Category: 2023

Russia concerned by reports of US meddling in Nagorno-Karabakh dialogue — Foreign Ministry

Emil Lazarian
 TASS 
Russia –
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speaking at the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik on May 17, said that Armenia would recognize Azerbaijan’s sovereignty within its borders on the 86,600 square km territory which includes Nagorno-Karabakh, adding that the settlement should proceed via dialogue

MOSCOW, June 15. /TASS/. Moscow is concerned over media reports that the US is trying to impose its services as a mediator in the dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert, the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS on Thursday.

Earlier, the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily, citing sources, said that the US "as an ultimatum <…> is strong-arming representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh to consent to a meeting with the Azerbaijani side in a ‘third country’ under the supervision of American handlers in the near future."

"We are concerned by information in the media that the US is now trying to impose its services as a mediator in the Baku-Stepanakert dialogue as well, including by threatening the use of force," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speaking at the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik on May 17, said that Armenia would recognize Azerbaijan’s sovereignty within its borders on the 86,600 square km territory which includes Nagorno-Karabakh, adding that the settlement should proceed via dialogue.

The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before the breakup of the Soviet Union, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992-1994, tensions boiled over and exploded into large-scale military action for control over the enclave and seven adjacent territories after Azerbaijan lost control of them. Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, with intense battles raging in the disputed region. On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh and later approved a number of joint statements on the situation in the region. Last year, Azerbaijan and Armenia launched discussions on a peace treaty.

Russian diplomat cautions Washington against imposing itself as mediator in South Caucasus

Tatoyan Vazgen
 TASS 
Russia –
Earlier, the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily, citing sources, said that the US "as an ultimatum is strong-arming representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh to consent to a meeting with the Azerbaijani side in a ‘third country’ under the supervision of American handlers in the near future"

MOSCOW, June 15. /TASS/. If confirmed, the reports saying that Washington may be imposing its mediation on Baku in its dialogue with Stepanakert risk undermining the reputation of the United States as a mediator, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, she said, "We do have concerns about [this information], and, if these facts are confirmed, – and I think the United States is simply obliged to comment on those – I am afraid, their reputation as a mediator will once again be undermined."

Earlier, the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily, citing sources, said that the US "as an ultimatum <…> is strong-arming representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh to consent to a meeting with the Azerbaijani side in a ‘third country’ under the supervision of American handlers in the near future."

The conflict between Baku and Yerevan over the highland region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before the Soviet Union’s break-up, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.

The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh escalated on September 27, 2020, when intense battles erupted. On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh and later approved a number of joint statements on the situation in the region. Last year, Azerbaijan and Armenia launched discussions on a peace treaty.

Foreign ambassadors visit Yeraskh village to get acquainted with consequences of Azerbaijani gunfire

Emma Nadirian

 12:19,

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Foreign ambassadors visited on Thursday the village of Yeraskh to get acquainted with the border situation following the June 14 Azeri cross-border shooting which left two civilians wounded in a construction site.

Colonel Sasun Badasyan, the Commander of the 5th Army Corps of the Armenian Armed Forces, told the representatives of the diplomatic corps that the two foreign nationals wounded in the June 14 shooting were immediately taken to a hospital. The aftermath of the shooting can be seen in the construction site of the steel plant, which was the target of the gunfire.

“This is where the two citizens of India working on the construction site of the factory were wounded,” Colonel Badasyan told the ambassadors, emphasizing that military personnel are not involved in the construction of the plant.

“The adversary is constantly violating the ceasefire, and we continue our service in protecting the state border,” the military official added.

The steelworks construction site targeted by the Azeri forces is a $70 million Armenian-American project in Yeraskh. The steelworks, often referred to as a “metallurgical plant”, is expected to produce 180,000 tons output annually after being launched.

On June 14, two workers at the construction site of the plant were shot and wounded by Azerbaijani forces. The victims are nationals of India. Both were successfully operated on and are in moderate condition.

Photos by Hayk Manukyan




Christian Armenian sites in Nagorno-Karabakh on the verge of total extermination, envoy tells UN

Emil Lazarian
Panorama
Armenia –

Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mher Margaryan, delivered remarks at the UN General Assembly plenary debate under the agenda item 14: "Culture of Peace" on 14 June. Hs full statement is provided below.

"Mr. President,

Promotion and cultivation of dialogue, tolerance and non-discrimination lie at the core of human rights and human dignity, indispensable for building peaceful and inclusive societies. At the current difficult time in the history of humanity, fostering a culture that values peace, understanding and cooperation is of crucial importance, as intolerance, exclusion and discrimination, in their various forms and manifestations continue to introduce new lines of division and generate conflict in many parts of the world.

Unchecked military build-ups and escalations, accompanied with the promulgation of hate speech at the highest political level continue to persist, including in our immediate neighborhood.

Armenia welcomed the launch of the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech by the Secretary-General in 2019 and we encourage the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, as the UN Focal Point for the implementation of the strategy, to clearly identify the prevalent instances of hate speech, as it constitutes both trigger and an indicator of the risk of atrocity crimes.    As demonstrated so many times before, intolerance, cultivation of hate speech against national, ethnic and religious groups, if not properly addressed, can lead to genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Mr. President,

In promoting the culture of peace and protecting cultural heritage, an important and unique role is bestowed upon the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Armed conflicts and military actions can have devastating impact on objects of cultural heritage, which are of irreplaceable value to the entire mankind as unique expressions of history, identity and cultural memory. Today, the millennia-old Christian Armenian sites in Nagorno-Karabakh are on the verge of total extermination. Armenia’s deep concern in relation to the fate of the cultural property in Nagorno-Karabakh is also based on the previous history of total and intentional eradication of the Armenian heritage in Nakhijevan by Azerbaijan.

The destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage has been extensively monitored and reported, including through the use of modern digital technologies. In particular, satellite technology has been increasingly used to monitor and document efforts that seek to destroy or modify cultural sites. Cultural genocide perpetrated on the grounds of ethnic hatred and intent to destroy the traces of historical and civilizational presence of a particular nation is no longer a hearsay but a high-resolution imagery, offering material, factual evidence before the eyes of the international community.

Mr. President,

Armenia has consistently requested that a UNESCO fact-finding mission be deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent areas in order to help to preserve the vast and unique cultural heritage of the region, yet, the efforts of the international organizations for independent and impartial assessment of the facts on the ground have been continuously obstructed.

Those who disregard instances of cultural heritage erasure in the face of irrefutable evidence for the mere sake of the so-called neutrality need to be reminded that, more often than not, state-sponsored policies of hate crimes and violence against cultural and religious monuments come to be followed by other forms of atrocities. The late UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold once said that, I quote: “Never. Never “for the sake of peace and quiet,” deny your own experience or convictions” (end of quote). Culture of peace can only thrive where the rights to truth, justice and guarantees for non-recurrence have been enabled, which makes it a moral imperative for the international community to stand up for the values and convictions that unite us, the people.

Armenia remains committed to a strong and effective multilateral system, with the respect for human rights and the rule of law at the heart of it. We are determined to continue working towards justice, tolerance and non-discrimination, in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the values and goals of the Declaration and Programme of Action on the Culture of Peace.

Thank you."

China’s Xi Jinping holds meeting with Bill Gates in Beijing

Ani Basmajian

 13:16,

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS. Chinese leader Xi Jinping called Bill Gates "an old friend" and said he hoped they could carry out activities together beneficial to both China and the United States, in the Chinese president's first meeting with a foreign entrepreneur in years, Reuters reports.

In a meeting at Beijing's Diaoyutai state guesthouse, where China's leaders have historically received senior foreign guests, Xi told the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist that he was very happy to see him after three years and described Gates as the first American friend he had met this year.

"I often say the foundation of US-China relations lies with its people. I place my hopes on the American people," Xi said.

"With the current global situation, we can carry out various activities beneficial to our two countries and people, activities that benefit humanity as a whole," he said.

Gates, who arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, told Xi that he was "honoured" to have the chance to meet. "We've always had great conversations and we'll have lot of important topics to discuss today. I was very disappointed I couldn't come during the last four years so it's very exciting to be back."

Xi stopped travelling abroad for nearly three years as China shut its borders during the pandemic and his international meetings since the reopening have mostly been with other state leaders. Plans for his meeting with Gates were first reported by Reuters.

The last reported meeting between Xi and Gates was in 2015, when they met on the sidelines of the Boao forum in Hainan province. In early 2020, Xi wrote a letter to Gates thanking him and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for pledging assistance to China, including $5 million for the country's fight against COVID-19.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announces 50-mln-USD donation to China’s drug center

Emil Lazarian

 16:55,

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced it would donate 50 million U.S. dollars to the Beijing-based Global Health Drug Discovery Institute (GHDDI) over five years.

The funds will support the development of drugs for infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and malaria, that disproportionately affect people living in low and middle-income countries, thus working to improve global health, the foundation said.

A non-profit research organization in China, the GHDDI was jointly founded by the foundation, Tsinghua University and the Beijing municipal government in 2016, Xinhua reports.

The municipal government will provide financial support of the same scale, and Tsinghua University has pledged continued support for research platforms, achievement transformations and talent training.

Bill Gates with China’s President Xi Jinping on June 16 in Beijing.

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BTA. Annual Inflation Slows Down to 8.6% in Bulgaria, 7.1% in EU

Liana Toganian

 14:55,

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS. Consumer prices in Bulgaria were up by 8.6% in May on annual basis, while on a monthly basis – in May compared to April – they fell by 0.2%, the latest Eurostat data, published on Friday, show.

The annual rate of change of consumer prices in the European Union eased to 7.1% and in the euro area it declined to 6.1%

In May, relative to April this year, consumer prices in both areas remained unchanged.

Ongoing blockade, growing threats of force damage prospect of starting genuine dialogue, says Nagorno Karabakh

Emil Lazarian

 15:52,

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS. The ongoing severe blockade of Artsakh, the growing threats of the use of force and ethnic cleansing, as well as holding of the 120,000 population of Artsakh in a hostage situation damage the prospect of starting a genuine dialogue to discuss ways of a political settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict, the Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) foreign ministry said in a statement.

Below is the full statement issued by the Artsakh MFA.

“In connection with the stirring media reports on attempts to establish dialogue between Stepanakert and Baku published recently in a number of Russian media outlets with reference to unnamed diplomatic sources, we consider it necessary to state the following:
 
The Republic of Artsakh is the most interested party in finding a comprehensive solution to the conflict with Azerbaijan through dialogue and peaceful negotiations aimed at establishing lasting and just peace in the region.
 
After the end of the 44-day war, there have already been attempts of such contacts to resolve a number of pressing issues. In particular, several meetings were held between the representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan through the mediation of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent, during which humanitarian, infrastructural and other technical issues aimed at ensuring conditions for the normal and peaceful life of the people were discussed. Before the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan, thanks to the meetings held with the mediation of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent, specific results were achieved on issues of identifying the fate of the missing and searching for the remains of the dead, ensuring the normal functioning of vital infrastructures, organising agricultural work and others. The last meeting in this format was held on 1 March 2023, during which issues related to ending the transport and energy blockade of Artsakh were discussed. However, the Azerbaijani side first refused to implement the agreements reached during the meeting, and then resorted to various provocations and aggressive actions, consistently rejecting all subsequent proposals of the Republic of Artsakh to continue the meetings in this format.
 
The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh have repeatedly stated that for the resumption of the peace process, it is necessary to restore the internationally recognised negotiation format, within which it would be possible to discuss all disputes and differences based on the principles of good faith, co-operation and equal rights of the parties. At the same time, this mechanism must be inclusive and representative, and have the potential and authority to ensure the implementation of the agreements reached and the commitments undertaken by the parties.
 
We are convinced that the role of international mediators should not be limited to providing good offices, but should be aimed at more active involvement in the process of finding fair, balanced and viable solutions to existing problems, creating favourable conditions to conduct dialogue with dignity, as well as ensuring Azerbaijan's compliance with the norms and principles of international law and the provisions of the UN Charter. In this context, we reiterate the importance of using the potential and experience of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, as well as the effective co-operation of all major actors involved in the peaceful settlement of the conflict.
 
 In this regard, we attach primary importance to the collective and individual efforts of the international community aimed at creating normal living conditions in Artsakh, ending its transport and energy blockade, removing the illegally installed Azerbaijani checkpoint and ensuring the unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions, in accordance with the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020 and the Order of the International Court of Justice of 22 February 2023.
 
It is obvious that the ongoing severe blockade of Artsakh, the growing threats of the use of force and ethnic cleansing, as well as holding of the 120,000 population of Artsakh in a hostage situation damage the prospect of starting a genuine dialogue to discuss ways of a political settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict.”

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 16-06-23

Lara Chatinian

 17:24,

YEREVAN, 16 JUNE, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 16 June, USD exchange rate stood at 386.54 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 4.17 drams to 423.30 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 4.62 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 4.79 drams to 494.46 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 42.88 drams to 24262.92 drams. Silver price down by 5.22 drams to 290.87 drams.