Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Another Armenian Mayor Prosecuted
December 23, 2020
Armenia -- The Investigative Committee building in Yerevan.
Law-enforcement authorities moved on Wednesday to arrest another Armenian town
mayor who has demanded Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s resignation and backed
protests against his rule.
The Investigative Committee asked an Armenian court to remand Manvel Paramazian
in pre-trial custody after charging him with kidnapping and violent assault.
Paramazian has run Kajaran, an industrial town in Armenia’s southeastern Syunik
province, since 2016. He was among the heads of more than a dozen local
communities who issued earlier this month statements condemning Pashinian’s
handling of the war with Azerbaijan and demanding his resignation. They accused
him of putting Syunik’s security at grave risk with Armenian troop withdrawals
completed over the weekend.
The mayors encouraged hundreds of local residents who blocked a regional highway
to disrupt Pashinian’s visit to Syunik on Monday. One of them, Arush Arushanian,
was detained hours before the protest.
A Yerevan court ordered the Investigative Committee to free Arushanian on
Tuesday. Nevertheless, the law-enforcement agency leveled a string of criminal
charges against the mayor of the town of Goris and asked for a court permission
to arrest him again. Arushanian rejected the accusations as politically
motivated.
Paramazian spoke to journalists when he arrived at the Investigative Committee
headquarters in Yerevan for an interrogation on Wednesday morning. The Kajaran
mayor again denounced Pashinian and demanded his resignation.
In a statement issued in the evening, the committee said Paramazian has been
charged with kidnapping and beating up, together with several other men, a
Kajaran resident who assaulted his father in April this year. It said five other
individuals were indicted earlier as part of the same criminal case.
Police arrested four of those men in May, sparking protests by hundreds of
Kajaran residents sympathetic to Paramazian. Investigators searched the mayor’s
home but did not prosecute him at the time.
Opposition Party Wants Another Russian Military Base In Armenia
December 23, 2020
• Karlen Aslanian
Armenia -- Edmon Marukian, the leader of the opposition Bright Armenia Party, at
a news conference in Yerevan, December 23, 2020.
Russia should set up a second military base in Armenia to guarantee the South
Caucasus country’s territorial integrity after the war in Nagorno-Karabakh, the
leader of a major Armenian opposition party said on Wednesday.
Edmon Marukian made a case for the deployment of Russian troops in Armenia’s
southeastern Syunik province bordering Iran as well as Azerbaijani districts
southwest of Karabakh.
Azerbaijani forces mostly recaptured two of those districts during the six-week
war stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire on November 10. Parts of the
Zangelan and Kubatli districts adjacent to Syunik remained under Armenian
control until last week.
Armenian army units and local militias completed their withdrawal from those
areas at the weekend amid angry protests staged by many local residents. The
latter say that they can no longer feel safe because Azerbaijani forces will now
be stationed dangerously close to their communities as well as a strategic
highway passing through the mountainous region.
“People have fears and I will dare to say those fears must be eliminated,”
Marukian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
“The only way to to allay those fears and save Syunik from depopulation and
preserve the province as Armenia’s backbone now is to deploy a Russian military
base there,” he said.
Armenia -- Russian soldiers hold a military exercise at the Alagyaz shooting
range, September 24, 2020.
Russia currently has up to 5,000 troops mainly stationed along Armenia’s closed
border with Turkey. Marukian argued that their Soviet-era base headquartered in
Gyumri has successfully precluded Turkish “infringements” of his country’s
internationally recognized territory.
The Armenian-Turkish border is also protected by Russian border guards in
collaboration with their Armenian colleagues.
The Russian military and border guards have already set up several outposts in
Syunik over the past two months. The Armenian Defense Ministry said late last
week that the border guards will also patrol sections of the main regional
highway straddling the Soviet-era Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
Marukian’s Bright Armenia Party (LHK) is one of the two opposition groups
represented in the Armenian parliament. The LHK was until recently reputed to be
a pro-Western party. Its U.S.-educated leader has criticized Armenia’s
membership in Russian-led military and trade blocs in the past.
Marukian visited Moscow last week on what his aides described as a private trip.
He denied on Wednesday any connection between the trip and his calls for
stronger Russian military presence in Armenia.
Dozens Of Karabakh Civilians ‘Still Missing’
December 23, 2020
• Marine Khachatrian
NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- A fragment of a Smerch rocket sticks out of the ground near
the town of Martuni, October 26, 2020
About 40 civilian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh remain unaccounted for more than
one month after a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement stopped the
Armenian-Azerbaijani war, a senior official in Stepanakert said on Wednesday.
“According to various reports, it is very likely that some of these 40 people
have also been killed,” Artak Beglarian, Karabakh’s human rights ombudsman, told
a news conference. “The information will be updated.”
Beglarian said he hopes that most of these missing persons are held captive in
Azerbaijan or are hiding in areas seized by the Azerbaijani army during the war
and will return home soon.
Azerbaijan has so far confirmed the deaths of two Karabakh Armenians held in
Azerbaijani captivity. Both elderly civilians lived in Karabakh villages
currently controlled by Baku.
The ceasefire agreement which took effect on November 10 requires the warring
sides to release all prisoners of war and civilians held by them. Armenia and
Azerbaijan exchanged the first groups of such prisoners on December 14. They
included 14 ethnic Armenian civilians.
Echoing statements by Armenian officials, Beglarian claimed that Baku is still
holding dozens of other prisoners and refusing to acknowledge this fact which he
said is corroborated by amateur videos posted on Azerbaijani social media
accounts.
Beglarian said the missing persons do not include 21 other Karabakh residents
who his office believes were captured and killed by Azerbaijani forces. The
bodies of the vast majority of these victims have already returned by
Azerbaijani authorities or recovered otherwise, he added.
Earlier this month, Britain’s The Guardian daily examined gruesome videos that
show men in Azerbaijani army uniforms beheading two elderly men recognized by
their Karabakh Armenian relatives and neighbors.
“The ethnic Armenian men were non-combatants, people in their respective
villages said,” the paper wrote on December 15.
“The villagers’ testimony in interviews with the Guardian corroborates
identifications by a human rights ombudsman for the Armenian-backed local
government [Artak Beglarian] and two prominent Armenian human rights lawyers
preparing a criminal case relating to the murders,” it said.
EU Approves More Coronavirus Aid To Armenia
December 23, 2020
The European Union announced on Wednesday 24 million euros ($29 million) in
additional financial assistance designed to help Armenia cope with the
coronavirus pandemic and its severe socioeconomic consequences.
The EU Delegation in Yerevan said the aid will support the Armenian government’s
“healthcare and anti-crisis measures for vulnerable groups and businesses
affected by COVID-19.”
“We have already disbursed around Euro 60 million this year in direct
grant-based budget support to Armenia to tackle COVID-19 and more is yet to
come,” the head of the delegation, Andrea Wiktorin, said in a statement. “Our
assistance is expected to help implement important economic reforms, preserve
jobs and small businesses and promote inclusive growth in Armenia.”
The statement also quoted Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian as
saying that it “will greatly contribute to Armenia’s recovery from the pandemic.”
The latest allocation is part of a 92 million-euro coronavirus-related aid
package for Armenia approved by the EU in April.
The pandemic has hit the country of about 3 million hard, with 155,440
coronavirus cases and at least 2,691 deaths officially confirmed so far. The
Armenian Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday morning the deaths of 20 more
people infected with the disease.
The pandemic is also the main reason why the Armenian economy is projected to
shrink by more than 7 percent this year after three consecutive years of robust
growth.
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.
Month: December 2020
ANN/Armenian News Conversation with ARF’s Arthur Khachatryan – 12/19/2020
Armenian News Network / Armenian News
Conversation on Armenian News: Conversation with ARF’s Arthur Khachatryan
ANN/Armenian News
December 19, 2020
Guest
-
Arthur Khachatryan
-
Hovik Manucharyan
-
Asbed Bedrossian
Hello and welcome to the Armenian News Network, Armenian News. We’ll be talking about the demands of the political opposition in Armenia for a provisional government to lead the country out of the crisis following the catastrophic loss in the war in Artsakh.
This episode was recorded on Thursday, December 17, 2020.
Following the trilateral Karabakh ceasefire of Nov 9, the Armenian opposition has nearly universally condemned Nikol Pashinyan’s agreement to the deal.
The largest opposition grouping, called Movement of the Salvation of the Homeland (Հայրենիքի փրկության շաժում in Armenian), composed of 17 political parties including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), Prosperous Armenia, and the Republican Party, are demanding Pashinyan’s immediate resignation and the appointment of their unified candidate, Vazgen Manukyan as interim PM.
This group has been holding regular protests featuring a growing number of participants, with the latest gathering Wednesday, December 17, estimated to be 20K in size.
Today, we’ll be talking with a representative of one of the political forces behind the movement, to better understand the internal political developments in Armenia and specifically the goals of the Movement of the Salvation of the Homeland.
To talk about these issues, we are joined by:
Arthur Khachatryan, who is a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF Dashnaktsutyun) Supreme Council in Yerevan. In the past, he held government posts such as Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Development, Governor of Shirak, and Minister of Agriculture. Currently, Arthur is a professor of finance at the French University of Armenia and lectures on Leadership at the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia.
What made the ARF Dashnaktsutyun join forces with the 16 other political parties and what is the broad position of the movement, and the ARF specifically?
Especially during the earlier days of the protest, we heard that many of the organizers of the protests were being detained by police and national security forces. Can you say that police intimidation is still taking place and how has it affected the leadership of the protests?
Nikol Pashinyan criticized this movement for being an “elitist protest”, not representative of the entire Armenian populace. How would you respond to that?
How does the ARF differentiate from the wider opposition goals, especially during the “provisional” 6-12-month period that you suggest? Specifically, we’ve heard Vazgen Manukyan express a position on foreign funding of Armenian NGOs for instance. Is that position also shared by the ARF?
What do you think of the government’s proposal and effort to change the electoral code? Is this a change that should be prioritized in the interim period?
The Alliance settled on Vazgen Manukyan as the interim Prime Minister to head a provisional government and lead to preterm elections. As the politics evolve in Yerevan, if the situation requires that a different potential candidate be nominated, would the ARF support that? What are the red lines for the ARF about who might or might not be acceptable as an interim Prime Minister?
During the 2018 elections the ARF didn’t receive sufficient votes to gain any seats in the parliament. What are your party’s plans for becoming a relevant political force, represented in the parliament in Armenia? What is your party’s vision for Armenia over the next 5-10 years?
That concludes this Conversation On Armenian News. We hope it was helpful in your understanding of some of the issues involved. We look forward to your feedback, including your suggestions for Conversation topics in the future. Contact us on our website, at groong.org, or on our Facebook Page “ANN – Armenian News”, or in our Facebook Group “Armenian News – Armenian News Network”.
Special thanks to Laura Osborn for providing the music for our podcast. On behalf of everyone in this episode, we wish you a good week. Thank you for listening and we’ll talk to you soon.
YouTube Apple Google Spotify Facebook
Armenia, Artsakh, Karabakh, Opposition, Salvation of the Homeland, ARF, Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Dashnaktsutyun, Arthur Khachatryan, Stepanakert
ANN/Armenian News Conversation – Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Demarcation – 12/22/2020
Armenian News Network / Armenian News
Conversation on Armenian News: Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Demarcations
ANN/Armenian News
December 22, 2020
Guest
-
George Tabakian
-
Asbed Kotchikian
-
Hovik Manucharyan
-
Asbed Bedrossian
Hello and welcome to the Armenian News Network, Armenian News. Today we’ll be talking about issues related to delimitation and demarcation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
This episode was recorded on Thursday, December 19th, 2020.
In recent weeks the issue of determining the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan has received a lot of attention and raised many questions. In today’s episode we will try to understand the processes by which international borders are drawn, by looking at border issues within the former USSR and then focusing on the current Armenia-Azerbaijan border demarcation.
To talk about these issues, we are joined by:
Asbed Kotchikian, who is a senior lecturer of political science and international relations at Bentley University in Massachusetts.
And
George Tabakian, who is a lebanese-Armenian who repatriated to Armenia in 2011. He is the Co-founder of Repat Armenia Foundation and Sahman NGO and Executive director of Arar Foundation which works mainly on projects with MOD of Armenia.
How are international borders among and between countries determined? What are the various phases of Delimitation, demarcation, delineation? How are borders agreed upon?
What were borders like within the USSR , and how were they regarded after the collapse of the Soviet Union?
Soviet nationalities policies along with Korenizatsya drew and redrew maps within the USSR especially in Central Asia but other places as well (Fergana Valley, Crimea, etc.)
When the USSR dissolved those internal boundaries became international ones but not without disputes. Former Yugloslvia is similar, and a good study.
Where is the Armenia-Azerbaijan border today? How is that border being determined? George Tabakian presents a slide deck and discusses the process, pitfalls and concerns.
That concludes this week’s Conversation On Armenian News. We hope it has helped your understanding of some of the issues involved. We look forward to your feedback, including your suggestions for Conversation topics in the future. Contact us on our website, at groong.org, or on our Facebook Page “ANN – Armenian News”, or in our Facebook Group “Armenian News – Armenian News Network”.
Special thanks to Laura Osborn for providing the music for our podcast. Thank you for listening and we’ll talk to you soon.
YouTube Apple Google Spotify Facebook
Border demarcations, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Artsakh, Karabakh, War, Syunik, Karvachar, Kashatagh, Lebanon, Israel, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Blue Line, Berkaber, Artsvashen, Sofullu, Barkhudarli, Tigranashen, Voskepar, Aygepar, Alibeili, Vorotan, Vorotan, Eyvazli, Shurnukh, Ghazanchi, Spitakashen,
Additional: Democratization, liberalization, YSU,
ANN/Armenian News Conversation with Bright Armenia leader Edmon Marukyan – 12/23/2020
Armenian News Network / Armenian News
Conversation on Armenian News: Conversation with LHK Leader Edmon Marukyan
ANN/Armenian News
December 23, 2020
Guest
-
Edmon Marukyan
-
Hovik Manucharyan
-
Asbed Bedrossian
Hello and welcome to the Armenian News Network, Armenian News. Today we are continuing our discussions with different representatives of the Armenian political opposition in the aftermath of the November 9 ceasefire agreement.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday, December 22, 2020.
Following the trilateral Karabakh ceasefire of Nov 9, all major political forces in Armenia (except for the ruling party) condemned Nikol Pashinyan’s agreement to the deal. While the dissatisfaction with the agreement is widespread, the opposition is not entirely unified on what to do next.
We’ll talk with the leader of one of the 2 parliamentary opposition factions, Bright Armenia about his, and his party’s vision and subsequent actions to be taken by Armenia.
What is Bright Armenia’s vision for post November, Armenia? Listen to this podcast to find out.
Today we’re joined by:
Edmon Marukyan, who is an Armenian lawyer and Member of National Assembly. Edmon holds two Master’s Degrees, one in Jurisprudence from the Public Administration Academy of Armenia and the second one in Law (LL.M.) with concentration in International Human Rights Law from the University of Minnesota Law School. In December 2015, Marukyan established the Bright Armenia Political Party and in October 2016, Bright Armenia participated in local-self- government elections of Vanadzor and came in second after the ruling party. In December 2016, in cooperation with “Civic Contract” and “Republic” parties, “Bright Armenia” formed a political coalition named “Way Out” (or Yelq), electing Edmon Marukyan to lead the proportional list of the Coalition in parliamentary elections of April 2, 2017. The “Way Out” Coalition came in third out of four political powers forming the new Parliament. In the snap elections of December 2018, after the dissolution of parliament following the Velvet Revolution, in which 11 political powers took part, Bright Armenia Party, led by Marukyan came in third, taking 18 seats out of 132. Currently Edmon Marukyan leads the Bright Armenia Faction in the National Assembly of Armenia.
Bright Armenia’s position on the causes of the war as well as on the Nov. 9 ceasefire agreement.
Bright Armenia has not joined the movement of 17 political parties, called the Homeland Salvation Movement, that are publicly protesting in the streets. What are the party’s views and strategies that keep Bright Armenia on its separate path as an opposition party?
Nikol Pashinyan has characterized the opposition protests so far as elitist and unrepresentative of society. Additionally, his team claims that he still has significant support from the population at large, citing the apparently large turnout during his march to Yerablur. What is your assessment of Armenian voters’ support for Im Qayl? How can anyone measure the level of support that the PM, Vazken Manukyan or you yourself have?
What are the common denominators between your party and the 17 opposition parties? Are there any issues of contestation?
Media reports suggest that the government is trying to accelerate efforts to change the electoral code in Armenia, potentially in preparation for calling snap parliamentary elections (potentially without an “interim” period where the prime minister would resign). As a member of parliament are you aware of efforts to speed up changes to the electoral code? And what is your opinion on this strategy in general?
Where do you see Bright Armenia in Armenia’s political landscape and in general, what is your party’s vision for Armenia over the next 5-10 years?
That concludes this Conversation On Armenian News. We hope it was helpful in your understanding of some of the issues involved. We look forward to your feedback, including your suggestions for Conversation topics in the future. Contact us on our website, at groong.org, or on our Facebook Page “ANN – Armenian News”, or in our Facebook Group “Armenian News – Armenian News Network”.
Special thanks to Laura Osborn for providing the music for our podcast. On behalf of everyone in this episode, we wish you a good week. Thank you for listening and we’ll talk to you soon.
YouTube Apple Google Spotify Facebook
Bright Armenia, Edmon Marukyan, Armenia, Artsakh, Karabakh, Opposition, Salvation of the Homeland, Nikol Pashinyan, National Assembly
ANN/Armenian News – Week in Review – 12/13/2020
Armenian News Network / Armenian News
Armenian News: Week in Review
ANN/Armenian News
December 13, 2020
Guests
-
Pietro Shakarian
-
Emil Sanamyan
-
Hovik Manucharyan
-
Asbed Bedrossian
Hello, and welcome to the Armenian News Network, Armenian News, Week in Review for Sunday December 13, 2020. We’ll be talking to our guests about the following major topics:
-
Renewed Fighting & OSCE Minsk Group Visit
-
Expedited Border Demarcations?
-
What will happen to Sotq?
-
Diplomatic Relations with Azerbaijan?
To talk about these issues, we have with us:
Emil Sanamyan, who is a senior research fellow at USC’s Institute of Armenian Studies specializing in politics in the Caucasus, with a special focus on Azerbaijan.
and
Pietro Shakarian who is a historian and a Ph.D. candidate in Russian History at the Ohio State University. His analyses on Russia, Armenia, and the post-Soviet space have appeared in several publications, including The Nation, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Russian International Affairs Council, Russia Direct, Hetq, and more.
This episode was recorded on Sunday, December 13, 2020
The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Dec. 11 that Azerbaijani armed forces launched an attack on the line of contact in the area of Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd villages in the Hadrut region. As of today, it appears that Azerbaijani forces had taken control of Hin Tagher and Mt. Dizapayt and have reached the outskirts of Khtsaberd. Per the announcement, six Armenian servicemen received injuries.
While Russian peacekeepers were reported to be trying to restore calm in this area, we also heard news that fighting is also ongoing in the direction of Mets Shen and Hin Shen villages which are close to the Lachin corridor.
Prior to the MFA announcement, the initial response from Mane Gevorgyan, Pashinyan’s spokesperson was as follows: “The attack of the Azerbaijani forces in Hin Tagher-Khtsaberd direction should receive reaction from Russian peacekeepers in the first place"
This fighting was going on while the OSCE Minsk Group was in Baku on December 12 and due to visit Yerevan the following day. During this meeting, Ilham Aliyev had a firm derogatory stance toward the group and chided the organization for failing to resolve the conflict in over two decades. He also gloated about being able to resolve it by force. If you watch the video, it is hard to find a moment where the OSCE co-chairs were able to look Aliyev in the eye.
It is also noteworthy that during this meeting OSCE MG co-chairs several times referred to new realities on the ground. Furthermore, their statement from Dec 3 omits any mention of territorial integrity and self-determination and only refers to the principle of “non-use-of-force”.
Do we see the OSCE MG remaining relevant here? What remains of their role?
In a parliament hearing on Dec. 9, Tigran Avinyan indicated that a border demarcation process is currently underway between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Avinyan said that the negotiations will start this year and will be done under a strict deadline. What was notable is that Avinyan mentioned that Soviet maps from 1928-29 will be used as the basis for this demarcation (among other maps).
What is the urgency of officially demarcating the borders now? Why did Avinyan emphasize 1928-29 maps? Are they advantageous for Armenia?
If Armenia were to recognize Soviet Azerbaijani borders, what would that mean for the status of Karabakh. How will that affect recognition of Artsakh either as an independent state or even as an autonomous region in Azerbaijan? According to a resolution of Armenia Parliament in 1992, the Republic of Armenia is obligated to protect and support the Republic of Artsakh and any document where Artsakh is mentioned as part of Azerbaijan would be unacceptable to Armenia.
One of the key issues that is certain to be discussed during the border demarcations is the destiny of the Sotq gold mine. Since the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Kelbajar, Azerbaijan seems to be claiming half of the mine and has sent a military unit to the area to set up an observation post.
In response to the outcry from this incident, Armenian officials, including Pashinyan seemed to confirm this.
This is a big deal since Sotq mine is Armenia’s 4th largest taxpayer and the mine has now announced that it plans to cut back its operations significantly until this issue is resolved.
While we covered this in the past, I’d like to bring up just one issue as a result of my discussions with a former US state department employee.
The Sotq mine was privatized in 1997 and at that time. Because a US company was interested in acquiring the mine (and because of Azerbaijani complaints resulting from it), the US State Department conducted a thorough survey of the territory between July – August of 97) and they found that the mine was completely on the Armenian side.
I was told that this document may possibly be obtained as a result of a FOIA request. If any journalist wishes to submit such a request, please contact us and we can provide more detailed information that should help narrow-down your request.
What could be the repercussions if the mine is split between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
On December 8, Andranik Kocharyan from My Step made a provocative speech in the parliament arguing that Armenia should try to establish dialogue with Azerbaijan and not delay attempts to establish diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan. That was only a few days before the military parade in Baku where Aliyev claimed that not only Karabakh, but also Zangezur, Sevan, and even Yerevan are historical Azerbaijani lands.
Is this likely to happen?
That concludes our program for This week’s Armenian News Week in Review. We hope it has helped your understanding of some of the current issues. We look forward to your feedback, and even your suggestions for issues to cover in greater depth. Contact us on our website, at groong.org, or on our Facebook Page “ANN – Armenian News”, or in our Facebook Group “Armenian News – Armenian News Network”.
Special thanks to Laura Osborn for providing the music for our podcast. On behalf of everyone in this episode, we wish you a good week. Thank you for listening and we’ll talk to you next week.
YouTube Apple Google Spotify Facebook
OSCE Minsk Group, Sotq Mine, Border Demarcation, Diplomatic Relations, Emil Sanamyan, Pietro Shakarian, Hadrut
Additional: Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Hin Tagher, Mt. Dizapayt, Khtsaberd, Mets Shen, Hin Shen, Mane Gevorgyan, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Baku Parade, Enver Pasha, Nuri Pasha, Shushi, Tigran Avinyan, Andranik Kocharyan, Zangezur, Sevan, Yerevan
ANN/Armenian News – Week in Review – 12/20/2020
Armenian News Network / Armenian News
Armenian News: Week in Review
ANN/Armenian News
December 20, 2020
Guests
-
Asbed Kotchikian
-
Irina Safaryan
-
Emil Sanamyan
-
Hovik Manucharyan
-
Asbed Bedrossian
Hello, and welcome to the Armenian News Network, Armenian News, Week in Review for Sunday December 20, 2020. We’ll be talking to our guests about the following major topics:
-
Life in Artsakh
-
Update on Hin Tagher & Khtsaberd
-
Internal Political Situation in Yerevan
-
Kapan Border Tension
To talk about these issues, we have with us:
Dr. Asbed Kotchikian, who is a senior lecturer of political science and international relations at Bentley University in Massachusetts where he teaches courses on the Middle East and former Soviet space.
Irina Safaryan, who is originally from Hadrut, living in Stepanakert. Irina is a social activist, initiative member of the #ArtsakhsVoiceMatters movement, and co-founder and coordinator of Stepanakert Wikipedia Club.
and
Emil Sanamyan, who is a senior research fellow at USC’s Institute of Armenian Studies specializing in politics in the Caucasus, with a special focus on Azerbaijan.
This episode was recorded on Sunday, December 20, 2020
Irina Safaryan gives us an overview of the way daily life in Stepanakert is developing, the top challenges and issues facing people every day.
Where are Hadrutsis currently living? When did they have to evacuate their city? Who’s caring for them?
Around 10 days ago the Azeri army initiated new actions against Armenians to take over the villages of Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd. These towns formed a peninsula extending out of the Armenian controlled areas of Artsakh and were difficult to defend, and after quick negotiations, Russians decided that if Armenian forces could defend it, then they could keep it, otherwise it was not worth defending. So this area was ceded to Azerbaijan following a minor skirmish.
The alliance of over 17 opposition parties now named Salvation of the Homeland is continuing to hold daily protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Pahinyan. They have aligned behind Vazgen Maanukyan as their choice of an interim prime minister for a provisional government tasked with leading the country out of this political crisis and hold new elections within 6-12 months. Among these parties only the BHK – Prosperous Armenia Party – is represented in parliament. Another party represented in the parliament, Bright Armenia, led by Edmon Marukyan, also demands the resignation of PM Pashinyan, but with Marukyan taking the prime ministership.
Where is the crisis headed?
While villages in Armenia have not been ceded to Azerbaijan, many heights very near border towns are now occupied by enemy forces. What is the security situation in Kapa region, and the M12 highway?
That concludes our program for this week’s Armenian News Week in Review. We hope it has helped your understanding of some of the current issues. We look forward to your feedback, and even your suggestions for issues to cover in greater depth. Contact us on our website, at groong.org, or on our Facebook Page “ANN – Armenian News”, or in our Facebook Group “Armenian News – Armenian News Network”.
Special thanks to Laura Osborn for providing the music for our podcast. On behalf of everyone in this episode, we wish you a good week. Thank you for listening and we’ll talk to you next week.
YouTube Apple Google Spotify Facebook
Armenia, Karabakh, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Hin Tagher, Khtsaberd, Edmon Marukyan, Vazgen Manukyan, Yerevan, Nikol Pashinyan
Armenia village head: Azerbaijanis are in Shurnukh, they are standing in front of 12 houses
News.am, Armenia
Dec 24 2020
12:44, 24.12.2020
The Azerbaijanis are currently in Shurnukh village; demarcation works are being carried out. Armenia’s Shurnukh village mayor Hakob Arshakyan informed Armenian News-NEWS.am about this.
"They came about 20 minutes ago, they are in front of 12 houses—on the highway; they are measuring. It’s them, the Russians, our border guards," Arshakyan said, noting that the new Armenian-Azerbaijani border had not been finalized at this sector yet.
It should be noted that in case of drawing this new border by GPS and the motorway, this village will be divided into two parts, and 12 of its houses will pass to the Azerbaijani side.
Earlier, the Shurnukh village mayor had stated that they would fight in every way to keep the village completely Armenian.
Armenia premier: There were cases when identification of victims’ bodies was not conducted very accurately
News.am, Armenia
Dec 24 2020
Armenia premier: There were cases when identification of victims’ bodies was not conducted very accurately
13:31, 24.12.2020
YEREVAN. – We have a body identification process with DNA tests. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting of the government of Armenia, and regarding the identification of the bodies of the Armenians who were killed in the recent Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war.
According to him, in order to speed up this process, the Ministry of Health has acquired the second respective equipment, which is on the way.
In his turn, the Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan stated that the new equipment will enable doubling the capacity of identifying the bodies as soon as possible.
Pashinyan, for his part, noted that there had been cases, however, when the identification of the bodies of the victims was not conducted very accurately. "But such cases are also considered the rule," he added in particular.
Armenia’s Pashinyan: Border positioning taking place in Syunik Province
News.am, Armenia
Dec 24 2020
14:02, 24.12.2020
YEREVAN. – Border positioning works are taking place in Syunik Province, this positioning has some nuances and difficulties, but we are convinced that this work must take place and it is necessary from the point of view of ensuring the security of Syunik and Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting of the government.
"We are increasing the security guarantees of Syunik and the security guarantees of Armenia, and we are forming a new security system of Syunik and Armenia. [But] we have two settlements in connection with which certain issues may arise; one is about Vorotan [village], the second is about Shurnukh [village], where there are certain border issues around which daily work is done," the Prime Minister said.
Pashinyan added that these issues can lead to certain "painful" situations, but assured that the government will provide adequate compensation, and the interests of the affected Armenian citizens will be fully protected. "There has not been and cannot be a word about a single millimeter of concession from the internationally accepted, recognized territory [of Armenia], but this does not mean that these processes should be considered a demarcation of borders and a delimitation of borders. A positioning of border points is taking place with the aim of ensuring security [of Armenia]," the PM said.
Pashinyan noted that the government will fully compensate the affected people for their possible property damage.
What has Armenia done to return Artsakh to normal life?
News.am, Armenia
Dec 24 2020
What has Armenia done to return Artsakh to normal life?
14:23, 24.12.2020
YEREVAN. – At Thursday’s Cabinet meeting of the government of Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan summed up the measures that the country has taken to restore the normal life in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).
"The first is the program of assistance to the citizens registered in Artsakh, which [the program] is used by about 87 thousand beneficiaries. For this purpose, the government has allocated 6.4 billion drams.
The next measure is the program of assistance to the residents of the communities [now] outside the control of Artsakh. We have more than 2,000 beneficiaries here. The government has allocated more than 600 million drams.
We have allocated about 900 million drams to the Artsakh government to pay December pensions and benefits in Artsakh. We have allocated about 3.1 billion drams to the Artsakh government to pay the December salaries of state employees in Artsakh.
We have allocated about 1 billion drams for the full gratuitous compensation for the last three months of utility payments of the population of Artsakh.
All these decisions are related to the roadmap I published on November 18," said the Prime Minister.
He noted that in addition, the Armenian government had approved eight more measures that are underway and are also within the framework of the aforesaid roadmap.