Author: Jhanna Virabian

Magnitude 4.7 earthquake strikes Armenia

Jhanna Virabian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 5 2021

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake rattled Armenia at 19:36 local time (15:36 Greenwich time), the National Survey for Seismic Protection reports.

The quake struck 5 km northeast of the village of Shorzha in Gegharkunik province.

The earthquake measured 6-7 at the epicenter. It was felt in Gegharkunik, Kotayk, Tavush, Lori and Ararat provinces and Yerevan.

Turkish press: Turkey, US agree to increase efforts to solve S-400 row

Jhanna Virabian
 ISTANBUL DIPLOMACY 
FEB 02, 2021 7:34 PM GMT+3
Russian servicemen stand next to a new S-400 surface-to-air missile system after its deployment at a military base outside the town of Gvardeysk near Kaliningrad, Russia on March 11, 2019. (Reuters Photo)

Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın and the U.S.’ new national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, had a phone call late Tuesday, a statement from the Turkish Presidency said, underlining that officials agreed to increase efforts to solve the S-400 row. The call had marked the first diplomatic dialogue between the Biden government and Ankara.

Ties between NATO allies Turkey and the United States were badly strained in 2019 over Ankara’s acquisition of the advanced S-400 Russian air defense system, prompting Washington to remove Turkey from its F-35 Lightning II jet program.

The U.S. argued that the system could be used by Russia to covertly obtain classified details on the Lockheed Martin F-35 jets and is incompatible with NATO systems. Turkey, however, insists that the S-400 would not be integrated into NATO systems and would not pose a threat to the alliance. Defense Minister Akar also said that the S-400 will not be integrated into NATO systems.

Kalın and Sullivan also discussed other issues between the countries, such as the U.S.' support for the YPG/PKK terrorist group.

The officials further exchanged views regarding regional developments, namely the conflicts in Syria, Libya and Afghanistan; the Cyprus issue and the Nagorno-Karabakh region which saw Azerbaijan taking back its territories formerly occupied by Armenian forces.

Kalın also congratulated Sullivan for his new post, the statement said.

With regards to the conflicts in Syria and Libya, the officials underlined the importance of political solutions and commitment to fight terror groups.

The two further underlined hope that the exploratory talks between Turkey and Greece will result in peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The officials expressed commitment to improving the bilateral relations between Turkey and the U.S. as two NATO allies.

Armenia opposition movement’s PM candidate: Russian-Armenians say they will make big investments if Pashinyan resigns

Jhanna Virabian
News.am, Armenia
Jan 26 2021      
Armenia opposition movement's PM candidate: Russian-Armenians say they will make big investments if Pashinyan resigns
14:57, 26.01.2021

By losing Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), we Armenians lost 100 megawatts of electricity, 100 hectares of grazing fields, 315,000 hectares of grassy fields and more. This is what Vazgen Manukyan, candidate of the opposition Homeland Salvation Movement for Prime Minister of Armenia, said during a meeting with residents in Ararat Province where he was asked what he will do to improve the country’s economic situation after he becomes Prime Minister.

“Armenia’s GDP dropped by 7%, and it was due to not only the war, but also the coronavirus. The budget isn’t being performed, and social expenditures have increased significantly. I can take many steps to boost the economy, but the important thing is to invest funds in Armenia, and the funds can be collected from Diaspora Armenians, particularly the Armenians of Russia who said they can make big investments in Armenia, if Nikol Pashinyan resigns. There can also be funds collected from financial donors at low interest rates. However, it is also necessary to develop the economy. There are also several programs for agriculture that haven’t been implemented to this day,” Manukyan said, adding that he will talk more openly when the programs are presented.


Armenia’s healthcare ministry assesses situation over COVID-19 stable

Jhanna Virabian

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 14:12,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. The situation over COVID-19 is stable in Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports the healthcare ministry of Armenia said.

For decreasing the risk of the spread of the virus the quarantine regime has been prolonged by another 6 months, but some limitations have been lifted or eased.

The ministry urges the citizens to observe anti-epidemic rules.

The number of active cases is 7593.

3 more bodies of fallen servicemen found during search operations, says Artsakh

Jhanna Virabian

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 10:55,

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. 3 more bodies of fallen servicemen have been found during the search operations in the battle zones, in particular in Jabrayil and Vorotan (Kubatlu) sections, official of the State Emergency Service of Artsakh Hunan Tadevosyan told Armenpress.

“2 of the bodies were found in Jabrayil. They have not been identified, for that purpose forensic examination will be conducted. The other dead serviceman has been identified by a person who accompanied the search group.

So far, a total of 1238 bodies of fallen servicemen and civilians have been found during the search operations.

Today, the search operations are being conducted in Fizuli, Hadrut and Jabrayil directions”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Arman Tatoyan, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Reports Bluntly About The Country’s Security Concerns

Jhanna Virabian
The Blunt Post
Jan 10 2021
Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Reports Bluntly
 About The Country’s Security Concerns
 
Azerbaijan & Turkey Continue To Threaten Artsakh And Armenia
 
By Vic Gerami
 
Arman Tatoyan, the Human Rights Defender of Armenia visited and carried out surveys in the Syunik region of the Republic of Armenia, town of Kapan, as well as other towns and villages recently.
 
Some Background
 
From September 27 to November 10, the Armenian Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in the South Caucasus was exposed to a genocidal assault at the hands of Azerbaijan and Turkey. The entire world watched while the aggressors committed many crimes and indiscriminately shelled the indigenous lands of Armenians.
 
Turkey also sent Azerbaijan mercenaries from Syria with known affiliations to Islamic radical groups. This was confirmed by a recent United Nations report, as well as by the testimonies of many Syrian mercenaries and reports by international media outlets.
 
Together with Azerbaijani military forces, they perpetrated war crimes against Armenians. They murdered civilians, injured journalists and targeted homes, forests, hospitals, churches and cultural centers, among other non-military targets. They used white phosphorus and cluster munitions in violation of international law. At least 90,000 Armenians were forced to abandon their ancestral lands in Artsakh as a result.
 
The war finally halted after 45 days because of the Russia-brokered agreement imposed on Armenia.
 
Arman Tatoyan’s Statement

 
Our visits continued today in the town of Kapan, Syunik region of the Republic of Armenia, Agarak, Yeghvard, Chakaten and other villages.
 
Surveys were carried out in the areas of the runways of the administrative building of Kapan airport, in the immediate vicinity of which are the Azerbaijani locations. Studies show that there are dangers not only for the Kapan airport, but also for the interstate movement from Kapan to Yerevan (M2) and several residential areas in the city of Kapan.
 
During a visit to Kapan Airport in the above-mentioned villages, the on-the-spot Google and several other versions of online maps showed different results, including in some cases the road from Kapan to Chakaten village, as well as the road from Kapan Airport to Kapan Airport. The sections in which the Azerbaijani forces are deployed, appeared to be representing to be within the exclusive territory of the Republic of Armenia (RA).
 
Today’s visits of the Human Rights Defender to the city and villages of Kapan show that as a result of the approaches and methods used thus far, and especially the mechanical use of Global Positioning System (GPS) or Google maps, there are serious threats to the right to life and security of border residents, for their physical security, for their mental health and immunity, and for other rights of vital importance guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, some of which have already been grossly violated. The security of the RA state borders is endangered.
 
By mechanical application of these principles, various sections of the road from Kapan to Chakaten and other villages have come under Azerbaijani control, which has put the movement of civilians in real danger. At the same time, it must be considered that this road is absolutely necessary for the security of the villages of Chakaten, Shikahogh, Srashen, Nerkin Hand, Tsav, and for the vital rights of the inhabitants in the region.
 
In addition, for example, in Chakaten, Agarak and Yeghvard, people have simply been deprived of the opportunity to support themselves, and of the use of the agricultural lands owned by them, and of their rights (for example, for private or economic purposes as a garden, arable land, or pasture). Moreover, these infringements also refer to such lands, for which the certificates confirming the state registration of such rights, including property rights, were issued either by Soviet Armenia, or by the competent bodies of different periods of the Independent Republic of Armenia (Cadastre Committee, etc.).
 
All the while, international rules of delimitation directly require that when determining the state borders of a country, priority should be given to the rights of border residents, their real estate and/or other property. It is of critical necessity to ascertain in advance the persons who will be deprived of their rights, to their apartments, lands, private business interests and objectives, and other property due to the border demarcation process. It must be borne in mind that they have a just right to compensation.
 
One of the priority tasks of the state in the process of determining the borders is to solve the issues of ensuring the safe use of forests and forest resources, as well as water resources necessary for the vital needs of the border residents.
 
Therefore, the current approaches, and especially with respect to matters of resolving the issues of Armenia’s borders through GPS [Global Positioning] system or Google (private) applications which endanger the inviolability of Armenia’s state borders and security, and to ensure the rights of people living in our country and especially those of our border residents, such a frame of reference which has been utilized thus far, is absolutely unacceptable.
 
Today’s meetings of the Human Rights Defender with the residents of the border villages, the discussions and studies with the community bodies confirm that the Azerbaijani military regularly appears on different sections of the roads connecting the mentioned populated regions of the Republic of Armenia and does so in a provocative manner to intimidate the residents of these communities.
 
The various research of the Human Rights Defender’s staff show that in Kapan, Agarak, Yeghvard and other settlements which have been transformed to border areas, the residents do not have credible information pertaining to the determination of the borders and their respective rights. This creates uncertainty, and it creates an atmosphere of alarm and anxiety among civilians.
 
During today’s visit, important meetings were held with the Mayor of Kapan, Yeghvard, Agarak, and heads of several other rural communities, community bodies, and the residents of these communities, as well as the staff of the RA Armed Forces and the NSS border troops.
 
During today’s visits, the Human Rights Defender’s Office also obtained the relevant facts necessary for the protection of human rights in specific situations, in connection with which separate summaries will be made and the necessary measures will be taken.
 

Armenian PM wishes success to Cabinet members in getting country out of crisis situation

Jhanna Virabian

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 11:22,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. During the first session of the Armenian government in 2021 Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wished success to all members of the Cabinet.

“I wish you all good luck in this difficult period in order to be able to properly fulfill our duties and get the country out of the crisis situation. For this purpose we need to make special efforts and bring a special mutual partnership and new governance quality to our country, to the Cabinet”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

De-occupation of Artsakh territories, safe return of IDPs a priority for Armenia – Foreign Minister

Jhanna Virabian
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 14 2021
Armenia is worried about periodic violation of key provisions of the the trilateral statement on Nagorno Karabakh by Azerbaijan, Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian said at a meeting with members of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Relations.
 
“He said the violations are primarily related to the 1st and 8th points, according to which the parties remain on the positions occupied at the moment of signing of the statement, fully cease the fire and return the prisoners of war and other detainees,” the Foreign Minister said.
 
According to the Minister, in some cases these violations have been interrelated. “For example the attack in the Hin Tagher-Khtsaberd direction in Hadrut region capturing of 64 Armenian servicemen.”
 
“The false charges brought against the Armenian servicemen and launching of criminal cases not only violate the trilateral statement, but also the Geneva Conventions,” the Foreign Minister stated.
 
He noted that these factors do not contribute to trust-building efforts in the region, as implementation of commitments is the most important guarantee for building trust.
 
“Armenia pursues the issues of return of POWs on the highest level, and Armenian Prime Minister declared about this during the trilateral meeting in Moscow on January 11. Armenia will maintain efforts towards ensuring the return of all captives, finding out the fate of the missing,” the Foreign Minister said.
 
He added that in this regard the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is cooperating with international partners, coordinating the steps with other relevant bodies.
“As a party to the trilateral statement of January 11, Armenia made it clear that it is ready to take steps for the mutually beneficial utilization of the transport and infrastructure capacities of the region, but we need reciprocal trust to move forward,” Minister Aivazian said.
 
He emphasized that the existing situation in the region is a result of use of force and added that no conflict in the world has ever been settled through use of force.
 
“The use of force can shape a new stage in the conflict, but will not solve the conflict. Only a negotiated, political solution that will respect everyone’s rights will pave the way for eliminating the reasons and consequences of the war, and bring lasting peace and reconciliation to the South Caucasus,” the Foreign Minister added.
 
According to him the right of the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination is at the core of settlement of the Karabakh conflict, and Armenia will continue to pursue the realization of that right.
 
“Armenia is ready to continue the process of peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict under the aegis of the OSCE Minsk Group and their countries, based on the part of the basic principles and elements not addressed in the November 9 statement,” the Foreign Minister said.
 
He stressed that a priority for Armenia is the de-occupation of Artsakh territories, and ensuring conditions for the safe return of displaced Armenians to their homes.
 
Given the previous experience of consistent destruction of Armenian cultural heritage, the protection of Armenian cultural and religious heritage on the territories under Azerbaijani control should be an important part of the peace process.
 
“Appropriation or distortion of the history and values of the Armenian people, violation of its rights cannot shape a good future for our region,” Minister Ara Aivazian said.
 
He said addressing humanitarian issues in Artsakh and the direct involvement of international partners, particularly the UN, is another priority in this stage.
 
 

Ruling faction head says return of Armenian POWs from Azerbaijan remains a priority

Jhanna Virabian

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 14:37,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Head of the ruling My Step faction of the Armenian Parliament Lilit Makunts says the issue of the return of Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan remains a priority.

“This is a vital issue and all efforts must be made at all possible channels for solving this humanitarian issue”, she told reporters in the Parliament.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: Delayed Resolution and Russia’s Interests

Jhanna Virabian
VALDAI Discussion Club
Jan 13 2021
 
 
13.01.2021/
Sergey Markedonov
It is extremely important for Moscow to navigate between Scylla and Charybdis, maintaining a balance in relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as with Turkey and Iran, and with partners in the OSCE Minsk Group. There is no rational need to create additional tensions with the West over Karabakh until (and if) the United States and its allies begin to revise the currently fragile consensus with Russia, Valdai Club expert Sergey Markedonov writes.
 
The trilateral meeting of Vladimir Putin, Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan, dedicated to the implementation of the joint statement on the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, in addition to its substantive nature, is a symbolic event. It shows that, despite the radical change in the status quo in the Caucasus region which happened at the end of last year, the resolution of the long-standing ethno-political conflict in the year of 2021 remains an urgent task, directly both for Baku and Yerevan, as well as for Moscow. And this process is not an easy one.
 
Non-absolute results  
 
 
The entire dynamics of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has repeatedly confirmed the correctness of Carl von Clausewitz’s formula that the outcome of a war never represents something absolute. “Even the final decision of a whole war is not always to be regarded as absolute. The conquered state often sees in it only a passing evil, which may be repaired in after times by means of political combinations,” wrote the famed military theorist. In 1994, many in Yerevan and Stepanakert thought that the defeat of Azerbaijan and the loss of territories both in the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAO) and around it would at the very least lead to a long-standing, if not final, state of affairs. The Armenians were confident that the world, over time, would just get used to the new status quo, as had happened in Cyprus. However, the events of 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016 and especially 2020 revealed the illusion of these assertions. The military-political situation in Karabakh has changed radically. The former “line of contact” has disappeared; not only the seven districts surrounding the former NKAO, but a number of territories that were previously part of it (Shusha, the villages of Hadrut, the Martuni and Mardakert districts) have fallen under Baku’s control. And today, representatives of the Azerbaijani establishment are already talking about the conflict in Karabakh in the past tense, focusing almost exclusively on socio-economic plans to restore destroyed and neglected territories. Meanwhile, conclusions about the “end of history” regarding one of the most dramatic conflicts in the former Soviet Union today look at least premature.
  
Status quo again?  
 
  
What else has not been “solved” in the Armenian-Azerbaijani confrontation? First of all, one should pay attention to the fact that the document signed on November 9, 2020, by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia, is not a political agreement, as journalists often call it. This is a joint statement by the leaders of the three countries, aimed at ending the military confrontation. It stipulates only one of the “baskets” of the peace process — the de-occupation of territories outside the former NKAO. But the second “basket” — the status of the disputed region, which, in fact, served as a trigger of the conflict in its time, is not considered. It is not even mentioned. The reason for this silence is obvious. At the stage when the priority task was to suspend hostilities, it was impossible to raise such a question as a precondition for a ceasefire. This would inevitably doom the peace initiative to failure. It would simply repeat the fate of the three previous proposals put forth by Russia, France and the United States.
 
However, this issue has not disappeared from the settlement agenda, as evidenced by the statement by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan following a trilateral meeting in Moscow on January 11, 2021. On the contrary, Azerbaijan considers this issue to be actually resolved, identifying the status problem with the restoration of territorial integrity. It should also be kept in mind that Pashinyan’s persistence is largely due to the internal political situation in Armenia. Dissatisfaction with Yerevan’s concessions to Baku remains too great. And there is still a solution to the issue of the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, which was sharply actualised after the second Karabakh war. The possibility of new, even meagre territorial concessions creates additional risks for Pashinyan. However, this story is not limited to individual politicians.
 
Finding a solution beyond the truce  
  
This means that it is extremely important to work out some kind of comprehensive agreement that will extend beyond the suspension of hostilities. At first glance, it already exists. These are the “basic principles” that became the basis for the 2009 negotiations. But they were adopted under the old status quo, and a significant part of them were implemented, although not at the negotiating table, but during the course of hostilities. For the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, peacekeepers have appeared in Karabakh. Their role is positively assessed, both in Baku and in Yerevan. However, their mandate is limited to five years, which, for example, was not the case in Abkhazia, South Ossetia or Transnistria. Obviously, Yerevan and Baku are pinning diametrically opposite hopes on the Russian mission. Today we see, on the one hand, the integration of the territories around the NKAO into Azerbaijan, and on the other, the preservation of the infrastructure of the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, albeit in a reduced form. Its own administration operates on its territory, personnel reshuffles are carried out, and plans for the future are being drawn up outside the jurisdiction of Baku. By themselves, such collisions will not disappear. The differing views of large external players on how to arrange Karabakh won’t disappear either. While Russia, Iran and Turkey would prefer to interact with each other and that the involvement of “Western partners” remained minimal, the three Eurasian giants have assessed the prospects of the Caucasus and their participation in resolving the problems of this region differently. Thus, along with the remaining Armenian-Azerbaijani contradictions (the final status of Karabakh plus a new border delimitation), the geopolitical factor also has a significant “added value”. Amid these conditions, the search for a solution outside the framework of a military ceasefire will take place.
  
Russia: Balance of Interests as a Way to Strengthen Leadership in the Caucasus
 
After Russia managed to stop the military conflict and take the lead in the negotiation process under the new status quo, the collective West, as a player in Karabakh affairs, was quickly discounted by many. However, the more active involvement of the United States and its allies does not seem like a completely closed topic. Today Washington and Paris (the two co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group) are watching Moscow’s activity and leadership positions. However, this is far from passive observance. Suffice it to look at the recent initiative of the US Congress regarding Karabakh, addressed to the Director of American National Intelligence.  
 
Any failure of Russia in the Caucasus, caused both by the deterioration of relations between Moscow and Baku or Yerevan, and by the confrontation with Turkey, will be used to increase interference in the Caucasian regional agenda.
 
 And that is why today the Russian side is striving so hard not only to talk about the resolution of the conflict, but also to tie the parties to the conflict to the search for an effective peaceful solution through joint economic projects. Any repetition of the Georgian scenarios on Karabakh soil is fraught with more complex and intricate formats for the internationalisation of the region in comparison with the confrontation between Russia and NATO. And in this regard, it is extremely important for Moscow to navigate between Scylla and Charybdis, maintaining a balance in relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as with Turkey and Iran, and with partners in the OSCE Minsk Group. There is no rational need to create additional tensions with the West over Karabakh until (and if) the United States and its allies begin to revise the currently fragile consensus with Russia.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/nagorno-karabakh-conflict-delayed-resolution/