Nikol Pashinyan’s silence and evasive behavior after the meeting in Brussels has caused concern in the ruling party, the Armenian newspaper Hraparak writes, Report informs.
Day: April 13, 2024
DAKAR, Senegal — Soaring prices have helped fuel a food crisis in West and Central Africa, where nearly 55 million people will struggle to feed themselves in the coming months, U.N. humanitarian agencies warned Friday.
The number facing hunger during the June-August lean season has quadrupled over the last five years, they said, noting that economic challenges such as double-digit inflation and stagnating local production had become major drivers of the crisis, beyond recurrent conflicts in the region.
Among the worst-affected countries are Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Mali, where around 2,600 people in northern areas are likely to experience catastrophic hunger, said the World Food Program, U.N. children’s agency UNICEF, and the Food and Agriculture Organization in a joint statement.
“The time to act is now. We need all partners to step up … to prevent the situation from getting out of control,” said Margot Vandervelden, WFP’s acting regional director for West Africa.
Due to the food shortages, malnutrition is alarmingly high, the agencies said, estimating that 16.7 million children younger than 5 are acutely malnourished across West and Central Africa.
The region’s heavy dependence on food imports has tightened the squeeze, particularly for countries battling high inflation such as Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
Policies should be introduced to boost and diversify local food production “to respond to the unprecedented food and nutrition insecurity,” said Robert Guei, the FAO’s Sub-regional Coordinator for West Africa.
DAKAR, Senegal — Soaring prices have helped fuel a food crisis in West and Central Africa, where nearly 55 million people will struggle to feed themselves in the coming months, U.N. humanitarian agencies warned Friday.
The number facing hunger during the June-August lean season has quadrupled over the last five years, they said, noting that economic challenges such as double-digit inflation and stagnating local production had become major drivers of the crisis, beyond recurrent conflicts in the region.
Among the worst-affected countries are Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Mali, where around 2,600 people in northern areas are likely to experience catastrophic hunger, said the World Food Program, U.N. children’s agency UNICEF, and the Food and Agriculture Organization in a joint statement.
“The time to act is now. We need all partners to step up … to prevent the situation from getting out of control,” said Margot Vandervelden, WFP’s acting regional director for West Africa.
Due to the food shortages, malnutrition is alarmingly high, the agencies said, estimating that 16.7 million children younger than 5 are acutely malnourished across West and Central Africa.
The region’s heavy dependence on food imports has tightened the squeeze, particularly for countries battling high inflation such as Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
Policies should be introduced to boost and diversify local food production “to respond to the unprecedented food and nutrition insecurity,” said Robert Guei, the FAO’s Sub-regional Coordinator for West Africa.
Categories
NPR News: 04-13-2024 3AM EDT
Iran-Armenia relations
“Neighboring countries, which are not part of the West, including Iran, may have certain concerns about Armenia’s closer ties with the European Union. However, they are unfounded,” says political analyst Edgar Vardanyan.
He believes Yerevan should reassure Tehran that there is no basis for concern. Vardanyan emphasizes that the EU is also attempting to confirm this. Furthermore, the EU acknowledges and accepts “the fact that Armenia has deep connections with Iran.”
In a recent parliamentary address, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also stated that relations with Tehran hold special significance for Yerevan: “These are our natural interests. And we have never juxtaposed, nor will we ever juxtapose, the development of our relations with the West – and with Iran.”
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“Armenia is undergoing a radical change in its foreign policy”
Edgar Vardanyan states that the closer relations between Armenia and the European Union are not aimed against third countries, particularly Iran.
“Moreover, the West in general and the EU in particular are themselves trying to improve relations with Iran,” – he says.
Vardanyan suggests that the West also can see the radical changes in Armenia’s foreign policy.
“Firstly, Armenia faces serious security challenges, which necessitate its alignment with the West. Secondly, these foreign policy changes will contribute to deepening democratic reforms within Armenia,” he explains.
Armenia’s relations with the EU and the collective West have reached an unprecedented level and quality, emphasizes Vardanyan. New directions of cooperation are being outlined, with potential for further development.
He is confident that this marks the beginning of a new stage in relations: “Armenia is perceived by the West as a democratic state that seeks to counter various attacks and threats from authoritarian regimes.”
“The EU can help address security issues”
Edgar Vardanyan regards the development of ties with the European Peace Facility as important. This mechanism allows Brussels to provide funds to countries outside the EU to enhance their defense capabilities.
Through this instrument, the European Union also contributes to conflict prevention and addresses security challenges.
“The fund’s activities are primarily aimed at supporting Ukraine. However, considering the discussions at the meeting in Brussels on April 5th, we can expect cooperation with Armenia as well. I believe Armenia will be able to secure certain resources,” he said.
It’s important that Armenia already receives weapons and has “unprecedented military-political cooperation” with EU member France, considers Vardanyan. Negotiations with the US are also underway on how Washington can contribute to Armenia’s security:
“U.S. Ambassador Kristina Kvien recently shared that there is already a preliminary agreement in place to provide Armenia with mobile armored vehicles for delivering medical aid to the military.”
The Armenian edition of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Azatutyun, published an interview with U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Kristina Kvien, the day before. The ambassador, among other things, stated that “Armenia has requested armored ambulances that can safely enter conflict zones. We are discussing various topics to determine where we can be helpful to Armenia in terms of its defense.”
Despite being optimistic about deepening relations with the West, Edgar Vardanyan believes that they may evolve “within certain limits, frameworks.”
Everything will depend on whether Yerevan continues to remain in the military bloc of the CSTO, led by Russia, and how Armenian-Russian relations will be reassessed.
President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon plans to make a state visit to Azerbaijan in the third ten days of May 2024, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Tajikistan said after a meeting between Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov on April 12, Azernews reports.