ARMENIAN NEWS: BREAKING NEWS 11.09.2018

A voice recording of the phone conversation of Armenia’s National Security Service Director Artur Vanetsyan and Special Investigation Service Chief Sasun Khachatryan was posted on the internet.

During his Facebook livestream on Tuesday, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reflected on the recording and confirmed that it was wiretapped.

A press conference of the two security officials took place later in the day. Vanetsyan said it is bizarre that a conversation between the NSS director and the SIS chief was wiretapped. Meanwhile, Sasun Khachatryan emphasized that it was an attempt to hinder the investigation into the March 1, 2008 events, however, added that they would continue doing their job and it is impossible to stop them.

Secretary General of the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF) Michaëlle Jean is on a visit to Armenia.

Michaëlle Jean visited Armenian Genocide Memorial and TUMO center.

“I visited Tsitsernakaber. I want to welcome the nation that does not want to die,” she told reporters during a briefing in Yerevan.

Shant 2018 military drills which are aimed at checking the preparedness of key state agencies kicked off in Armenia.

Spokesperson for the Armenian Defense Ministry Artsrun Hovhannisyan described the operational situation as follows: the situation in the region has worsened, the adversary began to accumulate forces at the border, both sides suffered losses. There was a threat of a refugees’ flow, and penetration of terrorists along with them.

The drills are supervised by the Prime Minister, while the headquarters is headed by the head of the government staff.

Border guards of the Russian Federal Security Service Border Guard Department in Armenia have detected—at Karchevan checkpoint in Syunik Province—semi-synthetic opioid pills—which are forbidden to be imported, in a passenger car that had arrived from Iran.

The car driver, who is an Iranian citizen, has been handed over to Armenian law enforcement agencies.

The circumstances behind this offense are being ascertained.

Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan called on reporters to be patient and to wait until the statement on the meeting with Azerbaijani colleague is coordinated between the parties.

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan recalled that official Yerevan announced participation in the negotiation process and declared commitment to continue negotiations. The Minister recalled that one meeting had already been held, and a new meeting was possible in the future.