Author: Alex Jidarian

Fraud Charges in Armenia no Obstacle to State Contracts in North Macedonia

Alex Jidarian
March 6 2023


INVESTIGATION
Frosina Dimeska and Vasko Magleshov
Skopje
BIRN

March 6, 202308:20

Branislav Dimitrijevic faces charges in Armenia of fraud and illegally crossing the border with the help of a trio of Macedonian diplomats. But his legal issues have not stopped him from winning lucrative public contracts in his native North Macedonia.

On December 6, 2018, prosecutors in Armenia charged a Macedonian national called Branislav Dimitrijevic with “large-scale fraud” during construction of a north-south highway, as team leader for the French-Spanish consortium Safege-Eptisa.

Dimitrijevic was banned from leaving the country, but he did so anyway – with the help of three Macedonian diplomats, a private plane and, prosecutors say, someone else’s passport.

The prosecutors added his “illegal” departure to the charge sheet and Dimitrijevic, if ever found guilty in an Armenian court, faces spending years behind bars.

That, however, proved no barrier to Dimitrijevic resurfacing in February this year as one of the winners of a 22 million euro Macedonian government tender to supervise more road building, this time corridors 8 and 10D being built by the US-Turkish consortium Bechtel-ENKA.

With Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski watching on, the director of North Macedonia’s state roads enterprise, Ejup Rustemi, inked the deal with Paolo Orsini of the Italian engineering company IRD.

IRD is the lead partner in a consortium that also includes Evro Konsalting, co-owned by Dimitrijevic, Spanish Eptisa, which Dimitrijevic worked for in Armenia, and Elektra Solution, owned by Andon Ampov.

The Public Enterprise for State Roads, headed by Rustemi, said that the consortium won because its offer was of the “best quality and price”. Asked about Dimitrijevic’s legal issues in Armenia, the state agency told BIRN: “The entire selection procedure was conducted in accordance with all laws and bylaws regulating public procurement and was transparent from the outset.”

Dimitrijevic could not be reached for comment via Evro Konsalting.


——————————————————————————————-

Bypassing public tender

The tender for construction of the road corridors 8 and 10D was awarded to the US-Turkish consortium Bechtel-ENKA under a special law adopted by parliament in July 2021.

The company will build the motorway sections Tetovo-Gostivar, Struga-Kafasan and Prilep-Bitola.

Lawmakers passed a similar law in 2013 for the construction of the Miladinovci-Stip and Kicevo-Ohrid motorways.

——————————————————————————————-

The public tender for Corridors 8 and 10D is by no means the first won by Evro Konsalting.

Founded in 2002, the company was owned and managed by Dimitrijevic for years, until he made his son, Zoran, manager in 2021 and Elisaveta Ivanova joined as co-owner.

In that time, state and municipal authorities in North Macedonia signed more than 270 contracts with the firm worth a total of 4.5 million euros.

Last year alone, when Dimitrijevic was a fugitive from Armenian law, the company was awarded 11 contracts with state bodies worth 650,000 euros in total.

Evro Konsalting also supervised building work during a controversial makeover of the capital, Skopje, under the right-wing government of then Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, who fled to Hungary in 2018 – with the help of Hungarian diplomats – to evade a corruption conviction. The Skopje 2014 project has been dogged by allegations of corruption.

When the consortium involving Evro Konsalting won the latest tender in February, it was Dimitrijevic’s son, Zoran, who signed the contract on behalf of the company.


——————————————————————————————-

The Sargsyans

The construction of the north-south highway in Armenia also landed Levon Sargsyan, brother of former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, in trouble with the law.

Prosecutors have accused him of using his post at the time in the country’s foreign ministry to influence the selection of the Armenian subcontractors in exchange for a cut of the profits.

Levon Sargsyan is currently on the run.

——————————————————————————————-

Prosecutors in Armenia have told BIRN that Dimitrijevic is accused of creating an “organised group” with fellow Macedonian citizens Vladimir Sarafov, Mile Milenkoski, Stevo Simski, and Zoran Spirev, Bulgarian Filip Spirev and Volodymyr Stolyarchuk of Ukraine, with the purpose of skipping the country.

Sarafov and Milenkoski were diplomats at the time, while Simski was retired from the Macedonian diplomatic service. According to prosecutors, the group helped Dimitrijevic pass through passport control on October 1, 2019 via the VIP lounge of Yerevan international airport, using Zoran Spirev’s passport.

The story broke in August 2021, when Milenkoski, then working for the Macedonia mission to the OSCE, in Vienna, Austria, was arrested on an international warrant issued by Armenia as he tried to cross the border between Serbia and North Macedonia.

Milenkoski spent five months in extradition custody in the southern Serbian town of Vranje but was released when a court in the city of Nis ruled that the Armenian authorities had failed to submit any evidence to support the warrant.

Milenkoski declared justice done, “even when it’s unnecessarily slow”; he claimed he had been in Armenia on humanitarian work and had “never seen or communicated” with Dimitrijevic before, during or after his trip.

Sarafov retired from the diplomatic service and Milenkoski was suspended.


Elektra Solution, another company within the IRD-led consortium, also has an interesting backstory.

Andon Ampov, who signed the contract on behalf of Elektra Solution, is the son of Sotir Ampov, owner of the Road Institute of Veles, a small private company founded in 2021.

The Road Institute of Veles, partnering with Croatian IGH Institute, won the original tender for the highway supervision in 2022, but failed to provide a bank guarantee and the tender was cancelled.

At the time, Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi expressed his satisfaction that the tender procedure had been cancelled, claiming there was “Russian money” behind the winning bid.

The Alliance for Albanians, an opposition party, made a similar claim, citing reports that a company called Avenue Group, owned by Russian businessman Sergey Glyadelkin, is the principal shareholder in IGH. Glyadelkin is reported to be close to the Kremlin.

IGH and Ampov’s Road Institute of Veles were barred from bidding when the tender was repeated after receiving negative references from the public procurement system. Cue the son, Andon, and Elektra Solution.

https://balkaninsight.com/2023/03/06/fraud-charges-in-armenia-no-obstacle-to-state-contracts-in-north-macedonia/

Marseillaise Warrior Leads Armenian Rebellion

Alex Jidarian
March 7 2023



The continuous conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has once again come to the forefront, igniting the passion of those who have previously fought in wars. Colonel Gilbert Minassian, who had previously fought for Armenia, speaks up about his experience and sheds light on the origins of the current republic of Armenia.

Hailing from Marseille, Colonel Minassian was forced to flee France due to accusations of committing a crime. He found refuge in the Caucasus nation, Armenia, during a time of great unrest – the prelude to the downfall of the Soviet Socialist Republics. The ongoing armed conflict with its neighboring country, Azerbaijan, has plagued Armenia ever since.

Colonel Minassian, along with a local teacher, founded an armed group which would later become the foundation for the Armenian Army. However, despite his past involvement in the military, the Colonel now voices his opposition to violent confrontations in a country that is constantly in a state of war.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been ongoing for decades, resulting in countless casualties and the displacement of families. While the roots of the conflict are complex and multifaceted, it is important to remember the human toll that it takes. Hopefully, as more voices like Colonel Minassian’s speak up against violence, a peaceful solution can be found to end this long-standing conflict.

Deputy FM of Armenia presents to newly appointed Ambassador of Mexico the deteriorating humanitarian situation in NK

Alex Jidarian

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 20:12,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. On February 28, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Mnatsakan Safaryan received the newly appointed Ambassador of the United States of Mexico, Eduardo Villegas Mejias (residence: Moscow), on the occasion of handing over the copy of his credentials.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia, the Deputy Foreign Minister congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment and wished him fruitful activity that will contribute to the further expansion of relations in bilateral and multilateral formats. Ambassador Villegas expressed his commitment to make maximum efforts to develop the Armenian-Mexican cooperation.

From the point of view of the development of bilateral relations, the parties emphasized the activation of high-level mutual visits, inter-parliamentary relations and periodic contacts between the foreign ministries.

The Armenian side saluted the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Senate of Mexico on February 8. It reaffirms Mexico’s reputation as a defender and advocate of fundamental human rights and freedoms.

It is noted that Mnatsakan Safaryan presented to his Mexican counterpart the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh that is worsening day by day as a result of the blocking of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan and the latest developments. The importance of the decisions made by the International Court of Justice on February 22 was emphasized, by which, among others, Azerbaijan was obliged to take all necessary measures to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, vehicles and goods in both directions through the Lachin Corridor.

Azerbaijan Says ICJ Sees Environment Protests On Karabakh Road As Genuine

Alex Jidarian
Feb 23 2023

 Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88)  Published | 11:13 PM

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov argued Thursday that the International Court of Justice’s ruling on his country’s feud with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh proved that it did not see Azeri protesters blocking a vital road between Armenia and the disputed region as Baku’s agents

BAKU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 23rd February, 2023) Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov argued Thursday that the International Court of Justice’s ruling on his country’s feud with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh proved that it did not see Azeri protesters blocking a vital road between Armenia and the disputed region as Baku’s agents.

“Our side presented the court with evidence that these protests had been organized by environmental activists, including the activists’ names, photos and videos,” Mammadov told a briefing in Baku.

“In its decision, published on Wednesday, the court rejected Armenia’s application and its suggestion that the Azerbaijani government organized the protests,” the deputy foreign minister added.

The United Nations’ main judicial body ruled Wednesday that Azerbaijan must ensure unimpeded movement along the Lachin Corridor, which has been blocked since December by people whom Azerbaijan describes as environmental activists protesting illegal mining operations in the area. Armenia argued in the court filing that they were acting on Baku’s command and demanded that it “cease its orchestration and support” of the protests. The ICJ ruled that no action on that was warranted.

Artsakh President explains the reasons for Ruben Vardanyan’s resignation from the post of State Minister

Alex Jidarian
NEWS.am
Armenia – Feb 23 2023
Artsakh President explains the reasons for Ruben Vardanyan’s resignation from the post of State Minister
17:21, 23.02.2023

Artsakh President Araik Harutyunyan explained the reasons for Ruben Vardanyan’s resignation from the post of State Minister.

As previously reported, the president announced his decision, speaking in the parliament of the republic.

Harutyunyan said that just a few days after Vardanyan’s appointment as State Minister, Azerbaijan began a blockade of the Republic, blocking the Lachin corridor. “All this time Ruben Vardanyan and I have been together, following events, developments both in Artsakh and in the outside world on a daily basis, constantly exchanging views on solutions to the situation,” Harutyunyan noted, thanking Vadanyan for his desire to share responsibility.

“All this time I was constantly discussing, assessing and analyzing all the problems that existed and were additionally formed after the blockade of Artsakh, I followed the latest geopolitical developments around Artsakh and the South Caucasus, I held a number of consultations and also informed Ruben Vardanyan about them, we had joint discussions. Though each of us may have our own version of what we are going to do and how we are going to do it, Ruben Vardanyan was sympathetic to my position, admitting that in any case I am proficient in the situation, being fully aware of it due to my position, and I can provide comprehensive and insightful assessments of the information more fully,” Harutyunyan said.

On the reasons for Ruben Vardanyan’s resignation, the president spoke without disclosing brackets, but mentioned the need to “confront the challenges” and “not exhaust the resilience.” “Since I myself appointed Mr. Vardanian to the position of Minister of State almost four months ago, I must emphasize that the situation then and now are very different both externally and internally.  Nevertheless, I highly appreciate Mr. Vadanyan’s efforts during that period, both in raising international awareness of Artsakh and for the resolution of numerous internal problems during the blockade,” Harutyunyan assured.

Without commenting on the various rumors, speculations and publications on the issue, Harutyunyan noted that “no one can feel more pain from this decision than I do.” “I will also say that I do not discuss and do not coordinate my steps and decisions with anyone except the people of Artsakh and state bodies. I appointed Ruben Vardanyan to the post of state minister by my decision and made a proposal on my initiative, it was approved by the people of Artsakh, when making such a decision I was aware of the probability and possibility of problems in Azerbaijan and other places, but no one prevented me and could not prevent me from making such a decision,” Harutyunyan said. He expressed confidence that Vardanian will remain in Artsakh and increase his efforts aimed at Artsakh’s prosperity through his active public activities.

“Regarding the speculations about the differences between me and Ruben Vardanyan on the foreign policy course, I would like to note that the strategic goal of both of us is the Armenian, independent and secure future of Artsakh, we both have the same perception of the vital interests and red lines of the people of Artsakh. Nevertheless, our short-term approaches have certain tactical differences, which are based on the differences in our perception of certain factors, including the highly unpredictable instability in the world and the region, methods of protecting red lines, the efficiency of using Armenian resources and leverage, and the influence of geopolitical actors’ interests and leverage,” Harutyunyan stated.

Armenian Deputy FM presents the vision of Armenia on the future of the Eastern Partnership at the Euronest session

Alex Jidarian

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 20:15,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Paruyr Hovhannisyan delivered a video message during the 10th regular session of the “Euronest” Parliamentary Assembly, which referred to Armenia’s vision for the future of the Eastern Partnership.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Paruyr Hovhannisyan said,

“Dear Parliamentarians,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear colleagues,

I am pleased for this opportunity to send a message on Armenia’s vision on the future of the Eastern Partnership.

Although last year, when we were hosting the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Bureau and Standing Committees meetings in Yerevan, the geopolitical situation was quite different, nevertheless most of the Eastern Partners had already been facing serious challenges, causing further complications in the preservation of this format.

Today, the challenges we are facing are even more diverse, we have to deal with serious situations of humanitarian crisis when thousands of people can be simply cut from their connection with the rest of the world. As you may know today, the most urgent and pressing issue before us is the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. Since December 12 last year, a group of Azerbaijanis have blocked the Lachin corridor – the only road, connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world. With this action 120 thousand people in Nagorno-Karabakh appeared in isolation. The situation in the Lachin corridor remains unchanged. For two months now, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh remain under factual siege. After around eight weeks of the blockade, there is a severe shortage of all essential goods.

Despite those challenges and the uncertainties, we remain convinced that under the current situation in the region the imperative of strengthening resilience of our countries and societies is even more urgent. In this regard, the Eastern Partnership and its post-2020 agenda have a key role to play.

We also believe that as far as Europe is concerned, security cannot be comprehensive without respect of human rights and democracy. In a world where democracy faces stiff competition from autocraticism, too few countries are moving in the right direction. Armenia is in this short list. And it is not without the support of the European Union, just the opposite: the EU not only remains Armenia’s primary partner in promoting the institution building and supporting our reform agenda, but also, in general, the Armenia-EU partnership is being enhanced with new dimensions. The participation in the Eastern Partnership has also played an important positive role in this regard, in particular in advancement of the institutional reforms in Armenia and contributed immensely to the democratic transition of some of the EaP countries, specifically of Armenia.

Given the mentioned factors, we are convinced that the format should continue operating, it should not be replaced by any other initiative or limit the possibility of engagement in other formats.

Dear colleagues,

Using this opportunity, I would like to convey our words of gratitude to the European Parliament for all the unambiguous statements and resolutions related to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh as well as to the European Union for the decision on the deployment of the EU civilian mission in Armenia. It can play an important role in enhancing the human security on the ground and further contribute to stabilization of the overall situation.

Thank you”.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 09/23/2022

Alex Jidarian 
                                        Friday, 
Armenian Banks Block Russian Cards After New U.S. Sanctions
        • Sargis Harutyunyan
Russia - The logo of MIR payment system is on display at the St. Petersburg 
International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, June 2, 2021.
Some of Armenia’s commercial banks have stopped processing payments via Russia’s 
Mir cards following additional U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia earlier this 
month.
The Mir cards issued by the Russian central bank’s National Card Payment System 
(NSPK) became an alternative for Russian travellers in March after Visa and 
MasterCard shut off their Russian networks over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against NSPK Chief Executive 
Vladimir Komlev on September 15. The Financial Times daily reported that 
Washington is pressuring Turkey as well as the countries of the South Caucasus, 
Central Asia and the Persian Gulf to block the Russian payment system on their 
territory.
Two Turkish banks suspended use of Mir a few days later. Uzbekistan’s national 
UZCARD system followed suit on Friday.
It emerged that at least several of the two dozen banks operating in Armenia 
have also halted use of the Russian cards. None of them agreed to comment on 
their decision.
The development will first and foremost affect Russian tourists visiting Armenia 
as well as many of the thousands of Russians who have relocated to the country 
since the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24.
Armenia - Russian national Artur Asafyev tries to retrieve cash from an ATM 
machine in Yerevan, 
One of those migrants, journalist Artur Astafyev, on Friday tried unsuccessfully 
to retrieve cash from ATM machines operated by two local banks.
“I was previously able to take cash from any [Armenian] bank, converting rubles 
to drams,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Astafyev was still able to use his Mir card for buying things from one Yerevan 
store. Its POS terminal is connected to one of at least two other Armenian banks 
that said they are continuing to accept Mir.
One of those banks, VTB Armenia, is a subsidiary of Russia’s second largest 
bank, VTB.
The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) insisted, meanwhile, that it has not issued 
any orders or guidance to local banks regarding Mir.
“Armenia’s commercial banks manage their risks, including those related to 
sanctions, on their own,” the CBA said in a statement to RFE/RL’s Armenian 
Service.
Central Bank data shows that Mir accounted for 17.4 percent of $4.3 billion 
worth of card transitions processed in Armenia in the first half of this year.
Russian-Armenian trade soared by 42 percent, to $1.6 billion, during the same 
period despite the Western economic sanctions against Moscow. Russia thus 
reinforced its status as Armenia’s leading trading partner.
Pashinian Ally Appointed As Yerevan Vice-Mayor
        • Narine Ghalechian
Armenia - Former Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian attends a session of 
Yerevan's municipal assembly, .
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s Civil Contract party on Friday took another 
step towards installing one of its senior members, Tigran Avinian, as the next 
mayor of Yerevan.
The municipal assembly controlled by the party appointed Avinian as one of the 
city’s five deputy mayors.
Avinian, 33, actively participated in the 2018 mass protests that brought 
Pashinian to power. He was named Armenia’s deputy prime minister shortly after 
the “velvet revolution.”
Avinian resigned in August 2021, saying that he objected to the ruling party’s 
list of candidates for snap parliamentary elections held in June. Nevertheless, 
he remained a member of Pashinian’s political team.
Early this year, Civil Contract announced that Avinian will be its mayoral 
candidate in the next municipal elections due in 2023. The announcement came 
shortly after former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutian was ousted by the city council 
after falling out with Pashinian.
The council voted to elect Avinian as vice-mayor on Friday. Analysts believe 
that the move is aimed at boosting his and Civil Contract’s chances in the next 
municipal polls.
In his new capacity, Avinian will, among other things, oversee the 
administrations of Yerevan’s districts and liaise with the central government.
Speaking to journalists, he insisted that he will concentrate on “the 
vice-mayor’s duties,” rather than the mayoral race.
“I will be working to achieve results,” he said. “I don’t want to think about 
other things at this stage.”
Armenia - A screenshot of a video ad of former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutian's 
upcoming monodrama.
None of Armenia’s major opposition groups have fielded mayoral candidates so 
far. Marutian, who was a TV comedian before becoming Yerevan mayor in October 
2018, has also not said whether he will participate in the polls.
Earlier this month, the popular ex-mayor stoked speculation about his plans to 
regain his post when he scheduled a satirical monodrama which he was due to play 
in the country’s leading theater. Tickets for the first performances of the play 
titled “The Mayor” were sold out within hours.
A few days later, the Armenian police reportedly recommended that Marutian be 
prosecuted for illegally allocating land to a Yerevan restaurant in 2019. 
Critics said the authorities are thus trying to prevent Marutian from joining 
the mayoral race.
Armenia Again Warns Of ‘New Azeri Aggression’
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian addresses a session of the UN General 
Assembly, New York, .
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian accused Azerbaijan late on Thursday of planning 
to occupy more Armenian territory while reaffirming his readiness to sign a 
comprehensive Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal.
Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, Pashinian insisted that last 
week’s large-scale border clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces 
amounted to military aggression against Armenia.
“In the wake of this attack, the official narrative and other sources of 
information suggest that Azerbaijan intends to occupy more territories of 
Armenia, which must be prevented,” he said in a speech. “I want to stress that 
the risk of new aggression by Azerbaijan remains very high, especially given 
that every day Azerbaijan violates the ceasefire and the number of causalities 
and those injured could change any moment.”
Baku blames Yerevan for the worst escalation of the conflict since the 2020 war 
in Nagorno-Karabakh. Earlier this week, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 
accused the Armenian side of dragging its feet over the signing of a peace 
treaty sought by him and the demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. He 
said the treaty should call for mutual recognition of each other’s territory 
integrity.
Pashinian asserted that Azerbaijan is seeking the kind of accord that would not 
prevent it from claiming or trying to occupy more Armenian territory.
Armenia -A house in the border village of Sotk destroyed by Azerbaijani 
shelling, .
“Could you show a map of Armenia that you recognize or are ready to recognize as 
the Republic of Armenia?” he asked, appealing to Aliyev. He cited Aliyev’s 
repeated claims that much of modern-day Armenia is “historical Azerbaijani 
lands.”
“If Azerbaijan recognizes territorial integrity of Armenia, not theoretically 
but concretely -- I mean the integrity of our internationally recognized 
territory of 29.800 square kilometers -- it will mean that we can sign a peace 
treaty mutually recognizing each other’s territorial integrity,” Pashinian went 
on. “Otherwise, we would have a phantom peace treaty and after that Azerbaijan 
will use the border delimitation process for new territorial claims and 
occupation.”
Pashinian made similar comments in the Armenian parliament on September 14 
nearly two days after the outbreak of the latest border clashes. He said nothing 
about the status of Nagorno-Karabakh or the security of its ethnic Armenian 
population.
His statement fueled rumors that the Armenian government will unconditionally 
accept Baku’s terms of the treaty, including recognition of Azerbaijani 
sovereignty over Karabakh. Thousands of angry people rallied outside the 
parliament building in Yerevan in the following hours to demand Pashinian’s 
removal from power. The prime minister assured them that his comments were 
misunderstood and that “no document is about to be signed.”
UN - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meets with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi in 
New York, .
In his UN speech, Pashinian made no explicit mention of the Karabakh Armenians’ 
right to self-determination that had long been championed by Armenia.
Also, Pashinian appeared to hit out at Russia and the Russian-led Collective 
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) over what Yerevan sees as their lack of 
support for Armenia. In particular, he said, “some of our international partners 
are silent” about the Azerbaijani “aggression.”
By contrast, the Armenian leader praised U.S. and Iranian reactions to the 
hostilities when he held earlier on Thursday separate talks with Iran’s 
President Ebrahim Raisi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the 
sidelines of the annual session of the UN General Assembly.
Raisi was cited by his office as reiterating that Iran strongly opposes any 
attempts to strip it of its “strategic” and “historical” border with Armenia. He 
clearly alluded to Azerbaijani demands for an exterritorial corridor connecting 
Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave.
Pashinian repeated in his speech that Yerevan is only ready to open conventional 
transport links for Nakhichevan that would be under the “sovereign control of 
Armenia.”
Former Armenian Presidents Hold Crisis Talks
Armenia - Former Presidents Serzh Sarkissian, Robert Kocharian and Levon 
Ter-Petrosian.
Former Presidents Levon Ter-Petrosian, Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sarkisian met 
late on Thursday to discuss grave security challenges facing Armenia.
The meeting was hosted by Catholicos Garegin II, the supreme head of the 
Armenian Apostolic Church, at his headquarters in Echmiadzin. Two former 
presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh, Bako Sahakian and Arkadi Ghukasian, also 
attended it.
In a statement, the church’s Mother See said that the participants of the 
meeting discussed “the situation in Armenia.”
“It was decided to continue meetings,” the statement said without giving details.
None of the ex-presidents or their offices made public statements immediately 
after their rare trilateral encounter.
Ishkhan Saghatelian, an opposition leader, called for such crisis talks on 
September 13 the day after Azerbaijani forces reportedly attacked various 
sections of Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan. He said Ter-Petrosian, Kocharian 
and Sarkisian as well as Garegin and other “influential figures” should jointly 
explore ways of “getting the country out of this situation.”
Saghatelian is a leading member of the main opposition Hayastan alliance headed 
by Kocharian.
Ter-Petrosian held a separate meeting with Garegin on September 18. He received 
Arayik Harutiunian, the current Karabakh president, in his Yerevan residence two 
days later.
Ter-Petrosian, Kocharian and Sarkisian, who have long had uneasy relations with 
each other, previously met in October 2020 during the Armenian-Azerbaijani war 
in Karabakh. They discussed jointly seeking greater international -- and in 
particular Russian -- support for Armenia. The initiative did not translate into 
concrete action because of what they described as a lack of cooperation by Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian.
Also, in the run-up to the June 2021 parliamentary elections, Ter-Petrosian 
proposed that the three ex-presidents set up an electoral alliance to oust 
Pashinian and then immediately retire from politics. Kocharian reportedly 
rejected the idea.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Artsakh ex-leader Bako Sahakyan joins President Harutyunyan in visiting war memorial on Independence Day

Alex Jidarian

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 12:16, 2 September 2022

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan, together with his predecessor, 3rd President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan visited the Stepanakert Memorial and Military Pantheon to pay tribute to the memory of the fallen troops on the occasion of Artsakh Republic Day.

Harutyunyan and Sahakyan laid flowers and wreaths at the graves of the men and women who sacrificed their lives for Artsakh’s independence and freedom.

The Armenian Apostolic Church Prelate of the Diocese of Artsakh Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, Artsakh government officials, Defense Army leadership and guests from Armenia participated in the official ceremony, the Artsakh presidency said in a press release.

Asbarez: More Azerbaijani Rights Violations Detailed in Report to Minsk Group Co-Chairs

Alex Jidarian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Aghavno residents gather their belongings to leave the village in Artsakh’s Berdzor region (Armenpress photo by Tatev Duryan)


In a report submitted to the OSCE Minks Group Co-Chairs, Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan detailed more rights violations by Azerbaijan in August 2022. The report was also sent to organizations with a primary mandate of human rights protection and other human rights institutions.

The first section of the report presents details on the systematic and continuous crimes committed by Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh after the November 9, 2020 Statement. After the establishment of the ceasefire, Azerbaijan committed more than 112 crimes that caused human casualties and significant material damage. As a result of those crimes 3 civilians and 15 military servicemen were killed, 126 persons were subjected to attempted murders (48 civilians, 78 military personnel), and 65 people (14 civilians, 51 military personnel) were wounded in various degrees. The section also made a reference to the Azerbaijani aggression launched against the people of Artsakh in August 2022 and its consequences.

The second section provides details on the existential importance of the Corridor connecting the Republic of Artsakh to the Republic of Armenia (Lachin Corridor) for the people of Artsakh, the inadmissibility of changing its legal regime, and Azerbaijan’s illegal demand of changing the route of the Corridor much earlier than was agreed under the November 9, 2020 Statement. It has been stated in the section that to advance its illegal demands, Azerbaijan continuously uses or threats to use force, grossly violating international law.

The third section introduces details on the depopulation of Berdzor, Aghavno, and Nerkin Sus communities of the Kashatagh region of Artsakh, resulting in gross violations of fundamental human rights, also referring to the European Court of Human Rights’ interim measures issued on August 19, 2022, and expanded on November 3 of the same year, which call on the parties “to refrain from such actions that could lead to a violation of the rights of civilians protected by the Convention.”

The fourth section provides some proof of the drastic increase in hate speech and other manifestations of Armenophobia by the state officials and public figures of Azerbaijan, parallel to the August escalation. It has been stated that Azerbaijan is clearly violating the order of the International Court of Justice issued on December 7, 2021, particularly paragraph 2, according to which Azerbaijan must “refrain from engaging in or tolerating hate speech against Armenians… punishing all acts of racial discrimination, both public and private, against Armenians, including those taken by public officials.”

The fifth section makes a reference to the necessity of clarifying the mandate of the Russian peacekeeping mission, which will provide effective mechanisms for properly countering the ceasefire violations and for ensuring stable and lasting peace.

The report was prepared on the basis of studies conducted by the Human Rights Defender’s Office, on the visits to various communities, citizens’ houses, on private conversations with citizens, and information received from state-authorized bodies. The aim is to document the cases of violation of the rights of the people of Artsakh by Azerbaijan and their various manifestations and to draw the attention of international institutions and human rights organizations to the situation in Artsakh.

Read the complete report.

Asbarez: $1 Million Raised In Support of Armenian Cultural Foundation Projects

Alex Jidarian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Community, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories

The Armenian Cultural Foundation celebrate 45 years of service on Aug. 28


More than 300 community leaders and donors came together at a gala banquet on Sunday at the Maybourn Beverly Hills hotel to celebrate the 45 years of service that the Armenian Cultural Foundation has provided in support of youth, cultural activities as well as through various projects in Armenia and Artsakh.

At the conclusion of the event it was announced that the ACF had raised $1 million to continue its projects, which include the maintenance and advancement of its 13 centers across the Western United States, as well as youth-oriented projects in Armenia and Artsakh.

The evening was a reaffirmation of the ACF’s dedication to the strengthening of Armenia and Artsakh through its efforts and projects, as well as a reconfirming the cause of unity in the community

The ACF Gala was generously hosted by Varant & Hoori Melkonian

This year, the ACF honored Meher Der Ohanessian with its Legacy Award for his leadership, devoted community activism, and exemplary generosity to the Western Prelacy and a host of community organizations- most notably the ACF. During the moving ceremony the ACF remembered Der Ohanessian’s late wife, Satig, and lauded her decades of support to the ACF and service to the Armenian community and the cause.

The considerable humanitarian assistance the ACF provided to the Armenian community in Lebanon was emphasized. Also highlighted were ongoing youth-oriented projects in Armenia, as well as the establishment of several clinics in the Martakert region of Artsakh.

Also announced was a generous donation from Alice Gureghian, who along with her late husband, Garo, were the benefactors of the Fresno Armenian Center, which was rechristened to bear their name. This year Alice Gureghian gifted an apartment in the heart of Yerevan to the ACF.

Asbarez will have extensive coverage of the event in its upcoming issues.