Pashinyan discusses Armenia’s economic ambitions after Nagorno Karabakh war

'2020, was very challenging also from an economic point of view, both due to the war and the coronavirus pandemic, ' Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said during a consultation on Friday.

Armenian PM reminded of the economic challenges Armenia is undergoing and highlighted the need to focus on addressing humanitarian problems.

Pashinyan argued, that the Nagorno Karabakh trilateral truce settlement and its implementation may open new opportunities for the economy of Armenia. ‘We are determined to seize these opportunities to the fullest extent not only to restore our economic ambitions but also to aim higher,’ Pashinyan said.   

Following the recent meeting between Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Russian leaders, the sides reaffirmed their intention to unblock regional transport communications linking Armenia to Iran and Russia and correspondingly, Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhijevan through Armenia's territory. Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey closed borders with Armenia during the first Nagorno Karabakh war.    

Opposition starts countrywide visits, people blocked the road to Gyumri

The ’Homeland Salvation Movement’, a coalition of 17 parties demanding Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation, started its visit around the country from Gyumri, Armenia’s second city, RFE/RL Armenian service reports. On the way to Gyumri, residents blocked the road to prevent the opposition leader Vazgen Manukyan to enter the city. Manukyan, who reached Gyumri later, claimed that Pashinyan’s My Step Alliance had paid to those who blocked the road.  

Members of the other 17 political forces had been waiting for Manukyan in Gyumri, where he later presented his views around the defeat in the recent Nagorno Karabakh war and the Moscow-brokered trilateral truce statement. According to the opposition leader, at least two provisions of the trilateral statement need revisiting. Manukyan argued that Armenia should demand to remain in the positions where Armenian forces were located on the day of the truce statement – that is Kubatlu and Zangelan instead of Armenia’s southern Syunik, where the border starts currently.  

Speaking about the issue of PoWs, Manukayan said that Pashinyan does not have enough courage to slam the door and leave the negotiations table if the issue of PoWs is not solved as a condition to Nagorno Karabakh’s status and the road which will connect Azerbaijan exclave Nakhijevan to its eastern territory and Turkey.  

Manukyan also referred to the provision about unblocking of regional transport connections, saying that no serious outcomes should be expected from it, since ‘a weak country will have lower income.’ He argued that in order to reverse such development, the country needs to be strong.  

The Homeland Salvation Movement, which has held protests since the Nagorno Karabakh truce statement, was unable to mobilize a critical number of supporters that would join the protests constantly. In Manukyan’s words, the Movement needs to explain its position to the people and turn the Movement into a truly nationwide one.

Azerbaijan issued postal stamp depicting disinfection of Armenians from Artsakh – Human Rights Defender  

Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan commented about the ‘Azerbaijan 2020’ postal stamp issued by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Transportation, Communication, and High Technologies, depicting a man in medical gear chemically disinfecting Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), openly presenting them as ‘dirt’.

Tatoyan said that the postal stamp proves again that Azerbaijani authorities condone hatred and pursue a genocidal policy against Armenians on the basis of ethnicity only because the people living in Artsakh are Armenians.

According to the Human Rights Defender, propagation of Armenophobia and organized hostilities has been Azerbaijan’s state policy pursued consistently for many years. Tatoyan argued that the official policy of hatred brought to such consequences as the atrocities and tortures committed by the Azerbaijani servicemen against ethnic Armenians.

The Human Rights Defender also informed that a new special report about the Armenian captives has been sent to relevant international institutions presenting evidence of tortures, atrocities, and humiliation of the Armenian hostages by the Azerbaijani forces, RFE/RL’s Armenian service reports.  

Tatoyan reminded Azerbaijan’s recent announcement about 64 prisoners of war, captured after the Moscow-brokered truce statement, to be prosecuted. Tatoyan said that according to international law, PoWs must be released immediately after the cessation of hostilities. He informed that initiating criminal proceedings against PoWs, detaining or arresting them as well as artificially delaying their release is a war crime.

Aliyev’s statement is a misappropriation of Armenian heritage - Armenian FM Spokesperson

‘The statements of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made on January 13 during the meeting with Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik, Director-General of ISESCO, once again demonstrate that the Armenian cultural heritage in the territories under the Azerbaijani control is seriously endangered, and the state of Azerbaijan cannot be the guarantor of the proper protection of cultural and religious heritage,’ Anna Naghdalyan, Armenian FM spokesperson said on Friday.

During the meeting, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev claimed that Armenians converted ancient Caucasian Albanian churches into Armenian churches and vowed a criminal investigation.

‘The fake thesis of presenting the Christian heritage of Armenians or other peoples of the region as Caucasian Albanian has no serious circulation outside of Azerbaijan and is not perceived by the international academic community,’ Armenian FM spokesperson said in response to Aliyev’s claims adding that thousands of Armenian religious and secular monuments were created centuries before Azerbaijan was established having no relation to the Azerbaijani identity.

The Spokesperson added that the distortion of the identity of the Armenian heritage is an attempt of misappropriation of the cultural values of the Armenian people and a gross violation of the relevant international legal instruments. She also reminded of the numerous facts of the systematic destruction of the Armenian cultural and religious heritage in Azerbaijan in the past.

Naghdalyan reminded that Azerbaijan continues to hinder the access of the international specialized organizations, primarily UNESCO, thus undermining the efforts of the international community aimed at preserving Artsakh’s cultural heritage. ‘The misappropriation and distortion of the cultural values of the Armenian people, the violation of the rights of the Armenian people do not contribute to regional peace,’ the Spokesperson said.

Other new from Armenia

• Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian held a phone conversation with Foreign Minister of Finland Pekka Haavisto on Friday, the Ministry’s Press Office informs. The counterparts highlighted the importance of addressing the issues of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Minister Aivazian briefed his counterpart on the situation following the war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, the steps being undertaken to maintain the ceasefire and stabilize the situation in the region emphasizing the safe and immediate return of prisoners of war, captured civilians, and others detained as a priority for Armenia.
  
  
• ‘Russia will welcome the establishment of a direct dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the holding of joint humanitarian measures by the two countries,’ Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday, ArtsakhPress reports.
  
  In our opinion, such initiatives contribute to the formation of a climate of reconciliation, trust, and mutual understanding; it is beneficial for the peoples of the two countries and, in principle, for the entire South Caucasus region; this also means for Russia. The Russian side will assist such humanitarian actions if Baku and Yerevan show a sincere willingness to move in that direction,’ Zakharova added.
  
  
• Armenian former Ministry of Defense Seyran Ohanyan questioned the capacity of the current General Prosecutor Arthur Davtyan to solve the issue of Armenian PoWs captured by Azerbaijani forces, Hetq.am reports. He said that as a representative of current Armenian authorities, the Prosecutor General has not made any effort to unleash the 44-day war in 2020 and expressed doubts that the authorities can contribute to the solution of any issue related to Armenia and its reputation internationally.
  
  In response, Prosecutor General Arthur Davtyan called Ohanyan’s claims ‘emotional’ saying that the Prosecutor’s office, also with the support of its Russian counterparts, has always made productive efforts to counteract the consequences of Azerbaijan’s illegal actions, and publicly disclosed those efforts.