Category: 2023

 15:19,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Russia is guided by the “do no harm” principle in the South Caucasus, but not all players in the region share this approach, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

“We are guided by the principle that can be described as “do no harm”, and above all the principle of contributing to resolving all emerging problems, which will first of all be based on the principled agreements of the three leaders within the framework of their four statements,” TASS quoted Lavrov as saying at a joint press conference with his Azeri counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov.

The other principle, according to Lavrov, is to ensure mutually beneficial cooperation between countries of the region based on mutual respect. “Not all players are guided by the same principles, especially those who are far from South Caucasus,” the Russian foreign minister said.

Lavrov also commented on the EU civilian mission in Armenia. According to him, the mission “raises many questions in terms of legitimacy.”

“We see how the EU is explicitly abusing its relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan, including by advancing its so-called mission in the territory of Armenia, which raises serious doubts in terms of legitimacy,” Lavrov said.

The mission “raises numerous questions”, according to the Russian FM, including “in terms of its functions, mandate and the added value that it can bring to the efforts aimed at the normalization of the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”

“But it is the sovereign choice of the parties with whom to cooperate and with whom not,” FM Lavrov added.

 15:46,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Students from various universities of Armenia gathered outside the UN office in Yerevan on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Sumgait pogrom to demand recognition and justice.

The demonstrators were displaying posters with statements condemning the Sumgait pogrom, the 44-Day War of 2020, the September events and the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan.

“The purpose of the demonstration is to remind about the Sumgait pogrom. We want the world to acknowledge this fact and change its stances on Artsakh. The world’s silence is odd and we think it is important to remind the world about the atrocities committed against Armenians in Sumgait and Baku, the concealment of the state-sanctioned crimes and Azerbaijan’s ongoing anti-Armenian and belligerent policy,” one of the students said.

The students walked from the Yerevan State University to the UN Office and held a silent protest outside the building.

In late February 1988, Azerbaijanis began a state-sponsored massacre of the Armenian population in Sumgait, which became known as the Sumgait pogrom.

 16:27,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Minister of Defense Karen Brutyan met with his Russian counterpart Alexander Fomin to discuss cooperation and regional security, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.

Urgent issues of Armenian-Russian military and military-technical cooperation, as well as the state of regional security were discussed during the meeting,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a read-out.

 17:00,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. On February 28, President of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Arayik Harutyunyan chaired a meeting of the Security Council.

The humanitarian situation resulting from the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, as well as steps taken by the authorities to overcome the problems were on the agenda, according to a read-out issued by Harutyunyan’s office.

 17:27,

YEREVAN, 28 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 28 February, USD exchange rate up by 0.28 drams to 389.34 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.28 drams to 413.40 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 5.18 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 5.35 drams to 471.37 drams.

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

Gold price up by 112.69 drams to 22765.08 drams. Silver price down by 4.32 drams to 259.49 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

 17:46,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan receives the newly appointed Ambassador of the United States of America to Armenia Kristina Kvien, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Government of Armenia.

Welcoming Kristina Kvien, the Deputy Prime Minister congratulated her on her appointment as Ambassador and wished her fruitful work in her responsible mission.

The interlocutors discussed the prospects for the development of trade and economic relations between the two countries.

During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan presented to the Ambassador the situation resulted by the blocking of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan and the importance of a clear international response to it.

The interlocutors also exchanged ideas on regional developments.

 19:13,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired a consultation, during which issues related to the development of the demographic strategy were discussed, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

In particular, reference was made to the current demographic situation, existing risks and opportunities, management of migration flows, changes in the population structure, demographic programs and other topics.

An exchange of ideas took place on the goals and targets of the strategy to be developed.

 19:19,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister of Armenia Suren Papikyan visited the southwestern border zone of the country on February 28.

Minister Papikyan toured the position, observed the organization of combat duty, talked with the military personnel.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, the commanders of the military corps and the military unit reported to the Minister of Defense on the situation in the border zone. The command staff presented to Minister the progress of large-scale engineering works carried out on the front line, furnishing of combat positions, implementation of new infrastructures, adding that they will be continuous.

Suren Papikyan inquired about the combat training of the personnel, accommodation conditions, ammunition and food supplies, heard reports about the work carried out in the direction of observing security rules.

At a military position, at the tea table, Minister Papikyan listened to the contract servicemen and talked about the advantages expected as a result of the certification. Suren Papikyan urged the post-duty personnel to use the two weeks following the duty to increase the level of physical training, improve their fire skills, and increase their professional knowledge, which will allow them to receive high marks in order to organize the future service more efficiently.

During the visit, Suren Papikyan also observed the construction works of roads leading to combat positions.

It is noted that on the way back from combat positions, the Minister of Defense also met with the residents of Angeghakot community.

 

 19:40,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. On February 28, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, who was in Geneva, participated in the UN Human Rights Council 52nd Session and delivered remarks.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia, FM Mirzoyan particularly said in his speech,

“Mr. President,

Distinguished colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Armenia congratulates the newly elected Bureau of the Human Rights Council under the Presidency of H.E. Mr. Václav Bálek. We would like to extend best wishes of success to H.E. Mr. Volker Türk, as this is his first Council session in the capacity of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Armenia reiterates its unwavering commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights. This year again, Armenia received the highest rankings in the region by the World Press Freedom Index and the Democracy Index of the Economist Intelligence Unit. 

As a member of the HRC, including at its Bureau in 2022, Armenia strived to make a meaningful contribution to the international efforts to promote and protect human rights worldwide. I would like to particularly emphasize Armenia’s contribution to international efforts on the prevention of genocide. We thank each and every state that supported the consensual adoption of the HRC resolutions on the Prevention of Genocide put forward by Armenia in 2022.

In 2023 we mark the 75th anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide – the first human rights treaty adopted by the General Assembly. It was followed by the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the next day. There was no coincidence in such a succession, as it was the aftermath of the bloodiest and most violent war in the history of humanity. Those two documents laid the solid foundation for the human rights architecture of the United Nations.

Mr. President,

The UN Secretary-General has recently assessed that “we are facing the gravest levels of geopolitical division and mistrust in generations”. 2022 was a challenging year for the Human Rights Council as well.

As the High Commissioner recently put it, in spite of geopolitical differences the Council should be the place where we come together to protect our shared human rights values and our shared humanity. We concur with him that the greatest challenge of the human rights system has been to ensure equal attention to the protection of the rights of all.

We believe that the protection of the human rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh has been continuously overlooked. While we can appreciate the gravity of the situation elsewhere because of other conflicts and crises, there cannot be any hierarchies of suffering based on geopolitical considerations and interests.

Against all odds, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh have been striving to exercise their human rights freely. This determination has not changed even after devastating repetitive waves of repression and aggression of Azerbaijan that killed thousands of people and ruined hundreds of towns and villages, civilian infrastructure, cultural and religious heritage. The international community, however, remained largely inactive as Azerbaijan’s appetite was emboldened by impunity. The latter, then, attacked and occupied the sovereign territories of the Republic of Armenia.

In the atmosphere of such total impunity, Azerbaijan continues to breach principles of the international human rights law and international humanitarian law. It has been for around 80 days that Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the outer world. Azerbaijan has also disrupted the electricity and is regularly cutting the gas supply. As a result, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan announced at the highest level that it can lift the blockade for all those who want to leave Nagorno-Karabakh. It is a creeping ethnic cleansing in making.

In this context, I would like to underline that on 22 February the International Court of Justice issued a legally binding provisional measure against Azerbaijan in the proceedings brought by Armenia against it, while unanimously rejecting Azerbaijan’s requests made in the parallel proceedings with respect to alleged laying of mines by Armenia. In the mentioned order, the Court has found that there is an imminent risk of irreparable harm to Armenians’ rights under the Convention for Elimination of Racial Discrimination and ordered Azerbaijan to take all necessary measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. The ICJ provisional measures are legally binding, however, thus far Azerbaijan failed to lift the blockade of the Lachin corridor.

Azerbaijan commits this crime amid the wide and truly global demand to open the Lachin Corridor, including by the UN Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In the same manner, Azerbaijan has failed to investigate the extrajudicial executions, torture, mutilation and desecration of the bodies of dead Armenian soldiers, including women, as was specifically called upon by the UN Special Procedure Mandate Holders. The UN Human Rights experts further emphasized that they still anticipate from Azerbaijan “information on the factual and legal reasons for the continued detention of the Prisoners of War after the cessation of hostilities, and the measures taken to inform families of the disappeared about their fate and the exact whereabouts.”

Let me conclude, Mr President, by expressing Armenia’s firm conviction that the deployment of the UN interagency mission to the Lachin Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh is the bare minimum that the international community can do in these circumstances. The UN is bestowed with a universal mandate and should enjoy unconditional and unimpeded access to people in need. The UN human rights machinery should be utilized for saving lives, extending the necessary humanitarian assistance and protecting the human rights of the people concerned. The world needs positive and successful cases of the application of international mechanisms, the ones that they were created and mandated for. The international system cannot afford to sustain yet another failure.

And I thank you.”

 20:12,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. On February 28, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Mnatsakan Safaryan received the newly appointed Ambassador of the United States of Mexico, Eduardo Villegas Mejias (residence: Moscow), on the occasion of handing over the copy of his credentials.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia, the Deputy Foreign Minister congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment and wished him fruitful activity that will contribute to the further expansion of relations in bilateral and multilateral formats. Ambassador Villegas expressed his commitment to make maximum efforts to develop the Armenian-Mexican cooperation.

From the point of view of the development of bilateral relations, the parties emphasized the activation of high-level mutual visits, inter-parliamentary relations and periodic contacts between the foreign ministries.

The Armenian side saluted the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Senate of Mexico on February 8. It reaffirms Mexico's reputation as a defender and advocate of fundamental human rights and freedoms.

It is noted that Mnatsakan Safaryan presented to his Mexican counterpart the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh that is worsening day by day as a result of the blocking of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan and the latest developments. The importance of the decisions made by the International Court of Justice on February 22 was emphasized, by which, among others, Azerbaijan was obliged to take all necessary measures to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, vehicles and goods in both directions through the Lachin Corridor.