Ex-president to take part in Armenia snap parliament elections, fire in Yerevan mart, Apr. 6 digest

Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 06.04.21:

• Armenia ex-president Robert Kocharyan has announced on Monday his intention to participate in the snap parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on June 20.

As he told Russian TV host Vladimir Pozner, he will head the union most likely composed of 2 parties.

According to him, negotiations are underway now over this issue.

Earlier, Kocharyan held phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the sides have long-standing good relations.

Kocharyan visited Moscow, Russia, to attend a meeting of the board of directors of AFC Sistema company. He is a member of the board of directors of the corporation.

• Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan had an interview with the Russian media outlet Interfax.

In an interview, Pashinyan touched upon Armenia-Turkey relations and cooperation with Russia.

According to him, Turkey needs to change this aggressive policy towards Armenia to establish lasting peace and restore the economic image in the region.

"Armenia has always advocated the normalization of relations with Turkey without preconditions, but this was rejected by Turkey. This hostile policy of Ankara gained a new dimension during the 44-day aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh," he added.

Pashinyan also said Armenia is interested in arms supplies from Russia.

According to him, Armenia is focused on broad and long-term military cooperation with Russia, 'which is in the long-term strategic interests of the two countries.'

• A large fire broke out at the Yerevan shopping center on Tuesday.

The fire that broke out at Surmalu mart in Yerevan at around 3 am Tuesday was put off at 8:39 am.

But toy and household items’ stalls—along with property—were burned down.

Minister of Emergency Situations Andranik Piloyan was at the scene.

• The Azerbaijanis threw stones at an Armenian car traveling on the Kapan-Yerevan motorway.

According to Kapan mayor Gevorg Parsyan, the Azerbaijanis threw stones at the sector that is under the monitoring domain of the Russian border guards.

He added that there was no major damage to the car.

• The Armenian opposition, which demands the resignation of PM Nikol Pashinyan, has kicked off its rallies in Armenian provinces.

The first such rally of the Homeland Salvation Movement started Tuesday in downtown Sevan, Armenia.

These opposition members said they will hold town hall meetings with their supporters in the provinces until April 22, after which they will resume their activities in the capital Yerevan.

• European Parliament member (MEP) Francois-Xavier Bellamy (France) visited Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan. Most of the soldiers who died in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh war are buried there.

The MEP took to his Facebook to share photos from there.

"Under each of these thousands of flags is buried a soldier who died last year defending Armenia from the military aggression. Most of them were barely 20 years old. The whole of Europe must open its eyes and finally break the silence," the French politician wrote.

• As of Tuesday morning, 760 COVID-19 new cases were confirmed in Armenia, and the total number of these cases has reached 197,873 in the country.

Also, 13 more deaths from COVID-19 were registered, making the respective total 3,627 cases.

The number of people who have recovered over the past one day is 712, the total respective number so far is 177,601.