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Author: Babken Chilingarian

Russia in Talks with Turkey to Design New Generation Fighter Jets

Babken Chilingarian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 November 15, 2021

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, International, Latest, News, Top Stories

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inspect a Russian Su-57 fighter jet at an air show outside Moscow, 2019 (Reuters photo)

Moscow is ready to help NATO-member Turkey develop its newest fighter jet, a leading Russian defense official revealed on Sunday, reported the Russia Today—RT—news channel.

Ankara had previously indicated it was open to cooperating on the matter with friendly countries.

“Russia has repeatedly expressed readiness to assist Turkey [in the development of a fifth-generation fighter jet], but right now this project is in the negotiation phase,” the head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), Dmitry Shugayev, told RIA Novosti.

Ismail Demir, the chairman of the Presidency of Defense Industries, a Turkish government agency, told the media in September that Ankara was looking to cooperate with friendly states on the design of such an aircraft.

The US expelled Turkey from its F-35 program in 2019, canceling the delivery of jets promised to Ankara after it rejected America’s demand to scrap the deal to purchase S-400 mobile air defense missile systems from Russia.

Turkey has maintained that it will choose arms sales partners regardless of outside pressure and in spite of its membership of the US-led NATO military bloc. 

In 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin showed the fifth-generation multi-purpose Su-57 stealth fighter to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was touring an air show near Moscow.

Azerbaijan, Armenia restart war?

Babken Chilingarian
Global Village Space
Nov 17 2021

The Armenian Parliament said 15 of its soldiers died as a result of the recent border clash and claimed that it lost two combat positions while blaming Azerbaijan for the violence. Reports also emerged of Azerbaijan capturing a dozen Armenian soldiers. 

ByNews Desk
17 November 2021

Tuesday, Azerbaijan and Armenia reported military clashes on their shared borders. The escalation in military clashes comes a year after a 44-day war between the two sides that Azerbaijan won.

The Armenian Parliament said 15 of its soldiers died as a result of the recent border clash. It also claimed that it lost two combat positions and blamed Azerbaijan for the violence. Furthermore, reports emerged of Azerbaijan capturing a dozen Armenian soldiers.

Meanwhile, the Azeri defense Minister, in turn, accused Armenian forces of committing a “large-scale provocation at the state border.” Azerbaijan also revealed that two of its soldiers were injured.

Read more: Armenia, Azerbaijan blame each other for igniting the decades-old Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

While both sides blamed each other for the provocation, the intense fighting has sparked concern among world leaders.

Taking to Twitter, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on both sides to “constructively” resolve issues.

“We are troubled by the reports of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We call on both sides to engage directly and constructively to resolve all outstanding issues, including border demarcation,” Antony Blinken wrote.

The French Foreign Ministry also expressed concern about the deteriorating situation and urged both the countries to respect a ceasefire.

Read more: Armenia reports “fierce combat” with Azerbaijani forces

According to the latest reports, Armenia and Azerbaijan again agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday after Russia urged them to step back from confrontation.

“In accordance with an agreement by the Russian side, fire ceased on the eastern section of the Armenian-Azeri border. The situation is relatively stable,” Armenia’s defense ministry said.

Important to note, Russia mediated a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia back in 2020 after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The conflict ended after Russia deployed almost 2000 peacekeepers to the region.

Read more: Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to new ceasefire after Putin warning

This time around, Russia once again de-escalated the tensions. However, it is highly likely that the border clashes will once again flare up owing to Armenia being an obstacle for Azerbaijan’s Zangazur corridor.

To clarify, the Zangazur corridor would connect the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to the rest of Azerbaijan via Armenia’s Syunik Province. However, Armenia has steadily objected to it, asserting that “corridor logic” deviates from the ceasefire statement trilaterally signed at the end of that war, and that it is a form of propaganda.

In response, Azerbaijan’s leader, Ilham Aliyev, pledged earlier this year that he would “force” Armenia to concessions regarding the corridor.

Interestingly, both countries are also increasing their military budget.

Armenian envoy draws UN Security Council’s attention to Azerbaijani armed attacks

Babken Chilingarian

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 10:34, 17 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. On 16 November, the Permanent Representative of Armenia to the United Nations Mher Margaryan delivered a statement at the United Nations Security Council open debate on “Peace and security through preventive diplomacy”, the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the UN said on social media.

In his statement Mher Margaryan drew the attention of the Security Council to the armed attacks by Azerbaijan against the territorial integrity of Armenia in recent days in breach of the UN Charter, the international law and the provisions of the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020. He stressed that the aggressive actions of Azerbaijan are detrimental to the efforts of the international community to de-escalate the situation and are severely undermining the prospects of peace in the region.

The Permanent Representative of Armenia underlined the need for urgent and effective steps by the international actors aimed at prevention of the further escalation and ensuring unconditional and complete withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from the territory of Armenia.

The UN Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly, the President of the ECOSOC, and the President of the International Court of Justice made presentations during the meeting presided by Mexico.

Azerbaijani press: Russian companies invited to participate in Azerbaijani energy projects as investors

Babken Chilingarian
13:14 (UTC+04:00)
521

By Trend

An agreement on the exchange of detailed information on projects to be implemented in Azerbaijan by the Russian companies was reached, Trend reports on Nov. 19 with reference to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy.

The issues of fruitful cooperation between the two countries in various fields were discussed at a meeting between Azerbaijani Deputy Energy Minister Elnur Soltanov and the Russian Business Mission headed by Roman Chekushov, Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Licensing in Foreign Trade of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade in Baku on November 19.

The Russian delegation was informed about the energy potential of the Azerbaijani territories liberated from the Armenian occupation, the work conducted to restore the energy infrastructure.

Moreover, the Russian companies were invited to participate in energy projects in Azerbaijan as investors.

EAEU prime ministers sign 15 documents at Yerevan meeting

Babken Chilingarian

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 16:24,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. 15 documents were signed today as a result of the session of the Eurasian Inter-governmental Council.

The documents relate to industry, agriculture and healthcare sectors.

The member states of the Eurasian Economic Union also signed the agreement on exchange of data about credit histories.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenpress: Talking with Putin, Pashinyan strongly highlights Armenian-Russian strategic partnership in the existing situation

Babken Chilingarian

Talking with Putin, Pashinyan strongly highlights Armenian-Russian strategic partnership in the existing situation

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 22:05,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister presented in detail the latest developments on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Nikol Pashinyan stressed that the actions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are nothing but aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. In the existing situation, the Prime Minister strongly highlighted the Armenian-Russian strategic partnership.

The commitment of the Armenian side to the trilateral statements of November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021 was reaffirmed.

Intl. community should not remain indifferent to Azerbaijan’s encroachments on sovereign territory of Armenia –Pashinyan

Babken Chilingarian

Intl. community should not remain indifferent to Azerbaijan’s encroachments on sovereign territory of Armenia –Pashinyan

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 19:54,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with the President of the European Council Charles Michel on the latter’s initiative, ARMENORESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The interlocutors discussed the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The President of the European Council expressed deep concern over the current situation and considered the further escalation of hostilities inadmissible.

The Prime Minister noted that the Azerbaijani authorities are deliberately aggravating the situation with the aim of thwarting the implementation of the agreements of November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021. Nikol Pashinyan noted that the international community should not remain indifferent to Azerbaijan’s encroachments on the sovereign territory of Armenia.

Armenpress: Weather forecast in Armenia

Babken Chilingarian

Weather forecast in Armenia

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 16:23,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations reports that no precipitation is expected in Armenia in the daytime of November 13, on November 14-15, at night of 16 and on 17-18.

Precipitation is expected in some regions in the daytime of November 16.

Air temperature will not change considerably.

No precipitation is expected in Yerevan in the daytime of November 13 and on 14-18.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

In Yerevan, protesters consider trilateral agreement to be illegitimate

Babken Chilingarian
Caucasian Knot, EU
Nov 8 2021

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was not entitled to sign the trilateral agreement, protesters claim. They have torn in public the unsealed trilateral declaration, as they believe that it is a threat to the security of Armenia, and the issue concerning the status of Nagorno-Karabakh should be resolved exclusively within the OSCE Minsk Group.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on November 10, 2020, the trilateral agreement signed by Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia on the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh came into force. On the same day, residents of Yerevan, dissatisfied with the signing of the peace agreement with Azerbaijan, broke into the building of the Armenian government and demanded the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan.

Today, another protest action against the trilateral peace agreement signed on November 9, 2020, has taken place on Republic Square in Yerevan.

The participants of the protest action have read out the text of the statement of public and political organizations, which says that the draft declaration was not discussed in the Security Council of Armenia and was not ratified by the country’s parliament. Therefore, according to the Constitution of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan did not have the legal authority to sign any international document regarding the territories of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Karabakh issue in general.

“We reject the illegal trilateral declaration signed by Nikol Pashinyan on November 9, 2020, since it threatens the security of Armenia. We call on to bring Nikol Pashinyan to responsibility for exceeding his powers and overthrowing the constitutional order,” the protesters claimed.

The participants of the protest action have demonstratively torn the trilateral declaration on Nagorno-Karabakh signed on November 9, 2020, printed on black sheets.

“The text of the trilateral declaration was printed on black sheets of paper not by accident, as it is a black verdict for Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh),” Arthur Babayan, a founder of the All-Armenian National Accord Movement, said in his speech.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 8, 2021 at 01:06 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

JAMnews: restoration of railways complicated because of war in Karabakh, Russia’s position on Karabakh crosses out Minsk Group’s negotiation format, Armenian analysts rule out Yerevan’s refusal to talk on Karabakh within OSCE Minsk Group format.

Author: Armine Martirosyan; Source: CK correspondent

Source: 
© Caucasian Knot

Armenian President wants Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh "forever"

Babken Chilingarian
PanArmenian, Armenia
Nov 8 2021
November 8, 2021 – 18:47 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian President Armen Sarkissian believes that the Russian peacekeepers should stay in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) forever.

“The Russian army has been on this territory for decades and centuries, its presence is extremely important. What the peacekeepers are doing is of great importance for regional politics, and for possible negotiations on the status of Karabakh, on the future of the region, so that there is no war tomorrow,” Sarkissian said in an interview with the Russian newspaper Argumenty i Fakty.

Asked about the reasons of defeat of the Armenian side in the second war in Artsakh, Sarkissian said the Armenians won the first war because they were 2-3 years ahead of Azerbaijan in terms of army building, the involvement of Armenians who served in the Soviet army and fought in Afghanistan.

The President noted that the Armenian side had 26 years to translate that victory into a stable peace “but we didn’t take that chance and were left behind.”

“Because Azerbaijan, even under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev, realized that oil is their advantage. And it did everything to take it to the international market. As a result, we lost all our advantages over time. In addition, the Azerbaijani side purchased large quantities of weapons, openly brought NATO weapons to the battlefield through Turkey, and gathered thousands of mercenaries from all over the world. I asked my colleagues in Brussels – what do you think about the fact that a NATO member went to war with Armenia? What problems does Armenia have with NATO? Well, of course, I did not receive an answer, Turkey has a special status there,” Sarkissian said.

Russian peacekeepers were deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh on November 10, 2020, immediately after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev signed a statement to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Under the deal, the Armenian side returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.