Daily News Summary

Daily News Summary [27.01.2021]

Read daily news summary for January 26 here. Our red line is the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia - Mohammad Javad Zarif ‘Armenia does not consider that the results of Azerbaijan’s aggression against Artsakh and the use of force can create a basis for lasting peace or be considered an opportunity for regional cooperation,’ said Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan during his meeting with Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Foreign Minister of Iran who arrived in Armenia following his visits to Moscow and Baku. The Iranian FM expressed condolences over the human losses in the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war, and expressed readiness to assist in solving humanitarian issues, Armenpress.am reports. ‘As two ancient civilizations, we have had many ups and downs, but we have always overcome them with honor,’ Mohammad Javad Zarif said. ‘Our red line is the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, on which we’ve clearly expressed ourselves,’ the Iranian FM said after highlighting the importance of territorial integrity of all countries. Ministers Aivazian and Zarif exchanged views in detail on the regional security and stability. Both sides expressed concern over the deployment of foreign terrorist fighters in the region. Speaking about the possibility of a railway connecting Armenia to Iran through Azerbaijan’s exclave Nakhijevan, Minister Zarif told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that the railway is a regional necessity, ‘an ancient road that links the North to the South’ and that Iran is working on that direction with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. Later, Mohammad Javad Zarif was received by Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, who highlighted deepening and developing bilateral relations between countries among many issues of discussion, Armenpress.am reports. Armenian PM noted that the relations between Armenia and Iran are based on traditional friendship. ‘I think that the stability, peace, and sustainable development of the region are among our common interests,’ Pashinyan said. For his part, the Iranian FM said that Iran has common regional concerns with Armenia. ‘From the very first days of the conflict we have been in constant touch both with you and other countries of the region and want to keep that tie having cooperation prospects,’ the Iranian FM added. Armenian, Azerbaijani, Russian Deputy PMs to meet in Moscow. Putin discussed Karabakh in Davos. Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan had a conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday. Ayvazyan stressed the priority of immediate and safe repatriation of POWs, hostages, and other detainees from Azerbaijan. The Foreign Ministers exchanged views on the full implementation of the provisions of the trilateral truce statement of November 9, which ended the recent Nagorno Karabakh war, and the post-truce statement signed in Moscow on January 11. The recent trilateral statement specified on the lifting of the blockade of regional transport communications based on a roadmap to be set up by a working group chaired by the Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Russian Deputy Prime Ministers. The first meeting of the Deputy Prime Ministers will be held in Moscow on January 30. Russian President Vladimir Putin told Davos Agenda Week on Wednesday that the November 9 trilateral statement has been implemented consistently. Putin highlighted Russia’s role in reaching a 'full ceasefire’ and starting the process of stabilization, Armenpress.am reports. Russian President urged the international community, particularly the countries that participated in the solution of the crisis, ‘to provide assistance to the affected regions for the solution of the humanitarian issues related to the return of the refugees, reconstruction of ruined buildings, protection, and restoration of historical, religious and cultural monuments.’ Other news from Armenia President of the RA National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan has received RF Ambassador Sergey Kopirkin. During the meeting, President Mirzoyan highlighted that the issue of the return of the Armenian prisoners of war and other detained persons is a priority for the Armenian side and expressed hope that Russian colleagues will continue their mediation efforts in that direction in order to fulfill the respective Provision of the November 9 trilateral statement.In his turn, Ambassador Kopirkin noted that the negotiations under the OSCE Minsk Group auspices should continue for the final settlement of the issue, including the status of the Nagorno Karabakh. ‘Armenia and Russia are resuming regular bilateral air communication from February 1,’ Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting, Armenpress.am reports. The flights are restarting as part of the ‘I am Traveling Without Covid-19’ pilot program to be fully launched in March. Travelers must have a negative COVID-19 test result administered no more than 72 hours prior to the flight.‘This is a very important program, and I want to thank our partners of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Russian government for this active and productive cooperation,’ Pashinyan said adding that the Armenian initiative has been supported by partners and funded by the Eurasian Bank. ‘A number of points are raised in the November 9 trilateral declaration, but there are missing points, and those missing points should be raised in the sidelines of the Minsk Group,’ Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Secretary of State to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France told in Yerevan on Wednesday. Speaking about the Armenian PoWs, Lemoyne said: ‘Naturally, we raise that issue in conversations with the Azerbaijani leadership, whenever we have such an opportunity. The ICRC has the main mandate over the issue of the war prisoners and they work in that direction, but we also raise that issue in case of any opportunity.’ ‘Homeland Salvation Movement’, a coalition of 17 opposition parties demanding Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation, made a statement, Panorama.am reports. The Movement, which is planning to hold a ‘nationwide rally’ on February 18, suggested to remove PM Pashinyan from office through either resignation or impeachment and form an interim government of national unity. ‘Before holding elections, the interim government will be tasked with stabilizing the situation in the country, solving urgent humanitarian, social-economic issues as well as those related to the post-war situation, create necessary conditions for organizing transparent parliamentary elections,’ the statement reads. During his visit to Ararat Province on Tuesday, Vazgen Manukya, leader of the Movement announced that the coalition may consider revolt and occupation of government buildings. Deputy Chief of Armenia Police Ara Fidanyan responded to Manukyan’s statement on Wednesday saying that, if necessary, the opposition leader will be invited to the Police department. You can stay updated with the latest news from Armenia through our Telegram channel in English and Twitter page.

22:01 - 27 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [26.01.2021]

Read daily news summary for January 25 here. Azerbaijan keeps people in captivity simply because they are Armenians – Armenian MP says at PACE ‘To date, Azerbaijan is unwilling to provide the slightest information on the physical ’conditions of Armenian PoWs,’ Vladimir Vardanyan, MP of ruling ‘My step’ party said at the Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), ArtsakhPress.am reports. Vardanyan reminded that following the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war truce statement, ECtHR urged Azerbaijani authorities to provide information about the Armenian captives in Azerbaijan and have not received any information to this date. According to Vardanyan, these people are in captivity in Azerbaijan not because they committed a crime, but simply because they are Armenians. ‘Can you imagine that in the 21st century we can have a Council of Europe member country that pursues state policy of racial discrimination against Armenians,’ Vardanyan addressed to his counterparts at PACE. ‘I believe that we cannot tolerate the presence of a racist state in the Council of Europe,’ the MP said adding that all member states of the Council of Europe must respect the ECtHR rulings. Ruben Rubinyan, head of the Armenian Delegation at PACE, in turn, discussed the issue of the PoWs during his meeting with Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe and Rik Daems, President of PACE. The officials assured that both the issue of Armenian PoWs and other detained people, as well as manifestations of hatred in Azerbaijan against Armenians, will in the centre of their attention. Opposition distrusts Pashinyan in organising fair elections Vazgen Manukyan, leader of ‘Homeland Salvation Movement’, a coalition of 17 opposition parties demanding Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation, had a meeting with residents of Ararat province where tension raised between Pashinyan’s and opposition’s supporters. After the Nagorno Karabakh truce statement on November 9, 2020, ‘Homeland Salvation Movement’, which blames Pashinyan for the defeat in the war, nominated Vazgen Manukyan as a Prime Minister of an interim government. At the meeting, Manukyan proposed two paths to solve the political crisis in Armenia: ‘one is constitutional when 100 thousand people gather causing government’s paralysis and resignation, or a revolt,’ News.am reports. Speaking about the possibility of snap elections, Manukyan said that he is strongly against the elections to be organised by Pashinyan and his team expressing his distrust towards the PM’s actions and organisation of fair elections. The ruling ‘My Step’, in turn, held a discussion on changes of the Electoral Code on Tuesday, Armenpress.am reports. Hamazasp Danielyan, My Step MP informed that possible constitutional changes, the possibility of the self-dissolution of the parliament, and other points were discussed. In Danielyan’s words, although the package of Electoral Code changes is ready, the ‘My Step’ bloc cannot adopt constitutional amendments unilaterally. ‘This amendment should have 88 votes at least, thus, the opposition should raise its voice,’ the MP said. Earlier, head of ‘Bright Armenia’ parliamentary opposition bloc Edmon Marukyan supported the solution of an interim government as opposed to snap elections, saying that he will run for PM, expecting votes from ruling ‘My Step’ MPs despite Pashinyan’s possible candidacy. Two basins feeding Lake Sevan came under Azerbaijan’s control, forests damaged – Minister of Environment ‘Several thousand hectares of forested areas were damaged as a result of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh,’ Armenian Minister of Environment Romanos Petrosyan told, PanArmenian.net reports. ‘There is no final assessment of the material damage inflicted on the country. During the fighting, however, fires broke out in some forested areas, which could not be extinguished amid the war,’ the Minister said. He added that respective international organisations were informed about the use of white phosphorus in the forests by Azerbaijan which caused significant environmental damage. The Minister also shared the concerns of the ministry and environmental organisations over the future of Lake Sevan, the largest freshwater lake in the region. After the recent Nagorno Karabakh war two basins of the two main rivers feeding Lake Sevan came under the control of Azerbaijan. In Petrosyan’s words, the Ministry has conducted a relevant examination and presented the results to the Ministry of Defence. Other news from Armenia Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called on the parties of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict to ‘implement as soon as possible the provisions of the trilateral statement related to humanitarian issues’ and ‘immediately put in action the exchange of prisoners of war and bodies, to respect cultural heritage.’The Assembly also urged the parties involved ‘to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric hindering political dialogue.’ PACE expressed serious concern about reports of ‘violations of humanitarian and human rights law by all sides during this conflict and allegations of degradations to some religious sites and monuments, as well as the destruction of private property.’ The Assembly expects these reports ‘to be fully investigated and any violations to be remedied and the perpetrators prosecuted.’ President of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Arayik Harutyunyan said that any status of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan is ‘simply impossible and unacceptable,’ PanArmenian.am reports. ‘Even in difficult conditions, we will continue the fight for the international recognition of the independence of Artsakh,’ Harutyunyan said at the newly created Ministry of Interior. The President noted that the matter should be continuously discussed within the OSCE Minsk Group format. According to him, the co-chairing countries fully share that position. Armenian President Armen Sargsyan’s press office informed that there is a positive dynamic in President Armen Sarkissian’s health condition who is still under the doctors. ‘Immediately after the doctors' permission, President Sarkissian will return to Yerevan. The President continues to work remotely, carrying out his constitutional functions,’ the press office informs. President Sargsyan tested positive for COVID-19 during his trip to the UK with his family in December. Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan emphasized at the Ministry of Justice that attempts of politicizing the judiciary are unacceptable, Armenpress news agency PM Pashinyan expressed his satisfaction over a great impetus to the judicial reforms’ which have been given recently. ‘Of course, the results of these activities and reforms are not visible immediately, but I am sure that we will be able to achieve the fulfillment of the goal we have through consistent steps – that is to establish an independent and fair judiciary”, the PM said. He added that the impermissible attempts of politicizing should be eradicated through long-term mechanisms. You can stay updated with the latest news from Armenia through our Telegram channel in English and Twitter page.

22:29 - 26 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [25.01.2021]

Read daily news summary for January 23-24 here. Armenian PoWs issue raised at PACE by head of Bright Armenia party Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s (PACE) session started with an act of protest by the head of ‘Bright Armenia’ parliamentary party Edmon Marukyan who held a poster saying, ‘Freedom to the Armenian prisoners of war kept in Azerbaijan.’ Marukyan published a video of the protest captioned: ‘We started the PACE session by raising our voice in protest and demanding to exert international pressure on Azerbaijan to release the Armenian prisoners of war and civilians as soon as possible.’ Since the Moscow-brokered truce statement, which ended the recent Nagorno Karabakh war on November 9, 2020, Azerbaijan refuses to return Armenian PoWs as set by the trilateral truce statement and hides the real number of captured servicemen and civilians. Human rights advocate Siranush Sahakyan, who represents the interests of the Armenian POWs in the ECHR, told Armenpress.am that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHtR) gave a priority to the investigation of cases relating to the Armenian PoWs who are currently in Azerbaijan, to investigate the cases within a shorter period of time. Sahakyan commented on the status of 62 Armenian servicemen who were captured by Azerbaijani forces after the war in the Hadrut region, saying that Azerbaijan will try to prolong the process of their return. In the lawyer’s words, considering that there is a state-level anti-Armenian policy, containing hatred, the Armenian side can directly seek international judicial protection. Additional evidence of deeply rooted hatred and enmity toward Armenians in Azerbaijan was presented on Monday by the Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan. The Ombudsman published a list of posts spreading Armenophobia by real users of Azerbaijani social media copying the statements by Azerbaijani authorities and cultural figures. The posts contain hatred expressed in calls on torturing and killing Armenian women and children, slogans such as ‘The best Armenian is a dead Armenian’ and citing Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement about ‘driving away Armenians like dogs’. ‘The same words are used by the Azerbaijani military in videos of torture and inhumane treatment of Armenians,’ the Ombudsman said. Earlier Human Rights Defenders of Armenia and Artsakh published a special report with the results of the monitoring carried out during the September-November war. Opposition condemns reported appointment of Armenian Ambassador to U.S. The head of the ruling My Step parliamentary group Lilit Makunts has confirmed in her interview with RFE/RL Armenian Service that her possible appointment as Armenian Ambassador to the United States is under discussion. Makunts, 37, a former English teacher, started her political career after the Revolution in Armenia in 2018 when she was appointed as Armenia’s Minister of Culture. After the media reports over her possible appointment as Armenia’s envoy to the U.S. was spread, a number of representatives of the opposition and Diaspora representatives condemned a possible decision of her appointment. Naira Zohrabyan of the opposition ‘Prosperous Armenia’ party called the possible decision a ‘disaster’ saying that knowledge of English is not enough to work as a professional diplomat. ‘A woman who only speaks English will be appointed ambassador in one of the most important countries, which co-chairs OSCE Minsk group,’ the opposition MP said. ‘With the stakes so high and the need for serious, seasoned professionals so very clear, we cannot afford on-the-job-training, political sinecures, or anything other than our very best in high-level diplomatic postings,’ Armenian National Committee of America reacted as RFE/RL Armenian Service reports. The ruling party lawmaker responded to the critics by saying that while the experience is extremely important, in some cases it does not play a priority role. According to her, there is no limitation for a political appointment of an ambassador as an alternative to a diplomatic appointment. Armenian FM discusses protection of historical heritage with UNESCO head Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazian had a telephone conversation with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. The sides discussed the issues of preservation of the Armenian historical and religious heritage and the cooperation between Armenia and UNESCO within that context. Minister Ayvazyan noted that the Armenian historical and cultural monuments are an integral part of the rich heritage of the region adding that UNESCO’s active involvement in their protection is expected. Ara Ayvazyan stressed the urgent need to take measures for the protection of Armenian historical and cultural heritage which have passed under the control of Azerbaijan, considering the deliberate destruction and misappropriation of the Armenian heritage. Welcoming the decision of UNESCO to send a fact-finding mission, the Minister stressed the universal importance of the cultural heritage of Artsakh, considering unacceptable the politicization of its protection and creation of artificial obstacles by Azerbaijan. Other news from Armenia Armenian Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan and Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade Alireza Razm Hosseini signed a memorandum of understanding on Saturday, Panarmenian.net reports. Razm Hosseini put Iran's exports to Armenia at about $300 million and noted that the signing of the MoU will be a great step towards improving the level of trade between the two neighbors. He also Pointing to Armenia’s position as one of the members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), with which Iran has recently signed a preferential trade agreement. Kerobyan, in turn, said that both countries are willing to augment trade to $1b within six months. ‘We are ready to support Iranian traders to use Armenia for entering third countries,’ he said. Unknown men have thrown stones at the Armenian trucks near Georgia’s Kvemo Ponichala neighborhood on January 25 at midnight. They broke the front and side windows of some trucks and left the scene, Armenpress.am reports citing the Armenian Embassy in Georgia. ‘The Armenian Embassy in Georgia is in constant touch with the country’s relevant authorities and is taking active measures for those found guilty to be held accountable and to rule out the repetition of such incidents,’ the statement says. According to some media reports, the Armenian trucks have been attacked by Azerbaijanis. The delegation headed by Colonel-General Sergey Istrakov, the Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, has arrived in Armenia to take part in headquarters negotiations in all directions of the Armenian-Russian bilateral military cooperation. The head of the delegation was received by the Armenian Minister of Defence Vagharshak Harutyunyan. Sergey Istrakov also met with Colonel-General Onik Gasparyan, the Chief of General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, also took place, Armenian Ministry of Defence informs. Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the first President of the Republic of Armenia hosted the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia Sergey Kopirkin. During the conversation, a number of issues of mutual interest in the context of the Armenian-Russian relations were touched upon, including the urgent need for the return of POWs held in Azerbaijan. [Arman Musinyan, Ter-Petrosyan's spokesperson] You can stay updated with the latest news from Armenia through our Telegram channel in English and Twitter page.

22:16 - 25 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [23-24.01.2021]

Read daily news summary for January 22 here. Armenia’s High Commissionaire for Diaspora Affairs in official visit to Artsakh President of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Arayik Harutyunyan received Armenia’s High Commissionaire for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan on Saturday, Artsakh President’s press office informs. At the meeting, the sides discussed a number of issues related to Armenia-Diaspora relations, housing programs in Artsakh as well as possible solutions for the people who lost their homes as a consequence of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war. President Harutyunyan highlighted that only through the joint efforts and coordinated work between Armenia, Artsakh, and the Armenian Diaspora worldwide it will be possible to restore and develop Artsakh. President of Artsakh also brought to the attention that tens of thousands of Armenians, who want to build their future in their homeland, need support. Zareh Sinanyan, for his part, assured that Armenians of Artsakh are not alone and joint work to solve the issues of vital importance will be undertaken. During his visit, Zareh Sinanyan also had a meeting with Artsakh’s newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister Davit Babayan. The parties discussed the Armenian Diaspora’s involvement in the humanitarian programs in Artsakh and reaffirmed the significance of Artsakh for the Armenians around the world. Nagorno Karabakh war caused serious environmental damages – Ministry of Nature Protection Armenian Minister of Nature Protection Romanos Petrosyan held a meeting with EU Ambassador to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin, PanArmenian.net reports. At the meeting, Minister Petrosyan presented three priority issues in the area of nature protection that Armenia has faced: restoration of the ecosystem of the Lake Sevan, systematic management of forests and protected areas, and building of a balanced model of relations between businesses operating in the protected areas and the environment. Minister Petrosyan also referred to the recent Nagorno Karabakh war which caused not only human but also serious environmental issues forcing the Ministry to shift previously set priorities in the field. Earlier, the Minister of Nature Protection addressed the international institutions drawing attention to the use of white phosphorus munition by Azerbaijan in the forests thus destroying valuable ecosystems and habitats and causing grave damage to the environment. Artsakh Defence Army Releases Names of 72 fallen Armenian soldiers The Defence Army of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) published the names of 72 more soldiers killed in fighting against Azerbaijan during the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war. Artsakh Emergency Service head Hunan Tadevosyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that about 1300 bodies have been found since the Moscow-brokered truce statement in November 2020. According to the Ministry of Health, 3450 bodies of killed servicemen were registered in the Ministry’s forensic centre. The names of 1500 more soldiers have not been published yet since the identification is limited to 30 bodies daily. On Saturday, 30 unrecognizable bodies of Armenian servicemen were handed over to the Armenian side by the Azerbaijani forces. Meanwhile, the Armenian side continues rescue and search operations of Armenian fallen troops in different directions. Other news from Armenia The Armenian opposition held a car rally of civil disobedience On Sunday. The protesters rallied against Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan with the inscriptions ‘Nikol is a traitor!’ and ‘Nikol, leave!’ on their car windows. A large number of police forces were brought to Republic Square to prevent the protesters to enter the Square, Sputnik Armenia reports. President Biden’s nominee to serve as Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, confirmed that the incoming Administration will consult with Congress on the wording of its April 24th statement, Armenpress news agency reports, citing the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Blinken noted that: ‘As a presidential candidate, President Biden pledged in his Remembrance Day statement to support a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.’ The U.S. House and Senate nearly unanimously passed the Armenian Genocide Resolutions in 2019. The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) will provide scholarship for one graduate student per year for five years pursuing a master’s degree in Classical Armenian Studies at Oxford University, Armenpress news agency was informed from the press service of the AGBU. The Armenian studies at Oxford University have been pursued since the mid-nineteenth century. ‘During their time at Oxford, students will have access to the Bodleian Library’s unique collection of Armenian manuscripts, which includes a very rare copy of the first book printed in Iran: an Armenian Psalter from New Julfa,’ AGBU’s statement reads. You can stay updated with the latest news from Armenia through our Telegram channel in English and Twitter page.

22:40 - 24 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [22.01.2021]

Read daily news summary for January 21 here. Armenia’s PM and Artsakh President held a Security Council meeting Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) President Arayik Harutyunyan held a Security Council meeting in Yerevan on Friday, RFE/RL’s Armenian service reports. According to Pashinyan, to ensure coordinated joint actions between Armenian and Artsakh, such meetings will be convened more frequently in the future. He added that relevant works in a number of directions are being done by various governmental agencies. Prime Minister Pashinyan highlighted the importance of Artsakh’s President’s participation in information exchange, tactical and strategic planning of future activities. Military exercises disproof Turkish-Azerbaijani peaceful intentions – Yerevan responds ‘The Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercises carried out near the Armenian border in violation of relevant OSCE commitments do not prove that the Turkish-Azerbaijani leadership has peaceful intentions towards Armenia,’ Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan told PanARMENIAN.NET in response to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu’s remarks. Turkish Foreign Minister said that Turkey and Azerbaijan are ready to take steps aimed at normalising relations with Armenia if peace in Nagorno Karabakh lasts. Earlier, however, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry announced about Azerbaijani-Turkish joint military exercises in Turkey's Kars province, near the Armenian border, in February to prepare the armies for military activities in harsh weather conditions. ‘I would not like to comment on the statements from the Turkish-Azerbaijani leadership, which are not consolidated by actions. Moreover, they contradict each other,' Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. In the spokesperson’s words, the cessation of hostile actions against Armenia, meanwhile, could create conditions for building trust in the region. Border demarcations being done under Aliyev’s threats of war – Armenian Ombudsman ‘The process of determining Armenia's borders with Azerbaijan is being carried out by Azerbaijan under open threats of war against the entire population of Armenia,’ Armenian Human Rights defender Arman Tatoyan said in his address to the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the UN, and the CoE Secretary Generals, the UN and the CoE Commissioners for Human Rights, the PACE and the OSCE PA Presidents, the ECHR President, the PACE Co-Rapporteurs on Azerbaijan and Armenia as well as other partners, including several ombudspersons and their associations. According to the ombudsman, mechanical approach and use of GPS or Google Map application of a private company for border demarcation process in settlements of Armenia’s Syunik and Gegharkunik regions has already led to gross violations of internationally recognized human socio-economic rights and seriously endangered people's rights to life and physical immunity. The Ombudsman explains that Azerbaijani military forces were deployed in the immediate vicinity of the civilians of Armenia or in the settlements themselves. The Ombudsman noted that these developments have been unfolding in parallel to the Azerbaijani President’s hostile rhetoric against Armenians worldwide, use of the language of ethnic cleansing, and Azerbaijani public figures' open insults to the dignity of the Armenian people. According to Tatoyan, the current situation ‘completely contradicts the very basic principles for which modern international law has been established since World War Two: to guarantee human rights and peace.’ As a result of mechanical demarcations, in December 2020, residents of specific settlements in Armenia’s southern Syunik province were told to leave their homes to the Azerbaijani military forces within two hours. Residents of other settlements found themselves being in dangerously close proximity to the Azerbaijani military forces. As an expression of protests against PM Pashinyan’s inability to solve the issue, Syunik’s residents blocked the road to the province, prohibiting Prime Minister to enter Syunik and demanded Pashinyan to resign. Other News from Armenia The remains of one Nagorno Karabakh serviceman and three civilians were recovered on Thursday, January 21, according to Karabakh's State Service for Emergency Situations, PanArmenian.am reports. Since November 13, the Nagorno-Karabakh rescue teams have found the bodies and remains of 1251 soldiers and civilians. Family members and parents of missing soldiers are also participating in the process. The Foreign Ministry of Artsakh released a statement welcoming the European Parliament’s resolution condemning Turkey’s destabilizing role in the recent Karabakh war and the transfer of foreign terrorist fighters by Turkey from Syria and elsewhere to Nagorno-Karabakh. The Parliament called on an investigation for war crimes and insisted on proceeding without delay with the exchange of PoWs. The Ministry emphasized the need to properly investigate all alleged war crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice. ‘It is noteworthy that the European Parliament also called for an international inquiry into the alleged presence of foreign militants, terrorists, cluster munitions, and phosphorous bombs,’ the Ministry said agreeing with the Parliament that a lasting settlement of the conflict has not been reached yet. Lynne M. Tracy, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, together with Military Attaché of the US Embassy in Armenia, had a meeting with the chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces. As Armenpress.am was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of Armenia, during the meeting the sides discussed issues referring to the bilateral defense cooperation between Armenia and the USA and outlined the future programs for cooperation.The Ambassador also made an address on Friday saying that, above all, the U.S. recognizes ‘the urgent work to be done in moving forward following the devastating conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh’. According to the Ambassador, the United States continues to call for ‘the swift and safe return of the remaining detainees’ and condemns the atrocities connected with the conflict. ‘Those responsible must be held to account. And, while the fighting has stopped, the need for an enduring political solution on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is essential for securing regional peace and stability,’ the Ambassador said. S. President Joe Biden’s Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken, voiced support to strengthen Armenia’s security and resilience in four detailed responses to Questions for the Record submitted by Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez. ‘In light of the recent outbreak of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, our administration will review our security assistance to Azerbaijan,’ Blinken said. In response to a question by Chairman Menendez regarding U.S. reengagement in the OSCE Minsk Group process in a way that advances ‘a sustainable peace that reflects the interests of Armenians, not just Aliyev, Erdogan, and Putin,’ Blinken stated that he will ‘reinvigorate U.S. engagement to find a permanent settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that protects the security of Nagorno-Karabakh and helps to ensure another war does not break out.’ He specified that this help includes stepping up their engagement via the Minsk Group, ‘and additional diplomatic work to prevent any further interference by third parties.’ You can stay updated with the latest news from Armenia through our Telegram channel in English and Twitter page.

22:42 - 22 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [21.01.2021]

Daily news summary for January 20 is available here. Opposition rejects ruling party’s proposal of memorandum over snap elections Edmon Marukyan, Head of opposition Bright Armenia party, which holds about 14% of the seats in the Armenian parliament, said during a parliamentary briefing, that the party held a meeting with PM Nikol Pashinyan recently. In Marukyan’s words, the PM proposed to sign a memorandum by which ‘Bright Armenia’ would take a commitment that after the PM’s resignation the party would not nominate a candidate. According to Marukyan, the issue of forming a transitional government is on the party’s agenda. ‘I am our transitional government candidate, and I must be nominated,’ the opposition party leader added. Marukyan also argued that the ruling ‘My Step’, which has an absolute majority in the parliament to re-elect Pashinyan, seems to be uncertain about the reliability of their team to vote for their own candidate. According to another opposition party, ‘Prosperous Armenia, MP Mikayel Melkumyan, Pashinyan should resign without preconditions. He argued that the parliament should elect a new PM and work for one year to stabilize the situation in the country and prepare for new elections. ‘Prosperous Armenia’ is a member of ‘Homeland Salvation Movement’, a coalition of more than a dozen parties demanding Pashinyan’s resignation. The Movement nominated Vazgen Manukyan as their candidate for an interim Prime Minister position. The leader of ‘Democratic Alternative’ party Suren Surenyants announced on Thursday, that the party leaves the ‘Homeland Salvation Movement’ since its main mission is not to remove PM Pashinyan from power but to make him ‘bow before Russian leadership with greater enthusiasm.’ In response to the opposition’s proposal, Suren Grigoryan, MP from ruling ‘My Step’ argued that the intention of the opposition’s proposal is not about snap elections but the resignation of the Prime Minister. According to the MP, while the opposition represents a minor part of the Armenian people, it is important for the ruling party so that all forces agree on snap elections, as the only mechanism to resolve the current situation, by reaching a consensus. During a Q&A session in parliament on Wednesday, PM Pashinyan said that the power belongs to the people and the decisions about power should be made by the people adding that he will not take any step that may deprive the people of the leverage of electing their authorities. European Parliament strongly condemned Turkey’s destabilizing impact in Nagorno Karabakh Annual reports of Implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) for 2020, adopted by the European Parliament on Thursday, strongly condemn ‘destabilising role of Turkey which further undermines the fragile stability in the whole of the South Caucasus region,’ Armenpress news agency reports. European Parliament’s resolution on CFSP calls on Turkey ‘to refrain from any interference in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including offering military support to Azerbaijan’ and condemns ‘the transfer of foreign terrorist fighters by Turkey from Syria and elsewhere to Nagorno-Karabakh, as confirmed by international actors, including the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries.’ The report states that Minsk Group Co-Chairs should lead the process of ‘achieving peace and determining the region’s future legal status’. The report also recognizes the EU’s need to define a better strategy for relations with Turkey in light of Turkey’s foreign policy ‘having a destabilising impact that threatens regional peace and stability in a range of countries and the South Caucasus region. The European Parliament, in CSDF report, calls on the European Union and international bodies ‘to ensure that there is no impunity for war crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh and for the use of prohibited weapons in the NK conflict’ and insists proceeding ‘without delay with the exchange of prisoners and casualties, and on the need to preserve the cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh.’ Other news from Armenia Armenian health authorities will buy AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for 3% of the population by March 2021. The first phase of vaccination will prioritize people aged over 65, health workers, and those who have underlying health conditions, Armenpress news agency The ministry informed that the vaccine is being bought through an agreement with COVAX FACILITY based on the offer, price affordability, and faster supply factors. Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian has held a phone conversation with Foreign Minister of France Jean-Yves Le Drian. The counterparts discussed the issue of the return of Armenian PoWs captured by Azerbaijani forces, as well as the settlement process under OSCE Minks Group Co-chairmanship’s auspices. In another telephone conversation between Ara Ayvazyan and Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Stef Blok, the counterpart discussed the postwar issues and the urgency of resolving the humanitarian challenges, including the safe return of PoWs. The U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy met with a group of think tank experts to discuss the commitment of the United States, as a Minsk Group Co-Chair country, to pursuing a comprehensive and sustainable settlement of core issues related to the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Ambassador Tracy also underscored the importance of the safe return of remaining detainees. Photo: RFE/RL's Armenian service You can stay updated with the latest news from Armenia through our Telegram channel in English and Twitter page.

22:31 - 21 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [20.01.2021]

The daily summary for January 19 is available here. There is a very clear formula: power belongs to the people - Pashinyan ‘There is a very clear formula: power belongs to the people and the decisions about power should be made by the people,’ Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said during a Q&A session in the Parliament in a response to opposition ‘Prosperous Armenia’ MP’s question whether Pashinyan was going step down. In Pashinyan’s words, he will not take any step that may deprive the people of the leverage of selecting their authorities and transform this right into a closed-door discussion. In response to a comment that the government has exhausted itself, Pashinyan suggested deciding on the timeframe of snap elections arguing that a PM cannot be elected twice without a snap election. Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan, in turn, suggested the opposition ‘Prosperous Armenia’ group to sign a memorandum on holding snap elections. The extra-parliamentary coalition of a dozen parties demanding Pashinyan’s resignation, propose to create an interim government. They nominated Vazgen Manukyan as an interim Prime Minister. Prime Minister and Foreign Minister discussed postwar issues in the Parliament ‘Publication of the famous postal stamp is unacceptable,’ said Pashinyan during a Q&A session in the Parliament speaking about a stamp issued by the Azerbaijani government depicting a person with medical gear disinfecting Armenians from Nagorno Karabakh. According to Pashinyan, the stamp is a manifestation of fascism by Azerbaijan, since a similar stamp was issued in Nazi Germany. Pashinyan noted that his government’s task is to manage the situation of post-war aftershock. Speaking about the post-war situation, Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan criticized Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev’s controversial statements about the conflict being over while making new provocative statements. ‘This proves that the conflict has entered a new phase and it is necessary to shape a common agenda of the Armenian parties,’ the Minister said highlighting the importance of his recent official visit to Nagorno Karabakh. He said that the Armenian side is ready to restart negotiations within the format of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship on the basic principles that were agreed upon before. The Minister also responded to ‘My Step’ MP Narek Mkrtchyan’s comment that while Armenia is a member of the International Religious Freedom Alliance, the organisation did not make any statements about attacks and destruction of Armenian religious heritage in Nagorno Karabakh. In Ayvazyan’s words, Armenia will make pragmatic decisions based on Armenian national interest. ‘We are seriously analysing the attitude of different institutions, countries, and regions to make necessary corrections,’ FM Ayvazyan said. According to the Foreign Minister, the safe return of the Armenian population to their homes, provision of humanitarian assistance to the people in Artsakh, and protection of Armenian religious and cultural heritage are the priority issues for Armenia. Minister Ayvazyan also touched upon Aliyev’s statement that Shushi will become a Turkic cultural center. ‘Shushi is an Armenian cultural center,’ Ayvazyan argued expressing confidence that Armenia will receive the international community’s support on this issue. Deputy Minister denied the reliability of regional railway map by ‘Kommersant’ Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said during a Q&A session in the Parliament that there is no agenda in relation to the unblocking of regional transport connections as set by the recent Nagorno Karabakh truce statement. Earlier, Russian ‘Kommersant’ published a map depicting a railway corridor passing through the Armenian southern territory and connecting Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhijevan. Grigoryan assured that there were no discussions about a railway map neither in written nor in verbal forms. He also mentioned that while the 9th provision about unblocking regional transport communication is being presented as beneficial to both sides, it does not correspond to the reality. According to the Deputy Minister, it will also be wrong to say that the implementation of the 9th provision of the trilateral statement will not contribute to the implementation of the 8th provision over the return of PoWs. Other news from Armenia Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan writes that Armenia is being pressured by Azerbaijan, under the threat of war, to engage in the process of illegal border demarcations and delimitations using mechanical approaches, GPS, and Google Map grossly violating the socio-economic rights of the residents of Syunik and Gegharkunik provinces of Armenia. Tatoyan reports that the process of determining the state borders of Armenia takes place under the obvious threats of war and ethnic cleansing by the President of Azerbaijan against the entire population of Armenia. ‘The President of Azerbaijan, and other public figures following his example, openly insult the dignity of the Armenian people, incite hostility on the basis of ethnicity, and do it to humiliate the personal dignity of every person living in Armenia (comparing Armenians to dogs, calling Armenians evil, issuing calls to kill Armenian children, women and the elderly),’ Tatoyan added. ’Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif plans to visit Yerevan, Moscow, Baku, and Tbilisi next week, Armenpress news agency reports. ‘'I plan to pay a visit to Caucasus and Russia’, Zarif said, adding that he holds negotiations also with Turkey. ‘'Yesterday evening I had a productive phone conversation with Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu. I plan to visit the countries that are able to work together to help overcome the Karabakh crisis and establish peace and stability in the region’, he said. Edmon Marukyan, Head of the opposition ‘Bright Armenia’ Party, met with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kopirkin on Wednesday. The sides discussed the efforts made by Russia to return Armenian PoWs, as well as the possibilities of settling the issue within the format of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. Other issues related to the Armenian-Russian agenda were also discussed. Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Armenia Vahram Dumanyan met on Wednesday with the EU Delegation to Armenia, led by Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, Armenpress news agency The Minister emphasized that as a result of the recent Nagorno Karabakh war, a significant part of the cultural heritage of Artsakh which has remained out of the Armenian control is under direct threat. Ambassador Wiktorin shared the concerns over the historical heritage of Artsakh, highly assessing the fact-finding activities of the UNESCO in that direction. You can stay updated with the latest news from Armenia through our Telegram channel in English and Twitter page.

22:41 - 20 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [19.01.2021]

Daily news summary for January 18 is available here. PM’s office and public administration system need to restart - Pashinyan ‘All of us and the public administration system, in general, as the entity responsible for the situation in the country, have gone through difficult times,’ Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said when introducing newly appointed Chief of the Office Arsen Torosyan to its members, PM’s office reports. Speaking about the challenges caused by the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war, Pashinyan noted that the public administration system, just like the whole society, has undergone a shock. ‘The public administration system needs to restart, and that restart should definitely start with the Prime Minister's Office,’ Pashinyan said. According to him, a new benchmark in the system of public administration must be set, which implies better services for the population. In response, outgoing Chief of Staff Eduard Aghajanyan thanked the PM for his trust. ‘It is obvious that we went through difficult days together, but we can state that we have definitely overcome those difficult days with honor,’ former Chief of Staff said. Prosecutors are under government’s influence - Armenian ex-president’s defence Armenia’s ex-President Robert Kocharyan, who was in power from 1998 to 2008, appeared in a Yerevan Court on Monday to attend another hearing over an alleged criminal case on ‘overthrowing the constitutional order’. Kocharyan’s defence filed a motion for recusal of the Prosecutors arguing that they are under the influence of the government, since PM Pashinyan can invite the Prosecutors any time and discuss the process of criminal cases which is against the legal norms, Sputnik Armenia reports. As Panorama.am reports, dozens of citizens gathered outside the court building for a protest with posters, reading ‘Authorities who sold Shushi versus Heroes who liberated Shushi’. In 2008 when Kocharyan’s ally Serzh Sargsyan was elected the next president, massive public protests started disputing the results of the elections. Eight protesters and two police officers were killed as a result of clashes and violent actions by the police. According to Armenia’s Special Investigation Service, Kocharyan and his team used military units against protesters. Nikol Pashinyan, who was one of the organisers of the protesters and Armenia’s 1st president Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s ally in 2008, was arrested and spent two years in prison. Kocharyan, who left politics in 2008 and immersed into business in Moscow, where he has an extensive network, was detained in 2018 in Yerevan. Kocharyan denied the accusations calling them an act of political revenge. He was released in 2020 on more than a $4M bail which, according to his lawyers, is ‘unprecedented’ in Armenia. Seyran Ohanyan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces in 2008, general Yuri Khachaturov, a former CSTO secretary-general who served as Deputy Minister of Defense in 2008, and former Secretary of the Security Council Armen Gevorgyan were also charged over the same criminal case. Other news from Armenia Foreign Defence Ministry Seyran Ohanyan said that the January 11 meeting between Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Russian leaders did not resolve the challenges the Armenian side has been faced, including the issue of PoWs, am reports. Ohanyan, who participated in both the first and second wars in Nagorno Karabakh, added that the leadership in Armenia easily falls under the influence of Azerbaijan, and therefore they need to be replaced with someone with a firm hand. Ohanyan also expressed his doubts over the benefits of unblocking regional transport connections saying that this will be followed by aggressive economic pressure by Azerbaijan and Turkey and attempts by them to drastically change the demographic situation in Armenia. Opposition Bright Armenia party leader Edmon Marukyan said today that amid a severe political crisis, the Armenian government impedes the consultations, seizes the position of the head of NA Standing committee from the opposition, and declares that the most prominent challenge for the country is the parliamentary elections. According to him, the conditions created by the ruling majority makes it impossible for the opposition to contribute to the overcoming of the challenges. Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan received today Ambassador of Germany to Armenia Michael Johannes Banzhaf, am reports. Tatoyan raised issues relating to the rights of Armenian servicemen and civilians who are in the Azerbaijani captivity and their immediate return. He told the Ambassador that the Azerbaijani authorities are artificially delaying the process of returning the Armenian POWs and exchanging the bodies of the dead. Photo: RFE/RL's Armenian service You can stay updated with the latest news from Armenia through our Telegram channel in English and Twitter page.

23:16 - 19 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [18.01.2021]

Armenia-Karabakh connection has never been denied - Lavrov ‘It is not the best time to raise the issue of Nagorno Karabakh status as a priority subject. It should be left to the future,’ Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference. In his words, the issue of status is within the responsibilities of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship that have resumed the contacts with Armenia and Azerbaijan. Lavrov highlighted the importance of restoring the peaceful co-existence of the ethnic and religious communities which will allegedly facilitate a solution on the Nagorno Karabakh’s status. Lavrov called the possibility of including Nagorno Karabakh in the Russian Federation ‘exotic’, adding that Nagorno Karabakh has not been recognized by any country, including Armenia. He added that those issues should be resolved between Armenia and Azerbaijan to maintain security in the region.Connection between Armenia and Karabakh should be ensured through the land In response to the question about Armenia’s Foreign Minister’s official visit to Karabakh, Lavrov said that the connection between Karabakh and Armenia has never been debated. After Armenia’s Foreign Minister’s meetings with the officials of Nagorno Karabakh earlier in January, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev warned Armenia to stop the visits and threatened by war. In Lavrov’s words, the connection between Armenia and Karabakh should be ensured through the land, including the Lachin corridor controlled by Russian peacekeepers, showcasing the absence of any attempts to cut Karabakh from Armenia. ‘I see no reason to obstruct the contacts at that level,’ Lavrov said adding that Armenian officials are involved in solving humanitarian issues in Karabakh which does not cause any negative feelings in Baku. Meanwhile, according to Lavrov, the Armenian officials, need to refrain from making political statements that will create tensions as it was before the war.Pashinyan and Aliyev discussed the issue of PoWs in detail Speaking about the return of PoWs, Lavrov said that the issue was comprehensively discussed by the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders during the January 11 meeting in Moscow. In Minister's words, the list of missing persons was submitted first by Azerbaijan, while Armenia presented an incomplete list later on. Lavrov argued that the Armenian PoWs, who were captured during the war, have been returned, as agreed with the truce statement. However, as he explained, after the truce, 62 more Armenian servicemen were reported captured. In Minister’s words, the issue of those servicemen should be considered separately, since they were captured after the November 9 truce statement. Lavrov added, that he discussed this issue with the Armenian Foreign Minister and was updated that the number of the PoWs is more than 62. ‘Our military is dealing with the issue, in cooperation with Armenian and Azerbaijani colleagues, to verify the missing serviceman.’ Armenian Human Rights Defender addressed OSCE MG over Armenian PoWs Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan has sent an official letter to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office over the issue of the return of Armenian PoWs captured by Azerbaijan and the protection of their rights. In his letter, the Ombudsman notes that the return of PoWs should be viewed exclusively within human rights or humanitarian processes implying the immediate return of PoWs after the end of military operations. Not following this requirement means the Azerbaijani side violated international humanitarian law, including the third Geneva Convention of 1949. Tatoyan reminded that Provision 8 of the November 9 truce statement between Armenian, Azerbaijan, and Russia provides for the return of PoWs and should not be conditioned on the other points of the statement. According to Tatoyan, investigations confirmed the fact that Azerbaijan artificially delays the return of the PoWs and other detained persons and misreports the real numbers of the captives which goes against the international humanitarian law and violates the rights of the family members of the captives. The Ombudsman added that Azerbaijan is abusing legal proceedings and started prosecution against the PoWs using detention as a punishment. Armenian Parliament voted against opposition Bright Armenia’s bill The parliament voted against the inclusion of opposition Bright Armenia’s action plan for overcoming the situation in Armenia, RFE/RL's Armenian service reports. Following the party leader Edmon Marukyan’s 20-minute discussion with ruling My Step, the head of the ruling party group Lilit Makunts announced that My Step will vote against the bill, arguing that My Step has already published a roadmap where the political forces can have their contribution if they are willing to do so. According to Makunts, the opposition’s mistrust over the legitimacy of the ruling party can be solved by having discussions about snap elections, otherwise, as she noted, those steps will bring to further escalation of the tension. In response, Marukyan accused the ruling My Step of derailing the Constitutional processes. Naira Zohrabyan, MP from the opposition Prosperous Armenia, in turn, said that one gets the impression that the ‘My step’ block lives in a parallel reality ‘that does not intersect with ours,’ Arminfo.am reports. The MP stressed that the Pashinyan’s My Step alliance is trying to convince the people that Armenia will benefit from the trade with Azerbaijan. ‘But as long as our prisoners are there, there can be no talk of any trade,’ opposition MP said adding that the sooner the ruling My Step realizes that Pashinyan must resign, the better. Arpy Davoyan, MO from ruling my Step faction countered saying that the representatives of the opposition are the people who are exploiting the post-war situation, the issue of the captured Armenians, security of Syunik, and manipulating the situation all the time. ‘We have serious issues, and the name of these issues is opposition,’ said the MP. Other news from Armenia Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan had a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Armenia’s MFA Press Office reports. The Ministers discussed the issues of establishing regional stability and security. Minister Ayvazyan reiterated the priority of resolving humanitarian issues, first of all, the issue of the immediate and safe return of PoWs, hostages, and other detained persons. Armenian Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan has been relieved from his post and appointed as the Head of the Prime Minister’s staff, replacing Eduard Aghajanyan. Anahit Avanesyan replaced Torosyan in his position of Ministry of Health. Photo: RFE/RL's Armenian service

22:55 - 18 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [16-17.01.2021]

Bright Armenia’s leader to run for PM once Pashinyan resigns ‘The party is ready for the elections, waiting for PM Nikol Pashinyan to step down,’ Edmon Marukyan, leader of the parliamentary group Bright Armenia told 168.am in response to Pashinyan’s My Step MP and deputy speaker of the Parliament Lena Nazaryan’s statement. According to Nazaryan, her impression is that Bright Armenia and Prosperous Armenia parties avoid snap elections because they feel certain about their failure in securing enough votes to enter the parliament. Marukyan argues that had PM Pashinyan wanted snap elections, he would already have resigned and organized the elections. Earlier another MP from Bright Armenia, Gevorg Gorgisyan said that there are MPs from Pashinyan’s My Step, who will vote for Marukyan’s candidacy for PM. While Nazaryan ruled out such possibility, Marukyan reiterated his conviction that neither Pashinyan nor his My Step has the confidence that Marukyan will not be elected, otherwise, according to Marukyan, Pashinyan would resign and dissolve the parliament to hold snap elections. Opposition alliance and PM candidate met residents of Armenia’s third city ‘We entered a destructive peace,’ told Vazgen Manukyan, joint PM candidate by ‘Homeland Salvation Movement’, a coalition of more than a dozen parties demanding PM Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. In the framework of the Movement’s countrywide visits, Manukyan had a meeting with the residents of Vanadzor, Armenia’s third city. Manukyan argued that it was possible to prevent the human losses during the recent Nagorno Karabakh war and retain the Armenian positions if not the ‘stupid [military] orders’ and if the army would have been better disciplined, tert.am reports. Speaking about the Moscow-brokered truce statement, Manukyan found it evident that the Armenian side did not undergo any political negotiations to make the outcome more favorable for the Armenian side. He reminded that in addition to the loss of so many human lives and economic and military losses, hundreds of Armenian PoWs are in Azerbaijan now. According to the opposition leader, the Armenian side’s defeat is continuing. Homeland Salvation Movement had started its countrywide visit from Gyumri on Friday, where a group of residents blocked the road to prevent Vazgen Manukyan to enter the city. Later, during his meeting with the Movement’s members in Gyumri, Manukyan said that Pashinyan’s My Step alliance paid those who had blocked the road. In response to this statement, Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan called Manukyan’s words ‘offensive towards the residents’ and urged political figures to refrain from expressions that could be considered offensive to people’s dignity. Armenia to file a complaint to ECHtR against Azerbaijan Armenia’s Representative to ECHtR Yeghishe Kirakosyan told that Armenia will file a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights against Azerbaijan, Armenpress News Agency reports. ‘For a long time, we have been conducting preparatory works – evidence collection, evaluation, complaint preparations,’ Kirakosyan said adding that a complaint has been prepared and will shortly be filed to the Court. ‘The complaint will include a wide range of issues, from the protection of the rights of victims, the wounded, and the displaced to the claims on lost or damaged property, which, in our view, are quite many,’ Kirakosyan explained. In Yeghishe Kirakosyan’s words, the complaint will address all violations of international law, including the international humanitarian law, that Azerbaijan committed during the recent Nagorno Karabakh war, using methods and means prohibited by law during a war. Other news from Armenia Former Armenia’s Ambassador to the Vatican Mikayel Minasyan, who is also Armenia’s third President Serzh Sargsyan’s son-in-low and is considered as an influential figure in Armenia, said on Saturday that Ararat Mirzoyan, the President of Armenia’s parliament, is a special agent of the Turkish agents. According to the ex-Ambassador, who has been declared wanted after a Yerevan court issued an arrest warrant over a range of criminal charges, Mirzoyan appeared in the spotlight of Turkish special services in 2005 when he was conducting research in the US about the Armenian Genocide recognition process. In Minasyan’s words, Mirzoyan had to become a double-agent later when his activities were disclosed by the Armenian special services.Ararat Mirzoyan responded to the ex-Ambassadors statements, calling them ‘the next nonsense’ subject to criminal-legal assessment. ‘Minasyan must also take responsibility for this false accusation,’ Mirzoyan added. MPs Gor Gevorkyan and Sophya Hovsepyan have initiated a closed working discussion in the Armenian National Assembly over the issues of the return of the Armenians captured by Azerbaijani forces. The discussion was attended by Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan, representatives of the Armenian Foreign Ministry and National Security Service, human rights advocates Artak Zeynalyan and Siranush Sahakyan, and MPs from Bright Armenia parliamentary group. The participants discussed obstacles created by Azerbaijan, hindering the return of the captives, and made proposals on the next steps. Armenia’s Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan met with US Ambassador Lynne Tracy on Friday. The sides discussed U.S. government support for those affected by the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and ‘efforts towards the safe return of detainees,’ US Embassy in Armenia informs. ‘The United States remains committed to strengthening our bilateral ties based on shared values and interests,’ the Embassy’s statement reads.

21:09 - 17 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [15.01.2021]

Pashinyan discusses Armenia’s economic ambitions after Nagorno Karabakh war '2020, was very challenging also from an economic point of view, both due to the war and the coronavirus pandemic, ' Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said during a consultation on Friday. Armenian PM reminded of the economic challenges Armenia is undergoing and highlighted the need to focus on addressing humanitarian problems. Pashinyan argued, that the Nagorno Karabakh trilateral truce settlement and its implementation may open new opportunities for the economy of Armenia. ‘We are determined to seize these opportunities to the fullest extent not only to restore our economic ambitions but also to aim higher,’ Pashinyan said. Following the recent meeting between Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Russian leaders, the sides reaffirmed their intention to unblock regional transport communications linking Armenia to Iran and Russia and correspondingly, Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhijevan through Armenia's territory. Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey closed borders with Armenia during the first Nagorno Karabakh war. Opposition starts countrywide visits, people blocked the road to Gyumri The ’Homeland Salvation Movement’, a coalition of 17 parties demanding Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation, started its visit around the country from Gyumri, Armenia’s second city, RFE/RL Armenian service reports. On the way to Gyumri, residents blocked the road to prevent the opposition leader Vazgen Manukyan to enter the city. Manukyan, who reached Gyumri later, claimed that Pashinyan’s My Step Alliance had paid to those who blocked the road. Members of the other 17 political forces had been waiting for Manukyan in Gyumri, where he later presented his views around the defeat in the recent Nagorno Karabakh war and the Moscow-brokered trilateral truce statement. According to the opposition leader, at least two provisions of the trilateral statement need revisiting. Manukyan argued that Armenia should demand to remain in the positions where Armenian forces were located on the day of the truce statement – that is Kubatlu and Zangelan instead of Armenia’s southern Syunik, where the border starts currently. Speaking about the issue of PoWs, Manukayan said that Pashinyan does not have enough courage to slam the door and leave the negotiations table if the issue of PoWs is not solved as a condition to Nagorno Karabakh’s status and the road which will connect Azerbaijan exclave Nakhijevan to its eastern territory and Turkey. Manukyan also referred to the provision about unblocking of regional transport connections, saying that no serious outcomes should be expected from it, since ‘a weak country will have lower income.’ He argued that in order to reverse such development, the country needs to be strong. The Homeland Salvation Movement, which has held protests since the Nagorno Karabakh truce statement, was unable to mobilize a critical number of supporters that would join the protests constantly. In Manukyan’s words, the Movement needs to explain its position to the people and turn the Movement into a truly nationwide one. Azerbaijan issued postal stamp depicting disinfection of Armenians from Artsakh – Human Rights Defender Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan commented about the ‘Azerbaijan 2020’ postal stamp issued by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Transportation, Communication, and High Technologies, depicting a man in medical gear chemically disinfecting Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), openly presenting them as ‘dirt’. Tatoyan said that the postal stamp proves again that Azerbaijani authorities condone hatred and pursue a genocidal policy against Armenians on the basis of ethnicity only because the people living in Artsakh are Armenians. According to the Human Rights Defender, propagation of Armenophobia and organized hostilities has been Azerbaijan’s state policy pursued consistently for many years. Tatoyan argued that the official policy of hatred brought to such consequences as the atrocities and tortures committed by the Azerbaijani servicemen against ethnic Armenians. The Human Rights Defender also informed that a new special report about the Armenian captives has been sent to relevant international institutions presenting evidence of tortures, atrocities, and humiliation of the Armenian hostages by the Azerbaijani forces, RFE/RL’s Armenian service reports. Tatoyan reminded Azerbaijan’s recent announcement about 64 prisoners of war, captured after the Moscow-brokered truce statement, to be prosecuted. Tatoyan said that according to international law, PoWs must be released immediately after the cessation of hostilities. He informed that initiating criminal proceedings against PoWs, detaining or arresting them as well as artificially delaying their release is a war crime. Aliyev’s statement is a misappropriation of Armenian heritage - Armenian FM Spokesperson ‘The statements of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made on January 13 during the meeting with Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik, Director-General of ISESCO, once again demonstrate that the Armenian cultural heritage in the territories under the Azerbaijani control is seriously endangered, and the state of Azerbaijan cannot be the guarantor of the proper protection of cultural and religious heritage,’ Anna Naghdalyan, Armenian FM spokesperson said on Friday. During the meeting, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev claimed that Armenians converted ancient Caucasian Albanian churches into Armenian churches and vowed a criminal investigation. ‘The fake thesis of presenting the Christian heritage of Armenians or other peoples of the region as Caucasian Albanian has no serious circulation outside of Azerbaijan and is not perceived by the international academic community,’ Armenian FM spokesperson said in response to Aliyev’s claims adding that thousands of Armenian religious and secular monuments were created centuries before Azerbaijan was established having no relation to the Azerbaijani identity. The Spokesperson added that the distortion of the identity of the Armenian heritage is an attempt of misappropriation of the cultural values of the Armenian people and a gross violation of the relevant international legal instruments. She also reminded of the numerous facts of the systematic destruction of the Armenian cultural and religious heritage in Azerbaijan in the past. Naghdalyan reminded that Azerbaijan continues to hinder the access of the international specialized organizations, primarily UNESCO, thus undermining the efforts of the international community aimed at preserving Artsakh’s cultural heritage. ‘The misappropriation and distortion of the cultural values of the Armenian people, the violation of the rights of the Armenian people do not contribute to regional peace,’ the Spokesperson said. Other new from Armenia Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian held a phone conversation with Foreign Minister of Finland Pekka Haavisto on Friday, the Ministry’s Press Office informs. The counterparts highlighted the importance of addressing the issues of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Minister Aivazian briefed his counterpart on the situation following the war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, the steps being undertaken to maintain the ceasefire and stabilize the situation in the region emphasizing the safe and immediate return of prisoners of war, captured civilians, and others detained as a priority for Armenia. ‘Russia will welcome the establishment of a direct dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the holding of joint humanitarian measures by the two countries,’ Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday, ArtsakhPress reports.In our opinion, such initiatives contribute to the formation of a climate of reconciliation, trust, and mutual understanding; it is beneficial for the peoples of the two countries and, in principle, for the entire South Caucasus region; this also means for Russia. The Russian side will assist such humanitarian actions if Baku and Yerevan show a sincere willingness to move in that direction,’ Zakharova added. Armenian former Ministry of Defense Seyran Ohanyan questioned the capacity of the current General Prosecutor Arthur Davtyan to solve the issue of Armenian PoWs captured by Azerbaijani forces, Hetq.am reports. He said that as a representative of current Armenian authorities, the Prosecutor General has not made any effort to unleash the 44-day war in 2020 and expressed doubts that the authorities can contribute to the solution of any issue related to Armenia and its reputation internationally.In response, Prosecutor General Arthur Davtyan called Ohanyan’s claims ‘emotional’ saying that the Prosecutor’s office, also with the support of its Russian counterparts, has always made productive efforts to counteract the consequences of Azerbaijan’s illegal actions, and publicly disclosed those efforts.

21:35 - 15 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [14.01.2021]

Moscow never ignored status of Nagorno Karabakh - OSCE MG’s Popov ‘Moscow has never said the Nagorno Karabakh settlement must be confined to the return of seven districts of the region without taking into account the issue of the status,’ Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Popov responded, through the Russian Foreign Ministry, to Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s article on "The Origins of the 44-Day War", TASS news agency reports. In his article, Armenian PM claims that Russian proposals of Nagorno Karabakh settlement emerged in 2013 and were finalized in 2015, envisaging the return of 7 regions surrounding Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan, the return of refugees, and deployment of Russian peacekeepers. Pashinyan adds that the proposals did not touch upon and avoid the status of Nagorno Karabakh. According to Popov, based on the latest version of Russian proposals of June 2019, mainly similar to the Kazan document, the handover of the 7 regions was firmly linked with the determination of Nagorno-Karabakh’s status and ‘the rights that would guarantee full-scale activity of its population, the participation of Nagorno-Karabakh’s representatives in OSCE sessions, the lifting of the blockade, the opening of borders and the bilateral pledge not to use force.’ ‘Claims to the effect Russia called for returning seven districts ‘in exchange for nothing’ and forgetting about its status have nothing to do with the reality, the diplomat said. Popov stressed that neither the Armenian side nor the Azerbaijani one rejected this proposal and negotiations had continued on a regular basis up to 2018 when Yerevan came out with new approaches, Armenpress news agency reports. Armenian Foreign Minister responds to OSCE MG’s Popov Statement In response to Popov’s statement, Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan said that Armenia had given consent to the Kazan Document because it contained a full package of the fundamental principles of conflict resolution. ‘Even when Azerbaijan had rejected this document, the negotiations continued on the basis of these basic principles, moreover, even during the war the Azerbaijani side agreed to continue the negotiations around the basic principles,’ Ayvazyan added. The Minister agreed with Popov that the status of Artsakh has been and still is the most important principle of conflict resolution. During the meeting with the parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, Ara Ayvazyan said that the current situation in the region is a result of the use of force. ‘The use of force can form a new stage of the conflict but cannot resolve the conflict. Only a negotiated political settlement, which will respect all rights, and will pave a way to eliminate the causes and consequences of the war, can bring long-lasting peace in the region of the South Caucasus,’ Ayvazyan said. According to political scientist Hakob Badalyan, Popov’s statement followed the January 13 meeting between Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders, said RFE/RL Armenian Service reports. In his words, it is obvious that Azerbaijan and Turkey aim to reduce Russia’s influence in Nagorno Karabakh, hence the issue of status is a playing card for Russia. Political scientist Alexander Markarov told Panorama.am that there are clear differences in the perceptions of reality around the negotiations. ‘Former co-chair presents a position according to which in 2018-2019 Armenia started to change the approaches applied to the conflict before that,’ said Markarov. In his word, this is the continuation of the narrative that it was difficult for Putin to understand why the Armenian side rejected the options during the war, which were possibly more favorable than the terms of the November 10 statement. Armenian FM called on Baku to stop militaristic and anti-Armenian rhetoric In response to Baku’s statement that official visits to Nagorno Karabakh should be agreed with Azerbaijan, Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan reaffirmed that ‘November 9 statement has not put any restriction and cannot put a restriction on the visit of Armenian officials and foreign partners, any person to Artsakh,’ Armenpress news agency reports. Ara Ayvazyan paid an official visit to Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) on January 5, where he met with Artsakh leadership, including President Arayik Harutyunyan. The sides were reported to discuss regional security and economic issues. The Minister invited the Azerbaijani side ‘to deal with the reality, abandon militaristic and anti-Armenian rhetoric, and if they are really ready to establish normal relations with Armenia and Artsakh, to work together and start negotiations over the final clarification of the status.’ Minister Ayvazyan also commented on Azerbaijani’s violation of the provisions of the November 9 truce statement providing for returning the prisoners of war and remaining in the position the sides were on the truce day. According to the Minister, violation of the truce statement and international law, hostage-taking, and promotion of Armenophobia do not contribute to the building of trust in the region. Other News from Armenia Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Ambassador of Kazakhstan Timur Urazayev who is completing his diplomatic mission in Armenia, Armenpress news agency The sides discussed the bilateral ties and emphasized the close partnership of the two countries also in the multilateral formats – in the EAEU, CSTO, and CIS. Mr. Urazayev said despite the COVID-19 pandemic the trade turnover volumes between Armenia and Kazakhstan have increased by 50% in 2020, which, according to him, is a good precondition for keeping and boosting the growth rates. Armenia's economy minister Vahan Kerobyan said today he expects the economy to contract by 8.5% in 2020, ARKA news agency The Minister said the largest decline of 20% was reported by imports, exports, and consumption. 'Nonetheless, I am optimistic about 2021 expecting a double-digit growth,' Kerobyan said. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan continues his consultations with representatives of the political forces of Armenia, news.am reports. Pashinyan held private meetings with Republic Party chairman Aram Sargsyan, and United Labor Party chairman Gurgen Arsenyan on Thursday. The meetings focused on the return of POWs from Azerbaijan, the possibility of holding early parliamentary elections in 2021, and the prospects for economic development.

22:26 - 14 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [13.01.2021]

Azerbaijan breaches Moscow-brokered truce, Armenian Serviceman wounded A serviceman of the Artsakh Defence Army received a gunshot wound when Azerbaijani forces grossly violated the ceasefire and opened gunfire at the Armenian positions of the Defense Army. 20-year-old Vardan Kirakosyan was transferred to the military hospital. The investigation has been initiated in order to clarify the circumstances of the incident, Artsakh Defence Army reports. The Artsakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a statement strongly condemning ‘the provocative steps of the Azerbaijani side’ and qualified them as 'an action aimed at destabilizing the situation in the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict zone and disrupting the peacekeeping efforts.' The Ministry called on Azerbaijan to strictly follow the commitments taken under the November 9 trilateral statement of the leaders of Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan and ‘refrain from provocative actions that could undermine the current truce.' Earlier today, Russian President Vladimir Putin briefed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the results of the recent trilateral meeting with Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders, Russian President’s Press Office reports. Putin was reported to have emphasized the intention of the sides to normalize relations and hands-on cooperation in establishing a peaceful life and resuming economic and transport ties. The sides also discussed a Russian-Turkish joint center to monitor the ceasefire in the conflict zone. Concerns around Pashinyan-Putin-Aliyev recent statement increase in Armenia Vazgen Manukyan, the candidate of interim Prime Minster nominated by a coalition of more than a dozen political parties, said that Armenia did not gain any positive results from the recent trilateral meeting between Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Russian leaders. In his words, the issue of the Armenian prisoners of war remains unsolved proving that Pashinyan is unable to speak for Armenia’s interests. ‘With the November 9 statement, Azerbaijan gained more it could dream,’ Manukyan said referring to the unblocking of the regional transport connection. He added that Baku has already violated Provision 1 ('…the Parties, shall remain at their current positions') and Provision 8 ('…an exchange of prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons and bodies of the dead is to be carried out') of the Moscow-brokered truce statement. Manukyan said that Pashinyan’s negligence caused ignorance of such crucial issues as settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairmanship format, the Status of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), and the return of PoWs. According to the opposition leader, Pashinyan failed to raise the issue of demarcations and delimitations in the Armenian southeastern Syunik region, where Azerbaijan violates Provision 1 of the truce statement thus creating dangerous conditions for the local residents. Pashinyan discusses Armenian southeastern border security ‘I find Syunik to be our statehood’s backbone, and we must take all measures to ensure the security of the Republic of Armenia in Syunik,’ Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a meeting on Syunik’s security, Armenpress news agency reports. Pashinyan noted that Syunik has gained a new status of border region and measures should be taken to ensure the security of Syunik which he called Armenian ‘statehood’s backbone.’ The improvement of roads, communication infrastructures, solution of socio-economic problems and other directions of activities were also discussed. After the recent Nagorno Karabakh war, the demarcations and delimitations in Armenia’s southeastern Syunik region made the distance between Azerbaijani armed forces positions and Armenian civilian settlements dangerously close. Two Armenian villages and other territories fell under Azerbaijani control as a result of border demarcations based on GPS data ignoring basic social and economic factors for the residents. Earlier the residents of Armenian southern border villages alarmed that they were given two hours by Azerbaijani forces to leave their homes. The residents of the region also reported that Azerbaijani servicemen appear on the roads with weapons. Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said that these actions cause distress among the residents and violate human rights. Armenian Foreign Ministry sends letter to the UN Secretary General and reminds about anti-Armenian massacres in Baku “Amid the unprecedented global health crisis, the violation of the decades-long ceasefire in the region has led to numerous casualties, large-scale ethnic cleansing of the indigenous people of Artsakh, deliberate destruction, desecration and vandalism of the Armenian religious and cultural monuments,’ says Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan in his letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Ayvazyan touched upon the violation of the November 9 trilateral statement by Azerbaijan ending the recent Nagorno Karabakh war. Speaking about the post-truce military attack by Azerbaijan, the Minister noted that 64 Armenian servicemen were captured by Azerbaijani forces as a result of that attack. violating Azerbaijan's commitments to maintain the ceasefire established by the Moscow-brokered statement. Minister Aivazian also drew the attention of the UN Secretary-General to the reluctance of Azerbaijan regarding the cooperation with international organizations in cultural heritage protection. Earlier today, Armenian Foreign Ministry made a statement about the 31st anniversary of the anti-Armenian massacres in Baku and destruction of the Armenian historical-cultural heritage of the city. ‘31 years ago, the international community witnessed another crime against the Armenian population of Azerbaijan: the Armenian population which was an essential part of then Baku’s multicultural identity was subjected to the massacres and mass deportation carried out with particular cruelty. There were hundreds murdered, maimed, missing, tens of thousands of refugees. The anti-Armenian massacres in Baku of January 1990, completed the ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population of Azerbaijan,’ the statement reads. The Ministry reminds that neither the masterminds not the perpetrators of the massacres of Armenians have not been held accountable and continue to be glorified as heroes. According to the statement, Azerbaijan continues its policy of war crimes and ethnic cleansing evidenced by the wiping out of the entire Armenian population from the territories that fell under the Azerbaijani control. Other news from Armenia Armenian President Armen Sargsyan has been taken to the hospital with fever and double pneumonia after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the President’s office reports. The president is currently in London where he traveled in December and underwent foot surgery. Earlier his office informed that the President will return to Armenia as soon as his condition stabilizes. Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Armenpress news agency reports. The Ministers discussed the issues of regional stability and security. Minister Ayvazyan emphasized the full and immediate implementation of the obligation on the repatriation of the prisoners of war, captives, and other detained persons enshrined in the statement of November 9, 2020.

21:47 - 13 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [12.01.2021]

Primary expectations of Armenians were not met – Marukyan over a trilateral meeting in Moscow Following a trilateral meeting between Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Russian leaders In Moscow on Monday, the leader of the opposition party Bright Armenia Edmon Marukyan criticized the ‘joy’ of the pro-government forces over the results of the meeting. The meeting of the leaders was concluded with a joint declaration agreeing on unblocking of all economic and transport links in the region for the first time since Azerbaijan and Turkey closed borders with Armenia during the first Nagorno Karabakh war. Armenian PM Pashinyan said in his speech after the meeting that ‘joint Statement can seriously change the economic potential of our region and substantially enhance its investment appeal.’ He added, however, that the Armenian side was unable to reach a final agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war. According to the opposition leader Marukyan, the primary expectation that Armenians had of this meeting was an agreement on returning Armenian hostages captured by Azerbaijani forces during and after the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war. Marukyan reminded that the issue of the prisoners of war has been suspended for months. Earlier on Friday, Pashinyan has published an article on the ‘priorities of further implementation of the trilateral statement’ saying that the unblocking of all economic and transport infrastructures is Armenia’s second priority and is conditional on the exchange of prisoners of wars. The issue of the Armenian captives was also discussed by the Armenian and Azerbaijani Prosecutor Generals during a meeting in Moscow today initiated by their Russian counterpart. The issue of returning Armenian POWs and other persons detained in Azerbaijan to Armenia and establishing further contacts were on the agenda, as the Armenian Prosecutor General's Office informed. Since the beginning of the recent Nagorno Karabakh war video-streams were circulated by the Azerbaijani Telegram channels depicting Armenian PoWs being inhumanely treated and killed. Human Rights Watch urged Azerbaijani authorities to follow the obligations of humanitarian law. Later, Azerbaijan started prosecution against Armenian PoW calling them ‘terrorists.’ In December, ECHtR applied interim measures for 23 out of more than one hundred PoWs taken hostage by Azerbaijan. Armenian Human Rights Defender alarms about continuing human rights violations by Azerbaijani forces ‘Azerbaijan has always delayed the return of captives with the obvious purpose of causing mental suffering and creating tension in the Armenian society, Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan said at a press conference on Tuesday. Tatoyan condemned the letter issued by Azerbaijan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations claiming that 62 residents of the Shirak region of Armenia were transferred to Artsakh for sabotage. According to Tatoyan, the problem of the prisoners of war is utterly distorted and Azerbaijani claims is a gross violation of international law and the rights of the PoWs, since the 62 people were captured when performing their military duties. The Human Rights Defender reminded about the photo and video evidence depicting Armenian PoWs tortures and killing by the Azerbaijani servicemen. Tatoyan also commented on the demarcation issues which caused distress among the residents of the Armenian southeastern Syunik region who reported that Azerbaijani servicemen appear on the road with weapons and obviously provoke the residents. The war should have been stopped much earlier - former Security Chief of Armenia Mikayel Hambardzumyan, former head of Armenia’s National Security Service during the recent war Nagorno-Karabakh, said in an interview that neither the public nor the parliament was presented with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to stop the war earlier, with a more favorable ceasefire agreement, CivilNet reports. He claims that Pashinyan was reported by the Security Service about the losses of the Armenian side and further perspectives hourly. Hambardzumyan reminded that later Putin announced about the proposal to end the war on October 19. According to him, human and territorial losses of the Armenian side would have been incomparably less had Pashinyan agreed to that proposal. ‘I cannot say why those proposals were not discussed and accepted,’ Hambardzumyan said adding that he was unaware of them and resigned one day before the war ended with November 9 trilateral truce statement brokered by Moscow. ‘The war should have been stopped much earlier,’ Hambardzumyan said. Other news from Armenia Due to the negative consequences of the recent Nagorno Karabakh war, the Armenian side has lost tens of hydropower plants which had covered domestic needs for electricity in Nagorno Karabakh, Hakob Vardanyan, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure informed. According to Vardanyan, Armenia planned to import 330 million kV electricity from Artsakh Republic (Nagorno Karabakh), Armenpress news agency reports. ‘However, this amount will be replaced with domestic electricity resources produced in Armenia which will be more expensive than the electricity transmitted from Nagorno Karabakh,’ Vardanyan said. Leader of opposition Bright Armenia part Edmon Marukyan informed that Milan court has found former PACE member Luca Volonte guilty of blocking—in exchange for receiving 0.5 million euros—the adoption of a report on political prisoners in Azerbaijan. ‘The politician has been sentenced to 4 years in prison," Marukyan added.

22:40 - 12 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [11.01.2021]

Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders discuss unblocking of regional transport communications Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a joint statement as a conclusion of a 4-hour meeting in Moscow on Monday. The leaders met for the first time since the Moscow-brokered truce deal ended the recent Nagorno Karabakh war. The Statement specifies the lifting of the blockade of all economic and transport links in the region, Russian Ria Novosti news agency reports. A tripartite Working Group under the joint chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan will be set up to submit a roadmap of implementation of regional transport infrastructures and economic development prioritising settlement of railway and road communications. The transport and economic links in the region were disrupted at the beginning of the 90s when Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey have closed their borders with Armenia since the Nagorno Karabakh conflict emerged. Following the discussions, Russian President Putin said that the meeting was exceptionally important and productive. He specified the need for security of the transport infrastructures through the territory of Armenia and Azerbaijan. He expressed confidence that both the Armenian and Azerbaijani people, as well as the region and Russia, will benefit from the implementation of the statements. Armenian PM Pashinyan agreed that the statement is very important adding that ‘the implementation of these agreements can simply change the economic situation in our region. Economic innovations can lead to more reliable guarantees of regional security.’ According to Azerbaijani President Aliyev, unblocking of transport links ‘can give great dynamism to the development of the region, as well as strengthen security, because the opening of transport communications is in the interests of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia.’ We couldn’t reach a final agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war- Pashinyan ‘Unfortunately, today we couldn’t reach a final agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war. We have agreed to continue working on that,’ Armenian PM Pashinyan told the press following the trilateral meeting with Armenia, Azerbaijani, and Russian leaders in Moscow. Pashinyan added that Armenia is ready for constructive work in economic direction, however, it is impossible to solve all the issues with one meeting. ‘The most important for us are the humanitarian issues, the exchange of POWs, which is enshrined in the trilateral statement,’ Pashinyan added. Armenian PM stated that one of the many issues that need to be resolved is the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. ‘Armenia is ready to continue negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group,’ he said. According to Russian President Putin, there are prerequisites for a long-term settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which is in the interests of both Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples. He emphasized his satisfaction with ensuring the ceasefire and specified the role of the 2000 Russian peacekeeping troops deployed in Nagorno Karabakh after the November 9 truce statement. Anti-Pashinyan Protests held in Yerevan and Moscow Anti-Pashinyan protesters gathered near Zvartnots International Airport of Yerevan to prevent Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan from traveling to Moscow to take part in the trilateral meeting with Russian and Azerbaijani leaders, News.am reports. The protesters wanted to march to the airport, but the police had blocked the road. Earlier, opposition channels reported that Armenian PM Pashinyan planned to sign a secret document in Moscow ‘to transfer Armenia’s sovereign territories to Azerbaijan’, providing a corridor through Armenian territory linking Azerbaijan and its exclave Nakhijevan through Armenia’s territory and to withdraw troops from Nagorno Karabakh. Meanwhile, a protest rally of several dozen people against Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s policy was held in front of the Armenian embassy in Moscow, TASS news agency reports. Earlier, the President of the Union of Armenians in Russia announced that Pashinyan is not welcomed in Moscow by the Armenians in Russia. We are entering a new stage of history - Armenian President publishes article President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has published an article “on the inevitability of building a substantive state”, the Presidential Office told Armenpress news agency. ‘Today, we (and first and foremost, the government that has taken responsibility for its own citizens and Armenians of the world) must acknowledge the existence of a deep political, economic, social and psychological crisis. Citizens have every moral right to demand concrete, timely and meaningful answers on the ways-out of the crisis from the members of the National Assembly elected by them, the government and prime minister,’ the President writes. According to President Sargsyan, to avoid the ‘catastrophic consequence’ of the division of the society a government of national accord must be formed with the help of the institute of the president and amendments should be made to the Electoral Code and Constitution within one year. The President identified three goals for the Government. He mentioned the elimination of the consequences of the war, such as the return of all hostages, accommodation for those left homeless, and proper treatment of those injured during the war. ‘Secondly, the creation and implementation of a roadmap to bring the country out of the political and economic crisis. Thirdly, the reform of the normative and legal framework, providing the necessary conditions for the early elections in reasonable terms,’ the article reads.

22:44 - 11 հունվարի, 2021

Daily News Summary [10.01.2021]

Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders to meet in Moscow on Monday The Armenian PM’s office confirmed the reports that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will meet with Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan in Moscow on Monday. This will be the first trilateral meeting since the leaders signed a truce statement on November 9, ending the recent Nagorno Karabakh war. Later Russian President’s Press office informed that Vladimir Putin and President of France Nicolas Macron discussed a range of issues on the trilateral meeting to be held on Monday. The conversation was held ‘within the framework of coordination of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship’s activities.’ According to Pashinyan’s spokesperson Mane Gevorgyan, the discussion will be focused on the unblocking of regional transport and communication links from Armenia to Russia and Iran, and from central Armenia to the south-eastern Syunik region through the Nakhijevan railway. Gevorgyan denied the reports, circulated by the opposition channels, that Armenia will provide a corridor linking Azerbaijan and its exclave Nakhijevan through Armenia’s southern town of Meghri. The spokesperson emphasized that it will not be possible to progress in the economic agenda without solving the issues of return of Armenian PoWs, search for the bodies of fallen servicemen, and the fate of those missing. Gevorgyan also stressed that the sides do not plan to sign any document regarding Nagorno Karabakh or any territorial issue in response to the reports by opposition forces that a new document will be signed to transfer Armenia’s sovereign territories to Azerbaijan. On Friday, Armenian President Armen Sargsyan called on the competent authorities to act exclusively in accordance with national interests both in the implementation of the provisions of the trilateral statement and verbal agreements, to ensure public accountability, and to strictly observe the Armenian Constitution. Armenian Foreign Ministry condemns prosecution of captives by Azerbaijan The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has issued a statement in response to the Azerbaijani foreign ministry’s statement that Azerbaijan has started prosecution against Armenian prisoners of wars captured by Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno Karabakh. The Armenian Foreign Ministry condemned the initiative of prosecution of the PoWs as a ‘gross violation of international humanitarian law’ and the provisions of the November 9 truce statement providing for the release and repatriation of the prisoners of war. The Ministry reminded that Azerbaijan launched military operations in the direction of Khtsaberd and Hin Tagher villages in the Hadrut region a month after the truce statement was signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. ‘The Azerbaijani side announced the prosecution of POWs about a month after the capturing of Armenian servicemen, which demonstrates that Azerbaijan is using Armenian prisoners of war as hostages to advance its political agenda,’ the statement reads. The Foreign Ministry’s statement refers to the war crimes committed by Azerbaijani forces against Armenian PoWs and video-streamed through various Telegram channels. ‘During the 44-day Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh, the Azerbaijani side extensively and systematically violated international law by committing war crimes. These war crimes have no statute of limitations, and the perpetrators should be held accountable,’ the Ministry says. Opposition leaders discussed post-war concerns with Armenian Foreign Minister Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan had a meeting on Saturday with the representatives of “Homeland Salvation Movement”, a coalition of more than a dozen opposition parties demanding PM Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. Vazgen Manukyan, the Movement’s candidate for the prime minister of an interim government, as well as Ishkhan Saghatelyan (ARF party) and Artur Vanetsyan (former Security Service director), attended the meeting. Earlier Manukyan had announced that the country is in an extremely dangerous situation and demanded a meeting with the Foreign Minister, head of National Security Service, and Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces. After the meeting, Vazgen Manukyan told RFE/RL Armenian service that the opposition shared their concerns with Foreign Minister Ayvazyan and received clarifications from him. Manukyan said that the head of National Security Service Armen Abazyan and Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Onik Gasparyan avoided the meeting with the opposition forces which deepened their concerns and distrusts. Other news from Armenia Director of the National Security Service of Armenia Armen Abazyan had a working meeting with Director of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan Ali Nagiyev in the neutral border zone adjacent to Yeraskh community of Armenia’s Ararat province on Saturday, the Armenian National Security Service told Armenpress News Agency. During the meeting issues relating to the exchange of prisoners of war and the search for the missing in action were discussed. Another meeting between the heads of Armenian and Azerbaijani national security services took place today at the border in the southeastern Syunik Province. President of the Union of Armenians in Russia addressed Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan with a statement claiming that he is not welcomed in Moscow by the Armenians in Russia. ‘Armenian community in Russia expects your resignation, not your visit to Moscow,’ Abrahamyan said asking whether the issue of Nagorno Karabakh’s status is on Pashinyan’s agenda at all. Abrahamyan reminded that despite the fact the 8th provision of the tripartite truce statement about the return of Armenian captives has not been implemented by Azerbaijan, Pashinyan is currently linking the issue with regional transport connections which are ‘crucial for Azerbaijan and Turkey, and secondary for Armenia.’ He added that the Armenian Premier ‘cannot represent the Armenians anymore and sign a document on behalf of them.'

20:33 - 10 հունվարի, 2021