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Author: Ara Felekian

Azerbaijan, Armenia Say Truce Is Holding After Worst Clash Since War

Ara Felekian
Bloomberg
Nov 17 2021
By 

Zulfugar Agayev

 

November 17, 2021, 11:46 AM GMT+2
  •  
    At least eight troops were killed in fighting along border
  •  
    Russian Defense Minister brokered a cease-fire on Tuesday

A Russian-brokered cease-fire between Azerbaijan and Armenia appeared to be holding after at least eight troops were killed Tuesday in the worst escalation between the south Caucasus neighbors since a 44-day war last year.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry said the cease-fire was holding. Azerbaijan said the situation along the state border had “stabilized” overnight.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said the clashes near the border had killed seven of its troops and injured 10. Armenia reported one soldier was killed, 13 captured and 24 are unaccounted for. 

The countries blamed each other for the fighting that ended with a truce brokered by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. President Vladimir Putin discussed the crisis in a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after Armenia asked Russia for military assistance on the basis of a mutual defense pact signed in 1997.

Tensions remain high between Azerbaijan and Armenia after last year’ that killed over 6,000 troops on both sides. Azerbaijan reclaimed control of parts of the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding territory before Russia brokered a cease-fire a year ago, deploying 2,000 troops to maintain peace.

— With assistance by Sara Khojoyan

Region again involved in new phase of escalation, for which Azerbaijan is responsible – Pashinyan

Ara Felekian

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 11:39,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenia faces serious challenges threatening its security, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in his speech delivered at the session of the Eurasian Inter-governmental Council in Yerevan.

“Dear colleagues, unfortunately, today’s session is being held in a tense situation for our country. I can’t not notice like it was a year before when we were taking part in the session of the Inter-governmental Council, today as well Armenia is facing serious challenges threatening its security. Our region was involved in a new escalation stage, which, unfortunately, led to human losses. Azerbaijan is responsible for this, the military provocation of which is directed to distorting our country’s territorial integrity and the agreements reached in the 2020 November 9 and 2021 January 11 trilateral statements”, the PM said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Azerbaijan’s military provocations aim at violating Armenia’s territorial integrity, thwarting trilateral agreements- PM

Ara Felekian

Azerbaijan’s military provocations aim at violating Armenia’s territorial integrity, thwarting trilateral agreements- PM

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 13:04,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan participated in the expanded-format sitting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council at the Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex in Yerevan, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.

Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Mikhail Myasnikovich and the Heads of Government of the EEU member states – Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin, Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Akylbek Japarov participated in the sitting.

The Prime Minister of Armenia delivered remarks, where he particularly said,

“Dear Heads of Government,

Dear members of delegations,

I welcome all of you in Armenia. We are sincerely glad to have the opportunity to host the regular sitting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council.

Dear colleagues,

Unfortunately, today’s meeting is held in a tense situation for our country. I can not fail to note that just like a year ago, when we were hosting the regular session of the Intergovernmental Council, today Armenia is facing serious challenges threatening its security.
Our region was pushed into a new phase of tension, which, unfortunately, led to another human losses. The responsibility of that falls on Azerbaijan, whose military provocations are aimed at violating the territorial integrity of our country and thwarting the agreements reached by the trilateral statements of November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021.

Dear colleagues,

For almost two years now, the world, including the Eurasian integration, has been developing against the backdrop of new global socio-economic challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The serious epidemiological situation and the heavy burden on the healthcare system raised the need for a speedy resolution of problems, including in the pharmaceutical sector, has emerged.

In this context, we believe that in the long run, the consistent implementation of the action plan aimed at increasing the level of supply of medicines of strategic importance to the member states of the Union will allow us to establish their entire production cycle, increase the level of self-sufficiency of our countries.

Restrictions on movement and other measures taken to protect public health have generally had a negative impact on many sectors of the economy. This situation is reflected in the report on the “State of mutual trade between the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union in 2020″. We believe that the results and assessments summarized in the report are useful and demanded even today, as we are trying to find incentives for the further progress of trade and economic relations in the current conditions.

In this regard, I would like to note that in 2021 Armenia has already registered stable growth rates of trade and cooperation with the EEU countries. The numbers speak for themselves: Armenia’s foreign trade turnover with the EEU countries in January-September 2021, compared to the same period in 2020, has increased by 12.8%. The volume of exports from Armenia to the EEU countries in the first nine months of this year increased by 27.8%. I am glad to state that the growth is registered for all EEU partners. Exports to the Russian Federation increased by 27.4%, to Belarus – by 19.2%, to Kazakhstan – by 89.5%, to Kyrgyzstan – by 48.0%.

This testifies not only to the development of trade cooperation within the EEU, but also to the existence of new opportunities, which have been launched in the conditions of global structural changes in the world economy.

Thus, the expansion of e-commerce opportunities is a qualitatively new mechanism to support small and medium-sized businesses, which may and should contribute to the increase of trade turnover between the countries of the Union.

At the same time, the growth of transborder e-commerce poses new challenges for us and requires effective solutions to ensure the security of goods, the protection of consumer rights, as well as the integrity of tax and customs revenues.

In the context of digital transformation, it’s also necessary to consider the completion of the complex and long process of agreeing on the draft Agreement on the use of navigation seals for cargo transportation in the EEU. In this regard, I would like to mention the work of the sectoral departments of the EEU member states in the process of testing and coordination at the national level.

The application of the provisions of the agreement will enable the transition to digital control of cargo transportation, reduce the time and financial costs of the participants of the transport-logistics process, optimize the customs procedures, without reducing their efficiency.

I would also like to emphasize the importance of the Agreement on the procedure for the exchange of data included in credit histories within the EEU. The signing of the agreement will create conditions for the development of trans-border lending in the EEU common financial market, as well as will allow the citizens of the Union to receive loans in the territory of all the five countries.

Dear colleagues,

In conclusion, I would like to once again welcome all of you in Armenia. Congratulations to the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, who has joined us online. Taking into account that this is the last sitting of the Intergovernmental Council this year, I would also like to thank everyone for their active cooperation and intensive work in 2021.”

A number of agenda issues were discussed at the sitting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council. In particular, issues related to the situation over mutual trade, the development of the agro-industrial complex, the program of measures for the supply of raw materials to the metallurgical enterprises of the EEU countries for the period of 2021-2024, the approximation of the positions of the Union states on the climate agenda were raised. The Agreement on the use of navigation seals to track shipments in the EEU, the draft EEU Biosafety Strategy, issues on the e-commerce development and other issues on the agenda were discussed. Documents were signed based on the results of the sitting.

It was decided to hold the next sitting of the EEU Intergovernmental Council in January 2022, in Almaty.



Azerbaijan’s provocations a threat to regional security: Armenian, Russian FMs talk on phone

Ara Felekian
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 8 2021
November 8, 2021, 23:04

 1 minute read

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

A wide range of issues related to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict was discussed.

The interlocutors also referred to the implementation of the commitments undertaken by the parties under the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020. In this context, Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the need for the unconditional repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees held in Azerbaijan, as well as the maintenance of the ceasefire regime.

The Armenian Foreign Minister strongly condemned the continuous provocations of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, which saw one civilian killed and three wounded near Shushi today. Ararat Mirzoyan stressed that the anti-Armenian rhetoric voiced by the Azerbaijani leadership and the continuous violations of the ceasefire regime are a serious threat to regional stability and security.

Issues on the regional and international agenda were also touched upon. Reference was also made to the further development of the Armenian-Russian allied relations.

Armenpress: Turkey extends the mandate of the Turkish military in Azerbaijan for another year

Ara Felekian

Turkey extends the mandate of the Turkish military in Azerbaijan for another year

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 21:42,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. The Turkish parliament has adopted a bill submitted by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend the mandate of Turkish troops in Azerbaijan for another year, ARMENPRESS reports, Turkish TRT Haber informs.

The law also mentioned the importance of continuing the activities of the Turkish-Russian joint monitoring center in Akna (Aghdam), emphasizing that it “contributes to building an atmosphere of trust between the parties and security.”

The term of the Turkish military presence in Azerbaijan would expire on November 17.

Menendez Introduces Amendment to Revoke Presidential Waiver of Aid Restrictions on Azerbaijan

Ara Felekian
by Contributor

 

 November 4, 2021

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories
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Menendez amendment calls for end to U.S. arms sale to Azerbaijan

Padilla Amendment Calls for Report on Azerbaijani War Crimes; Use of Foreign Mercenaries in 2020 Artsakh Attacks; Menendez Also Calls for Report on U.S. Technology Discovered in Turkish Drones Used Against Armenia/Artsakh

WASHINGTON—Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) on Thursday introduced a powerful amendment that would end U.S. presidential waiver authority of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, an Armenian National Committee of America-backed measure that would effectively block U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan.

The amendment (#4177) is one of three amendments to the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that deals with U.S. aid to Azerbaijan as well as Azerbaijani and Turkish war crimes committed against Artsakh and Armenia during the 2020 war.  The amendment removes all references to presidential waiver authority of Section 907, a provision first put in place in 2001, and utilized by successive U.S. presidents – including President Biden, even in the wake of Azerbaijan’s 2020 brutal aggression against Artsakh in Armenia. Since 2016, the U.S. has provided over $120 million in U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan, in the face of objections by Members of Congress and the ANCA, which has long raised alarms about the Aliyev regime’s belligerence in the region.

Menendez calls for investigation into U.S. drone program with Turkey

Senator Menendez also offered a second amendment (#4150) to the NDAA which calls for a joint State Department and Defense Department report on Turkey’s use of U.S. technology in its Bayrakdar drones, with a special focus on whether their sale to third countries, like Azerbaijan, violates U.S. export laws.  The ANCA has identified a number of U.S. parts used in Bayrakdar drones that targeted Artsakh and Armenian civilians during the 2020 Artsakh war.  In addition to the ANCA, Amendment #4150 also has the support of a coalition of ethnic, civic, and faith-based groups including the Hellenic American Leadership Council, American Friends of Kurdistan, the Hindu American Foundation, and the Middle East Forum.

An amendment by Sen. Padilla calls for U.S. response to Azerbaijani war crimes

A third amendment (#4251) introduced by California Senator Alex Padilla (D) calls for a joint State Department and Defense Department report, in response to Azerbaijani war crimes during the 2020 Artsakh war, including the use of U.S. technology during the attacks; the use of white phosphorous, cluster bombs, and other prohibited munitions; and the hiring of foreign mercenaries.

“We thank Senators Menendez and Padilla for their principled leadership in holding Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We are working – in Washington, DC and across each of our fifty states – to secure the adoption of their ANCA-backed amendments enforcing Section 907, investigating Azerbaijani war crimes, and demanding answers about the U.S. parts discovered in the Turkish drones deployed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh.”

Additional Armenian-related amendments to the NDAA may be introduced in the next several days. A Senate vote on the Menendez and Padilla amendments can come as early as next week.

Earlier this year, the U.S. House adopted five ANCA-backed amendments to its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R.4350), which demanded Baku’s release of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs), called for investigations into Azerbaijani war crimes, supported expanded U.S. aid to Artsakh, and urged Turkey’s Grey Wolves be designated a foreign terrorist organization.

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijan, Russia eye 3+3 regional cooperation format

Ara Felekian
3 November 2021 11:20 (UTC+04:00)
615

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov have discussed the importance of developing a post-war 3+3 regional cooperation platform, the Foreign Ministry has reported.

In a telephone conversation on November 2, the two ministers focused on a number of issues of the bilateral relations agenda and the current regional situation.

The ministers discussed the implementation of trilateral statements signed by Baku, Moscow, and Yerevan in November 2020, and January 2021.

They discussed the activities of the Azerbaijani-Russian-Armenian working group on unblocking transport and communications and other issues of mutual interest.

Earlier, on October 30, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome, Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed the prospects of launching the regional mechanism “3 + 3” in order to unblock economic and transport ties and promote mutually beneficial infrastructure projects in the South Caucasus.

Azerbaijan, along with Turkey earlier offered a new regional cooperation format that would involve all six countries in the region, including Armenia.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced Baku’s willingness for a new regional cooperation platform at a press conference on December 10, 2020.

The six-sided platform is the idea of launching a consultative regional mechanism with the participation of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Iran, and Turkey.

It is believed that the cooperation platform will meet the interests of all its potential participants, contribute to strengthening peace, confidence, lead to stimulating economic processes and cooperation in the South Caucasus. 

It should be noted that President İlham Aliyev said during his visit to Zangilan on October 20 that although Armenia earlier resisted the unblocking of the regional transport communications, “they have now agreed to it”.

The document signed on January 11, 2021, envisages the unblocking of transport communications in the region after Baku and Yerevan reached a ceasefire deal in November 2020 after the 44-day war.

The latest meeting of the trilateral working group was held under the joint chairmanship of the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian deputy prime ministers in Moscow on October 20.

During the first part of the eighth meeting, Shahin Mustafayev, Aleksey Overchuk and Mher Grigoryan considered the prospects of restoring transport communications in the South Caucasus region and the course of further work within the framework of the trilateral statement signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on January 11, 2021.

The parties agreed to hold the second part of the eighth meeting in the near future.

Musk Factor: 12,000 actors apply for participation in Armenian-made comedy series

Ara Felekian
Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 29 2021


, 13:30

 1 minute read

More than 12,000 actors have applied for participation in the Armenian-made comedy series Musk Factor. The project announced the casting through the world-famous Backstage platform.

Applications have been filed by representatives of different nations. The high demand pushed the project to the top trends section of the website.

“Backstage is the most popular platform in the world, where powerful companies such as Disney, Netflix, Amazon, NBC, HBO and others are looking for actors.

Armenian actors can also participate in the casting of the film through the platform, says Rafael Tadevosyan, general producer of the film. The shooting will start in April next year.

The 10-part Armenian film Musk Factor tells the story of four boys who achieve incredible success from an idea that seems unreal, using the possibilities of artificial intelligence.

They create human clones – virtual copies of humans in the digital space. Using these technologies, the four friends set up a social network where users can even communicate with virtual people created by artificial intelligence. It is possible to communicate with dead people (Steve Jobs, Michael Jackson, 2pac, etc.).

The events of the film develop from the moment when the father of one of the main characters flies to Mars to become one of the first inhabitants of that planet.

The events unfold in 2028. The team tries to sow what the world will be like in the near future.

Trilateral working group most optimal format for unblocking communications. Zakharova

Ara Felekian

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 19:13,

YEREVAN,  28 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The trilateral working group chaired by Deputy Prime Ministers of the three countries -Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia is the most optimal format for unblocking transport communications in South Caucasus, ARMENPRESS reports official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova said, answering to the journalist’s questions.

”Eight sessions were held in this format, all sides highly appreciated its activities. In general, there have already been many comments which were made based directly on the results of the sessions. Therefore, one can personally get acquainted with the details of the works. Accordingly, we consider correct the statements and steps which contribute to the implementation of trilateral agreements on unblocking of all economic and communicational ways.” said Zakharova.

Unnamed sources claim Armenia and Azerbaijan close signing new agreement

Ara Felekian
Oct 25 2021
 

ByAni Avetisyan

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia are reportedly close to signing a new agreement on the demarcation and delimitation of borders and the opening of transport links. According to Russian and Armenian news outlets, the agreement is set to be announced on the anniversary of the Russia-brokered ceasefire.

Russian state-run RIA Novosti wrote on Saturday that the trilateral meeting will be held in the first ten days of November. According to an unnamed source ‘familiar with the matter’, at this meeting, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan will sign a new agreement.

On 22 October, Armenian news outlet Aliq Media, citing unnamed ‘reliable diplomatic sources’ reported that the three countries will sign two new documents in early November.  

The first will concern border delimitation and demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, according to which ‘Yerevan and Baku will recognise each other’s borders and territorial integrity, based on the maps of the General Staff of the Soviet Defense Ministry of the 1920s’. 

[Read more: Border crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues]

The second will reportedly secure an opening of transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan, specifically, allowing for a transport link between Azerbaijan’s western regions and Nakhchivan through southern Armenia, as well as giving Armenia a connection to Iran and Russia through Azerbaijan. 

The possibility of a transport connection between Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan’s western regions has been a point of contention between Armenia and Azerbaijan in recent months, with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev demanding a ‘corridor’, which he also threatened to establish by military force. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has previously denied that such a transport connection would constitute a ‘corridor’.

[Read more: Aliyev threatens to establish ‘corridor’ in Armenia by force]

No official confirmation of any of these claims has yet been forthcoming from any of the three countries. However, speaking with RIA Novosti, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that if an agreement on a trilateral meeting is reached ‘the Kremlin will report on it in due time’. 

Earlier this autumn, both Pashinyan and Aliyev made comments stating that they were ready to meet.

On 22 October,  Armenia and Russia started joint military exercises in the province of Syunik, near the border with Azerbaijan.  The exercises have the participation of ‘almost all military units’ of the Armenian armed forces as well as Russian forces from the 102nd military base in Gyumri. 

According to Tigran Parvanyan, the commander of joint Russian-Armenian forces, the exercises are part of an annual plan of military cooperation between Russia and Armenia.