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U.S. Urges Yerevan and Baku to Reduce Tensions

European Parliament

Members of the European Parliament slammed Azerbaijan for its attack on Armenia and condemned what they called “borderization” since Azerbaijan incursion into Armenia in May.

The chair of European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, Marina Kaljurand, the European Parliament’s Standing Rapporteur on Armenia, Andrey Kovatchev, and the European Parliament’s Standing Rapporteur on Azerbaijan, Željana Zovko released a joint statement following the Azerbaijani attack on Armenia on November 16. 

Below is the text of the statement.

We are seriously concerned by yesterday’s heavy fighting, which followed the recent increase in tension on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The military operation launched by Azerbaijan in response to alleged provocations amounts to the worst violation to-date of last year’s November 9 ceasefire agreement, leaving an as yet unconfirmed number of killed, wounded and captured soldiers.

We urge the rapid de-escalation of the situation and welcome the engagement of European Council President and the reported Russian-mediated ceasefire. We reiterate that any possible disagreements about the border must be addressed through negotiations in a border delimitation and demarcation process, not through the use of force and unilateral actions.

We condemn any attempts at “borderisation”, as observed since the incursion of Azerbaijani troops into Armenian territory on May 13. We support and call for the opening of economic and transport connections as foreseen in the November 9 ceasefire agreement, which would be highly beneficial for the entire region.

This includes the connection between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.

To succeed, the parties should follow the text of the agreement and avoid a too extensive interpretation.

Moreover, we are concerned by reports of hindered traffic on roads that connect Armenian towns and villages through Azerbaijani territory and believe that such behavior contradicts the spirit of this agreement and unduly hampers the lives of local citizens.

We also regret that despite numerous calls from the international community, including the European Parliament resolution of May 20, 2021, many Armenian detainees held in connection with the conflict have yet to be released, and we renew our appeal to the Azerbaijani authorities on this issue. We also reiterate our call to exchange all up-to-date maps of minefields to permit civilians to return to former conflict regions

Once again, we recall the EU’s commitment to support confidence-building measures and to address any issues at the negotiating table, in particular through the resumption of negotiations on a lasting conflict settlement and the future status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region in the process led by Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

80% of displaced persons returned to Artsakh so far

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 15:15,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The number of displaced persons in Artsakh at the end of the 2020 war was more than 91,000, the Armenian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan said in parliament in response to a question from the opposition Hayastan faction.

“More than 80% of them have returned to Artsakh, and the rest are still in Armenia. The government continues to be focused on issues related to them,” he said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Concerned about increase of tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan – EU Special Representative

Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 14 2021

Concerned about increase of tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan this week, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar said in a Twitter post.

“Important to defuse, address causes, and engage in work towards comprehensive settlement,” he added.

On November 14, at around 13:00, units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces tried to secure a positional advance in the eastern direction of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the Ministry of Defense reported earlier today.

The Ministry said the situation was relatively stable as of 19:00.

Azerbaijani press: Armenians living in Karabakh are citizens of Azerbaijan – Azerbaijani Ambassador to France [PHOTO/VIDEO]

By Trend

The Armenians living in Karabakh are citizens of Azerbaijan, they must begin integration into the legal, economic, political and cultural space of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani Ambassador to France Rahman Mustafayev said in the news program of the international French-speaking TV5 Monde channel, Trend reports on Nov. 9.

According to Mustafayev, Shusha is the historical center of Karabakh, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, the cradle of Azerbaijani poetry and literature.

"The school of national folklore and classical music was born here," he said.

Answering the relevant questions of the TV hosts, the ambassador said that the liberation of the city of Shusha put an end to the war.

"The war is over, the conflict has been resolved, but many questions and problems of the post-war, post-conflict period remain. These include the clearance of the liberated territories, the clarification of the fate of the missing nearly 4,000 Azerbaijani citizens, the reconstruction of destroyed cities and villages,” he stressed.

“It is also necessary to resolve the issue of delimitation and subsequent demarcation of the state borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We have long ago conveyed to the Armenian side a proposal to start a dialogue on this issue, we are waiting for a response from them," Mustafayev said.

Mustafayev also stated that the Armenians of Karabakh are citizens of Azerbaijan, they must begin integration into the legal, economic, political and cultural space of our country.

"The territory of Azerbaijan is one and indivisible, there will be a place for Armenians on the basis of observance of the principle of equality of all before the law," the ambassador added.

A year ago, the Azerbaijani army under the leadership of the President, the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev wrote a glorious page in the history of Azerbaijan, putting an end to the 30-year occupation of Karabakh.

The work that international organizations could not do in 30 years, Azerbaijan did on its own – in 44 days. The liberation of the city of Shusha from the Armenian occupation on November 8 last year was a decisive moment in the course of the Second Karabakh War.

During the broadcast, the ambassador also answered questions related to the role of Russia, Turkey, Iran and Israel in the region.

TV5 Monde is a French-Belgian-Swiss-Canadian international public broadcaster. It broadcasts to an audience of 350 million people in 200 countries around the world. About 80 million people watch its newscasts every week.

[see video]

Armenian Church at Hye Pointe annual bazaar is this weekend

Massachusetts, Nov 12 2021

HAVERHILL — The Armenian Apostolic Church at Hye Pointe will hold its annual Fall Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the church, 1280 Boston Road.

The event will include various Armenian foods, including losh keyma, lamb and chicken kebabs, and a pastry table with choreg, paklava, khadayif-nuts and cream, and Armenian kata (nazoog).

Also gift baskets and cash raffles will be held and which you do not have to be present to win.

A country store will feature tourshi and tel banir — string cheese. Specialty vendors will participate. Dining is available indoors in the church’s community center.

Armenia finishes alternative to road passing through Azeri-held areas

PanArmenian, Armenia
Nov 10 2021

PanARMENIAN.Net - The alternative road to replace the one passing through pockets of Azerbaijan-controlled territories in Armenia's Syunik province is "practically completely ready", Minister Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan told a press conference on Wednesday, November 10, Armenpress reports.

Sanosyan said roads are under construction in a number of communities of Syunik province, revealing that the one connecting the towns of Sisian and Kajaran is a priority.

Deputy Prime Minister Suren Papikyan said in late October that the alternative roads in Syunik will be ready in spring 2022.

The main road connecting the cities of Goris and Kapan in the region in some cases runs across territory which Baku gained control of as a result of the 44-day war in fall 2020. Azerbaijan has already set up border guard posts and police checkpoints, has at least once blocked a 21-kilometer section of it for nearly 48 hours and is now collecting taxes from Iranian trucks delivering goods to Armenia.

Armenians rally in Athens, march to Turkish Embassy

Nov 9 2021
by GCT

Hundreds of Armenians marched to the Turkish Embassy in Athens on the first anniversary of the Artsakh war, the Armenian National Committee of Greece informs.

Participating in the rally were the Most Reverend Archbishop of the Orthodox Armenians of Greece Mr. Kegam Hatserian, the President of the Central Council of the Orthodox Armenians of Greece Mr. Takvor Ovakimian.

The positions of the Armenian National Committee were presented by Harout Spartalian.

After the brief event in the Syntagma Square, the participants walked peacefully to Rigillis Square, as the police did not allow them approach the Turkish embassy.

The peaceful protest ended with the national anthems of Armenia and Greece.

COVID-19: Mayor of Yerevan self-quarantines over infected family members

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 16:59, 5 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Mayor of Yerevan Hayk Marutyan is self-quarantined after his wife and children were infected with COVID-19, his deputy Sergey Nersisyan said.

“The Mayor of Yerevan was planning to be here personally and present the budget,” he told lawmakers in parliament at discussions of the 2022 state budget where Marutyan was expected to brief on the city’s spending and revenues for next year.

“But his wife and children are infected with coronavirus. Now, being a direct contact he didn’t want to put others at risk. He is in isolation,” the Vice Mayor said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Karabakh State Minister meets with hundreds of Los Angeles-Armenians, discusses Artsakh

News.am, Armenia
Oct 29 2021

State Minister of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Artak Beglaryan on Monday met with hundreds of members of the Armenian community of Los Angeles during a meeting hosted by the Pan-Armenian Council of Western USA and the Armenian Missionary Association of America, the Office of the State Minister of Artsakh reports.

Beglaryan thoroughly presented the current situation in Artsakh, the short-term and long-term needs and the government’s programs and emphasized that it will be impossible to ensure the rapid and effective restoration and development of Artsakh without the active and ongoing involvement of all Armenians around the world.

Beglayan added that Artsakh may be secure and developed in the long run, based on the five main pillars, including sustainable security, growing demography, developing economy, quality education and effective governance.

Before the meeting, the State Minister had also given a press conference for Armenian media in California.

Turkish press: Ukraine confirms death of soldier in attack by separatists in Donbas

Mustafa Talha Öztürk   |28.10.2021

BELGRADE, Serbia 

Ukraine’s military confirmed Wednesday that one of its soldiers was killed the previous day in an attack by pro-Russian separatists in its conflict-ridden eastern Donbas region. 

“A battery of D-30 howitzers of the Russian terrorist forces fired on positions of the Joint Forces in the area of the settlement of Hranitne. Two servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were wounded during the shelling and one of them was killed. With the start of the shelling, a cease-fire was immediately demanded through the OSCE SMM – Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine and a note was sent through diplomatic channels. However, the occupiers did not react,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement.

It was reported that the separatists violated the cease-fire nine times as of 5 p.m., starting from midnight using cannons, grenade launchers and machine guns.

The separatists opened fire in the Hranitne, Novotoskivske, Luganske, Lebedinske and Shirokine regions of Donbas.

Also, another soldier suffered injuries.

In response to the separatist attacks, Ukrainian forces destroyed artillery in their first use of a Turkish Bayraktar unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV).

''In order to force the enemy into a cease-fire, a Bayraktar drone was used by the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The unmanned aerial vehicle did not cross the line of contact and destroyed one gun of the crew of the Russian occupation forces with a guided bomb,'' said the statement.

Footage published on the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Facebook page showed the Bayraktar TB2 drone targeting and shooting a Soviet-era howitzer it identified as the pro-Russian forces’ D-30. After that, the shelling of Ukrainian positions stopped.

The Bayraktar TB2 UCAV’s capability in the field has been proven several times both by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the armies of the countries that have acquired the drone.

The Bayraktar TB2 has been sold to countries including Ukraine, Qatar, Azerbaijan and Poland. In May, Poland became the first European Union and NATO member state to acquire drones from Turkey.

Donbas crisis

Demonstrations erupted in the capital Kyiv on Nov. 21, 2013 after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych did not sign the European Union Association Agreement.

After Yanukovych fled the country in February 2014, the demonstrations grew, and pro-Russian separatists declared their so-called independence in the cities of Donetsk and Lugansk in the eastern part of the country.

More than 13,000 people lost their lives in clashes between the separatists and the Kyiv government since 2014.

At least 57 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the start of the year compared with 50 in all of 2020.