Author: Kalashian Nyrie

Russia embassy in Armenia: Lachin corridor situation should be tackled based on paragraph 6 of trilateral statement

Kalashian Nyrie
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 22 2022
10:57, 22.08.2022

I consistently inform my international colleagues, ambassadors accredited to Armenia about the continuous appearances of the criminal behavior by Azerbaijan. Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs of the National Assembly of Armenia, non-partisan Taguhi Tovmasyan, wrote this on Facebook on Monday morning.

“With a regular letter I drew the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Armenia, H.E. Mr. Sergey Kopirkin’s attention to the fact that Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh on August 1 trying to cross the contact line afterwards using mortars, grenade launchers and shock UAVs Since Azerbaijan again broke the Trilateral Statement from November 10, 2020 and in the result victims and casualties were registered, I requested my Russian colleague to condemn such a criminal behavior by Azerbaijan, take steps towards the stabilization of the situation in the region.

I received a letter from the Embassy of Russia in Armenia according to which the situation in the area of responsibility of Russian peacekeeping contingent and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is an important issue for Russian foreign policy. “We would like to draw your attention to the Statement by the MFA of Russia on August 4 with regard to the escalation of the situation on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. The Ministry called the two sides to show restraint, hold the ceasefire regime and confirmed the necessity for the regulation in accordance with the Statements by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on November 10, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021. (…) Russian peacekeepers make all possible efforts to stabilize the situation “on the ground”. The important role of Russian peacekeeping contingent was stressed in Baku and Yerevan many times. They are sure that they totally deserve the trust. We are ready to further show any necessary support to the normalization of the ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

With another letter I drew my Russian colleagues’ attention to the process of handing over the settlements Berdzor, Aghavno and Nerkin Sus to Azerbaijan. There are only a few days left for the Armenian settlements to be handed over to Azerbaijan. And as closer we get such a shameful reality imposed on the Armenians worldwide by Nikol Pashinyan’s Government, the concept of the future becomes more and more indeterminate. I informed Mr. Kopirkin with my letter about the current difficulties as well as the concerns of my deputy colleagues of Artsakh that the human, technical and transportation means are not sufficient to carry out the evacuation process in time. I asked to assist in setting up an extended deadline for the evacuation of the communities in question.

With the reply letter the Embassy of Russia in Armenia informs that the situation around the Lachin corridor should be tackled based on Paragraph 6 of the Trilateral Statement. It is worth mentioning that according to the mentioned by the Embassy of Russia in Armenia Paragraph 6, The Parties have agreed that a plan for the construction of a new route along the Lachin corridor shall be determined within the next three years, providing communication between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, with the subsequent redeployment of Russian peacekeeping troops to protect this route. Considering also the statement made by the Advisor-Envoy of the Russian Embassy in Yerevan, Mr. Maksim Seleznyov recently, that “Russian peacekeepers will not move an inch from the existing Lachin corridor until the new road is exploited”, one can assume that not everything is clear on this matter. By the way there is still more than a year left before the expiration of the specified three-year period.

The Embassy of Russia adds that discussions with interested sides are held regarding the matters raised by their letter aimed at reaching agreement satisfying everyone to realize the Trilateral Statement. “For this purpose we are in constant dialogue with Armenian and Azerbaijani sides on the highest, as well as the levels of Russian Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies. Phone talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan were held on August 2 and 8 S.V Lavrov and S.K. Shoigu had contacts with Armenian and Azerbaijani colleagues. Taking into account the sensitivity of the problematics, discussion details were not disclosed, however such conversations appear to be an important and effective tool for the regulation,” the Armenian MP added.

Ice cream company goes digital in Armenia

Kalashian Nyrie
Aug 17 2022

By Nick Thompson

17 Aug 2022

Based in Yerevan, Armenia, Pink Berry specialises in the production of soft serve and packaged ice cream. Founded in 2017 and known for its colourful branding and unique flavour combinations, the business has become a market leader in the country.

With support from the EBRD’s Women in Business programme and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Pink Berry sought to introduce a raft of digital solutions to increase automation and streamline processes. This has allowed the company to operate more efficiently, increase the quality of its products and provide a better service for customers at its boutique cafes.

The foundations of an aspiring entrepreneur

Pink Berry has unusual origins: co-founder and CEO Ani Gyazaryan’s path to entrepreneurship was atypical, yet unsurprising to those around her.

Following school, Ani studied international relations to Master’s level before pursuing a career in the banking sector for six years. Her professional success and a burning desire to do something more creative and entrepreneurial were pushing her in two very different directions. Eventually, the latter won out and sparked the foundation of a viable business and her move away from banking. It was a risk ­– but one that has clearly paid off.

Pink Berry started as a passion project by Ani and her husband Levon, developed for their eldest son Davit, whose love for ice cream inspired them to create a range of delicious homemade flavours to compete with the ordinary commercial offerings at the time. They quickly mastered the process and realised that it could become a feasible business venture when family, friends and acquaintances told them how good their products were. The couple took the leap, scaling up production in earnest as they sought to establish the business in the marketplace.

The company stands out for its creative approach to flavour development, playful branding, sustainable packaging and commitment to high quality, unique and delicious ice cream that dictates trends in the market. Indeed, wild berry, and mango and passion fruit have become the most popular flavours in the country, and were introduced by Pink Berry to the local population.

EBRD support for business development and digitalisation

As Pink Berry began to see daily growth and increased sales, issues related to business administration within the company increased exponentially. This is where the EBRD’s Women in Business programme and SIDA came in.

“The digitalisation programmes we undertook through the EBRD have had a substantial impact, helping our business management processes and oversight become more streamlined, productive and efficient. They helped us create new packaging and increase sales through advertising campaigns, and provided advice on financial optimisation,” says Ani.

These improvements allowed the business to focus on growing and delivering on its environmental goals, with a stronger emphasis placed on the green economy within the company.

Indeed, Pink Berry produces all its new ice creams in eco-friendly paper packaging, and production is optimised to limit waste wherever possible. Any paper waste is recycled, and food scraps are donated to charity, so the company is doing its bit to limit its impact on the environment and become more sustainable.

A rosy future

Pink Berry recognises the value of its staff, placing a high degree of focus on ensuring that employees develop alongside the business. To Ani, her staff are the most important resource underlying sustainable business development.

“We constantly invest in human resources, seeking out high-level talent and nurturing existing potential through professional qualification opportunities,” Ani explains. “We have competitive salaries, open motivational programmes and regular team-building sessions. That’s why we have such a young, loyal and strong group. A team where everyone is equally valued, without discrimination.”

This sense of unity has helped the business thrive, overcoming many economic headwinds and external challenges since its formation in 2017. At present, Pink Berry has about 150 employees, with plans to double that number in 2023. With the recent growth, the company has adjusted its immediate and long-term goals in tandem, as it plans for expansion.

“As a result of franchising partnerships, Pink Berry’s sales points are increasing and we want to continue to establish these and our ice cream boutiques throughout Armenia,” says Ani. “We also want to identify export opportunities and capture new markets. Domestically, our ambition is to continue increasing our market share and improve on our current market position through innovation, product development and building on existing brand awareness.”

The inside scoop is that Ani and her team are in a strong position to achieve these targets and disrupt their competition in the local market and beyond!

China comments on tension in Karabakh

Kalashian Nyrie
Aug 8 2022

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Wang Wenbin, commented on the tension on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border and on the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed, citing Sputnik Armenia.

He called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to avoid tension. “Yerevan and Baku are friendly partners of Beijing. We hope that a political solution will be found before the situation escalates further,” he said.

Opposition MP: We will not have democracy as long as Armenia is ruled by occupation gang

Kalashian Nyrie
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 12 2022
17:01, 12.08.2022

As long as the country is ruled by the occupation gang, which pursues the goal of beheading all forces, we will not have democracy. This was stated by Aspram Krpeyan, an opposition MP of Armenia, during a discussion on Friday.

According to her, not a classical opposition-authorities’ relation has been established in Armenia, but rather a fight is being waged against the criminal gang that has occupied the Armenian state and is advancing the Turkish agenda.

“Under these circumstances, it is naive to expect any active response from the international community, an active response from the ‘civil society’ serving the interests of the criminal gang. We have no such expectations. During this time, we have become witnesses of lustration, we have clearly seen who the true supporter of democracy and human rights is, and who has been promoting just fake democracy for a long time,” Krpeyan emphasized.

The opposition lawmaker noted that there cannot be a true democratic system in the country without a stable security mechanism, and that it is only under these conditions that it is possible to form the necessary environment for the development of democracy.

She expressed confidence that all legal mechanisms should be used.

“The parliamentary opposition submitted 14 petitions to the Constitutional Court during this period,” Krpeyan recalled.

President: Provocative actions are aimed at de-Armenianizing Artsakh

Kalashian Nyrie
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 13 2022
16:40, 13.08.2022

The provocative actions that are regularly provoked are aimed at de-Armenianizing Artsakh, devaluing both the already fragile peace established by the trilateral statement, and the mission of the Russian peacekeeping contingent which has assumed the function of maintaining that peace. Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) President Arayik Harutyunyan stated this Saturday in Chartar town of the Martuni region.

According to the press service of the President, Harutyunyan noted that it is necessary to be patient and not deviate from the path of independence of Artsakh, and that the latter’s authorities will continue to make all possible efforts toward resolving the existing security issues, ensuring the necessary living conditions for a prosperous life, and guaranteeing a stable future.

Turkish press: Karabakh is in Azerbaijan’s legally recognized borders: Erdoğan

Kalashian Nyrie
 ANKARA AUG 07, 2022 – 12:51 PM GMT+3

Azerbaijani tanks are parked after the transfer of the Kalbajar region to Azerbaijan’s control, Dec. 2, 2020. (AP Photo)

The region of Karabakh is located within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated on Saturday amid renewed clashes between neighbors Baku and Yerevan.

Speaking to journalists about the recent escalation, Erdoğan said: “Azerbaijan naturally does not want any illegal armed elements on its territory.”

“We talked about these in detail with my brother Ilham (Aliyev) two days ago. First of all, we condemn the attack that caused the death of one of our Azerbaijani brothers,” he said.

Regarding the attack on the Azerbaijani Embassy in London, Erdoğan said it was “unacceptable,” adding: “We hope the incident will be investigated and perpetrators will be punished.”

The embassy building in London was stormed by the Mahdi Servants Union, a Shiite Muslim organization based in London, according to U.K. media reports. Eight people were arrested after police reached the area.

“Nearly two years have passed since the trilateral statement. It is important for Armenia to fulfill its commitments here as soon as possible,” Erdoğan added.

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 and violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and around 300 settlements and villages that had been occupied by Armenia 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 broken several times since then.

In January 2021, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire region. It also included the establishment of a trilateral working group in Karabakh.

After the conflict ended, Azerbaijan launched a massive reconstruction initiative in the liberated Karabakh region.

In July, Azerbaijan began the process of returning its people to land recaptured from Armenian forces in what Baku calls “The Great Return.” The oil-rich country has vowed to repopulate the recaptured lands.

President Ilham Aliyev had for years promised to recapture lands lost in the 1990s and the first returns marked a symbolic moment for Azerbaijan.

Following renewed skirmishes between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called similarly on the leaders of both countries to seek “direct dialogue” to resolve the conflict.

Blinken held separate phone calls with Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Friday, according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

Several deaths and injuries were reported when fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh flared up again on Wednesday.

The Azerbaijani army said it had captured mountainous areas of the region and that Armenian fighters had been killed.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov will pay a visit to Turkey on Aug. 8-9, 2022, upon the invitation of Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to participate in the 13th Ambassadors Conference.

During his visit, Bayramov will address the Ambassadors Conference.

Turkish press: FM Çavuşoğlu urges Armenia to refrain from provocations

Kalashian Nyrie
 ISTANBUL AUG 08, 2022 – 8:06 PM GMT+3

Trucks of the Russian peacekeeping forces drive along a road near Lachin in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Nov. 13, 2020. (Reuters File Photo)

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu called on Armenia to refrain from provocations in the Karabakh region, as he underlined that Azerbaijan and Türkiye are sincere about stability and peace in the region.

“I am calling on Armenia once again to refrain from provocations,” Çavuşoğlu said Monday, as he urged Yerevan to take concrete action and honor the terms of agreements rather than just words.

Çavuşoğlu’s statements came as Azerbaijan accused Armenia of failing to abide by the terms of the 2020 agreement by attacking positions near Karabakh, previously referred to as Nagorno-Karabakh.

Attending the 13th Ambassadors Conference in the Turkish capital Ankara, Çavuşoğlu said the normalization of relations with Armenia would benefit Yerevan and the region. He continued by saying that Türkiye and Azerbaijan have been simultaneously trying to normalize ties with Armenia and have been exchanging views during the process and constantly keeping in touch with each other.

The foreign minister also said Türkiye is against the removal of Russia from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), as he highlighted the necessity for dialogue in the region.

The first round of normalization talks was held in Moscow on Jan. 14, where both parties agreed to continue negotiations without any preconditions, according to a statement released after that meeting.

The Turkish and Armenian envoys met for the second time in Vienna on Feb. 24, and the third meeting was held on May 3, also in the Austrian capital.

Also, a historic bilateral meeting took place between the foreign ministers of Türkiye and Armenia on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on March 12.

The two countries have never established formal diplomatic relations and their shared border has been closed since the 1990s.

But in December, the two countries appointed special envoys to help normalize relations, a year after Armenia lost to Türkiye’s ally Azerbaijan in a war for control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Azerbaijan used the help of Turkish combat drones to recapture most of the contested territory that had been under Armenian forces’ control since the 1990s.

Azerbaijan’s victory that ended the occupation of its Karabakh region also helped pave the way for the normalization between Türkiye and Armenia.

Relations between the two former Soviet countries of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military illegally occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

New clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, and the 44-day conflict saw Azerbaijan liberate several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for almost three decades.

In February, Türkiye and Armenia resumed their first commercial flights in two years.

The land border between the two countries has remained closed since 1993 however, forcing trucks to transit through Georgia or Iran.

Ankara has been mending ties with several regional countries and has emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation, within this scope steps were also taken with Armenia, particularly following the latest Karabakh war between Baku and Yerevan.

Since then, both Russia and Azerbaijan have voiced support for closer ties between Türkiye and Armenia, which is seen within the sphere of regional normalization.

Armenians Forward Together Forum 2022 launched in Yerevan

Kalashian Nyrie

Save

Share

 13:15, 4 August 2022

YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. Individuals and organizations from around the world are joining forces to help strengthen and develop Armenia and Artsakh within the framework of Armenians Forward Together Forum 2022, the second All-Armenian Collaboration Forum in Yerevan.

The three-day Forum has been organized by volunteers living in the United States, Canada and Armenia whose purpose is to create opportunities for the collaboration of organizations and individuals.

“People, who want to cooperate, present their ideas and find people, who could help develop ideas not only financially, but also with their knowledge and efforts, have gathered here. There are projects both at a level of an idea and those that are already being implemented”, Hripsime Mkrtchyan, Assistant-Professor at the American University of Armenia, researcher at the Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory, said.

The Forum aims at gathering people with the same interests and projects in one place, enabling them to talk, know each other, collaborate and create new opportunities.

Armine Karapetyan from San Francisco, representing Publicis Groupe, said that the idea of holding this Forum came after the 44-Day Artsakh War. “We wanted to invest our strength and knowledge in order to be able to organize something that will help both Armenia and Artsakh”, she said.

On the first day of the Forum, on August 4th, 19 different organizations and initiatives were presented. In the next two days 14 seminars will be held during which educational, cultural heritage preservation, crisis management, cancer research and other projects will be discussed. The Office of the State Minister of Artsakh, the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of Armenia, LeranmingMission, RepatArmenia and other organizations have also contributed to the organization of the Forum.

“Our primary goal was to help children of families displaced from Artsakh who were deprived of education that days. We are now assisting the schools of Syunik [province], we are opening computer laboratories in schools, provide notebooks by which teachers from US are holding online classes”, Alina Vehuni, representing California-based Hye Hopes, said during the Forum. The company Hye Hopes has been founded after the 44-Day war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh. It has already opened laboratories in Kapan, Verishen, Meghri, and will soon open in schools of Sisian and Goris. The company is teaching different subjects, such as robotics, programming, leadership, English. “We want to establish cooperation with the organizations that are operating in education sector”, she said, commenting on their participation in the Forum.

Chess Olympics: Armenia’s women’s team win

Kalashian Nyrie
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 7 2022
In the 9th round of the World Chess Olympiad taking place in Chennai, India, the Armenian women’s team met the Romanian team and won 3-1.

Anna Sargsyan, Mariam Mkrtchyan and Susanna Gaboyan won, and Elina Danielian lost. 

The Armenian team with 14 points share the 5th-9th places. 


Armenian forces did not fire at Azerbaijani positions – Defense Ministry

Kalashian Nyrie
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia –
, 15:07

The Armenian Ministry of Defense has once again refuted the Azerbaijani reports on ceasefire violation.

Units of the Armenian Armed Forces did not fire at the Azerbaijani positions located in the eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border last night, the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively stable, it is under the full control of the Armenian Armed Forces, the Ministry said,


https://en.armradio.am/2022/07/31/armenian-forces-did-not-fire-at-azerbaijani-positions-defense-ministry/