Jamestown Foundation
Sept 20 2023
Author: Garnik Tadevosian
NK fuel depot explosion: 170 remains found so far
10:35,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. 170 remains have been found so far at the site of the deadly September 25 fuel depot blast in Nagorno-Karabakh, local emergency services announced.
The Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said rescuers continue searching the area.
“So far, a total of 170 remains have been found and transferred to the forensics bureau,” the local police said, adding that personal items found at the site of the explosion were collected and taken to the operational headquarters.
The remains will be transported to Armenia for DNA identification.
Pashinyan extremely concerned over Azeri arbitrary arrests near Hakari Bridge checkpoint
12:52,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. State bodies must take appropriate measures to protect the rights of those arbitrarily arrested by Azerbaijan, PM Nikol Pashinyan has said.
“Azerbaijan is carrying out arbitrary arrests [of persons] outside the Hakari bridge checkpoint. This is an extremely concerning fact. Our state bodies must take appropriate steps in all such cases to protect the rights of arbitrarily arrested persons, including in international platforms,” the PM said.
This issue must be on the agenda of the Armenian government for as long as it’s not properly addressed, Pashinyan said.
Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 28-09-23
17:32,
YEREVAN, 28 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 28 September, USD exchange rate up by 2.29 drams to 390.88 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.95 drams to 411.99 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 4.03 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 5.12 drams to 476.83 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 107.80 drams to 23717.85 drams. Silver price down by 1.14 drams to 286.40 drams.
ICRC evacuates victims of Azeri attack from Martakert to Stepanakert
22:15,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. 17 people wounded in the September 19-20 Azerbaijani aggression in Nagorno-Karabakh have been evacuated from Martakert to Stepanakert by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
ICRC Stepanakert office communications officer Eteri Musayelyan told ARMENPRESS that 17 wounded persons were transported from Martakert to Stepanakert on September 23.
PM Pashinyan, Germany’s Scholz discuss Nagorno-Karabakh
22:45,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke by phone on Friday with Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz. The Prime Minister’s Office said PM Pashinyan and Chancellor Scholz discussed the military-political situation around Nagorno-Karabakh and the steps aimed at overcoming it.
The need for guarantees ensuring the security and rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh was underscored. The Armenia-Germany cooperation agenda was also discussed.
Putin says ‘no problems’ in Russia’s ties with Armenia
New Indian Express
Sept 12 2023
Frustration has been mounting in Armenia recently over what officials say is Russia’s failure to act as a security guarantor amid mounting tensions with its historic rival Azerbaijan.
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday dismissed that Russia’s ties with Armenia were strained, days after Moscow summoned its ambassador following Armenia’s decision to host US forces for peacekeeping drills.
Frustration has been mounting in Armenia recently over what officials say is Russia’s failure to act as a security guarantor amid mounting tensions with its historic rival Azerbaijan.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently said Armenia’s historic security reliance on Russia was a “strategic mistake” and his country is currently holding peacekeeping drills with US forces.
“We have no problems with Armenia or Prime Minister Pashinyan,” Putin said at an economic forum in Vladivostok.
He added that Armenia and Azerbaijan could reach a lasting peace agreement now that Armenian authorities had recognised Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over the separatist enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the mountainous territory and in 2020 Putin brokered a ceasefire that saw Armenia relinquish swathes of territory it had controlled for decades.
Moscow deployed some 2,000 peacekeepers to police the Lachin corridor, the sole road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.
Pashinyan however recently said Moscow was either “unable or unwilling” to control the route.
The peacekeepers’ “mandate is still in force, but humanitarian issues, and the prevention of some ethnic cleansing there, of course, have not gone anywhere, and I fully agree with this,” Putin said.
Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of spurring a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh by closing the Lachin corridor.
On Tuesday, Russia delivered humanitarian aid to the region via Azerbaijani-controlled territory, which experienced shortages of food and medicine.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2023/sep/12/putin-says-no-problems-in-russias-ties-with-armenia-2614157.html
Iran behind escalation between Armenia, Azerbaijan – analysis
i24, Israel
Sept 9 2023
Iran issues threatening message to Azerbaijan, adds warning: Israel, beware
Iran is actively escalating a new conflict in the southern Caucasus region. Against the backdrop of dynamic reconciliation efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia under the aegis of the EU and U.S., Iran has been making every effort in recent weeks to fuel revanchist sentiments in Armenia, and acting on it by mediating arms purchases from India and demonstrating military support.
According to official Iranian sources, particularly the official Telegram channel of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on Friday, August 8th, Iranian Land Forces units and possibly Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp were concentrated near the border of Azerbaijan. Video captured from a helicopter and published on Telegram shows some Iranian armored vehicles in the vicinity of the border river Araz.
Another video shows Iranian troops near the border with Armenia. Similar information was also shared via the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s Telegram channel, posting a map indicating the locations of Iranian forces.
IRGC, following its usual MO, has initiated a propaganda campaign by disseminating video clips in which it not only directly threatens Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, but also Israel, which is a strategic ally of Baku. A video titled “Warning to Aliyev” shows off weaponry and exercises depicting territorial capture (presumably of Azerbaijan), and with music that begins with the words “Israel, beware.”
Iran may not limit its military presence just to the border. Russian sources suggest that Tehran may, in coordination with Yerevan, introduce its armed forces into Armenian territory. Armenia has been one of the channels for the transfer of military equipment to Russia since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine. This move aims to prevent Azerbaijan and Turkey from establishing the Zangezur transportation corridor. Iran considers this corridor, referred to as the “project of Zionists and NATO,” to be one of the alternative routes from the East to Europe that bypasses Russia. In Iran’s view, this corridor would cut off Iran from Armenia, thus disrupting a key channel for covert shipments both to and from the Islamic Republic.
This is one of the reasons why Tehran, in order to strengthen Armenia, lobbied for its purchase of Indian weaponry worth a quarter of a billion dollars. According to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida, Russia, Iran, and India have reportedly transferred a substantial amount of weapons and military equipment to Armenia in the past month.
An unnamed source within the special unit of the IRGC, Sepah-e-Qods, confirmed to Al-Jarida that, based on a joint decision by Russia, Iran, and India, a substantial amount of high-quality weaponry has been sent to Armenia through Iranian territory in recent weeks. This includes drones, tracked vehicles for troop transport, ground-to-ground and ground-to-air missiles, as well as radar systems of Russian and Indian origin. According to the source, “these actions are aimed at creating a balance of power to deter Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Israel from occupying the Syunik region of Armenia.” He explained that “intelligence received by Moscow and Tehran” confirms that the Azerbaijanis plan to cut off overland communication between Russia, Armenia, Iran, and India.
The source revealed that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, personally issued orders to prevent this, “even if it requires the intervention of Iranian armed forces to support Armenia in case it becomes unable to resist.” According to the source, Iran’s General Staff of the Armed Forces received permission from Khamenei to train Iranian Armenians and send them for military service in Yerevan. It is reported that “the IRGC began training Armenian Iranians to operate Iranian military drones a year ago because they could quickly grasp their operational software due to their knowledge of the Persian language, in contrast to the difficulties encountered during the training of Russian personnel.”
Therefore, in the event of an armed conflict in the South Caucasus involving Armenia, Iran and Russia would likely become involved. This is possibly why Azerbaijan has increased its purchases of Israeli weaponry in recent months.
In August 2023, the Israeli think tank Middle East & Central Asia Research Center published an analytical document highlighting that Armenia is becoming a tool in Iran’s proxy war against Azerbaijan.
The document noted that Iran is a relatively weak country in terms of conventional military power, and traditionally relies on asymmetric warfare rather than direct confrontation. Iran has managed to bolster its asymmetric capabilities by using missiles, drones, and proxies. One of Tehran’s proxies in this regard is Armenia, which it employs against Azerbaijan.
The analysis also pointed out that Iran’s former ambassador to Syria, Sobhani, was appointed as a diplomatic representative in Yerevan. The position of Iran’s ambassador in Damascus and Beirut carries not only diplomatic significance but also a military rank. The ambassador is responsible for coordinating with Lebanese Hezbollah, the Assad regime, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Sobhani’s appointment reveals the military importance of Yerevan to Tehran, and suggests that the IRGC is planning to escalate tensions with Azerbaijan.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/analysis-opinion/1694275613-iran-behind-latest-escalation-between-armenia-azerbaijan
Shahramanyan elected as president of Nagorno-Karabakh
Sept 9 2023
9 September 2023
Nagorno-Karabakh’s Parliament has elected Samvel Shahramanyan as the region’s new president. Officials have expressed hope that he will be able to achieve a ‘breakthrough’ in the region’s negotiations with Azerbaijan, which has held Nagorno-Karabakh under blockade for over nine months.
Sharhamanyan was elected in an extraordinary session on Saturday.
According to CivilNet, 23 members of parliament took part in the voting, with 22 voting for Shahramanyan and one against.
Four out of five factions of Nagorno-Karabakh’s parliament on Wednesday nominated Samvel Shahramanyan for the post of president. He was appointed to the position of State Minister a day before Arayik Harutyunyan’s resignation from the post of president.
An application by the United Motherland parliamentary faction to nominate Samvel Babayan, the faction’s leader, was rejected on the grounds that Babayan had not permanently lived in Nagorno-Karabakh for the past ten years, a requirement for presidential candidates. Speaking to RFE/RL on Monday, Babayan stated that his parliamentary faction would not participate in the vote, instead holding a protest against the ‘predetermined’ election in Stepanakert.
However, the votes of the remaining four factions were enough to elect Shahramanyan, as the constitution of Nagorno-Karabakh requires the votes of two thirds of MPs to elect a president.
Samvel Shahramanyan, 44, is believed to be close friends with Bako Sahakyan, the third president of Nagorno-Karabakh. In 2018, during his presidency, Sahakyan appointed Shahramanyan as director of the National Security Service.
Shortly after Arayik Harutyunyan was elected president in 2020, Shahramanyan was appointed head of the newly-created Ministry of Military Patriotism, Youth, Sports, and Tourism. In January 2023, Shahramanyan was appointed secretary of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Security Council, and was amongst those participating in meetings between representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, and Russian peacekeepers on 1 March.
A number of MPs have stated their belief that Shahramanyan can bring together opposing groups in society, and could potentially bring about a ‘breakthrough’ in the ongoing blockade, having previously engaged in discussion with Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh has been under blockade by Azerbaijan since December 2022, with international and local groups increasingly warning that the region is experiencing an acute humanitarian crisis.
[Read more: ‘Bread is all we have’: Nagorno-Karabakh’s population faces threat of starvation]
Political analyst Tigran Grigoryan told CivilNet that Shahramanyan would not be independent, instead representing a political group consolidated by Ruben Vardanyan, the billionaire former State Minister. Harutyunyan’s resignation came soon after former state minister Ruben Vardanyan demanded he step down.
‘Now the decision-making process will take on a more collective nature’, said Grigoryan. ‘Most likely the former presidents, Ruben Vardanyan and their entourage will rule the country through a joint decision-making process.’
Arayik Harutyunyan resigned on 1 September, a day after firing the region’s second most senior official, State Minister Gurgen Nersisyan. In his statement Harutyunyan suggested that holding on to the post could be an impediment to negotiations with the Azerbaijani government.
Just 10 days before his resignation, Harutyunyan signed into law changes that allowed his successor to be appointed by parliament, rather than through a public election.
The changes state that during martial law, if a president leaves office early then parliament should appoint a replacement to carry out the remainder of their term. Nagorno-Karabakh has been under martial law since the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, and Haratunyan’s current term was due to end in 2025.
Harutyunan’s resignation has been discussed within the region since the end of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, with the president initially promising to resign once the situation had ‘normalised’.
Harutyunyan was also associated with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, with some opposition members suggesting that Harutyunyan’s departure could remove ‘obligations’ to the Armenian PM. When he was elected, Harutyunyan was seen as being close to the Armenian PM, though their relationship later soured.
For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.
French Ambassador to Armenia briefed on situation on border with Azerbaijan
16:05, 7 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan on Thursday met with the Ambassador of France Olivier Decottignies to discuss the regional security, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
“On September 7, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to the Republic of Armenia Olivier Decottignies. Issues related to regional security were discussed during the meeting.
The Ambassador was briefed by the Minister on the current situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border,” the ministry said.