2022 March 25

Daily news wrap-up

Mar/25/2022: Latest from Artsakh's village Parukh & nearby hill __ What happened with peacekeepers? Eyewitness report & opinions __ Meetings, lawsuits, statements __ Ukraine tweet was unauthorized; Retracted __ Stats: Armenia's economy grew rapidly before Ukraine war __ Andre in hospital __ Mayors
by ar_david_hh

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Your 10-minute Friday digest in 2547 words.

Foreign Minister of Armenia discussed the Artsakh conflict with deputy U.S Secretary of State

Ararat Mirzoyan: Azerbaijan violated the Nov. 9 statement by invading village Parukh, and continues to cause humanitarian issues for the population. This is a manifestation of their ethnic cleansing policies. //

Karen Donfried also spoke with Azerbaijan's Bayramov. The State Department released a statement yesterday expressing concerns about the disruption of gas flow and border clashes, and urged the sides to establish contacts to deescalate.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078863.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078869.html

casualty report

Army and officials: Yesterday Azeri forces intruded into the zone of peacekeepers' responsibility, took the village Parukh and the surrounding positions, and made attempts to advance. The advancement was stopped, but hours of negotiations did not yield significant results and the opponent has not returned to their initial positions.

At night and in the morning the opponent opened fire with the use of various caliber weapons and Bayraktar drone. The Armenian side returned fire, killing at least 5 and wounding an unknown number of Azeri soldiers. 3 Armenian contractors died and 14 were wounded. Some of the Armenian soldiers who received wounds were attacked by a drone while providing humanitarian assistance.

Steps are being taken to secure the nearby villages. We expect diligent work from Russian peacekeepers to resolve the issues so the civilians can return to their homes with additional security guarantees. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078868.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078885.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078887.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078904.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078906.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078914.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078943.html https://factor.am/491897.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078958.html

the incident took place in an area of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers

Gen. Samvel Babayan: Last week the Russian peacekeepers offered Armenians and Azeri to withdraw from their positions in village Parukh. Azeris later came and sat in those positions. There were no Russians there at the time. Now they are there, to resolve the situation. We're talking about 2-3 positions in the village. The withdrawal was an offer from the Russian commandant in light of the February-March escalation in Khramort. They said, "we will be present there and nothing will happen". We should demand Russia to return the positions. //

Parukh mayor said the peacekeepers noticed the Azeri troops and began negotiating for their withdrawal, but while they were negotiating with one group, another group advanced towards the hill Karaglukh. Parukh mayor said he observed Azeri soldiers on a hill, which is located between the two villages Parukh and Kramort.

On the other side of the hill, village Khramort is under Armenian control. Last night the mayor of Khramort said the hill is also under Armenian control despite Azerbaijan's advancement in the slope, and that Armenians gave Azeris located in Parukh an opportunity to retreat but they have not done so yet.

Chairman of Foreign Relations QP Aghajanyan: We expect clear answers from Russian colleagues about the events in Parukh. The Azeri military appeared in the rear of the Russian peacekeepers, meaning they bypassed them. We expect this issue to be resolved quickly and for Azeri forces to return to their initial positions.

This was a very specific escalation, about which our primary questions are addressed to our Russian colleagues because this should have been ruled out through the peacekeepers. The question is whether the Russian side is demanding that the Azeris return to their starting point or not.

Reporter: Does the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh have any effect in practice?

QP Aghajanyan: Based on our observation, a large segment of our public has doubts. They wonder whether there is an agreement between Russian peacekeepers and Azeri soldiers. I have no evidence of that and don't want to think that's the case, but it should be addressed by our Russian partners with concrete actions to return Azeris to initial positions. //

Russian Defense Minister Shoygu discussed the situation with his Azeri counterpart Hasanov.

Pashinyan and Putin held a phone conversation. Pashinyan emphasized the need to investigate the incident and for peacekeepers to return Azeri soldiers to their initial positions.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078901.html https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1078904.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078910.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078919.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078930.html https://factor.am/491735.html https://factor.am/491658.html https://youtu.be/GGXnnMm1T6s https://www.azatutyun.am/a/31770085.html https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/news/299232/ https://news.am/arm/news/693252.html https://factor.am/492072.html

Russian military correspondent WarGonzo and Armenia's Public Council chairman have different opinions on geopolitical developments

WarGonzo has a history of reporting accurate and inaccurate information. Last year the outlet raised an alarm about the invasion of Syunik from Nakhijevan front, which did not take place. A similar claim was made yesterday under the context of ongoing events in Ukraine and Parukh.

WarGonzo: Turkey is preparing a second front for Russia. While Russian troops are focused on Ukraine, Azerbaijan is preparing to stab Russia in the back in South Caucasus.

They have been shelling Armenian villages. The civilians were evacuated, additional peacekeeper positions were installed. An agreement was reached for the sides to withdraw, but as soon as Russian peacekeepers fulfilled their part, Azeris advanced and took a height. Azerbaijan launched a media campaign to discredit the Russian peacekeeping mission. Our sources say the Azeri army is preparing to invade Armenia's Syunik and Ararat provinces from Nakhijevan's direction. //

Armenia's Public Council chairman Safaryan: WarGonzo is either trying to conceal Russia's powerlessness or a secret agreement with Azerbaijan. WarGonzo is giving the impression that Turkey is trying to take advantage of Russia being busy in Ukraine to launch a sudden large-scale operation in Syunik and Artsakh, [and other provocations]. And in Parukh, according to WarGonzo, it's not only Artsakh forces that withdrew from positions but Russians did too, and that Azeris broke their promise and advanced. [Armenian official earlier stated that Russian peacekeepers were stationed there but allowed Azeris to "bypass" them. Local mayor claimed there was some attempt by peacekeepers to stop Azeris.]

It's hard to believe that the peacekeepers were victims [of a Turkish plot]. Turkey held multiple high-profile meetings with Russia, began showing support for Russia and refused to join the sanctions. So do you believe this is Azerbaijan stabbing Russia in the back shortly after signing a strategic alliance with them? We will soon find out what the Russian peacekeepers' move will be: remove Azeris from Parukh, or tell Armenians to get accustomed to it.

Then I remembered how [several opposition politicians and businessmen] were recently urging Artsakh to surrender to Moscow and for Armenia to join the Russian Union.

[Days before the war] Artsakh leadership congratulated Moscow on the official recognition of Donetsk and Lugansk. And what did they gain? //

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/233662

Foreign Minister Mirzoyan hosted OSCE representative Andrzej Kasprzyk

They discussed the situation in village Parukh, gas supplies, etc.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078902.html

gas supply to Nagorno Karabakh must be restored immediately: Czech ambassador

We support the EU leadership's position, said ambassador Kopetsky.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078960.html

Armenia applies to the European Court of Human Rights over Azerbaijani violations against civilians in Artsakh

They requested urgent interim measures against Azerbaijan.

Armenian representative: Proof was presented that since February the Azeri forces have been regularly threatening the peaceful population of Khramort village, urging them to leave. Shots were fired towards civilians in March. The gas pipeline was damaged and the population is left without gas under cold weather. The Court has been asked to apply an urgent interim measure and oblige Azerbaijan to stop the threats and restore gas supply. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078891.html

Ukrainian parliament deleted an unauthorized tweet that supported Azerbaijan

A person in charge of the Ukrainian parliament's Twitter account had expressed support for Azeri advancements in Karabakh, citing rumors that Russian peacekeepers had withdrawn from Karabakh to fight in Ukraine.

QP MP Torosyan: My Ukrainian colleagues are disoriented and fell for misinformation with unknown origins, claiming that Russian peacekeepers were transferred from Artsakh to fight in Ukraine. I don't think this was intentional but they must be more careful. This isn't an official statement by the Ukrainian parliament, but rather a tweet made on the official social media account. //

QP MP Hakobyan: The Ukrainian side has assured us that the tweet was an error and was not their official position. //

Armenia's ambassador to Ukraine said the tweet was removed 15 minutes after he requested clarification. "It was an error. It was not the opinion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. We've discussed this with every relevant agency. The matter is closed."

Ukraine's ambassador to Armenia said he isn't aware who made the decision to publish the tweet, and said it was not a decision that was made at an official level.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078886.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078892.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078892.html https://factor.am/491682.html https://factor.am/491709.html https://factor.am/491849.html https://youtu.be/FQuUZNpBk1c

Moody's affirms Armenia's Ba3 rating, changes outlook from stable to negative

The Ba3 rating remained the same because "Armenia's moderately high institutions and governance strength will support its economic resilience, buffering the impact of shock on its credit profile."

The drivers of the negative outlook are the increased risks associated with the Ukraine invasion and Armenia's links to the Russian economy, and the Artsakh conflict.

>Armenia's exports to Russia account for about 6% of GDP, while remittances from Russia also represent roughly 6% of GDP.

>Moody's projects Armenia's real GDP growth to fall to 1.8% in 2022 and around 3% in 2023, compared to previous forecasts of 5-5.5% for each year

Continue: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/armenia-government-moodys-changes-armenias-144406436.html

what about the economy in the first two months of 2022, before the Ukraine sanctions?

Armenia's economic activity expansion in the January-February period was 12% compared to the same period last year.

Foreign trade turnover +52.4%

Exports +40.1%

Imports +60.2%

Industrial output +9.7%

Construction +4.9%

Domestic trade +8.2%

Services +20.1%

Electricity production +21.9%

Consumer price inflation +6.8%

http://arka.am/en/news/economy/armenia_s_economic_activity_expansion_in_january_february_2022_amounts_to_12_/ http://arka.am/en/news/economy/armenia_s_consumer_price_inflation_up_6_8_in_january_february_2002_/ http://arka.am/en/news/economy/electricity_production_in_armenia_in_january_february_2022_up_21_9/ http://arka.am/en/news/business/armenia_s_foreign_trade_in_january_february_2022_soared_by_52_4_nsc/

Teach For Armenia foundation donates electric heaters to Artsakh students

The administration met Artsakh leadership and visited border settlements to speak with teachers. A fundraiser has gathered $10,000 to purchase electric headers for schools amid gas disruption.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078889.html

temperatures are expected to increase by 20c

Hot currents are headed towards Armenia. After weeklong heavy snow and temperatures 8c lower than the average, the weather is expected to get warmer by up to 20c, starting Tuesday.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078882.html

COVID stats

2430 tested. 22 infected. 58 healed. 3 deaths.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078876.html

the inventor of animated image GIF has died of COVID

Ohio computer scientist Stephen Wilhite was 74. He created GIF in 1987 after figuring out how to compress images so they wouldn't lose their sharpness, would load quickly, and could appear on any computer. Farewell, sir.

https://youtu.be/nD1lgq_Vn5U https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/24/tech/gif-creator-stephen-wilhite-death-cec/index.html

famous Armenian singer Andre almost died

He was taken to a hospital in Glendale where the doctors were able to save his life. The following day he was well enough to upload a video but didn't disclose what the problem was. He's still under intensive care. "I need your prayers."

https://youtu.be/XcvrtZWrWUw https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/233671

Armenian pair advances to Figure Skating World Championship finals

Tina Karapetyan-Simon Senekal dancing pair finished 14th out of 31. The top-20 advanced to the final stage. The freestyle competition is on Saturday.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/233727

hundreds of applicants are undergoing training to join the new Police Patrol service in provinces

Shirak and Lori will soon join Yerevan and launch a reformed police service. 549 applicants are being trained.

The police have acquired 100 new vehicles and are waiting for another 40 that were stuck on the Upper Lars checkpoint (GE-RU).

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078920.html

anti-corruption: deputy mayor of Mrgavan is charged after "refusing to submit wealth declaration" report

ACC reports: The 2018-2021 deputy head of Mrgavan (Ararat) intentionally refused to submit income/property information to the Corruption Prevention Commission, for which he received an administrative penalty. He refused the second time. Criminal charges were pressed. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078908.html

anti-corruption: correctional officer is accused of taking a bribe from an inmate

ACC reports: The inmate established friendly relations with a CO in Armavir prison and bribed him to ignore illegal activities and the use of contraband. The bribe was transferred to CO's electronic account in pieces. A criminal case is launched. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078896.html

anti-corruption: ex-mayor of Verin Getashen is charged with crimes

Investigative Committee reports: The mayor's daughter learned that a telecom operator had plans to install towers in the village, and that they would need to acquire a specific piece of land for that.

The daughter informed her father about it, and the latter leased the aforementioned 0.20-hectare land to her for only $3/year. She then sub-leased the land to the telecom operator for $1,000/year for several years, leading to $10,000 in damages to the community.

The mayor is charged with multiple counts and instructed not to leave the country. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078900.html

դդում գլլօխ

Someone forgot to take their luggage from Yerevan airport. It had $5,000 cash and cellphones. The security guards kept it in the lost and found department until the traveler came to pick it up. Remember to write your name on the luggage.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/233693

500 new jobs to open in Yerevan

Yerevan Market (Tonavachar) has a second building now. It will house the Yerevan Jewelry [Plant?] with "modern standards". 135 new jobs as of today, 500 in the near future.

Plant co-founder: We use the latest generation machinery.

Other co-founder Sil Capital: This was a result of teamwork. The new facility is 16,000 m^2. We have plans for other projects.

Economy Minister Kerobyan: I'm confident that very soon the plant will significantly increase the export of jewelry products and reduce reliance on imports. These technologies are unique for the region. In particular, the synthesis of rhodium sulfate. //

The $25M plant can purify 300 kg of gold per month. They plan to produce 15 tons of jewelry in the first year.

The Yerevan Market's new building uses Chinese architecture. It will house 100 businesses.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078924.html https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/233720

soil analysis laboratory opens in National Agrarian University in Shirak

The EU and Austria are funding a "green" agriculture project in Armenia (EU-GAIA). The new lab will serve not only the students but also the farmers.

Deputy Education Minister: The new lab will not only create opportunities to improve the quality of education but also strengthen cooperation with the private sector.

We're rebuilding agricultural colleges across Armenia. This year, Vanadzor college will receive equipment, and another two will be rebuilt with budget resources. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078909.html

you need this if you plan on going to space

Some bones lose 1% of their mass per month while in space. Space can also activate bone-related genes differently. That's why astronauts do special exercises and avoid long missions.

This is a problem if you need to visit your grandma on Mars. Other than having to deal with her radioactive omelet, you need to boost your bone mass during the long trip.

Scientists created a special type of lettuce that produces fragments of the bone-strengthening hormone that's normally produced by your thyroid. You could inject this hormone as a medication, but good luck doing that regularly throughout the whole trip. Better shut up and eat your veggies.

https://www.space.com/space-lettuce-experiment-bone-loss-astronauts https://www.space.com/nasa-twins-study-kelly-astronauts-results.html

top-10 bestseller documentary books in February

5) Լույսի ճանապարհին, by Narine Baghdasaryan.

4) The 5AM Club, by Robin Sharma.

3) The Big Five for Life, by John Strelecky.

2) The Cafe on the Edge of the World, by John Strelecky.

1) A book about Elon Musk, his work, and interview segments.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1078520.html

more

The news in русский (by Impossible-Ad-).

News archive: http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/Daily_Anti-Corruption_Reports Donations: soldiers' families, humanitarian aid, US tax-deductible donation.

The accused are innocent unless proven guilty in the court of law, even if they "appear" guilty.

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Link to original report and comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/tnyiq5/mar252022_latest_from_artsakhs_village_parukh/