Author: Babken Chilingarian

California lawmakers call for release of ‘illegally held Armenian hostages’

Babken Chilingarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 16 2021

Members of the California Armenian Legislative Caucus signed letters to relevant international mediators calling on them to assist in the release of illegally held Armenian hostages currently in Azerbaijan and allow the soldiers to return home to Armenia and Artsakh, Asbarez reports.

The lawmakers addressed four separate letters to Nazhat Shameen Khan, President of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minks Group, Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconte of France and Andres Schofer of the United States.

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus signed by senators Bob Archuleta, Andreas Borgeas, Brian Dahle, Anthony Portantino and Scott Wilk, as well as Assemblymembers Laura Friedman, Luz Rivas, and Adrin Nazarian.

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus said it “is deeply concerned for the well-being and safety of these Armenian individuals and ask you to demand for the release of the Armenian hostages and other detainees as well as the remains of the fatalities.”

Below is the complete text of the letter:

It is with great humanitarian concern that the California Armenian Legislative Caucus strongly urges you to demand and assist in the release of illegally held Armenian hostages currently in Azerbaijan and allow the soldiers to return home to Armenia and Artsakh. Azerbaijan has continued to block the timely return of Armenian captives, with reports of up to 150 soldiers still being held.

On September 27, 2020 Azerbaijan launched an unprovoked attack against the peaceful Republic of Artsakh (also known as Nagorno-Karabakh) by shelling military positions and innocent civilian populations indiscriminately. Turkey played an active role in supporting Azerbaijan’s aggression toward Artsakh by providing arms, logistical and communications support, and even transporting paid Jihadist mercenaries to Azerbaijan from Libya and the Turkish Syrian border. Armenia was forced to make significant concessions at the conclusion of the war. Furthermore, for more than a century, Turkey and Azerbaijan have maintained a violent history toward the Armenian people. Descendants of the Armenian Genocide continue to mourn the loss of 1.5 million ancestors murdered by the Turks and over 5,000 civilians and military personnel were killed in this conflict.

On November 9, 2020, a ceasefire was declared that called upon the mutual release and exchange of prisoners. Azerbaijan has not yet released the prisoners of war and innocent civilians that are being held captive. All persons were to be exchanged. Azerbaijan has a history of gruesome treatment and human rights violations of captives. So far, only 54 Armenians, both civilians and soldiers have been returned from Azerbaijani custody while the number of missing Armenians continues to grow. Even after the ceasefire, Armenian soldiers have been captured and Azerbaijan has failed to acknowledge these soldiers as prisoners of war and want to try them in Azerbaijan on criminal charges. Azerbaijani soldiers are continuing to break the ceasefire and capture innocent Armenian soldiers and hold them as hostages only to unfairly extort political and territorial demands.

We are deeply concerned for the well-being and safety of these Armenian individuals and ask you to demand for the release of the Armenian hostages and other detainees as well as the remains of the fatalities.

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus is a bi-partisan, non-political Caucus that serves as a forum for members from the California Senate and Assembly to identify key issues affecting Armenian Americans and develop and empower the Armenian American community throughout California.

Armenian PM congratulates China’s President, Premier of State Council on Spring Festival

Babken Chilingarian

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 14:35,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan sent congratulatory letters to China’s President Xi Jinping and Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang on the Chinese New Year – the Spring Festival, the Armenian PM’s Office told Armenpress.

The letter addressed to the Chinese President reads:

“Your Excellency,

On behalf of the Armenian people and myself personally I address my warm congratulations and wishes to you and the good people of China on the occasion of the Chinese New Year – the Spring Festival. I wish that the Spring Festival brings peace and welfare to all families.

Armenia attaches great importance to the consistent development and strengthening of the traditional friendly relations with China.

Your Excellency, please accept my best wishes of good health and success”.

The Armenian PM’s letter addressed to the Premier of the State Council of China reads:

“Your Excellency,

On behalf of the Armenian government I address my warm congratulations and wishes to you and the State Council of China on the Chinese New Year – the Spring Festival. Let the Spring Festival bring peace, welfare and fulfillment of the set goals.

Armenia highlights the consistent development of the traditional friendly relations and practical cooperation with China.

I wish you and your family good health and all the best”.

 

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Azerbaijani-Turkish joint drills pose danger for Armenia – ex-deputy DM

Babken Chilingarian
Aysor, Armenia
Feb 1 2021

Azerbaijani-Turkish joint Winter-2021 military drills launch today in Turkey’s Kars and will last till February 12.

Former deputy defense minister Artak Zakaryan claims that Armenia must not view it “other way.”

He stressed that these drills are the most large-scale Turkish-Azerbaijani winter drills for the past years.

Speaking to Aysor.am, Zakaryan noted that subdivisions located separately in Nakhijevan, Turkey’s third army will participate in it. He said tank battalions, artillery, snipers, forces of special significance and aviation will take part in them.

He noted that as a rule the drills have a goal and are the continuation of certain policy.

The former official said for Armenia this Turkish-Azerbaijani drills contain serious danger.

“Taking into account Turkey’s military, political activation in the region they should not be viewed other way. We have witnessed how these authorities looked Turkey’s actions other way and what we had in Artsakh as a result,” he said, stressing that Armenia should rapidly bring Armenian-Russian military-political cooperation to the highest level.

“Armenia must conduct joint Armenian-Russian drills in Syunik, in border with Nakhijevan, as well as in Gyumri sector and these drills must have concrete targeted actions to counterbalance these drills,” Zakaryan said.

Asked whether Russia may serve as restricting circle for Azerbaijan and Turkey for them to refrain from provocations, the former deputy minister said that the Armenian-Russian joint contracts are working.

“Armenia’s security for Russia too is a security zone, but the issue is that the Turkish-Azerbaijani drills in the sector of Kars are being held for the first time in winter conditions. Judging from the location, judging from key issues of the drills, yes, as key target as conditional enemy must be viewed Armenia’s borders, especially Syunik’s sector,” Zakaryan said.

 

Armenian Consul General, leader of Iraqi Kurdistan discuss situation in the region

Babken Chilingarian

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 12:44, 3 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, ARMENPRESS. Leader of the Iraqi Kurdistan Masoud Barzani discussed on February 2 the situation in the region with Armenia’s Consul General in Erbil Arshak Manukyan, Safak news reports.

During the meeting the Armenian Consul General highly valued Mr. Barzani’s efforts in fighting for the freedom and rights of Kurdistan’s people.

The sides highlighted the importance of expanding the relations between the Iraqi Kurdistan and Armenia.

On March 13, 2017, the President of Armenia signed a decree on establishing Consulate General of Armenia in Erbil, the capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan. The Consulate opened already in 2020.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

MEPs urge to resume negotiations on Karabakh conflict settlement

Babken Chilingarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 2 2021

– Public Radio of Armenia

Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, MEP Marina Kaljurand, the European Parliament’s Standing Rapporteur on Armenia, MEP Andrey Kovatchev, and the European Parliament’s Standing Rapporteur on Azerbaijan, MEP Željana Zovko, on the need to resume negotiations on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The statement reads:

Last year’s war between Armenia and Azerbaijan was a terrible
human tragedy,

We applaud the fact that the situation has stabilized after the agreement of 9 November 2020 and that – apart from deplorable but isolated incidents – the ceasefire has been respected, but a lot more is necessary to achieve much-needed reconciliation.

Negotiations on a lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and on the region’s future legal status remain as indispensable as ever. We call on both parties to reaffirm clearly and publicly their willingness to re-engage in the process led by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and founded on the group’s Basic Principles that they themselves agreed to, reflecting the Helsinki Final Act principles of non-use of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples. At a time of a fresh momentum brought about by the new US administration, we firmly reiterate the European Parliament’s – and, indeed, the European Union’s – continued support to this process and these principles.

The complete implementation of the ceasefire agreement is a necessary first step and it is regrettable that the exchange of prisoners of war has not been carried out fully yet. We welcome last week’s release of several of the Armenian servicemen captured after the end of hostilities and appeal to Azerbaijan to release the rest, so that trust can be rebuilt.

We also urge the parties to ensure fully unhindered access of international organizations for the purposes of humanitarian assistance and the protection of cultural heritage. These issues underline even
more the need for renewed multilateral efforts to support finding a lasting solution to the conflict

Talaat Pasha street renamed in Paphos following complaints from Armenian and Pontian communities

Babken Chilingarian
Greek City Times
Jan 20 2021

Following a request by the Armenian and Greek Pontian communities of Paphos, the municipal council renamed Talaat Pasha street, which recognises the man who was a principal architect of the Greek, Armenian and Assyrian genocide, Cyprus Mail reported.

The municipal council of Paphos is reaffirming its respect for the place names of Paphos in light of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by dozens of countries around the world, as well as the international academic community, the municipality said.

Mehmed Talaat, commonly known as Talaat Pasha, was one of the Three Pashas that de facto ruled the Ottoman Empire during WWI.

Talaat Pasha

He ruled the empire during the Genocide, which he initiated as Minister of Interior Affairs in 1915.

Acting as the minister of interior, in 1915 Pasha ordered the arrest and deportation of Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις, Turkish: İstanbul), most of whom were subsequently murdered.

He also requested the Tehcir Law (Temporary Deportation Law).

These events initiated the Armenian Genocide.

He is widely considered the main perpetrator of the genocide, and is thus held responsible for the death of around 1.5 million Armenians.

“Through the study of historical facts, the leading role of Talaat Pasha in the planning and execution of these genocides is documented,” the municipality said.

“The council, aware of the weight of its responsibility towards the present and future generations, unanimously decided to remove the name of Talaat Pasha from the street of the city and by a majority decided to rename the street Justice Street, wanting to send a strong message to the local community and the international community that people who committed genocide have no place in the bright pages of history,” the municipality added.

Moscow says Armenia has provided incomplete list of prisoners, Yerevan responds The office of the Deputy Prime Mini

Babken Chilingarian
JAM News
Jan 20 2021
    JAMnews, Yerevan

The issue of returning Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijan remains the highest on the Armenian public agenda, but information about how many persons remain detained by the Azerbaijani side since the end of the second Karabakh war remains undisclosed.

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov stated that the Armenian side provided lists of prisoners “not immediately and not [that were] not complete”.

Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan’s office explained that the exact number of the prisoners is confidential and should not be released, “given the hypersensitive nature of the issue.”

However, the lists of confirmed detention of Armenian persons have been constantly updated and presented to partners, as the search parties continue and new information comes in.

The de facto authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh and the ombudsman of Armenia have sent letters to international bodies on the issue of the return of Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijan and the protection of their rights.

Lavrov’s statement

Minister Lavrov said that initially, the Armenian side had struggled to compile accurate lists of people who disappeared and the people they wanted to be released from captivity, and, therefore, these lists were incomplete.

At the same time, Lavrov mentioned that Moscow wants to make every effort possible to “finally resolve the issue of the return of Armenian prisoners”.

Why data on prisoners is not published

“Armenia approaches any issue related to prisoners of war with full responsibility. It refrains from taking any action that can harm the process of the quick and safe repatriation of our compatriots”, the statement of the office of Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan read.

The statement also said that at the moment, as the search parties for the bodies of the deceased servicemen continue, information about the prisoners of war has been provided to partners on a regular basis, and in several stages:

“Moreover, in December, the Russian side and the Red Cross were presented with full lists”, the deputy prime minister’s office said.

Appeals to international authorities

On the issue of the return of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians who are still in Azerbaijan back to their homeland, the de facto authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh have sent letters to the specialized bodies of the UN and the Council of Europe, as well as to the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office.

“The letters, in particular, note that Azerbaijan violated the November 9 trilateral agreement by attacking and occupying the villages of Khtsaberd and Khin Tager in the Hadrut region of the Republic of Artsakh and taking 64 servicemen prisoner. Subsequently, the Azerbaijani authorities announced their intention to initiate criminal proceedings against the prisoners of war, which is a gross violation of international humanitarian law”, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.

The letters also say that Azerbaijan is delaying the return of prisoners on purpose. In doing that, Azerbaijan is violating its own obligations under a trilateral ceasefire agreement signed by the heads of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in November 2020.

Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan presented the same issue to OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. In his official letters, Ombudsman Tatoyan is not only talking about prisoners of war but also about captured civilians:

“The return of the prisoners was to be ensured immediately after the cessation of hostilities. This is a universal standard, and it should be implemented automatically. Deviation from this course of action violates human rights and international humanitarian law, including the third Geneva Convention of 1949.

Consequently, paragraph 8 of the tripartite agreement [on the exchange of prisoners and other detainees] of November 9, 2020, is autonomous. It should never depend on the fulfilment of other points of the agreement”.

The Azerbaijani side believes that the Armenians captured after November 9 are not prisoners.

Meanwhile, in the opinion of the Armenian Ombudsman, the ceasefire agreement should be applied to all situations that have arisen both before and after this – “as long as there is an objective need to protect human rights, due to military actions.”

CivilNet: No Agreement Regarding Transport Corridors, Says Armenia’s Deputy Prime-Minister

Babken Chilingarian
CIVILNET.AM

20 January, 2021 18:47

By Emilio Luciano Cricchio 

There has been no agreement with Azerbaijan or Russia regarding reopening transport corridors in the region, Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said during a parliamentary Q&A session.

According to a joint statement by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Moscow on January 11, emphasis was given to the reopening of transport corridors in a clause of the statement. 

Progress was reportedly made on the issue of opening future transport corridors. 

On top of this, the joint statement envisaged the setting up of a working group of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan to deal with transport links and economic issues. The delegations of each country will be headed by the deputy prime ministers of the three nations, with Mher Grigoryan representing Armenia. The group will have its first meeting on January 30. 

Russian newspaper Kommersant had published a map of the future potential transport corridors. According to the map, Azerbaijan would gain access to one corridor and railway from Nakhichevan, through the southern Armenian region of Syunik, to Azerbaijani-controlled Karabakh.   

This would simultaneously connect Azerbaijan proper to Turkey.

According to Kommerant, Armenia would receive two reopened railway routes, one through Nakhichevan to Iran, and another through Azerbaijan to Russia. Armenia will be allowed to use the same southern railway as Azerbaijan, which goes from Yerevan to Syunik and passes through Nakhichevan

Mher Grigoryan stated that, “Views had been exchanged on this issue with the Russian side,” but no concrete or binding steps had been taken. 

Despite this, Grigoryan said that there were wishes and desires coming from the Armenian and Azerbaijani side, but no agreement had been reached. 

Currently Armenia only has a railway connection to Georgia. The railway to Russia through the Georgian seceded Republic of Abkhazia was closed in 1993, because of the Abkhaz-Georgian conflict, while the other route to Russian via Azerbaijan was closed in the early 1990s as a result of the Karabakh war. The railroad connecting Armenia’s Gyumri and Turkey’s Kars ceased operating in 1993, after Armenian forces captured the region of Kelbajar in Azerbaijan.

Armenia’s only route to Russia, its main economic and strategic partner, passes through Georgia via the Lars crossing, which is frequently closed due to the bad winter weather. 

Parliament elected two members of Armenia’s Supreme Judicial Council

Babken Chilingarian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 22 2021

Gagik Jhangiryan, former Military Prosecutor (1997 – 2006) and Deputy Prosecutor General of Armenia (2006-2008) was elected on Friday new member of Armenia’s Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), a state body overseeing Armenia’s courts. Jhangiryan's candidacy, backed by  

by the ruling “My Step” faction, was approved by 86 in favor and three against votes during the closed voting. 

Davit Khachaturian was another candidate nominated by the ruling force, who was elected with 85 in favor and one against votes. 

To note,  opposition "Bright Armenia" and "Prosperous Armenia" factions ignored the discussions on the candidates and didn't participate in the voting. 

The Supreme Judicial Council is an independent state body comprised of ten members. Five members of the Council are elected by the General Assembly of Judges, another five members — by the National Assembly.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 20-01-21

Babken Chilingarian

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 17:46,

YEREVAN, 20 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 20 January, USD exchange rate down by 0.12 drams to 519.19 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.17 drams to 629.57 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.04 drams to 7.08 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 4.35 drams to 711.08 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 12,660.33 drams to 30625.44 drams. Silver price down by 30,182.74 drams to 422.23 drams. Platinum price down by 17,787.52 drams to 18211.35 drams.