News.am daily digest: 13.06.2019

Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan met with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini ahead of Armenia-EU partnership council.

The Partnership Council will review the implementation of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement as well as the partnership priorities.

Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone took to the U.S. House floor Wednesday for a dialogue with House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey to end arbitrary and outdated State Department restrictions on U.S. engagement with Artsakh.

“We must remain committed to strengthening the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, removing barriers to dialogue, and resolving status and security issues that have hindered discussions in the past. Allowing our diplomats to have a presence on the ground as necessary and when safe is the only way for the US to help bring this conflict to a resolution,” he said.

According to the source, Chairwoman Lowey committed to work with Congressman Pallone on this matter.

Deputy of the Turkish parliament Garo Paylan, who is of Armenian origin, wrote about an Armenian woman Arpine who has recently been attacked in Istanbul’s Samatya district, when men wearing masks attacked the woman.

“An Armenian woman in Samatya was subjected to a hate attack on May 31. The suspects have not been arrested so far. During my visit yesterday, their family said they decided to leave Turkey. I couldn't say no, don’t go. Those responsible are not ashamed, but I am once again embarrassed for my country,” he tweeted.

Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE), Thorbjørn Jagland, has sent a letter to Armenia’s PM Nikol Pashinyan, stressing that the CoE highly appreciates the PM’s commitment to pursue the agenda of judicial reforms.

“We also share your assessment of the need to increase efforts against corruption and to reform and rebuild trust in the judiciary in line with the Armenian Constitution and Armenia’s international commitments. The Council of Europe is ready to participate actively in these reform efforts within the framework of the Action Plan which will be launched in Yerevan in a few days, with the participation of the Deputy Secretary General,” the letter said.

The situation on the border is relatively stable, said Armenian Defense Minister, Davit Tonoyan, on Thursday.

Asked to comment on the increase in the number of the adversary’s drones’ flights along the border, the minister noted the Armenian side oversees the flights of Azerbaijani drones and added that an analysis is being conducted on the most recent Azerbaijani military drills.

During the session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe held on June 12, 2019, Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan was elected a member of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) representing Armenia.

The preliminary court hearing on the case Robert Kocharyan v. Nikol Pashinyan is in progress Thursday at a court in Yerevan.

Second President Robert Kocharyan’s attorney is expected to submit a written motion on dropping this lawsuit as on September 17, 2018, Kocharyan petitioned to a Yerevan court, and with a demand to defend his honor and dignity against “publicly expressed slander.”

The reason for his submitting this petition was PM Nikol Pashinyan’s public statement made during his working visit to France, and regarding the wiretapped phone talks between National Security Service Director Artur Vanetsyan and Special Investigation Service Head Sasun Khachatryan.

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