Author: Antranik Varosian

Armenian scientists submit proposals to NASA for Artemis moon mission

Antranik Varosian

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 16:12,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. A scientific team of the Armenian Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory’s (aka Yerevan Physics Institute) Cosmology and Astrophysics Center is involved in a European astrophysical project which seeks to more precisely check the fundamental laws of physics. The results of the work affect the work of the GPS, GLONASS and Galileo systems, i.e. they have applied, commercial significance.

The head of the Cosmology center Vahagn Gurzadyan, who is a member of the board of this project, said they are now working on a new satellite.

“The accuracy of the results obtained from the new satellite would be greater,” he said, prioritizing international cooperation.

Gurzadyan said they have also presented recommendations to NASA for Artemis – the international human spaceflight program that has the goal of landing "the first woman and the next man" on the Moon, specifically at the lunar south pole region, by 2024. 

Before that, NASA released an announcement for proposals calling for submission of proposals on what priority objectives astronauts ought to fulfill after landing on the moon. American and European scientific centers took part in the initiative, and Armenian scientists have also submitted recommendations, presenting the tasks which astronauts can carry out on the moon with the technology developed at the National Laboratory in Armenia. The proposal is now under discussion at NASA.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Pashinyan holds consultation in Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs

Antranik Varosian

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 13:17,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan held a consultation in the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs today.

During the consultation Pashinyan said the public administration system needs restart, adding that they should try to conduct that restart in practice.

“It means that we should revise the project which we implement in Armenia and answer to a very simple question – how viable and relevant are the projects which we had before the war and after that, what changes they should undergo?” the PM said.

According to him, from conceptual terms the policy adopted by them in Armenia doesn’t need to be revised.

“In general, what is the change of the social policy at the conceptual level which we are implementing after 2018? We are trying to replace the policy of adaptation with a policy of overcoming”, he said.

Pashinyan added that the services provided in the field of social insurance and assistance should be maximally dignified, highly effective and in high quality.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

President Says Pashinyan’s Administration Must be ‘Held Accountable’ for Defeat

Antranik Varosian

January 11,  2020



President Armen Sarkissian speaks to residents in Gyumri on Dec. 25

YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian on Monday renewed his calls for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to hand over power to a new and interim government that would hold snap parliamentary elections.

In an article posted on the presidential website, Sarkissian said Pashinyan’s administration must be “held accountable” for the Armenian side’s defeat in the recent war with Azerbaijan and the resulting “deep political, economic, social and psychological crisis” in his country.

“The country and the people need treatment,” he wrote. “The only logical and civilized prescription is pre-term elections [to be held] within reasonable time frames with necessary amendments to the Electoral Code and the Constitution, which will allow us to start a real process of state building from scratch.”

“Until then, a government of national accord must be formed with the help of the institute of the president,” he added, staking a claim to a major role in that process.

Sarkissian stressed that the new government must be made up of technocrats tasked with overcoming the post-war crisis.

Virtually all Armenian opposition parties demanded Pashinyan’s resignation immediately after a Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped the war in and around Nagorno-Karabakh on November 10. More than a dozen of them joined forces to hold anti-government rallies.
Pashinyan has rejected the opposition demands while expressing readiness to hold fresh elections soon. He held late last month consultations with the leaders of the two opposition parties represented in the Armenian parliament. The latter insisted that the snap polls must take place after Pashinyan’s resignation.

Sarkissian held similar consultations earlier in December. The president insisted on Monday that despite his largely ceremonial powers he can “become the irreplaceable platform where the constitutional ways-out and mechanisms for overcoming the crisis will be worked out through a dialogue.”

In his article, Sarkissian also portrayed Armenia’s post-Soviet history as a period of missed opportunities and made a case for the “construction of a new state.” In that regard, he took a critical look at the 2018 popular uprising that brought Pashinyan to power.
“The change of government in 2018 could have been the beginning of a new phase in our history … but it became the end of the previous phase, without offering a new ideology,” he said.

Putin discusses NK conflict settlement with Security Council members

Antranik Varosian

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 16:12,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a consultation today in a video-conference mode with the permanent members of the Security Council, the Kremlin press service reports.

Putin informed the Security Council members about the results of the January 11 talks held with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Moscow over the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The Russian leader and the Security Council members also discussed relevant issues of the country’s domestic and foreign policy.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Parliament Speaker says partner states of Armenia, Azerbaijan should make efforts for return of POWs

Antranik Varosian

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 15:06,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received today Ambassador of Kazakhstan Timur Urazayev who is completing his diplomatic mission in Armenia, the Armenian Parliament told Armenpress.

Speaker Mirzoyan thanked the Ambassador for his personal contributions in the relations between Armenia and Kazakhstan. He highly valued the current level of the ties between the two countries, specifically highlighting the Ambassador’s investment in deepening the mutual cooperation between the Armenian and Kazakh Parliaments.

Speaker Mirzoyan introduced the situation following the signing of the trilateral statement of November 10 to the Ambassador and stated that in line with the process of unblocking the regional infrastructures the issue of the return of the Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians remains a priority. According to him, all partner states of Armenia and Azerbaijan should make efforts for solving the issue of the return of POWs.

The Kazakh Ambassador thanked Ararat Mirzoyan for the effective cooperation, assuring that in his future activities as well he will try to contribute to the development of relations between Armenia and Kazakhstan. Timur Urazayev expressed confidence that Kazakhstan is interested in deepening the productive cooperation with Armenia and thanked the Armenian side for the participation with an observer mission to the parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan.

Highlighting peace between the countries of the region, the Ambassador stated that the Kazakh side has always called on to solve the existing problems around the negotiation table. According to him, the unblocking of the transportation infrastructure in the region can create opportunities for the development and expansion of new ties. Timur Urazayev assured that Kazakhstan will make efforts to solve the humanitarian problems.

Other issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the meeting.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenian PM expected to meet with Russian President Putin

Antranik Varosian
Foreign Brief
Jan 11 2021
In Daily Brief
Mariah Franklin
 
 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan may meet today in Moscow. Though Armenian and Russian sources have reported on meeting preparations, no official has confirmed its occurrence.
 
Last year’s conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region concluded after Russian mediation resulted in a ceasefire. Yet implementation has proven contentious. Azerbaijani state media claims the Russian peacekeeping force has privileged Armenian interests while Pashinyan faces opposition from within his own government for making territorial cessions.
 
Expect Pashinyan to avoid explicit territorial forfeit in Meghri and pursue regional transport connections from Armenia through Azerbaijan. Still, both Pashinyan’s faltering domestic position and rancor with Azerbaijan threaten the ceasefire in the short-term. Aliyev will likely raise Russian peacekeepers’ perceived bias and also face Moscow’s ire regarding Azerbaijan’s wartime downing of a Russian plane.
 
Russia has historically maintained solid ties to both countries. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan’s deepening connections with Turkey provide Aliyev with leverage, with Turkey assuming a ceasefire observer role in Azerbaijani territory despite Russian resistance. Expect Turkey’s growing role to undermine a durable settlement by fueling Armenian resentment, increasing pressure on Pashinyan and promoting division of Nagorno-Karabakh into Russian/Turkish spheres of influence.
 

Human rights advocate: Ottoman Empire’s genocide against Armenians should teach us about cost of doing nothing

Antranik Varosian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 29 2020
Politics 11:07 29/12/2020 Armenia

The case of the Ottoman Empire’s genocide against the Armenians is a case that should teach us about the cost of doing nothing, Ewelina U. Ochab, a human rights advocate, author and co-founder of the Coalition for Genocide Response, said in an article on Forbes on Monday.

The Armenian Genocide took place between 1915 and 1923 when 1.5 million ethnic Armenians were arrested, deported or murdered by the Ottoman Empire. Currently, some 32 countries recognize the events as meeting the legal definition of genocide.

"The official recognition of historic cases as genocide is not a matter of semantics. Such an official recognition is crucial for survivors and their families in their efforts to move on. It is crucial for reconciliation and discovery of the truth. It is also crucial to deter similar crimes in the future, to ensure that such atrocities do not happen again. As we witness some concerning signs that the atrocities may happen again, we see little political will to engage and prevent the atrocities from materializing," the author said.

"The question is then, why there is no political will to prevent genocide and address it once it occurs?

"For many of us, genocide happens far from home, and falls within the purview of “foreign policy.” As such, genocide is not a top priority for politicians. Ultimately, politicians rely on their electorate in their respective countries. If the people who choose politicians do not raise the issue, do not show that this is what they want their politicians to engage with, nothing will be done. The question is then how to engage the general public on the topic of genocide?" she added

According to the human rights advocate, "to address the general lack of interest in early warning signs and risk factors of genocide, some public figures have become more vocal on the issue, for example in the recent case of the atrocities in Nagorno-Karabkh."

"Artists and celebrities such as Cher and Kim Kardashian, with millions of fans and followers on social media, have been speaking out about the deteriorating situation. Others, such as the heavy metal band System Of A Down, turned their messages into music. Amid the deteriorating situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, System Of A Down released two singles, “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” to engage the public and to raise funds to help those affected. The two singles have raised over $600,000 for the Armenia Fund. Members of the band have also been using their social media presence to inform their followers about the situation in Nagorno-Karabkh and the concerning developments as the situation was deteriorating. Their engagement and important voice on the issue shows that raising awareness of genocide is not a matter to be left to legal experts, researcher and journalists only. In fact, in order to turn the slogan of “Never Again” into reality, everyone needs to play their part. Genocide prevention is not a job of a few, it is a job for the whole humanity," Ochab wrote. 


Marukyan presents to Pashinyan the position of his party

Antranik Varosian

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 19:14,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Head of ''Bright Armenia'' Party Edmon Marukyan presented the position of his party to the PM during their meeting at the National Assembly, Marukyan told the reporters after the meeting.

''We suggested that the PM should resign, the parliament should elect a new Prime Minister, an interim Government should be established from the forces that have a consensus over that candidate and individuals that have made achievements in their spheres should be included in the Government'', ARMENPRESS reports Marukyan as saying.

According to him, the domestic political situation should be stabilized and snap elections should be prepared.

Confusion over border with Azerbaijan worries residents of southern Armenia

Antranik Varosian
EurasiaNet.org
Dec 21 2020
Ani Mejlumyan Dec 21, 2020
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visiting Syunik region on December 21 (primeminister.am).

An Armenian military withdrawal from positions near the border with Azerbaijan has left many residents of southern Armenia feeling dangerously exposed and forcing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to travel to the region to try to tamp down tension there.

On December 17, the mayor of the town of Kapan, Gevorg Parsyan, said that many positions that Armenian armed groups had held around the town would have to be abandoned the next day. Kapan lies directly on the border with Azerbaijan and the positions, set up during the recent war by volunteers, were inside what is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory.

Hundreds of residents protested, saying the withdrawals would leave them exposed to Azerbaijani forces. The fears were multiplied when videos appeared of Azerbaijani soldiers apparently on the road between Kapan and Goris. Some sections of that road, at least according to open source maps, go through de jure Azerbaijani territory.

The road was built during the Soviet era, when internal boundaries meant little. Then during the first war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the 1990s, Armenians gained control of the Azerbaijani territory on the other side of the border, in the Zengilan region, making the precise location of the international border again irrelevant. But Armenia was forced to give Zengilan back to Azerbaijan under the November 10 ceasefire agreement ending the war and now Azerbaijan again controls territory very close to populated areas and roads in Armenia.

“Our villages are near these roads and now we are surrounded. Many people will be captured on that road,” one protester told RFE/RL on December 18.

Parsyan said locals feel that they have to provide for their own security. “The main participants in the demonstration are the volunteers who have been protecting the borders of the Kapan community,” he told local news website Civilnet. “If they leave those positions, Kapan will find itself in a compromised situation, including the strategically important Goris-Kapan road.”

Also on December 17, Armenia’s Ministry of Defense said that Russian border guards, who have patrolled Armenia’s borders with Turkey and Iran for decades, will now be deployed to Syunik.

In the new arrangement, Russian border guards will set up posts on the 21-kilometer section of the road between Goris and the village of Davit Bek, Vagharshak Harutyunyan, the newly appointed minister of defense, said in a December 20 interview with the official military media outlet Zinuzh. Armenian soldiers will exercise “visual control” of the road from their territory and the precise location of the Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Russian positions will be agreed on by a commission with representatives from all three sides, Harutyunyan said.

All this time, Azerbaijani officials have not said anything publicly about the demand to vacate the military posts around Kapan or the new road-monitoring arrangement.

Meanwhile, Armenian officials have said that they are working on a proper demarcation of the border. “The demarcation is being carried out on the basis of particular documents,” Armen Grigoryan, the secretary of Armenia’s national security council, told reporters. In an interview with RFE/RL Pashinyan said that Armenia would not “lose one inch” of its territory as a result of the process and that it was being undertaken using Soviet-era maps.

All this failed to quell tensions in the affected region and on December 21, Pashinyan traveled to the province of Syunik to meet with residents. He was greeted by protesters who attempted to block his motorcade and clashes between protesters and police resulted.

Among those calling to protest the prime minister’s visit was Goris Mayor Arush Arushanyan, who ahead of the visit wrote on his Facebook page calling on people to block Pashinyan’s entry into the town. Arushanyan was arrested and the state Investigative Committee said it was looking into whether or not the call to protest violated the law. As a result of the protests, Pashinyan was not able to visit several of the towns on his itinerary and was forced to turn back before Goris.

In Sisian, Pashinyan told residents that the new arrangement would protect them, noting that the region was now also effectively the border of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization. “There is a lot of talk now that we are handing over Syunik [to Azerbaijan], that this is threatening the security of Syunik, but in fact it is the complete opposite,” he said.

 

Ani Mejlumyan is a reporter based in Yerevan.