Armenia and Azerbaijan are discussing the withdrawal of troops from their shared border but no decision has been taken yet, Russia's TASS news agency quoted Armenia's foreign minister as saying on Wednesday.
On Dec. 7 Armenia and Azerbaijan announced a series of mutual goodwill gestures intended to promote reconciliation between the estranged South Caucasus neighbors, including the exchange of military personnel.
“If you want peace, prepare for war”, says the ancient adage. Although Armenia and Azerbaijan are expected to normalize relations, and possibly even sign a peace deal by the end of the year, the two South Caucasus countries continue strengthening their military capabilities.
Over the years, Azerbaijan has been purchasing weapons from its ally Turkey, as well as from Israel. Even though Armenia is Russia’s nominal ally in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), in 2009-2011 Moscow sold $5 billion worth of tanks, artillery systems and anti-tank missile systems to Baku. Rumors are flying that the energy-rich Caspian nation now plans to buy 48 self-propelled Nora-B52 howitzers from Serbia – a country that actively armed both Azerbaijan and Armenia prior to the Second Karabakh War in 2020.
Yerevan, for its part, recently started buying weapons from India, as well as from NATO member France. More importantly, the landlocked former Soviet republic, despite being a CSTO member, seeks to develop close military cooperation with the United States and Great Britain.
On the other hand, both Armenia and Azerbaijan are showing signs that they might be ready to bury the hatchet and open a new chapter in their relations. On December 7, the two archenemies made a surprising move by issuing a joint statement, claiming that they agreed to seize “a historical chance to achieve a long-awaited peace in the region”, hoping to sign a peace treaty before the end of the year.
They have also made a “goodwill gesture”, and exchanged war prisoners. Azerbaijan released 32 detained Armenian military servicemen for two Azerbaijani soldiers. Still, according to the California-based Center for Truth and Justice, during the 44-day war in 2020, as well as the Azerbaijani September 2023 offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, some 200 Armenian civilians and military personnel were captured, which means that the POW issue between the two countries is yet to be fully resolved.
But in spite of that, all major global and regional actors – Russia, the European Union, Turkey, Iran, and the United States – welcomed the progress Baku and Yerevan have made towards peace. Since Azerbaijan reportedly refuses to negotiate with Armenia on Western platforms, and neither side seems to see Russia as a potential guarantor of peace, it is entirely possible that a peace deal will be signed in neighboring Georgia, or somewhere at the border between the two countries.
Such a move would undoubtedly allow both nations to freely claim that the normalization of their relations did not come as a result of foreign powers’ pressure. In reality, however, Russia and the West, as well as other actors, will continue to struggle for influence in the strategically important region.
But what would a peace treaty mean for Armenia and Azerbaijan?
According to most recent polls, 78 percent of Azerbaijanis support a peace deal with Armenia, while in June 2022, 89 percent of Armenians opposed any deal with Baku that would mean the end of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. It remains unclear if a new geopolitical reality – where Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty over Artsakh (which is the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh) – had an impact on the Armenian population’s attitude regarding a peace deal with Baku, although the authorities in Yerevan seem determined to normalize relations with Azerbaijan at any cost.
“We simply wasted 30 years and spent our time and resources on a problem that was intractable from the beginning”, said Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, talking about Nagorno-Karabakh – a region internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, that was under Armenian control for almost three decades.
Now that the Karabakh issue is resolved in Azerbaijani favor, Pashinyan seems to have more room to make deals with Baku. But the problem for Armenia, as a defeated party, is that it will almost certainly have to make more concessions to Azerbaijan.
The energy-rich nation will undoubtedly pressure Yerevan to make “goodwill gestures” regarding a border delimitation, which means that up to 200 square kilometers of Armenian territory could belong to Azerbaijan. Moreover, Baku is unlikely to easily give up on its aspirations to have a direct land link between mainland Azerbaijan and its exclave of Nakhchivan through southern Armenian province of Syunik, bordering Iran.
Quite aware of that, Armenia’s decision to purchase weapons from France and India could be interpreted not only as Yerevan’s attempt to distance itself from Russia, but also as preparation for a potential conflict with Azerbaijan over Syunik. Alternatively, the authorities in Armenia could use the arms import as a camouflage, aiming to create an illusion at home that they are not willing to give up on their border with Iran, while in reality they might allow Azerbaijan to have a corridor to Nakhchivan, and further to Turkey.
One thing is for sure: Baku and Yerevan really have a “historical chance to achieve a long-awaited peace in the region”, although it is highly uncertain how long that peace will last.
Azerbaijan releases 32 Armenians, most of whom were held since 2020, in exchange for two soldiers held since April.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have traded prisoners of war at their border in a step towards normalising their relations three months after Azerbaijan achieved a decisive breakthrough in their decades-old conflict.
The exchange took place on Wednesday with Azerbaijan releasing 32 Armenians mostly captured in late 2020 while Armenia released two Azerbaijani soldiers held since April.
“Thirty-one personnel from Armenia’s armed forces captured in 2020-2023 and one serviceman captured in Nagorno-Karabakh in September have crossed the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and are on Armenian territory,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Facebook account.
Azerbaijan’s state commission for prisoners of war also released a statement about the swap.
“Armenian soldiers were handed to Armenia after the International Committee of the Red Cross examined their health and made a positive conclusion,” it said.
The two neighbours are also discussing the withdrawal of troops from their border, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.
The countries said last week as they announced the prisoner exchange that they “reconfirm their intention to normalise relations and to reach a peace treaty on the basis of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
In November, Yerevan said a total of 55 Armenian prisoners of war were being held by Baku, including six civilians, 41 soldiers and eight separatist leaders who were arrested in the wake of Baku’s military operation in September, which recaptured the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The South Caucasus neighbours have fought two wars in the past 30 years over mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh, which is a part of Azerbaijan where ethnic Armenians broke away and established de facto independence in the 1990s.
After Azerbaijan recaptured the territory, most of its 120,000 ethnic Armenians fled to Armenia.
The prisoner exchange agreement was welcomed by the European Union and the United States, who have been trying to persuade the two countries to sign a peace treaty for years.
Western mediation has stepped up after Russian influence in the region has dipped in the past two years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan were part of the former Soviet Union.
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia and Azerbaijan on Wednesday exchanged prisoners of war, in line with an agreement announced last week that also promised the two countries would work towards a peace treaty and was hailed by the European Union as a major step toward peace in the tumultuous region.
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia and Azerbaijan on Wednesday exchanged prisoners of war, in line with an agreement announced last week that also promised the two countries would work towards a peace treaty and was hailed by the European Union as a major step toward peace in the tumultuous region.
Azerbaijan brought back two servicemen, while 32 soldiers returned to Armenia, officials in both countries reported.
Azerbaijan waged a lightning military campaign in September in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The offensive ended three decades of rule there by ethnic Armenians and resulted in the vast majority of the 120,000 residents fleeing the region, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
In their joint statement last week, the two countries said they “share the view that there is a historical chance to achieve a long-awaited peace.” They said they intend “to normalize relations and to reach the peace treaty on the basis of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
They also promised to continue discussions “regarding the implementation of more confidence building measures” and called on the international community for support “that will contribute to building mutual trust between two countries.”
The joint statement came after the two countries spent months bitterly arguing on the outline of a peace process amid mutual distrust.
As part of the deal, Armenia also agreed to lift its objections to Azerbaijan hosting next year’s international conference on climate change.
European Council President Charles Michel praised the agreement as a major breakthrough, saying on X that he particularly welcomes the deal to release detainees and make an “unprecedented opening in political dialogue.”
Michel called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to finalize a peace deal as soon as possible.
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/europe/armenia-and-azerbaijan-exchange-pows-in-line-with-agreement-announced-last-week/article_d80f4219-04bb-5566-80de-0f0a094720b6.html
09:55, 13 December 2023
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has been elected a member of the committee of the UNESCO 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its 1999 Protocol.
The election took place on December 12 during the committee’s meeting in Paris.
Armenia has been elected for a 4-year term.
The Armenian delegation to the meeting was led by Alfred Kocharyan, the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport.
In his remarks, Kocharyan warned that the Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh is endangered and underscored that in the past three years Azerbaijan has been blocking a UNESCO mission proposed by the organization’s director general.
Kocharyan presented multiple evidence on the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as in Nakhchivan and other parts of Azerbaijan.
He cited the statement issued to Azerbaijan by the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights expressing concern about the destruction and appropriation of Armenian historic and cultural, as well as religious sites, which constitutes a violation of international standards of human rights.
11:42, 13 December 2023
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant will sign a contract with Rosatom regarding the implementation of the lifespan extension project of reactor II.
The decision on approving the project is included in the December 14 agenda of the Cabinet meeting.
The draft decision mentions that the cost of the contract cannot exceed 65 million USD.
12:48, 13 December 2023
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia envisions the effectiveness of peace talks with Azerbaijan in the same platform where it started, a senior lawmaker said Wednesday.
“Armenia is always ready for talks,” Sargis Khandanyan, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, representing the ruling Civil Contract party, said at a press briefing when asked to comment on the latest statement from Moscow claiming that Armenia has turned down Russia-mediated negotiations, whereas Azerbaijan has agreed to it.
“Unfortunately, in the past months we’ve seen that Azerbaijan is the one who’s avoiding the negotiations and not participating. We expect our colleagues to be able to bring Azerbaijan to the negotiations table,” Khandanyan said.
The MP said it’s the content of the talks that matter, and not the type or format.
“A certain logic of negotiations has been developed, which must be continuous. Perhaps changing the platforms of negotiations is a tactics by Azerbaijan in order to avoid the negotiations. This is the reason why we want the logic of the negotiations to be continuous. And we envision the effectiveness of it in this format, meaning, to continue the conversation where it had begun,” Khandanyan said.
Asked whether Armenia finds the Russian platform to be trustworthy considering the fate of the November 9 agreement, which Russia failed to guarantee as a party, the MP said this is a legitimate concern and question.
“And unfortunately, today we’ve appeared in a situation where main principled issues of the November 9 statement relating to ensuring the security of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and their stay in Nagorno-Karabakh, also relating to the Lachin Corridor haven’t been fulfilled, and are disrupted. That legitimate concern and question still remains,” the MP said.
MP Artur Hovhannisyan from Civil Contract added that Armenia doesn’t differentiate between the platforms of talks if the principles are maintained – recognition of territorial integrities, unblocking of roads under the sovereignty of the countries.
“There was the November 9 statement, and everyone saw what happened. And basically the trust and sentiments stem from the realities,” he said.
10:27, 13 December 2023
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. The maternity hospital of the Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center of the RA Ministry of Health has been equipped with modern medical equipment of European, American and Japanese production. Thanks to the financial support of benefactor Mikael Vardanyan, the maternity hospital already has new neonatal incubators, a neonatal portable ultrasound system, a high frequency neonatal ventilator, birthing, neonatal resuscitation and medical electric-hydraulic operating multifunctional tables, a neonatal electroencephalograph and MRI patient monitoring system. Benefactor Mikael Vardanyan donated 116 million drams for the purchase of 15 life supporting equipment.
12:56, 13 December 2023
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Azerbaijan did not exchange prisoners as of Wednesday noon almost a week after the agreement was reached.
Azerbaijan has to release 32 Armenian prisoners in exchange for Armenia's release of two Azerbaijani servicemen under the agreement.
Asked to comment, a senior Armenian lawmaker on December 13 declined to give specific timeframes of the exchange. “First of all, I wouldn’t want to mention specific timeframes,” Member of Parliament, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs Sargis Khandanyan said at a press briefing when asked on the delay and whether Azerbaijan has breached the deal. “The logic and perception is that the process should take place in the nearest time. There’s been no signals indicating that Azerbaijan has abandoned its obligation. After all, this is an obligation assumed in a written form, in the present tense, that Azerbaijan is releasing 32 prisoners. I assume there are some organizational issues which are in process and we must expect it to happen in the nearest time,” Khandanyan said.
14:48, 13 December 2023
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. There’s been no change in the agreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan concerning the prisoner swap, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has said.
“There’s been no change in the agreements. As of this moment everything is proceeding according to the agreements. There were two components, the release of prisoners and the conference related to climate change. The conference officially ended yesterday, and today we can already expect the implementation of the second component. We have no grounds to say that Azerbaijan won’t adhere to the agreements,” Mirzoyan said.
Meanwhile, Azeri media reported that the prisoner exchange is expected on December 13.
Azerbaijan has to release 32 Armenian prisoners in exchange for Armenia's release of two Azerbaijani servicemen under the agreement.