Author: Kanayan Tamar

Russia considers Minsk Group an important tool for NK conflict settlement

Kanayan Tamar

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 19:02,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Russia continues considering the OSCE Minsk Group an important tool for the peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, ARMENPRESS reports Russian Deputy FM Andrey Rudenko told TASS in Tashkent.

Answering the question if the Minsk Group still preserves relevance for the Russian side, Rudenko said that it’s not doomed to inactivity.

‘’Contacts continue, maybe not so publicly, but they continue. Our Co-chair of the Minsk Group visited Baku and Yerevan, held a number of meetings there, including at the high level. At the moment the trio of the Co-chairs plan to meet in New York, in the sidelines of the General Assembly. Moreover, they plan to meet not only with each other, but the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. If it takes place, it will be a positive sign showing that the settlement process between the two countries has entered the practical stage’’, Rudenko said.

Armenia’s Chamber of Advocates has new chairman

Kanayan Tamar

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 10:32, 13 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Simon Babayan is the new Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia.

In a statement the Chamber informed that the election of the Chairman took place on September 12. 1111 advocates participated in the voting, 937 of them voted in favor of Simon Babayan, 144 – in favor of Gevorg Gyozalyan. 30 ballots were declared invalid.

Simon Babayan has been elected for a four-year term.

He will assume office from October 5, 2021.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

PM Pashinyan and Tajik president discuss bilateral ties, CSTO partnership

Kanayan Tamar

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 09:22,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a meeting with the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon to discuss issues related to bilateral relations and partnership in the CSTO.

Pashinyan arrived in Tajikistan in the evening of September 15 for the CSTO summit due Thursday.

On September 17, the Armenian PM will participate in a joint session of the CSTO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Relatives of dead soldiers urge to cancel celebrations on occasion of Armenia’s Independence Day

Kanayan Tamar
Caucasian Knot, EU
Sept 15 2021

In their appeal to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, about 350 parents and relatives of soldiers who were killed in the 2020 autumn war in Nagorno-Karabakh, called on to cancel the celebrations timed to the Independence Day of Armenia.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that the Armenian authorities decided to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the country’s independence on a large scale, but the public criticized those plans. Armenian human rights defenders note it is inappropriate to hold the lavish celebrations prior to the first anniversary of the 2020 autumn war.

The parents of the soldiers killed in the 2020 autumn war in Nagorno-Karabakh appealed to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with a demand to abandon the large-scale celebration on Republic Square on September 21.

“We consider a colourful concert on the occasion of Independence Day six days before the anniversary of the outbreak of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh as a sacrilege and a heinous act,” emphasizes the declaration signed by about 350 parents and relatives of the killed soldiers.

“Not a year has passed since our soldiers had been killed. Hundreds of parents and wives are looking for their [missing] sons and husbands. There are prisoners of war who are being humiliated and tortured every day. In such conditions, to hold a colourful concert and declare that the celebrations are dedicated to the dead soldiers are an insult to us and the memory of our soldiers,” the opponents of the celebration wrote in their declaration as translated from the Armenian language by the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on at 11:21 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

Armenian citizens condemn authorities’ plans for Independence Day, Pashinyan updates death toll in Karabakh War, Investigating Committee of Armenia reports number of soldiers missing in Karabakh.

Author: Tigran Petrosyan; Source: CK correspondent

Source: 
© Caucasian Knot

​Diaspora professionals train teachers across Armenia

Kanayan Tamar
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 14 2021

Diaspora professionals train teachers across Armenia

 , 21:37 

Dozens of school directors and teachers from Armenia’s different regions gathered on Monday to celebrate the completion of the yearlong “School Management” courses implemented by Diaspora professionals. During the event, 17 teachers, who were part of an academic competition, received gifts for their success in developing action plans around how to integrate Armenian identity and culture within their classrooms.

The ‘School Management’ courses were organized and taught by Diaspora professionals, Narine Sirakanyan and Onnik Bayramian, who joined Armenia’s public sector as part of the RA Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs’ iGorts program. About 250 schools and 1600 principals, vice principals and teachers from around the country received training both in-person and online on the latest pedagogical strategies and techniques. Specific training topics included the Classroom Without Borders Approach, Facilitating and Not Teaching, Integrating Armenian Identity and Culture within different subjects, among many others.

“Whether we call it training or by another name, these types of events make up an integral part of our professional life,” said RA High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Zareh Sinanyan. “Through education, we can reach all of our goals as a nation, creating a safe, knowledgeable and progressive future.”

Educators from the capital of Yerevan, as well as the regions of Lori, Tavush, Ararat and Syunik emphasized the impact the trainings have had on their professional development and classroom culture. Narine and Onnik’s training has received such positive feedback from Armenian teachers and school authorities that they created For You Armenia NGO – outside the framework of the iGorts program – to continue their teacher trainings cost-free. In addition, For You Armenia NGO hopes to secure 5-10 STEAM education labs in Armenia, as well as train teachers to run STEAM schools. They will continue to provide resources and finances to implement their upcoming projects.

“I would like to thank all the dedicated teachers who participated in our trainings, those who are always ready to welcome change with open arms and transfer it to future generations,” said Narine Sirakanyan, former iGorts participant and Vice President of For You Armenia NGO.

“Our educators in Armenia and Artsakh are 21st-century role models who will lead coming generations in future victories and triumphs,” said Onnik Bayramian, former iGorts participant and President of For You Armenia NGO. “I was lucky to have the opportunity to witness their work, and I will continue to do my best in assisting our educators on their professional journeys.” Narine Sirakanyan from Georgia and Onnik Bayramian from UAE have been pivotal figures in advancing Armenian education over the past year as iGorts participants in the RA Education Inspectorate and the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, respectively.  

Armenia-Azerbaijan prisoner exchange: two Armenian and one Azerbaijani soldier returned

Kanayan Tamar
Sept 8 2021
    JAMnews, Baku-Yerevan

Armenia and Azerbaijan exchange prisoners

A Russian military plane with two Armenian prisoners on board has landed at the Erebuni airport in Yerevan. They have been accompanied by the commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh Rustam Muradov. It has been reported that Armenia returned one Azerbaijani soldier to Baku.

  • Azerbaijani soldier detained in Karabakh on several charges including espionage
  • Echo of the second Karabakh war: why Baku got the opportunity to blockade the south of Armenia
  • Azerbaijan discusses legitimacy of Russian peacekeepers’ presence in Karabakh

Two Armenian prisoners returned to their homeland – Artur Nalbandyan and Aramais Torozyan.

Two military men, as previously reported by Armenian sources, got lost due to fog at dawn on July 14 near Lake Sevlich (Black Lake) in the Syunik region of Armenia. The Ministry of Defense reported that the soldiers were traveling by car and carried out their official duties but they had no weapons on them.

With the mediation of Russia, negotiations were held with representatives of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in order to determine whether the soldiers had crossed into the Azerbaijani territory. However, all this time the Azerbaijani side did not provide any information, and nothing was known about the fate of the military. Azerbaijan did not confirm the fact of their capture.

On September 7, they were exchanged for Jamil Babayev, an Azerbaijani serviceman who was detained in Nagorno-Karabakh, in one of the houses of Martakert. He entered the house, where at that time there were only two teenagers, threatened the children, and demanded food and cigarettes. He was fed, after which they promised to go to the store for cigarettes. One of the teenagers left the house and called the police.

The law enforcement agencies of the unrecognized NKR detained an Azerbaijani soldier and launched a criminal case under several articles of the criminal code. Babayev was accused of espionage, illegal crossing of the state border with the threat of murder of underage residents of the apartment.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry issued a statement saying that the serviceman Jamil Babayev had left the psychiatric ward of the hospital in Ganja without permission. The Azerbaijani side also launched an investigation at that time.

This time the Armenian prisoners were also accompanied by the commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in NK Rustam Muradov. He is completing his mission, in connection with this on September 6, he met with the Minister of Defense of Armenia. Now it is reported that Muradov flew to Baku after the agreements was reached at this meeting.

The number of Armenian prisoners, confirmed by the Azerbaijani side, according to the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, is 60 people. However, Armenian human rights activists argue that the real number of prisoners held in Azerbaijan is much higher.

Reports from Baku

Azerbaijani Jamil Babayev, detained by the Armenians on the territory controlled by the peacekeepers in Agdera, was returned to Baku. This was reported by the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Citizens of Azerbaijan.

According to available information, Babayev was returned to Azerbaijan through the mediation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. Babayev was exchanged for two Armenian soldiers – Artur Nalbandyan and Aramais Torozyan.

Kocharyan trial adjourned due to courthouse power outage

Kanayan Tamar

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 13:45, 31 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS. Judge Anna Danibekyan of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction adjourned the court hearing of the case of former president Robert Kocharyan because of a power outage in the courthouse.

The court session will resume on September 7.

Kocharyan is accused of taking a 3,000,000 dollar bribe from a businesswoman during his presidency. Armen Gevorgyan, who served as chief of staff in the Kocharyan administration, is also charged in the case. They both deny wrongdoing.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenian villagers ask for help because of fires near border with Azerbaijan

Kanayan Tamar
Caucasian Knot, EU
Sept 3 2021

In the Gegarkunik Region, cattle breeders faced the problem of feed for livestock because of fires: hay prices doubled, residents of border villages complain.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that according to Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan, Azerbaijani soldiers deliberately set fire to pastures near the villages of Sotk and Kut at the border with the Kelbadjar District. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Azerbaijan has denied the information about setting fire on pastures.

The fires in rural pastures and hayfields have been extinguished, and there are no threats to the village from the fires, but the cattle breeding has suffered significant damage, the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent has been informed by Sima Chitchyan, the head of the Kut community.

“Our pastures were under the control of the Azerbaijani soldiers. We had a hope that after haymaking we will be able to graze livestock in those fields, but even there everything is destroyed by the fire. There are very few fields left where we can graze livestock,” Sima Chitchyan said.

The villagers submitted the data on the damage to the regional administration, but there has been no reaction from the authorities so far, the head of the village adds.

Sevak Khachatryan, a resident of the village of Sotk, has also said that the cattle breeding seriously suffered because of the fires. “There are small territories where it will be possible to graze livestock, but in general, that will not solve the problem,” the local resident told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

Last year, one bale of hay cost 800-900 drams (1.6-1.8 US dollars), and this year, the price has doubled, from 1600 to 1800 drams (3.2-3.6 US dollars), Sevak Khachatryan said. “Villagers of Martuni, Gavar, and Vardenis used to buy up to 300,000 bales of hay, mainly in Karvachar. And now, due to the fact that the communities have lost their pastures because of them coming under the control of Azerbaijan and because of the fires, there is a problem of fodder for livestock. If we do not solve the problem with cattle breeding, we will face migration from border villages,” the resident of the Sotk village emphasized.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 3, 2021 at 04:35 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

Armenian Ombudsperson warns of fires threatening villages of Gegarkunik Region, Azerbaijan rejects allegations of burning pastures at Armenian border, Azerbaijan reports a shootout at border with Armenia.

Author: Tigran Petrosyan; Source: CK correspondent

Source: 
© Caucasian Knot

CivilNet: Turkey ready to normalize relations with Armenia, says Erdogan

Kanayan Tamar
CIVILNET.AM

30 Aug, 2021 10:08

  • Turkey is ready to gradually improve relations with Armenia, says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
  • Azerbaijani forces fire towards Kut and Sotk villages in Armenia’s southern Gegharkunik region. 
  • An alternative road is being constructed between Syunik’s Goris and Kapan towns. The original road was recently blocked by Azerbaijan’s military.