Author: Frangulian Shushan

India ready to participate in infrastructure development projects in Armenia

Frangulian Shushan

 14:20, 5 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The centuries-old relations between Armenia, India and Iran are a strong foundation for cooperation in present days, Ambassador of India to Armenia Nilakshi Saha Sinha has said.

Speaking at the New Regional Reality and the Crossroads of Peace forum in Yerevan, the Indian Ambassador said that Armenia and India have historic ties, and Iran is a bridge that has contributed to the development of the relations.

“India and Iran are closely cooperating as part of the North-South international transport corridor initiative, which connects the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf with the Caspian Sea, towards Russia and Europe. We are ready to work with Armenia to understand how the country can benefit from the opportunities of this corridor,” the ambassador said.

Speaking about the Crossroads of Peace project developed by the Armenian government, the Indian ambassador said that this initiative presented by Prime Minister Pashinyan seeks to promote connectivity in the Caucasus, including railways, roads and power transmission lines, through the development of infrastructures.

“Armenia is currently developing its road infrastructure, from the southern border with Iran to the northern border with Georgia. Certain Indian companies have displayed interest towards this project. We are ready to participate in infrastructure development projects in Armenia,” the Indian ambassador said.

[see video]

Travel: Discover the Rich History and Cultural Tapestry of Armenia: Yerevan and Gyumri

Frangulian Shushan
EnergyPortal.eu
Dec 2 2023
  • Post authorBy Daniel Hall

When you think of Armenia, what comes to mind? Perhaps the stunning beauty of Mount Ararat or the vibrant city life of Yerevan and Gyumri. This small country nestled amidst the peaks of the Caucasus Mountains is steeped in history, with evidence of human habitation dating back to ancient times. Let’s explore the captivating stories and cultural treasures of Yerevan and Gyumri.

As you step into Yerevan, its rosy capital, you are transported to a time where history whispers from every corner. The city’s delightful pink hue owes itself to Tuff, a robust stone that has withstood the test of time. Yerevan is like a living time capsule, frozen in the Soviet era, with its imposing Soviet structures coexisting seamlessly with modern cafes and bustling markets.

As you wander through Yerevan’s streets, you can’t help but feel the nostalgic echo of the Soviet charm. The art museums and theatres, with their gilded interiors and velvet curtains, are a testament to the rich artistic heritage that blossomed under Soviet patronage. Republic Square, with its grand neoclassical buildings, is the center of the action, where locals and visitors gather to bask in the glorious sunshine and enjoy the melodies of the musical fountains.

Venturing into Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city, is like stepping back in time. With a history stretching back thousands of years, Gyumri is an archaeological trove where history serenades you from every stone. The city’s architecture, from intricate churches to charming old houses, showcases the craftsmanship of generations past. Museums tucked away in historic homes offer a glimpse into Gyumri’s rich history and cultural tapestry.

When exploring these cities, be sure to immerse yourself in the flavors of traditional Armenian cuisine, visit vibrant flea markets, and sample exquisite local art. Armenia’s cultural tapestry is a symphony of flavors, colors, and stories, waiting to be discovered.

FAQ

Q: How old is Yerevan?
A: Yerevan’s genesis dates back to 782 BC under the reign of King Argishti I, making it one of the world’s most ancient cities.

Q: What is Tuff?
A: Tuff is a robust stone that gives Yerevan its delightful pink hue. It is lightweight yet capable of bearing the weight of history and the colors of picturesque sunsets.

Q: Where can I visit museums in Gyumri?
A: Gyumri is home to fascinating museums such as the Dzitoghtsyan Museum, the Museum of Urban Life and Culture, and museums within the homes of renowned authors Hovhannes Shiraz and Avetik Isahakyan.

Sources:
– https://www.armenia.travel/

https://www.energyportal.eu/news/why-armenia-should-be-your-next-travel-destination/553319/#gsc.tab=0

How the Hamas-Israel war impacts the South Caucasus Iran

Frangulian Shushan
Amwaj
Nov 24 2023
Iran/Security - Fuad Shahbazov

The war between Hamas and Israel war has triggered strong anti-Israel sentiments in the region and heightened fears of a broader conflict engulfing actors such as Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. Worried that the conflict in Gaza could escalate into a regional confrontation, the US has dispatched two aircraft carrier strike groups within range, including additional troops and military advisors.

But alongside tough rhetoric, the violence in Gaza has renewed apparent pragmatism by important regional states such as Iran and Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has openly slammed Israel's bombings of the Palestinian coastal enclave. On the other hand, Ankara has avoided issuing direct threats against Tel Aviv and, in an apparent unusual move, allegedly distanced itelf from Hamas in the aftermath of the Palestinian movement’s surprise attack on Israel last month.

Iran and its regional allies such as Lebanese Hezbollah and Yemen’s Ansarullah movement—better known as the Houthis—have adopted more hostile stances. Both Hezbollah and the Houthis have directly attacked Israel. However, Tehran itself has focused on the political track, pushing for Muslim countries to embargo Israel amid its campaign to galvanize anti-Israeli sentiment in the region. The call for an embargo has gained momentum in light of some Muslim countries’ decisions to downgrade ties with Israel—raising fears among some of Israel’s regional partners.

 

Gaza war puts pressure on Israel’s partners

The mounting criticism of Israel in the region has boosted fears among Tel Aviv’s main Muslim partners, including Azerbaijan. The conflict in Gaza is particularly relevant for Baku, as Tel Aviv’s top energy and military associate in the South Caucasus.

Some 40% of Israel's oil imports of around 300,000 barrels per day were sourced from Iraqi Kurdistan in the first quarter of 2023. That trade has been halted following Turkey's decision to stop oil flows through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline in March over a dispute with Baghdad. To fill the gap, Israel has reportedly turned to African producers and Brazil. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan meet more than half of Israel's demand for oil.

Propelled by military cooperation, the partnership between Azerbaijan and Israel gained a new level of momentum in 2020, when Azerbaijani forces heavily relied on Israeli-made weaponry to regain control over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Baku continues to rely on such arms to maintain military superiority over Armenia.

Following the recapture of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Baku-Tel Aviv partnership has morphed into a new geopolitical alliance. Important political steps have been taken, such as Azerbaijan’s opening of an embassy in Israel in March. This has raised eyebrows in neighboring Iran, particularly as an attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran earlier this year led Baku to shutter its diplomatic mission amid broader tensions.

In parallel with strengthening ties with Israel, Azerbaijan has developed strategic partnerships with leading Muslim countries—including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. While this is mainly due to Baku’s desire to pursue a balanced foreign policy strategy, Tehran has been wary of the deepening relations between its northwestern neighbor and a widening array of its regional rivals.

 

Continued cooperation despite pressure

Unlike Azerbaijan, the Christian countries in the South Caucasus—namely Armenia and Georgia—generally do not have strong ties with Muslim states. Armenia’s strong relations with Iran are an exception to this broader trend. Indeed, the ruling Georgian government has strongly criticized the Palestinian surprise attack on Israel. Tbilisi has also expressed its unwavering support for Tel Aviv—largely mirroring the pro-Israeli public sentiments in Georgia.

To avoid possible criticism from Muslim countries, Azerbaijan has denounced the harm inflicted on civilians in the Gaza Strip, underlining its full support for all relevant UN resolutions on the Israeli-Palestinian issue—including the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside a Jewish state. This stance is not new; Azerbaijan has insisted on these principles since the early 1990s. Perhaps surprisingly, this balanced approach has never been a catalyst for tension in the bilateral relationship with Israel.

Amid the fighting in Gaza and Iran’s resulting calls for an embargo on Israel, Baku has continued to maintain a close partnership with Tel Aviv—albeit while keeping a lower profile on the regional stage.

For instance, at the end of October, Azerbaijan reportedly shipped a tanker loaded with over one million barrels of crude oil to Israel's southern Red Sea port of Eilat. This was after the Ashkelon port on the Mediterranean Sea came under rocket fire from Hamas. Moreover, on Oct. 30, Israel awarded a consortium consisting of BP, NewMed Energy, and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) a license to explore offshore natural gas deposits in the Mediterranean. The move notably came shortly after the Israeli government temporarily shut down the Tamar offshore gas field amid rocket attacks launched by Hamas from Gaza.

 

Looking ahead

The authorities and state media in Azerbaijan have not highlighted the recent significant milestones in the bilateral partnership with Israel for several reasons.

Undoubtedly, Azerbaijan believes that explicit deep engagement with Israel and praise of such an approach in state media amid the ongoing war in Gaza may provoke a reaction from Iran, a staunch supporter of Hamas. Conversely, the Israeli military campaign against Hamas and the ongoing domestic political turmoil in Israel may have geopolitical ramifications, such as a revival of assertive Iranian policy in the South Caucasus.

The bigger picture is that the violence in Gaza is diverting the west’s attention. As a result, regional powers like Iran and Russia may maneuver to fill the vacuum in places like the South Caucasus. To Azerbaijan, the potential strengthening of Iranian influence is hardly a positive factor, particularly amid Baku’s efforts to ink a peace agreement with neighbouring Armenia.

In addition to the regional power dynamics, the Hamas-Israel war puts the Azerbaijani government in an uncomfortable position at home. As recently as Nov. 17, Azerbaijani security forces arrested an armed suspect near the Israeli embassy in Baku who reportedly planned an attack. As a Muslim country, Azerbaijan is expected to demonstrate more profound solidarity with Palestine. However, Baku is—as in the past—acting on the basis of realpolitik, with a focus on relations built on shared interests.

Hence, even though Iran may adopt bellicose rhetoric against Azerbaijan for maintaining strategic ties with Israel amid the Gaza war, it is unlikely that Tehran will deliberately jeopardize its relationship with Baku, which is slowly recovering after years of mounting tensions. The recent diplomatic thaw between Azerbaijan and Iran has renewed the intraregional partnership and paved the way for new forms of cooperation, such as a new transit route linking Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave via Iran.

All in all, while Azerbaijan is not likely to concede to any renewed pressure from Iran, a lengthy war in Gaza may diminish Israeli influence in the South Caucasus to some extent. In the meantime, Baku appears poised to steer clear of active diplomacy on the regional turmoil, maintaining a low profile and avoiding antagonizing Muslim countries.  

 

“Who She Left Behind” captures the soul and strength of the Armenian woman

Frangulian Shushan
 Esther Kalajian Literary Corner, Reviews 0

Victoria Atamian Waterman’s debut novel Who She Left Behind has captured the soul and strength of the women who survived the atrocities and brutality inflicted on the Armenian people by the Ottoman Turks in 1915. The author further exposes the stain of guilt for those who survived and began their lives in the diaspora. 

Beautifully crafted in this vibrant historical fiction is the description of how exiles established roots in America. The Armenian communities in Worcester and Providence offered a wall of protection and a sense of comfort to the survivors. These enclaves were also a beacon of opportunity – a chance for the new arrivals to reinvent their fractured lives. To survive in the new land, each immigrant bears a story that, in their mind and for their healing, must remain hidden from the American public. The silence is deafening, but also, as the story’s main character Aunt Vicky explains, necessary: 

“No one spoke of what she’d been through. After a few months, the physical pain was mostly  gone, though she was often weak and tired easily. It was easier for her family to show support than to speak of it. With the advantage of distance and time, Vicky saw that their silence was a legacy of the march through the desert and the horrors around that time. She couldn’t blame them. Mayrig set the tone all the way back to Hamidieh Camp: there was nothing to go back to, so why speak of it?” (160)

Waterman’s affinity and advocacy for women and girls, as displayed through her career and her TEDx talk titled “Today’s Girls are Tomorrow’s Leaders,” is on full display in her novel. Growing up in a multicultural and multilingual household in Rhode Island with her Armenian Genocide survivor grandparents served as the foundation for the novel. She described how a visit to her Aunt Vicky’s gravesite in the North Burial Ground in Providence, Rhode Island, and the mysterious flowers she discovered there one day in May, served as the starting point for Who She Left Behind. Through the novel, Waterman “aims to shed light on the often-overlooked stories of courageous women who not only survived but resisted the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide, becoming the pillars of reconstructed communities after the war.”

Who She Left Behind weaves a generational exploration of the strength the female characters of the novel don’t even know they possess. The heroine in this expressive historical fiction imparts on the reader that love triumphs over tragedy, and ancestral ties, even though severed, are never extinguished. Aunt Vicky, like all Armenian ancestors, faced immeasurable suffering, but the overarching theme of this literary work is hope and healing for future generations.

  •  Bio
  •  Latest Posts
Esther Kalajian is an Academic English Language professor at Bryant University and is its ESL Specialist. She is currently co-chair of the Genocide Education Project, RI Branch and serves as a professional development committee member of the Rhode Island Holocaust and Genocide Education Commission.


Third Anniversary of the Second Karabakh War: How It Changed the South Caucasus?

Frangulian Shushan
Modern Diplomacy
Nov 8 2023

By: Dr. Vasif Huseynov
On November 8, Azerbaijan celebrates the third anniversary of the Second Karabakh War, also known as the 44 Day War, which the country fought with Armenia to liberate its occupied territories [the Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan]. The war, which lasted 44 days from September 27 to November 10, 2020 resulted in the liberation of significant part of the Azerbaijani territories that had been occupied by Armenia in the early 1990s.

Azerbaijan took care to conduct the military operations against the occupying forces of Armenia without jeopardizing the lives of the civilian population of the Karabakh region. As opposed to the Armenian side that intentionally targeted civilian areas in the Azerbaijani cities that were far from the combat zone and killed 100 civilians, Azerbaijan did not attack against the civilian population. Thanks to this humanist approach of the Azerbaijani government, there were minimal casualties amongst the Armenian civilians (60 civilians) in Karabakh during the 44 Day War. According to the expert reviews, the civilian casualty rate in this war was unprecedented (below 2 percent) which is significantly lower than other conflicts of the recent decades.

The implications of this war were multifaceted, extending their influence not only for the conflicting sides but also throughout the broader region. These consequences were not limited solely to the political or geopolitical sphere but also encompassed various other domains, including the economy, connectivity, and regional integration. Three years later, it is safe to assert that the 44 Day War has ushered in a new era for the South Caucasus.

The war shattered the long-standing impasse in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, paving the way for a comprehensive resolution.

Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in protracted peace negotiations for nearly three decades leading up to the Second Karabakh War. This period was marked by sporadic escalations and the loss of both military personnel and, at times, civilian lives on both sides. Armenia’s strategy was straightforward: its leaders aimed to prolong the negotiations as much as possible while the separatist regime in the occupied territories solidified its control over the region and facilitated the settlement of illegal residents from Armenia and the Middle East. Concurrently, the international community failed to exert pressure on Armenia to adhere to the United Nations Security Council resolutions from 1993, which called for the immediate withdrawal of occupying forces from Azerbaijani territories. Acknowledging the erosion of the negotiation process, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan publicly criticized the international mediators and condemned Armenia’s destructive approaches on July 6, 2020, declaring that the peace process had become “meaningless.”

The 44 Day War broke the impasse in the process but fell short of producing full resolutions. Armenia refused to implement the critical provisions of the trilateral [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia] statement signed on November 10, 2020 that ended the war. Most importantly, Yerevan rejected the Azerbaijani demands to withdraw its armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan where Russia’s peacekeeping mission was deployed in accordance with the trilateral statement. Armed Forces of Armenia, together with the illegal units of the local separatist regime in Russia’s peacekeeping zone, posed military threats to Azerbaijan’s national security. The problem remained even after Yerevan officially admitted the presence of its troops on the Azerbaijani soil in July 2022 and pledged to withdraw them. At the same time, the leaders of the separatist entity in Karabakh ignored Azerbaijan’s calls for peaceful reintegration of the Armenian residents in Karabakh to Azerbaijan’s constitutional framework.

This process was negatively affected by biased policies of the French government and some other political circles in the West who indirectly emboldened the separatist leaders and encouraged them into uncompromising position against Azerbaijan.

This situation led to a deterioration of relations, even though Yerevan officially acknowledged Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, including Karabakh, on multiple occasions after following the 44 Day War. In September 2023, Azerbaijan’s one-day anti-terror operation against the separatist regime in Karabakh marked the decisive blow for the separatist leadership. Confronted with no alternative, the separatist leaders were compelled to capitulate and fully accept Azerbaijan’s conditions.

The operations resulted with the mass exodus of the local Armenian population from the Karabakh region. International organizations, including the United Nations that sent an observer mission to Karabakh in the aftermath of the anti-terror operations in September, dispelled the claims regarding the forced displacement and ethnic cleansing. Armenians who fled Karabakh reported no coercion or maltreatment. They acknowledged that it was their own leaders who instructed them to leave Karabakh after the region came under control of the Azerbaijani side. Nevertheless, Baku has launched various reintegration projects to bring back the Armenian people and offered them Azerbaijani citizenship, social benefits, and other rights.

Thus, the collapse of the separatist regime in Karabakh marked the conclusive end of the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh” project, initially established in 1923 by the Soviet government as a tool to exert pressure on Azerbaijan and utilized by Armenia to carve up a part of Azerbaijani lands.

The war opened up opportunities for regional integration.

The territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the occupied territories of the latter posed a significant obstacle to the rapid economic progress of both nations and also hindered regional economic and political integration in the South Caucasus. Over the past three decades, since the re-establishment of independent statehood in the early 1990s, the region missed out on numerous opportunities. The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict destabilized regional peace and security, generated unnecessary additional expenses for various regional economic initiatives, presented challenges to the transformation of the entire South Caucasus into a key transportation hub for the broader region, and discouraged investments from flowing into the area. As a result, the South Caucasus has not fully realized its economic development potential and connectivity projects over the past thirty years.

The trilateral statement signed on November 10 by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia was not a mere ceasefire agreement; it went beyond that by providing a framework for the region’s post-war development. Notably, the 9th article of the statement focused on the re-establishment of regional transportation and communication links, which had been closed off since the First Karabakh War in the early 1990s. This article stipulated the full restoration of these links, including the establishment of a transportation corridor that would enable unobstructed movement between mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia’s Syunik region, also known as the Zangezur corridor.

In a similar way to the negotiations over the withdrawal of the Armenian troops from Karabakh, Armenia refused to honor its commitments under the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020. Therefore, the talks over the Zangezur corridor have yet to deliver practical results. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has succeeded to obtain an alternative to this corridor via the Iran territory and hence lost interest in the trans-Armenia passage. Nevertheless, we can assume that the Zangezur corridor will be opened soon as it is beneficial to Yerevan and it will help Armenia to overcome self-isolation in the region and integrate into regional transportation networks. Notably, this road has been included in the “Crossroads for Peace” project announced by the Armenian government in October 2023, which envisions more integrated connectivity channels in the South Caucasus with Armenia part of it.

The resolution of the conflict created a good chance also for the regional integration both within the region amongst the three countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) and around the region together with Russia, Iran, and Turkiye. It is important to note that there were meetings amongst the high-level representatives of those countries on both tracks in October, a month after the collapse of the separatist regime in Karabakh. These developments take place in parallel with the intensification of peace treaty talks between Baku and Yerevan.

That said, the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has been a historic movement for the South Caucasus and brought about various opportunities that is set to contribute to peace and stability in the South Caucasus. It is therefore high moment for the international community, including the European Union and the United States, to support the peace and regional integration efforts in the region. The South Caucasus cannot afford to miss the present opportunity.

Armenpress: Armenia hosts World Sambo Championships 2023

Frangulian Shushan

 09:43,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. More than 500 athletes from 70 countries will compete at the World Sambo Championships 2023 in Yerevan, Armenia on November 10-12.

The opening ceremony will take place at 16:30 in the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex on Friday.

Athletes will compete for medals in eight weight categories.

The number of visiting delegation members is over 2500.

No agreement yet on new Armenian-Azerbaijani summit, says Deputy FM

Frangulian Shushan

 13:18, 9 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. There is no agreement on a high-level Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting at this moment, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan said on November 9 when asked whether the talks are in a deadlock.

“At this moment there is no agreement on any specific meeting. There’s been no meeting on the level of leaders, but the mediators have been carrying out certain work in the direction of organizing a new meeting. We are waiting for a new meeting to take place, at this moment it is difficult to say anything about the level, location and mediator of the meeting,” Kostanyan said.

Armenpress: Armenia officially bids to host 2027 Francophonie Games

Frangulian Shushan

 10:16, 6 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has submitted a bid to host the 2027 Francophonie Games (Jeux de la Francophonie), Deputy Foreign Minister Vahe Gevorgyan said in his remarks at the 44th International Organisation of La Francophonie Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

In his speech, Gevorgyan reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to the fundamental values of the organization, particularly in the direction of promoting and strengthening peace, democracy, rule of law and human rights protection.

Gevorgyan also spoke about Azerbaijan’s policy of ethnic cleansing and its September 19 attack in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Deputy FM said that Armenia is making significant efforts to accommodate over 100,000 refugees, including 30,000 children, with dignity and care for their primary needs. The need for international protection of the rights of the forcibly displaced population of Nagorno-Karabakh was highlighted.

Azerbaijan says most points of peace agreement with Armenia agreed upon

Frangulian Shushan
Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Oct 30 2023
Burc Eruygur 

ISTANBUL

Azerbaijan on Monday said it is committed to a peace deal with Armenia and most of the points of a draft agreement have been agreed upon by both sides.

“Azerbaijan's proposal regarding the peace agreement is still valid. Therefore, the next steps should be taken mostly by Armenia. To date, most of the points of the peace agreement have been agreed between the parties,” Elnur Mammadov, Azerbaijan’s deputy foreign minister, told state news agency Azertac.

Mammadov said a peace deal with Armenia will be “more convenient and easier” after Azerbaijan fully restores its sovereignty over its internationally recognized territories in Karabakh.

Relations between the two former Soviet republic have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

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

This September, the Azerbaijani army initiated an anti-terrorism operation in Karabakh to establish constitutional order in the region, after which illegal separatist forces in the region surrendered.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has also expressed his commitment to signing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, and that he hopes a draft deal will be completed in "the next few months."

Earlier this month, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev raised the national flag in Karabakh, saying "we had been waiting for this day for more than 30 years."

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/azerbaijan-says-most-points-of-peace-agreement-with-armenia-agreed-upon/3038037

Speaker of Parliament doesn’t rule out positive movements in relations with Türkiye

Frangulian Shushan

 16:27,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan doesn’t rule out that Armenia’s relations with Türkiye will have a positive movement soon.

Speaking about the Crossroads of Peace project, Simonyan said it is aimed at peace and that the topic of “corridor” is no longer relevant, and that conversations about peace have intensified not only by Armenia but also by the leaders of neighboring countries.

“No one is surrendering anything. There will be open roads, there will be trade, Armenia’s economy will develop, and we will finally have peace. Drawing conclusions from the prime minister’s speech, as well as the latest information, I don’t rule out that our relations and the border [opening] with Türkiye will very likely have some positive movement soon,” Simonyan told reporters.