Tuesday,
Armenia Marks Independence Anniversary
• Naira Nalbandian
• Marine Khachatrian
Armenia - A concert dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Armenia's independence
is held in Yerevan's Republic Square, .
Armenia marked on Tuesday the 30th anniversary of its declaration of
independence from the Soviet Union with official ceremonies and an open-air
concert boycotted by opposition leaders and condemned by some relatives of
Armenian soldiers killed in last year’s war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The ceremonies began in the morning at the Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan
where President Armen Sarkissian, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and other
senior officials laid wreaths at a Karabakh war memorial.
Journalists were barred from not only approaching the officials but also
watching the wreath-laying ceremony. Security officers deployed at Yerablur also
interrupted their interviews with the parents of several fallen soldiers who
wanted to prevent Pashinian from approaching their graves.
“He must not come to my boys’ home,” said one woman. “I didn’t invite him.”
Moments later the angry father of another soldier was forcibly removed from the
military cemetery where hundreds of Armenian victims of the first Karabakh war
of 1991-1994 were also laid to rest.
“Nikol, you will answer for ruining our independence,” shouted another man
holding Pashinian responsible for Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war that left
about 3,800 Armenian soldiers dead and more than 200 others unaccounted for.
He and other protesters, most of them relatives of soldiers killed in action,
argued with riot police after the prime minister left Yerablur.
Armenia - Riot police scuffle with relatives of Armenian soldiers killed during
the war in Nagorno-Karabakh at the Yerablur Military Pantheon, Yerevan,
.
More than 200 other relatives led by a well-known political activist staged a
candlelight march to Yerablur from the city center in the afternoon. They not
only paid their respects to their loved ones but also protested against the
Independence Day concert organized by the Armenian government in the city’s
central Republic Square.
Pashinian announced the concert on September 8, saying that it will be the
culmination of “large-scale and colorful” celebrations of Armenia’s main public
holiday. He said it will be “first and foremost dedicated to our martyrs who
sacrificed their lives for Armenia’s independence.”
The announcement prompted strong condemnations from many families of war victims
as well as opposition politicians and other critics of his government. They said
that any festivities would be highly inappropriate in a country which is still
mourning the war dead and has not yet found, identified and buried all of its
fallen soldiers.
Pashinian last week apologized for using the word “colorful” but said the
concert will not be an affront to the soldiers’ memory and will go ahead as
planned.
The concert featured classical, folk and modern music played in front of the
country’s political leadership and other dignitaries. It also attracted hundreds
of ordinary people to the sprawling square guarded by an unusually large number
of police officers and other security personnel.
Armenia - President Armen Sarkissian (R) and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian
shake hands at the Yerablur Military Pantheon, Yerevan, .
Addressing the crowd before the live performances, Pashinian paid tribute to the
fallen soldiers. He said they must be regarded as “symbols of life, not death.”
He also urged Armenians to “transform our defeat into victory” and “defeat
desperation, destiny and death.”
Lawmakers representing Armenia’s two main opposition alliances led by former
Presidents Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sarkisian were also invited to the event
broadcast live by state television. Predictably, they chose to boycott it.
Also invited was Levon Ter-Petrosian, another former president who led Armenia
to independence in the final months of Soviet rule. Ter-Petrosian, whose
spokesman branded Pashinian a “nation-destroying scourge” right after last
year’s war, shunned the event too.
The government’s press office declined to clarify whether personal invitations
were also sent to Kocharian and Sarkisian, who are even more critical of the
current Armenian authorities.
Both ex-presidents again blamed Pashinian for the outcome of the six-week war
stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire last November in separate statements
issued earlier on Tuesday on the occasion of the independence jubilee.
“As recently as one year ago, we were proud of our Armed Forces and were an
essential factor in the geopolitical configuration of the South Caucasus,” read
Kocharian’s statement. “But now we have not only ceased to be the security
guarantor of Artsakh (Karabakh) but are also unable to protect our own
sovereignty and citizens.”
Macron Wants To Deepen France’s ‘Special’ Ties With Armenia
FRANCE -- French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during the annual dinner of
the Co-ordination Council of Armenian organisations of France (CCAF), in Paris,
February 5, 2019
France and Armenia enjoy a “special relationship” that should be deepened
further, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday.
“France and Armenia have forged a special relationship deeply rooted in history.
This relationship of friendship, dense and trustful, continues today in all
areas,” Macron said in a congratulatory message sent to President Armen
Sarkissian on Armenia’s Independence Day.
“I would like this link, which forms the richness of our bilateral relationship,
to deepen even further when it comes to our cooperation in various sectors such
as culture, education, health or even economic cooperation,” he wrote.
France, Macron went on, “stands with Armenia to help it overcome the challenges
facing it one year after the deadly conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.” He said Paris
will also remain actively involved in international efforts to resolve the
Karabakh conflict spearheaded by the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian discussed those efforts in a
September 17 phone call with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan. According
to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, the two men also agreed on the need to expand
“multidimensional cooperation” between their countries.
“The sides agreed to discuss in greater detail soon prospects for stepping up
their cooperation in the economic sphere, including through the implementation
of new development programs in Armenia,” the ministry said in a statement.
Mirzoyan praised France’s position and actions taken during and after last
year’s Armenian-Azerbaijani war over Karabakh.
Macron criticized Azerbaijan and accused Turkey of recruiting jihadist fighters
from Syria for the Azerbaijani army shortly after the war broke out in September
2020. Le Drian demanded “the departure of the Syrian mercenaries” from the
conflict zone following a Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped the
hostilities in November.
Turkey denied sending members of Turkish-backed Syrian rebel groups to fight in
Karabakh. Azerbaijan also denied their presence in the Azerbaijani army ranks.
Both Ankara and Baku accused Paris of pro-Armenian bias.
Macron was also quick to voice strong support for Yerevan after Azerbaijani
forces reportedly crossed some sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and
advanced several kilometers into Armenian territory in May.
“The Azerbaijani troops must leave Armenia’s sovereign territory,” he said
during a June 1 meeting in Paris with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
Baku maintains that its troops took up new positions on the Azerbaijani side of
the frontier and did not cross into Armenia.
France is home to an influential Armenian community. The latter was instrumental
in the December 2020 passage by both houses of the French parliament of
resolutions calling on Macron’s government to recognize Karabakh as an
independent republic. The government ruled out such recognition, saying that it
would be counterproductive for France and the Karabakh negotiating process.
Biden Vows Continued U.S. Efforts For Karabakh Peace
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the Delta variant of coronavirus,
September 9, 2021.
President Joe Biden said the United States will continue to strive for a
peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict when he congratulated Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian on Armenia’s Independence Day on Tuesday.
In a message sent on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the South Caucasus
state’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union, Biden also promised
continued U.S. support for the Armenian government’s “efforts to strengthen your
democratic institutions, advance human rights, combat corruption, and uphold the
rule of law.”
“The Armenian people have faced challenges over the last year, including the
tragic loss of life in the fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” added the
letter publicized by the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan.
“As we mourn with the people of Armenia, we will work hand in hand with your
government, including through the OSCE Minsk Group and other regional formats,
to promote regional stability and conflict resolution. The United States will
continue to advocate for the release of all Armenian detainees held in
Azerbaijan.”
Biden similarly assured Pashinian in early August that Washington remains
committed to facilitating a “comprehensive” Karabakh settlement together with
Russia and France, the two other co-chairs of the Minsk Group.
The U.S. ambassador to Armenia, Lynne Tracy, has repeatedly said since then that
the Karabakh conflict remains unresolved after last year’s Armenian-Azerbaijani
war.
“We do not see the status of Nagorno-Karabakh as having been resolved,” Tracy
insisted on September 13.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry condemned the envoy’s remarks. It echoed
President Ilham Aliyev’s repeated claims that Azerbaijan’s victory in the
six-week war put an end to the conflict.
Aliyev ruled out on July 22 any negotiations on Karabakh’s status, saying
Yerevan must instead recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over the
Armenian-populated territory.
Later in July the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the Minsk Group issued a
joint statement calling for a “negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable
settlement of all remaining core substantive issues of the conflict” and urging
the conflicting parties to resume talks “as soon as possible.”
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Christine Harutyunian
Drip irrigation. 5 questions and answers with Converse Bank
17:16,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. What are the key environmental and social issues that can be addressed by establishment of intensive orchards? How to establish them, and what are their advantages? What are the main environmental challenges that also affect agriculture? We seek the answers to these questions in Converse Bank, which offers a wide range of financing tools in the field of agriculture.
– Land degradation and desertification represent a serious environmental challenge in the world, including in Armenia. In 2021, scarcity of irrigation water was also added to the known challenges, which may eventually lead to a reduction in cultivated land areas.
– In this situation, what can farmers do or people who want to engage in agriculture?
– The globally acknowledged option is to shift to intensive agriculture, in this case – by establishment of intensive orchards. Unlike traditional tree species, dwarf trees are not very tall, do not have a deep root system, so they are irrigated with a drip irrigation network. Notably, in Israel, after the country implemented this system, it was possible to reduce the area of desertified or desert lands and achieve agricultural development.
– What are the advantages of this system?
– Installation of drip irrigation systems allows you to address several problems at once. First, according to various estimates, water consumption is reduced by up to 3 times, which also allows saving financial resources. On the other hand, it is possible to control the use of fertilizers and pesticides and make their supply more targeted, and weeds grow worse in dry soil. Finally, the use of drip irrigation system reduces water evaporation, surface runoff, prevents the penetration of water into the lower layers of the soil (water is supplied directly to the root system of the plant), which ensures up to 95% efficiency
– When do intensive orchards start to yield?
– Intensive orchards yield earlier than the traditional ones. If properly cultivated, it achieves self-sufficiency level in the third year after harvest. By the way, in this case, the installation of hail protection nets is also an important factor, due to which the crop loss due to unfavorable weather conditions is drastically less.
– Where to apply, if you want to establish an intensive orchard?
– Converse Bank offers various products targeted at agriculture financing, including the establishment of intensive orchards and drip irrigation networks, both with own resources and under various government programs. In addition, the interest rate on some loans is fully reimbursed by the state. Relevant products of the bank are available at .
The oversight of the bank is exercised by the Central Bank.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1063215.html?fbclid=IwAR2zKZbO3HH705LR6OXRj5PqKG0u7eL2Bg6e8UiU_BHGrfambPjYlcWpRlo
Amir receives Russian president aide, honours Armenian envoy
Sept 13 2021
SEP 13, 2021
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The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with Aide to President of Russia Igor Levitin and his accompanying delegation at the Amiri Diwan Office on Sunday. During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, especially the joint cooperation in sports affairs, in addition to other regional and international developments. HH the Amir also met with Ambassador of Armenia HE Gegham Gharibjanian, who called on the Amir on the occasion of the end of his tenure in the country. HH the Amir granted the ambassador Al Wajbah Decoration in recognition of his role in enhancing bilateral relations between Qatar and Armenia, wishing him success in his future missions, and further development and prosperity in the relations between the two countries. For his part, the Armenian ambassador thanked HH the Amir and the State’s officials for the cooperation he received that contributed to the success of his work in the country. (QNA)
https://www.qatar-tribune.com/news-details/id/220128
Opposition MP: ‘Azerbaijani terminology’ completely used in Armenian NSS statement
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 13 2021
The opposition Armenia bloc calls for parliamentary discussions on the Azerbaijani military’s unlawful actions on Goris-Kapan highway.
At a parliament session on Monday, Armenia alliance secretary Artsvik Minasyan deplored the government’s “passive stance” on the issue.
"We witnessed illegal actions of the Azerbaijani military and, unfortunately, the passive stance of the government, which provided no explanations,” the MP said, stating the respective statement of the National Security Service (NSS) is not in the interests of Armenia and “says anything”.
Highlighting that Armenia is a parliamentary republic, Minasyan said the Armenia bloc demands that a format be created to hold discussions on the matter.
“The public needs to understand what is happening, especially when Azerbaijani terminology is now completely used in the NSS statement," he said.
Minasyan suggested that not only the NSS, but also representatives of the Prosecutor's Office, Defense Ministry and Foreign Ministry attend the parliamentary hearings on the issue.
Russia will defend the borders of Armenia like its own – Andrey Klimov
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 13 2021
"Russia will defend the formally recognized borders of Armenia as its own, since the two states are part of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)," Andrei Klimov, chair of the Ad Hoc Commission on Protecting State Sovereignty and Preventing Interference in the Domestic Affairs of the Russian Federation Council said on Monday.
Klimov was asked about the active role of Turkey in connection with the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
"You are a member state to the CSTO and we are there. We will defend the formally recognised borders of Armenia as we would do our own. Furthermore, our military doctrine envisages that through defending ourselves and our allies, we would resist to others. This is well known to those why must know this," Klimov said.
Turkish-Azerbaijani exercises are over in Karabakh
Caucasian Knot, EU
Sept 12 2021
In the Lachin District, militaries of Turkey and Azerbaijan have mastered the skills of conducting reconnaissance, setting ambushes and finding and liquidating saboteurs, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 6, in the Lachin (the Armenian name is Berdzor) District, which is crossed by the corridor connecting Yerevan with Stepanakert, Azerbaijani-Turkish military exercises with shooting began. They have demonstrated to Armenia the vulnerability of the Lachin Corridor, political analysts have noted.
Let us remind you that, according to Russian military experts, the Azerbaijani-Turkish exercises in the Lachin District were medium-sized and tactical in nature.
Andrias Gukasyan, a political analyst, has suggested that the aim of the Azerbaijani-Turkish joint exercises was to master offensive actions against Armenia and blocking the Lachin Corridor.
In the opinion of Azerbaijani analysts, the exercises will allow Azerbaijani and Turkish militaries to train in the combating terrorists, but they can also be regarded as a message about joint actions of the two countries in case of threats to Azerbaijan. "Revanchist ideas are still hatching in Armenia," said Azad Isazade, a former employee of the information-analytical department of the Azerbaijani MoD.
Telman Abilov, the head of the NGO "Military Lawyers", has pointed to the limited number of militaries at the exercises in the Lachin District. "These exercises indicate that the Shusha declaration on Azerbaijani-Turkish allied relations remains in force. The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has not yet been finally settled," Mr Abilov has concluded.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on at 03:07 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Source: CK correspondent
Source:
© Caucasian Knot
New Belgian ambassador presents copy of credentials to FM Ararat Mirzoyan
13:34,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. The new Belgian ambassador to Armenia Marc Michielsen presented the copy of credentials to foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan on September 11.
FM Mirzoyan congratulated the ambassador on assuming office and expressed conviction that Michielsen will contribute to advancing the Armenian-Belgian multi-sector cooperation, political dialogue and bilateral and multilateral agenda.
FM Mirzoyan and Ambassador Michielsen discussed possibilities for enhancing the trade-economic relations and boosting partnership in the high-tech sector. Re-launching the Yerevan-Brussels air communication was highlighted.
The Armenia-European Union cooperation was also discussed. Mirzoyan underscored that the effective implementation of the Armenia-EU CEPA – ratified by Belgium – as well as the implementation of inclusive programs as part of the Eastern Partnership format will contribute to deepening bilateral relations and sectoral partnership.
FM Mirzoyan and Ambassador Michielsen exchanged ideas over regional peace and security matters. Mirzoyan expressed conviction that a lasting and stable peace in the region can be achieved only through a comprehensive solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmanship. The Armenian FM also welcomed Belgium’s position over this issue.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Armenia sees opportunity for discussion on normalization of relations with Turkey: Pashinyan responds to Erdogan
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 8 2021
Deepening or normalization of relations with neighboring countries is an important foreign policy direction of the government, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the cabinet meeting today.
He said the provision is enshrined in the government’s Action Plan approved by the National Assembly.
The Prime Minister noted that the development of regional communications is high on the agenda in the discussions with Iran and Georgia. In this context he attached importance to the North-South project, which connects Armenia’s border with Iran to the border with Georgia.
“The establishment of rail communication with Russia and Iran is also very important to us. To solve the issue we are discussing the reopening of communications in the trilateral Armenia-Azerbaijan-Russia format. We are resolute to make efforts to achieve concrete results, aware that Azerbaijan, in turn, expects to get communication between its western regions and Nakhijevan,” Pashinyan said.
He reiterated Armenia’s willingness to resume the peace process with Azerbaijan within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship format.
PM Pashinyan attached importance to the agenda of delimitation and demarcation of the border with Azerbaijan and noted that the Armenian side continues to work to establish due conditions.
“We hope to complete the process of return of prisoners of war, captives and other detainees to Armenia as soon as possible,” he added.
Referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest statements, Nikol Pashinyan said “we see an opportunity to talk about normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, recommissioning of the rail and road communication.”
“We are ready for such conversation, which could get a broader framework against the background of the above. In a broader sense it is about making the region a crossroad between the East and the West, the North and the South,” the PM stated.
He hailed the Russian Federation’s willingness to support the process. “The EU, France and the United States are also interested in the process, while the interest of China and India in the development of communication projects is well known,” he said.
Pashinyan emphasized that “regional peace and stability is a long-term strategy, and we are responsible for solving the issue.”
“Peace, stability and cooperation are easy-to-announce and desirable goals, but their implementation requires well-thought, pragmatic efforts,” Nikol Pashinayn said, adding that “Armenia is ready to make the effort.”
Turkish press: Armenia ready for talks with Turkey to repair relations: Pashinian
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian attends a meeting in Kazan, Russia, 29 April 2021. (EPA Photo)
Armenia said Wednesday that the country was prepared to hold discussions on repairing relations with Turkey.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said that recent comments from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan represented an "opportunity for a conversation on settling relations."
"We stand ready for such a discussion," he told a Cabinet meeting.
Erdoğan said last month that Ankara was willing to work toward normalizing ties with Armenia if Yerevan "declares its readiness to move in this direction."
Armenia and Turkey never established diplomatic ties and their shared border has been closed since the 1990s.
Their relationship has deteriorated more recently over Turkey's support for Azerbaijan, which fought a brief war with Armenia last year and liberated the Armenian occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region and adjacent areas.
The resulting six-week war between Armenia and Turkey's ally Azerbaijan claimed some 6,500 lives. Russia brokered a cease-fire that saw Yerevan cede swathes of territory it had illegally occupied for decades.
Pashinian Wednesday stressed the importance of opening regional transport links, saying, "it is about transforming our region into a crossroad linking west and east and north and south."
In 2009, Armenia and Turkey signed an agreement to normalize relations, which would have led to the opening up of their shared border.
Yerevan has never ratified the agreement, and in 2018, ditched the process.
Azeri MP Threatens Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh to Leave or be Destroyed
Sept 2 2021
09/02/2021 Nagorno-Karabakh (International Christian Concern) – According to Elman Jamal Oglu Mammedov, a member of Azerbaijan parliament associated with President Aliyev’s party, the remaining territories of Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian: Artsakh) will be cleared of “occupiers, separatists and criminals” who will either leave or be destroyed.
Mammedov spoke against the Armenians remaining in Nagorno-Karabakh regions such as Ivanyan (Khojaly) saying, “We will not tolerate it, we will not be patient”. He is advocating for an “anti-terrorist operation” against the Armenians.
Several regions, including Hadrut, Shushi, Lachin, and Kalbajar were granted to Azerbaijan following the November 9 tripartite agreement. The continued push against Armenians in border towns and sporadic tension flare-ups that have occurred along unclear borders invoke some concern regarding the future of the fragile peace. Armenian Christians are still recovering from and mourning their losses in the 44-day war and are emotionally ill-equipped to respond to another advance from Azerbaijan.