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

U.S. Embassy in Armenia urges Azerbaijan to release all Armenian prisoners

Emil Lazarian
Panorama
Armenia – April 5 2022

On March 29, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy met with relatives of Armenian servicemen who were captured in 2020 and 2021 – some of whom have received long sentences from Azerbaijani courts, some whose fates are currently unknown, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia said in a statement on Tuesday.

The discussion focused on human rights issues, including the eight point of the November 2020 trilateral ceasefire statement by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia on the exchange of prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons, and dead bodies as well as the Geneva Convention.

“We urge the release of all prisoners as well as increased efforts to obtain information about the fate of missing servicemembers, including from the 1990s, noting the pain of families who do not know their loved ones’ whereabouts or fate,” the statement said.

Analyst: Tuesday’s rally in Yerevan a good chance for component parts of society to start shaping an agenda

Emil Lazarian
Panorama
Armenia – April 5 2022

Armenian political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan, head of the Voskanapat Analytical Center, stresses the need for the formation of political society and new agendas in Armenia.

“Our society is not political. It is highly politicized, but not political. This is a big problem, which brings about many other problems,” he wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.

His comments came ahead of an opposition rally to be held in Yerevan’s Liberty Square on Tuesday evening.

“Let’s speak about today’s rally, for example. People have basically one question: “What is the opposition going to do?” At the same time, this question contains a number of other, mainly rhetorical sub-questions: “Do we have to march through the entire city, gather and listen to speeches, and then go home once again?” This is not good,” Melik-Shahnazaryan said.

The analyst stresses political society itself sets the agenda and then finds the forces to serve that agenda. “There are such attempts in Armenia, of course, but the situation described above really dominates. Even many public figures are driven by this logic, demanding radical action from others instead of proposing political solutions themselves,” he noted.

“Today’s rally in Yerevan is a good chance for the component parts of society to finally start shaping an agenda. We do not need a lot of people in the square, but the presence of elites. Intellectuals should come and, to put it in modern language, hold a casting. We need to see who among the speakers can be trusted with political leadership. And those who aspire to this leadership must, in their turn, avoid slogans and populist statements, trying to offer real and effective ways out of the situation.

“In other words, today we are facing an extremely important problem to form political society, new agendas, and to find leaders who fit these two points. I think the rally planned for tonight could be a good start to solving this problem. I hope it will be the case,” Melik-Shahnazaryan said.

Mourinho campaigning to keep Henrikh Mkhitaryan amid contract talks

Emil Lazarian
Panorama
Armenia – April 5 2022

Coach José Mourinho is campaigning to keep Roma star Henrikh Mkhitaryan amid contract talks, The Cult of Calcio reports.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan decided the contest between Sampdoria and Roma with his fourth goal of the season. Despite past disagreements with José Mourinho, he has continued to serve a key role. However, his contract runs out in June.

The coach invited the parties to reach an agreement in his post-game remarks to Sky: “I want him to stay, and I think the management and the player are on the same page. Mino Raiola is enamored with his clients. If Mkhitaryan wishes to continue playing with Roma, his agent will make it happen.”

According to previous reports, the versatile attacker asks for a two-year contract and to confirm his current salary. Instead, the front office prefers reducing it considering his age. The 33-year-old makes €4M. He penned a short-term deal last summer.

Forecast: Peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will no longer be concluded under the auspices of Russia

Emil Lazarian
ARMINFO
Armenia – April 5 2022
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.Unlike the Tripartite Statement that ended the 44-day war, the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will most likely not be concluded under the  auspices of the Russian Federation. A similar opinion was expressed  to ArmInfo by chief researcher of the Institute of World Economy and  International  Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences,  orientalist Alexey  Malashenko.

On April 6, the head of the Armenian government Nikol Pashinyan will  visit Brussels, where he will meet with head of the European Council  Charles Michel and Ilham Aliyev. It should be noted that on the eve  of his visit, Pashinyan announced his intention to agree with Aliyev  on the start of peace negotiations.

“In this light, I consider it important to emphasize that the EU  peace initiatives in the Armenian-Azerbaijani vector of Western  policy take place in parallel and in undoubted connection with the  Ukrainian vector. And the undoubted absence of a causal link between  them in this case plays absolutely no role in the eyes of the West.  Moscow’s reaction to what is happening is still incomprehensible. It  can be said that the EU initiatives in the Caucasus do not meet with  much opposition from Russia. The latter suggests that a change in the  situation in the South Caucasus without the participation of Russia  against the background of Ukraine is natural and even expected,” he  noticed.

At the same time, Malashenko considers obvious significant  differences in the price of the expected peace for the participants  in this process: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, which, in his  opinion, is of secondary importance for the main moderator of the  peace process – the EU, at best. In the analyst’s opinion, the main  thing for Brussels is its own interest, the desire to gain a foothold  in the South Caucasus, take control of some regional processes and,  of course, achieve all this by weakening the presence and mediation  of Moscow.

“And it is quite natural that, among other things, the EU is  primarily trying to achieve this goal in the region through the  promotion and signing of an agreement on peace between Yerevan and  Baku. And this is against the background of the existence of two  tripartite statements and a commission for their implementation with  the participation of the Russian Federation. And I do not at all rule  out the achievement of specific Pashinyan-Aliyev agreements in the  Charles Michel format, which the OSCE Minsk Group will subsequently  join in, as Armenia wishes,” the Russian analyst summed up.

Rally participants carry large Karabakh flag in central Yerevan

Emil Lazarian
NEWS.am
Armenia – April 5 2022
20:19, 05.04.2022

Protesters, who organized a rally in Freedom Square on Tuesday, headed to France Square, which connects the three main avenues of the capital.

They were carrying a large flag of the Nagorno-Karabakh, stating that they would block the traffic on the aforementioned section. The protesters plan to stand there for an hour.

The UN Security Council will meet on April 5 to discuss Ukraine

Emil Lazarian

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 20:29, 4 April, 2022

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, ARMENPRESS. The United Kingdom intends to hold a meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine on April 5, ARMENPRESS reports the permanent representative of Great Britain in the UN Barbara Woodward said in a video message posted on “Twitter”.

In her video message, she stressed the need to pay special attention to the events in the Ukrainian city of Bucha.

Earlier, journalists and Ukrainian officials said the bodies of 16 people had been found in the town of Bucha, northwest of Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities have blamed the Russian military for killing them.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the video of the Bucha incident is fake.




Russian ally Armenia fears fresh bloodshed on its border

Emil Lazarian
March 28 2022

  • Mar 28 2022 10:49 Gmt+3
  • Last Updated On: Mar 28 2022 10:54 Gmt+3

Armenia is fearing fresh bloodshed on its border with Azerbaijan after armed clashes restarted between the two regional rivals, Newsweek magazine said.

Azeri forces are attacking Armenian soldiers in Nagorno-Karabakh and this was a “clear violation” of a ceasefire signed between Baku and Yerevan in November 2020, following six weeks of clashes over the disputed region, said Hayk Mamijanyan, a deputy of the Armenian parliament.

Azerbaijan is using the situation in Ukraine as “leverage” to renew its offensive and “to take advantage” of Russia’s war there, Mamijanyan told Newsweek on Saturday.

Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, began a successful military offensive against Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2020. The conflict ended in November with a Russia-brokered ceasefire. Azerbaijan regained control of much of the disputed territory controlled by ethnic Armenians since the 1990s.

“The world, most of the international organisations were silent during the 44-day war, and I do hope that, despite the inefficiency of the Armenian government, international organisations, and the world will pay attention to the crimes Azerbaijan is conducting at the moment,” Mamijanyan said.

“This coincidence with the Ukrainian crisis cannot be accidental,” Kristine Vardanyan, another deputy of the Armenian parliament told Newsweek.

Azerbaijan has denied that clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh have restarted.

“The information spread by Armenian sources, regarding the situation that has allegedly been escalating along the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed, does not reflect the reality,” the Azeri Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

No clashes or incidents have occurred, and the situation is “artificially exaggerated by Armenian sources” it said. “There is no reason to worry or panic.”

In a separate statement issued on Saturday, the ministry said that “members of illegal Armenian armed detachments attempted to sabotage the Azerbaijan army units, and as a result of immediate measures, members of illegal Armenian armed detachments were forced to retreat.”

Azerbaijan is committed to the ceasefire agreement and has not violated any of its provisions, the ministry said. “It is Armenia, not Azerbaijan, that violates the provisions,” it said.

OPINION: The Greek Foreign Ministry’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh is not one of friendship

Emil Lazarian

March 28 2022


by GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

The official announcement of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the Azeri attack in Nagorno-Karabakh on March 25, 2022, thus violating the Ceasefire Agreement, while proving their sad attitude towards Armenia which shows cowardice and hypocrisy.

They do not dare utter the name of Azerbaijan as the culprit of this violation, which lets the reader’s imagination choose who they want to hold responsible – the Azeris, the Armenians or the Russians.

It seems as if this announcement was made by force, by people who are afraid of being exposed in the eyes of those responsible, who are none other than the Azeris, who systematically violate this agreement.

Greece as the new Pontius Pilate, tries to keep equal distances, applying the doctrine of neutrality at a time when for Ukraine it took a clear position, without a second thought.

The embarrassing announcement by the Greek Foreign Minister states the following:

“Greece expresses its concern over the latest armed incidents and advance of military units in Nagorno-Karabakh. We call for these acts to cease immediately, units to withdraw to their starting positions & respect the ceasefire agreement of November 9, 2020.”

Let them answer us clearly from the Foreign Minister, who is this unknown actor who is called to return to his original positions?

However, lessons of courage and true friendship were given by the American Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Congress, Mr. Robert Menendez , who made the following statement:

“Reports that Azerbaijani forces have entered parts of Nagorno Karabakh and launched drone strikes on the region’s self-defense forces are extremely concerning. I call on Azerbaijani forces to withdraw back to their initial positions and immediately cease their unprovoked attacks.”

This is masculine behavior. Everything else is for the cowardly, the unfriendly and the cowardly.

Krikor Tsakitzian is a contributor to Politis Press.

Moscow said on Saturday that Azerbaijan violated a ceasefire agreement by entering the Russian peacekeeping mission’s zone in Nagorno-Karabakk.

Although this is not by far the first time Azerbaijan has violated the ceasefire agreement, it is the first time Russia has publicly blamed the country for violating the 2020 deal.

The Russian defence ministry also accused Azerbaijani troops of using Turkish-made drones against the regions defence forces.

“Violating the provisions of a trilateral statement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia from November 9, 2020, Azerbaijan’s armed forces between March 24 and March 25 entered the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh and set up an observation post,” the Russian defence ministry also said in a statement.

“An appeal has been sent to the Azerbaijani side to withdraw its troops.

“The command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is taking measures to resolve the situation.”

For their part, the Russian foreign ministry expressed “extreme concern” over the spiraling tensions in the region.

On Saturday, the Nagorno-Karabakh defence ministry said in a statement that Azerbaijani drones had killed three people and wounded another 15.

“Azerbaijan’s armed forces are continuing to remain in the village of Parukh,” the statement added.

Yerevan called on the international community to prevent attempts aimed at “destabilising the situation in the South Caucasus.”

“We also expect the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh to undertake concrete, visible steps to resolve the situation and prevent new casualties and hostilities,” the Armenian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Yerevan said that the “invasion” of strategically important Parukh “was preceded by constant shelling of Armenian settlements and civilian infrastructure.”

The Armenian foreign ministry said earlier this week that Azerbaijani troops on Thursday moved into the village of Parukh — under control of Russian peacekeepers — in what they said was “a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement.”

AW: Armenia Tree Project preparing for spring

Emil Lazarian
March 26, 2022 Armenia Tree Project Non-Profit 0

ATP Nursery and CTP staff visit The Heroes Rehabilitation City in the village of Proshyan in Kotayk, Armenia

The Community Tree Planting (CTP) team at Armenia Tree Project (ATP) has been evaluating many sites ahead of the planting season which is scheduled to start in a few weeks. As one of ATP’s most visible programs, CTP distributes fruit and decorative trees each year to urban and rural communities throughout Armenia and works with the local population to nurture those trees. 

Each year, ATP adds approximately 50 to 100 new sites to its CTP program. Some locations approach ATP for trees, but most locations are from an ATP initiative to provide trees to border villages or communities that would benefit from the environmental and economic investment of trees. Since the beginning of this program, ATP has planted trees at 1,400 sites throughout Armenia and Artsakh. These trees are grown in ATP’s nurseries in the villages of Karin, Khachpar, Chiva and Margahovit, which provide 53 varieties of indigenous fruit and decorative trees.

ATP and CTP team evaluate six criteria before trees are distributed for planting to ensure the trees are cared for and positioned for long-term survival: human factor, fencing and security, soil composition, water irrigation, community land and climate zone. The team investigates potential sites in every region of Armenia and Artsakh.

Sites are monitored regularly to ensure the highest rates of survival and to provide technical assistance to families or institutions that receive trees. More than 10 million pounds of fruit have been harvested from ATP’s trees to improve food security in rural villages and public institutions.

This spring, approximately 20,000 to 23,000 trees will be distributed. Among the new sites are the Heroes Rehabilitation City in the village of Proshyan in Kotayk region and the Great Light CEF Camp Center near Lake Sevan, Gegharkunik region.

The Heroes Rehabilitation City is currently under construction. Their mission is to provide psychological and social care, as well as offer therapy for the soldiers’ families. Their objective is to rehabilitate soldiers with disabilities (including PTSD) and help re-integrate them into society and promote their independence. 

ATP’s nursery and CTP teams assessed the area and the various features of the landscape, proposing a list of varieties of trees and shrubs. Since the campus of the Heroes Rehabilitation City is still under construction, planting will be over three seasons. This spring, trees will be distributed in containers, and additional trees will be distributed in the fall and next spring. 

The Great Light CEF camp near Sevan Lake serves youth and teens from every region of Armenia, including Artsakh. They also assist displaced Artsakh children living throughout Armenia. The camp offers eight week-long sessions; each session welcomes 45-50 youth and teens. The camp is underwritten by The Christian Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), allowing all the children to attend without charge. 

Children come from all different churches and organizations are welcome. All social groups regardless of financial situation, including children of fallen soldiers, orphans, refugees and domestic violence survivors participate.

Many other institutions and communities will also receive trees this spring. ATP expects to plant a record-breaking 400,000 trees this spring.

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Armenia Tree Project (ATP) is a non-profit program based in Woburn and Yerevan conducting vitally important environmental projects in Armenia’s cities and villages and seeks support in advancing its reforestation mission. Since 1994, ATP has planted and restored more than 6,000,000 trees, and hundreds of jobs have been created for Armenians in seasonal tree-related programs.