consequences that ensue when aggression and ethnic hatred grow unchecked.
This stark reminder remains evident today as the government of Azerbaijan continues its state-sponsored policy of aggression against Armenia and Artsakh. The world witnessed the consequences of Azerbaijan’s unchecked hatred against Armenians during the invasion of Artsakh in 2020 as Azeri forces committed horrendous war crimes against Armenian civilians, including women and the elderly, and illegally imprisoned Armenian POWs after the cessation of hostilities. Many POWs are still held by Azerbaijan.
The government of Azerbaijan must be held accountable by the international community for its legacy of aggression against the Armenian people – from the pogroms committed thirty-four years ago, to their relentless belligerence against Armenians that persists today. Such crimes against humanity must never go unrecognized or escape accountability, whether they occurred yesterday or 30 years ago or 100 years ago.
As a Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Congressional Armenian Caucus for 25 years, I have worked in Congress to shed light on such atrocities and hold those responsible accountable. On today’s solemn anniversary, we reaffirm our resolve to oppose anti-Armenian hatred and work to ensure such history will not be repeated”.
11:46, 25 February, 2022
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, ARMENPRESS. The Russian military seized two vehicles of the Ukrainian armed forces, changed uniforms and are moving towards Central Kiev from Obolon, according to the Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar.
“Russian military confiscated two vehicles of the Ukrainian armed forces, are wearing Ukrainian military uniforms and are rapidly moving towards Central Kiev from Obolon. They are followed by a Russian military cargo convoy,” Malyar said in a statement on social media.
PanARMENIAN.Net - Several high-ranking military officials were sacked in Armenia on Thursday, February 24, the same day Chief of Army Staff Artak Davtyan was dismissed from his post.
In particular, Andranik Makaryan is no longer the Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, while Armen Harutyunyan has been relieved of the post of the head of the Missile Troops department of the Armenian Armed Forces.
Also, Armen Arushanyan and Artur Poghosyan have been relieved of the posts of Chief of the Armed Forces Engineering Troops and of the head of the moral and psychological support department of the Armed Forces, respectively.
15:06,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. Acting President of Armenia Alen Simonyan received today Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See in Armenia, Archbishop Jose A. Bettencourt, the Presidential Office reports.
Alen Simonyan and Jose Bettencourt exchanged ideas about the 30th anniversary of the Armenia-Holy See diplomatic relations, reaffirming Armenia’s interest and commitment to further deepen the inter-state relations with the Holy See. Alen Simonayn said the 30-year-old diplomatic ties are based on common history and spiritual heritage.
In turn Jose Bettencourt said the diplomatic relations are 30 years old, but the friendship of the two nations has a history of more than 2000 years.
The Acting President of Armenia valued the decision of the Holy See to establish an Apostolic Nunciature in Yerevan, which shows the priority given to the Armenia-Holy See inter-state ties and the developments happening in the region. In this context, the works on preserving, protecting and restoring the Armenian spiritual, cultural and historical monuments in the territories that have come under the Azerbaijani control after the 2020 war were emphasized.
The Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) National Assembly on Friday released a statement on the occasion of Revival Day. It reads as follows:
“The events that took place in Artsakh (formerly the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast) in February 1988 fundamentally changed not only the subsequent chronicle of not only the indigenous Armenian people living here, but also other peoples of the former Soviet Union.
Tens of thousands of people, using the liberal and democratic ideas proclaimed in the USSR, sought to restore historical justice through peaceful rallies in Stepanakert and other parts of the region—the unfulfilled dream of several generations to reunite the Armenian region with Armenia.
The movement, which is gaining momentum day by day, initially adopted a peaceful solution to the problem raised by legal and political means, which was unequivocally confirmed on February 20 at the 20th special session of the former representative body, the regional council of people's deputies. The historic decision adopted to withdraw the NKAO from the Azerbaijan SSR and reunite it with the Armenian SSR signaled a new stage in the Artsakh national liberation struggle: the Karabakh movement, the civilized determination of the people of Artsakh to advance legally.
Unfortunately, the leadership of the Azerbaijan SSR was not able to use the unique opportunity to resolve the issue correctly, and as a result, the region found itself in a web of temptations for long-term instability and for Azerbaijan to resolve the issue by military means.
As a result of the February 20 decision expressing the will and desire of the absolute majority of the population of the region, Artsakh rightly became a symbol of the pride and national awakening of all Armenians. The wave of the Karabakh movement spread all over the world; and as a result of the organized struggle of all sections of the Armenians, the two Armenian republics were formed in the early 90s of the last century.
The Republic of Artsakh, proclaimed on September 2, 1991 and formed in accordance with the requirements of international law and domestic legislation, was a conscious stop on the road to a united Armenian state.
Our people have paid a very high price in the struggle for the freedom and independence of Artsakh. Thousands of Armenians sacrificed their lives during the 1991-94, 2016 four-day, and 2020 44-day wars. The Republic of Artsakh exists today and continues its struggle for international recognition thanks to the self-sacrifice of those brave people. Our homage to their immortal memory.
In the last 34 years, we have come a long way in establishment and development, victories and failures, and during that time the idea has been strengthened that the future of Armenian Artsakh is guaranteed only in the prospect of living freely and independently.
Expressing the collective will and view of the people of Artsakh, the National Assembly of the Artsakh Republic:
Reaffirms its commitment to the historic decision of February 20, 1988 and its determination to defend its right to live freely in its homeland;
Draws the attention of international stakeholders—and, first of all, the parliaments of the [OSCE] Minsk Group Co-Chair countries—to the fact that the Armenian people of Artsakh have struggled for centuries to preserve their identity, created material and cultural values, which today are endangered as a result of the occupation of some territories of the Artsakh Republic by Azerbaijan;
Calls on the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to take immediate steps, in accordance with the mandate received from the OSCE, to resume the negotiation process on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Lasting peace and stability in the region can only be achieved by respecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people of the Artsakh Republic. That is why the Armenians of Artsakh started their liberation struggle in 1988 and are ready to continue it with the determination to reach the final goal.”
Henrikh Mkhitaryan signed for Roma in 2020 after a year on loan from Arsenal.
Many wondered how it would all go, with Mkhitaryan famously falling out with Jose Mourinho when he was at Manchester United, who was now managing Roma.
Mourinho liked to criticise the Armenian publicly, draining his confidence to such an extent that when he arrived at Arsenal, as part of the Alexis Sanchez deal that took the Chilean the other way, he was but a shadow of the player Arsenal had tried to sign in 2016 before he went to Old Trafford.
So far, Mkhitaryan has played 103 times for Roma (scoring 27 and assisting 26) and he continues to both start and finish matches for Mourinho.
There seem to have been few problems between the pair.
Still, with the 33-year-old out of contract this summer, no new offer has been forthcoming from the Italians.
Mourinho apparently wants to bring in younger players, despite the fact many see Mkhitaryan as having a good season.
Mkhitaryan is believed to have suitors in both Spain and Germany.
https://dailycannon.com/2022/02/jose-mourinho-to-get-rid-of-henrikh-mkhitaryan-again/
By Vugar Khalilov
Baku has rejected the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s claim on the alleged falsification of Armenian cultural heritage by Azerbaijan.
In a statement posted on the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry website on February 9, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva stressed that Yerevan intends to cover up Armenia's illegal actions by making false conclusions from the Culture Ministry's statement earlier made on religious sites on Azerbaijani territories liberated from occupation during the 2020 war with Armenia.
Large-scale destructions
In her remarks also posted on her Twitter account as a reminder for Yerevan, she said: "The Armenian Foreign Ministry turns a blind eye to the facts of large-scale destructions, urbicide, culturecide and ecocide by Armenia in the Azerbaijani territories kept under occupation for 30 years."
Armenia has wiped out nine Azerbaijani cities and hundreds of villages. Historical, cultural and religious monuments in these areas have been destroyed and looted, Abdullayeva said.
UNESCO mission
She added that for decades, Armenia prevented the UNESCO mission to visit the occupied territories to hide the purposeful destruction it had committed. This fact is clearly reflected in the activity report published by UNESCO in 2005.
"At the same time, Armenia has completely destroyed the Azerbaijani cultural heritage on its territory by violating international law, including humanitarian law, the 1949 Geneva Conventions, as well as 1954 and 1970 UNESCO Conventions over the past 30 years," Abdullayeva said.
The results of the above-mentioned vandalism of Armenia have been widely documented and covered by the international media and independent experts, she underlined.
“However, the official body of the neighboring country forgets that, unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan does not discriminate against its historical and cultural heritage on religious and ethnic grounds. Azerbaijan is an example of tolerance and cultural diversity all over the world,” Abdullayeva stressed.
The spokesperson called on the Armenian Foreign Ministry to demonstrate good intentions and deeds instead of fabricating false information.
Armenia's erasure of Azerbaijani heritage
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Consul General in Los-Angeles Nasimi Aghayev shared the link of an article headlined "How Armenia looted and erased Azerbaijani heritage" (https://link.medium.com/UGisXULiunb) on his official Twitter account.
“I have compiled names, dates, photos and videos of numerous Azerbaijani mosques and other cultural heritage sites destroyed by Armenia. Feel free to share,” the diplomat said.
Monitoring of cultural heritage in Karabakh
In a statement published on February 8, the Culture Ministry said: "Azerbaijan always respects its historical and cultural heritage regardless of its religious and ethnic origin. This approach also applies to the historical and cultural heritage in the Azerbaijani territories liberated from Armenian occupation."
In its statement, the Culture Ministry pointed out that the Azerbaijani officials have reiterated that the historical and religious monuments located in the liberated territories belong to the Azerbaijani heritage and their protection is Azerbaijan’s responsibility.
"The large-scale restoration and construction of two Christian churches in Azerbaijan’s liberated Shusha city along with mosques can be mentioned as an example. Azerbaijan, as opposed to Armenia, does not make religious and ethnic distinctions in its historical and cultural heritage and is committed to its obligations under international conventions, including the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954 Hague Convention)," the ministry said.
The Culture Ministry is currently monitoring the territories liberated from occupation.
"As for the ancient Albanian heritage in the liberated territories of the country, a working group was created, local and foreign experts were involved to conduct the appropriate monitoring. In case of revealing falsifications, this will be indicated in the documents and presented to the international community consisting of international experts. The change in the ownership of the historical and cultural heritage, its origin is contrary to the provisions of the 1954 Hague Convention," the statement added.
To recap, Azerbaijani Culture Minister Anar Karimov voiced similar views during a press conference in Baku on February 3.
Armenian aggression's consequences
It should be noted that Armenia's aggression and illegal occupation caused irreparable damages to Azerbaijan's cultural heritage, which includes thousands of cultural values, including monuments of the world and national importance, mosques, temples, mausoleums, museums, art galleries, sites of archaeological excavations, libraries and rare manuscripts.
Sixty-four of 67 mosques and Islamic religious sites were destroyed, greatly damaged, and desecrated.
More than 900 cemeteries were destroyed and vandalized. The evidence of illegal "archaeological excavations" and so-called "restoration work" was found on the liberated Azerbaijani territories, confirming previous reports of Armenia's attempts to hide and falsify cultural, historical and scientific evidence, said an official letter addressed by Azerbaijan to the UN.
The letter added that a modern workshop for the production of "ancient" khachkars – Armenian cross-stones was discovered in Azerbaijan's liberated Kalbajar region.
“These khachkars were oxidized and vinegar was used in the process of artificial aging and then they were buried as 'indisputable evidence' of 'centuries-old Armenian roots' in this region," the letter said.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said that hundreds of cultural institutions, 927 libraries with a book fund of 4.6 million, 22 museums and museum branches with more than 100,000 exhibits, 4 art galleries, 8 culture, and recreation parks, as well as one of the oldest settlements in the world in Fuzuli region - Azykh Cave, the Shusha State Historical and Architectural Reserve had become victims of the Armenian vandalism.
Occupied by Armenian forces in 1993, Aghdam is known as the Hiroshima of the Caucasus for the level of destruction during the three decades of occupation.
In 2020, as a result of Armenia's targeted missile attacks on Azerbaijani cities outside the war zone (Ganja, Barda, Tartar, and others), 100 Azerbaijani civilians, including 12 children were killed and over 400 were wounded. International human rights watchdogs Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also verified the use of banned cluster bombs and rockets by Armenia in its attacks against Azerbaijani cities.
Armenia extensively damaged the ecosystem, wildlife and natural resources in and around occupied Karabakh.
COVID-19 Armenia: 47% of administered tests came back positive in last 24 hours
11:11, 4 February, 2022
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. Nearly half of COVID-19 tests administered in the last 24 hours came back positive.
4192 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed over the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 383,458, the Armenian National Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
10 people died, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 8075.
2510 people recovered (total 346,224).
8857 tests were administered (total 2,762,988).
The number of active cases reached 27,614.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met via videoconference on February 4 through the mediation and participation of French President Emmanuel Macron, the co-chairing country of the OSCE Minsk Group, and European Council President Charles Michel, the press service of the Armenian government informed NEWS.am.
The sides exchanged views on resolving existing humanitarian issues, unblocking corridors and regional infrastructure under the sovereignty and authority of the two countries, reducing tensions and demarcating the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, opening access to Nagorno-Karabakh for international organizations, and a wide range of other issues.
Prime Minister Pashinyan stressed the importance of a lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the signing of a peace agreement under the co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group․