Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 31.05.21:

Outgoing acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Aivazian on Monday had a farewell meeting with the Foreign Ministry staff.

"It was very difficult for me to make this decision; but when I assumed this position, there was a criterion for me: this ministry, which is the birth of independence, shall steadfastly defend our sovereignty, our independence, our state, national interests," he said. "And my decision of resignation was conditioned by that very reason."

  • Nikol Pashinyan, who has already launched the so-called unofficial campaign and has been visiting the regions for several weeks, spent this weekend in the north of Armenia.

In the cities of Spitak, Vanadzor, and Aparan, he met with citizens and made emotional speeches.

Pashinyan's first stop was in Aparan.

If, for example, Pashinyan's speeches before the 2018 elections were mainly aimed at criticizing the former ruling party, now the list of addressees can be said to have expanded. In his speeches, Pashinyan now criticizes the first and second presidents. He said in Aparan that these elections are an occasion for citizens to take civil revenge for the rigged elections after 1996.

Pashinyan spoke again about the negotiation process on the Artsakh issue and invited the first and second presidents, Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Robert Kocharyan, to a public debate.

If Robert Kocharyan is ready to go for debates, he will explain why Karabakh was pushed out of the negotiating table.

There is no official response to the invitation yet, but Ishkhan Saghatelyan from the Armenia bloc wrote on his Facebook that the Armenian ex-presidents do not debate with traitors.

  • As of Monday morning, 34 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Armenia, and the total number of these cases has reached 222,670 in the country.

Also, six more deaths from COVID-19 were reported, making the respective total 4,438 cases.

The number of people who have recovered over the past one day is 227, the total respective number so far is 213,208.

  • Leaders of the Armenian Caucus at the US Congress condemn Azerbaijan's latest aggression in Armenia's Gegharkunik Province, demand the US State Department hold Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev's regime accountable, and threaten sanctions to end ongoing atrocities.

"We are alarmed by the ongoing actions of Azerbaijani forces on Armenian soil in the Gegharkunik region and surrounding area that have resulted in the death of an Armenian soldier and the reported kidnapping of six more," they noted.

  • The European External Action Service has released a statement on the recent developments on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

According to them, recent developments on the Armenia/Azerbaijan border are both dangerous and worrying.

"We continue to call on Azerbaijan to release all prisoners of war and detainees without delay," they noted.

The EU said they are ready to provide expertise and help on border delimitation and demarcation, as well as to support much needed confidence building measures to move towards sustainable peace and prosperity for the South Caucasus.