Author: Hambardsumian Paul

Armenia records lowest inflation among EAEU states

Hambardsumian Paul

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 09:09, 23 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has registered the lowest price increase among the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in October 2020: the prices compared to December 2019 declined by 1%, whereas compared to October 2019 the prices increased by 1.3%, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) reports.

The prices of goods and services in all EAEU states have increased by 3.6% in October 2020 compared to December 2019, and by 4.5% compared to October.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

ANN/Armenian News – Week in Review – 12/13/2020

Hambardsumian Paul

Armenian News Network / Armenian News

Armenian News: Week in Review

ANN/Armenian News

December 13, 2020


Guests

  • Pietro Shakarian

  • Emil Sanamyan

  • Hovik Manucharyan

  • Asbed Bedrossian

Hello, and welcome to the Armenian News Network, Armenian News, Week in Review for Sunday December 13, 2020. We’ll be talking to our guests about the following major topics:

  • Renewed Fighting & OSCE Minsk Group Visit

  • Expedited Border Demarcations?

  • What will happen to Sotq?

  • Diplomatic Relations with Azerbaijan?

To talk about these issues, we have with us:

Emil Sanamyan, who is a senior research fellow at USC’s Institute of Armenian Studies specializing in politics in the Caucasus, with a special focus on Azerbaijan. 

and

Pietro Shakarian who is a historian and a Ph.D. candidate in Russian History at the Ohio State University. His analyses on Russia, Armenia, and the post-Soviet space have appeared in several publications, including The Nation, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Russian International Affairs Council, Russia Direct, Hetq, and more.

This episode was recorded on Sunday, December 13, 2020

The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Dec. 11 that Azerbaijani armed forces launched an attack on the line of contact in the area of Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd villages in the Hadrut region. As of today, it appears that Azerbaijani forces had taken control of Hin Tagher and Mt. Dizapayt and have reached the outskirts of Khtsaberd. Per the announcement, six Armenian servicemen received injuries. 

While Russian peacekeepers were reported to be trying to restore calm in this area, we also heard news that fighting is also ongoing in the direction of Mets Shen and Hin Shen villages which are close to the Lachin corridor.

Prior to the MFA announcement, the initial response from Mane Gevorgyan, Pashinyan’s spokesperson was as follows: “The attack of the Azerbaijani forces in Hin Tagher-Khtsaberd direction should receive reaction from Russian peacekeepers in the first place”

This fighting was going on while the OSCE Minsk Group was in Baku on December 12 and due to visit Yerevan the following day. During this meeting, Ilham Aliyev had a firm derogatory stance toward the group and chided the organization for failing to resolve the conflict in over two decades. He also gloated about being able to resolve it by force. If you watch the video, it is hard to find a moment where the OSCE co-chairs were able to look Aliyev in the eye.

It is also noteworthy that during this meeting OSCE MG co-chairs several times referred to new realities on the ground. Furthermore, their statement from Dec 3 omits any mention of territorial integrity and self-determination and only refers to the principle of “non-use-of-force”.

Do we see the OSCE MG remaining relevant here? What remains of their role?

In a parliament hearing on Dec. 9, Tigran Avinyan indicated that a border demarcation process is currently underway between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Avinyan said that the negotiations will start this year and will be done under a strict deadline. What was notable is that Avinyan mentioned that Soviet maps from 1928-29 will be used as the basis for this demarcation (among other maps). 

What is the urgency of officially demarcating the borders now? Why did Avinyan emphasize 1928-29 maps? Are they advantageous for Armenia?

If Armenia were to recognize Soviet Azerbaijani borders, what would that mean for the status of Karabakh. How will that affect recognition of Artsakh either as an independent state or even as an autonomous region in Azerbaijan? According to a resolution of Armenia Parliament in 1992, the Republic of Armenia is obligated to protect and support the Republic of Artsakh and any document where Artsakh is mentioned as part of Azerbaijan would be unacceptable to Armenia. 

One of the key issues that is certain to be discussed during the border demarcations is the destiny of the Sotq gold mine. Since the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Kelbajar, Azerbaijan seems to be claiming half of the mine and has sent a military unit to the area to set up an observation post.

In response to the outcry from this incident, Armenian officials, including Pashinyan seemed to confirm this.

This is a big deal since Sotq mine is Armenia’s 4th largest taxpayer and the mine has now announced that it plans to cut back its operations significantly until this issue is resolved.

While we covered this in the past, I’d like to bring up just one issue as a result of my discussions with a former US state department employee.

The Sotq mine was privatized in 1997 and at that time. Because a US company was interested in acquiring the mine (and because of Azerbaijani complaints resulting from it), the US State Department conducted a thorough survey of the territory between July – August of 97) and they found that the mine was completely on the Armenian side.

I was told that this document may possibly be obtained as a result of a FOIA request. If any journalist wishes to submit such a request, please contact us and we can provide more detailed information that should help narrow-down your request.

What could be the repercussions if the mine is split between Armenia and Azerbaijan?

On December 8, Andranik Kocharyan from My Step made a provocative speech in the parliament arguing that Armenia should try to establish dialogue with Azerbaijan and not delay attempts to establish diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan. That was only a few days before the military parade in Baku where Aliyev claimed that not only Karabakh, but also Zangezur, Sevan, and even Yerevan are historical Azerbaijani lands.

Is this likely to happen?

That concludes our program for This week’s Armenian News Week in Review. We hope it has helped your understanding of some of the current issues. We look forward to your feedback, and even your suggestions for issues to cover in greater depth. Contact us on our website, at Armenian News.org, or on our Facebook Page “ANN – Armenian News”, or in our Facebook Group “Armenian News – Armenian News  Network”.

Special thanks to Laura Osborn for providing the music for our podcast. On behalf of everyone in this episode, we wish you a good week. Thank you for listening and we’ll talk to you next week.

YouTube           Apple            Google         Spotify       Facebook

OSCE Minsk Group, Sotq Mine, Border Demarcation, Diplomatic Relations, Emil Sanamyan, Pietro Shakarian, Hadrut

Additional: Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Hin Tagher, Mt. Dizapayt, Khtsaberd, Mets Shen, Hin Shen, Mane Gevorgyan, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Baku Parade, Enver Pasha, Nuri Pasha, Shushi, Tigran Avinyan, Andranik Kocharyan, Zangezur, Sevan, Yerevan

Alliance Party: Armenia public is told the alternative is the old ones if this government leaves

Hambardsumian Paul
News.am, Armenia
Dec 26 2020
 
 
17:27, 26.12.2020
 
YEREVAN. – It is presented to the public that if this government leaves, the alternative is the old ones; this is the fundamental ideological core of the big lie. Tigran Urikhanyan, leader of the Alliance Party of Armenia, stated this at Saturday’s special congress of this political force.
 
“No. There are [political] forces [in Armenia] that are not linked to the old ones, let alone to the new ones. The ‘cream’ of that force is represented here. If someone wants to sow within the society that there is no other patriot in the country except [PM] Nikol Pashinyan, aware, skilled, experienced people or forces, then he is doing the greatest harm to the society,” he added.
 
Urikhanyan noted that if they are not at the squares where 17 opposition political forces are holding protest rallies, it does not mean that they do not and will not participate in the process of change of government. “It will be as the people decide, and the people decide in different ways—sometimes through elections, whereas the last time, simply through active influence,” he said.
 
 
 
 
 

President Sarkissian receives Startup Armenia Foundation representative

Hambardsumian Paul

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 10:40,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has received the team of Startup Armenia Foundation, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The meeting participants discussed the current situation in Armenia, as well as its impact on different economic sectors, including the development prospects of the startup ecosystem.

The representatives of the Startup Armenia Foundation briefed the President on their programs and activities.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Spanish city of Torremolinos recognizes the Armenian Genocide

Hambardsumian Paul
Public Radio of Armenia

Dec 23 2020
Spanish city of Torremolinos recognizes the Armenian Genocide

The Spanish city of Torremolinos (Andalusia) has recognized the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian Embassy in Spain informs.

Members of Spain’s ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) also voted in favor of the motion submitted by City Council member Nicolas de Miguel.

BBC: Nagorno-Karabakh: Dozens of Armenian soldiers ‘captured in raid’

Hambardsumian Paul
BBC News
Dec 16 2020
Nagorno-Karabakh: Dozens of Armenian soldiers ‘captured in raid’

Armenians have protested after reports that as many as 100 soldiers were seized by Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.

They were captured weeks after a war in which at least 5,000 servicemen died and Azerbaijan made territorial gains.

Karabakh is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but is under Armenian control.

The recent conflict was brought to an end by a Russian-mediated peace deal, but clashes have broken out again.

As part of the agreement, Armenia handed three areas over to Azerbaijan and the flare-up took pace in one of them, a southern area of Karabakh.

The exact number of captured soldiers is unclear but reports range from 60 to as many as 160, seized as part of an Azerbaijani “anti-terror” operation. Several videos posted online appeared to show captured soldiers.

On Tuesday night, Karabakh’s defence ministry said contact had been lost with a number of military posts. The defence ministry in Azerbaijan has refused to discuss the matter with the BBC.

Anger spread as videos emerged on social media in Azerbaijan, and Nagorno-Karabakh human rights ombudsman Artak Beglaryan said it was highly likely that captive Armenian soldiers were featured in the footage. He put the number missing at around 60.

Protests took place in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, and in Karabakh itself.

Families of the missing men blocked a main road demanding to know more details and protesters marched on the defence ministry in Yerevan.

  • Human cost of two nations fighting for ‘Motherland’
  • Azeri soldiers charged with war crimes
  • Nagorno-Karabakh conflict flares despite ceasefire]
  • Nagorno-Karabakh conflict killed 5,000 soldiers

The Azerbaijan operation began at the end of last week. Armenia accused Azerbaijan of breaking the November peace deal by attacking the two villages called Hin Tagher (Kohne Taglar in Azerbaijani) and Khtsaberd (Calakkala).

Azerbaijan says the two villages fall under its control under the terms of the peace deal and that it launched the offensive to tackle Armenian servicemen who had refused to leave the area after the truce.

Four Azerbaijani soldiers were killed at the weekend, the first casualties since the war came to an end on 10 November.

Although 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have been deployed between the two sides, Armenian reports said they were not covering the area where clashes had taken place.

When Russia’s defence ministry published a map extending its peacekeepers’ deployment to cover the area, Azerbaijan objected.

Since the war ended in November, Armenia has handed over three areas lost in the war to Azerbaijan under a peace deal.

The two sides also began exchanging prisoners of war this week, with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan promising that 44 servicemen would return home.

In a separate development, Azerbaijan said it had charged two of its soldiers with mutilating the bodies of Armenian soldiers during the war.




https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55329493



War in Nagorno-Karabakh to be high on the agenda of Armenia-EU Partnership Council session – FM

Hambardsumian Paul
Public Radio of Armenia

Dec 17 2020

The war in Nagorno-Karabakh and regional issues will be at the center of discussion of the third session of the Armenia-EU Partnership Council, Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian said in a doorstep statement ahead of the meeting: The Foreign Minister further noted:

As you know, this is the third meeting of the Armenia-EU Partnership Council. And it is timely and important meeting when we are going to discuss a wide range of issues, starting from situation in Nagorno Karabakh and in the region, and also issues concerning with Armenia-EU political dialogue, implementation of Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement as well as our participation in the framework of the Eastern Partnership. Of course, we will also address the issues of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on different spheres of our life and the ways of overcoming it. 

There will be an important reflection on our reforms agenda including democracy, implementation of rule of law and protection of human rights. We will touch upon the cooperation in different sectors among them trade and economy, political dialogue, education, transport, energy and environment.

I would like to note with satisfaction that since our last Partnership Council meeting, all but one state already notified the ratification of the CEPA agreement. And the draft of the roadmap of the provisions that still are not into force, have been drafted in Armenia. We are looking very much forward to the early prompt ratification of CEPA and its full entry into the force, so the effects of our cooperation will amplify and multiply to the benefit of the people of the Republic of Armenia. 

Of course, at the center of our discussion will be the regional topics and the war in Nagorno-Karabakh, when Azerbaijan challenged the values of the very initiative of the Eastern Partnership, our core European values. Azerbaijan blatantly violated its international commitments by using force against the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh, deliberately targeting the civilian population and vital civilian infrastructure, committing systematic and heinous war crimes targeting not only the indigenous people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), but also our rich religious and cultural heritage explicitly demonstrating its genocidal intent to wipe out any reminders of Armenia’s millenia-old presence in the region.

You know that this aggression was directly supported by Turkey, in overall this aggression undermined the security and peace in the South Caucasus. It also put in evidence that Turkey and Azerbaijan set a precedent for solving the conflicts in the area of Eastern Partnership.

And in this regard we would like to hear the opinion of our colleagues of the European Union about this last aggression and its implication on regional stability. 

Cynical and aggressive behavior of Azerbaijan is not acceptable and should be condemned because they put into question the core values of the Eastern Partnership.

We are also looking very much forward to hearing the role of the European Union in addressing the consequences of this aggression particularly in regard to the overcoming of the humanitarian crisis on the ground. 



Nagorno-Karabakh accuses Azeri forces of capturing troops despite ceasefire

Hambardsumian Paul
CTV News
Dec 16 2020

Reuters Staff           

Published Wednesday, 2:05PM EST

YEREVAN — Ethnic Armenian authorities in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh accused Azeri forces on Wednesday of capturing several dozen of their troops, putting further strain on a ceasefire deal that brought an end to bloody fighting in the region last month.

The Russian-brokered deal halted a six-week conflict between Azeri and ethnic Armenian forces over the region and its surrounding areas, locking in territorial gains for Azerbaijan.

Moscow has deployed peacekeepers to police the ceasefire, but skirmishes broke out on Sunday that Azerbaijan and Armenia each blamed on the other side. Four Azeri troops were reported killed in the fighting and six ethnic Armenians wounded.

In a new setback on Wednesday, Nagorno-Karabakh’s defense ministry said it had lost contact with several military positions late on Tuesday in areas that were supposed to remain under its control according to the Nov. 10 ceasefire deal.

Azerbaijan’s defense ministry declined to comment.

Nagorno-Karabakh’s ministry said it had failed to locate the troops despite carrying out search operations through the night.

Hours later, regional head Arayik Harutyunyan said the troops had been captured and accused Azerbaijan of a “provocation.”

“Several dozen servicemen were taken hostage by Azeri forces in the direction of Ktsaberd village, and the defense ministry is currently trying to figure out all the circumstances,” Harutyunyan said in a pre-written speech posted on his Facebook page.

Later, Armenia’s defense ministry said Russian peacekeepers had helped lead a number of Armenian troops out after they had been encircled by Azeri forces, the Interfax news agency reported.

It was not immediately clear if they were the same troops who had been reported captured.

The incident came shortly after Armenia and Azerbaijan confirmed they had begun exchanging groups of prisoners of war, part of an “all for all” swap mediated by Russia.

Reporting by Nvard Hovhannisyan in Yerevan; additional reporting by Nailia Bagirova in Baku Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Alison Williams, Hugh Lawson and Richard Chang.

Also at
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/16/karabakh-leader-says-dozens-of-fighters-taken-prisoner

Speaker Mirzoyan, Christian-Democratic Party head discuss ongoing developments in Armenia

Hambardsumian Paul

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 17:33,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met today with President of the Christian-Democratic Party of Armenia Levon Shirinyan, the Speaker said on Facebook.

“We have exchanged views on the ongoing and upcoming steps for overcoming the current situation. We have also touched upon the return of the Armenian prisoners of war, the latest events in Artsakh and the ongoing domestic political developments in Armenia.

Mr. Shirinyan put a focus on the problems existing in the judiciary and the necessity of reforms for solving them.

Consultations with the representatives of various political forces will continue”, the Speaker said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan