The four-day monitoring visits to the border villages of Tavush Province have started at the initiative of the Human Rights Defender (Ombudswoman) of Armenia.
During these monitoring visits, the representatives of the Office of the Human Rights Defender will study the social, legal, educational, economic, and security issues of the local residents, in order to raise the matters related to the exercising of their rights.
The Armenian authorities have satisfied all the preconditions, both voiced and unvoiced by the Turks. This was stated by Eduard Sharmazanov, the press secretary of the Republican Party of Armenia, during the meeting with journalists today, referring to the allegations of the incumbent authorities that the Armenian-Turkish relations are settled without any preconditions.
According to the oppositionist, the current political leadership of Armenia has surrendered everything it can.
“They withdrew from Karvachar, left 7 districts of Karabakh, surrendered Shushi and Hadrut, and now they are surrendering Lachin. Armenian Shushi is turning today into a Caucasian center of pan-Turkism… What else should the Turks do?” – Sharmazanov explained.
He noted that all countries of the world are trying to win rather than lose amid the ongoing geopolitical developments. Armenia is going further into the abyss with each passing day.
PUBLISHED 10:12 AM PT Jul. 25, 2022
GLENDALE, Calif. — Armenia is establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with in European basketball.
The country’s national basketball team won the 2022 European Small Countries Championship and on the forefront are a few players from Glendale.
Spectrum News shares how they’re showing Armenian youth in Glendale that they too can have hoop dreams.
18:18,
YEREVAN, JULY 26, ARMENPRESS. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks in Sochi on August 5, ARMENPRESS reports, citing Interfax.
“Turkish President Erdoğan will meet with Putin on August 5 in Sochi,” the agency reports.
In turn, the Turkish media say that Erdoğan’s visit to Russia will be one-day.
20:41,
YEREVAN, JULY 26, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan gave a speech and answered journalists’ questions based on the results of the meeting held in Prague with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský. Mirzoyan, in particular, expressed gratitude to the Czech side for its continuous support to the efforts and role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan said,
“Dear Minister,
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Firstly, I would like to thank my colleague Jan Lipavský for the very warm welcome. I would also like to seize the opportunity to congratulate the Czech Republic on the successful launch of its presidency in the Council of the European Union.
This is my first visit to Czechia – a country which has officially taken the course of pursuing the legacy of Václav Havel, underscoring human rights, democratic development, strong civil society and multilateral collaboration. Currently, the Government of Armenia is implementing its ambitious agenda of democratic reforms and transformations and Czechia is our reliable partner in this regard.
We highly value our relations with Czechia, based on shared values and historical friendship and are keen to promote the Armenian-Czech political dialogue and interstate relations to a qualitatively new level, including through high-level reciprocal visits, regular consultations between our Ministries of Foreign Affairs and active inter-parliamentary engagement.
During our discussions, my colleague and I agreed to put our utmost efforts towards the utilization of the potential in the spheres of economy, trade and investment, as well as fostering intercultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts.
Armenia and Czechia have mutually beneficial cooperation also within multilateral formats, including the UN, OSCE, CoE. This is extensively complemented by the Armenia-EU cooperation with its milestone agreement – the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. We highly value the active role of the Czech Republic in promoting the framework of the Eastern Partnership and stand ready to join efforts in maintaining this cooperation platform in the spirit of mutual understanding, inclusiveness and a merit-based approach.
Dear friends,
Today we also extensively discussed the issues of regional and international security, referred to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the situation resulting from the 44-day war unleashed against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
I briefed Minister Lipavsky on Armenia’s position and efforts toward establishing peace and stability in our region, where the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship plays a key role in reaching a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In this regard, I express my gratitude to the Czech side for its continued support to these efforts and the role the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship plays.
Nearly two years after the secession of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, humanitarian issues remain unresolved. Azerbaijan continues to hold Armenian prisoners of war and civilian hostages, using them as a political weapon. Also, Azerbaijan’s policy of destruction, desecration of the Armenian cultural and religious heritage in the territories fallen under Azerbaijani control is of great concern. In this regard, we expect a targeted response and practical action from the international community.
Dear colleagues,
The realities resulting from the use of force and mass violations of human rights cannot create a sustainable foundation for regional peace and security. Armenia has repeatedly stated its readiness for constructive dialogue, refrained from preconditions and warmongering rhetoric, for sustainable peace and development of our region.
I will conclude my speech with this. Once again, thank you very much Mr Lipavský for your hospitality and please kindly receive my invitation to visit Armenia”.
Asked how Armenia is affected by sanctions on Russia, Ararat Mirzoyan answered, “Of course, sanctions against Russia have their negative direct or indirect impact on Armenia’s economic development and economic situation in the region in general. Thus, we are trying to find short-term and mid-term solutions, mechanisms for addressing, and if possible eliminating these threats. And my hope is that we will succeed in this process”.
Azerbaijan continues to keep Armenian prisoners of war and civilians in captivity – Ararat Mirzoyan
21:36,
YEREVAN, JULY 26, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan introduced the situation created as a result of the war unleashed against the people of Artsakh in 2020 during the meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavský on July 26. ARMENPRESS reports after the meeting with his Czech counterpart, FM Mirzoyan said in his speech that two years after the cessation of military operations, the humanitarian issues still remain unresolved.
Ararat Mirzoyan particularly raised the issue of the Armenian POWs.
“Azerbaijan continues to keep Armenian prisoners of war and civilians in captivity, using them as a political tool. The policy of destruction and desecration of Armenian cultural and religious heritage in the territories that have passed under the control of Azerbaijan is also very worrying. In this regard, we expect a targeted response and practical steps from the international community,” Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized.
The Foreign Minister also noted that the realities created by the use of force and massive violations of human rights cannot create a stable basis for peace and security in the region.
“Armenia has repeatedly announced its readiness for a constructive dialogue free from preconditions and bellicose rhetoric for the sake of stable peace and development in our region,” Minister Mirzoyan said.
The Artists’ Union of Armenia is preparing to mark its 90th anniversary this year. In an interview with Panorama.am, the chairman of the union, Suren Safaryan, said that the jubilee celebrations would take place in autumn.
“We have two salons a year: the Spring Salon and the Autumn Salon. The latter will mark the 90th anniversary of the Artists’ Union. The event will feature an exhibition, and surprises are also expected, but I won’t go into the details,” he said.
Safaryan states artists are highly enthusiastic about joining the union, and its commission is set to select new members among numerous applicants in late 2022.
According to the Artists’ Union chair, artists living both in Armenia and around the world are today facing a number of problems, adding they just need to “have patience and work on solving problems one by one, by priority.”
“The problems are related to workshops, sales of artworks, seniority… We do not have a law on artists and are working on it. There are countries where such a law has been passed. We hope that we will be able to bring it in here too,” Safaryan said.
The full interview in Armenian is below.
ArmInfo.Over the past week (from July 18-24), 6,158 tests for coronavirus were carried out in Armenia, of which the disease was confirmed in 965 cases(a 53% weekly increase), 547 patients recovered, and 7 people died.
According to the Ministry of Health, 1,144 patients are currently undergoing treatment (up 55% in a week). In total, 3,154,685 tests were carried out in the country, of which 425,365 cases of infection were detected, 413,901 people recovered, and 8,633 deaths were recorded. At the same time, over the past week, 1,017,950 people have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus, which is 0.1% higher than a week ago.
According to the source, as of July 25 this year, a total of 2,225,916 doses of anti-COVID vaccine were received in the country, of which 1,141,151 people were vaccinated with the first component. The number of revaccinated citizens over the past week has increased by 2.1%, reaching 62,007.-
Tuesday,
U.S. Ready To Work With Russia On Karabakh, Insists Envoy
• Heghine Buniatian
Armenia - U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy is interviewed by RFE/RL in Yerevan, July
26, 2022
The U.S. ambassador to Armenia, Lynne Tracy, on Tuesday reaffirmed Washington’s
stated readiness for renewed cooperation with Russia on facilitating a
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “We have said that we are ready to use the [OSCE] Minsk Group as a platform,”
Tracy told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service in an interview. “That offer remains open. We have not seen our Russian colleagues responding to that offer.”
The United States, Russia and France have for decades spearheaded international
efforts to end the conflict in their capacity as the Minsk Group’s co-chairs. Moscow says Washington and Paris stopped working with it in that format
following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried denied this during a visit to
Yerevan last month. She insisted that the Minsk Group remains a “very important
format” for Washington. The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed Donfried’s assurances. Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed later in June that “the Minsk Group stopped its
activities at the initiative of the American and French co-chairs.”
In the words of Tracy, the U.S. still hopes that Russia will “re-engage in this
format.”
“We certainly continue to the see the Minsk Group as a forum, a platform that
has an international mandate to address the situation of Nagorno-Karabakh,” said
the ambassador. “We will continue to look for ways to use that forum. We will
also work bilaterally with the parties in the region.”
Armenia - CIA Director William Burns and U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy at a
meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, Yerevan, July 15, 2022. Washington, she went on, is coordinating its Karabakh peace efforts with the
European Union, whose top official, Charles Michel, has hosted three meetings of
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev
in Brussels since December. U.S. Secretary of State Blinken spoke with Aliyev and Pashinian by phone on
Monday. He tweeted afterwards that he sees a “historic opportunity to achieve
peace in the region.”
According to a U.S. State Department spokesman, Blinken told the two leaders
that the U.S. government is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan restore
cross-border transport links. “Some of what we are exploring with the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan is
some technical support, some technical assessments that are ultimately aimed at
unblocking regional transportation connections,” explained Tracy. She did not
elaborate. The Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh
commits Armenia to opening rail and road links between Azerbaijan and its
Nakhichevan exclave. Aliyev has claimed that it calls for an exterritorial land
corridor that would pass through Syunik, a strategic Armenian province that also
borders Iran. He has threatened to take military action to open the corridor. Armenia has rejected Aliyev’s demands, saying that it must retain full control
over all transit links on its territory. Armenia - A cargo terminal at a border crossing with Iran, November 29, 2018. (Photo by the State Revenue Committee of Armenia)
Iran has likewise signaled strong opposition to the idea of the “Zangezur
corridor” advanced by Azerbaijan as well as Turkey. Its supreme leader,
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned last week that Tehran “will not tolerate”
attempts to block the Armenian-Iranian border. “Because of its location Syunik has been a very strong and appropriate focus of
concern for its security,” Tracy said in this regard. “But at the same time I
would just note, based on a number of trips that I’ve made, that I also see
positive things happening there.”
The diplomat pointed to socioeconomic development projects implemented in Syunik
by the Armenian government and the provincial administration. Asked how the U.S. would react to a possible attack on Syunik, Tracy said: “I
don’t want to get into hypotheticals or speculate. I think this is why we are so
focused on the diplomatic track and maintaining these direct conversations of
encouraging progress on a number of fronts: peace negotiations, the
[Armenian-Azerbaijani] border commission, unblocking regional transportation
linkages. That is, I think, one of the best safeguards for the security of all
in the region."
The USA is discussing with Armenia and Azerbaijan the issue of de-blocking the region
the possibility of providing technical support
July 26, 2022
• Heghine Buniatyan
The USA is discussing with Armenia and Azerbaijan the issue of de-blocking the region
the opportunity to provide technical support, given to "Azat".
United States Ambassador to Armenia Lynn Tracy stated in an interview.
"Freedom". - Yesterday it was announced that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken
had telephone conversations with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan and, like himself
wrote on Twitter, "an incident resulting from bilateral negotiations
the positive momentum." Վերջին 30 տարիներին մենք տարածաշրջանում դրական տեղաշարժերի մասին
we have heard many times, but the situation on the ground is not positive
to change. Is there any reason to believe we'll have a different outcome this time?
Lynn Tracy. - I think you are right when you focus, Secretary of State
On Blinken's phone call. It was a very warm telephone conversation. The Secretary of State emphasized
is his perception, and I think that's the perception of the United States, that we
we have a historic opportunity to make progress, very long lasting in the region
in the direction of achieving a stable and comprehensive peaceful settlement of the conflict. That
does not mean that it will be easy. You are right about looking back
to a lot of hard work and subsequent disappointments. I think they are
are caveats we should heed. But at the same time
we see no alternative but to pursue and support Armenia and
Azerbaijan's efforts to directly negotiate and try to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict
regulation. And we're going to stay focused on that.
There is a lot of diplomatic involvement, and not just from the United States.
Our partners in the European Union are also involved, as well as others. And
I think it's very helpful to keep this momentum going, and to understand that
these are complex issues and the solutions will not be easy. But we must persevere.
"Freedom". - The State Secretary during the conversation with the Prime Minister of Armenia
offered United States support in the region for transportation and
in facilitating communication links. Can you elaborate on what the help is?
suggests Washington. Can we expect more involvement from the US?
as we see with the EU or Russia participating
trilateral meetings.
Lynn Tracy. - What we discuss about Armenia and Azerbaijan
with governments, some technical assistance is some technical
estimates that will contribute to transport links in the region
unblocking. We attach great importance to that goal. I should mention that the other topic to which
referred to by the Secretary of State, it was related to Turkey and Armenia
the regulation of relations. That direction is also very important to us
consider. We welcome the steps that Armenia has taken so far
Turkey, and we call on both sides to make progress. Because we are
we see that many of these questions are ultimately interrelated and as we see
positive steps in one direction, it can build momentum to achieve
broader peace in the region.
"Freedom". - Referring to Armenian-Turkish relations, both sides
and agreed to go ahead without preconditions, however, Ankara
continues to connect the process with Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. This
Do you consider reconciliation realistic under the circumstances?
Lynn Tracy. - I think we should continue to test the proposals and
engagements, let's try the areas that were highlighted in Armenia and
by Turkey. We have also seen good negotiations with special envoys
level, as a result of which some agreements were reached
regarding the opening of border points. We have seen some agreement
regarding direct shipments. Details to be worked out and I think
that is where we will continue to encourage both Armenia and Turkey
make progress and see that progress here can ultimately be positive
to contribute to Armenian-Azerbaijani discussions.
The full version of the interview will be published tomorrow, July 27.
[see video]
Erdogan Links Turkey-Armenia Normalization To Azerbaijan
• Artak Khulian
TURKEY - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the signing ceremony of:
an agreement to unblock grain exports from Ukraine, Istanbul, July 22, 2022. Echoing a statement by his foreign minister, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan has linked the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations to Armenia
accepting Azerbaijan's key demands. “Azerbaijan has been our red line right from the beginning,” Erdogan told
Turkish media on Monday. “We have said that we will open our doors [to Armenia]
after problems with Azerbaijan are solved.”
“I am glad that [Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinian shares our view on regional
peace and partnership,” he said. “We now expect that apart from making
statements Yerevan will take concrete steps in the settlement process.”
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu likewise demanded such steps last week
when he commented on prospects for normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations. He
said Yerevan should specifically negotiate a peace accord sought by Baku and
open a land corridor to Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave. Pashinian, his political allies and members of his government say they want an
unconditional opening of the Turkish-Armenian border and establishment of
diplomatic relations between the two neighboring states. Their political
opponents claim that Pashinian is ready to make sweeping concessions to both
Ankara and Baku. Erdogan and Cavusoglu reaffirmed the Turkish preconditions for normalizing ties
with Armenia after four rounds of negotiations held by Turkish and Armenian
envoys this year. During their last meeting held in Vienna on July 1, the two sides agreed to open
the Turkish-Armenian border to citizens of third countries and to allow mutual
cargo shipments by air. The Turkish and Armenian foreign ministries said this
will be done “at the earliest date possible.” But they set no concrete time
frames. The Turkish envoy, Serdar Kilic, reportedly, visited and inspected over the
weekend a Turkish checkpoint on the Armenian border. Eduard Aghajanian, a senior Armenian lawmaker from Pashinian’s Civil Contract
party, on Tuesday described Kilic’s trip as “good news.” “This is welcome and
shows that [Turkish-Armenian] arrangements are already entering a practical
stage,” he said. Aghajanian said late last week that Cavusoglu’s latest statement on
Turkish-Armenian relations should not be seen as preconditions. Another Armenia-Azerbaijan Summit Planned
• Naira Nalbandian
Belgium - European Council President Charles Michel, Armenian Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev begin a trilateral
meeting in Brussels, April 6, 2022. Preparations are underway for another meeting of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, a senior Armenian
parliamentarian said on Tuesday. “As far as I know, negotiations are in progress on another meeting of the
leaders of the two countries, which should take place some time later,” Eduard
Aghajanian, the chairman of the parliament committee on foreign relations, told
reporters. “I can’t give any concrete dates [for the meeting.]”
“There is quite a bit of activity on the diplomatic front,” added Aghajanian. Aliyev and Pashinian met twice in Brussels this spring for talks hosted by
European Council President Charles Michel. The latter said in May that they
agreed to meet in the Belgian capital again in July or August. Michel phoned Aliyev on July 4 to discuss “all issues on the Brussels agenda for
the Azerbaijan-Armenia dialogue.” He said the European Union will continue to
mediate peace talks between the two conflicting sides. Russia has denounced the EU’s mediation efforts, saying that they are part of
the West’s attempts to hijack Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks and use the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the standoff over Ukraine. Incidentally, Pashinian
spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on July 6. Both Aliyev and Pashinian held phone calls with U.S. Secretary of State Antony
Blinken late on Monday. The U.S. State Department spokesman, Ned Price, said
Blinken “encouraged” Baku and Yerevan to continue their dialogue and reaffirmed
U.S. support for their “productive EU-brokered discussions.”
He also reiterated that the United States “stands ready to engage bilaterally
and with likeminded partners to help Armenia and Azerbaijan find a long-term
comprehensive peace,” added Price. Blinken Talks To Armenian, Azeri Leaders
US - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gathers papers after a Senate Foreign
Relations Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on April 26, 2022. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke of a “historic opportunity to
achieve peace in the region” after holding separate phone calls with the leaders
of Armenia and Azerbaijan on Monday. “I commend the positive momentum resulting from bilateral talks and urge further
progress towards peace and stability in the region,” Blinken said in a tweet on
his conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. He also wrote: “Good discussion with [Prime Minister] Nikol Pashinian on
Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s historic opportunity to achieve peace in the region. I commend Armenia on its positive steps forward with Azerbaijan [and] Turkey.”
According to the official Armenian readout of the call, Pashinian “reaffirmed
his commitment to the peace agenda,” while Blinken expressed Washington’s
readiness to assist in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the
opening of Armenian-Azerbaijani transport links and the release of Armenian
prisoners of war remaining in Azerbaijan. Blinken was quick to welcome unmediated talks held by the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Tbilisi on July 16. The ministers reported no
concrete agreements after the talks. They both spoke with U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State Karen Donfried by phone on July 17. In what may have been a related development, CIA Director William Burns made a
surprise visit to Yerevan on July 15. Pashinian’s press office said he discussed
with Burns “processes taking place in the South Caucasus.” Washington has not
commented on the purpose of the visit. Earlier in July, Pashinian phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss
the implementation of Armenian-Azerbaijani agreements brokered by Moscow. The
Kremlin said they focused on “ensuring security on the Armenian-Azerbaijani
border” and “restoring economic, transport and logistics ties in the South
Caucasus.”
The United States, Russia and France have for decades jointly tried to broker an
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace accord in their capacity as the co-chairs of the
Minsk Group. Moscow says Washington and Paris stopped working with it in that
format following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Visiting Yerevan last month, Donfried insisted that the Minsk Group remains a
“very important format” for Washington. The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed
Donfried’s assurances. Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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