Press remarks by President Charles Michel following trilateral meeting with Prez Aliyev of Azerbaijan and PM Pashinyan of Armenia

July 15 2023

We have just finished the sixth meeting with President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan.

Our exchanges have once again been frank, honest and substantive.

Our meeting was the latest in a series of intensive and productive high-level meetings involving Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s leaders, Deputy Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers since early May, in Brussels, Chișinău, Washington, Moscow and on the bilateral border.

We are going through one of the most comprehensive and vigorous stages of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

I commended the leaders for their strong commitment to the peace process and encouraged them to take further courageous steps to ensure decisive and irreversible progress on the normalisation track.

And even though our meeting took place in the context of a worrying increase in tensions on the ground, I noted important momentum in the political discussions and efforts.

We discussed all issues on the agenda.

  1. Sovereignty and territorial integrity

The Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders once again fully reconfirmed their respect for the other country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Based on the understanding that Armenia’s territory covers 29.800 km2 and Azerbaijan’s 86.600 km2.

  1. Border delimitation

Both leaders reconfirmed their unequivocal commitment to the 1991 Almaty Declaration as a political framework for the delimitation.

I welcomed the 12 July meeting of the two border commissions. Work has advanced on the statutes of these commissions and on discussions regarding the basis for delimitation.

And — this is very important — the leaders agreed to intensify and accelerate the work of the commissions.

  1. Connectivity

On connectivity, the sides have also made clear progress over the past two months in their discussions aimed at unblocking transport and economic links in the region.

We discussed modalities of future transport arrangements which will respect the principles of sovereignty, jurisdiction and reciprocity.

The construction of the railway connection should be undertaken forthwith. The EU would be ready to contribute financially.

Some details still require clarification, but positions on this topic are now getting closer and options are being actively explored.

  1. Humanitarian supplies

We discussed the situation of the Karabakh Armenian population and the situation around the Lachin corridor. The current state of affairs is clearly not sustainable and is in no one’s interest.

We also discussed possible concrete steps to help bring the situation back to normal.

I emphasised the need to open the Lachin road. I also noted Azerbaijan’s willingness to provide humanitarian supplies via Aghdam. I see both options as important and encourage humanitarian deliveries from both sides to ensure the needs of the population are met.

I also welcomed the resumption of medical evacuations by the ICRC.

  1. Rights and security

The population on the ground needs reassurances, first and foremost regarding their rights and security.

In this context, I expressed the EU’s encouragement for direct dialogue between Baku and representatives of Armenians living in the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.

This dialogue should provide much-needed confidence for all those involved.  

  1. Detainees

We also discussed the issue of detainees.

The leaders reconfirmed their commitment to the gentlemen’s understanding that the release of soldiers who inadvertently cross to the other side would be facilitated.

I advocated for the release by both sides of detainees.

The importance of ensuring increased cooperation in addressing the fate of missing persons and on demining was also discussed, and I once again called on the sides to exchange as much information as possible.

  1. Follow-up

We agreed that our teams will remain in close contact to ensure concrete follow-up on what has been discussed today.

Real progress depends on the next steps that will need to be taken in the near future. As a matter of priority, violence and harsh rhetoric should stop in order to provide the proper environment for peace and normalisation talks.

I also reiterated my intention to invite the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders for another meeting in Brussels after the summer, as well as for another pentalateral meeting, with the participation also of the leaders of France and Germany, in Granada in the margins of the next European Political Community Summit.

 Barend Leyts
Spokesperson for the European Council President
 +32 486 22 68 65
 +32 2 281 5150
 @BarendLeyts

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https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/07/15/press-remarks-by-president-charles-michel-following-trilateral-meeting-with-president-aliyev-of-azerbaijan-and-prime-minister-pashinyan-of-armenia/











Azerbaijan, Armenia hold peace talks


Bangladesh – July 15 2023


AFP - Azerbaijan and Armenia held a fresh round of EU-mediated peace talks on Saturday, as Baku accused Armenian separatists in its breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region of using radio interference against passenger aircraft.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Brussels for talks aimed at resolving their decades-long conflict for the control of Armenian-populated Karabakh, the foreign ministry in Baku said in a statement.

European Council President Charles Michel was mediating the discussions, which come amid renewed tensions after Azerbaijan closed temporarily the Lachin corridor, the sole land link between Karabakh and Armenia.

Adding to the standoff, Azerbaijan’s defence ministry said Armenian separatist forces in Karabakh ‘use radio interference against GPS navigation systems of local and foreign airlines’ passenger aircraft flying through our country’s airspace.’

The alleged interference impacted two Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft on Thursday, the ministry said.

‘Such incidents pose a serious threat to aviation safety,’ according to the statement.

Karabakh’s rebel authorities denied the claims, calling them an ‘absolute lie.’

On Friday, some 6,000 people rallied in Karabakh to demand the reopening of the Lachin corridor.

Local separatists, warning of a humanitarian crisis, urged Moscow to ensure free movement through the road.

Azerbaijan later allowed the Red Cross to resume medical evacuations from Karabakh to Armenia.

Karabakh has been at the centre of a decades-long territorial dispute between the two countries, which have fought two wars over the mountainous territory, mainly populated by Armenians.

In autumn 2020, Russia sponsored a ceasefire agreement that ended six weeks of fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces for control of Karabakh.

The deal saw Armenia cede swathes of territories it had controlled for decades, while Russia deployed peacekeepers which are manning the five-kilometre-wide Lachin Corridor to ensure free passage between Armenia and Karabakh.

Baku and Yerevan have been seeking to negotiate a peace agreement with the help of the European Union and United States, whose diplomatic engagement in the Caucasus has irked traditional regional power broker Russia.

During previous rounds of Western-mediated talks, Baku and Yerevan have made some progress towards preparing the text of a peace agreement, but its signature remains a distant prospect.

Yerevan agreed to recognise Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, but demanded international mechanisms for protecting the rights and security of the region’s ethnic-Armenian population.

Baku insists such guarantees must be provided at the national level, rejecting any international format.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ethnic Armenian separatists in Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan. The ensuing conflict claimed some 30,000 lives.

Russia strongly urges Azerbaijan to unblock the Lachin Corridor

 16:38,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Russia strongly calls on the leadership of Azerbaijan to take urgent measures to immediately unblock the Lachin Corridor, ARMENPRESS reports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation said in a message.

The Russian Foreign Ministry considered worrying the fact that today the situation around Nagorno Karabakh is developing in a negative scenario.

"The humanitarian crisis is deepening. The population has an acute shortage of food, medicine, basic necessities, is practically deprived of electricity and gas. This can bring the most dramatic consequences for the Armenians of Karabakh, the ordinary residents of the region. We strongly call on the leadership of Azerbaijan to take urgent measures to immediately unblock the Lachin Corridor, to resume the unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles, and cargo in both directions, as well as to restore energy supply," the statement said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation also noted that Armenia recognized Nagorno Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan in the meetings held under the auspices of the EU in October 2022 and in May 2023.

"We respect the sovereign decision of the leadership of Armenia, but it radically changed the fundamental conditions under which the declaration of the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan was signed on November 9, 2020, as well as the status of the Russian peacekeeping force deployed in the region. We believe that under these conditions, the responsibility for the fate of the Armenian population of Karabakh should not be transferred to third countries. It is necessary to immediately start the preparation of the peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan, based on the previously reached agreements," said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The Russian side emphasized that reliable and clear guarantees of the rights and security of the Armenians of Karabakh should be an integral part of this agreement, as well as the strict implementation of the entire set of tripartite agreements between Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the unblocking of transport communications and the start of the process of delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The Russian Foreign Ministry added, taking into account the above, the Russian side confirms its determination to actively contribute to the efforts of the international community aimed at restoring normal life in Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia is ready to organize a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers in Moscow in the near future to discuss ways to implement agreements at the highest level, including the issue of agreeing on a peace treaty with the prospect of organizing a Russian-Azerbaijani-Armenian summit for the signing of that document.

Azerbaijan initiates Criminal Case against ICRC as its vehicles helped illegally smuggle goods to Armenia

Pakistan – July 11 2023

BAKU, Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan has initiated a Criminal Case against the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for allegedly aiding in illegal smuggling of various types of goods to Armenia as well as temperately suspended the trade passing through the “Lachin” Border Checkpoint.

The Criminal Case has been launched under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan while the “Lachin” State Border Checkpoint will remain closed till necessary investigative measures are completed.

The State Border Service told AZERTAC – the official News Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan – since the establishment of the “Lachin” Border Checkpoint on the border with the Republic of Armenia, necessary conditions have been created for the passage of ICRC vehicles across the state border, subject to appropriate border and customs clearance.

However, over the past period, employees of the State Border Service have repeatedly detected attempts to smuggle various types of goods in ICRC vehicles. In particular:

  • At about 16:41 on 1 July 2023, 15 undeclared mobile telephones were discovered by border guard personnel hidden in the hand luggage of the Reno vehicle with the license plate 35-VX-480, driven by Garik Hartunyan, Armenian citizen, born on 17 June 1976 (passport: AT0573343), who was proceeding from Armenia to Azerbaijan.
  • At about 15:52 on 3 July 2023, a total of 115 undeclared mobile phone screens, 10 mobile phone boards, 120 mobile phone chargers and one screen protector were discovered by border guard personnel hidden among the hand luggage in the passenger compartment of the UAZ vehicle with the license plate 768-UU-22, driven by Vrezh Grigoryan, Armenian national, born on 12 April 1977 (passport: AU040291), who was proceeding from Armenia to Azerbaijan.
  • At about 16:10 on 5 July 2023, a total of 848 packets of cigarettes of 17 brands and 320 litres of petrol in a separate tank were discovered by border guard personnel in the passenger compartment of an Iveco truck with the license plate 711-FF-11, driven by Sasun Harutyunyan, Armenian citizen, born on 26 April 1981 (passport: AU0219416), who was proceeding from Armenia to Azerbaijan.
  • At 16:54 on 5 July 2023, a total of 125 packs of cigarettes of five brands and 1,000 liters of gasoline in a separate tank were detected by border guard personnel in the passenger compartment of a DAF truck with registration number 37-FF-609, driven by Vakif Musaielian, Armenian national, born on 4 December 1959 (passport: AU031091), who was proceeding from Armenia to Azerbaijan.

The State Border Service maintained that although the ICRC was warned about this through official channels, the illegal actions continued and the necessary steps were not taken to prevent them.

It said that the use for smuggling purposes of vehicles belonging to the ICRC and reserved for medical evacuation is not only a gross violation of the laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan but also an abuse of the trust that our Country has placed in the ICRC as a humanitarian organization.

The State Border Service also said that all facts of smuggling using ICRC vehicles have been documented on the spot by means of operational footage.

https://dnd.com.pk/azerbaijan-initiates-criminal-case-against-icrc-as-its-vehicles-helped-illegally-smuggle-goods-to-armenia/295002




The humanitarian crisis in NK continues to worsen as a result of Azerbaijan blocking the Lachin Corridor – MFA Armenia

 13:41,

YEREVAN, 12 JULY, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia released a statement on the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been under blockade for 7 months, ARMENPRESS presents below the statement issued by the MFA Armenia.

“It has already been 7 months since the Azerbaijani authorities have illegally blocked the Lachin corridor, the lifeline linking Nagorno-Karabakh with the outer world.

All the actions undertaken by Azerbaijan around the Lachin corridor during these months, from demonstrations of fake eco-activists to the installation of an illegal checkpoint in the corridor and the well-known “punitive” blockade of movement, come to prove that these steps are clearly preplanned and aimed at creating conditions incompatible with life for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and subjecting them to ethnic cleansing.

These actions of Azerbaijan not only directly contravene the Trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, but also clearly disregard the calls of the civilized community to lift the blockade of the Lachin corridor, the resolutions adopted by various parliaments and the legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice of February 22 and July 6. We would like to reiterate that in its latest Order of July 6, the Court stated that Azerbaijan’s assertions of its compliance with the Court’s Order of 22 February to ensure the unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo in both directions along the Lachin corridor, have nothing to do with reality.

During these months, the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the blockade of the Lachin corridor has continued to deteriorate. It is further exacerbated by months-long disruption of the gas and electricity supply by Azerbaijan.

Since June 15, the supply of food to Nagorno-Karabakh has been completely halted. Prior to this, during the unimpeded operation of the Lachin corridor, Nagorno-Karabakh was receiving approximately 400 tons of cargo, whereas, after December 12, the amount of food transported through the Russian peacekeeping contingent decreased by tenfold. Currently, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh faces a real threat of starvation, as the supply of all types of goods has been completely prohibited. The information circulated in Azerbaijani media yesterday about an attempted transportation of tobacco and mobile phone batteries, on the one hand, demonstrates a desperate situation of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh that undermines their dignity and, on the other hand, once again highlights the impossibility of unhindered movement of cargo.

The same situation has developed in the healthcare sector. There is a clear shortage of medicine required for proper medical care. Consequently, several vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, cancer and diabetes patients and children face serious health problems. There has already been an increase in mortality rates in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Only a few people were able to reach Armenia through the ICRC to receive urgent medical care. They and their accompanying persons were subjected to humiliating procedures and degrading treatment, having been filmed and subsequently exploited by the Azerbaijani propaganda machine as a tool to falsely depict an unhindered movement of people through the Lachin corridor.

It is unfortunate that during these months, the international community and international humanitarian organizations have been unable to gain humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh to conduct a proper fact-finding mission and provide humanitarian aid.

Under such circumstances, Armenia expects that the international community will use all available tools to ensure the implementation of the legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice of February 22 and July 6, 2023 on the opening of the Lachin corridor. This is crucial to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh and stop the policy of ethnic cleansing. The civilized world cannot and should not tolerate such actions and disdain of the legally binding Orders of the International Court of Justice.”

Fyodor Lukyanov: Karabakh has become a symbol of the beginning and the end of the post-Soviet period

July 9 2023

Interview of Fyodor Lukyanov, Russian political scientist, Editor-in-Chief of “Russia in Global Affairs magazine”, Chairman of the Presidium of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, to Mediamax

 

– Can the “March of Justice” initiated by the head of the Wagner PMC (private military company) Yevgeny Prigozhin have implications for Russia’s foreign policy? Should Russia’s neighbors and allies be concerned about it?

 

– Indeed, this is a unique case, because you will not find anyone like Yevgeny Prigozhin. We can argue long, ask questions like how it happened that he was allowed such a level of activity and publicity with no one curbing him for months. To his credit, though, he has never hidden his views and his nature. But this is already a topic for a separate discussion related to the specifics of the formation of Russian statehood in the post-Soviet period and, in particular, the tools that have been used for this over the past 10 years, in particular for the solution of foreign policy issues.

 

However, even if the problem with him is not finally solved, it has been greatly reduced: this will no longer be allowed, besides, no other such figures are seen. The positive outcome of all this was that he has not received much support. The state apparatus and society reacted if not to say quite calmly but certainly without the panic that could have occurred if the state was under stress. This is probably a separate big topic – the state of Russian society over the last year and a half. It should be seriously studied from a sociological point of view. I think it is very non-linear, that is, it is not as one would assume, given the extraordinary nature of the circumstances. The beginning of the SMO (“special military operation”- this is the way Russia officially calls the war in Ukraine-Mediamax.) was a shock, its course was very unexpected, and no one had foreseen such excesses as Prigozhin’s march, and all this should have strongly destabilized society. But it did not happen. I do not know what it is agreed with, partly, because the active ferment of potential protesters, who could have caused destabilization in the country, left Russia immediately. But on the whole, Russia once again surprises with a non-linear response, not the one others expect.

 

Going back to June 24, I believe the consequences are inevitable within the country; it was a push that should bring about change, but hardly immediate. As far as we know Putin, he never acts under pressure when someone demands something. Everyone understands that some structural and personal changes are coming and they will take place sooner or later. As for foreign policy, of course, when such things occur in a warring country, they cause additional anxiety among all external partners. The fact that the front did not flinch in any way shows that there is sufficient stability here, but no one knows whether this was an isolated case or a system. Therefore, it will take maximum effort and some time to demonstrate that it was an isolated excess.

 

– What do you think post-war Armenia and pre-war Armenia are partners of different values for Russia? If to speak putting political correctness aside, from the perspective of realpolitik.  

 

– I would not say that they are different in value. Realpolitik is, of course, a very good thing, and everyone involved in politics says, “let’s drop sentiments.” The approach, however, is not entirely correct, and when you begin to be guided only by this, you come to erroneous, distorted conclusions. Therefore, I think it is not enough to consider Armenia’s value only from the point of view of it being an outpost in the Caucasus.

 

First, strictly speaking, the outpost is still there. Of course, the Armenian leadership sometimes baffles with its trend of thought. If it comes to the point where the incumbent or future leadership of the country really states that Russia is no longer needed and it should leave, different scenarios are possible, up to leaving, or by the way, vice versa. But this is not happening so far. Armenia remains the country where the Russian military force is deployed. Secondly, with all the moods swinging, this is a friendly state and friendly people, no one in Armenia perceives Russia as an enemy. As to the Russian military campaign, as far as I know, there are no claims against Armenia, neither in human terms, nor in how the Armenian official and unofficial structures contribute to all the necessary processes, unlike a number of other allies.

Fyodor Lukyanov

 

To what extent did the defeat in the war affect the perceptions? I do not understand well the change in Armenia’s behavior, not in relation to Russia, but in general. Of course, I am not a specialist in military affairs, but it seems from the outside that this reluctance and unwillingness to stand up for something – expressed both in lack of military preparedness and in political drift towards recognition of the new status quo – perhaps came as a surprise. I understand that society is getting tired, nevertheless, this refutes the existed expectations that any movement towards abandoning Karabakh will cause an acute political crisis. We, in Russia, are by no means the ones to judge whether this is good or bad, but it was a surprise. Now everyone got used to it, since all dots over and are put, but I wonder what will happen if it turns out that the Armenians will no longer live in Karabakh. Where and how can they go?

 

– This reminds the question “Which came first, the chicken or the egg”? Pashinyan says that during and after the war, it became obvious that the security system Armenia has relied on for the past 20-25 years is not working. The CSTO does not take unequivocal steps in support of Armenia, Russia does not guarantee the fulfillment of the obligations fixed in the post-war trilateral agreements. And representatives of the ruling party actually say that in conditions of absence of support and security guarantees, Armenia has to make concessions not to lose even more in the face of growing pressure from Azerbaijan.

 

– As for the CSTO, no one in Armenia has ever counted on it as an organization. Everyone understood perfectly well that this was some kind of homage towards Russia: it has such an organization, we are members there, but basically, all security guarantees were based on bilateral relations. It was and is still so. Secondly: as for the war itself, again, I am not an expert, but, as far as I know, assistance and weapons were provided, and if Russia and Putin personally had not made efforts for reaching peace, the results could have been more devastating. Not only the incumbent, but also the former leadership of Armenia did not clearly formulate its attitude towards Karabakh. The fact that Karabakh has never been recognized by Armenia, unlike Northern Cyprus, recognized by Turkey only, or South Ossetia and Abkhazia recognized by Russia, of course, created a legal ambiguity that no one could agree to. How can a third country defend a territory, towards which the Armenian side itself has no clear position? Moreover, Azerbaijan has always been and will remain very closely connected with Russia and  a very important state in this region. Therefore, this system was kept solely on the military balance or imbalance, which was in favor of Armenia for a long time, and when it began to change in favor of the other side, a question to the Armenian leadership arose: what did they do to slow down or reverse this process? That’s if you take the backstory.

 

As for the current situation, of course, Russia, which started the special military operation in Ukraine and found itself in the situation it appeared today, is in a more constrained position than before. At least for the reason that Turkey’s role in the political life of the region in general and, in particular, in relations with Russia, has increased many times. The Azerbaijani leadership clearly understands everything and uses it in its own interests, and probably this is the way everyone would do. Again, I understand the logic after the defeat: what should we do? A whip can’t stand up to an axe. But it feels like they decided to roll up the whip somewhere: I don’t see any steps to increase the combat capability of Armenia. Again, I’m not an expert, maybe I don’t know something. It does not look like that Armenia draws conclusions for itself, at least for the long term.

 

As for Russia, despite all the criticism, Armenia will not have any other cornerstone partner. All the talks about rapprochement with the West always make me laugh: where the West is, and where Armenia is. The nearest West for Armenia is Turkey. Of course, the relations with Turkey should also normalize and they will, but this does not mean that sincere trust will be established between them. Therefore, I think that the new configuration, of course with Russia’s engagement, is a certain system of peace guarantees for Armenia. Statements about withdrawing from the CSTO can be understood in emotional sense, but I’m not sure that they are far-sighted in terms of rational approach. And most importantly: if there is a permanent or temporarily scheme of guaranteeing the security of the people living in Karabakh – how can it work without Russia? Who else will do it? Will it be the European Union?

– Is some new form of relations between Armenia and Russia possible?

– We have passed a certain path which we probably wouldn’t like to pass, but we have passed it. What matters is that it is not only related to Armenia, it is related to everyone, and to Russia too.

The post-Soviet history is coming to an end. It is really coming to an end. We thought it was over long ago, but it is back. In my opinion, it began with Armenia five years ago. A generational upgrade began, new people started to come, dramatic shifts started to take place in the world taking away from the post-Cold War agenda. Four or five years ago I wrote that all post-Soviet countries enter a period of proving their viability: because we all emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union. The USSR collapsed – now this is your country, your borders. And everyone recognized this, again, by fact. The moment has come when the fact must be proved by own viability, but not everyone will be able to do it. Russia is not an exception. Russia also goes through this path, in its own way. It is clear that here we have other resources, other possibilities, other ambitions, but it is the same thing.

Fyodor Lukyanov

 

In fact, the post-Soviet period started with the Karabakh conflict. And the fact that it is somehow coming to an end, even if in this way, is in some sense a symbol of the end of the post-Soviet period. Things will be different from now on. Among other things, border perturbations occur. Why was the Karabakh conflict a sore point for many decades? Because the collapse of the Soviet Union proceeded according to the following principle: everything remains as it is, nothing will be touched. Yeltsin did not bring up the topic of Crimea, as to Karabakh, it was an exception, as it started earlier. So now everyone else came to the point that all these lines generally do not work. Russia – first of all, starting with Crimea, and now even more so. In the Caucasus, on the contrary, the status quo is returning, but it is unclear whether it will return and whether this process will lead to somewhere and if yes, then how. This is why it is a truly historic moment and not only for Armenia and Azerbaijan, but in general.

 

What Russia will be as a result of this, we do not know, as I think that the main essence of the Ukrainian conflict is self-determination. Ukraine is self-determining – it was not a full-fledged nation, but now it is becoming so. And we define ourselves. Now we cannot yet say where the real borders of Russia will be. But they will be there where they pass. Ukraine, which will remain outside, will be a real anti-Russian, and it will push off from the whole past with all it can. This too will not last forever, but for some long period. This self-determination applies to all. I do not rule out that some states simply will not survive. For instance, Moldova begins to cancel itself, recognizing that there is no Moldovan language, and in general the best thing would be to simply join Romania. This is also a choice, that’s called one of the options.

Fyodor Lukyanov

 

– Can we conclude from what you said that the fate of Armenia and the Caucasus is determined in Ukraine and depends on how Russia-West confrontation will end?

 

– I think it’s fair. I would not claim that it is solved only by this, but the general framework of what will happen on the so-called post-Soviet space, of course, depend on the outcome of this conflict. This is agreed both with Russia’s capabilities and the West’s degree of readiness. Now it seems very high, but this does not mean that it will always be so. Different processes are also taking place there, and not all of them strengthen it, so we are facing a real change in the world order. Unfortunately, it happened so that the developments in our territory served as a powerful catalyst – Russia decided, in its traditions, to play the role of Alexander Matrosov. In general, everything is not limited to relations between Russia and the West or Russia and the United States. This is part of a chain that will obviously continue and, hopefully not only here.

 

– For many years, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship was, perhaps, the only format where Russia and the West really cooperated, at least, there were no visible signs of competition. Today, this co-chairmanship does not exist. From time to time Russia voices statements claiming that the U.S. and the EU do not really want to reconcile the parties, but seek to oust Russia from the region. At the same time, we see that some round of the negotiations takes place in Russia, some – in the United States. Generally, everyone perceives this more or less normally. Do you think this settlement can eventually become a platform where Russia and the West will return to some form of cooperation?

 

– I do not think any form of cooperation is possible in the foreseeable future. After launching the special military operation, Russia officially positioned itself as anti-West. It has never happened before. Previously, with all the growing confrontation, we have never said that we are against you, and you are against us. While now no basis for cooperation exists. What happened before that, the Americans called selective engagement – if you think about it, this is a very mocking formula. Officially, this was formulated as follows: we cooperate with you where it is beneficial for us, and we do not cooperate with you if it is not beneficial for us.

 

As for Armenia, I think there may be another case here. The positive scenario is not that Russia and the West will cooperate, but that this is a place where there is no open conflict of interests. For various reasons, both sides are interested in the strengthening of Armenia. Both will take some steps to make it happen. Not coordinated, of course. This is the maximum. I do not foresee any cooperation. Because what is happening now is not even a geopolitical conflict, it is a kind of ethical rift, we accuse each other of fascism. We accuse them, they accuse us. It could not be worse. Absolute evil. And what compromise can be here? This is not demagogy, this is a deeply felt position from both sides.

Ara Tadevosyan spoke with Fyodor Lukyanov

This interview has been prepared as part of a joint project with the Tufenkian Foundation.

Armenia interested in developing and strengthening ties with the Vatican – PM Pashinyan

 19:20, 6 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See His Grace Archbishop José Avelino Bettencourt, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister highly appreciated the cooperation between the Armenian government and the Holy See and noted that the Armenian side is interested in consistently developing and strengthening ties with the Vatican based on Christian values and cultural heritage.

The sides emphasized the need to organize high-level mutual visits between Armenia and the Holy See. In this context, the upcoming visit of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See to Armenia was highlighted.

The interlocutors also exchanged ideas on various issues of mutual interest.

RFE/RL Armenian Service – 06/29/2023

                                        Thursday, 


More Progress Reported In Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Talks


U.S. - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Armenian Foreign Minister 
Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minoster Jeyhun Bayramov, Washington, 
June 27, 2023.


The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers made further progress towards a 
bilateral peace treaty but still disagree on some of its key terms, official 
Yerevan said on Thursday night after they concluded a new round of U.S.-mediated 
negotiations.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov 
met outside Washington for three consecutive days. They also held trilateral 
meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security 
Adviser Jake Sullivan.

“The Ministers and their teams continued progress on the draft bilateral 
‘Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations,’” read a 
statement released by the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

“They reached an agreement on additional articles and advanced mutual 
understanding of the draft agreement, meanwhile acknowledging that the positions 
on some key issues require further work,” it said, adding that Mirzoyan and 
Bayramov pledged to “continue their negotiations.”

The statement did not disclose those articles or the remaining sticking points. 
It reflected Blinken’s comments made during the final session of the three-day 
talks.

The top U.S. diplomat also said that “there remains hard work to be done to try 
to reach a final agreement.”

“I think there is also a clear understanding on everyone’s part that the closer 
you get to reaching agreement, in some cases the harder it gets by definition. 
The most difficult issues are left for the end,” added Blinken.

The two sides were understood to disagree before the latest talks on practical 
modalities of delimiting the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and a dialogue between 
Baku and Nagorno-Karabakh’s leadership as well as international safeguards 
against non-compliance with the treaty.

Yerevan has been pressing for an “international mechanism” for such a dialogue, 
saying that it is essential for protecting “the rights and security” of 
Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian population. Bayramov made clear late last week that 
Baku will not agree to any special security arrangements for the Karabakh 
Armenians.




Minister Confident About Grape Purchases By Armenian Brandy Giant

        • Robert Zargarian

Armenia -- A truckload of grapes is transported to a storage facility in Ararat 
region run by the Yerevan Brandy Company, 14Sep2010


Economy Minister Vahan Kerobian said on Thursday that Armenia’s leading brandy 
producer will not cut back on purchases of grapes from domestic farmers this 
year despite the uncertain future of its vital exports to Russia.

The French group Pernod Ricard, which owns the Yerevan Brandy Company (YBC), 
announced in May that all of its subsidiaries around the world will stop 
exporting alcoholic beverages to Russia.

The move linked to Western sanctions against Moscow raised serious concerns in 
Armenia about the YBC’s continued operations. The bulk of its brandy, famous 
across the former Soviet Union, is sold in Russia. More importantly, the company 
has long been Armenia’s largest wholesale buyer of grapes grown by tens of 
thousands of farmers.

“[YBC] will not reduce the volume of its purchases compared with the previous 
years,” Kerobian told journalists. “This was our main concern and it has been 
dispelled.”

The YBC management has made no statements to that effect, however. It also 
remains reluctant to officially comment on the future of its exports to Russia. 
Russian and Armenian media outlets quoted unnamed company sources as saying 
after the Pernod Ricard announcement that the YBC is continuing brandy shipments 
to the Russian market.

Armenia - A vineyard in Armavir province, October 10, 2022.

Other Armenian brandy makers look set to buy fewer grapes this year. They 
already cut their purchases in 2022, sparking protests by hundreds of angry 
winegrowers unable to sell their main crop.

“The situation is already uncertain,” Arsen Simonian, a farmer from the 
wine-growing Ararat province, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

Simonian, who owns a large vineyard in the village of Verin Artashat and heads a 
provincial association of winegrowers, said that about one-fifth of the local 
farmers have already decided to cut down their vineyards and possibly switch to 
other crops.

“We do not expect that the entire [2023] grape harvest will be bought,” Kerobian 
acknowledged earlier this month. “We are now trying to figure out methods for 
making the two ends meet.”

The minister said on Thursday that the Armenian government will impose stricter 
quality controls and other regulations on local brandy firms.

“Control of the quality of brandy will definitely lead to a large volume of 
[grape] purchases,” he said.

Simonian agreed that such oversight could greatly benefit grape farmers. But he 
questioned the government’s ability to enforce it properly.




U.S. Sanctions Official Visits Armenia


Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meets James O'Brien, head of the U.S. 
Department of State's Sanctions Coordination Office, Yerevan, .


A senior U.S. official met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday for 
talks that were expected to focus on Armenia’s compliance with Western sanctions 
imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. Embassy in Armenia said earlier in the day that James O’Brien, the 
sanctions coordinator at the State Department, has arrived in Yerevan to discuss 
with Pashinian and other Armenian officials “cooperation on U.S. sanctions” and 
“express appreciation for Armenia’s continued commitment to upholding U.S. 
sanctions.”

An Armenian government statement on Pashinian’s talks with O’Brien did not 
mention the issue. It said the two men spoke about the Nagorno-Karabakh 
conflict, Turkish-Armenian relations and “various issues of mutual interest.”

O’Brien arrived in the Armenian capital from Tbilisi where he held similar talks 
with Georgian leaders earlier this week.

U.S. officials pressed the Armenian government to prevent Russia from evading 
the sanctions through Armenian companies during a series of meetings held this 
spring. Pashinian said on May 22 that despite its “strategic” relations with 
Russia Armenia “cannot afford to be placed under Western sanctions.”

A few days later, Pashinian’s government announced that Armenian exporters will 
now need government permission to deliver microchips, transformers, video 
cameras, antennas and other electronic equipment to Russia. The Armenian 
Ministry of Economy, which proposed the measure, cited the need to prevent the 
use of such items by foreign defense industries.

The Armenian Central Bank essentially confirmed on June 7 reports that local 
commercial banks have frequently blocked payments for such supplies wired by 
Russian buyers in the past few weeks.

According to government data, Armenia’s exports to Russia almost tripled in 2022 
and nearly quadrupled in January-April 2023. Goods manufactured in third 
countries and re-exported by Armenian firms are believed to have accounted for 
most of that gain. They include consumer electronics and other hi-tech goods and 
components which the Western powers believe could be used by the Russian defense 
industry.

The increased trade with and other cash flows from Russia are the main reason 
why the Armenian economy grew by 12 percent in 2022.




Yerevan To Continue Talks With Baku After Deadly ‘Provocation’

        • Ruzanna Stepanian

U.S. - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat 
Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov start a new round of 
talks in Arlington, Virginia, June 27, 2023.


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday effectively dismissed 
Nagorno-Karabakh leaders’ call to halt Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks made 
after four Karabakh soldiers were killed by Azerbaijani forces early on 
Wednesday.

In a statement adopted later on Wednesday, the Karabakh parliament said Yerevan 
must refuse to negotiate until Baku ends truce violations along the Karabakh 
“line of contact” and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. It warned that failure to 
do so “would mean the encouragement of the Azerbaijani side’s aggressive 
behavior.”

Pashinian said that the soldiers’ deaths were the result of Baku’s pre-planned 
“military provocation” aimed at undermining his administration’s “efforts to 
establish peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and address the issue of the 
Nagorno-Karabakh people’s rights and security.” He noted in this regard that the 
Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers are continuing their latest round of 
U.S.-mediated negotiations that began outside Washington on Tuesday.

“There is no alternative to peace in our region, and our government, faced with 
all difficulties and complications, will continue the political path of peace,” 
Pashinian added at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan.

A U.S. State Department spokesman, Vedant Patel, said late on Wednesday that 
there is “no change in the schedule” of the Washington talks that are due to be 
wrapped up on Thursday evening.

“We are deeply disturbed by the loss of life in Nagorno-Karabakh, and we offer 
our condolences to the families of all of those who were killed,” Patel told 
reporters. “These latest incidents underscore the need to refrain from 
hostilities and for a durable and dignified peace.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani 
counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov held a trilateral meeting with Jake Sullivan, the 
U.S. national security adviser, at the White House. Sullivan said he urged Baku 
and Yerevan to “continue making progress toward peace, as well as to avoid 
provocations and de-escalate tensions in order to build confidence.”

According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Mirzoyan told Sullivan that 
Azerbaijani artillery and drone attacks that left the four Karabakh soldiers 
dead are part of continuing Azerbaijani efforts to “subject Nagorno-Karabakh to 
ethnic cleansing.” Pashinian likewise accused Baku of pursuing a “consistent 
policy” of depopulating the Armenian-populated region.

Pashinian drew strong condemnation from the Karabakh leaders and the Armenian 
opposition after he pledged in May to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over 
Karabakh through an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty discussed during the 
ongoing peace talks. His critics maintain that the Karabakh Armenians cannot 
live safely under Azerbaijani rule and would inevitably leave their homeland in 
that case.


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.

 

Woodbury University School of Business Commemorates Armenian Success in First-Annual Diverse Voices Rising Celebration

VOORHEES TOWNSHIP, NJ, UNITED STATES, June 21, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — On Saturday June 24th at 11AM, business leaders, community advocates and regional rainmakers will gather at Woodbury University and share trials, triumphs and life lessons in the university’s first-ever Diverse Voices Rising symposium. The event will take place in the Fletcher Jones Auditorium of the Business Building.

Moderated by Fox11’s Emmy-Award Winning Anchor of “Good Day LA,” Araksya Karaptyan, the event promises uplifting success stories from impactful Armenian leaders who have proven to be a positive force in their communities. The dialogue will also surround the topic of higher education and the importance of continuing to develop intellectually, as well as resources available to do so. Panelists will share their journeys and how education has played a significant role. The list of panelists includes:

• Arthur Sarkissian, Film Producer “Rush Hour”
• Roubik Golanian, City Manager, City of Glendale
• Mariam Kuregyan, Esquire, Founder and CEO of the Davana Law Firm
• Arthur Zenian, Founder and CEO enBio, Corp.
• Mariya Palanjian, Founder and CEO of Globafly and Roma Leaf
• Robert William- Police Captain at City of Glendale, CA
• Emil Davtyan- Founder and Managing Attorney at Davtyan Law Firm
• Teni Panosian- Beauty Creator and Founder of Monday Born
• Arpi Khachatryan- Founder and Designer of Luli Bebé
• Lilit Caradanian- Founder and Developer of Elcie Cosmetics

Thank you to our esteemed sponsors of this extraordinary event:
Davana Law Firm, Cele Café, enBio, Davtyan Law Firm, Dr. Sabolic, Roma Leaf, Globafly, J’Adore Les Fleurs (JLF), Photojene, Madavi Aesthetics, Glenvista Pharmacy, Canada Dental, Liana Makes, Option One Lending and the Woodbury School of Business.

We’re also thrilled to announce that the following non-profit organizations will be present at our event:
Armenian American Chamber of Commerce, Armenian International Women's Association (AIWA), Armenian Professional Society (APS), Armenian-American Engineers and Scientists Association (AAESA), Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region, (ANCA Western Region), Armenian Assembly of America (AAA), All-ASA, COAF, American Armenian Rose Float Association, Armenian Relief Society (ARS), Burbank Armenian Association (BAA), Center for Truth and Justice, Homenetmen Shant Chapter.

About Woodbury University
For more than 135 years, Woodbury University has helped students of diverse genders, races, ethnicities, and economic classes achieve their dreams through a unique educational experience that is personal, communal and practice based. Every major requires an internship, giving students work experience and a competitive advantage after graduation. We’re also located in one of the most exciting and vibrant communities in the world–in the heart of Southern California’s creative economy.
Woodbury University School of Business
7500 Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91504

Mindie Barnett
MB and Associates Public Relations
+1 6099231639
email us here

https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/640759611/woodbury-university-school-of-business-commemorates-armenian-success-in-first-annual-diverse-voices-rising-celebration

PM lauds new record number of jobs

 13:54,

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. A new record number of registered jobs has been recorded in Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Thursday.

“We’ve set a new historic record and we have 718,266 jobs with the results of May. Since May 2018, 170,277 jobs were opened in Armenia. Furthermore, we have growth compared to April and May of last year as well,” Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.