Trend, Azerbaijan May 18 2017 Russia, Armenia take major steps to enhance military, deterrence potential vis-à-vis Baku 18 May 2017 16:11 (UTC+04:00) Baku, Azerbaijan, May 18 By Elmira Tariverdiyeva – Trend: Since the occurrence of large scale fighting around Nagorno-Karabakh in April 2016, resulting in some Azerbaijani gains, there has been a widespread fear that this crisis could easily escalate out of control drawing in not only the two belligerents but also Russia, wrote Stephen Blank, senior fellow with the American Foreign Policy Council, in his article published by the Central Asia – Caucasus Analyst biweekly. “Armenia’s response to the visible enhancement of Azerbaijan’s military capability has marked a qualitative escalation of the crisis’ military potential. Moreover, it has further unmasked the Russian policy of abetting the crisis rather than trying to resolve it, even though Moscow professes to be against renewed hostilities and to want a solution,” noted the author. According to Blank, last year, Russia and Armenia have taken major steps to enhance the latter’s military and thus deterrence potential vis-à-vis Baku. “These actions include the establishment of a joint Russo-Armenian air defense for the Caucasus and joint forces to “ensure security in the Caucasus region of collective security”; ongoing modernization of Russian bases in Armenia; Armenian lobbying to increase the effectiveness of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO); a new agreement on new weapons transfers to Armenia and the development of overall military-technical cooperation; and most significantly the transfer to Armenia of the Iskander-M missile – a dual-use missile that comes in both cruise and ballistic missile variants,” says the article. “To add fuel to this fire, Armenian officials claim that they received the Iskander from Russia at subsidized prices and that it is entirely under Armenian control. Whether or not this is truly the case – it is admittedly a rather inconceivable proposition that Russia would be unable to assert control of the system – this marks the first time Moscow has ever transferred an Iskander missile abroad and therefore another reckless step taken by Moscow in the military sphere,” said Blank in his article. “Although Moscow undoubtedly sought to upgrade Armenia’s deterrence capability, the terms under which Armenia claims to have received the Iskander and President Sargsyan’s stated readiness to use it have not calmed things down but infuriated Baku.” “Baku has given notice that it is contemplating its own ripostes, either by acquiring foreign missile defenses for example from Israel or by developing or acquiring its own offensive missiles to raise the ante on Armenia. Thus a new escalatory spiral and arms race appears to be taking place over Nagorno-Karabakh,” noted the author. Beyond strengthening Armenia’s deterrence capability and its own standing in Yerevan’s eyes, Moscow has also strengthened its position in Armenia and throughout the Caucasus by deploying the Iskander along with troops and other arms systems to its base in Gyumri, Armenia, says the article. “It has clearly intervened on behalf of Yerevan and Foreign Minister Lavrov subsequently announced that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is not merely an Azerbaijani or Armenian one, meaning that Russia will weigh in on its resolution,” added Blank. According to Blank, Moscow has qualitatively escalated the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “Armenia’s claim to have both unlimited control and command of the system and willingness to use it have already further heightened the tension in the Caucasus, underscoring the recklessness of transferring such systems even if legal loopholes exist for doing so. Of course, the transfer to Armenia also shows that Moscow is not a neutral arbiter between Baku and Yerevan, quite the opposite,” he said. Blank said Moscow has once again demonstrated a lack of good judgment, which is a fundamental legitimating factor in its claims to dominate the former Soviet space. These developments raise several questions, said the author. “Beyond the Caucasus, we now must reckon with the possibility of Moscow selling versions of the Iskander missile to other partners and customers, including China and Iran,” noted Blank. Moreover, beyond threatening Azerbaijan, Russia’s deployments throughout the Caucasus also threaten the Middle East, including Turkey, says the article, they isolate both the Caucasus and the larger Black Sea Basin, as well as parts of the Middle East from NATO military power. According to Blank, these issues furnish ample incentive, if not justification, for US and Western involvement in formulating and implementing a viable resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The widespread belief that this conflict will not remain frozen and that the consequences of that “unfreezing” will be catastrophic, not only for Armenia and Azerbaijan, appears to have even greater validity due to the Russo-Armenian escalation, noted the author. In other words, what happens in the Caucasus does not stay in the Caucasus, he added.
Author: Babken Chilingarian
MP Samvel Farmanyan welcomes OSCE Misnk Group’s targeted statement.
Public Radio of Armenia
14:51,
“For the first time in the history of mediating efforts, the OSCE Minsk Group had to point out that Azerbaijan is the initiator of escalation of situation at the line of contact and violation of the ceasefire regime,” MP Samvel Farmanyan saidat a parliament sitting today.
According to him, the statement was a ‘forced step,’ considering that Azerbaijan continues to refuse to implement the agreements on investigation mechanisms reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg.
“I believe we should all welcome this statement and I think that the Minsk Group should publish data on the losses incurred by the Azerbaijani side as a result of the ceasefire violations,” he said.
“As we know Azerbaijan conceals the manpower losses from its society, thus misleading its own citizens,” Farmanyan said.
In a statement released Thursday, the Minsk Group Co-Chairs stressed that “Azerbaijani armed forces fired a missile across the Line of Contact, striking military equipment,” and added that “Armenian armed forces retaliated with mortar fire of various calibres.”
The Co-Chairs condemned “these recent ceasefire violations” and called upon the sides to take all necessary measures to prevent any further escalation in the conflict zone.
Germany, Turkey at odds again over Incirlik base visits
U.S. Air Force photos by Senior Airman Daniel Phelps
Ankara and Berlin are again in war of words over access to an air base in the south of Turkey.
Germany is out of Turkey after its lawmakers were denied entry to the Incirlik Air Base, which has been used by the anti-IS coalition since 2014 for combat operations against the militant group. The German government said it was considering alternatives in Jordan, Cyprus or Kuwait.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel  called Turkey’s ban “unfortunate.â “The Bundeswehr is a parliamentary army and this makes it absolutely necessary for our lawmakers to have access to our soldiers,” Merkel was in German media as saying.
“If it is not possible to work normally at Incirlik⊠We will have to look for alternatives,” German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel German newspaper,” .
“I can only hope that the Turkish government will change its mind in the coming days. Otherwise, the parliament will no longer let our soldiers go to Turkey,” he added.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister said in response that Germany was welcome to withdraw its troops from Incirlik air base if it desired.
“If they want to leave, let’s just say goodbye,” Mevlut Cavusoglu told broadcaster NTV. “That’s up to them and we won’t beg.â
The dispute is believed to be due to Turkish soldiers seeking asylum in Germany, but the reasons behind the row could be wider.
âGermany has long been critical of Turkeyâs policy and its President Erdogan for the pressures inside the country,â says Ruben Safrastyan, an expert of Turkish studies, told Public Radio of Armenia in a phone interview.
âGermany has blamed Erdogan for establishing a one-man rule in the country. The German leadership has said on many occasions that the path Turkey has chosen does not meet European standards,â Ruben Safrastyan added.
The expert recalled a number of other incidents that could also mar relations between the two courtiers. These include the arrest of a reporter of the prominent newspaper Die Welt, Deniz Yucel, in Turkey, Germanyâs disapproval of Turkeyâs pressure on Kurds, the row over the attempts to campaign among Turkish citizens in Germany ahead of the Turkish constitutional referendum that secured Erdogan near dictatorial powers. âThe list could be continued,â he said.
A decision on where and wether to move the troops is likely to be made in the next few weeks, with Jordan seen as a favorite, quotes sources from the Bundestag Defense Committee as saying.
Safrastyan does not believe, however, that Germany will move its units to other locations.  âGermany is trying not to station its troops in many places outside the country,â he said.
The expert does not see perspectives of Germany creating a separate base aside from the one at Incirik used by NATO to hit Islamic State forces in Syria. âI donât think they are ready to do that at this point,â Ruben Safrastyan said.
This is not the first time German lawmakers have called on the German military to pull out of Turkey. Tensions between Germany and Turkey have been ups and downs for a couple of years. Last year Turkey blocked German delegation airbase trip over Armenian genocide row. The lawmakers were allowed to the base only after the German Government hinted the resolution was “not legally binding.”
On June 2, 2016 the German Bundestag adopted a on the genocide of Armenians and other Christian minorities with an overwhelming majority of the votes. Chancellor Angela Merkelâs Christian Democrats and junior coalition partner Social Democrats, along with the opposition Greens, had prepared the resolution entitled âRemembrance and commemoration of the genocide of Armenians and other Christian minorities in 1915 and 1916â, which also carried the word throughout the text.
Turkey to Germany âfor a brief consultation,â after the vote, but it was not until October 2016 that to send its envoy back to Berlin, which saw a slight thaw in ties.
Whether Turkey will lift a ban on MPs visiting German troops stationed in the country this time remains to be seen. Ruben Safrastyan believes it depends on relations on the highest level.
âThey will allow access if relations between Erdogan and Merkel get warmer,â he concluded.
German media reports claim Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to raise the Incirlik issue directly with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a NATO summit in Brussels next week.
Germany’s deployment at the Incirlik air base forms part of the anti-IS coalition’s reconnaissance and refueling mission.
Since 2015, around 260 German troops, six high-tech Tornado surveillance jets and a tanker aircraft have been stationed in Incirlik Air Base, providing support for anti-IS operations, according to .
Excluding Turkish forces, the US has the most troops deployed at the Incirlik air base, with around 1,500 US military personnel on the ground, followed by the UK, reports.
The Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Czech Republic, and non-NATO states Saudi Arabia and Qatar also have deployed troops to the base to take part in anti-IS operations.
Zaruhi Postanjyan votes for the sake of âfreedomâ
Leader of the Yerkir Tsirani party Zaruhi Postanjyan cast her ballot at polling station 4/7 this morning.
Speaking to reporters, Postanjyan said she voted for ‘freedom.’
“We’re going to follow the process both inside and outside precincts,” she said.
Postanjyan urged citizens to participate in the election and not to succumb to any pressure.
President Sargsyan visits EU Delegation in Armenia on Europe Day
Today, on the occasion of Europe Day, President Serzh Sargsyan visited the delegation of the European Union in Armenia. The President of Armenia congratulated the Head of the EU mission, Ambassador Piotr Ćwitalski, the entire staff and in their person the large EU family on the occasion of Europe Day, and wished them all the best.
âQuite recently, the leaders of the European states celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties. Implementation of the provisions of these Treaties allowed the European states and first of all the people of Europe, to achieve success in the honorable task of protecting human rights, dignity, democracy, dissemination and implementation of shared ideas.
A further strengthening of the EU emanates also from the interests of small countries, such as Armenia. We are confident that challenges, which the EU has been encountering recently, will most certainly be defeated by the European countries.
I am very glad that lately we have registered remarkable success in the development of our relations with the European Union, and I wish that success to be continuous.
We are grateful to the European Union, to the delegation and personally you, Ambassador Ćwitalski, for this cooperation and assistance provided to Armenia,â President Serzh Sargsyan said.
On behalf of the EU delegation in Armenia and his own behalf, Ambassador Ćwitalski thanked President Sargsyan for the visit and warm words of congratulations.
âYour visit is very important and has a symbolic meaning for the entire EU delegation; it encourages us to work more thoroughly to develop our cooperation.
This year has been full of events: we already have the initialed agreements, agreed priorities for cooperation, and have also reached agreement on the single support framework.
Mr. President, your visit to Brussels was a success, and it has given additional arguments to the European Union to be engaged in Armenia more and with greater dedication. We have received very important signals from the leadership of Armenia and from the European Union which is very important for us; it will enable us to do our job with greater enthusiasm.
Mr. President, we are grateful for your constant assistance to the activities of the EU delegation in Armenia,â the Head of the EU mission, Ambassador Piotr Ćwitalski said.
The parties underscored that Armenia and the European Union are open and ready to continue to develop cooperation and expressed confidence that through the implementation of the provisions of the new Agreement, it would become possible to expand the mutually beneficial Armenia-EU cooperation in all possible areas, elevating it to a qualitatively new level.
UK PM Theresa May to seek snap election for 8 June
UK PM Theresa May announces plan to call snap general election on 8 June, the BBC reports.
She said Britain needed certainty, stability and strong leadership following the EU referendum.
Justifying the decision, Mrs May referred to Brexit, saying: “The country is coming together but Westminster is not.”
There will be a Commons vote on the proposed election on Wednesday.
Explaining her change of heart on an early election, Mrs May said: “I have concluded the only way to guarantee certainty and security for years ahead is to hold this election.”
Akhalkalak Regional Assembly not to discuss statement on Armenian Genocide recognition
The special session of Akhalkalak’s Regional Assembly will not take place because of lack of quorum. Â The Assembly was to discuss a statement on recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Lawmaker had drafted a statement on recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which was to be discussed ahead of April 24, but three of the 13 signatories withdrew their signatures at the last moment, Chairman of Akhalkalak Regional Assembly Hamlet Movsisyan told Public Radio of Armenia.
Norik Karapetyan, member of the Council of Armenian NGOs of Samtskhe Javakhk and Kvemo Kartli, which had initiated the statement, says âthe MPs called off the signatures under pressure.â âOther MPs say itâs not the right time⊠but we want the country we live in to acknowledge the past of genocide,â he said.
According to Hamlet Movsisyan, the lawmakers withdrew their signatories, saying they were not familiar with the text of the statement when signing.
Movsisyan was the first to raise the issue of Armenian Genocide at the Georgian Parliament, calling to pay tribute to the memory of the victims with a minute of silence.
Grigor Tsormutyan, one of the MPs that withdrew the signature, said âitâs not the right timeâ and assured there had been no pressures. âThe statement would not help anyway. On the contrary, Georgia is not yet ready for that, while we are still too dependent,â he said.
Had the Regional Assembly of Akhalkalak, they would later be able to address the Georgian President and the Parliament.
Armenian Renaissance Party says will not contest election results
The Armenian Renaissance Party has issued a statement, saying it will not contest the results of Sundayâs election.
The party expressed gratitude to 58,000 votes for their principled stance and unbiased attitude.
âFor the first time in Armenia the political forces had the opportunity to present their election platforms thanks to balanced TV coverage, but the ideological factor yielded to the material and administrative factors,â the statement reads.
The party announced it “will not contest the election results and will not participate in any post-election public events or rallies”. The party also congratulated the forces that made it to the National Assembly and wished them productive activity for the benefit of the Republic of Armenia.
Eurimages Fund approves âŹ250 000 for the film âSpitakâ
The Board of Management of the Council of Europe’s Eurimages Fund has approved âŹ250 000 for the film Spitak directed by Alexander Kott (Russia).
The National Cinema Development Foundation Armenia is a co-producer of the feature film.
At its 146th meeting held from 7 to 10 March 2017 in Strasbourg, the Board of Management of the Council of Europe’s Eurimages Fund agreed to support 19 fiction, 2 documentaries and 3 animation film projects.
Iranian air companies to increase number of flights to Armenia during Nowruz
Photo:Â Armenianow.com
Iranian air companies are increasing the number of flights to Armenia, as the flow of passengers is expected to increase during Nowruz â the Iranian New Year, the General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia reports.
The Iranian companies will operate 22 flights a week on average.
General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia says the âexpected flow of passengers will have a positive impact on the development of Armeniaâs tourism and economy at large.â