Author: Boris Nahapetian

 09:36, 21 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan continues its blockade of Lachin Corridor – Nagorno Karabakh’s only road to the outside world – under fake environmental pretexts.

Despite numerous calls by the international community to open the corridor, as well as the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice, Azerbaijan is still keeping the corridor blocked. Nagorno Karabakh is under blockade for already 100 days. Only the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Russian peacekeepers have access to Nagorno Karabakh and attempt to somewhat mitigate the worsening crisis. Azerbaijan is regularly trying to mislead the international community by showing the Red Cross and Russian peacekeeping vehicles as they pass along the corridor to advance its narrative that the road is open. However, these manipulations fail because the international community is calling for the immediate lifting of the blockade.

The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. The Lachin Corridor has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022. 

Member of the European Parliament Nathalie Loiseau from France says she cannot understand that only the ICRC and Russian troops are allowed to use the Lachin Corridor and that the world watches silently.

In an interview with ARMENPRESS, MEP Loiseau emphasized that the blockade of Lachin Corridor must be immediately lifted and the UN Security Council must form a fact-finding mission and demand all UN humanitarian agencies to have access into Nagorno Karabakh.

ARMENPRESS: It has now been 100 days since Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world. The International Court of Justice ordered Azerbaijan to open the corridor, but Azerbaijan ignores the ruling. In this case, don’t you think that there should be sanctions to force Azerbaijan to open the corridor?

MEP Nathalie Loiseau: If one asks for sanctions, he or she must be certain they can be adopted. I don’t know if the UN Security Council is ready for this. Strong links between Russia and Azerbaijan already prevented the UNSC from delivering a statement last year. 

But there is a new reality: the decision taken by the ICJ and the fact that Baku has so far disregarded it. 

ARMENPRESS: Does the international community consider it realistic to impose sanctions? And what has prevented the international community from doing this so far? What role can the European Parliament play in forcing Azerbaijan to end its policy?

MEP Nathalie Loiseau: The UNSC should decide a fact-finding mission and demand that all humanitarian UN agencies can reach the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. I cannot understand that only the ICRC and Russian troops are allowed to use the Lachin Corridor and that the world watches silently. The European Parliament has voted two reports, one on Armenia and the other on Azerbaijan. I co-authored the report on Armenia and amended the one on Azerbaijan to ensure they don’t contradict each other. The European Parliament’s position is crystal clear: The blockade of the Lachin Corridor must stop.

ARMENPRESS: As a result of the blockade, the people of Artsakh are facing a serious humanitarian crisis, there are widespread shortages of food, medicine and other essential supplies. With these actions Azerbaijan demonstrates its policy of ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. In this case, how do you imagine the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and guaranteeing the security of the Armenian people of Artsakh?

MEP Nathalie Loiseau: It is time for confidence measures to take place, like the freeing of all war prisoners, the return of bodies of soldiers and civilians to their homeland, transparency on missing people and full protection of cultural heritage. Peace negotiations must be built on .

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106717.html?fbclid=IwAR3K4TIWloozU_EovucaRBagM43Cd40Ldg2ePLlEQ4zSVzgIm-eLiByALtY

 10:41,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. Leading researchers and doctors from around the world will gather in Yerevan, Armenia on May 19-21 for the SIOP (International Society for Pediatric Oncology) Asia XV Annual Congress.

The SIOP Asia XV Annual Congress in Yerevan will be the second time the event is taking place in the post-Soviet region, after Moscow 2016.

Professor Gevorg Tamamyan, the Head of Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Chairman and Professor at Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology of Yerevan State Medical University, CEO of the Immune Oncology Research Institute told ARMENPRESS that he believes the congress will become one of the most important medical science events for Armenia.

“We expect pediatric oncologists from Europe, Asia, America and elsewhere to arrive. The presidents of the international pediatric oncology union, the Asian, European and Latin American unions have already confirmed their participation. Over 120 leading experts have also confirmed participation as speakers,” Tamamyan said.

Experts from the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Harvard University, and other institutions from Vienna, Italy, Belgium, Spain, China, Japan, Taiwan, India and the Middle East are expected to arrive to Armenia for the event.

Tamamyan said the congress will be “unprecedented.”

“85% of children with cancer fully recover in developed countries such as Germany, the US, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Italy, while in developing countries the figures are from 0 to 60%. Don’t be surprised about the zero, there are really countries where the recoveries stand at zero percent. Although we are a developing country, averagely 75% of our patients recover. Right now our goal is to reach the level of developed countries through everyday work,” Tamamyan said.

The Mkhitar Heratsi State Medical University in Yerevan will serve as the venue for the congress.

 14:01,

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenia “deserves” the EU’s full support, the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Várhelyi said during the March 15 European Parliament plenary debates on the resolution concerning the EU-Armenia relations.

He delivered a speech on behalf of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell.    

Várhelyi said that Armenia is looking toward the European Union as a fundamental partner and that given steady progress on reforms in democracy, fundamental freedoms, rule of law and the fight against corruption Armenia deserves the EU’s full support. 

Below is the official transcript of Várhelyi’s speech.

“Let me thank the Rapporteur, Mr [Andrej] Kovatchev, and all Members who have contributed to the report on EU-Armenia relations that we are discussing today. Your report provides a good overview of the challenges the country faces.  

Armenia is a country that has suffered a double crisis – the 2020 war and the Covid pandemic. 

Moreover, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Armenia finds itself in a difficult position, having to rely for its security on a country that is carrying out an unprovoked aggression against its neighbour. 

In this context, Armenia is looking toward the European Union as a fundamental partner. Given steady progress on reforms in democracy, fundamental freedoms, rule of law and the fight against corruption, Armenia deserves our full support. 

Our Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement is the blueprint for Armenia’s domestic reforms agenda. It has now been fully in force for over two years.  

The Economic and Investment Plan has the potential to mobilise over €2.6 billion in public and private investments, and it is already delivering in Armenia through developing green connectivity, energy efficiency and as well as supporting SMEs and supporting socio-economic development. 

Of course, as your report rightly points out, much still needs to be done, when it comes to the functioning of the justice sector, fight against discrimination, gender equality, but also the protection of vulnerable groups, and to tackle foreign disinformation. We have an in-depth regular dialogue with Armenian authorities on all these issues. 

The report calls to further enhance EU-Armenia economic and trade relations. The EU-Armenia but also Armenia-Russia trade flows have increased several folds since the EU imposed additional sanctions on Russia. While we welcome our more intensive exchanges with Armenia, due to its geographic location, it is also one of the partner countries we intend to cooperate more closely with the aim to prevent the circumvention of sanctions.   

The European Union is also actively involved in facilitating dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We remain committed to continue acting as an honest broker to help achieve the common goal of a secure, prosperous and peaceful South Caucasus, for the benefit of all its people. 

The President of the European Council [Charles Michel], supported by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and our Special Representative [Toivo Klaar], is personally invested in this. We also have regular contacts with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both countries on this. 

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan should use the historic opportunity to solve this conflict for good and return to the substantial dialogue, as many important questions need still to be solved urgently. 

One such urgent issue is the obstruction of movement in the Lachin corridor. Since the beginning of December, the European Union has mobilised all diplomatic efforts to solve this situation. The ongoing restrictions to freedom of movement and to the supply of vital goods are causing serious distress for the local population. As the deadly incident of 5 March showed, the situation in this area is flammable. 

Finally, I would like to mention the full-fledged civilian CSDP mission [EU Mission in Armenia] that the EU has established in Armenia since January. Among others, the mission observes and reports on the security situation on the ground. This is yet another concrete and essential element in the European Union’s efforts to support the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

 13:42,

YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan revealed on Wednesday the types of armaments and equipment that the Armenian military recently acquired.

“The [arsenal] of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia was replenished with various types of unmanned aerial vehicles, anti-tank measures, air defense measures and modernized systems , tracked and wheeled engineering equipment, de-mining equipment, camouflage nets, communication equipment, optical devices, grenade launchers, various types of ammunition and other types of munitions and military equipment measures, which I will not disclose here publicly,” Papikyan told lawmakers at the Defense and Security Affairs Committee hearing on the Government Program’s 2022 performance report.

 12:10, 8 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 8, ARMENPRESS. Today, Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), is circulating a letter for his colleagues to sign outlining key congressional priorities for Armenia and Artsakh. The letter, to be sent to House State Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) and Ranking Member Barbara Lee (D-CA), specifically calls for $100 million in aid to Armenia, $50 million in aid to Artsakh, $2 million for demining efforts, as well as enforcing Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, and releasing Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians who were supposed to be freed under the terms of the trilateral statement signed in November 2020, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Armenian Assembly of America.

Citing Azerbaijan's "inhumane" and illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor, which is now in its third month, the letter emphasized that the region's Armenian people are "on the brink of a humanitarian crisis" that "threatens to have lasting consequences on the region's security."

While the Armenian people are still trying to recover from the "severe hardships caused by the deadly 44-day war" that Azerbaijan, with the full and open support of Turkey, waged on Artsakh in September 2020, the letter highlighted that these ongoing "cruel actions" of blockading the Lachin Corridor and denying access to medical treatments, food, and essential goods, have created "overwhelming needs" and therefore "the assistance provided to date by the U.S. government is wholly insufficient."

In order to bolster the security of Armenia and champion democracy in the region, the letter also urges assistance to Armenia to "protect their sovereignty" in the face of constant "Azerbaijani expansion and authoritarianism." The "critical investment" will build on the past support for Armenia and Artsakh and further strengthen U.S.-Armenia relations and partnerships.

Cutting off military assistance to Azerbaijan is another point underscored in the letter, which states that it is "abundantly clear that the continued waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, amidst Azerbaijan’s unabated policy of aggression, has emboldened this violent pattern of behavior."

Tracing President Ilham Aliyev's brutal 2020 assault on Artsakh not long after receiving over $100 million in security assistance through the Section 333 Building Partner Capacity Program in Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019, the letter states that "holding Azerbaijan accountable is long overdue and must begin with Congress encouraging the Administration to fully enforce Section 907, restricting the Administration’s authority to waive this law, and enacting statutory prohibitions on any new or pending U.S. military or security aid to Azerbaijan."

Despite agreeing to the terms of the trilateral statement, Azerbaijan continues to detain over 130 Armenian prisoners of war, hostages, and detained persons, and the letter urges their immediate return.

"The Assembly urges Members of Congress to join this important initiative spearheaded by Congressman Pallone and the Armenian Caucus," said Assembly Congressional Relations Director Mariam Khaloyan. "Securing aid for Armenia and Artsakh, stopping military assistance to Azerbaijan, and ensuring the release of Armenian prisoners of war are vital. With so much at stake as the Armenian people face a humanitarian crisis and genocidal threats to their very existence, we urge the community to join with us for our upcoming Advocacy Summit and make our voices heard in the halls of Congress." Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.