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

Ombudsperson provides information to international organizations on two Armenian servicemen kidnapped by Azerbaijan

Emil Lazarian

 13:17, 6 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Anahit Manasyan has provided information regarding the two Armenian servicemen kidnapped from the territory of Armenia by Azerbaijan to international organizations.

The subject is constantly raised in contacts with all international partners.

“In this case we are dealing with persons who clearly have a status of captives in terms of international humanitarian law, and they must be covered with the guarantees, which, basically it would be disputed to say whether or not they are factually covered now . Definitely, steps must be taken,” she said when asked on the sham trials of the soldiers in Azerbaijan.

The two servicemen of the Armed Forces of Armenia were kidnapped by an Azerbaijani sabotage team on May 26 in the sovereign territory of Armenia.

Armenia commends efforts of Western partners for establishing peace in the South Caucasus. MP

Emil Lazarian

 18:23, 6 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenia highly commends the efforts of its Western partners – USA, EU, France, Germany – in the process of establishing peace, stability and security in the South Caucasus, ARMENPRESS reports, Sona Ghazaryan, MP from “Civil Contract” faction, said in her speech at the political affairs committee of the Francophonie Parliamentary Assembly in Tbilisi.

“As you know, Armenia is going through great difficulties, facing the biggest security threats. Since 2021, Azerbaijan, grossly violating the principles of international law and the territorial integrity of Armenia, has illegally occupied a significant part of our sovereign territory.

We highly appreciate the efforts of our western partners – USA, EU, France, Germany – in the process of establishing peace, stability and security in the South Caucasus,” said Ghazaryan.

In this context, the MP emphasized the decision of the European Council to deploy a civilian mission of the European Union in Armenia within the framework of the Common Security and Defense Policy, contributing to the stability in the border regions of Armenia, the formation of trust and the provision of an environment conducive to efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Ghazaryan noted that, unfortunately, Azerbaijan is against even this civilian mission.

The MP also drew the attention of those present to the situation of the siege of Nagorno Karabakh, the illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to a severe humanitarian crisis. The Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh live under complete siege. About 30 thousand children are deprived of the right to full education.

In this context, the deputy emphasized the decision of the European Council to deploy a civilian mission of the European Union in Armenia within the framework of the general security and defense policy, contributing to the stability in the border regions of Armenia, the formation of local trust and the provision of an environment conducive to efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Ghazaryan noted that, unfortunately, Azerbaijan is against even this civilian mission.

The MP also drew the attention of those present to the situation of the blockade of Nagorno Karabakh, the illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to a severe humanitarian crisis. The Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh live under complete siege. About 30 thousand children are deprived of the right to full education.

“We believe that the rights and security issues of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh should also be resolved through dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert, with neutral international involvement in the process and the introduction of any mechanism for peace.

A few days before our visit, the Azerbaijani military again bombarded the positions of Nagorno Karabakh with artillery and drones, killing 4 soldiers.

Azerbaijan constantly rejects all efforts aimed at peace, ignores the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the binding decision of the International Court of Justice, and carries out an open policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.

We truly believe that democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, peaceful coexistence are the pillars on which humanity should be based in order to live in peace and harmony,” said Sona Ghazaryan.

Armenian Deputy FM presents to newly appointed Ambassador of Bahrain the developments in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations

Emil Lazarian

 19:47, 6 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. On July 6, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahan Kostanyan received the newly appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain Dr. Naser Mohamed Yusuf Al Balooshi, (residence: Rome) on the occasion of handing over the copy of his credentials, ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia.

Deputy Minister Vahan Kostanyan, congratulated Ambassador Al Balooshi upon the assumption of his mission and noted that the relations between Armenia and the Arab world have a centuries-long history. In that context, he expressed conviction that the Ambassador will bring his contribution to further strengthening and deepening of relations between Armenia and Bahrain.

Both sides noted that the current bilateral cooperation has a significant unfulfilled potential and expressed readiness to spare no effort aimed at developing current cooperation in trade and economic relations, attraction of investments, agriculture, infrastructures, tourism, healthcare, education, culture and other spheres. The parties highlighted the importance of mutual high-level visits, as well as the expansion of the legal framework between the two countries.

At the meeting, Vahan Kostanyan briefed  the Ambassador on the latest developments regarding the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and Nagorno Karabakh, in particular, the humanitarian crisis caused by the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan. In this context, the Deputy Minister emphasized the readiness of the Republic of Armenia to address the existing issues through peaceful negotiations.

Armenia to provide additional evidence to ICJ on situation in Nagorno Karabakh

Emil Lazarian

 11:14, 6 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is going to present additional evidence to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Azerbaijani checkpoint and concrete barrier on the Lachin Corridor and the resulting humanitarian crisis, the Representative of Armenia for International Legal Affairs Yeghishe Kirakosyan said on July 6.

Kirakosyan said that Armenia began to work with international courts since the very first day of the blockade of Lachin Corridor in December 2022.

The first ruling was issued by the ECHR, ordering Azerbaijan to ensure passage of patients and those who’ve lost their homes in both ways along Lachin Corridor, but Azerbaijan has failed to implement it. Furthermore, the situation escalated further. Azerbaijan cut off gas and electricity supply into Nagorno Karabakh, prompting Armenia to take the next step and file a complaint to the ICJ.

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. But Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since.

“Unfortunately we didn’t have any positive movement after that ruling, on the contrary, we had more negative consequences. In April 2023 Azerbaijan installed the checkpoints and the situation escalated, then they installed the concrete barriers, almost entirely blocking passage along Lachin Corridor. Following these developments, we filed the second appeal to the ICJ, asking the court to further specify its February 22 ruling and order that any obstacle should be eliminated, including the checkpoints. Additional evidence has been provided to the court on the developments. We will provide further information this week. We hope that it won’t take the ICJ too long to issue a ruling, because it has already been two months since we filed our request,” Kirakosyan said.

No big prospects for other peacekeeping mission, says Nagorno Karabakh

Emil Lazarian

 13:08, 6 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) authorities expect Russian peacekeepers to make all efforts as part of their obligations under the 9 November 2020 agreement to lift the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, Nagorno Karabakh Foreign Minister Sergey Ghazaryan said on July 6.

“The situation in Artsakh is getting more difficult day after day, therefore, the Russian peacekeepers, being there, must make all efforts within their jurisdiction, moreover when the most important goal of the Azerbaijani provocations is to discredit the peacekeeping mission,” Ghazaryan said.

Now there’s no big prospect of having another peacekeeping mission in Artsakh, and such a scenario can’t happen swiftly because it implies a serious process, especially in conditions of the existing crisis in international relations.

RFE/RL Armenian Service – 07/05/2023

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Karabakh Leadership Chides U.S. Envoy
Armenia - U.S. Ambassador Kristina Kvien gives a speech during an Independence 
Day reception at the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, June 29, 2023.
Nagorno-Karabakh’s leadership on Wednesday criticized the U.S. ambassador to 
Armenia, Kristina Kvien, for saying that the Karabakh Armenians could live 
safely under Azerbaijani rule.
In an interview with Armenian Public Television aired on Monday, Kvien disagreed 
with a widely held belief in Armenia that Karabakh’s population will have to 
flee the region if Azerbaijan regains full control of it. She said “all parties” 
to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict have assured the United States that “the 
rights and security of Nagorno-Karabakh’s residents must be guaranteed.”
“Amid the policy of conquest and ethnic cleansing carried out by Azerbaijan 
against the people of Artsakh with an obvious genocidal intention, the ongoing 
inhumane blockade, repeated cases of violence and aggression, growing hate 
speech and belligerent rhetoric, such statements smack of a policy of appeasing 
the aggressor,” the Karabakh foreign ministry said in a statement.
“As historical experience shows, appeasement of the aggressor is perceived by 
the latter as encouragement of its destructive policy, which only leads to 
further violence and human suffering.”
The statement also said the U.S. and other mediating powers “must not 
predetermine the outcome” of Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks in the first place.
A senior official in Stepanakert told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Monday that 
Karabakh’s leadership turned down last month a U.S. offer to meet with 
Azerbaijani officials in a foreign country for talks on the Armenian-populated 
region’s “integration” into Azerbaijan. Washington has not reported such offers.
The Karabakh president, Arayik Harutiunian, made clear last week that the 
Karabakh Armenians will continue to assert their right to self-determination 
despite mounting pressure from Azerbaijan.
Kvien’s remarks are consistent with other U.S. officials’ positive reaction to 
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s recent pledge to recognize Azerbaijani 
sovereignty over Karabakh through a comprehensive peace treaty. Pashinian’s 
statement was strongly condemned by the authorities in Stepanakert and the 
Armenian opposition.
Later in May, the U.S. State Department welcomed Azerbaijani President Ilham 
Aliyev’s offer of “amnesty” to Karabakh’s leaders conditional on their 
“surrender” to Baku. The Karabakh authorities denounced that move, saying that 
it amounted to an endorsement of “Baku’s bellicose policy.”
Putin, Pashinian Discuss Lachin Corridor Crisis
Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian meet in Moscow, May 25, 2023.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian telephoned Russian President Vladimir Putin on 
Wednesday to discuss Azerbaijan’s eight-month blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh’s 
vital land link with Armenia which was tightened last month.
According to the Kremlin’s readout of the call, the two men focused on “the 
situation around Nagorno-Karabakh, including issues of ensuring unimpeded 
traffic through the Lachin corridor.”
Putin stressed in that regard the need for “consistent implementation of the 
entire set of agreements between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan 
reached in 2020-2022.” He also reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to “provide 
practical assistance in the drawing up of the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty.”
The Armenian government’s press office issued an unusually short statement on 
Pashinian’s conversation with Putin. It said they discussed the humanitarian 
crisis in Karabakh caused by the “illegal blockade” and “ways of overcoming it.”
The Karabakh president, Arayik Harutiunian, said later in the day that Pashinian 
phoned Putin at his request. He discussed the results of the phone call with 
other Karabakh officials at a meeting in Stepanakert.
Harutiunian’s office did not disclose those results in a statement on that 
meeting. It cited Harutiunian as urging the international community to take 
“urgent and effective action” to improve the plight of Karabakh’s population.
“Given the alarming situation we face, the people and the authorities of Artsakh 
expect concrete results in the shortest possible time to alleviate the security 
and humanitarian situation and lift the blockade,” he said, adding that the 
authorities in Stepanakert are ready to “discuss and resolve all issues through 
civilized dialogue.”
Yerevan and Moscow traded barbs after 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 April. Baku 
denied that they tried to cross into Armenian territory and blocked the movement 
of humanitarian convoys through the corridor.
Videos of the incident showed that the Azerbaijanis were escorted by Russian 
peacekeeping troops 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 peacekeepers’ actions.
The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected the Armenian criticism as “absolutely 
groundless,” pointing to the “absence of a delimited Armenian-Azerbaijani 
border.” The Armenian side countered on June 22 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 in Karabakh.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin discussed the matter with the 
Armenian ambassador in Moscow, Vagharshak Harutiunian, on June 26. It is not 
clear whether the Russian Foreign Ministry formally summoned Harutiunian to 
again hit back at Yerevan.
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. Baku blocked commercial 
traffic there last December.
Karabakh Tightens Dining Restrictions Due To Food Shortage
        • Narine Ghalechian
Nagorno-Karabakh - Empty shelves at a supermarket in Stepanakert, January 17, 
2023.
Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh have again banned restaurants from hosting large 
dinner parties and post-funeral gatherings amid worsening shortages of food 
caused by the recent tightening of Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin corridor.
The ban took effect on Wednesday three weeks after Baku blocked emergency 
supplies of food, medicine and other essential items to Karabakh through the 
sole road connecting the region to Armenia. They had been carried out, in 
limited quantities, by Russian peacekeepers since the disruption of commercial 
traffic through the corridor last December.
Karabakh restaurants are no longer allowed to serve meals for groups of more 
than 50 people, and post-funeral receptions held there can be attended by up to 
30 persons. The restrictions are designed to further cut the consumption of 
imported food which is now running out.
“There is no sugar, soap and washing powder in shops, and the price of sweets 
has increased fivefold,” Silva Khachatrian, a Stepanakert resident, told 
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. The prices of sunflower oil and drugs have at least 
doubled since June 15, she said.
Khachatrian also complained about similar surges in the cost of fruit and 
vegetables grown in Karabakh. She blamed them on “shameless” traders buying the 
agricultural produce from local farmers.
The Karabakh premier, Gurgen Nersisian, on Tuesday also put the blame on the 
farmers, saying that they are trying to cash in on the crisis. The authorities 
will “try to settle the problem with the producers,” he said.
Nersisian also announced that Karabakh families having underage members will 
receive sugar and cooking oil. The authorities in Stepanakert have rationed 
these and other basic foodstuffs since February.
Azerbaijan stopped relief supplies to Karabakh on June 15 following a shootout 
near an Azerbaijani checkpoint controversially set up in April by a bridge over 
the Hakari river, the starting point of the Lachin corridor.
Armenia said its border guards opened fire to stop Azerbaijani servicemen 
manning the checkpoint from placing an Azerbaijani flag on adjacent Armenian 
territory. Azerbaijan insisted, however, that they did not cross into Armenia.
Russia and the European Union have urged Baku to lift the blockade regarded by 
the Armenian side as a gross violation of a Russian-brokered agreement that 
stopped the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani war. The EU said on June 23 that the 
blockade “directly threatens the livelihoods of the local population and raises 
serious fears of a potential humanitarian crisis.”
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.

Minister Andreasyan, Ambassador Alfonso Di Rizzo discuss prospects of developing Armenia-Italy cultural ties

Emil Lazarian

 14:12, 4 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 4, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has met with the Ambassador of Italy to Armenia Alfonso Di Rizzo.

Andreasyan’s deputies Artur Martirosyan and Alfred Kocharyan also participated in the meeting.

Noting the historical ties between Armenia and Italy, Andreasyan said that this connection has been strengthened through continuous cooperation in various sectors.

“This meeting is yet another good opportunity to expand the prospects of new cooperations. We are ready to discuss new projects and ideas,” Andreasyan said.

In turn, the Italian Ambassador said that partnership between two countries starts with cultural relations, and that Armenia’s cooperation with Italy is mostly active in the area of culture.

The Minister and the Ambassador discussed prospects of development of Armenian-Italian cultural ties as part of various events, promotion of cultural values of both countries, such as manuscripts and works of art. The Italian delegation attached importance to Armenia’s experience in manuscript restoration and the need to share practice.

Other issues of mutual interest were also discussed.

Armenpress: Armenia celebrates Constitution Day

Emil Lazarian

 09:00, 5 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. July 5 marks Constitution Day in Armenia, a public holiday honoring the adoption of the constitution through a nationwide referendum on July 5, 1995. Since then, the constitution has been amended twice through nationwide referendums (in 2005 and 2015). 

The constitution established Armenia as a sovereign, democratic, social state governed by the rule of law.

The 2015 amendments changed the political structure from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary republic.

With 220 articles, the constitution defines the human being as the highest value in the Republic of Armenia, the public power’s duty to protect and respect the rights and freedoms of the people and that state power shall be exercised in conformity with the constitution and the laws, based on the separation and balance of the legislative, executive and judicial powers.

Turkish games in the Straits

Emil Lazarian
[AP]
Stavros Tzimas

02.07.2023 • 23:53

Turkey is seeking to pack as much as it can into the agenda of the crucial NATO Summit in Vilnius in July. It is not just the trade-offs Ankara hopes to get for agreeing to Sweden’s induction into the Alliance or its claims concerning the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus.

According to the usually well-informed AI-Monitor, Ankara is also planning to demand that the Straits – as foreseen under the 1936 Montreaux Convention – which connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, be renamed the “Turkish Straits.” You don’t need to be a geopolitics expert to understand that Ankara is seeking control over the entry and exit points of the Bosporus and Black Sea, with everything this entails for maritime trade and military movements in the area.

The allies will not be eager to hand over the keys to Turkey when the situation in the Black Sea is as stormy as it is due to the war in Ukraine, Russia’s expansive ambitions and the increasingly close ties between Moscow and Ankara. Giving Turkey control of the Straits – and through them, Russia – would be suicide for Western interests in Southeast Europe and the Caucasus. It would raise the risk of the Black Sea becoming a “lake” of Turco-Russian interests and of the countries near its shores having to submit to them. But NATO’s reluctance to shoot itself in the foot means that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will likely leverage the issue to negotiate some other of his many demands with the Alliance.

Either way, the issue of the Straits’ status will have made it onto the international agenda. It is imperative, therefore – and not just for Greece – to create an overland corridor via Alexandroupoli to the Black Sea’s shores and further into the Baltics, bypassing the Straits.



FC Urartu’s Dmitri Gunko named Armenian Premier League Coach of the Year for season 2022/2023

Emil Lazarian

 12:14, 3 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 3, ARMENPRESS. The Football Federation of Armenia has announced the Armenian Premier League Coach of the Year season 2022/2023 voting results.

FC Urartu head coach Dmitri Gunko was named Coach of the year with 86 points, the Football Federation of Armenia said in a press release.

FC Pyunik head coach Yeghishe Melikyan is in the second place with 67 points.

FC Alashkert head coach Vahe Gevorgyan is third with 24 points.