Saturday, Pashinian Says Yerevan, Baku ‘Still Speaking Different Diplomatic Languages’ In Peace Talks Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian met with OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid in in Yerevan on . Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has said that while Yerevan and Baku have agreed on basic principles for a peace treaty, the two sides are “still speaking different diplomatic languages” in talks. Addressing the fall session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that opened in Yerevan on November 18, Pashinian lamented that Azerbaijan has yet to publicly commit to three principles for achieving peace that he said have already been agreed upon. Pashinian also said the lack of commitment deepens the atmosphere of mistrust and that rhetoric from Azerbaijani officials leaves open the prospect for renewed “military aggression” against Armenia. “Yerevan and Baku still speak different diplomatic languages,” he said, adding that “we often do not understand each other.” Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had held several rounds of peace talks under EU mediation before Baku launched a lightning offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh that ended three decades of rule by ethnic Armenians in the region. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two major wars in the last three decades over the mostly Armenian-populated region. The region initially came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian military, in fighting that ended in 1994. During a war in 2020, however, Azerbaijan took back parts of Nagorno-Karabakh along with surrounding territory that Armenian forces had claimed during the earlier conflict. After a cease-fire agreement was quickly reached between ethnic Armenian forces and Azerbaijan following Baku’s offensive in September, nearly 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled to Armenia as Baku took control of the whole of Nagorno-Karabakh. “We have good and bad news about the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process,” Pashinian was quoted as saying. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian addresses an OSCE Parliamentary Assembly session in Yerevan. . “It is good that the basic principles of peace with Azerbaijan have been agreed upon,” he said, referring to three principles for peace that he announced in late October, saying they had been worked out during talks with Aliyev in Brussels that were mediated by European Council President Charles Michel. Those principles, he told the Armenian parliament at the time, were: Armenia and Azerbaijan recognizing each other’s territorial integrity, that the delimitation of the countries’ borders be based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, and that regional trade, transport, and communication be opened while respecting sovereign jurisdictions. The downside is that by not acknowledging the agreement, Pashinian said, Baku was deepening the atmosphere of mistrust. Pashinian also accused Azerbaijani officials of calling Armenia “Western Azerbaijan.” “This seems to us to be a preparation for a new war, a new military aggression against Armenia, and it is one of the main obstacles to progress in the peace process,” Pashinian said. The Armenian prime minister’s comments came after Baku said on November 16 that it would not participate in normalization talks at the foreign-minister level with Yerevan that were planned in the United States this month. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said the decision was in response to what it called “one-sided and biased remarks” made by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien against Azerbaijan. In October Aliyev refused to attend a round of negotiations with Pashinian that were to be mediated by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and European Council President Charles Michel. Baku cited France’s allegedly “biased position” against Azerbaijan as the reason for skipping those talks in Spain. The Azerbaijani leader also appears to have canceled another meeting which Michel planned to host in Brussels in late October. During the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly session in Yerevan on November 18, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonian said there was a historic opportunity to establish peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Simonian also said Armenia is sincerely interested in normalizing relations with Turkey, having open borders and transportation links in the region, and engaging in negotiations without preconditions. “I have a great hope that these negotiations will yield the desired results in the near future,” Simonian said, stressing that the region needs peace. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pia Kauma has welcomed Armenia’s expressed interest in reaching a deal with Azerbaijan. “It is important to maintain momentum in the peace process and for Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach a full settlement,” Kauma said. “We recognize that the background is very painful, but despite the difficulties, this moment should be seen as an opportunity for all to forge a new path for the region based on peaceful coexistence, mutual security, and economic prosperity.” Yerevan Says Armenian Soldier Wounded Along Border With Azerbaijan An Armenian soldier on combat duty near the border with Azerbaijan (file photo). An Armenian soldier has reportedly been shot and wounded along the country’s border with Azerbaijan in what Yerevan says was a fresh ceasefire violation by Baku – the first reported in more than a month. Armenia’s Ministry of Defense said the incident happened at the southeastern section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border at around 9:50 am on November 18. It said the soldier, whose full name was not immediately disclosed, received a gunshot wound after a shot fired by the Azerbaijani military against an Armenian combat outpost near the village of Paruyr Sevak, which is at the border with Azerbaijan’s western exclave of Nakhichevan. The ministry said the condition of the wounded soldier was assessed as moderate and there was no immediate danger to his life. “An investigation is underway to clarify all the circumstances of the incident,” it added. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, categorically denied the report disseminated by the Armenian Defense Ministry, calling it a “lie.” “We categorically deny the provocative information of the opposite side,” Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said. The border incident reported by Armenia is the first in more than a month. Reported incidents and mutual accusations between Armenia and Azerbaijan virtually discontinued several weeks after Azerbaijan’s lightning offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19 that led to Baku’s establishing full control over the region. More than 100,000 Armenians fled their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh and moved to Armenia after Baku’s military operation. Only a few dozen ethnic Armenians are currently thought to remain in the region. The reported incident also comes as Armenia is hosting an autumn session of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly. Addressing the opening meeting of the three-day session in Yerevan on Saturday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian regretted that “Yerevan and Baku still speak different diplomatic languages” and that “we often do not understand each other.” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian addresses an OSCE Parliamentary Assembly session in Yerevan. . He also urged the Azerbaijani leadership to reaffirm their commitment to the principles for reaching a peace agreement that he said has been agreed upon by the parties during their recent negotiations mediated by the West. Azerbaijan has lately refused to attend several meetings with Armenia arranged by the European Union and the United States. Most recently Baku said it would not send its foreign minister to Washington to meet with his Armenian counterpart there on November 20 after allegedly “biased” remarks by a senior U.S. official. Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev were scheduled to meet on the fringes of the EU’s October 5 summit in Granada, Spain. Pashinian had hoped that they would sign there a document laying out the main parameters of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty. However, Aliyev withdrew from the talks at the last minute. The Azerbaijani leader also appears to have canceled another meeting which European Council President Charles Michel planned to host in Brussels later in October. Armenia Sees ‘Historic Opportunity’ For Peace With Azerbaijan Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonian addresses delegates to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly session in Yerevan. . There is a historic opportunity to establish peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonian said on Saturday. In his remarks at the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that opened in Yerevan on November 18 Simonian also stressed that Armenia is sincerely interested in settling relations with Turkey, in having open borders and transportation links in the region and in engaging in negotiations without preconditions. “I have a great hope that these negotiations will yield the desired results in the near future,” Simonian said, stressing that the region needs peace. He said that Armenia’s vision of peace is expressed in the Crossroads of Peace project that was recently unveiled by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian during an international forum in Tbilisi, Georgia. According to the Armenian parliament speaker, the essence of the project is as follows: “All countries of the region live with open borders, roads and infrastructures, are connected with each other by active economic, political, cultural ties, have accumulated experience and tradition of solving all issues with the tools of diplomacy and dialogue.” Addressing the same event, Pashinian regretted that “Yerevan and Baku still speak different diplomatic languages” and that “we often do not understand each other.” Stressing that Azerbaijan has not yet made a public reference to the three principles that he said have already been agreed upon by the sides and did not reaffirm its commitment to those principles, Pashinian said that this deepens the atmosphere of mistrust. “It also seems extremely suspicious that with the highest patronage in Azerbaijan and essentially at the official level, they have begun calling the Republic of Armenia ‘Western Azerbaijan.’ This seems to us to be a preparation for a new war, a new military aggression against Armenia, and it is one of the main obstacles to progress in the peace process,” the Armenian prime minister said. The three-day session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly that is taking place in the Karen Demirchian Sports and Concert Complex in Yerevan has brought together about 300 lawmakers from 47 countries. No delegates from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Russia are attending the session. Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Albert Nalbandian
The Situation In and Around Nagorno-Karabakh
US Mission to the OSCE
Nov 10 2023
As delivered by Deputy Chief of Mission Katherine Brucker
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
November 9, 2023
The United States supports the Armenian government’s efforts to help displaced persons who fled their homes following Azerbaijan’s September 19th military operation. We are working closely with Prime Minister Pashinyan’s government and humanitarian organizations to identify and provide bilateral assistance.
We note the October 16 to 23 visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan, including to Nagorno-Karabakh, by the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights. We urge Azerbaijan to allow unhindered access for international observers, NGOs, and journalists to Nagorno-Karabakh and conflict-affected areas, in part to help establish a clear channel of communication through which the displaced can receive information and ask questions about potential returns, for those who may wish to do so, either permanently or temporarily. Such observers should also be allowed to conduct independent and impartial assessments of allegations of human rights abuses and destruction and damage to religious and cultural sites.
The only acceptable path forward to a dignified and durable peace in the South Caucasus is through dialogue.
Acknowledgment of both Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s territory by size, commitment to border delimitation based on the 1991 Almaty Declaration and underlying maps, and guarantees that regional communication links will reciprocally respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, and jurisdiction will further the path to peace.
Outstanding political, economic, humanitarian, and security issues between Azerbaijan and Armenia remain a focus for the United States and we continue to encourage both parties at the highest levels to remain engaged in dialogue.
Armenia buys Zen Anti-Drone System from India – EurAsian Times
13:44, 8 November 2023
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has contracted to buy the India-developed Zen Anti-Drone System (ZADS), a Counter Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) designed to provide comprehensive security against drone attacks, EurAsian Times reported citing sources familiar with the deal.
Officials who did not wish to be identified confirmed to the EurAsian Times that Armenia has contracted the Hyderabad-based Zen Technologies for US$41.5 million for the anti-drone system order that includes both training solutions and an anti-drone system.
The anti-drone system from Zen Technologies works on drone detection, classification, and tracking of passive surveillance, camera sensors, and threat neutralization through jamming drone communication.
Zen Technologies Limited announced that at the board meeting held on October 28, 2023, it approved the establishment of a Branch office in Armenia to tap the business opportunity, including providing sales, support, and service.
The article mentioned that in 2022 India signed a contract to supply PINAKA multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRL), anti-tank munitions, and ammunition worth US$250 million to Armenia.
Nuclear Power Plant’s second lifespan extension project to be launched in 2024
16:24,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. The government will allocate 20,2 billion drams in 2024 for the double extension project of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant’s lifespan.
The project will be commenced in 2024, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan told lawmakers Tuesday.
He said there are two processes pertaining to the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant.
In 2024, 7 billion drams is envisaged for the first, ongoing extension project which began several years ago. “And next year we plan to start the double extension project, the purpose of which is to extend the nuclear power plant’s lifespan until 2036, with corresponding licenses,” Sanosyan said at a parliamentary committee hearing on the 2024 budget.
20,2 billion drams will be allocated next year for this project.
Asbarez: Despite Ukraine’s Overt Support for Baku, Yerevan Seeks to Advance Ties with Kyiv
Armenia's National Security chief Armen Grigoryan (left) meets with Ukrainian president's chief of staff Andriy Yermak in Malta on Oct. 28
For decades Ukraine has allied itself with Azerbaijan to a point that Kyiv not only sent assistance to Baku during the 2020 war, it also congratulated Azerbaijan on its “victory” after the war was over.
Now official Yerevan is making overtures to Kyiv with the aim of advancing cooperation between the two countries.
Whether this is stemming from the Armenian government’s ongoing campaign to alienate Russia or it is a by-product of Armenia’s obvious tilt toward the European Union, Yerevan is keen to push forward with this agenda.
Armenia’s National Security chief Armen Grigoryan met with Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak on Saturday in Malta, where the two discussed ways to strengthen relations between the two countries.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a brief meeting with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, on the sidelines of a European Union summit in Granada, Spain, where the two reportedly discussed the security in the South Caucasus.
In announcing the meeting on Saturday, Armenia’s Embassy in Kyiv made reference to the Granada meeting.
”During the meeting the importance of the first meeting of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was underscored, which took place on October 6 in Granada, Spain within the framework of the summit of the European Political Community,” a post on the social media platform X by Armenia’s embassy in Kyiv said on Saturday.
The embassy also said that Yermak “confirmed Ukraine’s commitment to strengthen cooperation with Armenia, particularly in European integration issues.”
“The parties congratulated each other on the election of Armenia and Ukraine to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and discussed the cooperation of the two countries within the framework of that organization and in the field of energy in general,” reads the statement,” the Armenian embassy added in its post.
Following Pashinyan’s meeting with Zelensky on October 5 in Spain, the Ukrainian leader welcomed efforts to strengthen ties between Kyiv and Yerevan.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meets with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in Granada, Spain on Oct. 6
“During our first-ever meeting, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and I focused on the security situation in the South Caucasus. Ukraine is interested in the region’s stability and friendly relations with its nations. We also discussed our bilateral cooperation and interregional economic projects,” Zelenskyy wrote on his X account at the time.
Before meeting with Pashinyan, however, Zelensky held a telephone conversation with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and reportedly thanked him for Baku’s significant humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Zelensky also reiterated his country’s respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the states.
The Pashinyan-Zelensky meeting in Spain was preceded by a visit to Kyiv by the Armenian leader’s wife, Anna Hakopyan, who participated in the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in September.
Hakopyan also brought with her Armenia’s humanitarian assistance to Ukraine’s schoolchildren, for which she was thanked by Zelensky’s chief of staff when he met with Grigoryan on Saturday, according to the Armenian embassy.
Pashinyan’s meeting with Zelensky, as well as Hakopyan’s visit to Kyiv, did not go unnoticed by Moscow.
Russian officials warned that Pashinyan was “becoming the next Zelensky” and was being influenced by the EU and the West to do their bidding in the region.
After Hakopyan’s visit to Kyiv last month, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Armenia’s ambassador to Russia to the foreign ministry for “difficult” talks after Armenia signed off on the “transfer of humanitarian aid to Kyiv’s Nazi regime.”
Armenpress: Deputy Speaker of Parliament Arshakyan lauds Canada’s decision to open embassy in Armenia as sign of stronger ties
09:53,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hakob Arshakyan and his delegation held a meeting with Canadian Senator, member of the Canadian delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Salma Ataullahjan within the framework of the IPU 147th Assembly.
Arshakyan lauded the friendly ties based on mutual respect and trust between Armenia and Canada ever since establishing diplomatic ties and appreciated the significant contribution of the Armenian community of Canada in strengthening bilateral cooperation, the parliament’s press service said in a readout.
The Deputy Speaker said that the opening of the Canadian embassy in Armenia is yet another important step in strengthening bilateral ties and that it can be considered as the result of the productive joint work of the governments of the two countries.
Arshakyan presented the situation resulting from the September 19 Azeri attack against Nagorno-Karabakh which has led to the ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population.
Azerbaijan’s aggressive policy against Armenia’s territorial integrity resulting in the occupation of over 150 square km of Armenian territory was also discussed.
“Armenia has adopted an agenda of peace and expects the international community’s support in this issue,” Arshakyan said. He presented the idea of the Crossroads of Peace initiated by Armenia, stressing the importance of a roadmap for regional peace. A number of issues related to the regional situation and cooperation between the two countries were also discussed.
Members of Parliament Tsovinar Vardanyan and Arsen Torosyan are part of the Deputy Speaker’s delegation.
Asbarez: PACE Condemns Azerbaijan for ‘Clear Disregard’ of International Norms; Warns of Ethnic Cleansing
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Thursday adopted a resolution strongly condemning the military operation launched by the Azerbaijani army in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19, as well as what it called Baku’s “clear disregard” for international norms. It also warned Azerbaijan that “the practice of ethnic cleansing, may give rise to individual criminal responsibility under international law.”
In its resolution, the PACE noted the lack of acknowledgment on the part of the leadership of Azerbaijan for the very serious humanitarian and human rights consequences stemming from the blockade of the Lachin Corridor. The factual situation today, with the massive exodus of the almost entire Armenian population from this region, has led to allegations and reasonable suspicion that this can amount to ethnic cleansing.
“The Assembly notes in this respect that the practice of ethnic cleansing, may give rise to individual criminal responsibility under international law, in so far as it has the characteristics of specific war crimes (ordering the displacement of civilian population) or crimes against humanity (deportation or forcible transfer of population and persecution against any identifiable group), in accordance with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and general international law. The Assembly notes the strong statements of Azerbaijan refuting such allegations and suspicions and calls upon the authorities to spare no efforts in proving in deeds and words that this is not the case,” emphasized the resolution.
“The Assembly notes that this military operation took place after a ten-month period during which the Armenian population of this region has been denied free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor, the only road allowing it to reach Armenia and the rest of the world, leading to a situation of extremely acute food and supply shortages and high vulnerability of all inhabitants,” said the resolution.
“This was in clear disregard of the provisional and interim measures addressed to Azerbaijan by the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights, whose decisions also noted the obligation of Azerbaijan under the 2020 Trilateral Statement to ‘guarantee the security of persons, vehicles and cargo moving along the Lachin Corridor in both directions,’” the PACE emphasized.
“The Assembly deeply regrets that just at a time when the situation concerning the transport of the humanitarian supply to the population seemed to improve and a glimpse of hope was emerging, Azerbaijan took the decision to launch this show of force. Indeed, the combination of acute food and supply shortages for the population over a period of months, followed by a military operation and the opening of the corridor towards Armenia for departures, following each other in such short succession, could be perceived as being designed to incite the civilian population to leave the country,” added the resolution.
“The Assembly strongly believes that this long-standing and tragic conflict can only be resolved peacefully, through dialogue and unambiguous signals of goodwill, and on the basis of the applicable international law, fully respecting the human rights of everyone living there,” the PACE observed.
“Strongly regretting that almost the entire Armenian population of the region – more than 100,600 persons at the time of the adoption of this resolution – has left its ancestral homeland and fled to Armenia, certainly out of genuine fear and a lack of trust in their future treatment by the Azerbaijani authorities, the Assembly recognizes the huge responsibility now placed upon Armenia to cope with the refugee crisis underway,” the text of the resolution said.
“It [PACE] welcomes the declarations of support and solidarity clearly expressed in Armenia for the refugees and calls on the Council of Europe member States to accompany Armenia in this endeavor by providing not only financial support but also expertise, in particular in the area of mental health and psychological support for this traumatized population. The Council of Europe member States should also be ready to demonstrate European solidarity in welcoming a part of the refugee population, should those persons wish to settle elsewhere,” the resolution said.
“The Assembly regrets the human tragedy unfolding today, as well as the long-standing and continuing failure on the part of the authorities of Azerbaijan to reassure the Armenian population of this region of their safety and the full respect of their rights, and to guarantee an approach to their future, free of acts or expressions of reprisals or revenge for the events which took place in the 1990s and during the 2020 war,” the assembly said.
Armenians in Israel willing to leave told to contact embassy
13:04,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenian citizens in Israel who want to leave the country and return to Armenia are urged to send the copy of their passport, along with the paper verifying their entry to Israel in case of having one, to the Armenian embassy at [email protected].
The embassy said it will also gather information on the persons of Armenian ethnicity who don’t have Armenian citizenship.
Additional information will be provided on the availability of flights.
Photo by TPS IL
AW Letter to the Editor: Is Artsakh a test of Armenian fortitude?
April 15, 1915: Hidden from the conscience of mankind, 1.5 million Christian Armenian men, women and children perished under the hand of the Ottoman Turks—a crime against humanity now known as one of the first genocides of the 20th century.
September 19, 2023: 108 years later, in full view of the eyes, ears and conscience of mankind, 120,000 Christian Armenian men, women and children, living in the Armenian enclave of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), are forced to flee for their lives, a consequence of “ethnic cleansing” and terrorism, inflicted on them by the Azerbaijan regime, a perfect example of genocide in the 21st century.
Preceding the horror of September 19, 2023, the Azerbaijani regime executed an over nine-month blockade of the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor, the only route connecting Artsakh to the outside world. This blockade resulted in dire consequences for the indigenous Armenians living there. They were deprived of food, necessary living supplies, medical and emergency care. Store shelves were barren. There was mass unemployment. Schools were closed. Families were separated. Armenians were being decimated by “ethnic cleansing,” and the deafening silence of the world was stunning.
Armenians around the globe are grieving, lamenting the loss of life and suffering of our fellow Armenians in Artsakh. Knowing that thousands of helpless, innocent human beings were forced to leave their homes with only the clothes on their backs and a bag holding their belongings is gut wrenching. We, with the support and resources of our secular and religious organizations, are working tirelessly to provide life-saving assistance, including food, water, shelter and sanitation to the thousands of victims of this humanitarian catastrophe. We are so grateful to all the non-Armenian people, countries and organizations around the world who are helping and supporting us in this time of crisis and upheaval.
Politics is a dirty business. It is the convergence of power, money and people. Unfortunately, Armenia is inadequately prepared for the realities of defending itself and Artsakh in the political environment in which it currently exists. It has become the leaderless casualty of an unjust war, caught in the crosshairs of a changing political alignment and balance of power.
The words of Raffi, the legendary Armenian writer and patriot, ring true today, as they did in 1915. He instilled in the Armenian psyche the ideas of education, self-reliance, love of nation and love of freedom. “Armenians,” he preached, “Take up arms and defend yourself. Don’t expect others to defend you!”
It is imperative that we, the descendants of the Genocide of 1915, heed Raffi’s words, embrace the battle cry “Never Again,” and take the necessary steps to prepare ourselves for an uncertain and challenging future. It is said that great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice. Let the tragedy that has befallen our sisters and brothers in Artsakh be Armenia’s impetus for initiating a compelling, bold and aggressive blueprint for change and justice—one that will energize and stimulate its economy; strengthen and mobilize its military; and expand and bolster its political policies and alliances in preparation for the hurdles that lie ahead. What we Armenians say and do in the days, months and years ahead will be a test of our mettle, wisdom, judgment, resilience and unity.
It is imperative that Armenia avenge the pain, suffering and death of its compatriots who were forced to flee Artsakh. The best revenge for the victim is to seek and secure the justice they deserve. Armenia must hold President Ilham Aliyev and the Azerbaijani regime accountable for their criminal actions by demanding the International Criminal Court prosecute Azerbaijan for war crimes and genocide. It is the moral duty and obligation of all Armenians to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to make our enemies pay the price for the atrocities they have inflicted upon our people. Artsakh’s pain is our pain. Armenia’s future is our future. Our fight has just begun. Time will tell if we have the brains, guts and fortitude to stay the course and strike back.
Hazel Barsamian
Scottsdale, Arizona
EU, Russia and US held secret talks days before Nagorno-Karabakh blitz
POLITICO
Oct 4 2023
BY GABRIEL GAVIN, NAHAL TOOSI AND ERIC BAZAIL-EIMIL
Top officials from the United States and the EU met with their Russian counterparts for undisclosed emergency talks in Turkey designed to resolve the standoff over Nagorno-Karabakh, just days before Azerbaijan launched a military offensive last month to seize the breakaway territory from ethnic Armenian control.
The off-diary meeting marks a rare — if ultimately unsuccessful — contact between Moscow and the West on a major security concern, after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 upended regular diplomacy.
A senior diplomat with knowledge of the discussions told POLITICO the meeting took place on September 17 in Istanbul as part of efforts to pressure Azerbaijan to end its nine-month blockade of the enclave and allow in humanitarian aid convoys from Armenia. According to the envoy, the meeting focused on “how to get the bloody trucks moving” and ensure supplies of food and fuel could reach its estimated 100,000 residents.
The U.S. was represented by Louis Bono, Washington’s senior adviser for Caucasus negotiations, while the EU dispatched Toivo Klaar, its representative for the region. Russia, meanwhile, sent Igor Khovaev, who serves as Putin’s special envoy on relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Such high-level diplomatic interaction is rare. In March, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov came face to face on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in India — but Moscow insisted the exchange happened “on the move” and no negotiations were held.
In a statement provided to POLITICO, an EU official said “we believe it is important to maintain channels of communications with relevant interlocutors to avoid misunderstandings.” The official also observed Klaar had sought to keep lines open on numerous fronts over the “past years,” including in talks with Khovaev and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department declined to comment on the meeting, saying only that “we do not comment on private diplomatic discussions.”
However, a U.S. official familiar with the matter who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic matters explained the discussions came out of an understanding that the Kremlin still holds sway in the region. “We need to be able to work with the Russians on this because they do have influence over the parties, especially as we’re at a precarious moment right now,” the American official said.
Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19, sending tanks and troops into the region under the cover of heavy artillery bombardment. Karabakh Armenian leaders were forced to surrender following 24 hours of fierce fighting that killed hundreds on both sides. Since then, the Armenian government says more than 100,000 people have fled their homes and crossed the border, fearing for their lives.
Azerbaijan insists it has the right to take action against “illegal armed formations” on its internationally recognized territory, and has pledged to “reintegrate” those who have stayed behind. European Council President Charles Michel described the military operation as “devastating,” while Blinken has joined calls for Azerbaijan “to refrain from further hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh and provide unhindered humanitarian access.”