Units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on November 13 at about 12:10 opened fire on Armenian positions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the direction of Gegharkunik region, in particular, Verin Shorzha, the Armenian Ministry of Defense reported.
By retaliatory actions, the opponent's fire was suppressed. There are no casualties from the Armenian side.
The Azerbaijanis have set up a shack near Chakaten village, but the road is open. I went as normal in the morning, I came back. Ara Harutyunyan, the prefect of Chakaten village of Armenia’s Syunik Province, told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am.
"There is nothing yet, they [i.e., the Azerbaijanis] are standing [there] with two people; one armed, the other—not. It's just that it’s not convenient for me to stand, look. I looked as I passed, there was nothing unusual; it was just that shack. There is no panic in the village, but I can’t say we are completely calm," he said.
The mayor of Chakaten noted that they do not have an alternative road yet, and what they have is impassable.
"They [i.e., the Armenians] have not started the construction yet, they have brought the equipment, they have looked, but it will still take a long time to build a new road, it is definitely not a month's work. If they work very intensively and the weather is favorable, they may finish the construction in 2-3 months," he added.
According to the village head, if the Azerbaijanis close Chakaten’s main road before the new road is ready, their road will be extended by 140 km.
"We hope they [i.e., the Azerbaijanis] will not close [the main road]. But they are unpredictable people, you will not know what they are doing," added Harutyunyan.
Azerbaijanis have started engineering work Saturday in Chakaten village, on the road to Kapan city, and the village head had expressed concern that the Azerbaijanis might set up a checkpoint there.
The Goris-Kapan interstate road of Armenia has been closed since Thursday. Azerbaijan has set up a customs checkpoint there, putting at least three Armenian villages in a semi-blockade.
The Turkish Parliament as seen in this file photo taken on Nov. 3, 2020. (AA Photo)
The Azerbaijan troop mandate that is expected to be submitted to Parliament must be held out of political polemics, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Group Deputy Chairman Bülent Turan said on Sunday.
“Some issues must be beyond political polemics. The Azerbaijan troop mandate is one of these issues,” Turan told Anadolu Agency (AA), speaking on the mandate on the extension of Turkish troops’ duty in Azerbaijan.
“The Azerbaijan mandate had been accepted by all parties in the Parliament except for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). I hope the Republican People's Party (CHP) does not repeat the mistake in the recent mandate and we have the chance to underline with our state, our security forces, our armies that we are on the side of our Azerbaijani brothers with all our parties’ support,” he said.
He said that this support is vital to give a message of unity.
The mandate on sending troops to Azerbaijan had been accepted on Nov. 17, 2020.
The Assembly granted permission for a period of one year to send the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to foreign countries to fulfill the commitments arising from the provisions of the Strategic Partnership and Mutual Assistance Agreement between Turkey and Azerbaijan, to establish a ceasefire, to prevent violations, to ensure peace and stability in the region, and to carry out the duties of the Joint Center.
In this context, it is expected that the term of duty of Turkish soldiers in Azerbaijan will be extended for one more year as of Nov. 17, 2021.
Turan’s words come after the CHP voted against a motion to extend troop deployment for anti-terrorism operations last month.
The AK Party, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the opposition Good Party (IP) backed the Iraq and Syria motion. The CHP and HDP, however, voted against the motion.
The motion allows the Turkish military to carry out cross-border operations in northern Iraq and Syria for two more years, from Oct. 30, 2021, until Oct. 30, 2023. It stated that the risks and threats posed by ongoing conflicts near Turkey's southern land borders "continue to rise."
This move by the CHP and HDP has drawn significant criticism from both people and officials while questions now remain whether the Azerbaijan mandate will be accepted by these parties or not. Turkey threw its support behind Azerbaijan, whose Nagorno-Karabakh region had remained under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades before finally being liberated last November.
During a 44-day conflict last year, which ended in a truce on Nov. 10, 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages in Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia's illegal occupation.
On Nov. 10, the two countries signed a Russia-brokered deal to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive solution.
Turkey on Friday reiterated its commitment to supporting Azerbaijan further.
The main objectives for Turkey and Azerbaijan are the continuity of a cease-fire and bringing stability to the region, Turkish defense chief Hulusi Akar said at a reception at the Azerbaijan Embassy in Ankara for Victory Day.
"The stability is not only necessary for Azerbaijan and Turkey," said Akar, adding that Armenia will also gain security and welfare if Armenia cooperates with Azerbaijan and Turkey.
"In this regard, we have a broad vision. We all know that very important steps can be taken for the security and welfare of the entire Caucasus by even holding six-party talks if necessary," he said.
Akar said Turkish and Azerbaijani armed forces continue to clear mines in liberated regions from the Armenian occupation.
"We will continue to stand by our Azerbaijani brothers in their just cause, as we have done so far," he said.
The command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh along with Armenian and Azerbaijani sides is investigating the details of the incident on November 8 near Shushi, the Russian Defense Ministry reported in its daily bulletin.
"On November 8, at 13.40 Moscow time, a fire from the Azerbaijani side was opened at a group of four workers from Nagorno Karabakh as a result of which three people were injured, another one killed. “The command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, together with the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides, is conducting an investigation," the statement issued by the ministry said.
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DAVIT YEGHOYAN pled guilty today to his role in a coast-to-coast racketeering enterprise referred to as “Pure Armenian Blood” or “P.A.B.,” in connection with the charges filed in United States v. Narek Marutyan, et al., 20 Cr. 652 (VM). YEGHOYAN pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave, and will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero on a date to be determined.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As a member of a sophisticated coast-to-coast organized criminal enterprise, Davit Yeghoyan enriched himself by stealing others’ identities, falsifying documents, and spending other people’s money, as he admitted in court today.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, and statements during court proceedings:
Pure Armenian Blood was an organized criminal group operating under the direction and protection of an unindicted co-conspirator (“CC-1”), a “vor v zakone” or “vor,” which are Russian phrases translated roughly as “Thief-in-Law” or “Thief,” and which refer to an order of elite criminals from the former Soviet Union who receive tribute from other criminals, offer protection, and use their recognized status as vor to adjudicate disputes among lower-level criminals. Members and associates of Pure Armenian Blood operated under the direction and protection of CC-1, a vor of Armenian descent previously based in Los Angeles before being deported in or about 2018. Pure Armenian Blood operated through groups of individuals, often with overlapping members or associates, dedicated to particular criminal tasks, particularly identity theft, access device fraud, and credit card fraud, among others. While Pure Armenian Blood exploited victims and the financial system in New York City, it had operations in various locations throughout the United States and abroad, including through the use of purportedly legitimate business entities operating under the control and in conjunction with members of P.A.B. at various points throughout the conspiracy.
As a member of P.A.B., YEGHOYAN participated in and facilitated P.A.B’s various illicit activities, including the use of counterfeit credit cards and stolen personal identifying information, selling goods purchased with counterfeit credit cards for profit, fraudulently opening and exhausting lines of credit, and then falsifying documents to “clean” the credit of account holders in whose names the lines of credit were opened, and making purchases at collusive businesses with counterfeit credit cards or credit cards that were fraudulently opened.
YEGHOYAN, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to participating in a racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
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Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of FBI New York’s Eurasian Organized Crime Squad, as well as the FBI’s Newark, Los Angeles, and Miami offices, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and United States Customs and Border Protection for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transitional Criminal Enterprise Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benet J. Kearney, Abigail S. Kurland, and Emily Deininger are in charge of the case.
19:13, 2 November, 2021
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. In the direction of Karmir Shuka community of Martuni region of the Artsakh Republic, the front-line divisions of the Azerbaijani army opened irregular fire from firearms on November 2, in the second half of the day, ARMENPRESS reports the spokesman of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh Suren Sarumyan told ARTSAKHPRESS.
"According to preliminary data, there are no casualties," Sarumyan said, adding that the Russian peacekeeping command in Artsakh have been informed about the incident.
15:59, 2 November, 2021
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. 3 main factors affect the level of current inflation in Armenia: the first one is the increase of prices in the world market, the second one is the obstruction of cargo transportation, logistic chains and the third one is the higher demand for production supply in Armenia, President of the Central Bank Martin Galstyan said today.
Asked to what extent the exchange rate affects the level of inflation, prices now, the CBA chief said: “We have a freely floating exchange rate. At this moment the exchange rate is around 480 drams. It has some affect on prices”.
However, according to the CBA observations, the exchange rate has no major effect on most product groups.
The CBA President proposed to look at the inflation gap to see the reasons for inflationary developments. “We will see three main factors affecting the current level of inflation. The first one is the price increase conditioned by supply factors. There is an increase in prices of food and other types of food in the global market. The second one is a result of obstruction of cargo transportation and logistic chains. And the third factor is a somewhat more advanced increase in the demand for the production supply as a result of which we have the level of inflation which we have today – 8.9%”, he said.
Commenting on the price of sugar, he said at this moment the sugar prices are higher by nearly 50% in the global market compared to December 2019. “This is a more serious factor, than the exchange rate”, he noted.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
When accepting a map as basis, it is important to understand what legal grounds it has. The Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia, Gnel Sanosyan, told reporters about this Tuesday.
"If those maps are from the Soviet years, they must be fully clarified and accepted by all parties in order to be a basis. In the map of the [19]20s, for example, Al lakes are marked as the territory of Armenia; so, the [Armenian-Azerbaijani border] changes in this regard would be in our favor. There is a certain line in those maps, from which these lakes remain on this side. These lakes are located in the Vardenis-Jermuk section [of Armenia]. Let's wait and see which year’s the maps will be taken as a basis [to determine the Armenian-Azerbaijani]," Sanosyan added.
According to him, respective discussions are underway, but he is not aware of their details.
"Yes, we [i.e., Armenia] have ended up in a painful situation. But in this situation, peacefully living, developing, standing up, and clarifying the border situation play an important role so that we do not have disputes, they [i.e., the Azerbaijanis] do not hit any [Armenian] cars. Even if something painful can happen in one or two places, it is better to fix the painful problem, to keep in mind that this is our borders, than to have incidents every day," Gnel Sanosyan added.
Armenia interested in extension of term of operation of Russian peacekeeping forces in NK – Security Council
09:25,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is interested in extending the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh until reaching a final decision on the status of Nagorno Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports, citing TASS, this was reported by the Office of the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia.
"Unfortunately, the situation is not stable enough at the moment in terms of security. Recently, we saw a ceasefire violation, as a result of which an Armenian, a civilian, was killed and some were injured. Consequently, the factor of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh will be significant until the issue of the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh is resolved," the office of the Security Council of Armenia said.
The Security Council Office also emphasized that the Russian peacekeeping forces have an important role in terms of ensuring the security of Armenians, the citizens of Nagorno Karabakh, as well as are the security gurantee for the infrastructures being built and stable movement of goods.