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

Armenpress: Diversified cooperation, not a fundamental change of security system – analyst on Armenia-United States defense ties

Emil Lazarian

 09:16,

YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS. The Armenia-United States military cooperation has a history of many years and isn’t a new thing in principle, and taking into account Defense Minister Suren Papikyan’s recent visit to France, it is obvious that Yerevan seeks to obtain guarantees from its Western partners regarding both its security system and deepening the cooperation and finding alternative options in the defense area in order to withstand existing challenges, according to military-political analyst Davit Harutyunov.

Harutyunov spoke to ARMENPRESS on the cooperation between Armenia and the United States in the defense area.

The Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, First Deputy Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Edward Asryan visited Washington D.C., on July 17-18 and participated in the conference dedicated to the U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program’s 30th Anniversary.
Throughout the event, meetings were held with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Daniel R. Hokanson, the Director for Strategy, Plans and Policy, United States European Command, Major General Daniel Lasica, and the Adjutant General, Commander of Kansas National Guard, Brigadier General Michael T. Venerdi.
During the meetings, the current status and prospects for the development of the Armenia-Kansas partnership within the framework of the program and a number of issues related to bilateral cooperation with the United States were discussed.

“It’s clear what Armenia seeks, because our security system is experiencing a certain crisis in terms of external guarantees due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and Russia’s preoccupation with it. Nonetheless, cooperation with the United States is still limited due to objective reasons.  In general, it’s a difficult process, and thus far no guarantees that the West could provide are visible. This is more about a diversified cooperation and not a fundamental change of Armenia’s security system,” Harutyunov said.

According to the analyst, the cooperation basically relates to the modification of the security system, encompassing the working experience of the past 20-30 years. Despite the West’s increasing weight in the recent period, Armenia still doesn’t have the necessary resources for any fundamental changes, Harutyunov said.

“The United States clearly understands that Armenia is closely integrated with the CSTO and has more comprehensive ties with Russia in the security field, therefore changing something at once would be simply impossible. But on the other hand this is a secondary circumstance, because some of the other CSTO members are rather effectively cooperating with the United States itself, and being a member of the CSTO isn’t a disruptive factor at all. Nevertheless, South Caucasus isn’t a priority region for the United States, and Washington doesn’t view South Caucasian countries to be a constituent part of its security system,” he added.

Some believe that closer integration with the West could open a new front against Russia in our region, Harutyunov noted.

Furthermore, Harutyunov said that integration would require huge resources which are now scarce because of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and noted other factors such as East Asia and China. Moreover, closer cooperation with Armenia could cause Turkey’s discontent because Turkey is in a higher position than Armenia for the United States.

“In our case, changing the security system and the military arsenal would definitely imply rather serious resources and funds. In a best case scenario, we could speak about buying limited, individual elements of Western production and integrating them into our system, just like in the case of Indian-made armaments. Theoretically, the American side could provide us with a variety of armaments, but that equipment is very expensive. We don’t have the necessary resources for acquiring the kind of systems they have. And after all, the American military industrial complex is first of all supporting its allies,” Harutyunov said.

The analyst explained that the Armenian-American military cooperation is generally developing within the framework of the programs as part of NATO, as well as in the context of structural reforms in the Armenian Ministry of Defense, trainings of specialists, partnership between the two militaries, as well as involvement in peacekeeping missions.

Interview by Manvel Margaryan




Ammo depot fire forces evacuation in Crimea

Emil Lazarian

 11:26,

YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS. Crimean authorities have shut down a major highway and ordered the evacuation of four settlements in the immediate vicinity of an ammunition depot in the east of the peninsula, which “caught fire” on Wednesday morning, RT reports.

Crimean leader Sergey Aksyonov announced the plan to “temporarily evacuate residents of four settlements” at around 7:15am local time, shortly after announcing that a segment of the Tavrida highway was closed due to major blaze at a nearby military range.

Later in the day he reported that the evacuation order affected some 2,200 people, who will be provided all necessary assistance. Nobody was hurt in the incident, the official added.

The cause of the incident has yet to be officially confirmed, but several popular Telegram channels have shared videos purportedly showing the fire.

The incident comes a day after the Russian military reportedly intercepted at least 28 Ukrainian drones targeting multiple locations across the peninsula.

On Monday, Kiev used two unmanned maritime surface drones to strike the Crimean Bridge.

Azerbaijan must ensure free movement of ill persons through Lachin Corridor, rules ECHR

Emil Lazarian

 11:11,

YEREVAN, 17 JULY, ARMENPRESS: On July 12, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), after examining the request of the Armenian government to apply interim measures against Azerbaijan regarding the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor, decided to reaffirm the decision made on December 21, 2022, the Office of the Representative on International Legal Matters said in a statement on July 17.

The December 21 ruling ordered Azerbaijan to ‘take all measures’ to ensure safe passage through the “Lachin Corridor” of seriously ill persons in need of medical treatment in Armenia and others who were stranded on the road without shelter or means of subsistence.

With this decision, the European Court of Human Rights reaffirmed the need of implementing the decision made of December 21, 2022 in the current situation, and it must be implemented by Azerbaijan.

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.




Armenian Deputy Prime Minister meets new ADB Armenian office head

Emil Lazarian

 16:30,

YEREVAN, 17 JULY, ARMENPRESS: On July 17, the Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan met with Paolo Spantigati, the outgoing (Asian Development Bank) ADB Director of the Armenian Resident Mission, and his successor Donald Lambert.

During the meeting, Tigran Khachatryan thanked Spantigati for his ‘active and productive’ activities in Armenia and spoke about the important achievements within the framework of cooperation with the ADB, the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout posted on social media.

The Deputy Prime Minister and the newly appointed head of the ADB Armenian office noted that effective cooperation with ADB will continue.

During the meeting, ideas were exchanged regarding the implementation of the North-South Road Corridor Investment Program as well as issues related to the sustainable urban development and improving the seismic safety of schools.

The interlocutors also specifically referred to the need for the development of irrigation infrastructure and effective management of water resources, emphasizing the importance of expanding cooperation in this direction.

Rally in Artsakh demands action to end humanitarian blockade

Emil Lazarian
 Siranush Sargsyan News 2

First day of the nationwide movement for Artsakh, Renaissance Square, Stepanakert, July 14, 2023 (Photo: Siranush Sargsyan)

STEPANAKERT, Artsakh—On Friday, July 14, thousands gathered for a rally in Renaissance Square in Stepanakert, demanding the unblocking of the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor.

The seven-month blockade of Artsakh, including a total blockade since June 15, has brought its population of 120,000 to the brink of disaster.

In his speech during the rally, Artsakh Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan addressed the international community, calling on all global actors to raise the alarm for the existential threats hanging over our people.

“Being under siege and completely cut off from humanitarian access since June 15, our people are facing undeniable threats of malnutrition, hunger, ethnic cleansing openly carried out by Azerbaijan, forced subjugation and genocide,” he stated.

“How can I look into the eyes of thousands of people standing in queues, waiting for hours to obtain a handful of sugar or oil? And, ultimately, how can I face the eyes of a bereaved mother who sacrificed her most precious possession for this land? She looks at me with terrified eyes, fearing that she will lose the last remaining sanctity in her life, her son’s grave. We cannot allow Artsakh to become an altar where the lives of our compatriots and children are sacrificed,” he continued.

Pictured l. to r.: Artsakh Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan, a mother of three in Artsakh Mariam Abrahamyan, a deputy of the ICRC Stepanakert office and Eteri Musayelyan, communication officer at the ICRC Artsakh office (Photo: Siranush Sargsyan)

State Minister Gurgen Nersisyan said that we will never make our children’s lives a bargaining chip, emphasizing that any concession comes at their cost.

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, members of the executive and legislative bodies, and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan also participated in the rally. 

The protesters, accompanied by State Minister Nersisyan and Human Rights Defender Stepanyan, marched from Renaissance Square to the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In their speeches, both Nersisyan and Stepanyan expressed appreciation for the work done by the ICRC but emphasized that it is insufficient. Stepanyan said that the Red Cross should raise the alarm and provide daily updates to international actors about the catastrophic situation in Artsakh.

Eteri Musayelyan, communication officer at the ICRC Artsakh office, mentioned that the protest requests will be forwarded to the organization’s offices in Yerevan and Geneva.

A young girl from Artsakh desperately chants, “Haiastan,” with her fellow demonstrators at the Russian peacekeepers’ base (Photo: Siranush Sargsyan) Ashot Sargsyan, left, during the march (Photo: Siranush Sargsyan)

Demonstrators marched from the Red Cross office to the base of the Russian peacekeeping mission. Ashot Sargsyan, 65, said that their objective is to convey to the Russian peacekeepers and other international actors that Artsakh cannot become a part of Azerbaijan. “Azeris have demonstrated through their actions that this is an impossibility, and the only outcome awaiting us is ethnic cleansing within Azerbaijan,” Sargsyan told the Weekly. 

“When thousands of people, including disabled women, men and children, gather and march for kilometers under the scorching sun, the resilience and energy displayed cannot go unrewarded. We are confident that this struggle will ultimately succeed,” he added.

Alyona Grigoryan, a 36-year-old mother of two children and expecting her third child, emphasized that her pregnancy did not prevent her from joining the march. “There are thousands of Artsakh mothers in my position, and we must struggle first of all for women in similar circumstances, because this country needs a healthy generation,” she said.

Alyona Grigoryan with her husband David (Photo: Siranush Sargsyan)

“Like all the people of Artsakh, I am fighting for my rights, the rights of my children and the rights of my unborn child. My hope lies with our soldiers standing at the border and my fellow countrymen. However, we have demands from the Russian peacekeepers to fulfill their obligations as stipulated in the 2020 tripartite agreement,” she continued. 

With a mixture of pain and determination, she added, “Nothing is lost as long as we continue to breathe. We must keep fighting.”

After reaching the base of the Russian peacekeepers, the rally participants conducted a peaceful demonstration, demanding the lifting of the blockade. During his speech, the State Minister referred to the points outlined in the 2020 tripartite declaration and emphasized that the consequences of its failure should not be borne by the people of Artsakh. Subsequently, Nersisyan, together with the Minister of Internal Affairs Karen Sargsyan and the head of the “Azat Hayrenik-UCA” faction of the National Assembly Artur Harutyunyan, held a meeting with the commander of the Russian peacekeeping force Alexander Lentsov.

Following the meeting, Nersisyan announced that an agreement was reached with the peacekeeping troops’ commander to provide daily reports on the situation in Artsakh to Russia. According to the Nersisyan, the command of the peacekeeping mission acknowledges the violation of the provisions stated in the 2020 tripartite declaration.

Artsakh President Harutyunyan has sent letters to the heads of all UN Security Council member countries, the UN Secretary-General, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the President of the European Council, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, as well as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. The purpose of these letters is to demand urgent measures in accordance with international obligations and effective steps to halt the illegal and complete blockade of Artsakh conducted by Azerbaijan. Additionally, they call for an end to systematic mass crimes and terrorism against the people of Artsakh.

In the letters, Harutyunyan underlined the disastrous measures implemented by Azerbaijan over the course of the past seven months. “I, as the President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), on behalf of the government and people of Artsakh, urgently alert the international community to the security and humanitarian crisis that is rapidly unfolding and transforming into a catastrophe,” Harutyunyan said. 

People from the regions of Artsakh were unable to join their fellow compatriots in Stepanakert’s Renaissance Square due to fuel shortages, yet they are united in the pan-popular movement.

At the end of the Friday rally, dozens of tents were set up in Renaissance Square in Stepanakert to accommodate the participants of the indefinite movement. According to one of the participants, these tents serve as civilian trenches, emphasizing that if our soldiers are guarding the border, we also must fight from here. 

The second day of the movement for Artsakh was held in the square on July 15, where the people continued to express their demands and to demonstrate their unstoppable spirit.

Nationwide movement for Artsakh, Renaissance Square, Stepanakert, July 15, 2023 (Photo: Siranush Sargsyan)

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Siranush Sargsyan is a freelance journalist based in Stepanakert.


Russia strongly urges Azerbaijan to unblock the Lachin Corridor

Emil Lazarian

 16:38,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Russia strongly calls on the leadership of Azerbaijan to take urgent measures to immediately unblock the Lachin Corridor, ARMENPRESS reports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation said in a message.

The Russian Foreign Ministry considered worrying the fact that today the situation around Nagorno Karabakh is developing in a negative scenario.

“The humanitarian crisis is deepening. The population has an acute shortage of food, medicine, basic necessities, is practically deprived of electricity and gas. This can bring the most dramatic consequences for the Armenians of Karabakh, the ordinary residents of the region. We strongly call on the leadership of Azerbaijan to take urgent measures to immediately unblock the Lachin Corridor, to resume the unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles, and cargo in both directions, as well as to restore energy supply,” the statement said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation also noted that Armenia recognized Nagorno Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan in the meetings held under the auspices of the EU in October 2022 and in May 2023.

“We respect the sovereign decision of the leadership of Armenia, but it radically changed the fundamental conditions under which the declaration of the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan was signed on November 9, 2020, as well as the status of the Russian peacekeeping force deployed in the region. We believe that under these conditions, the responsibility for the fate of the Armenian population of Karabakh should not be transferred to third countries. It is necessary to immediately start the preparation of the peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan, based on the previously reached agreements,” said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The Russian side emphasized that reliable and clear guarantees of the rights and security of the Armenians of Karabakh should be an integral part of this agreement, as well as the strict implementation of the entire set of tripartite agreements between Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the unblocking of transport communications and the start of the process of delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The Russian Foreign Ministry added, taking into account the above, the Russian side confirms its determination to actively contribute to the efforts of the international community aimed at restoring normal life in Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia is ready to organize a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers in Moscow in the near future to discuss ways to implement agreements at the highest level, including the issue of agreeing on a peace treaty with the prospect of organizing a Russian-Azerbaijani-Armenian summit for the signing of that document.

Asbarez: Tatoyan Foundation Files Lawsuit in U.S. Against Mining Company Believed to Have Assisted Baku in Artsakh Blockade

Emil Lazarian
by Contributor

 

 

 

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

Artsakh has been under a blockade since Dec. 12, 2022


WASHINGTON — The Tatoyan Foundation Center for Law & Justice and U.S.-based law firm Kerkonian Dajani LLP filed a class action lawsuit on July 11 against Mohammad Reza Vaziri, president and chief executive officer of Anglo Asian Mining PLC. The suit stems from Azerbaijan’s seven-month blockade of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) by Azerbaijan.

The federal class action, entitled Lalabekyan v Vaziri, is pending in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia in Washington D.C.
The Complaint alleges that Defendant Vaziri aided and abetted violations of the U.S. Torture Victims Protection Act and the false imprisonment of Artsakh Armenians in an effort to secure access and exploit precious metal deposits in Artsakh, including gold and copper. It details the link between Vaziri’s demanded access to these mines and the blockade.

Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh has precipitated a humanitarian catastrophe in Artsakh, now placing the Artsakh Armenians on the verge of mass starvation.

The federal complaint alleges that Vaziri “substantially encouraged and assisted” Azerbaijan in blockading Artsakh by, among other things, “advising, and/or insisting that the Blockade serve as a mechanism by which to obtain access to the [] Mines” and “that the Blockade be maintained, and not be lifted, unless and until Defendant Vaziri, his agents and/or his collaborators are granted access to the [Nagorno-Karabakh] Mines.”

The case seeks certification of a plaintiff class of 120,000 Artsakh Armenians, including 30,000 children, the elderly, and 9000 disabled people—all persons confined and suffering in the blockaded area.

In February 2023, the International Court of Justice ordered Azerbaijan to “ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor [the only link between Artsakh and Armenia] in both directions.” The United States, France, the European Union, and numerous other states and international organizations have likewise demanded the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor.

Azerbaijan has not complied. Instead, it has blocked access even to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The federal pleading alleges Defendant Vaziri’s role in “lobbying foreign governments and international institutions to justify, whitewash, and/or divert attention away from the Blockade until Defendant Vaziri, his agents and/or his collaborators were granted access to the [Nagorno-Karabakh] Mines.”

The Complaint alleges that Defendant Vaziri’s actions contributed to massive human suffering including torture, starvation, malnutrition, physical harm, and psychological damage.

Lead attorneys for plaintiffs in the case are international lawyer Karnig Kerkonian and appellate counsel, Elizabeth Al-Dajani. Lawyers and advisors include Arman Tatoyan, Garo Ghazarian, Ani Nazaryan, and Laura Seferian.

Nagorno-Karabakh crisis evolving under negative scenario – Russian Foreign Ministry

Emil Lazarian
 TASS 
Russia –
The department noted that the aggravation of the humanitarian crisis in the region could lead to serious consequences

MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/. The situation around Nagorno-Karabakh is developing in a negative way, as the humanitarian crisis is deteriorating, and that may entail dire consequences, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

“It is a matter of concern that currently the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh is evolving under a negative scenario. The humanitarian crisis in that region is deepening,” the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized.

“The local population is facing serious shortages of food, medicines, and daily essentials. They are in fact left without electricity and gas supply. This may entail the most dramatic repercussions for Karabakh’s Armenians, or ordinary inhabitants of the region.”.

https://tass.com/politics/1647289

RFE/RL Armenian Service – 07/15/2023

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Saturday, 
Russia Alarmed By Consequences Of Karabakh’s Blockade
Russia - A view of the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow, January 13, 
2019.
Russia on Saturday again urged Azerbaijan to immediately lift the seven-month 
blockade of the Lachin corridor, saying that the resulting humanitarian crisis 
in Nagorno-Karabakh could have “the most dramatic consequences” for the region’s 
population.
It also appeared to link the worsening plight of the Karabakh Armenians to 
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s decision to recognize Karabakh as part 
of Azerbaijan.
“The humanitarian crisis in that territory is deepening,” the Russian Foreign 
Ministry said in a statement. “The local population is experiencing an acute 
shortage of food, medicine, basic necessities, and is practically deprived of 
electricity and gas supply. This may entail the most dramatic consequences for 
the Karabakh Armenians - ordinary residents of the region.
“We strongly urge the Azerbaijani leadership to take urgent measures for the 
immediate unblocking the Lachin corridor and the resumption of unhindered 
movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions along it as well as 
energy supply to the region.”
The statement came one month after Baku further tightened the blockade by 
banning Russian peacekeepers from shipping limited amounts of food, medicine and 
fuel to Karabakh. This aggravated the shortages of essential items there.
NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- An armored personnel carrier of the Russian peacekeeping 
forces is seen in Dadivank Monastery, November 24, 2020
Thousands of Karabakh Armenians attended on Friday a demonstration organized by 
the authorities in Stepanakert in protest against the blockade. Speaking at the 
rally, Karabakh leaders demanded that Russia and its peacekeeping contingent 
unblock the Lachin corridor.
The Armenian government has repeatedly criticized the peacekeepers for not 
ensuring Baku’s compliance with the 2020 ceasefire agreement which was brokered 
by Moscow and placed the corridor under their control.
In a clear response to that criticism, the Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out 
that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian recognized Azerbaijani sovereignty over 
Karabakh during his October 2022 and May 2023 meetings with Azerbaijani 
President Ilham Aliyev mediated by the European Union.
“While we respect the sovereign decision of the Armenian leadership, this 
radically changed the underlying conditions in which the Statement of the 
leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia of November 9, 2020 was signed as well 
as the position of the Russian peacekeeping contingent deployed in the region,” 
read its statement. “We believe that in these conditions, responsibility for the 
fate of the Armenian population of Karabakh should not be shifted to third 
countries.”
Belgium - European Council President Charles Michel hosts talks between the 
leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels, May 14, 2023.
The Armenian opposition has likewise said that Pashinian’s decision to agree to 
the restoration of Azerbaijani control over Karabakh emboldened Baku to tighten 
the screws on the Karabakh Armenians. Not surprisingly, some opposition leaders 
seized upon the Russian Foreign Ministry statement to again attack the prime 
minister.
In a Facebook post, Andranik Tevanian, a lawmaker representing the main 
opposition Hayastan alliance, said Moscow made clear that “the siege of Artsakh 
is a consequence of the decision made by Nikol Pashinian in Prague in 2022.”
“Simply put, the Russian side is saying that ‘if the Armenian government has 
surrendered Artsakh, what do you want from us?’” wrote Tigran Abrahamian of the 
Pativ Unem bloc. “It is hinting that their rules of the game did not presuppose 
Azerbaijanization of Artsakh.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated on Saturday that a peace treaty 
currently discussed by Baku and Yerevan must contain “reliable and clear 
guarantees of the rights and security of the Armenians of Karabakh.”
Moscow has been very critical of the EU and U.S. efforts to broker an 
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace accord, saying that they are ultimately aimed at 
driving Russia out of the South Caucasus. The Western powers have denied that.
EU Chief Hosts Another Armenian-Azeri Summit
Belgium - EU Council President Charles Michel meets the leaders of Armenia and 
Azerbaijan in Brussels, .
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 
met in Brussels on Saturday for fresh talks hosted by the European Union’s top 
official, Charles Michel.
Speaking after the trilateral meeting, Michel gave no indications that Aliyev 
and Pashinian narrowed their differences on an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty 
discussed by them. He said he urged them to “take further courageous steps to 
ensure decisive and irreversible progress on the normalization track.”
“Even though our meeting took place in the context of a worrying increase in 
tensions on the ground, I noted an important momentum in the political 
discussions and efforts,” Michel said in a statement to the press.
“The Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders once again fully reconfirmed the respect 
for the other country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty based on the 
understanding that Armenia’s territory covers 29,800 square kilometers and 
Azerbaijan’s 86,600 square kilometers.”
“Real progress depends on the next steps that will need to be taken in the near 
future,” added the president of the European Council, the EU’s top 
decision-making body.
An Armenian government statement on the talks said the three leaders agreed to 
“intensify the work towards the settlement of the discussed issues,” which 
included not only the would-be treaty but also Azerbaijan’s continuing blockade 
of the Lachin corridor, “the rights and security” of the Karabakh Armenians and 
planned transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
According to Aliyev’s office, the agenda of the meeting included Baku’s demands 
for “the withdrawal of Armenian army units from Azerbaijani territory” and the 
dissolution of Karabakh’s “illegal” armed forces. Armenia has repeatedly denied 
any military presence in Karabakh.
Pashinian said last week that the peace accord is not “yet ready for signing.” 
The Armenian Foreign Ministry reported earlier that Baku and Yerevan continue to 
disagree on practical modalities of delimiting the Armenian-Azerbaijani border 
and organizing a dialogue between Baku and Karabakh’s leadership.
Michel voiced support for such a dialogue, saying that Karabakh’s ethnic 
Armenian population “needs reassurances first and foremost regarding the rights 
and security.” He signaled no further progress on this issue made in Brussels.
Turning to the Azerbaijani blockade and the resulting humanitarian crisis in 
Karabakh, Michel said he discussed with Aliyev and Pashinian “possible concrete 
steps to help bring the situation back to normal.” “I emphasized the need to 
open the Lachin road,” he said without reporting any understandings on this 
score.
Pashinian charged earlier this month that the seven-month blockage of Karabakh’s 
only land link with Armenia reflects Baku’s intention to commit “genocide” in 
the region. He made clear at the same time that he will not deviate from his 
“peace agenda” denounced by the Armenian opposition as well as Karabakh’s 
leadership. Opposition leaders claim that Baku was emboldened by his recent 
pledge to sign a peace deal upholding Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh.
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.

Azerbaijan, Armenia hold talks, Russia proposes Moscow summit

Emil Lazarian
First Post
FP Staff Last Updated: 09:10:54 IST

    Azerbaijan and Armenia launched a new round of peace negotiations mediated by the EU on Saturday, while Russia proposed a conference in Moscow to reaffirm its leadership position in the normalisation process.

    Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Brussels to discuss ending their decades-long war over Armenian-populated Karabakh.

    The meetings were “frank, honest, and substantive,” according to European Council President Charles Michel, who mediated them.

    “I encouraged them to take courageous steps to ensure decisive and irreversible progress on a normalisation track,” he added.

    Michel said he planned a new meeting between Aliyev and Pashinyan in Brussels, as well as another in October in Spain with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.

    The meetings came after Azerbaijan cut the only land route between Karabakh and Armenia on Tuesday.

    Baku criticises Moscow

    Baku and Yerevan have been trying to negotiate a peace deal with the help of the European Union and the United States, whose growing diplomatic engagement in the Caucasus has irked traditional regional power broker Russia.

    Moscow on Saturday offered to host the two countries’ foreign ministers and suggested a future peace treaty could be signed in Moscow.

    Russia is ready “to organise a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers in Moscow in the near future”, the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

    It also urged Azerbaijan to reopen the Lachin Corridor and said Armenia’s recent recognition of Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan “has radically changed the standing of the Russian peacekeeping contingent”.

    “Under such conditions, the responsibility for the destiny of Karabakh’s Armenian population should not be shifted onto third countries,” it said, a possible reference to the Armenian separatists’ calls for Moscow to ensure the reopening of the land link.

    Azerbaijan reacted angrily, accusing Russia of failing to fulfil its obligations under a 2020 Moscow-brokered ceasefire.

    “The Russian side did not ensure full implementation of the agreement within the framework of its obligations,” Baku’s foreign ministry said, adding that Moscow “did nothing to prevent” Armenia’s military supplies from reaching separatist forces in Karabakh.

    Adding to tensions with Yerevan, Azerbaijan’s defence ministry accused Armenian separatist forces in Karabakh of using “radio interference against… passenger aircraft flying through our country’s airspace”.

    Karabakh’s rebel authorities dismissed the claims as an “absolute lie”.

    Uneasy peace talks

    On Friday, around 6,000 people rallied in Karabakh, calling for the reopening of the five-kilometre-wide Lachin Corridor.

    Local separatists, warning of a humanitarian crisis, urged Moscow to ensure free movement through the road.

    Azerbaijan later allowed the Red Cross to resume medical evacuations from Karabakh to Armenia.

    Karabakh has been at the centre of a decades-long dispute between the two countries, which have fought two wars over the mountainous territory.

    During previous rounds of Western-mediated talks, Baku and Yerevan made progress towards a peace agreement, but its signature remains a distant prospect.

    Yerevan agreed to recognise Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan but demanded international mechanisms for protecting the rights and security of the region’s ethnic-Armenian population.

    Baku insists such guarantees must be provided at the national level, rejecting any international format.

    The 2020 ceasefire deal saw Armenia cede swathes of territories it had controlled for decades, while Moscow deployed peacekeepers to the Lachin Corridor to ensure free passage between Armenia and Karabakh.

    Armenia has relied on Russia for military and economic support since the collapse of the Soviet Union. It has accused Moscow — bogged down in its war against Ukraine — of failing to fulfil its peacekeeping role in Karabakh.

    https://www.firstpost.com/world/azerbaijan-armenia-hold-talks-russia-proposes-moscow-summit-12872532.html