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

Pashinyan-Michel-Aliyev meeting ends in Brussels

Emil Lazarian

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 18:54,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS. The meeting of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has ended in Brussels. It lasted about four hours behind closed doors. Details about the results of the negotiations are not yet known.

Three meetings in the same format have already been held in Brussels. The first meeting took place on December 14, 2021, the second on April 6, 2022, and the third on May 23, 2022.




EU’s Michel to hold phone talks with Pashinyan and Aliyev

Emil Lazarian

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 14:28,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, ARMENPRESS. President of the European Council Charles Michel is planning to hold telephone conversations with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ahead of their upcoming trilateral meeting scheduled on August 31 in Brussels.

“Preparatory calls today in advance of tomorrow’s fourth Brussels meeting with Azerbaijani President and Prime Minister of Armenia”, Charles Michel tweeted.

India-Armenia Conference held in Bangalore

Emil Lazarian

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 16:32,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, ARMENPRESS. India-Armenia Conference: Promoting Investment and Growth was held recently in the Indian city of Bangalore.

The conference has been organized by the Embassy of Armenia in India and the Indian Economic Trade Organization, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.

The event was attended by around 70 participants representing public, business, educational and healthcare sectors of the state of Karnataka.

The conference participants discussed with the Ambassador of Armenia the issues and prospects of the bilateral economic cooperation, presented several interesting proposals aimed at jointly implementing them.

In his remarks the Armenian Ambassador talked about the historical roots of the traditional bilateral political relations and praised the positive environment there formed over the recent years, adding that the mutual visits of the foreign ministers of Armenia and India have greatly contributed to it.

Ambassador Yuri Babakhanyan stressed the need for making all efforts to raise mutual recognition and trust between different Armenian and Indian companies. He called on the conference participants to actively participate in exhibitions and conferences in Armenia.

Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the end of the conference.

Portuguese football star Luis Figo in Armenia to join Digitain as brand ambassador

Emil Lazarian

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 17:00,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, ARMENPRESS. Portuguese retired football player Luis Figo is now the brand ambassador for Digitain, the award-winning global sportsbook software and iGaming platform provider.

Speaking at a press conference in Yerevan, Luis Figo said he will do his best to advance the company’s projects and plans to visit various countries for business meetings in the next 6 months.

Photos by Gevorg Perkuperkyan

“It is a big honor for me to join the Digitain family, to return to Yerevan. The last time I was here I was participating in the Legends Match,” Figo said, referring to the 2018 July all-star Europe vs. Latin America exhibition football match.

“When you come to play football you don’t have much opportunity to see and get to know the culture of the country and to meet people. You just come to the airport and then to the hotel. That’s why I am very happy to return to Armenia, now I have time to get to know the country,” Figo added.

Journalists and fans got the chance to ask Figo various questions from his career, his personal life and upcoming plans.

“Playing football was my dream and I never expected to reach such level. I think that in football, just like elsewhere, if you don’t have teamwork you can’t succeed as an individual. Success depends on certain people. There can be exceptions but what matters is team spirit and team victory,” Figo said.

The Portuguese football star said he considers himself to be lucky because he’s had the chance to play in the world’s best teams with the world’s best players.

Asked in what team he’d prefer to play if he had the chance to chose, Figo said he’s been watching the matches of Liverpool since childhood, but during his career he didn’t succeed to play in England.

“They didn’t let me play in England, I think I’d play in Liverpool,” Figo said.

Comparing the football of his time to the present-day football, Figo said that life, society and technologies have developed and the difference is very big.

“I think everything has changed, there is difference in the training of the footballers, the equipment, boots, staff, technologies, there is very much information these days, but nothing has changed in terms of emotions,” Figo said.

Figo added that he’s never wanted to become a coach.

“I wanted to be a manager but not a coach,” Figo said.

The California Courier Online, September 1, 2022

Emil Lazarian

The California
Courier Online, September 1, 2022

 

1-         Before
Reconciling with Turks, Armenians

            Need to
Reconcile with Each Other

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher,
The California
Courier

           
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

2-         27-year-old
becomes first Armenian appointed District Governor in Turkey

3-         Letters to
the Editor

4-         Turkish
intellectuals call on government

            to reveal
assassination plot against Paylan

5-         Armenia Continues Fight Against
COVID-19

************************************************************************************************************************************************

            Before
Reconciling with Turks, Armenians

            Need to
Reconcile with Each Other

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher,
The California
Courier

           
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

Can’t the Armenian government do anything right? Not a day
passes without additional bad news from Armenia and Artsakh! Rather than
blaming our enemies, we need to look at our own shortcomings and stop
inflicting more wounds on ourselves.

In the midst of the severe crisis in Armenia after the
devastating defeat in the 2020 Artsakh War, one would think that Armenian
leaders would have the wisdom to unite the nation and strengthen the military
to prevent further attacks on the country.

Surprisingly, Armenia has embarked on a course of
action that is further dividing and weakening the nation. Armenian leaders are
too incompetent to run a country with so many critical issues. Rather than
trying to minimize Armenia’s
losses, they are determined to add to the damage inflicted by its enemies.

For four years, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been
dividing Armenians into “blacks” and “whites,” Artsakhtsis and Hayastantsis,
former leaders vs. the current one, and Armenia vs. Diaspora, at a time
when Armenians desperately need to be unified. He has threatened to slam into
the wall or the asphalt his domestic political opponents. He even went on the
campaign trail last year holding a hammer in his hand, promising to smash the
heads of those who oppose him.

Not only is Pashinyan too incompetent to lead Armenia, so are
his cabinet ministers and advisors. An incompetent leader cannot make competent
appointments.

Take for example, Pashinyan’s appointment of Zareh Sinanyan
to the post of “High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs.” Sinanyan’s only
qualification is that he is a blind supporter of the Prime Minister.
Consequently, Sinanyan has hardly accomplished anything worthwhile during his
three years on the job, except for wasting the government’s meager budget on
his and staff’s frequent travels around the world.

Sinanyan just announced that his office will hold a “Global
Armenian Summit,” at the end of this October. One would have expected that he
would have the common sense to invite to the “Global Summit” the representatives
of all Armenian organizations and prominent individuals in Armenia and the
Diaspora, regardless of their political affiliation.

However, Sinanyan’s and the Prime Minister’s only goal is to
give the impression that they are busy doing something rather than actually
accomplishing anything useful for the nation. Sinanyan shortsightedly decided,
with the blessing of his boss, to invite to the “Global Armenian Summit”
Armenians who are the regime’s supporters, leaving out those who have dared to
oppose the current leaders. The government of Armenia is actually engaged in
dividing, rather than unifying the Diaspora.

In any other normal country, an employee like Sinanyan would
have been fired long ago for being incompetent and wasting the government’s
precious resources. However, this Prime Minister will not fire an underling who
is more incompetent than he is! Regrettably, Sinanyan does not even know his
job description. He has foolishly advocated inviting Arab immigrants to Armenia, not
realizing that his responsibility is dealing only with Diaspora Armenians, not
Arabs or other nationalities. In his frequent TV interviews, Sinanyan
constantly engages in partisan politics, criticizing major Armenian
organizations, and creating further divisions in the nation. He does not
understand that his job is not to act as a propagandist for Pashinyan’s regime,
but be a government employee who is getting paid a salary to be a bridge
between Armenia
and the Diaspora.

 

If the excuse of Pashinyan and Sinanyan is that their political
opponents would have refused to attend the “Global Armenian Summit,” that would
have been a good reason to invite them. Those who reject the invitation would
have looked bad and the government would have looked magnanimous rather than
petty. The Armenian government cannot behave like a thug who wants to settle
scores. Regrettably, it does not possess the maturity to rise above the fray. Armenia is the
home of all Armenians, not only those who agree with the regime. A small and
weak nation surrounded by powerful enemies cannot afford to splinter itself
into smaller fragments.

Rather than embracing all Armenians worldwide, the
government has rejected in recent weeks the entry of several prominent Diaspora
Armenians whose sole guilt is that they are opponents of the supposedly
“democratic” regime! Meanwhile, Turkish members of the Grey Wolves terrorist
group are allowed to enter Armenia
and insult the memory of the Armenian martyrs on the grounds of the Armenian
Genocide Memorial in Yerevan!

In the past 20 years, Armenia has organized several
Diaspora-Armenia conferences. None of them accomplished anything useful.
Sinanyan’s planned “Summit”
will have the same result. Pashinyan has repeatedly talked about allowing
Diaspora Armenians to assume high-level positions in the Armenian government.
Regrettably, beyond paying lip service, he has not taken any step in that
direction. Similarly, Sinanyan announced with much fanfare around a year ago
that his office will appoint Diaspora commissioners in Armenian communities
around the world. Until now, he has not appointed a single such commissioner.

When Pashinyan came to power in 2018, he pledged to increase
Armenia’s
population from less than 3 million to 5 million by the year 2050. Regrettably,
Armenia’s
population in his four years in office has declined, not increased. Beyond just
talking about encouraging repatriation to Armenia, nothing has been done.

It is high time that all Armenians unite to defend the
homeland against the powerful enemies on both sides of the border. Before
reconciling with Turks, Armenians first need to get along with each other.

************************************************************************************************************************************************
2-         27-year-old becomes first
Armenian appointed District Governor in Turkey

YEREVAN (Armenpress)—An
ethnic-Armenian Turkish lawyer is set to become the first ever Armenian to hold
the post of district governor in Turkey
after his appointment as the District Governor of Babadag, a city and district
in the Denizli Province, aynahaber.net reported.

Berk Acar, born in 1995, will soon assume the position.

He attended Private
Sahakyan Nunyan
Armenian Secondary
School and Luys
High School.

************************************************************************************************************************************************
3-         Letter to the Editor

 

Dear Editor:

 

Vahakn Dadrian wasn’t just a professor and great scholar. He
was an Armenian hero who devoted his entire life to the Armenian Genocide and
was able to provide devastating evidence about that heinous crime. I read his books.

It’s shocking what they did to his grave (The California
Courier, August 18, “Taner Akcam alarmed by neglected grave of celebrated
Armenian scholar”). It is inexcusable to have his grave in Yerevan’s
Tokhmakh Cemetery. They should have buried him in
the Komitas Pantheon.

It is disgusting that they committed such disrespect to that
great man. What a shame to all of us to allow these traitors to insult Dadrian
and all Armenians who care about honor and appreciate our heroes. Dadrian was a
hero. We should consolidate our efforts to get approval for his grave to be
placed at Komitas Pantheon. How did diaspora Armenians not pay attention to
this blatant, maybe intentional criminal act?

It’s a shame that Prof. Taner Akcam had to bring it to our
attention. We should demand from the Armenian government to correct quickly
this outrageous failure. Dashnaks in Armenia should have raised hell
about it. All Armenian organizations should be ashamed for being silent. Why
not attack the government for this embarrassing situation? Let’s not forget our
main goal. After somehow electing a nationalist government, we need to go after
Turks for reparations. Dadrian’s life was devoted to genocide and its victims.
How can we tolerate anybody to treat our hero like this? If the government of Armenia doesn’t
react, we should expose them as traitors.

 

Stefan Martirosian,

Glendale,
CA

 

**********************************************************************************************************************************************
4-         Turkish intellectuals call on
government

to reveal assassination plot against Paylan

YEREVAN
(Armenpress)—424 Turkish intellectuals signed a statement on August 26 urging
the government to reveal the planned assassination attempt against Garo Paylan
in 2016, which was never implemented, ARMENPRESS reported the Istanbul-based
Armenian “Agos” newspaper. Over 400 writers, journalists, politicians and
artists signed a joint statement and called on the government, political
structures and the whole of Turkey
to take steps against the Deep state and mafia forces and reveal the plan of
the assassination attempt against Garo Paylan that was prepared and left
unfinished in 2016.

“What reinforces the recklessness of these dark forces is
their confidence that they will not be subject to criminal sanctions, even if
they threaten everyone. This confidence is fueled by the current political
climate. This atmosphere must be changed immediately,” the statement said.

Last week, Garo Paylan’s lawyer noted that in 2016, some
groups brought weapons into the Turkish parliament to kill Paylan, but were
thwarted by another group.

 

***********************************************************************************************************************************************

5-         Armenia Continues Fight Against
COVID-19

More than 2.2 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine have
been administered in Armenia
since commencing the vaccination program a year ago, authorities said on August
29. COVID-19 has deeply affected Armenia’s economy. Armenia has
recorded 432,274 coronavirus cases as of August 29.

Armenia
has recorded 8,648 deaths.; 412,661 have recovered.

 

************************************************************************************************************************************************

************************************************************************************************************************************************

California Courier Online provides readers of the Armenian News News Service with a
few of the articles in this week’s issue of The California Courier. Letters to
the editor are encouraged through our e-mail address, .
Letters are published with the author’s name and location; authors are required
to disclose their identity to the editorial staff (name, address, and/or
telephone numbers for verification purposes).
California Courier subscribers can change or modify mailing addresses by
emailing .

Civil Contract party makes additional efforts to hold upcoming local elections maximally free and transparent – MP

Emil Lazarian

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 09:52,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS. Local elections will take place in Armenia’s 18 enlarged communities on September 25.

The ruling Civil Contract party is going to actively take part in the elections. The pre-election activities of the party will be coordinated by Civil Contract faction MP, member of the party Board, Arsen Torosyan.

Speaking to ARMENPRESS, Mr. Torosyan introduced the current activities and his assessment of the pre-election processes.

“At this moment, the nomination, registration of candidates of proportional lists, document clarification within the set time are taking place. After registration a lottery will be held to draw numbers, and the pre-election campaign will start on August 31. The registration of the vote of our citizen is very important for us, no matter whether we or our opponents will receive it. In this regard, we are making additional efforts for the process to be maximally free and transparent”, he said.

The Civil Contract party is participating in elections in 17 of these 18 enlarged communities. These are the followings: Tsaghkahovit, Talin and Alagyaz (Aragatsotn province), Gyulagarak, Alaverdi, Lori Berd, Tashir (Lori province), Charentsavan, Akunk, Byureghavan, Jrvezh (Kotayk province), Ani (Shirak province), Sisian, Kajaran (Syunik province), Areni, Yeghegis (Vayots Dzor province) and Berd (Tavush province). The party is not participating in elections in Chambarak community.

“We have submitted almost all documents, the names of candidates toping the lists, the lists of the council of elders. I am coordinating all of this, but actions are also being taken by a large representative staff from the parliament, the government and the Civil Contract party office”, he said.

The lawmaker says that the activeness of citizens in local self-government elections depends on various circumstances, such as the number of candidates nominated in this or that community, the process of the election campaign and the rhetoric to be used, as well as the contradictions existing between the competing political forces.

“For instance, in Sisian enlarged community, which is again being enlarged with Gorayk community, 7 political forces have been nominated. This automatically means there will be a very high activeness because everyone will try to get a vote and get people involved. But we have a community where only one political force has been nominated, for example Jrvezh. Of course, we should try to encourage people as much as possible to come and vote because the registration of a citizen’s vote is important in order to show the legitimacy of the elections, but the difference will be obvious”, he said.

Arsen Torosyan stated that as a political commitment the Civil Contract party attaches importance to the broad participation of political forces, because the more people participate in elections, the more representational and legitimate the elections will be.

As for the main emphasis of the pre-election program of the Civil Contract party in the local elections, Mr. Torosyan said that the ruling force has shown at the government and parliament level that the development of communities is one of their most important priorities.

“This is also the reason for the subvention programs being implemented by the government when the community and the government are participating in the implementation of such programs, as asphalting, lighting, garbage collection, renovation of kindergartens. You see how much money is allocated for it every time at the Cabinet meetings. The development of communities is also being done with direct spending by the government. For example, the construction, renovation and re-construction of hundreds of schools and kindergartens, that we have announced, also relates to communities. Now our candidates are taking a commitment to solve the problems typical to each community, by using the central commitment and expressing readiness to unconditionally assist it. Of course, we have registered major progress in many communities and this is obvious when the problems, that have not been solved for 20-30 years, are now being solved, but, of course, there are problems that need to be solved. It seems, we are also offering the voters a symbiosis, as the work between the community and the central power will give much better results than if they work separately from each other”, Arsen Torosyan stated.

 

Interview by Karen Khachatryan

Photos by Hayk Manukyan




Armenian-Azerbaijani talks in Moscow and Brussels: more contradictions than connections

Emil Lazarian
Aug 30 2022


  • Armine Martirosyan
  • Yerevan

Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations

Quickened Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations by the end of August have caused alarm in Armenia, citizens fearing another concessions to Azerbaijan. A meeting of the national commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the issue of demarcation and delimitation of borders is scheduled in Moscow for August 30, and on August 31, a meeting of the heads of state in Brussels.

Opinions of Armenian analysts about what can be expected from Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations.

  • “There are elements of crisis in Armenian-Russian relations”: opinion
  • “Independence is like health – it needs to be taken care of every day” – Pashinyan
  • Note from Russian Embassy to Armenian Foreign Ministry: Armenians react and analyst comment

Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations in Moscow and Brussels were preceded by a portentous series of events. In early August another escalation took place in Karabakh. Thanks to military pressure, Azerbaijan managed to ensure that the corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia was changed. In a related development, two more towns and the city of Lachin, through which the former corridor passed, came under the control of Azerbaijan.

Political observer Tatul Hakobyan talks about Armenia’s proposal to replace the Zangezur corridor.

At the same time, relations between Azerbaijan and the United States deteriorated. Baku reacted critically to the appointment of a new American co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. Baku is against the resumption of the Minsk process to resolve the Karabakh conflict, as it considers it to have been resolved militarily.

Philip Reeker was simultaneously appointed US representative in the Geneva International Discussions – thus he will coordinate all conflicts in the South Caucasus

The refusal of the US and French ambassadors to visit the city of Shushi (Shusha in Azerbaijan) caused a scandal in Baku, being seen as disrespect for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

According to Azerbaijani political scientist Elkhan Shahinoglu, sooner or later the ambassadors of both countries will have to visit both Shusha and Lachin. Former US Ambassador to Baku thinks otherwise

In Brussels, the creation of a working group to prepare the text of a peace agreement with Armenia will be agreed upon, Hikmet Hajiyev, adviser to the President of Azerbaijan, said prior to the Pashinyan–Aliyev meeting.

Armenian experts believe that fundamental contradictions between the parties on key issues will prevent this.

“It is unlikely that the August meetings of heads of state in Brussels and heads of border demarcation commissions in Moscow will lead to a significant breakthrough. There are too many radically opposed approaches in the positions of the parties. It is hard to imagine that a couple of meetings will not only smooth them over, but also lead to a peace agreement. Moreover, in addition to the positions of the parties themselves, there are also conflicts of interests between major intermediary actors. This is not only Brussels and Moscow, but also Washington and Moscow.

“The latest US statements on the appointment of an American co-chair indicate that Washington has its own proposals and the main message is directed towards Baku. This suggests that substantive work on a peace agreement is not to be expected in the near future.”

The political landscape Armenia is becoming more acute and dangerous. Commentary by political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan on how adequately the country is responding to the crisis

“There are many contradictions between the positions of Armenia and Azerbaijan, above all the unblocking of transport routes, in which there are Azerbaijani “corridor” ambitions. There are complex discussions here, as evinced by the reaction of Iran.

The November 9 tripartite statement ending the 2020 Karabakh war says Armenia guarantees the security of transport routes between the western regions of Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. Azerbaijan interprets this paragraph as unhindered movement with no control by Armenia. Accordingly, Baku demands a road through the Armenian city of Meghri, calling it the “Zangezur corridor.”

The Armenian authorities say they are ready to unblock roads, but are not ready to lose sovereignty over the provided roads. The term “corridor” suggests a loss of sovereign control, but is not mentioned in the tripartite statement.

Iran has already stated several times that it will not allow changes in its borders with Armenia. This further complicates the matter of Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations.

“There are also contradictions in the issue of demarcation and delimitation of borders. The most acute is the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh. In particular, the issues of the status of Artsakh, management of the situation, defense, the army itself. The contradictions of the parties here are fundamental.

“At the same time there are contradictions between major players fighting for influence in the region. Moscow is trying to maintain its influence, the US is trying to limit and weaken Moscow’s influence. In the actions of the United States there is a certain pressure on Iran in order to dictate its terms on the nuclear deal. Turkey is trying to play both sides, navigating the contradictions between Washington and Moscow.”

Iran scholar Emma Begijanyan believes that the strategic and national security interests of Armenia and Iran coincide

“The key and painful issues for Armenia underlie the strategic struggle of major players. For example in the Karabakh issue, if it were beneficial for Russia to resolve the status of Artsakh today, the United States would do the opposite. America itself would suggest leaving the issue of status for later and addressing only humanitarian issues.

“The Russians see postponing the status problem as an opportunity to maintain their influence. Russia wants to leave these things behind, as it is busy with Ukraine and prefers to pay less attention to the Caucasus.

“The United States suggests to Baku only those solutions which will rid the region of the Russians, since with their solution it will be easier to withdraw Russian troops. Naturally, for this, America must make Baku a more attractive offer than the Russians.

“On the same issue of the “corridor” through Meghri. We know more or less what the Russians are proposing – according to point 9 of the tripartite statement on Karabakh, Armenia provides the road and the Russians control the transport of Azerbaijani and Turkish goods. Obviously, Russia does not want to give this corridor to Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Armenian experts talk about another concession made under pressure by Azerbaijan. But no changes are expected and by the end of August the Lachin corridor will be replaced by another road

“What the US proposes in this matter is unclear. It is reported that the West is offering assistance that will facilitate the unblocking of roads and provide technical support. What that means is hard to say. But apparently the approaches are again different, since Iran speaks of “the unacceptability of closing the Armenian-Iranian border.”

“Whether the West is offering an abrogation of the 9th paragraph of the statement, that is from Russian control in exchange for some kind of international mechanism, is unknown.

“Under such conditions it is difficult to imagine any work on a peace agreement. But if the meetings in Brussels and Moscow help maintain stability in the region and prevent the situation from escalating, then we can already talk about a positive result.”

Armenian authorities say that the alternative road “will not be inferior to the Lachin corridor in any respect”

“I am far from thinking that Baku is so naive that they decided to go on an adventure, allowing themselves a daring tone in a conversation with the United States. At the same time, I am far from thinking that Baku was unduly frightened by the announcement of a new American co-chair and the restoration of the OSCE Minsk Group. Russians will not work in this format, the MG cannot be restored.

“It’s most likely a trade. There are subtexts in the American responses; the US wants to lure Baku to its side. Washington says – accept our proposals, in three years we will withdraw Russian troops from the region.

“Washington now does not particularly need to revive the MG, especially since they understand that this is not entirely realistic. All statements are made for bargaining, and Baku, knowing this very well, allows itself free statements.”

At the end of August, Armenia will transfer the Lachin corridor to Azerbaijan, which connects NK with Armenia, and the surrounding towns.

“Obviously, Russia is not at all interested in a resolution in Karabakh. In this its approach coincides with Azerbaijan, but partly. Baku generally refuses to recognize the existence of the Karabakh issue, stating that the problem has been resolved, it is the territory of Azerbaijan; and the population may accept that or leave.

“Russia’s position is as follows: it admits that there is a problem, but it is not going to discuss it now and plans to postpone it until better times. The Russian Federation is trying to keep its place in the region, leaving a lever of influence on both Baku and Yerevan. Therefore, Russia is in no way interested in changing the favorable status quo for it with the presence of its troops here.”

Protests in Yerevan demanding the protection of NK, the Kremlin’s reaction to Pashinyan’s statements on peacekeepers, an explanation from the ruling party of Armenia about what it meant, and an expert’s comments

“Europeans and Americans understand this and therefore believe that the problem needs to be solved radically and the sooner the better. In this regard, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, through his press secretary, says that “we need to go back to the root of the problem and solve it.”

“The Americans say the same thing, saying that the problem has not been solved, and it needs to be thoroughly, globally and comprehensively addressed. The change of the American co-chairman to a fairly high-ranking and influential diplomat speaks to this.

“This is a sign of US interest in this issue and it plans to put pressure on Azerbaijan in order to bring it to the negotiating table regarding Karabakh in a new round of Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations. The regular refusal of the American and French ambassadors to attend an event organized by the Azerbaijani authorities in Shushi is also significant.

“The West declares that a political solution to the Karabakh issue is needed, referring to the status of NK. Everything depends on the approaches and readiness of Azerbaijan for peaceful coexistence with the Armenians in Artsakh. But today such total xenophobia, Armenophobia, racism and the desire for ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population are widespread in Azerbaijan, that I don’t think the Europeans will consider it possible to leave Nagorno-Karabakh entirely to Azerbaijan.”

Commentary by political commentator Hakob Badalyan on the regional situation, the interests of major players and their expectations from Armenia, the risks of starting a war, and relations with the West and Russia

“The West suggests Azerbaijan take the path of democracy: in this case, the problem of Artsakh is automatically attached to democratic processes and becomes a lever of pressure in the hands of the West on Baku. Otherwise, Azerbaijan loses NK.

“With a democratization of Azerbaijan, Baku will not be able to carry out ethnic cleansing of Armenians, because it will automatically agree to the presence of international forces, as well as to the status of Artsakh, providing a full guarantee of the security of Armenians. In principle, this was stipulated in the 1997 package agreement.

“If Azerbaijan does not follow a democratic path, I am sure that the international community and the West will force it into the Kosovo scenario, the legal and political packages for which are already being prepared by the European Parliament, the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice in The Hague.”

https://jam-news.net/armenian-azerbaijani-talks-in-moscow-and-brussels-more-contradictions-than-connections/



Launch of a new road from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia scheduled for August 30

Emil Lazarian
Caucasian Knot
Aug 29 2022
The traffic along the alternative route to the Lachin Corridor to Armenia will be open on the evening of August 30, the office of the President of Nagorno-Karabakh reports today.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Nagorno-Karabakh reported that movement along the Lachin (Armenian name is Berdzor, – note of the “Caucasian Knot”) Corridor is possible until August 31 inclusive. During the above time, Russian peacekeepers will ensure safe movement there, and after August 31, communication between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia will be carried out via a new corridor to the south, through the territory of the Berdadzor subdistrict.

Today, the Security Council of Nagorno-Karabakh has decided to start transport communication with Armenia along a new route at 8:00 p.m. on August 30, the “News-Armenia” reports with reference to the press service for the Nagorno-Karabakh President’s Office.

Participants of the meeting of the Security Council of Nagorno-Karabakh announced that the 4.7-kilometre road, which temporarily connects the route with the Goris-Stepanakert motor way, has already been asphalted. The new route through the territory of the Berdadzor subdistrict of the Shusha District will retain the status of a corridor, according to paragraph 6 of the 2020 trilateral declaration, the “News-Armenia” reports.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on at 04:15 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:
Azerbaijani analysts explain new tasks of peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani military police posts set up in Lachin Corridor, Aliev announces army deployment in Lachin.

Author: The Caucasian Knot
Source: Caucasian Knot

IAEA mission to reach Zaporizhzhya NPP this week

Emil Lazarian

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 09:58,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS.  Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi has announced that the organization’s support mission to assess and inspect the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is already on its way and will arrive later this week.

“The day has come, IAEA’s Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) is now on its way. We must protect the safety and security of Ukraine’s and Europe’s biggest nuclear facility. Proud to lead this mission which will be in ZNPP later this week,” Grossi tweeted.

The IAEA’s announcement comes as both Russia’s Defense Ministry and Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said Saturday that the site of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was shelled repeatedly over the past 24 hours, blaming each other for the shelling.