Category: 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Center for Truth and
Justice establishes an educational partnership between the University of Iowa and
the Artsakh State University

 

Los Angeles, CA (February 21, 2023) – In the
midst of a blockade, the Center for Truth and Justice ("CFTJ")
establishes an educational partnership between the University of Iowa and the
Artsakh State University.

 

CFTJ is proud to announce the realization of
this collaboration – a direct outcome of the international human rights
conference organized by CFTJ held in Yerevan, Armenia. It was back in June of
2022, while being in Armenia, that the honorable guest speaker, Professor Elke
Heckner, expressed the intent to establish a partnership between the University
of Iowa and Artsakh State University. Through the efforts of Associate Provost
and Dean of International Programs Russ Ganim, Professor Heckner, and CFTJ Conference
committee member Arsiné Grigoryan, Esq., a Memorandum of Understanding was
signed by the above two universities.

 

“The University of Iowa is proud to
collaborate with Artsakh State University under the auspices of this new
Memorandum of Understanding,” remarked Dean Ganim.  “Our purpose is to connect faculty and
students on issues regarding human rights and social justice in conflict zones
around the world.  We look forward to
learning about and from Artsakh as the partnership grows.”

 

The timing of this historic event is even more
impactful since Artsakh is in the midst of a blockade by Azerbaijan. On
December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan blocked the only highway, referred to as the
Lachin Corridor, connecting Stepanakert to Yerevan, and essentially to the rest
of the world. For over 70 days now, 120,000 residents, including 30,000
children are deprived of food, medicine and other basic supplies they are in
dire need of. Hospitals have indefinitely put surgeries on hold. Schools have
been closed due to the shortages. Additionally, vital services like
electricity, gas, and internet shut offs during the freezing winter
temperatures have created more hardships for these residents.

 

“For the Artsakh State University, this
extraordinary collaboration is immeasurably important, with such prestigious
universities like the University of Iowa, especially in these trying times that
Artsakh is in a total blockade and such collaborations open a window of
opportunity to the civil world,” said Vitya Yaramishyan, Vice-rector of Artsakh
State University as he signed the MOU. “This partnership between two
institutions will undoubtedly bring about significant progress in the promotion
and protection of human rights in Artsakh and beyond,” stated Ms. Grigoryan.

 

CFTJ is a US-based non-profit organization
formed in November 2020 immediately following the 44-Day War in Artsakh. CFTJ
is not affiliated with any political or governmental organization and is
entirely independent. CFTJ’s team of attorneys built a fact-finding
infrastructure in Armenia and Artsakh, to gather testimonial evidence from
victims of war-related human rights and humanitarian abuses. CFTJ has collected
more than 400 testimonies from witnesses including returned POWs, displaced
individuals, and victims of prohibited methods of warfare. CFTJ's mission is to
create a living memorial to crimes against humanity, for purposes of education
and legal action.

 

Center for Truth &
Justice is a registered 501(c)(3)

 Federal Tax ID: 87-1681664

2100 Montrose Ave., #715, Montrose, CA 91020
(213)557-1109

Media Contact: Meline Mailyan, Esq.

 15:32, 21 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. Mining ensured nearly 200 billion drams in tax revenues to the state budget in 2022, i.e. 10% of the total of 2 trillion of revenue of the budget was provided by the mining sector, the First Deputy Director General of the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine, President of the Union of Miners and Mettalurgists Vardan Jhanyan said at a press conference.

However, he added, such “unprecedented” revenues aren’t expected in 2023.

“2022 was unprecedented in terms of the state budget revenues. 10% of the over 2 trillion in revenue was ensured by mining, that is, mining secured nearly 200 billion drams in revenues to the state budget,” Jhanyan said.

But this year there won’t be such high figures. Jhanyan pointed out several factors while explaining the projection. For example, the export duty for metal concentrates has been lifted. Last year, taxes were paid under the 2021 profitability calculation. “We don’t expect such unprecedented revenues in 2023, but in the next years when the output will grow we expect such tax revenues,” Jhanyan said.

Speaking about the challenges facing the sector, he pointed out the dram appreciation.

“Now the exchange rate is 20-30% more than in the beginning of 2022. Everyone in the sector is an exporter, they are in a very difficult situation. Their expenses are in drams but profits are in dollars. And today many exporting companies in the sector are working with damages,” he said. But Jhanyan is against any intervention by the Central Bank in this matter. He said that the Union of Miners and Mettalurgists presented recommendations to the government, such as easing the tax burden or at least offering tax breaks.

The sector has two main products in Armenia: copper concentrate (which contains gold) and ferromolybdenum.

The main market for exports of ferromolybdenum has been Europe, with some volumes being exported to Russia, while China has been the main market for copper concentrate.

The Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine increased its output and exports in 2022 by 20%.

 17:13, 21 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting with the delegation led by the former French Prime Minister, Mayor of the French city of Le Havre Édouard Philippe.

During the meeting the Armenian Prime Minister attached importance to the consistent development of the Armenian-French relations and highlighted Édouard Philippe’s efforts in strengthening the ties. PM Pashinyan highly appreciated the former French Prime Minister’s visit to Armenia.

Édouard Philippe said that he visited Syunik province, where he evaluated the situation on the ground in Goris and met with the Armenians of Artsakh who are unable to return home to Nagorno Karabakh because of the closure of the Lachin corridor. In this context, the continuous attention and consistent steps by the international community in the direction of unblocking the Lachin corridor with the purpose of overcoming the humanitarian, environmental and energy crisis in Nagorno Karabakh was highlighted.

Views were exchanged around processes taking place in the region.

 17:23, 21 February 2023

YEREVAN, 21 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 21 February, USD exchange rate down by 0.67 drams to 391.68 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.24 drams to 417.06 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 5.25 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.51 drams to 473.35 drams.

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

Gold price up by 109.72 drams to 23243.80 drams. Silver price up by 5.78 drams to 273.39 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

 17:30, 21 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. The new United States Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien officially presented her credentials to President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan on February 21.

Ambassador Kvien looks forward to strengthening U.S.-Armenia ties during her tenure: “It’s the honor of a lifetime to be U.S. Ambassador to Armenia. I can’t wait to explore Armenia, meet its people, and do all I can to support a peaceful and prosperous future for the country. The United States deeply values our partnership with Armenia, which is based on our shared democratic values,” Ambassador Kvien said.

 15:03, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. During the Munich Security Conference, held on 18 February 2023, the President of Azerbaijan made a number of statements aimed at disguising the criminal policy of Azerbaijan towards the people of Artsakh, and distorting the essence of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict by violating causal relationships, the Foreign Ministry of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) said in a statement.

Below is the full statement.

“During the Munich Security Conference, held on 18 February 2023, the President of Azerbaijan made a number of statements aimed at disguising the criminal policy of Azerbaijan towards the people of Artsakh, and distorting the essence of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict by violating causal relationships.

In particular, the President of Azerbaijan once again tried to refute the obvious fact of the blockade of Artsakh, which has been recognized by the international community, with the exception of Azerbaijan itself. To prove their claims, the Azerbaijani president cited data on the passage for the entire period of the blockade of 2,500 vehicles of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the evacuation of 100 patients to hospitals in Armenia through the ICRC. However, these data prove exactly the opposite of what Baku claims. During the 73 days of the blockade, fewer cars passed through the Lachin Corridor than during three usual days in the pre-blockade period. All vehicles passing through the Lachin Corridor belonged to either the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent or the ICRC. Other vehicles belonging to citizens of the Republic of Artsakh, state structures or carrying out commercial transportation are not able to pass through the Lachin Corridor. Seriously ill patients can only be evacuated to Yerevan through the ICRC, which once again indicates the lack of free passage through the Lachin Corridor. Moreover, at the beginning of the blockade, at least one seriously ill patient died due to the impossibility of his urgent transportation to Yerevan for further treatment. The fact that many citizens of the Republic cannot return to Artsakh, and hundreds of separated families are deprived of the opportunity to reunite, is another confirmation of the blockade imposed by Azerbaijan.

It should also be noted that during a conversation with Azerbaijani journalists following a trilateral meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the Azerbaijani president stated about Baku's proposal to set up a checkpoint in the Lachin Corridor. It becomes obvious from his words that Baku had been hatching these plans long before the blockade was imposed. All these facts clearly prove that in addition to creating unbearable living conditions for the people of Artsakh, the blockade is also aimed at revising the provisions of the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020. Thus, Azerbaijan is clearly seeking to legitimize its intention to revise the provisions of the Trilateral Statement. These attempts must be resolutely rejected by all actors involved in the normalization of relations in the region. Full functioning of the Lachin Corridor should be restored in accordance with the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020, and without any preconditions.

Azerbaijan's attempts to interfere in the internal political life of Artsakh, as well as its vision of a dialogue between Stepanakert and Baku, are also absolutely unacceptable for the official Stepanakert. In this regard, we reiterate that a comprehensive settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict must be achieved through negotiations that will ensure equal footing for the parties and will not contain conditions that prejudge the outcome of the negotiations. In this context, we consider it necessary to restore the international mediation format as an additional guarantee of the irreversibility of the peace process. We once again emphasize that the results of the illegal use or threat of force by Azerbaijan cannot serve as a starting point on the path to peace, stability and security.”

 15:07, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The regulations of the Lachin corridor are negotiated and signed in the 9 November document and the re-negotiation of the regulations, furthermore as a result of renewed use of force of the threat to use force again cannot be an acceptable solution for the Armenian side, the Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said at a joint press conference with the Foreign Minister of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn in Yerevan.

He made the remarks in response to Azerbaijani President Aliyev’s speech in Munich, where the latter had said that they have offered Armenia to install checkpoints between Lachin and Armenia and in the so-called “Zangezur corridor”.

“Indeed, an idea like that has been voiced, to install checkpoints on the border of Armenia and in the section where the Lachin corridor begins. But our response is unequivocal and very public. This stance has been voiced immediately after the blockade of the Lachin corridor began, and it remains the same: The regulations of Lachin corridor are negotiated, signed, including by the President of Azerbaijan, I am speaking about the 9 November document. A re-negotiation of the Lachin corridor regulations, moreover as a result of renewed use of force and under the threat to use renewed force, is obviously unacceptable for us and cannot be an acceptable solution,” FM Mirzoyan said.

Asked to comment whether Azerbaijan demands the so-called “Zangezur corridor” from Armenia in exchange of opening Lachin corridor, the FM said that by analyzing the situation one can see the Azerbaijani expectation around opening the Lachin corridor for obtaining another similar corridor. This isn’t a new narrative and the position of the Armenian side has been voiced earlier again.

“We have the Lachin corridor, which, by the way, even before the latest war was separated as a humanitarian corridor in the entire negotiations process, given that the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh are entirely blockaded by Azerbaijan, and the only road linking to the world and Armenia is the Lachin corridor itself. Meaning, the existence of the corridor has been highlighted since the beginning. And everyone, including Azerbaijan, accepted this, and it is also reflected in the 9 November document, the Lachin corridor is clearly stipulated in it,” Mirzoyan said.

Regarding the unblocking of other regional infrastructures, around which there are agreements in the 9 November document and the January 11, 2021 document, the stance of Armenia is again the same and very constructive. “We can immediately start the unblocking of those roads the moment we accept that all those roads to be unblocked, including the railway, will function under the sovereignty and legislation of the countries through which they pass. I think this is a much substantiated, constructive and very transparent approach, proposal and readiness,” the Armenian FM said.

FM Mirzoyan said the Armenian side rules out, doesn’t accept changes in existing agreements under the threat to use force or the aggressive policy of extorting concessions at the expense of one side’s interests, which is reflected in Azerbaijan’s statements.

 17:40, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Luxembourg wants the trilateral peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue, ARMENPRESS reports, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn said at a joint press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan.

"The trilateral peace talks that started in 2021 between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President of the European Council Charles Michel and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev seem to have stopped at this moment. There were encouraging developments. We would like them to continue, Luxembourg supports the resumption of trilateral peace talks so that you can achieve a strong and lasting peace treaty," said the Foreign Minister of Luxembourg.

Luxembourg also supports the establishment of a long-term EU mission in Armenia. According to Jean Asselborn, it will strengthen relations with the EU, the mission can play an important role, reduce the number of incidents, risks for the population.

"The launch of this mission can be an important element for the general peace process and the normalization of relations. Luxembourg will be active, we also have a member in the mission," said the Foreign Minister.

He also highlighted the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement that entered into force in March 2021. This will provide an opportunity to cooperate in more areas, including strengthening democracy, the rule of law, and the fight against corruption. "Armenia has made great progress. I hope that you will continue this democratic path", said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg.

 17:52, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Foreign Minister of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister noted that there are high-level political relations between the two countries and it’s necessary to take steps to develop bilateral economic cooperation. Nikol Pashinyan expressed confidence that Mr. Asselborn's visit will contribute to the further expansion and strengthening of Armenia-Luxembourg relations. At the same time, the Prime Minister emphasized the Armenia-EU cooperation, including in terms of the effective implementation of the institutional reforms being implemented in our country.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg emphasized his country's interest in deepening multi-sectoral cooperation with Armenia.

The interlocutors reflected on the processes taking place in the region, the humanitarian crisis resulted by Azerbaijan's illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor. The parties emphasized the consistent steps of the international community for unblocking the corridor.

The sides exchanged ideas on other topics of international importance.

 17:17, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Luxembourg is appointing a non-resident Ambassador to Armenia, Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said in Yerevan at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

“On the bilateral relations, I just wanted to mention that we celebrated 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations last year, and therefore it is a possibility and opportunity to try to increase these relations. We have decided to nominate a non-resident ambassador to your country, Mr. Alain de Muyser, who is here with us.  His father was already an ambassador and as a child he was with his father here in Armenia, so I think he is the right man in the right place,” FM Asselborn said.

He expressed hope that the new Ambassador will work with his Armenian counterpart stationed in The Hague to strengthen and enhance economic relations between Armenia and Luxembourg.