Author: Manouk Vasilian

Turkish press: Turkey ‘ready for whatever needs to be done’ in Karabakh: Minister

Manouk Vasilian
 ISTANBUL NOV 25, 2021 – 10:23 AM GMT+3

Russian peacekeepers patrol in the liberated Karabakh region, Azerbaijan, Nov. 15, 2021. (AA Photo)

Turkey is "ready for whatever needs to be done" in Karabakh, an area recently liberated from Armenia's nearly 30-year occupation, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said Wednesday.

"We are always ready … to put stone upon stone, whatever is expected from us," Ersoy said at a conference in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku. "It was like this before, and it will continue to be so."

He noted that the Turkic world has a rich culture and said a common culture and history are the guarantee of a great future.

Emphasizing that culture is the most important thing that should be passed on to future generations, Ersoy stressed that the stronger the culture is, the stronger the future will be.

He said that the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from Armenia was greeted with "great happiness" in the entire Turkic world but news about the destruction of cultural heritage "broke the hearts of everyone who cares about civilization."

"Everything relating to culture and civilization was burned and destroyed. In a way, they sought revenge from culture. You cannot actually change history by damaging the buildings and cultural assets of a country. History is not a phenomenon that can be easily forgotten," he said.

Ersoy said now is the time to restore those structures to their "former beauty."

"Those structures will give the messages we want to give. We need to restore those structures," he added.

Ersoy pointed out that other cultures were never harmed in the Turkic civilization.

"But unfortunately, we did not encounter such a thing in Karabakh. We will fix these losses, we will revive them," he said.

Recalling the words of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, "Azerbaijan's sorrow is our sorrow, its joy is our joy," Ersoy said, being able to preserve the "brotherhood from the past to the present" is very crucial.

"We are strong when we are all together. The 44-day war was important to show this. May Allah always protect our unity, let our strength and courage always be an example to the world," he said.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

During a 44-day conflict that started in late September last year, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and 300 settlements and villages that Armenia had illegally occupied for almost 30 years.

On Nov. 10, 2020, the two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement to end the fighting and start a comprehensive resolution of the dispute. The Russia-brokered truce allowed Azerbaijan to reclaim control over large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas that Armenia occupied for nearly three decades.

Two months later, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire region. It also included the establishment of a trilateral working group in Karabakh.

A joint Turkish-Russian center was established to monitor the postwar truce. In addition, Russia deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers for at least five years to monitor the peace deal.

Democracy summit or transit corridor: what led to clashes at Armenian-Azerbaijani border?

Manouk Vasilian
JAM News
Nov 17 2021
    JAMnews

What caused recent escalation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border?

The United States invited Armenia to take participate in the Democracy Summit and did not invite Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey – could this have caused a military escalation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on November 16?

Experts in Baku and in Yerevan are also actively discussing another possible reason for the recent escalation – Azerbaijan’s desire to get a transit route through the territory of Armenia, the so-called “Zangezur Corridor”.

Official statements

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated: “Talking about border disputes is absurd and senseless. There is no border dispute, there is aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia. The borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan are clearly defined in the agreements adopted during the Soviet era and have a binding force”.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev assessed the events of the day in the following way: “Today, another provocation by Armenia was committed at the border, to which an adequate response was given. There are wounded from the Azerbaijani side. All responsibility for the situation on the border rests with the military-political leadership of Armenia”.

  • Fresh clashes at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Yerevan asks Russia to intervene
  • Armenian Defense Minister resigns as tensions rise at Armenian-Azerbaijani border
  • Armenia-Stepanakert / Khankendi road reopens after grenade incident

Expert circles in Armenia believe that the escalation on November 16 was another attempt by Azerbaijan to force the country to provide the so-called “Zangezur Corridor”. This is a road that will connect Azerbaijan with its exclave Nakhichevan. President Aliyev openly said that if Armenia does not provide a “corridor”, Azerbaijan will open it by force.

The Armenian side, immediately after the signing of the document on the cessation of hostilities in Karabakh, declares that it is fully in solidarity with Aliyev’s position on unblocking communications in the region. However, the Armenian authorities firmly declare that they do not intend to provide a “corridor”, that is, to lose sovereign control over any road provided to neighboring countries.

Therefore, many associate the hostilities in the eastern direction of the borders of Armenia with this.

Moreover, Armenian experts believe this factor is not the only reason for Azerbaijan to use force and and trap Armenia into making concessions.

Armenia also recalls the rumors that have been circulating lately about the impending signing of documents on the demarcation and delimitation of borders with Azerbaijan, as well as a peace agreement on the anniversary of the signing of a statement on the cessation of hostilities in Karabakh. However, the Armenian side refuted the rumours, and the signing did not take place.

The third possible version of why Azerbaijan began hostilities, is associated with the United States’ invitation of Armenia to the online democracy summit on December 9-10.

This version is being discussed in Armenian expert circles, since military actions began, one might say, hours after the Armenian side announced that the country would be represented at the forum by the Prime Minister. On top that, this event is considered openly anti-Russian, as Biden stated:

“America is once again ready to take a leading role in the world, and from now on, it will not hesitate to take a tougher stance against authoritarian countries, including Russia and China”.

Georgia is the only other South Caucasian country invited to the forum. The list, published in the American Politico magazine, does not include Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran and Russia.

The Armenian side guessed about the negative reaction of the Russian side and did not react to this invitation for a long time. It was not announced whether someone will attend the event and who will represent the country if the invitation is accepted.

After the start of active hostilities from the Azerbaijani side, there was an opinion that Azerbaijan “got the go-ahead” for escalation after Armenia’s announcement of Armenia’s participation in a conference in the United States.

According to political observer Agshin Kerimov, Azerbaijan is trying to cut off the land connection between Karabakh and Armenia.

“This can be judged by the information spread in the Armenian press. According to this report, if Azerbaijan takes the height above the M2 highway, thereby gaining control over the road connecting Zangezur and Karabakh with Armenia.

Confidence in the army’s ability to do this is growing with each passing hour; at present, the operational advantage is on the side of Azerbaijan.

The psychological stress in the Armenian Armed Forces, which is caused by the strength of the Azerbaijani army, makes them leave their positions. The Armenian Defense Ministry has already announced the loss of two positions.

Azerbaijan achieved this result by using only a small force of its military balance. The Armenian side understands that if at least an average force is mobilised, it can lead to completely different results.

Based on all this, two conclusions can be made:

  1. The superiority of Azerbaijan over the Armenian forces in the territories of Karabakh, where the Russian peacekeepers are stationed, moves to a new level;
  2. The opening of the Zangezur corridor becomes inevitable, because having seized the dominant heights on the road from Zangezur to Yerevan, Azerbaijan is forcing Armenia to comply with this condition of the trilateral statement”.

West seeks to weaken Russia’s influence on Armenia amid escalation in the region – expert

Manouk Vasilian
TASS, Russia
Nov 17 2021
According to the Vladimir Yevseyev, head of the Caucasus division at the Institute of CIS Studies, Armenia, who calls on Moscow to provide support to Yerevan, seeks to shift all responsibility on Russia

MOSCOW, November 16. /TASS/. A number of Western states seek to weaken Russia’s position in Armenia, taking advantage of the escalation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, says Vladimir Yevseyev, head of the Caucasus division at the Institute of CIS Studies.

According to the expert, Armenia, who calls on Moscow to provide support to Yerevan, "seeks to shift all responsibility on Russia, which [from Armenia’s standpoint] must ensure their territorial integrity for them."

He noted that a number of politicians in Yerevan stated that failing to provide such aid may affect the Russian-Armenian relations negatively.

"I would not rule out that this kind of action was initiated by certain foreign states. The interference is obvious here. I would name the US, France and the UK among the countries that interfere in the affairs of the Republic of Armenia. [These states] seek to weaken the Russia’s presence in Armenia, force Russia to abandon Armenia completely. It is in their interests to show that Russia does not aid Armenia," he said.

Meanwhile, according to the expert, the US and France, being co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, are interested in a settlement of the situation in the Region, but they also seek to worsen Yerevan’s relations with Moscow.

"There is a certain coincidence of positions on Nagorno-Karabakh, but there’s also grudge against Russia, because Russian peacekeepers have been deployed there, but no French or American ones," Yevseyev said.

Russia to airlift citizens of CSTO member states from Kabul, two Armenian nationals believed to be in Afghanistan

Manouk Vasilian
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 18 2021
November 18, 2021, 17:40

 Less than a minute

Upon the instruction of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Defense Minister, Army General Sergei Shoigu ha ordered to organize the evacuation of more than 380 citizens of the Russian Federation and CSTO member states (Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia) from Afghanistan by military transport aircraft.

Three military planes have headed for Kabul to airlift the citizens in the shortest possible time. There are teams of military doctors with the necessary medical equipment and medicines on each Russian aircraft to provide the necessary medical assistance and support to the evacuees, if necessary.

According to preliminary information, there are two Armenian nationals in Afghanistan, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vahan Hunanyan told Armenpress.



​New Glendale farmers market celebrates Armenian culture and community

Manouk Vasilian
Spectrum News
Nov 18 2021

New Glendale farmers market celebrates Armenian culture and community

By Jada Montemarano Glendale
PUBLISHED 2:30 PM PT Nov. 18, 2021

GLENDALE, Calif. — Los Angeles has one of the largest populations of Armenians in the United States, with many Armenian Americans creating a home in Glendale. The city was without a farmers market for over five years, but now, a new one will honor the Armenian community and culture.

________________________________

What You Need To Know

Glendale was without a farmers market for over five years, but now its newest one will honor the Armenian community and culture

Armineh Minassian is a home cook whose ancestors fled Armenia during the genocide

She can expand her reach even further through the new Glendale Artsakh Farmers Market

The farmers market is an event where Armenian chefs and artisans can sell their goods

________________________________

One chef, Armineh Minassian, is a home cook making dolmeh. Her ancestors fled Armenia during the genocide, so she was born in Iran and has never been to her home country. Her family would stay connected by cooking traditional cuisine.

"We would eat this once a week. We learned it from our mom," Minassian said.

From the stuffed grape leaves to the stuffed pumpkin, another traditional dish, Minassian has been serving the food she loves through her at-home cooking business for 14 years, saying, "Food is part of culture."

But recently, she can expand her reach even further through the new Glendale Artsakh Farmers Market, a Sunday event where Armenian chefs and artisans can sell their goods.

"I meet people from different cultures and I have a chance to introduce my food to them," Minassian said.

The idea began over 10 months ago when the founder of the market, Hilda Avanessian, wanted to support Armenians impacted by the Artsakh Azerbaijan war. She started buying from local business owners, but it was difficult because they didn't have storefronts. She realized it would be beneficial to have them all in one centralized place.

"This is their storefront," Avanessian said. "I basically call this their storefront. I want the community to come out and support. The more they come out and support, the longer we can stay here."

Avanessian worked with the city of Glendale to find a location and get the permit to offer the farmer's market every Sunday. Now, there are about 60 rotating stands selling fresh produce, cooked food, jewelry, soaps and more.

The proceeds still go to nonprofit organizations helping those in Armenia. Not only are you uplifting local Armenian business owners, but you will also be serving those impacted by war.

"It brings culture, heritage, and recognition into the community," Avanessian said.

Chef Minassian is blessed to have this opportunity to serve her community and honor her country.

"Culture is in your blood," Minassian said. "You can't take it away. It's something that lives with you. I've never been in Armenia, but I cry for Armenia."

Although she has never been, she is forever connecting to and sharing the spirit of Armenia.

The market, located at 222 E. Harvard St., is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday.

Erdogan asks Turkish Parliament to renew deployment to Azerbaijan

Manouk Vasilian
Nov 9 2021
Turkey sent peacekeeping forces to Azerbaijan last year following the victory in the Nagorno-Karabakh war with Armenia.
November 9, 2021

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked parliament today to extend Turkey’s military presence in Azerbaijan.

Erdogan requested that the deployment be extended for another year so that Turkish forces can continue monitoring the cease-fire between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the disputed Nagoro-Karabakh region. The Turkish troops are working alongside Russian forces in the area, the official Anadolu Agency reported.

The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war began last September between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the eponymous Caucasus region. It ended in an Azerbaijani victory in November after Russia brokered a cease-fire. Turkey heavily supported Azerbaijan, sending drones, military advisers and Syrian mercenaries.

After the cease-fire, the Turkish Parliament approved the deployment of peacekeeper troops to Azerbaijan. The Turkish forces are observing potential cease-fire violations with Russia.

Turkey and Azerbaijan are strong allies and share historical and linguistic connections. Turkey spent decades building up the Azerbaijani military after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The two countries have continued to support one another since the war. Erdogan visited Nagorno-Karabakh in June and signed a mutual defense pledge with his Azerbaijani counterpart President Ilham Aliyev. Last month, Turkey agreed to import more gas from Azerbaijan.

 

Yerevan urges Baku to give up hate policies, ease regional tensions

Manouk Vasilian
TASS, Russia
Nov 12 2021
Azerbaijan continues to torpedo the implementation of the achieved agreements in various ways, Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mger Grigoryan noted

YEREVAN, November 12. /TASS/. Azerbaijan should give up hate polices and take a constructive stance for the sake of easing tensions and putting the region on a peaceful development track, Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mger Grigoryan said at an online meeting of the CIS Heads of Government Council on Friday.

"Azerbaijan continues to torpedo the implementation of the achieved agreements in various ways. For one, it still keeps in custody many prisoners of war, which is a crude violation of paragraph eight of the November 9, 2020 statement, and of international law. For easing tensions and putting the region on a peaceful development track it is essential for Baku to take a constructive stance and give up hate policies and any hostile actions," he said.

Grigoryan said Armenia appreciated Russia’s mediatory efforts for ending hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the activity of Russian peacekeepers in the region.

"A year ago, a trilateral statement by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan was adopted, thanks to Russia’s brokerage, on a ceasefire and the termination of all combat operations in the area of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We appreciate the efforts exerted by the Russian allies, as well as the activity of the peacekeeping contingent, deployed along the disengagement line and the Lachin corridor," he said.

Grigoryan recalled that the conflict, which he blamed on Baku, left 40,000 people homeless and destitute, 17,000 civilian facilities ruined and several hundred people dead or injured.

Tensions in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict aggravated on September 27, 2020, when hostilities flared up. On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on the complete cessation of hostilities in the region. Under the agreement, the Azerbaijani and Armenian forces stopped at the positions they were holding at the moment. A number of districts were put under Baku’s control. Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the engagement line and the Lachin corridor.

Azerbaijan destroys Artsakh’s Madatashen village school, house of culture, monument, damages St. Astvatsatsin Church

Manouk Vasilian
News.am, Armenia
Nov 6 2021
15:37, 06.11.2021

Azerbaijan has destroyed the school of Madatashen village, its house of culture, the monument, and damaged the St. Astvatsatsin Church, reported Monumentwatch.org, which monitors the cultural heritage of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)

According to satellite photos of October 10, Azerbaijani have destroyed the school of Madatashen village in the Askeran region, and reached the wall of the church next to the school. The village hall and the house of culture were also located in this school.

Next to the church there was a monument dedicated to the victims of the Artsakh liberation war in the early 1990s, and this monument was also destroyed by the Azerbaijanis immediately after their current occupation of the village.

The respective video disseminated by the Azerbaijani side clearly shows how and armed Azerbaijani soldier breaks, dismantles, and destroys the monument to the heroes of the Artsakh liberation war, breaks their pictures, and is happily photographed against the backdrop of this destroyed cultural heritage. To note, the video that was made before the Azerbaijani occupation proves that the aforesaid school and the adjacent monument were standing at the time.

The history of Madatashen village dates back to the mid-17th century, and it was named after Russian army general Valerian Madatov, whose cattle ranches were located in this area. The St. Astvatsatsin Church of this village was built in 1904, and its wall as well as the roof were damaged, too.

The Madatashen village school, the house of culture, and the church are not part of the new road construction by Azerbaijan, and it is not ruled out that the building stones obtained as a result of the destruction of these cultural treasures are used by the Azerbaijanis as road retaining walls.

Asbarez: Ankara and Baku, Yerevan and Moscow Separately Discuss Turkey-Armenia Normalization

Manouk Vasilian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

The Armenia-Turkey border

The topic of normalizing relations between Yerevan and Ankara, a year after Turkey overtly and aggressively supported Azerbaijan in its brutal attack on Artsakh, is gaining momentum, with Ankara signaling that it is in discussions with Baku on the subject. Separately, Armenia has been probing the matter with Russia.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told CNN Turk that Turkey has been working jointly with Azerbaijan on the matter of normalization of relations with Armenia.

“During the Turkish president’s recent visit to Azerbaijan, we discussed, with [Azerbaijani] Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, the issue of normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations,” Cavusoglu added.

The head of Armenia’s National Security Council Armen Grigoryan said at a news confernce on Thursday that Armenia is ready to normalize relations with Turkey.

“We have repeatedly stated that we are ready to start discussing … the normalization of relations with Turkey,” Grigorian said. “We are also discussing this with our Russian partners, [talking] about how we can move forward in this process.”

“I think it’s best to start that work because both we and the Turkish side have pointed out that there are positive signals and we can start the normalization of relations,” added Grigorian.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov voiced Moscow’s support to Turkey-Armenia normalization, saying last month Moscow is ready to assist in the process “in the most active manner.” Of course, Lavrov tied the process to the Kremlin’s plan of opening transportation links between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

All this comes days after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey reiterated his precondition that Armenia must recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity before any dialogue on normalization of relations can begin.

“If Armenia demonstrates a sincere will to normalize its relations with Azerbaijan then there will be no obstacles to normalizing relations between Armenia and Turkey,” Erdogan said standing alongside his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Monday at a ceremony to inaugurate an airport in occupied Artsakh.

Presidents Erdogan and Aliyev lay the foundations of a highway that will run to the Armenia border

During the same event, Azerbaijan signaled that it would penetrate Armenia through a highway currently under construction that leads to the Armenian border as part of Aliyev’s often cited “Zangezur Corridor” that envisions a direct link to Nakhichevan through Armenia.

Aliyev on Thursday praised Erdogan and Turkey, expressing his gratitude for Erdogan’s “political and moral support and the fraternal Turkic state” during last year’s aggressive attack against Artsakh.

Grigorian, Armenia’s National Security chief, insisted that the issue of a corridor is not being discussed, and ventured to say that Erdogan did not echo Aliyev’s demand for the road link, when it was Erdogan who prodded Azerbaijan’s director of highways to offer his vision that after construction on the road is complete it will reach all the way to Istanbul.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 10/28/2021

Manouk Vasilian 
                                        Thrusday, 


Top Russian General Again Visits Armenia


Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian greets Colonel-General Sergei Istrakov, 
the deputy chief of the Russian military’s General Staff, at the start of their 
talks in Yerevan, .


A top Russian army general met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday 
as he visited Armenia for the third time in nine months.

An Armenian government statement said Pashinian and Colonel-General Sergei 
Istrakov, the deputy chief of the Russian military’s General Staff, discussed 
Russian-Armenian “military-technical cooperation,” an official term that often 
relates to arms supplies.

They also “exchanged thoughts on the current military-political situation in the 
region,” it added without elaborating.

Photographs released by the government’s press office showed that Defense 
Minister Arshak Karapetian was also present at the meeting. The Armenian Defense 
Ministry did not report on Thursday separate talks between Istrakov and 
Karapetian or other Armenian military officials.

Istrakov already visited Yerevan in January and July this year at the head of 
Russian military delegations that held “staff negotiations” with the Armenian 
army’s top brass.

Armenia moved to further deepen its close military ties with Russia shortly 
after the six-week war in Nagorno-Karabakh stopped by a Russian-brokered 
ceasefire last November. Moscow has since deployed troops in Armenia’s Syunik 
province bordering districts southwest of Karabakh retaken by Azerbaijan during 
and after the hostilities.

Meeting with Karapetian in Moscow in August, Russian Defense Minister Sergei 
Shoigu said Moscow will continue to help Yerevan reform, rearm and modernize the 
Armenian armed forces.

“We can consider that the process of arms supplies to Armenia has started,” the 
Russian defense minister said as he gifted his Armenian counterpart a dagger.

According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, the two ministers reached “a number 
of important agreements regarding forthcoming cooperation programs.”



Turkish-Armenian Relations ‘Discussed With Russia’

        • Artak Khulian
        • Tatevik Sargsian

Armenia -- Armen Grigorian, the secretary of Armenia's Security Council, speaks 
at a news conference, .


Armenia is discussing with Russia ways of normalizing its relations with Turkey, 
a senior Armenian official said on Thursday.

“We have repeatedly stated that we are ready to start discussing … the 
normalization of relations with Turkey,” Armen Grigorian, the secretary of 
Armenia’s Security Council, told a news conference. “We are also discussing this 
with our Russian partners, [talking] about how we can move forward in this 
process.”

“I think it’s best to start that work because both we and the Turkish side have 
pointed out that there are positive signals and we can start the normalization 
of relations,” he said.

Russia voiced support for a Turkish-Armenian rapprochement in early September, 
with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying that Moscow is “ready to assist in 
that in the most active way.” Lavrov cited in that regard Russian-mediated 
efforts to establish transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan after last 
year’s war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Turkey has since continued to make the establishment of diplomatic relations and 
opening of the border between the two countries conditional on a resolution of 
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict acceptable to Azerbaijan.

“If Armenia demonstrates a sincere will to normalize its relations with 
Azerbaijan then there will be no obstacles to normalizing relations between 
Armenia and Turkey,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier this 
week.

He spoke during the inauguration of a newly built airport in Fizuli, a town 
southeast of Karabakh recaptured by the Azerbaijani army during the six-week 
war. Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also announced the official 
start of work on a new highway leading to Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province.

Aliyev claimed that the road will be part of a “corridor” that will connect 
Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave via Syunik and also “unite the Turkic 
world.” “Both Azerbaijan and Turkey are taking practical steps in that 
direction,” he said.

Yerevan maintains that a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement that stopped the 
Karabakh war last November calls for transport links between the two South 
Caucasus states, rather than permanent “corridors.”

“No issue with corridor logic is being discussed,” insisted Grigorian. He also 
noted that Erdogan did not explicitly echo Aliyev’s demands for the “Zangezur 
corridor” during his latest trip to Azerbaijan.

Erdogan did mention the corridor last month when he claimed that Armenian Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian has offered to meet with him and discuss bilateral 
ties. Earlier in September, the Turkish leader also cited Azerbaijan’s demands 
for a formal Armenian recognition of Azerbaijani sovereignty over 
Nagorno-Karabakh.



Armenian Government Rules Out Coronavirus Lockdown
Հոկ October տեմբեր 28, 2021
        • Marine Khachatrian

Armenia -- People wear faces masks on a street in Yerevan, August 11, 2020.


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian made clear on Thursday that his government has no 
plans to impose lockdown restrictions despite record numbers of coronavirus 
cases and deaths registered in Armenia.

Pashinian said the government will instead step up its vaccination campaign and 
push for greater mask wearing in the country.

“Our strategy is as follows: we believe we should not opt for lockdowns and must 
work in the two [other] directions,” Pashinian told a weekly session of his 
cabinet.

He spoke after the Armenian Ministry said that 2,307 infections and 49 
coronavirus-related deaths were registered in the past day.

Speaking at the cabinet meeting, Health Minister Anahit Avanesian said that all 
of just over 3,000 beds set up for COVID-19 patients at 27 hospitals across the 
country are now occupied. About 1,400 of the patients treated there now are in a 
severe or critical condition, she said.

On Monday, the government ordered Armenian universities to revert to online 
classes and extended school holidays until November 7 in a bid to contain the 
latest wave of infections. Avanesian said it is now considering delaying school 
classes by another week.

“The epidemiological situation in Armenia is extremely tense,” commented 
Pashinian. He said Armenians may soon be required to wear masks not only indoors 
but also in the streets.

Most of them currently do not wear mandatory masks even inside overcrowded 
public buses. The authorities essentially stopped fining them a year ago.

Pashinian said the government will also strive to “expand the volume of 
vaccinations.” They have already accelerated over the past month after the 
authorities began requiring all public and private sector employees to get 
inoculated or take coronavirus tests twice a month at their own expense.

Nevertheless, Armenia continues to have the lowest vaccination rate in the 
region. Ministry of Health data shows that 466,785 people in the country of 
about 3 million received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and only 
about 210,250 of them were fully vaccinated as of October 24.


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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