Author: David Nargizian

‘Nikol, where are our sons?’ – protest march started in Yerevan

David Nargizian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 6 2021

The participants of the movement “Strong Armenia with Russia: For the new Union” started a protest march on Saturday in the central streets of capital city Yerevan. The march started from Opera and Ballet House and headed to the Republic Square. 

The participants are holding flags of Armenia and Russia. “Nikol, where are our sons? Who gave you the right to cede our territories? Why were Tigranakert and Shushi surrendered,” the protesters chanted, adding they would get back their victory. 

The organizers of the march believe the only way out of the occurred situation is through normalizing relations and boosting cooperation with Russia. “We should stand by Russia and struggle together for the sake of Armenia’s future. For the sake of strong Armenia, wake up!,” the citizens were chanting. 

The EU supports Armenia-Georgia and Armenia-Iran energy and economic links

David Nargizian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 5 2021

The European Union has provided EUR 10.2m in investment grant and technical assistance for the electricity grid interconnection with Georgia to be implemented by the German Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KFW) under the Caucasus Transmission Network project.

The link allows continuous energy trade between the two countries, and in particular allows Armenia to better access regional and European markets. The link will improve security of electricity supply in both participating countries.

“The EU Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) grant will not only ensure the overall financing, but have a positive economic impact on the project finally resulting in limiting the potentially required end user tariff increases for the Armenian consumers thereby contributing to energy affordability especially for the poorer part of the population, In addition the EU NIF funds will be used to adapt energy sector regulation approximating EU standards,” said the EU Ambassador, Andrea Wiktorin.

Bodies of nine more servicemen found in search operations in Fizuli direction

David Nargizian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 2 2021

Nine more bodies of killed were found during the search operations in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) on Monday, Artsakh’s State Service of Emergency Situations reported.  According to the initial information, all of the killed are servicemen (reservists and volunteers) and are yet to be identified through a forensic DNA analysis. 

A total of 1,354 bodies of fallen soldiers and civilians have been found during the search operations. 

Search operations will continue today in Hadrut region, the source said. 

MPs of Armenia parliament majority bloc propose to ban referencing anonymous sources

David Nargizian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 2 2021
21:29, 02.02.2021

A group of deputies of the My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia recommend making amendments to the law on mass media in order to ban references to anonymous sources, hetq.am reported.

According to the proposed amendments, the requirement for submitting data for release will also be set for online mass media outlets, based on which the latter need to show the name of the particular media outlet on their websites, the full name and organizational and legal form of the legal entity carrying out media activities, and if the implementer of media activities is a natural person — its name and last name and address, if the implementer is an individual entrepreneur, then the number and date of issuance of the state registration certificate, as well as the contact number and e-mail address.

In the draft amendments, the deputies state that, in the context of restriction on freedom of speech, it is necessary to state that the dissemination of unknown sources by way of referencing may entail risks posing a threat to national security.

Yerevan to host international duduk festival

David Nargizian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 1 2021

Dudukman Production company and Lecturer at Yerevan State Conservatory Emanuel Hovhannisyan have initiated an international duduk festival-contest to take place in Yerevan from April 5 to May 5. As the organizers of the festival report, the event is aimed at promoting the legacy of the Armenian unique instrument as well as reveal new talents among young musicians. 

The festival-contest is open to young duduk players under 22 from over the world. 

The contest will take place in three stages. All performances of the contest will be recorded and shared on social media platforms of Dudukman Production. The best musicians will have an opportunity to cooperate with well-known musicians as well as take master classes from best specialists of the sphere. 

The Jury of the competition will comprise of renowned musicians and specialists. The deadline for participation is March 15 with submission to be sent to  and [email protected] email addresses. 

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2021/02/01/Yerevan-duduk-festival/2444703

Russia has important role in curbing Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression, says Armenian analyst

David Nargizian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 25 2021

Russia has an important role in restraining Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression, according to Henaket Analytical Center head Tigran Abrahamyan.

“We should observe the domestic political developments in Russia (concerning Navalny and others) first of all in regard to the movements in Russia’s influence in the region and in our security system in general,” he wrote on Facebook.

“In addition to the fact that Armenia has a task to harmonize common interests with Russia and bring bilateral relations to a new level in the post-war phase, Russia has taken on a new role in our region, one of the manifestations of which is the fulfillment of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Artsakh.

“Russia has an importance role in curbing Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression and in establishing lasting peace and stability in the region,” the analyst said, adding any process that could jeopardize Russia’s role raises concerns. 

Armenian Russian FMs discussed the implementation of Karabakh trilateral statements in phone call

David Nargizian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 27 2021

Armenian FM Ara Aivazian had on Wednesday a phone conversation with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, press department at the ministry reported. 

Following the previous talks, the Ministers touched upon the bilateral agenda, regional stability and security issues. Sides exchanged views on the process of full implementation of the provisions of the November 9 and January 11 trilateral statements. In the context of the humanitarian issues enshrined in the statement, Minister Aivazian stressed that the immediate and safe repatriation of prisoners of war, captured citizens and others detained is a priority for Armenia.

Minister Aivazian emphasized that only lasting peace, which addresses the interests of all, can create real guarantees for the promotion of security, stability and development in the region.

Ministers Aivazian and Lavrov exchanged views on a number of issues on the international agenda, the source added. 

Azerbaijani military regularly fire in the immediate vicinity of Armenian villages – Ombudsman

David Nargizian
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 30 2021

The Azerbaijani military fire from small and large-caliber weapons in the immediate vicinity of the villages of Chakaten, Nerkin Hand, Shikahogh, Yeghvard, Agarak, Uzhanis in the Syunik province of Armenia, Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan says.

Civilians and community bodies of all these villages have informed the Human Rights Defender that shootings take place regularly, both during the day and at night.

According to the alarms, the shootings are clearly heard in the villages, aimed at intimidating civilians and, first of all, children and women.

At the same time, the villagers observed that the Azerbaijani servicemen fire when they are drunk. The shooting is usually from large-caliber weapons and more intensive in these cases.

The delegation led by the Human Rights Defender was informed about these shootings on January 9, 2021 during their visits to Tshakaten and other villages of Kapan. At that time, it was directly reported that the shootings were causing tension in villages.

“These criminal, absolutely condemnable acts must be completely excluded. They have become a real threat to the rights to life and health, physical and psychological integrity and other rights of civilians of Armenia, recognized internationally and guaranteed by the Constitution of Armenia. These shooting grossly violate best interests of the children as well,” the Ombudsman says.

“The mentioned fact further reinforces the Human Rights Defender’s assessment that the presence of Azerbaijani armed forces in the immediate vicinity of Armenia’s civilian border communities, on inter-community and interstate roads is a real threat to the lives and other vital rights of civilians,” Tatoyan adds.

Reports on these facts will be sent to international organizations, including the OSCE, the UN and the Council of Europe. Separate reports will also be sent to special mechanisms of intergovernmental organizations.

Armenian ex. pres. Kocharian announces bid to participate in snap elections

David Nargizian
JAM News
Jan 28 2021
    JAMnews, Yerevan

Ex-President of Armenia Robert Kocharian has announced that he intends to participate in early elections if they are called.

“I will participate with my team and we will win,” he said in an interview with three Armenian media outlets.

Kocharian said that holding early elections at the moment, given the conditions that have developed in the country after the war, is dangerous, and that it would be better for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to voluntarily resign, and his team would be replaced by a transitional government – for a maximum of a year.

The ex-president also touched upon the issue of unblocking transport communications in the region and the issue of returning Armenian prisoners who are still in Azerbaijan since the end of the second Karabakh war.

Why Kocharian and the opposition are against early elections

After the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia signed a trilateral ceasefire statement in Karabakh in November 2020, protests began in Yerevan demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The opposition believes that he agreed to a ‘criminal agreement and voluntarily surrendered territories in Karabakh.’

At the end of December, Pashinyan suggested that the country’s political forces begin consultations on holding early parliamentary elections in 2021. But the Armenian opposition has rejected this proposal and is demanding that the prime minister leave office before the elections.

Ex-President Robert Kocharian agrees with this approach. He is convinced that it is dangerous to organize early parliamentary elections now, “in an atmosphere of contradictions, uncertainty, lack of answers to sensitive questions.”

“We have all the necessary tools for the political struggle, we also have a team. If the authorities manage to impose elections earlier, and they obviously have the necessary votes in parliament for this, then in this case, I think it would be more correct to participate in them. Otherwise, we will give these people the opportunity to assert their power.”

Kocharian believes that about 200-300,000 people in Armenian society are ‘radically predisposed’, but another revolution, just two years after the events of 2018, may become a problem for the country. And yet, if the hope for a political path to a change of power “dies”, then, according to Kocharian, in spring people will again take to the streets, and this wave of protests will be more powerful than the previous one.

On the return of Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharian does not believe that Azerbaijan does not know the exact number of Armenian prisoners. The ex-president is convinced that the Azerbaijani authorities “are pursuing the goal of creating problems for equipping the Karabakh army.”

“Keeping prisoners is a very serious headache. Aliyev is now under constant pressure because of the prisoners, but he has specific goals – to undermine the security system of Karabakh. Even if he returns them, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces will capture new prisoners. This practice will end only when the [Armenian] authorities promise not to send soldiers to Karabakh anymore.”

Republican Party of Armenia vice-president on failure of Armenian delegation to the PACE

David Nargizian
News.am, Armenia
Jan 28 2021
22:54, 28.01.2021

Vice-President of the Republican Party of Armenia Armen Ashotyan posted the following on his Facebook page:

“When Armenia is represented by ‘bagpipes’ of the authorities

The session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe showed that the existing ‘pack’ of conspirators is unable to pursue Armenia’s interests.

The delegation representing Armenia failed to:

1. Introduce the return of prisoners of war in the agenda of the PACE session.

2. Reach targeted statements blaming Azerbaijan in the report of the PACE Monitoring Committee.

However, I believe the third one is the biggest omission.

During the war, I had stated the need to use international mechanisms for investigation into the war in order to enshrine Azerbaijan’s military aggression and war crimes at the international level, along with all the consequences. This international mechanism first and foremost concerns the PACE, which has such a mandate and toolkit.

Moreover, through our efforts, the political message to investigate the war through the PACE was also conveyed the European People’s Party (the most influential political family in Europe) on December 7, 2020. It was stated that the need for a detailed and transparent investigation into the circumstances of the war and war crimes is important, including through the use of the toolkit and mechanisms of the PACE.

Similar statements on the recent war in Nagorno-Karabakh were also included in the annual Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) Report adopted by the European Parliament on January 20, 2021, and in the annual Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) Report, the European Parliament calls for an international investigation into all the allegations regarding the existence of foreign militias and the use of cluster munitions and phosphorus bombs.

This year in Strasbourg, in its report, the PACE reiterated the alarms sounded and the need for investigation of war crimes stated during the war, that is, the following: “The Assembly expresses its serious concern about reports and allegations of violations of humanitarian and human rights law by all sides during this conflict and allegations of degradations to some religious sites and monuments, as well as destruction of private property, and expects these reports to be fully investigated and any violations to be remedied and the perpetrators prosecuted.”

One has to be perfectly insane to overlook this very prospective proposal and to be satisfied with primitive texts for the internal audience in a favorable international environment.

The PACE should have and could have launched this process that is in the interests of Armenia.

Unfortunately, Armenia was represented by ‘bagpipes’ of the authorities.”