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

Azerbaijan seemingly not interested in Crossroads of Peace project – Pashinyan

Emil Lazarian

 15:02,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is seemingly not interested in the Crossroads of Peace project proposed by Armenia because Baku is implementing the project on opening connections with Iran, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said in response to a question from the public.

He was asked whether there are guarantees that Armenia itself will carry out customs and border control on its territory in the event of the Crossroads of Peace project being realized.

Pashinyan stressed that one of the principles of the Crossroads of Peace project is that each country will carry out customs and border control on its territory through its institutions. 

“This is the proposal we are making to our international partners, including Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Georgia. And Azerbaijan’s first reaction is the following, that they, it seems, are no longer interested in this project, because they are carrying out that connectivity project with Iran. We are absolutely not against that. But that’s our proposal. In case of accepting our proposal the project will be realized,” the PM said.

The citizen asking the question pointed out that there are Russian border guards in Armenia’s Zvartnots airport. Pashinyan said this is another matter, which has a history. “But our policy is that the level of Armenia’s sovereignty must steadily increase also institutionally. And the Crossroads of Peace is one of those cases,” he said.

The Crossroads of Peace project is about creating new infrastructures or improving the scope and quality of the existing ones. Armenia is ready to establish five checkpoints on the Armenia-Azerbaijan borders for road infrastructures including in Kayan, Sotk, near Karahunj, near Angeghakot , and Yeraskh.

Also, to establish two checkpoints on the Armenia-Turkiye border in Akhurik and Margara for road infrastructures.

Armenia is prepared to ensure communications between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkiye, by restoring four railway sections in the territory of the Republic of Armenia. Armenia is ready to restore the Nrnadzor-Agarak railway section and to establish checkpoints near the borders, to restore the railway section from Yeraskh to the border of Nakhchivan and to establish a checkpoint in Yeraskh, to restore the depleted parts of the railway from Gyumri to the border of Turkiye and to establish a checkpoint in Akhurik. Also, Armenia is prepared to restore the depleted parts of railway from Hrazdan to Kayan and to establish a checkpoint in Kayan. This will create new links between all the countries of the region. The principles of the Crossroads of Peace are: all infrastructures including roads, railways, airways, pipelines, cables and power lines operate under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass; each country, through its state institutions, in its territory ensures border control, customs control and security of the infrastructures, including the passage through its territory of vehicles, cargo and people; All infrastructures can be used for both international and domestic transportation; countries use all the infrastructures on the basis of reciprocity and equality, and in accordance with these principles border and customs controls can be facilitated through mutual consent and agreement. As missing sections of railways and roads are restored and infrastructures unlocked, it will become possible to establish a seamless connection between the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea via a consolidated, regional railway network and via the North-South and East-West roads. The Government of the Republic of Armenia reaffirms its commitment to contribute its share to the region’s peace and stability, and to make practical measures to build the Crossroads of Peace




Pashinyan comments on possibility of withdrawing from CSTO

Emil Lazarian

 16:55,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The CSTO’s actions do not address its obligations towards Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said.

Pashinyan was asked at an online Q&A with the public why Armenia isn’t withdrawing from the military bloc and whether there’s lack of political will.

Pashinyan said that Armenia has political will and a decision will be made based on necessity, which will stem from Armenia’s interests.

“Why aren’t we making a decision, or are we going to make a decision on withdrawing from the CSTO or suspending our membership in the CSTO? We will decide based on Armenia’s state interests. At this moment if we have or haven’t made any decision, our guideline for orientating has been the state interest of Armenia. Our records show that the CSTO’s de-facto actions or inactions do not address its obligations towards the Republic of Armenia. In this regard the CSTO’s actions do not meet Armenia’s interests. And we have been raising this issue in a transparent manner,” Pashinyan said.

He said that Armenia wants to do everything until the last chance to fully understand the CSTO and make its stance understandable for the CSTO.

Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to hold border delimitation talks

Emil Lazarian

 11:08,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Azerbaijan will hold a meeting on border delimitation, foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan has said.

The meeting will take place on the state border.

“According to preliminary agreement, the next meeting of the Commission on State Border Delimitation and Border Security between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, from the Armenian side, and the Commission on State Border Delimitation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, from the Azerbaijani side, will take place on November 30 on the state border of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan,” Badalyan said.

PM Pashinyan lauds record number of registered jobs

Emil Lazarian

 12:40,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has set a new historic record in the number of registered jobs, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said.

“We’ve surpassed the number of 730,000 , setting a new record in registered jobs, according to data of October 2023,” he said at the Cabinet meeting.

Pashinyan said that approximately 183,000 jobs were created during his administration since 2018.

New jobs will be created, Pashinyan said citing the economic dynamics.

He expressed hope that the economic growth dynamics will become better as a result of fully involving the forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh in the job market and the economic system.

Kremlin expects Pashinyan’s participation in upcoming CIS and EAEU summits

Emil Lazarian

 17:33,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov has said that Moscow expects Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s participation in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) summits scheduled to take place in Saint Petersburg in December.

 "I think they [Armenian delegation] will come to Saint Petersburg, where the traditional informal CIS summit will take place, and also the official EAEU meeting. By the way, at this meeting the chairmanship [of EAEU] will pass from us to Armenia, thus I believe that Pashinyan will arrive to accept the chairmanship from President Putin,” TASS quoted Ushakov as saying.

Iraqi, Armenian presidents chair meeting to boost bilateral cooperation

Emil Lazarian
Iraqi News
Nov 22 2023
  • Amr Salem

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Rashid, met on Wednesday with the Armenian President, Vahagn Khachaturian, at the Presidential Palace in the Armenian capital, Yerevan.

The meeting addressed ways to develop bilateral ties between Iraq and Armenia as well as the latest international developments, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Presidency.

The president of Iraq expressed interest in initiating bilateral work mechanisms and monitoring the decisions made at the most recent joint committee sessions in Baghdad.

Rashid indicated that Iraq is now an attractive country for foreign investments, particularly in areas such as infrastructure, tourism, and trade exchange.

Khachaturian expressed his appreciation for Rashid’s visit to Armenia due to its positive impact on relations between the two countries, noting that Rashid’s visit is the first of its kind by an Iraqi president to Armenia.

The two presidents chaired a meeting attended by official delegations from both sides, where they discussed agreements in several areas.

The expanded meeting discussed the importance of regulating flights between Baghdad and Yerevan, as well as between Erbil and Yerevan, to boost tourism activities between the two countries.

Both sides also discussed the cancellation of entry visas between the two countries, in addition to operating direct flights between Iraq and Armenia.

The meeting also tackled cooperation in the fields of investment, energy, and technology, facilitating the entry of companies and businessmen, as well as supporting the tourism sector.

Lukashenko condemns Armenia’s absence on Collective Security Treaty Organisation summit

Emil Lazarian
yahoo! news
Nov 23 2023
Ukrainska Pravda

Self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has condemned Armenia's absence from the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) summit, calling it a "demarche".

Source: European Pravda with reference to the Belarusian state agency Belta

Quote from Lukashenko: "We came to the conclusion that there have always been and will be problematic issues. If we want to solve them, we need to do it at the negotiating table, but not to make demarches without reasons, without specific reasons."

Details: At the meeting, the CSTO members discussed the situation in the Caucasus and "some dissatisfaction of a Collective Security Council’s member", referring to Armenia's decision not to attend the organisation's summit in Minsk.

Background:

  • Russian dictator Vladimir Putin arrived in Minsk for a session of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), which was ignored by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

  • Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik said decisions in the CSTO are made through consensus, and the decisions will be legitimate even in the absence of the Armenian side.

  • Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of Armenia's Security Council, explained that the country ignored the previous CSTO meetings because it "had numerous questions" for the organisation, which still have no answers.

  • Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  accused Armenia of "trying to sit on two chairs" because Yerevan is improving relations with the West.


  • https://news.yahoo.com/lukashenko-condemns-armenias-absence-collective-134026465.html

US Report Highlights Threats to Religious Sites in Turkey

Emil Lazarian
Greek Reporter
Nov 20 2023
ByTasos Kokkinidis
November 20, 2023

A US report published last week criticizes Turkey for not doing enough to prevent threats to non-Muslim religious sites in the country.

The report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) maintains that while the number and severity of violent attacks targeting religious sites—such as bombings and other terrorist methods—have decreased over the last decade, there has not been a similar decline in incidents of vandalism and the destruction of religious properties.

Titled “Examination of Threats to Religious Sites in Turkey,” the study demonstrates denominational differences in the threats and attacks faced by various religious communities, including the Greek Orthodox, in Turkey and evaluates the geographic variation in attitudes towards these communities and their religious sites.

Although efforts by the Turkish government and local authorities to restore select religious heritage sites represent an important positive step, such projects remain limited, it is reported.

It notes that “the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne also provided protection and freedom of worship for the remaining non-Muslim communities” but that this protection and freedom of worship has often been sharply curtailed, not infrequently through action against sacred Christian sites.

The report illustrates that the highest number of attacks on Greek Orthodox and other Orthodox churches occurred in the Marmara region of Istanbul, which is associated with the largest concentration of non-Muslim populations.

In addition, the report states that the seizure of property can be used as a form of retaliation, citing as an example the seizure of the Prince’s Greek Orthodox orphanage.

The particular orphanage was confiscated in 1964 by Turkish authorities, who did not perform the necessary maintenance, thus allowing the building to suffer the wear and tear of time.

As noted, by the time the Ecumenical Patriarchate managed to regain ownership of the building through an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, “after 60 years of abandonment, the building had sustained significant damage and fallen into disrepair.”

“The burden is on the Greek Orthodox community to repair and preserve the site at considerable financial cost,” the report added.

Overall, despite the decrease in bombings and terrorist attacks in the last decade, incidents of vandalism, destruction of religious property through arson, treasure hunting, and the lack of prosecution of such incidents have increasingly affected Greek Orthodox and other Orthodox communities in Turkey, the report notes.

USCIRF will host a virtual event to discuss the findings of the report on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.

 

Özbiliz announces retirement, bid for FFA presidency

Emil Lazarian

 15:03,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Footballer Aras Özbiliz has announced his retirement.

He said at a press conference on November 22 that he will run for the presidency of the Football Federation of Armenia in the upcoming elections. 

“Football gave me more than I could imagine,” the former Armenia winger said. “I am quitting my football career, but this is the beginning of a new path. I would’ve been able to play on another level with my potential if not for the injuries…I’ve always said that I would be useful to Armenian football after retiring. I think Armenian football is now at an important crossroads. I am nominating my candidacy in the FFA elections. I can be greatly useful to Armenian football with my experience and devotion,” Özbiliz said.

The elections of a new president of the Football Federation will take place on December 23rd.

Germany to provide necessary assistance to forcibly displaced persons from Karabakh, says German official

Emil Lazarian

 19:01,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Niels Annen, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the resumption of the negotiations on Armenian-German development cooperation, which had not happened since 2014. Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the inclusion of Armenia in the framework of the "BMZ-2030" reform strategy by the German government. According to the Prime Minister, recently a new dynamic has been recorded in the relations between the two countries, there is a great potential to expand cooperation and the Armenian government is interested in fully realizing it, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

Niels Annen noted that the resumption of the Armenian-German intergovernmental negotiations is a conscious decision of the German government, taking into account the steps and reforms aimed at the development and strengthening of democracy in Armenia.

 Mr. Annen added that within the framework of the "BMZ-2030" reform strategy, it is planned to implement projects with Armenia in the areas of economic promotion, energy, vocational education, tourism and other directions. According to the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, the above-mentioned programs will contribute to increasing the interest of German companies to operate in Armenia.

The humanitarian problems of more than 100,000 forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing policy, as well as the steps taken by the Armenian government to overcome them were discussed.

Niels Annen noted that he had a meeting with people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh in Ararat region and added that the German government is preparing to provide the necessary assistance to contribute to the solution of existing problems.

The sides exchanged ideas on the processes taking place in the region.