Author: Christine Harutyunian

Turkey’s overtures to Armenia can help heal US rift

Christine Harutyunian
ARAB NEWS, Saudi Arabia
Dec 26 2021




SINEM CENGIZ

At a time when Turkey and Armenia have taken steps toward a rapprochement in their problematic relationship, there are also positive signs from Ankara regarding a normalization of relations with Israel. What impact can a potential improvement in Turkey’s ties with Armenia and Israel, two countries that have close relations with the US and influential lobbies in Washington, have on the Ankara-Washington connection?

In an apparent breakthrough in the long-standing deadlock between Ankara and Yerevan, the two neighbors pledged to appoint special envoys to pave the way for the normalization of relations after nearly three decades of enmity. Turkey appointed former Washington ambassador Serdar Kilic as a special representative, while Armenia appointed Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Ruben Rubinyan as its envoy.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the steps, saying the US strongly supports statements made by both countries’ ministries of foreign affairs. Recently Bloomberg, citing a senior Turkish official, reported that Turkey’s surprise approach to Armenia was in line with a request by US President Joe Biden, who urged his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan during an October meeting in Rome to open the country’s border with its landlocked neighbor.

Since Biden took office, Ankara has been looking for ways to build a consensus with Washington. Relations between the two NATO members have suffered in the past decade over a number of issues. Biden, on several occasions, has put the Turkey-Armenia relationship on the agenda and expressed his interest in the subject. In April, he became the first US president to describe the events in Armenia in 1915 as “genocide,” a move that was immediately denounced by Ankara, which claims both sides suffered casualties in what it claims was a tragic conflict.

The Turkish leader said that Biden’s statement opened a “deep wound” in bilateral relations between the NATO allies. Biden’s comments, which broke away from decades of carefully calibrated language from the White House, came at a time when Ankara and Washington were experiencing deep policy differences in several areas.

It is important to recall that Israel is one of the US allies that has not recognized the 1915 events as “genocide” and also supported Azerbaijan in its war with Armenia last year over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Sinem Cengiz

According to the Bloomberg report, Turkey’s overtures to Armenia will help Ankara improve its strained relations with Washington over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system. However, the issue is too complicated to be settled by Turkey’s shifting regional policies, and Armenia is unlikely to be a significant game-changer in this area. Nevertheless, the new impetus between Ankara and Yerevan is still highly significant considering Turkey’s weakened position within NATO and its tensions with the US. Overall, Ankara’s move toward a diplomatic engagement with Armenia is a plus for Turkey’s foreign policy and a positive development that should not be underestimated.

Ankara’s diplomatic overtures could be read as part of a new Turkish regional policy based on de-escalation with former rivals, including Egypt and the UAE. Ankara is also sending positive signs to Israel following the change in leadership in Tel Aviv. Erdogan highlighted improving ties between Turkey and Israel during a meeting with members of the Jewish community in Turkey and the Alliance of Rabbis in the Islamic States at the presidential complex in Ankara recently. In early December, the Turkish leader said Ankara could mend its relations with Israel if Tel Aviv respects Turkish concerns about Palestine, Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

An end to the split between Turkey and Israel, Washington’s closest partner in the Middle East, is of great importance to the US, especially at a time when it plans to gradually withdraw from the region. Ankara considers the strong pro-Israel lobby in Washington as a valuable asset whose support could be even more important in the future. In the past, it was not only Turkey’s alliance with the US that prevented American presidents from designating the 1915 events as a “genocide,” but also the pro-Israel lobby, which backed Turkey on this subject.

When it comes to lobbies in Washington, and diasporas in the world, it is safe to argue that the most important diaspora after the Jewish is the Armenian. The pro-Israel lobby had been a long-standing political partner of Turkey in Washington. However, with the deterioration of Turkish-Israeli relations, the support of the lobby also has declined. It is important to recall that Israel is one of the US allies that has not recognized the 1915 events as “genocide” and also supported Azerbaijan in its war with Armenia last year over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The changing geopolitical landscape — a new US administration, a new Israeli government, a new regional focus in Ankara, post-pandemic recovery challenges and the deteriorating economic situation in some countries — provides a window of opportunity for Turkey in its normalization of relations not only with regional countries and former foes, but also with the US.

• Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkey’s relations with the Middle East.


Opposition MP: Armenian authorities trying to create political crisis in Artsakh

Christine Harutyunian
panorama>>am
Dec 27 2021

The Armenian authorities are attempting to create a political crisis in Artsakh using the "trap" they have set, according to MP Tigran Abrahamyan from the opposition With Honor faction.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the lawmaker stressed the need for all major forces in Artsakh to get back to the post-war period of political consultations to establish political stability in the country.

“Immediately after the war there was a preliminary consensus between the ruling force and the parliamentary opposition that the president and the ruling party acting within the framework of the Constitution and the laws of Artsakh should cede the key positions and spheres to several political forces, which in their turn would form a stable majority by coalition or other principle and lead the country not only out of the domestic political crisis but also out of the difficult situation created by the war.

“This scenario did not succeed, because the Armenian authorities intervened and created a "balance" in Artsakh, which could change at any moment according to their preferences.

“Using the "trap" they have set, the Armenian authorities are now trying to create an internal political crisis in Artsakh, which, thanks to the prudence and efforts of the parliamentary opposition, is not allowed at this stage.

“Pashinyan's government aims to provoke instability and crisis in Artsakh in order to deprive Artsakh of its entity. That is why these behind-the-scenes actions are accompanied by aggressive conduct of Pashinyan and his political/propaganda team, whose main goal is to show that Artsakh cannot remain Armenian and the struggle is senseless and to move the process to the field of Turkish-Azerbaijani logic,” Abrahamyan said.

Armenian PM: We must resolutely move towards the Armenia that our ancestors, our martyrs dreamed of

Christine Harutyunian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 29 2021
22:40, 29.12.2021

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in a reception organized for the representatives of the public administration system on the occasion of the New Year and Christmas holidays.

In his speech, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan particularly said,

“Honorable President of the National Assembly,

Distinguished representatives of the Government, the legislative and the judicial branches,

First of all, I would like to thank all of you for the work done in 2021, because people usually complain about the work of the public system, citing bureaucracy, hassles, delays. But I want to remind you that 2021 was not an ordinary year, in fact, we felt, saw and faced a significant part of the consequences of the 44-day war in 2021. Our statehood was facing huge, dangerous challenges, and it should be stated that we were able to manage those challenges.

Of course, it was not easy, the work done by all those present, all our state bodies, local self-government bodies is of essential and key importance for the management of those challenges. I am really thankful to you for that work. Moreover, by overcoming those challenges, we not only did not damage Armenia's international reputation as a democratic country, but, on the contrary, strengthened it even more.

Early parliamentary elections were held in the country in 2021. With them, we were able to reveal a new function of the electoral process, when the atmosphere of internal political unrest was finally overcome by the elections, and not the contrary. During those elections and before that, our entire state system, legal system and judiciary worked around the clock. Moreover, they worked trying not to yield to emotions, trying to stay loyal to the service, mission, state order. And it is obvious that in 2021 this service of addressing these challenges was a success, which does not mean that our work is perfect, on the contrary, in 2020-2021 we identified a number of systemic problems that exist in our public administration system. And an agenda has been formed, which, of course, we must consistently implement.

Our greatest challenge is ensuring external security, but I want to emphasize again that ensuring external security is not, has not been and should not be the function of only the army, the Armed Forces. It is equally the function of our diplomatic service, our other public administration bodies. I would also like to mention here the work of our special services, the important mission and work of our parliamentary diplomacy. And I want to emphasize that we have also overcome significant challenges in the field of internal security in 2021, moreover, we have overcome those challenges without any shocks. And in this regard, I want to emphasize again the work of our law enforcement agencies.

Dear attendees,
Dear colleagues,

I want to wish Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all you, your families. I want to believe that 2022 will really be a year of renascence for Armenia. I hope the shocks that took place in 2020-2021, our capability to pass that road full of those shocks, which was demonstrated, will really help and strengthen us in building a state worthy of all our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Motherland during the 44-day war, the four-day war that took place before it, also our victims of the previous Artsakh war. This is probably the biggest motivation we have. And this is probably the biggest motivation, which should never allow us to waver or shake under any circumstances. We must take firm steps towards the Armenia that our ancestors dreamed of, that our martyrs dreamed of, that we dream of for our generations.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!"

Post six-day war footage of Egyptian Monastery made public by Israel’s national library

Christine Harutyunian

Dec 23 2021


By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

 

Published: DECEMBER 23, 2021 02:51

Updated: DECEMBER 23, 2021 11:29

Greek Psalms and Cantica, ca 1504.
(photo credit: THE HOLY MONASTERY OF ST. CATHERINE AT MOUNT SINAI/VIA NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ISRAEL DIGITAL COLLECTION)


Some 1,600 Christian manuscripts and numerous photographs and film footage from after the Six Day War are now available for free public viewing, the National Library of Israel (NLI) has announced.
The documents were originally archived at Saint Catherine's Monastery in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Founded by Justinian I over 1,500 years ago, the monastery is home to the oldest functional library in the world.
During the 1960s, the Jewish National and University Library, now the National Library of Israel, was permitted by the Greek Orthodox Archbishop to microfilm the manuscripts. Later, the aging microfilms were digitally archived in order to preserve them.

The collection includes texts from as early as the 1100s CE, written in Arabic, Syriac, Greek, Armenian and Georgian, relating to early Christian religion and Church Fathers.
Also now viewable online are photos of Saint Catherine's Monastery which were taken by Israelis during the country's occupation of the Sinai Peninsula following the Six Day War, in addition to color film footage taken by Jacques Soussana, a former employee of the library, that was donated to the NLI by his wife and digitally archived in cooperation with the Jerusalem Cinematheque and the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive.

Soldier, monk at Sinai, 1967. (credit: BORIS CARMI/MEITAR COLLECTION, PRITZKER FAMILY NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTION, NLI)

Dr. Stefan Litt, curator of the NLI's Humanities Collection who led the project, emphasized the value of the collection for Christian scholars, saying that "the digital images of these manuscripts are truly priceless, particularly for scholars of Orthodox Greek Christianity. They show us how the collection's manuscripts looked more than fifty years ago and are now safely preserved for the long-term."

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-689562


Armen Grigoryan, Stanislav Zas discuss programs to be implemented during Armenia’s chairmanship at CSTO

Christine Harutyunian

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 15:07,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan met today with Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Stanislav Zas, who has arrived in Armenia on a working visit, the Office of the Secretary of the Security Council reports.

The sides discussed the programs to be implemented during Armenia’s chairmanship at the CSTO. In this regard the sides attached priority to the joint activity of the CSTO member states in drafting a policy against terrorism, extremism, migration security, biosafety and drug trafficking.  

The officials also discussed contributing to the ease of tension on the Armenian-Azerbaijan, Tajik-Kazakh, Tajik-Afghan borders. Here the CSTO Secretary General emphasized the increase in probability of migrant flows by Afghanistan to the member states of the CSTO, calling this as a migration challenge.

Armen Grigoryan also presented the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, stating that it’s a key challenge for Armenia. In this context both sides attached importance to ensuring conditions for the quick launch of the Armenian-Azerbaijan border delimitation and demarcation process.

Unblocking of regional communications separate from border delimitation and demarcation – Armenian Deputy PM

Christine Harutyunian
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 8 2021
December 8, 2021, 11:46

 2 minutes read

The possible unblocking of communications in the region is not related to the delimitation and demarcation of borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said in an interview with TASS.

“We follow the Sochi statement of the leaders of the three countries, according to which we agreed to take steps to increase the level of stability and security on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and to lead the case towards the creation of a bilateral commission on the delimitation of the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan with its subsequent demarcation with the advisory assistance of the Russian Federation. The issue is in no way interconnected with the possible opening of transport communications in the region,” he said.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia also added that within the framework of the trilateral working group co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan on unblocking transport communications, an expert subgroup has been created, which is working on the issues of ensuring transportation in the event of opening the borders. “There has been no discussion of the final regulation of these issues,” he said.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, Azerbaijan’s statement on the alleged “Zangezur Corridor” in the border Sinyuk region of Armenia was unexpected for the Armenian authorities, but Yerevan hopes that the work of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia to unblock regional communications will continue within the framework of the fundamental principles that have already been agreed.

“The last statement of official Baku was unexpected for us. It was assumed that in the coming days we will continue the work [of the working group]. I hope that the situation will return to a constructive track, and we will continue to work within the framework of the fundamental principles that have already been agreed upon,” he said. he.

According to Grigoryan, “all the meetings of the working group have so far been held in the format of a constructive dialogue.” “We hoped that the work would continue within the framework of the basic principles that were fixed in the statements of the leaders of the three countries, and had already been agreed upon during the discussions at the platform of the working group of the deputy prime ministers,” he added.

As the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia noted, within the framework of the working group, the parties “had a mutual understanding on the issues of restoring and unblocking the railway infrastructure.” “There was also an understanding that the sovereignty of the roads will be retained by those countries through whose territory they will pass, and these roads, in turn, will be under the jurisdiction of the country through which they pass. There were some nuances on other issues,” he stressed. he.

The last meeting of the trilateral working group of the vice-premiers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation was held on December 1 in Moscow.

On Monday, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, speaking during a visit to the Quba region, demanded from Armenia to name a specific date for the opening of the “Zangezur Corridor”. Yerevan has repeatedly stated that the trilateral statements of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh and the opening of regional communications do not imply the provision of any corridors to Baku through the territory of Armenia.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Aliyev’s statements contradict the agreements reached in trilateral format.

Bodies of hundreds killed in Karabakh handed over to Baku, Yerevan

Christine Harutyunian
Iran Front Page
Dec 9 2021
By

 IFP Media Wire

 -

December 9, 2021

More than 1,900 bodies of those killed in the latest escalation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh have been handed over to Armenia and Azerbaijan by Russian peacekeepers, Rustam Muradov, deputy commander of the Russian Southern Military District, told TASS on Thursday.

“The peacekeepers returned more than 1,960 bodies to the local authorities in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Search operations are continued,” he said, adding that more than 100 soldiers on both sides were released from prison and returned to their home countries.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. As per the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides stopped at the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the engagement line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor that connects Armenia with the enclave to exercise control of the ceasefire observance. In addition, a number of districts came under Baku’s control.

IRICA head visits Armenia, Georgia to explore customs co-op

Christine Harutyunian
Tehran Times
Dec 10 2021
  1. Economy
– 15:35

TEHRAN – A high-ranking Iranian delegation led by Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Mehdi Mirashrafi traveled to Armenia to review mutual interests.

The Iranian delegation entered Armenia through the Moghri border crossing, in which Mirashrafi held talks with the border authorities to get more familiar with the services rendered to Iranian citizens and traders at the border.

Upon arrival in Armenia, he met with the Chairman of the Revenue Committee of Armenia to discuss customs issues, exchange trade information, and follow up on previous agreements.

During his stay in Armenia, the IRICA head also met Armenian Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan and Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan.

He also had a meeting with Iranian businessmen and economic activists living in Armenia.

Mirashrafi then left Armenia for Georgia on Friday Morning.

EF/MA

Azerbaijani president’s statements contradict agreements reached in Sochi – Armenia Foreign Ministry

Christine Harutyunian

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 13:11, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia commented on the statement of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev who demanded that that Armenia should accept the terms of Azerbaijan and announce a specific date for the opening of the so-called "Zangezur corridor".

Armenpress presents the full text of the Foreign Ministry’s statement:

“According to Azerbaijani media outlets, during the meeting with residents of the village of Gonagkand in the Guba region օn December 6, 2021, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev demanded that Armenia should accept the terms of Azerbaijan and announce a specific date for the opening of the so-called "Zangezur corridor". The President of Azerbaijan also accused Armenia of demonstrating tortuous approaches regarding the issue of opening the roads and communications.

Regarding the above-mentioned statements the Foreign Ministry of Armenia underlines the following;

  1. The agreements on opening the roads and communications between the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation are enshrined in the Statements of November 9, 2020, January 11, 2021, and November 26, 2021, where there is no obligation, condition or agreement for the Republic of Armenia to provide Azerbaijan with a corridor or a road within corridor logic.
  2. The Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, underlines the agreement of the parties to unblock all economic and transport communications in the region. The same statement also underlines that the Republic of Armenia guarantees the security of transport communication between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.
  3. According to the Statement of January 11, 2021, for the implementation of the 9th provision of the Statement of November 9, 2020, on unblocking all economic and transport communications in the region, a tripartite working group chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of the Republic of Armenia, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan has been formed.
  4. The 3rd provision of the Statement of January 11, 2021, stipulates that for the implementation of the main activities, Co-Chairs of the working group will approve the list of expert subgroups of those fields, which will include representatives of the relevant authorities of the Parties and officials of the organizations.
  5. The 4th provision of the Statement of January 11, 2021, stipulates that the working group shall submit for the Parties’ approval at the highest level the list and timetable of activities aimed at restoring or building new transport infrastructure necessary for organizing, implementing and providing the safety of international traffic through the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, as well as the transportations carried out by the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia through their respective territories.
  6. During the first meeting on January 30 2021, the tripartite working group decided to form two expert subgroups, one for the issues of the automobile, railroad, combined transportation, and the other one for the insurance of transportation, including security, border, customs, sanitation, livestock and phytosanitary, as well as other issues.
  7. The Republic of Armenia has repeatedly stated at the highest levels, that it is interested in unblocking all transport and economic communications in the region with the understanding that the western regions of Azerbaijan will receive rail and road communication through Armenia with the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (thus Turkey), while Armenia will receive road communication through Azerbaijan with Russia and railroad communication with Russia and Iran.
  8. On November 5, 2021, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, the Co-Chair of the Tripartite working group Alexei Overchuk stated during the meeting with the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan that the search for solutions within the tripartite working group is based on the following principles: the sovereignty of the countries through which the roads will pass will be maintained and that the types of control at the border crossing will be carried out on a reciprocal basis. Earlier, Alexei Overchuk stated that  no issue related to “corridor” is being discussed within the tripartite working group.
  9. On the occasion of the anniversary of signing the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation circulated an informative material, which clearly stated that all participants of the trilateral working group agreed on the term that all transportation roads that will be unblocked and reestablished, will operate respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the countries through which they will pass.
  10. On November 26, 2021, the meeting of the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev was held in Sochi, Russia, during which the principles enshrined in the provision 9th of the aforementioned Statement were reiterated. 

Based on the above-mentioned circumstances, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia states:

  1. A) The content of the statements of the President of Azerbaijan opposes the Statements of November 9, January 11 and November 26, contradicts the agreements reached within the Tripartite working group and the Sochi meeting, pursues destructive and provocative objectives, threatens the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia, 
  2. B) The Republic of Armenia is committed to all its above-mentioned commitments and is ready for the speedy implementation of the agreements,
  3. C) The list of measures and the timetable for the process of opening and restoring the regional communications – the roads and railways, is being discussed within the framework of the Tripartite working group, the activities of which are being undermined by the provocative rhetoric of Azerbaijan. 

The Republic of Armenia draws the attention of its main partner in the sphere of security – the Russian Federation, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the UN Security Council, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries and the international community to the fact that official Baku continues its blatant threats of use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity of Armenia through warmongering statements, violating fundamental principles of international law, including the UN Charter, as well as endangering regional and global security.

The Republic of Armenia urges the Republic of Azerbaijan to refrain from provocative rhetoric and actions, as well as not to hinder the implementation of the agreements on unblocking all economic and transport communications in the region”.

Hero of the USSR, test pilot Gurgen Karapetyan passed away

Christine Harutyunian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 7 2021

SOCIETY 14:51 07/12/2021 WORLD

Hero of the USSR, Honored Test Pilot and Flight Safety Advisor to the General Director of the Russian Helicopters holding company, Gurgen Karapetyan, died at the age of 85, TASS news agency reported. 

Gurgen Karapetyan, an Armenian by nationality, was born in 1936 in Sverdlovsk (currently Yekaterinburg). In 1961 he graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute, studied at the helicopter department of the Test Pilot School. From 1962 to 1993, he worked at the flight test complex of the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant. Karapetyan tested the Mi-26 and Mi-28 helicopters, also took part in the tests of the Mi-2, Mi-6, Mi-10, Mi-14, Mi-24 helicopters and their modifications, set ten world aviation records for speed and carrying capacity.

In total, Karapetyan has mastered several dozen types of helicopters, gliders and airplanes. He spent more than 5.5 thousand hours in the air, flew all types of Mi helicopters.

In May 1986, Karapetyan took part in the elimination of the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal was awarded to Karapetyan in 1991.