Monday,
Gas Supply To Karabakh Blocked Again
• Ruzanna Stepanian
• Nane Sahakian
Nagorno-Karabakh - Schoolchildren warm themselves around a stove in the
classroom in Stepanakert, December 15, 2022.
Azerbaijan offered to hold more talks with Nagorno-Karabakh’s representatives on
Monday three days after reportedly again blocking Armenia’s supplies of natural
gas to Karabakh.
The flow of gas through a pipeline passing through Azerbaijani-controlled
territory stopped late on Friday nearly three months after Azerbaijani
government-backed protesters blocked Karabakh’s sole land link with Armenia and
the outside world.
The gas supply has been regularly disrupted during the blockade, adding to
shortages of energy, good, medicine and other essential items experienced by
Karabakh’s population. Armenia’s electricity supplies to Karabakh were similarly
cut off by Baku on January 10, leading to daily power cuts there. They have
still not been restored.
Arayik Harutiunian, the Karabakh president, held on Sunday an emergency meeting
with other officials in Stepanakert to discuss his administration’s response to
the latest disruption.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s office said on Monday that it is inviting
“representatives of Karabakh’s Armenian community” to visit Baku for further
talks on Karabakh’s “reintegration” into Azerbaijan and “infrastructure
projects.” The authorities in Stepanakert did not immediately respond to the
move.
Azerbaijani and Karabakh officials already met at the headquarters of Russian
peacekeepers near Stepanakert on March 1. The two sides gave differing accounts
of the agenda and purpose of the meeting.
Karabakh’s leadership said its participants discussed the restoration of
“unimpeded” traffic thorough the Lachin corridor and Armenia’s energy supplies
to the Armenian-populated region.
An official Azerbaijani readout of the talks said, however, that they focused on
the Karabakh Armenians’ “integration into Azerbaijan.”
Harutiunian insisted afterwards that his representatives refused to engage in
such a discussion. He said Baku responded by threatening to take “tougher and
more drastic steps” if Stepanakert persists in opposing the restoration of
Azerbaijani rule.
The Karabakh leader linked that to the March 5 shootout that left three Karabakh
police officers and two Azerbaijani soldiers dead. He warned the Karabakh
Armenians to brace themselves for more Azerbaijani “provocations.”
Meanwhile, Aliyev’s chief foreign policy aide, Hikmet Hajiyev, made clear on
Monday that Baku continues to oppose the creation of an “international
mechanism” for its dialogue with Stepanakert which is sought by Yerevan.
“There is no question of creating any international mechanism to discuss the
rights and security of the Karabakh Armenians,” he told report.az. “We have
never agreed to this.”
Hajiyev said the issue is Azerbaijan’s internal affair and Baku is not willing
to discuss it with Yerevan or any other third party.
The Azerbaijani official responded to comments made by the secretary of
Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigorian, in a March 10 interview with
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Grigorian said, among other things, that Armenia will not sign a peace treaty
with Azerbaijan without negotiating security guarantees for Karabakh. Such
guarantees, he said, could include the establishment of a “demilitarized zone”
around Karabakh or “international presence” there.
Putin, Pashinian Discuss Escalating Tensions In Karabakh
Armenia - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Russian President Vladimir
Putin attend a CSTO summit in Yerevan, November 23, 2022.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian again telephoned Russian President Vladimir Putin
on Monday after Azerbaijan renewed its threats to launch fresh military
operations in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan accused Armenia at the weekend of continuing to send military
personnel and weapons to Karabakh with the help of Russian peacekeepers deployed
there. Yerevan was quick to deny that.
Meeting with the Azerbaijani army top brass in Baku on Saturday, Defense
Minister Zakir Hasanov said his troops must be prepared to take “preventive” and
“resolute” actions to thwart Armenian “provocations.”
In a statement released after the meeting, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
demanded that “illegal Armenian armed units” be disarmed and removed from
Karabakh. It said the Russian peacekeepers must help Baku achieve that objective.
The Azerbaijani military already threatened to “disarm and neutralize” Karabakh
Armenian forces on March 7 two days after a shootout outside Stepanakert left
three Karabakh Armenian police officers and two Azerbaijani soldiers dead. It
claimed that its soldiers came under fire as they tried to check a Karabakh
police vehicle allegedly smuggling weapons from Armenia.
The Armenian side strongly denied that, saying that the vehicle transported only
policemen and was ambushed by Azerbaijani special forces. Yerevan accused Baku
on March 8 of preparing the ground for another attack on Karabakh.
The Armenian government’s press office reported that Pashinian raised with Putin
the March 5 shootings and their “consequences” during what was their third phone
conversation in 41 days.
“In the context of overcoming the crisis in Karabakh, the Armenian prime
minister prioritized a targeted response by the Russian Federation,” it said in
a statement. It did not elaborate.
According to the Kremlin’s readout of the call, Putin “emphasized the need to
resolve all emerging issues in a constructive manner, in close contact and
interaction of the parties with Russian peacekeepers.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry last week criticized “bellicose rhetoric” on the
Karabakh conflict and urged both sides to “strictly” comply with their
Russian-brokered agreements.
Moscow has still not publicly reacted to the Azerbaijani allegations that the
Russian peacekeepers escorted Armenian military convoys in Karabakh.
Yerevan Vice-Mayor Arrested
• Narine Ghalechian
Armenia - Gevorg Simonian, a deputy mayor of Yrevan.
A former deputy health minister currently serving as vice-mayor of Yerevan was
arrested over the weekend on charges stemming from what an Armenian
law-enforcement agency called misuse of government funds provided for the fight
against COVID-19.
Gevorg Simonian was remanded in pre-trial custody after investigators searched
his office and rounded up a dozen medical workers on Friday. One of them, Babken
Shahumian, runs a private clinic in Yerevan that has treated thousands of
COVID-19 patients.
The Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC) claimed that the Medline Medical Center
rigged records of its medical services to defraud the government of 119 million
drams ($305,000) in 2020 and 2021. It said that Simonian did not properly
monitor the use of the government funds allocated to the clinic because of his
close personal relationship with Shahumian.
Simonian and Shahumian denied any wrongdoing. Nevertheless, a Yerevan court
allowed the ACC to hold them in detention pending investigation.
The criminal case is based in large measure on a report leased by the Armenian
parliament’s Audit Chamber last year. It suggested that officials from the
Ministry of Health embezzled and/or wasted some of the 26 billion drams ($66
million) in emergency government funding allocated following the onset of the
coronavirus pandemic.
In particular, the chamber said, the ministry inflated the number of
hospitalized COVID-19 patients and channeled 900 million drams into hospitals
that did not treat people infected with the respiratory disease. It also
questioned the integrity of relevant state procurements, saying that many of
them were administered without tenders.
Armenia -- Health Minister Arsen Torosian speaks at a cabinet meeting in
Yerevan, June 11, 2020.
The alleged abuses were committed during former Health Minister Arsen Torosian’s
tenure. Torosian, who is now a parliament deputy representing the ruling Civil
Contract party, rejected the Audit Chamber report as untrue and misleading.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Torosian decried the “fictitious” accusations
leveled against his former deputy. The former minister also pointed out that
investigators have still not questioned him despite the fact he is the one who
“issued those orders” which landed Simonian in jail.
Torosian was sacked by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in January 2021.
Throughout his tenure he was criticized not only by opposition groups but also
some pro-government parliamentarians.
The criticism intensified during the pandemic which hit Armenia hard. Torosian
repeatedly defended his and other government officials’ response to the
unprecedented health crisis.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Parkev Tvankchian
Russia envoy to Armenia visits Gegharkunik Province, gets familiarized with Azerbaijan aggression consequences
News.am
Armenia –
(PHOTOS)
18:52, 11.03.2023
Region:Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia
Theme: Politics, Incidents
Theme: Politics, Incidents
Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin was in Gegharkunik Province Friday on a working visit, informs the Gegharkunik provincial hall.
During the meeting held at the provincial hall, Gegharkunik governor Karen Sargsyan and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kopyrkin discussed the cooperation roadmap signed on August 8, 2022 between Gegharkunik Province of Armenia and Omsk region of Russia.
After that, the governor of Gegharkunik briefed the Russian ambassador on the consequences of the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the border settlements of Gegharkunik region on September 13-14, 2022, the current situation in those settlements, and the steps being taken to overcome this situation.
The parties noted the high dynamics of the development of Russian-Armenian relations, emphasizing in this context their cooperation in security, including the steps aimed at maintaining stability on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
Also, the governor of Gegharkunik accompanied the Russian ambassador to the border settlements of the Vardenis community affected by the Azerbaijani aggression on September 13-14, 2022, in order to observe the created border situation and the settlement reconstruction process on the spot.
Healthcare Ministry reports new cases of measles, two patients in serious condition
10:18, 9 March 2023
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. The total number of confirmed cases of measles in the ongoing local outbreak in Armenia has reached 43, the Armenian Ministry of Healthcare reported Thursday.
11 patients recovered while 17 others are hospitalized. Two of them are in serious condition.
40 of the 43 patients are unvaccinated, while the three others had skipped their second dose of the vaccine, according to the healthcare ministry.
Healthcare authorities recommend children get two doses of the measles vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. The Armenian healthcare ministry advised parents to get their children vaccinated if they’ve missed the immunization schedule.
At the same time, unvaccinated direct contacts of confirmed cases should also get vaccinated, healthcare authorities said.
Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases. It is spread by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact or direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions.
The virus remains active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for up to 2 hours. It can be transmitted by an infected person from 4 days prior to the onset of the rash to 4 days after the rash erupts.
Unvaccinated young children are at highest risk of measles and its complications. Unvaccinated pregnant women are also at risk. Any non-immune person (who has not been vaccinated or was vaccinated but did not develop immunity) can become infected.
The first sign of measles is usually a high fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus, and lasts 4 to 7 days. A runny nose, a cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage. After several days, a rash erupts, usually on the face and upper neck. Over about 3 days, the rash spreads, eventually reaching the hands and feet.
Pashinyan outlines Azerbaijan’s goal in March 5 terror attack in Nagorno Karabakh
11:46, 9 March 2023
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. By launching the terror attack in Nagorno Karabakh on March 5 Azerbaijan sought to derail the negotiations, make fabricated accusations on shipments of arms from Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh and create new fake narratives and information flows in order to divert attention from its non-compliance with the International Court of Justice ruling, PM Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday.
Speaking at the Cabinet meeting, PM Pashinyan said the situation has escalated in Nagorno Karabakh in conditions of the blockade of Lachin Corridor.
He said that on March 5, an Azerbaijani military unit ambushed a police vehicle of Nagorno Karabakh which was en route from Nagorno Karabakh’s Stepanakert to Nagorno Karabakh’s Hin Shen and Mets Shen, killing three police officers and wounding one.
Pashinyan extended condolences to the families of the officers and the entire police force of Nagorno Karabakh, and noted that all three fallen officers were born in Nagorno Karabakh.
“This fact is especially important on the background of the Azerbaijani President’s remarks made during the Munich Security Conference on February 18, 2023, where he accepted that there is an international agreement whereby they must discuss with the representatives of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh their rights and security. However, the Azerbaijani President said that they were going to have these discussions with the people who were born and have lived in Nagorno Karabakh. On March 1, the first meeting between the representatives of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan took place in the headquarters of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh, and only four days later Azerbaijan launched the abovementioned provocation, which is difficult to be described anything other than terrorism. This act of terrorism left three citizens who were born in Nagorno Karabakh and had 1, 2 and 3 children there dead,” Pashinyan said.
The PM outlined Azerbaijan’s goals in the March 5 attack.
“First goal was to derail future negotiations with representatives of Nagorno Karabakh and create the necessary background for a new military provocation. In this regard I have to stress that the Foreign Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh released a statement yesterday expressing readiness to continue dialogue with Azerbaijan. This is an extremely important statement. I think it is necessary to create reliable international mechanisms in order for an uninterrupted and institutional Baku-Stepanakert conversation to take place, and this could become an effective guarantee for the implementation of the abovementioned international obligation. The next goal of the March 5 provocation was to create fake evidence falsely accusing Armenia in shipping arms to Nagorno Karabakh. This topic is important for Azerbaijan especially after the February 22 ruling by the International Court of Justice, when the court unequivocally rejected Azerbaijan’s request whereby Azerbaijan was accusing Armenia in planting landmines. The groundless accusations on planting landmines made against Armenia in several international platforms collapsed with this rejection. And now Azerbaijan attempted to misrepresent the March 5 incident as a proof on arms shipments from Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh, which failed for two reasons. First of all, the police vehicle was not en route to Stepanakert, but on the contrary it was en route from Stepanakert, and secondly the Azerbaijani ambush and the course of travel of the police vehicle was caught on Nagorno Karabakh police surveillance cameras, which made it obvious that the police car did not contain anything else other than documents and sidearms. Azerbaijan’s next goal was the following. To develop new narratives and information flows with the bloody terrorism to conceal an important fact, that Azerbaijan is explicitly not fulfilling the ruling of the highest court in the world, the International Court of Justice, on opening the Lachin Corridor,” Pashinyan said.
The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. The Lachin Corridor is blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022.
“Azerbaijan is not abiding by this ruling for already 15 days, and this is exclusively Azerbaijan’s responsibility. And furthermore Azerbaijan is resorting to new provocations to further escalate the situation in Nagorno Karabakh,” the Armenian PM added.
Local composer’s ‘An Armenian Trilogy’ documentary to premiere on DPTV
March 8 2023
Dan Yessian released “The Freedom, The Fear and The Faith: An Armenian Trilogy” nearly eight years ago, and it’s remained a high point in a career that’s full of awards and achievements.
In 2014 the Farmington Hills-based composer was asked by his church priest to write a piece commemorating the centennial of the genocide in which 1.5 million Armenian families were murdered by the Turkish Ottomans. Yessian created an evocative three-movement, 22-minute duet between piano and violin, composed on one of the late Burt Bacharach’s old pianos. It was performed in 2017 by the Armenian Philharmonic and became the subject of a documentary by Yessian that will have its broadcast premiere at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 12, on Detroit Public Television (Channel 56).
“My objective was to musically interpret the feelings of my grandparents, whose stories reflected their escape from Turkey,” explains Yessian, 78, founder of Yessian Music, which also has offices and studios, run by his sons, in New York, Los Angeles and Hamburg, Germany. And while most of his composing work is shorter form for commercial clients, “An Armenian Trilogy” allowed him to stretch himself beyond that.
“This is the culmination of all my musical experience,” Yessian notes. “It was quite a feat for me in trying to make something interesting enough that would portray what (the genocide) was — which I never thought I’d be capable of doing. So this is something I could leave for my family, and for posterity, per se. It’s a passion.”
Yessian will appear during Sunday’s broadcast of the documentary, interviewed by DPTV’s Fred Nahat. The “Trilogy” itself is available via Amazon, iTunes and Spotify.
Quake Diplomacy: Will Turkey, Greece, and Armenia let bygones be bygones? [Corrected date]
TFI Global
Feb 2 2023
by Ansh Pandey
Quake Diplomacy: Catastrophic disasters make one realize their vulnerability and teach humility. They make one aware of the transience of life and the significance of accepting accountability for our deeds and making wise decisions. Has this lesson been learnt by Turkey though?
Southeast Turkey and northwest Syria were devastated by a strong 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 6, 2023, and a series of powerful aftershocks then followed causing tremendous losses to life and property. In a region already rocked by unrest brought on by the ongoing refugee crisis and a nearly 12-year old conflict in Syria, tens of thousands have been injured and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
Talking specifically of Turkey, it is estimated that more than 50,000 people have died and more than a 100,000 people have succumbed to serious injuries. Families are shattered and homes are broken today. A tragedy never seen in centuries had struck Turkey.
Perhaps now everyone who reside in Turkey have come to their senses that Erdogan and his government have somehow failed to adequately aid and assist Turkish nationals. The anger against Erdogan is so intense that the aspiring Khalifa had to apologize to people. Resultantly, he has realized that staying animus to the world will not work out, especially at a time when elections are round the corner. So, he has a damage control plan, known as ‘Quake Diplomacy’
In what is slated to be termed as a historic shift, Turkey appears to be resetting its foreign policy post the earthquake. Yes, Ankara and Athens are now coming on the same page after decades of animosity. Prior to the disaster, tensions between the two nations were escalating, with fears of a military confrontation looming at large.
However, in the wake of this natural disaster, Greece took the first steps to offer aid and support to their neighbors, sending tents, beds, and blankets, and deploying fully equipped teams of rescue professionals, doctors, and paramedics to the region. This act of solidarity and compassion from Greece did not go unnoticed in Ankara. Turkey responded with genuine gratitude. The Greek Foreign Minister’s visit to the earthquake-stricken Hatay province was seen as a positive shift in relations between the two nations. Citizens in Greece have also shown their support by donating to charities and sharing messages of solidarity on social media.
Even Armenia came to Turkey’s rescue in its the harshest of times. the Armenian government delivered food, medicine, drinking water and other emergency supplies to devastated cities and towns soon after the quakes. The Armenian research and rescue crews were also on the ground to hasten the rescue operation.
More importantly, the aid from Armenia crossed into Turkey through the land border which has been sealed since the early 1990s. On the back of these goodwill gestures, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan also visited Ankara on February 15 to discuss the ongoing efforts to normalize ties between Armenia and Turkey.
Folks, this is the same Armenia that was pounded by Turkish Bayraktar drones during the Armenia-Azerbaijan war. This serves as a reminder that even in times of conflict and tension, disasters can bring people together and highlight the importance of compassion and empathy towards one another.
Read More: Even a devastating earthquake could not bring Erdogan and humanity on the same page
In recent years, Turkey has concentrated on resetting its foreign policy and mending ties with nations with which it has long-standing disagreements, including the UAE, Egypt, and Israel. In an effort to foster regional stability, President Erdogan has even stated that he would be open to meet the Syrian government.
This is truly a big change of heart on Turkey’s part. The brewing tensions among countries in this region has always kept the area burning to the detriment of common people. Turkey personally, didn’t appreciate Greece’s move to beef up its military presence on the Aegean Islands and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s promises to strengthen the fence along the Greek-Turkish border to prevent asylum seekers from pouring in. Infact, Erdogan has often lambasted Greek PM over the security buildup in the Aegean sea.
Division of Cyprus has also been another bone of contention, where Greece and Turkey have been at loggerheads for decades. Sharing the same sentiment as Turkey, Armenia too has a sense of realization that normalizing relations with Turkey are necessary if it intends to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis.
Read More: What has US offered for getting Turkey’s support
But why this sudden change of heart? Is it genuine or has a longer ploy in place?
Evidently, more than Greece and Armenia, Turkey is eyeing for normalization of relations as Erdogan seeks to win the upcoming elections at any cost. Even after a massive disaster, Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan has stressed that whatever happens, elections will be held on May 14 2023. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, frequently uses nationalistic rhetoric to sway voters during elections. Ever since he assumed office in 2002, his political party, the AKP, has been known for its conservative, often extremist, and nationalist policies.
Turkish voters have responded favorably to his nationalist messaging because they view him as a strong leader who prioritizes Turkey. But, in recent times, Erdogan has come under fire for his attempts to consolidate power and showing authoritarian tendencies. Even before the earthquake, his popularity had tanked to sorry levels.
Nationalism has failed to fill the bellies of Turkish nationals. In midst of a political, economical, and now, natural crisis, it is unclear how Erdogan’s nationalist rhetoric will continue to influence Turkey’s political landscape as the country faces numerous difficulties, including geopolitical tensions.
Read More: No Aid, No Support 1100 Canadians in Turkey gets backstabbed by Trudeau
Erdogan has therefore adopted “quake diplomacy” as a strategy to heal old wounds and create long-lasting relationships with neighbors after coming to terms with the fact that the nationalism card cannot be encashed upon anymore to sway the elections in his favour. And so, Greece-Armenia and Turkey are back together. Demonstrating a willingness to put aside long-running disagreements and work towards a common objective by accepting assistance and support from nations who were earlier not friendly. Erdogan appears to be playing a smart game today and it needs to be seen how successful he is in his endeavours on the foes to friend strategy.
It’s unclear whether Erdogan’s new strategy will be effective in terms of electoral politics or not. Seeing such a 180 degree turn in geo politics has indeed made Turkey and Erdogan to watch out for.
https://tfiglobalnews.com/2023/03/02/quake-diplomacy-will-turkey-greece-and-armenia-let-bygones-be-bygones/
Azeri envoy claims Armenia preparing for new war in Karabakh
MEHR News Agency, Iran
March 6 2023
TEHRAN, Mar. 06 (MNA) – The Azerbaijani ambassador to Tehran has shared a video claiming that Armenia is seeking revenge and is preparing for war in Karabakh.
Ali Alizadeh, the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Iran, claimed in a tweet about the recent tensions between Baku and Yerevan, saying that Armenia is seeking revenge and preparing its illegal armed formations for war in Karabakh.
The ambassador further posted video footage with his tweet that saying that the facts and video bear witness to Armenia's smuggling of weapons and other military equipment to Khankandi, which makes setting up a border checkpoint inevitable!
Armenian forces took control of Karabakh in a war that gripped the region as Soviet rule was collapsing in the early 1990s. Azerbaijan recaptured large swathes of territory in a six-week conflict in 2020 that ended with a truce and the dispatch of Russian peacekeepers, who remain in the region.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have met several times as part of efforts to resolve the conflict, but periodic violence has hurt peace efforts.
MNA/FNA14011215000769
Armenian Deputy FM, US Co-chair of the OSCE MG exchange views on regional security issues
20:33, 7 March 2023
YEREVAN, MARCH 7, ARMENPRESS. On March 7, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahe Gevorgyan received Louis Bono, the Senior Adviser for Caucasus Negotiations, the U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, ARMENPRESS was informed from the MFA Armenia.
The interlocutors exchanged views on regional security issues. The recent developments of the normalisation process of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations were discussed.
During the meeting, the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan's illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor was touched upon. The Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia emphasized that Azerbaijan is maliciously disregarding the decision of the International Court of Justice regarding the request for provisional measures on the unblocking of the Lachin corridor.
Vahe Gevorgyan briefed Louis Bono on the details of the ambush of Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh on March 5.
Photo essay: Life in Karabakh under blockade
Feb 24 2023
Feb 24, 2023
Will a shakeup in the leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh affect Baku’s blockade of the territory, which is now in its 74th day?
The de facto president, Arayik Harutyunyan, sacked Ruben Vardanyan as state minister on February 23. Vardanyan is a Russian-Armenian billionaire and philanthropist who renounced his Russian citizenship and moved to Karabakh last September.
At the time, many locals hoped he could leverage his wealth and international connections to the benefit of the embattled region, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
But life only got worse.
The blockade began on December 12, when a group of Azerbaijanis calling themselves “independent environmental activists” but supported by the government set up camp on the road near Shusha (Shushi). It has effectively closed the Lachin corridor, Karabakh’s lifeline to Armenia and the outside world, causing severe shortages and difficulties in obtaining basic necessities. Now only limited supplies get through, with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Russian peacekeepers.
Locals also endure frequent gas and electricity cuts and struggle to keep warm in the winter.
The UN’s International Court of Justice on February 22 ordered Azerbaijan to “ensure unimpeded movement” through the corridor. But the ruling will likely have no effect as there is no enforcement mechanism and Azerbaijan denies altogether that it is blocking the road.
It’s widely suspected that Vardanyan’s dismissal was a concession to Baku, which had long demanded the removal of “Moscow’s man” from the scene, alleging he was disrupting the peace talks that have followed Azerbaijan’s victory in the 2020 Second Karabakh War.
The president tapped Gurgen Nersisyan, Karabakh’s de facto prosecutor-general, to fill the post, which had originally been tailored to give Vardanyan significant authority, including in negotiations.
Lilit Shahverdyan is a journalist based in Stepanakert.
Azerbaijani media ‘let it slip’ about ‘free’ passage through Lachin corridor
NEWS.am
Armenia – Feb 23 2023
Azerbaijani media 'let it slip' about 'free' passage through Lachin corridor
14:36, 23.02.2023
Azerbaijan continues to deny the obvious connection between the "environmentalists" who blocked the Lachin corridor and the country's authorities.
Nevertheless, from time to time there are publications in the media that do not fit the general concept of denial.
"Today the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as a neutral humanitarian mediator helped 24 people cross the Lachin corridor and reunite with their families in Armenia. This was reported by Ilaha Huseynova, head of the public relations department of the ICRC Office in Azerbaijan, in response to an APA request," the agency said in a statement.
The small statement with the eloquent definition "to reunite" describes the situation better than hundreds of denials. Recall that "free" passage through the Lachin corridor is allowed only to RMK and ICRC vehicles.