Month: May 2021

Armenia's ex-president Robert Kocharyan, the leader of "Armenia" political alliance issued a statement on Saturday. "Over the past several days I receive reports that law enforcement bodies exert pressure in separate places on my teammates. I can forgive any infringement or injustice against me for to close the page of the defeat and for the sake of national unity. However, I want to warn that no case of a fabricated persecution against my teammates will be forgotten and forgiven. I assure that any official involved in lawlessness will answer for their actions before the law soon."

To note, Kocharyan's statement came days after the head of his parliamentary election campaign Armen Gevorgyan  was charged with money laundering by Armenia's Special Investigative Service (SIS).

Razminfo specialized military website has studied a video circulated by Azeri users on social media and concluded it had been filmed in the near-border area of Armenia's Gegharkunik province, bordering with Karvachar region which is currently under the control of Azerbaijani forces.

The portal has identified the exact location with a satellite view, indicating the clip has been made on a peak of a mountAIN 6 kilometers away from north-east of borderline Kut village. The geographic coordinates of the location is 40.18924486527808, 45.96873917393403. 

The military experts assert the Azerbaijani forces have occupied the peak and secured their presence in a favorable position. "If the Armenian side had taken steps earlier, it would have saved control over the hill," the portal said. 

'The active phase of military actions has ended, yet we are now witnessing a creeping occupation of Armenia," former prime minister of Armenia Khosrov Harutyunyan said at a round-table discussion organised by "Salute of Honour and Respect" pre-election bloc. In Harutyunyan's words, Azerbaijan is making use of the incapability of Armenia's authorities and tries to take strategic positions which may pose a threat to the security of Armenia in the future. Harutyunyan believes if no actions are taken to resist Azerbaijan, the developments may lead to irreversible consequences for Armenia.    

The former prime minister also pointed to the non-existent link between Armenia and Artsakh at present. "The argument that Armenia stays the security guarantor of Artsakh sounds empty words," said Harutyunyan, adding that fact should receive economic, political and military assessments. 

He next asserted that the region has occurred in a new geopolitical configuration which has exposed new threats for Armenia. Per him, the security concept for Armenia-Artsakh should be reconsidered in the current geopolitical context and create guarantees for dynamic development. 

"The trilateral statement from November 9 in no way may serve legal basis for the peace agreement of the Artsakh settlement," emphasized Harutyunyan, admitting at the same time the role of the trilateral statement in ending the bloodshed. 

"Works aimed setting out the priorities and planning with respect to security have not been implemented over the past 5-6 months after the war," the Head of "Henaket" analytical center Tigran Abrahamyan said at a round table discussion, organised by "Salute of Honour and Respect" pre-election bloc.

In the words of the expert, the well-known events of 2018 were the reason for the 44-day war, while the recent border crisis came as the result of the inaction by authirities after the war. 

Abrahamyan noted that the ongoing developments in Armenia have sidelined the situation in Artsakh when especially today it required the vital and active support from  Armenia. In his words, at present Artsakh does not receive the necessary level of support from Armenia, as both countries face major difficulties in organizing the border service. 

"Without an active support from Armenia, it is impossible to provide security guarantees to Artsakh and make our compatriots living there feel safe," said Abrahamyan. 

Armenia’s defense ministry has commented on the media reports claiming that 160 Armenian soldiers are in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Armenpress news agency reports. “We do not have information about any Armenian soldier being in Iran”, the ministry told agency. 

Earlier, media outlets reported that during the recent 44-day war around 160 Armenian servicemen have crossed the Armenian-Iranian border.