Author: Talar Tumanian

ArmInfo. The entrance of Russia -Russian peacekeepers – in Artsakh is needed neither by Iran or the West, nor by Armenia with Azerbaijan, or by Artsakh itself. Director  of the Armenian Center for Strategic and National Studies Manvel  Sargsyan expressed a similar opinion to ArmInfo, commenting on the  recent statement of the hero of Artsakh Samvel Babayan. 

On March 15, ex-commander of the Artsakh Defense Army, Samvel  Babayan, proposed to abandon the Madrid principles, voicing the idea  of granting a territorial mandate of Russia as a mechanism for  resolving the Karabakh conflict.

"Opinions about the intention of Moscow to deploy troops in Artsakh  sound periodically. However, I can say that in the context of the  uniqueness of the status quo, the absence of international  peacekeepers around Artsakh, this is almost impossible. And none of  the countries that have an interest in the region will allow the  appearance of foreign troops here, of course, each because of their  own reasons. This explains the periodic statements of the co-chairs  that none of the OSCE Minsk Group countries can participate in the  deployment of peacekeepers in Artsakh, "he stressed

Since 1992, the OSCE Minsk Group, represented by the co-chairs from  Russia, the United States and France, has been involved in resolving  the Karabakh conflict. At present, the settlement process is  proceeding on the basis of the Madrid Principles put forward by the  OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in 2007 and the Madrid Principles updated  in 2009, among other things, providing for the deployment of a  peacekeeping force in the conflict zone.

According to Sargsyan, who secured the tripartite signing of the  Armistice Agreement in 1994, Russia received a mandate from the CSCE  to organize negotiations and deploy peacekeepers. And all parties  approved the original version of the relevant agreement, although now  no one wants to admit it. However, later, after the transformation of  the CSCE into the OSCE, this topic was closed at the suggestion of  the other mediating countries, and the agreements remained hanging in  the air. "Four months later, tripartite negotiations began on  reaching the" Big Political Treaty "between Armenia, Artsakh and  Azerbaijan. I headed the Artsakh delegation at these negotiations.  After four months, the negotiations were interrupted due to the  insurmountable contradictions that arose between Moscow and the CSCE.  Armenia then supported the idea of a large treaty, but defeated  Azerbaijan did not. Baku unsuccessfully addressed NATO with a request  to intervene in the situation. For the Artsakh delegation, however,  the deployment of peacekeepers was epriemlemo always, as a result of  any agreement, " Sargsyan concluded.

American television company plans to shoot videos advertising Armenia

15:11,

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. “Tourism and Film Production: Cooperation Perspectives” meeting-discussion was held in Yerevan on March 15 aimed at making Armenia recognizable in the world through film production, reports Armenpress.

The meeting has been organized by the Tourism Committee of Armenia, the Associated Television International (USA) and Academy Films (Armenia).

At the meeting founder of the ATI David McKenzie introduced his offer to Armenian tour companies. He announced that his company plans to make some videos advertising Armenia which will be provided to the Armenian government free of charge aimed at advertising Armenia in international markets as a tourism destination.

David McKenzie said his company is ready to shoot marketing videos for Armenian tour operators and hotels which they can freely use to present at best their products and services.

“We are ready to shoot and provide that materials within three months. We want Armenia to become known to the broad public as an attractive and interesting tourism site. For this purpose we need to talk to the world through all available means”, he said.

The meeting was also attended by chief advisor to the Armenian Prime Minister Arsen Gasparyan who thanked the company executives for the carried out works. “We must be able to create such mechanisms so that each community in Armenia can be engaged and gain benefits from tourism”, Gasparyan said, adding that tourism is a targeted direction for Armenia’s economic development.

Director of Academy Films Aram Torosyan touched upon the existing problems in the tourism sector and their possible solutions.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Importers of LHT vehicles given temporary green light

11:16,

YEREVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian parliament has adopted a bill allowing temporary imports of right-side wheel vehicles into the country. The bill covers vehicles that have been acquired until December 30, 2018 and that were stranded at customs checkpoints due to technicalities.

The bill was unanimously voted in favor for by all 97 MPs in attendance.

The importers have been given a green light until May 1.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Coordinating Council of Russian-Armenian Organizations calls on UNESCO to give assessment to extermination of Armenian khachkars in Azerbaijan

18:36, 7 March, 2019

YEREVAN, MARCH 7, ARMENPRESS. The Coordinating Council of Russian-Armenian Organizations has addressed Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director General, drawing her attention on the extermination of the Armenian cultural heritage in Azerbaijan.

 “In connection with your first official visit to the Russian Federation from 5 to 7 March 2019 as Director General of UNESCO, the Coordinating Council of Russian-Armenian Organizations draws Your attention to the monstrous fact of vandalism that has taken place in the Republic of Azerbaijan. In the period from 1998 to 2005 in Azerbaijan, on the territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which in past has been a part of the historical Armenia, near the city of Julfa (Old Jugha), a targeted destruction of the cemetery has undertaken. This cemetery had thousands of medieval Armenian khachkars, i.e. tombstones.

According to the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and according to a number of Western media sources and Armenian sources, as well, destruction of ancient monuments of Armenian culture has been organized by the Azerbaijani authorities. All khachkars in the Armenian cemetery were smashed by people in military uniforms, with help of heavy construction machinery. Large fragments of tombstones were loaded by cranes into wagons and transported by rail, probably, for use as construction materials. As for smaller fragments of monuments, they were loaded into trucks and dumped into the Araks River. And Julfa cemetery itself, which was one of the most grandiose monuments of Armenian culture, was turned into a shooting range…

The international community, unfortunately, has left this blatant act without the proper harsh condemnation of Azerbaijan. There were no decisive sanctions against this country, which organized this barbaric act of genocide against Armenian culture. Meanwhile, in 2010, UNESCO (United Nations’ specialized institution on the educational, scientific and cultural issues) included Armenian khachkars into the list of objects of intangible cultural heritage of the humankind. It is now generally recognized that the Armenian khachkars are masterpieces of world art. The largest museums throughout the world consider it an honor to have at least one khachkar in their collection.

Before destruction, the Armenian cemetery in Julfa was the world's largest surviving medieval cemetery of khachkars. At the beginning of 20th century, 6,000 have been numbered there. By the end of 20th century, this number decreased to 3,000. And at the turn of 20th and 21th centuries, Azerbaijani vandals have brought their dirty work to the end. Only preserved photos now evidence former beauty of these Armenian monuments and the talent of the Armenian masters who have created them. 

Dear Ms. Azoulay, the Coordinating Council of Russian-Armenian Organizations strongly condemns the barbaric attitude of the Azerbaijani authorities regarding the monuments of Armenian culture and art in the territory of present-day Azerbaijan. We appeal to You to assess the destruction of the Armenian khachkars in Julfa (Old Jugha). We also ask You to take measures to prevent anything similar in the future, both in Azerbaijan and around the world. For, the masterpieces of each nation are the patrimony of all humankind, undoubtedly.

Looking forward to Your constructive response”, reads the statement.

Armenian PM’s press secretary welcomes announcement of Johannes Hahn 

19:17, 6 March, 2019

YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. Vladimir Karapetyan, the press secretary of the Armenian PM, has commented on the announcement of European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and the manipulations over that announcement.

“We welcome the announcement of European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, according to which the negotiations over Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement should go on under the format of the existing OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format.

Prime Minister Pashinyan has noted numerous times that for having effective negotiations it’s important to ensure the involvement of the representatives of Nagorno Karabakh in the talks.

It’s not something new for us that Azerbaijan regularly makes assessments distorting the facts. We call on some analysts not to submit to manipulations”, ARMENPRESS reports Karapetyan wrote on his Facebook page.

In a joint press conference in Brussels a journalist, addressing Nikol Pashinyan and Johannes Hahn, gave the following question, “Mr. Prime Minister, in the recent period you have met with your Azerbaijani colleagues a number of times. We would like to know if there are any new emphasis that could be publicized. If possible, we would like to hear the comments of Mr. Hahn on how the EU can add assistance for accelerating the peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict”.

PM Nikol Pashinyan emphasize din his answer that the position of Armenia has not changed and for a comprehensive settlement of NK conflict it’s necessary first of all to create an effective format, the aim of which is ensuring the participation of Nagorno Karabakh in the negotiations.

Johannes Hahn said in his turn, “As refers to the assistance, I think we should preserve the existing format where discussions and negotiations take place. We should not create something new. We have to assist, but only at the request and demand of the sides, because the sides know what to do, how to work with each other and we should just be ready to support, if the sides request it”.

It’s apparent that Johannes Hahn was talking about the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format of negotiations and the possibility of the EU involvement in that. Unfortunately, some domestic analysts have submitted to Azerbaijani manipulative comments and made comments distorting the facts.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan