Author: Lilit Nahapetian

ECHR gives Azerbaijan by August 8 to provide information on kidnapped Nagorno- Karabakh patient

Lilit Nahapetian

 14:54, 1 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. The ECHR has given Azerbaijan by August 8 to provide information about Vagif Khachatryan, the resident of Nagorno-Karabakh who was kidnapped by Azerbaijani border guards while being evacuated by the Red Cross to Armenia for treatment, the Office of the Representative of Armenia for International Legal Matters said in a statement.

Azerbaijan must provide information on the location and condition of detention of Khachatryan, as well as the latter’s health, any received treatment and possible return.

Earlier Armenia applied to the European Court of Human Rights with a request to indicate provisional measures against Azerbaijan.

Will the meeting between official Baku and representatives of Karabakh Armenians take place in Bulgaria?

Lilit Nahapetian
  • JAMnews
  • Baku

“A potential meeting between Baku and representatives of Khankendi is being organized in a European country, possibly in Bulgaria.” This was announced by the historian Arif Yunusov, who lives in the Netherlands. Commenting on this information, political observer Haji Namazov said: “It is clear that Azerbaijan will not enter into negotiations with the separatist regime with the participation of international mediators without acceptable conditions.”

  • What do the mediators say at the talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia? Comparative analysis from Baku
  • “The Tripartite Statement is not an international treaty.” View from Baku
  • “We need to know what is being loaded on planes flying from Georgia to Russia” – U.S. State Department Sanctions Policy Coordinator

Political historian Arif Yunusov told Turan that a meeting between representatives of Baku and Khankendi (Stepanakert) could take place in Bulgaria. According to Yunusov’s sources in European organizations, American mediators play a significant, though less well-known role in the Karabakh process, pushing for a meeting on neutral ground. While the Azerbaijani side is reportedly dissatisfied with the prospect of the meeting, it is difficult for them to openly refuse the participation of American mediators.

“The United States used various levers to put pressure on Baku and even proposed the idea of building a road through Aghdam. It is noteworthy that they called on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to comply with Baku’s demands. However, the success of the meeting remains uncertain due to potential stumbling blocks,” he says.

Yunusov points out that the Armenians now have a convenient excuse to avoid negotiations with Baku. “The recent arrest of Vagif Khachatryan in Lachin has complicated the situation, as he has close ties to Samvel Babayan, who is considered by Azerbaijani media to support a peaceful settlement of the conflict with Baku. Khachatryan’s previous support for Babayan complicates matters.

At the Lachin checkpoint of Azerbaijan, a resident of the unrecognized NKR was detained, who was transported to Armenia by the Red Cross to receive urgent medical care

Chairman of the United Motherland Party (Khankendi) Samvel Babayan publicly announced the acceptance of the consequences of the defeat in the 2020 war. However, during the first Karabakh war of 1991-1994, he led the illegal armed formations of Karabakh Armenians, who, together with the Armed Forces of Armenia, participated in actions that led to the destruction of Azerbaijani settlements, violence and ethnic cleansing.”

“The meeting between representatives of Baku and Khankendi was supposed to be held on August 1 in Bratislava. At least such a meeting was lobbied by Western circles.” However, the Turan agency notes that, as it became known to them from informed sources, the Azerbaijani authorities refused to meet with representatives of Khankendi.

Earlier, Baku invited representatives of Karabakh Armenians for a dialogue on reintegration in the Azerbaijani capital twice. But the Armenians ignored these invitations, after which President Ilham Aliyev stated that “they will no longer be invited to negotiations, and they must disband the separatist structures and obey the laws of Azerbaijan. Only in this case, they can count on an amnesty.”

At a meeting with the residents of Lachin, the President of Azerbaijan talked about his vision of solving the problem of the Armenian population of Karabakh

From other sources it became known today that Baku offered the Karabakh Armenians negotiations in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh, but Khankendi refused this proposal.

“Information about supposedly upcoming negotiations between official Baku and Khankendi in Bulgaria appeared in previous days in Armenian sources. So far, no one has announced this in Azerbaijan,” political observer Haji Namazov commented on the news for JAMnews.

According to him, perhaps the last conversation between Antony Blinken and Ilham Aliyev last weekend was devoted to this topic:

“It is clear that without acceptable conditions, Azerbaijan will not enter into negotiations with the separatist regime with the participation of international mediators. And the message about the construction of a road linking Agdam with Khankendi fits into this scenario quite well.

What can be negotiated? It is clear that the connection between Khankendi and Armenia is clearly interrupted – from now on, all transportation will be carried out through the territory of Azerbaijan, not from Armenia. What will the Karabakh Armenians demand in return? It is still difficult to judge this.

The President of Azerbaijan called the disarmament of the Armenian military formations in Karabakh one of the conditions for resolving the situation

The Armenian population of Karabakh has always had a maximalist approach to issues, but it is clear that Baku will not comply with them. But they can offer the Karabakh Armenians some kind of autonomous system of self-government – the organization of municipalities, for example.”

Namazov added that US mediation in this matter plays into the hands of official Baku:

“The State Department, as you know, welcomed Aliyev’s statement about a possible amnesty for the leadership of the separatist regime. In other words, the States accept the part of Karabakh, where the Armenian population lives, as an integral part of Azerbaijan, and it is normal for Baku to ensure its sovereignty over this part of the country.”

https://jam-news.net/will-the-meeting-between-official-baku-and-representatives-of-karabakh-armenians-take-place-in-bulgaria/

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 28-07-23

Lilit Nahapetian

 17:05, 28 July 2023

YEREVAN, 28 JULY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 28 July, USD exchange rate down by 0.14 drams to 386.22 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 5.64 drams to 424.57 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.04 drams to 4.25 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 4.20 drams to 496.33 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 268.99 drams to 24155.92 drams. Silver price up by 4.12 drams to 310.56 drams.

RFE/Rl Armenian Service – 07/27/2023

Lilit Nahapetian 
                                        Thursday, July 27, 2023
Azerbaijan Blocks Armenian Aid Convoy To Karabakh
July 27, 2023
Armenia - Trucks carrying food aid to Nagorno-Karabakh approach the Lachin 
corridor, July 26, 2023.
Azerbaijan refused on Wednesday to allow a convoy of trucks to deliver emergency 
food aid provided by Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin corridor 
that has been blocked by Baku for more than seven months.
The Armenian government announced on Tuesday that it will try to send 360 tons 
of flour, cooking oil, sugar and other basic foodstuffs to Karabakh to alleviate 
severe food shortages there caused by the blockade. Government officials 
expressed hope that Russian peacekeepers will escort the relief supplies to the 
Armenian-populated region.
Nineteen Armenian trucks carrying them reached the entrance to the Lachin 
corridor late in the afternoon but remained stranded there in the following 
hours, with Baku refusing to let them though an Azerbaijani checkpoint 
controversially set up there in April.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry condemned the aid convoy as a “provocation” and 
“encroachment” on Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. A senior aide to 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Yerevan should renounce “territorial 
claims” to his country and stop impeding the restoration of Azerbaijani control 
over Karabakh.
The official, Hikmet Hajyev, said Karabakh should be supplied with basic 
necessities from Azerbaijan proper and the town of Aghdam in particular. “There 
is no other way!” tweeted Hajiyev.
Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian leadership has rejected the proposed Azerbaijani 
supply line. It maintains that Baku should comply with a Russian-brokered 
ceasefire that mandates unfettered commercial traffic through the only road 
connecting Karabakh to Armenia.
Meanwhile, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian defended the attempted 
delivery of the humanitarian aid.
“We cannot turn a blind eye to the situation that Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh 
are currently facing,” Pashinian wrote in a late-night tweet. “The 360 tons of 
vitally important foodstuff sent to Nagorno-Karabakh is exclusively for 
humanitarian purposes.”
The shortages of food, medicine, fuel and other essential items in Karabakh have 
worsened significantly since Baku completely blocked on June 15 relief supplies 
that were carried out by the Russian peacekeepers and the International 
Committee of the Red Cross.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said last week that Karabakh is “on 
the verge of starvation” and called for stronger international pressure on Baku.
Yerevan Disputes Lavrov’s Claim
July 27, 2023
        • Artak Khulian
Russia - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets his Armenian counterpart 
Ararat Mirzoyan, Moscow, July 25, 2023.
Official Yerevan has denied Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s implicit 
claim that he discussed with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts the 
possible return of ethnic Azerbaijanis who had fled Soviet Armenia in the late 
1980s.
Speaking after their trilateral meeting in Moscow held on Tuesday, Lavrov said 
they discussed “the problem of guaranteeing the rights and security of the 
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in the context of ensuring the territorial 
integrity of Azerbaijan.” He said Yerevan “understands the need to convince the 
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh” to reach agreements with Baku stemming from 
international conventions on ethnic minorities.
“The Azerbaijani side is ready to provide such guarantees on a mutual basis to 
persons living on its territory. The Armenians are ready to do the same 
regarding the application of all conventions to citizens living in the Republic 
of Armenia,” added Lavrov.
Lavrov’s remarks were construed by Armenian observes as a linkage between the 
status of Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian population and the return of Armenia’s 
former Azerbaijani residents officially or unofficially demanded by Baku.
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan rejected the linkage on Thursday. In written 
comments to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, Mirzoyan said ensuring the rights and 
security of Karabakh’s “indigenous” residents is a “completely different” issue.
“It cannot in any way be related to the topic of the rights of ‘citizens living’ 
in the Republic of Armenia’ provided for by international obligations and fully 
protected by the Republic of Armenia,” he said.
Russia - The foreign ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan meet in Moscow, 
July 25, 2023.
“At the last trilateral meeting in Moscow, there was no discussion, let alone 
agreement, beyond this logic,” added Mirzoyan.
An Armenian ambassador-at-large, Edmon Marukian, said late on Wednesday that 
Yerevan could discuss the sensitive issue only in conjunction with the fate of 
at least 100,000 ethnic Armenians who fled Baku and other parts of Azerbaijan in 
1988-1991.
Tigran Grigorian, a Yerevan-based analyst, was unconvinced by these assurances. 
He said the language used by Lavrov marked another diplomatic setback for 
Armenia.
“We are dealing with the incompetence of Armenian diplomacy,” Grigorian told 
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Baku has been pushing its demands through some loyal natives of Armenia who 
describe themselves as the leaders of “the community of Western Azerbaijan.” 
They claimed last week that their return to Armenia was on the agenda of 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s July 15 meeting with Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian held in Brussels.
Pashinian said on Tuesday that the fate of these Azerbaijanis cannot be linked 
to the issue of the Karabakh Armenians’ “rights and security.” “It is 
proportionate instead to the topic of the security and rights of Armenians from 
Baku, Sumgait, Gyanja or Nakhichevan,” he told reporters.
EU Presses Azerbaijan To Lift Karabakh’s Blockade
July 27, 2023
Belgium - European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks with the 
media as he arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in 
Brussels, June 29, 2023.
Azerbaijan must reopen the Lachin corridor, the European Union said on Wednesday 
night, expressing serious concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in 
Nagorno-Karabakh.
“The European Union is deeply concerned about the serious humanitarian situation 
affecting the local population in the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous 
Oblast,” the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said in a statement. “The 
movement through the Lachin corridor remains obstructed for more than seven 
months, despite Orders by the International Court of Justice to reopen it.”
“Medical supplies and essential goods are in short supply or have already run 
out, with dire consequences for the local population. It is incumbent on the 
Azerbaijani authorities to guarantee safety and freedom of movement along the 
Lachin corridor imminently and not to permit the crisis to escalate further,” 
added Borrell.
Like the United States and Russia, the EU has repeatedly called for an end to 
the crippling blockade of Karabakh’s only land link with Armenia and the outside 
world. Borrell’s statement is the most strongly-worded of its appeals made to 
date.
Azerbaijan rejected the statement on Thursday, saying that it is based on “the 
Armenian side’s false propaganda.” “Presenting legitimate actions of Azerbaijan 
as a closure of the Lachin road is fundamentally wrong,” said Aykhan Hajizade, 
the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Nagorno-Karabakh - Empty shelves at a supermarket in Stepanakert, July 20, 2023.
Hajizade insisted on a different, Azerbaijani-controlled supply route for 
Karabakh proposed by Baku and rejected by Karabakh’s leadership as a cynical 
ploy designed to facilitate the restoration of Azerbaijani control over the 
Armenian-populated region.
Borrell stressed in this regard that while the EU “took note” of the Azerbaijani 
proposal it “should not be seen as an alternative to the reopening of the Lachin 
corridor.”
The EU official made the appeal shortly after the Azerbaijani side refused to 
allow a convoy of 19 Armenian trucks carrying 360 tons of food aid for Karabakh 
residents to pass through a checkpoint which it controversially set up in the 
Lachin corridor in April.
The trucks sent by the Armenian government remained stuck near the checkpoint on 
Thursday. EU monitors deployed along Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan visited 
the area on Wednesday.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian condemned Baku’s refusal to let the aid 
convoy through. He said Yerevan still hopes it will be allowed to proceed to 
Stepanakert. The Azerbaijani authorities’ failure to do so would lend credence 
to “concerns about Baku's intention to commit genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh,” 
Pashinian added during a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan.
Armenia Reports Surge In Tax Revenue From Re-Exporters
July 27, 2023
        • Robert Zargarian
Armenia -- The entrance to the State Revenue Committee headquarters in Yerevan, 
November 29, 2018.
Taxes paid by Armenian companies importing cars, mobile phones and other 
consumer electronics increased drastically in the first half of this year, a 
further sign that they are taking advantage of Western economic sanctions 
against Russia.
They are believed to be among local firms that have been re-exporting 
Western-manufactured goods to Russia since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. 
Such trade operations explain why Armenia’s overall exports to Russia tripled 
last year and January-May 2023, translating into double-digit economic growth in 
the South Caucasus country.
According to the State Revenue Committee (SRC), the largest network of mobile 
phone shops in Armenia paid 15.8 billion drams ($40 million) in taxes in the 
first half of 2023, or nearly as much as it did in the whole of 2022. As a 
result, the company running the network, Mobile Center, became the country’s 
sixth largest corporate taxpayer. Its tax contributions totaled only 4.4 billion 
drams in 2021.
Vesta, a major electronics chain, is seventh in the first-half tax rankings 
released by the SRC this week. The tax and customs services collected 15.7 
billion drams from it, or twice as much as in 2022.
Suren Parsian, an economic analyst, said on Thursday that their extra revenue 
was generated not only by re-exports but also Russian consumers buying such 
goods during trips to Armenia.
Armenian firms importing Western cars posted similarly sharp gains in their 
revenue. Avangard Motors, the local dealer of Germany’s Mercedes-Benz, paid 3.7 
billion drams in first-half taxes, up from just 900 million drams in 2021. The 
tax contributions of the Toyota Yerevan car dealership likewise rose from 2.3 
billion drams in 2021 to about 5 billion drams ($13 million) in January-June 
2023.
Both Mercedes-Benz and Toyota stopped directly supplying their cars to Russia 
following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Armenia - Car carrier trailers line up near a customs terminal outside Gyumri, 
March 13, 2023
The SRC recorded last year a nearly six-fold increase in the number of mostly 
second-hand cars imported to Armenia. Its customs division struggled to cope 
with the rapid growth which has continued this year.
The Armenian government has faced in recent months strong pressure from the 
United States and the European Union to curb the re-export of hi-tech goods and 
components which the Western powers say could be used by the Russian defense 
industry. The government announced in late May that Armenian exporters will now 
need government permission to deliver microchips, transformers, video cameras, 
antennas and other electronic equipment to Russia.
James O’Brien, the sanctions coordinator at the U.S. State Department, visited 
Yerevan late last month to discuss the issue with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian 
and other Armenian officials.
Pashinian said in May that despite its “strategic” relations with Russia, 
Armenia “cannot afford to be placed under Western sanctions.” “Therefore, in our 
relations with Russia we will act on a scale that allows us to avoid Western 
sanctions,” he said.
So far Washington has blacklisted only on one functioning Armenian company for 
allegedly helping Russia evade the sanctions. The Yerevan-based company, 
Medisar, imported chemicals and laboratory equipment from the U.S. as well as 
the EU.
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.

Outcomes of the Brussels Process between Azerbaijan and Armenia

Lilit Nahapetian
   

Published

 15 hours ago 

on

 

By

 Cavid Veliev

The sixth meeting within the framework of the ongoing peace talks series between Azerbaijan and Armenia was held in Brussels between President of the European Council (EC) Charles Michel, President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Both President Ilham Aliyev and the EC president declared the Brussel process productive. Few days after the meeting Pashinyan said that parties couldn’t agree all issues.

Meeting ended without signing any agreement, but at the same time, the statement made by Michel actually reflected the content of the meeting between the two leaders. From his statement, it was seen that the meeting between the two leaders consisted of seven sub-topics: (1) sovereignty and territorial integrity; (2) border delimitation; (3) connectivity; (4) humanitarian supplies; (5) rights and security; (6) detainees; and (7) Next meeting.

It is important for both states that the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty are in first place in Michel’s statement. This is a red line for Azerbaijan in the peace negotiations. Nikol Pashinyan has several times declared in his statements that he recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and later, upon the demand of President Ilham Aliyev, he recognized the territorial integrity of 86,600 km2 of Azerbaijan, including Karabakh. These statements of Pashinyan were later confirmed in the fifth and sixth Brussels meetings.

One of the agenda items of the meeting is the opening of regional transportation links. According to Michel’s statement, the parties agreed that transportation and connections should be opened in accordance with the principles of soveregnity, jurisdiction, and reciprocity of the states. This statement shows that, if Armenia renounces its corridor claims regarding the Lachin road, Azerbaijan may also give up its corridor claims against Armenia. However, after the announcement, it turned out that the parties agree on opening the railways forthwith. At this point, it is planned to complete the Azerbaijan part of the Zangezur Corridor by the end of this year. It is necessary to construct a railway within the borders of Armenia to a distance of 44 km.

In the previous meeting held in Brussels on May 14, it was stated that the rules of the International Customs Organization would be valid in this regard, but this was not repeated by Michel on this occasion. However, it was stated that the EU was ready to provide financial support for the construction of the Armenian part of the railway. Considering that the railways in Armenia are under the control of the Russian State Railways, the construction of the Zangezur Corridor with the financial support of the EU is an important development.

One of the most remarkable subtopics was humanitarian supplies. As we know, in the post-war period, the Lachin road between Armenia and the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan remained temporarily open in order to meet humanitarian needs. However, it was revealed that this road, which was under the supervision of Russian peacekeepers according to the November 10 Trilateral Declaration, was used for arms transportation and that foreign citizens were allowed to cross into Azerbaijan illegally. As a result, Azerbaijan established a border post on the Lachin road. Armenia then applied to the International Court of Justice for the removal of this customs point, but this application was rejected. Humanitarian aid was transported from this customs point through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), but after a period of time it was revealed that there were undeclared goods among the cargoes brought from Armenia by the ICRC. In its statement of July 11, the ICRC noted that it does not support the activity of transporting undeclared goods and had terminated employment contracts with the drivers of vehicles carrying such goods, and this is commendable.

In order to prevent the Lachin road from being used for illegal purposes, the Azerbaijani side proposes that the ICRC provide supplies to the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan via Aghdam. For this purpose, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ceyhun Bayramov, met the Head of the ICRC Office in Azerbaijan, Dragana Kojic, and highlighted Azerbaijan’s position. In his statement Michel underlined both the use of the Lachin road and providing humanitarian supplies via Aghdam. This step will lead to more effective results for the integration of Karabakh Armenians into Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is also insistent on transporting supplies to the Russian peacekeeping troops in Karabakh via Aghdam.

One of the most important talking points between the parties is the issue of rights and security. Regarding this subtopic, Michel expressed the EU’s encouragement for direct dialogue between Baku and representatives of Armenians living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. This statement supports direct talks between Baku and Karabakh Armenian representatives without any mediation. This means that those Armenians who want mediation by the Russian peacekeepers have been given a red light by Brussels.

Continuing to explain that this dialogue should provide much-needed confidence for all those involved, Michel also gave a red light to Armenia’s demand for an “international mechanism” for Karabakh Armenians’ security and rights.

According to reports in regional media, the issue of the return to Armenia of Azerbaijanis who were expelled between 1987 and 1990 was also on the agenda between the parties. Before this meeting, this issue was also discussed at the meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Arlington, Virginia, US, on May 1–4. This is one of the issues that Azerbaijan keeps on the agenda, and at the beginning of this year, Azerbaijanis deported from Armenia in 1987 to 1990 created an NGO and applied to international organizations to return to their homeland.

The last two sub-topics are important in terms of normalizing relations between the two countries and ensuring mutual trust. First, According to Michel, the leaders reconfirmed their commitment to the “gentlemen’s understanding” that the release of soldiers who inadvertently crossed to the other side would be facilitated. A few months ago, two Azerbaijani soldiers accidentally crossed into Armenia and were arrested, tortured, and imprisoned. This statement is a reminder that the gentlemen’s agreement should be implemented for the return of these two soldiers. The importance of ensuring increased cooperation in addressing the fate of missing persons and on demining was also discussed. During his statement Michel called on the sides to exchange as much information as possible. Around 4,000 Azerbaijanis disappeared during the First Karabakh War, and Armenia has not yet provided the necessary information to find these missing persons.

In summary, the fact that six meetings have been held in Brussels for the normalization of relations and the signing of a peace agreement shows that the parties attach importance to the Brussels process. However, it cannot be said that all the commitments made in these meetings have been implemented. For example, although Michel’s declared the intention to do so in the May 14 meeting, no steps were taken regarding the Zangezur corridor or the release of the arrested Azerbaijani soldiers. Moreover, it is apparent that there are some issues that were not agreed upon in the last meeting. In particular, illegal Armenian military groups still remain in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and withdrawing these groups was not included in Michel’s statement. Michel has expressed his opinion on some issues and it is unclear whether the parties will abide by the agreements. But at the same time, although it can be said that the two countries differ on fundamental issues, it seems that they are willing to move towards peace, step by step.

https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2023/07/23/outcomes-of-the-brussels-process-between-azerbaijan-and-armenia/

Armenpress: A group of young people block the Askeran-Akna road with concrete barriers

Lilit Nahapetian

 20:18,

YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS. A group of young people blocked the Askeran-Akna road with concrete barriers, ARMENPRESS reports, citing ARTSAKHPESS, activist Arshak Abrahamyan, founder of “Vernatun” youth analytical center, announced on his Facebook page.

Earlier, in a meeting with the newly appointed Russian ambassador, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov repeated Baku’s proposal that “Aghdam-Khankendi highway can be used to meet the needs of the Armenian residents of Azerbaijan”.

Since December, the Azerbaijani side has been keeping the Goris-Stepanakert road / Lachin Corridor, which is of vital importance for Artsakh, closed for various reasons. As a result of the blockade, a humanitarian crisis has unfolded in Artsakh.




Ilda Simonian’s Emotive Versions of Timeless Armenian Melodies

Lilit Nahapetian
World Music Central
 Angel Romero   No Comments  Armenian musicIlda Simonianworld music

Ilda Simonian – Heritage -Jarankutyun (Ilda Simonian, 2022)

Ilda Simonian’s album “Heritage,” released in 2022, highlights her mastery in reimagining twelve timeless Armenian melodies composed by the renowned Bishop Gomidas, also known as Komitas. Simonian skillfully arranges these traditional tunes for a string quartet, intertwining them harmoniously with the melancholic tones of the duduk, an ancient Armenian woodwind instrument made from apricot wood.

The result is a captivating and evocative soundscape that stirs feelings of nostalgia and a yearning for one’s homeland. Simonian’s enchanting and impeccable vocals breathe new life into these age-old compositions, infusing them with a renewed sense of wonder and vitality. The album explores themes such as love, longing, immigration, homesickness, village life, and the beauty of nature, reflecting the artist’s deep connection to her Armenian heritage.

Armenpress: World-renowned Armenian historian Richard G. Hovhannisyan passed away

Lilit Nahapetian

 12:48,

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. World-renowned Armenian scientist, academician of the National Academy of Armenia Richard G. Hovhannisyan passed away on July 10, in the city of Los Angeles, US, at the age of 90, Armenian Center for National and International Studies reports.

He was born and raised in Tulare, near Fresno, California, in a family of Armenian Genocide survivors.

Hovannisian received his B.A. in history (1954) from the University of California, Berkeley, and his M.A. in history (1958) and his Ph.D. (1966) from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

In 1986 Richard G. Hovhannisyan was appointed as the first holder of the Armenian Educational Foundation Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA. He is the author of the monumental four-volume tome about the First Republic of Armenia (1918-1920), as well as many books on Armenian Genocide.

His son, Raffi Hovannisian, was the first Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia

Armenian PM arrives in Georgia

Lilit Nahapetian

 16:35, 7 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has arrived in Batumi, Georgia. 

He was welcomed by Georgia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili at the Batumi International Airport, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a press release. 

The Prime Minister’s Office earlier reported that Pashinyan will meet his Georgian counterpart Irakli Garibashvili in Batumi.




Nagorno Karabakh eager to launch direct, real dialogue with Azerbaijan

Lilit Nahapetian

 12:46, 6 July 2023

STEPANAKERT, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) is most interested in dialogue with Azerbaijan, but this should meet some standards, the Nagorno Karabakh Foreign Minister Sergey Ghazaryan told reporters on July 6.

Negotiations conducted under pressure cannot be considered neither negotiations nor dialogue, he said.

There can be no dialogue as long as the Lachin Corridor is blocked, Ghazaryan added.

“We’ve been receiving various offers on organizing such meetings from representatives of various countries, and international organizations. But there are some elements that should be taken into account. Such meetings took place on February 24 and March 1 with mediation of Russian peacekeepers in their deployment base. Technical issues were discussed during that meetings, but the Azerbaijani side entirely distorted the meaning of the meetings, misrepresenting it as the launch of talks on reintegration,” Ghazaryan said, noting that this was followed by the March 5 ambush when Azeri troops shot dead three police officers in Nagorno Karabakh.

“We firmly believe that negotiations conducted under pressure cannot be called dialogue or negotiations. As long as the road is closed there won’t be dialogue in such conditions. The other side must also show that it is ready for dialogue, but if they block the road, how should we understand that the Azerbaijani side is ready for dialogue? Regular discussions are taking place on a new dialogue. The Artsakh side has numerously conveyed to the Azerbaijan side offers to meet through the Russian peacekeepers, but the offers were turned down by the Azeri side itself,” Ghazaryan said.

The Lachin Corridor must be completely unblocked and essential goods must be supplied in order to see a change in Azerbaijan’s approaches, he said.