Author: Kanayan Tamar

Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs To Hold Talks On Sunday: Yerevan

Kanayan Tamar
BARRON’S
Sept 30 2022
By Mariam HARUTYUNYAN

ADDS Pashinyan, details

Armenia said Friday it would hold talks on a peace treaty with Azerbaijan in Geneva on Sunday, after recent deadly border clashes jeopardised the arch-foes’ nascent normalisation process.

Last month, at least 286 people were killed from both sides before a US-brokered truce ended the worst clashes since the Caucasus neighbours’ 2020 war.

Baku and Yerevan fought two wars — in 2020 and in the 1990s — over the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Friday that Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov “will meet on Sunday in Geneva to begin substantive talks regarding the text of the peace agreement.”

“So far, there wasn’t a single document on the negotiating table, which we could sign or reject,” he said in televised remarks.

The two foreign ministers last met for talks mediated by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on September 20 in New York.

Armenia said three of its troops were killed in border clashes with Azerbaijan last week. Yerevan at the time accused Azerbaijan of provoking the attack and demanded the deployment of an international observer mission on the ground.

The six-week war in 2020 claimed the lives of more than 6,500 troops from both sides and ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire.

Under the deal, Armenia ceded swathes of territory it had controlled for decades, and Moscow deployed about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers to oversee the fragile truce.

With Moscow increasingly isolated on the world stage following its February invasion of Ukraine, the United States and the European Union have taken a leading role in mediating the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalisation process.

During EU-led negotiations in Brussels in April and May, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Pashinyan agreed to “advance discussions” on a future peace treaty.

They last met in Brussels on August 31, for talks mediated by European Council President Charles Michel.

The talks also focus on border delimitation and the reopening of transport links.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan. The ensuing conflict claimed around 30,000 lives.

mkh-im/pvh

Dubai Open chess tournament: Aram Hakobyan scores another victory at round 7

Kanayan Tamar

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 11:20, 3 September 2022

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Armenian chess player Aram Hakobyan scored a victory at the 7th round of the Dubai Open Chess International Tournament and now has 5,5 points. Hakobyan is only 0,5 points behind the leader of the tournament.

Over 170 chess players are participating in the 22nd Dubai Chess International Tournament.

The final round is set for September 4.

875th anniversary of Moscow celebrations in Armenia to feature cultural, sports events, Yana Egorian named special guest

Kanayan Tamar

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 15:24, 2 September 2022

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Celebrations on the 875th anniversary of Moscow will take place in Armenia, starting September 5 in Yerevan.

The events are organized by the Dom Moskvi (House of Moscow) Cultural-Business Center.

The celebrations will start at the Pushkin public school in Yerevan with the opening of a Moscow Corner, followed by a I Love Moscow flashmob, a checkers tournament and a Russian song concert program, as well as a photography exhibition.

Dom Moskvi CEO Vahram Karapetyan said that the inauguration of a Russian Center will take place in the town of Hrazdan. “This is already the 8th center, after Yerevan, Vanadzor, Armavir, Kajaran, Ijevan and other towns. The purpose is to contribute to the deepening of Armenian-Russian relations. It is a platform for children where free classes are offered,” he said.

Russian Centers are planned to be opened in Goris, Meghri, Tsaghkadzor and Yeghegnadzor.

Special literature will be gifted to visually impaired children.

Celebrations also include sports events. A chess tournament will be held for the third time.

Founding Director of the Armenian Chess Academy Smbat Lputyan said that chess grandmasters and international masters will participate in the 2-round tournament.

Russian sabre fencer, six-time team European champion, two-time team world champion, 2016 individual Olympic champion, and 2016 team Olympic champion Yana Egorian will be the special guest at the fencing tournament.

A hockey tournament will conclude the celebrations.

Armenpress: Armenian Deputy PM highlights UN engagement in works on addressing needs of NK population

Kanayan Tamar

Armenian Deputy PM highlights UN engagement in works on addressing needs of NK population 

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 21:20, 1 September 2022

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan received UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas, Miroslav Jenča, the Deputy PM’s Office said. 

The meeting was also attended by Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Lila Pieters Yahia. 

Issues relating to the regional developments were discussed at the meeting. 

Touching upon the humanitarian consequences of the 2020 44-Day War, Deputy PM Grigoryan highlighted the UN ’s engagement in the works on addressing the needs of the population of Nagorno Karabakh.

Armenian National Security Service conducts anti-terror drills in Yerevan

Kanayan Tamar

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 15:14,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Service conducted anti-terrorist training drills on August 31 at the Sasuntsi Davit metro station and adjacent areas in Yerevan, as well as on board the Yerevan-Tbilisi passenger train.

“The results of the training exercises were assessed as positive, all necessary objectives were completed,” the NSS added.

“We call on everyone to treat the law enforcement agencies’ activities with understanding and provide possible assistance and use exclusively official news. At the same time, display vigilance and pay attention to unattended items in public areas and vehicles and notify law enforcement agencies,” the NSS said.

Azerbaijani press: Blinken’s statement on appointment of senior adviser for Caucasus negotiations comes as surprise – MFA

Kanayan Tamar
Politics Materials 25 August 2022 17:15 (UTC +04:00)


BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 25. Head of the Press Service Department of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Leyla Abdullayeva responded to a request from local media regarding the statement of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on August 24, Trend reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

The fact that the press statement by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on the appointment of Philip Reeker as senior adviser for Caucasus negotiations demonstrates an approach far from the post-conflict realities prevailing in the region comes as surprise.

“Azerbaijan’s position on OSCE Minsk Group has been repeatedly and clearly expressed on the highest level. Attempts to revive actually non-functioning Minsk Group may lead to the separation of the US from the process of normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations. The Karabakh conflict has been settled, and Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan. The international community, including our partners, should understand that linking the negotiations on the normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations with the Karabakh issue doesn’t help the normalization at all,” Abdullayeva noted.

Armenian Apostolic Church at Hye Point Annual Picnic Takes Place This Sunday

Kanayan Tamar
Haverhill, MA – Aug 25 2022

The Armenian Apostolic Church at Hye Point in Haverhill is holding its Annual Picnic this Sunday.

Food options include lamb shish kebab, chicken kebab, losh kebab, kheyma, pastries and beverages, including wine and beer. Music will be provided by the Jason Naronian Ensemble and there will be cash raffles. The church has an air-conditioned hall and handicap accessible restrooms. Visitors are advised to bring lawn chairs for outside seating.

The Annual Picnic takes place Sunday, Aug. 28, from noon-5 p.m., at the church, 1280 Boston Road, Route 125, Haverhill. For more information, call 978-372-9227 or visit .





Armenia ex-President Serzh Sargsyan lawyer on witness not appearing in court: Person realizes he was deceived

Kanayan Tamar
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 25 2022
15:13, 25.08.2022

We see intent in Sevan Kocharyan, a key witness in the case of third President Serzh Sargsyan and others, not appearing in the court session. Amram Makinyan, one of Sargsyan’s defense attorneys, told reporters this Thursday in the courtyard of the Yerevan court where the aforesaid criminal case is being heard.

“That witness, who was the reason for the launching of this criminal case, argued that he has hearing problems. It is the third court session, being duly notified, he does not appear [in court]. I am convinced that the person realizes that he was deceived and shall come and publicly answer our questions. It will be clear to the public how this criminal case was packaged, for what [purpose], and under what conditions. People have realized that it is possible to delay a little with this evasive behavior,” said the lawyer.

He noted that that during the criminal investigation of the case, the aforesaid witness was interviewed five times by the investigator. “This is a direct indicator of the falsity of this criminal case,” Makinyan added.

The witnesses in this criminal case are being questioned at this phase. But witness Sevan Kocharyan did not appear at today’s court session, and therefore the court decided to reschedule this hearing.

The next court session was scheduled for September 8.

Court hearings in this criminal case are rescheduled on a regular basis.

Two other defendants in the case—Sergo Karapetyan and Samvel Galstyan—have died as a result of the coronavirus. And the charges against Serzh Sargsyan are based on Sergo Karapetyan’s testimony.

According to the indictment of this criminal case, being organized by Sargsyan, pushed by Beglaryan, and assisted by former Deputy Minister of Agriculture Samvel Galstyan and Gevorg Harutyunyan, former Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetyan had squandered—from January 25 to February 7, 2013—AMD 489,160,310 of subsidy allocated from the government’s reserve fund for the 15,391,765 liters of diesel fuel that was used during the implementation of state assistance programs.

Serzh Sargsyan has been charged under the Criminal Code article on large-scale embezzlement or squandering. The third president, however, does not accept the charge against him, and his lawyers say that this process is a political persecution against their client.

Russian President, Armenian PM Discuss Situation around Nagorno-Karabakh

Kanayan Tamar
Tasnim News Agency – Iran
Aug 24 2022

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh, noting the role of Russian peacekeepers in ensuring stability in the region, the Kremlin press service reported.

“The discussion of the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh continued. The importance of the consistent implementation of the trilateral agreements between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan dated November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021 was confirmed,” it said, RIA Novosti reported.

At the same time, the role of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in ensuring stability in the region was noted,” it added.

In addition, some issues of further development of the relations of strategic partnership and alliance between Russia and Armenia were touched upon, according to the report.