Author: Jane Topchian

 09:56,

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Artsakh Sergey Ghazaryan has said that Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) considers President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev’s ultimatum statements and threats to unleash a new war to be absolutely unacceptable.

In an interview with ARTSAKHPRESS, FM Ghazaryan said that the people and authorities of Artsakh remain committed to the path of freedom and independence they have chosen, and no threats or difficulties created by Azerbaijan can make them turn off this path.

 Below is the interview published by ARTSAKHPRESS. 

How would you comment on the statement made by the President of Azerbaijan on 18 April that the Armenians living in Karabakh should either accept Azerbaijani citizenship or look for another place of residence?
 

 This is not the first time that the President of Azerbaijan has made statements that reveal the true intentions of Azerbaijan to ethnically cleanse Artsakh and expel its indigenous population from their historical homeland. The blockade imposed on Artsakh by the authoritarian leadership of Azerbaijan for more than four months is just one of the tools for the implementation of those criminal plans. Through coercion, the threat and use of force, Azerbaijan is essentially trying to force the people of Artsakh to accept the illegal demands of Azerbaijan, which contradict, inter alia, the peremptory norms of general international law.
   
 The fact that the leadership of Azerbaijani is no longer hiding their criminal intentions demonstrates the insufficiency of the international response and engagement in efforts to end the ongoing blockade of Artsakh and prevent the genocidal intentions of Azerbaijan. In fact, the Azerbaijani authorities, acting in an environment of absolute impunity and permissiveness, are increasingly expanding the scale and geography of their crimes committed against the people of Artsakh and Armenia.

 In this regard, I would like to emphasise that States, both individually and collectively, have an obligation to take effective and decisive measures to prevent the most serious crimes, primarily genocide and crimes against humanity, including ethnic cleansing and forced displacement. At the same time, the direct responsibility for preventing such crimes rests with the UN Security Council, a body that not only has the appropriate mandate, but also the necessary tools to stop the criminal intentions of Azerbaijan against Artsakh and its people.

 In this context, it is regrettable that despite the commitment to prevent such serious crimes, representatives of some international organisations and states make political efforts that indirectly promote Azerbaijan’s illegitimate position and encourage their genocidal policy. We believe that such an approach by international actors, particularly those involved in the settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict and normalisation of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, is not only unacceptable and counterproductive, but also fraught with unpredictable consequences for the entire region.    

 
How would you comment on the statement of the Azerbaijani President that Karabakh is an internal affair of Azerbaijan?
 

 The Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict has never been considered as an internal affair of Azerbaijan, neither during the existence of the Soviet Union, nor in the subsequent period of the formation of independent states on the territory of the former Soviet Union. This is evidenced by the fact that after Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Armenia and Azerbaijan gained independence, the international community created a special mechanism for the settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict – the Minsk Process. The decision to create an international format to determine the final political status of Artsakh indicated that the community of States did not recognise Artsakh as part of independent Azerbaijan. In turn, Azerbaijan’s consent to be involved in the Minsk Process was also a recognition of the fact that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was not an internal matter of Azerbaijan.

 In addition, the Armenian side has always emphasised that the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict is primarily a matter of human rights and freedoms, and first of all, the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination. In this sense, according to international obligations, including those assumed by the state of Azerbaijan, issues of human rights and freedoms are of direct and legitimate interest to all States and are not exclusively an internal matter of any one State. There are many examples in the world where certain countries and international organisations have directly intervened in conflict situations to prevent genocide, massacres and other serious human rights violations. In situations where human rights and freedoms, including the collective rights of peoples, are systematically and grossly violated, only intervention of the international community and the free exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination can ensure a peaceful and civilized resolution of such situations, without resorting to the use of force, violence, forced deportation and ethnic cleansing.

 Against the backdrop of the ongoing blockade, massive violations of the individual and collective rights of the people of Artsakh, and other aggressive actions, the efforts of the official Baku to present the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict as their internal affair are a clear attempt by the leadership of Azerbaijan to get carte blanche from the international community to continue the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and expulsion of its indigenous people from their native lands. We consider Aliyev’s ultimatum statements and threats to unleash a new war to be absolutely unacceptable. The people and authorities of Artsakh remain committed to the path of freedom and independence they have chosen, and no threats or difficulties created by Azerbaijan can make us turn off this path.

 
Are negotiations between Artsakh and Azerbaijan possible?
 

 The Republic of Artsakh has been and continues to be committed to the peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict. We believe that lasting peace in the region can and should be achieved through negotiations and on the basis of mutually acceptable approaches. Unilateral coercive measures can, of course, contain the issue, but this will be temporary, as evidenced by the 70-year existence of Artsakh within the Azerbaijan SSR. The political issues of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict settlement should be discussed in an agreed and internationally recognised negotiation format based on the equal rights of the parties and in the presence of strong international guarantees for the implementation of their commitments.

 As for the addressing of urgent technical and humanitarian issues, such contacts between the parties began after the ceasefire established by the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020. On 11 April, the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh, through the Russian peacekeeping mission, sent a proposal to the Azerbaijani side to hold a meeting at the place of deployment and with the mediation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping forces to discuss urgent humanitarian issues. However, there was no response from Azerbaijan.

 Azerbaijan has been trying to politicise these contacts in order to eliminate the need for an international mechanism for the settlement of the conflict. By rejecting the international mechanism of dialogue with the official Stepanakert, Azerbaijan is trying to avoid the implementation of possible agreements. Involvement of the international community in the dialogue between Artsakh and Azerbaijan is the only way to guarantee a comprehensive settlement of the conflict.

 
What is your position on the assertion of the Azerbaijani side that, according to the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991, the borders between the union republics are considered state borders and, therefore, Karabakh is recognised as an integral part of Azerbaijan?
 

First of all, it should be noted that the Alma-Ata Declaration has never been considered as a political and legal basis for the settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict or the determination of the status of Artsakh. This is indicated by the fact that by the time this declaration was adopted, negotiations on the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict settlement had been underway for several months already within the framework of the Zheleznovodsk process, through the mediation of the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan. After the signing of the relevant declaration, the conflict settlement process continued with the mediation of Russia, the CIS, and the CSCE/OSCE. As part of the negotiation process, international mediators developed the basic principles and elements of the settlement, according to which the status of Artsakh was to be determined through a legally binding _expression_ of will of its population. Thereby, the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination was recognised and a mechanism was proposed for its implementation. Thus, the parties involved in the conflict and the international mediators were not guided by the Alma-Ata Declaration when developing the basic principles of the settlement.

 Moreover, the Alma-Ata Declaration, like any international document, must be guided by the objectives and principles of the UN Charter and other universal norms of international law. Therefore, the Alma-Ata Declaration contains the same principles and norms as the UN Charter, including the right to self-determination.

 In this regard, we consider it necessary to emphasise that in case of massive and serious human rights violations and discriminatory policies, the right to secession based on the principle of self-determination of peoples prevails over the principle of territorial integrity of states. This formula, in particular, is described in the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States, and is also enshrined in the jurisprudence of various countries.

 13:53, 13 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS. Certain improvement is observed in the health condition of the troops who were wounded during the April 11 Azerbaijani attack near the village of Tegh, Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan said on April 13.

“We have positive dynamics, yesterday the critically wounded serviceman’s health condition stabilized, which is very good, and we hope that the recovery will proceed positively. There’s improvement in the condition of the others as well, and I think everything will be all right,” she said.

Avanesyan said she personally visited the wounded troops at a Yerevan hospital to wish them swift recovery.

 On April 11, Armenian troops carrying out engineering works near the village of Tegh close to the border with Azerbaijan were ambushed by Azerbaijani forces in an unprovoked attack. Four Armenian soldiers were killed and six wounded.

 13:43,

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan on April 14 met with United States Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations and United States Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Louis Bono.

Grigoryan presented the provocation committed by the Azerbaijani military on April 11 near the village of Tegh and stressed that the only goal of such actions is to derail the efforts aimed at the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks, Grigoryan’s office said in a readout. In this context, Bono emphasized the need for implementing constructive steps and remaining committed to the peace process to avoid future escalations.

Secretary Grigoryan reiterated Armenia’s commitment to the negotiations process and presented Armenia’s approaches in resolving the existing issues.

 17:41,

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, ARMENPRESS. The delegation headed by President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan is participating in the plenary sessions of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS participating states in St. Petersburg.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, Alen Simonyan delivered an extended speech at the plenary session, which was preceded by the speech of the Speaker of the Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sahiba Gafarova. Gafarova built her speech with famous Azerbaijani-style provocative rhetoric, accusing the Armenian side of not cooperating and creating various obstacles for Azerbaijanis.

Misrepresenting the situation related to the Lachin Corridor crisis, deliberately avoiding the facts and relevant assessments of international authoritative structures, she put forward old theses that are pleasing to the ears of the Azerbaijani society and are regularly repeated, based on Armenian hatred.

In response to Gafarova’s speech, the President of the National Assembly of Armenia presented fact-based situation to the partners of the parliaments of the CIS countries.

“Distinguished Valentina Ivanovna,

Dear colleagues, participants of Plenary Session,

The cooperation within the frameworks of the CIS for Armenia has been and remains an important direction of collaboration. The practical experience accumulated by the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS during these years is very valuable. Together with that, now we should establish guidelines for further joint work as a benefit for the economic, social and cultural development of our peoples and states.

Colleagues,

Today, the world, including our region stands before new challenges. The security crisis and the realities caused because of 44-day war, the aggression followed it and the occupation of 150 km2 sovereign territory of Armenia promise new threats for the whole region.

Violating the paragraphs of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 and ignoring the requirements of the UN General Judicial body – the UN International Court of Justice, the Azerbaijani authorities as ‘environmentalists’ in mink fur coats, under false pretest have blocked the Lachin Corridor already for more than four months. About 120.000 Armenians residing in Nagorno Karabakh because of failure and blockade of the energy infrastructure are deprived of the accessibility of first aid goods and services, including medical supply of vital importance.

The Russian peacekeeping troops, the mandate of which, by the way, has not been signed by Azerbaijan until now, as well as due to the presence of the International Committee of Red Cross the humanitarian crisis has not outgrown to humanitarian disaster in Nagorno Karabakh.

The illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan under the false ecological veil created real environmental problems in Nagorno Karabakh, as the gas and electricity disruptions resulted in unplanned deforestation, which can result in serious systemized and long-term degradation of the environment.

In parallel with the Lachin Corridor blockade, Baku terrorizes the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh. The Azerbaijani Armed Forces regularly violate the ceasefire regime. The peaceful residents doing agricultural work often are shelled. There are numerous announcements of the Russian peacekeeping troops in this connection.

Only a few days ago, on April 11, on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, on the part of Tegh village of Syunik Region, a group of servicemen of the Azerbaijani armed forces approached the servicemen of the Republic of Armenia under the pretext of clarifying the border checkpoints, provoked from firearm, then also from big caliber weapon and opened fire to the direction of the Armenian positions. There are casualties and wounded on both sides.

Ladies and gentlemen, all actions of the Azerbaijani military are documented by operative video shooting, which is available on the internet.

The implemented provocation is the next encroachment of Azerbaijan against the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia. This policy of Azerbaijan is not new: it is the continuation of the attacks carried out on the Republic of Armenia in May and in November of 2021, as well as in September 2022, as a result of which, Azerbaijan occupied the sovereign territories of the Republic of Armenia.

I should state that in the mentioned part the actions of Baku are provocative, and they oppose the joint statements adopted as a result of meetings held in Prague on October 6, 2022 and in Sochi on October 31.

It is necessary to withdraw the armed forces from both sides on the distance secure from the border, as a reliable guarantee of the situation stability. We express our readiness in this issue from 2021, besides, such action stems from the logic and quadrilateral agreements of Prague and trilateral one of Sochi.

The Armenian side, as before, announces that it has no territorial requirements from its neighbours and towards anybody, and is ready to solve the current issues on the spot through constructive negotiations.

Colleagues,

Out neiighbour does not stop xenophobic policy and rhetoric. Claims are sounded almost against the whole sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.

I cannot but mention the very important humanitarian issues facing all of us. Until now Azerbaijan illegally holds prisoners of war and the civilians. The issue of preservation of the Armenian cultural heritage on the territories of Nagorno Karabakh that passed under the control of Azerbaijan. The access of the UNESCO Mission into Nagorno Karabakh is blocked, in the event when numerous churches, cemeteries, monuments of marshals and generals of the Great Patriotic War have already been destroyed. The impression is that deleting Armenian letters and breaking to pieces the Armenian cross stones, which are already several hundred years old, is it possible to change the history. It is clear that by that Baku destroys the traces of the centuries-old presence of the Artsakh native people.

Summing up the abovementioned, we call on the international community and all colleagues interested in peace and stability in the region to condemn the aggressive actions of Azerbaijan through addressed statements and distinct steps against the Armenians of the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and by that prevent the further escalation of the situation, which can be spread to other regions of the world.

Thanks for your attention,” said the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan.

 12:05,

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, ARMENPRESS. A senior lawmaker on April 14 praised the Armenian military for successfully repelling the Azerbaijani attack on April 11 near Tegh village and added that an internal investigation will be conducted into possible shortcomings in their actions, as noted by PM Pashinyan during the latest Cabinet meeting.

“The Prime Minister’s instructions can’t go unfilled. But shortcomings could happen. And we will be consistent in revealing them and bringing those guilty to account,” MP Andranik Kocharyan, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security Affairs said at a press briefing.

PM Nikol Pashinyan had said that they had predicted a potential Azeri provocation and relevant orders were issued to officials in charge in the event of such scenario. Pashinyan said, however, that the implementation of these orders was a failure.

Kocharyan said that yesterday’s closed meeting in parliament with the top brass sought to rule out such situations in the future.

“The Armenian Armed Forces gave a counterblow, and if our military didn’t act the way it did the Azerbaijani forces would’ve penetrated far deeper,” Kocharyan said, highlighting that the military’s capabilities must be on a level allowing it to fulfill its objectives. “What’s ours is ours, if the adversary is to make a further encroachment it should know that it will get a response. And here, the existence or non-existence of government instructions don’t matter, because the military must fulfill its objectives without instructions as well,” Kocharyan said.

He said an internal investigation will take place in the National Security Service, and if needed also in the military.

“The situation became clearer after yesterday’s discussion, the military fulfilled its objectives, we suffered casualties, but we stopped the adversary’s provocations,” he added.

 15:52, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. Aleksander Čeferin, president of European football’s governing body UEFA, was reelected unopposed for a new four-year term on Wednesday.

First elected in 2016, Čeferin was chosen by acclamation during the organization’s annual Congress in Lisbon. As with his first reelection in 2019, Čeferin was the only candidate.

“It really means a lot to me, it is a great honor but mainly it is a great responsibility towards you and towards football,” Politico quoted him as saying Wednesday. “I will do my best not to disappoint you and to disappoint football.”

 10:11, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) targeted two “Hamas weapons manufacturing and storage sites” in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning after 10 rockets were fired in three waves from the Gaza Strip towards the Sderot area and Yad Mordechai in response to clashes that broke out at al-Aqsa on Tuesday night, Jerusalem Post reported citing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson’s Unit.

It later also struck a Hamas “military compound and multiple military positions”.

Palestinian factions in Gaza fired surface-to-air missiles at the Israeli aircraft carrying out the strikes, according to Palestinian reports. Rocket sirens sounded in Sderot and in Mabu’im, near Netivot, during the strikes.

One of the rockets fired overnight hit a factory in the Sderot industrial zone, five fell in open areas and the rest were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.

No injuries were reported.

Earlier in the night, police entered al-Aqsa, firing stun grenades and working to remove the people barricaded inside. Palestinians in the mosque fired fireworks and threw stones at the Israeli forces. Dozens of Palestinians were reportedly injured in the clashes, with Palestinian media claiming that medics were prevented from reaching the site.

 11:15, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenian boxer Hovhannes Bachkov’s next professional fight will take place on April 14 at London’s York Hall.

Bachkov (4 (3KOs)-0-0) went pro in 2020 after a highly successful amateur career: he is a three-time bronze medalist of the World Boxing Championships, three-time champion of Europe and a bronze medalist of the 32nd Summer Olympics.

The Armenian boxer is now on training camp in the US.

Super lightweight Bachkov’s most recent professional bout took place in December of 2022 where he defeated Mexican Marcos Gonzalez Barraza by way of corner stoppage.

His rival for the upcoming bout is yet to be announced.