Author: Chmshkian Vicken

Armenia Says Preparing To Possibly Open Land Transit Route On Border With Turkey

Chmshkian Vicken
April 6 2023

 Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88)  Published April 06, 2023 | 07:22 PM

The Armenian authorities are preparing for a possible opening of the land border with Turkey for citizens of third countries in accordance with a prior agreement on the issue, Rustam Badasyan, the head of the Armenian State Revenue Committee, said on Thursday

YEREVAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 06th April, 2023) The Armenian authorities are preparing for a possible opening of the land border with Turkey for citizens of third countries in accordance with a prior agreement on the issue, Rustam Badasyan, the head of the Armenian State Revenue Committee, said on Thursday.

In March, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said that Yerevan and Ankara had reaffirmed their readiness to open the land border for citizens of third countries and people with diplomatic passports by the start of the 2023 tourist season.

“You know about the adopted decision and ongoing talks as regards citizens of third countries and those who possess diplomatic passports. Together with other government departments we are now getting prepared so that the border checkpoint (with Turkey) could start working as soon as possible if such a decision is taken,” Badasyan told journalists.

In July, the two countries agreed to open the land border for the movement of citizens of third countries and decided to initiate the necessary process on the matter, following a meeting of the special representatives of Turkey and Armenia on the process of normalization of relations in Vienna.

Turkey and Armenia currently do not have official diplomatic relations. The border between the two countries has been closed on Ankara’s initiative since 1993. Tensions between the nations arose over a range of issues, including Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and its opposition to the process of international recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire.

Rep. Schiff and 35 bipartisan lawmakers urge Biden administration to sanction Azerbaijan for Artsakh blockade; ongoing anti-Armenian aggression

Chmshkian Vicken
 ANCA ANCA News 0

Rep. Schiff was joined by a bipartisan group of 35 US House members in rejecting Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Lou Bono’s statements taking US sanctions against Azerbaijan off the table.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) was joined by a bipartisan group of 35 US House members in calling on the Biden administration to “use all tools at its disposal to ensure the safety of the people of Artsakh,” including cutting aid and imposing sanction on Azerbaijan, which continues its over 110-day blockade of Artsakh, reported Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The Congressional letter, backed by the ANCA, comes in response to a public statement by the recently appointed US point person on Armenian-Azerbaijan issues, Louis Bono, who ruled out US sanctions against Azerbaijan. On March 8, during his first official visit to Armenia and over 80 days into Azerbaijan’s Artsakh blockade, Bono announced, “This is not a time for sanctions… Sanctions would be counter-productive. It’s not even under consideration at this point.”

“Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations, Mr. Louis Bono’s reckless statement, taking Azerbaijani sanctions off the table, sets the stage for a second Armenian Genocide, by sending a green light to the corrupt Aliyev regime to continue their blockade and anti-Armenian aggression,” said ANCA Government Affairs director Tereza Yerimyan. “We appreciate Rep. Schiff and his bi-partisan colleagues’ leadership on this letter calling for concrete US action – including cutting aid to Azerbaijan and imposing sanctions – to break the 100-plus day Artsakh blockade.”

Joining Rep. Schiff in issuing the call to the Biden administration on Azerbaijan sanctions are: Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Susie Lee (D-NV), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Tom McClintock (R-CA), James McGovern (D-MA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Katie Porter (D-CA), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Lori Trahan (D-MA), and David Valadao (R-CA).

The Schiff-led Congressional letter states, in part: “We are deeply concerned by your reported comments during the trip ruling out the use of economic and diplomatic sanctions against Azerbaijan for their clear aggression. It was reported that you stated, “this is not a time for sanctions … it’s not even under consideration at this point.”  As 120,000 innocent people remain deprived of their basic rights in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) for a third month, due to a blockade that the International Court of Justice (World Court) has ordered Azerbaijan to lift, this is not the time to take any tools off the table.”

In closing, the signatories affirm that: “The United States, the President of the United States, the U.S. State Department, and entire Administration must use all tools at its disposal to ensure the safety of the people of Artsakh, now and in the future, including cessation of financial support to Azerbaijan and imposition of sanctions.”

Over 50,000 advocates responded to the ANCA’s call to support the Congressional letter through the action portal. Earlier this week, participants of the ANCA Rising Leaders program participated in the Lucine Kouchakdjian Capitol Hill day, during which they visited with over 400 Congressional offices in support of the Schiff-led letter and a number of pro-Artsakh/Armenia priorities including securing passage of the anti-blockade resolution (H.Res.108), cutting military aid to Azerbaijan and increasing aid to Artsakh.

The full text of the Schiff-led Congressional letter is provided below.

Rep. Schiff was joined by a bipartisan group of 35 US House members in rejecting Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Lou Bono’s statements taking US sanctions against Azerbaijan off the table.

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The Honorable Lou Bono
Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations
United States Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Senior Advisor Bono:

Congratulations on your appointment as Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations at the Department. As you know, we are at an inflection point for the region, Armenia and Artsakh.

As such, it is imperative that we leverage every opportunity to reiterate strong United States engagement to ensure a swift end to Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor and lasting peace in the region. Your appointment and visit to the region this month sent an important signal that the United States is still engaged and wants to play a critical role in ending the conflict.

However, we are deeply concerned by your reported comments during the trip ruling out the use of economic and diplomatic sanctions against Azerbaijan for their clear aggression. It was reported that you stated, “this is not a time for sanctions … it’s not even under consideration at this point.”[1]  As 120,000 innocent people remain deprived of their basic rights in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) for a third month, due to a blockade that the International Court of Justice (World Court) has ordered Azerbaijan to lift,[2]  this is not the time to take any tools off the table.

Since December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan has imposed a blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia. The effect has been devastating to the population, rendering 120,000 individuals without access to food, medical supplies, consistent gas and electricity, and essential human rights such as freedom of movement. Tens of thousands have been left without heating amid plummeting winter temperatures, which forced schools to close and deprived children of access to education. Plainly speaking, it’s a humanitarian disaster.

Azerbaijan is once again weaponizing basic human necessities to further degrade already strained living conditions for the Armenians living in Artsakh. Despite the February 22 World Court decision ordering Azerbaijan to “take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions,”[3] Azerbaijan continues to try to leverage this humanitarian crisis of its own making to seek concessions from Armenia.

Azerbaijan’s actions are a direct violation of the trilateral ceasefire statement of November 9, 2020 [4] , which outlines an obligation to guarantee the secure movement of citizens, vehicles, and cargo in both directions through the Lachin Corridor. The events of March 5, when Azerbaijani armed forces attacked a NagornoKarabakh police passport and visa directorate patrol car, killing three officers and wounding another, further underscore the need to end the blockade immediately and hold Azerbaijan accountable.

These are only the most recent examples of Azerbaijan’s belligerence, which has followed a well-documented pattern of war and provocation against Armenia and Artsakh, motivated by the bombastic rhetoric of President Aliyev and his regime. We have long passed the time for continued appeasement of Azerbaijan.

The United States, the President of the United States, the U.S. State Department and entire Administration must use all tools at its disposal to ensure the safety of the people of Artsakh, now and in the future, including cessation of financial support to Azerbaijan and imposition of sanctions. We cannot allow Azerbaijan’s policy of aggression and intimidation to continue.

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The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.


Education: Armenia’s Path to Stronger Economic Growth

Chmshkian Vicken

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By

 Ivailo Izvorski

Better education and a stronger innovation drive are crucial for achieving higher rates of economic growth and prosperity in any country. Countries that prioritize improvements in education – from the pre-primary to the university level – and innovation are better positioned to adapt to economic change and help raise the living standards for their people.

Education equips individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to the economy, with the ability to learn – and unlearn – continuously. Innovation involves the creation of new products, processes, and services that expand the capacity of enterprises and economies. In fact, the most innovative countries tend to be the most successful economically.

Take the case of Estonia. In 1993, Estonia’s GDP per capita was a modest about $6,480. In comparison, Japan’s was $24,000. Fast forward 30 years. Estonia’s GDP per capita was equal to that of Japan in 2022, at nearly $43,000. Estonia now boasts the highest PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) scores in math, science and reading in Europe. A similar ‘miracle’ happened in Korea, a country that moved from developing country status to an advanced economy in just one generation. How can countries replicate Estonia’s or Korea’s success and achieve faster economic growth and standards of living that are like to those of high-income countries?

Through education and innovation.

Here in Armenia, education has been a priority since the country’s independence in 1991. The government has made efforts to increase the number of schools, provide free education for primary and secondary schools, and promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. As a result, Armenia has a high literacy rate of over 99% and over 60% of adults have completed at least secondary education.

Yet, the education system is not producing the needed outcomes. Children born in Armenia today will be only 58% as productive during their lives as they could have been if they had received quality health and education services available. Armenian children are expected to complete 11.3 years of schooling. This decreases to 8 years if the quality of education is factored in. Pre-primary school and secondary school enrollment is low compared to peer countries in Europe and Central Asia (ECA). It is the quality of education that is the most pressing concern. Armenia’s TIMSS mathematics score – a standardized test for children in grade 4 – is one of the lowest in the region. The quality of tertiary education is below the ECA average: it is nearly 30% lower than Georgia, and half as low as the new EU member states. These outcomes are not surprising, given that public spending on education is just under 2.7% of GDP in Armenia, which is half that of the EU.

The World Bank is helping Armenia improve its education system, including through the Education Improvement Project, which is enhancing the conditions for learning across educational levels by extending preschool coverage, providing laboratory equipment, informing curriculum revisions, and improving the relevance and quality of higher education institutions. The many outcomes of the project include new preschools in rural communities, training of preschool teachers, and grants to higher education institutions through the Competitive Innovation Fund. Under the EU4Innovation Trust Fund, the World Bank is also helping improve the quality of STEM education. By September this year, Armenia will have a fully revised STEM curriculum for middle and high schools (grades 5 to 12), improved learning materials, school-based STEM laboratories and as well as enhanced student-centered instructional methodologies/teaching methods.

Education is essential but alone is not sufficient to drive economic growth. How knowledge is applied by firms, researchers and workers through innovation is critical. In Armenia, there is a disconnect between education, research, and the link to entrepreneurs and markets. For example, academic research in Armenia is dominated by the National Academy of Sciences which comprises more than 30 separate research institutes. None of these institutes are formally integrated with any teaching university in the country. There is also a proliferation of universities in Armenia, with 26 public (state) and 33 private universities; many of the latter, in name only. In Denmark, a country with almost twice the population, there are only eight state-recognized and funded universities offering research-based education.

Consolidating the universities in Armenia, merging them with the research institutes, and focusing government attention on accreditation could help address some of these challenges. It is also essential to reform the university admission process to incentivize talented high schoolers to apply. The government could also support the commercialization of research. In many advanced economies, universities are prodigious producers of knowledge and basic research output, and the private sector, the user of this research, is very vibrant. Without practical application, research may have little impact on the country’s growth potential.

Extensive work by the World Bank shows that human capital is at the core of efforts to strengthen innovation and technology adoption. In Armenia, as in many other countries, human capital is one of the main binding constraints to growth.

While the government has taken significant steps and has initiated important reforms to promote both education and innovation, more is needed to realize their potential. By making a greater investment in education and innovation, Armenia can build a knowledge-based economy that can help the country deliver a development miracle and elevate standards of living to those of high-income countries. The dialogue at the recent panel discussion on “Growth, Education, and Innovation” could help policymakers in their efforts to transform education and innovation in Armenia.

This op-ed was originally published in Banks.am via World Bank

Ceasefire deal in Nagorno-Karabakh violated: Russian MOD

Chmshkian Vicken
Mehr News Agency, Iran

TEHRAN, Mar. 26 (MNA) – Russian defense ministry has said that Azerbaijani troops crossed the contact line in the disputed region in violation of the ceasefire deal in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Baku’s forces have violated the Russian-brokered 2020 peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday, according to Russia Today (RT).

Russian peacekeepers stationed in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region are now investigating the incident, the ministry added.

On Saturday, an Azerbaijani military unit crossed the contact line set by the 2020 deal and seized a high ground area, the statement issued by the ministry said. The Azerbaijani forces then started fieldwork in the area.

It is unclear if the Azerbaijani troops complied with the peacekeepers’ demands as of Saturday evening. Baku and Yerevan have been locked in a decades-old dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of Azerbaijan but has a mainly ethnic Armenian population.

Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence from Baku in the early 1990s and has since enjoyed support from Yerevan. In 2020, the two nations fought a 44-day war, which ended in a truce brokered and monitored by Russia. Moscow sent a peacekeeping force to the area as part of the deal.

The conflict has since seen sporadic flare-ups resulting in border clashes. A major outbreak occurred last September and claimed the lives of dozens of soldiers on both sides.

The agreements brokered by Russia include the delimitation of the two nation’s borders, the opening of transportation routes, and the establishment of contacts between civilian groups, lawmakers, and religious leaders from the two countries. Moscow has said it is ready to further contribute to the peace process.

The incident comes just days after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that a peace deal would be struck, adding that there would not be another escalation.

MNA/PR

Russia accuses Azerbaijan of violating ceasefire with Armenia

Chmshkian Vicken
India –
MoscowEdited By: Manas Joshi

Earlier in the day, Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said it has taken control of some auxillary roads in its Armenian-majority breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh over which it has fought wars with Armenia.

Russian defence ministry on Saturday (March 25) accused Azerbaijan of violating Moscow brokered ceasefire with Armenia. Russia said that Azerbaijan let troops cross over the demarcation line.

“On March 25… a unit of the armed forces of Azerbaijan crossed a line of contact in the district of Shusha, in violation” of the agreement of November 9, 2020, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement. 

The ministry said that Russian peacekeepers “are taking measures aimed at preventing escalation… and mutual provocations.” 

Earlier in the day, Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said it has taken control of some auxillary roads in its Armenian-majority breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh over which it has fought wars with Armenia.

The ministry said “necessary control measures were implemented by the units of the Azerbaijan Army in order to prevent the use of the dirt roads north of Lachin” for arms supplies from Armenia.

The sole road linking Karabakh to Armenia, the Lachin corridor, has been for months under Azerbaijani blockade, which Yerevan says has led to a humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

Occasional shootouts have broken out along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and in Karabakh since a Russian-mediated truce ended six-weeks of fighting in autumn 2020.

(With inputs from agencies)


Comprehensive peace treaty must include guarantees of rights and security of NK Armenians – European Parliament report

Chmshkian Vicken

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 16:56,

YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. The European Parliament adopted the resolution on the EU-Armenia relations. 534 MEPs voted in favor, 10 voted against, while 66 abstained.

Amendments to the report were proposed, particularly to condemn the continuing blockade of Lachin Corridor which deteriorates the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh, and to condemn the “March 5 incident” between Azerbaijan and the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh which led to deaths and jeopardized the peace process. The verbal amendments were also adopted.

The report noted that “over more than three decades, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as well as the recent incursion by Azerbaijan into Armenian sovereign territory have resulted in tens of thousands of casualties, immense destruction and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people…”

It further noted that “in September 2022, Azerbaijan attacked three Armenian provinces: Gegharkunik, Syunik, and Vayots Dzor; whereas Armenian authorities reported that the attack had resulted in the occupation of 220 km2 of Armenian sovereign territory, that it had left 201 people, both military and civilian, dead and that 27 people remain missing…”

“Azerbaijani military actions follow worrying statements by Azerbaijani authorities referring to the territory of the Republic of Armenia as Azerbaijani ancestral land and threatening to use force; whereas, since December 2022, civilian traffic between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh on the Lachin corridor has been blocked, which has had a negative impact on the deliveries of food and other essential supplies and services to the region,” reads the report, in part.

The report mentions that Armenia made a 16-point improvement on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index over the five years  from 2016 to 2021, and Armenia has the leading position in its neighbourhood in the Economist Intelligence Unit 2021 Democracy Index and the Reporters Without Borders 2022 World Press Freedom Index and that Armenia has improved its positions in the World Bank’s Women, Business and Law 2022 report, the Global Startup Ecosystem Index Report 2022, and the World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2021.

The European Parliament “considers that the armed Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which over the years has caused immense suffering and destruction, has significantly hampered the socio-economic development and stability of the whole South Caucasus region; is convinced that durable and sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot be achieved through military means and the threat of  force, but requires a comprehensive political settlement in accordance with international law, including the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, the 1975 OSCE Helsinki Final Act, namely the non-use of force, territorial integrity and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and the OSCE Minsk Group’s 2009 Basic Principles and all the agreements reached between the two parties, including the Alma Ata 1991 Declaration;

Reaffirms that, in order to be effective, a comprehensive peace treaty must include provisions that guarantee the integrity of Armenia’s sovereign territory, the rights and security of the Armenian population residing in Nagorno-Karabakh and other conflict-afflicted areas, and the prompt and safe return of refugees and internally displaced people to their homes; recalls that the root cause of the conflict, which is the situation and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and the status of the formerly autonomous region, remains unresolved; calls on the international community to keep its attention on this conflict, which is a matter of stability and security for the whole region;

Strongly condemns the large-scale military aggression by Azerbaijan in September 2022 against multiple places in the sovereign territory of Armenia, which constituted a serious breach of the ceasefire and contradicted earlier commitments, including those made as part of EU-mediated talks; condemns military incursions into the internationally recognised territory of Armenia since May 2021; recalls that this follows violations of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia as reported in May and November 2021; urges the return of all forces to their positions held on 9 November 2020 and stresses that the latest September aggression has no direct link to the long-lasting conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh; reiterates that the territorial integrity of Armenia must be fully respected in line with international law and the UN Charter and calls on the Azerbaijani authorities, therefore, to immediately withdraw from all parts of the territory of Armenia and to release the POWs under their control; urges the EU to be more actively involved in settling the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan; emphasises that both sides have to respect the principle of territorial integrity, which is key for peace in the region;

Condemns the blockade of the Lachin corridor; urges Azerbaijan to remove any obstacles that would hinder freedom and security of movement along that corridor as stipulated by the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to address all concerns relating to the functioning of the Lachin corridor through dialogue and consultations with all the parties involved…”

The EP also condemns in the strongest possible terms the torture, mutilation and killing of Armenian military personnel, including women, and eight unarmed Armenian POWs by Azerbaijani armed forces in September 2022; deplores the fact the perpetrators filmed these heinous acts and posted them on social media themselves; takes note of reports by human rights groups, in particular by Human Rights Watch, classifying this act as a war crime; calls for a full independent and impartial investigation to identify those responsible and hold them accountable for their actions.

Total number of confirmed measles cases reaches 50

Chmshkian Vicken

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 10:15,

YEREVAN, MARCH 13, ARMENPRESS. Four new cases of measles were confirmed over the weekend, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the ongoing local outbreak in Armenia to 50, the Ministry of Healthcare reported Monday.

Only three patients are hospitalized, while 28 others have already been discharged.

34 of the 50 patients are children (aged from 3 months to 16 years old), while the 16 others are adults (aged 21 to 64). 1 of the patients is in serious condition.

Only 2 of the 50 patients are vaccinated, while 44 others are unvaccinated and two others had only had one dose of the vaccine.

Healthcare authorities recommend children get two doses of the measles vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. The Armenian healthcare ministry advised parents to get their children vaccinated if they’ve missed the immunization schedule.

At the same time, unvaccinated direct contacts of confirmed cases should also get vaccinated, healthcare authorities said.

Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases. It is spread by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact or direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions.

The virus remains active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for up to 2 hours. It can be transmitted by an infected person from 4 days prior to the onset of the rash to 4 days after the rash erupts.

Unvaccinated young children are at highest risk of measles and its complications. Unvaccinated pregnant women are also at risk. Any non-immune person (who has not been vaccinated or was vaccinated but did not develop immunity) can become infected.

The first sign of measles is usually a high fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus, and lasts 4 to 7 days. A runny nose, a cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage. After several days, a rash erupts, usually on the face and upper neck. Over about 3 days, the rash spreads, eventually reaching the hands and feet.

Russian Defense Ministry reports one ceasefire violation in Nagorno-Karabakh

Chmshkian Vicken
 TASS 
Russia –
No one was injured

MOSCOW, March 11. /TASS/. Russian peacekeepers registered one violation of ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a bulletin, published Saturday.

“One ceasefire violation has been registered in the Martakert District. No one was injured,” the Ministry said. According to the bulletin, the Russian peacekeeping contingent has initiated a procedure over this incident.

“In order to ensure the security of Russian peacekeepers and to prevent potential incidents, constant contact is being maintained with General Staffs of Azerbaijani and Armenian Armed Forces,” the Defense Ministry said.

https://tass.com/defense/1587403

Azerbaijani press: Protest of Azerbaijani activists aimed at stopping illegal use of Lachin road by Armenian side – FM

Chmshkian Vicken
Politics Materials 28 February 2023 13:26 (UTC +04:00)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 28. The peaceful protest of Azerbaijani eco-activists on the Lachin-Khankendi road is aimed at stopping the gross violation by the Armenian side of its use, Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov said during a press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, who is on a visit to Baku, Trend reports.

“The root cause of this situation was a gross and repeated violation by Armenia of the provisions of the trilateral declaration, which provides for the solely humanitarian nature of the use of the Lachin-Khankendi road. For two years, the Azerbaijani side has repeatedly pointed out this misuse and gross violations by Armenia,” he said.

According to the minister, Azerbaijan did so both through closed channels and through mediators, as well as repeatedly entering this matter into public discourse.

“After the situation reached the level of protests, the Armenian side, refusing to change its position, agreed at the level of its top political leadership that it has nothing to do with this issue, with the root cause, or with road safety issues, attempting to place all responsibility on Azerbaijan and Russia,” said Bayramov.

Bayramov noted that the Armenian side is actively engaged in a propaganda campaign, trying to mislead the international community and create buzz around this situation by refusing constructive dialogue and attempts to find solutions.

“From the first day, the Azerbaijani side stated that we are doing and will do everything in our power to avoid any negative humanitarian consequences, primarily for the Armenian population living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. And for more than two months, Azerbaijan has been consistently engaged in this, being in almost daily contact with the peacekeeping contingent as well as with the International Committee of the Red Cross. The legitimate demand of representatives of the Azerbaijani civil society must be heard and fulfilled,” he said.

Armenia denies Azeri “disinformation” accusations on opening gunfire

Chmshkian Vicken

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 11:11, 6 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Defense on Monday denied Azerbaijani reports that Armenian Armed Forces opened fire on Azerbaijani forces overnight March 5-6. It said that the Azerbaijani accusations are disinformation.

“The statement released by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan claiming that overnight March 5-6 units of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire at Azerbaijani military positions deployed in the eastern direction of the Armenian-Azerbaijani borderline is yet another disinformation,” the statement issued by the Armenian Ministry of Defense reads.