Armenian President Armen Sarkissian has today signed a decree to dismiss Romanos Petrosyan as Minister of Environment.
The decision is based on the prime minister’s proposal and is in accordance with Article 131 of the Constitution, as well as Article 5 (Part 1) of the law “On the Structure and Activities of the Government”.
By another presidential decree, Petrosyan has been appointed head of the State Oversight Service.
December 7, 2021
To the Princeton Institute for the Transregional Study and Princeton Faculty,
We, the undersigned organizations, write to share our opposition to Princeton University’s decision to provide a prominent platform for Khazar Ibrahim, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States, to discuss “peace and cooperation in the Caucasus.” The government he represents has, in actual fact, acted directly and violently against the interests of both peace and cooperation.
As has been widely documented, Azerbaijan, backed by Turkish-drafted extremist mercenaries, committed countless war crimes against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh during, before, and after the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war. To this day, Azerbaijan continues to invade Armenian sovereign land, choke off water from vulnerable populations, and illegally hold and maltreat hundreds of prisoners of war. Hosting Ambassador Ibrahim –without providing the audience with factual context or offering equal time to critics of the Azerbaijani government – risks normalizing racism and ethnic cleansing by an autocratic regime.
Azerbaijan’s record is clear, and thoroughly documented, by our own government and leading human rights organizations:
State Department: The U.S. Department of State’s most recent Human Rights Country Report on Azerbaijan documents “Significant human rights issues,” including: “unlawful or arbitrary killing; torture; arbitrary detention; political prisoners; politically motivated reprisal against individuals outside the country; heavy restrictions on free _expression_, the press, and the internet, including violence against journalists, the criminalization of libel and slander, harassment and incarceration of journalists on questionable charges, and blocking of websites; systemic government corruption.
Freedom House: Freedom House rates Azerbaijan as Not Free, noting that: “power in Azerbaijan’s authoritarian regime remains heavily concentrated in the hands of Ilham Aliyev, who has served as president since 2003, and his extended family.
Amnesty International: “War crimes were committed by Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. Several verified videos depicted the mistreatment of prisoners of war and other captives, decapitations, and desecration of the dead bodies of enemy soldiers.”
Human Rights Watch: “Azerbaijan’s government continues to wage a vicious crackdown on critics and dissenting voices. The space for independent activism, critical journalism, and opposition political activity has been virtually extinguished as so many activists, human rights defenders, and journalists have been arrested and jailed and [there are] restrictions on media freedoms.”
The opinions of the undersigned organizations are supported by the United States House of Representatives, which recently passed five amendments to the 2021-2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Among these were measures demanding Azerbaijan’s release of Armenian POWs and calling for investigations of Azerbaijani war crimes.
We write this letter, sadly aware of Princeton University’s troubling history as a home of Armenian Genocide revisionism and denialism, most notably in the form of the scandal surrounding Heath Lowry, the widely criticized denialist installed as the Atatürk Professor of Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies.
As you know, Princeton University has set forth its public commitment to “service to humanity.” The Vice Chair of the Board of the Trustees Brent Henry called on people to “be of service to humanity and help make the world a better place.” The Republic of Azerbaijan stands for exactly the opposite. The Aliyev regime and its representatives have forfeited any right to speak in the name of “peace and cooperation.”
We urge Princeton University to recognize how unsafe this event and other actions have made its students of Armenian descent and the surrounding Armenian community, and call on the university to cancel this racist and offensive lecture. Failing this, we ask that Princeton University provide an equally prominent platform for voices critical of the Azerbaijani government.
Sincerely,
Armenian Youth Federation, Eastern USA
Armenian Student Associations United
___________________________________________________________________________________
Princeton Armenian Society
Harvard University Armenian Students Association
Seton Hall University Armenian Student Association
Armenian Students Association at Northeastern University
Brown University Armenian Society
Armenian Society of Columbia University
Armenian Society at Fordham University
Bentley University Armenian Students Association
Michigan State Armenian Students Organization
UC Berkeley Armenian Students Association
Boston University Armenian Students Association
University of Pennsylvania Armenian Students Association
Georgetown University Armenian Student Association
University of Maryland Armenian Student Union
University of Michigan Armenian Students’ Cultural Association
Providence College Armenian Society
Ramapo College Armenian Students Association
Fairleigh Dickinson University Armenian Students Association
UC San Diego Armenian Students Association
University of Chicago Armenian Students Association
MIT Armenian Society
George Washington University Armenian Students Association
Villanova Armenian Students’ Organization
University of Virginia Armenian Cultural Student Association
Arizona State University Armenian Students Association
Armenian Club of Purdue University
Boston College Armenian Club
California Polytechnic State University Pomona Armenian Students Association
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo Armenian Students Association
Chapman University Armenian Students Association
Colgate University Armenian Students’ Association
Cornell Armenian Students Organization
California State University Northridge Armenian Students Association
Glendale Community College Armenian Students Association
Lafayette College Armenian Students Association
Loyola Marymount University Armenian Students Association
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Armenian Students Association
McGill University Armenian Students Association
Moorpark College Armenian Students Association
New York University Armenian Students Association
Occidental College Armenian Students Association
Pepperdine University Armenian Students Association
The Ohio State University Armenian Students Association
UC Davis Armenian Students Association
UCLA Armenian Students Association
UC Santa Barbara Armenian Students Association
UC Santa Cruz Armenian Students Association
UMass Amherst Armenian Students Association
University of Nevada Las Vegas Armenian Students Association
University of Rochester Armenian Students Association
University of Southern California Armenian Students Association
14:46,
Last updated – 15:33
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani military units attacked an Armenian Armed Forces position in the eastern direction of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border around 12:00, December 10.
The Ministry of Defense said that the Armenian military’s countermeasures repelled the attack. An unspecified number of Azerbaijani troops were neutralized.
The firefight continued as of 14:30.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
19:26, 9 December, 2021
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. By the decision of Prime Minister of Armenia NIkol Pashinyan, Romanos Petrosyan has been appointed Chairman of the State Control Service, ARMENPRESS reports the PM’s decision is published in e-gov.am website.
Earlier today, Romanos Petrosyan had been relieved of the post of Minister of Environment and Tigran Ulikhanyan – from the post of the Chairman of the State Control Service.
Judges on Tuesday ordered Azerbaijan to “protect from violence and bodily harm” all Armenian prisoners from the conflict and ensure they are treated lawfully, following allegations of mistreatment.
Azerbaijan must further prevent the “vandalism and desecration” of Armenian cultural heritage including churches, it said.
Baku had already ordered the removal of wax mannequins of Armenian troops from Azerbaijan’s so-called Military Trophies Park, which Armenia had requested due to their “Armenophobic features”, the court said.
The ICJ further ordered both Azerbaijan and Armenia to “take all necessary measures to prevent the incitement and promotion of racial hatred and discrimination” against the other.
In Azerbaijan’s case the order involved “officials and institutions”, whereas for Armenia the court mentioned “organisations and private persons”.
The ICJ however threw out a bid by Azerbaijan to make Armenia stop laying landmines and to hand over maps of mines, saying that it was not covered by the anti-discrimination treaty.
During hearings in October Armenia and Azerbaijan both accused the other of breaching a UN treaty at the centre of several ICJ cases, the International Convention on All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
Armenia accused Azerbaijan during those hearings of fuelling a “cycle of hate” while Azerbaijan meanwhile accused Armenia of “ethnic cleansing”.
Azerbaijan said on Saturday it had freed 10 Armenian soldiers captured last month during fresh fighting, following Russian-mediated talks.
Armenia in exchange passed on maps of mine fields.
The swap came after Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliev and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian agreed to ease tensions last week at a rare meeting in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Research Group members of Plant Genetics and Immunology, Institute of Molecular Biology of National Academy of Sciences RA Kristine Margaryan and Garik Melyan have authored an academic research on Genetic diversity of Armenian grapevine published in the scientific journal of Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
The study is the first most representative and comprehensive analysis of Armenian grape germplasm and one of the major goals of study was to evaluate the level and relationships of existing genetic diversity across Armenia, aiming to identify genotypes that could provide genetic insights into the Armenian grapevine germplasm structure.
According to the study abstract, the existence of immense grapevine biodiversity in Armeniais strongly linked with unique relief and diverse climate conditions assembled with millennium-lasting cultural and historical context. In the present in-depth study using 25 nSSR markers, 492 samples collected in old vineyards, home gardens, and private collections were genotyped. For verification of cultivar identity, the symbiotic approach combining genotypic and phenotypic characterization for each genotype was carried out. The study provided 221 unique varieties, including 5 mutants, from which 66 were widely grown, neglected or minor autochthonous grapevine varieties, 49 turned out to be new bred cultivars created within the national breeding programs mainly during Soviet Era and 34 were non-Armenian varieties with different countries of origin. No references and corresponding genetic profiles existed for 67 genotypes.
12:03, 2 December, 2021
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government announced amendments into the COVID-19 restrictions for inbound travelers, whereby travelers arriving to Armenia are required to produce either a negative PCR result administered not more than 72 hours before arrival or a proof of full vaccination. In case of being vaccinated with a single-dose vaccine travelers must produce the certificate of vaccination proving that they’ve received the dose at least 4 weeks before arrival. If travelers have received more than one dose, the last dose must be administered at least 2 weeks before arrival.
A negative result or vaccination certificate is not required for children below the age of 7, specifically 6 years, 11 months and 29 days, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Travelers arriving from Russia must provide the certificates through the Travel Without COVID-19 mobile application.
Foreign nationals who will fail to produce either of the requirements will be banned from entering the country.
In case of not producing a certificate, Armenian nationals, foreigners having temporary or permanent residency permits, non-citizens permanently residing in Armenia, persons having a status of refugee or those who’ve been granted asylum are subject to testing in the airport or the land border crossing checkpoint at their own expense and mandatory self-quarantine until the test results are available.
The vaccination certificate can be presented also on a mobile application or printed version with a QR code.
Travelers showing relevant symptoms will be hospitalized with results of examinations.
Travelers refusing to present a vaccination certificate or get tested will be placed into isolation for 14 days.
The certificates should be either in Armenian, Russian or English languages, in a form containing the contact information of the medical institution where the test or vaccination has been administered, as well as identification data and details of the traveler. In case of travelers arriving from EU countries the dates of inoculations of the first and second doses, the serial number and production name of the vaccine, as well as the date of birth of the traveler and the test result are also mandatory.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Lavrov speaks about Russia’s role in finding solutions to issues of dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan
21:02, 1 December, 2021
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Russia continues to focus on efforts to resolve various regional conflicts, including the Karabakh conflict, ARMENPRESS reports Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the Federation Council of the RF Federal Assembly on December 1.
“Russia has a clear contribution to the resolution of such crises. I am talking about our key role in defeating the terrorists, promoting political dialogue in Syria, as well as ending the bloodshed in Nagorno-Karabakh and finding lasting solutions to the disputed issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan”, he said.
Lavrov added that Russia is also actively involved in Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Korean Peninsula and other issues.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin on Friday brokered trilateral talks between President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in Sochi on the anniversary of the signing of ceasefire and ending hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on November 9, 2020. The talks, according to the Russian government’s press statement, entailed the progress in implementing the earlier agreements between the two warring sides to establish peace and strengthen stability. The Russian leader also mediated the negotiations for the restoration and development of bilateral trade, economic, and transport links in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. After the crucial meeting, President Vladimir Putin, Ilham Aliyev, and Nikol Pashinyan issued an official statement about the outcome of the trilateral talks.
“We reaffirmed our agreements on the ceasefire and restoring normal life later in January. A lot has been accomplished during this time. Unfortunately, not every issue have been settled yet,” said Putin.
Meeting with Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan https://t.co/aOplG4cjI2
— President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) November 26, 2021
Putin expressed regrets about the tragic military conflict that unleashed at the volatile border, as he lamented the casualties, adding that Russia would ensure that such incidents are avoided in the future. President Putin promised to return over 53,000 war-displaced civilians from the Nagorno-Karabakh back to their permanent place of residence. Furthermore, Putin assured that no large-scale hostilities will take place between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as he will dispatch a monitoring group to work collaboratively with a contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russia and Turkey operate a joint centre in the Nagorno-Karabakh region that was opened to observe a ceasefire after last year’s flare-up of hostilities. The centre was officially established in November 2020 in the Agdam region of Azerbaijan with 60 servicemen each from Moscow and Ankara. Russia also created a trilateral commission at the level of deputy prime ministers of the governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Moscow.
“It is not easy, but, nevertheless, this work is at an advanced stage, and there is reason to believe that we will soon be able to not only confirm the work of the corresponding group on unblocking transport links, but also make the appropriate decisions that everyone needs,” said Russian President Putin.
The revival of the conflict-ravaged region is at the center of the goal of the Russian efforts, Putin stressed, so that both the warring sides can engage in economic activity once again. Since Russia’s mediatory efforts, no serious incidents or deliberate provocations in the Nagorno-Karabakh region have been witnessed, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev told the conference in Moscow. The situation has remained stable in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers.
Tensions over the contended South Caucasus piece of land have worsened over the past several years with Armenia and Azerbaijan blaming each other over who instigates and flares the regional conflict. While both the Transcaucasian countries have held ‘substantive’ talks brokered by Putin, reports of fresh clashes emerged just hours after a ceasefire came into force. Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia had signed an agreement to end the military conflict, and Russia’s defense ministry flew 1,960 Russian peacekeepers from an airbase at Ulyanovsk to be deployed on the front line to guard the Lachin corridor. However, as early as last week, troops on both sides clashed violently on the Nagorno-Karabakh border resulting in 15 military casualties on the Armenian side and two from Azerbaijan.