Month: September 2020

Azerbaijani press: Bryza: Yerevan undermines peace process by resettling people of Armenian origin in Karabakh

Emil Lazarian
2 September 2020 15:15 (UTC+04:00)
628

By Trend

By resettling people of Armenian origin in Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan is not in keeping with spirit of searching for negotiated settlement to the conflict, former OSCE Minsk Group co-chair from the US Matthew Bryza told Trend.

“Speaking as the former US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, it is disappointing to see people of Armenian origin are resettled from Syria and Lebanon in Nagorno-Karabakh. That sort of move by Yerevan is not in keeping with the spirit of searching for a negotiated settlement that characterizes the Minsk Group. When I was a co-chair of the Minsk Group, it was unimaginable that the Armenian government would have done something like that, because it would be a sign that it has lost all seriousness in pursuing a mediated settlement under the auspices of the Minsk Group. Under these circumstances, it is very difficult to regenerate progress in the Minsk Group format,” he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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Azerbbaijani press: Armenia on verge of losing Nagorno-Karabakh region

Aram Torosian
2 September 2020 16:58 (UTC+04:00)
609

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement that "the decision of the Armenian side to revive the old border checkpoint located 15 kilometers from the Azerbaijani export pipelines launched a flywheel of confrontation on the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia with the most unpredictable consequences" is the direct accusation of the Armenian government as the initiator of the conflict escalation in the direction of Azerbaijan’s Tovuz district.

Immediately after this serious accusation, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arranged an award ceremony for the servicemen and commanders who committed a provocation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and, under the pretext of holding a meeting at the headquarters of the occupation army, went to the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

In fact, the visit of the head of the government to the occupied Azerbaijani territories was caused by a political situation as a result of a provocation organized by the Armenian Defense Ministry on a section of the state border near Tovuz district.

Pashinyan realizes that having little control over the Armenian Defense Ministry in Yerevan, he is practically on the verge of losing control over the Armenian Armed Forces deployed in the occupied Azerbaijani territories and the puppet "regime" created in Khankendi.

Yerevan is well aware that currently the main challenge and source of threat to the rule of Pashinyan in Armenia is the puppet Karabakh regime, whose leadership has close ties and patrons in Moscow.

The publication of the press-secretary of the so-called "President of Karabakh" Poghosyan on Facebook, where he directly addresses the natives of Nagorno-Karabakh region living in Russia, or rather to the odious "Karabakh clan", hostile to Pashinyan and his entourage, is remarkable.

Contrary to the policy of Pashinyan's "Soros’s Men" team in Armenia, the puppet regime in Nagorno-Karabakh regime is in favor of expanding the ties with Russia, in particular, by increasing the TV and radio airtime in Russian language. It is planned to increase the number of hours devoted to learning the Russian language at schools, as well as to increase the number of signs in this language in the occupied zone.

At present, two figures of the puppet "administration" are ruling in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. These are so-called President Arayik Harutyunyan and so-called Secretary of the National Security Council, criminal element Samvel Babayan. Both belong to the Moscow-oriented "Karabakh clan".

Babayan's statement that the Nagorno-Karabakh region should be transferred under the Russia’s mandate is known to everybody.

Thus, we are witnessing two antagonistic tendencies – "Rusification" in the Nagorno-Karabakh region amid the closure of the Russian TV channels in Armenia and language pressure on Russia in Yerevan.

The power that is oriented towards Russia has actually formed in the occupied territories in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, while Armenia is moving step by step in the western direction.

Despite the "allied" relations, assurances of "eternal friendship of the Armenians towards Russians", an unprecedented quantity of the Russian weapons which are supplied to Armenia for dirt cheap, the fact is that the Western influence begins to prevail over the Russian influence in this country.

In response, Moscow, with the assistance of the "Karabakh clan" and its people in Khankendi city, is trying to strengthen its influence in the region.

The activity of the puppet administration in the occupied territories actually runs counter to Yerevan’s policy. So, Pashinyan's visit to the Nagorno-Karabakh region under the pretext of a meeting at the headquarters of the occupying army is a poorly hidden attempt to keep the situation under Yerevan's control.

However, the powerful pressure of the "Karabakh clan" during the unsettled conflict with Azerbaijan determines the fact that Armenia is on the verge of losing influence in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Elkhan Alasgarov, PhD, Head of the Expert Council of the Baku Network

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Asbarez: Nevada’s Titus Leading House Drive Urging Library of Congress to Use Armenian Genocide

Hovik Karapetian
September 2,  2020


Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus is leading a Congressional effort calling on the Library of Congress to properly categorize the Armenian Genocide in its subject heading list.

Ask your U.S. Representative to Co-Sign this Bipartisan Congressional Letter

WASHINGTON—Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) is collecting the signatures of her U.S. House colleagues on a letter asking the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla D. Hayden, to correct the outdated and inaccurate Armenian Massacres subject heading to Armenian Genocide in the wake of last year’s near-unanimous passage of the Congressional Armenian Genocide resolution, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.

In the letter, legislators share with Dr. Hayden that they are writing “to ask that the Library of Congress, an agency of the legislative branch and the research arm of the U.S. Congress, use the historically accurate term “Armenian Genocide” in its subject heading for books and other materials regarding the Ottoman Empire’s intentional, systematic, and deliberate mass murder, deportation, and exile of more than one and a half million Armenians between 1915 and 1923.”

The letter spearheaded by Rep. Titus comes in the face of a June 19, 2020 Library of Congress correspondence informing the ANCA that it would not make this change, even in light of Congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide, because it deferred to the White House and State Department. The Titus letter, notes that “while we understand the Library of Congress has said it defers to the president and State Department on terminology, we do not believe that determinations of fact by an agency of the legislative branch should be made for political reasons or under pressure from foreign governments.”

Rep. Dina Titus

The letter makes the case that: “the current subject heading, “Armenian Massacres,” is outdated, having been created before Raphael Lemkin coined the term genocide and prior to the 1948 adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.” It goes on to argue that “the existing heading is also inconsistent with the broad, near-universal academic consensus recognizing the Armenian Genocide as a clear case of genocide as reflected in numerous resolutions, letters, and statements by the International Association of Genocide Scholars.”

“We share the view expressed by Congresswoman Titus and her colleagues from both sides of the aisle that the phrase “Armenian Massacres” – in modern usage – conceals more than it reveals,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “It’s time for the Library of Congress to get this right.”

The full text of the Titus letter is provided below.  Proponents of the Library of Congress changing the Armenian Massacres subject heading to Armenian Genocide can urge their U.S. Representative to cosign the Titus letter by taking action.

Text of Congressional Letter Led by Rep. Dina Titus Calling on the Library of Congress to Properly Categorize the Armenian Genocide

September xx, 2020

Dr. Carla D. Hayden
Librarian of Congress
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave SE
Washington, DC 20540

Dear Dr. Hayden,

We write to ask that the Library of Congress, an agency of the legislative branch and the research arm of the U.S. Congress, use the historically accurate term “Armenian Genocide” in its subject heading for books and other materials regarding the Ottoman Empire’s intentional, systematic, and deliberate mass murder, deportation, and exile of more than one and a half million Armenians between 1915 and 1923. We also ask that all libraries, offices, services, and other entities within the Library of Congress use the accurate term “Armenian Genocide” in relevant displays, exhibitions, reports, presentations, conferences, lectures, websites, brochures, and other official events and publications.

The current subject heading, “Armenian Massacres,” is outdated, having been created before Raphael Lemkin coined the term genocide and prior to the 1948 adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Lemkin himself cited the massacres of Armenians as a definitive case of genocide. In 1951, the United States, in a written statement submitted to the International Court of Justice, affirmed that the destruction of Armenians met the U.N. definition of genocide.

The existing heading is also inconsistent with the broad, near-universal academic consensus recognizing the Armenian Genocide as a clear case of genocide as reflected in numerous resolutions, letters, and statements by the International Association of Genocide Scholars. Additionally, it is contrary to the U.S. record, including President Ronald Reagan’s 1981 Proclamation; resolutions adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives in 1975 (H.J.Res.148) and 1984 (H.J.Res.247); and, most notably, near-unanimous resolutions passed by the House (H.Res.296) and Senate (S.Res.150) in 2019 that state the sense of Congress that it is the policy of the United States to recognize the Armenian Genocide and to reject any denial of this crime.

Although originally created to serve legitimate academic and research purposes, the term “Armenian Massacres” has evolved into a euphemistic phrase often deployed to diminish the full historical, moral, legal, and contemporary meaning of the Armenian Genocide. In its modern usage, the outdated phrase conceals these horrific crimes.

While we understand the Library of Congress has said it defers to the president and State Department on terminology, we do not believe that determinations of fact by an agency of the legislative branch should be made for political reasons or under pressure from foreign governments. The use of the term “Armenian Genocide” by the Library of Congress would help paint an accurate picture of history and rightly honor the victims of this atrocity. Thank you for your attention to this request.

Sincerely,

Australia’s Former Defense Minister Joins Calls for Genocide Recognition

Jane Topchian
September 2,  2020


Australia’s former defense minister Joel Fitzgibbon

CANBERRA—Australia’s former Defense Minister and current Shadow Minister for Agriculture & Resources, Member of Parliament Joel Fitzgibbon reaffirmed his longstanding backing for national recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides by signing an affirmation of support for the Joint Justice Initiative of the Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian communities.

The February 2020 launch of the Joint Justice Initiative at Australia’s Parliament House featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) and Australian Hellenic Council (AHC), which declares Australia’s recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides as a priority on behalf of their communities.

Fitzgibbon has long been a committed and vocal supporter on this cause, and has spoken on this matter in Parliament, including seconding a historic 2018 motion in Australia’s House of Representatives recognizing Australia’s first major international humanitarian relief effort, which was in aid of orphans and survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

During the debate on that motion, the Federal Member for Hunter said: “I have come to the conclusion our community of nation spends too much time playing word games, arguing about whether what the Armenian people suffered in 1915 was or was not genocide. Rather, we should collectively spend more time recognizing that between 1915 and 1923 hundreds of thousands of Armenians had their lives cut short for no other reason than their ethnicity. The Armenian genocide and seven decades of Soviet rule would be enough to break the spirit of any culture or community, but Armenians are resilient and tough.”

“As the current co-convener of the Australia-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Union (Friendship Group), Mr. Joel Fitzgibbon has consistently demonstrated his ongoing support for Federal Australian recognition of the 1915 Genocide,” said ANC-AU Executive Director Haig Kayserian.

“Armenian-Australians, Assyrian-Australians and Greek-Australians are grateful for Mr. Fitzgibbon and his growing list of colleagues urging Australia joins the correct side of history on this important issue of human rights,” added Kayserian.

In addition to Fitzgibbon, the Joint Justice Initiative boasts the support of members of parliament Andrew Wilkie, Julian Leeser,  Michelle Rowland,  Senator Paul Scarr, Tony Zappia, Mike Freelander,  Jason Falinski,  Josh Burns,  John Alexander and Bob Katter, as well as senators Andrew Bragg, Eric Abetz, Sarah Hanson-Young, Hollie Hughes, Rex Patrick Larissa Waters and Pat Dodson with a promise of more announcements to come.

On February 25, more than 100 Federal Australian parliamentarians, diplomats, departmental officials, political staffers, academics, media and community leaders were treated to cultural performances, food, wine and brandy, as well as the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which affirmed that the signatory public affairs representatives of the three communities were jointly committed to seeing Australia recognize the Turkish-committed Genocide against the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian citizens of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

Boris Johnson Urged to Hold Turkey Accountable

Vardan Badalian
September 2,  2020


U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Leaders of the organized Cypriot, Armenian, Kurdish and Egyptian diasporas in the United Kingdom have written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging him to “incentivize” Ankara to end its destabilizing actions in the Eastern Mediterranean as part of the ongoing UK-Turkey trade negotiations.

The communities, which have all felt the impact of Turkey’s authoritarianism and aggression, note that Turkey is increasingly a “destructive force” in the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider region. The communities said that Turkey is causing regional instability, undermining UK interests and espousing principles contrary to Global Britain.

The letter listed examples of Turkey’s actions, including:

  • Frequent illegal maritime and land incursions into neighboring countries, accompanied by statements that disregard & violate international law
  • Deliberately aggressive and inflammatory rhetoric from President Erdogan to stoke racial, religious and political tensions
  • Extensive jailing of journalists and restrictions on freedom of _expression_
  • Emerging & longstanding evidence of collusion with Daesh, facilitating the movement of foreign terrorist fighters via Turkey and exploiting/guiding illegal migration flows through Turkey

The co-signatories highlight the concern that such actions cause and point to the decision by the UK Foreign Secretary not to grant new export licenses to Turkey for weapons which may be used in Syria.

The organizations that jointly signed a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson

While the letter acknowledges London’s positive foreign policy agenda through the new sanctions regime against individuals that are responsible for human rights violations, it comments that this agenda “makes the UK’s current absence from the Eastern Mediterranean, where it has historically had a very prominent role, all the more noticeable.”
The letter urges the Prime Minister to use the negotiations to play a “crucial role” in holding the Turkish government to account “with clear commitments and conditions as part of the UK-Turkey trade deal.”

“These trade talks represent a unique opportunity to reinforce this positive foreign policy agenda, by encouraging and incentivizing Turkey to cease its actions aimed at destabilizing the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider region. We urge our Government to utilize this opportunity to reinforce our foreign policy goals,” concludes the letter.

 

 

Signatories
Christos Karaolis, President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK
Annette Moskofian, Chair of the Armenian National Committee UK
Turkan Ozcan, Chair of the Kurdish People’s Democratic Assembly of Britain
Mostafa Ragab, Chair of the Egyptian Council in the UK




Asbarez: Today is Artsakh Independence Day

Emil Lazarian
September 2,  2020


Artsakh Independence Day

On September 2, 1991, the people of Artsakh, then known as Nagorno-Karabakh, declared their independence from the Soviet Union.

Lawmakers from the Nagorno-Karabakh Provincial Council and the Shahumyan Regional Council convened a meeting on September 2, 1991 and declared the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic with its border encompassing those of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, as Artsakh was known in the Soviet Union, and the Shahumyan Region. The move was in line with the day’s laws, particularly an April 3, 1990 measure which entitled national autonomies to determine their status on their own.

On December 10, 1991, a few days before the official collapse of the Soviet Union, Nagorno Karabakh held a referendum, where the overwhelming majority, 99,89 percent, of the population voted in favor of complete independence from Azerbaijan. After this, Azerbaijan totally blockaded Karabakh and launched military aggressions.

The Artsakh Liberation War began when for the first time in September of 1991 Azerbaijan bombarded Stepanakert with Alazan rockets from Shushi. In 1994, at the request of Azerbaijan a trilateral (Azerbaijan, NKR, Armenia) ceasefire agreement was signed on May 12.

On September 2, 2006, the people of Artsakh adopted the country’s Constitution through a referendum.

In the 29 years since its independence, Artsakh has been able to establish and cultivate a pluralistic democracy and open civil society, ranking significantly higher on international freedom and democracy indices than its authoritarian and belligerent neighbor Azerbaijan.

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan issued a congratulatory message on independence day, saying this historic turning point was achieved with the participation of all Armenians.

“We have created this important state holiday together, thanks to the joint efforts of all Armenians, the great responsibility towards our Homeland, the memory of our ancestors and the future of generations, thanks to our courage and bravery,” said Harutyunyan.

“We have created it having in mind the dream of having a free, independent and prosperous country. Today our people are on the path to implementing that dream. I am sure we will pass this path successfully because we are building, developing and protecting our homeland by creating necessary conditions for the dignified life of our citizens. We will do for our fallen heroes. This is the sacred duty of all of us,” added Harutyunyan.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also marked this event, saying in a Facebook post

“Congratulations on this historic day, Free Artsakh,” said Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in a Facebook post.

Pashinyan visited Artsakh over the weekend and attended a ceremony during which valor awards were presented to among others, Arthur Mkrtchian, the chairman of the first Karabakh Supreme Council, posthumously.

In his message on Artsakh’s Independence Day, President Armen Sarkissian said that Artsakh was the spark lit the fire of freedom, “which spread to the entire Armenian nation.”

“Our people rose to defend their rights and to take their worthy place in the modern family of nations. This was a truly historic time for the realization of our aspirations and abilities and its significance was duly appreciated in Artsakh as well as in Armenia,” said Sarkissian.

“Today, 29 years later, the Republic of Artsakh is a mature state thanks to the struggle being waged by all-Armenian forces. Thanks to the victory, which was achieved through the unity of Artsakh, Armenia, and Diaspora. Thanks to the willpower which is leading the people of Artsakh, and has become the promise of their success,” added Sarkissian.

The president said that Artsakh is a pivot of our national unity, adding that each achievement in Artsakh is a building block for the Armenian Nation.

“Our progress and ideas must be directed toward the protection of the Homeland, the security and peace of Artsakh and Armenia, well-being of our nation,” said Sarkissian, emphasizing that the struggle for Artsakh’s complete and the restoration of the rights of the people is not over yet.

Red Cross Still Hasn’t Seen Armenian Soldier Captured by Azerbaijan

George Mamian
September 2,  2020


Captured Armenian soldier Gurgen Alaverdyan seen here in Azerbaijani custody

YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have still not been able to visit an Armenian army officer who was captured by Azerbaijani troops late last month, officials in Yerevan said on Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the ICRC office in Yerevan, Zara Amatuni, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that the ICRC is continuing its “dialogue” with relevant Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities regarding the officer, Gurgen Alaverdyan. She would not say when the Azerbaijani side could allow ICRC representatives in Baku to meet and speak with Alaverdyan.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry also reported continuing efforts to arrange such a visit. “Given the sensitivity of the issue I won’t give other details,” said the ministry spokeswoman, Anna Naghdalyan.

The Azerbaijani military claims that Alaverdyan was taken prisoner during a failed Armenian commando raid on one of its frontline positions north of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian Defense Ministry strongly denies this, saying that Alaverdyan simply lost his way on August 22 due to poor weather.

Yerevan has said that Baku’s treatment of the Armenian serviceman constitutes a serious violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention on prisoners of war. It has specifically decried an Azerbaijani Defense Ministry vide shows the serviceman saying in broken Armenian that he led a special army unit that planned to carry out “sabotage” attacks in Azerbaijan. It says he was clearly forced to read out a written text badly translated into Armenian.

The Azerbaijani authorities brought a string of criminal charges against Alaverdyan following the release of the video last week.

Naghdalyan deplored this and other “trumped-up” criminal cases brought against Armenian citizens held in Azerbaijani captivity.

“I want point out in this regard that two citizens of Azerbaijan have crossed into Armenia in the course of this year alone,” she told a news conference. “Unlike Azerbaijan, Armenia has not prosecuted them or portrayed them as prisoners of war and fully respects their dignity and human rights.”

Kavkaz 2020: Why Russia’s Latest Military Drills Are a Golden Opportunity for Pakistan

Greg Madatian 
The Diplomat

Kavkaz 2020: Why Russia’s Latest Military Drills Are a Golden
Opportunity for Pakistan
By Shahid Hussain

Beyond a chance to deepen ties with Russia, Pakistan hopes to build
bridges with Central Asian countries through the Kavkaz 2020
exercises.

In the late 1970s, the Pakistani and Russian militaries faced off
against each other in the mountains of Afghanistan, albeit indirectly.
The conflict between the two started in 1979 when the Soviet army
marched into Kabul in support of the Afghan Communist Party. Pakistan
and America responded swiftly, funding and equipping the mujahideen as
well as providing safe haven for them to regroup in Pakistan’s
mountainous North West Frontier Province. The war rumbled on through
the 1980s and, throughout this period, Islamabad’s support for the
Afghan insurgency was unwavering. After sustained losses, the Soviet
Union withdrew from Afghanistan and in little more than a year, the
USSR itself would collapse.

Three decades later, Pakistan and Russia have met again on the
battlefield — but this time on the same side as part of joint military
exercises. Not only do these exercises mark a significant shift from
the mutual hostility of the 1980s, but they also stand to create a
number of opportunities for Pakistan and the wider erstwhile Soviet
world. The latest installment of exercises including both Russia and
Pakistan comes with the multilateral Kavkaz 2020 military drills.

The exercises will take place close to Russia’s southern city of
Astrakhan. The list of participating countries is impressive,  ranging
from Pakistan and Belarus to Azerbaijan and China. The drills include
war games and joint training, as well as the opportunity for
participants to show off their latest military technology and
hardware. This is not the first time Pakistan has participated in the
drills with Russia and Central Asian countries. For example, last year
Islamabad sent a contingent to the Tsentr 2019 exercise along with
Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and India.

However, this year is different.

India has recently announced it will not be participating in the
exercise. New Delhi was due to send around 200 soldiers, including
infantry, naval, and air force personnel, only to announce on Saturday
that it was withdrawing from the event. The stated reason was
difficulties due to COVID-19, even though officials speaking
anonymously pointed to India’s recent tensions with China as a factor
behind the decision. Furthermore, the prospect of training alongside
the Pakistani army almost certainty tilted the balance against
participation. While we are likely to see Indian officials emphasizing
their close military and strategic relationship with Russia in the
coming days, there is no doubt Moscow will be somewhat frustrated at
India’s sudden decision to pull out of the event.

For the Russian military, the sheer number and range of participants
alone marks a triumph of sorts and sends a defiant message to the West
and particularly the United States. India’s absence threatens this
messaging to a degree. This sudden reversal, alongside Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump,
provides Pakistan an opportunity to cement its friendship with
President Vladimir Putin and Moscow.

However, aside from improving relations with Russia, the Kavkaz
military drills are an important opportunity for Pakistan to solidify
and develop its relationship with the former Soviet world. Russia’s
ally in the Caucasus, Armenia, will be attending the event. Pakistan
refuses to acknowledge the existence of Armenia in support of
Islamabad’s iron-clad ally Azerbaijan. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are
currently engaged in a long-standing territorial dispute over the
region of Nagorno-Karabakh. While it is unlikely Pakistan will want to
upset Baku, the drills provide an opportunity for Pakistani and
Armenian troops to participate in the drills together, which could be
an important step toward improving relations. Despite the prospect of
Pakistan formally recognizing Armenia being a long way off, the mere
presence of the two armies together is symbolic.

Belarus will also send a contingent to the event — another country in
the former Soviet Union Pakistan has maintained a surprisingly warm
relationship with. President Alexander Lukashenko — who is under
significant pressure from the West over his controversial re-election
— is keen to further ties with as many allies as possible, including
Pakistan. Recently, he sent Independence Day greetings to Islamabad,
stating “Pakistan had succeeded in building an independent state” and
emphasizing the “great prospects” between the two unlikely allies.
Given this background, it is unsurprising Pakistan has refrained from
criticizing Lukashenko. The presence of both militaries in southern
Russia could act as a catalyst for stronger defense ties between
Islamabad and Minsk.

Pakistan can also use the opportunity to reset relations closer to
home. The scenic Wakan corridor separates Pakistan and Tajikistan and
at their closest point, the two countries are a mere 10 miles apart.
Despite historical and cultural ties between the two Asian nations
(both were part of the Arab Umayyad and Persian Empires) and their
joint participation in several infrastructure and energy projects (the
Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Program),
Tajikistan plays host to India’s only air force base outside of its
borders. The Farkhor Air Base lies around 81 miles southeast of
Dushanbe and perilously close to Pakistan’s northern border with
Afghanistan. Indian fighter jets taking off from the base can reach
Pakistani airspace in little more than a few minutes.

Naturally, this has put a significant strain on relations with
Islamabad. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are no major military ties or
significant arms deals between Pakistan and Tajikistan, and if the
former plays its cards right, it could use the drills as an
opportunity to pull Tajikistan away from India’s military grip.

Military drills are often seen as a show of common strength between
allies and a warning to others. However, for Pakistan it would be wise
not to see these drills as a show of strength, but rather as an
important opportunity to further its relationship with the former
Soviet World. India’s recent decision to stay away from Kavkaz 2020
along with the sheer number of former Soviet states participating in
them suggests a golden opportunity Pakistan cannot afford to ignore.

Shahid Hussain will commence his Ph.D. at the University College
London in September, where he will focus on diplomacy and the
relationship between Russia and Britain in the 17th century.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 09/02/2020

Garnik Zakarian 
                                        Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Former Police Chief’s Properties Investigated

        • Narine Ghalechian

Armenia - Vladimir Gasparian (L), the chief of the Armenian police, argues with 
a protester in Yerevan, 26Jun2015.

Law-enforcement authorities have launched a criminal investigation into a luxury 
compound belonging to Vladimir Gasparian, a former chief of the Armenian police.

The Investigative Committee said on Wednesday that the properties located on the 
northern shore of Lake Sevan may have been built and officially registered in 
violation of Armenian laws strictly regulating construction in the 
environmentally sensitive area.

In a statement, the law-enforcement body said a government agency registered the 
entire compound in January 2018 despite suspicions that some of its 14 houses 
and other structures had been built illegally. It said the registration was 
controversially recommended by the leadership of the state-run Sevan National 
Park (SNP).

Vahe Gulanian, who ran the SNP at the time, categorically denied breaking any 
laws or government regulations when he spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian service. He 
described the Investigative Committee statement as “flawed.”

The statement said that the Investigative Committee is conducting a criminal 
investigation into forgery and failure to prevent illegal construction and 
seizure of public land. It has not charged anyone so far.

A spokeswoman for the committee said investigators have not questioned Gasparian 
as part of the inquiry.

A lawyer for Gasparian, Tigran Atanesian, scoffed at the probe in a short 
Facebook post. “Don’t you know other heroes?” wrote Atanesian.

According to the Investigative Committee statement, the criminal case was opened 
as a result of an ongoing separate investigation into Gasparian’s threats voiced 
against RFE/RL reporters last month. The former police chief accosted and 
threatened them with violence as they filmed his compound while collecting 
material about illegally built villas along the Sevan coastline.

Obstruction of news reporting and other journalistic work is a criminal offense 
in Armenia.

Gasparian headed the national police service from 2011 to 2018. He was sacked 
immediately after the “Velvet Revolution” of April-May 2018 that toppled the 
country previous government.

In September 2018, Gasparian was charged with abusing his powers to benefit 
people working for former President Serzh Sarkisian’s brothers. He denies the 
accusations.



Yerevan Slams Turkey's Ban On German Military Flights To Armenia


Germany -- The Airbus A310 of the Federal German Air Force named Theodor Heuss 
at the military section of Tegel Airport in Berlin, 24Jun2011

The Armenian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday reports that Turkey has 
refused to allow a German military transport aircraft to fly over its airspace 
en route to Armenia.

The plane was due to pick up Armenian soldiers and transport them to Germany for 
further training preceding their deployment in Afghanistan.

Some 120 Armenian servicemen serve in Afghanistan under German command as part 
of a NATO-led multinational force. The Armenian military rotates them on a 
regular basis.

The German magazine “Der Spiegel” reported on Friday that the Airbus 310 
aircraft of the German Air Force was on its way to Yerevan in late July when 
Turkish air traffic controllers unexpectedly refused, without any explanation, 
to give it overflight permission. The plane had to return to a German military 
airfield as a result, it said, adding that the Armenian soldiers were flown to 
Germany over Russia’s airspace in mid-August.

“As far as I know, the Defense Ministry did not refute that information,” said 
Anna Naghdalian, the spokeswoman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

“It is condemnable that Turkey now also obstructs NATO-led and UN-led 
peacekeeping operations based on its anti-Armenian positions,” Naghdalian told 
reporters. “We have raised this issue with our international partners through 
diplomatic channels.”


Armenia -- A German army general gives medals to Armenian soldiers serving in 
Afghanistan.

Ankara has not denied the “Der Spiegel” report. According to the report, the 
German military, the Bundeswehr, regards the Turkish move as a “deliberate 
provocation” by a NATO member state.

The German plane was reportedly not allowed to fly over Turkish territory just 
days after the outbreak of heavy fighting on Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan, 
Turkey’s closest regional ally. Ankara blamed Yerevan for the weeklong 
hostilities, which left 17 soldiers dead, and voiced support for Baku in 
unusually strong terms.

The Armenian government responded by accusing the Turks of trying to destabilize 
the region, undercutting international efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh 
conflict and posing a serious security threat to Armenia.



Karabakh Leader Sees No Peace Deal With Azerbaijan


Nagorno Karabakh -- Karabakh President Ara Harutiunian airs a live video message 
on Facebook, Stepanakert, May 29, 2020

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unlikely to be fully resolved in the 
foreseeable future, Ara Harutiunian, the Karabakh president, said on Wednesday.

“The likelihood of resolving this problem within decades is very low,” 
Harutiunian told a news conference in Stepanakert. “We don’t see that happening.”

“That is why through strengthening our army we should force the enemy to reckon 
with the Armenian force of Artsakh (Karabakh) and maintain the status quo until 
major geopolitical developments that could lead to some temporary or rather 
partial resolution of the Karabakh conflict,” he said. “A full resolution is not 
possible.”

The Karabakh leader said that the international community has already brokered 
such an interim solution to the conflict in Kosovo, an Albanian-populated former 
province of Serbia recognized as an independent state by most Western nations.

Harutiunian spoke to reporters on the 19th anniversary of Karabakh’s declaration 
of independence from Soviet Azerbaijan which came just four months before the 
breakup of the Soviet Union and was followed by a bloody Armenian-Azerbaijani 
war for the territory.

Azerbaijan never recognized the legality of that declaration. It continues to 
consider Karabakh an internationally recognized part of Azerbaijan occupied by 
Armenia.

Harutiunian’s remarks came amid efforts by international mediators -- and Russia 
in particular -- to revive the Karabakh peace process following the recent heavy 
fighting at a volatile section of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that both Yerevan and 
Baku now seem interested in further easing tensions and resuming peace talks 
mediated by the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. He 
stressed that the talks should continue to focus on a framework peace accord 
which was first put forward by the mediators in 2007 and has been repeatedly 
modified since then.

The mediators’ so-called Madrid Principles call for a phased settlement that 
would start with Armenian withdrawal from virtually all seven districts in 
Azerbaijan proper fully or partly controlled by Karabakh Armenian forces. In 
return, Karabakh’s predominantly Armenian population would be able to determine 
the dispute region’s internationally recognized status in a future referendum.



Red Cross Still Seeking Access To Armenian POW In Azerbaijan

        • Robert Zargarian

Armenia - The Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Anna Naghdalian, at a news 
briefing in Yerevan, December 20, 2018.

Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have 
still not been able to visit an Armenian army officer who was captured by 
Azerbaijani troops late last month, officials in Yerevan said on Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the ICRC office in Yerevan, Zara Amatuni, told RFE/RL’s 
Armenian service that the ICRC is continuing its “dialogue” with relevant 
Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities regarding the officer, Gurgen Alaverdian. 
She would not say when the Azerbaijani side could allow ICRC representatives in 
Baku to meet and speak with Alaverdian.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry also reported continuing efforts to arrange such a 
visit. “Given the sensitivity of the issue I won’t give other details,” said the 
ministry spokeswoman, Anna Naghdalian.

The Azerbaijani military claims that Alaverdian was taken prisoner during a 
failed Armenian commando raid on one of its frontline positions north of 
Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian Defense Ministry strongly denies this, saying 
that Alaverdian simply lost his way on August 22 due to poor weather.

Yerevan has said that Baku’s treatment of the Armenian serviceman constitutes a 
serious violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention on prisoners of war. It has 
specifically decried an Azerbaijani Defense Ministry vide shows the serviceman 
saying in broken Armenian that he led a special army unit that planned to carry 
out “sabotage” attacks in Azerbaijan. It says he was clearly forced to read out 
a written text badly translated into Armenian.

The Azerbaijani authorities brought a string of criminal charges against 
Alaverdian following the release of the video last week.

Naghdalian deplored this and other “trumped-up” criminal cases brought against 
Armenian citizens held in Azerbaijani captivity.

“I want point out in this regard that two citizens of Azerbaijan have crossed 
into Armenia in the course of this year alone,” she told a news conference. 
“Unlike Azerbaijan, Armenia has not prosecuted them or portrayed them as 
prisoners of war and fully respects their dignity and human rights.”


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Armenia deplores Turkey’s attempts to disrupt NATO and UN-led peacekeeping efforts

Lara Chatinian
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 2 2020

Turkey’s attempts to disrupt NATO and UN-led peacekeeping activities is deplorable, Spokesperson for the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anna Naghdalyan told a press conference today.

The comments come after Der Spiegel’s report saying Turkey denied airspace to a German military plane en-route to Armenia.

According to the source, the plane was to pick up Armenian peacekeepers, who were due to be trained in Germany ahead of peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.

“As far as I’m informed the Ministry of Defense has not refuted this information,” Naghdalyan told reporters.

“It’s deplorable that Turkey is already obstructing the peacekeeping activities within the framework of NATO and UN because of its anti-Armenian stance,” she added.

The Spokesperson noted that Armenia has raised the issue with international partners through diplomatic channels.

According to Der Spiegel’s information, Turkish air traffic controllers, without explanation, refused to allow the Bundeswehr aircraft to fly via the country’s airspace, forcing the Airbus 310 to return to its base in Cologne.

As a result, the German Air Force had to choose a much longer flight route over Russia in mid-August to transport the soldiers.

According to Spiegel, the German military sees the incident as a deliberate provocation of Ankara.