Author: Edgar Tavakalian

We are doing everything to establish peace in the region: Alen Simonyan to IPU Secretary General

Edgar Tavakalian

 18:35,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, ARMENPRESS.  Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan  on Monday received the  delegation led by the current Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Martin Chungong.
Simonyan expressed gratitude to the IPU for its efforts in promoting peace in the region of Armenia, the press service of the Armenian National Assembly said.
According to the source, Alen Simonyan noted that the NA delegation has consistently been one of the active members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, with its lawmakers holding positions in various bodies of the organization.
Reflecting on the ongoing negotiations with Azerbaijan concerning the signing of a peace treaty, the Speaker emphasized that the Armenian side is constructive and open to discussions that will contribute to the process of signing this document.
"Armenia is a democratic country; this is already an established fact. We have done everything and continue to work with our international partners to establish peace in the region," stressed Simonyan.
Secretary-General Chungong, in turn, commended Armenia's efforts in peace negotiations and noted that the IPU will fully support the implementation of this peace treaty.
The interlocutors also discussed the annual IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, scheduled to take place this year in Armenia.

Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate files criminal complaint against Armenian author Nişanyan over remark on adhan

Edgar Tavakalian
 duvaR.english 
Turkey, Jan 25 2024

Duvar English

Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) has filed a criminal complaint against Armenian author and linguist Sevan Nişanyan for his statements criticizing the loudness of the adhan (the Islamic calls to prayer that occur five times each day) in a YouTube livestream. 

The complaint suggested Nişanyan’s words “insulted the adhan, attacked and debased the religious values of all Muslims, and offended the Directorate as well as its public officials,” state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Jan. 24. 

According to the Directorate, Nişanyan crossed the lines of respect and “spewed hatred to the Turkish public’s beliefs and spiritual values in a hostile manner.” The complaint requested a public prosecution for the author for the crimes of “insulting public officers about their duty,” and “provoking and insulting the public to enmity.”

The statement is from a 2021 livestream on Nişanyan’s YouTube channel. He said, “I don’t know any attack as vile and intrusive as blasting the adhan through speakers. It is one of the most despicable aspects of life in Turkey, the adhan bellowing like animals.” 

In 2013, the self-proclaimed “honest atheist” and controversial figure was sentenced to a year in prison for insulting Prophet Muhammed of Islam. He has been living abroad since 2017 after fleeing prison where he was staying on charges related to illegal development on an archeological site.  

Armenpress: Japan Airlines jet collides with coast guard plane at Tokyo airport runway, 5 dead

Edgar Tavakalian

 09:30, 3 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 3, ARMENPRESS. A Japan Airlines Co. passenger jet collided with a Japan Coast Guard plane at Tokyo's Haneda airport Tuesday, causing both aircraft to catch fire and killing five coast guard members, while all 379 on board the commercial flight escaped without life-threatening injuries, Kyodo News Agency reports.

The cause of the incident, which occurred on a runway of one of the country's busiest airports after the JAL plane landed, remains unknown as air traffic communication records are not disclosed. JAL said its airplane coming from Sapporo was given permission to land.

Kyodo cited the coast guard as saying its airplane was going to take off to Niigata Prefecture to deliver food and water for people who have been affected by a magnitude-7.6 earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula and its vicinity along the Sea of Japan coast the day before.

The coast guard did not elaborate on exactly where its plane was on the tarmac at the time of the collision.

The accident occurred at around 5:47 p.m., soon after the JAL plane landed with 367 passengers on board, including eight small children.

The plane, an Airbus A350, stopped on the runway after running for a while following the collision. The passengers and crew then used emergency slides to get out of the fuselage as it was being engulfed in flames and smoke.

It took eight and a half hours for the fire on the JAL airplane to come under control, the Tokyo Fire Department said.

On the coast guard airplane, a Bombardier DHC8-300 based at the airport, the fire was also extinguished but five of the six on board, whose ages ranged from 27 to 56, were confirmed dead, according to police.

A total of 15 people were injured in the accident, including Genki Miyamoto, the coast guard plane's 39-year-old captain, according to firefighters.

The airport temporarily closed all four of its runways.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that he instructed transport minister Tetsuo Saito to investigate the cause of the accident.

Kyodo cited Tokyo Metropolitan Police as saying it has launched an investigation into the accident on suspicion of negligence resulting in death and injury.

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Tehran Dismisses Baku’s Claims about Hazards from Metsamor Power Plant

Edgar Tavakalian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 January 3, 2024

 

in Armenia, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

The Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia


Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has dismissed claims that the Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia can contaminate the Araks River with radioactive materials, the Iranian Tansim News Agency reported.

Addressing Iranian lawmakers, Amir-Abdollahian said that the technical report and inspection by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran dismissed the possibility of contamination of the Araks River as a result of the operation of the Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani media claimed that Armenia’s Metsamor nuclear power plant pours 12 to 16 thousand cubic meters of radioactive waste into the Araks River every day.

Film: ‘I delved into the most painful places with a camera’

Edgar Tavakalian
Novaya Gazeta
Jan 2 2024



As Shoghakat Vardanyan began journalism school and her brother Soghomon was completing his compulsory military service in September 2020, the Second Karabakh War broke out. Soghomon was immediately sent to the front line.

On 1 October, he called his mother for the last time. After that he disappeared. Vardanyan spent the next two weeks fruitlessly attempting to locate her brother before deciding to film the experience and document the new reality in which she and her parents found themselves.

The result is Vardanyan’s documentary debut, 1489 — the number Soghomon was given when he went missing in action — which won two awards including best film at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in November.

Vardanyan meticulously documents her parents’ agonising wait for news while also recording her own attempts to navigate an unbearable situation. Sadly, the only glimpse the viewer ever has of Soghomon is in archival footage. The news of Soghomon’s death comes as a gut punch, and for a few minutes, both parents really do seem to go mad with grief as their daughter, camera in hand, attempts to guide them back to reality. The film doesn’t shy away from family’s inconceivable pain and shows each stage of human grief — hope, bargaining, anger, acceptance — with an unflinching gaze.

A personal, local story becomes a universal one as Vardanyan’s footage shows the other families experiencing the loss of loved ones in war. While 1489 dispenses with slogans, it is an emphatic anti-war statement. Ksenia Gapchenko spoke to Vardanyan about her film’s success and how making it affected both her and her family.

KG: How do you feel after your success at IDFA?

SV: It’s all kind of confusing. I mean, my emotions were very confused, but it’s better now. There seems to be some clarity…I’ll be honest: these awards matter to me a lot. They show that I managed to get a grip on myself and tell a very difficult personal story; to overcome not only what I felt inside, but also that which caused pain from the outside.

I went my own way, rejecting the usual path of filmmaking: raising money, finding a producer, going to all sorts of workshops, because the first thing people wanted to do is influence the film artistically.

Making the film on my own meant professional loneliness. I had to figure out what to do all by myself, both as a director and as a producer.

KG: How are your parents now? How do they feel and how do you get along?

SV: I get along well with them. We’re doing fine. Somehow I have grown up a lot in these three years, and it strengthened the relationship with my parents

KG: I remember watching the footage of your father and noticing his expressive and sad eyes. It seems like there are a few instances when he loses touch with reality.

SV: A person cannot grieve all the time. Sometimes he distracts himself, becoming disconnected from his grief. It’s a defence mechanism because the brain can’t take in that many negative emotions. There are moments in my film where a person can finally relax.

KG: The film develops chronologically. And then suddenly there’s archival footage of your brother helping your father out with the Christmas tree. This moment brought me to tears. For a moment, hope returned when we saw Soghomon. How did this idea come to you?

SV: The idea of using archival footage was always there. I thought about including a video from New Year’s celebrations, and this bit fit in well. It had a certain cathartic effect. I liked the way it worked in the film.

KG: When did your parents first see the film?

SV: I don’t remember exactly. It was before the final scene of the funeral had been shot. But Mum has since seen the latest version. Dad has only watched the first cut. After that, he left the house and went to his art studio. He didn’t say anything to me afterwards.

KG: How did the audience at the Yerevan International Film Festival react?

SV: It was a small private screening for friends and a foreign jury. It turned out that the best film received a monetary prize from the Armenian prime minister. When I was invited to take part in the festival, I was unaware of that. And when my film won, I refused the money.

I thought about all the families who lost their loved ones. I realised that I wanted my work to remain unaffiliated with anything. So after thinking about it thoroughly, I decided to turn the money down.

Shoghakat and Soghomon Vardanyan / Photo from personal archive

KG: How did European audiences receive the film? How well do you think they understand the events in Armenia?

SV: I don’t know how well they understand what is going on. After the screening, I did a Q&A with a film critic, and people from different countries began coming up to me. I asked them where they were from. Some were Armenian. I even had a Chinese student come up to me. He said that he understood everything and assured me that everyone would get this film. It doesn’t matter who its audience is. During filming, I was worried because some people said that only Armenians would understand my work, but it turns out that’s not the case.

KG: When will the film be shown to the Armenian public and have you thought about special screenings for the mothers of soldiers?

SV: It’s always much harder to show a film at home than abroad. For Armenians, it’ll be a different experience. Many people here aren’t ready to see my film, although I think they really need to watch it. Most are trying to hide from reality and don’t want to face the truth around them.

KG: I think 1489 is a very strong statement about the fragility of human life and surviving loss. In a way, it’s a film with a mission, an anti-war statement. Would you like viewers in Azerbaijan to see it?

SV: I would. An Armenian journalist asked me the same question a few days ago. I shuddered a bit then. Now, I do not shudder when saying that I’d like that.

Why did I shudder then? Imagine that all your life you’ve had an enemy. And suddenly you have to think about them and say something. It’s very hard for me to think about that, of course. But I would like people in Azerbaijan to see my film. But I’m sure that screening it there would be impossible.

Why do people need this film at all? It’s not just about hearing the story of Armenia, of my brother and other Armenian men. As you said, it’s an anti-war film and it functions as therapy for people who have gone through war.

The more people in different countries that see this film, the better. Although, to be honest, I don’t believe in art’s power to change the world, though it can perhaps effect change in some.

Yerevan Says Specifics of Delimitation Must be Included in Peace Treaty

Edgar Tavakalian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan hosts his Iranian counterpart in Yerevan on Dec. 27


Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Wednesday said that the specifics of the delimitation of borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan must be included in an eventual peace treaty with Azerbaijan, thus countering Baku’s insistence that the border process not be linked to peace discussions.

Last week, Himet Hajiyev, the chief advisor to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, told reporters in London that Baku would consider separating the border delimitation process from the peace talks and an eventual peace treaty. A day later, Armenia’s Parliament Speaker, who has taken it upon himself to discuss and express approaches to foreign policy matters, said that he did not see a problem in separating the two issues.

With his remarks on Wednesday, Mirzoyan clarified that Yerevan wants the delimitation issues — including the the maps that are to be used in that process — to be included in the language of a peace deal.

“It is extremely important for us that the future delimitation process is predictable and its principles, its foundations are fixed in the peace agreement,” Mirzoyan told reporters on Wednesday during a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who was visiting Yerevan.

“For us, a reference to [concrete] maps would be such a way of ensuring that predictability without predetermining the results [of the process],” added Mirzoyan.

“The three principles pertain to the sovereignty of countries, mutual recognition of territorial integrity and inviolability of borders. When talking about transport and communication infrastructures, we once again address the jurisdiction within the context of these three principles. They are principles accepted by the international community and their legitimacy is recognized worldwide,” Mirzoyan emphasized.

Mirzoyan said that the Armenian government is making every effort to bring the peace process to its logical conclusion, but emphasized that a peace treaty cannot be achieved unilaterally and called for Azerbaijan’s cooperation.

“We have repeatedly emphasized the Republic of Armenia’s commitment to engaging in conscientious and constructive negotiations with Azerbaijan. The ultimate goal of these negotiations is the settlement of relations and the establishment of peace. We have consistently reaffirmed our dedication to the peace process and the establishment of lasting peace in our region,” said Mirzoyan.

“We have had negotiations with Azerbaijan in several directions and several phases; we are working on a concrete draft of the peace treaty. Recently, we have received new proposals from the Azerbaijani side, which we will thoroughly study and respond appropriately, submitting our own proposals,” he added.

“There is a real possibility to achieve peace; there is a window to bring the process to a logical end.  We do have a chance for peace despite the many obstacles and difficulties we have faced. Despite even the forced displacement of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the hate speech from Azerbaijan, the aggressive rhetoric, we really see that opportunity,’’ said Mirzoyan, noting that the Armenian government is doing its utmost to ensure that the process leading to peace reaches its logical conclusion.

Mirzoyan expressed hope that Azerbaijan would show such constructiveness. He added that positive signals are visible, such as the agreements reached due to the recent contacts, which led to the release of prisoners of war and detainees. In turn, Armenia supported Azerbaijan’s bid to host the 29th Session of the UN Climate Change summit next year.

“On the other hand, we observe negative signals, given the aggressive statements and calls from Azerbaijan, and the avoidance of high-level meetings. Although there are proposals, the meetings have not taken place recently. We hope that in the near future, we will have the opportunity to sign a long-term peace agreement,” concluded Mirzoyan.

Armenpress: Armenian Foreign Minister extends condolences on death of former Ambassador of Dominican Republic

Edgar Tavakalian

 12:26,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. The former Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Armenia, Hans Dannenberg Castellanos, has died.

Castellanos served as Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Armenia from April 2022 until early 2023, when he was appointed Ambassador to Canada.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan offered condolences to the late ambassador’s family.

“Deeply saddened to learn of untimely passing of former Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Armenia Hans Dannenberg. His relentless efforts aimed at building stronger bilateral ties, including opening of diplomatic office in Yerevan, will be always remembered. Condolences to his family & friends,” FM Mirzoyan said on X.

Armenpress: Aliyev invites Lukashenko to visit Azerbaijan

Edgar Tavakalian

 20:56,

YEREVAN, 26 DECEMBER, ARMENPRESS.  President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has invited President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to visit Baku,  BelTA reports.

"We are waiting in Azerbaijan," BelTA quoted Aliyev, as saying.

The two leaders discussed the international agenda and Aliyev provided a detailed overview of the situation in the Caucasus region.

The meeting of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Belarus took place in St. Petersburg, where they had arrived to take part in the unofficial summit of the heads of CIS member states.

Opinion: 2023 was another year of missed opportunities in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations

Edgar Tavakalian
Dec 19 2023
  • CONFLICT AND PEACE
  • SOUTH CAUCASUS
19 DECEMBER 2023
Benyamin Poghosyan

"Despite hopes, Armenia and Azerbaijan failed to sign a peace agreement by the end of 2023", writes Benyamin Poghosyan in this op-ed for commonspace.eu. "However, since the text of the document seems to be, by and large, already agreed, there are hopes that an agreement may be signed in the first half of 2024. Otherwise, the EU and US election cycles in the Summer and Autumn of 2024 may push the South Caucasus out of the West's radar. If this happens, Russia may resume its leading role as a negotiation platform between Armenia and Azerbaijan, pushing the two sides to sign a peace agreement in Moscow by the end of 2024", he argues. 

2023 started with mixed feelings in Armenia – Azerbaijan negotiations. It seemed that the October 2022 Prague statement, where the Armenian government recognized Nagorno Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, paved the way for the signature of an Armenia – Azerbaijan peace agreement. Many perceived the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the fate of the Armenian population as the primary obstacle to the peace process. Meanwhile, the blockade of the Lachin corridor, imposed by Azerbaijan in mid–December 2022, added tensions in bilateral relations.

The negotiation process resumed in February 2023, as Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders met on the margins of the Munich Security Conference, a summit facilitated by the US Secretary of State. This meeting opened the way for months of intensive negotiations. The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers met twice in Washington in May and June 2023 to discuss a peace agreement, while Pashinyan and Aliyev met twice in Brussels in May and July 2023. In the meantime, the two leaders also met in Chisinau on June 1, 2023, on the margins of the second European Political Community summit, accompanied by the President of the European Council, the President of France, and the German Chancellor. The sides registered significant progress in elaborating the peace agreement, claiming that at least 70 percent of the text was agreed.

On the other hand, the continuation of the Nagorno-Karabakh blockade impacted the process negatively. On April 23, 2023, Azerbaijan established a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor, and since mid-June, banned all transportation in and out of the region, with rare exceptions of medical evacuations done by the International Red Cross. Azerbaijan pushed for the usage of the Aghdam road to supply Nagorno Karabakh, while Armenians rejected this option, fearing that it would be another step towards "reintegration into Azerbaijan." Armenia applied to the International Court of Justice, but Azerbaijan de facto refused to implement the court's decision. Upon Armenia's request, the UN Security Council discussed the situation on August 16, but the gathering ended without any statements or resolutions.

Despite the ongoing tensions around the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, negotiations on the peace agreement continued, and on September 11, Azerbaijan provided its latest version of the text to Armenia. However, Azerbaijan decided to use force to "close the Karabakh chapter" and launched a large-scale military offensive on September 19. Armenian government decided not to intervene militarily, and Russian peacekeepers took the same approach. Without any external support, the authorities of the self-proclaimed Nagorno Karabakh Republic were forced to capitulate and sign a decree on the dissolution of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic by the end of 2023. Within ten days, all Armenians left Nagorno-Narabakh, and on October 15, President Aliyev reviewed a military parade in Stepanakert with practically no Armenians remaining in the town.

Some hoped that the "destruction of Nagorno Karabakh" would facilitate the peace process. The EU put significant hope on the scheduled Granada meeting between President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan on the margins of the third European Political Community summit. The Secretary of the Armenian Security Council and Foreign policy advisor to President Aliyev met in Brussels on September 26, and everything indicated the sides were ready to sign a peace agreement by the end of 2023. Then, suddenly, Azerbaijan pulled away from negotiations. President Aliyev canceled his visit to Granada, citing France's decision to sell weapons to Armenia and the discussions at the European Parliament about Nagorno-Karabakh as the main reasons. Arguably, he demanded participation at the Granada meeting of President Erdogan, an offer rejected by France and Germany. Then President Aliyev rejected the EU offer to hold a leaders' summit in Brussels by the end of October 2023 in the "original Brussels format" and also canceled the meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers scheduled for November 20, citing the anti-Azerbaijan statements by the US State Department officials during November 15 hearings in the US Congress. Simultaneously, Azerbaijan hinted at its readiness to resume negotiations in Moscow, within the 3+2 platform, or at the bilateral level. On November 30, the Armenian and Azerbaijani Commission on delimitation and demarcation met on the Armenia – Azerbaijan border and agreed on its charter. On December 7, 2023, Armenia and Azerbaijan made a significant step forward by adopting a bilateral statement on pushing forward the peace process, exchange of POWs, and also Armenia's support to Azerbaijan to host the COP 29 conference in Baku in 2024.

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Meanwhile, the US Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, James O'Brien, visited Baku and met with Azerbaijani President Aliyev on December 6. According to different sources, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to hold a foreign ministers meeting in January 2024 in Washington, while bilateral negotiations will probably continue. On February 7, 2024, Azerbaijan will hold snap Presidential elections, and a landslide victory of President Aliyev seems assured.

Thus, despite hopes, Armenia and Azerbaijan failed to sign a peace agreement by the end of 2023. However, since the text of the document seems to be, by and large, already agreed, there are hopes that an agreement may be signed in the first half of 2024. Otherwise, the EU and US election cycles in the Summer and Autumn of 2024 may push the South Caucasus out of the West's radar. If this happens, Russia may resume its leading role as a negotiation platform between Armenia and Azerbaijan, pushing the two sides to sign a peace agreement in Moscow by the end of 2024.      

 

https://www.commonspace.eu/node/12498