Author: Hagop Kamalian

Armen Ashotyan shared the reference of the European People’s Party (EPP) on the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on his Facebook page.

“Today we are standing next to the Armenian people in memory and solidarity.

We have a duty to honor their memory and continue the pursuit of justice.

We call on Turkey to face the truth of the past and take sincere steps towards reconciliation, paving the way for a more peaceful and shared future.”

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On April 3, the Chairman of the RA NA Foreign Relations Committee Sargis Khandanyan met with the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Yerevan, Mohammed Al-Sheikhli. Welcoming the guest, the Armenian parliamentarian noted that the friendly relations between the peoples of the two countries have always been a solid basis for the continuous development of cooperation between Armenia and Iraq, emphasizing the development and expansion of interstate and parliamentary relations. M. According to Al-Sheikhli, bilateral relations between Armenia and Iraq are developing dynamically, which is also reflected by the signing of a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding. Yerevan and Baghdad attach great importance to the establishment of peace in the region, stressing that it is the most important condition for the prosperity and mutually beneficial cooperation of the states.

Earlier, at the beginning of the year, the Iraqi diplomat was received by the RA Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Narek Apitonyan. According to the press service of the department, a number of issues of bilateral cooperation in the field of energy and the prospects of its development were discussed during the meeting. Er:and:are planning to at least double the import of Iraqi liquefied petroleum gas from the current year, seeking to weaken the dependence in this field not only on the Russian Federation, but alsoand: From Azerbaijan, where the limited supply of this product started hereby thevowel marchfrom: Narek Apitonyan emphasized the developing relations between the two countries in the field of energy, expressed hope that the dynamics of bilateral cooperation in the field of energy will improve, opening up new opportunities in that field.

Նշվեց՝ Armenia imports liquefied petroleum gas from Iraq. According to the data of the RA Customs Service, in the first half of 2025, Armenia imported 218.1 tons of this energy resource, which is 68.3% more compared to the same period last year. Moreover, customs valuen: increased 2.8 times to $146,000. During that period, Iraqi gas accounted for only 0.1% of total imports of this commodity. This volume in the second half of the yearn: grew toand: a total of 410 tons, which is about 1% of total imports. These supplies were mainly routed through Iran, against which the United States and: Israel launched a war of aggression on February 20, 2026.

In the opposite direction, again through the Meghri checkpoint, cigarettes are transported through the territory of Iran and: some other Armenian products: The total volume of exports and re-exports from Armenia to Iraq in 2025 made 338 million dollars, while trade turnover has steadily increased. noted participants of the 4th session of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation between the two countries. Armenia in October last year and: Oman has submitted formal applications to join the Road to Development project, according to the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Transport Adviser Nasser Al-Assadi. “The Iraqi government thinks so՝ right?and:those countries should participate in the “Road to Development” project. Q:atheCome on, the UAE and: Turkey has expressed readiness to support the project. The ambassador of Armenia in Iraq also expressed his desire for his country to participate in the project, the Armenian industry and: With Iraq and the regionand:by creating a free zone for trade exchanges”.

Earlier, in the late 1990s (and even in the mid-1970s), experts from the USSR/Russia, Iran and Iraq discussed a project to transit natural and oil gas and oil from Mesopotamian fields through Iran to the Caucasus, with the possible creation of a gas and oil export hub near the port of Batumi.. Such a project was conditioned both by the normalization of relations between Iraq and Iran, who signed friendship and border treaties in Algiers in 1975, and by the relatively friendly relations of the USSR with both the regimes of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and Saddam Hussein. However, in 1979 the bloody Iran-Iraq war began, which lasted until 1988 and buried any transit option in the region for many years.

Meanwhile, there was also a project that provided for the exit of northern Iraqi oil to the Iranian coast of the Caspian Sea. This age-old idea, which dates back to 1919, was developed by the British oil business to connect oil-producing regions and pumping systems in the Middle East and the Caspian region by the shortest route.. In 1995-2001, Mehdi Safari, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, told the author of my article (at that time, the commentator of RCC): “There were no categorical objections from Iran, the issue is being discussed, but a lot will depend on the position of the Iraqi side.”

Some authors consider the hypothetical energy connection between Iran and Iraq to be one of the reasons for the eternal concern of the US and Israel. An alliance between the two neighboring countries would quickly establish a dominant position in the region, and cooperation had come a long way in recent decades. For example, as of 2019, Iran supplies almost 43% of Iraq’s gas needs for developing Iraqi electricity generation (supplied by pipeline through the southern city of Basra and by rail). Iran resumed gas supplies to Iraq on March 21, 2026, after a nearly one-month hiatus due to the “Epstein Coalition’s” attacks on the largest field of “South Pars”. Iraq depends on Iranian gas (mainly liquefied natural gas) to run its power plants. The agreement provides for supplies up to and including 2029, with an option to extend for any period. In addition, the White House prohibits Baghdad from importing gas from Iran, but the government of Muammar al-Sudani insists on “temporary” permits and receives them.

It appears that renewed Iran-Iraq energy cooperation partially exempts Iraqi oil and gas from the embargo to supply Armenia, Turkey and Jordan. At the same time, projects have been prepared with the French TotalEnergies for the development of 4 new gas fields in central and southern Iraq in 2026-2031. Total gas reserves in the country are appreciated about 4.6 trillion cubic meters, almost 70% of which is petroleum gas. Whether all this will be realized depends on the course of events in the region, including the early cessation of US-Israeli aggression against Iran and the restoration of normal operation of transit routes.

Alexey Baliev

vpoanalytics.com

Translation by Zhanna Avetisyan

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The Republican Party proposes to clarify the rules of the game with all opposition forces at this very moment, in order to avoid possible situations hindering the nomination of a united opposition candidate during the post-election processes. About this 168 TVof Revue mentioned on the air of the program RPA Council member Levon Nazaryanclarifying that it is about the signing of the memorandum proposed by the third president of the Republic of Armenia, the chairman of the RPA, Serzh Sargsyan.

The member of the RPA council reminded that Serzh Sargsyan had proposed that the candidates included in the first three dozen of the pre-election lists of the opposition forces participating in the NA elections should sign a corresponding memorandum, assuming a moral obligation not to cooperate with the regime and not to leave the opposition field.

“Let’s imagine the following situation: the opposition forces have entered the parliament, Samvel Karapetyan at that moment still has no chance to become the prime minister due to the constitutional regulations, let’s assume that the favorite is Narek Karapetyan, and the honorable Second President can say, right? “I have the moral right to insist that you choose me as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia at this moment, taking into account my irrevocable merit in the establishment of the state, even though I am not the leader of the leading opposition force with votes.” If suddenly this problem or this situation arises, how will we orient ourselves in this regard? Will that be an excuse for the opposition forces not being able to unite and send this government home after June 7? This example is just an imaginary example, but in order for us to avoid this situation, we suggest that we clarify the rules of the game with all the opposition forces right now, and that the rules of the game should be in the form of an opposition declaration, which will be signed by all the forces participating in the elections, so that the scenario of the Yerevan Council of Elders elections will not be repeated in the future,” explains Levon Nazaryan.

The representative of the Republican Party emphasizes that the RPA has an action plan, but it is not correct to talk about it in advance on the air. Levon Nazaryan stressed that despite the decision not to directly participate in the June 7 elections, the RPA will not leave the trenches of the political struggle.

According to Nazaryan’s political assessment, the actions of the current authorities and continuous repressions against the opponents and especially the national forces are, in short, manifestations of weakness and fear, with which this government wants to cement its own power out of fear of losing it.

“They understand very well that the only destination or end point after losing power is responsibility before history and the court. “I assume that the political force “Strong Armenia” or Samvel Karapetyan’s alliance understands what weight it has entered under and for what mission, and the people included in the list and not only those whom we know a part of, are confident that they will be able to overcome these pressures in order to achieve the final victory,” says Nazaryan.

The republican figure states: represented by “Strong Armenia”. The 5-point economic plan maybe it’s attractive for someone, someone else might not like those points, but it’s a secondary issue, the primary task of the opposition is to support the force led by Samvel Karapetyan in order to overcome the ontological threats facing the state under his leadership. Levon Nazaryan considers the criticism of the representatives of the ruling camp to be frivolous, evaluating the Armenian billionaire as one of the benefactors of the Armenian nation and comparing him to Poghos Nubar Pasha (1851-1930), Galust Gulbenkyan (1869-1955), Kirk Kerkorian (1917-2015), Alek Manukyan. (1901-1996) with.

Levon Nazaryan also added. “Samvel Karapetyan is the person who only provided support to the Republic of Armenia, including in the form of finances. Perhaps people have not forgotten the “Electric Yerevan” demonstrations, the processes that followed it, the processes related to military equipment, weapons and ammunition, which is closed information, but being closed information, the weapon that was bought with Samvel Karapetyan’s money for the safety of our compatriots of Artsakh, your government handed over to the enemy. Samvel Karapetyan, as a national philanthropist, funded the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Artsakh to have weapons and ammunition, those weapons and ammunition were there, some of them were shown in Baku during the military parade, and the other part, as a strategist, was handed over to the enemy by your government.”

In this context, referring to yesterday’s incident, the arrest of Gohar Ghumashyan and Verzhine Stepanyan, members of the “Strong Armenia” party, Levon Nazaryan advises the authorities to read literature, noting that when they go to arrest the mother of a two-month-old newborn child, they should understand that it will work against them purely from the perspective of archetypes.

Expressing his opinion, Putin-Pashinyan, which took place in the Kremlin on April 1 meeting and answering the question: why Nikol Pashinyan hastily went to Moscow to meet the President of the Russian Federation, and what message was he sending to the public by his statement that a new meeting with Putin is planned for the second half of June, Levon Nazaryan presented a tentative proposal to the “usurper of power” in connection with the bill passed in Russia a few days ago, which criminalizes the years 1941-45. the denial of the genocide committed by fascist Germany against the Soviet peoples. In connection with this law, Levon Nazaryan reminds about Emin Rasulzadeh, who collaborated with the Nazis, whose statues are erected in the parks of Baku.

“Emin Rasulzadeh is known for the fact that he cooperated with fascist Germany, he created the Azerbaijani Legion, which bloodily suppressed the Polish uprising against the fascist troops in order to meet the Soviet liberation army. Now, based on the logic of this adopted law, dear boy, go, when are you going, what June are you going to go, go and raise that question, tell me, does this person with his historical past and actions completely fall under the logic of the adopted law, I ask you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, to put pressure on Ilham Aliyev so that the statue of Emin Rasulzadeh is removed from Baku. Can he do it or can’t he do it,” added the member of the RPA council.

Full interview in the video.

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