Author: Hambardsumian Paul

Asbarez: CSTO Secretary General Concerned Over Azerbaijani Attack of Armenia Border

Hambardsumian Paul
April 2, 2020

Stanislav Zas, the CSTO Secretary-General

The Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization has expressed concern over the attack on Monday by Azerbaijani soldiers on military and civilian targets in Armenia’s Tavush Province, as a result of which a teenage boy and two Armenian soldiers were injured.

Stanislav Zas, the CSTO Secretary-General told Armenpress on Wednesday the fact that this incident is taking place when the international community is collectively combating the coronavirus pandemic is perplexing.

“It is perplexing that the escalation is happening at a time when the international community is waging a united battle against the coronavirus pandemic. In this regard I am calling on the parties to the conflict to heed the United Nations Secretary General’s calls on a global ceasefire,” said Zas, who said the border incident on Monday was “concerning.”

“By the way,” Zas told Armenpress, “as far as I know Armenia has officially endorsed this [the UN’s] call. I would also like to underscore the importance of the implementation of the agreements reached by the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in terms of ceasefire in the conflict zone, and I wish the victims of the incident speedy recovery..”

“At the same time, I would like to express concern regarding this kind of an incident in the CSTO zone of responsibility—at the border of a member country of the organization.”

Opposition lambasts government-backed location data bill

Hambardsumian Paul

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 15:06,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. The opposition parties of the Armenian parliament will vote down the government-backed bill on introducing a location data mechanism for tracing direct contacts of coronavirus patients by using mobile carrier data.

MP Edmon Marukyan, the leader of the Bright Armenia (LHK) opposition party, said that the mechanism would require major funding, whereas now the country needs the resources to tackle social economic issues. Instead of this mechanism Marukyan suggested developing social assistance programs. “The LHK disapproves this bill, we are against yielding our liberties,” he said, adding that his party will vote against the bill.

Speaking on behalf of Prosperous Armenia (BHK) opposition party, legislator Naira Zohrabyan called on the government to retract the bill. “Who says that people must definitely arrange their meetings over the phone? I think the majority of meetings are taking place impromptu,” she said, adding that the BHK will vote against the bill.

Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan argued that the opposition’s reaction is due to the fact that the lawmakers didn’t have enough time to scrutinize the bill.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




RFE/RL Armenian Report – 03/30/2020

Hambardsumian Paul 
                                        Monday, 
Armenian Soldiers, Civilian Wounded Near Azeri Border
Armenia -- Soldiers pictured during a military exercise in Tavush, March 26, 
2019.
Two soldiers guarding Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan and a teenage resident of 
an Armenian border village were reportedly wounded on Monday evening in what 
Yerevan described as Azerbaijani ceasefire violations.
The Armenian Defense Ministry reported that the soldiers sustained light wounds 
as their unit repelled an Azerbaijani raid on its positions in the northern 
Tavush province bordering the Gazakh district in western Azerbaijan.
A ministry statement said Azerbaijani forces also shot at two Armenian villages 
located in the area: Baghanis and Voskevan. It said a boy in Voskevan was 
wounded as a result.
Tavush’s governor, Hayk Chobanian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that the boy 
was shot in the chest and rushed to hospital. His life is not at risk now, said 
Chobanian.
“In order to stabilize the situation in the border zone and to counter the 
brazen actions by Azerbaijani forces … taken amid the [coronavirus] pandemic the 
Armenian Armed Forces will resort to actions commensurate with the situation. 
Azerbaijan’s military-political leadership will be fully responsible for the 
consequences,” read the Defense Ministry statement.
Another Armenian soldier deployed in Tavush was wounded on Friday, according to 
the ministry.
Azerbaijan’s State Border Guard Service, whose troops protect the Tavush-Gazakh 
section of the frontier, denied opening fire on the Armenian villages and said 
it was the Armenian side that fired at an Azerbaijani border village from heavy 
machine-guns. It said its troops shot back in response, according to the Trend 
news agency.
Three Azerbaijani border guards were shot dead in the same area earlier this 
year. One of them was reportedly killed on March 5 one day before the Armenian 
military claimed to have thwarted a similar Azerbaijani incursion attempt. Baku 
denied the alleged attack and accused the Armenian side of violating the 
ceasefire.
Tensions along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border section have been on the rise in 
recent months despite an overall decrease in truce violations in the 
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone observed since October 2018.
Government To Hand Out Cash To Armenians Hit By Economic Shutdown
        • Nane Sahakian
Armenia -- An empty street cafe in Yerevan, March 15, 2020.
The Armenian government approved on Monday unprecedented cash payments to scores 
of people who have been hit hard by economic disruptions resulting from the 
coronavirus epidemic.
The one-off payments announced by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s cabinet will 
benefit tens and possibly hundreds of thousands of workers who have been 
temporarily out of work or laid off as well as owners of small businesses forced 
to halt their operations in recent weeks. The aid is meant to help them buy food 
and meet other basic needs during the nationwide lockdown imposed in Armenia 
last week.
Armenians who have lost their jobs since March 13 will receive 68,000 drams 
($137) each, while unemployed pregnant women whose husbands were fired in the 
same period will be paid 100,000 drams. Single and jobless pregnant women will 
also be eligible for this aid.
Government officials gave no estimates of the number of such citizens. They 
spoke instead of more than 100,000 people making up the third and largest 
category of aid recipients.
Among them are the employees of hotels, travel agencies, restaurants, clothing 
stores and other businesses that were closed after March 13. Depending on their 
monthly wages, they will get between 68,000 and 136,000 drams in compensation.
The government will pay similar sums to small-scale individual entrepreneurs 
also affected by the lockdown.
Armenia -- A cabinet meeting in Yerevan, .
Speaking during a cabinet meeting in Yerevan, Pashinian made clear that the 
government has no intention to compensate a large number of other Armenians who 
worked off the books and did not pay any taxes.
“This situation should tell us that all workers, all wages have to be registered 
[with tax authorities,]” said Pashinian. “We can’t deal with unregistered cases 
[of employment and self-employment] because it’s a black hole where nobody knows 
what’s going on.”
Opposition politicians have expressed serious concern about the plight of people 
involved in the informal sector of the Armenian economy. They have urged the 
government to take care of them as well.
Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian did not rule out the possibility of such 
assistance when he spoke at a news conference later on Monday. He stressed, 
though, that the government currently sees no effective mechanisms for extending 
the coronavirus relief package to the “unregistered jobs.”
The government approved last week a set of other measures designed to shore up 
the economy. In particular, it said creditworthy firms and individual 
entrepreneurs will receive grants worth $500 million (just over $1 million) if 
they pledge to use that money to pay their workers’ wages, buy equipment or raw 
materials or pay taxes. The scheme will not apply to Armenian banks, insurance 
companies and casinos.
The banks will receive instead government subsidies to provide cheap credit to 
small firms and farmers. The latter will be able to borrow up to 1 million drams 
each and avoid paying any interest for two years.
Pashinian also announced on March 27 that the banks have agreed to suspend loan 
repayments for some 100,000 individual or corporate borrowers.
Armenian Authorities Allowed To Use Phone Data To Fight Coronavirus
        • Gayane Saribekian
        • Karlen Aslanian
Armenia -- Deputies wear face masks during a parliament session in Yerevan, 
.
Ignoring strong opposition objections, Armenia’s parliament on Monday allowed 
authorities to access personal data from people’s mobile phones for the purpose 
of stopping the spread of coronavirus in the country.
Under a government bill passed the National Assembly in the first reading, state 
bodies enforcing the coronavirus-related state of emergency will be able to 
track movements, phone calls and text messages of Armenians infected with the 
virus.
Presenting the bill to lawmakers, Justice Minister Rustam Badasian said this 
will make it easier for them to identify and isolate those who have been exposed 
to infected individuals. He stressed that the authorities will not have access 
to the content of phone calls.
The two parliamentary opposition parties rejected this explanation, saying that 
the extraordinary powers sought by the government constitute a politically 
dangerous violation of citizens’ privacy and will not help to contain the 
epidemic.
Armenia -- Justice Minister Rustam Badasian speaks in the National Assembly, 
Yerevan, .
“This is a regression of democracy,” claimed Naira Zohrabian of the Prosperous 
Armenia Party (BHK). “Mr. Minister, withdraw this bill. What you want to do is 
meaningless.”
“We are against ceding our liberties,” declared Edmon Marukian, the leader of 
the Bright Armenia Party.
“This will have a zero impact in terms of stopping the spread of the epidemic,” 
Marukian said during a heated parliament debate. He argued that many Armenians 
use online voice and text message systems to communicate with each other.
Parliament speaker Ararat Mirzoyan and other senior pro-government deputies also 
questioned the wisdom of the bill.
“People who have been in contact with virus carriers may have been infected in 
shops or on the street,” said Narek Zeynalian, the chairman of the parliament 
committee on healthcare. “Phone calls are not the only indicators of 
people-to-people contact.”
Nevertheless, the parliament approved the bill by 57 votes to 24, with one 
abstention. Lilit Makunts, the parliamentary leader of the ruling My Step bloc, 
said the bill will likely be amended before being passed in the final reading. 
Makunts said that she and her colleagues will seek explicit guarantees that all 
phone data collected by the health authorities will be destroyed after the 
epidemic.
Armenia -- Health Minister Arsen Torosian at a news conference in Yerevan, March 
26, 2020.
As the parliament began debating the controversial measure the authorities 
reported that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Armenia rose by 58 to 
482 in the past day. According to Health Minister Arsen Torosian, all but two of 
the new cases resulted from physical contact with known COVID-19 patients.
Torosian also said that 162 other citizens tested negative for the virus on 
Monday, bringing to over 2,216 the total number of such outcomes. A total of 
around 250 Armenians have been released from quarantine to date, he said during 
a cabinet meeting in Yerevan.
The Armenian authorities have reported three coronavirus-related so far.
In Torosian’s words, another patient remains in critical condition but is 
showing signs of improvement and could be disconnected from a lung ventilation 
device in the coming days. No other infected and hospitalized persons are now 
connected to ventilators, added the minister.
Armenia To Benefit From U.S. COVID-19 Aid Package
Armenia - The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan.
The United States has pledged to provide Armenia with more than $1 million in 
aid designed to combat the coronavirus epidemic.
The funding will be part of a $274 million emergency aid package announced by 
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late last week. Pompeo said it will help “64 
of the world’s most at-risk countries” to better deal with the spread of 
coronavirus.
The assistance will be provided through international aid agencies, notably the 
World Health Organization.
“We are pleased that $1.1 million has been authorized for Armenia,” the U.S. 
Embassy in Yerevan announced at the weekend.
The embassy told RFE/RL’s Armenian service afterwards that the assistance has 
already been transferred to relevant international organizations. It is aimed at 
strengthening Armenian health authorities’ capacity monitor infections and 
detect the virus.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), a Washington-based lobby 
group, welcomed the allocation. In a statement, ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian 
reiterated at the same time that some of the annual U.S. aid to Armenia 
allocated by Congress should also be channeled into the fight against 
coronavirus.
Armenia has already received limited amounts of coronavirus-related medical 
supplies from several other countries, including China. The Chinese aid reported 
by the Armenian government has included coronavirus test kits, protective 
medical uniforms and ventilators.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

PM: Georgia, Russia to secure ‘green zone’ for Armenian cargo transportation

Hambardsumian Paul
News.am, Armenia
PM: Georgia, Russia to secure ‘green zone’ for Armenian cargo transportation PM: Georgia, Russia to secure ‘green zone’ for Armenian cargo transportation

20:59, 29.03.2020

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan today had a meeting with the heads of large importing and exporting companies, as reported the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Office of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister stated the following: “First, I would like to thank you for continuing to work as regularly as possible in spite of all the difficulties. I can say that over the past couple of days, Armenia has worked with Georgia and Russia and reached agreement according to which both Georgia and Russia will secure a so-called ‘green zone’ for cargo transportation from the Eurasian Economic Union, that is, there will be a separate zone for Armenian cargo to pass through Georgia and Upper Lars checkpoint. Of course, this is an agreement that has yet to be implemented.

Since Russia is rapidly making decisions on various restrictions and this may cause some panic in Armenia, particularly among consumers, it is very important to state that Armenia has reached an agreement according to which the restrictions won’t concern the Eurasian Economic Union or at least Armenia.”

The Prime Minister emphasized that the mentioned agreement is specific and final and added that, taking into consideration the problem with supply of products, Russia is also interested in the regular supply of products to stores and consumer markets.

Nikol Pashinyan stated that he receives the statistics on imports on a daily basis and added that Armenia has sufficient resources.

Afterwards, the representatives of the importing and exporting companies presented the problems and difficulties caused by the coronavirus situation and made proposals. In their turn, Minister of Economy Tigran Khachatryan and Chairman of the State Revenue Committee Davit Ananyan provided clarifications.

The Prime Minister assigned the Minister of Economy to present a mechanism for staying in contact with businessmen that will allow to respond to the businessmen’s problems and find operative solutions as soon as possible. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that, taking into consideration the foreign currency and logistics issues, the government has approved a number of anti-epidemic action plans for neutralization of the consequences of the coronavirus.

Presidents of Armenia, Israel discuss anti-coronavirus measures

Hambardsumian Paul
Public Radio of Armenia

President Armen Sarkissian had a telephone conversation with the President of the State of Israel Reuven Rivlin.

The Presidents exchanged information on the current state of the new coronavirus spread in their countries, the steps taken to prevent and overcome the infection.

Given that Israel has the world’s best medicine and healthcare system based on advanced, state-of-the-art scientific innovation, President Sarkissian noted that Israel’s support in the form of professional consulting, as well as equipment and supplies would be a significant assistance to Armenia in overcoming the infection.

According to the agreement reached between Armen Sarkissian and Reuven Rivlin, for the purpose of more subjective and professional discussion of the issue, the health authorities of the two parties will have a telephone conversation today or tomorrow. If necessary, specialists will hold an extended discussion to assess the needs.

During the conversation, the interlocutors referred to President Sarkissian’s visit to the State of Israel to attend the 5th Holocaust International Conference.

During meetings with the President of Israel and the Knesset Speaker, Armen Sarkissian raised the issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian President also delivered lectures at two of Israel’s top universities.

Food: Basturma, baby! Make your own Armenian charcuterie.

Hambardsumian Paul
Popular Science

This easy-to-DIY cured beef delivers a power punch of spice.

By Benjamin Kemper/Saveur

4 hours ago

If this is the first time you’ve ever heard of basturma, boy, you are in for a treat.Kat Craddock

This story was originally featured on Saveur.

Basturma is to Armenia what bresaola is to Italy and cecina is to Spain—a ruddy hunk of air-dried beef with more umami punch per mouthful than the fanciest dry-aged steak—except it’s far more exciting. Unlike its simply-salted European brethren, basturma is garlicky and piquant and spiced with industrial quantities of paprika and fenugreek. It’s the type of cheese board item that draws instant oohs and aahs thanks to its crimson core and out-in-left-field flavor profile.

As far as charcuterie goes, basturma is shockingly easy to make, as we learned in this month’s installment of Saveur Cookbook Club featuring Lavash, by Kate Leahy, Ara Zada, and John Lee. You don’t need a meat grinder, sausage casings, or any other gourmet gewgaws to make basturma; the hardest part of this recipe is probably clearing a shelf in the fridge, or finding a two-week stretch when you’ll be home to occasionally drain, flip, spice, and hang the meat. (That said, even the curing times are forgiving.) But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s delve a little deeper into this iconic Armenian snack.

Basturma has two origin stories, one romantic and one…well, more likely. The former posits that the dish was invented by Central Asian horsemen. Before heading to battle, they would wedge fresh beefsteaks beneath their saddles. As they rode, the animal’s sweat—whew, stay with us—would salt the meat, while the constant pounding would tenderize it, yielding a protein-packed snack fit for quick consumption. (To our mind, the jury’s still out on what’s more hazardous: going to war or eating horsehair-covered carrion.)

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Though saddle salami makes for a colorful tale, it’s more probable that basturma hails from the Byzantine city of Caesaria Mazaca (now called Kayseri) in present-day Turkey, where the ancient technique of pastron (salt-curing) is said to have been perfected by Armenians in Late Antiquity. In fact, basturma-making was such a popular vocation among medieval Armenians that Basturmajian (“basturma maker”) became a family name that’s still in use today.

Basturma is beloved to Armenians. In the country’s capital, Yerevan, the best place to enjoy this lean, air-dried beef flavored with garlic and chemen (the mix of pungent spices that’s heavy on fenugreek and paprika) is while sitting at the outdoor cafe named in its honor. Basturma, located on Abovyan Street in the city’s center, is owned by Jirair Avanian, also the proprietor of nearby Dolmama, one of Yerevan’s first, and still-venerated, fine-dining restaurants. Avanian had the idea right with this tiny location, as it is always packed with people leisurely enjoying a glass of wine while they snack on basturma and people-watch.

So, what defines a perfect basturma? Experts will tell you that the meat’s center must be deep red, a sign of freshness and expert curing. On the exterior, the spice coating, or chemen (sometimes chaman), should be fresh and fragrant on the nose and packed on generously. Most importantly, the meat must be stiff all the way through with a low moisture content, which translates to a long shelf life. Here are a few important tips from the authors on making basturma at home.

Choose the right cut. Leahy et al. recommend using eye of round—a lean, dense cut from the the upper hind leg of the cow. Fattier cuts don’t have the right fibrous texture and won’t dry out properly. (They’ll also spoil faster.) Other Armenian cookbooks recommend beef tenderloin; when in doubt, ask your butcher for a lean yet tender cut, and opt for the best-quality beef available.

Find a cool corner. To prevent spoilage and ensure the right consistency, hang the basturma someplace dry that doesn’t exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit. A cold basement or wine fridge is ideally suited to curing, though a standard refrigerator will work in a pinch—just plan ahead, since at cooler temperatures, the meat will take longer to cure.

Check the expiration date on your spices. This recipe is all about the bold, floral flavors of Caucasian spices, but the most prominent one, fenugreek—ideally the Caucasian blue variety, available here—loses its tang more quickly than most. Source your spices from a trustworthy source, and make sure they’re less than a year old.

Shave paper-thin slices. Basturma’s soft, melt-on-your-tongue texture is half its allure, so clumsy chunks won’t do. Gearheads with meat slicers (like this beauty from Chefschoice) will have no problem churning out paper-thin ribbons, but for those of us doing the job by hand, Leahy et al. recommend throwing the basturma into the freezer twenty minutes before slicing and then reaching for the sharpest knife you own.

Think outside the board. Yes, fanned-out slices of carpaccio-esque basturma look fabulous on a charcuterie board, but basturma is equally delectable sandwiched between fluffy slices of Armenian matnakash or your favorite bread—just add pickled veggies and perhaps a scraggle of chechil (Armenian string cheese). Chopped into tiny bits, basturma also adds a pleasant funk to tossed salads and a meaty depth to omelets (wrap the egg up in lavash for the Armenian version of the breakfast burrito), garlicky mashed potatoes, and even mac ‘n cheese.

Yield: makes 3.5 pounds

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Time: 11-18 days, depending on the temperature

  • 4 pounds of eye of round beef roast
  • 1 pound of kosher salt
  • 1⁄2 cup of ground fenugreek (preferably blue fenugreek)
  • 1⁄2 cup of sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon of ground allspice
  • 1 tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 8 large garlic cloves
  1. Cut the eye of round roast in half crosswise (against the grain) so that it is easier to handle. Each piece should be about 2 inches thick. Using a skewer, poke the pieces all over so that the salt can penetrate the meat. Spread a thick layer of salt in a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan and place the meat on top. Coat all sides of both pieces with more salt so that the meat is barely visible. Cover and refrigerate for two days. (After two days, the salt will have drawn out a lot of liquid from the meat.)
  2. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Drain the meat and rinse off the salt. Submerge the meat in the cold water for at least one hour or up to three hours. (This will draw out any excess salt.)
  3. Remove the meat from the water and thoroughly dry each piece with paper towels, pressing down to remove as much moisture as possible. Wrap the meat completely in dry paper towels and place on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Place a second large baking sheet on top of the meat, then weigh down the top pan with a few 28-ounce cans of tomatoes or something similar in weight. Refrigerate at least eight hours or overnight.
  1. Find a place to hang the meat as it cures, preferably in a clean room that never exceeds 70 degrees Fahrenheit, with some airflow. Next, uncover the meat and remove and discard the paper towels. The beef should be flat and slightly firm to the touch. With a skewer, pierce each piece about 1 inch from one end. Tie a piece of butcher’s twine in a knot on one end of the skewer and, leaving the other end of the twine long enough to hang the meat from the desired spot, thread it through the hole in the first piece of beef. Repeat with a second length of twine and the other piece of beef. Hang the meat up by the string and allow it to air-dry for 5–10 days, or until the pieces of beef feel as firm as a nearly-ripe avocado. (Alternatively, hang the meat in the refrigerator for 8-14 days. You may place a rimmed baking sheet underneath, though the meat should be dry from the cure and no longer dripping.)
  1. Take the meat down, leaving the string in place, and transfer it to a large, clean baking sheet. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the fenugreek, paprika, allspice, black pepper, cayenne, cumin, and salt. In a small food processor, puree the garlic with ½ cup cold water. Add the garlic puree to the bowl of spices and mix thoroughly. Pour in an additional ½ cup cold water, or more as needed, until the mixture resembles thick pancake batter. Smear the spice mixture all over the meat in a thin (about ⅛ of an inch), even layer. Rehang the meat for 2–3 more days (3–5 days in the fridge), or until the spice mixture is firm and dry to the touch. At this point, the basturma is ready to eat. To serve, slice as thinly as possible against the grain with a sharp knife. Store the basturma wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to three months.


The nine suspected coronavirus cases tested negative, no new case reported: Armenia’s PM

Hambardsumian Paul
Aysor, Armenia
March 2 2o20

The nine suspected coronavirus cases tested negative, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in live video on Facebook.

“I am happy to inform you that the health minister just reported that in all the rest cases the test results are negative,” Pashinyan said.

He also stressed that no deterioration of health condition of citizens in quarantine in Tsakhkadzor Golden Palace hotel has been registered.

“There are no negative changes in the condition of our infected counterpart. They still do not have temperature, which is a good sign,” Pashinyan said.

Newspaper: How did Armenia ex-President Sargsyan get permission to leave country?

Hambardsumian Paul
News.am, Armenia
March 6 2020

09:23, 06.03.2020
                  

YEREVAN. – Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: [Ex-President] Serzh Sargsyan left for Brussels on a working visit the day before, where he met with EPP President Donald Tusk.

How did Serzh Sargsyan [who is a defendant in a criminal case] bypass the signature-restraint not to leave [the country]? We asked his [legal] defender Amram Makinyan.

“Legal regulation implies that it is impossible to leave the country without the permission of the body conducting the proceedings. Since the third president had a pre-planned working visit, we have petitioned to the body conducting the proceedings in accordance with the law to obtain permission to leave the country; we have received. ” They could not have allowed it.” We had justified the purpose of the visit.”

Government proposes to reduce term of office of Supreme Judicial Council President

Hambardsumian Paul

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 17:54, 3 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian parliament debated today the package of bills on making changes and amendments to the Law on Judicial Code of Armenia.

One of the amendments proposes to reduce the term of office of the Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, setting it 2.5 year.

“The term of office of the President of the Supreme Judicial Council currently is 5 years. According to the package of bills we have proposed to reduce it to 2.5 year”, Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan said.

However, he added that the current SJC President will remain in office for a five-year term.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Azerbaijani press: Truth about Khojaly genocide should be conveyed to even more people – Turkish MP

Hambardsumian Paul
POLITICS 10:36 (UTC+04:00)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 24

By Ilhama Isabalayeva – Trend:

The Khojaly genocide isn’t the first genocide committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis, Samil Ayrim, a member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, head of the Turkey-Azerbaijan Friendship Group, told Trend Feb. 24.

The Azerbaijani people have been subjected to the policy of ethnic cleansing, genocide and aggression carried out by Armenian nationalists over the past 200 years, Ayrim noted.

The Turkish MP added that in particular, genocide against Azerbaijanis was committed by Armenians in 1905, 1918 and 1992.

The leader of the friendship group added that information about the Khojaly genocide should be conveyed even more actively to the international community.

“It was an act of unprecedented vandalism, and we must fully convey the message to the international community,” Ayrim said.

The MP noted that Turkey has been participating in the Justice for Khojaly campaign conducted by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation for several years.

“All civil society organizations in Turkey hold events dedicated to the Khojaly tragedy,” Ayrim added. “Universities also participate in this. We believe that this year, the truth about the Khojaly genocide should be conveyed to even more people, and this is a joint goal of Turkey and Azerbaijan.”

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

During the Karabakh war, on Feb. 25-26, 1992, the Armenian armed forces, together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops, stationed in Khankendi, committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly. As many as 613 people, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people were killed in the massacre. Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people still remains unknown.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.