Month: November 2023

UN Special Rapporteur briefed on the legislative reforms implemented in the Armenia’s judicial system

Kajoyan Gevork

 18:47,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. The Chair of the Armenian National Assembly Standing Committee on Labor and Social Affairs Heriknaz Tigranyan on Nov. 23 held a meeting with the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-Recurrence Fabian Savioli.

During the meeting Heriknaz Tigranyan highly appreciated the importance of the UN Special Rapporteur’s mandate and the mission of visiting Armenia in the period full of challenge, the National Assembly of Armenia said in a statement.

“Within the framework of the working visit the UN Special Rapporteur, as an independent expert has been trying to highlight the events happening in Armenia since the independence, which refer to the protection of human rights, the institute of damage compensation and the transitional justice.

Heriknaz Tigranyan presented the legislative reforms implemented in the judicial system, the protection of human rights. The works being done on the servicemen’s social guarantees and compensation mechanisms were discussed in detail.

The Committee Chair underscored that the social protection issues of the servicemen and their family members are always in the center of attention of the legislative and executive bodies.

 The member of the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs Marina Ghazaryan also attended the meeting,’’ reads the statement.

Arayik Harutyunyan receives the regional director of the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency

Greg Madatian

 19:02,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan received the delegation led by Barbara Boeni Slaats, Regional Head of Cooperation South Caucasus at Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

At the meeting, reference was made to the humanitarian problems of our compatriots forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh and the programs implemented by the Armenian government in that direction, the press service of the Government said.

Arayik Harutyunyan highly appreciated the support provided by Switzerland to the Armenian Government related to both the problems of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and to the ongoing reforms implemented by the Government.

An agreement was reached to continue cooperation on the reform agenda, in particular, the Public Administration Reform (PAR) strategy.

The Chief of the Prime Minister’s Staff emphasized that the priority of participatory management of the PAR strategy is one of the important directions, as it will improve the involvement of civil society in decision-making.

B. Slaats noted that bilateral programs with the Armenian government are progressing successfully and they are ready to cooperate in the direction of other development programs in Armenia.

The Prime Minister meets with EU Ambassador to Armenia and Ambassadors of EU Member States accredited in Armenia

Ani Kharatian

 19:18,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a meeting with EU Ambassador to Armenia and Ambassadors of EU Member States accredited in Armenia.

Issues related to Armenia-European Union cooperation and joint programs, in particular, the agenda of reforms in Armenia and the continuous support of the EU to the strengthening of democratic institutions, were discussed, the PM's Office said in a readout.

The sides exchanged ideas on the processes taking place in the South Caucasus region. Reference was made to the humanitarian problems of more than 100,000 forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing policy, as well as to the steps taken by the Armenian government to overcome them. The support of the international community in solving the existing problems was highlighted.

Issues related to regional security and stability, the process of normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations were discussed.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan answered the Ambassadors' questions and presented the views of the Armenian government.

Azerbaijani historiography is nothing more than a contrast between the desired and reality: Gardman-Shirvan-Nakhijevan

Shushan Frangulian

 21:06,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS.  Gardman-Shirvan-Nakhijevan Pan-Armenian Union has issued a statement regarding the circulation of fake scientific political discourse by Azerbaijan. The Union has urged Azerbaijan to admit the numerous historical injustices committed against Armenians over the past century.

‘’We call on Azerbaijan to take tangible measures for the just restoration of the rights of Armenians who have suffered from Azerbaijani aggression at different times.

 The selective approach to historical facts, the re-editing of the past and the formation of one-sided visions of the future in accordance with it are among the brilliant examples of Azerbaijani political hypocrisy.

This explains the great desire of Azerbaijan, as a young state, to hide the complexity of the historical past, because the historical reality is one thing, and the invention of the desired past is another.

Consequently, the entire Azerbaijani historiography represents nothing more than a contrast between the desired and the reality, from which there are two ways out: either accept reality and strive to correct its consequences, or accept a position of complete denial, repeating the dangerous practice of ethnic cleansing, cultural genocide, complete violation of human rights and disregard for authoritative international structures.

It is not difficult to notice the destructive approach adopted by Azerbaijan. The most superficial study of Azerbaijani society clearly shows that all layers of this state are focused on one issue: the development of anti-Armenian discourses.

Various initiatives containing ambitions for the sovereign territory of Armenia, the activities of government officials hidden under the cover of non-political organizations, meaningless and baseless speeches, scientific discourses, festivals, presentations, congresses clearly show Azerbaijan’s real ideas about regional stability,” the statement reads.

Armenpress: Armenian Ambassador to Belgium receives patients injured in Stepanakert fuel depot blast

Liana Toganian

 21:39,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. On November 23, the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to the Kingdom of Belgium hosted the forcibly displaced Artsakh citizens who have been taken to Belgium for treatment as a result of the explosion took place at a fuel depot near the Stepanakert-Askeran road. The family members of the medical patients also participated in the meeting.

Armenia's Ambassador to Belgium and Head of the Mission of Armenia to the EU, Tigran Balayan discussed with them their health condition, plans for the  return to Armenia and issues related to integration.

The patients expressed their gratitude to the Armenian Embassy in Belgium, the hospital staff where they have received treatment, and the Armenian community of Belgium for their attention and compassionate attitude. They spoke about their desire to return to the homeland – Nagorno-Karabakh. In response, Ambassador Balayan assured them that every effort is being made to facilitate the return of the people of Artsakh, ensuring a normal and dignified life under the auspices of international law and protection.

RFE/RL Armenian Service – 11/23/2023

Meline Chalian 
                                        Thursday, 


Yerevan Announces Plans For Armenian, Azerbaijani Border Commissions To Meet At 
Frontier Soon


The national flags of Armenia and Azerbaijan


The Armenian and Azerbaijani border delimitation and demarcation commissions 
plan to meet at the state frontier between the two countries on November 30 
after reaching a preliminary agreement on that, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry said 
on Thursday.

The announcement came after Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry called on November 21 
for direct negotiations with Armenia in a “mutually acceptable” venue, including 
at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Responding to that call, the Armenian side reaffirmed Yerevan’s readiness to 
“re-engage in negotiations” with Baku to establish peace between the two South 
Caucasus nations and mentioned a possible meeting at the state frontier of 
Armenian and Azerbaijani members of commissions involved in border delimitation 
and demarcation processes, something that it said Yerevan had already proposed 
earlier.

The Armenian ministry stopped short, however, of mentioning the possibility of 
direct Armenian-Azerbaijani talks at the highest level.

The commissions headed by the deputy prime ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, 
Mher Grigorian and Shahin Mustafayev, already have the experience of negotiating 
at the border. The first such meeting took place in May 2022 followed by another 
in July of this year.

An ally of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in the Armenian parliament 
told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Wednesday that Yerevan was still “inclined” to 
hold negotiations with Baku at the level of the two countries’ leaders through 
the mediation of the European Union, in particular, of President of the European 
Council Charles Michel.

Sargis Khandanian, who represents the pro-government Civil Contract faction and 
heads the Armenian National Assembly’s Foreign Relations Commission, explained 
that such negotiations would be based on the main principles for 
Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization, including mutual recognition of territorial 
integrity and borders based on a 1991 declaration signed by a dozen former 
Soviet republics, including Armenia and Azerbaijan, after the collapse of the 
USSR, and the sovereign jurisdictions of the states over transportation links 
passing through their territories, that he said were agreed upon by the parties 
in July when the latest round of EU-mediated talks was held between Pashinian 
and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

“Based on this logic, it is necessary to ensure the continuity of those 
negotiations and continue meetings at the level of the countries’ leaders 
through the mediation of the European Union, in particular, European Council 
President Charles Michel,” Khandanian said.

Aliyev appears to have avoided Western platforms for negotiations with Armenia 
after Azerbaijani forces recaptured the whole of Nagorno-Karabakh in a one-day 
military operation in September, causing more than 100,000 people, virtually the 
entire local Armenian population, to flee to Armenia.




Yerevan Says Rights Of Armenians Displaced From Nagorno-Karabakh ‘On Agenda’ Of 
Talks With Baku

        • Ruzanna Stepanian

Armenians fleeing from Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s military operation 
were placed in temporary shelters in Armenia


The issue of the rights of the people who were forcibly displaced from 
Nagorno-Karabakh is on the agenda of negotiations with Azerbaijan, Armenia’s 
deputy foreign minister said on Thursday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safarian

“There was an official assessment of what happened, that is, that ethnic 
cleansing was carried out as a result of Azerbaijan’s military operation against 
Nagorno-Karabakh, and work is being done in this direction with international 
partners. The issue is on the agenda and, naturally, it will be addressed in one 
way or another during the negotiations,” Mnatsakan Safarian told RFE/RL’s 
Armenian Service.

Armenia’s Foreign Ministry announced earlier on Thursday a preliminary 
arrangement about holding a meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijan commissions 
dealing with issues of border delimitation and demarcation at an undisclosed 
location of the state frontier between the two countries on November 30. The 
Azerbaijani side confirmed this arrangement later during the day.

The announcement came after Azerbaijan offered to hold direct talks with Armenia 
in a “mutually acceptable” venue, including along the Armenian-Azerbaijani 
border.

Armenia said it agreed to a meeting of border commissions, but stopped short of 
mentioning the possibility of direct Armenian-Azerbaijani talks at the highest 
level.

Asked whether Armenia was against talks without mediators, the deputy foreign 
minister said: “There are issues where the presence of mediators is mandatory 
and plays a very important role. For example, issues related to the rights of 
the population forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. The existence of 
international mechanisms is important here. There are also other issues where 
guarantees are important.”

The International Court of Justice issued a preliminary order last week obliging 
Azerbaijan to ensure the safety of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians who fled their 
homes and crossed into Armenia following Azerbaijan’s lightning offensive on 
September 19, but now wish to return to the region that Baku has established 
full control of as a result of that one-day military operation.




Pashinian Says No Mass Migration Of Armenians Displaced From Karabakh Observed


Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh receive first aid as they cross into 
Armenia. Kornidzor, September 26, 2023.


No mass outmigration of Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh is observed in 
Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said during his cabinet’s weekly session 
on Thursday.

Pashinian said that “there was a rather disturbing number” of Karabakh Armenians 
leaving Armenia in the first days of their exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh in late 
September.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian

“We assumed then that in most cases people were just going abroad at the 
invitation of their relatives and that they would later return,” said the 
premier, stressing that the situation in this regard “has stabilized” now.

Pashinian described it as a major indicator that decisions made by his 
government in relation to Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians are “having a certain 
effect.”

More than 100,000 Armenians, which is virtually the entire population of 
Nagorno-Karabakh, fled their homes and crossed into Armenia following 
Azerbaijan’s one-day military offensive in September.

The Armenian government responded by providing the displaced people with both 
financial assistance and housing relief. Those of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians who 
did not have a place to stay in Armenia were provided with temporary shelters in 
community housing. The government further allocated pecuniary aid to the 
displaced people to help them pay for rent and utilities.

Still, Pashinian said then that of those Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians who crossed 
into Armenia more than 3,000 left the country.

Talking about the positive effects of his government’s decisions, Pashinian at 
the same time stressed that his words should not be interpreted “as if we have 
completely solved the problems of these people.”

“At some point our policies towards our brothers and sisters who were forcibly 
displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and citizens of the Republic of Armenia will 
become identical,” Pashinian said.

In his remarks today Pashinian also said that Armenia has set a new record in 
terms of registered jobs – 730,000 in a country of some 3 million people.

“Around 183,000 new jobs have been created in Armenia since May 2018. And our 
economic dynamics show that jobs will continue to be created as a result of the 
full involvement of our brothers and sisters forcibly displaced from 
Nagorno-Karabakh in the labor market,” he said.




CSTO Leaders Meet In Belarus For Summit Skipped By Armenia

        • Tatevik Lazarian

Leaders of CSTO member states meet in Minsk, Belarus, on  for a 
summit not attended by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.


Leaders from five former Soviet countries that are members of the Collective 
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) met in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on 
Thursday for a summit that has been skipped by their formal ally, Armenia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and 
Tajikistan attended the events hosted by Belarus’s Alyaksandr Lukashenka, with 
Armenia’s flag also flying at the Minsk airport and at the venue of the 
gathering, the Independence Palace, even though neither Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian, nor other Armenian officials have participated in the workings of the 
summit that was preceded by meetings of defense and foreign ministers and 
security council secretaries of member states on Wednesday.

Lukashenka said Armenia’s absence from the summit was discussed by the other 
leaders during their meeting held behind closed doors.

“We will not hide the fact that we also discussed the situation in the Caucasus 
and certain dissatisfaction of one of the CSTO members. We have come to a joint 
conclusion that there have always been problems, there are and there will be 
problems. But if we are to solve these problems, we should do it at the 
negotiation table and not through unreasonable demarches,” the Belarusian leader 
said, implying Pashinian’s refusal to attend the summit.

In an apparent jibe at the Armenian leader Lukashenka said that “only 
fly-by-night politicians” can create a situation of conflict “by making a gift 
to those who are not interested in strengthening the security of the CSTO member 
states.”

“This is irresponsible and short-sighted,” he said, as quoted by local media.

At the same time, the Belarusian leader expressed a hope to see “Armenian 
friends” at upcoming economic events in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Armenia drew criticism from Russia earlier this month after Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian announced his decision not to attend the CSTO summit.

Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, chided Armenia 
for what she described as veiled efforts by Yerevan to change its foreign-policy 
vector in favor of the West. She said Yerevan’s decision not to attend CSTO 
meetings was not in the “long-term interests of the Armenian people.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also lamented Armenia’s decision, but said that 
Moscow expects Armenia to continue its work within the framework of the CSTO.

CSTO Secretary-General Imangali Tasmagambetov said earlier this week that 
official Yerevan had asked to remove the issue of providing military assistance 
to Armenia from the summit agenda.

Armenia had appealed to the CSTO for military assistance in September 2022 
following two-day deadly border clashes with Azerbaijan that Yerevan said 
stemmed from Baku’s aggression against sovereign Armenian territory.

The Russia-led bloc stopped short of calling Azerbaijan the aggressor and 
effectively refused to back Armenia militarily, while agreeing to consider only 
sending an observation mission to the South Caucasus country.

At the CSTO summit held in Yerevan last November Armenia declined such a 
mission, saying that before it could be carried out the CSTO needed to give a 
clear political assessment of what Yerevan had described as Azerbaijan’s 
aggression and occupation of sovereign Armenian territory.

Explaining his decision to skip the Minsk summit, the Armenian prime minister 
told the parliament in Yerevan earlier this month that the “fundamental problem” 
with the CSTO was that this organization had refused “to de-jure fixate its area 
of responsibility in Armenia.”

Earlier, the Armenian leader and other Armenian officials had said that the 
Russia-led defense alliance’s failure to respond to the security challenges 
facing Armenia meant that “it is the CSTO that is quitting Armenia and not 
Armenia that is quitting the CSTO.”

Talking to reporters in Yerevan on Thursday, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister 
Mnatsakan Safarian said, however, that Armenia was not considering the 
possibility of quitting Russia-led alliances, including the CSTO and the 
Eurasian Economic Union, at the moment.

He also said that Armenia had no intention to raise the issue of the withdrawal 
of Russia’s military base from Armenia.

“There are no such topics on our agenda at the moment,” Safarian said.




Armenia Signals No Intention To Quit Russia-Led Alliances


Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safarian (file photo)


Armenia is not considering the possibility of quitting Russia-led alliances, 
including the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian 
Economic Union (EEU), a senior official in Yerevan said on Thursday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safarian also told reporters that Armenia has 
no intention to raise the issue of the withdrawal of Russia’s military base from 
Gyumri either.

“At the moment, there are no such topics on our agenda,” the deputy minister 
said.

Armenia drew criticism from Russia earlier this month after Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian refused to attend the CSTO’s summit hosted in Minsk, Belarus, on 
November 23. Other Armenian officials have also declined to participate in 
events held by the Russia-led defense alliance that also includes Belarus, 
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, chided Armenia 
for what she described as veiled efforts by Yerevan to change its foreign-policy 
vector in favor of the West. She said Yerevan’s decision not to attend CSTO 
meetings was not in the “long-term interests of the Armenian people.”

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, also lamented 
Armenia’s decision not to attend the CSTO summit, but said that the Kremlin 
expects that “Armenia will continue its work within the framework of this 
organization.”

CSTO Secretary-General Imangali Tasmagambetov said earlier this week that 
official Yerevan had asked to remove the issue of providing military assistance 
to Armenia from the summit agenda.

Armenia had appealed to the CSTO for military assistance in September 2022 
following two-day deadly border clashes with Azerbaijan that Yerevan said 
stemmed from Baku’s aggression against sovereign Armenian territory.

The Russia-led bloc stopped short of calling Azerbaijan the aggressor and 
effectively refused to back Armenia militarily, while agreeing to consider 
sending an observation mission to the South Caucasus country.

At the CSTO summit held in Yerevan in November 2022 Armenia declined such a 
mission, saying that before it could be carried out it needed to give a clear 
political assessment of what Yerevan had described as Azerbaijan’s aggression 
and occupation of sovereign Armenian territory.

Explaining his decision to skip the Minsk summit, the Armenian prime minister 
told the parliament in Yerevan earlier this month that the “fundamental problem” 
with the CSTO was that this organization had refused “to de-jure fixate its area 
of responsibility in Armenia.”

Earlier, the Armenian leader and other Armenian officials had said that the 
Russia-led defense alliance’s failure to respond to the security challenges 
facing Armenia meant that “it is the CSTO that is quitting Armenia and not 
Armenia that is quitting the CSTO.”

Speaking in parliament on November 15, however, the Armenian leader refused to 
be drawn into the discussion of whether Armenia planned to formally quit the 
CSTO, nor would he speak about any security alternatives to membership in this 
organization.

“We are not planning to announce a change in our policy in strategic terms as 
long as we haven’t made a decision to quit the CSTO,” Pashinian said.





Armenian Mining Giant Denies Being Under Western Sanctions


A view of ore-processing facilities of the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine in 
Kajaran, Armenia (file photo)


Armenia’s largest mining enterprise has denied being under Western sanctions or 
having any of its shareholders who are weeks after the United States put a 
number of enterprises owned by a Russian businessman linked to it on its 
sanctions list.

In a statement released on November 23 the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine 
(ZCMC) insisted that the businessman in question is no longer its majority 
shareholder and that no international sanctions were currently applicable to the 
company.

Sanctions targeting Russian businessmen over Russia’s war in Ukraine that 
Washington announced in early November also included those imposed on several 
businesses of Gleb Trotsenko, a purported close associate of Russian President 
Vladimir Putin. AEON Corporation owned by the Trotsenko family was also 
mentioned in the sanctions list.

Both Trotsenko and AEON Corporation have links with Armenia. According to 
Armenia’s State Register, Trotsenko is the largest shareholder in the ZCMC, 
holding a 40-percent stake in the company, which is based in the country’s 
southern Syunik province.

It was due to Trotsenko’s acquiring the largest stake in the ZCMC and donating 
part of it to Armenia that the Armenian government also became a shareholder of 
the company in 2021, currently holding a more than 20-percent stake in it.

The ZCMC explained, however, that Trotsenko, who formerly did hold a beneficial 
ownership position in the company, no longer retained such status “due to the 
alienation of all his indirect shares in the Company on October 27, 2023.”

“Currently, there is no relationship between Mr. Trotsenko and the Company,” the 
ZCMC said.

In its press release the ZCMC provided a link to the official website of the 
State Register of Legal Entities of Armenia’s Ministry of Justice, according to 
which Trotsenko’s name is absent from the list of the company’s shareholders.

The biggest shareholder listed there is Svetlana Ershova, a Russian citizen with 
a participation size of nearly 48 percent. Ershova is known to have had business 
links with the company owned by Gleb Trotsenko’s father Roman Trotsenko.

“The ZCMC remains steadfast in its commitment to transparent corporate 
governance, and periodic publication of ultimate beneficial owners’ declarations 
according to the Armenian legislation underscores the Company’s continuous 
efforts to uphold the highest standards of business conduct,” it said.

The ZCMC was Armenia’s number one tax payer in 2022 and remains one this year. 
According to the data released by Armenia’s State Revenue Committee, the company 
contributed 52,4 billion drams (nearly $130 million) to the state budget during 
the first nine months of 2023.



Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

"There is a process, no result": on confiscation of illegal property in Armenia

Hovsep Chakrian
Nov 23 2023
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Confiscation of illegal property

The Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office has submitted a lawsuit to the court demanding the confiscation of a large list of property, including “79 real estate properties, 42 vehicles, 86 billion drams [$215 million]” from prominent businessman and former MP Gagik Tsarukyan.

This is not the only case demanding “confiscation of property of illegal origin.” Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan said that 93 lawsuits have been sent to court since September 2020. In general, it is about “confiscation in favor of the Republic of Armenia of about 1,000 immovable and 200 objects of movable property.” According to her, the total amount of these lawsuits exceeds 500 billion drams [$1 billion 250 million].

According to political analyst Suren Surenyants, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has once again, as in the days of the Velvet Revolution, started talking about confiscating illegal property because he was informed “about the rapid decline in his rating.” The political analyst does not rule out that new corruption scandals and revelations and “high-profile arrests” are expected in the country.

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The Prosecutor General’s Office started investigating the legality of the property owned by one of the richest people in Armenia, Gagik Tsarukyan, in October 2020. The court decision prohibited Tsarukyan and his associates from managing a certain list of immovable and movable property. As a result, the court was not presented with data substantiating the legality of the acquisition of the property that raised questions for the law enforcement agencies. Therefore, in October 2023, a lawsuit for its confiscation was submitted to the Anti-Corruption Court.

The Prosecutor General’s Office submitted a long list to the court, which includes

  • 79 real estate properties,
  • 42 automobiles,
  • the purchase amount of 8 unidentified vehicles ($870 thousand),
  • 10 real estate properties registered to Gagik Tsarukyan,
  • shares in business and shares of 39 institutions,
  • the amount of loans granted to 12 individuals and legal entities that could not be identified ($42 million),
  • the amount of income from the use of property of illegal origin ($215 million).

Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan informed the members of the government at the regular session:

“As of today, 4 settlement agreements have been signed, according to which 6 immovable and 1 movable property have been returned to the state, the total value of which is 2 billion 100 million drams [$5,250,000]. About 79 million drams [$197,000] were also returned.”

As a result, the list of real estate returned to the state included 4 land plots in the vicinity of “Yerablur” military pantheon.

According to the Law on Confiscation of Illegally Obtained Property, the proceedings may end with a settlement agreement if the person in possession of the property submits to the court the declaration required by law. After signing the agreement, the property must be handed over to the state, and if it cannot be handed over, its market value in drams must be paid.

According to Vardapetyan, the Prosecutor General’s Office is also engaged in defense of state and public interests, within the framework of which about 235 lawsuits have been submitted to the court. These lawsuits demand the return of a number of parks to state ownership, territories under state protection, in particular, the buildings of “Moscow” movie theater and the Union of Artists in Yerevan, land plots of the Kumayri Museum-Reserve in Gyumri.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recalled that when he came to power in 2018, his government promised the public to return “looted state property, but failed to fulfill its commitment to the people.”

“Now that we want to state what has been done up to this point, we see that there are many lawsuits, but we can count on the fingers of one or two hands what results we have achieved,” he said.

According to Pashinyan, there are processes, but “there are no results, by and large,” although a lot of work has been done and reforms in the judicial system have been implemented:

“There are well-known corruption cases that are being tried in court, and my impression is that these cases can last 25 years. This is a big problem.”

The prime minister fears that people may assume collusion, think that the ruling majority is involved in some backroom deals, which is the reason why court cases are so long. He assures that there are no deals, it’s just that the government doesn’t want to fight corruption “in the vendetta genre.”

“It was fundamental for us that the processes be justified de jure and take place within the framework of legality.”

Pashinyan said the trials cannot last indefinitely. And he expects statistics not on lawsuits sent to court, but on convictions and acquittals.

The impact of the Israeli conflict on the situation in the region. Will Azerbaijan start a war?

Emil Lazarian
Nov 23 2023
  • Armine Martirosyan
  • Yerevan

Will there be a war

Overlapping conflicts are increasingly complicating and aggravating the world situation. New conflicts divert the attention of the international community from the old ones. And all countries are watching processes seemingly distant from them. Political analysts consider the Arab-Israeli conflict, which flared up again on the background of the Ukrainian conflict, and the last one – on the background of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, as links in the chain of world processes.

Armenian analysts comment on how the Palestinian-Israeli conflict may affect the South Caucasus region and whether Baku will use this situation to invade Armenia.

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“I do not see any special opportunities for the influence of another round of the Arab-Israeli conflict on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. This is evidenced by the statements made from Washington, Brussels and now also from London. The agenda of the collective West as the main moderator of the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan does not change in connection with the Arab-Israeli war.

The situation in the Gaza Strip, first of all, affects Iran as a country directly involved in this conflict. But still not to the extent that it makes Tehran completely distract from the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, which poses a threat to itself as well.

And Israel is actively using Azerbaijan as an observation, reconnaissance and, in the future, possibly even military bridgehead. So Iran cannot lose sight of the development of the situation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict”.

“Baku can attack Armenia always and at any moment, but the situation in the Gaza Strip is not the kind of conflict that can make international actors ignore it.

In global politics, regional boundaries have long been blurred, and the same US considers the South Caucasus as part of the Middle East. But the issue is not geography, but the essence of this conflict.

The conflict that is unfolding today between Israel and Hamas is elaborate. It is based on the far-reaching calculations of Israel, as well as the U.S. that supports it. It is the destruction of Hamas.

Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist movement and political party. Controls the Gaza Strip in Palestine.

This conflict is manageable. The same Iran – even at the level of Hezbollah – limits itself to diplomacy and statements, and in reality does nothing to prevent Israel from gradually and methodically destroying Hamas.

Hezbollah is a Lebanese paramilitary organization and political party advocating the establishment of an Islamic state in Lebanon modeled on Iran.

Iran understands the risks of the war going beyond the Gaza Strip, given the possible intervention of the United States, which has already sent its aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean Sea to the shores of Israel and Lebanon.

Any conflict is manageable, including ours. The other day, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien said very clearly that the US is closely monitoring all military movements of Azerbaijani equipment on the border.

So at this stage, attacking Armenia would be a shot in the foot for Aliyev. Aliyev will simply take the path of Saddam Hussein. He understands this perfectly well and is trying to build his claims against Armenia on other possibilities, along other lines. In particular, Aliyev has started making claims against France, accuses Armenia of revanchism, etc.”.

“Any conflict can make adjustments in other regions. Say, the ongoing Ukrainian conflict has affected the situation around the world, especially in the post-Soviet space.

For example, preparations for the war in Ukraine included a 44-day war in Artsakh, which Russia calls a “successfully conducted operation.”

Moscow wanted to act according to the same scenario in Ukraine, but the first stage of this, as they call it, “operation” failed, and much in their plans has changed.

Russia partially ceded its positions in the South Caucasus to Turkey on the condition that Ankara would remain neutral in Ukraine. Which it is doing. Turkey’s actions do not go further than rare condemnations of Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

But the failure of the first stage of the war in Ukraine, when Russian troops had to retreat from under Kiev and withdraw from the central regions to the south and east, accelerated Russia’s withdrawal from the South Caucasus as well. This automatically increased Turkey’s influence in the region. Turkey, by continuing to cooperate with Russia in various areas, including gas re-export, is gradually squeezing Russia out of the South Caucasus”.

“The attitude towards Armenia in the world has changed. If Armenia in 2020 was perceived as an ally of Russia, even a satellite, dependent on Moscow and not a sovereign state, today the West’s attitude towards Armenia is changing before our eyes. Today, the West considers Yerevan a partner and possible ally in future stages, and this is stated directly.

The adoption of the “Armenia Protection Act of 2023″ by the U.S. Senate speaks volumes. Supportive statements were made by the European Parliament and the European Commission. France, India and a number of other states have started military-technical cooperation”.

“Israel is a state in which incredible resources have been invested over the years. And the position of the U.S. political elite as the main player in the region is well known – the destruction of the closest ally of the United States cannot be allowed.

At some point, the West shifted its attention to the Israeli conflict, which caused some confusion among the political leadership of Ukraine. But today the Biden administration is trying to be present in solving both problems. It is providing military-technical as well as financial assistance to both at the same time.

The expansion of the Israeli war may have risks for us. But I see no possibility of that with the presence and presence of American aircraft carriers and ballistic missile submarines in the Mediterranean.

This is an absolutely clear signal to all players in the region that the involvement of third forces will not be tolerated and there should be no expansion of the war.

Of course, Baku could take advantage of the fact that the attention of the international community is focused on other conflicts and attack Armenia. For the decision to attack has already been made, it is only a question of timing and details.

However, the actions of the U.S., EU and France have made it very clear to Aliyev that in case of such a development of events Azerbaijan will find itself in the status of a state hostile to the West.

I do not think that Aliyev’s regime at this stage is ready to pay such a price, to become a country hostile to the Western world, to ally itself with Russia, North Korea, Belarus. The elite formed around Aliyev should reflect and realize the consequences of their actions”.

“As long as the Aliyev regime exists and as long as its backbone has not been broken, the threat of war will always be there. But Armenia, which lags behind Azerbaijan in terms of military-political balance, must also rebuild its forces.

From the moment Azerbaijan realizes that an attack on Armenia will cost it enormously, we can say that the threat of war is negligible. Today this price does not seem to them to be incredible.

The actions of the US, EU, France, India are aimed at buying time and restoring this balance of power in the region.

We are given time to restore the military-political balance in the region with the help of the West and other friendly countries.

Exactly military-political, because issues are decided not only by the number of weapons, but also by alliances, ties, pacts in which you participate, participation in international economic projects, etc.

And we only have two or three years to do that. Two or three years to do our homework. So that later on, even if the world switches to other problems, we will be able to resist Azerbaijan’s aggression, because it will always have plans to attack Armenia. This is such a country.

https://jam-news.net/will-azerbaijan-armenia-war-start/

Iraqi, Armenian presidents chair meeting to boost bilateral cooperation

Lara Antonian
Iraqi News
Nov 22 2023
  • Amr Salem

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Rashid, met on Wednesday with the Armenian President, Vahagn Khachaturian, at the Presidential Palace in the Armenian capital, Yerevan.

The meeting addressed ways to develop bilateral ties between Iraq and Armenia as well as the latest international developments, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Presidency.

The president of Iraq expressed interest in initiating bilateral work mechanisms and monitoring the decisions made at the most recent joint committee sessions in Baghdad.

Rashid indicated that Iraq is now an attractive country for foreign investments, particularly in areas such as infrastructure, tourism, and trade exchange.

Khachaturian expressed his appreciation for Rashid’s visit to Armenia due to its positive impact on relations between the two countries, noting that Rashid’s visit is the first of its kind by an Iraqi president to Armenia.

The two presidents chaired a meeting attended by official delegations from both sides, where they discussed agreements in several areas.

The expanded meeting discussed the importance of regulating flights between Baghdad and Yerevan, as well as between Erbil and Yerevan, to boost tourism activities between the two countries.

Both sides also discussed the cancellation of entry visas between the two countries, in addition to operating direct flights between Iraq and Armenia.

The meeting also tackled cooperation in the fields of investment, energy, and technology, facilitating the entry of companies and businessmen, as well as supporting the tourism sector.

Letter from Armenia

Emil Lazarian
Nation.Cymru
Wales, UK – Nov 23 2023
CULTURE


Deian Timms

Yma o Hyd may have been written about the Welsh, but if there’s a nation that embodies this spirit, it’s Armenia.

Arriving a week before the game, I flew to Tbilisi and took the sleeper train down to Yerevan, hoping Wales could put right June’s 2-4 trouncing.

The workhorse Soviet-era engine clunked and passports were checked on five separate occasions through the night – once on a freezing platform somewhere in rural Georgia, having been ushered off spotlit carriages by border guards and circled by stray dogs.

Sleeper train proved to be something of a misnomer.

Smugness

Stepping off at Yerevan, I trudged toward the centre and arrived to a beautiful dawn over Republic Square. After finally finding an open café, I basked in the smugness of how cool the journey would sound to my Wales Away friends.

After a drizzly day taking in the main sights of the capital, I was off again.

As the first Christian state, ancient monasteries dot the landscape of Armenia. From Gegham with its chambers carved into the mountainside, to Haghartsin hidden amongst the rolling hills of Dilijan that reminded me of home.

But being a fanboy of brutalist architecture, my personal pilgrimages took me to the Iron Fountain of Gyumri(which sounds pleasingly like the treigliad of Cymru) and to Sevan to the Armenian Writer’s Union retreat, jutting out over the lake like an avant-garde modernist Tŷ Newydd.

I met with my Armenian friend Yana that I knew through a previous job in Brussels, who very kindly showed me some of the more inaccessible sights as well as the best spots back in Yerevan.

A researcher and former parliamentary legal advisor, Yana comes from Nagorno-Karabakh (the Russian term often used in English), known in Armenian as Artsakh.

Artsakh is a disputed region, historically populated by Armenians but given to Azerbaijan by Stalin as part of a divide and rule strategy.

As the USSR creaked and then crumbled, long-standing tension flared into violence. Its most recent chapter saw a nine-month blockade and large-scale military offensive carried out by Azerbaijan. This forced a hundred-thousand Armenians to abandon their homes practically overnight in September this year, which has been considered ethnic cleansing by a European Parliament resolution.

When Yana went to study in the United States last year, the blockade had not yet started. When she left for California, she had no idea she would not be coming back to her home.

Now living in Yerevan with other members of her family forced to leave, she says many Artsakh people are struggling in the capital as they face a confusing legal status in addition to the profound and recent trauma of losing their homes and communities.

Employers are hesitant to hire people from Artsakh because of this uncertainty and although those from Artsakh have Armenian passports, they are technically not Armenian citizens and may have to be registered as refugees.

The majority have gone to Yerevan to find work. Accommodation is scarce and some landlords, sensing opportunity, have raised prices. The perception is that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has done very little indeed (to be polite) to help in the wake of this crisis.

Traditions

There is an additional worry that being dispersed throughout the capital – a city of over 1 million – the distinct culture and dialect will struggle without Artsakhi spaces. The wounds are still exceedingly raw, but one hopes that in time groups and organisations will form to preserve these traditions and language for future generations. And hope remains amongst those that have fled that they will one day return.

Thanks to Yana I got a seat in the home end for the match. With the sun setting and people shuffling to their seats, I started spotting other Welsh fans in the stands, undeterred by the previous night’s rough treatment of members of the Wal Goch at the hands of the Yerevan police.

Despite our very crafty donning of Armenia scarves and flags, hastily bought from the market on the walk to the stadium, we weren’t fooling anyone. Knowing nods and winks were exchanged at key moments but staying seated and silent and hands firmly in our pockets, especially during the anthem, was not easy.

Sat to my left was a lanky teenage Armenian boy of about 14 who appeared to be having the best day of his life, his enthusiasm so genuinely infectious that I almost forgot I wasn’t supporting Armenia when Lucas Zelarayan scored a 5th minute goal.

His voice broke as he booed, and I struggled to hold back my laughter on several occasions as he shouted in English “FC crybaby!” every time a Wales player was fouled and a rather cutting “David Brooks: random guy!” at the away end.

A scrappy 1-1 draw led to a fantastic night out with mates, ending up at a dive bar run by Russian hipsters. Many young, liberal Russians have come to Yerevan since the invasion of Ukraine, setting up cafés and restaurants and making respectable efforts at learning and using the Armenian language.

In contrast to Tbilisi and Wales Away’s previous host-city Riga, there is no anti-Russian graffiti around the city centre.

Critical

I asked Yana about this, who said whilst Armenians might be extremely critical of the Russian government or policy – there is a deep sense of betrayal at Russia’s failure to safeguard the 2020 ceasefire agreement, effectively allowing Azerbaijan to freely take Artsakh – there is no resentment or xenophobia towards ordinary Russians.

Most welcome the new arrivals, boosting diversity in an otherwise rather homogenous Yerevan. A refreshing take.

As many fans left the day after the match, there was one final visit, Khor Virap.

Khor Virap is a hilltop monastery frequented by pilgrims, wedding parties and soldiers alike, located on the plain that surrounds Mount Ararat: the holy mountain and national symbol of Armenia, and considered the landing place of Noah’s Ark. Its scale is difficult to describe and at over 5000m high (Yr Wyddfa stands at 1058m), its presence looms wherever you go.

But just beyond the monastery lies the closed border with Türkiye, guarded by Russian towers. Following the Armenian Genocide, Mount Ararat today lies within Turkish territory, and the atrocities are to this day officially denied by the Turkish state.

The call to prayer was audible from villages just a couple of kilometres past the border fence. Also within sight is the northernmost tip of Iran, just 7km away.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt the weight of history quite so heavy in the air.

Further up the rocks from the monastery, an Armenian flag flaps defiantly. Naturally we walk up for a photo at the top. We get in position to pose and I notice something on the pole. A Wrexham AFC sticker. Of course.