Author: Liana Toganian

Armenpress: Poland sends 3 tons of humanitarian aid to Artsakh’s displaced citizens

Liana Toganian

Poland sends 3 tons of humanitarian aid to Artsakh's displaced citizens

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 21:20,

YEREVAN, APRIL 15, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Poland sent 3 tons of humanitarian aid to Armenia, which will be provided to the displaced citizens of Artsakh that reside in Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports 1st Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia Tatevik Stepanyan said at Zvartnots airport, noting that there are nearly 1000 citizens of Artsakh residing in state shelters in Armenia.

According to Tatevik Stepanyan, the citizens displaced from Artsakh are provided with all necessary stuff, while the humanitarian aid sent by Poland will be a supplementary assistance.

Ambassador of Poland to Armenia Paweł Cieplak reminded that on March 31, 2021 Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Ayvazian had called for humanitarian assistance, which was rapidly responded by Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

‘’The aid is for the citizens who have lost their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh. We sent first aid kits for refugees – medical thermometers, pressure gauges, etc’’, Ambassador Cieplak said.

RFE/RL – Alliance With Russia ‘Key To Armenia’s Security’

Liana Toganian
Ապրիլ 14, 2021
  • Naira Nalbandian

Armenia — Russian and Armenian troops hold joint military exercises at the Alagyaz shooting range, September 24, 2020.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Wednesday that Russia’s military presence in Armenia is vital for his country’s national security and could become even stronger soon.

“We must note that the Armenian-Russian military alliance is pivotal for ensuring the external security of the Republic of Armenia and it is cemented by several dozen strategic treaties and mutual defense obligations,” Pashinian told lawmakers in Yerevan.

He stressed the importance of a joint military contingent comprising Russian troops stationed in Armenia and a Russian-Armenian air-defense system.

“According to the logic of the agreements that formed these two systems, an attack on Armenia means an attack on Russia, and the two countries must jointly confront external challenges,” he said.

Accordingly, Pashinian indicated Yerevan’s interest in the expansion of the Russian military base headquarters in Gyumri. In that context, he said Russian and Armenian officials are holding “quite productive discussions” on a possible deployment of more Russian troops to Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province.

A Russian military post on a highway running along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Syunik borders Iran as well as districts southwest of Nagorno-Karabakh which were retaken by Azerbaijan during and after a six-week war stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire on November 10. Russia deployed soldiers and border guards there late last year to help the Armenian military defend the region against possible Azerbaijani attacks.

Pashinian discussed bilateral military ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin during an April 7 visit to Moscow. He said after the talks that Russia is helping Armenia reform its armed forces after the autumn war in Karabakh.

The Armenian Defense Ministry announced late last month that a high-level Russian military delegation will visit Armenia soon for further talks on the defense reforms.

A delegation led by Colonel-General Sergei Istrakov, a deputy chief of the Russian military’s General Staff, held weeklong negotiations with the Armenian army’s top brass in Yerevan in January.

Weightlifter Simon Martirosyan under investigation for allegedly causing fatal traffic accident

Liana Toganian

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 12:12,

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS. Law enforcement agencies are investigating the April 12 fatal traffic accident when a Mercedes sedan allegedly driven by Olympic weightlifting champion Simon Martirosyan struck and killed a jaywalking pedestrian at Arshakunyats Avenue in Yerevan.

The Committee of Investigations spokesperson Rima Yeganyan confirmed to ARMENPRESS that the weightlifter was driving the vehicle involved.

A criminal casefile on “Violation of Traffic and Vehicular Rules Negligently Causing Death” has been launched.

The victim is identified as 27 year old Kamo Amirkhanyan.

Martirosyan hasn’t made any public statement yet.  Other details weren't immediately available. 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh initiate the campaign “Family History-the History of Victory”

Liana Toganian

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 11:50, 6 April, 2021

YEREVAN, APRIL 6, ARMENPRESS. The servicemen of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) initiated an action dedicated to the 76th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War called Family History – the History of Victory, the Russian defense ministry reported.

The beginning of the action was initiated at the monument to 104 soldiers – natives of the village of Khanabad of the Askeran region of Nagorno Karabakh, who died in 1941-1945 on the fronts in battles against the Nazi coalition.

In addition to the campaign Family History – the History of Victory, the Humanitarian Response Center of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, in cooperation with the administrations of Mardakert, Martuni and Askeran districts, initiated work on the improvement of monuments to soldiers who went to the front from Nagorno Karabakh and died during the Great Patriotic War.

These actions, carried out with the direct participation of the servicemen of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh, will last until May 9 – Victory Day.

In accordance with the agreements specified in the joint statement of the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, from 00:00 Moscow time on November 10, 2020, a complete ceasefire and all hostilities in Nagorno Karabakh were announced.

With the assistance of Russian peacekeepers, the restoration of vital engineering communications continues in the areas affected by the war.




Artsakh’s ombudsman presents activities carried out by his office in post-war period

Liana Toganian
Panorama, Armenia
April 8 2021

Upon the initiative of the Armenian Bar Association, Artsakh's Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Gegham Stepanyan on Wednesday held a meeting-discussion with the members of the organization, and the representatives of the University of California (Los Angeles), Loyola Law School (Law and Genocide Center), Southwestern Law School, Human Rights Clinic of the University of South California.

He introduced the fact-finding mission launched since 27 September 2020 to record the violations of the rights of people of Artsakh during the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression, as well as the activities carried out by the human rights defender in the post-war period, his office reported on Thursday.

Gegham Stepanyan referred to the reports of the ombudsman on war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Azerbaijan, emphasizing the importance of the submitting of the information summarized in them to the relevant bodies.

They also discussed the research projects carried out by the American universities and scientific centers to study and document Azerbaijani crimes, as well as the areas of cooperation with the Artsakh Ombudsman in this field.

Permanent Representative of Artsakh to the U.S. Robert Avetisyan also took part in the meeting.

Turkish Press: From Karabakh to Black Sea: Turkish drones now rule the skies of Ukraine

Liana Toganian
<div><img src=”"https://mc.yandex.ru/watch/30098939" st1yle="position:absolute; left:-9999px;" alt="" /></div> Yeni Şafak, Turkey

April 4 2021

News Service 14:44

<div><img src=”"https://mc.yandex.ru/watch/30098939" st1yle="position:absolute; left:-9999px;" alt="" /></div> From Karabakh to Black Sea: Turkish drones now rule the skies of Ukraine

Following their stellar success on the battlefield in Karabakh and Libya, Turkey’s globally lauded drones are now ruling the skies of Ukraine as tensions with Russia mount over the breakaway region of Donbas.

According to a report by the Türkiye Gazetesi, Ukraine is said to be carrying out drills using Turkey’s nationally produced TB2 combat drones, which Kiev had purchased from Ankara in 2019, over the Black Sea and along the border of the flashpoint Donbas region.

On March 30, Ruslan Homchak, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said Russia deployed its military near the Ukrainian border for “military exercises.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in turn said Russia moved its armed forces within its territory "at its own discretion” and “it doesn’t pose any threat to anyone.”

Russian forces entered Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in February 2014, with President Vladimir Putin formally dividing the region into two separate federal subjects of the Russian Federation the following month.

Turkey sold a total of six Bayraktar TB2 drones and three ground controls stations to Ukraine in 2019.

It is said that Ukraine is preparing to order additional drones to beef up its naval forces in 2021.

Turkey’s combat drones had reportedly destroyed the Russian-made Pantsir missile systems in Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, as Ankara’s deployment of UAVs was credited for the victories clenched by Turkey’s allies from Asia to Africa.

The Bayraktar TB2 armed UAV, which was developed and manufactured by Turkish defense company Baykar Technologies, has been used by the Turkish Armed Forces and the country’s Security Directorate since 2015, most recently credited for Azerbaijan’s military success in the Karabakh conflict.

The TB2 armed UAV was developed for tactical reconnaissance and surveillance missions; it can also carry ammo and conduct assaults with a laser-target designator.

Turkish drones cost between $1 million to 2$ million each, while the British army is said to spend over $20 million on one drone alone, according to a report by the Guardian.

The report cited a quote by Ben Wallace, the U.K. defense secretary, who said that Turkish TB2 drones were an example of how other countries were now “leading the way.”

https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/from-karabakh-to-black-sea-turkish-drones-now-rule-the-skies-of-ukraine-3564107

Turkey must stop ‘aggressive’ policy to normalise relations with Armenia – foreign minister

Liana Toganian
AHVAL News
March 29 2021

  • Mar 29 2021 09:29 Gmt+3
  • Last Updated On: Mar 29 2021 09:34 Gmt+3

Armenia’s foreign minister said that he expects Turkey to alter its policy away from aggression if it is truly seeking regional peace, Armenpress reported on Monday. 

Ara Aivazian told members of Armenia’s parliament that there was currently no process in place to normalise relations with Turkey, denying rumours that Yerevan was conducting consultations to that end.

"Both in international and interstate relations, the most important thing is the principle of reciprocity. And our truly honest, without preconditions, initiative to regulate relations were not reciprocated by the official Ankara," Aivazian said. 

Aivazian accused Turkey of spreading “Armenophobia” throughout the region, but cautioned that it was always possible to build relations in the future.

"I hope that sooner or later Turkey will also realize it. So, I do not think that Turkey will never change its Armenian-phobic behavior," he said.

Turkey-Yerevan relations have remained persistently poor since Armenia achieved independence after the fall of the Soviet Union. Turkey’s support of Azerbaijan during last year’s war for control of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh pushed relations to a deeper low. In the aftermath of the conflict, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that a new relationship was possible but conditioned it on Yerevan changed its leadership and take unspecified “positive steps” to boost ties. 

Meanwhile, Armenia’s wartime Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced his intention to resign in April ahead of early elections. 

The 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will take place on April 24. Turkey still refuses to acknowledge the 1915 genocide of the Ottoman Empire’s Armenians during the First World War, and has harshly reacted to countries officially recognising the event. 

Armen Sarkissian: Armenia could have avoided the war

Liana Toganian
News.am, Armenia
22:51, 30.03.2021

Armenia could have avoided the war. This is what President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian said in an interview with the Russian RBK TV.

“I think Armenia could have avoided the war. I have been a diplomat for thirty years and have met with the leaders of various countries, and it seems to me that it is always possible to find paths to solve such problems without hostilities. After all, in the case of Nagorno-Karabakh, after the first war in Nagorno-Karabakh, there was an organization that was dealing with the solution to the issue, that is, the OSCE Minsk Group. There was a mechanism for dialogue and communication. However, if we look at it from Armenia’s perspective and the country’s mistakes, we Armenians believed in what we wanted to believe once again instead of strengthening Nagorno-Karabakh’s defensibility, creating more modern military infrastructures and making Nagorno-Karabakh economically more effective. We Armenians thought the war was over and the issue was solved, but it was far from being solved, especially since Azerbaijan was constantly talking about the future war.”

Sarkissian also talked about Armenia of the 21st century, stating that there is the real Armenia which we talk about and the virtual Armenia that is hinged on new technologies.

Armenia Tavush Province governor sues ex-PM, demands apology and compensation

Liana Toganian
News.am, Armenia
01:00, 31.03.2021

Governor of Tavush Province of Armenia Hayk Chobanyan’s spokesperson Lilit Sargsyan took to her Facebook page to report that the regional governor has filed a lawsuit against former Prime Minister of Armenia Hrant Bagratyan, stating that the regional governor demands that the court obliges Bagratyan to apologize publicly and pay compensation for damage incurred.

Earlier, Chobanyan had informed that a $4 million-dollar investment was stopped due to the rumors according to which territories of Tavush Province are being transferred [to Azerbaijan] and that he had sued Hrant Bagratyan.