Weekly update
12 September
During the period from September 6 to 12 the Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact nearly 310 times, by firing more than 3200 shots from various caliber weapons at the Armenian positions, the defense ministry of Artsakh told Armenpress. The Artsakh Defense Army forces keep the situation under control and continue confidently conducting their combat duties.
11 September
The US State Department says in its 2020 Investment Climate Statements: Armenia report that Armenia’s progress in fighting corruption after the 2018 revolution and improvements in several sectors are increasing the country’s appeal for investments and that the competitive environment for foreign investments is improving. According to Armenpress report “Despite progress in the fight against corruption and improvements in some areas that raise Armenia’s attractiveness as an investment destination, investors claim that numerous concerns remain and must be addressed to ensure a transparent, fair, and predictable business climate. An investment dispute in the country’s mining sector has attracted significant international attention and remains outstanding after several years", it said in its executive summary.”
10 September
As more and more countries are re-opening for international tourism following the COVID-19 shutdowns, CNN reminded its readers that Armenia is also among the countries where Americans can travel to unrestricted, reported Armenpress. Earlier on September 10, the Armenian government said that 10 or 20 airlines are planning to resume operations to Armenia within September 2020. There are no entry or exit restrictions, but travelers have a choice to take a COVID-19 test upon arrival or self-quarantine for 14 days.
9 September
During the coronavirus crisis Armenian commercial banks have suspended the repayment of hundreds of thousands of loans worth a combined 1.3 trillion drams ($2.7 billion), according to the country’s Central Bank. According to Azatutyun.am The Central Bank governor, Martin Galstian, told reporters on Tuesday that the deferments benefited about 550,000 individual borrowers and 17,000 firms. As a result, the commercial banks temporarily lost an estimated 100 billion drams in revenue, he said, according to the Armenpress news agency.
8 September
Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh lifted on Tuesday serious restrictions on people leaving and entering the Armenian-populated region which were imposed following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. In line with Azatutyun.am ever since March Karabakh residents have not been allowed to travel to Armenia without a written permission issued by the head of a Stepanakert-based government body coordinating the authorities’ response to the pandemic. The body has also required citizens of Armenia and other countries to undergo COVID-19 tests before entering Karabakh.
7 September
Russia’s and Armenia’s top army generals met in Moscow over the weekend as troops from the two countries began a joint military exercise near the Armenian-Turkish border, said Azatutyun.am. Lieutenant-General Onik Gasparian, the chief of the Armenian army’s General Staff, held talks with his Russian opposite number, General Valery Gerasimov, after attending the closing ceremony of the annual International Army Games organized by the Russian Defense Ministry.
6 September
Associate Fellow at Chatham House and expert on the South Caucasus, Dr Laurence Broers, gives his take on the current state of Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks, the 2020 skirmishes and his new book, entitled, “Armenia’s Velvet Revolution: authoritarian decline and civil resistance in a multipolar world,” reports Civilnet.
5 September
Speaking at the 2020 Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), Armenian President Armen Sarkissian reminded the participants about the Azerbaijani military attack on Armenia at times when both countries – and the entire world – were struggling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, Armenpress reports. Sarkissian delivered the remarks during the Restoring Prosperity in a Post-Pandemic World online discussion on September 5.
Sources: https://armenpress.am/eng/; https://www.azatutyun.am/a/; https://www.civilnet.am/.