Author: Emma Nadirian

Italian Prime Minister considers balance in battle as the way to negotiations on Ukraine

Emma Nadirian

 18:51, 4 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that the way to negotiate a settlement in Ukraine is to maintain balance on the battlefield, and this, according to her, is facilitated by continued support for Kiev, Pravda reports.

"Unlike those who say that we should not send weapons to Ukraine, because this will lead to an escalation of the conflict, I believe that the opposite is true. The only opportunity … to come to a negotiating table or a diplomatic solution is to maintain a balance between forces on the field," Pravda quoted Italian Prime Minister as saying.

According to her, the lack of support for Ukraine would bring the conflict closer to the borders of Italy.

In mid-December, the Italian Council of Ministers adopted a bill to extend military, humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine next year. According to the Kiel Institute of World Economy, which updates the situation with international assistance to Ukraine, Italy has provided Kiev with 1.3 billion euros in support, ranking 15th in its donor countries, 700 million of this amount are arms and military supplies.

Armenpress: UN Security Council condemns the terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran

Emma Nadirian

 21:17, 4 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 4, ARMENPRESS.  The UN Security Council has strongly condemned the terrorist attack in the city of Kerman, Iran and underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable, the Security Council said in a press release.

“The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the cowardly terrorist attack in the city of Kerman, the Islamic Republic of Iran on 3 January,” reads the statement.

The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.  They urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as all other relevant authorities in this regard.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable.

Controversy after Armenian Catholicos’ New Year speech not aired on Public TV

Emma Nadirian
Jan 4 2024
 4 January 2024

ByArshaluys Barseghyan

Armenia’s Apostolic Church and Public TV are in dispute after the head of the church’s New Year’s Eve speech was not broadcast for the first time in Armenia’s post-independence history, amidst a souring in relations between the church and the government. 

In previous years, the public broadcaster has aired a speech by the Catholicos, the head of the Armenian church, shortly before midnight on New Year’s Eve. 

A statement released by the Mother See, the Church’s governing body, on the evening of 31 December alleged that the public broadcaster had ‘at the last minute’ and ‘without any reason’ informed them that the message would not be broadcast. 

‘Instead, it was proposed to present the address of the Patriarch of All Armenians during the evening edition of the news, which was judged to be inappropriate by the Mother See and accordingly rejected,’ said the statement. It added that any other explanations of the event were ‘fabrications’. 

The statement came after government-affiliated media shared claims by an Armenian pro-government blogger that the church’s Catholicos Karekin II had given an ultimatum that his speech be broadcast at midnight or not be aired at all. 

The Council of the Public Broadcaster, the body overseeing Public TV and Public Radio, issued a response on Wednesday evening, claiming that the church had withdrawn their approval on New Year’s Eve. 

It stated that the speech had been scheduled for broadcasting ‘at the time set aside for official addresses this year’, but following the speech of Armenia’s President, rather than prior to the Prime Minister’s speech as had previously been the case. 

It added that a representative of the church had on 31 December voiced the institution’s disagreement with the scheduled timing, and ‘demanded not to broadcast or use the video recording of the Catholicos’ message, whose copyright belongs to the Mother See’. 

The statement also noted that the request had only related to Public TV, meaning that the message was still broadcast on Shogakat, a religious and cultural TV channel, and Public Radio. 

It also suggested that, while there was no legislative regulation regarding the broadcasting of New Year’s messages in Armenia, the issue be settled ‘legislatively’ in light of the public response. 

The news received wide public attention, with many condemning either the broadcaster or the head of the church on social media. 

Some noted that, while the issue was not legislatively enshrined, the order in which the speeches were presented was a tradition that the public broadcaster had disrupted. 

‘Two things are important to me: a) disregarding tradition, b) and most importantly, drawing new dividing lines between Armenia’s political authorities and the Mother See,’ wrote journalist Tatul Hakobyan. 

Relations between the government and the church’s leadership have deteriorated since a change of power took place following Armenia’s Velvet Revolution in 2018. 

The antipathy became more open in the aftermath of the defeat of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, when the head of the church joined calls for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation.

In April 2023, the Catholicos reaffirmed his call for Pashinyan to resign, prompting the Prime Minister to state that  ‘if the church wants to carry out political activities, Armenia is a democratic country’.

‘Nothing prevents them from creating a party and carrying out political activities within the framework of that party, which will be more honest, and they will be on the same level in front of the voters and with other political rivals.’

The church also condemned the ‘dangerous and unacceptable positions adopted by the authorities’ in May 2023, following Pashinyan’s statement that Armenia was ready to recognise Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. 

Despite criticism from the church, the government removed The History of the Armenian Church as a standalone subject from the public school curriculum in April 2023.


Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan on two-day visit Russia

Emma Nadirian
Al-Arabiya
UAE – Dec 25 2023
Reuters

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will pay a two-day visit to Russia, the RIA Novosti news agency quoted the Armenian government’s press service as saying on Monday.

Pashinyan will take part in a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on December 25, and the next day will participate in an informal meeting of CIS heads of state, RIA Novosti reported.

Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Caucasus neighbors have been locked in a decades-long conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan reclaimed after a lightning offensive against Armenian separatists in September.

Both countries have said a peace agreement could be signed by the end of the year, but peace talks — mediated separately by the European Union, the United States, and Russia — have seen little progress.

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2023/12/25/Armenian-PM-Nikol-Pashinyan-on-two-day-visit-Russia

Order to Dissolve Artsakh Government Must be Nullified, Says Former Official

Emma Nadirian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

Artsakh's former State Minister Artak Beglaryan


The presidential decree signed in September ordering the dissolution of the Artsakh government should be nullified, said Artsakh’s former State Minister and Human Rights Defender Artak Beglaryan in an interview published on Thursday.

“Everything is very clear, there is even no need for discussion; the [presidential] decree on dissolving the Republic of Artsakh just needs to be cancelled. Beglaryan told news.am in an interview.

After Azerbaijan’s large-scale attack on Artsakh on September 19, Artsakh President Samvel Shahramanyan on September 28 signed a decree calling for the dissolution of Artsakh’s government institutions by January 1. The decree prompted the forced displacement of more than 100,000 Armenians from Artsakh, essentially leaving the area empty.

The September 28 decree does not have any legal ramifications because it is unconstitutional,” declared Beglaryan. “The [Artsakh] president has no authority to dissolve the republic. Secondly, it was signed under the threat of violence [by Azerbaijan], which was confirmed by both the president and the National Assembly.”

Beglayan said that the nullification is possible through another “presidential decree” or a decision by the Artsakh Supreme Court. He said this matter should be done without delay and without “dependence on other actors.”

“It is preferable that it happens before January 1 [when the decree comes into force],” Beglaryan said, adding that the decree has no legal significance and is merely “political.”

“It is necessary to show political will and give that clear message that we [Artsakh] will continue to function after January 1. Even if it [the decree] is not nullified, it doesn’t change anything; the state bodies of Artsakh continue to function,” explained Beglaryan.

India set to export Akash indigenous air-defence system to Armenia even as Azerbaijan sees red

Emma Nadirian
Dec 20 2023

New Delhi: India is set to export its indigenously developed air-defence system to Armenia, expanding its repertoire of military exports to the Asian nation. The deal, valued at approximately ₹6,000 crores, involves the delivery of Akash supersonic surface-to-air missile system, which is developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

Earlier in April, the defence ministry had alluded to an undisclosed export order for the air-defence system without divulging details about the recipient nation. This move follows a pattern of exports to Armenia, encompassing the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, artillery guns, various ammunition types, and drones.

Sources within the defence establishment indicate that shipments of the Akash air-defence systems to Armenia are poised to commence soon. Notably, the export of the Akash system is not limited to Armenia alone. India has offered it for export to other countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines.

The Indian Army and the Indian Air Force have already operationalized the Akash air defence system.

Recently, as India Sentinels reported, the Akash air-defence system was successful in destroying four aerial targets simultaneously. It was the first such achievement in the 25-kilometre range by any surface-to-air missile system in the world.

Azerbaijan upset

Arms sales to Armenia by other countries, including India, has upset Azerbaijan – Armenia’s archenemy. Earlier this month, the Azeri president, Ilham Aliyev, warned India and France against providing Yerevan with weapons that may pose Baku a threat. Aliyev said such supplies could start a new war in the region.

In a news conference on December 6, Aliyev also said Azerbaijan “will have to react to protect its people” should Armenia start receiving serious weapons from India and France, adding that he has already “warned everybody”.

Previously, in November 2022, Kalyani Strategic Systems announced a deal worth $155.5 million (worth around ₹1,265 crore at that time) for 155mm advanced towed artillery guns with an undisclosed overseas customer, which later was revealed as Armenia.

This peeved Baku and the Azeri media criticized New Delhi’s move to sell the advanced howitzers and the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket system to Yerevan. 

In a July op-ed titled “India’s warmongering in south Caucasus is wake-up call for Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan” in Azernews, the author, Rena Murshid, wrote India’s “main reason” for deep ties with Armenia is Azerbaijan’s “fraternal relations” with Pakistan.

She wrote: “At present, while the situation in the south Caucasus is tense, and when both Europe and Russia are competing to solidify their influence in the region, India’s such behaviour (selling advanced military platforms to Armenia) could mean just an act of destabilizing the region.”

Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

Azerbaijan and Armenia have resorted to military conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh (officially called the Republic of Artsakh or the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh), which is a landlocked enclave inside Azerbaijan but had a majority population of ethnic Armenians until this year. The conflict between the two former Soviet republics over the control of the enclave escalated into a full-scale war in the early 1990s following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Armenia won that war, which led to the occupation of regions around Soviet-era Nagorno-Karabakh. This resulted in tit-for-tat expulsions of ethnic Armenians from Azerbaijan and ethnic Azerbaijanis from Armenia.

In 1993, the United Nations security council adopted four resolutions backing Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and demanded the immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from all Azeri territories. The ceasefire ending the war, signed in 1994 in Bishkek, was followed by two decades of relative stability.

Things then deteriorated significantly in the 2010s and escalated to a four-day bloody conflict in 2016, in which hundreds of soldiers and people died. However, the frontline remained mostly unchanged.

In late 2020, after 30 years, the second full-scale war erupted between the two countries over Nagorno-Karabakh. This time, Azerbaijan scored a huge victory. An armistice was established by a tripartite ceasefire agreement on November 10, resulting in Azerbaijan regaining all the occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh as well as capturing one-third of the enclave itself.

Ceasefire violations in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the Armenian–Azerbaijani border continued, and Azerbaijan began blockading Artsakh in December 2022, and launched a large-scale military offensive in September this year.

This resulted in the total capitulation of Armenian forces and surrender of the Artsakh (Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh) authorities. Almost all the ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh fled the enclave and Artsakh is set to dissolve by January 1, 2024.

It’s Not the Economy, Stupid: Azerbaijan and Armenia

Emma Nadirian
Dec 21 2023

By William Roberts 

on

Contemporary students of international relations are taught the “Golden Arches Theory”, first asserted by New York Times Journalist Thomas Friedman in 1996, claims that no two countries with a McDonald’s will fight a war against each other. The merits of this bold claim stood on tenuous ground until being thoroughly disproven during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020 between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s recent aggression against Armenians, culminating in the ethnic cleansing of the Artsakh region in September, confirms Friedman’s assertion is inaccurate and illustrates the risks of relying upon the underlying logic.

The broader claim that economic integration should cause states to pursue non-military means of conflict resolution remains prevalent in Western policy making circles. The Golden Arches Theory basically functions as an updated theory of capitalist peace for a world undergoing globalization with a clear benchmark included. Of course, the cheers for Azerbaijan’s aggression from the official social media accounts for McDonald’s in Azerbaijan demonstrated that the very instruments of economic integration are not immune to the historical, cultural, and religious factors that cause conflicts.

In the aftermath of Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, the initial U.S. policy towards Azerbaijan began addressing the violence in the Caucasus before seemingly returning to willful ignorance. The Senate unanimously voted to prohibit U.S. foreign assistance to Azerbaijan for the next two years; the State Department declared there will be “no business as usual” with Azerbaijan until a peace agreement is implemented; USAID announced an additional $4 million in humanitarian assistance to respond to the needs of the Armenian Christians that fled their homes in the wake of Azerbaijan’s attack on September 19th. Yet these positive developments were quickly undermined when it became clear that holding Azerbaijan accountable would come at a geopolitical cost to the Biden administration vis-a-vis Russia and Iran – even despite ethnic cleansing and other human rights violations.

The Biden administration’s real position became evident after the State Department’s walking back of its “no business as usual” position, quickly restoring the high level exchanges that were previously to be prohibited as part of this short-lived policy. During the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on “The Future of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the State Department announced the initial position and explained how U.S. policy would secure a lasting peace agreement and hold Azerbaijan accountable for its continued aggression. The primary instrument for creating this peace identified by the State Department was the Zangezur Corridor, which would connect Azerbaijan and its exclave Nakhchivan. The State Department is under the impression that, if Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey become more economically integrated, then the Caucasus can be turned into a Western bastion against Russia and Iran.

Yet this strategy demonstrates the same short-sighted logic of the disproven “Golden Arches” theory which, though debunked, persists in U.S. policy making. It is ridiculous to suggest that Turkey and Azerbaijan, amid their simultaneous denial and celebration of the Armenian Genocide, would seriously pursue improved relations with Armenia after thirty years of war, hot and cold. The consistent disinterest of Azerbaijan and Turkey in the peace process thus far cannot be explained simply by economic interests, nor can they be assuaged Armenia’s newfound willingness to submit to their demands. Rather, this conflict is rooted in historical, cultural, and religious causes that will not disappear with the construction of roads and oil pipelines.

Armenians justifiably feel threatened by the Zangezur Corridor out of concern that it would be used to annex southern Armenia. Nevertheless, in the interest of securing a lasting peace, Armenia has continued to participate in negotiations around the corridor and even take further steps to dismantle its relationship with Russia, the traditional guarantor of Armenian security.

Given the U.S. failure to deter or hold accountable Azerbaijan’s latest aggression, even despite explicit promises to do so only days before, it is simply not credible that the West would be able to provide sufficient security guarantees to Armenia.

Turkey imports the lion’s share of its energy from Azerbaijan, Russia, and Iran and thus has interest in strong ties to those nations. A more direct connection in Turkish–Azerbaijani relations, unobstructed by the existence of Armenia, would make these arrangements even more lucrative and undermine America’s ability to persuade Turkey and Azerbaijan to decouple from Russia and Iran as Armenia has. Rather than pulling the Caucasus and Turkey further into the Western orbit, the current trajectory of the peace process prepares for a bisection of Armenia, giving Turkey and Azerbaijan a freer hand to buck Western priorities and pursue their own agendas to the detriment of Armenian interests and America’s moral credibility.

Tolerance for human rights abuses committed by Turkey and Azerbaijan in Armenia, Artsakh, and elsewhere is not only morally abominable, but also strategically unsound. The U.S. priority in the conflict surrounding Artsakh should be a viable peace agreement that ensures security for Armenia and holds Azerbaijan accountable for its aggression. This should be pursued without the delusions of “Golden Arches” diplomacy, which leads to ignorance of the historical, cultural, and religious factors of the conflict.

The lasting influence of the “Golden Arches” theory continues to loom over U.S. policy making, especially with respect to issues of international religious freedom where economics are used to explain religious violence, ignoring other explanations for this violence from both the perpetrators and victims. Azerbaijan and Turkey would economically benefit from the destruction of Armenia, but that is not the only reason for the violence in Artsakh. We are far past the time for the U.S. to look at the world with a greater appreciation for the non-economic factors that shape history. Ensuring justice for the victims of Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing is a great opportunity for the U.S. to rebuild its moral credibility and demonstrate U.S. policy is based on our values and not dollars.

https://providencemag.com/2023/12/its-not-the-economy-stupid-azerbaijan-and-armenia/

Armenia’s Hayk Martirosyan sole leader in the European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship

Emma Nadirian

 10:48,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Grandmaster Hayk Martirosyan is the sole leader in the European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship 2023.

Haik Martirosyan has won the first 6 rounds of the tournament being  in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.

150 chess players are taking part in the European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship. 

The current world bronze medalist in Rapid and Blitz Chess, Hayk Martirosyan is among  the top ten chess players of the tournament

Prime Minister attends the housewarming ceremony of the multi-apartment building built in Aparan

Emma Nadirian

 18:43,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the housewarming ceremony of the multi-apartment building built in Aparan city of Aragatsotn region. It was built to solve the task of providing housing for 38 families living in dilapidated building at Baghramyan N 43 and Garegin Nzhdeh N 7, the Prime Minister's Office said.

The Prime Minister congratulated everyone on the occasion of the construction of the multi-apartment building and noted in his speech. "Among other problems in Armenia, we also have a problem related to dilapidated building. Unfortunately, there are a large number of dilapidated buildings in the republic, and we are constantly thinking about how to solve this issue. I cannot say that we are solving this issue at a very fast pace, but of course we have to think about it. Returning to today's event, I consider it necessary to record what I wish to the families who will celebrate the housewarming today. I want those families, receiving these apartments from the Government and the state budget, to focus on work, and their children – on education."

According to Nikol Pashinyan, people work, they pay taxes to the state budget, and the government is able to implement such programs with the funds of the state budget. "I want all the residents of this building to work, pay taxes to the state budget, so that others who have various needs also get their share. Taxes are not paid to the state, people pay themselves, and this building is an example of that," said the Head of the Government, adding that thanks to these taxes, roads are paved, medical centers, schools, kindergartens are built, etc. "I want you to enter your homes today with this understanding. Today, of course, I came to see with my own eyes that everything is done with quality and I hope it is so. I want to wish you a happy New Year, we are already entering the new year and I want you to celebrate the New Year and Christmas in high mood," said the Prime Minister.

It is noted that Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the importance of perceiving the Republic of Armenia as something belonging to all of us. "This is our problem, let's learn together to plant trees, plant flowers, keep clean together, share with each other. And the sense of ownership doesn't necessarily require fences, doors with big locks, the sense of ownership inside the door is enhanced by the sense of ownership outside the door, because that ownership starts, yes, I don't know whether it starts there or here. The Republic of Armenia is the property of all of us, because if we perceive our property as the inside of our building, we will forget our real greatest property and greatest wealth, which is the Republic of Armenia. By providing these apartments to you today, the Republic of Armenia wants you to feel happy there, to feel free, to feel a proud citizen of a proud country, but it is not a toast, it is a job that we must do together."

Afterwards, the Prime Minister toured the apartments of the newly built building, got acquainted with the quality of the construction works and the created conditions.

According to those in charge, the new multi-apartment building with 43 apartments was built with 682 million AMD of state funds, 38 of which will be allocated to families living in dilapidated buildings, and 2 will be allocated to families whose houses were destroyed in Aparan as a result of the 1988 Spitak earthquake who did not receive an apartment before, and 3 more to the families of the fallen servicemen.

POW Exchange on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Border

Emma Nadirian
 Hoory Minoyan News 0

Armenian-Azerbaijani prisoner exchange (Photo: Screen grab from Azatutyun, )

YEREVAN— Following an agreement made on October 7 between the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the exchange of Armenian and Azerbaijani prisoners of war took place today on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, in the region of Ijevan and Kazakh.

The offices of the Armenian Prime Minister and the Azerbaijani President released a joint statement announcing the mutual release of detainees, with Baku freeing 32 Armenian servicemen and Yerevan releasing two Azerbaijani servicemen. The timing coincided with the visit of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James O’Brien to Baku. While it was considered a positive step by several countries, the announcement was seen as a result of direct negotiations between the two countries.

According to information shared by the Azerbaijani APA agency, Armenian nationals who were captive in Azerbaijan were detained during a supposed “counter-terrorism operation” in the Hadrut region of Artsakh in December 2020, a month after the end of the 2020 Artsakh War. The remaining six individuals were apprehended at various border points.

Human rights advocate Siranush Sahakyan has reported that, according to official data, Azerbaijan still holds 55 Armenians, including 41 prisoners of war, eight former Artsakh leaders and six civilians. She added that there is unofficial data regarding at least 80 prisoners of war and civilians held without investigations into their statuses.

The joint statement states that Armenia and Azerbaijan mutually acknowledge a “historical chance to achieve a long-awaited peace in the region.” Both nations reiterated their commitment to normalizing relations and forging a peace treaty based on principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. After deliberations between the Armenia’s prime minister’s office and the president’s administration of Azerbaijan, an agreement was reached to take “tangible steps towards building confidence between the two countries,” the statement declared.

Furthermore, the Armenian administration expressed support for Azerbaijan’s bid to host the 29th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), withdrawing its own candidacy. Azerbaijan reciprocated by supporting Armenia’s candidacy for membership in the COP Bureau of the Eastern European Group.

Both countries anticipate further discussions to implement trust-building measures in the near future. They “call on the international community to support their efforts that will contribute to building mutual trust between two countries and will positively impact the entire South Caucasus region.”

However, concerns have arisen regarding the sincerity of such commitments. This skepticism arose due to the recent sentencing of Gagik Voskanyan, who was handed an 18-year prison term by a court in Baku following the announcement of the return of POWs. Voskanyan was part of the group of Armenian prisoners repatriated today.

Voskanyan faced a range of charges, including terrorism, arms smuggling and illegal border crossing, among other alleged offenses. Many observers believe the case against him to be fabricated. Throughout the legal proceedings, Voskanyan vehemently maintained his innocence.

The incident involving Voskanyan captured global attention after Armenia’s Ministry of Defense released a video on August 16, 2023. The footage depicted Azerbaijani Armed Forces soldiers engaging with Voskanyan, subsequently arresting him and escorting him to an undisclosed location. This incident and the fact that former state and military officials of Artsakh continue to be detained in Baku raise doubts about Azerbaijan’s commitment to the promised release of prisoners of war.

The “historic opportunity to achieve long-awaited peace in the region” asserted in the joint statement has been critically dissected by analysts, emphasizing the ongoing series of aggressive actions against Armenia, including recent fatalities at the border. Additionally, the statement reaffirmed intentions to establish a peace treaty based on principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Yet, recent remarks by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev regarding access to exclave Nakhichevan through Armenia raise questions about Azerbaijan’s readiness to respect Armenia’s sovereignty, particularly as it pertains to border controls and customs.

Aliyev initially promised to exchange prisoners on November 9, in order to portray the potential success of direct negotiations. Azerbaijan has recently declined to participate in meetings mediated by the West, instead insisting on direct talks with Armenia. This shift towards direct negotiations has sidelined established international mediators and threatened Armenia’s position. Yerevan-based analyst Tigran Grigoryan argued that Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, through engaging in these direct talks, might be pressured into further concessions without effective oversight or accountability.

Despite this development, intermediary efforts have still been in play. The EU Eastern Partnership Foreign Ministers’ Conference in Brussels on December 11-12 indicated the potential meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani ministers, though no separate talks have been announced.

In a recent announcement, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov expressed Baku’s expectation of mutual sincerity and commitment from Armenia, stressing the significance of maintaining peace and neighborly relations without falling victim to short-term geopolitical maneuvers. 

“Peace and neighborly relations should not be sacrificed to some short-sighted geopolitical speculation,” Bayramov stated, underlining the necessity for collective efforts akin to the European model. Bayramov urged for mutual tolerance from Armenia and called upon EU member states to support the peace process without causing any disruptions.

This statement seems to echo the recent joint declaration between the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan, emphasizing bilateral negotiations. Such an approach appears aimed at facilitating Azerbaijani interests within the realm of negotiations with the government of Armenia, according to Haykakan Alik.

Key global stakeholders have weighed in on the joint statement made by the leaders of both nations, expressing views on the release of detainees and the prospects for peace in the South Caucasus.

Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the urgency of signing an early peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia, emphasizing its potential as a pivotal step towards sustainable peace and stability in the region.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, conveyed Moscow’s welcome of the mutual agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan to normalize relations and sign a peace treaty. Zakharova commended the release of prisoners and the concrete support extended by both Yerevan and Baku in international organizations.

The U.S. State Department lauded the joint statement by Pashinyan and Aliyev. The United States emphasized the significance of the commitment made by both parties, highlighting it as a crucial confidence-building measure, pivotal for the forthcoming peace agreement and normalization of relations.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Josep Borrell echoed the sentiment of a historic opportunity for peace in the region. He reaffirmed the EU’s dedication to supporting the ongoing efforts. Borrell emphasized the joint statement’s pivotal nature, considering it a substantial political step forward.

Javier Colomina, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative in the Caucasus and Central Asia, welcomed the mutual release of detainees and other confidence-building measures declared in the joint statement by Armenia and Azerbaijan. Colomina underscored NATO’s firm backing for these efforts, emphasizing support for the normalization of relations between the two nations.

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Hoory Minoyan was an active member of the Armenian community in Los Angeles until she moved to Armenia prior to the 44-day war. She graduated with a master's in International Affairs from Boston University, where she was also the recipient of the William R. Keylor Travel Grant. The research and interviews she conducted while in Armenia later became the foundation of her Master’s thesis, “Shaping Identity Through Conflict: The Armenian Experience.” Hoory continues to follow her passion for research and writing by contributing to the Armenian Weekly.