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 marks anniversary of Second Nagorno-Karabakh War

October 2, 2021October 2, 2021 Emil Lazarian

Sept 27 2021

27 September 2021

ByAni Avetisyan

Nikol Pashinyan at Yereblur military cemetery. Photo via Armtimes.

Russian peacekeepers ensure safe harvesting of more than 500 tons of grapes in Artsakh

October 2, 2021March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

Panorama, Armenia

Sept 27 2021

The servicemen of the Russian peacekeeping contingent ensured the safe collection of more than 500 tons of grapes on 5 plantations from an area of 27 hectares located near the demarcation line in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

Harvesting in the presence of Russian peacekeepers has taken place for more than a month on plantations near the settlements of Chartar, Machkalashen, Amaras of the Martuni district and in the village of Khramort of the Askeran district.

Earlier, the winemakers of Nagorno-Karabakh handed over part of their first harvest to the children at the boarding school in Stepanakert, where the peacekeepers also ensured the safety of workers on the plantations during the grape harvest.

In the spring of this year, Russian sappers cleared the area of explosive objects, ensuring safe care of the vineyards, as well as picking berries on time.

Since November 23, 2020, 2,298 hectares of territory, 683 km of roads, 1,937 buildings have been cleared of unexploded ordnance, 26,032 explosive objects have been detected and neutralized.

7 COVID-19 hospitals in Armenia receive modern X-ray equipment

October 2, 2021March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

World Health

Organization

Sept 27 2021

27-09-2021

WHO / Lusine Ghukasyan

WHO, with funding from the European Union, has supplied X-ray equipment to 7 COVID-19 frontline hospitals – 1 in the capital Yerevan and in 6 other cities in Armenia. The new X-ray units facilitate monitoring of a patient’s progress and improve clinical decision-making. They are invaluable to COVID-19 hospitals which see hundreds of patients daily.

While traditional film X-rays continue to be effective in establishing a diagnosis, digital X-rays allow for images to be manipulated, providing better quality and definition. This allows for precise and fast diagnostics in hospitals. Stella Karapetyan, a radiologist at Martuni Medical Center, which has already started using the new X-ray equipment, says efficiency there has increased.

“During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had 120–150 patients daily,” she says. “The improved quality of images from the new X-ray equipment makes diagnosis quicker. Fewer retakes are needed, which reduces exposure to radiation and improves both patient and healthcare worker safety.”

WHO/Europe, in collaboration with the Armenian Ministry of Health, assessed and evaluated hospitals in preparation for the installation of the new X-ray equipment. WHO advised on the development of plans and technical specifications for the radiology rooms where the X-ray units would be located. These specifications included the need for large and well-ventilated waiting areas, which are crucial for preventing and controlling infection.

Claudio Meirovich, an expert on medical devices at WHO/Europe, visited the hospitals to check that the sites met requirements and international standards for installing the X-ray units. “WHO has developed guidelines and recommendations to assist countries to get the best value for their investments in medical equipment,” he says. “It is not just about technical specifications; it is also about compliance with standards of quality and about having trained staff to maintain the equipment. It’s about making sure that the rooms in the hospitals where the equipment will be installed are safe for workers and patients.”

Oleg Storozhenko, WHO Representative in Armenia, said the EU and WHO/Europe had joined efforts to help make Armenia’s health sector strong and resilient. “The hospital equipment we have procured will not only help patients with COVID-19 but will also assist in expanding the health system’s capacity to respond to future health emergencies,” he noted.

Why the European Union is failing to build peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia

October 2, 2021March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

The Parliament Magazine, EU

Sept 28 2021

Although steps have been taken to find lasting peace in the South Caucasus region, more can be done by the EU to support its eastern partners, argues Parviz Yarmammad.

What did happen?

Exactly one year ago, the second Nagorno-Karabakh war erupted when Armenian attacks on Azerbaijani villages intensified. In 44 days, Azerbaijani forces rapidly liberated most of the land that was invaded by Armenia in the 90s. These areas comprised the former Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region and seven adjacent districts (Herbst, 2020). The invasion caused around a million Azerbaijanis to live as internally displaced persons (IDPs) for almost 30 years (Babayev, Schoch, & Spanger, 2020, pp. 279-280).

On the 10th of November, a trilateral ceasefire agreement brokered by Russian President Vladimir Putin was signed, which provisioned deployment of Russian peacekeepers within parts of the former Upper-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, an area settled by ethnic Armenians (Aydabirian, Libaridian, & Papazian, 2021, pp. 18-24). In additional to the liberated regions, Armenia agreed to withdraw its military forces from occupied territories while Azerbaijan let Armenia use the road connecting the Republic of Armenia to Karabakh.

The agreement covered the resettlement of Azerbaijani IDPs to liberated territories as well as to areas under peacekeepers’ control. It also required Armenia to open a road through its territories to connect the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan with the rest of Azerbaijan (President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 2020).

However, today, Azerbaijanis have not yet been able to return to their homeland due to Armenian planted mines (Kuzio, 2021), and Armenia still insists on not providing a corridor for Azerbaijan through its territories (Yevgrashina, 2021).

Why the South Caucasus?

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are partners of the European Union within the Eastern Partnership framework. Additionally, the South Caucasus region is an important region for the Union due to the region’s geopolitics. The region is under the active political and economic influence of Russia, Turkey, Iran, and even sometimes China. It is therefore not politically desirable for the EU to have Eastern Partners come under the influence of the Union’s ideological rivals. Moreover, the South Caucasus has important transport linkages between Asia and Europe. Similarly important, the South Caucasus, particularly Azerbaijan, is crucial for the Union’s drive to diversify energy sources and decrease Russian influence in the EU energy market (Borrell, 2021).

“If the European Union wants to be more active in peacebuilding, the implementation of concrete socio-economic projects with the mutual participation of Azerbaijan and Armenia is vital for peaceful interaction of the two nations”

Prospective Steps by the European Union

From the EU side, in July, High Representative Josep Borrell stated the Union’s readiness to build peace and several EU Foreign Ministers subsequently visited the region (Borrell, 2021). On the other hand, European Council President Charles Michel, in his interactions with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, expressed the EU’s willingness to contribute to the peace process. Charles Michel always emphasised the need for confidence-building between the sides. Indeed, facilitating the exchange of Armenian detainees with mine maps on June 12 and the visit paid by Michel to Azerbaijan and Armenia were remarkable steps by the EU (Muradov & Rzayev, 2021).

However, before building confidence between conflicting sides, the EU itself needs to gain the trust of both parties. For example, in July, the European Union allocated €2.6bn to Armenia, whereas Azerbaijan got only €140m (BBC News, 2021), (Mejlumyan, 2021). However, Azerbaijan suffered more than Armenia during the war; Azerbaijani cities were bombed, while cities that were invaded were left completely demolished and mined (QC, Becker, & Kern, 2021, pp. 34-44), (BBC News, 2021). Conversely, none of this happened to Armenia. In order to maintain the return of IDPs and the reconstruction of the cities, Azerbaijan needs more financial support from the European Union. The unequal distribution of resources brings the impartiality of the EU into question.

“We, as an Azerbaijani community in Europe, expect the European Union to take active steps for peace and stability in the region”

Furthermore, if the European Union wants to be more active in peacebuilding, the implementation of concrete socio-economic projects with the mutual participation of Azerbaijan and Armenia is vital for peaceful interaction of the two nations. Considering the limitations of the EU’s political engagement, the projects could be implemented within the Eastern Partnership framework. Unfortunately, so far, there have not yet been any such concrete steps.

Moreover, maintaining face-to-face interaction through the European Parliament could be helpful in boosting the peacebuilding process. The European Parliament’s dialogue and mediation were successful in the Georgian crisis (Paul & Maisuradze, 2021). In the Karabakh case, instead of releasing biased one-sided resolutions (European Parliament, 2021), the Parliament is able to push political leaders for more dialogue and concrete action alongside building bridges between Azerbaijani and Armenian parliament members.

We, as an Azerbaijani community in Europe, expect the European Union to take active steps for peace and stability in the region. We hope no war will take place again and the winning side will always be the people of the region.

Bibliography

Aydabirian, R., Libaridian, J., & Papazian, T. (2021). A White Paper: The Karabakh War of 2020 and Armenia’s Future Foreign and Security Policies.

Babayev, A., Schoch, B., & Spanger, H.-J. (2020). The Nagorno Karabakh deadlock: Insights from successful confict. Frankfurt: Springer VS. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-25199-4

BBC News. (2021, July 22). BBC News Azerbaijani. Retrieved from Aİ yardımı Ermənistanı çətin “Qarabağ seçimi” qarşısında qoyur?: class=”gmail-MsoBibliography” st1yle=”margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75em;,sans-serif”>Borrell, J. (2021, July 2). European Union External Action Service. Retrieved from Why we need more EU engagement in the South Caucasus: class=”gmail-MsoBibliography” st1yle=”margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75em;,sans-serif”>EU Neighbours East. (2021, June 3). EU Neighbours East. Retrieved from European Union calls Armenia and Azerbaijan to engage in renewed negotiations: class=”gmail-MsoBibliography” st1yle=”margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75em;,sans-serif”>European Parliament. (2021, May 20). Press Releases. Retrieved from Human rights: Chad, Haiti and Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan: class=”gmail-MsoBibliography” st1yle=”margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75em;,sans-serif”>Herbst, J. E. (2020, November 10). Atlantic Council. Retrieved from Putin gains and loses from Armenia-Azerbaijan ceasefire deal: class=”gmail-MsoBibliography” st1yle=”margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75em;,sans-serif”>Kuzio, T. (2021, April 16). New Eastern Europe. Retrieved from Mines, Karabakh and Armenia’s crisis: class=”gmail-MsoBibliography” st1yle=”margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75em;,sans-serif”>Mejlumyan, A. (2021, July 15). Eurasianet. Retrieved from Armenia gets aid boost from EU: class=”gmail-MsoBibliography” st1yle=”margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75em;,sans-serif”>Muradov, M., & Rzayev, A. (2021, June 13). Topchubashov Center. Retrieved from The 12 June Armenian-Azerbaijani deal: larger implications: class=”gmail-MsoBibliography” st1yle=”margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75em;,sans-serif”>Paul, A., & Maisuradze, I. (2021, April 30). European Policy Center (EPC). Retrieved from Georgia’s road ahead: Time for the EU to show some tough love: class=”gmail-MsoBibliography” st1yle=”margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75em;,sans-serif”>President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. (2020, November 10). Retrieved from Statement by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and President of the Russian Federation: class=”gmail-MsoBibliography” st1yle=”margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75em;,sans-serif”>QC, S. K., Becker, D., & Kern, J. (2021). Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Targeting of Civilians in Azerbaijan September-November 2020: An Interim Report. London: 9 Bedford Row.

Yevgrashina, L. (2021, September 23). The Tribune. Retrieved from Rapid breakthrough unlikely in deadlock on Armenia-Azerbaijan transit routes: https://www.thetribune.com/rapid-breakthrough-unlikely-in-deadlock-on-armenia-azerbaijan-transit-routes/

This article reflects the views of the author and not the views of The Parliament Magazine or of the Dods Group

PACE to discuss humanitarian consequences of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict

October 2, 2021March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

18:00, 27 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. The autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which will take place on September 27-30, kicks off in Strasbourg, ARMENPRESS reports, citing the official website of the PACE, on the first day of the session the report prepared by Paul Gavan, a delegate from Ireland, themed ‘’The humanitarian consequences the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan’’, will be discussed.

According to the draft report, the Parliamentary Assembly regrets the tragic humanitarian consequences of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. It is mentioned that the conflict had two major outbreaks, one of which lasted from 1991 to 1994, and the second was the Six-Week War of 2020.

“During the last six-week war, more than 3,900 Armenians, more than 2,900 Azeris, were killed or missed in action, as well as many civilians were killed. More than 91,000 Armenians and 84,000 Azeris have been displaced,” the draft report said.

The rapporteur, Paul Gavan, also made recommendations to Armenia and Azerbaijan on the steps that could help overcome the humanitarian consequences of the war in the short and long term period, and advance the peace and reconciliation process. According to the rapporteur, the international community, including the Council of Europe, is ready to help both countries.

And in the draft resolution the Parliamentary Assembly reminds that by joining the Council of Europe in January 2001, Armenia and Azerbaijan pledged to use exclusively peaceful means to resolve the conflict. Therefore, the Six-Week War of 2020 is a violation of those commitments, which must be properly addressed by the Council of Europe.

Deputy PM Suren Papikyan visits “Nubarashen” penitentiary institution

October 2, 2021March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

Deputy PM Suren Papikyan visits “Nubarashen” penitentiary institution

19:42, 27 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Suren Papikyan visited “Nubarashen” penitentiary institution on September 27. The Deputy PM was accompanied by Justice Minister of Armenia Karen Andreasyan, Head of the Penitentiary Service of the Justice Ministry Sergey Atomyan and MP representing the ‘’Civil Contract’’ Party Trdat Sargsyan, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Offic eof teh Deputy Prime Minister.

The Deputy Prime Minister toured the administrative area of “Nubarashen” penitentiary, got acquainted with the place and conditions of the convicts’ detention.

He visited the canteen, got acquainted with the menu of the day, as well as got acquainted with the visiting rooms for convicts. Suren Papikyan toured the infrastructure of the penitentiary institution, got acquainted with the building conditions, property and territorial capacities.

During the tour, the possibility of building a new penitentiary institution was discussed, the issues of improving the living conditions and improving the quality of food were touched upon.

Embassy of Argentina in Armenia launches creation of chamber of commerce in Yerevan

October 2, 2021March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

10:13, 28 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Embassy of Argentina in Armenia is launching the project of creating the first Argentine Chamber of Commerce in Yerevan.

The new chamber’s goal is to become a new business platform offering important toolkit for trade promotion, contribute to business development and creation of favorable environment for new investment and trade flows, the embassy said.

Ambassador of Argentina to Armenia Mariano Vergara said the chamber will initially be based on a virtual application, which will connect in real-time Argentine and Armenian companies and entrepreneurs. This new commercial tool will be at the disposal of the Armenian authorities, marking the 30th anniversary of Armenia’s independence. Special attention will be drawn on many young Argentine specialists who come to Armenia and seek to get integrated into the labor market. “Converse Bank is our partner in this initiative, we expect that the bank will have active participation and role also in the work of the Armenian-Argentine Chamber of Commerce,” the ambassador said.

Albeit the modest trade turnover between Armenia and Argentina, there is big potential to enhance it and subsequently contribute to the development of various branches of the economy. For at least a decade, Argentina was among the five top investment flow countries in Armenia, mostly through the Argentine-Armenian community, and to this day Argentina has a leading place in Armenia’s foreign investments.

“The 1992 establishment of diplomatic relations between Argentina and Armenia was the reflection of the high level political dialogue and successful cooperation between our friendly countries. The significant Armenian Diaspora of Argentina, which is fully involved in Argentina’s society since its formation, also has its invaluable contribution in the development of bilateral relations,” the embassy said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

First Pediatric Palliative Care Center of Armenia opened in Yerevan

October 2, 2021March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

14:57, 28 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The first Pediatric Palliative Care Clinic in Armenia was opened today at the R. Yolyan Center of Hematology in Yerevan.

The clinic was initiated and funded by the City of Smile Charitable Foundation.

R. Yolyan Center of Hematology Director Samvel Danielyan said that they needed the clinic for decades.

“When the patient was staying in the department with 30 other patients it was difficult to organize palliative care, while home treatment was complicating the issue even more because of other children living in the home. Now, the Pediatric Palliative Care Clinic is opening, and it is very important for us,” he said.

Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the President of the Board of Trustees of City of Smile and Prelate of the Diocese of Tavush of the Armenian Apostolic Church, thanked everyone who participated in the creation of the clinic. He described the clinic as a “pain management center”, which will be a big support for cancer patients.

City of Smile Executive Director Esther Demirchyan spoke about the importance of the clinic, noting: “We were impatiently waiting for the opening, but due to some circumstances, namely the coronavirus and the 2020 Artsakh war, the opening was delayed. By cooperating with one of the leading clinics of the world and seeing their palliative care center we realized that we really needed to have such a center in Armenia as well.”

Healthcare Minister Anahit Avanesyan was also in attendance of the inauguration. “There are cases when even the best doctors are powerless to do anything. What matters is that all children and adults be surrounded with care and their loved ones until the end. Having this kind of a center is extremely important,” she said.

Bishop Galstanyan then delivered a prayer.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 28-09-21

October 2, 2021October 2, 2021 Emil Lazarian

17:26, 28 September, 2021

YEREVAN, 28 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 28 September, USD exchange rate up by 1.32 drams to 482.61 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.62 drams to 563.54 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.01 drams to 6.64 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.84 drams to 658.33 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 206.02 drams to 27235.71 drams. Silver price down by 0.67 drams to 349.97 drams. Platinum price up by 304.90 drams to 15299.04 drams.

Analysts criticize Armenian authorities’ passivity on anniversary of start of last autumn war

October 2, 2021March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

Caucasian Knot, EU

Sept 27 2021

Apart from the “Minute of Silence” in memory of those who perished during the 2020 autumn aggravation of the Karabakh conflict, Armenian authorities have planned no other events on the anniversary of the outbreak of hostilities. According to the analysts interviewed by the “Caucasian Knot”, the absence of authorities’ attention to this issue is due to the fact that they have no Nagorno-Karabakh point on their agenda.

Events dedicated to the first anniversary of the start of the 2020 war should be held because this is the most important event in the history of the Armenian nation. The war took place; and people sacrificed so many victims, Armen Badalyan, a political technologist, told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

However, in his opinion, authorities have failed to schedule any events, because for the ruling power, Nagorno-Karabakh and the Karabakh issue are no longer important factors.

“This is the power that lost the war. As a result of their failed policy, the Armenian people sacrificed thousands of their sons. Naturally, they don’t want to remind once again about their loss, and, in general, about the Artsakh (Karabakh) issue; they do everything to have Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) forgotten,” Mr Badalyan has stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 27, 2021 at 05:15 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

Yerevan residents commemorate victims of Karabakh war with torchlight march, Armenia files complaint against Azerbaijan at UN Court, Armenian rights defenders claim abuse of POWs in Azerbaijan.

Author: Armine Martirosyan; Source: CK correspondent