CIVILNET.AM
1 February, 2021 22:14
✓Dimitry Medvedev calls for Karabakh status issue resolution to be left for future.
✓Economic activity in Armenia decreases by 7.5%.
✓The Grey Wolves have begun constructing a school in Shushi.
Month: February 2021
CivilNet: UN Human Rights Commissioner says Karabakh Captives Must be Released
CIVILNET.AM
2 February, 2021 03:38
The UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner released a statement Monday calling for the prompt release of prisoners of war as well as the bodies of the fallen from the Karabakh War.
“We are alarmed at allegations that prisoners of war and other protected persons have been subjected to extrajudicial killing, enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment,” said the UN experts statement.
Dozens of Armenian POWs, many captured in Karabakh following the ceasefire agreement, continue to remain in captivity in Azerbaijan as human rights groups continue to express concern for their safety. Human rights activist and lawyer Siranush Sahakyan, who represents Armenian POWs in the European Court of Human Rights, says there are roughly 120 Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan today.
“No exceptional circumstances whatsoever – whether a state of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency – may be invoked as a justification of torture and enforced disappearances,” UN says. “Such acts, when perpetrated in armed conflict, may also constitute war crimes.”
Armenian human rights activists have expressed their frustration regarding the exchange of Armenian POWs and accused Azerbaijan of refusing to collaborate with Russia and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), both of which coordinate the exchanges. They say Azerbaijan is withholding important POW information, including identities and health conditions.
The UN says its experts “will continue to engage with the authorities of both countries and closely monitor the situation.”
The California Courier Online, February 4, 2021
1 - Pashinyan Made Yet Another Gaffe,
Implying that Shushi Was an Azeri City
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Armenia’s president congratulates Biden and Harris
3- Armenia continues to fight COVID-19 pandemic
4- Books by Chesnut Express Armenian, American Legacies
5- Serj Tankian Speaks ‘Truth to Power’ in New Documentary
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1 - Pashinyan Made Yet Another Gaffe,
Implying that Shushi Was an Azeri City
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
After ruling Armenia as Prime Minister for almost three years and most
importantly during the country’s recent disastrous defeat in the
Artsakh War, Nikol Pashinyan keeps making mistake after mistake and
misstatement after misstatement.
As I have written before, regrettably Pashinyan is not competent to
lead Armenia. He is more of a protester and a critic, who does not
possess the necessary skills and experience to be the head of state.
The Artsakh War made the situation in the country even worse and
exposed Pashinyan’s inability to manage the plethora of Armenia’s
problems.
Armenians around the world had high hopes that, after getting rid of
the previous regime, Pashinyan would be able to lead Armenia into
prosperity and a degree a normalcy. The overwhelming majority of
Armenians supported him due to their complete hostility to the former
government.
Unfortunately, it turned out that Pashinyan was all talk and no
action. In addition to his lack of experience, he surrounded himself
with advisors and ministers who knew even less than he did. As a
result, neither he nor his government had the slightest chance to be
successful. The Artsakh War made matters worse. As the
Commander-in-Chief, he made error after error leading Armenia and
Artsakh to an indescribable disaster from which we will not recover
for decades, if ever. Pashinyan now insists that he should remain in
power to correct the grave problems of the country. One would be
extremely naïve to believe in such a promise. A leader who is
incompetent to lead in peace time and utterly fails during the war is
in no position to correct anything. He has made matters worse with his
misstatements and erroneous policies.
Several weeks ago, while addressing the Parliament, Pashinyan angered
many Armenians by describing as “unfortunate and pale” the historic
Armenian city of Shushi in Artsakh. There was no reason to use such
negative adjectives to describe a city which is the pride of all
Armenians.
More recently, during another appearance in Parliament, in response to
a question from a deputy about Shushi, Pashinyan made matters worse
for himself, when he said: “Shushi before the conflict and the
liberation [in 1992], had an Azeri population of 90 and more percent.
In other words, you mean to say that the city of Shushi with an Azeri
population of 90 and more percent is Armenian with that status?”
A huge outcry erupted among Armenians around the world after
Pashinyan’s unfortunate words. This was yet another self-inflicted
wound. A few days later, during Pashinyan’s visit to Yeraplour, the
cemetery where fallen Armenian soldiers are buried, when a journalist
questioned him about his statement in Parliament on Shushi, he said
that he would give an answer if the reporter put her question in
writing. The following day, the journalist wrote Pashinyan’s words on
a large placard and read them aloud, while standing in front of the
Prime Minister’s building. Even though one of Pashinyan’s supporters
attacked the journalist and tore up her placard, the Prime Minister
kept his word and on his Facebook page addressed the controversy
during a live video.
In his response, Pashinyan first accused the media of manipulating his
words. He repeated that in the early 1990’s Azeris consisted of over
90 percent or rather 96 percent of Shushi residents. He went on to
state: “How Shushi could be considered under Armenian control by its
status when 96 percent of the population was Azerbaijani?” Pashinyan
then mentioned the offer by Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on
October 19, 2020, several weeks before the end of the war, to accept
Armenia’s demand for a ceasefire on condition that Armenians allow the
return of the former Azeri residents to Shushi, under Armenian rule.
Pashinyan made several errors in his original statement and subsequent
failed attempt to set the record straight. Actually, he had no reason
to go into such a convoluted and false argument. He had just to say
that he rejected Aliyev’s offer because allowing Azeris to return to
Shushi under Armenian control was unacceptable to him and most
Armenians. In fact, that’s exactly what Pashinyan told the President
of Russia, Vladimir Putin, when the latter relayed to him Aliyev’s
offer. Had Pashinyan limited his remarks to that fact, there would
have been no outcry in the Armenian world. There was no reason to say
that Shushi was mostly populated by Azeris prior to 1992, causing such
a controversy at a time when his power is waning and he is criticized
by a lot of Armenians, including many of his former supporters.
By mentioning the high percentage of Azeris living in Shushi in the
past, Pashinyan made several mistakes:
First of all, regardless of the number of Azeris who lived in Shushi,
it is a well-known fact that it has been an Armenian city for
centuries long before Azerbaijan existed. In 1920, after Azeris
massacred thousands of Armenians in Shushi and pursued a policy to
depopulate the city’s Armenians, their numbers were diminished
considerably. But Pashinyan provided no such background in his
misleading statement.
Secondly, Pashinyan was wrong to judge whether an area is Armenian or
not by its population at a particular time. For example, there are
hardly any Armenians now living in Nakhichevan or Western Armenia, but
Armenians still consider these territories to be a part of historic
Armenia.
Thirdly, it is understandable that accepting Aliyev’s offer to allow
former Azeri residents to return to Shushi, under Armenian control,
was a hard pill to swallow for Pashinyan and most Armenians, there is
an important issue to consider. How many Azeris would have returned to
Shushi to live under Armenian rule? Very few, if any. Pashinyan’s
implication that thousands of Azeris would have returned to Shushi,
making the city’s population again 96% Azeri was totally unrealistic.
No Azeri would have wanted to live in Shushi under Armenian rule, just
like no Armenian would risk living in territories controlled by
Azerbaijan.
Finally, Pashinyan’s refusal to accept Aliyev’s offer on October 19,
2020, meant that the war was prolonged until November 9, 2020, causing
the loss of much more Armenian territories to Azerbaijan. Furthermore,
Azeris took over Shushi completely and many more young Armenian
soldiers were killed or wounded. The consequences of Pashinyan’s
faulty decisions during the war were far worse than his misstatement
in Parliament and his subsequent lame effort to correct himself.
The Prime Minister should realize that the longer he clings to power,
the more he destabilizes the country. A defeated and incompetent
leader cannot improve the tragic situation in the country. The sooner
he leaves, the faster a new government can take over and try to reduce
the damages suffered by Armenia and Artsakh
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2- Armenia’s president congratulates Biden and Harris
(Aysor)—Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian congratulated Joe Biden
on assuming the presidency of the United States.
“I am convinced that during the upcoming years You will do everything
possible to ensure progress and noticeable achievements in Your
country. I expect that our cooperation will give an opportunity to
advance in Armenian-American friendly relations and promote the
long-awaited peace and stability in the region,” Armenia’s president
said in his message. Sarkissian also sent a congratulatory message to
Vice President, Kamala Harris.
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3 - Armenia continues to fight COVID-19 pandemic
The Armenian government has commissioned 600,000 doses of coronavirus
vaccines from WHO-backed COVAX; medical and social workers, seniors
and people suffering from chronic diseases will be the first to get
vaccine shots free of charge, and according to Gayane Sahakian, the
deputy director of the National Center for Disease Control and
Prevention,
The first COVAX-distributed vaccine is the one produced by
AstraZeneca, which will deliver it to COVAX in February or March.
According to the Ministry of Health, there were 6,204 active
coronavirus cases in Armenia as of January 25. Armenia has recorded
167,088 coronavirus cases and 3,084 deaths; 157,800 have recovered.
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4- Books by Chesnut Express Armenian, American Legacies
By Ellen Sarkisian Chesnut
From the killing fields of Marash, Turkey, in 1920 to America and from
the dustbowl in Amarillo, Tex., to California in 1935, We Armenians
Survived! Battle of Marash 1920 and Written Works of Glen Chesnut both
tell remarkable stories.
The first book relates the tale of immigration to America by a people
besieged by a government bent on their extermination.
The second written by my late husband weaves the narrative of
Americans leaving a parched homeland in Texas to literally greener
pastures in California.
I am very proud of being able to tell the story of my mother’s family
and the Armenians of Marash, Turkey by sharing the experiences of
eight Armenians who made it through the blood bath of Marash where
thousands were torched in their churches.
The author of The Media Monopoly, Ben Bagdikian, was newly born when
his family trekked out of Marash in one of the worst blizzards in
memory following behind the retreating French soldiers many of whom
were black Senegalese.
Dicran Berberian, at 17 years of age, learned of the murder of his
immediate family and others by none other than one of the perpetrators
who happened also to be his next door neighbor, a Turk, who proudly
showed Berberian his father’s pocket watch.
Berberian would later become the codiscoverer of plaquenil, an
anti-Malaria drug now known as hydroxychloroquine.
Glen, my husband of 45 years, was the youngest son of Sam and Ulta
Chesnut and had a remarkable story as well. Coming from a ranching
family, he quit high school in Tehachapi, Cal., for one year to work
as a cowboy. In later years he would become a merchant seaman and ship
out of San Francisco, when it was a great port city, and then out of
Oakland. Glen was a self-taught artist and a writer. Written Works
features some of his best flash fiction, poetry and short stories.
I invite you to visit his website to read more of his works not in the
book, don’t miss the art gallery of his paintings and multi-media
works and the photo gallery of pictures Glen took while stationed in
Germany in the early 1950s.
Go to https://glenchesnut.com to learn more. Glen’s book can be
ordered through Amazon in both an eBook and a paperback version and at
bookstores.
We Armenians Survived can be ordered at Abril Bookstore (818)
243-4112. www.abrilbooks.com); through Amazon in both eBook and
paperback versions. Abril Bookstore: All proceeds from book sales will
continue to go to Armenian charities.
This article appeared in The Alameda Sun on January 27, 2021.
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5- Serj Tankian Speaks ‘Truth to Power’ in New Documentary
In 2001, the band System Of A Down partnered with music producer Rick
Rubin to record their sophomore album. Against all odds, and during
one of the most painful and precarious months in American history, the
album Toxicity skyrocketed up the Billboard chart and catapulted to
Number One. But just as System Of A Down achieved their commercial
triumph, in a post-9/11 world their politically-charged lyrics were
suddenly the subject of scrutiny; they were thrust into headlines, and
their songs were pulled off the radio. The band’s global fan base saw
in frontman Serj Tankian a spokesperson for their disillusionment.
Tankian had always been outspoken and political, both on stage and
off, but when he found his message inspiring a popular movement on the
other side of the world, he began to realize that his music was more
revolutionary than even he could imagine. The documentary TRUTH TO
POWER follows Tankian down an unexpected path as his passion for human
rights and activism led him to become a social justice organizer in
Armenia. The film is fueled by interviews with Serj Tankian, System of
a Down band members, their producers, and fellow rock icons.
With exclusive interviews, adventures, and original footage personally
filmed by Serj, TRUTH TO POWER allows audiences backstage access to an
international rock star whose faith in music not only revolutionized
heavy metal, but also world events. Throughout his life, the musician
has pursued social justice, harnessing the power of his songs and
celebrity for real political change. Serj’s voice is equally likely to
take on American corporate greed as lambast the corrupt regime of his
homeland. His decades-long campaign for formal U.S. recognition of the
Armenian Genocide was finally approved by Congress in 2019.
TRUTH TO POWER is also an artist portrait with a revealing look at the
musician as he writes music—from inception to recording—and pursues
ambitions outside of the band. It includes memories from Rick Rubin on
System Of A Down’s early years breakthrough, the bandmates’ candid
insights about the splinters and highpoints for the group, and stories
from Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello on his bond with Serj as
social justice advocates and their “Axis of Justice’’ nonprofit.
“I was an activist before becoming an artist so the two always worked
together within me. As time went by the breath and diversity of my
activism and music progressed side by side,” says Tankian. He notes of
his activism, “I just do the work and don’t think about how I feel
about it. Justice requires daily adherence. That’s all.”
When asked about the war in Armenia, and how to help Armenians
worldwide, Tankian explains, “The post war period in Artsakh and
Armenia are very contentious. Azerbaijan still continues its
aggression and committing of war crimes while the people of Artsakh
suffer innumerable humanitarian catastrophes. We need to inspire the
global community to recognize Artsakh, sanction Turkey and Azerbaijan
and bring war crimes charges against those countries while raising
funds for humanitarian aid for those Victims who are suffering.”
TRUTH TO POWER (79 minutes) opens worldwide February 19, 2021. The
film is written and directed by Garin Hovannisian; produced by
Hovannisian and Tankian; executive produced by Joe Berlinger, Michael
Rapino and Ryan Kroft; with music by Serj Tankian.
For more information, visit www.truthtopowerfilm.com
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California Courier Online provides viewers of the Armenian News News Service
with a few of the articles in this week's issue of The California
Courier. Letters to the editor are encouraged through our e-mail
address, . However, authors are
requested to provide their names, addresses, and/or telephone numbers
to verify identity, if any question arises. California Courier
subscribers are requested not to use this service to change, or modify
mailing addresses. Those changes can be made through our e-mail,
, or by phone, (818) 409-0949.
Turkish press: Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia hold 1st meeting on Nagorno-Karabakh
A man reacts as he stands near a house set on fire by departing ethnic Armenians, in an area that had held under their military control but is soon to be turned over to Azerbaijan, in the village of Cherektar in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Nov. 14, 2020. (REUTERS)
The first meeting of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia's newly established trilateral group on Nagorno-Karabakh has taken place on Saturday in Moscow.
The meeting was co-chaired by deputy prime ministers of the three countries, according to a statement by the Russian government.
"The parties agreed to establish the expert subgroups related to railway, automobile and intermodal transport; transportation, including security, border, sanitary, veterinary, phytosanitary, and other types of control," the statement noted.
The expert groups will be established by Feb. 2 and they will hold their first meetings by Feb. 5.
The trilateral working group was scheduled to convene its next meeting in Moscow, with the date to be set by the co-chairs in due course.
On Jan.12, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on Monday signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire Caucasus region.
The trio met two months after a cease-fire deal ended a 44-day conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Premier Nikol Pashinian, Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the talks as "extremely important and useful."
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but had been under the occupation of ethnic Armenian separatists for nearly three decades.
After six weeks of fighting last year, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a Russia-brokered cease-fire for the region.
Under the agreement, Armenia must provide Azerbaijan with a safe transport link through its territory to the exclave of Nakhchivan, which borders Turkey.
Russian peacekeepers were also deployed to the region under the deal.
Meanwhile, on Saturday the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry announced that the joint Turkish-Russian observation center, established to monitor the cease-fire following the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, has come into operation.
The center, which both countries agreed to set up in November, officially opened in the Agdam region of Azerbaijan. Both Turkey and Russia will send up to 60 personnel each to run the center, the ministry said in a statement.
Later Saturday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilhan Aliyev. During the conversation, Aliyev congratulated Erdoğan on the launch of the joint observation center.
Turkey said on Friday that one Turkish general and 38 personnel will work at the center.
The Russian Defense Ministry, quoted by Interfax, said that "monitoring will be carried out through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as well as the evaluation of data received from other sources."
Turkish press: Talks with Turkey over Nagorno-Karabakh a must: Russia’s Medvedev
Russian President Vladimir Putin and then-Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev walk before a meeting with members of the government in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 15, 2020. (AFP Photo)
Negotiating with Turkey over the recently liberated Nagorno-Karabakh is a "reality" of the region, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev said Monday.
Speaking with a group of journalists for an interview, the former Russian president and prime minister highlighted Turkey's importance as a neighbor and a strategic partner of Russia while pointing at the well-established ties that Ankara has with Baku that necessitate its involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
According to Medvedev, there is a "fruitful dialogue" between Ankara and Moscow, as the leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, are in constant communication.
As far as the joint Turkish-Russian Observation Center that has recently become active is concerned, Medvedev expressed that the center is a part of forming general stability in the region.
"However, I would not regard this (the center) as a long-term political commitment or would avoid coming up with conspiracy theories over it. We have to realize the realities of our region. The reality is, today, we have to negotiate this issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis with our partners in Turkey," he emphasized.
On Saturday, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry announced that the joint Turkish-Russian observation center, established to monitor the cease-fire following the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, has come into operation.
The center, which both countries agreed to set up in November, officially opened in the Aghdam region of Azerbaijan. Both Turkey and Russia will send up to 60 personnel each to run the center, the ministry said in a statement.
Later Saturday, Erdoğan held a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilhan Aliyev. During the conversation, Aliyev congratulated Erdoğan on the launch of the joint observation center. Ankara said on Friday that one Turkish general and 38 personnel will work at the center.
The Russian Defense Ministry, quoted by Interfax, said, "Monitoring will be carried out through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as well as the evaluation of data received from other sources."
Regarding Putin's efforts in the region, Medvedev said his attempts to normalize the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is "precision work."
Medvedev reiterated that there was yet another conflict in the region back in 2016 and "a road map was prepared at the time, but, unfortunately, the two countries did not use it," which "led to a new conflict, a prolonged one, with many victims."
"It is very good that thanks to the efforts of the Russian president – and this was precision work, I watched Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin) work once, he engaged in hourslong discussions with all participants of this conflict – without this work, this conflict could have continued right now," Medvedev stated and continued: "It is a huge task that both Armenia and Azerbaijan should be very grateful to the Russian president for."
The Security Council deputy chairman further said that, "The situation has mostly settled (in Nagorno-Karabakh), and this is the most important thing, that people don’t die and there are opportunities for development."
The first meeting of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia's newly established trilateral group on Nagorno-Karabakh took place on Saturday in Moscow. The meeting was co-chaired by the deputy prime ministers of the three countries, according to a statement by the Russian government.
"The parties agreed to establish the expert subgroups related to railway, automobile and intermodal transport; transportation, including security, border, sanitary, veterinary, phytosanitary and other types of control," the statement noted.
The expert groups will be established by Feb. 2, and they will hold their first meetings by Feb. 5. The trilateral working group was scheduled to convene its next meeting in Moscow, with the date to be set by the co-chairs in due course.
On Jan. 12, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia Monday signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire Caucasus region. The trio met two months after a cease-fire deal ended a 44-day conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Premier Nikol Pashinian, Putin hailed the talks as "extremely important and useful." Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but had been under the occupation of ethnic Armenian separatists for nearly three decades.
After six weeks of fighting last year, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a Russia-brokered cease-fire for the region. Under the agreement, Armenia must provide Azerbaijan with a safe transport link through its territory to the exclave of Nakhchivan, which borders Turkey. Russian peacekeepers were also deployed to the region under the deal.
Turkish press: Why setting a Caucasus peace platform is difficult?
By SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ [email protected]
With the cessation of armed conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region with the victory of Azerbaijan, which liberated its territories from Armenian occupation, ideas for constructing a cooperation mechanism with the participation of all Caucasus countries have frequently started being voiced.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was among international leaders who have proposed a six-way body in the region in a bid to leave the enmities behind and turn the region into a new basin of peace, stability and prosperity. Azerbaijan and Russia have endorsed this idea.
The Turkish proposal included a direct message to Armenia as well. Turkey said it would be ready to open the borders and establish diplomatic ties with Armenia should Yerevan accept to be a part of a regional cooperation forum.
The initiative was on the main agenda of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s five-day regional tour. He came to Istanbul on Jan. 29 after visiting Baku, Yerevan, Moscow and Tbilisi to discuss with Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu how to proceed with the establishment of the regional body.
At the press conference after their talks, Zarif and Çavuşoğlu unveiled their proposal for a 3+3 format cooperation mechanism for the Caucasus with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Iran and Russia.
Although the ministers did not provide detail, it’s believed that the 3+3 format refers to forming two separate groups with Turkey-Russia-Iran in one group and Armenia-Azerbaijan-Georgia in the second.
It’s believed that this format can pave the way for Armenia and Georgia’s participation in the regional mechanism as both countries have their opposition against setting up a six-way platform in the Caucasus.
For Armenia, the post-Karabakh conflict is still a matter of national defeat and the nation is yet to absorb the new realities. Plus, it would be hard for the sitting Armenian government, which is having difficult days internally, to shake hands with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is severely criticized in Yerevan for his concessions towards Azerbaijan. Leaving the Nagorno-Karabakh trauma behind will sure take time for Armenia before it would be ready to open a new page.
Another very important obstacle before a regional initiative is Georgia’s opposition. Tbilisi says it will not take part in any regional body with Russia unless Moscow ends its occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
“Georgia will not be able to engage in the peace platform, where the country occupying Georgian territories is participating as well,” announced Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Khvtisiashvili last week, according to the local media.
Khvtisiashvili stated that any platform for cooperation should be based on mutual respect, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the participating countries, therefore, “Georgia will not be involved in the peace platform together with the country occupying its territories.” He also recalled that Georgia attaches great importance to the regional initiatives between the three South Caucasus countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
It will remain to be seen whether the aforementioned regional body can be realized in the coming period either under the 3+3 format or as a six-way body. Currently, Iran’s priority is to keep the transportation lines and corridors from Armenia and Nakhichevan to Iran open and to uninterruptedly continue its trade with these regions.
Turkey is planning to deepen its economic, energy, transportation and trade ties with Azerbaijan by taking advantage of the new realities on the field. Russia aims to exercise its influence in the region by pulling the strings in the context of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. All these show there is still a long way to go for genuine peace and regional stability.
Turkish press: ‘Turkey cannot be ignored in Karabakh’
Elena Teslova |01.02.2021
MOSCOW
Russia cannot ignore Turkey's position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.
Speaking in an interview with the Russian media about Turkey's role in the Karabakh issue, Medvedev stressed close Turkish-Azerbaijani relations and the significance of the Russia-Turkey partnership.
He also called the Russian-Turkish cooperation in Nagorno-Karabakh "a stabilizing factor".
"Turkey is our neighbor and a very important partner. And a very close country for Azerbaijan. This factor cannot be ignored. We have a productive dialogue with them — the president of our country constantly communicates with President [of Turkey Recep Tayyip] Erdogan on this topic.
"We must take into account the realities that exist in our region. And the reality is that today this issue needs to be discussed with our partners from Turkey," he said.
Medvedev reaffirmed Russia's commitment to a diplomatic solution to the Karabakh conflict, but said the issue of Karabakh's territorial status should better be postponed to a future period, because it can provoke new escalation.
What happened in Karabakh?
Relations between the former Soviet republics had been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as an Azerbaijani territory, and seven adjacent regions.
When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and even violated humanitarian cease-fire agreements.
During the six-week-long conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages, while at least 2,802 of its soldiers were martyred. There are differing claims about the number of casualties on the Armenian side, which, sources and officials say, could be up to 5,000.
The two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, to end the fighting and work towards a comprehensive resolution.
A joint Turkish-Russian center became operational on Saturday to monitor the truce, with 60 Russian and 60 Turkish troops on duty.
On Jan. 11, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire region. It included the establishment of a trilateral working group on Karabakh.
The cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have withdrawn in line with the agreement.
Violations, however, have been reported in the past few weeks, with some Armenian soldiers said to have been hiding in the mountainous enclave.
RFE/RL Armenian Report – 02/01/2021
Monday,
Armenian NGOs Urge EU Involvement In Karabakh Peace Efforts
NAGORNO-KARABAKH - Local residents repair a roof with construction supplies
brought from Russia as humanitarian aid, November 25, 2020.
A coalition of pro-Western Armenian nongovernmental organizations has urged the
European Union to help “establish lasting security and peace” in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone by recognizing Karabakh’s “interim status” and
its population’s right to self-determination.
In a weekend statement, the NGOs representing Armenia in the Civil Society Forum
of ex-Soviet states involved in the EU’s Eastern Partnership program said the EU
should seek the conflict’s resolution based on the so-called Madrid Principles,
a framework peace accord put forward by the United States, Russia and France in
2007.
The statement called on the EU to help Karabakh’s civilian population and, in
particular, people who fled their homes during the recent war described by it as
an “aggression by Turkey and Azerbaijan against the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.”
It said the 27-nation bloc should initiate an international investigation into
“war crimes” committed by Azerbaijani and Turkish forces during the six-week
hostilities stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire on November 10.
The NGOs also hit out at Russia, saying that it has not fulfilled some of its
obligations stemming from the ceasefire agreement.
“In addition … the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh)
has no international mandate, its legal basis is unknown … The powers and rights
of the mission are not known either, which severely limits the capabilities of
that mission to fulfill its commitments and accountability in ensuring the
security of the local Armenian population,” they said.
The EU, the statement went on, should therefore seek the deployment of UN-backed
“international peacekeeping forces” to Karabakh alongside about 2,000 Russian
soldiers already stationed there.
The political leaders of both Armenia and Karabakh regularly praise Moscow’s
role in stopping the war and preventing its resumption. They have also described
the presence of the Russian peacekeepers as the decisive factor behind the
return of tens of thousands of ethnic Armenian refugees to Karabakh.
UN Human Rights Experts Urge Release Of Captives From Karabakh Conflict
SWITZERLAND -- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet speaks on
the opening day of the 39th UN Council of Human Rights in Geneva, September 10,
2018
Human rights experts at the United Nations have called for the "prompt" release
of prisoners of war and other captives by Armenia and Azerbaijan from their
recent war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner in Geneva said in a
statement on Monday that the two countries should also move quickly to return
the bodies of those killed to families for burial "with due respect for cultural
customs."
“Everyone deprived of their liberty for reasons related to the conflict should
be returned to their homes, and relatives of those killed must be able to
receive the mortal remains of their loved ones, in line with the ceasefire
agreement signed on November 9, 2020,” the experts said.
“Failure to disclose information on the fate and whereabouts of missing persons
and refusal to hand over the remains of the deceased may amount to enforced
disappearance, which both Azerbaijan and Armenia have committed to preventing,”
they added.
At least 6,000 people were killed in the six-week war stopped by a
Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement on November 10. The agreement calls for the
unconditional exchange of all prisoners held by the conflicting parties. Dozens
of them were swapped in December.
On Thursday Azerbaijan released five more Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) in
return for an Azerbaijani captive freed by the Armenian side. The latest
exchange raised to 59 the total number of Armenian POWs and civilians
repatriated to date.
More than 100 others are believed to remain in Azerbaijani captivity. Yerevan
accuses Baku of dragging its feet over their release.
The UN expert group also expressed concern at “allegations that prisoners of war
and other protected persons have been subjected to extrajudicial killing,
enforced disappearance, torture, and other ill-treatment.”
“No exceptional circumstances whatsoever -- whether a state of war, internal
political instability, or any other public emergency -- may be invoked as a
justification of torture and enforced disappearances,” they said. “Such acts,
when perpetrated in armed conflict, may also constitute war crimes.”
“We appeal to the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan to carry out thorough,
prompt, independent, and impartial investigations into allegations of serious
human rights violations committed during the conflict and its aftermath in order
to hold perpetrators to account and provide redress to the victims. These
actions will facilitate truth, reconciliation, and healing,” the experts said.
Armenian Defense Contractor Charged With Fraud
• Gayane Saribekian
Armenia -- A screenshot of a National Security Service vide of the arrest of
defense contractor Davit Galstian, February 1, 2021
The owner of a company supplying Armenia’s armed forces with weapons and
ammunition has been arrested on fraud charges, the National Security Service
(NSS) said on Monday.
The NSS said that the charges stem from a $1 million contract for the supply of
artillery shells which Davit Galstian’s Mosston Engineering company signed with
the Armenian Defense Ministry in 2018.
It said the company breached the contract by providing the ministry with
ammunition designed for older and different artillery systems. Artillery units
could not accomplish their “combat tasks” with those shells, the NSS added in a
statement.
This is why, it said, NSS investigators have indicted Galstian and Mosston’s
director and asked a Yerevan court to remand them in pre-trial custody. It was
not immediately clear if the suspects will plead guilty to the accusations.
Nor was it clear if the NSS could also prosecute any current or former Defense
Ministry officials. The statement said in this regard that the investigators are
taking measures to “identify the full circle of individuals involved in the
corruption scheme.”
Galstian was an adviser to Armenia’s former Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan, who
was sacked in November following the war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The security service further revealed that Galstian is also facing three other
criminal investigations into his companies’ dealings with the Armenian military.
But it did not give any details of those inquiries.
Galstian’s companies have been among the Defense Ministry’s leading suppliers in
recent years.
Lieutenant-General Artak Davtian, who served as chief of the Armenian army’s
General Staff from 2018-2020, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Monday that they
repeatedly failed to fulfill their contractual obligations during his tenure.
“There were quite a lot of cases where we handed back supplies, demanded their
replacement or found defects and told [the contractor] to eliminate them,”
Davtian said without elaborating.
Andranik Kocharian, the pro-government chairman of the Armenian parliament
committee on defense and security, described the fraud accusations as credible
and said they were made possible by the sackings of Tonoyan and previous NSS
directors.
“Such corrupt practices are not possible without the support of high-ranking
officials,” he claimed. “So let’s wait for further developments.”
Kocharian and Tonoyan traded bitter accusations in the immediate aftermath of a
Russian-brokered agreement that stopped the Karabakh war on November 10.
Russian-Turkish Center Begins Monitoring Karabakh Truce
NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- Russian APC and soldiers of the peacekeeping force (L)
patrol in front of an Azerbaijan's army checkpoint near the demarcation line
outside the town of Shushi (Susa), November 26, 2020
A joint Turkish and Russian observation center to monitor the ceasefire in
Nagorno-Karabakh started operations after an opening ceremony with senior
defense officials in attendance on Saturday.
Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov and deputy defense ministers from
regional powers Turkey and Russia were there to launch the center, in the Agdam
region east of Karabakh, according to Azerbaijan's state news agency Azertac.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced on Friday that one Turkish
general and 38 personnel will be stationed at the center.
"Our activities will intensify with the work of this joint Turkish-Russian
center and we will fulfill our duty to defend the rights of our Azerbaijani
brothers," Akar said in a statement posted on the Defense Ministry’s website.
Turkey and Russia agreed to form a joint observation center shortly after Moscow
in November brokered a ceasefire agreement that ended the Armenian-Azerbaijani
war in and around Karabakh. Turkey was a major backer of Azerbaijan in the
conflict.
Turkish Major General Abdullah Katirci and Russian Major General Viktor
Fyodorenko will reportedly command their respective contingents at the center.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev
welcomed the opening of the Russian-Turkish center when they spoke by phone
later on Saturday. According to the Kremlin, the two leaders expressed hope it
“will contribute to the further stabilization of the situation” in the conflict
zone and the conflicting parties’ compliance with the ceasefire agreement.
Under the agreement, around 2,000 Russian peacekeepers are also deployed along
Karabakh frontline areas and a land link connecting Karabakh with Armenia.
Armenian Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutiunian praised the Russian
peacekeeping operation on Monday in a phone call with his Russian counterpart
Sergei Shoigu. According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, Harutiunian said the
peacekeepers have helped to ensure the “almost full observance of the ceasefire.”
A ministry statement said Shoigu phoned Harutiunian to discuss the results of
“staff negotiations” held by senior Russian and Armenian military officials in
Yerevan last week. The two ministers also spoke about “the course of the
resolution of Armenia’s security issues in the post-war period,” it said without
elaborating.
Armenia, Azerbaijan Start Talks On Transport Links
Russia -- A Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani working group on cross-border transport
issues meets in Moscow, January 30, 2021.
Senior Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian officials met in Moscow at the weekend
to discuss practical modalities of opening the Armenian-Azerbaijani border for
commercial and other traffic.
The restoration of transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is envisaged
by the Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement that stopped the war in
Nagorno-Karabakh on November 10.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev and
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian decided to set up a trilateral “working
group” for that purpose when they met in Moscow on January 11. They said it will
submit by March 1 a timetable of “measures envisaging the restoration and
construction of new transport infrastructure facilities.”
The group co-headed by deputy prime ministers of the three states held its first
meeting in the Russian capital on Saturday. A Russian government statement said
it decided to form two “expert subgroups” that will deal with transport issues
and border controls.
The truce agreement specifically commits Yerevan to opening rail and road links
between the Nakhichevan exclave and the rest of Azerbaijan that will presumably
pass through southeastern Armenia. Armenia should be able, for its part, to use
Azerbaijani territory as a transit route for cargo shipments to and from Russia
and Iran.
Visiting Yerevan last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said
his country looks forward to establishing a rail link with Armenia.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Tehran: Baku Welcomes Iran’s Participation in Karabakh Reconstruction, Aliyev Tells Zarif
Iran Front Page
Jan 25 2021
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held a meeting with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Monday.
The top Iranian diplomat, who is visiting Baku in the first leg of a tour of the Caucasus and Turkey, held talks with Azeri President Aliyev on Monday morning.
In the meeting, Foreign Minister Zarif congratulated the Republic of Azerbaijan’s people and government on the recent victories, stressing the need for the promotion of cooperation between the two neighbours.
He also welcomed a six-party regional cooperation initiative proposed by the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, expressing Iran’s readiness for help and cooperation in any field contributing to regional peace, stability and calm.
Zarif then pointed to the successful visits that Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister paid to Iran, saying the mutual cooperation, particularly in the economic fields, is ready to make a leap.
The top diplomat also expressed delight with the results of the 14th meeting of Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation, voicing Iran’s readiness for active participation in the process of reconstructing the recently-liberated Azeri lands, particularly in the construction activities, for the export of technical and engineering services, and cooperation in the electricity and energy industries, agriculture, extra-territorial cultivation, mine-sweeping, as well as the reconstruction of mosques and historical sites.
President Aliyev, for his part, praised Iran’s stances on the recent developments in the region, hailed the level of cooperation between the two nations, and said there exists a positive atmosphere for the expansion of relations in all fields, specifically the economic cooperation.
Enumerating the economic projects carried out jointly by the two countries, the Azeri leader welcomed the participation of Iranian companies in reconstruction of areas in the Karabakh region.
Aliyev also expressed satisfaction with Iran’s view on the six-party regional cooperation platform, saying the initiative would benefit peace and common interests in the region.
The Azeri President finally welcomed plans for holding trilateral meetings among the Republic of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia, as well as among Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey in future.
The meeting was also attended by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister and the Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Azerbaijan.
Tehran: Iranian, Russian FMs to discuss Karabakh developments
Mehr News Agency, Iran
Jan 25 2021
TEHRAN, Jan. 25 (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister and his Russian counterpart will confer on the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh in Moscow on Tuesday.
“On January 26 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will hold talks in Moscow. They are expected to discuss a number of key issues of the international and regional agenda, including the situation in and around Nagorno Karabakh”, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement, Armen Press reported.
The Iranian FM is paying a regional visit. Today he has arrived in Azerbaijan and will also visit Armenia, Georgia, and Russia.
Zarif arrived in Baku late on Sunday as part of a regional tour that will also take him to other countries including Russia later.
He and the accompanying delegation were welcomed in Baku International Airport by a number of Azerbaijan political officials and Iran's Ambassador in Baku Abbas Mousavi.
FA/PR