Author: Varteni Markossian

Elchin Amirbekov, a representative of the president of Azerbaijan, said in an interview with the BBC Russian service that Baku recognizes “Zangezur” as the sovereign territory of Armenia. When asked by the BBC whether Armenia fears that Azerbaijan wants to take “Zangezur” under its control, Elchin Amirbekov denied the existence of such plans. “We [Azerbaijan] accept that this is the sovereign territory of Armenia. But it is important for us to know how the other side will ensure the safety of traffic in the corridor,” Amirbekov says. “We need reliable guarantees for the safety of every passenger who takes a…

It was a laughable moment when President Joe Biden said at a press conference during his visit to Hanoi that the United States wasn’t seeking to contain China. Despite efforts by the Biden administration to send its top officials to quell any suspicion that Washington, DC, was trying to contain China, Beijing has realized that the efforts were merely a cover-up. By restricting access to chips and their manufacturing components as well as spending billions on subsidies for semiconductor manufacturing and rare earth mineral refineries (similar to how Beijing treats its tech sector)—combined with numerous high-ranking members of the Beltway wanting containment, including Mike Pompeo, Nikki Haley,…

Health leaders and top officials from central Asia convened at the Samarkand TB Summit on 23–24 August 2023. Hosted jointly by the Uzbekistan Ministry of Health and WHO, this landmark event served as a beacon of hope in the fight against tuberculosis (TB) in the region. Deputy ministers, national TB programme managers, senior advisers and development partners united to share innovative strategies and chart a unified course to combat the persistent TB epidemic, underscoring the critical importance of regional collaboration amid global setbacks. The battle against TB Despite significant progress, TB remains a deadly infectious disease, killing 1.6 million people…

Let’s begin with news outside of Azerbaijan. The Advisor to the Head of the Ukraine President’s Office, Mykhailo Podolyak said that the allied countries of Ukraine support attacks on “everything Russian”. “Today, the consensus is absolutely that we can destroy everything Russian, for example, in Crimea. Let me remind you, that a year ago, even when some strikes were on Crimea, everyone said: no, no, let’s just not do that. Today, the absolute consensus is equal in the countries that support us”, said the adviser to the head of the Ukrainian state. Such a loud statement. I am citing it for…

Azerbaijani border guards detained three young Karabakh Armenian men during their passage through the Lachin corridor en route to Armenia. They had been among the roughly 170 Karabakh residents being transported from Karabakh to Armenia that day under Russian peacekeeper escort. The Azerbaijani General Prosecutor’s Office released a statement saying the men were arrested for insulting state symbols and “inciting national, racial, social or religious hatred and enmity.” Azerbaijani media reported that they were members of a football team in the Nagorno-Karabakh town of Martuni that are seen stepping on an Azerbaijan flag in a video released in 2021. It was later reported that…

British digital bank Starling is planning its first expansion outside of Europe, targeting a move into Asia-Pacific, CNBC has learned. The digital lender, which is backed by Goldman Sachs, is in talks with an Asian bank about taking its Engine banking-as-a-service platform into a country in Asia, Nick Drewett, chief commercial officer at Starling, told CNBC. Starling declined to identify the country or Asian bank, given the confidentiality of the arrangement. However, Drewett said the bank Starling is partnering would use the company’s software to launch small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) accounts, rather than to provide personal banking services. “It’s…

Armenia and Azerbaijan’s readiness to sign a peace treaty does not imply that they are willing to accept any conditions, a senior Russian diplomat said on Friday. Denis Gonchar, head of the Foreign Ministry’s Fourth Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Department, told Russian state news agency TASS in an interview that a number of complex issues related to the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan have yet to be resolved.​​​​​​​ “The most important of them is the issue of ensuring the security and observance of the universally recognized rights of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh within the legal framework of…

Swiss sustainable textile manufacturer Ventile says there is increased demand for its eco and organic fabric in the Asian market with sales accounting for 10% of all orders. Ventile believes the increased demand for its sustainable fabric in Asia is due to the growing number of conscious consumers, manufacturers, and distributors looking for more environmentally-friendly textile alternatives. In fact, the manufacturer explains that last June it recorded a total increase in sales of 94.5% within the Asian market, on the back of its new partnership with South Korean distributor, Grimm International. Ventile brand director Daniel Odermatt believes working with regional…

The economic activity index of Armenia grew 11,4% in January-June 2023 compared to last year’s same period, according to official data published by the Statistical Committee. Industrial production volume grew 1% and stood at 1 trillion 167 billion 535 million drams. Construction grew 17% and comprised 174 billion 155 million 400 thousand drams. The trade turnover grew 23,6% and amounted to 2 trillion 280 billion 859 million 800 thousand drams. Services grew 16,8%. The consumer price index grew 4,2%, while the industrial product price index dropped 1%. Electricity production dropped 2,7%. Total foreign trade turnover grew 72,9% in the reporting…

Armenia has suffered another collapse. The application of Armenia on the issue of the functioning of the Lachin border checkpoint was rejected by the International Court of Justice. From the very beginning, such a decision should not have been in doubt. After all, the issue of territorial integrity is one of the key issues for the functioning of the international community of countries. The main international document regulating the inviolability of borders is the Charter of the United Nations (UN). In particular, Article 2(4) of the UN Charter expressly prohibits Member States from using force against the territorial integrity or…