Author: Manouk Vasilian

Nagorno-Karabakh people face threat to their very existence, Armenia warns at UNSC open debate

Manouk Vasilian

 10:23, 4 August 2023

YEREVAN. AUGUST 4. ARMENPRESS. On August 3, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahe Gevorgyan participated in and delivered remarks at the open debate on “Famine and conflict-induced global food insecurity” organized by the United States under the agenda item “Maintenance of international peace and security” of the UN Security Council.

The open debate was chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The United Nations Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator Reena Ghelani delivered a briefing.

In his remarks, the Deputy Foreign Minister Vahe Gevorgyan particularly noted:

“I would like to express my appreciation to the United States for convening this open debate on such a pertinent topic. I thank Ms. Reena Ghelani, UN Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator and other distinguished briefers for presenting their views on the ways to prevent and address famine by strengthening food security in conflict situations.

Starvation has been repeatedly used as a method of warfare and perpetration of genocide throughout history. But today, I am not going to recall examples from the past or assess future risks of famine in the context of the conflict. Instead I would bring to the attention of the Council a situation which is happening right now, a situation wherein people do not know whether today they will be able to find milk formula for their babies, loaf of bread for their children or provide medicines to critically ill relatives.

As we meet, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh face threat to their very existence resulting from the complete blockade, imposed by Azerbaijan. For more than seven months Azerbaijan continues to block the Lachin corridor, a humanitarian lifeline connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with the outside world. This illegal and inhumane action is in blatant violation of the order of the International Court of Justice of 22 February 2023 reconfirmed by July 6 order, norms of the international humanitarian law and the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020.

The complete halt of any humanitarian supplies by Azerbaijan since 15 June this year has led to a critical shortage of food, medical supplies and other essential goods, creating a full-fledged humanitarian crisis. Disruption of electricity and gas supplies has been paralyzing social and healthcare services and the transportation system, depriving the besieged population of their fundamental human rights.

The blockade has a particularly devastating impact on the most vulnerable segments of the population. Due to the lack of essential foods and vitamins, approximately 2,000 pregnant women, around 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly persons and 9,000 persons with disabilities are struggling to survive under conditions of malnutrition, absence of basic supplies and medicines.

Motive, Azerbaijan continuously targets civilians conducting agricultural works, augmenting its manifest intent to impose starvation on the population. 

These warning signs have already been communicated by the ICRC which remains the only international humanitarian mission in Nagorno-Karabakh. In its July 25 news release the International Committee of the Red Cross expressed concern over growing humanitarian needs and emphasized that it is not currently able to bring humanitarian assistance to the civilian population through the Lachin corridor, while stressing that its humanitarian aid convoys are a lifeline for the population in the area. After 3 days of this communication Azerbaijan arrested 68-year-old Vagif Khachatryan, a person who was being transported by the ICRC from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia for medical treatment. The arrest of a person under the ICRC protection whose transfer was preliminary agreed with Azerbaijan is not merely perfidious act but well-calculated obstruction of the ICRC work in Nagorno-Karabakh.

To address life-saving needs of the most vulnerable, on 26 July the Government of Armenia decided to deliver a consignment of around 360 tons of essential goods, mainly food and medical supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh. We appealed to the peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation to organize the delivery of the humanitarian assistance to those in need which was established practice throughout past months. However, up until now, the humanitarian cargo remains at the entrance to the Lachin corridor due to obstruction and denial by Azerbaijani side of its transfer.  

The dire humanitarian situation on the ground and the risks of evolving hunger in Nagorno-Karabakh require efficient and timely response by the international community to ensure full and unconditional implementation of the ICJ decisions and full respect of international human rights and international humanitarian law.

We hope that yesterday's statement of the UN Secretary-General wherein he expressed deep concern on the humanitarian situation and emphasized the need of the implementation of ICJ orders for ensuring unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along Lachin corridor will be the first step towards full UN engagement on the ground. This engagement is as needed as ever. The cost of inaction is too high to be sustained and this mass atrocity being perpetrated through starvation should and can be prevented and stopped.

We call on the UN and its Security Council to undertake urgent measures to ensure full adherence of Azerbaijan to its legally binding obligations under the ICJ orders and the international humanitarian law, immediately restore the freedom of movement across the Lachin corridor and allow safe and unimpeded humanitarian access of the UN agencies and the ICRC to Nagorno-Karabakh.”


Ex-mayor, PM’s advisor Hrachya Sargsyan appointed Deputy Minister of Defense

Manouk Vasilian

 14:25, 3 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has appointed his advisor Hrachya Sargsyan as Deputy Minister of Defense.

Sargsyan is a former Mayor of Yerevan.

The decree on appointing Sargsyan as deputy minister and dismissing him as advisor to the prime minister was published at .

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1116693.html?fbclid=IwAR0W8lwBqOah_hzIHsUZgf3z25beugYvIB11DC_xUuSXmgYXoS1r48W_cyo

Asbarez: Dr. Rubina Peroomian Pays Tribute to Late Richard G. Hovannisian

Manouk Vasilian
by Contributor

 

 August 2, 2023

 

in Commentary, In Memoriam, Latest, Op-Ed, Top Stories
Dr. Rubina Peroomian at the IAGS Conference in Barcelona on July 14


EDITOR’S NOTE: Esteemed scholar, Dr. Rubina Peroomian, made the presentation below, “Richard Hovannisian in Memoriam” during the “Helen Fein, Roger Smith, and Richard Hovannisian Tribute Panel” on July 14 at the International Association of Genocide Scholars Conference in Barcelona, Spain. The panel was initially organized to honor the memory of Helen Fein and Roger Smith, two newly deceased founding members of the organization, but Hovannisian was added to the topic after his passing on July 10.

BY DR. RUBINA PEROOMIAN

I have had the honor to introduce Prof. Richard Hovannisian on many occasions, at conferences and at events where he was honored. This will be the most difficult. I would never imagine speaking about him in the past tense. He was an icon in the field of Armenian Studies. And icons don’t die.

I will try my best to give you a brief introduction into the life and work of this unique scholar, trailblazer in Armenian historiography and Armenian Genocide studies in the West, mentor, diligent researcher, great inspirer, motivator and organizer, human rights advocate, and cultivator of generations of scholars following his footsteps.

But before that, I’d like to pay my deep respect to the memory of Helen Fein and Roger Smith, pioneers of Genocide Studies whom I have had the bonne chance to meet in IAGS conferences and admire their work.

On March 7, 2020, the Armenian National Committee Western Region Education Committee honored Prof. Hovannisian with the Legacy Award at Genocide Education, and I was given the task and the privilege to introduce him. After the event half-jokingly, he said to me “send me your text. It will make a nice obituary.” He was right again. The idea was farfetched and inconceivable to me at the time, but overwhelmed with emotions as I heard the sad news of his sudden death and burdened with the heavy schedule of this conference, I found myself searching that text in my computer to shape my tribute speech today.

Speakers at the “Helen Fein, Roger Smith, and Richard Hovannisian Tribute Panel”

Richard G. Hovannisian, Professor of Modern Armenian and Near Eastern History at UCLA, my mentor, my role model, my inspiration. It was because of his sincere and strong recommendation letter, not knowing me personally, just trusting my desire and motivation, that the holder of the Armenian language and Literature chair reluctantly agreed to accept a 43-year-old civil engineer from Tehran in the graduate program at the UCLA Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Department, Winter Quarter, 1980.

I remember my first exam in the class of History 112B. I filled up the Blue Book entirely and waited for the result. And the result was B+ for the content, C- for the language. That was my first shocking encounter with this hard grading, demanding professor. No, he was not an easy A professor unlike for example the Turkish history professor who was famous for his high grades just to attract students to his class.

This last few days Facebook is inundated with remarks and remembrances, celebrating his life, eulogizing his legacy. A former student of his wrote, “Lectures from Professor Hovannisian transported us, turning distant histories into cohesive and captivating stories. His storytelling brought the subject to life with all its twists and turns, pivotal moments, tragedy, and triumph. Stories that he told over and over to generation after generation, imparting a passion and lifelong curiosity for Armenian History.”

Richard G. Hovannisian was born and raised in Tulare, California, into a family of Armenian Genocide survivors. He earned a B.A. and an M.A. in History from UC Berkley, and a PhD. in 1966, from UCLA. His dissertation, Armenia on the Road to Independence, was published in 1967 to become the precursor to the four-volume monumental work The Republic of Armenia, 1918-1920, published between 1971-1996. With these 5 volumes he broke the ground for a national, post-Soviet Armenian historiography still in the stages of development today.

He had joined the UCLA Faculty in 1962 earning numerous awards and prizes as a dedicated teacher and a prolific historian. He earned the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship and medals of honor from Armenian and non-Armenian institutions. He served on the Board of Directors of national and international educational institutions and was one of the first members of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences outside Armenia.

In 1987, he became the first holder of the Armenian Education Foundation Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA, which after his retirement was named in his honor as the Richard Hovannisian Chair in Modern Armenian History.

To become the esteemed, reputable, and world-renowned scholar that he was took more than knowledge, or relentless research, or intense labor and perseverance. It took more than self-discipline, objectivity, or meticulous and selective treatment of the sources. It was all these, but more importantly, an aspiration, a genuine and undying urge to serve the homeland of his dreams.

We owe it to his unswerving zeal and dedication to the Armenian Cause to have had systematically organized conferences devoted to the provinces and regions of historic Armenia, bringing to life these places where Armenians live no more, 17 conferences over the years and 15 volumes of the proceedings of these conferences he edited and published. 3 conferences dedicated to the Armenian Genocide and publication of papers presented. He also edited the two-volume The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times, a classic Armenian History textbook published in 1997. He edited and contributed to more than thirty-five books impossible to enumerate them here.

He introduced the Armenian oral history course at UCLA in 1970s, and together with his students he interviewed about 1000 Armenian survivors of the Genocide. Each student was assigned 10 interviews. I did 15 and the longest ones. In 2018 he donated the collection to the USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive, where they are being digitized and indexed for different themes and are available for researchers anywhere in the world.

His aura, his reputation, and his powerful and convincing presentations in multiple forums, paved the way for the inclusion of the Armenian Genocide in the school and university curricula and in international deliberations.

With his academic output, his pursuit of unbiased, national historiography, his activism in the world recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and the pivotal role he played in the gathering of survivors’ testimonies and advancing the Armenian Genocide Education, he left a legacy that will live forever and guide many more generations to come.

He was a target of the deniers of the Armenian Genocide, but he stood strong and battled against denialism, distortion of history and pretended Turkish altruism.

Richard was the son who did not fit the macho mold his father, Kasbar of Bazmashen village in Kharbert, a young soldier in Andranik’s troop, had created. “That son of a gun,” his father would say, unlike his brothers “he’ll never amount to anything.”

His road was the one less traveled.

Richard had felt on his own skin how painful it was to be the child of a survivor of a great catastrophe, the son of a tormented soul who woke up screaming frantically in the middle of the night, calling his mother, “Վայ, մայրիկ, վայ.“ Kasbar was on the banks of the bloody Euphrates, where a Turk had snatched him from his mother’s embrace.

Announcing the birth of his first son, Raffi, to his mentor, Simon Vratsian, Richard wrote, “Raffi is growing…. He is laughing. He does not know what the future has in store for him. He does not yet know that he has been born into a race in which all children, if they are good, must suffer.” He had suffered, and he knew very well that the suffering would not end with the next generation. And by the way, Raffi would become the first Minister of Foreign Affairs (1991-1992) of the newly independent Republic of Armenia.

In my studies of the second-generation’s perception of the Armenian tragic past and the inherited trauma, Richard’s response was rebellion, escape, but not alienation and assimilation. His Armenian identity was kindled in San Francisco Armenian Youth Federation and forged in Jemaran, in Beirut. He returned home to dedicate his life and career to building a monument of remembrance through his many academic publications, teaching and activism, always having his loving wife Vartiter on his side to help, to encourage, to support.

Այս հողեղէն աշխարհում, վաստակդ շատ, վարձքդ կատար սիրելի Ռիչըրդ: Դու կրեցիր քեզ ժառանգութիւն հասած ցաւագին անցեալի բացած ու չսպիացող վէրքն ու հոգեբանական տուայտանքները, բայց յառնեցիր ո՛չ իբրեւ զոհ, այլ՝ քո գրչով եւ գործունէութեամբ, իբրեւ մարտնչող՝ հայ ժողովրդի դէմ գործուած եւ անպատիժ մնացած ահաւոր ոճրի արդար դատաստանի եւ հատուցման նուիրեալ:

Յարգանք քո անցած ճանապարհին։
Յարգանք քո յիշատակին։

Dr. Rubina Peroomian is an independent scholar author, formerly of UCLA.




Whereabouts of kidnapped Red Cross evacuee unknown

Manouk Vasilian

 15:45,

YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan itself is abandoning on a daily basis its fake narratives claiming to be willing to live in coexistence with the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ambassador-at-large Edmon Marukyan said on Saturday after a Nagorno-Karabakh patient was detained and taken to an unknown location by Azerbaijani border guards while being evacuated by the International Committee of the Red Cross to Armenia for treatment. Marukyan said the patient has been kidnapped by the Azeri authorities.

“On a daily basis, Azerbaijan is resigning from the fake narratives it has created regarding their willingness to live in coexistence with the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. Today, 68-year-old Vagif Khachatryan, who was being transported from Nagorno Karabagh to Armenia for a medical treatment, accompanied by the International Committee of the Red Cross, was abducted by the representatives of the border guard service of Azerbaijan and taken to an unknown direction. Neither the relatives of Khachatryan, nor the ICRC representatives or Russian peacekeepers are aware about the whereabouts of Vagif Khachatryan. His fate is unknown as of this writing,” Marukyan tweeted.

Right now, the biggest obstacle to peace is the aggressive and illegal actions of Azerbaijan – Pashinyan for Le Monde

Manouk Vasilian

 15:53,

YEREVAN, JULY 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has proven by its deeds that there is a genuine will on the part of the government and people of Armenia to develop a lasting peace in the region and it believes that lasting peace in the South Caucasus could bring significant global benefits, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an article published in the French Le Monde newspaper.

Below is the English translation of the article. 

“Last weekend, I met with European Council President Charles Michel and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. It is the latest in a series of meetings I have held with Azerbaijan's President over the last four months in different forms and capitals. Armenia has proven by its deeds that there is a genuine will on the part of the government and people of Armenia to develop a lasting peace in the region.

"We firmly believe that lasting peace in the South Caucasus could bring significant global benefits. Over the last years, Armenia has become a stable democratic country in a difficult region. Geographically we sit at a crossroads. If we succeed in achieving progress in our peace agenda, normalize relations with our neighbors, and establish solid transport and energy infrastructure, it will bring increased prosperity, build bridges between Asia and Europe, and could be a significant boon for global commerce and international stability.

"Although the contours of a peace agreement are forming, there remain significant barriers to making it a reality. Overcoming these decade long hurdles will only be possible with robust support from partners, who truly believe in peace in the South Caucasus.

"Right now, the biggest obstacle to peace are the aggressive and illegal actions of Azerbaijan around Nagorno-Karabakh, particularly in the Lachin corridor but also within Armenia’s borders. The Lachin corridor is the only road linking the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh with the outside world. Since December, access to the corridor was severely restricted by Azerbaijan, under the false pretext of an environmental protest. Now, Baku has gone further, installing a border checkpoint at the entrance to the corridor, even impeding access by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This means the supply of food, medicine, and basic necessities are severely disrupted. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, and other influential institutions have warned of an unfolding humanitarian crisis.

"As well as blocking access to people and vehicles, Azerbaijan is deliberately disrupting gas and electricity supply to Nagorno-Karabakh. These actions have coincided with increasingly aggressive rhetoric, propaganda, and even Azerbaijani forces opening fire on local farmers. The aim is clear: to make life as difficult as possible for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, and ultimately force them to leave their homes. It is a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. If the international community does not react, it will be another failure of humanity.

 "The international community should undertake bold steps to stop the Sarajevo-style siege of Nagorno-Karabakh. The blockade is a violation by Azerbaijan of its legally binding commitments and most importantly of numerous unequivocal decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In February, the ICJ declared Azerbaijan must “take all measures necessary to guarantee the uninterrupted movement of citizens, vehicles, and cargo in both directions through the Lachin Corridor in both directions”. However, five months have passed, and the situation has deteriorated further.

"The European Union has been clear that Azerbaijan’s actions are unacceptable. Now it must use its leverage as a significant energy partner to pressure Baku to implement the ICJ’s binding decision without delay. The European Parliament and various national parliaments in EU member states have adopted decisions pushing the EU to do just this.

"The current crisis highlights why ensuring the rights and security of the 120,000 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh is central to a sustainable peace in the South Caucasus. The European Union and other international partners have a vital role to play. There needs to be a formal dialogue between Baku and the democratically elected authorities in Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh. To be effective this requires the establishment of an international mechanism and guarantees from international partners to bring security and ensure obligations are fulfilled.

"The rights and security of the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh is a key question that must be addressed to reach a dignified and durable peace in our region. Other issues must also be addressed:  Azerbaijan still refuses to recognize internationally accepted borders, occupies parts of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, and holds prisoners of war that they committed to return in 2020. The authorities in Baku use force, and the threat of further military escalation, to achieve their irredentist aims. This should not be tolerated; the consistent torpedoing of the peace process must have consequences.  Otherwise, the Azerbaijani forces that have encircled Nagorno-Karabakh will believe they are free to act with impunity.

"Armenia deeply values the mediation and facilitation efforts by the EU, particularly the establishment of the EU mission in Armenia. This is performing a vital task in monitoring our international border with Azerbaijan, increasing stability on the ground, and helping build confidence with those living in border areas.

"Strengthening relations with the European Union is among the main foreign policy goals of my government. The EU was founded on the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. These are principles that are core to Armenia’s identity. The Armenian government and people have consciously pursued a path of political and institutional reforms to safeguard human rights, reinforce the rule of law, media freedom, and combat corruption. The progress of Armenia in international rankings reflects our achievements and determination, and the EU’s support in these processes is very much appreciated.

"This unwavering commitment to a democratic future has helped the Armenian people persevere through challenging times. It will continue to do so as we seek to forge a lasting peace in the region. Right now, there is a window of opportunity to reach such an agreement. The government of Armenia is committed to this process and has taken significant steps to achieve it. We now need the support of Europe and partners around the world to ensure that Azerbaijan also lives up to its commitments and legal obligations. If we succeed, a sustainable peace agreement can bring truly global benefits.”




Group of Armenian civil society organizations concerned over Charles Michel’s statement

Manouk Vasilian

 17:20,

YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS. A group of Armenian civil society organizations have expressed concern regarding the recent statement made by the President of the European Council Charles Michel.

Below is the full statement released by the group of civil society organizations.

“The undersigned civil society organizations in Armenia express their alarm over the press statement of July 15 made by Charles Michel, President of the European Council, following the latest trilateral meeting with Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Aliyev. Specifically, we are concerned that the announcement equates the Lachin Corridor and Aghdam as options to address the current humanitarian crisis. This proposal disregards the fact that the source of the humanitarian crisis is Azerbaijan’s continued blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh (NK), subjecting its population to hunger and malnutrition to force submission to their demands, or worse, push them physically out of the territory. Moreover, it does not solve other ongoing violations of human rights, including freedom of movement, access to health services, access to education, etc. We fear that should this proposal be pursued, it will worsen the current dire situation, putting the lives of people in Nagorno-Karabakh at risk.

“The Lachin Corridor does not have an alternative. The February 2023 Preliminary Order (reaffirmed in July 2023) of the International Court of Justice confirms the importance of keeping the corridor open for the free passage of people, goods, and vehicles. However, the Azerbaijani side has not only ignored the Order but has further tightened the months-long blockade. Instead of addressing the root cause of the humanitarian crisis, the discussion of "alternative" routes, such as Aghdam, diverts the international community's attention from the source of the problem – the illegal blockade of a humanitarian corridor and the policy of ethnic cleansing by the Azerbaijani government. Making the Aghdam road operational would inadvertently support this policy by giving additional political and economic leverage to Azerbaijan over the Armenian population in NK and further undermining their rights. 

“Using hunger as a negotiation tactic should not be normalized. If the current situation of a total blockade persists, the act of offering food and supplies through Aghdam resembles hostage-taking and undermines any efforts to build trust between NK and Azerbaijan within the context of a possible Baku-Stepanakert dialogue. Should the international community yield to Azerbaijan's unlawful actions and clear intentions of ethnic cleansing, it would effectively validate the wrongful closure of the Lachin Corridor and the captivity of 120,000 individuals since December 2022. Furthermore, this endorsement would legitimize the non-adherence to the ICJ's order and discredit all existing and future agreements or international legal rulings.

“Additionally, the statement refers to the facilitation of the release of soldiers who inadvertently cross to the other side. While this is an important issue, it is crucial that the fate of all detainees and prisoners of war is not forgotten. There are at least 35 confirmed prisoners of war and other civilian detainees in Azerbaijan. There have been reliable reports that they have been subjected to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. Two of them were kidnapped earlier this year from Armenia proper, and the court in Azerbaijan sentenced them to lengthy prison sentences for “trespassing” for allegedly attempting to supply a group of “saboteurs” and for “armed terrorism conspiracy”. Similar sham trials have also occurred in relation with other detainees captured during and after the 44-day war. It is obvious that access to justice is impossible under the current circumstances. Moreover, Azerbaijan appears to hold these detainees as a bargaining chip during the process of negotiations.

“Thus, we earnestly request that the international community:

  • prioritize efforts to immediately unblock the Lachin Corridor in accordance with the ICJ ruling,
  • unite efforts in facilitating the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of war and other detained persons.

 

 

 

Democracy Development Foundation

Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation (ACGRC)

Center for Rights Development NGO

“Asparez” Journalists' Club

"For Equal Rights" Educational Center NGO

Helsinki Citizens' Assembly-Vanadzor

Non-Discrimination and Equality Coalition

Public Journalism Club

Peace Dialogue NGO

Protection of Rights Without Borders NGO

Real World, Real People NGO

Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center

Regional Center for Democracy and Security

Union of Informed Citizens

Women's Support Center”

Armenia: on the new silk road for goods to sanctions-hit Russia

Manouk Vasilian
Financial Times
UK –
Thousands of used cars brought through Caucasus to circumvent US and EU bans
Polina Ivanova in Gyumri and Yerevan, Armenia, and Chris Cook in London
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Rows of cars stretched in every direction from a customs office building on the outskirts of Gyumri, Armenia’s second city. Many were missing a bumper; some had squashed wings or doors taped up with plastic bags. 

 Young Russian men roamed between the vehicles. For them, this corner of the Caucasus has become a key stop on a booming trade route: bringing used cars to Russia, where sanctions over Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine have left western-brand cars hard to find. 
 “None of what you see here stays in Armenia,” said one, pointing to the sea of vehicles baking in the heat. “It all gets re-exported to Russia, some to Kazakhstan.” 
 Armenia is not a car producer, but exports of cars from the tiny country to Russia have soared since last year’s invasion of Ukraine — from $800,000 worth of vehicles in January 2022 to just over $180mn worth of vehicles in the same month this year. 
 “In Russia, all the auto dealerships have closed, BMW, Audi, everything,” said the young trader. Like other Russians working at the Gyumri customs terminal, he declined to share his name.  
“Any wealthy person who would have previously gone to a dealership and bought a car, they can’t do that any more,” he added. “So they turn to us, or to someone else, and get the car brought in.” 
 Nearby, a car transporter was being filled with bruised and dented Fords. Along the edge of the customs lot, brokers advertised their services on storefront billboards: “Purchase of vehicles on US auctions”; “Transfer in closed container to Gyumri”; “Re-export to Russia”.  
Cars are the starkest example, but exports of other goods from Armenia to Russia have also surged, leading to an almost two-fold increase in trade between the two countries in 2022. 
 Russian consumers have turned to third countries to search for what they are missing as a consequence of western sanctions and corporate departures, placing countries such as Armenia, Turkey and Kazakhstan at the heart of a busy new trade route for consumer goods. 
 For Armenia, this has contributed to a huge boom, with its gross domestic product growing a record 13 per cent in 2022, more than double the previous year’s rate.  
But it has also left western capitals frustrated. US officials in March listed Armenia among states used “to smuggle prohibited goods” to Russia. The EU’s latest sanctions package focused on preventing third-country circumvention also lists entities in Armenia among the culprits. 
 The Armenian government strongly denies the accusation. Reports of sanctions circumvention “are nothing more than rumours”, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in March. “The reality is just the opposite.” 
 The “leadership of Armenia has clearly publicly voiced its commitment to restrict trade in all risky items”, its foreign ministry said, adding that it was working closely with the US and EU and had put together a list of items that could be used by the Russian military, which are now under especially strict control. 
 For Russians, foreign cars are a prized target after the US prohibited all light-vehicle exports to Russia, used or new. The EU also swiftly banned exports of vehicles valued above €50,000 and recently expanded this to include all larger cars with an engine size of about two litres or more. 
 Many foreign car companies have sold off their production plants and shut dealerships inside Russia. Some have also pulled out of the market even though they are not subject to direct export controls. South Korea’s Hyundai has suspended operations and plans to sell its Russian factories.  
Chinese models are available but unpopular. Domestic models are few, and their production has been hugely depressed by sanctions cutting carmakers off from high-tech production tools. Prices on the second-hand market have shot up.  
Cars arrive primarily from the US via the Black Sea port of Poti in Georgia, brokers and buyers said. Many are then brought to Armenia for customs clearance, as the country shares a customs-free trade bloc with Russia. 
 The city of Gyumri is a key hub from where the vehicles head north to Russia by road, crossing through Georgia again. 
 “This scheme, US-Georgia-Armenia-Georgia-Russia, is not the only one. There are so many,” said Pavel, a new trader passing through Gyumri from St Petersburg who declined to give his real name. “These schemes have spread like the roots of a tree.” 
 Sitting at an open-air café filled with the smell of petrol and grilled meat, Pavel said he had considered heading to Belarus — the entry point for cars from Germany — but settled on the Caucasus route. The trader in his twenties, who first tried his hand in Russia as a property broker, said he wanted to get into the car import business himself, and this was his test run.  
Pavel first spent months researching the market and chatting online with a Russian “car selector” in Georgia. The selector helped him find a used Hyundai auctioned in the US.
Many other traders also go for American cars. In January 2022, before the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Armenia imported $2.8mn worth of cars from the US. But a year later, that number soared to $29.5mn. Since then, the rate has continued to climb. In April this year, Armenia imported $34mn worth of US cars.
  
Most are bought cheaply in the US at second-hand insurance auctions where cars are deemed written off by insurers, buyers and brokers said. Then the cars are fixed up at repair shops in Georgia or Armenia. This keeps profit margins strong. Repaired second-hand cars can be sold in Russia for a lot more than their cost, despite the long route they have to take. 
 It also keeps traders in line with the European sanctions price cap that some local customs officers now insist on. 
 “That’s why everybody imports smashed-up cars,” the young Russian trader in Gyumri said. “Expensive ones, but battered about enough to be cheaper than $50,000 on the invoice.” 
 Pavel made his way from St Petersburg to southern Russia by plane and then across the border to Georgia by bus, carrying about 1.5mn roubles ($17,000) in cash. He found the Hyundai in great shape after being fixed at a repair shop. 
 After clearing it through customs in Gyumri, he was about to drive it home, where he was confident it would be an easy sell.  
“Everything’s bad in the Russian market,” he said. “People will buy it because they don’t really have any options, because of the circumstances.”
The number of new cars sold in Russia fell 60 per cent last year, while domestic production — following the exit of western carmakers — plummeted to its lowest since 1991, the end of the Soviet Union, according to a Reuters analysis of Autostat data. 
 Squeezed supply and depressed household budgets meant Russians bought far fewer cars, used or new, last year. New cars that did get sold were mainly of the homegrown Lada brand, a classic Soviet car. Its market share rose to 37 per cent in the first quarter of this year. 
 More Chinese new cars are being sold now, too, with the state-owned Chery brand’s market share growing 165 per cent in the first quarter of this year from a year earlier. Russia has become the largest importer of Chinese cars. 
 Most Russians have turned to buying second-hand cars. Last year, used cars made up almost three-quarters of sales. But even this market is getting tight, said Alexander, a young Russian clearing a car at Gyumri customs for his personal use. Prices are steep, and good used cars are getting scarce.  
Alexander said he had just sold his Ford Focus in Russia, receiving more money for it now than he paid for it new in 2009, “even though it had aged, its mileage had increased and its condition had worsened”. He chose to use those funds to find a car in the Caucasus, he said, because “Russians have swept up all the half-decent used cars from Germany already”. 
 Though the west is keen to enforce export controls, there is also a wariness, some analysts said, about stunting the growth spurts of smaller economies in the region that appear increasingly inclined to shed their historic ties to Russia and face the west. 
 In a recent working paper, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development noted that while this trade through places such as Armenia amounted to just a small fraction of what Russia used to import from the west, “the amounts involved are large for the intermediary economies” and make “a sizeable contribution” to their economic growth.  
Russian customers for used cars can also be found at the Erebuni market on the outskirts of Yerevan, with the snow-capped peak of Mount Ararat floating above. On a recent Saturday, a group of Russians of all ages walked between the lines of cars, looking to buy cars both for themselves and to sell. 
 The market at Erebuni has existed for decades, but far more Russians are now coming in, one market worker said. The same goes for the protracted import routes in general, according to Alexander, the buyer in Gyumri. 
 “This business has existed for a long time. It was super popular in the 1990s because the official market hadn’t developed yet, dealers and brands hadn’t entered Russia yet,” he said, referring to the period immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union when trade was often murky and underhand. 
 “Now we’re heading back to that,” Alexander said. “The 1990s are coming back.”  
 

Azerbaijan and Armenia: Between Hope and Reality of Peace [Azeri opinion]

Manouk Vasilian

Published

 12 hours ago 

on

 

By

 Naghi Ahmadov

On June 27-29, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan held bilateral negotiations in the United States. They also met with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs in Washington. After the meeting, both sides issued a statement of consensus on including some additional articles to the draft bilateral Agreement on Peace and the Establishment of Interstate Relations. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also confirmed that progress has been made as a result of 3-day negotiation. It should be noted that after the talks in early May, the US Secretary of State affirmed in the same way that Armenia and Azerbaijan had made significant progress towards signing a peace treaty. The talks in the US, as reflected in the statements, succeeded overall in taking another step towards peace.

The ongoing negotiations between Baku and Yerevan have accordingly increased confidence that a peace deal will be concluded soon and a period of peace and stability will begin in the South Caucasus. At such a moment, when optimism in peace is growing, tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan are sadly on the rise once more.

These tensions should be viewed in a broader context of foreign policy, taking into account the current regional geopolitical situation. In this sense, it is interesting that the military provocations are happening in parallel with the intensification of peace talks in particular through the mediation of the West. To put it differently, we can say that it is already not considered unusual to observe such provocations immediately before or after the negotiations mediated by the EU and the US. As we have witnessed many times, such tensions occur specifically when the negotiations are developing on a positive track. Based on the past experience, that is not a secret to anyone this time too that in recent days the armed provocations committed by Armenians at interstate border and in Karabakh, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed, are exactly directed against the peace process mediated by the West.

It is an undeniable fact that if a peace agreement is signed, there will be no need for peacekeepers from any country in Karabakh. In other words, a possible peace deal between Yerevan and Baku will increase the possibility of early withdrawing Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh, which actually might be in the interests of both Azerbaijan and Armenia. Therefore, instigating such provocations potentially lead Armenia, a close ally of Russia to drift away from peace negotiations spearheaded by the West.

Most likely, sooner or later, the Armenian armed forces in Karabakh, which are the main source of insecurity in the region, will be completely withdrawn. This will happen either when they lay down their weapons and surrender, or otherwise they will be destroyed by the Azerbaijani army as a legitimate target. This is an inevitable process, and neither the hiding of these armed terrorists under the umbrella of Russian peacekeepers, nor the political and moral support of France will save them.

Meanwhile, the EU continues to maintain the role of a negotiating platform. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will meet in Brussels on July 15. The expectation from the upcoming meeting is pitifully not too much optimistic. Despite that it is expected that if the agreement is signed it will be mainly based on the terms of Azerbaijan taking into account the new status quo in the region.

Frankly, it is a dramatic moment for diplomacy. Neither side trusts each other, even distrust between the warring parties runs deeper with accelerating danger and despair. This dangerous situation can head off even worse trouble ahead. And this is why, the parties must show political courage and take steps to overcome differences through dialogue.

Nevertheless, the Armenian political establishment is deeply divided and is not capable, as things stand, of holding substantive peace talks on ending the century-long conflict. Taking into consideration the fact that Armenia is a member of the CSTO and hosts a Russian military base in its territory, hence it is futile to expect from Yerevan to change its traditional foreign policy course and sign a peace deal through the mediation of Washington or Brussels.

However, an uptick in the level of contact between the warring parties is a positive signal. The continuation of talks is a sign of success in itself. In addition, an increase in the level of engagements from various international actors, including the EU and the US is the most promising thing in the peace building process. The West’s willing to play an active role in the peace talks will definitely help to facilitate signing final deal. However, Washington should obviously increase pressure on Yerevan in order not to manipulate in signing at least a framework peace agreement.

In a nutshell, with hopes of peace as close as ever, intensifying tensions between two sides casts doubt on reaching final deal in spite of persistent and enormous efforts by the EU and the US. It seems unlikely that Armenia will move against the political will of its major ally and sign any document in Brussels or Washington in the near future.

https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2023/07/16/azerbaijan-and-armenia-between-hope-and-reality-of-peace/

Despite the efforts of Russian peacekeeping troops, Baku’s aggression is gaining new scale. Supreme Spiritual Council

Manouk Vasilian

 20:51,

YEREVAN, 14 JULY, ARMENPRESS․ The Supreme Spiritual Council issued a statement regarding the difficult situation in Artsakh, considering it deeply worrying that, despite the efforts made by the Russian peacekeeping force, Azerbaijani aggression is gaining new scale, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Mother See.

The statement says: "We note with indignation that the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh is deepening as a result of Azerbaijan's continued belligerent and Armenaphobic actions and the complete blockade of Artsakh. It is deeply worrying that, contrary to the efforts of the Russian peacekeeping troops, Azerbaijani aggression is gaining new scale.

In the difficult situation, when the people of Artsakh are deprived of supplies of necessary food, medicine and vital supplies and face the genocidal actions of Azerbaijan, we appeal to the co-chair countries of the Minsk Group, the member states of the European Union, to urgently take preventive actions, including sanctions against Azerbaijan, so that first, to unblock the road of life of Artsakh, the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor, and to restore normal life in the Republic of Artsakh. It is necessary for the international community to take the most practical steps to condemn the inhumane and hostile policy of Azerbaijan directed against the people of Artsakh. Peace cannot be established in Artsakh under coercion and threats of reprisals.

We appeal to the authorities of the Republic of Armenia to give up concessive approach, show determination and ensure a resolution of the situation with the comprehensive application of fundamental human rights, which will become a guarantee for the independent, safe and dignified life of the people of Artsakh in their homeland.

We urge all our people in Armenia and in the Diaspora to continue making efforts with undiminished consistency in support of the Artsakh world and its God-believing and heroic people.

May God bless our country Armenia and Artsakh and our people around the world."

Asbarez: Calif. State Senate Unanimously Calls for Protections for Artsakh

Manouk Vasilian
by Contributor

 

 

 

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


SACRAMENTO—The Armenian National Committee of America Western Region welcomed the passage by the California State Senate of a measure that calls for the protection and security of the Armenian population of Artsakh as it faces unrelenting attacks in Azerbaijan’s ongoing genocidal campaign of ethnic cleansing. 

The resolution, known as AJR-1, which was introduced by Assemblymember Chris Holden, passed in the Senate on Monday with a vote of 39-0 on.

The passage in the Senate follows the March 30 passage of the resolution in the State Assembly and becomes a unified position by the State of California calling for those protections for the people of Artsakh.

The Senators of the 25th and 26th California Senate Districts, Anthony Portantino and Maria Elena Durazo, both made impassioned statements on the Senate floor before the resolution was voted on. The resolution condemns Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockade of Artsakh and calls upon the United States Federal Government to use any and all tools to compel Azerbaijan to end the blockade. The resolution also calls on the federal government to end military assistance to Azerbaijan, provide humanitarian aid to the people of Artsakh, establish an international peacekeeping mission to ensure Artsakh’s safety and security, and support Artsakh’s self-determination.

Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh has continued for more than two hundred days. Since December 12, 2022, the Azerbaijani government has blocked the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh to the outside world. One hundred twenty thousand people have been deprived of essential goods, medicine, and food. With schools closed as a direct result of the scarcity of energy and resources caused by the blockade, more than 30,000 children have been deprived of their right to education. The continued terror imposed upon the people of Artsakh by Azerbaijan also extends to intermittent cuts of electricity, gas, water, and communications infrastructure. Further exacerbating the situation, Azerbaijan illegally installed a checkpoint on the Hakari Bridge. More recently, Azerbaijan banned the International Committee of the Red Cross from transporting critically ill patients to Armenia, as Artsakh’s hospitals are unable to provide medical care due to a lack of electricity, gas and medicine. The residents of Artsakh are also subject to daily targeting by Azerbaijani forces, with an ever-growing list of confirmed violations from the Azerbaijani side. The blockade of Artsakh continues to highlight the genocidal ambitions of Azerbaijan’s government in an attempt to force the Armenians of Artsakh from their rightful homeland.

Since the outset of the blockade, the ANCA Western Region has mobilized Armenian-American Community activists across the Western United States through initiatives, including legislative efforts, community campaigns, and town hall meetings. The Save Artsakh initiative was one of the first efforts to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis, which served as a community letter-writing campaign that called on the Biden Administration to take concrete steps to end the blockade immediately. Separately, the ANCA Western Region activated its coalition partners across several communities, who signed onto a similar joint letter, and spearheaded a letter to President Biden, cosigned by members of the California State Legislature, calling for the United States to exert pressure on Azerbaijan to end the blockade. The passage and adoption of AJR1 will help bolster critical amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act regarding the blockade of Artsakh, which are to be heard by Congress in the coming week.

The ANCA Western Region worked closely with Assemblymember Holden on AJR-1, providing research material, issuing formal letters of support, combating misinformation campaigns by the Consulate of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles, and conducting extensive outreach to members of the California State Assembly and Senate to vote in favor of AJR-1.

“We thank Assemblymember Holden for taking the lead on holding Azerbaijan accountable for its illegal blockade of Artsakh, and we are grateful to each of the co-authors in both the State Assembly and Senate who supported the resolution and to Senators Portantino and Durazo for their unwavering support of our community,” said Nora Hovsepian, Esq, Chair of the ANCA Western Region. “The passage and adoption of AJR1 further embodies California’s commitment to the Armenian Diaspora, but more importantly, it illustrates that the people of Artsakh are not alone in their struggle for freedom.”

The Armenian National Committee of America Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.