Author: Vicken Chmshkian

Aliyev can intimidate only his own people with threats and ‘iron fist’ – Ara Abrahamyan

Vicken Chmshkian
Panorama, Armenia

Jan 11 2021
Aliyev can intimidate only his own people with threats and 'iron fist' – Ara Abrahamyan
 
 
"Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev can intimidate only his own people with threats and his 'iron fist,' as we, Armenians, are not afraid," President of the Union of Armenians of Russia Ara Abrahamyan said, commenting on Ilham Aliyev's recent anti-Armenia speeches.
 
"It is ridiculous that he can intimidate Armenians with his 'iron fist' and aggressive behavior. His dictatorial traits and rhetoric are not interesting for us. However, Aliyev remains a source of major challeneges for the Azerbaijani people in the future. I am sincerely sorry for them, as not the people but the ruler should to be blamed, as he speaks of peace and prospects for living together and at the same time deliberately creates grounds for enmity and leads his people to a new war," Abrahamyan said.
 
He added that neither Erdogan, nor the spirit of butcher Enver whom Aliyev was appealing in a Baku square, may help him any more. In Abrahamyan's words, Armenians are one of the most integrated people with a long history of coexistence with different people, including islamic. "Yet with his belligerent rhetoric and actions, Aliyev, regretfully, leaves no place for trust," stressed Abrahamyan.
 

Armenia’s NSS director discusses issue on exchange of captives with Azerbaijan’s State Security Service director

Vicken Chmshkian
Aysor, Armenia
Jan 9 2021
 
Armenia's NSS director discusses issue on exchange of captives with Azerbaijan's State Security Service director
 
 
 
Director of Armenia's National Security Service Armen Abazyan met with the director of Azerbaijani State Security Service Ali Nagiyev.
 
 The working meeting took place in a bordering neutral zone close to Yeraskh community of Armenia's Ararat province.
 
During the meeting the sides discussed issues on exchange of captives and search works of missing.
 
The contacts over these issues continue.
 
 

WarGonzo: Special services of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey set to hold consultations on transport corridor

Vicken Chmshkian
Panorama, Armenia

Jan 7 2021

Turkey plans to join the talks on the "Nakhichevan corridor", WarGonzo reports, citing its sources in Istanbul.

"If we believe our Istanbul sources (incidentally, they were the first to report about the transfer of Syrian militants to Artsakh two weeks before the start of the war), preparations for consultations between special services of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey concerning Meghri and the transport corridor are underway,” WarGonzo said on its Telegram channel, noting that the preliminary meeting should take place in Baku.

"It is noteworthy that it’s not diplomats who are involved in the discussion of the issue, but employees of the special services. Most likely they are senior employees. WarGonzo’s sources in Yerevan have partially confirmed the reports," the Telegram channel said.



Especially for Armenian PM: Resident of Shurnukh village shares footage of Azerbaijani troops in his native village

Vicken Chmshkian
News.am, Armenia
Jan 2 2021
 
 
 
17:52, 02.01.2021
 
Resident of Armenia's Shurnukh village Ararat Aghabekyan has shared footage of Azerbaijani troops in his native village, especially for Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan.
 
The footage has been posted by Naira Zohrabyan, a member of the opposition Prosperous Armenia parliamentary faction on her Facebook.
 
Watch video at
 
 

Thousands protest in Armenia, demand PM’s resignation

Vicken Chmshkian
WV News, West Virginia
Dec 22 2020
Thousands protest in Armenia, demand PM's resignation

  • Hrant Khachatryan
  • Dec 22, 2020

   


Opposition demonstrators react while listening to a speaker during a rally to pressure Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign over a peace deal with neighboring Azerbaijan in Yerevan, Armenia, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020. Opposition supporters in Armenia on Tuesday ramped up the pressure on the prime minister to resign over his handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan, setting up a protest tent camp on the capital's main square.

COVID-19: Armenia reports 537 new cases, 1410 recoveries in one day

Vicken Chmshkian

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 11:17, 22 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. 537 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 154,602, the ministry of healthcare said today.

1410 more patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 134,586.

2673 tests were conducted in the past one day.

17 more patients have died, raising the death toll to 2673.

The number of active cases is 16,685.

The number of patients who had coronavirus but died from other disease has reached 658 (4 new such cases).

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia was much better prepared for second wave of COVID-19, PM says

Vicken Chmshkian

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 12:56, 24 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. During today’s Cabinet meeting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan asked Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan to briefly present the current coronavirus-related situation in the country.

The minister informed that on December 23 the number of new cases is 702.

“It’s nearly two weeks we have no patient waiting for hospitalization at home. Moreover, we have started to return some hospitals to their previous work, but, of course, they are always ready for again dealing with the coronavirus. We follow the developments with this logic and again call on everyone to keep the anti-coronavirus rules”, the minister said.

In turn Pashinyan said Armenia was much better prepared for the second wave of COVID-19. “During the first wave there were many criticisms, some of which were politicized. They were showing us different examples on how bad the coronavirus cases are managed in Armenia, but our prediction turned into a reality that the countries, in fact, will be in the same situation, and this is just a matter of time and timeframe”, he said.

Minister Torosyan stated that the COVID-19 death toll in Armenia is very low, is within 1.5%, meanwhile, he added, in many developed countries that figure is reaching 7-8% or even 10%.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Prosperous Armenia faction initiates urgent discussion on issues related to the borders

Vicken Chmshkian
Panorama, Armenia

Dec 24 2020

Prosperous Armenia faction initiates an urgent parliamentary discussion on the situation with borders . As the fraction said in a statement, the discussion entitled "On the occurred situation in borderline communities, current issues, ways to solve them, the border clarification,  protection and ensuring the secirty." will be held on Friday at 14։00. 

"It is of utmost importance to break the information blockade on these topics, for that we have invited the representatives of the government, members of My Step and Bright Armenia factions to get thorough information and assess the current state of affairs. 

To note, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday that specific problems may arise concerning two settlements in Syunik province – Vorotan and Shurnukh. "These issues may cause certain painful situations, but I want to assure that in all cases in which problems arise from the point of view of the interests of our citizens, the government will provide full and adequate compensation to our citizens and their interests will be fully protected,” Pashinyan stated at the cabinet session. 


AZERBAIJANI press: Azerbaijan to make every effort to turn Shusha into developed historical city – State Committee Urban Planning

Vicken Chmshkian
SOCIETY 16:56 (UTC+04:00)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 18

By Jeyhun Alakbarov – Trend:

Azerbaijan will make every effort to restore Shusha city, to turn it into a modern and developed historical city, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture Ilgar Isbatov said, Trend reports on Dec. 18.

"In this regard, the research work has already begun in Shusha city," the deputy chairman said. "Specialists are exploring the housing stock, social enterprises, infrastructure, and transport on the spot. The first tasks that we face are the revival of the city during a short period of time and ensuring necessary conditions for the population to live there. The development of the master plan of the city and the revival of the historical parts of the city are of paramount importance."

Isbatov added that the committee has prepared an appropriate plan, the whole team has been involved in this work.

Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation from late Sept. to early Nov. 2020, Azerbaijan has pushed Armenia to sign the surrender document. A joint statement on the matter was made by the Azerbaijani president, Armenia's PM, and the president of Russia.

A complete ceasefire and a cessation of all hostilities in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was introduced on Nov. 10, 2020.

Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front.

Back in July 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian Armed Forces.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, the Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Azeris besiege Russian peacekeepers in two villages of Artsakh, says Armenian PM

Vicken Chmshkian

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 16:37, 16 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has addressed the situation in the villages of Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd of Artsakh in an interview with the RFE/RL’s Armenia service.

RFE/RL Armenian service: What’s the situation like now in Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd?

Prime Minister Pashinyan: According to our information, the Russian peacekeepers are also blockaded. There is a problem with communication, because due to the terrain and the developments there are some problems with communication, moreover, the Russian peacekeepers also have these problems, and we have somewhat of a crisis situation there.

RFE/RL Armenian service: We are receiving different information on new captives from the Hadrut-Shushi section, are there really new captives?

Prime Minister Pashinyan: Yes, we have that information, but again I’d like to say that this is in the framework of that same event, meaning these aren’t different developments taking place in different areas, these developments are happening within the framework of what’s taking place in the Khtsaberd-Hin Tagher section.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan