RFE/RL Armenian Report – 07/16/2022

                                        Saturday, 


Armenian, Azeri FMs Meet In Georgia


Georgia - Foreign Ministers Ararat Mirzoyan (right) of Armenia and Jeyhun 
Bayramov meet in Tbilisi, 


The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijani reported no concrete agreements 
after meeting in Tbilisi on Saturday.

According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan 
discussed with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov “the fulfillment of 
previously undertaken commitments” and “possible further steps” in the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process.

A ministry statement cited Mirzoyan as telling Bayramov that a “political 
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict” is essential for achieving a 
lasting peace in the region. He stressed the importance of using the “mandate” 
and “experience” of the OSCE Minsk Group to that end.

Baku has repeatedly questioned the need for continued existence of the mediating 
group co-headed by the United States, France and Russia. It says that 
Azerbaijan’s victory in the 2020 war with Armenia put an end to the Karabakh 
conflict.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry also reported few details of the Tbilisi talks 
which lasted for about three hours.

It said Bayramov called for a full implementation of Armenian-Azerbaijani 
agreements brokered by Moscow during and after the war. He singled out “the 
withdrawal of Armenian forces from Azerbaijani territory.”

The talks followed fresh recriminations traded by the two sides in recent weeks. 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev again threatened military action against 
Armenia last month, saying that Yerevan remains reluctant to open a land 
corridor connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave. Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian claimed, for his part, that Baku is torpedoing peace talks and 
preparing the ground for another war.



Armenian Film Producer Collapses And Dies In Court

 07:56 GMT
        • By Current Time

Film producer Armen Grigorian (center) is seen in the courtroom shortly before 
he collapsed to the floor and died.

An Armenian film producer collapsed and died in a Yerevan courtroom where he was 
facing charges of inciting hatred, raising questions about why authorities 
ignored defense warnings about the 57-year-old's flagging health.

Video shared by the news.am website showed Armen Grigorian slump suddenly in his 
chair as his lawyers were pleading his case on July 15, and he reportedly died 
before medics arrived.

The cause of death was not initially disclosed.

Grigorian was known among post-Soviet filmmakers in the Caucasus for productions 
exploring regret and redemption, like 2007's I'm Staying; the fateful drama of 
2015's An Interrupted Flight; as well as crime and comedic films, including 
Ticket To Vegas.

His lawyer was seeking a dismissal of the case and said there was no reason for 
Grigorian to even be in court following his arrest in May.

He was facing accusations of inciting ethnic, racial, or religious hatred under 
Article 226 of the Criminal Code, according to news.am.

Ombudsman Kristina Grigorian has demanded an explanation from the 
Prosecutor-General's Office and the Justice Ministry regarding Grigorian's 
condition, his treatment, and the circumstances around his death.

"It is extremely unacceptable and alarming that in the conditions of preliminary 
arrest in relation to a person in the place of his detention, the right of a 
person to health protection is not guaranteed, health problems are not 
identified and eliminated properly, which leads to such tragic consequences," 
she said.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.rferl.org/amp/armenia-film-producer-dies-courtroom-grigorian-grigoryan/31946117.html__;!!LIr3w8kk_Xxm!qmUdcLp2yJKVpenw5PC3M00IeivlWX-lbW2bTaUJdsXiQ-04PftOJnImMVx1DDujYEgCtTrVJzt_$
 




CIA Director Meets With Armenian Prime Minister, Security Council Secretary In 
Yerevan

 06:34 GMT
        • By RFE/RL's Armenian Service

CIA Director William Burns at a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian in Yerevan on July 15.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on July 15 received U.S. Central 
Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns, Pashinian’s press office said.

The two “discussed issues related to international and regional security and the 
fight against terrorism. Reference was made to processes taking place in the 
South Caucasus region,” the brief statement said.

While in Yerevan, Burns also met with the secretary of Armenia’s Security 
Council, Armen Grigorian, whose office said the two discussed issues related to 
the further development of U.S.- Armenia bilateral relations.

Grigorian outlined for the CIA director the security environment in the region, 
existing challenges, and Armenia’s approach to establishing peace in the region, 
a statement from Grigorian’s office said.

“The sides talked about Armenia-Azerbaijan and Armenia-Turkey negotiation 
processes,” the statement said.

Official Armenian bodies and the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan would not comment on 
media reports about Burns’ visit to Yerevan.

Burns, 66, served as U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2005-08. He visited Armenia 
and Azerbaijan in 2011 in his capacity as U.S. deputy secretary of state.

During that trip, he urged a greater “sense of urgency” for the resolution of 
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying that “the status quo is not sustainable.”

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.rferl.org/amp/cia-burns-pashinian-armenia/31946049.html__;!!LIr3w8kk_Xxm!qmUdcLp2yJKVpenw5PC3M00IeivlWX-lbW2bTaUJdsXiQ-04PftOJnImMVx1DDujYEgCtZJ9HCt2$
 


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