Wednesday, November 1, 2023
More Armenians Jailed After Anti-Government Protests
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia - Riot police arrest an anti-government protester in Yerevan, September
22, 2023.
Four more participants of recent anti-government protests in Yerevan, including
a 16-year-old boy, have been arrested on what their lawyers and the Armenian
opposition call politically motivated charges.
The largely peaceful protests erupted spontaneously shortly after the
Azerbaijani army went on the offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19,
paving the way for the restoration of Baku’s full control over the
Armenian-populated territory. They demanded that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian
resign because of his failure to prevent the fall of Karabakh. Some
demonstrators clashed with security forces outside the main government building
in Yerevan.
Opposition groups swiftly took over and stepped up the daily protests in the
following days in an attempt to topple Pashinian. Their “civil disobedience”
campaign fizzled out later in September.
Riot police detained hundreds of people during the demonstrations. The majority
of them were set free after spending several hours in police custody.
At least 48 protesters, many of them university students, were charged with
participating in “mass disturbances.” As of mid-October, 31 of them remained
under arrest pending investigation.
Armenia -- Armenians take part in an anti-government protest in central Yerevan
on September 24, 2023.
The fresh arrests were made over the weekend. All four men are natives of
Nagorno-Karabakh facing the same charges. They include the 16-year-old Samvel
Mirzoyan, who is suffering, according to his lawyer, from a heart problem.
The lawyer, Abgar Poghosian, said on Wednesday, said a Yerevan court cited
witness tampering concerns when it remanded Mirzoyan in pre-trial custody.
Poghosian laughed off that explanation, saying that police officers are the only
witnesses in the case and that his teenage client could simply not influence
their testimony.
“There is no doubt that this is a politically motivated case,” Poghosian told
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
“They want to arrest as many people as possible and thus create an atmosphere of
fear,” he said, echoing the Armenian opposition’s assessments of the arrests.
Opposition leaders have described the arrested protesters as political prisoners
and demanded their immediate release. Two of them visited the latest detainees
in custody.
Armenia -- A protester waves the Karabakh flag as riot police officers guard the
Armenian government building in Yerevan, September 2, 2023.
Some human rights activists have also expressed concern over the mass arrests.
One of them, Zaruhi Hovannisian, believes that the Armenian authorities’
reluctance to place the indicted protesters under house arrest testifies to the
political character of these cases.
The Investigative Committee, which is in charge of the cases, denies any
political motives behind them, saying that the detainees assaulted police
officers and threw rocks and other objects at the government building.
Among the detainees is Tatev Virabian, a Karabakh-born mother of two who is
prosecuted for not only allegedly hurling a bottle of water but also her
Facebook post construed by the law-enforcement agency as a call for violent
regime change. She strongly denies the accusations.
Virabian’s lawyer, Arsen Babayan, expressed concern about the young woman’s
health, saying that she recently fainted in her prison cell.
Russia ‘Rotating Troops’ In Depopulated Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh - Russian peacekeepers stand next to an armored vehicle at the
checkpoint outside Stepanakert, October 7, 2023.
The Russian military has said that it has rotated its peacekeeping forces in
Nagorno-Karabakh and sent their weaponry to Russia “for planned repairs” after
the mass exodus of the region’s ethnic Armenian population.
Karabakh’s depopulation resulting from Azerbaijan’s September 19-20 military
offensive called into question the continued presence of 2,000 or so Russian
peacekeepers deployed there following the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani war. Over
the past month they have dismantled most of their observation posts along the
Karabakh “line of contact” that existed until the assault.
“The rotation of the peacekeeping contingent’s personnel as well as the sending
of weapons and military equipment to the Russian Federation for planned repairs
is being completed,” read a statement released by Russia’s Defense Ministry late
on Tuesday.
It said the contingent keeps cooperating with Baku on “preventing bloodshed,
ensuring security and observing humanitarian law in relation to the civilian
population.” Only several dozen ethnic Armenians are thought to remain in
Karabakh.
A senior Russian diplomat said on October 9 that despite the exodus, condemned
by Armenia as “ethnic cleansing,” the peacekeepers should remain in the region
because their mission “will also be necessary in the future.” Russian President
Vladimir Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev discussed the issue
when they met in Kyrgyzstan four days later. They announced no agreements on the
future of the Russian presence in Karabakh.
Armenian leaders have denounced the Russians for their failure to prevent, stop
or even condemn the Azerbaijani military operation. Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian insisted last week that they were “unable or unwilling to ensure the
security of the Karabakh Armenians.”
Moscow has rejected the criticism. It has also bristled at European Union leader
Charles Michel’s recent assertion that “Russia has betrayed the Armenian
population” of Karabakh.
More Karabakh Captives Identified
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Nagorno-Karabakh - A view through a car window shows abandoned vehicles in
Stepanakert an Azeri military operation and mass exodus of ethnic Armenians from
the region, October 2, 2023.
Azerbaijan detained not only eight current and former leaders of
Nagorno-Karabakh but also at least as many other Karabakh Armenians following
its September 19-20 military offensive, a senior Armenian law-enforcement
official said on Wednesday.
“There are also captives who are not high-ranking officials. The capture of
those individuals has been confirmed,” Argishti Kyaramian, the head of Armenia’s
Investigative Committee, told reporters.
Kyaramian did not identify any of those captives. RFE/RL’s Armenian Service
found out about one of them, Melikset Pashayan, last week.
Pashayan lived in the Karabakh village of Sznek. According to his relatives, he
went missing while trying to help evacuate elderly and sick people unable to
flee the village on their own. Pashayan’s wife said he subsequently phoned her
from Baku and said he is in Azerbaijani custody.
Karabakh’s three former presidents -- Arayik Harutiunian, Bako Sahakian and
Arkadi Ghukasian -- as well as current parliament speaker Davit Ishkhanian were
taken to Baku to face grave criminal charges in late September. Their detentions
followed the mass exodus of Karabakh’s residents that left the enclave almost
fully depopulated.
Karabakh’s former premier Ruben Vardanyan, former Foreign Minister Davit
Babayan, former army commander Levon Mnatsakanian and his ex-deputy Davit
Manukian were arrested by Azerbaijani security forces last week while trying to
enter Armenia through the Lachin corridor.
The Armenian government strongly condemned the arrests and urged the
international community to help it secure the release of the Karabakh leaders.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry rejected the criticism, saying that they will
go on trial for promoting separatism, organizing “terrorist acts” and
participating in “aggression against Azerbaijan.”
Baku has so far acknowledged only nine Karabakh detainees. Kyaramian insisted
that their confirmed number stands at 16.
The figure does not include 30 Karabakh soldiers and 12 civilians who
Kyaramian’s law-enforcement agency says went missing during the Azerbaijani
assault and remain unaccounted for.
Yerevan Says Keen To Allay Russian Concerns Over International Court Treaty
• Siranuysh Gevorgian
Armenia - The building of the Armenian Foreign Ministry in Yerevan.
Armenia has again offered to sign an agreement with Russia to address Moscow’s
concerns about Yerevan’s recent acceptance of jurisdiction of an international
court that issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in
March.
Despite stern warnings from the Russian leadership, the Armenian parliament
ratified on October 3 the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court
(ICC) known as the Rome Statute. The move initiated by Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian and condemned by Moscow added to unprecedented tensions between the
two states.
Russian officials said it will cause serious damage to Russian-Armenian
relations. They dismissed Yerevan’s assurances that the ratification does not
commit it to arresting Putin and handing him over to the ICC in the event of his
visit to Armenia.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said on October 9 that Moscow
presented the Armenian government with “certain proposals” on the issue. He
suggested that Yerevan is “either still thinking about them or has decided to
reject them.”
In a statement to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said
on Wednesday that Yerevan has responded to those proposals. But it did not
disclose them.
“In the context of proposals conveyed by the Russian side regarding the process
of ratification of the Rome Statute by Armenia, the Armenian side came up with a
proposal to conclude a corresponding bilateral agreement which can dispel the
concerns of the Russian Federation,” the ministry said, adding that it has not
received an “official written response” from Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed on October 3 the proposed bilateral
treaty related to the ICC. He said it is not clear how Yerevan can “put in place
special conditions, exceptions.”
For his part, Putin said on October 13 that the ratification of the ICC treaty
will not stop him from visiting Armenia again in the future and that he and
Pashinian “remain in touch.” The tensions between the two longtime allies have
not eased since then.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Jack Hunanian
The Prime Minister gets acquainted with the overhaul works of kindergarten No. 10 in Kapan
18:33,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. In the sidelines of the visit to Syunik region, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan familiarized himself with the renovation works of Kindergarten No. 10 in Kapan carried out within the framework of the subsidy program. the Prime Minister's Office said.
The number of students in the pre-school institution is 99, as a result of the renovation, attendance of about 140 students is planned. The total cost of the project is 293.8 million AMD, 80 percent of which was allocated by the Government. The two-story building was built in the 1980s. Under the project, repair works of the building were carried out: waterproofing, replacement of doors and windows, interior finishing, roof repair, installation of children's playground, fencing and beautification of the area.
A Turkish secret hiding in plain sight
BBC Travel, UK
Oct 28 2023
In the border city of Gaziantep, a secret jazz cafe is helping residents reconcile with the city's turbulent past and offering hope for the future.
O
On Wednesday and Saturday nights, if you follow the narrow, stone streets in Gaziantep, Turkey's old Armenian district to an unmarked silver door and knock three times, you're in for a treat.
Moments later, a man with a long white ponytail and round glasses will appear, welcoming you to his cafe, Jazz ve Kahve, and whisking you away for a night of food and traditional Middle Eastern music. Inside a room filled with Persian carpets, locals will be listening to the melody of a ney (a Turkish wind instrument) intertwining with that of a Syrian lute-like oud in a 19th-Century Armenian mansion overlooking a scenic courtyardstrewn with dangling lights.
"Gaziantep is a city at a crossroads in the heart of old Mesopotamia. When they were under the same empire, Armenians, Turks and Arabs all coexisted peacefully," said Murad Uçaner, the ponytailed cafe's owner. "In these few square metres, we are trying to revive that ancient vibe."
In the past few years, Uçaner's intimate cafe has become an institution in Gaziantep – one of the cities impacted by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the Turkish-Syrian border in February 2023. Several buildings around this old Armenian neighbourhood of Kayacık were damaged or collapsed, but Jazz ve Kahve is still standing, and Uçaner is motivated to preserve its legacy.
"This is not just a place where people eat and drink," he said. "It is also a place where people from different cultures and countries meet, exchange information and get to know each other's cultures."
The story of Jazz Kahve goes back to 2017 when Uçaner, a historian, translator and novelist, became fascinated with the history of Armenians in Gaziantep. While noticing the construction of more and more high-rise buildings across the city, Kayacık's cobbled streets and Ottoman konak residences made him feel nostalgic for a past he wanted to revive.
Uçaner researched archival footage of the area and stumbled on a photograph taken in 1907 whose caption mentioned it was an Armenian house. As Uçaner explained, not only is the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks that took place during World War One something that is generally denied in Turkey, but he never learned that Gaziantep was once home to a thriving Armenian, Kurdish and Arab population. "It made me question the accuracy of the history they teach us," Uçaner said. "I discovered that even though Armenians survived for thousands of years in these lands, there have been attempts to erase the memory of their presence here."
Ümit Kurt, a Middle East historian and the author of the book The Armenians of Aintab: The Economics of Genocide in an Ottoman Province, explained that approximately 32,000 Armenians lived in Gaziantep before WW1, but as the war intensified, most were deported to Syria and other nations to remove this non-Muslim ethnic group from Anatolia.
For nearly a century since the war's end, most of these families' homes were left abandoned and in ruins. But after Gaziantep was named Turkey's capital of gastronomy in 2015, many of these crumbling buildings were transformed into cafes and hotels in an effort to draw tourists while preserving the architectural heritage of the city.
Inspired to take part in the city's collective urban renewal, Uçaner hatched a plan to combine his love of history and music.
"For 10 years, he dreamt about opening a cafe, but he was worried he would have had to leave his job in translation," said Murad's sister, Mujgan Şahin, who helps him run the cafe. "One day I stumbled upon an abandoned Armenian building dating back to the 1890s. I encouraged Murad to rent it."
After a year-long restoration, Jazz ve Kahve's (which means "jazz and coffee") opened in 2018. Uçaner never had to leave his full-time job, and the cafe has become a hub for the city's intellectuals, who come to share knowledge about Gaziantep's shared Turkish, Armenian and Syrian history.
After knocking at the silver door, visitors walk by the building's 19th-Century frescoes and engravings in the Armenian alphabetas Uçaner explains the area's unique history. Sometimes, he even guides guests around the neighbourhood to see similar examples of Gaziantep's multi-ethnic past, such as the Papirus Cafe, which was once the house of a prominent Armenian politician. Guests are then treated to Turkish and Arabic music and can order Turkish teas or wines alongside traditional Syrian food that was once commonly eaten in Gaziantep under Ottoman rule, such as muhammara (walnuts and roasted red peppers) and mutabbal (aubergine dip).
Ironically, the recent earthquakes that struck the region have made the cafe's role as a cultural meeting point even more symbolic.
When Uçaner was jolted awake by the earthquake (whose epicentre was near Gaziantep) that February morning, he was scared to see if his cafe was still standing. Hours later, he saw that the minaret and dome of the city's famous Liberation Mosque (which was formerly an Armenian church) located just in front of his cafe were in ruins.
"It was almost like a heartbreak," Uçaner said. The region's seismic capacity had destroyed much of its rich history, and he feared Gaziantep's culture and past may one day be forgotten. As such, Uçaner says he now feels his role as one of the custodians of Gaziantep's fading multicultural past is more important than ever.
Gaziantep's famous Liberation Mosque was formerly an Armenian church and was destroyed in the recent earthquake (Credit: Carola Cappellari)
"It is important to preserve the memory and transform it into a lesson for future generations to not hate your neighbour, because we were all one population once," Uçaner said. "These buildings speak for us, and they need to be protected and repurposed to be part of our present."
Since the 1970s, Gaziantep has grown from a 120,000-person town of primarily ethnic Turks to a bustling two-million-person metropolis – and much of this growth is due to the Syrian civil war. Thanks in large part to its location along the southern border with Syria, Gaziantep has absorbed an estimated 500,000 Syrian refugees fleeing the nearby conflict. Despite the fact that Syrians once peacefully co-existed here with Turks and Armenians, the recent influx of Arabic-speaking residents has led to tensions.
Yet, Uçaner hopes his secret jazz cafe can not only preserve the memory of a more cosmopolitan Gaziantep but serve as a bridge connecting its past with its present. In recent years, it has displayed photo exhibits documenting the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis and hosted panels and lectures about the city's multicultural past.
In 2021, Uçaner and several customers – including a sociologist, an urbanist and a musician – also launched the project Memory of Anteb to highlight the architectural and cultural legacy of Armenians and Muslims who once lived in Gaziantep.
"The history of Gaziantep was written by official historians in line with the denial policy of the country. We wanted to rewrite that history in a more peaceful present," Uçaner said.
Today, during lazy summer afternoons or cold winter nights, artists and musicians of all backgrounds come to drink a hot cup of tavsan kani çay (red "rabbit blood tea"), chat and get inspired by music from around the region.
"It's here, playing with other musicians, that I learnt we play the same songs but with different lyrics, depending on our language," said Ezzat Dahman, a Syrian-Palestinian oud player who regularly performs Turkish and Syrian music at the cafe. "That shows just how similar our cultures are and how many things in common we have."
Dahman had the idea to launch his own music project at the cafe, called Music Against Racism, to bring Turks, Syrians and Kurds closer together. "The idea will be to play Syrian and Turkish traditional songs that have the same melody together, to foster mutual understanding."
Regular customers are also treated to Turkish folk music, which bears traces of Arab and Armenian melodies. "We like to discover new forms of music we had never been accustomed to, like jazz or classic," said customer Irem Deniz Adali, holding a glass of Suryani red wine, typical of south-eastern Turkey, as she tapped the wooden table to the rhythm of an old folk song. "But what's even more beautiful is how this place gives us a chance to revive the old, diverse, festive past of this region."
The earthquake may have temporarily stopped these gatherings, but they quickly returned in full force as the building didn't suffer any major structural damage. "If you're aware of a place's past, its community can move forward to build a more peaceful present," Uçaner smiled, before welcoming a few other guests at the door.
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20231027-a-turkish-secret-hiding-in-plain-sight
Armenpress: Approaches in Armenia-Diaspora relations radically changed: Sinanyan
16:13,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenian High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan believes that many of the problems facing Armenia today have a legal component. Given that the Armenian Diaspora has a great legal potential in almost all fields, using the potential of lawyers to address issues related to the Armenian agenda can yield significant results.
Sinanyan mentioned that the organization of the forum entitled "For Armenian Interests and the Rule of Law" in Yerevan, along with all the events organized by the commissioner's office, pursue one goal that is to involve the Armenian potential in the common domestic activities of Armenia.
"Our primary objective is to establish networks, in this case between lawyers and professionals whose work is connected to the field of law.
In terms of collaboration, several key components are of great significance. First, the direction should be clarified through joint discussions with colleagues.
Secondly, the coordination of collaborative work, and thirdly, the proper utilization of work results are very important. Our work style involves applying the principle of cooperation to address all issues," said Sinanyan.
"In the past, Armenia-Diaspora relations were primarily focused on charity, involving the giving and receiving of material support, which proved to be destructive for all parties in the long term. However, over the last 3-4 years, there has been a significant shift in approach, focusing on the collaborative efforts to carry out vital ideas.
"When we speak of strength, we don't refer solely to financial resources. In this sense, the Diaspora has great potential, but the most important thing is to use the professional capabilities of our compatriots. This enables them to share the burden and responsibility equally in building our statehood because Armenia represents the aspirations of all Armenians," added Sinanyan.
''We all aspire for Armenia to become a country governed by the rule of law," concluded the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs.
Tigran Avinyan elected Mayor of Yerevan
11:30,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Tigran Avinyan has been elected Mayor of Yerevan.
Avinyan, representing the ruling Civil Contract party, passed a confirmation vote unopposed on Tuesday during the new City Council’s first session.
37 city councilors participated in the voting. Avinyan received 32 votes in favor and 5 against.
Only 37 city councilors (24 from Civil Contract, 5 from Public Voice party and 8 from Hanrapetutyun (Republic) party) were in attendance at the session. The Public Voice and Hanrapetutyun did not nominate any candidate for mayor.
The Mother Armenia bloc and National Progress party boycotted the session.
[see video]
Armenpress: 6104 children forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh continue their education in Armenia
20:31, 4 October 2023
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. 6104out of more than 21,000 school-age children forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh continue their education in various educational institutions of the Republic of Armenia. As Armenpress reports, Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan announced this at the press conference held at the "Humanitarian Center" on October 4.
According to the distribution, the picture is as follows. In Aragatsotn: 306, Ararat: 943, Armavir: 467, Gegharkunik: 294, Lori: 315, Kotayk: 1033, Shirak: 216, Syunik: 216, VayotsDzor: 108, Tavush: 158, in Yerevan: 2048 children are already in schools, informed the minister.
She assured that the number will increase in the coming days, and soon they will be able to ensure the continuity of education for all school-aged children in Armenia.
The minister reminded that the children are provided with stationery. Textbooks are also provided free of charge.
Ethnic Armenian journalist reports from refugee traffic jam
BBC, UK
Oct 1 2023
Oct 1 2023
01:12
Siranush Sargsyan explains what the situation is like in Nagorno-Karabakh as thousands of refugees attempt to cross the border to Armenia.
The reporter from Stepanakert says they've been queuing for 16 hours and remain miles from the border.
More than 100,000 refugees have now arrived in Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh, according to the UN.
Video edited by Gem O'Reilly
Watch the video at
Azerbaijan falsely accuses Armenia of border shooting in renewed disinformation campaign
18:51,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has falsely accused the Armenian military of firing at its troops on the border in a renewed round of disinformation, the Armenian Ministry of Defense warned Saturday.
“The statement disseminated by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan claiming that at noon on September 30, units of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire at the Azerbaijani outposts in the eastern part of the border, as a result of which a serviceman of the Azerbaijani armed forces was killed, is untrue,” the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Armenia urges UN to send mission to Karabakh to monitor rights
FRANCE 24
Sept 24 2023
United Nations (United States) (AFP) – Armenia on Saturday urged the United Nations to send a mission to ensure the safety of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh after the territory was seized back by Azerbaijan, which promised to respect minority rights.
For the second time since the swift Azerbaijani operation in the mountainous territory, the top diplomats of the adversaries clashed at the United Nations as Western powers voiced alarm.
Armenia — where memories remain vivid of mass killings in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire that Armenians, the United States and many historians consider genocide — has accused Turkish ally Azerbaijan of planning ethnic cleansing.
"After failure of preventing genocide in Rwanda, the United Nations managed to create mechanisms for prevention, thus making the 'never again' a meaningful pledge," Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said.
"But today we are at the brink of another failure," he said in a speech to the UN General Assembly.
He called for the United Nations to send a mission immediately to Nagorno-Karabakh to "monitor and assess the human rights, humanitarian and security situation on the ground."
Azerbaijan's foreign minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, had accused Armenia of disinformation when the two top diplomats joined a special Security Council session Thursday.
On Saturday, Bayramov also spoke at the General Assembly and said that Azerbaijan, which is mostly Muslim, would respect the Armenians, who are Christian.
"I wish to reiterate that Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan as equal citizens," Bayramov said.
"We continue to firmly believe that there is a historic opportunity for both Azerbaijan and Armenia to establish good neighborly relations and coexist side by side in peace," Bayramov said.
Russia, which sent peacekeepers after earlier violence in 2020, on Saturday was supervising the disarmament of ethnic Armenian fighters.
If the surrender is completed, it could effectively end a conflict that has erupted periodically since the fall of the Soviet Union.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who had led three rounds of talks seeking a diplomatic solution, voiced "deep concern" for the ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh in a telephone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Blinken told him that the United States is pressing Azerbaijan "to protect civilians and uphold its obligations to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh and to ensure its forces comply with international humanitarian law," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Azerbaijan's swift offensive, which killed some 200 people, has sparked protests in Armenia against Russia, which had been tasked with guaranteeing the truce after the 2020 fighting.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking to reporters at the United Nations, accused Western powers of "pulling the strings" to undermine Moscow but also said, "Unfortunately, the leadership of Armenia from time to time adds fuel to the fire itself."
Lavrov pointed to one senior Armenian politician who said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had handed Nagorno-Karabakh over to Azerbaijan.
"It is ludicrous to accuse us of this," Lavrov said, while adding that he expected Armenians to maintain in Moscow's orbit and not ally with "those who swoop in from abroad."
A declaration signed in 1991 in Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty, then known as Alma-Ata, stated that existing borders of newly independent countries that had been Soviet republics were inviolable.
The declaration "meant that Nagorno-Karabakh was part of Azerbaijan — pure and simple as that," Lavrov said.
Armenian parliament says NATO membership ‘technically, politically’ impossible
TASS
Russia – Sept 7 2023
Sargis Khandanyan also criticized the Collective Security Treaty Organization which, according to him, has "abandoned Armenia"
YEREVAN, September 7. /TASS/. There is no way Armenia can join NATO, owing to "technical and political reasons," Sargis Khandanyan, Head of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and a member of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party, said.
"Armenia is open to cooperation with other countries in the security and defense spheres. As for Armenia’s NATO membership, I don't see how it is possible for technical and political reasons, and the Armenian government has never talked about wanting to be a member," he said at a briefing.
At the same time, Khandanyan criticized the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which, according to him, has "abandoned Armenia." The lawmaker also said that Yerevan has "many questions" for Moscow.
On September 4, Gunther Fehlinger, chair of the European Committee for NATO Enlargement, called on Armenia to join the alliance. Later that day, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan said that his country cooperated with NATO in various formats and that it was ready to continue this process.
On September 6, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko called Fehlinger’s remarks about Armenia needing to join NATO a "grand fantasy." According to him, Moscow proceeds from the reality that Armenia is a member of the CSTO and intends to "further strengthen military and political cooperation" with its ally.
Earlier, the Armenian Defense Ministry announced that joint military exercises between Armenia and the US entitled Eagle Partner 2023 will be held on the territory of Armenia on September 11-20. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that Moscow has expressed its concern to Yerevan over the decision to hold exercises with the US. The diplomat pointed out that Armenia, as a member of the CSTO, "in the spirit of alliance and partnership, should stick to conducting exercises with those who are members of this alliance."