Category: 2023

 14:19,

YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS. Moscow believes that the current circumstances allow expecting that Armenia and Azerbaijan could sign a peace treaty in the foreseeable future, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said.

Peskov stressed that the final solution of all issues is what matters, and not the time.

The Kremlin spokesperson said that representatives of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan will hold a meeting next week in Moscow to discuss existing issues.

“There is no objective to finalize everything because what matters is the final result, no one is in a hurry,” TASS quoted Peskov as saying. No one can predict an exact timeframe for the signing of the peace treaty, he noted.

“Although, as it was noted at yesterday’s meeting, the circumstances have now changed in many ways, and basically these changed circumstances allow achieving the signing of the peace treaty in the foreseeable future,” he added.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held trilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Moscow on May 25. A deputy prime ministerial meeting between the three sides is expected next week.

 15:16,

YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahe Gevorgyan held a meeting on May 24 with UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu in New York City.

Gevorgyan presented the worsening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh resulting from the illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, emphasizing that these Armenophobia-fuelled illegal actions attest to Azerbaijan’s policy of ethnic cleansing against the people of Nagorno Karabakh, the foreign ministry said in a readout.

Azerbaijan’s ongoing gross violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination over many decades and the importance of the implementation of the ICJ February 22 ruling were discussed.

Vahe Gevorgyan attached importance to the close cooperation between Armenia and the office of the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide as part of the UN Prevention Agenda, emphasizing the need for the Special Adviser’s active involvement for launching UN mechanisms for prevention of genocide and other mass crimes.

Lachin Corridor – the only road linking Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world – has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022. The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan on 22 February 2023 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. Azerbaijan has so far ignored the order.

 15:30,

YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS. Member of Parliament Tigran Abrahamyan from the opposition Pativ Unem bloc has said that Russia was supposed to have prevented the installation of the Azerbaijani checkpoint in Lachin Corridor and that Moscow’s actions ought to be more targeted.

“Russia ought to have prevented the installation of the Azerbaijani checkpoint on Hakari bridge, especially that it was installed twenty to thirty meters from its post. Russia has responsibility in this regard not only as a party to the trilateral document, but also as a major player in our region,” Abrahamyan said.

The Lachin Corridor must be under the control of the Russian peacekeepers according to the trilateral statement signed on 9 November 2020, but the Lachin Corridor has been blocked by Azerbaijan since December 2022.

Abrahamyan said that Azerbaijan is now using its checkpoint as a way to pressure Armenia in the negotiations.

“The parties are bound to implement their obligations, especially when the Armenian authorities have factually fully implemented their obligations under the 9 November document, as difficult as it has been for Armenia and Artsakh,” the lawmaker said, adding that Azerbaijan hasn’t implemented its obligations.

He added that in relation to the closure of the corridor, Russia as obligations and its actions must be targeted.

 17:13,

YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS. Yerevan Wine Days, one of the most popular festivals in Armenia, will take place June 2-4 in downtown Yerevan, featuring 72 winemakers who will be offering their products to visitors.

This year, the festival will have a broader program, organizers said.

“We’ve expanded the venue, added more pavilions, updated the programs,” EventToura co-founder and Creative Director Nune Manukyan said at a press conference.

The event will feature gastro-shows, live music and much more.

The Yerevan Wine Days 2023 will be the 7th edition of the festival.

The idea behind organizing the festival was to promote wine tourism and Armenia as a top winemaking country with history.

Winemaking is growing rapidly in Armenia, according to experts.

In 2018, there were 25 winemaking companies in Armenia, whereas now the number is over 150, according to Vine and Wine Foundation of Armenia Director Zaruhi Muradyan.

The festival will be held for three days in a row – June 2, 3 and 4, at the Moskovyan-Saryan-Tumanyan streets section.

 17:21,

YEREVAN, 26 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 26 May, USD exchange rate up by 0.12 drams to 386.52 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.90 drams to 415.24 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 4.83 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.81 drams to 478.40 drams.

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

Gold price down by 258.33 drams to 24210.72 drams. Silver price down by 5.01 drams to 285.88 drams.

 18:37,

YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS. On the initiative of the Red Cross, the transfer of patients from Artsakh to the medical centers of Armenia has been restored since May 26, Zara Amatuni, head of communication programs of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Armenia, told ARMENPRESS, noting that on May 26, 15 patients from the "Republican Medical Center" of the Artsakh Ministry of Health, along with their companions, with the mediation and escort of the International Committee of the Red Cross, were transferred to specialized medical centers of Armenia.

"Since May 17, we have also resumed the transportation of humanitarian cargoes. In general, we have transported various humanitarian supplies, especially medical supplies and medicines intended for local medical facilities. We have transported 16 trucks since May 17," said Amatuni.

 18:55,

YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS. President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan signed decrees on additional restrictions applied under martial law.

The presidential decree prohibits all kinds of gatherings, except for the purpose of realizing the right of self-determination of the people of Artsakh, as well as gatherings organized on holidays and memorial days of the Republic of Artsakh, which can be organized only with the permission of the Government of the Artsakh Republic.

Another decree of the President restricts the freedom of _expression_ of opinion, prohibits seeking, receiving and disseminating information about the defense capability, security, territorial integrity, sovereignty, constitutional or public order, normal development of economy of the Artsakh Republic through any means of information, including propaganda against them.

 19:07,

YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the U.S. Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations and Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Louis Bono, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulted by the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, addressing the rights and security issues of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh under the internationally guaranteed dialogue mechanism.

The Prime Minister presented the approaches of the Armenian side regarding the settlement of existing key issues.

 21:13,

YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS. On May 26 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met with Louis Bono, the Senior Adviser for Caucasus Negotiations, the U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia.

The interlocutors discussed the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, touched upon the issues which were discussed during the latest negotiations in that direction and those that still need to be mutually agreed upon.

Ararat Mirzoyan reaffirmed the commitment of the Armenian side to establish comprehensive and lasting peace in the region. In that regard Minister Mirzoyan stressed that, among other issues, renouncing the use of force or the threat of use of force, clear definition of borders and ensuring border security, as well as addressing the rights and security issues of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh under the mechanism of internationally guaranteed dialogue are key.

 20:36,

YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS. The information spread in the Azerbaijani media that the Armenian side made a subversive infiltration attempt in the southeastern part of the border zone is an absolute lie and does not correspond to reality, ARMENPRESS was informed from MoD Armenia.