Author: Jagharian Tania

Georgian PM, Armenian Security Council Secretary discuss bilateral relations, future cooperation

Jagharian Tania
Agenda, Georgia
May 4 2022
Agenda.ge, 4 May 2022 – 13:14, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgian-Armenian relations and future cooperation were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and the Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigorian.

The head of the Government thanked the Armenian official for his visit to Georgia and stressed the importance of ensuring “peace and stability” in the South Caucasus region, the Government Administration said.

Garibashvili said Georgia was ready to contribute to the “regional dialogue” to promote the economic, trade, cultural and other ties. The meeting focused on the Georgian Prime Minister’s recent Peaceful Neighbourhood Initiative as a platform for the dialogue.

Garibashvili and Grigorian also discussed the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine. The PM noted Georgia’s solidarity with and political support for Ukraine in the wake of the ongoing Russian invasion of the country, through both international formats and humanitarian aid provision.

https://agenda.ge/en/news/2022/1573

Azerbaijan determines checkpoints on its border with Armenia

Jagharian Tania
May 6 2022
  • JAMnews
  • Baku

Checkpoints at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border

The authorities of Azerbaijan and Armenia are preparing for negotiations on the delimitation of the border between the two countries within the framework of a bilateral commission. Baku has already decided on the locations of two checkpoints on the border with Armenia. The corresponding decision of the Cabinet was signed by the Prime Minister of the country.

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Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov signed a decision, according to which the places of two border checkpoints (BCP) on the border with Armenia were determined.

According to the document, the checkpoints will appear in the settlements of Eyvazly and Ghazanchy, located respectively in Gubadli and Zangilan regions, bordering Armenia.

In addition, the document refers to two more new border checkpoints. They were created at the international airports “Fizuli” and “Zagatala”, located in the regions of the same name.

The Fizuli airport, which opened in October 2021, is one of three air harbors that should appear in the territories returned to Azerbaijan’s control as a result of the second Karabakh war. The opening of the Zangilan airport is scheduled for the end of this year, and the Lachin airport should be put into operation in 2024.

The road between the cities of Goris and Kafan in Armenia passes through the village of Eyvazli in the Gubadli region, where one of the checkpoints on the border with Armenia will be located. The customs post of Azerbaijan already operates there, which serves trucks moving in the direction of Karabakh.

Azerbaijan has established police and customs checkpoints on the section of the road between the Armenian cities of Goris and Kapan, stopping Iranian trucks and requiring them to pay fees in order to pass

Near the village of Gazanchi, Zangilan region, where the second checkpoint will be created on the border with Armenia, there will be a highway to the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, an exclave of Azerbaijan. Most likely, this border checkpoint will become part of the Zangezur transport corridor. Near Gazanchi there is also the route of the former railway from Azerbaijan to Kapan, which was destroyed after the first Karabakh war.

Mistreatment Of Minorities In Turkey 104 Years After The Armenian Genocide

Jagharian Tania

May 5 2022

  • Britt Gronmeyer
  • May 5, 2022

The 24th of April 2022 marked the 104th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. On this day, Ottoman authorities arrested Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople, ultimately leading to the deportation, massacre, and mass extermination of over one million Armenians. Although the Armenian Genocide began over a century ago, ethnic and religious conflicts remain relevant in Turkey and conflict with the Kurds has become a major component of Turkish policy.

The anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was recognized from world leaders including United States President Joe Biden. In a statement released on the White House website, President Biden recognized the event while using it as a forum to discuss the role of obstruction of human rights in modern geopolitics. Although the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide has been recognized by several states on its anniversary, the significance of Turkey’s lack of recognition has not gone unnoticed. It is relevant to note that Turkey as well as its allies such as Israel have not recognized the Armenian Genocide. In Turkey, it is illegal to mention to the genocide as it opposes the nationalist agenda that has been in place since Mustafa Kemal Atatürk established the Republic of Turkey in 1923. While human rights advocates continue to fight for Turkey and her allies to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Turkey continues to be held accountable for controversial obstructions of the rights of minorities.

Numerous human rights concerns within Turkey have emerged in recent years, especially since Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s accession to presidency in 2014. These concerns exist within the scope of domestic issues, Turkey’s relationship with the Kurds, and Syrian refugees. Turkish relations with the Kurds have been truculent since the Kurds’ failure to acquire an independent nation in the aftermath of World War II. According to a Study by the Harvard University School of Divinity, the Kurds make up roughly 18% of Turkey, making them a significant minority within Turkey’s population. Less than a week before the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey launched new offensives against Kurds in Iraq and Syria, further condemning the group to the status of a repressed population in the areas they inhabit. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has tracked Turkey’s violations of International Human Rights Law within President Erdoğan’s centralized and authoritarian government in which the HRW recorded restrictions of media, human rights defenders, Kurdish activists, the LGBTQ+ community, and anyone who could be considered a threat or critic of Erdoğan’s government. Furthermore, the treatment of women by the Turkish government has rapidly deteriorated as the country has left the Istanbul Convention, a convention on the prevention of violence against women, despite having been the first country to join this agreement and having previously held a reputation of being progressive in the fight for women’s rights. According to the UN Refugee Agency, the immense population of refugees currently residing in Turkey including 3.7 million Syrians. The number of Syrian refugees in the region opens opportunities for widespread discrimination and poor treatment of minorities which has increased in times of economic hardship. Violence between Turkish communities and refugees has become more frequent and systematic hostility has strengthened.

Widespread recognition of the Armenian Genocide by nations and organizations across the globe is vital in achieving equality and reducing the harm done to minorities in Turkey. If these human rights violations continue to go unnoticed in Turkey it can have monumental consequences on the future of European peoples and refugees as well as signify hypocrisy from those who condemn the Armenian Genocide while allowing the mistreatment of minorities in Turkey to continue.

Armenian PM’s office denies resignation rumors

Jagharian Tania
PanArmenian
Armenia – May 6 2022
May 6, 2022 – 19:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Deputy Chief of Staff of Prime Minister’s office Taron Chakhoyan has said PM Nikol Pashinyan is not going to resign from his post.

In recent days, protesters demanding the resignation of Pashinyan have taken to the streets to block major roads in the capital Yerevan and call on the population to commit acts of civil disobedience. Pashinian has come under fire after he and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev agreed to start drafting a bilateral peace treaty to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and set up a joint commission on demarcating the borders.

Chakhoyan noted that the citizens of Armenia made their choice a year ago when they voted for Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party, granting them 54% of all ballots.

The official’s remarks came amid rumors that Pashinyan had indeed stepped down. However, he said, the Prime Minister was not planning any such move.

Armenian FM meets with IRI Eurasia Director Stephen Nix in Washington

Jagharian Tania

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 11:19, 6 May, 2022

YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. During his visit to the United States the Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Regional Director for Eurasia Stephen Nix in Washington, the foreign ministry said in a press release.

FM Mirzoyan attached importance to the IRI’s programs in Armenia that seek to support the reforms agenda in various areas of public administration.

Nix said that the IRI will continue its work aimed at support and development of capabilities of Armenia’s democratic institutions.

FM Mirzoyan said that strengthening of democracy and the rule of law and the continuous fight against corruption are among the priorities of the Armenian government. He added that Armenia is taking consistent steps to increase transparency and accountability of state bodies and human rights-based inclusive development.

Armenia adds Karabakh conflict to Azerbaijan’s peace proposal

Jagharian Tania
PanARMENIAN
Armenia – May 5 2022
May 5, 2022 – 15:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan has said that Yerevan has sent a 6-point response on the normalization of relations to the 5-point one proposed by Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan in mid-March disclosed the contents of its single-page proposal on normalization of relations with Armenia, which contains five “principles”, including “the mutual recognition of sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of international borders and political independence of each other.”

“There was nothing unacceptable for Armenia in those 5 points. Armenia says with its 6 points that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved in order to have a comprehensive peace agreement,” Grigoryan said Thursday, May 5, Pastinfo reports.

“At the moment, our approach is that the two packages – the 5+6 – should be combined, negotiations on the peace agreement should start, so that we can find a long-term solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”

Grigoryan also weighed in on a statement from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who said that “Armenia must officially recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as well as the fact that it does not have any territorial claims against Azerbaijan, and will not have any in the future either.” Otherwise, he threatened, “we will not recognize the territorial integrity of Armenia, we will announce it officially.”

According to the Armenian Security Council chief, such statements do not contribute to the formation of the peace agenda.

AAP: Protesters demand Armenian PM resign

Jagharian Tania
May 4 2022

Protesters have demanded the resignation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and opposition lawmakers have walked out of parliament as pressure mounts against the embattled politician.

After blocking major roads in the capital Yerevan, demonstrators rallied outside parliament to voice their discontent while Pashinyan was speaking inside.

Protesters brandishing tricolour Armenian flags shouted “Armenia without Nikol!” and “Leave!,” according to video from the scene.

Police arrested some of the protesters and security officials warned them against trying to storm the parliament building.

The opposition walkout came as Pashinyan was delivering a fiery speech.

“You run like you always run,” he shouted at MPs leaving the session, while his supporters clapped.

Pashinyan has faced heavy criticism since Armenia was defeated by Azerbaijan in a six-week war in 2020 and lost significant territory in and around the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinyan said he had been compelled to accept a Russian-brokered peace deal, which prompted a wave of protests, to avoid greater human and territorial losses.

with reporting from AP

Australian Associated Press


https://www.armidaleexpress.com.au/story/7725250/protesters-demand-armenian-pm-resign/?cs=13239


ALSO AT
https://7news.com.au/news/conflict/protesters-demand-armenian-pm-resign-c-6683419
https://www.juneesoutherncross.com.au/story/7725250/protesters-demand-armenian-pm-resign/?cs=5461

AW: Commemorating the Genocide in Meghri

Jagharian Tania
May 3, 2022 Alek Elbekian News 0

I was lucky enough to be in Armenia during the month of April and even luckier to be in Meghri, an Armenian town far from the glimmering lights of Northern Avenue and the raving nightlife of Yerevan. Meghri is one of the many cities in the region of Syunik that has hosted battles that shaped the current borders of the Republic of Armenia such as the 1727 Battle of Halidzor as well as the 1919 Battle of Zangezur and others.

Commemorating the Genocide in Meghri, April 2022

As the rest of Armenia was preparing to commemorate the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) “Arevig” Gomideh in Meghri, with the help of the AYF Netherlands “Karekin Nejdeh” Chapter, organized a commemorative event which included an opening prayer at a local church and a march to a local genocide memorial for a candlelight vigil. It was an odd sight for a town commemorating a genocide as it is currently under the threat of annexation. After the event, we went to “Khachats Doon” where some of the Gomideh members and I spent the night singing “Kini Lits” over glasses of wine. It wasn’t the typical April 24 I had experienced as a Diasporan in Lebanon and the Netherlands.

Candlelight vigil at the Genocide memorial in Meghri.

After the Artsakh War, there has been this chilling feeling that Syunik, which is in the southern region of the Republic of Armenia, was going to be the next piece of territory to be handed over to the enemy. Tactical advances by Azerbaijan and constant artillery fire have solidified the intentions of the Aliyev regime. A few weeks ago, the Iranian government released a video stating that the border of Syunik is a red line that the Republics of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Armenia should refrain from shifting. Since the Iranian government maintains a firmer stance than the current government of Armenia on the matter, I can only see that it is up to us, individually, to make a change. 

Syunik is not just a culmination of mountains and beautiful landscape. The region and its people are an integral part of Armenia. They too have ambitions. They too want security. And they most certainly do not want to live under the constant threat of attacks. They too mourn the losses of the Armenian Genocide. They too remember and demand. 

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Alek Elbekian is a Lebanese Armenian and a graduate student in theoretical physics at Utrecht University, specializing in quantum field theory and condensed matter. He also works at the Yerevan Physics Institute researching cosmic rays and naturally occurring radiation.


Armenian, Russian Deputy PMs discuss bilateral trade-economic cooperation

Jagharian Tania

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 10:16,

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan met with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk in Moscow, the Armenian government’s press service said.

The sides discussed the relevant issues of the Armenian-Russian trade-economic cooperation.

The meeting touched upon also the topic of restoring the transportation communications in the South Caucasus region, which is being discussed within the Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan trilateral working group co-chaired by deputy prime ministers.

In New Attack Azerbaijani Forces Target Artsakh’s Martakert

Jagharian Tania
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Artsakh Defense Army soldier

Azerbaijani forces again breached the ceasefire on Friday this time violating the line-of-contact in Artsakh’s Martakert region, Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.

“The command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, in cooperation with the representatives of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, is taking measures to resolve the incident,” the statement said.

On Saturday, Artsakh authorities reported that the Azerbaijani armed forces entirely have pulled back to their initial positions near Seysulan in Artsakh’s Martakert region.

The operative-tactical situation in other parts of the line of contact remain calm, according to Artsakh InfoCenter.