Monday,
Karabakh Leader Again Fuels Talk Of Resignation
• Artak Khulian
Nagorno-Karabakh - Arayik Harutiunian and Ruben Vardanyan meet in Stepanakert,
September 8, 2022.
A former political ally of Arayik Harutiunian has accused Nagorno-Karabakh’s
president of reneging on his pledge to resign.
Fresh rumors about Harutiunian’s impending resignation began circulating last
week amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Karabakh caused by Azerbaijan’s
eight-month blockade of the Lachin corridor. One of his top loyalists flatly
denied the rumors on Friday.
Nevertheless, Ruben Vardanyan, a former Karabakh premier, claimed over the
weekend that Harutiunian told him and several other individuals “early this
week” that he has already decided to step down and will not change his mind.
“Some of the eight individuals present at that meeting did not believe your
words, while others thought that maybe you are telling the truth this time
around,” Vardanyan said in video appeal to Harutiunian posted on Facebook. He
gave no other details of that meeting.
Vardanyan, who was sacked by Harutiunian in February, went on to brand the
Karabakh leader as a liar who is “wrecking state institutions.”
Harutiunian pointedly declined to respond to his former top minister. His press
secretary told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Monday that he will not comment on
the allegations.
Meanwhile, Harutiunian’s Free Fatherland party issued a statement accusing
Vardanyan and “some groups” of trying to force the elected president to resign
for the sake of their “parochial interests.” But it did not explicitly deny the
resignation pledge allegedly made by Harutiunian.
Harutiunian already fueled speculation about his impending exit early this year.
In January, he signaled his desire to force snap elections in Karabakh despite
the Azerbaijani blockade. In March, he helped to enact a constitutional
amendment that empowered the Karabakh parliament to elect an interim president
in case of his resignation.
Vahram Atanesian, a local pundit, claimed on Monday that Karabakh’s three main
opposition parties increasingly cooperating with Vardanyan are trying to force
Harutiunian to quit and install a new president allied to them. None of those
parties has publicly called for his resignation.
An opposition leader, Davit Ishkhanian of the Karabakh branch of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), was elected parliament speaker
earlier this month. Lawmakers representing Harutiunian’s party voted for him.
Yerevan Downplays Lack Of UN Security Council Action On Karabakh
UN - UN Security Council discusses the humanitarian situation in
Nagorno-Karabakh, New York, August 16, 2023.
The Armenian government downplayed on Monday the United Nations Security
Council’s failure to formally demand an end to Azerbaijan’s blockade of
Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of an emergency meeting held last week.
Armenia initiated the session in a bid to drum up stronger international
pressure on Baku. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan attended and addressed it,
saying that Yerevan expects the Security Council to condemn Baku, demand the
immediate reopening of the Lachin corridor, send a fact-finding mission to
Karabakh and provide humanitarian aid to the region’s struggling population.
Although most of its members, notably the United States and Russia, urged the
lifting of the Azerbaijani blockade, the Council stopped short of adopting a
relevant resolution or statement. This fact led some in Armenia to question the
wisdom of initiating the meeting and sending Mirzoyan to New York.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry countered that the format of the meeting did not
“presuppose the adoption” of any such document.
“Besides, only the 15 (permanent and non-permanent) members of the UN Security
Council have the right to draft UN Security Council resolutions and initiate
voting. Armenia, not being a member of the UN Security Council, does not have
such authority,” the ministry spokeswoman, Ani Badalian, said in written
comments to the press.
Badalian insisted that the Security Council session was worth it because the
international community could now pay more attention to “possible catastrophic
consequences” of the worsening humanitarian situation in Karabakh. She also said
Yerevan will continue to “work actively in the UN and other platforms” with the
aim of achieving the reopening of Karabakh’s land link with Armenia and the
outside world.
The United States, the European Union and Russia have repeatedly called on
Azerbaijan to allow renewed commercial and humanitarian traffic through the
Lachin corridor. Baku has dismissed their appeals.
Armenian Mining Output Shrinks Amid Economic Growth
• Robert Zargarian
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian visits a mining enterprise in Agarak,
August 18, 2023.
Mining and metallurgy, the key manufacturing subsector of the Armenian economy,
contacted significantly in the first half of this year despite continued robust
GDP growth reported by the country’s government.
First-half data released by the government’s Statistical Committee shows a more
than 7 percent decrease in the production of metal ores and ore concentrates
which totaled 218 billion drams ($566 million). The production of copper,
molybdenum and other base metals was down by as much as 16 percent year on year,
at 74.4 billion drams.
This was one of the reasons why overall Armenian industrial output, worth about
1.2 trillion drams ($3 billion), was practically stagnant, contrasting with a
roughly 10 percent increase in GDP recorded by the Statistical Committee in
January-June 2023.
Economic growth continued to be primarily driven by double-digit gains in trade
and other services resulting from massive cash inflows from Russia sparked by
Western sanctions against Moscow. Armenia’s trade with Russia has skyrocketed
since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Armenian mining industry remains oriented towards Western markets. The South
Caucasus country’s largest metallurgical enterprise, the Zangezur
Copper-Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC), is also its number one corporate taxpayer.
Based in Kajaran, a town in Armenia’s Syunik province, ZCMC employs about 4,000
people. The State Revenue Committee (SRC) collected a total of 35 billion drams
in various taxes from ZCMC in the first half 2023, compared with 105 billion
drams last year.
A smaller company mining copper and molybdenum near another Syunik town, Agarak,
was seventh in the SRC’s 2022 tax rankings. Now it is not even among the
country’s 100 leading taxpayers.
Armenia - An ore-processing facility at the Chaarat Kapan, September 6, 2018.
Some analysts blame these sharp decreases on a recent fall in global metal
prices. A significant strengthening of the Armenian dram, another side effect of
the Western sanctions, may be another factor.
The British-registered parent company of another Syunik-based mining enterprise,
Chaarat Kapan, singled out the exchange rate fluctuation in an August 16
statement announcing its decision to sell Chaarat Kapan to another firm for over
$55 million.
Chaarat Kapan has about 1,000 workers. Hundreds of them went on strike last year
to demand better pay and working conditions. The company management said at the
time that it cannot afford pay rises because of the stronger dram and other
unfavorable global developments.
Also, Armenia’s largest gold mine located on the border with Azerbaijan was
largely shut down this spring due to systematic cross-border gunfire targeting
its workers and production facilities. A Russian company operating the Sotk mine
stopped open-pit mining there and put many of its 700 workers on unpaid leave.
“Unless new mines are opened, the mining industry will start slowly declining,”
said Hrant Mikaelian, an analyst with the Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute. “As
far as I know, the creation of new mines has been very slow in recent years.”
Flights To Armenian Border Town Go Ahead Despite ‘Azeri Gunfire’
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - A plane carrying Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian lands at Kapan
airport, August 17, 2023.
An Armenian airline began regular commercial flights to Kapan on Monday after
what Armenian officials described as cross-border gunfire from Azerbaijan
targeting the border town’s airport.
The Kapan airport reportedly came under fire on Friday less than 24 hours after
a plane carrying Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian landed there. According to
Armenia’s state border guard service, three gunshots were fired from Azerbaijani
army positions overlooking the facility, damaging its roof and one of the
windows.
Another shooting incident was reported on Saturday. Karen Balian, an aide to the
governor of Armenia’s Syunik province, of which Kapan is the capital, said on
Monday that airport employees heard gunfire several minutes after a plane
carrying other senior officials from Yerevan touched down on the runway.
Balian accused Azerbaijan of trying to disrupt the first post-Soviet flight
service between Yerevan and Kapan launched by the NovAir airline. While
acknowledging apparent security risks involved, he urged travellers to fly to
and from Kapan.
“We must not succumb to these provocations and must carry out the regular
flights which are very important for Syunik,” the official told RFE/RL’s
Armenian Service.
The inaugural 50-minute flights went ahead as planned on Monday morning, with
NovAir using small L-410 aircraft capable of carrying up to 17 passengers.
A spokeswoman for the Armenian government’s Civil Aviation Committee told
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that there were only two passengers on each of those
flights. They included Syunik Governor Robert Ghukasian’s deputy and adviser,
according to the provincial administration.
The private carrier plans to carry out such flights twice a week.
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.
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
From Armenia to Greece: India’s Geopolitics Unsettles Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan triad
Financial Express
Aug 21 2023
India’s growing ties with Armenia and Greece are unsettling for Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan. These three countries have been working together to strengthen their military capabilities and to counter India’s influence in the Middle East and Central Asia.
India’s decision to sell arms to Armenia and to upgrade its strategic partnership with Greece is seen as a direct challenge to these countries. Armenia is a traditional ally of Russia, and Greece is a member of NATO. By strengthening its ties with these countries, India is sending a strong message to the informal triad led by Turkey.
Growing ties with Armenia and Greece are also part of India’s larger strategy to diversify its partnerships in the region as it is no longer content to rely on its traditional allies, such as Russia and Iran. It is now looking to build new partnerships with countries that share its interests, such as Greece and Armenia.
India & Armenia
Relations with Armenia have been growing steadily since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. In 2019, India and Armenia signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, which has led to increased cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, defense, and culture. India has also been providing military assistance to Armenia, which is at odds with Azerbaijan.
Relations with Greece have also been growing in recent years. In 2020, the two countries signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement, which has led to increased cooperation in areas such as defense, trade, and energy. India has also been providing military assistance to Greece, which is at odds with Turkey.
The three countries are likely to be rattled by India’s growing ties with Armenia and Greece. The alliance is already facing challenges from within, as Turkey and Azerbaijan have been at odds over the issue of the Eastern Mediterranean. India’s move is likely to further strain relations within the alliance and could lead to increased tensions in the region.
However, India is not aggressively countering these countries. Instead, it is taking a more subtle approach, building ties with them one by one. This approach is likely to be more effective in the long run, as it will make it more difficult for them to unite against India.
India is also benefiting from the fact that the alliance is not a monolithic bloc. There are differences of opinion within the alliance, and India is exploiting these differences to its advantage. For example, India has been able to build closer ties with Greece, even though Greece is a member of NATO, which is a major ally of Turkey.
India’s strategy of quietly but steadily building ties with Armenia, Greece, and Iran is a smart move. It is a strategy that is likely to pay dividends in the years to come.
India’s growing ties with Armenia and Greece are also a sign of its increasing strategic interests in the Mediterranean region. The region is becoming increasingly important to India’s energy security, as it is a major source of oil and gas. India is also looking to expand its trade and investment ties with the region.
India’s ties with Armenia and Greece are also a way to counter China’s growing influence in the region. China has been expanding its economic and military presence in the Mediterranean region, and India is looking to balance China’s influence.
Overall, India’s growing ties with Armenia and Greece are a significant development that is likely to have a major impact on the geopolitics of the region. India’s growing ties with Armenia, Greece, and Iran are a sign of its changing geopolitical priorities. India is no longer content to be a passive player in the region. It is now actively seeking to expand its influence and footprint across the globe. This is likely to lead to some hectic geopolitics in the region in the years to come.
Sharings his views with Financial Express Online on the forthcoming visit of PM Modi to Greece, Ambassador Anil Anil Trigunayat says: “It is indeed a highly significant visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Greece which for an inexplicable reason happens to be after a hiatus of four decades after that of Mrs Gandhi in 1983. Fortunately, given the historic and civilizational connection, we have had other high level exchanges including by Presidents Pranab Mukherjee and Ram Nath Kovind.”
However, “In recent years exchanges have acquired good interactive frequency especially at the ministerial levels and security and defence sectors. Trade and investments are also witnessing a positive swing and with the PM ‘s visit greater security cooperation can be expected.”
“Moreover Sweden has always supported and empathized with Indian concerns starting from our nuclear tests where despite western sanctions Greece signed defence cooperation agreement,” he opines.
In his view, on the Kashmir issue and Pakistan sponsored terrorism Athens has stood by India. Greece is also looking for greater Indian investments and could help steer the FTA with EU.
According to him, “Greece is a Mediterranean power and it fits well in India’s Maritime strategy and collaboration, from hydrocarbons to navigation to security. Hence this relationship has a multifaceted collaborative opportunity including countering the vitriolic influence of some not so friendly powers.”
https://www.financialexpress.com/business/defence-from-armenia-to-greece-indias-geopolitics-unsettles-turkey-azerbaijan-and-pakistan-triad-3217127/
Azerbaijan earthquake felt in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh
10:27,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. A magnitude 4,6 earthquake that struck south-eastern Azerbaijan in the early hours of Wednesday was also felt in Armenia and in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian seismic protection agency reported.
The quake hit 52km south of the Azeri city of Neftchala at 01:23, August 23.
It was felt in Armenia’s Syunik Province at a weak intensity of 2-3 on the MSK scale, and 3 in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azeri fake news campaign again falsely accuses Armenia of border shooting
10:35,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani authorities have once again falsely accused Armenia of cross-border shooting in an ongoing disinformation campaign, the Armenian ministry of defense warned Wednesday.
“The statement disseminated by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan that allegedly on August 23, at around 02:10 a.m., units of the Armenian Armed Forces discharged fire against the Azerbaijani combat positions located in the eastern part of the border, does not correspond to reality,” the Armenian ministry of defense said in a statement.
Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office visits Armenia
13:56,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan on August 22 met with Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.
Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk has arrived in Armenia at the instruction of Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE Bujar Osmani to visit the Lachin Corridor and brief him on the current situation.
During the meeting the Armenian Foreign Minister and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office discussed issues related to regional security, the foreign ministry said in a readout.
Speaking about the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, the Foreign Minister of Armenia emphasized the imperative of taking urgent and effective steps by the international community, including by the OSCE, in order to prevent the impending humanitarian disaster and its irreversible consequences.
FM Mirzoyan reiterated the importance of addressing the issues of the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh under effective international mechanisms.
Nagorno-Karabakh presidency denies claims on accepting Aghdam road offer for commerce
14:47,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. The Nagorno-Karabakh presidency has denied media reports claiming that President Arayik Harutyunyan has decided to accept Azerbaijan’s proposal to use the Aghdam road for commercial transit.
According to Hraparak newspaper, Harutyunyan convened on August 22 a Security Council meeting and told the officials that a decision has been made to start trade of fuel, medications and other goods through the Aghdam road while food will be supplied through the Lachin Corridor by the Russian peacekeepers.
President Harutyunyan’s spokesperson Lusine Avanesyan told ARMENPRESS that Harutyunyan indeed held closed meetings with officials on August 22 but no such decision was made.
She said that Harutyunyan held meetings on August 22 and 23 with various politicians and public figures to discuss the humanitarian and security issues resulting from the Azerbaijani blockade, the Nagorno-Karabakh government’s upcoming actions and the proposals received from various mediators aimed at resolving the situation.
“No decision was made, and the discussions continue, and soon President Harutyunyan will personally present the information on the situation and the approaches of the authorities,” Avanesyan added.
Van Novikov
Yerevan to Host Iran-Armenia Business Forum to Bolster Economic Ties
TASNIM News Agency
Iran – Aug 22 2023
According to the ministry, packages of investment and export opportunities of Iran’s free and special economic zones with a focus on the cooperation of the two countries as well as packages of investment and tourism capacities will be presented at the forum.
Import and export companies, tour organizers, producers of home appliances, cosmetics, textiles, automotive parts, LED lamps, greenhouse and agricultural equipment and insurance companies will attend the forum.
Back in April, the Kapan Cultural Center in Syunik province in southern Armenia hosted an exhibition that showcased features of Iran’s free economic zones (FEZs).
High-ranking Iranian and Armenian officials and traders attended the exhibition.
In April 2012, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was inked between Iran’s Aras Free Economic Zone and Armenia’s Meghri Free Trade Zone.
Opinion: Claims of Genocide Push Nagorno-Karabakh Further From Peace
JURIST
Aug 22 2023
Edited by: JURIST Staff
The author, an expert in international criminal law, argues that to truly ease the plight of the Karabakh Armenians — whose region is at the center of ongoing territorial disputes between Azerbaijan and Armenia — the international community should focus on mediation efforts, not genocide claims…
Earlier this month, a former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno Ocampo, released a legal opinion claiming that genocide is under way against ethnic Armenians in the Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Such serious allegations should not be made lightly and require careful scrutiny. In light of this opinion, the Government of Azerbaijan appointed me to review the allegations and produce an independent expert legal assessment. It was released yesterday.
For the Ocampo opinion’s potentially wide-reaching consequences, no evidence is identified to support the central claim that a genocide is presently unfolding in Nagorno-Karabakh. Yet its provocative assertions threaten to undermine a peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia over their nearly three-decade dispute concerning Karabakh. A peace settlement is closer than ever before under EU and US mediation: the Armenian government has broken with precedent and stated it is ready to recognise that Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan – as has been the position of the international community in accordance with international law. Armenia invaded the territory in the 1990s and expelled the hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis that lived there. It has since financially and militarily supported the breakaway territory.
The Ocampo opinion was written on behalf of those who have everything to lose in a peace deal: the self-proclaimed government of the illegal entity. Its release coincides with rising prospects for a settlement and the region’s imminent reintegration into Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, it risks stirring tensions on the ground. Moreover, its allegations could limit Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s freedom to pursue a peace deal if taken at face value. After close examination of the opinion’s assertions, they have been found to be strikingly unsubstantiated.
It claims Azerbaijan has imposed a blockade on Nagorno-Karabakh which is causing mass starvation, and thus conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the inhabitants. In 2020 a short conflict broke out which saw Azerbaijan reclaim some of its internationally recognised territory. That included a region through which a road – the Lachin corridor – passes, linking Armenia to the territory of the separatist entity. Azerbaijan has established a checkpoint on this road near the border, which is said was necessary “to stop the illegal flow of weapons, military equipment, and soldiers into [its] sovereign territory”. The road remained open to humanitarian aid supplied by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC confirmed in a statement that its emblem has been misused for smuggling. It has also most recently confirmed that it has provided extensive medical, food and other supplies since December 2022 (when Ocampo claims the blockade commenced), and continues to evacuate persons in need of medical care and provide safe passage to reunite separated families.
The opinion does not grapple with these factual matters. Significantly, it fails to mention that Azerbaijan suggested an alternative route (the ‘Aghdam-Khankandi route’) through which the ICRC and government could supply the ethnic Armenian inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh. This option has been acknowledged by the EU. But these offers have been rejected by the de facto authorities in Karabakh. These are plainly relevant circumstances to take into account particularly when claiming that Azerbaijan is deliberately inflicting conditions of life designed to physically destroy those living there.
Information that clearly undermines the opinion’s conclusions is simply left out. The very serious allegation of genocide, from an individual of standing in international law, carries certain responsibilities, in particular meeting the exacting burden of proof and weighing all available evidence. It is therefore unjustifiable that these pertinent considerations have seemingly been passed over. It falls far short of the rigorous hallmarks of a fair minded and balanced expert opinion. Moreover, genocide has a high threshold in international law – the specific intent to physically destroy the group in whole or in part. The stringent requirement of this intent can only be inferred with very considerable caution and when it is unequivocally established, as has been stressed by various international courts. The opinion ignores the well-established international law position. Given that the opinion claims genocide is already underway, it is also curious that there is no mention of the material impact on the local population.
Last week, a UN Security Council meeting was held at the request of the Armenia on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Whilst many speakers noted the issue of humanitarian aid had been politicised, no speaker – bar the Armenian ambassador – mentioned the phrase genocide or ethnic cleansing. However, Edem Wosornu, the Director of Operations and Advocacy at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said humanitarian relief should be allowed to resume through any available routes. No statement was issued by the Council at the end of the session. The unsupported claims of the opinion have not provided any basis for international action.
It is essential that the unverified conclusions of the Ocampo opinion should not be allowed to obstruct the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Instead, its publication should galvanise the international community in doubling down on mediation efforts to bring a durable peace.
Rodney Dixon KC is a leading counsel and expert in international law. He has both prosecuted and defended before all international criminal courts, going back to the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda (ICTY / ICTR). He has particular expertise in cases involving alleged genocide and crimes against humanity, having acted in cases before the ICTY, ICTR and the International Criminal Court (ICC), for example, in the Sudan Situation concerning the alleged genocide case against President Bashir; in Syria for the mass crimes committed against the civilian population; and, for the East Turkestan Government in Exile regarding the alleged genocide of the Uyghurs. Rodney also represents the widow of Jamal Khashoggi. He is co-author with the current chief prosecutor of the ICC Karim Khan KC of the leading textbook on international criminal courts, Archbold International: Practice, Procedure and Evidence. He practices from Temple Garden Chambers, London, and The Hague.
Opinions expressed in JURIST Commentary are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JURIST’s editors, staff, donors or the University of Pittsburgh.
Armenia, selective abortion remains a concern Areas Armeniaita eng
Aug 22 2023
ita eng
22/08/2023 – Armine Avetisyan Yerevan
Selective abortion has been an issue in Armenia in recent years. As a result of efforts by the government and the private sector, it seemed that many families had given up on the idea of having only a male child, but after the war of 2020 the issue has become relevant again. There are still families in Armenia who choose selective abortion.
“My brother died in 2020. It was a war. I missed my brother, I was looking for his replacement everywhere…”, Gayane (the name is changed), 38, who is pregnant and expecting a boy, begins her story.
The woman, who has a 6-year-old daughter, lives in the Kotayk region, which is near the capital city of Yerevan. She always dreamed of a boy, but it became an obsession when her brother died, an obsession shared by her husband.
“I planned that, no matter what, I would have a boy who would bear my brother’s name, who would help me and my parents overcome the grief of losing my brother. I got pregnant 2 years ago. It was planned. It turned out to be a girl. I took pills, had an abortion. It was a difficult phase. I don’t want to talk about it now. I committed a sin, but I needed a boy…”, Gayane says.
The woman developed health problems after the intervention. Fortunately, the treatment was successful, the couple planned another pregnancy, and this time the echo showed a “boy”.
“I live for my unborn son. He helps me, gives me strength. You know, I’m not the only one, there are many women who dream and aspire to have a boy”, she says.
According to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia, the highest index of gender disparity in Armenia was recorded in 2000, when the number of boys born per month far exceeded the number of girls. In ten years, however, the balance changed in favour of girls.
In 2021, the best balance was reached – 108 boys against 100 girls – but it went back to 112 against 100 in 2022. This is despite the fact that the standard ratio of newborns in the world is considered to be 104-106 boys/ 100 girls.
What caused the increase in the gender disparity index in 2022, experts find it difficult to say. However, there is a thesis that war is to blame.
“At this stage, it is still difficult to talk about the main reasons, but war has left its mark”, sociologist Sona Hovakimyan notes. According to Hovakimyan, selective abortion has always been a problem in Armenia, which is aggravated from time to time.
“Sex selection increases when a family is expecting a second child”, says Zaruhi Tonoyan, Coordinator of the UN Population Fund’s Combating Gender Discrimination Program.
In 2022, the research “Prevalence and Causes of Gender-Biased Sex Selection in the Republic of Armenia” was carried out with the support of the European Union and the United Nations Population Fund. The study showed that the preference for boys in Armenia has increased:
“We should highlight that girls matter. Women should be valued in society, we need to talk a lot about this, so that we can prevent selective abortion. We are taking a step back. We had a positive index, which we need to achieve again”, Tonoyan notes.
The research showed that selective abortion is especially widespread in regions, particularly in rural areas. If respondents in Yerevan are neutral about gender preference, preferences are stronger in regions, especially for a male child. A similar study was conducted in Armenia in 2017 as well. It is clear that the problem has worsened again, especially in the regions.
“Prevalence and Causes of Gender-Biased Sex Selection in the Republic of Armenia” research
Looking at results by regions, we can see that boys are most preferred in the Gegharkunik region. 33% of the respondents stated that they prefer boys.
“The first child should be a boy”, says Lilit, 19, from the Gegharkunik region, who has just gotten married but is already planning a child. “We always say in our family that we should have a boy, we will name him after my father-in-law, that is not up for discussion”, Lilit says. When asked what she will do if the first child is a girl, she remains silent, then shortly answers: “As God wills”.
Lilit is still a student. She says that one of her colleagues got married earlier than her and is already a mother. “She gave birth to a girl. Poor woman. They tried to force her to have an abortion. The husband’s family wanted a boy, but her parents stood by her and the girl was born. However, her husband didn’t go to the hospital. She lived at her parents’ for about three months. Then, thank God, her husband came to his senses, now they live together, they are a happy family. Well, when I think deeply, I realise that the important thing is to have a healthy child. May I be healthy, I will have many children, both girls and boys”.
Speaker of Parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh holds meeting with head of Russian community
12:57,
STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 22, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Davit Ishkhanyan held a meeting on August 21 with the Head of the Russian Community of Nagorno-Karabakh Alexander Bordov.
Bordov presented the activities of the Russian community in Nagorno-Karabakh and issues pertaining to the community life, the NK parliament’s press service said in a readout.
Issues aimed at the ties between the Russian community and the parliament, as well as strengthening of cooperation were discussed.