Author: Frangulian Shushan

Armenian Soldier Killed During Azerbaijani Drone Attack

Frangulian Shushan
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

An Azerbaijani drone attack killed an Armenian soldier on May 12


Azerbaijani forces on Friday launched a drone attack on Armenia’s Gegharkunik province, as a result of which 20-year-old Narek Baghdasaryan was killed, Armenia’s Defense Ministry reported.

At around 10 a.m. local time on Friday used a drone to target the Sotk village in the Gegharkunik province. The Azerbaijani attacks continued at 7:10 p.m. local time, when Armenian military forces in the Kut village were attacked.

Friday’s attack came a day after a massive launched by Azerbaijan targeting the Sotk, Verin Shorzha and Norabak villages all in the Vartenis region of the Gegharkunik Province in northeastern Armenia.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry reported that two Armenia soldiers were also injured during Friday’s attack. On Thursday, four soldiers were reportedly injured.

The Azeri drone strike comes a day after Azeri forces bombarded Armenian positions in the same area in an unprovoked attack. 

The heaving fighting comes days before Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan are scheduled to meet in Brussels to discuss normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in a talks hosted by European Council President Charles Michel.

After holding four-day-long talks in Washington last week, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, are also scheduled to meet in Moscow later next week.

After Thursday’s offensive, Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of deliberately derailing the talks and attempting to use military force against Armenia in hopes of concessions during the internationally-mediated meetings.

Armenia’s foreign ministry condemned Thursday’s attack, saying that Azerbaijan seems to have forgotten the commitments it made during the talks last week in Washington.

Blinken, Michel discuss “opportunities for supporting a sustainable and durable peace” between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Frangulian Shushan

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 10:29,

YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and European Council President Charles Michel have discussed “opportunities for supporting a sustainable and durable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan” during a phone call, the U.S. State Department reported.

“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with European Council President Charles Michel. Secretary Blinken and President Michel reaffirmed U.S. and EU support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. They also discussed opportunities for supporting a sustainable and durable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a readout.

In turn, Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted: “Great to speak with European Council President Charles Michel today to discuss support for Ukraine, South Caucasus peace, and our deep transatlantic partnership.”

Armenia and Azerbaijan held foreign ministerial talks in the United States on May 1-4. Blinken participated in the opening and closing sessions of the talks. After these talks, the EU announced that a new round of talks between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan is planned for May 14 in Brussels.

The Azerbaijani military has been shelling Armenian positions near Sotk since 06:00, May 11.

Russia Outsmarts Europe with its New Iran-Armenia Trade Route

Frangulian Shushan
TFIGlobal
May 9 2023
 by Ansh Pandey

Russia has always been in love with the European market, despite the EU’s detest towards them. It’s a classic case of unrequited love, but that hasn’t stopped Russia from trying to establish new trade routes with Europe. And guess what? Russia has now come up with a new trade route via India, Iran, and Armenia that could outsmart Europe.

According to media reports, Pro-Russia Armenia is about to elaborate on a new Europe-India-Iran transport corridor. The task force’s goal is to develop a new cargo transportation route that will connect the countries of East Asia, India, and Iran with Europe through Georgia and the Black Sea, as an alternative to the North-South international transport corridor. 

The new route is set to connect Europe with India and East Asian countries through the Indian Ocean. The task force will be headed by the Armenian Minister of Economy, who will have to report to the Prime Minister on a quarterly basis. The group must establish contacts and discuss technical and other issues with relevant departments of India, Georgia, and Iran. 

The first political consultations in a trilateral format between the Foreign Ministries of Armenia, Iran, and India took place on April 20 in Yerevan. The issues discussed included new economic, regional, and communication channels, as well as the prospects for deepening trilateral cooperation in various areas.

If this plan materializes, the EU will have a new exclusive trade route to ship exports without any new costs. This would undoubtedly be beneficial for the EU. However, the proposal to first connect the Chahabar port with Yerevan and then move straight to the EU is surprising. But, one cannot deny the role that Russia could potentially play in this deal.

Iran wants to sell its oil, but it can’t supply oil directly because of sanctions. Russia is exporting its oil to Iran, which is then getting re-exported. Furthermore, Russia is actively pursuing new economic links with Iran. 

Armenia’s connection and affection with Russia are also well-known. Russia is the monopoly supplier of gas and other energy resources, including nuclear fuel for the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, which provides 40 percent of domestic electricity generation.

To add to this, many thousands of Armenian migrant workers reside in Russia, and Russia accounts for 70 percent of money transfers from abroad to Armenia, which reached a record $3.5 billion last year. It’s hard to deny Russian links in this deal, especially since Russian FM Sergei Lavrov came to Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis.

This makes the claim of a new Russian trade route more certain. Russia is establishing new links of trade to the EU via various means, like a backdoor entry. The EU may detest Russia, but it cannot deny the benefits of this new trade route.

The EU may detest Russia, but little do they know, Putin has a plan up its sleeve. With India, Iran, and Armenia all in on this trade route, it’s a veritable dream team that could outsmart Europe at its own game.

And let’s not forget about Russia’s active pursuit of economic links with Iran – they’re practically inseparable at this point. And with Armenia’s strong connections to Iran, it’s like they’re all in on the same secret trade route club.

So, while the EU may be shaking their heads at Russia’s shenanigans, it’s hard to deny that they won’t be using this new trade route to their advantage.

 

Yerevan will not hold talks on new regulations for the Lachin Corridor

Frangulian Shushan
May 1 2023
By bne IntelliNews May 1, 2023

Yerevan will not participate in negotiations on new regulations for the Lachin Corridor following Azerbaijan’s long-term blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia. 

On April 28, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said during a joint news conference with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna that “Armenia has never been and will not be engaged in talks on new regulations in the Lachin corridor”.

Mirzoyan is set to hold direct talks this week in Washington with his Azerbaijani counterpart on normalising the two neighbours’ relations.

Mirzoyan emphasised that the corridor’s status was established in the Moscow-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended the six-week Armenian-Azerbaijani war over Nagorno-Karabakh in November 2020. The agreement placed Russian peacekeepers in charge of ensuring security for Nagorno-Karabakh and free movement for its people along a five-kilometre-wide strip of land known as the Lachin Corridor, which connects the mostly Armenian-populated region with Armenia.

Azerbaijan changed the facts on the ground on April 23 by installing a checkpoint at the entrance to the corridor, citing Armenia’s alleged continued military supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh. This  tightened the existing blockade of the region, which Azerbaijani so-called protesters effectively imposed in December.

On April 28, following Azerbaijan’s establishment of the checkpoint, the self-proclaimed eco-activists stopped their own protests that had blocked the road. “Given the partial fulfillment of our demands, as well as the calls of the state representatives, we decided to temporarily stop the protest action,” one of the protestors said. 

The checkpoint was described as illegal by authorities in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, and Russia denounced Azerbaijan’s unilateral actions in the Lachin Corridor. Western powers, including the United States and France, expressed concerns that Azerbaijan’s move could escalate tensions and undermine efforts by Yerevan and Baku to reach peace in the region.

The French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs emphasised France’s full support for talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan in cooperation with the European Union, the United States, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the UN.

The International Court of Justice recently ordered Azerbaijan to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles, and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. However, Azerbaijan denies blockading the Armenian-populated region. It promises to ensure the necessary conditions for a transparent and orderly passage of Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in both directions, in cooperation with Russian peacekeepers.

Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh insist that only the Russian presence in the corridor is acceptable under the terms of the Moscow-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Armenian officials stressed the importance of unblocking the Lachin Corridor, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has  called for a broader international presence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor, urging an urgent international fact-finding mission to the area.

Despite calling for foreign intervention, Pashinyan this year on several occasions mentioned that Karabakh should negotiate with Azerbaijan. However, Nagorno-Karabakh authorities have not accepted Baku’s invitation to discuss political matters. 

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace envisages a grim future and mass migrations for Karabakh Armenians as Armenia appears prepared to relinquish Karabakh. “Yerevan agrees that the Karabakh Armenians have to make their own deals: this is a concession to Baku that also allows Yerevan to avoid responsibility,” reads the Carnegie article. 

https://www.intellinews.com/yerevan-will-not-hold-talks-on-new-regulations-for-the-lachin-corridor-277382/?source=armenia

Talks on situation in South Caucasus may continue in Russia — Armenian PM

Frangulian Shushan
 TASS 
Russia – May 5 2023
Neither Russia nor Western countries presented specific proposals for the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani problem, Nikol Pashinyan said

YEREVAN, May 5. /TASS/. Talks between Foreign Ministers Ararat Mirzoyan of Armenia and Jeyhun Bayramov of Azerbaijan, which began in the United States and were mediated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, may be resumed in Moscow, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Friday.

In an interview with Radio Liberty (listed as a foreign agent media), he said that neither Russia nor Western countries presented specific proposals for the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani problem.

Earlier, Yerevan confirmed plans to hold a meeting between the top Armenian and Azerbaijani diplomats, but did not give any concrete dates.

Mirzoyan and Bayramov held talks in the United States on settling the situation in the South Caucasus from May 1 to 4.

Turkish Press: Azerbaijan says progress on draft peace treaty with Armenia achieved at talks in US

Frangulian Shushan
Anadolu Agency
Turkey – May 5 2023
Elena Teslova  

MOSCOW

Azerbaijan said on Thursday that progress on some articles of a future peace treaty with Armenia was achieved at talks in Washington.

The sides, however, did not find common ground on some key issues, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

“The ministers and their accompanying delegation members reached a mutual agreement on some articles of the draft bilateral agreement on peace and establishment of interstate relations, but at the same time recognized that positions on some key issues still diverge,” it said.

The White House on Wednesday welcomed the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, who engaged in a four-day negotiating session since Sunday.

Jake Sullivan, US national security adviser, said on Twitter that it was “good to host” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at the White House, adding that he welcomed the “progress Armenia & Azerbaijan have made in talks,” encouraging “continued dialogue.”

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Most of the territory was liberated by Baku during a war in 2020 fall, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement and opened the door to normalization.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/azerbaijan-says-progress-on-draft-peace-treaty-with-armenia-achieved-at-talks-in-us/2889988

Asbarez: Pashinyan Acknowledges Specific Document at Center of Washington Talks

Frangulian Shushan
by Asbarez Staff

 

 May 3, 2023

 

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

Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomes foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan (left) and Jeyhun Bayramov (right) in Washington on May 1


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday acknowledged and confirmed that the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan are negotiating over a specific document during their ongoing talks in Washington.

He said, however, that there are no new provisions in the said document, “because I have already spoken about it publicly.”

In discussing the talks in Washington between Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, which entered the third day, Luis Bono, the State Department’s Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations and the U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group told Voice of America on Tuesday that the document being discussed is called “Agreement on the Normalization of Relations.”

He added that the “U.S. is seeking for the parties to normalize their relations, to be able to live together, to strengthen economic ties and even their collective security in the region.”

Speaking at Parliament on Wednesday, Pashinyan said that he had given specific instruction to Armenia’s negotiators, adding that he had emphasized that he—himself—would be signing the eventual peace deal with Azerbaijan.

“I told the negotiating team in Washington to speak freely within the framework of our publicly expressed opinions,” Pashinyan said, adding that during the talks “new ideas may and new components may emerge.”

In the absence of official reports from Yerevan, there has been speculation that a final document may be signed as early as June 1 in Cisinau, the capital of Moldova.

“Our position is as follows: the government of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Armenia must declare that they not only do not have territorial aspirations, but also will not have them. And this is the only principle that will give us the opportunity to have a state, otherwise everything will be done from all sides to prevent us from having a state,” Pashinyan added.

He went on to elaborate that that Armenia must adapt to the changing international landscape, the elements of which, he said, are playing out in Armenia.

St. Illuminator’s hosts Emma Grigoryan art exhibition

Frangulian Shushan
April 26, 2023 Tamar Lakissian Community News 0

NEW YORK, NY—On Sunday, April 16, St. Illuminator’s Armenian Apostolic Cathedral held the opening reception for a retrospective art exhibition featuring the paintings of the talented Armenian artist Emma Grigoryan, installed in Pashalian Hall.

 After opening remarks by Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian,  Anahit Hovhannisyan introduced the artist, who expressed her gratitude to the many people who helped shape her life and inspire her art, and her appreciation to St. Illuminator’s for hosting the exhibition. 

Grigoryan was born and raised in Gyumri, Armenia. She attended the famed Panos Terlemezian Art School in Yerevan and graduated from the Yerevan Fine Arts and Theater Institute. She became a member of the Union of Fine Artists of Armenia in 1971. Grigoryan has lived in New York City for the past three decades, where she created much of her striking, colorful and imaginative artistic output in the tradition of the finest painters Armenia has ever produced. Her paintings have been exhibited in collective and individual shows in different countries, including the US, Moscow, Canada, Belgium, Lebanon, Iraq and Armenia. 

The reception was attended by art lovers and guests, who enjoyed Grigoryan’s paintings and the hospitality provided by the exhibition committee. 

The exhibition is on view every day until Monday, May 15. Many of the works on display are available for purchase with part of the proceeds benefiting the cultural programs of St. Illuminator’s. Those interested in purchasing Grigoryan’s works are invited to inquire with the Cathedral office.  

Emma Grigoryan art exhibition at St. Illuminator’s

Armenian Cultural Student Association holds vigil for Armenian Genocide

Frangulian Shushan
The Cavalier Daily
University of Virginia
There was a moment of silence held at the site of the vigil later that evening. Photo by Ken Fabia | The Cavalier Daily
By Emily Horn

The University’s Armenian Cultural Student Association is currently putting on a week of event programming in remembrance of the Armenian Genocide. To kick off the week, students and community members were invited to place flowers and candles at the site of the Berlin Wall on Grounds throughout the day Monday. There was a moment of silence held at the site of the vigil later that evening. 

Nearly 1.2 million Armenians died in the Armenian Genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, which occurred in 1915 during World War I. 108 years later, about 25 students gathered near the Berlin Wall exhibition to remember this tragedy and honor the lives lost. 

Tatev Gomtsyan, president and co-founder of ACSA and fourth-year College student, contributed to the planning of this vigil in addition to other members of ACSA. She founded the student organization to create a space for Armenian students at the University, as well as to educate Armenian people about their heritage and culture. She said the group’s goal is to spread as much knowledge about the genocide as they can.

“We really hope that the vigil tonight will open students’ eyes to the depth of the history of Armenia and the genocide and how it continues to affect our daily lives,” Gomtsyan said.

Other events will be held this week in addition to Monday’s vigil, including a speaker panel with about 36 attendees Tuesday, a dance workshop Thursday and an art and music activity Friday. The ACSA also organized a fundraiser on the Corner last Friday.

Susanna Kharatyn, co-founder and vice president of ACSA and second-year College student, also assisted in the coordination efforts for the events. Kharatyan said it is important to bring “a little piece of Armenia” to the Grounds through programming, especially because ACSA was founded just a few years ago.

The Monday vigil, along with the other events, are among the first programming efforts by the Association since its founding. ACSA leadership said they wanted to hold this series of programming to provide a space for Armenian students and University community members to stand in solidarity and learn more about the genocide. 

At the vigil, ACSA members and other students placed flowers and posters honoring the lives lost during the genocide. After a brief speech, the organizers passed out candles and held a moment of silence. 

Second-year College student GK Do attended the vigil and said he has learned a lot about Armenian culture by being involved with the club. 

“This vigil serves as a reminder of the darkest aspects of humanity and the atrocities that were committed during the Armenian Genocide, but it also is a reminder of the strength and resilience of the Armenian people,” Do said.

Kharatyan said that the Armenian Genocide’s impact went beyond just its impact on the Armenian community. In the future, ACSA plans to continue hosting events to bring Armenian students together as well as have a greater impact on the University population. 

At the beginning of May, the 6th session of the Armenian-Czech intergovernmental commission will take place in Prague

Frangulian Shushan

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 20:20,

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. The 6th session of the Armenian-Czech intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation will be held in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, at the beginning of May, ARMENPRESS reports the relevant decision of the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan is published on the e-government website.

The Armenian delegation will be headed by Deputy Minister of Economy Narek Teryan.