Author: Eduard Nalbandian

Armenian Defense Minister: ‘No danger’ of new war with Azerbaijan

Eduard Nalbandian
June 8 2022



Interview with the Minister of Defense of Armenia

Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, in an interview with Public Television, said that despite “certain tensions” on the border with Azerbaijan, he did not see the danger of a new war. The Minister confirmed that “incidents” happen, it happens that false information comes from Baku that the Armenian side has violated the ceasefire.

“However, as a rule, the armed forces of Armenia prevent the violation of the ceasefire regime by forcing the enemy to obey it. That is, if there is a shootout, then it does not happen on our initiative”, Suren Papikyan stressed.

He also talked about the expected reforms, including the transition to a professional army, the acquisition of modern weapons, although he did not say which one.

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The minister announced that the process of creating a professional army had already begun. According to him, in the near future the Ministry of Defense will come up with a large-scale legislative initiative.

The first step on this path, according to Papikyan, will be to change the quality, form and content of military educational institutions, the second – the transition of the army to a professional basis.

The minister stressed that those who criticize the situation in the army are well aware that it is impossible to change everything in one day. But the reforms are underway and will bring results.

In particular, active contract servicemen will soon have the opportunity to undergo certification, and conscripts will be offered to remain in the army – to switch to contract service.

“We will create social guarantees, opportunities for a serviceman to see his future in the army as a professional soldier. This should be the basis of our future army”, Papikyan said.

Cancellation of the meeting of the commission on delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was assessed differently by the parties to the conflict. Baku accused Yerevan of opting out, while Yerevan refuted it

The minister does not consider it a problem that the post of chief of the General Staff has been vacant for four months, although the opposition has been criticizing the government all this time, accusing the army of being deprived of its head.

Papikyan assures that the acting chief of the General Staff fully exercises these powers, and a new one will be appointed after structural changes in the ministry.

The Minister of Defense announced that a new model of government would be introduced, according to which the Chief of the General Staff would be the First Deputy Minister of Defense. And the General Staff of the Armed Forces will no longer be engaged in procurement and logistics, which is part of its functions under the current law.

“Purchase, maintenance, provision of equipment – all such issues will be dealt with by other departments. That is, starting with rear support, some functions will be removed from the servicemen. Many of these functions will be delegated to civilian services, as we have already done with the soldiers’ canteens”, he said.

These changes are provided for in the new legislative package, which has already been submitted to the government and will soon be submitted to parliament for approval.

Yet the minister acknowledged that the head of the General Staff has not yet been appointed, not only because structural changes are expected after the adoption of the new law, but also because it is necessary to “make the right decision.”

Political scientist Armen Grigoryan calls for urgent revision of Armenia’s foreign policy to replace the ongoing “pseudo-diversification” of the country’s foreign affairs

Papikyan said that in order to increase the defense capability, Armenia, of course, is replenishing its arsenal of weapons. However, the minister stressed that the government “does not intend to publicly announce the acquired weapons” and specify what exactly is being purchased.

He only stressed that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure that the Armenian army “is able to defend the sovereign territories of Armenia”.

Armenia parliament deputy speaker from opposition: We will lose road to Berdzor (Lachin)

Eduard Nalbandian
News.am
Armenia –
11:24, 10.06.2022

An alternative road is being built by Azerbaijan, to which it seems that [Armenian PM] Nikol [Pashinyan] and [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev have a conspiratorial agreement that we will lose today's Berdzor (Lachin) road. Resistance Movement coordinator Ishkhan Saghatelyan—the National Assembly deputy speaker from the opposition "Armenia" Faction and a representative of the Supreme Body of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun Party of Armenia—stated this during Friday’s press conference at France Square in downtown Yerevan.

"That is, a bypass road is being built to [Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) capital] Stepanakert, which is being built now and will be put into operation in 2-3 months. If that road works, it means that we will completely lose the Berdzor region (…). Most importantly, all our utilities—that is, [natural] gas, electricity—will fall under the control of the enemy. This means we will be in complete dependence, and what we were saying the 'de-Armenianization of Artsakh,' we also mean this. This is another conspiratorial plan," Saghatelyan said.

AW: European Council calls for “equitable peace” following renewed tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Eduard Nalbandian
June 1, 2022 Lillian Avedian News 0

European Council President Charles Michel, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meet in Brussels, May 23 (Photo: Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia)

European Council President Charles Michel has called for a “sustainable normalization of relations” following a week of renewed military hostilities and mutual accusations of derailing negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“All core issues that had led to the first Nagorno-Karabakh war as well as to the renewed hostilities in 2020 will need to be addressed by all stakeholders to create conditions for lasting and equitable peace,” the May 31 statement by Michel’s spokesperson reads. 

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev agreed to launch negotiations on border demarcation during a trilateral meeting in Brussels on May 23. In a statement released after the summit, Michel said that he had “stressed to both leaders that it was necessary that the rights and security of the ethnic Armenian population in Karabakh be addressed.” 

Armenian political figures criticized Michel for his usage of “Karabakh” as opposed to “Nagorno-Karabakh,” stating that the former emphasizes the absence of Nagorno-Karabakh as a territorial and political unit. 

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan called the statement “highly unacceptable,” stating that it “does not reflect the demands and aspirations of the Armenians of Artsakh, based on the right to self-determination.” 

Four of the five political parties in the Artsakh parliament released a statement condemning the use of the phrase “ethnic Armenian population in Karabakh,” stating that it “testifies to the retreat of the current authorities of Armenia from the foreign policy vector.”

“The authorities of the Republic of Armenia are obliged to be guided exclusively by the position of promoting and protecting the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination in international instances,” the statement reads. 

Michel noted in his May 31 statement that “terminology is particularly sensitive” in conflict settings and that his comments after the trilateral summit should “not be interpreted as favoring a predetermined outcome of discussions either way.”

“What ultimately matters most is that all issues are comprehensively addressed; this includes rights and security of all populations,” the statement reads. 

Michel’s statement follows a week in which Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities have accused each other on nearly a daily basis of obstructing the peace process. 

On May 28, the Armenian Defense Ministry (MoD) reported that an Armenian soldier was killed by Azerbaijani fire. 

Azerbaijani armed forces fired on Armenian military positions in the southeastern part of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, according to the MoD of Armenia. Soldier Davit Vahan Vardanyan received a gunshot wound and died in the hospital the next day. 

Azerbaijani authorities denied the report of a border attack, stating that such “false and destructive statements” are meant to “undermine the steps taken toward the normalization of relations.” Two days after the border fight, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that Armenian armed forces fired on Azerbaijani positions in the Kelbajar region, which the Armenian Defense Ministry denied as disinformation. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia (MoFA) said that “regular ceasefire violations,” including the May 28 attack, prove the “need for a mirror withdrawal of troops from the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and the deployment of an observation mission on the border area, which has been repeatedly raised by the Armenian side.” 

The MoFA of Armenia also recalled that the “consequences of the previous gross violation” of the ceasefire, during which the “Azerbaijani armed forces invaded the village of Parukh in Nagorno-Karabakh” have “not been eliminated yet.” 

Azeri troops advanced on the Askeran region of Artsakh and seized Parukh on March 24. While Russian peacekeeping troops took control of the village after several days of deadly fighting, Armenian authorities reported that Azerbaijani soldiers maintained fortified positions in the nearby Karaglukh height. 

 

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reiterated his claim that the Artsakh conflict has been resolved during a lengthy speech the day before the May 28 border attack. 

“As for the administrative territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, this territory does not exist in the territory of Azerbaijan. Therefore, the word Nagorno-Karabakh is not in the lexicon of international organizations, and the recent meeting in Brussels showed it once again. It is true that Armenia has once again raised the issue and, as they say, they are hitting their heads on the wall, but this is the reality and they have to come to terms with it,” Aliyev said during a visit to Zangilan. 

Aliyev further said during his May 27 speech that the border demarcation process will recognize Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Artsakh. 

“It automatically puts an end to the territorial claims made against Azerbaijan by revanchist, fascist forces in Armenia, because if we define the borders, what kind of ‘Nagorno-Karabakh’ status can we talk about?” Aliyev said. “This is the territory of Azerbaijan, and the whole world accepts it. Therefore, the first meeting of the commissions on the delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border is of great importance.” 

Aliyev also reiterated his claims that parts of the Republic of Armenia, including the capital city Yerevan and the southernmost province Syunik, are historically part of Azerbaijan. 

The Armenian Foreign Ministry condemned Aliyev’s speech as evidence of the “continuation of aggressive and warmongering policy.” 

“The negotiations on normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be held on the basis of proposals of both sides, which should address the whole agenda of issues, including the final settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the MoFA of Armenia said. 

“We call on the leadership of Azerbaijan not to disrupt the discussions conducted in the existing formats with warmongering, expansionist rhetoric,” the MoFA continued. 

In response to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, its Azerbaijani counterpart criticized the “revanchist forces in Armenia” encouraging the continuation of the “aggressive policy pursued by these forces for nearly 30 years.” 

“The Armenian side must understand that the attempt to demonstrate the behavior of decades ago is nothing but an illusion. Only a proper assessment of the new realities and new opportunities in the region can lead to the right outcomes,” the MoFA of Azerbaijan said. 

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Lillian Avedian is a staff writer for the Armenian Weekly. Her writing has also been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Hetq and the Daily Californian. She is pursuing master’s degrees in Journalism and Near Eastern Studies at New York University. A human rights journalist and feminist poet, Lillian's first poetry collection Journey to Tatev was released with Girls on Key Press in spring of 2021.


Expert: Armenian-Azerbaijani problems are part of the Great Game

Eduard Nalbandian
ARMINFO
Armenia –
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.The current Armenian-Azerbaijani problems are not limited to Armenia, Azerbaijan or even the South Caucasus. They are a small element of the Big Game  component.  Hrachya Arzumanyan, an expert on national security and  defense issues, Doctor of Political Sciences, expressed a similar  opinion to ArmInfo.

"One can come to such a conclusion even with a superficial analysis.  And I absolutely do not understand for what reasons, based on what  realities, our negotiators consider themselves able to separate the  problem of Artsakh from the "Armenian issue." The latter, by the way,  has not gone away and continues remain part of the international  agenda. But in Yerevan, for some reason, they think that it can be  separated from the processes taking place in the Greater Middle  East," he stressed.

Meanwhile, according to Arzumanyan, geopolitical realities leave  absolutely no room for the realization of Armenian bureaucratic  dreams, namely, to achieve peace with excessively aggressive  neighbors in the conditions of the transformation of all surrounding  regions into a theater of military operations, albeit with varying  degrees of intensity.

The expert considers the latest murder of an Armenian soldier, as  well as Aliyev's threats, as a continuation of the logic of  Azerbaijan's military pressure policy on Armenia over the past two  decades. And the fact that Yerevan stubbornly tries not to understand  the essence of this policy, preferring to be in a state of hopes for  peace separated from the realities, in his opinion, is exclusively   Yerevan's problem.

Referring directly to the Artsakh case of the Armenian-Azerbaijani  conflicts, the expert noted that there is no lowering of the  international bar on the issue of the status of Artsakh, and there  has not been. Moreover, after the peculiar resolution of the Artsakh  problem by Russia and Turkey in the fall of 2020, it was the  geopolitical processes performed by other international players that  demonstrated completely different realities. The realities from  which, according to Arzumanyan, Putin and Erdogan were cut off in  their assessments of the situation. Realities within which it  suddenly became clear that neither the problem of Artsakh nor the  "Armenian issue" is closed, and Artsakh is still waiting for its  status.

"And it is precisely within the framework of these geopolitical  realities that Ankara, Moscow and, accordingly, Baku are forced to  act. Hence, Aliyev's next manifestations of the threat of the use of  force, and its use in the form of the murder of our serviceman. They  do so in order to persuade Yerevan to abandon the approaches that the  international community is already ready to form and accept, and  which have nothing in common with the approaches of Turkey and the  Russian Federation," the expert summed up.

Hovhannes Bachkov becomes three-time champion of the European Boxing Championship

Eduard Nalbandian

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 19:50,

YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. Hovhannes Bachkov, a member of the Armenian boxing team and Olympic bronze medalist, became the champion of European Championship for the third time, recording a historic result in the history of Armenian boxing.

ARMENPRESS reports in the final of the 63.5 kg weight category of the European Championship taking place at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex in Yerevan, Hovhannes Bachkov competed with Lounès Hamraoui from France. Bachkov won 5: 0.

Hovhannes Bachkov is the third Armenian boxer to win the European Championship three times. The first was Vladimir Yengibaryan in 1955 and 1957, and Israyel Hakobkokhyan in 1985, 1989 and 1991.

Tatoyan: Azerbaijanis fired from positions that have been on Armenia sovereign territory for over year

Eduard Nalbandian
NEWS.am
Armenia –
12:19, 22.05.2022

Azerbaijanis fired yesterday and a few days before mainly from positions that have been on the sovereign territory of Armenia for more than a year, Ex-Ombudsman of Armenia Arman Tatoyan wrote on his Facebook.

Shots, officially confirmed yesterday, May 21, by Armenia, due to which the Armenian serviceman was wounded, were fired in the neighborhood of the village of Norabak.

2014 deadly Azeri infiltration into Artsakh was ordered personally by Deputy PM Ali Hasanov, admits saboteur

Eduard Nalbandian

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 17:15,

YEREVAN, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. The two Azerbaijani saboteurs who had crossed into Artsakh in 2014 and murdered a 17-year-old and a soldier have confessed that they were acting on the orders of the then-Azeri deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov.

Saboteurs Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilham Askerov, heavily armed, illegally crossed into Artsakh’s Karvajar on June 29, 2014. They kidnapped and murdered 17-year old Smbat Tsakanyan, an Armenian resident of Karvajar. Guliyev and Askerov had a third accomplice, Hasan Hasanov, who was shot dead during an armed confrontation with Artsakh security forces. Hasanov killed an Armenian serviceman, Major Sargis Abrahamyan, and seriously wounded a civilian woman – Karine Davtyan – on the Vardenis-Martakert highway.

Askerov and Guliyev were eventually apprehended by Artsakh security forces. An Artsakh court sentenced Askerov to life in prison, while Guliyev received a 22-year sentence.

Both were denying the charges and their narrative on how they appeared in Artsakh was that they wanted “to visit the grave of their family members”.

As part of the 2020 November 9 trilateral statement terms, both Askerov and Guliyev were handed over to Azerbaijan in prisoner exchange.

In a 2020 May 18 live interview with the Azeri Xural TV, Guliyev admitted that they were sent to Karvajar at the orders of the Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov.

“We were sent to Karvajar from Ali Hasanov’s office. They gave us weapons, grenades and sent us. They called us and said ‘the state needs you’. Initially they wanted to send me alone. I said ‘Dilham knows that territories better’. At that time, Dilham had problems with the police in Shamkir. He was released from jail and forced him to accompany me,” Guliyev said.

Forecast: Decisions on Karabakh will not be easy and quick

Eduard Nalbandian
ARMINFO
Armenia –
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo. It is quite difficult to determine today what is behind Yerevan's latest statements about the need to determine the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is clear that the range of possible statuses is very wide, and, in fact, apart from  independence, it is quite difficult to distinguish other statuses  among them .A similar opinion was expressed to ArmInfo by chief  researcher of the Institute of World Economy and International  Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, orientalist Alexey   Malashenko.

According to RA Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan, Armenia responded  to Baku's 5 points with 6 points. In particular, in a response letter  to the letter of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, the absence of  territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan was noted. Another  point concerns ensuring the security guarantees for the Armenians of  Artsakh, observing their rights and freedoms, as well as determining  its final status.

Yerevan also considers it important to fulfill all the obligations  enshrined in the statements of the leaders of Armenia, the Russian  Federation and Azerbaijan dated November 9, 2020, January 11 and  November 26, 2021. Yerevan is also ready to negotiate a peace  agreement, normalize and establish interstate relations based on the  UN Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights  and the Helsinki Final Act. The final provision noted Yerevan's  appeal to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to organize the relevant  negotiations.

"The possibility of choosing Yerevan between Baku's proposals in  order to continue negotiations in this direction is also not ruled  out. We see that the possibility of pro-Armenian decisions is seen  quite vaguely, while Prime Minister Pashinyan spoke quite openly  about lowering the bar of Armenian aspirations on the issue of the  status of NK. In any case, we see that the peace process is quite  complicated and is accompanied by internal discontent in Armenia and  largely incomprehensible disagreements around it," he stressed.  

Touching on the external background of the settlement, the expert  highlighted the haste of Baku, Ankara and Brussels against the  background of Moscow's involvement in a protracted Ukrainian war with  problems involving protracted solutions not only in Ukraine, but also  in other regions. And of course, Moscow's desire to maintain its own  influence in the same South Caucasus, which, in his opinion, is  becoming more and more difficult with time.  

"One way or another, analyzing this entire internal and external  spectrum of events and geopolitics, all these rather difficult  circumstances and the background around the settlement, we have to  state that decisions will not be easy and quick. There are plenty of  grounds for such a forecast – this is the difference between the  proposals of Baku and Yerevan and, of course, the most complicated  geopolitical background around the settlement, caused by Ukraine. All  this leads anywhere, but not to the speedy end of the problems  between Armenia and Azerbaijan," Malashenko summed up.

Armenia U-14 is the winner of UEFA U-14 Development Cup 2022

Eduard Nalbandian

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 14:37, 12 May, 2022

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. (FFA Press Release) UEFA U-14 Development Cup match between Armenia U-14 and United Arab Emirates U-14 teams took place in Yerevan on May 12. Armenia won with a score of 1:0 and with 6 points became the winner of the UEFA U-14 Development Cup. UAE is the second with 3 points, and Lebanon finished last with 0 points. In this tournament Armenia scored 4 goals, UAE and Lebanon 1 goal each.

Best striker of the tournament is Sargis Gasparyan with 2 goals and the best player is Ruben Karapetyan.

PM Pashinyan presents Armenia’s investment opportunities to Dutch businessmen

Eduard Nalbandian

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 12:24,

HAGUE, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met with the representatives of the Dutch business community in Hague on May 11, Armenpress correspondent reports. Pashinyan presented Armenia’s current opportunities in terms of making investments and establishing a business.

From the Armenian side, the meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Vahram Dumanyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan, Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Eduard Aghajanyan.

Introducing Armenia’s economic, investment opportunities, the Prime Minister said: “In order to have economic growth and progress, we have an agenda of major democratic reforms”.

The Armenian PM assured that they have eliminated the systematic corruption in the country and are at a stage of strengthening democratic institutions. He emphasized that the regional situation is also important for investments, reminding that the government of Armenia is working towards peace and stability in the region. “Agriculture is one of the most important sectors for us. We are expecting investments from the Netherlands because we see how agriculture field is developed in your country”, Pashinyan said.

As for what could attract Dutch businessmen to make investments in this field of Armenia, the PM highlighted Armenia’s membership to the Eurasian Economic Union and its opportunities. Pashinyan highlighted IT as an important and rapidly developing direction. He said that the development of this industry is a strategic direction for Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan also touched upon tourism, water resources management and other areas, calling them as opportunities for Dutch investors.

Director of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers Ingrid Thijssen, who was in attendance, said: “The presence of many guests and organizations at this meeting shows that Armenia really is a very attractive country for doing business”.

Representative of the company PRIVA operating in agriculture sector Maria Komorowska was also participating in the meeting. “We have been present in Armenia for already 10 years. We started the first project 10 years ago. We have many clients”, she told Armenpress. Presenting the reason of founding a business in Armenia, she said they see a good potential in the country.

The Armenian PM arrived in the Netherlands on May 10 on a two-day official visit.