1 - Aliyev Once Had Called Turkey’s
Leaders ‘Liar, Cheat and Betrayer’
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Azerbaijan Invades Artsakh Villages, Russian Peacekeepers Intervene
3 - Armenia continues to fight COVID-19 pandemic
4- Protests Continue as Pashinyan Ignores Ultimatum, Refuses to Resign
5- At Victory Parade, Aliyev Claims Yerevan, Zangezur
as ‘Historic Territories’ of Azerbaijan
6- Armenia Fund Donations Transferred to Armenian Gov't:
How the Money was Spent
7- Commentary: The Pashinyan Amateur Hour in Armenia
By Sarig Armenian
For The California Courier
8- United States Imposes Sanctions on Turkey
9- Armenia, Azerbaijan Begin Artsakh POW Exchange
*****************************************
******************************************
1 - Aliyev Once Had Called Turkey’s
Leaders ‘Liar, Cheat and Betrayer’
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
Last week, when Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev held a victory
parade in Baku, he expressed his appreciation to Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan who attended the ceremonies. Tens of thousands of
Azeris turned up in the streets singing the praises of Turkey and
waving Turkish and Azeri flags. The two presidents uttered lavish
words for one another and repeated their catchphrase, “one people, two
states.”
Even though the Turkish military and its advanced drones played a
decisive role in the recent Artsakh war, both Aliyev and Erdogan
repeatedly lied about Turkey’s involvement in the war, just as they
lied about the transfer of Syrian mercenaries to Azerbaijan to fight
against the Armenian troops. The successful Azeri/Turkish/mercenary
war cemented the influence of Turkey over Azerbaijan and its policies.
Many commentators have described this situation as the occupation of
Azerbaijan by Turkey. Since the Ottoman army seized Baku one hundred
years ago, this is the first time that the Turkish military has
reached the shores of the Caspian Sea. This reality is reinforced by
the November 9, 2020 agreement signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Russia, which provides for a route across Armenia linking Azerbaijan
proper with Nakhichevan, thereby allowing Turkey access to Azerbaijan
and the chance of going beyond to connect with other Turkic republics,
thus realizing the age-old dream of Pan-Turanism.
But the Azeri-Turkish relations have not always been this warm and
jovial. In 2009, when Armenia and Turkey were negotiating the
protocols to open their mutual border, Azerbaijan was furious that
Turkey would consider making such a move with Armenia, while ignoring
the interests of Azerbaijan.
Wikileaks revealed a “Secret” cable dispatched by the U.S. Embassy in
Baku to the Department of State reporting on the over one-hour long
meeting held on April 3, 2009, between Pres. Aliyev, Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov, Matthew Bryza, the U.S. co-chair of the Minsk Group
of negotiators on the Artsakh conflict and Anne Derse, the U.S.
Ambassador to Azerbaijan. The cable was titled, “Pres. Aliyev
Reasonable on Nagorno-Karabagh Options, Still Furious with Turkey.”
In the summary paragraph, the cable stated that “Aliyev hid none of
his outrage at Turkey’s apparent disregard for Azerbaijan’s interests,
and the intensity of his display seemed calculated to underscore the
seriousness of the repercussions for Turkey if Azerbaijan’s interests
in NK [Nagorno Karabagh] are sacrificed for the sake of the Armenian
accord.”
Under the subtitle, “Resentment at Ankara’s Betrayal,” the cable
stated that “Aliyev responded with a lengthy and bitter indictment of
Turkey as a ‘liar, cheat and betrayer’ of Azerbaijan. Noting that the
consequences of the current volatile situation in the region are
unpredictable, he complained that Azerbaijan had quietly supported the
recent improvement in Turkish-Armenian relations, including President
Sargsyan’s ‘football diplomacy,’ never dreaming that Turkey ‘would
cheat us’ by delinking progress on NK from that process. [Turkish]
President Gul had promised that there would be no doors or borders
opened for Armenia without progress on NK, Aliyev asserted. ‘He lied,
I no longer trust him.’”
The cable then stated: “Aliyev noted that when he met Prime Minister
Erdogan in Davos this January [2009], Erdogan had said nothing about
the steps Turkey was contemplating with Armenia…. After Davos,
Erdogan had sent Foreign Minister Babacan to Baku to explain what was
occurring with Armenia with respect to re-establishing relations.
‘Babacan asked for my support, saying we should try to make progress
‘in parallel’ on NK,’ but without linkage, Aliyev said incredulously.
Aliyev told Babacan Azerbaijan would not support Turkey’s steps with
Armenia without progress on NK and outlined ‘all the possible
consequences for Turkey and this region’ if Turkey pursued this
course. The Turks asked that Aliyev keep the conversation
confidential. Aliyev agreed, he said, but shortly thereafter, RFE/RL’s
[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] Armenian Service reported that NK
was ‘no longer an obstacle’ to improvement in Turkish-Armenian
relations. This had sparked a press campaign in Azerbaijan which
continues to this day, Aliyev added.”
According to the cable: “Aliyev said he had twice sent Deputy Foreign
Minister Araz Azimov to Turkey to outline for the Turks what they
would win and what they would lose from normalization without
resolution or progress on NK, and to propose a joint
Turkish-Azerbaijani statement on the matter. Azimov returned without
results, and Azerbaijan now confronts ‘the reality’ that Turkey will
initial, sign and ratify an agreement with Armenia to open the border
and establish diplomatic relations.”
The cable continued: “Azerbaijan also can no longer maintain its
posture of ‘patient silence’ about the Turkish-Armenia process, Aliyev
said. He noted that given Erdogan’s political weakness going into the
recent Turkish elections, Azerbaijan had refrained from public
statements to avoid impact on the vote. But ‘silence was a sign of
friendship the Turks do not deserve.’ Turkey is manipulating public
opinion, portraying Azerbaijan as acquiescent in its process with
Armenia, so Azerbaijan must now clarify, publicly, its position.”
Furthermore, “Turkey is about to commit ‘a serious historical mistake
that will never be forgotten,’ Aliyev asserted. ‘Our relations will
never be the same. We are not one nation and we never will be. Our
relations will be damaged, it will be a disaster on all issues,
security, economy, energy,’ Aliyev continued. ‘Turkey has to decide
what it will gain and what it will lose. It will lose Azerbaijan,
certainly; Central Asia as well, and end Turkic solidarity,’ he
continued. There will be consequences for Georgia if Turkey and
Azerbaijan split. Energy negotiations will end. ‘They did everything
to ruin energy cooperation,’ Aliyev said heatedly. He added later that
Turkey underestimates the degree to which Azerbaijan can influence its
domestic politics. Azerbaijan has never interfered in Turkish internal
politics before, ‘but this is a matter of national concern,’ he
warned.” Aliyev added that he felt “personally betrayed” by Gul and
Erdogan.
Aliyev concluded his remarks to the U.S. officials with a warning to
Turkey, “noting that when the Azerbaijanis had asked the Turks point
blank whether they had agreed to normalize with Armenia and open the
border without progress on NK, the Turks ‘had not responded,’ Aliyev
exploded. ‘Silence means yes…they did it! They will be on the black
list always.’”
Following this meeting, Aliyev continued pressuring and threatening
Erdogan and Turkey so it would not ratify the Armenia-Turkey
protocols. Erdogan was forced to add a new condition to the protocols,
seeking the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Artsakh which was
unacceptable to Armenia. Eventually, the protocols fell apart as
neither Armenia nor Turkey proceeded to ratify them by their
respective parliaments.
Aliyev was successful in preventing a rapprochement between Armenia
and Turkey. Now that Aliyev and Turkey have solved most of the Artsakh
issue militarily, they have resumed their love fest creating an
existential threat to both Artsakh and Armenia.
One hopes that new unexpected developments could revive the old feud
between Aliyev and Erdogan, undermining their current close relations.
************************************************************************************************************************************************
2- Azerbaijan Invades Artsakh Villages, Russian Peacekeepers Intervene
Russian peacekeeping forces took control of Hin Tagher village in
Artsakh’s Hadrut, after Azerbaijani forces captured the area during an
attack on Saturday, December 12 that also saw their forces advancing
toward other settlements under Armenian control.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry on Sunday, December 13 confirmed that
Azerbaijani forces had captured the village of Hin Tagher in Artsakh’s
Hadrut region after Azerbaijan launched an attack on those positions
beginning Saturday morning. The ministry also reported that six
Artsakh soldiers had been injured, and ten were taken captive.
Azerbaijani defense officials say four soldiers were killed during
this invasion, according to Radio Free Europe.
The Azerbaijan advance was a clear violation of the November 9
trilateral statement signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the
presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan. The agreement ended the military
hostilities in Karabakh, but stipulated the surrender of Armenian
territories to Azerbaijan. Per the agreement, the two villages that
were attacked on Saturday were under the control of Armenians.
It took the defense ministry more than 24 hours to make an
announcement, while reports of Azerbaijani capturing Hin Tagher was
confirmed by local residents, as well as Artsakh Armed Forces on the
ground.
The lack of official information by Yerevan compounded the
complexities of the issues, said Edmon Marukyan, the leader of the
parliamentary opposition Bright Armenia Party while speaking to
reporters on Sunday after an emergency session of Armenia’s National
Security Council.
Marukyan told reporters that Azerbaijan’s attack was a clear violation
of the first point of the November 9 agreement, which stipulates that
the new line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan will be the
positions each side occupied at the end of the war. The two villages
that were attacked were under Armenian control, although Azerbaijan
seems to have other plans in the region.
According to Armenia’s defense ministry, Azerbaijani forces were also
advancing toward the nearby Khtsaberd village, will military
operations continuing well into Saturday.
Russia’s defense ministry acknowledged the ceasefire violations and
official Baku announced that four of its soldiers were killed during
the operation.
Russian peacekeepers deployed to Artsakh to monitor the ceasefire were
not stationed at the line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan in
Hadrut. Hours after the attack, Russian peacekeepers arrived in the
region.
According to Armenia’s Defense Ministry, the Armenian, Azerbaijani and
Russian military are currently negotiating the return to the former
positions in Hadrut region
“The Ministry of Defense of Armenia strongly condemns the provocation
carried out by the Azerbaijani armed forces. The current situation,
which has nothing to do with the key demand of the statement signed by
Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan—the cessation of hostilities—endangers
the fragile peace achieved through the direct efforts of the Russian
President,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
It added that “the actions of the Azerbaijani side immediately became
a subject of discussion with the leadership of the Russian
peacekeeping contingent stationed in Artsakh.”
Minister of Defense Vagharshak Harutyunyan, who is in Moscow on a
working visit, discussed the issue during a meeting with his Russian
counterpart Sergey Shoigu.
Statement by the Foreign Ministry of Armenia on the violation of the
ceasefire regime by Azerbaijan
“While strongly condemning this gross violation of the commitments by
the top military-political leadership of Azerbaijan under the
trilateral statement on the cessation of hostilities and the
deployment of Russian peacekeepers,” said Armenia’s Foreign Ministry
on Sunday, adding that Azerbaijan’s attacks were “aimed at undermining
the presence of the peacekeepers of the Russian Federation in the
conflict zone.”
The foreign ministry pointed out that the attacks took place while the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs were in Baku meeting with Azerbaijan’s
President Ilham Aliyev, who said that the international mediators were
not invited to Baku and told the co-chairs that, “If Armenian fascism
raises its head once again, we will smash it with an iron fist …. we
will destroy them completely this time.”
“This challenge to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair
countries is a continuation of the warmongering and unacceptable
statements of the leaders of Turkey and Azerbaijan addressed to the
Armenian people during the recent parade in Baku. Such behavior once
again demonstrates the Turkish-Azerbaijani expansionist policy, which
continues to undermine regional security and stability and threatens
to expand into neighboring regions,” said the foreign ministry.
“The actions of official Baku further underline the imperative to
eliminate the consequences of the recent Azerbaijani aggression,
including the de-occupation of the territories of Artsakh and the
return of the Armenians of Artsakh to their places of residences,”
added the foreign ministry in its Sunday statement.
Taking into consideration the impunity with which Azerbaijan violates
its international obligations through the use of force and
consequences of such actions, we call on the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair
countries to unequivocally and clearly address Azerbaijan’s actions
aimed at violating the ceasefire regime, pursuing its policy of ethnic
cleansing and occupying the Armenian settlements,” said the foreign
ministry.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) renewed calls for
zeroing out military aid to Azerbaijan and sending $250 million in
U.S. assistance to Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) in the aftermath of
Azerbaijan’s latest attack on Artsakh—it’s first major ceasefire
violation following the disastrous Russia-brokered November 9th
agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian echoed the call to action in
live videos, sharing the broader list of immediate steps the
organization is pursuing to stop Aliyev and Erdogan’s genocidal plans,
including: delivering $250 million in humanitarian & development aid
to Artsakh; securing the release of all Armenian prisoners of war and
captives; recognizing Artsakh independence; banning arms sales to
Turkey and Azerbaijan; stopping the military and security aid program
to Baku; enforcing Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act; imposing
Magnitsky sanctions on Erdogan and Aliyev; investigating evidence of
Azerbaijani war crimes; punishing Turkish Arms Export Control law
violations; and removing barriers to U.S.-Artsakh travel and contacts.
************************************************************************************************************************************************
3 - Armenia continues to fight COVID-19 pandemic
The Armenian government has commissioned 600,000 doses of coronavirus
vaccines from World Health Organization-backed COVAX; medical and
social workers, seniors and people suffering from chronic diseases
will be the first to get vaccine shots free of charge, and according
to Gayane Sahakian, the deputy director of the National Center for
Disease Control and Prevention,
The Armenian government’s supply contract with COVAX is worth $6
million. The first vaccine which COVAX will make available to the
participating countries is the one produced by British pharmaceutical
AstraZeneca, which will deliver the vaccines COVAX in February or
March.
They will be enough to vaccinate 300,000 people (roughly 10 percent of
Armenia’s population).
According to the Ministry of Health, there were 20,213 active
coronavirus cases in Armenia as of Monday, December 14. Armenia has
recorded 148,682 coronavirus cases and 2,503 deaths; 125,966 have
recovered.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************
4- Protests Continue as Pashinyan Ignores Ultimatum, Refuses to Resign
By Lillian Avedian
(The Armenian Weekly)—Protesters took to the streets of Yerevan after
an ultimatum demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinyan by noon on Tuesday, December 8 expired without any reaction
from the PM.
Since the PM’s signature of a trilateral ceasefire agreement on
November 9 codifying Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Artsakh War, a
coalition of opposition political parties, including the Republican
Party and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), has been
organizing protests for his removal. Eight minutes after the imposed
deadline on December 8, ARF representative Ishkhan Saghatelyan
declared that the citizens of Armenia have the legitimate right to
engage in acts of civil disobedience in order to share their
grievances. In the following hours, protesters attempted to block
traffic and succeeded in shutting down Yerevan’s subway system. Twelve
protesters were detained by the police, including Yerkir Media
director Gegham Manukyan, who recently ended a nine-day hunger strike.
The unmet ultimatum was initially posed at a demonstration on December
5, the largest since the end of the war. “The sheer size of the
protest was promising. There was a large number of youth participants,
as well as people from different cities,” recalled ARF-Eastern Region
Central Committee member Sebouh Hatsakordzian. “This gave me hope and
encouragement to fulfill our demands,” he continued.
The keynote speaker at the rally was Vazgen Manukyan—the coalition’s
pick to replace PM Pashinyan. Manukyan, 74, served as Armenia’s Prime
Minister between 1990 and 1991 and Defense Minister from 1992 to 1993.
“We could have avoided the war. We could have won the war. We could
have ended the war earlier with a low number of casualties. None of
that happened,” he stated during his speech. While Manukyan does not
intend to renounce the ceasefire agreement, he hopes to implement
necessary changes to overcome the security risks that the opposition
blames on Pashinyan’s foreign policy failures, particularly the
disintegration of Armenia’s relations with its traditional allies,
including Russia. “Forces with foreign influence are currently at work
in Armenia, which are deliberately dividing our people,” he
proclaimed. “For two and a half years they have been resolving their
geopolitical issues through our people, using us as a toy. That field
must be cleared.”
The creation of a “National Movement for the Salvation of the
Homeland” was also announced with the primary goals of removing the
current administration from power through snap elections and
establishing a transitional government led by Manukyan to lead the
postwar recovery.
During a live Facebook address hours before the December 5 rally, the
Prime Minister reiterated his firm stance that he would not resign. He
blamed Armenia’s diplomatic and military failures on the previous
administrations, proclaiming that his administration was unable to
undo the consequences of 25 years of widespread corruption in two and
a half years. “Why didn’t you purchase [military equipment] during the
previous 18 to 20 years?” he asked, addressing the former political
leadership. “How is it that you considered building castles,
purchasing islands, buying private homes in Europe and accumulating
millions in Swiss banks more important than purchasing in 20 years all
that we did not in two?”
Pashinyan and his predecessors have been leveling accusations at one
another of pursuing ruinous diplomatic strategies, deflecting blame
for defeat in the war in Artsakh. Previous President Robert Kocharyan,
who has declared his support of the “National Movement for the
Salvation of the Homeland,” asserted during an interview on December 4
that Pashinyan’s administration thwarted the negotiation process by
adopting a hardline stance through reckless and careless statements,
such as his forceful appeal in August of 2019 for the reunification of
Armenia and Artsakh.
In response, Pashinyan said that the process of turning the Artsakh
conflict into a territorial dispute and Armenia into an occupying
power in the public perception had been realized over the past two
decades. “We have not failed in diplomacy. Rather our efforts to
overcome the burden of the diplomatic failures of the past 20 to 25
years have failed,” he said during his live Facebook address. “We have
failed to avoid the consequences of your failures.”
President Armen Sarkissian and his three predecessors have publicly
called on Pashinyan to resign as prime minister and pave the way for
fresh parliamentary elections. Sarkissian, who has been vocal in his
support for the creation of an interim government of national accord,
met with former President Robert Kocharian on December 10, and former
President Serzh Sargsyan on December 8 to discuss the current
situation in the country.
The meeting between Sarkissian and Sargsyan happened one day after a
recording of a conversation between Sargsyan and Belarusian President
Alexander Lukashenko regarding possibilities for settlement of the
Artsakh conflict was leaked. In the recording, Lukashenko can be
overheard stating that Azerbaijan is ready to offer $5 billion in
exchange for Armenia’s withdrawal from the seven outlying territories
of Artsakh. Sargsyan refused the offer and countered that Armenia was
prepared to give Azerbaijan $6 billion.
Sargsyan’s office confirmed the authenticity of the recording, stating
that the dialogue took place on October 14, 2016 during a closed-door
meeting among members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) in Yerevan.
Former President Levon Ter Petrosyan issued a call to the people to
pursue Pashinyan’s imminent removal by “exclusively constitutional
means” rather than through “civil conflict,” warning of the dangers of
civil war posed by the “mass provocations which are being inflamed by
both the administration and the opposition.”
Catholicos Karekin II met with the PM on December 8 and entreated him
to resign in order to prevent any “shocks to public life” and
“possible clashes and tragic turns.” In his televised message from
Lebanon, Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia described the homeland
as a “lifeless ship plunged into a terrible storm.” “The unity of our
people is more than imperative. We must stay away from approaches and
actions that provoke polarization, create divisions and sow the spirit
of intolerance,” he cautioned.
On December 11, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) also
issued a statement calling on Pashinyan to resign.
************************************************************************************************************************************************
5- At Victory Parade, Aliyev Claims Yerevan, Zangezur
as ‘Historic Territories’ of Azerbaijan
(Reuters)—Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, has made no secret of
his desire to usurp more Armenian territory, including those in
Armenia proper. During a parade in Baku on Thursday, December 10
attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Aliyev declared
that Zangezur and Yerevan are “historic territories” that belong to
Azerbaijan.
At Thursday’s parade, helicopters bearing the flags of Turkey and
Azerbaijan flew over the nearby Caspian Sea, almost 3,000 Turkish
troops marched across Baku’s main square, and Azeri tanks and soldiers
filed past the two men.
Aliyev paid tribute to Turkey’s support during the war.
“Erdogan supported our position, our just cause, from the very
start… Taking part in this victory parade together we are again
showing our unity, not only to our own peoples but to the whole
world,” he said.
Turkey could open its border gates to Armenia if Yerevan takes
positive steps for regional peace, Erdogan said at the parade, adding
he discussed forming a six-country regional cooperation platform with
his Azeri counterpart.
Erdogan earlier renewed a call for a change of leadership in Armenia.
Speaking alongside Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, Erdogan said he took
issue with Armenia’s leadership not its people. Armenia could
participate in the planned regional platform along with Turkey,
Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan and Georgia if it contributed to regional
peace, he said.
“We wish for the Armenian people to rid itself of the burden of
leaders who console them with the lies of the past and trap them into
poverty,” said Erdogan. “If the people of Armenia learn their lessons
from what happened in Karabakh, this will be the start of a new era.”
Ankara also announced a plan to construct a railway link between Kars
and Nakhichevan.
Mane Gevorgyan, spokesperson to the Prime Minister of Armenia,
commented on December 10 on the announcements of Azerbaijani president
Ilham Aliyev and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Baku.
Gevorgyan particularly said, “We strongly condemn the provocative
announcements made by the Azerbaijani leader in Baku. Speaking about
territorial ambitions against Armenia seriously questions Azerbaijan’s
readiness for establishing peace and deliberately puts regional peace
and security under risk. The claims of the Azerbaijani president that
Azerbaijan solved Karabakh issue by military force once again shows
who was the initiator of the war and use of force and who tries to
lead the region to further destabilization and challenges. Those
announcements make the international recognition of the right of the
people of Artsakh to self-determination an imperative for preventing
new genocidal aspirations of Azerbaijan against the Armenian
population of Artsakh.”
“Those statements contradict the spirit of the November 9 trilateral
declaration. Speaking with the Armenian people with threats is
condemnable and cannot bring lasting stability in South Caucasus. It’s
also strongly condemnable the glorification of the ideologies of the
Young Turks, the architectures of the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish
president. Such acts put Turkey’s announcements, including about their
readiness to contribute to the establishment of regional peace and
stability, under question,” the statement continued.
Erdoğan said in his speech that this day is “the day of enlightenment
of the souls of Enver Pasha, Nuri Pasha and soldiers of the Caucasus
Islamic Army,” the leaders of the Young Turks who committed the
Armenian Genocide.
On Saturday, December 5, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, once again,
touted the need to open transportation links to Azerbaijan, repeating
what he has been saying in defense of the agreement, that for
Armenia’s future economic prosperity, opening of the transportation
routes with Azerbaijan would be vital.
The prime minister framed this issue by arguing that open rail links
with Iran and Moscow would greatly benefit Armenia’s economy. The
railroad to Iran goes through Nakhichevan, while the one to Moscow
must go through Baku.
“If we are to think about the future, we must think about the
possibility of new factors emerging in economic life. Will there be
significant changes in our economy from the resumption of the
Armenia-Russia and Armenia-Iran railway communication? I think, yes.
If we look at the question in this context, the picture looks
different. But now, as I said, much more urgent issues need to be
addressed,” Pashinyan said on Saturday, December 5 during an address
to the nation on Facebook Live.
***********************************************************************************************************************************************
6- Armenia Fund Donations Transferred to Armenian Gov't:
How the Money was Spent
(Hraparak: Translated by The California Courier)—The fate of the money
transferred to the Armenian government by the Hayastan All-Armenian
Fund (HAAF) remains unknown to the public. The demand of the Chairman
of the Board of Trustees of the Fund, President of the Republic of
Armenia Armen Sarkissian, to give a “clear, detailed and transparent”
report on the money transferred to the government so far remains
unfulfilled.
Sarkissian's office told Hraparak that the government must submit a
report to the fund’s management, and the latter to the board of
trustees, but as of now the government has not yet done so. According
to Article 8 of the Republic of Armenia Law on Foundations, 6th point,
the property of the foundation cannot be used for the benefit of its
founders, members of the foundation’s bodies, etc. And according to
the 5th point of the HAAF charter, the founder of the foundation is
the Republic of Armenia. Therefore, the Armenian government has
violated the Law on Foundations by spending the money of the Hayastan
All-Armenian Fund at its own discretion.
Hraparak has obtained financial documents that give an idea of how the
government managed the money received from the fund. According to
those documents, in total, the government received about $171.8
million from HAAF. (It should be noted that the amount mentioned by
President Sarkissian was smaller—$104 million.) Of this amount, about
$142 million has already been allocated to various branches of
government; $31.6 million remains unspent.
In examining the financial charts, Hraparak has found that numerous
branches of the government took from that till—including the Prime
Minister’s office. The Prime Minister’s Staff received $3 million from
the transfer of the fund for the modernization of postal services.
This allocation was made on October 11.
Under the category of “Other Expenditures”, two separate transfers of
$278,000 and $4.8 million were given to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs for the activities of diplomatic missions in foreign countries
and international organizations. It is supposed that during the war
they must have campaigned in favor of the Armenian position, or
similar work. The first tranche was given in Russian rubles, which
means that the visits to Moscow were also funded by the fund. Hraparak
asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs why it did not use the funds
available to it in the 2020 budget for such activities, but rather
took additional money. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not
respond.
The lion’s share of the money, of course, went to the Ministry of
Defense. From September 30 to October 28, the Defense Ministry
received several allocations for military needs—$34.8 million; $3
million; $10 million; and $4.6 million. Nevertheless, the particular
expenditures remain unclear and not all of that money was used to buy
weapons. If Hraparak believes the documents in its possession, during
the hot period of the war, the Ministry of Defense received money from
the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund to “improve the building conditions of
the ministry” and to improve the buildings and structures. The
ministry received money several times for construction needs in a
month: $29.4 million; $726,000; and $38.6 million.
The Ministry of High-Tech Industry, headed by Hakob Arshakyan, has
received three transfers from the government—$5 million; $1,034,000;
and $332,000, which was transferred from the HAAF. The development of
the military-industrial complex is mentioned as a goal. The Ministry
of Health was given $1,932,250 for health measures conditioned by
martial law.
“Our compatriots in the Diaspora, sent funds to warring Armenia to
win, to help the wounded, to arm themselves, and our Prime Minister,
in fact, gave that money to the wind, managing it at his own
discretion,” writes Hraparak. “Even the state security service has
received three times the donations of our compatriots. On November 5,
this service received two allocations—$420,000 and $720,000, and on
October 16, $1,386,000. For what: we did not receive any clarification
from the Prime Minister’s Office on the documents in our possession.
His spokesman didn't answer our calls.”
***********************************************************************************************************************************************
7- Commentary: The Pashinyan Amateur Hour in Armenia
By Sarig Armenian
For The California Courier
With every day that passes, the dangerous incompetence of Armenian
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his inexperienced and unqualified
ministers—those that have yet to resign—becomes more apparent. In the
early days of the “Velvet Revolution,” Pashinyan and his surrogates
promised a government of experts, not cronies. They promised that the
best and brightest professionals from the four corners of the global
Armenian nation would be called to join the government and serve their
people. Instead, Pashinyan and his team served up a revolving door of
amateurs and cheerleaders—a veritable troupe of inexperienced and
bumbling cabinet members.
Let us start with the agency for diaspora affairs. When the
Velvet-revolutionaries took the helm, PM Pashinyan abolished the
original ministry and created the role of High Commissioner for
Diaspora Affairs. This new position would serve to coordinate
programming between all of the Armenian ministries and diasporan
communities. Rather than appointing someone with vast experience in
community organizing or with an existing network in the Armenian
government, PM Pashinyan appointed Zareh Sinanyan, the former Glendale
Parks & Recreation Commissioner, former Glendale City Mayor, and a
once law practitioner. High Commissioner Sinanyan then appointed Sara
Anjargolian as his Chief of Staff, an Armenian-American attorney with
a vast network of ties to American non-governmental organizations and
expats living in the Armenian capital of Yerevan.
This undynamic duo has failed to demonstrate leadership and take
action in support of their mission, particularly during and after the
Artsakh war. This agency was perfectly positioned to help the flow of
aid into Armenia and to ensure immediate distribution. Instead, as the
crisis in Artsakh and Armenia deepened tons of aid sat in storage at
the airport and medical supplies arriving into Armenia were
confiscated by customs and kept by the Ministry of Health. Instead of
responding to the call of duty, Sinanyan continues to give interviews
and create photo opportunities with any charity or organization that
wants to stop by. While displaced refugees from Artsakh scramble for
food, clothing, and shelter, the High Commission on Diaspora Affairs
is promoting tech start-up ideas and the Pashinyan “business as usual”
attitude. While PM Pashinyan makes excuses for surrender, High
Commissioner Sinanyan states that “resignation would be irresponsible”
and Anjargolian says, she “will be at my desk continuing to serve the
Republic of Armenia, Artsakh and Diaspora, as I have done for many
years.” So he and Anjargolian continue to take up space, because the
fact is that they won’t take action.
Next, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has likewise become an empty
shell during this time of crisis. After Pashinyan marginalized Foreign
Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan (arguably the most qualified minister in
the present administration), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has
become rudderless. With resignation after resignation, the title of
Foreign Minister recently landed on Ara Ayvazyan, an individual with
no known diplomatic accomplishments that would merit his elevation to
the highest diplomatic office. In fact, his area of expertise is
concentrated in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean
where he has served in numerous Armenian embassies, including recently
as ambassador. During a national crisis, when Presidents Aliyev and
Erdogan are spewing existential threats against Armenia, Ayvazyan is
hardly the beacon of diplomatic expertise that our nation craves, but
rather a figurehead.
Another vital ministry headed by an uncredentialed dilettante is the
Ministry of Economy. With Armenia’s economy ravaged by the global
pandemic and the Artsakh war, Tigran Khachatryan resigned from the
Pashinyan government with the efficiency of a paratrooper jumping from
an airplane. Pashinyan then appointed Vahan Kerobyan to the position.
The highlights of Kerobyan’s resume are that he managed a supermarket
chain in Armenia from 2004 to 2012 and later served as CEO of
“Menu.am,” the restaurant delivery start-up in Armenia (which I should
mention has terrible reviews). Kerobyan may demonstrate a native
business management background but he lacks the credentials and
experience to manage economic policy, financial regulation, and foster
economic stability in the aftermath of a war. For example, after the
capitulation document was announced on November 9th, 2020, Kerobyan
seeking to ingratiate himself with Armenia’s war-mongering neighbors,
commented in an interview that “Turkish ports will open and many vast
opportunities will be provided… perhaps the Azerbaijani market will
open for us, and our market for Azerbaijan.” This statement not only
betrays Kerobyan’s inability to consider Armenia’s national security
but also reveals an astounding failure to understand the calamity of
flooding Armenia with cheaper Turkish and Azerbaijani goods, which
would undoubtedly destroy entire sectors of Armenia’s economy.
Kerobyan may be an expert grocer but he has no business running an
economy.
In this tour of amateurs, the biggest winner is the first lady turned
wannabe commando, Mrs. Anna Hakobyan, the prime minister’s spouse.
Through a series of tone-deaf social media posts, GI Anna appears
perfectly coiffed with nails done and a pressed uniform attempting to
persuade the audience that she is serving on the battlefield. Her
appearances and her statements embellishing her role are an affront to
every martyred and wounded soldier. Her continued deception and lack
of integrity are shameful hallmarks of amateurism.
The list of unqualified placeholders, former Velvet Revolution
cheerleaders, goes on and on in the Pashinyan government. Their
incompetence and utter failure to recognize that their clinging to
both power and Pashinyan deepens our capitulation and threatens the
viability of our nation state.
We, the greater Armenian nation, deserve better leadership. We
deserve a government led by individuals with deep experience and
competence, honor, patriotism, and unequivocal dedication to our
national security. This isn’t a game. This isn’t a start-up. This
isn’t a campaign. This is a nation and homeland we need to save. These
individuals, whether well-intentioned or not, continue to take up
space and prop up Pashinyan’s failed government.
We need and deserve better leadership and real professionals at the
helm. Pashinyan and his government, along with each and every minister
and agency executive, must resign.
Sarig Armenian is an attorney and life-long political activist
currently based in Los Angeles, California. She has served in both the
legislative and judicial branches of the U.S. government.
***********************************************************************************************************************************************
8- United States Imposes Sanctions on Turkey
WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Monday, December 14, the United State Secretary
State Michael Pompeo announced that the United States is imposing
sanctions on the Republic of Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries
(SSB) pursuant to Section 231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries
Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for knowingly engaging in a significant
transaction with Rosoboronexport, Russia’s main arms export entity, by
procuring the S-400 surface-to-air missile system.
The sanctions include a ban on all U.S. export licenses and
authorizations to SSB and an asset freeze and visa restrictions on Dr.
Ismail Demir, SSB’s president, and other SSB officers.
Pompeo, in consultation with the Secretary of Treasury, has selected
the following sanctions from CAATSA Section 235, as implemented by
Executive Order (E.O.) 13849, to impose on SSB: a prohibition on
granting specific U.S. export licenses and authorizations for any
goods or technology transferred to SSB; a prohibition on loans or
credits by U.S. financial institutions to SSB totaling more than $10
million in any 12-month period; a ban on U.S. Export-Import Bank
assistance for exports to SSB; a requirement for the United States to
oppose loans benefitting SSB by international financial institutions;
and imposition of full blocking sanctions and visa restrictions on Dr.
Ismail Demir, president of SSB; Faruk Yigit, SSB’s vice president;
Serhat Gencoglu, Head of SSB’s Department of Air Defense and Space;
and Mustafa Alper Deniz, Program Manager for SSB’s Regional Air
Defense Systems Directorate.
The United States made clear to Turkey at the highest levels and on
numerous occasions that its purchase of the S-400 system would
endanger the security of U.S. military technology and personnel and
provide substantial funds to Russia’s defense sector, as well as
Russian access to the Turkish armed forces and defense industry.
Turkey nevertheless decided to move ahead with the procurement and
testing of the S-400, despite the availability of alternative,
NATO-interoperable systems to meet its defense requirements. This
decision resulted in Turkey’s suspension and pending removal from the
global F-35 Joint Strike Fighter partnership.
A senior Turkish official told Reuters on December 10 that sanctions
would backfire and hurt ties between the two NATO members. “Sanctions
would not achieve a result but be counter-productive. They would harm
relations,” he said. “Turkey is in favour of solving these problems
with diplomacy and negotiations. We won’t accept one-sided
impositions.”
***********************************************************************************************************************************************
9- Armenia, Azerbaijan Begin Artsakh POW Exchange
On Monday, December 14, Armenia and Azerbaijan began a prisoner
exchange, more than one month after a trilateral statement was signed
among Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.
Forty-four Armenian POWs were returned to Yerevan via a Russian
flight, according to Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan. He noted
that the search for those missing in action and other possible POWs
continues.
Baku announced separately on December 14 the arrest of four
Azerbaijani soldiers, two accused of "defiling" the bodies of Armenian
soldiers who died in battle and two others accused of destroying
Armenian tombstones.
The Azerbaijani Prosecutor General said in a statement that criminal
probes had been launched into the incidents calling them,
"unacceptable and contrary to the mentality of the Azerbaijani
people."
Syrian mercenaries who were arrested by Armenia for fighting alongside
Azerbaijani forces will not be exchanged in the prisoner swap with
Azerbaijan, the investigation committee told Armenpress on December 9.
Artsakh forces detained two such mercenaries, who were transported to
Armenia and have been detained since last month.
“They [the mercenaries] are defendants and have been remanded into
custody,” the committee’s spokesperson Rima Yeganyan told Armenpress.
The two Syrian citizens who identify themselves as Yusuf Alaabet
al-Hajji and Mehrab Muhammad Al-Shkheir were arrested and charged with
international terrorism, gross violation of international humanitarian
law norms during armed conflict, and terrorism.
According to Yeganyan, they do not fall under the “all for all”
principle of exchanging POWs and other detainees between Armenia and
Azerbaijan.
“We were ordered to slaughter every Armenian in the village,” al-Haji
told interrogators last month, adding that in addition to his promised
monthly $2000 stipend, he and others were offered $100 for every
Armenian they beheaded. When he was captured by Artsakh forces on
November 2, al-Hajji said he was a resident of the Ziyadiya village in
the Jisr al-Shughur region of Idlib province of Syria. Al-Shkheir from
the Syrian city of Hama was captured on Oct. 30.
In their testimonies the two terrorists provided detailed information
about their recruitment process, the expected monthly payment for
fighting against “kafirs” (infidels), the extra payment for the each
beheaded Armenian, as well as about other orders they had to follow,
which both said were given by Turkish and Azerbaijani military
commanders.
***********************************************************************************************************************************************
California Courier Online provides viewers of the Armenian News News Service
with a few of the articles in this week's issue of The California
Courier. Letters to the editor are encouraged through our e-mail
address, . However, authors are
requested to provide their names, addresses, and/or telephone numbers
to verify identity, if any question arises. California Courier
subscribers are requested not to use this service to change, or modify
mailing addresses. Those changes can be made through our e-mail,
, or by phone, (818) 409-0949.