Author: Karapet Navasardian

Dixon explains why Ocampo’s report is politically biased by Armenian separatists

Karapet Navasardian
Bulgaria – Aug 15 2023
Perspectives 
 August 15, 2023  Igor Chalenko

By order of the “president” of the Armenian pro-Russian separatists in Karabakh, Arayik Aratyunyan, the ex-prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, published a report with a loud headline: “The Armenian Genocide in 2023.”

Ocampo stepped down as ICC prosecutor in 2012, and since then the world media have only mentioned his name in the context of corruption scandals and protecting the interests of criminals.

Nevertheless, the “expert opinion”, prepared in just nine days, attracted the attention of the press – The Washington Post, CNN, Forbes, ABC News, Associated Press and a number of other publications wrote about it.

Not only the media, but also active lawyers and human rights activists reacted to Ocampo’s report. The most reasoned comment was given by Rodney Dixon, a current expert in international law, with experience in conducting cases in Afghanistan, Kenya, Britain, Georgia, Egypt, Syria, Sudan, Rwanda, Yugoslavia, among others.

Dixon’s opinion is of particular interest, since he specializes in accusations related to alleged genocides. However, the only case that Ocampo brought to an end in his nine years as a prosecutor – the indictment against Thomas Lubanga, the leader of a paramilitary group in the Congo – had to do with anything BUT genocide.

Dixon’s commentary consists of five points with impartial and strict legal reasoning. The most important is the thesis in which the expert convincingly proves that from the point of view of international norms, “genocide” is out of the question:

The definition of “genocide” implies the presence of two components: “physical” (committing specific actions) and “mental” (intention to destroy a group of people). Ocampo’s report, but more importantly, the judgments of the International Court of Justice to which he refers, lack both of these elements. “The charge of genocide is unsubstantiated,” Dixon concludes.

Another important emphasis noted by Dixon is the “clear selectivity in relation to the ‘facts’ in the report.” Ocampo talks about a fictitious “genocide” due to the blocking of the main route of humanitarian supplies to Karabakh – the Lachin road. But at the same time, the ex-prosecutor deliberately does not mention the existence of another road for humanitarian supplies Agdam-Khankedi, which runs through Azerbaijani territory.

Such bias and incompetence of Ocampo can be easily explained by his engagement in the interests of the Armenian separatists. On July 29, Harutyunyan turned to Ocampo with a request to comment on the situation in Karabakh – this is a public fact. Within nine days, the ex-prosecutor handed over the “order” of the separatists supported by the Kremlin. It is worth noting that the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, who with pain and misery only closed a single case in nine years, was able to sort out the situation in Karabakh in just nine days.

“The sharpness of the report cannot be allowed to drive an unjustified wedge between the peace-seeking governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Dixon writes at the end of his conclusion.

However, Armenia did not heed the words of the leading expert in the field of international law and on August 11 turned to the UN Security Council with a request to convene an emergency meeting on this topic. The sole reason was the Ocampo report, which the leading lawyer qualifies as false.

Apparently, neither Harutyunyan nor Pashinyan will benefit from the tension of the political situation in the South Caucasus. Paradoxically, the only beneficiary of the custom report and the subsequent farce with the “emergency meeting” of the UN Security Council is Russia. The world media have been warning about this since the beginning of the year.

“Russia’s regime is manipulating the Armenian minority in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh to stir ethnic conflicts in the South Caucasus and to replace the Armenian government with a Moscow proxy. The scenario is reminiscent of other disputes that the Kremlin has manufactured, whether in Georgia, Moldova, or Ukraine, to maintain its sphere of imperial influence,” the American newspaper The Washington Times reported.

According to Ukrainian media, “Putin is using Armenian separatist puppets in Karabakh for his own purposes, just as he did with Ossetians and Abkhazians in Georgia and supporters of the Russian World in Crimea and Donbas.”

According to the Romanian version of Newsweek, playing on separatist sentiment in Karabakh “allows Moscow to maintain a military presence in the South Caucasus, as well as in the breakaway region of Georgia, South Ossetia or in the Russian-controlled eastern regions of Moldova.”

Rodney Dixon summed up his paper with an eloquent appeal: “The (Ocampo’s) publication should encourage the international community to redouble its efforts to promote a lasting peace in accordance with international law.”

https://sofiaglobe.com/2023/08/15/dixon-explains-why-ocampos-report-is-politically-biased-by-armenian-separatists/

Azerbaijani Press: Armenians solicit provocation near Azerbaijan’s Consulate General in Los Angeles

Karapet Navasardian
Azerbaijan – Aug 14 2023
Ingilab Mammadov

Read more

BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 14. Azerbaijan continues to be the target of concerted provocations by Armenia and pro-Armenian political circles, Trend reports.

This time, representatives of the Armenian lobby staged a protest rally near the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles in connection with the activities of the Lachin checkpoint.

In order to make things more difficult for Baku, the demonstrators overseas are pressuring Azerbaijan to take appropriate responses.

Sadly, there is no information available on the US government, which is perceived to be watching such processes from the outside, interfering with the unlawful activities of the Armenian lobby and activities supporting and fostering separatism.

In order to prevent the transportation of manpower, ammunition, mines, as well as other military equipment from Armenia for illegal Armenian armed groups on the territory of Azerbaijan (which weren’t withdrawn contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020 signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the second Karabakh war), and as an adequate response to the unilateral establishment of a border checkpoint by Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan on April 22, 2023, at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, on April 23 this year, the units of the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan set up a border checkpoint in its sovereign territories, on the border with Armenia, at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road.

Despite Azerbaijan ensuring the passage of Armenian citizens, ICRC representatives, and the Russian peacekeeping contingent through the border crossing (temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement), the Armenian side spread rumors about the alleged “tense humanitarian situation” in the area in order to carry out its illegal activities in Azerbaijani territory.

At the same time, the Armenian side engaged in provocations, including shelling Azerbaijani border guards on June 15 and attempting to smuggle vehicles into Azerbaijani territory without authorization on July 26.

Ex-ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo’s genocide report may become future indictment against Azerbaijan – senior diplomat

Karapet Navasardian

 19:22,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan has responded to the Aliyev regime’s attempts to misrepresent the expert opinion by the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo concluding that the Azeri blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh constitutes genocide as being biased.

In a social media post, Marukyan said that the Azeri officials would never have paid attention to the report had it been biased.

Marukyan added that Ocampo’s report may become a future indictment against Azerbaijan.

“Referring to the report of the former chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo of the International Criminal Court, the assistant of the President of Azerbaijan claimed that it was biased. The report of the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court concludes about the genocidal policy conducted by Azerbaijan, and if it was biased or not based on facts, Hikmet Hajiyev and the entire Azerbaijani propaganda would never pay attention to it or spend a minute of their time to address it. Hence, it’s a solid report with facts and analyses, which may become a future indictment against Azerbaijani leadership,” Marukyan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Ocampo has warned that Azerbaijan is preparing genocide against the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh and called for a U.S. Security Council intervention.

Armenia’s delegation to CIS Games visits ARMENPRESS-BelTA joint photo exhibition

Karapet Navasardian

 15:53, 7 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, ARMENPRESS. The delegation of Armenia participating in the CIS Games, led by the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Karen Giloyan, visited the joint photo exhibition of ARMENPRESS and BelTA in Minsk on Monday.

Giloyan told ARMENPRESS that he attaches great importance to such kind of exhibitions in terms of the development of relations between the two countries.

“I attach great importance to such exhibitions. It is important that the photographers of the news agencies conveyed what they saw with their own eyes. Hearing about something is one thing, seeing it with your own eyes and conveying it is another,” Giloyan said.

Photos by Hayk Manukyan

A joint photo exhibition of ARMENPRESS and BelTA, the Belarusian Telegraph Agency, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Belarus titled “Armenia Through the Lens of a Belarusian Photographer and Belarus Through the Lens of an Armenian Photographer” was opened in the National Museum of the History of Belarus in Minsk on June 29.

100 selected pictures at the exhibition present the culture, traditions and nature of the two countries.

ICRC visits Nagorno-Karabakh man kidnapped by Azerbaijan during medical evacuation

Karapet Navasardian

 17:42, 7 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, ARMENPRESS. Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have visited Vagif Khachatryan, the 68-year-old Nagorno-Karabakh resident who was kidnapped by Azeri border guards during his ICRC-facilitated medical evacuation to Armenia on July 29.

“Our delegates again visited Vagif Khachatryan, who is arrested by Azerbaijan, on August 5 in Baku,” ICRC Armenia communications manager Zara Amatuni told ARMENPRESS, adding that Khachatryan has contacted his family through a letter. Citing confidentiality, Amatuni did not disclose other information.

RFE/RL Armenian Service – 07/25/2023

Karapet Navasardian 
                                        Tuesday, 
Russian FM Hosts Fresh Armenian-Azeri Talks
Russia - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets his Armenian and 
Azerbaijani counterparts in Moscow, .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov signaled lingering major obstacles to an 
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal late on Tuesday after hosting fresh talks 
between his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts in Moscow.
Lavrov described the trilateral talks as “useful” but reported no concrete 
agreements reached by the three ministers.
He said he stressed the need to end a grave humanitarian crisis in 
Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin corridor 
supposedly controlled by Russian peacekeepers. But he gave no indications that 
Baku agreed to unblock Armenia’s vital supplies of food, medicine, energy and 
other essential items to Karabakh.
In his opening remarks at the talks, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan 
said the “illegal” blockade is “complicating the negotiation process.” Speaking 
at a separate meeting with Lavrov held earlier in the day, Mirzoyan expressed 
hope that “some solutions” to the crisis will be found during their discussion 
with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.
A peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan was also high on the agenda of the 
trilateral meeting.
“The path is not easy,” Lavrov said, commenting on prospects for its signing. 
“There are quite a few complex and important issues to be resolved.
“The most sensitive of them was and remains the problem of guaranteeing the 
rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in the context of 
ensuring the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in full accordance with the 
1991 Declaration signed by the leaders of the former Soviet republics in Almaty. 
Its validity is confirmed today by both the Azerbaijani and Armenian leadership.”
Russia - Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks after hosting talks between his 
Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts, Moscow, .
The Armenian government, Lavrov went on, “understands the need to convince the 
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to meet as soon as possible with Azerbaijani 
representatives” and ascertain their “rights” in accordance with international 
conventions designed to protect ethnic minorities.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has pledged to recognize Azerbaijani 
sovereignty over Karabakh during talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 
mediated by the European Union. In a clear jibe at Yerevan, the Russian Foreign 
Ministry said earlier this month that Pashinian’s move “radically” changed 
negotiation process.
Lavrov indicated that Armenia and Azerbaijan are much closer to working out 
modalities of planned transport links between the two South Caucasus nations. 
But he did not say when such an agreement could be finalized by a 
Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani task force dealing with the matter.
Mirzoyan and Bayramov held two rounds of intensive U.S.-mediated negotiations 
outside Washington in May and June. Meanwhile, the EU’s top official, Charles 
Michel, hosted a series of fresh meetings between Aliyev and Pashinian in 
Brussels. Russia claims that the main aim of the Western powers if to drive it 
out of the South Caucasus.
Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow “understands” the conflicting sides’ 
“interest” in not only Russian but also Western mediation efforts.
“But there should be no attempts to artificially impose certain agreements not 
in the interests of the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples but for the sake of 
nice headlines in the media and geopolitical and domestic political 
considerations,” he said.
Karabakh Leaders Blast Pashinian’s Stance
Armenia - People demonstrate in Yerevan in a show of solidarity with 
Nagorno-Karabakh, .
Nagorno-Karabakh’s leadership demanded late on Tuesday that Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian walk back on his plans to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over 
Karabakh through an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty.
It also said that the Karabakh Armenians will not give up their right to 
self-determination despite Azerbaijan’s seven-month blockade of the Lachin 
corridor and the resulting crippling shortages of food, medicine, fuel and other 
essential items in the Armenian-populated region.
“Artsakh and the people of Artsakh cannot be part of Azerbaijan,” the Karabakh 
premier, Gurgen Nersisian, told thousands of people who again rallied in 
Stepanakert’s central square in protest against the blockade.
“Any oral or written statements by Armenia recognizing Artsakh and the people of 
Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan are unacceptable,” Nersisian said. “As the ongoing 
events show, they are destructive for Artsakh and encourage new criminal acts 
committed by Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh. Azerbaijan is openly 
demonstrating what awaits Armenians under Azerbaijani rule.”
“We are demanding that the Republic of Armenia abandon its intention to 
recognize Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan and such an approach to normalizing 
relations,” he went on. “This approach cannot ensure peace in the region and a 
safe and dignified existence of the people of Artsakh. What is more, it cannot 
even guarantee Armenia’s existence because the target of the Turkish-Azerbaijani 
duo is not Artsakh but the Armenian people and statehood.”
Nersisian clearly responded to Pashinian’s statements made at a news conference 
in Yerevan earlier in the day. The Armenian premier defended his policy on the 
conflict with Azerbaijan and said that “Armenia cannot decide the fate of the 
people of Nagorno-Karabakh.” He chided the authorities in Stepanakert for their 
reluctance to embark on a dialogue with Baku on the “rights and security” of the 
Karabakh Armenians.
Nersisian claimed that most citizens of Armenia do not support Pashinian’s 
stance and are “ready to declare that if need be.” The restoration of 
Azerbaijani control over Karabakh would lead to a “subjugation” and 
“extermination” of its population, he said.
Pashinian already drew condemnation from Stepanakert as well as the Armenian 
opposition when he stated in May that he recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial 
integrity.
Red Cross Seeks Permission To Resume Aid To Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh - Empty shelves at a food store in Stepanakert.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Tuesday that it must 
be allowed to resume relief supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh which has been 
struggling with severe shortages of essential items due to Azerbaijan’s blockade 
of the Lachin corridor.
“The civilian population [of Karabakh] is now facing a lack of life-saving 
medication and essentials like hygiene products and baby formula,” the ICRC said 
in a statement. “Fruits, vegetables, and bread are increasingly scarce and 
costly, while some other food items such as dairy products, sunflower oil, 
cereal, fish, and chicken are not available. The last time the ICRC was allowed 
[by Azerbaijan] to bring medical items and essential food items into the area 
was several weeks ago.”
“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,” the statement quoted the ICRC’s regional director for 
Eurasia, Ariane Bauer, as saying.
“This is life-saving work, and it must be allowed to continue,” Bauer added, 
urging the conflicting sides to reach a “humanitarian consensus” for that 
purpose.
The Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers stationed in Karabakh began sending 
limited amounts of humanitarian aid to Karabakh after Azerbaijan blocked 
commercial traffic through the Lachin corridor last December. Baku halted those 
relief supplies as well on June 15, aggravating the humanitarian crisis in the 
region. The ICRC has since been intermittently allowed to only evacuate 
critically ill Karabakh patients to Armenian hospitals.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said it “took note” of the ICRC statement while 
warning the Geneva-based organization against “abusing” its mandate. It also 
said the Armenian side has rejected its offer to supply Karabakh with basic 
necessities from Azerbaijan proper and the town of Aghdam in particular.
Karabakh’s leadership has described the offer as a cynical ploy designed to 
facilitate the restoration of Azerbaijani control over the Armenian-populated 
territory.
The ICRC noted in this regard that it is “not currently able to bring 
humanitarian assistance to the civilian population through the Lachin corridor 
or through any other routes, including Aghdam.”
Its statement came amid worsening food and fuel shortages that have brought 
economic life in Karabakh to a standstill. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat 
Mirzoyan said last week that the region is “on the verge of starvation” and 
called for stronger international pressure on Baku.
Armenia Can’t Protect Karabakh, Says Pashinian
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks during a news conference in 
Yerevan, .
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Tuesday defended his recognition of 
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and said that Armenia is not in a position to 
“decide the fate” of Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian population.
“Our position is that Armenia cannot decide the fate of the people of 
Nagorno-Karabakh and it follows the logic that Nagorno-Karabakh’s 
representatives themselves must be a party to negotiations, dialogue [with 
Azerbaijan,]” Pashinian told a news conference.
“This is the agenda that we are furthering, bearing in mind that the rights and 
security of Nagorno-Karabakh should be discussed with the participation of 
Nagorno-Karabakh’s representatives in the format of a Baku-Stepanakert dialogue 
and within the framework of an international mechanism. And I think that the 
people, the representatives, the government of Nagorno-Karabakh will have an 
opportunity to address all issues preoccupying them within the framework of this 
formula.”
Pashinian sparked domestic uproar in May when he pledged to recognize 
Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh through an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace 
treaty. Members of his political team have linked the signing of such a treaty 
to an internationally mediated dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert on “the 
rights and security” of the Karabakh Armenians.
Karabakh’s leadership and the Armenian opposition have denounced Pashinian’s 
stance. They say the restoration of Azerbaijani rule would only force the 
Karabakh Armenians to flee the territory.
Arayik Harutiunian, the Karabakh president, insisted late on Monday Armenia’s 
leaders refrain from making statements recognizing the region as part of 
Azerbaijan. Pointing to the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin corridor and the 
deepening humanitarian crisis in Karabakh, Harutiunian said Baku is keen to “get 
rid of the people of Artsakh” through the blockade and “ethnic cleansing.”
“Saying that the Armenian government must be banned from recognizing 
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity effectively means banning Azerbaijan from 
recognizing Armenia’s territorial integrity or … contributing to the Azerbaijani 
policy of not recognizing Armenia’s territorial integrity,” Pashinian countered 
during his press conference.
“I am the prime minister of 29,800 square kilometers,” he said, referring to 
Armenia’s total area.
Speaking after Pashinian’s last meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 
hosted by him on July 15, European Council President Charles Michel said the two 
leaders reaffirmed their earlier “understanding that Armenia’s territory covers 
29,800 square kilometers and Azerbaijan’s 86,600 square kilometers.”
Azerbaijan’s total Soviet-era area cited by Michel includes Karabakh. Aliyev has 
not publicly confirmed recognizing Armenia’s existing borders.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Right now, the biggest obstacle to peace is the aggressive and illegal actions of Azerbaijan – Pashinyan for Le Monde

Karapet Navasardian

 15:53,

YEREVAN, JULY 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has proven by its deeds that there is a genuine will on the part of the government and people of Armenia to develop a lasting peace in the region and it believes that lasting peace in the South Caucasus could bring significant global benefits, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an article published in the French Le Monde newspaper.

Below is the English translation of the article. 

“Last weekend, I met with European Council President Charles Michel and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. It is the latest in a series of meetings I have held with Azerbaijan’s President over the last four months in different forms and capitals. Armenia has proven by its deeds that there is a genuine will on the part of the government and people of Armenia to develop a lasting peace in the region.

“We firmly believe that lasting peace in the South Caucasus could bring significant global benefits. Over the last years, Armenia has become a stable democratic country in a difficult region. Geographically we sit at a crossroads. If we succeed in achieving progress in our peace agenda, normalize relations with our neighbors, and establish solid transport and energy infrastructure, it will bring increased prosperity, build bridges between Asia and Europe, and could be a significant boon for global commerce and international stability.

“Although the contours of a peace agreement are forming, there remain significant barriers to making it a reality. Overcoming these decade long hurdles will only be possible with robust support from partners, who truly believe in peace in the South Caucasus.

“Right now, the biggest obstacle to peace are the aggressive and illegal actions of Azerbaijan around Nagorno-Karabakh, particularly in the Lachin corridor but also within Armenia’s borders. The Lachin corridor is the only road linking the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh with the outside world. Since December, access to the corridor was severely restricted by Azerbaijan, under the false pretext of an environmental protest. Now, Baku has gone further, installing a border checkpoint at the entrance to the corridor, even impeding access by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This means the supply of food, medicine, and basic necessities are severely disrupted. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, and other influential institutions have warned of an unfolding humanitarian crisis.

“As well as blocking access to people and vehicles, Azerbaijan is deliberately disrupting gas and electricity supply to Nagorno-Karabakh. These actions have coincided with increasingly aggressive rhetoric, propaganda, and even Azerbaijani forces opening fire on local farmers. The aim is clear: to make life as difficult as possible for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, and ultimately force them to leave their homes. It is a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. If the international community does not react, it will be another failure of humanity.

 “The international community should undertake bold steps to stop the Sarajevo-style siege of Nagorno-Karabakh. The blockade is a violation by Azerbaijan of its legally binding commitments and most importantly of numerous unequivocal decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In February, the ICJ declared Azerbaijan must “take all measures necessary to guarantee the uninterrupted movement of citizens, vehicles, and cargo in both directions through the Lachin Corridor in both directions”. However, five months have passed, and the situation has deteriorated further.

“The European Union has been clear that Azerbaijan’s actions are unacceptable. Now it must use its leverage as a significant energy partner to pressure Baku to implement the ICJ’s binding decision without delay. The European Parliament and various national parliaments in EU member states have adopted decisions pushing the EU to do just this.

“The current crisis highlights why ensuring the rights and security of the 120,000 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh is central to a sustainable peace in the South Caucasus. The European Union and other international partners have a vital role to play. There needs to be a formal dialogue between Baku and the democratically elected authorities in Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh. To be effective this requires the establishment of an international mechanism and guarantees from international partners to bring security and ensure obligations are fulfilled.

“The rights and security of the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh is a key question that must be addressed to reach a dignified and durable peace in our region. Other issues must also be addressed:  Azerbaijan still refuses to recognize internationally accepted borders, occupies parts of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, and holds prisoners of war that they committed to return in 2020. The authorities in Baku use force, and the threat of further military escalation, to achieve their irredentist aims. This should not be tolerated; the consistent torpedoing of the peace process must have consequences.  Otherwise, the Azerbaijani forces that have encircled Nagorno-Karabakh will believe they are free to act with impunity.

“Armenia deeply values the mediation and facilitation efforts by the EU, particularly the establishment of the EU mission in Armenia. This is performing a vital task in monitoring our international border with Azerbaijan, increasing stability on the ground, and helping build confidence with those living in border areas.

“Strengthening relations with the European Union is among the main foreign policy goals of my government. The EU was founded on the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. These are principles that are core to Armenia’s identity. The Armenian government and people have consciously pursued a path of political and institutional reforms to safeguard human rights, reinforce the rule of law, media freedom, and combat corruption. The progress of Armenia in international rankings reflects our achievements and determination, and the EU’s support in these processes is very much appreciated.

“This unwavering commitment to a democratic future has helped the Armenian people persevere through challenging times. It will continue to do so as we seek to forge a lasting peace in the region. Right now, there is a window of opportunity to reach such an agreement. The government of Armenia is committed to this process and has taken significant steps to achieve it. We now need the support of Europe and partners around the world to ensure that Azerbaijan also lives up to its commitments and legal obligations. If we succeed, a sustainable peace agreement can bring truly global benefits.”




Azerbaijan, Armenia hold peace talks mediated by EU in fresh attempt to end hostilities

Karapet Navasardian
Iran –
Sunday, 6:31 AM  [ Last Update: Sunday, 10:52 AM ]

Azerbaijan and Armenia have held fresh peace talks mediated by the European Union as the two neighboring countries attempt once again to end decades-long hostilities linked to the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

European Union Council President Charles Michel, who mediated the new round of peace talks, stated on Saturday that peace and normalization of ties between Azerbaijan and Armenia could be achieved if both sides avoid violence and harsh rhetoric.

“Real progress depends on the next steps that will need to be taken in the near future. As a matter of priority, violence, and harsh rhetoric should stop in order to provide the proper environment for peace and normalization talks,” Michel said.

The EU Council president further emphasized that the current hostile state of affairs was clearly not sustainable and in no one’s interest.

Michel made the remarks after holding trilateral talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, describing the exchanges between the two leaders as “frank, honest and substantive.”

The three officials discussed during the talks possible measures to help bring the situation back to normal in Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority Armenian-populated enclave that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan’s territory.

“I encouraged them to take courageous steps to ensure decisive and irreversible progress on a normalization track,” Michel added.

Armenia, Azerbaijan may sign peace treaty by end of 2023: Official

Armenia and Azerbaijan may sign a peace treaty to end the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh by the end of 2023, a senior Armenian official says.

Russia, meanwhile, also offered on Saturday to host the two countries’ foreign ministers and suggested that a future peace treaty could be signed in Moscow, which played a key role in the past to establish peace between the warring sides.

Nagorno-Karabakh has been at the center of a dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia for more than three decades.

Since gaining independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991, the two neighboring countries have fought two wars, in 1994 and 2020, over the mountainous territory.

In the second Karabakh war, more than 6,500 people died on both sides in the six-week conflict.

Pashinyan has reportedly expressed Yerevan’s willingness to also recognize Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh, but has expressed serious concerns about transportation and various other limits imposed on the territory by Baku.

https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/07/16/707139/Azerbaijan,-Armenia-hold-new-EU-mediated-talks-to-end-hostilities

Yerevan Urges UN Security Council to Compel Baku to Implement Court Order

Karapet Navasardian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 July 11, 2023

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

The International Court of Justice on Feb. 22


Armenia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday urged the United Nations Security Council to take steps to compel Azerbaijan to implement a ruling by the International Court of Justice ordering Baku to ensure the “unimpeded movement” along the Lachin Corridor.

Official Yerevan also welcomed the ICJ’s reaffirmation of its earlier ruling last week.

“It is important to highlight that the Court considered that ‘the tenuous situation between the Parties confirms the need for effective implementation’ of that Order, which was taken to prevent an imminent risk of irreparable harm to ethnic Armenians’ rights under the CERD and which has been and is still being intentionally disregarded by Azerbaijan,” the Foreign Ministry said in its statement.

“Thus, the 6 July 2023 Order of the Court reaffirms Azerbaijan’s international legal obligation to take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions, and therefore to immediately cease the operation of its checkpoint, as it unquestionably impedes the rights under the CERD of Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh,” it added.

The Foreign Ministry stressed that the July 6 Order of the Court once again proves that Azerbaijan’s assertions of its compliance with the February 22 order “were false and manipulative.”

The Ministry called on other international actors, and the UN Security Council in particular, to take all steps to ensure the immediate and effective implementation of the Court’s Order by Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan blocks Red Cross access to Nagorno-Karabakh

Karapet Navasardian
 

ByAni AvetisyanandIsmi Aghayev
An ICRC convoy in Armenia en route to Stepanakert. Tom Videlo/OC Media.

Azerbaijan has blocked access of Red Cross vehicles to Nagorno-Karabakh after claiming they had been used to ‘smuggle’ mobile phones, cigarettes, and fuel into the region, putting Nagorno-Karabakh under a full blockade. 

Azerbaijan’s State Border Service announced early on Tuesday that Red Cross vehicles were temporarily blocked from transferring patients from Nagorno-Karabakh to hospitals in Armenia as a result.

‘Although the ICRC [Red Cross] was warned about this through official channels, the illegal actions continued, and the necessary steps were not taken to prevent them’, the statement claimed. 

It added that a criminal case had been opened regarding the allegations of smuggling, and that passage through the checkpoint had been suspended ‘until necessary investigative measures have been completed’. 

The statement claimed that between 1–5 July, vehicles passing through the checkpoint were found to be carrying 15 ‘undeclared’ mobile phones, a selection of mobile phone parts, 800 packs of cigarettes and 320 litres of petrol, and 125 packs of cigarettes and 1,000 litres of petrol. 

The statement also included the names of the vehicles’ drivers, their license plate numbers, and the drivers’ passport numbers. 

The Azerbaijani government requires those entering Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia to declare all goods they are carrying. Since traffic has been almost entirely limited to Russian peacekeeping vehicles and the Red Cross since December 2022, access to many goods, including mobile phones, cigarettes, and fuel, has been severely limited.

Azerbaijani authorities have suggested that goods instead be transported directly from Azerbaijan to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Red Cross issued a statement on Tuesday, saying that it was aware of concerns raised regarding transport of ‘unauthorised’ goods, and did not support such activity. 

‘No unauthorised material has been found in any vehicle belonging to the ICRC. All cargo is subject to customs checks by the Republic of Azerbaijan’, the official statement said. 

However, the statement noted that four drivers hired by the organisation had, without their knowledge, attempted to transport commercial goods in vehicles that were temporarily displaying the ICRC emblem. 

‘These individuals were not ICRC staff members and their service contracts were immediately terminated by the ICRC’, the Red Cross said, adding that the organisation’s operation in the region ‘must be allowed to continue’. 

Since the statement, Azerbaijani pro-government media has begun to publish anti-Red Cross editorials, accusing them of being controlled and financed by ‘Armenians and their […] patrons in the West and Russia’ and of having an ‘anti-Azerbaijani’ stance. 

Report.az called for the Armenian Red Cross’s activity in Nagorno-Karabakh to be terminated, claiming the organisation had ‘violated international norms and provided comprehensive support to the enemy’. 

Neither Armenia nor Nagorno-Karabakh have issued an official response to the news. 

Since Azerbaijan installed a checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin Corridor, the sole route connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to the outside world, Azerbaijan has controlled traffic in and out of the region, which has been mainly limited to Red Cross and Russian peacekeeping vehicles.

The Azerbaijani checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin Corridor. Photo: Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan.

Their access to the region was suspended on 15 June, after Azerbaijani and Armenian forces exchanged fire. Russian peacekeeper vehicles have been denied access to the region since then, leaving it facing shortages of staple foods and fuel. 

[Read more: Food shortages and fear as peacekeepers refused entry to Nagorno-Karabakh]

Red Cross access was restored in late June, to facilitate the transfer of people needing medical assistance to hospitals in Armenia, after Azerbaijan’s foreign minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, met with the head of the Red Cross in Azerbaijan. 

During that meeting, Bayramov suggested that Azerbaijan could meet ‘other supply needs’ of the region via a road connecting Aghdam, in western Azerbaijan, to Stepanakert. 

Since the beginning of the Lachin Corridor blockade, the region has also faced intermittent cuts to its electricity and gas supply. Gas and electricity were previously supplied to the region from Armenia through conduits passing through Azerbaijani-controlled territory. 

On 9 July, the gas supply was restored after a four-month cut, but was suspended again less than 24 hours later. 

After the gas supply ceased, multiple Azerbaijani pro-government media outlets published editorials stating that Nagorno-Karabakh’s population had no alternative but to accept integration into Azerbaijan. 

An editorial on Qafqazinfo.az explicitly stated that the gas restoration and cut was intended to show the region’s Armenian population that they would be provided with ‘everything’ if they integrated into Azerbaijan and that the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities were obstructing this process. 

Azerbaijan has repeatedly officially denied its responsibility for the gas cuts, noting that the gas supply comes from Armenia. 

External electricity supply to the region has been fully suspended since January, after damage to a cable supplying the region with electricity from Armenia. The region has since relied on its limited capacity to produce electricity through hydropower, further limited by low rainfall. 

[Read more: Energy crisis looms in Nagorno-Karabakh as reservoir levels fall]

Nagorno-Karabakh authorities have banned sale of fuel to civilians, saving stored supplies for emergency use. 

 For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.