Author: Eduard Nalbandian

Activists in Tel Aviv Protest Israeli Arms Sales to Baku

Eduard Nalbandian



BY DIANA GALSTYAN
Special to Asbarez

Dozens of Armenians demonstrated in front of Israeli Defense Ministry building in Tel Aviv on Friday protesting Israel’s arms sales to Azerbaijan.

The activists demanded that Israel stop its arms sale to Azerbaijan, asserting that the goal of Azerbaijan’s authoritarian regime is to carry out ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Artsakh.

The protesters carried Kamikaze drone-shaped posters emblazoned with the “Made in Israel” moniker. Azerbaijan deployed the Kamikaze drones during its aggressive attacks against Artsakh last fall, which were actively aided by Turkey.

The demonstrators chanted “Aliyev, terrorist” and “Erdogan, terrorist” referring to the Azerbaijani and the Turkish presidents. The protesters also carried a poster depicting Shushi’s Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, which was targeted and shelled by Azerbaijani forces during last fall’s war.

Among the speakers were Armenian and pro-Armenian activists, including Israeli historian and scholar, Prof. Yair Auron, and Yoav Loeff, an adjunct professor of the Armenian studies department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After the speeches, the picketers sang Armenian patriotic songs and recited the works of great Armenian poets.

The rally was organized by the Union of Armenian Communities in Israel. The organizers called on the Armenian communities worldwide on to join them and organize protests in front of Israeli embassies around the world.
Harout Baghamian, the head of the Union of Armenian Communities in Israel and a member of the Armenian National Committee of Jerusalem presented remarks in English, which can be viewed in the video below.

Turkish press: Turkey’s ambassador slams Canadian university for canceling speech

Eduard Nalbandian
 ISTANBUL DIPLOMACY 
MAR 21, 2021 8:38 PM GMT+3
Turkey’s ambassador to Canada, Kerim Uras, attends a live event to commemorate the Çanakkale victory on March 18, 2021 (AA Photo)

The Turkish Ambassador to Canada, Kerim Uras, blasted a Canadian University’s decision to cancel an event on the Southern Caucasus after pressure by radical Armenian groups, as he called it a “sad day” for freedom of speech in Canada.

Uras was scheduled to attend the online event organized by the Montreal-based Concordia University’s Strategic and Diplomatic Society and the International Relations Society to discuss the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, which had recently been liberated by Azerbaijan from three decades of Armenian occupation.

The event, which was scheduled to take place on March 19, was canceled after radical Armenian groups, including the Armenian National Committee of Quebec put pressure on the university and the relevant student clubs to cancel it.

The ambassador criticized the cancellation, saying that he had accepted the university’s invitation weeks ago and that his participation would have enabled students of diplomacy to listen to every perspective and ask questions “for a better understanding of international issues and Southern Caucasus.”

“Radical Armenian groups can’t even tolerate a free exchange of views with a group of students. The students’ right to hear and analyze different views has been taken from them by bullying Armenian groups, who are fanatically hostile to #Turkey & #Azerbaijan & #Islamophobic,” Uras said on Twitter.

He continued by saying that it was “regrettable” that an academic institution bowed down to threats and intimidation by radical groups.

“The issues in the region are complex and rooted in history. Far better to discuss honestly… We will continue to encourage and work for #dialogue, #diplomacy, and mutual understanding to build lasting peace and stability,” the ambassador said.

Users on Twitter criticized the university for canceling the event.

One user slammed the university for double standards, as she noted that they did not cancel the speech of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2002 despite backlash from pro-Palestinian student groups.

Meanwhile, Gülnur Aybet, a senior advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, also criticized the move.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics over Nagorno-Karabakh have remained tense since 1991, but fresh clashes broke out on Sept. 27. Since then, Armenia has repeatedly attacked Azerbaijani civilians and forces, even violating three humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

About 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory has been under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades. Baku liberated several strategic cities, towns and nearly 300 of its settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation during the recent fighting.

Turkey supported Azerbaijan throughout the 44-day-long battle, which ended on Nov. 10 with a Moscow-brokered cease-fire.

Armenian President congratulates Iranian leaders on Nowruz –

Eduard Nalbandian
Public Radio of Armenia

President Armen Sarkissian sent a congratulatory message to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani on the occasion of Nowruz.

The message reads: “The neighborly relations of our peoples have always been a solid basis for the continuous development of cooperation between Armenia and Iran.

The difficult situation in the region forces us to work to expand the agenda of bilateral political and economic relations.

I am convinced that, realizing the existing challenges, we will make greater efforts to implement the current programs as soon as possible and to reach new agreements.”

President Sarkissian wished Hassan Rouhani good health, all the best, and peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Iran.

President Armen Sarkissian sent another congratulatory message to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Seyed Ali Khamenei.

The message reads: “I warmly congratulate you, the friendly people of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on the Iranian New Year, Nowruz.

May the coming year be a year of political and economic success for the people of Iran. The new problems and challenges facing the region make it imperative to further develop and deepen Armenian-Iranian relations.

Continuation of a constructive dialogue based on respect for each other’s religion and culture is essential for cooperation between Armenia and Iran in various fields.”

Russian analyst: Azerbaijan must convince Armenia that Nakhchivan road is useful not only for itself

Eduard Nalbandian
News.am, Armenia
14:37, 20.03.2021

We have said in the past that if Azerbaijan wants Armenia to enter into a dialogue on the Karabakh issue, it must offer an economic project that would benefit Armenia. Russian analyst Vladimir Lepekhin told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Our interlocutor said that at that time, “the ball” was “in Yerevan’s court,” it could have considered the possibility of participating in the economic project, and a dialogue would have started between the two sides.

But in the current situation when Azerbaijan has resolved some of its problems through military aggression, this transport project, according to Lepekhin, is now considered goodwill. Moreover, its main beneficiary is Azerbaijan, as most of the route will pass through its territory and will be overseen by it.

“The benefit for Armenia is not as obvious as for Azerbaijan. Armenia has other alternative transport links with Russia—via the same Georgia. There is no urgent need for a direct transport link between Russia and Armenia, given Armenia’s small export potential so that it will be vitally interested in entering the Russian market directly. But Azerbaijan is interested in having a direct link with Nakhichevan, there be a direct link with Turkey, to be represented in the southern part of Armenia.

Baku must convince the Armenian side that this is not a purely Azerbaijani benefit, but truly a step towards Armenia,” Vladimir Lepekhin added.

Snap parliamentary elections: Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan must resign by end of April

Eduard Nalbandian
News.am, Armenia
17:45, 18.03.2021

Snap parliamentary elections may be held in Armenia in case of the resignation of the Prime Minister. This is enshrined in the Armenian main law.

Thus. The procedure for holding special elections to the National Assembly is defined in Article 92 of the Armenian Constitution. Accordingly, the extraordinary elections of the National Assembly shall be held after the dissolution of the National Assembly, not earlier than 30, not later than 45 days later.

However, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has not resigned, and the National Assembly has not been dissolved. Instead, Pashinyan, violating the constitutional sequence, announced the date of the snap elections.

‘Handcuffed’ citizens hold rally outside Armenian parliament, demand return of POWs from Azerbaijan

Eduard Nalbandian
Panorama, Armenia

A group of “handcuffed” people on Tuesday held a rally in front of the Armenian National Assembly building to call attention to the issue of the Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) being held in Azerbaijan.

They demand that Armenia’s relevant state institutions immediately resolve the issue of the repatriation of POWs.

Before handcuffing themselves, the citizens stuck posters to the gates of the parliament building, presenting their demand.

“Either bring back the prisoners of war or stop the negotiations!” the posters read.

Incidentally, Azerbaijan has officially announced that there are no more Armenian prisoners in the country. 

Armenia starts vaccinating health workers with Sputnik-V

Eduard Nalbandian

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 16:52, 11 March, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS. Armenia started vaccinating health workers against COVID-19.

Armenian health workers engaged in the COVID-19 response are receiving the Russian Sputnik V vaccine on a voluntary basis.

Health ministry spokesperson Hripsime Khachatryan told ARMENPRESS that the Russian government had donated 2000 doses of Sputnik V to Armenia in early 2021 and they are using it in the vaccination. 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

HALO Trust denies claims of handing minefield maps to Turkish forces during or before Karabakh war

Eduard Nalbandian

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 19:57,

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS. The British Halo Trust charity organization engaged in demining works denies the information that it handed minefield maps to Turkish forces before or during Karabakh war.

”The HALO Trust is aware of a claim that it handed minefield maps to Turkish forces before or during the 2020 conflict over Karabakh. There is absolutely no truth to this claim. For over 20 years HALO has worked in Karabakh to make the local people safe. The HALO Trust is only able to operate in conflict zones around the world because it is a totally non-political and neutral organisation. The claim is totally false”, ARMENPRESS reports the organization said in a statement.

UN chief’s spox says spying allegations in Armenia against Clark Hattingh are “baseless”

Eduard Nalbandian

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 10:44,

YEREVAN, MARCH 10, ARMENPRESS. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric says that the spying allegations against the UNICEF Representative to Armenia Marianne Clark‑Hattingh are “baseless”.

“The allegations against…  the spying allegations against her are baseless, and I would defend her strongly,” he said at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on the matter.

“What I can tell you and what my colleagues of UNICEF have told me is that UNICEF and the Government of Armenia have agreed that Marianne Clark‑Hattingh will complete her assignment as UNICEF Representative in Armenia this month, and she’ll be redeployed to another duty station. She is a highly qualified, extremely experienced and committed development professional, who has previously served with UNICEF at Headquarters, as well as being the Representative in Malaysia and other posts in places such as Somalia, Guinea, Benin and Madagascar. UNICEF has been working for the children in Armenia since 1993 and has had a close and effective partnership with the Government,” the spokesperson added.

The Armenian government earlier said that it is terminating Marianne Clark‑Hattingh’s duties because of her “failures in the implementation of her mandate and her uncooperative conduct.”

However, some media outlets reported that the real reason of the termination is that Clark-Hattingh spied for the governments of Azerbaijan and United Kingdom.

Editing by Stepan Kocharyan