Armenia Jan 23: No case against Catholicos, airport deal amended, Karabakh relocation updates
Armenia reported a string of political, legal, and diplomatic developments on January 23, ranging from a prosecutorial clarification on church leadership to updates on Nagorno-Karabakh relocatees and new steps on key infrastructure and energy disputes. The Prosecutor General’s Office said there is no criminal proceeding against the Catholicos of All Armenians.
The statement followed public speculation and sought to clarify the legal status of the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Officials also issued several updates concerning persons relocated from Nagorno-Karabakh. One Armenian official said that the issues of 11 persons relocated from Karabakh are being dealt with.
Separately, the health minister said 10 compatriots relocated from Karabakh to Armenia are in satisfactory condition. A separate report stated there was no information on the whereabouts of 10 persons relocated to Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh. In transport infrastructure, the 5th amendment to Armenia’s airport concession agreement was signed.
In the energy sector, an expropriation arbitration tribunal in the Electric Networks of Armenia case confirmed the special arbitrator award’s binding force. On the diplomatic front, Francina Armengol said Spain welcomes progress in the Azerbaijan–Armenia normalization process.
The speaker of Armenia’s parliament held a telephone conversation with the head of Russia’s Federation Council, and the president held talks in Davos with the heads of the IAEA, Apple, and NVIDIA. Media also reported the start of US–Russia–Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi.
In domestic regulatory comments, the head of the market surveillance inspectorate said the country of origin of fuel sold to Armenia does not matter to the agency. Meanwhile, Samvel Karapetyan said the Armenian government presents defeat in Stockholm as victory.
In regional news, a foreign minister reported a death toll from protests in Iran. These developments came as Armenia navigates sensitive normalization efforts with Azerbaijan, manages the needs of recent relocatees, and engages international partners on economic and security issues.