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

Azerbaijan preparing for Armenian genocide in Karabakh region: Armenia FM

Emil Lazarian
 Iran –

Armenia says Azerbaijan is preparing an escalation against Yeravan via the use of an “aggressive rhetoric” aimed at undermining existing agreements between the two countries, claiming that Baku is preparing for genocide of Armenians in the Karabakh region.

In a statement, the Armenian Foreign Ministry warned that Baku is doing everything to make regional peace establishment impossible.

“Having violated basically all the points of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, the president of Azerbaijan is obstructing the process of opening of regional communications,” the statement said.

This comes after Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada laid the responsibility on Armenia’s door on Wednesday and said that Yerevan “is not interested” in peace and stability in the region as it rejected a peace proposal that would include provisions ruling out Armenia’s territorial claims in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

“Azerbaijan not only keeps under occupation the sovereign territories of the Republic of Armenia which it illegally occupied on May 12 and November 17, 2021 and in September 2022, but also introduced the so-called “Western Azerbaijan” discourse and declares practically the entire territory of the Republic of Armenia as Azerbaijani land,” the statement said.

The speech of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, delivered on March 16 during the summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), was a clear manifestation of territorial claims against the Republic of Armenia and preparation of another aggression.

“The assessment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia is clear: with its aggressive discourse and actions Azerbaijan makes preparations for subjecting the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to genocide and for a new aggression against Armenia,” the statement said.

In the end, the Armenian foreign ministry suggested launching international mechanisms for the prevention of genocides, sending an international fact-finding mission to the Lachin corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as directly condemning Azerbaijan’s aggressive actions and policies.

On February 18, 2023, Azerbaijani President and Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, held peace talks in Munich and following the negotiations, Aliyev said that the main issue was that the peace treaty between the two countries should be drawn up on the basis of international norms and principles, but the negotiations have been stalled so far.

The decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh on the border between the two countries flared up again in September 2020, marking the worst escalation since the 1990s.

Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but has a primarily Armenian population that has resisted Azerbaijani rule since a separatist war there ended in 1994.

In 2020, the second Karabakh broke out, killing more than 6,500 people during a six-week conflict. The war ended with a Russian-brokered deal that saw Yerevan cede swathes of the Azerbaijani territory that it had been occupying for several decades.

Since December 2022, the Lachin Corridor — a road that runs through Azerbaijani territory and serves as the only link between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh — has been blocked by a group of people from Azerbaijan described by Baku as environmental activists protesting alleged illegal Armenian mining around the area.

Fresno City Council should revitalize Historic Armenian Town in honor of Genocide | Opinion

Emil Lazarian
Aol
MARSHALL D. MOUSHIGIAN
Updated , 2:51 PM

On April 24, 2006, the Armenian flag became the first foreign nation flag to fly at Fresno’s City Hall on an annual basis. A proud day, indeed, to commemorate and reflect on the Armenian Genocide.

As we begin the process to again commemorate the Genocide, it is worth noting that supporters of Genocide justice are, these days, not so much commemorating the past, but are instead on guard as the Armenian Genocide continues to this day. To be sure, the Genocide never actually ended — no proclamation, no restitution, no reconciliation, no nothing, except patience by Turkey, waiting for the Soviet Union’s constituent states, Armenia in particular, to break away and fend for themselves.

Turkey waited patiently for 70 years for the Soviet Union to collapse, and over the past 30 years it has groomed its oil-rich puppet state Azerbaijan to do its bidding. Azerbaijan has blockaded the 120,000 Christian Armenians in Artsakh for nearly three months, and Azeri guns are trained on Armenia proper, including its older-than-Rome capital of Yerevan. Turkish strongman Erdogan and his Azeri flunky, the notoriously corrupt and oppressive Ilham Aliyev, have made it clear that eliminating Armenia and her inhabitants is on the top of their joint priority list.

Here in Fresno, we have a notoriously inept and radical City Council, determined to eliminate any trace of Armenians from downtown Fresno. This past fall, in an illegal and underhanded decision, the City Council transferred the remaining three Armenian houses in Historic Armenian Town to a developer to convert into low-income housing — just like that, with three old Armenian houses, each no more than 1,000 square feet, being stripped of their identity and re-purposed, the homeless crisis is apparently solved. Erdogan and Aliyev, I am sure, were impressed.

Gov. Newsom has designated April 24 as Genocide Remembrance Day. He did right, and this city, through its oft-misguided City Council, must complete the loop and designate the area around Holy Trinity Armenian Church and Valley Lahvosh Bakery an historic area. This area would touch the Saroyan Theater and the statue of David of Sassoon, the Armenian folk hero.

Mayor Dyer and his Historic Preservation Commission, along with business, entertainment, tourism and preservation groups, support this. Not only would this designation preserve the three remaining houses for Fresno’s posterity, and include Fresno’s oldest residence, the Vartanian House, but it would also honor an ethnic group that despite being maligned, remained proud and productive citizens. These houses can help break the cycle of failed downtown revitalization ventures. Fresno was founded, in large part, by Armenians, so it only makes sense that this old and revered section of downtown be designated both “historic” and “Armenian”.

April 24, 2023 can and should be different from April 24s of the past. Of course the Armenian flag should be flown high and proud above City Hall; it should be flown throughout downtown. Part of this year’s recognition process must incorporate Newsom’s decision that the Genocide of the Armenians be known by all Californians. That knowledge necessarily includes the press accurately reporting on what is happening today in Armenia and Artsakh; not sugar-coating it through soft euphemisms, but by honestly reporting that the Armenian Genocide continues, as you enjoy your morning coffee with this article.

The final aspect of this year’s commemoration must return the three Armenian houses, and the Vartanian House, to the community to further the goal of Historic Armenian Town revitalization and, by extension, downtown revitalization. The City Council did wrong, and it knows it. It needs to do right, not just for the Armenians, but for all of Fresno.

Marshall D. Moushigian is a Fresno attorney and financial adviser.

https://www.aol.com/news/fresno-city-council-revitalize-historic-123000545.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNhLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMdz1LhX4lDwBBJkvB1SLsOw9iMvoSCaOZ4nrRravUAQsFH9YQ-NdPfIOz0mWBpMVcwUvPFGA_ynuZeDh_QHXR0vRqHYlkubKuU28rCyszZ9S93kAQ–O5cj6dhmGfSBiIc-3gq1Gr4k6avL6ExcD5t1LcVVhSbHUh7B-1Hq8uSC

Karabakh Armenians: between ethnic cleansing and reintegration into Azerbaijan

Emil Lazarian
March 15 2023
  • March 14, 2023

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  • BY Nikola Mikovic
The United States seems to be the only major power that can prevent an escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Although the South Caucasus has traditionally been in Russia’s geopolitical orbit, Moscow, bogged down in Ukraine, is unlikely to have capacity to deal with the ongoing crisis in the mountainous region of Azerbaijan that has been under the Armenian control for decades.

On March 11, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry released footage of military vehicles allegedly carrying personnel of Armenian Armed Forces units and “illegal Armenian armed groups accompanied by the Russian peacekeeping contingent” in Nagorno-Karabakh. In other words, Baku accused Yerevan and Moscow of smuggling weapons to the Karabakh Armenians. Although Armenia denied such claims, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said that the country’s military should “take suppressive measures against the possible threats of Armenia, which is trying to create fake tension in the region”. According to Azerbaijani military officials, Baku should “respond adequately if necessary”.

Such rhetoric came a day after Kristina Kvien, the United States Ambassador to Armenia, stressed that the Lachin corridor – the only transportation route connecting Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh – “should be opened immediately”. Indeed, the Lachin corridor has been blocked since December 12, when Azerbaijani protesters claiming to be environmental activists stopped traffic by setting up tents. Azerbaijan seems to be using the Lachin Corridor blockade as a method of pressure on Armenia, aiming to force Yerevan to fully implement the 2020 ceasefire deal the two countries’ leaders signed in Moscow.

According to the Russian-brokered agreement, all economic and transport links in the region must be unblocked. Azerbaijan, as the clear winner of the 44-day war the two archenemies fought over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020, insists on a construction of the Nakhchivan Corridor, also known as the Zangezur Corridor – a road and a railway that should connect mainland Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan through Armenia’s territory. If built under the Azeri terms, such a transportation network would limit Yerevan’s sovereignty over parts of Armenia’s Syunik province bordering Iran, since Baku is interested in the creation of a land passage without any passport or customs controls.

Besides Armenia, Iran also seems to oppose the construction of the Nakhchivan corridor, quite aware that it would help Azerbaijan to establish a direct link with its ally Turkey. Moreover, the Islamic Republic is worried about the growing military ties between the energy-rich Caucasus nation and Israel. Tehran fears that Baku could allow the Jewish State to use Azerbaijani territory for potential attacks on Iran. Azerbaijan, on the other hand, continues arresting Shia figures, fearing that the Islamic Republic could use them as an instrument to destabilize the Caucasus nation. Both, Azerbaijan and Iran are Shia-majority countries, although besides religion they have very few things in common. Baku and Tehran have different allies, different priorities and different geopolitical goals.

It is, therefore, not surprising that some Azerbaijani media have reportedly accused Iran of blocking Nakhichivan. If true, Armenia could, at least to a certain extent, benefit from such a move. However, given that Baku and Yerevan have recently resumed Western-brokered talks that should lead to a peace agreement between the two nations, it is rather questionable if the Armenian political leadership is interested in additional tensions in the region.

Still, the situation in the South Caucasus remains rather strained. The International Crisis Group warned on January 1 that “the danger is that the talks go nowhere or another flare-up sinks both the Moscow-led and West-backed tracks, and Azerbaijan takes what it can by force.” Although Russia aims to preserve the region in its geopolitical orbit, neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan seem to be satisfied with the role the Kremlin is playing in Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku is waiting for 2025, which is when the Russian peacekeeping troops’ mandate expires, to establish full control over the region. The Karabakh Armenians, for their part, frequently protest against the Russian peacekeepers, accusing them of not being able to ensure security in the region.

Since Yerevan does not have capacity to protect the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, their leaders have started holding direct talks with Azerbaijan, even though Baku’s goal is to reintegrate them into Azerbaijani society, which is something most of them strongly oppose.

“We aren’t going to give Azerbaijan a mandate to commit ethnic cleansing or genocide in Nagorno Karabakh”, said Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on March 14.

Although Armenia’s room for political maneuver is rather limited, it is expected to attempt to ensure the Karabakh Armenians’ rights, namely through negotiations with Baku, as well as with other regional and global actors. That is why Yerevan insists on international presence in Nagorno Karabakh, which should continue after the expiration of the Russian peacekeepers’ initial mandate in November 2025. But will Azerbaijan, strongly backed by Tukey and Israel, accept any international troops in the region?

One thing is for sure: under the current circumstances, the United States, rather than Russia, remains the only actor that can preserve the status quo in the South Caucasus. But in the long-term, unless Washington pressures Baku and Yerevan to reach a lasting peace agreement, another round of escalation in the region seems to be inevitable.

https://globalcomment.com/karabakh-armenians-between-ethnic-cleansing-and-reintegration-into-azerbaijan/

Pashinyan declines to support right to self-determination for Nagorno-Karabakh residents

Emil Lazarian
March 15 2023
 March 15, 2023
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declined to support the right to self-determination for Nagorno-Karabakh residents, marking a departure from Armenia’s longstanding policy on the conflict with Azerbaijan.
 
Previous Armenian governments had advocated for this right during peace talks mediated by the US, Russia, and France. However, Pashinyan and other officials stopped referencing self-determination a year ago and have instead focused on ensuring the “rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh”, leading to concerns that Armenia is prepared to accept Azerbaijan’s complete control of the Armenian-populated region, rather than insisting on some measure of self-dtermination. 
 
During a news conference in Yerevan, Pashinyan reiterated that the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh people’s rights and security is crucial, but he stated that it is up to the people and government of Nagorno-Karabakh to determine the framework of those rights and security.
 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev invited representatives of Karabakh’s Armenian community to visit Baku for talks on the region’s “reintegration” into Azerbaijan, but Stepanakert has rejected the offer.
 
The five leading political groups in Karabakh released a joint statement demanding that Yerevan respect the right to self-determination of the Nagorno-Karabakh people and comply with a 1992 parliamentary act banning recognition of Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh. Pashinyan did not clarify whether he could sign such a document, instead calling for direct dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert, while also accusing Baku of seeking a “mandate to perpetrate genocide or ethnic cleansing in Karabakh”.
 
In January, Pashinyan claimed that the international community has always viewed Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijan, a statement that was criticised by the Armenian opposition and Karabakh’s leadership.

https://www.intellinews.com/pashinyan-declines-to-support-right-to-self-determination-for-nagorno-karabakh-residents-272974/?source=armenia

Ruling team told Yerevan mayor either to resign or face arrest

Emil Lazarian
Panorama
Armenia –

The March 16 social media post of Mesrop Arakelyan, a former member of the Arakelutyun (Mission) party and former labor minister in Nikol Pashinyan’s administration, prompted the resignation of his former teammate Hrachya Sargsyan as Yerevan mayor, a source familiar with the matter told Panorama.am.

Arakelyan called the attention of law enforcement authorities to the purchase of Chinese buses, alleging misuse of government funds worth $3,5 million.

The source told Panorama.am that the political decision on Hrachya Sargsyan’s resignation was made several weeks ago, “as despite numerous attempts, Sargsyan failed to persuade Nikol Pashinyan to nominate him as mayor of the Armenian capital instead of Tigran Avinyan”. Hrachya Sarkisyan’s team has not forgiven him for his attempts to conduct separate talks with Pashinyan.

Despite the political decision, Hrachya Sarkisian was in no hurry to announce his resignation.

On Thursday, Mesrop Arakelyan, in one way or another, was provided with data on the bus purchase deal and he disclosed it.

Crucially, Mesrop Arakelyan, Hrachya Sargsyan, as well as other influential officials of the Yerevan Municipality were friends who formally worked at VTB Bank and joined the City Council following a political agreement between the Mission and Civil Contract parties.

It turns out that the following ultimatum was issued to Hrachya Sargsyan through Mesrop Arakelyan, once a friend of the mayor, who was Pashinyan’s advisor and minister of labor and social issues: “Either you submit resignation now, or the law enforcement officers will simply take you away from the Municipality.”

Ara Sevunts

Sociopolitical movement proposes Edgar Ghazaryan’s candidacy for Armenia ombudsman position

Emil Lazarian
News.am
Armenia –
Sociopolitical movement proposes Edgar Ghazaryan’s candidacy for Armenia ombudsman position
13:52, 18.03.2023

The Miasin (Together) sociopolitical movement has petitioned—with a letter—Saturday to the opposition “Armenia” and “With Honor” factions of the National Assembly of Armenia, reports Aravot.am.

The representatives of this movement have proposed to these parliamentary opposition factions to nominate Edgar Ghazaryan—a public figure, former head of the staff of the Constitutional Court of Armenia, extraordinary envoy and ambassador plenipotentiary, economist, and associate professor—for the position of the new Human Rights Defender Armenia.

“If other candidates are being discussed, please consider our proposal as well,” the aforesaid letter added.

Pre-election campaign kicks off in Turkey

Emil Lazarian

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 11:39,

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. The pre-election campaign for the president and the parliament started in Turkey on March 18, which will continue until May 13, when a “day of silence” will be announced.

ARMENPRESS reports, the presidential and parliamentary elections will take place on May 14. If the second round of the presidential election is necessary, it will take place on May 28.

The registration of candidates for the position of the country’s president will start on March 19 and will continue until March 23.

The incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be nominated as a presidential candidate by the ruling “National Alliance”. His main opponent will be the leader of the opposition Republican People’s Party, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

In order to win in the first round of elections, the presidential candidate must get more than 50% of the votes. Otherwise, a second round will take place, in which the two candidates who received the most votes in the first round will participate. The candidate who received the majority of votes in the second round is elected the president of Turkey for five years. The party or the alliance of parties that received more than 5% of the votes in the parliamentary elections can nominate a presidential candidate. Independent candidates must collect 100,000 signatures in their support.

The previous presidential elections were held on June 24, 2018. Erdogan won those elections with 52.6% of the votes.

Armenia defense minister: No military buildup now on our border but we are ready to defend our country at any cost

Emil Lazarian
News.am
Armenia – March 15 2023
14:00, 15.03.2023

The risk of military escalation has never stopped, and Armenia has always announced it. Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan told about this to reporters at the National Assembly today.

“It gives us a reason to be vigilant and ready to protect the borders of our country,” he added.

To the question of how Armenia will face this military escalation, Papikyan answered: “It is the confrontation task of the armed forces; I don’t want to give details here. If necessary, we will turn to our partners, too. If necessary, we will petition. Let’s not talk about something that didn’t happen now. You ask, ‘Are you ready to face?’ We are ready to defend every inch of our country at any cost.”

Asked whether there is a military buildup on the borders of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Armenia, the defense minister responded: “The [Artsakh] Defense Army always makes statements about the [military] buildup around Nagorno-Karabakh and the rest. Also, the Russian peacekeepers [in Artsakh] disseminate a daily bulletin about it. I would propose to close the matter with this.

As for the Armenia’s borders, there is currently no [military] buildup recorded; but this does not mean that we should stop or reduce our vigilance. As there is talk of being ready, let it not be seem that we are preparing for war. We are not deviating from our peace agenda, but that does not mean that our country’s borders or territorial integrity are negotiable.”

Azerbaijanis shoot at Karabakh residents working in vineyard, work stops

Emil Lazarian
News.am
Armenia – March 15 2023
17:27, 15.03.2023

While doing pruning work in the vineyards of the Martuni region of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), three people came under fire from the Azerbaijani military positions, Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned from the Artsakh Police.

“On March 15, at around 11 o’clock, a report was received at the duty unit of the Martuni regional police department that while doing pruning work in the vineyards near the area called ‘Under Khazaz” in the Amaras valley, 3 citizens came under irregular fire being fired by firearms from the adjacent Azerbaijani military positions. As a result of the shootings, agricultural work was stopped. The information about the incident was passed on to the Russian peacekeeping contingent [in Artsakh]. There are no victims,” the report says.

European Parliament: Guaranteeing Karabakh people’s rights, security is necessary for stable settlement

Emil Lazarian
News.am
Armenia – March 15 2023
18:45, 15.03.2023

The European Parliament has published a report on EU-Armenia relations, where the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and the Nagorno-Karabakh issue have been addressed, too.

It was noted that the ceasefire signed after the 44-day war in 2020 is not being observed; moreover, the ceasefire has been violated several times, leading to hundreds of casualties and the occupation of the sovereign territory of the country in the east and southeast of Armenia by Azerbaijani troops.

The report notes that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh has greatly hindered the development and stability of the South Caucasus region and affects European stability more broadly.

The document reaffirms that, to be effective, the Armenia-Azerbaijan comprehensive peace treaty must include provisions that guarantee the integrity of Armenia’s sovereign territory, the rights and security of the Armenian population living in Nagorno-Karabakh and other conflict-affected regions, as well as the prompt and safe return of all refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes.

The document mentions as well the blocking of civilian traffic through the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan. The EU is seriously concerned about the blockade of the Lachin corridor, calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure the freedom and security of movement through the corridor, as defined by the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, and calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve all concerns related to the operation of the Lachin corridor through dialogue and through consultation with all parties involved.

The report calls for international humanitarian organizations, especially the United Nations, to be granted access to Nagorno-Karabakh, and reminds that currently only the International Committee of the Red Cross is allowed to enter the region, which is not enough to accurately assess the conditions and needs of the local population.

The European Parliament condemns the torture of prisoners of war during the September fighting, the harassment and extrajudicial reprisals against civilians, including the elderly, in 2020 and early 2021.

The European Parliament condemns as well Turkey’s expansionist and destabilizing role in the South Caucasus, including by sending Syrian mercenaries to fight for Azerbaijan against Armenia in the second Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020, and believes that in order to play a constructive role in the region, Turkey should reconsider its unconditional assistance to Azerbaijan, and take tangible steps towards the normalization of relations with Armenia.

Therefore, it strongly supports  the initiative taken by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, to convene and mediate bilateral meetings of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels and encourages the work on the ground of the EU’s special representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia.