Month: March 2021

US making efforts for the return of Armenian POWs – Ambassador

Emil Karabekian

 20:00, 2 March, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. President of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received Ambassador of the USA to Armenia Lynne Tracy and USAID mission Armenia director David Hoffman.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, greeting the guests, Ararat Mirzoyan presented the situation following the adoption of the trilateral declaraton on ceasefire and emphasized that the return of war prisoners and other detainees is a priority issue for the Armenian side. The head of the parliament hoped that the USA will be more actively involved in the speedy solution of that issue. Mirzoyan also emphasized that Artsakh issue cannot be considered solved as long as the issue of the status of Nagorno Karabakh has not been decided based on the principle of the self-determination of nations.

Ambassador Tracy noted that the USA is making efforts for the return of the Armenian POWs.

USAID mission Armenia director David Hoffman presented to Ararat Mirzoyan the programs of the Agency in various spheres, referring to the programs aimed at capacity development of the parliament.

The sides discussed issues on the Armenian-U.S. bilateral agenda, as well as emphasized the importance of calming down the tensions in Armenia's domestic political life.

Armenpress: Ara Ayvazian, Josep Borrell discuss issues of regional stability and security

Nyrie Kalashian

Ara Ayvazian, Josep Borrell discuss issues of regional stability and security

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 21:38, 2 March, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Ayvazian held a telephone conversation with Vice-President of the European Commission, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on March 2.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, the Armenian FM and the EU High Representative, the sides congratulated each other on the occasion of the completion of the ratification of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, noting that the full entry into force of the agreement opens new prospects for the multidimensional cooperation between Armenia and the EU.

During the conversation the sides also referred to the issue of regional security and stability. Ara Ayvazian and Josep Borrell exchanged views on the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh and the involvement of international partners for addressing the challenges facing the Armenian population of Artsakh. The sides higjlighted the role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs in addressing the issues related to the peaceful settlement of Nagono Karabakh conflict.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 03/02/2021

Suren Karakhanian 
                                        Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Armenian President Paves Way For Army Chief’s Sacking


Armenia - President Armen Sarkissian delivers a televised address to the nation, 
November 6, 2020

President Armen Sarkissian signaled on Tuesday his intention to stop blocking 
the sacking of Armenia’s top army general demanded by Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian.

Pashinian petitioned Sarkissian last week to sign a decree relieving General 
Onik Gasparian of his duties shortly after the chief of the Armenian army’s 
General Staff and 40 other high-ranking officers issued a joint statement that 
accused the government of misrule and demanded its resignation. Pashinian 
rejected the demand as a “military coup attempt.”

Sarkissian refused to sign such a decree on Saturday, saying that it appears to 
be unconstitutional and would deepen the “unprecedented” political crisis in the 
country. Pashinian criticized the refusal as “unfounded” and resent his motion 
to Sarkissian in another attempt to have him fire Gasparian.

Under Armenian law, the president can now keep blocking or at least delaying the 
sacking only by asking the Constitutional Court to declare the decree drafted by 
the prime minister unconstitutional. Otherwise, the decree will enter into force 
even if Sarkissian refuses to sign it for a second time.

“The president has decided not to sign the draft decree,” Sarkissian’s office 
said in a statement released on Tuesday.

Significantly, the office announced no decision to challenge its legality in the 
Constitutional Court. This means that Gasparian will automatically lose his post 
if the head of state does not appeal to the court by Thursday morning.

The Homeland Salvation Movement, an opposition alliance campaigning for 
Pashinian’s resignation, was quick to express serious concern over Sarkissian’s 
apparent decision to refrain from such an appeal. Its leaders demanded an urgent 
meeting with him.

The alliance blames Pashinian for Armenia’s defeat in the autumn war with 
Azerbaijan and wants him to resign. Accordingly, it has hailed the unprecedented 
statement issued by the military’s top brass.

Sarkissian already met with opposition leaders as well as pro-government 
lawmakers and Gasparian before making his first decision on the issue at the 
weekend.

Pashinian visited Sarkissian on Monday. Addressing thousands of supporters who 
gathered in Yerevan’s Republic Square later in the day, he urged the president 
to stop objecting to Gasparian’s removal.

On Sunday, a senior lawmaker close to Pashinian suggested that Sarkissian 
himself appears to have violated the Armenian constitution and might be 
impeached because of that. Sarkissian insisted afterwards that he acted 
“impartially” and in strict conformity with the constitution.



Opposition Party Accepts Pashinian’s Election Offer

        • Gayane Saribekian

Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (R) meets with Bright Armenia Party 
leader Edmon Marukian, December 29, 2020

One of the two opposition parties represented in Armenia’s parliament on Tuesday 
accepted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s latest offer to hold snap general 
elections to end the continuing political crisis in the country.

The leader of the Bright Armenia Party (LHK), Edmon Marukian, said he and 
Pashinian spoke by phone in the morning and will meet on Wednesday for further 
discussions on the proposed elections.

Marukian himself called for the conduct of such polls late last week, portraying 
that as a compromise solution to the crisis deepened by the Armenian military’s 
unprecedented demand for the government’s resignation. He said Pashinian should 
stop, for his part, trying to fire the country’s top general, Onik Gasparian.

Pashinian has since continued to push for Gasparian’s removal. At the same time 
he expressed readiness on Monday to organize pre-term elections.

Speaking to journalists, Marukian did not clarify what his party will do if the 
prime minister does get rid of the defiant general.

The Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), the other parliamentary opposition force, 
reacted more ambiguously to Pashinian’s proposal. A senior BHK member, Mikael 
Melkumian, said the party leadership has not discussed it yet.

Unlike Marukian’s LHK, the BHK is part of an alliance of more hardline 
opposition forces that resumed street protests in Yerevan late last month in a 
bid to force Pashinian to resign over his handling of the recent war in 
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinian already expressed readiness in late December to organize fresh 
elections. The opposition dismissed the offer, saying that they be held by an 
interim government after Pashinian’s resignation. The ruling political team 
stated afterwards that it longer sees the need to dissolve the Armenian 
parliament controlled by it.

Under Armenia’s existing constitution, snap polls must be called only if 
Pashinian resigns and the National Assembly twice fails to elect another prime 
minister. His My Step bloc officially controls 83 seats in the 132-member 
parliament and should in theory be able to easily prevent the election of 
another premier nominated by the opposition minority.

Nevertheless, Pashinian demanded in January that the two parliamentary 
opposition parties formally pledge to refrain from such nominations in the event 
of his tactical resignation. Both parties refused to do that.

The LHK now seems ready to sign a pre-election “memorandum” with My Step.

But the BHK sees no need for such a deal. Melkumian argued that the ruling bloc 
controls enough parliament seats to hold elections on its terms.

It was not clear if Pashinian is planning to meet with BHK leader Gagik 
Tsarukian as well.



Armenian Military Rejects Criticism


Armenia -- Colonel-General Onik Gasparian (C), the chief of the Armenian army's 
General Staff, meets with senior Russian military officials, Yerevan, January 
25, 2021.

The Armenian military rejected “baseless accusations” and effectively reiterated 
its demands for the government’s resignation on Monday night after Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian lambasted its top general.

Pashinian again accused General Onik Gasparian, the chief of the army’s General 
Staff, of a coup attempt and “treason” as he rallied thousands of supporters in 
Yerevan. He claimed that Gasparian initiated the February 25 statement by the 
military’s top brass at the behest of former President Serzh Sarkisian.

The unprecedented statement said Pashinian and his government must step down 
because they have put Armenia “on the brink of destruction” after the autumn war 
in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The top brass of the Armed Forces reaffirms its evaluations of the existing 
situation and emphasizes that despite attempts to draw the Armed Forces into 
political processes they remain unwavering, determined and composed,” read 
another statement issued shortly after the pro-government rally.

It demanded an end to “baseless accusations directed at the Armed Forces and 
some officials.” It also insisted that the military is sticking to the Armenian 
constitution and “serving only the people.”

Pashinian and his allies say that Gasparian and other generals have violated a 
constitutional provision upholding civilian control over the armed forces.

Pashinian petitioned President Armen Sarkissian late last week to sack 
Gasparian. Sarkissian refused to sign a relevant decree at the weekend.

Despite the rebuff, the prime minster resent the draft decree to Sarkissian for 
approval. The president had to decide by Wednesday night whether to continue 
blocking Gasparian’s sacking.

The generals’ demands are strongly backed by Armenian opposition forces trying 
to oust Pashinian over his handling of the war with Azerbaijan.


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.

Armenian Lunch Truck Is Cooking with Fire at Two Spots in the Valley

Albert Nalbandian
LA Magazine, Los Angeles
March 2 2021
The Kirakosyan family’s charcoal-grilled meats have become a hit beyond the diaspora
By

Josh Lurie

–

March 2, 2021

Sure, Armenian Lunch Truck’s second location resides in a propane shop parking lot, but the Kirakosyan family prefers charcoal fire to gas. It’s a key differentiator from most kebab spots, and it helps propel the Kirakosyans’ skewers to greatness.

The family relocated from Armenia to L.A. just two-and-a-half years ago, and none of its members had any restaurant experience prior to launching Armenian Lunch Truck. Petros, the family’s patriarch, and younger daughter Lusine were driving for Uber Black and Uber Lux, for example, but they’ve made it work. They know what Armenian people like to eat, and their food’s resonating with people beyond the diaspora.

The Kirakosyans launched their concept in late 2019 on high-traffic Sherman Way in front of Royal Fresh Super Market. Their colorful truck sports colors of the Armenian flag—red, orange and blue—and the family sets up an adjacent charcoal grill on the sidewalk. To end 2020, Armenian Lunch Truck occupied a stainless steel structure with a corrugated metal roof in Propane Spot’s parking lot on an industrial stretch of San Fernando Road in Sun Valley.

Kabobs cooking over the coals at Armenian Lunch Truck

Both locations showcase their meat in butcher shop-like display cases featuring marinated, ready-to-grill skewers. North Hollywood has three exclusive items—chicken and pork shawarma and French fries—but other than that, the menus match.

“My father was always good at preparing Armenian food,” Lusine says. “We tried so many different places to eat something, but we didn’t liked it so we decided to do our own recipes.”

The family jointly decided which dishes to feature from their homeland, and Petros developed the recipes. To marinate the meats, he goes simple and savory with salt, red pepper, black pepper, and onions. Screaming-hot charcoal and careful grilling impart beautiful sears and smoky notes to the skewers.

The business really is a family affair. Petros purchases and preps all the meat. His wife Liana and older daughter Arsine execute all the orders. Lusine is in charge of shawarma, takes orders at the register, and runs their Instagram page. Petros and Liana’s son—also named Petros—helps too.

Pork ribs and pork belly are on the menu at Armenian Lunch Truck

While neighboring Turkey is approximately 98 percent Muslim, Armenia has an inverse percentage, just 2 percent, so the population is much more open to eating pork. Armenian Lunch Truck skewers and grills the animal’s ribs and cubed belly meat. In North Hollywood, they also spit-roast pork sirloin aboard the truck. Pork shawarma works well in lavash wraps. The soft, thin flatbread cradles crusty pork shavings and spicy tomato sauce folded with chopped tomatoes and onions.

Chicken also gets plenty of love. Wings grace the grill and breast meat powers kebabs and shawarma. Luscious lule—ground beef or chicken—is also popular.

Plates cost $15 and come with grilled tomato and jalapeño, rice, lavash, Armenian salad (featuring cucumber, onion, and tomato), tangy tzatziki (yogurt blended with cucumber), and spicy tomato sauce. Extra skewers cost $8 and are wise investments, since Armenian Lunch Truck tends to leave customers wanting more.

Armenian Lunch Truck; 12811 Sherman Way, North Hollywood; and 9365 San Fernando Rd., Sun Valley, 818-482-7515.

Bizarre: Fly Armenia 737 Diverts To Iran, Goes “Missing”

Meline Chalian
One Mile at a Times
March 2 2021
March 2, 2021 by Ben 19

Filed Under: Other Airlines

Well this is without a doubt the most interesting airline story of 2021, even though we actually have no clue what happened. 

Fly Armenia 737 Diverts To Iran, Goes "Missing" | One Mile at a Time

Fly Armenia Airways is a fairly new airline based in Yerevan, Armenia. The airline was founded in 2019, and only got its air operator certificate in 2020. The airline has a small fleet consisting of just two 737s:

  • There’s a 737-400 that’s 31 years old, with the registration code UR-CNP
  • There’s a 737-300 that’s 23 years old, with the registration code EK-FAA

Well, at the moment the carrier’s fleet is back down to one plane, as the 737-300 has gone missing in Iran. How could that happen? Well, on February 19 the plane was supposed to fly to Ukraine to undergo maintenance, after having been in storage for a while:

  • The plane took off from Tallinn, Estonia, where it had been stored; the destination was supposed to be Hostomel, Ukraine, where the plane was supposed to undergo maintenance
  • For unknown reasons, the plane instead flew to Varna, Bulgaria; this is especially strange because airplanes registered in Armenia are blacklisted from the European Union, so the plane shouldn’t have been allowed to fly there
  • The following day plans seemingly changed, and the decision was instead made to fly the plane to Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, for maintenance
  • The plane then “disappeared” over Iranian airspace, and interestingly Tehran had been listed as a diversion point for the pilots
  • Over Iranian airspace the crew declared an emergency — some sources suggest there was a technical issue, while other sources suggest there was a hijacking

It’s worth noting that flight tracking for this aircraft’s registration has intentionally been turned off, so it’s clear that something was being hidden here (and we’re not just talking about when the emergency was declared, but rather from the time the plane took off from Tallinn).

Today the airline posted the following message on Facebook, whatever the heck this means:

Fly Armenia 737 Diverts To Iran, Goes "Missing" | One Mile at a Time

Dear colleagues,

We inform you that today’s press conference will not be held. The reason for the delay of the press conference is not to arrive from the Islamic Republic of Iran. We apologize.

The leading theory as to what’s going on is that this was all an operation to try to sell a plane to an Iranian airline. Due to sanctions against Iran, Iranian airlines can’t purchase any planes with US-manufactured parts.

This is one of the reasons that Iranian airlines fly such ancient planes, which they largely purchase on the secondhand market through questionable means. That’s also why it seems likely that this is what’s going on here:

  • There’s simply no good explanation for the plane making an unscheduled stop in Bulgaria, then changing its flight plan, and then disappearing in Iran while claiming to be hijacked
  • One has to wonder to what extent Fly Armenia Airways is actually an airline, rather than a company with a different goal; the 737 that went “missing” has been in storage for a long time, while the other 737 has been operating flights on behalf of Yanair, a Ukrainian airline (though flight tracking shows the plane has largely been flying between Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia)
  • Fly Armenia Airways only recently took delivery of this plane from GetJet, a questionable Lithuanian aircraft leasing company; was Fly Armenia Airways simply acting as a middle-man for this transaction?
  • There are reports that Iran’s Caspian Airlines plans to take delivery of a Boeing 737-300 soon, which might not be a coincidence

If this is in fact as it seems, was Fly Armenia Airways set up solely for this purpose, or what? Because realistically the airline is in a lot of trouble, having flown this plane into EU airspace, and then potentially supplying this plane to an Iranian airline, in violation of sanctions.

A Boeing 737-300 belonging to Fly Armenia Airways mysteriously went missing over Iran a bit over a week ago, and we haven’t heard anything about the plane since. While there’s a claim that there was an “emergency,” all signs point towards this being a creative way for an Iranian airline to buy a 737 and get around sanctions.

I guess we’ll see if a Caspian Airlines 737-300 magically enters service in the coming weeks…

Interesting stuff, or what?

The Mystery Of Fly Armenia’s ‘Missing’ Boeing 737 Now In Iran

Babken Chilingarian
Simple Flying
March 2 2021

The Mystery Of Fly Armenia’s ‘Missing’ Boeing 737 Now In Iran

byJoanna Bailey
March 2, 2021

A Boeing 737-300 operated by Fly Armenia has vanished in Iran. The aircraft was supposed to be heading to Ukraine for maintenance ahead of its entry into service with the airline. It deviated from the planned flight path and declared an emergency over Iran; it has not been seen since.
The Mystery Of Fly Armenia’s 'Missing' Boeing 737 Now In Iran – Simple Flying

Where did the 737 go?

On February 19th, a Boeing 737 operated by Fly Armenia left its storage in Tallinn, Estonia, to undergo maintenance ahead of entry into service. The 737-300, registered EK-FAA, departed Tallinn just after 08:00 GMT; its destination, according to Armenian authorities, should have been Hostomel in Ukraine, where it would be brought into shape and returned to the airline at a later date.

But the plane did not fly to Hostomel. Instead, it headed south to Varan, Bulgaria, where it landed at just after midday. That in itself is bizarre, given that Bulgaria, as well as Romania and the Baltic states through which the aircraft passed, are in the EU. The EU has banned Armenian aircraft from flying through its airspace since June last year.

Also bizarre is the lack of tracking data. Searching for the aircraft on various tracking websites under its registration brings up nothing. However, Plane Finder allows for searching via HEX code, a unique number relating to the tracker fitted inside the aircraft, which in this plane’s case is 600011. That shows its trip down to Bulgaria clearly tracked.





Only one subsequent flight is tracked by that HEX number. The following day, a plane with the same transponder left Bulgaria at 09:25 GMT, and flew southeast. A lack of ADB-S data coverage over Turkey meant it was only partially tracked, but the parts available show it was not headed for Hostomel, or to its home in Armenia.


The last little sliver of tracking data we have is that the plane entered Iranian airspace at around 11:43 GMT that day. It has not been seen since.

The Mystery Of Fly Armenia’s 'Missing' Boeing 737 Now In Iran – Simple Flying

On February 23rd, Armenpress reported that the Civil Aviation Committee of Armenia was contacted by its counterparts in the UAE and informed that the plane had been hijacked. However, other sources stated that there had been a problem in flight, and that the plane had landed in Tehran as an emergency.

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A former government official, Hakob Tchagaryan, told the publication,

“The plane took off from Tallin, Estonia, and according to the flight plan it was to land in Yerevan. But instead, a decision was made mid-air to fly to the Emirates for technical maintenance. And due to technical problems, it landed in Tehran.”

While the reason for landing in Iran is unconfirmed, the plane has not taken off since. It is not even known for sure which airport it landed at. Both Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini are potential locations, but with limited tracking in that geography, the final destination is inconclusive.

A plane for Caspian Airlines?

Investigations are reportedly ongoing into where exactly this aircraft is and what has become of it. However, reports in PanARMENIAN.Net this week paint a different picture of the fate of the Boeing 737.

The publication states that analyst and expert on US foreign policy Suren Sargsyan claims the aircraft was sold or given to Iran deliberately. Sanctions on Iran prohibit it from purchasing aircraft with US-manufactured parts, making it difficult to obtain new metal for its airlines.

According to Scramble, Iranian media is reporting that a new Boeing 737-300 has arrived for Caspian Airlines, and will be joining the fleet very soon. This would make it less of an emergency or hijacking and more of a delivery flight. Further, the publication says that Fly Armenia’s second aircraft, a 737-400 registered EK-FAB, will also join Caspian Airlines’ fleet soon.

Interestingly, Fly Armenia has removed the 737-300 from its fleet list. The website currently only lists the 737-400 as its aircraft. The company was formed in 2019, but only received its operating license in July 2020. It acquired its first aircraft in November 2020, but has only undertaken cargo flights to Moscow due to the COVID situation.

If the aircraft’s ’emergency landing’ was indeed a means of getting a new plane into Iran, it wouldn’t be the first time something like this has happened. In 2015, a similar tactic was used to acquire a fleet of widebody aircraft for Mahan Air.

Four Airbus A340s were bought by Al-Naser Airlines in Iraq, and the airline decided to fly all of them to Kazakhstan for maintenance on the same day. All four A340s declared an emergency above Iran and landed in Tehran, subsequently joining the fleet of Mahan Air.

Armenia struggles through crisis as war wounds fester

Rose Khoyetsian
Kuwait Times
March 2 2021
02/03/2021

YEREVAN, Armenia: Anger caught in Mari Hovhannisyan’s throat as she demanded Armenia’s leadership resign, more than three months on from a disastrous war that saw swathes of territory lost to Azerbaijan. “I am six months pregnant but I had to come out,” the 36-year-old told AFP, directing her fury at her country’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. “I am against this regime, against the betrayer who sold out our land, our flag, our nation, everything. He should be in jail, he can’t remain in place.” Around her in Armenia’s capital Yerevan several thousand protesters, waving the national flag, echoed her contempt.

But at the same time, just over a kilometer away on Monday evening, the man they are targeting was defiantly plotting his own way forward in front of a far larger crowd of supporters on the city’s main square. “If the parliamentary opposition agrees to early elections, we will agree to early elections,” Pashinyan shouted through a megaphone to the chanting throng. “Only the people can decide who will remain in power.” The standoff in Armenia is the latest stage of a political crisis fuelled by the fallout of the conflict that erupted last year over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

After six weeks of violence that claimed around 6,000 lives on all sides, a Moscow-brokered ceasefire agreement was signed, handing over significant territory to Azerbaijan and allowing for the deployment of Russian peacekeepers. For Armenians it was a devastating reversal from a first war in the early 1990s-upending their decades-long narrative from victors into vanquished in under two months.

“Too much of Armenia, including the military and the government, is still in a state of denial,” said Richard Giragosian, director of the Yerevan-based Regional Studies Center think-tank. “This is why, like the five or seven stages of grief, we can’t go on to mourn or grieve-because we are still in the state of denial.”

Early elections?
Charting a way out of the political deadlock looks tricky for this south Caucasus republic of three million people. Pashinyan, a charismatic 45-year-old ex-journalist who swept to power in peaceful protests in 2018, insists he is ready for early elections-but there is no clear agreement or timeframe. Last week the prime minister accused the military of attempting a coup when the general staff backed calls for his resignation. Now Pashinyan is squaring off with President Armen Sarkisian, whose role is largely symbolic, after the head of state refused to sign off on the sacking of the military chief.

Analyst Giragosian said the best way forward is for Pashinyan to seek a new mandate at elections-but that the premier is wary of handing over to any caretaker in the interim and risking the huge majority he holds in parliament. “In the event of a free and fair election, Pashinyan’s party would likely secure a reduced but still working majority,” Giragosian said. “The opposition is widely unpopular and deeply discredited. It’s a lack of an alternative candidate and credible rival that tends to strengthen Pashinyan’s position.”

Old guard strikes back?
A key part of the opposition appears to come from Armenia’s former leadership, ousted by Pashinyan in the country’s “Velvet Revolution” of 2018. Critics say the populist leader has failed to make genuine reforms after the rare democratic breakthrough for his ex-Soviet homeland. But Pashinyan’s supporters accuse the old guard of using the losses during the war as a pretext to gain retribution. “We don’t want those who robbed Armenia before to return,” 60-year-old English teacher Aida Ghevondyan told AFP. “They’ve decided that Pashinyan is guilty for the war-but people know those who were in charge before are guilty for getting rich and not building up the army.”

While the political sparring rumbles forward, many in Armenia just seem to be turned off by the wrangling as the country struggles to adapt to the new reality after last year’s conflict. “For most of the people, there is apathy, fatigue, reluctance and a lack of faith in both of the sides,” said Alexander Iskandaryan, the director of Yerevan’s Caucasus Institute. And however the situation plays out, the rancour and divisions look set to drag on. “The turbulence will continue under any scenario-there is no doubt about that,” Iskandaryan said. – AFP

Azerbaijan-Armenian conflict: Role of UN and the changing global order

Ophelia Vardapetian
Rising Kashmir - Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir
March 2 2021

March 3, 2021 | Byline: RK News
March 3, 2021 | Reported By : RK News

 

‘Conflict’ has become synonymous to ‘everyday phenomenon.’ At this age and time, every household in every under-developed, developing and developed nation has been constantly subjected to blaring news about ongoing conflicts in the world. The disputes in these unfortunate conflict ridden zones of the world are notably ‘Territorial Conflicts’ and these existed since time immemorial. Time and again, many countries used manipulative diplomatic strategies to expand their territories and in some unfortunate cases, resorted to warfare.  In recent times, the world has been hooked on to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Not many know that this conflict is, as they say, ‘a tale as old as time.’

 

Azerbaijan is one of the oldest cultural centers of the world. It shares its border with Russia and Dagestan in the North; Iran, Georgia and Armenia in the South and Turkey in the west while the Caspian Sea lies on the East. Azerbaijan was famous for its precious metals and resources, as a result of which, the neighboring countries tried to gain monopoly over it. Consequentially, several wars ensued between these countries. The first conflict, in modern times over Azerbaijan, erupted between Russia and Iran in 1803. This war affected the Northern and Southern sides of Azerbaijan. The war known as ‘Russo-Persian War’, started in 1803 and ended in 1813. Subsequently, it created panic and irremediable havoc in Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan. The intentions of both the countries were to control the resources of Azerbaijan through territorial stretch. In 1813, this war ended with a peace treaty called the ‘Treaty of Gulistan.’

 

After nearly a decade, the world witnessed a second, full scale Russo-Persian war. Not only did the Russian Empire claw in and try to stretch its territory but also Qajar Iran (as it was known at the time due to the reigning Qajar dynasty) was an equally passionate contender. Hence, Azerbaijan once again became the bone of contention between Russia and Iran.  On the 10th February 1828, another peace treaty was signed between Iran (Qajar Iran) and the Russian Empire. This treaty is called the ‘Turkmanchay Treaty.’ This treaty divided Azerbaijan into two parts (Northern and Southern Azerbaijan). While Northern Azerbaijan was under the influence of the Russian Empire, Southern Azerbaijan was under the influence of Iran. The people of Northern Azerbaijan were passionately advocating for their freedom from the Russian Empire. On the 28th May 1918, Northern Azerbaijan saw a ray of hope and the people claimed to be independent after the Russian Empire was overthrown due to the ‘Bolshevik revolution.’ However, the ray of hope diminished after one year and eleven months, due to the USSR, which started controlling Azerbaijan from 1921-1991.

 

The country of Armenia has been subjected to a similar fate. It is a landlocked country, home to more than 3 million people known to have more resources than Azerbaijan. Undoubtedly, many different countries over time expressed their interest to trade and invest in Armenia. The Hittite Empire and the Middle Assyrian Empire came to Armenia primarily for trade in the 14th century BC. But gradually, the Middle Assyrian Empire gained control over the entire political scenario. With the gradual fade out of the Middle Assyrian Empire, the Arsacid Empire started gaining a strong foothold in the region. It soon divided Armenia into two parts- Eastern and western Armenia.  But eventually the Abbasid Caliphate rejoined the two parts, thereby, heavily contributing towards their development and upliftment.

 

In the modern times, USSR was the key player in Armenian politics, culture and conflicts. Spanning from 1918-1991, the Armenian nation saw a series of conflicts, especially those localized to territory. Armenians wanted to remain with Russia due to their belief in the USSR rule which promised equal rights and freedom.However, the USSR left no stone unturned to prolong their rule. The numerous divisions they created by weakening the society’s spirit, strengthened their hold over it. One such prominent example is that of present day Nigarno Karbakh. This is one such territory that housed ethnic Armenians and was effectively established under the guidance of Joseph Stalin (Former Premier of Soviet Union). This small strip of land, called Nigarno Karbakh, has become one of the biggest conflicts of the 21st century.

 

In years gone by, there was an absence of an effective international organization which could have controlled or managed those conflict ridden zones to prevent bloodshed and destruction.  Before 1939, the ‘League Of Nations’ tried to manage several such disputes in order to prevent the World War II, in vain. The League proved ineffective in developing welfare measures internationally.

 

It is high time that the United Nations and similar international communities focus all their energy in resolving the conflict rather than managing it. It is imperative for them to rethink and rework on their approach towards peace and security. 2020 has played a significant role in helping us understand the UN and other communities of its likeness in crisis solving and peacekeeping resolutions. With great power comes great responsibility, and it is crucial that these organizations, the ‘Modern Overlords’ acknowledge that. Because these territorial conflicts are akin to the dominos on a board; resolving one conflict will inevitably have a rippling effect on the others. Let’s not forget that every move is taking us one step closer or farther to an impending ‘Third World War.’ Only continuous peacekeeping efforts, de-escalation talks and upliftment of indigenous communities can be used as tools to take on the challenges in changing global order.

 

 

(Author is  RK columnist. He has done PG in Journalism and Mass Communication from IUST, Awantipora. He can be reached at, [email protected])

Belgian Senator raises the issue of Armenian POWs at OSCE PA meeting

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
March 2 2021
– Public Radio of Armenia

Flemish parliamentarian and member of the Belgian Senate Mark Demesmaeker raised the issue of the Armenian captives and prisoners of war still detained by the Azerbaijani authorities during the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly winter plenary meeting, reports the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD).

“I am alarmed by the reports. Reports about the estimates that there are more than 200 Armenian captives and prisoners of war in Azerbaijan. […] Reports about torture, both physical and psychological, and humiliation of the Armenian captives and prisoners of war, often published on the internet,” the lawmaker said.

“We can speak about an ongoing violation of International Humanitarian Law in the treatment of the Armenian hostages, and we insist it is addressed by the international community and the OSCE as a matter of urgency,” said Demesmaeker.

About 30 pilgrims from Artsakh visit Amaras Monastery

Tambiyan Samvel
Public Radio of Armenia
March 2 2021

About 30 pilgrims from Artsakh Christian monastery of Amaras.

As a result of the agreements reached between the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan, the Amaras Monastery is now in close proximity to the line of contact between the Armenian and Azerbaijani forces.

Russian peacekeepers ensured the safety of the Armenian pilgrims, who were escorted from the city of Stepanakert to the Christian monastery of Amaras and back.