Author: Garnik Zakarian

What next in Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations

Garnik Zakarian
March 23, 2023 Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan Opinion 0

In recent months, Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations entered a digital phase. Armenia has been working on the text of the peace agreement, adding suggestions and sending them to Azerbaijan. Baku reviews them, mostly rejects Armenian suggestions, adds its ideas and sends the document back to Armenia. Yerevan again inserts its suggestions into the text, rejects some Azerbaijani ideas, and the document flies back to Azerbaijan. It is challenging to assess how the documents are being transmitted between sides, through some secure digital channels or mediators in hard copy versions. Regardless of the technical details, the process is a reminder of the publication process of an academic article when reviewers look through the text and suggest amendments and modifications before accepting the paper for publication. In this case, the reviewers and authors are the same persons, which adds some peculiarities.

The Pashinyan-Aliyev summit at the Munich Security Conference, facilitated by the US Secretary of State, February 18, 2023 (Photo: Prime Minister of the RoA)

The Pashinyan-Aliyev summit at the Munich Security Conference, facilitated by the US Secretary of State, seemed to break this circle and paved the way for the resumption of face-to-face meetings. Immediately after the Munich summit, the US State Department’s representative announced the upcoming meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in Brussels. The Brussels format was perceived as an effective platform for reaching agreements. However, the process was stopped after the August 31 meeting, followed by Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia in September 2022. During his recent press conference, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan criticized the Brussels format, arguing that more than 10 agreements reached during negotiations were never realized. According to Pashinyan, there is no sense in continuing negotiations in Brussels and reaching new agreements before the realization of already-approved ideas. 

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan resumes its assertive actions and rhetoric. Overtly ignoring the International Court of Justice’s decision to end the Lachin Corridor blockade, Azerbaijan launched a subversive action in Nagorno Karabakh on March 5, 2023, killing three Armenian police officers. President Aliyev made a belligerent statement during the Nowruz celebration in Azerbaijan on March 18. He argued that if Armenians would like to live peacefully on 29,000 square kilometers, their government should accept Azerbaijani conditions of the peace agreement. That is, to recognize Nagorno Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan without any international presence or international guarantees for the protection of the rights of the Armenians and launch a delimitation and demarcation process based on Azerbaijani conditions. Otherwise, according to Aliyev, there would be no peace treaty. Putting aside President Aliyev’s attempt to reduce the territory of Armenia by 800 square kilometers, from 29,800 to 29,000, the statement was almost an ultimatum; either Armenia signs capitulation, which Azerbaijan calls a peace treaty, or Azerbaijan launches new attacks against Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh or in both directions. In recent days, Azerbaijan has been actively preparing the ground for a new escalation, accusing Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh of violating the ceasefire and transporting weapons and soldiers from Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh. Simultaneously, Azerbaijan has concentrated significant troops along several parts of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. By rejecting any options for an international presence in Nagorno Karabakh and international guarantees for protecting the rights and security of Armenians, Azerbaijan is sending a clear signal that it will not tolerate Armenian presence in Nagorno Karabakh, at least in current numbers. Theoretically, Azerbaijan may agree to have several thousand Armenians there, using them as a showcase for international media to prove its so-called “tolerance,” but this will be a classic example of “soft ethnic cleansing,” similar to what happened in Nakhichevan during 1921-1988, when the Armenian population declined and eventually reached zero.

Simultaneously, Azerbaijan is assertively pushing forward the concept of “Western Azerbaijan,” arguing that the territory of Armenia was part of Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijanis should “return to their homeland.” Currently, Azerbaijan uses this concept as a stick to force Armenia to drop its demands for international presence in Nagorno Karabakh. Baku argues that it will agree to an international presence in Nagorno Karabakh only if Azerbaijanis return to Armenia, and Yerevan agrees to establish an international presence and mechanisms to guarantee their rights. However, as the concept of “Western Azerbaijan” gains more acceptance in Azerbaijan through the direct support of the state, there are no guarantees that even if Armenia drops its demands on Nagorno Karabakh and accepts the notion of Nagorno Karabakh without Armenians, Azerbaijan will stop pushing the concept of “Western Azerbaijan.”  

Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations have reached a dangerous point. Since December 2021, Armenia has made significant concessions, first agreeing to discuss the autonomy of Nagorno Karabakh within Azerbaijan and later dropping any mention of status, calling only for an international presence to secure the rights of Armenians. However, Azerbaijan has not made any reciprocal steps, continuing to push forward its narratives. Azerbaijan claims that the conflict is over; Nagorno Karabakh was destroyed during the 2020 war, and Azerbaijan will never accept any international presence or international guarantees to protect the rights of Armenians. According to Azerbaijan, if Armenia does not accept Azerbaijani demands, Azerbaijan will not recognize Armenia’s territorial integrity, pushing forward the concept of “Western Azerbaijan.” 

On March 22, an Armenian soldier was killed in Yeraskh, a village in the Ararat region located only 60 kilometers from Yerevan. Many signs indicate that Azerbaijan may launch a new attack against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh soon. While protecting its territory is the first and foremost responsibility of Armenia, international actors involved in the region should not simply sit and wait, as any new escalation will make the prospects of regional peace and stability less likely.

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Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan is the founder and chairman of the Center for Political and Economic Strategic Studies and a senior research fellow at APRI – Armenia. He was the former vice president for research – head of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense Research University in Armenia. In March 2009, he joined the Institute for National Strategic Studies as a research Fellow and was appointed as INSS Deputy Director for research in November 2010. Dr. Poghosyan has prepared and managed the elaboration of more than 100 policy papers which were presented to the political-military leadership of Armenia, including the president, the prime minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Poghosyan has participated in more than 50 international conferences and workshops on regional and international security dynamics. His research focuses on the geopolitics of the South Caucasus and the Middle East, US – Russian relations and their implications for the region, as well as the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. He is the author of more than 200 academic papers and articles in different leading Armenian and international journals. In 2013, Dr. Poghosyan was a Distinguished Research Fellow at the US National Defense University College of International Security Affairs. He is a graduate from the US State Department Study of the US Institutes for Scholars 2012 Program on US National Security Policy Making. He holds a PhD in history and is a graduate from the 2006 Tavitian Program on International Relations at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.


Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 24-03-23

Garnik Zakarian

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 17:17,

YEREVAN, 24 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 24 March, USD exchange rate down by 0.26 drams to 388.07 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 6.14 drams to 416.17 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 5.07 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 4.04 drams to 473.33 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 340.54 drams to 24678.37 drams. Silver price up by 6.74 drams to 285.72 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

Armenpress: Iran magnitude 5,3 earthquake felt across Armenia

Garnik Zakarian

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 09:39,

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. A magnitude 5,3 earthquake that hit northwestern Iran on March 24 was felt in several Armenian provinces.

The Armenian Regional Seismic Protection Service said the quake hit some 23 km south-east from the city of Khoy in Iran early on Friday morning. The quake had a depth of 10km and an intensity of 7 on the MSK scale in the epicenter.  It was felt in Armenia’s Syunik Province at an intensity of 3-4 MSK, in Vayots Dzor and Ararat at 3 MSK and in Kotayk at 2 MSK.  

No damages were reported by Armenian authorities.

Timeframe of new foreign ministerial meeting between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia under discussion – Lavrov

Garnik Zakarian

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 16:41,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. Russia expects that the trilateral (Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan) task force on regional unblocking will soon reach concrete agreements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

“Russia also favors the intensification of the work of the border delimitation commission with Moscow’s consultative support. Moscow is also ready to support the signing of a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku,” Lavrov added during a joint press conference with Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan in Moscow.

He said that the Armenian side reiterated PM Nikol Pashinyan’s statement on readiness to meet and now the new timeframe for a meeting between the Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers is under discussion.

“We will soon choose the timeframe convenient to the three ministers,” Lavrov said.

Scarlet fever cases rise in Armenia

Garnik Zakarian
Panorama
Armenia –

The number of scarlet fever cases has increased in Armenia, statistics show.

124 cases of scarlet fever were recorded in the country in January 2023. Most of the cases were confirmed in children, according to latest data from the Statistical Committee of Armenia seen by Panorama.am.

Only 9 cases of scarlet fever were reported in Armenia in 2022.

15 of those infected are children aged 0-2 years, 77 are 3 to 6 years old, while the rest are below the age of 18 years.

Also known as scarlatina, scarlet fever is an acute infectious disease which is more common in children between 2 and 8 years of age.

The signs and symptoms include a sore throat, fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes and a characteristic rash.

Asbarez: ‘Buy Armenian’ Easter Festival Set for March 25

Garnik Zakarian
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Latest, News, Top Stories

Easter is a beloved holiday and a great chance to bring the entire family together. This year, an event that has become a tradition in Los Angeles, the “Buy Armenian” Easter Festival will usher the season in on March 25 at the Glendale Civic Auditorium.

For the past several years, the “Buy Armenian” Easter Festival has brought together many Los Angeles residents and the Armenian community members together, making it the largest marketplace for Armenian products.

The Easter Festival offers a unique blend of live performances by many well-known Armenian artists, amazing food, and a spectacular fair featuring a vast array of Armenian businesses presenting their products.

Past festivals have drawn more than 10,000 with more than 100 local small- and medium-sized Armenian businesses presenting their products.

Past Success
Many small Armenian businesses have sealed amazing deals with huge U.S. retail stores during the past events. Made-in-Armenia organic honey, dried fruits, organic tea, and many other products have found their way on the shelves of retailers such as Home Goods and T.J.Max.

Which companies took their businesses to the next level?

  • Haleb Store
  • Antaram Tea
  • Sohofruitz
  • BioPartez Tea from Artsakh
  • Chreni
  • PAMP

Because of efforts by the “Buy Armenian” initiatives, currently there are 10 more negotiating deals with other big retailers.

Reasons To Attend The Easter Festival

  • Armenian culture at its finest – come and get to know the Armenian culture, watch great live performances of dance and music, share laughs, and have a good time with your family or friends.
  • An amazing fair – Buy Armenian products of the highest quality for yourself, as presents for Easter or any other occasion like anniversaries and birthdays for your family, friends, or colleagues. From food items to jewelry – anything can be found here!
  • Support Armenian businesses – we are going through some rough times at the movement, and everyone needs a bit of support.

The “Buy Armenian” Easter Festival will take place on Saturday, March 25 from noon to 8 p.m. at the Glendale Civic Auditorium’s Lot 31.

"The Lachin corridor begins after crossing the border." Comments from Baku

Garnik Zakarian
March 6 2023
  • JAMnews
  • Baku

Azerbaijan comments on events in Karabakh

Azerbaijan is commenting on events in Karabakh that took place on Sunday, March 5. A clash between the soldiers of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces and Armenian military formations left dead and wounded on a detour road of the the Lachin corridor. According to Azerbaijani experts, official Baku should establish a checkpoint on the border with Armenia. “Only by blocking the border with Armenia can Baku can stop all illegal arms trafficking between Armenia and illegal gangs on the territory of Azerbaijan,” political observer Haji Namazov noted.

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  • Two video stories about the life of people in NK after the blockade of the Lachin corridor
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It was too early to draw conclusions from contacts with Karabakh Armenians through the mediation of the Russian military commandant’s office, Elkhan Shahinoglu, head of the Atlas analytical center, said.

“In the post-war period, the Azerbaijani army fought on the border with Armenia in response to provocations and captured strategic heights. But if shots are fired in Azerbaijan itself, in Karabakh, then I think the scale of the provocation is larger. The separatists, relying on the support of the Russian military, dared to go on the offensive against the Azerbaijani Armed Forces,” the political scientist said.

Shootout in Karabakh between Azerbaijani soldiers and police of the unrecognized republic of NK; all details known at the moment

In his opinion, the goals of Azerbaijan have not changed after the second Karabakh war:

“These goals can be described in several points:

separatists must be disarmed;
break the military connection between Armenia and the Karabakh separatists, and for this it is necessary to create border and customs posts at the end of the Lachin road;
in two years, Russian military personnel must leave the region.
But the course of events shows that Baku cannot postpone the realization of its goals for the future. Settlement of Lachin and Shusha should begin this year.

Azerbaijan cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the recent past. The safety of the residents of Karabakh and eastern Zangezur must be ensured. And this requires the neutralization of all elements that create such threats,” Shahinoglu said.

He also noted that yesterday’s statements by the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan contain a clause on the need to establish a checkpoint on the Lachin road:

“Obviously, the state structures of Azerbaijan are in solidarity with society on this issue. There is no other opinion on a checkpoint on the Lachin road. Installing an X-ray scanner at the checkpoints of Russian peacekeepers is useless and pointless. If this is not under the control of Baku, then ammunition and mines will continue to come from Armenia.

The repetition of the demand for a checkpoint in official statements suggests that such a decision has already been made by Baku, and a clause will appear in the near future.

Of course, this is not an easy task. On the one hand it is necessary to solve the military-technical side of the matter, on the other hand to avoid a collision with the Russian peacekeeping contingent.”

Azerbaijani politician and a leader of Republican Alternative opposition party, Natig Jafarli, commented on what happened on March 5 in Karabakh and suggested steps to be taken by Azerbaijan:

“Firstly, it becomes known that for months Armenia and the self-proclaimed regime have been telling tales about a “blockade”, but there are numerous alternative roads, and the Armenians use these roads with the direct organization and participation of Russian “peacekeepers”.

Azerbaijani analyst Shahin Elkhanoglu claims that Karabakh Armenians continue to arm themselves

Second, despite the brazen statement of Sergey Lavrov that the agreement of November 10, 2020 does not provide for the establishment of checkpoints, a checkpoint on the Lachin road must happen.

Is Azerbaijan governed by the November 10 statement? We do not have internal laws, the Constitution?! The requirements of the Basic Law of Azerbaijan on the protection of borders should not be fulfilled only because of a piece of paper not ratified by the Parliament? What is not in the tripartite statement should be regulated by the laws of Azerbaijan and its Constitution.

Third, the agenda of the Azerbaijani parliament should include the issue of the immediate withdrawal of “peacekeepers” from the territory of the country, because the Russian contingent is only engaged in the defense of the unrecognized regime, and does not fulfill its direct duties.

The Kremlin does not understand soft language. Parliament must necessarily adopt such a law, and given that the president has two months at his disposal to approve the laws adopted in the Milli Majlis, Russia must begin to fulfill its obligations during this two-month period. Otherwise, if the Azerbaijani state structures are unable to return to Khojaly, if the peacekeepers prevent the establishment of a checkpoint on the Lachin road, if they prevent contacts between Baku and Karabakh citizens of Azerbaijan of Armenian origin, the law must be signed, and the state must begin the process of withdrawing Russian soldiers from its territory.”

According to Armenian sources, the court ordered Azerbaijan to stop the protest on the Lachin road

According to political observer Haji Namazov, the tripartite statement of November 10, 2020 has nothing to do with the issue of protecting state borders:

“The trilateral statement refers only to the Lachin corridor. This corridor begins after crossing the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and fully belongs to the territory of Azerbaijan. This explains why Russian peacekeepers serve exclusively in Azerbaijan.

In other words, the Lachin corridor does not interfere and should not interfere with the protection of the state border by Azerbaijan. You pass the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and find yourself on this notorious corridor.

Azerbaijani experts have long been talking about the existence of alternative roads connecting different points of the Lachin corridor with the region densely populated by Armenians in Karabakh. Only by blocking the border with Armenia can Baku can stop the entire illegal circulation of weapons between Armenia and illegal gangs on the territory of Azerbaijan.”

https://jam-news.net/the-lachin-corridor-begins-after-crossing-the-border-comments-from-baku/

Cairo: Armenian Foreign Minister to Visit Egypt

Garnik Zakarian
March 7 2023
Basant Ahmed

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to Cairo from March 7 to 9 to participate in the session of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level.

Within the framework of the visit, a number of meetings are scheduled to be held.

The Armenian Foreign Minister will also meet his Egyptian Counterpart Sameh Shoukry.

AW: Local author announces release of new Armenian book, alphabet flashcards

Garnik Zakarian
March 3, 2023 Weekly Staff Literary Corner 0

Meghri Dervartanian, the author of «Դէպի Արարատ Լեռ»

BELMONT, Mass. — Local children’s book author Meghri Dervartanian is proud to announce the publication of her newest book «Դէպի Արարատ Լեռ» “Tebi Ararat Ler” (Toward Mt. Ararat), inspired by her trek to the historic mountain in 2019.

“Throughout my childhood, I was always surrounded by images of our Mt. Ararat. In 2019, those images became reality when I planted my feet atop our holy mountain,” explained Dervartanian of her life-changing experience. “After that journey I made it a personal mission to encourage everyone that a journey to Mt. Ararat is more than a dream, but rather something that one can and will do. That is when I decided to one day write a children’s book about Mt. Ararat.” 

«Դէպի Արարատ Լեռ» is a dialogue between Nareh and Haig, who share their ideas about how to measure the height of the mountain. They ultimately decide to climb Mt. Ararat together and raise the flags of Armenia and Artsakh on its mountaintop where they belong. “If we can’t put our tricolored flag on the summit ourselves, then who will?” asserts the author.

This is Dervartanian’s second Western Armenian offering for young readers, digitized once again by her friend and Weekly layout designer Nanar Avedessian. In November 2020 following Armenia’s loss in the 2020 Artsakh War, Dervartanian marked the release of «Հպարտ Հայ» (Proud Armenian), which was financially backed and supported by the AYF Eastern Region and Hamazkayin Boston—organizations that Dervartanian has long served as a proud member.

Armenian flashcards created by Meghri Dervartanian

In addition to this newest publication, Dervartanian has also designed and illustrated a durable and vibrant collection of Armenian alphabet flashcards for young children. “I hope to fill Armenian households with enjoyable tools for young children to fall in love with their language and create with it because that is how our next Toumanians and Baruyr Sevags will be born,” said Dervartanian.

Dervartanian is also the creator of the social media page Armenian Crash Course, where it is “never too late or early to learn Armenian.” Dervartanian writes and produces colorful and animated educational content and also appears on-camera to offer clear explanations of commonly confused Armenian grammar and spelling rules. “Before I started Armenian Crash Course, I was always looking for ways to transfer my love and passion for the Armenian language to those around me, to let everyone know that this language is not only my language, not only our ancestors’ language, but it is a language that everyone needs to call their own,” explained Dervartanian. “Through my books, posts and initiatives, I hope to pass along one message: have fun with our beautiful language. Speak it. Use it. Create with it.”

Order forms for «Դէպի Արարատ Լեռ» and the Armenian alphabet flashcards are available online.




Disease incidence rises in Artsakh under blockade

Garnik Zakarian
Panorama
Armenia – Feb 28 2023

Disease incidence and health complications have increased in Artsakh this year amid Azerbaijan's ongoing blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the sole road connecting the Artsakh Republic to Armenia, as well as the constant stress caused by uncertainty and threats emanating from Azerbaijan’s criminal actions.

According to data released by the Artsakh Ministry of Health on Monday, they include ischemic heart disease (58%), ischemic stroke (cerebral ischemia) (36%), birth complications (11.6%) and a number of other diseases.

Among adults and especially children, an increase in neuro-psychological problems is recorded compared to last year, as evidenced by a rise in children's (46%) and adults’ (47%) visits to neurologists and psychologists.

Compared to the same period of 2022, the cases of surgical interventions due to intestinal obstruction, which may be caused by a lack of gluten in the diet, have increased by 25% in 2023.

Azerbaijan has blocked the Lachin Corridor since December 12.