Colombian Parliament Calls Occupation Of Nagorno-Karabakh A Crime Against Humanity

Caspian News
Dec 29 2018


By Mushvig Mehdiyev

  • Ashaghi Govhar Agha Mosque, an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from the capital Baku. Currently under control of Armenia since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992 / Wikimedia Commons

    On Monday Colombia’s parliament adopted a resolution condemning the occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan along with surrounding districts, as well as the ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis by Armenia.

    The resolution, approved by the Second Committee of the Colombian Parliament on Foreign Affairs, Security and National Defense within the House of Representatives, called for the full restoration of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

    The resolution reflects the position of the Colombian government, stating that peaceful negotiations based on international legal mechanism, including the relevant resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council, and immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces stationed inside and surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh region, should set the grounds for finding a durable solution to the conflict that has been simmering for over a quarter century. The parliamentary resolution also calls for the return of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons to their homes.

    The recent resolution has cemented the position of and previous statements made by the Colombian government regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

    In 2012, the Colombian senate unanimously recognized the killing of over 613 ethnic Azerbaijani civilians from the town of Khojaly in February 1992 as genocide. A year later, in 2013, the Second Committee of the Colombian Parliament on Foreign Affairs, Security and National Defense adopted a resolution on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Khojaly genocide. Colombia is one of 15 countries that recognize the massacre in Khojaly as genocide committed by Armenian forces.

    Late into the night on February 25, 1992 – just shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union – Armenian forces, backed by the Infantry Guard Regiment No. 366 from a collapsed Soviet army, invaded the town of Khojaly, located in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Armenian forces killed 613 people, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people, and took hostage 1,275 others. Another 150 Azerbaijani nationals went missing, whose fates remain unknown to this day. Those suffering major injuries or having been maimed totaled 487, including 76 children.

    The massacre in Khojaly was part of a broader military campaign by Armenia to seize Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region that had a partial ethnic Armenian population living side by side with indigenous Azerbaijanis. The Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is an internationally recognized part of Azerbaijan and shares no border with Armenia, had been eyed by Armenian nationalists since the late 1980s, when the USSR was slowly but surely collapsing. After independence, Armenia kicked off military aggression against sovereign Azerbaijan, occupying Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts, comprising roughly 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory.

    Khojaly was heavily shelled and left without power for months when it came under a sudden but well-organized attack by Armenian forces. Azerbaijanis there were forced to flee as they were ambushed by Armenian military troops. Attempts by residents to escape via mountains and forests ultimately failed. Dozens of people are reported to have frozen to death in what were cold winter temperatures.

    The massacre in Khojaly is widely remembered throughout Azerbaijan as a pinnacle of the Armenian aggression when mass murder with an ethnic bent was one of the darkest moments in a three-year war fought between the two South Caucasus neighbors between 1991 and 1994. The war claimed the lives of over 30,000 Azerbaijanis, while nearly one million Azerbaijanis were internally displaced and 4,000 went missing. The full-scale war came to a stop in 1994, thanks to a ceasefire, but Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts are still occupied by Armenia.

    Fifteen countries from around the world such as the Czech Republic, Romania, Mexico, Colombia and Pakistan as well as Scotland from the United Kingdom and 20 state governments in the United States, including California, Massachusetts, Texas and Pennsylvania, have officially recognized the events in Khojaly as genocide of Azerbaijanis.

    UAE, Armenia Trade Exchange Stood At AED920 Million In 2017

    URDU Point
    Dec 29 2018

     (@ChaudhryMAli88)  

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    ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM – 29th Dec, 2018) The total value of non-oil trade between the UAE and the Republic of Armenia reached AED920 million during 2017, compared to AED375 million in 2015, the Ministry of Economy has said.

    In a report on the trade policy review between the two countries, the ministry said that doubling of trade between the two countries over the past three years emphasises the possibility of benefitting from the opportunities and the supportive environment for increasing growth rate of trade exchange in the coming period.

    Ministry statistics showed that re-exports from the UAE to Armenia accounted for the largest shareof total trade between the two countries, amounting to AED561 million in 2017.

    The report comes in the light of the UAE's distinguished position on the global trade map, supported by the State's vision of promoting openness and cohesion with the global economy, developing its capabilities and building bridges with all countries to enhance trade exchange.

    Based on these visions and objectives, the ministry wants to raise awareness of all public and private institutions on the development of investment and trade links with the UAE's strategic partners through monitoring, analysis and reports issued by the World Trade Organisation, WTO, and other international organisations.

    According to the WTO, the Armenian economy has grown by more than seven per cent in 2017, supported by its adoption of sound economic policy and reforms in a number of export sectors, mainly targeting the European Union and the Russian Federation.

    Armenian remittances abroad contribute significantly to the national economy, which accounts for 13 per cent of the GDP.

    Since the recent review of Armenia's trade policies in 2010 and until the end of 2017, the current account deficit has fallen in line with export growth faster than imports, and foreign inflows have been steady compared with the growth of foreign direct investment inflows, indicating that Armeniais an attractive destination for investment.

    Newspaper: Pashinyan urges elite to spend vacation in Armenia

    News.am, Armenia
    Dec 29 2018
    Newspaper: Pashinyan urges elite to spend vacation in Armenia Newspaper: Pashinyan urges elite to spend vacation in Armenia

    09:32, 29.12.2018
                      

    YEREVAN. – Acting PM Nikol Pashinyan urged the political elite and Civil Contract party members to spend their New Year vacations in Armenia, Hraparak daily writes on Saturday.

    However, there were people who had booked hotels and bought tickets, and they were forced to cancel their trips.

    Pashinyan will be at Republic Square on December 31 and will later join his family in PM's residence. He believes that the new elite has to set an example by their modest lifestyle.

    Armenian Olympic Committee chief awards cars to top athletes

    Panorama, Armenia
    Dec 29 2018
    Sport 11:57 29/12/2018 Armenia

    President of the Armenian National Olympic Committee, MP Gagik Tsarukyan has awarded cars to several leading athletes of the country – Karen Aslanyan (wrestling), Edgar Stepanyan (cycling), Lev Sargsyan and Vladimir Harutyunyan (diving).

    “After the awards ceremony, the sportsmen stressed the move will not only encourage them but also the younger generation, who will see that no athlete who brings fame and glory to his homeland is ignored,” the committee said in a statement.

    Artsakh reports more Azerbaijani ceasefire violations over past week

    Panorama, Armenia
    Dec 29 2018

    The Azerbaijani armed forces violated the ceasefire along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact more than 150 times in the past week.

    In the period from December 23 to 29, the adversary fired around 1,500 shots towards the Armenian defense positions from firearms of different calibres, the Artsakh Defense Ministry told Panorama.am.

    The Defense Army’s frontline troops keep the situation in the contact line under full control, confidently fulfilling their military tasks.   

    Pomegranate-blessing to be offered at all Armenian churches on the Eve of the New Year

    Panorama, Armenia
    Dec 29 2018
    Society 20:00 29/12/2018 Armenia

    On the Eve of the New Year in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and all the churches of the Armenian Church, a Pomegranate-blessing service will be offered at the end of the Prayer of Thanks.

    As the Information department at Mother See of Holly Echmiadzin reports, the order of blessing was approved in 2015 by Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

    in the Armenian tradition, the pomegranate as a national symbol reflects the meaning of life, prosperity and abundance. In the Christian symbolism the pomegranate is the symbol of the blood shed by Jesus Christ, symbolizing also the Glorious Resurrection of our Lord and the diversity of God's grace. 

    Azerbaijani journalist persecuted for dialogue with Armenians

    Netgazeti, Georgia
    Dec 24 2018
    Azerbaijani journalist persecuted for dialogue with Armenians

    The following is the text of Gunel Movlud's interview with Arzu Qeybullayeva
    [Armenian News note: the below is translated from Georgian]

    Arzu Qeybullayeva, also known as Arzu Qeybulla, is a blogger and journalist reviewing political developments unfolding in Azerbaijan. Her articles are occasionally published in international editions such as Al-Jazeera, Foreign Policy, Global Voices, and Agos [Armenian bilingual weekly newspaper published in Istanbul, Turkey]. She is one of those voicing criticism of [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev in the international mass media.

    Over the past several years, the journalist has lived in Turkey. However, representatives of the Azerbaijani pro-government media and one part of society repeatedly subject her to attacks and intimidation.

    Despite attacks, Arzu Qeybulla is currently writing a book on political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

    Receiving threats due to cooperation with Armenian newspaper

    [Movlud] Arzu, why did you leave Azerbaijan? Was this because the question of inobedient journalist was raised there?

    [Qeybulla] I was 16, when I left the country for the first time. At that time, I was admitted to the American Council's student exchange programme [Future Leaders Exchange Program] and I left for the United States for a year to study.

    This is where my adventure began. Returning home, I finished the 11th form and entered Bilkent University in parallel to this. I left for the place for four years. I took a bachelor's degree with distinction in international relations. Afterwards, I took a one-year master's course in global politics at London School of Economics. Completing my studies, I moved to Turkey, where I was offered a job.

    In 2017, I returned to Azerbaijan on business. At that time, I was already working in a think tank as an analyst. At the end of 2009, I moved to Baku. However, after a year, I finally left the country. But then again, I often visited Azerbaijan on business. However, it was in 2014 that I went there for the last time.

    [Movlud] Over the period of you cooperation with Agos, you were strongly criticised because of your cooperation with Armenians. What did you feel at that time?

    [Qeybulla] My cooperation with Armenians did not begin in Agos. It began back in 2009, when I was in the Imagine centre, working at first as a trainer, then as a facilitator, and later as a co-director.

    The organisation continues working in the conflict management sphere even today. We have different programmes and we have worked with different groups from Azerbaijan and Armenia.

    In 2013, we held the first dialogue between the journalists of the two countries. The dialogue was successful and after returning to Turkey, I was offered to work as a correspondent in the Agos newspaper. At that time, particularly after the dialogue, I found the offer interesting and I agreed.

    My friends warned me that I was going to face difficulties because of this. However, I thought that I was able to overcome everything. In fact, I was not doing anything new here. I just continued my work in the conflict management sphere, writing about conflicts. However, I really had no idea about what was lying ahead.

    I was persistently persecuted for a long time. They even threatened to kill me. They threatened to kill not only me, but also my family. They wrote and published terrible things about my parents. I saw "journalists" slinging mud at my deceased father. However, it was the reaction of absolute strangers in social networks that was most threatening. They wrote about me and my family, saying that I was a traitor and a cheap whore. They wrote the same about my parents. One can never be ready for things of the kind.

    At first, it was extremely hard to experience this. Frankly speaking, I just did not know how to struggle against this horridness. There were moments, when I wanted to disappear forever. I was lucky to be surrounded by friends and colleagues, who showed support for me.

    This was the most difficult period in my professional life. I was not going to give up journalism. However, I once advised my brother to renounce me, when he complained to me that my "activities" caused him damage. He took no interest in how I felt.

    A short while ago, they showed a documentary film on female journalists, who were subject to intimidation. In my interview, I described this period as a black spot. This might sound dramatic, but this was the darkest and the most dangerous time for me. I am grateful to my friends, colleagues, and many organisations, which rendered help to me. If it were not for them, things would have had a worse end.

    Opposition media outlets have to work outside Azerbaijan

    [Movlud] When did you visit Azerbaijan for the last time?

    [Qeybulla] I was in Baku in 2014 and this is when I visited my father's grave for the last time.

    [Movlud] Which of your articles or pronouncements do you think turned you into an enemy of the Azerbaijani authorities?

    [Qeybulla] As far as I understand, [this happened] after my interview in the Modern.az newspaper, when I was asked to speak about myself, my job, and experience. Later, the interview was reprinted without permission by many Azerbaijani editions, including the pro-government media. In my opinion, this was a blow for what I wrote in international editions and said on international platforms.

    [Movlud] Over the past several years, many opposition figures have been leaving Azerbaijan. They are by no means sitting idle in Europe. Moreover, they have created a concrete circle and media. Now that effectively no independent portal or newspaper has remained in Azerbaijan, what do you as a journalist think of bloggers, TV stations and news portals functioning outside Azerbaijan? Can they fill up the information space of your country?

    [Qeybulla] Of course, you cannot fill up the information gap in the country, unless you are physically in Azerbaijan. However, as you have said, in case of a disability of the kind, this is one of the versions. This is better than being without information at all. Given the situation, these people are doing their best.

    Opposition figures, media threatened even abroad

    [Movlud] After many activists moved to Europe, the authorities have opened a new phase of putting pressure on relatives and friends, as well as persecuting [those] abroad by means of cyber attacks. What is the main danger these people are facing and what should they fear?

    [Qeybulla] These are first and foremost journalists working on different platforms. They should heighten their cyber security, protecting their websites from cyber attacks.

    The technologies, which the Azerbaijani authorities are currently using, allow them not only to attack websites, but also to crack their accounts, obtaining information.

    Next is that you should by all means have a Plan B for your relatives, who are still staying in the country. Experience has shown that no-one is safe.

    You need to warn all your acquaintances, friends, and relatives about the dangers they might face if the journalists and activists proper happen to come under the blows from the government.

    [Movlud] Have you ever been aware of danger because of your relatives?

    [Qeybulla] At present, I do not perceive any danger. However, four years ago, when they first threatened to kill me, I also felt worried about my relatives and friends, of course. However, I also realised that living in fear was not a way out.

    Of course, there are moments of the kind even today. However, I try not to think long about this. Life is anyway short and I do not think that it is healthy to spend life in fear. That is why I try not to think about this.

    [Movlud] We know that countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and Turkey are dangerous [places] for Azerbaijani opposition figures. For example, over the past several years, Turkey handed over "two enemies" to the Alieyv regime. Against this background, do you have no fear of living in Turkey? I know that you travel a lot and that you are not there at the moment. However, being a resident of Turkey, you often stay there.

    [Qeybulla] I have lived in Turkey since 2010. A lot has changed over the past eight years. In 2016, I obtained Turkish citizenship. I do not know whether this fact makes me feel calm or not. As I have already said, there are moments, when I think hard of the danger.

    A short while ago, we founded here an association for foreign journalists. I would like to believe that this will help ensure the safety of other journalists, as well as that of mine.

    Karabakh defends self-determination right

    Lragir, Armenia
    Dec 27 2018
    Karabakh defends self-determination right

    [Armenian News note: the below is translated from the Russian edition of Lragir]

    Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh has said that the right to self-determination should be a key principle for resolving the conflict.

    "We think that the outdated approaches to the settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Karabakh must be revised. The three-sided format of the talks must be restored to ensure a direct and full-fledged involvement of the republic of Artsakh [Armenian name of Nagorno-Karabakh]. The right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh should be a key principle for resolving the conflict," the region's foreign minister Masis Mailyan told Armenian news website Lragir.am in an interview on 27 December.

    The interview came in response to the Azerbaijani foreign minister, who said earlier this week that Baku is ready to grant Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians a high-level autonomy within Azerbaijan and ensure their security.

    "The people of Artsakh chose their road to freedom 30 years ago and implemented their right to self-determination, and they did it perfectly from the legal point of view," he said.

    Mailyan went on to say that it is not a territorial dispute but a conflict between Karabakh seeking independence and Azerbaijan and "it is futile… to look for solutions on the basis of territorial concessions [reference to seven districts around Karabakh currently controlled by Armenian forces]". He said that Baku has no "moral rights" to offer security guarantees to Karabakh after Azerbaijan "made two fruitless attempts to seize and destroy" the breakaway region. He accused Baku of beefing up its military, inciting hatred against Armenians in Azerbaijan and making attempts to isolate Karabakh.

    Mailyan described the self-styled Nagorno-Karabakh republic as a "provider of security" which "contributes to maintaining regional stability".

    He downplayed the importance of the four UN resolutions regarding the Karabakh conflict, saying that they were passed in the 1990s when there were hostilities and were not mandatory.

    Gazprom CEO discussed gas supplies to Armenia in 2019 with Acting Deputy PM

    ITAR-TASS, Russia
    Friday 4:48 PM GMT
    Gazprom CEO discussed gas supplies to Armenia in 2019 with Acting Deputy PM
     
    MOSCOW December 28
     
    Chief Executive Officer of Gazprom Alexei Miller and Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mger Grigoryan discussed natural gas supplies to Armenia in 2019, the Russian gas holding says on Friday.
     
    MOSCOW, December 28. /TASS/. Chief Executive Officer of Gazprom Alexei Miller and Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mger Grigoryan discussed natural gas supplies to Armenia in 2019, the Russian gas holding says on Friday.
     
    The meeting took place in St. Petersburg.
     
    "Progress and further development of bilateral cooperation were discussed at the meeting. In particular, supplies of natural gas to Armenia in 2019 were noted," the company said.
     
    The parties also reviewed issues related to gas supply for Armenia and underground storage of gas in the territory of the republic. It was noted that UGS facilities are ready for operation during the fall and winter season of 2018-2019.
     
    Gazprom Armenia, a subsidiary of the Russian holding, is carrying natural gas deliveries to Armenia. The contract for supply of up to 2.5 bln cubic meters of natural gas is effective until 2019 year-end.

    Armenian army chief: We must be vigilant and united

    News.am, Armenia
    Dec 29 2018
    Armenian army chief: We must be vigilant and united Armenian army chief: We must be vigilant and united

    15:55, 29.12.2018
                      

    YEREVAM. – Some kinds of remote control sets made in Armenia are already used on the frontline, Chief of Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Artak Davtyan said in a New Year message.

    “2018 was a turbulent year with drastic changes, which, I am sure, will make the development of the Armenian army fruitful and will contribute to peace and calmness on our borders,” Davtyan said.

    He pointed out a seven-year program of army modernization which kicked off this year as well as ArmHiTec 2018 exhibition dedicated to the development of military sector. Davtyan also underlined the importance of “I am” and “I have the honor” programs that were implemented during the year.

    The Armenian army commander touched upon the Shant 2018 military drills as well as Tank Biathlon where Armenian soldiers made a good showing.

    “The actions of the adversary are unpredictable and, perhaps, they will try to resolve the conflict by military means. Preventing this process is the task of our Armed Forces. We must be vigilant and united. We must be strong so that there was no war … I want to thank all the servicemen standing on the border. I am bending before those who died and I want to thank also their families. Losses should not weaken, but unite us. From the bottom of my heart I wish you Happy New Year and Merry Christmas. Let 2019 be a year of peace, stability, solidarity, new achievements. Let all families have plenty of minutes of happiness, joy, let the warm and peaceful tmosphere reign. All the best! Happy New Year!” the message says.