Author: Vardan Badalian

Thousands rally in Armenia after PM warns of coup attempt

Vardan Badalian
Yahoo! News
Feb 26 2021

  • By Nvard Hovhannisyan

YEREVAN (Reuters) – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned of an attempted military coup against him on Thursday, and thousands took to the streets of the capital to support him after the army demanded he and his government resign.

Russia, an ally of Armenia which has a military base in Armenia, said it was alarmed by events in the former Soviet republic and called for the situation to be resolved peacefully and within the constitution.

Pashinyan, 45, has faced calls to quit since November after what critics said was his disastrous handling of a six-week conflict between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave and surrounding areas.

Ethnic Armenian forces ceded swathes of territory to Azerbaijan in the fighting and Russia, which worries about instability in the former Soviet Union, has deployed peacekeepers to the enclave, which is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but populated by ethnic Armenians.

Pashinyan, a former journalist who swept to power in a peaceful revolution in May 2018, has rejected calls to step down despite opposition protests. He says he takes responsibility for what happened but now needs to ensure his country's security.

On Thursday, the army added its voice to those calling for him to resign.

"The ineffective management of the current authorities and the serious mistakes in foreign policy have put the country on the brink of collapse," the army said in a statement.

It denounced Pashinyan's sacking of the first deputy head of the army's general staff, a move it described as irresponsible, groundless and detrimental to the state.

Two former presidents – Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sarksyan – released statements calling on Armenians to throw their support behind the military.

It was unclear whether the army was willing to use force to back its statement, in which it called for Pashinyan to resign.

Pashinyan responded by calling on his followers to rally in the centre of the capital, Yerevan, to support him and took to Facebook to address the nation in a livestream.

"WE HAVE ALREADY SHED ENOUGH BLOOD"

"The most important problem now is to keep the power in the hands of the people, because I consider what is happening to be a military coup," Pashinyan said.

He then appeared with his wife, son and daughter outside the main government building where several thousand of his supporters had gathered. He said it was vital to avoid confrontation despite the mounting tension.

"The danger of the coup is manageable," he said. "We don't have enemies inside Armenia. We have only brothers and sisters."

He was expected to address supporters again later on Thursday.

Several thousand opposition supporters staged a rival protest on a different square in the capital. Crowds there could be seen cheering and clapping as a fighter jet flew overhead in footage circulated by Russia's RIA news agency.

In Pashinyan's earlier livestream, he said he had dismissed the head of the general staff of the armed forces, a move that still needs to be signed off by the president.

Pashinyan said a replacement would be announced later and that the crisis would be overcome constitutionally.

Arayik Harutyunyan, president of the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, offered to act as a mediator between Pashinyan and the general staff.

"We have already shed enough blood. It's time to overcome the crises and move on," he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Armenian counterpart by telephone that Moscow considered the crisis a domestic matter for Armenia but hoped it would be resolved peacefully, the Russian foreign ministry said.

(Reporting by Nvard Hovhannisyan in Yerevan and Maxim Rodionov and Dmitry Antonov in Moscow; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Timothy Heritage)

Event tourism restoring in Armenia: Border communities to be under focus

Vardan Badalian

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 09:02,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s tourism sector is trying to gradually recover following the difficulties of 2020. Although COVID-19 has not been completely eliminated yet, this year the tourism season in Armenia will be full of festivals, also taking into account the new realities.

Director of the Festivar Association of Armenian Festivals Nune Manukyan told Armenpress that there are no restrictions connected with mass gatherings anymore, which she considers as a good opportunity for restoring the events tourism in the country.

“The Association has developed rules for holding events amid the pandemic. For instance, the pavilions will be installed away from one another, the staff will wear face masks, the pavilions will have disinfectants in a visible, accessible place. The arrangements in the area will be in a way to avoid gatherings”, she said.

Nune Manukyan informed that despite that the annual festival season in Armenia starts with the Yerevan Wine Days event, which is taking place in the first Friday-Saturday of May, but this year will take place on June 4-5, this year the opening of the festival season will be held on April 30 with the Spirit of Armenia in Yerevan’s English Park. It’s a festival of alcoholic drinks, which will take place for the first time. All types of drinks produced in Armenia will be presented. The visitors will have an opportunity to see over 1500 types of drinks. Then, the traditional Dolma Festival is coming. As usual, this tasty event will be accompanied by a number of cultural events. The next is the Yerevan Wine Days which is for wine-lovers. During the event the visitors have a chance to taste the Armenian wine, as well as be introduced on the production of winemaking companies.

This year, in line with all these events, Armenia’s bordering communities will be under focus.

“We will definitely hold the Mulberry Festival in Karahunj. I think that this is very important for the domestic tourism. The community must not lose its attractiveness and should continue to be interesting for the guests. The Wine Festival will take place in Areni, the Gata Festival in the village of Khachik”, she said, adding that the company, which is organizing the Yerevan Wine Days, is planning to hold two events in the provinces, the border communities. “The talk is about the Tavush Wine Days and the Yerevan Music Night. I think we need to boost our communities with the development of event tourism”, she added.

The festivals will take place, however, due to the pandemic, there won’t be a major flow of foreign tourists. Manukyan, however, noted that there is a little progress in connection with the re-launch of flights. There are already foreign nationals interested in travel to Armenia. Manukyan said that there are some tour-operators who are interested in the list of event tourism. The Association will present details about the Armenian festivals and events on its Facebook page.  

Interview by Anna Gziryan

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Mikayel Minasyan about Pashinyan: ‘He will always be hysterical, will always lie’

Vardan Badalian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 25 2021

“He will always be hysterical. He will always lie, threaten and manipulate,” Armenia’s former Ambassador to the Holy See Mikayel Minasyan said on his Telegram channel, referring to the remarks of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a rally at Yerevan’s Republic Square on Thursday.

The ex-diplomat stated that Pashinyan behaved in that way while he was a reporter, at the National Assembly sessions and rallies.

“He will shout even in the grave. And it is only up to us whether we will find ourselves in the same grave with him or will find a way to leave him there alone,” Minasyan wrote.   

US, EU, NATO, OSCE Urge Calm in Armenia

Vardan Badalian

February 25,  2021



A scene from Homeland Salvation Movement’s protest in Yerevan on Feb. 25

International calls for restraint and calm in the wake of Armenia’s military brass demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation continued throughout Thursday with the United States, the European Union, NATO as well as the OSCE weighing in on the matter.

The State Department on Thursday afternoon called for restrain and respect for rule of law.

“We urge all parties to exercise restraint and to avoid any escalatory or violent actions. We remind all parties of the bedrock democratic principle that state’s armed forces should not intervene in domestic politics,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price in comments to the press, which were posted on the department’s official Twitter account.

“The United States has been a steadfast supporter of the developments of democratic processes and institutions in Armenia. We continue to support Armenia’s democracy and its sovereignty and we urge its leaders to resolve their differences peacefully while respecting the rule of law, Armenia’s democracy and its institutions,” added Price.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia said it was attentively following the developments in Armenia, “including the announcements of the stakeholders.”

‘’We encourage all the parties to demonstrate tranquility, restraint and bring down the tensions peacefully and without violence,” said a statement by the embassy, which also emphasized the importance of democratic institutions and processes for solving political disagreements through dialogue.

The European Union called on all sides to show restraint.

“Political differences must be resolved peacefully and in strict adherence to the principles and processes of parliamentary democracy. In line with the Armenian Constitution, the armed forces ‘shall maintain neutrality in political matters and shall be under civilian control,'” said European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said on Thursday.

The EU also stressed the need for maintaining the democratic and constitutional order as “the only way Armenia can effectively tackle the challenges it is confronted with.”

NATO encouraged democracy in Armenia on Thursday amid growing tension between the military and prime minister.

“We are closely monitoring developments in our partner country Armenia. It’s important to avoid words or actions that could lead to further escalation,” NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said on Twitter.

“Any political differences should be resolved peacefully & democratically and in line with Armenia’s constitution,” she added.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde expressed concern about the developments in Armenia, according to a post on her Twitter page.

“I am concerned with the latest developments in Armenia. I urge all parties to act peacefully in respect of the OSCE commitments on democratic processes and the rule of law. The situation must be resolved without violence,’’ she wrote.

Yeghishe Kirakosyan: Azerbaijan blatantly disregards its obligations under international human rights treaties

Vardan Badalian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 24 2021

On 23 February Armenia's Representative before the ECHR Yeghishe Kirakosyan and his deputy Liparit Drmeyan met with the H.E. Mrs. Inga Stanytė-Toločkienė, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to the Republic of Armenia, H.E. Mr Patrick Svensson, Ambassador of Sweden to Republic of Armenia and H.E. Mr. Paweł Cieplak, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to the Republic of Armenia.

During the meeting, the ambassadors were informed about the human rights violations unleashed by Azerbaijan during the 44-day war in Artsakh. One of the key topics of discussion was the measures taken by the representative’s office to protect the rights of the captives currently held in Azerbaijan. In addition, the ambassadors’ attention was drawn to the fact that Azerbaijani government blatantly disregards its obligations under the international human rights treaties, namely the European Convention on Human Rights, the representative’s office reported.

Kirakosyan emphasized, that from the very beginning of the war a number of interim measure requests have been submitted to the European Court of Human Rights to protect the rights of prisoners of war and civilian captives. He further elaborated on the interstate application lodged against Azerbaijan with regard to the violations of rights guaranteed under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Members of the meeting also discussed the results registered by the Constitutional Reform Commission and further actions: The ambassadors offered their support in the implementation of further constitutional reforms.

South Australia’s Legislative Council Recognizes Artsakh

Vardan Badalian

February 17,  2021



South Australia’s Legislative Council recognizes Artsakh

ADELAIDE, Australia—South Australia’s Legislative Council has joined the House of Assembly in recognizing the Republic of Artsakh’s rights to self-determination in a historic motion passed on Wednesday, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia.

The motion by the Australian state’s Upper House follows one passed by the Lower House two weeks ago and similarly “calls on the Federal Government to also recognize the Republic of Artsakh as the only permanent solution to the conflict to avoid further attempts of such military aggression.”

The motion was introduced by Legislative Council member Irene Pnevmatikos, with fellow lawmaker Tammy Franks also speaking in favor. Jing Lee also spoke on the motion, which was carried without dissent in a vote that ensured both parliamentary chambers in South Australia follow both chambers of the New South Wales Parliament in recognizing the Republic of Artsakh.

ANC-AU Executive Director Haig Kayserian thanked the Armenian Cultural Association of South Australia (ACASA) for their grassroots advocacy, which has led to this historic outcome that seeks justice and peace for the indigenous Armenians currently away from their ancestral homes following the attacks and subsequent occupation by the Azerbaijani petro-dictatorship of Ilham Aliyev.

“It is with the hard work and dedication of the Armenian-Australian community of South Australia that this historic motion was able to be moved today,” said Kayserian.
“With the Legislative Council joining their colleagues in the House of Assembly, the state of South Australia is unequivocally supporting the right to self-determination of the peoples of the Republic of Artsakh.”

The President of ACASA, Elena Gasparyan echoed those sentiments.

“We are forever grateful to the South Australian Government for allowing this motion to be debated on, and to both the Hon Irene Pnevmatikos MLC in the Legislative Council and the Hon Tom Koutsantonis MP in the House of Assembly for adopting and championing these motions recognizing the rights to self-determination of the indigenous Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh,” Gasparyan said. “We are also grateful to the Hon Jing Lee MLC (Assistant Minister to the Premier for Multicultural Affairs), Ms Jayne Stinson MP (Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs), Ms Andrea Michaels MP (Member for Enfield) and Ms Tammy Franks MLC for their moving speeches in favor of this motion.”

“We also would like to thank the Pontian Brotherhood of South Australia Inc., the Pontian Federation of Australia, the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia Inc. and the Cyprus Community of South Australia for their support and the long-standing friendship that our communities share,” Gasparyan added. “I also would like to thank and congratulate our local Artsakh team. Firstly, to our team leader Mr. Emil Davityan for his hard work and devotion towards the recognition of Artsakh and to all our supportive community members.”

The Motion in full reads as follows:

That this House:
(1) Notes the actions and belligerence of Azerbaijan towards the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh in commencing military action on 27 September 2020.
(2) Notes the serious concerns that have been raised from Armenian-Australians regarding the existential threat to the indigenous Armenian population of the Republic of Artsakh by this military action, and in any attempts by Azerbaijan to prevent the peaceful resettlement of the indigenous Armenian population following agreement to a provisional ceasefire on 9 November 2020.
(3) Notes the serious concerns raised by Armenian-Australians and independent international organizations regarding the risk of Azerbaijan destroying sites of global cultural and historical significance.
(4) Condemns the actions of President Erdogan of Turkey and President Aliyev of Azerbaijan in their pursuit of a policy of Pan-Turkish nationalism, which has previously led to genocide and which now threatens the Armenian population of Artsakh with ethnic cleansing.
(5) Calls on the Federal Government to condemn these attacks and advocate its support for the safety and security of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh.
(6) Recognize the right to self-determination of all peoples including those of the Republic of Artsakh and calls on the Federal Government to also recognize the Republic of Artsakh as the only permanent solution to the conflict to avoid further attempts of such military aggression.

Economy shows first signs of post-crisis recovery, Armenian PM says

Vardan Badalian

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 11:32, 18 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s economy is showing the first signs of the post-crisis recovery, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during today’s Cabinet meeting.

“According to the data of the first 15 days of February, 604,000 more transactions with cash registers and settlement documents have been registered than in the first 15 days of February 2020. And the trade turnover increased by 12% or nearly 31,4 billion drams compared to the first 15 days of February 2020. I would like to remind that the COVID-19 impact didn’t exist in early February 2020 because no coronavirus case has been confirmed in the country that time. And February 2020 has recorded a very serious growth against February 2019”, the PM said.

Pashinyan stated that the export and import volumes have also greatly increased in the first 15 days of February. “The conclusion from here is that the economy seems is entering into a recovery phase, and this, of course, is very important news”, he added.

At the meeting Chairman of the State Revenue Committee Edvard Hovhannisyan clarified that the growth in the trade turnover mainly relates to three fields – retail consumption, manufacturing and services.

In his turn Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan noted that attention should be paid on the consumption growth. “We should continue the support provided to the economy until we are sure that we are in stable condition”, he added.

PM Pashinyan stated that the government continues all assistance programs for the business.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Any shooting by Azerbaijani military should be seen as a regular shooting – Armenia Ombudsman

Vardan Badalian

 09:46,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Ombudsman of Armenia Arman Tatoyan has made a statement, commenting on the recent reports according to which the shots fired by the Azerbaijani military near the border villages of Syunik province are irregular or that they are simply firing in the air.

“In recent days, there have been reports that the shots fired by the Azerbaijani military near the border villages of Syunik province are irregular or that they are simply firing in the air. An impression may be borne that by so doing the dangers and risks to life associated with such shootings are therefore minimized.

1) Such a supposition raises a query of how do we determine what constitutes irregular shootings by Azerbaijanis, and how do they differ from regular shootings? For example, are 5 shots in 10 minutes are to be considered irregular shootings, but 10 shots in 5 minutes ought to be considered regular shootings?

2) Or, how will the villager decide which shot the Azerbaijani armed serviceman fires is in the direction of the village? If the villager assumes that the shot was fired in the air, then what? Can he then be expected to remain calm? What does it matter if the shot was fired in the air or in the direction of the village?

The goal of the Republic of Armenia Human Rights Defender is clear: even a single shot fired disturbs the peace and quiet life of the villager, endangers the life and health of the villager and his or her child, deprives the villager of the opportunity to cultivate his/her land and the use of his/her property. The presumption is that any shooting by the Azerbaijani military should be seen as a regular shooting and thus, in the sense of being a regular shooting, such shootings must therefore officially be recorded as shootings in the direction of the village.

It is already a well-established fact that Azerbaijanis are regularly firing from small and large-caliber weapons in the immediate vicinity of Armenian villages, even from less than 1 km away, both in the air and in the direction of the villages. The Azerbaijani servicemen are well aware that their shots are clearly heard in the villages, are disturbing to the civilians and, foremost among them, the shots fired are disturbing to the children and violative of the overall peaceful life of the villagers.

Consequently, the presence of Azerbaijani armed servicemen in general, and particularly in the immediate vicinity of the villages of the Syunik province or on the roads connecting the communities of the province, and any movement by them by such ways and means violates Armenia’s Constitution, internationally guaranteed rights of the peaceful inhabitants of Syunik, and is a threat to their peace and tranquility”, the statement says.

Asbarez: 100 U.S. Representatives Call on Biden Administration to Stand with Artsakh and Armenia

Vardan Badalian

100 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from over 20 states called on Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austen to support Artsakh security and Armenia safety in an ANCA-backed letter led by the Congressional Armenian Caucus.

Bipartisan Letter – Signed by Legislators from 20+ U.S. States – Advances Pro-Armenian Policy Priorities

WASHINGTON—One hundred Members of Congress – from more than twenty U.S. states – have called upon the Biden Administration to undertake concrete steps for Artsakh’s survival and Armenia’s security, in a bipartisan Armenian Caucus letter strongly supported by the Armenian National Committee of America.

“The strong Congressional participation in the Armenian Caucus letter to the Biden Administration reflects and also powerfully reinforces growing bipartisan support for Artsakh among legislators from across America,” said ANCA Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan. “We look forward to working with the leadership of the Caucus and each of our legislative friends to translate these pro-Armenian, pro-peace policy priorities into action.”

The letter, addressed to the Secretaries of State and Defense, underscoring the severity of the regional crisis caused by six weeks of unrelenting Azerbaijani and Turkish aggression last fall, proposes urgent action on the following U.S. policy priorities:

— U.S. emergency assistance that provides the people of Artsakh with the ability to reconstruct their communities and rebuild their lives without fear of further bloodshed.

— U.S. re-engagement in the search for an enduring regional settlement – based on the fundamental right of self-determination – that protects the security of Artsakh and helps to ensure another war does not break out.

— U.S. recognition of the right to self-determination for the people of Artsakh and their role as a legitimate negotiating party in resolving this conflict.

— U.S. leadership in securing the immediate release of Armenian prisoners

— U.S. accountability, including sanctions against high-ranking Azerbaijani and Turkish leaders, the withholding of U.S. aid to Baku, and ending the waiver of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act.

— U.S. support for Armenia’s economic development and assistance to Armenians displaced by Azerbaijani aggression

— U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide by President Biden

The Armenian Caucus letter was spearheaded by its leadership, Reps. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Jackie Speier (D-CA), David Valadao (R-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA). Joining them in co-signing this bipartisan appeal were Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Jim Banks (R-IN), Nanette Barragan (D-CA), Karen Bass (D-CA), Don Beyer (D-VA), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Mike Doyle (D-PA), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Mike Garcia (R-CA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Josh Harder (D-CA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Hank Johnson (D-GA), David Joyce (R-OH), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Dan Kildee (D-MI), Young Kim (R-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Susie Lee (D-NV), Andy Levin (D-MI), Mike Levin (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Brian Mast (R-FL), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), James McGovern (D-MA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Richard Neal (D-MA), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Devin Nunes (R-CA), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), John Rutherford (R-FL), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Michelle Steel (R-CA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Lori Trahan (D-MA), David Trone (D-MD), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Susan Wild (D-PA).

State-by-state listing of cosigners.

The full text of the letter is provided below.

Hon. Antony Blinken
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Hon. Lloyd Austin
Secretary of Defense
U.S. Department of Defense
1300 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301

Dear Secretaries Blinken and Austin:

As bipartisan Members of Congress who are engaged in the US-Armenia relationship and interested in strengthening it, we write to offer our congratulations on your recent confirmations and to share a list of our bipartisan priorities we hope to work together on during the 117th Congress.

One of the most pressing issues for the Caucus and for the future of American foreign policy in the South Caucasus region is the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). As you are aware, Azerbaijani and Turkish forces initiated an unprovoked attack on September 27, 2020, leading to six weeks of devastating fighting that killed an estimated 5,000 people and forced more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee from the Karabakh region. Azerbaijani forces were able to make rapid advances into the region with the aid of Turkish-backed foreign mercenaries, many alleged to have ties to internationally recognized terrorist groups, Bayraktar drones that utilize American components and technology, and heavy weaponry including the illegal use of cluster and white phosphorus munitions.

With the rising risk of a mass atrocity against thousands of Armenian civilians, Armenia agreed to a peace agreement brokered by Russia on November 10. This agreement brought an end to the fierce combat, but it has done little to address the immediate and significant problems of feeding, sheltering, and ensuring the safety of thousands of displaced families during the COVID-19 pandemic. In violation of the ceasefire, Azerbaijan also refuses to free dozens of Armenian prisoners of war and apprehended civilians, which illustrates how this agreement fails to address the structural issues that have caused uncertainty and fueled the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for decades. There remain several important issues that must be resolved and many critical questions that must be answered before a binding and durable peace settlement can be reached.

First, the terms laid out in the current ceasefire are untenable for Artsakh’s long-term security and stability in the region. The United States cannot allow Russia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan to solely dictate and dominate the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. While we have seen some reengagement in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group process, we believe more must be done to pursue an enduring settlement based on the fundamental right to self-determination. We appreciate the response Secretary Blinken gave during his confirmation hearing to this end, stating that he will “reinvigorate U.S. engagement to find a permanent settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that protects the security of Nagorno-Karabakh and helps to ensure another war does not break out.”

In negotiations, our diplomats must insist that any future settlement supported by the United States will provide the people of Artsakh with the ability to reconstruct their communities and rebuild their lives without fear of further bloodshed. This should include significant U.S. commitments to provide an urgently needed humanitarian aid and assistance package for the people of Artsakh. The international community, including the United States, also has an important role to play by finally recognizing the right to self-determination for the people of Artsakh and their role as a legitimate negotiating party in resolving this conflict. Absent this recognition, they will continue to face the threat of displacement by Azerbaijani and Turkish forces without any option for formal redress.

Another important component of ensuring lasting peace in the region is to hold destabilizing actors accountable. There is significant evidence that Azerbaijani and Turkish forces planned the invasion in the buildup to the September 27 assault on Nagorno-Karabakh. This evidence includes the stockpiling of armaments, including drones that killed many innocent civilians during the conflict, the July 2020 provocations by Azerbaijani troops in Armenia’s Tavush province, and several instances of large-scale joint military exercises near the Armenian border that foreshadowed the coming attacks. The United States and other international actors failed to acknowledge these warning signs and take necessary steps to prevent the sharp and unprovoked escalation of violence.

Actions that could have been taken at the time to halt Azerbaijani and Turkish aggressions included threatening sanctions on high-ranking officials from those countries and withholding aid, including ending the waiver of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act and ceasing further military assistance through the Section 333 Building Partner Capacity program. We are encouraged by Secretary Blinken’s response during the confirmation process on this subject as well.

Similarly, the United States must reassess our policy toward Turkey. Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s regime reaps the rewards of the chaos he has sown in the Eastern Mediterranean, Libya, the Middle East, and the South Caucasus. His deliberate destabilizing behavior, which includes the installation of Russian made anti-aircraft missiles over the threat of sanction by the United States, demands a swift and decisive correction. We must learn from the failures of an appeasement policy used by past administrations toward Turkey and use every available diplomatic and economic tool to penalize these bad actors for their aggressions and abhorrent human rights abuses. If we do not act, we risk the likelihood that the Erdogan regime will trigger an ever-expanding zone of conflict.

Finally, the United States should seek to strengthen our strategic relationship with Armenia, a young democracy that has been shaken by last year’s events and the resulting uncertainty they have caused. We urge you to identify ways we can provide additional economic assistance to Armenia to support its democracy and development as well as respond to the significant number of displaced people who have fled the conflict in Artsakh. We also request that your Administration identify ways in which our economic, cultural, and other ties to Armenia can be improved to benefit Armenia and the large Armenian American diaspora in the United States. Those steps should include the formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide by President Biden on April 24, following in the footsteps of both the House and Senate who passed resolutions recognizing the fact of the Genocide during the 116th Congress.

Thank you for attention to these important matters. We stand ready to work with you to craft a policy in the South Caucasus region that is consistent with U.S. national security, universal principles of human rights, and our democratic values. Our hope is to further discuss these issues with you and your teams at the earliest convenience.

Sincerely,