Author: Kalantarian Kevo

 20:57,

YEREVAN, 16 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS.  The delegation led by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has arrived in Strasbourg.

As "Armenpress" correspondent informs from Strasbourg, meetings are scheduled with the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola , the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić , European People's Party leader Manfred Weber.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will make a speech in the European Parliament.

 13:47,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13, ARMENPRESS. A Harvard University Professor has called on the world to prevent the “cultural genocide” in Nagorno-Karabakh and to protect “what Armenian culture remains” there.

Christina Maranci, Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies in the Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at Harvard University, in an article published in Time magazine, warned that ethnic cleansing tends to be followed by all kinds of cultural destruction, from vandalism to complete effacement from the landscape. Maranci warned that the Azeri authorities would carry out falsifications to erase the Armenian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Below is the full article published in Time magazine.

“September 2023 saw the tumultuous and traumatic departure of over 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. This mass exodus of an indigenous people from their homeland followed nine months of starvation-by-blockade, which culminated in a murderous military assault on Sept. 19.

“These men, women, and children, terrified for their lives, left behind entire worlds: their schools and shops; their fields, flocks, and vineyards; the cemeteries of their ancestors. They also left behind the churches, large and small, ancient and more modern, magnificent and modest, where they had for centuries gathered together and prayed. They also left behind bridges, fortifications, early modern mansions, and Soviet-era monuments, such as the beloved “We are Our Mountains” statues. What will happen now to those places? There is no question, actually.

“We know well what happened in Julfa, in Nakhichevan: a spectacular landscape of 16th-century Armenian tombstones was erased from the face the earth by Azerbaijan over a period of years. We know what happened to the Church of the Mother of God in Jebrayil and the Armenian cemetery in the village of Mets Tagher (or Böyük Taglar)—both were completely scrubbed from the landscape using earthmoving equipment like bulldozers. And we know what happened to the Cathedral of Ghazanchetsots in Shushi, which was, in turn, shelled, vandalized with graffiti, “restored” without its Armenian cupola, and now rebranded as a “Christian” temple. The brazenness of these actions, as journalist Joshua Kucera wrote in May 2021, “suggests a growing confidence that [Baku] can remake their newly retaken territories in whatever image they want.”

“The annihilation of millennia of Armenian life in Arstakh was enabled by the inaction and seeming indifference of those who might have prevented it. The United States and the European Union speak loftily of universal human rights, but did nothing for nine months while the people of Arstakh were denied food, medicine, fuel, and other vital supplies. They did nothing to enforce the order of the International Court of Justice demanding back in February 2023 that Azerbaijan end its blockade. That inaction clearly emboldened Azerbaijan to attack—just as it will encourage others to do the same elsewhere.

“It’s important to understand the stakes of this kind of cultural erasure: These monuments and stones testify to the generations of Armenians who worshipped in and cared about them. To destroy them, is to erase not only a culture, but a people. As art historian Barry Flood observed in 2016 about the destruction of cultural heritage by the so-called Islamic state since 2014, “the physical destruction of communal connective tissues—the archives, artifacts, and monuments in which complex micro-histories were instantiated—means that there are now things about these pasts that cannot and never will be known.” The Julfa cemetery is a tragic example of such loss. If history is any indication, ethnic cleansing tends to be followed by all kinds of cultural destruction, from vandalism to complete effacement from the landscape. The latter tactic will be used with smaller, lesser-known churches. It will be a sinister way to remove less famous Armenian monuments, which will serve the narrative that there were no Armenians there in the early modern period to begin with.

“Falsification will also occur, in which Armenian monuments are provided with newly created histories and contexts. The 13th-century monasteries of Dadivank (in the Kalbajar district) and Gandzasar (in the Martakert province), both magnificent and characteristic examples of medieval Armenian architecture, have already been rebranded as “ancient Caucasian Albanian temples.” Expect these and other sites to become venues for conferences and workshops to highlight “ancient Caucasian Albanian culture.” As for the countless Armenian inscriptions on these buildings, khachkars, and tombstones: these, as President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev announced in February 2021, are Armenian forgeries, and will be “restored” to their “original appearance” (presumably through gouging, sandblasting, or removing of Armenian inscribed stones, as was done in the 1980s).

“Finally, there will be a celebration of the “multiculturalism” of Azerbaijan. “Come to Karabakh, home of ancient Christians,” people will say. “Please ignore the gouged-out letters on that stone wall, for it is not an Armenian inscription. There were never Armenians here!" Except for soldiers and invaders, like the ones depicted in a reprehensible museum in Baku, featuring waxen figures of dead Armenian soldiers—a sight so dehumanizing that an international human rights organizations, including Azerbaijani activists, cried out for its closure.

“This is how cultural genocide plays out. A little more than 100 years ago was the Armenian Genocide waged by the Ottoman Empire, followed by largescale looting, vandalization, and destruction of Armenian sites across what is now modern-day Turkey. The prospect of a second cultural genocide is now on the table. Except now, Armenians will watch the spectacle unfold online, enduring the trauma site by site and monument by monument.

In 2020, Armenian activists called for international monitoring of vulnerable sites in Nagorno-Karabakh by UNESCO and other heritage organizations. Nothing happened. Now is the time for the world to protect what Armenian culture remains in Nagorno-Karabakh. If we don’t, what culture will be next to go?”

 12:43, 4 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. The European Union could review ties, including financial aid, with Azerbaijan and sanction individuals if the situation worsens following Baku's military takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh, Reuters reported citing an EU diplomatic service paper.

According to Reuters, the paper said the EU could reconsider political engagement, financial assistance and sectoral cooperation, without being more specific. It does not mention Azerbaijan's energy sector.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and many leaders of the 27-nation bloc condemned the operation. But diplomats say there are disagreements among EU countries over whether to take firmer diplomatic or political action. The EU's search for a response is complicated by its moves to rely more on Azerbaijani oil and gas as it has moved away from Russian energy due to Moscow's war in Ukraine.

The paper, prepared by the European External Action Service and seen by Reuters, outlines further possible reaction but is cautious in tone.

It says that if the situation deteriorates, the EU could consider a review of its relations with Azerbaijan "on the basis of a gradual approach".

"In case serious human rights violations are committed, restrictive measures against individuals responsible for such violations could be envisaged," the paper said.

A diplomat from a country favouring a tougher stance toward Azerbaijan, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the document "reflects a balance of different positions of member states: We want more, but others do not want anything at all."

Diplomats say France, Germany and the Netherlands are among those pushing for strong signals of disapproval toward Baku while others such as Austria and Hungary are at the opposite end of the spectrum.

A second diplomat said the EU may not end up doing much more than condemning Azerbaijan's action and instead focus on supporting Armenia, economically and possibly with military aid.

The paper suggested the EU consider "political and economic actions to further support the democratically elected authorities of Armenia, including in the area of security and resilience, and the continuation of the democratic reforms".

 10:47, 6 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. France will start dialogue with Armenia to identify its defense needs, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has said.

“Dialogue will begin with Armenia to see their needs,” Colonna said in an interview with France 2 channel when asked on possible arms supplies to Armenia.

Colonna French arms supplies to Armenia during her Yerevan visit earlier this week.

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 11:31, 5 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The United States Department of State has said it has taken note of Azeri leader Ilham Aliyev refusing to participate in the EU-mediated peace talks with Armenia in Granada, Spain.

“We note that President Aliyev will not participate in the proposed meeting in Granada.  And we’ve consistently been clear though that dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan is essential to resolving this longstanding conflict.  This is something that the Secretary and others here continue to be deeply engaged on and we will continue to work on this,” U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a press briefing.

Asked whether or not Washington could deliver arms to Armenia after France recently signaled arms supplies to Yerevan, Patel said: “I have no change in posture to announce.  Again, we continue to believe that dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues to be incredibly important to finding a dignified and durable peace for the South Caucasus.  It’s why the Secretary has engaged on this so personally, continuing to speak with counterparts and interlocutors in both countries.”

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev cancelled on October 4 a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan which was due to take place on Thursday in the Spanish city of Granada. The talks were to be held on the sidelines of an EU summit. European Council President Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz were to take part in the meeting.

After Aliyev opted out, PM Pashinyan expressed regret that the meeting wouldn’t take place but said he would nevertheless visit Granada to have other meetings.