Caspian News
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
August 9, 2020
Azerbaijan will beef up its marine fleet after purchasing ultra-modern
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) response crafts from a leading
US-based marine company, worth more than $7 million.
The United States Marine Inc., a company that designs, builds and
tests boats for military, patrol and special warfare, among other
uses, announced this week that it will supply 15 EOD response craft
boats to Azerbaijan, in a deal worth $7,572,364.
“Work will be performed in Gulfport, Mississippi and is expected
to be completed by April 2022,” according to Navy Recognition.
“Foreign Military Sales funding in the amount of $7,572,364 will be
obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the
contracting activity.”
The nine-meter-long cutting-edge crafts are made out of composite
materials through a process called resin infusion lamination. The
United States Marine Inc. offers the boats in Open Center Console and
Cabin variants, both equipped with Twin Mercury Verado 250 horsepower
4 Stroke Outboard Gasoline engines. The EOD response crafts can reach
sprint speeds of up to 39+ knots, with cruising speeds of up to 30+
knots. They can be used for harbor patrol, passenger transport, diving
operations, evacuations and unmanned system operations. The boats are
equipped with a 50-caliber machine gun forward and aft.
Alexander Tikhanski, a military expert based in Belarus, says
military-technical cooperation with the world's leading arms companies
allows Azerbaijan to actively modernize its Armed Forces.
“Azerbaijan has spent $3.7 billion on its army at the peak of
equipment purchases. At present, the Azerbaijani army is the strongest
in the region after Russia and Turkey,” Tikhanski said.
The government of Azerbaijan allocated $2.27 billion for military and
national security purposes in the 2020 state budget. The amount is six
times higher than military spending in Georgia and three times higher
than Armenia. It is ranked 64th among the 138 countries of the world
and is the strongest in the South Caucasus region, according to data
compiled by independent military data tracker Global Firepower.
Azerbaijan's naval force includes one frigate, four submarines, seven
mine warfare and 13 patrol boats, among other assets.
The United States Marine Inc. is not the first American defense
company to secure a procurement deal with Azerbaijan. In September
2019, the Virginia-based VSE Corporation was awarded a $10 million
contract to supply the Caspian country’s military with
counterterrorism and intelligence equipment.
Azerbaijan is a strategically important US partner in the South
Caucasus and the Caspian Sea region due to its strategic location in
Eurasia and has proven to be a reliable energy exporter to
Washington’s allies in Europe, as well as a loyal NATO partner.
Additionally, Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to provide
assistance to the US in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terror
attacks. Azerbaijani troops have been part of NATO peacekeeping forces
in Afghanistan since 2002 and even opened its airspace to US-led
coalition troops fighting there.
When the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission was launched in January
2015, Baku increased its contribution from 94 soldiers to 120.
Azerbaijan is the only country out of the five Caspian Sea nations to
contribute to this mission and 40 percent of the non-military supplies
to US and coalition forces in Afghanistan passes through Azerbaijani
territory.
Washington provides US security assistance and military contact
programs in Azerbaijan, including the Foreign Military Sales (FMS),
through the Office of Defense Cooperation Azerbaijan. Under the FMS
program, Washington provides defense equipment, services and training
to Azerbaijan.
Between 2018 and 2019, Azerbaijan's State Border Service and State
Customs Committee received security and defense assistance worth
$101.5 million from the US through the Department of Defense’s Section
333 program, according to Security Assistance Monitor, a Washington DC
watchdog.
The assistance package included 59 high-speed boats and other maritime
equipment, 60 ATV motorcycles and other vehicles, 401 surveillance
radar and other electronic equipment and 450,516 tactical vests and
other individual equipment.
Strengthening its defense capabilities is a key priority for the
Azerbaijani government, given its ongoing conflict with Armenia in
Azerbaijan's internationally recognized Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Following a full-scale war between the two countries from 1991-1994,
Armenia occupied the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent
districts which comprise 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally
recognized territory. The bloody war claimed the lives of 30,000
ethnic Azerbaijanis, while one million were displaced forcibly from
their homes amidst occupation and mass ethnic cleansing campaigns by
Armenia's forces.
Since then, Armenia has repeatedly ignored international calls and UN
Security Council Resolutions calling for the withdrawal of its
occupying forces from Azerbaijani lands. Armenia's army also regularly
targets Azerbaijani positions and civilian areas, in a direct
violation of the 1994 ceasefire agreement between the two countries.
Author: Samvel Nahapetian
Asbarez: 10 Armenian Parties Release Statement on the Centenary of the Treaty of Sèvres
August 13, 2020
The Treaty of Sèvres turned 100 on August 10
YEREVAN—On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Sèvres, 10 Armenian political parties issued the following joint statement on Wednesday shedding fresh light on the possible international impact of the treaty, reported the Armenian Revolutionary Federation press office.
August 10, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Sèvres. The Treaty between the victorious Allies of World War I and Turkey solved a number of troublesome territorial issues, obliging Turkey, as the defeated side of the World War, to recognize the countries gaining independence from it and clarifying new borders with neighbors.
The Treaty of Sèvres is a document of powerful geopolitical importance aimed at establishing lasting peace in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, in the Balkans. Although further geopolitical developments did not allow the signatory states to ratify the Treaty of Sèvres, it nevertheless became the basis for the independence of many states and the delimitation of interstate borders. Therefore, we are dealing with an agreement that was only partially enforced and implemented, failing to be applied to Armenia.
The section of the Treaty referring to Armenia, inter alia, comprehensively refers to the interstate border between Armenia and Turkey.
It should be documented that on November 22 of the same year, the 28th President of the United States Woodrow Wilson, endowed with international mandate and arbitration, approved the Armenia-Turkey border with the Great Seal of the United States and handed over his decision to all state-signatories of the Treaty.
It is noteworthy that even today’s political behavior of Turkey, which leads to the destabilization of international relations and military and political tensions in the neighboring regions, is largely due to non-implementation of the provisions of the Treaty of Sèvres, including those referring to Armenia.
Consequently, in the background of Turkey’s increasingly aggressive, unpredictable military-political destabilizing actions, even a century later, the principles of regional coexistence of nations expressed in the Treaty of the Sèvres remain relevant as a guarantee of lasting and fair peace, as well as equal development of nations and states in this part of the world.
Based on the above, as well as the fact that the Pan-Armenian Declaration on the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide underscores the role of the Sèvres Treaty and Woodrow Wilson’s Arbitral Award in overcoming the consequences of the Armenian Genocide, we emphasize:
1. The Treaty of Sèvres is not just a historical fact. It is an international treaty signed between states that exist today (or are their successors), the implementation of which was suspended as a result of the shift in the military-political situation in the region.
2. International discussions on the Treaty of Sèvres should be promoted by the academic communities of the Republic of Armenia and the signatory states, and the political circles should demonstrate its importance in the context of the current geopolitical and regional processes.
3. There is no other multilaterally recognized international agreement between Armenia and the Republic of Turkey which legally resolves the border issue between the two countries.
4. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Sèvres and Arbitral Award of Woodrow Wilson, it is necessary to take political initiative, demonstrating:
- The hostile policy of Turkey towards the Republic of Armenia in international relations
- The illegal blockade of the Republic of Armenia by Turkey
- Consistent appropriation and destruction of Armenian historical and cultural heritage for more than a century with the complicity of the Turkish authorities
- Turkey’s aggressive military-political support to Azerbaijan and its non-constructive attempts to be involved in Karabakh conflict, which are often accompanied by war threats
- Destabilization of all neighboring regions of Turkey
- Violation of human rights, including the rights of national-religious minorities in Turkey, authorized by the state
- Incompatibility of the approaches of the Turkish authorities to modern political processes and challenges faced by humanity
5. It is necessary for the existing subjects of international law that signed the Treaty of Sèvres, as well as those whose subjectivity is conditioned by the Treaty, to express a position on the importance of the political and legal will of the states enshrined in the Treaty, as well as on the urgency of the issues under the conditions of fair coexistence of nations and its absence.
We, the undersigned parties
Highlight the historical, political and legal mission of the Sèvres Peace Treaty for the security and future development of the Republic of Armenia and the entire region;
Deem it necessary to shed fresh light on the possible international impact of the Treaty of Sèvres;
Express our unconditional readiness to participate in this process of great national importance; and
Call on political organizations and NGOs of the Republic of Armenia to join this initiative.
“Azatutyun” Party (Freedom Party)
Democratic Party of Armenia
National Democratic Union
The Republican Party of Armenia
Prosperous Armenia Party
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Yerkir Tsirani Party
Homeland Party
Heritage Party
One Armenia Party
Armenia party co-founder: Rights of Armenians enshrined in Treaty of Sevres have not lost their relevance
News.am, Armenia
Aug 10 2020
13:54, 10.08.2020
Armenpress: Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 30-07-20
Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 30-07-20
17:26, 30 July, 2020
YEREVAN, 30 JULY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 30 July, USD exchange rate up by 0.74 drams to 485.16 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.02 drams to 570.26 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.09 drams to 6.60 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 2.27 drams to 630.76 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price up by 202.15 drams to 30430.63 drams. Silver price up by 12.88 drams to 379.58 drams. Platinum price down by 24.36 drams to 14662.36 drams.
German relevant authorities investigate incident of setting Armenian Embassy’s official car on fire
13:07,
YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. Germany’s relevant authorities are conducting investigation to find out the people who deliberately set the official vehicle of the Armenian Embassy on fire, the Armenian Embassy in Germany said.
On July 23, at 00:12, the official vehicle of the Armenian Embassy in Germany was set on fire. The German Federal Foreign Office, the Berlin Police and respective police agencies have been officially notified about the incident. The possibility of arson was being considered. After the recent events on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Azerbaijanis living in different countries are conducting provocations, attack Armenians and make attempts of damaging the property of Armenians.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Artsakh MOD: Azerbaijan armed forces fired around 2,300 shots in passing week
News.am, Armenia
13:58, 25.07.2020
Asbarez: No Hate Here
July 24, 2020
Camp Javakhk participants, 2016 (Photo provided by the author)
BY ANI KHACHATOURIAN
From The Armenian Weekly
In April of 2015, I came across a statement Erdogan had made about Armenians “fixing” commemorative events to coincide with the Gallipoli ceremonies on purpose. I remember sitting in my freshman dorm on that very late night, frustrated and fed up with it all. I immediately took to pen and paper and began writing my “letter to Turkey,” while reminding myself that in that moment, the pen was mightier than the sword…
It seems I have this habit of writing when I feel anger.
Months ago, I came across a video of a teacher in Azerbaijan teaching her students about their enemy: Armenia. I was outraged, of course, but unfortunately not surprised. This video resurfaced on my Instagram feed a couple of days ago, and I was even more angry with myself for not doing anything about it when I had first seen it. I continued watching it, over and over again, becoming increasingly more angry, infuriated and anxious for what they are capable of.
One of the worst things about social media is that once you are invested in something, you dig deeper and deeper for more information. So after watching this video, I wound up reading comment, after comment, after comment. The first few bothered me, I will admit, but I wish they hadn’t. I soon realized that these people, who claim themselves a nation, are so incredibly divided, misunderstood by one another and confused. One comment read, “Armenia is the attacker” while another read “we attacked you yesterday and we will do it again today and tomorrow.” And I realized, they’ve all learned the same lesson. They’ve all learned to hate.
The author with a Camp Javakhk participant named Ala (2016)
I then thought back to my own childhood…to my eight years of attending St Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School, the following six years of Saturday School, to my AYF experience, to my upbringing. There was no instance, no memory, no explicit lesson taught in any way, shape or form to make me “hate” any race… any single human being. If anything, the word “hate” was banned, as I brought up in my 2015 article. I was left to make my own judgements, create my own feelings. We try our best to pass that on to today’s youth. To ensure that they don’t grow up feeling hate and instead are able to feel the pride of their people. To wear their flag, to keep their heads up high and to never stop fighting for their rights.
I believe in the power of education wholeheartedly. Nelson Mandela once explained it as “the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.” As leaders and educators in our respective communities, let us never forget how much we influence what children learn and how easily they are able to interpret our emotions, feelings and judgments. Let us never stoop so low, to their level, to teach hate. If we do nothing else, let us promise that we will always, always teach our children to take the high road.
As Armenians, I hope we never change. I hope we continue to tell our timeless stories and share them through song and dance. I hope we continue to speak our beautiful language, to be proud of ourselves. Defend ourselves. I hope we stand up to and be there for others, just as we would expect from non-Armenians when we need them most. I hope we win again. And most importantly, I hope that we never lose hope.
Ani Khachatourian is a member of the Armenian Youth Federation – Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (AYF-YOARF) Greater Boston “Nejdeh” chapter. She is an Emerson College graduate student, and she works in Special Education.
Armenia applies to EAEU colleagues over recent ban on sale of Armenian fruits in Russia
16:34,
YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition has applied to Russia and the EAEU colleagues to take actions over the recent anti-competitive action on banning the sale of Armenian fruits in Russia, the SCPEC told Armenpress.
“Today SCPEC Chairman Gegham Gevorgyan has sent official letters to Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia Igor Artemev and Member of the Board – Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust regulation at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Serik Zhumangarin over the recent ban by the executives of Moscow’s Food City market on sale of fruits exported from Armenia. In the letters the SCPEC Chairman said the aforementioned actions do not have an economic explanation. They undermine the free sale of goods between EAEU member states and are a demonstration of a discriminative attitude. Thus, unequal conditions are created in the foreign market, with the violation of general competition rules which are enshrined in the EAEU treaty”, the SCPEC said in a statement.
Gegham Gevorgyan expressed hope that the Russian and EAEU colleagues will discuss the matter and will take actions to restore the equal competition conditions to rule out such anti-competition actions in the future.
Trucks loaded with Armenian goods were removed from Moscow’s Food City market in the night of July 16. There were alarms that the goods are already being spoiled. There were some suspicions that Azerbaijanis stand behind this action and later it was confirmed as one of the owners of the market is an ethnic Azerbaijani. On July 18 hundreds of Russian-Armenians started buying all Armenian apricots existing in the trucks.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Sports: Mkhitaryan dedicates his goal in a clash against Inter to Armenia
News.am, Armenia
Roma midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan dedicated his goal in a clash against Inter to Armenia.
The captain of the Armenian squad posted a photo to Instagram stories.
The clash ended in a 2-2 draw.
ANN/Armenian News Week in Review – 07/19/2020
Armenian News Network / Armenian News
Armenian News: Week in Review
ANN/Armenian News
Table of Contents
Introduction
Listen to us on
Guests This Week
Your Hosts
Topics for This Week
Clashes on the Tavush border
Overview
Analysis of the current situation, including tactical issues
Sources
Topic 2: The Threat on the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant
Overview
Analysis of the current situation, including tactical issues
Sources
Ongoing Discuss: The State of Armenian Media
Overview
Headlines in the News
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Wrap-up
This Week in Review we discuss the military aggression by Azerbaijan against Armenia that started on Sunday, July 12 with Emil Sanamyan, Alen Zamanyan and Asbed Kotchikian.
Later in the podcast, Asbed Kotchikian talks with Dr. Areg Danagulian about the dangers of Azerbaijan’s threat to strike Armenia’s Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) with missiles.
● Alen Zamanyan
● Emil Sanamyan
● Asbed Kotchikian
● Areg Danagoulian (special guest)
● Hovik Manucharyan
● Asbed Bedrossian
Around noon on Sunday, July 12, Azerbaijani forces attempted to infiltrate the Armenian border in the Tavush region of Armenia. Upon initial shots by Armenian armed forces, Azerbaijani soldiers abandoned their vehicle and retreated, only to attack the Armenian army border post again and be repulsed after suffering nearly half a dozen deaths.
Later on Sunday evening Azerbaijan started intensive shelling along the Armenian border, and by Monday morning there were reports of drone attacks, shelling, and sniper fire. Azerbaijan also went on a PR and Cyber offensive. Armenian government sites were hacked, and both Azerbaijan and Turkey were trying to pin responsibility for the fighting on Armenia.
The attack was preceded by public threats to resume military action. As recently as the first week of July, Ilham Aliyev complained about the OSCE Minsk Group mediators and firmly told reporters that for Azerbaijan the military option was on the table. Since then the relative calm along the Armenian-Azerbaijan state border and the Azerbaijan-Artsakh line of contact (LoC) has degraded, culminating in the clashes of July 12th.
By July 14 Azeri losses had accumulated to over a dozen, including many high ranking officers at the Major-General, Colonel and Major rank levels. Armenia suffered military and civilian casualties as well, including a destroyed kindergarten. During intensive fighting, Tavush residents were asked to take cover in bomb shelters for days.
Now let’s do a deep-dive analysis with our well-informed guests.
● Emil Sanamyan wrote an article about these events for the USC Institute of Armenian Studies the day after fighting broke out. What are your thoughts about these continuing hostilities, is this just another routine flare-up, or are there more serious reasons to be worried here? Why the escalation now and why on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border (as opposed to the line of contact in Artsakh)?
● Azerbaijan appears to have been ready with its massive PR machine because within a day after the hostilities began Azeri press was full of one-sided statements by a large number of international Islamic organizations, Islamic countries and various other alliances such as the GUAM. Meanwhile, most other organizations and countries put out balanced statements calling for cessation of hostilities by both parties and a return to peace and negotiations.
● What are the dynamics driving the domestic political scene in Baku? Ilham Aliyev just fired his long-time foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov for “ineffective negotiations” over Karabakh. There was a crowd estimated at 30,000 demonstrating in Baku demanding an end to negotiations and quarantine, and demanding war on Armenia. What is going on in Baku?
● Who is Azerbaijan’s new Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov? What do we know about him?
● Defense Minister David Tonoyan is well known for his “Active Defense Doctrine” which promotes a pre-emptive strike defense and departs from classic trench defenses to a more “deterrence through punishment” philosophy. Are we seeing this doctrine at play during these events?
● There was troubling one-sided language from Turkey, and also GUAM, which includes Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova. Azerbaijan currently holds the chairmanship of GUAM and likely penned the one-sided statement in the name of GUAM. More balanced statements have followed from individual GUAM countries. Meanwhile, only “balanced statements” have come from the international community.
○ The reaction from Turkey was quick and unprecedented in terms of its hostility. At the level of president, defense minister, and foreign minister we heard threats that “Armenia wouldn’t get away with this,” Cavusoglu stated that he’s ready to die for Azerbaijan. To what do we attribute this belligerent rhetoric?
○ The reaction from GUAM (an alliance between Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) was also quick. GUAM squarely sided with Azerbaijan, condemning Armenia for the attacks.
○ The reaction from other international partners were also quite equivocal. The OSCE Minsk Group, US, EU, Iran, and others all strove to provide a “balanced” response, urging both sides to de-escalate.
○ The reactions from the CSTO, and what can be expected from the CSTO. Why are the relationships with other CSTO members “not great”?
● Where do we go from here? What do we see happening next?
● Defense minister’s interview
○ “Next time we start, we must…”
● Aliyev’s interview criticizing Minsk group (July 7)
○ “Their main point is that the problem cannot be solved militarily,” he said. “Who said that? We expect more serious, clear and targeted statements from the mediators.” –Aliyev
● Armenia’s MOD spox announcement
○ “մեզ համար անհասկանալի պատճառով” ???
● Armenian government extraordinary session
○ DM also mentions “անհասկանալի պատճառով”
● The EVN Reports on this event:
○ Fighting Erupts on Armenian-Azerbbaijani State Border - 7/13/2020
○ Updates from the Armenian-Azerbaijan State Border - 7/14/2020
● Armenian, Azerbaijani Forces Tussle for High Ground on Tavush Border
● Much more on Armenian News on Facebook.
Asbed Kotchikian talks with Areg Danagoulian
In this segment Asbed Kotchikian discusses a wide variety of aspects of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) at Metsamor with Areg Danagulian. The ANPP’s significance to Armenia’s economy, energy security, and independence cannot be overstated. The power plant was shut down in 1989 following the devastating earthquake in Spitak, and when it was brought back online in 1995 after being shut down since 1989 it served as a lifeline and helped fuel Armenia’s economic growth for the next two decades.
Dr. Danagulian is Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT. He is currently working on new, monochromatic methodologies for cargo screening as well as technologies for treaty verification via resonant phenomena and physical cryptography.
● How safe (structurally, operationally and strategically) is the Metsamor NPP?
○ What are the possible implications of a missile strike on Metsamor NPP?
○ Should Armenia be shifting away from nuclear power in the future?
○ Are the concerns about safety of the ANPP valid?
○ How long can the ANPP still be in service?
○ How resistant is it to earthquakes which have been mentioned as a security concern?
○ Within the context of the recent conflagration between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the latter’s threats to launch a missile strike on Metsamor, how realistic is the threat?
■ How resistant is the ANPP to potential military-induced nuclear catastrophe?
■ Is there some sort of a safety mechanism or protocol that can minimize the damage in case such a catastrophe takes place?
■ If you were advising Armenia’s government, are there any precautionary measures that you’d recommend be taken to reduce or mitigate the risk of a military attack on Metsamor?
■ What is the worst-case scenario in terms of a missile strike on Metsamor?
● How does nuclear fuel make its way to the ANPP? Doesn’t Armenia have Uranium resources of its own?
● Looking into the future, given the landlocked status and potential geopolitical constraints, how realistic is it for Armenia to bolster its nuclear security?
● Azerbaijan Threatens Missile Strike on Armenian Nuclear Power Plant
● During the war in the Tavush region, quite a few news sources applied self-censorship while covering the frontline. On the other hand social media was full of speculative statements and even factually erroneous news which created more confusion among those who were looking for news.
● On the Azerbaijani side, it seemed that they were ready and managed to roll out statements of support from some countries and international organizations.
● As a policy, Armenian News publishes news from (pro)Azerbaijani sources to inform its audience on what the “other” side thinks and says.
● Unfortunately the Armenian media landscape has difficulty breaking away from sensationalism and providing in depth analysis, to an extent that they usually publish FB posts by various individuals as news articles without any analysis.
There were many articles this week about Azerbaijan’s threat of a missile attack on the ANPP. In an article Forbes was rightfully cautious to write “alleged Armenian threat” about Azerbaijani claims that Armenia had first threatened to bomb the Mingechaur water reservoir in Azerbaijan, probably because they couldn’t verify it. Let’s clarify the chain of what was said, what was written, because we can see how misunderstandings can lead to dangerous places.
In a Factor TV interview on July 2, former Armenian Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan discusses (in minutes 12 & 13) that all of Azerbaijan is within reach of Armenian missile systems, and he EXPLICITLY QUOTES Russian general Lev Rokhlin (from a speech in front of the Russian Duma) (minute 12:37) “…and here I bring you the statement of Rokhlin, who during a presentation in the Duma said: if the Armenian side used the SCUD systems, and targeted the Mingechaur reservoir, then two thirds of Azerbaijan would be under water.”
Now unless Gen. Rokhlin made these statements posthumously, they were made before 1998, because he died in 1998.
However, the news and rumors were spun offline and on social media to lead to an official threat from Azerbaijan, we can see how unverified information can quickly get out of hand. Regardless of that, we go back to what Emil Sanamyan says in the podcast: there is no way to equate nuclear terror with blowing up a reservoir.
More on the state of the Armenian media in our future podcasts.
● Azeri armed forces shelled an Armenian army outpost in the northern Tavush province during a failed attempt to seize it. Three Azerbaijani soldiers have died and 5 were injured. The Armenian army suffered no losses.
● Skirmishes continued with Drones/UAV’s; Armenian forces had shot down many Azeri UAVs. Azeri deaths around 6-8. No Armenian losses.
● Over a dozen deaths on the Azeri side, including senior military personnel with the rank of Major-General, Colonel, Majors. The Armenian side also suffered losses but appears to have gained a strategic height that overlooks the Azeri Tovuz district.
● 13 Azeri drones were downed by Armenian forces since Sunday. The last UAV was an Israeli-made Elbit Hermes 900, Thunder-B recon drone, and Skystriker combat drones. The Elbit 900 is a very expensive, powerful drone and the first of its type to be downed.
● Armenia’s SU-30SM fighter jets went on combat duty, protecting Armenia’s air space.
● The U.S. House will Consider Measures Blocking Transfer of Defense Articles to Azerbaijan, a key vote set for Monday July 20.
● Several members of the US Congress condemned Azerbaijan’s military aggression against Armenia.
● “End the quarantine and start the war!” A crowd of pro-war Azerbaijani protesters estimated around 30,000 strong broke into parliament, demanding war with Armenia. Police intervened to break up the protest.
● The operative situation on the border became relatively calm, tensions de-escalated later on Wednesday.
● Azeri lobbies and propaganda were fully prepared for this war. Azerbaijan and Turkey immediately lined up a long list of condemnations of Armenia as the aggressor in this flare-up. [1] [2]
● Aliyev trashed his FM Mamedyarov during a meeting of his cabinet. Mamedyarov failed to attend the meeting for unknown reasons, and Aliyev expressed anger at his inadequate performance and the fact that Mamedyarov had allegedly discussed cooperating with Armenia on combating the coronavirus pandemic
● Turkish president Erdogan had a call with president Trump during which he slammed Armenia as the aggressor in the conflict this week. No word from Trump yet.
● No meaningful reactions from major organizations: OSCE, the CSTO, NATO or the UN.
● Balanced statements from Russia, Iran, Belarus, Latvia, the UK.
● Armenia’s MFA declared the absolute inadmissibility of Turkey’s involvement in the settling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The statement declared Turkey a threat to the security of Armenia and the Caucasus.
● Gagik Tsarukyan does not have Coronavirus.
● A fake bomb threat was called on the Blue Mosque in Yerevan.
● A 30-year old Armenian Shepherd was reported missing to Armenian police and was later reported in custody by Azerbaijani police in Nakhichevan.
● A new survey by the IRI claims 84 percent of Armenians have either a “very” (72 percent) or “somewhat” (12 percent) favorable opinion of the prime minister; a majority support the government’s management of COVID-19, with 48 percent “very” and 23 percent “somewhat” satisfied with the response; and when asked how state institutions have handled the pandemic, respondents expressed improved opinions of the police (65 percent), the Ministry of Health (64 percent) and the Prime Minister’s office (58 percent).
● The WB, the EBRD and the EU approved nearly $40 million in financing for a 55MW Solar power plant in Armenia. Armenia currently generates 70% of its electricity from fossil fuels, and this plant will generate 128GW-hours of electricity annually, displacing the release of 40,000 tons of carbon.
● Ilham Aliyev sacked his long-time foreign minister, Elmar Mammadyarov, after denouncing his poor performance in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. Mammadyarov was replaced by education minister Jeyhun Bayramov.
● Clashes resume on Azerbaijan-Armenia border
● State Senators Portantino, Borgeas Condemn Azerbaijan’s Attack on Armenia
● US House will Vote on Jackie Speier’s Amendment Restoring Military Aid Parity to Yerevan and Baku
● Clashes ease on Armenia-Azerbaijan border: No casualties reported on Armenian side
● Azerbaijan threatens to cause a 'nuclear catastrophe' by attacking the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, claiming Armenia has threatened its Mingechaur Reservoir. The claim is patently false.
Areas where we decided that need more exploration and discussion in the future:
● Turkey today, its foreign policy in all directions. What are the drivers of its foreign policy, its perceived strategic goals?
● The future of energy generation in energy in Armenia; renewable energy sources.
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