14:07, 22 March 2023
YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS. EU-members Italy, Greece and Bulgaria imported Azerbaijani gas worth around €15,6 billion in 2022, Interfax reported citing data from Eurostat.
In 2021, Azerbaijan’s gas exports to EU countries totaled only €3,8 billion.
In 2022, most of the Azeri gas (€13,2 billion) was bought by Italy. The figures for Greece and Bulgaria stood at €1,9 billion and €383 million respectively. Azerbaijan plans to further increase its gas exports to the EU.
20:56, 23 March 2023
YEREVAN, MARCH 23, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan had a working meeting with the delegation led by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Poland to Armenia Pawel Cieplak. Hayk Yeganyan, CEO of the Armenian Stock Exchange, Zdzisław Sokal, member of the management board of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, Michael Völter, founder of the "Vօelter" financial consulting company, as well as representatives of the Warsaw Stock Exchange were also present at the meeting, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Deputy Prime Minister Khachatryan welcomed the guests and emphasized that the Armenian Government highly values the bilateral effective cooperation and long-term partnership between Armenia and Poland, and is committed to strengthening and deepening further relations through mutually beneficial and constructive interaction.
The Polish partners, in turn, expressed their willingness to support the Republic of Armenia and improve the quality of the already established dialogue, creating preconditions for long-term effective cooperation.
During the meeting, the parties discussed a number of issues of mutual interest, in particular, the development of the capital market in Armenia, the servicing of the state debt, the issuance of government and treasury bonds, etc..
Armenian and Azerbaijani observers have been sounding alarm bells of an imminent military escalation in Artsakh.
Mutual accusations of ceasefire violations have been increasing in recent weeks. On March 22, Armenian soldier Arshak Sargsyan was killed by Azerbaijani fire near the Yeraskh village on the border of Nakhichevan, according to the Ministry of Defense of Armenia.
On March 21, two Russian peacekeepers were injured by Azerbaijani gunfire near the Ishkhanasar village in the Syunik province of Armenia. The peacekeepers were assisting in a search-and-rescue operation for an Armenian soldier who went missing after accidentally entering Azerbaijani-controlled territory while driving through foggy weather. The soldier was found on March 22. The Russian soldiers were treated at the Goris hospital.
Attacks on civilians in Artsakh have also been growing. On the morning of March 22, officials in Artsakh say Azerbaijani soldiers fired on civilians working in their vineyards near the town of Chartar in the Martuni province of Artsakh. Civilians working in their fields in the Amaras valley and Taghavard village in Martuni previously came under Azerbaijani fire on March 15 and March 19. No casualties were reported.
Azerbaijani armed forces have killed six civilians and 15 military officials in Artsakh since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, according to a report released by the office of Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender on March 8.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has also accused the Armenian armed forces and the Artsakh Defense Army of ceasefire violations in recent weeks. The Defense Ministry said that Azerbaijani positions came under fire on March 13, 15 and 20. The Armenian side denied these reports. The Artsakh Defense Ministry said that Azerbaijani armed forces fired on the northern section of the line of contact on March 10.
Tensions have been escalating since three Artsakh police officers were killed in an ambush by a dozen Azerbaijani soldiers on March 5. Two Azerbaijani soldiers were also killed in the fighting.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also sparked fear of a military offensive when he threatened during a speech on March 18 that if Armenians want to “live comfortably on an area of 29,000 square kilometers” (the size of Armenia), “Armenia must accept our conditions, officially recognize Karabakh as the territory of Azerbaijan, sign a peace treaty with us and carry out delimitation work according to our conditions.”
“If Armenia does not recognize our territorial integrity, we will not recognize their territorial integrity either,” Aliyev said.
Armenian and Azerbaijani analysts have pointed to signs of a new military escalation in Artsakh. Independent Azerbaijani news outlet Mikroskop Media reported on March 13 that Azerbaijani media have been preparing the public for the outbreak of fighting. The outlet said that Azerbaijani TV channels have been warning of an Armenian provocation that would trigger an anti-terrorist operation by Azerbaijan.
Yerevan-based political scientist Tigran Grigoryan tweeted on March 17 that the “risk of a new Azerbaijani attack in Nagorno-Karabakh is extremely high.” “Baku has been actively preparing ground for the new escalation for weeks,” Grigoryan said. “There are reports about Azerbaijani troops concentrations on the frontline.”
Warnings of a new military escalation come as the ongoing blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan passed its 100-day mark on Tuesday.
Government-sponsored Azerbaijani protesters posing as environmental activists have blocked the Lachin Corridor, the sole route connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the outside world, since December 12, 2022. Artsakh is facing a critical humanitarian crisis and severe shortages of food, medicine and other basic necessities.
Artsakh typically imports 90-percent of its food from Armenia and other countries, according to a report released by the office of Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender on March 21. Since the closure of the Lachin Corridor, all imports have come to a halt, except for the delivery of almost four-thousand tons of humanitarian aid by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Only ICRC and Russian peacekeeping vehicles have been permitted to use the Lachin Corridor.
Artsakh authorities have rationed pasta, buckwheat, rice, sugar, oil, fruits, vegetables, eggs and laundry detergent through a coupon system. Soap, cleaning products, toilet paper, diapers and feminine hygiene products have consistently been in short supply in grocery stores and pharmacies.
Surgeries in Artsakh have come to a halt. The ICRC has transported 194 patients from Artsakh to Armenia to receive medical treatment. At least one person has died since the start of the blockade, because he could not be transferred in time for treatment.
Gas and electricity supplies have also been periodically disrupted since the start of the blockade. Artsakh receives its natural gas from Armenia through a single pipeline that runs through Azerbaijani-controlled territory. Artsakh authorities say that Azerbaijan has deliberately disrupted the gas supply for a total of 34 days since the start of the blockade. The high-voltage power line that provides Artsakh’s electricity supply has been damaged since January 9. The Artsakh government says that Azerbaijan has prohibited specialists from accessing the power line.
Before the blockade, half of Artsakh’s electricity was supplied by local hydroelectric power plants. Water resources in the Sarsang reservoir are in rapid decline, since the reservoir has been operating at its full capacity.
“The ongoing blockade of Artsakh and disruption of vital infrastructure by Azerbaijan, as well as the regular and consistent armed attacks, aim at subjecting Artsakh to ethnic cleansing through physical and psychological intimidation, creating unbearable conditions and destroying the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh,” the report from the Artsakh Ombudsman’s office says.
In a declassified information note, the co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Armenia, Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland, SOC) and Boriana Åberg (Sweden, EPP/CD), on Tuesday shared their findings with the PACE Monitoring Committee following their visit to Armenia on 17-19 February, the PACE reported.
The purpose of their visit was to assess the situation on the border with Azerbaijan and at the entrance of the Lachin Corridor. During their stay, they visited the cities of Jermuk, Goris, and Vardenis, their surroundings, and met with local officials and Nagorno-Karabakh residents, blocked in Goris due to the ongoing obstruction of the Lachin Corridor.
Based on their observations, movement along the corridor is “severely obstructed”, making the transport of some essential supplies impossible. This situation could soon result in a humanitarian crisis.
Referring to the Trilateral Statement signed in November 2020, the rapporteurs called on Azerbaijan to allow an independent assessment of the situation. “We urge the Azerbaijani authorities to authorise an independent fact-finding visit and to allow independent journalists to operate freely in the whole area,” Mr Kiljunen and Ms Åberg added.
https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2023/03/23/PACE-Artsakh/2810454
14:40, 13 March 2023
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, ARMENPRESS. The World Evangelical Alliance and the World Council of Churches made a joint statement during the UN Human Rights Council 52nd Session General Debate calling on Azerbaijan to immediately lift the blockade of Lachin Corridor.
The statement was delivered by Markus Hofer, UN Communication and Outreach Officer, World Evangelical Alliance.
“The World Evangelical Alliance and the World Council of Churches are deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh and the ongoing blockade by Azerbaijan of the Lachin corridor, the road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia. Since 12 December, the siege has put thousands of lives in peril. It affects the livelihood of 120'000 Armenian civilians in desperate need of food, medical treatment and supplies, and other essential goods. The energy provision has also been repeatedly interrupted, leaving the population with limited fuel, heat and electricity and preventing schools and hospitals from functioning because of the intense cold. This blockade violates human rights law and international humanitarian law. It also violates the ceasefire agreement signed in November 2020 that required maintaining the corridor that would ensure the connection of Nagorno Karabakh with the Republic of Armenia. We call on Azerbaijan for the immediate lifting of the blockade to allow for the two-side free and safe passage of civilians, transport and goods along the corridor and to guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access to urgently alleviate the suffering of the Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh and promote the full enjoyment of fundamental human rights of all without any discrimination,” the statement reads.
Thursday,
CSTO Head Visits Armenia
• Gayane Saribekian
• Nane Sahakian
Armenia - CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov at a meeting with
Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikian, Yerevan, .
The new secretary general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
visited Armenia on Thursday amid Yerevan’s growing estrangement from the
Russian-led military alliance of six ex-Soviet states.
Imangali Tasmagambetov met with Defense Minister Suren Papikian before touring
the Armenian resort town of Jermuk which was shelled by the Azerbaijani army
during last September’s border clashes. He inspected the damage caused to the
local civilian infrastructure.
The Armenian government appealed to the CSTO for support following the two-day
hostilities which left at least 224 Armenian soldiers dead. It accused the
alliance of ignoring the appeal in breach of its statutes.
In a statement, the Armenian Defense Ministry said Papikian discussed with
Tasmagambetov regional security and, in particular, the situation on Armenia’s
volatile border with Azerbaijan. It said Papikian presented his government’s
“expectations” regarding “long-standing problems with the activation of the
CSTO’s collective defense mechanisms.”
Last November, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government turned down other
CSTO member states’ offer to deploy monitors along the Armenian-Azerbaijani
border, citing their reluctance to acknowledge and condemn the “Azerbaijani
aggression.”
Armenia - Armenian Prime Minister Pashinian attends a CSTO summit in Yerevan,
November 23, 2022.
In January, Yerevan called off a CSTO military exercise that was scheduled to
take place in Armenia this year. It also refused last week to appoint one of
Tasmagambetov’s three deputies.
Pashinian said on Tuesday that the appointment would not contribute to Armenia’s
security in the current circumstances. He dismissed suggestions that he is
intent on terminating his country’s membership in the CSTO. He claimed that it
is the CSTO that could “leave Armenia.”
Seyran Ohanian, the parliamentary leader of the main opposition Hayastan
alliance, denounced that stance, accusing Pashinian’s administration of
dangerously mishandling relations with Russia and the CSTO as a whole.
Ohanian, who had served as defense minister from 2008-2016, said that Armenia
should not have appealed to the alliance for military intervention in the first
place because it is capable of defending itself against Azerbaijan. The CSTO
helps to neutralize a potentially more serious security threat to Armenia
emanating from Turkey, he told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Armine Margarian, a political and military expert, was skeptical about the
recently appointed CSTO head’s ability to address Yerevan’s grievances.
“The CSTO’s attitude towards Armenia’s problems has a profound and systemic
nature,” she said. “A change of its secretary general and a single visit by him
cannot change anything.”
Prominent Armenian General Arrested Again
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia - Grigori Khachaturov attends an award ceremony in the presidential
palace in Yerevan, September 20, 2019.
Armenia’s Court of Appeals on Thursday allowed law-enforcement authorities to
arrest a prominent general who demanded Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s
resignation in 2021.
Major-General Grigori Khachaturov was already detained last month on charges of
money laundering strongly denied by him. A court of first instance freed him
hours later.
A Court of Appeals judge overturned that decision following an appeal filed by a
prosecutor overseeing the high-profile case.
Khachaturov is the former commander of the Armenian army’s Third Corps mostly
stationed in northern Tavush province bordering Azerbaijan. He received a major
military award and was promoted to the rank of major-general after leading a
successful military operation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in July 2020,
less than three months before the outbreak of the six-week war in
Nagorno-Karabakh.
Khachaturov was among four dozen high-ranking military officers who accused
Pashinian’s government of incompetence and misrule and demanded its resignation
in February 2021. The unprecedented demand was welcomed by the Armenian
opposition but condemned as a coup attempt by Pashinian.
In a separate statement issued in March 2021, Khachaturov said “every day and
hour” of Pashinian’s rule “erodes” Armenia’s national security. He was fired a
few months later.
The charges leveled against the general stem from a controversial criminal case
opened against Seyran Ohanian, a former defense minister who now leads the
parliamentary group of the main opposition Hayastan alliance.
Ohanian was charged earlier in February with illegally allowing the
privatization of properties that belonged to the Armenian Defense Ministry. He
rejects the accusations as politically motivated.
The National Security Service (NSS) says that Khachaturov “de facto” acquired
one of those properties at a knockdown price and used it for obtaining a bank
loan worth 18 million drams ($45,000). One of his lawyers has described the
money laundering charge as “laughable.”
Khachaturov’s father Yuri was the chief of the Armenian army’s General Staff
from 2008-2016. He served as secretary general of the Russian-led Collective
Security Treaty Organization when the current authorities indicted him as well
as Ohanian and former President Robert Kocharian in 2018 over their alleged role
in a 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan. Armenia’s Constitutional Court
declared coup charges brought against them unconstitutional in 2021.
Yuri Khachaturov and his second son actively participated in last year’s
antigovernment protests staged by the country’s main opposition forces.
Karabakh Leader’s Political Future In Doubt
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Nagorno-Karabakh - Arayik Harutiunian , the Karabakh president, delivers a video
address.
Nagorno-Karabakh lawmakers approved a major constitutional amendment late on
Wednesday, stoking speculation about the impending resignation of Arayik
Harutiunian, the Karabakh president.
The amendment proposed by Harutiunian last month will empower the Karabakh
parliament to elect an interim president in case of his resignation. The
president would serve for the rest of Harutiunian’s five-year term in office
which ends in 2025.
The proposed change was unanimously passed in the first reading. It could take
effect before the end of this month.
The unrecognized republic’s constitution has stipulated until now that
Harutiunian’s resignation would lead to the automatic dissolution of the
parliament and the conduct of fresh presidential and parliamentary elections.
Most local political actors agree that Azerbaijan, which has been blocking
Karabakh’s land link with Armenia for the last three months, could thwart such
polls.
A spokeswoman for Harutiunian last month attributed the draft amendment to
“geopolitical regional developments” and “external and internal political
challenges” facing Karabakh. She insisted that the Karabakh leader has no plans
to resign.
However, a lawmaker affiliated with Harutiunian’s Free Fatherland party did not
rule out such a possibility when he spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on
Thursday.
“I have no such information. Events are developing at lightning speed,” said
Aramayis Aghabekian.
Tigran Abrahamian, an Armenian opposition parliament and a former adviser to
Harutiunian’s predecessor Bako Sahakian, claimed that Harutiunian could step
down right after the change comes into force. He said he is concerned that
Harutiunian’s party could strike a deal with another political group to install
a new president who “does not inspire public trust.”
Harutiunian first fuelled talk of his resignation in January when he signaled
his desire to force snap elections in Karabakh despite the Azerbaijani blockade.
Armenian YouTube Channel Hacked Ahead Of Corruption Report
• Susan Badalian
Armenia - A screenshot from an Aravot.am report on expensive property
acquisitions by senior Armenian officials, .
Hackers hijacked the YouTube channel of a leading Armenian newspaper this week
as it was about to post a video report on personal enrichment of key members of
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s political team.
The Aravot daily, which also has a major news website, had informed readers that
the investigative report will be posted on YouTube at 9 p.m. on Tuesday. It
promised to reveal “how and how much the revolutionary officials got rich in a
warring country” in 2020, which saw a disastrous war with Azerbaijan.
According to Anna Israelian, the paper’s online news editor, the account was
hacked less than two hours before the planned publication time. The unknown
hackers also deleted its entire video content published for the last 12 years.
Israelian said cyber security experts are now trying to restore the paper’s
access to its YouTube channel. Aravot has also appealed to YouTube and its
parent company, Google, for help, she said.
Israelian did not exclude that the Armenian government was behind the cyber
attack. She noted that shortly after Pashinian swept to power in 2018 some of
his loyalists publicized instructions on how to disable online media outlets
critical of his administration.
“Those individuals were later given high-ranking positions. Some of them are now
parliament deputies,” the prominent journalist told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Armenia - A screenshot from an Aravot.am report on expensive property
acquisitions by senior Armenian officials, .
Armenia’s leading press freedom groups on Thursday condemned the “cyber crime”
and demanded that law-enforcement authorities identify and punish its
perpetrators.
“This is not the first time when, by a worrying coincidence, criticism of the
authorities is followed by hacking attacks on online platforms,” they said in a
joint statement.
Vahagn Aleksanian, a deputy chairman of Pashinian’s Civil Contract party,
categorically denied any government involvement in the hack. He downplayed the
significance of the Aravot exposé, saying that its prior announcement attracted
little interest on social media.
Aravot published the 9-minute report on its Facebook page on Wednesday evening.
It details acquisitions by several senior government officials and
pro-government lawmakers of expensive apartments and other real estate mostly
carried out in 2020.
The authors of the video emphasized the fact these individuals had far more
modest assets before the 2018 “velvet revolution,” which was driven in large
measure by public anger at widespread government corruption.
Other Armenian media outlets have also accused members of Pashinian’s entourage
of enriching themselves or their cronies in recent years.
Last month, Pashinian publicly urged senior officials to sue publications
“falsely” accusing them of illicit enrichment. He said that such reports
contributed to a drop in Armenia’s position in an annual corruption survey
conducted by Transparency International.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Pashinian again claimed to have
eliminated “systemic corruption” in the country. Some civic activists disputed
the claim.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Washington, D.C. – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) welcomes two new state chairs, Mariam Aghayan representing New York, and Hamlet Sarokhanian representing Texas, to lead efforts for grassroots activism in their respective states.
Currently based in Albany, New York, Mariam is a Major Gifts Officer at Pomfret School, and holds degrees from The Fletcher School at Tufts University (M.A. in Law and Diplomacy) and Gettysburg College (B.A. in Political Science and Public Policy).
Originally from Yerevan, Armenia, Mariam's background as a direct descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors has instilled in her a passion for human rights, and she remains dedicated to work that benefits the Armenian people. Mariam has implemented five international grants, including two Andrew W. Mellon grants in Morocco and Greece, one Project for Peace grant in Armenia, a State Department Diplomacy Lab grant in Hungary, and a Tisch International Fellow grant in Armenia.
Mariam has served as a volunteer to help with fundraising strategy at Pahapan NGO in Tavush, Armenia, the Artsakh Initiative at Columbia University’s Institute of Human Rights in New York City, and St. Peter Armenian Church in Watervliet, NY.
As a member of the Dallas-Fort Worth Armenian community, Hamlet is an active member of the St. Sarkis Armenian Orthodox Church of Carrollton, Texas, where he also regularly organizes events to raise awareness and provide education about the Armenian Genocide.
Hamlet has four decades of experience in the global Telecommunication industry, and currently leads an advanced 5G technology & product management initiative for AT&T. He holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State University, an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, and an executive certificate in Business & Strategy Innovation from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Hamlet's volunteer work includes serving as Visiting Professor at the American University of Armenia, where he teaches an Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Incubation course to MBA students.
"As a resident of Texas, which is the second largest populous state in America with over 30 million people, it is my ambition to promote Armenian identity and values here by staying connected to influencers and opinion leaders to have Armenian interests above the line," said Hamlet.
"We're delighted to welcome both Mariam and Hamlet as our new Assembly State Chairs in New York and Texas," said Assembly Director of Congressional Relations Mariam Khaloyan. "They are two very active individuals in their respective communities who understand the importance and influential impact of grassroots activism. The Assembly appreciates Mariam and Hamlet's dedication to advocacy and promoting Armenian issues in the U.S. Congress."
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
###
NR# 2023-10
In late February 2023, the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads announced that 73 percent of the Horadiz-Jabrayil-Zangilan-Agbend highway has been completed (News.az, February 28). This highway, which runs to Agbend, the westernmost town of mainland Azerbaijan, is planned to link up with the Zangezur Corridor. The construction of the new highway was inaugurated with a groundbreaking ceremony on October 26, 2021, where both Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan participated (see EDM, January 28, 2022). A railway line along the same route is also under construction and, per the latest updates by the Azerbaijani authorities in December 2022, 40 percent of the work on this project has been completed (Caspiannews, December 16, 2022; see EDM, April 21, 2021). According to Aliyev, Azerbaijan plans to complete both projects next year (Caspiannews, December 16, 2022). Nevertheless, while Azerbaijan is developing its part of the Zangezur Corridor, the work on the Armenian section of the route, from Agbend to Nakhchivan via Armenia’s southern territory, has yet to start. This, coupled with geopolitical complexities and ongoing disputes between Baku and Yerevan, creates an uncertainty that continues to loom over the project.
“The Zangezur Corridor is a historical necessity,” Aliyev argued in an interview with local television channels in January 2023, adding that the project “will happen whether Armenia wants it or not” (President.az, January 10). In line with the Russian-brokered trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, Armenia has not opposed opening the route but nevertheless rejects the “corridor logic” inherent in the project. Specifically, the government of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wants both the highway and railway connections to be under Armenian control and subject to Armenian legislation and regulation (Arka.am, September 14, 2022). This would mean the establishment of checkpoints along the Zangezur Corridor where it enters and exits Armenian territory.
Ever since talks over the re-opening of transportation routes in the region began, the issue of checkpoints has been a sticky consideration in negotiations. In advance of his first European Union–mediated meeting with Pashinyan in Brussels on December 14, 2021, Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan could only agree to Armenia’s terms if an equally restrictive standard were applied to the Lachin Corridor as well (see EDM, January 28, 2022). The Lachin road physically connects Armenia with the Karabakh region and is currently under the control of the Russian peacekeeping force there (see EDM, January 19, 2023). Such restrictive regulations could be applied to the trans-Zangezur highway only if they are applied to the Lachin Corridor as well, declared Aliyev (see EDM, January 28, 2022). Even so, for over a year, little progress has been made in these negotiations.
In an interview on February 18, which followed a meeting with the Armenian premier (and was moderated by the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken), Aliyev reiterated his position: “Checkpoints should be established at both ends of the Zangezur Corridor and on the border between the Lachin district [of Azerbaijan] and Armenia” (President.az, February 18). Several days later, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told reporters that Yerevan would not accept a re-negotiation of regulations regarding the Lachin Corridor (1lurer.am, February 22). Criticizing Armenia’s negative reaction to Aliyev’s proposition, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov indicated that the proposal had received positive assessments from unspecified “international partners” (Apa.az, February 24).
It is, however, clear that Russia is against the idea of checkpoints along the Lachin road. In the course of his latest visit to Baku—which took place after Aliyev’s statement—Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that “it is not envisioned to create any border checkpoints” along the Lachin road, insisting that the regime and function of the road “must be fully consistent with the very first trilateral statement—the statement dated November 9–10, 2020” (Apa.az, February 28). Lavrov proposed the installation of “technical means” to inspect shipments passing through the corridor in hopes of assuaging Azerbaijani concerns regarding Armenia’s use of the Lachin Corridor for military and other non-humanitarian purposes.
In truth, Russia has clear reasons to oppose the creation of checkpoints in the Lachin Corridor. The establishment of checkpoints and Azerbaijani control in this area would reduce Russia’s relative influence in the South Caucasus and constitute a major step toward re-integrating Karabakh with Azerbaijan. It is not unreasonable to assume then that Bayramov was referring to the EU and US in particular when he cited the support of “international partners” for Baku’s proposal.
For its part, Iran’s hostility toward the development of rail and road lines in the Zangezur Corridor further complicates the project’s prospects. Tehran has opposed the project since the end of Second Karabakh War in 2020, claiming that it would disrupt Iranian-Armenian communication (see EDM, September 23, 2022). Although Iran has limited influence in the South Caucasus to veto Zangezur’s development, Tehran’s support for Yerevan and the two countries’ deepening defense and security ties discourage Armenia from cooperating with Azerbaijan (Moderndiplomacy.eu, December 11, 2022). At a conference in early February 2023 about relations between the two countries, Tehran’s ambassador to Yerevan declared that Iran and Armenia would not allow the creation of any such “corridor” (Sputnik Armenia, February 9). And in October 2022, at a ceremony for opening a consulate in the southern Armenian town of Kapan, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made clear that Tehran opposes any “geopolitical changes” in the region (Hetq.am, October 21, 2022).
Ultimately, negotiations over the unblocking of regional transportation links have been complicated by a number of factors—namely, the disagreements between Baku and Yerevan over the legal regime of the Zangezur and Lachin corridors. Additionally, Russian and Iranian support for Armenia’s position against the creation of checkpoints along the Lachin road as well as the debate over Zangezur further complicates the picture. Thus, under these circumstances, Baku’s and Yerevan’s efforts to establish lasting stability in the region may miss the window of opportunity that emerged after the Second Karabakh War.
By the Jamestown Foundation
On February 19, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the discussion panel regarding the South Caucasus at the Munich Security Conference. Afterward, they held a face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the conference with the mediation of United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (Asbarez, February 18). Ultimately, the parties focused on the points at the top of their respective agendas, and as a result, they failed to reach a significant agreement on many key issues, including the status of the Lachin road and future development of the Zangezur Corridor. Aliyev revealed in a later interview that he had proposed to the Armenian side the establishment of bilateral checkpoints at both ends of the Zangezur Corridor and along the Lachin road (Eurasianet, February 22). Since the end of the Second Karabakh War in 2020, Azerbaijan has long sought the establishment of this desired corridor through Armenia’s Syunik province to connect the country with its Nakhchivan exclave, albeit unsuccessfully. Thus, debates over the Zangezur project, among other issues, have led to a stalemate in peace negotiations, with regional actors, such as Iran, strictly standing against the project and supporting Armenia in its opposition (JAM-news, February 18).
The proposal to establish bilateral checkpoints in the border areas between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not a new phenomenon. Earlier, in October 2022, Yerevan expressed its willingness to set up additional border checkpoints with Baku, though in different locations (News.am, October 27, 2022). Of Azerbaijan’s greater concern, shortly after the Munich meeting, Armenia officially rejected the proposal of checkpoints along the Lachin Corridor, referring to the point in the Russian-brokered trilateral agreement signed on November 10, 2020, of “unimpeded movement via the corridor” (Apa.az, February 23).
Consequently, the continuing war of words between Baku and Yerevan coupled with the deadly clashes throughout 2022 have swiftly disillusioned both domestic audiences regarding the prospects for a comprehensive peace agreement. From the Azerbaijani perspective, one problematic issue had been the appearance of the Russian oligarch of Armenian descent, Ruben Vardanyan, in the Karabakh region in September 2022. Vardanyan assumed the role of the so-called “state minister” in the de facto separatist regime in Karabakh and was officially dubbed by Baku as a “project of Moscow” (JAM-news, January 24). Aliyev even went so far as to publicly state the Azerbaijani side would not negotiate with this “Russian emissary” (see EDM, February 13). Nevertheless, partially as a result of Azerbaijan’s continuous pressure and the ongoing civilian protests on the Lachin road, Vardanyan was sacked from his position on February 23 (OC Media, February 23). In a broader context, the core reason for Vardanyan’s removal from office was the lack of vocal support for his role from Moscow and Yerevan, as even Pashinyan had remained wary of the Russian oligarch due to his close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin (T.me/Bagramyan26, February 24).
Notwithstanding the internal dynamics in the breakaway region, the main topic of discussion during the Blinken-mediated meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the Munich conference was the renewed draft version of the peace treaty that Azerbaijan had recently handed over to the Armenian government (Apa.az, February 16). However, at that time and since then, no significant progress has been made in solidifying the key points of the new draft proposal.
While both sides failed to reach a serious consensus on this issue, the Munich meeting represented an attempt by the US to restore the collapsed Brussels negotiations format. Both Baku and Yerevan have not opposed a return to this format in light of mutual growing discontent with the destructive role of Russia—notably the mounting failures of the Russian peacekeeping mission deployed in Karabakh (see EDM, February 8). Moreover, Azerbaijan’s proposal of border checkpoints could be a signal to Moscow of Baku’s growing dissatisfaction with the Russian peacekeeping force in the Lachin Corridor (JAM-news, January 13).
As a result of these efforts, Ned Price, spokesperson for the US State Department, announced that the next Aliyev-Pashinyan meeting will soon be held in Brussels, without providing a specific timetable (Report.az, February 23). In this vein, Washington considers the Brussels format as the only reliable platform for peace talks between Baku and Yerevan, as it better suits US interests and prevents Moscow from fully weaponizing the endless process of negotiations, which de facto “freezes” the situation. Hence, the possible decline of Russian influence over the peace process in light of the newly deployed EU civilian mission has triggered a range of criticism from Moscow (Euractiv, January 27).
Indeed, the new EU mission has raised eyebrows in Moscow, as the Kremlin traditionally does not tolerate any challenges within its perceived geopolitical sphere of influence. For Armenia, the new civilian mission is more symbolic in nature, as it has limited capacity to prevent any possible escalation between Baku and Yerevan. Simply put, this mission seems to be a reactionary move against the Russian proposal for a Collective Security Treaty Organization mission to be sent to the region, which was largely ignored by Yerevan and soundly rejected by Azerbaijan (Carnegie Politika, February 16).
Consequently, Putin recently held separate phone conversation with Aliyev and Pashinyan, respectively, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov paid an official visit to Baku on February 27 (Kremlin.ru, February 23; Azernews, February 27). Lavrov’s visit came shortly after Vardanyan’s dismissal and the official deployment of the EU civilian mission. Nevertheless, Putin’s conversations and Lavrov’s visit have yet to yield any significant results regarding the peace process. As a result, it appears that the likelihood of Baku and Yerevan pivoting back to the EU-mediated process will keep growing steadily as both sides become increasingly disenchanted with Russian involvement.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the Arab League, received today, Tuesday, Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia.
Mirzoyan is currently visiting Cairo to deliver a speech before the Arab ministers during the inaugural session of the Arab League at the ministerial level in its regular session No. (159), which will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, September 8, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat.
Gamal Rushdi, the official spokesman for the Secretary-General, stated that Aboul Gheit discussed with the Armenian Foreign Minister ways to improve bilateral cooperation between the two sides in many fields.
Armenia will continue its traditional role in support of peace, security and stability in the Arab region, praising its positions in support of the Palestinian cause.
The Spokesman stated that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in turn, was keen to value his country's relations with the Arab countries.
He stressed the need to make collective efforts during the next stage to improve relations at all levels.
The Armenian foreign minister expressed his country's keenness to expand the area of political cooperation with the Arab world under the umbrella of the Arab League.
The Armenian FM reviewed his country's vision regarding the repercussions of the war in Ukraine.