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Author: Liana Toganian

Irredentism Under the Guise of Humanitarian Aid: An Armenian and Russian Ploy

Liana Toganian
Aug 15 2023

Rufat Ahmadzada
August 15, 2023
Aconvoy of Armenian trucks allegedly carrying “humanitarian aid” destined for the Armenian minority living in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region is lined up at Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan. Armenia wants to send the trucks to the Karabakh region via a road through Azerbaijan’s Lachin District. The convoy appeared right after the sixth trilateral meeting of the heads of state of Armenia and Azerbaijan and the EU’s Charles Michel in Brussels on 15th July. At this meeting Charles Michel mentioned Azerbaijan’s willingness to deliver aid via its recently restored Agdam to Khankendi road and in a statement backed Azerbaijan’s proposal to facilitate the supply of aid via the Agdam road. So the convoy’s real purpose is not to avert a “grave humanitarian catastrophe” for the ethnic Armenians in Karabakh, but to impede the use of the Agdam road and any subsequent integration into Azerbaijan. It is a tool for Yerevan and those foreign actors interested in continuing conflict management as a geopolitical mechanism in the South Caucasus region.

The Lachin road, previously known as the Lachin corridor connecting the Armenian minority living in Azerbaijan to Armenia, functioned as an uncontrolled belt under Russian supervision for more than 28 months. Its use was intended to be solely for humanitarian purposes, but during this period, the Lachin road was misused and abused by both Russia and Armenia in order to strengthen the Armenian Armed Forces illegally stationed inside Azerbaijan and other illegal armed groups. The road was used to supply landmines and other weapons to the Armenians inside Azerbaijan and to rotate Armenian soldiers. Multiple warnings by Azerbaijan were ignored by Russia, Armenia, the EU and US. Landmines produced following the 2020 war and brought into Azerbaijan via the Lachin road have been discovered and put on public display. The Russian peacekeeping contingent has been filmed on many occasions escorting the delivery of weapons to the illegally stationed Armenian forces within the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan via the Lachin road, despite being warned that this action goes against the joint declaration of November 2020 which stopped the Second Karabakh War.

Since the signing of the trilateral declaration of November 2020, both Armenia and Russia have violated three key provisions of the declaration: provision four, which demands the immediate withdrawal of the Armenian forces from Azerbaijan in parallel with the deployment of Russian peacekeepers; provision seven, which requires the return of the refugees and IDP’s to their homes; and provision nine, which requires Armenia to ensure the unimpeded movement of citizens, goods and vehicles from mainland Azerbaijan to its exclave region of Nakchivan via a safe route. Both Russia and Armenia have violated all these provisions as Armenian forces remain on Azerbaijani land, Azerbaijani IDP’s and refugees are not allowed to return to their homes in Khojaly, Khankendi and hundreds of other villages in the areas of Azerbaijan controlled by Russia and Armenia, and Armenia refuses to provide a land link to Nakhchivan. Despite this, Armenia continues to insist on an extraterritorial land bridge between itself and the Armenian minority in Azerbaijan in order to continue its irredentist aspirations of annexing Azerbaijani lands. This meets Vladimir Putin’s geopolitical interests and is part of his policy to keep Russian troops in the region indefinitely.

Armenia’s new irredentism policy 

After losing the 44-day Karabakh War in autumn 2020 and subsequent diplomatic negotiations in three different channels – Brussels, Washington and Moscow – Armenia is continuing its irredentist claims against Azerbaijan. This policy is part of Prime Minister Pashinyan’s plan for so-called “remedial secession” which was outlined ahead of the 2021 elections. Azerbaijan’s peace formula is based on international law and in particular the principles of mutual recognition of territorial integrity and non-interference in others’ domestic affairs and has been welcomed by the international community and mediators. Armenia, though, continues to hinder the process, wanting to impose a condition concerning the so-called “rights and security” of the Karabakh Armenians under an international mechanism, which is a reworking of the central Armenian irredentist term of “status”. What Armenia is trying to do meets Russia’s goal of forming a mechanism, possibly under Russian supervision, involving “talks” between Azerbaijan and Karabakh Armenian irredentists (who receive their salaries from the Armenian budget). This would internationalise Azerbaijan’s domestic affairs in order to pave the way for the “remedial secession” scenario. Obviously, this is not going to be accepted by Azerbaijan.

Baku is offering reintegration and is ready to ensure the rights and security of the Armenian minority on a par with the many ethnic minorities living in Azerbaijan. It’s worth pointing out that Armenians live as ethnic minorities under far more restrictive regimes in, for example, Iran, Syria and Russia. Their reintegration into Azerbaijan will be ensured within the framework of Baku’s international obligations. Azerbaijan will develop the poverty stricken region, raising the living standards of the Armenians in Karabakh even higher than those of Armenians in Armenia.

Despite publicly recognizing Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan keeps avoiding signing a peace deal based on the five principles of international law. He is pushing his destructive condition of internationalising the talks between Azerbaijan and its potential citizens of Armenian origin in Karabakh with the aim of facilitating a remedial secession scenario as in Kosovo. The so-called “blockade” and “humanitarian catastrophe” stories are created in order to mislead the international community as part of that scenario. The social media accounts of Armenians living in Karabakh are full of pictures of food. Restaurants are open daily and accept reservations. Strangely enough, nobody talks about the Russian soldiers in Karabakh “starving”. The Lachin road is open and people pass through the border crossing checkpoint every day, so it can hardly be called a “blockade”. Azerbaijan is exercising its right as a sovereign nation to protect its borders.

Ironically, Russian oligarch Ruben Vardanyan with Russian peacekeepers’ help installed barriers – a blockade in other words – on the Agdam-Khankendi road and rejected any aid delivery from Azerbaijan. Vardanyan was sent by Vladimir Putin to hinder any possible talks and communications between Azerbaijan’s central authorities and Karabakh’s Armenians. The intention is clearly to prevent the reintegration of the region into Azerbaijan. The insistence on having an extraterritorial land corridor linking Karabakh to Armenia is part of the irredentist aspirations against Azerbaijan. In other words, Armenia and its proxies in Karabakh as well as Russia are against reintegration and are united in continuing the Armenian irredentist policies in the region for geopolitical reasons.

Russia’s goal? A mandate

Russia’s geopolitical goal is to use Armenian irredentist claims to continue its presence in the region. Russia wants to stay in Karabakh for decades, though the joint 2020 declaration puts a timeframe of five years on Russian peacekeepers’ deployment. Clearly, Azerbaijan is not going to extend Russia’s military presence in Karabakh beyond 2025. All the actions taken by Azerbaijan, such as the establishment of the border crossing point, its peace proposal, building a railway connection from Agdam to Khankendi where ethnic Armenians reside, and now demanding that supplies for the Russian contingent should be delivered via Agdam not via Armenia are all necessary steps to facilitate the withdrawal of the Russian contingent in 2025. That is why Russia is refusing the Agdam route and was against the Azerbaijani checkpoint on the Lachin road.

For Russia to stay in the region indefinitely it needs the continuation of the illegally installed Armenian irredentist entity in Karabakh. This means obstructing the reintegration process, which is the main reason for planting Russian oligarch Ruben Vardanyan in Karabakh. It also means not meeting obligations in the trilateral declarations to withdraw the remnants of the Armenian armed forces from Karabakh, and having an extraterritorial land bridge to Armenia.

Russia is also against the signing of a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Vladimir Putin publicly blackmailed Armenians at the Valdai Forum in 2022, describing the Washington process as all about recognition of Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory. Right after Putin’s remarks Nikol Pashinyan sided wholly with the Russian proposal. The proposal envisages a status for Armenians in the future, and staying in Karabakh for decades until that future status is in place. This was rejected by Azerbaijan. Interestingly enough Pashinyan announced his readiness to sign a long-term mandate for Russian troops which also showed his support for Putin’s proposal. Pashinyan later revealed that Russia and Armenia had signed a mandate for Russian peacekeepers in 2020 which was rejected by Azerbaijan. This also shows that despite his supposed pro-Western image Pashinyan is desperately trying to facilitate Russia’s presence in the region indefinitely. Azerbaijan’s condemnation of the illegal activities of the Russian peacekeepers and Turkish President Erdogan’s remarks following NATO’s Vilnius Summit that he hopes Russia will fulfill its obligation and withdraw from Karabakh in 2025 are evidence that Azerbaijan is actively working to facilitate Russia’s departure.

No doubt Russia is also behind the Armenian aid convoy stunt as it strikingly resembles the Russian humanitarian aid incursion into Ukraine in 2014. The West condemned this as a violation of Ukrainian territorial integrity, although now it supports the joint Armenian-Russian incursion into Azerbaijan under the pretext of delivering humanitarian aid without Azerbaijan’s consent. As Armenian PM Pashinyan and Russia realise that Azerbaijan is not going to give Russia a long-term mandate to stay in Karabakh, Armenia and Russia are playing the so-called blockade and worsening humanitarian situation card in order to whip up media hysteria and get a UN mandate. This is the policy carried out by Armenia and Russia, and the West is falling for it.

[Photo by Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons]

Rufat Ahmadzada is a graduate of City, University of London. His research area covers the South Caucasus and Iran. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect TGP’s editorial stance.

https://thegeopolitics.com/irredentism-under-the-guise-of-humanitarian-aid-an-armenian-and-russian-ploy/


Chaarat Gold sells Kapan mine in Armenia for US$54.5M

Liana Toganian
Aug 16 2023

POSTED BY: CECILIA JAMASMIE AUGUST 16, 2023

Chaarat Gold Holdings (LSE: CGH) is selling its only operating mine, Kapan, for US$54.5 million ($73.4 million) to Armenian miner Gold Mining Company.

The miner, which once tried buying Centerra’s Kumtor mine in the Kyrgyz Republic, said the deal represented a beneficial exit opportunity at a time when Kapan is facing higher costs, potential losses and further funding requirements.

The proposed sale, chief executive Mike Fraser said, will allow Chaarat to focus on developing lower cost and higher value options within its portfolio, particularly the Tulkubash open pit project in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The transaction will improve Chaarat’s balance sheet by reducing its short and long-term liabilities by US$39 million, and the reception of US$5 million in cash.

Once the sale is closed, Chaarat will own two Kyrgyzstan-based gold development assets – Tulkubash and Kyzyltash – that have the potential to produce more than 350,000 oz. of gold per year.

The buyer operates the Lichkvaz mine in Armenia, which has supplied third-party ore to the Kapan processing plant for years.

Chaarat shares were up 5.9% to £7.15 ($12.30) apiece on Wednesday in London, valuing the company at £46.5 million. Its shares traded in a 52-week window of £6.06 and £6.10. 

UN Official Calls For Immediate Relief In Nagorno-Karabakh

Liana Toganian
Aug 17 2023
By RFE/RL staff - Aug 17, 2023, 11:00 AM CDT

  • Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh accuse Azerbaijan of enforcing a blockade since December, leading to critical shortages of essentials.
  • A man reportedly died from malnutrition, with concerns growing about a potential "genocide" of the local Armenian population.
  • Despite tensions, Azerbaijan proposes an alternative supply route, while Armenia emphasizes the violation of the 2020 Moscow-brokered ceasefire.

??A senior UN official told the United Nations Security Council on August 16 that the delivery of humanitarian relief to Nagorno-Karabakh by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) must be allowed to resume through any available routes.

Edem Wosornu said the ICRC is doing everything it can but can only cover the most urgent needs.

"Other impartial humanitarian relief must also be allowed to reach civilians who need it, and a sustainable solution for safe and regular transit of people and goods must be found," Wosornu said.

Wosornu spoke at an emergency meeting regarding the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Azerbaijan's mostly Armenian-populated breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The meeting at the UN headquarters in New York City came after the Armenian UN Ambassador Mher Margarian said in a letter to the Security Council that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are “on the verge of a full-fledged humanitarian catastrophe.”

Both Armenia and separatist authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh have said that Azerbaijan has blockaded the region since December, resulting in shortages of food, medicines, and energy.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan discussed the situation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and stressed the need to avert a "humanitarian disaster," TASS reported.

The situation has deteriorated to such a point that Armenia's Human Rights Defender's Office said on August 15 that a man around the age of 40 had died as a result of chronic malnutrition, protein and energy deficiency.

The claim has not been independently verified but a former International Criminal Court prosecutor said earlier in August that the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only link between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, may amount to a "genocide" of the local Armenian population. Baku has rejected such an assertion.

Tensions sparked by the blockade escalated further after Azerbaijan in June tightened a checkpoint installed in April on the road known as the Lachin Corridor, claiming that "various types of contraband" had been discovered in the Red Cross vehicles coming from Armenia.

Referring to the blockade, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on August 11 that Azerbaijan's moves could result in "nullifying a historic opportunity for peace" between the two South Caucasus nation.

Azerbaijan denies blockading Nagorno-Karabakh and offers an alternative route for supplies via the town of Agdam, which is situated east of the region and is controlled by Baku.

However, Nagorno-Karabakh's separatist government has rejected that offer, saying Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor is a violation of the Moscow-brokered 2020 cease-fire agreement that placed the 5-kilometer-wide strip of land under the control of Russian peacekeepers.

A group of UN experts issued a statement on August 7, expressing alarm over the ongoing blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, which they said had led to a dire humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“By lifting the blockade, the [Azerbaijani] authorities can alleviate the suffering of thousands of people in Nagorno-Karabakh and allow for the unimpeded flow of humanitarian assistance to the civilian population," the experts said. "It is essential to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of all individuals during this critical time."

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian-populated mountainous enclave that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. The most recent war lasted six weeks in late 2020 and left 7,000 soldiers dead on both sides.

As a result of the war, Azerbaijan regained control over a part of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts. The war ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire under which Moscow deployed about 2,000 troops to serve as peacekeepers.

By RFE/RL


The forgotten crisis happening at the doors of the EU where 100,000 people are starving

Liana Toganian
Express, UK
Aug 17 2023
By TOM WATLING

Yury Melkonyan, 64, sits in his house damaged by shelling from Azerbaijan's artillery (Image: AP )

A territorial dispute on the doorsteps of the European Union has left more than 100,000 civilians facing starvation.

Ethnically Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, more than 60 miles from the Armenian border, have little to no access to food and medical supplies following a lengthy Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

Nagorno-Karabakh was recognized as Azerbaijani following a Russian-negotiated peace settlement with Armenia that ended 44 days of fighting, and which claimed the lives of 6,000 soldiers, in 2020.

Under the deal, Russian peacekeepers were deployed to Karabakh to guard the only road left linking the enclave with Armenia, the so-called Lachin Corridor.

But in December 2022, with Russia concentrating on its “special military operation” in Ukraine, Azerbaijan began a blockade of the three-mile road into Karabakh, closing the territory.

Justifying their decision, they accused Armenia of engaging in a “provocative and irresponsible political campaign” to undermine Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which includes Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor.

In the infancy of the blockade, Russian peacekeepers and Red Cross aid workers were permitted to cross the corridor.

But the Russians stationed there, with its governing forces focussed on Ukraine, have avoided risking conflict to ensure the corridor is not entirely claimed by Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, Red Cross aid workers, who had been ensuring the Karabakh population receive food and medical supplies in accordance with the peace settlement, have been accused of smuggling contraband into the territory.

Their last delivery of aid was on July 7, according to Zara Amatuni, a spokesperson for the charity in Armenia.

A 19-truck convoy carrying around 360 tonnes of humanitarian cargo from Armenia has now been stuck at the entrance of the Lachin Corridor for the past two weeks, waiting for permission to pass through Azerbaijan’s checkpoint.

Last month, Arayik Harutyunyan, the president of Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh in Armenia, declared the region a “disaster zone”.

Residents of Stepanakert, the de-facto capital of Karabakh, told The Daily Telegraph that being in the cut-off community was like “living in a concentration camp”.

Armine Hayrapetyan, 45, said: “We have lost our freedom, lost our rights. Now, it is like we are living in a concentration camp.”

Her diabetic aunt, unable to replenish her vital pills to lower her blood sugar levels, has only five left before she runs out. “After that she doesn’t know what to do,” she said.

Nina, a 23-year-old ethnic Armenian living in Karabakh, said she struggled to eat just a basic amount of food each day, adding: “If this continues, people will end up dying.”

In the latest United Nations meeting on the crisis on Wednesday (August 17), Armenia’s foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan told the council that as a result of the blockade, there is no economic activity in Nagorno-Karabakh, thousands of people are unemployed, stores are empty and women, children and the elderly stand in long lines to be able to buy bread, fruit and vegetables. In addition, he said, Azerbaijan has disrupted the supply of electricity through the only high voltage line between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh since January 9.

Mirzoyan quoted a report from Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, saying “there is a reasonable basis to believe that a genocide is being committed” as a result of the blockade.

Armenia, Azerbaijan & the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis that needs attention

Liana Toganian
GZERO
Aug 14 2023

Ian Bremmer's Quick Take:Hi everybody. Ian Bremmer here and a Quick Take to kick off your week.

I want to talk about an issue that is not getting the attention that it should, and that is the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. It is one of many impacts from the Russian war in Ukraine. Not new. There's been a war for decades over this little territory, an autonomous Armenian populated territory inside Azerbaijan, former two Soviet republics.

Armenia and Azerbaijan became independent in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. It is small, it is mountainous, it is all of 120,000 people. It is fiercely contested. When the Soviet Union collapsed, in part would support from Russia, Armenia had military superiority. They were able to not only have control over it, but also buffer regions bordering it. They didn't negotiate very seriously with the Azeris, in part because they had the upper hand. That is now changing. Azerbaijan has been building up their own military capabilities, in part from a lot of energy wealth from the Caspian, in part with support from Turkey, which is very aligned with Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, Russia, which is Armenia's major supporter, really their only kind of strong geopolitical supporter with troops in Armenia and peacekeepers on the ground, very distracted given the invasion of Ukraine and under a lot of pressure. That has meant reduced troop presence and them acting largely on the sidelines. Azerbaijan, sensing opportunity, struck, took back occupied territory around Nagorno-Karabakh, and now have a functional lock on any ability to get in or out of the territory.

Now, Armenia, the Armenian government itself in Yerevan, has said that they are willing to renounce claims on this territory. They no longer see it as part of Armenia if these Armenians are given guarantees of rights and autonomy. That is not the view, at least not therefore, not thus far of the local government in Karabakh.

Meanwhile, in Azerbaijan, they have cut off the humanitarian corridor. In part, this is to force the local Armenians to the table, but it's also a massive humanitarian crisis. And there is now a real possibility that 120,000 people are going to face starvation.

And that's why I'm bringing this up right now. Look, there are lots of places around the world that need more international attention, and GZERO Media is trying our best to shine more of a light on them in Haiti, in Niger, in Yemen. Well, you can now add Karabakh to that list. And international pressure from the US, from the Europeans, from the Japanese, from everyone is needed to get that humanitarian assistance in immediately. And then hopefully, and quite plausibly a deal that allows both Armenian and Azeri populations to live in peace.It's a small territory. These are not very powerful countries. A little bit of pressure and focus from these governments, from the G-7 governments in particular would go a long way. Turkey is a NATO ally of the United States. They have a lot of influence over the Azeris, but it's not hitting the headlines right now. And in that regard, it's worth all of us doing a little bit more.

So hopefully this makes a tiny bit of difference. You can spread the word too. I thank you for your attention for a few moments this summer. And I hope everyone's doing well. Thanks a lot.

https://www.gzeromedia.com/quick-take/armenia-azerbaijan-the-nagorno-karabakh-crisis-that-needs-attention

Asbarez: Rep. Sherman Congratulates New Artsakh Parliament Speaker

Liana Toganian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

Rep. Brad Sherman calls for lifting the Artsakh blockade during an event in Washington in January


Representative Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) congratulated Davit Ishkhanyan, who was elected as Speaker of the Artsakh National Assembly.

Sherman, who represents California’s 32nd Congressional district and is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said he looked forward to working with Ishkhanyan, the leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation bloc in the parliament as well as a member of the party’s Bureau, who was elected Monday.

“I welcome the election of Davit Ishkhanyan as the new Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh,” Sherman, a member of the Congressional Armenian Caucus said in a statement. 

“I look forward to this transformative phase of leadership and to continuing the work to further strengthen the U.S. bond with Artsakh and the Armenian people.”

Hundreds of rabbis to join conference in Azerbaijan as Jewish ties flourish

Liana Toganian
European Jewish Press
Aug 2 2023
 By YOSSI LEMPKOWICZ

By Etgar Lefkovits, JNS

Hundreds of European rabbis from across the continent will be gathering in Azerbaijan this fall to discuss Jewish affairs in the first such convention in a Muslim nation.

The planned event comes amid burgeoning relations between Israel and Azerbaijan that developed from a centuries-long affinity between the two nations into an unprecedented strategic partnership.

The biennial convention of the Conference of European Rabbis is scheduled to take place in Baku between Nov. 12-15 at the invitation of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, who will serve as the honorary host, with about 500 rabbis expected to attend the event.

The primary Orthodox rabbinical alliance in Europe, the organization unites more than 700 religious leaders from communities across Europe. Founded in 1956, it works to defend the rights of Jews in Europe, with freedom of religion and matters related to the Jewish communities expected to be front and center at the conference.

“Azerbaijan is a place with a special memory for the Jewish people, and is home to one of the most unique Jewish communities in the world,” said Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis who met with Aliyev earlier this year.

“The developing ties between Israel and Azerbaijan are of great importance in today’s Middle East,” he added.

The Zurich-born Goldschmidt, who served as chief rabbi of Moscow for nearly three decades, left Russia last year following the invasion of Ukraine and then resigned from his position. His subsequent public criticism of the war led him to be branded by Russia as a “foreign agent.”

 

‘It is just the right place’

The selection of secular Shi’ite Muslim Azerbaijan as the venue for the conference is also highly symbolic and comes full circle since it is believed that indigenous Jews arrived on the territory of Azerbaijan following the Babylonian destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE.

“The fact that this European rabbinical conference will be held here in Baku is recognition of people feeling safe here; it is just the right place,” said Elchin Amirbayov, representative to the president on special assignments.

“It is a good precedent,” he added.

Indeed, at a time of heightened anti-Semitism across the globe, Azerbaijan is considered free of such animus with the country’s 25,000 to 30,000 Jews living in harmony with their predominantly Muslim neighbors.

“It is truly a privilege to work with Jews from so many diverse backgrounds who live together with a special nation and leadership that honors us and greatly respects us,” said Shneor Segal, who serves as Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community of European Jews in Baku.

Segal is one of seven Chabad emissaries to Azerbaijan, including five in the capital Baku. The city also has three synagogues, two Jewish schools, a newly opened kosher restaurant and hotels that cater to strictly kosher groups.

Historically, Azerbaijan is home to three distinct Jewish communities: European Jews, who settled in the area during the late 19th to early 20th centuries, and during World War II; Jews from the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, who settled mainly in Baku during the early part of the 20th century; and Mountain Jews, the most sizable and ancient group.

The conference will include a visit to the historic ancient Jewish town of Quba in Azerbaijan, which was home to Mountain Jews for centuries.

“People are always asking where you can see the Mountain Jews when, in fact, they are often sitting right next to you at a Shabbat service,” he said.

https://ejpress.org/hundreds-of-rabbis-to-join-conference-in-azerbaijan-as-jewish-ties-flourish/

Armenpress: Nagorno-Karabakh President hopes for strong international intervention to stop Azerbaijan’s genocidal policy

Liana Toganian

 21:10,

STEPANAKERT, JULY 31, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan has said that he hopes a strong international intervention will bring an end to Azerbaijan’s genocidal policy.

In a statement released Monday evening, Harutyunyan warned that the security and humanitarian situation is deteriorating day by day, while the dangers and restrictions posed by Azerbaijan are becoming stronger, with the kidnapping of the Red Cross-protected medical evacuee at the illegal checkpoint being the latest manifestation. Harutyunyan said that an intensification in the international efforts for the resolution of the situation can be noticed.

The Nagorno Karabakh President said he’ll speak about the situation, the risks and prospects in an interview to the local public television in a few days, and then “will launch consultations with all active political circles to discuss our tasks and to make the appropriate decisions.”

“We hope that the genocidal policy carried out by Azerbaijan will be halted immediately as a result of effective and strong international intervention. At the same time, we are always ready for peaceful negotiations to discuss all problems and find solutions, however this also requires proper international involvement and guarantees,” Harutyunyan added.

A 68-year-old medical evacuee from Nagorno-Karabakh, Vagif Khachatryan, was kidnapped on Saturday by Azerbaijani border guards while being transported to Armenia for treatment by the ICRC. The Armenian foreign ministry said  the Azerbaijani actions amount to a war crime.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno-Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

On July 26, Armenia sent a humanitarian convoy carrying emergency food and medication for Nagorno-Karabakh, but Azerbaijan blocked the trucks at the entrance of Lachin Corridor.

Armenpress: It is incumbent on Azerbaijani authorities to guarantee safety, freedom of movement along Lachin corridor – EU’s Borrell

Liana Toganian

 09:53, 27 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMENPRESS. The European Union has called on the Azerbaijani authorities to reopen the Lachin Corridor.

In a statement, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell said that Azerbaijan’s ‘readiness’ to supply goods via the city of Aghdam should not be seen as an alternative to the reopening of the Lachin corridor.

“The European Union is deeply concerned about the serious humanitarian situation affecting the local population in the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. The movement through the Lachin corridor remains obstructed for more than seven months, despite Orders by the International Court of Justice to reopen it.

“Medical supplies and essential goods are in short supply or have already run out, with dire consequences for the local population. It is incumbent on the Azerbaijani authorities to guarantee safety and freedom of movement along the Lachin corridor imminently and not to permit the crisis to escalate further. 

“We took note of the expressed readiness of the Azerbaijani authorities to also supply goods via the city of Aghdam. This should not be seen as an alternative to the reopening of the Lachin corridor. The EU also notes that ICRC activities in the region have been heavily impacted and calls for their full resumption, including medical evacuations and humanitarian supplies. The EU stresses that humanitarian access must not be politicised by any actors.

“The European Union, and in particular President of the European Council Charles Michel, has been heavily engaged in supporting the normalisation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as in promoting a dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert/Khankendi. This also requires the genuine commitment of all sides to negotiated outcomes and a future built on common interests and mutual trust,” the statement reads.

Earlier in July, when Azerbaijani authorities said they were willing to send what they described as ‘aid’ to Nagorno-Karabakh through Aghdam, a group of protesters in Nagorno-Karabakh blocked the road and said that Azerbaijan’s announcement was actually an attempt to subjugate and blackmail them.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations and the Red Cross has been facilitating the medical evacuations of patients.