Daily News Summary

Daily News Summary [26.04.2022]

Pashinyan confessed to the mass murder, we demand to consider our report separately. Parent of fallen soldier Parents and relatives of fallen servicemen are holding a protest on Aznavour Square. From Charles Aznavour Square, we will move to the government building, give those criminals a gift, tell them what we think, and then we will go to the Prosecutor's office to submit documents and signatures, which were collected by parents and relatives, Anahit Manasyan, the aunt of one of the servicemen killed in the 44-day war, told journalists. "We were summoned to the Prosecutor's office, talked to Prosecutor Muradyan, we were told that there were 4 more reports of a crime about the same person, Nikol Pashinyan, an investigation is underway. Our report will also join these cases. It's fundamentally unacceptable for us that our report will be investigated in the same case as other'," Anahit Manasyan said. One of the parents noted that in Pashinyan's speech ("we could have stopped the war earlier, but, of course, we would have had the same situation, but without victims") there was a confession of mass murder and they will appeal to the Anti-Corruption Committee so that the case would be separated and considered separately. When asked if there is confidence that a proper investigation will be conducted under the current authorities, the parents answered: "You can't express distrust of all state structures and do nothing. We will be consistent so that a proper investigation is conducted." Erdogan Accuses Turkish-Armenian Politician Of Treason azatutyun.am: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strongly condemned an ethnic Armenian member of Turkey’s parliament for demanding that Ankara officially recognize the 1915 Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Erdogan said that a corresponding parliamentary resolution drafted by the opposition lawmaker, Garo Paylan, amounts to high treason. The resolution not only calls for a formal recognition of the genocide but also says that the Turkish authorities must rename streets bearing the names of Ottoman masterminds of the genocide and offer Turkish citizenship to Armenian descendants of its survivors. Paylan circulated the measure ahead of the 107th anniversary of the slaughter of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians marked on Sunday. Speaker Mustafa Sentop refused to include it on the parliament agenda. Paylan’s initiative provoked a storm of criticism from other senior Turkish officials as well as a spokesman for the ruling AKP party. “We regard as clear treason the manifestation of such brazenness in this body symbolizing the expression of national will,” Erdogan said after chairing a cabinet meeting in Ankara on Monday. Erdogan said that the Turkish authorities will take “appropriate actions” against Paylan. But he did not clarify whether the 49-year-old lawmaker representing the pro-Kurdish opposition party HDP will face criminal charges. The authorities have for years tried to strip Paylan of his parliamentary immunity from prosecution. Speaking to the CNN-Turk TV channel, Paylan described the furious reaction to his initiative as unprecedented. He said that similar resolutions drafted by in the past did not cause such a government outcry. “I haven’t changed, which means that Turkey has,” he said, adding that Erdogan’s government is no longer willing to tolerate public actions challenging the official Turkish version of the events of 1915. The HDP is the only major Turkish party to have recognized the World War One-era mass killings of Armenians as genocide. Successive Turkish governments have denied a premeditated government effort to exterminate Ottoman Turkey’s Armenian population. Erdogan alleged in 2019 that Armenians themselves massacred Muslim civilians and that their mass deportations to a Syrian desert was “the most reasonable action that could be taken” by the Ottoman government. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu underscored Ankara’s stance on Saturday when he publicly made a hand gesture associated with the Turkish ultranationalist group Gray Wolves during a visit to Uruguay. Cavusoglu gestured to members of the South American country’s Armenian community demonstrating outside the Turkish Embassy in the capital Montevideo. Turkish leader says Biden's genocide comment based 'on lies' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday for again characterizing the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Empire forces as a “genocide,” saying the U.S. leader's statement was “based on lies and false information,” ABC news reports In a televised address following a Cabinet meeting, Erdogan challenged Biden to “learn the history” concerning the Armenians, insisted that such statements were “provoking enmity” between the Turkish and Armenian people and maintained that the Armenian people would suffer the most from the “hypocrisy.” Biden on Sunday issued a statement commemorating the 107th anniversary of the start of the “Armenian genocide." The U.S. president had first used the term “genocide” during last year’s anniversary, fulfilling a campaign promise. Past presidents had avoided that word for decades out of a concern that Turkey - a NATO member - could be offended. “Statements relating to the Armenian claims ... are of no effect to us,” Erdogan said. “This is how we see the statement of the U.S. president, and we do not even find it worth dwelling on because it is all based on lies and false information.” Without mentioning his name, Erdogan also referred to Garo Paylan's bill on recognizing the Armenian Genocide submitted to the Turkish parliament. He described the move as "audacity" or "betrayal". Other News Unblocking communication channels between Armenia and Azerbaijan topic of discussion for Aliyev and Overchuk |1lurer.am| Eduard Aghajanyan’s Speech at Plenary Meeting of PACE Spring Session PM Pashinyan receives NATO Secretary General's Special Representative

00:43 - 27 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [25.04.2022]

Armenian FM holds phone call with Azerbaijani FM Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan held a phone call with Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia reports. The Ministers exchanged views as a follow-up to the agreements reached at the level of the leaders of both states. The sides agreed on the structure of the Commission on delimitation and border security. It was agreed to convene a meeting on the Commission on delimitation and border security in near future. The sides also discussed the issues related to addressing humanitarian issues, as well as preparation of works on peace negotiations. Earlier Denis Gonchar, the director of Fourth Department of RF MFA CIS Countries, told RIA Novosty that Moscow promotes negotiations on a peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan, is creating an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding between the parties. "We are helping to reach an agreement on a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Russian side is determined to continue to help Baku and Yerevan in every possible way to create an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding. At the same time, we welcome the initiatives of third countries that can complement our trilateral efforts and are not based on the logic of geopolitical games," Gonchar said. Uruguay's President and FM condemn the actions of Turkish FM President of Uruguay Luis Lacalle Pou criticized Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu for making the Grey Wolves ultranationalist organization’s salute towards Armenians in Montevideo. "It is very unfortunate that the Turkish foreign minister showed the Turkish ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves salute to a group of Armenians in Montevideo. Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s conduct must be strongly critisized. The Armenian community is hurt, and they are right," the Urugayan president said, noting that advancing ties in commercial matters doesn’t mean that they agree with the other side’s domestic or foreign policy. Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo condemned Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s move in Montevideo where the latter tried to taunt Armenian demonstrators by flashing the ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves salute. Speaking at an Armenian Genocide commemoration ceremony, FM Bustillo said that Uruguay is a country that respects memory and is a country seeking peace, El Pais reports. "In cases of confrontations our country prefers reconciliation. We advocate mutual understanding, tolerance and we hope that those who visit our country, where peace and tolerance is advocated, will act in this manner. I reject and condemn any insulting conduct or gesture that implies physical or moral violence," the Uruguayan FM said, referring to Cavusoglu’s Grey Wolves salute. During a visit to Uruguay, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu mocked demonstrators outside the Turkish diplomatic representation who gathered to demand recognition of the Armenian Genocide on the eve of the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. A video posted on Twitter shows how demonstrators were shouting "asesino" – meaning murderer in Spanish, when Cavusoglu exited the building and was about to be driven away. Then, Cavusoglu is seen smiling and making the gesture of the ultranationalist Turkish Grey Wolves organization, taunting the demonstrators. The gesture used by the Turkish ultra-nationalists was banned in Austria in 2019. In Germany, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and the Left party also proposed to ban the use of the symbol, describing it as fascist. Armenia fallen soldier’s father goes on hunger strike Misak Avetisyan, the father of Senior Lieutenant Levon Avetisyan who fell during the 44-day Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war in the fall of 2020, declared a hunger strike until May 8. He told reporters at Freedom Square in downtown Yerevan that he demands that the Prosecutor's Office and the National Security Service arrest Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan by May 8. Otherwise, on May 8, he will set himself on fire at Republic Square in downtown Yerevan. Misak Avetisyan accuses PM Pashinyan of knowingly causing the Armenian casualties during the aforesaid war. Other News PM Pashinyan congratulates France’s Macron on re-election |armenpress.am| Russian Special Representative, Azerbaijani FM discuss relations between Baku and Yerevan |armenpress.am| Armen Grigoryan will pay a working visit to the UK

00:24 - 26 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [24.04.2022]

Çavuşoğlu showed the "grey wolves" sign to the Armenians gathered in front of the Turkish Embassy in Montevideo The visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to Uruguay did not end without consequences. Çavuşoğlu responded to the protests of Armenians gathered in front of the Turkish Embassy in Montevideo with the sign of "gray wolves". The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay summoned the Turkish Ambassador to the Ministry for explanations in connection with that sign. The meeting is scheduled for Monday. Armenian organizations in Uruguay condemned Çavuşoğlu's actions. Armenia’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan described Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu’s "Grey Wolves" gesture at Armenian Genocide demonstrators as "disgusting, disgraceful and racist". "Mevlut Cavusoglu’s "grey wolves" salute is disgusting, disgraceful and racist. Hitler is saluting back from his grave," Mnatsakanyan tweeted. The former FM also addressed the normalization process between Armenia and Turkey. "Normalizing relations between neighboring nations is necessary. Sure. It implies good faith and empathy. Turkey’s denialism does not qualify as a requisite of good faith. Stop denying Armenian Genocide. And, for God’s sake, stop delegating Armenian Genocide to historians. They have done their job many times over in these past 107 years. It is still your turn to show political courage and self-worth," he said. In a separate tweet Mnatsakanyan also touched upon the non-recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Israel and Rwanda. "The irony and affront to human dignity and justice is the refusal of Israel and Rwanda to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Come on, this is not a contest for “the best genocide”. So long as you are in denial of other peoples’ tragedy, your sentiments of justice and truth are hollow." Chairman of the Foreign Relations Commission of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Aghajanyan reacted to the actions of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. The latter responded to the protests of the Armenians gathered in front of the Turkish Embassy in Montevideo with the sign of "gray wolves". "On the eve of the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the nationalist gesture of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, demonstrated in front of the representatives of the Armenian community in Montevideo, is a reprehensible act and does not contribute to the formation of an atmosphere of mutual understanding and dialogue between the two people. We welcome the immediate response of the Uruguayan side to the Turkish Ambassador's call to Foreign Ministry for explanations," Eduard Aghajanyan wrote. Turkey called Biden's message on occasion of 107th anniversary of Armenian Genocide "incompatible" United States President Joe Biden released a statement on the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. "On April 24, 1915, Ottoman authorities arrested Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople. Thus began the Armenian genocide—one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century. Today, we remember the one and a half million Armenians who were deported, massacred, or marched to their deaths in a campaign of extermination, and mourn the tragic loss of so many lives. As we reflect on the Armenian genocide, we renew our pledge to remain vigilant against the corrosive influence of hate in all its forms. We recommit ourselves to speaking out and stopping atrocities that leave lasting scars on the world. And, as we mourn what was lost during the Meds Yeghern, let us redouble our efforts toward healing and building the better, more peaceful world that we wish for our children. A world where human rights are respected, where the evils of bigotry and intolerance do not mark our daily lives, and where people everywhere are free to pursue their lives in dignity and security. This is also a moment to reflect on the strength and resiliency of the Armenian people. After enduring a genocide, the Armenian people were determined to rebuild their community and their culture, so often in new homes and new lands, including the United States. Armenian Americans are a vital part of the fabric of the United States. They make our nation stronger and more dynamic, even as they continue to carry with them the tragic knowledge of what their ancestors endured. We recognize their pain and honor their story. Today, 107 years later, the American people continue to honor all Armenians who perished in the genocide," President Biden said in the statement published by the White House. The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement on April 24 on the statements made by the authorities of a number of countries on the occasion of the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. "Statements that are incompatible with historical facts and international law regarding the events of 1915 are not valid. This includes the unfortunate statement made by US President Biden today, which is the repetition of the mistake he had made in 2021. We reject such statements and decisions, which distort historical facts with political motives, and condemn those who insist on this mistake. One-sided and selective approaches that serve no purpose other than to draw enmity from history are morally problematic and politically ill-intentioned. A humanitarian and conscientious stance requires commemorating all sufferings experienced at that period, without ethnic or religious discrimination. Turkey respectfully commemorates the sufferings of all the Ottoman population, including the Armenians. We reject the attempts to exploit this pain for political purposes. Turkey is of the opinion that controversial episodes in history such as the events of 1915 should be studied without prejudice by respecting the scientific and legal principles in order to reach a just memory. With this understanding, Turkey proposed the establishment of a Joint History Commission and opened its archives. Turkey strives for peace and stability in its region and in the world, and the spirit of cooperation to prevail. The normalization initiative with Armenia is another manifestation of this understanding," Turkish Foreign Ministry’s statement reads. An Armenian serviceman is on the Azerbaijani side. RA MoD On April 23, on the way from the military unit to the combat base, the connection with the serviceman Eduard Martirosov was lost, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia reports. It's noted that search and rescue operations immediately began. As a result of the work carried out with the mediation of the Russian side with representatives of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, according to the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, it turned out that Martirosov crossed the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on the same day under unknown circumstances and is on the Azerbaijani side. The Defense Ministry reports that the necessary steps are being taken to return Martirosov to the Armenian side. Earlier today the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia denied the message spread by Azerbaijani State Border Service. The message spread by the State Border Service of Azerbaijan on the alleged sabotage actions of the RA Armed Forces units on the evening of April 23, in particular, an attempt to enter the territory under the control of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the south-eastern direction of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, has nothing to do with reality, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia reports. Other News "We hope others will continue joining us in recognition" – US Ambassador on Armenian Genocide recognition We are obliged to defend Armenia's independence and territorial integrity: Mayor of Paris Armenians are still threatened today because they are Armenians: Jonathan Lacôte Armenia never linked normalization of relations with Turkey with preconditions - Ambassador-at-Large

00:42 - 25 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [22.04.2022]

If there are forces in Armenia that still prevent the recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, we will be forced not to recognize Armenia. Aliyev Speaking at the 5th Congress of the Azerbaijanis Worldwide in Shushi, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev touched upon relations with Armenia․ Aliyev once again called for starting concrete negotiations with Yerevan to sign a peace treaty. "If there are certain forces in Armenia that still think about revanchism and on this basis prevent the signing of a peace treaty and recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, then we will have to take adequate steps and not recognize the territorial integrity of Armenia," Aliyev said. "Despite the end of the war, Armenia's territorial demands have not ended, but I am sure they will stop," Aliyev added. Speaking about the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group Ilham Aliyev noted that it was aimed not at the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but allegedly at the "occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan". Aliyev also expressed "regret" that official Yerevan continues to talk about the activities of the Minsk Group. "High-ranking officials in Armenia are still talking about the Minsk Group. I think it has no meaning. In fact, the Minsk Group was paralyzed in 2019. If we look at the history of the proposals of this group today, we will see once again that it was not created to solve this problem, it was created to perpetuate the "occupation of Azerbaijani territories," he said. "I'm often asked what will happen to the OSCE Minsk Group? I said that in 2022 the Minsk Group will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its creation, and then retire. However, after the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war, they don't even have the opportunity to celebrate the anniversary," the Azerbaijani President said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh has issued a statement on the Occasion of Holding the "5th Congress of the Azerbaijanis Worldwide" in Shoushi. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh considers extremely destructive the initiative to hold the "5th Congress of the Azerbaijanis Worldwide" in the Armenian town of Shoushi occupied by Azerbaijan, which includes obvious elements of Armenophobia and expansionism. Such an "initiative" is also an attempt to escalate tensions in the region. The Foreign Ministry of Artsakh strongly condemns the nationalist and aggressive policy of official Baku, which aims to torpedo and disrupt the peaceful settlement process of the Azerbaijani-Karabagh conflict," the statement reads. According to Pashinyan, the assessments on the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are not justified The next result of the negotiations with the President of the Russian Federation in the context of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was the emphasis on the importance of the international mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Nikol Pashinyan said at the government session. "And if we state that in the days preceding the Moscow visit, the Russian, French and US Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group visited Armenia, then we can say that the assessments about the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are not justified," he said. Pashinyan noted that they clearly see that all the Co-Chair countries remain faithful to their mandate on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, despite the fact that the events taking place in Ukraine have created difficulties for the joint activities of the Co-Chairs. Pashinyan said that it's extremely important to ensure the security of Nagorno-Karabakh, the key factor of which is the uninterrupted and unhindered operation of the Lachin corridor. "In this regard, the contribution of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to the NK is important, but on the other hand, in a number of episodes we see the need to increase the effectiveness of peacekeepers," he said. Pashinyan said that he had informed President f Nagorno-Karabakh about the content of his Moscow talks on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "This practice is not new: I have always done this, after negotiations in Russia, Europe, Armenia, and the President of Artsakh, in turn, presented the results of these negotiations to the political elite of Artsakh. This practice will always continue, and after each round of negotiations, I share detailed information with various political circles, and have always been willing to share this content with the parliamentary opposition, but they constantly refuse such discussions for obvious reasons in order to create legends about various conspiracy theories and put these legends as a basis their activities," Pashinyan said. Putin and Michel discussed the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of Russia Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation. Among other issues, the sides also touched upon ensuring security in Nagorno-Karabakh. "The issue of ensuring stability and security in Nagorno-Karabakh was also touched upon, taking into account the recent contacts between Vladimir Putin and Charles Michel with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan," the Kremlin Press Service reports. "The fundamental importance of the consistent implementation of the trilateral agreements between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia from November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021 has been confirmed. Putin informed about the implementation of programs to restore economic and transport ties, as well as steps to demarcate the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and start negotiations on a peace treaty between the two countries." The Office of the President of the European Council has not yet reported details of the telephone conversation. Other News The Prime Minister received the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia 800 people prosecuted in war-related criminal cases in Armenia – Prosecutor General |armenpress.am| Foreign Minister of Armenia received EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia

23:58 - 22 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [21.04.2022]

The government edited part of the message about reaching a final agreement on the Karabakh issue at the Putin-Pashinyan meeting The press service of the Government of the Republic of Armenia edited the message about the meeting of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin. In the preliminary version of the message, which was also sent by e-mail to the media, it was noted that at the meeting with Putin, among other issues, a final agreement was reached also on the issue of security and Nagorno-Karabakh. In the edited version, the word "final" was removed, and the part on the issue of security and Nagorno-Karabakh was paraphrased. USA, France have not expressed readiness to resume the work of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs – Zakharova |armenpress.am| The United States and France have not signaled their readiness to resume the works of OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, ARMENPRESS reports official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said. "We have not received such signals, and don’t even expect”, reads the statement posted on the ministry's website. According to Zakharova, Washington and Paris "actually paralyzed the work of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs by refusing the cooperation with Russia’s involvment”. "Such coincidences are not accidental. Like the Brussels's open attempts to make the well-known Russian-Azerbaijani-Armenian high-level agreements (demarcation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, restoration of transport communication) their own and the agenda proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs last year (urgent humanitarian issues, reparation of a peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan). In this context, we reaffirm our unconditional commitment to consistently implement the statements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia of November 9, 2020, January 11, November 26, 2021. At the same time, we are determined to contribute in every way to the conclusion of a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia, with which we have historically been linked by friendship, allied and partnering relations," Zakharova said. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that France and the United States had refused to cooperate with Russia in the OSCE Minsk Group. Relatives of fallen servicemen gathered on Freedom Square in support of participants of 44-day war, who declared hunger strike Relatives of the fallen servicemen gathered in support of the participants of the 44-day war, who declared a hunger strike on Freedom Square. They called on the relatives of the deceased servicemen to come to Freedom Square and support. The parents wanted to set up a tent on the square, but policemen forbade. The parents, however, set up a tent. The policemen asked the parents for an hour to clarify the issue of permission to set up a tent. Other News I am proud to join my colleagues as an original co-sponsor of Armenian Genocide Education Act: Jim Costa |1lurer.am| Alen Simonyan receives delegation of Jordanian senate

00:12 - 22 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [19.04.2022]

Pashinyan and Putin met in Moscow Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that relations between Yerevan and Moscow are at a very high level, TASS reports. Nikol Pashinyan noted that Russia plays a key role in ensuring security in the South Caucasus. He also noted that the Russian peacekeeping contingent ensures the security of Nagorno-Karabakh. The personal role of the President of the Russian Federation in the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh was emphasized. Russia is Armenia's strategic partner, the two countries effectively cooperate in the Eurasian Economic Union, the CIS, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Pashinyan said. "As you said, this visit has not only practical, but also symbolic significance, because it is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries, it shows that the relations between our countries are at a very high level. I hope that as a result of this visit, the dynamics will not only continue, but will become more effective. We are really in constant contact, we meet very often, we always have phone conversations, because the agenda of our bilateral relations is very saturated, practically in all spheres, starting from the economy, ending with culture, education, military-technical cooperation. Russia is a strategic partner of Armenia, we effectively cooperate in the Eurasian Economic Union, the CIS, the Collective Security Treaty Organization. It is no secret that Russia has a key role in ensuring security and stability in our region," Pashinyan said The Prime Minister stressed the key role of Vladimir Putin in establishing a ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh in 2020. "Since, the Russian peacekeepers have been operating in Nagorno Karabakh. It should be emphasized that, in general, of course, the activities of the Russian peacekeepers provide security and it seems that we need to look at what can be done to make the peacekeepers' activities more effective. And, of course, the main political issue in our region is the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, I hope we will talk about that today as well," Pashinyan said. The Prime Minister noted that his visit has a very full agenda, most of which is related to these negotiations. "I am sure we will be able to hold effective negotiations, thank you, I am very glad to see you," Pashinyan concluded. Pashinyan and Putin issue a joint statement Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement. The leaders stressed the importance of further implementation of the agreements reached between Yerevan and Moscow in the field of biosafety, including the 2021 agreement, including based on the May 6, 2021 Memorandum of Understanding on Ensuring Biological Safety. It has been confirmed that the territories of the two countries will not be allocated for use by third countries for the purpose of carrying out activities against each other’s interests in the field of biosafety. Recognizing the key role of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in ensuring regional security, considering Armenia’s ongoing presidency over the Organization, the Parties reaffirmed their readiness to intensify efforts to increase the capacity of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, including the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces and the Organization's crisis response mechanisms, to strengthen coordination and to support the expansion of CSTO partnering relations. The Parties spoke in favor of further deepening of cooperation in the format of the Commonwealth of Independent States in all directions, including for the coordination of positions on current international issues, raising the level of socio-economic development of the Commonwealth member states, and expanding cultural and humanitarian ties. Pashinyan and Putin stressed the importance of intensifying the activity of the trilateral working group on the unblocking of all economic ties and transport routes in the South Caucasus, jointly chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia. The Parties agreed to speed up the establishment of a bilateral commission on demarcation and security in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border area in accordance with the trilateral agreement of November 26, 2021 with the consultative assistance of the Russian Federation at the request of the Parties. The Parties agreed to intensify the trilateral cooperation between Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan aimed at supporting the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and in the region in general. The leaders welcomed the normalization process of the Armenian-Turkish relations launched with the Russian support. Aliyev said Azerbaijan is ready to start negotiations on a peace treaty with Armenia Azerbaijan is ready to start negotiations on a peace treaty with Armenia, Ilham Aliyev said at a meeting with Toivo Klaar in Baku, TASS reports. "I think the official starting point took place on April 6 in Brussels (at a meeting between Nikol Pashinyan and Ilham Aliyev mediated by EU President Charles Michel - ed.). Since that day, we have been working, the Foreign Ministry has been working, my staff has been in touch with your team, and, as we agreed, we are ready to launch," Aliyev said. According to interfax.az, speaking about Azerbaijan's five proposals to Armenia, he said: "We positively assess the relevant statements of the Armenian side in this regard. Now is the time for both sides to prove the seriousness of their [intentions] at the negotiating table." Aliyev said that Baku has high hopes for the efforts of the European Union, especially President Charles Michel "who is already actively involved in this process." "He is already well acquainted with the process. I think this creates a very promising environment for successful negotiations," the Azerbaijani President said. Other News Charles Michel touched upon the telephone conversation with Pashinyan No violations were recorded in the area of responsibility of peacekeepers in the NK. RF MoD

23:41 - 19 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [18.04.2022]

OSCE MG Co-Chair from the United States meets Pashinyan, Mirzoyan and Secretary of the Security Council On April 18, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Andrew Schofer. The Prime Minister emphasized the role of the United States as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair country, welcomed the visit of Andrew Shaffer, which will provide an opportunity to discuss the situation in Nagorno Karabakh and the processes taking place in this context. The interlocutors stressed the role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’s format in the comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The sides also touched upon humanitarian issues, as well as the possibility of starting negotiations with Azerbaijan on a peace treaty. In this regard, the Prime Minister of Armenia stressed the mediating role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ format and the Co-chair countries. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Andrew Schofer. Interlocutors exchanged views on launching the negotiations on a comprehensive peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In this context, Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the mediating role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. The implementation of the agreements on the establishment of the Commission on delimitation and border security was emphasized. Ararat Mirzoyan briefed Andrew Schofer on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. The sides discussed in detail the humanitarian issues resulting from the 44-day war, in particular the immediate release and repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees, as well as the preservation of Armenian cultural and religious heritage in the territories fallen under the Azerbaijani control. The Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan received US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Andrew Schofer. During the meeting, Grigoryan presented the situation in Nagorno Karabakh. The Secretary also reaffirmed the readiness of the Armenian side to support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The interlocutors exchanged views on peace in the region and security issues. In case of our victory, there will be no war. Artur Vanetsyan There will be no war if the opposition comes to power, Artur Vanetsyan said at a press conference at Freedom Square. "Nikol Pashinyan and his teammates, hoping for the so-called era of peace or convincing people that they bring peace, are actually leading our country to war: to a war with predicted defeat. In case of our victory, there will be no war, I'm confidently telling you that there will be no war. But we won't also hang our heads in front of the enemy and beg for peace: believe me, there are many ways, and we know about those ways, we have the experience, knowledge, and opportunity to prevent war. As for a clear plan of action, you can tell that I can't voice a clear plan now, right? You have seen how many police forces were used against us for using a small tent," Vanetsyan said. According to Vanetsyan, the authorities understand the public mood, they understand that they have lost their power, and it's a matter of time for the opposition to solve this issue. "There is a clear plan, the opposition has a clear plan," Vanetsyan said. He also noted: "After a while, you will witness the development and progress of this protest and other protests." According to Artur Vanetsyan, staying 24 hours in Freedom Square and communicating with people in a 24-hour mode, the situation will change significantly in a few days. "I've talked to thousands of people in these 24 hours․․․different people are coming and asking questions: having received answers, they realize that they are deluded. And being on this street, directly communicating with people solves this issue," Vanetsyan said. Earlier Vanetsyan said that the recent statements of these authorities indicate that they have already come to terms with the loss of Artsakh. "I think that the critical moment has come when we can't achieve anything more by writing articles, giving speeches, writing posts on Facebook. The statements made by these authorities in recent days indicate that they have already come to terms with the loss of Artsakh, they are ready to completely hand over Artsakh to the enemy, we have a problem with Armenia's security. We have reached the point where they say about the dead soldiers that it was pointless," he said. Other News PM Pashinyan to pay official visit to the Russian Federation The United States welcomes Pashinyan’s recent comments and Aliyev’s commitment to peace negotiations. US State Department Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a phone conversation with Charles Michel

00:44 - 19 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [15.04.2022]

Azerbaijan violates line of contact in Artsakh – Russian MoD A confirmed violation of the line of conact in Martakert region of Artsakh has been recorded, the Defense Ministry of Russia reports. "The command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, in cooperation with the representatives of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, is taking measures to resolve the incident," the statement said. Ongoing cooperation is maintained with the General Staffs of the Armed Forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ensure the security of Russian peacekeepers and prevent possible incidents. Artsakh InfoCenter reports that on April 15, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces penetrated into the neutral zone of the inter positional area of the line of contact near the settlement of Seysulan of the Martakert region. As a result of the negotiations undertaken by the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh, the Azerbaijani troops have agreed to return to their starting positions. Mirzoyan and Lavrov touched upon the formation of the commission on delimitation and border security between Armenia and Azerbaijan On April 15, RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan held a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia reports. The Ministers touched upon the formation of the commission on delimitation and border security between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the beginning of negotiations on a comprehensive peace treaty. In this context, Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the importance of Russia's mediation efforts, including as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. President of Armenia met with Ambassador of Greece and Lithuania On April 15, President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Hellenic Republic to Armenia Evangelos Tournakis. The sides focused on the importance of developing cooperation between the two friendly countries in all directions, expanding the current agenda and implementing future-oriented initiatives. They also exchanged views on regional developments, as well as current international issues and challenges. President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan received Ambassador of Lithuania to Armenia Inga Stanytė-Toločkienė. President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Ambassador Inga Stanytė-Toločkienė both expressed confidence that through joint efforts, they will contribute to the expansion and further deepening of the Armenian-Lithuanian agenda. The interlocutors stressed that the two countries have great potential for cooperation in the fields of economy, high technologies, education, and culture. Other News Armenia offers Turkey to open border for diplomatic passport holders as first step, but Ankara is delaying |armenpress.am| Russia official, Azerbaijan envoy confer about implementation of trilateral agreements with Armenia |news.am| “Any solution that would lead to exodus of Armenians from Artsakh cannot be acceptable for the Republic of Armenia” – MP |armenpress.am|

00:24 - 16 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [14.04.2022]

Russia announces a change in the status of its OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Igor Khovaev, the Russian Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, will continue his work in the new status of special representative of the Russian Foreign Minister for the settlement of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told journalists. "Let me remind you that on February 24, Washington and Paris stopped all contacts with Moscow within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Meanwhile, the situation in the South Caucasus doesn't allow for negotiation pauses. Since the United States and France have terminated the Co-Chairs' cooperation, consistent steps are needed towards restoring long-term peace and stability in the region. Ambassador-at-Large Khovaev will continue his work with a new quality as the special representative of the Russian Foreign Minister for the settlement of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia," Zakharova said. According to the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the topic of preparing a peace treaty is in the focus of Khovaev's attention. The real situation in the South Caucasus doesn't allow for negotiation pauses and requires further consistent steps to restore long-term peace in the region, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said. "The real situation in the South Caucasus doesn't allow for pauses in negotiations. Further consistent steps are required to restore long-term peace and stability in the region, especially when the United States and France have stopped cooperation between the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs," the diplomat said, answering a question from journalists about the preparation of a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. "In order to establish interstate relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the fundamental principles proposed by Baku and Yerevan's reaction to them should become the basis for the start of the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations on a peace treaty," she said. Zakharova also commented on the prevention of the entry of Armenian MPs into the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers, saying that the Russian peacekeeping contingent operates in accordance with the provisions of the statement of the heads of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia from November 9, 2020. That visit was not agreed in advance with the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. "We believe that the statements about the actions of Russian peacekeepers, which allegedly contradict the provisions of the statement of November 9, are incorrect. We expect that, taking into account the incidents both in the area of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers and in certain sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, both sides will refrain from additional steps that aggravate the situation in the region," Zakharova said. Now we are not talking about being or not being of Armenia or Artsakh. Nikol Pashinyan During his concluding speech at the National Assembly Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that with his yesterday's speech they opened a space for the Republic of Armenia, for Artsakh, because during the whole negotiation process of the previous period, Armenia and Artsakh were deprived of political and diplomatic space. "Exotic thoughts are voiced, those thoughts are voiced as a threat that if something does not happen in this or that way, we will take out the people of Karabakh from Karabakh or the people of Karabakh will leave. There is an impression that there are people who dream that the people leave Karabakh as soon as possible. No, we say that the people of Karabakh should not leave Karabakh, the people of Karabakh should live in Karabakh, the people of Karabakh should have rights, freedoms, status in Karabakh․ That's what we are talking about, and yes, we have opened that space. We are a state, we are a nation, we are sovereign, yes we are self-respecting, and yes, we are bleeding, but we have dignity and we will not allow someone else to decide or take away our rights by manipulating us, introducing models of patriotism, telling us that we have to be patriotic in the way that is in our interests. We must be patriotic in the way that is in the interests of these children (the NA session was attended by students of 198 Yerevan High School - ed.) I don’t know what they are told, I even don’t know what their teachers tell them, but today I tell them that I will not allow our generations to be kept in the status of a sacrificial lamb. How much is it possible to play on the emotions of the victims? I kneel and kneeled at the tombs of the victims, and I know and I said for what our martyrs fell. They have fallen to force us not to allow to be kept in the status of sacrificial lamb for centuries. We are a state, we are a country, we are citizens, we are a proud people, we have millennia-old history, but we must write and learn our history ourselves, instead of allowing others to write our history and deliver us that history. Now we are not talking about ongoing things, we are talking about being or not being of Armenia or Artsakh. Armenia and Artsakh, by the way, this is very important, they are not just pieces of land, because all the former pieces of land of Armenia still exist on the planet. Armenia is people, it is a status, it is a state, it is a subject of international legal relations. This is what we want. And, yes, there is a lot of aggression around us, that aggression is not just where we see it, that aggression is in many other places. What to do about this aggression? We have to manage that aggression. That aggression must be managed, there is no other option," Pashinyan said. We demand that the authorities of the Republic of Armenia renounce their current catastrophic position. Announcement of the NA of Artsakh The Parliament of Artsakh unanimously adopted an announcement in which they consider any other status for Artsakh, except self-determination, unacceptable. "The current legal and political status of the Republic of Artsakh has been formed by the will of the people as a result of three referendums and the adoption of a constitution based on their results and through a nationwide agreement established in the previous years. The Armenians of Artsakh are well aware of the price of peace. The statehood of Artsakh, the right to live freely and independently in the historical homeland are absolute values from which even the threat of war cannot keep us. According to Armenia-Azerbaijan "peace" agenda, any negotiation process to annex Artsakh to Artsakh as well as the signing of the resulting document, undermines not only the statehood of Artsakh, but also the inalienable right of the Armenians of Artsakh to live in their historical homeland. We demand that the authorities of the Republic of Armenia renounce their current catastrophic position and be guided exclusively by these values. No government has the right to lower the bar of internationally recognized self-determination to a status unacceptable to Artsakh, under the pretext of "peace." On behalf of the Armenians of Artsakh we apply to Armenians all over the world to stand united and resolutely by the brothers and sisters of Armenia and Artsakh in this just struggle. our colleagues in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia to not deviate from the decision of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia of July 8, 1992 the leadership of the Russian Federation. During the peacekeeping mission, it is very important for us that you do not allow anyone to manipulate the problems that arise, as a basis for questioning the further security of the people of Artsakh. the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries. Make efforts to maintain the only international mandate for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict regardless of all other disagreements," the announcement reads. The State Minister of the Republic of Artsakh Artak Beglaryan responded to statements of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made new statements and fake claims over Artsakh on the April 12th at the Government session, Beglaryan wrote on Facebook. "1. Despite of Aliyev’s statement, the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict has not been settled, and it should be done with international support primarily through unconditional and unlimited realization of right to self-determination of the Artsakh people. 2. In addition to legal and historical sufficient basis, the genocidal policy against Armenians and systemic policy of Armenophobia by Azerbaijan especially in the recent 34 years are additional reasons to say that Artsakh cannot be a part of Azerbaijan with any status. 3. The armed forces of Artsakh have never shot at the direction of Khachen reservoir and Akna (Aghdam) from Parukh and Qaraglukh, and if Aliyev has contrary evidence, he can publish it. Instead, prior to the Parukh occupation the Azerbaijani side were provocating firing with mortars at civilian communities. 4. It is not a “good will” to deliberately explode the gas pipeline and then restore it with delays." Other News Çavuşoğlu informed about the meeting place of the special representatives of Armenia and Turkey PM Pashinyan receives the French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Brice Roquefeuil Peace agenda has broad public consensus, says MP Lena Nazaryan |armenpress.am|

00:35 - 15 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [13.04.2022]

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan presented details about the agreements that were reached during the April 6 trilateral meeting in Brussels “Yes, I gave consent for the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to start the preparatory works of a peace treaty,” Pashinyan said in parliament. “What does this mean, what timeframes, what format – this has yet to be discussed and decided. But indeed, the signing of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan as soon as possible is in our plans. But I have to say that we don’t have any illusions here because we don’t rule out that Azerbaijan could attempt to bring the peace talks process into a deadlock as soon as possible and make it an occasion for a new aggression, aggressive actions against Armenia and Artsakh. We have the same calculation also regarding the delimitation works, because we don’t rule out that Azerbaijan could use this process to formulate territorial demands against Armenia, by de-jure announcing that it doesn’t have any territorial demands at all,” Pashinyan said. The Prime Minister said that by understanding and calculating all risks and challenges they reached a conclusion that remaining in the same point and not ensuring some progress in the process would not only not reduce the risks but it would escalate it. “This is the reason why we agreed in Brussels in the delimitation matter as well to form a bilateral Armenia-Azerbaijan commission dealing with delimitation and border security matters by the end of April and launch the work. What is our strategy in this matter? To clarify Azerbaijan’s official positions in the border issue, to officially record Armenia’s positions in the same matter, be maximally legitimate in our positions, meaning to use only the de-jure facts and arguments in clarifying the border, to obtain the acknowledgment of this legitimacy in the international community and based on this achieve an agreement regarding the Armenia-Azerbaijan borders. What does this mean? This means that in the delimitation process we should rely on de-jure significant facts for clarification of the territory of the Republic of Armenia and not on desires or conversations, because I already mentioned the dangers of such conduct.” The PM added that after his Brussels visit he received strong criticism regarding abandoning the proposal of a reciprocal “mirror-like” withdrawal of troops. “In this regard I have to say that in the past we’ve recorded for several times that the reciprocal withdrawal has never been a pre-condition from our side and we simply believe that a normal delimitation process is possible only regarding the borders where a certain level of security and stability exists, which unfortunately we can’t say about today’s Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Our concern that Azerbaijan wants to maintain military tension on the border parallel with delimitation to justify territorial encroachments against Armenia and formulate new encroachments is eventually perceived by the international community, but we had also reached a dangerous line where the proposal of mirror-like withdrawal of troops could’ve been perceived as a policy of bringing the situation to a deadlock. That’s why, like I said at the March 31 Cabinet meeting, we had expressed readiness to be flexible and we displayed this flexibility in Brussels, hoping that the international community will be more attentive to the security environment along the border,” the PM said. What happened at the Sotk-Khoznavar section is certainly an omission of the armed forces and the government. But the way the CSTO reacted to what happened, I think, was a failure for the organization as well, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the National Assembly. Contrary to the existing procedures, the CSTO has not yet decided to conduct monitoring in that section, justifying the concern of the Armenian society that this organization, which plays an important role for the security system of the Republic of Armenia, will not do anything at the right moment, remaining in the status of an observer. The fact is that the CSTO hasn’t addressed this situation even in observer status," Pashinyan said. The Prime Minister stressed that the Azerbaijani armed forces continue to be at the Sotk-Khoznavar section, creating real threats to the security of the Republic of Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declares that he admits his guilt and responsibility for both the 44-day war and the defeat, but doesn't accept the accusations of the opposition in the surrender of land and betrayal. "Recently, in an interview, I hinted that if they want to bring an objective accusation against me, they should not accuse me of handing over lands, but of not giving up lands. Now I want to admit that I may be guilty of this, guilty of not standing in front of society in 2018-2019 and not revealing that all our friends expect us to hand over seven districts to Azerbaijan in one configuration or another and lower the bar set for the status of Artsakh. I'm guilty of not telling our people that the international community unequivocally recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, expects us to recognize it, also expects the Azerbaijanis who left Karabakh to be fully involved in the decision and management of the future of Nagorno-Karabakh," Pashinyan said. According to Pashinyan the international community clearly states that being the only country in the world that does not recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Turkey's ally, at the bilateral level, is a threat not only to Artsakh, but also to Armenia. It’s puzzling that yesterday the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation didn’t allow a group of MPs from Armenia to enter Artsakh, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said. It should be noted that a number of opposition MPs reported that servicemen of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation did not allow them to enter Artsakh. According to Pashinyan, this situation is puzzling because it contradicts the provision of the November 9 trilateral statement that Lachin's corridor is intended to preserve the connection between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. "The corridor doesn’t provide for the function of checking any order, especially the prohibition or blocking of the movement of MPs, because it is for this that the connection between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh must be ensured," Pashinyan added. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan says it’s very difficult to say how long the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border will last, however, according to him, given the special status and urgency of the issue, it should be implemented as soon as possible. During his remarks in the Parliament, the PM said the process should start and then it will be clear that it is not work of one-two days or a month. “This is obvious because there are many nuances which need to be clarified. Of course, I have stated in my report that we understand also that Azerbaijan is trying to somehow keep the military tension situation along the border for presenting hidden or open territorial claims against Armenia during the demarcation process. I think our this position is perceived by the international community, and we should move on by protecting the interests and borders of our country”, the PM added. There is a perception that more Armenian captives will be released – FM |armenpress.am| Armenia has a perception that Azerbaijan will release more Armenian captives and negotiations in this direction continue, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in parliament, speaking about the Pashinyan-Aliyev-Michel trilateral meeting in Brussels. “The issue of the missing persons and the release of captives and other detainees is in our primary focus. It is the subject, topic and target of our everyday work, every hour. I can’t recall any serious discussion or meeting where this topic wasn’t brought up. Yes, to this day Azerbaijan has not fulfilled the obligation it assumed under the November 9 trilateral statement on immediately releasing all prisoners of war, captives and other detainees. By bringing forward different pretexts, then linking the issue with the minefield maps, although the November 9 statement doesn’t have any such correlation, then bringing other pretexts, and now Azerbaijan attempts to link the issue with the issue of searching for those missing in the first Karabakh war,” FM Mirzoyan said. The FM emphasized that these issues have nothing to do with one another. And the Armenian side, nevertheless, as a sign of goodwill, has done and continues doing many humanitarian steps and expects a similar conduct from Azerbaijan, both for humanitarian reasons and because it is simply Azerbaijan’s obligation under the agreement. “As expected this subject was discussed during the latest meeting between the Armenian Prime Minister, the Azerbaijani President and the [President of the European Council] Charles Michel. And there is a perception that a new group of Armenian captives must be released. We now continue negotiating over this,” the FM said. Mirzoyan said there are many mediations in this matter because the issue is of highly humanitarian nature. He reminded that Russia, France and the US have continuously offered mediations and each of them at a given period of time recorded success, but also other colleagues like Charles Michel’s office, Hungary. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov described his April 11 telephone conversation with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan as “professional and constructive”. "Everyone knows that Azerbaijan has always been a supporter of the normalization of relations with Armenia," Bayramov told reporters today according to Trend. Bayramov noted that progress was made on the five key items proposed by Azerbaijan at the April 6 Brussels meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders. Further efforts are anticipated to be taken in the restoration of relations between the two nations, Bayramov said. Other News Status is not a goal, but measure to ensure security and rights of Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh – Pashinyan |armenpress.am| We have not given up on that idea: Nikol Pashinyan on holding talks under auspices of OSCE Minsk Group |1 lurer.am| PM says current steps aimed at withstanding possible large-scale attack are insufficient |armenpress.am|

00:37 - 14 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [12.04.2022]

Opposition to boycott NA four-day session The "Armenia" and "I Have Honor" factions of the National Assembly will not take part in the next four-day workweek of National Assembly, instead the MPs will go to the Republic of Artsakh and the border regions of the Republic of Armenia. The head of the "Armenia" faction Seyran Ohanyan said at the beginning of the NA session that Armenia and Artsakh are facing the most serious challenges caused by the global international crisis and the anti-Armenian behavior of Turkey and Azerbaijan: "At the rally initiated by the "Armenia" and "I Have Honor" factions, our compatriots noted red lines concerning the security of the country that no government has the right to cross. The provisions specified in the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Armenia, our territorial integrity, sovereignty are not subject to bargaining. We consider unacceptable any option for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, in which Artsakh may become part of Azerbaijan. We are sure that the authorities of the Republic of Armenia are not able to solve many internal and external problems." Ohanyan stressed that "recent developments confirm the concern that everything is going according to the Azerbaijani-Turkish agenda, there is a threat to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, Artsakh is under threat." According to him, the parliamentary majority doesn't respond adequately to the situation: "Based on the current situation, the parliamentary opposition, taking the NA Regulations as a basis, declares that it will not participate in the sittings and votings this week, we are going to Artsakh and the border regions of the Republic of Armenia as a continuation of direct communication with our compatriots. We will be where our country's priority agenda is." Then Ohanyan placed the flag of Artsakh on the rostrum of the National Assembly. After Seyran Ohanyan's speech, Hayk Mamijanyan, the Secretary of the "I Have Honor" faction, also said that they will not take part in the four-day workweek of NA and will go to Artsakh. Parliament Majority Leader Hayk Konjoryan (Civil Contract) accused the opposition in carrying out a “provocation” by boycotting the parliament session and traveling to Artsakh. He accused the opposition in exploiting the Artsakh issue and the security issues in Armenia to carry out a coup d’état in Armenia. Konjoryan cited Hayastan faction leader Seyran Ohanyan’s post-election statement where he’d said that entering to parliament is a trench for them, and they must fight in that trench. Konjoryan accused the opposition in attempting to de-value the parliament and paralyze it. “And perhaps they think they have solved their objective in this trench and now they are traveling to Artsakh to perhaps take another trench, most likely against the government and people of Armenia,” Konjoryan said. Speaking on the opposition bringing the flag of Artsakh to parliament, Konjoryan said he doesn’t understand the demonstrative installation of the flag in Armenia against anyone. “The flag of Artsakh and Artsakh is in the hearts and thoughts of everyone. Our people sacrificed its finest children for Artsakh. And the opposition ought to install the flag of Artsakh, defend the interests of Artsakh where it is needed to raise awareness on the issue of the rights and freedoms of our compatriots in Artsakh. But what does this opposition do? They boycott all inter-parliamentary platforms where they ought to go and defend the rights and interests of Artsakh and its people, so to say raise the flag of Artsakh there for the world to see,” Konjoryan said, accusing the opposition in not fulfilling the mandate they received from the people. “Today, with this step the parliamentary opposition is not defending Artsakh but rather making a provocation, it is escalating the security issues of Artsakh and of Armenians,” Konjoryan said. He further accused the opposition in exploiting the Artsakh issue and the security issues for carrying out a coup d’état in Armenia. “Today they are entrenching in the domestic-political life of Artsakh to generate more domestic intrigues. But we, with our people, won’t allow this,” Konjoryan said. After the speech of the head of the "Armenia" faction Seyran Ohanyan, who also placed the flag of the Republic of Artsakh on the rostrum of the National Assembly, the MP of the "Civil Contract" faction Vahagn Aleksanyan, approaching the rostrum, removed the flag of Artsakh, noting: "When the lack of fame becomes destiny, when stupidity becomes a daily job, former defense ministers have to come with the flag of Artsakh and put this flag on the rostrum of the National Assembly." For 30 years, instead of putting this flag in the right places, instead of ensuring the strength of this flag and the flag of Armenia, they were busy with one thing - robbery. To come here, make populist speeches about how they supposedly are the protectors of Artsakh, Armenia and are the only ones concerned, but in fact, for 30 years, shouting the same thing, they have enriched their pockets and the pockets of their own families," Aleksanyan said. MFA of France and US Embassy in Armenia expressed their positions over the future of the OSCE Minsk Group France reaffirms its full commitment to the establishment of peace and stability in the South Caucasus region both on a bilateral basis and as President of the Council of the European Union and Co-Chair of the Minsk Group, the French Foreign Ministry said, when asked to comment on what is its position over the future of the OSCE Minsk Group. “France reaffirms its full commitment to the establishment of peace and stability in the South Caucasus region both on a bilateral basis and as President of the Council of the European Union and Co-Chair of the Minsk Group. France continues to work with Armenia and Azerbaijan in this capacity, so that progress is ensured in humanitarian issues, and continues supporting the works aimed at the delimitation of borders, the process on eliminating the isolation of the region, the preservation of heritage, the signing of a peace treaty between the two countries and the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. For that purpose, at the initiative of the President of the Republic, a meeting in a video conference mode was organized on February 4 with the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of Azerbaijan and the President of the European Council. The French Co-Chair of the Minsk Group is in Yerevan these days on a working visit”, the statement says. United States stands ready to engage bilaterally and with like-minded partners, including through our role as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, to help the countries find a long-term comprehensive peace, the US Embassy in Armenia told ARMENPRESS, commenting on the recent announcement of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format. “We welcomed the April 6 meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Aliyev in Brussels, including positive momentum on preparations for peace talks and the formation of a bilateral commission on border delimitation. The United States remains committed to promoting a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous future for the South Caucasus region. As the Secretary emphasized in his recent calls with the two leaders on April 5, we continue to encourage further peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and reiterate the United States stands ready to engage bilaterally and with like-minded partners, including through our role as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, to help the countries find a long-term comprehensive peace.” EU Special Representative for South Caucasus holds phone calls with Secretary of Security Council of Armenia, Azerbaijani FM and Assistant to President of Azerbaijan Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held a telephone conversation with EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar. As a continuation of the meeting of the heads of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Brussels with the mediation and participation of the President of the EU Council, Bayramov and Klaar discussed the latest developments in the region, steps aimed at settling relations between the two countries, including the preparation of a future peace treaty, and exchanged views on humanitarian issues. Toivo Klaar informed that he held telephone conversations with the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan and Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev. "EU fully supports engagement between Armenia and Azerbaijan," Klaar wrote on Twitter. Other News Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire in Parukh, as a result of which a serviceman was wounded. RF MoD This action contradicts the Trilateral Statement of November 9: RA MFA statement on the ban on the entry of opposition MPs to Artsakh EU has accepted the realities of the post-conflict period. Ilham Aliyev Armen Pambukhchyan appointed Minister of Emergency Situations

23:49 - 12 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [11.04.2022]

Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs hold phone conversation On April 11, the Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan held a phone conversation with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia reports. The Ministers exchanged views on the creation of the commission on delimitation and border security, preparation of peace negotiations and humanitarian issues. Toivo Klaar, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, commented on the phone conversation of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers: "Important development following last week’s Brussels meeting. The EU is supportive of direct contacts & engagement," Klaar wrote on Twitter. French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group met with Armenian FM and Security Council Secretary On April 11, Ararat Mirzoyan received the Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group from France Brice Roquefeuil, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia reports. The role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of its mandate was emphasized. During the meeting the sides discussed the situation that has developed as a result of the invasion of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces into the zone of responsibility of Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh. Mirzoyan presented Armenia's position on the start of negotiations on a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, emphasizing in this context the mediation role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs and the Co-chairing countries. The Security Council Secretary, Armen Grigoryan, received French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Brice Roquefeuil. Welcoming the Co-Chair's visit to Yerevan, the Secretary of the Security Council stressed the need for a comprehensive and durable settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. In this context, Co-Chair Roquefeuil stressed France's interest in maintaining the OSCE Minsk Group's dimension and resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. During the meeting, the interlocutors exchanged views on regional issues and security issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Other News No change in positions has been registered along the entire line of contact in Parukh and Karaglukh Armenia perceived in Russia as allied, brotherly country: Interview with Ambassador Sergei Kopyrkin |armenpress.am|

00:24 - 12 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [08.04.2022]

Armenian and Russian FMs meet in Moscow On April 8, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. "In recent years, the Armenian-Russian interstate relations have been brought to a qualitatively new level of allied cooperation, characterized by active dialogue at high and the highest levels, close cooperation within the framework of the CSTO, the EAEU, the CIS and other international organizations, interaction in the military-political and military-technical spheres, effective partnership in trade, economic, interregional and humanitarian spheres," Ararat Mirzoyan said. During the meeting Lavrov said that the Russian Federation will continue to assist Armenia in strengthening its defense capability and protecting borders. "From the position of Armenia's key ally, we will continue to help you strengthen your defense capability and ensure the protection of the border," Lavrov said. He also noted that Moscow will continue to ensure the implementation of the trilateral agreements between the heads of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on Nagorno-Karabakh, including the activities of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan said that Russia played a significant role in the cessation of fire and military operations in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone. “I am confident that the effective activity of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno Karabakh, who ensure the security of the people of Artsakh, will contribute to the observance of the ceasefire regime and the prevention of provocations in Nagorno Karabakh, the return to normal life and stability, and security in our region”, the Armenian FM said. He highly appreciated Russia’s mediating role, also within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, which, he said, aims at settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict exclusively peacefully. “It’s obvious that the agenda of the bilateral cooperation is full as always, and there are many issues to be discussed, and the expected high-level meeting must also be discussed in a proper way”, he said. After the meeting Armenian and Russian Foreign Ministers held a joint press conference. Lavrov said that during the meeting with Mirzoyan they discussed in detail the situation in South Caucasus, emphasized the importance of strictly adhering to the 2020 November 9, 2021 January 11 and November 26 trilateral agreements and the clear implementation of the Russian peacekeeping mission’s mandate. “We discussed issues that have been discussed at the level of our leaders, including in terms of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and future steps to strengthen trust and stability on the borderline,” Lavrov said. Lavrov expressed hope that the commission for delimitation will be created as soon as possible, and noted that Moscow doesn’t see any obstacles for this. He further added that the work for solving humanitarian issues must continue. The working group for unblocking of transport and economic links will convene its next meeting this month. "Russia is ready to provide support to the work between Yerevan and Baku for creating conditions for the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” FM Lavrov said. He said there’ve been substantive discussions on how they can support the launch of this process. Lavrov also spoke about the normalization process between Armenia and Turkey. “We welcome the process of normalization of relations between Yerevan and Ankara. This must contribute to the improvement of the situation in the overall region,” he said. The Russian FM added that they’ve also talked about the 3+3 regional advisory platform. He said there is a common opinion that this platform opens additional opportunities for all countries in the South Caucasus. “We reiterated our interest for our Georgian partners to join this promising format,” Lavrov added. Sergey Lavrov told journalists that trade turnover between Russia and Armenia should be "counted in another currency", not in dollars. "Last year, the trade turnover between Russia and Armenia amounted to more than $2.6 billion. It’s probably necessary to count in other currencies already, but we will agree on that after," Lavrov said. According to him, Russia is Armenia's leading trade and investment partner. "Our share in foreign trade exceeds 30%," Lavrov. Russian FM also said that the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in Artsakh is looking into the incident that occurred on March 24 (in Parukh-ed.). According to him, the Russian servicemen are working to clarify all the circumstances of the incident. "We talked about it (with Ararat Mirzoyan-ed.). Not all the circumstances are clear, I would not like to go ahead and make a final judgment. We are convinced that our Armenian colleagues fully trust the Russian peacekeeping contingent, and the calls to call the contingent to account, to conduct some kind of internal investigation don’t reflect the real attitude of the Armenian people, the Armenian authorities," Lavrov said. The Russian Foreign Minister notes that the Russian peacekeeping contingent plays a huge role in maintaining stability in the region, but "not serious incidents happen." Our French and American partners in the Minsk Group, in line with Russophobia, trying to cancel everything related to Russia, said that they will not communicate with us in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov told journalists. "It’s their right. If they are ready to sacrifice interests in the settlement in Karabakh and the entire Transcaucasia, if they are ready to sacrifice the interests of the Armenian side, then it’s their choice. They not only make the settlement of this, but also other conflicts hostages of their Russophobic policy. I think this approach is absolutely irresponsible, it will not distract us from our path," Lavrov said. Russian Federation has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to guaranteeing the security of the people of Artsakh. President of Artsakh On April 8, President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan chaired a regular sitting of the Security Council. Issues related to the military-political situation in the republic, recent developments taking place in the region and their potential impact on Artsakh were on the discussion agenda. Ad initium, Minister of Defense Kamo Vardanyan delivered a report on the situation on the line of contact, emphasizing that in recent days the operative-tactical situation has been relatively stable following certain tension. The Head of State noted that active efforts are being exerted to maintain peace and stability in Artsakh, and in this regard the tendencies are quite positive. "Of course, we continue our efforts with the Russian party to withdraw the Azeri troops to their starting positions from the village of Parukh and the Karaglukh height of the Askeran region. At the same time, I would like to state that the Russian Federation has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to guaranteeing the security of the people of Artsakh through peacekeeping contingent and other military-political mechanisms. The provisions of the trilateral statement signed on November 9, 2020 continue to apply and based on this logic, we will keep building a peaceful life in our homeland, at the same time constantly improving the effectiveness of our own security mechanisms," said President Harutyunyan. Arayik Harutyunyan also highlighted that considering the new realities and challenges in the region, the implementation of various programs aimed at the defense of the country and civil defense will be in the spotlight of the government. The need to create an open social-political platform in the National Assembly with the involvement of parliamentary forces was also discussed at the sitting, the aim of which is to organize regular interaction and discussions with various public circles on the military-political developments in the country. Anyone can join the platform in the near future, addressing to the NA staff. The President gave concrete intructions on a number of issues discussed during the sitting. Azerbaijani FM discussed the situation in region with Turkish and Russian FMs On April 8, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held a telephone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Azerbaijani MFA reports. According to the message of the Azerbaijani MFA, the Ministers exchanged views on the latest situation in the region, including the implementation of trilateral statements. The sides discussed the settlement of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the high-level meeting in Brussels. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a telephone conversation with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, during which the progress of the implementation of the agreements of the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan around Artsakh was discussed. "The sides exchanged views on a number of regional and international topics," Russian Foreign Ministry reports. "The Ministers discussed the implementation of all provisions of the trilateral agreements of November 9, 2020, January 11, 2021 and November 26, 2021, including the activities of the trilateral working group on unblocking economic and transport ties, efforts to form a commission on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, as well as the creation of conditions for negotiations on the preparation of a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia," the message reads. Other News Ararat Mirzoyan addressed the situation in Parukh during the meeting with CSTO Secretary General OSCE Chairmanship welcomes Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting |armenpress.am| President Vahagn Khachaturyan received the Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund Greek Deputy condemns fact of Armenian prisoners being in Azerbaijan until now

23:45 - 08 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [07.04.2022]

Pashinyan commented on the trilateral meeting with Aliyev and Michel at today's government session At the beginning of the government session on April 7, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke about the meeting held yesterday in Brussels with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. He stressed that based on the results of the meeting, decisions were made over two issues. First, the foreign ministers of the two countries have been instructed to begin preparations for the future peace treaty, to hold talks and establish contacts in this direction. Referring the content of the peace agreement, Pashinyan noted: "The security guarantees of the people of Nagorno Karabakh, the protection of their rights and freedoms, as well as the clarification of the final status of Nagorno Karabakh are of fundamental importance for us. These issues are included in our response to the peace agenda and they should become subject of negotiations." Speaking about the work on the establishment of the commission on the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Pashinyan stressed that the commission will have a double mandate. The first is delimitation. Second, ensuring security and stability along the border. According to Pashinyan, Armenia's position is that there is a de jure border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and that is the border that existed in Soviet times. "With this consideration, it’s necessary to start the delimitation works and try to reach solutions, taking parallel measures to ensure security and stability," Pashinyan said. "There are territories of the Republic of Armenia that are under the control of Azerbaijan, there are territories of Azerbaijan that are under the control of Armenia, these issues must be resolved through negotiations, of course, on the basis of de jure substantiated records and legally grounded facts," Pashinyan said. During the meeting, the topic of the need for the return of POWs and other detainees was also discussed. “Naturally there was a discussion around the worsening of the security environment in Nagorno Karabakh, particularly the incidents in Parukh,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting. “But these discussions didn’t lead to a common assessment of the situation. I myself didn’t find the further discussion of this topic to be appropriate in the Brussels platform because nevertheless this is about the Azerbaijani military invasion into the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh, and this issue ought to be discussed with participation of our Russian colleagues, which we are doing and will continue to do.” Reiterating the Armenian side’s stance over this issue, the PM added: “Therefore we expect that the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh will take steps to ensure the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani military units from their zone of responsibility. We also attach importance to holding an investigation into the adequateness or potential inaction of the Russian peacekeeping troops’ actions during the course of development of the events and in the theater of operations.” The PM said he spoke about this during his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I must state that an agreement was reached to move forward in both directions. The further assessment, of course, depends on the results to be achieved during the practical implementation of the agreements. We will consistently continue to advance our agenda of opening an era of peaceful development for our country and the region, and we must do our utmost to make this agenda a reality. I repeat, unfortunately, it does not depend only on us, but we must do our part consistently,” Pashinyan said. Charles Michel, Dmitry Peskov and Josep Borrell commented on the trilateral meeting Statement of European Council President Charles Michel following the Second Trilateral Meeting with President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan "The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, hosted the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, for a continuation of their discussions on the situation in the South Caucasus region and the development of EU relations with both countries. President Michel reiterated the EU’s commitment to deepen its cooperation with Armenia and Azerbaijan to work closely in overcoming tensions and promote a South Caucasus that is secure, stable, peaceful and prosperous for the benefit of all people living in the region. The leaders took stock of developments since their last meeting in Brussels in December 2021 and their videoconference, together with President Macron, in February 2022. They reviewed progress on the implementation of undertaken commitments. They discussed the recent reported tensions and reiterated the necessity of adhering fully to the provisions of the 9/10 November 2020 trilateral statement. They welcomed the meeting of senior representatives from Armenia and Azerbaijan on 30 March 2022 under EU auspices in Brussels and agreed on the necessity to continue this engagement to ensure adequate follow-up to agreements reached at leaders’ level. President Michel emphasised the importance of humanitarian gestures by both sides to promote confidence and peaceful coexistence. He stressed the need for the full and speedy resolution of all outstanding humanitarian issues, including the release of remaining detainees and comprehensively addressing the issue of missing persons, and stated that the EU is ready to support this endeavour. The EU will likewise continue to support confidence building measures between Azerbaijan and Armenia as well as humanitarian de-mining efforts, including by continuing to provide expert advice and stepping up financial assistance, and assistance to conflict-affected populations, rehabilitation and reconstruction." The Kremlin has positively assessed the decision of Armenia and Azerbaijan to start negotiations on a peace agreement. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters about this. "It is clear that this process is quite long. But the move to sign such a document is in itself a positive fact and is welcome," Peskov said, TASS reported. Crucial efforts and progress were made between Armenia and Azerbaijan to work towards lasting peace and a stable and secure South Caucasus, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the EU Commission Josep Borrell said in a tweet referring to the EU-mediated meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. “Crucial efforts and progress made between Armenia and Azerbaijan to work towards lasting peace and a stable and secure South Caucasus. In the current geopolitical context it is more important than ever to find ways to engage and to diplomatically solve conflicts,” Borrell said, sharing European Council President Charles Michel’s tweet. Ahead of Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting, 43 MEPs send letter to Charles Michel |1lurer.am| On the initiative of the Members of the European Parliament (MEP) François-Xavier Bellamy and Loucas Fourlas, 43 MEPs from all the major political groups addressed a letter to President of the European Council Charles Michel and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell, ahead of the Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting in Brussels. MEPs express their concerns about Azerbaijan’s policy of ethnic cleansing against the native Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh. They urge the EU leadership to use all available leverage to pressure Azerbaijan to stop its aggressive policy in Artsakh, immediately withdraw its military forces back to their initial positions and stop any action that could endanger the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. The letter refers in particular to the provocations unleashed by Azerbaijan in Artsakh in the recent weeks, such as the incursion of the Azerbaijani armed forces into the Armenian village of Parukh, to difficult situation caused in the village of Khramort, as well as to the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh following the cut of gas supplies by Azerbaijan. The MEPs conclude their letter by stating that the EU cannot allow ethnic cleansing in its neighborhood. Commenting on the letter, the President of the EAFJD Kaspar Karampetian emphasized: “This initiative of the Members of the European Parliament is a strong signal to EU executive leaders, as it provides a clear assessment of the policy pursued by Azerbaijan, qualifying it as a policy of ethnic cleansing. We must continue to be consistent for the EU to put pressure on Azerbaijan to end its anti-Armenian policy of forcing the native Armenian population out of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh.” Other News Agreements of the trilateral meeting correspond to the interests of Baku. Azerbaijani MFA It seems that there is a common approach and a desire to move forward within the framework of negotiations․ MP Vardanyan on the results of the trilateral meeting

00:08 - 08 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [06.04.2022]

Pashinyan and Aliyev met in Brussels The trilateral meeting between the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev took place in Brussels.Nikol Pashinyan referred to the situation and the humanitarian issues in Artsakh caused by the recent actions of the Azerbaijani military units. Issues related to the implementation of the trilateral statements of November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021, as well as the agreements reached at the trilateral meeting in Brussels on December 14 were discussed. Based on the results of the meeting, an agreement was reached to set up a bilateral commission on border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan until the end of April envisaged in the agreement reached in Sochi on November 26, 2021, which will be authorised to deal with security and stability issues along the border. The Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan instructed the Foreign Ministers to start preparations for peace talks between the two countries. Prior to the trilateral meeting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a private conversation with the President of the European Council Charles Michel.The interlocutors referred to the trilateral meeting of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev scheduled for today, attaching importance to the continuation of the dialogue. Nikol Pashinyan presented the situation in Artsakh following the recent actions of the Azerbaijani units, the humanitarian issues and stressed the need for an addressed reaction of the international community. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and Charles Michel exchanged views on the implementation process of the agreements reached during the trilateral meeting held in Brussels on December 14 last year.Nikol Pashinyan and Charles Michel also discussed issues related to the Armenia-EU bilateral agenda, in particular, the implementation of the €2.6 billion economic and investment plan declared by the EU for Armenia. Earlier the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Artsakh Republic Arthur Tovmasyan commented to the upcoming trilateral meeting, saying: "Artsakh cannot be part of Azerbaijan, it is impossible. This is realized by our partners in Armenia and the international community in the person of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries. We use all the inter-parliamentary and diplomatic opportunities; we regularly inform about the developments that are taking place in Artsakh. And they simply prove every time the well-known truth that this problem has one solution, which must take place on the basis of the international principle of self-determination of nations," said Tovmasyan. According to the NA Speaker, today there is no peace in Artsakh, there is relative silence, it is not appropriate to speak about peace, when the points of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 are regularly being violated. "The Republic of Armenia has been and should be the number one guarantor of the security of our people. Together we must find our own place in the rapidly changing world order; in this context, the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora trinity is very important. The statement adopted by the Parliament yesterday contained these messages." Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin also commented on the upcoming meeting, noting that Russia is interested in Armenia and Azerbaijan reaching agreements aimed at resolving the situation. "Officials of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense have repeatedly spoken about the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. I think what has been said shows quite convincingly the position of Russia. As for the Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting, Russia's position is clear, we are interested in reaching agreements and resolving the situation. The Russian Federation has a continuous and great investment in this issue, we are persistently working in that direction," Kopyrkin said. Prime Minister Pashinyan holds telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken The interlocutors touched upon the issues on the agenda of the Armenian-US relations, highlighted the further development and strengthening of bilateral cooperation in various spheres. The Prime Minister thanked the American side for its support to Armenia in the direction of democratic reforms, noting that the further strengthening of democracy is the policy adopted by the Armenian Government. Nikol Pashinyan and Antony Blinken referred to the processes taking place in the South Caucasus, the increasing tensions over Nagorno Karabakh. Nikol Pashinyan presented the situation in Artsakh caused by the actions of the Azerbaijani units, the humanitarian issues and attached importance to the addressed reaction of the United States. The parties stressed the importance of ensuring stability and peace in the region, emphasizing the importance of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format. The sides also referred to the trilateral meeting to be held in Brussels on April 6. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the US Secretary of State exchanged views on the demarcation and delimitation of border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the possibility of unblocking communications in the region, as well as the ongoing dialogue between Armenia and Turkey. The sides also referred to the processes taking place in the international arena, including the situation in Ukraine. Other News Mirzoyan and Lavrov to meet in Moscow Armenian-Russian relations also develop in directions of culture and arts: Alen Simonyan Human Rights Defender discussed cooperation areas with the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ)

02:15 - 07 April, 2022

Daily News Summary [05.04.2022]

Opposition holds rally on Freedom Square The rally organized by the opposition kicked off on Freedom Square at 18:30. Tigran Abrahamyan, MP of the "I have Honor" faction, in his speech touched upon the situation that has developed in recent days in Artsakh, noting that the reason for this is the idea of a mirror withdrawal of troops. "The idea of withdrawal concerned not only Artsakh, in fact, Sotk-Khoznavar section is under threat, that is, Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, Syunik, as well as the Yeraskh settlement of the Ararat region, regarding which Nikol Pashinyan presented this idea of mirror withdrawal of troops," Tigran Abrahamyan said, adding that this idea is part of the policy of peaceful surrender of territories. The MP also recalled that today, on April 5, marks the sixth anniversary of hostilities of 2016․ "After the hostilities, the Azerbaijanis were begging for a truce," Abrahamyan said. In his speech, Aram Vardevanyan noted that Armenia is going through the most difficult days in the last 100 years and is on the verge of extinction. "Today, the government promises peace, but to whom? To us? Not! Promisies Azerbaijan and Turkey, he promises that there will be no Armenian state that they will have to reckon with, the Turkish-Azerbaijani peace will start through this. This peace means the liquidation of Artsakh as a self-determined republic, means the usurpation of Syunik, it will be an area serving the Turkish-Azerbaijani routes: that's when the Turks will live peacefully," Vardevanyan said. On April 5, as a result of the opposition rally in Freedom Square, a final political statement was adopted․ "The participants of the rally in the name of defending Armenia and Artsakh, regardless of our political and ideological differences, resolutely reject the imposed agendas of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem. In order to create an agenda for peace, Azerbaijan must return Armenian POWs, hostages, and other detainees sentenced to imprisonment, withdraw its troops both from the sovereign territory of Armenia and to positions on the territory of Artsakh as of November 9, 2020. We, the participants of this rally, declare that we are guided by the following fundamental principles. -To confirm that Armenia is the guarantor of the security and self-determination of the people of Artsakh. -To exclude any status of Artsakh within Azerbaijan. -To exclude the enclave state of Artsakh without reliable land connection with Armenia. -To take steps to restore the negotiation process in the format and with the goal fixed by the decision of the 1994 OSCE summit. -To exclude the provision of corridors under the guise of unblocking communication links at the expense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia. -In the conditions of the use of force and the threat from Azerbaijan to exclude the signing of any interstate agreement, any process of demarcation and delimitation of the border. -Not to sign any agreement with Azerbaijan that will prevent the realization of Artsakh's right to self-determination without restrictions. -In Armenian-Turkish relations, to exclude any agreement that would call into question the fact of the Armenian genocide. These principles are based on the vital interests of the Armenian people, so any government is obliged to be guided by this agenda and ensure its implementation. Putting forward this agenda doesn't mean war, but the readiness of the Armenian people to establish a real, just and decent peace, taking into account the vital interests of the Armenian people. Failure to comply with the principles presented will inevitably lead to nationwide, legitimate opposition by all possible means and methods. This statement is open to individuals, public organizations and parties sharing the presented agenda." Pashinyan, Aliyev and Michel will meet tomorrow in Brussels Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan left for Brussels on a two-day working visit. The Prime Minister will have a private conversation with the President of the European Council Charles Michel. The trilateral meeting of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyes is scheduled in Brussels. Armenian third President Serzh Sargsyan referred to possible scenarios of the Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting: "I can't do assumptions," Serzh Sargsyan told journalists today at a opposition rally. "I don't think any document will be signed tomorrow, of course, there are such dangers, but I don't think so," the President said. Referring to the possible solutions to the Artsakh conflict over the past 30 years, Sargsyan said: "Such conflicts cannot be resolved even in 30 years, we have brought the solution as close as we could. It's not our fault that some people came and said they were starting the negotiations from their point, it's none of your business what we are negotiating, we’re negotiating whatever we want, and have reached this situation." Eduard Aghajanyan, the head of the Commission on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly of Armenia, commented on the upcoming meeting of the heads of Armenia and Azerbaijan. "Of course, the situation that precedes this meeting is not the best, to put it mildly, and, naturally, during this meeting very painful and sharp issues should be put on the table, and the parties will try to smooth out these sharp points and try to move forward, which, to put it mildly, will not be easy, but this is our expectation," Aghajanyan said. Delegation led by the Speaker of Parliament of Georgia met with Nikol Pashinyan and Alen Simonyan On April 5, at the invitation of the RA NA President Alen Simonyan the delegation led by the Speaker of Parliament of Georgia Shalva Papuashvili is in Armenia on an official two-day visit. The meeting of the Speakers of Parliaments of Armenia and Georgia began with a private talk, which was followed by the debate in the extended format. Touching upon the regional security issues and the 44-day war aftermath, Alen Simonyan has noted that the high level of relations between Armenia and Georgia is one of the important factors ensuring the security in the South Caucasus. The Head of Parliament considered urgent the distinct response of the international community for preventing the humanitarian crisis, as well as the immediate involvement of the international humanitarian structures without obstacles in the Nagorno Karabakh. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the delegation led by the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili. Shalva Papuashvili thanked for the warm reception and said, “I want to express my deep respect for you and the Armenian people, who follow you in such a spirit. As you mentioned, today the Armenian-Georgian relations are very close. It is especially visible at the level of the Prime Ministers. And with this visit I want to reaffirm once again that there are such close relations between both the Prime Ministers and the Presidents of parliaments. We discussed and talked about the fact that these meetings, these relations should be not only official, but also at the level of friendship groups, commissions and staffs. And we also talked about that today, when the region is facing such challenges, we should be able to do everything to build lasting peace in the region." Shalva Papuashvili added that this year Armenia and Georgia mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, which is a good opportunity to re-evaluate the friendship and the centuries-old shared history of the two countries. During the meeting the interlocutors referred to the further development of the Armenian-Georgian relations, the processes taking place in the South Caucasus, as well as in the international arena. Other News Prime Minister Pashinyan holds telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Ambassador Tracy met with relatives of Armenian servicemembers who were captured in 2020 and 2021 Turkey's presidential spokesperson and US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs discussed issues related to Armenia among other issues

23:28 - 05 April, 2022