11:59,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Parliamentary Committee on State-Legal Affairs approved on September 28 the bill on ratifying the Rome Statute.
The ratification will now be debated during the next plenary session.
Author: Greg Madatian
Erdogan to discuss meeting proposed by Ankara between leaders of Russian Federation, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia
16:15, 24.09.2023
Region:Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey
Theme: Politics
Theme: Politics
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to discuss the proposed meeting between the leaders of the Russian Federation, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during their negotiations on Monday in Nakhichevan, according to a source in the administration of the Turkish leader, as reported by RIA Novosti.
Erdogan had previously stated that he made a proposal to hold a quadrilateral meeting of the leaders of the Russian Federation, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. However, Ankara has not yet received a response to this proposal. The Turkish President has expressed his intention to discuss the matter with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Aliyev.
Power supply restored only in Martakert so far
17:47,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Power supply in Martakert has been restored, reporter Lusine Zakaryan told ARMENPRESS by phone from the town in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Meanwhile, the town of Askeran still has no power supply, the local regional administration’s spokesperson Anahit Petrosyan said.
Power supply in Stepanakert hasn’t been restored either.
Gayane Gevorgyan, a woman living in Stepanakert, said that the residents have set up stoves in the streets to cook food. “We’ve been managing to somehow charge our phones using car batteries to be able to maintain contact with one another. We are waiting with hope,” Gevorgyan said.
Azerbaijan pledges to reopen Lachin Corridor to Nagorno-Karabakh
POLITICO
Sept 10 2023
Egypt’s Culture Minister invited to Women Political Leaders (WPL) Democracy, Peace and Security Summit in Yerevan
10:45, 5 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenia plans to organize Armenian Culture Days in Egypt in 2024, the Armenian Ambassador to Egypt Hrachya Poladyan told Egypt’s Minister of Culture Neveen Youssef Al-Kilany during a meeting on September 4.
During the meeting Poladyan conveyed to the Egyptian culture minister the invitation to attend the Women Political Leaders (WPL) Democracy, Peace and Security Summit in Yerevan in October 2023. Al-Kilany expressed interest to participate in the event.
Poladyan and Al-Kilany praised the good traditions of cooperation in culture between the two friendly countries and expressed readiness to make joint efforts to further develop partnership, the foreign ministry said in a readout. In this regard, Ambassador Poladyan attached importance to updating and amending the legal-contractual framework between the two countries. The Armenian Ambassador and the Egyptian culture minister attached importance to intensifying mutual visits of official delegations and cultural groups for further enhancing cooperation.
RFE/RL Armenian Service – 09/04/023
Monday, September 4, 2023
Karabakh To Ration Bread Due To Blockade
Nagorno-Karabakh - People line up outside a bakery in Stepanakert.
Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh have decided to ration bread in the capital
Stepanakert to cope with a serious shortage of flour resulting from Azerbaijan’s
nine-month blockade of the Lachin corridor.
They began handing out Monday ration stamps to residents of the town which is
home to roughly half of Karabakh’s estimated population of 120,000. Starting
from Tuesday, every Stepanakert resident will be able to buy only half a loaf of
bread weighing 200 grams.
Bread has become an even more important staple food in Stepanakert and other
Karabakh towns since Azerbaijan tightened the blockade in mid-June by halting
all relief supplies to the Armenian-populated region carried out by Russian
peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Local food stores
have run out of most other basic foodstuffs rationed since January.
The bread shortage worsened at the end of August, with locals spending more
hours waiting in lines to buy up to two loaves per person from bakeries.
Karabakh’s Agricultural Support Fund again urged local farmers at the weekend to
sell off their wheat stocks and thus help alleviate the deficit. The fund set a
higher price -- 250 drams per kilogram (65 U.S. cents) -- and offered other
incentives in hopes of buying more wheat grown by them.
By comparison, the market-based wholesale price of wheat in Armenia currently
stands at less than 100 drams per kilogram.
“Dear farmers, please … sell the stored wheat to the fund so that we can
together overcome the existing crisis as soon as possible,” the public agency
said in a statement. “The struggle is not only war, this is also a struggle from
which we can emerge victorious only thanks to our unity.”
The humanitarian crisis has prompted serious concern from the United States, the
European Union and other international actors. As well as insisting on the
immediate reopening of the Lachin corridor, the Western powers have implicitly
urged Karabakh to agree to another, Azerbaijani-controlled supply route sought
by Baku.
Most Karabakh Armenians appear to remain strongly opposed to that route. Scores
of them have been blocking a road leading to the Azerbaijani town of Aghdam to
prevent two Azerbaijani trucks loaded with 40 tons of flour from entering
Karabakh. They as well as the authorities in Stepanakert believe that the
proposed aid is a publicity stunt aimed at legitimizing the blockade and helping
Azerbaijan regain full control over Karabakh.
Tensions Mount Between Russia, Armenia
Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Armenian Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinian in his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, April 19, 2022.
Russia denounced on Monday Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s fresh criticism of
Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh and his claims that Moscow is
“unwilling or unable” to defend Armenia and may eventually leave the South
Caucasus.
Highlighting unprecedented tensions between the two allied countries, a Russian
official warned Yerevan against helping the West “squeeze Russia out” of the
region.
In an interview with Italy’s La Repubblica daily publicized by his press office
over the weekend, Pashinian declared that his government is trying to “diversify
our security policy” because Armenia’s long-standing heavy reliance on Russia
has proved a “strategic mistake.”
“Armenia’s security architecture, including the logic of weapons and ammunition
acquisition, has been connected to Russia by 99,999 percent,” he said. “But now
that Russia itself needs weapons and munitions [amid the war in Ukraine] it is
obvious that in this situation the Russian Federation could not provide for
Armenia's security needs even if it wanted to.”
“The Russian Federation has been in our region, the South Caucasus, for quite a
long time. But we have seen situations when the Russian Federation simply left
the South Caucasus in one day, one month or one year,” he went on, apparently
referring to the 1917 collapse of the Russian Empire.
“There are processes that, of course, lead one to think that the same scenario
could be repeated and that one day we will simply wake up and see that Russia is
not here,” added Pashinian.
Russia hit back at Pashinian, with an unnamed “diplomatic source” in Moscow
calling Pashinian’s comments “unacceptable.”
“In fact, they are trying to artificially squeeze Russia out of the South
Caucasus, using Yerevan as a means of achieving this goal,” the source told the
official TASS news agency. “As Armenia’s closest neighbor and friend, Russia,
does not intend to leave the region. However, this should be a two-way street:
Armenia should also not become a weapon for the West to squeeze out Russia.”
Pashinian also slammed the Russian peacekeeping forces for their failure to
reopen the Lachin corridor, Nagorno-Karabakh’s sole land link with Armenia,
blocked by Azerbaijan last December. The blockade, he said, means the
peacekeepers are “not fulfilling their mission” defined by the Russian-brokered
agreement that stopped the 2020 war in Karabakh.
The Russian source cited by TASS rejected Pashinian’s “baseless attacks” on the
peacekeepers. He said that the Armenian premier’s controversial recognition of
Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh “made the work of the Russian peacekeeping
contingent as difficult as possible.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, likewise charged on
August 30 that Pashinian’s far-reaching concession to Baku paved the way for the
Azerbaijani blockade and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Karabakh. Her
Armenian opposite number dismissed the claim and cited a long list of Armenian
grievances against Moscow.
The rift between Moscow and Yerevan has deepened over the past year, fueling
speculation about a pro-Western shift in Armenia’s traditional geopolitical
orientation. Some of Pashinian’s political allies and Western-funded civic
groups have welcomed such a prospect. By contrast, Armenia’s main opposition
groups are seriously concerned about it, arguing that the West is not ready to
give Armenia security guarantees or significant military aid.
Armenian Airport Again ‘Struck By Azeri Gunfire’
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - An L-410 plane carrying Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian lands at Kapan
airport, August 17, 2023.
Azerbaijani troops have reportedly opened fire at the civilian airport of Kapan
for the third time since the recent start of commercial flights between the
Armenian border town and Yerevan.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee confirmed on Monday reports that the small
airport’s walls and windows were damaged by several gunshots fired early on
September 1. The committee said it is conducting a criminal investigation into
attempted murder and damage to property motivated by “ethnic hatred.”
“According to preliminary data, the gunshots were fired from
Azerbaijani-controlled territory,” the spokesman for the law-enforcement agency,
Gor Abrahamian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Armenia’s state border guard service said earlier that the Kapan airport first
came under cross-border fire on August 18 less than 24 hours after a plane
carrying Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian landed there. According to it, three
gunshots were fired from Azerbaijani army positions overlooking the facility,
damaging its roof and one of the windows.
Another shooting incident was reported on August 19 just minutes after a plane
carrying other senior officials from Yerevan touched down on the runway. Local
officials accused Azerbaijan of trying to disrupt the first post-Soviet flight
service between Yerevan and Kapan launched by the NovAir airline on August 21.
Later in August, the Armenian government notified the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) about the shootings and asked the 193-nation body
to help prevent a repeat of such incidents.
A spokeswoman for a Yerevan-based ticketing agency representing NovAir said that
the airline continued its twice-weekly flights to and from Kapan, most recently
on Monday, following the latest gunfire. The private carrier uses small L-410
aircraft capable of carrying up to 17 passengers.
Thousands Rally In Yerevan For Karabakh
Armenia - Opposition supporters rally in Yerevan, September 2, 2023.
The Armenian opposition rallied thousands of supporters in Yerevan at the
weekend to show support for Nagorno-Karabakh’s population blockaded by
Azerbaijan and demand Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s resignation.
The rally organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun)
and joined by other major opposition parties as well as former Presidents Serzh
Sarkisian and Robert Kocharian was timed to coincide with the 32nd anniversary
of the proclamation of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It came amid
a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Armenian-populated region resulting from
the nearly nine-month Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin corridor.
“Today the heroic people of Artsakh are putting up unprecedented resistance,”
Dashnaktsutyun leader Ishkhan Saghatelian told the crowd rallying in Yerevan’s
Liberty Square. “The Armenian mother, with her hungry child in her arms, refuses
the food offered by the enemy and declares that this struggle is a struggle for
identity, for dignity, for living in the native land and for self-determination.”
Echoing Russian Foreign Ministry statements, Saghatelian claimed that Pashinian
paved the way for the blockade with his recognition of Azerbaijani sovereignty
over Karabakh. Pashinian has no popular mandate to make such a concession to
Baku, he said, branding the Armenian premier as a European Union “puppet.”
Armenia - Opposition leader Ishkhan Saghatelian speaks during a rally in
Yerevan, September 2, 2023.
“All mediating countries and international organizations should bear in mind
that the person with whom they are negotiating today and who speaks on behalf of
Armenia does not represent the Armenian people and any agreement reached with
him is null and void,” added Saghatelian.
Saghatelian went on to promise renewed opposition protests aimed at scuttling a
“treasonous” peace deal with Azerbaijan and removing Pashinian from power. “Our
next meeting will not come too late,” he told the demonstrators without giving
any dates.
Armenia’s main opposition groups jointly staged daily protests in Yerevan in May
and June 2022 after Pashinian signaled readiness to “lower the bar” on
Karabakh’s status acceptable to his government. They claim to have delayed a
“capitulation agreement” with Baku despite failing to topple him.
Dashnaktsutyun vowed to launch another protest movement after Pashinian
explicitly recognized Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan in May this year.
Saghatelian spoke on Saturday of “active discussions taking place in the
opposition camp” for that purpose.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Tehran backs Armenian territorial integrity, sovereignty: Iran envoy
TEHRAN TIMES, Iran
Aug 26 2023
– 22:52
TEHRAN – Armenian media has quoted the Iranian ambassador to Yerevan who on Friday emphasized Tehran’s support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Armenia.
“Our fundamental policy is to develop relations with the Republic of Armenia. Iran always defends the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Armenia. The two countries have never had any problems in any field or level, especially since Armenia regained its independence,” said Mehdi Sobhani while visiting an economic exhibition in Yerevan.
Tensions have been rising between Armenia and its neighbor, the Republic of Azerbaijan as Baku has set up a checkpoint on the only land route connecting Armenia to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Baku is seeking to create a corridor in the region to gain unimpeded access to Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic without Armenian checkpoints via Armenia’s Syunik Province. If implemented, the corridor would violate the 2020 ceasefire deal between Baku and Yerevan and also change the borders of Iran and Armenia.
The ambassador also pointed to trade deals between Iran and Armenia, saying, “As for economic interactions, our annual trade is $700 million, but the two nations have set themselves the goal of increasing it to up to $3 billion”.
The diplomat had previously called Armenia the gateway for Iran to enter a lucrative market of a 200-million population due to its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
He had called on Iranian producers to take advantage of opportunities created for them and try not to miss the boat.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/488371/Tehran-backs-Armenian-territorial-integrity-sovereignty-Iran
Exploring Armenian Flavors
FORBES
Aug 22 2023
There’s a restaurant in Chicago called Sayat Nova, which is named for the Armenian 18th century poet Arutin Sayadyan whose pen name means “King of Songs.” The food is so good I used to fly it back to San Francisco and got into fights with the TSA about whether the yogurt-laden dishes were technically considered liquid or not.
I had the pleasure of meeting Armenian chef and TV personality Ara Zada when I was down in Los Angeles a few weeks ago. We had a great chat about what is so unique about this cuisine. All answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.
There’s a restaurant in Chicago called Sayat Nova, which is named for the Armenian 18th century poet Arutin Sayadyan whose pen name means “King of Songs.” The food is so good I used to fly it back to San Francisco and got into fights with the TSA about whether the yogurt-laden dishes were technically considered liquid or not.
I had the pleasure of meeting Armenian chef and TV personality Ara Zada when I was down in Los Angeles a few weeks ago. We had a great chat about what is so unique about this cuisine. All answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.
L.B.Z.: Where is your family from and how often do you go back?
A.Z.: My mom and grandparents are Armenian but both were born in Egypt. The first time I went to Armenia in 2016 and I was going back about every six months until the Covid pandemic hit.
L.B.Z.: Where did you study culinary arts?
A.Z.: I did my culinary studies at Le Cordon Bleu.
L.B.Z.: When did you first experience Armenia wines and how have they evolved?
A.Z.: The first time I had Armenian wine was my first trip to Armenia. Since then, there has been a massive wine revolution. Tons of wine makers from around the world have come to buy vineyards. They have evolved the wine making processes and techniques. I’ve been told by several wine makers in Armenia that their best vintage is next one to come, since the winemaking process is in constant evolution.
L.B.Z.: What have some of the biggest challenges been for the Armenia wine industry?
A.Z.: For wineries just getting their name out has been tough. Armenia has long history of wine making that dates back 6000 years. However, during Soviet domination Armenian winemakers were encouraged to make brandy instead. Also, most people at that point were making their own wine in their backyard and it wasn’t that good.
L.B.Z.: Do you think the fact that many of these grapes are hard to pronounce have been an issue for them?
A.Z.: The indigenous grapes of Armenia can be pretty difficult to pronounce but it’s just a matter of people saying it a few times. What is also notable is that the indigenous grapes of Armenia don’t suffer from phylloxera and are grown on their own rootstock, which is very unusual in the wine world today.
L.B.Z.: What are some of the most traditional Armenian dishes?
A.Z.: Some of the most recognizable would be Khorovats which is Armenian BBQ, skewered up chunks of meat cooked on an open flame; Lavash-wrapped Trout; Harissa, wheat Porridge; and my favorite Khash, cow foot soup. The cuisine features lots of traditional Lavash bread, cheese and an abundance of herbs.
L.B.Z.: How has the Armenian wine scene been evolving in Yerevan?
A.Z.: The wine scene is incredible in Armenia. There is a whole street dedicated to cool wine bars and restaurants in Yerevan, the capitol.
L.B.Z.: You are involved in creating modern Armenian food. What does that involve?
A.Z.: I love creating modern Armenian food by taking classic cooking methods and making them easier for more people to enjoy or mixing ingredients from different cultures to bring new life to classic dishes.
L.B.Z.: Does fine-tuning the food allow younger people to understand it better?
A.Z.: Absolutely! Your people tend to be afraid of old Armenian dishes because they saw their mothers and grandmas slaving for hours in the kitchen. When I show people an easier way to prepare them, it inspires people to get in the kitchen and get creative.
L.B.Z.: You said you did a Mexican-Armenian pop up? What was that like?
A.Z.: I have been fusing Armenian and Mexican dishes for some time. We take Armenian dishes and add Mexican spices or vice versa and it’s been blowing up on social media. We call it Arm-Mex Fusion. We did a few kitchen/comedy pop-ups and the feedback has been incredible. Each event has had the tickets sell out in the first few hours.
L.B.Z.: How did you combine the flavors of the two cuisines?
A.Z.: Most of the time we come up with video ideas on the spot and they turn into magic on the camera. We took lahmajun—meat flatbread—and cut it up into chips, baked them and made nachos out of them. We made tacos using lavash, khorovats-spiced pork and a pepper sauce.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizazimmerman/2023/08/22/exploring-armenian-flavors/?sh=6a60c7b96f28
Intellectuals from Turkey unite to break Nagorno-Karabakh blockade and avert potential genocide
16:40,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. Politicians, writers, and human rights advocates from Turkey have united to issue a plea to the global community, urging immediate intervention to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh caused by Azerbaijan’s blockade, Gercek News reports.
The heart of the appeal lies in the conviction that waiting for a humanitarian disaster to unfold before acting is unacceptable.
“As the blockade imposed by Azerbaijan on the Lachin corridor enters its eighth month and the once-vibrant region of Nagorno-Karabakh is teetering on the brink of a dire humanitarian crisis, a group of Turkish intellectuals, writers, politicians, and human rights advocates has united to issue a compelling appeal to the global community, urging immediate intervention to alleviate the suffering and prevent a potential catastrophe.
“The relentless blockade, endorsed by the Baku government and bolstered by Ankara’s support, has not only isolated the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh but has also instilled concerns of a looming genocide. This grave situation has prompted a group of influential Turkish figures to raise their voices, advocating for international action to halt the blockade and offer a lifeline to the beleaguered residents.
“It is evident that essential supplies are unable to reach Karabakh, and residents are trapped without access to urgent medical care. As the crisis deepens and in confirmation of international concerns, Baku’s dictator Ilham Aliyev continues to openly and continuously threaten the people of Karabakh. To such an extent that the former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, published a significant article characterizing Aliyev’s actions in Karabakh as genocide,” the statement by the group said and called on all states, international organizations, particularly the United Nations and the International Red Cross, and the international public to take a proactive stance.
Drawing a historical parallel from the World War II, “Just as the Berlin blockade was broken through airlifts in 1948-49, we call for the breaking of the Karabakh blockade through air supply routes, thus putting an end to this humanitarian tragedy,” the statement added.
The signatories are:
Abdullah Demirbas, Abdulhakim Das, Adnan Canguder, Adnan Celik, Ahmet Aykac, Ahmet Konuk, Akin Atauz, Akin Birdal, Alev Er, Alex Koskeryan, Ali Gokkaya, Ari Gunter, Asli Erdogan, Attila Tuygan, Ayse Hur, Ayse Yildirim, Aysegul Devecioglu, Baskin Oran, Bayram Kaya, Celal Baslangic, Cengiz Aktar, Cengiz Arin, Denis Dreisbusch, Dogan Ozguden, Emrah Cilasun, Erdal Dogan, Erdogan Kahyaoglu, Eren Keskin, Ergun Babahan, Erol Ercan, Eser Budak, Esra Mungan, Fatime Akalin, Fikret Baskaya, Garo Kaprielyan, Gencay Gursoy, Gungor Senkal, Gurhan Ertur, Hacer Ansal, Hasan Burgucuoglu, Hatice Yildiz, Hidir Celik, Hovsep Hayreni, Huseyin Habip Taskin, Ibrahim Seven, Inan Gedik, Inci Tugsavul, Ira Tzourou, Kemal Bilget, Kemal Hur, Kemal Yalcin, Kenan Yenice, Mahmut Konuk, Mehmet Ali Balta, Nafiz Ozbek, Necati Abay, Nedim Kibar, Nesim Ovadya Izrail, Nesrin Nas, Nevzat Onaran, Nurcan Baysal, Nurten Kirmizigul, Okan Kucukersan, Osman Okkan, Oya Baydar, Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, Omer Madra, Racho Donef, Ragip Duran, Ragip Zarakolu, Ramazan Gezgin, Recep Marasli, Sait Cetinoglu, Sait Oral, Selahattin Kocak, Selay Ertem, Selma Kociva, Serdar Kocman, Sibel Yigittekin, Saban Iba, Sakir Bilgin, Samil Altan, Sanar Yurdatapan, Sukriye Ercan, Taner Akcam, Ulku Cevik, Viktorya Ciprut, Yalcin Ergundogan, Yasemin Gedik, Yasar Kucukaslan, Yavuz Aydin, Yavuz Baydar, Yetvart Danzikyan, Yildiz Aydin, Yusuf Kose, Zarife Atik, Ziya Ozder.
xUnited States Congressman Brad Sherman congratulates new Speaker of Parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh on election
09:57,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. United States Congressman Brad Sherman has congratulated the new Speaker of Parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Davit Ishkhanyan on his election.
“I welcome the election of Davit Ishkhanyan as the new Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh,” Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32), senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Congressional Armenian Caucus said in a statement published by his office. “I look forward to this transformative phase of leadership and to continuing the work to further strengthen the U.S. bond with Artsakh and the Armenian people.”
ARF’s Davit Ishkhanyan was Speaker of Parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh on August 7.