Read daily news summary for February 4 here.

Armenian PM Pashinyan attends Almaty Digital forum in Kazakhstan                        

On the margins of his working visit to Kazakhstan, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan today attended the Almaty Digital Forum 2021, Armenpress.am reports.

The Forum was attended by the prime ministers of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Eurasian Economic Commission Board, CIS Executive Committee representatives, and international experts.

‘I am sure that today’s forum will have an important contribution in identifying the priority directions and efficient toolbox for cooperation in the high tech and digital technology sector between our countries,’ Pashinyan said at the Forum.

Pashinyan also noted that the EAEU countries were able to use digital technologies in overcoming some of the problems caused by the pandemic. He particularly emphasized the ‘Traveling without Covid-19’ mobile application, which kicked off on February 1, and restored the free movement of citizens between Armenia, Russia, and Belarus.

‘We should strive to achieve full-fledged and all-encompassing digitalization of services provided to citizens by the state. To this end, we need to use the entire range of electronic services - mobile phones, network services, cloud technologies, and so on,’ Pashinyan said.

According to Pashinyan, opportunities opened up through digitization can be used to increase the efficiency of the free labor movement and one mobile application can serve as a one-stop-shop with ‘all information on available jobs throughout the EAEU, enabling people to fill out and submit the necessary documents to get the job of our choice.’

‘We should strive to ensure that the borders between the EAEU states disappear at the digital level and that existing restrictions are minimized,’ Pashinyan said.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, in turn, expressed gratitude to the Deputy Chairman of the Eurasian Development Bank’s Management Board Tigran Sargsyan for the creation of the “Travel Without COVID-19” application that is used in restarting travel following the pandemic-related shutdown, Armenpress.am reports.

In the frames of the Forum, Armenian PM Pashinyan met with the new Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Ulukbek Maripov. Noting the close cooperation between the two countries, Pashinyan added that Armenia is interested in deepening the partnering ties. For his part, the Kyrgyz PM noted traditional warm relations between the countries, adding that works must be done to deepen both the commercial and the cultural-humanitarian cooperation.

Armenian Deputy PM and Iranian Ambassador discussed Armenia-Iran partnership

Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan received on February 5 Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri and discussed issues related to trade and economic cooperation, as well as the ‘Persian Gulf-Black Sea’' international transport corridor.

As Armenpress.am was informed from the office of Tigran Avinyan, greeting the guest, Avinyan noted that Armenian-Iranian relations are unique for their centuries-old friendship, based on mutual trust and respect. The sides shared the opinion that the Armenian-Iranian partnership has great potential, which should be brought to life step by step.

Assessing peace, stability, and sustainable development as a common interest for Armenia and Iran, Tigran Avinyan referred to the regional situation resulted from the Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh. The Deputy PM particularly focused on the issue of the exchange of detainees, which is a priority for Armenia.

The sides also discussed trade and economic cooperation issues. Ambassador Zohouri highlighted the necessity of joint efforts for the best use of the existing economic cooperation potential.

The sides also referred to cooperation in the sphere of cooperation.

Issues related to the ‘Persian Gulf-Black Sea' international transport corridor were also discussed at the meeting.

Other news from Armenia

• Former Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan will participate in snap elections to the National Assembly if and when they are held, Ohanyan himself said in an interview with Kentron TV, Panarmenian.net  reports.
  
  Ohanyan, however, has yet to decide which party or political bloc he is going to join for the possible parliamentary elections. ‘Every individual has a constitutional right, in some cases a duty, to participate in elections in this difficult, hopeless situation,’ Ohanyan said.
  
  Armenian second President Robert Kocharyan also has recently confirmed his intention to run in snap elections.
  
  
• Armenia's first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan met on Friday with U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy, News.am reports.
  
  During more than one-hour conversation, the parties discussed issues related to the situation in Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and underscored the importance of the humanitarian aid that the international community, particularly the United States is providing.
  
  Among other issues, they also discussed the immediate return of prisoners of war and addressing the social needs of the people in Artsakh and Armenia, as well as the families of those who fell in the war, as well as those injured and disabled.

• Nagorno-Karabakh rescue workers have resumed the search for the remains and bodies of Armenian servicemen killed in the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan in fall 2020, Karabakh authorities PanArmenian.net reports.
  
  Baku did not authorize search activities for two days in territories controlled by Azerbaijan. Since November 13, the Nagorno-Karabakh rescue teams have found the bodies and remains of 1355 people, including at least 15 civilians, who have failed to leave their homes when their settlements went under Azerbaijan's control.
  
  The Defense Army of Nagorno Karabakh has published on Friday the names of 52 more soldiers killed in fighting against Azerbaijan. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan said earlier that some 3500 bodies had been recovered from the zone of hostilities in Karabakh as of January 20, and that the final death toll from the six-week war wouldn't surpass 4000.
  
  
• Armenia's cooperation with Russia is developing successfully, but there is potential for deepening it, Armenian Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan said on Friday at a meeting with Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin, ARKA.am reports.
  ‘Currently, we are planning to develop a multi-vector agenda for cooperation with Russia. I hope that it will contribute to the rapprochement of economic ties between our countries,’ the press service of the Ministry of Economy quoted Kerobyan as saying.
  
  Ambassador Kopyrkin, in turn, stressed that ‘the time has come to think about strengthening economic ties between the two countries that will help attract new investment.’

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