Category: 2023

 19:24, 17 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The International Court of Justice notified that the decision on Armenia's request to apply a temporary measure regarding the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor will be published on February 22, at 19:00 Yerevan time, at a public hearing, ARMENPRESS reports the Office of the Representative of Armenia on International Legal Matters informed.

On the same day, later, the decision on the request to apply a temporary measure submitted by Azerbaijan will also be announced.

 19:48, 17 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of Iraqi Kurdistan Nechirvan Barzani met in the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Offic eof the Prime Minister. 

The interlocutors emphasized the continuous development of trade and economic cooperation and noted that the volume of bilateral trade turnover is growing year by year. In that context, the expansion and deepening of business ties was emphasized.

 

The sides also exchanged thoughts on other topics of regional importance.

 00:00,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met with United States Senator, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Bob Menendez within the framework of the Munich Security Conference.

PM Pashinyan and Senator Menendez discussed the developments taking place in South Caucasus region and the situation around Nagorno Karabakh, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a read-out.

The Prime Minister referred to the grave humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh resulting from the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan. The consistent attention and targeted reaction by the international community in this direction was highlighted.

 09:34,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan released a statement on the 35^th anniversary of the Karabakh Movement.

Below is the full statement as published by the Prime Minister’s Office:

“35 years ago on these days the Karabakh Movement began. The spontaneous and mass protests which began from February 20 in 1988 will remain in the Armenian history as the symbol of national awakening, unity and liberation struggle.

The movement became the first step in our statehood’s restoration, through which we regained the determination to live freely and independently, to build our destiny and be in charge of our future.

The Karabakh Movement was for the Artsakhians to protect their rights and express their right and will to live a dignified life on their own land.

35 years on, the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh still face the most serious challenges. Under blockade, our compatriots today are again forced to express their will to protect their rights and security. As I’ve numerously said, these actions by Azerbaijan have one goal – to break the will of the population of Nagorno Karabakh to live in their own homeland, which, however, I am convinced is unbreakable and unwavering.

Dear compatriots,

We continue to multiply our efforts in direction of focusing the international attention on the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh, because it is only the unwavering activeness of the international community that is the option to suppress Azerbaijan’s aggressiveness and provocative conduct, for the complete implementation of its obligations under the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement and unblocking of the Lachin corridor.

At the same time, we will continue our consistent steps directed at solving the socio-economic problems of the Armenians of Artsakh, overcoming security challenges, and the development of mechanisms for the protection of the rights and security of the Armenians of Artsakh. The implementation of these goals requires selfless work and we must be unwavering in this work.

Dear Artsakhians,

Be strong and unbreakable for the sake of a peaceful and safe life in your homeland. In the face of new global and regional challenges, we must focus our powers on realizing the peace agenda, as much as we realize the difficulties and problems that await us on that path. By and large, the substantial goal of the Karabakh movement was the peaceful, dignified and safe life, and we must head towards that goal,” PM Pashinyan said in the statement.

 09:44,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Two servicemen were killed and two others were injured in a car crash Sunday evening near the Khnatsakh village in Syunik Province.

The servicemen were traveling in an UAZ military light utility vehicle when it crashed into gorge because of an avalanche, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said.

Zorand Arzumanyan and Zorak Yeranosyan, contractual servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces, were killed in the crash.

The two injured troops are hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Armenian Ministry of Defense praised the crew of the vehicle for “selflessness” in trying to save their comrades. “The crew of the vehicle displayed selflessness in trying to help the other servicemen of their unit despite the extremely bad weather conditions. Unfortunately, the abovementioned servicemen died as a result of the accident. The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia shares the grief of loss and expresses support to the families, friends and comrades of the servicemen who died in the crash,” the Ministry of Defense said.

 10:07,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. The Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh delivered over 35 tons of humanitarian aid to the local population, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a press release.

The ministry said that the Russian peacekeeping contingent organized a humanitarian campaign for children in Stepanakert.

It said that the Russian Aerospace Forces transported the humanitarian cargo – collected by the We are United multinational project – from Russia to the Armenian capital of Yerevan. Then, the Russian peacekeepers transported the 35 tons of food products to Stepanakert through the Lachin corridor.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian peacekeeping contingent carried out humanitarian actions in various cities and settlement in Nagorno Karabakh.

Together with volunteers of the multinational project, a similar campaign was held at the Andrey Sakharov #8 school and at the children’s care center in Stepanakert. The Russian peacekeepers gave food to school students and vulnerable families. The children and employees at the children’s care center were also given humanitarian aid.

 11:10,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Arayik Harutyunyan, State Minister Ruben Vardanyan and Speaker of Parliament Artur Tovmasyan visited the Stepanakert Memorial Complex to pay tribute to the memory of the fallen heroes on the occasion of the 35^th anniversary of the Artsakh Movement, also known as Karabakh Movement.

Other government officials were also accompanying the top leadership, Harutyunyan's office said in a press release.

 11:24,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. The former French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said that Azerbaijan is creating a humanitarian crisis for no reason with its “illegal and illegitimate” blockade of the Lachin corridor.

In an interview with ARMENPRESS, Philippe, who is now the Mayor of the French city of Le Havre, said that Azerbaijan must release the Armenian POWs. Regarding the Azerbaijani occupation of sovereign territories of Armenia, the former French PM, who is visiting Armenia, said that the territorial integrity of Armenia is not negotiable and must be protected.

ARMENPRESS: Mr. Philippe, first of all, I would like to ask you to introduce what agenda you are coming to Armenia with, what meetings and visits are expected?

Édouard Philippe: I come to Armenia with an open mind and an open heart. I want to see the situation with my own eyes, hear people’s concerns and initiatives and express solidarity with the Armenian people. I will go to Goris, for obvious reasons and have meetings in Erevan, with the Prime minister, the minister for Foreign affairs and members of the Parliament. I also intend to meet local authorities and am delighted to meet the Catholicos.

ARMENPRESS: Mr. Philippe, You are visiting Armenia at a difficult time for the country, Azerbaijan has blocked the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia, the Lachin corridor, the people of Artsakh are facing a humanitarian crisis. As a member of the international community, a representative of Armenia's friend France, what is your attitude towards this step by Azerbaijan?

Édouard Philippe: The current blockade, which has lasted already 70 days, is both illegal and illegitimate, Azerbaijan is creating a humanitarian crisis for no reason and Russia is doing nothing to solve the issue.

ARMENPRESS: As you know, Azerbaijan also occupied the sovereign territories of Armenia in 2021 and 2022, and continues to keep Armenian prisoners of war after the 2020 Artsakh war. According to you, what should the international community do, what steps are needed to force Azerbaijan to withdraw from the territory of Armenia, to return the Armenian prisoners of war, do you consider it possible to apply sanctions?

Édouard Philippe: The territorial integrity of Armenia is not negotiable and must be protected. For too long the EU was too distant. I am relieved that the EU mission to Armenia is being deployed and can have a positive role to reassure civilian populations. Prisoners of war must all be returned to their homeland and the fate of missing persons must be fully disclosed, I would add the necessity to fully preserve and protect the cultural heritage of the region.

ARMENPRESS: As the former prime minister of France, mayor of Le Havre, in what areas do you see prospects for deepening cooperation with Armenia?

Édouard Philippe: I will visit several cooperation projects, in the health sector and for support to displaced people. And I also intend to meet actors of the Tech sector, who participate in framing the future of Armenia. There are still many things to do to foster French Armenian relations and cooperation.

Interview by Anna Grigoryan

 12:49,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Lieutenant colonel Garik Aghramanyan, Chief of the Operational Shift at the National Center of Crisis Management delivered a briefing on the Armenian search and rescue (SAR) operations carried out in quake-hit Turkey and Syria .

He said that the urban SAR teams from Armenia were deployed to Turkey and Syria on February 8.

A 27-strong team was sent to Turkey and a 29-strong team to Syria.

The SAR teams included doctors, K9 specialists, experts of radiation, chemical and biological situation monitoring. The teams were equipped with food, water, tents, equipment and other devices for 7-day self-sustainable operations.

“The Armenian rescuers set up their deployment site in the Turkish city of Adiyaman and in the Syrian city of Aleppo. As a result of the one-week search and rescue operations in the disaster zone, in cooperation with the local assisting teams and other international teams, the internationally-qualified Armenian SAR teams pulled three survivors from the rubble in the disaster zone in Turkey with the use of various rescue measures. As a result of the large-scale search work, including with search and rescue K9 teams, 20 bodies were retrieved from the rubble in the two countries. In Aleppo, alongside the search and rescue operations, the Armenian rescuers organized a training course for the local Armenian community titled What to Do During an Earthquake on safety measures during earthquakes,” Rescue Service Lieutenant colonel Garik Aghramanyan said.

Asked how they were treated in Turkey, the rescuers said that they were treated very positively. 

“They were treating us very good, they were thanking us for arriving to help them. There were words of gratitude from the first moment we exited the aircraft,” Aghramanyan said.

 20:03, 17 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The information headquarters of Artsakh presented the bulletin of the 68th day of the blockade as of February 17. ARMENPRESS reports, it is stated in the message of the information headquarters of Artsakh that 3 children are in the neonatal and resuscitation departments of the children's hospital. 8 adult patients are in the intensive care unit, 5 of them are in critical condition. Already 261 children have been born under the blockade.

"Due to the suspension of planned surgeries in all medical institutions of Artsakh, about 660 citizens were deprived of the opportunity to solve their health problems through surgery.

Until today, 105 patients have been transferred from Artsakh to Armenia with the mediation and escort of the International Committee of the Red Cross to receive appropriate treatment," the message states.

The information headquarters of Artsakh informs that 755 economic entities, 17.7 percent of the total, have suspended their activities due to the impossibility of working under the blockade, and the rest of the economic entities are operating partially or with state support.

"Due to the created difficult economic situation, at least 5,100 people have lost their jobs and source of income," reads the message.

Azerbaijan has been holding the 120,000 people of Artsakh under siege for 68 days. Due to the blockade, Artsakh's population of 120,000 (including around 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly people, 9,000 people with disabilities) suffer many deprivations and face a high risk of malnutrition and frostbite, among violations of other rights.

41 kindergartens, 56 pre-school groups, 20 long-day educational institutions have been closed or partially working since January 9 due to the worsening food shortage under the blockade.

6,828 children are no longer able to attend kindergarten at all or on a long-day basis, depriving them of the opportunity to receive appropriate education and care.