12:19,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Russian peacekeepers continue ensuring the safe return of the residents of Artsakh from Armenia to their homeland, the Russian defense ministry reports.
189 Artsakh residents have returned to Stepanakert in one day.
So far, a total of 49, 827 people have returned to Artsakh.
The Russian peacekeeping mission continues following the maintenance of the ceasefire from the observation posts.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
13:11,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan has sent an official letter today to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office over the issue relating to the return of the Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan and the protection of their rights.
“Among other issues the letter also states that the return or release of POWs should be viewed exclusively within the framework of human rights or humanitarian process. The letter addresses both the captured servicemen and civilians.
The return of POWs should be ensured immediately after the end of the military operations. This is a universal demand of international action subject to automatic implementation. Doing the opposite violates the international demands of human rights and the international humanitarian law, including the third Geneva Convention of 1949.
Therefore, point 8th of the November 9 trilateral statement has an autonomous meaning and should act exclusively with an autonomous interpretation. It in no way can be viewed in connection or dependence with the remaining points of the statement”, the Ombudsman said on Facebook.
Tatoyan noted that the November 9 trilateral statement should be applied on all situations before and after it as long as there is an objective necessity for the protection of human rights and humanitarian process conditioned by the war operations.
“The fact that the return of 64 captured Armenian servicemen is delayed with the abuse of legal process is a very vital issue”, he said.
“The studies of the Ombudsman and the results of the investigation of complaints constantly affirm that Azerbaijan is artificially delaying the release of the Armenian POWs, is not announcing the real number of POWs. This also contradicts the international demands of human rights and violates firstly the rights of their family members.
Moreover, the evidence collected by the staff of the Ombudsman proves that their number is much more than confirmed by the Azerbaijani authorities. This relates also prior to the return of the 44 POWs”, Tatoyan said.
“Taking into account the humanitarian mandates of the OSCE Minsk Group and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and their role in the protection of human rights and the fact that our compatriots have been captured in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), the letter has drawn the attention of the Co-Chairs to the aforementioned and all other issues, raising an urgent necessity for taking decisive measures to release the POWs and rule out the politicization of the issue”, he said.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
13:25,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian will soon be discharged from a hospital in London after being treated for COVID-19, his office said.
Sarkissian will continue treatment at home under the supervision of doctors. According to a news release issued by the president’s office, doctors advised him bed-rest.
The President will return to Armenia after fully recovering. Until then, he will work remotely.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
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13:41,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian’s office has received Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s motion requesting the dismissal of Healthcare Minister Arsen Torosyan, Sarkissian’s aide Hasmik Petrosyan confirmed to ARMENPRESS.
Whether or not Torosyan himself has tendered his resignation to the prime minister wasn’t immediately clear.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
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14:45,
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Artsakh Davit Babayan received today representative of the ARF Armenia Supreme Council Ishkhan Saghatelyan and representative of the ARF Artsakh Central Committee, member of the Artsakh Parliament Davit Ishkhanyan, the ministry told Armenpress.
The sides discussed a number of issues relating to the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict and the latest regional developments.
Both sides attached importance to holding discussions on matters of national significance.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
15:25,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Russia wants to close the issue of the prisoners of war: the return of POWs must be organized with “all for all” principle, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference.
He reminded that the issue of POWs is a part of the agreements signed by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan on November 9, and this issue has been discussed during the telephone conversations of Russian President Vladimir Putin with the Prime Minister of Armenia and the Azerbaijani President.
“The issue of POWs was part of lasting discussions when the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan arrived in Moscow on January 11. Initially, Armenians had more problems connected with the issue of POWs. Firstly, the sides needed to form the list of persons who have been declared as missing. Azerbaijan has given such lists, and they were not so much, and everyone has been returned, although not immediately. Other problems from the Azerbaijani side connected with the missing in action, the POWs, detained persons, have not emerged”, the Russian FM said.
According to him, the lists from the Armenian side have not been immediately and completely provided.
“But now the most important issue is the one which emerged in Hadrut in December. Armenian servicemen have been sent there, most of them have been captured, a total of 62 soldiers. The Azerbaijani side has announced that as these people have been transported to that region after the cessation of fire, they should be viewed in a separate procedure. We, I and President Putin, in any case, propose to continue discussing this issue in order to close it and be guided by the “all for all” principle”, he added.
The Russian foreign minister stated that he has talked with the Armenian FM aimed at clarifying the final lists of POWs, however, it turned out that the number of POWs is much more than that 62.
“At the moment the military of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are checking the lists name by name to understand where that people are”, Lavrov said.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
15:47,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian President’s administration has received a proposal by the Prime Minister to appoint Anahit Avanesyan as Minister of Healthcare, Armenian president’s assistant Hasmik Petrosyan told Armenpress.
Earlier the Presidential administration reported that they have received the PM’s proposal to dismiss Arsen Torosyan from the Minister of Healthcare.
Anahit Avanesyan has been serving as first deputy minister of healthcare.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
15:53,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The status of Nagorno Karabakh is not mentioned in the 2020 November 9 trilateral statement and it has been left for solving in the future, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a news conference.
“The territory where the peacekeeping mission is deployed is the area of responsibility of the peacekeeping contingent. We are proceeding from this in our contacts with Yerevan and Baku. Now, the details on organizing transport communication and humanitarian assistance are being developed,” Lavrov said.
The Russian FM said that there are contradictions about the status in Yerevan and Baku and due to these contradictions the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan have decided to set aside this issue for now and resolve it in the future.
Lavrov said that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs also have to work over this issue and that they are already in contacts with the sides and are planning to visit the region. Lavrov says the sooner Yerevan and Baku’s assurances on the willingness to resolve daily life between ethnic and religious communities are solved the sooner the NK status issue will be solved.
Lavrov called the proposal voiced by some on including Karabakh as some sort of a federal subject of Russia “exotic”, and he once again stressed that the independence of Nagorno Karabakh isn’t even recognized by Armenia itself.
“We don’t have such intention, we proceed from the point of view that such issues should be resolved between Armenia and Azerbaijan for preserving security in the region.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
16:14,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government has submitted a bill for the Parliament’s discussion which proposes to create a new anti-corruption agency, Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan said at the Parliament’s session.
“The bill package proposes to create a new investigative body – an Anti-Corruption Committee, the main jurisdiction of which will be to organize and conduct inter-court criminal proceedings over alleged corruption crimes”, he said.
Appointments to the Committee, including that of the executives, will be carried out as a result of an open competition.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
17:10,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian signed a decree on appointing Anahit Avanesyan Minister of Healthcare, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
The President signed the respective decree based on the Prime Minister’s proposal.
According to another presidential decree, Arsen Torosyan has been relieved from the position of Minister of Healthcare.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan