13:51,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Kazakhstan, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The Armenian PM was greeted at the Nur-Sultan airport by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Trade and Integration Bakhyt Sultanov.
PM Pashinyan will participate in the Eurasian Inter-governmental Council’s narrow-format and expanded-format sessions in Nur-Sultan on February 24 and 25 respectively.
Credits: Ruptly
Benefactors Jack and Zarig Youredjian have been generous supporters of the American University of Armenia (AUA), and in recent years, became AUA Pillars at a time when more students were in dire need of support amidst the global pandemic. Now, their children, Renee and Haig, are continuing the Youredjian tradition of philanthropy becoming the two most recent AUA ChangeMakers.
As successful entrepreneurs in their own right, the Youredjian siblings have built upon the professional legacy of their father and shaped their own distinctive path of success. Renee Youredjian Arakelian operates LA Medical Wholesale as its President and CEO. She is recognized in Los Angeles County, and also nationally, as a notable woman business owner. “Our parents are our role models and our pillars of strength, and have been so instrumental in bringing change to the children of Armenia. Witnessing their support and everlasting dedication has made me realize the importance of being active in the process of bringing positive change to benefit our culture and our people,” she says. Her younger brother, Haig Youredjian, operates the family business, Western Drug Medical Supply, succeeding his father as President and CEO of the company. He recalls how, from an early age, his parents instilled in them the importance of giving back to their communities. “We were taught that success lies not only within one’s own accomplishments, but also in one’s ability to assist others in their own accomplishments. Today, we carry that standard in our own lives and hope that we can make even the smallest difference in the lives of others and contribute to their successes.”
Haig dissects the process of creating change, enumerating the instrumental components of the system: individuals who participate in change; those who actively contribute to realizing change; and those who benefit from change. “As contributors, we hope to furnish a better opportunity for those who participate and benefit from the robust opportunities AUA offers,” he posits, with Renee reiterating their strong belief in equal opportunity for all those who are “dedicated, determined, and passionate about furthering their education.”
Placing emphasis on the responsible role AUA plays in providing that opportunity for the youth in Armenia, the siblings are eager to see a new generation of innovators and educators rising up to profoundly impact Armenian society and more broadly in the world. “The programs of the University, along with the AUA Open Centers of Excellence, will provide students and youth with the opportunity to stand at the forefront of growth and change, catapulting the country to achieve advancement and long term success,” Haig adds.
Their father, Jack, recounts his own academic path that took him from his birthplace Jerusalem to Lebanon, where he attended the School of Pharmacy of the American University of Beirut, then moved to Los Angeles in 1970, where he earned a doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Southern California. “Throughout those years, I received scholarships from AGBU and the Gulbenkian Foundation, without which I would not have been able to continue my education,” he says, expressing his heartfelt gratitude and emphasizing the importance of helping the children of Armenia to access higher education.
Trusting in the indomitable warrior strength and historic resilience of the Armenian people, Renee concludes, “I am certain that we will continue to prevail in anything we set our minds to. Excellence is a state of mind and as long as we continue to support one another, there isn’t anything that is impossible to achieve!”
AUA is grateful to have the unwavering backing and sustained support of the new generation of Youredjians and proud to have added their names to the esteemed list of AUA ChangeMakers.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.
Margarit Hovhannisyan | Communications Manager
Margarit Hovhannisyan|: Communication manager
+374 60 612 514,
mhovhannisyan@
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American University of Armenia
Republic of Armenia, 0019, Yerevan, Marshal Baghramyan Ave. 40:00
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The Minister of Justice in Armenia has called for a mass dismissal of judges, amid opposition concerns that the government is attempting to undermine the independence of the judiciary.
Judge Boris Bakhshiyan
Criticism predominantly stems from a case opened against Syunik judge Boris Bakhshiyan shortly after his decision to release an opposition figure from detention. Critics warn that such decisions subject the independent decision-making ability of judges to the control of state authorities.
Minister of Justice Karen Andreasyan
Justice Minister Karen Andreasyan said the dismissals would take place as part of a judicial reform process.
“If the Supreme Judicial Council is up to the task, then I promise you that within a year the vetting in Armenia will be over, and we will have the kind of judicial system that you want,” he said during a February 15 interview with RFE/RL.
According to Andreasyan, the process of “vetting” judges has been slow due to opposition from “European structures.”
“There is some clan-based sentiment. For example, 93 judges signed some statement. I’m not saying that they all are corrupt. But I can see that 10, 20, 30 names are repeated when there is another action,” he said.
The statement in question refers to a reported appeal demanding an emergency session of judges following Bakhshiyan’s arrest.
Ashot Minasyan
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) granted a motion on behalf of the Office of the Prosecutor General to pursue criminal proceedings against Bakhshiyan days after his decision to free war veteran and Sisian volunteer unit commander Ashot Minasyan from jail. The SJC is an independent state body that oversees the system of judges and courts.
In November 2020, the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia detained Minasyan alongside former NSS head Artur Vanetsyan, former deputy speaker of parliament Vahram Baghdasaryan and Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) member and war veteran Ashot Avagyan. The NSS accused the four opposition figures of plotting the murder of PM Nikol Pashinyan and the seizure of state power as well as illegally acquiring and storing weapons and ammunition.
On January 26, 2022, Bakhshiyan, a judge of the Court of First Instance of the southernmost Syunik province, ruled to release Minasyan from detention on bail. The NSS had dropped the coup charges against the group in December 2021 yet maintained the accusation of illegal weapon acquisition against Minasyan.
Initially, authorities did not disclose what accusations had been leveled against Bakhshiyan. On February 1, the Prosecutor General’s Office released a statement dismissing speculation that Bakhshiyan had been targeted in connection with his decision to release Minasyan. The statement reads that while the office had “refrained from publishing anything regarding Boris Bakhshiyan,” it would respond to “publications not corresponding to reality” by his lawyers.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, criminal proceedings had been launched against Bakhshiyan, because he had detained a defendant, Nver Mkrtchyan, in a trial separate from Minasyan’s. Since Mkrtchyan had not appeared at a court hearing due to a “very urgent case,” his detention had been baseless.
Mkrtchyan provided incriminating evidence in the trial of Karajan mayor Manvel Paramazyan. Paramazyan was arrested in July 2021 amid a series of arrests of opposition Syunik politicians. Paramazyan was charged with voter bribery and fraud in the June 2021 snap elections, charges that he rejected as politically motivated.
In December 2021, Bakhshiyan ordered Paramazyan’s release on bail. On February 7, the week after a case was opened against Bakhshiyan, a Court of Appeals ordered Paramazyan’s re-arrest.
Bakhshiyan’s lawyers say that he has been targeted in an attempt to stifle his independent decisions as a judge. Arsen Sardaryan, one of Bakhshiyan’s attorneys, dismissed the explanation set forth in the statement by the Prosecutor General’s Office. Sardaryan said that authorities had not appealed Bakhshiyan’s decision to release Paramazyan when the ruling took place two months ago. Instead, authorities were “interfering with the legal activity of a judge,” Sardaryan wrote on Facebook on February 1.
Former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said that he had received a letter from Bakhshiyan’s attorneys stating that he was being “illegally prosecuted.” According to Tatoyan, the lawyers told him that the “the criminal prosecution against Judge Boris Bakhshiyan is connected with his decision to release a person from custody in another case.”
Armenian judges have also criticized the case against Bakhshiyan. Head of the Union of Judges of Armenia Aleksandr Azaryan released a statement on January 31 expressing his concern regarding the deprivation of Bakhshiyan’s immunity as a judge and his personal freedom. The Union of Judges is a non-governmental organization that aims to strengthen court-public relations through transparency and accessibility.
On February 2, the Union of Judges released a joint statement warning that the case against Bakhshiyan endangers the independence of the judiciary. It condemned the decision to “prosecute a judge for a judicial decision and to deprive him of his liberty, especially when the judicial decision has not been overturned” as a “restriction on the freedom of judges to make impartial decisions, which is inconsistent with the rule of law of any democratic state.”
On February 4, Bakhshiyan’s fellow judges from the First Instance Court of Syunik also released a joint statement expressing their solidarity with him.
While the case against Bakhshiyan continues, the Civil Contract Party has adopted measures to make it easier to prosecute judges. On February 9, the National Assembly voted to amend the process of seeking permission from the SJC to launch criminal proceedings against judges. Previously, seven of 10 members of the SJC had to authorize a decision to open a criminal case against a judge. The new procedure reduces the threshold to five members.
The opposition parliamentary factions denounced the amendments as an attempt by the ruling party to exert greater control over the judiciary. Armenia Alliance deputy Artsvik Minasyan said that five members of the SJC have been installed by parliaments controlled by the Civil Contract Party.
“As a result of this change, five members of the Supreme Judicial Council can make a decision and send any judge to the criminal prosecution field,” he said.
Civil Contract Party deputy and chairman of the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Vladimir Vartanyan dismissed concerns that the amendments undermine the independence of the judiciary. Vartanyan said that they will prevent abuses by judges in case several seats on the SJC are vacant.
The current round of normalisation talks between Turkey and Armenia has a better chance of success since it has widespread support across the political spectrum in Turkey and could result in improved relations with the West, Gönül Tol, the founding director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkey Program, wrote on Thursday. However, she also points out there are still concerns in the region about normalisation, with Georgia worried about losing its role as a vital transit hub and Iran concerned it could lose out from new transport connections that could be formed if normalisation succeeds.
Tol’s article is fully reprinted below. The original can also be read here.
Just over a year ago, Armenia suffered a bitter defeat in a war against the Azerbaijani army, which was supplied, trained, and supported by Turkey. Ankara not only sold drones and other military equipment to its ally, Baku, but also sent over 1,000 Syrian mercenaries to fight for Azerbaijan in the conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Now, after decades of animosity, Turkey and Armenia are taking steps to normalise ties, and the prospects for restoring relations and reopening the border have never been brighter.
Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic or commercial ties since 1993, when the former closed the two countries’ shared land border in solidarity with Azerbaijan, following Armenian forces’ occupation of the Azerbaijani region of Kalbajar. Recently, however, Ankara and Yerevan named special envoys to lay the groundwork for normalisation. The two countries’ envoys held their first round of talks in Moscow last month and agreed to meet again without preconditions. The next round of talks is scheduled to be held in Vienna on Feb. 24.
This effort to restore relations between Turkey and Armenia is the first since 2009, when the parties signed protocols to establish diplomatic relations, only to suspend them six months later. Several factors led to the failure in 2009. Key among them was Baku’s opposition to establishing diplomatic ties and opening the border before Yerevan withdrew from the occupied territories. Another factor was the nationalist backlash against the protocols in Turkey. Finally, then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan worried that, if the process succeeded, Turkey’s then-President Abdullah Gül — who led the normalisation efforts — would score political points at his expense.
Circumstances are different this time around
The current initiative has a better chance at success. This time around, all opposition parties are in favour of repairing ties. Even Erdoğan’s hard-right allies in the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), who severely criticised the previous effort, seem to be on board. Azerbaijan’s recapturing of the seven districts around Nagorno-Karabakh and one-third of Nagorno-Karabakh itself in the latest war played a big role in the nationalists’ change of heart. The prospect of Turkey’s deeper cooperation with the Turkic republics through the transportation connectivity opportunities that normalisation with Armenia would offer ensures the nationalists’ continued backing. They are particularly excited about the cease-fire agreement signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia, following the latest Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020, that seeks to connect Azerbaijan proper to its exclave, Nakhchivan, on Turkey’s border. They hope that such a corridor could help Ankara’s ongoing efforts to cultivate closer ties to the Turkic republics in Central Asia. Opening the Turkish-Armenian border would further boost these relations by enhancing trade between China, Central Asia, and Turkey.
Restoring ties with Armenia would also help Ankara improve its badly frayed relations with the West. Although Western countries have been sidelined in the post-Karabakh war arrangements, they would welcome the rebuilding of ties between Turkey and Armenia in the hopes that such a move would reduce Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus and decrease Armenia’s dependence on Iran. In a sign of Western support, President Joe Biden recently urged President Erdoğan to open the country’s borders with Armenia.
Repairing relations with Turkey would be beneficial for Armenia as well. The country has been isolated since Turkey and Azerbaijan closed their borders in the 1990s. It has been excluded from regional energy and transportation projects like the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and has had to rely on lengthier trade routes, through Georgia and Iran, to reach world markets. The 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia, which disrupted the latter’s rail communication, underscored Armenia’s dependence on its northern neighbour. The delays in Armenian exports to Russia, which go through Georgian ports, did considerable damage to the country’s already struggling economy. More recently, the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war also showed that Armenia could not count on Russia, either.
Hemmed in on all sides by closed borders with its eastern and western neighbours — and dependent on Georgia, Iran, and Russia — Armenia desperately needs to open the border with Turkey. It would break Armenia’s isolation by offering a direct route to Black Sea ports and boost bilateral trade with Turkey. Armenian nationalists and opposition have been critical of the government’s efforts to normalise ties with Ankara, but given the economic challenges the country faces, their resistance is not as intense as it once was.
But there are still concerns in the region
Georgia is worried about the possibility of a reopened Armenia-Turkey border. Its closure over the past three decades has enabled Georgia to serve as a vital transit hub in the South Caucasus. If new transport connections are built, Tbilisi might lose that status. Another concern is a change in the status quo concerning the country’s relations with Armenia. Georgia hosts a sizable Armenian diaspora. For many years, due to its dependence on Georgia, Armenia pursued a cautious policy vis-à-vis the Armenian community there. Tbilisi worries that restored ties with Turkey would embolden Armenia to be more responsive to its community in Georgia. However, Yerevan is unlikely to dramatically change its Georgia policy. And, in the long run, it is in Georgia’s best interest for its southern neighbour to be less dependent on Russia.
Iran is equally concerned about what it has to lose from any potential new transport connections. Currently, Iran provides the only land bridge between Azerbaijan proper and its exclave of Nakhchivan, and a vital route for Turkish goods destined for Azerbaijan.
From Erdoğan’s perspective, both domestic and regional dynamics have aligned to make now the perfect time to restore ties with Turkey’s historic foe. Opening the border offers him economic, political, and geostrategic benefits. Baku seems to have softened its stance as well, with several Azeri officials expressing support for normalisation efforts. Whether that support will endure is far from certain. Although the 2020 hostilities changed the dynamics on the ground in Azerbaijan’s favour and the cease-fire ended the fighting, troops still exchange fire and there are unresolved issues, including over Nagorno-Karabakh’s political status. The continued tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan poses a risk to Ankara’s normalisation efforts.
Russia is another wild card. Russian officials expressed support for Turkey-Armenia normalisation, yet Moscow has benefited greatly from the status quo. The Nagorno-Karabakh dispute has provided Moscow leverage over both Yerevan and Baku, and Armenia’s isolation has increased its reliance on Russia. These considerations translated into a Russian diplomacy that voiced support for 2009 Turkey-Armenia talks, but preferred them to continue ad infinitum without producing any tangible results. The post-Nagorno-Karabakh war dynamics provide Russia further incentive to maintain the status quo and keep Armenia-Azerbaijan relations tense. The Russian-brokered cease-fire following the latest war enabled a Russian military presence in Nagorno-Karabakh — and Russian President Vladimir Putin wants his peace-keeping troops to stay there. This new dynamic strengthens Russia’s ability to complicate any normalisation effort.
The potential for Turkish-Armenian normalisation has never been more promising, but it is also fragile. Russia’s and Azerbaijan’s calculations will determine whether this will be another failed attempt or a historic step that will benefit both countries.
20:30,
YEREVAN, 15 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. At around 16:15 on February 15, the Azerbaijani soldiers violated the ceasefire in the eastern section of the border of the Artsakh Republic, as a result of which Khachatur Khachatryan, a conscript of the Artsakh’s Defense Army, received gunshot wound.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of Artsakh, the health situation of the serviceman is severe but stable.
“Immediately relevant information was provided to the Russian peacekeeping command in connection with the incident,” the statement said.
According to the source, at present the operative-tactical situation in this part of the contact zone is stable.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian have discussed the Karabakh conflict.
According to the State Department, the sides discussed the ongoing efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to assist Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve all outstanding issues related to or arising from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The interlocutors also discussed joint efforts by NATO allies, EU partners, G7 members and other partners to counter Russia’s continued military build-up near Ukraine’s borders.
They emphasized the importance of continuing to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and of ensuring that Russia understands the high costs it will pay if it continues to invade Ukraine.
15:16,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Norway will scrap nearly all its remaining COVID-19 lockdown measures as high levels of coronavirus infections are unlikely to jeopardize health services, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Saturday, Reuters reported.
“We are removing almost all coronavirus measures,” the PM told a news conference. “The coronavirus pandemic is no longer a major health threat to most of us. The omicron virus causes far less serious illness and we are well protected by vaccines.”
Norwegians will no longer need to stay at least one meter (3 feet) apart nor wear face masks in crowded settings. The removal of these measures mean nightclubs and other affected entertainment venues can resume full business.
In addition, infected individuals no longer need to isolate themselves. Instead, they are recommended to stay home for four days.
Travellers to Norway will no longer need to register their arrivals ahead of time and the government is also scrapping the previous requirement for proof of a negative test before departure for some visitors, such as unvaccinated people.
15:56,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 10, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Ambassador of Syria Mohammed Haj Ibrahim on the occasion of completion of his diplomatic mission in Armenia, the PM’s Office said.
Pashinyan highly appreciated the Ambassador’s contribution to the strengthening of the Armenian-Syrian relations, stating that Armenia follows the developments and wishes the friendly Syria to overcome the crisis as soon as possible.
The PM touched upon the humanitarian mission sent by Armenia to Syria in 2019 aimed at conducting humanitarian demining works and providing medical services to the locals. According to Pashinyan, this mission is a tribute to the people of Syria who provided shelter to the 1915 Armenian Genocide survivors, and with whom the Armenian people are connected by close historic ties.
The Syrian Ambassador in his turn praised the productive cooperation with the Armenian government and said that during his tenure he has made the best efforts for the development of the bilateral relations. He expressed gratitude to the government of Armenia for the support provided during crisis and said the Syrian government highly values the humanitarian mission of Armenia. According to him, this shows the firm friendship between the two countries. Mohammed Haj Ibrahim wished success and lasting development to Armenia and the Armenian people.
The officials then discussed the ongoing developments and the humanitarian situation in Syria.
US administration will continue supporting the development of Armenia’s democratic institutions. Ambassador
18:24,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 10, ARMENPRESS. The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia Arthur Davtyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Armenia Lynne Tracy. On February 10. She was accompanied by Alexis Haftvani, Head of the U.S. Embassy’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and Cristina Hansell, Human Rights Officer at U.S. Embassy, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
The Prosecutor General praised the efforts of the US Government and personally the US Ambassador to Armenia, aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation in the legal sphere, developing the capacity of the Prosecutor’s Office in specific directions. Special importance was attached to the introduction of the institution of confiscation of property of illegal origin in Armenia, as well as to the consultative and technical assistance provided for the training of Armenian prosecutors in the areas of protection of human rights, illicit enrichment, the fight against hyper-crime and other areas.
Arthur Davtyan noted that the Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia is persistent in the fight against corruption, especially in returning the stolen assets to Armenia which had been embezzled from the state budget, and stressed the importance of deepening cooperation with the United States within the framework of mutual legal assistance.
Ambassador Tracy thanked for the opportunity to discuss issues of interest. She stressed that the 30th anniversary of the Armenian-American partnership is being marked and conveyed the US administration ‘s readiness to continue supporting the development of democratic institutions, the strengthening of human rights protection structures, and the efforts of the Armenian authorities in the fight against corruption.
During the meeting, the parties expressed their views and expectations on the issues of mutual legal assistance, conducting investigative inquiries, extradition, implementation of new programs based on the assessment of the needs of the Armenian Prosecutor’s Office and other issues.
An interesting discussion took place on certain legal issues raised by Ambassador Tracy.