Daily News Summary

Daily News Summary [03-04.12.2022]

Azerbaijanis dispute with Armenian youngsters in Getavan and close the only highway connecting Artsakh to Armenia On December 4 of this year, a convoy of Azerbaijani trucks was again organized along the Mataghis-Karvachar route, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers. In addition to trucks, there was one passenger car in convoy with 4 Azerbaijanis in civilian clothes, Artsakh police reports. Due to technical reasons, the convoy stopped in the Getavan community of the Martakert region, after which the Azerbaijanis in the passenger car got out of the car and started to behave rudely and provocatively towards the Armenian youngsters there. A dispute arose on that ground, during which the truck drivers joined the said Azerbaijanis and used violence against the Armenian youth. Yesterday, a group of Azerbaijanis in civilian clothes blocked the highway in the Shushi section for a fake environmental reason. The negotiations with the Azerbaijani side, which lasted more than three hours, gave a positive result, Artsakh Information Center reports. The only highway connecting Artsakh to Armenia is bi-directionally open for all types of vehicles. Under unknown circumstances, the injured serviceman underwent an operation: His condition remains extremely serious The serviceman, who was shot on December 3 under still unknown circumstances, was taken to the central military hospital, where he underwent an operation. "The condition remains extremely serious, it is under the supervision of hospital doctors," said Torosyan. The Ministry of Defense reported that on December 3, around 8:00 p.m., under circumstances that have not yet been determined, Army serviceman G. H. Azerbaijan continues spreading misinformation about the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border The Ministry of Defense of Armenia informed that the message spread by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan that the units of the RA Armed Forces opened fire on the Azerbaijani positions located in the eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border zone on December 4, at 03:50, is another misinformation. Later, the Azerbaijani side went in spreading misinformation that around 4:30 p.m., the Defense Forces opened fire at the Azerbaijani positions located in the occupied territories of the Martun region of Artsakh. The main obstacle to the establishment of stable peace in the region is the actions of Azerbaijan - Ararat Mirzoyan met Phillip Reeker On December 3, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received the US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Senior Adviser on Caucasian Negotiations Phillip Reeker, RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. The interlocutors discussed the latest developments related to the settlement of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Nagorno Karabakh problem. Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized that Azerbaijan's use of force and threat of force, continuous provocations, and belligerent statements are the main obstacles to establishing stable peace in the region. Ararat Mirzoyan and Philip Reeker exchanged ideas on the process of border demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as on the unblocking of transport infrastructures in the region.

23:44 - 04 December, 2022

Daily News Summary [02.12.2022]

No incidents were registered in the zone of responsibility of the Russian military group On December 2, no incidents were registered in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping troops carrying out a mission in Nagorno-Karabakh. "At 30 observation posts, Russian peacekeepers are monitoring the situation and maintaining the ceasefire regime around the clock. No violations were recorded in the zone of responsibility of the Russian military group. Patrolling was carried out in 3 directions: Martuni, Martakert regions, and Lachin corridor. Referring to the Almaty declaration does not mean that there will be no opportunity to refer to the status of Artsakh - Aghajanyan The Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly, Eduard Aghajanyan, referred to the statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov regarding the Almaty Declaration and answered the question of how he would interpret Lavrov's statement. "I think there is no need to comment on Lavrov's statement. Armenia's position on the negotiations and the process, details, and details of the negotiations with Russia have been published. I think that neither Sergey Lavrov said anything new, nor I can add. Lemkin Institute called on the international community to follow the example of the French National Assembly The Lemkin Institute responded to the resolution adopted by the French National Assembly. “The Lemkin Institute commends the French National Assembly for adopting Res. No. 388, demanding Azerbaijan end their targeted aggression against Armenia to achieve peace in the region. We encourage others in the international community to sponsor and pass similar legislation,” the Twitter post of the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention reads. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan has nothing to do with NKR and its status - Artsakh MFA statement Recently, various discussions, comments, and opinions regarding the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic have become active again, which is an objective process, taking into account the key nature of this issue in the process of settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict. Official Stepanakert welcomes any step towards a peaceful and comprehensive solution to the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, as well as to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh is authorized to announce that the official position of the people and authorities of Artsakh remains unchanged. The European Union is committed to promoting peace negotiations between Baku and Yerevan - Borel The EU's highest representative of foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borel, commented on the meeting with the Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan yesterday on his Twitter microblog. In particular, he noted: "We discussed with the Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan the ways of building peace in the region and stable settlement of conflicts. The European Union is committed to facilitating peace negotiations between Baku and Yerevan." Bayramov discussed with Borel the issue of the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with EU Council High Commissioner for Foreign Policy and Security Josep Borrell within the framework of the 29th session of the OSCE Foreign Ministers' Council in Poland, discussing the bilateral agenda and the issue of the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. Other News On December 1, Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan was presented with a copy of his credentials by the newly appointed Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Republic of Armenia, Soliman Gamil.

00:22 - 03 December, 2022

Daily News Summary [01.12.2022]

No incidents were recorded in the area of responsibility of the peacekeepers Today, on December 1, the peacekeeping troops carrying out a mission in Nagorno-Karabakh did not record any incidents in their area of responsibility. "At 30 observation posts, Russian peacekeepers are monitoring the situation and maintaining the ceasefire regime around the clock. No violations were recorded in the zone of responsibility of the Russian military group," the message states. Patrolling was carried out in 3 directions: Martuni, Martakert regions, and Lachin corridor. It is also noted that in order to prevent possible incidents, continuous cooperation is maintained with the main headquarters of the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan. A meeting between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Hungary Ararat Mirzoyan and Peter Siyarto took place On December 1, the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Hungary, Ararat Mirzoyan and Péter Szijjártó took place in Łódź within the framework of the OSCE Ministerial Forum. The parties noted the deep historical and cultural ties between the Armenian and Hungarian peoples and the common Christian heritage and emphasized the importance of improving relations between Armenia and Hungary. The interlocutors also emphasized the role of the Armenian community of Hungary, officially recognized as a national minority, which is one of the bridges connecting the two countries. The ministers exchanged ideas on the current stage of relations between Armenia and Hungary. They reached an agreement to restore full diplomatic relations, expressing their intention to open a new chapter in Armenian-Hungarian relations based on mutual trust and respect for international law. As a follow-up to the meeting, the two governments will appoint non-resident ambassadors to explore opportunities for developing relations, particularly in the fields of trade, culture, education, and tourism. Necessary diplomatic and administrative procedures will begin in the coming days. The risk always exists – Suren Papikyan about the resumption of war The risk of large-scale war always exists, Minister of Defense of Armenia Suren Papikyan told the journalists in the parliament. Papikyan answered the question of how likely the risk of war resumption is. "The risk always exists”, he said. Commenting on the issue of buying weapons from India, Suren Papikyan said that he "will not talk about confidential information". Armen Grigoryan and Philip Reeker discussed issues related to the formation of the international mechanism of discussions between Stepanakert and Baku On December 1, Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan met with US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Senior Advisor on Caucasian Negotiations Phillip Reeker. The Security Council Secretary welcomed Reeker's visit to Armenia and highly appreciated the US efforts to achieve peace in the region. The interlocutors discussed issues related to the formation of an international mechanism for discussions between Stepanakert and Baku, as well as other issues related to regional security and stability. Nikol Pashinyan and Philip Reeker discussed issues related to the formation of the international mechanism of discussions between Stepanakert and Baku The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, received the US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Senior Adviser on Caucasus Negotiations Philip Reeker. As reported by the Prime Minister's Office, Nikol Pashinyan welcomed his visit to the region and highly appreciated the role of the US as the co-chairing state of the OSCE Minsk Group. The interlocutors discussed issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, including the formation of an international mechanism for discussions between Stepanakert and Baku. Thoughts were exchanged on the regulation of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, regional stability, and other topics related to security. The interlocutors also touched on issues related to cooperation within the framework of the Armenian-American strategic dialogue. The continuous support of the USA in the effective implementation of democratic reforms in Armenia was highlighted. Other News On December 1, within the framework of the 29th OSCE Ministerial Forum, the RA Foreign Minister met the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. On December 1, RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with the Secretary of State of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Livia Leu, in the Polish city of Łódź. Within the framework of the OSCE ministerial conference in Lodz, Poland, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu. The press secretary of the RA MFA referred to the publications of the Azerbaijani media that the foreign ministers of RA, Azerbaijan, and Turkey had a meeting before the opening ceremony of the OSCE ministerial summit.

00:07 - 02 December, 2022

Daily News Summary [30.11.2022]

The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan opened fire in the direction of the Armenian positions: The enemy also used a mortar On November 29, at 11:10 p.m., the units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan opened fire from rifle weapons of different calibers in the direction of the Armenian positions located in the eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border zone. The enemy also used a mortar. The Armenian side had no losses. Later, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan went on spreading misinformation. The widespread report that the Defense Forces opened fire on the Azerbaijani positions located in the occupied territories of Shushi and Askeran regions of the Republic of Artsakh between 2:40 p.m. and 3:50 p.m. on November 30 is not true. During the day, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan continued spreading misinformation that allegedly the units of the RA Armed Forces on November 30, at 19:40, opened fire in the direction of the Azerbaijani positions located in the eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border zone, is another misinformation, RA Ministry of Defense reports. The French National Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution supporting Armenia and proposing sanctions against Azerbaijan Today the National Assembly of the Republic of France unanimously adopted a resolution supporting Armenia and proposing sanctions against Azerbaijan. Among other provisions, the resolution of the French National Assembly calls for the immediate and unconditional release and return of all Armenian prisoners of war to their homeland. The resolution offers the government to consider the possibility of applying individual sanctions in case of the continuation of attacks and occupation of the sovereign territory of Armenia by Azerbaijan. Calls on the government to continue mediation efforts in order to solve the security problem of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. Other News On December 5, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Moscow. The process of regulating Armenian-Azerbaijani relations will be discussed at the meeting of foreign ministers. Ambassador-at-Large of Armenia Edmon Marukyan commented on the statement of the Azerbaijani foreign ministry according to which during the meetings in Prague and Sochi it has not been clarified based on what maps the border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be carried out.

23:30 - 30 November, 2022

Daily News Summary [29.11.2022]

The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan opened fire in the direction of the Armenian positions: The Armenian side has no losses On November 29, at 00:25-03:00, the units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan opened fire from rifle weapons of different calibers in the direction of the Armenian positions located in the eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border zone. This is reported by the RA Ministry of Defense. The Armenian side has no losses. As of 08:30 on November 29, the situation on the front line is relatively stable. A soldier was injured by enemy fire on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border On November 29, at around 5:50 p.m., soldier A. Z. received a gunshot wound from enemy fire at an Armenian combat position located in the eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border zone, RA Ministry of Defense reports. The health condition of the serviceman is assessed as satisfactory, his life is not in danger. In Artsakh, the Russian peacekeeping troops recorded a violation of the ceasefire regime by the Azerbaijani side Azerbaijani side shelled the position of Nagorno-Karabakh armed formations in the Shushi region, as a result of which two people were injured. The daily official bulletin of the Russian Ministry of Defense stated about the activities of the Russian peacekeeping troops in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. According to the report of the Russian peacekeeping force, the command is conducting an investigation of the incident together with the Azerbaijani side. The Deputy Foreign Minister presented the position of the Armenian side regarding the process of the regulation of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations to the Ambassador of Chile Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia Paruyr Hovhannisyan received the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Chile Eduardo Escobar (residence: Moscow) in relation to the presentation of a copy of his credentials. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs congratulated the ambassador on his appointment and expressed hope that the Chilean diplomat will be able to carry out fruitful activities, giving new impetus to the further expansion of relations in both bilateral and multilateral formats. The identification process of the bodies transferred by Azerbaijan has started, and forensic medical and forensic genetic examinations have been appointed As it was already reported on November 28 that, the enemy returned to the Armenian side those who were killed during the military aggression against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia carried out by the armed forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan on September 13-14, 2022 and which are still under the control and control of Azerbaijan. Bodies of 13 servicemen of the RA Armed Forces. Gor Abrahamyan, the speaker of the Investigative Committee, wrote about this on his Facebook page. US supports direct dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan: Reeker’s message Each time I return to Baku I see the growth of the economy, the resilience of the people, and the opportunities for the whole South Caucasus region. Philip Reeker, the chief adviser of the US State Department on negotiations in the Caucasus, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, announced this in a video message. “Secretary of State Antony Blinken believes strongly in the opportunity for peace and the potential of the South Caucasus. He asked me to return this week to the region because geography is important. I am here in Baku, going to Tbilisi and to Yerevan, where geography and history meet. We know that process of peace is not easy. And I know that the conflict has caused great hardship and suffering on all sides for far too many years. However, I believe that there is also hope, hope for a peaceful future, hope that momentum will sustain in these peace negotiations and that a new chapter of history can be made for a brighter future for all. I’ve seen real steps, courageous steps by both countries, who can make a future and adorable peace. Secretary Blinken said both countries are working toward a brighter, more prosperous future for the South Caucasus. The US supports direct dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan and urges this momentum to continue into the new year. Real progress has been made, and peace brings the promise of a better, brighter future. I recognize the courage, determination and leadership necessary to reach that destination,” Reeker stated. Other News On November 29, within the framework of his working visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, SC Secretary Armen Grigoryan presented the security challenges in our region and emphasized RA's views and efforts aimed at solving them.

00:04 - 30 November, 2022

Daily News Summary [28.11.2022]

Arayik Harutyunyan discussed issues related to political developments around Artsakh at the working meeting On November 28, the President of the Republic of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, convened a working meeting with the participation of representatives of the political forces represented in the National Assembly. This was reported by the President's office. Issues related to political developments in the Artsakh Republic were discussed. NA Speaker Artur Tovmasyan, Secretary of the Security Council Vitali Balasanyan, Head of the President's Office Karen Shahramanian, Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, and other officials also participated in the consultation. The situation in Artsakh and on the border with Azerbaijan On November 28, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the western direction, using small arms and HAN-17 grenade launchers. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Artsakh. As a result of the enemy's violation of the ceasefire, soldiers of the Armed Forces H. A. and M. V. The ceasefire violation was reported to the command of the Russian peacekeeping troops. As of 18:00, the situation on the contact line is relatively stable. On November 28, Azerbaijan handed over to the Armenian side the bodies of 13 Armenian servicemen who died during the defense of the sovereign territory of Armenia on September 13-14, RA Ministry of Defense reports. It should be reminded that on October 4, the Ministry of Defense announced that the Azerbaijani side returned 17 Armenian prisoners of war to the Armenian side with the mediation of the US. The President of Azerbaijan takes responsibility for the possible escalation - Ararat Mirzoyan's interview Statements from Baku about demarcation and demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the basis of historical maps violate the commitment made in Prague and Sochi to carry out demarcation works between the two countries based on the UN Charter and the Alma-Ata Declaration. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan. In the interview, Mirzoyan also referred to the claims of the Azerbaijani side that Armenia refused to participate in the tripartite meeting in Brussels, talked about the preparations for the peace treaty, and assessed the current situation in the region. A strong political will is required from Baku and Yerevan to achieve a comprehensive settlement - Toivo Klaar Restraint and strong political will are required from Azerbaijan and Armenia to ease tensions and achieve a comprehensive settlement, Toivo Klaar, the special representative of the European Union in the South Caucasus, wrote about this, summarizing the results of his visit to Azerbaijan. He noted that many challenges remain unsolved. Klaar also emphasized the important commitment of the President of Azerbaijan to the EU-supported format. It should be reminded that on November 25, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met the Special Representative of the European Union in the South Caucasus, Toivo Klaar. The EU special representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia visited Yerevan for the last time on October 29. He had meetings in Yerevan with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan, and Armenia's special representative in the Armenia-Turkey settlement process, Ruben Rubinyan. Other News On November 27, the participants of the international forum entitled "Armenia-India: New incentives for millennial relations" visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial.

21:10 - 28 November, 2022

Daily News Summary [27-28.11.2022]

The situation on the border with Azerbaijan The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan spread misinformation about the fact that on November 25, between 14:05 and 20:35 hours, the Defense Forces opened fire in the direction of the Azerbaijani positions located in the occupied territories of the Askeran region of the Republic of Artsakh. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense also reported that on November 27, between 15:45 and 16:55, the units of the RA Armed Forces opened fire in the direction of the Azerbaijani positions located in the eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border zone. According to the RA Ministry of Defense, that information does not correspond to reality. The message issued by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan that allegedly, between 10:35 p.m. on November 26 and 08:37 a.m. on November 27, self-defense units opened fire on Azerbaijani positions in the occupied territories of Martuni, Askeran, and Martakert regions of Artsakh. is another misinformation. According to Artsakh Defense Army, the information is fake. The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan continues to spread misinformation - Defense Ministry of Artsakh The Artsakh Ministry of Defense press service informs that the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan is spreading the second absolutely false report during the day that the Defense Forces units opened fire in Martuni, Askeran, and Martakert of Artsakh between 11:30 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. on November 27, in the direction of the Azerbaijani positions located in the occupied territories of the regions. The message is another misinformation of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. Putin and Aliyev had a telephone conversation for the second time in a week Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had a telephone conversation, Kremlin press service reports. It is noted that the further steps of the implementation of the entire complex of tripartite agreements of the heads of Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan were discussed, with an emphasis on the practical issues of unblocking transport and economic ties in the region. Ilham Aliyev also announced yesterday that he discussed the issue of the so-called "Zangezur Corridor" with Russian officials during his last conversation. The last time it was Igor Khovaev, the special representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry on the issue of the settlement of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, who had a meeting with Aliyev. It should be noted that Putin and Aliyev also had a telephone conversation a few days ago, on November 22, just one day before Vladimir Putin's visit to Yerevan within the framework of the CSTO joint session. After the meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council held in Yerevan, the meeting between the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin took place. Bayramov and Klaar discussed issues related to the regulation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Toivo Klaar, the EU's special representative in the South Caucasus. The sides referred to the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and further steps toward the process. Bayramov and Klaar also discussed the results of the Blinken-Mirzoyan-Bayramov meeting in Washington and issues related to a possible peace treaty. According to the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Bayramov emphasized the importance of unblocking communications in the region. Klaar reaffirmed the readiness of the EU to continue the work aimed at establishing peace and stability in the region and unblocking communications. Attempts to interfere with CSTO's work will continue - Kremlin Attempts to interfere with the work of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will continue, but despite this, the association continues to be in demand, the Russian President's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, reports the TASS news agency. "Attempts to collapse the CSTO have always been and will continue in the future," the Kremlin spokesman said in an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin. "However, at least now we see that, despite all difficulties, despite possible contradictions, even between member states, this structure is still in demand. And it has fully demonstrated its relevance and effectiveness, considering the settlement of the situation in Kazakhstan," Peskov emphasized.

00:21 - 28 November, 2022

Daily News Summary [25.11.2022]

The units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire in the direction of the Armenian positions - the Armenian side has no losses On November 24, at 9:30-10:30 p.m., the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from different caliber rifles in the direction of the Armenian positions located in the eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The Armenian side has no losses, RA Ministry of Defense reports. As of 08:30 on November 25, the situation on the frontline is relatively stable. The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan accuses the Russian side of not objectively presenting the border situation in Artsakh The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has released a message, in which it complains that the messages of the Russian peacekeeping mission uses the Armenian place names of the Artsakh Republic, despite the fact that, according to the report, "The Azerbaijani side officially provided the list and map of the settlements of the economic zone of Karabakh, with Azerbaijani place names, to the former and current command of the Russian peacekeeping force temporarily stationed in the territory of Azerbaijan, as well as to the joint Turkish-Russian monitoring center." In particular, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan mentions the November 24 message of the Russian peacekeeping troops, in which it is mentioned that the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime by opening fire in the direction of Maghavuz settlement. The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan states that the name of the settlement is not Maghavuz, but Chardaghl, and denies the message of the Russian side about violating the ceasefire regime. The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan also accuses the Russian side of not mentioning the violations of the ceasefire by the Artsakh side in its official reports. It is also mentioned that mines were discovered in Saribaba, which are of Armenian production and dated to 2021. "We call on the command of the Russian peacekeeping force temporarily stationed in the territory of Azerbaijan to correctly mention the place names of the settlements in the territory of our country in the relevant information and to seriously suppress all the provocative actions of the illegal Armenian military units, including the mining of the territories," it was stated in the message of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. Earlier, RA Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan addressed the accusations of Azerbaijan transporting ammunition to Artsakh through the Lachin Corridor, noting that Azerbaijan took land mines from the occupied territories of Armenia, moved to Nagorno Karabakh, a territory controlled by Azerbaijan, to show international partners and create false grounds for disputing the Lachin Corridor. According to Aliyev, Iran will not block the opening of the so-called "Zangezur Corridor" "Zangezur Corridor" is not directed against anyone, on the contrary, it will serve the benefit of all interested parties. According to the Azerbaijani media, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said this. "During my last conversation, we discussed the issue of Zangezur corridor with Russian officials. I don't think that Armenia is capable of blocking this corridor. As for Iran, I think that Iran will not do that either, considering its interest in regional communication projects. Those projects are not directed against anyone, but on the contrary, they will serve only for the benefit of all interested parties," said Aliyev. Aliyev also referred to his upcoming meeting with Nikol Pashinyan, noting that the meeting with Armenian PM Pashinyan scheduled for December 7 in Brussels won’t take place because the Armenian side has agreed to meet with the condition that the French President also participates. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia responded to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement. According to the EU assessment, democracy in Armenia is progressing - Michael Siebert to Nikol Pashinyan Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the Managing Director of the European Union's External Action Service for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation and OSCE Affairs Michael Siebert and the delegation led by him. Assessing the effectiveness of the RA-EU partnership, the Prime Minister highlighted the EU's support for the process of implementing reforms in our country and noted that the RA Government is committed to continuing democratic reforms. The RA Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction in relation to the holding of the European Political Community Summit in Prague on October 6 and in that context mentioned the four-way meeting between himself, the President of Azerbaijan, the President of France, and the President of the European Council within the framework of the summit. Michael Siebert noted that, according to the EU's assessment, democracy in Armenia is progressing, as evidenced by reforms in various fields, the active activity of civil society, and the EU will continue to support our country in this process. Other News Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan today received Canada's Ambassador to Armenia Alison LeClaire. President of Azerbaijan Ilmah Aliyev received Toivo Klaar, the special envoy of the European Union in the South Caucasus, at his residence in Baku today. The Russian peacekeeping contingent continues to carry out its mission in Nagorno Karabakh. On November 25, no incidents were registered in the area of responsibility of the peacekeepers, the Russian Ministry of Defense informs.

21:45 - 25 November, 2022

Daily News Summary [25.11.2022]

Nikol Pashinyan commented on not signing the CSTO documents At the regular session of the government, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan referred to the CSTO summit held in Yerevan yesterday. "You know that the CSTO summit was held yesterday, as a result of which, unfortunately, we did not manage to come to a common statement on two very important documents, but I also want to say that a very open, honest discussion took place, and those two documents have been sent for revision", said Pashinyan, expressing hope that they will reach a common denominator. "Despite the fact that the declaration of the CSTO Council was not adopted, that is, we did not sign the declaration, the decision on the CSTO response to the escalation of September 13 was not adopted, again due to our non-signing, but I still want to say that I consider the discussion positive and I consider the Russian Federation positive bilateral discussions and I hope that we will implement the agreements that were recorded as soon as possible", Pashinyan said. It should be reminded that on November 23, the regular session of the CSTO Collective Security Council was held in Yerevan under the chairmanship of Nikol Pashinyan. The Prime Minister did not sign the declaration of the CSTO Collective Security Council, stating that the project "On the declaration of the CSTO Collective Security Council and joint measures to provide assistance to the Republic of Armenia" has not been sufficiently finalized, and with all due respect, he's not ready to sign the documents. Russian peacekeepers record cases of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side Today, on November 24, the Russian peacekeeping force carrying out a mission in Nagorno-Karabakh recorded one case of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side in its area of responsibility. The incident was registered near Maghavuz village of Martakert region. There are no casualties as a result of the incident. The command staff of the peacekeeping force is investigating the details of the incident in cooperation with the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides. The situation on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan was discussed during the CSTO events - Zakharova Within the framework of yesterday's CSTO events, the border situation of Armenia and Azerbaijan was discussed, as well as the general situation regarding the regulation of relations between Baku and Yerevan. This was announced by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova. Commenting on the statement of the Vice Chairman of the RF Federal Council, Konstantin Kosachev, that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is beyond the jurisdiction of the CSTO, Zakharova noted that "political assessments and observations on a wide range of issues in Armenia, sometimes diametrically opposed, are expressed before various events, during and after". Armen Grigoryan emphasized the role of EU and OSCE missions in strengthening the security environment in the region On November 24, Secretary of the Council of Ministers Armen Grigoryan received the delegation led by the managing director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, regional cooperation, and OSCE issues of the European External Action Service of the EU Michael Siebert. This was reported by the RA Council of the Minister's office. The meeting was also attended by the head of the EU delegation in Armenia, Ambassador Extraordinary, and Plenipotentiary Andrea Victorin. Armen Grigoryan welcomed the delegation's visit to Armenia and emphasized the role of the EU observation capacity mission and the OSCE needs assessment mission in strengthening the security environment in the region. The interlocutors exchanged views on current activities carried out by the missions. Other News Azerbaijan claims Armenia used Lachin corridor to transfer landmines to their territory. This is a total lie. Edmon Marukyan, RA Ambassador-at-Large wrote on Twitter. Toivo Klaar, the EU special representative for the crisis in the South Caucasus and Georgia, announced his departure to Azerbaijan. Interior Ministry to be restored in Armenia. The Police of Armenia, the Rescue Service, and the Migration and Citizenship Service will be merged into one structure – the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

00:07 - 25 November, 2022

Daily News Summary [23.11.2022]

23:59 - 23 November, 2022

Daily News Summary [22.11.2022]

The Azerbaijani side opened fire at the citizens carrying out agricultural works - Artsakh Defense Ministry On Nov 21 the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in a number of directions, firing at both the military positions of the Artsakh Defense Forces and a tractor carrying out agricultural work near Machkalashen village of Martuni region, Nagorno-Karabakh, Artsakh Defense Army reports. No civilians were injured. The Martuni regional department of the police collected the facts and transferred them to the peacekeeping troops. It should be reminded that yesterday, November 21, around 11:00, the enemy opened fire at civilians working in the same place, violating the ceasefire regime. The meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the CSTO An extraordinary session in the format of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers was held today in Yerevan. The RA MFA published the opening speech of Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. "For us this meeting is also important because this is our first tete-a-tete meeting in the wake of the September aggression of Azerbaijan against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia. We have about two dozen documents on our agenda regarding issues of foreign policy coordination, military-political cooperation, new threats and challenges, and of course, the situation in the South Caucasus generally," the Armenian Foreign Minister said at the session. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also arrived in Yerevan to participate in the CSTO foreign ministerial council session. The arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected tomorrow. The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko will also arrive in Yerevan. Taking into account the fact that the presidency will be transferred to Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko will announce the priority directions on which it will be necessary to focus joint efforts. It’s time to establish peace and security between Yerevan and Baku Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that it's time to establish peace and security between Yerevan and Baku. This was stated in Aliyev's address to the participants of the International Conference of Asian Parties. "Historical experience shows that conflicts cannot last forever. Ensuring peace and security between Armenia and Azerbaijan, based on the principle of international law and justice, is the demand of the time and era," said Aliyev's address. According to him, in the modern stage, when "a new world order is being formed, which is accompanied by serious shocks in international relations, it is necessary for parties and international organizations to reassess their position and the opportunity to influence events at different levels." Aliyev noted that one of the global challenges is the issue of peace and security. "It is also a sensitive and priority issue for Azerbaijan, which implemented the requirements of the four resolutions of the UN Security Council, which were not implemented for about 30 years," said the message of the President of Azerbaijan. Other News Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, discussing the practical implementation of the agreements reached by the heads of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia in Sochi on October 31. On Nov 22, for the second time during the day, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan spread disinformation that from 09:17 am to 14:48pm, the units of the Defense Army violated the ceasefire in different directions and opened fire at the Azerbaijani military positions. Suren Papikyan received the delegation headed by the Minister of Defense of Kazakhstan.

23:27 - 22 November, 2022

Daily News Summary [21.11.2022]

Putin plans to meet with Nikol Pashinyan at the CSTO Council session - Peskov Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian President, said that Putin is planning to have a meeting with Nikol Pashinyan within the framework of the CSTO Council meeting to be held in Yerevan on November 23. It should be reminded that on November 23, a session of the CSTO Council will be held in Yerevan under the chairmanship of the RA Prime Minister. It is noted that the members of the Council will discuss current issues related to international and regional security and the main results of CSTO activities after the previous session. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Italy discussed issues related to the activities of the EU mission located in Armenia On November 21, RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a telephone conversation with Italy's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani. Ararat Mirzoyan and Antonio Tajani noted that the relations between Armenia and Italy are based on common values and historical relations, and expressed readiness to take active steps to further develop mutually beneficial cooperation. The parties referred to the implementation of high-level mutual visits, and exchanged ideas on the holding of political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries. The importance of deepening trade and economic relations and encouraging investments was emphasized and the work of the Armenian-Italian intergovernmental commission was highlighted in this regard. During the telephone conversation, issues related to regional stability and security were also touched upon. Minister Mirzoyan emphasized that Azerbaijan's non-constructive and force-oriented approaches to the use of force or the threat of force are undermining efforts to establish peace and stability in the region. The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Italy also discussed issues related to the activities of the EU observation mission located in Armenia. The Deputy Foreign Minister presented the position of the Armenian side on the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations in Iran On November 20, regular political consultations of the Armenian and Iranian Foreign Ministries were held in Tehran under the leadership of RA Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani. The delegation led by RA Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan was also received by Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian. The parties discussed the recent active interaction between Armenia and Iran, the implementation process of the agreements reached, ensuring political, trade-economic, and regional security, and a number of issues of cooperation on multilateral platforms. Ideas were also exchanged with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran for Economic Affairs, Mehdi Safari, regarding the implementation of bilateral trade and economic projects and mutually beneficial cooperation in other possible fields. During the consultations, Mnatsakan Safaryan presented the positions of the Armenian side regarding the settlement of the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijan has more friends in the CSTO than Armenia - Aliyev President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev stated that they have more friends in the CSTO than Armenia, and that is why the attempts of the countries of the organization to "bring Armenia into conflict with Azerbaijan" have failed. "Even in the organizations we are not members of, we have friends, and the events of the last years and months prove it once again. For example, the Collective Security Treaty Organization. We are not a member of CSTO. Meanwhile, Armenia is a member of that organization, and through that organization, it was aimed to put forward unjustified demands against Azerbaijan, and, in fact, wanted to bring the countries entering into it into conflict with Azerbaijan. It is a great provocation and a great crime," said Aliyev, speaking at a conference dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the ruling "Yeni Azerbaijan" party. Defense units did not open fire in the direction of the Azerbaijani positions located in the Martuni region - Defense Ministry of Artsakh The message spread by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan that allegedly the units of the Defense Forces opened fire in the period between 10:00 and 14:25 on November 21 in the direction of the Azerbaijani positions located in the occupied territories of the Martuni region of the Republic of Artsakh is another misinformation, the press service of the Artsakh Ministry of Defense reports. According to him, this provocation was defeated and the CSTO countries did not give in to it. Ararat Mirzoyan had a telephone conversation with the Foreign Minister of Lebanon On November 21, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a telephone conversation with Abdallah Bou Habib, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigrants of the Republic of Lebanon, the press service of the MFA informs. RA Foreign Minister congratulated his colleague on the upcoming national holiday of Lebanon, wishing prosperity and peace to the fraternal people of Lebanon. The interlocutors noted with satisfaction that the Armenian-Lebanese relations are based on mutual trust and the centuries-old friendship between the two peoples. Both sides have expressed willingness to deepen effective cooperation established in various fields.

22:20 - 21 November, 2022

Daily News Summary [19-20.11.2022]

Nikol Pashinyan's work visit to Tunisia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived in the Republic of Tunisia with his wife Anna Hakobyan on a working visit to participate in the 18th summit of the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF). The official welcoming ceremony was held at the international airport of Djerba city. They were welcomed by Tunisian Defense Minister Imed Memmich.During the 18th summit of the International Organization of Francophonie, to be held on November 19-20, Armenia will transfer the presidency of the summit to Tunisia. Prime Minister Pashinyan will make a speech at the summit. As part of the visit, the Prime Minister will also have bilateral meetings with the leaders of different countries. The town of Francophonie will operate in Djerba.Participating countries, FMC partners, and agencies will have the opportunity to showcase the cultural diversity of their countries; exhibition-sale of handicrafts, presentation of tourist opportunities, works of art and culture, as well as the national cuisine of the participating states. On this platform, the Republic of Armenia will present itself with a pavilion entitled "Culture and Technology", the core of which is the rich Armenian carpet-making culture. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the 18th summit of the International Organization of Francophonie in Djerba, the Republic of Tunisia, the Prime Minister's staff reported. Armenia chaired the organization for the last four years. At the beginning of the event, the leaders of the countries, including Prime Minister Pashinyan, were welcomed by the President of Tunisia, Kaïs Saïed, and the Secretary General of the International Organization of Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo. French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and leaders of dozens of other member states of the organization are participating in the summit. "The aggression carried out by Azerbaijan, the victim of which was the Republic of Armenia on September 13-14, is a vivid manifestation of this reality. Azerbaijan's unjustified and unprovoked aggression has led to the occupation of a part of the territories of Armenia, causing death and suffering to the civilian population and causing significant destruction. The confirmed ceasefire, however, has not yet put an end to this country's ambitions for other territories of Armenia. Faced with new threats, we expect the international community to make a fair assessment of the situation in our country today, condemning the occupation of some parts of the Armenian territory and demanding the return of Azerbaijani forces to their previous positions. Nikol Pashinyan meets the PMs of France and Canada Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with French President Emmanuel Macron within the framework of the 18th summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie, which is being held in Djerba, Tunisia. Macron also exchanged ideas regarding the results of the quadrilateral meeting of the leaders of Armenia, France, Azerbaijan, and the President of the European Council held in Prague in October. The implementation of steps to strengthen stability and security in the South Caucasus was highlighted. Prime Minister Pashinyan stressed the need to eliminate the consequences of Azerbaijani aggression, to immediately withdraw Azerbaijani units from the sovereign territory of Armenia. The leaders of Armenia and France also discussed issues related to the further development of the Armenian-French bilateral cooperation. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also had a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The interlocutors discussed various issues related to the further development of Armenian-Canadian relations. In this regard, Nikol Pashinyan and Justin Trudeau highlighted the Canadian government's decision to open a Canadian embassy in Armenia. The parties expressed confidence that the activity of the embassy in Yerevan will give new impetus to the expansion and deepening of bilateral political and economic ties. Prime Minister Pashinyan highlighted the continuous support of the Canadian side to the agenda of reforms aimed at the development and strengthening of democracy in Armenia. Pashinyan also had a meeting with the President of the European Council Charles Michel. They referred to the results of the quadrilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of the European Council, as well as the Presidents of France and Azerbaijan held in Prague in October. The importance of the implementation of the agreements reached by the Prague Declaration and the implementation of steps aimed at strengthening peace and stability in the region was emphasized. Pashinyan emphasized the need to eliminate the consequences of the Azerbaijani aggression, and to immediately withdraw the Azerbaijani units from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. Pashinyan and Charles Michel also exchanged ideas on the development of further cooperation between Armenia and the European Union. Armenia transferred the chairmanship of the International Organization of the Francophonie to Tunisia Today, Armenia transferred the presidency of the International Organization of Francophonie to Tunisia, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced this on Twitter. "I wish the presiding country success in implementing the priorities of the Francophonie," he wrote. Authorities of Artsakh are ready to negotiate with authorities of Azerbaijan - Artak Beglaryan Artsakh authorities are ready for negotiations with Azerbaijan authorities, but the topics and international format are focal to be decided in advance. Artak Beglaryan, the adviser to the Minister of State of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), wrote about this in his Twitter. “The Artsakh rep will be assigned only by our authorities. We've contacted with each other but only on humanitarian mutual needs,” Beglaryan wrote. Arayik Harutyunyan called an extended working meeting On November 19, Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan convened an extended working consultation with the participation of representatives of the political forces of the National Assembly, the staff of the President of Artsakh reports. The latest foreign political developments around the Republic of Artsakh and the continuously aggressive behavior of the Azerbaijani side towards the civilian population of Artsakh were discussed. The participants of the consultation expressed their concerns regarding the created military-political situation, ideas were exchanged on the steps to be taken by the authorities. NA Speaker Artur Tovmasyan, State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, Chief of Staff of the President Karen Shahramanyan, Secretary of the Security Council Vitaly Balasanyan, Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, and other officials also participated in the meeting.

20:47 - 20 November, 2022

Daily News Summary [18.11.2022]

Azerbaijan's attacks against Ruben Vardanyan should be considered against Russia - Davit Babayan Azerbaijan's attacks against Ruben Vardanyan should be considered against Russia. Aliyev's words do not correspond to reality, because one of the most important directions of their state policy is to attack Russia. Of course, they don't say anything at the state level, but they started a big anti-Russian campaign through individual figures and analysts. Artsakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Davit Babayan said this, referring to the statement of the President of Azerbaijan that he is ready to talk with Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh, but not with people like Ruben Vardanyan, he was sent with a very clear agenda. According to Babayan, there is no secret agenda with the Russian Federation, and it is in favor of regulating the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, at the same time understanding that the Artsakh issue is difficult to solve now, it should be left to the future, and Azerbaijan is also trying to take advantage of the opportunity. Referring to Aliyev's statement that it is unacceptable for Baku to mention the rights and security of the NK people in the peace agreement, Davit Babayan noted that Aliyev can say a lot if RA accepts what they say, then Armenians will cease to exist and there's a need to fundamentally protect local interest interests. "The Armenian government should do everything to make a reservation in the agreement regarding the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Artsakh was not and will not be a part of Azerbaijan," said Babayan. RA Ministry of Defense denies the information of the Azerbaijani side The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan has spread disinformation, claiming that units of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire toward the Azerbaijani positions located in the Eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border zone on November 18, at 12:50 a.m. The President of Azerbaijan continues to threaten the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia and presents groundless territorial claims - RA FM RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan gave a speech at the 43rd session of the Francophonie Ministerial Forum. In his speech, he referred to the conflict with Azerbaijan and the latest statements of Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev. "Tensions still remain today on our border with Azerbaijan, and despite the commitment to not use force or the threat of force, the President of Azerbaijan continues to threaten the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia and make unfounded territorial claims. In this regard, we welcome the fact that many countries have recognized the violation of Armenia's territorial integrity and demanded the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia. Armenia remains committed to the peaceful settlement of all issues related to the conflict, including ensuring the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, and thanks the international partners who are making efforts to achieve this," Mirzoyan stated. Vladimir Putin is planning to participate in the CSTO summit to be held in Armenia - Peskov Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian President, said that Vladimir Putin plans to participate in the CSTO summit to be held in Armenia next week. It should be reminded that on November 23, a session of the CSTO Council will be held in Yerevan under the chairmanship of the RA Prime Minister. It is noted that the members of the Council will discuss current issues related to international and regional security and the main results of CSTO activities after the previous session. "One of the most important issues will be the improvement of the CSTO crisis response system and the discussion of joint measures to provide assistance to the Republic of Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan was questioned as a witness RA Prime Minister Pashinyan was questioned as a witness by the RA Investigative Committee. In response to Azatututyun's inquiry, the investigative body informs that the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings initiated by a group of high-ranking officials of Armenia during the 44-day war regarding the alleged crime of abusing their official powers continues from May 4, 2022. In the response, it is mentioned that Prime Minister Pashinyan was questioned as a witness within the framework of this proceeding. The relatives of the victims, who had been holding various protest actions in front of the government building and the Prosecutor General's Office for months before, since April, demanded to interrogate Pashinyan. They urged to interrogate and impeach Prime Minister Pashinyan. At that time, the former chief prosecutor Artur Davtyan met the relatives of the victims in front of the prosecutor's office building, after which, after studying the application of the relatives, he decided to include them as victims and instructed the head of the Investigative Committee, Argishti Kyaramyan, to interrogate Prime Minister Pashinyan. The Investigative Committee does not elaborate on exactly when Pashinyan was interrogated, nor does it indicate whether this could be followed by the fulfillment of the other demand of the soldiers' relatives, to indict Pashinyan for war crimes. It is planned to adopt the declaration of the Collective Security Council during the session. Other News On November 23, a session of the CSTO Council will be held in Yerevan under the chairmanship of the RA Prime Minister. RA Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan received the delegation led by France's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Anne Louyot. Director of the Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Asia Department of the French Development Agency (FDA) headquarters Cyrille Bellier and other representatives of the FDA also took part in the meeting. RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with his wife Anna Hakobyan left for the Republic of Tunisia this evening on a working visit. On November 18-19, in Djerba, Tunisia, the 18th summit of the International Organization of Francophonie will be held, during which Armenia will transfer the presidency of the summit to Tunisia. Prime Minister Pashinyan will make a speech at the summit.

23:55 - 18 November, 2022

Daily News Summary [17.11.2022]

Armenia wants to include the issues related to Armenians "living in Azerbaijan" in the peace agreement: It won't happen, it's impossible - Aliyev "Today, I consider Armenia's talks about peace to be a kind of manipulation," the president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said this at the meeting with the delegation led by the European Union Special Envoy for Eastern Partnership Dirk Schuebel, the office of the President of Azerbaijan informs. At the meeting, Schuebel noted that he visited Azerbaijan after his visit to Armenia and added that the main message he received from the meetings held in Armenia was that Armenia is also interested in achieving peace. In response, Ilham Aliyev said: "Today, I consider Armenia's talks about peace to be a kind of manipulation, because if they really wanted peace, they would have responded to our proposal. We were the ones who immediately after the end of the war proposed to start the negotiations on the peace treaty. Armenia was very hesitant at the initial stage of this process, and now they are talking about peace, but we do not understand what peace means for them. However, our position is very clear... we have to go two ways - the process of regulating Azerbaijani-Armenian relations, as well as issues related to the Armenian minority in Azerbaijan and Karabakh in terms of rights and security," Aliyev noted. He said that yesterday during the telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, they talked about all that. "We fully understand that there should be two ways and they should not be mixed, but the statements from Armenia are highly contradictory. They say they recognize our territory and sovereignty. Not only they say, but they also sign in Prague and Sochi. This means the sovereignty of our entire territory. We all understand what sovereignty is. At the same time, they want to include the problems related to the Armenians living in Azerbaijan in the peace treaty. It won't happen. It is impossible. We will not agree to this. Therefore, we need a very clear position of the Armenian government regarding its agenda. I recently said that if they want peace, we want peace too. If they do not want peace, then it is their choice. We have not had peace for thirty years, and Armenia should not forget how it ended," Aliyev said. Ruben Vardanyan commented on Aliyev's statements I welcome the desire of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, to start a direct dialogue with Artsakh. Artsakh should be a subject in this process, Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan wrote about this on his Facebook page. "I also welcome the creation of a new format of direct negotiations with international mediation. Among the international mediators, among Russia and the USA, France should definitely be included, whose senate's resolution adopted a few days ago contained a clause on the recognition of Nagorno Karabakh. Let me remind you that France is also a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group.I would also like to propose to switch to a more constructive tone and get clarifications on what, according to Mr. Aliyev, is my "clear agenda". I have repeatedly emphasized that I renounced Russian citizenship in order to avoid accusations that I can protect someone else's interests in Artsakh, apart from the interests of the people of Artsakh. I think I fully meet the criteria of a negotiator proposed by Mr. Aliyev: "lives in Karabakh and wants to live there." War always brings war. Sometimes this happens even after several generations. Aggression today is a ticking time bomb for the future generations of our two peoples. It means that the leaders of both sides must take full responsibility and, however difficult it may be, sit down at the negotiating table and stop the bloodshed," he wrote. A serviceman shot by the enemy: His life is not in danger On November 17, at 11 a.m., a soldier of the N military unit of the MoD of the Republic of Armenia, private H.A., has received a gunshot wound from an enemy shot in the combat position located in the eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border zone. The health condition of the wounded serviceman is medium severity, no danger for life. U.S. Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group Philip Reeker referred to his meeting with Aliyev U.S. Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations, Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Philip Reeker commented on the latest aggression of Azerbaijan against Armenia and the prospects of the ongoing negotiations between the two countries. “I was in the region during the September 13-14 fighting and met with President Aliyev on September 14 to urge an end to the violence”, Mr. Reeker said during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. “My meetings with Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders paralleled urgent and around-the-clock engagements with leadership of the two countries by Secretary Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Assistant Secretary Donfried, and Deputy Assistant Secretary Erika Olson, as well as by our colleagues at the Department of Defense. Those engagements have continued since, and the joint efforts of the United States, EU, and partner countries have paved the way for a series of meetings between Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders to discuss peace”, he said. Mr. Reeker added that despite recent hostilities, they are encouraged by the pace of engagement by Armenian and Azerbaijani leadership in the peace process. “The leaders have met for negotiations on multiple occasions in recent months as part of an EU-facilitated peace process, most recently in Prague on October 6. The Prague meeting produced two meaningful outcomes that have the potential to pave the way for peace: mutual recognition of the 1991 Almaty Declaration as a basis for border discussions, and acceptance of an EU “Monitoring Capacity” with the potential to build confidence amongst the sides and deescalate potential hostilities”, he said. RA Prime Minister had a meeting with the former President of Switzerland Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hosted the former president of the Swiss Confederation, Micheline Calmy-Rey. The interlocutors exchanged ideas on the processes taking place in the South Caucasus. The Prime Minister referred to the positions of the Armenian side related to the Nagorno Karabakh problem, Armenian-Azerbaijani, as well as the settlement of Armenian-Turkish relations. The implementation of consistent steps towards strengthening stability and security in the region was highlighted. Other News The delegation led by the special envoy of the European Union for Eastern Partnership issues, Dirk Schuebel, visited Azerbaijan, according to the Azerbaijani mass media.

23:30 - 17 November, 2022

Daily News Summary [16.11.2022]

Artsakh MPs thanked the French Senate for adopting a resolution supporting Armenia and proposing sanctions against Azerbaijan Members of the "Artsakh-France" Friendship Circle of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh sent a word of gratitude to the deputies of the French Senate. Artsakh MPs expressed their gratitude to the chairman of the Senate "Republicans" faction for the joint proposal of the resolution "imposing sanctions against Azerbaijan, the latter's immediate withdrawal from Armenian territory, forcing respect of the agreement of November 9, 2020, and calling for any initiative aimed at establishing peace between the two countries." Bruno Ratayo, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense Christian Cambon, Chairman of the Communist faction Elias Assassi, Chairman of the Socialist faction Patrick Kanner, Chairman of the Union of Central Forces faction Hervé Marseille, Chairman of the France-Armenia Friendship Group Gilbert-Luc Devinaz. On November 16, the Senate of the Republic of France adopted a resolution supporting Armenia and proposing sanctions against Azerbaijan. Baku condemns the resolution adopted by the French Senate The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan responded to the resolution adopted by the French Senate. The statement of the Ministry states that "the resolution is completely far from reality, reflects false and slanderous provisions and, having an openly provocative nature, is aimed at disrupting the process of normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia." "The resolution adopted by the Senate and without any legal force clearly shows the biased and one-sided political position of France as a country that declares its intention to contribute to the peace process. In general, all the absurd claims mentioned in the resolution show that its authors are not aware of the historical facts and the situation in the region," the message states. Referring to the point by which the resolution reaffirms the need to recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and suggests the government to establish a humanitarian office in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan once again noted that "Nagorno-Karabakh is the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan." "The security of the Armenian population living in that region is an internal matter of Azerbaijan, and they will be ensured in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan. By encouraging the revanchist forces in Armenia, this resolution of the Senate does not serve peace, stability, and progress in the region and is far from the "promotion of lasting peace" mentioned in the resolution. We strongly condemn the next resolution adopted by the French Senate," the statement of the Foreign Ministry reads. Prime Minister Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with Irakli Gharibashvili Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. The interlocutors discussed both bilateral and regional issues. In this context, the improvement of the atmosphere in the South Caucasus region and the implementation of appropriate steps in that direction were emphasized. Emphasizing the need for continuous development of trade and economic ties between Armenia and Georgia, the parties agreed to hold an Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental dialogue session in Yerevan in early 2023. The American general will discuss Armenian-American security relations with Armenian officials The U.S. Embassy in Armenia welcomes to Yerevan Major General Daniel Lasica, Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy, United States European Command. During his visit on November 16-17, Major General Lasica will take part in wreath-laying ceremonies at the Yerablur Military Memorial Cemetery / Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and at the Armenian Genocide Memorial. He will meet with Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, Chief of General Staff General Edward Asryan, and Secretary of the National Security Council Armen Grigoryan to discuss the U.S.-Armenian security relationship and regional security issues. Major General Lasica will participate in a dedication ceremony to mark the completion of new barracks, dining facility, and conference room funded by the United States at the Zar Peacekeeping Training Area. Nikol Pashinyan referred to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict At the NA-government question-and-answer session, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the opposition's criticism that the positions regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh problem are not concrete and elusive. "If I could understand this assessment 1-1.5 months ago, I can't now, because I think that the statement made by the Russian President in Valda was very important for us to clarify a number of issues and record that, at least in the RA political field, those approaches In terms of this, it is almost a consensus situation," said Pashinyan. Pashinyan reminded that it's about the position of the RA government regarding the proposals of the Russian Federation, the essence of which was to postpone the Nagorno-Karabakh issue for some time. "When this question was asked, there were statements in the opposition field and in Nagorno-Karabakh demanding the government to accept the proposals of the Russian Federation. I want to say that the Government accepted this agreement a long time ago, since January 2021, but did not talk about it purely out of correctness," he said. The Prime Minister emphasized that the current position of the government is what the opposition demanded from them, not knowing that the government adopted that position a long time ago. He expressed that he had shared this position with the NK president a long time ago. The Prime Minister also mentioned that if the opposition now has a different opinion, and considers that RA should reject RF's proposals, it would be right to announce it loudly. The Prime Minister hopes that an internationally visible conversation will take place between the representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, ARMENPRESS reports the Prime Minister said during the Parliament-Government Q&A session, presenting the conditions when Armenia will be ready to sign a framework agreement with Azerbaijan. "Accepting the Russian position is the reason why we are not promoting the issue of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, but the issue of ensuring the security and rights of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. Like in 2018, we believe that the number one interested party in that dialogue should be the participant of the dialogue. I am talking about the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. We hope that there is an understanding among the international community that an internationally visible conversation should take place between the representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, which should be about the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. The fact that we agree to separate the issue of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations from addressing the rights and security issues of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh does not mean that we agree to remove that issue from the agenda. If we solve this issue, of course, the Republic of Armenia is ready to sign a framework agreement on peace with Azerbaijan on the basis of mutual recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty," said Pashinyan. Speaking about the unblocking of regional communications, the Prime Minister noted that if the issue of opening communications for Azerbaijan is not a matter of seeking a new escalation, then the issue can be considered. In Artsakh, Azerbaijanis opened fire on civilians doing agricultural work Fire was opened from the Azerbaijani combat position in the direction of civilians doing agricultural work. On November 16, at 2:30 p.m., a 36-year-old resident of Sarushen village, Askerani district, reported to the Red Market Department of the Martunu district police department that around 11:40 a.m., works were carried out on the agricultural lands belonging to the Sarushen community of Askerani district in the Amarasi valley. From the adjacent combat position, Azerbaijani army officers opened irregular fire from various firearms in the direction of the citizens working in the field. Agricultural work was stopped due to the violation of the ceasefire regime. There were no casualties among civilians. The police informed about the incident and provided relevant materials to the Russian peacekeeping troops. The Martuni regional department of the police is engaged in the inspection. The US Secretary of State urged Ilham Aliyev to maintain the ceasefire and stop the provocation US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had a conversation with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev today. The Secretary of State emphasized US support for the peace process and urged both sides to plan further negotiations as agreed in Washington. The parties discussed the results of the Armenian-Azerbaijani bilateral peace negotiations and further steps. According to the US State Department, Blinken urged Aliyev to maintain the ceasefire and stop provocations, while exploring ways to strengthen confidence with Armenia to create a basis for peace. Other News RA Foreign Minister to leave for Tunisia: Bilateral meetings with partners are planned. RA Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan to leave for India on a working visit.

23:23 - 16 November, 2022