Author: David Nargizian

The "shrill" presentation of the CC website and Dilanyan’s pseudo-legitimacy

David Nargizian

Փետրվար 5, 2022


Իրավաբան Ռոբերտ Հայրապետյանը ֆեյսբուքյան իր էջում գրել է. «Երեկ Սահմանադրական դատարանի (ՍԴ) կազմավորման 26-րդ տարեդարձն էր, որում ներկայացվեց նաև ՍԴ նոր կայքը։

Մինչ Արման Դիլանյանը նշված շնորհանդեսին փորձում էր ինքն իրեն ու մնացյալին համոզել իր լեգիտիմությունը, Սահմանադրական դատարանում բարեփոխումների իրականացման հանգամանքը, որոշումներում ամրագրված նոր ստանդարտների սահմանման հանգամանքը,  իրականությունը շատ ավելի խղճուկ պատկեր էր հիշեցնում։

Միջոցառմանը ներկա չեն եղել Սահմանադրական դատարանի դատավորներից երեքը՝ Հրայր Թովմասյան, Արևիկ Պետրոսյան, Երվանդ Խունդկարյան, որոնք, ի դեպ, ինչպես նկատել ենք, նման միջոցառումներին մշտապես չեն մասնակցում: Ներկա չեն եղել նաև հրավիրվածներ՝ ՍԴ նախկին նախագահ Գագիկ Հարությունյանը, Վճռաբեկ դատարանի նախագահը,  նույնիսկ Եղիշե Կիրակոսյանը և մնացյալ դատարկ աթոռների տերերը։  Լրագրողների կողմից ևս տոտալ բոյկոտ էր հայտարարված։

Այս համատեքստում հատկանշական են նաև նախորդող իրադարձությունները։

ՄԻՊ վերջին զեկույցը՝ Սահմանադրական դատարանում  ձայների հավասար բաշխման արդյունքում որոշումների չկայացման մասով, ինչը թարգմանաբար նշանակում է շատ հավանականորեն դատավորների պայմանավորվածության արդյունքում ձայները հավասար բաշխելու միջոցով քաղաքական հարցերով որոշումներ կայացնելուց խուսափել (ինչը տեղի է ունենում հենց նման գործերով)։

Վերջերս իրականացված  IRI-ի հարցման արդյունքները, համաձայն որոնց՝  պետական մարմինների աշխատանքի գնահատման մեջ ամենացածր գնահատականը ստացել են Ազգային ժողովը, զավթված Սահմանադրական դատարանը և «ջհանգիրյանական» ԲԴԽ-ն (ի դեպ, շատ խորհրդանշական էր Արման Դիլանյանի և կոռումպացված իրավապահ և դատական համակարգի խորհրդանիշ, ԲԴԽ նախագահ Ջհանգիրյանի՝ միմյանց կողք նստելը՝ որպես դատական իշխանության լիակատար բռնազավթման հաջող արարի խորհրդանիշ)։ Սա՝ այն դեպքում, երբ ինֆորմացիոն տոտալ հարձակման, ապատեղեկատվության դեպքում դեռևս Հրայր Թովմասյանի օրոք  իրավապահ մարմիններից ժողովրդի ամենաբարձր վստահությունը վայելում էր Սահմանադրական դատարանը, որն ավելի  վստահելի էր, քան դատախազությունը-դատախազական համակարգը և մյուս դատարանները:

Դե, իսկ ՍԴ որոշումների որակի, դրանցում արտացոլված նոր ստանդարտների մասին խոսելն առհասարակ ավելորդ է, քանի որ նախևառաջ՝ դրանք քաղաքական առումով կարևորություն ներկայացնող գործերով  «պատահականորեն»  միշտ արտահայտում են իշխող ուժի տեսակետները, և երկրորդ՝  դրանք լավագույն դեպքում հիշեցնում են անբավարար գնահատված առաջին կուրսեցու կուրսային աշխատանք։

Դե ինչ, մնում է մխիթարվել այն հանգամանքով, որ շուրջ երկու տարի երկրի ամբողջ օրակարգը Հրայր Թովմասյանի շուրջ ձևավորելու, պատերազմող երկրում ՍԴ «բարեփոխման հարցում» այդքան մեծ ներուժ ներդնելու արդյունքում՝ վերջապես ունենք նախադեպը չունեցող ՍԴ կայք՝ դե, համենայն դեպս, այդպես են վստահեցրել Արման Դիլանյանին»։

Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan addresses criminal cases against military personnel

David Nargizian
panorama.am
Armenia – Feb 5 2022

MP Tigran Abrahamyan from the opposition With Honor faction has visited arrested military officers at the Nubarashen penitentiary.

"At different stages, I have met with a large number of military personnel arrested as part of a criminal probe into the 44-day war, the incidents in Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd villages, as well as the Azerbaijani aggression of November 16, 2021,” he wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

“Naturally, I can't claim that the military men involved in different cases have not made any mistake, but each case needs an individual approach.

“The mess created by the authorities, their inaction, the backstage arrangements, the crisis provoked in the army, the transformation of the military into a target, which had a huge impact both on the 44-day war and the situation with the villages of Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd in the Hadrut region, as well as the November 16 Azerbaijani aggression, are not taken into account in the criminal cases.

“I am used to meeting soldiers in military units and combat outposts in general, and It’s hard for me to meet with them at penitentiary institutions –  prison cells,” the lawmaker said.

He highlighted that many of the military personnel facing prosecution have served in the army for decades, have taken part in various combat operations, including during the April 2016 and the 44-day wars, and have been honored with awards.

Stating that such a situation in the military was predictable given the policy of the current authorities, Abrahamyan said its "dire consequences will soon have other manifestations".

Gor Tsarukyan appointed Director of PMO’s Public Relations and Information Center

David Nargizian

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 19:46, 1 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. The Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office Arayik Harutyunyan appointed Gor Tsarukyan as Director of the Public Relations and Information Center.

The Public Relations and Information Center is a governmental agency (state non-commercial organization) under the Prime Minister’s Office.

The appointment was made based on the current legislation and the decision and conclusion issued by the commission which held a competition for the vacant position.

Armenia confirms 3,127 new Covid cases in 24 hours

David Nargizian
panorama.am
Armenia – Feb 1 2022

Armenia has confirmed 3,127 new cases of coronavirus in 24 hours, bringing the national tally to 370,922 as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, February 1, the Ministry of Health reports.

Overall, 7,890 Covid-19 tests were conducted on January 31.

74 more patients have recovered from the disease with the total number of recoveries now standing at 336,079.

Three new Covid-19 deaths have been reported in the country, taking the death toll to 8,056. The figure does not include the deaths of 1,537 other people carrying the virus. According to the health authorities, they were caused by other diseases.

Armenia now has 25,250 active cases. As many as 2,734,878 tests have been performed in the country since the disease outbreak.

Armenian President Forced to Resign Over SKN Citizenship

David Nargizian
Jan 25 2022

YEREVAN, January 25. /ARKA/. The Office of Armenia’s Prosecutor General said it has forwarded a publication by the Hetq investigative outlet claiming that President Armen Sarkisian, who announced his resignation on January 23, was a citizen of another country before he became president in 2018, to the National Security Service (NSS).

The Office of Prosecutor General recalled that in April 2021 a criminal investigation had been launched into allegations that Armen Sarkissian forged documents to conceal his dual citizenship. Gor Abrahamyan, an advisor to Prosecutor General said the Hetq story will be studied in the context of this very case.

On Monday, Hetq.am published an article entitled “Armen Sarkissian. The Pyramid of Lies Collapsed: President to Resign” The article says in particular that when Armen Sarkissian was elected as President of the Republic of Armenia, he was not an Armenian citizen, (as required by the law) but had the citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis, a country consisting of two islands in the Caribbean Sea.

“In his statement yesterday, Armen Sarkissian noted some reasons for his abrupt departure from the presidency, but we believe they have little to do with his resignation. We think the reason for his resignation is just the one: he was a citizen of another country before he became the president,” Hetq.am writes.

Hetq.am writes: ‘When the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)) asked President Armen Sarkissian if he was a citizen of another country, he asked for evidence to support the allegation.

The country in question is not Great Britain. Armen Sarkissian was a British citizen and this was known before he was elected president in March 2018. The country in question is a small island country in the Caribbean – St. Kitts and Nevis.

Given Sarkissian’s British connections, it’s no surprise that the country is a Commonwealth realm, with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.

We had information that the president had a St. Kitts and Nevis passport, which was confirmed in correspondence with Sarkissian. We cannot provide many details of the investigation at this stage as it is a cross border investigation and not yet complete.

Yesterday, the president of Armenia announced his resignation. But there is a noteworthy fact here. Right before the resignation, he answered a series of our questions about his St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship. Sarkissian was on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He left the UAE and went on vacation because of health problems. And he resigned without returning to Armenia.

When we sent Sarkissian his St. Kitts and Nevis passport details, he began to put forth the following argument.

Sarkissian said he had made investments in St. Kitts and Nevis. According to our correspondence with Armen Sarkissian, he had a share in one of the hotels in St. Kitts and Nevis and transferred it on to one of his family members before he became ambassador of Armenia to the UK in 2013.

Saint Kitts has a program (Citizenship-by-Investment) whereby people can be granted citizenship in return for making investment. Sarkissian claimed that he thus became a citizen without his knowledge. “…the investment was the driving factor. I was not interested in the passport at all,” he told Hetq.

He allegedly wrote a letter to the company that organized his investment after receiving citizenship and, according to Sarkissian, asked the company to put his citizenship “on hold”.

According to Sarkissian, before being appointed Ambassador of Armenia to the United Kingdom in 2013, he instructed his solicitor to return his passport to St. Kitts and Nevis.

In 2017, when he was soon to become president, he discovered that his above-mentioned instruction hadn’t been dealt with. It was revealed the person who was supposed to deal with his request (not his attorney) had died. Later, he wrote a letter to the son of the deceased who worked at the same company, explained the situation, and repeated his request.

The fact is that Armen Sarkissian started the official process of renouncing his citizenship in St. Kitts and Nevis not long before he was elected president in March 2018.

According to the Armenia’s Constitution, he thus wasn’t eligible to be elected president. Hence, all the decrees he signed, including various laws, the appointments of officials, the elections, even the appointment of the prime minister, are illegal.

Sarkissian told us that he believed that he was no longer a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis from the moment he requested to put his citizenship on hold after he received it in return for investments.

President Armen Sarkissian is unlikely to return to Armenia since he could be prosecuted for forging official documents.”

Armen Sarkissian was elected as President in 2018 spring for a seven-year term by the parliament that was dominated at that time by the Republican Party of ex-president Serzh Sargsyan, who became earlier the country’s prime minister after serving two presidential terms following Armenia’s transition to a parliamentary system of government.

Armen Sarkissian was sworn in as President just two weeks before Serzh Sargsyan resigned as prime minister amid Pashinyan-led mass protests that eventually brought the latter to power. -0-

https://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/armenian-president-forced-to-resign-over-skn-citizenship/

Armenian PM addresses congratulatory message on Army Day

David Nargizian

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 11:08,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan addressed a congratulatory message on the 30th anniversary of the foundation of the Armenian Armed Forces, his Office said.

The message runs as follows:

“Dear compatriots,

Respectful representatives of the Armed Forces,

I congratulate all of us on the 30th anniversary of the foundation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.

During these three decades the Armenian Army has both glorious days and passed through many challenges.

The Armenian people appreciate the heroism of all our heroes, those soldiers, officers, generals and volunteers who have fought until the end for the defense, security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Homeland.

Today we are moving on the path of systematic reforms aimed at further developing the Armed Forces, by re-assessing the past path of the Army, the advantages, shortcomings and problems it had. The Republic of Armenia will have a professional army, and the government will carry out that work tirelessly, without depression and pessimism, but with optimism on the path of building the security environment. Improving the Army’s combat preparedness, armament and the military service conditions is our priority.

Since 2018, the government of Armenia has started the process of improving the social and living conditions of servicemen, and it will be continuous. Each soldier and officer of Armenia must feel the state’s support, and we will be consistent in that process. Military, officer service must be a subject of special public respect and appreciation, which must be expressed by the system of special social guarantees to the servicemen and their families.

In line with this, the intellectual, professional, physical and psychological preparedness criteria of service assessment must also be raised, and the public respect and appreciation towards the Army must be based on these points.

Dear compatriots,

On the occasion of the Army Day, I would like to specifically thank all volunteers, soldiers, officers and generals who contributed to the formation of the Armenian Army.

I would like to thank all defenders of our Homeland, all servicemen for the sacrifices they made for unconditionally serving to our country and people in these difficult conditions.

I also want to thank their families for the patience, tenacity.

I bow before our heroes: their memory is immortal, their work is sacred.

God bless the Armenian Army!”

SPRING PR is the winner of WCFA Davos Digital PR Awards

David Nargizian

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 12:43,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenian SPRING PR-company has been announced among the winners of WCFA Davos Digital PR Awards as the Best Digital PR Project for "Milk is Love" communication campaign carried out jointly with "Yeremyan Projects".
The aim of the campaign was to promote a culture of consuming milk among Armenians, to raise awareness on the benefits of dairy products and to spread a word on food security challenges, emphasizing the importance of purchasing natural products.

The "Milk is love" campaign was launched in May 2020, during the lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic, when people were isolated in their homes, many companies were temporarily closed, and the media moved to remote work. Consumer behavior as well as attitudes towards organizations, products and services in different industries, requirements and expectations were changing.  At that very moment "Yeremyan Products" brand entered the mass market with the "Milk is love" campaign.

Tatevik Simonyan, the co-founder and director of the international projects of SPRING PR, underlining the characteristics of digital campaigns, notes, “In times of crisis many organizations have undergone complex and important transformations abandoning tried and tested business approaches that have justified themselves for many years.  Modern communication technologies, in their turn, faced radical changes by developing, becoming more complex and attracting new audiences. Communication professionals were among the first who responded to new circumstances, starting to look for new approaches, more efficient ways and formats of communicating with various target groups. We have implemented the “Milk is love” communication campaign by using several digital tools, innovative and interesting methods. The campaign was special as soon as people were seeking love, warmth and positive energy those days and our main goal was to deliver it to them. That is why we chose the warm slogan – “Milk is love”. The international jury approved the campaign, actively discussed it, and described it as a project with an interesting strategy that conveys care and warmth. We are grateful to our international colleagues for the high recognition.” 

The "Milk is Love" campaign was a new and unique approach of sustainable positioning in the context of the diverse and highly competitive Armenian dairy products market. "Milk is Love" campaign was inspired by the famous Got Milk? social campaign (USA, 1993).

Davit Yeremyan, Director General of Yeremyan Projects”, says, “In March, 2020, when restaurants were closed due to the pandemic, we used the window of opportunity and focused all our potential on agricultural projects. In a very short time, in just one month we entered a highly competitive market with our Yeremyan products brand presenting to our consumers high-quality and healthy dairy foods produced on our farms and primarily designed for our restaurants. Parallelly we successfully implemented a public awareness campaign on benefits of milk consumption. We got quite positive feedback from our consumers. And I am happy and proud that our joint effort with our long-standing partner – SPRING PR, has been highly appreciated by the international community. "

 

SPRING PR has also received the Communication 4 Future Davos Awards 2017 for the title "Pro Bono of the Future" for its Corporate Social Responsibility Project – "Lets Care, Armenia – World Water Day".

WCFA President Maxim Behar says: "This is the first edition of Davos Awards dedicated particularly on digital business and the competition was really very high. This is proof that all PR business goes online and I do believe that there will be no way back. WCFA Jury, headed by the well known social media expert Rui Martins, was combined of experienced professionals from all continents and it makes the win of SPRING PR much more valuable. I sincerely congratulate my Armenian colleagues and wish them many more wins of clients, projects, talents and – of course – awards.

The Davos Digital PR Awards recognize unique and valuable campaigns and exceptional professional work by public relations and communications professionals from around the world. Best Digital PR Project award gives a high recognition to the most memorable digital campaigns that are shifting consumers, and other key audiences' perspectives on the product, breaking stereotypes and forming new attitudes.

The most outstanding projects launched nationwide between January 2020 and July 2021 were considered in three categories – Best Digital PR Project, Best Digital PR Company, Digital PR Guru of 2021 – in the first edition of Davos Digital PR Awards. SPRING PR is the gold winner of the Best Digital PR Project. Entries were received from Armenia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Georgia, Italy, Russia, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States.

***

SPRING PR is an award-winning PR and research company founded in 2009 specializing in the spheres of strategic communications, reputation management, events’ organization and researches. The company cooperates with a number of local and international large, medium and small enterprises, state institutions, non-governmental and charitable organizations. 

SPRING PR is a part of global PR community, with professional involvement in such reputable international organizations as the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). 

Over the years, SPRING PR and its team have received top awards and recognition, including C4F Davos Awards (Communication for Future Davos Awards), IPRA Golden World Awards, Eventiada IPRA Golden World Awards.  

It is worth noting that in 2019, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of SPRING PR, Yerevan hosted the biggest event in the sphere of PR – Golden World Awards 2019 of the International PR Association (IPRA) and the Gala Dinner. About 120 experts, representatives of state agencies, executive officers of big companies, communication specialists from more than 50 countries arrived in Armenia.  

In June 2020, SPRING PR signed two other memorandums of collaboration with its internationalpartners Stratcomm Africa, Jasper Alliance London Limited, European M3 Communications Group. Inc,  and the  GeorgianPR Consulting Group.  

In 2021 for the first time in the history of Armenian PR companies, SPRING PR has been announced among the winners of “IPRA Golden World Awards – 2021” which is considered the Oscar of the field.

***

WCFA is first about individuals who have the ability to think global, act global. Every such individual is an ambassador who not only represents her/his region or organization on this truly global platform but also aspires to be the frontrunner in the development of the global communication culture. WCFA aims to contribute actively to the development of the modern public communications worldwide. 

Key areas of activity 

∙ Forming a cross-border and cross-cultural community of professionals and increasing its strong global influence via an agenda focused on communications, media, public relations, branding and leadership. 

∙ Proceeding from the idea of communication as a key factor in the development of the humanity and aiming to intensify the the research of future specifics: new behaviour models, educational models, recognition and influence. 

∙ Supporting young professionals by financing cross-national internships for students from communications schools. 

∙ Supporting the annual World Forum "Communication on Top" in Davos as a platform for discussion that shapes the global communications agenda and foresees the influence of different media channels on society, business and the communications industry.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 01/12/2022

David Nargizian 
                                        Wednesday, 


Armenian Opposition Blasts Government Over Border Security

        • Anush Mkrtchian
        • Susan Badalian

Armenia - Armenian soldiers take up positions on the border with Azerbaijan, 
December 20, 2020.


The Armenian government has not done enough to fortify the country’s long border 
with Azerbaijan, opposition lawmakers claimed on Wednesday after three Armenian 
soldiers were killed in fresh skirmishes with Azerbaijani troops.

The fighting, which also left at least one Azerbaijani soldier dead, broke out 
on Tuesday in Armenia’s Gegharkunik province bordering the Kelbajar district 
west of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian forces controlled Kelbajar until withdrawing 
from the mountainous district in December 2020 under the terms of a 
Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped a six-week war over Karabakh.

“Up until the signing of that capitulation agreement, until our troops withdrew 
from Karvachar (Kelbajar) without a single gunshot we had very serious 
fortifications that made our armed forces much better protected,” said Gegham 
Manukian of the main opposition Hayastan alliance. “Unfortunately, incomplete 
border fortifications make Armenian soldiers defending the border a target [of 
Azerbaijani attacks.]”

“Videos or other information that occasionally emerge [from Armenian border 
posts] do not testify to a satisfactory state of affairs and systematic 
[fortification] efforts there … Those efforts have not been adequate, and we now 
witness their consequences,” Manukian told reporters.

This is why, he said, the Azerbaijani army managed to advance a few kilometers 
into Armenian territory in Gegharkunik and another province, Syunik, in May.


Armenia - An Armenian soldier stands guard on the border with Azerbaijan, 
November 12, 2021.

Armen Khachatrian, a senior lawmaker representing the ruling Civil Contract 
party, dismissed the opposition criticism. He said that the government has 
always promptly financed and facilitated the construction of border 
fortifications initiated by the Armenian military.

Khachatrian insisted that the military has increasingly fortified its new 
defensive lines in Gegharkunik and Syunik over the past year. He said that 
Tuesday’s fighting broke out when Azerbaijani forces opened fire to try to stop 
such work carried out outside Verin Shorzha, a border village in Gegharkunik.

Khachatrian and other pro-government parliamentarians regularly visit Armenian 
army positions at this and other sections of the volatile frontier. By contrast, 
their opposition colleagues have been repeatedly denied permission to inspect 
border posts and their defensive facilities.

Manukian said that he and other deputies from Hayastan, which has the second 
largest group in the National Assembly, have again asked the Defense Ministry to 
allow them to visit the border later this month. The ministry has not yet 
replied to the request, he said.

The military has also seriously restricted independent and pro-opposition 
media’s access to border areas.



Armenian Food Prices Up 13 Percent In 2021

        • Robert Zargarian

Armenia - A supermarket in Yerevan, April 29, 2021.


Food prices in Armenia soared by an average of almost 13 percent in the past 
year, according to official statistics.

Data released by the Armenian government’s Statistical Committee shows 
particularly drastic increases in the prices of not only imported staple 
foodstuffs such as cooking oil and sugar but also vegetables mostly grown in the 
country.

The average cost of vegetables was up by as much as 40 percent year on year in 
December. This resulted in large measure from last June’s unusually hot and dry 
weather that hit domestic agriculture hard.

The Statistical Committee also reported more than 10 percent increases in the 
prices of bread, cereals and dairy products.

The rising food prices, which reflect a global trend, pushed up overall 
inflation to 7.7 percent in December, well above a 4 percent target set by the 
government and the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) for 2021.

The CBA raised its key interest rate for six times in the course of 2021 in a 
bid to curb the higher-than-projected inflation which picked at 9.6 percent in 
November.

Although the increased cost of food products hit low-income households 
particularly hard, the government remains in no rush to raise the country’s 
minimum wage that currently stands at 68,000 drams ($142).

Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ruben Sargsian said in November that 
the government is planning to gradually bring the minimum wage to 86,000 drams 
by 2026. It will “take the first steps” in that direction in 2023, he said.

Opposition groups are demanding a quick and sharp wage increase. A bill 
circulated by the main opposition Hayastan alliance on Tuesday would raise the 
minimum wage to 100,000 drams starting from July.

According to the Statistical Committee, the median monthly wage in Armenia 
reached 202,000 drams ($420) in November, up by 10 percent year on year.



Pashinian Discusses Karabakh, Kazakhstan With Putin


Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Armenian Prime Minister 
Nikol Pashinian in Sochi, November 26, 2021.


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by 
phone on Wednesday the day after fresh deadly fighting on the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The Kremlin said the two men discussed “the current situation around 
Nagorno-Karabakh” and the implementation of Russian-brokered agreements reached 
by Armenia and Azerbaijan. They also spoke about the ongoing peacekeeping 
operation conducted in Kazakhstan by the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty 
Organization, it said.

The Armenian government’s press office released a virtually identical statement 
on the phone call.

The statements made no explicit mention of Tuesday’s heavy fighting that left 
one Azerbaijani and three Armenian soldiers dead.

It broke out at a border section separating Armenia’s Gegharkunik province from 
the Kelbajar district west of Karabakh. Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each 
other of provoking the clash that reportedly involved artillery and attack 
drones.

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov and his Turkish counterpart Hulusi 
Akar discussed the incidents in a phone call. “As always, the Turkish armed 
forces stand with Azerbaijan,” Akar was reported to say during the conversation.

The Azerbaijani military said on Wednesday that its positions in Kelbajar came 
under renewed Armenian fire overnight.

The Armenian Defense Ministry reported no overnight skirmishes in the area. The 
mayor of an Armenian border village, Verin Shorzha, told RFE/RL’s Armenian 
Service that he heard no gunfire after Tuesday’s fighting.

Putin held a trilateral meeting with Pashinian and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham 
Aliyev in Sochi on November 26. Pashinian and Aliyev pledged to ease tensions on 
the Armenian-Azerbaijan border by launching a Russian-mediated process of its 
demarcation.


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Belarusian President holds phone talk with Kazakh counterpart

David Nargizian

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 12:02, 8 January, 2022

YEREVAN, JANUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a phone talk today in the morning, discussing the current situation in Kazakhstan, the Belarusian president’s press service said.

“The leaders of the countries discussed the current situation in Kazakhstan and the future actions”, the statement says.

No other details from the telephone conversation are being reported.

Asbarez: Editorial: Bracing for the Challenges of the New Year

David Nargizian
 by Editor

 

 January 7, 2022

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Editorial, Featured Story, Latest, Op-Ed, Top Stories
 1

The events of the past year-and-a-half have ensured that 2022 is going to be fraught with challenges for the Armenian Nation as we continue to grapple with the after-effects of the 44-Day War in 2020 and the broader obstacles posed by what seems to be a never-ending pandemic.

We ushered in 2021 with most of Artsakh having been surrendered to—occupied by—Azerbaijan. If that weren’t enough, Baku continued its military campaign against Armenia and Artsakh by essentially invading territories within Armenia-proper, when it breached its sovereign borders in May and advanced its positions inside Armenia’s Gegharkunik and Syunik provinces.

On the domestic front, faced with post-war realities, the Armenian government, headed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, did little to bring the people together to collectively take charge of the fate of our homeland. In fact, Pashinyan and his ruling party mounted such a divisive and vitriolic campaign that less than 50 percent of Armenia’s voters turned out for the June snap parliamentary elections. Meanwhile the opposition, led by former presidents Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sarkisian, offered no viable alternative except to amplify the discord and, through name-calling and insults, sought to sway the population to no avail. The result became a lop-sided and dysfunctional legislature, which has yet to embrace the gravity of the moment.

The year ended with a new wrinkle making its way onto our national agenda: A renewed effort to normalize relations with Turkey, which has yet to suffer any consequences for its overt involvement in the war.

Pashinyan and his government have opted to put Artsakh in the rearview and pivot to a policy of “peace in the region,” without concrete guarantees that the process will not bring more concession by and dangers to Armenia and Artsakh.

The shocking defeat in the war and its consequences have left the Diaspora—which turned out in hundreds of thousands to show its overwhelming solidarity with Armenia and Artsakh during the war—lethargic. Some have retreated to silence, while others, among them organizations, are attempting to navigate the uncertainties yet continuing their valiant efforts to assist the homeland by renovating schools, providing relief to families of fallen soldiers and rehabilitation to the wounded and the displaced.

The weight of these challenges must not deter any Armenian from becoming engaged in the name of salvaging our homeland. While we never mourned as a collective nation for our insurmountable losses, enough time has passed for us to collect our bearings and grab the mantle to advance our struggle. There is too much at stake for us to simply remain idle. It is time for us to shape our own narrative and the future of our homeland.

As we begin a new year, our Nation must be ready to confront the challenges ahead. What is required is a resolve to be resilient, because the road ahead is sure to be bumpy and filled with unexpected turns. We must regain our strength to fight against injustices and threats facing our homeland. We must fight to regain what has been lost. We must never give up on victory.

Acknowledgements
As we welcome a new year and introduce our annual Special Issue, the editorial board and management of Asbarez would like to thank each and every individual who made this edition one of the most successful ones yet.

Our contributors, whose writing and perspectives bring diversity and variety to our pages;
Our correspondents, whose interviews and coverage of topics provide an in-depth view of our every-day issues;
Our dedicated staff, whose tireless efforts ensures that Asbarez continues its service to the community;
Our advertisers, who continue to recognize Asbarez’s power in advancing their products and services;
Our generous donors, whose belief in the Asbarez’s mission propels them to support and ensure our continued growth and perseverance.

We Thank You!