Author: Arpi Talalian

Armenian protesters call for PM to resign over Karabakh ‘concessions’

Arpi Talalian
May 2 2022
Opposition parties in Armenia on Monday staged protests to demand Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resign over his policy on the long-contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Arch-foe Caucasus neighbours Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a dispute since the 1990s over the mountainous enclave in Azerbaijan predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians.

Karabakh was at the centre of a six-week war in 2020 that claimed more than 6,500 lives before it ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Opposition parties now accuse Pashinyan of plans to give away all of Karabakh to Azerbaijan after he told lawmakers last month that the "international community calls on Armenia to scale down demands on Karabakh".

Waving Armenian and Karabakh flags and shouting demands for Pashinyan to step down, some 5,000 protesters marched on Monday evening in central Yerevan.

"We are launching a popular protest movement to force Pashinyan to resign," parliament vice speaker and opposition leader Ishkhan Saghatelyan told AFP ahead of the rally.

"He is a traitor, he has lied to the people," he said, accusing the 46-year-old leader of wanting to hand over the contested region to Azerbaijan. "He has no popular mandate to do so."

Saghatelyan said "protests will not stop until Pashinyan goes."

One of the demonstrators, 53-year-old dentist Hripsime Mkrtchyan, said: "Nikol must resign. His poor policy has led to territorial and human losses."

"Our people have never been  in such a depressed mood. We don't see a light at the end of the tunnel."

Earlier in the morning, public transport was disrupted in Yerevan as small groups of protesters attempted to block traffic in the city centre.

Police intervened, briefly detaining dozens of protesters.

The Union of Journalists, a media advocacy group, criticised police tactics as heavy-handed, saying there were several instances of officers punching journalists covering the protests.

On Sunday, several thousand protesters rallied in central Yerevan to demand Pashinyan's resignation.

Under the Moscow-brokered deal, Armenia ceded swathes of territory it had controlled for decades and Russia deployed some 2,000 peacekeepers to oversee the truce.

The pact was seen in Armenia as a national humiliation and sparked weeks of anti-government protests, leading Pashinyan to call snap parliamentary polls which his party, Civil Contract, won last September.

In April, Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met for rare EU-mediated talks in Brussels after which they tasked their foreign ministers to "begin preparatory work for peace talks."

The meeting came after a flare-up in Karabakh on March 25 that saw Azerbaijan capture a strategic village in the area under the Russian peacekeepers' responsibility, killing three separatist troops.

Baku tabled in mid-March its set of framework proposals for the peace agreement that includes both sides' mutual recognition of territorial integrity, meaning Yerevan should agree on Karabakh being part of Azerbaijan.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan sparked controversy at home when he said — commenting on the Azerbaijani proposal — that for Yerevan "the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a territorial issue, but a matter of rights" of the local ethnic-Armenian population.

Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. The ensuing conflicts claimed around 30,000 lives.

(AFP)

https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220502-armenian-protesters-call-for-pm-to-resign-over-karabakh-concessions

Balanced position should be cornerstone: experts comment on Pashinyan’s latest Russia visit

Arpi Talalian

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 16:16, 27 April, 2022

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent visit to Russia, the documents signed, are positive. In this difficult period they give an opportunity to get some security guarantees and work on this direction on the one hand, and to boost the economic cooperation, on the other hand, Expert at Orbeli information-analytical center Jony Melikyan told a press conference in Armenpress.

“During the visit documents have been signed which relate to the future cooperation formats, outline inter-state visits and a cooperation between different ministries. On the background of these complex geopolitical processes it is very important to assess soberly the situation, work with partners in order to reduce all possible risks”, Melikyan said.

Political analyst Hakob Badalyan thinks that the statement of the Armenian PM and the Russian President is balanced. According to him, in such complex geopolitical situation getting a document which reflects the targeted directions that are important for Russia from security perspective and also contains important formulations for Armenia. “Besides, in this difficult situation they have avoided wording, content that would be associated, say, with any positioning in the Ukrainian war. My description is the following, it is a balanced document that actually covers all areas. It is a working base on which the future activity should be built”, Hakob Badalyan said.

Another expert of the Orbeli center Artak Khachatryan believes that one of the key foreign political cornerstones of Armenia should be the balanced policy. He says they see these steps in the efforts directed to Nagorno Karabakh or Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.

“In the current geopolitical race, such step of Armenia’s foreign policy is welcome, trying to align and make closer the interests of the sides and the corners of the Armenian interests”, he said. He said that it was not a coincidence that the Brussels meeting was followed by a visit to Moscow. And in both cases the main focus was on security issues.

Taron Hovhannisyan, an expert of the Orbeli center, outlined point 24th of the statement of the Armenian PM and the Russian President, which pointed out Nagorno Karabakh and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

“It was stated that the conflict is not settled, which is very important in a sense that after the war Azerbaijan is constantly trying to claim that the conflict is over, there is no Nagorno Karabakh. This remark could have been stayed as a remark if we haven’t heard at least statements by internationally involved actors that the Artsakh issue exists and is not solved yet. Here the opinion of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries comes to the fore. Russia not only is a Co-Chair country, we all understand quite well that it is a country having a serious influence and presence in the region”, Taron Hovhannisyan said.

Turkish press: UN chief calls Erdoğan to give update about Putin talks

Arpi Talalian
  • April 27 2022 14:05:00

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to give an update on his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the Presidential Communications Directorate announced on April 27.

Guterres was in Ankara on April 24 to hold talks with Erdoğan before his trips to Moscow and Kiev. He was received by Putin on April 25, the day Erdoğan spoke with the Russian president over the phone. Guterres and Erdoğan exchanged views after the former’s trip to Moscow and before his scheduled trip to Ukraine to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The international community is pressing the two sides for a ceasefire so that they can negotiate a deal to end the armed conflict and resolve growing humanitarian problems in Ukraine. Guterres also urged Moscow for the evacuation of civilians stranded in the areas where heavy clashes between Russian and Ukrainian armies continue.

In his phone conversation with Putin, Erdoğan also reiterated Ankara’s call for the resumption of peace talks in Istanbul as the continuation of the meetings that had taken place in Istanbul in early April. He told Putin Turkey would continue to make every effort to bring an end to the current state of affairs, which harms everyone, and to establish lasting peace.

Erdoğan meets minority leaders at iftar

In the meantime, Erdoğan hosted minority religious groups at an iftar dinner in the presidential palace late on April 26.

Among the participants at the iftar dinner were the Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Sahak Mashalian, Turkish Jews Chief Rabbi Isak Haleva, Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan Yusuf Cetin, Turkish Syriac-Catholic Church Patriarchal Vicar Orhan Canli, Deputy Patriarch of Armenian Catholic Community Levon Zekiyan and Kadıköy Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Emmanuel Adamakis.

Bedros Sirinoglu, chairman of the Union of Armenian Foundations; Herman Baliyan, deputy head of the Armenian Hospital; Ishak Ibrahimzadeh, co-chair of the Turkish Jewish Community; Konstantin Yuvanidis, president of the Balikli Greek Hospital Foundation; Sait Susin, head of the Istanbul-based Syriac Church Foundation; Munir Uckardes, president of the Syriac Catholic Community Foundation; and Antuan Sultanoglu, deputy chairman of the Armenian Catholic Surp Agop Foundation were also among the participants at the iftar dinner at the presidential complex in the capital Ankara.

Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, and Ali Erbaş, the head of Turkey’s top religious body Diyanet, were also present.

Azerbaijan urges quick peace deal with Armenia but states firm line

Arpi Talalian
REUTERS
Reuters
  • Armenia, Azerbaijan fought in 2020
  • Azerbaijan says Armenia needs to renounce claims
  • Armenian PM say he won't sign deal without consultation

April 22 (Reuters) – Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev called on Friday for negotiations to take place soon on a peace treaty with Armenia, but said Yerevan would need to renounce any territorial claim against his country, the Interfax news agency reported.

Aliyev said the two former Soviet republics, which fought their last major war in 2020, could reach an agreement quickly if Armenia accepted the principles his country had set forward.

"Armenia must officially recognise the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as well as the fact that it does not have any territorial claims against Azerbaijan, and will not have any in the future either," he was quoted as saying.

Otherwise, "we will not recognise the territorial integrity of Armenia, we will announce it officially," he said.

Speaking to Armenia's parliament after Aliyev's comments, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he would not sign any peace deal with Azerbaijan without consulting ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

At least 6,500 people were killed in a six-week war in 2020, the latest flare-up of a conflict dating back to the collapse of the Soviet Union. It ended when Russia intervened and sent peacekeepers to the flashpoint region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies inside Azerbaijan but was home to an estimated 150,000 Armenians before the latest round of fighting.

RIA news agency quoted Pashinyan as saying: "I rule out that I would come close to signing a document that would not have undergone extensive public discussion, including with all the layers of society in Nagorno-Karabakh."

"This is a cast-iron guarantee that the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be decided behind the backs of the people."

Azerbaijan is in a strong negotiating position after emerging as the decisive victor, recapturing territory it had lost between 1991 and 1994. But many questions remain unresolved, including over the demarcation of borders.

The despatch of almost 2,000 peacekeepers reaffirmed Moscow's role as policeman and chief power broker in a volatile part of the former Soviet Union where Turkey also wields increasing influence thanks to its close alliance with Azerbaijan.

Reporting by Reuters Writing by Mark Trevelyan Editing by Hugh Lawson and Frances Kerry
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/azerbaijan-urges-quick-peace-deal-with-armenia-states-firm-line-2022-04-22/
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34th sitting of Interparliamentary Commission on Cooperation between Armenia, Russia takes place in Stepanavan

Arpi Talalian

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 19:17,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. The regular sitting of the Interparliamentary Commission on Cooperation between the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and the Federation Council of the Russian Federation was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Russia, as well as the 25th anniversary of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. The Armenian and Russian parliamentarians held the 34th sitting of the commission on April 22 in Stepanavan.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, the Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Viktor Bondarev praised the cooperation between the two countries, emphasizing that Armenia is a strategic ally of Russia. He stressed the importance of establishing stability in the region, noting that one of Russia's priorities is the peaceful settlement of the situation in Nagorno Karabakh.

The Vice President of the Natoinal Assembly of Armenia, Co-Chair of the Armenian-Russian Commission on Interparliamentary Cooperation Hakob Arshakyan, in his turn, highlighted the role of Russian peacekeepers in maintaining peace in Nagorno Karabakh.

Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Viktor Bondarev thanked the Armenian side and personally Hakob Arshakyan for organizing the sitting at a high level and for the warm reception.

According to Hakob Arshakyan, the results of the sitting were satisfactory, the discussions were held in a constructive atmosphere. According to him, a clear agreement has been reached to expand cooperation and implement programs in various fields.

City of Novi, Michigan, proclaims April 24 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day

Arpi Talalian
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia –
, 18:36

 Less than a minute

The city of Novi, Michigan has proclaimed April 24th as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. The document has been signed by Mayor Bob Gatt, reports the Armenian National Committee of Michigan (ANCI-MI).

The Committee thanked the City Council for bringing awareness to the “ongoing Genocide of the Armenians and joining the Armenian community in commemorating the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 by issuing this important proclamation recognizing April 24th, 2022 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in the City of Farmington Hills.”

“The cycle of the genocide will continue unless we bring the perpetrators to justice,” ANCA-MI added.

https://en.armradio.am/2022/04/21/city-of-novi-michigan-proclaims-april-24-as-armenian-genocide-remembrance-day/

French city of Nimes dedicates square to the memory of Armenian Genocide victims

Arpi Talalian
Public Radio of Armenia
, 22:54

 

On April 16, a solemn opening ceremony of an Armenian khachkar, and a square dedicated to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims, took place in the center of the French city of Nimes.

The Mayor of Nimes Jean-Paul Fournier, the Ambassador of Armenia to France, Hasmik Tolmajyan and the President of the Armenian Association of Nimes (Amicale Franco-Armenienne de Nimes et du Gard) Armen Martirosyan made speeches during the event. The ceremony was also attended by the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense, Armed Forces of the French National Assembly, François Dumas, as well as the Armenia’s Consul in Marseilles Samvel Lalayan.

In her speech, the Armenian Ambassador recalled the important role that France played in sheltering Armenian refugees who survived the genocide. The importance of France recognizing the Armenian Genocide in 2001 by law, as well as the inclusion of April 24 in the list of French State Remembrance Days from 2019 was stressed.

The Ambassador thanked the Mayor of Nimes, the City Council, for approving the initiative to name a square after the Armenian Genocide and immortalize the khachkar. The Ambassador also expressed gratitude to the relatively newly formed French-Armenian community in Nimes, in the person of the Armenian Association of the city, its President Armen Martirosyan, for the implementation of this important initiative. The speeches were followed by a khachkar blessing ceremony.

On the same day, Ambassador Tolmajyan met with representatives of the French-Armenian community of Nimes to discuss issues of concern to the community. The Ambassador thanked the community for the donation of more than 60,000 euros to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund during the war in Artsakh in 2020.

Police detain 5 supporters of Ex-NSS Head at Freedom Square in Yerevan

Arpi Talalian
NEWS.am
Armenia –
20:16, 17.04.2022

Police detain 5 supporters of the ex-National security service head in Yerevan's Freedom Square.

The Armenian police have detained supporters of the former National Security Service head, opposition deputy from the "I have honor" bloc Artur Vanetsyan, who came to the protest action in the center of Yerevan's Freedom Square.

Arsen Babayan, a member of the Homeland Party political council, said that the police brought 5 participants to the rally.

The protesters tried to set up tents, but the law enforcement officers did not allow them to do so. The protesters wanted to block the traffic on the adjacent street, but the police interfered. There was a scuffle between citizens and law enforcers, during which people were arrested.

The former head of the National Security Service of Armenia, head of the opposition parliamentary faction "I have Honor " Artur Vanetsyan started a rally at Freedom Square in Yerevan to fight for Karabakh.

Arsen Avakov: Armenia should make difficult compromises by consensus

Arpi Talalian
ARMINFO
Armenia –
Alina Hovhannisyan

ArmInfo.In order to avoid a potential big tragedy, Armenia should look carefully, step over its troubles and problems and negotiate directly with Azerbaijan. Former  Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov stated in an  interview on the Chibukhchyan Live youtube channel.

At the same time, he stressed that European democracy, as an  intermediary-guarantor is still better than the President of the  Russian Federation with his future imperial values as a guarantor.

At the same time, Avakov recalled the position of the Europeans  regarding the generally accepted borders of Nagorno-Karabakh, which,  according to the latter, should be part of Azerbaijan. <I'm not  trying to pass for a great specialist or a supporter of a compromise  now. My relatives also suffered greatly from the latest military  events in Karabakh. You just need to be very wise to prevent a  national tragedy. I do not think that Armenia needs to cede its  territories. Today it is necessary to talk about obtaining  appropriate guarantees for the national development, culture,  freedom, communication of Armenia and Artsakh. Build a system of  agreements around this>,  said the ex-head of the Ministry of  Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

In his opinion, the balance in such a situation can be maintained, if  French President Emmanuel Macron, France, the EU, and the USA are  chosen as a grenade. "And get out of this "prison of peoples", which  is now being built again by Mr. Putin," Avakov stressed.

At the same time, he expressed indignation at the deployment of  Russian border guards on the RA border.  Such, according to the  Ukrainian politician, should not be allowed. In this context, he  recalled Russia's statements about the "fraternal Ukrainian people",  which did not prevent the latter from destroying Ukrainian cities  today. Avakov did not rule out a similar scenario for Armenia.

The only advice that can be given to Armenia in such a difficult  situation is to go through difficult compromises by consensus. The  Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, according to the former  head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, must gather the  opposition forces, present the situation and by general consensus, by  all the people, choose and support some kind of decision. Only by  agreeing among themselves, according to Arsen Avakov, one can have a  strong position in the negotiation process.  "Moreover, there are few  places where you will find such lobbyism as that of the Armenians.  You have to use it correctly. This is very important," he added.   According to Avakov, Armenia is able to resolve its issues in a  similar way. And after Ukraine coped with Russia, the former head of  the Ministry of Internal Affairs expressed the opinion that Armenia  should move to a completely different level of relations with  Ukraine, which would be quite promising.