Author: Shushan Frangulian

Lavrov Brushes Off Azeri Attack on Hadrut Villages

Shushan Frangulian

December 30,  2020



Artsakh Hadrut region came under attack by Azerbaijani forces

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov brushed off the urgency and seriousness of Azerbaijani attacks on two Armenian villages in Hadrut on December 13, simply saying that at the time Russian peacekeepers were not stationed at the line of contact. He then praised efforts of his country to establish peace in the region.

“The only noticeable violation in the line of contact on December 13 took place in a location where there were no Russian peacekeepers,” Lavrov said during an interview with TASS. “The steps initiated by the command of our peacekeeping contingent in contacts with our Azerbaijani and Armenian colleagues allowed us to avoid an escalation of the incident. We will further continue making all efforts to not allow ceasefire violations.”

Azerbaijani armed forces, using heavy military equipment and vehicles attempted an invasion of the Hin-Tagher and Khtsabert villages in the Hadrut region of Artsakh, which fall under Armenian control following the November 9 agreement.

The Russian foreign minister said that through his country’s efforts, the situation in the conflict zone is “on its way to a resolution.” He added that there have not been any provocations against Russian peacekeepers.

Lavrov also expressed readiness to organize a meeting between Armenia and Azerbaijan for discussing the unresolved political issues in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

“As for the political issues which are still not resolved, I can reaffirm our readiness both at the national level and within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to assist in organizing such meetings when the sides are ready to that,” Lavrov told TASS.

The Russian foreign minister said that currently the agenda is focused on not allowing any ceasefire violation, as well as clearing the territory from explosive objects, exchanging the prisoners of war and the bodies of the dead, ensuring the security of the return of refugees and internally displaced people, solving humanitarian problems, preserving the historical monuments regardless of their religious affiliation, unblocking transportation and economic ties.

“There is something positive in all these directions, but problems are emerging which are inevitable given the complexities of the situation,” he said.

Armenia mourns Nagorno-Karabakh dead as PM faces calls to resign

Shushan Frangulian
Deutsche Welle, Germany
Dec 20 2020

Armenians have begun three days of mourning to honor those killed in the recent fighting with Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, accused of mishandling the conflict, faces growing calls to step down.

Thousands of Armenians, led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, marched through the capital Yerevan on Saturday in memory of the soldiers killed in a six-week conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"The entire nation has been through and is going through a nightmare," Pashinyan said in a video message before the march. "Sometimes it seems that all of our dreams have been dashed and our optimism destroyed." 

As Armenia began three days of mourning for the war that killed nearly 3,000 Armenians, Pashinyan faced growing calls from the opposition to step down over the handling of the conflict and what critics call a humiliating peace deal with Azerbaijan.

The prime minister, accompanied by top officials, led a procession to the Yerablur military memorial cemetery in Yerevan to light incense on the graves of the fallen soldiers.

The opposition, meanwhile, labeled the 45-year-old leader a "traitor" for agreeing to end the war in November with a Russia-brokered peace deal that saw Armenia cede swaths of the Nagorno-Karabakh region to Azerbaijan.

The loss of land controlled by ethnic Armenian forces for more than a quarter of a century has angered Armenians, many of whom have been protesting against Pashinyan for weeks. 

Many critics chanted "Nikol the traitor" as the prime minister's convoy passed by, while some said he should have stayed away from the cemetery.

"He must not desecrate the graves of our children," said Misak Avetisyan, who lost a son in the war.

Heavy security was deployed at the cemetery, filled to the brink with Pashinyan's supporters who engaged in scuffles with his opponents. 

Pashinyan, whose wife and son were at the front during the conflict, has rejected the calls to resign. He has defended the peace deal as Armenia's only option to ensure Karabakh's survival.

Later on Saturday, about 20,000 opposition supporters also marched across the capital to commemorate the victims of the conflict.

Armenia's opposition has called on its supporters to stage a national strike on December 22, at the end of the three-day mourning period, to pressure Pashinyan to step down.

Pashinyan swept to power in a peaceful revolution in May 2018. But since the latest war, many accuse him of betraying Armenia's interests.

Key public figures have joined calls for his resignation, including the influential head of Armenia's Apostolic Church, Catholicos Garegin, and 14 retired military generals who issued a statement on Saturday criticizing the government's handling of the conflict.

"This war did not have to happen," said former prime minister Vazgen Manukyan, who the opposition says should replace Pashinyan.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have for decades been engaged in a simmering conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. The enclave is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians for the past 30 years.

The latest conflict over the disputed region erupted in late September, leaving more than 5,000 people dead, including civilians on both sides, and thousands more displaced.

As part of the deal, Russia has deployed nearly2,000 peacekeeping troops to Karabakh for at least five years to monitor the peace agreement.

adi/nm (AP, AFP, Reuters)

Armenia Ombudsman departs for Russia to contribute to return of POWs from Azerbaijan

Shushan Frangulian

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 15:41, 24 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Ombudsman of Armenia Arman Tatoyan is in Moscow, Russia, on a working visit, his Office told Armenpress.

“The main purpose of the visit is to contribute to the return of Armenian captives from Azerbaijan.

Taking into account the specifics of the topic, details on the visit and the meetings will not be published”, the Office said in a statement.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Opposition figures Babken Harutyunyan, Arsen Nikoghosyan detained during anti-Pashinyan protests

Shushan Frangulian
Panorama, Armenia

Dec 25 2020


Police officers illegally detained members of the opposition Homeland Party Babken Harutyunyan and Arsen Nikoghosyan, who, among other activists, took part in protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the party said in a statement on Friday.

“The Homeland Party condemns the illegal actions aimed at silencing the opposition political forces, which are in line with the orders of Pashinyan, who has seized the post of prime minister. The Homeland Party will not give up. The resignation of the traitor has no alternative," the statement reads.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2020/12/25/opposition-figures-protest/2427105





Artsakh serviceman shot dead in unknown circumstances

Shushan Frangulian

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 15:50, 16 December, 2020

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. A serviceman of the Defense Army of Artsakh has died from a gunshot wound in unknown circumstances, the Ministry of Defense of Artsakh said.

18-year-old Vahe Babayan, a serviceman of the Defense Army, suffered a fatal gunshot wound around 14:17, December 15, in circumstances yet to be determined while on duty at a military base in the north-eastern direction of the Defense Army.

An investigation is underway to determine details of the incident.

The Defense Ministry extended condolences to the family and friends of the serviceman.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 10-12-20

Shushan Frangulian

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 17:21,

YEREVAN, 10 DECEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 10 December, USD exchange rate up by 3.29 drams to 518.77 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.95 drams to 627.92 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.03 drams to 7.06 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.06 drams to 690.95 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 242.71 drams to 30718.26 drams. Silver price down by 3.92 drams to 401.71 drams. Platinum price up by 91.63 drams to 17062.45 drams.

Protesters demanding resignation of Pashinyan start civil disobedience campaigns, block streets

Shushan Frangulian

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 12:56, 8 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The Homeland Salvation Movement – comprised of 16 opposition political parties, has launched what they describe as “civil disobedience campaigns” aiming for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The Homeland Salvation Movement announced during their previous rally that they are giving Pashinyan until noon December 8 to step down or else they would launch the protests.

Shortly after midday, ARF official Ishkhan Saghatelyan took to social media to announce the start of the disobediences after it became clear that the premier won’t step down.

“As you can see, it is already 12:08 and Nikol Pashinyan hasn’t tendered his resignation. Therefore, from this moment until 17:00 the citizens of Armenia have the legitimate right to hold peaceful civil disobedience campaigns and actions, to voice their protest and demand. I am addressing our citizens to carry out their actions within the law, not to give in to provocations, I am also addressing the law enforcement system to ensure the citizens’ right to free assemblies, rallies and protests,” Saghatelyan said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenian, Russian FMs hold meeting in Moscow

Shushan Frangulian

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 13:32, 7 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian foreign minister Ara Aivazian and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov are holding a meeting in Moscow, the foreign ministry said.

“Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Aivazian, who is on a working visit in Russia, is meeting with the Foreign Minister of RF Sergey Lavrov,” the foreign ministry said on social media.

Editing by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenian protesters demand prime minister quit over deal with Nagorno-Karabakh

Shushan Frangulian
The Guardian, UK
Dec 6 2020

Ceding of land to Azerbaijan by Nikol Pashinyan in return for peace sparks fury in Yerevan

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters have marched through the Armenian capital to call for the resignation of the country’s prime minister because of his handling of the conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

In six weeks of fierce fighting that ended with a Russia-brokered peace deal on 10 November, the Azerbaijani army reclaimed lands that Armenian forces have held for more than a quarter of a century.

Armenia’s opposition parties warned the prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, that there would be civil disobedience across the country if he does not resign by midday on Tuesday. Pashinyan has refused to step down, defending the peace agreement as a painful but necessary move that prevented Azerbaijan from overrunning the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region.

More than 20,000 protesters rallied in Yerevan on Saturday, chanting, “Nikol, you traitor!” and “Nikol, go away!” and then marched to the prime minister’s official residence.

“The seat of the prime minister of Armenia is currently being occupied by a political corpse,” Artur Vanetsyan, the leader of the opposition party Homeland and the former head of the National Security Service, said at the rally.

 

Several priests of the Armenian Apostolic church joined the protest, denouncing Pashinyan for allowing Azerbaijan to take over some holy sites.

Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. That conflict left not only Nagorno-Karabakh itself but large chunks of surrounding lands in Armenian hands.

In 44 days of fighting that began on 27 September, Azerbaijani troops routed the Armenian forces and wedged deep into Nagorno-Karabakh, forcing Armenia to accept the 10 November peace deal that returned a significant part of the separatist region to Azerbaijan. It also obliged Armenia to hand over all the areas it held outside Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan completed reclaiming those territories on Tuesday when it took over the Lachin region located between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. Azerbaijan celebrated the end of fighting as a national triumph, and President Ilham Aliyev established a new 8 November national holiday called Victory Day to commemorate the event.

           

Armenian opposition leaders hold Pashinyan responsible for failing to negotiate an earlier end to the hostilities at terms that could have been more beneficial for Armenia. They have emphasised, however, that the opposition was not pushing for the annulment of the peace deal.

Veteran politician Vazgen Manukyan, who 17 opposition parties have nominated as their candidate for prime minister, said at Saturday’s rally that his transition government would seek to renegotiate some aspects of the 10 November peace deal.

Manukyan, 71, served as prime minister in 1990-91, when Armenia was part of the Soviet Union, and later served as defence minister during the separatist war.

Azerbaijan on Thursday released information on its military casualties from the latest fighting. Its defence ministry said 2,783 troops were killed and more than 100 were still missing and its government said 94 of its civilians were killed and more than 400 wounded.

Armenia’s health ministry said on Wednesday that at least 2,718 Armenian servicemen had been killed in the fighting. At least 55 Armenian civilians were also among the casualties.

Russia deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers for at least five years to monitor the peace deal and to facilitate the return of refugees. The Russian troops will also ensure safe transit between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia across the Lachin region.


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/05/armenian-protesters-demand-prime-minister-quit-over-deal-with-nagorno-karabakh


UNESCO requests permission from Turkey for examining changes made to Hagia Sophia and Chora

Shushan Frangulian

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 21:25, 2 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. UNESCO wants to examine the changes made in Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia and Chora, two UNESCO World Heritage sites that were transformed into mosques, Gazete Duvar reports.

For that purpose UNESCO Assistant Director-General Ernesto Otton has requested a permission from the Turkish government to carry out inspections by UNESCO special envoy Mounir Bouchenaki.

Ernesto Otton is particularly concerned about reports on Turkey’s intervention with elements in both structures deemed valuable for Christianity, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported.