Weekly update
26 September
A Yerevan court allowed investigators to arrest Gagik Tsarukian, a wealthy businessman leading the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), on vote buying charges rejected by him as politically motivated. According to Azatutyun, his lawyers described the ruling as “illegal” and “unfounded,” saying that it was ordered by the government. The BHK was part of Pashinian’s first cabinet formed following the “Velvet Revolution” of April-May 2018. The prime minister fired his BHK-affiliated ministers in October 2018, accusing Tsarukian of secretly collaborating with the country’s former leadership toppled in the revolution. Addressing senior BHK members on June 5, Tsarukian accused the government of mishandling Armenia’s coronavirus crisis and failing to mitigate its socioeconomic consequences.
25 September
Yervand Khundkaryan, Armenia's only candidate nominated for the position of the Chairman of the country's Constitutional Court, failed to garner enough votes during an election on September 24. In line with civilnet.am the candidate who receives two-thirds of the votes of the judges in the Constitutional Court is elected chairman. In the case when one candidate is nominated, he or she must be elected by a majority of the total number of judges in the Court. Khundkaryan needed five votes from a total of nine judges for the position.
24 September
The Armenian government announced that the European Union will provide it with 60 million euros ($70 million) in fresh assistance designed to help it deal with the coronavirus crisis, reform courts and root out corruption in Armenia. According to azatutyun.am the government revealed and approved two relevant agreements negotiated with the EU’s executive body, the European Commission, during its weekly session chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. One of the agreements calls for 30 million euros in funding for the government’s efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its socioeconomic consequences. According to a government statement, some of it will be spent on the purchase of new equipment for Armenian hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.
23 September
The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports has significantly expanded the funding for the teaching of Armenian and other Armenia-related subjects abroad, says armradio.am. In 2020-21 academic year, the teaching will be expanded to ten institutions across eight countries, namely at Charles University in the Czech Republic (Czech Republic), the Bucharest University in Romania, the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Sapienza University of Rome (Italy), the University of Salzburg in Austria, the Cairo University (Egypt), the John F. Kennedy University in Argentina, the Lepsius House-Museum in Potsdam, the Mesrop Center for Armenian Studies in Halle (Germany) and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (Russia).
22 September
Rejection of the right to self-determination could only lead to oppression and further violence, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an address on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations during a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on 21 September 2020 on the theme 'The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism', reports armradio.am. “It would profoundly contradict the core values of the United Nations and the historical evolution of the global international order. The emergence of a number of states within the last two decades is the best evidence of that trend,” he said. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivered a speech on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the video of which, like that of the leaders of other countries, was published on the official UN website and on the YouTube channel.
21 September
The Armenian government rejected Azerbaijani President Aliyev’s latest statements blaming it for the current deadlock in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, reads azatutyun.am. Aliyev accused Yerevan of “disrupting the negotiating process” and preparing for war in televised remarks aired over the weekend. “I have said before that we will not take part in negotiations for the sake of their imitation,” he said. “It means that we won’t be joining in Armenia’s cunning policy.” Aliyev said that Yerevan “provocative” actions and statements make further peace talks on resolving the Karabakh conflict “meaningless.” Aliyev already threatened to pull out of “meaningless negotiations” with Armenia in early July. A few days later heavy fighting broke out at a western section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. It lasted for about a week, leaving at least 17 soldiers from both sides dead. The international community expressed serious concern over the clashes that involved artillery and attack drones.
20 September
According to NEWS.am Deputy of My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Tatev Hayrapetyan posted: “After a long pause, Aliyev decided to respond to Pashinyan’s seven points. Aliyev, who stands out with his Armenophobic statements, belligerent speeches and destructive position, is trying to create an imitation that the negotiations are in a ‘deadlock’. I would like to remind Baku’s dictator that both he and his father have given consent to the proposed solutions enshrining the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination, and this is also indisputable. It is clear that the biggest threat to the course and effectiveness of the negotiations is Azerbaijan’s aggression and provocations, anti-Armenian policy and belligerent statements.”
19 September
From September 13 to 19, the adversary violated the ceasefire around 295 times at the line of contact between the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)-Azerbaijani opposing forces. During that time Azerbaijan fired more than 2,300 shots at the Artsakh military positions, and from various-caliber firearms, the Artsakh Ministry of Defense (MOD) press service informed Armenian News (NEWS.am). But the vanguard divisions of the Artsakh Defense Army primarily refrained from responding to the provocative actions of the adversary, and they continued to confidently carry out the task set before them.
Sources: www.azatutyun.am; www.civilnet.am; https://en.armradio.am/; https://news.am/eng