Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Karabakh war became serious trial for Armenian, NKR soldiers: Lenta.ru

February 1, 2014 – 16:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Creation of Armenian army dates back to the last
years of the existence of the USSR. At the time, on the backdrop of
the escalation of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, volunteer units were
being formed, armed with whatever weaponry they were able to procure,
Lenta.ru said.

“In 1991, defense committees were created in Armenia, as well as the
Nagorno Karabakh, where Armenian population prevailed. Later, a
defense ministry was established, to be followed by creation of
official armed forces (similar process was ongoing in the Nagorno
Karabakh, which declared its independence from Azerbaijan.) Armenia,
as well as other USSR states, received a part of the property of the
Soviet Army which still remained on their territories,” the article
said.

According to Lenta.ru, the Karabakh war in early 90s became a serious
trial to Armenian and Karabakh soldiers. “They managed to break though
the resistance of Azeri forces, with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic de
facto retaining its independence (which, however, hasn’t been followed
by international recognition.) Besides, Armenians took control of the
Azerbaijan-adjacent territories, used as a buffer zone (construed as
“Armenian occupation” of the region by Baku.) Currently, Armenian army
is numbered at 50000, with draftees replenishing Armenian forces.

Armenia marked the Army Day on January 28, with the Nagorno Karabakh
President stressing in his statement, “it is now undeniable that
Armenian army is the most efficient and organized in the region – one
of the most significant achievements of our nation.”

From: Baghdasarian

Tension at Karabakh-Azerbaijan contact line maintained in passing week

February 01, 2014 | 16:20

The previous week’s tension at the Line of Contact between the
Karabakh-Azerbaijani opposing forces was maintained in the passing
week, too.

Aside from the use of artillery weaponry in the direction of the
Nagorno-Karabakh positions, the adversary also deployed a certain
amount of heavy military equipment on some parts of the frontline.

At the same time, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) Defense Army
antiaircraft units monitored the adversary’s military training flights
in Azerbaijani airspace and followed their flight pattern.

The adversary breached the ceasefire agreement around 1,700 times
throughout the passing week. During this time, more than 10,000 shots
were fired in the direction of Armenian positions, and by way
different-caliber artillery weapons.

NKR Defense Army suffered two casualties as a result of the
adversary’s two intelligence-diversionary operations and its violation
of the ceasefire around 3,000 times, between January 20 and 31.

But in the same time period, and as a result of its own aggression,
the Azerbaijani army gave eight casualties and more than two dozen
wounded, and it lost some special armaments.

Despite the Azerbaijani attempts to maintain the tension on the
frontline, it can be concluded from the recorded facts that the NKR
Defense Army vanguard units continue to dictate the situation and, if
necessary, to impose their will upon the adversary.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

Azerbaijani army had 8 losses during the last week

Today – 18:36
1/2/14

On January 19 in the night Azerbaijanis started sabotage on
Armenian-Azerbaijani frontline and the strained situation lasted for
the whole passing week. Press service of Artsakh Defense Army informs
about this.

According to the source, the enemy fired on Armenian positions and
used also some heavy military technique. Azerbaijanis also showed some
activities in the air.

In general, the ceasefire regime was violated by the enemy for neary
1700 times and more than 10.000 shots were fired towards Armenian
border-keepers.

Armenian side lost two soldiers as a result of Azerbaijani actions. At
the same time Azerbaijanis had 8 victims and more than 20 wounded
soldiers as a result of their own sabotage.

Armenian forces manage to keep the situation under control in the border.

From: Baghdasarian

Zhoghovurd: Armenia’s 2013 migration rate 42,000

11:54 * 01.02.14

A total of 42,000 people migrated from Armenia from January until
December of 2013, the paper says, citing the National Statistical
Service.

The agency’s recent report, focusing on socio-economic indicators,
suggests that 1,494,86 people left the country last year, of whom only
1,452,85 returned.

Most of the migrants crossed Armenia’s border from the customs
checkpoints of Bagratashen or Bavra (Armenian-Georgian border), says
the paper, adding that they evidently preferred a cheaper way of
leaving.

From: Baghdasarian

Statistics shows decline in Armenia’s birth rate

14:08 * 01.02.14

Armenia’s 2013 birth statistics has shown a 1.7% decline since the
previous year.

A report by the National Statistical Service has revealed that41,770
births were registered in the country last year, against the 42,480
births in 2012.

According to the statistics, 22 200 of the newborns were boys, with
only 19,570 being girls. The infant mortality decreased from 801 cases
in 2012 to 653 cases in 2013.

A total of 15 396 births were registered in capital Yerevan in the
reporting period. As for the regions, the highest birthrate was in
Ararat (3,663).

From: Baghdasarian

TURQUIE
Turquie : le Premier ministre remplacé par un hologramme pour un discours

Recep Tayip Erdogan a fait sensation en apparaissant à un meeting
politique sous forme d’un hologramme alors qu’il se trouvait en
réalité à un bon millier de kilomètres.

La technologie au service de la politique. Le Premier ministre turc,
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, était dans l’impossibilité de se rendre à un
meeting à Izmir, à plusieurs centaines de kilomètres au sud
d’Istanbul. Qu’à cela ne tienne, il y a quand même prononcé un
discours… grce à son hologramme.

“Un double de plus de trois mètres dont l’activité avait auparavant
été enregistrée par le Premier ministre, placé devant un fond vert”,
rapporte Le Monde, mercredi 29 janvier.

Le discours ? Tenu face à des membres du Parti de la justice et du
développement (AKP), auquel appartient Erdogan, il n’a pas vraiment
fait de place à la surprise. Le Premier ministre est en effet englué
dans une crise politique sur fond de corruption et a dénoncé “l’ombre
des attaques préparées par des réseaux de traîtres”, selon The
Guardian.

Mais l’homme d’État turc n’est pas le premier politique à recourir à
la technique de l’hologramme. “En 2012, l’Indien Narendra Modi aurait
ainsi fait discourir son avatar en simultané dans cinquante-trois
lieux, ce qui lui aurait permis d’entrer dans le livre Guinness des
records”, poursuit Le Monde. Dans un tout autre domaine, en 2012, le
rappeur Tupac, mort en 1996, était ainsi apparu sur la scène du
festival Coachella face à 80.000 spectateurs.

samedi 1er février 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIE
Une famille d’Azerbaïdjan demande l’asile politique à l’Arménie

Le site du journal Aravot (Aravot.am) rapporte que le 29 janvier au
point de passage de Pakradachen, à la frontière arméno-géorgienne, un
couple avec trois enfants, se présentant comme des citoyens
d’Azerbaïdjan ont demandé aux autorités arméniennes l’asile politique
en Arménie. Le fait est particulièrement rare et nous ignorons pour
l’instant les mobiles de cette famille d’Azerbaïdjan qui désire le
statut de réfugié en Arménie. A suivre.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 1er février 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

RUSSIA CONCERNED ABOUT DETERIORATING SITUATION IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Jan 31 2014

31 January 2014, 16:10 (GMT+04:00)
By Jamila Babayeva

Russia is concerned about the deteriorating situation in
Nagorno-Karabakh and has called Armenia and Azerbaijan to take
additional measures to stabilize the situation.

“We call the parties of the conflict to take additional measures to
stabilize the situation, including the initiation of mechanisms under
the Agreement on strengthening the ceasefire on February 4, 1995,”
the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department said
in a statement.

“As a result of the recent violations of the ceasefire on the contact
line and the border there are casualties among military personnel.

Reports say about wounded civilians,” the statement added.

Russia supposes that in case of further escalation of the intensity
negative consequences are inventible for the resolving process of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “The implementation of the agreements
reached at the Azerbaijani-Armenian summit in Vienna on November 19,
2013 can seriously complicate”.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally
recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent
regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus
neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s.

The UN Security Council’s four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal
have not been enforced to this day.

Peace talks, mediated by Russia, France and the US and the OSCE Minsk
Group are underway on the basis of a peaceful outline -called Madrid
Principle -proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs. The negotiations
have been largely fruitless so far.

Armenia constantly violates the ceasefire on the contact line of
Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, and these violations have intensified
recently, reaching more than 200 times a day.

The Armenian troops shot dead Captain Elnur Jafarov, an Azerbaijani
officer, and Lieutenant Sabuhi Azizov, an officer of the Azerbaijani
armed forces, amid the growing tension along the contact line between
the Armenian and Azerbaijan troops.

From: Baghdasarian

EXPERT: BAKU WILL USE THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE AND THE WEAKENING POSITION OF RUSSIA FOR SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT IN THE WAY IT NEEDS

by Nana Martirosyan

ARMINFO
Thursday, January 30, 18:15

The Azerbaijani activeness at the line of contact with armed forces of
Nagornyy Karabakh is conditioned by the fact that the world community
is busy with the Ukrainian problem, Director of the Armenian Centre
for National and International Studies , Manvel Sargsyan, said at
today’s press-conference.

He also added that official Baku will use the situation in Ukraine
and the weakening position of Russia for settlement of the Karabakh
conflict in the way it needs. The expert thinks that to resist
Azerbaijan’s such policy, the Armenian authorities have to display
harsher position and show the door to all external forces. “A
sovereign state should conduct more independent policy, and Armenia
should make external forces compete for spreading of their influence
at its territory”, – he emphasized.

He also added that unlike Armenia, Karabakh is in a more beneficial
situation, as it does not let external forces interfere its interior
affairs. “Unlike many countries of the region, the authorities of
Karabakh adopt decisions only taking into consideration interests of
their country”, – he concluded.

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJANI DIPLOMAT PROTESTS AGAINST UK PHOTOJOURNALIST’S ILLEGAL VISIT TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Trend, Azerbaijan
Jan 30 2014

Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan.30

Trend:

Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the UK, Fakhraddin Gurbanov expressed
protest against UK photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind’s visit to
Nagorno-Karabagh, Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia.

The protest came after Taylor-Lind’s article, which was published in
the Guardian.

Azerbaijan’s ambassador published an article in the Guardian,
as a response to Taylor-Lind’s report, where he stresses that all
unauthorised visits to the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and other
occupied territories of Azerbaijan are illegal.

As Gurbanov said Ms Taylor-Lind should, rather, visit Azerbaijan to
witness the plight of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced
persons who were forced to flee their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are
currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

From: Baghdasarian