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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

Armenia HRD: No room for peace talks as Azerbaijan "not being honest"

Emil Lazarian
March 17 2022
March 17, 2022 – 18:47 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Human Rights Defender Kristinne Grigoryan believes there is no room for peace talks with Azerbaijan at the moment because Baku “is not being honest”, Pastinfo reports.

Grigoryan made the remarks on Thursday, March 17, as Armenia has initiated processes to mend ties with both Azerbaijan and Turkey. 100,000 residents in Karabakh have been deprived of gas for 10 days now, and because the pipeline has been damaged in territories currently under Baku’s control, the Azerbaijani military won’t allow the Armenian side to eliminate the problem.

The Azerbaijan armed forces have also been violating the ceasefire and using loudspeakers to spread panic among the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, attempting to force them to leave their homes.

Grigoryan said she recently visited the Karabakh village of Khramort where residents are facing serious psychological and physical attacks from the Azerbaijani military. According to her, Azerbaijan’s policy of pressure, intimidation and eviction of Armenians is continuous.

The Ombudsperson said she is planning to take a trip to the southern Armenian province of Syunik in early April.

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijan builds 1,500 km of roads in liberated lands

Emil Lazarian
17 March 2022 17:56 (UTC+04:00)
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By Sabina Mammadli

Some 1,500 kilometers of roads have been built in the Azerbaijani territories liberated from Armenian occupation in the 2020 Second Karabakh War.

Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov made the remarks during a plenary session of the parliament’s discussion of the Cabinet of Ministers’ report on activities in 2021.

The most important issue, he said, was reviving Karabakh and creating the conditions for former internally displaced people to return to their homes.

He also described the further improvement of people’s living conditions in other parts of the country as a priority.

Asadov emphasized that a single approach is used in all regions.

Meanwhile, the Azerbaijan Automobile Roads State Agency published the most recent information on road infrastructure projects completed in the economic regions of Karabakh and East Zangazur.

Fuzuli-Hadrut highway

The12km Fuzuli-Hadrut highway falls under the first technical category and contains four lanes on it.

Forty percent of the earthwork, 23 percent of the paving, and 21 percent of the pipe construction is completed. A 300m stretch of the road has been paved with asphalt concrete.

The road project is expected to be completed in 2022.

Hadrut-Tug-Azykh highway

This 22-km highway falls into the fourth technical category. It has two lanes.

The road surface is being milled, the lower layer of asphalt concrete pavement is being laid on a 2.7-km section, and a new road base is being built on an 800-m section.

The road project is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

Barda–Aghdam highway

This 45-km highway falls under the first technical category. It contains four lanes.

Fifty-seven percent of the earthworks, 19 percent of the paving, 45 percent of the pipe construction, and 93 percent of the bridge construction have been completed.

The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

Gubadli–Eyvazli highway

The 28,5-km highway falls under the fourth technical category. There are two lanes on it.

Work on the destruction of rocks and the construction of a subgrade is currently underway. The regulatory expansion of the highway has been completed at the 8th km of the highway.

The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

Gubadli-Mahmudlu-Yazduzu highway

The highway is 26,4 km long and falls under the fourth technical category. There are two lanes on it.

The road planning work is currently underway and is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

Road infrastructure in Kalbajar, Lachin 

The highway is 726, 3 km long and belongs to the fourth technical category. There are two lanes on it.

Earthworks are completed by 83 percent, road construction and paving by 25 percent, pipe laying by 95 percent, and road sign installation by 82 percent.

The road work is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

New road to bypass Lachin

The highway is 32 km long. It falls under the third technical category. It contains three lanes.

Along with the design of the highway, earthworks and the construction of a subgrade and a bridge are being carried out on sections 13-24 km.

The road works are planned to be completed in 2022.

Lachin Airport

The highway is undergoing construction and mobilization. In addition, drilling and blasting operations are underway to clear a 10-hectare area.

The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

Talish–Tapgaragoyunlu–Gashalti–Naftalan highway

The highway is 22 km long and classified as 2-4 technical. There are two lanes on it.

Earthworks on the first 8.5 kilometers and sections 9-22 kilometers of the road have been completed; work on water pipes and pavement is currently underway.

The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

Khudafarin-Gubadli- Lachin highway

The highway is 70,4 kilometers long and falls under the first technical category. There are four lanes on it.

Construction of a subgrade and bridges is underway at 45 km in the direction of Gubadli-Lachin and 14 km in the direction of Khanlig.

Earthworks have been completed in 47 percent of cases, pavement works in 10 percent of cases, pipe laying and underground passage construction in 25 percent of cases, bridge construction in 24 percent of cases, and retaining wall contraction in 22 percent of cases.

Shukurbayli – Jabrayil – Hadrut highway

The highway is 39,7 km long and falls under the first technical category. There are four lanes on it.

Earthworks have been completed in 58 percent of cases, pavement works in 17 percent of cases, pipe laying and underground passageway construction in 64 percent of cases, and bridge construction in 56 percent of cases.

The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2023.

Aghdam–Fuzuli highway

The highway is 64,8 km long, it falls under the first technical category. It contains four lanes.

Earthworks are 3 percent complete, and projecting is also underway.

The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2023.

Ahmadbayli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway

The highway is 81,6 km long, it falls under the first technical category. It contains four-six lanes.

Construction of a subgrade, as well as eight bridges, six tunnels, and five underpasses, is currently underway.

The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2023.

Ahmadbayli-Horadiz-Jabrayil-Zangilan-Aghband new highway

The highway is 123,6 km long, it falls under the first technical category. It contains four lanes.

Earthworks are 50 percent complete, pipe laying and underground passageway construction is 35 percent complete, and bridge construction is 48 percent complete.

The road construction is expected to be finished in 2024.

Kalbajar–Lachin highway

The highway is 72,3 km long and is classified as first and second technical. It has two to three lanes and a 9.8-kilometer tunnel.

Earthworks and mobilization efforts are currently underway. Approximately 2 percent of the work has been completed.

The road construction is scheduled to be completed in 2025.

Toghanali–Kalbajar–Istisu highway

The highway is 80,7 km long and falls into the first and second technical categories. It has two-three lanes.

Tunnel 1 is 6.3 km long and the Murovdag tunnel is 11.6 km long.

Subgrade construction is currently underway, as is the installation of water pipes in the 12-13 km and 26-28 km areas. Work to relocate existing canals has been completed in sections 8.5 – 8.7 and 12.8 – 13.5 km; water pipe laying has been completed in some areas, and canal construction continues in sections 26 – 26.5 km.

Drilling of 1,857 m was completed at the Murovdag tunnel’s entrance and exit. Drilling operations began at the tunnel’s exit.

The project is expected to be completed in 2026.

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijani State Committee protests against European Parliament’s biased resolution

Emil Lazarian
Politics Materials 17 March 2022 17:54

BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 17. The Azerbaijani State Committee on Religious Associations has made a statement protesting against the biased resolution of the European Parliament adopted on March 10, 2022, Trend reports via the committee.

According to the statement, the resolution was prepared under the influence of the Armenian lobby, doesn’t reflect reality, and contains false Armenian statements.

The statement noted that the resolution nothing mentions the true situation connected with the fate of Azerbaijani historical and religious monuments.

So, during the period of Armenian occupation in the territories of Azerbaijan, 65 out of 67 mosques were destroyed (the Aghdam Juma mosque was partially preserved due to the fact that it was used by Armenian armed forces for military purposes, and the Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque in Shusha, after the so-called repair, was presented as a “Persian” mosque ).

The resolution also mentions nothing about the ethnic cleansing and genocide against Azerbaijanis by Armenia, the Armenization of Azerbaijani toponyms, the destruction, along with hundreds of historical and cultural monuments, mosques and other shrines, the desecration of religious values, the facts of the Gregorianization or destruction of Albanian churches, in general, about the vandalism against the religious and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan.

Besides, nearly 900 cemeteries were completely destroyed, tombstones were broken, and graves were excavated with the desecration of the remains. Azerbaijani citizens were deprived of the opportunity to visit the graves of their loved ones for 30 years.

The committee’s statement once again highlighted the fact that during the 2020 second Karabakh war, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces didn’t conduct any military operations against civilians, as well as religious facilities, which was repeatedly confirmed by foreign journalists.

“Following the second Karabakh war, the Azerbaijani government announced its intention to restore all religious monuments destroyed by the Armenian Armed Forces in the territories liberated from Armenian occupation during the war, and this process is already being carried out as part of the socio-economic development of these territories on the basis of the “Great Return” program,” the statement said.

Besides, according to the committee’s statement, the Azerbaijani side has repeatedly stated that the protection of historical and religious monuments in the territory of Azerbaijan, including the liberated lands, is the responsibility of the Azerbaijani state.

The statement further said that the ongoing restoration of two churches, along with mosques, in Shusha, is a clear indicator of Azerbaijan’s respectful attitude towards other cultures and religions.

“Azerbaijan, unlike Armenia, doesn’t discriminate against historical and cultural heritage on religious and ethnic grounds and is committed to its obligations under international conventions, including the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in Time of Armed Conflict,” the statement emphasized. “However, the Armenian side violates, along with this Convention, the requirements of the “International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”, the European Convention of 1992 “On the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage” and other international documents.”

The statement also reminded that following the video meeting held on February 4, 2022, with the participation of the President of Azerbaijan, the President of France as the chairmanship of this country in the EU, President of the Council of the EU and the Prime Minister of Armenia, an agreement was reached to send a UNESCO mission to Azerbaijan and Armenia.

According to the statement, the above agreement is a confirmation of the need to study the state of the cultural heritage belonging to the Azerbaijani people on the territory of Armenia.

In conclusion, the committee’s statement expressed regret that the resolution of the European Parliament didn’t mention all the facts.

Armenpress: 5.9 magnitude earthquake rocks southern Iran

Emil Lazarian

5.9 magnitude earthquake rocks southern Iran

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 09:23, 17 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. A magnitude 5.9 earthquake rocked southern Iran on Thursday, TASS reports citing the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).

The quake’s epicenter was located at a depth of ten kilometers some 166 kilometers northwest of the city of Bandar Abbas with a population of around 352,000.

There have been no reports about casualties and damages.

MEP seriously concerned by current humanitarian situation in Artsakh

Emil Lazarian

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 10:37, 17 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, Member of the European Parliament, Marina Kaljurand, has expressed her concerns about the current humanitarian situation in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

In a statement she called for the speedy resumption of negotiations on a lasting conflict settlement.

“On 8 March, the natural gas pipeline supplying Nagorno-Karabakh was damaged in an area under the control of Azerbaijan. Despite freezing temperatures, the pipeline has not been repaired yet and the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh has been without gas supplies already for a week. It is urgent that unhindered access is provided to the damage site without delay in order to restore supplies as soon as possible”, she said in a statement.

“At the same time, reports of ceasefire violations have multiplied since early March, along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact, as well as on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including reports of Azerbaijan’s high-calibre mortar shelling of several Nagorno-Karabakh villages. Over the past weeks, Azerbaijani army loudspeakers directed at these villages have been calling on the local Armenian population to leave the area, intensifying the psychological pressure and threatening the use of force.

I am seriously concerned by these developments and the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and strongly condemn any hostile actions aimed at civilians. I reiterate my call for the speedy resumption of negotiations on a lasting conflict settlement and recall the EU’s readiness to step up assistance to build confidence and address humanitarian and other issues”, the MEP said.

Government allocates over 2 bln drams for patrol service launching in Shirak, Lori provinces

Emil Lazarian

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 11:26, 17 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. The government of Armenia allocated 2 billion 35 million drams to the Police for the launch of patrol service in Shirak and Lori provinces.

The money will be used for acquiring 140 vehicles, as well as administrative equipment.

At the Cabinet meeting today, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the launch of the new patrol service in Shirak and Lori provinces is a very important reform for the government.

“The new patrol service is operating in Yerevan from July of the last year, and we need to record that the results of the activity of the patrol police are satisfying. I want to note that democracy is the most important brand of Armenia’s external image, and we, in fact, are building a police that meets the democracy standards”, the PM said.

PM says current rate of COVID-19 vaccinations is not satisfying

Emil Lazarian

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 13:00, 17 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan says the current level of the COVID-19 vaccination rate is not satisfactory.

During the Cabinet meeting today, the PM said it is necessary to fully get vaccinated for the sake of public health.

The PM reminded that today is already the third session of the Cabinet they are not wearing face masks.

“It depends on the fact that the coronavirus situation in Armenia is quite good today, three weeks ago we noticed a declining trend in new cases and predicted that we were going to have a declining numbers”, he said.

However, Pashinyan noted that if the vaccination process is not properly organized, at some point they will have to return to the face mask mandate.

“If, God forbid, there is a worse course, we will move to stricter regimes, therefore, my call, request is that the vaccinations continue in a proper way, as the current level is not satisfactory”, he said.

Ex-ombudsman: There are four Azerbaijani incursions into Armenian territory

Emil Lazarian
Panorama.am 
Armenia –

At this point, there are four not three incursions of the Azerbaijani troops into sovereign Armenian territory, Armenia’s former Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan said on Thursday.

“At the moment, there are 4 not 3 incursions of Azerbaijani servicemen into the territory of Armenia:

1. Nerkin Hand village of Syunik Province – 2022. March.

2. Vardenis community of Gegharkunik Province (Kut, Verin Shorzha and a number of other villages, the area near Ishkhanasar) – 2021 May.

3. Goris community of Syunik Province (Black Lake area; near Akner and Verishen villages) – 2021 May.

4. Border section near Tsav village of Syunik Province – 2020 October,” he wrote on Facebook, sharing several photos.

Tatoyan also pointed to the unlawful presence of the Azerbaijani military on the Goris-Kapan and Kapan-Chakaten roads since late 2020 as well as illegal blockades of those roads since November 2021.

“We must remember that in the vicinity of Armenia’s villages, the Azerbaijani servicemen are still present in houses and lands owned by citizens and communities since 2020 November; often with Soviet era legal documents,” he said.

“Along with this, the Azerbaijani authorities continue their policy of Armenophobia, their policy of hatred and enmity at the highest level, while the Azerbaijani military made the normal lives of our border residents impossible through their presence and criminal acts,” Tatoyan noted.

Turkish press: Obliged to bring peace in Black Sea region, says head of regional body

Emil Lazarian
Büşra Nur Çakmak   |18.03.2022

Asaf Hajiyev, the secretary-general of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation

ANTALYA, Turkiye 

We are obliged to bring peace, prosperity and cooperation to the Black Sea region, said the head of a regional organization. 

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum which concluded last week, Asaf Hajiyev, the secretary-general of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC), said the most important resource of the Black Sea region are the people who live there.

“Black Sea is important for the world because it can be considered as a bridge between Asia and Europe. At the same time the region is very rich in energy sources,” said Hajiyev.

“But the most important value of the region is not its geographical position or its resources. In fact, the most important value of the region, is the people who live here, different nations, with different traditions, different cultures, and moreover, with different religions,” he added.

“And we are in debt, we are obliged to bring peace, prosperity, and cooperation for the region,” he added amid a war between two PABSEC member states, Russia and Ukraine.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has not only affected those two countries and the PABSEC, but also the region and the world, said Hajiyev.

He said parliamentary diplomacy can play a positive role in ending the war and also dealing with its consequences, mainly the refugees.

“Parliamentary organizations, like PABSEC, have some good opportunities to start discussions between MPs,” Hajiyev said.

“As a result of this war, we now have more than 2 million refugees. They have to live a normal life, normal standards. So, it’s necessary to prepare some legislation for refugees to organize for them normal life,” he added.

“Today in the world, (there are) more than 86 million refugees plus 2 million from Ukraine, it’s close to 90 million,” he said.

This means every one in 100 people in the world is a refugee, he added.

But in the Black Sea region, this number is two times higher, he said. Among 50 people there is at least one refugee because the region has a population of 350 million, he added.

Hajiyev called for ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. “It’s very, very dangerous situation in the Black Sea and all countries are trying to help, of course, is a very complicated problem.”

He said: “History shows that confrontation gives nothing to the world.”

“I think the Black Sea, I mean in our region should not divide countries, but it should unite people, unite countries, unite people with different religions, different culture, different nations.”

– Resumption of direct talks between Turkiye and Armenia

Hajiyev said that he is optimistic about the resumption of direct talks between Turkiye and Armenia.

A historic meeting took place Saturday between Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan on the forum’s sidelines. It was the first high-level visit to Turkiye from Armenia after many years.

Cavusoglu told reporters that the meeting was “extremely fruitful and constructive.”

“I guess the new authority and nation in Armenia, at last, understood that it’s necessary to have cooperation. But in this cooperation, Armenia is more interested than Turkiye,” said Hajiyev.

“And I hope that … the new prime minister, the new party, they have to start cooperation with Turkiye. Turkiye is a huge, very important country in the world, and the huge neighbor of Armenia,” Hajiyev said, adding that also establishing relations with Azerbaijan will positively reflect on Armenia and its economy.

“And there are a lot of common things between Armenian and Azerbaijani people because we live in one region, South Caucasus, not big region, small region. And here should be friendship, should be cooperation, should be peace,” he concluded.

Asbarez: Report on Turkey’s Deployment of Jihadists During Artsakh War Completed

Emil Lazarian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Turkey deployed Syrian mercenaries to fight alongside Azerbaijani forces during 2020 Artsakh war

A group of civic organizations has compiled a detained report about the role of mercenaries—jihadists—deployed by Turkey to fight alongside Azerbaijani forces during the 2020 Artsakh War.

The report was proposed by and will be submitted to the United Nations Working Group on use of mercenaries.

According to the Open Society Foundations-Armenia, the report is  based on the evidence a group of human rights activists obtained  during and after the 44-day war.  

“The submitted evidence proves that Syrian mercenaries were hired and  transported to Azerbaijan to fight against Artsakh Armenians and took  part in the hostilities for material gain, which was a violation of  the international humanitarian law. The evidence is incorporated in  the report entitled ‘Human rights violations during the 44-day war,’”  an OSF report reads.

Both Armenian servicemen and civilians, including the elderly who were unable to leave the combat zone, were killed by the mercenaries. 

The NGOs are calling on the relevant U.N. agencies to investigate the facts of hiring and using mercenaries by Azerbaijan and Turkey in  Nagorno-Karabakh and in other conflicts, as well as to apply  sanctions against the Turkish and Azerbaijani officials involved in  hiring and deploying Syrian mercenaries. The NGOs also proposed  submitting the evidence to the International Criminal Court for  holding Azerbaijan and Turkey, as well as other countries,  responsible for using mercenaries. 

The NGOs point out a disturbing fact of the UN Working Group using  Azerbaijan’s false claims in their statements. They stress that by  equating the two parties this and other international agencies  aggravate the atmosphere of impunity and reduce the possibility of  compensations to the victims. 

The report has by prepared by the Open Society Foundations-Armenia,  Helsinki Citizens Assembly- Vanadzor, Protection of Rights Without  Borders, Transparency International, Public Journalism Club,  Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation and For  Equal rights NGOs.