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

United States reiterates call for immediate reopening of Lachin corridor

Emil Lazarian

 17:15, 28 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. The United States on Friday reiterated Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s call for an immediate reopening of the Lachin corridor to commercial and private traffic.

U.S. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission John Allelo was among the members of the diplomatic corps to travel to Syunik on Friday, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. 

“Acting DCM John Allelo joined the diplomatic corps in Syunik and heard from displaced persons and regional officials about the suffering caused by continued blockage of the Lachin corridor. We reiterate Secretary Blinken’s call for an immediate reopening of the corridor to commercial and private traffic,” the US Embassy said in the statement.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps in Armenia visited on Friday the village of Kornidzor in the Syunik Province where a humanitarian convoy carrying emergency food and medical aid to Nagorno-Karabakh remains blocked by Azerbaijan at the entrance of Lachin Corridor.

The members of the diplomatic corps took stock of the situation on the ground.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno-Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

Europeans for Artsakh: Silent protest held outside European Council seat in Brussels

Emil Lazarian

 21:42, 28 July 2023

BRUSSELS, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. A silent protest was held today in the heart of Brussels, in front of the European Council building, where demonstrators urged President of the European Council Charles Michel and the international community to pressure Azerbaijan to end the illegal blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) which has resulted in a humanitarian disaster.

The silent protest was organized by the Armenian community of Belgium as part of the Europeans for Artsakh pan-European movement initiated by the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD). The EAFJD brought together Armenian community leaders from various European countries for a meeting, who then launched the movement.

Protesters walked with children to the European Council and handed over a letter addressed to Charles Michel, the President of the European Council.

In the letter, the representatives of the Armenian community of Belgium appealed to the EU leadership to take immediate action by imposing sanctions on Azerbaijan and intervene to apply pressure on Azerbaijan to end the illegal blockade.

Protesters were holding posters saying “30,000 children in Nagorno-Karabakh have no access to food and medication,” “228 days of illegal blockade and 43 days of total siege,” “Indifference of international community is killing our children,” “120,000 Armenians held hostage in Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan.”

Karen Tadevosyan, the president of Belgium’s Armenian Community Assembly who coordinated the silent protest, told ARMENPRESS Brussels correspondent Lilit Gasparyan that the movement’s goal is to unite the potential of the Diaspora and provide unconditional support to the Republic of Artsakh and its people to protect their right to self-determination. The representatives of the initiative and the demonstrators are convinced that collective efforts and concrete support by the EU can play a decisive role in ending the blockade and alleviating the suffering of those affected.

 




Asbarez: Azerbaijan Transporting Kidnapped Artsakh Patient to Baku to Face Criminal Charges of ‘Committing Genocide’

Emil Lazarian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

Azerbaijan announced that an Artsakh resident who was being transported from Karabakh to Armenia by the International Committee of the Red Cross has been arrested and will face criminal charges when he arrives in Baku.

The Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s office said that a “an international warrant” for the arrest of Vakif Khachatryan was issued in 2013. Baku is filing several criminal charges against the Artsakh resident, including “involvement in Genocide.”

“The investigation established that on the specified date, a citizen of Azerbaijan, born in 1955, a native of the village of Badara, [Mayraberd] Askeran region, who lived in this village, Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan, who worked as a driver at the city motor transport enterprise in [Stepanakert] Khankendi, together with other persons of Armenian nationality in the village of [Kharkhaput] Meshli, using various weapons, including firearms and infantry fighting vehicles, carried out an armed attack on this village; 25 people of Azerbaijani nationality were killed, 14 people received bodily injuries of varying severity, 358 people were forcibly evicted from their places of legal residence. In addition, Khachatryan, continuing joint criminal actions with persons with whom he had previously colluded, caused material damage to the state and the property of the villagers in the total amount of 5 million 496 thousand 900 Manats,” Azerbaijani media reported.

Artsakh Presidential Advisor Artak Beglaryan called the charges against Khachatryan fabricated.

“Like all men, he [Khachatryan] also defended his homeland during the war of 1991-94. However, Azerbaijan’s accusation is false, because there was no such operation in the village of Meshali,” he wrote on X.

Azerbaijani authorities on Saturday detained a 68-year-old Artsakh citizen while he was being transported by the International Committee of the Red Cross to Armenia to receive medical treatment. The ICRC representative is also with the detained man.

Azerbaijani authorities on Saturday detained a 68-year-old Artsakh citizen while he was being transported to Armenia by the International Committee of the Red Cross to Armenia to receive medical treatment. The ICRC representative is also with the detained man.

Armenia and Artsakh are accusing Azerbaijan of kidnapping the Artsakh citizen.

Armenian authorities later identified the man as Vagif Khachatryan, who according to the Artsakh authorities was taken to another location by Azerbaijani authorities.

“At this moment the ICRC representative is with our citizen, but the negotiations haven’t produced any results so far, we are waiting for new information,” Artsakh State Minister Gurgen Nersisyan said in a statement.

“Other patients have been evacuated to a hospital in Goris by a Red Cross representative who arrived from Goris. The evacuation was carried out via the same route. However, the planned return of those who have completed treatment in Armenia has been cancelled,” added Nersisyan.

He added that the Azerbaijani authorities are continuously attempting to obstruct the ICRC medical evacuations by setting forth new conditions, and that this move was “yet another step to make people fear using Lachin Corridor even for essential healthcare purposes.”

The ICRC’s Armenia spokesperson Zara Amatuni told Armenpress that the organization was taking relevant measures, through dialogue, regarding Khachatryan’s detention.

She said that until today the Red Cross was able to transport people – patients or those who had expressed desire to reunite with their families – “through previously arranged procedures.”

“Regarding this specific situation, I have to say that we are addressing all problems with the corresponding authorities, but we will do so through dialogue and it will be confidential. As of this moment I can’t convey any other details on the incident,” Amatuni added.

“Troubled by news that 68-year-old patient, being transported from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia for medical treatment, accompanied by ICRC, was abducted at illegally installed checkpoint by border guard service of Azerbaijan. Abduction of person under international humanitarian protection is flagrant violation of IHL,” Armenia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan said in a social media post.

Armenia’s Ambassador at Large Edmon Marukyan accused Azerbaijan of kidnapping the Artsakh patient, saying his whereabouts was unknown.

“On a daily basis, Azerbaijan is resigning from the fake narratives it has created regarding their willingness to live in coexistence with the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. Today, 68-year-old Vagif Khachatryan, who was being transported from Nagorno Karabagh to Armenia for a medical treatment, accompanied by the International Committee of the Red Cross, was abducted by the representatives of the border guard service of Azerbaijan and taken to an unknown direction. Neither the relatives of Khachatryan, nor the ICRC representatives or Russian peacekeepers are aware about the whereabouts of Vagif Khachatryan. His fate is unknown as of this writing,” Marukyan said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The detention of the patient happened a day after several diplomats accredited in Armenia visited Kornidzor, in Armenia’s Syunik Province, where a convoy of 19 trucks carrying humanitarian assistance from Armenia to Artsakh has been stranded not allowed entry into Artsakh.

AW: It’s not too late for Joe Biden to stop Azerbaijan’s genocide against Artsakh

Emil Lazarian
July 27, 2023 Aram Hamparian Op-Eds 1

As the global champion for human rights and peaceful conflict resolution, the United States has a direct stake in Artsakh’s security and survival.

All the more so because decades of weak and misguided U.S. policies – including endless attempts to appease Azerbaijan – contributed directly to the existential crisis currently facing Artsakh. While vast harm has been done, much of it irreparable, resolute and principled U.S. actions can still salvage this situation, avoiding worst-case scenarios for Artsakh.

In charting a sustainable path toward peace and security, U.S. leaders must reject the counsel of those – both foreign and domestic – who would have us abandon our commitments to international law and humanitarian values. We must act upon our principles not forsake them.

At this critical moment, failing to protect the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh from the hardships of blockade and imminent threat of ethnic cleansing can never be – must never be – a morally or legally acceptable option for the United States.

It is not too late for the Biden-Harris administration – utilizing the full measure of our nation’s leverage with both Azerbaijan and Turkey – to meet America’s obligations to prevent an Azerbaijani genocide against Artsakh:

1) The U.S. should set a hard deadline for Baku to lift its blockade and cease all acts of aggression against #Artsakh and #Armenia.

2) The U.S. should impose Global Magnitsky and other sanctions on senior Azerbaijani officials for failing to meet this deadline, fully enforce Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, and block all direct and third-party sales or transfers of U.S. weapons or defense articles to Azerbaijan.

3) The U.S. should immediately undertake concrete actions to prevent genocide in Artsakh by leading international efforts for the recognition of Artsakh’s status as self-governing, requiring 1) United Nations security guarantees; 2) a sustained international peacekeeping presence; 3) robust U.S. and international humanitarian and developmental assistance, 4) secure transportation, commerce and energy links to Armenia, 5) a strategic buffer zone and 6) food, water and energy security.

The U.S. has recognized and applied the principle of self-determination based on remedial secession on numerous occasions, e.g., Kosovo, East Timor, South Sudan. There is no principled basis for denying the Armenians of Artsakh this same right, as they strive, against extreme violence and existential threats, to live in peace and dignity.

  •  Bio
  •  Latest Posts
Aram Hamparian is the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).


Kidnapping of patient by Azerbaijan constitutes flagrant violation of international humanitarian law – Armenian MFA

Emil Lazarian

 17:18,

YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian foreign ministry has described the kidnapping of a Nagorno-Karabakh patient by Azerbaijani border guards as a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”

“Troubled by news that 68-year-old patient, being transported from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia for medical treatment, accompanied by ICRC, was abducted at illegally installed checkpoint by border guard service of Azerbaijan. Abduction of person under international humanitarian protection is flagrant violation of IHL,” Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan tweeted.

A senior Armenian diplomat earlier that the whereabouts of the kidnapped patient remain unknown.

Fifty Shades of Aliyev’s Assistant, Hikmet Hajiyev

Emil Lazarian

Since the day of Azerbaijan’s creation, lies and forgery have been the foundation of this fictitious statehood, endowed with the psychology of a thief and a criminal, the political and public figures of that “No-country” have oppressed their own people for years, waged expansionist wars with neighbouring states, and misled the international community.

One of the new but noteworthy propagandists of this phenomenon is a demented and insane Himket Hajiyev, the assistant to the president of Azerbaijan. Hajiyev stands out among his fellow criminals due to his cosmic stupidity. From his publications and public speeches, it is evident that we are dealing with a pathetic copy of a demented personality, which occasionally exhibits human reflexes.

Hajiyev was appointed to his position in 2019. Though a relatively short period, it was enough for Himket Hajiyev to reveal his lack of qualities.

Now let’s not dwell on the trivial details, like his speeches during the COVID epidemic, which were peppered with cheap and misleading statements, and false information about his personal life. By the way, Azerbaijan is one of the few countries that have not yet lifted restrictions related to the epidemic, such as closed borders. Some experts interpret this not as a caring attitude towards their own public, but as another lever to ensure the manageability of the new expansionist war.

Hajiyev’s first significant lie appeared during the 44-day war in 2020. At that time, he published a picture from near the Mingechauri reservoir, claiming that Armenian artillery had tried to hit the reservoir. But the picture showed a projectile embedded in the ground, and even without special technical means, it was visible that the projectile was literally nailed into a pre-dug hole.

The obvious forgery received a great response in both the Armenian and international press. The forgery was quickly exposed.

During the same period, Hajiyev also accused the Greeks because of participation in the war by Armenians. During his briefing on October 2, 2022 Hajiyev announced that there were Greek mercenaries in the territory of Armenia. This statement was also patently false and unsubstantiated. This brazen forgery found a great response in Greece, and public circles strongly criticized Himket Hajiev, labeling him a liar.

After these shameful incidents, the assistant to the President of Azerbaijan went underground for some time, trying to escape the negative attention surrounding his person. Even then, he did not stop taking an active part in political processes, promoting obviously false and misleading theses, which were, however, aligned with Azerbaijan’s state politics and not Hajiyev’s personal views.

Hajiyev’s next fiasco occurred in early December 2022, during the blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

At the beginning of the blockade, Hajiyev accused Russian peacekeepers of blocking the corridor. At this stage, the pearls of the flight of Hajiyev’s thoughts were presented to us with this emphasis. Additionally, Hajiyev claimed that Azerbaijani environmentalists were carrying out a peaceful protest action. It was clear from the beginning, and later confirmed, that the goal of that peaceful protest was to completely blockade the Lachin Corridor.

Months later, in an interview with another media, Hajiyev claimed that the Corridor was not blocked at all, as stated by the Armenian side, on the contrary, he argued that the Lachin Corridor remained open for the transportation of humanitarian goods and people, supporting his claim with unsubstantiated statistical data.

Perhaps the listed examples are enough to form an opinion of Himket Hajiyev, nevertheless, as you know, perfection knows no bounds, even if it is about perfection with a negative sign.

Another controversy arose on July 26 when the Government of the Republic of Armenia sent trucks loaded with humanitarian cargo to alleviate the basic needs of our compatriots who had been blockaded in Nagorno Karabakh for 8 months. However, the vehicles did not reach Stepanakert, as the Azerbaijani authorities prohibited the transportation of humanitarian goods through the Lachin corridor.

By the way, the trucks are still located in the area adjacent to the village of Kornidzor in the Republic of Armenia, near the criminal Azerbaijani so-called Lachin check point.

On the same evening of July 26, when RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Twitter page that we cannot turn a blind eye to the situation in which the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh found themselves, and the 360 tons of cargo were sent to Nagorno-Karabakh exclusively for humanitarian purposes, at that time Himket Hajiyev wrote a shameful comment on the same Twitter, attaching Nikol Pashinyan’s statement. Hajiyev claimed that during the tripartite meeting of Charles Michel, Nikol Pashinyan, and Ilham Aliyev in Brussels, an agreement was reached that the Aghdam-Stepanakert road should be used as an alternative to the Lachin Corridor.

This completely false, vile, and misleading claim was immediately rejected by European officials. Hours later, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, issued a statement stating that the Aghdam-Stepanakert road cannot be an alternative to the Lachin Corridor and that the corridor must be unblocked immediately.

In fact, Hajiyev’s next lie has already affected Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and entered the international arena. He has been accused of spreading blatantly false information to discredit European politicians in an attempt to involve them in his manipulative actions.

By Editor-in-Chief “Respublica Armenia” newspaper Ararat Petrosyan.


Armenpress: It is incumbent on Azerbaijani authorities to guarantee safety, freedom of movement along Lachin corridor – EU’s Borrell

Emil Lazarian

 09:53, 27 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMENPRESS. The European Union has called on the Azerbaijani authorities to reopen the Lachin Corridor.

In a statement, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell said that Azerbaijan’s ‘readiness’ to supply goods via the city of Aghdam should not be seen as an alternative to the reopening of the Lachin corridor.

“The European Union is deeply concerned about the serious humanitarian situation affecting the local population in the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. The movement through the Lachin corridor remains obstructed for more than seven months, despite Orders by the International Court of Justice to reopen it.

“Medical supplies and essential goods are in short supply or have already run out, with dire consequences for the local population. It is incumbent on the Azerbaijani authorities to guarantee safety and freedom of movement along the Lachin corridor imminently and not to permit the crisis to escalate further. 

“We took note of the expressed readiness of the Azerbaijani authorities to also supply goods via the city of Aghdam. This should not be seen as an alternative to the reopening of the Lachin corridor. The EU also notes that ICRC activities in the region have been heavily impacted and calls for their full resumption, including medical evacuations and humanitarian supplies. The EU stresses that humanitarian access must not be politicised by any actors.

“The European Union, and in particular President of the European Council Charles Michel, has been heavily engaged in supporting the normalisation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as in promoting a dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert/Khankendi. This also requires the genuine commitment of all sides to negotiated outcomes and a future built on common interests and mutual trust,” the statement reads.

Earlier in July, when Azerbaijani authorities said they were willing to send what they described as ‘aid’ to Nagorno-Karabakh through Aghdam, a group of protesters in Nagorno-Karabakh blocked the road and said that Azerbaijan’s announcement was actually an attempt to subjugate and blackmail them.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations and the Red Cross has been facilitating the medical evacuations of patients.

Indian Pinaka Rockets ‘Ruffle’ Azerbaijan; Media Claims New Delhi Arming Armenia With Deadly Weapons

Emil Lazarian
July 27 2023
By

 Ritu Sharma

The first consignment of India’s first indigenously designed and developed Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher System (MBRLS) Pinaka is en route to Armenia via Iran, according to claims by Azerbaijani media.

The export to Armenia indicates India’s attempt to fill the void created by Russia’s preoccupation with the Ukraine war. This has been reported by Caliber.az website, besides publishing operational footage.

A video of trucks loaded with ‘military cargo’ was shared by several social accounts and Azerbaijani media, claiming that the shipment was weapons and ammunition from India and was heading to Armenia via Bandar Abbas port in Iran.

“India has been pumping weapons and military equipment to Armenia through Iran. Unfortunately, India turns a blind eye to the fact that this runs counter to the principles of the Bandung Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement, of which India is also a member,” said foreign policy commentator Toghrul Mammadli while sharing the video.

Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev is reported to have met Indian diplomat Sridharan Madhusudhanan to express concerns about the expanding military cooperation between India and Armenia. He pointed out that the weapons were being supplied even as the two countries were engaged in war.

Earlier, in January 2023, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev called India’s supply of weapons to adversary Armenia an “unfriendly move,” adding: “If we are facing a serious threat, we will deal with that threat immediately, regardless of where that threat arises, within our territory or outside our borders. It is our legitimate right to do so.”

On September 27, 2020, significant fighting broke out between the militaries of Armenia and Azerbaijan, two states locked in an intractable conflict over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh since the last days of the USSR.

Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions have seen periodic outbursts of violence in recent years, but the current fighting is the most serious since Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a cease-fire in 1994.

As earlier reported by the EurAsian Times, the Pinaka system is considered at par with the US HIMARS. The DRDO developed the Pinaka system as a replacement for the Russian GRAD BM-21, which also equips the Armenian armed forces.

Another important reason for Armenia’s choice was likely its adversary Azerbaijan’s heavy use of drones, including suicide drones. For an MBRLS to survive in a drone-saturated battlefield, it must have the ability to shoot and then disappear quickly. The Pinaka Mk-1 has precisely that ability.

Shoot and Scoot capability enables the launcher to escape the counter-battery fire. Pinaka support vehicles have matching mobility and logistics commonalities.

The Pinaka MBRLS export contract with Armenia was the export contract of the first genuinely indigenous system by the Indian Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with near zero import content.

And it has proven to be a shot in the arm for Indian defense exports. Armenia, which has predominantly Russia-supplied weapons, is looking to diversify its supplies and purchased four batteries of the rocket system through a government-to-government contract with India.

The multiple rocket launcher is already in service with the Indian Army and has been deployed along the borders with China and Pakistan.

The ex-Soviet republic bought four indigenous Swathi weapons locating radars in 2020 from India, which was delivered in the backdrop of its conflict with Azerbaijan.

The Swathi radars are jointly produced by the DRDO and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) at a cost of US $40 million. Swathi represents the latest generation of phased array or electronically steered radars to detect and direct counter-battery fire against enemy ordnance.

Pinaka rocket system derives its name from the divine bow of Lord Shiva, and it got its first glimpse of action in the 1999 Kargil conflict against Pakistan. The battles fought in the frigid mountain ranges of the Himalayas saw Pinaka neutralize the Pakistani positions on mountain tops.

“The best feature of Pinaka system is that one regiment can launch as many as 12 rockets in under a minute in multiple directions, and then regiment can be re-located within minutes,” an official familiar with the system told the EurAsian Times.

The first version of Pinaka has a range of 40 kilometers. After the system was combat proven, the Indian Army raised its first regiment in February 2000.

The complete Pinaka MBRL system is comprised of six launcher vehicles, each equipped with 12 rockets, six loader-replenishment vehicles, two command post vehicles integrated with a fire control computer, and a DIGICORA MET radar.

The best part is that each launcher can be operated independently. So, rockets can be fired individually or simultaneously in different directions. The launcher can operate in four modes – manual, remote, standalone, and autonomous.

The enhanced version of the rocket system with an increased range between 60 to 90 kilometers is undertrial by the DRDO. Besides the enhanced version, the DRDO has also been testing a guided version of Pinaka with a range between 70 to 90 kilometers.

The guided version is more of a missile that can hit the target with pinpoint accuracy. The enhanced and guided version of the rocket is designed to counter the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Eastern Ladakh in support of the Indian Army’s artillery regiments.

China has developed “Rocket Force” as a military branch. It is the largest missile force in the world. It comprises missiles and rocket artillery and works around the tactic of overwhelming the adversary through a barrage of missile attacks.

In August 2020, the Indian government signed a Rs 25.8 billion (US $353.5 million) contract with Tata Power Company, Larsen &Toubro (L&T), and Bharat Earth Movers for supplying six regiments of Pinaka Mk I MBRL systems to the Indian Army and are expected to be delivered by 2024.

  • Ritu Sharma has been a journalist for over a decade, writing on defense, foreign affairs, and nuclear technology.
https://www.eurasiantimes.com/indian-pinaka-rocket-ruffles-azerbaijan-media-claims-new/


Armenia’s position regarding the need to address the rights and security issues NK people has not changed. FM Mirzoyan

Emil Lazarian

 17:48, 27 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMENPRESS. The position of the Armenian side regarding the need to address the rights and security issues of the people of Nagorno Karabakh in the context of achieving long-term peace in the region has not changed, ARMENPRESS reports, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan stated in response to the journalists’ question whether Yerevan continues to insist that there be an international mechanism for the Baku-Stepanakert dialogue, or was the Russian Foreign Minister talking about the meeting without it.

“We have repeatedly emphasized that these issues should be addressed through the Baku-Stepanakert dialogue, and the effectiveness of this dialogue can only be guaranteed through international involvement and an effective mechanism,” the Foreign Minister emphasized.

Ararat Mirzoyan responded to the observation that after the tripartite negotiations between the Foreign Ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow, it is understood from the words of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the topic of the rights of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh was linked to the topic of the protection of the rights of national minorities in Armenia.

“The issue of addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh has always been the cornerstone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and during the negotiations with Azerbaijan on July 25 in Moscow and in other capitals before that, the Armenian side raised and continues to raise the issue of rights and security guarantees of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In fact, it is also recorded in the tripartite declaration of November 9, 2020, where the concepts of Nagorno-Karabakh, Nagorno-Karabakh territory, and contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh are specifically mentioned. The seventh point of the same tripartite declaration also stipulates the return of refugees to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and neighboring regions, which has not been implemented by Azerbaijan so far. We are talking here about Hadrut, Shushi, Martakert, Askeran, Shahumyan, Getashen regions.

Of course, the Armenian side also records the rights of Armenians who were forcibly displaced from various settlements of Azerbaijan in 1988-1991, particularly from Baku, Kirovabad, Sumgait and other places, before that also from the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan, and the issues raised by them.”

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, the problem of ensuring the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh, the indigenous people of the region, is a completely different issue that cannot be related with anything else. It cannot in any way be related to other citizens, including the rights of “citizens living in the Republic of Armenia” (in the words of the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation), stipulated by international obligations and fully provided by the Republic of Armenia.

“Accordingly, during the last tripartite meeting in Moscow, there was no discussion beyond this logic, and even more so, there was no agreement,” Ararat Mirzoyan concluded.

Forcibly displaced Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh call for UN peacekeepers to ensure return

Emil Lazarian

 15:33, 27 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMENPRESS. The forcibly displaced Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh who had to leave their homes as a result of the 2020 war have released a statement in response to the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statements made after his meeting with the Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs in Moscow.

“We, the NGOs representing the interests of several tens of thousands Armenians who were forcibly displaced from the Republic of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh’s Shushi, Martuni, Askeran, Hadrut, Martakert, Karvajar and Kashatagh regions and have become refugees, are perplexed and angered by the ideas voiced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov after his meeting with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan on July 26 in Moscow.  

“The Russian Foreign Minister is equalizing the Armenian refugees who escaped genocide in Azerbaijan’s Armenian-populated regions and the Republic of Artsakh and the Azerbaijanis who left Armenia as a result of segregation of peoples.

“We once again remind the Russian authorities that the Azerbaijanis who left Armenia had the chance to exchange their homes, transport their property and receive compensation from the Republic of Armenia.

“Unlike the Azerbaijanis, the Armenian refugees barely survived genocide, while those who didn’t manage or didn’t want to leave their homes where gruesomely murdered in their homes or backyards,” reads the statement.

The forcibly displaced Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh emphasized that their right to return is enshrined under clause 7 of the 2020 trilateral statement between the Prime Minister of Armenia, the Russian President and the Azerbaijani President, which says ‘internally displaced persons and refugees shall return to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent areas under the supervision of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.’

“Pursuant to the abovementioned, we call on the international community, the UN to create a proper format for discussions on ensuring our return, and include representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. UN Peacekeepers should ensure our return, otherwise we can’t have security guarantees. We are also convinced that in the current phase of the conflict, there is no alternative to direct negotiations between government officials of Artsakh and Azerbaijan republics, mediated by international guarantors. We call on the Russian Federation to stem its official stance from this starting point. We call on the Prime Minister of Armenia to raise our issue in all international formats. We call on the entire international community to support the protection of our legitimate rights,” the statement concludes.