Author: Alex Jidarian

Armenia permanent delegate: UNESCO mission needs to be urgently sent to Karabakh, neighboring areas

Alex Jidarian
NEWS.am
Armenia – May 16 2023
16:16, 16.05.2023

The 216th meeting of the UNESCO Executive Board started Monday at the UNESCO headquarters. Ambassador Christian Ter-Stepanian, Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCO, delivered an address during the first plenary session held on the same day, the foreign ministry of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Referring to the activities being carried out by UNESCO in emergency and war situations, the permanent delegate of Armenia recalled the current situation as a result of the military aggression unleashed by the armed forces of Azerbaijan on the sovereign territory of Armenia on September 13, 2022.

Ter-Stepanian, expressed his conviction that UNESCO bears responsibility for all those people whose right to education is violated. In that context, he recalled the consequences of Azerbaijan's blocking of the Lachin corridor for the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, including the violation of the right to education of 30,000 children. He reaffirmed the urgency of sending the UN inter-agency fact-finding mission due to the described situation.

Also in his remarks, the permanent delegate of Armenia to UNESCO expressed concern regarding the threats to the Armenian cultural heritage in the Karabakh territories now controlled by Azerbaijan, particularly in the regions of Shushi and Hadrut. In that context, Ambassador Ter-Stepanian reaffirmed the desire to urgently send a UNESCO mission to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories.

In his address, the permanent delegate of Armenia to UNESCO reflected also a number of joint initiatives implemented by UNESCO and Armenia and which are in the current phase.

The Investigative Committee of Armenia, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation sign a Memorandum of Cooperation

Alex Jidarian

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 19:50,

YEREVAN, MAY 15, ARMENPRESS. Cooperation between the Investigative Committee of Armenia and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the US Department of Justice is entering a qualitatively new phase.

As ARMENPRESS was informed by the Investigative Committee of Armenia, on May 16, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the two structures, which was signed by the Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee Arsen Ayvazyan from the Armenian side, and on the other hand by the Heather Berg, Attaché of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in Armenia and Georgia.

"This important event was attended by the Chairman of the Investigative Committee, Argishti Kyaramyan, and the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the USA to the Republic of Armenia, Kristina Kvien.

The memorandum of cooperation is aimed at combining the efforts of the Criminal Investigation Department of Armenia and the US FBI in the fight against transnational crimes and increasing their efficiency.

It refers to the fight against cybercrime, kidnapping, organized crime, illegal international activities in the economic, financial and banking spheres, including money laundering, all forms of illegal migration, trafficking, as well as other types of crimes.

During the meeting with the US Ambassador, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Armenia considered the signing of the memorandum extremely important, which will enable to regulate and make the legal cooperation between the two countries more systematic, raising it to a new qualitative level. The chairman of the Investigative Committee expressed hope that the day-by-day deepening cooperation between the law enforcement structures will be continuous.

In her turn, Ambassador Kristina Kvien considered the signing of the memorandum an important move for the comprehensive fight against transnational crime from the point of view of strengthening cooperation at all levels of international law enforcement agencies and preventing the increase in the threat of crime. She noted that the embassy will continue to contribute to the deepening of cooperation between Armenia and US law enforcement structures.

‘Little chance’ of signing peace treaty on May 14, says Armenian PM

Alex Jidarian

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 11:26,

YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on May 11 that there is little chance of Armenia and Azerbaijan signing a peace treaty on May 14 in Brussels.

He said that despite the May 11 Azeri aggression against Armenia, he will travel to Brussels for a meeting with Azerbaijani leader Aliyev, as planned.

“First of all I’d like to answer a question. How likely is it for a peace treaty with Azerbaijan to be signed Sunday? Unfortunately, there’s very little possibility for that, because the draft bilateral agreement on peace and interstate relations still has a very preliminary form, and it is still too early to speak about signing it. On the other hand, we need to mature this document as soon as possible and prepare it for signing,” the Armenian PM said at the Cabinet meeting.

Difficult to recall any joint document that Azerbaijan hasn’t breached so far, says Pashinyan

Alex Jidarian

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 12:22,

YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that with its latest actions in the direction of Sotk, Azerbaijan is calling into question the fundamental agreements that have been reached on 6 October 2022 in Prague and 31 October in Sochi.

“These documents emphasize that Armenia and Azerbaijan are recognizing each other’s territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. The questions that arises in this context is the following: If Azerbaijan recognizes Armenia’s territorial integrity, then why does it fire on the sovereign territory of our country, especially when the sides should refrain from the use of force or the threat of force under the 2022 Sochi trilateral statement. Today, Azerbaijan again grossly violated these written, public agreements and generally it is difficult to recall any joint document that Azerbaijan hasn’t violated so far,” Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

Yerevan Has No Intention of ‘Dismantling’ Nemesis Monument

Alex Jidarian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 May 9, 2023

 

in Armenia, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

"Nemesis," a monument dedicated to the heroes of "Operation Nemesis" was inaugurated in Yerevan on Apr. 25


Amid threats from Ankara, including the closure of Turkey’s airspace to overflights by an Armenian airline, over the unveiling of a monument to the heroes of Operation Nemesis, Yerevan city hall on Tuesday signaled that city officials have no intention of “dismantling” the Nemesis Monument.

The Yerevan municipality made the statement in response to a query from Azatutyun.am’s Armenian Service, which had asked for clarification given threats of reprisals from Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Cavusoglu demanded that Armenia demolish the monument, calling it an affront to Turks and Azerbaijanis. He warned Yerevan that if the monument is not removed Ankara will “take retaliatory measures.”

In an interview with Azatutyun.am last week, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the decision to create the monument “wrong.”

Armenia’s National Security chief Armen Grigoryan told reporters on Tuesday that whether or not to have such a monument was a domestic issue for Armenia and “no one has the right to interfere in these issues.” He said that the issue of the the monument was within the purview of local government officials.

Grigoryan emphasized that normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey should proceed without preconditions.

Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan directly corollated the heightened rhetoric from Ankara on the monument to the upcoming elections in Turkey.

“Let’s not forget that there are [presidential and parliamentary] election processes in that country [Turkey] and many statements should be viewed from that point of view,” Hovhannisyan told reporters on Tuesday, saying that election campaigns tend to become “emotional.”

Yerevan finds Ankara’s Reaction to ‘Nemesis’ Monument ‘Unfortunate’

Alex Jidarian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 May 5, 2023

 

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

Armenia's Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan is in Ankara for the Parliamentary Assembly of BSEC


A representative of Armenia said on Friday that it was “unfortunate” that Ankara reacted to the unveiling of a monument dedicated to the heroes of Operation Nemesis in a negative manner.

Speaker of Armenia’s Parliament Alen Simonyan, who is representing Armenia at the Black Sea Economic Council’s parliamentary assembly being held in Ankara, told reporters that the installation of the monument should not be “perceived as foreign policy or unfriendly step” by Ankara.

Turkey closed its airspace to overflights by FlyOne Armenia airlines on April 29. This week Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu cited the unveiling of the monument as the reason for Ankara’s decision.

The State Department voiced concern over the Turkey’s decision to close its airspace, saying it contradicted the agreements reached between Ankara and Yerevan, as the two are in the midst of normalization talks.

“I regret that the installation of the monument received such a reaction in Turkey. I’ve discussed this issue with my Turkish colleague. The decision [on installing the monument] was made in the local self-government body. And I wouldn’t want the installation of the monument to be perceived here as a display of Armenia’s state, foreign policy or an unfriendly step,” Simonyan told Turkish media.

He stressed that foreign policy is conducted by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister in Armenia, and everyone has witnessed the decisions made on these levels in the past months.

“We must realize that reasons or occasions for deteriorating relations can always be found, if desired. I could have found a thousand different reasons for not traveling to Turkey. But I am here to tell the Turkish public that Armenia is ready for peace and normalization of relations without preconditions,” Simonyan said.

He said that Armenia is absolutely sincere in its aspirations and desires for normalizing relations. “If there is political will, a decision to establish relations, we must understand that this won’t be an easy road. But nevertheless, let’s move forward. I hope that our Turkish colleagues will also move forward and we will use this historic opportunity to open a new chapter for us and the region,” Simonyan said.

Simonyan is leading a delegation of Armenian lawmakers to Ankara to attend the 30th sitting of the Parliamentary Assembly of BSEC.

During his presentation to the assembly on Thursday, Simonyan said Azerbaijan continued its provocations and aggressive policy toward Armenia and Karabakh, citing the more than four-month-old blockade of Artsakh as an example.

“At this moment, it has already been five months that Azerbaijan has grossly violating the provisions of Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020. It has blockaded the Lachin Corridor, the only life road of Nagorno Karabakh, which under the direct control the peacekeepers from the Russian Federation. This has resulted in a humanitarian crisis. On April 23, Azerbaijan set up an illegal checkpoint at the starting point of the Lachin Corridor. Though the Azerbaijani side insists that the Corridor is open, but actually it continues to remain closed for free flow of traffic,” Simonyan said.

“The crisis has had a wide international response. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the UN International Court of Justice made decisions on unblocking of the Lachin Corridor, which were despised by officials is Baku,” added Simonyan who also addressed the fact that Azerbaijan continues to hold Armenian prisoners of war captive.

One ceasefire violation recorded in Karabakh in past day – Russian Defense Ministry

Alex Jidarian
 TASS 
Russia –
No casualties

MOSCOW, April 29. /TASS/. One ceasefire violation has been recorded in the Askeran areas of Nagorno-Karabakh; there were no casualties, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday in a bulletin on the Russian peacekeeping group’s activities in the conflict area.

"A ceasefire violation has been recorded in the Askeran districts. There were no casualties," the statement said. "The command of the Russian peacekeeping group alongside the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides are looking into the incident."

The Russian Defense Ministry added that it maintained continuous interaction with the General Staffs of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia in order to ensure security of Russian peacekeepers and to avoid any potential incidents.

"The fatal mistake of Russian peacekeeper command in Karabakh." Comment from Baku

Alex Jidarian


  • JAMnews
  • Baku

Change of Russian peacekeeper command

There has been a rotation of the commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh — Andrei Volkov was replaced by Alexander Lentsov. The new commander has already managed to hold several meetings. According to an Azerbaijani expert, these meetings predetermined the fate of the peacekeepers in the region.

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Immediately after arriving in Karabakh, Colonel-General Alexander Lentsov met with the president of the unrecognized NKR, Arayik Harutyunyan. A day later, the new head of the RMC went to Yerevan to meet with the Minister of Defense of Armenia.

Azerbaijani political commentator Haji Namazov commented on Lentsov’s first steps for JAMnews.

According to Namazov, Lentsov has made the same mistake as his predecessors.

Azerbaijan has installed a Checkpoint on the Lachin road — international and local response to the situation

“Immediately after arriving in Khojaly, where the headquarters of the peacekeepers is located, he met with the so-called President of the illegal regime in Khankendi, and after that he left for Armenia to meet with the Minister of Defense of Armenia.

Probably then he will meet with the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan. But it will be later. Why is this a mistake, even an unforgivable oversight by the RCC commanders?

“The Caucasus is the East, and as you know, this is a delicate matter. Here they pay attention to the subtleties that might go unnoticed in the same West.

Karabakh is a territory of Azerbaijan recognized by the entire international community. Previously it was de jure, but now it is quite de facto. It can be confidently said that after April 23, when Azerbaijan took control of the entire perimeter of its own state borders, Karabakh cannot be called some kind of special territory, over which there is no control of official Baku.

Farhad Mammadov gives his assessment of possible developments after the Azerbaijan checkpoint was established in the Lachin corridor

And the general appointed by Moscow is first of all obliged to meet and introduce himself to the owners of these territories, that is, to the government of Azerbaijan. But that’s the last thing he’ll do, if he’s allowed to. Apparently, such instruction was given to Lentsov and his predecessors from Moscow. Everyone knows that without the consent of the Kremlin, the commanders of the contingent do not allow themselves a single step in Karabakh.”

Namazov discussed possible further developments around the peacekeeping mission in Karabakh:

“Everyone in Azerbaijan sees this, observes what is happening and remembers it. And there is no reason to hope that after everything official Baku will be inclined to listen to Lentsov and try to find a common language with him.

Azerbaijan in 2020 and beyond proved that it is the master of the situation in the region, and no decision can be imposed on it against its will.

Now it only remains to watch how Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh will unsuccessfully seek at least some concessions from Baku. Taking into account all the experience of their stay in the region, it can be said with confidence that there will be no differences from what was before Lentsov. The mistake has already been made.”

https://jam-news.net/change-of-russian-peacekeeper-command/

Vice-president of International Weightlifting Federation says the championship organized in Yerevan is one of the best

Alex Jidarian

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 20:43,

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. The ongoing European Weightlifting Championship, which is held in Yerevan, is one of the best, Attila Adamfi, vice-president of the International Weightlifting Federation, told ARMENPRESS.

– Mr. Adamfi, in your opinion, how is the ongoing European weightlifting championship organized?

– I have had the honor to participate in a number of European and world championships and I can say with certainty that comparing a number of championships I have seen, this is one of the best. Complex and painstaking work has been done to present the sport correctly. Everything is great, starting with the marketing campaigns. I am in Armenia for the first time and when I went out for a walk, I immediately met a sporty mood. You can see billboards everywhere on the streets, and when you enter the subway, you are immediately informed about the tournament. Again, this is one of the best works I've seen. It is also important how the tournament is presented on TV, and in this case again a good job was done.

– How would you assess the conditions created for the delegations that arrived in Armenia?

– I see how the athletes train before the competitions, I see under what conditions the competitions are held, my assessment is again that everything is done fantastically well. It is very important that there are appropriate conditions for athletes. And I regularly inquire about hotel conditions, passenger transportation, food. These are things that I cannot personally evaluate. And I get the same assessment from different groups: everything is great. In addition to well-organized work, the attitude of the Armenian people is also very important. Everyone is warmly welcomed here. We all feel good in Armenia.

– What do you think, can Armenia host such an event again in the near future?

– I can answer in one word: yes. There are no totally trouble-free championships, the important thing is to solve them quickly. The interdepartmental committee for the preparation and organization of the European Weightlifting Championship 2023 is made up of professional people. This team can do more.

Azerbaijan pulls out weightlifters following ‘barbaric’ flag-burning at weightlifting championship in Armenia [+links]

Alex Jidarian
India –
AFP

Footage from the opening ceremony of the European Weightlifting Championships in Yerevan on Friday showed a man running to the stage, snatching Azerbaijan's flag from a flag-bearer and setting it on fire.


Azerbaijan said on Saturday it was withdrawing its athletes from an international weightlifting competition hosted in the capital of rival Armenia after a flag-burning incident. The two ex-Soviet Caucasus nations are locked in a decades-long dispute over Azerbaijan's Armenian-majority region of Nagorno-Karabakh. They went to war twice — in the 1990s and most recently in 2020 — over the mountainous breakaway region.


Footage from the opening ceremony of the European Weightlifting Championships in Yerevan on Friday showed a man running to the stage, snatching Azerbaijan's flag from a flag-bearer and setting it on fire.


Azerbaijan's ministry of youth and sports said in a joint statement with the National Olympic Committee that it decided to bring its athletes home following what it described as a "barbaric act" at the ceremony.

"In conditions when such an atmosphere of hatred prevails in Armenia, security is not ensured, the normal participation of Azerbaijani athletes in competitions is impossible due to the psychological pressure," the statement said. "Politicising sport is absolutely unacceptable," it added, urging the European Weightlifting Federation to impose sanctions on Armenia.

Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said it "strongly condemns" the incident and called on Armenia to "immediately bring to justice" the person responsible.

Local media said Armenian police briefly detained the man responsible, designer Aram Nikolyan, and, according to his lawyer, he was released without charges.

Armenia's ministry of education, science, culture and sports in a statement denied there were any risks for athletes taking part in the competition.

"The incident that occurred during the opening ceremony, which was resolved very quickly, has nothing to do with guarantees of safety of the athletes," it said.

https://www.wionews.com/sports/azerbaijan-pulls-out-weightlifters-following-barbaric-flag-burning-at-weightlifting-championship-in-armenia-582808

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Azerbaijan weightlifers leave Armenia after flag burned - https://www.newsday.com/sports/azerbaijan-weightlifters-leave-armenia-after-flag-burned-ntzknfuv

Azerbaijan weightlifters leave Armenia after flag burned  –