The Vayk Food Court, located on the M2 Armenian Interstate, is a favorite haunt for those passing through. Since Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh no longer use this route, the food court is usually half or completely empty at lunchtime. On Monday afternoon, it was crowded again. The Karabakh Armenians have been replaced by Iranians. Some are buying pizza inside; others are smoking in front of the food court. One of them, in a black T-shirt, rubs his shoulders, then points his index finger at my winter coat and asks where I can buy one (the Armenian mountains are still covered in snow!). What else can you think of these days when meeting Iranians in another country? They are probably fleeing the “black rain.” But no, they all flew from Dubai to Yerevan and are heading to Iran via Armenia overland. It seemed to me that they were returning to their homeland out of patriotic motives, because I met such Iranians on the Armenia–Iran border during the 12-day war. “I am going to Iran. My family is there,” says one of them, and lists them one by one. “My father, mother, sister, grandmother, grandfather, and brother are there. I was in the cosmetics business, but now, there is a war, I am going to join my family. What we will do next, I have no idea,” he says.
These Iranians standing in front of the food court are all young people, and they talk to me in a somewhat cheerful tone, but it feels like there is something hidden under their laughter. Another one is jumping on the spot like a football player in the cold weather before a match, and says that he flew to Armenia via Türkiye, and that his friend bought a ticket for him online. “How much was it? Twenty-two… Türk liras…” He takes out his smartphone and starts calculating. “Five hundred U.S. dollars. Airlines are raising prices every day,” he says. This young man, like his friends, is also going to Iran. When asked, “How long do you think the war will last?,” he replies, “I don’t know.”
In Kapan, an anti-Israeli and anti-American poster was pasted on the gates of the Iranian consulate, the flag was lowered, and children’s toys and flowers were placed on a wall. A large portrait of Ayatollah Khamenei bears the inscription, “Our heartfelt condolences on the deaths of many innocent citizens and high-ranking officials in Iran.” Another poster reads, “He has targeted children… But what’s their sin?”
Negative impact on Armenia’s economy
Just a month ago, numerous Iranian tankers and trucks drove nonstop along this highway. It’s safe to say that, on the M2 highway in the Syunik region, trucks with Iranian license plates outnumbered Armenian ones, but these days, their numbers have significantly decreased, and it’s even rare to see them. Trucks with Armenian and Georgian license plates heading toward Yerevan were more common. Also, in early February, hundreds of Iranian trucks were parked along the airport in Kapan, the regional center of Syunik; today, there were not so many. It seems that the pace of construction work in Syunik has also slowed down with the involvement of Iranian companies.
In 2023, the Armenian government has awarded a $215 million contract to a consortium of two Iranian companies to upgrade a 32-kilometer section of the main highway connecting Armenia to Iran through its endangered Syunik region. There were hardly any construction workers seen along the construction site today, perhaps because of weather conditions, perhaps the war, or both. An Armenian businessman has been waiting at the Agarak/Norduz checkpoint for three days. “Since this war started, I haven’t been able to contact my Iranian partners. They don’t have internet. He told me through an intermediary to pick up the goods here, but it hasn’t arrived yet, and I can’t find out any information, so I’m waiting,” he says.
A resident of Agarak says that they go to Iran for shopping mainly, but it is not possible now. “Trucks pass, but they do not let us through. Ordinary people go there and buy stuff for their home and kitchen, things like washing powder, household chemicals, cooking oil, sugar, etc. It is cheap there. Each person can bring 10kg of cargo and 10 liters of gasoline, no more,” he says, expressing hope that everything will end well and they will continue to shop in Iran as before.
What about TRIPP?
Last year, after the US Ambassador to Armenia, Kristina Kvien’s announcement, the hope that TRIPP project will finally become a reality has further strengthened among people in Armenia. “Another implementation achievement is the recent US announcement of $145 million in new assistance funding for Armenia. The bulk of these funds will go toward advancing the TRIPP project and enhancing border security and management”, she stated.
In February, when the U.S. Vice President Vance visited Armenia, the talk about TRIPP increased even more, and many in Armenia believed that infrastructure construction would soon begin along the Araks River, which separates Armenia and Iran. Amid the ongoing war in Iran, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on March 12 that TRIPP is not a priority, at least today.
“It is obvious that TRIPP is not a priority for the United States administration at the moment. You see what is happening and what they are up to now. Unfortunately, there is a high probability that the process will be affected in terms of time because the government is focused on that issue, but if it turns out that it will not be affected, then it is even better,” Pashinyan said. The Armenian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Armenia announced late last year that work on the implementation of TRIPP will begin by the summer of 2026. However, at least for now, with the breakout of the war in Iran, the topic of TRIPP project was washed away from the agenda.
Situation at the checkpoint
The Armenia–Iran border checkpoint at Agarak/Norduz in Syunik Province: on Wednesday morning, nothing unusual seems to be happening. Armenian taxi drivers here, some of whom happen to speak good Persian, are waiting for their potential clients. A young Iranian man enters Armenia, holding a plastic bag of onions and eggs, followed by trucks with Iranian license plates, leaving noise and blue smoke in the distance. Few Iranians are entering the Armenian territory, and almost no one is open to talk (let alone take pictures). It is not clear whether the checkpoint is open or closed. An Armenian border guard says he “cannot answer the journalists’ questions regarding this matter”. In any case, fuel and other trucks are moving in and out. Locals in Agarak say that sometimes, Armenians are able to go to Iran and trade, and sometimes they are prohibited. “Today, for example, it was closed; we do not know what will happen tomorrow, everything depends on the situation in Iran,” says an Agarak resident.
An Iranian family that just entered Armenia is saying that people are unable to leave Iran, mainly because of money. “The first day was terrible, the very first day when they started bombing, people started to leave in panic. But it’s not like it’s calm now; moreover, the war has spread beyond Tehran to other cities. People prefer to stay at home in shelters for safety. Medicine, food, nothing can be bought,” says an Iranian woman. “We heard loud explosions, there were glass crumbs scattered on the street, we were very scared, we didn’t attend school,” says this woman’s daughter, with a pink school bag on her back. This family loads their suitcases into the trunk of a taxi and heads to Zvartnots Airport to fly to a third country, they don’t want to name.
Contributed by Marut Vanyan
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It is proposed to reform the Criminal Procedure Code
The purpose of the Criminal Procedure Code, which entered into force on July 1, 2022, is to establish an effective procedure for conducting proceedings on alleged crimes based on guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of the person.
As such, the implementation of an efficient and quality pre-trial investigation stems from this very goal. It should be noted that the presence of somewhat problematic provisions in the Criminal Procedure Code, which has been in use for about three years, has created additional obstacles, which the draft law aims to eliminate. Rustam Bakoyan, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Human Rights Protection and Public Affairs of the National Assembly of the RA National Assembly, said this while presenting the “Amendments and Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia” at the regular session of the National Assembly on March 18. on” draft law.
The author of the initiative, Rustam Bakoyan, presented the proposed additions and changes and noted that as a result of the adoption of the project, it is expected to create additional prerequisites for the more efficient implementation of criminal procedure functions.
It was noted that the project will regulate specific time and procedural issues in criminal proceedings, which is aimed at effective, complete, comprehensive and objective examination of criminal proceedings. In addition, the project is also expected to create an opportunity for the body conducting the criminal proceedings to complete the proceedings within its jurisdiction within a reasonable period of time.
Deputy Minister of Justice Gevorg Kocharyan presented the Government’s positive opinion on the project.
The commission voted in favor of the initiative. It is planned to be included in the draft agenda of the upcoming regular sessions of the National Assembly.
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‘Vance Syndrome’ and the Uncertain Future of Armenia’s Genocide Museum-Instit
Vice-President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance at the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Monument on Feb. 10
BY HAYK MARTIROSYAN
The rumors about the forced “resignation” of Dr. Edita Gzoyan, the director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, have been confirmed. It’s now possible to discuss it openly. Claiming there is a significant amount of injustice and humiliation involved would be an understatement. Under such circumstances, even mentioning scientific impartiality and academic freedom seems pointless.
I worked at AGMI intermittently from 2006 to 2014. And during the last eight years, have been a researcher at the Lepsius House in Potsdam (providing archival materials and literature, organizing joint initiatives, etc.), while continuing to cooperate with the Museum-Institute regularly. I am currently also a member of the editorial board of the AGMI journal.
Dr. Gzoyan was elected director of AGMI two years ago. It is clear these past two years have been the most productive in AGMI’s history across numerous fields: there has been an unprecedented number of scholarly articles published in international and prestigious journals; after persistent efforts, the International Journal of Armenian Genocide Studies was included last year in the highly sought-after Scopus list of academic journals (the only one from Armenia); international conferences and events were organized with global partners; an audio-guide system was introduced and made available in multiple languages; the contributions of all staff members—not just a select few—were recognized and encouraged; connections with Diasporan Armenian scholars were strengthened, and their contributions to AGMI’s efforts increased. It is impossible to list all the accomplishments. Why remove Gzoyan? Where did she fail?
Consider the scholar’s perspective: review the works and articles published by Gzoyan from the prior two years, note those in impactful international journals. How many people in our field can you name in Armenia who have more publications? Consider the active collaboration with Diasporan scholars. Take as clear proof of disagreement with this decision the fact that two Diasporan scholars on the Board of Trustees—Raymond Kevorkian and Stephan Astourian—have both left the board (as well as Vasken Yacoubian, President of the AGBU Armenia office), along with two other scholars from Armenia (Hranush Kharatyan and Harutyun Marutyan).
Look at the management aspect: the best evidence is the joint letter-appeal from all 74 AGMI employees (although it was clear that it would not be accepted) asking to prevent the change of director. As someone who spent many years at AGMI and knows its inner workings well, I assure you that such unity and positive atmosphere have never existed there before—I, of all people, know that.
Apparently, the claims are correct that her dismissal relates to J.D. Vance’s visit and the director’s conversation about Artsakh, which is unacceptable by the authorities. Moreover, judging from the videos, she even had the “audacity” to accompany Vance to the khachkars commemorating the massacres of Armenians in Azerbaijan and tell him about them, presenting him with an informative book. (Here I would gladly recount an attempt to “convince” an influential professor in Leipzig on precisely this topic in a much more complicated situation, and the respected professor’s “beautiful” and “accessible” reply—but I cannot make it public.)
Personally, I believe Vance’s visit was simply the final straw. Because, to her credit, Gzoyan has always spoken out about the ethnic cleansing in Artsakh. A large amount of work has been done for that cause. She has also raised other topics unacceptable for the “constructive” authorities within the context of the Armenian Genocide (for example, topics about Nemesis, Tehlirian Trial, etc.). The reason for Gzoyan dismissal is certainly not the construction project happening at the memorial complex, as is being presented. The construction is primarily under the ministry’s control. If that were the reason, the director would have been dismissed last year when the controversy surrounding the construction reached its peak. If construction had truly been the issue, they could have appointed an “extraordinary and plenipotentiary foreman” until the work was completed. Or a rhetorical question arises: after the construction is finished, will the future director with construction expertise leave the position?
Gzoyan can leave with her head held high. Unfortunately, the enormous sense of hurt, disappointment, and injustice will hardly diminish because of that.
Alas—long live “academic freedom,” long live “effective” governance, long live the “appreciation” of Diasporan Armenian scholars, long live the “recognition” of the efforts to internationalize AGMI’s work and Armenian scholarship, long live your talent for “taking into account” the opinion of AGMI employees, and finally, long live “justice.”
Now appoint a “professional” whose only qualification will be “flexibility” and adaptability. Otherwise, the “Vance syndrome” tends to recur.
Dr. Hayk Martirosyan served, with some interruptions, as a research fellow at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute from 2006 to 2014. Since 2017, he has been a research associate at the Lepsiushaus in Potsdam. Martirosyan studied Oriental and Turkic studies at Yerevan State University and earned his doctorate from the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. His research focuses on the history of missionary activity in the Ottoman Empire, missionary biographies, and the history of aid organizations and rescue efforts for Armenians. He is the author of two monographs and more than two dozen scholarly articles.
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The Afghan-Pakistani military conflict as part of the Iranian puzzle
March: 11, 2026
Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict relations due to the border left undefined by the British colonialists until the end, like many other conflicts in the region, have a long history. However, their current escalation, which, in fact, has taken on the character of a so-called low-intensity war, cannot be considered outside of the context of the large-scale aggression of the USA and Israel against Iran in the neighborhood.
The first The inspiration for this war, which remains in the shadow of the Iranian events, pursues a very obvious goal: to neutralize Kabul, which has recently become closer to Tehran, and to involve nuclear Pakistan in forceful operations against Iran. In addition, China is put in a difficult situation at the same time, because Pakistan, and recently Afghanistan, are its close partners.
Thus, Beijing’s attention is also diverted from Iran. At the same time, behind the general image of bringing chaos to this large space, Washington’s geopolitical aspiration to ensure control over the transport corridors of the entire Eurasia is clearly visible.
On both sides of the infamous Durand Line between Pakistan and Afghanistan, petty skirmishes and terror attacks by militant groups and organizations controlled by neither, such as ISIS-Khorasan, are a constant occurrence. In fact, their members do not recognize any authority in their area of operation, so instead of mutual accusations, it would be more effective for Kabul and Islamabad to cooperate in the fight against these terrorists, which has not been done yet.
Moreover, On the eve of the start of the American-Israeli operation against Iran, Pakistan’s powerful airstrikes in the direction of the Afghan territory turned their conflictual relations into open interstate fighting, which continues with unceasing intensity.
Only on March 7, for example, Pakistan hit to the Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktia, Khost, Maidan-Wardak and Kunar. Thousands of people have already died on both sides. The account of daily losses is tens and hundreds. More than 100 thousand people became refugees.
At the same time, Pakistan announced its willingness to protect Saudi Arabia from “Iranian attacks” in accordance with the mutual defense agreement between them. In general, everything is proceeding according to the project written out of the region.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid called for a meeting of the UN Security Council to take action to stop what he called “Pakistan’s attack on Afghanistan”. Earlier, Mujahid criticized the Security Council, saying that it has lost credibility and, in his words, has become “a tool in the hands of Western countries.”
Unfortunately, due to US obstruction, the outcome of the new session of this international body as well it is easy to predict.
World experts are still wondering what is the main trigger for Trump’s military action against Iran anyway: his personal whims, which contradict the US president’s own statements and plans, or Israel’s influence.
There is no universal answer. The White House’s hopes for a Nobel Peace Prize appear to have been put on hold while the drums of war thunder.
As for Netanyahu’s influence, his own interests are a bit more modest than this global action that has begun, far beyond the borders of a single country. It is enough for the Prime Minister of Israel to “dust” Iran and postpone the trial in corruption cases. Therefore, apparently, Washington is right when they say that they pushed Israel to start an operation, and not the other way around.
If we look at the actions of the administration of the United States in a more global context, the motives of the current belligerent behavior of the Americans can be also other, in their opinion, valid reasons. In particular, the steps taken by Trump under the guise of peace negotiations over the past year to take the main transport hubs of Eurasia under American control are noteworthy, a step he is extremely proud of.
In the Caucasus, for example, it has “locked the North-South corridor” in the area of the hypothetical Zangezur (Syunik) corridor in an agreement with Armenia and Azerbaijan.։ According to that project, without too much modesty named after Trump on the international path of peace and prosperity (TPIPP – not to be confused with, you know what), the establishment of an American guard base with up to a thousand military personnel is also planned in this zone.
And on the East-West axis, within the framework of which China has already spent up to 0.5 trillion dollars to advance the “Belt and Road” route, Trump has reached the allocation of his key link in Central Asia under the name of “middle corridor”. The operator of the latter, in agreement with Kazakhstan and other countries of the region, should also become the USA. In other words, TRIPP should be vaccinated there as well.
From the point of view of the current leader of the United States, the deal is super. The products are foreign and the control is American. All of Eurasia is dependent without war. But the war was necessary, as recent events show. Of course, such raider invasions on a global scale could not be organized by those powers that have preserved national sovereignty, which are located along the two axes.
Iran, not giving up the already concluded North-South projects, has started looking for alternative routes, bypassing Azerbaijan. It is no coincidence that the latter, although it has officially declared non-interference in the war against Iran, in practice takes a rather hostile position towards Tehran. In particular, Russian-Iranian agreements were reached on the activation of navigation through the Caspian Sea, which, among other things, would ensure full loading of the Volga shipyards.
The connection of Iranian railways with similar lines in Turkmenistan should be completed soon. Through it, the North-South route will be launched along the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea.
More significant are the plans to connect Iran’s Chabahar port directly to Central Asia via the Afghan cities of Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif by rail. For the post-Soviet countries there, it will be the shortest and most profitable exit to the world markets. And why then do they need TRIPP, which is also viewed with suspicion by China and Russia, the region’s main economic partners?։
And Reza Pahlavi or another more capable henchman of Washington in Iran will certainly not give up, hence the obsessive desire to change the regime at any cost.
In this light, the role of Afghanistan takes on a unique role. Maintaining their tough position, the Taliban, with the help of Chinese investments, have started an unprecedented infrastructural transformation in the country. A new Kabul for 3 million people is being built, railways and highways, huge canals and much more.
like this In the coming days, the 300-kilometer Wakhan Corridor between Afghanistan and China should be opened, which is more modern and in many ways superior to the famous Karakoram Highway between China and Pakistan. In the future, it is planned to build a railway along the Wakhan Corridor with the Mazari-Sharif entrance. Thus, the main cargo transportation of the East-West route can go through new routes through Afghanistan and Iran, leaving aside the parts that are firmly saddled by the USA. And Kabul, from the last dead end of world communications, which lacks railways at all, has the opportunity to turn into almost the main transport intersection of Eurasia.
It is not for nothing that Trump continues to demand that he “return” the Baghram Air Base to America, and without it, allegedly, there will be no settlement with Afghanistan and no lifting of sanctions from them. But the answer is as old as this country. “Come on, take it.” With all the current recklessness of the US administration, it is impossible to imagine that someone will stick their nose in there again.
It seems that the intention to exclude Iran and Afghanistan for the Eurasian transport corridors is one of the main motivations for the current US military expansion against them.
Moreover, Pakistan was chosen as the main proxy in the Afghan direction, which, in addition to the old enmity with Kabul, also has geopolitical reasons.։
Islamabad is promoting its own corridor for Chinese goods to enter the world market through the Karakoram Highway and the Pakistani port of Gwadar, located one and a half kilometers from Iran’s Chebehar.
He would hardly have started his current operations against Afghanistan, which are disrupting Chinese projects in that country, if he did not have approval from Washington.
Beijing is in a difficult situation, which has to choose between these two states։
For now, he is playing a conciliatory role, not wanting to completely abandon the alliance with Pakistan, in which many Chinese resources are invested. However logic suggests that an Iran-Afghan option would be preferable in many ways to a pragmatic China։ It is more comprehensive, allowing to solve the problems of connecting the North-South and East-West corridors, it is less vulnerable to the intervention of the West.
In addition, Pakistan’s de facto solidarity with American military operations against Iran is unlikely to score it points in the eyes of the Chinese.
The opposition, as well as the press, warn the authorities in Islamabad about the danger of serving western interests for the country. Thus, during the briefing, Farooq Sattar, the leader of the parliamentary faction of the “Movement for Justice” party of the ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan declared. “as a result of a well-planned conspiracy, other Muslim countries are also drawn into the war without any reason.” Islamic League MP Ali Muhammad Khan condemned the attack on Iran and, referring to Trump, asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharaf: “Can a man who killed a great Muslim leader be a supporter of peace?”
Islamabad Daily Post writes that Washington and Tel Aviv are tempted to take advantage of Iran’s imaginary weakness, but regional realities have not disappeared anywhere. Prolonged crises narrow the range of allies and increase costs, reducing leverage. Pakistan’s strategic analysts “understand that an alliance with a superpower can quickly turn against the country if policies change depending on election cycles.”
They believe that “Pakistan, for its part, should not give in to the temptation of tactical victories in Afghanistan.” Alleged complicity in attempts to overthrow the regime in Kabul can lead to cross-border violence, refugee flows, and diplomatic isolation from neighbors. However, a complete refusal to cooperate with them will be expensive for Pakistan, whose economy is still dependent on external factors.
As for Trump’s role in the interregional crisis, it is a common practice for him. “nothing personal, just business with a little bloodshed”, because without “boxing”, the US economy, despite all the courage, can no longer withstand the usual competition. The American lion will obviously hit more than one pot with his tail swing during the fade, but will he be able to stick at least one?
DMITRI: MINI
fondsk.ru
Translation by Zhanna Avetisyan
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RFE/RL – Russian Gold Sends Armenia-UAE Trade Skyrocketing
Armenia’s trade with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) grew more than fivefold, to almost $5 billion, in the first ten months of 2024 as the South Caucasus country seemed to become a major conduit for exports of Russian gold and diamonds to world markets.
Government data shows that Armenian exports to the UAE accounted for over 98 percent of the trade volume, technically making the Gulf nation Armenia’s leading export market. Armenian goods and commodities accounted for a small percentage of that, however.
The Armenian government’s Statistical Committee reported in January-October 2024 more than fivefold increases in both imports and exports of gold, diamonds and various jewelry items which totaled $6.8 billion and $7.4 billion respectively. Although Armenia has gold production, diamond-cutting and jewelry industries important for the domestic economy, their annual turnover could only generate a fraction of these figures, meaning that external factors were behind the astronomical rises.
According to the committee, Russia’s exports to Armenia surged by $5.6 billion to nearly $8.3 billion in the same period. Armenian media outlets reported throughout the year sharp rises in shipments of Russian gold and, to a lesser extent, diamonds to Armenia and their subsequent re-exports, possibly after some processing, to third countries.
Citing the national customs service, the investigative publication Hetq.am said that Armenia imported about 66 tons of gold worth $4.4 billion already in the first half of 2024 and that almost all of it came from Russia. The latter cannot directly supply the precious metal to Western buyers due to sanctions imposed after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Armenia shipped nearly as much gold abroad during the same period, with the UAE absorbing around two-thirds of those exports and the rest of them mostly going to China. This explains why Armenian exports to China nearly tripled in January-October to almost $1 billion.
In a recent article, Hetq.am identified more than a dozen Armenian firms involved in large-scale imports and re-exports of Russian gold. According to it, one of those firms is linked to the family of Khachatur Sukiasian, a wealthy businessman and parliamentarian representing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s Civil Contract party.
The lucrative trade operations appear to have also involved Russian diamonds likewise covered by U.S. and European Union sanctions. In 2023, Armenia reportedly exported (mainly to the UAE) 4.5 million carats of diamonds worth about $590 million, a volume by far exceeding the combined annual output of Armenian diamond-cutting firms. The Armenian customs service has still not released any diamond-related data for 2024.
Armenian entrepreneurs have also taken advantage of the sanctions by re-exporting many Western-manufactured goods to Russia. This was the main driving force behind rapid economic growth registered in the country in 2022 and 2023. That growth moderated in 2024 and is projected to slow further this year.
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Armenpress: Prime Minister receives the delegation led by the chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag
14:14,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the delegation headed by Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker, the chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag.
According to the readout issued by the PM's office, the Prime Minister welcomed the delegation's visit to Armenia and emphasized the importance of consistently developing and expanding cooperation with Germany. Nikol Pashinyan noted that political and economic cooperation has been dynamic in recent years and emphasized the fact of bilateral high-level, as well as inter-parliamentary dialogue.
The Prime Minister emphasized Germany's support in the effective promotion of democratic reforms in our country, as well as in ensuring peace and stability in the South Caucasus.
In this regard, Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the contribution of Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, as well as emphasized the importance of the principles established by the quadripartite declaration of the German Chancellor, the President of France, the President of the European Council and the Prime Minister of Armenia in Granada last fall.
The interlocutors exchanged ideas on the deepening of Armenia-Germany, Armenia-European Union cooperation, the activities of the EU civilian mission on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and other issues.
Armenian Resistance fighter joins France’s Pantheon heroes
Armenian Resistance fighter joins France's Pantheon heroes
AFP
A stateless Armenian poet who died fighting the Nazi occupation of France during World War II becomes on Wednesday the first non-French Resistance fighter to enter the Pantheon mausoleum for national heroes.
The honour to Missak Manouchian has been seen as long-overdue recognition of the bravery of foreign communists — many Jewish — who fought the Nazis alongside members of the French Resistance.
"Jewish, Hungarian, Polish, Armenians, communists, they gave their lives for our country," President Emmanuel Macron said this weekend.
"It's a way of ensuring all forms of internal Resistance enter (the Pantheon), including some too long forgotten," he told communist newspaper L'Humanite.
The bodies of Manouchian and his wife Melinee, also a member of the Resistance, will be carried into the Pantheon at around 18:30 pm (1730 GMT).
The names of 23 of his communist comrades-in-arm — including Polish, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish and Romanian fighters — will be added to a commemorative plaque inside the monument.
– Refugee turned fighter –
Manouchian arrived in France as a young man in the mid-1920s, after fleeing World-War-I-era mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as a child to French-mandate Lebanon.
He joined the French communist party's armed resistance in 1943, soon leading dozens of foreigners fighting the German occupiers in the Paris region.
Under his watch they carried out sabotage, derailed trains, attacked German soldiers and assassinated a German SS colonel in charge of the forced enlistment of French workers.
Manouchian was arrested in November 1943 and tortured before being shot dead by firing squad aged 37 with around 20 of his comrades in February 1944.
After their death sentences, a Nazi propaganda poster showing images of ten from the group on a red background, which became known as the "red poster", sought to demonise them as members of a "criminal army".
But it backfired, and later inspired a poem by French poet Louis Aragon, a song and several films.
– Foreign fighters –
Manouchian, who pursued poetry and literature while working in a shipyard and a factory before the war, had requested French nationality in 1933 and 1940, both times without success.
He was one of many foreigners in the French Resistance.
They were mostly "anti-Nazi Germans and Austrians, Spanish Republicans who had fled Francoism, anti-fascist Italians, Poles who had fled anti-Semitism, Armenians, and Jews from eastern Europe and Germany", according to the French defence ministry.
It is unclear how many exactly of the 2.2 million foreigners in France at the time joined the Resistance.
But of the 1,000 Resistance fighters executed by the Nazis at the Mont-Valerien fort outside Paris during the occupation, 185 were foreign, historian Denis Peschanski told AFP.
That was a much higher proportion of foreigners than in the country's pre-war population of around 40 million.
– 'Quiet heroism' –
Under Macron, since 2017 three people have been awarded a place inside the Pantheon: writer Maurice Genevoix, women's rights icon Simone Veil, and US-born entertainer and French Resistance member Josephine Baker.
Baker, the first black woman to receive the honour, had been awarded French nationality before the war.
Last year, Macron said Manouchian would also receive the honour, paying tribute to his "bravery" and "quiet heroism".
At the time, parliament was debating a contentious immigration bill that Macron eventually signed into law earlier this year.
The roughly 2,000 people invited to Wednesday's ceremony include Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and representatives of the French Communist Party.
Far-right former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has said she would also be attending, sparking controversy.
The parliamentary leader of the anti-immigration National Rally party was invited, but Macron said this weekend that the far right should be "inspired not to be present".
Georges Duffau-Epstein, whose Jewish immigrant father Joseph Epstein is among those being honoured, said Le Pen was "not welcome".
This was "due to her line of descent, the character of those who founded" her party, he said, alluding to her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, a convicted Holocaust denier.
bur-vl-ah/as/js
https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/armenian-resistance-fighter-joins-frances-pantheon-heroes/news-story/cefca208f5b312b88fc4b0cb91fb59f7
Azerbaijan planning ‘full-scale war’, Armenia warns
Yerevan (AFP) – Azerbaijan is planning a "full-scale war" against Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned Thursday, two days after a skirmish on their border left four Armenian troops dead.
Tensions between the two Caucasus neighbours have remained high since Baku re-captured the Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh last September in a lightning military offensive.
"Our analysis shows that Azerbaijan wants to launch military action in some parts of the border with the prospect of turning military escalation into a full-scale war against Armenia," Pashinyan said at a government meeting.
"This intention can be read in all statements and actions of Azerbaijan," he added.
Yerevan is concerned that Azerbaijan, emboldened by its success in Karabakh, could invade Armenian territory in order to create a land bridge to its exclave of Nakhchivan.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who won re-election this month, said in an inauguration speech Wednesday it was Armenia, not Azerbaijan, that had outstanding territorial claims.
Pashinyan and Aliyev previously said a peace agreement could have been signed by the end of last year, but internationally mediated peace talks have failed to yield a breakthrough.
On Tuesday, both sides accused each other of opening fire on their volatile border, in a skirmish Armenia said left four of its soldiers dead.
Armenia has exclusively legitimate goals in defense area – PM’s response to Azeri accusations on arms acquisitions
12:36,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has responded to Azerbaijan’s accusations regarding Armenia’s arms acquisitions.
“Azerbaijan continues threatening rhetoric regarding our military reforms and arms acquisitions by Armenia. Having a strong and combat ready military is the legitimate right of every country,” Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting. “No one can deny this. Armenia recognizes the territorial integrity of all neighboring countries and doesn’t have any goals outside its own territory. By the way, this is our long-term strategy because we believe that legitimacy is a highly important component for ensuring the security of the Republic of Armenia. The Republic of Armenia has exclusively legitimate goals in the defense sector, which is the protection of its internationally recognized territories,” Pashinyan said.
Pashinyan sends congratulatory message to the newly elected Prime Minister of Georgia
19:25, 9 February 2024
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sent a congratulatory message to Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on the occasion of assuming the post of the Head of the Government, the Prime Minister's Office said.
The message states: "I warmly congratulate you on assuming the position of the Head of the Government of Georgia and wish you success in serving this important and responsible mission for the benefit of Georgia and the Georgian people.
The development and deepening of multifaceted cooperation with friendly Georgia is one of the priorities of the Armenian government's foreign policy.
I believe that establishing a strategic partnership between the Republic of Armenia and Georgia will reveal new horizons for further expanding bilateral cooperation in all fields.
I reaffirm the readiness of the Armenian government and myself to cooperate closely with your government for the benefit of our countries and brotherly peoples."