23:02,
YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. Turkey beat Armenia 2:1 in the opening match of the Euro 2024 Group D qualifying campaign in Yerevan on Saturday.
The game did not start well for Turkey: Ozan Kabak scored an own goal while attempting to block Kamo Hovhannisyan’s cross.
Kokcu scored Turkey’s first goal with a long-range shot in the 35th minute.
Akturkoglu’s shot into the corner of Armenia’s net in the 64th minute secured Turkey’s victory.
16:02,
YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a phone call on March 25 with the President of the European Council Charles Michel to express concern over Azerbaijan’s increasing aggressive rhetoric and provocative actions.
A readout released by the Prime Minister’s Office said Pashinyan and Michel discussed “the ongoing crisis situation resulting from the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan.”
They also exchanged views around the process of normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the peace treaty and the re-opening of regional connections.
“The Prime Minister expressed concern over the recent increasing aggressive rhetoric and provocative conduct by Azerbaijan, which impedes the efforts for stability and peace. The President of the European Council reaffirmed the EU’s readiness to contribute to dialogue and peace in the region,” the Prime Minister’s Office reported in the readout.
Mayis Nersesyan (62 kg) earned the first ever gold medal for Armenia at the European Grappling Championships held in Bucharest, Romania, over the weekend, the Armenian Grappling Federation said.
The Armenian athlete outcompeted his Israeli rival in the final of the Grappling Gi event to be crowned European champion.
Aggressive rhetoric of Azerbaijan has constantly increased. It has increased before the 2020 war, after it, and I believe that yes, now there is a very high probability of escalation [of tension] both along the border of Armenia and in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this during his press conference today.
"My conclusion is from Azerbaijan's increasingly aggressive rhetoric and there are certain other data. We are convinced and know 100 percent that it is not Armenia that initiates aggressive actions; and this is the reason why Armenia decided to invite EU observers. Realizing that we are getting questions, we said that ‘we don't mind if you send observers so that you don't need to get our information, you have information on the spot,’" said Pashinyan.
He noted that the initial agreement in Prague in October 2022 was that there would be EU observers on both sides of the border or the line of contact.
"Moreover, the president of Azerbaijan agreed in the presence of everyone, later he refused that option. Azerbaijan accused us of having an army in Nagorno-Karabakh. I said that we do not have an army in Nagorno-Karabakh. I said, this debate has no end, we can do the following: invite international observers to Nagorno-Karabakh, let them assess the situation on the spot and come up with a report. Azerbaijan rejected this option. Even today, I believe that the international community should record that the risk of escalation [of tension] is very high. And taking into account the closure of the Lachin corridor [by Azerbaijan] and the existence of a [resulting] humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the obvious preparations of Azerbaijan to carry out [Armenian] ethnic cleansing, our position continues to be that it would be a good opportunity to send a fact-finding mission to the Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin corridor," said Pashinyan.
The Armenian Prime Minister stated that the most important factor here is the human and people's will.
"The most important factor here is the will of the Nagorno-Karabakh people to live in their own homeland. By and large, this is what we are talking about. Azerbaijan is trying to break the will of the Nagorno-Karabakh people to live in their homeland. If that will remains steadfast, it is the foundation of all subsequent events.
If anyone thinks that the will of the Armenian people to have an independent state can be broken, I don't think so. We must show our will to have an independent sovereign state.
It is very important that we notice and evaluate those actions aimed at weakening the will to have an independent, sovereign state, which in all cases have an external source. There is no such source within Armenia. If there are such manifestations, they have an external source.
It is very important to prove that we are not to blame for the escalation [of tension]. We have solved that problem along the border. That mechanism exists in Nagorno-Karabakh as well, which I hope will work properly. It’s about the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh and the facts being publicized by them."
13:05,
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, ARMENPRESS. Kenzaburo Oe, who won Japan its second Nobel Prize for literature with books about pacifism and his disabled son, has died.
His death was due to old age, Reuters reported citing his publisher Kodansha.
Oe was born in Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's main islands, the third son of seven children. After his father died suddenly in 1944, at home he was raised by his mother, who bought him books such as "Huckleberry Finn."
A graduate of Tokyo University, where he studied French Literature, Oe began publishing stories while still a student and won the Akutagawa Prize, a career-launching award for new writers, in 1958. A steady stream of work followed, including books on the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
His Nobel Prize was followed by Japan's Order of Culture, but he refused to accept it because it was awarded by the Emperor and said: "I do not recognise any authority, any value, higher than democracy."
Always a pacifist, Oe became an even more vocal critic after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, saying that Japan had "a sacred duty" to renounce nuclear power, the same way it renounced war under its constitution.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has admitted his country’s gross violation of the principle of "non-use of force." He made this confession at the 10th Global Baku Forum themed “The World of Today: Challenges and Hopes.”
According to him, "Azerbaijan made a lot of effort to resolve the conflict with Armenia in a peaceful way."
"Conflicts can be resolved in two ways: peaceful and non-peaceful. We [i.e., Azerbaijan] made a lot of effort to resolve the conflict with Armenia peacefully, despite the fact that a humanitarian crisis arose in Azerbaijan as a result of the Armenian occupation, more than 1 million Azerbaijanis were left homeless, became refugees and forced settlers," Aliyev said, presenting exaggerated numbers.
The leader of Azerbaijan noted that "the OSCE Minsk Group wanted the Karabakh conflict to be frozen forever. In 1992, immediately after the outbreak of the conflict, the OSCE created the Minsk Group. But, unfortunately, during 28 years, the Minsk Group did not achieve any results. And at the end of the negotiation process, it seemed to us that they just wanted to freeze the situation. They wanted this conflict to be frozen forever. But we did not agree. We did what we deemed necessary, using our right to self-defense, the UN Charter, specifically the article. We liberated our territories by force; it was our legal right."
"The people of Azerbaijan have a moral right to take revenge, and I can understand that. But the essence of my words is that we took revenge on the battlefield. Unlike the Armenians, we have not committed any war crimes. We did not commit genocide, unlike the Armenians. And we took revenge on the battlefield. And now, the time for peace has come," Aliyev said.
The Azerbaijani leader said that immediately after the war, in November 2020, Azerbaijan took the initiative to start peace negotiations and submitted five principles that could be the basis for signing a peace treaty with Armenia.
“We hope that the international players who are trying to assist in this matter will convince Armenia not to miss this opportunity,” Aliyev added.
At the same time, he claimed that Azerbaijan wants peace.
“We do not want another war. And we believe that it is possible to achieve peace,” he said.
There are no obstacles to achieving peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Azerbaijani president claimed.
“What was agreed between Azerbaijan and Armenia in October of last year, in particular, regarding respecting each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, actually shows that there is no obstacle to achieving peace,” he said.
Also, Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country.
"Therefore, I am sure that the life of the Armenians living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan will be much better than during the occupation. Every conflict has its history, its dynamics, and its end. But the important thing is that disputes between countries are resolved on the basis of international law, territorial integrity, and sovereignty cannot be changed by force."
Stepanakert, December 25, 2022 (Photo: Vahagn Khachatrian)
The global Armenian nation is a simple phrase for an otherwise complicated and diverse community. Bonded by an ancient history and rich culture, we naturally feel an affinity for other Armenians. Who else would search out other Armenians or community infrastructure when visiting another locale? These intangibles are the ingredients of survival. Our diversity, however, can be a double-edged sword. We have the opportunity to learn from a wide array of cultures and strengthen our nation. Likewise, in the diaspora, we have adapted to our host nations, which has impacted our opinions and values. For example, a large portion of the diaspora has existed in western-style democracies that have influenced our views on nation building in the homeland. A significant portion of our people in the homeland and Russia (largest diaspora group) have not enjoyed that experience, and democratic values are either new or still anticipated. In many oligarchic or autocratic societies, what we may view as corruption is an accepted practice of doing business. This is Armenia’s past. As more modern values are integrated in their society, the rejection of corruption has continued. Those of us living in America have been graced with living in a free and powerful nation where its foreign policies are generally decided by its own interests. That has not been the case in Armenia, as it has evolved from total dependency in Soviet times and worked to essentially build a new society based on democratic principles and a free market structure. Our different experiences and impatience have strained our relations on certain issues and created challenges for global integration.
One could speculate that most of the Armenians in the diaspora, particularly in the West and Middle East, are puzzled by the evolving aloofness of Armenia toward Artsakh since the 2020 war. There has been a plethora of political commentary on the geo-political rationale for this dynamic. Perhaps viewing this from the perspective of rank-and-file Armenians will offer us important insight. Of equal importance to managing the political agenda of Armenia is how these decisions or policies may impact the long-term “interests” of the homeland. With the exception of the recent diplomatic barrage by Armenia on the Lachin blockade, Armenia has behaved since 2020 as a defeated nation. Instead of making significant changes in military capabilities and developing new partners, it seems that Armenia is still relying primarily on others to protect its interests. The lesson of the 2020 war is that Armenians must first and foremost rely on their own capabilities and build alliances as a supplement. When the reverse takes place, there are very few, if any, partners who will make that commitment. The Armenian government makes constant reference to the trilateral agreement of November 9, 2020 as the basis for its decisions. While in theory that is correct, Armenia seems to be the only party that adheres to that commitment. Russia, as the new “guarantor” of peace and security of Artsakh (a position relinquished by Armenia after 26 years), has failed to guarantee anything except continuous harassment and violations by the Azeris. Russia has tolerated the terror with reactive, not preventative positions. Russia’s responsibility is clearly outlined (and brokered by them), and Armenians in Artsakh are suffering as a result.
The infamous blockade is approaching three months. This past week, three Artsakh policemen were murdered by Azeri ambushers. Russia has replaced Armenia as a security player for Artsakh with objectives to serve its self-interest of control. Instability in Artsakh is in Russia’s interest because it creates a pretense of manipulation. Despite consistent failures, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov continues to insist that the Russian mediation is the best solution. After outmaneuvering the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia has been the sole direct mediation player. Azerbaijan, for its part, has never abided by any agreements. Shortly after the 1994 ceasefire that they pleaded for, the Azeris began their almost 30-year reign of terror. Although Armenians are rightfully appalled by the barbaric nature of Azerbaijan, we should keep in mind that although defeated in 1994, they have never behaved like a defeated nation throughout this period. They have continued aggressive diplomacy and military investments. Azerbaijan has never been punished for its constant lack of good faith and criminal behavior (violating borders, illegally holding POWs and murdering at will). Given the values of this rogue dictatorship, why would they not continue this behavior? Even the decision of the highest court on this planet, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that ordered Azerbaijan to open the Lachin Corridor, has been ignored. The UN Security Council has the enforcement responsibility of ICJ rulings, subject to permanent member vetoes. Clearly, Azerbaijan is testing the enforcement will of the United Nations. In order to create another distraction, members of the Azerbaijani government and Artsakh met this past week to discuss the Lachin blockage under the sponsorship of Russian “peacekeepers.” In a sign of arrogance and disrespect, the head of the Azeri delegation made opening comments that the meeting should focus on the “reintegration of the Karabakh Armenians” into Azerbaijan. Such brazen behavior has been enabled by the inaction of others.
The current situation has produced no surprises. The Armenian case at the ICJ was strong and principled, but the Azeris feel no need to change their approach given the meek responses from global authorities. The Russians are focused on their sphere of influence and care little about the lives of Artsakh Armenians. This isolation is what upsets Armenians in the western diaspora. The Armenian government claims it had no real choice in the aftermath of defeat in 2020. While they were in a challenging position, leaving the Artsakh Armenians to singularly address the dynamics described earlier is ominous. As Armenians, we live with the value of defending other Armenians. The irony of this unfortunate matter is that in the long history of the Artsakh negotiations, it began with both Artsakh and Armenia as participants. During previous administrations, it changed to Armenia only, but we must keep in mind that the President was a native of Artsakh. After the 2020 war, the current dynamic was put in place, but Azerbaijan has chosen to ignore the rights of the duly elected Artsakh government. Armenia’s active diplomatic work is essentially for a humanitarian crisis created by the blockade. It is not intended to be a political solutions process. In fact, key members of the Pashinyan government, such as National Assembly president Alen Simonyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, have repeatedly stated that Armenia supports Artsakh’s direct negotiations with Azerbaijan. In the absence of a legal status, Artsakh is at a significant disadvantage. We must remember that no outside nation came to the assistance of Artsakh when it was brutally attacked by NATO Turkey and Azerbaijan. While there are many nations now demanding the re-opening of the Lachin Corridor, it is primarily based on humanitarian concerns, not political settlements. The OSCE Minsk Group, the EU and the United States are hampered by the diplomatic freeze with Russia over the war in Ukraine. The resulting parallel processes with the West have angered Russia and put Armenia and Artsakh in an even more precarious position. Does anyone expect the “normalization” talks with Turkey to proceed unless Armenia agrees to pre-conditions? What are those conditions? Backing away from Artsakh or removing genocide recognition/reparation? What is the price of an open border?
If we don’t collectively stand with Artsakh, then why should anyone else?
Armenia must reject this naïve notion that with the decoupling of the political settlement of Artsakh and Armenia (two separate processes), Armenia will find peace. In a recent public commentary, President Ilham Aliyev stated that “Western Azerbaijan (their term for Armenia) is our historical land, and the primary objective is our return. Now the Great Return…for Karabakh is being implemented…there will be a time for a Second Great Return…” There are clear messages to draw from this statement. Artsakh will be emptied of Armenians if Aliyev is successful, and he will attack Armenia not for the “Zangezur Corridor” but for the destruction of the nation we call our homeland. We have heard reactive statements from Yerevan that we should not interpret this current reality as an abandonment of Artsakh. I welcome these comments, but how can Artsakh succeed when we separate our paths and leave Artsakh to negotiate without good faith partners? If Artsakh is lost because we, as a nation, do not fully extend our collective resources, then what impact will the aftermath have on the relations between the diaspora and Armenia? How can Armenia be the center of the global Armenian nation if pieces of that nation are at a distance? If all we worry about are the short-term reactive moves, then our vision is blurred.
I would encourage the Armenian government to utilize its resources and influence with the renewed level of international visibility to ensure a safe landing for Artsakh’s rights. The Turkic nations in the east and the west are bent on our destruction. The world is witnessing the dangerous behavior of the aggressors. Our collective legal teams secured excellent results at the ICJ. That work must continue, but the legal, humanitarian and political paths must be connected. Our enemies and our potential partners are looking at our conviction and commitment. If we don’t collectively stand with Artsakh, then why should anyone else? What would stop Aliyev from overrunning Armenia? The CSTO? EU resolutions? “Expressions of outrage?” The time is now, and Armenia must be a player. We must prevent the depopulation of Artsakh. No one wants to see refugees settle in Armenia and establish a “Nor Artsakh” neighborhood. We already have names such as “Nor Sepastia” and “Nor Malatia” that remind us of our tragic past. The fact that one is a disputed region and the other is a sovereign state is of no concern to Aliyev. We must internalize that idea. It matters little what we think but rather anticipating what he and his band of criminals are thinking. These are difficult but essential concepts for our communities to digest and act upon. I am reminded of something a great patriot who I deeply respect once told me, “In democratic society, we can have different views and still love the same nation.”
Artur Davtyan (Armenia) has won his second gold medal in the phases of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup.
The world and European champion scored 15.083 points and surpassed everyone else, winning another gold medal in the final of the Men’s Vault at the second phase—in Doha, the capital of Qatar—of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup.
Artur Davtyan also became a gold medalist in the Vault in the first phase that was held in Cottbus, Germany, with 15.133 points.
Artur Davtyan was Armenia’s only medalist in the second phase in Doha.
The phases of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup are ranked for individual exercises of the World Cup where spots to the Olympic Games in Paris are contested.
The third phase of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup will take place in Azerbaijani capital Baku, but Team Armenia will not compete.
Armenian News note: View video and photos at the link below:
An Armenian cargo truck carrying humanitarian assistance crosses the Armenia-Turkey border in February, 2023
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenia is ready to fully normalize relations with Turkey. Speaking at a conference in Berlin on Wednesday, Pashinyan also added that Yerevan wanted to establish diplomatic relations with Ankara.
“We hope to fully open our common border, which was unilaterally closed by Turkey in the early 1990s. There are some small but encouraging signs of moving this forward,” Pashinyan said when speaking at the German Foreign Relations Council in a talk entitled “Armenia’s Outlook on Security and Stability in the South Caucasus,” reported Armenia’s Channel One News.
“In July 2022, the special representatives of our countries agreed to establish air cargo transportation and open interstate borders for citizens of third countries,” added Pashinyan. “The ban on direct air cargo between Turkey and Armenia was lifted in January, and we hope that the border will soon be opened to third-country nationals.”
Pashinyan also discussed his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey last year in Prague, where they discussed the prospects for normalization of relations.
“After the last devastating earthquake, Armenia reacted quickly. I called President Erdogan to express my condolences and offered our support. After that, we sent humanitarian aid and a rescue team to the affected regions,” explained Pashinyan.
“It is very important to state that two convoys of humanitarian aid entered Turkey through the border bridge, which has been closed for 30 years. Our rescue squad returned to Armenia via that same bridge. The Foreign Minister of Armenia visited Turkey, met with his counterpart and reaffirmed our readiness to fully regulate relations,” added the prime minister.
“Although the recent contacts were, of course, purely humanitarian in nature, we would still be happy to see political results as well,” he stressed.
Two Americans were arrested in Kansas City on Thursday for an alleged scheme to send aviation-related technology to Russia in violation of U.S. export controls.
Cyril Buyanovsky, 59, and Douglas Robertson, 55, are accused of conspiring to circumvent U.S. export laws by selling avionics to customers around the world that operate Russian-built aircraft, according to an indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Kansas.
The pair repaired and shipped technology from their firm, KanRus Trading Company, submitting false export information, such as a fraudulent invoice that showed Germany as the end destination for repaired equipment bearing a sticker for Russia’s Federal Security Services (FSB).
On Feb. 28, 2022, after U.S. authorities detained a shipment of avionics, the U.S. Commerce Department told the men they needed a license to export the equipment, the Justice Department said in a statement.
In May, June and July, they illegally shipped the electronics through Armenia and Cyprus.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy, exporting controlled goods without a license, falsifying and failing to file export information, and smuggling goods contrary to U.S. law. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison for each count of smuggling.
Buyonovsky and Robinson could not immediately be reached for comment.
Avionics includes communications, navigation, flight control and threat detection systems installed in aircraft.
U.S. Commerce official Matthew Axelrod disclosed the arrests earlier on Thursday at an American Bar Association event in Miami.
The U.S. imposed additional restrictions on avionics after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, along with controls on other goods targeting Russia’s defense, aerospace and maritime sectors.
The controls were later expanded to include Russia’s oil refining, industrial and commercial sectors, and luxury goods.
(REUTERS)