Artsvik Minasyan, RA Minister of Economy, visited “Meridian” Jewelry Free Economic Zone today, and in a briefing with reporters stated it’s anticipated, that we’ll have about 300 workplaces in the Free Economic Zone, and average salary, according to him, will be within USD 200-300, “As per assessments of our specialists, we expect a positive index. At least 30% growth is anticipated.”

I am therefore struck by the lack of cooperation on Nagorno-Karabakh between Washington and Moscow in recent days. Rather than uniting for concerted action in the spirit of the Minsk Group, Putin has been going it alone. Perhaps he seeks to undercut any credit Vice President Biden might have garnered for invigorating the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process when he met separately with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serge Sarkisian the day before the flare-up in violence. Or perhaps Putin was angered that Sarkisian and Aliyev proceeded with their White House meeting on the margins of President Obama’s nuclear summit at the end of March, which the Russian president boycotted.

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“The Armenian nation is more powerful, than it used to be 25 years ago, when it was in USSR, there was war, but there were only volunteers, freedom fighters, and there were no unmanned aerial vehicles and a regular army in the Republic of Armenia, support from abroad was reaching by unknown ways, it was impossible to connect to Armenia. Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh are states now, “on their feet,” have armies, new ways, the Diaspora and Armenia have interests as well, currently we are more powerful , but under those conditions, we won the war 25 years ago, i.e. I have no doubt that we’ll win the war if it continues, however, I wish, it didn’t. God willing, it didn’t happen, but if it occurs, we’ll win. Karabah is our Sparta, and we all should be united around the concept of Sparta. There is no other way out. When a nation is at war, there is no any way out.”

“As there is no settlement, each side has its own disposition, the situation would better be frozen, rather than shifted to a hot stage. Although I insist, that regional conflicts are hazardous even at a frozen condition, but there is no way out, and it’s completely in line with the logic of Russia-led policy” Alexander Rahr said.

First Lady of Armenia Rita Sargsyan together with a group of women visited Artsakh today. They have been in the Central Hospital of Stepanakert, Republican Hospital and “Arevik” children’s hospital to familiarize with the treatment process of the wounded as a result of shelling of the adversary.

“After the four-day war, Karabakh conflict definitely has entered a new phase. I consider, we should be able to rather quickly perform the following three steps—give proper explanation to reasons of war situation; assess our actions throughout these days; clarify follow-ups. Here the crucial point is, of course, whether it’s possible to prevent this war and avoid numerous casualties.”

“They waged a rather literate war both strategically and militarily. Operations have been definitely failed, however, this doesn’t mean they were illiterate…I’m sure they have been properly drilled. They aren’t weak, one shouldn’t underestimate Azerbaijan. Our issue is our mobilization and rearrangement in a short period, our mobile movement, to take our positions. The adversary imagined that after shelling we won’t be able to take our positions. Particularly, it was rather easy for them, as they posses UAVs, and it’s easy to observe from the air and wage the war, they did it literally.”

Demonstration of Armenians was held on April 10 in front of the Embassy of Azerbaijan to Brussels. Press service of “Nuard” cultural union told about this, stating, “Armenians in Belgium, with the Armenian flag and lots of posters, which read “We are Artsakh,” “Karabakh is ours,” “Aliyev – a terrorist” and etc, showed their consolidation to the fair fighting of Artsakh, and expressed willingness to leave for the front if necessary.

“I do not plan to initiate such a meeting. In light of the events and taking into consideration the experience accumulated at a heavy price, presently it is more important to resolve the issue of providing the army with modern weaponry with no delay, as soon as possible to adapt combat and tactical training of personnel to the new conditions, ” – he said.