Author: Ara Felekian

Armenia says Turkey is sending drones and warplanes to Azerbaijan

Ara Felekian
The National, UAE
Sept 28 2020

Fighting that erupted in the early hours of Sunday killed at least 24 people

Turkey sent military experts, drones and warplanes to reinforced the Azerbaijan in fighting with neighbouring Armenia over disputed territory, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

The Armenian parliament accused Turkey of interfering in the conflict, which Azerbaijan denied.

Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh has killed dozens and raged into Monday morning with heavy artillery used by both sides.

The Armenian defence ministry reported fighting throughout the night, while its counterpart in Azerbaijan said Armenian forces were shelling the town of Terter.

Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan said Turkey was providing mercenaries and warplanes.

“The war has already … [gone] beyond the limits of a Karabakh-Azerbaijan conflict,” he said.

The skirmishes have raised the spectre of a new war between the ex-Soviet rivals, locked since the early 1990s in a stalemate over the Armenia-backed breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Seventeen Armenian separatist fighters were killed and more than 100 wounded in the fighting, Mr Harutyunyan said, conceding that his forces had lost positions.

Both sides also reported civilian casualties.

“We are tired of Azerbaijan’s threats, we will fight to the death to resolve the problem once and for all,” Artak Bagdasaryan, 36, told AFP in Yerevan.

He was waiting to be conscripted into the army, he said.

Karabakh separatists said one Armenian woman and a child were killed, while Baku said an Azerbaijani family of five died in shelling by Armenian separatists.

Azerbaijan claimed it captured a strategic mountain in Karabakh that helps control transport links between Yerevan and the enclave.

Armenian defence ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan, in turn, said Karabakh rebel forces killed about 200 Azerbaijani troops and destroyed 30 enemy artillery units and 20 drones.

Fighting between Muslim Azerbaijan and Christian-majority Armenia threatened to embroil regional players Russia and Turkey, with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan calling on global powers to prevent Ankara’s involvement.

“We are on the brink of a full-scale war in the South Caucasus,” Mr Pashinyan said.

France, Germany, Italy and the EU swiftly urged an immediate ceasefire, while Pope Francis prayed for peace.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his deep concern on Sunday and “strongly called for an immediate end to hostilities”.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was also extremely concerned and urged the sides to stop fighting and return to talks.

The US State Department said it had contacted the two countries and called on them to “use the existing direct communication links between them to avoid further escalation”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the military flare with Mr Pashinyan and called for an end to hostilities.

But Azerbaijan’s ally Turkey blamed Yerevan for the fighting and promised Baku its full support.

“The Turkish people will support our Azerbaijani brothers with all our means as always,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted.

Azerbaijan accused Armenian forces of breaching a ceasefire, saying it had launched a counteroffensive to “ensure the safety of the population”, using tanks, artillery missiles and drones.

In a televised address to the nation earlier on Sunday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev vowed victory over Armenian forces.

“Our cause is just and we will win,” he said, echoing Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin’s address at the outbreak of the Second World War.

“Karabakh is Azerbaijan.”

Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilisation. Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in cities.

Armenia said that Azerbaijan attacked civilian settlements in Nagorno-Karabakh including the main city, Stepanakert.

Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said there were reports of dead and wounded. “Extensive damage has been inflicted on many homes and civilian infrastructure,” it said.

Ethnic Armenian separatists seized the Nagorno-Karabakh region from Baku in the 1990s, a war in which 30,000 were killed.

Talks to resolve one of the worst conflicts to emerge from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union have been largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement.

France, Russia and the US have mediated peace efforts as the Minsk Group, but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010.

“We are a step away from a large-scale war,” Olesya Vartanyan of the International Crisis Group told AFP.

“One of the main reasons for the current escalation is a lack of any proactive international mediation … for weeks.”

On Sunday morning, Azerbaijan started bombing Karabakh’s front line, including civilian targets, and Stepanakert, Karabakh’s presidency said.

The rebel defence ministry said its troops shot down four Azerbaijani helicopters and 15 drones, which Baku denied.

In July, heavy clashes along the countries’ shared border – hundreds of kilometres from Karabakh – killed an Azerbaijani civilian and at least 16 soldiers in total, with losses on both sides.

During clashes in April 2016, about 110 people were killed.


Armenia turns to European Court of Human Rights in attempt to stop Azeri attack on disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region

Ara Felekian
RT – Russia Today
Sept 28 2020

27 Sep, 2020
Armenia asked the European Court of Human Rights (the ECHR), on Sunday afternoon, to pressure Azerbaijan into stopping its ongoing military operation against the long disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Azerbaijan is violating basic human rights by targeting the civilian population and infrastructure and using indiscriminate weapons, Yerevan argues. The ECHR can pressure Baku into halting the hostilities, Armenian authorities believe.

The request has been lodged with the Strasbourg-based court, the office of Armenia’s representative at the ECHR said on Facebook.

The violence along the border of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, the overwhelmingly ethnic Armenian enclave that unilaterally split from Baku in the late 1980s, erupted on Sunday morning. Azeri troops launched a massive offensive operation, claiming it was done in response to the shelling of troops and villages under their control.

Armenia denied that the violence had been provoked by its ally and accused Baku of breaking a ceasefire. According to officials of the disputed region, at least 16 of its troops were killed and over 100 injured while fighting the Azeri advance. Both sides reported civilian deaths during the confrontation.



Enemy has suffered much more losses – PM Pashinyan

Ara Felekian

Save

Share

 20:15,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said in his speech at the National Assembly that all necessary commands and tasks have been given.

‘’I want something to be very clear. All necessary commands and tasks are given. No one should have any doubts over this. On the other hand we should understand that we deal with an attack that has been very deeply prepared, It’s not an attack of one action, and its counter measuring will not be of one action. We have suffered casualties, the adversary has suffered more casualties, we have losses of military equipment, the adversary has suffered much more losses. This is a developing process and we have to stand strong’’, Pashinyan said, emphasizing that we have no right to be afraid.

The Prime Minister emphasized that during this period the parliament of Armenia is unified.

‘’It’s impossible to win us’’, Pashinyan emphasized.

Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan

Aliyev criticized Minsk mediators and called for imposing sanctions against Armenia

Ara Felekian
Arminfo, Armenia
Sept 25 2020

ArmInfo. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev called on UN bodies to ensure the  implementation of Security Council resolutions on the Karabakh  conflict.

“To ensure sustainable international peace and security, it is  necessary to put an end to the ‘occupation’. It is necessary to  ensure compliance with the norms and principles of international law  and the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions,” Aliyev  said in his video speech yesterday at the general debate of the 75th  session of the UN General Assembly, adding that the relevant  institutions of the Organization should contribute to the  implementation of Security Council resolutions. At the same time, he  expressed his conviction that “sanctions for failure to fulfill  obligations” should be applied against Armenia.

At the same time, Aliyev did not stop at that, he accused Armenia of  trying to disrupt the peace process, with the aim of allegedly  maintaining the status quo and “achieving the annexation of the  occupied territories.”

“The hostile statements of the Armenian leadership indicate that  Yerevan is preparing for a new war against Azerbaijan. We call on the  UN and the international community to restrain Armenia from another  military aggression,” Aliyev said, forgetting to mention the  bellicose statements from Baku, including the threat to launch a  missile attack on the Armenian nuclear power plant.

The President of Azerbaijan did not fail to criticize the activities  of the OSCE Minsk Group, which he qualified as inconclusive “The  presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries – Russia,  France and the United States in their statements stressed the  unacceptability of the status quo. We welcome these statements, but  there are not enough statements. We need in real steps. The Karabakh  conflict must be resolved within the territorial integrity of  Azerbaijan. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan has never been  and will not be a subject of negotiations. The sovereignty and  territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be fully restored. “Karabakh  is Azerbaijan!” Aliyev stressed, Turan reports.

In conclusion, Aliyev expressed serious concern over the growing  supply of weapons to Armenia, called on all countries to refrain from  such actions. It is noteworthy that Aliyev did not say a word about  the multibillion-dollar arms contracts concluded by Azerbaijan. 



Robert Kocharyan: Turkey’s factor in Karabakh process can be neutralized only through active involvement of Russia

Ara Felekian
Panorama Armenia
Sept 18 2020

“Turkey’s factor in Karabakh process can be neutralized only through active involvement of Russia,” Armenia’s former president Robert Kocharyan said Friday at a meeting with political experts. “Russia is the only country that can effectively do that and it currently enters into a phase of increasing its leverage. Russia has proved on numerous occasions that no policy can be imposed through sanctions,” Kocharyan added.

Speaking of the prospects for Karabakh settlement through negotiations, Kocharyan said that the talks would likely continue, however they may not be that fruitful as desired.

“There are number of sensitive issues what regards to substantive talks. No side will refuse to participate in the negotiations. They would sit at the table but I do not see any possibility to come to an agreement,” Kocharyan said, pointed also to the lack of mechanisms to impose pressure on the sides.

“The format of the talks itself does not imply any possibility to exert pressure on the sides. The mandate of the OSCE Minsk Groups implies working with parties and persuade them for a final solution but to not impose ready solutions.”

Reflecting on Turkey’s activation in the region, Kocharyan said the matter is not only about Karabakh but comes as an issue of regional security. In the words of the former president, with all its actions, Turkey attempts to counterbalance Russia in the region.

“In case of a future border incident, Russia will need to talk not only with Aliyev but also Erdogan. That is now what is done by Turkey today in agreement with Azerbaijan. Next will come Turkey’s more active involvement in the negotiations. Turkey may become a factor to consider,” Kocharyan said, pointing to the case of Syria, where in his words, no solution will come without without Turkey.

To prevent the scenario in our region, the former president suggests active resistance and action from Armenian authorities which he does not see.


CivilNet: Three New Judges Are Elected to Armenia’s Constitutional Court Amid Public Criticism

Ara Felekian
CIVILNET.AM

September 15, 2020 10:07 p.m

  • Armenia’s Constitutional Court Has Three New Judges
  • The OSCE Minsk Group Urges Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers to Meet with Them
  • Up to 950 Buses Will Arrive to Reform Yerevan’s Public Transportation System
  • The Fountains and Ponds of Yerevan Have Been Reopened
  • More Than One Hundred COVID-19 New Cases Recorded

Azerbaijani press: OSCE PA officials criticize Armenia’s impunity

Ara Felekian
3 September 2020 13:35 (UTC+04:00)
662

By Trend

An informal online meeting of the leadership (Bureau) of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) was held on September 2, Trend reports.

During the meeting, extensive discussions took place on a number of areas of the assembly’s activities. A report by OSCE PA President Georgy Tsereteli on events in the OSCE region was presented. Secretary General of the organization Roberto Montella spoke about the possible contribution of the OSCE PA to improving the efficiency of the organization’s structures and the work that should be done by the assembly by December 2020.

OSCE PA Vice-President, Head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the OSCE PA Azay Guliyev commented on the agenda of the meeting.

Noting the provocation carried out by Armenia in the direction of Azerbaijan’s Tovuz district, the illegal resettlement of Lebanese Armenians to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and the fact of arming Armenia by Russia, Guliyev brought to the attention of the Bureau members that such events contradict the norms and principles of international law.

Guliyev said that the initiative of OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella on “Operations of Lazarus” could be useful in systematizing the ideas and proposals collected and put forward by the OSCE PA over the years, in order to achieve certain results in strengthening the OSCE’s activities and ensuring its effectiveness.

The vice-president brought to the attention of the meeting participants his views on the steps to be taken on security issues, which are the main focus of the OSCE.

“Firstly, as is known, a fact-finding mission was sent to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in 2005 under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. The final report of the mission reflected a number of violations of international law, including the illegal settlement of people on the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia,” said Guliyev.

Unfortunately, the OSCE Minsk Group didn’t take concrete steps to resolve any issues raised in the mission’s report, and this shows that the co-chairs aren’t interested in the soonest achievement of a just and peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, he noted.

“Armenia continues the process of illegal resettlement of Armenians from the Middle East to the occupied Azerbaijani territories. At present, Armenia, using the recent explosion in Beirut, is carrying out the process of illegal settlement of its people in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts,” said the vice-president.

“In this regard, I sent a letter to President Tsereteli, and I hope that the OSCE PA and other international organizations will condemn these illegal actions of Armenia, which contradict a number of international documents, including the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute. Illegal settlement of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh under the pretext of “repatriation” and “humanitarian aid” is part of the policy of annexation of Armenia,” Guliyev said.

“The second issue is the lack of real cooperation between the OSCE PA and the Minsk Group. For some unknown reason, the co-chairs have not yet submitted a report on the activities of the Minsk Group, despite our repeated proposals and invitations from the Azerbaijani side,” the head of the Azerbaijani delegation said.

“The current situation shows that not all the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are committed to achieving a common goal – the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict through negotiations. On the contrary, the arming of Armenia by one of the co-chairs, Russia, causes concern and contradicts the mediation mandate of this country in the Minsk Group, as well as its obligations reflected in a number of international documents on arms control and regional security,” said Guliyev.

“The atmosphere of impunity and the lack of an adequate response to the illegal actions of Armenia create favorable conditions for the aggravation of the situation. As an example, I can point to the provocative attacks of Armenia on July 12-16, 2020, the shelling of our military and civilian facilities located on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the direction of Azerbaijan’s Tovuz district. As a result of the provocation, servicemen and civilians, including a 76-year-old resident of Tovuz district, were killed. The attacks by Armenia created an existential threat to oil and gas pipelines and other strategic economic infrastructure in the region,” the vice-president emphasized.

The third important issue is the need for the OSCE PA to establish institutional relations with the OSCE Minsk Group and close cooperation with it to build peaceç he said.

“The OSCE PA can facilitate the convening of the Minsk Conference with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group members, at least within the OSCE PA we can hold a meeting with the participation of the Minsk Group member states. During the meeting, it is necessary to find an answer to one question – Why the co-chairs have not yet been able to find a solution to the problem, while Armenia still does not comply with the UN Security Council resolutions and other international documents? I believe that the intervention of the OSCE PA can be useful for identifying obstacles and failures in the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, as well as achieving certain progress in the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict,” Guliyev said.

The vice-president also said that for almost 30 years Armenia has been ignoring documents of international organizations, including four resolutions of the UN Security Council, OSCE and OSCE PA resolutions, requiring the unconditional withdrawal of the armed forces of the occupying country from internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan.

“Therefore, we must always remember about the tools and mechanisms offered by the OSCE, an organization uniting 57 countries, for resolving the conflict, about the mandate of this organization, and must ensure the implementation of the above resolutions requiring the withdrawal of armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia. I believe that all these issues will be reflected in the proposals and action plan that will be presented to the OSCE,” noted Guliyev.

Several members of the Bureau who spoke further at the meeting supported Guliyev’s proposals that the OSCE PA should be more active in connection with the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

—

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

Newspaper: Armenia PM usurps powers of President, parliament speaker

Ara Felekian
News.am, Armenia
Sep 1 2020

09:58, 01.09.2020
                  

Armenian team participates in Guardian of Order MP competition of International Army Games 2020

Ara Felekian

Save

Share

 15:15, 26 August, 2020

YEREVAN, AUGUST 26, ARMENPRESS. The Guardian of Order military police competition of the International Army Games 2020 has kicked off at the Alabino range near Moscow.

Teams from Armenia, Iran and Russia are participating in the event. The Armenian Defense Ministry said that Armenian participants successfully completed the shooting phase of the competition.

Armenian specialists of the Field Kitchen competition also delivered a successful performance.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Kocharyan: I have always believed that Armenia can be the most organized country in region

Ara Felekian
News.am, Armenia
Aug 27 2020

17:26, 27.08.2020

The state plays an important role in solving the problem of demography, the second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan told a group of economic reporters.

“We need to see if there is a similar experience in the world. Look at the population of Israel, at the time of creation and now,” he said. “The question is that we need to set a goal and develop a program to achieve it.”

According to him, effective management, correct decisions, and internal organization are needed.

“I have always believed that we can be the most organized country in the region. We need a national project, where you can contribute a lot and achieve the goal,” the ex-president said.

“If the world has such an experience, then why are we worse? If you are notorious and do not believe in your strength, then there is nothing to do,” Kocharyan added. “Internal cohesion is also very important. But in the current situation I can’t believe that it is possible to achieve something.”