Author: Yeghisabet Vorskanian

 15:23,

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Armenia, with the information support of ARMENPRESS state news agency, has launched an online exhibition dedicated to poverty alleviation in China. It aims at introducing the “Chinese model” of eradicating poverty to the world.

In an interview to ARMENPRESS, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Armenia Fan Yong talked about the “Chinese model” of poverty reduction, the international cooperation over the matter and other issues.

– Your Excellency, thank you for this interview. Recently the Chinese embassy with the information support of ARMENPRESS launched the online exhibition dedicated to poverty alleviation in China. Please, present our readers the occasion of holding the exhibition.

Thank you for the opportunity to meet the readers of ARMENPRESS.

Not long ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China has secured a "complete victory" in its fight against poverty. Over the past eight years, the final 98.99 million impoverished rural residents living under the current poverty line have all been lifted out of poverty. All 832 impoverished counties and 128,000 villages in China have been removed from the poverty list. 28 ethnic minority groups with relatively small population have shaken off poverty collectively. It is indeed the first time that China has the success of eliminating extreme poverty. As the biggest developing country in the world, with the largest population, China has made marvelous and historical achievement of poverty reduction. And it has been done with several decades of continuous restless efforts and dedications.

Since late 2012, China has lifted 10 million people out of poverty every year, built or upgraded 1.1 million kilometers of rural roads, provided a reliable power supply to rural areas, and expanded fiber-optic internet access and 4G signal coverage to more than 98% of its poor villages. During the same period, some 25.68 million impoverished people from 7.9 million households have witnessed their houses renovated, and more than 9.6 million people have been relocated from impoverished areas.

Mr. Ambassador, this is such an astounding and monumental work. What is China’s secret of success in fighting poverty?

The leadership of the Communist Party of China, the People-centered approach, the political advantage of socialist system and strategy of targeted poverty alleviation are crucial to China’ victory.

The Party’s leadership has provided a solid political and organizational guarantee for China's poverty alleviation efforts. China upholds a people-centered philosophy of development and in-pursuing prosperity for all. Eradicating poverty, improving people’s living standards, and gradually achieving common prosperity is the essential requirement of the development with Chinese characteristics. Political advantage of socialist system can bring together the needed resources to accomplish great tasks. A total of 255,000 teams were dispatched to offer on-the-ground support and over 3 million people were sent to the countryside as special commissioners for poverty relief. About 246 billion U.S. dollars of fiscal funds have been invested into poverty alleviation over the past eight years.

– China has succeeded in developing a model of overcoming poverty which includes economic development and raising the people’s welfare. Is China ready to share its experience and contribute to the global development of fighting poverty?

With absolute poverty eliminated, China has made great historical achievements. Since the beginning of the reform and opening-up over 40 years ago, China has lifted 770 million rural residents out of poverty which accounts for more than 70% of the global total, according to the World Bank's international poverty line. China has met the poverty eradication target set out in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule.

China has actively participated in international cooperation on poverty reduction through multilateral and bilateral channels. The Belt and Road Initiative that China proposed is expected to lift 7.6 million people out of absolute poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty in the related countries.

– Mr. Ambassador, how do you see the prospects of cooperation with Armenia in this context?

While committed to eliminating poverty at home, China has actively participated in international cooperation on poverty reduction. China helped other developing countries break development bottlenecks as part of international development cooperation. In Asia, China and ASEAN countries have jointly launched a rural poverty reduction program. In Africa, China has helped African countries build water conservancy infrastructure, set up demonstration zones for agricultural cooperation, and carried out cooperation projects on China-Africa fungus production technology. China has also carried out technical cooperation assistance projects in infrastructure, agriculture and medical care in the South Pacific region and Latin America.

Poverty alleviation philosophies with Chinese characteristics, such as "targeted poverty reduction", are drawing more and more attention from the international community. We wish to share our success and experience with our Armenian friends. With the help of ARMENPRESS, we host the online-exhibition of Poverty alleviation in China, and we hope this exhibition may bring some help in fighting against poverty.

 16:54,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. The delegation led by Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Aivazian will depart for Moscow, Russia, on April 1 to take part in the session of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers, the Armenian foreign ministry told Armenpress.

The FM is expected to meet with a number of partners on the sidelines of the session.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 17:54,

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Prominent artists, intellectuals and culture professionals of Latvia have made a statement, appealing to Azerbaijan to speed up the exchange of bodies, prisoners of war, and hostages and their return to Armenia, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Embassy of Armenia in Lithuania, Litvia and Estonia.

The announcement particularly says:

''We, artists, intellectuals and culture professionals of the Republic of Latvia, professing our belief in the importance of humane values and joining the initiative of our Lithuanian colleagues, appeal to the authorities of Azerbaijan not to hinder the immediate return to the Republic of Armenia of prisoners of war (PoW) and other detainees, as well as the bodies of the soldiers killed in action and perished during the recent Karabakh war. According to our information, Armenia has already returned to Azerbaijan all PoWs.

We are certain that the unconditional and immediate return of all PoWs is one of the first steps necessary for the renewal of mutual trust between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia.

We call the international community to join this humanitarian initiative thus helping overcome the humanitarian disaster in Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) caused by the recent war.”

The statement has been signed by

• Viktors Avotiņš – poet, publicist
• Ināra Beļinkaja – president of the Booksellers Association, director of the company “Jānis Roze”, recipient of the order the Cross of Recognition
• Dana Bjorka – actress, theatre director, director of the Mikhail Chekhov • Riga Russian theatre
• Inguna Cepīte – writer, publisher
• Diāna Dimza Dimme – artist, curator at the Latvian National Museum of Art
• Ina Druviete ‒ professor of the University of Latvia
• Andris Freibergs – stage designer, educator
• Lauris Gundars – screenwriter, playwright, theatre director, educator
• Rafi Haradžanjans – dr. art., recipient of the Order of the Three Stars
• Alvis Hermanis – opera and theatre director, director of the New Riga Theatre
• Nora Ikstena ‒ writer, recipient of the Order of the Three Stars
• Ilze Jaunalksne-Rēdere – journalist
• Viesturs Kairišs – film, opera and theatre director
• Rēzija Kalniņa ‒ actress, theatre director
• Andris Kalnozols – writer, theatre director, actor
• Aiks Karapetjans – film and opera director
• Agrita Kiopa – Vice-Rector for Science of the Riga Stradina University
• Marina Kosteņecka – writer, recipient of the Order of the Three Stars
• Pēteris Krilovs – film and theatre director, educator
• Rolands Kronlaks – chairman of the board of the Latvian Composers Union
• Maija Kūle ‒ dr. habil. phil., philosopher, member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Commander of the Order of the Three Stars
• Zigmars Liepiņš – composer, chairman of the board of the Latvian National Opera (2013-2019), recipient of the Order of the Three Stars
• Andra Manfelde ‒ writer
• Evija Martinsone – opera singer
• Arturs Maskats – composer
• Agnese Meiere – journalist
• Juris Millers – Dr. philol., producer
• Jānis Nords – film director
• Karine Paronjanca – painter
• Kristīne Pasternaka – costume designer
• Georgs Pelēcis – composer, professor of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music
• Juris Poškus – film director, screenwriter
• Elena Privalova – organist, musicologist
• Ainārs Roze – Dr. oec, chairman of the company “Jānis Roze” un "Jāņa Rozes apgāds"
• Kristians Rozenvalds – public relations specialist
• Ainārs Rubiķis ‒ conductor, music director of the Komische Oper Berlin
• Dāvis Sīmanis – film director, educator
• Ojārs Spārītis ‒ vice president of the Latvian Academy of Sciences
• Inga Spriņģe – journalist
• Andris Sprūds – director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs
• Baiba Strautmane – journalist
• Babken Stepanjans – painter
• Reinis Suhanovs – stage designer, theatre director
• Oļegs Šapošņikovs ‒ theatre director, director of the Daugavpils theatre
• Andrejs Šavrejs ‒ journalist
• Gatis Šmits – film and theatre director
• Horen Stalbe – musician
• Leons Taivans ‒ profesor of the University of Latvia
• Sonora Vaice – opera singer
• Pēteris Vasks ‒ composer
• Andris Veismanis – conductor
• Dace Vīgante ‒ writer
• Māra Zālīte – writer, honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences

 10:06,

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan commented on the statements made by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on March 15 at the meeting with the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.

Armenpress presents the Ombudsman’s comment:

“At a press conference pertaining to the meeting with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan stated: "Azerbaijan has returned all the captives to Armenia in accordance with its obligations." The statement said that "on November 26, armed men from the Shirak province of Armenia (…) are not prisoners of war." These statements of the Azerbaijani authorities are made regularly.

Considering that the issue concerns the protection of the rights of Armenian servicemen and civilians held captive in Azerbaijan and the fact that distorted presentation of facts to international organizations should not be allowed, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender considers it necessary to address the referenced statements in detail.

1. Both before and after the November 9 announcement, there is an ongoing armed conflict on the ground.

This conclusion follows directly from international humanitarian law, in as much as all servicemen and civilians of the Armenian side detained in Azerbaijan are prisoners of war are subject to be protected by international law, and they must be immediately released and returned safely.

2. The release and return of prisoners of war is a mandatory international requirement, not an act of “goodwill" or "kindness" of the Azerbaijani authorities.

This requirement applies in international law, regardless of whether it is enshrined in specific conflict resolution documents, and must be met without preconditions.

3. The behavior and statements of the Azerbaijani authorities, at a minimum, attest to the following:

1) they artificially delay the release and return of the Armenian captives;

2) abuse legal procedures, falsify the requirements of international law, prosecute prisoners, and use deprivation of liberty as punishment;

The special report of the RA Human Rights Defender proves with concrete examples that this practice grossly violates international human rights requirements (https://ombuds.am/…/1138b156720bec6ae0fd88dc709eb62c.pdf);

3) they use the issue for political purposes. This refers, for example, to reports in the independent media that the Azerbaijani authorities are using the issue of the return of prisoners for the exchange of territories in Artsakh, bargaining and other political purposes.

4) they abuse Clause 8 of the tripartite declaration of November 9, 2020 as it relates to the return of captives, and they link it to other points in the declaration, clearly taking advantage of the fact that it does not specify the date of fulfillment of that obligation.

5) they deliberately cause continuous mental suffering to the families of captives and missing persons, and hey blatantly toy with the feelings of the Armenia and Artsakh societies;

6) they create public tension in Armenia and Artsakh with their behavior;

7) they do not publish the true number of captives of the Armenian side held in Azerbaijan, and do so without any legal grounds and in gross violation of human rights requirements.

4. Consequently, calling any of the Armenian servicemen and civilians captured by the Azerbaijani armed forces "terrorists" is a gross violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in general.

This assertion is particularly relevant given the requirements of the Third Geneva Convention of 1949.

5. The statements of the President of Azerbaijan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs about the captives directly contradict the intentions of the signatory parties to the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020 and the practical application of that announcement.

In particular, based on the requirement of clause 8 of that statement, the Republic of Armenia has already transferred to Azerbaijan perpetrators of crimes in Artsakh, including two convicted Azerbaijani murderers of Armenian civilians. Azerbaijan handed over Armenians formally convicted in that country on the same principle.

Moreover, there took place a return of captives after the November 9 trilateral announcement.

6. Therefore, the said statement should be applied to all situations arising from before as well as after November 9, and so long as there is an objective need for the protection of human rights and the humanitarian process due to the aftermath of hostilities.

In principle, it is improper to condition the issue of prisoners based only on the date of the trilateral declaration.

We emphasize once again that, regardless of the date of captivity, all servicemen of the Armenian side held in Azerbaijan, including civilians, are prisoners of war by their current status.

Such a mechanical approach is unacceptable.

7. In addition to the foregoing, the credible evidence collected by the Human Rights Defender's Office of the Republic of Armenia confirms that the number of detainees is higher than confirmed by the Azerbaijani authorities. This assertion takes into account the return of 44 prisoners of war in a single group, including those captured during the hostilities prior to the November 9 tripartite declaration.

The Human Rights Defender has registered numerous cases when, despite the evidence confirmed by videos and other evidence, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the fact that those people are within their custody and control, or delay the approval and processing of their release.

8. The absolute urgency of the issue of the release of prisoners should be considered in the context of the Azerbaijani state supported policy of hatred towards Armenians which has been repeatedly confirmed and based on objective evidence contained in the reports of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender.

This fact is confirmed by a number of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.

9. Therefore, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia once again draws the attention of the international community and especially the international organizations with a mandate to protect human rights to the statement of the Azerbaijani authorities, and in this instance, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

It is necessary to ensure the absolute implementation of international humanitarian and human rights requirements and, immediate release and return of the captives of Armenian side without preconditions”.