Author: Vatche Chakhmakhchian

Stepanakert demands to punish Azerbaijani militaries

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
Caucasian Knot, EU
Nov 9 2021

Those guilty of shelling the workers who were repairing water supply pipes in Stepanakert should be punished, official representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the afternoon on November 8, at the crossroads near Shushi, Azerbaijani military servicemen opened fire at the workers who were repairing the water supply system; one of the workers died in hospital, and three others are in the state of moderate gravity, the Nagorno-Karabakh Ombudsperson has stated.

According to the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Nagorno-Karabakh, on November 8, at about 3:00 p.m., at an intersection near the city of Shushi, an Azerbaijani serviceman opened fire on the workers of the "Water Supply and Sewage" Closed Joint-Stock Company (CJSC), who were repairing water supply pipes running to Stepanakert. One worker died as a result of a gunshot wound, and three others with gunshot wounds were taken to the Republic's Medical Centre in Stepanakert.

At the above Centre, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told that "three men, one of them 43 years old, the others aged 41 and 31, have been operated on; their condition is assessed by doctors as of moderate gravity."

It is necessary to introduce clear mechanisms both for investigating such criminal actions against residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, and for bringing the perpetrators to justice, Gegam Stepanyan, the Ombudsperson of Nagorno-Karabakh, wrote in his Facebook page.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 9, 2021 at 00:30 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

A resident of Nagorno-Karabakh dies after a shelling attack, Farmer wounded by mine explosion in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan: bodies of two villagers found in minefield.

Author: Alvard Grigoryan; Source: CK correspondent

Source: 
© Caucasian Knot

It seems we must now refer to the territory of Armenia in the past tense – Taguhi Tovmasyan

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 11 2021

"It seems we must now refer to the territory of Armenia in the past tense and that is advised to do with clear judgement and common sense which is unacceptable,"  the Head of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs Taguhi Tovmasyan stated on Thursday, commenting on PM Pashinyan's statement about the establishment of Azerbaijani customs checkpoints on the Goris-Kapan road section in Syunik Province of Armenia.

Tovmasyan informed she invited an urgent working discussion on the matter, sending an invitation to Pashinyan as well, however the latter didn't appear. The Chairwoman of the NA Committee read out five demands on the occasion of which the meeting was called for. 

"What are the grounds for Pashinyan to state that the Azerbaijani customs checkpoints are not located in the territory of Armenia if no delimitation and demarcation have been conducted? What are the legal grounds to state the Azerbaijani checkpoint is out of the territory of Armenia and what maps are taken as basis for that assertion? Any changes of the state border are made through amendments to the Law on State Border. We have not made any changes to the Law, consequently the statement is controversial from the legal point of view. What is the process of free and safe movement of goods and people under Azerbaijan's border and customs control? What problems may people driving through Goris-Kapan roadway face and what are the mechanisms for protecting their right to life, free movement and other fundamental rights?" Tovmasyan said. 

The opposition lawmaker said she expected answers to the raised questions from the government, expressing hope any representative from the executive branch would appear at the Committee sitting. 


U.S. State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary Erika Olson to visit Armenia

Vatche Chakhmakhchian

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 10:12, 2 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The new Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State Erika Olson will travel to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia to "promote regional cooperation and discuss bilateral issues", the U.S. Embassy in Armenia said in a press release. 

While in Yerevan, DAS Olson will participate in a regional Chiefs of Mission meeting in November 2-4, joining U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne M. Tracy, U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Kelly C. Degnan, and U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lee Litzenberger, as well as Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Andrew Schofer and USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Alexander Sokolowski. 

“We are excited to resume this long-standing tradition and gather with our colleagues from the region and from Washington, DC, to exchange ideas and information to better coordinate our policy in respect to all three countries in the region.

The participants will engage in internal discussions as well as informational meetings with representatives of the Armenian government and civil society. Most recently, U.S. Embassy Baku and U.S. Embassy Tbilisi hosted regional Chief of Mission meetings in 2019 and 2018, respectively," the U.S. Embassy said.

Azerbaijani forces open sporadic fire in the direction of Karmir Shuka in Artsakh’s Martuni region

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 2 2021


November 2, 2021, 20:37

 Less than a minute

The Azerbaijani forces opened sporadic fire in the direction of the settlement of Karmir Shuka in Artsakh’s Martuni region, Spokesperson for the Artsakh Defense Ministry Suren Sargsyan told Artsakhpress.

“According to preliminary data, no casualties have been reported,” the Spokesperson noted.

He added that the Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh have been informed of the incident.

Energy efficient building materials – what you need to know?

Vatche Chakhmakhchian

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 17:46,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Converse Bank is one of the leaders in Armenia with its mortgage lending, including energy efficient lending portfolio, offering long-term financing at competitive interest rates. You may select from the bank's mortgage lending products at https://www.conversebank.am/en/house/

If you are interested to explore various types of construction materials, below we have summarized the rating of the construction materials according to their degree of energy efficiency.

Thus:

  1. Reinforced concrete – Specialists prefer this building material due to its strength and durability. It is known for its high thermal conductivity of 1.7 W/m.K, which suggests that buildings constructed by using reinforced concrete should be covered with energy-efficient materials to achieve efficient heating and maintain the temperature.
  2. Brick – Recently a growing interest in brick houses has been observed. Brick is fireproof and moisture-resistant, however it has a fairly high level of thermal conductivity – 015-0.67 W/m.K. For the sake of justice, it should be noted that this building material will require significantly less resources to provide high level of energy efficiency of buildings than in the case of reinforced concrete.
  3. Claydite concrete – Although this is an excellent, soundproof building material with high moisture- resistant properties, it is rarely used in the construction of the carrying walls of multi-apartment buildings, as it does not have high durability. Instead, this building material is widely used for construction of interior partition walls or exterior walls of individual houses. The thermal conductivity is 0.19-0.27 W/m.K.
  4. Wood – It is one of the most energy efficient materials – 0.15-0.4 W/m.K. It takes a maximum of 3 hours to heat a house to 220C. For comparison, it can take up to 8 hours to maintain the same temperature in a brick house. It should also be noted that wood also has the capacity to regulate interior air humidity and provide oxygen saturation. One of the disadvantages of this material that it is not fireproof and can decompose fast, in the absence of proper care.
  5. Expanded polystyrene – is one of the most energy efficient and affordable construction materials. Energy loss is minimal – 0.025-04.4 W/m.K, therefore this is an excellent energy efficient building material. In this regard, 15 cm of polystyrene is equivalent to 5.33 m of reinforced concrete. According to the statistical data of European Association Pour la promotion du PSE dans la construction show that 8 out of 10 houses in Europe are built from this building material.

Note that W/m.K. is the thermal conductivity measurement unit, which is calculated by the following formula Watt/(meter*temperature).

The oversight of the bank is exercised by the Central Bank.

Pashinyan says unblocking of regional infrastructures could qualitative change structure of Armenia’s economy

Vatche Chakhmakhchian

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 10:46,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan believes that the unblocking of economic and transportation infrastructures in the region could qualitatively change the content and structure of Armenia’s economy.

During the debate of the 2022 state budget draft at the parliamentary standing committees, the PM said that not only the upgrading of defense capacities, but also the creation of a favorable external environment around Armenia, the consistent implementation of the agenda to open a peaceful development era for Armenia, Artsakh and the region, are important for the development of a security system. “We see this through overcoming the hostile atmosphere in our region, resuming the negotiation process for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship and unblocking the regional economic and transportation infrastructures”, he said.

According to him this can further contribute to the development of infrastructures in Armenia and ensure a long-term inclusive economic growth, by creating equal conditions for the citizens of Armenia for engaging into an economic activity, significantly raising the economy’s attractiveness for domestic and foreign investors.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Garo Paylan, 3 other opposition MPs may be stripped of immunity

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
Panorama, Armenia
Oct 14 2021

A bill to strip ethnic Armenian MP Garo Paylan from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and three other opposition lawmakers has been submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Ermenihaber reports.

The bill has been drafted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office.

Two of the MPs are also from the HDP, and one represents the Democratic Regions Party (DBP).

Artsakh’s Defense Army denies statement of MoD Azerbaijan about discovering and capturing an UAV

Vatche Chakhmakhchian

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 19:36, 14 October, 2021

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 14, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of the Republic of Artsakh denies the statement of the Azerbaijani Defense Minsitry about discovering and capturing an UAV.

“On October 14, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan spread another misinformation that an UAV belonging to the Defense Army, which was conducting reconnaissance flights, was allegedly discoveredand captured by the units of the Azerbaijani armed forces. We officially announce that it’s disinformation and has nothing to do with the reality’’, ARMENPRESS reports the press service of the Defense Minstry of Arstakh announced.

Armenia PM Pashinyan Meets Russia’s Putin; Discusses Bilateral Agenda & Other Issues

Vatche Chakhmakhchian
Republic World
Oct 13 2021
Written By

Anurag Roushan


On Tuesday, October 12, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and termed the meeting as productive. Pashinyan said that both countries discussed the bilateral agenda and current situation in the region. He also said that frequent meetings with the Russian President demonstrate the active pace of relations between Armenia and Russia. "This is the fourth time we have met this year. First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude for the offer to visit Moscow. These regular meetings demonstrate the active pace of our interactions and a common appreciation of the value of our strategic alliances," the Armenian Prime Minister was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency TASS. 

Pashinyan went on to remark that the situation in the region has not yet calmed down as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unresolved. It is apparent that Russia plays a crucial role in resolving the conflict and, more broadly, guaranteeing regional stability, he said, noting that Russia also co-chairs the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) Minsk Group. The OSCE Minsk Group was established in 1992 by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to promote a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It should be mentioned here that intense clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh in September last year. Following this, in the month of November, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint declaration calling for an immediate end to hostilities in the war zone, according to TASS.