On August 9, the body of private Erik Gharsyan (born in 2003) was found in the firing position of one of the military units located in the north-eastern direction of the republic.
The soldier had a gunshot wound in the chest.
An investigation is under way to clarify the circumstances of the incident.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday discussed the recent escalation of tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in a phone call with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, TASS reported, citing the Azerbaijani presidential office. The phone talk took place at the initiative of the French side.
"Emmanuel Macron expressed concern over the recent escalation of tensions in the region, stressing the importance of maintaining dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the implementation of the provisions of the November 10, 2020 trilateral statement. He said that France is ready to support the continuation of the dialogue between the two countries," the statement said.
In his turn, Aliyev provided Macron with false information about the August 3 ceasefire violation, concealing the large-scale attack on the Artsakh military positions by the Azerbaijani troops. The Defense Army of the Artsakh Republic inflicted losses on the enemy while defending the line of contact. Aliyev falsely claimed that the offensive had been launched by the Artsakh defense forces.
Aliyev also assured Macron that Armenia had not withdrawn its troops from Artsakh, whereas the last conscripted soldiers had been demobilized from Artsakh before the Azerbaijani attack on August 3.
The Azerbaijani readout of the phone call makes it clear that the two discussed the implementation of the clauses of the November 9 trilateral statement which Azerbaijan is interested in, whereas it makes no mention of the return of prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons envisaged by the statement. Judging by the Azerbaijani statement, Macron probably forgot to address the matter as well.
The Azerbaijani leader also stated that according to an agreement reached with the Russian Defense Ministry in accordance with the trilateral statement of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia, the alternative route to the Lachin corridor has been determined and Azerbaijan is completing the road construction.
However, the November 9 trilateral statement says nothing of the sort. Clause 6 of the statement reads: “The Lachin corridor (5 km wide), which will provide a link between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia and at the same time will not affect the city of Shushi, shall remain under the control of the peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation. The parties have agreed that a plan for the construction of a new route along the Lachin corridor shall be determined within the next three years, providing communication between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, with the subsequent redeployment of Russian peacekeeping troops to protect this route.”
Some statements suggest that in addition to the signed documents there were also verbal agreements, but in international relations, especially when it comes to such sensitive issues, they cannot serve as a basis for conflict settlement.
19:24, 4 August 2022
YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. As of 19:00 on August 4, the operational-tactical situation along the contact line is relatively stable. No significant violations were registered during the day, ARMENPRESS reports the Information Headquarters of Artsakh informs about this.
"With the mediation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in Artsakh, continuous steps are being taken to defuse the situation," the source writes.
17:38, 2 August 2022
YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin reported.
PM Pashinyan and President Putin discussed “individual practical aspects of implementation of the 2020 November 9, 2021 January 11 and November 26 trilateral agreements between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on Nagorno Karabakh.”
An agreement was reached to continue contacts on various levels.
19:10, 3 August 2022
YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. The Polish Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is "extremely concerned about reports of armed incidents and casualties in the South Caucasus", ARMENPRESS reports the Chairmanship of the OSCE Poland announced this on its official Twitter page.
"We call on Armenia and Azerbaijan to take all necessary measures to bring de-escalation and resume dialogue. We remain committed to support all efforts aimed at consolidating peace in the region," the Polish presidency said in a statement.
The tension in Nagorno-Karabakh started on August 1, when, according to the Artsakh Defense Army, Azerbaijani units resorted to provocation in a number of parts of the northern and northwestern border zone of the Artsakh Republic starting at 09:00 in the morning, trying to cross the contact line. As a result of the Azerbaijani provocation, the serviceman Albert Bakhshiyan was injured. Aggressive actions of the Azerbaijani side continued in the following days. On August 3, around 3:00 p.m., Azerbaijani units launched a new attack in the northwestern direction of the contact line, using attack drones, as a result of which two servicemen of the Artsakh Defense Army were killed, and 14 more servicemen were wounded in various degrees.
Karen (Gahren) Stepani Hovanissyan (1996-2020)
Karen (Gahren) Stepani Hovanissyan was a proud soldier who loved his homeland. He had already served his nation, but he volunteered his expertise to defend her again during the 44-Day War.
Hovanissyan was born on May 17, 1996 in Yerevan, Armenia. His childhood was filled with love and warmth. His older brother Mikhayel was two years his senior. He was a stellar student and beloved by all of his teachers.
Karen (Gahren) Stepani Hovanissyan as a young boy
His smile would brighten everyone’s days. He was dedicated to his family and very close to his father. When he was 11 years old, he experienced the devastating loss of his father. Both boys, ages 11 and 13 then, had to mature rather quickly. Their mother Melania raised her children to be strong and valiant Armenian men. Her eldest is 28 years old now and has two beautiful children of his own—a daughter named Melania (Karen chose her name) and a one-year-old son named after our hero, Karen (Gahren). Baby number three is on the way.
Melania and her son Karen (Gahren)
Hovanissyan graduated with a degree in architecture. He was a kind and sweet son. He loved to play soccer and swim. He had a love of learning and was enamored by Armenian writers like Sevak, Charents and Komitas. He served in Armenia’s Armed Forces from 2015 to 2017 in Armavir and then Vayk. He was known for his discipline, dedication and service and received many honors and medals.
Karen (Gahren) Stepani Hovanissyan with his older brother Mikhayel
On September 29, 2020, he began his service in Artsakh. He fought heroically for his homeland and its people. He was martyred on October 2, 2020 and posthumously awarded the Medal of Valor (Ariootion) and Medal of Service.
Melania visiting her son’s grave
In his honor, there is a khachkar in the courtyard of his home, where people visit to pay their respects to the brave soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Brave, kind son of Armenia, may you rest in peace. We will never forget you and will continue your mission for the homeland.
ArmInfo.The results of the Russia, Iranian and Turkish presidents' meeting in Tehran will provide answers to many questions, including ones concerning the South Caucasus and Armenia, political engineer Vigen Hakobyan said in an interview with ArmInfo.
"Of course, the three regional leaders discuss Armenia-related issues as well, for instance, unblocking regional transport links, etc. The visits the chiefs of the Iranian, U.S. and Russian special services paid to Armenia are part of most serious geopolitical processes – not only regional, but also global ones – involving Iran," Mr Hakobyan said.
On July 19, the Russia, Turkish and Iranian presidents held a meeting in Tehran. Following the trilateral talks, they adopted a joint statement re-affirming their commitment to strengthening their cooperation.
In question is no less than establishment of new rules of the game and, consequently, a new world order as part of the process started with the Ukraine crisis on February 24. The main centers of power are step-by- step entering the "operational" stage in the ongoing geopolitical processes, with prospects of reaching the global level.
"Relevant political decisions have either been adopted in Tehran or have been outlined. In Yerevan, the chiefs of the Iranian, U.S. and Russian intelligence services 'synchronized watches' in the context of all the processes. I am not at all ruling out visits to Yerevan by representatives of other intelligence agencies. Russia is Armenia's strategic ally, and our country is seeking partnership with the United States, bordering on Iran and, as a CSTO member-state, is seeking to open the border with Turkey, a NATO member-state. Geopolitics is inextricably interwoven with geoeconomy. I think these factors are sufficient for the chiefs of intelligence agencies to meet in Yerevan, not anywhere else," Mr Hakobyan said.
Artsakh's State Service for the Protection of Historical Environment has posted a video about the city of Tigranakert currently occupied by Azerbaijan.
"As long as it is not accessible and is temporarily occupied, we decided to organize a virtual tour of the Tigranakert State Historical and Cultural Reserve for our followers and not only,” the service said in a Facebook post.
15:07,
YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.
The meeting was held in a closed format for the press.
The Azerbaijani FM is in Brussels on an official visit.