Author: Arbi Tashjian

Large-scale demonstrations and human rights violations show Armenia’s political crisis is deepening

Arbi Tashjian
May 17 2022

Gross violations of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly are now being registered in Armenia during anti-government demonstrations. Journalists are also being subjected to violence as the country continues to face political upheaval.

May 17, 2022 – Anna Vardanyan

Following the 44-day war in Karabakh in 2020, the political crisis in Armenia has still not yet been overcome. This issue intensified over the last two weeks, when the opposition shifted its struggle from the parliament to the streets. Protesters are now demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan due to possible concessions to Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The current Armenian authorities now hope to conclude a peace agreement with a hostile neighbouring country supported by international mediation from Russia. The opposition accuses Pashinyan of wishing to cede all of the disputed territories of Nagorno-Karabakh to Baku. In March, Pashinyan stated in parliament that the international community was calling on Armenia to “weaken its demands on Nagorno-Karabakh”. The opposition accused him of “betrayal”, declaring that “the political status of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan” is “inadmissible”. As a sign of protest, the demonstrators engaged in large-scale civil disobedience, blocking a number of streets in the capital and setting up tents. During rallies, many carry signs and some even say “Armenia without Turks”. According to the German news agency DPA, more than 20,000 people took part in a regular demonstration on May 2nd. There have been at least 250 arrests in Armenia as a result of protests against the prime minister, including members of parliament.

According to reports from various local and international organisations, the police are using brute force not only against peaceful demonstrators, but also journalists. According to a statement issued by the Union of Journalists of Armenia, law enforcement bodies have used disproportionate force to hinder the activities of many journalists and cameramen covering the events, grossly violating their rights. A report published by the Helsinki Committee of Armenia human rights NGO revealed gross violations of the right to freedom of assembly. In particular, the document highlighted the disproportionate force used against protesters by the Special Battalion of the Police Patrol Service Regiment. There is credible testimony that citizens were physically injured as a result of police actions, with journalists and cameramen obstructed from covering the rallies.

In conversation with us, the chairwoman of the Standing Committee on Human Rights Protection and Public Affairs of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Taguhi Tovmasyan, noted that those engaged in journalism in today’s democratic Armenia are often subjected to violence and their professional activities hindered. Those who commit these crimes often go unpunished. She also said that the head of the EU delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Victorin, responded to her urgent letters to international organisations by emphasising the need for proper law enforcement. The ambassador reminded Armenia that adherence to the rule of law applies to every member of society including the police, and that the media should be able to perform its professional duties and work free from intimidation. An opposition MP from the “I Have Honor” Alliance, Tovmasyan is actively participating in the ongoing rallies. She told us about the situation on the ground and the suffering of citizens. Tovmasyan believes that this situation represents a broad step backwards in Armenia’s democracy. She criticised the presence of the head of the State Protection Service, Sargis Hovhannisyan, at the rallies. Hovhannisyan has stood out for using brutal force against a journalist and a cameraman, which, according to Tovmasyan, is a criminal act in line with the country’s criminal and mass media law codes.

Strict restrictions on freedom of speech and media

According to the protocols of various international human rights organisations, the reversal of democratic norms in Armenia, in particular the restrictions on freedom of speech, has been made clear by a new law concerning the criminalisation of “grave insult” to officials. This was circulated by the government in 2021 and led to the initiation of more than 260 criminal cases in 2022 alone. In this regard, the human rights organisation Freedom House expressed its concern and called on the Armenian authorities to revoke the new law.

Pashinyan and his faction’s initiative to criminalise insults was recently criticised by the US State Department in its annual 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. The report on Armenia stated that individuals should be free to criticise the government without fear of reprisals. In its report, the US State Department noted that the country’s parliament has significantly restricted accredited journalists’ ability to cover developments in parliament during the year.

According to Taguhi Tovmasyan, the law criminalising insult grossly violates both the principles of the Armenian constitution and the country’s commitments within the framework of the OSCE and European Convention on Human Rights. She stated that “I have repeatedly warned that the adoption of this law is problematic and could lead to serious consequences, as it seriously contradicts both the constitution and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. It will endanger democracy in Armenia. Unfortunately, the parliamentary majority did not listen to warnings at the time, as it is obvious that the criminalisation of insult does not pursue a constitutional goal, but is directed against free speech. It simply aims to prevent public criticism of government officials by threatening to use criminal coercion. As a result, the criminalisation of insult is unconstitutional. If these cases have a final outcome and are also heard in the European Court of Human Rights, the defeat of the state will be inevitable. This in turn will lead to the provision of compensation from state funds, generated at the expense of taxpayers.”

Serious issues related to judicial independence

In parallel with the political crisis in post-war Armenia, there are also noticeable and growing problems in the judicial system. According to various professional assessments, these issues have a clear political dimension. In particular, the government has repeatedly encroached on the judiciary’s authority. This includes cases of disciplinary proceedings and criminal prosecution against unwanted judges.

Tovmasyan believes that what is happening in the country has never been encountered before in judicial practice. She stated, “It is not enshrined in any international law, any article of the European Convention on Human Rights, or the civil law concept of the right to a fair trial. These do not allow judges to be prosecuted for their rulings. Moreover, Article Three of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia stipulates: “The respect for and protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people are the duty of the public authorities. The inalienable dignity of a human being constitutes the integral basis of his or her rights and freedoms.” This case is a brazen encroachment on the independent functioning of the courts. It is, first and foremost, a matter of deep concern and disappointment geared towards the violation of fundamental human rights and democracy. Such steps have nothing to do with the establishment of democratic institutions. On the contrary, they indicate political problems and a deep crisis in the country.”

The aforementioned report by the US State Department states that in 2021 the judiciary of Armenia “did not generally exhibit independence and impartiality. Popular trust in the impartiality of judges remained low, and corruption of judges remained a concern.” It remains to be seen how the country will deal with such problems, especially in the difficult circumstances it finds itself in now.

Anna Vardanyan is an independent journalist, political analyst based in Armenia.

U.S. says recognizes Karabakh people’s role in deciding their future

Arbi Tashjian
PanArmenian
Armenia – May 19 2022
May 19, 2022 – 14:40 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The United States recognizes the role of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh in deciding its future, Ambassador of the United States of America to Armenia Lynne Tracy said in an interview with Armenpress, published on Thursday, May 19.

“We continue to believe that the key to a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous future in the region is a negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining issues related to or resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Tracy said.

“Self-determination of peoples is a key, though not the only, internationally recognized principle to achieve this goal, and, in the context of a comprehensive settlement of the conflict, the United States, as a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group, recognizes the role of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh in deciding its future.”

The ambassador said it is U.S. policy that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh remains to be resolved, and that there is no military solution to the conflict.

“We continue to believe that the issues that led to the fighting in 2020 and are the root of the lasting tensions need to be addressed through negotiation and through a comprehensive settlement, according to internationally recognized principles, including territorial integrity, self-determination of peoples, and the non-use of force. We encourage further peace negotiations and stand ready to engage bilaterally and with like-minded partners, including through our role as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair,” Tracy said.

“Let me emphasize that there is no military solution to the conflict. The United States remains committed to promoting a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous future for the South Caucasus region. This includes applying existing mechanisms for direct communication to find comprehensive solutions to all outstanding issues, and to normalize their relations through the conclusion of a comprehensive peace agreement.”

Armenpress: Signing of documents not planned at upcoming EU-mediated Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting

Arbi Tashjian

Signing of documents not planned at upcoming EU-mediated Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting

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 10:26,

YEREVAN, MAY 21, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and President of the European Council Charles Michel are not planning to sign any document at their upcoming trilateral meeting in Brussels, the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan said in response to a query from ARMENPRESS.

Grigoryan also addressed the criticism on the agenda of the meeting being kept secret.

ARMENPRESS: The trilateral meeting of the Armenian Prime Minister, President of the European Council and the President of Azerbaijan is planned to take place May 22 in Brussels. There is certain criticism that the agenda of the meeting is being kept secret. What would you say in this regard?

Grigoryan: That’s to say the least a strange criticism because the current agenda of our discussions with Azerbaijan is well known. These are: the points presented by us and by Azerbaijan for the normalization of relations or launch of peace talks, which are also disclosed and include the topic of the NK conflict settlement, issues of return of captives and revealing the fate of those missing, issues relating to opening of regional connections, delimitation and demarcation of borders, as well as issues relating to the launch of the work of the trilateral commission dealing with border security. This is the same agenda that was discussed during the previous meetings.

ARMENPRESS: Is it planned to sign any document in Brussels?

Grigoryan: No, because, for example in the issue of opening regional connections a working group co-chaired by deputy prime ministers is active and discussions on agreements reached on the highest level must continue in that format. The same can be said on the other issues which are being discussed more in detail in working formats. Therefore, no document is planned to be signed in Brussels. Presumably there will be a press release on the results of the discussions.

Armenia diaspora agency receives around 4000 repatriation applications in 4 months

Arbi Tashjian

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 15:56,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs received around 4000 repatriation applications in 4 months.

Hovhannes Alexanyan, the Director of the Department of Strategy Development at the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs said at a press conference that most of the applications concern the citizenship acquisition procedures, enrollment in educational institutions, healthcare issues, relocating businesses to Armenia and possibilities of importing personal-use cargo through customs borders.

“The repatriation process is rather difficult; there are cases when we work with families for 6 months or even a year before they arrive to Armenia. Many of them want to get citizenship, status initially and then benefit from the privileges envisaged for repatriates. For example, in 2021 we had around 7300 compatriots from 45 countries who obtained Armenian citizenship. Most of them come from Russia, Lebanon, Iran, Georgia, Syria, and the United States and European countries. Last year, 2070 of our compatriots obtained the status of permanent residency or special residency in Armenia. Surely it is difficult to say what percentage of our compatriots are permanently residing in Armenia, but at least it is obvious that half of them are in Armenia. Many of them have dual citizenship, even three citizenships and are organizing their lives in different countries,” Alexanyan said.

Alexanyan said in the context of repatriation they view not only the compatriots representing the classic Diaspora, but also those who left Armenia years ago due to socio-economic or other reasons and are now returning.

“Repatriates encounter several issues, particularly accommodation. They even apply to us with requests to find apartments for rent. They ask for legal support while buying apartments. The next issue concerns customs regulations. Our legislation enables repatriates to move their personal property to Armenia without customs payments,” Alexanyan said.

Armenian language courses are also organized for repatriates.

Armenian MP tells PACE to listen to what Karabakh kids have to say

Arbi Tashjian
PanARMENIAN
Armenia –
– 17:11 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Lawmaker from Armenia bloc Armen Gevorgyan delivered a speech at a meeting of the PACE Subcommittee on Children on Wednesday, May 18 and urged his colleagues to think about ways to make the voices of Karabakh children audible and the ways to involve them in the pan-European processes aimed at defending their rights and freedoms.

“I would like to speak about the fact that there are places within the Council of Europe where children’s rights, their problems and difficulties are out of our attention. These are unresolved conflicts,” Gevorgyan said.

“During the last session of the Assembly, the Commissioner for Human Rights announced that she could not visit Nagorno-Karabakh to learn more about the situation on the ground. The Azerbaijani authorities oppose such a visit. You know why? Because she could see how the Azerbaijani authorities are creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty about the future, especially for the younger generation.”

Gevorgyan noted that ordinary European children have been living in independent Karabakh for more than thirty years now, except they have a “more acute” sense of patriotism and justice.

“Unlike many of their European peers, they know what war and peace are, in the age of globalization they clearly understand what independence is, how it is achieved and maintained. They are a rare thing in modern Europe. they are the generation of independence,” he added.

AW: Turkey’s Soft Power in Russia: The Case of Tatarstan

Arbi Tashjian
 Yeghia Tashjian Tashjian’s Take, Columns 0

With the fall of the Soviet Union, Turkey (under late President Turgut Ozal) saw new opportunities to engage with the newly independent republics and autonomous regions of Russia of Turkish ethnicity in post-Soviet Central Asia and the Caucasus. Turkey was encouraged to fill the Soviet Russian vacuum in the region. For this reason, Ankara deployed its soft power to contain Russian cultural and political influence and bring these regions under its radar. 

According to Sergey Sukhankin, in recent years, Russian experts have started to admit that the “Great Turan” project is gaining popularity in the Turkic-speaking world, profoundly amplified by Turkey’s military successes and growing assertiveness in the region.

In Moscow, many are realizing that the idea of the “Great Turan,” built on the ideology of the unity of the Turkish people, is rapidly spreading not only across the South Caucasus and Central Asia, but is also gaining popularity in ethnically and religiously diverse parts of Russia as well. This is visible in the rhetoric of both Russia’s conservative thinkers and representatives of the military-political leadership, such as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu who demonstrated a growing uneasiness over Turkey’s growing influence.

Russia’s concerns rest on two main pillars. On the one hand, Russian experts admit that Turkey’s foreign policy and military successes, ambitious domestic projects and elaborate use of “soft power,” which rest on the highly revered conservative values and traditions of the Muslim world as well as the idea of pan-Turkism, have already resulted in its increasing popularity among Russia’s Turkic-speaking peoples. On the other hand, memories of the past, of the time of internal Russian crises, when many of the Turkic separatist entities openly demanded either broader autonomy or vouched for full independence and sovereignty, are still very much alive in Tatarstan, for example. In some regions, Russia managed to find peaceful solutions, albeit having to cede sizable economic benefits and political and cultural autonomy, but in others, a confrontation took the form of open armed conflict such as in Chechnya.

This article will analyze Turkey’s soft power (cultural, business and media) in Tatarstan, located in the Volga Federal District, and the future of Turkish-Russian relations. 

Turkish Involvement in Tatarstan

On the eve of the fall of the Soviet Union in August 1990, the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic backed by Turkey issued a Declaration of State Sovereignty. After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, it continued on the course for separation from Russia. In a referendum conducted in March 1992, the majority favored independence, and in November of the same year, a Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan was adopted, declaring it a sovereign state. However, the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation declared those documents to be illegal. In February 1994, Russia offered an autonomy agreement to Tatarstan, promising a broad range of rights and policy-making abilities, but stopping short of full independence. Tatar authorities, realizing that their options were limited, rejected becoming another Chechnya and accepted the deal.

Under the Russian deal, Tatarstan was going to have its own constitution, a legislature, a tax code, a national bank and its own citizenship system. The Kazan government can conduct its own relations with other subjects of the Russian Federation and even foreign states and can set its own foreign economic policy and trade relations. However, the re-centralization of power that took place under President Vladimir Putin reduced the region’s autonomy.

Nevertheless, the active Tatar Diaspora in Turkey remains supportive of the idea of an independent Tatarstan. On December 20, 2008, in response to Russia recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Milli Mejlis of the Tatar People declared Tatarstan independent and asked for United Nations (UN) recognition. However, this declaration was ignored both by the UN and the Russian government.

Rais Suleimanov, a Russian religious scholar and expert on Tatarstan, wrote an article titled “Tatarstan cannot decide: is it a part of Russia or a governorate of Turkey” in which he argued that a significant contributing factor to Tatarstan’s prosperity in recent years has been investments by Turkish businesses, to the tune of $1.5–2 billion, which constitutes one-fourth of all foreign investments in Tatarstan. According to Turkish businessman Rifat Hisarciklioglu, “Tatarstan gets 30 percent of Turkey’s investments in Russia.” The Russian News Agency TASS highlighted that among those Turkish investments are “about a dozen of major enterprises built by Turkish investors … located in the Alabuga special economic zone” in north-central Tatarstan.

However, Russia, fearing the rise of Turkish political influence in the region, started closely monitoring Turkish involvement in the region. After November 24, 2015, when the Russian Su-24 bomber was shot down in Syria by an air-to-air missile fired from a Turkish F-16 fighter jet, Russia reacted fiercely. As a result, Russia introduced economic sanctions against Turkey, which prohibited “the imports of many Turkish food products including fruits, vegetables, poultry, and salt and imposed a ban on hiring Turkish nationals.”

Tatarstan’s status and political relations with Moscow and Ankara were challenged. In December 2015, Tatarstan’s President Rustam Minnikhanov commented on his region’s relations with Turkey and said, “We are in the same language group, of the same religious identity.” The Grand Mufti of Tatarstan Kamil Samigullin, who studied in Turkey under Mahmut Ustaosmanoğlu (the leader of influential İsmailağa Jamia) had similar remarks too. Concerned by such comments, Moscow centralized its influence on Tatarstan and closed many Turkish agencies and projects. 

Sculpture of Sadri Maksudi Arsal in Kazan’s Istanbul Park, Russia (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/ Reda Kerbush)

In December 2015, Tatarstan was planning the installation of a monument to the prominent statesman and scholar Sadri Maksudi Arsal, a Tatarstan native who moved after the Bolshevik Revolution to Turkey where he worked as an advisor to the first president of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The monument was supposed to be opened in Kazan’s Istanbul Park by Turkish President Recep Erdoğan. After the events in late November, Erdoğan’s visit was canceled. 

Around the same time, the Yunus Emre Institute for Turkish Studies at the Kazan Federal University, which opened as a Turkish “soft power” initiative in 2012, was closed. As part of the anti-Turkish measures, the Russian Ministry of Culture circulated a “recommendation” to all republics with Turkic titular populations, including Tatarstan, to break off relations with the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY). Most of the autonomous republics agreed on Moscow’s terms, except Tatarstan where its officials questioned whether the federal Ministry of Culture can “dictate” to regional cultural authorities.

Between 2012 and 2013, several terrorist attacks shook the autonomous republics of the North Caucasus and the Volga region. Moscow was also concerned about some ISIS members returning to the region. In November 2015, ISIS propagandists released two videos in which Tatarstan is explicitly mentioned as a target of radical Islamists. Some Russian media outlets, indirectly hinting at Turkey, accused “foreign countries” of backing such terror attacks.

“TRT Russia”; a Tool of Turkish Soft Power

Popular Turkish soap operas have penetrated the region, and Turkey and the Republic of Tatarstan have jointly organized cultural and academic events. Many Tatar students are attending Turkish universities. To spread Turkey’s soft power deep inside Russia and neighboring states, the state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) launched a new Russian digital platform in May 2020. TRT Russian media platform announced that it will “play a key role in battling disinformation and manipulation.” Turkey was keen on reaching its ethnic Turkic cousins in Russia and Central Asia. 

The timing of TRT Russian’s launch has drawn special interest among many foreign policy observers who were quick to point out that Turkey will be challenging Russia in its own house and backyard. In an interview with the Middle East Eye, Serdar Karagoz, the deputy director-general at TRT, highlighted that the Turkish media also has similar plans in the Balkans, Africa and China. Karagoz stated that the “objective is to reach 300 million Russian speakers who also live in Central Asia, the Caucasus, Western Europe and even in Israel.”

Turkey also aimed to whitewash its image in Russia through soft power. Russia is Turkey’s largest source of visitors in the vital tourism industry, with seven million Russian tourists visiting in 2019, according to the Turkish Tourism Ministry. After the military clashes between pro-Turkish fighters and Russia-backed Syrian forces in Idlib in February 2020, Russian media such as the Sputnik International declared Turkey’s Hatay as a province stolen from Syria and unjustly annexed to Turkey by the French mandate, creating an uproar on Turkish social media. Sputnik also had directly accused Erdogan’s family of buying oil from ISIS.

After the war in Ukraine, TRT Russian started spreading anti-Russian news and reports about the Russian military operations in Ukraine. A report published on May 13, 2022 titled “Hundreds of Russians refused to serve in the army since the beginning of the war” argues that Russian soldiers are refusing to obey military orders. The media channel also highlights in detail the latest Turkish military achievement in Kazakhstan, where both countries signed a joint production accord for drones. The memorandum of understanding signed between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) and state-owned Kazakhstan Engineering foresees the joint production of Anka — a medium-altitude, long-endurance, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) — by Turkish and Kazakh experts. This makes Kazakhstan the first country to produce these reconnaissance-strike drones outside of Turkey. 

Conclusion

The launch of TRT Russian was a clear message from Turkey to Russia. In the last few years, Turkey started culturally, politically and even militarily expanding in Russia’s traditional sphere of influence. 

Russian elites are concerned that in the case of internal crises, pan-Turkic separatist sentiments could recur. At this juncture, a particularly telling case is that of Tatarstan. Aside from having several pro-Turkic organizations operating on its territory, Tatarstan has always stood independent from Moscow. Perhaps, the most alarming example – for Moscow, of course – was the post-2015 developments and the downing of the Russian jet in Syria. Instead of openly breaking up with Ankara, Tatar leaders opted to remain silent and even showed support for Ankara, causing visible concerns in Moscow.

Interestingly, amidst the crisis in the bilateral relations between Ankara and Moscow, conservative Russian commentators have wondered whether, in the case of a military confrontation between Ankara and Moscow, Tatarstan would act as Turkey’s “silent ally” in Russia. 

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Yeghia Tashjian is a regional analyst and researcher. He has graduated from the American University of Beirut in Public Policy and International Affairs. He pursued his BA at Haigazian University in political science in 2013. In 2010, he founded the New Eastern Politics forum/blog. He was a research assistant at the Armenian Diaspora Research Center at Haigazian University. Currently, he is the regional officer of Women in War, a gender-based think tank. He has participated in international conferences in Frankfurt, Vienna, Uppsala, New Delhi and Yerevan. He has presented various topics from minority rights to regional security issues. His thesis topic was on China’s geopolitical and energy security interests in Iran and the Persian Gulf. He is a contributor to various local and regional newspapers and a presenter of the “Turkey Today” program for Radio Voice of Van. Recently he has been appointed as associate fellow at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut and Middle East-South Caucasus expert in the European Geopolitical Forum.


Armenia shows courage, flexibility in process working toward lasting peace – US Secretary of State

Arbi Tashjian

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 23:55, 2 May, 2022

YEREVAN, MAY 2, ARMENPRESS. The United States welcomes the dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during the meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Washington D.C..

“I just want to take this opportunity as we’re sitting here to, in the first instance, praise the leadership of the prime minister and his government, the democratic reforms that they’ve been pursuing, the progress that continues to be made – but also to very much welcome the dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and to express real appreciation for the vision and the courage and the flexibility that the prime minister and Armenia have been showing in this process working toward what we all want, which is a lasting peace”, Blinken said.

Azerbaijan holding international regatta in occupied Armenian Mataghis town of Karabakh

Arbi Tashjian
NEWS.am
Armenia – May 6 2022
12:55, 06.05.2022

The Azerbaijani authorities are holding an international regatta in the Azerbaijani-occupied Armenian town of Mataghis—in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)—, which has been renamed “Sugovushan.”

‘”President’s Cup-2022″ regatta on rowing, kayaking, and canoeing has started in Sugovushan settlement,” APA reported.

This international competition is dedicated to the 99th anniversary of birth of former Azerbaijani president, the late Heydar Aliyev.

More than 100 athletes from Azerbaijan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Georgia are participating in the regatta being held in Mataghis Reservoir.

Azerbaijan promises Europe gas in the hope of loyalty to Baku’s crimes

Arbi Tashjian
NEWS.am
Armenia – May 5 2022
Azerbaijan promises Europe gas in the hope of loyalty to Baku’s crimes
15:34, 05.05.2022

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov took part in a ministerial round table on regional cooperation for energy security, diversification and transition to green energy in Sofia.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Minister highlighted the energy dialogue with the European Union after President Ilham Aliyev’s meeting with EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson in February this year, APA reports.

He said that the main areas of the energy dialogue are decarbonization of the energy sector, energy transition, energy efficiency, expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor for additional gas exports to Europe, including hydrogen, production and export of other types of green energy.

The Southern Gas Corridor has proved its strategic importance in a short period of time, providing European consumers with uninterrupted and profitable natural gas during the energy crisis, and Azerbaijan is determined to continue playing the role of a reliable energy supplier for both the region and Europe.

To date, 11.6 billion cubic meters of gas have been transported to Europe through TAP. During the first four months of this year, 3.5 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas were delivered to Europe – 3.1 billion cubic meters to Italy, 0.3 billion cubic meters to Greece and 0.1 billion cubic meters to Bulgaria. At current export rates, our gas supplies to Europe will exceed 10 billion cubic meters by the end of the year.

The minister also spoke about Azerbaijan’s plans for decarbonization and the transition to green energy and ongoing projects.

“Along with huge reserves of natural gas, our renewable energy potential has created great opportunities for further development of a progressive energy dialogue with the European Union,” the Azerbaijani minister said.