Category: 2023

 17:05, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. On 21 February, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh Sergey Ghazaryan met with a delegation headed by French MEPs, Co-Chairs of the Friendship Group with Artsakh Sylvie Guillaume and Francois Alfonsi, as well as President of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) Kaspar Karampetian, EAFJD Executive Director Heghine Evinyan and Special Programmes Manager of ARF Hay Dat Central Office Gevorg Ghukasyan, the Foreign Ministry of Artsakh said in a press release.
 
During the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs presented the challenges facing the Republic of Artsakh as a result of the blockade by Azerbaijan, and highly appreciated the principled position of the parliamentarians on the adoption of the relevant resolution of the European Parliament regarding the blockade of Artsakh.
 
The interlocutors exchanged views on the possibilities of ensuring more active engagement by the international community under the existing circumstances.
 
In the context of lifting the blockade of Artsakh, Foreign Minister Sergey Ghazaryan emphasized the need for more active and efficient measures, including sanctions against Azerbaijan.

 17:07, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. During the Pashinyan-Aliyev-Blinken meeting in Munich the Azerbaijani side has assured that an internationally visible dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert will take place, the Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan said at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn.

FM Mirzoyan said that in the beginning, when discussions around a peace treaty were initiated with Azerbaijan, there was a perception and agreement to hold those negotiations in two tracks, one around the establishment and settlement of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, i.e. the peace treaty, and the other – a format where the rights and security of the Armenians living in Nagorno Karabakh must be discussed.

“And for a long time we see that Azerbaijan is maneuvering from being engaged in this conversation. And in Munich, by the way not only at the panel discussion but also during the Blinken-Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting, we received the Azerbaijani side’s readiness, assurance that an internationally visible dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert must take place,” Mirzoyan said.

At the same time, Mirzoyan said that on the other hand Armenia has continually witnessed how agreements and assurances are being breached over the course of the past years, including the signed agreements.

The Armenian FM expressed hope that this time Azerbaijan will remain committed to the readiness it expressed.

 17:24, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, 22 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 22 February, USD exchange rate down by 1.20 drams to 390.48 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.10 drams to 414.96 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.04 drams to 5.21 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.61 drams to 471.74 drams.

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

Gold price down by 183.58 drams to 23060.22 drams. Silver price down by 0.02 drams to 273.37 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

 17:37, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USA to Armenia Christina Quinn, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister congratulated Ms. Quinn on her appointment to a responsible position and expressed hope that Armenian-American relations will continue to develop and expand during her tenure. Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the importance of the US assistance to the institutional reforms implemented in our country and added that the development and strengthening of democracy is of strategic importance for the Armenian government.

Christina Quinn thanked for the warm welcome and added that she will make every effort to effectively advance the Armenian-American partnership agenda. In this context, the Ambassador attached importance to the close cooperation with the Armenian government. At the same time, she expressed the willingness of the US administration to continue contributing to the implementation of reforms in Armenia.

The interlocutors also touched upon the developments taking place in the region, the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulted by the blocking of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, the Armenian-Turkish process and other issues.

 18:18, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. There is no legal prohibition for exploiting the Amulsar mine, "Lydian Armenia" company has all the necessary permits to resume operations, ARMENPRESS reports Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan said after the signing ceremony of the tripartite memorandum of understanding between the Armenian government, Eurasian Development Bank and "Lydian Armenia" company.

"The parties aim to invest 150 million dollars under this contract and another 100 million dollars outside of this contract for the resumption of the Amulsar mine owned by the Lydian Armenia company. The money will be used to complete the construction works and purchase the necessary technical equipment. The government will receive 12.5 percent of Amulsar's shares and will not pay anything in return, but instead will insure certain risks of the transaction, also as a shareholder," Kerobyan said.

According to him, the affected communities will receive 7 million dollars of support from the company every year.

"We have held long discussions related to the management of the company, negotiated with various investors and secured the highest quality investors. We have successfully completed this process, which is the beginning of practical work," Kerobyan emphasized.

The minister noted that "Lydian Armenia" will create hundreds of jobs in the affected communities and will ensure significant economic growth and activity not only for the region, but also for the entire Republic of Armenia.

"It is estimated that Armenia's GDP will increase by 1 percent with the operation of the Amulsar mine. That is quite a high indicator. We have no right to refuse such opportunities," Kerobyan emphasized.

Referring to the environmental problems in the case of Amulsar mine operation, the minister noted that all studies have been carried out in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Armenia, and the "Lydian Armenia" company currently has all the necessary permits to start the work.

"In other words, there is no legal barrier for the company to carry out its activities," concluded the minister.

 18:25, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. On February 22, the delegation led by the Minister of Culture of Italy, Gennaro Sangiuliano, visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia Alfred Kocharyan, the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations and Diaspora Arkadi Papoyan, the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Italy Tsovinar Hambardzumyan and the Ambassador of Italy to Armenia Alfonso di Riso.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, Harutyun Marutyan, director of the AGMI, welcomed the guests and presented the history of the creation of the memorial complex. He also referred to the three khachkars (cross-stones) placed in the Tsitsernakaberd area in memory of the Armenians who fell victim to the massacres organized by the Azerbaijani government in the cities of Sumgait, Kirovabad (Gandzak), Baku at the end of the last century, and the stories of the five freedom fighters buried in the area of the memorial complex during the Artsakh war, stressing the connection between what happened and the Armenian Genocide.

Mr. Gennaro Sangiuliano laid a wreath at the memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, then the guests placed flowers near the eternal fire and observed a minute of silence in memory of the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide.

The guests also toured the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute, where they got acquainted with the permanent and temporary exhibitions accompanied by the senior tour guide of AGMI, Angel Tevekelyan.

At the end of the visit, Shushan Khachatryan, a senior researcher at the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute, presented the guests from Italy with the exclusive documents about Father Salvatore Lilli (1853-1895), in which Salvatore Lilli, as an eyewitness, also describes the Ottoman Empire's repressions against the Armenian population.

 19:53, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The International Court of Justice obliged Azerbaijan to ensure the uninterrupted movement of transport and people through the Lachin Corridor in both directions, as provided by the obligations it has assumed, reads the decision of the International Court of Justice on Armenia's petition on the issue of unblocking the Lachin Corridor.

 20:06, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The International Court of Justice published the decision on Armenia's request to apply provisional measures regarding the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor. Thus, the court concludes that Azerbaijan is obliged, in accordance with its obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions, ARMENPRESS reports, the decision was published on February 22.

The Court reminded that by the December 7, 2021 decision, the following provisional measures were applied,

The Republic of Azerbaijan shall, in accordance with its obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,

(a) Protect from violence and bodily harm all persons captured in relation to the 2020 Conflict who remain in detention, and ensure their security and equality before the law;

(b) Take all necessary measures to prevent the incitement and promotion of racial hatred and discrimination, including by its officials and public institutions, targeted at persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin;

(c) Take all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration affecting Armenian cultural heritage, including but not limited to churches and other places of worship, monuments, landmarks, cemeteries and artefacts.

The Court further recalls that by a letter dated 16 September 2022, Armenia, referring to Article 76 of the Rules of Court, requested the modification of the Court’s Order of 7 December 2021 (the “second Request”).

By an Order dated 12 October 2022, the Court found that “the circumstances, as they [then] present[ed] themselves to the Court, [were] not such as to require the exercise of its power to modify the measures indicated in the Order of 7 December 2021”. In addition, the Court reaffirmed the provisional measures indicated in its Order of 7 December 2021, in particular the requirement that both Parties refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve.

Finally, the Court recalls that, on 28 December 2022, Armenia, referring to Article 41 of the Statute and Article 73 of the Rules of Court, filed a new Request for the indication of provisional measures (the “third Request”). In that Request, Armenia states that, on 12 December 2022, Azerbaijan “orchestrated a blockade of the only road connecting the 120,000 ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh with the outside world” and asks the Court to indicate the following two provisional measures: “Azerbaijan shall cease its orchestration and support of the alleged ‘protests’ blocking uninterrupted free movement along the Lachin Corridor in both directions [; and] Azerbaijan shall ensure uninterrupted free movement of all persons, vehicles, and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.” By a letter dated 26 January 2023, the Agent of Armenia communicated to the Court the text of a further provisional measure sought by his Government, as follows: “Azerbaijan shall immediately fully restore and refrain from disrupting or impeding the provision of natural gas and other public utilities to Nagorno-Karabakh.”

The judge noted that the court notices that since December 12, 2022, the connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia through the Lachin Corridor has been disrupted. The Court notes that a number of consequences have arisen as a result of this situation, and that those who bear the consequences continue to suffer these effects to this day. According to the information, the import of vital goods to Nagorno-Karabakh was also hindered, as a result of which there is a shortage of food, medicine and other life-saving supplies. The Court considers that the damage can be considered irreparable when the relevant persons find themselves in life- and health-threatening circumstances.

The Court recalled that at the open session held on January 30, 2023, the representative of Azerbaijan confirmed that his government has committed and remains committed to taking all the steps within its power to guarantee the free movement of people, vehicles and cargo through the Lachin Corridor, including continuously working with the ICRC.

The court takes note of that statement. However, this does not eliminate the imminent risk of irreparable damage due to the disruption of movement through the Lachin Corridor. In light of the above circumstances, the Court concludes that the alleged impairment of the rights recognized by the Court as enforceable may cause irreparable damage to the rights and there is urgency. That is, there is a real or imminent and immediate risk that irreparable harm will occur before the Court makes a final decision on the case. Therefore, the Court concludes that the conditions for applying provisional measures are present and grounded, so it is necessary for the Court to apply some provisional measures before the final decision in order to protect the rights mentioned by the Court requested by Armenia. The Court mentions that it has the right under the statute to apply such measures that are completely or partially different from the requested measures.

“The Court notes that the Statement by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and President of the Russian Federation of 9 November 2020 provides, inter alia, that the Lachin Corridor, “which will provide a connection between Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia . . . shall remain under the control of the Russian Federation peacemaking forces”. The Statement further states that “Azerbaijan shall guarantee the security of persons, vehicles and cargo moving along the Lachin Corridor in both directions”.

In the present case, having considered the terms of the provisional measures requested by Armenia and the circumstances of the case, the Court finds that the measures to be indicated need not be identical to those requested. The Court concludes that Azerbaijan shall, pending the final decision in the case and in accordance with its obligations under the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions”, reads the decision of the Court.

 21:04, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch has published an article depicting the humanitarian crisis created in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the blocking of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan.

ARMENPRESS reports, the publication reminds that from December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia and the outside world, as a result of which the Armenian people of Nagorno Karabakh found themselves in a difficult situation.

40-year-old Armine, who lives with her family in Nagorno-Karabakh, told Human Rights Watch that her husband lost his job as a taxi driver due to lack of fuel, and now she is the sole breadwinner of the family. And the 12- and 14-year-old children only recently returned to school when the school was heated with wood stoves. However, some schools remain closed due to lack of heating. Food is becoming scarcer, not affordable as prices have skyrocketed. Armine said that she waited two hours even in cold weather to buy eggs.

Armine plans her day around power outages. During the few hours when there is electricity, she has to cook and do housework, heat the children's room and help them with their homework.

Human Rights Watch emphasized that Armine's story is not an exception. The blockade of the Lachin Corridor has disrupted access to essential goods and services for thousands of Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh. Many remained in Armenia and cannot return to their homes.

It is noted that the authorities of Azerbaijan deny that they are responsible for the closure of the road, but support the rallies.

The disruption of the Lachin Corridor is creating a humanitarian crisis as many needs remain unmet. The publication of Human Rights Watch presents the difficult situation with a concrete example. Armine's father is sick with cancer and has to travel regularly from the village to Stepanakert, but due to lack of fuel and transport, he missed his last medical visits.

"Azerbaijani authorities and Russian peacekeeping forces must ensure that the protests do not deprive Armine and other residents of Nagorno-Karabakh of their rights, including access to healthcare, basic services and goods, as well as the right to free movement," the publication emphasizes.

 21:13, 22 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Armenia welcomes the International Court of Justice's decision on Armenia's request to indicate a provisional measure to unblock the Lachin Corridor, ARMENPRESS reports the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan wrote in his Twitter microblog.

“We welcome CIJ’s ruling today that Azerbaijan must take all measures to end its blockade and ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor.

We are also pleased to see truth prevail as the Court rejected in full Azerbaijan's counter request”, Mirzoyan wrote.