Month: November 2023

Armenia: Relocating Steel Dreams

Vanyan Gary
India – Nov 2 2023

Synopsis

The Armenian-American steel plant under construction in Yeraskh, a village bordering the Azerbaijani exclave Nakhichevan, will be relocated due to safety concerns. The site was targeted by Azerbaijani troops, resulting in injuries and property damage. The $70 million project's new location will be close to the original site, according to the Minister of Economy, Vahan Kerobyan.

 

Article

A recent announcement from Armenia's Minister of Economy, Vahan Kerobyan, confirmed that a $70 million Armenian-American steel plant under construction will be moved to a new location. The construction site, GTB Steel LLC, is currently located in Yeraskh, a village that has suffered from cross-border fire from Azerbaijani troops.

This volatile situation led to serious injuries to two Indian nationals working on the site, as well as damage to equipment and buildings. This level of risk prompted the decision to change the construction location, but interestingly, the new site will not be far from the original one.

Kerobyan stated that the construction process is privately funded, allowing investors to steer the project as they see fit. "We, taking into account the geographical location and the regional environment, are trying to be as helpful to them as possible," said the minister.

The minister also spoke on the broader implications of the security situation, indicating that the instability serves as a significant deterrent for economic projects and investments in Armenia. This issue extends beyond the steel plant and could potentially hamper the country's economic growth.

For Armenia, attaining peace in the region is a critical factor in terms of attracting investment. Kerobyan emphasized, "Peace in the region will be of the utmost importance in terms of investment attractiveness. And it is necessary to strive for long-term peace in the region."

The minister's statements underscore the complex interplay of economic development and geopolitical stability. As Armenia seeks to foster growth, it must concurrently address security issues to create an environment conducive for investment.

Conclusion

The relocation of the Armenian-American steel plant in Yeraskh highlights the challenges of pursuing large-scale economic projects in regions with ongoing geopolitical tensions. While the immediate concern is the safety of the workers and the viability of the $70 million project, the long-term question is how Armenia can create a stable environment that is attractive for both domestic and international investors.


Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem cancels controversial land deal with Israeli developer

Ani Tigranian
Nov 2 2023


“The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem announces that a letter was sent on October 26, 2023 to Xana Gardens Ltd. whereby the Patriarchate informed Xana Gardens of the cancellation of the agreement signed on 8/7/2021 regarding the Armenian Gardens in the Old City, Jerusalem,” the Chancellery of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a press release, cited by Armen Press.

A deal had earlier been signed by the Armenian Patriarchate that would hand up to 25% of the quarter to a commercial entity for a 99-year lease. The reported intention was to build a luxury hotel on some of the land that is currently a parking lot, but is on prime real estate nestled just within the Old City walls.

The deal in question was supposedly a 99-year lease to a Jewish developer who will build a luxury hotel on the land.

Though signed in 2021, the deal became reality in April when Xana Capital took over the parking lot and placed signs announcing its ownership, sparking protests in the Armenian Quarter against the Patriarchate.

Land transfers in Jerusalem are sensitive because they can upset the status quo and final status arrangements of the city.

Both the Palestinian Authority and Jordan noted that the patriarch’s “dealings constituted a clear violation of relevant international covenants and decisions, which aim to preserve the status quo in Jerusalem and protect the authentic Jerusalemite Armenian heritage.”

https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/11/02/armenian-patriarchate-in-jerusalem/

“Ruben is symbol of all Armenians,” Noubar Afeyan says

Garnik Zakarian
Armenia – Nov 2 2023

“It is indeed extremely personal and painful situation. I have worked with Ruben Vardanyan for 23 years across dozens of humanitarian and philanthropic projects in Armenia. Ruben out of utter desperation for the fate of his people moved to Karabakh, what we call Artsakh, last fall to help the people living there regain their dignity and try to offer some resistance to the pressure they were under. For doing that, over a three-month period as the state minister, he stayed there after he ceased being state minister and was doing humanitarian projects on the ground helping people cope with the circumstances,” Noubar Afeyan said in interview with CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour.

 

Commenting on the charges initiated against Ruben Vardanyan, Noubar Afeyan said that “they have no factual basis.”

 

“I think that Ruben represents, in fact, a symbol of all Armenians. And for them to be able to arrest him, make a show of that activity and then charge him, is something that is meant to create psychological torture to really ten million Armenians around the world. I really hope that international powers do not stand by because all this types of things do is encourage more and more of this types of injustice with impunity, and I think we really need to speak up against that,” chairman of Moderna’s Board of Directors said.

https://mediamax.am/en/news/society/53002/

Beyond Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: How India can help Armenia with military training

Diana Dabaghian
First Post
Nov 2 2023
Maj Gen Ashok Kumar

The geopolitical landscape of the world is changing quite rapidly. It was the Russia-Ukraine war first, while it is now the Hamas-Israel war. US-China relations are also heating up on the issues of the Indo-Pacific, South China Sea, and Taiwan which may explode at any time. While adequate world attention is drawn to all these issues, a major conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, affecting 100,000 Armenians, has almost eroded from the memories of all world powers, despite the fact that almost the entire Armenian population was forced to move out of their native place to relocate themselves in Armenia.

The September 23 operations were launched by Azerbaijan to capture this Armenian enclave, which it succeeded in. It succeeded as it had four times the superior forces as compared to Armenia. The relative ‘Nos’ alone don’t matter. The force structure, force organisation, command and control structure, equipment, warfighting doctrine and tactics, and the morale of the forces matter much more. It was probably because of these reasons that Armenia won the first Nagorno-Karabakh war, which concluded in 1994.

It is therefore essential that the Armenian defence forces carry out a re-appraisal of their strengths and weaknesses. This will assist them in identifying the areas that need improvement. It will be a good idea if Armenia takes the assistance of some trusted country to help shape its defence forces, including imparting the training to make it more battle-ready. India could be the obvious choice to establish an ‘Indian Army Training Team (IATT)’ in Armenia, which can be co-located with the Force Headquarters of Armenia. IATT is more suitable due to the following reasons:

  • Armenia faces two front threats. From Nakhichevan enclave of Azerbaijan on its West which can be activated by the forces ab-initio placed in the Nakhichevan enclave besides Azerbaijan reinforcing the location through Iran / Turkey. It can also establish a forced corridor through the Southern end of Armenia for a much wanted connectivity. In addition, Armenia’s Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in the East is surrounded by Azerbaijan from almost all the four sides. Armenia needs to be prepared and capable of fighting ‘two front war’. There could be no better country in the world as compared to India which can assist Armenia in its current geo-graphic conflict context as India has fought and won a two front war in 1971 and is handling the similar threat now on two fronts due to collusivity of China and Pakistan.
  • India has a large and robust defence force structure. It has also the experience of establishing IATTs in other foreign countries successfully. It is therefore most suited to undertake this task.
  • India has been exporting defence equipment to include surveillance equipment to Armenia . In addition, it has also exported the Pinaka rocket weapon system while Armenia has been fighting against its adversary, Azerbaijan. India has done so when Armenia has been at war with Azerbaijan. Armenia is probably the first country in the world to get this support while being at war. It clearly indicates the importance attached to Armenia by India in the latter’s international security calculus.
  • Armenia has recently posted a Defence Attaché to its embassy in India who can interact with concerned stakeholders in Government of India at Delhi to work out a suitable structure and its early operationalisation.

Given the importance attached to Armenia and the mutual national interests of both countries converging, India could be willing to respond positively to any such proposal from the Armenian side. The Armenian embassy in India and the Indian embassy in Armenia could play an important role in making this happen. While the exact structure, role, and tasks of IATT will emerge based on mutual consultation between both countries, some ingredients could be as follows:

  • The structure should be adequate to provide the comprehensive support as requested by Armenia.
  • If Armenia desires, this team can also suggest the force structure and equipment for arming the Armenian Defence Forces. The structures could be aligned to the threat perception Armenia faces so that it can respond to threats comprehensively and decisively.
  • Armenia is importing the defence equipment primarily from Russia and erstwhile Soviet nations besides some new entrants. The sources of these imports are drying up due to the Russia-Ukraine war. In such a situation, India has been emerging as one of the main suppliers of defence equipment for the Armenian defence forces besides having the potential to maintain Russian supplied equipment . Indigenisation of defence equipment in India, export orientation and private sector participation is giving India new opportunities to equip the Armenian defence forces.
  • IATT can train officers as well as other ranks in all possible domains as desired by Armenia. It will collaborate with training infrastructure and instructors from the Armenian Defence Forces for the optimum results. The syllabi can also be re-structured as per training needs of Armenia.
  • Since Armenian defence forces have only two services to include Army and Air force and therefore the composition of IATT must factor the need to train both the Services .It should also train on equipment like drones and other such advancements.
  • Though Armenia does not have its Navy being a landlocked country, capacity creation in this field is still essential. IATT can factor this requirement as well.
  • Maintenance of the equipment in an operationally acceptable timeframe is also critical for winning the wars / battles. IATT will need to structure itself suitably to impart quality training to this facet as well.
  • IATT will need to assist in setting the wargames and field exercises for the Armenian army in a near-conflict simulation environment and will have to assist in objective evaluation.

The role, tasks, and areas to be covered for the training can be discussed by both countries to give it a practical shape. Though reports are emerging towards a peace settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, even then, a strong Armenian defence force is a must in the national interest of Armenia. India can fill this gap in the most effective manner by establishing a training team in Armenia early.

The writer is a retired army veteran. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.


Media: Armenia proposed Russia sign agreement to circumvent Rome Statute

Emil Lazarian
y! News
Nov 2 2023
Elsa Court, The Kyiv Independent news desk

Armenia invited Russia to sign a bilateral agreement that would allow Yerevan to bypass rules relating to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant for Russian dictator , according to local media reports on Nov. 2.

Armenia recently ratified the ICC's Rome Statute, making it one of 124 countries obliged to arrest Putin if he sets foot in the country, after he was issued with an ICC arrest warrant in March 2023 for his role in the mass deportation of Ukrainian children.

Armenia's proposal to Russia was made "several months before the ratification," Hakob Arshakyan, the deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament, reportedly told a parliamentary briefing.

The agreement would have ensured that "ratification would not affect our relations." Yerevan has not yet received a response from Moscow, according to Arshakyan.

"However, there is still enough time before the Rome Statute comes into force," the deputy speaker said.

On Oct.3, the Armenian parliament voted to ratify the Rome Statute. Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan then ratified the statute, Armenia's Presidential Office announced on Oct. 13.

The ruling enters into force 60 days after signing.

Armenia first signed the Rome Statute in 1998 but failed to ratify it. The process resumed in 2022.

The treaty's ratification comes in the wake of Azerbaijan's victory over the self-declared ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which was defeated by Azerbaijani forces on Sept. 20.

Russian "peacekeepers" were stationed in the area to stop violence between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, but did nothing to prevent Azerbaijan's Sept. 20 offensive. Tensions between Armenia and their long-time ally Russia have since risen.

The ICC asserts that there are "reasonable grounds to believe" that Putin holds direct accountability for supervising the deportations and that he neglected to exert authority over Russian soldiers and civilians executing the crime across occupied Ukrainian regions from the onset of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine.

Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official allegedly overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia, was also issued an arrest warrant by the ICC in March 2023.

The Front Page: Armenians in New Zealand explain refugee crisis tearing families from homeland

Samvel Nahapetian
New Zealand Herald
Nov 2 2023
By 

Artsakh is a ghost town.

The disputed territory, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, was once home to around 120,000 ethnic Armenians. Artsakh is officially viewed by much of the world as part of Azerbaijan, but ethnic Armenians predominantly populate it.

In September, Azerbaijani forces enacted a large-scale military offensive against the breakaway state.

This led to residents fleeing and a decree that saw the abolition of all Nagorno-Karabakh institutions.

The military and geo-political tussle between Azerbaijan and Armenia has led to a humanitarian crisis, with families being forced to leave their homes to evade the conflict.

Despite the gravity of the situation, the story has all but faded from public attention.

Western eyes are instead currently focused on Israel and Ukraine, while the struggles of these Armenian families are largely ignored.

One person who has been speaking about the chaos is Dr Maria Armoudian, a senior lecturer on politics and international relations at Auckland University.

She tells The Front Page podcast that this is a story of people being denied their right to live in their homeland.

“In essence, Armenians wanted to stay on their indigenous lands,” Armoudian says.

“This is where their parents and grandparents, and their graveyards and churches [have been]. So they stayed, and they maintained that lifestyle as much as they could, but then Azerbaijan started to squeeze them, cutting off all food, water and energy. It’s winter, they’re freezing and they can’t feed their children. It’s a really horrific situation.”

After these measures, a military attack ensued, which left the families with no choice but to leave their homeland.

“They forced them out of their homelands, and they fled to Armenia, which was the closest place they could go. There are 120,000 refugees, which have nothing. They’ve left everything.”

Dr Anna Matevosyan, a former student at the University of Auckland, recently returned to Aotearoa from Armenia and also joined The Front Page.

She says the families that fled Nagorno-Karabakh are simply looking for a place to stay.

“In our village, we have a couple of families who have found temporary accommodation. They’re getting support from strangers or relatives in the form of very basic supplies. They had to escape Artsakh to save their lives, without anything. They just got into their cars and moved to Armenia.”

This story is personal for Matevosyan, given that her mother’s side of the family actually comes from this region.

“My grandparents and my aunt were refugees in the 1990s, so it’s very personal for me… During 1988 and 1990, when the [previous] war was ongoing, I was living in a frontline village… My family, including my father and uncles, had to go and defend the border… That was all happening at around the age of 10. Even then, I could understand that being Armenian is not a very safe thing.”

So is there any hope of this crisis resolving? And what role can New Zealand play in this geo-political tension?

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/the-front-page-armenians-in-nz-explain-the-refugee-crisis-tearing-families-from-their-homeland/77RNLC2MTREBVFFPDYYDC77TYQ/


Secret Terror Plot Thwarted: Armenia’s Close Call with Chaos

Aram Torosian
Novinite, Bulgaria
Nov 2 2023

Armenian security forces have announced the successful arrest of five individuals linked to an attempted "terrorist attack" on government institutions. The operation, dubbed "Northern Leaffall," was intended to disrupt the functioning of key government bodies. The suspects had reportedly prepared explosive devices and other hazardous materials for their nefarious plan.

During searches of the detainees' residences, authorities uncovered weapons and ammunition, shedding light on the severity of the threat. It is worth noting that the criminal group's scheme was foiled "due to circumstances beyond its control," according to Armenian law enforcement.

One of the group's strategies involved creating Telegram channels resembling "Uprising of National Salvation" in Ukraine and Moldova. These channels were intended to rally support for their cause, which involved the relocation of their families to Georgia.

These events unfold amidst mounting public pressure on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign, particularly in the wake of Azerbaijan's recent takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh. This military offensive led to the displacement of a significant portion of the Armenian population.

Pashinyan, while under pressure to respond, maintains a commitment to not involve Armenia in another war, emphasizing his focus on achieving a peace agreement by year's end. However, recent statements by the prime minister expressing skepticism about the benefits of Russian military bases in Armenia have created tensions with Moscow.

Former Nagorno-Karabakh officials meet to discuss ‘preserving statehood’

John Hovhannisian
Nov 2 2023
 2 November 2023

ByArshaluys Barseghyan

A group of former officials from Nagorno-Karabakh as well as president Samvel Shahramanyan have gathered in Yerevan to discuss ‘preserving the statehood’ of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Wednesday’s meeting was closed to the public and few details of the discussions have been revealed.

In addition to Shahramanyan, it included MPs from the region’s parliament as well as other public and political figures from Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

The discussion was initiated by the Committee for the Preservation of Artsakh Statehood, founded by Suren Petrosyan, an Armenian opposition figure.

Petrosyan previously announced that the committee’s priorities were to preserve Nagorno-Karabakh’s institutions while promoting recognition of the right to self-determination for Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population and ensuring their safe return to their homeland. 

Practically the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh fled to Armenia following the Azerbaijani attack on the region on 19 September and the region’s surrender the following day.

As part of the surrender agreement mediated by Russia, Shahramanyan signed a decree ordering the dissolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic by 1 January 2024.

One of the attendees of Wednesday’s meeting, Ara Zohrabyan, a right-wing Armenian opposition figure, said the decree had no legal force and that the president could not dissolve a state that ‘became independent by referendum’.

Zohrabyan did not disclose the content of the discussion but expressed hope that ‘Artsakh will be returned’ without clarifying by whom and how.

Shahramanyan did not answer journalists’ questions, while Suren Petrosyan, who initiated the meeting, announced that the processes would continue. 

‘The state has two components — land and people. At the moment, Artsakh is occupied, but our compatriots of Artsakh are here. The community exists, and there is also their legitimately elected government. And if we want to preserve our ambitions and our rights towards Artsakh, we must be able to preserve this second component,’ said Petrosyan.

However, concern has been raised in some quarters that a government in exile based in Armenia could put the country at risk from attack by Azerbaijan.

Petrosyan dismissed such concerns, stating the process was ‘not organised by the authorities’.

In late October, Shahramanyan also, claimed that ‘a republic created by the people cannot be dissolved by any document’. 

In response, Tigran Grigoryan, the head of the Regional Center for Democracy and Security, a Yerevan-based think tank, told CivilNet such initiatives could pose a threat to Armenia.

‘In the long term, I think this will be quite dangerous for the Armenian authorities because there will be pressure from Azerbaijan to dissolve all those bodies’, he said. ‘The Armenian authorities, if a peace agreement is signed, will not allow it to continue to exist in Armenia, at least at the level that all that exists now’, he added.

Grigoryan, who is himself from Stepanakert, also said it was unrealistic to hope that revoking any document or intervention by the international community could bring any fundamental change on the ground in Nagorno-Karabakh.

He also said that as there was no official initiative from Yerevan to create a government for Nagorno-Karabakh in exile, any group claiming to represent the region’s former Armeian population would likely face competition from other such groups and would thus not be taken seriously.

https://oc-media.org/former-nagorno-karabakh-officials-meet-to-discuss-preserving-statehood/

"Apart from Armenia, no one needs the Crossroads of Peace." Opinion from Yerevan

Shushan Frangulian
Nov 2 2023
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

“Crossroads of Peace” Project

A project called “Crossroads of Peace” is being discussed in expert circles in Armenia. As Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says, its essence is to utilize regional communications, roads and railroads between Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Iran. On October 26, he presented this project and its principles in detail at the Silk Road international conference held in Tbilisi.

And now, at a regular session of the government, the Prime Minister said that a separate subdivision has been created under the National Security Service of Armenia to ensure the security of communications passing through Armenia, the movement of vehicles and people through them.

Political observer Armen Baghdasaryan says that such a “Crossroads of Peace”, which Pashinyan envisions, is not needed in the region by anyone but Armenia.

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According to the Armenian Prime Minister, the project will be extremely useful to all countries in the region:

“The railroads running through the south and north of Armenia have not been functioning regionally for thirty years, nor have the numerous highways connecting east and west been functioning. While reopening these roads would be a short and efficient both rail and road route connecting the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.”

He believes that rail and road links could also become effective in connecting the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea, including Georgian ports.

Pashinyan emphasizes that the idea of a “Crossroads of Peace” is an integral part of the peace agenda his government intends to implement in the region, and explains that without roads it will be very difficult to build peace:

“Roads connect not only countries and cities, but also people. And therefore, if busy, active roads are a sign of cooperation, peace, and success, then closed roads indicate the presence of problems.”

The Armenian Prime Minister promised to officially present the essence of the project and its principles to the governments of the regional countries. He hopes that “by joint efforts, including investor activity” it will be realized.

1. All infrastructure, including roads, railroads, air routes, pipelines, cables, power lines, operate under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass.

2. Each country, through its state institutions, shall exercise border and customs control on its territory and ensure the security of infrastructure, including the passage of goods, vehicles and people through them.

3. All infrastructure may be used for both international and domestic transportation.

4. All countries use each other’s infrastructure on an equal and reciprocal basis. Certain simplifications of border and customs control procedures may be realized on the basis of equality and reciprocity.

Political observer Armen Baghdasaryan believes that “Pashinyan’s promises about the era of peace and the “Crossroads of Peace” are beautiful, but he does not say what price Armenia will have to pay for it” and that these ideas are “illusions and empty promises with which they are trying to deceive the people.”

“The probability of achieving peace is zero until the issue of Syunik [Armenia’s southern region bordering Azerbaijan] is resolved. Azerbaijan’s appetites are bigger than the road [the so-called “Zangezur corridor” demanded by Baku through Armenian territory to connect with Nakhichevan]. They do not need such a road as we imagine. We realize that Nakhichevan is not in a blockade – it has a connection with Azerbaijan both through the territory of Iran and Turkey. There is no such problem.”

According to the observer, Only Armenia needs this project, and other countries in the region will be against it:

“Georgia doesn’t need it more than others, because it has a monopoly on West-East roads. If the crossroads are activated, Georgia will lose half of its huge profits, as these will pass through Armenian territory.”

Iran, Baghdasaryan explains, does not need this project, as it cannot transport cargo secretly like Turkey and Azerbaijan. And Turkey and Azerbaijan will not allow the unblocking of roads and development of Armenia as it is not in their interests. Besides, the expert is convinced that these two countries “need the whole of Syunik”, not a road to connect with Nakhichevan.

As for Russia, it needs the “Crossroads of Peace” only on one condition – if it is the Russia that controls these roads.

“And this is not at all what Pashinyan envisioned. In short, 5 out of 6 countries in the region are against the “Crossroads of Peace”. Consequently, what the Armenian Prime Minister imagines will not happen, whether we want it or not,” he concludes.

https://jam-news.net/crossroads-of-peace-project-of-the-government-of-armenia/