Author: Antonian Lara

Pashinyan Signs Agreement to End War, Surrenders Territories Including Shushi

Antonian Lara

November 9,  2020



Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan revealed that he had signed an agreement with the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan that will end the fighting in the Karabakh conflict zone, and will surrender Aghdam, Lachin, Kelbajar and Shushi to Azerbaijan.

The agreement also calls for the deployment of Russian peacekeeping forces in the region for a minimum of five years. The Russian border troops will also allow for the unimpeded transport between Azerbaijan-proper and Nakhichevan through Armenia.

“I have signed an agreement on the termination of the Karabakh war with Russian and Azerbaijani presidents that will begin at 1 a.m. The text of the statement, which has already been publicized is unbelievably painful for me and our people,” Pashinyan said in a Facebook post early Tuesday local time immediately after the end of the military hostilities went into effect.

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan soon took to Facebook to announce that he had consulted with Pashinyan and had agreed to the decision in the name of salvaging lives.

Below is the text of the agreement.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia
and the President of the Russian Federation
We, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan I. G. Aliyev,
Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikolai Pashinyan and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin announced the following:

1. A complete ceasefire and end all hostilities in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are announced from 00:00 hours Moscow time on . The Republic of Azerbaijan
and the Republic of Armenia, hereinafter referred to as the Parties, stop at their positions.

2. The Aghdam region and the territories held by the Armenian Party in the Gazakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan shall be returned to the Azerbaijan Party until November 20, 2020.

3. Along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor, a peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation is deployed in the amount of 1,960 servicemen with small arms, 90 armored personnel carriers, 380 units of automobile and special equipment.

4. A peacekeeping mission of the Russian Federation will be deployed in conjunction with the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces. The duration of the stay of the peacekeeping mission of the Russian Federation is five years, with an automatic extension subsequent five-year periods, if none of the Parties declares six months before the expiration of the period of intention to terminate the application of this provision.

5. In order to increase the effectiveness of control over the implementation of the agreements by the Parties to the conflict, a peacekeeping center is being deployed to control the ceasefire.
6. The Republic of Armenia will return the Kelbajar region to the Republic of Azerbaijan by November 15, 2020, and the Lachin region by December 1, 2020, leaving behind the Lachin corridor (5 km wide), which will ensure the connection of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and at the same time not will affect the city of Shushi.

By agreement of the Parties, in the next three years, a plan for the construction of a new traffic route along the Lachin corridor, providing communication between Stepanakert and Armenia, with the subsequent redeployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to protect this route will be determined.

The Republic of Azerbaijan will guarantee traffic safety along the Lachin corridor of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions.

7. Internally displaced persons and refugees are returning to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent areas under the control of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

8. There is an exchange of prisoners of war and other detained persons and bodies of the dead.

9. All economic and transport links in the region are unblocked. The Republic of Armenia provides transport links between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic in order to organize the unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions. Control over transport communication is carried out by the bodies of the Border Guard Service of the FSB of Russia.

By agreement of the Parties, the construction of new transport communications linking the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic with the western regions of Azerbaijan will be provided.

November 2020

The president
The Republic of Azerbaijan

Prime Minister
Republic of Armenia

The president
Russian Federation

Catalonian city of Berga recognizes Artsakh independence

Antonian Lara

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 13:11, 6 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The City Council of Berga, Catalonia, has recognized the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, the Armenian Culture Union of Barcelona reports.

“The plenary session of the City Council has acknowledged and recognized the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, the peoples’ right to self-determination and territorial integrity with the majority of votes at the proposal of the Armenian Culture Union of Barcelona”, the statement says.

Berga is the capital of the county of Berguedà, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia to sends facts of use of phosphorus ammunition by Azerbaijan to international organizations

Antonian Lara

Armenia to sends facts of use of phosphorus amunition by Azerbaijan to international organizations

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 21:52,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. The Human Rights Defenders of Armenia and Artsakh are currently conducting joint analyses, the results of which will be published and sent to relevant international bodies, ARMENPRESS reports Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan wrote on his Facebook page.

”Objective evidence was published on the Azerbaijani Armed Forces to use ammunition of mass destruction containing chemical elements in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) yesterday and today.

According to the information the ammunition contained phosphorus. A number of reports have been released since then certifying that the ammunitions contain other chemicals of mass destruction.

Nonetheless, at least the following facts should be highlighted:

1) mass destruction ammunitions are used;

2) ammunitions contain chemical elements;

3) are used towards forests, causing mass fires and destruction;

4) according to expert assessments, the fire, caused by this type of weapon is not stopped even with the extinguishing materials or water;

5) the forests where these ammunitions were used, are located near the civilian communities (according to the current data these are regions of Shushi, Martakert, Askeran);

6) according to the fact-finding activities, civilians are hiding from attacks of Azerbaijani military forces in those forests.

The usage of thess ammunitions especially through these methods, are prohibited by international law.

The Human Rights Defenders of Armenia and Artsakh are currently conducting joint analyses, the results of which will be published and sent to relevant international bodies”, Tatoyan wrote.

[see video]

Azerbaijan’s Aliyev tried to mislead the special envoy of the President of Iran with his false state

Antonian Lara

Azerbaijan’s Aliyev tried to mislead the special envoy of the President of Iran with false claims

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 19:53,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Referring to the historical-cultural and religious heritage of Artsakh, in a meeting with the special envoy of the President of Iran Abbas Araghchi, president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev deliberately made false claims that cultural and religious monuments of Artsakh, particularly mosques are in ruins.

ARMENPRESS reports that according to experts, it’s not surprising that Azerbaijan, after purposefully bombing Shushi’s Ghazanchetsots Church twice, speaks about the protection of cultural and religious monuments.

The Azerbaijani leader should be reminded that in contrast to the Baku authorities, by the decision of which one of the 19th-century mosques in the center of Baku was demolished in 2017, by the efforts of the leadership of Artsakh the Shushi Mosque was fully restored and reconstructed.

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Diplomacy urged as Nagorno-Karabakh fighting rages

Antonian Lara
CGTN China
Oct 28 2020
CGTN
Ruins of a house that was destroyed by shelling during a military conflict over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, in the city of Terter, . /Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to pursue a diplomatic solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as fighting in and around the region continues as the ceasefire brokered in Washington failed again.

Armenia acknowledged overnight that Nagorno-Karabakh forces had withdrawn from a strategic town between the mountain enclave and the Iranian border.

Both sides accused each other on Tuesday of striking targets outside Nagorno-Karabakh itself in defiance of a truce brokered by Pompeo at the weekend.

Pompeo, in India on Tuesday, spoke separately with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev over phone and “pressed the leaders to abide by their commitments to cease hostilities and pursue a diplomatic solution,” the State Department said.

Azerbaijan rejects any solution that would leave Armenians in control of the enclave that is part of Azerbaijan but populated and controlled by ethnic Armenians.

Armenia says it will not withdraw from territory it views as part of its historic homeland and where the population needs protection.

The ethnic Armenian-controlled Nagorno-Karabakh “defense ministry” said its military had recorded 1,009 deaths since the fighting erupted on September 27. Azerbaijan has not disclosed its military casualties. Russia has estimated as many as 5,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

A car is damaged by shelling during the military conflict over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, in the town of Martuni, ./Reuters

A car is damaged by shelling during the military conflict over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, in the town of Martuni, ./Reuters

What the major powers say?

World powers want to prevent a wider war that might suck in Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, and Russia, which has a defense pact with Armenia. The conflict is also close to pipelines that carry oil and gas from Azerbaijan to international markets.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that it was disappointing to see the U.S.-brokered ceasefire collapsed. “It’s disappointing to see that, but that’s what happens when you have countries that have been going at it for a long time.”

Iran’s foreign ministry said on Twitter that Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi would travel to several countries including Turkey and Russia to discuss the crisis.

And Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday that Iran has prepared a peace proposal for the regional conflict. “Iran’s proposal for permanent resolution of the conflict will be tabled either today or tomorrow.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, discussed Nagorno-Karabakh in a phone call. Moscow said they discussed an immediate ceasefire.

The OSCE Minsk Group, formed to mediate the conflict and led by France, Russia and the United States, is scheduled to meet the Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers in Geneva on October 29. Turkey has demanded a bigger role in the mediating body.

(With input from agencies)

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-10-28/Diplomacy-urged-as-Nagorno-Karabakh-fighting-rages-UWVl2a9KvK/index.html

CivilNet: Un appel à une paix durable au Haut-Karabagh

Antonian Lara
CIVILNET.AM

05:46

Chers amis,

Nous écrivons cette lettre dans l’espoir que vous vous joindrez à l’appel international en faveur d’un cessez-le-feu pour mettre fin à l’effusion de sang et au carnage humain et culturel qui ont lieu depuis le 27 septembre 2020 dans ce qui a été décrit comme la “république arménienne de facto de l’Artsakh (Haut-Karabakh)” à l’intérieur des frontières de l’Azerbaïdjan de l’ère soviétique.

Depuis les féroces conflits frontaliers qui se sont déroulés au moment de la création de l’Arménie soviétique et de l’Azerbaïdjan soviétique, le malaise ethnique a couvé dans la région et s’est transformé en conflit ouvert lors de la désintégration de l’URSS. Depuis lors, c’est une histoire de conflits et de milliers de petits cessez-le-feu faits pour être rompus. De sérieux affrontements militaires ont commencé en 2016 ; là encore avec des cessez-le-feu rompus. Aujourd’hui, la violence semble avoir augmenté de façon exponentielle et le dernier cessez-le-feu négocié par la Russie a été rompu dès le 10 octobre. Les Azéris ont bombardé non seulement la ville de Hadrut dans l’Artsakh (Haut-Karabakh), mais aussi une région au sein du territoire Arménien. Il y a des morts civils et de nombreux blessés … et nous ne savons pas à quoi nous attendre dans les jours à venir.

Cette destruction massive fait partie de la politique territoriale expansive et violente du président turc Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pour rétablir une version du pouvoir ottoman dans la région. Nous serions plus proches d’un compromis si l’Azerbaïdjan avait une structure de gouvernance plus ouverte que la Turquie avec de vrais systèmes internes de contrôle du pouvoir.  Dans l’état actuel des choses, nous constatons que l’Azerbaïdjan, soutenu par la Turquie, est en train de nettoyer de sa population d’origine arménienne l’Artsakh (Haut-Karabakh), une enclave historiquement arménienne intégré dans ses frontières de l’ère soviétique. La ligne de front des soldats de l’Azerbaïdjan serait composée non seulement de mercenaires et de combattants rebelles de Syrie et de Libye, mais aussi de minorités vivant en Azerbaïdjan comme les Lezgins, les Talyshs, les Avars, les Tats, les Udis, les Tsakhur, les Ingiloys, les Rutuls et les Kurdes. Nous appelons ces minorités à soutenir plutôt qu’à s’opposer à la lutte minoritaire des Arméniens.

L’effacement de la culture arménienne au Nakhitchevan entre 1997 et 2006 nous donne une idée de la gravité de la violence ininterrompue et de la destruction implacable de vies et de biens civils de minorités de longue date, dont nous avons été témoins au cours des dernières décennies. Nous rappelons que les cibles des bombardements incluent des sites archéologiques tels que l’ancienne ville arménienne de Tigranakert.

Avant les ravages causés par la Première Guerre mondiale et le XXe siècle, les Azéris et les Arméniens de la région vivaient dans le type de coexistence conflictuelle que nous connaissons dans les régions multiethniques du monde. Nous demandons maintenant non seulement un accord de cessez-le-feu, mais aussi une pression sur la préservation de ce cessez-le-feu et la protection de la minorité arménienne dans ses efforts d’autodétermination. Nous espérons, à long terme, avec la participation de toutes les institutions internationales de justice, que la volonté démocratique des Arméniens de la région pourra être reconnue.

En solidarité,

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Université de Colombia

Tariq Ali, Ecrivain

Viken Berberian, Ecrivain

Noam Chomsky, Université d’Arizona

Judith Herman, École de médecine d’Harvard

Cornel West, Université d’Harvard

Seyla Benhabib, Université de Yale

PM Trudeau calls for ‘peaceful resolution’ to Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict

Antonian Lara
CTV News, Canada
Oct 16 2020

Rachel Aiello Ottawa News Bureau Online Producer

@rachaiello Contact

Published Friday, 11:42AM EDT

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on “all sides” to find a “peaceful resolution” to the ongoing Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict.

Trudeau said he spoke with Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday morning, “to express our concern about the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

“I told him that Canada will continue to work extremely hard with all our allies to put an end to the violence. I encourage all sides to engage in dialogue to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” Trudeau said.

According to a readout of the call from the Prime Minister’s Office, Trudeau “expressed his deep concern regarding the continued fighting and the resulting loss of life, as well as its destabilizing effect in the region,” and implored all parties to engage in mediation efforts.

Trudeau has plans to speak with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later in the day. 

Canada has already halted military export permits to Turkey, and officials are investigating claims that the country was using Canadian technology in the ongoing military action, though Armenians in Canada have called on the government to go further and condemn Turkey’s actions. 

Trudeau said he will “certainly” be discussing the export permit issue with Erdogan. 

“I will express how important it is for Canada and for our allies around the world, that there be a de-escalation of the violence in the region. And, and impress upon Turkey how important it is to encourage people to get back to the table and not continue to participate in the violent conflict ongoing right now,” Trudeau said.  

  • Capital Dispatch: Stay up to date on the latest news from Parliament Hill

“Canada continues to be concerned by the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting in shelling of communities and civilian casualties,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne in a statement at the time that the permits were suspended.

Trudeau said that Champagne, when speaking with allies during a trip to Europe this week, echoed the need for a ceasefire in this revived decades-old fight. The Nagorno-Karabakh region lies within the Azerbaijani border, but is populated and governed by ethnic Armenians.

As The Canadian Press has reported, Champagne also said that a negotiated settlement is the only way to end the shelling by warplanes, drones and artillery that both side alleged have attacked civilians. 

“At a time when the world faces a rapidly changing political and security environment, Canada is more than ever committed to supporting transatlantic cooperation, security, and democratic values. Against a backdrop of regional security concerns… it is more important than ever for Canada to show leadership in supporting democracy, human rights and the rule of law, while promoting peace and stability for all,” said Champagne in a statement concluding his trip abroad.

Azeri forces again strike Shushi Cathedral, bombard Stepanakert City

Antonian Lara

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 17:41, 8 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani forces are again bombarding Stepanakert City and the town of Shushi in Artsakh, and the heavily damaged Holy Savior (Ghazanchetsots) Cathedral was again hit.

Artsakh Public Radio Director Ani Minasyan told ARMENPRESS that the air raid sirens in Stepanakert City are activated non-stop amid the Azeri strikes on civilians.

“One after another, they are striking from the morning on. The air raid siren doesn’t stop. They bombarded minutes ago again,” Minasyan said.

Artsakh presidential foreign affairs advisor Davit Babayan said the Azeri forces delivered another strike on the Holy Savior (Ghazanchetsots) Cathedral in Shushi.

“They again targeted Ghazanchetsots. This entirely fits in their style, because this is genocidal policy and a cultural genocide, because targeting a church is nothing else than targeting the Armenian value system,” he said.

Ghazanchetsots is the seat of the Diocese of Artsakh of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The cathedral suffered the first Azeri rocket strike earlier on October 8.

 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan