15:25, 9 May 2023
YEREVAN, MAY 9, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting on May 9 with Armenian veterans of WWII Rosalia Abgaryan and Nerses Simonyan in Moscow. The two veterans of the Great Patriotic War traveled to the Russian capital from Yerevan for the May 9 Victory Day parade.
“The Prime Minister congratulated the veterans on the holiday, talked with them and wished robust health,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a press release.
14:50, 9 May 2023
YEREVAN, MAY 9, ARMENPRESS. Yerevan city authorities have no intention of removing the Nemesis monument, Yerevan City Hall told RFE/RL’s Armenian service Azatutyun in response to a query.
Nemesis was unveiled in Yerevan on April 25 to honor the participants of Operation Nemesis, a 1920s program of assassinations of Ottoman perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide.
In response, Turkey closed its airspace to Armenian flights heading to a third destination and threatened to take further actions if it isn’t removed.
16:16, 9 May 2023
STEPANAKERT, MAY 9, ARMENPRESS. Citizens of Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh gathered at the central plaza in Stepanakert city for the No to Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh movement’s rally on May 9.
The rally began with a prayer at the Renaissance Square , followed by a moment of silence in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in WWII and the Nagorno Karabakh wars.
The participants of the rally reiterated their demands and determination to struggle for their right to live freely.
The text of a recently launched petition addressed to the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries and the Armenian Prime Minister was read.
The petition warns that Azerbaijan is carrying out a policy of ethnic cleansing, genocidal actions aimed at depriving the people of their homeland and is keeping 120,000 Armenians blockaded. It also mentions the gross violations of the 2020 ceasefire agreement – the trilateral statement – by Azerbaijan.
“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.
Former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan was also in attendance.
“On April 23, Azerbaijan violated the red lines and installed a checkpoint. The violation of these red lines makes us struggle, as honorable men, because we have no other option. No one should restrict our free access and exit in and from Armenia. We are under blockade for already 149 days, we don’t have gas and power, and you know the situation in Sarsang reservoir. We have many problems, but we are not giving up. Yes, the situation is difficult, but one thing is certain, there can be no talk about any so-called reintegration. We are defending our home, our cities and villages, the graves of our ancestors, our right to live on our land. We don’t want to attack anyone, we want a calm and happy life in our homeland. We are ready for negotiations, but these negotiations cannot take place with the gun to our head, but only in case of mutual respect,” Vardanyan said, calling on Armenians around the world to be united for Artsakh.
President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan, together with former presidents Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan, were also in attendance.
17:40, 9 May 2023
YEREVAN, MAY 9, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien, together with the U.S. defense attaché Colonel Gregory Pipes , visited Victory Park in Yerevan on May 9 to lay a wreath at the Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the U.S. embassy said in a press release.
“Ambassador Kvien and Colonel Pipes laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame in Yerevan’s Victory Park to honor the contributions and sacrifices made by the Armenian people to defeat the Nazis and end World War II,” the U.S. embassy said.
The British Embassy’s Chargé d'Affaires Paul Morris also laid a wreath at the monument on May 9.
“To commemorate Victory Day, Chargé d'Affaires of the British Embassy Yerevan Paul Morris laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame at the Victory Park. We remember with profound gratitude the huge sacrifices made by all Allies during the Second World War in the fight against tyranny,” the British embassy said in a statement.
Thousands of Artsakh residents turned out for a rally in Stepanakert on May 9
Thousands of Artsakh residents turned out on Tuesday for a rally dubbed “No to Ethnic Cleansing” in Stepanakert, where ceremonies were held earlier to mark “Victory Day,” the holiday commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. May 9 also marked the 31st anniversary of the liberation of Shushi.
The rally kicked off at Stepanakert’s Renaissance Square with a prayer and a moment of silence observed honoring those who gave their lives for Artsakh’s freedom, as well as during what is called the Great Patriotic War, ArtsakhPress reported.
Photos by David Ghahramanyan
The text of a petition addressed to the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries—the United States, Russia and France—and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was read to overwhelming applause as a sign of popular approval for the message.
“We demand that all international mechanism are applied to ensure the implementation of the terms of the November 9, 2020 agreement as well as the UN International Court of Justice ruling,” the petition said, referencing the February ruling by the United Nations court, which ordered Azerbaijan to immediately ensure “unimpeded movement” along the Lachin Corridor. Azerbaijan has refused to comply with the court’s order.
Photos by David Ghahramnyan
Among the speakers at the rally was Artsakh former state minister Ruben Vardanyan who signaled that the people of Artsakh are ready to take part in negotiations with Azerbaijan “but not with a gun to our head.”
“On April 23, Azerbaijan violated the red lines and installed a checkpoint. The violation of these red lines makes us struggle, as honorable people, because we have no other option. No one should restrict our free access and egress to and from Armenia,” Vardanyan said.
Artsakh’s former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan and his predecessors Bako Sahakian and Arkady Ghukasian
“We have been under a blockade for 149 days already. We do not have gas and power, and you are aware of the situation in Sarsang reservoir,” Vardanyan added referring to the recently receding levels of the reservoir that is the main source of water for Artsakh residents.
“We have many problems, but we are not giving up. The situation is difficult, but one thing is certain, there can be no talk about any so-called reintegration,” emphasized Vardanyan in a direct retort to Baku’s demands that Artsakh resident accept Azerbaijani citizenship.
“We are defending our homes, our cities and villages, the graves of our ancestors, our right to live on our land. We do not want to attack anyone, we want a calm and happy life in our homeland. We are ready for negotiations, but these negotiations cannot take place with a gun to our head, but only in case of mutual respect,” Vardanyan said, calling on Armenians around the world to unite for Artsakh.
Also attending the rally was Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, together with his predecessors Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan.
Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian was re-elected to an eight-year term on May 5
The Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church convened its National Representative Assembly on Friday and overwhelmingly re-elected Archbishop Hovnan Derderian to serve as the Primate for another eight years, the Diocese reported.
The Friday meeting was preceded by a convention of the Diocesan Women’s Auxiliary Guild and Religious Council, which adopted a resolution in support of Archbishop Derderian.
At the start of the National Representative Assembly, the participants observed a moment of silence in memory of the late former Western Primate Archbishop Vache Hovsepian, who passed away earlier this year and played a critical role in the advancement of the Western Diocese.
A pontifical message form His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, was read.
During the discussions at the National Representative Assembly, the participants, who represented all the parishes of the Western Dioceses commended Archbishop Derderian’s service to the community and the church. They emphasized the Primate’s undeniable impact on the Western Diocese during his 20-years at Primate.
“It is important to stress that the planned and conceived achievements under the leadership of the Archbishop Hovnan Derderian have provided new impetus and have elevated the spiritual life within the Western Diocese, which has had its benevolent impact within the church’s spiritual arena, beginning with the various parishes in the Diaspora all the way to the homeland and the currently wounded Artsakh,” said a statement by the Diocese.
"Nemesis," a monument dedicated to the heroes of "Operation Nemesis" was inaugurated in Yerevan on Apr. 25
Amid threats from Ankara, including the closure of Turkey’s airspace to overflights by an Armenian airline, over the unveiling of a monument to the heroes of Operation Nemesis, Yerevan city hall on Tuesday signaled that city officials have no intention of “dismantling” the Nemesis Monument.
The Yerevan municipality made the statement in response to a query from Azatutyun.am’s Armenian Service, which had asked for clarification given threats of reprisals from Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Cavusoglu demanded that Armenia demolish the monument, calling it an affront to Turks and Azerbaijanis. He warned Yerevan that if the monument is not removed Ankara will “take retaliatory measures.”
In an interview with Azatutyun.am last week, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the decision to create the monument “wrong.”
Armenia’s National Security chief Armen Grigoryan told reporters on Tuesday that whether or not to have such a monument was a domestic issue for Armenia and “no one has the right to interfere in these issues.” He said that the issue of the the monument was within the purview of local government officials.
Grigoryan emphasized that normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey should proceed without preconditions.
Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan directly corollated the heightened rhetoric from Ankara on the monument to the upcoming elections in Turkey.
“Let’s not forget that there are [presidential and parliamentary] election processes in that country [Turkey] and many statements should be viewed from that point of view,” Hovhannisyan told reporters on Tuesday, saying that election campaigns tend to become “emotional.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington on May 1
As Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan are preparing to meet in Brussels on May 14, Yerevan said that there has been no progress on some of the most crucial issues in its talks with Baku.
This assessment comes a week after Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhum Bayramov, held marathon talks in Washington initiated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They emerged from those meetings saying “lingering differences” remained between the two countries. Pashinyan said last week that Karabakh was at the center of the differences.
Armenia’s National Security chief Armen Grigoryan told reporters on Tuesday that significant progress has not been made on key issues in Yerevan’s talks with Baku.
“It is the acknowledgement of the sovereign 29,800 square kilometers of the Republic of Armenia, the creation of international mechanism for normalization between Stepanakert and Baku, as well as the need for international guarantees,” Grigoryan explained were the issues still pending in the talks with Azerbaijan.
“We have stated many times our approach regarding Artsakh, that international mechanisms should be created, Stepanakert and Baku should discuss rights and security issues,” Grigoryan said.
He added that even the provisions of the November 9, 2020 agreement were not being implemented.
“For example, according to the tripartite statement, Azerbaijan should not be present in the Lachin corridor, but it is present at the moment. It is very important for us to have an institution of international guarantors with which we will resolve such issues,” Grigoryan added.
He explained that the current talks were being held between Armenia and Azerbaijan and mediators, such as the U.S. and the European Union, were providing assistance to ensure progress in the talks.
Charles Michel, the European Council President, confirmed Monday that Pashinyan and Aliyev will meet in Brussels on May 14, the first meeting between the two leaders since another Michel-mediated talks in Munich in February.
The U.S. welcomed the upcoming talks and continued its upbeat rhetoric peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan being “within reach.”
“Last week’s discussions were constructive, and we believe that the delegations from Armenia and Azerbaijan made significant progress in addressing difficult issues,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said Monday during a press briefing.
“Both countries, as you know, agreed in principle to certain terms and have a better understanding of each other’s points of views. And we believe that with additional goodwill and flexibility and compromise, that an agreement is within reach,” Patel said, adding that the U.S. will continue to provide full support and engagement “as the two countries continue to engage in dialogue and continue to secure a durable and sustainable peace.”
“For Armenia, it makes no difference where these negotiations take place. At the moment, we have not been successful in making progress in anywhere,” Grigoryan, Armenia’s security chief, told reporters on Tuesday in response to a question of whether Yerevan favors talks mediated by the West or by Russia or whether they had made proposals that are in line with Armenia’s priorities.
Grigoryan also stressed that there is not decision on where an agreement will be signed, pointing out that Yerevan will sign a document when there is “an opportunity to make progress and reach a final agreement.”
Political relations between Azerbaijan and Iran are deteriorating amid signs of closer security and diplomatic cooperation between Baku and Tel Aviv. Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen’s comments to reporters in Jerusalem on March 29 about his “agreement” with his Azerbaijani counterpart to form a “united front against Iran” have raised eyebrows in Iran. This announcement was followed by the establishment of the “South Azerbaijan National Council of Statehood” (SANCS) backed by Baku and Tel Aviv. The following article will highlight and interconnect these developments and identify Iran’s choices to contain the Israeli-Azerbaijani axis in the South Caucasus.
After the 2020 Artsakh war and the increase of Turkey’s influence in the South Caucasus at the expense of Russia and the territorial changes that followed, the balance of power in the region shifted, and Iran felt isolated on its northern border. Demands by Ankara and Baku for the establishment of the “Zangezur Corridor” as an extraterritorial corridor cutting the Armenia-Iran border have alarmed not only Yerevan, but also the leadership in Tehran. If such a corridor is established, Iran will be at the mercy of Turkey and Azerbaijan when it comes to trade relations with Europe and Russia. Such a factor will have geo-economic and geopolitical consequences with the increase of Turkish influence and the solidifying of pan-Turkic aspirations in Northern Iran.
The Establishment of the “South Azerbaijan National Council of Statehood”
On April 22, an Azerbaijani propaganda channel quoted Genghis Goiturk, an Iranian-Azeri political activist in Finland, announcing the launch of SANCS. “Along with the geopolitical developments taking place in the region where our homeland Azerbaijan is located, the importance and decisive role of the national movement initiated by the Azerbaijani Turks living in South Azerbaijan (Northern Iran) for the restoration of their national statehood has once again been shown in the national, political and social processes that are intensifying in the country called Iran,” argued Goiturk. The announcement also mentioned its aim to exhibit an “independent will for the restoration” of Azerbaijani “national statehood.”
According to the report, the “objectives” of the “National Council of Statehood” (NCS) can be summarized as follows:
A constituent assembly was reportedly formed this week, coordinated by Goiturk; Saleh Ildyrim, the chairman of the Independence Party of South Azerbaijan; Ahmet Obali, the founder of the “Gunaz” satellite TV channel; Ajdar Tagizade, the chairman of the Democratic Turkic Party of South Azerbaijan; Sadik Isabeyli a member of the Board of the National Liberation Front of South Azerbaijan and others. The organization’s headquarters will be located in Finland.
Israeli Fingerprints and Possible Future Coordinated Attack on Iran
Is there a coincidence between the announcement of the Israeli Foreign Minister and the establishment of SANCS?
In response to the above-mentioned remarks made by the Israeli Foreign Minister in Jerusalem, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said that this is clear evidence of the “sinister intentions of the Zionist regime” to turn Azerbaijan into a platform to threaten Iran’s national security. The Iranian diplomat also asked for an explanation from Baku, which denied that its Foreign Minister made any remarks against Iran and accused Iran of working “towards causing crisis.”
A few days after Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Iranian Shah, visited Israel, 32 Israeli Knesset (Parliament) members (most far-right politicians) sent a letter to their Foreign Minister urging Israel to put international pressure on Tehran to prevent “acts of violence against the Azeri minority that lives in the Southern Azeri province in north-western Iran.” This move also came shortly after Israeli FM Eli Cohen paid an official visit to Baku and met President Ilham Aliyev, aiming to deepen economic and security ties between both countries. The letter of the Knesset members mentioned that “[Azeris] are the largest ethnic group in Iran, numbering more than 20 million people. The [Iranian] regime implements a policy of cultural genocide by restricting the rights of the Azeri minority to study and pass on its heritage, to teach their language, and even to register their children with Azeri names.” The letter also added that “Garnering wide international support as much as possible for the national aspirations in Southern Azerbaijan will constitute a fatal blow to the Ayatollah regime, and there is no doubt that if the sovereign state of South Azerbaijan is established, Israel will merit another ally in the region alongside the Republic of Azerbaijan.” Israel’s diplomatic activities toward Azerbaijan intensified when Baku opened an embassy in Tel Aviv in March.
These announcements and steps should not come as a surprise, but they are a result of a coordinated action between Baku and Tel Aviv. The former wants to resolve the Artsakh issue by force and ethnically cleanse Armenians from their homeland so that later it concentrates on its southern neighbor perceiving it as an “existential threat.” As for Israel, by resolving the “Armenian issue” from Artsakh and having Russian forces removed, it could freely use the Azerbaijani military infrastructure in the bordering areas with Iran to launch future attacks against Tehran. Hence, the presence of Armenians in the region and the deployment of Russian troops are the only obstacles for Israel and its allies to launch coordinated attacks with Azerbaijan against Iran.
In an interview with the Armenian Weekly, Dr. Ehsan Movahedian, a professor of international relations at Tehran’s ATU University, argued that Iran is very skeptical about Baku’s cooperation with Israel in the South Caucasus. “Israel intends to be present in parts of Iran’s neighborhood in retaliation for Iran’s presence in many neighboring countries. For this purpose, Israel tried to be present in Iraqi Kurdistan but failed due to Iran’s missile attacks on this region,” Dr. Movahedian stated. “Considering the improvement of Iran’s relations with Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, only Iran’s neighbors in South Caucasus and Central Asia are left for Israel to influence. The main goal of this cooperation is to strengthen the separatist tendencies in the northwest of Iran.” Dr. Movahedian argued that the support of 32 members of the Israeli Knesset for the separation of regions from Iran and the formation of the “fake government of South Azerbaijan” shows that Israelis, who are worried about the increase in Iran’s military and intelligence capabilities, are trying to counter this capability in any way possible. For this purpose, they use Azerbaijan as a proxy against Iran.
Will Iran retaliate?
Iran may reportedly take military action against Azerbaijan if the latter escalates. According to a March 2022 article by Amwaj, after Iran targeted the alleged “Israeli strategic center” in Iraqi Kurdistan with ballistic missiles, a closer collaboration between Baku and Tel Aviv could “trigger a targeted Iranian military operation against individual sites on Azerbaijani soil.” Of course, this can be a risky scenario as it would attract additional Turkish and Israeli intervention in favor of Azerbaijan and may jeopardize the North-South trade as Azerbaijan is the only bridge for now between Russia and Iran in the framework of the International North-South Transport Corridor. However, if the development escalates despite Iran’s attempt to de-escalate and telephone conversations between the Iranian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers, Iran may go for a final resort with a limited military operation to put an end to President Aliyev’s expansionist aspirations.
Moreover, Dr. Movahedian mentioned that the recent military drills by Iranian forces were a direct message to Ankara, Baku and Tel Aviv, warning that if they attempt to change borders, then Iran will deal with the aggressor countries with force. This idea was also brought up by Iranian Spiritual Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who spoke about the necessity of preserving the thousand-year-old border between Iran and Armenia during the Tehran Summit in front of the Russian and Turkish presidents. For this reason, Dr. Movahedian argues that President Aliyev, being aware that any attack on Syunik near the Armenian-Iranian border would trigger retaliation from the Iranian side, is seeking to occupy the Armenian populated parts of remaining Artsakh.
In addition to military pressure, Dr. Movahedian argues that Iran also can use levers of economic pressure against Azerbaijan. “The most important tool in this field is the diversification of North-South communication corridor paths. In addition to completing the Rasht-Astara railway (between Iran and Azerbaijan), Iran should connect to Russia through the Caspian Free Zone port near Anzali port and take steps to create a suitable corridor route from the Meghri border to the territory of Armenia and then Georgia,” added the Iranian expert. He concludes that Iran may even go further by supporting ethnic and religious minorities and religious or even secular groups in Azerbaijan. Finally, Iran, Armenia, India and Russia should strengthen their ties and increase their economic, military, cultural and informational cooperation.
Sarigyugh, Armenia (Photo: Varak Ghazarian)
Dear Armenia,
I am grateful. Every day I wake up and think how grateful I am to be living in Armenia. To be living in Armenia during a crucial time of Armenian history. To be living on the land where my ancestors have lived for thousands of years. To be living on a land full of centuries-old culture. To be able to learn the songs and dances that my predecessors sang and danced to. To be able to explore the land rich in holy mountains, endless valleys, dense forests, constantly flowing water, ancient churches and prehistoric ruins. To be able to speak and hear a nearly two-millennia-old language. To be able to affect change through my everyday life.
A profound sense of meaning entered my life due to the 2020 Artsakh War. I understood that I needed to be in my homeland. I understood that Armenia’s livelihood was severely threatened. After two years of struggle, I count my homeland as an everyday blessing. I was fighting against myself and everything around me. I have now found peace within myself and my current situation, even if Armenia’s situation has continued to get more and more grim. I view every day as an attempt to create a stronger and better Armenia through my everyday actions and perspectives. I hope to inspire a new generation that will help bring about positive change and a sense of belonging to their homeland.
In a world where patriotism is condemned and punished, here I stand as a “patriot” of Armenia. I do not believe that love for your country will necessarily breed nationalistic ideas and hatred toward other nations. I believe this patriotism within me stands for not just the development and survival of Armenia, but for upholding global democratic values. To be able to fight for democracy against dictatorial regimes and struggle for the betterment of human society. For peace to come for Armenia, the people must not continue to breed hatred for one another. Each side, starting with Turkey, must recognize its past mistakes and repent for the atrocities they have committed. Not only forgiveness, but also restitution for what was lost during such atrocities because a simple “sorry” does not undo such horrible wrongdoings. Only then will we be able to move forward in a positive light. The people on both sides must be rid of the hatred within their countries and breed a new generation of understanding and forgiveness that will bring about innovative solutions to the current conflict.
With Love,
A Concerned Armenian