Author: Edgar Tavakalian

USA State Department Press Briefing – February 25, 2021 – Ned Price, Spokesman – on Armenia

Edgar Tavakalian
State Department, USA
Feb 25 2021


NED PRICE, DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

[Armenian News note: parts of the press conference not pertaining to Armenia are not included here below. Use the link at the end for a complete briefing.]

….

QUESTION: Can I move to Armenia?

MR PRICE: Sure.

QUESTION: Yes. What is your assessment of what’s going on in Armenia, and do you believe, as the prime minister said, that there was an attempted military coup? And do you support him as prime minister?

MR PRICE: Well, we are, of course, aware of recent developments in Armenia. We’re following the situation very closely. We urge all parties to exercise restraint and to avoid any escalatory or violent actions. We remind all parties of the bedrock democratic principle that states’ armed forces should not intervene in domestic politics. The United States has been a steadfast supporter of the development of democratic processes and institutions in Armenia. We continue to support Armenia’s democracy and its sovereignty, and we urge its leaders to resolve their differences peacefully while respecting the rule of law, Armenia’s democracy, and its institutions.

QUESTION: Thank you, Ned. So follow up, so how about the statement from the General Staff of the Armenia Armed Forces? Would you consider it as an incitement or attempt – a coup attempt?

MR PRICE: Well, as you know, the Department of State has a process to determine whether a coup has transpired. We talked about that process in the context of a very different setting, and that was Burma and the coup determination that we arrived at in the aftermath of the military’s overthrow of Burma’s democratic civilian leadership on February 1st. I think I said at the time that there are three criteria that this department looks for in making that determination. Of course, there has been no such determination in this case. We continue to support Armenia’s democracy and its sovereignty, and we’ll continue to watch developments very closely as they unfold.

QUESTION: Go to Saudi Arabia?

….

Azerbaijan Loses Three Human Rights Cases in One Day

Edgar Tavakalian 
OCCRP
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project


Written by Kelly Bloss
Feb.23, 2021


Azerbaijan lost three cases in front of the European Court of Human
Rights last week and will have to pay 282,850 euro (US$344,122) to the
plaintiffs for violating their rights.

In one case, the government was ordered to pay 234,000 euro ($284,690)
to 18 people whose gardens have been years ago unlawfully sold to
President Ilham Aliyev’s then relatives.

In 2007, a year after Aliyev’s eldest daughter Leyla married pop-star
Emin Agalarov, a presidential order dismantled the so-called Garden
Exploitation Department which leased plots of land to residents.

The city of Baku then handed over 30 hectares of seafront land the 18
plaintiffs had leased in the Nardaran neighborhood of Baku to the
municipality, disregarding the contracts the 18 had signed years
before with the dismantled institution.

The municipality then sold the land to the Crocus Group, a company
owned by Emin’s father, Azerbaijani-born Russian billionaire Araz
Agalarov, who was the president of the company, while Emin was the
vice-president. Emin and Leyla divorced in 2015 but Emin’s company
meanwhile built a luxurious resort called Sea Breeze at the disputed
land.

The 18 residents took their complaints to the court and after
years-long procedures in Azerbaijan, the case ended up in 2009 at the
Strasbourg-based Court of Human Rights. Judges ruled on Thursday that
the rights of the plaintiffs were violated and ordered the government
to pay each of the 18 residents 10,000 euros ($12,166) in material
damages and 3,000 euro ($3,649) in moral damages.

Lawyer Sevinj Aliyeva wrote on her Facebook page that she was
approached by a representative of the Crocus Group who offered to
reward her if she drops the case.

“It is true that the sum of the compensation is not so big compared to
what Crocus Group earned with Sea Breeze, but for poor families,
especially during this pandemic, the compensation will be welcome,”
she wrote.

The other case Azerbaijan lost to two political prisoners, Mammad
Azizov and Shahin Novruzlu. The two were members of NIDA, a
non-governmental organization, and were arrested in 2013 on drugs,
weapons and rioting charges after a series of demonstrations against
deaths of soldiers in the Azerbaijani army in non-combat situations.

Azizov was in 2014 sentenced to seven years and six months and
Novruzlu to six years in prison, but both were released the same year
following a presidential pardon.

The court in Strasbourg ruled that the government has to pay 43,500
euros ($52,913) to them as compensation for illegal pre-trial
detention.

The third case concerns a man who has been illegally detained after
the pre-trial detention the court ordered ended. Ildar Rustamovich
Fayzov is to get 5,350 euros ($6,505) from the government, according
to the ruling.

Government vows “serious achievements” in defense industry capabilities

Edgar Tavakalian

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 17:12, 10 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 10, ARMENPRESS. High Tech Industry Minister Hakob Arshakyan reassured lawmakers that in 2021 “serious achievements” will be recorded in terms of the industrial capacities of munitions.

“The goals of the military-industry is the increase of industrial potential, and increase of industrial capacity,” he told ruling My Step bloc lawmaker Sos Avetisyan during parliamentary Questions Time when asked about the export opportunities of munitions produced in Armenia.

“Taking into account that Armenia’s market is limited, it necessarily should also be aimed at exporting. The investments which have been made have this very direction. Investments have been made in Armenia so that the production gets sold domestically and gets exported,” Arshakyan said, adding that these are private investments which also have government participation.

He noted that the opportunities of foreign markets must be used for the development of the sector.

“In terms of industrial capacity, we have and will continue having rather serious achievements in 2021. We also have preliminary agreements with foreign markets,” he said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Pashinyan meets My Step faction: Society does not require snap elections

Edgar Tavakalian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 8 2021
22:28, 07.02.2021

The My Step parliamentary faction met Sunday with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Those present noted that the proposal of the Prime Minister to hold snap parliamentary elections did not receive a positive response from the parliamentary opposition, and the population does not require snap elections as well.

The My Step faction continues to support the Prime Minister and the government in implementing the road card presented November 18.

    

Did the Armenia-Azerbaijan War Weaken Iran?

Edgar Tavakalian
Algemeiner
Feb 3 2021

In the wake of the Second Karabakh War, Iran now finds itself facing Turkey’s growing influence north of its border. Ankara gained a corridor through Armenian territory, potentially anchoring itself in the Caspian region. This will represent a major challenge for Iran, which (together with Russia) has viewed the Caspian region as within its sphere of influence.

Despite troublesome ties, Azerbaijan has served Iran as a transit country for the north-south transport corridor stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Baltic Sea. Increased Turkish economic influence, to say nothing of its enhanced military influence, will limit Iran’s ability to build closer ties with Baku.

Iran’s dilemma is also complicated by its wide-ranging interest in keeping good bilateral ties with Turkey. Ankara’s relationship with Tehran is complex and marked by periods of both collaboration and conflict over the Kurdish issue and in Syria.

In a way, the conclusion of the Karabakh war signals some positive trends for Tehran. The West failed to provide a diversified foreign policy toward the region, which allows an adaptation to the changing circumstances on the ground. The Western political retreat from the region suits Iran’s vision — but it also propels Turkey and Russia to fill the vacuum, which does not correspond to Iranian interests. Indeed, Ankara’s recent proposal to create a six-nation pact involving the South Caucasus states plus Russia, Turkey, and Iran is a sign of changing geopolitical trends that will not necessarily work in the Islamic regime’s favor.

Iran’s unfavorable position was clearly visible on the diplomatic front. During the war, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the regime’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs, toured Baku, Moscow, Yerevan, and Ankara to help end the war. On November 4, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stressed Iran’s support for the Araghchi peace plan, but with little result. Neither the belligerents nor Turkey or Russia expressed any interest in the plan.

The war also disrupted the equilibrium Tehran has been trying to uphold since the 1990s. The fear of a strong Azerbaijan and a weakened Armenia has been at the heart of Iran’s geopolitical vision — but the existing balance of power was no longer tenable, because the geopolitical landscape in the South Caucasus is no longer what it was at the time of the 1994 ceasefire. Turkish military and economic involvement in Azerbaijan has tipped the balance. Azerbaijan’s economic power, propelled by oil and gas revenues, also contributed to the changes. The status quo around Karabakh could no longer be sustained. The question for Iran was what could be done to secure its position.

In fact, Iran could do little to prevent the growth of Turkish influence. To keep Turkey at bay in the long run, Moscow (whose position largely dovetails with that of Ankara) and Tehran had to make sure Azerbaijan was rewarded for its military success with the return of lost territory. This could explain Iran’s changing rhetoric during the war. Over the course of the six weeks, Tehran sent four official representatives of the Supreme Leader to visit the north and stress that “Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan,” and that Baku has every right under Islamic law to seek to liberate occupied territory. On November 3, Khamenei said, “Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenia should be liberated and returned to Azerbaijan.”

Beyond the Turkish factor, there is also the Russian factor. Some 2,000 Russian peacekeepers are now stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh. Their presence some 100 km from the Iranian border is another source of tension for Tehran, which will have to devote time, resources, and perhaps even troops to adjust to the new geopolitical reality.

This could mean a gradual elevation of the South Caucasus in Iranian foreign policy to almost the same level as other theaters, like, for instance, the Middle East. Iran’s policies toward the South Caucasus have been based more on geopolitical interests than on the ideological principles and rhetoric that permeate the Iranian leadership’s policies toward most of the Middle East. At times, a pragmatic realpolitik was mixed with elements of ideology, historical experience, and balance-of-power calculations, but overall this made the region less important for Iran’s calculus than other theaters of geopolitical tension.

It is still unclear what Azerbaijan’s victory will mean for Iran’s Azerbaijani minority. Complications for Tehran might ensue as ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Iran are emboldened in their own nationalistic aspirations. The problematic ethnic situation was on display during the recent visit by Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Baku, which prompted Tehran to accuse Ankara of purposefully interfering in Iran’s internal affairs. (With that said, the potential threat of ethnic troubles is at times overstated by analysts. Pan-Turkic [pan-Azerbaijani] sentiments among the Azerbaijanis of Iran are effectively dealt with by the regime.)

A much larger potential problem for Iran is that Azerbaijan could be used as a jumping-off point for foreign powers to project influence into northern Iran. Beyond Turkey, Azerbaijan’s relations with the US have been of concern to Iran since before the 2020 war. Though Washington often criticizes Baku, the two countries’ interests converge on a number of issues. They work together to promote European energy security, expand trade and investment, and combat terrorism and transnational threats. Mercenaries from the American company Blackwater (now called Academi) trained Azerbaijan’s marines, and the US supplied vessels for the Azerbaijan navy.

A bigger fear for Tehran is the potential growth of Israeli influence — perhaps even a clandestine Israeli presence in Azerbaijan, as some Western media sources have claimed. The Karabakh war showed how dependent Baku is on Israeli technology. In many ways this support was critical to its victory. Azerbaijan-Israel relations have advanced to such a level that reports have emerged about Baku trying to mediate tensions between Turkey and Israel. Baku and Jerusalem also share energy interests, and their mutual concerns about Iran are a powerful incentive. But it is unlikely that Baku will openly challenge Tehran’s interests. Clever diplomacy will be needed to navigate among Turkish, Israeli, and Iranian interests.

Iran is facing a new and different geopolitical configuration in the South Caucasus. It was left out of the negotiation process, and is witnessing a disruption of the balance of power in which Azerbaijan is much stronger and Armenia much weaker. Russia and Turkey managed to advance their military interests, and Iran now has to change its traditional calculus toward the region.

A large resource base will be needed if Iran is to halt the diminishment of its position and compete against the might of Russia, Turkey, and second-tier powers such as Israel. The prospects are not especially bright, as the Islamic Republic’s efforts to assert soft and economic power have often alienated the three South Caucasus states.

Emil Avdaliani teaches history and international relations at Tbilisi State University and Ilia State University. He has worked for various international consulting companies and currently publishes articles on military and political developments across the former Soviet space.

A version of this article was originally published by the BESA Center.

Armenia, Sweden mull perspectives of cooperation in high-tech

Edgar Tavakalian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 5 2021

High-Tech Industry Minister Hakob Arshakyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden Mr. Svensson Patrik and Izabella Eriksson, Deputy Head of Mission, Counsellor in charge of Development Cooperation.

Minister Arshakyan welcomed Ambassador Svensson and wished him success during the diplomatic mission. He mentioned that the Armenian side highly appreciates the humanitarian aid received from Kingdom of Sweden after the war.

The Minister emphasized the importance of the agreement on the development of cooperation between Sweden and Armenia, signed in 2019 by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and the Director-General of Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Carin Jämtin.

‘‘The signing of the agreement is a new chapter in Armenian-Swedish relations and within its framework we need to develop our relations in many spheres’’ said Arshakyan.

Speaking about the main fields of activities of the Ministry, Hakob Arshakyan mentioned that Armenia’s high-tech industry had impressive growth even in 2020, which was a hard year for the economy. This shows that Armenian high-tech industry not only has good growth potential, but also demonstrates tangible results. This is evidenced by the presence of branches of world high-tech companies operating in Armenia, such as ‘‘Ericsson’’ and other companies.

The Minister suggested the Ambassador to draw the attention of Swedish companies to the idea of opening branches in Armenia, as well as the possibility of establishing a Tumo Center for Creative Technologies in Stockholm, and localization of other successful technological educational programs there. Ambassador Svensson, who was appointed in September, positively assessed the growth in the high-tech sector, noting that it also demonstrates the level of certain environment and favorable conditions.

The Ambassador stressed that the Swedish high-tech industry had undergone considerable development and they are happy to share their experience not only in terms of creating an enabling environment for company development, but also in terms of education, science and their connections to business.

Hakob Arshakyan told the Ambassador that the Armenian side is particularly interested in cooperation within educational and scientific programs in different formats: on the level of universities, scientific institutions and policy development.

In turn, the Ambassador replied that there are grants for Armenian students at Swedish universities of technology, and grants may be increased in the future.

The Ambassador also expressed interest in Armenia’s digital agenda. Armenia’s five-year digitalization strategy has already been developed and submitted to the government for approval, now it is in the final stages of discussion.

The directions and possibilities of cooperation and development in the sphere of incubators and start-ups was discussed.

California Legislators Announce Scholarship Contests to Raise Armenian Genocide Awareness

Edgar Tavakalian

February 4,  2021



A scene from a previous award ceremony.

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus is holding two scholarship contests for the 2021 commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. California high school students in 9th through 12th grade are invited to participate in an essay contest and/or a visual arts contest to increase greater awareness of the Armenian Genocide on its anniversary.

All winners will be contacted directly and announced to mainstream and Armenian media by the California Armenian Legislative Caucus on Friday, April 16, 2021. All winners will be awarded scholarships and a trip to the State Capitol in Sacramento to be acknowledged at the California Armenian Legislative Caucus’ annual Armenian Advocacy Day during a press conference on Monday, April 26, 2021 and receive special recognition from the members of the Armenian Caucus. Original artwork will be requested from visual arts applicants if they are selected as a finalist, for possible display in the California State Capitol.

**Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this may not be an in-person event. Final details will be given closer to the event date.

Criteria for each contest are detailed below. Students may enter both contests, but submissions must be entered separately.

Essay Scholarship Awards:

First Place: $1,000

Second Place: $750

Third Place: $500

Visual Art Scholarship Awards:

First Place: $1,000

Second Place: $750

Third Place: $500

Submission Deadline for both contests is Friday, April 9, 2021. Any submissions sent after the deadline will not be accepted.

Essay Criteria:

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have grown exponentially, especially during the 2020 pandemic. Many individuals, businesses and organizations use Facebook and other platforms to share various information, including the news. It is important that this information is factual, unbiased and true. The spread of falsified, distorted and inaccurate information on social media can be dangerous, especially when this information is circulated amongst millions of users.

In 2018, Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, stated that he did not think that Facebook should censor or remove what “Holocaust deniers”—as he called them—posted on their accounts because he said that there are things that various people get wrong. However, in October 2020, he changed his decision and stated that Facebook would now ban content that distorts or denies the Holocaust, due to an increase in anti-Semitic violence.

This year’s essay prompt asks contestants to write a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, urging that Facebook take the same course of action against denial and distorted posts regarding the 1915 Armenian Genocide as they have with the Holocaust. Reflect on Facebook’s updated Community Standards regarding the Holocaust:

Community Standards, Section III. Objectionable Content, Sub Section 12. Hate Speech, Tier 1:
Content targeting a person or group of people (including all subsets except those described as having carried out violent crimes or sexual offenses) on the basis of their aforementioned protected characteristic(s) or immigration status with:

  • Designated dehumanizing comparisons, generalizations, or behavioral statements (in written or visual form)- that include:
    • Denying or distorting information about the Holocaust

**Please note that Section III. Objectionable Content, Sub Section 12. Hate Speech, Tier 1 includes much more content that is not allowed on Facebook. The information above is limited to just the specific content regarding the Holocaust for your reference on where the policy language can be found. There is more information listed under this sub section.

All submissions must be received by the California Armenian Legislative Caucus electronically on or before the submission deadline of Friday, April 9, 2021 at [email protected].

Please include your name, age, address, high school and grade along with the teacher’s name, email address and subject area at the top of the essay.

Please save submissions using your name as the document title and email as an attachment to [email protected]. Any submissions sent after the deadline will not be accepted.

Visual Art Criteria:

This year’s theme is “Human to Human Interaction.” All applicants must develop their submission in keeping with this theme.

  1. Personal statement (300-500 words) explaining the artwork and how it connects to the theme of human-to-human interaction. In the top left corner, applicant must include: name, age, primary address, high school, grade, teacher’s name and subject (if applicable), phone number, and email address (this information will not count as part of the total word count).
  2. Only two-dimensional, visual art submissions will be accepted. Submission types are limited to drawings, paintings, photographs, digital illustrations, and graphic design.
  3. Submissions may not exceed an 11×17 frame and must weigh less than 25 pounds.
  4. Submissions may not include any nudity, excessive and/or graphic violence, racial slurs, derogatory and/or offensive language, profanity, and may not make use of or replicate existing artwork. All submissions must be original work created by the applicant.

Submission Contents

  1. Email subject, as well as titles of the attached document, must be formatted as follows: “CALC – Student Name – Title of Piece” (e.g. CALC – William Saroyan – The Time of Your Life).
  2. Submissions must include the personal statement and meet the criteria listed.
  3. Submissions must include a high-definition photograph of the artwork, be sure to take a close up picture with enough lighting for the reviewers to see the detail of the work. It is acceptable to submit up to five photos. Be aware of the lighting of the piece and provide different angles to showcase the depth of the artwork.
  4. Submissions must include one recent high-definition photograph of the applicant, suitable for publication (e.g. cap and gown photos, professional headshots, or quality photographs/close-ups of the applicant).

All submissions must be received by the California Armenian Legislative Caucus electronically on or before the submission deadline of Friday, April 9, 2021 at [email protected].

Please include your name, age, address, high school, and grade along with the teacher’s name, email address and subject area at the top of the essay.

Please save submissions using your name as the document title and email as an attachment to [email protected]. Any submissions sent after the deadline will not be accepted.

For Historical Context for Both Contests:

http://www.Armenian-Genocide.org

Home

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/10/12/zuckerberg-holocaust-denial-facebook/

https://time.com/5899201/facebook-holocaust-denial/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2019/12/17/denial-is-the-final-stage-of-genocide-the-armenians-know-it-best/?sh=65d37ca570b1

https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-twitter-hate-speech-holocaust-denial-armenian-genocide-2020-12

https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-holocaust-denial-ban-will-not-apply-to-other-genocides-2020-10

 

Mark Zuckerberg’s original statement regarding “Holocaust deniers” from 2018:

https://www.vox.com/explainers/2018/7/20/17590694/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-holocaust-denial-recode

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/19/mark-zuckerberg-holocaust-denial-facebook-remarks-offensive

Armenian lawyer: Reports about top officials of Armenia being spies need to be investigated

Edgar Tavakalian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 4 2021
16:11, 04.02.2021

The reports about top officials of Armenia being spies need to be investigated. This is what lawyer, constitutional expert Gohar Meloyan told reporters today.

Recently, ex-Ambassador of Armenia to the Vatican Mikayel Minasyan declared that Speaker of the National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan is an agent for the special services of Turkey and Armenia.

“The actions of certain officials serve as a ground to think that they are fulfilling the will of the institutions of foreign countries. I hope criminal cases are launched and investigations are conducted with regard to each official’s case,” Meloyan said.

According to her, the incumbent authorities initially chose a wrong course by trying to set moods in society for living in peace with the enemy, while the ‘neighbors’ are instilling hatred towards the Armenians starting from kindergarten. “The goal of the two neighboring countries it to physically annihilate Armenians, and the calls for peace seem strange, to say the least. We Armenians are on the brink of a genocide,” the lawyer emphasized and stressed the fact that there were more victims during the recent 44-day war in Artsakh than during the first war in Artsakh.

Armenia remains security guarantor of Artsakh, reiterates ruling bloc lawmaker

Edgar Tavakalian

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 13:55, 2 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, ARMENPRESS. Ruling party MP and Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Armenian Parliament Ruben Rubinyan has reiterated that Armenia continues to be the guarantor of security of Artsakh.

“Armenia remains the guarantor of security of Artsakh,” Rubinyan, a member of the Armenian delegation to PACE, told reporters at a briefing in parliament.

Speaking about the latest PACE session, he said that the Azeri delegation was behaving in a way as if the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is over and all issues are resolved. “And our notion was the following: there is not a single fact to testify that the issues are being solved by Azerbaijan or that the Azerbaijani policy is constructive. On the contrary, there are numerous facts that it is quite the opposite, the issue of prisoners of war remains unresolved, a state sanctioned anti-Armenian policy continues in Azerbaijan, Armenophobic post stamps are issued in Azerbaijan and so on,” Rubinyan said, expressing certainty that the international community’s pressure will mount on Azerbaijan over these issues.

The post stamp mentioned by Rubinyan is one of the latest infamously racist anti-Armenian propaganda move by Azerbaijani authorities.

 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan