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Author: Bedik Zaminian

Heavy fighting breaks out between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Bedik Zaminian
EurasiaNet.org
Nov 16 2021

At least 15 Armenian soldiers, and an unknown number of Azerbaijanis, have been killed in the worst fighting since last year’s war.

Joshua Kucera Nov 16, 2021


Intense fighting has broken out between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with casualties heavier than at any time since last year’s war between the two countries.

Armenian sources reported at least 15 soldiers killed and 12 taken prisoner on November 16. Azerbaijan has not acknowledged any of its soldiers killed but the Armenian Ministry of Defense reported that they had inflicted “heavy losses of personnel and materiel” on the other side.

Armenian sources reported that fighting took place on its territory near Sev Lich, the lake in the Syunik region where Azerbaijani soldiers crossed the border in May and have reportedly remained ever since. Azerbaijani sources said most of the fighting took place in the regions of Kelbajar and Lachin.

Armenia was formally appealing to Russia, on the basis of a mutual defense treaty, to come to its assistance.

“Since there has been an attack against the sovereign territory of Armenia, under the 1997 treaty we are addressing Russia with a call for protecting the territorial integrity of Armenia. A written request is being prepared,” the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, said in a televised address. There was no immediate Russian response.

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense said it was responding to Armenian “large-scale provocations” along a wide stretch of the border and that two Azerbaijani servicemen were wounded. The Armenian MoD responded that Baku was engaging in a “large-scale disinformation campaign” and that “it is more than obvious that it was Azerbaijan that attacked, attacking the Armenian positions using artillery and armored vehicles.”

The president of the European Union, Charles Michel, reported that he had spoken to both Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and called for and “urgent de-escalation and full ceasefire.”

The escalation took place after several days of rising tensions, which had included several exchanges of fire and other confrontations. It followed just a week after the one-year anniversary of the signing of the ceasefire that ended last year’s war, and when the two sides were reportedly close to reaching additional agreements to bolster that ceasefire.

Armenia had reportedly pulled back from signing those agreements, and Baku appeared to be trying to use force to push Yerevan into an agreement.

“Azerbaijan has demonstrated that it is prepared to inflict the final blow against Armenia. For good,” wrote Haqqin.az, a website close to Azerbaijan’s security structures, in a piece headlined “Why Did the War Start?”

“After this, Yerevan will have no alternative to return to the negotiating table,” it concluded.

But Pashinyan, his position already weakened by the precarious security situation in the country, is likely to have his hands tied even further by the heavy casualties.

The foreign ministers of the two countries met just last week in Paris, noted Olesya Vartanyan, an analyst with the International Crisis Group. “No matter what, it is very important to sustain this emerging process. Otherwise, there will be more space for tensions, escalation, or even a new war,” she wrote on Twitter.

https://eurasianet.org/heavy-fighting-breaks-out-between-armenia-and-azerbaijan

Also Read:

Armenia reports deaths in Azerbaijan border clashes
https://www.wionews.com/world/armenia-reports-deaths-in-azerbaijan-border-clashes-429823

Armenia says 15 of its soldiers died in border clashes with Azerbaijan -IFX
https://wtvbam.com/2021/11/16/armenia-says-15-of-its-soldiers-died-in-border-clashes-with-azerbaijan-ifx/

Armenia: Border clash with Azerbaijan erupts, seeks Russian support
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/europe/1637076296-armenia-border-clash-with-azerbaijan-erupts-seeks-russian-support

Armenia reports deaths in Azerbaijan border clashes
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2216491/armenia-reports-deaths-in-azerbaijan-border-clashes

Armenians have been killed in border clashes with Azerbaijan.
https://washingtonnewsday.com/world/armenians-have-been-killed-in-border-clashes-with-azerbaijan/

Azerbaijan accuses Armenian forces of attacking Azeri army border posts
https://tass.com/world/1361995

Baku says shots were fired at Azerbaijani military from Armenia
https://tass.com/world/1361949

Baku says shots were fired at Azerbaijani military from Armenia

Armenia asks Russia for protection from Azerbaijan

Cyprus-Armenian Friendship Park inaugurated in Nicosia

Bedik Zaminian
Nov 13 2021
by ATHENS BUREAU

On November 10, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of Greece His Excellency Tigran Mkrtchyan participated in the official inauguration ceremony of the “Cyprus-Armenian Friendship Park”.

The initiative of the “Cyprus-Armenian Friendship Park” belongs to the state representative of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, Mr. Vartkes Mahdessian, and realized with the support of the Mayor of Strovolos, Mr. Andreas Papacharalambous.

Images from Embassy of Armenia in Greece Facebook page.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus Mrs. Annita Dimitriou, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Cyprus Mr. Charalambos Petridis, the representative of Archbishop Chrysostomos II of the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus, the Archbishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Cyprus Mr. Khoren Dogramatzian, leaders and representatives of political parties, as well as representatives of the Armenian community of Cyprus.

The inauguration of the Park began with the National Anthems of the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of Armenia, followed by prayers and speeches.

Mrs. Annita Dimitriou, speaker of the House of Representatives addressed a congratulatory message on behalf of the President of Cyprus Nikos Anastasiadis.

In his speech, Ambassador Mkrtchyan pointed out that it is a great honour for him to be present at such a historic event, which takes place in the first week of his new diplomatic mission.

His Excellency added that Cyprus is a natural ally and friend of Armenia.

He highly appreciated the role of the Armenian-Cypriot community in the Armenian Cypriot relations, expressing special gratitude to Mr. Vartkes Mahdessian that initiated the opening of the “Cyprus-Armenian Friendship Park”.

Concluding his speech, Ambassador Mkrtchyan read the Message of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia H.E. Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan.

In his message H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Mirzoyan mentioned the following in particular:

“I am delighted to convey my warmest greetings to H.E. Mr. Nicos Anastasiades,
President of the Republic of Cyprus, H.E. Mrs. Annita Demetriou, Speaker of the House of the Representatives of Cyprus, and congratulate all the distinguished guests on the occasion of the opening of the Cyprus-Armenia Friendship Park.

“I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to the Cypriot Authorities for their sustained commitment and support to the Cyprus Armenian community in preserving their identity and cultural heritage.

“It is symbolic that today’s event is taking place during the days when the people of Armenia and Artsakh bow their heads and pay tribute to the memory of the heroes of the 44-day war, launched on September 27, 2020, which was accompanied by large-scale violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, war crimes and other mass atrocities by Azerbaijan, with the direct support and involvement of Turkey.

“We highly appreciate the Cypriot Government’s principled position on the Artsakh issue and its unequivocal support to the Armenian people.

“Cyprus has constantly been unique in its targeted and clear-cut assessment of the situation, for which we are very grateful.”

Foreign Minister Mirzoyan noted in His speech: “When speaking about the Cyprus issue, Armenia’s support to Cyprus was and is always crystal clear and never have any ambiguity.

“I do hope that the negotiations will resume in the near future to witness the reunification of the island.

“We highly appreciate the overwhelming support of the Cyprus’ Government towards the issue of the Armenian Genocide in our quest for justice and recognition.

“The stance of the Cypriot Authorities and numerous statements issued by them on the occasions of the Armenian Genocide anniversaries time and again emphasise the integrity and the commitment of the people of Cyprus to the universal values.

“The famous aphorism of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus reads ‘All is flux’, which means that the world is constantly changing, and permanence is only an illusion. It is true. No doubt.

“But I strongly believe that by cherishing our joint history and values and transferring them to future generations, we can ensure that our interstate relations, as well as the unceasing solidarity and friendship between Armenian and Cypriot peoples will last forever.”

The event ended with the performance of “Surb Astvatsatsin” Choir and “Hamazkayin Sipan” Dance Group, followed by a reception.

[More photos at the link below]

Armenpress: Dutch Ambassador comments on the visit of his colleague in Azerbaijan to Shushi

Bedik Zaminian

Dutch Ambassador comments on the visit of his colleague in Azerbaijan to Shushi

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 20:59, 12 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The visit to Shushi of the Dutch Ambassador to Azerbaijan in July in no way means that by that his country legitimizes or recognizes the present situation in Shushi or Nagorno Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports Ambassador of the Netherlands to Armenia Nico Schermers said during a forum in Yerevan, answering the question of one of the participants.

One of the students participating in the forum reminded that months ago, on July 9-10, by organizing the visit of Ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Baku to the city of Shushi occupied by the Azerbaijani armed forces, Azerbaijani President Ilham Ali obviously attempted to give some legitimacy to the attempt to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by force, which was accompanied by war crimes against humanity.

In this regard, the student asked, “Don’t you think that the visit of the Dutch Ambassador to Shushi indirectly legitimizes the violations of international law committed by Azerbaijan?”

In response, the Ambassador noted that the Dutch government decided to agree to pay a visit to Shushi to get an understanding of the situation on the ground.

“Any Ambassador in Baku is also accredited in Nagorno Karabakh, unlike the ambassadors accredited in Yerevan. This in turn means that my colleague in Baku can travel to Shushi or other places. It is clear that we are doing this very carefully. We, as the Government of the Netherlands, decided that this visit to Shushi should take place so that we can get an idea of the situation in Shushi. This does not mean that we will do it often or that we will do it easily. And I want to emphasize that this does not mean that we legitimize or recognize the current situation in Shushi or Nagorno Karabakh”, Ambassador Nico Schermers said.

AZERBAIJANI press: Armenian troops fire at Azerbaijani army’s engineering equipment in Kalbajar

Bedik Zaminian
10 November 2021 10:00 (UTC+04:00)
906

By Vafa Ismayilova

The Azerbaijani army’s engineering equipment has come under Armenian fire in the direction of Kalbajar region, the Defence Ministry reported on November 9.

“On November 9, Armenian armed forces from the positions in the direction of the Yukhari Shorja village of Basarkechar region using small arms subjected to fire engineering road construction equipment in the direction of the Yellija settlement of the Kalbajar region,” the ministry said.

The Azerbaijan army units stationed in the said direction undertook adequate retaliatory actions.

There are no losses among the military personnel of the Azerbaijan army. The Azerbaijani army units control the operational situation, the ministry added.

Earlier, the Defence Ministry protested against Armenian Defence Minister Arshak Karapetyan’s illegal visit to Azerbaijani territories currently under Russian peacekeepers’ temporary control and described it as a military-political provocation.

The ministry stressed that the Armenian defence minister’s provocative visit was deliberately carried out on the eve of the first anniversary of the signing of the trilateral statement by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders.

“The military-political leadership of Armenia, grossly violating the provisions of the trilateral statement, intentionally destabilizes the situation in the region and endangers the activities of the Russian peacekeepers,” the ministry said.

The ministry added that the Armenian military leadership, instead of drawing conclusions from the total defeat in the second Karabakh war in 44 days, adapting to the new geopolitical situation in the region, strengthening peace and security, is making attempts at cheap military adventures with the expectation of an internal audience.

It was also noted that the visit of the Armenian Defense Minister once again demonstrates that Armenia continues to directly support irregular Armenian military units, aggressive separatism, and terrorist acts on the Azerbaijani territory.

“We warn the military-political leadership of Armenia that in case of a repetition of such illegal visits to the territory of Azerbaijan, the necessary measures will be taken to prevent aggressive separatism and terrorist acts in accordance with the legislation of Azerbaijan,” the ministry stressed.

The trilateral ceasefire deal signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on November 10, 2020, ended the 30-year conflict between Baku and Yerevan over Azerbaijan’s Karabakh that along with seven adjacent regions came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the 1990s.

Over 60 thousand doses of Moderna vaccine arrive in Armenia

Bedik Zaminian

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 19:27, 9 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. 60,700 doses of Moderna vaccine have arrived in Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports the Ministry of Health informs.

The batch of vaccines was donated to Armenia by the Slovak Republic within the framework of the European Union “Population Protection Mechanism”.

This vaccine is used against COVID-19 for people over 12 years.

November 8 Townhall with Ambassador Tracy

Bedik Zaminian
U.S. Embassy in Armenia
Nov 11 2021
Home | News & Events | 

Dear U.S. Citizen Community,

For those of you who couldn’t join the Ambassador’s town hall yesterday, we are including the key points from the meeting and a link to watch the recording.

Key points:

  • In the embassy, we continue to offer services on a limited basis. The American Citizen Services section continues to assist Americans to renew passports, document their American citizen children born in Armenia, provide notary services, and assist with special citizen services.
  • Our visas section continues to increase services but has not resumed regular visa services. For non-immigrant visas we are prioritizing students, people with humanitarian emergencies, and urgent business travel.  These people may request expedited appointments through our scheduling system if an appointment is not available before their expected travel dates.
  • On November 8, marked the beginning of the new travel requirements for non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrants travelling to the United States. These requirements are part of President Biden’s new international air travel policy that is stringent, consistent across the globe, and guided by public health.  Under this travel policy foreign national air travelers to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to fly to the United States, with only limited exceptions.
  • The CDC has identified Armenia as a country with limited vaccines. This means that Armenians with valid visas [excluding B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visas] are excepted from the vaccine requirement and may travel.  Nonvaccinated non-immigrant travelers will be required to attest that they are excepted from the requirement to present Proof of Being Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19.  Based on the category of the exception, the nonvaccinated traveler may further be required to attest that:
    • The traveler will be tested with a COVID-19 viral test 3–5 days after arrival in the United States, unless they have documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days;
    • The traveler will self-quarantine for a full 7 days, even if the test result to the post-arrival viral test is negative, unless they have documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days; and
    • The traveler will self-isolate if the result of the post-arrival test is positive or if they develop COVID-19 symptoms.

***The CDC will regularly review this status and it may change at any time.  Foreign nationals should check the CDC website before traveling to ensure they meet all current qualifications.***

  • All travelers, including fully vaccinated air travelers, will continue to be required to show documentation of a pre-departure negative viral test from a sample taken within three days of travel to the United States before boarding. That includes all travelers – U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), and foreign nationals. To further strengthen protections, unvaccinated travelers – whether U.S. citizens, LPRs, or the small number of excepted unvaccinated foreign nationals – will now need to show documentation of a negative viral test from a sample taken within one day of travel to the United States.
  • If you have questions about the new travel requirements or which vaccines are accepted for travel to the U.S., please visit the CDC website.

Link to watch the live recording:  https://youtu.be/lYnNNnbr75s.

Sincerely,

U.S. Embassy Yerevan
(+374-10) 49-45-85 (business hours)
(+374-10) 464-700 (after hours)
1 American Avenue
Yerevan 0082, Republic of Armenia
https://am.usembassy.gov/

For Travel Alerts and information about Armenia: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Armenia.html

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JAMnews: restoration of railways complicated because of war in Karabakh

Bedik Zaminian
Caucasian Knot, EU
Oct 25 2021

THIS MESSAGE (MATERIAL) HAS BEEN CREATED AND (OR) DISTRIBUTED BY A FOREIGN MASS MEDIUM PERFORMING FUNCTIONS OF A FOREIGN AGENT, AND (OR) BY A RUSSIAN LEGAL ENTITY PERFORMING FUNCTIONS OF A FOREIGN AGENT.

In his article “The disappeared railway from my childhood and the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict”, posted by JAMnews on October 24, Armenian journalist Alexander Martirosyan claimed that the combat actions of the autumn of 2020, known as the Second Karabakh War, further exacerbated the parties to the conflict and complicated the solution of such a problem as the resumption of communication by rail between Georgian Tbilisi, Armenian Gyumri, and Turkish Kars.

Alexander Martirosyan emphasizes that “closed roads deprive us of the opportunity to choose.” “However, the openness can help us distinguish economic interests from public interests, politics from murders, and charity from hatred,” the Armenian journalist noted.

The Azerbaijani authorities are counting on the resumption of the railway communication with the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) through the territory of Armenia, that is, the opening of the so-called Zangezur corridor. Baku believes that the creation of the Zangezur corridor is provided for by trilateral agreements on the cessation of the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, but Armenia does not recognize that.

The conflict is deepening due to the “militant aspirations and ambitions of top-ranking officials” of Armenia and other states to the detriment of the economic interests of the respective countries, Alexander Martirosyan believes.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 25, 2021 at 03:05 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

Armenian Ombudsperson claims shelling of border village, Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of shelling a village, Nagorno-Karabakh accuses Azerbaijan of shelling an ambulance.

Author: The Caucasian Knot;

Source: 
© Caucasian Knot

​Erdogan calls on Armenia to mend its relationship with Azerbaijan.

Bedik Zaminian
Washington Newsday
Oct 26 2021

Erdogan calls on Armenia to mend its relationship with Azerbaijan.

BY GEORGE MACKIE ON OCTOBER 26, 2021



Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, said on Tuesday that if Armenia wants improved relations with Ankara, it should repair ties with its arch-foe Azerbaijan.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations, a closed border, and a long history of antagonism dating back to the Ottoman Turks’ murders of Armenians during World War I.

The sour relationship has lately deteriorated due to Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan, which fought Armenia for control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory last year.

Erdogan laid forth requirements for Yerevan to improve relations with Ankara during a visit to Azerbaijan on Tuesday.

“There will be no hurdles to the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia if Armenia displays genuine goodwill toward Azerbaijan,” Erdogan added.

After witnessing the opening of a newly-built airport in Azerbaijan’s Fizuli area, which was reclaimed during the six-week conflict last year, he told a news conference, “Turkey will reciprocate to Armenia’s steps aimed at building permanent peace in the region.”

More than 6,500 people were killed in the flare-up, which concluded in November with a Russian-brokered truce that saw Yerevan lose large swaths of contested land it had controlled for decades.

The fighting sparked fears that Russia and Turkey will be pushed into the conflict to directly defend their allies, putting Moscow and Ankara on opposite sides not just in Syria and Libya, but also in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Turkic-speaking Erdogan sees Azerbaijan’s military victory over Armenia as a significant geopolitical achievement as Ankara attempts to consolidate its dominance in the post-Soviet Caucasus.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in September that Yerevan was willing to have talks with Turkey to heal relations.

As the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, ethnic Armenian rebels in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan, and the ensuing conflict has claimed the lives of nearly 30,000 people.

Healthcare authorities could require weekly testing of unvaccinated employed persons

Bedik Zaminian

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 14:59,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan doesn’t rule out the possibility of changing the frequency of the PCR test requirement for unvaccinated employed citizens from the current twice-a-month to weekly.

Speaking to reporters, Avanesyan stressed that the newly initiated requirement which came into effect October 1 is effective.

The ministry is now looking into the experience of other countries.

Speaking about the pace of vaccinations, she said that around 17,000 people got the jab on October 15 alone. “This is a repeating figure. This high indicator was maintained over the past week and we expect that the number of people getting vaccinated will further increase next week,” she said.

Avanesyan said the healthcare system is deploying around 1900 new beds for COVID-19 patients, but warned that resources aren’t unlimited.

“We must do everything we can to maximally suppress the spread of the disease in the next two or three weeks,” she said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

​​Artsakh’s Defense Army confirms ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan

Bedik Zaminian
Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 14 2021

Artsakh’s Defense Army confirms ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan

 October 14, 2021, 23:48 

In the evening of October 14, the Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire on a military base of the Defense Army located on the eastern border of the Artsakh Republic, Artsakh’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.

It confirmed that six servicemen were wounded. The incident was immediately reported to the command of the Russian peacekeeping troops in Artsakh.

The Ministry of Defense of the Artsakh Republic declares that it continues to adhere to the ceasefire regime and calls on the Azerbaijani side to refrain from destabilizing actions.