11:49, 7 August 2023
YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, ARMENPRESS. 14 new cases of measles were confirmed last week, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the ongoing local outbreak in Armenia to 373, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday.
As of August 7, the number of active cases stood at 147 but only 4 patients were hospitalized.
226 patients have been treated and discharged from hospitals.
260 of those infected are children, while the 113 others are adults.
On July 23, Mr. Ibadoghlu and his wife, Irada Bayramli, were stopped in their car outside of Baku by a group of 20 people in civilian clothes who beat them and took them in to police custody. Ms. Bayramli was released later that day, but Mr. Ibadoghlu was remanded by a court to three months and 26 days of pretrial detention on spurious charges of corruption.
Mr. Ibadoghlu, who has taught over the years in the United States and Europe, was until recently a senior visiting scholar at the London School of Economics. He has led the Economic Research Center in Azerbaijan, a nongovernmental organization that focuses on economic development and good governance. In 2014, Mr. Aliyev’s regime ordered a freeze on the group’s bank accounts in a wider crackdown on civil society. Mr. Ibadoghlu, who was a 2015 Reagan-Fascell fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy, is also chairman of the Democracy and Prosperity Movement, founded in 2014, which the Azerbaijani government has refused to grant official status as a political party.
After his arrest, the authorities charged Mr. Ibadoghlu with counterfeiting, saying they found $40,000 in cash in the offices of his organization, and association with the exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, whom Turkey blames for an attempted coup in 2016. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that Mr. Ibadoghlu was detained based on information from Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan. The charges are absurd.
The true reason for his detention is more likely related to events in June, when he helped found the Azerbaijani Youth Educational Foundation in Britain, aimed at preparing a new generation of Azerbaijani professionals. Mr. Ibadoghlu said it would be funded by donations, but also seeks to get funds that corrupt Azerbaijani politicians siphoned from the state and stashed in Britain. From 2012 to 2014, members of the ruling elite used a secret slush fund to pay off European politicians, buy luxury goods, launder money and otherwise benefit in what was called the Azerbaijani Laundromat, exposed by a consortium of journalists working under the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. The British government has recovered some of the illicit funds. Mr. Ibadoghlu clearly perturbed Mr. Aliyev with his plan to tap the spoils of the kleptocracy for his youth training project.
Mr. Aliyev also seeks to crush political opposition at home. In January, he signed a law that sharply restricts the ability of opposition political parties to function. As a result, Azerbaijan’s three most prominent opposition parties were recently denied registration — and face the possibility of being disbanded. Mr. Ibadoghlu had attempted six times without success to get his group registered, most recently in July.
Mr. Ibadoghlu is diabetic and has hypertension. His family says he has been denied access to medicine, and they fear for his health.
Meanwhile, the United States has been pressing Mr. Aliyev to ease the blockade that Azerbaijan has imposed around Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave, leading to a humanitarian crisis there. Azerbaijan is seeking to regain full control of Nagorno-Karabakh, which ethnic Armenian forces have controlled for three decades. Armenia and Azerbaijan have engaged in peace talks. Any contacts with Azerbaijan about the crisis should also include a plea for the immediate release of Mr. Ibadoghlu.
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Azerbaijan is calling on countries and international organizations that have made anti-Azerbaijani statements to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, especially concerning developments in Karabakh and the Lachin road.
“We demand that countries and international organizations that are deceived by Armenia’s manipulations and which make biased statements (instead) respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, not interfere in the internal affairs of our country, and to put an end to the policy of double standards,” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
The ministry said Azerbaijan has made proposals to meet the needs of Armenians in the region but the Armenian side has “opposed” these efforts and blocked “access to the territory by placing concrete barriers on alternative roads.”
“Armenian claims about the humanitarian situation are nothing than political blackmail and manipulation,” the Ministry said.
“The aim of Armenia is to bring third parties to the region, expand the geography of tensions, as well as to lead the peace process to a failure point,” it added.
“Azerbaijan will ensure the rights of Armenian residents living in its Karabagh region based on the country’s Constitution, and will resolutely prevent any step against its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the ministry said.
Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, now known as Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
In 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia, and the fighting ended with a deal brokered by Russia.
Despite ongoing talks on a peace agreement, tensions between the neighboring countries rose in recent months concerning the Lachin road, a land route giving Armenia access to Karabakh, as well as Azerbaijan’s establishment of a border checkpoint on the road.
https://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/azerbaijan-urges-countries-fooled-by-armenias-manipulation-to-respect-its-sovereignty-3667879
Western thinking of Turkish and Azerbaijani Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ilham Aliyev has been very wrong. Both countries are Ukraine’s strongest allies in the Greater Middle East, where Arab countries and Israel are sitting on the fence and trying to play both sides or hiding their heads in the sand. This is not the case with Turkiye and Azerbaijan.
Turkiye and Azerbaijan have a close military and political alliance drawn up after the 2020 Second Karabakh War. Both countries are critically disposed toward Russia and align with the pro-Western camp: Turkiye as a NATO member and Azerbaijan as a non-aligned country that has stayed away from Russian-led Eurasian integration projects.
Turkiye is home to millions of Crimean Tatars who moved to the Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth century. Their Crimean homeland was occupied by the Russian Empire in 1783 which changed its ethnic balance. Crimean Tatars, who closely follow developments in Russian-occupied Crimea, where racism, Islamophobia, and political repression is endemic, are a powerful anti-Russian lobby in Turkiye.
Iran meanwhile has become Russia’s staunchest ally in the Kremlin’s fight against the US-dominated unipolar world and its replacement by an allegedly more ‘democratic’ multipolar world. Iran is constructing a facility to build Shaheed drones in Russia, while Turkiye is building a plant to build Bayraktar drones in Ukraine.
Western governments have wrongly portrayed President Erdogan as being in bed with Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, and were therefore wrong-footed by his recent steps. In the space of a week, Erdogan released Ukrainian POWs from the Spring 2022 battle for the port of Mariupol, infuriating the Kremlin because they had been released from Russian captivity on the basis that they would spend the entirety of the war in Turkiye.
But Erdogan went even further. On the eve of the recent NATO summit, Erdogan extended strong support to Ukraine becoming a member of NATO. Turkiye’s support infuriated the Kremlin who has expressed strong opposition to Ukraine joining NATO and the EU because this would definitively end any possibility of bringing the country into the Russian World.
In addition to 35 Bayraktar TB2 and 24 Mini-Bayraktar reconnaissance drones, Turkiye is sending other types of military equipment to Ukraine. Before the US announcement, Turkiye said it would supply Ukraine with cluster munitions. Turkiye sent up to 200 TRLG-230 Rokestan missiles to Ukraine that can be fired from multiple rocket launchers and have a range of 20 to 70 kilometers. Turkiye also sent 200 Kirpi mine-resistant armoured personnel carriers and 20 COBRA II 4×4 Tactical Wheeled Armoured Vehicles.
During the same week of NATO’s summit in Vilnius, Turkiye said it’s navy would escort Ukrainian grain ships through the Black Sea. Turkiye’s offer will be tested later this month after Russia refused to extend the UN-Turkish brokered grain deal beyond July 17. Turkiye’s battle of wills with Russia will impact the Kremlin’s arrogant view of the Black Sea constituting a ‘Russian lake.’
Azerbaijan’s strategic importance to Ukraine is six-fold. Firstly, Azerbaijan is the only south Caucasian state that has successfully resisted Russian control over its affairs. With three Russian military bases, Armenia is a long-time ally of Russia since the early 1990s and is a member of all Russian-led integration projects in Eurasia. Georgia has been captured by Georgian-Russian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili who has put former President Mikhail Saakashvili, a long-time opponent of Putin, in jail on trumped up charges.
Secondly, Azerbaijan is alone in the south Caucasus in not breaking Western sanctions against Russia. Armenia and Georgia are actively involved in sanctions busting both due to high-level corruption and because the Kremlin has influence over the ruling elites of both countries.
Thirdly, Armenia and Georgia, but not Azerbaijan, are disseminating the Kremlin’s talking points justifying Russia’s so-called ‘special military operation’ against Ukraine. Georgian leaders have parroted the Kremlin’s disinformation by blaming the West for the war in Ukraine. Speaking at the GLOBSEC Bratislava security forum in May, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said ‘one of the main reasons’ behind the war in Ukraine ‘was NATO expansion … the desire of Ukraine to become a member of NATO.’ The Georgian Orthodox Church has taken the side of the Russian Orthodox Church over Ukraine receiving Orthodox autocephaly (independence). The Georgian Orthodox Church joined the Kremlin in protesting against Ukraine’s clamp down on subversion and Russian Orthodox clergy collaboration with Russian occupying forces.
Fourthly, Azerbaijan and Ukraine uphold the territorial integrity of states, which is not true of irridentist powers such as Russia and Armenia. Ukraine has given unqualified support to Karabakh constituting Azerbaijani sovereign territory. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has not supported Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukrainian territory during votes on critical resolutions at the United Nations.
Fifthly, Azerbaijan’s supply of energy to the European Union, together with other countries such as the US and Norway, removes Russia’s stranglehold over energy supplies. Azerbaijan is one of the strategically important countries assisting Europe to become energy independent of revanchist Russia.
Finally, Azerbaijan provides free energy to Ukraine for humanitarian work. Since Russia’s invasion, the Azerbaijani state energy company SOCAR has been providing free gas and petrol to vehicles used for humanitarian missions, such as delivering aid to internally displaced people, ambulances and fire trucks. In June Azerbaijan supplied twenty tons of fuel to Ukraine free of charge as humanitarian aid, as well as water pipes, water pumps, and life jackets, in response to Russia’s terrorist destruction of the Kakhovka dam.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted how Turkiye and Azerbaijan are close allies of Ukraine over a wide range of areas. As the second biggest military power in NATO, Russia is forced to take Turkiye seriously when it supplies military equipment to Ukraine and protects grain convoys sailing through the Black Sea.
Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine oppose Russian irridentism in Eurasia and Russian-led Eurasian integration projects; uphold the territorial integrity of states and Karabakh as Azerbaijani sovereign territory; and recognize the importance of European energy independence from Russia. Turkiye and Azerbaijan stand with Ukraine during votes at the UN condemning Russia’s invasion and occupation. Unlike Georgia and Armenia, Turkiye and Azerbaijan do not fan Russian disinformation about the causes of the Russian invasion.
Taras Kuzio is a professor of political science at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy. His latest book is Fascism and Genocide. Russia’s War Against Ukrainians
The views expressed in this article belong to the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of Geopoliticalmonitor.com.
https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/erdogans-flip-how-turkiye-and-azerbaijan-became-ukraine-allies/
Nagorno-Karabakh has been under various degrees of blockade for over seven months now as Azerbaijan continues to prevent the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh from leaving or entering the region. Russian peacekeepers stationed there have been barred from accessing the region since mid-June, while the International Committee of the Red Cross was blocked from accessing Nagorno-Karabakh after being accused of smuggling in phones, cigarettes, and fuel.
This week, Marut Vanyan, a journalist based in Stepanakert, talks about the dire humanitarian situation and the sense of isolation felt in Nagorno-Karabakh, while Armenian multimedia journalist Arpi Bekaryan talks about the growing apathy towards the crisis in Armenia.
Read more:
Artsakh resident block the road connecting Askeran to Aghdam on Jul. 18 (Facebook photo by Arshak Abrahamyan)
Residents of Artsakh, angered with Azerbaijan’s refusal to end the seven-month-long blockade of the Lachin Corridor and with Baku’s insistence that humanitarian supplies be delivered to Karabakh via Aghdam — bypassing Armenia — blocked the road to Askeran by placing cement barriers.
Azerbaijan’s foreign minister repeated Baku’s latest scheme to maintain its stranglehold on Artsakh—the supposed transport of humanitarian aid into Karabakh via Aghdam, formerly Akna as it was known before its occupation in 2020.
This latests stunt by Baku found its way into a remarks made by European Council President Charles Michel who hosted talks between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan on Saturday in Brussels.
Following the talks, Michel told reporters that clear steps were discussed to help the situation return to its normal course again.
“I emphasized the need to open the Lachin Corridor, noted Azerbaijan’s readiness to deliver humanitarian aid through Aghdam,” said Michel told reporters soon after the end of talks on Saturday.
Artsakh Internal Affairs Minister on Tuesday denied reports circulating in Azerbaijani media that purported that humanitarian was delivered to Artsakh via Aghdam.
“Another disinformation has been disseminated on the Facebook social network that allegedly Red Cross employees are transporting humanitarian aid from Akna (Aghdam), through the city of Askeran, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers,” said the Artsakh Internal Affairs Ministry, adding that not convoys had passed through the road.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyuhun Bayramov told the newly-appointed Russian Ambassador to Baku that “the Aghdam [(Akna)]-Khankendi [(Stepanakert)] road can be used to meet the demands of the Armenian residents of Azerbaijan,” a statement said.
He also accused Yerevan of “distorting facts” when Armenian officials talk of the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Karabakh due to the Lachin Corridor closure.
European Council President Charles Michel (center) hosts Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels on Jul. 15
Pashinyan Presents Artsakh President’s Letter to EU Leader
European Council President Charles Michel said it is necessary to unblock the Lachin Corridor and stressed that the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is not in any party’s interests, during remarks to reporters after hosting another round of talks between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan in Brussels on Saturday. The EU leader also endorsed Baku’s plan to transport assistance to Karabakh via Aghdam, bypassing Armenia.
“Clear steps were discussed to help the situation return to its normal course again. I emphasized the need to open the Lachin Corridor, noted Azerbaijan’s readiness to deliver humanitarian aid through Aghdam,” said Michel, echoing Baku’s position to use Aghdam as an alternative to Lachin for delivering humanitarian assistance, which ensures that such aid is not delivered through Armenia.
“The European Union continues to be involved in order to start negotiations between the representatives of the former autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh and Baku, which is important for discussing the rights and security issues of the local Armenian population,” added Michel
He drew attention to the fact that the people of Nagorno Karabakh are facing a humanitarian crisis and emphasized that the current situation around the Lachin Corridor is unstable, saying that during Saturday’s talks the parties reaffirmed that they recognize each other’s territorial integrity.
Michel added that the delimitation of the borders, which has become the subject of discussion, should be carried out according to the Almaty Declaration. Michel emphasized that the issues of prisoners and soldiers who crossed over to the other side by mistake were discussed at the tripartite meeting.
He also announced again that three leaders will be joined by the French president and German Chancellor in talks scheduled to take place in the fall in Granada, Spain.
The talks, which lasted for 2:45 were preceded by separate meetings between Michel and the two leaders.
Earlier on Saturday Pashinyan’s office said that during his meeting with Michel, he presented an urgent appeal by Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan calling on the international community, especially the European Union, to compel Azerbaijan to lift the seven-month-old blockade of Artsakh and prevent ethnic cleansing.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivers an appeal from Artsakh President to EU leader Charles Michel
Pashinyan’s statement also stressed that the “deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh caused by Azerbaijan’s illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor” was discussed during the meeting.
The delimitation and demarcation of the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the security of those border were also discussed.
“The unblocking of regional transport and economic infrastructures, the agreement on the regulation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh were discussed, as were issues related to prisoners, missing persons and other humanitarian issues,” Pashinyan’s press office reported, adding that the leaders agreed to continue to address these issues more actively.
This is a developing story.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Armenian author Steve Boyadzhyan invites children and families on an enchanting adventure with his latest children’s book Sienna and Jace Celebrate Vardavar. This heartwarming tale not only captivates young readers with its vibrant storytelling but also delves into the deeper meaning behind the joyous Armenian holiday. Released just in time for Vardavar on July 16, this book is set to become a cherished addition to family libraries around the world.
This delightful book showcases the richness of Armenian culture, immersing readers in its vibrant traditions and captivating folklore. As Sienna and Jace discover the transformative power of water and the value of family bonds, they inspire readers of all backgrounds to embrace unity and celebrate life’s simplest yet most profound moments.
A scene from “Sienna and Jace Celebrate Vardavar”
Sienna and Jace Celebrate Vardavar takes readers on a magical journey through the bustling streets of Armenia as the siblings embark on an unforgettable experience. Against the backdrop of Vardavar’s exuberant water fights and festive celebrations, Sienna and Jace encounter Astghik, the Armenian goddess of water, love and beauty. Under her gentle guidance, they begin to unravel the significance of Vardavar – a time for renewal, connection and spreading love.
This latest release is the seventh book in the “Growing Up Proud” series by Boyadzhyan. The series combines essential childhood themes with a focus on Armenian culture and traditions. Previous titles, including Jace The Armenian Boy Who Loves Healthy Habits and Sienna The Armenian Girl’s World Adventures, have resonated with families worldwide, fostering a sense of pride and understanding of Armenian heritage.
To purchase Sienna and Jace Celebrate Vardavar by Steve Boyadzhyan and learn more about the author, visit amazon.com/author/steveboy.
Follow Sienna and Jace’s exciting adventures on Instagram.
19:41,
YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, a consultation was held in the Government, during which the project concept of the Academic City was discussed, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.
Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan noted that the State Education Development Program has set important targets for the period until 2030, among which are having 4 universities in the top 500 universities of the world, at least doubling the number of foreign students through increasing the international reputation of the higer education system, etc. "In terms of content, this implies a reform within the framework of the process of enlargement of universities and unification with scientific research organizations," said the Minister, reminding that for this purpose, by the decision of the Prime Minister, a working group was formed last year, which performed relevant analytical works. As a result, 6 main directions were identified, which assume that universities and research organizations should be enlarged.
"These directions include: the Classical direction, the so-called classical university, which should mainly include fundamental sciences in social and humanitarian fields. At this stage, it is not planned to be included in the Academic City. The second is the medical field, which includes medical and life sciences fields. We assume that there is no need to relocate it to the Academic City at this time either.
The last 4 directions are the universities that are planned to be located in the Academic City. The technological, which mainly includes the fields of applied sciences and engineering, including materials science, modern equipment manufacturing, agro-technological field, construction technologies. The educational direction, which includes the fields of education and related sciences, Arts, which can include both arts and culture majors and the direction for officers, which includes the educational and research programs related to internal and external security systems," Zhanna Andreasyan noted.
According to the Minister, the concept of the Academic City was developed based on this content description. "In other words, the above-mentioned 4 enlarged universities should be located here, with relevant scientific and research orientation," she noted.
It is believed that the Academic City should meet the requirements to become an environment guaranteeing modern research, innovative activities, where university education will be inseparable from research. It is also planned to have opportunities for the commercialization of the knowledge gained there. "It should act as an intellectual and entertainment environment, and there should be adequate infrastructure. Here we should also have the necessary environment for innovative and experimental solutions, such as, for example, experimental programs in the agricultural sector," said Zhanna Andreasyan.
For the implementation and further operation of the Academic City project, the "Academic City" Foundation was formed, which will act as the main agent for the implementation of the project.
It is also planned to have a separate legal regulation for the Academic City, taking into account the international experience.
Next, the possible locations of the Academic City, the course of the design work carried out with the German GMP company, infrastructural and other issues were discussed.
Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the importance of the Academic City construction project and added that it has strategic importance. At the same time, the Prime Minister noted that the possibilities of further development and expansion of the city should be taken into account when carrying out the design works, the necessary infrastructure for the practical phase of training, green areas and other important issues should be planned.
Based on the results of today's discussion, the Prime Minister instructed to finalize the project concept and submit it for the Government's approval.