Category: 2023

 12:27, 3 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Arayik Harutyunyan saluted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for backing Nagorno Karabakh’s right to self-determination.

On March 2, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict that would respect the territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan and the right to self-determination of the residents of Nagorno Karabakh.

President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan took to twitter Friday to welcome Scholz’s remarks.

“We welcome Olaf Scholz’s statement that the conflict should be settled peacefully on the basis of equal principles of [territorial] integrity & right to self-determination of the Nagorno-Karabakh people. Settlement is impossible without fully considering our fundamental/collective rights,” President Harutyunyan tweeted.

 12:29, 3 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS. Nine cancer patients requiring urgent surgeries were transferred from blockaded Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia on March 3 through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the healthcare authorities announced.

This brings the number of ICRC-transferred patients to 144 since the blockade by Azerbaijan began on December 12, 2022.

The patients were taken to specialized hospitals in Armenia for treatment, the Ministry of Healthcare of Nagorno Karabakh said in a statement.

Meanwhile, seven patients who had been transferred to Armenia returned home together with their attendants.

The Ministry of Healthcare of Nagorno Karabakh added that planned surgeries are still on hold due to the blockade.

1 child is in the neonatal and intensive care unit at the Arevik clinic. Eight patients are under intensive care at the Republican Medical Center. Two of them are in critical condition.

 13:04, 3 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement during their meeting in New Delhi within the framework of the Raisina Dialogue, the Russian foreign ministry said in a read-out.

FM Mirzoyan and FM Lavrov stressed “the urgency to intensify efforts in all directions of the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations,” according to the read-out released by the Russian foreign ministry.

“An exchange of ideas around regional issues took place. The urgency to intensify efforts in all directions of the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations in accordance with the 9 November 2020, 11 January and 26 November 2021 and 31 October 2022 agreements between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan was stressed,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Relevant issues of the bilateral agenda were also discussed.

“The approaches for intensifying cooperation in international platforms as part of common integration unions were combined,” the ministry added. It said that the talks were held in an atmosphere of trust and friendship, and that an agreement on future diplomatic contacts was reached.

 13:28, 3 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell met on March 3 in New Delhi, India.

Mirzoyan and Borrell “exchanged ideas around the Armenia-EU partnership agenda,” according to a readout issued by the foreign ministry. “Both sides attached importance to the deployment of the EU civilian monitoring mission in Armenia which was officially launched on February 20.”

Regional and international security issues were also discussed. FM Mirzoyan presented the latest developments in the Armenia-Azerbaijan settlement process.

Speaking about the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh resulting from the blockade of Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan, the Armenian foreign minister underscored the imperative of lifting the blockade without preconditions in accordance with the terms of the 9 November 2020 statement. In this context the international community’s hands-on involvement was highlighted in order for Azerbaijan to comply with the February 22 binding ruling by the International Court of Justice.

The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice – ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. The Lachin Corridor is blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022.

 13:33, 3 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with members of the German parliament’s (Bundestag) Germany-South Caucasus Friendship Group led by the Chairman of the Group MP Johann Wadephul over a luncheon in Berlin.

PM Pashinyan attached importance to the continuous development of cooperation between Armenian and German parliamentarians, including in international platforms, according to a read-out issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Prime Minister Pashinyan said that partnership with Germany in various directions, including political and economic partnership, is of key importance to the Armenian government.

Johann Wadephul said that the group plans to visit the region soon and emphasized the importance of strengthening inter-parliamentary relations with Armenia.

The Armenian PM and the German lawmakers also discussed bilateral ties and the developments taking place in South Caucasus, as well as the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh resulting from the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan. The international community’s continual and consistent attention and reaction were highlighted for overcoming the humanitarian crisis. The necessity for urgent implementation of the International Court of Justice ruling by Azerbaijan was underscored.

The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice – ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. The Lachin Corridor is blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022.

 13:34, 3 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan will visit Greece on March 9, according to an official decree on the travel schedule approved by the Prime Minister.

The agenda of the visit wasn’t immediately available.

 14:52, 3 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made fake statements about Armenia’s nuclear power plant during a meeting with the IAEA chief who himself visited the facility a few months ago and praised it’s safety and security conditions.

During a meeting on March 2, Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev complained to Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi about Armenia’s Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, making fake claims that it “poses a big nuclear threat” to the entire region and even making fake accusations over what he described as “illegal trade of some nuclear materials”, apparently unaware that Grossi himself visited the plant a few months ago and praised its safety improvements.

In October 2022, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said he was pleased to see the safety and security improvements made to the Metsamor Armenian Nuclear Power Plant after conducting a visit.

“Armenia's economy relies on Metsamor NPP, and IAEA will continue to offer support, to help the plant provide low-carbon energy safely and securely. Pleased to see the safety and security improvements made to Metsamor and impressed with the commitment of its dedicated staff,” Grossi tweeted after visiting the plant on October 4.

 14:53, 3 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS. On March 3, in the framework of the “Raisina Dialogue '' conference, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov.

The foreign ministers exchanged views on issues of regional security and stability, according to a read-out issued by the Armenian foreign ministry.

"The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Russia discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the blockade of the Lachin corridor and disruption of electricity supply by Azerbaijan. The need for the implementation of reached agreements and unblocking of the Lachin corridor in strong adherence to the commitments undertaken under the 9 November 2020 Trilateral Statement was stressed. The interlocutors touched upon issues of the normalization process of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, delimitation and border security, unblocking of all economic and transport ties as well as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. During the meeting the Foreign Ministers also touched upon other topics of mutual interest," the foreign ministry said.