News.am, Armenia
Aug 15 2020
15:49, 15.08.2020
Author: Bedik Zaminian
Glad to see opposition is acting easier than before the revolution, says Pashinyan
13:00,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says he is happy to see that the opposition in Armenia is currently acting much easier than before the 2018 revolution.
“Armenia is democratic country and opposition is free to express [themselves] and I am very glad that now opposition in Armenia is acting much easily than before the revolution,” Pashinyan said during an interview with the BBC HARDtalk.
Pashinyan also reminded that in 2020 Armenia registered the largest two-year Democracy Score improvement in the history of the Freedom House’s Nations in Transit 2020 report.
Editing by Stepan Kocharyan
Call For Negotiations As Hostilities Continue On The Azerbaijani And Armenian Border
The Organization for World Peace
Aug 2 2020
Between 12 and 14 July, fighting broke out between Azerbaijan and Armenia, resulting in at least 16 deaths including a prominent Azeri general. Although clashes between these two countries are frequent, July’s conflict has been the most serious outbreak since a four-day war in 2016. Past conflicts between these countries often focused on Nagorno-Karabakh, a mostly ethnically Armenian breakaway region of Azerbaijan. Instead, fighting took place not in the disputed region but on the internationally recognised border between the two countries. What provoked this outbreak is unclear as both sides accuse the other of taking the first strike. Although violence has subdued for the time being, a “war of words” continues between Azerbaijani and Armenian officials.
International officials have condemned the fighting and called for peaceful negotiations to continue. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for “immediate and full de-escalation” and a “return to negotiations”. The co-chairs, U.S and Russia, of the Minsk group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), have called for restraint, while Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, has called for an immediate ceasefire. Continued negotiations through the OSCE are made more complicated following criticism from the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, for the Minsky group’s passivity in conflict resolution.
Unfortunately, international efforts to pacify the conflict have stalled and have largely ignored the border regions, choosing to focus on the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. To encourage peace going forward both countries should respect the 1994 ceasefire and engage in dialogue to avoid further fatalities. Efforts by the OSCE Minsk group intend to de-escalate the situation. Already, Russia has played an active part in mediating, for example, with the Foreign Minister conducting telephone discussions with both sides. However, Russia’s own involvement in supplying arms to both sides as well as offers to provide mediation efforts does little to encourage peaceful agreements or discourage violence. The economic insecurity brought by the Covid-19 pandemic makes violence outbreaks more destructive for civilians who live in the border regions and highlights the necessity for peaceful settlements now more than ever.
Conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and specifically the Nagorno-Karabakh region, has been ongoing since the Soviet era. This region was declared independent from Azerbaijan by ethnic Armenians in the territory when the war ended in 1994. Azerbaijan still regards the area as part of its sovereign territory leading for the need for negotiations between the two countries. Armenia’s president, Nikol Pashinyan, has stated his keenness for peaceful resolution of this conflict. However, on 10 July, his government released a new National Security Strategy which assessed the Azerbaijani leadership as a serious threat to security of Armenian people. In Azerbaijan, protesters outside its parliament building are angry about the death of their well-respected general.
Due to this, the situation between the two countries remains volatile and continued negotiations are urgently needed. The aftermath has also incited violence within the diaspora communities. For example, Russian media has reported a group of men targeting drivers of cars with Armenian licence plates and attacks on an Azerbaijani fruit seller in Moscow.
Resumption of talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk group need to continue in order to retain peace on the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as diaspora communities world-wide. With Turkey citing an alliance with Azerbaijan and Russia supporting mediation from the Armenian side, urgent negotiations are needed to prevent further casualties. A broader conflict could expand to include Russia and Turkey.
Mnatsakanyan: Armenia, Greece will resolutely respond to actions that endanger their interests
News.am, Armenia
July 31 2020
11:02, 31.07.2020
Baku does not refrain from Armenophobic and militaristic policy – President of Artsakh
19:55, 30 July, 2020
YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan attended a consultation at the Defense Army, he wrote about this on his Facebook page, presenting some emphases made by him.
”Official Baku does not refrain from Armenophobic and militaristic policy. The clashes provoked by Azerbaijan in Tavush part of Armenia-Azerbaijan border, followed by Turkey’s aggressive and overt interference in the hostile activities against the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh once again prove the reality that army building was and remains the priority direction of our country and we have to do our best for the development and strengthening of the army’’, Harutyunyan said, adding that acquisition of new weapons and construction of new engineering structures will be continuous.
”Our army was, is and will be strong and combat ready, always ready to protect the borders of the Motherland, the security and welfare of our people. This is an issue of national agenda and uniting the efforts and potential of the entire Armenian nation we will do our best to successfully fulfil that mission”, the President of Artsakh said.
Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan
Georgia to suspend railway delivery of goods to Armenia for 16 days
Vestnik Kavkaza
Aug 1 2020
According to the South Caucasian Railway, on September 1-16, Armenia will not receive cargo delivered by trains from the Georgian ports of Poti and Batumi.
The reason is the planned maintenance of the railway bridge, due to which the movement of trains on the route from Georgia to Armenia will be suspended.
“During this time, the goods will be accumulated in ports, and after the resumption of the railway connection they will be promptly delivered to Armenia,” the SCR officials promised.
Armenian FM: Ukraine has complex to perceive essence of Karabakh conflict
Panorama, Armenia
Aug 1 2020
Ukraine seems to have a complex to perceive the essence of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict and to understand the serious security challenges facing both the Republic of Artsakh and the whole region, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan told an interview with Shant TV on Friday.
His comments came in response to a question about Ukraine’s reaction to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border clashes.
Mnatsakanyan stressed that Ukraine fails to distinguish between the conflicts and assess them according to their history and nature.
“In this sense, we have a disagreement here,” the FM said.
Mnatsakanyan noted that they have been consistently working with Ukraine for two years and have no problems with the good people of Ukraine.
“We will continue to make consistent efforts to deliver our signals and messages. But we will continue to find unacceptable the positions that have lost touch with reality. This does not benefit the region, us or them in any way,” the minister stressed.
Earlier on July 14, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan received Ambassador of Ukraine to Armenia Ivan Kuleba. Kocharyan presented to the ambassador the assessment of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia on the statement of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine on the escalation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it “supports a political settlement of the situation on the basis of the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its internationally recognized territorial integrity.”
The statement was followed by a protest rally in front of the Ukrainian Embassy in Yerevan.
Over 30 participants of brawl between Armenians and Azerbaijanis detained in Moscow
News.am, Armenia
19:28, 25.07.2020
Athena Manoukian presents videoclip of her new song
20:25,
YEREVAN, JULY 24, ARMENPRESS. Famous singer, songwriter Athena Manoukian presented a videoclip of her new song entitled “Dolla”. The clip is available on YouTube since July 24.
Video Player
ARMENPRESS reports the Eurovision 2020 Armenian representative notes that she wanted to shoot it in Armenia, but because of coronavirus the shooting took place in Greece.
The music was composed by both Athena and DJ Paco. Athena Manoukian wrote the lyrics for this summer hit. The creative director of the clip was Athena Manoukian herself. She wanted to present a minimal, artistic image focused on beautiful shots, covered in gold and she wanted a video that gives an “A’’ level quality by paying attention to the details.
“The masks made by me for my dancers add mysterious beauty to the video. The masks have lots of gold jewels on it and they bring an artistic vibe inside the video as the dancers look like soldiers. And the masks have Armenian elements’’,-Athena noted.
“Dolla” pop song has some African vibes. As previously noted by the singer, “Dolla’’ is a song about love. It is a very positive, fresh single that makes you dance. It touches upon the topic how a woman can love a man who has no money, but he is a great person. And for that woman money has no importance.
Pope Francis Calls for Peaceful Resolution to Clashes Between Armenia and Azerbaijan
National Catholic Reporter
At least 16 people have died in fighting at the border of the two Caucasus countries in the past week.
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis Sunday said he is praying for the families of victims of clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and hopes differences can be resolved peacefully.
“I am following with concern the recovery in recent days of armed tensions in the Caucasus region, between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the pope said after leading the Angelus prayer July 19.
“In particular, while I assure you of my prayers for the families of those who lost their lives during the clashes, I hope that, with the commitment of the international community and through dialogue and the goodwill of the parties, a lasting peaceful solution can be reached, which has at heart the good of those beloved populations,” he continued.
At least 16 people have died in fighting at the border of the two Caucasus countries in the past week. The clashes were followed by protests in Azerbaijan, the BBC reports.
The fighting is due to conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh territory, which is recognized internationally as belonging to Azerbaijan but is controlled by ethnic Armenians. The dispute over the territory has been ongoing since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Speaking from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, Francis also spoke about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, noting that it “shows no signs of stopping.”
“I wish to assure my closeness to those who are facing the disease and its economic and social consequences,” he stated, adding that he is especially thinking of those people whose suffering is “aggravated by situations of conflict.”
Pointing to the recent UN Security Council resolution, the pope renewed his call “for a global and immediate ceasefire, which allows the peace and security indispensable to providing the necessary humanitarian assistance.”
In his address before the Angelus, Pope Francis reflected on the first parable in the day’s Gospel reading
In the parable of the good seed and the weeds “Jesus makes us know the patience of God, opening our hearts to hope,” Pope Francis said.
In the parable, weeds sown by an enemy grow up among the wheat in a man’s field. The servants ask if they should pull up the weeds, but the master says to wait, because if they do, they would risk also pulling out the wheat.
The master tells the servants “we must wait for the moment of the harvest: only then will they be separated and the weeds will be burned,” the pope recounted.
The pope explained that “the good seed and the weeds represent not the good and the bad in the abstract, but we human beings, who can follow God or the devil.””
God, like the owner of the field, plants only good seeds. And he acts openly, in the light of the sun, Pope Francis continued.
Instead, the enemy, who represents the devil, “takes advantage of the darkness of the night and works out of envy, out of hostility, to ruin everything,” the pope said. “His intent is to hinder the work of salvation, to ensure that the Kingdom of God is hindered by unfair operators, scandal sowers.”
According to Pope Francis, some people, like the servants in the parable, want to quickly eliminate evil and wicked people from the world.
But the master is wiser and has a longer view:, and people “must know how to wait, because the enduring of persecutions and hostilities is part of the Christian vocation,” the pope stated.
“Evil, of course, must be rejected, but the wicked are people with whom one must use patience,” he emphasized. This does not mean having “hypocritical tolerance,” but “justice softened by mercy.”
“If Jesus came to seek sinners rather than the righteous, to heal the sick even before the healthy, the action of us his disciples must also be addressed not to suppress the wicked, but to save them,” he stated.
“Those who seek out the limits and defects of others do not cooperate well with God, but rather those who know how to recognize the good that grows silently in the field of the Church and of history, cultivating it until maturation.”
“And then it will be God, and only He, to reward the good and punish the wicked,” the pope said.