Author: Liana Toganian

Armenia’s Pashinyan says war with Azerbaijan ‘likely’ unless peace treaty signed – AFP

Liana Toganian
Reuters

TBILISI, July 21 (Reuters) – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with the French AFP news agency published on Friday that a new war with Azerbaijan was “very likely” if the two countries were unable to agree a peace treaty.

“So long as a peace treaty has not been signed and such a treaty has not been ratified by the parliaments of the two countries, of course, a (new) war (with Azerbaijan) is very likely,” Pashinyan was quoted as saying.

Pashinyan presided over an Armenian defeat in 2020 in a war over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, during which Armenian-backed separatists lost large amounts of territory in and around the enclave.

Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but inhabited primarily by ethnic Armenians, broke away from Azerbaijan’s control during an extended conflict in the 1990s.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have engaged in a flurry of diplomacy aimed at a lasting peace deal in recent months, but there have also been sporadic border clashes, and the talks have not yet yielded a major breakthrough.

Both Armenia and separatist authorities in Karabakh have said that Azerbaijan has blockaded the territory since December, placing a border post on the only road connecting the region to Armenia and blocking most traffic.

Reporting by Felix Light; Editing by Kevin Liffey

The MICHELIN Guide’s Only Armenian Restaurant in America

Liana Toganian

The MICHELIN Guide’s Only Armenian Restaurant in America

California’s Zhengyalov Hatz is built upon generations of culinary traditions and serves only one main dish, its namesake, made from fresh greens wrapped in thin, lavash bread.

Armenian cuisine dates back thousands of years. Sitting at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Armenia has unique culinary traditions that have blossomed throughout centuries of history. Below, we do a deep dive on the MICHELIN Guide’s only Armenian restaurant in the United States, located just outside of Los Angeles in Glendale, California.

Zhengyalov Hatz has brought a piece of that gastronomic heritage to America with its only main menu item, zhingyalov hats. I ask why there’s only one menu item, and owner Vresh Osipian explains simply, “It’s my favorite food. Zhingyal means greens, and hats means bread. It’s bread with herbs.”

He’s excited to share his culture with me. “Armenian food is unique with a big personality. Our recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, from families a long time ago. Originally, when people had nothing to eat, they found little flowers and greens. They made some lavash and put the greens inside to feed the children.”

Despite the streamlined offerings, Osipian is hardly new to the culinary scene. He had previously opened several Zhengyalov Hatz locations in Yerevan, Armenia and Moscow, Russia. Visiting Glendale years ago, Osipian was inspired to share his favorite food with America, with, “the purpose to bring food here that is very popular and loved in Armenia.”

Eating at the restaurant transports diners to Armenia. “We have exactly the same design as our restaurants in Yerevan,” says Osipian. “It’s a national and traditional style of ‘Old Yerevan’, our capital.” He shows me a newly framed photo on the wall that depicts an ancient Armenian family baking thin lavash bread in an underground tonir oven.

And despite the volume—Zhengyalov Hatz makes hundreds of fresh zhingyalov hats daily—they hit with customers every time and combat waste through knowing their audience. “Every day, we receive fresh greens from Fresno. We never keep leftovers overnight, so we order the approximate right amount for each day.”

So what’s the secret sauce behind Zhengyalov Hatz’s delectable dish? “It’s completely vegan with spinach, green chard, red chard, cilantro, dill, sorrel, chervil, white onion, and more. All together, twelve different types of herbs.” Since different families have different recipes, there’s no one correct way to make zhingyalov hats. “Everyone chooses their own recipe. For our greens, we don’t use parsley or garlic.”

I watch as a cheerful chef from Ukraine adds the finishing touches. “It takes less than a minute to make this bread because the dough is very clean,” says Osipian. “The herbs are finely chopped, and then we add sunflower oil and some seasoning.”

It’s important to note where the chef comes from, as after four years in Los Angeles, Zhengyalov Hatz has built a loyal following, but also expanded their customers and staff beyond Armenians. “We have a lot of excellent chefs and customers, not only Armenian. All different nationalities.”

Enhancing the traditional flavors of the flatbread are the other offerings—all of which are vegetarian—including okroshka, made from cucumbers and dill, and paxlava, their take on the Greek baklava. “We make our paklava from scratch and use honey, not sugar, so it’s not too sweet,” adds Osipian. The vibe, is meant to be more homestyle Armenian than modern, cultural mecca. “Everything is Armenian. We have Armenian music playing all day, and some people say it’s like going to grandma’s house. Same food and same environment. It brings back a lot of memories.”

And beyond the plate, therein lies the true secret sauce behind Zhengyalov Hatz; its celebration of Armenian culture across all touchpoints. “Armenia became the first Christian nation in the world, starting in the year 303. We have old churches, and Yerevan is a beautiful, bright city. A lot of trees, a lot of parks, a lot of sights to see. Welcome to Armenia.” Coming up soon will be an expanded menu including more of the meat-centric dishes of the region. “We’re working now to add Armenian lahmajun or shawarma—more meaty stuff—because [we received] a lot of requests.”

And despite the press and accolades from the food world, Osipian and the restaurant’s focus remains the same as when they opened their doors: “be friendly to everybody.” And done in delicious fashion, naturally.

Nagorno Karabakh asks UN Security Council permanent members to adopt resolution imposing peace

Liana Toganian

 11:15,

YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Parliament of Nagorno Karabakh has asked the permanent members of the UN Security Council to adopt an imperative resolution to initiate practical steps to impose peace in Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh).

In a statement adopted on July 21, the parliament of Nagorno Karabakh called on the Government of Armenia to “take immediate measures” to vest the peacekeeping mission in Nagorno Karabakh with an international mandate by requesting the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly to take proper action to preserve peace and security in the region.

It also called on the international community, in person of the permanent members of the UNSC, to adopt an imperative resolution and initiate practical measures to impose peace in Artsakh pursuant to the goals and principles enshrined in the UN Charter’s Chapter 1 and guided by Chapter 7.

“The Republic of Artsakh is committed to saving its people from the disaster of war, to reiterating faith for the fundamental human rights and freedoms, and equal rights of large and small nations, thus it expects from these organizations to create the kind of conditions that would ensure respect towards obligations stemming from the norms of international law, and promote the safeguarding of the dignified life of the Artsakh people in conditions of freedom,” reads a part of the resolution.

It noted that under the 9 November 2020 trilateral agreement, Russia – which deployed peacekeepers to Nagorno Karabakh – exercised the provisions of the UN Charter’s Chapter 6 on Pacific Settlement of Disputes, bringing the dispute settlement to the framework of mediation, consent and negotiations, but this has been undermined by Azerbaijan’s continuous aggression which created a regional crisis with the involvement of the direct and indirect parties to the conflict.

“On the other hand, the subjectivity and the _expression_ of will of the Republic of Artsakh and its people continue to be ignored. The people of Artsakh exercised its right to self-determination in line with well-known norms and principles of the international law and the USSR legislation, proclaiming the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic on September 2, 1991, and then holding an independence referendum on December 10,” reads the statement adopted by parliament.

It added that the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh don’t have an international mandate and that this greenlights Azerbaijan to commit violations, jeopardizing regional security and stability.

The statement says that the blockade of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan’s disruption of infrastructures, continuous terror against civilians, promotion of ethnic hatred, deliberate destruction of Armenian churches and historical and cultural landmarks constitutes a policy of ethnic cleansing which amounts to a crime against humanity.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations and the Red Cross has been facilitating the medical evacuations of patients.

"Azerbaijan’s aggression towards Yeraskh is a threat to peace" – Ombudsman of Armenia

Liana Toganian
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Shelling of the village of Yeraskh

“There is irrefutable evidence that the Azerbaijani military personnel conducted aimed fire at the civilian population and infrastructure, which is a violation of international law,” Armenian Ombudsman Anahit Manasyan said in a report. He was referring to the shelling by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the direction of the border Armenian village of Yeraskh in June this year.

A report was drawn up after studying the situation on the ground, following the results of the collection of facts by the apparatus of the human rights defender. It is reported that its English version will be sent to international organizations.

“The behavior of Azerbaijani military personnel is contrary to the principles and goals defined by the UN Charter, is a threat to peace and a manifestation of aggression,” the document says.

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The village of Yeraskh in the Ararat region of Armenia was actively shelled from Azerbaijani military positions on June 13-14. Under aimed fire was, in particular, a metallurgical plant under construction here. As a result, two builders, who are citizens of India, were injured. The US has invested about $70 million in the construction of the Armenian-American plant. Now 70 citizens of India and 130 citizens of Armenia work here.

Shelling in the direction of Yeraskh was periodically repeated after the wounding of Indian citizens. The last time the Armenian Defense Ministry reported another shelling was on July 14. In this regard, the American companies Virtual funding and CSE Global Invests issued a statement. It states that “the repeated shooting of unarmed company workers will be considered a direct attack on American capital, which has no environmental motives and is a purely political decision.” Commenting on statements from Baku, American companies once again declared “false allegations that the plant under construction in Yeraskh will create an environmental problem for Azerbaijan.”

The report says that as a result of the actions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan, the rights of the civilian population to life, mental and physical integrity, property, education, labor, entrepreneurship and a number of other fundamental rights were violated.

The Office of the Ombudsman focuses on the following circumstances:

  • “The houses of Yeraskh residents are several hundred meters from the Azerbaijani positions, the nearest house is about 100 meters away.”
  • “Because of the shelling, the peaceful life of people, its usual, normal course, has been disrupted.”
  • “Azerbaijani armed forces pursue the goal of constantly intimidating the civilian population and causing anxiety.”

The document provides details about the wounding of Indian citizens with reference to information received from the management of the plant:

“Two injured employees were targeted because they were working with oxygen tanks. The Azerbaijani military deliberately fired at these devices in order to cause a powerful explosion on the territory.”

The wounded were hardly taken to the hospital, as the Azerbaijanis fired on the transport transporting them. The builders told the ombudsman’s staff that the Azerbaijanis “fired from weapons of various calibers in the direction where 25 people were working, the shelling was thoughtful and targeted.”

According to the testimony of inhabitants of Yeraskh, the shots were clearly audible throughout the village. “This allows us to talk about the use of large-caliber weapons,” the report says.

The authors of the document say that on June 14, the target for the Azerbaijani Armed Forces was not only the plant under construction in Yeraskh, but also the school:

“Students took the exam for 15 minutes to the sound of shelling. However, due to the unprecedented intensity of the shooting, the exam ended 20 minutes early. Students and teachers were evacuated from the school in groups.”

The school, which has 129 students, is located about 300 meters from the Azerbaijani combat position.

“Under the gun of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces is not only a school, but also a kindergarten. The constant aggressive behavior of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces grossly violates the fundamental rights guaranteed by international law, directly affecting the normal life of children and the realization of their right to education,” the report says.

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The Ombudsman’s report contains a section entitled “Objective Evidence of Violations”. Here are photographs of a civilian vehicle damaged by shelling, the administrative building of the plant, construction equipment, damaged poles, walls and a fence of a building under construction.

Photographs of physical evidence have also been published, in particular fragments taken from the bodies of the wounded, bullets found after the shelling of buildings.

Fragments recovered during operations. Screenshot from report Shrapnel and bullets recovered from buildings on the plant site. Screenshot from report

The ombudsman’s office called on the state administration and local self-government bodies of Armenia to continue collecting information on the actions of Azerbaijani military personnel. They will also be presented to the European Court of Human Rights and other international structures empowered to protect human rights.


https://jam-news.net/shelling-of-the-village-of-yeraskh/

Iran and Armenia have common interests and concerns – Ambassador

Liana Toganian

 16:37,

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. The “Questions to the Ambassador” initiative is being implemented on the platform of the “Orbeli” analytical center operating under the Public Relations and Information Center of the Armenian Prime Minister’s Office, within the framework of which interviews are organized with heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Armenia, Armenian ambassadors abroad, representatives of international organizations, etc., on key issues of Armenian foreign policy agenda, bilateral and multilateral relations.

Within the framework of the initiative, the guest of the “Orbeli” analytical center is the Ambassador of Iran to Armenia, Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, who is completing his mission in Armenia.

– Your Excellency, the year 2022 was quite an important and effective year in terms of the development of Armenia-Iran cooperation in almost all fields. In the political sphere, there have been enough important meetings, mutual visits, top level negotiations. The Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran was opened in Kapan, the bilateral trade turnover records an unprecedented progress, exceeding 700 million USD. How would you assess bilateral cooperation in the past year, and what expectations and benchmarks are there for the coming years?

– We witnessed the growth and development of relations in various fields. Most importantly, on political and strategic issues, we witnessed the continuation of regular contacts at the highest levels and the strengthening of mutual trust and respect. One of the important events of last year was the opening of the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kapan. Bilateral cooperation in the field of infrastructures, including energy and transport infrastructures, also recorded positive developments. Last year, the trade turnover between the two countries also increased by more than forty percent and crossed the threshold of 700 million USD. The increase in trade turnover continued in the first months of this year as well. We witnessed interesting trends also in terms of human contacts and public opinion towards each other.

– Mr. Ambassador, the whole world, including our region, is facing serious political and security threats. The Armenian and Iranian peoples, as the indigenous peoples of this region that have been neighbors and friends for several thousand years, and their states are trying to face new challenges, often showing quite close positions. In your opinion, how can bilateral cooperation in the direction of facing common challenges be made more effective?

– Maintaining and strengthening the atmosphere of trust and mutual respect between the authorities and peoples of the two countries was one of the important areas in the center of attention of the embassy in recent years. I think that at present, more than ever, we realize the importance of bilateral cooperation and there is a real will to expand cooperation in both countries. It is necessary to strive to maintain this dynamic. Another important point is to draw attention to the fact that deep and serious developments are taking place at the international and regional levels, which may lead to the creation of unexpected opportunities and challenges. Based on this, I consider the continuity of contacts and consensus between the authorities and expert circles of the two countries to be very important. In particular, expert and professional communication can help foster mutual understanding, correctly predict challenges, and proper planning of grasping opportunities.

– Mr. Zohouri, it has been more than 4 months since Azerbaijan closed the Lachin Corridor, as a result of which the 120,000 Armenian population of Artsakh has appeared under siege. Azerbaijan has also placed a checkpoint in the corridor. These actions of Baku are another gross violation of the tripartite declaration of November 9, 2020 and violate the right of Artsakh Armenians to live freely and safely in their homeland. What is Tehran’s position on this issue, and how can Iran support the resolution of the crisis?

– Our advice to all parties to the November 9 declaration and the subsequent agreements has always been to adhere to the letter and spirit of these agreements and commitments. The countries also have clear obligations under international law, one of which is to protect the rights and safety of the residents of the region. We note that the issue of the rights and security of the residents of the mentioned area is a complex and delicate issue.

– Armenian and Iranian expert fields often talk about the need to develop security cooperation between the two countries. According to you, what are the prospects for bilateral cooperation in this field?

– The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Armenia have common interests and common concerns in the field of national security. You are aware that among the periodic contacts between the heads of the two countries, there were regular meetings and contacts between the secretaries of the national security councils of the two countries during the past year. Institutions responsible for national security in both countries also closely cooperate with each other. This is the path that should be continued at different levels. Another direction to pursue and pay attention to in the field of national security is the regular process of serious political consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs and strategic dialogue between the two countries. In this regard, in March of this year, we witnessed the visit of Iran’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs, Mr. Bagheri, to Armenia.

– Mr. Zohouri, as we know, the North-South highway is being built in Armenia, thanks to which Armenia can become one of the key routes of the North-South international corridor. On October 20, 2022, Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian announced during his visit to Armenia that an Armenia-Iran-India platform should be created for effective cooperation in the sidelines of North-South Corridor. By the way, it should be noted that tripartite political consultations were held at the Armenian MFA recently. At the same time, some expert circles are skeptical about the implementation of the North-South International Corridor project. How important is this corridor for Iran, what are the material obstacles on the way to its implementation, and what are the concrete expectations from Armenia to implement this important regional program as quickly as possible?

– Most of the trade between Iran and Armenia is carried out by the land route from Nurduz to Yerevan, which passes through the Syunik Province of Armenia. Within the framework of the “North-South” road project in Armenia, the Armenian government has serious plans to improve the infrastructure of this route and turn it into an international transit road. We also attach great importance to the full implementation of this project in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, and Iranian companies are ready to actively participate in the implementation of this project. The implementation of this project will contribute to the launch of the Persian Gulf-Black Sea transit corridor through the territory of Iran and Armenia, which has also attracted the attention of other countries. The North-South road project is a large-scale project, both economically and in terms of implementation. The implementation of a project of this scale is one of the largest economic projects in the history of Armenia. The works must be carried out very carefully in terms of financing, tendering, project implementation and monitoring of deadlines. I think that now the perspective of the implementation of the project has significantly improved.

– And in the end, since your diplomatic activity in Armenia is coming to an end, during it, what significant obstacles did you face for the development of bilateral relations, which could have been solved by the state structures of the Republic of Armenia, and which still continue to exist? And what are the most impressive achievements during your tenure in the Republic of Armenia?

– During the farewell meeting with Mr. Pashinyan, I highly appreciated the cooperation shown by him, the government of the Republic of Armenia and the state system in developing relations at different levels. I consider it necessary to thank once again for all the cooperation shown by the Armenian side during my mission. Without the will and cooperation of both parties, it would not be possible to advance the works. Of course, this does not mean that the situation could not be better or that there are no obstacles and problems. My understanding is that increasing awareness of each other’s capabilities and potential, reducing bureaucratic barriers, and speeding up and facilitating cooperation and especially focusing on key issues is of primary importance and can contribute to further development of relations. The development of relations in all spheres is the joint achievement of the authorities and peoples of the two countries in recent years.

5,000 Armenian teachers to participate in voluntary certification

Liana Toganian
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Voluntary certification of teachers in Armenia

5,000 teachers in Armenia this year expressed their desire to undergo voluntary certification. Despite the unprecedented activity of school teachers this year, the Ministry of Education does not consider these figures to be satisfactory.

“There are 37,000 teachers in the republic, of which only 13 percent have passed voluntary certification,” the department reports and reminds that it is still possible to apply for participation until July 15. The next stage of certification will be organized in September.

In any case, a large number of applications compared to previous years, apparently, caused the statements of the Prime Minister of Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan has already said several times that education is a priority for his government: “The time will come when there will be no teachers in schools who have not passed certification.” But the prime minister has not yet named specific dates when this will happen.

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Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Araksia Svajyan said that this year certification will be held in all subjects, and class teachers will also be able to participate in it.

“Those who do not work anywhere now, but have a pedagogical education, will also be able to participate in the certification. If they get high scores, they will be able to get a job in schools and receive a high salary,” she stressed.

320 of the 5,000 people who applied for participation in the assessment are not currently working in schools.

Voluntary certification of teachers was first held in Armenia in 2021. Only teachers in grades 7-12 participated in the pilot program. They were given the opportunity to participate in testing in only seven subjects. Then the scope of the program expanded. At the same time, the salaries of teachers who passed the certification increased by 30-50%, depending on the results.

The aim of the program is to encourage the professional development of teachers, to promote the improvement of the quality and effectiveness of teaching. The Ministry of Education also expects high salaries to attract male teachers to schools.

How to overcome problems in the educational system? Teachers’ stories and analysis from experts

According to the decision of the government, teachers who have a secondary specialized education and have not received a university diploma will be able to work in schools until August 2023. This applies to 1300 people. However, they will not lose their jobs if they take part in a voluntary assessment.

“If the required threshold of knowledge based on test results is provided, they will be able to continue working in schools,” Svadzhyan said.

According to the deputy minister, those teachers who failed to pass the test satisfactorily last year can also apply for participation in the attestation. He says that to help them, 4 universities of the country conduct preparatory courses.

Araksia Svajyan said that 700 out of 760 teachers who did not receive enough points during last year’s attestation have applied again this year. And now they are taking training courses.

Why so many vacancies at universities, which professions are now most in demand, and an expert’s commentary on the situation as a whole

Mathematics teacher of secondary school No. 29 Naira Kosyan has already passed a voluntary certification. She is pleased that, “finally, the frozen, outdated system of paying teachers’ salaries has changed.” In general, she positively assesses the certification process, but believes that “the procedure can be improved”:

“In particular, 60 assignments for certification are too many, and it is difficult for a teacher to complete them in three hours. To test the teacher’s knowledge, 20 well-thought-out tasks are enough. In this case, he will have time to check his work again.”

Naira Kosyan says that certifications have changed the education system itself and existing stereotypes, many teachers have realized that “the requirements are different now.” In her opinion, teachers should not stop there, they should constantly develop, “even if the state did not put forward such requirements.”

Results of the pilot program of voluntary certification of teachers in Armenia were harshly criticized by pedagogues and education experts

Tigran Sardaryan, a teacher at the Special Physics and Mathematics School, agrees that the attestation program needs to be improved. In addition, he wonders whether the increase in salaries stimulates the flow of new teachers to schools, whether it improves the quality of education.

“The program has been implemented for two years now, but there is still a shortage of teachers in the country. Still, the salary and work of a teacher are not attractive to young people. The fact that only 13 percent of teachers expressed a desire to participate in the certification may mean the following: some are not confident in their knowledge, some simply do not believe in all this, while others think that they have a couple of years left until retirement – they will work them out and leave, ” Sardaryan believes.

https://jam-news.net/voluntary-certification-of-teachers-in-armenia/

Russian e-commerce firm Ozon starts sales in Armenia

Liana Toganian
July 5 2023

Ozon has already opened logistics centres in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

Olga Popova, Reuters News
July 5, 2023

Russian e-commerce firm Ozon has started sales of goods in Armenia, the company said, its latest expansion into the former Soviet Union at a time when Western countries are widely shunning Russian business.

Ozon has already opened logistics centres in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It has opened local offices in China and Turkey, designed to bring more sellers onto the platform.

Delivery would take around seven days at first, Ozon said. The company plans to develop logistics infrastructure in Armenia, including having its own delivery service there and a network of pick-up and drop-off points, it said. (Reporting by Olga Popova; Writing by Alexander Marrow, editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

“Baku uses ‘coercive diplomacy’ against Yerevan” – Thomas de Waal

Liana Toganian
July 3 2023
  • JAMnews

Thomas de Waal on Armenian-Azerbaijani talks

Thomas de Waal, a leading analyst at the Carnegie Endowment, spoke on Radio Azatutyun (Radio Liberty) on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the course of the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations to the journalist of the RS Yerevan Bureau, answered questions about the positions of the mediators, the functions and role of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in ensuring security in the region, and how events could develop.

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Radio Azatutyun: Shots are heard at the border every day. Do you think that Azerbaijan will use heavier force in Karabakh?

Thomas de Waal: I think that this situation is inherently unstable. I mean, unfortunately, violence happens all the time. It is often difficult to understand exactly what is going on. But I think there is also a diplomatic track going on in Washington at the moment. New talks are also expected in Brussels. It is for this reason that it is unfortunate that we are seeing this level of violence. But I do not think that we should expect a serious escalation from the Azerbaijani side.

As we have seen over the past two years, they have adopted a tactic that can be described as “coercive diplomacy”, that is, the use of both force and diplomacy.

This means that we sometimes see escalation, but it does not reach the level of full-scale war as long as negotiations continue.

The Prime Minister of Armenia spoke at a meeting of the commission investigating the circumstances of the Karabakh war in 2020, and told the details known to him about the course of the war and attempts to stop hostilities

Radio Azatutyun: Let’s get back to the negotiations. In this situation, do you see an opportunity, an option to leave Karabakh Armenian?

Thomas de Waal: Obviously, this is the key, the main issue. The ongoing negotiations between Baku and Yerevan are about some kind of bilateral agreement, and it is obvious that this government of Armenia has gone much further than previous governments in terms of recognizing the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Yerevan is doing this under clear international pressure, Armenia is being told to come to terms with the fact that the idea of Karabakh’s independence has disappeared. But, on the other hand, it is also clear that no power in Armenia will ever completely abandon the people of Karabakh.

I think that over the past year, and maybe longer, the topic of negotiations is the following: what guarantees can be given to the people of Karabakh. And here it is obvious that we hear different things from different players. As for the Russians, Russian peacekeepers provide security. Maybe not at all ideal.

In conversations with the people of Karabakh, it becomes obvious that they are much less satisfied and more disappointed with the Russian peacekeepers. But they also know that Russians are better than nothing. And from the Americans and Europeans we hear talk about some kind of international mechanism, an international presence.

But of course it can mean a lot. For example, some international office of the OSCE or a certain security presence may be assigned.

I think it is obvious that behind the scenes negotiations are going on, invisible to us, precisely around this. This will be the main determining factor for the people of Karabakh. Do they see that their future is within Azerbaijan? They do not trust the authorities in Baku. And what kind of international presence or mechanism will be given to them?

We just don’t know the answer to this question. I would probably go even further and say that part of the problem is this: inside Karabakh we see different people with different answers. I am sure that if you asked Vitaly Balasanyan [Secretary of the Security Council of the unrecognized NKR] and Samvel Babayan [former Defense Minister], you would get different answers. And Ruben Vardanyan [a big businessman, former state minister of the unrecognized republic], I’m sure, would say: “We need to talk to the Russian peacekeepers.” Meanwhile, Samvel Babayan would say that “we can make a deal with the Azerbaijanis.” So part of that problem is also that we don’t have clarity.

On June 15, Azerbaijan banned not only the movement of people, including patients in need of specialized medical care, but also the import of humanitarian goods.

Radio Azatutyun: But are there any international mechanisms capable of protecting the Karabakh Armenians?

Thomas de Waal: We see different types of international presence in different conflicts of the world. If we take Abkhazia before 2008, there was the so-called UNOMIG, a UN civilian mission, which was on the ground in parallel with Russian peacekeepers. This may be one of the formulas, although I do not know if Azerbaijan will accept it. We have also seen a UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus for over 50 years. In the Balkans there is some small OSCE office for national minorities, and so on.

The problem after the 2020 war is that Azerbaijan is militarily, politically and geographically dominant. They simply control all the regions around Karabakh. They are in the position of dictating conditions.

So, I think the decision will indeed be made partly in Baku, partly in Moscow, partly in Western capitals and, I’m afraid, only last but not least in Yerevan.

Radio Azatutyun: By the way, there are optimistic forecasts in Armenia that things can even come to bringing in international peacekeepers. Is such a scenario possible in this atmosphere?

Thomas de Waal: Well, this is one of the scenarios. But if we listen to what the leadership of Azerbaijan consistently says, we will understand that they want the Russian peacekeepers to leave and no one to replace them.

We have not seen any talk of Western leaders that they will send peacekeepers there. So that’s one of the scenarios, but I don’t think it’s very likely.

In my opinion, this would be a stabilizing option. Azerbaijan could accept this international presence, this peacekeeping mission for a certain period, maybe 5 or 10 years, and this would stabilize the situation. But it is obvious that this is not what we hear from Baku.

Another problem here is that in Baku they feel that they need to hurry. They feel that the international situation is developing in their favor, because Russia is weak, its attention is focused on something else, it is not in a position to dictate terms. In addition, President [Turkish Recep] Erdogan is now re-elected, and the Europeans are also negotiating gas with Baku, although this will not last forever, because Europe intends to abandon hydrocarbon energy.

So in Baku they feel that they have a window of one or two years, during which they can get a rather favorable result.

The Russian Deputy Prime Minister said that Armenia and Azerbaijan will start unblocking transport with the restoration of the Yeraskh-Julfa-Meghri-Horadiz railway

Radio Azatutyun: So you think that Yerevan is not able to achieve this goal?

Thomas de Waal: I have already said that Yerevan is not the main decision maker in this matter.

Armenia’s playing card is mainly that he can say no to plans to open a road leading to Nakhichevan. This is a card that the Armenian side can play with. This is a rather negative card.

With her, Yerevan can say: if you want this road and railway communication to reconnect Nakhichevan with the territory of Azerbaijan, then you must cooperate with us, including cooperation on the Karabakh issue. But at the same time, it also involves the risk of the use of force by Azerbaijan. So this is not a very good option for Yerevan.

Radio Azatutyun: On the other hand, does the West offer these mechanisms? As you mentioned, Armenian-Azerbaijani talks were taking place in Washington these days. Then Nikol Pashinyan and Ilham Aliyev will leave for Brussels.

Thomas de Waal: Yes, but the Washington version is focused primarily on one document. This is a bilateral document on the regulation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. I don’t think the foreign ministers are really empowered to talk to each other about Karabakh. These powers are held by the leaders of the countries. So when they meet with Charles Michel in Brussels, they will also talk about Karabakh, and there will be attempts to come up with some kind of initiative.

But in Brussels, as we know, they cannot offer anything related to security. And this is the moment when the Russians come with the Moscow talks.

So we have these three different levels of negotiation. I think part of the problem is that although the formats of Washington and Brussels are connected, none of them is connected to the third level, the Russian one. And the Russian agenda, of course, let’s be blunt, is more about Russia, more about what Russia wants than about Armenia and Azerbaijan.

How Yerevan evaluates the installation of the Azerbaijani flag on the Hakari bridge and the ban on movement along the Lachin corridor. Comments of the Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, MPs and Ombudsman of Armenia

Radio Azatutyun: If Azerbaijan rejects any foreign intervention in the Karabakh issue, do you consider it possible to put pressure on Baku from the West?

Thomas de Waal: Negotiations will continue. I don’t think we’ll see pressure. Washington and Brussels sent messages to President Aliyev not to use any more force in Karabakh, which is one of the reasons why the use of force is rather limited.

President Aliyev is trying to squeeze Karabakh economically, using the Lachin road and so on, and not using large-scale force. Although, of course, we see cases of violence. So, in this sense, Washington and Brussels have some restraining influence on Baku. However, I would not say that they are now ready to exert strong pressure.

Radio Azatutyun: Why doesn’t Russia protect the Armenians and prevent the expulsion of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh?

Thomas de Waal: I think that this is the question that you should ask our Russian partners. They stationed a peacekeeping force there, but were unable to agree on a mandate. In most cases, they mainly acted as observers. The size of the Russian peacekeeping force may not have decreased much since 2020, but the quality of the mission has declined. Many officers, high-ranking officers left for Ukraine.

We hear from Karabakh that the peacekeepers are using this blockade for obvious business purposes, as they have done in other conflicts, importing food and goods and selling them to the people of Karabakh at a higher price. This is very cynical.

But I think that President Putin is now worried about other things, including the question of his own survival. We saw this during the rebellion organized by Prigogine. He also thinks about what to do with Ukraine and the West. I don’t think he has much time to think about the Caucasus at the moment.

Radio Azatutyun: Does this mean that they will soon leave Nagorno-Karabakh?

Thomas de Waal: I think that neither in Baku nor in Moscow at the moment there is an initiative to withdraw Russian peacekeepers. Most likely, in May 2025, the Azerbaijanis will veto the extension of the presence of Russian peacekeeping forces, so that they leave in November 2025. But before that, of course, a lot can happen.

Blinken: Hard Work Still Ahead for Armenia, Azerbaijan Peace Talks

Liana Toganian
Voice of America
Cindy Saine

Secretary of State Antony Blinken brought the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan together for several days of peace talks in Washington, as residents of the ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan say they have been cut off from food, medicine and gas. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.

Watch the video report at https://www.voanews.com/a/blinken-hard-work-still-ahead-for-armenia-azerbaijan-peace-talks-/7161351.html

Education Minister of Armenia and the Minister of Culture of France discuss a wide range of joint cultural programs

Liana Toganian

 18:26,

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, who is in Paris, met French Minister of Culture Rima Abdul-Malak in order to participate in events dedicated to the 850th anniversary of Nerses Shnorhali’s death.

As ARMENPRESS was informed by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia, at the meeting, preservation of cultural heritage, in particular, the preservation of the cultural heritage of Nagorno Karabakh, the Urartian exhibition being prepared in the Louvre, the exhibitions of the works of Martiros Saryan and Minas Avetisyan, which will be held in France in the near future, as well as a series of questions about co-production of films and opera tours were discussed.

The issue of organizing events on the 100th anniversary of Charles Aznavour was also discussed at the meeting.

The parties discussed a number of issues aimed at the activation of the exchange between the artists of the two countries, especially among the youth.

The French Minister of Culture Rima Abdul-Malak plans to visit Armenia in autumn.