NEWS.am digest: Armenia, Russian, Azerbaijani FMs meet on May 13; more on situation in Ukraine

Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of top news as of 29.04.22:

• Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a phone talk Friday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Ararat Mirzoyan reaffirmed Armenia's position on the processes aimed at establishing regional peace and stability, negotiations on a comprehensive peace treaty with Azerbaijan.

Minister Mirzoyan agreed to the proposal of the Russian side to hold a trilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan within the meeting of the CIS FMs, which will be held on May 13 in Dushanbe.

• Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented on the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh.

His remarks came during Thursday’s hearings at the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives,

Blinken said that is what he is very actively engaged in, including in connection with the situation in Ukraine.

The Secretary of State said he had spoken many times with the Armenian PM and Azerbaijani President to make sure first and foremost that no one takes any steps that could lead to a resumption of the conflict, as well as to try to advance and support a long-term political settlement.

The Secretary of State noted that $45 million have been allocated to Armenia from the US state budget, and $2 million of which are intended for demining.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Russian MFA’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova noted that they ‘see our role in contributing to rapprochement between Yerevan and Baku.’

“While rendering assistance to Yerevan and Baku in preparation of a peace agreement, the Russian side focuses on proposals of basic principles for the establishment of interstate relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia,” she said.

• Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev claimed that during the 44-day war, cargo planes with weapons regularly flew from Russia to Armenia several times a day.

His remarks came during the international conference which took place in the Azerbaijani-occupied Armenian city of Shushi, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

“We sent a letter to all the Caspian Sea countries, asking not to allow Russian cargo planes with weapons to Armenia,” he noted. “Sadly, those planes entered Armenia through the territories of those countries. That was the case, and we should not hide that side of the 44-day war,” Aliyev added.

• The leader of the Turkish nationalists called on the deputy of Armenian origin Garo Paylan to leave Turkey, Evrensel reported.

Devlet Bahceli’s remarks came after Garo Paylan submitted the bill on Armenian Genocide recognition.

“Let him establish ties with the Armenian diaspora. I advise him to go to America,” Turkish nationalists noted.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been invited to the G20 summit in November, which will be attended by his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, according to the leader of host nation Indonesia.

“I have invited President Zelenskyy to attend the G20 summit,” said President Joko Widodo.

He suggested a compromise had been reached following Western pressure to bar Russia from the event in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

• US President Joe Biden is asking Congress for $33bn to support Ukraine, a massive sum that he says will help Ukrainians continue to fight Russia’s “brutal” invasion that is intensifying in the east of the country.

Speaking to reporters from the White House on Thursday, Biden said assistance to Ukraine is a “small price to pay” to defeat Russia and reduce the possibility of future conflict.

Biden did not specify the amount of money he is seeking, but earlier on Thursday, senior administration officials said the White House wants $33bn in supplemental funding for Ukraine.