12:23,
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani customs checkpoint is not in the territory of Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting today, commenting on yesterday’s decision of Azerbaijan that it is going to set up a customs checkpoint in the problematic section of the Goris-Kapan road.
“In order to avoid speculations, I would like to remind and draw your attention to the fact that the Azerbaijani checkpoint is not in the territory of the Republic of Armenia. The talk is about the Eyvazli section. Now question can arise whether it wasn’t possible to negotiate so that no border control was exercised on the cargo and the citizens of Armenia. It was possible, but the cost would be the corridor logic, which is unacceptable for us”, the PM said.
He said that Armenia’s position over the regional communications has been that they must be unblocked without any exterritorial context and customs and passport control.
“In other words, we haven’t discussed and will not discuss any corridor logic as I have stated repeatedly in the past. This is fixed in the Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan deputy prime ministerial format and it’s important to note that this logic and agreement have been publicly confirmed also by the Russian Federation in the past weeks. Perhaps Azerbaijan made its yesterday’s decision in this context”, Pashinyan said.
He clarified that Armenia remains committed to the provisions of the 2020 November 9 and the 2021 January 11 statements, in particular those concerning the unblocking of all transportation and economic communications of the region.
“Moreover, we are interested in the unblocking of all economic and transportation communications of the region and hope to achieve concrete solutions in the future based on the principles agreed upon and announced in the trilateral working group”, he said.
He informed that Armenia as well will set up customs checkpoints as needed.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
14:30,
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Ambassador of Italy to Armenia Alfonso Di Riso, the PM’s Office reports.
Pashinyan congratulated the Ambassador on assuming office and wished success to the further development of the Armenian-Italian friendly relations.
The PM highlighted ensuring the continuous progress of the political and economic cooperation between Armenia and Italy and expressed confidence that concrete results are possible to achieve with the joint efforts of the governments of the two countries. The development of the bilateral economic cooperation was specifically emphasized, including with the holding of business forum and promotion of business ties. Pashinyan remembered with warmth his official visit to Italy in 2019 and highlighted the bilateral high-level mutual visits which give a new impetus to the expansion of cooperation in different areas.
Alfonso Di Riso assured that during his tenure he will make all efforts to contribute to the strengthening of mutual cooperation between the two countries. The Ambassador also emphasized the necessity of development of commercial ties and added that the Italian side is interested in discussing and implementing new investment programs with Armenia.
The sides considered prospective the expansion of cooperation in different branches of economy, including in high technologies, tourism, construction and agriculture, stating that there is a big potential.
The sides also discussed the activity of the Armenian-Italian inter-governmental commission, the possibility of holding a session in the future.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
At a protest action in Yerevan, about 200 oppositionists demanded to prevent installation of an Azerbaijani customs checkpoint on the road from Goris to Kapan. After the protesters tried to break into the government building, 16 of them were detained, the police reported.
On November 10, it became known that Azerbaijan notified Armenia about the installation of a customs checkpoint on the section of the road from Goris to Kapan. Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan announced that the Armenian side would install its own checkpoint there.
Today, activists from among the supporters of the opposition “Armenia” bloc have held a protest action in front of the government building in Yerevan. The protesters have accused the country’s authorities of concluding a deal with the Azerbaijani authorities, which damaged national interests of Armenia, the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent reports.
According to the organizers of the protest, about 200 people took part in the action.
During the protest action, Gegam Manukyan, a member of the “Armenia” faction, has claimed that as a result of a secret conspiracy between the Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities, the latter got control over the road from Goris to Kapan. The oppositionist suggests that Azerbaijan is acting with the tacit consent of the Armenian authorities.
The protesters tried to break into the government building, but the police set up a cordon. The police officers detained 16 activists, the Police of Armenia reported.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on at 03:19 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Tigran Petrosyan; Source: CK correspondent
Source:
© Caucasian Knot
Azerbaijan’s customs checkpoint is not in the territory of Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the government sitting today.
The comments come after the Azerbaijani side said it would set up customs checkpoint on Goris-Kapan road.
“As you know, since August Azerbaijan has been charging customs duties from Iranian trucks driving along Goris-Kapan road, namely the Eyvazli-Chaizami section under their control. Yesterday, we received an informal notification on the plans to carry out passport and customs control for Armenian citizens and cargoes, as well,” the Prime Minister said.
He added that after the notification was received, the Armenian side made a decision to advise people traveling along that road to use Kapan-Aghvani-Halidzor-Shinuhayr road instead.
“The Tatev-Aghvani section of this road, which had been impassable for decades, has been asphalted and commissioned this month,” the Prime Minister said.
He said the situation for Iranian drivers traveling along Goris-Kapan highways remains unchanged, but they can now chose to use the alternative road without any additional customs duties.
Pashinyan stressed that the customs checkpoint is not in Armenia’s territory, and the question is about the “Eyvazli section.” He added that it would still be possible to negotiate the decision, but the cost would be the “corridor logic, which is unacceptable to us.”
The Prime Minister noted that the Armenian side has always said the reopening of regional communications should take place without and “context of exterritoriality.”
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Andrew Schofer r (USA), Igor Khovayev (Russia) and Brice Roquefueil (France).
The interlocutors discussed a wide range of issues related to the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Ararat Mirzoyan stressed that a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is possible only through peaceful means, under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, based on the principles and elements known to the parties.
The interlocutors attached importance to the Co-Chairs’ visit to the region with a view to getting acquainted with the situation on the ground. They prioritized the implementation of clear steps aimed at de-escalation of the situation in the region.
In this regard, Ararat Mirzoyan condemned the attacks on the civilian population in Nagorno Karabakh, which resulted in casualties, and stressed the unacceptability of the continuous anti-Armenian rhetoric.
The Armenian Foreign Minister and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs exchanged views on humanitarian issues requiring urgent solution. In this context, Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the need for immediate, unconditional repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees, as well as clarification of the fate of the missing and preservation of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage.
On the same day, the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan was hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Yves Le Drian and mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
During the five-party meeting, the Armenian Foreign Minister expressed the position of the Armenian side, noting that the process of peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship should be fully restored.
Ararat Mirzoyan reaffirmed the positions expressed at the meeting with the Co-Chairs, including the need for de-escalation, the settlement of humanitarian issues, as well as the inadmissibility of provocations and anti-Armenian rhetoric.
Armenian foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has called for international efforts to prevent the Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh from sharing the tragic fate of 28.000 annihilated properties of the Armenian cultural heritage of Nakhijevan.
“Along with the physical destruction of Nagorno-Karabakh’s religious and cultural heritage, we witness unacceptable cases of distortion of the identity and changing of the architectural appearance of the Armenian cultural and religious heritage in the territories of Nagorno-Karabakh currently controlled by Azerbaijan with more than 1.500 cultural property and 19.000 museum exhibits,” Minister Mirzoyan said in an address to the 41st Session of the UNESCO General Conference.
Below is the full text of Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s speech:
Mr. President,
Mr. Chair of the Executive Board,
Madame Director-General,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
I would like, first of all, to congratulate His Excellency Mourao on his election as President of the 41st session of the General Conference and to extend my wishes of success in his mandate.
I would also like to congratulate Madame Azoulay for being re-elected.
We also thank all the Member States for supporting Armenia’s candidature as one of the Vice-Presidents of the General Conference.
The extraordinary challenges that the world faces today from armed conflicts to COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of climate change, emphasize the importance of expanding cooperation in the fields of education, sciences, culture, communication and information. Therefore today, as we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of UNESCO, we reiterate our commitment to the values of UNESCO and support its Strategic Transformation process.
In 2022 Armenia will mark the 30th anniversary of its UNESCO membership, during which Armenia has been and continues to be firmly committed to UNESCO’s mandate to advance universal values and fulfill our common goals, including those defined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. That is why we have decided to stand for the Executive Board of UNESCO by submitting our candidacy for the 2021-2025 term.
Armenia is committed to promoting a future of education based on the principle of equal opportunities for all. We think that Global citizenship education is an important tool to respond to global challenges. We also believe that education and awareness-raising are vital for advancing the prevention of hate speech and identity-based discrimination. This is also one of the main ideas behind establishing the UNESCO Chair on Education and Prevention of Genocide and other Atrocity Crimes in 2020 in Yerevan State University.
Armenia strongly supports UNESCO actions for Global Priority Africa and Small Islands Developing States (SIDS). These actions should be further reinforced with special attention to the fields of education and culture.
Armenia supports UNESCO’s efforts to safeguard cultural heritage in conflict zones and condemn the attacks on cultural symbols because of their diverse origin or identity.
Ladies and gentlemen,
During the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh and its people last fall, the armed forces of Azerbaijan have been deliberately targeting civilian infrastructures, including schools, kindergartens, as well as Armenian cultural and religious heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh. As a result, more than 22.000 children of Nagorno-Karabakh have been deprived of their right to education.
Also, it has been almost a year since Armenia alerted the Director-General and the Member States of UNESCO on the severe threats to the Armenian cultural property located in the territories fallen under Azerbaijani control.
We are grateful to Madame Azoulay for her efforts to send an independent technical mission in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in line with the 1954 Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of armed conflict.
Unfortunately, Azerbaijan continues to block the implementation of this mission. This obstructive attitude makes us fear the worst for the state of the Armenian cultural heritage under Azerbaijani controlled territory. Both during the military hostilities and after the establishment of the ceasefire, there have been numerous documented cases of deliberate destruction and acts of vandalism by the Azerbaijani armed forces against the Armenian cultural and religious heritage, and the most notorious example is the double precise drone strikes on the Holy Saviour Ghazanchetsots Cathedral of Shushi on October 8th, last year.
Along with the physical destruction of Nagorno-Karabakh’s religious and cultural heritage, we witness unacceptable cases of distortion of the identity and changing of the architectural appearance of the Armenian cultural and religious heritage in the territories of Nagorno-Karabakh currently controlled by Azerbaijan with more than 1.500 cultural property and 19.000 museum exhibits.
It is crucial to spearhead international efforts and act appropriately to prevent the Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh to share the tragic fate of 28.000 annihilated properties of the Armenian cultural heritage of Nakhijevan.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to conclude by stressing the importance of promoting a culture of peace, tolerance, mutual respect, and dialogue between cultures as an essential tool for bringing people together and promoting peaceful co-existence. It will enable us to achieve all of the Organization’s priorities.
Thank you.
12:42, 9 November, 2021
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The curling Civil Contract party’s proposal to create a commission for investigating the circumstances of the 2020 Artsakh War will be implemented, and all steps will be taken for an effective work, Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan told reporters at a briefing.
“You know that the law allows to create a commission for 6 months and extend the term of its operation by another 6 months. You know that not all MPs have presented documents on confidentiality. I can state that the commission will definitely operate and this will not be the only purpose. It must have a concrete result and deal with concrete actions. The activities of the commission will start soon when we understand that there is no technical problem for the operation of the commission”, Alen Simonyan said.
Alen Simonyan said that lessons must be learnt from the past 30 years path which led to the November 9 ceasefire agreement. “We need to analyze long, we have paid a very high price for our mistakes. I attach great importance to the idea of establishing that investigative commission, which we have proposed, as its results could play a decisive role”, the Speaker added.
He also commented on yesterday’s actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces which targeted civilians, calling it as a provocative step.
“We need a situation to continue together with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs the discussions on the Artsakh issue which have been suspended”, he said.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Artsakh’s citizens warned of online Azeri intelligence scams, threats
13:44, 9 November, 2021
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The Prosecutor-General’s Office of Artsakh received a report on November 8 that Azerbaijani intelligence agency operatives threatened a citizen of Artsakh with murder using different accounts of a social network.
The Azeri agent possessed the kind of information about his victim which proves that they’d been gathering personal data in advance.
In a statement the Office of the Prosecutor-General said that the respective report has been sent to the National Security Service for further investigation.
The authorities once again urged the citizens of Artsakh to refrain from contacting or providing information to suspicious or unknown users, and in case of appearing in such a situation immediately report to the National Security Service.
Azerbaijani intelligence agencies have previously also attempted to lure citizens of Artsakh into various processes with the use of various scams on social networks, with the purpose of obtaining information from them.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Russia’s foreign ministry issued a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the November 9 agreement
Says Aliyev’s “Zangezur Corridor” Scheme Must Respect Territorial Integrity and Sovereignty of Nations
The Russian Foreign Ministry, in a statement issued on Saturday, cautioned western powers to tread carefully when it came to their involvement with Armenia and Azerbaijan, urging them to take the “changed realities in the region” into consideration when advancing their policies.
Moscow also warned about what it called an “external order” attempting to sow anti-Russian sentiments surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The foreign ministry statement was issued to mark the first anniversary of the November 9 agreement, which ended military actions in Karabakh, but forced Armenia to surrender territory in Armenia and Artsakh to Azerbaijan.
At the same time, the Russian foreign ministry commented on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s plan to create the so-called “Zangezur Corridor,” which would link mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan—and Turkey—through Armenia’s Syunik Province, where its forces have been camped out since May.
Moscow said efforts to unblock links in the region by creating transportation routes must be “based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries through which they pass.”
“Russia is not claiming a monopoly in its relations and communication with Armenia and Azerbaijan, although we have longstanding bonds and close alliances that include large-scale partnerships on all fronts with those countries and peoples,” TASS quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying in the statement. “We stand for effective use of the international community’s current potential, which must take into account the changed regional realities.”
Russia’s foreign ministry pointed out that a year has passed since the November 9 statement was adopted, so social media and online statements claiming that “Russia’s peacekeeping efforts were allegedly aimed at ‘breaking Nagorno-Karabakh away,’ ‘handing it over’ to Azerbaijan, and turning Armenia into a ‘protectorate’ can be safely refuted.”
“These statements are populist,” said the foreign ministry. “They show [the existence of] an obvious external order and have nothing to do with reality.”
The statement emphasized that the Moscow-initiated trilateral agreements and mechanisms were not imposed on the sides, but were based on a “verified balance of interests” and included a very respectful attitude toward the sovereignty and interests of Baku and Yerevan.
“Some of our initiatives could not be agreed upon, and that is normal. On the other hand, the agreement that has already been confirmed is, as they say, hard-won and is effectively implemented in practice,” the Moscow stressed.
The foreign ministry further noted that Moscow is ready to support the start of negotiations over the Armenian-Azerbaijani border determination for future delimitation and demarcation.
The statement also noted that Moscow is determined to continue actively working with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. “The Co-Chairs plan to visit the region and continue contacts in the 3+2 format [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, France and the U.S.].”
The statement revealed that as a result of the eight meetings of the working group comprised of the deputy prime ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan that is tasked with determining ways to “unblock” transportation links between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a report was presented which “details specific railway and automobile routes for the restoration of communication between Armenia and Azerbaijan with access to transport communications of neighboring countries.”
These routes, the ministry explained, would increase the “transit appeal of the region and would attract additional investments. It was stressed that on this occasion additional prospects are emerging for Russia and Armenia over the realization of the North-South International corridor.”
“It’s no less important, especially in light of the situation created over the so-called Zangezur Corridor, which has been exaggerated by the media, that all participants of the trilateral working group have agreed that the newly created transportation routes will function based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries through which they pass,” said the Russian foreign ministry.