Category: 2023

3,000-year-old bakery — still covered in flour — unearthed in Armenia, photos show

Lilit Nahapetian
Aspen Pflughoeft

Digging into the ruins of a large building in Armenia, archaeologists noticed something unusual. Pressed into the brown dirt was a layer of some dusty, white substance.

Initially, archaeologists at the Metsamor archaeological site thought the ashy material was just that: ashes, Science in Poland said in a May 12 news release. The substance was found scattered across the ruins of a large building with several furnaces.

The explanation made sense — at least at first glance.

But after testing the material, researchers realized it was actually preserved ancient flour, the excavation’s lead archaeologist Krzysztof Jakubiak told Science in Poland. Flour is rarely found at archaeological sites, but several sacks worth of flour were unearthed at the ruins, he said.

The unusual find led archaeologists to identify the ruined structure as a 3,000-year-old large-scale bakery, the release said.

Close up showing some of the white, dusty flour scattered at the ruins.

The massive structure was used from the end of the 11th century B.C. until the beginning of the 9th century B.C., archaeologists said. Initially, it functioned as a public building. Later, furnaces were added, and the building took on an economic role as a place where people likely used wheat flour to bake bread.

Eventually, the structure collapsed due to a fire, the release said.

When archaeologists began excavations of the structure, they identified it as a public building, according to a 2022 news release from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw.

Still, the entire building has not yet been excavated and may hold more secrets for archaeologists to uncover, the release said.

A view of the bakery ruins. Some of the flour can be seen in the lower righthand section of the structure.

The structure is in a portion of the Metsamor archaeological site known as the lower city, experts said. The lower city is outside the site’s main fortification network.

Metsamor is about 20 miles southwest of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, and near the border with Turkey. The city was continuously inhabited from the 4th millennium B.C. until the 17th century, the release said.

The site’s ancient inhabitants remain a mysterious group of people. Archaeologists don’t know much about them except that they had no written language. Excavations of the oldest part of Metsamor — a walled settlement with a necropolis or cemetery — uncovered about 100 burials.

Many of these tombs were empty, having been looted at some point, but one couple’s untouched tomb contained several gold pendants and about 100 jewelry beads.

Metsamor expanded into a larger fortress surrounded by seven temple sanctuaries between the 11th and 9th centuries B.C. — about the same period as when the bakery was used, the release said. The city emerged as an economic, cultural and political center for the region.

Eventually, the city was conquered in the 8th century B.C. and became part of the Urartu kingdom, archaeologists said.

Excavations of Metsamor began in 1965 and are ongoing. The joint Polish-Armenian excavations began in 2013.

Google Translate was used to translate news releases from Science in Poland and the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw.

https://news.yahoo.com/3-000-old-bakery-still-203515856.html

AW: The people of Artsakh rally against ethnic cleansing, mark three historic events

Emil Lazarian
 Siranush Sargsyan News 2

Stepanakert, May 9, 2023

STEPANAKERT—The people of Artsakh commemorated a triple holiday – Victory Day, the Liberation of Shushi and the founding of the Artsakh Defense Army – as they continue to live under the extreme conditions of the almost five-month-long blockade by Azerbaijan. The crisis created by the blockade deepened when Azerbaijan set up a checkpoint on April 23 at the Hagari River bridge, leaving Artsakh in a double blockade.

“Today again, national unity has become the imperative of the day. We have no right to hesitate or step back. There is only one way. Artsakh was, is and should be Armenian, with the free will of its people and the right and determination to manage their own destiny,” said Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan in a speech on the occasion of Victory Day on May 9. “The efforts of all of us, in Artsakh, Armenia and the Diaspora, should serve this purpose. We should rediscover and cherish the mystery and spirit of the victorious Triple Holiday as a guideline for our lives,” Harutyunyan continued.

On the morning of May 9, a requiem service was held at the Holy Mother of God Cathedral of Stepanakert for the repose of souls of the martyred during the Great Patriotic War, the first Artsakh war, the April and 44-day wars. A prayer of peace was offered after the requiem service. Under the leadership of the clergy of the diocese, the people united in the church and prayed for peace for Armenia and Artsakh.

A requiem service was held at the Holy Mother of God Cathedral of Stepanakert, May 9, 2023

After the requiem service, a cross procession continued from the church to the memorial center of Stepanakert to inspire young people with previous victories.

Cross procession

They chanted “No to the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh,” “Glory to the Artsakh Defense Army” and “Glory to the Republic of Artsakh.” Many participants held pictures of martyred heroes.

Many participants held pictures of martyred heroes.

At noon the same day, a mass rally was organized in Stepanakert’s Renaissance Square by the group who initiated the “No to the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh” petition.

The rally began with a moment of silence in honor to the martyred heroes. Rev. Father Gyurjian of the Artsakh Diocese; Ruben Vardanyan, co-founder of “We Are Our Mountains”; former Minister of State Carmen Avetisyan, a participant in the three Artsakh Wars; and youth organizers of the “No to the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh” offered remarks. 

Avetisyan explained how his generation did what some people thought was impossible. “There are no unsolvable problems; there is a lack of great desire and great faith. We won because we were united, because everyone took responsibility for tomorrow, for our statehood, for the survival of our homeland, for the existence of our people,” Avetisyan said.

Former state minister Vardanyan said that Azerbaijan crossed the red line by setting up a checkpoint on April 23. He said the people’s response should be to struggle, because there is no other option, because this does not lead to reintegration, but to reoccupation. “We have a goal that was established in 1988 – to have a free, safe, happy and Armenian Artsakh, and that goal has not changed. We will solve the issues related to our security and the future of our homeland,” Vardanyan emphasized. He also appealed to all Armenians to add their signatures to the petition initiated by the youth of Artsakh.

So far, 120,000 signatures have been collected on paper and online with the demand to unblock Artsakh. This petition will be transferred to the Republic of Artsakh government, the embassies of the Russian Federation, the United States and France, as well as the UN Armenian office in Yerevan.

“We demand the application of all international mechanisms to ensure the terms of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement, as well as the implementation of the UN International Court of Justice ruling,” reads the petition.

The people of Artsakh continue to reaffirm their right to live freely, safely and independently in their homeland. They are demonstrating that Artsakh is not surrendering and that they are determined to continue their struggle. 

Stepanakert, May 9, 2023

  •  Bio
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Siranush Sargsyan is a freelance journalist based in Stepanakert.


US Says Armenia, Azerbaijan Should Seize ‘Peaceful Solution’ After Clashes

Anna Tamamian
BARRON'S
  • FROM AFP NEWS
By AFP – Agence France Presse

The United States, which recently held talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, urges the two nations to seize peace initiatives after fresh clashes. SOUNDBITE

The Barron's news department was not involved in the creation of the content above. This story was produced by AFP. For more information go to AFP.com.

Watch the video:

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 05/11/2023

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Thursday, 


Heavy Fighting Again Reported On Armenian-Azeri Border (UPDATED)


Azerbaijani (L) and Armenian army posts by the Sotk gold mine in Armenia's 
Gegharkunik province, June 18, 2021/


Armenia accused Azerbaijan of trying to derail ongoing peace talks after heavy 
fighting broke out at a section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border early on 
Thursday.

The Armenian Defense Ministry said Azerbaijani forces began shelling its 
positions near the border village of Sotk at 6 a.m. local time and four Armenian 
soldiers were wounded as a result. Armenian army units are taking “appropriate 
defensive-preventive measures” in response, said the ministry spokesman, Aram 
Torosian.

The intensity of the fighting eased after 10 a.m. and the situation at the 
border section was “relatively stable” early in the afternoon, Torosian reported 
afterwards.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry blamed the Armenian side for the ceasefire 
violation. It said that Armenian troops seriously wounded an Azerbaijani soldier 
overnight before opening mortar fire at Azerbaijani army positions in the 
mountainous area. Another Azerbaijani serviceman was killed in the morning 
skirmishes, according to the ministry.

Tensions in the area have run high for the past month. Armenia’s largest gold 
mine located near Sotk halted production operations in mid-April due to what its 
management and workers described as cross-border Azerbaijani gunfire. The 
village sustained heavy damage during more large-scale clashes that broke out at 
this and other border sections last September.

The latest escalation came just three days before talks between Armenian Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev which European 
Council President Charles Michel is due to host in Brussels.

Pashinian claimed that Baku’s “provocative” actions are aimed at torpedoing the 
upcoming summit and “nullifying progress” made by the Armenian and Azerbaijani 
foreign ministers during marathon talks held outside Washington last week.

“Experience shows that Azerbaijan needs the negotiation process only to get an 
escalation and an excuse for war,” he charged during a weekly cabinet meeting in 
Yerevan.

At the same time, Pashinian said that he still intends to fly to Brussels for 
the planned trilateral meeting with Aliyev and Michel. He went on to stress that 
they are unlikely to sign an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty.

For its part, the Armenian Foreign Ministry accused Baku of trying to “exert 
pressure on Armenia” through the use of force.




EU Reaffirms Follow-Up Meeting Between Aliyev, Pashinian

        • Heghine Buniatian

Belgium - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President 
Ilham Aliyev begin talks in Brussels, August 31, 2022.


The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to meet not only in Brussels 
on Sunday but also in Moldova on June 1 in the presence of French President 
Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the European Union insisted 
on Thursday.

The Brussels meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will be hosted by European Council President 
Charles Michel.

Michel’s office announced on Monday that Aliyev and Pashinian will also hold 
follow-up talks together with Macron and Scholz on the sidelines of a European 
summit in Moldova’s capital Chisinau slated for June 1.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman, Aykhan Hajizade, said on Thursday 
that there is still no “final decision” on the Chisinau summit. He said Baku 
wants to make sure that the four-party talks do not replace the “Brussels 
format.”

Michel’s spokesman, Barend Leyts, insisted, however, that Sunday’s summit in 
Brussels “will be flanked by a meeting in Chisinau” to be attended by Macron and 
Scholz.

“Following ongoing contacts with all sides, we have confirmed a political 
commitment to these meetings and plan to convene them,” Leyts told RFE/RL’s 
Armenian Service.

The planned Armenian-Azerbaijani summits will follow marathon talks held by the 
foreign ministers of the two South Caucasus states outside Washington last week. 
The U.S.-mediated talks focused on an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty. 
According to the U.S. State Department, the ministers “made significant progress 
in addressing difficult issues.”




Karabakh Patients Evacuated By Russian Peacekeepers


Azerbaijani troops are setting up a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor, April 23, 
2023.


Russian peacekeeping forces on Thursday transported nine critically ill 
residents of Nagorno-Karabakh to hospitals in Armenia at the request of the 
authorities in Stepanakert.

Such medical evacuations were carried out until this month by the International 
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC stopped them on April 29 six days 
after Azerbaijan set up a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor, further tightening 
its blockade of the sole road connecting Karabakh to Armenia.

According to Karabakh authorities, Baku wants to impose passport controls on 
Karabakh patients and Red Cross staff passing through the corridor.

The authorities said that because of “the obstacles created by the Azerbaijani 
side” they asked the Russian peacekeepers to “transfer patients in urgent need 
to Armenian medical institutions in order to save their lives.”

Twenty-one other Karabakh patients are now awaiting evacuation, the health 
ministry in Stepanakert said, adding that Karabakh doctors are “taking every 
possible measure to prevent further deterioration of their health.”

Azerbaijan claims that its checkpoint was set up to stop the transfer of weapons 
from Armenia to Karabakh.

The Armenian side has strongly denied any arms supplies and accused Baku of 
another gross violation of a Russian-brokered agreement that stopped the 2020 
Armenian-Azerbaijani war. Russia and the United States have also criticized 
Baku’s move.




Saudi Airline To Launch Flights To Armenia


SAUDI ARABIA -- Saudi women roll their suitcases at the departure hall of the 
Jeddah Airport, August 6, 2019


A Saudi airline will reportedly launch first-ever commercial flights to Armenia 
next month in another sign of rapprochement between the two states that have no 
diplomatic relations.

Senior executives of Flynas, Saudi Arabia’s first low-cost carrier headquartered 
in Riyadh, visited Yerevan and met with the head of the Armenian government’s 
Tourism Committee, Sisian Boghossian, on Thursday.

“Flynas will be launching direct flights from Saudi Arabia to Armenia in June 
2023,” the committee announced in a statement on the meeting.

It said that the two sides discussed “opportunities for cooperation in the 
tourism sectors of Armenia and Saudi Arabia.”

Saudi Arabia has for decades refused to establish diplomatic relations with 
Armenia due to its conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. The 
oil-rich kingdom signaled a change in that policy after its relations with 
Armenia’s arch-foe and Azerbaijan’s ally Turkey deteriorated significantly 
several years ago.

Saudi Arabia - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman talks to Armenian 
President Armen Sarkissian during the Future Investment Initiative forum in 
Riyadh, October 26, 2021.

The policy change was highlighted in October 2021 by then Armenian President 
Armen Sarkissian’s visit to Riyadh. Sarkissian sat next to Saudi Arabia’s de 
facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, at the opening ceremony of an 
international conference held there.

Saudi Arabia signaled more overtures to Yerevan in February 2022 when its 
Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Armenian counterpart 
Ararat Mirzoyan held talks on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in 
Germany. It was the first-ever face-to-face meeting of the top diplomats of the 
two countries.

Armenia subsequently voiced support for Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the Expo 2030 
world fair. It remains unclear, however, whether Riyadh is now ready for a full 
normalization of Saudi-Armenian relations.

Armenia maintains cordial relations with other Gulf Arab monarchies, notably the 
United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Both nations have embassies in Yerevan.


Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

"The agreements reached in Washington will be confirmed in Moscow." Comment from Baku

Greg Madatian
  • JAMnews
  • BAKU
  • Peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan

The next two rounds of peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia are expected. On May 14, the leaders of the two countries will meet in Brussels through the mediation of the head of the Council of the European Union, Charles Michel, and on May 19 the heads of the foreign affairs agencies of Azerbaijan and Armenia will meet in Moscow at the initiative of the Kremlin. South Caucasus Research Center experts believe that the agreements reached between the parties in the United States will be confirmed in Moscow.

“In Prague, Baku achieved mutual recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty from Yerevan, and this was subsequently confirmed in the Sochi tripartite statement, and now the agreements reached in the United States will be similarly confirmed at a meeting in Russia,” their analysis reads.

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The information about the meetings was published by Armenia. Azerbaijani officials have not made specific statements.

Today Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, while not providing journalists with specific information about the meetings, assessed expectations: “The meeting of the leaders after a certain break is a positive thing. Probably there is not much time left to wait for the negotiations and their outcome,” the minister said.

Bayramov also talked about the meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries that took place last week in the United States. He said that “we have taken one step forward” in the talks in Washington.

“We had quite intense discussions of the peace agreement in Washington for four days. They contain a number of points, important questions. It is impossible to speak of complete agreement, there are enough differences between the positions of the parties, but in these negotiations agreements were reached on certain articles of the peace treaty. We have taken another step forward. We must be realistic about this process. Of course, it would be good to agree on all issues at one meeting. We want it, but we are not yet ready for it. Azerbaijan constantly demonstrates its commitment to the peace process,” the minister said.

Armenia-Azerbaijan talks in Washington – experts in Baku, Yerevan weigh in on the four days Mirzoyan, Bayramov and Blinken spent together

“The parties did not make a joint statement, they made separate statements but with the same content. The State Department stated that “the parties have made significant progress in resolving complex issues,” while the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides stated that “mutual agreement has been reached on some articles of the draft bilateral agreement, while positions on some key issues remain different.”

During the talks, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev discussed the normalization process in Shusha, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Prague.

Aliyev called “any attempt to insert the non-existent so-called ‘Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’ into the text of the peace agreement” unproductive. Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of a “policy of ethnic cleansing” and called “important” the direction of the international group to Karabakh and the Lachin road.

Aliyev’s speech in Shusha on relations with Armenia and Iran and the Karabakh resolution

From the statements of the leaders and foreign ministers, the experts concluded that the current “differences in positions on some key issues” between the parties primarily relate to Karabakh and enclaves.

“Baku considers Karabakh to be its internal affair and demands official recognition of this by Armenia: “They said A, I must say B. They must say what I said – Karabakh is Azerbaijan!” In other words, Armenia must officially recognize not only Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, but also the sole and indivisible sovereignty of Azerbaijan over Karabakh.

Armenia, in turn, wants the dialogue between Baku and Khankendi (Stepanakert) to take place under the control of international observers. In fact, Armenia wants to continue the policy of separatism within Azerbaijan with the help of the United States, France and Russia.

Pashinyan, constantly talking about the territorial integrity of 29,800 square meters, wants Baku to abandon the enclaves located on the territory of Armenia. Occupied by Armenia in 1990-92 seven villages of Gazakh, and the village of Karki Nakhichevan are enclaves / exclaves of Azerbaijan in the territory of Armenia. These villages are located on the roads connecting the northern and southern regions of Armenia, as well as on important highways leading to Georgia and Iran. Baku, in turn, talking about the mutual recognition of territorial integrity, means the acceptance by Armenia of Karabakh eight-plus villages as territories of Azerbaijan.”

According to the CSSC analysis, the fact that the leaders did not say anything about transport and communication routes and humanitarian issues in their speeches indicates that the ministers reached some agreement on these issues.

“With a high probability, if Azerbaijan had not established a checkpoint in Lachin before the visit, this issue would have been one of the problems included in the “different positions” category. Thus, the establishment of the Lachin checkpoint ahead of the meeting presented Armenia with two choices in the US:

• First, create a checkpoint in Zangezur and accept the model of “sovereign rights to roads” proposed by the West;

• Abandon the Western model and accept Russia’s proposed extraterritorial Zangezur corridor.

Armenia’s repeated rejection of the Zangezur Corridor model and the fact that the meeting was held in the United States indicate that Yerevan prefers the first option.”

CSSC experts also announced their predictions regarding the ministerial meeting to be held in Moscow. According to them, just as in Prague Baku achieved mutual recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty from Yerevan, which was later confirmed in the Sochi tripartite statement, now the agreements reached in the United States will be confirmed at a meeting to be held in Russia.

“As much as Azerbaijan would like to sign a peace agreement as soon as possible, it is also interested in the relevance of the tripartite statement of 10 November. Since the trilateral agreement imposes important obligations on Armenia and creates a legal basis for the withdrawal of the Russian peacekeeping contingent from Azerbaijan in 2025,” the CSSC analysis says.


Escalation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Emil Lazarian
  • JAMnews
  • Baku

The Armenian Defense Ministry reported intense shelling of its positions by artillery and mortars early morning on May 11 and four wounded. Information was received from Azerbaijan that “as a result of a provocation from the Armenian side, a soldier of long service was killed.” The situation had relatively stabilized in the afternoon.

Both sides claim that they took only retaliatory measures, and the operational situation is under the control of military units. Statements were made by the Foreign Ministries of both countries. The Prime Minister of Armenia announced that Azerbaijan’s goal is to nullify the negotiation process and disrupt the May 14 meeting in Brussels.

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The Ministry of Defense of Armenia reported information about the escalation starting early morning with a frequency of 20-30 minutes. It was reported that “from 11:00 to 13:00, units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces continued to violate the ceasefire at certain intervals.” Only by 13:00 did information appear that the situation on the front line had relatively stabilized.

The Ministry of Health reported that an ambulance transporting wounded Armenian soldiers was struck by Azerbaijan.

“The Ministry of Health condemns yet another case of targeted fire on an ambulance and medical workers performing their professional duties. Such manifestations are contrary to all international humanitarian laws, even the laws of war,” the doctors said in a statement.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry called on the Azerbaijani authorities to “stop the groundless, unjustified and shameful attempts to disrupt the negotiation process with the use of force and thereby put pressure on Armenia.”

Armenian diplomats declared the escalation another violation of the fundamental principle of international law on the non-use of force or threat of force:

“These actions of Azerbaijan, aimed at destabilizing the situation, are also an open disregard for the meeting held in Washington, as well as for the planned meetings in Brussels and Moscow, aimed at normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the efforts of international partners interested in stability and peace in the South Caucasus.“

Nikol Pashinyan also presented his assessment of the situation. He began the government meeting with a summary of the situation on the border.

Armenia-Azerbaijan talks in Washington – experts in Baku, Yerevan weigh in on the four days Mirzoyan, Bayramov and Blinken spent together

“The actions of the Azerbaijani side are of a provocative nature and are aimed, among other things, at nullifying the progress of the negotiations held on May 1-4 in Washington.

The provocation is also aimed at disrupting the tripartite talks scheduled for Sunday in Brussels [with the mediation of the head of the European Council] and for June 1, the five-party talks in Chisinau [with the participation of the presidents of France and Germany].

Experience shows that Azerbaijan needs the negotiation process only for escalation and a casus belli, and escalation is used to nullify any progress made during negotiations.

The reports of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan about the violation of the ceasefire by our army are far-fetched. This information is fabricated to exacerbate the situation.

If the escalation had not been a deliberate provocation by Azerbaijan, any local incident could have been instantly resolved by checking and exchanging information and preventive agreements through existing channels.

This did not happen for a simple reason: no incidents were observed, and the Azerbaijani disinformation machine invented this “news” retroactively to aggravate the situation.

Another goal of Baku is to divert the attention of the international and Armenian public from the installation of an illegal checkpoint in the Lachin corridor, to create a new crisis in order to consign the old one to oblivion. This is a proven tactic of Azerbaijan.

I have not changed my decision to go to Brussels on Sunday for negotiations.

I want to answer in advance the question of how likely it is that a peace treaty with Azerbaijan will be signed in Brussels on Sunday. Unfortunately, this is extremely unlikely, because the draft bilateral agreement on the establishment of peace and interstate relations is still very crude and it is too early to talk about its signing.

We are faced with the task of finalizing this document as soon as possible and preparing it for signing.”

Experts warn that Azerbaijani military positions are literally a few meters from the Syunik airport, located in the city of Kapan

According to the information of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, on the morning of May 11, “units of the armed forces of Armenia fired heavily from small arms at the positions of the Azerbaijani army located in the direction of Zod”:

“As a result of a provocation deliberately committed by units of the Armenian armed forces, Azerbaijani soldier Novruzalizade Orkhan Elkhan died.”

The department also reported that the units of the Azerbaijani army are taking decisive retaliatory measures: “The operational situation is under the control of the units of the Azerbaijani army.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan issued a statement:

“Armenia is stepping up military provocations against Azerbaijan in the border regions. Despite the fact that the Armenian side was warned that provocations and deliberate aggravations of the situation would be stopped on their part, on the morning of May 11, the Armenian armed forces further aggravated the situation by firing mortars at the positions of the Azerbaijani army, as a result of provocations, one soldier died.

According to the Foreign Ministry, “The fact that Armenia’s provocations, as always, take place against the backdrop of intensified negotiations on a peace treaty, as well as expected negotiations between leaders, indicates that Armenia is not interested in the peace process.”

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, once again, placed all responsibility for the aggravation of the situation on the military-political leadership of Armenia.

Azerbaijani Ombudsman Sabina Aliyeva also issued an appeal in connection with “another provocation of the Armenian armed forces.” According to the statement of the Ombudsman, one soldier of the Azerbaijani army was killed, two more were seriously injured.

“We state with regret that Armenia, ignoring Azerbaijan’s calls for peace, continues military provocations aimed at gross violation of human rights. Contrary to Azerbaijan’s constant calls for peace, Armenia purposefully escalates the situation in the region, grossly violating the norms and principles of international law and international humanitarian law, and commits provocations in order to create new hotbeds of conflict.

As the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan, we once again appeal to international organizations and demand to immediately put an end to the military provocations of the Armenian Armed Forces, take decisive measures to restore peace in the region,” the appeal says.

Can Peace Be Achieved In Nagarno-Karabakh?

Ani Basmajian
By

 John Simms

 -


The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region recognized as part of Azerbaijan but populated by Armenians, has resulted in thousands of casualties and civilian displacement. The frozen conflict dating back to the early 1990s reignited in 2020 in a large-scale war that led to thousands of more deaths. While a ceasefire was reached in 2020, sporadic violence has continued. Peace News spoke with experts to get a better understanding of the conflict’s drivers and how long-term peace can be achieved.

Experts interviewed: Lala Darchinova

Watch the video at https://peacenews.com/can-peace-be-achieved-in-nagarno-karabakh/

Armenia and Azerbaijan trade gunfire along border

Suren Karakhanian
Qatar –

Deadly incident comes days before the European Council hosts Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev for talks in Brussels.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have blamed each other for gunfire along their restive border days in advance of EU-hosted talks aimed at resolving their 30-year-old territorial dispute.

The fighting came on Thursday as the two countries are in negotiations on a peace agreement to end a decades-long standoff over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region recognised as part of Azerbaijan but populated mainly by Armenians.

“Azerbaijani forces are shooting artillery and mortars at Armenian position in the Sotk region” in the east, Armenia’s defence ministry said in a statement on Thursday, adding four of its soldiers were wounded.

Azerbaijan’s defence ministry said “the Armenian side has once again violated the ceasefire agreement” with “large-calibre weapons”.

“A soldier from the Azerbaijani army was killed after a provocation from the Armenian forces,” Azerbaijan’s defence ministry said in a statement.

The incident comes just days before European Council President Charles Michel is to host Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev for talks in Brussels on Saturday.

The two also agreed to meet together with the leaders of France and Germany on the sidelines of a European summit in Moldova on June 1, according to the European Union.

The EU-hosted meeting comes after the United States said “tangible progress” had been made at talks between foreign ministers in Washington, DC last week aimed at ending the dispute over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia and Azerbaijan were both republics of the Soviet Union that gained independence in 1991 when the USSR broke up.

They have gone to war twice over disputed territories,  mainly Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority-Armenian region inside Azerbaijan.

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Tens of thousands of people have been killed in two wars over the region, one lasting six years and ending in 1994, and the second in 2020, which ended in a Russia-negotiated ceasefire deal. But clashes have broken out regularly since then.

Western mediation efforts to resolve the conflict come as major regional power Russia has struggled to maintain its decisive influence because of the fallout from its war on Ukraine.

Armenia and Azerbaijan trade blame over Nagorno-Karabakh attacks

Varazdat Torgomian
By Euronews  with AFP  •  Updated: 11/05/2023 - 11:41

International brokers are trying to strike a new peace deal for the separatist region

Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of firing across their shared border on Thursday as international efforts intensify to calm tensions over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"Azerbaijani forces are firing artillery and mortars at Armenian positions in the Sotk region of eastern Armenia," the Armenian defence ministry announced in a statement, saying three Armenian servicemen were wounded as a result of the shelling. 

The ministry added that Armenian forces were taking "appropriate defensive measures".

The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry for its part accused Armenia of firing "high-calibre weapons" at its positions on the border, denouncing the actions as a "provocation".

"Despite warnings about the need to stop provocations," a statement said, "the Armenian side has again violated the ceasefire regime." 

The ministry claimed an Azerbaijani serviceman was wounded by Armenian fire last night, with "mortar fire" continuing on Thursday morning.

The incident comes as members of the international community seek to revive peace talks between the two neighbours, who have been rowing over control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region for some 30 years – often violently.

After four days of intense talks in Washington last week, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev are set to meet in Brussels on Sunday, says the European Union, which will sponsor the meeting.

According to the US, "tangible progress" was made during the talks and a peace agreement is now "in sight".

The Russian government was irked by the talks, with the Kremlin insisting there is no realistic alternative to the ceasefire agreement it helped craft in 2020.

"At this stage, there is no other legal basis that would contribute to the settlement," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week.

The two Caucasus countries fought two wars in the early 1990s and in 2020 over control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region with a majority Armenian population that seceded from Azerbaijan more than three decades ago.

Tensions escalated this spring when Baku announced on 23 April that it had set up a road checkpoint at the entrance to the Latchine corridor, the only route linking Armenia to the separatist enclave. 

It is already under a months-long blockade that has led to power shortages and blackouts.

https://www.euronews.com/2023/05/11/armenia-and-azerbaijan-point-fingers-over-nagorno-karabakh-attacks

Armenpress: No significant ceasefire violations overnight, says Armenian Defense Ministry

Greg Madatian

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 09:27,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. No significant ceasefire violations were recorded overnight on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the Ministry of Defense said on May 12.

The situation was relatively stable as of 08:30, it added.

The four Armenian troops who were wounded in the May 11 Azerbaijani attack in the direction of Sotk are in non-life-threatening condition under medical supervision.