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Author: Hagop Kamalian

UN Chief welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan-Russia meeting over Nagorno-Karabakh

Hagop Kamalian
Nov 28 2021

POSTED BY: GOPI NOVEMBER 27, 2021


United Nations (New York), Nov 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the trilateral meeting between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Guterres took note of the joint statement and noted with appreciation the role of Russia in facilitating continuing contacts and dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary General, in a statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed to create mechanisms for the demarcation and delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border by the end of 2021, Putin said on Friday following their trilateral meeting in the Russian city of Sochi, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The Secretary General is encouraged by the resumption of direct engagement at the highest level between Armenia and Azerbaijan and their recommitment to fully implement the trilateral statements of November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021, and to take concrete steps aimed at increasing stability in the region," said the statement, referring to the November 2020 ceasefire agreement and the January 2021 agreement to restore transportation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Guterres reiterated the UN's principled position that lasting peace can only be achieved through dialogue and urged the parties to resolve outstanding issues to that end through all available formats, including under the auspices of the co-chairs of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Minsk Group, which consist of representatives from France, Russia and the United States, said Haq in the statement.

The UN stands ready to support all such efforts, including through the provision of humanitarian, recovery and peacebuilding assistance on the ground, the statement added.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been sporadic minor clashes. A new round of armed conflict broke out along the contact line on September 27, 2020, before Russia brokered a ceasefire on November 9, 2020.

Source: IANS

ECHR upholds Armenian human rights activists’ request for immediate action in case of four captives

Hagop Kamalian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 27 2021

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has upheld the application of Artak Zeynalyan and Siranush Sahakyan to apply immediate measures in the case of four servicemen captured by Azerbaijan.

The human rights activists filed a complaint with the European Court demanding that the fundamental rights of the Armenian servicemen captured during the November 16 Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia's sovereign territory, be ensured.

In the case of four servicemen, the advocacy group applied to ECHR, in the case of the others – the representative of Armenia in the European Court. The purpose of the applications is to guarantee the rights of captive servicemen to a life and to be free from torture guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.

“We have videos where people were seen under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan, under surveillance. There is enough evidence. It's about 2-3 dozen people. We have met with their relatives, we are in contact with them,” Zeynalyan told Lurer.

Armenia ready to start demarcation of border with Azerbaijan — Security Council

Hagop Kamalian
TASS, Russia
Nov 16 2021
The Security Council’s secretary Armen Grigoryan stressed that this issue should not be linked to the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh

YEREVAN, November 16. /TASS/. Armenia is ready to start the process of delimitation and demarcation of its border with Azerbaijan, but this issue should by no means be linked to the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh, the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen Grigoryan said at a meeting with US ambassador Lynne Tracy on Tuesday.

"The Security Council’s secretary said that Armenia was prepared to start the process of demarcation and delimitation, which, however, has nothing to do with the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh. Also, he presented the current situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border following an attack by Azerbaijani forces. The Security Council’s secretary said that Azerbaijan’s actions were a blow to democracy in Armenia," the Security Council’s press-service said in a news release.

In November, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and border districts of the Syunik Region of Armenia worsened sharply. Both countries say there have been armed incidents, some resulting in casualties. On November 13, Yerevan and Baku accused each other of bombardments of each other’s military positions. Tensions have emerged along certain sections of the inter-state road connecting Armenia with Iran that were taken over by Baku under the November 9, 2020 statement by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan. A Russian border guard post was placed there to ensure the free movement of people and vehicles.

Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev to meet in Brussels

Hagop Kamalian

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 00:00,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev agreed to hold a meeting in Brussels on December 15 within the framework of the EU's Eastern Partnership Summit, ARMENPRESS reports the EU statement informs.

“President Charles Michel of the European Council held phone calls on 19 November with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, in follow up to discussions earlier this week on the situation in the region and in the context of preparations of the Eastern Partnership Summit, to be held in Brussels on 15 December.

President Charles Michel proposed to host President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for a meeting in Brussels in the margins of the EaP Summit.

Leaders have agreed to meet in Brussels to discuss the regional situation and ways of overcoming tensions for a prosperous and stable South Caucasus, which the EU supports.

During the phone calls, the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders have also agreed to establish a direct communication line, at the level of respective Ministers of Defence, to serve as an incident prevention mechanism", reads the statement.

Eurasian integration among Armenia’s priorities, says PM

Hagop Kamalian

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 17:06,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Eurasian integration is among the priorities of the Armenian government, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in his remarks at the meeting of the heads of government of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in Yerevan.

Pashinyan firstly congratulated the new Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov, wishing success to his responsible position. He said that Armenia is ready to make efforts in the future as well to maintain the constructive dialogue between the governments of the two countries.

“Hosting this session, we have tried to create as convenient conditions as possible for the discussion of the agenda. In addition to discussion of issues on the agenda, the live communication of our delegations is also very important”, the Armenian PM said.

The prime ministers of the EAEU member states arrived in Armenia today for the participation in the session of the Eurasian Inter-governmental Council session.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Assembly Statement on Today’s Attack on Armenia by Azerbaijan

Hagop Kamalian

Washington, D.C. – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) has been in touch with Congressional leaders and Biden Administration officials following Azerbaijan’s recent full-scale attack upon Armenia’s southern regions. Support for legislative and Administration application of Section 907 sanctions and other measures against Azerbaijan to re-assert United States credibility and save lives is growing, for which the Assembly is grateful. Further, the continuing role of NATO-member Turkey in military actions against Armenia is a betrayal of the principles underlying the alliance. An end of the day ceasefire announced by Russia is expected to be as ineffective against Aliyev’s genocidal pattern of behavior as past ceasefires, and as the relatively small presence of Russian peacekeepers attests.

Since crossing Armenia’s borders in May 2021, the Azerbaijani military has occupied approximately 41 square kilometers of sovereign Armenian territory and continues to stage assaults in its quest to have a “corridor” run though southern Armenia to the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan. Today’s attacks occurred along the narrowest part of Armenia, and are clearly designed to cut the country in two. The recent attacks resulted in the deaths of several Armenian soldiers and the capture of 12 Armenian prisoners of war.

This latest assault is in clear violation of the November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021 ceasefire terms, which Azerbaijan has repeatedly undermined, and is in clear disregard of the U.S., French and Russian-led OSCE Minsk Group’s repeated statements, as well as UN resolutions, to resolve matters peacefully and to respect ceasefire conditions. Ironically, Turkey is supposed to be a member of the mediating Minsk Group but has openly and actively coordinated – and often led – military and diplomatic policies with the Aliyev regime. Armenia’s National Security Council Secretary met with U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy earlier today and emphasized the current siege as a blow to democracy.

“Azerbaijan’s escalation of violence on Armenian soil is unacceptable,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ). “This increase of deadly violence against Armenia will only continue unless the OSCE Minsk Group, the State Department, and the international community take immediate and decisive diplomatic action.” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said that “this unprovoked attack is in direct violation of Azerbaijan and Armenia’s ceasefire agreement, and a grave reminder that the United States must be doing everything we can to deter Azerbaijan’s ongoing aggression.”

To that end, it is imperative that the Administration end the waiver to Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, which prohibits direct U.S. aid to Azerbaijan, and to halt U.S. military assistance to the autocratic regime in Baku, which increased to over $100 million in Fiscal Year 2019.

Now is the time for the Biden Administration and Congress to take decisive action. As President Biden stated in his address to Congress last April, “We will meet the challenge…by proving that democracy is durable and strong. Autocrats will not win the future.” The Assembly calls upon the Administration to end the waiver to Section 907, support Armenia’s democracy, and strongly condemn Azerbaijan’s ongoing ceasefire violations, which continue to destabilize the South Caucasus region.


Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.


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NR# 2021-102

Extraordinarily parliamentary session demanded by the opposition will not take place – Alen Simonyan

Hagop Kamalian

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 19:56,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15, ARMENRESS. The National Assembly will not convene an extraordinary session at the request of the opposition factions, ARMENPRESS reports President of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan said in a briefing, adding that they cannot even discuss that issue, since the opposition partners submitted a document at 16:40, which is not sufficient.

“Our opposition partners submitted a document at 16:40 to convene an extraordinary session. Unfortunately, due to the insufficiency of the submitted documents and in terms of time, I cannot even discuss the issue and make a decision. For example, there are no justifications, no program is presented for discussion”, Simonyan said.

Earlier, "Armenia" faction MP Gegham Manukyan had stated on his Facebook page that the parliamentary opposition factions initiated an extraordinary plenary sitting of the National Assembly at 20:00.




Armenpress: Dutch Ambassador comments on the visit of his colleague in Azerbaijan to Shushi

Hagop Kamalian

Dutch Ambassador comments on the visit of his colleague in Azerbaijan to Shushi

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 20:59, 12 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The visit to Shushi of the Dutch Ambassador to Azerbaijan in July in no way means that by that his country legitimizes or recognizes the present situation in Shushi or Nagorno Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports Ambassador of the Netherlands to Armenia Nico Schermers said during a forum in Yerevan, answering the question of one of the participants.

One of the students participating in the forum reminded that months ago, on July 9-10, by organizing the visit of Ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Baku to the city of Shushi occupied by the Azerbaijani armed forces, Azerbaijani President Ilham Ali obviously attempted to give some legitimacy to the attempt to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by force, which was accompanied by war crimes against humanity.

In this regard, the student asked, "Don’t you think that the visit of the Dutch Ambassador to Shushi indirectly legitimizes the violations of international law committed by Azerbaijan?"

In response, the Ambassador noted that the Dutch government decided to agree to pay a visit to Shushi to get an understanding of the situation on the ground.

“Any Ambassador in Baku is also accredited in Nagorno Karabakh, unlike the ambassadors accredited in Yerevan. This in turn means that my colleague in Baku can travel to Shushi or other places. It is clear that we are doing this very carefully. We, as the Government of the Netherlands, decided that this visit to Shushi should take place so that we can get an idea of the situation in Shushi. This does not mean that we will do it often or that we will do it easily. And I want to emphasize that this does not mean that we legitimize or recognize the current situation in Shushi or Nagorno Karabakh”, Ambassador Nico Schermers said.

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijan seeks co-op with UNESCO in post-war rehabilitation

Hagop Kamalian
13:17 (UTC+04:00)
601

By Ayya Lmahamad

Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has said that Azerbaijan in its efforts of post-conflict rehabilitation is looking forward to cooperation with UNESCO, the Foreign Ministry has reported.

He made the remarks speaking at the General Policy Debates of the 41st Session of the General Conference of UNESCO on November 10.

He noted that since the end of the conflict, Azerbaijan and UNESCO have been actively engaged in dialogue with a view of dispatching a technical mission to the liberated lands.

“The two sides have agreed on several complex technical, legal, and political aspects of the mission, which will ensure its effectiveness and independence,” he said.

Noting that the results of the Armenian occupation were devastation, the minister underlined that Armenia has pursued a systematic policy to destroy, pillage, and misappropriate Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage.

Bayramov stressed that during the occupation period, hundreds of cultural properties have been deliberately and completely destroyed, damaged, looted, and subjected to alteration with a view to changing their historical and cultural character.

He stated that out of 67 mosques, 65 had been razed to the ground and the remaining two were desecrated and used as stables for pigs and cows in total disrespect to the Muslim world. Bayramov added that thousands of museum artifacts had been illegally exported to Armenia.

“By all these actions, Armenia pursued far-reaching targets of removing any sign heralding their Azerbaijani origin, as an example of cultural genocide. Armenia also refuses to share the maps of the minefields, deliberately preventing the return of IDPs to the liberated territories,” he said.

“It also constitutes a gross violation of international law, including UNESCO instruments, such as the 1954 Hague Convention and its Two Protocols, as well as the 1970 Convention,” the minister added.

The minister recalled that in various communications, Azerbaijan has alerted UNESCO of these gross violations and illegal activities committed by Armenia and requested the need to dispatch a technical mission to the occupied territories through the past 30 years.

“Unfortunately, each time Armenia prevented the dispatch of this mission, which was acknowledged by UNESCO in its 2005 report,” he said.

Bayramov said that Azerbaijan has already initiated practical steps aiming at eliminating the consequences of decades-long occupation followed by massive destruction.

“At the highest-level Azerbaijan declared its determination that all cultural and religious monuments on the liberated territories regardless of their origin will be duly preserved and restored,” Bayramov said.

He added that Azerbaijan will continue to build upon these ideas and values and guarantee all the rights for all its citizens, irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliation.

Emphasizing that the assessment of the unprecedented damage inflicted upon the country’s cultural heritage is a priority for the government, the minister also stressed the readiness to host an independent technical mission as soon as possible.

“Unfortunately, Armenia is trying to block and politicize the mission, which is detrimental to its successful accomplishment. Armenia must refrain from interfering in this process and cease exploiting this Organization for its own political purposes,” he said.

Armenian FM, UNESCO Director General discuss preservation of Artsakh’s cultural heritage

Hagop Kamalian

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 11:37,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met on November 11 with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay in Paris, the Armenian MFA reports.

FM Mirzoyan congratulated Audrey Azouklay on re-election.

The Armenian FM and the UNESCO Director General praised the productive partnership formed over those years.

Ararat Mirzoyan said that Armenia has always made the maximum efforts to assist UNESCO in the implementation of its key mission in education, science and culture based on common values. In this context he said that Armenia’s membership candidacy for the UNESCO Executive Council for 2021-2025 derives also from the goals of raising the efficiency of those efforts.

The meeting also touched upon the issue of the preservation of the Armenian historical-cultural and religious heritage in the territories of Artsakh which have come under the Azerbaijani control due to last year’s Azerbaijani aggression. Ararat Mirzoyan said that the taking of preventing actions by the international community to prevent Azerbaijan’s deliberate destruction of the Armenian monuments is just an imperative.

In this context he emphasized the importance of implementing the Director General’s proposal to send an independent assessment mission to the region within the frames of the 1954 Hague Convention.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan