Author: Ara Felekian

Armenia, Georgia, take cautious approach to regional cooperation initiatives in South Caucasus

Ara Felekian
Oct 26 2021
7 Min Read
Soso Dzamukashvili
Soso Dzamukash

Since the end of last year’s war in Nagorno-Karabakh, both Iran and Turkey have proposed regional cooperation initiatives. These could, however, further undermine the region’s fragile security.  

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the South Caucasus has been ravaged by conflict, despite several regional initiatives designed to put an end to war and pave the way for regional cooperation.

  • Vital for economic development, Nakhchivan transport link brings more discord
  • The explainer: Azerbaijan’s rapidly deteriorating relationship with Iran
  • Tbilisi’s largely forgotten and neglected Armenian heritage

These proposals have included the Peaceful Caucasus Initiative, put forward in the 1990s by Georgia’s then-president Eduard Shevardnadze, the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform – first proposed by Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan when he was prime minister – and United Caucasus, an idea of Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili.

Even though these initiatives were seen as a win-win for all parties, none of them managed gain any traction, as they failed to receive the backing of the all major players in the region.

Last year, after the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh War, Erdoğan – now Turkey’s president – made a new proposal, to create a six-country regional cooperation platform, which would encompass the three states of the South Caucasus, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, together with the region’s biggest neighbours: Turkey, Russia and Iran.

Pitching his idea in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, Erdoğan emphasised the need for a new initiative in the war-torn South Caucasus that would benefit all sides and could even “turn a new page in Turkey-Armenia ties”.

At the same time, Iran also made a proposal to create a similar six-party cooperation platform, known as the 3 + 3. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif visited Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia and Turkey to try and sell the idea,  and to consult their leaders on how to “coordinate on regional issues”.

The two initiatives have met with mixed reactions. While Russia and Turkey (and to a lesser extent Azerbaijan) showed much enthusiasm, Georgia and Armenia have been wary as they view them as a potential new threat.

Moscow, which has increased its military presence in the South Caucasus since the end of the Karabakh war, has been particularly keen on the idea. On October 6, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov even made an announcement that Moscow was committed to the establishment of a new 3+3 format to “address the issues of security, unblocking economic and transport ties”.

Russia sees the initiative as a new opportunity to reassert its influence in the South Caucasus and undermine what it views as  “western encroachment” in its zone of “special interest”.

According to Emil Avdaliani, director of Middle East Studies at Geocase, a Tbilisi-based think tank, Russia would gain a great deal as the initiative “would strengthen Moscow’s economic and political position in the South Caucasus, and remove alternatives to the Russian vision of the geopolitical order”.

”Moscow would use it for blocking external, non-regional players,” he tells Emerging Europe. “The platform is an efficient tool for Moscow to close off the South Caucasus from the collective West. The Kremlin wants to achieve this with the help of other regional powers – Iran and partially Turkey. Moscow aspires to build what I would call a hierarchical order where Russia will be a primary player but will be acknowledging the basic interests of Iran and Turkey.”

Iran would similarly profit from the initiative, especially considering the outcome of the war. The ceasefire agreement increased the Russian and Turkish presence in the region, but left Tehran as a bystander.

The South Caucasus has special geostrategic importance for Tehran as it is a gateway to the Black Sea and Europe through Armenia and Georgia. Closer cooperation with the states of the South Caucasus is a key priority for Iranian foreign policy.

The 3+3 or six-party cooperation format would boost Iran’s strategic location as it sits astride two important trans-continental transportation corridors: the North-South Corridor and the Persian Gulf–Black Sea Transit Corridor.

“Railways and road infrastructure projects could be implemented which will allow more penetration by Iran into the region. However, the geopolitical constraints the Islamic Republic faces will remain in place,”Avdaliani says.

Similarly, the initiatives would benefit Turkey, which has recently started to expand its regional influence.

For instance, Turkey, along with Azerbaijan, has been pushing for the construction of a transport link between Azerbaijan and Turkey via southern Armenia that could solidify Ankara’s transport connection with the South Caucasus and at the same boost the region’s geo-economic importance, something that largely attracts Azerbaijan too.

Georgia and Armenia meanwhile view the initiatives put forward by Turkey and Iran as a threat, even though both are ostensibly focussed on cooperation in the areas of economy and transport.

Armenia has serious concerns due to what it views as the unfavourable outcome of the Karabakh conflict.

Post-war border tensions between Baku and Yerevan have further undermined the prospect of a lasting peace between the two countries, deepening the sense of insecurity in Yerevan.

A substantial issue for Armenia has been the interpretation of the term “corridor” mentioned in Article 9 of the ceasefire agreement.

While Azerbaijani side has argued that the document gives it the right to establish an overland transit route linking mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave via southern Armenia’s Syunik province, Armenia has claimed that the term “corridor” refers only to Lachin, a narrow strip which connects Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh.

Comments from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that the southern regions of Armenia used to be the “ancestral land” of Azerbaijanis have exacerbated the situation.

The proposed cooperation platforms are even more concerning for Georgia as they do not comply with the country’s national interests.

Russia continues to occupy one-fifth of Georgia’s internationally recognised territory, the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, where occupying forces have demarcated administrative lines, an illegal process known as “borderisation”.

Moreover, the Russian presence (and at the same time absence of the EU and US) makes it even more difficult for Tbilisi to become a member of the initiative. Tbilisi has long sough both EU and NATO membership – a policy supported by the overwhelming majority of the country’s population.

“As a country which pursues NATO and EU membership and considers becoming part of the West as the historical mission of the Georgian people will see a diminution of its chances if Russia manages to impose the 3+3 order in the South Caucasus. The net result is that facing Russia alone, without western support, will doom Tbilisi’s aspirations to re-integrate occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali [South Ossetia],” says Avdaliani.

Alexandre Petriashvili, a senior fellow at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, also thinks that the initiative is a threat for Georgia and that if the country is somehow dragged into it, Georgia would be confronted by its biggest enemy – Russia.

“A new crack could emerge between Georgia and its western partners, and Georgia would function as a territory for the interests of others rather than as a fully-fledged partner,” he says.


Film: Intent to Destroy: Armenian Genocide documentary wins award at RUSDOCFILMFEST in New York

Ara Felekian
Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 25 2021
, 22:47

 1 minute read

Armenian Genocide documentary “Intent to Destroy” directed by Joe Berlinger has received the “Humanism in the Modern World” award at the 14th Independent American-Russian Documentary Film Festival (RUSDOCFILMFEST) in New York.

Over 30 films were screened as part of the Free World, Eternal Values, and Fresh Look programs. The films were made with support from independent studios and producers from eight countries.

In the FREE WORLD program the award were given to:

– In the category Free Word – “Bless You”, director Tatiana Chistova, producer Maciek Hamela (Russia / Poland)
– In the category Humanism in the Modern World — “Intent to Destroy: Death, Denial and Depiction”, director Joe Berlinger (USA)
– In the category Humanism in the Modern World — “Remembrance: Following the Trail of the Holocaust”, director Eugenii Bezborodov (Russia / Moldova)
– In the category Genius Loci — “Dossier of Laughter”, director Oleg Kovachev (Bulgaria)

“Intent to Destroy: Death, Denial and Depiction” – the film-in-film produced by Berlinger, Chip Rosenbloom and Eric Esrailian depicts the century of sophisticated denial campaigns by the Turkish government that perpetrated the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey, and features Atom Egoyan, Christian Bale, Mike Medavoy, Eric Bogosian, Serj Tankian, Angela Sarafian, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and the former US Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans.

Turkey’s role in war against Artsakh has reduced trust in NATO, Armenian Defense Minister tells NATO envoy

Ara Felekian
Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 21 2021
, 21:49

 Less than a minute

Turkey’s role in the 44-day war against Artsakh has reduced trust in NATO in maintaining stability and peace in the region, Armenian Defense Minister Arshak Karapetyan said at a meeting with NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Javier Colomina Píriz.

The Defense Minister presented the security situation in Artsakh after the cessation of hostilities and the existing threats.

Minister Karapetyan noted that the role of NATO member Turkey in the 44-day war against Artsakh has reduced the trust in NATO in maintaining stability and peace in the region

The interlocutors also discussed issues related to regional security and the prospects of Armenia-NATO cooperation.

SRC releases updated top 1000 taxpayer list

Ara Felekian

Save

Share

 15:20,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 20, ARMENPRESS. The State Revenue Committee released the list of the top 1000 corporate taxpayers for the 9 months of 2021.

The 1000 major taxpayers paid a total of more than 871 billion 241 million drams to the budget (733 billion 143 million to taxation bodies and 138 billion 98 million to customs bodies).

The top corporate taxpayer is Gazprom Armenia (38 billion 266 million 412 thousand drams), followed by the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (38 billion 249 million 247 thousand drams) and the Ministry of Defense (34 billion 194 million 185 thousand drams).

Grand Tobacco is 4th with 24 billion 774 million 246 thousand drams in taxes, and the top 5 is concluded with Geopromining Gold with 16 billion 415 million 197 thousand drams.

International Masis Tabak, MTS Armenia, Teghut, CPS Oil and FLASH are included in the top 10.

Armenian Son Painfully Remembered, Tortured and Killed in Artsakh War

Ara Felekian
Oct 6 2021

Photo collage by MassisPost: Together for Artsakh

The only child in the house was Gagik, who would have turned 20 on September 14, but the Artsakh War interrupted his biography. “Gagik grew up in Russia from the age of 6. At first, he stayed with his grandparents until I also managed to move,” Gagik’s mother Lusine says. “We raised him to be a patriot. He could not read or write Armenian, but he spoke well. He had many friends in Gyumri (Armenia’s second largest city). [He is] a very friendly child, helpful, caring. I got divorced when Gagik was three months old,” says Lusine Darbinyan.

19-year-old Gagik Mkrtchyan was supposed to be called up for compulsory military service in 2019. However, due to financial problems, he could not come to Armenia. The mother says that her son decided to go very quickly last year, Gagik immediately decided that he had to go pay his debt to the Motherland. The flight from Rostov took place on August 14. “Because of the pandemic, it was very difficult to find a ticket”.

The boy forbade his mother to come to Armenia with him. At first, the Gyumri military commissariat refused to call Gagik, saying that he was late, let him go and come to the next gathering. Gagik challenged the decision, said that he was already late and demanded to resolve the issue quickly. Gagik was drafted into the army on August 24. The place of service, according to the draw, was Jrakan.

“If he hadn’t gone, he wouldn’t have died,” the mother sighs, “in connection with the virus, those who came from outside had to pass a coronavirus test, he had to self-isolate for 14 days. Gagik quickly passed the test. Аt the military enlistment office, he stated that he had no health problems, did not allow the medical commission to conduct a thorough medical examination, and insisted that he be quickly sent to the army. Gagik had flat feet of the first or second category, in addition, he had a fight in Russia, his right arm was broken by the wrist. If he had allowed a normal medical examination, he definitely would not have been drafted into the army.”

After the draft, Gagik quarantined in Stepanakert for 14 days, and at the end of August he joined the service. In the military unit, the boy began to have abdominal pains, from where he was hospitalized, he was discharged on September 21, and was told that if it happened again, he would be sent to Yerevan. After 6 days, the war began.

“At that time I didn’t understand why he was in such a hurry, but a few months later I found out that before going to Armenia, on August 12th, his Russian friend wrote why Gagik was in such a hurry. Gagik told him that he had learned from friends who serve in the Artsakh Defense Army that there might be a war soon. He goes to be near his friends,” says Lusine.“His close friend, Samvel Hovakimyan, also died. Samvel was a few years older than him, but they were very close. And now I understand why he was so eager to join the army in August.”

Gagik was tall, 1.85 m, he was engaged in boxing, participated in ММА fights. The mother describes the boy as purposeful, fearless, decision-making, persistent and fighting for justice. Gagik spoke to his mother on September 28, saying that he was on the front line. Lusine asked what kind of weapon he was given, he jokingly said a machine gun.

Then he called on October 2 and said that he had been given a new weapon. “He said that he was given a black arrow, I asked what it was, he explained that it was a sniper rifle, and there is a sniper girl with him too. The next call I received was on October 7. Remember that rumors spread that some people went to Jabrayil and told the soldiers to leave, run, Nikol sold the land, you will be sent to the meat grinder. They were told this, but they did not run away, there were 19 of them. Those who said this gave the children an order to hand over their weapons, and then took them to the forest and left them there, it was the evening of October 5.”

According to Lusine, she found out about this already on October 7, when she talked to her son on the phone. “They were found through the military police, as Gagik called our friend in this structure, who called me, so I found out that my son and his friends had disappeared in the forests of Jabrayil. After that, they called the military police of Stepanakert, then Hadrut, so they found them, but took them away, beat them. Gagik called, said ‘I have a big bump on my head, but I’m not offended, the most important thing is that we are saved.’”

Lusine shows a group photo in which everyone is smiling happily – after that, the children were taken to Hadrut. “If you remember, a truce was declared on October 10, but the enemy immediately violated the ceasefire. At that time, Turkish mercenaries took the military base of Hadrut, I don’t know by what miracle they escaped, because the Turks blew up the military unit. Me and other parents found the commander and asked where our children were, he was banging his head on the walls, saying: “don’t demand children from me, they blew up in front of my eyes.”

The information that Gagik and his friends died in a military base was refuted by a call from Gagik. The boy told his mother that he and his friends were hidden in the basement of the church, they had weapons, but there were seriously wounded with them, and they did not know how to get out of the territory that was already under enemy control. It was the last call from Gagik.

“We tried to find anyone, but no one agreed to save them. That night we contacted some Armen, he said that he was the mayor of the City, but then we found out that he was just an employee of the Mayor’s office. He said give me the phone number of Gagik and he will try to find. We gave the number. As he said, he contacted them and directed them to some gorge. He told us that everything was fine.” Lusine sighs, trying to recall the events and chronology of the past months as accurately as possible.

“On October 21, we found one of the officers, named Armen, nicknamed the ‘Bat’. There was no news from my son for a long time, I called him and told him that I was Gagik’s mother, he said that Gagik was with them, he was just on combat duty now, in 6 hours the duty would end and Gagik would call her. So far, these six hours have not passed. Then the number of this Armen became unavailable.”

During the search, Lusine and her relatives tried to meet with wounded soldiers who knew Gagik. They claimed that Gagik was alive, not even wounded, but they did not know exactly where he was. “Gagik was a fan of tattoos, there were very interesting, unique tattoos on his body. He had a large tattoo on his chest in Armenian, ‘only God judges me’. There were knife wounds on the body, and especially the word “God” was mutilated the most.”

The search was fruitless, and Gagik Mkrtchyan’s name appears on the list of missing persons. On the night of December 19-20, Lusine saw a photo of the boy on the Internet. An unknown user who published it wrote that a new video of the captives appeared, but does not publish the video, since there are scenes of violence, and suggested that people who know the guy in the photo write to him, he will send the video. Lusine contacts the user and receives a video that proved that Gagik was captured. In addition to Gagik, there was another prisoner in civilian clothes in the video.

Lusine says he was caught not by the Azeris, but by Turkish mercenaries. The video showed that her son was being severely beaten, but he continued to say that “Karabakh is Armenia. Period.” The Turks kicked him in the face and asked, “It is because you don’t say what we want,” but Gagik continued to say in Armenian, “Karabakh is Armenia and that’s it.”

“We appealed to international structures with the help of lawyers Artak Zeynalyan, Siranush Sahakyan, the Red Cross, all confirmed that the prisoner is 100% Gagik. According to information received from Baku, Gagik was captured on December 6th and the Hadrut village Tyak. On December 3, we saw in the news that shots were heard in one of the villages of Hadrut, there are survived soldiers who are fighting for their lives. It turned out that it was them, but no one saved them. It turns out that the children were taken prisoner due to lack of weapons and ownerlessness.”

From December 2020 to April 2021, Lusine was unable to obtain any evidence that the boy is alive. Six months after the boy’s disappearance, the mother receives his tortured body. “It was at the beginning of April, when the plane heading from Baku for the prisoners returned empty, that is, information spread that they had brought the dead prisoners, but officially declared that the plane was empty. We started sounding the alarm again, and on April 19th we found Gagik’s body in Mkhitar Heratsi. They called us and said there was a DNA match.”

The mother herself went to identify the body, according to her, the boy was brutally tortured, there were numerous knife wounds on his chest, two gunshot wounds on his leg, his ribs were completely broken, there were burn marks on his body. Gagik was beheaded. Lusine asked the pathologist if the boy’s internal organs were in place and received a negative answer.

“I do not know why, he said that it was because the body was burned, but the body was not so burned that there was not a single internal organ, the fire did not affect only the internal organs, if that was the case, they would have given me not a body, but a handful of ashes. We still don’t know exactly when Gagik was killed. The video was shot on the spot, he was tortured and killed or killed when he was already in Baku. I asked the doctor when death occurred, because the corpse was just beginning to lose its freshness. She said that since there is no head, we may not be able to tell, probably when he called last time. When I showed the video and said that my son was captured in December, she did not give a death certificate, they said that this was already a criminal case. Now a criminal case has been opened in all directions, why the serviceman was killed in captivity and where his head is located.” Lusine says that a month after finding Gagik’s body from the Hadrut district, the corpses of his colleagues with gunshot wounds and traces of an explosion were found.

In the case of the murder of 19-year-old serviceman Gagik Mkrtchyan, Armenian human rights activists appealed to the European Court. At the suggestion of the Ministry of Defense, Gagik’s body was buried in Yerablur. Gagik Mkrtchyan was posthumously awarded the medal “For Military Merit”.

This article has been published by Hetq: The translation of the article was carried out by Re:public telegram channel for the purpose of familiarization and further transmission to human rights organizations and requested for publishing to International Christian Concern’s website.

Expert on Iran: Allowing Azeri plane to fly over Armenian airspace ‘one of the worst possible signals’

Ara Felekian
Panorama, Armenia
Oct 6 2021
See also Azerbaijan uses Armenia’s airspace to operate flights to Nakhijevan – reports

Armenia’s move to allow Azerbaijani flights over its airspace is one of the worst possible signals that could be sent to Iran, according to expert on Iran Vardan Voskanyan.

As Panorama.am reported earlier, Azerbaijan Airlines started operating Baku-Nakhichevan-Baku flights through Armenia’s airspace on Wednesday.

“Allowing an enemy aircraft to fly over Armenian airspace exactly today and in this particular direction is one of the worst possible signals that could be sent to Iran,” Voskanyan wrote on Facebook.

The move came one day after Iran banned Azerbaijani military planes from flying over the Islamic Republic to Nakhichevan.

Yvette Vartanian Davis Elected to State Community College Board

Ara Felekian
by Contributor

 

 October 7, 2021

 

in Community, Latest, News, Top Stories

Yvette Vartanian Davis

The Glendale Community College District Board of Trustees announced the election of Trustee Yvette Vartanian Davis to the California Community College Trustees’ Board of Directors. The 21 member CCCT Board takes positions on and formulates education policy issues that come before the California Community Colleges’ Board of Governors, the State Legislature, and other relevant state-level boards and commissions.

Trustee Yvette is the first Armenian American woman in California to serve in this prestigious role, having received a vote of confidence by trustees serving the 116 community colleges and with more than 2.1 million students attending community colleges in California. She was the second highest recipient of votes in California which indicates the respect she has garnered amongst her peers during her first term.

“It is rare that a trustee in her first elected term reaches this level of accomplishment,” said Dr. Armine Hacopian, GCC Board President.

Yvette was elected as a Trustee of (GCCD) Board in 2017, representing the South Glendale District where she resides. In addition, in 2020-2021, she was unanimously elected as President of the GCCD Board.

Trustee Ann Ransford, a former CCCT Board President herself and a current member, who is the Vice-President of GCCD Board of Trustees, expressed that “Trustee Yvette always puts students and their success at the heart of her decisions. Having representation at the state level continues to put GCCD at the center of community college issues and provides the GCCD Board with current policies, data and information.”

According to Dr. Viar, GCCD Superintendent/President “…as state laws, regulations, and funding are under review in Sacramento, it is essential that Glendale Community College needs are understood and addressed. Trustee Davis’ role on the state board is pivotal and provides GCCD with advocacy and recognition on behalf of our students and our community.”

It is important to note that Trustee Yvette’s hard work has been recognized by multiple associations and she has been honored for her leadership roles as she continues to serve on various boards. Through her volunteer work, Yvette has been able to serve and support various global organizations with the purpose of improving the quality of life for those in need of a helping hand.

“Through her unwavering commitment in advancing the educational experience for our communities, Trustee Yvette is absolutely deserving of this new exemplary role,” said Lucy Petrosian, ANCA Glendale’s Chairperson. “We are confident that she will achieve new heights and center the needs of our students.”

Yvette plans on running for the Glendale Community College Board again and she is very appreciative of the mentorship provided to her by Trustee Ann Ransford, Dr. Hacopian, and Dr. Viar.

COVID-19 death toll in US passes 700,000

Ara Felekian

Save

Share

 11:24, 2 October, 2021

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Over 700,000 people in the United States died after contracting the novel coronavirus, TASS reports citing the US-based Johns Hopkins University, which relies on data provided by international organizations, federal and local authorities.

According to the university statistics, over 43.615 million of the novel coronavirus cases were registered up to date in the United States with the overall death toll hitting the number of 700,258.

The United States is currently in the top of the registered COVID-19 cases, which stand at over 44,443,400, while the death rate in the country exceeds 718,980.

The US ranked first in terms of reported coronavirus cases and deaths, caused by COVID-19 and is followed by India (over 33,789,390 reported cases) and Brazil (more than 21,445,650 registered cases).

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 09/29/2021

Ara Felekian 
                                        Wednesday, 
Yerevan Reassures Iranian Envoy Over Bypass Road
        • Naira Nalbandian
Armenia - Armenia's Deputy Prime Minister Suren Papikian (right) meets with 
Iranian Ambassador Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, Yerevan, .
Deputy Prime Minister Suren Papikian told Iran’s ambassador in Yerevan on 
Wednesday that Armenia will complete soon work on an alternative road that will 
allow Iranian trucks to bypass an Azerbaijani roadblock set up on the main 
highway connecting the two states.
Azerbaijan gained control over a 21-kilometer section of the highway last 
December following an Armenian troop withdrawal from border areas along 
Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province. Azerbaijani officers deployed there 
began stopping and taxing on September 12 Iranian trucks delivering goods to and 
from Armenia. Many truck drivers have refused to pay the “road tax” reportedly 
ranging from $150 to $350 per vehicle.
Iranian Ambassador Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri has since met with various Armenian 
officials to discuss the resulting disruptions in cargo traffic between Armenia 
and Iran. He said last week that Tehran hopes the Armenian government will speed 
up the ongoing reconstruction of the alternative Syunik road bypassing 
Armenian-Azerbaijani border areas.
In a statement, Papikian said he assured Zohouri that the 70-kilometer bypass 
road will be fully refurbished “by the end of November.” He also reiterated that 
it will be extended further north to divert traffic from a tortuous mountain 
pass outside the Syunik village of Tatev.
Papikian added that he also reaffirmed the Armenian government’s plans to build 
or refurbish other Syunik roads leading to the Iranian border. The government 
hopes that the European Union and other international donors will finance the 
ambitious project worth an estimated $1 billion.
Iran is a major trading partner of Armenia and one of the landlocked country’s 
two conduits to the outside the world. Up to one-third of Armenia’s foreign 
trade is carried out via the Islamic Republic and its Persian Gulf ports in 
particular.
Yerevan has reacted to cautiously to Baku’s decision to levy hefty fees from 
Iranian vehicles entering Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian suggested on 
September 15 the move is aimed at pressuring Armenia to open a transport 
corridor that would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave through 
Syunik. But he stopped short of demanding an end to the serious hurdle to 
Armenia’s transport links with Iran.
Gohar Iskandarian, a Yerevan-based Iran expert, also pointed to Papikian’s 
recent remark that it is up to Tehran and Baku to sort out the road crisis.
“Iran and Azerbaijan are talking about the problem in a quite forceful way, 
whereas Armenia is making no such statements,” Iskandarian told RFE/RL’s 
Armenian Service. “On the contrary, [Yerevan] has adopted a very passive stance, 
saying that this is beyond the scope of our powers.”
Shortly after Baku set up the roadblock the Iranian military reportedly began 
massing troops and holding exercises along the Iranian-Azerbaijani border. 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev criticized the drills on Monday. Iran’s 
Foreign Ministry dismissed the criticism.
Armenian Officials Reject Freedom House Criticism
        • Gayane Saribekian
Armenia - Deputies from the ruling Civil Contract party attend the inaugural 
session of the recently elected National Assemnly, Yerevan, August 2, 2021.
Pro-government lawmakers dismissed on Wednesday U.S. democracy watchdog Freedom 
House’s strong criticism of recently enacted legislation allowing Armenian 
authorities prosecute people insulting state officials.
The amendments to the Armenian Criminal Code make “grave insults” directed at 
individuals because of their “public activities” crimes punishable by heavy 
fines and a prison sentence of up to three months. Those individuals may include 
government and law-enforcement officials, politicians and other public figures.
Invoking the new Criminal Code clauses, the Armenian police launched earlier 
this month criminal proceedings against a social media user who allegedly made 
an offensive comment about Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on his Facebook page.
Freedom House deplored the development in a statement issued on Tuesday. The 
Washington-based watchdog urged the Armenian authorities to stop enforcing “this 
unconstitutional legislation” which it said indicates a “clear degradation of 
democratic norms in Armenia, including freedom of expression.”
Vahagn Hovakimian, a parliament deputy from Pashinian’s Civil Contract party and 
one of the authors of the legislation, denied such a regression in the country. 
He said that Pashinian’s political team criminalized grave insults, rather than 
defamation.
“I am saddened to see inaccurate things in the Freedom House appeal because the 
international organization was misled in this particular case,” the former 
journalist told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Another pro-government lawmaker, Zaruhi Batoyan, also defended the controversial 
amendments. She said they are needed to tackle widespread verbal abuse 
circulated on Armenian social media accounts.
“Maybe this should be a temporary solution, but it is necessary at this point 
and our social life testifies to that,” said the former labor minister and civic 
activist.
By contrast, Artsvik Minasian, a parliamentary leader of the main opposition 
Hayastan alliance, echoed the Freedom House criticism.
“This law cannot contribute to Armenia’s democratic development,” said Minasian. 
“On the contrary, it will help Armenia regress in the objective rankings of all 
human rights organizations.”
Hayastan and other opposition groups claim that Pashinian himself has relied 
heavily on slander and “hate speech” since coming to power in 2018.
All forms of slander and defamation had been decriminalized in Armenia in 2010 
during then President Serzh Sarkisian’s rule.
Armenia's Water Operator Seeking Price Hike
        • Artak Khulian
Armenia - A sign outside the Yerevan headquarters of the Veolia Djur company, 
September 2, 2018.
A French company managing Armenia’s water distribution network has asked public 
utility regulators to allow it to raise the price of drinking water in the 
country by over 24 percent.
The price has stood at 180 drams (37 U.S. cents) per cubic meter ever since the 
Veolia utility giant took over the nationwide network in 2017 after signing a 
15-year management contract with the former Armenian government.
Garegin Baghramian, the chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission 
(PSRC), said on Wednesday that the company’s Armenian subsidiary, Veolia Djur, 
requested last month permission to raise it to almost 224 drams per cubic meter. 
The operator cited, among other things, higher-than-expected inflation and the 
increased cost of electricity, he told reporters.
Under Armenian law, the PSRC has to fully or partly approve the tariff rise or 
reject it by December 1.
Baghramian signaled the regulatory body’s intention to agree to a higher water 
price. He argued that the management contract with Veolia envisages price hikes 
for the coming years.
But he stressed that the tariff will likely remain unchanged for about 100,000 
low-income households that already enjoy electricity and natural gas price 
discounts.
The official also revealed that the PSRC and the government are negotiating with 
Veolia on a deal that would set a fixed water price for the next 10 years.
Veolia managed the water and sewerage network of Yerevan from 2007-2016, phasing 
out Soviet-era water rationing in the vast majority of city neighborhoods. The 
2016 contract commits it to investing 37.5 billion drams ($77 million) in 
Armenia’s aging and inefficient water distribution network.
It is not clear how much the company has invested so far. Veolia Djur has still 
not responded to relevant questions sent by RFE/RL’s Armenian Service last week.
Dozens Of Karabakh Civilians Still Missing After 2020 War
        • Karlen Aslanian
NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- An Azeri military truck drives along a street in the town of 
Hadrut, November 25, 2020
About two dozen civilian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh remain unaccounted for 
one year after the outbreak of the Armenian-Azerbaijani war, according to the 
authorities in Stepanakert.
“They are mostly elderly or disabled individuals who did not manage to leave 
their places of residence in the Hadrut, Shushi and Askeran districts [occupied 
by Azerbaijani forces,]” Gegham Stepanian, Karabakh’s human rights ombudsman, 
told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Wednesday.
“I presume that those individuals too were subjected to torture or killed, but 
their bodies have not been handed over to the Armenian side to date,” he said. 
“It is also possible that some of them remain in Azerbaijani captivity. 
Azerbaijan does not provide any real information about their whereabouts.”
Stepanian claimed that 38 other Karabakh Armenian civilians were executed or 
tortured to death after being captured by Azerbaijani forces. He said their 
bodies recovered by Karabakh authorities bore traces of violence.
In December 2020, Britain’s The Guardian daily examined gruesome videos that 
show men in Azerbaijani army uniforms beheading two elderly men recognized by 
their Karabakh Armenian relatives and neighbors.
“The ethnic Armenian men were non-combatants, people in their respective 
villages said,” reported the paper.
“The villagers’ testimony in interviews with the Guardian corroborates 
identifications by a human rights ombudsman for the Armenian-backed local 
government and two prominent Armenian human rights lawyers preparing a criminal 
case relating to the murders,” it said.
So far Azerbaijan has admitted detaining only three ethnic Armenian civilians 
during the six-week war stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire last November. 
It has denied ill-treating them or Armenian soldiers taken prisoner.
According to Baku, 93 civilian residents of Azerbaijani towns and villages 
shelled by the Armenian military were killed during the hostilities.
Stepanian’s office has reported 42 civilian deaths caused by Azerbaijani 
shelling of Karabakh.
The war also left at least 3,700 Armenian soldiers dead. According to Armenian 
authorities, 231 others remain unaccounted for.
Azerbaijan’s government has acknowledged more than 2,800 combat deaths in the 
Azerbaijani army ranks.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Chairman Menendez questions US Ambassador to Turkey nominee Jeff Flake over record of opposition to Armenian Genocide resolutions

Ara Felekian
 ANCA ANCA News 0

WASHINGTON, DC – Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez called on US Ambassador to Turkey nominee, former US Senator Jeff Flake, to clarify his decades-long record of opposing Armenian Genocide resolutions, during confirmation hearings on Tuesday characterized by intense scrutiny of President Erdogan’s escalating aggression abroad and abuse at home, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“Senator Flake, for many decades the Armenian Genocide has been denied by the descendants of those who perpetrated it. In 2019, the Senate recognized the Armenian Genocide for the first time. In April of this year, on Armenian Remembrance Day, President Biden joined us in acknowledging this truth,” stated Sen. Menendez. “In the past, you’ve voted against resolutions which recognize the genocide. Will you join this body and administration in reaffirming the Armenian Genocide?” Former Senator Flake offered a one-word answer —“Yes.”

Sen. Menendez followed up, “If you are confirmed, will you reiterate that commitment on April 24th which is Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day?” Former Senator Flake responded, “I will.”

While US Ambassador to Turkey nominee Flake did not reference the Armenian Genocide in his prepared testimony, he did note “if confirmed, I will encourage Turkey to support efforts to find a sustainable long-term solution to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan…” More broadly, while citing “very real challenges in US-Turkish relations,” former Senator Flake described Turkey as an “indispensable ally, anchored in NATO and acting as both a bridge and a buffer to a region in constant flux. Our national interest is served when the United States and Turkey work together to confront the very real threats to global peace and security that emanate from Russia, Iran, and elsewhere in the wider region.”

“Today’s hearing only adds to our concerns – rooted in his four consecutive Congressional votes against Armenian Genocide recognition – regarding Senator Flake’s suitability to serve as our ambassador to Turkey” said ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian. “Today, more than ever, we need an ambassador who will confidently assert US interests, courageously stands up for our American values, and, as needed, directly confront the increasingly hostile and openly anti-American Erdogan government.”

Throughout the hearing on Tuesday, Senators made multiple references to the Armenian Genocide and, more broadly, Turkey’s aggression against Armenia. “You’re going to have a difficult balancing act,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE). “There’s a lot of issues on which to hold Turkey accountable, from Cyprus to repression of religious minorities, to the ongoing tense relations with Greece, to Armenian Genocide recognition – there’s lots of other things in addition to the S-400 and their human rights violations.”

“President Erdogan has taken Turkey way off track, and in the wrong direction – both with respect to NATO commitments overall as well as other malign actions in the region, and undermining human rights at home,” stated Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). “We also have seen him aiding and abetting the attacks against Armenia,” continued Sen. Van Hollen.

Following the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry tweeted the diplomatic definition of “Agreman” (Agreement), in a veiled threat that Ankara may reject US Ambassador-designate Flake, based on his testimony, which included his commitment to follow President Biden’s policy and properly characterize the Armenian Genocide.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee members have until Wednesday, September 29th to submit additional questions to former Senator Flake. Once responses are received, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider the nomination, and, if approved, the nomination will head to the full Senate for a vote.