Author: Adrine Hakobian

Russia accuses Azerbaijan of violating ceasefire in Karabakh

Adrine Hakobian
Moscow on Saturday accused Azerbaijan of violating a ceasefire agreement by entering the Russian peacekeeping mission's zone —

Moscow on Saturday accused Azerbaijan of violating a ceasefire agreement by entering the Russian peacekeeping mission's zone in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the first time Russia publicly assigned the blame for violating the 2020 deal.

The Russian defence ministry also accused Azerbaijani troops of using Turkish-made drones to strike Karabakh troops, while the foreign ministry in Moscow expressed "extreme concern" over the spiralling tensions in the region.

The defence ministry in Baku said it "regretted the one-sided statement of Russia's defence ministry, which does not reflect the truth", adding that "Azerbaijan didn't violate a single provision" of the ceasefire agreement.

The two countries' defence ministers had discussed the situation in the enclave and the "Azerbaijani side stated that it is clarifying the positions and deployment locations of its armed forces" on the ground, the ministry said, accusing Armenia of "an attempted provocation" and failure to withdraw troops from Karabakh.

The ministry "requests Russia's defence ministry to fully withdraw the remaining Armenian troops and illegal armed units from the internationally recognised territory of Azerbaijan."

Incidents between the armed forces of arch enemies Azerbaijan and Armenia have been frequent in recent months but Saturday's announcement was the first time since the end of the hostilities over Karabakh in November, 2020 that Moscow has accused one of the parties of violating the uneasy ceasefire.

Moscow denounced the flare-up on the 31st day of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, with signs indicating that both sides were digging in for a protracted conflict in the pro-Western country.

The Kremlin said on Saturday that President Vladimir Putin had discussed the situation with Armenian leader Nikol Pashinyan twice — on Friday and Thursday.

"Violating the provisions of a trilateral statement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia from November 9, 2020, Azerbaijan's armed forces between March 24 and March 25 entered the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh and set up an observation post," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

The statement added that Turkish-made drones were used to strike Karabakh troops near the village of Farukh also known as Parukh.

Russia urged Azerbaijan to pull back troops.

"An appeal has been sent to the Azerbaijani side to withdraw its troops," the defence ministry said.

"The command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is taking measures to resolve the situation."

The foreign ministry in Moscow urged all the parties "to exercise restraint and ensure strict compliance with the existing tripartite agreements".

In 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a war over the long-contested enclave which claimed more than 6,500 lives.

A ceasefire deal brokered by Putin saw Yerevan cede swathes of territory, with Russia deploying a peacekeeping contingent to the mountainous region.

– 'Constant shelling' –

On Saturday, the breakaway region's defence ministry said in a statement that Azerbaijani drones had killed three people and wounded another 15.

"Azerbaijan's armed forces are continuing to remain in the village of Parukh," the statement added.

Armenia called on the international community to prevent attempts aimed at "destabilising the situation in the South Caucasus".

"We also expect the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh to undertake concrete, visible steps to resolve the situation and prevent new casualties and hostilities," the Armenian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Yerevan said that the "invasion" of strategically important Parukh "was preceded by constant shelling of Armenian settlements and civilian infrastructure".

Armenia's foreign ministry said earlier this week that Azerbaijani troops on Thursday moved into the village of Parukh — under control of Russian peacekeepers — in what they said was "a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement".

Armenia has also warned of a possible "humanitarian catastrophe" in Karabakh after gas supplies to the disputed region were cut off following repair work.

Yerevan has accused Azerbaijan of deliberately leaving Karabakh's ethnic-Armenian population without natural gas, a charge which Azerbaijan's foreign ministry rejected as "baseless".

Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, and the ensuing conflict claimed around 30,000 lives.

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Russia says Azerbaijan enters peacekeepers’ zone in Nagorno-Karabakh, Baku denies it

Adrine Hakobian
Sat, , 7:46 PM·1 min read

BAKU (Reuters) -Russia's defence ministry said on Saturday Azeri armed forces had entered a zone policed by Russian peacekeepers in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, in a violation of an agreement, but Azerbaijan challenged these claims.

Russia said it had called on Azerbaijan to pull out its troops, and was "applying efforts" to move forces to their initial positions. It also said Azerbaijan had carried out four drone strikes in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan's defence ministry refuted Moscow's version of events and described Russia's statement as "one-sided".

It said that "illegal" Armenian armed units attempted an act of sabotage, but had to retreat when "immediate measures" were applied. It reiterated Azerbaijan's commitment to the "three-way statement" – a deal it signed with Armenia and Russia in November 2020 to end the military conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region after more than a month of bloodshed.

Azerbaijan emerged as the victor in that conflict, having recaptured territory it had lost in an earlier war between 1991 and 1994.

But many questions remain unresolved, including the legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenians who live there.

Moscow deployed almost 2,000 peacekeepers to the region after the ceasefire, reaffirming its role as policeman and chief power broker in a volatile part of the former Soviet Union where Turkey also wields increasing influence thanks to its close alliance with Azerbaijan.

(Reporting by Reuters reporters, Nailia Bagirova, Editing by Christina Fincher)

https://news.yahoo.com/russia-says-azerbaijan-enters-russian-174619224.html

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Asbarez: Azerbaijani Forces Advance Toward Askeran’s Critical Karaglukh Heights

Adrine Hakobian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories

Artsakh soldier at a position

After advancing their positions into the Parukh village of Artsakh’s Askeran region, Azerbaijani forces continued their breach of the line-of-contact toward the critically strategic Karaglukh Heights from different direction, the Artsakh Information Center reported.

“Several retaliatory attacks repelled the enemy’s diversion efforts,” added the statement.

At 5 p.m. local time the situation on the line-of-contact remained tense and negotiations continued with the Russian peacekeeping contingent to stabilize the situation there.

The attacks on Artsakh Army positions resumed Saturday morning and continued throughout the day

The Azerbaijani forces, which have been shelling Khramort and surrounding villages since late last month, stepped up their attack on Thursday and advanced their positions inside Artsakh, invading the Parish village in Askeran, with their eye on the Karaglukh village.

Artsakh State Minister Artak Beglaryan warned that Azerbaijani troops still have not pulled back after aggressively advancing their positions. Artsakh authorities reported that three Artakh soldiers were killed on Friday, while Artsakh Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan announced that 14 people were injured during Friday’s attacks.

Beglaryan said the Russian peacekeepers continued to man their posts in Parukh and Khramort, and that “the Russian side made significant efforts to enforce the ceasefire in its area of responsibility.”

“We expect that through Russia’s efforts the Azerbaijani troops will pull back to their initial positions and will not continue further advances against the security of the people of Artsakh and the Russian Federation’s guarantees. We stand firmly in our homeland and we are ready to withstand whatever challenges may come,” Beglaryan said.

Forecast: The Union State will lead to the loss of Armenia`s sovereignty and territories

Adrine Hakobian
ARMINFO
Armenia –
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.Hypothetical membership in the still hypothetical Union State will lead to the loss of not only Armenia's sovereignty, but also new territories. Leader of the  "Republic" party, former Prime Minister of Armenia Aram Sargsyan,  expressed a similar opinion to ArmInfo.

"We have already gone through all of this once, with all the relevant  consequences. Accordingly, today the Armenian people must first of  all rely on themselves, namely, on the combined potential of the  Armenians of the whole world. It is necessary to make every possible  effort towards achieving consolidation around common for all  Armenians' goals and only then, of course, to harmonize Armenia's  foreign and economic policy through its diversification towards  democratic, technologically advanced states," he stressed.

Commenting on the current situation, the politician expressed the  opinion that Turkey, with the support of Russia, is today trying to  force Armenia to sign the peace agreement proposed by Azerbaijan.  While the US and the EU continue to consider the establishment of the  status of Artsakh within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group as a  means of achieving peace in the South Caucasus.

In the light of the latest "gas" games of Baku, Sargsyan recalled  that these and other problems caused by Azerbaijan, according to the  document dated November 9, 2020, will first of all have to be solved  by Russian peacekeepers. And the fact that for a whole week the  Russian military were unable to finally restore the gas supply to  Artsakh, were unable to approach the pipe on neutral territory, in  his opinion, speaks of their unwillingness to resolve this issue.

"One call from Foreign Minister Lavrov would be enough for Baku to  restore the gas supply to Artsakh.  Even in the current geopolitical  situation. But if Moscow wants to resolve this issue, but cannot,  then this becomes a reason for drawing completely different  conclusions in Armenia" , he emphasized.  Commenting on the reasons  for the current aggressive behavior of the Aliyev regime towards  Artsakh and on the borders with Armenia, Sargsyan conditioned it by  the desire of the dynastic ruler of Azerbaijan to keep the Armenian  people in a state of anxiety and tension in order to snatch as many  concessions from Armenia as possible during the upcoming  negotiations. In any case, the politician does not believe that at  this stage, Aliyev is able to transform the tension he is whipping up  into full-scale military operations. First of all, due to the fact  that by doing so he will deal a final, already mortal blow to the  reputation of the Russian Federation, with all the attendant  consequences. 

Provocations against Artsakh are not one-time, countermeasures needed against them – lawmaker

Adrine Hakobian

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 14:04,

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. Any discussion connected with the current situation and the future of Artsakh is demanded as the latest global and regional developments put new challenges before the Armenian people, Member of Parliament of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan said during the parliamentary hearings.

According to the MP, the post-war situation in Artsakh needs to be analyzed seriously from the perspective of keeping the security issues of the people of Artsakh under constant attention, restoring the lost defense capacities and correctly combining the actions of the peacekeeping troops in the overall system. “In the previous days there was a certain activeness in the parliamentary cooperation platform, but our discussions could not be limited by topics relating only to education, culture and technologies”, he said.

He said the issues on strengthening the security of the border settlements of Artsakh and overcoming the situation caused by the recent humanitarian crisis must be definitely included in the agenda of political issues and the ideas proposed over these issues must turn into an action plan for the relevant authorities.

“Following the 2020 September war unleashed by Azerbaijan and its allies against Artsakh and particularly after the November 9 trilateral statement, we are living in a completely different, harmful security environment full of daily dangers. It’s an impression that our adversaries are still implementing a pre-designed comprehensive plan with a precise schedule and filled with calculation of our weak sides, but we are thinking every day and still cannot agree over a counter step against the provocation conducted yesterday. The psychological pressures on the bordering villages and obstructing the farming works in that settlements with all possible means are measures which are definitely not one-time. They are being done with an expectation to get some “result”, and the explosion of the main pipeline supplying gas to Artsakh in this period of the year and in such conditions when most of the population is using the natural gas for heating and hot water, of course, has been a calculated step”, Stepanyan said.

UN representatives` participation in event organized in Shoushi undermines UN authority, Artsakh foreign office states

Adrine Hakobian
ARMINFO
Marianna Mkrtchyan

ArmInfo. The Artsakh Foreign Ministry has issued a statement on the occasion of holding an event in Shoushi dedicated to the 30th Anniversary of Azerbaijan's  Membership to the UN. 

Official Baku, in line with its style, continues to wage a  destructive policy aimed at legitimizing the results of its  aggression against Artsakh, trying to involve and exploit the  international community and various structures in that process. The  organization in Artsakh's occupied town of Shoushi of a solemn  ceremony dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan's membership  to the United Nations and the participation of representatives of the  UN and its structures in this event is another manifestation of this  policy.

The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Artsakh strongly condemns the  holding of such an event in Shoushi.

The participation of the UN representatives in the event organized in  the town, which has been one of the main targets of Azerbaijan's  aggression and Armenophobia, contradicts the principles of  activities, ideology and mission of this influential international  organization, and will be undoubtedly used by Azerbaijan to  legitimize its inhumane and aggressive policy. This is also a serious  blow to the reputation of the UN, which will have a negative impact  on the effectiveness of the organization's activities.  

European Championship։ National teams of Armenia are named

Adrine Hakobian
NEWS.am
Armenia –

Armenian wrestling teams will participate in the European Championships, which will be held from March 28 to April 3 in Budapest. Armenian wrestling teams are now known, according to the press service of the Russian Wrestling Federation.

Armenian Greco-Roman wrestling team

Rudik Mkrtchyan (55 kg)

Gevorg Gharibyan (60 kg)

Hrachya Poghosyan (63 kg)

Slavik Galstyan (67 kg)

Malkhas Amoyan (77 kg)

Karapet Chalyan (82 kg)

David Hovasapyan (130 kg)

Armenian freestyle wrestling team

Manvel Khndzrtsyan (57 kg)

Arsen Harutyunyan (61 kg)

Gevorg Tadevosyan (65 kg)

Arman Andreasyan (70 kg)

Hrayr Alikhanyan (74 kg)

Arman Avagyan (79 kg)

Hovhannes Mkhitaryan (92 kg)

CivilNet: Head of Armenia’s Central Bank addresses impact of sanctions on Russia

Adrine Hakobian
CIVILNET.AM

28 Feb, 2022 10:02

  • Azerbaijani soldiers use loudspeakers in Karabakh’s Khramot village to tell Armenian residents to leave the area.
  • Footage appears online of a banner supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hanging from Yerevan’s Kievyan bridge. The banner was removed within minutes.
  • Head of Armenia’s Central Bank says the impact of sanctions on Russia will be minimal.

Acting Speaker of Parliament receives Special Envoy of Canada to EU and Europe

Adrine Hakobian

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 10:22, 1 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Acting Speaker of Parliament Hakob Arshakyan received the Special Envoy of Canada to the European Union and Europe, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Federal Republic of Germany Stéphane Dion, the Parliament’s press service said.

The Chair of the Parliament’s Standing Committee on European Integration Arman Yeghoyan also attended the meeting.

Welcoming the guests, Hakob Arshakyan has underlined that this year is significant for Armenia and Canada: the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries turns. In the Armenian-Canadian bilateral relations, the Acting Speaker stressed the role of the inter-parliamentary cooperation, particularly the Parliamentary Friendship Groups.

Hakob Arshakyan has opined that the close and effective cooperation with the European Union is of special importance for Armenia and has added that the opportunities of the RA-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement shall be fully used. “That is a firm basis in terms of the development of mutually beneficial relations with the EU and the EU member states,” Hakob Arshakyan documented.

Hakob Arshakyan highly evaluated the fact that from the first days of the 2020 Artsakh second war Canada had actively tried to make efforts for ceasefire. In this aspect he valued the decision of the Government of Canada for stopping the supply of the Canadian armament to Turkey.

Touching upon the post-war still non-overcome problems, Hakob Arshakyan highlighted the realization of all provisions of the trilateral statement, considering of priority the issue of the immediate repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and the civilians being held in Azerbaijan. The Acting Speaker has reminded that the return of the abovementioned persons is postponed with fake criminal cases in Azerbaijan.

“We hope that the international counterparts will decently respond to the fact and we will be able to advance in the region with the committed peace agenda,” Hakob Arshakyan stressed.

In this context the importance of the demarcation and delimitation process and the complete withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from the Armenian sovereign territory was touched upon. With regards to the establishment of peace in the region it has been underscored that the special representatives of Armenia and Turkey actively negotiate in registering progress in the Armenian-Turkish relations.

During the meeting the sides referred to the efficiency and continuity of the development program of the Staff being implemented with the cooperation between the National Assembly Staff and the Parliamentary Centre of Canada.

With respect to the development of parliamentary diplomacy Hakob Arshakyan and Arman Yeghoyan emphasized the implementation of such strategic programs. The efficiency of the implementation of the exchange programs was underlined.

Stéphane Dion in his turn highlighted the continuous development of the Armenian-Canadian relations and the deepening of the relationship. In this context he especially stressed the role of the Friendship Groups.

Armenia FM: Azerbaijan continues to violate rights of Armenia and Karabakh residents

Adrine Hakobian
 NEWS.am 
Armenia – Feb 28 2022


19:38, 28.02.2022

Azerbaijan, in addition to Nagorno-Karabakh, continues its policy of human rights violations, which also affects residents of the border regions of Armenia, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said.

His remarks came at the 49th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council.

He noted that civilians are harmed by the ongoing provocative actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces, the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry informed NEWS.am.

"This aggressive policy is accompanied by blatant violations of international humanitarian law. Sixteen months after the ceasefire, there are still 38 Armenian prisoners of war, including civilians, in Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, the fate of hundreds of missing persons, including dozens of forcibly disappeared persons, remains unclear," Mirzoyan explained.

According to him, the right to self-determination is one of the main goals of the United Nations. The use of force against this right can lead to a range of human rights violations. These include mass atrocities and ethnic cleansing. "This is what we saw on the part of Azerbaijan against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 – both during the war and after," the diplomat said.

He called on the international community to take responsibility for ensuring unconditional access by UN bodies to the entire territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Mirzoyan noted that holders of UN special procedural mandates have repeatedly raised questions with Azerbaijan. "These include the use of mercenaries during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and the destruction of religious and cultural heritage.

Azerbaijan has refused to respond adequately. Baku, in fact, did not respond at all, which is an obvious challenge to the UN human rights mechanism," Mirzoyan said. According to the Minister, we must not forget the plight of those to whom the UN has no access. The people of Nagorno-Karabakh must not be discriminated against on the basis of origin, language, religion, political or other opinion, national origin or any other ground.

"We seek a safe, dignified and voluntary return of Armenians to their homes throughout Nagorno-Karabakh," stressed the Armenian representative. The interim measures proposed by the International Court of Justice on 7 December 2021, which oblige Azerbaijan to stop its racist and discriminatory treatment of Armenians, including the destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage and acts of vandalism, must be implemented unconditionally. These measures, according to Mirzoyan, are evidence of Azerbaijan's Armenianophobic policies.

They include belligerent rhetoric, deprivation of people's livelihoods, constant intimidation of the Armenian population, and a new threat to use force. "Only after addressing these issues will we be able to ensure stability, peace, justice, and the protection of universal human rights in our region," the Foreign Minister said.