Author: Arsine Chaltikian

AGBU organizes on-the-ground relief for Armenian evacuees from Artsakh

Arsine Chaltikian
 AGBU Nonprofit News 0

Armenian youth from Artsakh enjoying a full course warm meal in the Vayots Dzor region of Armenia

Over the past week, tens of thousands of Armenians finally concluded a long and arduous trip out of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to begin another journey in Armenia. That road begins in the town of Goris in the southern region of Armenia, where many of the forcibly displaced, for the first time in nearly a year, were served a fresh, warm, nutritionally balanced meal—compliments of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), working with international NGO, World Central Kitchen (WCK). Since then, AGBU has prepared and distributed over 10,000 meals per day, with the demand increasing exponentially. 

As soon as the WCK team arrived on the scene on September 29, they immediately joined forces with friend and kindred spirit Aline Kamakian, a prominent Lebanese-Armenian restauranteur and lifelong member of the AGBU global network, the world’s largest Armenian nonprofit organization with deep experience in humanitarian relief dating even prior to the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Collaborating with WCK, AGBU is ready to tackle this humanitarian crisis of historic proportions. 

“With an influx of over 100,000 displaced people entering in a matter of days, AGBU is ready to provide for people who have suffered through a nine-month blockade of vital supplies, as part of the ethnic cleansing campaign of Armenians by Azerbaijan,” stated AGBU President Berge Setrakian. “Working with World Central Kitchen and our friend Aline Kamakian once again is a critical partnership of resources, know-how and reach.” 

Kamakian and WCK had collaborated and cooperated before, in the aftermath of the 2020 Beirut Blast. That was when Kamakian found herself on the front lines of humanitarian relief, feeding hundreds of disaster victims for weeks and months on end. Working with the WCK team in person gave Kamakian and AGBU the opportunity to learn from this experienced group what is entailed in solving massive food insecurity in a disaster zone. Now the team is back in action to bring comfort and hope to ever-growing numbers of forcibly displaced Armenians.  

Last week, within hours of the first reports of those seeking refuge in Armenia from Artsakh, Kamakian was in Armenia working with the local AGBU office and its volunteers in the Syunik region near the Azerbaijani border. In short order, they set up a command post in Goris with nearby hubs in Sisian and Ishkhanasar. Another location was then established in the historical Vayots Dzor (Vayk) region, where many forcibly displaced are headed in the next leg of their journey to recovery. More hubs in Ararat, Massis and Yerevan were up and running, as those forced to leave Artsakh have spread out to the north, east and western regions of Armenia. Back in Goris, distribution is now focused on local hotels, hospitals and schools, as well as private residences where the refugees are sheltering. This aid has spread to seven regions and counting. 

In all cases, hot meals are prepared in local restaurant spaces, using locally sourced ingredients and recipes. In a full-circle AGBU moment, some local restaurant owners happened to be alumni of the AGBU EmpowerHer Initiative, which offers support to Armenia’s women entrepreneurs.  

“Many of these evacuees, including the very sick and ailing, had to pack up in a hurry only to face standstill traffic for hours upon hours to cross the border to safety in Armenia proper. This only added to the trauma of the situation,” explained Kamakian. “The shock to the body, mind and spirit is something we have seen before, when victims of disaster and catastrophe are in no condition to fend for themselves. That’s where a balanced warm meal made with fresh ingredients—with lots of dignity and compassion added to the mix—may be the first sign of hope for them. It gives them the physical and moral strength to begin a new and uncertain chapter in their lives.” 

AGBU has made it possible for WCK and Kamakian to waste no time setting up the logistics of this immense effort, providing them with the resources, volunteers and anything else she needs to ensure that her fellow Armenians have a chance to rebuild their shattered lives. With the support and generosity of WCK, she is confident that this vital aspect of humanitarian relief will make an important difference in this very difficult transition period. 

Setrakian went on to say, “We appreciate that WCK immediately recognized the tragic dimensions of this crisis and is able to provide free meals for an extended period to evacuees, including those in hospitals in desperate need of emergency care. We also owe our thanks to Aline Kamakian for her take-charge spirit and professional skill set that enable her to organize such an urgent and multifaceted undertaking. Her presence here in Armenia during this critical time is both reassuring and inspiring for all.”

Donations to the humanitarian effort for Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh can be made to AGBU Global Relief Fund.

  •  Bio
  •  Latest Posts
The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a difference in the lives of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian diaspora. Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians.


Children of families forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh to participate in a program in Slovenia

Arsine Chaltikian

 18:17, 5 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. On October 5, Armenian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan received Tomaz Lovrecic, director of the Slovenian organization “Enhancing Human Security” (ITF).The organization has been hosting children from Nagorno-Karabakh as well as border communities of the Republic of Armenia for the second year.  

According to the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs press release,within the framework of the program children had the opportunity to participate in various educational and training projects and events at the Youth health and summer resort of Slovenia Red Cross.

Minister Mkrtchyan expressed gratitude to Mr. Lovrencic for hosting the children, noting that the provision of socio-psychological rehabilitation services had a positive effect on the children. At the same time, the minister proposed to include in the new phase of the project the children of the families forcibly displaced from NK and affected by the explosion in NK, the press releasereads. 

Tomaz Lovrencic presented the projects currently being implemented by their organization and in that context attached high importance to the activities aimed at the full inclusion of children of vulnerable groups.

What’s on the menu at Taline, a new Armenian restaurant in Rosedale

Arsine Chaltikian
Toronto Life, Canada
Oct 2 2023

It’s from the former head chef of Mamakas Taverna







BY HELEN JACOB | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC SANTOS |  OCTOBER 2, 2023

Name: Taline
Contact: 1276 Yonge St., talineto.ca, @talineto
Neighbourhood: Rosedale
Owners: Sebouh, Serouj and Saro Yacoubian
Chefs: Sebouh Yacoubian (Mamakas Taverna)
Accessibility: Not fully accessible
 
Named for their late mother, Taline is run by chef Sebouh Yacoubian and his brothers, Serouj and Saro. For his menu, chef Seb took a few pages from his mom’s cookbook and rewrote them in light of his classical French culinary training. Seb’s mantra is to cook from the heart—just like his mother, who died when he was 16. At the same time, he’s pushing the boundaries of how people perceive Armenian and Lebanese food—it’s not just shawarma and kebab.

Seb’s culinary education began at home, watching cooking shows. “I was that weird 11-year-old kid watching Emeril Lagasse on Saturday mornings while everyone else was watching cartoons,” he recalls. “I just fell in love with how you can speak through food.”

At 14, Seb became a prep cook in Massimo Capra’s kitchen. He was in the big leagues—and he was hooked. He went on to formally train at the Culinary Institute of America and Toronto’s Liaison College. “I never thought in a million years I’d have a restaurant with my two younger brothers. We sit down and have business meetings together. It’s cool. It’s different. I used to be like their co-parent after my mom passed, but now they’re my partners.”

The menu is adapted from Taline’s own recipes and tells the story of her upbringing. Seb has also incorporated the flavour of childhood memories: the taste of sweet cantaloupe on vacation in Armenia, the toasted sunflower seeds rolled up in newspapers and sold on street corners, and the arak that people often drink when fishing in Lebanon. The Yacoubians also have a hand in growing and selecting local ingredients—all the microgreens they use are grown hydroponically with the help of Krop in Vaughan, and they have their own beehive at Vosgi Honey in King City.

Taline has recently started bottling their own orange wine with local winemaker Norman Hardie. “In Armenia, it’s all about skin-contact wines,” says Seb, so an orange wine felt appropriate. They’re also in the process of producing their own arak, a flavoured spirit made of grapes and aniseed that’s prominent in the Levant and the eastern Mediterranean region. Keeping with the theme, cocktails play up flavours of tahini, orange blossom and fresh herbs.

The two-storey restaurant is soaked in warm lighting, and the olive-green, brown and copper tones represent Taline’s favourite colours. On the main floor, it’s all exposed brick and leather banquettes. Upstairs, decorated ceilings and stained-glass windows frame a gorgeous skylight. Custom art by Toronto-based husband-and-wife duo Karagusi line the walls, and a seven-foot-tall olive tree is the room’s centrepiece.

https://torontolife.com/food/whats-on-the-menu-at-taline-armenian-restaurant-rosedale/

US Troops’ Arrival in Armenia for Training Riles Russia

Arsine Chaltikian
Voice of America
Sept 11 2023
Rob Garver

The arrival of 85 U.S. soldiers for a training mission in Armenia has sparked a strong negative reaction from the Russian government, which has long had a military alliance with that country through its Collective Security Treaty Organization.

The U.S. personnel are in Armenia for an exercise called Eagle Partner, during which they will train with 175 members of the Armenian 12th Peacekeeping Brigade. The objective is to prepare the Armenian soldiers for an assessment later this year of their ability to conform to NATO standards if deployed as peacekeepers.

The 10-day exercise will take place at training grounds near the Armenian capital, Yerevan. The American forces include members of both the 101st Airborne Division and the Kansas National Guard.

Tense moment

The arrival of U.S. troops in Armenia comes at a time when tensions are high in the region.

Armenia and Azerbaijan, its neighbor to the east, have fought two wars in the past several decades over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is within the current internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan, but which has a large Armenian population.

The most recent conflict took place in 2020, and was ended by a peace brokered by Russia, which required Armenia to return land it had previously seized from Azerbaijan. Despite the turnover, a large portion of Nagorno-Karabakh remains under the control of a breakaway ethnic Armenian government.

The cease-fire included the installation of 2,000 Russian troops in an area known as the Lachin corridor, which connects Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. The presence of Russian troops in the corridor was supposed to allow people in Nagorno-Karabakh access to Armenia, as well as keeping open a supply line to the outside world.

Last December, though, the Azerbaijani government closed the roads, severing the supply route and creating what Armenia describes as a humanitarian crisis in the region. With many aid convoys effectively barred from entering the region, Russian peacekeepers have not intervened, angering the Armenian government.

Azerbaijan has denied it is purposefully cutting off supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh, claiming that aid caravans have been carrying contraband and are meant as a “provocation.”

Fraying ties with Russia

Last week, with the arrival of American troops looming, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan criticized Russia in an interview with an Italian newspaper, saying Moscow had failed to assure Armenia’s security. He accused the Russian government of stepping away from its responsibilities in the South Caucasus region.

“Armenia’s security architecture was 99.999% linked to Russia, including when it came to the procurement of arms and ammunition,” Pashinyan told the newspaper La Repubblica. “But today, we see that Russia itself is in need of weapons, arms and ammunition. And in this situation, it’s understandable that even if it wishes so, the Russian Federation cannot meet Armenia’s security needs.”

Pashinyan added, “This example should demonstrate to us that dependence on just one partner in security matters is a strategic mistake.”

Moscow responds

Following Pashinyan’s comments, his government also took steps toward ratifying the treaty creating the International Criminal Court, a body that indicted Russian President Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges over actions taken during his country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The ICC was established in 2002, after being ratified by 60 countries. Since then, dozens of other countries have also ratified or acceded to the treaty on a rolling basis. If Armenia were to join, it would be the 124th country to do so.

In addition, the prime minister’s wife visited the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as part of an aid mission.

The Russian government summoned Armenia’s ambassador to the Kremlin to “strongly protest” the prime minister’s comments and his government’s action.

In a statement Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, “The Armenian leadership has taken a series of unfriendly steps in recent days, including the launch of the process of ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the trip of the prime minister’s wife Anna Hakobyan to Kiev to deliver humanitarian aid to the Nazi regime, and the holding of military exercises on Armenian territory with the participation of the United States.”

In comments Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov followed up by saying that it looks “strange” for Armenia to be hosting U.S. troops when for the past two years, it has declined to participate in drills with the five other members of Collective Security Treaty Organization.

“I do not believe it will be any good for anyone, including Armenia itself,” Lavrov said during a news briefing on Sunday. “Wherever the Americans arrive, it always means trouble.”

On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin is in the process of trying to “make sense” of Armenia’s actions.

“Against the backdrop of Armenia’s reluctance to hold drills with the CSTO and its latest plan to host a joint exercise with the United States, for us, perhaps, these are decisions that will require our thorough analysis in order to understand why Armenia has decided to do this and what its goals are here,” Peskov said.

Concerns about conflict

Pashinyan’s government has also warned that Azerbaijani troops are massing on Armenia’s borders — which Azerbaijan denies — and has been seeking international assistance in an effort to reopen a dialogue between the two countries.

In recent days, Pashinyan has reached out to the leaders of multiple Western countries, including the United States, France and Germany, seeking assistance in brokering an agreement with Azerbaijan.

On Monday, Pashinyan spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdigan, a close ally of Azerbaijan. Media reports suggested that the two had discussed ways of reducing tension in the region. The day before, Erdogan had denounced an election held by the separatist government in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Routine training

The U.S. Army characterized the Eagle Partner operation as a normal training exercise — one that expanded on a longstanding relationship the Armenian military has had with the Kansas National Guard.

“Eagle Partner is a vital opportunity for our soldiers from our two nations to build new relationships at the tactical level and to increase interoperability for peacekeeping operations,” Colonel Martin O’Donnell, a spokesperson for U.S. Army Europe and Africa, said in a statement. “It also builds upon the 20-year relationship that the Kansas National Guard has cultivated with Armenia.”

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story mistakenly gave 2022 as the year the International Criminal Court was established. It was 2002. VOA regrets the error.



AW: Artsakh 2023: Agriculture is crucial amidst the illegal blockade

Arsine Chaltikian
 Armenia Tree Project Nonprofit News 0

The ongoing blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan keeps residents under constant threat and looming uncertainty about their future. Locals struggle to provide even the most basic necessities for themselves and their families amidst the worsening humanitarian crisis, which has depleted energy sources and gutted the economy, already weakened by the 44-day war in 2020. The situation is worrisome in Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh, as compared with the villages because of the meager agricultural land for growing food and lack of transportation means due to fuel deficiencies. 

Armenia Tree Project (ATP) checked in with beneficiaries of its Artsakh Backyard Greenhouse Program, to whom it had distributed vegetable seeds before the blockade. ATP’s 51 Backyard Nursery beneficiaries from the Askeran and Martuni districts have some alternatives to the shortages. In addition to cultivating their backyards, they grow vegetables and greens in the small greenhouses. This helps them and their families to overcome malnutrition and restricted diets. 

As part of a larger community initiative, ATP built a greenhouse at the Shushi Technological University in Stepanakert last year, and the staff was provided with vegetable seeds. The greenhouse and vegetable seeds have allowed the university to provide the local community with fresh herbs and vegetables. 

Sofia, granddaughter of ATP Artsakh Backyard Nursery Program beneficiary, helping with her grandma’s garden

In a remote village, ATP Backyard Greenhouse Program beneficiary Armine Baghisyan provided much-needed support to her pregnant daughter Arus and granddaughter Sofia. “Life has become an everyday struggle, but I don’t have the right to give up. Every day I am awakened by my little sunshine Sofia,” Arus said.  

“There is only one car, the bread car, which delivers bread to all the villages in the region. We are lucky enough that the bread man doesn’t mind transporting vegetables and other goods, which my mom and others send to their families and relatives in the towns,” she continued.

Unfortunately, because of the continued blockade and fuel shortages, moving around has been almost impossible since June. Arus’s two-year-old daughter, Sofia, doesn’t understand why her parents can no longer take her to the village to see her beloved granny. Armine has been left alone to tend to her backyard nursery.

“The goods from my greenhouse and backyard were the only source of vitamins for my daughter and her yet to be born child. I spend all day gardening and taking care of each plant carefully. The prices for vegetables and fruits, if available, are skyrocketing. A kilogram of tomatoes is 2,500 drams, which is about 10 times higher than it used to be. This blockade has made us realize lots of things. Almost everybody in the village is now actively engaged in farming,” Armine said.

In a move to bolster Artsakh’s food security, 90 tons of seed potatoes were delivered to the residents of Artsakh’s Martuni region in April through a collaboration between the ATP, Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) and the Tufenkian Foundation. 

“Unfavorable weather conditions, heavy rainfalls, hail and the inability to use agricultural machinery because of fuel and electricity shortages have certainly negatively impacted the crop yield,” said Masis Zargaryan, Deputy Head of Martuni District Administration. “But it goes without saying that even the smaller yields from the vegetable seeds have been a godsend. We’ve been able to provide markets, to some extent, with fresh produce such as cucumbers and tomatoes. I am hopeful that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and we are going to overcome all these horrors with dignity. There is no other way.”

Though the situation in Artsakh remains uncertain, we continue preparing aid with the hopes of transporting the necessary tools to Artsakh to keep the Artsakh Greenhouse Nursery Program alive. If you’d like to contribute to this program, please visit our website.

  •  Bio
  •  Latest Posts
Armenia Tree Project (ATP) is a non-profit program based in Woburn and Yerevan conducting vitally important environmental projects in Armenia’s cities and villages and seeks support in advancing its reforestation mission. Since 1994, ATP has planted and restored more than 6,000,000 trees, and hundreds of jobs have been created for Armenians in seasonal tree-related programs.


Asbarez: U.S. Advances Baku’s Agenda; Proposes Simultaneous Opening of Lachin and Aghdam Roads

Arsine Chaltikian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 September 8, 2023

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories

Yuri Kim, the acting assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, spoke to foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan


State Department Ignores Credible Warning of Azerbaijani Genocide against Armenians of Artsakh

Ignoring warnings from Congressional leaders and rights experts about an ongoing genocide of Armenians in Artsakh being perpetrated and carried out by Azerbaijan, the United States pushed forward Baku’s scheme of opening an alternate route that bypasses Armenia.

Yuri Kim, the acting assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia on Thursday called for the simultaneous opening of the Lachin corridor and “other routes” for humanitarian supplies to Artsakh during separate phone calls with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov.

Kim said she reiterated Washington’s “serious concerns over the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh” when she spoke to Mirzoyan early in the morning.

“We urge all sides to work together now to immediately and simultaneously open Lachin and other routes to get desperately needed humanitarian supplies into Nagorno-Karabakh,” she wrote in a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Even before the phone conversation Baku expressed its readiness to allow Red Cross aid from Armenia into Artsakh, if assistance from Azerbaijan’s Red Crescent is allowed in at the same time via the Aghdam road.

Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, told Reuters on Thursday that Azerbaijan was now ready to let the Red Cross bring in humanitarian aid on the condition that the Red Crescent also be allowed to bring in aid, on a different road from Azerbaijan.

He said the two roads – the Lachin corridor and the Aghdam road – could be opened to aid simultaneously as part of a pilot scheme that could defuse tensions and spur long-running peace talks between Baku and Yerevan.

Hajiyev said that Aliyev discussed this proposal with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on September 1.

“There was a suggestion for the simultaneous opening of the roads and Azerbaijan agreed and immediately agreed,” Hajiyev told Reuters, while complaining that part of the Aghdam road had been “obstructed” with concrete blocks by Artsakh authorities.

Hajiyev also complained that “one week has passed since the telephone call with Secretary Blinken and there is no movement.”

It took the State Department five days to announce Blinken’s call with Aliyev. In a brief statement it said that Blinken insisted on the need for renewed traffic through the Lachin corridor “while recognizing the importance of additional routes from Azerbaijan.” On the same day, Blinken visited Kyiv and pledged an addition $1 billion assistance to Ukraine.

Kim’s message to Yerevan and Baku suggests that Blinken and the State Department are not only on board with Baku’s plan but are advancing it within their diplomatic discussions.

Artsakh residents and authorities oppose the alternate Aghdam road, arguing that Azerbaijan will utilize the road to complete its genocide campaign against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Noted human rights experts Luis Moreno Ocampo and David Phillips testified on Wednesday in front an emergency hearing of the Congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, saying that a genocide of Armenians is being carried out by Azerbaijan and its leaders — “as we speak” — and urged the Biden Administration to take definitive steps to stop it before all 120,000 residents of Artsakh are wiped out.

The State Department reportedly ignored invitations to appear and speak at Wednesday’s hearing.

The Armenian foreign ministry’s readout of the call did not elaborate on Kim’s proposal for the simultaneous opening of the two roads. Yerevan has not clarified its position on the matter.

Following a meeting in July with Aliyev, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that he did not discuss the Aghdam alternative because he did not have a “mandate” to engage in such discussion. Immediately after those talks, the President of the European Council Charles Michel, who hosted the meeting, began advancing Baku’s agenda and called for the exploration “alternative routes” to Artsakh.

In reporting on the telephone conversation with Kim, the senior State Department official, the Armenian foreign ministry said that Mirzoyan “reiterated the need to lift the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan in accordance with the Statement of November 9, 2020 and two orders of the International Court of Justice. The importance of ensuring unimpeded access and humanitarian activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross to Nagorno-Karabakh was emphasized.”

“Minister Mirzoyan thoroughly touched upon the destructive behavior carried out by Azerbaijan during this period — systematic policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, the disrespect towards its own commitments and clear calls of the international community. The need to establish an effective international mechanism for discussing rights and security guarantees between Stepanakert and Baku was emphasized,” the Armenian foreign ministry said it its readout.

In its readout of the call with Kim, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said that Bayramov denied the humanitarian crisis in Karabakh, saying that Baku has not been blocking the Armenian-populated region’s land link with Armenia and the outside world. He dismissed international calls for the unblocking of the Lachin corridor as “interference in our country’s internal affairs.”

Despite struggling with severe shortages of food, medicine and other basic necessities, most residents of Karabakh remain strongly opposed to the alternative supply line sought by Baku.

Recents warnings by Yerevan about the Azerbaijani troop buildup along the borders with Armenia and Artsakh were not mentioned in any of the call readouts.

Pashinyan on Thursday urged the international community to take “very serious measures” to thwart Baku’s plans. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry dismissed Pashinyan’s appeal and said that Yerevan should end its “military-political provocations.”

No tensions between Yerevan, Moscow, Armenian Foreign Ministry says

Arsine Chaltikian
 TASS 
Russia – Sept 7 2023
Recently, Yerevan was making critical remarks regarding Moscow’s position on regional issues, and the fulfillment of duties by Russian peacekeepers in the Lachin corridor

YEREVAN, September 7. /TASS/. There are no tensions between Yerevan and Moscow, there are issues that are being discussed routinely, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan said during a briefing.

He noted that “Armenia does criticize the CSTO, but the withdrawal from the organization is not on agenda.”

Recently, Yerevan was making critical remarks regarding Moscow’s position on regional issues, and the fulfillment of duties by Russian peacekeepers in the Lachin corridor. Armenian authorities invited a EU civilian mission that has been operating on the Azerbaijani border since the beginning of this year and advocated an increase of the number of observers. In mid-September, Armenia will hold the Eagle Partner joint military exercise with the US on its territory.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that statements of Armenian politicians often comprise “rhetoric on the verge of boorishness.” She underscored that Moscow is ready to talk with Armenian representatives both on the expert level and on a good political level. Meanwhile, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained that Russia continues to fulfill its function as a guarantor of security and scrupulously works with both Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve the situation. The joint Armenian-US military exercise will not contribute to stabilization of the situation in the region, he added.

Zakharova also pointed out that the deployment of the EU observation mission did not help to reduce the tension at the border, where skirmishes still take place. She also noted the proposal to deploy a CSTO mission in the region, noting that all member states stated their readiness and adding that “the ball is in Yerevan’s court.”

Yerevan “confused and disappointed” over Russian Foreign Ministry blaming Armenia for situation in Lachin Corridor

Arsine Chaltikian

 12:27,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova who claimed that the situation in the Lachin corridor is a consequence of the fact that referring to the Alma-Ata Declaration, in Prague, October 2022 Armenia recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.

The Armenian foreign ministry said that Zakharova’s comments cause “confusion and disappointment.”

Below is the full statement by Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan.

“Another comment by the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia of similar content claiming that the situation unfolded in the Lachin corridor is a consequence of the fact that referring to the Alma-Ata Declaration, in Prague, October 2022 Armenia recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, and after that, the task of the Russian peacekeepers became the possible influence on the issues of rights and security of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, causes confusion and disappointment.

We are compelled to recall the following, already well-known chronology and important circumstances.

  • The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has never been a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In essence, it has always been and remains an issue of the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

  • In August 2022, Armenia agreed to Russia’s draft proposal on the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, according to which the discussion of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh was supposed to be postponed for an indefinite period. Azerbaijan rejected the proposal, simultaneously announcing (as it did on August 31 in Brussels) that it is not going to discuss anything related to Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, and days later, on September 13, it launched military aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia.
  • Russia not only did not pursue its proposal after Azerbaijan’s refusal, but also showed absolute indifference to the aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, leaving Armenia’s official letter to support the Republic of Armenia on the basis of the bilateral legal framework unanswered. Moreover, Russia conditioned the lack of stating the fact of the attack on Armenia and the resulting inaction under the false excuse that the interstate border between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not delimited. By this approach it either intentionally or not supports the obviously false and extremely dangerous thesis which claims that there is no border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, therefore, attacking the border and the invasion into the territory of Armenia are difficult to verify. With the same mindset, Armenia’s similar application in the framework of the CSTO did not receive a proper response either.

  • Under these conditions, on October 6, 2022, in Prague, Armenia and Azerbaijan reaffirmed their loyalty to the Alma-Ata Declaration, which was signed back in 1991 by the former Soviet republics, including Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, who recognized each other’s territorial integrity along the former administrative borders of the Soviet states. Therefore, nothing new was decided in Prague: as of October 2022, the Alma-Ata Declaration had been in force for about 31 years. The agreements in Prague did not change anything in the text of the Trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, either. The only novelty was that, based on the results of the Prague meeting, the EU decided to deploy a monitoring mission on the Armenian side of the interstate border between Armenia and Azerbaijan to contribute to the stability at the border.

  • The Russian Federation recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan multiple times, including after the signing of the Trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, and the most recent and perhaps most significant one: it stated that it recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in the document on establishing strategic relations with Azerbaijan.

  • On December 12, 2022, the Lachin corridor was blocked, under the false pretext of protests organized by the authorities of Azerbaijan in the area of the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. Already in April 2023, in the presence of Russian peacekeepers, Azerbaijan installed an illegal checkpoint in the Lachin corridor. Although these actions were a clear and gross violation of the Trilateral statement, the Russian Federation took no counteractions. Instead, Russian peacekeepers on June 15, 2023, actively supported the attempt to raise the Azerbaijani flag on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, which is outside the scope of their mission and geographical area of responsibility. This was immediately followed by the total blockade of the Lachin corridor, bringing the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh closer to a true humanitarian catastrophe.

  • In the conditions of such arbitrariness in the presence of Russian peacekeepers, the Azerbaijani side resorts to steps such as the abduction of residents of Nagorno-Karabakh at the illegal checkpoint in the Lachin corridor: the case of abduction of Vagif Khachatryan on July 29, followed by the case of three students on August 28.

  • Unfortunately, such practices of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh are nothing new. On December 11, 2020, the violation of the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh, the illegal occupation of Khtsaberd and Hin Tagher villages, the capture and transfer of 60 Armenian servicemen to Baku took place in Nagorno-Karabakh with the presence and permission of representatives of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. At that time, the agreements of October 6, 2022, were not reached. The same applies to the events of Parukh on March 24, 2022, and Saribab on August 1, 2022, when Azerbaijan again violated the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh. The logical continuation of this are the shootings by Azerbaijani armed forces in the presence of Russian peacekeepers towards people carrying out agricultural works, one of which ended with the killing of a tractor driver from Martakert; the intimidation of the Nagorno-Karabakh population with night lights and loudspeakers again in the presence of Russian peacekeepers; the thousands of violations of the ceasefire regime by the Azerbaijani armed forces again in the presence of Russian peacekeepers.

We advise the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry to refrain from maneuvering the circumstances of the situation and thereby further complicating it in the absence of actions from Russian peacekeepers towards the prevention of the blockade of the Lachin corridor or its opening afterwards.

We also reiterate that the Republic of Armenia is faithful to its commitment towards establishing stability in the region on the basis of mutual recognition of territorial integrity and borders. At the same time, we consider imperative for lasting peace the reopening of the Lachin corridor in accordance with the Trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, and in line with the Orders of the International Court of Justice, the prevention of a humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh and addressing of all existing problems through the Baku-Stepanakert dialogue under international auspices.”

Sports: Armenian Government approves hosting of 2023 World Sambo Championships

Arsine Chaltikian
Aug 30 2023
  • By Neil Shefferd

    •  

  •  Monday, 28 August 2023

The Armenian Government has approved the country’s hosting of the 2023 World Sambo Championships during a Cabinet meeting.

The Championships were awarded to Armenia by the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) after Egypt withdrew its interest due to “changed circumstances.”

They are due to be held in Yerevan from November 10 to 12.

Following the approval of an agenda item at the Cabinet meeting on ensuring the organisation of the World Sambo Championships, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said: “Yet another major international tournament will take place in Armenia in autumn.”

He added: “Good luck to our athletes”, as reported by Armen Press.

Explaining their decision to move the Championships to Yerevan, FIAS said they were impressed with Armenia’s hosting of the 2022 World Cadets, Youth and Junior Sambo Championships.

The 2022 World Sambo Championships was held in Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan with neutral athletes finishing top of the medal table with 14 golds, five silvers and 10 bronzes.

FIAS allowed Russian and Belarusian sambists to compete under a neutral banner at last year’s Championships.

The move led to Ukraine boycotting the event and at the time was against International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendations.

The IOC changed its recommendations to International Federations in March, to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competitions as neutrals, provided they did not support the war in Ukraine and were not affiliated to the military.

Armenian Prime Minister, French President hold phone call on Nagorno-Karabakh humanitarian crisis

Arsine Chaltikian

 15:11,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday to discuss the regional situation.

“Nikol Pashinyan underscored the daily deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan and emphasized the need for steps aimed at overcoming and resolving it,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

The Armenian and French leaders also underscored the importance of consistent efforts in the direction of ensuring stability and peace in the region, the Prime Minister’s Office added.