Saturday,
Armenia, Azerbaijan Reach New Ceasefire Deal
NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- A burnt car is seen outside a hospital, which, according to
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, was damaged
during recent shelling in Martakert, Ocober 15, 2020
Armenia and Azerbaijan have reached a new agreement to halt hostilities in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, the Armenian Foreign Ministry announced late on
Saturday.
In a short statement, the ministry said the “humanitarian ceasefire” will take
effect at midnight. It gave no other details.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry confirmed the information, reported the Russian
news agency RIA Novosti.
French President Emmanuel Macron swiftly welcomed the announcement.
“This ceasefire must be unconditional and strictly observed by both parties.
France will be very attentive to this and will remain committed so that
hostilities cease permanently and that credible discussions can quickly begin,”
Macron’s office said in a statement cited by Reuters.
The conflicting parties already reached such an agreement on October 10 during
talks in Moscow mediated by Russia. Fighting along the Armenian-Azerbaijani
“line of contact” did not stop, however, with each side accusing the other of
not respecting the deal.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry announced the new agreement shortly after Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov again spoke with his Armenian and Azerbaijani
counterparts in separate phone calls.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov “stressed the need to strictly
observe” the agreement brokered by Moscow. He also emphasized the importance of
Baku’s and Yerevan’s October 10 pledge to start “substantive negotiations” on a
Karabakh settlement that has long been favored by Russia, the United States and
France.
Earlier this week Lavrov urged the conflicting parties to work out “ceasefire
verification mechanism” that would involve the deployment of “military
observers” to the conflict zone. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian
backed the idea.
A senior aide to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Friday that Baku
does not consider the presence of such observers necessary “right now.”
Armenia To Ban Imports From Turkey
• Robert Zargarian
Armenia - Deputy Prime Minister or Armenia Mher Grigorian.
The Armenian government has announced plans to ban the import of all Turkish
goods in response to Turkey’s military support for Azerbaijan in the ongoing war
in Nagorno-Karabakh.
A relevant draft decision publicized by the government on Friday cites Ankara’s
“inflammatory calls,” arms supplies to Baku and “deployment of terrorist
mercenaries to the conflict zone.” It says the measure is meant to not only hurt
Turkey financially but also neutralize “various kinds of dangers” relating to
imports of goods from the “hostile country.”
The ban, if formally approved by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s cabinet, will
come into effect on December 31 and remain in force for six months. Government
officials do not exclude that it will be extended.
According to government data cited by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian,
Armenia imported $268 million worth of Turkish-manufactured products last year.
That includes about $70 million worth of clothing and machinery and other
equipment worth $35 million.
Grigorian acknowledged on Saturday that the ban could have some “negative”
impact on the Armenian economy.
“But in this case the cost of [existing] risks is much higher than the possible
negative impact,” Grigorian told reporters. “And I’m sure that the negative
impact will be temporary and the market will quickly adapt to the new situation.”
Grigorian said Armenian businesspeople will not have trouble importing the same
types of goods from other countries or manufacturing them in Armenia. The
government plans to subsidize loans designed for such import substitution, he
said.
Traders selling goods at a retail market in Yerevan largely welcomed the
government plans.
“We have lots of alternatives,” one of them told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “We
also bring stuff from China and Moscow. We must also spur local manufacturing.”
Turkey has refused to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia and kept the
border between the two states closed since the early 1990s out of solidarity
with Azerbaijan. It has also banned all imports from Armenia.
Canadian Embargo Hailed By Armenia, Criticized By Turkey
ARMENIA -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian talks with Canadian Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau during a farewell ceremony in Yerevan, Armenia October
13, 2018
Armenia has praised Canada for suspending the export to Turkey of some drone
technology reportedly used by Azerbaijan in the ongoing war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced the temporary
ban on October 5 just over a week after the outbreak of the worst hostilities in
the Karabakh conflict zone since the early 1990s.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry responded by accusing the Canadian government of
showing a double standard.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the ban with Canadian Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau in a phone call late on Friday. He reportedly told
Trudeau that it is “against the spirit of alliance.”
Turkey and Canada are both members of NATO.
Trudeau also called his Armenian counterpart Nikol Pashinian. A statement by
Pashinian’s office said the latter “thanked Canada for suspending the export of
military goods to Turkey.”
Pashinian denounced Turkey’s “destructive involvement in hostilities and the
unacceptable aspiration to impose its influence in the South Caucasus,” said the
statement.
Yerevan says that Ankara has also deployed Turkish military personnel and Syrian
mercenaries to Azerbaijan and is blocking international efforts to stop the
fighting. Ankara and Baku deny that.
Canadian arms control group Project Ploughshares says video of air strikes
carried out by Azerbaijani army drones indicates that they are equipped with
imaging and targeting systems made by L3Harris Wescam, the Canada-based firm.
The Globe and Mail daily reported earlier this month that L3Harris Wescam
received permission this year to ship seven systems to Turkish drone maker
Baykar.
According to exports data cited by the Reuters news agency, Turkey’s military
exports to its ally Azerbaijan have risen six-fold this year, with sales of
drones and other military equipment rising to $77 million last month alone.
Yerevan Reports More Russian Efforts To Halt Karabakh War
• Artak Hambardzumian
NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- Lccal people look the remains of a rocket shell on a street
after recent shelling in Stepanakert, October 15, 2020
Armenia said on Saturday Russia that has tried unsuccessfully to organize a
meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani military officials in another attempt to
stop hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
According to a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, representatives
of the Armenian Defense Ministry accepted the Russian invitation and flew to
Moscow this week, but the meeting did not take place because their Azerbaijani
counterparts did not show up.
The official, Mane Gevorgian, said this is further proof that Azerbaijan is
unwilling to respect a Russian-mediated ceasefire agreement that was reached by
the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers on October 10. Speaking to
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, Gevorgian suggested that the Russian initiative was
scuttled by Turkey.
Russian officials have made no public statements on Moscow’s alleged attempt to
organize such a meeting in Moscow. Baku did not immediately comment on
Gevorgian’s claim.
Russia as well as the United States and France have urged the conflicting
parties to honor the ceasefire agreement. Moscow is also pressing the parties to
work out “ceasefire verification mechanism” that would involve the deployment of
“military observers” to the conflict zone.
A senior aide to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Friday that Baku
does not consider the presence of such observers necessary “right now.”
Hostilities in and around Karabakh are continuing, with the Azerbaijani forces
again shelling the Karabakh capital Stepanakert late on Friday and the following
night. Three local residents were reportedly wounded as a result.
AZERBAIJAN -- A man shows remnants of a missile after allegedly Armenian
shelling in the village of Baharli in the Agdam region, 15 October 2020.
For its part, Azerbaijan reported early on Saturday a fresh Armenian missile
strike on Azerbaijan’s second largest city of Gyanja which it said left 13 local
civilians dead. Aliyev condemned the strike as a war crime.
Karabakh’s Armenian-backed back responded by releasing a list of Azerbaijani
military bases and other facilities located in Gyanja. It described them as
“legitimate targets.”
Also, the Armenian authorities said that Azerbaijani army drones attacked
military and civilian targets in Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province on
Friday night. The Foreign Ministry in Yerevan said Baku keeps trying to “expand
the geography of the conflict.”
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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