Author: Kanayan Tamar

Armenia calls for UN help on Nagorno-Karabakh

Kanayan Tamar
Aug 13 2023

Armenia on Saturday (12 August) urged the UN Security Council to hold a crisis meeting on Nagorno-Karabakh, citing a “deteriorating humanitarian situation” after accusing Azerbaijan of blocking supplies to the disputed region.

The Caucasus neighbours have been locked in a dispute over the enclave — internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan — since the 1980s and fought two wars over the territory.

The second, in 2020, saw the defeat of Armenian forces and significant territorial gains for Azerbaijan.

“The Armenian government demands the intervention of the UN Security Council as the main organ for safeguarding global security,” Mher Margaryan, Armenia’s permanent representative to the UN, said in a letter to the body.

For months, Yerevan has accused Baku of stopping traffic through the Lachin corridor — a short, mountainous road linking Armenia to Armenian-populated settlements in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In his letter, Margaryan referred to “serious shortages” of food, medicine and fuel in the majority Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan and cuts in electricity and gas supplies.

“This situation has led to rising mortality due to several illnesses,” said Margaryan, citing patients suffering from conditions including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

“The population of Nagorno-Karabakh today stands on the edge of a veritable humanitarian catastrophe,” he warned, accusing Azerbaijan of “deliberately creating unbearable living conditions for the population.”

That, he wrote, amounted to an “atrocity” designed to force them from their homes.

Armenia and international aid groups have meanwhile been warning that the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is dire and deteriorating, with shortages of food, medicines and energy.

The two neighbours have been unable to reach a lasting peace settlement despite mediation efforts by the European Union, United States and Russia.

Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of genocide over Nagorno-Karabakh blockade.

Kanayan Tamar
 EurasiaTimes 
Aug 13 2023

Armenia has told the United Nations that Azerbaijan is carrying out genocide and warning of war in the disputed mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia’s foreign ministry said the Armenian-populated city of Stepanakert is running out of food, medicine and fuel after being blockaded by the Azerbaijani security forces for two months.

“The situation has already resulted in a recorded increase in mortality. Today, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are on the verge of a full-fledged humanitarian catastrophe,”
said the statement, which called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

Stepanakert, with around 120,000 residents, is the largest city in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan regained control over large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh after defeating Armenia in a 44-day war that started in September 2020.

Since the war, the de facto regional capital’s main link to Armenia has been along a road through the so-called Lechin corridor. Since December, Azerbaijani environmental demonstrators have blocked the road followed by the establishment of a military checkpoint in mid-June.

The International Red Cross and Russian troops monitoring the 2020 ceasefire until June had been able to deliver aid. But a border skirmish in June between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers prompted Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, to tighten the blockade.

Azerbaijan says its checkpoint to Stepanakert is stopping smuggling. It offers access to Stepanarkert via a longer, more complicated route through territory it controls.

The first bilateral war broke out in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union and there have been repeated clashes on the undefined border ever since.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claims Russia has failed to uphold its peacekeeping responsibilities and is ignoring Baku’s aggression because it is concentrating on its Ukrainian war.

In May, Pashinyan controversially announced that he would recognise Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan on the condition that its ethnic Armenian population received rights and security guarantees.

But the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities, calling itself the Republic of Arzakh, have refused any proposed integration with Azerbaijan.

Aliyev has also dismissed talk of integration, calling for the Republic of Arzakh to be dissolved and for Armenians in the enclave to be integrated as “normal, loyal citizens” of Azerbaijan.

Observers say Azerbaijan is enriched by new European Union gas contracts and strengthened by security agreements with Turkey and Israel and its victorious 2020 war.

https://www.eurasiatimes.org/en/13/08/2023/armenia-accuses-azerbaijan-of-genocide-over-nagorno-karabakh-blockade/

Authorities expect audience of 25,000 people at upcoming Snoop Dogg show in Yerevan

Kanayan Tamar

 11:44,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government allocated on August 11 around $6,000,000 for organizing the upcoming concert of American rapper Snoop Dogg.

The 17-time Grammy nominated artist is set to perform in Yerevan on September 23 in what he described will be a ‘legendary’ concert.

Up to 25,000 people are expected to attend the concert at the Hrazdan Stadium.

The government also expects the concert to enable Armenia to access the international show business market and facilitate more concerts featuring popular artists.

The $6,000,000 was allocated to Doping Space, the event manager in charge of organizing the concert.

Up to 6,000 tourists are expected to arrive to Armenia for the concert.

Bulgarian FM briefed on deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh

Kanayan Tamar

 14:10, 9 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. On August 9, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan held a phone call with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria Mariya Gabriel, the foreign ministry said.

In continuation of the discussions of two ministers within the framework of Dubrovnik Forum in July, Ararat Mirzoyan briefed on the deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor and its irreversible consequences for the 120,000 population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the foreign ministry said in a readout.

Extremely difficult conditions incompatible with a decent life especially for the most sensitive groups such as children, pregnant women and the elderly were highlighted.

Minister Mirzoyan emphasized that despite the clear assessments and appeals of international partners, various bodies, including the UN, Azerbaijan continues the blockade of the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world. The urgency of taking additional steps in accordance with the decisions of the International Court of Justice of February 22 and July 6 in order to restore free movement through the Lachin corridor as well as to prevent Azerbaijan’s real intention of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh was emphasized.

During the phone call, the sides also touched upon the expansion of partnership between Armenia and Bulgaria, expressing mutual satisfaction with the intensifying political dialogue.

Armenia and Azerbaijan at Odds Again on Key Highway After EU-Facilitated Talks

Kanayan Tamar
Italy – Aug 1 2023
01/08/2023 –  Onnik James Krikorian Tbilisi

Just two weeks after the 15 July EU-facilitated meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels, Yerevan and Baku find themselves once again in a standoff on the Lachin Corridor, the 5 km-wide highway that connects Armenia through Azerbaijan with the besieged former Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO).

Since 12 December last year, the mainly ethnic Armenian-populated breakaway region has had this strategic artery through Lachin disrupted and restricted by Baku in continued attempts by Azerbaijan to have its territorial integrity not only restored but also recognised by both Yerevan and Karabakh’s de facto capital, Stepanakert. While Prime Minister Pashinyan says he is ready to do this, Karabakh’s de facto leadership continues to resist.

Another sticking point has been the insistence of Yerevan, Brussels, Washington D.C., and now Moscow that the ethnic Armenian community of Karabakh and official Baku need to engage in direct dialogue. Stepanakert continues to refuse to do so  while so far unconfirmed reports indicate that on 30 July Baku rejected another planned meeting  apparently scheduled for 1 August.

As a result, the imposition of an Azerbaijani border and customs checkpoint at the beginning of the Lachin highway has led to severe shortages of many imported food, hygiene, and fuel products. Meanwhile, the periodic halting of humanitarian aid convoys delivered by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Russian peacekeeping contingent have also resulted in severe shortages of medical supplies.

Though it is difficult to fully understand the situation on the ground with little independent or verifiable information filtering out, and social media still showing that restaurants in Stepanakert continue without restriction apart from a cap of 50 on individual group sizes  when dining out, warnings of an impending humanitarian disaster nonetheless appear credible. Before mid-June, in addition to what is grown there, supplies had passed through.

With Azerbaijani social media sharing videos and photographs from Stepanakert’s restaurants, even the region’s human rights ombudsperson spread messages on social media requesting that Karabakh Armenians desist from posting  images from their nights out. “Videos posted on social networks […] which do not reflect the dire situation […] are actively used by the Azerbaijani propaganda machine,” the request read. “[…] please refrain from sharing videos associated with a life of luxury.”

Indeed, most shops and markets are reportedly either bare or now totally empty. What has made matters worse this time has been the lack of fuel, making it close to impossible to distribute  fresh produce from the villages to urban centres. Moreover, though bakeries are still functioning it has also been difficult to supply them with flour and also to distribute loaves  when they are produced.

De facto Karabakh State Minister Gurgen Nersisyan also vowed to take action  against price gouging and a black market for goods that has emerged. There is also increasing concern in Karabakh that Azerbaijan seeks to have the Lachin Corridor, as stipulated by the November 2020 trilateral ceasefire statement, replaced by its own alternative route for supplies via territory fully under its control.

Such concerns increased following the 15 July Aliev-Pashinyan meeting in Brussels when European Council President Charles Michel welcomed Baku’s offer to allow assistance from the formerly occupied city of Aghdam. On 19 July similar remarks  were made by EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar and ten days later by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

However, the European officials also stressed, any route for humanitarian assistance from Azerbaijan proper to Karabakh via Aghdam should complement and not replace Lachin. Karabakh itself views any use of the additional route to be another attempt to integrate the region into Azerbaijan proper. Official Stepanakert blames Pashinyan for publicly stating that Armenia is ready to recognise Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity including Karabakh.

The EU, U.S., and Russia have called upon Azerbaijan to allow the resumption of all traffic via Lachin. Rallies were subsequently held in both Stepanakert and Yerevan calling for the same though the demonstration in the latter was poorly attended at just a few thousand people. Daily rallies, including outside the United Nations office, have also taken place in the Armenian capital though numbers have so far been small.

Those taking part also collected food stuffs and other items which they demanded the UN transfer to Karabakh. The UN has still yet to respond to the request though that is hardly likely. The protests did nonetheless push the Armenian government to action by sending its own aid convoy of 19 trucks carrying 360 tons of assistance to that section of the Armenia-Azerbaijan adjacent to the start of the Lachin highway and the Azerbaijani checkpoint.

On 27 July the convoy set off from Yerevan after first being checked by invited foreign diplomatic staff in the capital. Azerbaijan had already called the convoy a ‘demonstrative act of sabotage,’ hinting that it too would not be allowed through. At time of writing, the convoy is still parked in the village of Kornidzor and is likely to remain there for some time. The European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) is monitoring the situation.

On Saturday 29 July, however, the impasse on the Lachin Corridor was to escalate further as ICRC continued to transfer patients to and from Karabakh through Lachin when a 68-year-old resident was detained by Azerbaijani border guards. Among 15 patients traveling from Stepanakert to Yerevan, Vagif Khachatryan is accused by Azerbaijan of committing alleged war crimes in the first Karabakh war of the 1990s.

Baku says he has been transferred to a medical facility and ICRC has already visited him in captivity, including with a doctor. Causing outrage in Karabakh, de facto State Minister Nersisyan rallied dozens outside ICRC’s Stepanakert office. “We want you to note that you are unable to ensure the safety of any of the residents of Artsakh [Karabakh],” media quoted him as saying in a rare criticism of the international humanitarian organisation.

“We call for all concerned decision-makers to respect our strictly humanitarian mission,” the ICRC tweeted  as medical evacuations and repatriations once again ground to a halt. “[ICRC calls] on the relevant decision makers to allow the ICRC to resume its essential humanitarian operations in the area,” it also said in a statement  , stressing that it is unable to operate either through Lachin or Aghdam.

“Our humanitarian aid convoys are a lifeline for the population […]” ICRC’s regional director for Eurasia, Ariane Bauer, said. “With these convoys blocked, our concern is that the humanitarian situation will further deteriorate. We are most worried about those who cannot help themselves. The sick and people with chronic diseases are particularly at risk, as are the elderly, infirm and children.”

https://www.balcanicaucaso.org/eng/Areas/Nagorno-Karabakh/Armenia-and-Azerbaijan-at-Odds-Again-on-Key-Highway-After-EU-Facilitated-Talks-226488 

Congressional Armenian Caucus: Azerbaijani Blockade of Artsakh “Definition of Ethnic Cleansing”

Kanayan Tamar
July 28, 2023 ANCA Diaspora, ANCA News 0

Congressional Armenian Caucus leaders called on the Biden administration and the international community to “utilize all diplomatic tools available to halt the blockade, open this vital lifeline, and prevent a catastrophic humanitarian crisis from unfolding.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the Republic of Artsakh’s Armenian Christian population on the brink of starvation eight months into the brutal Azerbaijani blockade, Congressional Armenian Caucus co-chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Adam Schiff (CA-28) and David Valadao (R-CA) today called on the Biden administration and the international community to take immediate action to avert a humanitarian catastrophe, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“Armenian and allied Americans from New Jersey, Florida, California and across America join in welcoming this renewed push by the Congressional Armenian Caucus for decisive White House leadership in confronting Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh and escalating acts of aggression against Armenians,” said ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian.

“We are encouraged by the rising tide of community, coalition and congressional outrage over the Biden-Harris administration’s unwillingness to break Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh – and look forward to leveraging this energy to bring an end to American appeasement of Ilham Aliyev.”

In a July 28th statement, Armenian Caucus co-chairs explain, “The people of Artsakh are facing an unfathomable humanitarian crisis at the hands of the Aliyev regime. Because of the Azeri blockade of the Lachin Corridor blockade, food is dwindling, medical supplies are limited, and essentials for daily life are dangerously low. The international community has sat on the sidelines for far too long, watching as this crisis has escalated to a critical point where the lives of tens of thousands are currently at risk. Meanwhile, President Aliyev has faced zero consequences for his brutal campaign to force Armenians in Artsakh off their historic lands.”

The lawmakers called Azerbaijan’s actions, “the definition of ethnic cleansing,” and urged the Biden administration and the international community to take immediate action. “The international community must utilize all diplomatic tools available to halt the blockade, open this vital lifeline, and prevent a catastrophic humanitarian crisis from unfolding. We call on the Biden Administration to act immediately and help bring this deliberate and calculated crisis to a peaceful end,” stated the Armenian Caucus co-chairs.

Earlier this week, the ANCA’s Hamparian, in a powerful open letter directed to the Biden Administration, outlined three immediate actions the U.S. can take to avert a second Armenian Genocide in Artsakh, including:

1) The U.S. should set a hard deadline for Baku to lift its blockade and cease all acts of aggression against Artsakh and Armenia.

2) The U.S. should impose Global Magnitsky and other sanctions on senior Azerbaijani officials for failing to meet this deadline, fully enforce Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, and block all direct and third-party sales or transfers of U.S. weapons or defense articles to Azerbaijan.

3) The U.S. should immediately undertake concrete actions to prevent genocide in Artsakh by leading international effort for the recognition of Artsakh’s status as self-governing, requiring 1) United Nations security guarantees; 2) a sustained international peacekeeping presence; 3) robust U.S. and international humanitarian and developmental assistance, 4) secure transportation, commerce and energy links to Armenia, 5) a strategic buffer zone and 6) food, water and energy security.

The ANCA continues to support U.S. Senate and House Congressional resolutions condemning Azerbaijan’s blockade and urging the enforcement of Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan and emergency humanitarian assistance to Artsakh. House Resolution 108, led by Rep. Pallone currently has the bipartisan support of 90 U.S. House members; its counterpart in the U.S. Senate (S.Res244)  was introduced by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL).  Rep. Schiff has introduced legislation (H.Res.320) calling for U.S. recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh.

For over eight months, Azerbaijan has blocked the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor, restricting the transit of life-sustaining food, fuel and medicine to Artsakh’s 120,000 Christian Armenian population, in a blatant attempt to ethnically cleanse the indigenous population from their ancestral homeland. Over the past several weeks, the International Committee of the Red Cross has been blocked from providing any food or medicine to the region’s population, which is now on the brink of starvation. “Our humanitarian aid convoys are a lifeline for the population in this area. With these convoys blocked, our concern is that the humanitarian situation will further deteriorate. We are most worried about those who cannot help themselves. The sick and people with chronic diseases are particularly at risk, as are the elderly, infirm and children,” announced ICRC’s regional director for Eurasia, Ariane Bauer, in a July 25th press statement.

Earlier this week, a convoy of trucks attempting to deliver 400 tons of humanitarian assistance from Armenia to Artsakh was prevented by Azerbaijan from entering Artsakh.

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, during an international online press conference held on Monday, declared the blockade a “humanitarian disaster” and urged the international community to press Azerbaijan to lift the blockade.  “Additionally, I urge the executive directors of UNICEF, the United Nations World Food Program and the United Nations Population Fund, along with the Director-General of the World Health Organization, to live up to their mandates and responsibilities and deliver relief and presence on the ground,” stated the Artsakh President.

The Artsakh Parliament issued a powerful appeal, calling on the international community to recognize the independence of Artsakh, noting,  “We are deeply convinced that the only way to prevent the impending tragedy is to recognize the independence of the Republic of Artsakh based on the principle of ‘remedial recognition of independence.’”
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The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.


Engineer Armenia: Sustainable solutions for the homeland

Kanayan Tamar
July 26, 2023 Talar Keoseyan Non-Profit 1

Family home built in Jrashen, 2019

“When I think of how this organization started, I reflect on myself at 16 years old,” Karina Khadarian, founder and CEO of Engineer Armenia, said, “when I went to Armenia and Artsakh for two and a half weeks with my school. I loved every minute of it, but I left feeling like I was merely a tourist in my own homeland. I still felt a sense of disconnect.” In 2015, Khadarian spent her summer in Armenia and Artsakh as an AYF Youth Corps volunteer. This was the first time she truly formed a connection with the land and its residents on more than just a surface level. She immersed herself in the communities of Armenia, and that connection was liberating for her.

She was just two years into college as a chemical engineering undergraduate when she decided that she had to do something to impact change in the homeland. While staying with host families, she gained insight into the challenges they faced on a daily basis. She knew that infrastructure, water and waste management in Armenia were in need of serious improvement. She believed she could tie these issues together through education. In July of 2015, she founded Engineer Armenia. “To engineer is to use innovation, creativity, knowledge and resources to find a sustainable solution to a problem. We are to engineer our homeland,” Khadarian told the Weekly.

“You have to actively be Armenian. It’s not enough to preserve our culture and learn and share about our history. It’s not only about the genealogy. Patriotism is not just loving your country blindly,” Khadarian said. “You have to see the homeland for all its beauty, but also its flaws, and work proactively to get it to the level that it deserves.”

She was 20 years old, and she knew that her homeland needed her. She went back to foster relationships with her former host families and students. She investigated potential projects and grew the Engineer Armenia network with local municipalities, authorities and residents. Were the residents ready to invest in themselves and their own communities? Could they donate their time, skills, equipment or money? These were areas to discuss and seriously consider.

Engineer Armenia volunteers at work

She developed a team at the University of California, Irvine, (UCI) starting with 19 volunteers, most of whom were not of Armenian descent and had no relationship with Armenia. As a student volunteer in other engineering organizations on campus, she began by networking with and recruiting UCI students. As someone who had volunteered her time and skills for projects in Madagascar and Honduras, countries she did not have a personal connections with, she knew she could engage both her Armenian and non-Armenian peers by presenting it as the hands-on experience all engineering students needed to become desirable candidates for future employment opportunities. 

“We have to be strategic in how we get both our own community members and our non-Armenian friends, colleagues and even strangers involved in such development projects. Sell it as a hands-on experience, or a networking opportunity, or a way to grow your list of references,” Khadarian urged. “Do what you can to engage more people and secure more resources, whether it be for intellect and skills, or for financing and connections. Be strategic, be smart, and above all, always think of ways to help our beloved homeland.”

Since its inception and early years, Engineer Armenia’s membership, network and projects have grown. Engineer Armenia has projects in Gyumri, Tavush and Meghrashen in Shirak; Vanadzor, Jrashen and Hartagyugh in Lori; Hatsik and Karakert in Armavir; Goris in Syunik; and Nngi in Artsakh. Projects address water, waste management, infrastructure, engineering, education or consulting. They include design-heavy initiatives to renovate or retrofit civil or commercial infrastructure, treat and improve drinking or irrigation water quality, and install proper waste management processes. 

Engineering camp, Hartagyugh, 2022

Engineer Armenia also has education programs such as their annual summer engineering camp. During the camp, students are immersed into different engineering fields through interactive activities and competitions to demonstrate their new skills. At the end of camp, students present their original projects addressing how they can use engineering to develop the homeland. The projects involve at least one field of engineering and include detailed project scope, estimated costs, labor, materials and project timeline. This final project not only highlights the topics and skills students learn at the camp but also fosters a collaborative environment, improves their public speaking and presentation skills, and inspires them to take ownership of their work. This is a wonderful way of working on a growth mindset to encourage innovation and engage the next generation of Armenian engineers in homeland development, self-reliance and sustainability projects.

Engineer Armenia has also collaborated with start-up companies for prosthetics and 3D printing. “There are a lot of brilliant minds in Armenia with great ideas, but sometimes there is a gap between the conception of the project or business idea and the actual implementation and scale-up,” Khadarian said. To help bridge that gap, Engineer Armenia has helped with business proposals and grant writing. One of the groups secured a $10,000 grant to use for a startup.

Engineer Armenia is committed to helping our homeland with its dedicated volunteer staff throughout the Diaspora, Armenia and Artsakh. 

“The concept of being actively Armenian is on all of us. We all have something we can bring to the table to help our homeland. In fact, it is our civic duty to do so,” Khadarian said.

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Talar Keoseyan is a mother, educator and writer. Talar’s book called Mom and Dad, Why Do I Need to Know My Armenian Heritage? is available on Amazon. Tigran’s Song is available at Abril Bookstore. She has been an educator for 25 years and resides in Los Angeles, CA. She can be reached at


Miscarriages triple in besieged Karabakh – Official

Kanayan Tamar
Armenia –
– 11:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Pregnant women don’t have access to nutrient-rich foods in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) amid Azerbaijan’s total blockade, Vardges Osipov, the executive director of Mother and Child Health Care Center of Stepanakert told Artsakhpress on Wednesday, July 19.

“Naturally, the situation has had a very negative impact on both fertility and all kinds of complications that we already encounter during our daily practical work,” Osipov said.

“I should mention that in the last month, the rate of miscarriages has increased almost three times.”

In recent months, he said, perinatal mortality rates have increased too.

“Naturally, all this is caused by both the stressful situation and lack of a balanced diet.”

https://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/308664/Miscarriages_triple_in_besieged_Karabakh__Official

Tangible results visible in justice sector amid reforms, says deputy minister

Kanayan Tamar

 12:02,

YEREVAN, JULY 21, ARMENPRESS. Cooperation between the Armenian Justice Ministry, the EU and the UNDP has rather long and productive history. Within the framework of the partnership, Armenia is basically covering the main direction of reforms in the justice sector, achieving very tangible results which are already visible in the justice system, the Deputy Minister of Justice Karen Karapetyan on Friday said during an event dedicated to the launch of the e-platform of the 2022-2026 Strategy and Action Plan of Judicial and Legislative Reforms.

“Judicial and legislative reforms are among the priorities of the Armenian government,” Karapetyan said.

He said that the results of any reform should be visible to the citizens, the direct beneficiaries of the reforms.

“The platform not only has a main function of public awareness, but also enables all stakeholders to include their reports and performance reports directly, swiftly, productively and with modern mechanisms to both government agencies and the society,” he added, thanking international partners for support and cooperation.

The platform was developed as part of the “Accountable Institutions and Human Rights Protection in Armenia” project, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented jointly by UNDP, UNFPA, and the OSCE.

CSTO deployment depends on Armenia’s decision, says Russia

Kanayan Tamar

 14:50,

YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Russia has said that the deployment of a CSTO mission in Armenia would have a significant contribution in stabilizing the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing that the possible deployment of the CSTO mission depends on Armenia’s decision.

“The deployment of the organization’s mission in Armenia would have a significant contribution in stabilizing the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The ball is in the Armenian side’s court,” Zakharova said.

She noted that Nagorno Karabakh is not in the CSTO area of responsibility.