Author: Hagop Kamalian

Macron slams Turkey’s ‘bellicose’ talk on Karabakh conflict

Hagop Kamalian
Arab News
Sept 30 2020
  • Macron condemned Turkey’s statements backing Azerbaijan in its bid to take back the breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh
  • Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked for decades in a territorial dispute over Karabakh
    • AFP
    RIGA: French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday condemned what he called Turkey’s “reckless and dangerous” statements backing Azerbaijan it its bid to take back the breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh.
    Ankara said on Tuesday it was “fully ready” to help Azerbaijan recover Nagorny Karabakh, as armed conflict escalated with neighboring Armenia over the region.
    “I have noted Turkey’s political statements which I think are reckless and dangerous,” Macron told reporters in Latvia’s capital Riga during a visit to the Baltic EU state.
    “France remains extremely concerned about the bellicose comments that Turkey made in the last hours, which essentially remove any inhibitions from Azerbaijan in what would be a reconquest of northern Karabakh. That we will not accept,” he added.
    He also appeared to voice support for Yerevan: “I say to Armenia and to the Armenians, France will play its role.”
    But Macron also said it was too soon to speak of a regional conflict.
    He said he would discuss the tensions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday evening and US President Donald Trump on Thursday before reporting on the situation to the European Council of EU leaders.
    Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked for decades in a territorial dispute over Karabakh and have blamed each other for sparking fierce clashes that erupted on Sunday and have since caused nearly 100 confirmed deaths.
    The two sides have so far defied calls for a cease-fire.
    Ankara has backed Azerbaijan in the conflict and on Tuesday the Armenian defense ministry said a Turkish F-16 flying in support of Baku’s forces had downed an Armenian SU-25 warplane. Ankara fiercely denied the claim.
    Direct Turkish military action against Armenia would mark a major escalation after three days of heavy fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over Karabakh.
    And the UN Security Council called on both sides for an immediate end to the fighting.
    Viewing Azerbaijan as its close ally and Armenia as its historic foe, Russia also called on Turkey to stop proclaiming support for Azerbaijan and to work toward a diplomatic solution to the escalation, the deadliest since 2016.
    The European Union warned Monday regional powers not to interfere in fighting in Nagorny Karabakh, and condemned a “serious escalation” that threatens regional stability.

    JP: Do clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan matter to Israel?

    Hagop Kamalian
    Jerusalem Post
    Sept 27 2020
    By SETH J. FRANTZMAN  

    SEPTEMBER 27, 2020 16:22


    In recent months there have been increasing tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In general, these tensions have appeared peripheral to Israel’s concerns.

    With new peace deals in the Gulf and discussions about what countries might be next to recognize Israel, the Caucasus seem far away.
    However, it would be a mistake to think that this brewing conflict is not of great concern to Israel, because of wider strategic ramifications and the Israeli relationship with the countries involved.

    This is particularly true because the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict is potentially at a crossroads for Turkey, Russia and Iran and their rising roles in the Middle East.
    Israel and Azerbaijan have had close connections for many years. One of Israel’s most talented diplomats, George Deek, is Israel’s new ambassador to Azerbaijan. In addition, there is trade with Baku, including defense trade.
    Azerbaijan is a Muslim country and it has been one of the most open to Israel and genuinely interested in wider and warmer relations over the years.
    However, those relations are complex. Israel has no historical interest in the conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is similar to Israel’s view of the conflict in eastern Ukraine between Russia and Ukraine.
    In both instances there are separatist or breakaway areas, disputed areas such as Crimea, and ancient Jewish connections.

    However, these conflicts have roots generally in the Soviet era when borders were drawn and redrawn. Israel prefers positive relations with Ukraine and Russia, as well as with Armenia and Azerbaijan.

    However, larger countries like Russia that have a role in Syria are of greater long-term importance on issues relating to the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has generally been good at navigating these complexities, meeting with both sides.

    WHEN IT comes to Azerbaijan, the frequency of important visits has sketched out the importance that the relationship has to both sides.

    Azerbaijan’s foreign minister came to Israel in 2013 and the defense minister came in 2017. Israel’s then foreign minister Avigdor Liberman went to Azerbaijan in 2018; Netanyahu was in Baku in 2016.

    In 2017, Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi went to Armenia and its foreign minister came to Israel. Armenia said it would open an embassy in Israel in 2019.

    The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is ostensibly over a disputed area claimed by both sides, a self-declared Armenian republic in Nagorno-Karabakh, similar to the republics in Donbass that were declared after the conflict in 2014.

    It is also similar to the republics like South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which are largely unrecognized. The Nagorno-Karabakh self-declared republic of Artsakh was declared in 1991.

    In some ways, this conflict is a frozen version of the problems inherent in the new world order of the 1990s, when many countries were fighting over old colonial and Cold War boundaries and many new states were declared but left unrecognized.

    The same is true of Somaliland, for instance, which should be a recognized state but is forcibly tethered to the failures in Mogadishu.  

    REGARDLESS OF the problems of history, the current issue on the ground is clear. A rising Azerbaijan would like to show its strength in the face of continued clashes with Armenia or “Armenian-backed separatists.” Azerbaijan has increased investment – and it has new support from Ankara.

    The issue for Israel is that Turkey is one of the most hostile states to it in the Middle East. Turkey and Iran compete to be the most anti-Israel, largely because of Turkey’s current ruling party, which is riding a wave of nationalism and militarism designed to distract from economic problems at home.

    Turkey also wants to sell military equipment, such as drones, to show off its potential. Iran also wants to play a role.  

    Iran sent forces to participate in Caucasus’ 2020 military drills earlier this month alongside Russia, Armenia, Myanmar, Pakistan and China.

    This appears to show that Armenia, Iran and Russia are closer allies, even though Iran and Azerbaijan want to boost trade ties. Ankara would like to increase its role with Baku.

    That potentially could supplant or harm Israel’s relations there depending on how Ankara’s efforts play out. For instance, in the past Israel has sold drones to Azerbaijan.

    Earlier this year, it was reported that Israel’s Elbit Systems had sold the SkyStriker drone to Azerbaijan. Turkey would like to offer its Bayraktar and other drones to Baku as well. Is this competition, or could the different capabilities of Israel and Turkey mesh well?

    Turkey’s drone industry is a recent phenomenon, whereas Israel has historically been one of the leaders in the field. Turkey once even acquired Israel’s Heron drones.

    It’s possible that everyone could work together well in this third country. But given Ankara’s anger over Israeli peace deals with the UAE and Bahrain, it appears that Turkey’s overall regional worldview is to try to isolate the Jewish state. This would indicate that Ankara’s push for more militarization of the Caucasus may not bode well for Jerusalem.  

    The wider regional issue is important. Israel has good relations with Russia, which supports Armenia. Israel has very bad relations with Iran, which also supports Armenia.

    Israel has good relations with Azerbaijan but bad relations with Turkey, and Turkey supports Azerbaijan. That means that with all this complexity there is no clarity on what a wider conflict could mean for Israel.

    Israel has no direct role in the outcome of the conflict, but like every conflict in the Middle East, even when Israel has no connection, the wider ramifications will eventually affect the Jewish state. This is true whether they be tensions in the eastern Mediterranean or in northern Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Syria.

    This is because, as the US withdraws from its historical hegemonic role in the Middle East, the regional powers such as Turkey, Iran and Israel will inevitably have a larger role.

    Constitutional Court fails to elect its new President for the second day

    Hagop Kamalian
    Panorama, Armenia
    Sept 24 2020

    The Constitutional Court judges failed to elect the new president for the second day in a row, one of the CC Judges Edgar Shatiryan told reporters outside the Court building.

    “No election was held, one candidate has been self-nominated. One of the Judges nominated a candidate who recused himself,” Shatiryan noted, adding the election of the CC President and Vice-President didn’t take place. The Judges will continue the session tomorrow at 10.30.

    According to media reports, the only candidate who self-nominated for the post of the CC President is Yervand Khundkaryan. The latter has been only recently appointed Judge of the Court.

    To remind, the Constitutional Court started a working session on Wednesday with the election of its new head on the agenda. However, the session did not finish due to the end of the working day. The session continued today.

    According to legislation, a candidate nominated by judges or by self-nomination, who has received two-thirds of the votes of judges of the Constitutional Court, may be elected chairman, and in the case when one candidate is nominated, s/he shall be elected by a majority of the total number of judges of the Constitutional Court.

    If none of the two or more nominated candidates by the results of the vote receives the required number of votes, then a second round of elections shall be held within five days, where two candidates who receive the majority of votes in the first round shall participate.



    COVID-19: Armenia reports 190 new cases, 402 recoveries in past day

    Hagop Kamalian

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     11:21, 4 September, 2020

    YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. 190 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 44,461, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said today.

    402 more patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 39,257.

    2363 tests were conducted in the past one day.

    4 more patients have died, raising the death toll to 891.

    The number of people who had a coronavirus but died from other diseases has reached 272 (1 new such case).

    The number of active cases is 4041.

    Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

    Sports: UEFA Nations league: North Macedonia 2-1 Armenia

    Hagop Kamalian
    Public Radio of Armenia
    Sept 5 2020

    <img width=”776″ height=”529″ src=””https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/xArmenia-team-2020.jpg.pagespeed.ic.3pbu8Qcc2I.jpg” class=”attachment-full size-full wp-post-image” alt=”” srcset=”https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/xArmenia-team-2020.jpg.pagespeed.ic.3pbu8Qcc2I.jpg 776w, 300w, 768w, 220w” sizes=”(max-width: 776px) 100vw, 776px”/>

    The Armenian national team lost to North Macedonia 1-2 in a Nations League match held in Skopje.

    Ezgjan Alioski (North Macedonia) opened the score in the 4th minute as he converted a penalty after Varazdat Haroyan’s foul.

    Ilija Nestorovski (North Macedonia) converted a second penalty in the 37th minute to make it 2-0.

    Tigran Barseghyan (Armenia) scored from a penalty in the injury time to make it 2-1 .

    Armenia will face Estonia next on September 8.


    Mnatsakanyan: I am ready to meet with Azerbaijani foreign minister

    Hagop Kamalian
    Public Radio of Armenia
    Sep 1 2020

    Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are interested in lasting peace in the region, which will be possible to achieve through a peace agreement based on mutual concessions, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said in an interview to Interfax on Monday.

    “Unilateral concessions are excluded. They cannot have any prospects,” the minister stressed.

    In Mnatsakanyan’s words, the peace process has been and will remain a key priority for Yerevan for the settlement of the conflict.

    Asked whether he is ready to meet with his Azerbaijani counterpart tomorrow, for example, without any preconditions, the FM said: “Of course, we are open to a meeting, of course, we are ready to continue that work. I want to reiterate that the important part of our work is the need to ensure security, to refrain from the use of force and to find compromises in maximalist approaches.

    “For Armenia, there are concrete and key priorities. The issue of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is a supreme priority for us. The realization of the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination without any restrictions and the provision of real, tangible security for Artsakh is a key priority. And we are ready to work with both the [OSCE Minsk Group] co-chairs and Azerbaijan to define formulas that will allow us to compare and measure the possible compromise.”

    Mnatsakanian next highlighted the need for the full involvement of Artsakh in the negotiation process, noting that the issue is, among other things, of a practical nature, as it will strengthen the “sense of ownership” towards the negotiation process on the part of the Nagorno-Karabakh leadership, which, being elected by the Karabakh people, has a corresponding mandate to represent their interests.



    Politik.am: Armenia health minister offends PM and leaves

    Hagop Kamalian
    News.am, Armenia
    Aug 25 2020

    16:27, 25.08.2020
                      

    Sports: Armenia names squad against North Macedonia and Estonia, Mkhitaryan to miss the matches

    Hagop Kamalian
    Public Radio of Armenia
    Aug 27 2020

    Head coach of the Armenian national team Joaquín Caparrós has named the squad against North Macedonia and Estonia.

    The UEFA Nations League matches will be played on September 5 and 8.

    AS Roma midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has notified the Football Federation of Armenia he will not be able to join the team for the upcoming matches.

    Goalkeepers:

    David Yurchenko – Shakhtar (Donetsk, Ukraine)
    Anatoly Ayvazov – Urartu (Armenia)
    Arsen Beglaryan – Urartu (Armenia)

    Defenders:

    Hovhannes Hambardzumyan – Anorthosis (Cyprus)
    Kamo Hovhhanisyan – Kairat (Kazakhstan)
    Arman Hovhannisyan – Tobol (Kazakhstan)
    Varazdat Haroyan – Ural (Russia)
    André Calisir – IFK Göteborg.(Sweden)
    Serob Grigoryan – Pyunik (Armenia)
    Hayk Ishkhanyan – Gandzasar Kapan (Armenia)
    Taron Voskanyan – Alashkert (Armenia

    Midfielders:

    Edgar Babayan –  Hobro (Denmark)
    Arshak Koryan – Khimki (Russia)
    Khoren Bayramyan – Rostov (Russia)
    Gegham Kadimyan – Neman (Belarus)
    Tigran Barseghyan – Astana (Kazakhstan)
    Vahan Bichakhchyan – Žilin (Slovakia)
    Artak Grigoryan – Alashkert (Armenia)
    Angulo Wbeimar – Gandzasar-Kapan (Armenia)
    Arthur Grigoryan – Pyunik (Armenia)
    Solomon Udo – Ararat (Armenia)

    Forwards:

    Alexandre Karapetyan – Tambov (Russia)
    Norberto Briasco Balekia – Atletico Huracán (Argentina)


    Horasis China Meeting 2020 in Armenia delayed due to COVID-19, to take place in 2021

    Hagop Kamalian

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     12:50,

    YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. Horasis announced today that it delayed its Horasis China Meeting 2020, which was scheduled to take place in Yerevan, Armenia in October, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, and will hold it in October 24-25, 2021 in Yerevan, the Armenian President’s Office told Armenpress.

    The Horasis China Meeting 2021 will be co-hosted by ATOM Foundation and the China Federation of Industrial Economics under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Armenia.

    More than 300 members of the Horasis Visions Community from business and government will join an intense two-day programme to discuss how to overcome the COVID-19 crisis.

    Participants will discuss opportunities and challenges that Chinese firms need to identify and address successfully as they engage globally. Furthermore, the Horasis China Meeting will play an accelerating role in the rapidly expanding trade and foreign investment between China and Armenia – both countries enjoy broad prospects of cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Some of the functions will be attended by high-ranking Armenian and Chinese politicians and other public figures.

    The Horasis China Meeting is a comprehensive platform for the CEOs of the world’s leading companies to actively engage with China and its leaders from both business and government. The event is the foremost annual gathering of Chinese business leaders and their global counterparts. The location of the meeting rotates annually, and has been held in Geneva/Switzerland (2005, 2006), Frankfurt/Germany (2007), Barcelona/Spain (2008), Lisbon/Portugal (2009), City of Luxembourg/Luxembourg (2010), Valencia/Spain (2011), Riga/Latvia (2012), The Hague/The Netherlands (2013), Lake Como/Italy (2014), Cascais/Portugal (2015), Interlaken/Switzerland (2016), Sheffield/United Kingdom (2017), Kyiv, Ukraine (2018) and Las Vegas, USA (2019).

    On October 1, 2020, a remote session dedicated to the promotion of Armenia’s science-based economy will be held at the extraordinary meeting of Horasis, which will enable to discuss Armenia’s investment climate and growth prospects.

    ATOM (Advanced Tomorrow): ATOM Foundation is planning and implementing educational, scientific, social, cultural and charity programs and events both in Armenia and abroad.

    Horasis: The Global Visions Community is an independent international organization committed to inspiring our future. In addition to the Horasis China Meeting, Horasis hosts the Horasis Global Meeting as well as other regional events focusing on India and South East Asia.