Read daily news summary for January 22 here.

Armenia’s High Commissionaire for Diaspora Affairs in official visit to Artsakh

President of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Arayik Harutyunyan received Armenia’s High Commissionaire for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan on Saturday, Artsakh President’s press office informs.

At the meeting, the sides discussed a number of issues related to Armenia-Diaspora relations, housing programs in Artsakh as well as possible solutions for the people who lost their homes as a consequence of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war.

President Harutyunyan highlighted that only through the joint efforts and coordinated work between Armenia, Artsakh, and the Armenian Diaspora worldwide it will be possible to restore and develop Artsakh. President of Artsakh also brought to the attention that tens of thousands of Armenians, who want to build their future in their homeland, need support.

Zareh Sinanyan, for his part, assured that Armenians of Artsakh are not alone and joint work to solve the issues of vital importance will be undertaken.

During his visit, Zareh Sinanyan also had a meeting with Artsakh’s newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister Davit Babayan. The parties discussed the Armenian Diaspora’s involvement in the humanitarian programs in Artsakh and reaffirmed the significance of Artsakh for the Armenians around the world.  

Nagorno Karabakh war caused serious environmental damages – Ministry of Nature Protection

Armenian Minister of Nature Protection Romanos Petrosyan held a meeting with EU Ambassador to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin, PanArmenian.net reports. At the meeting, Minister Petrosyan presented three priority issues in the area of nature protection that Armenia has faced: restoration of the ecosystem of the Lake Sevan, systematic management of forests and protected areas, and building of a balanced model of relations between businesses operating in the protected areas and the environment.

Minister Petrosyan also referred to the recent Nagorno Karabakh war which caused not only human but also serious environmental issues forcing the Ministry to shift previously set priorities in the field.

Earlier, the Minister of Nature Protection addressed the international institutions drawing attention to the use of white phosphorus munition by Azerbaijan in the forests thus destroying valuable ecosystems and habitats and causing grave damage to the environment.  

Artsakh Defence Army Releases Names of 72 fallen Armenian soldiers

The Defence Army of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) published the names of 72 more soldiers killed in fighting against Azerbaijan during the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war.

Artsakh Emergency Service head Hunan Tadevosyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that about 1300 bodies have been found since the Moscow-brokered truce statement in November 2020.

According to the Ministry of Health, 3450 bodies of killed servicemen were registered in the Ministry’s forensic centre. The names of 1500 more soldiers have not been published yet since the identification is limited to 30 bodies daily. On Saturday, 30 unrecognizable bodies of Armenian servicemen were handed over to the Armenian side by the Azerbaijani forces.  Meanwhile, the Armenian side continues rescue and search operations of Armenian fallen troops in different directions.

Other news from Armenia

• The Armenian opposition held a car rally of civil disobedience On Sunday. The protesters rallied against Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan with the inscriptions ‘Nikol is a traitor!’ and ‘Nikol, leave!’ on their car windows. A large number of police forces were brought to Republic Square to prevent the protesters to enter the Square, Sputnik Armenia reports.
  
  
• President Biden’s nominee to serve as Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, confirmed that the incoming Administration will consult with Congress on the wording of its April 24th statement, Armenpress news agency reports, citing the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Blinken noted that: ‘As a presidential candidate, President Biden pledged in his Remembrance Day statement to support a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.’ The U.S. House and Senate nearly unanimously passed the Armenian Genocide Resolutions in 2019.
  
  
• The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) will provide scholarship for one graduate student per year for five years pursuing a master’s degree in Classical Armenian Studies at Oxford University, Armenpress news agency was informed from the press service of the AGBU. The Armenian studies at Oxford University have been pursued since the mid-nineteenth century. ‘During their time at Oxford, students will have access to the Bodleian Library’s unique collection of Armenian manuscripts, which includes a very rare copy of the first book printed in Iran: an Armenian Psalter from New Julfa,’ AGBU’s statement reads.
  
  

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