Author: Toneyan Mark

Crossroads of Peace project designed to connect Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Mediterranean Sea

Toneyan Mark

 11:42,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government has released a video detailing the Crossroads of Peace project, a monumental undertaking designed to establish connections between the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea via a consolidated, regional railway network and via the North-South and East-West roads.

"Open borders, unlocked infrastructures, active economic, political and cultural ties. These are the conditions necessary to establish long-term peace in our region. The Crossroads of Peace project is about creating new infrastructures or improving the scope and quality of the existing ones. Armenia is ready to establish five checkpoints on the Armenia-Azerbaijan borders for road infrastructures including in Kayan, Sotk, near Karahunj, near Angeghakot , and Yeraskh.

Also, to establish two checkpoints on the Armenia-Turkiye border in Akhurik and Margara for road infrastructures.

Armenia is prepared to ensure communications between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkiye, by restoring four railway sections in the territory of the Republic of Armenia. Armenia is ready to restore the Nrnadzor-Agarak railway section and to establish checkpoints near the borders, to restore the railway section from Yeraskh to the border of Nakhchivan and to establish a checkpoint in Yeraskh, to restore the depleted parts of the railway from Gyumri to the border of Turkiye and to establish a checkpoint in Akhurik. Also, Armenia is prepared to restore the depleted parts of railway from Hrazdan to Kayan and to establish a checkpoint in Kayan. This will create new links between all the countries of the region. The principles of the Crossroads of Peace are: all infrastructures including roads, railways, airways, pipelines, cables and power lines operate under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass; each country, through its state institutions, in its territory ensures border control, customs control and security of the infrastructures, including the passage through its territory of vehicles, cargo and people; All infrastructures can be used for both international and domestic transportation; countries use all the infrastructures on the basis of reciprocity and equality, and in accordance with these principles border and customs controls can be facilitated through mutual consent and agreement. As missing sections of railways and roads are restored and infrastructures unlocked, it will become possible to establish a seamless connection between the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea via a consolidated, regional railway network and via the North-South and East-West roads. The Government of the Republic of Armenia reaffirms its commitment to contribute its share to the region’s peace and stability, and to make practical measures to build the Crossroads of Peace," the government said in the video.

Foreign national suspected in arson attack on Yerevan synagogue– Investigative Committee

Toneyan Mark

 20:54,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. On , the Investigative Committee of Armenia initiated a criminal investigation into the incident involving the setting fire to the doors of the sole synagogue in Yerevan.

''On November 15, 2023, the police received a call that at about 06:00  an unknown individual caused material damage by setting fire to the entrance doors of the building located at 23 Nar-Dos Street in Yerevan.

During the preliminary investigation, the scene of the incident was investigated and a number of persons were questioned. 

To assess the extent of property damage, a relevant examination was initiated. As part of the preliminary investigation of the criminal case, it was confirmed that the structure at the mentioned address is a building intended for Jewish religious purposes.

Factual information reveals that the individual responsible for the aforementioned actions does not live in Armenia and is not a citizen of the Republic of Armenia. According to the obtained data, the individual reportedly left the territory of the Republic of Armenia immediately after committing the aforementioned criminal act.

Information was received that the perpetrator recorded these criminal acts on a video camera. Upon reviewing the video footage and considering other factual circumstances, it was determined that the individual committed an apparent crime involving the destruction or damage of cultural property with the intent of inciting racial, national, ethnic, and religious hatred.

The specified video footage was disseminated on Azerbaijani Telegram channels, and the same video was also published on the social media platform "X."
According to the information provided, considering that the preliminary investigation yielded data containing characteristics of the damage to cultural assets, including data containing features of damage to a building of religious or ritual significance, a new criminal proceeding has been initiated under Art. 264.2.2 (Property destruction or damage committed by arson, explosion or other publicly dangerous method ) and Art. 146 (destroying or damaging cultural property in order to provoke racial, national, ethnic or religious hatred)  of the Criminal Code of the Republic ofArmenia.

The received materials have been sent to the investigative department of the National Security Service of Armenia for further investigation,''  the Investigative Committee said in a statement.



More than just a craft, in Armenia carpet-making is a tapestry of the country’s rich heritage

Toneyan Mark
Forbes India
Nov 10 2023

 

BY VEIDEHI GITE
Nestled on Madoyan Street, a mere 10-minute drive from Republic Square, the bustling heart of Yerevan, the Megerian Carpet Cultural Complex houses a factory, a museum and a culinary school, all of which offer a glimpse into the world of 100-to-400-year-old Armenian rugs and carpets. In Armenia, the art of carpet weaving has been passed down through generations, each stitch preserving a thread of the country’s rich heritage, and the Megerian family stands as a testament to this enduring tradition, proudly perpetuating its legacy for all to admire.

The Megerian Carpet Factory was established in 1917 in New York City by Hovannes John Megerian, the grandfather of today’s owners. Back then, Megerian was involved with washing, buying and selling, and repairing of antique rugs. Three decades later, they boldly ventured into reproduction. The company was passed on to his children and in the 1970s they opened factories all over the world, though now they only have two—in New York and Yerevan. In 2002, the Megerian family acquired Aygorg Union, a Soviet-era rug-weaving company in Armenia that used chemical dyes and the Persian one-and-a-half knot technique. They completely revamped the company's production methods, switching to all-natural organic dyes and the Armenian double knot technique, the world's oldest knotting technique. The Armenian double knot technique, in contrast to the more common Persian one-and-a-half knot technique, only becomes tighter as it is pulled.  
 
Fast forward to today, the company is one of the biggest makers of traditional Armenian rugs, whose motifs and designs whisper echoes of centuries past. They also make vast rugs, some reserved for momentous occasions, others that grace the halls of presidential palaces, churches, and other important landmarks. And it is here, within the walls of the complex, that Megerian’s craftsmanship and artistry unite in a symphony of colours and patterns, where one can marvel at the making of unique carpets and even buy them.

At the entrance, Raffi Megerian, the third-generation owner of Megerian Carpet Cultural Complex, directs our attention to an Armenian alphabet door gracing the entrance. He highlights the uncanny resemblances between the Armenian and Indian Sanskrit alphabets and the interconnectedness of cultures. Stepping into the confines, the interiors pulsate with earthen pots, antique tapestries, and a display of coloured wool encased in a glass case. The sheer magnificence of the vintage carpets that grace the floors in room after room of the museum make you ponder if you can even walk over them. But Galina, the museum guide assures us, “There is an Armenian saying that the carpets are meant to be walked upon. We clean these rugs once every six months with cold water and a special soap which is made of natural oils.” Megerian’s renowned designs find their origins and inspiration in these ancient carpets, which serve as both the wellspring and blueprint. In doing so, they proudly preserve the rich tapestry of Armenian heritage.

Arranged on a turquoise boat-shaped table in the first room of the factory, a collection of six natural dyes reads like a poetic recipe: bark of the mulberry tree for beige colour, indigo (imported from India) for the blue colour, the root of madder for red colour, rind of pomegranate from Megri for coffee and black colour, immortal flower (a type of wildflower that grows in the mountains) for yellow colour, and walnut shell for brown colour. “These humble ingredients, when skilfully combined, give birth to a staggering array of nearly 600 shades,” says Galina. In ancient times, Armenian carpet weavers obtained red dye from the cochineal insect, a type of red beetle. Today, she adds, cochineal dye (Vordan Karmir) is very expensive, so madder root is often used instead, including to paint Easter eggs red. “Alum (mineral) and wine stone (leftover wine that becomes stone over the years at the bottom of the barrel) are two fixators that are used to fix the colours to the wool. We use two more fixators which are a trade secret. This formula keeps colours vibrant and prevents them from fading.” 

A group of 40 skilled female weavers diligently operates the looms in the factory. Some of them have worked here for over a decade. Qnarik has been weaving for over 20 years, while Anush and Ripsinp are also experienced weavers. Each meter of rug takes a minimum of two months to weave, depending on the complexity of the design. A single square meter of rug contains 1,60,000 Armenian double knots. Each loom has its own map, which is a grid of tiny squares, each representing one Armenian double knot. Weavers weave row by row, using a tool called a Ktut to secure the knots after each row is complete. Megerian sources old Armenian carpets from around the world and recreates their designs on new carpets.
 
“We have several small looms but only one large power loom that can weave rugs up to 100 square meters in size. These eco rugs take three years to weave and require 4-6 women to work on them simultaneously. We typically do not sell these large rugs, as they are woven for special occasions and placed in presidential palaces, churches, and other significant locations. Some of these rugs are even donated,” says Raffi Megerian adding, “We keep the price of these rugs very reasonable and confidential, but it is estimated to be around $500-$1000 per square meter. We have woven rugs for the Vatican, the largest of which was 100 square meters." 

Their high-quality production process involves washing the carpets 4-5 times and combing out the extra wool fibres to prevent shedding when the carpets are taken home. “The final product is perfectly shiny and smooth wool that will last for generations. Like the Armenian carpets my grandfather left us, these carpets are unique works of art that are worth the investment. We use only the highest quality, hard lamb wool in our rugs. Once the rugs are finished, we turn them over and place them on the floor. We then spray them with a special natural insect repellent made from tree bark, flowers, and roots from the Armenian mountains. This protects the rugs from moths and other pests,” he adds.
 
Ancient Armenian carpets were meticulously crafted by independent weavers, each piece infused with their cultural heritage, historical narratives, social perspectives, and personal anecdotes. The newly created carpets serve as faithful replicas of those designs, preserving the essence of those weavers expressions and experiences. All the rugs in the Megerian Carpet Museum are at least a hundred years old. A large worktable in the museum displays a carpet that was woven for the 2,800th anniversary of Yerevan in 2019. Four craftsmen worked for over a year to create the carpet, which depicts some of the most important events in Yerevan’s history. Other notable rugs on display include the Tiknani carpet from 1898 with intricate floral patterns, the Khndzoresk from 1928, illustrating a scene from the Armenian village of cave dwellings, the Sisian Rug (a 20th century rug with traditional Armenian motifs) and the 19th-century Tree of Life, which is a common motif in Armenian art and culture.

The oldest, a 400-year-old carpet, is a 16th-century Vaspurakan carpet from Western Armenia, a near perfect example of the superior processes used in Armenian carpet-making. The left part of the carpet was restored in Soviet times with the help of chemical dyes and is very different from the colouring on the right side, which was neither damaged nor restored. It’s a nod to the fact that yarn dyed with natural colours never loses its vibrancy. A Lori carpet, a replica of the original held in the treasury museum of the Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual centre of the Armenian Apostolic Church, is also on display. The carpet has been reproduced six times, not for sale, but to be gifted to individuals who have made significant contributions to Armenia's development. Five have been gifted—to Pope Francis, Charles Aznavour, footballer Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I, and Turkish MP Garo Paylan. Another Lori carpet was woven for George Clooney.  
 
Most rugs have a unique story, and some are even symbolic. For example, the 160-year-old Vahan (shield) rug is a symbolic artefact of the Armenian Genocide. In 1915, a mother divided their family carpet into two pieces and gave one to each of her daughters, telling them that if they were ever separated, they might be able to find each other again someday with the help of the rug. Fifty-three years later, the sisters were reunited in New York City, thanks to the two pieces of the rug. In 2017, the Megerian family also donated two of their Armenian rugs to the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the St. James Brotherhood. These rugs are placed on the altar of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest sites in Christianity, where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. 

A picture of the Pazirik carpet is another impressive display in the museum. The Pazirik carpet was found in a tomb which was called Pazyryk, hence the name. Believed to have been woven in the 5th century BCE, the carpet has Armenian origins. The original, woven with Armenian double knots and dyed with red filaments from the Armenian cochineal, is kept in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The ornaments in the carpet design depict the frescoes of the Urartu palace. A 200-year-old Nshagorg carpet with almonds symbolises maternity and fertility. Women who were unable to give birth believed that weaving such a carpet by hand would make them a mother. Therefore, when looking at an Armenian carpet, you are not just glimpsing a beautiful piece of art; you are darting through a tapestry of memories and emotions.

At the restaurant in the complex, hung with Megerian carpets, they weave heritage of a different kind. “At Megerian, we don’t just weave carpets but also culinary magic that will leave you craving for more. Our on-site culinary school embodies the essence of traditional Armenian cuisine and you get served some of the best dishes at the Megerian restaurant rung by stunning carpets,” says Executive Chef Sedrak Mamulyan. Go ahead and indulge in national Armenian dishes such as dolma (minced meat wrapped in leaves), sorrel with yoghurt, freshly baked Lavash bread with Lori and Chanax cheese with herbs, Ishkhan (Trout fish), and Gata (sweet pie), Halva and Ani sweet for dessert. And don't forget to request a bottle of the Megerian family vodka, one of the best you’ll ever taste. Chef Mamulyan will insist on giving you a refill, even if you say no. They call it clearing the dust. This is just one of many delightful Armenian traditions that you’re bound to appreciate.

See more photos at the link below
https://www.forbesindia.com/article/lifes/more-than-just-a-craft-in-armenia-carpetmaking-is-a-tapestry-of-the-countrys-rich-heritage/89655/1

Pashinyan: Azerbaijan and Armenia in agreement on principles of peace treat

Toneyan Mark
Nov 1 2023
 1 November 2023

ByArshaluys BarseghyanandIsmi Aghayev

Officials in Baku and Yerevan have expressed hope throughout October of an impending peace agreement between the two countries. 

On Monday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Yerevan and Baku were in agreement on the ‘three main principles of peace and normalisation of relations’. He said that if both parties remained faithful to those principles, ‘the signing of the peace treaty becomes realistic’.

Pashinyan’s statement comes less than a week after he unveiled the ‘Crossroads of Peace’, an Armenian government proposal to establish a series of roads, railways, and power lines connecting Azerbaijan and Turkey through Armenia. 

‘Without roads, it will be very difficult to build peace’, noted Pashinyan after unveiling the proposal at the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum, where he also expressed hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan would reach a peace agreement ‘in the coming months’. 

Hakob Vardanyan, Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister, also announced Armenia’s willingness to buy Azerbaijani gas after the settlement of ‘political problems’.

At the forum in Tbilisi, Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili also offered his country’s mediation in the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process. He later had an informal meeting with his Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts.

On Wednesday, Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Georgian Parliament’s foreign relations committee chair, said that Georgia wishes Tbilisi would be ‘where the peace treaty will be signed’. 

Despite Armenia’s apparent optimism towards a potential peace deal with Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan has sat out several planned meetings with Armenia throughout October.

Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev were due to meet in Brussels with Toivo Klaar, the EU’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus, in the end of October before the meeting was postponed.

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan later explained that ‘obviously’ Aliyev did not find the time to go to Brussels for the meeting, despite Armenia’s readiness to participate in the talks.

‘I hope that the problem is really the specific dates, and in the near future, it will be possible to agree on new dates for the new meeting’, said Mirzoyan.

Aliyev also sat out another big meeting with Pashinyan in Granada in early October.

Following this, Yerevan raised doubts about Baku’s willingness to complete the peace process, with the Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan stating that Aliyev’s statement about readiness to hold negotiations in Tbilisi that Baku’s ‘constant chang[ing] of formats raises serious doubts about whether it is interested in completing the peace process at all’.

Last month, Politico reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told US lawmakers that Azerbaijan might invade southern Armenia ‘in the coming weeks’. 

Washington has described the claims as ‘inaccurate’, while officials in Baku have expressed hopes for a peace agreement in the near future.

In another interview with Politico, Aliyev’s Presidential Adviser, Hikmat Hajiyev, even went so far as to stress that Azerbaijan had no interest in staking claims to Armenian territory.

Hajiyev told Politico that Azerbaijan’s proposed ‘Zangezur corridor’, a road that would connect western Azerbaijan to the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan, had ‘lost its importance’.

Azerbaijan has previously repeatedly pushed for the corridor, with Aliyev even threatening to establish it by force earlier this year.

Instead, Azerbaijan and Iran began the construction of a corridor to reach Nakhchivan through Iranian territory. 

‘Our agenda was the establishment of transport links and connections within the framework of bilateral negotiations. The project is still on the table, but the Armenian side should show that it is really interested in it’, said Hajiyev.

On Monday, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov told Azertaj that ‘Azerbaijan is committed to the agenda of a peace treaty with Armenia’.

‘Azerbaijan’s proposal regarding the peace agreement is still valid today. Therefore, the next steps should be taken mostly by Armenia. To date, most of the points of the peace agreement have been agreed between the parties’ he said.

‘We believe that after Azerbaijan fully restores its sovereignty over its internationally recognised territories in Karabakh, the signing of the peace agreement is even more comfortable, easy, and the probability of its signing should be high.’

https://oc-media.org/pashinyan-azerbaijan-and-armenia-in-agreement-on-principles-of-peace-treaty/

Hamo Beknazarian’s 1928 Khaspush to be screened in New York’s Museum of Modern Art

Toneyan Mark

 10:43, 1 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The 1928 drama Khaspush by Hamo Beknazarian, the founder of Armenian cinema, will be screened in New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on November 3 and 13.

The National Cinema Center of Armenia has provided the 35mm print of the film for the screening.

Khaspush is the second Armenian film to be screened in MoMa after Sergey Parajanov’s 1967 Hakob Hovnatanyan in 2021.

Armenia conducted studies on possibility of restoring railway in Meghri section

Toneyan Mark

 15:22,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenia conducted studies after 2020 on the possibility of building a railway in the Meghri section that would link Azerbaijan’s western regions with Nakhijevan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan has said.

“We’ve had the occasion to request the University of Architecture and Construction to conduct studies. We know the condition and the volume of work that has to be done, and the timeframes. We have a preliminary understanding what has to be done to restore that railway. But this all could take place if the political, diplomatic and other factors are resolved. When the issue comes to our field, then the blueprinting and construction processes will happen, about which we have a certain understanding and we are waiting,” Sanosyan said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced after an EU-mediated meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in 2021 that an agreement was reached to restore the Yeraskh-Sadarak-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway. However, in 2023, PM Pashinyan said that this agreement was never implemented because just a week after reaching the agreement Azerbaijan refused to confirm it in a written format.

How the End of Nagorno-Karabakh Will Reshape Geopolitics

Toneyan Mark
Foreign Policy 
Oct 26 2023

By Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and the author of Russia in Africa.
OCTOBER 25, 2023, 4:47 PM

On Sept. 19, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive against the autonomous ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, known in Armenia as Artsakh. Within 24 hours, Azerbaijan secured effective control over Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Artsakh Defense Army was disbanded. These seismic events ended a three-decade frozen conflict, which included large-scale wars from 1988-1994 and in 2020, and resulted in the exodus of almost all ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

Azerbaijan’s dramatic takeover in Nagorno-Karabakh has far-reaching geopolitical implications. Turkey views it as a strategic victory but is wary of Armenia’s resistance to its plans to economically integrate Nagorno-Karabakh with Azerbaijan and Turkey. Iran regards Turkey’s win as its loss, as it fears Azerbaijan’s empowerment and opposes Turkey’s transport corridor projects, which could obstruct Iran’s shared border with Armenia.

While Russia was weakened by its refusal to defend its treaty ally Armenia, it maintains substantial capacity to destabilize and project power in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan’s takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh could also create new opportunities for China’s Belt and Road Initiative. And Europe and the United States face an uneasy dilemma between providing humanitarian aid to Armenia and maintaining energy supplies from Azerbaijan.

Turkey believes that Azerbaijan’s takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh will enable its Zangezur corridor project. The corridor would facilitate trade between Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, an Azerbaijani exclave located to the southwest of Armenia. This would allow for direct commercial ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan via Nakhchivan and fulfill Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s vision of uniting the Turkic world.

Turkey also supports Azerbaijan’s plan to construct a railway from Horadiz, Azerbaijan, to Kars, Turkey, which would cross through 25 miles of Armenian territory. Due to its infringement on Armenian territory, Armenia and Iran strongly oppose this railway project.

Turkey also sees an opportunity to bolster its energy connectivity with Azerbaijan. On Sept. 25, Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attended a ceremony to launch the construction of a Nakhchivan gas pipeline. This pipeline, which was formally proposed in December 2020 and scheduled for completion in 2024, runs 50 miles between Igdir, Turkey, and the Turkey-Azerbaijan border, and a farther 11 miles into Nakhchivan. The pipeline would allow Azerbaijan to provide natural gas to Nakhchivan, which is currently reliant on Iran for supplies, and aid Erdogan and Aliyev’s ambitions of converting the Zangezur corridor into an energy transit route.

The success of Turkey’s connectivity projects hinges on Armenia’s acquiescence. The November 2020 cease-fire required Armenia to allow for unimpeded trade between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan. Despite this stipulation, both Armenia and Azerbaijan have disagreed on the necessity and location of border checkpoints. Armenia also fiercely opposes Azerbaijan’s plan to create a buffer zone on its territory, as it would result in no Armenian security officers being stationed within 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) of an Azerbaijan-run transit corridor.

To break the impasse, Turkey will likely highlight the economic benefits of Armenian participation in its connectivity projects. An Azerbaijan-Turkey pipeline that passes through Armenian territory would help Armenia divest from Russian natural gas giant Gazprom and increase Armenia’s value as an energy transit hub to Europe.

Despite these benefits and the reduction of Turkish-Armenian tensions since December 2021, domestic pressure could prevent Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan from accepting Erdogan’s proposal.

The potential outcomes of Armenia’s rejection of Turkey’s connectivity projects are unclear. Erdogan recently claimed that Iran was open to allowing the Zangezur corridor to pass through its territory rather than Armenia, but Tehran has historically resisted this idea.

If Iran proves uncooperative, then Azerbaijan’s Aliyev could seek to forcefully construct a land bridge between Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan. An Azerbaijani invasion of southern Armenia’s Syunik province would be the most plausible pathway toward achieving this goal. Armenia’s ambassador to the European Union, Tigran Balayan, warned on Aug. 6 that “We are now under imminent threat of invasion into Armenia.” While Azerbaijan may be well-placed militarily to vanquish Armenia, an invasion of Syunik could trigger Western sanctions on Azerbaijan and derail Erdogan’s South Caucasus reconciliation vision.

Iran treaded cautiously in response to Azerbaijan’s takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh. Iranian officials have engaged regularly with their Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts. After Aliyev advisor Khalaf Khalafov and Armenian national security advisor Armen Grigoryan visited Tehran last week, Iranian officials called for an Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization and the expulsion of foreign forces from the region. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani voiced support for Nagorno-Karabakh’s integration with Azerbaijan, while the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, demanded equal rights for the few minorities remaining in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Despite its neutral-to-positive reaction to Nagorno-Karabakh’s integration with Azerbaijan, Iran views the new status quo in the South Caucasus with consternation. The empowerment of Azerbaijan is concerning for Iran, as relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply since Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took office in 2021.

Israel supplied Azerbaijan with an estimated nearly 70 percent of its arms between 2016 and 2020, which was strikingly higher than Turkey’s 2.9 percent export share from 2011 to 2020. Iranian officials view this close security partnership with deep suspicion. Provocative moves, such as Iran’s holding of large-scale drills near its border with Azerbaijan in October 2021 and Azerbaijan’s periodic arrests of alleged Iranian spies, have escalated tensions. While Raisi told Khalafov that he wanted improved relations with Baku, and Iranian-Azerbaijani relations did flourish from 2014 and 2016, mistrust between the two countries remains high.

Despite Erdogan’s questionable claims of a shift in Tehran’s position, Iran is steadfastly opposed to the Zangezur corridor as it is currently envisioned. In theory, Iran should welcome the corridor’s new road and railway networks. Enhanced regional connectivity would link Iranian exporters to markets in the South Caucasus and reverse the economic damage caused by Iran’s severed access from Soviet railway networks in 1990. Yet even with these commercial interests, which Erdogan has cited in his appeals to Tehran, Iranian officials view the project with deep suspicion. Iran fears that the Zangezur corridor will block its ability to trade across its shared border with Armenia and recently warned Azerbaijani officials against an invasion of Syunik.

The Strategic Council on Foreign Relations in Tehran, which is headed by former Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, has expressed fears that the corridor could allow Azerbaijan, Israel, and Turkey to foment instability in northern Iran’s Azeri regions. Iranian hard-liners view these destabilizing plans as part of a broader NATO strategy of encircling Iran, China, and Russia.

While the strategic picture is relatively optimistic for Turkey and potentially problematic for Iran, the implications of Azerbaijan’s takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh for Russia are less clear. Russia’s security guarantees, which date back to a 1997 treaty with Armenia, only apply to Armenia’s internationally recognized territory.

Even though Russia’s passive response to Azerbaijan’s May 2021 incursions into Syunik undermined these security guarantees, the security pact categorically does not extend to Nagorno-Karabakh, which is legally part of Azerbaijan. But Pashinyan, the Armenian prime minister, still denounced Moscow’s inaction. Pashinyan publicly criticized Russia’s unreliability as an ally and highlighted the degradation of Russia’s military capabilities in Ukraine. The relationship has continued to decline: After the deaths of five Russian peacekeepers in an accidental clash with the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, Russia dismantled its observation posts in Nagorno-Karabakh on Oct. 5.

Despite these setbacks, Russia is not a spent force in the South Caucasus. As Russian-Armenian relations soured, its partnership with Azerbaijan has strengthened. Russia’s trade with Azerbaijan increased by 55.3 percent during the first quarter of 2023, compared to the previous year. Under a November 2022 agreement, Gazprom agreed to ship up to 1 billion cubic meters of gas to Azerbaijan’s SOCAR, a state-owned oil company, which fueled speculation that Azerbaijan was repackaging Russian gas and selling it to European markets. Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Foreign Affairs Committee,  recently described Azerbaijan and Belarus as Russia’s two most reliable partners in the post-Soviet space.

Russia has also expanded its presence in Georgia. While the ruling Georgian Dream Party is not explicitly pro-Russian, as it has spearheaded Georgia’s European Union candidacy and broadly complies with U.S. secondary sanctions on Russia, it maintains a working relationship with the Kremlin. Russia’s naval presence on Georgia’s Black Sea coast is also set to expand, as it constructs a base in the separatist region of Abkhazia.

While its South Caucasus strategy will likely pivot toward Azerbaijan and Georgia, Russia will play the long game to rebuild its alliance with Armenia. Through information campaigns highlighting Pashinyan’s futile forays toward the West and his passivity regarding the plight of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, Russia can foment anti-government unrest and boost Kremlin-friendly alternative candidates ahead of Armenia’s 2026 parliamentary elections.

For its part, China has taken an ambiguous stance toward the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This ambiguity should not be confused with impartiality. Although China has historically exported weapons systems to Armenia, such as 130-km-radius AR1A multiple launch rocket systems, and viewed Pan-Turkism with suspicion due to its fears of Uyghur unrest in Xinjiang, it has strengthened its relationship with Azerbaijan in recent years.

Since 2005, China’s trade with Azerbaijan has increased by a staggering 2,070 percent. This far outstrips the 380 percent increase in Chinese-Armenian trade during the same time horizon. Chinese telecommunications company Huawei has expanded its digital footprint in Azerbaijan, and China has exported weapons systems to the Azerbaijani military, such as Polonez multiple launch rocket systems and Qasirga T-300 missile systems.

Due to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s courtship of Baku, China is well-positioned to benefit from Azerbaijan’s takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh. As the Belt and Road Initiative already has developed a transit route from Georgia to Europe, the Zangezur corridor could give China a second access point from the South Caucasus to European markets. Shortly after the fall 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh, Chinese Ambassador to Azerbaijan Guo Min controversially stated that the Zangezur corridor would contribute to China’s “One Belt, One Road” transport project.

Azerbaijan’s aspirations of becoming a trans-Eurasian telecommunications hub also dovetail with China’s so-called Digital Silk Road initiative. The new status quo in the South Caucasus could help Turkey market its “Middle Corridor” project to China. Like Beijing, Erdogan wishes to outflank the proposed India-Middle East-Europe corridor that was announced by multiple nations on Sept. 10 and would pass through the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Greece.

Shifting power balances in the South Caucasus present quandaries for Western powers. Tensions between Armenia and Russia create opportunities for closer Western ties with Yerevan. The European Union Mission in Armenia, which was established in February 2023 without Azerbaijan’s acquiescence, and the U.S. joint military exercises with Armenia reflect Pashinyan’s Western pivot.

While France is poised to send military gear to Armenia, many Western officials acknowledge their inability to rein in Azerbaijan’s alleged ethnic cleansing policy in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hungary vetoed a European Union joint statement condemning Azerbaijan’s conduct, which prevented the bloc from pushing back against Baku’s narrative that it wants Armenians to stay in Nagorno-Karabakh.

And Azerbaijan’s 18 percent increase in gas exports to Europe in 2022, which included a 41.2 percent uptick in sales to Italy, as well as its critical role in the recently completed Greece-Bulgaria natural gas pipeline, limit the West’s ability to influence Baku’s conduct. Aside from providing emergency humanitarian assistance to help Armenia’s resettlement of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, the United States and EU will likely be bystanders to Aliyev’s next moves against Armenia.

Despite the mood of euphoria in Baku and despondence in Yerevan, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s resolution could benefit faraway powers even more than regional stakeholders. As external powers scramble to capitalize on new transport infrastructure projects and court an empowered Azerbaijan, human rights are likely to be put on the backburner. That is a tragic outcome for the more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians who saw their lives upended by Azerbaijan’s rapid-fire offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Iran kicks off massive military drills

Toneyan Mark

 19:23,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. The Iranian Army's Ground Force has begun a massive military exercise in the central region of the country with the objective of assessing combat capabilities of various military units and testing new weaponry.

The drills started in the Nasrabad region of Isfahan on Friday..

A spokesperson for the drills provided details about the exercise, stating that it involves various units of the Army, including infantry, armored, missile, artillery, aviation, drones, as well as electronic, modern and cyber warfare units, IRNA reports.

Catholicos of All Armenians receives Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Toneyan Mark

 21:30,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. On October 27, His Holiness Garegin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The Catholicos of All Armenians, welcoming the visit of the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, referred to the restoration of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Hungary. His Holiness Garegin II noted that the minister's visit to Armenia will undoubtedly contribute to the further development and strengthening of Armenian-Hungarian relations.

During the conversation, the Catholicos of All Armenians touched upon the expansionist policy of Azerbaijan and the security challenges facing Armenia, and also noted the need for clear and consistent steps by the international community to curb the unrestrained aggressive aspirations of Azerbaijan.

The Catholicos expressed gratitude to the government of Hungary for the assistance in the repatriation of five Armenian prisoners of war in 2021, as well as for the support provided to Christian communities in the countries of the Middle East, the Armenian Church, Armenia and forcibly  displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh in these difficult days.

The Catholicos also touched upon the problems of the return of prisoners and the preservation of the spiritual and cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In his turn, Minister Szijjártó valued the role of the Armenian Apostolic Church in restoring diplomatic ties between Armenia and Hungary.

The minister emphasized that the Armenian and Hungarian peoples have a universal Christian value system, which is an important basis for further strengthening and development of relations.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary also emphasized that Hungary is ready to implement various programs to support displaced Artsakh citizens, as well as take consistent steps in the direction of preserving the spiritual and cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict: India considers sending second batch of weapons to Armenia in the face of rising tensions

Toneyan Mark
OpIndia
Oct 27 2023

The decision comes after India successfully delivered the first batch of weapons to Armenia over the past year.

Amid the ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, India is considering sending more military assistance to Armenia, its vital ally in the Caucasus, reports the Economic Times. This comes after India successfully delivered the first batch of weapons to Armenia over the past year.

The article reported that India intends to send additional supplies some of which could consist of military hardware meant to strengthen Armenia’s deterrent might. The development came to light in the backdrop of serious tensions between Armenia and the Islamic country Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey and Pakistan.

A top Armenian official recently was in Delhi to hold negotiations about the same, as per sources with knowledge of the situation. They asserted that India has emerged as a reliable source of weapons which is in line with their demand.

However, specifics of the new shipments are undisclosed at this time and analysts in Armenia who want to remain anonymous stated that the cargo might comprise tools that could act as a deterrent amid the hostile environment with Azerbaijan.

India’s previous consignment to Armenia included Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, rockets, and ammunition. The weapons were reportedly delivered through Iran, a country with historical ties to Armenia. Iran, which has historical ties to Armenia had reportedly facilitated the delivery. The supplies had prompted protests from Azerbaijan.

India, Iran and Armenia established a trilateral earlier this year to explore a transit corridor. The three nations underlined the potential for strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties as well as trilateral collaboration in several areas during a meeting in Yerevan in April. They further spoke about economic initiatives and regional communication channels. The decision was made to “continue consultations” in the format at that point. The usage of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as a regional connectivity network was addressed as well at the summit.

Armenia has been acquiring Pinaka systems mostly because of Azerbaijan’s drone utilisation, as the system’s “shoot and scoot” functionality allows it to avoid counter-battery fire. It is also an excellent armament system for the country due to its affordability and ease of application. Due to their familiarity with the Russian-made GRAD system, the Armenian army could quickly become proficient with the technique. 

The head of Armenia’s parliamentary committee on defence and security affairs, Andranik Kocharyan recently declared without mentioning India that the new arsenal supplied to the country is now being tested by their military, with “very satisfactory” results.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians until 2023.

The small nation of Armenia is nestled between Turkey and Azerbaijan. The Azeris share Turkish culture and religion since they are ethnic Turks. The Ottoman Empire colonized the predominantly Christian Armenians for a very long period. Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia were the three Soviet republics that split apart from Armenia after the Soviet Union annexed the country in the 1920s.

Armenia and Azerbaijan gained independence in the 1990s with the fall of the Soviet Union. However, a small area that was home to ethnic Armenians continued to be a part of Azerbaijan. The name of this area is Nagorno-Karabakh. In the 1990s, tensions rose, leading this region to announce independence with Armenia’s assistance. The impasse lasted for over thirty years until Azerbaijan unilaterally breached the truce in 2020, backed by Turkey.

The dispute saw a significant escalation after this. Six weeks of intense combat were reported to have claimed thousands of lives.

Azerbaijan took over large swaths of land, and by the time both sides agreed to sign a peace deal negotiated by Russia in November 2020, it had grabbed all of the regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh controlled by Armenia since 1994. The terms of the deal obliged Armenian troops to leave these territories and they have since been limited to a smaller part of the region.

The violence was momentarily stopped by the arrival of Russian soldiers, however, tensions had been building for months between the two nations.

In September this year, the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia once again escalated as the Turkey-backed Azerbaijani forces launched a military offensive in the region. The onslaught that lasted for 24 hours claimed the lives of as many as 10 innocent civilians and left several injured.

The following day, a cease-fire deal mediated by Russia was struck. The agreement stated that the military forces of Karabakh would be entirely disarmed and abolished.

On September 20, the prime minister stated that Armenia was not a party to the deal, accusing Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan of attempting to draw Armenia into a confrontation. 

Amidst all this, over 1,20,000 ethnic Armenians living in the region started fleeing Muslim-majority Azerbaijan fearing persecution and ethnic cleansing by the Azeri authorities. 

https://www.opindia.com/2023/10/armenia-azerbaijan-conflict-india-considers-sending-second-batch-of-weapons-to-armenia/