Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

Defending Armenia through Art: Fifteen-Year-Old Shakeh Hagopian awarded Congressional art prize

Emil Lazarian
 Ruby Topalian Community News, Art, Diaspora 0

Hagopian poses for a photo with her painting and Congresswoman Becca Balint (D-VT). As part of her day on Capitol Hill, Hagopian also had the opportunity to engage in a sit-down meeting with Balint where she not only discussed “Noor of Truth” but also advocated for Balint’s increased involvement in Armenian issues.

Most kids spend their childhoods running around playgrounds, playing dress-up and haphazardly scribbling in coloring books. But from the age of two, Shakeh Hagopian has spent hours a day with her head down, pencil in hand, sketching. When she reached elementary school, her parents became concerned by how much time Shakeh spent consumed by her art, as she devoted up to 16 hours a day to drawing, painting and creating beautiful images. 

While as a child Hagopian was motivated by her love for the artistic process, masterfully drawing animals, flowers and basic landscapes, her art has gradually evolved into a force of powerful activism geared towards the Armenian cause. This month, Hagopian’s artistic activism took her to Capitol Hill, as she was awarded the prestigious Congressional Art Prize for the state of Vermont.  

Hagopian’s award-winning piece “Noor of Truth,” which took three weeks to create, was the product of her frustration with the meager coverage of the blockade of Artsakh in media and government. “I’ve been protesting for years about Artsakh and trying to get it publicized. But this is the one chance that I had to actually speak to politicians through the use of imagery,” Hagopian said. “I decided this was going to be about Artsakh, about Armenia, because no matter how many times I protest outside of the Capitol, I won’t get their attention unless they see it face to face, and they have to talk to me and, you know, they have no other choice,” she stressed.

“Noor of Truth” by Shakeh Hagopian. The Congressional Art Competition-winning painting from Vermont will be displayed at the US Capitol Building for one year.

At just fifteen years old, Hagopian is still in high school, which means all of her time outside of school for those weeks was spent painting. “I’d be painting until 10 p.m., not doing any homework. Nothing. And my grades got so bad. But I was like, ‘Hey, this is worth it,’” she said. To make matters more difficult, Hagopian does not work out of an official art studio. “I don’t really have a studio, so it was very chaotic. It was my bedroom. There’s this giant easel and all my paints and I was inhaling toxic oil paint when I went to sleep. I was that determined […] from time to time I had to paint inside my dad’s workplace […] I had to paint outside in freezing weather,” she shared.

Despite these setbacks, Hagopian persevered. Inspired by both her sister, Kala Hagopian —who won the Congressional Art Prize for her painting “The Last Armenian” in 2002—and her father, Philip Hagopian, a well-known professional painter in Armenia, she poured herself into her work and produced something marvelous. The principal figure in the piece is a depiction of herself, but the primary importance of the work lies inside the pomegranate, or “noor.”

“I wanted a visually pleasing sort of face for the painting so that the viewer’s eyes would be drawn to the painting, but then there’s that hidden element in the corner inside the pomegranate that also just jumps out […] When you look inside the pomegranate, there is a chessboard in the colors of the earth propped up by three skulls that I sculpted myself. And the chessboard […] there’s a reason why it’s in the colors of the earth. It’s got pawns on it, tanks. And it’s supposed to represent a kind of global chessboard, that this is all just sort of a game, all of this politics, all of these wars; it’s all just a game motivated by money, which is why I put a dollar bill in the background,” Hagopian explained. “And there is a mirror inside of the pomegranate. And when you look inside the pomegranate, you’re also seeing yourself in front of the chessboard and the skulls representing Armenian skulls. And suddenly, it goes back to you.”

A closeup look at Shakeh Hagopian’s “Noor” in her “Noor of Truth” painting

All of these details packed inside of one small pomegranate are ultimately meant to serve as a call to action. “It’s supposed to spread this message [that it] all starts with you, like your tax money is funding Azerbaijan. And it’s up to you to stop that. And there are images in the corners that are very hidden of a soldier with a bunch of tombstones behind him, a little boy looking at a tank and a map of ancient historical Armenia and how huge it once was. And I put those in there just to really get the message straight,” Hagopian said.

Hagopian’s success has brought a great victory to Vermont, which thrilled the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Vermont. “The ANC of Vermont is extremely proud of Shakeh. Shakeh’s rare piece of artwork is complex, graceful and hypnotically tantalizing at first glance of the eye, then successfully entices the viewer to understand the passion, pain and resilience that burns in the heart of the artist and in the hearts of all Armenians,” ANC of VT chairperson Pearl A. Bargamian Teague said.

Hagopian’s awe-inspiring piece was so profound that it earned recognition from New York Times best-selling author Chris Bohjalian. He retweeted an image of “Noor of Truth” and captioned the post saying, “Very proud today (all days) to be a Vermonter and an Armenian-American.”

Hagopian’s school art teacher Colleen Flanagan couldn’t be more proud. “Shakeh is a driven and talented artist whose work is not only stunningly executed but is also full of intention. Every aspect of ‘Noor of Truth’ holds meaning to Armenian culture. Shakeh used symbolism as a way to portray these connections that can be seen in the imagery, the colors chosen and in the way the figure, a self-portrait, is positioned […] It is Shakeh’s innate abilities to combine the two aspects of visual art that make visual art outstanding: powerful aesthetics and big ideas that evoke emotion,” Flanagan said.

The ANCA’s Leo Sarkisian, Maral Melkonian, and Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway interns join Shakeh Hagopian and her family for a photo with her award-winning piece. The interns, primarily college students, were able to support Hagopian throughout her big day on the Hill.

Though Hagopian’s art alone demonstrates her dedication to the Armenian cause, she feels that it is not enough and has turned to legislative action, specifically in the realm of education, to ensure that all of her peers understand the atrocities committed against the Armenian people. After discovering at the beginning of this year that her school had no curriculum about the Armenian Genocide and Artsakh, she took matters into her own hands and convinced her world history teacher to allow her to present to her peers.

His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian congratulates Vermont Congressional Art Competition winner Shakeh Hagopian, seen here with her mother, Naira, Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian and ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian.

“I taught the entire sophomore grade history class about the Armenian Genocide and about Artsakh, about 2020, 2022 […] I made this giant Google slideshow presentation about it all. […] I said, ‘Hey, when you get home, go on anca.org’ […] give it as much attention as you guys did with Ukraine,” Hagopian said.

Hagopian’s efforts generated a passionate response from her peers, and students from all over the school came to watch her speak. “Shakeh is really exceptional in her poise, courage and conviction as an advocate for her people. Shakeh’s peers look up to her and she gracefully commands the respect of young people and adults alike.[…] As word got out about how impactful her presentation was, other teachers and students came to my class to sit-in […],” her world history teacher Perry Bellow-Handelman said.

But Hagopian’s teaching efforts did not stop at her school. During the spring, she also delivered her presentation at the Vermont Principals Association, where all Vermont superintendents were present. Moving forward, Bellow-Handelman is hoping to support Hagopian’s mission to increase Armenian Genocide education in Vermont by searching for additional venues where she can speak and will continue to have Hagopian present to her students next year.

Looking to the future, Hagopian wants nothing more than to return to Armenia, where she hopes to attend the American University of Armenia. Though she is uncertain if she will pursue art professionally, she knows that her career will be dedicated to defending Armenia. “I see lots of Armenians idolizing Garegin Nzhdeh and Monte Melkonian, and I always think if we all took on that role ourselves, we could really get Armenia out of this situation, and we have to take that onto ourselves. Each one of us is responsible for the whole world’s condition,” Hagopian said.

In the artist’s words:

Noor of Truth
Oils, Mixed Media
By Shakeh Hagopian
Congressional Art Competition
Winner from Vermont – 2023
Montpelier High School

The purpose of my painting was to bring Armenia-Artsakh’s crisis to both the viewers and the US government’s attention.

I utilized my painting to serve as a reminder to those who pass by my painting in the US Capitol that they are complicit in funding the ethnic cleansing of indigenous Armenians by sending military aid to Azerbaijan.

I accomplished this by subtly implementing images that showcased the tragic fate of Armenia inside a small crevice in the canvas. The viewers would be drawn to the lush 3D pomegranate springing out to speak to the viewer. Inside the pomegranate, I put a chess board in the colors of pawns and military tanks to represent that the crisis Armenia and Artsakh are facing is somewhat of a proxy war. As a result of this proxy war, you can see a pile of skulls I sculpted myself to support the chess board, to show that this geopolitical oil monopoly is at the expense of Armenian lives.

I glued dollar bills to really get my message through that most of this is motivated by greed and the oil business. I also added a small printed map of ancient Armenia and powerful yet tragic images of the Artsakh war’s aftermath.

I tied these elements all together with a mirror inside to interact with the viewer, spreading the important message that this can all be prevented if YOU subverted the government’s rapacity in gaining oil wealth out of what is an existential threat to Armenia.

Many may find my painting visually pleasing, but I did not paint this to win or to have a beautiful piece of art to decorate a wall. I painted this to get an important message across – and it’s up to the average citizen to help accomplish this. Your tax money funds Azerbaijan and Turkey’s military, and it’s contributing to the ethnic cleansing of indigenous Armenians.

  •  Bio
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Ruby Topalian was born in a rural town in Wales but has lived in Maryland for the last ten years. She is entering her second year at Trinity College Dublin as part of Columbia University’s Dual Degree program. Her primary professional interest is journalism, and she works as the features editor of Trinity News and the opinion editor of Trinity International Affairs magazine, The Colloquium. She looks forward to a fulfilling journalistic career covering the Middle East with a specific focus on Armenia and the Caucasus. In 2023, she participated in the ANCA Leo Sarkisian Summer Program.


Artsakh is on the Brink of a Second Genocide

Emil Lazarian
 Sophia Papazian ANCA News 1

A scene from the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing on Artsakh security held on June 21

Former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, former US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans, American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Michael Rubin and Columbia University Director of the Program on Peace-building and Rights David Phillips all delivered one clear message to lawmakers leading the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing last week: Artsakh is on the brink of a second Armenian Genocide.

During the two-hour hearing, chaired by Rep. Chris Smith and Rep. James McGovern, with the participation of Congressional Armenian Caucus co-chairs Frank Pallone and Gus Bilirakis, the experts discussed risks that Armenians in Artsakh face in light of a nearly 200-day blockade by Azeri forces along the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor—the only strip of land connecting Artsakh to Armenia. The blockade has left 120,000 indigenous Armenians without food, energy and medicine for seven months. On April 23, Azerbaijan opened a military checkpoint at the corridor—a breach of the November 2020 ceasefire agreement. Fears of a second Armenian Genocide are heightened, and tensions are again rising two and a half years after the six-week war that ended in Armenia’s defeat.

When speaking of President Erdogan of Turkey, Ambassador Brownback stated, “He’s got this pan-Turkic idea of a corridor and the one…sliver of land that stands between him and this pan-Turkic corridor is Armenia.” Thus, the only way to complete his pan-Turkic dream is to eradicate the Armenian people. Chairman Smith later added that creating a pan-Turkey requires the destruction or alteration of cultural legacies. Phillips entreated that America’s values on human rights and genocide prevention “not be traded for hydrocarbons or other concessions to authoritarian leaders.” He highlighted that Azerbaijan’s motivation has been and still is the “cultural erasure of Armenians in violation of the trilateral ceasefire statement.”

Both Amb. Brownback and Rubin had the opportunity to visit Armenia from June 14-16 with the Philos Project, observing firsthand the living conditions of its people. The Philos Project is a nonprofit organization that strives to encourage positive Christian engagement in the Middle East. Led by Philos Project president Robert Nicholson and former Amb. Brownback and attended by Rubin, the trip informed Christian and Jewish leaders of Armenia’s rich history and the threats it faces today. Participants visited various monasteries, spoke with Jermuk residents affected by Azerbaijan’s violence and met with Armenia’s President Vahagn Khachaturyan.

During the hearing, Amb. Brownback said that in Jermuk, “you could see the Azeri forces on the other hill from where we were and the ability of them to just lob artillery into that town at any time […] really reminded me of Sarajevo.” The Philos Project trip also struck a chord with Rubin, who at the hearing declared, “It’s unconscionable to take a democracy like Artsakh and subordinate it to a country that, according to Freedom House, is not only not free, but is actually less democratic than Burma and Russia.” Philos Project president Nicholson emphasized the very real threat of a second genocide, saying that “[Armenia] is the oldest Christian nation facing again for the second time in only about a century the possibility of a genocide.”

During the hearing, Amb. Brownback emphasized that if the United States doesn’t intervene, yet another indigenous Christian population will be forced out of its homeland. He called on Congress to pass the “Nagorno-Karabakh Human Rights Act,” which would identify the minimum standards to safeguard the security of Armenians in Artsakh. Brownback stated that although Christians in the Middle East have fallen victim to similar attacks in the past, this time the US is supplying Azerbaijan with weaponry that is being used for ethnic cleansing in Artsakh. Azerbaijan’s actions are backed by Turkey, a member of NATO.

Furthermore, Rubin also spoke of the geopolitical history of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia to emphasize the threat Armenians face today. He said, “What Russia is doing right now…is symbolically showing that if you choose democracy—as Azerbaijan flirted with in the 1990s, as Georgia embraced in 2008, and as Armenia embraced in 2018— […] you’re going to lose a third of your territory.” He said the US should reward democracies rather than serve as a puppet for dictatorships like Azerbaijan.

Speaking of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Rep. Frank Pallone said, “He is clearly taking premeditated steps to remove the indigenous Armenian population from Artsakh and depriving them of the opportunity to live freely, democratically, and with dignity in the land of their ancestors, which is a clear sign of…ethnic cleansing.”

Rep. Gus Bilirakis emphasized the importance of heeding lessons from the past and taking action to prevent a second genocide. Various legislation pushed by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has informed members of the US Congress about this crisis, urging them to take action. For example, Rep. Barbara Lee’s letter, signed by 54 Representatives, called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to enforce restrictions on military assistance to Azerbaijan (Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act). Since 2002, Section 907 has been waived, and in the fiscal years 2002-2020, $808 million has been provided to Azerbaijan by the Departments of State, Defense and Energy, as well as the US Agency for International Development. In the hearing, Rep. Bilirakis stated, “While we can’t change the past, we must act now to stop another Armenian Genocide…There’s no justifiable reason to continue this waiver when Azerbaijan has clearly used this equipment to wage an aggressive war against Armenia, commit war crimes against innocent Armenians and enforce the current blockade.”

In the midst of this nearly seven-month blockade of the Berdzor Corridor and ongoing Azeri aggression, we must remain united, strong and resilient. Amb. Brownback spoke of the Armenian people’s resiliency, recounting our history as the first Christian nation that has “been persecuted by multiple empires, over thousands of years (the Persians, the Ottomans, Russians, others), and yet they’re still there. They’re still fighting. And it just inspires you with their tenacity, with their courage, their pluck. Armenia to me…is really kind of the Israel of Christendom, where it stood there so long, and we should stand with them, and we should not allow them to be driven out of this ancient homeland with the use…of US weaponry… we should stand up policy-wise here, and we should stand up compassionately.”  

  •  Bio
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Born and raised in Los Angeles, Sophia is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley. She is majoring in Political Economy and minoring in Public Policy and plans on pursuing a career in international relations. She is also interested in exploring the world of journalism, research and consulting. With a passion for serving our global community, she is currently participating in the 2023 ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship. Sophia is also an active member of the ASUC Student Union, Global Research and Consulting, Cal’s Armenian Student Association, and the “Ararat” chapter of Homenetmen Hrashq.


Raeisi, Pashinyan discuss Iran-Armenia ties, regional issues

Emil Lazarian
 MEHR News Agency
Iran –

TEHRAN, Jun. 26 (MNA) – Iranian President and the Armenian Prime Minister discussed regional developments and bilateral issues on Monday.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia had a telephone conversation with President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi of Iran, the Prime Minister's Office informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The interlocutors discussed topics related to regional developments, as well as the further development of relations between Armenia and Iran and agenda issues.

Also, the parties emphasized the importance of high-level mutual visits and contacts.

RHM/PR

News Code 202458
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/202458/Raeisi-Pashinyan-discuss-Iran-Armenia-ties-regional-issues

It’s make or break time for Nagorno-Karabakh’s future

Emil Lazarian

Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks in Washington DC. It’s a critical moment for Nagorno-Karabakh

Olesya Vartanyan

The year-long negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on a peace agreement have reached a critical moment. Since May, leaders and their representatives have regularly convened in various capitals worldwide. And today, delegates are due to begin several days of talks in Washington DC.

While some of those involved acknowledge progress, stating that almost half of the document has already been agreed, the path to a successful end remains distant. The main point of disagreement remains the lack of compromise on the key and most difficult issue – the fate of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

This issue has been a central element in the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict, which has remained unresolved since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Nagorno-Karabakh is a small enclave populated by Armenians located within the territory of Azerbaijan. Following the war in the 1990s, the Armenian side emerged victorious and controlled territories extending more than twice the size of Soviet era boundaries of the region for over 25 years. After the defeat in the 2020 war, around 120,000 local Armenians reside in a much smaller territory patrolled by Russian peacekeepers. All the territories around the enclave are now controlled by Azerbaijan.

Over the past year, the Armenian leadership has made significant concessions, such as officially recognising Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, including Nagorno-Karabakh. But in order to proceed with the peace treaty Armenia is insisting it includes special rights and ensures the security of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population. International mediators also want special measures due to decades of conflict and the recent 2020 war that claimed over 7,000 lives in just six weeks. The de facto leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh itself continues to assert its independence, even though the entity remains unrecognised by any state in the world.

The outcome of the talks largely hinges on what stance Azerbaijan will take. For Baku, any options considered must align with the objective of securing complete control over the Armenian-populated territory. It rejects reopening discussions on the enclave’s status, which persisted for almost 30 years without results.

International mediators see a way out by giving Baku and Stepanakert a chance to start talks on ways to continue living next to each other. The proposal was first put forward by European mediators a year ago and was promptly supported by their American counterparts. In April, the Russian foreign minister also spoke in support, but there have been no signs yet that Moscow is ready to push for the process to move forward.

Those involved in this week’s Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks say if direct dialogue does begin between Baku and Sepanakert, Yerevan and Baku will be able to proceed with signing the peace deal in the near future.

What could Baku-Stepanakert talks look like?

Both the president of Azerbaijan and the de facto leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh have spoken about their readiness to consider such negotiations. But many elements of the future process still remain unclear, including the format, agenda, location of the meetings and role of outside mediators. These factors can significantly influence not only the prospect of a deal but also its effectiveness and potential success.

Stepanakert is probably the party most interested in launching these talks. The last seven months have been particularly difficult for the local population. It started with the Baku-backed activists that blockaded the only road that connects the enclave with Armenia. That halted the movement of people and led to shortages of food products and medical supplies. In April, the situation deteriorated further, when Baku installed a checkpoint on this road.

In June, following a brief exchange of fire, Azerbaijan closed the checkpoint even for humanitarian cargo such as food and medication, which was being delivered to Nagorno-Karabakh by Russian peacekeepers and the International Red Cross (ICRC). On top of this, for over four months the local Armenians have faced a shortage of electricity supply and no natural gas due to the damage of the supply routes from Armenia that cross over the Azerbaijani-controlled territory in the conflict zone. As of Sunday, the ICRC is now able to conduct medical evacuations, though deliveries of food and medicine are still cut off.

When similar problems emerged in the past, Stepanakert would address them through the Russian peacekeepers or use its own contacts on the Azerbaijani side. None of these channels function anymore. Since the EU and US started pushing for the launch of Baku-Stepanakert talks, all parties have become particularly wary of not conceding on the format and content of the future talks even before they start.

Azerbaijan now refuses to have either formal or informal talks with the de facto officials of Nagorno-Karabakh. Instead, it invites them to Baku to demonstrate that the talks can be only about incorporating the enclave to its direct rule.

“All we hear is that each and every problem will be resolved when we agree to ‘integrate’ to Azerbaijan on their terms,” one de facto official said. “But we do not need a meeting just for the sake of meeting. We must show our people that this dialogue with Baku will be genuine.”

Mediation comes with more presence on the ground

Another crucial aspect of any Baku-Stepanakert talks is whether they would involve foreign mediators. Azerbaijan advocates for direct negotiations, similar to communication that is in place between Baku and its provinces. Conversely, Stepanakert believes that the participation of international actors is indispensable for ensuring the sustainability of any future agreements.

The knock-on effect of the war in Ukraine has complicated matters.

In previous decades, the OSCE Minsk Group, led by co-chairs from Russia, France, and the US, played a prominent role in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Communication between Western and Russian envoys came to a standstill following the onset of the Ukraine war. Western diplomats say that despite formal assurances of willingness to separate the Nagorno-Karabakh issue from the Ukraine confrontation, Russia is reluctant to engage.

Much now depends on whether Baku would be willing to give the talks with Stepanakert a chance. Azerbaijan’s leadership harbours mistrust towards counterparts in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh

“None of us desires another war in this region,” a Western diplomat told me last autumn. But in Moscow, officials are deeply suspicious of the West’s intentions. “We will not aid them in ousting Russia from the South Caucasus ourselves,” a Russian diplomat remarked this spring. As a result, Russia, the US, and the EU are all independently pursuing negotiation processes between Yerevan and Baku.

In theory, Russia could have been best suited to lead Baku-Stepanakert talks, if not for its waning influence in the area. Vladimir Putin played a pivotal role in brokering a ceasefire during the 2020 war and deployed peacekeepers. Russia then bolstered its military presence and increased the number of border guards along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border following the conflict. But the invasion of Ukraine significantly eroded the effectiveness of the Russian presence.

In 2022, three escalations occurred in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, each surpassing the previous in intensity and casualties. Azerbaijan gained a more advantageous military position along the front lines. The blockage of the Lachin road leading to Nagorno-Karabakh served as a stark demonstration of Russia's declining power. When the Azerbaijani military constructed a checkpoint adjacent to the Russian peacekeepers' observation point on that road, even the de facto officials openly expressed their dissatisfaction with Russia's inability to maintain the post-2020-war order in the region.

Some Western and Armenian representatives say there is still no discussion of replacing Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, but they at least want an additional international presence on the ground. A Western diplomat voiced concerns, stating: “We cannot rely on a mission without a clear mandate.”

This highlights the absence of an established and internationally recognised modus operandi for the Russian peacekeeping mission. Following its deployment in 2020, Russia opted not to seek assistance from the international entities to support its mission in Nagorno-Karabakh. These days Baku frequently expresses its frustration with the Russian peacekeepers and speaks about its desire for their departure when their term expires in 2025. So whether Azerbaijan would agree to an international mission that would add to the Russian peacekeepers’ presence remains a big question, considering Baku’s historical opposition to foreign presence on its territory.

What any additional international presence could look like remains a major question. Will it take the form of an international organisation or a foreign state? Will it be civilian in nature or involve policing functions? Moreover, will it maintain a permanent presence or simply consist of periodic visits to the enclave and its surrounding areas?

Equally important is the question of how this international force would establish communication channels with the Russian peacekeepers. Some foreign diplomats have expressed a preference for having direct involvement in the conflict zone.

What’s next?

In May, after the last round of negotiations in Washington DC, US state secretary Anthony Blinken said a historic agreement was in sight with potential impact extending beyond Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“The last mile of any marathon is always the hardest, we know that,” Blinken said. But if the current negotiation process were to fail, few in the region would be surprised. Over the course of 30 years, on numerous occasions the parties have come close to cementing pivotal agreements with their signatures, only to withdraw from the negotiating table at the last moment.

The ongoing talks are already taking place amidst a deteriorating situation along the front lines. Both sides are reporting multiple daily incidents, some of which have resulted in casualties. Since the 2020 war, more than 1,200 people have already been killed or wounded on all sides, including civilians and military personnel who perished in military clashes or from mine explosions. This figure surpasses any comparable period prior to the 2020 conflict. With no comprehensive diplomatic process, the incidents will continue to fuel the situation along the frontlines and may lead to a new escalation, further complicating the negotiation process and hindering the search for solutions.

The stakes, including the threat of a new war and significant regional changes amid the events in Ukraine, are too high to now consider the possibility of abandoning the process

Much now depends on whether Baku would be willing to give the talks with Stepanakert a chance. Azerbaijan’s leadership harbours mistrust towards counterparts in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The negotiation process has seldom facilitated discussions on comprehensive approaches and solutions.

After three decades of conflict, it is time to give the real talks a chance. Azerbaijan is undoubtedly aware that a mass exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh driven by fear and uncertainty would result in substantial global repercussions, potentially impeding the country in various ways. It could have a detrimental impact on Baku's reputation as a dependable trading partner, thereby affecting its thriving economy, which has benefited from Western countries seeking alternative energy exporters in light of the conflict in Ukraine. By heeding international appeals and entering the talks with Stepanakert, Baku can reassure Armenians that they would have a chance to continue living in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The stakes, including the threat of a new war and significant regional changes amid the events in Ukraine, are too high to now consider the possibility of abandoning the process.

As one official, who was at the helm in the early 1990s, told me, it is now a time for creation and compromise, not for making the same mistakes these nations made when their states regained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

“We should not resume killing each other while others strengthen their statehood and continue to develop,” the retired official said.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 06/27/2023

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Tuesday, 


Armenian, Azeri FMs Begin Fresh Talks In U.S.
Հունիս 27, 2023

U.S. - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosts talks between the Armenian 
and Azerbaijani foreing ministers in Arlington, Virginia, .


The Armenian and Armenian foreign ministers began on Tuesday a new round of 
U.S.-mediated negotiations focusing on a peace treaty between the two South 
Caucasus states.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended the opening session of the talks 
in Arlington, Virginia after holding separate meetings with Armenia’s Ararat 
Mirzoyan and Azerbaijan’s Jeyhun Bayramov.

The talks continued in a bilateral format. The U.S. State Department spokesman, 
Matthew Miller, said on Monday that they will likely last for three days.

“We continue to believe that peace is within reach and direct dialogue is the 
key to resolving the remaining issues and reaching a durable and dignified 
peace,” Miller told a news briefing in Washington.

Mirzoyan and Bayramov reported major progress towards the peace treaty after 
meeting outside the U.S. capital for four consecutive days in early May. 
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 
held three face-to-face meetings in the following weeks.

The two sides say that despite Pashinian’s pledge to recognize Azerbaijani 
sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh through the peace treaty, they still disagree 
on other sticking points.

Tensions along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and “the line of contact” around 
Karabakh have increased over the last few weeks, with the sides accusing each 
other of violating the ceasefire on a virtually daily basis. A June 15 skirmish 
on the Lachin corridor led Azerbaijan to completely block relief supplies to 
Karabakh through the sole road connecting the disputed region to Armenia. The 
move aggravated shortages of food, medicine and other essential items in 
Karabakh.

Mirzoyan brought up the “illegal” blockade and the resulting humanitarian crisis 
in Karabakh with Blinken during their separate conversation. For his part, 
Bayramov was reported to tell Blinken that Yerevan is attempting to “obstruct 
the peace process.”




Pashinian Defends Failure To Prevent 2020 War
Հունիս 27, 2023
        • Ruzanna Stepanian

Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian prepares to testify before an Armenian 
parliamentary commission, Yerevan, ,


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Tuesday sought to justify his failure to avert 
the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh, saying that it might not have broken out had 
he made disproportionate concessions to Azerbaijan.

He testified before an ad hoc commission of the Armenian parliament for the 
second time in just over a week in what opposition groups see as continuing 
attempts to dodge responsibility for the disastrous war.

Pashinian defended his handling of the six-week hostilities in his first lengthy 
testimony given on June 20. He focused on events preceding them while answering 
on Tuesday questions from pro-government members of the commission tasked with 
examining the causes of Armenia’s defeat.

“I’m not saying that it was theoretically impossible to avoid the war,” he told 
the panel boycotted by opposition lawmakers. “But the necessary condition for 
that theoretical possibility was a renunciation of, let’s put it this way, the 
Armenian vision for settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”

Asked what he thinks he had failed to do before the war, Pashinian said: “I feel 
guilty about absolutely everything, but I say, ‘OK, it’s just a declaration.’ 
When I start drawing up my own indictment … I enter a deadlock at some point.”

Armenian opposition leaders say that Pashinian made the war with Azerbaijan 
inevitable by mishandling peace talks mediated by the United States, Russia and 
France. They specifically accuse him of recklessly rejecting a peace deal put 
forward by the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The plan was the last version of their so-called Madrid Principles of the 
conflict’s resolution originally drafted in 2007. It called for an eventual 
referendum of self-determination in Karabakh that would take place after the 
gradual liberation of virtually all seven districts occupied by Karabakh 
Armenian forces in the early 1990s.

In 2021, former President Serzh Sarkisian publicized the secretly recorded audio 
of a 2019 meeting during which Pashinian said he opposes the plan because it 
would not immediately formalize Karabakh’s secession from Azerbaijan. Pashinian 
said he is ready to “play the fool or look a bit insane” in order to avoid such 
a settlement.

Pashinian has repeatedly alleged that the Madrid Principles recognized Karabakh 
as a part of Azerbaijan. His political opponents and other critics shrug off 
those claims, arguing that the proposed settlement upheld the Karabakh 
Armenians’ right to self-determination.




Another Russian-Armenian Meeting On Lachin Corridor Crisis


RUSSIA - The Russian Foreign Ministry building is seen behind a social 
advertisement billboard showing Z letters - a tactical insignia of Russian 
troops in Ukraine - and reading "Victory is being Forged in Fire," Moscow, 
October 13, 2022.


Armenia’s ambassador to Russia has visited the Foreign Ministry in Moscow after 
Yerevan blamed Russian peacekeepers for a shooting incident that led to the 
tightening of Azerbaijan’s blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenian border guards opened fire on June 15 to stop Azerbaijani servicemen 
from placing an Azerbaijani flag near a checkpoint controversially set up by 
them in the Lachin corridor in late April. Baku denied that they tried to cross 
into Armenian territory.

Videos of the incident suggest that the Azerbaijanis were escorted by Russian 
soldiers as they crossed a bridge over the Hakari river in order to hoist the 
flag. The Armenian Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador in Yerevan 
on June 16 to express “strong discontent” with the Russian peacekeepers’ actions.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, defended the 
peacekeepers and rejected the Armenian criticism as “absolutely groundless.” She 
said the incident resulted from the “absence of a delimited Armenian-Azerbaijani 
border.”

The Armenian Foreign Ministry dismissed that argument on June 22, saying that 
Zakharova echoed Baku’s regular justifications of its “aggressive actions 
against Armenia’s borders.” It said that instead of “looking for excuses,” 
Moscow should help to ensure the conflicting parties’ full compliance with a 
Russian-brokered agreement that stopped the 2020 war Karabakh.

The Russian Foreign Ministry reported late on Monday that Deputy Foreign 
Minister Mikhail Galuzin “received” Armenian Ambassador Vagharshak Harutiunian. 
A short statement released by the ministry said they discussed in detail 
“developments in the Lachin corridor and around Nagorno-Karabakh in general.” 
Galuzin stressed the importance of unconditional implementation of all 
Armenian-Azerbaijani agreements brokered by Moscow during and after the 2020 
war, the statement added without elaborating.

It was not clear whether the Russian Foreign Ministry formally summoned 
Harutiunian to again hit back at the Armenian Foreign Ministry. The latter did 
not issue a statement on Harutiunian’s conversation with Galuzin.

The ceasefire agreement placed the only road connecting Karabakh to Armenia 
under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and committed 
Azerbaijan to guaranteeing safe passage through it. Azerbaijan blocked 
commercial traffic there last December before setting up the checkpoint in what 
the Armenian side denounced as a further gross violation of the Russian-brokered 
ceasefire.




Dashnaktsutyun Demands Stronger International Pressure On Baku

        • Artak Khulian

Armenia - Members and supporters of the opposition Dashnaktsutyun party picket 
the Russian Embassy in Yerevan, .


Members and supporters of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) 
picketed the Russian and key Western diplomatic missions in Yerevan on Tuesday 
to demand that the international community do more to end Azerbaijan’s 
seven-month blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The opposition party organized a 24-hour sit-in outside the Russian, U.S. and 
French embassies as well as the European Union mission almost two weeks after 
Baku halted the movement of humanitarian convoys through the Lachin corridor.

“Azerbaijan’s impunity has led to the fact that Artsakh (Karabakh) is cut off 
from the outside world,” one of the protesters said through a megaphone.

Russia and the EU have expressed serious concern over the further tightening of 
the blockade, which has aggravated the shortages of food, medicine and other 
essential items in Karabakh.

Organizers of the sit-in complained that such statements alone cannot force Baku 
to unblock the sole road connecting Karabakh to Armenia. They demanded stronger 
action from the foreign powers and Russia in particular, which brokered a 
ceasefire agreement that stopped the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani war and has 
peacekeeping troops in Karabakh.

“Russia needs to take much more practical steps because Azerbaijan’s brazenness 
is transcending all limits,” Gegham Manukian, a Dashnaktsutyun leader, told 
reporters.

“After all, it’s Russia that has the strongest political, diplomatic and 
military instruments in our region and brokered the November 9 [2020] agreement. 
Therefore, it’s Russia that must first and foremost take concrete steps to end 
the blockade,” said Anna Grigorian, another lawmaker representing the main 
opposition Hayastan alliance comprising Dashnaktsutyun.

Hayastan and other major opposition groups also blame the Armenian government 
for the worsening of the humanitarian crisis in Karabakh. They say that Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian’s pledge to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over the 
Armenian-populated region only emboldened Baku to step up the pressure on the 
Karabakh Armenians.


Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Economic stability encouraged investments in Armenian bonds – economist

Emil Lazarian

 11:02,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. In contrast to the existing accumulating risks in the world, the favorable economic developments and the formation of a sustainable economic environment in Armenia contribute to these risks being assessed very low for the country, economist Hayk Bejanyan told ARMENPRESS.

The said that the economic development, financial flows and the inflation environment has led to a very high level of profitability of Armenian bonds. Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan earlier said that foreign investment funds are interested in Armenian government bonds.

In April 2023 the volume of Armenian bonds held by foreign investors reached 146 million dollars, compared to the 20 million dollars of 2021 July-August. The share of non-residents in AMD government bonds buyers grew from 0,9% to 3,5%.

Investors always look into the risk and reward while making transactions, according to Bejanyan.  These two factors led investors access the Armenian financial market, especially for long-term maturity bonds, because these types of bonds allow avoiding currency risks and minimizing losses. That’s why bonds in drams have become so attractive for investors.

Nevertheless, this interest is still in small volumes.

“The main precondition for continuous development of financial flows is stability. Right now we have a situation which is beneficial for foreign investors, and these flows will continue as long as the favorable conditions will be in place,” the expert said.

Manvel Margaryan

Theoretically 2020 war could have been avoided by abandoning Armenian vision of NK resolution – Pashinyan

Emil Lazarian

 11:47,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. Theoretically, war could have been avoided if Armenia abandoned its vision of a Nagorno Karabakh outside of Azerbaijani control, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told lawmakers on June 27 at the parliament selection committee on the 2020 war.

“We could have said that we abandon our vision of viewing Nagorno Karabakh outside of Azerbaijan and taken that path, which of course wouldn’t have guaranteed that it could be possible to avoid war,” Pashinyan said when asked whether or not he believes war was inevitable.

“I also want to speak about the crossroads of war, because the war conveyer was followed by crossroads of war with negotiations content, there were issues leading to war in the negotiations process. The crossroads of war were clarifications regarding Lachin Corridor which weren’t clarified in Kazan, and were less clarified afterwards, some discussion should have taken place there. The next crossroads of war was the process of the involvement of the so-called Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno Karabakh, the next was the possible process of delimitation and demarcation as part of a peace treaty. I mean I am not saying that there was no theoretical chance of avoiding war, but that theoretical chance required a mandatory condition of abandoning the Armenian vision of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution which could have created a theoretical possibility of avoiding such developments,” Pashinyan said.

Speaker of Parliament lauds special partnership with Iran

Emil Lazarian

 14:31,

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS. On June 26, Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan received the outgoing Ambassador of Iran Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri.

Alen Simonyan thanked the Ambassador for the efforts made in strengthening the Armenian-Iranian relations and raising the efficiency of cooperation during his tenure and wished him successes in his further working activities, the parliament’s press service reported.

Speaker Simonyan noted that Iran has been and remains a special partner for Armenia, which promotes the establishment of peace in the region and strengthening stability with its balanced policy.

In response, the Ambassador noted that Iran especially values the importance of relations with Armenia, which are conditioned by historical-cultural connections, mutual economic interests, as well as common approaches towards a number of regional problems.

At the meeting, the friendly close ties established between the two parliaments and the initiatives directed to the deepening of collaboration between the parliaments were highly appreciated. The Ambassador highlighted the uninterrupted work of the inter-parliamentary committees and the effective cooperation of friendship groups.

“One year ago the delegation led by me paid an official, productive visit to Tehran. We are waiting for the return visit of my distinguished colleague Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf to Armenia,” Simonyan said.

At the end of the meeting, Alen Simonyan once again underlined the Ambassador’s considerable contribution to the framework of the rich agenda formed between Armenia and Iran.

Azerbaijanis fire in the direction of farmers – the are no casualties

Emil Lazarian

 18:26,

YEREVAN, JUNE 24, ARMENPRESS. On June 25, at around 16:00, Azerbaijani servicemen fired at Mikael Mezhlumyan, a 22-year-old resident of Myurishen village, Martunu region of Artsakh, from their combat positions. Mezhlumyan was doing agricultural work with a tractor in the field on the left side of the highway from Murishen to Avdur.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Police of the Artsakh Ministry of Internal Affairs, agricultural works were stopped as a result of the shootings, no one was injured. Russian peacekeeping troops were informed about the incident.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 26-06-23

Emil Lazarian

 17:13,

YEREVAN, 26 JUNE, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 26 June, USD exchange rate down by 0.55 drams to 386.55 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.79 drams to 421.49 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 4.59 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.00 drams to 491.31 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 98.41 drams to 23994.49 drams. Silver price down by 3.88 drams to 277.64 drams.