17:14,
YEREVAN, 12 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 12 May, USD exchange rate up by 0.05 drams to 386.38 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.75 drams to 421.35 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.07 drams to 5.00 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.87 drams to 484.29 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 260.08 drams to 25042.95 drams. Silver price down by 7.85 drams to 309.13 drams.
16:23, 6 May 2023
YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a consultation was held in the Government, during which the draft strategy for the development of the mining industry was discussed, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.
In particular, reference was made to the current situation in the field, production and export volumes, the realization of existing potential, opportunities and prospects for the development of the field, introduction of modern technologies. It was noted that the goals of the strategy are the creation and management of unified geological digital information databases, effective decision-making in the field of subsoil use and protection, application of international standards and approaches in the field of mining. The consistent fight against the illegal exploitation of mines and the introduction and application of clear mechanisms for this purpose, the effective management of tailings were highlighted.
The Prime Minister instructed to amend the draft strategy and submit it for the approval of the government, taking into account the recommendations presented during the discussion.
TEHRAN – Inscriptions discovered in a ruined mosque in a small village in Armenia can help trace the history of the Iranian lion symbol back several hundred years, a member of Iran’s Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism has said.
It turns out that Armenian inscriptions place the history of the lion symbol in Iranian petroglyphs 600 years earlier than archaeologists originally thought, ISNA quoted Morteza Rezvanfar as saying on Friday.
In one of these Persian inscriptions, a lion is engraved with a sword in hand next to the name of Imam Ali (AS), he added.
According to historical documents, this motif dates back to the time of the Qajar king Fath Ali Shah who reigned from 1797 to 1834, but these newly discovered inscriptions may push that date back over 600 years, he explained.
In addition to the lion and sun symbol, which dates back thousands of years, the first image of a lion holding a sword in inscriptions discovered in Iran, dates back to Qajar-era (1789-1925), and before that, the lion symbol have always had its feet on the ground, he noted.
Ancient Iran, also known as Persia, historic region of southwestern Asia that is only roughly coterminous with modern Iran. The term Persia was used for centuries, chiefly in the West, to designate those regions where the Persian language and culture predominated, but it more correctly refers to a region of southern Iran formerly known as Persis, alternatively as Pars or Parsa, modern Fars.
Parsa was the name of an Indo-European nomadic people who migrated into the region about 1000 BC. The first mention of Parsa occurs in the annals of Shalmanesar II, an Assyrian king, in 844 BC.
During the rule of the Persian Achaemenian dynasty (559–330 BC), the ancient Greeks first encountered the inhabitants of Persis on the Iranian plateau, when the Achaemenids—natives of Persis—were expanding their political sphere. The Achaemenids were the dominant dynasty during Greek history until the time of Alexander the Great, and the use of the name Persia was gradually extended by the Greeks and other peoples to apply to the whole Iranian plateau.
ABU/AM
If the countries in the Caucasus choose to invest in peace, it will open new opportunities in the region, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Thursday.
In an article for TRT World, Akar said, “Hopefully, reversing historical enmities will pave the way for lasting friendship and cooperation.”
“However, we must be mindful of the delicate situation at hand. While the conflict is currently frozen, the threat of falling back into hostilities grows the longer it takes to hammer out a deal,” he said.
Akar said two issues have prevented Ankara and Yerevan from developing normal ties since Armenia’s independence from the Soviet Union. One was “the war in 1992 over Karabakh and the consequent occupation, in violation of international law, of a substantial amount of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia.”
“The other obstacle is the unresolved differing perspectives on the historic events of 1915 that led to the deaths of both Armenians and Muslims in the final years of the Ottoman Empire,” he said.
While the first one has more or less been resolved, with Azerbaijan regaining its lands in 2020 after three decades of Armenian occupation, the second one “has proven far more difficult to surmount, as it is a deeply emotional and sensitive topic for both sides,” said Akar.
Türkiye is keen to resolve this issue and called on Armenia in 2005 to open its national archives and establish a joint committee of historians to research the events of 1915, said Akar, adding “Türkiye has already opened its national archives to international scrutiny, but Armenia still keeps its archives closed and refuses to respond to our call.”
“During World War I, the Ottoman Empire was attacked by Russia on its eastern front, emboldening Armenian nationalists to take up arms and engage in acts of violence against Muslims, including attacks on Muslim villages and civilians. These acts have been documented and acknowledged by historians as well as by Western military missions at the time,” he said.
He also said that American Gen. James Guthrie Harbord’s report on the events of that time “also documented the atrocities committed by Armenians, who did not constitute a majority in any region of the Ottoman lands, against other subjects of the empire.”
“This is not to disregard the massive humanitarian crises that took place during this period. President (Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan back in 2014 – then as the prime minister – expressed his condolences to the descendants of the Armenians who lost their lives in that period,” Akar said.
Türkiye’s position on the events of 1915 is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.
Ankara objects to the presentation of these incidents as “genocide,” describing them as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.
Akar said that Türkiye remains steadfast in its belief that the Turkish and Armenian people, who have a long history of living in tolerance and peace, can establish relations based on friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation, despite the challenges.
“If the countries in the region and beyond choose to invest in peace, the political and economic dividends will be high for the entire region. Türkiye would like to see third countries – including its allies in the West – either help usher in this new understanding or be at least wary of efforts to politicize a historical controversy and perpetuate hostilities,” he added.
On the other side, regarding the ongoing tensions between Baku and Yerevan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on the same day that direct talks between his country and Armenia are the best way for achieving a peace agreement.
“I believe that direct negotiations between the two countries will be more useful and necessary. I think we should continue to move in this direction if, of course, Armenia is also ready for this,” he said, speaking at an international conference in the city of Shusha on Wednesday.
Aliyev said that Armenia, now more openly than some of its friends in the West, recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and it only needs to express that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan as it has already done on paper.
“The Alma-Ata Declaration actually delineated and recognized as administrative and official the borders of the former republics of the USSR. This means that they (Armenians) have already agreed that Karabakh is Azerbaijan. And I recently said that they just need to say the last word. They said “A.” Now they should have said “B.” They should say what I said, that Karabakh is Azerbaijan. I am waiting for that. I hope that time will come,” he said.
Aliyev admitted that there are some sensitive issues in relations with the U.S. concerning the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, but for the rest, “the bilateral agenda is very wide.”
Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military illegally occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent regions.
Clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian Army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements. During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and around 300 settlements and villages that Armenia had occupied for almost 30 years.
The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, which was seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia. However, the cease-fire has been violated several times since then.
14:25, 3 May 2023
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has refused to comment on the foreign ministerial talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the United States ‘because these negotiations are proceeding without Russia’s participation’.
Zakharova said at a press briefing that Moscow will be able to express its opinion when there will be statements released by the parties.
She once again stressed the importance of implementing the trilateral agreements.
“We remain committed to the implementation of all terms of the trilateral agreements reached between the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in 2020-2022,” Zakharova added.
Regarding prospects of a planned meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Russia, Zakharova noted that both Yerevan and Baku have expressed readiness for such a meeting. “We will inform about the timeframes later,” Zakharova said.
On April 23, 2023, Azerbaijan established a checkpoint on the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor. This step was a logical culmination of Azerbaijani policy, which started in November 2020, when Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia signed a trilateral declaration to end the second Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) war. Azerbaijan’s strategy was clear-cut; there was no Artsakh and no conflict. The 2020 war ended Artsakh as a territorial administrative unit and made the Artsakh conflict history. The deployment of Russian peacekeepers was a temporary measure. Armenians living in Artsakh would receive no special status, and Azerbaijan would never agree to any international presence in Artsakh. Armenians in Artsakh have two options: to take Azerbaijani passports or leave their homeland.
To reach its goals toward Artsakh, Azerbaijan imposed control over the corridor connecting Artsakh with Armenia. Azerbaijan consistently took steps to reach that target. The first action was the construction of the new highway from Lisagor, a village in the Shushi region, to Kornidzor. Azerbaijan finished the construction of that road by the end of July 2022 and forced Armenia and the self-proclaimed Artsakh Republic to accept this new route and evacuate Armenians from the city of Berdzor (Lachin) and surrounding villages by September 2022. Azerbaijan de facto changed the status and functioning of the Berdzor Corridor by taking control over Berdzor and forcing Armenians to use the new highway. According to the November 10, 2020 statement, the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor should be five kilometers wide; Azerbaijani troops were much closer to the new highway.
The next step in Azerbaijan’s strategy was disseminating information that Armenia used the Berdzor Corridor to transport weapons and mines to Artsakh. It was the first step in preparing the ground for closing the road. Then Azerbaijan started to demand the right to monitor the mines in Artsakh. The key for Azerbaijan was the possibility of sending representatives of Azerbaijani state institutions to Artsakh to fulfill the same duties these institutions did in Azerbaijan. This step would send a clear message that Artsakh was Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan used the Artsakh authorities’ decision to prevent the entrance of these representatives into Kashen mine as a pretext to send so-called “eco-activists” to block the Berdzor Corridor near Shushi. Azerbaijan would definitely block the road even if Artsakh authorities allowed monitoring of mines. Baku would find another pretext to close the road. Then Azerbaijan officially demanded the resignation of Artsakh state minister Ruben Vardanyan, calling him a “Russian puppet” and promising to start negotiations with Artsakh after Vardanyan’s removal. However, the first two meetings between Armenians and Azerbaijanis after Vardanyan’s dismissal proved that the only topic Azerbaijan was ready to speak about was the reintegration of the Armenians of Artsakh into Azerbaijan. After organizing an ambush against Artsakh policemen on March 5 and killing three of them, Azerbaijan took control of the alternative mountain passes, which allowed it to reach Lisagor from Stepanakert circumventing “eco-activists.” Establishing the checkpoint at the beginning of the new road of the Berdzor Corridor was the culmination of an Azerbaijani well-designed and consistent strategy to effectively cut Armenia off from Artsakh and force Armenians either to leave or to accept Azerbaijani jurisdiction. Simultaneously, Azerbaijan clearly stated that it would never accept any international presence in Artsakh after the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers either in November 2025 or later.
Meanwhile, as Azerbaijan realized its clearly defined strategy to strangle Artsakh, Armenia’s actions were much less consistent and coherent. In July 2022, Armenia stated that Azerbaijan’s demands to evacuate Berdzor and surrounding villages and accept the new Berdzor Corridor route from the Armenian border to Lisagor were illegal. However, as Azerbaijan launched limited military attacks on August 1 and 3, 2022, Armenia accepted and implemented the Azerbaijani ultimatum. The September 2022 Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia complicated the peace talks; less than a month after the aggression, Armenia signed a Prague statement on October 6, 2022, recognizing Azerbaijani territorial integrity in accordance with the 1991 Alma-Ata declaration. There were attempts in Armenia, mainly by the expert community, to argue that on December 21, 1991, when the Alma-Ata declaration was signed, Artsakh was not part of Azerbaijan because it declared its independence in September 1991 and organized a referendum on independence on December 10, 1991. However, these discussions may have made sense within Armenia, but the international community’s position and understating of the situation was clear. On October 6, 2022, Armenia recognized Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan, automatically transforming the Artsakh conflict into the problem of minority protection within Azerbaijan.
On April 23, 2023, the Armenian government criticized Azerbaijani actions for blockading the Berdzor Corridor near Shushi and later establishing the checkpoint. The Armenian government claims these steps are direct preparation for ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Armenian population of Artsakh. However, the Armenian government said it would do nothing to change the situation on the ground, arguing that the Berdzor Corridor belongs to Russia. Russia should force Azerbaijan to remove the checkpoint and end the blockade. Other members of the international community should force Azerbaijan to implement the International Court of Justice’s decision on the blockade adopted on February 22, 2023.
Nevertheless, it is evident that Russia will not use force against Azerbaijan, and the US and other Western countries will not threaten Azerbaijani leadership with personal sanctions on their multi-billion assets. Current calls by Armenia to the international community to pressure Azerbaijan and force Baku to end the blockade and remove the checkpoint will be futile. They will bring no results, allowing Azerbaijan to continue its plan of destroying Artsakh as a political-administrative entity.
Friday,
Armenia Rules Out Talks On New Lachin Corridor Regulations
• Nane Sahakian
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan (R) and French Minister for Europe and
Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna at a joint press conference in Yerevan, April
28, 2023.
Yerevan has no intention to get involved in negotiations on any new regulations
regarding the Lachin Corridor after Azerbaijan officially blocked the only road
connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia recently, Armenia’s top diplomat said
on Friday.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his visiting French counterpart
Catherine Colonna in Yerevan, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stressed
that the status of the corridor was agreed upon in the Moscow-brokered ceasefire
agreement that put an end to a six-week Armenian-Azerbaijani war over
Nagorno-Karabakh in November 2020.
The agreement placed Russian peacekeepers in charge of providing security for
Nagorno-Karabakh and ensuring free movement for its people along a
five-kilometer-wide strip of land connecting the mostly Armenian-populated
region with Armenia and known as the Lachin Corridor.
Citing Armenia’s “continued military supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh”, Azerbaijan
installed a checkpoint at the entrance to the corridor on April 23, tightening
the already existing blockade of the region that was effectively imposed by
government-backed Azerbaijani protesters back in December.
The protesters posing as environmental activists said today they were suspending
their action after blocking the road at a junction just off Stepanakert for 138
days. According to Azerbaijani media, their representatives said that the
establishment by Baku of a border checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin road
partly met their demands for control over the use of the region’s natural
resources.
Authorities in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh described the roadblock as illegal.
Russia also denounced Azerbaijan’s “unilateral actions” in the Lachin Corridor.
The United States, France and other Western powers voiced their concerns that
Azerbaijan’s move could fuel further tensions and undermine efforts by Yerevan
and Baku to reach peace in the region.
Mirzoyan stressed on Friday that Armenia supports full implementation of the
2020 deal.
“It concerns not only the agreements on the Lachin Corridor. All agreements
should be honored so that it becomes possible to have more serious achievements
in the Armenia-Azerbaijan settlement,” he said.
Mirzoyan also reiterated Yerevan’s position that Baku should have an
internationally visible dialogue with Stepanakert on the rights and security of
Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenians.
For her part, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Colonna emphasized
that Paris demonstrates full support for talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“France is not doing it alone, it is doing it together with the European Union,
the United States, keeping in touch with the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe and the UN, which can play a positive role in this
process,” Colonna said.
She said that the path of peace is complex and difficult to find. “But, as I
said in Yerevan and Baku, it is the only way that will make it possible to
achieve a just and sustainable peace and will make it possible to create new
prospects for the future of the two countries and their populations,” the French
minister said.
During her earlier meetings in Baku and Yerevan Colonna urged Azerbaijan to
comply with the order of the International Court of Justice that ruled in
February that Azerbaijan must “take all measures at its disposal to ensure
unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles, and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in
both directions.”
Official Baku denies blockading the Armenian-populated region, pledging to
ensure, in cooperation with Russian peacekeepers deployed in the region, all
“necessary conditions” for “a transparent and orderly passage of Armenian
residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan” in both directions.
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh dismiss such assurances, insisting that there must
be only Russian presence in the corridor under the terms of the Moscow-brokered
ceasefire agreement.
Receiving Colonel-General Alexander Lentsov, the newly appointed commander of
the Russian peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh, in Yerevan on April 28,
Armenia’s Defense Minister Suren Papikian stressed the importance of efforts “to
achieve the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor as soon as possible.”
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian also urged Azerbaijan and Russia to
abide by the 2020 trilateral agreement to ensure free movement along the Lachin
Corridor when he spoke at a weekly cabinet session in Yerevan on Thursday.
Pashinian also called for a broader international presence in Nagorno-Karabakh
and the Lachin Corridor.
“Azerbaijan’s efforts to turn Nagorno-Karabakh into a new scaffold for Armenians
must be stopped, and the only reliable way of doing that is the presence of
representatives having a broad international mandate in Nagorno-Karabakh. As the
first step it is necessary that an urgent international fact-finding mission be
sent to Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor,” the Armenian leader
underscored.
French Official Urges Armenia, Azerbaijan To Maintain Ceasefire
• Artak Khulian
French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna (in the center)
visited the Armenian town of Jermuk near the border with Azerbaijan on April 28,
2023.
French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna urged Armenia
and Azerbaijan to maintain ceasefire as she visited an Armenian town near the
volatile border between the two countries on Friday.
Colonna’s regional tour that also included a stop in Baku comes amid heightened
Armenian-Azerbaijani tensions over a land corridor that connects
Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.
Azerbaijan set up a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor on April 23, thus
tightening the already existing blockade of the Armenian-populated region that
was effectively imposed by government-backed Azerbaijani protesters back in
December.
Both in Baku and Yerevan the top French diplomat urged Azerbaijan to comply with
the order of the International Court of Justice that ruled in February that
Azerbaijan must “take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement
of persons, vehicles, and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.”
Official Baku denies blockading the Armenian-populated region, explaining that
the checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin road was installed in response to
Armenia’s “illegal military supplies” to the region, a claim denied both in
Yerevan and Stepanakert.
Azerbaijan has also pledged to ensure, in cooperation with Russian peacekeepers
deployed in the region, all “necessary conditions” for “a transparent and
orderly passage of Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan” in both directions.
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh dismiss such assurances, insisting that there must
be only Russian presence in the corridor under the terms of a Moscow-brokered
ceasefire agreement that put an end to a six-week Armenian-Azerbaijani war in
2020.
During their meeting in Yerevan late on Thursday the French minister and
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian described “unilateral actions by
Azerbaijan” as “unacceptable.”
Pashinian’s press office also quoted Colonna as saying that France supports
Armenia “in the search for a just and sustainable peace.”
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian receives France’s Minister for Europe
and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna in Yerevan, .
While on her visit to Armenia on April 28 the French minister also travelled to
Jermuk, an Armenian resort town that was shelled by Azerbaijani troops during
last September’s deadly fighting on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen Grigorian accompanied Colonna on
the trip.
Edward Asrian, the chief of the Armenian Armed Forces’ General Staff, reportedly
presented to the senior French official the situation in Jermuk after last
year’s fighting that both sides blamed on each other.
Armenia says Azerbaijan occupied chunks of its sovereign territory after an
unprovoked aggression, which Baku denies.
Asrian said that the territory that Azerbaijani forces penetrated in the
direction of Jermuk made over 60 square kilometers, with the front of the
penetration stretching 11 kilometers wide and going up to 8 kilometers deep into
Armenian territory. He said both military and civilian infrastructure came under
shelling.
“Great damage was done to civilian infrastructure. The town of Jermuk suffered
significant damage,” the senior Armenian military official said.
During her trip to Jermuk the French foreign minister, in particular, wrote on
Twitter: “[I am] in Jermuk, with the observation mission of the European Union.
The European Union is helping to ease tensions and build prospects for peace.
The ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia must be respected in order to find
the way of trust.”
In February, the European Union deployed about 100 civilian monitors in Armenia
on a two-year mission to reduce the risk of a serious escalation along the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border. A smaller two-month-long EU observation mission had
already been deployed in Armenia following last fall’s clashes along its restive
border with Azerbaijan.
At their meeting yesterday Pashinian and Colonna also highlighted the importance
of “the effective activities of the EU observation mission in Armenia in the
context of ensuring security and stability in the region.”
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Armenia’s Davit Hovhannisyan (left) and Ara Aganyan won a gold and silver medal respectively on Apr. 21
Armenian athletes Davit Hovhannisyan and Ara Aghanyan won a gold and sliver medal respectively at the European Weightlifting Championships that concluded on Friday in Yerevan’s Karen Demirchyan Sports Complex.
They won the medal competing in the 96-kilogram category.
Hovhannisyan lifted 164, 167, 170 kilograms in the snatch exercise with three successful approaches. Hovhannisyan won a small gold medal in this exercise. In the push exercise, he raised 200, 205 kg and became a gold medalist in this exercise as well. Hovhannisyan is the two-time champion of Europe with a result of 377 kg, Armenpress reported.
Aghanyan, had one successful approach in the snatch exercise – 165 kg. He won a small bronze medal in this exercise. In the push, Aghanyan became the silver medalist of the exercise with one approach – 199 kg, and in the doubles he registered a result of 364 kg and became the vice-champion of Europe.
Aghanyan earned a silver medal at last year’s European Championship.
Earlier this week, Gor Sahakyan was named European Champion when he earned a gold medal in the 67-kilogram category. Rafik Harutyunyan won a bronze medal in the 81-kg category, while Andranik Karapetyan became the vice-champion of Europe in the 89-kg category.
In the women’s completion, Armenia’s Isabella Yailyan won a bronze medal in the 55-kilogram category, while her teammate Alexandra Grigoryan ranked 6th.
In the 76-kilogram category, Tatev Hakobyan won a silver, while 16-year-old Emma Poghoysn was ranked 5th.
In the 64-kilogram category Anush Arshakyan ranked in 9th place, while Liana Gyurjyan came in 10th in the 81-kilogram category.
17:54,
YEREVAN, 10 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 10 April, USD exchange rate down by 0.19 drams to 388.24 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.76 drams to 423.41 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 4.75 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.71 drams to 482.54 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 12.22 drams to 24988.13 drams. Silver price down by 0.16 drams to 311.24 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.