Artsakh Gas Supply Cut Again

Image caption: Azerbaijan Cuts Supply to Artsakh Again (Photo by Armenpress)

A few days ago, Artsakh State Minister Artak Beglaryan announced that gas supply problems have been fixed, after approximately 12 days of no gas for the residents of Artsakh. Artsakhgaz delivered gas to the residents of the country starting last Friday night.

“The population of Artsakh was deprived of natural gas for more than 11 days due to artificial and deliberate obstacles created by Azerbaijan,” Beglaryan said. Artsakh has been under heavy snowfall for more than half a month, and freezing cold temperatures have taken over.

“The Azerbaijani side obstructs the access of representatives of law enforcement bodies and specialists of gas supply company to the place of accident.

At the moment, the restoration work is not being carried out due to the obstacles created by the Azerbaijani side.

Representatives of the Russian peacekeeping troops in Artsakh have been informed about the accident and the problem of gas supply, and negotiations are underway to start restoration work,” wrote Gegham Stepanyan, Human Rights Defender of Artsakh in a Facebook post the week prior, during the first time Artsakh’s gas supply was cut.

On late Monday night, 21 March, the natural gas supply to Artsakh was cut once more. The Artsakh Information Center made the following statement,

"We have sufficient grounds to assert that during the repair work of the gas pipeline that exploded on March 8, the Azerbaijani side has installed a valve which was used to stop gas supply. Azerbaijan is taking a criminal step, amid adverse weather conditions, thereby creating additional humanitarian problems for our population."

Iranian Tourists Stuck Under Snow in Syunik

Image caption: Nowruz Brought Around 3,000 Iranians for Celebrations in Armenia

Iranian tourists flock into Armenia in the thousands every year to celebrate Nowruz aka Persian New Year, celebrated annually on the spring equinox.

This year, the Armenian government estimated that 3,000 Iranians are expected to arrive via air alone. In 2021, 95,000 Iranians visited Armenia, 9,000 of which were during Nowruz. The number is expected to rise this year. Iranians comprise 11% of tourists in Armenia.

The journey has been less fun for those traveling by land, as snowfalls have been unprecedented and strong this not-so-spring season in Armenia.

Mekhak Apresyan, the president of the Armenian Tourism Federation, said during a press conference that road authorities have not been able to open routes of flocking tourists in Syunik alone. The province has established an ad hoc task force that deals with placing Iranian tourists in hotels temporarily until roads are open again.

To those celebrating, happy Nowruz, and may warmer days bless your new year!

Notable News

Image caption: Children Dancing to Celebrate International Francophonie Day, Stepanakert, Artsakh (Photo from Artsakh Press Agency)

• International Francophonie Day celebrated in Stepanakert. Read more here.

• The Socially Relevant Film Festival is currently undergoing in New York, and one of the films that will be screened is Mariam Avetisyan’s “The Desire to Live,” full proceeds going to Artsakh. Read about the festival here.

• 85% increase in science government funding, reports the Deputy PM. Read about the drastic increase here.

• “Improper discipline” is the excuse given by Armenian MOD over two recent non-combat conscript deaths in the Armenian Army. Read about it here.

• Four medals, three of them gold, won at the Caucasus Math Olympiad. Read about them here.

• Vanadzor Medical Center launches new rehabilitation department, funded by the Aznavour Foundation. Read about the new department here.

• If you’re a diaspora Armenian with expertise in your field, you can now contribute in the Armenian public sector. More info on how to apply to the iGorts Fellowship Program here, applications are now open.

• New UAVs by Armenia’s UAVLAB unveiled.

• Russia supports Armenia-Turkey normalisation process.

• Armenian Communist Party holds pro-Russian war rallies; activists, Ukrainians, and some Russians hold anti-war rallies, both in Yerevan, Armenia.

• The UK loans $2.3 billion to Turkey for railway construction. Learn about it here.

• Chairperson of of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, MEP Marina Kaljurand publishes a statement on the humanitarian crisis reigning over Artsakh, with the gas supply cut and electricity shortages frequent. Read the statement here.

• It’s been 101 years since Soghomon Tehlirian assassinated Talaat Pasha in Berlin. Read about his verdict here.
  
  

Multimedia Corner

Image caption: Rosa Linn to sing “Snap” at the Eurovision 2022 stage. (Photo from Rosa Linn’s Facebook page)

• Read: It’s become common knowledge that tens of thousands of Russians moved to Armenia in a very short timeframe. Read about their daily struggles in Armenia in a New York Times feature piece here.
  
• Listen: We have a new pick that’ll represent Armenia at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest! Vanadzor-native Rosa Linn will be singing “Snap” on the stage in Torino, Italy. Fun fact: the co-writer of the song is Tamar Kaprielian, one of the singers who represented Armenia in 2015 with the genocide centennial song.
  
  
• Watch: What are some of the games our ancestors played? Watch this video by Houshamadyan to learn all about them, available in Western Armenian with English subtitles!
  
  
• Learn: Who is Minas Lourian? Learn about the man who helps place Armenian culture in the centre of Venice, Italy, here.