Category: 2018

The permanent representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, was in Stepanakert on Wednesday and met with Artsakh president Bako Sahakian and foreign minister, Masis Mayilian.

This meeting comes a week after the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, meeting in Krakow, Poland, decided to expand Kasprzyk’s role.

While meeting Sahakian, the two discussed the latest developments in the Karabakh conflict resolution process.

Mayilian described the situation on the border between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, also referred to as the line of contact, as relatively calm, but pointed to several violations of the ceasefire by Azerbaijan since the beginning of the year.

Mayilian welcomed the agreement in principle to expand the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office reached in Krakow, expressing hope that the implementation of the agreements would increase the monitoring capabilities of the Office, since without the establishment of mechanisms for investigating incidents and preventing their recurrence the situation may change at any moment.

The sides also touched upon a range of issues related to the activities of the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.

Addressing the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe on Wednesday, President Serzh Sarkisian called for a resolution to the Karabakh conflict and reiterated his promise to withdraw from the dangerous Turkey-Armenia protocols.

“The time is ripe for the resolution for the Karaabkh conflict,” said Sarkisian who added that a resolution “requires strict respect for the established ceasefire regime and honoring all the agreements reached in the past.”

“The resolution must be peaceful and just… The parties shall assume joint responsibility for the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and find a compromise solution, a middle ground settlement,” he said.

Sarkisian stressed that the negotiation process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs is the only internationally agreed format for the resolution of this conflict. “The international community, including Council of Europe, has reiterated its support to this format on numerous occasions. The commitment undertaken by Armenia and Azerbaijan requires a joint and concerted effort of all the parties to the conflict.

“Facing a permanent threat of war, Artsakh continues to build democracy and to promote respect for human rights. In all of these initiatives, Armenia will continue to provide full support to Artsakh. Armenia will tenaciously defend the rights and interests of Artsakh and help to strengthen Artsakh’s security,” he stressed.

“As the Secretary General of the Council of Europe has rightly noted, there must be no grey zones in Europe when it comes to the protection of human rights. I hope that in the not-too-distant future, this organization, too, will stand by the side of Artsakh with all of its expertise. A person living in Artsakh deserves it; the people of Artsakh have long earned this right,” added Sarkisian.

“The protection of human rights is a priority for the Artsakh government: as to the fundamental documents of the Council of Europe, Artsakh unilaterally subscribed to the European Convention of Human Rights back in 2015 and undertook to implement it fully. Commendably, Nagorno Karabakh has achieved all of this on its own, without tangible support from any international organization. It proves once again that in Artsakh respect for and protection of human rights are not mere words, but a conscious and determined choice,” said Sarkisian.

“Artsakh cannot stay out of the international processes simply because Azerbaijan is opposed to it. The authorities of Azerbaijan commit flagrant violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms—not least the criminal prosecution of opposition figures and even their abduction from the territory of another country,” the president added.

Sarkisian also reiterated his earlier pledge to declare the Turkey-Armenia Protocols null and void and urged Turkey to refrain from its biased support of Azerbaijan, pointing out that during the 2016 April War, Turkey was the only country that praised Azerbaijan’s attacks on Artsakh positions.

“It would be insulting for the Armenian people to make unilateral concessions to establish relations with Turkey, “ Sarkisian said.

“Unfortunately, after the signing the protocols, the Turkish side has constantly tried and to date is actually trying to come up with preconditions. We have not come across such example sin international practice. All conditions are usually negotiated before a deal is signed. After a document is signed, basic morality requires complying with the requirements of the agreement,” said Sarkisian.

“Nine years down the road we keep hearing from the Turkish side about the need to allegedly take some steps toward establishment of relations. The documents clearly states that relations should be established, after which all of the existing wrinkles between the two states should be discussed,” he said adding that “Armenia can never accept preconditions.”

Bipartisan Letter Requests that Secretary Mnuchin Negotiate Double Tax Treaty with Armenia

WASHINGTON—Representatives David Valadao (R-CA) and Brad Sherman (D-CA) are collecting signatures on a bipartisan letter urging their Congressional colleagues to request that Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin renegotiate the existing, outdated Double Tax Treaty with Armenia, an obsolete Cold War-era accord, recognized today by the U.S. but not Armenia, that was negotiated with the now defunct USSR more than four decades ago.

The Valadao-Sherman letter notes that “The existing Soviet-era treaty does not reflect the increasing complexity of a globalized world and the friendship between the American and Armenian peoples,” then calls upon Secretary Mnuchin to, “prioritize the renegotiation of the double tax treaty with Armenia.”  The letter also underscores that “the complexities of the international tax structure should not discourage American and Armenian companies from conducting business with each other due to double taxation. The need for updated guidelines that reflect the current state of U.S.-Armenian relations and recently passed tax reform legislation cannot be understated.”

“We want to thank Representatives Valadao and Sherman for spearheading Congressional outreach to Secretary Mnuchin in support of an updated, working U.S.-Armenia Tax Treaty that will – by ending the threat of double taxation – break down a key barrier to the growth of bilateral trade and investment,” said ANCA Government Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian. “We join with them in encouraging their House colleagues to support the timely negotiation of this mutually-beneficial and long overdue accord.”

The ANCA has set up an action portal where pro-Armenia advocates can ask their U.S. Representatives to co-sign the Valadao-Sherman letter by visiting www.anca.org/doubletax

The full text of the Valadao-Sherman letter is provided below.

Following the signing of the U.S.-Armenia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in 2015, the ANCA has been working closely with a broad range of legislators to encourage the Department of Treasury to negotiate a new U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty.  In September 2017, the ANCA joined with Paul Korian and Peklar Pilavjian, leading U.S. investors in Yerevan’s landmark Marriott hotel, for a series of Capitol Hill and State Department meetings making the case for an updated compact.  Internationally renowned Tufenkian Artisan Carpets; Triada Studio, the Armenia-based creator of the Apple Design Award-winning Shadowmatic Game; and PicsArt,  the Yerevan and San Francisco based makers of one of the most popular photo-editing, collage and drawing apps, are among the many firms urging the lifting of barriers to U.S.-Armenia trade through the implementation of a new double-tax treaty.

A U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty would establish a clear legal framework for investors and individuals that have business activities in both jurisdictions, preventing double taxation and facilitating the expansion of economic relations. It would also help reinforce the friendship of the American and Armenian peoples, anchoring Armenia to the West, and providing Yerevan with greater strategic options and independence in dealing with regional powers.

The U.S. has Double Tax Treaties with many small countries, including Estonia, Jamaica, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, and Slovenia. Armenia has Double Tax Treaties with many advanced countries, including Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and the United Kingdom.

For the latest ANCA fact sheet about the benefits of an updated U.S.-Armenia Double Tax treaty, visit: https://anca.org/taxtreaty

Text of the Valadao-Sherman Letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin

Dear Secretary Mnuchin,

We are writing you with regards to the current U.S. tax treaty with the Republic of Armenia. The current tax treaty between the United States and Armenia is insufficient for the needs of the two countries, as it was last negotiated with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) during the Cold War in 1973.

We believe the unrealized benefits of an updated double tax treaty between Washington and Yerevan necessitate immediate negotiations, which could be based upon the frameworks of treaties recently ratified with other nations. In fact, the Armenian Embassy has said it would be “willing to conclude such an accord on the basis of the latest U.S. Model Income Tax Convention of 2016.”

The complexities of the international tax structure should not discourage American and Armenian companies from conducting business with each other due to double taxation. The need for updated guidelines that reflect the current state of U.S.-Armenian relations and recently passed tax reform legislation cannot be understated.

As Members of Congress, we respectfully urge you to prioritize the renegotiation of the double tax treaty with Armenia. The existing Soviet-era treaty does not reflect the increasing complexity of a globalized world and the friendship between the American and Armenian peoples. Furthermore, it is vital we provide businesses from both countries the ability and incentive to invest in one another.

Thank you for your service to the United States. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

David G. Valadao
Member of Congress

Brad Sherman
Member of Congress

During a questions and answer session following his remarks at the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe on Wednesday, President Serzh Sarkisian blasted a member of the Azerbaijani delegation for distorting the truth surrounding events in Khojaly at the height of the Karabakh war in the 1990’s.

For decades, Azerbaijan has mounted a campaign to bill the events at Khojaly as “genocide,” blaming Armenians of committing that act.

On Wednesday, during the PACE session, Samad Seyidov, a member of the Azerbaijan delegation, attacked Sarkisian for failing to mention the so-called “Khojaly genocide,” to which Sarkisian responded by first urging the Azerbaijani representative to “calm down.”

“I was a participant in the just struggle of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. Why did I not mention the incidents in Khojalu, that you call a genocide? It was for the simple reason that immediately after those painful events, Ayaz Mutallibov, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, stated in great detail and an informed way, facts that clearly showed who actually organized and carried out those massacres,” explained Sarkisian.

“It is unfortunate. Genocide is not a good thing. Carrying out or suffering a genocide is not an honor; it is a suffering. I think there is a trend in Azerbaijan to want whatever the Armenians have had. This is impermissible. Why do you need to call something that never occurred and was never carried out by the Armenians a ‘genocide’?” added Sarkisian.

Seyidov went on to ask about so-called United Nations resolutions, which allegedly Armenia has violated—another talking point that Azerbaijan uses to distort the truth.

“There is no international organization that would have adopted a decision that would have been rejected by Armenia. You tried to recall the United Nations Security Council resolutions. My advice to you, when you go into a topic, you had better study it. The world knows that the United Nations Security Council has never discussed the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1993, the United Nations Security Council adopted four resolutions on stopping hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh area. After each resolution, Azerbaijan said it would not stop the fighting. It attempted new offensives and attacks, but as usual it suffered losses. In those four resolutions, the only commitment of Armenia was to use its reputation, authority and influence to get the hostilities to stop. To the credit of the then Government of Armenia, we honored this one commitment. Azerbaijan – the number one responsible for the hostilities – failed to stop the fighting,” explained Sarkisian.

“As you know, in 1994, the cease-fire agreement was signed, but it was signed under the influence of other factors, not the United Nations Security Council resolution. Unfortunately, the provisions of that cease-fire agreement are not being honoured. The agreement clearly states that the hostilities need to stop, and for a political solution, an extensive process of talks must be launched. As your own words clearly illustrate, you want the most in this process of negotiation – you want what is impossible. You want to return Karabakh to Azerbaijan,” said Sarkisian.

“Unfortunately, xenophobia in Azerbaijan has got to the point  that you are explicitly saying that you need Karabakh, but without the Armenians. That is impossible. It is never going to happen.
“The essence of the struggle of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh is very simple. It is a struggle for liberty, a struggle self-determination, and I am sure that that struggle cannot have anything but a positive outcome,” added the president.

SACRAMENTO—Senator r Anthony J. Portantino on Wednesday sent out a letter to his Senate and Assembly colleagues in the Capitol urging them to resist increased lobby efforts put forth by the Government of Azerbaijan.

Portantino became alarmed by the increasing presence of the Azeri Government in Sacramento and in Los Angeles. Recently the California Azerbaijan Friendship Association (CAFA) has begun outreach to political and academic leaders in a significant public relations and lobbying effort. And, last year Azerbaijan opposed Portantino’s initiative to create a formal State Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia & Artsakh cooperation.

Senator Portantino has been at the forefront of promoting efforts in Sacramento to advance economic relations between California and Nagorno-Karabakh which is also known as Artsakh.  Given Azeri aggression toward the people of Artsakh, Portantino felt it necessary to share his strong views and give Senators and Assemblymembers a complete picture of events in the region.  Portantino represents the 25th State Senate District which is home to many Armenians who trace their heritage back to Artsakh.

“As the proud representative of the largest Armenian community in the country, I have become quite alarmed by Azeri lobbying efforts in Sacramento. I feel it is important to proactively guard against its influence. As a legislative body, we must unite and fight against attacks on human rights and unprovoked aggression against a peaceful and sovereign country,” commented Senator Portantino.

The 25th Senate District has the largest Armenian American community in any legislative district in the country. Senator Portantino is the Chair of the Select Committee on California Armenia & Artsakh Trade Art and Culture Exchange. He has a long history fighting for the civil rights of the Armenian Community.

“The Legislature must strongly condemn civil rights abuses and attacks by foreign governments on innocent people. Accordingly, it must refuse to cooperate with such governments until there is a demonstrated effort toward reconciliation. Joining the California Azerbaijan Friendship Association would in effect condone the Azeri government’s acts of violence against the Armenian people of Artsakh,” concluded Senator Portantino.

Sen. Portantino represents nearly 930,000 people in the 25th Senate District, which includes Altadena, Atwater Village, Bradbury, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, La Verne, Monrovia, Montrose, Pasadena, San Dimas, San Marino, Shadow Hills, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Sunland-Tujunga, and Upland.