Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Russia Sees No Alternative To Moscow-Brokered Deal In Armenia-Azerbaijan
Settlement
The Kremlin in Moscow, Russia (file photo)
Russia believes that an Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement can be reached only by
implementing the 2020 ceasefire agreement brokered by Moscow, a Kremlin
spokesman said on Tuesday.
Dmitry Peskov’s remarks came a day after the foreign ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan sat down in Washington for what United States officials expect to be
marathon talks to hammer out a deal to normalize relations between the two
countries at loggerheads over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russia brokered a ceasefire agreement that stopped a deadly six-week war between
Armenia and Azerbaijan over the mostly ethnic Armenian-populated region in
November 2020.
The deal brought about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh to protect
some 120,000 ethnic Armenians living there and ensure their free movement along
a five-kilometer-wide strip of land that connects Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia
and is known as the Lachin Corridor.
Azerbaijan set up a checkpoint on the corridor on April 23, tightening the
effective blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and drawing accusations from Yerevan and
Stepanakert that it violates the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Authorities in both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh urged Russian peacekeepers to
“live up to their commitments” under the ceasefire agreement and achieve the
removal of the Azerbaijani roadblock. Russia said it continued to negotiate with
Azerbaijani authorities regarding the matter, having described Baku’s
“unilateral actions” in the Lachin Corridor as unacceptable.
In his remarks Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said
that assistance in resolving the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan could
be welcomed, “but only on the basis of trilateral agreements concluded together
with the Russian Federation.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
“There is no alternative to these agreements,” he said, as quoted by Russian
media.
“The resolution of the existing problems between the two countries and possible
development of some joint actions and steps aimed at reducing tensions in the
region are primarily possible on the basis of the tripartite documents that were
signed together with Russia. So far, there has been no other legal framework
that would contributed to the settlement. Thus, so far these tripartite
documents have absolutely no alternative,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
Commenting on the meeting of Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, of Armenia, and
Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, of Azerbaijan, hosted by U.S. Secretary of
State Antony Blinken in Washington, Peskov said: “Of course, any assistance that
can promote a settlement on this basis [tripartite documents] is welcomed. But
we also know that there are various attempts that blur the basis for a
settlement, which in the future may not give a result. Let’s hope that in this
case we are talking about the first case.”
Officials in Washington believe that peace is possible to achieve between
Armenia and Azerbaijan and stress the importance of direct dialogue between the
two countries.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (C) hosting a meeting between Armenian
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan (L) and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun
Bayramov in Washington. May 1, 2023.
An unnamed official in the U.S. Department of State said on Monday that
Mirzoyan-Bayramov talks could be held over the course of “a few days” and that
discussions were expected “throughout the week.”
Asked about Russia’s position on the U.S.-led dialogue, the diplomat in
Washington said. “We will be disappointed if they take it negatively.”
“The most important thing is that the parties communicate with each other
regardless of where,” the official said, adding that “a lasting, balanced and
dignified peace between the parties” is the goal.
Last week, official Yerevan confirmed that there is an agreement on holding
talks of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan hosted by their Russian
counterpart in the time to come. Armenia’s Foreign Ministry did not, however,
indicate a specific date for such talks.
Arman Yeghoyan, a pro-government member of the Armenian parliament, reaffirmed
on Tuesday that a Mirzoyan-Bayramov meeting was also due in Moscow. He told
local media that the Washington meeting was in no conflict with the upcoming
meeting in Moscow.
New Census Shows Armenia Population Drops Below 3 Million
• Robert Zargarian
People in a park in Yerevan, Armenia, July 2022.
Armenia’s permanent population is just below 3 million people, according to
preliminary data of a census conducted by the authorities last October and
published this week.
The Statistical Committee says that the figure of 2,928,914 also includes those
people who usually live in the country, but have been absent from it for up to a
year.
It is by about 90,000 people less than Armenia’s permanent population was
according to a similar census conducted in 2011. The population that was
physically in Armenia at the time of the census in 2022 was by about 233,000
less than 12 years ago.
Last year’s census of the population was third to be conducted in Armenia since
the country gained independence in 1991. Originally it was due to be held in
2020, but had to postpone twice – first until 2021 and then until 2022 – because
of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Specialists in Armenia have not yet done any in-depth analysis of the results of
the latest census of the population, pending the final data to be presented by
the authorities. But some demographers already see a troubling pattern.
This is the first time in independent Armenia that the number of the country’s
permanent population, though slightly, but dropped below 3 million.
Candidate of historical sciences, ethno-geographer Artashes Boyajian, who was
involved in both previous census of the population in 2001 and 2011 as a
supervising enumerator, says that whereas until 2018 the population of Armenia
was decreasing due to outmigration, it is the declining birthrate that became a
problem afterwards.
“After 2018, in a number of provinces of the Republic of Armenia, in particular,
in Lori, for the first time a negative natural growth balance, that is when the
number of births is lower than the number of deaths, was registered. The same
was registered in the Shirak province in 2020 as well as in a number of other
provinces of the republic,” Boyajian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
The current government of Armenia and its predecessors have set targets for the
population of Armenia. In 2020, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian unveiled the
nation’s strategy until 2050, talking about the goal of increasing the country’s
permanent population to at least 5 million people.
According to Boyajian, despite this lofty goal, the State has failed to
implement any serious demographic policy aimed at its realization.
“In the period under review some steps have been taken to promote population
growth, but it has no qualitative and quantitative effect,” the specialist said.
Declining birthrates are currently a pattern typical for most former Soviet
states given the demographic decline brought on by the collapse of the USSR in
1991 and ensuing social and economic hardships of the populations in newly
independent countries for years to come.
The United Nations projects that Armenia’s population by 2050 will fall to 2.6
million.
U.S. Upbeat On Peace Prospects Amid Armenia-Azerbaijan Talks
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (C) hosting a meeting between Armenian
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan (L) and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun
Bayramov in Washington. May 1, 2023.
United States officials have struck an optimistic note about prospects of
reaching peace in the South Caucasus as top diplomatic representatives of
Armenia and Azerbaijan sat down on Monday for what are expected to be marathon
talks in Washington this week.
After welcoming Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov at the George P. Schultz National Foreign
Affairs Training Center in the U.S. capital on May 1, U.S. Secretary of State
Antony Blinken reiterated on Twitter that dialogue between Armenia and
Azerbaijan is “key to reaching a lasting peace in the South Caucasus region.”
Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson at the Department of State,
expounded on Washington’s vision for prospects of peace between Armenia and
Azerbaijan.
“We believe that peace is possible between these two countries, and we are glad
to be welcoming them,” Patel said during a press briefing on May 1 when asked
about the Mirzoyan-Bayramov talks.
“We think that direct dialogue through diplomacy is key here… This is something
that the Secretary has been deeply engaged on; he’s had the opportunity to
convene trilateral meetings as well as speak to the foreign ministers and
leaders of these two countries. And we will continue to be engaged on this
issue,” he added.
Patel would not be drawn into speculation about how long the Washington-hosted
peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan would last.
Earlier, a senior Department of State official privy to the negotiations told
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that bilateral talks between the foreign ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan would be held over the course of “a few days.”
The official, who did not wish to be named, said: “We expect discussions
throughout the week. Our goal is to make sure that the ministers are able to sit
down and talk to each other.”
Department of State officials also confirmed that the situation around the
Lachin Corridor, the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia that
Azerbaijan effectively closed on April 23 by setting up a checkpoint, was one of
the topics raised at the Washington meetings.
“We have not parsed our words about the need for the free flow of traffic and
people and commerce through the Lachin corridor. That continues to be the case
and it’s something that we will continue to raise directly with our Armenian
counterparts,” Patel said.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Arbi Tashjian
Emerging Eurasian Partnership: Armenia, Iran, and India Forge Ties
The changing global order poses significant challenges for nations worldwide, with growing competition and instability emerging as key features of the coming years. The situation in Eurasia is a prime example of this transformation, with the war in Ukraine, growing tensions between China and the US, and upheaval in Afghanistan, among other events, leading to uncertainty and potential conflict in the region.
Small states like Armenia are particularly vulnerable to these changes, as demonstrated by their recent defeat in the Nagorno Karabakh war. Armenia had previously prioritized an alliance with Russia but failed to account for shifting geopolitics in the area, resulting in a military loss to Azerbaijan and subsequent incursions into Armenian territory.
Armenia now faces multiple challenges as it seeks to defend its borders and maintain its independence. In this context, the country must reassess its foreign, defense, and security policy and seek new partners and alliances. One potential opportunity lies in developing closer ties with Iran and India, as both nations share Armenia’s interest in countering Turkish dominance in the region.
These partnerships could offer a much-needed strategic advantage for Armenia, with Iran’s recent military drills along the Azerbaijan border serving as a reminder that verbal statements alone may not be sufficient to deter aggression. As the global order continues to shift, Armenia must adapt quickly to ensure its future security and stability.
https://gvwire.com/2023/04/28/emerging-eurasian-partnership-armenia-iran-and-india-forge-ties/
Agreement reached on Armenia-Azerbaijan foreign ministerial meeting in Russia, says Moscow
14:08,
YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. An agreement has been reached to hold a meeting between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Russia, the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on April 27.
The timeframe will be announced later, she added.
Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 27-04-23
17:18,
YEREVAN, 27 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 27 April, USD exchange rate down by 0.90 drams to 386.43 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.99 drams to 426.85 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.01 drams to 4.74 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.55 drams to 481.92 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price up by 136.31 drams to 24885.30 drams. Silver price down by 1.28 drams to 308.74 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.
Armenpress: Armenian army chief describes EU monitoring mission as restraining measure against Azeri military
10:05,
YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia Major-general Edward Asryan has praised the EU monitoring mission’s work in Armenia.
“Definitely, I highly appreciate the EU monitoring work in the Republic of Armenia. With this work the Azerbaijani military are more restrained. The work is done very well along the borders of Armenia,” Asryan said during a meeting with the French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in the Armenian town of Jermuk.
FM Colonna also described the cooperation between Armenia and the EU monitoring mission to be very positive. “This work gives positive results for us. It allows us to get information through the monitoring work on the ground that is useful for the EU members. This is a monitoring mission, not an armed mission, the purpose is to monitor the situation, but in any case that presence allows to reduce tension,” the French FM said.
Photos by Hayk Manukyan
Catholicos Karekin II insists on Pashinyan’s resignation
Panorama
Armenia –
His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, on Thursday reiterated the call for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation.
"The Armenian Apostolic Holy Church raised the issue of Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation in its statement. We sent out a paternal call which is not subject to a time limit," the religious leader told journalists in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
He stated the church call is conditioned by the need to handle the challenges facing the country.
“Unfortunately, the situation in our country remains a cause for concern. Wrong and unacceptable statements are made regarding the status of Artsakh. The deepening disunity and intolerance in society are also disturbing. And here we have a lot of work to do. We will be able to resolve these problems only through full consolidation of our national potential," Karekin II said.
Sports: Armenia pledge not to poach Russian athletes as continue to offer support for country’s return
Armenia’s Olympic Committee (ARMNOC) has pledged to work for the return of "brother" athletes from Russia and Belarus to international sport and promised it will not try and entice Russian athletes to compete for Armenia.
Last month, ARMNOC officials met their Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) counterparts to discuss developing relations.
ARMNOC officials had previously described the sanctions on Russian sport as "unfair" and has given an undertaken it will not take advantage of the country's athletes being banned from international competition.
"Inviting Russians surreptitiously, taking advantage of their access problems, is wrong and vile, we have nothing to do with this," ARMNOC secretary general Hrachya Rostomyan told Russia's official state news agency TASS.
"The Russian Olympic Committee is our brother, and it wouldn’t even occur to us to poach someone,
"Do they want to drive a wedge between us?
"For our part, we are ready to help, in any way we can, to bring back Russian and Belarusian athletes.
"I recently spoke at the International Olympic Committee and said that sport is a humanitarian bridge between peoples that cannot be destroyed."
Russia and Armenia have traditionally enjoyed close sporting ties ©Getty Images
Armenia has close political and sporting ties with Russia and a delegation from the country took part in the Children of Asia event, a youth winter sports competition organised in Russia last month.
Armenians have also been invited to participate in an International Forum of Young Olympians in Moscow scheduled for June 1.
"The Olympic Committee of Armenia has a very clear position that sport should be out of politics," Rostomyan, who is also Aremnia's Minister of Emergency Situations of Armenia and President of the Armenian Wrestling Federation, said.
Armenian officials have repeatedly highlighted their decision to attend the 2015 European Games held in Baku, Azerbaijan as an example of how countries should not allow the fact they are at war with each other get in the way of international sport.
"Despite the difficult relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, we went to the 2015 European Games in Baku and took part in all the events there," Rostomyan explained.
There remain no diplomatic relations between the two countries following the recent armed conflict in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in 2020 and further fighting last September.
Last week, the Azerbaijan team withdrew from the European Weightlifting Championships in Armenia after a fashion designer working on the Opening Ceremony seized the Azerbaijan flag and set it alight.
Two days later, Karen Giloyan, Deputy Minister at the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, condemned the incident when he told insidethegames it was "hideous,"
Pashinyan hopes for the soon opening of the Armenian-Turkish border.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed hope for the soon opening of the Armenian-Turkish border.
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“I hope that the Armenian-Turkish border will open soon and there will be a basis for neighborly, natural relations,” Pashinyan said, speaking in parliament.
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According to him, for this it is important to implement the agreement on opening the land border for citizens of third countries and holders of diplomatic passports over the coming months.
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There are no diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia, the border between the two countries has been closed since 1993 at the initiative of Ankara. Difficult relations between the countries are caused by a number of circumstances related, in particular, to Turkey’s sharp reaction to the process of international recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire.
Even after Putin’s warning, would Armenia gain by joining the ICC?
Russia’s threat of retaliation should Armenia join the international court, which has just issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, puts Armenia in a bind. But membership may even lead to unexpected legal jeopardy for the Caucasian nation
Last week Russia warned of serious consequences for Armenia if it becomes a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Back in December, Armenia’s cabinet had approved draft laws to ratify the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC. However, since then, the court has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes committed in Ukraine.
It puts Yerevan in a difficult position. Armenia, though a member of Russia’s economic and military alliances would, after joining the ICC, be required to arrest the leader of its security patron if he visited their country. Senior Armenian officials now claim they would simply not implement an arrest: but this is hardly an auspicious start or way to endear Armenia to the court.
This matters, because Armenia seeks to join order to pursue specific legal action for international crimes allegedly committed by its neighbour Azerbaijan in a 30-year territorial dispute over Karabakh – an Azerbaijani region held by ethnic Armenian separatists since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yet even before the ICC issued its warrant for Putin, it was questionable whether the benefits of joining the court outweighed the risks for Armenia.
Certainly, the ICC would open a new front in the legal tussles between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Karabakh had been held by Armenia since the early 90s, but Baku regained significant amounts of the territory during a 44-day conflict in 2020. Since a Moscow-brokered ceasefire put an end to hostilities, a raft of cases has been brought by both nations before various international courts. In February, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered unimpeded movement along a highway connecting Armenia to Karabakh. The month before, Azerbaijan launched a case against Armenia for environmental destruction at an international tribunal – the first inter-State arbitration sought under the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.
Such courts and tribunals only adjudicate claims between states. In contrast, the ICC was established to prosecute the individuals behind humanity’s gravest crimes – raising the prospect of sitting politicians and military leaders in the dock. However, the international jurisdiction for this individual criminal liability is a complicated matter.
In disputes between states, the parameters are relatively clear: both are party to an international treaty and a relevant international body of rules on the matter. Bar rare referrals from the Security Council, the ICC has two jurisdictional bases: one covers the crimes committed in a territory of a member state to the court; another the crimes of a member state’s nationals committed anywhere. In signing up to the court, in the hope of holding individuals in Azerbaijan to account under this jurisdiction, the Armenian government has also opened its own forces to international scrutiny and potential prosecution.
Armenia has taken the explicit step of backdating its accession to the court to permit the ICC to apply its statute retrospectively. That date is 12 May, 2021. Tellingly, Armenia did not opt for one that would encompass the 2020 conflict. The government reasoned that the date chosen would enable Armenia to hold Azerbaijan accountable for alleged incursions into Armenia from May 2021. The specific scope of the selected jurisdiction raises three important issues.
First, Armenia seems to accept that the ICC will recognise potential crimes committed in Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory – undermining its claims it is either part of Armenia or an independent country. The 44 day-conflict in 2020 happened exclusively in Karabakh and surrounding regions in Azerbaijan, which is not a party to the ICC. Had Armenia agreed to retrospective application going back to the 2020 conflict, unless Baku voluntarily submitted to its jurisdiction, only crimes committed during this conflict by Armenian personnel would fall under the Court’s purview.
Second, and relatedly, the start date is a tacit admission that Armenia probably did commit crimes during that conflict that the court was established to deal with – which include war crimes and crimes against humanity – and is protecting its personnel from those charges. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch gathered credible evidence of crimes by both sides during the conflict. If Armenia assumed its personnel are at risk, it also highlights the government has not taken any steps to investigate them. The ICC’s jurisdiction is complementary: it only steps in if states are unwilling or unable genuinely to investigate. Through its selective commencement date, Armenia appears to admit to both. Whilst embracing the ICC, Armenia has simultaneously acted as if it is skirting justice.
Third, whilst striving for such jurisdictional contortion, Armenia may not have achieved its objective. The Armenian Minister of Justice states that the retrospective application is to deal with the alleged military aggression and occupation of territories by Azerbaijan in May 2021 and September 2022, the consequences of which 'are still present'. But Armenia opens itself up to the exact same charge.
Armenia still occupies a significant portion of Azerbaijani territory, guarded by Russian peacekeepers, despite losses in the 2020 war. Skirmishes and outbreaks of violence have occurred in Karabakh since the ceasefire. Any crimes committed by Armenian personnel could potentially be investigated. Moreover, Azerbaijan would even be permitted, despite not being a party to the ICC, to engage the court, requesting that crimes that fall within its jurisdiction are investigated and prosecuted where there is sufficient probative evidence.
The peculiarities of Armenia’s drive to join the ICC may end up backfiring. In aiming to bring charges solely against Azerbaijan it risks looking like it is cherry picking justice and requesting uneven application of the law. If Putin visited and was not arrested as required by the Rome Statute, this would be further substantiated. In reality, Armenia may end up the subject of investigation they wished upon their adversary.
Rodney Dixon KC is an international lawyer specialising in international justice. He is co-author of the book ‘International Courts: Practice, Procedure & Evidence’ which is published by Sweet & Maxwell
https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/commentary-and-opinion/even-after-putins-warning-would-armenia-gain-by-joining-the-icc/5115742.article
Two new postage stamps dedicated to the theme “Armenia-Romania Joint Issue”
11:14, 3 April 2023
YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. On April 3rd, 2023, two postage stamps dedicated to the theme “Armenia-Romania Joint Issue” were put into circulation.
Each postage stamp has a nominal value of 400 AMD. One of the stamps depicts the portrait of Ana Aslan, a famous Romanian doctor of Armenian origin, scientist, founder of the world's first geriatrics institute, creator of the first anti-aging remedy "Gerovital", and the other postage stamp depicts Ana Aslan’s photo and a branch with buds, symbolizing new life.
The postage stamps also depict the flags of Armenia and Romania, the signature of Ana Aslan as well as the inscriptions "ANA ASLAN", "JOINT ISSUE ARMENIA-ROMANIA" and “1897-1988” in Armenian and English languages.
Date of issue:
Designers: David Dovlatyan, MihailVămășescu
Printing house: Cartor, France
Size: 42,0 x 28,0mm
Stamps per sheet:10 pcs
Print run: 20 000 pcs x 2
All materials are provided by “Ana Aslan” Foundation ().
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107790.html?fbclid=IwAR1zf1hoRnJejS212V7tkxWOqOQcVDw04QVKfRZdEpsBJ1R91aW4uLnYqbA