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

Top British official visits Baku to talk "unresolved Armenia-Azerbaijan issues"

Emil Lazarian
PanArmenian
Armenia – March 30 2022
March 30, 2022 – 17:34 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Britain’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey is visiting Baku, in what the local media describes his first trip to Azerbaijan.

Heappey has already held meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov.

According to a report from Trend, “unresolved issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan” and peace processes in the region are on the table.

Azerbaijan has broken into Nagorno-Karabakh, and the incursion has left three Armenian soldiers dead and at least 14 others injured. On March 24, Azerbaijan stormed into the zone of the responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers stationed in the area and is refusing to completely withdraw its forces from strategic heights.

New Caucasian leopard caught on camera in Armenia

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
March 30 2022
March 30, 2022, 10:43

 1 minute read

A new leopard has been identified in camera trap footage by the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) in Armenia’s Caucasus Wildlife Refuge (CWR).

Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife Cultural Assets camera traps captured a male adult leopard which has been compared with the only other male recorded in the area and confirmed as a new individual․ Within the same day, with only about 2 hours’ interval and about 3 kilometers direct airline distance at CWR, Neo (the resident male leopard of this habitat) was been captured by FPWC camera traps as well․

The third individual, Nova, is six kilometers away from the other leopards, again in the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge․ The fact that three different leopards use the same area of the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge almost simultaneously is unprecedented.

“The population of leopards around the world has significantly decreased due to several human factors, in particular, due to cross-border tensions, new borders, and barriers in our region. This species is on the verge of extinction. Since 2011, FPWC has been operating in the area, this is the 6th individual leopard that was filmed through our cameras,” said FPWC Director Ruben Khachatryan, adding that this is evidence of the fact that the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge is an effective conservation measure.

FPWC made it possible to identify this new leopard using trained rangers with upgraded knowledge on tracking leopard trails and locating the best possible place for camera trapping.  It also reveals the urgent need for focused studies on the leopard trails and corridors for understanding the most relevant population estimation as well as threats that leopards can face within these corridors.

FPWC has announced a competition to name a leopard.

The Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) has been operating since 2002. The Foundation is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The key activity of the foundation is the preservation of the unique fauna and flora of Armenia, using the latest technologies and modern models.

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Turkish press: Orthodox Church slams partial takeover of historic hotel in Jerusalem by Israeli settlers

Emil Lazarian
Mahmoud Barakat   |30.03.2022

Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III (C) arrives as Greek Orthodox Church leaders and European diplomats gather to protest takeover of the part of historic Petra Hotel by Jewish settlers under protection of Israeli police, in the old city, East Jerusalem on March 29, 2022. The hotel has been owned by the church and operated by Palestinians. ( Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu Agency )

ANKARA

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has condemned the seizure of a historic hotel in the occupied city by a settlers group.

On Sunday, Israeli police forces and members of Ateret Cohanim group forced their way into the historic Petra Hotel and seized a part of it.

The hotel, which the church says it owns, is usually used by Christian pilgrims as it falls on their pilgrimage route.

The historic hotel is located at the entrance to Bab Al-Khalil (Gate of Hebron), one of the gates of Jerusalem’s Old City, which leads to the Christian and Armenian quarters in the city and to Christian holy sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is considered one of the most sacred religious sites for Christians around the world.

“The seizure of the Little Petra Hotel by the radical extremist group Ateret Cohanim is a threat to the continued existence of a Christian Quarter in Jerusalem,” the patriarchate said in a statement carried by Orthodox Times website.

The patriarchate warned against the repeated illegitimate Israeli actions which “followed a pattern of intimidation, violence, and lawless action to drive Christians and Muslims from the city that we share.”

Ateret Cohanim, a group that works to establish a Jewish majority in Jerusalem’s Old City, claims that it had bought Little Petra hotel.

Israeli courts are still looking into the dispute between the two parties and have not decided on the ownership.

The Israeli move “will lead to instability and tension at a time when all are trying to de-escalate and build trust, to build toward justice and peace,” the patriarchate warned.

“Acts of coercion and violence cannot lead to peace,” it said, demanding a halt of “criminal activities on the Christian pilgrim route and in our beloved Old City.”

Asbarez: ANCA-Glendale Announces Endorsements for June Municipal Elections

Emil Lazarian
 by Contributor

 

 March 30, 2022

 

in Community, Latest, News, Top Stories
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ANCA-Glendale announced endorsements for City Council and GUSD Board races

GLENDALE—After weeks of interviews, discussions, and consultations, the Armenian National Committee of America – Glendale Chapter has completed its comprehensive endorsement of candidates process for the June, 2022 Glendale municipal elections, which include races for City Council, City Clerk and school board.

For the June, 2022, Glendale City Council elections, ANCA – Glendale has endorsed incumbents Ara Najarian and Vrej Agajanian, as well as Elen Asatryan.

“Among an impressive pool of candidates, these three individuals stood out as having the most cohesive, focused, and longest track record of service in the best interests of the entire community of Glendale,” said the Glendale ANCA in its endorsement announcement.

For years, Najarian has been responsive to the voices of all Glendale residents from the City Council dais and ANCA – Glendale is completely confident that he will continue to exemplify this important leadership trait.

Since his first election in 2017, Agajanian has worked hard to nurture his relationship with ANCA – Glendale while working for the interests of our entire community. From our experience partnering with him to expand affordable housing and keeping our city government accessible and transparent, we are certain that Agajanian is the type of leader the City of Glendale needs.

“ANCA – Glendale strongly supports the reelection of both Councilmembers Najarian and Agajanian because they have never failed to be responsive to voices of our community’s stakeholders.” said ANCA – Glendale Chairperson Lucy Petrosian. “Both have shown an impressive dedication to the service of our Jewel City.”

The organization announced its endorsement of Elen Asatryan, who has been a long-time member of the ANCA family. From her time as the Executive Director of ANCA – Western Region to serving local constituents as an elected member of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party – Central Committee, Asatryan has shown what it truly means to work directly towards the betterment of our community.

ANCA – Glendale has Greg Krikorian for the position of Glendale City Clerk. Krikorian has been a tireless servant to the students and parents of our city as a member of the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) Board of Education for over 20 years. Mr. Krikorian has displayed his commitment to our community throughout his career. Whether it was organizing the first commemoration of the Armenian Genocide at Glendale schools, in the early years, or the hands-on work that he does today, through the HyeHopes Organization, he has never wavered in his commitment.

“We are excited to support Greg in this new chapter of his civic service,” said Petrosian. “We are absolutely confident that Greg shares our goals and will have an immediate impact on the office of Glendale City Clerk.”

ANCA – Glendale also announced the endorsements of Dr. Armina Gharpetian (incumbent – Area C), Shant Sahakian (incumbent – Area D), and Lerna Amiryans (Area B ) in the respective races for a seat on the Glendale Unified School District, Board of Trustees. All three candidates have demonstrated the qualities that the school district expects and needs in governance to ensure that all our students are provided with the best resources available on their way to academic excellence.

“All three candidates have incomparable strengths and are individuals who have always responded to the priorities of Armenian American students,” noted Petrosian. “In every realm of their work, they have all displayed the exact leadership that all students need to access the learning experience of their dreams.”

While serving almost a decade as a GUSD Board of Education member, Dr. Gharpetian has consistently proven that she puts our students and parents first and advocates for the enrichment of public education. She has been a voice of solidarity within our community and has worked closely with all students in the district.

Sahakian, is running to again represent Trustee Area D. First elected in 2017, as the youngest School Board member, Sahakian has an established history of leadership that prioritizes securing access to opportunities and resources for all students. From ensuring that school community members return safely to in-person instruction to advancing legislation on term limits, this long-time community servant is a candidate that all students, parents, teachers, and staff look for in a candidate.

“Armina and Shant represent the exact qualities that we are seeking for in school board governance,” said Petrosian. “Most importantly, both have an unwavering commitment to being the support system that our students need to reach their greatest academic potential.”

Amiryans, a GUSD alumna, already has a long and laudable history of working directly with our district’s students, parents, faculty, and staff. Most specifically, during her term as Executive Vice President of Glendale Council PTA, she has tirelessly advocated for the needs of the district’s underrepresented and immigrant communities. During the recent, unprecedented, two years, Amiryans organized school-based support groups that addressed the mental health needs of our school community. At the same time, Ms. Amiryans worked to address the students’ needs during the Artsakh war when she initiated a forum that brought discussion and insight on generational trauma.

“The hands-on experience that Lerna brings and the number of ways which she has already served the District are highly commendable,” responded Petrosian. “She has been a servant-leader as a parent and we trust her to guide the future of our students and are confident that the impact that she will bring to our school board will be unparalleled.”

For the open seats in the upcoming Glendale Community College Board of Trustees election, ANCA Glendale reaffirms its support for incumbents Dr. Armine Hacopian, Yvette Vartanian Davis, and Ann H. Ransford and congratulates them for the uncontested race.

For Trustee – Area 3, the organization is grateful that they will be expanding their partnership with life-long educator Dr. Hacopian, who has served on GCC’s Board of Trustees since 2001 and as president, for five years. It is through her leadership that students are given all the resources to prosper in all aspects of their academic needs. Under her term in office, residents of Glendale were mobilized to pass bond measures that expanded numerous student-centric services and she also worked closely with Senator Anthony J. Portantino on Senate Bill No. 568 which allows the institution to observe April 24 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

Davis, being the first Armenian American woman to be elected to California Community College Trustees’ (CCCT) Board of Directors, is a trailblazing public servant and educator who has never failed to meet the needs of our local college students. On the CCCT level, Davis is able to represent the priorities and interests of GCC students on a state-level.

Furthermore, ANCA – Glendale commended Ransford for continuing to represent Trustee – Area 2. Ransford has a strong connection with the college as she has been on the Board of Trustees for 14 years and, previously, served as an administrator for over three decades. As president of the CCCT, she has persistently stood up for the advancement of much needed policies and has been a strong force during the various improvements made to the campus’ facilities.

“Our ANCA- Glendale team is strongly appreciative of having the opportunity to work alongside these three exceptional leaders through our shared goals,” said Petrosian. “Armine, Yvette, and Ann are only going to amplify all the phenomenal work that they are putting in for our college students.”

Individuals interested in supporting ANCA Glendale’s city-wide GOTV efforts, please refer to [email protected].

ANCA Glendale advocates for the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the city’s Armenian American community and promotes increased civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels.

AW: Russian peacekeepers deployed to Parukh after Azerbaijani advance on Artsakh

Emil Lazarian
March 30, 2022 Lillian Avedian News 0

Russian peacekeeping contingent in village of Parukh, March 28, 2022 (Photo: Telegram/RUS_Peacekeeper)

The Russian peacekeeping force in Artsakh says that it has taken control of Parukh after an attack by Azerbaijan last week, while Armenian authorities say that Azeri troops maintain strategic positions near the village.

Conflicting reports have emerged over who maintains control of Parukh since Azerbaijani forces crossed the line of contact into territory under the jurisdiction of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh on March 24. Azeri forces advanced on the region of Askeran and seized the village. Three members of the Artsakh Defense Army—David Mirzoyan, Ishkhan Ohanyan and Ararat Tevosyan—were killed and at least 15 Armenian soldiers were wounded in intense fighting that continued for the next two days. 

On March 27, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) of Russia reported that the Azerbaijani soldiers had retreated from Parukh following negotiations. The MoD recorded two violations of the ceasefire agreement by Azerbaijan’s military, as a result of which two people were wounded from either side. 

The previous day, the MoD of Russia had issued a rare reprimand of Azerbaijan, accusing the Azerbaijani military of “violating the provisions of the tripartite statement.” The MoD of Russia said that Azeri forces had “entered the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent” in Artsakh and “set up an observation post.” The MoD also said that the Azerbaijani military had used a Turkish-produced Bayraktar TB-2 drone to deliver four strikes on the Artsakh Defense Army. The statement refers to the village as Furukh, a Russianized version of the Armenian spelling. 

The Artsakh Defense Army reported that no ceasefire violations had been registered as of March 27. It said that Parukh had been placed under the control of the Russian peacekeeping troops. However, while the Defense Army maintained control of the “main part of the Karaglukh height,” a strategic peak near Parukh, Azerbaijani troops kept fortified positions on one of its slopes. 

“Works with the command staff of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to make the Azerbaijani units return to their starting positions are ongoing,” the Defense Army said.

On March 30, Artsakh State Minister Artak Beglaryan tweeted that “Parukh village and a part of the Karaglukh mountain of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh remain occupied.” 

The nearly 400 residents of Parukh and the nearby village Khramort have not been able to return to their homes since they were evacuated at the start of the attacks. Some have been staying with their relatives, while others have been provided with temporary accommodation in Stepanakert by the government of Artsakh. 

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry dismissed the statement from the Russian MoD that its troops had retreated from Parukh. The MoD of Azerbaijan did not deny that Azerbaijani troops had entered Askeran, stating instead that there have been “no changes in the positions of the Azerbaijan Army in the Farrukh village and on the surrounding high grounds, which are part of the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan.” 

The MoD of Azerbaijan had previously blamed the Armenian side for violating the ceasefire agreement, stating that the “withdrawal of the remnants of the Armenian army and illegal Armenian armed detachments from the territory of Azerbaijan in accordance with article 4 of the [joint] statement has not yet been completed.” 

The ceasefire agreement states that Russian peacekeepers would be deployed “in parallel with the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces.” The agreement does not explicitly refer to the Artsakh Defense Army. 

The MoD further said that there is “no village called ‘Furukh,’” writing in all caps that the correct name of the village is “FARRUKH.” 

On March 25, the Artsakh Security Council issued an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin stating that the current number of Russian peacekeeping forces is “insufficient for the full implementation of the peacekeeping mission in Artsakh, taking into account the nature of the growing and expanding military aspirations of Azerbaijan.” The letter asks Putin to “increase the quantity of military personnel and military equipment” deployed in Artsakh while “returning the Azerbaijani armed forces to their original positions.” 

Under the trilateral ceasefire agreement ending the 2020 Artsakh War, 1,960 Russian troops were deployed to Artsakh along the line of contact and the Lachin corridor connecting Artsakh and Armenia. 

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan also held a phone call with Putin that day. Pashinyan “raised the need to investigate the actions of Russian peacekeepers” and “stressed the need for returning the Azerbaijani armed forces to their initial positions with the efforts of the Russian peacekeepers.” 

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan declared a state of martial law on March 26. The decree instituted a temporary restriction on the right to freedom of assembly, strikes, demonstrations and “propaganda” activities “spearheaded against the defense capacity and security of the Artsakh Republic.” 

The Armenian Security Council issued a statement on March 28 offering to “immediately start negotiations on a comprehensive peace treaty” with Azerbaijan. According to the Security Council, Azerbaijan is “paving the way for new provocations and attacks” on Artsakh by inventing “imaginary justifications,” including accusing Armenia of obstructing negotiations on a peace treaty. 

“The Security Council, drawing the attention of the international community on the chances for armed clashes in Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, considers it necessary to launch international containment mechanisms to prevent further military escalation and ethnic cleansing in the region,” the statement reads. 

The other co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, which consists of Russia, France and the United States, have also commented on the attacks by Azerbaijan’s military. The French Foreign Ministry released a statement on March 25 stating that France “deplores the incidents which occurred in Nagorno-Karabakh, particularly the armed incidents and troop movements in the Parukh and Khramort regions.” Deputy spokesperson for the US State Department Jalina Porter said that the United States is “deeply concerned about Azerbaijan troop movements,” which it called “irresponsible and unnecessarily provocative.” “The United States, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, remains deeply committed to working with the sides to achieve a long-term political settlement of the conflict,” Porter said during a press briefing. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Armenia welcomed the “clear assessment of the latest escalation” in Artsakh from the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries as a “consequence of the movement of Azerbaijani troops.” However the MoFA said that while the Russian MoD had reported that Azerbaijan had withdrawn its troops from Parukh, the “incursion of Azerbaijani units into Nagorno-Karabakh in the area of responsibility of the Russian Federation’s peacekeeping contingent is ongoing.” 

“We expect that the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation in Nagorno Karabakh will take concrete measures to stem the incursion of Azerbaijani units into the area of peacekeepers’ responsibility and to withdraw the Azerbaijani armed forces. We consider it important to conduct a proper investigation into the actions of the peacekeeping contingent during this entire period of the incursion of Azerbaijani units, and answer a number of questions,” the March 28 statement from the Armenian Foreign Ministry reads. 

Meanwhile, on March 28, the natural gas supply to Artsakh was restored. The gas supply was disrupted for the second time in two weeks on March 21, after the section of the natural gas pipeline that traverses Azerbaijani-controlled territory was damaged on March 8. Artsakh authorities blame the halt on gas supply, which deprived residents of Artsakh of heating amid freezing temperatures, on interference by the Azerbaijani military.

  •  Bio
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Lillian Avedian is a staff writer for the Armenian Weekly. Her writing has also been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Hetq and the Daily Californian. She is pursuing master’s degrees in Journalism and Near Eastern Studies at New York University. A human rights journalist and feminist poet, Lillian’s first poetry collection Journey to Tatev was released with Girls on Key Press in spring of 2021.


“Relatively calm” – Artsakh Speaker of Parliament on frontline situation

Emil Lazarian

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 11:49, 30 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. The situation at the Artsakh frontline is currently relatively calm, the Speaker of Parliament of Artsakh Artur Tovmasyan said during a parliament session on March 30.

“We can now initiate in an unconstrained manner and in calm conditions the bills which I will now present to you for approval,” the Speaker said.

Earlier on March 30 the Artsakh authorities also issued a statement noting that no significant ceasefire violations were recorded overnight March 29-30 at the line of contact. However, the Azerbaijani troops haven’t yet withdrawn from Karaglukh.

WHO reports 43% growth in COVID-19 fatalities worldwide in past week

Emil Lazarian

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 14:14, 30 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Over 10 million people contracted the novel coronavirus infection worldwide over the past week, more than 45,000 patients died, TASS reports citing the World Health Organization (WHO).

The number of new infections declined by 14%, while the number of fatalities grew by 43% compared to the previous seven-day period.

“During the week of 21 through 27 March 2022, the number of new cases declined again with a 14% decrease as compared to the previous week. On the other hand, during the same period, the number of new weekly deaths has increased by 43%, driven by changes in the definition of COVID-19 deaths in countries in the Region of the Americas (Chile and the United States of America) and retrospective adjustments reported from India in the South-East Asia Region,” the global organization said in its COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update,

Overall, a total of 10,805,132 new cases and 45,711 deaths were reported to the global organization on March 21-27.

The decline in case incidence was reported by all the six WHO global regions, particularly Eastern Mediterranean (down 32%), Africa (down 29%) and Western Pacific (down 24%). In Europe, which accounts for 49% of all new cases registered worldwide in the past week, the case count declied by 4%.

Mortality grew in America (up 182%) and Southeast Asia (up 116%), but declined in other regions, including Africa (down 30%), Eastern Mediterranean (down 22%) and Europe (down 17%).

The biggest number of infections was reported by the Republic of Korea (2,442,195), followed by Germany (1,576,261), Vietnam (1,127,716), France (845,119) and Italy (503,932). Chile accounts for the biggest number of fatalities in the past seven days (11,858), followed by the United States (5,367), India (4,525), Russia (2,859) and the Republic of Korea (2,471).

As of 19:10 Moscow time on March 29, the WHO cumulative global statistics indicated 481,756,671 cases and 6,127,981 fatalities registered worldwide since the start of the pandemic. The number of new cases grew by 1,342,231 in the past day, while fatalities increased by 2,841.

Tensions mount in Karabakh as parties exchange blame

Emil Lazarian
March 31 2022
This is the second time Russia has accused Azerbaijan of violating the ceasefire
Written byArzu Geybullayeva
Written byLamiya Adilgizi
Posted 31 March 2022 19:38 GMT 

It has been a tense month in the disputed territory of Karabakh, an area of 4,400 square kilometers in the South Caucasus after accusations that Azerbaijan violated a ceasefire agreement and reignited tensions since early March. Some analysts point to the renewed tensions in Karabakh as a spillover of the war in Ukraine.

In 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a 44-day war over Karabakh. The area has been under the control of its ethnic Armenian population as a self-declared state since a war fought in the early 90s, which ended with a 1994 ceasefire and Armenian military victory. In the aftermath of the first war, a new, internationally unrecognized, de facto Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was established. Seven adjacent regions were occupied by the Armenian forces. As a result of that war, “more than a million people had been forced from their homes: Azerbaijanis fled Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and the adjacent territories, while Armenians left homes in Azerbaijan,” according to the International Crisis Group, an independent organization that works to prevent wars and shape policies.

Following the second Karabakh war in 2020, Azerbaijan regained control over much of the previously occupied seven regions. Azerbaijan also captured one-third of Karabakh itself as a result of the second war.

On Nov. 10, 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia. Among several points of the agreement, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a presence of 1,960 Russian peacekeeping forces in those parts of Karabakh “not recaptured by Azerbaijan and a narrow corridor connecting with Armenia across the Azerbaijani district of Lachin.” There are 27 Russian peacekeeping posts inside Azerbaijan.

Since the signed November 2020 agreement, there have been multiple reports of ceasefire violations, with each side blaming the other for flare-ups. But the advance of the Azerbaijani army since February and seizure of a strategic village Farrukh, in the east of Karabakh, protected by the Russian peacekeepers, on March 25, 2022, has led to accusations of ceasefire violation leveled against Azerbaijan by both official Yerevan and Moscow.

At least fifteen Armenian soldiers have been wounded, and three killed since March 24, according to BBC Azerbaijan service reporting, citing the information released by Karabakh self-defense army. The self-defense army also claimed there were casualties from the Azerbaijan side, which Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense has refuted. Meanwhile, in a statement issued on March 25, the Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, there was no need for hysteria while referring to escalated tensions on the line of contact, and that Azerbaijan was clarifying “the positions and locations [of its armed forced] on the ground.”

Earlier this month, “the de facto authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh accused Azerbaijan of cutting natural gas supplies to the territory in Nagorno Karabakh for the second time,” in one month according to reporting by Eurasianet. The gas to Karabakh is supplied via Armenia, but the pipeline transits through now, Azerbaijan-controlled territory it regained during the second war. The first disruption was reported on March 8 and although it was reportedly restored on March 19, the supply was disrupted again on March 21. The disruption was caused by damage to a gas pipeline supplying Karabakh on March 5. “We have sufficient grounds to assume that during the gas pipeline repairs, the Azerbaijani side installed a valve that stopped the gas supply a few hours ago,” the de facto Karabakh government said in a statement according to reporting by Eurasianet. Baku has denied accusations. In a statement issued on March 25, Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry said, Armenia was “intentionally using the situation as an instrument of political manipulation,” blaming gas supply issues on cold weather and technical problems instead.

On March 26, in a statement, Russia’s Foreign Ministry urged both Armenia and Azerbaijan to exercise restraint. The statement also referenced the Russian Ministry of Defense news bulletin, dated March 26, 2022, in which Russia’s MoD said, “Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces have entered the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh and launched four strikes on the Nagorno-Karabakh armed formations, using a Bayraktar TB2 drone, near the village of Furukh,” accusing Azerbaijan of violating the November 10 ceasefire.

In its response, Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense said the statement was one-sided, repeating official Baku’s commitment to the joint declaration signed on Nov. 10, 2020.

On March 27, the Russian defense ministry said Azerbaijan withdrew its military presence from Farrukh, which was quickly refuted by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense confirming that the positions remain unchanged. “We notify with regret that the Russian defense ministry’s statement of March 27 is untrue. The positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the village of Farrukh and nearby heights, which are an inseparable part of our country, are unchanged,” said the statement released by Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense.

In a statement issued on Monday, March 28, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said it expected the Russian contingent of peacekeeping troops to take concrete steps to stop and secure the return of Baku’s forces to the original positions, reported Russian state-owned news agency TASS.

This was the second time since the November 2020 agreement that Russia has accused Azerbaijan of violating the ceasefire in Karabakh.

Meanwhile, according to state news agency APA, the AzeriGaz said it will restore the supply of natural gas in the Karabakh economic region by March 29. The Armenian language service for Radio Liberty confirmed that the gas supply to Khankendi [Stepanakert in Armenian] was restored on March 29.

Armenpress: EU hosts high-level Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting ahead of Pashinyan-Aliyev-Michel talks

Emil Lazarian

EU hosts high-level Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting ahead of Pashinyan-Aliyev-Michel talks

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 09:47, 31 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. The Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s Assistant Hikmet Hajiyev in Brussels on March 30, the European Union External Action Service said in a press release.

“The European Union hosted a meeting of high-level officials from Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels today to advance joint efforts to find solutions to a range of issues between both countries. In particular, discussions focused on preparations for the upcoming meeting between President Charles Michel of the European Council, President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of the Republic of Armenia in Brussels on 6 April 2022.

The meeting between Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, and Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Hikmet Hajiyev, was facilitated by EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar.

During substantive discussions, which also included a separate bilateral conversation between Mr Hajiyev and Mr Grigoryan, the participants reviewed the political and security situation and the full spectrum of issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a follow-up to the understandings reached during the meeting of leaders of both countries and President Michel, held in Brussels on 14 December 2021. 

The participants agreed to meet again over the coming weeks in order to continue discussions, among others on issues raised during the leaders’ meeting of 14 December 2021. Armenia and Azerbaijan will also address issues related to prospects for a peace agreement between them.

The European Union remains committed to continue its engagement towards sustainable peace and stability in the South Caucasus,” the European Union External Action Service said.

State budget revenues overfulfilled by several billion drams in first quarter – SRC Chairman

Emil Lazarian

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 13:20, 31 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. In the first quarter of 2022, the state budget revenues have been overfulfilled by several billion drams, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee Rustam Badasyan said at the Cabinet meeting today.

“It was overfulfilled as of few days ago. Tomorrow we will sum up the full data. The talk is about the overfulfillment of the figure of the first quarter by several billion drams in case when we have not received our share of the EAEU common boiler this month”, Mr. Badasyan said.

As for the pessimistic expectations, Badasyan said this relates to other quarters.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he has no pessimistic expectations, is very optimistic, including in working discussions held with the SRC Chairman.