Author: Paul Hambardsumian

Russia’s Iskander Missiles Fail in Karabakh but Cause Crisis in Armenia

Paul Hambardsumian
Jamestown Foundation
Feb 25 2021

February 25, 2021 05:32 PM Age: 22 hours

The Second Karabakh War, between Armenia and Azerbaijan, began on September 27, 2020, and ended on November 9, 2020, with a Russian-brokered and guaranteed agreement. The conflict claimed the lives of thousands of Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers. But after 44 days of fierce fighting, it concluded with Yerevan soundly defeated: Armenia lost territory occupied during the First Karabakh War in 1992–1994 as well as over 30 percent of prewar Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast—a region of Soviet Azerbaijan majority populated by ethnic Armenians. Today, the rump self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR or “Artsakh”)—still controlled by Armenians and not recognized by anyone—is fully surrounded by Azerbaijani troops and territory. The rump Karabakh “republic’s” perimeter is guarded by some 2,000 Russian “peacekeepers” who also control the so-called Lachin corridor, the only highway left open from Armenia proper to Karabakh through the city of Lachin. The future of the rump NKR and its Armenian population is unclear. Baku refuses to discuss any special administrative status for the territory, insisting Armenians born in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast or their descendants must disarm and apply for Azerbaijani citizenships to stay as a minority inside Azerbaijan. In turn, the NKR leadership has declared Russian an official language alongside Armenian to avoid use of Azerbaijani Turkish (Izvestia, February 17). Officials in Stepanakert (Khankendi in Azerbaijani) apparently hope this may tempt Moscow to keep its peacekeepers in Karabakh permanently and maybe eventually agree to annex the NKR outright.

After the 44-day war, Armenia has been in turmoil, with military and political leaders blaming each other for the disaster. Former Armenian president Serge Sarkissian—who was ousted from power in 2018 through mass street protests by the present Armenian prime minister, Nikol Pashinian—bitterly and publicly criticized the way the conflict was conducted. In particular, he accused Pashinian of failing to make good use of the Russian Iskander mobile theater ballistic missiles Armenia acquired in 2016, when Sarkissian was in charge. The embattled Pashinian replied that, in fact, the Iskanders were fired at Azerbaijani targets but turned out to be useless—“a weapon of the 1980s”—ether not exploding upon impact or “only with some 10 percent effect” (Interfax, February 23). This statement and its aftermath transformed the tense situation in Yerevan into a full-blown crisis. The deputy chief of the Armenian General Staff, Lieutenant General Tiran Khachatrian, told journalists, in between laughter, that Pashinian’s statement about the Iskander’s “10 percent effectiveness” was nonsense. In turn, the prime minister demanded that Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian (now a largely ceremonial role) fire Khachatrian, which he did on February 24.

This termination prompted an open confrontation between Pashinian and the Armenian Armed Forces’ top command. The General Staff issued a statement denouncing Pashinian as utterly incompetent and a threat to the future of Armenia, demanding his ouster: “We endured the attempts to discredit the military, but enough is enough.” Pashinian accused the uniformed leadership of attempting a coup, called on his supporters to come out into the streets of the capital, and demanded the ouster of the chief of the General Staff, Colonel General Onik Gasparian—Armenia’s top military officer (Interfax, February 25).

On February 25, Pashinian joined a small demonstration of supporters in Yerevan. Opposition protesters, who announced they backed the military, in turn began blockading downtown city streets with dumpsters, while Armenian Su-30MS fighter jets overflew the capital in an apparent demonstration of force. President Sarkissian, who obediently fired General Khachatrian, has hesitated to underwrite the order to fire General Gasparian. Two former presidents, Robert Kocharian and Serge Sarkissian—both bitter political opponents of Pashinian and heroes of the First Karabakh War—released statements calling on Armenians to support the military against the sitting head of government (Interfax, February 25).

Armenia was the first foreign country to receive Iskander missiles, which Moscow has long been promoting as one of its wonder weapon. Armenian sources have indicated the Iskander was used in the Karabakh clashes last autumn, but the Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement denying that assertion: “all the Iskander 9K720-E missiles supplied to Armenia are safely in storage.” According to the Russian defense ministry, “The Iskander 9K720-E was successfully used in Syria against international terrorists and is internationally acclaimed as the best in its class of weapons. Apparently, Pashinian was misled by someone” (Interfax, February 25). Of course, this official defense ministry renunciation is itself ambiguous: Armenia may, indeed, have received the simplified, export version of the missile, or Iskander-E (9K720-E), which has a range of 280 kilometers compared to the 500 kilometers (or more) of the regular Iskander-M supplied to the Russian Armed Forces. But why would the Russian military have used in Syria this specifically inferior 9K720-E Iskander, as the defense ministry statement seemed to say?

Moscow has hyped the capabilities of the Iskander-M, the Iskander-K cruise missile version as well as the hypersonic Kinzhal, believed to simply be an airborne iteration of the same Iskander aero-ballistic (capable of maneuvering within the atmosphere) missile. The Kinzhal has a range of up to 1,500 kilometers due to it being launched, midair, at a height of some 10 kilometers. These weapons systems, though produced to this day, were initially designed in the 1980s. Their accuracy is lagging, the time required to program and insert a flight path takes time (sometimes days), and they are not designed to hit mobile targets. The Iskander as well as other Russian non-strategic missiles can be truly effective only with a nuclear warhead—apparently the way it is intended to primarily be used in any peer-to-peer conflict. The use of several conventional Iskanders in the Second Karabakh War would hardly have changed the overall outcome.

Pashinian has announced a reform of the Armenian Armed Forces “in close cooperation with Russia” and phoned President Vladimir Putin to seek support in his standoff with his own uniformed command. The Armenian military brass, in turn, are reportedly in touch with their Russian counterparts. Moscow never liked or trusted Pashinian but seems hesitant to take sides in the face of a possible coup and lasting destabilization of an important ally. On February 25, Putin reportedly simply called for both sides to stay calm (Militarynews.ru, February 25)
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President Sarkissian meets with opposition leaders

Paul Hambardsumian

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YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian met with the leadership of ‘’Fatherland Salvation Movement’’ on February 26 – the joint candidate for Prime Minister of the movement Vazgen Manukyan, Artur Vanetsyan, Vahram Baghdasaryan and Artsvik Minasyan.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the President’s Office, during the meeting the sides exchanged views on the situation in the country, discussed options for de-escalating the situation and finding a peaceful solution to the issue.

The representatives of the opposition presented their views and approaches to the President.

Armenians Continue to Suffer Following Artsakh War

Paul Hambardsumian
Feb 19 2021

02/19/2021 Azerbaijan (International Christian Concern) –  A group of Armenian pilgrims heading towards the Armenian monastery in Dadivank were originally blocked and have since been allowed to enter. The monastery came under Azerbaijan’s control following the 44-day war.

On February 7 a group of Armenian Christians were seeking to visit the monastery and were accompanied by Russian peacekeepers. Previously, only the number of pilgrims had to be reported in advance of their trip, and that no more than 30 could visit at a time. However, on February 7 the group was met with new restrictions and told to wait in a nearby village. When they attempted to return, they were again turned away and told that the names of the visitors must be provided in advance. On February 14 the Christians were finally able to visit Dadivank.

Azerbaijan also continues to threaten the security and safety of Armenians via political maneuvers. Azeri President Ilham Aliyev recently introduced and announced the recipients of the National Hero and Patriotic War Hero awards. Most notably, Ibad Huseynov reportedly received the National Hero award. Huseynov was a veteran of the first Nagorno-Karabakh war in which he received significant attention after he boasted of photos of him holding the severed head of an Armenian soldier. His prominence was promoted in and by Azeri politicians and press, as well as gaining the attention of Turkish President Erodgan who has been photographed shaking hands with Huseynov.

Azerbaijani rhetoric towards Armenians and Christians continues to appear heavily influenced by Turkish ideologies. Limitations placed on Armenians as well as the promotion of violent human rights offenders indicate that the fallout from the most recent Nagorno-Karabakh war is still just beginning.

 

Asbarez: Armenian Legislative Caucus Urges Colleagues to Reject Azeri Propaganda

Paul Hambardsumian

February 19,  2021



The California Armenian Legislative Caucus “Dear Colleague” letter

In a “Dear Colleague” letter, leaders of the California Armenian Legislative Caucus on Friday urged their fellow lawmakers to “not spread misinformation” emanating from Azerbaijani propaganda material circulated to legislative offices about a fabricated “Khojaly Massacre.”

The letter, signed by Assemblymembers Laura Friedman and Adrin Nazarian, as well as Senators Anthony Portantino, and Senator Scott Wilk on behalf of the California Armenian Legislative Caucus, said “the request [by the propaganda authors] is a falsification of history and truth.”

The Armenian Caucus urged fellow lawmakers “to stand with the California Armenian Americans… and not spread misinformation.”

Below is the text of the letter.

Dear Colleague,

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus strongly urges you to stand with California Armenian Americans. Your office may have received a propaganda request regarding a fabricated Azerbaijani Khojaly Massacre. We urge you to stand with us and not spread misinformation.

The request is a falsification of the history and truth. In 1992, the Azeri’s shelled Armenian civilian targets using rockets in the Republic of Artsakh (also known as Nagorno-Karabakh). As a result of Azeri attacks, Armenians suffered civilian casualties as well as hundreds of Armenians being kidnapped. With the help of Turkey, Azerbaijan blockaded all delivery of goods into Armenia: food, fuel, and medical supplies. Armenian forces had to neutralize Azeri fire in Khojaly and terminate the blockade. The Azeri’s goal of attacking and killing the Armenian people was very clearly deliberate.

Using loudspeakers for ten days, the Armenian forces announced to Khojaly inhabitants and Azeri forces that an attack was imminent. The announcements also informed Azeris that Armenians had dedicated a corridor for the safe passage of civilians to Azeri held areas. The Azeri authorities did nothing to facilitate the evacuation of their people. On February 25, 1992, the Armenian self-defense forces attacked Khojaly. Several Azeri civilians tried to flee through the corridor; however, Azeri forces fired at the column, killing an unknown number. Although the Armenians were successful in neutralizing the Azeri fire- power, Khojaly remained in Azeri hands for many months. Soon after the attack, Azeri authorities claimed that Armenians had committed genocide. There is no evidence for their allegation.

The request that your office received has turned the incident into an anti-Armenian campaign. This anti-Armenian stance is a fresh wound for Armenians as they have very recently been attacked by the Azeri’s, just as they were in 1992.

On September 27, 2020 Azerbaijan launched an unprovoked attack against the peaceful Republic of Artsakh by shelling military positions and innocent civilian populations indiscriminately. Turkey played an active role in supporting Azerbaijan’s aggression toward Artsakh by providing arms, logistical and communications support, and even transporting paid Jihadist mercenaries to Azerbaijan from Libya and the Turkish Syrian border. Armenia was forced to make significant concessions at the conclusion of the war.

On November 9, 2020, a ceasefire was declared that called upon the mutual release and exchange of prisoners. Azerbaijan has not yet released the prisoners of war and innocent civilians that are being held captive. All persons were to be exchanged. Azerbaijan has a history of gruesome treatment and human rights violations of captives. So far, only 54 Armenians, both civilians and soldiers have been returned from Azerbaijani custody while the number of missing Armenians continues to grow. Even after the ceasefire, Armenian soldiers have been captured and Azerbaijan has failed to acknowledge these soldiers as prisoners of war and want to try them in Azerbaijan on criminal charges. Azerbaijani soldiers are continuing to break the ceasefire and capture innocent Armenian soldiers and hold them as hostages only to unfairly extort political and territorial demands.

Furthermore, for more than a century, Turkey and Azerbaijan have maintained a violent history toward the Armenian people. Descendants of the Armenian Genocide continue to mourn the loss of 1.5 million ancestors murdered by the Turks and over 5,000 civilians and military personnel were killed in this conflict.

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus is a bi-partisan, non-political Caucus that encourages California Armenian Americans to advocate and participate in cultural, educational, governmental, and community efforts in California. Through advocacy, the Caucus strives to ensure that California Armenian Americans’ voices are heard and given a platform. The Caucus serves as a forum for members from the California Senate and Assembly to identify key issues affecting Armenian Americans and develop and empower the Armenian American community throughout California.

Armenian-Americans have been crucial to the contributions in the history of the United States and California since the major wave of Armenian settlers came here in the late 1890s. Today, California is home to more Armenians than anywhere in the United States. The contributions of Armenians to California culture and history have been remarkable. Armenians have brought their intellect and work ethic to bear in a variety of fields including agriculture, energy, medicine, technology, the arts, government, and more. The Caucus strives to educate Californians on Armenian American issues and celebrate the achievements of Armenian Americans in California.

Sincerely,

CivilNet: The work of the Armenian Missionary Association in Artsakh

Paul Hambardsumian
CIVILNET.AM

8 February, 2021 14:15

The Armenian Missionary Association of America started its mission in Artsakh in 1995, after the first Artsakh war. The organization began implementing programs to support locals in the region by implementing many social, educational and cultural programs. The main directions of activities are kindergartens, "Shogh" development centers, sponsorship of socially vulnerable families, and a number of other social programs.

Because of the recent war in Artsakh, the AMAA has decided to expand its activities, because according to them, now the people of Artsakh need it very much.

Is a Series about Armenia’s IT Sector Headed to Netflix?

Paul Hambardsumian

February 10,  2021



Rafayel Tadevosyan

Production is set to begin on a new series for Netflix that will focus on Armenia’s technology sector with a focus on its startup culture, according to a report in StartHub Armenia.

The project, which will be called “Musk Factor,” will be a 10 to 12 episode series that will focus on the ups and downs of the startup environment in Armenia.

“We decided to mix business with pleasure by creating a television series that will reflect the intellectual-technological potential of Armenia,” the series producer Rafayel Tadevosyan told StartHub Armenia.

According to Tadevosyan, who is also a television host in Armenia, the script has already been approved by Netflix producers and the shooting is expected to start in the near future. The theme has been inspired by the late Karen Vardanyan, a pioneer in Armenia’s high-tech industry.

Tadevosyan announced that the comedy will not only focus of the Armenia’s startup ecosystem and the important role technology plays in every-day life, but will also highlight human values being lost to technological development—from relationships, tolerance to the negative impact that comes with the advancement of technology.

European Court on Human Rights and Nagorno-Karabakh: How will it rule?

Paul Hambardsumian
Israel Hayom, Israel
Feb 5 2021
By  Rachel Avraham                    
– www.israelhayom.com

In recent weeks, it was reported in various Azerbaijani media outlets that Azerbaijan submitted an official complaint against Armenia to the European Court on Human Rights. They claim that there is evidence that 3,890 Azerbaijani civilians went missing during the Karabakh war and Armenia has not taken any measures to investigate the fate of these individuals. They also argue that Armenia indiscriminately shelled Azerbaijani towns and villages with cluster munitions, phosphorus bombs and long-range missiles, which killed 93 civilians and maimed 423 others.

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Furthermore, during the First Karabakh War, the Azerbaijani media reported that Armenia caused billions of dollars in damage to the Azerbaijani economy, as about 1 million people became refugees and internally displaced persons and all infrastructure in the occupied territories was destroyed. According to various Azerbaijani sources, the destruction was so vast in the city of Agdam that it is referred to as the "Caucasian Hiroshima." Later this month, Azerbaijan commemorates Khojaly Genocide Day, which for many Azerbaijanis symbolizes all of the suffering that they endured throughout the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The official complaint also accuses Armenia of denying Azerbaijani refugees the right to reclaim their homes, after 30 years of Armenia occupying the territory in violation of four UN Security Council resolutions. During this period, various Azerbaijani sources noted that trees were uprooted, cultural heritage sites and religious sites were desecrated, and homes were demolished. Azerbaijan claims that efforts to destroy the area intensified in the period leading up to Azerbaijan reclaiming parts of Karabakh. Since then, Armenia has also submitted their own petition. Yet the question remains, how will the European Court on Human Rights rule?

Council of Europe Secretary-General Marija Pejcinovic Buric stated recently that the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter comprise "the soul of modern Europe." She noted that compliance with the European Court on Human Rights is not a "kind request" but a "binding requirement," when discussing the court's demand for Turkey to release Osman Kavala, who was arrested for allegedly orchestrating the Gezi Park Protests.

However, this same court that is rough on Turkish authorities also last year ruled in favor of BDS activists in France, claiming that the French government did not have the right to charge BDS supporters with "incitement to commit economic discrimination." The European Court on Human Rights forced the French government to pay compensation to 11 BDS activists, claiming that the French government violated their "freedom of speech."

More recently, the European Court of Justice ruled that Belgium has the right to bar kosher and halal slaughtering, which is a clear violation of "freedom of religion," as many Muslims and Jews view slaughtering an animal after stunning it to be religiously forbidden. Prominent anti-Semitism scholar Manfred Gerstenfeld called this ruling "an affront to Muslims and Jews across Europe." However, so far, the European Court on Human Rights has had nothing to say about it.

Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, president of Shurat HaDin, said, "I think the European Court for Justice, which has the ideology of the European governments has a bias towards Israel. Therefore, the court reflects this tendency. It reflects hypocrisy, as there are other countries that violate human rights that they are doing nothing about. They jump to seize the opportunity to attack Israel."

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However, Darshan-Leitner does not believe that the fact Azerbaijan is a strategic ally of the State of Israel will necessarily make the European Court on Human Rights biased against them: "Every country does its own calculations when it comes to its relationship with Israel when it comes to its own legal system. The same for the ICC, the European Court of Justice and the European Court on Human Rights."

Nevertheless, an Azerbaijani government official noted that he is concerned about the matter. The European Center for Law and Justice found that 22 out of the 100 justices that served in the European Court on Human Rights between 2009 and 2019 had strong links with far-left wing NGOs, such as the George Soros' Open Society Foundation, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, etc. In 80 cases cited by the European Parliament, these judges ruled based upon the whims of their previous employers.

According to the European Parliament, "This is a very serious situation because it calls into question the independence of the rule of law and the impartiality of judges. Moreover, it contravenes the rules that the ECHR imposes on the states in this regard."

All the NGOs cited above have an anti-Israel bias. While Human Rights Watch has been impartial in its coverage of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, both the Open Society Foundation and Amnesty International have written reports generally slanting towards the Armenian side.

Mendi Safadi, who heads the Safadi Center for International Diplomacy, Research, Public Relations and Human Rights, noted that the European Union and other important members of the international community have ignored what happened in the Karabakh region over the years to the point that many people today do not know who was the source of this conflict.

"The time has come for justice to be restored in this conflict and for the international community to enforce a fair agreement, and to return sovereignty to the control of the region's owners. As long as the region lacks absolute sovereignty, the conflict will continue to cause tensions and human rights violations," he said."

 

Rachel Avraham is a political analyst working at the Safadi Center for International Diplomacy, Research, Public Relations and Human Rights. She is the author of "Women and Jihad: Debating Palestinian Female Suicide Bombings in the American, Israeli and Arab Media."

Armenia Gegharkunik Province governor: There are cases of collapse in certain villages, especially old buildings

Paul Hambardsumian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 5 2021
21:04, 05.02.2021

I can’t state the whole volume of devastations yet, but some buildings have collapsed in certain communities, especially old buildings. This is what Governor of Gegharkunik Province of Armenia Gnel Sanosyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“There are a few records of collapse of old barns. There are some damages. Currently, there is a problem with restoration of power, but it was solved minutes ago. There was no power for about an hour-and-a-half,” the regional governor said.

Today Armenia recorded an earthquake with the epicenter in Gegharkunik Province (with a 6-7-point magnitude).

Tehran: Dark side of the deal [about the transport links between Azerbaijan and the exclave of Nakhchivan]

Paul Hambardsumian
Mehr News Agency, Iran
Jan 25 2021
Dark side of the deal
January 25, 2021 – 21:43

TEHRAN – The war between Azerbaijan and Armenia came to an end when the two countries agreed to a Russian-brokered deal on November 10. The deal brought an end to more than six weeks of deadly clashes that killed thousands of people on both sides but it created new concerns about the future of Nagorno-Karabakh and the geopolitics of the broader region.

Although the November deal was welcomed by regional countries as a positive development toward peace and security, it sparked confusion and concerns in some countries in the region that need to be addressed as soon as possible.

The war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region broke out in late September when Armenian and Azerbaijani forces exchanged fire along the contact lines in the disputed region. Initially, the clashes appeared to be an evanescent moment in the decades-long sporadic clashes between the two South Caucasus nations. But over time, it became increasingly obvious that things will be different this time around. While Azerbaijan used a variety of state-of-the-art weapons, especially combat drones, Armenia heavily relied on decrepit weapons that failed to prevent Azerbaijan’s armed forces from retaking large swathes of territories in the disputed region.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan war lasted for 44 days. In the final days of the war, Russia succeeded in bringing both sides of the conflict back to the negotiating table and convincing them into signing a deal to put an end to the deadly war.

On November 10, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement declaring that they have signed a 9-article deal on ending the war.

According to the deal, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to “a complete ceasefire and termination of all hostilities in the area of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” with Armenia admitting to return several districts to Azerbaijan such as Aghdam, Kalbajar and Lachin in a few weeks.

The ceasefire deal allowed Russia to deploy peacemaking forces in the region concurrently with the withdrawal of the Armenian troops for a period of five years, which will be automatically extended for subsequent five-year terms unless either Party notifies about its intention to terminate this clause six months before the expiration of the current term.

The deal established a new route connecting Armenia to the Armenian enclave in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. It also included an article stipulating that “new transport links” between Azerbaijan and the exclave of Nakhchivan Autonomous region, a move that caused huge debates – and in some cases concerns- in the region as the war was being fought far away from Nakhchivan.

The last article of the ceasefire deal vaguely stipulates, “All economic and transport connections in the region shall be unblocked. The Republic of Armenia shall guarantee the security of transport connections between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in order to arrange unobstructed movement of persons, vehicles and cargo in both directions. The Border Guard Service of the Russian Federal Security Service shall be responsible for overseeing the transport connections. As agreed by the Parties, new transport links shall be built to connect the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the western regions of Azerbaijan.”

This article was apparently left out of public discussion intentionally given the sensitivity of the issue. The deal speaks of “new transport links” between mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan but it does not say where and when these links will be established. Will they be constructed near Iran’s border with Armenia? If yes, how will they affect border movements between Iran and Armenia?

Iranian officials were under pressure from public opinion to give a clear-cut answer to these questions. They have tried to soothe concerns in this regard by saying that the Iranian government will defend the country’s national interests. But they did not -or maybe they were unable to – provide any details about the Nakhchivan-Azerbaijan route.

Upon his arrival in Baku on Sunday evening, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he will discuss with the leaders of Azerbaijan the situation around the Nagorno-Karabakh region as well as transit routes and corridors but he didn’t say whether these corridors include those connecting Nakhchivan and the western territories of Azerbaijan.

During his visit to Baku, Zarif met with several high-ranking Azerbaijani officials including Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

Zarif discussed with Bayramov issues related to the East-West and the North-South corridors, according to two statements issued by the foreign ministries of Iran and Azerbaijan.
 
“The Iranian foreign minister finally described the establishment of calm in the region as a great opportunity for mutual cooperation in the transit industry and bringing into operation the East-West and the North-South corridors,” the Iranian statement said.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry confirmed that the two ministers discussed the issue of corridors while implying that the Nakhchivan-Azerbaijan corridor was also discussed.

“During the meeting, the ministers discussed the current situation in the region, the implementation of the trilateral statements of November 10, 2020 and January 11, 2021. It was noted that new opportunities for cooperation have been opened up in the region, including the prospects for the development of North-South and South-West transport and transit corridors,” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The last article of “the trilateral statements of November 10, 2020” deals with the issue of Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan transport links so this issue was likely a part of the two minister’s discussion.

French Minister of State Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne to pay working visit to Armenia

Paul Hambardsumian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 27 2021

Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, French Minister of State for Tourism, French Nationals Abroad and Francophonie, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will arrive in Armenia on Wednesday, January 27, on a two-day working visit.

The top French official will meet with Armenia’s leadership, the French Embassy in Armenia reported.

On the margins of his visit, Lemoyne will visit the construction site of the new building of the Anatole France French Lycée. The new campus will allow the educational institution to host more students both from Armenia and abroad, the embassy added.