Author: Liana Toganian

Four Karabakh leaders held in Azerbaijan, three more reach Armenia – agencies

Liana Toganian
Jerusalem Post
Oct 3 2023
By REUTERS

Four ex-leaders of Azerbaijan’s formerly ethnic Armenian-controlled region of Nagorno-Karabakh have been detained by Azerbaijan’s State Security Service and taken to the capital Baku, the state-run Azerbaijani Press Agency (APA) reported on Tuesday.

However, three other former leaders of Karabakh have arrived safely in Armenia, the Armenian state news agency Armenpress quoted one of the three as saying.

Azerbaijan took control of Nagorno-Karabakh after three decades in a lightning military operation on Sept. 20, and vowed to prosecute the “criminal” separatist leadership, who it said had poisoned the minds of the population.


Almost all the 120,000 or so inhabitants of Karabakh have since fled to Armenia, fearing for their safety. But Azerbaijan has arrested Ruben Vardanyan, a former head of Karabakh’s government, and Levon Mnatsakanyan, former commander of Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist army, at border checkpoints.

On Tuesday, APA said three former self-styled presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arkady Gukasyan, Bako Sahakyan and Araik Arutyunyan, as well as ex-parliamentary speaker David Ishkhanyan, had been arrested.


However, former state minister Artur Arutyunyan, ex-interior minister Karen Sarkisyan and the former head of Karabakh’s security service, Ararat Melkunyan, all entered Armenia on Tuesday, Artur Arutyunyan said, according to Armenpress.

Karabakh is viewed internationally as part of Azerbaijan but had been run as a breakaway ethnic Armenian statelet since the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union.


‘I lost everything’: Displaced Nagorno-Karabakh residents arrive in Armenia

Liana Toganian
France 24
Sept 29 2023
Video by:Taline OUNDJIAN|Mohammed SHABAN|Liza KAMINOV

More than 84,000 people have crossed into Armenia from Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, Armenia’s government said Friday, following the swift fall of the Armenian-majority separatist enclave. For the displaced families arriving in the southern Armenian town of Goris, the trauma of the past few weeks is compounded by the uncertainties of the future.

Watch the video at 

Armenpress: Armenian government announces new assistance program for forcibly displaced persons

Liana Toganian

 20:58,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government has announced a new accommodation assistance program for the forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the relief project on Facebook.

“A monthly 40,000 drams will be provided per each person for covering the accommodation expenses, plus an additional 10,000 drams per each person for all utility expenses. This program will be launched October 1 for at least 6 months. All forcibly displaced persons, regardless of age, will be beneficiaries of the program,” PM Pashinyan said.

The program will not cover only the families who have an apartment in Armenia, as well as the persons who reside in special care centers and are unable to rent an apartment.

The previously announced financial support program, whereby each forcibly displaced person from NK will receive a one-time payment of 100,000 drams, will start next week.

“The issues of our forcibly displaced brothers and sisters from Nagorno-Karabakh will continuously remain in our focus,” the Prime Minister said.

"We Had 15 Minutes To Pack Everything": Karabakh Refugees Cross To Armenia

Liana Toganian
NDTV, India
Sept 24 2023
Kornidzor: 

Ethnic Armenian refugees began to leave Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday for the first time since Azerbaijan launched an offensive designed to seize control of the breakaway territory and perhaps end a three-decade-old conflict.

This week’s lightning operation could mark a historic geopolitical shift, with Azerbaijan victorious over the separatists and Armenia publicly distancing itself from its traditional ally Russia.

“Yesterday, we had to put down our rifles. So we left,” a man in his thirties from the village of Mets Shen told AFP as a first group of a few dozen people crossed the border and registered with Armenian officials in Kornidzor.

“We had 15 minutes to pack everything up, we couldn’t bring anything,” said 28-year-old farmer Shamir, regretting having left his livestock and the grave of his three-year-old daughter behind in Mets Shen. “I didn’t tell her goodbye. I hope to go back.”

According to the Armenian government, by Sunday evening 377 “forcefully displaced persons” had crossed from Azerbaijan to Armenia.

Most of the refugees seen by AFP were women and children, including some from Eghtsahogh, where people took shelter around a Russian peacekeeping base after their village allegedly came under Azerbaijani shelling.

Separatist leaders have said they are negotiating the fate of some 120,000 ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in talks with Azerbaijani officials mediated by Russian peacekeepers. Many have seen shortages of food, water and power during a nine-month blockade.      

– Rift with Russia –

The Armenian health ministry said 23 ambulances were carrying seriously wounded citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh to the border, accompanied by medics and Red Cross workers. Crowds of angry relatives gathered on the Armenian side awaiting news. 

As drama unfolded on the border, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan — himself a target of protests over the crisis — sought to deflect the blame onto long-standing ally Russia, signalling a breakdown in the countries’ security pact.

In nationally televised comments, the Armenian leader said the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and Moscow-Yerevan military-political cooperation were “insufficient” to protect the country, suggesting that he would seek new alliances.

The CSTO members pledge to defend one another from outside attack. But, bogged down in its own war in Ukraine, Russia refused to come to Armenia’s assistance in the latest Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, arguing that Yerevan itself had recognised the disputed region as part of Azerbaijan.

Now, Russian peacekeepers are helping Azerbaijan disarm the Karabakh rebels.

Pashinyan said Armenia should ratify the treaty which established the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war.

Armenia also announced that Pashinyan would meet his Azerbaijani counterpart President Ilham Aliyev at the summit of the European Political Community in the Spanish city of Granada on October 5, along with EU leaders like President Emmanuel Macron of France and Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Meanwhile, tension was running high at the Kornidzor crossing, five kilometres (three miles) from the Hakari bridge on the convoy’s route, where angry relatives had gathered to await news and one man was so frustrated he pulled out a knife in front of police.

“My son was in the army in Artsakh. He’s alive, but I’m worried for him,” said Alik Blbuyan, 43, using the name Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian population gave their breakaway statelet. 

“I came here to get news but I’m also hoping armed groups will cross the border. If they do, I’ll go with them to rescue my son,” he said.

– Sons and brothers –

On the other side of the border in Azerbaijani settlements such as Terter and Beylagan, locals had no sympathy for their Armenian neighbours and were celebrating their government’s victory over the rebels.

State television played music paying tribute to the nation and its army, and the roadsides were lined with flags and portraits of dozens of local “martyrs”, fallen in the fighting during the previous 30 years.

Famil Zalov’s 18-year-old brother was among those killed, and he’s in no mood to forgive.    

“I support the operation. Our beautiful land got liberated. I’m proud my brother was avenged,” the farmer, now in his early fifties, told AFP.  

Asked whether he could imagine living alongside ethnic Armenians in peace now, he said he could not: “The president has shown them the way. The corridor is open. They can use it and go away.” 

– Turkish victory visit –

The bad blood between the communities will only fuel international concern that Azerbaijan’s sudden victory could trigger another round of persecution in a conflict that has seen abuses on both sides.

In a call on Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Pashinyan that Washington had “deep concern” for ethnic Armenians there, a spokesman said.

But Baku’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told the UN General Assembly: “Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan as equal citizens.”

Baku will also secure further diplomatic backing from key ally Turkey, whose leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave on Monday.

Post a comment(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Asbarez: Artsakh Defense Army Withdraws from Positions

Liana Toganian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

A cache of weapons collected by Russian peacekeepers from Artsakh defense army


The Artsakh Defense Army on Friday withdrew from its positions as part of a deal reached on Thursday when representatives from Stepanakert and Baku met in Yevlakh.

The disarming of the armed forces was also part of a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement, backed by the Artsakh authorities, which ended Azerbaijan’s latest large-scale attack on Artsakh that left 200 people dead and hundreds injured, homeless and displaced.

“In fulfilling of the agreements on the cessation of hostilities reached through the mediation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping troops, the delivery of weapons and ammunition to the units of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army has begun, under the supervision of Russian servicemen,” the Russian peacekeeping mission announced in a post off the Telegram social media site.

“The armed formations of Karabakh are withdrawing from their positions as part of the agreements reached during the meeting in Yevlakh. As of today, more than 800 firearms, grenades, mortars, guided anti-tank missiles and MANPADS have been surrendered,” the Russia peacekeeping mission added.

Based on the agreement, Russian peacekeeping forces will replace the Artsakh Defense Army at those positions.

[SEE VIDEO]

Artsakh authorities said on Friday that there were no concrete results yet from talks with Azerbaijan on possible security guarantees or an amnesty that Baku is supposedly proposing.

“These questions must still be resolved,” David Babayan, the advisor of ArtsakhPresident Samvel Shahramanyan told Reuters. “There are no concrete results yet.”

Russian peacekeeping armored vehicles in Artsakh

“The situation is difficult – humanitarian questions need to be resolved. Agreement has been reached for a humanitarian convoy to come from Armenia via the Lachin corridor,” Babayan said.

Asked whether or not the Armenians of Artsakh were on the move, Babayan said there was no large-scale movement of people as the region was effectively under siege.

“The Lachin corridor does not work as it should,” he said. “At the present time, other questions need to be resolved.”

“The situation is very difficult: the people are hungry, there is no electricity, no fuel – we have many refugees.”

Reuters also reported that Baku may be considering amnesty for Artsakh soldiers who lay down their arms.

Azerbaijani presidential foreign policy adviser Hikmet  Hajiyev told Reuters that Baku is envisioning an amnesty for those Nagorno-Karabakh fighters who gave up their weapons.

“Even with regard to former militaries and combatants, if they can be classified in such a way, and even for them we are envisioning an amnesty or alluding to an amnesty as well,” Hajiyev said.
Karabakh Armenian rights would be respected as part of their integration into Azerbaijan, he said, adding that they had requested humanitarian support as well as oil and gasoline supplies. Three cargos of humanitarian help would be delivered to the region on Friday, he said.

“Currently we are seeing that some individual army groups and officers that made the public statements that they won’t come to our terms and will continue resistance,” Hajiyev said. “But we do not see that to be the biggest challenge, and big security challenge. Of course this will cause certain challenges and difficulties but not on a such a big scale.”

Film: Movie review: "Amerikatsi" Brings Armenian cinema to a new audience

Liana Toganian
Sept 6 2023
ZITA SHORT
SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

Director: Michael A. Goorjian
Writers: Michael A. Goorjian
Stars: Michael A. Goorjian, Hovik Keuchkerian, Nelli Uvarova

Synopsis: Charlie escapes the Armenian genocide as a boy by fleeing to the United States, but he returns as an adult and is arrested. He watches an Armenian couple from his prison cell, finally learning about his homeland.

During the lengthy period in which the Cold War raged on, the tensions between the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc figured prominently in a number of Hollywood blockbusters. For most, the slightly jingoistic action films of the 1980s serve as the most obvious example of anti-Soviet propaganda. Top Gun (1986) and Red Heat (1988) heavily emphasized the fact that Soviets were unemotional, robotic killing machines who lacked warmth and psychological depth. In thinking back on this period, we tend to forget about the light, fluffy comedies that attempted to view Soviet politics through a satirical lens. They were often guilty of presenting a somewhat glib analysis of the ideological and cultural differences that separate Americans from their Soviet counterparts but they serve as valuable socio-historical documents. In the modern day, the average American’s perception of post-Soviet states has radically altered, so it’s more than a little surprising to see a contemporary film that echoes the thematic concerns of Moscow on the Hudson (1985). 

In mounting a highly sentimental, feel-good comedy about the clash between American and Soviet Armenian culture, director Michael A. Goorjian must have known that he was out of step with the times. Here, he attempts to construct a delicate fable about a naïve American Charlie Bakchinyan (Michael A. Goorjian), who repatriates to Armenia in the wake of World War II. He has Armenian ancestors but his family was forced to flee Turkey during the Armenian Genocide. While in Armenia, he hopes to gain a deeper understanding of his cultural identity. He is placed in peril after befriending Sona (Nelli Uvarova), the wife of a powerful government official. As a result of this innocent flirtation, he is imprisoned on bogus charges. Initially, he responds to being isolated from the outside world by growing despondent. However, his spirits begin to improve when he realizes that he can observe the day-to-day life of a young couple living in an apartment that is located across the street from the prison. 

The plot of the film is pretty standard Hollywood fare but Goorjian makes an admirable effort to inject the story’s skeleton structure with dashes of Armenian dark humor. He casts himself as an archetypal wide-eyed American but finds room to complicate the binary between freedom-loving Americans and overly censorious Armenians. Most of the Armenian characters in the film are viewed through a sympathetic lens and while the film doesn’t offer up a sophisticated dissection of the political corruption that plagued Armenian society during this period, it thankfully avoids indulging in too many stereotypes. Then again, you can’t blame the viewers who yearn for a more dense, thematically complex picture, that might have included a more intellectually rigorous critique of Stalinist policies. 

Amerikatsi’s virtues really come to the fore during lengthy sequences in which Nerses Sedrakyan and Avet Tonoyants’s production design is allowed to take center stage. They have clearly taken great pains to accurately represent era-appropriate interior design trends and color schemes. One naturally assumes that they weren’t working with a massive budget, so it’s very impressive that they managed to invest every location featured in the film with so much texture and pathos. All of this effort also helps to infuse a relatively conventional plot with a much-needed personal touch. This sort of skilled craftsmanship is often undervalued and there is something appealing about the fact that the imagery in this film has a tactile, visceral quality that is missing from a lot of modern cinema. You can tell when something has been precisely constructed and the ‘little things’ really do play a role in elevating Amerikatsi beyond some of the limitations that typically hold period pieces back. 

There is also something to be said for the small scale that the film operates on, as Goorjian could never be accused of overstuffing the plot. The languid, measured pacing ensures that scenes play out in a naturalistic fashion and largely avoid straining for effect. He finds a delicate balance between mainstream comedy and culturally specific comedic references, without sacrificing the opportunity to jerk tears out of audience members. It’s not going to revolutionize Armenia cinema but it might go a long way in bringing elements of their national cinema to a wider audience. 

RFE/RL Armenian Service – 09/06/2023

Liana Toganian 
                                        Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Armenian FM Wants Stronger EU Action On Karabakh
Germany - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Armenian counterpart 
Ararat Mirzoyan hold a joint press conferencen in Berlin, February 7, 2023.
The European Union and other foreign powers should do more to get Azerbaijan to 
unblock the Lachin corridor, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told his German 
counterpart Annalena Baerbock late on Tuesday.
The worsening humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh was high on the agenda 
of their phone call reported by the Armenian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. 
According to the ministry’s readout of the call, Mirzoyan “stressed the need for 
international actors, including the EU, to take concrete steps” towards the 
lifting of the nine-month Azerbaijani blockade.
“While highly appreciating targeted messages sent by partners to date, Minister 
Mirzoyan pointed out that unfortunately they are not enough to achieve positive 
change on the ground, end the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and bring Azerbaijan 
back to the constructive path,” added the statement.
Like the United States and Russia, the EU has repeatedly urged Azerbaijan to 
lift the blockade. The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, warned on 
Wednesday that Baku’s failure to heed these appeals could damage its relations 
with the 27-nation bloc.
Still, Borrell made clear that the EU is not considering suspending a July 2022 
memorandum of understanding on doubling Europe’s imports of Azerbaijani natural 
gas by 2027. The document was signed in Baku in the presence of European 
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She described Azerbaijan as a “key 
partner in our efforts to move away from Russian fossil fuels.”
The head of the EU’s top decision-making body, Charles Michel, called late last 
week for “courageous compromise solutions” to the crisis in Karabakh that would 
include a new supply route controlled by Azerbaijan. U.S. Secretary of State 
Antony Blinken appeared to back such a solution in a September 1 phone call with 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev which was revealed by the U.S. State 
Department five days later.
“He reiterated our call to reopen the Lachin Corridor to humanitarian, 
commercial, and passenger traffic, while recognizing the importance of 
additional routes from Azerbaijan,” the department said in a statement.
Despite struggling with severe shortages of food, medicine and other basic 
necessities, most residents of Karabakh remain strongly opposed to the 
alternative supply line which Baku has set as a precondition for allowing 
renewed relief supplies through Karabakh’s land link with Armenia. They believe 
that it is aimed at legitimizing the blockade and helping Azerbaijan regain full 
control over Karabakh.
Yerevan Worried About ‘Azeri Military Buildup’
        • Susan Badalian
Armenia - European Union monitors patrol the border with Azerbaijan, September 
5, 2023.
Azerbaijan is massing troops along its border with Armenia and the 
Nagorno-Karabakh “line of contact” in possible preparation for fresh military 
action, Armenian officials said on Wednesday.
Armen Grigorian, the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, raised his 
government’s concerns with the ambassadors of foreign states during a meeting in 
Yerevan.
According to his office, Grigorian gave them “details of the Azerbaijani 
military buildup along the Karabakh line of contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijan 
border“ and “stressed the importance of international partners’ efforts to 
prevent possible Azerbaijani aggression.”
A senior Armenian Defense Ministry official, Levon Ayvazian, met with 
Yerevan-based foreign military attaches to brief them on the situation on the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani border. A ministry statement cited Ayvazian as telling them 
that the Armenian army is taking “all necessary steps to prevent a further 
escalation of the situation.” No other details were reported.
Karabakh’s army claimed late on Tuesday that “large numbers” of Azerbaijani 
soldiers and military hardware are massing at various sections of the line of 
contact. It released purported videos of the troop movements. The Azerbaijani 
Defense Ministry said afterwards that its troops are simply engaging in routine 
training.
Similar videos were circulated in recent days by Azerbaijani social media users. 
Azerbaijan’s state security service on Wednesday warned them to stop doing that 
or face prosecution.
Tigran Abrahamian, an Armenian opposition parliamentarian, also alleged 
Azerbaijani troop movements in Karabakh and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
“It’s still hard to tell whether this is blackmail, a threat or muscle-flexing 
or a preparation for hostilities,” said Abrahamian.
He suggested that Baku is heightening the tensions in a bid to force Yerevan to 
accept all Azerbaijani terms of a bilateral peace treaty discussed by the two 
sides.
A European Union mission monitoring the ceasefire regime along Armenia’s border 
with Azerbaijan said on Tuesday that it witnessed “increased tensions and 
crossfire” there for the last few days. “We reported on the situation to 
Brussels,” added the mission.
Three Armenian soldiers were killed and two others wounded when fighting broke 
out at one of the border sections on September 1.
Karabakh Factions Agree On New President
        • Astghik Bedevian
Nagorno-Karabakh - A session of parliament in Stepanakert, October 18, 2022.
Nagorno-Karabakh’s ruling party and three opposition groups have reached a 
consensus on who should replace Arayik Harutiunian, who resigned as president 
last week amid a deepening humanitarian crisis caused by Azerbaijan’s blockade 
of the Lachin corridor.
Announcing his resignation on August 31, Harutiunian said Karabakh needs new 
leadership in order to better cope with grave challenges facing it almost three 
years after the disastrous war with Azerbaijan. He appointed the secretary of 
his security council, Samvel Shahramanian, as Karabakh premier before formally 
stepping down the following day. The Karabakh parliament is due to elect his 
successor on Saturday.
Officials in Stepanakert said on Wednesday that four of the five parties 
represented in the legislature, including Harutiunian’s Free Fatherland, agreed 
late on Tuesday to nominate Shahramanian for the vacant post. They control 
enough seats to elect him.
“We held many meetings [with Karabakh residents] in the last few days, and there 
was not a single person who did not want the current state minister to be 
president,” Metakse Hakobian, a leader of the opposition Justice party, told 
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Shahramanian is reputed to be a figure close to Harutiunian’s predecessor Bako 
Sahakian. He headed Karabakh’s main security service during Sahakian’s rule that 
ended several months before the outbreak of the 2020 war.
The only party opposed to Shahramanian’s election is led by Samvel Babayan, a 
controversial retired general who led Karabakh’s armed forces in the 1990s. In a 
weekend interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, Babayan said that the United 
Fatherland party will boycott the election. It is also planning to stage a 
demonstration in Stepanakert on election day.
Unlike the other Karabakh factions, Babayan’s party does not oppose the opening 
of a new, Azerbaijani-controlled supply route for Karabakh which Baku says is a 
precondition for allowing renewed humanitarian supplies through the Lachin 
corridor. Its leader also appears to favor other concessions to Azerbaijan.
Babayan revealed on Sunday that he has presented the Azerbaijani government with 
alternative proposals on how to end the humanitarian crisis. The once powerful 
general, who is accused by his detractors of secretly collaborating with 
Armenia’s government, refused to disclose them.
Baku has repeatedly said that its dialogue with the Karabakh Armenians should 
only focus on the Armenian-populated region’s “reintegration into Azerbaijan.” 
“There is simply no other way, all other options are illegal,” Azerbaijani 
Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said on Wednesday.
U.S., Armenian Troops To Hold Joint Drills
U.S. and Armenian soldiers take part in a multinational exercise in Europe.
The Armenian and U.S. militaries will start a joint exercise in Armenia on 
September 11, the Defense Ministry in Yerevan announced on Wednesday, prompting 
concern from Russia.
The Pentagon confirmed the information, with a U.S. military spokesperson 
telling Reuters that 85 U.S. soldiers and 175 Armenians will take part in the 
ten-day exercise codenamed Eagle Partner 2023. He said the Americans -- 
including members of the Kansas National Guard which has a 20-year-old training 
partnership with Armenia -- will be armed with rifles and will not be using 
heavy weaponry.
According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, the participating troops will 
practice taking “stabilization actions” during a joint peacekeeping operation in 
an imaginary conflict zone.
“The purpose of the exercise is to increase the level of interoperability of 
units participating in international peacekeeping missions … to exchange best 
practices in command-and-control and tactical communication as well as to 
increase the readiness of the Armenian [peacekeeping] unit for the planned 
Operational Capabilities Concept evaluation by NATO,” the ministry added in a 
statement.
The United States and Armenia are not known to have held a bilateral military 
exercise in the past. Their upcoming drills were announced amid the South 
Caucasus nation’s unprecedented tensions with Russia, its traditional ally.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian stoked the tensions in a weekend newspaper 
interview in which he declared that his government is trying to “diversify our 
security policy” because Armenia’s reliance on Russia for defense and security 
has proved a “strategic mistake.” Pashinian also suggested that Russia will 
eventually “leave” Armenia and the South Caucasus in general. Moscow denounced 
his statements.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said later on Wednesday that news of the 
U.S.-Armenian war games is “causes apprehension, especially in the current 
situation.”
“Therefore, we will deeply analyze this news and monitor the situation,” Peskov 
told journalists.
In April this year, Moscow demanded official explanations from Yerevan after the 
U.S. Department of Defense initially listed Armenia among 26 nations that will 
participate in U.S.-led drills in Europe. The Pentagon removed Armenia from the 
list the following day. The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed at the time that 
the U.S.-led alliance is seeking stronger influence on Russia’s ex-Soviet allies 
as part of its ongoing “geopolitical confrontation” with Moscow.
Armenia’s relations with Russia and the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty 
Organization (CSTO) have significantly deteriorated since the 2020 war in 
Nagorno-Karabakh due to what Yerevan sees as a lack of support from its allies 
in the conflict with Azerbaijan. Earlier this year, the Armenian government 
cancelled a CSTO military exercise which it was due to host this fall.
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.

RFE/RL Armenian Service – 09/05/2023

Liana Toganian 
                                        Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Russia Seeks Clarification From Armenia On International Court
Netehrlands -- The building of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The 
Hague, November 23, 2015
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it has requested 
“clarifications” over the Armenian government’s decision to send the founding 
treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to the country’s parliament for 
ratification.
“We will decide on our next steps based on the content of Yerevan's response,” 
the ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, told reporters.
Moscow has repeatedly issued stern warnings to Yerevan since Armenia’s 
Constitutional Court gave the green light for the ratification in March one week 
after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over 
war crimes allegedly committed by Russia in Ukraine. It has said that the 
recognition of The Hague tribunal’s jurisdiction would have “extremely negative” 
consequences for Russian-Armenian relations.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government has clearly ignored the warnings. It 
said on September 1 that it has formally asked the National Assembly to ratify 
the ICC treaty also known as the Rome Statute.
It is still not clear whether the draft decision submitted by the government to 
Armenian lawmakers calls for an unconditional ratification or contains 
exemptions for Russian officials. Independent legal experts believe that the 
ratification would require the Armenian authorities to arrest Putin and 
extradite him to the ICC if he visits the South Caucasus country.
A senior Armenian official said in July that Armenian and Russian diplomats are 
holding “active discussions” on the issue and should find a “legal solution” 
acceptable to both sides. The clarification sought by Moscow suggests that no 
such agreement has been reached.
Pashinian’s administration is planning to submit to the ICC’s jurisdiction amid 
mounting tensions with Moscow. It announced the dispatch of the ratification 
document to the parliament two days after Zakharova blamed Azerbaijan’s blockade 
of the Lachin corridor on Pashinian’s recent decision to recognize Karabakh as 
part of Azerbaijan. Yerevan rejected the claim, citing a long list of Armenian 
grievances against Moscow.
Armenia Sends First Humanitarian Aid To Ukraine
        • Artak Khulian
UKRAINE - An explosion is seen in the sky over Kyiv during a Russian missile 
strike, August 30, 2023.
Armenia is providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine for the first time since 
the Russian invasion of the country, sources told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on 
Tuesday.
The sources that did not want to be identified said Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian’s wife, Anna Hakobian, will personally hand over the aid to the 
Ukrainian side when she flies to Kyiv to attend the annual Summit of First 
Ladies and Gentlemen that will be held there on Wednesday.
The information was not immediately confirmed by Pashinian’s office or the 
Armenian Foreign Ministry. The volume and other details of the reported aid 
allocated by Yerevan were also not known.
The Kyiv summit has been held since 2021 at the initiative of Ukraine’s first 
lady, Olena Zelenska. A partial list of its participants released by the 
organizers on Tuesday morning did not include Pashinian’s wife.
Her reported trip to Ukraine will come amid Armenia’s deepening rift with 
Russia, its traditional ally increasingly criticized by Pashinian and other 
Armenian leaders for what they see as a lack of Russian support in the conflict 
with Azerbaijan.
Armenia has so far been careful not to openly condemn Russia’s military campaign 
in Ukraine launched in February 2022. Even so, Pashinian stated in May this year 
that his country is “not Russia’s ally in the war with Ukraine.” Moscow said it 
“took note” of the statement.
Ukraine’s current and former governments have repeatedly voiced support for 
Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Russia Staying Put In Armenia, Insists Kremlin
        • Artak Khulian
Russia - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends the Russia-Armenia talks on the 
sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Union Forum in Moscow, May 25, 2023.
Russia continued to round on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Tuesday, with 
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisting that Moscow will remain a key player 
in the South Caucasus and Armenia in particular.
“Russia is an absolutely integral part of this region, so it cannot go anywhere. 
Russia cannot leave Armenia,” Peskov said, adding that it will continue to play 
the role of a regional “security guarantor.”
“There are more Armenians living in Russia than in Armenia itself, and most of 
them are exemplary, patriotic citizens of the Russian Federation who make a 
significant contribution to the development of our country,” he told reporters.
Peskov went on to also emphasize Armenia’s close economic ties with Russia which 
were instrumental in double-digit economic growth recorded in the South Caucasus 
last year.
President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary responded to Pashinian’s claims that 
Russia is “unwilling or unable” to defend Armenia despite bilateral treaties and 
may “leave” the South Caucasus in the near future. In a newspaper interview 
publicized over the weekend, Pashinian also said that Armenia’s long-standing 
heavy reliance on Russia for security has proved a “strategic mistake.”
An unnamed Russian diplomatic source quoted by the official TASS news agency 
denounced his comments on Tuesday. He also warned Yerevan against helping the 
West “squeeze Russia out” of the region.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, was more scathing 
about the Armenian leader’s latest jibes at Moscow.
“One should have the ability to answer for their own actions, rather than blame 
others and do so endlessly, on every occasion,” Zakharova told a news briefing 
in Moscow on Tuesday.
“You need to take your own responsibility and not shift that responsibility onto 
someone else,” she said. “This is what makes a politician, a statesman different 
from a passing person who does not think about the interests of his country.”
Tensions between two allied countries have steadily increased over the past 
year, with Armenian leaders increasingly complaining about what they see as a 
lack of Russian support for Armenia in the conflict with Azerbaijan.
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.

French aid for Nagorno-Karabakh stored in Goris, nearby towns after Azerbaijan blocks access

Liana Toganian

 10:50, 1 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The French humanitarian aid for Nagorno-Karabakh has been stored in warehouses in Goris and nearby towns after it was blocked by Azerbaijan at the entrance of Lachin Corridor, Armenian government representative Vardan Sargsyan told ARMENPRESS.

He said the food aid in the trucks requires special preservation to maintain its shelf life.

The cargo will be stored in the warehouses until there’s an opportunity to transport it to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The allure and mystique of Armenia

Liana Toganian
Aug 27 2023

BY JESS LOSARIA 

As a nation, Armenia has endured more than its fair share of atrocities throughout its recorded history. From Ottoman and Russian occupation, massacres and genocide to modern-day territorial disputes with its neighbors, Armenia has managed to thrive and stay strong and unwavering in face of incredible adversity. Its people are among the friendliest I have ever met, never hesitant to offer a smile or assist you in any way.

As a part of the Caucasus region in West Asia, Armenia is surrounded by Georgia (locally known as Sakartvelo) in the north, Turkey in the west, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran south.

The genocide has largely brought about the formation of the great Armenian diaspora. There have been many prominent figures with Armenian blood proudly coursing through their veins, excelling in the fields of science (like Hovannes Adamian, a pioneer of color television), medicine (Noubar Afeyan, founder-CEO of Flagship Pioneering and co-founder of Moderna), sports (tennis star Andre Agassi), and entertainment (ever heard of Cher and the Kardashians? Yes! Those Kardashians) that have left indelible marks on our lives. Some have even dominated the news or social media feeds for decades.

E-visas must be obtained beforehand from evisa.mfa.am, which will set you back about four US dollars. The whole process is very straightforward and simple. Approval rates for Filipinos are very high (most of the rejections occur due to errors on the online application). There are two options to reach your destination:

  1. Book a flight from Manila (or wherever you’re coming from) to Yerevan.
  2. Take a van or private car from Tbilisi (the capital city of Georgia) to Armenia. Being the budget-conscious traveler that I am, this was the easier option for me as I was already touring in Georgia at the time. It was a five- to six-hour trip that involved long winding roads and breathtaking views of mountains and forests.

Item number one on my itinerary was a city tour of the capital. The first thing that I noticed when I touched down in Yerevan was how well-kept the city is. Most of the city can be accessed simply by foot or renting electric scooters. From the Opera and Ballet Theatre, to Freedom Square, and to Republic Square, Yerevan is never short of attractions and Instagram-worthy spots. 

Nothing screams Armenia like the pulpulaks, which are small stone memorials with running water. I encountered several after a particularly long walk from the Opera House to the various restaurants and bars that adorn the streets of Yerevan. These drinking fountains are ubiquitous and found all around the city and other parts of the country (having tasted the water myself, they are great thirst quenchers).

Armenians love their potatoes, so it did not surprise me that their menus listed mainly dishes paired with potatoes on the side (like how rice is a staple for us Filipinos). Spicy, grilled, roasted—they have it all. Take them with kofta or—my favorite—grilled trout (the locals called it ishkan) and your taste buds will thank you.

Your stay in Yerevan City would not be complete without a visit to the Cascade Complex, a giant stairway of architectural beauty made from the finest limestone. Ascending the 750 steps to reach the top will require possession of a mighty pair of lungs or near-infinite stamina. Or you can just take the escalators, but where’s the fun in that?
All that huffing and puffing to reach the top of Cascade and what do you get for your efforts (not counting all those calories you burned)? Well, a gorgeous, jaw-dropping view of Mount Ararat, of course! The majestic snow-capped mountain beyond the city is a feast for the eyes and the senses that makes the challenging climb well worth it.

Our last stop in Yerevan before calling it a day was Victory Park. There was an imposing statue that was very hard to miss. Including its pedestal, the Mother Armenia monument has a height of about 51 meters. It is believed to symbolize peace with strength and evokes images of Armenian heroines and strong-willed women. Without a doubt, it is the centerpiece of Victory Park and was quite a sight to behold!

Because I was probably feeling the tiring effects of the long trip from Tbilisi to Yerevan and the following day was a scheduling nightmare, I skipped the tour to the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial. It was a decision that, in hindsight, was very regrettable. Who knows if I’d have the opportunity to visit this lovely country again?

The second day of my Armenian escapade was, to put it lightly, packed to the brim. Taking a routed taxicab (locally called marshrutka) or private car from Yerevan to Lake Sevan is a 40- to 50-minute journey to Gegharkunik Province. Once there, we took a ferry boat trip across the lake and what an exhilarating experience it was. No exaggeration: as massive as this lake is, it is unreal how pristine the waters are. In fact, the entire lake is reportedly drinkable (I might test the waters—pun intended—if I do return).

The short boat ride made me realize how l love the way bodies of water reflect the color of the skies. Where the lake and the sky seem to meet, it’s like looking at a canvas splashed with all the blues from the visible light spectrum. To be treated with crisp air above the surface and feeling the teal-hued waves gently rocking you below, I savored every minute of my Sevan journey.

Still standing, the Amberd Fortress has been around since the 10th century. Known as the “fortress in the clouds,” it has withstood raids, invasions and attacks from a multitude of enemies and still stands proud to this day.

On the slopes of Mount Aragats proudly stands the Amberd Fortress, which was built in the 10th century. Translated from Armenian, it literally means “fortress in the clouds.” It has faced multiple invasions and attacks from enemies around the globe; however, it has outlasted them all. In many ways, it perfectly epitomizes Armenia’s tenacity. And oh, you can find a bath house south of the fortress if that catches your fancy.

After grabbing a quick lunch, we found ourselves back on the road for our next destination. Built around the 12th or 13th century, Goshavank is a monastery complex located in the Gosh Village in the Province of Tavush. What impressed me about it is how it is in relatively good repair compared to most monasteries I have seen. The complex is composed of the St. Astvatsatsin, Grigor Lusavorich, and St. Gregory churches as well as a couple of chapels. Goshavank also houses a khachkar, which is a slab of stone meticulously carved with a cross and various intricate designs. The village is named in honor of Mkhitar Gosh, an Armenian scholar who has his own monument within Goshavank’s premises.

Goshavank is a monastery complex composed of the St. Astvatsatsin, Grigor Lusavorich, and St. Gregory churches as well as a couple of chapels. Built around the 12th or 13th century, it is sill in relatively good repair and houses a khachkar.

Lake Parz in Dilijan was the final destination before we headed back to Yerevan. Though not as large or as mesmerizing as Lake Sevan, it made up for it with rows of colorful paddle boats that you could rent and a zip-line that sends you speeding above the lake

The slew of activities, sights and sounds got me out of my accommodation from dawn to dusk, a fact that made me collapse on my bed like a pile of rocks the moment I entered my room.

The third and final day of the tour was less packed but no less eventful.

The first stop was in Kotayk Province where I laid eyes on one of its crown jewels: the Geghard Monastery. There was something about this medieval monastery that pulls you in. From the ray of light peeping through the opening at the zenith of the spherical cupola, to random tourists belting out soulful “Ave Maria”s inside the hallowed grounds of Upper Jhamatun, to the carved walls and surrounding cliffs, Geghard Monastery is just one of the three UNESCO Heritage Sites found in Armenia. One interesting tidbit is that it once served as the home of the Spear of Destiny, the lance that was believed to have pierced the side of Jesus Christ.

Nature’s handiwork: The Symphony of Stones got its name from the innumerable basalt column formations on its cliff walls. They bear an uncanny resemblance to organ pipes.

The so-called Symphony of Stones is Mother Nature’s handiwork on full display. A natural monument that is the pride of Kotayk Province, it has an uncanny resemblance to a gigantic organ owing to the fact that it has innumerable basalt column formations on the cliff walls. Whatever you do, you must see it with your own eyes. Take a hundred photos and selfies. Just be careful and wary of falling rocks.

A Sun God’s Domain: The Temple of Garni is a pagan temple that was dedicated to the worship of the sun god Mihr. The colonnaded Greco-Roman structure is my favorite spot of all the sites I’ve visited. With the Gegham mountains as the backdrop, it is incredibly picturesque.

Built just before Armenia’s conversion to Christianity and located not far from the Symphony of Stones, the Temple of Garni is a pagan temple that was dedicated to the worship of the sun god Mihr. It stands right at the edge of a triangular cliff where you can catch a gorgeous panoramic view of the Gegham mountains as the backdrop. It was also debated that this colonnaded Greco-Roman structure was actually a tomb, a point of discussion that could have saved it from sharing the same fate of other pagan temples that were obliterated. It was reconstructed after a massive earthquake dealt serious damage to its structural integrity.

This was my absolute favorite spot in Armenia. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. My phone’s photo gallery was flooded with dozens of pictures taken from every angle I could think of. If I do return to Armenia—and the probability is high—I would revisit this place at the very first opportunity.

When it was time for me to return to the desert heat and the harsh Arabian sun of the Middle East, I could not help but feel a part of me had stayed in Armenia. Here beats the heart of a proud nation that far exceeds the sum of its land area, and for this reason, I offer my eternal admiration.

The allure of Armenia is formidable, and I am hopelessly captivated.

* * *

Special thanks to the people at NotChicken Travel and MK Hotel and Tours for making my stay in Armenia such a pleasurable and unforgettable experience.


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