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Author: Lena Karagyozian

NATO is committed to peace and stability in the South Caucasus – Pashinyan receives NATO Secretary General’s Special Rep

Lena Karagyozian

NATO is committed to peace and stability in the South Caucasus – Pashinyan receives NATO Secretary General's Special Rep

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 18:33,

YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Javier Colomina, ARMENPRESS was infomred from the Office of the Prime Minister.

Welcoming Mr. Colomina’s visit, the Prime Minister noted that Armenia attaches importance to the partnership with NATO, especially within the framework of peacekeeping missions and is interested in deepening it. Touching upon the regional situation, Nikol Pashinyan noted that it is quite tense, and Armenia is taking steps to resolve the existing problems, considering necessary the support of international partners to that process.

Javier Colomina, thanking for the reception, noted that Armenia is an important partner for the NATO and conveyed the greetings of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to the Prime Minister of Armenia. He stressed that the North Atlantic Alliance highly appreciates the activities of Armenian peacekeepers in the Kosovo peacekeeping mission, and his visit is an opportunity to discuss the prospects of partnership, as well as regional developments. Mr. Colomina noted that NATO is committed to peace and stability in the South Caucasus and is ready to assist in that process.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the Armenia-NATO partnership. The sides also touched upon regional and international security issues and the situation around Nagorno Karabakh.

 

The Prime Minister presented Armenia's positions on the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the unblocking of communication routes, and the Armenia-Turkey dialogue process. Nikol Pashinyan referred to the agreements reached as a result of the meetings mediated by international partners and stressed once again the importance of the international community's targeted response to actions aimed at destabilizing the region.

Armenian Genocide Commemoration events held in London

Lena Karagyozian

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 20:16,

YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. A number of events dedicated to the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide were organized in London on 22-, ARMENPRESS reports the Embassy of Armenia in the UK said.

On 22 April, a commemoration evening dedicated to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims was held at St. Yeghiche Armenian Church in London.

On 23 April, a protest march was organized from Westminster Cathedral to St. Yeghiche Church.

A memorial service for the victims of the Armenian Genocide was held at St Yeghiche Church on 24 April, followed by a commemoration at the Memorial Tree in London's Ealing district.

Ambassador Nersesyan delivered messages at the above-mentioned events, in which he noted that Armenia will continue to actively contribute to the efforts of the international community aimed at the prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity.

International recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide can be used to prevent possible future genocides.

Armenia has been a freedom fighter against the genocide in the international arena for many years, authoring a number of resolutions.

Recognition and remembrance of the past genocides are crucial to preventing such a crime or a recurrence of genocide in any part of the world.

The impunity of the Armenian Genocide today inspires those who plan new international crimes. The war launched by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2020, accompanied by crimes of ethnic cleansing, showed that impunity for crimes committed in the past could have irreversible consequences.




AZERBAIJANI PRESS: No way to future for Armenia without giving up claims on so-called "genocide"

Lena Karagyozian
14:07 (UTC+04:00)
611

By Trend

New realities and conditions have been created in the region for the long-awaited and sustainable peace after the liberation of the Azerbaijaniterritories from the Armenian occupation [in the 2020 second Karabakh war].

One of these realities has been the normalization of relations between Ankara and Yerevan, which is greatly needed by Armenia, whose policy has led to its isolation from regional projects.

A year later after the launch of the so-called "Football Diplomacy" towards Armenia by the former Turkish President Abdullah Gul in 2008, the first "step" was taken to normalize relations between Ankara and Yerevan.

The former Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who is presently head of one of the Turkish opposition parties, and his former Armenian counterpart Eduard Nalbandyan signed two protocols in Zurich [in 2009]. The signing ceremony was also attended by the former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the former EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, former French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"This event is one of the most significant in the history of the new Turkey," some Turkish media not understanding and realizing the essence of what was happening said commenting on the signing of the protocols.

These media didn’t understand the meaninglessness of signing the protocols, since Armenia will never give up its basic principle regarding the events of 1915.

The former Armenian authorities believed that after the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories, Armenia became a real power in the region, and Turkey, entering into negotiations with Yerevan, would recognize it as such power, and they thought that despite the defeat in the football match [between Turkey and Armenia in 2008], victory at the negotiating table for Armenia was guaranteed.

Only the current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan officially opposed the signing of the protocols in Zurich, because he was well aware that without the liberation of the territories of Azerbaijan and without renouncement of the world Armenians' claims regarding the events of 1915, all attempts to normalize the relationships are doomed to failure, and he was absolutely right.

Presently, the events of 1915 unfoundedly called by Armenia "genocide" remain the main obstacle to the normalization of relations between Ankara and Yerevan. Turkey has repeatedly proposed the establishment of an independent commission to investigate these events, but the Armenian authorities, for "valid excuses", haven’t yet responded to this proposal from Turkey.

This "valid excuse" for the Armenian political elite is that in case of refusal from claims over the so-called "genocide", the Armenian lobby will no longer sponsor Armenia, which will lead to the final collapse of its economy.

The authorities in Yerevan are well aware of this, but they don’t realize that the development of Armenia depends on itself.

The political elite of Yerevan is still hiding from its people that without the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey and without giving up claims over the events of 1915, instead of developing, Armenia will fall into greater poverty and hit new records in the export of labor migrants.

Rufiz Hafizoglu

Deputy Director General of Trend News Agency


Opera theater to organize commemoration concert ahead of Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day

Lena Karagyozian

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 15:27,

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet will organize an open-air commemoration concert on the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The orchestra and choir will play Armenian spiritual music from the balconies of the Opera building on April 23, a day before the April 24 remembrance day. 

The first-of-a-kind concert will be live-streamed online on the Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet Facebook and YouTube channels.

Co-Chair Schofer says US remains committed to its mandate assumed within OSCE Minsk Group

Lena Karagyozian

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 15:06,

YEREVAN, APRIL18, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan received today the United States Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Andrew Schofer, the Office of the Security Council said in a news release.

During the meeting Armen Grigoryan presented the current situation in Nagorno Karabakh caused by the latest incursion of the Azerbaijani armed forces. He also reaffirmed the readiness of the Armenian side to support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs for the lasting and comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

In his turn the US Co-Chair said the United States remains committed to its mandate assumed within the frames of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The sides also exchanged ideas about the establishment of peace in the region and the security issues.

Armenia ex-ruling party official: Turkey and Azerbaijan are the ‘international community?’

Lena Karagyozian
News.am
Armenia –
Armenia ex-ruling party official: Turkey and Azerbaijan are the 'international community?'
10:20, 18.04.2022

What is happening before and after the [Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)] war [in the fall of 2020] is happening because of these anti-state, destructive authorities. Eduard Sharmazanov, National Assembly ex-deputy speaker as well as vice-chairman and spokesperson of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

"In one part they say, 'What genocide?' In another part they say, 'What Artsakh status?' They say we must lower the bar on the matter of the status of Artsakh. Who is the 'international community?' Are Turkey and Azerbaijan the 'international community?' The international community stands with those who keep their homeland," Sharmazanov said.

According to him, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not learn about the negotiation process from the former presidents, but from his "constructive" colleague: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

"This man [i.e., Pashinyan] has put forward theories in 3-4 years that even the Azerbaijani propaganda has not put forward. Or what does it matter who left what negotiation legacy? (…). During [preceding Armenian President and RPA chairman] Serzh Sargsyan's talks, Aliyev was saying, 'Behind closed doors, they are forcing us to recognize Artsakh's independence.' But now Pashinyan is saying that the international community is forcing us to lower the [Artsakh] status bar," he said.

As per Sharmazanov, all former Armenian leaders should put aside their differences, come together, and make a decision because Armenia is facing very serious challenges, and the question of its existence is put.

"Armenian blood is shed on every square [meter] in Artsakh. I say again: this is not only an Artsakh issue, this is a matter of the dignity of the Armenian people. The movement in [19]88 was not only for the people of Artsakh; this is a pan-Armenian issue. After the [Armenian] Genocide, the Artsakh issue is our national awakening," Eduard Sharmazanov added.

Azerbaijani forces entirely withdrawn to initial positions near Seysulan, Artsakh

Lena Karagyozian

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 16:07,

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani armed forces have entirely pulled back to their initial positions near the Seysulan settlement of Artsakh’s Martakert region, the Artsakh authorities said.

The operative-tactical situation in other parts of the line of contact is calm, the authorities said in a statement published through the official Artsakh InfoCenter.

On April 15 the Azerbaijani military breached the line of contact in a neutral zone near Seysulan in an attempt to improve positions by advancing troops.

Later on the same day the Azerbaijani troops agreed to pull back as a result of negotiations launched by the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh.

PM says current steps aimed at withstanding possible large-scale attack are insufficient

Lena Karagyozian

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 13:33,

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS. The shortcomings during the 44-day war haven’t been entirely studied, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in parliament in response to MP Hovik Azaryan’s question whether or not the wartime flaws were efficiently studied and whether or not the government is properly getting ready to a possible large-scale war.

“Of course we haven’t studied it completely,” Pashinyan said.

He said that when the 2018 revolution took place his political team’s approach was the following: to avoid appointing anyone from the political team in military posts.

“The minister was a previous Cabinet member, he was previously the first deputy minister, and was minister of emergency situations when the revolution took place,” Pashinyan said, referring to Davit Tonoyan.

"We didn’t appoint anyone from our political team in the defense ministry because we thought that nevertheless the army is one other family and we shouldn’t interfere in its internal matters, understanding that an escalation could happen at any moment and with this realization we didn’t do that,” the PM said.

The Prime Minister said that he found out that the military has a problem of helmets and ballistic vests only a few days after the 44-day war started.

“And what about the hundreds of millions of dollars we were spending on weapons, was it difficult to buy helmets or vests? These are all systemic gaps and I think that we must go to the end and reveal what happened,” the PM said.

He added that the actions which are done to withstand possible large-scale manifestations are insufficient.

“Our army is at the most difficult phase, because the phase of transformation is always the most difficult one. What needs to be done and the reforms that we must do is a very difficult path but we must realize that we have some objective restrictions there and we must do everything to overcome these restrictions. This is the reason why I decided that the Defense Minister must be a representative of the political team and now in retrospect I regret that I hadn’t made that decision earlier. But I am not even sure that this should had been done from the very beginning,” Pashinyan said.

Tensions in Karabakh: No significant withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops, Armenia says

Lena Karagyozian

March 30 2022


  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Armenia reports tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh

The Security Council of Armenia issued a statement noting that the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is extremely tense. This information is confirmed by the journalists of the Armenian media, who are currently working in NK. Meanwhile, the Telegram channel of the Russian peacekeeping forces stationed there after the second Karabakh war reports that the mission command decided to put forward reserve forces in the area of the village of Parukh “to block the further advance of the Azerbaijani troops”.

The situation in NK has escalated on March 24. Azerbaijani troops advanced precisely in the zone of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers, occupying the village of Parukh (the Azerbaijanis call it Farrukh) and the strategic height of Karaglukh (Dashbashi). Women and children of nearby villages were evacuated for safety reasons. As a result of hostilities, three Armenian servicemen were killed, 16 were injured.

In this regard, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressed that the Armenian side expects an investigation into the actions of Russian peacekeepers and the return of the Azerbaijani armed forces to their original positions.

Baku explains its offensive actions by Armenia’s failure to comply with 4 points of the tripartite statement of November 10, 2020, which put an end to the 2020 war. This refers to the clause which specifies that Armenian armed forces must leave Karabakh. The Armenian side emphasizes that there is no Armenian Armed Forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the document does not say that the unrecognized republic cannot have armed forces.

  • ‘Triarchy’ in Karabakh? Conflicting reports from Armenian, Russian, Azerbaijani state agencies
  • Op-ed: How to save Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh?
  • Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh share stories about their life in Armenian villages

“Analysis of the situation shows that Azerbaijan is preparing a ground for new provocations and an attack on Nagorno-Karabakh, trying to find imaginary justifications, specifically by accusing Armenia of destructive actions on the issue of a peace agreement”, the Armenian Security Council said in a statement.

In this regard, members of the Security Council considered it necessary to once again confirm the previously voiced position of Armenia and suggested that the Azerbaijani authorities immediately start negotiations on a peace agreement.

At the same time, the Security Council drew the attention of the international community to the possibility of military clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The statement emphasizes that “the launch of international deterrence mechanisms is necessary to prevent a new military escalation and ethnic cleansing in the region”.

“By its actions and statements, Azerbaijan proves that it is reponsible for blowing up pipeline in Karabakh” – Pashinyan’s statement about the alleged gas pipeline explosion

Armenian society reacted with doubt to the message of the Telegram channel of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, which announced the decision of the mission command to “push forward reserve forces to block the further advance of the Azerbaijani troops” – even though there were photographs attached to it.

Photo from the Telegram channel of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh

The day before, a message was received by the Russian Defense Ministry that the peacekeepers managed to withdraw the Azerbaijani armed forces from the village of Parukh through negotiations. After that, a refutation was made by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, which stated that the Azerbaijani troops did not retreat anywhere from the positions occupied on March 24. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia also officially stated that “the penetration of Azerbaijani units into Nagorno-Karabakh in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent continues”.

The latest report from the Russian side again states that the village of Parukh “is under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent”.

Radio “Azatutyun” (Freedom) reports that the day before their film crew was in the village of Khramort (Azerbaijanis call it Pirlyar), which is located near Parukh. The local police forbade Azatutyun employees from filming. But journalists report that the situation here was tense, and the villagers told them that the Azerbaijani armed forces were on a nearby hill.

When it comes to the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace agenda, the likelihood of a direct dialogue or another military escalation is very low, political scientist Edgar Vardanyan believes

JAMnews tried to clarify the situation with political scientist from NK Tigran Grigoryan. He confirmed the information about the advancement of a reserve of Russian peacekeepers in the area of the village of Parukh. At the same time, commenting on the contradictory statements of the Russian and Azerbaijani Defense Ministries, the political scientist said that there was no significant withdrawal of troops at the Karaglukh height:

“Karaglukh is a complex area consisting of a series of hills. Where the village of Karaglukh used to be, there are Azerbaijani armed forces. Azerbaijanis are now on one of the hills. On another hill, which can be said to be higher, are the positions of the NK Defense Army”.

Tigran Grigoryan does not rule out that Azerbaijan will resort to new provocations in order to take control of the positions where the defense army forces are located.

According to the political scientist, the Security Council of Armenia, by its statement, is trying to soften the policy of Azerbaijan, which “is trying to present military operations as an alternative to the non-existent peace process”.

Baku does not hide the fact that one of its strategic goals is to impose the desired diplomatic solutions on Armenia through military pressure, the political scientist emphasizes. In his opinion, in order to resolve the issue, “Azerbaijan’s aggressive behavior must be curbed” by both the Russian side and the international community, and negotiations should take place “within the framework of accepted and approved standards”:

“I don’t think the Azerbaijanis have a constructive approach to the so-called peace agreement. The purpose of publishing their demands [a 5-point proposal] was precisely to show that they allegedly wanted to make peace, but Armenia did not want to, so they had no alternative and had to resolve the issue by military means”.


Asbarez: Tensions Continue in Karaglukh as Artsakh Warns of Threats to Armenian Landmarks in Askeran

Lena Karagyozian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 March 31, 2022

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Armenian cultural landmarks in Askeran are under the threat of destruction by Azerbaijan

As tensions in Askeran region continued to mount on Thursday, Artsakh’s authorities warned of threats against Armenian cultural and religious landmarks in the Parukh village and Karaglukh Heights, where since Friday Azerbaijani forces have advanced their positions.

The Artsakh Information Center reported that efforts for an Azerbaijani troops pull back from the invaded area were ongoing.
Artsakh’s Deputy Culture Minister Lernik Hovhannisyan warned that Armenian cultural landmarks surrounding Karaglukh are under threat of destruction by Azerbaijanis, explaining that the area is distinguished by its rich historical-cultural landmarks that establishes the centuries-old history of Artsakh and the identity of the people of Artsakh.

“The territory needs further detailed research as just several months ago the State Service for Protection of Historical Landmarks carried out studies there, and discovered more than 20 new cross-stones,” said Hovhannisyan. “This shows that Karaglukh probably has monuments that have not been discovered yet.”

The deputy minister said that the historical landscape and Artsakh’s cultural identity is being threatened.

“The policy of ethnocide by Azerbaijan has not changed. The impunity of Azerbaijani authorities leads to new crimes, which is taking place before our eyes every day under the silence of the international community. The rich historical-cultural heritage of Artsakh needs protection,” he said.

The Parukh-Karaglukh site is very important from the perspective of the historical-cultural heritage of Artsakh. Karaglukh is located 10 km north-west from the town of Askeran, near a rock called Shikakar.

The Shikakar fortress of the village is an important historical site and played a significant role in the defense of Artsakh.

By the 2011 decision of the government of Artsakh, the historical-cultural monuments of Parukh were included into the state list of protected historical and cultural monuments of the Askeran region. Accordingly, there are more than 20 monuments, including two churches, the famous Shikakar-Karaglukh castle, cultural monuments, cemeteries and cross-stones, in the territory, explained Hovhannisyan.