13:34, 8 May 2023
YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will travel to Moscow, Russia on May 8 at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin.
PM Pashinyan will attend the WWII Victory Day celebrations on May 9, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a press release.
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan will hold talks in Brussels on Sunday (14 May), the European Union said, amid efforts to reach a peace deal over their three-decade territorial dispute.
European Council president Charles Michel will host Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev as part of the push “to promote stability in the South Caucasus and normalisation between the two countries”, a statement said Monday.
The meeting in Brussels comes after the United States said “tangible progress” was made towards a peace agreement to end the dispute over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh at talks between their foreign ministers in Washington last week.
Pashinyan and Aliyev have held several rounds of talks, generally organised by the EU or Russia, but have failed to resolve outstanding difficulties, including border demarcation and access to areas across each other’s territory.
The EU statement said the two leaders had also agreed to meet together with the leaders of France and Germany on the sidelines of a European summit in Moldova on 1 June.
They in addition committed to meeting in Brussels “as frequently as necessary to address ongoing developments on the ground”, the statement said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan were both republics of the Soviet Union and gained their independence when it broke up in 1991.
The two sides have gone to war twice over disputed territories, mainly Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority-Armenian enclave inside Azerbaijan.
Tens of thousands were killed in the wars, 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.
Azerbaijan has injected new tensions by placing a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor, the only land link between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia views the move as a violation of a ceasefire negotiated between the two sides.
The Western mediation efforts come as major regional power Moscow has struggled to maintain its decisive influence due to the fallout from its war on Ukraine.
The Kremlin has insisted there is “no alternative” to the ceasefire deal it signed with the two warring neighbours in 2020 that saw Russian peacekeepers deployed on the ground.
Pashinyan is visiting Moscow on Tuesday to attend the 9 May parade dedicated to the victory in World War II.
(Edited by Georgi Gotev)
Reuters: The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are to meet next week in Brussels, the European Union said Monday, the latest attempt to secure a durable peace accord and resolve long-standing differences over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The meeting on May 14 between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev follows talks between their two foreign ministers that prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to suggest a breakthrough was possible.
An announcement on the EU Council's website said a three-corner meeting with Council President Charles Michel would take place at EU headquarters.
Armenia and Azerbaijan, both former Soviet states, have fought two wars over 30 years focusing on Nagorno-Karabakh, recognized as part of Azerbaijan but populated mainly by Armenians.
In a six-week conflict in 2020, ended by a Russian-brokered truce, Azerbaijan recovered territory lost in the first war dating from the collapse of Soviet rule. Border skirmishes erupt periodically between the two sides.
Pashinyan and Aliyev have held several rounds of talks, generally organized by the EU or Russia, but have failed to resolve outstanding difficulties, including border demarcation and access to areas across each other's territory.
The latest EU announcement said the two leaders would also meet on June 1 in Moldova during an EU-sponsored development meeting to be attended by President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany.
"The leaders have also agreed to continue to meet trilaterally in Brussels as frequently as necessary to address ongoing developments on the ground and standing agenda items of the Brussels meetings," the EU statement said.
https://www.voanews.com/a/leaders-of-armenia-azerbaijan-to-meet-may-14-in-brussels-/7084667.html
From May 1 to 4, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, respectively, held four-day peace talks facilitated by United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Washington (Mfa.gov.az, May 4). Reportedly, Blinken only attended the introductory and closing sessions of the negotiations, which were held bilaterally between the delegations of the two countries for the remainder of the talks (Mfa.am, May 1; State.gov, May 4). Mirzoyan and Bayramov also met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (Twitter.com/JakeSullivan46, May 4).
These talks, which represent the longest round of negotiations since the end of the Second Karabakh War in 2020, marked the third such ministerial meeting between Armenia and Azerbaijan as mediated by the United States since September 2022. Previously, the three sides met on September 19 and November 8 last year in New York and Washington, DC, respectively (Turan.az, September 20, 2022; Az.usembassy.gov, November 8, 2022). During that same period, the United States also facilitated a meeting between Azerbaijani Presidential Advisor Hikmet Hajiyev and Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan in Washington on September 27, 2022 (Azernews, September 30, 2022) and another between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 18 (JAM-news, February 18).
This marks an important trend in the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process: While the European Union took over the lead mediating role in negotiations following the decline of Russia’s role in the process after its invasion of Ukraine, Brussels has failed to continue the process due to, among other issues, controversies related to France’s alleged attempt to join the summit of the two leaders along with European Council President Charles Michel. In a similar way to the failed summit in December 2022, Brussels could not bring Aliyev and Pashinyan together in March this year either, though some preliminary agreements for such a meeting had been reached during the US-mediated meeting in Munich (JAM-news, February 18).
Hence, the recent meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Washington testifies to the fact that the United States is playing a greater role as a mediator in the peace process between Yerevan and Baku. The Washington meeting took place against the backdrop of stalled communications between the two sides over differences in what should be contained in the peace treaty as well as Azerbaijan’s installation of a border checkpoint along the Lachin road on April 23. Later, on May 4, while the foreign ministers were still deep in discussion in Washington, Aliyev revealed that Yerevan only responded to Baku’s latest comments about the text of the peace treaty after more than 40 days and just prior to the Washington meeting (President.az, May 4).
Furthermore, the Azerbaijani president stated that he is not optimistic about the current state of negotiations, as Yerevan, in its latest response to Baku’s proposals, again made “attempts to question the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan; attempts to incorporate, in some way, Karabakh into a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan; and attempts to cross out our proposal of jointly combating terrorism, extremism, radicalism and separatism.” Aliyev added that the “Armenians kept everything but crossed out separatism” in regards to the specific text of this section (President.az, May 4).
Notably, several days before the ministerial meeting in the United States, Pashinyan stated that Armenia fully recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and expects the same from Baku (Armenpress, April 18). Likewise, a day before Aliyev’s aforementioned statement, Pashinyan confessed that his country needs to declare unequivocally that it has no territorial claim against Azerbaijan. He acknowledged that “the Republic of Armenia must declare that it has no territorial claims and will never have them. This is the only principle that will give us a chance to have a state” (Armenpress, May 3).
Despite these messages, which were largely interpreted in the region as a sign of Armenia’s readiness to reach an agreement in Washington, the ministerial meeting did not deliver any official document, joint press statement or visible agreements on specific issues. In his remarks at the closing session, Blinked disclosed that “the two sides have discussed some very tough issues over the last few days and they’ve made tangible progress on a durable peace agreement” (State.gov, May 4). The US official added, “We really are within reach of an agreement.” It is, however, unclear whether Blinken’s use of “tangible progress” was indeed indicative of the peace process taking a step forward or simply political rhetoric. Retrospectively, similar progress was reported in the aftermath of the Munich meeting on February 18; yet, no visible breakthrough was observed in the peace process in the weeks that followed (JAM-news, February 18).
In identical statements after the talks in Washington, Mirzoyan and Bayramov stated that they “advanced mutual understanding on some articles of the draft bilateral Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations, meanwhile acknowledging that the positions on some key issues remain divergent” (Mfa.gov.az, May 4; Armenpress, May 5)—yet again, failing to provide any details on the substantive progress that was reportedly achieved.
Both foreign ministers are now expected to meet in Moscow in the coming days (Apa.az, May 2). This meeting will be critical as the Kremlin has been traditionally unhappy with the “intervention” of the West in the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process. Russia has also signaled that it would not support a peace deal that is not agreed upon with Moscow and not built on the basis of statements from the tripartite ceasefire agreement brokered by the Kremlin in 2020 (Azatutyun.am, May 2; see EDM, May 18, May 31, 2022). Pashinyan himself is headed to Moscow on a working visit, which underlines Russia’s remaining influence in the peace process (News.am, May 5). Hence, talks are now moving to the Russian capital as part of a delicate balancing act in these negotiations between growing Western influence and lingering Russian control—which leaves the future prospects for lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus in a precarious position.
This is stated in the comments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan in connection with a far-fetched lawsuit and a “trial” against the Azerbaijani servicemen taken hostage.
“By subjecting Azerbaijani soldiers to severe physical torture, Armenia, through such a “trial,” also subjects them to moral and psychological torture,” the commentary says.
It was noted that by such irresponsible behavior, Armenia once again demonstrates ignoring the legal responsibility that it bears in accordance with international humanitarian law, as well as the calls of the international community for the release of hostages and the principles of humanism.
“Such a step by the Armenian side, which did not show mutual attitude in connection with the confidence-building measures taken by our country without any preconditions upon the return of the Armenians, including more than 10 Armenian servicemen who, having lost their way, crossed the border, indicates that that Armenia is not interested in measures to establish peace and confidence in the region. Responsibility for undermining efforts aimed at establishing trust lies entirely with the Armenian side,” the ministry said.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stressed that Armenia must put an end to such subversive activities, accompanied by gross violations of international humanitarian law, and immediately release the hostages.
“We call on the entire international community, relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations to exert serious influence and pressure on Armenia in order to release our soldiers who have been held hostage as soon as possible and reunite them with their families,” the appeal says.
The website of Anadolu Agency publishes only a part of the news in a shortened form, which is provided to subscribers through the News Feed System (HAS) of AA.
On 3 April, the Young European Ambassador from the EU/UK Amila Alidzanovic, a recent intern at the Armenian Embassy, shared her unique experience interning abroad. Amila provided an inside look into what it’s like to work at an embassy, specifically in the context of Armenia’s diplomatic relations and international affairs.
During the event, Amila shared details about her daily work, responsibilities, and challenges, as well as the skills and knowledge she gained through the internship. She also expanded the cultural and social aspects of living in Armenia, and how she navigated and learned from these experiences.
The purpose of this event is to inspire and inform individuals who are interested in pursuing an internship at an embassy, as well as those who are curious about the culture and political landscape of Armenia. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask Amila questions, learn from her experiences, and network with other individuals interested in international affairs.
As a result, more than 10 young professionals and students received valuable pieces of advice about diplomatic internships: how to find one, prepare, apply, and how to make the most of this kind of opportunity by learning many skills.
https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/632553131/yeas-in-eu-uk-interning-at-an-embassy-amila-s-experience-in-armenia
BRUSSELS — The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet again in an effort to reach a resolution to their conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, European Council President Charles Michel said Monday.
The two former Soviet republics have been fighting for decades over control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region in Azerbaijan inhabited by a majority of Armenians.
Michel said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had agreed to meet on Sunday in a Brussels trilateral meeting.
Their discussions would be flanked by a meeting together with French President Emmanuel Macron of France and Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the sidelines of upcoming European Political Community summit in Chisinau, Moldova, on June 1.
"The leaders have also agreed to continue to meet trilaterally in Brussels as frequently as necessary to address ongoing developments on the ground and standing agenda items of the Brussels meetings," a statement from Michel said.
The leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, France and Germany would also be invited to meet a second time at the margins of the next EPC summit in Granada in October 2023, he said.
Armenia made a peace offer to its neighbor Azerbaijan in mid-February. According to Pashinyan, an agreement should provide for mechanisms of mutual control to prevent breaches of the peace.
The conflict flared up again last year, barely two years after the two countries ended their war over the region. More than 6,500 people were killed in the fighting in 2020, according to estimates. A cease-fire was then negotiated in November 2020 with the mediation of Russia.
https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/world_news/new-peace-talks-scheduled-between-armenia-and-azerbaijan-in-brussels/article_b5d7c002-938b-5a47-9dec-b6823856d061.html
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed, with EU diplomatic mediation, to meet again on 14 May 2023 for a trilateral meeting in Brussels. The European Union will be represented at the meeting by European Council President Charles Michel, who continues his efforts to advance the EU’s efforts to promote stability in the South Caucasus and normalisation between the two countries.
Their discussions will also be flanked by a meeting together with President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, in the margins of the upcoming European Political Community (EPC) summit in Chisinău on 1 June 2023.
The leaders also agreed to continue to hold trilateral meetings in Brussels as often as necessary to address current developments on the ground.
President Michel also expressed his intention to invite the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, France, and Germany to meet a second time in the margins of the next EPC summit in Granada in October 2023.
Find out more
Press release
https://euneighbourseast.eu/news/latest-news/south-caucasus-eu-to-bring-together-leaders-of-armenia-and-azerbaijan-in-brussels/
By TOBIAS PIETZ
BERLIN, TODAY, 12:20
This Sunday (14 May), the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia will resume peace talks in Brussels. They follow the meeting of Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani foreign minister Jeyhun Bayramov and their delegations from 1-4 May at US-hosted talks in Arlington, Virginia.
Some sources even claim that the meeting in Brussels might lead to peace treaty. Even though not much has been said about the details of the talks in the US, it is still a rather surprising development looking at the number of incidents which have happened on the ground this year.
In the latest one, on 23 April, Azerbaijan set up a checkpoint on the only road that connects Karabakh and Armenia — the Lachin Corridor — blatantly ignoring a ruling of the International Court, which had called on Baku to stop the blockade of the enclave which had already begun in December 2022.
And in the beginning of April, a clash between Armenia and Azerbaijan even led to seven soldiers being killed. The general fear of a severe outbreak of violence was also echoed in an interview of the head of mission of EUMA, the EU's monitoring mission in Armenia, where he claimed that "Many Armenians believe there'll be a spring offensive by Azerbaijan. If this doesn't happen, our mission is already a success."
EUMA will (once fully operational) consist of 100 unarmed personnel, of which about 50 will work as monitors.
Baku has not been happy about the deployment, constantly complaining about EUMA. President Ilham Aliyev described EUMA with its expanded mandate as "very unpleasant" and felt it would disrupt direct negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
To ease tensions, the mission and the EU's special representative (EUSR) inform Azerbaijan in advance about the routes that the monitors plan to take.
The clashes around Karabakh and at the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan during the last two months have shown how volatile the situation is, and that the EU is taking quite a risk in deploying EUMA to the border region.
The mission intends to contribute to reducing tensions in the conflict areas and near the border between the two countries. It also feeds into analyses of the situation on the ground and in that way helps inform the EU's efforts on border delimitation and demarcation. This includes the area near the Lachin corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh.
But the EU is facing potential pitfalls.
Russia has been skeptical of EUMA, considering the mission an attempt to displace Russian influence in the region. In addition to the 2,000 peacekeepers in Karabakh, Russia has nearly 3,000 military and Federal Security Service (FSB) border guards in Armenia, controlling, among other things, the state border with Iran.
They also intercepted several patrols of the EU's temporary predecessor mission in 2022 on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. This shows that in places where the demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan is unclear EUMA, too, could find itself in tricky situations.
An increased engagement through EUMA and the talks led by EU Council president Charles Michel are not only an opportunity for the EU to make an important contribution to the stabilisation of the conflict — it could also be a turning point for the South Caucasus, where the traditional Russian presence is struggling to retain its influence.
Germany has become the major contributor to EUMA, not only providing the German head of mission, but also about 15 percent of EUMA's staff, by far the largest national contribution of any EU member states.
Berlin might be seen as a more neutral broker than Paris, which has been hamstrung by Azerbaijan's claim that it is merely acting on behalf of the large Armenian community in France. Both chancellor Olaf Scholz and foreign minister Annalena Baerbock have highlighted the German contribution to EUMA in recent speeches.
And it was at the Munich Security Conference in February 2023, where Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan met the last time and even shared a panel.
In 2023, the EU commands an interesting combination of instruments, which now seem to yield useful results.
EUMA can observe, verify, and build trust on the border, complementing the demarcation process, the tripartite talks between Michel, Pashinyan and Aliyev, and the work of the EU special representative for the Southern Caucasus and Georgia.
For Armenia and Azerbaijan, the talks in Virginia and now in Brussels can offer a unique chance for peace — even tough incidents from the ground might continue to tell a different story.
Tobias Pietz is deputy head of team analysis at the Centre for International Peace Operations (ZIF) in Berlin.
09:19,
YEREVAN, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS. An Armenian delegation has participated in the DEFEA 2023 international defense and security expo in Greece.
The delegation included representatives from the Armenian Ministry of Defense and the Military Industrial Committee, the Armenian Embassy in Greece said in a press release.
DEFEA is a high-profile international defense exhibition where international companies present land, naval, aerospace, national and cyber security defense systems.
Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos opened the exhibition.