Author: Kajoyan Gevork

U.S. continues to be greatly concerned about the humanitarian situation in Nagorno- Karabakh – State Department spox

Kajoyan Gevork

 11:21,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The United States is greatly concerned about the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and is calling for unimpeded humanitarian access to the region, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press briefing.

“I will say that we continue to be greatly concerned about the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. We think it’s important that residents of Nagorno-Karabakh be able to make the decision to leave if they want to leave and to be able to return if they want to return. It’s a decision that they all have to make as individuals, but we think it’s important that they be able to make that decision for themselves. And we think there ought to be unhindered humanitarian access to the region to make sure that populations in need can get the support that they require,” Miller said.

The State Department spokesperson also commented on the USAID deployment of a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) in the South Caucasus region to coordinate the U.S. humanitarian response.

“That team will assess the situation and identify priority needs to scale up assistance and work with partners to provide urgently needed aid,” Miller said.

He repeated the need for maintaining the ceasefire and ensuring humanitarian needs.

“I think what I would reiterate with respect to Nagorno-Karabakh is that overall, we think it’s important that the ceasefire be maintained, that the humanitarian needs be addressed, and that an independent international mission to provide transparency, reassurance, and confidence to the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh be established as soon as possible. That is our priority for dealing with the immediate situation and one that we are working to get off the ground.”

Asbarez: ANCA Briefs Over 80 Congressional Offices on Artsakh Humanitarian Crisis

Kajoyan Gevork
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Latest, News, Top Stories

Briefing Features Eye-Witness, On-the-Ground Report on the Impact of Azerbaijan’s Genocide against Artsakh

WASHINGTON – The brutal impact of Azerbaijan’s ongoing ethnic cleansing of the 120,000 Armenian Christians from Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) was shared today with more than eighty Congressional offices in a briefing hosted by the Armenian National Committee of America. The online update featured eyewitness accounts from the capital city of Stepanakert regarding the rapidly escalating humanitarian crisis that has left hundreds dead and tens of thousands displaced without shelter, food, or medicine.

ANCA Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan led the Congressional ZOOM discussion, with Artsakh spokespeople describing a terrorized populace facing shortages of food, medicine, and fuel – seeking safe and unhindered transit through the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross or via methods of their own – to Armenia’s southern city of Goris. During the presentation, news emerged of a massive gas explosion in Stepanakert, resulting in hundreds injured, overwhelming local hospitals, and requiring emergency airlifts to save lives.

Since December 2022, Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin Corridor – the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia and the outside world – depriving Artsakh’s population of food, fuel, and medicine, in what international experts have called genocide through starvation.  On September 19th, Azerbaijani forces attacked Artsakh with rockets, artillery, and drones, killing over 300 and displacing tens of thousands.  In the aftermath of the blockade and attack, over 6,000 Artsakh refugees have already reached Goris, with cars lined up for miles seeking safe-haven in Armenia with no security guarantees.

The ANCA’s Congressional briefing coincided with US Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power’s and Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Yuri Kim’s arrival in Yerevan for meetings with Armenian Government officials and a visit to southern Armenia to meet with Artsakh refugees.  Over the past three years – despite repeated calls by Members of Congress, the Armenian American community, and a coalition of ethnic, human rights, and faith-based groups – the Biden Administration has refused to send U.S. humanitarian assistance to Artsakh, while continuing U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan’s corrupt Aliyev regime.

During the Congressional briefing, Yerimyan and Artsakh advocates called on Congress to press the Biden Administration to:

  1. Send immediate humanitarian assistance – including an airlift – to help the growing number of Artsakh refugees in Armenia and those still under Azerbaijani threat in Artsakh.
  2. Provide US and international monitors in Artsakh and along the humanitarian corridor to Armenia to ensure the safety of the Armenian population from further Azerbaijani aggression.
  3. Enforce Section 907 restrictions on US military assistance to Azerbaijan
  4. Sanction Azerbaijan for its aggression and genocidal actions against Artsakh’s indigenous Armenian population

Last week, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senate and House members introduced the “Supporting Armenians Against Azerbaijani Aggression Act of 2023” (S. 2900 and H.R. 5683) and a similar measure (H.R.5686), which would rescind the State Department’s waiver authority of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support act.  The measures also condemn Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, call for humanitarian aid for Armenians affected by Azerbaijani aggression, and demand Azerbaijan release all Armenian POWs.  The legislation also authorizes multi-year appropriations of direct U.S. humanitarian aid to Artsakh and for energy, science, and military programs in Armenia.

Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan’s Words of Solidarity with Artsakh

Kajoyan Gevork

PRESS OFFICE 

Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) 

630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016 

Contact: Chris Zakian 

Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558 

E-mail: [email protected] 

Website: www.armenianchurch.us 

 

__________________ 

 

ATTENTION EDITOR: Photo attached, wth caption below.



HEADLINE:

Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan’s Words of Solidarity with Artsakh

 

St. Vartan Cathedral in New York was the site of a community gathering “In Solidarity with Artsakh,” in the early evening of Thursday, September 21.

 

The event went forward under the auspices of Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan and Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian. It included short remarks and prayers for God’s protection over the brave Armenians of Artsakh.

 

What follows are the remarks delivered by Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan on the occasion.

 

* * *

 

Dear Friends,

 

On behalf of my Brother in Christ, His Eminence Anoushavan Srpazan, and all our faithful clergy, I want to thank you for answering our call, and joining us this evening, here at St. Vartan Cathedral. At times like this, I truly feel that this sanctuary achieves the dream of its founders: to be a Home to all Armenians of America. So I want to welcome all of you to your home.

 

The idea of Home is why we are here: “Home” in the sense of Homeland. We Armenians have cultivated our homeland for thousands of years: built it up, adorned it with monuments to God, and defended it in times of crisis. In ages past, we nourished the dream of one day having an independent homeland to call our own. And 32 years ago today that long-held dream became a glorious reality for us: a miracle that came about by our people’s will and vote.

 

Of course, another part of our homeland was born in struggle, forged by heroes, secured and defended at significant cost for three decades. Our homeland of Armenia and Artsakh is small—but it is ours, and every square mile of its territory, every monument to its history, is precious to us, as Armenians.

 

My friends, I don’t have to tell you this is a dire time for our precious homeland. The war three years ago was a catastrophe for us. The aggression against Artsakh since then, and the blockade that it has endured for the better part of a year now, have threatened to make life itself impossible. And now the attack of this week raises the definite possibility of ethnic cleansing: another genocide of our people.

 

We cannot predict what the outcome will be from any of this. We cannot—we must not— fall into despair. But at the same time, we must be honest about the truth. The days to come will be difficult and demoralizing for our sisters and brothers in Artsakh. And for all Armenians, as well.

 

But one thing stands as clear as day to me. And that is: That in the days and weeks to come, the people of Artsakh will need our support more than ever before. And equally clear to me is that we must stand united as Armenians, ready to help in any way we can. In any way we are called to do.

 

My friends, we must be honest that we should not expect any outside forces to do this work for us. Indeed, we can continue to appeal to our governments, call our congressmen, and continue to make our voices heard however we can. Perhaps some help will come from such efforts.

 

But we must look to God and to ourselves, first and foremost. If our brothers and sisters in Artsakh are to survive, it will be because, with God’s help, we were united in our conviction to help them, and united in our actions. In the days to come, as the situation on the ground becomes more apparent, we will begin to know what form that help must take. And when we do, we must be ready to respond—together.

 

My friends, it is going to take great spiritual reserves to undertake this task. We must ensure that we nourish and maintain the health of the Armenian communities here in America, even as we re-dedicate ourselves to the well-being of the Armenians of Artsakh. But our Lord Jesus Christ has given the Armenian people such strength in the past. And He will do so again. It is to Him, above all, that we must open our hearts and ask for his help and blessing.

 

That is why Anoushavan Srpazan and I felt it was so important to hold this gathering in a sacred place, beneath the watchful eyes of God, as a united family of faithful. May our merciful Lord attend to the prayers being said tonight by His children—in Artsakh, in Armenia, and at this cathedral now—and in so doing, may He reveal His will for us, and for the continuing life of our precious homeland. Amen.

 

—9/22/23

 

***

 

PHOTO CAPTION:

 

At St. Vartan Cathedral in New York, Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan addresses a community gathering in solidarity with Artsakh. The gathering went forward under the auspices of Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian of the Eastern Prelacy and Fr. Parsamyan of the Eastern Diocese.

 

# # #


U.S. Congressmen extend Independence Day congratulations to Nagorno-Karabakh Speaker of Parliament

Kajoyan Gevork

 14:01, 5 September 2023

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. United States Congressmen Frank Pallone, Gus Bilirakis, Adam Schiff and David Valadao have congratulated the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Speaker of Parliament David Ishkhanyan on his appointment and the 32nd anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of Artsakh Republic.

In the letter, the U.S. Congressmen said they continue to push the Biden Administration to use every diplomatic tool available to halt the Aliyev regime’s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“We write to congratulate you and the people of the Republic of Artsakh on the 32nd Anniversary of your independence. The United States Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues offers our support and commitment to Artsakh on this celebration of over three decades of independence. We continue to stand with your people as they show incredible resilience in the face of widespread shortages of food, medical supply, and other essentials caused by Azerbaijan’s blockade of Lachin Corridor. To that end, we continue urging the United States to commit meaningful aid to the displaced families from Artsakh currently in Armenia and to those who bravely remain in your country. We also continue to push the Administration to use every diplomatic tool available to halt the Aliyev regime’s illegal actions that clearly fit the definition of ethnic cleansing. This ongoing humanitarian crisis has demonstrated the dire need for international actors to act and put pressure on Aliyev to return to direct negotiations with the democratically elected officials of Artsakh. Artsakh must be able to directly participate in negotiations regarding its future status and secure a durable and lasting peace. We remain committed to advocating for official engagement between the United States government and your administration, and we look forward to working with you to build on Artsakh’s transformation over the last three decades in the face of so many challenges. Please accept our sincerest congratulations on this important occasion. Please also accept our congratulations on your recent election as President of the National Assembly of the Republic. We wish you and colleagues in the Artsakh Parliament every success as your nation continues to strive for a safe, prosperous, and democratic future. We offer our full support to your country,” the congressmen said in the letter.

Azeri authorities again falsely accuse Armenian military of opening fire

Kajoyan Gevork

 12:01, 4 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has generated more fake news targeting the Armenian military, this time falsely accusing it of opening fire in the south-western part of the border.

In a statement, the Armenian Ministry of Defense described the Azeri accusations as “the usual kind of disinformation.”

“The [Ministry of Defense] of Azerbaijan has come up with the usual kind of disinformation. The statement disseminated by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan as if on September 4, at around 9:50 a.m., the units of the Armenian Armed Forces discharged fire against the Azerbaijani combat outposts located in the southwestern part of the frontier zone, does not correspond to reality,” reads a statement issued by the Armenian Ministry of Defense on Facebook. 

The Azeri authorities had again falsely accused the Armenian military of opening fire earlier on Monday as well.

UPDATED: Armenia border outposts in Sotk under heavy Azerbaijani gunfire

Kajoyan Gevork

 10:36, 1 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenian border outposts near Sotk on Friday morning came under heavy cross-border gunfire by Azerbaijani Armed Forces, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The Azerbaijani military uses small arms and mortars.

“The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, periodically spreading disinformation on August 31 and thereby creating an information basis for another provocation, on September 1, starting from 07:50, opened intense fire on Armenian positions located in the Sotk,” the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

“The units of the Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire from different caliber small arms against the Armenian combat positions in the vicinity of Sotk. The Azerbaijani armed forces also used mortars in the direction of Sotk,” the ministry added in an update.

UPDATES:

11:14 Two Armenian servicemen were killed and another was wounded in the attack, the in an update.

The unsolved mystery of an ancient grave at Brabourne Road, Kolkata

Kajoyan Gevork
India – Sept 3 2023

TRINANJAN CHAKRABORTY | PUBLISHED 03.09.23, 01:41 PM

Hidden inside the chaos of Kolkata’s business district, right next to Brabourne Road flyover, is an oasis of peace and calm. Shaded by jamun and mango trees, an old church hides in plain sight.

On any day except Sunday, you will have to wade through a literal ocean of humanity before you arrive here. This is the Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth — recognised as the oldest church in Calcutta.

It is believed that the original church building — a small wooden structure — was built around 1688. It burnt down in a devastating fire in 1707. The campus was originally a graveyard for the Armenian community. The present church building came up on this graveyard in 1724. If you visit it today, you will find scattered around the church building old tombstones. One of these has piqued the interest of historians for years now and led to much debate and discussion without a definite resolution.

The Armenians have a long history with the subcontinent. The first documented arrival is of a trader named Thomas Cana who reached Malabar in 780 AD. The Ottoman and Safavid conquests of the Armenian lands in the 15th century led to a mass exodus of the community from their motherland and many landed in Mughal north India. One of the more illustrious ones was Abdul Hai who became the Chief Justice of Emperor Jalaluddin Akbar. Slowly, they spread away from Agra to other provinces like Punjab and Bengal. Many Armenians worked as officers in the armies of native rulers.

As winds of fortune showed signs of diversion from the Mughal dynasty to European powers, the Armenians were quick to sniff it. On June 22, 1688, a treaty was signed in London between the English East India Company and the Armenian community in India that granted favourable trading rights to the community as well as equal rights with British subjects regarding the freedom of residence, travel, religion and unrestricted access to civil offices. It coincides well with the construction of the church in what would become the metropolis of Calcutta.

But hidden behind the church building, lies a gravestone that throws up the logical flow of time into a whirlwind. Mesrovb Jacob Seth, the 19th century Armenian historian and writer decoded the gravestone’s message as below:

Trinanjan Chakraborty

This is the tomb of

Rezabeebeh

Wife of the Late Charitable Sookias

Who departed from

This World to

Life Eternal

On the 11 th July, 1630

The year mentioned is 60 years before Job Charnock’s famous landing somewhere near present-day Nimtolla Ghat that put in motion events that saw three small hamlets transform into the second most important city in the entire British Empire. But does it mean that as early as 1630, in the second year of Emperor Shah Jahan’s rule, there was a community of Armenians in this region – back then dominated by forests, marshlands and swamps?

We look for answers to the writings of Mesrovb Jacob Seth. He writes, “Armenians formed their first settlement in Bengal in the year 1665 by virtue of a farman issued by Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb granting them a piece of land at Saidabad, with full permission to form a settlement there.” This does seem to rule out the possibility of an Armenian settlement in what would become Calcutta in future back in 1630. But then how does one explain this oddity?

The simplest explanation is that maybe Mesrovb Jacob Seth made a mistake while translating. After all, the inscriptions on the original gravestone may have become eroded with time so it is not entirely impossible that such a mistake might take place. But Mesrovb Jacob Seth was a foremost authority on Armenian history in the subcontinent and him making such a mistake while not impossible, certainly seems improbable.

In the 18th century, a rich Armenian businessman of Calcutta by the name of Catchick Arakiel sponsored refurbishing of the interiors of the church, construction of a watch-tower, residents for priests and erection of boundary walls for the compound. His son, Agah Moses Catchick Arakiel wrote a letter to an Englishman of the name Hawksworth in 1801. The latter got the letter published in The East Indian Chronologist. Agah Moses writes, “…Shortly after establishment of Calcutta by the English, the Armenians settled amongst them….” This also lines up with the signing of the trade treaty in London in 1688. It is worthwhile noting here that except that of Rezabeebeh, there is no other tombstones in the Church compound that date back to the 17th century.

Writing on this matter, the famous historian Professor CR Wilson states, “Regarding the earliest grave of an Armenian churchyard in Calcutta, the tombstone is dated 11th July, 1630 AD. This has been taken as showing that the Armenians were established in Calcutta as early as 1630. The inference does not seem valid. The instance is isolated. No other tombstones in the churchyard are dated earlier than the 18th century. There is nothing to show the stone is situ. It may well have been brought to Calcutta from elsewhere…..Even if the stone is in situ, it does not prove the existence of an Armenian colony. In India, a person must be buried where he dies. If an Armenian voyager died in a ship near Calcutta, it would be necessary to bury the body here.”

Mesrovb Jacob Seth does mention that Armenians had trade relations with the Dutch at Chinsurah as early as 1645. So it does seem probable that Rezebeebeh mostly died while on a ship voyage somewhere on the Hooghly and was buried on the nearby coast. Years later, when the Armenian community built a settlement in the region, her grave was possibly moved to their graveyard.

While this does seem the most likely explanation, not everyone is satisfied. Thus, the mystery of Rezabeebeh Sookias’ grave continues to this day. But then again, isn’t life rather dull without a whiff of mystery.

Be as that may, if you have never been to the Armenian Church, I do recommend a visit. And do make a point to check out the most mysterious tombstone in Calcutta.

Reference: Kolikata Dorpon (Calcutta Mirror) – Volume I by Radharaman Mitra

https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/places/the-unsolved-mystery-of-an-ancient-grave-in-armenian-church-of-the-holy-nazareth-at-calcuttas-brabourne-road/cid/1963500

“A curious proposal on Karabakh”: a document attributed to Lavrov

Kajoyan Gevork
Aug 19 2023

  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Lavrov’s proposal on the rights of NK Armenians

Russia’s proposal to ensure the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh is being discussed in Armenia. The document was published by Tigran Petrosyan, head of the anti-crisis council under the president of the unrecognized NKR. He claims that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov presented this proposal to his counterparts from Armenia and Azerbaijan on July 25, during a regular trilateral meeting.

Judging by the points of the published document, Armenian experts came to the conclusion that the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry “describes a scenario for ensuring the rights of NK Armenians as a national minority within Azerbaijan.” So far, it is not clear whether the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry really presented such a proposal. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia did not refute, but did not confirm the published information either. “We have not received such a document through official channels,” the foreign minister of the unrecognized republic said the day before.

Armenian political scientists and politicians believe that “the leak was in the interests of the Artsakh authorities,” who wanted to declare in this way that they did not agree with this proposal.

Russia has repeatedly stated that it sees the future of the “former NKAR” as part of Azerbaijan. In March 2023, after meeting with his Armenian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov once again publicly stated this, drawing parallels with the rights of Kosovo Serbs. “About the same rights were stipulated ten years ago in an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina on the creation of a Serbian community in Kosovo: language, local self-government, education, culture, religion, special economic ties with Serbia. I think a similar package of rights is needed for the people of Karabakh,” he stressed.

  • “Waiting for a resolution”: details of the UN Security Council meeting at the request of Armenia
  • “A UN Security Council resolution without forceful support is ordinary paper.” View from Baku
  • Armenia appeals to UN Security Council on issue of blockade of NK. Experts on expectations

Tigran Petrosyan published a draft document allegedly discussed at the negotiating table on his Facebook page. He presented it as Lavrov’s proposal on the Karabakh issue. The document is entitled “Basic principles and parameters for ensuring the security and rights of the Armenian population in the territory of the former NKAO of the Azerbaijan SSR in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan.” It consists of 14 items.

Petrosyan claims that the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry presented the document to the Armenian and Azerbaijani ministers during the July meeting.

The last trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan took place on July 25 in Moscow. After a bilateral meeting with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, Lavrov said that a number of documents are being prepared for discussion by the leaders of the countries. However, he did not provide details about their content.

The document attributed to Lavrov refers to the “equal legal protection” of the Armenian population, “the exclusion of discrimination on ethnic, linguistic, religious or other grounds”, the prevention of “forced / involuntary resettlement” from their places of compact residence.

“Legislative prohibition of persecution, punishment or any restriction on the rights of representatives of the Armenian population under the pretext of their participation in local authorities and armed formations, excluding persons found guilty of war crimes in court,” reads one of the points of the draft.

The document contains clauses that the Armenian population should be proportionally represented in the republican and local structures of the legislative, executive and judicial authorities of Azerbaijan, including the prosecutor’s office and the police.

It also talks about providing guarantees to the Armenians of

  • free practice of one’s religion,
  • preservation of Armenian culture and identity,
  • receiving education in Armenian,
  • privacy
  • unimpeded receipt of economic and humanitarian aid from outside.
  • Relations between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia are also mentioned.

“Ensuring, on the basis of a separate agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, close cultural, educational, scientific, media, sports and other humanitarian contacts between the Armenian population in the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region of the Azerbaijan SSR and the Republic of Armenia.”

It is noteworthy that the document was published on the day of the discussion of the issue of the situation in NK in the UN Security Council. Petrosyan said: “Today Putin has the opportunity to change his attitude and plans at the meeting of the UN Security Council.”

A group of local residents held a protest in front of the military base of Russian peacekeepers stationed in NK. They said that “all deaths will remain on Putin’s conscience”

The position presented in the document on ensuring the rights of Karabakh Armenians in the status of a national minority within Azerbaijan was declared by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the unrecognized NKR to be divorced from reality. Sergey Ghazaryan believes that Baku’s policy does not give grounds for such an approach to any of the mediators:

“If any of the mediators had such hopes, then, seeing the results of the policy pursued by Azerbaijan, which deliberately dooms 120,000 people to starvation, when militant statements are heard from the Azerbaijani side every day, threats to use force, when the Armenian historical and cultural heritage is being destroyed , none of the mediators can have any reason to believe that this concept can be implemented.”

Since the middle of June, Azerbaijan has banned the delivery of not only food, but also humanitarian goods from Armenia. How people survive and what do they think about their future?

Political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan:

“Even if we assume that this is true, and such a text really exists, and that this is really a proposal from the Russian side, the main thing is missing there. Technologies are not described, how what is written will be guaranteed, how these points will be implemented, who will monitor and what mechanism will work. Without clarification of these issues, this text does not make much sense.“

International Relations and Security Specialist Sosi Tatikyan:

“Armenians are being given the status of a national minority with certain rights. This is a very low bar and cannot be accepted. This means that the central government of NK will be dissolved, instead, Artsakh Armenians will be offered quotas in Azerbaijani bodies.

The “separation for the sake of salvation” scenario is unrealistic, we cannot implement it. But instead, we should at least expect that the status of political rather than cultural autonomy will be granted, that Artsakh will be preserved as a territorial unit. If at one time the US and the EU gave Kosovo the highest status of secession, and then gradually of sovereignty, then they cannot now lower this bar to such a level in the event of a conflict that is most similar to it.

They should at least try to secure a status close to political autonomy for the Artsakh Armenians, which requires strong pressure on Azerbaijan. The US can and should think about imposing sanctions against Azerbaijan.”

Politician Arman Babajanyan:

“To submit such a document for discussion without a comprehensive understanding of the settlement of the Karabakh problem is simply unacceptable. In the issue of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Moscow openly sided with Baku. Is Yerevan capable of such a strategic turn, when these actions of the Russian Federation will be evaluated and our actions will be equivalent to the behavior of the Russian Federation?

The leak occurred precisely on the part of the Artsakh authorities, clearly showing that Artsakh is not going to put up with this. This is a very important indicator. But not only do they disagree, political steps, actions, statements should follow.”

Former MP Gayane Abrahamyan:

“Does Lavrov believe that his proposal can be implemented at all? When he says that Armenians should not be discriminated against, which court will decide? Will an Azerbaijani judge have to decide that an Armenian worker has been discriminated against in any body? This is simply absurd, this is the most curious proposal that was on the negotiating table.

Another important question is whether peacekeeping forces will be here or not. This document does not address this issue in any way. It doesn’t even mention the November 9 [2020, ceasefire document in Karabakh signed by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia]. There are two options: either they think that they will stay there and do not even see the need to mention it, or they really intend to leave.

Perhaps the goal is to further strengthen the Russian-Turkish monitoring mechanism operating in Agdam, perhaps they will be present there.

Since nothing is said about this, I assume that they are thinking about leaving so that there is only a Turkish presence. So that there is no international presence, peacekeeping forces or humanitarian organizations. This is a document about ethnic cleansing of Armenians or their expulsion from Artsakh.”

Lavrov’s proposal on the rights of NK Armenians JAMnews (jam-news.net)

Shots fired from Azeri territory at Syunik airport hours after PM Pashinyan’s arrival

Kajoyan Gevork

 10:14,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 18, ARMENPRESS. Shots were fired on August 18 from the territory of Azerbaijan in the direction of the “Syunik” airport in Kapan, the National Security Service of Armenia (NSS) said in a statement Friday.

“At 04:24 a.m., August 18, three shots were fired by an unknown person, who came to the adjacent territory of the Syunik airport of Kapan in Syunik Province on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border line, on an unknown vehicle, in the direction of Kapan’s Syunik airport who then left the area. Two bullets damaged the airport’s window and roof. We call upon the Azerbaijani authorities to conduct a proper investigation into the incident and take measures to rule out the repetition of such incidents. The NSS Border Guard of Armenia is ready for a joint investigation and can relay the respective footage to the Azerbaijani side,” the NSS said in a statement.

The shooting happened hours after a plane carrying Prime Minister Pashinyan in Kapan on August 17. 

Azerbaijan Targets EU Observers in Armenia Before UN Security Council Meeting on Nagorno-Karabakh

Kajoyan Gevork
Aug 16 2023

Azerbaijan Firing at Representatives of EU Observers in Armenia Prior to the UN Security Council Emergency Meeting on the Nagorno-Karabakh Blockade

STEPANAKERT, REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH, /EINPresswire.com/ — Azerbaijan Firing at Representatives of EU Observers in Armenia Prior to the UN Security Council Emergency Meeting on the Nagorno-Karabakh Blockade

Today, the United Nations Security Council will be holding an emergency meeting in response to the appeal by Armenia saying that Nagorno-Karabakh is facing a full-fledged humanitarian catastrophe due to an unlawful blockade imposed by Azerbaijan. As a result, over 120,000 people of Nagorno-Karabakh have endured over eight months without unimpeded access to necessities such as food, medication, other essential goods, gas and electricity, while for already two months those people are under total siege without any supplies. This situation has led to documented cases of starvation and sharp increase of mortality rates there.

On the eve of the discussion in the UN SC, Azerbaijan is trying to escalate tensions in the region aiming to divert the international attention away from the illegal closure of the Lachin corridor. Yesterday the Azerbaijani Armed forces discharged fire targeting the representatives of EU observer mission in Armenia (EUMA) patrolling near Verin Shorzha and their vehicle. This occurred the day after the European Union Mission in Armenia officially denied the Azerbaijani disinformation concerning the concentration of Armenian Armed Forces on the border. It is important to remember that a mere two months ago, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to the European Union in his Twitter microblog issued threats of violence against members of the delegation of the European Parliament, who had visited the Armenian border area, urging them to stay away from the border with Azerbaijan.

The presence of both European officials and the EU observation mission poses obstacles for Azerbaijani aggressive policy, as they document the country’s provocations and even have directly countered Azerbaijani disinformation. By escalating the situation, Baku aims to discredit the EU mission, which it opposed from the outset, and, ultimately, to derail the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the Western platforms.

Azerbaijan employs various means, including official statements and an increasingly active propaganda machinery, to undermine the credibility of specific international actors engaged in mediation efforts. In the first place, of course, is France, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, which has unreservedly addressed concerns about the unlawful closure of the Lachin corridor and the escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover, Azerbaijan accuses France of “deliberately increasing tensions in the region”. The accusations have grown more serious after the French Foreign Minister expressed support for Armenia during a telephone conversation with the Armenian Foreign Minister prior to the UN Security Council meeting.

At the same time, Azerbaijan expresses confidence that a decision within the Security Council will be unattainable, and “promises” that any resolution passed by the UN will not force Baku to change its tactics. Moreover, Azerbaijan has been consistently disregarding international commitments made by the leaders of Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan in the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights of December 21, 2022, as well as the orders of the International Court of Justice of February 22 and July 6, 2023. It has been carrying out provocations accompanied by aggressive militaristic rhetoric. Rather than contributing to the establishment of confidence-building mechanisms, Azerbaijan continues to engage in grave international crimes and provocations, undermining the negotiation process and frame the UN Security Council discussion as an obstacle to negotiations.

In fact, the UN Security Council discussion could yield a range of outcomes: from dispatching a fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh and delivering humanitarian aid, to adopting a resolution that compels Azerbaijan to adhere to the decisions of the International Court of Justice.

Last week, Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, released an impartial report on Azerbaijan’s imposed blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. The report concluded that the ongoing situation constitutes genocide according to Article II of the Genocide Convention: “(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.” Ocampo emphasized that “Starvation is the invisible Genocide weapon. Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks.”

Hence, the EU can and must stop this genocide utilizing its influential levers over Azerbaijan to save the indigenous people of Nagorno-Karabakh and to protect human rights worldwide.

Hagop Ipdjian
Unblock Humanity
email us here
Visit us on social media:
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter

https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/650244167/azerbaijan-targets-eu-observers-in-armenia-before-un-security-council-meeting-on-nagorno-karabakh