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

Turkish press: Progress made on Ukraine grain deal at Istanbul talks: Russia

Emil Lazarian
Elena Teslova   |14.07.2022


MOSCOW

Quadrilateral talks in Istanbul on Ukrainian grain exports led to progress toward “possible agreements,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

There were substantive discussions on the issue between the four sides – Russia, Ukraine, the UN, and Türkiye, according to ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

The parties “managed to formulate some elements of possible agreements, which are now being worked out by Russia, Ukraine, and Türkiye,” she said at a news conference in Moscow.

Negotiations are supposed to continue in the same format later, she added.

After Wednesday’s meeting, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the discussions were “positive and constructive,” with all sides agreeing to establish a coordination center in Istanbul to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports.

He said the participants found common ground on technical issues, such as the safety of shipping routes for grain ships, as well as joint controls at entry and exit of ports.

Ukrainian and Russian officials will gather again in Türkiye next week to review details and sign documents to formalize the deal, Akar added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed that there was progress on the matter, thanking the UN and Türkiye for their efforts.

He said details would be ironed out with UN chief Antonio Guterres “in the coming days.”

Guterres hailed the agreement to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports as a “ray of hope to ease human suffering and alleviate hunger around the world.”

He also emphasized that “more technical work will now be needed” to finalize a deal.

“But the momentum is clear … I’m encouraged. I’m optimistic, but it’s not yet fully done,” he said.

Türkiye-Armenia normalization

Russia stands ready to offer “all possible assistance” for normalization between Türkiye and Armenia, Zakharova also said at the news conference.

The official recalled that Russia played a key role in starting the normalization process, with the first meeting of Turkish and Armenian envoys hosted in Moscow on Jan. 14.

“We are ready to continue to support the Turkish-Armenian dialogue and extend all possible assistance to it. We believe this is in the interest of regional stability and economic prosperity,” she said.

On NATO’s imminent expansion, Zakharova emphasized that Russia will take all necessary measures if Finland and Sweden’s entry leads to the emergence of threats in the Baltic Sea.

US House adopts amendment calling for report on Azerbaijani war crimes

Emil Lazarian

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 11:05,

YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. U.S. House adopts ANCA-backed amendment spearheaded by Representatives U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) and Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), calling for a report by the State Department and Defense Department that would detail the use of U.S. parts in Turkish drones used by Azerbaijan against Armenia and Artsakh; Azerbaijan’s use of white phosphorous, cluster bombs and other prohibited munitions deployed against Artsakh; Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters during the 2020 Artsakh war, ANCA reports.

The amendment (#121) was adopted as part of "en bloc 1" – a larger grouping of amendments to the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R.7900)

Joining Representatives Cardenas and Sherman as Congressional cosponsors of the bipartisan amendment include Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Judy Chu (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Andy Levin (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and David Valadao (R-CA).

"Armenia Day" event to be held in Landtag of Saxony-Anhalt of Germany

Emil Lazarian

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 13:41,

YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan received today the delegation led by the President of the Landtag of Saxony-Anhalt of the Federal Republic of Germany Gunnar Schellenberger, the Parliament’s press service said.

The stable development of friendly relations between Armenia and Germany and the deepening of inter-parliamentary cooperation were highly emphasized at the meeting. Reference was made to the already signed documents on cooperation between Armenia and Saxony-Anhalt. Alen Simonyan highly appreciated the existence of the Mesrop Center for Armenian studies at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, asking for the support of the parliamentarians to ensure the continuity of activities of the Center. The German partners noted that the issues related to the Center are at the center of attention, presenting the work already done in the direction of its vital activity.

The sides referred to the "Armenia Day" event planned for November 17, 2022 in the Landtag, expressing confidence that it will strengthen Armenian-German cooperation. According to the representatives of the German side, this project is the first of its kind, and Armenia was chosen as a country with friendly and democratic values. “It is common for us to say that we wake up early. This means that we are prompt and able to respond to all questions,” Gunnar Schellenberger noted, referring to the further plans for prospective cooperation.

The sides discussed the issues related to lasting peace and security in the region, humanitarian issues following the 44-day war.

Armenian, Azerbaijani FMs to meet in Georgia on July 16

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia –
, 18:50

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov will meet on Saturday, July 16.

The meeting will take place in Tbilisi, Georgia, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vahan Hunanyan informs.

The Foreign Ministers last met in Dushanbe in Mid-May. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also participated in the meeting.

Political scientist: Along with Ankara`s first attempt to return to the preconditions, Yerevan should immediately withdraw from the negotiations

Emil Lazarian
ARMINFO
Armenia –
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.The absence of preconditions at this stage of negotiations between Armenia and  Turkey is due to other Turkish interests in other regions. Political scientist Robert Ghevondyan expressed a similar opinion to ArmInfo.

"Interests that are quite capable of influencing the process of the  Armenian-Turkish normalization. For example, in response to the  West's demand to ensure a certain level of relations with Armenia,  Turkey can gain geopolitical preferences in the same Syria.  Geopolitical games do not end with the Armenian-Turkish vector for  Ankara playing on different boards. This is the reason for the  numerous turns of Turkish policy in order to obtain the greatest  benefit on this or that board," he noted.

Against this background, Ghevondyan is convinced that at the first  attempt of Ankara to start talking with Yerevan again in the language  of preconditions, Armenia should immediately withdraw from the  negotiations. Because Turkish preconditions can go beyond the  Armenian red lines. In the opinion of the political scientist, taking  into account the stage of fairly rapid geopolitical transformations  in which the world is today, each player seeks to acquire new  political opportunities when the situation is entering a phase of  relative balance in order to use them in the future.

Against this background, Ghevondyan is not at all inclined to  completely and directly condition the Armenian-Turkish normalization  by the current processes between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The  political scientist sees their indirect influence on the  Armenian-Turkish process in parallel with the influence of the  Armenian-Russian, Russian-Turkish and Turkish-American relations.  

"One way or another, I am not a big optimist in terms of the  Armenian-Turkish prospects. And I do not expect the eradication of  enmity between our countries. At the same time, I am well aware that  the establishment of relations is possible with any enemy. The latest  example of which is the energy cooperation of the Russian Federation  with the West.  Hence a request for a lack of emotions and cold  calculation in the process of implementing Armenia's foreign policy.  Where cooperation is possible, we should cooperate. And where we see  a threat of going beyond our red lines, we must demonstrate  hostility," the political scientist summed up. 

Forecast: "Air" agreements between Ankara and Yerevan will be followed by agreements "on the ground"

Emil Lazarian
ARMINFO
Armenia –
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.The essence of the agreements reached between Armenia and Turkey on July 1 is to prepare for the establishment of land communications, and subsequently the  Armenian-Turkish relations in general. An expert in the field of  energy security, Ph.D. Vahe Davtyan, expressed a similar opinion to  ArmInfo.

On July 1, the fourth meeting of the Special Representatives of  Armenia and Turkey, Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia  Ruben Rubinyan and Ambassador Serdar Kilic took place in Vienna.   During the meeting, the parties agreed to open the land border for  citizens of third countries. An agreement was also reached to  establish Armenia-Turkey air cargo transportation as soon as  possible.

"In other words, here we are talking more about a purely political  than a purely economic effect. And I do not think that the  establishment of direct air cargo transportation with Turkey is in  the interests of Armenia.  If only for the reason, that importing oil  products, citrus fruits and textiles to Armenia by air is  economically unreasonable. Because there are no perishable goods  imported from Turkey to Armenia, which are usually transported "by  air", he stressed.

Recalling that over the past quarter of a century, Armenia has  imported goods worth $3 billion from Turkey, while exporting goods  worth only $60 million, and 90% of the goods imported from Turkey to  Armenia are finished products, and only 10% are raw materials, the  expert noted, that any possible changes from these new decisions will  not work in favor of Armenia.  

"Given the ill-conceived nature of the current economic policy of  Armenia, I am convinced that these proportions of exports and imports  between Armenia and Turkey will remain after Ankara unblocks land  communications. A real economic effect from the open border with  Turkey can be expected only after the radical modernization of our  economy, based on a fundamentally new concept, an economic  development strategy that will allow us to determine the appropriate  export vectors and, accordingly, the priorities of local industrial  production," Davtyan summed up. 

The reforms planned in the field of Civil Aviation were discussed at the Prime Minister

Emil Lazarian

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 18:09,

YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a consultation took place, during which issues related to systemic reforms planned in the Civil Aviation Committee were discussed, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

In particular, reference was made to the activities of the committee, its structure, the involvement of high-level specialists, the provision of aviation safety, the training of pilots and other personnel, and other issues. The existing problems in the aviation sector and the measures implemented or planned for the near future to solve them were also discussed.

The representatives of the departments participating in the consultation made various observations and recommendations.

Prime Minister Pashinyan noted that the strategic goal of the Government is to bring Armenian aviation in line with the best international standards. The Head of the Government tasked to continue the discussions and update the package of reforms based on their results.

CivilNet: US House passes amendment to investigate Azerbaijani war crimes

Emil Lazarian
CIVILNET.AM

14 Jul, 2022 10:07

  • The U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to this year’s defense budget bill that requires a report into Azerbaijani war crimes.
  • Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar discussed Armenian cultural heritage in Azerbaijani-controlled Karabakh.
  • Moscow fully supports Armenia-Turkey normalization, said a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Researchers discover Crusades-era grenades in Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter

Emil Lazarian
Armenia –
– 14:20 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Researchers have discovered grenades that were used in the time of the Crusades within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. In a recent study, the remains of elements of the grenades were analyzed and explosive materials were found inside them.

In the analysis of the objects found in the Garden of Armenia in Jerusalem, these 900-year-old objects were identified to have possibly been hand grenades, The Greek Reporter says.

Researchers tested residues on sherds from four sphero-conical vessels, which they dated to the 11th or 12th century.

Chemicals indicative of medicine and oils were found in three of the vessels, but the fourth vessel contained a unique combination of plant-based oils, animal fat, and nitrates, indicating something that was built to explode.

The several sphero-conical vessels excavated from the Armenian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem between 1961 and 1967 are artifacts attributed to the Mamluks at the time, a group of enslaved soldiers that eventually won political control across swathes of the Middle East and fought the Crusaders.

Roman Trotsenko ‘at loggerheads’ with Pashinyan – Past daily

Emil Lazarian
Panorama
Armenia –

Russian billionaire Roman Trotsenko, de facto owner of the GeoProMining Gold LLC and the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC), is “at loggerheads” with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the Past daily reports, citing its sources.

“Our sources in the government tell us that Pashinyan is so enraged that he even prohibited anyone from his inner circle to put in a good word for or interfere in any matters related to Roman Trotsenko and his mining business,” the newspaper says.

“According to the sources, there are several reasons for Pashinyan's anger, including the failure to make important investments and deliver on other promises as well as the steps during the acquisition and transfer of the ZCMC shares which will lead to serious consequences sooner or later,” it adds.

On September 30, 2021, Industrial Company JSC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Trotsenko's GeoProMining, mysteriously acquired 60% of the ZCMC shares and promptly donated a quarter of that stake to the Armenian government. The granted 25% of the shares make up 15% of the ZCMC equity. Trotsenko’s company acquired the shares immediately after they were unfrozen by an Armenian court.

“At the same time, according to our sources, the government is certain that Trotsenko's acquisition of the shares will be declared invalid by the court. In this case, the current authorities have the sufficient resources to reach an equal agreement with any new shareholder, i.e. to regain a stake in ZCMC as ‘donation’,” Past says.