Author: Emil Lazarian

 11:49, 20 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reacted to the criticism claiming he had the chance to maintain Armenian control over Shushi during the Second Nagorno Karabakh War.

Speaking at the parliamentary select committee probing the war, Pashinyan said he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 13, 2020 to answer the following direct question: what would it take to end the war.

A more detailed discussion with Putin on this issue took place again on October 16, and the Russian President expressed opinion that they could try to discuss the end of hostilities in exchange of returning the five regions to Azerbaijan, without any clarification of the status of Nagorno Karabakh.

“On that day, we agreed with the President of Russia that the teams would work on developing this idea. On October 17, French President Emmanuel Macron presented his initiative, who told me that the Azerbaijani President was ready to establish ceasefire without preconditions starting midnight October 18. Naturally I agreed to this, and during several hours a statement between France, Armenia and Azerbaijan was agreed upon, which was published late in the evening of October 17. Despite the statement, not even a ceasefire was established on October 18, despite diplomatic efforts proceeding throughout the day to end the war,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan and Putin then held a phone call on October 19. Putin reiterated that a Russian plan developed years earlier could be used in an attempt to stop the war. The terms were the following: the 7 regions were to be surrendered with the 5+2 format, the issue of connection between Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia through Lachin Corridor was to be resolved, Russian peacekeepers were to be deployed in Karabakh, the Nagorno Karabakh status was to remain uncertain.

“We agreed with the President of Russia that I would express our position by evening. In the afternoon I initially invited representatives of non-parliamentary forces, and then I convened a session of the Security Council with the participation of the President, the Catholicos and parliamentary forces, where I said that I was planning to call the Russian President and tell him that I agree with the proposed option. Furthermore, like I said, I wasn’t expecting any of the participants to share responsibility of that decision. I was simply informing them on the processes. I called the Russian President in the evening and I told him that I was ready to end the war with those terms. The Russian President said he would talk with the Azerbaijani President and call me back.”

At that time, two of the five regions, Fizuli and Jabrayil, were either completely or partially under Azerbaijani control. Putin called Pashinyan on the next day and said the following: “Azerbaijan is ready to end the war but expects to receive all seven regions, or more accurately the remaining five regions, because two of them, Fizuli and Jabrayil, were already mostly under their control.”

The issue of Shushi was raised the same day, Pashinyan said.

“On 19 October 2020, the Russian President told me that the Azerbaijani side has one more condition, it expects guarantees that Azerbaijani refugees which they claim comprised 90% of the population of Shushi would return to Shushi. This was an expected offer for the Russian side because they were saying that the plan on resolving the Karabakh conflict, which had been on the table for many years, always included the issue of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to Nagorno Karabakh. This is the reason why after 9 November I said in parliament that the issue of Shushi had always been in the negotiations agenda, because if it is said that Azerbaijanis are returning to Nagorno Karabakh, is there a need to clarify that they must return to the settlements where they used to live? This is what I am accused of, that if I had agreed for Azerbaijanis to return to Shushi it would stay under Armenian control, and although populated by Azerbaijanis it would be Armenian. Frankly speaking this wording itself is contentious, but when the issue of Shushi was raised I tried to clarify what the guarantees expected by the Azerbaijanis were to look like according to that proposed variant. And it turned out during that conversation that I had to declare that I agreed to the return of Azerbaijani refugees to Shushi and other settlements in Karabakh. The Russian President offered this issue to be linked with the status of Nagorno Karabakh. That is, the issue of the return of Azerbaijanis to the NKAO was to be resolved in the context of the issue of the Karabakh status, together with the presumed decision in this regard. I agreed to this wording, but the Azerbaijani side, like in the past, rejected this, saying that they weren’t ready to discuss any issue related to the status. Moreover, according to that offer, not only the Azerbaijani who used to live in Shushi but also all Azerbaijanis had to have direct and unimpeded access to Shushi. For example, fifty thousand Azerbaijanis could visit to who knows how many Azerbaijanis living in Shushi, without limitations. They could even go and stay. But the most important issue was how their movement was to be ensured. It turned out, for example, that a new road had to be built linking Shushi with Azerbaijan so that Azerbaijanis had no need to use the Lachin Corridor or any other existing road for traveling to Shushi. That road could’ve passed, for example, through Kubatli. By that proposal of Azerbaijan, Shushi had to have at least 95% of Azerbaijani population, without any limit or control on further increase, they had to have a separate road linking Shushi with Azerbaijan outside Lachin Corridor, under their control. This meant that Azerbaijani military units could be deployed there. This in turn meant that, without exaggeration, this was about surrendering Shushi to Azerbaijan. One of the practical grounds for rejecting this proposal was the following: this would mean that the Lachin Corridor were not to function, because the Azerbaijanis could close it at any moment, because Shushi wouldn’t be inside Lachin Corridor, while Lachin Corridor would pass a few meters from Shushi. The latest developments proved my prediction with well-known circumstances,” Pashinyan said.

 14:54, 21 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani deputy prime ministers will hold a new meeting of the task force on unblocking, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said on June 21.

“I think there will be a trilateral meeting, but there’s no agreement yet on the date,” Grigoryan told reporters.

Grigoryan said that the routes that are to be opened through the territory of Armenia will unequivocally function under Armenian legislation. Asked to elaborate why the Russian Federal Security Service will be deployed to the road in that case, Grigoryan said: “First of all, let’s talk about the border guards as part of the FSB, to clearly understand what this is about if you are quoting the 9th clause of the 9 November trilateral statement. Secondly, discussions have yet to take place on the functions and the method of implementing the functions,” Grigoryan said.

 15:28, 21 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. Four areas of capital markets, including Trading, Post-Trade, ESG, and Public Relations, were discussed during the ConFEAS 2023, an annual International Conference of the Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges. The conference returned with a brand new format and gathered in Armenia around 200 participants, including 40 speakers from Exchanges, CSDs, Banks, Regulatory Bodies, Investment Companies, and IFIs from more than 30 countries to touch upon the most recent developments, challenges, and potential in modern capital markets.

During their opening speeches, Armen Nurbekyan, Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia, and Rafayel Gevorgyan, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, emphasized the strategic significance of fostering capital market growth in Armenia. They highlighted the need for constructive dialogue between the public and private sectors to ensure alignment between regulatory policies and private sector initiatives and challenges.

The annual ConFEAS event, previously held in Abu Dhabi and Bucharest, has been held for the first time in Armenia this year. Konstantin Saroyan, Secretary General of the Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges, mentioned: “This event presents a remarkable opportunity for all participants to acquire new knowledge and establish valuable connections through networking.”

High representatives and experts from renowned organizations such as Bloomberg, EBRD, Ernst & Young, Euronext, Blockstation, Eric Salmon and Partners, Baymarkets, stock exchanges, and central depositories from Greece, Poland, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Egypt, Romania, Hungary, Georgia, and Armenia, players from the private sector such as TBC bank, SPRING PR-Company, AICA – Angel Investor Club of Armenia and Team Telecom Armenia, engaged in extensive panel discussions. They covered diverse subjects, including trading and post-trading, sustainability and ESG, financial education, investment, and public relations.

Vachik Gevorgyan, Chief Executive Officer of Apricot Capital CJSC, the General Investment Partner of ConFEAS 2023, reflecting on their operations in Armenia as an investment and fintech company, mentioned several challenges that are being solved through joint efforts of ecosystem players and regulators.  “We are actively addressing the issues by enhancing connectivity with local counterparts and supporting the efforts of the Armenian Stock Exchange and Central Depository in implementing new software solutions. Additionally, we prioritize workforce development through training programs and advocate for regulatory updates to keep pace with rapid technological advancements”.

Throughout the conference, there was a strong emphasis on fostering ecosystem development through collaborative endeavors, adopting best practices, and capacity building.

 16:31, 21 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. On the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the formation of the Police Troops, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on June 21 visited the Police Troops headquarters to felicitate the officers. 

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Minister of Internal Affairs Vahe Ghazaryan, Chief of Police Aram Hovhannisyan and other officials.

PM Pashinyan first visited the Eternity Park, which was founded in memory of the fallen officers of the Police Troops who died in combat during the 2020 war. The length of the park is 44 meters, which symbolizes the 44-day Artsakh war, and the width is 33 meters, which symbolizes the 1033rd military unit of the Police Troops.

The Prime Minister congratulated those present on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the formation of the Police Troops and noted: "It is very important to emphasize that we are celebrating the anniversary of the Police Troops in an extremely important period of police reforms, when the government itself underwent structural changes on that occasion, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was formed.

You are aware, of course, that in the context of these reforms, the Police Troops must also undergo certain structural reforms, being reformed and reorganized as the Police Guard. This is an extremely important change, and I want to get into the content of what this change will bring.

First of all, I consider it extremely important to emphasize that this will lead to the improvement of the social guarantees of the Police Troops officers. In other words, salary increase, more specifically, salary doubling. But this process, like in other different bodies, will not happen automatically and onc-time.

The first most important circumstance in this way is that the process of doubling salaries will take place through certification. Why are we doing this? We are doing this in order to once again make sure in that process that, in particular, the officers of the Police Guard, with their moral, physical, and intellectual training, meet the standards that we put forward as the Republic of Armenia. Those standards are important for the citizens of the Republic of Armenia and the state, because when we say a new standard, we mean a new standard for ensuring public safety. Each of you should be aware of this content, reaffirm your professional skills, so that you can deal with the citizens of the Republic of Armenia and foreign citizens at the highest level in daily service, and be ready to fulfill the tasks set before you morally and psychologically.

There's no doubt about that, it's just that during the structural changes, it's right for us to make sure once again that we keep that constant motivation to work on ourselves, because as I said, it's a matter of deciding whether this process will be repeated every five years or how often. Both re-affirming professional skills and increasing social guarantees should be a continuous process. In other words, the state should not raise salaries once, then forget about it for tens of years or longer, because it should be a continuous process, because inflation is also an economic factor, it will not be stopped anyway.

The second nuance, the change, which is very important. now police troops are stationed only in the capital city of Yerevan. We have also decided to change this system, and police troops units will also be stationed in the regions, because in many cases, when there is a need, when there is a service problem, police troops, units are moved from Yerevan to regions. Sometimes they have to spend days in buses, in all sorts of uncomfortable conditions. Many daily and service-related problems arise. We will also implement this change and a certain group of regions will be formed, for which a Police Guard unit will be provided, and this service will have a permanent location where the service will be carried out in more comfortable conditions. This implies that there should also be some new recruitment in the Police Guard, already with new standards and a new salary.

I want to specially emphasize that the process of involving women in the Police Guard should also be a priority for us, because women should also serve in the Police Guard to a greater extent, like we are currently doing this process in the Army, the Armed Forces, the Patrol Police, generally in the Police. Although we understand that this is not a very easy problem to solve. we should all encourage our women, the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, so that they do not hesitate to apply for this service. Also, of course, a lot depends on you, and you should do everything so that the already existing psychological barriers are not accentuated, but on the contrary, create a certain atmosphere to encourage that process, that service, because it is very important in terms of increasing the quality of the legal system in our country.

Dear Police Officers,

This is, I suppose, our last meeting under that title, because next year already the Police Troops will be transformed into the Police Guard, but it is important to understand that this is not just a name change. This is also a change in content, and without denying the best traditions formed in the past.

We have to record that the Police Troops have solved many important problems in the Republic of Armenia during their 31 years of existence. There were problems, complications, but in general, I think, the Police Troops rendered a serious service to the Republic of Armenia. We know that from the first day, the Police Troops had the most direct participation in the issues of ensuring the security, external security of Armenia.

I want to bow my head to all the police officers who sacrificed their lives for the Motherland, who died, fell while performing their official duties, and I suggest that we honor their memory with a minute of silence."

After the tribute, the Prime Minister thanked those present for their service. "I thank you for being able to stand firmly in the position of ensuring and preserving the legal system, democracy, and the Constitution in the Republic of Armenia.

I wish you all success in your future service and I hope that as we transform the Police Troops into the Police Guard, and as a result of that transformation, looking back, we will be able to record that we have indeed implemented a reform that, both in form, content and quality, meets our best wishes”, Prime Minister Pashinyan concluded.

 17:24,

YEREVAN, JUNE 24, ARMENPRESS. The United States will maintain close coordination with G7 allies and partners as the situation in Russia evolves, ARMENPRESS reports, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote on his Twitter page.

"On June 24, I spoke with the G7 foreign ministers and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to discuss the current situation in Russia. The United States will maintain close coordination with allies and partners as the situation develops," he wrote.

 19:47, 21 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. As part of the events dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Armenia-Kansas partnership, the delegation led by the adjutant general of the state of Kansas, the commander of the national guard, brigadier general Michael Venerdi, who visited the "Yerablur" military pantheon in Yerevan on June 21, and paid tribute to the memory of the fallen Armenians who sacrificed their lives for the motherland.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Defense, on the same day, the members of the delegation visited the Armavir training center. The guests were presented with details about the history, structure and activities of the center. Issues related to the process of training professional sergeants were also discussed with the members of the delegation, which is also one of the priorities of the training center.

The delegation headed by adjutant General Michael Venerdi toured the territory of the military unit, got acquainted with the social and living conditions of servicemen, the educational base and daily routine.

The Governor of Kansas, Laura Kelly, is also visiting Armenia on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of cooperation between Armenia and Kansas.

 19:22, 21 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS.  Russia understands that the possible opening of the Turkish consulate in Shushi is a sensitive issue for Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated during a press conference, commenting on the statement of Turkish President Recep Erdogan that Ankara is ready to open a consulate general in Shushi at any moment.

"The issue of opening consulates anywhere, particularly in Shushi, remains a topic of bilateral relations. In this case, between Baku and Ankara.

At the same time, we understand the sensitivity of the issue for Yerevan. In our contacts, we emphasize the need to consider each other's interests and the importance of the process of normalization of both Armenian-Azerbaijani and Armenian-Turkish relations," said Zakharova.