Month: February 2021

Azerbaijani Gun Fire Reported Near Syunik

Anna Tamamian

February 15,  2021


The border in Syunik

Azerbaijani armed forces discharged small and large caliber weapons in the immediate vicinity of villages in Armenia’s Syunik province, said Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan, who also posted a video chronicling the sporadic Azerbaijani gunfire.

“This video was recorded two days ago, at different times of the day, in the middle of Agarak and Yeghvard villages of Kapan. The footage was captured by our border guards at the lines of contact, explained Tatoryan.

“To put the matter in context and to be clear, the point of origin of these shootings is directly about one kilometer from the village of Agarak,” Tatoyan said, adding that he periodically receives alerts about the concerns and discontent form residents of Kapan villages over the discharging of firearms by the Azerbaijani military on a regular basis.

“All of these once again confirm that in the immediate vicinity of Syunik communities, and on the roads connecting those communities, there should not be any Azerbaijani military forces. The presence of these forces seriously endangers the rights of Armenian civilians, disturbs their peace and peaceful life,” Tatoyan said reiterating a appeal he made last week to ban Azerbaijani soldiers from residential areas in Syunik.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry downplayed the incidents while acknowledging the sporadic Azerbaijani gunfire.

“In some parts of the border, sporadic shots were fired into the air, which did not change the operational tactical situation,” said the defense ministry.

Azatutyun.am reported on Monday that Russian border guards set up an additional post on Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan at the weekend after new of the gunfire.

According the provincial administration, Russian border guards deployed in the area documented the sporadic gunfire and established an additional outpost at the border section in response to the incident, reported Azatutyun.am.

The village chief, Hayk Sahakian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that there was no further shooting there on Sunday and Monday. Despite the relative calm many, villagers remain concerned about their security, he said, arguing that the nearest Azerbaijani position is only about one kilometer from Agarak.

“They shoot sporadically,” Sahakian told Azatutyun.am. “When they use tracer bullets we can see that they fire toward the village.”

Yerevan Refutes Aliyev’s Claim of Establishing Nakhichevan Corridor

Maral Takmazian

Armenia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan

The November 9 agreement made by Armenia’s Prime Minister and the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan does not contain any provisions on the establishment of any corridor, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan told Armenpress.

The foreign ministry made the statement in response to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev who said that “the joint statement contains a special provision on the establishment of the Nakhichevan corridor.”

“Paragraph 9 of the November 9 trilateral statement mentions the unblocking of all economic and transport ties in the region,” the Spokesperson said, adding that this is the approach Armenia pursues on issues of establishing regional stability, as well as the prospects of cooperation in the region.

“The above paragraph does not contain any provisions for the establishment of a corridor. Any road or communication route passing through the territory of Armenia will be exclusively under the jurisdiction of Armenia’s sovereignty,” Naghdalyan said.

Asbarez: Calif. Lawmakers Call for Release of ‘Illegally Held Armenian Hostages’

Suren Karakhanian

February 15,  2021



Members of the California Armenian Legislative Caucus signed letters to relevant international mediators calling on them to assist in the release of illegally held Armenian hostages currently in Azerbaijan and allow the soldiers to return home to Armenia and Artsakh.

The lawmakers addressed four separate letters to Nazhat Shameen Khan, President of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minks Group, Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconte of France and Andres Schofer of the United States.

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus signed by senators Bob Archuleta, Andreas Borgeas, Brian Dahle, Anthony Portantino and Scott Wilk, as well as Assemblymembers Laura Friedman, Luz Rivas, and Adrin Nazarian.

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus said it “is deeply concerned for the well-being and safety of these Armenian individuals and ask you to demand for the release of the Armenian hostages and other detainees as well as the remains of the fatalities.”

Below is the complete text of the letter:

It is with great humanitarian concern that the California Armenian Legislative Caucus strongly urges you to demand and assist in the release of illegally held Armenian hostages currently in Azerbaijan and allow the soldiers to return home to Armenia and Artsakh. Azerbaijan has continued to block the timely return of Armenian captives, with reports of up to 150 soldiers still being held.

On September 27, 2020 Azerbaijan launched an unprovoked attack against the peaceful Republic of Artsakh (also known as Nagorno-Karabakh) by shelling military positions and innocent civilian populations indiscriminately. Turkey played an active role in supporting Azerbaijan’s aggression toward Artsakh by providing arms, logistical and communications support, and even transporting paid Jihadist mercenaries to Azerbaijan from Libya and the Turkish Syrian border. Armenia was forced to make significant concessions at the conclusion of the war. Furthermore, for more than a century, Turkey and Azerbaijan have maintained a violent history toward the Armenian people. Descendants of the Armenian Genocide continue to mourn the loss of 1.5 million ancestors murdered by the Turks and over 5,000 civilians and military personnel were killed in this conflict.

On November 9, 2020, a ceasefire was declared that called upon the mutual release and exchange of prisoners. Azerbaijan has not yet released the prisoners of war and innocent civilians that are being held captive. All persons were to be exchanged. Azerbaijan has a history of gruesome treatment and human rights violations of captives. So far, only 54 Armenians, both civilians and soldiers have been returned from Azerbaijani custody while the number of missing Armenians continues to grow. Even after the ceasefire, Armenian soldiers have been captured and Azerbaijan has failed to acknowledge these soldiers as prisoners of war and want to try them in Azerbaijan on criminal charges. Azerbaijani soldiers are continuing to break the ceasefire and capture innocent Armenian soldiers and hold them as hostages only to unfairly extort political and territorial demands.

We are deeply concerned for the well-being and safety of these Armenian individuals and ask you to demand for the release of the Armenian hostages and other detainees as well as the remains of the fatalities.

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus is a bi-partisan, non-political Caucus that serves as a forum for members from the California Senate and Assembly to identify key issues affecting Armenian Americans and develop and empower the Armenian American community throughout California.

Biden can push back on Russia by supporting its neighbors in the Caucasus

Emil Lazarian
The Hill, DC
Feb 15 2021
BY JANUSZ BUGAJSKI, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 02/15/21 05:00 PM EST  

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN AND NOT THE VIEW OF THE HILL

In his first major foreign policy address, President Biden called for a restoration of America’s alliances and greater U.S. diplomatic engagement. Biden also asserted that he would push back on Russia’s foreign aggression and domestic authoritarianism. A good place for the president to demonstrate his new approach would be with Georgia, a linchpin in the strategic Black Sea region. Georgia was the first victim of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on the national independence and democratic development of neighboring states, and Moscow’s aggression against this close U.S. ally continues to this day. 

Georgia’s statehood and democracy present an alternative regional model to Putin’s autocratic rule and attempts to limit the sovereignty of neighboring states. Since its military seizure of 20 percent of Georgian territory in August 2008, the Kremlin has employed a legion of subversive tools, from disinformation and corruption to cyberattacks and armed threats to destabilize the government in Tbilisi. 

Georgia’s democracy was strengthened during the October 2020 general elections. The country’s transformation into a parliamentary democracy has been assisted by Washington and Brussels. Both helped to facilitate a multi-party agreement on a phased transition to a fully proportional electoral system that better represents voters.

In a further sign of democratic progress, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the former prime minister and founder of the governing Georgian Dream party, announced that he is stepping aside from politics. The billionaire former party leader pledged to transfer most of his wealth (close to $5 billion) to philanthropic foundations and concentrate on charitable work.

During Ivanishvili’s time in politics, Georgia moved closer to Western institutions by signing an association agreement with the European Union (EU), prioritizing NATO entry and deepening security cooperation with the U.S. Georgia has also initiated democratic reforms that placed the country on a par with several EU members regarding the rule of law and anti-corruption indicators. Ivanishvili’s departure from politics despite Georgian Dream’s electoral win could serve as an important precedent, at a time when some national leaders find it difficult to concede power even after losing elections.  

A Dec. 2020 poll by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) indicates that 80 percent of Georgian citizens support EU membership and 74 percent approve of joining NATO. Support for NATO has soared by 12 percentage points over the past 10 years. Integration into the EU and NATO has been enshrined as a guiding goal in Georgia’s constitution, and the government has set an ambitious target to apply for EU membership by 2024.

Aspirations for Western integration have been driven by incessant threats from Moscow. Control over Georgia would enable Russia to claim regional dominance in the South Caucasus and Black Sea regions, threaten vital energy and trade links between Europe and Asia, and severely curtail American and European influence.

Georgia’s strategic partnership with the U.S., forged in 2009, restricts Russia’s aggressive ambitions. Continuity in U.S. policy toward Georgia was demonstrated by the Trump administration when it strengthened the country’s defenses through supplies of military hardware, particularly Javelin missile systems. In his Senate confirmation hearing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted that the door to NATO membership remains open for Georgia. Georgia now needs assistance in establishing an effective naval force to defend its coastline, an increased U.S. military presence and a clearer roadmap for NATO inclusion.

Moscow escalated its military involvement in the South Caucasus in Nov. 2020 following the short war between Azerbaijan and Armenia over occupied Azeri territories. By injecting its troops into Azerbaijan, ostensibly as peace-keepers, Moscow has in effect turned most of the contested Nagorno-Karabakh enclave into a Russian protectorate. Russia already possesses two military bases in Armenia and continues to militarize occupied Georgian territories.

Georgian strategic isolation would boost Russia’s aspirations to use the Black Sea as a launching pad for projecting military power toward the Balkans, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Moscow’s extensive military build-up in the Black Sea is also intended to control major sea-lanes, maritime economic zones and energy transit into Europe. Georgia’s path toward NATO, firmly backed by Washington, would be a deterrent to further Russian aggrandizement and send a signal to Armenia and Azerbaijan that they can also liberate themselves from Moscow’s suffocating grip.

Janusz Bugajski is a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation in Washington, D.C. His recent book, “Eurasian Disunion: Russia’s Vulnerable Flanks,” is co-authored with Margarita Assenova. His upcoming book is entitled “Failed State: Planning for Russia’s Rupture.”

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/538880-biden-can-push-back-on-russia-by-supporting-its-neighbors-in-the?fbclid=IwAR23-uZgN1Cpkq4-QzDjuPVCxB_BFxRLKdITjE5SYw7LwzPZbcZgzRP-Bjs#.YCvqxaZTAik.facebook

Armenia hosting delegation of Iran Knowledge-based companies

Bedik Zaminian
Mehr News Agency, Iran
Feb 16 2021

TEHRAN, Feb. 16 (MNA) – In line with the development of Iranian knowledge-based products in global markets, Iran sent a delegation of knowledge-based companies to Armenia, an official in the vice presidency for science and technology affairs said.

The secretary of the headquarters for knowledge-based economy culture-building and development of soft and creative industries, Parviz Karami announced that Iran dispatched a 40-member delegation of knowledge-based and creative companies to Yerevan, Armenia.

Knowledge-based and creative companies will hold specialized meetings with Armenian companies in the field of textile, agriculture, and machinery, construction, petrochemical, cosmetics, organic food, and digital issues, the official said.

Visiting the permanent exhibition of knowledge-based products and the science and technology parks of this country are among the programs of this 4-day trip, he added.

The Armenian market enjoys a high capacity to receive Iranian knowledge-based and creative companies, therefore such meetings can play an effective role in the development of bilateral relations between Iran and Armenia.

Hailing that Eurasia is an important market for Iranian products, especially knowledge-based and technological products, Karami said, "The current political, economic and cultural relations between Iran and Armenia have provided an opportunity to expand exports to Armenia as a gateway to the Eurasian market."

RHM/5148630

Azerbaijan protracts return of captives, grossly violates international demands – Armenia’s Ombudsman

Emil Lazarian
Aysor, Armenia
Feb 16 2021

Armenian human rights defender reports that yesterday the office sent a detailed report to the UN Human Rights Council informing that the Azerbaijani authorities are protracting the return of captives and grossly violates the international demands.

“The report was sent to the UN Human Rights Council in a separate procedure. Such opportunity have only national institutions of human rights having “A” international status,” Tatoyan wrote.

He stressed that the report clearly notes that the Azerbaijani authorities abuse the legal procedures and politicize the issue of return of captives.

“With this they make our society and first of all the families of the captives suffer, play with their feelings,” Tatoyan noted.

California lawmakers call for release of ‘illegally held Armenian hostages’

Babken Chilingarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 16 2021

Members of the California Armenian Legislative Caucus signed letters to relevant international mediators calling on them to assist in the release of illegally held Armenian hostages currently in Azerbaijan and allow the soldiers to return home to Armenia and Artsakh, Asbarez reports.

The lawmakers addressed four separate letters to Nazhat Shameen Khan, President of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minks Group, Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconte of France and Andres Schofer of the United States.

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus signed by senators Bob Archuleta, Andreas Borgeas, Brian Dahle, Anthony Portantino and Scott Wilk, as well as Assemblymembers Laura Friedman, Luz Rivas, and Adrin Nazarian.

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus said it “is deeply concerned for the well-being and safety of these Armenian individuals and ask you to demand for the release of the Armenian hostages and other detainees as well as the remains of the fatalities.”

Below is the complete text of the letter:

It is with great humanitarian concern that the California Armenian Legislative Caucus strongly urges you to demand and assist in the release of illegally held Armenian hostages currently in Azerbaijan and allow the soldiers to return home to Armenia and Artsakh. Azerbaijan has continued to block the timely return of Armenian captives, with reports of up to 150 soldiers still being held.

On September 27, 2020 Azerbaijan launched an unprovoked attack against the peaceful Republic of Artsakh (also known as Nagorno-Karabakh) by shelling military positions and innocent civilian populations indiscriminately. Turkey played an active role in supporting Azerbaijan’s aggression toward Artsakh by providing arms, logistical and communications support, and even transporting paid Jihadist mercenaries to Azerbaijan from Libya and the Turkish Syrian border. Armenia was forced to make significant concessions at the conclusion of the war. Furthermore, for more than a century, Turkey and Azerbaijan have maintained a violent history toward the Armenian people. Descendants of the Armenian Genocide continue to mourn the loss of 1.5 million ancestors murdered by the Turks and over 5,000 civilians and military personnel were killed in this conflict.

On November 9, 2020, a ceasefire was declared that called upon the mutual release and exchange of prisoners. Azerbaijan has not yet released the prisoners of war and innocent civilians that are being held captive. All persons were to be exchanged. Azerbaijan has a history of gruesome treatment and human rights violations of captives. So far, only 54 Armenians, both civilians and soldiers have been returned from Azerbaijani custody while the number of missing Armenians continues to grow. Even after the ceasefire, Armenian soldiers have been captured and Azerbaijan has failed to acknowledge these soldiers as prisoners of war and want to try them in Azerbaijan on criminal charges. Azerbaijani soldiers are continuing to break the ceasefire and capture innocent Armenian soldiers and hold them as hostages only to unfairly extort political and territorial demands.

We are deeply concerned for the well-being and safety of these Armenian individuals and ask you to demand for the release of the Armenian hostages and other detainees as well as the remains of the fatalities.

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus is a bi-partisan, non-political Caucus that serves as a forum for members from the California Senate and Assembly to identify key issues affecting Armenian Americans and develop and empower the Armenian American community throughout California.

ICRC representatives visit Armenian captives in Baku

Ophelia Vardapetian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 16 2021  

Representatives of the Baku office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited Armenian servicemen and civilians held in Azerbaijan, Spokesperson for ICRC Armenia Zara Amatuni told Public TV.

She said ICRC representatives visited four Armenian captives – both servicemen and civilians – on February 1 and 2.

Zara Amatuni said the international organization does not publish the list of captives, but assures that they regularly visit those whose captivity has been confirmed by the Azerbaijani authorities.

“The so-called list is the data that we have, we record, which we regularly go through to understand whether there is progress in our work in each case,” Amatuni noted.

“However, the so-called list or any data we collect is also a confidential process between us and the relevant authorities, which we do not disclose to the public,” she said. 

Timber frame homes being built in Artsakh

Maral Takmazian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 16 2021

Houses with timber frame are being built under Artsakh Government’s pilot program, the Ministry of Urban Development informs.

“One will soon get a final look, the interior decoration has been completed. The contractor “Shen Artsakh” company was chosen because it has experience in designing and building such houses,” the Ministry said in a Facebook post.

According to the company’s deputy director Mher Derdzyan, a specialized group of five people can build a three-room house in one month and put it into operation. Depending on the volume of orders, the price will range between $200-300 per square meter.

With a 70-year warranty, the houses have two entrances, one of which is the main one, and the other is the exit to the land plot.

The walls of the houses are soundproof and have a surface made of heat-retaining materials.

Wooden parts are not visible inside or outside the house.

It is also planned to have an area of 1000 square meters of land next to the house.

The government is carrying out the large-scale project with support from the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.

Cessation of hostilities only the first step towards ending the Karabakh conflict – German Ambassador

Yeghisabet Vorskanian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 16 2021  

The return of prisoners of war is a humanitarian issue which has to be settled with full respect for international humanitarian law, Ambassador of Germany to Armenia Michael Johannes Banzhaf said in an interview with Armenpress.

“Germany fully shares the view that the cessation of hostilities is only a first step to end the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Efforts must be renewed for a negotiated, peaceful, comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the conflict, including on the status of Nagorno Karabakh. Germany fully supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group led by its Co-Chairs to find a long-lasting solution,” the Ambassador said.

He noted that the international community should remind that the return of prisoners of war is a humanitarian issue which has to be settled with full respect to international humanitarian law.

“I do hope that further progress will be achieved in the near future. My sympathy is with all families waiting with growing impatience to embrace their beloved ones,” Amb. Banzhaf said.

He added that provision of aid to war-affected people is high on the agenda of the international donor community.

“Germany for its part is supporting the International Committee of the Red Cross. Germany is also supporting the cooperation of the German Red Cross with the Armenian Red Cross in this regard. The problem of access to Nagorno Karabakh is still unsolved, which prevents humanitarian aid prevented from unfolding its full effect. A speedy settlement to this issue is urgently needed,” the Ambassador stressed.