18:09,
YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. As of 17:50 on May 12, the situation on the front line is relatively stable, ARMENPRESS reports, MoD Armenia informs.
"In case of a change in the situation, the Ministry of Defense will make a statement," the message states.
18:10,
YEREVAN, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS. On May 10, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan met with Igor Khovaev, the Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the special representative of the Russian Foreign Minister for supporting the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan and Igor Khovaev discussed the latest developments in the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Secretary of the Security Council presented to the interlocutor the positions of the Armenian side on a number of issues of the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.
Referring to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, the parties stressed that the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh should be respected and protected. The Russian side emphasized that the Lachin Corridor should be opened and operate within the framework of the November 9 tripartite declaration.
U.S. officials have been tight-lipped about whether any progress has been made.
“We remain committed to promoting a peaceful future for the South Caucasus region,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said on Wednesday. “We believe that peace between these two countries is possible. We believe that there is not a military solution to this.”
But military actions have overshadowed diplomatic gestures in recent months. The two former Soviet republics have disputed territory for years. Fighting in 2020 killed nearly 7,000 soldiers, and deadly skirmishes broke out again just last month.
The crux of the dispute is a breakaway enclave of territory within Azerbaijan that is populated by ethnic Armenians and controlled by pro-Armenian separatists. The contested region is known to Azerbaijan as Nagorno-Karabakh, and to Armenians as Artsakh, a mountainous area slightly larger than Rhode Island.
Russia, the European Union, Turkey and even Iran have had their fingers in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict at one time or another. The United States stepped into the fray late last year when Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, pulled together his counterparts, Ararat Mirzoyan of Armenia and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, for an initial contact.
Blinken is overseeing this week’s talks with Mirzoyan and Bayramov, who have consistently appeared somber in photographs released from the meeting site just outside Washington.
Ahead of the meetings, Blinken spoke with the top leaders of both countries, urging diplomacy but also scolding Azerbaijan for blocking access to Nagorno-Karabakh by setting up a checkpoint along the Lachin corridor, the lone land route between Armenia and the disputed enclave.
Armenia claims the restricted access has denied the population food, medicine and other humanitarian needs.
"We have not parsed our words about the need for the free flow of traffic and people and commerce through the Lachin corridor," Patel said. "That continues to be the case."
The U.S. is often seen as favoring Armenia, primarily because of support in Congress for large Armenian American constituencies in Southern California and elsewhere.
But some U.S.-based pro-Armenia activists criticize the Biden administration for continued military aid to Azerbaijan and what they consider to be insufficient humanitarian aid for the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
“For our government to truly act as an honest broker, they must stop military aid to the aggressor,” Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, said. He was not optimistic about the outcome of this week’s meetings.
The Azerbaijan Embassy in Washington did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
Alliances in the conflict have shifted over the years. Initially, Russia backed majority-Christian Armenia over majority-Muslim Azerbaijan, which had the support of Turkey.
But Russia is now bogged down in its disastrous war on Ukraine and less able to supply Armenia with weapons and other material support, analysts say. Armenia also came away from the fighting in 2020 with heavy losses and was forced to cede some territory to Azerbaijan under the terms of a Russia-brokered cease-fire agreement.
A report by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence late last year predicted Azerbaijan would be the “country most likely to renew large-scale conflict” in an effort to “consolidate and expand the gains” from 2020.
“Armenia is less likely to initiate fighting because of the deteriorated state of its military in the aftermath of the 2020 conflict,” the report said. “The Armenian Armed Forces suffered heavy equipment and personnel losses during the conflict in 2020 and have been unable to reconstitute because of funding and procurement issues.”
That may make Armenia more willing to compromise, analysts say, despite what some perceive as having the U.S. in its corner.
While U.S. officials have not discussed details of the meetings, reports in Armenian and Azerbaijan media suggest the two countries will sign a “normalization” pact, which would open the way to renewed ties and broader agreements.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
https://news.yahoo.com/u-tries-stop-war-between-155155655.html
ALSO AT
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/u-s-tries-to-stop-war-between-armenia-azerbaijan-in-already-volatile-eastern-europe/ar-AA1aJZoY
Leads 17 Representatives in sending Congressional letter calling on Commerce Secretary Raimondo to Block Export License
WASHINGTON—Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) was joined by 17 U.S. Representatives in calling on the Biden Administration’s Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to block a proposed license allowing the sale of high-powered American-made rifles to Azerbaijan, an exercise of legislative oversight strongly backed by the Armenian National Committee of America.
The Schiff letter follows a similar letter sent last month by U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and an earlier ANCA letter sent in February of this year.
“We want to thank Representative Schiff and all who joined him in demanding long overdue answers from Secretary Raimondo to multiple Congressional inquiries and our own still-unanswered letter of February 13th of this year,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Secretary Raimondo needs to get out in front of this escalating controversy by publicly announcing that any proposal to arm Azerbaijan is dead-on-arrival. Period. Full stop.”
The Schiff letter poses seven key questions to Secretary Raimondo, who previously served as Governor of Rhode Island:
Joining Rep. Schiff in co-signing this letter were Representatives Tony Cardenas (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), James McGovern (D-MA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Katie Porter (D-CA), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
News of a possible sale of U.S. rifles – including assault-style and semi-automatic sniper models – to Azerbaijan first broke on February 1st when Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Robert Menendez (D-NJ) announced his “deep concern and strong opposition” to the proposed sale. “The export of weapons to an authoritarian country that wages war against a neighbor, blockades a vulnerable population, and commits rampant human rights violations at home is not consistent with the Administration’s commitment to democracy and human rights,” Sen. Menendez stated in a letter to Secretary Raimondo. “Further, the consideration of this export license further compounds my dismay that the Administration continues to allow the export of assault-style and sniper rifles abroad – even while supporting an assault-style rifle ban domestically – and deepens my reservations about the Department of Commerce having jurisdiction over such exports,” concluded Senator Menendez.
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian and the local ANC chair from Secretary Raimondo’s home state of Rhode Island, Steve Elmasian, expressed similar concerns in a February 13th letter to Secretary Raimondo. “As you know, from your long friendship with Americans of Armenian heritage in Rhode Island and across the United States, our community is deeply troubled by the U.S. military aid program to Baku, and even more shocked by the possibility that American offensive weaponry may be deployed against Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and Armenia. The victims of Azerbaijan’s attacks are, very often, the relatives and friends of Armenian American citizens,” stated Hamparian and Elmasian.
The complete text of Schiff’s letter is presented below.
April 25, 2023
The Honorable Gina M. Raimondo
Secretary of Commerce
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20230
Dear Secretary Raimondo:
We are at a pivotal point concerning the security of the South Caucasus and the safety of the people of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). For more than 125 days — since December 12, 2022 — Azerbaijan has imposed a blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh to the outside world. The effect has been devastating to the population, rendering 120,000 individuals without access to food, medical supplies, consistent gas and electricity, and essential human rights such as freedom of movement. Despite an International Court of Justice ruling that ordered Azerbaijan to “take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev refuses to lift the blockade and told press those obstructing the road are “a source of pride.” Azerbaijan is once again weaponizing basic human necessities to further degrade already strained living conditions for the people of Artsakh and force concessions from Armenia.
We are also increasingly concerned about the possibility of renewed military action by Azerbaijan, including the threat of ethnic cleansing in Artsakh and war against Armenia, something that would be utterly catastrophic for the Armenian people and the region. On April 11, 2023, Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire on Armenian soldiers carrying out engineering works in the Tegh Community of Armenia, killing four Armenian soldiers and wounding six more. On March 26, Azerbaijani troops cut off a dirt road some Armenians had used to get around the blockade, prompting the Russian ministry of defense to announce that Azerbaijani units had “crossed the line of contact” in violation of the 2020 ceasefire statement. On March 5, Azerbaijani troops attacked a Nagorno-Karabakh police car, killing three officers. President Aliyev is using ever more threatening rhetoric. In a January interview, speaking on Azerbaijan’s prior use of military force, Aliyev said, “Because last year, since March, we have shown three times that no one can withstand us and we will achieve what we want.”
Given these circumstances, it was alarming to hear in recent conversations with leaders from the Armenian and Artsakh diaspora that the U.S. government may be considering granting export licenses for the shipment of lethal weapons such as sniper rifles to Azerbaijan. We strongly oppose this and urge you to unequivocally deny any such requests, which would exacerbate the precarious security and humanitarian situation in Artsakh and leave blood on the United States’ hands. Such a move would also be contrary to the Biden Administration’s stated values on protecting human rights and policies such as the United States Conventional Arms Transfer Policy outlined in a February 23 memorandum. The February memorandum recognizes, “United States national security is strengthened by greater respect worldwide for human rights and international law, including international humanitarian law.” We could not agree more. We cannot speak out for human rights while approving the provision of U.S. weapons that can be used to further Azerbaijan’s war and commission of war crimes.
It is clear from U.S. government reporting that weapons in the hands of Azerbaijan’s security forces are likely to contribute to the commission of human rights violations. The State Department’s Human Rights Report on Azerbaijan documents a pattern of significant human rights abuses committed by Azerbaijan’s security forces, including “credible reports of unlawful killings involving summary executions of Armenian soldiers in Azerbaijani custody,” torture, and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment in 2022. The report states that “impunity remained a problem” and the government failed to prosecute or punish “the majority” of officials responsible for human rights abuses. It further states the Azerbaijani government took no action on the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture reports, which “stated that torture and other forms of physical mistreatment by police and other law enforcement agencies, corruption in the entire law enforcement system, and impunity remained systemic and endemic.”
In addition to our deep concern for the humanitarian and moral implications of sending U.S. weapons to security forces known for “systemic” problems with impunity and the commission of war crimes, we have serious concerns over the global security impacts. An unclassified Office of the Director of the National Intelligence (ODNI) report dated October 2022 states, “In the South Caucasus region, Azerbaijan is the country most likely to renew large-scale conflict in an effort to consolidate and expand the gains it won in its 2020 military action against Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.” The report references the September 2022 fighting in which Azerbaijan attacked Armenia, reaching as far as 25 miles into sovereign Armenian territory. Azerbaijani soldiers continue to maintain positions within Armenia’s internationally recognized borders. With respect to sniper rifles in particular, there is a history of Azerbaijani snipers firing into Armenian territory in violation of past ceasefire agreements. Indeed, International Crisis Group previously recommended the “withdrawal of snipers from the line of contact” to reduce the risk of all-out war.9 The United States must not fuel conflict by approving the export of more lethal weapons such as sniper rifles.
We have urged the Administration to make clear to President Aliyev that further attacks on Armenia and Artsakh will result in sanctions and other measures, and have regularly called for security assistance to Azerbaijan to be immediately ceased pursuant to Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. We request your response to the following questions:
It is vital that we take every opportunity to assert strong U.S. leadership to promote peace in the South Caucasus and the protection of the human rights of the people of Armenia and Artsakh. We look forward to receiving your prompt response on this important matter.
Sincerely,
Contents [hide]
Nagorno-Karabakh is mainly inhabited by ethnic Armenians. In 1923, the Soviet government granted the region autonomy within the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. However, in the 1980s, the Armenian population began to demand unification with Armenia.
The First Karabakh War took place from 1988 to 1994, resulting in the deaths of about 30,000 people. The war ended with a ceasefire that left Nagorno-Karabakh and some surrounding territories under Armenian control, but the international community still recognizes it as part of Azerbaijan.
The Second Karabakh War broke out in 2020, and Azerbaijan emerged as the victor. One of the main reasons for Azerbaijan’s success was its use of drones purchased from Turkey and Israel.
The Lachin corridor is the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia. After the 44-day war in 2020, Russia negotiated a ceasefire agreement that included the deployment of Russian peacekeepers to guard the Lachin corridor. Azerbaijan pledged to guarantee the safety of traffic along the corridor in both directions.
In December 2022, Azerbaijani citizens who identified themselves as advocates for the environment initiated a barricade of the Lachin corridor. Despite Azerbaijan’s insistence that some aid and convoys were permitted to pass through, they refuted accusations of a complete road blockade. Recently, Azerbaijani troops set up a new checkpoint near the Armenian border at the beginning of the Lachin corridor.
The United States expressed deep concern over the move and called for free and open movement along the corridor. The tensions over the Lachin corridor highlight the ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh and the need for a peaceful resolution to the issue.
https://www.gktoday.in/topic/nagorno-karabakh/
NORTH PROVIDENCE – In what’s become a local tradition, a crowd of about 50 people gathered in front of the North Providence Town Hall building last Friday to raise the Armenian flag in memory of the Armenian Genocide.
The event honored Margaret Topalian Moorachian, daughter of Armenian genocide survivors Tarviz (Mesrobian) and Garabed Topalian.
Mayor Charles Lombardi led the Pledge of Allegiance and opening remarks came from Stephen Elmasian, chairperson of the Armenian National Committee, who asked for a moment of silence in memory of Sen. Maryellen Goodwin, who was being laid to rest that morning.
“She was a staunch supporter of our cause and a resident of Smith Hill,” he said about Goodwin.
Elmasian also thanked Lombardi for hosting the annual event and thanked former Mayor A. Ralph Mollis, who initiated the flag-raising ceremony more than two decades ago.
“It all started right here, in North Providence, Rhode Island, in the smallest of states,” he said.
Lombardi introduced Topalian Moorachian, a woman he described as an outstanding citizen and contributor to the community before handing her an official proclamation and having her address the crowd.
“I stand here both honored and humbled as an American Armenian and as the daughter of Armenian Genocide survivors. Thank you to the Armenian National Committee for giving me this opportunity,” she said.
She said she was taken aback when she received noticed from Elmasian about being honored and asked for a few days to think about it.
“Well I did (think about it) and said why not, because my Armenian heritage is very important to me,” she said.
Regarding her parents, who survived the Armenian Genocide, Topalian Moorachian said their life together can be considered an American love story.
“They created a family of five children, who breathed in the values of their parents, which their parents held dear, loyalty, family, community, sacrifice, kindness, generosity, work and celebration,” she said.
With regard to the genocide, Topalian Moorachian said it has been a persecuted nation since ancient history.
“Yet the people have never given up and fought for their beliefs,” she said. “Perhaps it was this heritage that helped my parents to be resilient, despite the traumas they experienced. Our parents not only survived but thrived. Their children did as well.”
Elmasian mentioned how a lot has changed in the last 20 years and that because of our efforts, “President Biden, U.S. Congress, both the House and the Senate and 49 of the 50 states now officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.”
Lombardi welcomed the elected officials who were present and called the event a symbolic one for him.
“The morning after I was sworn in as mayor of the town, we came out to raise the Armenian flag. It was the first official act for our office and each year, Armenians throughout the world honor those who perished,” he said.
“Let’s all do our best to bring awareness about the Armenian Genocide because it was an undeniable chapter in our world’s history,” the mayor added.
Because of the many contributions that Armenian Americans have made to enrich the state through their leadership, in business, agriculture, academia, government, the arts, and in the judiciary community, Lombardi said, the town officially declared April 24 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in the state.
Elmasian said all 38 cities and towns in the state would be flying the Armenian flag on April 24, including at the Statehouse.
Topalian Moorachian received her plaque and got to raise the flag with assistance from her grandchildren.
“Thank you, sir, for letting my grandma be the one,” one of her grandchildren said as they raised the flag.
https://www.valleybreeze.com/news/north-providence-honors-victims-survivors-of-armenian-genocide/article_8c7449ca-e12e-11ed-b8d7-ff09d0eb2b94.html
Antalya hosted the awards ceremony for the winners of the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in vault exercises. The Armenian anthem was played in Turkey in honor of Artur Davtyan who won the gold medal.
In the vault final scored 15.033 points and brilliantly performed both jumps.
The Armenian National Team led by Hakob Serobyan finished the performance at the European Championships with 3 medals – 1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze.
Vahagn Davtyan won a silver medal in ring exercises. Artur Davtyan took the bronze in the pommel horse exercises.
11:02,
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) authorities have offered the Azerbaijani authorities to hold a meeting to discuss “urgent humanitarian issues.”
The official InfoCenter of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) said on April 11 that “the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh, through the peacekeeping mission of the Russian Federation, sent the Azerbaijani side a proposal to hold a meeting at the headquarters and with the mediation of the Russian peacekeepers to discuss urgent humanitarian issues.”
NNA – Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Makary, met on Tuesday, with Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon, Vahagn Atabekian.
The pair reportedly held a tour d’horizon on the current situation, in addition to the bilateral relations and ways to enhance and develop them, especially those related to bilateral cooperation in the media domain.
11:42,
YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. Finland will become the 31st member of NATO after Turkey's parliament voted to approve its application.
Turkey had delayed Finland's bid to join the West's defensive alliance for months – complaining the Nordic nation was supporting "terrorists”, BBC reports.
Sweden, which applied to join NATO at the same time last May, is still being blocked by Ankara over similar complaints.
Any NATO expansion needs the support of all its members.
Finland will now be formally admitted into NATO at its next summit, taking place in July in Lithuania.
In a statement following the Turkish vote, the Finnish government said joining the alliance would strengthen the country's security, and improve stability and security in the region.
"As allies, we will give and receive security. We will defend each other. Finland stands with Sweden now and in the future and supports its application," Prime Minister Sanna Marin wrote on Twitter.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave his approval to Finland's bid earlier this month, praising the country's "authentic and concrete steps" on Turkish security.
But his ongoing hostility to Sweden was clear – as he again accused the country of embracing Kurdish militants and allowing them to demonstrate on the streets of Stockholm.
Finland, a country with a 1,340km (832 mile) border with Russia and one of the most powerful arsenals of artillery pieces in Western Europe, is ditching its neutrality and joining the alliance in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow describes as a “special military operation.”
Russia's foreign ministry earlier condemned Finland's decision, saying it was ill-considered and based on Russophobic hysteria.