Month: December 2023

Azerbaijan sees no “serious obstacles” for peace treaty with Armenia, says Hajiyev

Emil Lazarian

 14:46,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan sees no “serious obstacles” for concluding a peace treaty with Armenia, a senior Azerbaijani official has said.

Hikmet Hajiyev, the assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, told TRT that the contacts between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Aliyev during the CIS summit in Saint Petersburg have been “productive and constructive.”

“The Azerbaijani side finds it to be a productive and constructive partnership for advancing the peace agenda between the two countries,” Hajiyev said.

The official added that Baku wants to advance the peace process and doesn’t see any serious obstacles for doing so. “We don’t see further serious obstacles for signing a peace treaty between the two countries,” he said, without specifying possible timeframes due to ongoing talks.




Armenpress: Why 2024 Should be the Year of Armenia-India Strategic Partnership

Emil Lazarian

 16:49,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Over the past three years, the level of cooperation between India and Armenia has increased at a rapid pace, bolstered by the establishment of a growing defense and security partnership. Given its expanding contribution to Armenia’s efforts to increase its defense capabilities and its potential to partner on Armenia’s strategic and economic development, India has become Armenia’s most important new foreign policy partner. 

So far much of the growth in the Armenia-India relationship has been driven by the initiative of India. Armenia should not sit idly by, waiting for India to approach Armenia for the next stage of cooperation. Amid reports that India’s enthusiasm for Armenia has waned slightly after the fall of Nagorno-Karabakh, it is important for Armenia to maintain and strengthen this relationship. Armenia should now be proactive in establishing a strategic partnership with India which would realize the full potential of the bilateral relations. 

As a rising geopolitical power that has managed to maintain friendly relations with all major superpowers, India has a great deal of lessons to share on how to navigate the Russia-West confrontation and the North-South divide. It has managed to maintain a balance between the US and Russia, without burning bridges with either one. It has kept diplomatic channels open and productive with China, its neighboring rival. It has also built important know-how in border management and border security as a result of repeated flare ups along its northern frontiers. All of this is important for Armenia to learn and understand as it undertakes its own foreign policy diversification.  

Importantly, India has expressed an explicit desire to partner with Yerevan in the South Caucasus given their aligned strategic interests in the region. India can serve as a geopolitical counterweight to the “Three Brothers” alliance between Pakistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. By engaging with India in bilateral and multilateral formats, such as Armenia-India-Iran and Armenia-India-France-Greece, Armenia gains a strategic ally in a region that otherwise faces Turkish hegemony. At the same time this partnership does not antagonize either the West or Russia. 

India has attracted the interest and attention of many countries. It has a particularly strong influence on mid-sized and emerging countries that consider themselves part of the “Global South” – countries that lie outside of Europe and North America and their incumbent power structures. At the most recent Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate held by the Emirates Policy Center, my colleagues at APRI Armenia attended a dynamic session on India’s rising role on the global stage. In his panel intervention, explaining how India views itself in today’s world, President Samir Saran of the Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank, said that “India is South-West” in its sensibilities. Its combination of emerging country know-how, represented in the Global South, and strong democratic institutions, well-known to the Western world, allow it to play a global "bridging role.” India is exercising that bridging role by becoming a credible global advocate for smaller countries, like Armenia. India has diplomatic and economic leverage, which it has used on Armenia's behalf at the UN Security Council to condemn the September 2022 attacks by Azerbaijan on the Armenian territory. 

While existing relationships with other countries run their course, Armenia’s bilateral ties with India in every sphere have the potential to flourish, to the benefit of both partners. As Armenia seeks to diversify its foreign policy and acclimate to the chaos of the current world, it should maximize this opportunity to further boost its national development and come up with initiatives that will benefit both countries. 

Over the past year, APRI Armenia has included at the core of its research agenda the opportunities that exist for comprehensive engagement between Armenia and India, identifying security, infrastructure, trade, technology, business collaborations, and tourism as key areas to explore. 

Though the trends in Armenian-Indian defense cooperation and new arms deals are promising, Armenia should establish a more strategic and comprehensive partnership with India, starting with holistic defense collaboration. As one of a handful of countries with experience integrating Russian and Soviet-grade weapons with Western equipment, India could provide the proper equipment and training necessary to modernize Armenia’s defense capabilities while using its existing stockpiles. Moreover, defense cooperation with India should also include partnership on peacekeeping, joint exercises, military training by the Indian army, and advice on logistical and technical reforms by Indian military officials. As a country friendly with both Armenia’s traditional and newer security partners, it holds the most potential for revamping Armenia’s defense capacities without provoking any of its partners.

In its vision for greater connectivity and transit routes, Armenia should further boost its partnership with India in building up its infrastructure. India has significant experience investing in infrastructure in geographically-significant countries to improve trade routes, such as with its investment in Iran’s Chabahar Port project. From land routes like the North-South highway connecting the Persian Gulf and Iran with Georgia and the Black Sea through Armenia, to its envisaged dry port in Gyumri, Armenia would benefit from Indian experience and investment to build out these projects.

Despite an almost doubling in trade since 2020, Armenia and India’s bilateral trade volume is still objectively low – only around $358 million USD in 2022.  In contrast, India’s trade volume with Azerbaijan was almost five times that of Armenia’s at $1.9 billion USD in 2022. Establishing greater trade volumes and dependencies between Armenia and India is not just economically beneficial for Armenia, but important geopolitically as well. Greater economic ties contribute to increased transit and people-to-people connections, while also enhancing Armenia’s economic value to India in the region.

Specifically within the fields of pharmaceuticals, information technology, and renewable energy technology – where India is a leading exporter – Armenia could benefit from imported Indian products. Furthermore, Armenia could replace goods it currently imports from adversarial countries with those from India. Research should be conducted to assess which products (Turkish textiles, Pakistani rice, etc.) can be imported from India most effectively. 

There are already collaborative projects happening between Indian and Armenian businesses. Indian businesses and technology companies alike have expressed to APRI Armenia that they are interested in partnering on joint ventures with businesses in Armenia as well as in the Armenian diaspora. This route should be actively pursued, through joint ventures that are based in Armenia and India, rather than in third countries. 

Because the absence of a direct flight between Armenia and India hinders larger trade volumes, establishing a direct flight should be the first step towards facilitating bilateral trade. Alongside, Armenia should take actionable steps to boost tourism with India, incentivize the Indian film industry to produce more movies in Armenia and better promote Armenia in India through more active marketing. These important individual initiatives, and many more, should be part of an integrated road map for enhanced bilateral relations that will complement already ongoing cooperation in the military field and infrastructure development. 

All of this reinforces our original point: that the most important foreign policy relationship for Armenia, now and into the future, is India. Developing these relations should be an all-of-society project, with focused initiatives from government, academia, civil society and even student groups, starting at the primary level. The opportunity for Armenia to survive and thrive in what has been called “The Asian Century” will depend on the projects launched today, which can foster mutual understanding and innovative new directions of interstate collaboration. 

Next year, the APRI Armenia team will continue to explore and outline what a strategic and comprehensive vision for the Armenia-India relationship should look like, identifying opportunities in defense, trade, infrastructure, and tourism. With its interests aligned in keeping the Three Brothers alliance in check and pushing forward a Middle Path that does not antagonize the West or Russia, the Armenia-India comprehensive partnership should come to fruition. 

In the coming year, India must earn Armenia’s resolute focus and a dedicated effort to envision our shared, prosperous future.  

 

Davit Antonyan, APRI Armenia Associate Fellow




AW: Never give up, never give in

Boris Nahapetian
 John Dekhane History 0

Captain Victor ‘Transport’ Maghakian

Exactly 108 years ago, on December 30, 1915, the First World War was raging, and the forces of evil were already trying to exterminate the Armenian population. But thousands of miles away, in Chicago, Illinois, the Maghakian family was celebrating the birth of a beautiful baby named Victor. This little boy was the first child of Dickran and Alice Maghakian, two Armenian refugees who were forced to leave their beloved land. Victor grew into a kindhearted, friendly and cheerful teenager who always had a smile on his face. He was the oldest of four brothers and three sisters. As his father worked hard at the steel mill, Victor took on much of the responsibility of raising his younger siblings. In 1930, the Maghakian family moved from Chicago to San Diego, California.  

The defining moment that changed the course of Victor’s life happened in 1936. On an ordinary sunny day, Victor made the decision to join the U.S. Navy. He felt it was his duty to serve his country and couldn’t wait to go overseas. Later that day, he headed towards the U.S. Navy recruiting office, but as he walked past a movie theater, he decided to buy a ticket to watch Pride of the Marines starring Charles Bickford. The movie was a revelation for Victor, who immediately headed towards the Marine Corps recruiting office instead. Shortly after, the Maghakian family moved to Fresno, California, and lived next to William Saroyan, the legendary Armenian American novelist who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940 and won the Academy Award for Best Story for the movie The Human Comedy. After saying goodbye to his loved ones, Victor was sent to Asia and was stationed in the Philippines and China for four years. He fulfilled his duties admirably and was frequently sent to different countries. Victor’s extensive understanding and knowledge of foreign bases and societies led him to be nicknamed “Transport” by his fellow Marines.

Victor Maghakian with Grace McDonald, who starred in the movie Gung Ho!

In early 1942, Victor was among the 900 Marines (out of 15,000) selected to join the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion. Only the best Marines could become members of this elite Battalion. By August, the time had come to confront Japanese forces on Makin Island in the Pacific Ocean. During the raid, Platoon Sergeant Victor Maghakian demonstrated remarkable courage and outstanding determination, but while leading his men, he was struck by enemy fire. His forearm was injured so badly that he struggled to remain conscious. Ignoring pain and fear, Victor wrapped up his open wound and launched a successful solo attack against the Japanese position. Shortly after, Victor received medical first aid and was ordered to return to the rear, but he refused to do so and kept fighting with his brothers-in-arms. For his bravery and leadership on Makin Island, Victor was awarded the Navy Cross, which is the second highest military decoration for valor and extraordinary heroism in combat. The American war movie Gung Ho! was based on the Makin Island raid led by the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion. Victor’s role was played by famed actor Sam Levene.

A few weeks later, during the deadly Battle of Guadalcanal, Victor and his comrades were ambushed and pinned down by heavy fire. In order to save his men, Victor stood up and revealed his exact position, so that the Japanese soldiers would come out of their hiding spots. Victor’s wrist was struck by enemy fire, but thanks to his incredible act of courage, his men were able to kill all the Japanese soldiers. After the Battle of Guadalcanal, Victor spent two months in a U.S. Navy hospital in Oakland, California. During that time, he married the love of his life, Vera Karaoglanian. They couldn’t wait to spend the rest of their lives together, but Victor had to end this never-ending war, so he returned to combat duties. In January 1944, he volunteered to participate at the Battle of Kwajalein, where he killed several Japanese soldiers and captured two. A month later, Victor was fighting on the Eniwetok Atoll, where he saved the life of Private First Class Lee Marvin, who later became a famous actor.

Throughout the entire war, Victor led his men through some of the bloodiest fighting in seven South Pacific campaigns.

Day after day, week after week, month after month, he fought in hell for a heavenly cause.

Even when Victor was surrounded or outnumbered, he never gave up. This Armenian American hero received many awards and decorations, becoming one of the most decorated servicemen of World War II. In order to defeat tyranny and enable us to live in freedom, Victor made many sacrifices, including his health. All his combat wounds led him to become 60-percent disabled. In 1945, he was initially treated at the U.S. Naval hospital in Virginia before being transferred to the U.S. Naval hospital in Philadelphia. In 1946, Victor was discharged from military duty as a captain. Victor Maghakian’s grave at the Ararat Cemetery in Fresno, California

Following the war, Victor returned to Fresno and later moved to Las Vegas, where he was employed by a hotel and casino from 1954 to 1974. This true Armenian American hero died of cancer on August 17, 1977, at the age of 61, and he is now resting in peace at the Ararat Cemetery in Fresno. Looking back on her brother’s life, Victor’s sister stated: “He was a quiet and dedicated man and was always very calm, except for war. He was such a giving man.”

At this moment in time, when the forces of evil are still trying to exterminate the Armenian population, the extraordinary story of Victor Maghakian must encourage all Armenians to never give up, never give in and never lose hope. Outnumbered by ruthless enemies, and relentlessly attacked, Victor always prevailed, and so will Armenia.

  •  Bio
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John Dekhane grew up in Paris before moving to the South of France. He works for a sport organization in Monaco. Since he was a child, he has always been interested in World War II with particular emphasis on American soldiers. In order to honor them, over the past years, he has located and purchased WWII U.S. artifacts in Europe and donated these items to more than a hundred museums in the United States.


Opinion: Frontline view of war in the South Caucasus by a Tulsan

Emil Lazarian
Dec 27 2023

EDITOR'S PICK

  • Skylar Yoder

Iknew Armenia had experienced on-again, off-again conflict with Azerbaijan, its neighbor to the east, over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. But I did not expect all hell to break loose precisely as I was packing to go there on a journalistic internship.

After some heated consultations I proceeded anyway, arriving in Yerevan at 3 a.m. on Sept. 24, bleary-eyed and not knowing what to expect from my time at the Civilnet news website, sponsored by The Armenia Project NGO.

Across the border, just a few hours’ drive away, a major drama was unfolding. Azerbaijan had attacked the autonomous, Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh days earlier, and in a shocking development, almost the entire population of 120,000 fled their homes for Armenia, a country of less than 3 million.

Within days, my host organization called to say a refugee family, outside sleeping in their car, would like to move in with me. It was an exhausted-looking couple in their 40s and their daughter, no more than 5 years old. She was very quiet for a small child.

I was eager to find out more, but they did not speak English. So, I took to bringing home coloring books and crayons and craft supplies for the girl by the door, hoping to make the family feel welcome. Eventually the girl became more animated; once I even heard her laughing.

One night, I heard a knock at my bedroom door. It was the mother and daughter, who had come to give me some bananas. “My baby wants to thank you,” said the mother. “Thank you!” I struggled to fathom how a family that had left everything behind and now had next to nothing went out of their way to give me something.

World Central Kitchen, in partnership with the Armenian General Benevolent Union, set up a food preparation and distribution site in our building, providing meals to refugees. The mother started to work there, and I stopped by.

There I met another woman named Emma who fled Nagorno-Karabakh with her 94-year-old mother, who died in Armenia immediately after the 30-plus hour journey. She said her mother died realizing she was never going home. The woman’s fervent wish was to bury her mother back there, next to her father.

The Yerablur Military Cemetery, the busiest I’ve ever seen, was thronged by the bereaved diligently cleaning graves. Most of the gravestones were for young men, and several were elaborately decorated for birthdays they would never celebrate. I watched them from a respectful distance.

In early October, I traveled to the border town of Goris, through which much of the mass displacement had passed. I was struck by the contrast between the landscape’s stunning beauty and the darkness of mood. That same week, colleagues from CivilNet’s office in Stepanakert, the capital of the enclave, had arrived safely in Yerevan. I’m proud to have worked alongside them to bring this important story to the world.

Friends from abroad would ask me, “How is Armenia?” I struggled to explain in a text message about living and working alongside people who have lost so much. How it is devastating, but also inspires hope.

I was amazed at how war can permeate all aspects of life. The experience has deepened my conviction that this is my calling: telling the untold story, giving voice to the voiceless and reporting on underreported events.

As a native of Tulsa, I know events in faraway places like Armenia can seem irrelevant to our lives, especially with so many conflicts competing for our attention today. But beyond the economic and security ripple effects of war, there is also our shared humanity. And in the case of Armenia, the first state to adopt Christianity in the 4th century, shared religion.

Skylar Yoder, a former political analyst for the U.S. Federal Government, is an aspiring foreign correspondent. She is a native of Tulsa.

https://tulsaworld.com/opinion/column/opinion-frontline-view-of-war-in-the-south-caucasus-by-a-tulsan/article_bf754a02-9c8d-11ee-a30a-5730026f2771.html 

Armenian Union of Journalists criticized suspension of Sputnik Radio Broadcasting

Lara Chatinian
Russkiymir, Russia
Dec 27 2023
ARMENIAN UNION OF JOURNALISTS CRITICIZED SUSPENSION OF SPUTNIK RADIO BROADCASTING


The Union of Journalists of Armenia called the decision to suspend the broadcast of Sputnik Armenia radio disproportionate, RIA Novosti reports.

Yerevan suspended the license of the Sputnik Armenia radio for a month. The regulator clarified that two administrative cases were opened agaisnt the radio. One of them concerns the  Friday with Tigran Keosayan program, aired on November, 17. The defendant in the second case is the Abovyan Time program; it was also fined the equivalent of 1,200 dollars.

Armenian journalists called the administrative proceedings against the Abovyan Time program a manifestation of double standards. In their opinion, the broadcasts of many other programs are much more problematic; they contain calls for violence and false information, but their broadcasting was not suspended.

As for the Friday with Tigran Keosayan program, the commission treated the words of the presenter addressed to the head of the Armenian government as ''an insult to the Armenian people.'' The Union of Journalists called this approach unclear since it is not the commission's responsibility to protect the honor and dignity of public officials.

In both administrative proceedings, there are no facts of dissemination of either inflammatory statements or false information, the Union of Journalists explained.

Russkiy Mir


Christmas in Armenia amidst fear and hope

Jane Topchian
Vatican News
Dec 28 2023
In the heart of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range, Armenia celebrates the Christmas season amid the dying embers of a challenging year. The Sisters of the Armenian Congregation of the Immaculate Conception in Gyumri, near the Turkish border, are working hard to bring comfort to children displaced by the war.

By Marine Henriot

Christmas festivities in Armenia span from December 25 for the Catholic Church to January 6 for the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Pope Francis recalled the suffering of those displaced by the war in Nagorno Karabakh during his Urbi and Orbi blessing on 25 December as he implored peace and fraternity:

"May the day of definitive peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan draw near. May it be advanced by the pursuit of humanitarian initiatives, by the return of refugees to their homes in legality and security, and by reciprocal respect for religious traditions and the places of worship of each community “.

This message serves as an underlying roadmap for the survival of Armenia, the world's first Christian state, that finds itself celebrating Christmas celebrations at the end of another challenging year.

Engaged in a territorial conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region for decades, Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought several wars, one between 1988 and 1994 and another in the fall of 2020. In September 2023, after a swift offensive launched by Azerbaijan, the region officially returned to Baku's control. Following this 24-hour military operation, Baku authorities also arrested several separatist representatives, and almost the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh, more than 100,000 out of 120,000 registered citizens, fled to Armenia.

Gyumri, the country's second-largest city, is located close to Armenia’s northwestern border with Turkey. It’s where three nuns from the Armenian Congregation of the Immaculate Conception run an orphanage that hosts about thirty children.  The Christmas celebrations are an opportunity to bring some relief to the orphanage’s young residents, many of whom come from Nagorno Karabakh.

"We create nativity scenes, organize meals, organize parties; it's a celebration," said Sister Nariné, who spoke to Vatican Radio while in the midst of preparations for a day in which more than 300 people were expected, including former residents and their families.

The children, she explained, often celebrate Christmas twice: on December 25 and on January 6. "It poses no problem with the families," Sister Nariné added, highlighting an excellent relationship and understanding among the different religious rites.

"We fear another war in Armenia; we are not accustomed to living in peace," the nun lamented.

In the orphanage, she continued, psychologists provide support to displaced children because in Gyumri, even though it is geographically distant from Nagorno Karabakh, the war is omnipresent.

"We can see soldiers in the city and families from Nagorno Karabakh. We would like the children to forget this war, but it's not easy," she said.

“We would like the children to forget this war, but it's not easy.”

After the defeat in September, the Armenian separatist authorities of Nagorno Karabakh agreed to dissolve on January 1, 2024. In a recent development, on December 22, the leader of the Armenian separatists announced his previous decree ordering the dissolution of separatist institutions was not valid.

Despite some positive signals such as the promise of Yerevan and Baku to "normalize" their relations, observers remain sceptical about the signing of a peace agreement between the two neighbours.

Together with the children in Gyumri, Sister Nariné has only one wish for 2024: "Above all, we want peace. Everyone wants peace. We pray."

“We want peace. Everyone wants peace. We pray.”

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2023-12/christmas-armenia-nagorno-karabakh-catholic-sisters-orphanage.html

Iranian-Armenian Christians Detained On Visit

Adrine Hakobian
Iran International
Dec 29 2023
Thursday, 12/28/2023
Human Rights – Women's RightsIran

Elisa Shahvardian, an Armenian Christian, has been detained along with her husband during a visit to her family.

The couple were apprehended by Iran's Ministry of Intelligence agents on August 24, taken from a friend's residence in Tehran, and transported to Evin prison.

Elisa was eventually released on bail. Her husband, Hakop Gochumyan, remains detained in Evin, exceeding four months since their initial arrest during their visit to Iran with their two children.

The family had personal belongings confiscated including Christian books. While the children were entrusted to an aunt, Elisa and her husband faced prolonged interrogations in solitary confinement.

Despite their tribulations, neither Elisa nor Hakop received official charges, a clear violation of international human rights standards.

Elisa, accused of participating in "illegal Christian activities," steadfastly refuted in a post on X any wrongdoing during their visit to Iran. Christianity, Judaism and Islam are legal in Iran where minorities such as Bahai are not.

Russian Peacekeepers to Remain in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh Until Nov 2025

Emma Jilavian
WE News, Pakistan
Dec 29 2023

BAKU: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov announced that the stay of Russian peacekeepers in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region is expected until November 2025.

“The duration of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is regulated by the document. The fact is that there is a trilateral statement, and this document is signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia,” Bayramov said during a press conference on Thursday.

The deployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent was part of the trilateral statement on November 10, 2020, following the conflict in the region. As of September 19, 2023, 12 observation and 16 temporary observation posts of Russian peacekeepers have been phased out.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova mentioned on October 10 that several stationary and temporary observation posts of Russian peacekeepers had already been closed. Ongoing discussions with Baku address key issues related to the peacekeeping mission.

Armenia exports commodities worth $34m to Iran in 8 months

Lara Chatinian
 TEHRAN TIMES 
Iran – Dec 29 2023

TEHRAN – Iran has imported commodities valued at $34 million from Armenia during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-November 21), the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced.

Mohammad Rezvani-Far said that Armenia registered the highest growth in export of goods to Iran, among the other neighboring countries, in the mentioned eight-month period. 

In late October, Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash traveled to Armenia to meet the country’s senior officials and discuss ways of expanding trade and transit ties between the two countries.

Speaking to the press prior to the visit, Bazrpash emphasized Iran's readiness to export technical-engineering services to Armenia, announcing the plan of the two countries to strengthen the level of trade and transit, and remove cumbersome regulations in the way of trade development.

Regarding the objectives of his trip to Armenia, the official pointed out that the two countries have common borders with each other, which is an advantage for both, saying: “During this trip to Armenia, we have based negotiations with political and economic authorities on two axes.”

“The main focus of the negotiations with the Armenian authorities is the development of economic relations and the removal of redundant regulations that hinder the two countries' trade development. Also, the development of transit is another goal we are pursuing in this trip, because the development of transit is one of the main foundations of the development of economic relations,” he added.

Cooperation between the two countries regarding the issuance of licenses for Iranian airlines, the removal of road tolls, the promotion of cooperation in the framework of the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC) and the Persian Gulf-Black Sea Corridor, expanding rail transportation and using Iran's logistics and port capacities were also among the subjects for negotiations during Bazrpash’s visit to the neighboring country.

In a meeting Between Bazrpash and Armenia’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan, the two sides negotiated and agreed on the presence of Iranian companies in the construction and transport projects, the construction of the second bridge at Nordouz terminal, and the holding of a trilateral transit meeting with Georgia.

The Iranian minister emphasized the presence of Iranian companies in the construction and transportation industries, and proposed the elimination of entry and exit tariffs between the two countries to facilitate traffic.

He also proposed the holding of a trilateral meeting between Iran, Georgia, and Armenia to facilitate traffic in the North-South corridor and welcomed the proposal for the construction of a second bridge on the Aras River at the Nordouz border to increase traffic between Iran and Armenia.

The Armenian minister, for his part, said, “We will use the capacity of Iranian companies to build and complete the North-South corridor, and a contract for the construction of a section of the route is ready to be signed with Iranian companies in the field of road construction.”

He welcomed the tripartite transit meeting with Georgia and said, “I will meet with the Georgian minister in the next three days and discuss the issue.”

The official considered the Armenia-Iran-India transit axis important.

Iran and Armenia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to cooperate in the fields of labor exchange, technical and professional training, as well as, welfare and empowerment of the disabled

The MOU, signed by Iranian Labor and Social Welfare Minister Solat Mortazavi and his Armenian counterpart Narek Mkrtchyan in Tehran in late October, also covers economic cooperation between the two countries in the fields of petrochemicals, road and construction materials, and medicine.

Speaking in the signing ceremony, Mortazavi said: “Iran is fully prepared to send labor to Armenia while establishing technical and vocational training centers in the country, and transferring experiences to empower the disabled and war victims.”

Pointing to the increase in the economic exchanges between the two countries, the Iranian official said: “Economic exchanges between Iran and Armenia have increased slightly and reached 700 million dollars, but we should aim for three billion dollars in trade between the two countries and plan to achieve this goal.”

“We are ready to develop trade and commerce with Armenia in order to achieve the three-billion-dollar [annual trade] goal. Our economic experts believe that in the first step, we can export strategic items and products that suit the Armenian market’s needs to the country,” he added.

Mkrtchyan for his part praised Iran’s interest in boosting trade ties with Armenia, saying: “In the few days that we have been in Iran, we established paths of cooperation more than expected, and this is a source of satisfaction.”

“I am sure that by signing this memorandum, we can move things forward and implement the MOU as soon as possible. I am sure that we will m

Also, the deputy head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration met with his Armenian counterpart in Moscow in late October to discuss boosting cooperation in borders.

During the talks, which were held on the sidelines of the annual International Customs Forum, the two sides discussed measures to increase the acceptance of trucks importing and exporting commodities and to promote transit on the joint border crossings.

Exchanging information electronically and developing the area of customs in the borders were also among the topics agreed upon by the officials.

The two officials also exchanged views about the acceleration and facilitation of trade affairs between Tehran and Yerevan.

After the talks, the two sides also agreed to hold expert meetings continuously to pursue the implementation of agreements.

In early September, Fars News Agency reported citing ARMENPRESS that Armenia is seeking to export its goods through Iran to the Arab countries of the region and India, as the country is trying to also increase trade with the Islamic Republic.

“Armenia and Iran attach great importance to the prospect of carrying out shipments through the Persian Gulf-Black Sea logistic route, and the Armenian side is maximally seeking to support the implementation of this megaproject, attaching great importance to the use of its own territory. The option of exporting Armenian goods through Iranian territory to Arab countries and India is also under discussion, and in this context, the parties have decided to find solutions through joint efforts and simplify the procedures applied from both sides on that road,” Armenia’s commercial attaché to Iran Vardan Kostanyan told ARMENPRESS.

“We are now looking into the untapped potential and opportunities to utilize them in bilateral cooperation. On the other hand, our neighbor is still under sanctions, therefore while carrying out economic policy we are unconditionally taking into consideration this fact. Iran provides state support and protection to companies investing in its economy,” Kostanyan said, highlighting direct meetings between business representatives.

According to Kostanyan, both sides are seeking new opportunities to further develop trade. The two countries plan to increase bilateral trade to one billion dollars, and then to three billion dollars.

He further noted that Iran plans to open eight new free economic zones, bringing the number of its free zones to 15.

Armenia’s membership to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and its land border with Iran gives opportunities for establishing enterprises and carrying out broad joint projects, he said.

Iran and Armenia are working to significantly increase trade turnover. Last year bilateral trade stood at $714 million, while the data of this year’s first half shows a 13 percent increase, which in turn shows that the positive pace of dynamics is maintained.

On August 25, an exhibition showcasing the products offered by Iranian and Armenian companies in the fields of agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism opened in Yerevan with the purpose of boosting bilateral trade between the two countries.

Hojatollah Abdolmaleki, the secretary of Iran's Free Zones High Council and presidential advisor was personally leading a delegation to Armenia and attended the event.

Iran and Armenia signed an MOU at the end of the two countries’ 17th meeting of the Joint Economic Committee in Yerevan in May 2022.

The MOU, which covers cooperation in areas of transit, transportation, facilitation of exchange of goods, energy, development of environmental cooperation in Aras area and removal of pollution from border rivers, as well as medical tourism, was signed by Iranian Energy Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian and Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, who are the chairmen of the two countries’ Joint Economic Committee.

In that meeting, which was attended by a large number of deputy ministers, senior officials, ambassadors, and members of parliament of the two countries, the main issues that play a key role in the development of relations between the two countries were discussed.

According to the officials, the purpose of holding the 17th meeting of the Iran-Armenia Joint Economic Committee was the real and tangible development of relations between the two countries.

Among the issues raised at the meeting were transit, transportation, facilitation of trade, and broader cooperation in the field of energy.

MA

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/493036/Armenia-exports-commodities-worth-34m-to-Iran-in-8-months

Armenia Cannot Go West Until Russia Loses its War Against Ukraine

Emil Lazarian
Dec 29 2023
OPINION - 
By Taras Kuzio

Euphoria in Washington and Brussels about Armenia’s reorientation towards the West should be welcomed. Armenia attended the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) heads of state and Eurasian Economic Union meetings in Moscow on December 26. Armenia will chair the Eurasian Economic Union in 2024.

At the same time, euphoria is premature; to reach the West, Armenia must first leave the east which would be only possible if Russia was militarily defeated by Ukraine. As witnessed by Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine last year, the Kremlin is not a supporter of ‘Brexits’ from its Eurasian sphere of influence.

History and geography constrain a country’s foreign policy and geopolitical orientation. And no more so than in the case of Armenia, which lies in the South Caucasus neighbouring Azerbaijan and Turkey. Armenia has no common border with its traditional Russian ally.

Armenia has aligned with Russia since becoming an independent state following the disintegration of the USSR. A brutal war in 1988-1992 led to Turkey closing Armenia’s western border in 1993 while its eastern border with Azerbaijan lay through occupied territory. After winning the First Karabakh War, Armenia occupied a fifth of Azerbaijani territory which included the symbolically important Karabakh region.

In May 1992, with the war just over, Armenia, Russia, and four Central Asian states – all former Soviet republics – signed the Tashkent Treaty. A year later Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan signed as well but they did not renew their participation in 1999, opting instead to align with Ukraine and Moldova in the pro-Western GUUAM (named after the first letter of its five members) group.

A decade later the original six members of the Tashkent Treaty became the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation). Although promoted by Russia as a Eurasian response to NATO this was a misnomer as NATO did not launch its first enlargement in the post-communist era until seven years later. Since then, NATO has enlarged on five further occasions while the CSTO has remained static.

CSTO members joined for diametrically different reasons. Belarus is a Russian satellite state and, like Russia, is xenophobically anti-Western. Four Central Asian states do not feel threatened by their neighbours and have looked to the CSTO to defend their regimes. Armenia built security partnerships with Russia and Iran to counter Turkey and Azerbaijan with whom it had poor relations and occupied territory of Azerbaijan.

Armenia’s pro-Russian security policy was deepened by bilateral military relationships with Russia signed in August 1992 and March 1995. Russia has two military bases in Gyumri and at Yerevan airport. Armenian officers train at Russian military academies and most of Armenia’s military equipment is Russian. Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine there were rumoured to be plans to expand the number of Russian bases in Armenia. In February 2021, Armenian Defence Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan raised the possibility of ‘redeploying some military formation of the [102nd] Russian base to the eastern part of Armenia.’ The possible location was the Vardenis region, southeast of Lake Sevan.

In August 2010, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed an agreement extending these Russian military bases until 2044. Serj Sargsyan and Robert Kocherian, who have played musical chairs with the positions of president and prime minister and who were dubbed the ‘Karabakh clan,’ are solidly pro-Russian in their foreign policy orientation.

Russia’s military involvement in Armenia goes even deeper.

Uniquely in the former USSR, Armenia’s borders are controlled by Russian border guard troops based on a treaty signed in September 1992. Russian border guard troops are based in Gyumri, Armavir, Artashat, Meghri and at Zvartnots airport. Russia’s border guard troops are under the control of the FSB, Russia’s Federal Security Service whose responsibility is internal Russian security but also stretches to cover the entire former USSR. In the USSR, the border guards came under the control of the KGB.

After the ceasefire following the 2020 Second Karabakh War, Russia expanded the presence of FSB border guard troops to five locations in Armenia, including two on the border with Nakhichevan, two on the border with Iran, and one in Tegh.

Russia’s military control of Armenia goes even further. In 2016, Armenia ratified an agreement with Russia to create a joint air-defence system which includes the entirety of Russia’s Air Force’s capabilities, including reconnaissance and surveillance, fighter jets and bomber planes.

On the economic front, Russia expanded its control over Armenia stealthily over the course of the last three decades. Armenia’s gas, and nuclear power sectors are controlled by Russia. Nearly as many Armenians live and work in Russia as do in Armenia, sending home remittances that are important for the government budget.

The EU included Armenia alongside five other Soviet republics, in the Eastern Partnership unveiled in 2010. The Kremlin viewed the Eastern Partnership as a threat to its Eurasian sphere of influence and created the CIS Customs Union as its response. After coming back as Russian president in 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin applied pressure on Ukraine and Armenia to not sign Association Agreements with the EU. In 2013, Ukrainians rebelled against President Viktor Yanukovych’s withdrawal from the Association Agreement while Armenians accepted President Sargsyan’s decision to do so. Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union, as the CIS Customs Union had been renamed.

Nikol Pashinyan came to power in 2018 following a popular revolt against corruption and undemocratic practices undertaken by the ‘Karabakh clan’ which dominated Armenian politics since the early 1990s. Pashinyan has no love for the CSTO because it failed to intervene in the 2020 Second Karabakh War. Russia claimed there was no military action on Armenian territory and the CSTO did not intervene because the war was fought on territory internationally recognised as Azerbaijani. Pashinyan also condemned Russian peacekeeping forces for not intervening on Armenia’s side during the short-lived Azerbaijani retaking of Karabakh earlier this year.

Pashinyan has boycotted recent CSTO summit showing how Armenia has become a de facto passive member. Nevertheless, despite the prime minister’s criticism, Armenian government officials have been at pains to say that there are no plans to withdraw from the CSTO or close Russian military bases. The only discernible difference has been Armenia’s interest in balancing countries with whom it conducts military cooperation. Nevertheless, this has been on a small scale, the Eagle Partner peacekeeping training exercise held in Armenia in September included only 85 U.S. and 175 Armenian soldiers.

Pashinyan and other Armenian officials have never raised the question of withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union. In 2016, the UK held a Brexit referendum using article 50 of the Treaty on the European Union; the charter of the Eurasian Economic Union does not include such a mechanism.

Countries can only be in one customs union. In 2014, Ukraine signed the Association Agreement and is part of the EU customs union. Armenia cannot re-join the path to signing an Association Agreement until it leaves the customs zone of the Eurasian Economic Union which it joined in January 2015.

Washington and Brussels should encourage Armenia to pursue a more balanced multi-vector foreign policy. This may gradually reduce Russia’s influence in Armenia. With the decline of the ‘Karabakh clan’ following the formerly occupied territories returning to Azerbaijani sovereignty, Russia has lost its main source of influence in Armenia.

While Pashinyan’s heart would like to steer Armenia towards Europe, his head understands realities on the ground. There is no easy mechanism for Armenia to withdraw from the CSTO or Eurasian Economic Union – even if the Kremlin were to accept this step, which is unlikely.  It is also unclear what would be the Kremlin’s response if Armenia unilaterally abrogated Russian military bases.

Ironically, Armenia’s best chance of moving west is if the east is militarily defeated by Ukraine. As Russian history has shown in the mid nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Russian leaders have traditionally not survived the domestic turmoil brought about by military failures.

 

Taras Kuzio is a professor of political science at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy and an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society. He is the author of Fascism and Genocide: Russia’s War Against Ukrainians.

The views expressed in this article belong to the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of Geopoliticalmonitor.com.

https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/armenia-cannot-go-west-until-russia-loses-its-war-against-ukraine/