Category: 2023

Starlink: Bringing High-Speed Internet to Armenia’s Remote Areas

Emil Lazarian
TIAN SHAN NET

Starlink, the satellite internet service provided by SpaceX, is now available in Armenia. This is great news for the people living in the remote areas of the country who have been struggling with slow and unreliable internet connections for years.

Armenia is a small country located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. It has a population of around 3 million people, and its economy is heavily dependent on agriculture and mining. The country has a high literacy rate, and its people are known for their entrepreneurial spirit. However, the lack of high-speed internet has been a major obstacle for the country’s development.

Starlink promises to change that. The service uses a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites to provide high-speed internet to even the most remote areas of the world. The satellites are much closer to the Earth than traditional geostationary satellites, which means that the latency is much lower, and the connection is more stable.

The service is still in beta testing, but it has already attracted a lot of attention from people all over the world. The initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with users reporting speeds of up to 150 Mbps. This is a significant improvement over the speeds offered by traditional internet service providers in Armenia, which are often less than 10 Mbps.

One of the main advantages of Starlink is that it can be set up quickly and easily. All you need is a Starlink kit, which includes a satellite dish, a modem, and a power supply. The dish is small and easy to install, and it can be placed on the roof of your house or in your backyard. Once the dish is set up, you just need to connect the modem to your computer or router, and you’re ready to go.

Another advantage of Starlink is that it is not affected by the terrain or the weather. Traditional internet service providers in Armenia often struggle to provide reliable service in the mountainous regions of the country, where the terrain can be challenging. Starlink, on the other hand, can provide high-speed internet to even the most remote areas, regardless of the terrain or the weather.

The cost of the service is also very competitive. The initial cost of the kit is around $500, which includes the satellite dish, the modem, and the power supply. The monthly subscription fee is around $99, which is comparable to the prices offered by traditional internet service providers in Armenia.

The availability of high-speed internet is a game-changer for Armenia. It will open up new opportunities for education, business, and communication. Students will be able to access online resources and participate in online classes. Entrepreneurs will be able to start and grow their businesses online. And families will be able to stay connected with their loved ones, no matter where they are in the world.

In conclusion, Starlink is a game-changer for Armenia. It is bringing high-speed internet to even the most remote areas of the country, and it is doing so at a competitive price. The service is easy to set up, reliable, and not affected by the terrain or the weather. This is great news for the people of Armenia, who have been struggling with slow and unreliable internet connections for years. With Starlink, they can finally join the digital age and take advantage of all the opportunities that come with it.

https://aboutxinjiang.com/starlink-in-armenia/

Iran-Armenia Trade Exchanges to Reach $3 Billion: Envoy

Mary Lazarian
TASNIM News Agency

Iran –


TEHRAN (Tasnim) –Iran’s trade exchanges with neighboring Armenia currently reached $700 million, Iran’s newly-appointed ambassador to Armenia said, adding that the volume of bilateral trade is targeted to reach $3 billion.

Speaking in a meeting with the governor general of Zanjan province on Thursday, Mehdi Sobhani stated that the expansion of relations with neighboring states is among the main foreign policy agendas of the administration of President Ebrahim Raisi.

Provinces can play a leading role in boosting the country’s economy, he emphasized.

Sobhani put the value of Iran’s exchanges of trade with Armenia at more than $700 million and reiterated that it is targeted to increase to $3 billion in the future.

Armenia is the gateway for Iran to enter a lucrative market of a 200-million population due to its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Iran’s new envoy stated, calling on Iranian producers to take advantage of opportunities created for them to get the lion’s share at this profitable market.  

Stressing the need to organize an exhibition of showcasing products of this province, Sobhani said that flourishing foreign trade will help boom production and generate employment in the country.

EU launches new ‘Youth in Action’ project in Armenia

Christine Harutyunian

On 12 June, the European Union and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Germany) in Yerevan launched a co-funded project, ‘Youth in Action: Youth Empowerment and Leadership Development in Armenia’.

The €2 million project will be implemented in cooperation with local partners – World Vision Armenia, Youth Initiatives Centre, and Media Initiatives Centre.

During the next three years, the project will focus on strengthening the leadership skills of young people, building the capacities of youth workers and youth civil society organisations (CSOs), and increasing youth media literacy.

EU Ambassador to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin said at the opening ceremony that the EU remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting youth projects in Armenia. ‘’Young people in Armenia possess immense energy, creativity, and passion, which makes them catalysts for positive social change and advocates for a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future,” said Andrea Wiktorin.

Find out more

Press release

https://euneighbourseast.eu/news/latest-news/eu-launches-new-youth-in-action-project-in-armenia/

Nagorno-Karabakh not under blockade, Azerbaijan insists

Varazdat Torgomian
POLITICO

Amid fears for the region’s Armenian population and bloody clashes on the shared border, Baku maintains concerns for free movement are misplaced.

BY GABRIEL GAVIN
YEREVAN — Azerbaijan says a new border post on the only road in or out of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh is open for civilians, dismissing concerns it could be an effort to cut its ethnic Armenian population off from the outside world.

Statistics compiled by Baku’s border service and seen by POLITICO record a total of 1,927 people passing through the checkpoint between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh since it opened in April, while more than a hundred cargo vehicles have been waved through in each direction.

The EU and U.S. have repeatedly warned that the installation of the checkpoint could trigger a “humanitarian crisis” in the war-torn region, as tensions flare across the former Soviet Union.

“As is demonstrated by free and unimpeded passage of Armenian residents, allegations the checkpoint prevents movement and is a ‘blockade’ are completely baseless,” said Aykhan Hajizade, spokesman for Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry.

Inside Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders, the area has been controlled by its Armenian population since a war that followed the collapse of the USSR. In 2020, Baku launched an offensive to take back swathes of land, leaving the region’s estimated 100,000 residents connected to Armenia by a sole highway, known as the Lachin corridor.

A Moscow-brokered cease-fire saw Russian peacekeepers deployed to oversee the road. However, Baku claims Armenia was using it to bring in weaponry and export resources. Last December, Azerbaijani activists, backed by the government, staged a sit-in on the Lachin corridor, preventing civilian traffic from passing.

Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenians have been dependent on Russian peacekeeper convoys and Red Cross aid workers to bring in supplies. The demonstrations ended in April after Azerbaijan installed the border post on the corridor.

Many of those using the checkpoint appear to have done so under escort by Russian peacekeepers or with the Red Cross. According to Yerevan, three people with registered addresses inside Armenia have been denied entry.

However, according to Tigran Grigoryan, a political analyst from Nagorno-Karabakh who heads Yerevan’s Regional Center for Democracy and Security, local Armenians are only crossing the border in emergencies.

“The majority of the population isn’t using it — it’s dangerous, nobody knows what will happen there. But it’s also a matter of principle — nobody in Karabakh wants to legitimize this new status quo,” he said.

Grigoryan believes local Armenians will be pressured to register for Azerbaijani passports. “For the majority of people, this is unacceptable. If the choice is to accept the passports or leave the territory, the majority of people will choose to leave.”

Armenia has claimed Azerbaijan’s efforts to tighten control over Nagorno-Karabakh could lead to “ethnic cleansing.” Yerevan has accepted Baku’s sovereignty over the region, but insists an international mechanism should be put in place to guarantee the rights of Armenians living there in peace talks mediated by the EU, U.S. and Russia.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, meanwhile, has said the region is an internal issue and any reference to it in a peace deal is “unacceptable.” He has offered “amnesty” to the Karabakh Armenian leadership, provided they accept being governed from Baku.

A series of bloody clashes on the shared border in recent days have left several injured on the Armenian side and reignited concerns over the prospect of a renewed conflict. On Thursday morning, Azerbaijan claimed the checkpoint itself had come under attack, leaving one border guard injured.

Later the same day, Artak Beglaryan, a senior Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian official, said that Russian peacekeepers and Red Cross convoys had been prevented from crossing through the checkpoint in the wake of the reported incident.

This article has been updated.


Armenia: Growing strawberries in the snow

Hovik Karapetian

Farmer Garegin Muradyan has been growing strawberries for 5-6 years in the village of Tavshut, in the Shirak region of Armenia, on a field that is covered only with a net, without the possibility of heating, without additional 'excesses.' He says he's doing well.

"At first, I didn't believe in the result either, but then I fell in love, started to love this business," says Garegin, who, until 2017, had never been involved in agriculture. He says that last season he harvested about 1.6 tons of strawberries from one hectare of land, which he sold or distributed, "except for the ones we ate," he jokes.

However, in Armenia's agricultural sector, successful people like Muradyan are more often the exception than the rule. Such success seems beyond reach to many of those working in agriculture due to the need for financial investments, infrastructure, and weather conditions.

Vardan Khachatryan, who runs a greenhouse in the village of Khoronk in the Armavir region, says planting strawberries wouldn't work for them. And the problem is access to water, with no irrigation system and not enough money to install his own.

In Khachatryan's case, the greenhouse is a source of income. But Martun Vardanyan from the village of Lernakert in the Shirak region uses his land to grow crops for his family. He also adds cold weather as a problem specific to their village. Lernakert is located on the slopes of Aragats in a mountainous area.

https://www.hortidaily.com/article/9536363/armenia-growing-strawberries-in-the-snow/

Sports: Crew’s Lucas Zelarayan scores twice in Armenia’s upset win in Wales

Albert Nalbandian
COLUMBUS CREW

by: Orri Benatar



CARDIFF, Wales (WCMH) — The Columbus Crew’s superstar attacking midfielder put together his first dominant performance on the international stage on Friday afternoon.

Lucas Zelarayan is spending the week with the Armenian national team and was the man of the match in the team’s huge upset win 4-2 over Wales in Cardiff. The Black & Gold’s No. 10 scored his first two international goals and provided an assist in the nation’s second game in the UEFA Euro qualifiers.

Homophobic chants force US-Mexico soccer match to end early in Las Vegas

The 30-year-old was born in Argentina but decided in 2021 to represent Armenia after being invited to represent the European nation. Zelarayan is of Armenian descent through his father and all soccer players are allowed to switch which country they represent in international play one time.

Zelarayan and Armenia will host Latvia on Monday in its last qualifying game until September. The top two teams in Armenia’s group will qualify for next summer’s European Championships in Germany. Armenia, Wales, and Latvia are in a group with Turkey and Croatia.

He is expected to be back with the Crew for the team’s June 24 home match against Nashville SC at Lower.com Field.


Sports: Euro 2024 qualifying: Wales humiliated 4-2 at home by Armenia

Maral Takmazian
UK –
Euro 2024 qualifying: Wales humiliated 4-2 at home by Armenia
By Dafydd PritchardBBC Sport Wales at Cardiff City Stadium

Wales suffered one of their most embarrassing and damaging defeats in recent memory as they lost at home to Armenia in a chaotic and foul-tempered Euro 2024 qualifier.

The hosts seemed to be on course for a comfortable evening when Daniel James fired them in front from Brennan Johnson's low cross, but the home crowd were soon silenced by an exquisite volley from Armenia's Lucas Zelaryan.

There were then gasps of disbelief as Grant-Leon Ranos was given the freedom of the Cardiff City Stadium to head the visitors – 71 places below Wales in the world rankings – into a first-half lead which was as deserved as it was shocking.

Wales had several chances to equalise but their wasteful finishing was punished after the break as Ranos hit a fine first-time shot from the edge of the area to send Armenia's small contingent of travelling fans into raptures.

Harry Wilson pulled a goal back for Wales with a little under 20 minutes remaining, only for Zelarayan to curl in a superb second to restore Armenia's two-goal advantage.

  • Chaos in Cardiff – match reaction and analysis
  • The state of play in Euro 2024 qualifying

Any hopes Wales had of salvaging something from this game were then dealt another blow when striker Kieffer Moore was sent off for an off-the-ball clash with Armenian goalkeeper Ognjen Chancharevich.

That final calamity set the seal on a nightmarish evening for Wales, who squandered the chance to go top of Group D with previous leaders Croatia instead in Nations League action.

Rob Page and his Wales players must now try to recover from this humiliation in time for Monday's trip to face new leaders Turkey, touted by many as their closest rivals for qualification behind group favourites Croatia.

Wales were heavily criticised for last year's World Cup, where their first appearance at the tournament since 1958 was spoiled by three dismal performances which saw them knocked out in the group stage.

A promising start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign in March – drawing in Croatia and beating Latvia at home – seemed to suggest Wales had purged themselves of their experience in Qatar, but this display against Armenia suggested otherwise.

It could, or more pertinently should, have been straightforward. Within 10 minutes, the pace of Johnson and James overwhelmed Armenia as they combined to put Wales ahead.

Instead of seizing control of the match from that point, however, Wales surrendered it.

Armenia's first goal was a gem, Zelarayan's sweet volley the kind that you could write off as just one of those things, a moment of individual class – even if Wales' defenders were sloppy in tracking their runners.

But there was no justifying the second. Joe Rodon tried carrying the ball out of defence but lost it carelessly and then his colleagues did nothing to reduce the masses of space afforded Ranos to head in.

Wales did not learn their lesson. As players rushed forward in the desperate hope of getting themselves back into this game, they instead fell further behind as Ranos struck again.

The porous Welsh midfield practically invited their Armenian opponents into their penalty area, while the home defence was passive and, at times, statuesque.

But it is not only the players who should shoulder the responsibility for this horror show.

Just as he did against the United States and Iran at the World Cup, Page got this game horribly wrong.

Wales still have five games left to revive their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 but this result could have long-lasting and serious ramifications for Page and his players.

While Wales wallow in the humiliation of this result, Armenia can bask in the afterglow of one of their greatest victories.

They had lost nine of their previous 10 competitive matches, conceding 29 goals in the process and sliding down to 97 in the world rankings.

In Cardiff, however, they made a mockery of those statistics, harrying their opponents and counter-attacking astutely.

Their goals were no flukes. Indeed, they could have scored more and, apart from the occasional wayward shot, the visitors' finishing was supreme.

This was also a moment to savour for their manager Oleksandr Petrakov, who had stood by the same touchline a year ago as his then Ukraine side were beaten by Wales in their World Cup play-off final.

The pain of that rain-soaked Sunday afternoon may now have eased for Petrakov, while the jubilation of World Cup qualification seems like a distant memory for Wales.

  • Line-ups
  • Match Stats
  • Live Text
Home TeamWalesAway TeamArmenia
Possession
Home56%
Away44%
Shots
Home18
Away11
Shots on Target
Home5
Away4
Corners
Home2
Away3
Fouls
Home4
Away8

Sports: Wales left with plenty to prove after painful throwback defeat to Armenia [+Links]

Emil Lazarian
Ben Fisher



Home loss to team ranked 97th in the world adds to poor run of form making Monday’s game in Turkey feel make-or-break

The inquest into Wales’s humbling by Armenia began in earnest on Saturday morning, a few hours before an afternoon flight to Samsun, the Turkish city on the Black Sea where suddenly it all feels rather make or break when it comes to qualifying for Euro 2024.

The grave mood in the stands at full time in Cardiff, as the remnants of a sold-out crowd wondered whether they had inadvertently been teleported back to the bruising days when Wales were nestled below Guatemala and Guyana in the Fifa rankings, married with what is now a bleak forecast.

In recent years Wales have never had it so good, but Friday provided an unwanted and brutal throwback to more testing times. The nation has simply, owing to the team’s unprecedented recent success, come to expect much better.

The last time Wales conceded more than three goals in a competitive home game a 17-year-old left-back by the name of Gareth Bale scored his first of 41 goals for his country, a stunning free-kick in a 5-1 defeat by Slovakia.

In isolation, being picked off 4-2 at home to Armenia is unquestionably one of the worst results this millennium for Wales but burrow a little deeper and the cold reality is that it had been coming. Since qualifying for the World Cup 12 months ago, via a deflected Bale free-kick, they have won one of their 11 matches.

A blinding result in Split in March, when Nathan Broadhead salvaged a 1-1 draw with Croatia on debut with Wales’s only shot on target, in the third minute of second-half stoppage time, masked a poor performance. Wales edged past Latvia a few days later and at that point all appeared dandy.

Perhaps that was what Rob Page, the Wales manager, was getting at when he said everybody was getting starry-eyed as he tried to explain the humiliating defeat. Page insists Wales did not underestimate their opponents and before the game Aaron Ramsey, the Wales captain, alluded to the goal Armenia scored in defeat to Turkey in March as evidence of how they can hurt teams.

As Wales discovered to their detriment. Ramsey spoke of a streetwise side who would likely sit in a low block and prove awkward opponents but Armenia were not plucky winners. They were strong and sharp, incisively carving Wales open time and again, and scored four fine goals.

The thing is, should anyone really have been surprised? A quick sift through Wales’s team is a revealing exercise. Of the starting lineup only Ben Davies and Harry Wilson finished the season as first-choice starters in the Premier League. The goalkeeper Danny Ward lost his place at relegated Leicester and the centre-backs Chris Mepham and Joe Rodon spent much of last season playing second fiddle at Bournemouth and Rennes, respectively.

Ethan Ampadu, fresh from suffering the third relegation of his career, as Spezia tumbled into Serie B last Sunday, was fighting a losing battle at the base of midfield alongside Ramsey, who was easily bypassed. Daniel James will be in the Championship with Leeds next year. And let’s not forget this is Page’s first senior manager role since being sacked by Northampton.

Of course, if Wales beat Turkey on Monday, the picture will not look anywhere near as bleak. Page knows Wales need a win to repair the damage. “If we win, we go back into a position of power,” said the winger David Brooks, who was given a standing ovation as he came on against Armenia for his first Wales appearance in two years after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma.

“I think people will be starting to doubt us, but we have got to go and try and put in a performance to prove all those people wrong. We all want to get to a major tournament, so nothing has changed.”

Page maintained afterwards that this is a team in transition in the post-Bale era. That much is true. Brennan Johnson, who laid on James’s opener, is surely Wales’s most exciting talent, while the 18-year-olds Luke Harris and Jordan James, of Fulham and Birmingham, respectively, will likely be integrated in the coming months.

It is too easy to point to the absence of Bale as a factor in Wales’s return to type, not least because by the end he was in effect a mannequin. Nevertheless, Bale unmistakably carried Wales at times and came to the fore when his country needed him most. Was the harrowing Armenia episode a one-off or is this what Wales are now? Time will tell.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jun/17/wales-euro-2024-qualifying-turkey-armenia

ALSO READ OTHER REPORTS:
Wales stunned by Armenia in Euro blow – Times of India (indiatimes.com)
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/wales-stunned-by-armenia-in-euro-blow/articleshow/101059111.cms?from=mdr
Wales’s embarrassing defeat by Armenia puts pressure on Rob Page (thetimes.co.uk)
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/waless-embarrassing-defeat-by-armenia-puts-pressure-on-rob-page-t59ngqs70
Wales 2-4 Armenia: Kieffer Moore sent off in chaotic Euro 2024 qualifier as Wales flounder | Football News | Sky Sports
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/19692/12902359/wales-2-4-armenia-kieffer-moore-sent-off-in-chaotic-euro-2024-qualifier-as-wales-flounder
Euro 2024 qualifying: Wales humiliated 4-2 at home by Armenia – BBC Sport
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/65852138
Wales 2-4 Armenia: Rob Page's side slump to a shock home defeat in Euro qualifiers | Daily Mail Online
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12204477/Wales-2-4-Armenia-Rob-Pages-slump-shock-home-defeat-Euro-qualifiers.html
Euro 2024 qualifiers: Wales stunned by Armenia as Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland both lose
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/euro-2024-qualifiers-wales-republic-of-ireland-results-b1088461.html
Cymru shocked by Armenia – FAW
https://faw.cymru/news/cymru-shocked-by-armenia/
"It really shocked me," says Wales manager Robert Page after 4-2 loss to Armenia (aninews.in)
https://www.aninews.in/news/sports/football/it-really-shocked-me-says-wales-manager-robert-page-after-4-2-loss-to-armenia20230617133037/
Humiliation as Wales lose 4-2 to Armenia | ITV News Wales
https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2023-06-17/humiliation-as-wales-lose-4-2-to-armenia
Wales manager Robert Page says Euro 2024 loss to Armenia 'nowhere near' good enough – BBC Sport
https://www.bbc.com/sport/av/football/65939577
Highlights: Wales 2-4 Armenia | Highlights | European Qualifiers | UEFA.com
https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/video/highlights/0282-1845f6175608-292cfa1aab70-1000–highlights-wales-2-4-armenia/
Wales 2-4 Armenia: Hosts condemned to embarrassing defeat on dark night for Rob Page
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/wales-armenia-final-score-report-27139076
Wales 2 Armenia 4: Rob Page's boys booed off after first Euro Qualifier home defeat for TWELVE years | The Sun
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/22723484/wales-2-armenia-4-rob-page-euro-qualifier/
Dirty goalkeeping keeps Armenia ahead
https://www.herald.wales/national-news/dirty-goalkeeping-keeps-armenia-ahead-moore-should-not-have-been-sent-off/
Wales 2-4 Armenia: Rob Page's side suffer a shock home defeat (msn.com)
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/football/wales-2-4-armenia-rob-page-s-side-suffer-a-shock-home-defeat/ar-AA1cEN76
Euro 2024 qualifying: Armenia defeat a 'slap' Wales need, says boss Rob Page – BBC Sport
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/65930879
Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifying defeat to Armenia a necessary ‘slap’ – boss Rob Page | The Independent
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/armenia-wales-rob-page-turkey-latvia-b2359311.html
Alexander Peters: I want to reduce the importance of the Armenian victory? – Game News 24 (game-news24.com)
https://game-news24.com/2023/06/16/alexander-peters-i-want-to-reduce-the-importance-of-the-armenian-victory/
Watch columbus midfielder's two golazos in Armenia
https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/96458/watch-columbus-midfielders-two-golazos-in-armeni.html

Sports: Wales 2-4 Armenia: Hosts condemned to embarrassing defeat on dark night for Rob Page

Kajoyan Gevork
Wales online
UK –

Wales fell to a chastening home defeat to Armenia at Cardiff City Stadium on Friday night

Wales suffered arguably one of their lowest days of the Rob Page era after going down to a shock 4-2 defeat at the hands of Armenia at Cardiff City Stadium – their first home defeat in a European Championship qualifying campaign for 12 years.

A well-taken goal from Daniel James after 10 minutes, his sixth in a Wales shirt, looked to have set the hosts up nicely in front of a sell-out crowd, but they were pegged back just a few moments later when Lucas Zelarayan turned home.

And the Red Wall was silenced just after the half-hour mark, as Grant-Leon Ranos ghosted his way into the box to power a header past Danny Ward.

READ MORE: Wales player ratings vs Armenia as defenders have shockers and Moore sees red on horrible night

Ranos was on hand again to fire home just after the break as things skipped bad, worse, and straight to disastrous for Wales.

Harry Wilson did offer some glimmer of hope by stabbing home a few moments later, but any slither of a comeback was quickly extinguished when Zelarayan curled home his second of the night, after Ranos had previously struck the post.

It's the first time Wales have tasted defeat in a home European Championship qualifier since going down at the hands of England in 2011, and the shocked expressions on the Wales bench told all you needed to know about what was, in the end, an utterly wretched performance.

As too did Kieffer Moore's late red card. The striker was dismissed late on for kicking out at Ognjen Chancharevich

Wales will know they have to offer up an acceptable response when they travel to Turkey on Monday, but this performance will undoubtedly go down as a damaging one in terms of their Euro 2024 hopes, although it's important not to take too much away from Armenia, who in contrast were excellent.

Page made two changes from the side that triumphed over Latvia last time out, with Brennan Johnson drafted in as part of a hugely attacking line-up against a side many would, to be frank, have expected to beat comfortably.

It initially looked like a long night for the visitors, as Moore had an early header deflected wide, and at first Armenia couldn't live with the towering Bournemouth striker.

But it was James, so often Moore's supporting artist, who put Wales in front.

Armenia were convinced they should have had a free-kick following Joe Rodon's admittedly robust challenge in the middle of the park, but their protests fell on deaf ears as Ethan Ampadu's perfectly weighted pass found Johnson, and he cut back a low ball for the onrushing James to sweep home.

Delight for the Red Wall, but the visitors showed little sign of rolling over at Cardiff City Stadium.

Eduard Spertsyan sent a stooping header just wide as his side came close to an almost instant response, and Wales failed to heed that warning.

A nicely worked move saw Nair Tiknizyan gallop away down the left, and found Zelarayan inside what felt like a chasm of space inside the Wales box, with the resulting near-post finish leaving Danny Ward with no chance.

Wales showed frustratingly little interest in pressing a lively Armenian front three during what would turn out to be one of the most horrific opening 45 minutes of football of the Page era.

Zelarayan, 10 minutes after restoring parity, was once again afforded too much time in the edge of the box after Rodon had been dispossessed, and curled in an inviting cross between Ben Davies and Chris Mepham for Ranos to head home.

Another defensive horror show, but at the other end, Wales did cause problems, with the palms of visiting goalkeeper Ognjen Chancharevich enough to keep out Johnson's rasping drive on the edge of the box.

But defensively, Wales remained alarmingly shaky. Connor Roberts, not for the first time, was turned inside out by Tiknizyan on the left, who teed up for Ranos to feed Barseghyan on the edge of the box.

Thankfully, his effort curled wide.

Moore then warmed the palms of the keeper with a low drive at the other end, before Rodon glanced a header agonisingly wide.

Rodon missed the target with his head again five minutes after the break, failing to keep his effort down following Wilson's teasing free-kick.

Artak Dashyan then went up the other end to drill a low effort wide moments later, but the visitors would soon increase their advantage, and deservedly so it has to be said.

Another defensive mishap saw Ranos latch onto a simple ball over the top of the back line, and he then applied a smart finish.

The introduction of Brooks from the bench, his first appearance since his recovery from cancer, provided a brief moment of positivity, and when Wilson stabbed home, some may have felt a comeback was on the cards.

Ranos had other ideas, mind. Indeed, he would have had a hat-trick were it not for the post, but Armenia would eventually put the game to bed 15 minutes from time.

Joe Morrell was dispossessed too easily by Ugocgukwu Iwu, who then fed Zelarayan, and he curled an impressive effort into the top corner.

Moore was then dismissed for kicking out at the keeper during a scramble in the box just moments later.

A miserable night for Page, who will understandably face criticism for this performance, most notably for being too slow to change a system that clearly wasn't working. How he responds will now be the most important thing.

The boos at full time mean Monday's clash in Turkey just got much, much bigger.

Wales: Ward; Roberts, Rodon, Mepham, Davies; Ampadu, Ramsey (c) (Morrell 67); James (Broadhead 82), Wilson (Bradshaw 83), Johnson (Brooks 71); Moore

Subs n/u: Hennessey, A. Davies, Fox, N.Williams, Harris, J.James, Cabango, Cullen

Armenia: Chancharevich; Dashyan, Calisir (Haroyan 62), Arutiunian, Mkrtchyan; Iwu, Spertsyan (c), Tiknizyan; Barseghyan (Bichakhchyan 63), Zelarayan (Briasco 76), Ranos (Serobyan 88)

Subs: Buchnev, Beglaryan, Shaghoyan, Davidyan, Margaryan, Harutyunyan, Wbeymar, Piloyan

"The shelling of the Lachin checkpoint creates difficulties for the Karabakh Armenians." Review from Baku

Elizabeth Jabejian
  • JAMnews
  • Baku

Tensions on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border

Armed clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan along the border in different directions, which lasted two days, worried the US State Department. Azerbaijani experts believe that the shelling of the Lachin border crossing “first of all creates difficulties for the Armenians living in Karabakh, so all their claims should be addressed to Armenia.”

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On June 15, shooting took place between the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan in different directions of the state border.

The first tension occurred yesterday at about 9 am in the area of the Lachin border crossing. An Azerbaijani border guard was wounded.

According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, on the night of June 16, units of the Armenian Armed Forces periodically fired at the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of the settlement of Galakend in the Gadabay region, as well as in the direction of the Shushi region from illegal armed groups located in Karabakh.

I was indicated that already in the morning, units of the Armenian Armed Forces from the positions of the settlement of Arazdeyan (Yeraskh) fired at the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of the settlement of Heydarabad of the Sadarak region of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.

“The units of the Azerbaijani army are taking retaliatory measures,” the information says.

The Armenian Defense Ministry issued a response information that the Azerbaijani side fired at the Armenian positions in the Yeraskh direction.

As always, the sides blame each other for the tension.

Azerbaijani political observer Farhad Mammadov analyzes similarities in the positions of Azerbaijan and Armenia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has issued a statement which says:

“This military provocation, along with aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, is aimed at preventing the successful operation of the border checkpoint, the safe, free and unhindered passage of Armenian residents, as well as the movement along the Lachin road.

The military provocation of Armenia, which cannot stomach the free movement of Armenian residents through the checkpoint, is a clear example of the fact that Armenia is not interested in establishing relations with Azerbaijan and in the peace process.”

Pashinyan’s statement – “The territory of Azerbaijan with an area of 86,600 square meters. km includes Nagorno-Karabakh.”

The US State Department also responded:

“We are deeply concerned that the shooting along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border near Lachin has resulted in injuries to personnel,” spokesman Matt Miller told TURAN’s Washington correspondent.

“We reaffirm our statement that the parties must refrain from hostilities along the border and free and open transit through the Lachin corridor must be restored as the parties work towards a lasting and dignified peace agreement. We look forward to meeting the parties soon.”

Russian media, citing a “diplomatic source”, reported that Washington is forcing representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh to agree to a meeting with the Azerbaijani side.

This happened a day after Yerevan reported the incident near the border with Nakhichevan. Two Indian citizens were wounded at a steel plant being built in Armenia with US investment.

“We are deeply concerned that two civilian employees of a US-affiliated company in Armenia were injured as a result of shelling from Azerbaijan,” Matthew Miller wrote on Twitter.

Aykhan Hajizadeh, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, responded on Twitter: “We reject unfounded allegations of harassment of civilians at a metallurgical plant under construction in Armenia. As usual, this is yet another invention of Armenia to mislead and divert attention from their military provocations and the negative cross-border impact of the plant.”

“The violation of the ceasefire in Lachin is aimed precisely at striking a blow to the reintegration process. Because the process of integrating our Armenian citizens into Azerbaijani society is on the agenda. Secondly, on the 14th, the second big stage of the process of returning to Lachin began. They operate on the principle of “it is necessary to scare the returning population.”

This opinion was expressed by the press secretary of the Center for Social Research (CSR), political observer Aziz Alibayli.

“They want to provoke Azerbaijan with this. In this sense, after the shelling of the Lachin border checkpoint, we see that the time has come for an anti-terrorist operation,” he added.

After the ultimatum speech of Ilham Aliyev, events around the part of Karabakh where Russian peacekeepers are stationed are developing rapidly

According to the head of the Atlas research center Elkhan Shahinoglu, the provocation of the Armenian army at the Lachin border crossing caused damage primarily to the Karabakh Armenians:

“Armenians can leave and return from Karabakh through this checkpoint. As a result of the provocation, the checkpoint temporarily stopped its activities. As a result, the Armenians cannot use the crossing. After the checkpoint resumes its work, if there is another provocation, the border will be closed again. This will create difficulties for the Armenians of Karabakh, their patients will not be able to travel to Armenia, and the supply of food will be stopped. Therefore, all the claims of the Karabakh Armenians regarding today’s incident should be addressed to the military of Armenia.”

Former Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Tofik Zulfugarov believes that the events that took place at the Lachin border crossing once again show that Armenia will constantly escalate tension in the region, arranging provocations.

“The Armenian side, as always, sends certain signals to the international community, escalating tension in one way or another. The goal is to get some sort of offer of political support amid tensions. Now they are working on this tactic. Provocations at the border also speak of this. With its response, Azerbaijan wants to show that such provocations will cost dearly, first of all, to Armenia. In order to distance them from these provocations, I think that a strategy of tough steps should be applied there – a kind of Israeli strategy,” Zulfugarov said.