During today’s session of the Council of Elders of Yerevan, Mayor Hayk Marutyan said the salaries of employees of kindergartens have been raised by at least 20% over the past two years, adding that the salaries of employees of sports schools have also been raised by 20%, if not more.
“It’s clear that it is necessary to aspire to pay higher salaries, but the progress is clearly noticeable,” Marutyan mentioned.
The primary victor and loser in last fall’s short but brutal battle between Azerbaijan and the Republic of Artsakh – an unrecognized breakaway state controlled by ethnic Armenians and backed by Armenia – was fairly obvious to observers. Seeking control over the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts, Azerbaijan emerged from the conflict reclaiming the majority of territory that it had lost to Armenian separatists in the early ‘90s, leaving only a small percentage of the broader region’s territory under Armenian control, roughly corresponding to its historical Armenian-majority areas.
And while a sense of euphoric victory permeated the Azerbaijani national consciousness, there is a potential second and more remote beneficiary of this conflict: Israel. Its benefit from this conflict is primarily rooted in the geopolitical power axis that has emerged vis-a-vis Iran, a stronger and more transparent relationship with Azerbaijan, and, ironically, prospects for strengthened diplomacy with Armenia itself.
Decades of Ties Between Israel and Azerbaijan
Israel’s longstanding relationship with Azerbaijan has been an outlier when compared with other Muslim-majority countries. While diplomacy between the two countries has been bilateral and mutually beneficial, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev suggested in 2009 that “nine-tenths of it is below the surface.” In 2012, Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s foreign minister at the time, quipped during a visit to Baku: “Azerbaijan is more important for Israel than France.”
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Israel was one of the first states to recognize the newly independent Republic of Azerbaijan on Dec. 25 1991, acting in line with then-Foreign Minister David Levy’s statement on the Knesset floor a day earlier to recognize all former Soviet republics. Israel’s interest in this rapprochement was multifold: increase its legitimacy in the Muslim world with the newfound post-Soviet majority-Muslim republics; reduce Arab influence; gain additional United Nations votes; and garner the new states’ cooperation in facilitating Jewish immigration to Israel.
Just seven months later, Azerbaijan likewise recognized Israel. During Azerbaijan’s war with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region from 1988 until 1994, Israel supplied Azerbaijan with arms such as Stinger missiles. It has since aided Azerbaijan in the fields of medicine, water purification, agriculture, and, most importantly, strategic cooperation in defense and intelligence. Israeli arms are said to comprise more than 60 percent of Azerbaijan’s weapons stockpile. Hikmet Hajiyev, a top foreign policy adviser to President Ilham Aliyev, told the Israeli news site Walla that Israeli technology “helps Azerbaijan to provide security and safety to its nationals,” and praised the Harop drone in particular as “very effective.”
In turn, Azerbaijan has from the onset of its independence become a key source of oil imports for Israel, an important resource accentuated by the historical Arab boycott of Israel. To this day, Azeri oil accounts for some 40 percent of Israel’s consumption. Moreover, with its geographic proximity to Iran, Azerbaijan has served as an enticing ally for Israeli intelligence-gathering and military operations, should the need arise.
Nonetheless, Azerbaijan has been careful to keep its relationship with Israel somewhat under the radar (although the two allies have been more vocal about their cooperation in recent years). An official member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Azerbaijan has consistently voted in favor of anti-Israel resolutions in international forums, seeing synchronization with that organization necessary for winning its vote on resolutions pertaining to Nagorno-Karabakh. This realpolitik, along with its complex yet officially amicable relationship with Iran, has also prevented Azerbaijan from formally opening an embassy in Israel.
The Second Karabakh War
Yet, there are signs of change that could result in much more explicit Israeli-Azerbaijani relations. This shift is in sync with developments in the region that relate to last year’s war in Nagorno-Karabakh, in which, after 27 years of frozen conflict, Azerbaijan reclaimed nearly all the territories it lost in a mere 44 days.
Following the start of the conflict in late September, the Azerbaijani army pressed forward into Armenian-held territory, consisting of the original Armenian-majority Nagorno-Karabakh enclave and seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts that Armenian forces captured in the first war and cleared of its Azerbaijani inhabitants. Political observers expected this bout to be a repeat of similar short-lived border skirmishes, as occurred in 2016. But to the surprise of many, the conflict escalated into a full-blown incursion. Essential to Azerbaijani advances into Nagorno-Karabakh were Turkish and Israeli drones, which allowed Azerbaijan to overcome well-fortified outposts in mountainous terrain which naturally favored the defensive position.
Likely sensing further defeats and losses, Armenia signed an overnight ceasefire agreement with Azerbaijan and Russia. The agreement marked the end of fighting and placed Russian peacekeepers within the remaining Armenian-held territory for five years, subject to renewal. It cemented Azeri control of the seven adjacent districts, in addition to the key city of Shusha within Nagorno-Karabakh itself, the most prized Azeri territory in the original enclave. Azerbaijan’s effective control of the seven districts also means that it gained control of its entire former border with Iran.
Additionally, a small Russian-patrolled strip of land within the Lachin District will continue to connect Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh to the rest of Armenia. In exchange, there will be “construction of new transport communications” connecting mainland Azerbaijan to its exclave region of Nakhchivan.
Implications of Ceasefire Terms on the Israel-Azerbaijan Relationship
These clauses have significant implications for Israel. Perhaps most immediately, Azerbaijan could “go public” about its relationship with Israel by opening an embassy. Many Azerbaijanis expressed strong appreciation for Israel’s military aid, which helped them win the war, clearly seen in the flurry of Israeli flags being waved alongside Azerbaijani and Turkish flags in post-war street celebrations. An Azerbaijani embassy being opened in Israel would likely be seen by Azerbaijanis as the least their country could do to show gratitude. Azerbaijan’s need for Muslim support in the U.N. over Nagorno-Karabakh is less important now than it has been during the last three decades, given the new realities on the ground. Recent developments in the Muslim world, such as four Arab League states and Kosovo normalizing relations with Israel, likely add to this dynamic as well.
Azerbaijan’s elongated border with Iran is also an important development for Israel. In an indirect and long-term manner, it means Israel could have access to more territory surrounding its primary geopolitical foe. While in the near term it is unlikely that Azerbaijan would greenlight Israel to use its territory as a launching site for attacks, Israeli reconnaissance on the Azerbaijani side of the border has already been alleged by political analysts for years. Might the Azerbaijan-Iran border be used more significantly in the future?
Additionally, since Azerbaijan would no longer have to rely on Iranian land access to Nakhchivan, its need to placate Iran would be lessened. This could lead to Azerbaijan more brazenly showing solidarity for the oft-suppressed ethnic Azerbaijanis south of its border, a sizable demographic of up to a fourth of the population that Iran has long viewed as a source of concern over their secessionist potential.
One such manifestation of Iran’s generalized concern occurred as recently as March 3, when ethnic Azerbaijanis from within Iran itself paged Gunaz TV, a Chicago-based outlet servicing Iran’s Azerbaijani community, with a barrage of pro-Israel comments and criticism of the Iranian government. In a clip posted by Ahmad Obali, the show’s lead host, a caller said, “Whatever is good is said to be Israeli,” and referred to Iran’s mullahs as “miserable people.” In another segment of the show posted on social media, several different callers variously described Israel as a “friend” and “close brother,” showered praise upon Israel for its assistance in the Karabakh War, and even exclaimed, “Long live Israel!” One caller said, “Israel becoming a friend of Azerbaijan helps push the Iranian regime towards extinction.” Yet another said, “Whoever is against the Iranian regime is our friend!”
In the long term, then, Azerbaijan may have a strategic interest overlapping with Israel’s when it comes to countering Iran.
The Ceasefire Agreement and Turkey on the Anti-Iran Axis
To add to all this, Turkey may come to have direct land access to its “brother nation” of Azerbaijan through the Nakhchivan road, which would provide Turkey yet another border with Iran in addition to its current one, should the leadership in Ankara decide to pursue normalization with Yerevan. And with Azerbaijani-Armenian transit routes set to reopen under the agreement, there has been speculation that the path for Turkish-Armenian normalization might indeed open.
An additional Turkish land corridor to Iran would certainly be unwelcome news for the latter. Turkey and Iran have been on opposing geopolitical axes in the Syrian conflict and the general Sunni-Shia divide. Tehran is also fearful of Ankara fueling pan-Turkism among Iranian Azerbaijanis, who are no doubt invigorated by Azerbaijan’s recent success in Nagorno-Karabakh. This fear has been particularly exacerbated by President Recep Tayipp Erdoğan’s recent recitation of a poem at a Baku military parade celebrating Azerbaijan’s victory in the Karabakh War. The poem spoke of a united Azerbaijani motherland unencumbered by artificial borders. Ankara’s potential access to Iran’s border from Azerbaijani territory may escalate those fears, and at some point, perhaps even its realization.
From Israel’s vantage point, while relations with its once closest regional ally Turkey have deteriorated since the 2010 Gaza flotilla incident, there is nonetheless a “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” dynamic at play in regards to countering Iran. Even throughout years of Turkish-Israeli drama – Turkey financing Hamas, President Erdoğan proclaiming that “Jerusalem is our city,” exchange of social media insults between the nations’ leaders, and the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in 2018 after having only renormalized full relations two years prior – Israel maintained a working relationship with Turkey.
In 2014, despite lacking bilateral diplomatic missions, trade between the two nations exceeded $5 billion, and a key area of mutual cooperation was in containing Iran. More recently, Erdoğan was reported in December to have tapped a future ambassador to Israel, which would end a nearly three-year standoff. Later that same month, despite rhetorically labelling Israel’s policy towards Palestinians as “unacceptable,” Erdoğan noted that the two countries continue to share intelligence and that Turkey would like better ties with Israel.
As such, Israel will take what it can get when it comes to countering Iran, which is, according to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, “our main enemy.” If the Azerbaijani armistice agreement in a roundabout way leads to Turkey potentially further asserting itself against Iran, that just means Israel having one more power player working against its primary foe.
A Renewal Between Israel and Armenia?
Finally, the post-war conditions of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict may pave the way for normalization between Israel and the Republic of Armenia itself. On Oct. 1, 2020, Armenia withdrew its ambassador to Israel after inaugurating its embassy in Tel Aviv only a month prior. That development owes itself to Armenia’s historically strained relationship with Israel over its refusal to recognize the Armenian Genocide and relationship with Azerbaijan.
The rationale Armenia provided for withdrawing its ambassador was the continued Israeli weapons sales to Azerbaijan amid the escalating conflict at the time. Notably, Israel had been conducting such sales for years. In spite of these transactions and Armenia’s cordial relationship with neighboring Iran, however, Armenia expressed interest in establishing a diplomatic mission back in 2019. This desire was further expanded upon when the country opened an embassy in Tel Aviv the following year. In light of this and the fact that there is no longer an active war between Armenia and Azerbaijan at play, it is not unreasonable to anticipate an eventual restoration of Armenia’s diplomatic mission to Israel sometime down the line.
The Array of Outside Players
It is important to pay attention to the array of outside players involved in this conflict and their maneuvering in its aftermath. Less clear than the potential benefits for Israel is how the roles of Iran and Russia will play out, for instance.
Iran has congratulated Azerbaijan on the “liberation of Shusha,” and has offered assistance in rebuilding war-torn areas of Karabakh recaptured by Azerbaijan. These gestures seem to indicate Iran being keen to display good faith towards its northern neighbor, perhaps in part fearing an emboldened pan-Turkic sentiment post-war and wanting more of a say at the regional table.
Russia for its part has acted as a peacekeeper, maintaining a consensual barrier between the Azerbaijani and Armenian fronts and facilitating the return of thousands of Armenian civilians to the region under its auspices. Nonetheless, as a country that has backed ethnic Russian separatists in Crimea and supported two breakaway states in the South Caucasus (Abkhazia and South Ossetia), there is no shortage of suspicions from the two impacted countries of long-term Russian intentions. Azerbaijanis fear indefinite Russian presence on their lands in addition to a perceived Russian bias towards Armenia, and even Armenians are weary of Moscow’s tentacles and influence within Armenian society after decades of Soviet presence.
But a standout in the collection of outside players is Israel. While it did not have any active interest in the Karabakh conflict during the nearly three decades of its existence, the 2020 war has brought about a range of potential (and likely unexpected) benefits. The next question is how those perquisites will affect broader regional dynamics going forward.
https://www.justsecurity.org/75135/potential-gains-for-israel-after-azerbaijans-victory-in-nagorno-karabakh/
12:08, 11 March, 2021
YEREVAN, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS. The parliamentary Bright Armenia opposition faction is accepting President Armen Sarkissian’s invitation to a discussion over the domestic political crisis, the party’s leader, lawmaker Edmon Marukyan announced.
On March 10, President Sarkissian said he is inviting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the leaders of all three parliamentary factions, as well as the heads of the Homeland Salvation Movement (which is staging numerous protests against Pashinyan in the streets) to a meeting to find mutually accepted solutions to the crisis.
“We accept the invitation and we are ready to participate in any discussion where it will be possible to restore civil solidarity and find ways to save the country from the deep crisis,” Marukyan said.
The other parliamentary factions, the Homeland Salvation Movement and the PM are yet to respond to the President’s call.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
The results of the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan had its negative impact on internal stability in Armenia, Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian said in an interview to Al Arabiya.
“Of course, you know that we have a very complicated situation in the aftermath of the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh. The situation also had its repercussions on the internal situation in Armenia. Of course, we are now confronting internal difficulties, but I would like to emphasize the fact that Armenia is a democracy, may not a perfect one. And the recent years we witnessed significant achievements in this regard. This is the path of development that we have chosen and we are not going to backtrack from this path. As for the internal processes within Armenia, this is going on strictly upon the provisions of the Constitution. And it’s my conviction that the current difficulties can be overcome through dialogue, consolidation and unification of our society both in Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to safeguard and protect our state and national interests,” he said.
He also stressed that the results of the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan had its negative impact on internal stability in Armenia but added that he strongly disagrees with the qualification of the attempted coup d'etat in Armenia.
Asked about the statement of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Aivazian said, “This was a kind of political positioning of some members of General Stuff. They just made a political statement, which is not an attempted coup itself. This was also the assessment of different countries and international organizations. There are no elements of a coup d'etat in Armenia. And Armenia continues to be a democracy and the current situation, as I said, will be dealt according to democratic standards in our society.”
The head of the opposition Bright Armenia faction in the Armenian parliament, Edmon Marukyan, has reacted to the recent developments around Onik Gasparyan’s dismissal as chief of the army’s General Staff.
In a public post on Facebook, the MP said some political forces, explicitly or implicitly, accuse Gasparyan of “unprincipled behavior” by accepting his dismissal and leaving office.
“Whereas, Onik Gasparyan is a man with such a strong state mentality that, having the support of a huge part of army generals, he still did not allow the country to be plunged into internal conflicts or bloodshed.
“This is what distinguishes a true statesman from an ordinary politician, which, of course, is incomprehensible to those whose mill the general did not pour water to, transferring his and the military’s demands and the process of getting out of this situation to another plane,” Marukyan said.
Այժմ էլ տեսնում եմ, թե ինչպես են որոշ քաղաքական շրջանակներ ուղղակի կամ անուղղակի մեղադրանքներ հնչեցնում Զինված ուժերի…
Posted by Edmon Marukyan on
https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2021/03/11/Opposition-MP-Onik-Gasparyan/2467459
Opposition rallies do not in any way hinder the return of the Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) from Azerbaijani captivity and the solution of security issues in general, former Director of the National Security Service and opposition Homeland Party leader Artur Vanetsyan told reporters ahead of the rally of the Homeland Salvation Movement on Yerevan’s Marshal Baghramyan Avenue on Tuesday.
He noted that the current authorities once again try to blame others for their “incompetence and inability to take action”.
Vanetsyan expressed hope that the president will eventually ask the Constitutional Court to determine the legality of the dismissal of the Armenian army’s General Staff chief, Onik Gasparyan, by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, after refusing to sign the draft decree on his dismissal twice.
“We hope that today we will receive news from the President's Office that the president has nevertheless applied to the Constitutional Court. Otherwise, we will decide what next steps to take on the spot,” the opposition leader said.
He is convinced that their persistent struggle and increased public pressure will yield results.
“From now on, the political agenda will be dictated from Baghramyan Avenue, and all issues related to further developments in Armenia will be resolved here,” Vanetsyan said.
Asked whether his Homeland Party plans to team up with the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF, Dashnaktsutyun) party and nominate Robert Kocharyan as their candidate for prime minister in the event of snap elections in the country, as suggested by some media reports, Vanetsyan said: “We have a primary task – the removal of Pashinyan from office, followed by the formation of an interim government and early elections. Once we get to that point, we will talk about it. During my activity of the past year, I realized that nothing can be ruled out in politics, but now it is also impossible to make any assertions.”
YEREVAN. – PM Nikol Pashinyan is not responding to Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, but he wants to intimidate our population by shouting; he says on one of his livestreams: "If you exceed the extent of political statements, I will arrest you." Armenia’s independent MP Gevorg Petrosyan told this to a press conference on Monday.
"If you [Pashinyan] are such a brave guy, give an answer to Aliyev. He goes to Aliyev, sits down bowing down, [but then] comes here [to Armenia], starts shouting at our people. Who are you to decide the extent of political statements? And says, ‘We will arrest [you].’ With this, he betrays that the law enforcement agencies [of Armenia] are acting under his direct instructions. I am surprised that the Prosecutor General's Office is unaware of this situation. We have not had such a leader to make such an impudent statement," Petrosyan added.
And reflecting on the situation after the announcement of the General Staff of the Armed Forces—demanding the resignation of Pashinyan and his government, the lawmaker said: "The army must make a move. Today the only move left is of the army, and we end this 'game.' I can say for sure that if the army comes in united fashion, the police will not clash with the army because the police also are disgusted with him [i.e., Pashinyan]."
YEREVAN, Armenia: Anger caught in Mari Hovhannisyan’s throat as she demanded Armenia’s leadership resign, more than three months on from a disastrous war that saw swathes of territory lost to Azerbaijan. “I am six months pregnant but I had to come out,” the 36-year-old told AFP, directing her fury at her country’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. “I am against this regime, against the betrayer who sold out our land, our flag, our nation, everything. He should be in jail, he can’t remain in place.” Around her in Armenia’s capital Yerevan several thousand protesters, waving the national flag, echoed her contempt.
But at the same time, just over a kilometer away on Monday evening, the man they are targeting was defiantly plotting his own way forward in front of a far larger crowd of supporters on the city’s main square. “If the parliamentary opposition agrees to early elections, we will agree to early elections,” Pashinyan shouted through a megaphone to the chanting throng. “Only the people can decide who will remain in power.” The standoff in Armenia is the latest stage of a political crisis fuelled by the fallout of the conflict that erupted last year over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
After six weeks of violence that claimed around 6,000 lives on all sides, a Moscow-brokered ceasefire agreement was signed, handing over significant territory to Azerbaijan and allowing for the deployment of Russian peacekeepers. For Armenians it was a devastating reversal from a first war in the early 1990s-upending their decades-long narrative from victors into vanquished in under two months.
“Too much of Armenia, including the military and the government, is still in a state of denial,” said Richard Giragosian, director of the Yerevan-based Regional Studies Center think-tank. “This is why, like the five or seven stages of grief, we can’t go on to mourn or grieve-because we are still in the state of denial.”
Early elections?
Charting a way out of the political deadlock looks tricky for this south Caucasus republic of three million people. Pashinyan, a charismatic 45-year-old ex-journalist who swept to power in peaceful protests in 2018, insists he is ready for early elections-but there is no clear agreement or timeframe. Last week the prime minister accused the military of attempting a coup when the general staff backed calls for his resignation. Now Pashinyan is squaring off with President Armen Sarkisian, whose role is largely symbolic, after the head of state refused to sign off on the sacking of the military chief.
Analyst Giragosian said the best way forward is for Pashinyan to seek a new mandate at elections-but that the premier is wary of handing over to any caretaker in the interim and risking the huge majority he holds in parliament. “In the event of a free and fair election, Pashinyan’s party would likely secure a reduced but still working majority,” Giragosian said. “The opposition is widely unpopular and deeply discredited. It’s a lack of an alternative candidate and credible rival that tends to strengthen Pashinyan’s position.”
Old guard strikes back?
A key part of the opposition appears to come from Armenia’s former leadership, ousted by Pashinyan in the country’s “Velvet Revolution” of 2018. Critics say the populist leader has failed to make genuine reforms after the rare democratic breakthrough for his ex-Soviet homeland. But Pashinyan’s supporters accuse the old guard of using the losses during the war as a pretext to gain retribution. “We don’t want those who robbed Armenia before to return,” 60-year-old English teacher Aida Ghevondyan told AFP. “They’ve decided that Pashinyan is guilty for the war-but people know those who were in charge before are guilty for getting rich and not building up the army.”
While the political sparring rumbles forward, many in Armenia just seem to be turned off by the wrangling as the country struggles to adapt to the new reality after last year’s conflict. “For most of the people, there is apathy, fatigue, reluctance and a lack of faith in both of the sides,” said Alexander Iskandaryan, the director of Yerevan’s Caucasus Institute. And however the situation plays out, the rancour and divisions look set to drag on. “The turbulence will continue under any scenario-there is no doubt about that,” Iskandaryan said. – AFP
Earlier in the day, the general staff demanded Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation and warned him against using force against the Armenian people.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that he had sacked the chief of the armed forces' general staff, Onik Gasparyan.
Nikol Pashinyan assessed the general staff's calls as an attempt to stage a military coup and had invited his supporters to gather at the Republic Square in Yerevan. He also pledged to address the nation soon.
The Armenian Defence Ministry's spokesman, Gevorg Altunyan, declined to comment on the armed forces' statement.
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States is watching the situation in Armenia very closely and is calling on all sides to exercise restraint, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on a press briefing, held on Thursday.
“We are of course aware of recent developments in Armenia. We are following the situation very closely ,” Price said at a briefing. “We urge all parties to exercise restraint and to avoid any escalatory or violent actions. We remind all parties of the bedrock democratic principle that [a] state’s armed forces should not intervene in domestic politics.”
Iran is closely monitoring the developing political situation in neighbouring Armenia, expecting all parties to exercise restraint, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Thursday.
"We closely follow the situation in Armenia," Khatibzadeh said in a statement, extending a call on "all parties" to exercise restraint.
Supporters and opponents of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan staged new demonstrations in Yerevan earlier in the day. This followed a series of high-profile military layoffs, including of army chief of staff Onik Gasparyan and deputy chief Tigran Khachatryan, who mocked the prime minister's controversial comment about the alleged failure of Russian-supplied Iskander missiles during the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The military demanded that Pashinyan step down, which the prime minister slammed as an attempted coup.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed the situation in Armenia by phone, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
The phone conversation took place at the initiative of the Armenian side.
"The situation in Armenia was discussed … Putin spoke in favour of maintaining order and calmness in Armenia, resolving the situation within the framework of the law," the spokesman said.
"The head of the Russian state also called on all sides for restraint," Peskov added.
Another political crisis erupted in Yerevan after Pashinyan's careless words about Russian missile systems Iskander. The deputy chief of Armenia's general staff, according to media reports, ridiculed the prime minister, for which he was dismissed, and the chief of the general staff was offered to resign as well. On Thursday morning, the Armenian Armed Forces issued a statement demanding the resignation of Pashinyan himself. The prime minister regarded this as an attempted coup and called on his supporters to take to the streets. In the meantime, the opposition has erected barricades and set up a tent camp near the parliament, they are not inclined to negotiate with the authorities and demand the resignation of the prime minister.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrapped up his rally and urged all political forces to start consultations, a Sputnik correspondent reported Thursday.
"From this moment on, we have finished our events and we expect our colleagues in the opposition to do the same," the prime minister said, adding that he was going back to the government building.
Pashinyan led a rally of his supporters through the streets of Yerevan for the second time in one day. Earlier on Thursday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces demanded that Pashinyan resign.
Armenian opposition leader Vazgen Manukyan on Thursday urged for barricading the streets next to the parliament amid the standoff between the government and the General Staff of the Armed Forces.
Earlier in the day, the General Staff demanded that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government resign.
"We are not leaving, we are staying here and blocking the streets with barricades so that lawmakers would come and send him [Pashinyan] packing. To waste this opportunity would be to lose the country," Manukyan said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Thursday he had given up the idea of early parliamentary elections, although he had entertained it before.
"Upon your request, I am taking the idea of early legislative elections off the table," the prime minister said at a rally with his supporters.
The Armenian Defence Ministry said Thursday that any attempts to get armed forces involved in political activity were unacceptable.
"Armenian Armed Forces guard the borders of the homeland to the fullest of their abilities and ensure their security. The armed forces are a non-political entity and any attempts to get the armed forces involved in any political activity are unacceptable," the ministry said in a statement.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday said his opponents might face arrests if they crossed any lines from statements to action.
"If someone crosses the line from political statements, they will be arrested. No more velvet," Pashinyan said at a rally.
Pashinyan came to a power as a result of a so-called velvet revolution.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday at a rally in Yerevan it was up to the people to decide if he should step down.
Earlier in the day, Armenia's general staff demanded Pashinyan's resignation in the wake of his decision to sack the first deputy chief of the general staff.
"It is only up to the people to decide if I should step down," Pashinyan stressed.
The prime minister recalled he had invited the opposition to study the possibility to hold snap parliamentary elections, but the opposition made use of it to escalate tensions.
"It is only up to the people to address such issues. Let the people demand, let the people judge me," Pashinyan said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on the general staff chief, Onik Gasparyan, to step down voluntarily, as President Armen Sargsyan has not signed the decree on his dismissal.
"I held a phone conversation with the president and I told him he should sign my petition to fire [Gasparyan]. If he does not sign it, does it mean he joins the coup?" Pashinyan said at a rally in Yerevan.
The prime minister called on Gasparyan to step down voluntarily.
"I expect either the president to sing the decree, or the chief of the general staff to resign on his own. Then I will start political consultations with the sharpest critics," Pashinyan noted.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said Thursday that the situation in neighboring Armenia had never been worse and the country was in that state because of its leadership.
"Armenia has never been in such a pitiable state. It is their leadership that got them to this place," Aliyev said, as quoted by his press service.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday that the army cannot get involved in any political process, since it must obey the people and the elected government.
"The army cannot participate in political processes. The army must obey the people and the authorities that were elected by the people," Pashinyan said at a rally in Yerevan.
The Armenian leader stressed that the previous governments had some "stooges" in the armed forces and called on them to leave.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on the military on Thursday to fulfill their duties and focus on protecting the country's borders and territorial integrity.
"I order all the soldiers, officers and generals to mind their business and protect borders and Armenia's territorial integrity," Pashinyan said.
The prime minister also expressed confidence that the Armenian people would never allow a coup.
Armenian warplanes on Thursday flew over the capital of Yerevan during rallies of supporters and opponents of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan amid a political crisis in the country, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
The military aircraft flew over Liberty Square, and the opposition supporters who gathered there welcomed this move.
Armenian President Armen Sargsyan said on Thursday he was already taking steps to de-escalate tensions and secure a peaceful settlement to the conflict between the government and the military.
"I am urgently initiating steps to reduce tensions and find a peaceful solution," Sargsayn said in a statement, released on his official website.
The president called on Armenians not to fall for provocations.
"Our people cannot afford a discord, we must reject any attempt to destabilize the country," Sargsayn continued.
The Armenian leader asked all the state bodies, law enforcement agencies, political forces and the people to exercise restraint. According to Sargsayn, a single ill-considered word is enough to deepen the crisis.
Armenian opposition leader Vazgen Manukyan, who used to serve as prime minister and defenсe minister, expressed the belief on Thursday that the events enfolding in his country were not an attempt to overthrow the government.
"This is not a coup, the army has a constitutional right to point at the key enemy who jeopardizes Armenia's safety, and it did point to him, saying that this is [Prime Minister] Nikol Pashinyan," Manukyan said at an opposition rally.
The opposition figure called on the police and security agencies to side with the army.
According to Manukyan, Armenia's "agonizing" authorities are trying to "pit people and the army against each other."
"We must purge Pashinyan and restore our homeland through common effort," Manukyan added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavorv and his Armenian counterpart, Ara Ayvazyan, held a phone conversation on the developments in Armenia on Thursday, and Lavrov expressed hope for a peaceful settlement of the political crisis, triggered by disagreements between the government and the military, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"The Russian side stressed that we see the situation as Armenia's domestic issue and hope it will be settled peacefully," the ministry added.
Ayvazyan briefed Lavrov on the latest developments, the ministry said.
The general staff of the Armenian armed forces said on Thursday its earlier statement calling for resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was not made under any pressure.
"This is a clear conviction, the position of generals and officers, whose only goal is to contribute to the salvation of our motherland at this critical moment. We once again confirm our clear position," the general staff said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan assured on Thursday that attempts to stage a coup in his country would not succeed.
"No," Pashinyan told reporters at an online press conference, when asked if a coup was possible.
Pashinyan is currently marching the streets with his supporters in Yerevan. He earlier pledged to make a statement at the Republic Square, where a rally of his supporters will be held, at 4 p.m. local time (12:00 GMT).
A new wave of protest rocks Yerevan, as the armed forces requested Pashinyan's resignation in the wake of his decision to fire the deputy chief of the general staff.
Turkey sees the events enfolding in Armenia as an attempt to stage a coup, which it resolutely condemns, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.
"Wherever a coup takes place, we condemn this. We condemn this attempt [to stage a coup in Armenia] resolutely. Criticizing the government and calling for its resignation is normal, while overthrowing the government with army assistance is unacceptable, as well as mere calls [to overthrow the government]," Cavusoglu said during his working visit to Budapest,
Stability in Armenia is vitally important for the implementation of the Karabakh ceasefire, therefore Turkey closely follows the developments in Yerevan, the foreign minister continued.
Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan called on the people on Thursday to support the military, calling on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to step down.
"Authorities who lost the war and gave up our land must step down. This is the key condition for our national revival," Kocharyan said.
Kocharyan, who headed the country between 1998 and 2008, called on Armenian citizens to side with the armed forces.
The president of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Arayik Harutyunyan, is currently in Yerevan and is ready to mediate a political crisis that emerged due to disagreements between the Armenian government and the military.
"I call on all the sides to show composure and sanity. Otherwise, our defeat will deepen and become more fatal. Stop that, we have shed so much blood. Now it is time to soften the crisis and follow the path of long-term development and strengthening," Harutyunyan said, expressing concerns over the political situation in Armenia.
Andranik Kocharian, the head of the Armenian parliament’s defense and security committee from the ruling My Step Faction, dismissed Harutyunyan’s offer of mediation.
"There is no need for this. We can solve our problems on our own. Arayik Harutyunyan should instead focus on the security of Artsakh," he said, calling the breakaway region by its preferred name.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed the belief on Thursday that the situation in the country was manageable and called for avoiding clashes despite differences.
"The army obeys the people and the prime minister," Pashinyan told reporters.
Asked about the possibility of civilian clashes, the prime minister noted that "there is always such a threat."
"But we must agree that this will not be the case. There are no enemies inside Armenia. There are some issues we should certainly discuss," Pashinyan continued.
Asked if a coup could take place in the country, the prime minister assessed the situation as "manageable" and expressed the belief that the armed forces' move was motivated by their strong emotional reaction.
"Even those whom I sacked remain my brothers, they are soldiers of our homeland," Pashinyan concluded.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday, amid tensions between the government and the military, that he and his family had no intentions to leave the country.
"I hope you have already got used to the information terror. They keep spreading different rumors, they claim we have prepared an aircraft and are going to flee. We are here and we will not leave our homeland no matter what happens. My family is here," Pashinayn said, while marching with his supporters in Yerevan.
Opposition political party Prosperous Armenia supported on Thursday the general staff's "game-changing" demand for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation and called on the head of the government to step down immediately.
"The statement of the armed forces and the general staff, calling for standing side by side with the people and the statehood is a game-changer. We call on Nikol Pashinyan not to go toward a civil war, not to shed Armenian blood inside the country, not to sow discord among Armenians. Nikol Pashinyan has the last chance to step down politically with no shocks," Prosperous Armenia said in a statement.
The Kremlin follows with concern the developments in Armenia, where tensions are escalating between the government and the military, but considers the situation to be the country's internal affair, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
"We watch the developments in Armenia with concern. We believe this is exclusively an internal affair of Armenia, which we see as a very important and close ally in the Caucasus," Peskov said at a briefing.
The Kremlin calls on all the sides in Armenia to exercise restraint and act in compliance with the constitution, Dmitry Peskov said.
"We are certainly calling on everyone to exercise restraint. We believe the situation should not go beyond the constitutional framework," Peskov said at a briefing, commenting on the developments in the neighboring country.
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YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price has commented on the ongoing domestic political developments in Armenia, urging “all parties to exercise restraint and to avoid any escalatory or violent actions”.
During a press briefing Mr. Price said they are aware of recent developments in Armenia and are following the situation very closely.
“We urge all parties to exercise restraint and to avoid any escalatory or violent actions. We remind all parties of the bedrock democratic principle that states’ armed forces should not intervene in domestic politics. The United States has been a steadfast supporter of the development of democratic processes and institutions in Armenia. We continue to support Armenia’s democracy and its sovereignty, and we urge its leaders to resolve their differences peacefully while respecting the rule of law, Armenia’s democracy, and its institutions”, the State Department spokesman said.