Author: Manouk Vasilian

Over 230 films are to be presented at 44th Moscow International Film Festival

Manouk Vasilian

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 10:39,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 26, ARMENPRESS. Anton Megerdichev’s historical drama ‘Heart of Parma’ – an adaptation of Alexey Ivanov’s novel of the same name – will open the 44th Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF) on Friday. More than 230 films from 65 countries will be shown at this year’s festival, reports TASS.

The film ‘Heart of Parma’ will be released in Russian cinemas on October 6. Alexander Kuznetsov, Elena Urbankova, Sergey Puskepalis, Yevgeny Mironov, Fyodor Bondarchuk, Vitaly Kishchenko and others star in this film, written by Sergey Bodrov, Ilya Tilkin and Ksenia Datnova.

The Moscow International Film Festival is the second oldest film festival in the world after Venice. The MIFF was first held in 1935. In 1995, it was announced that the festival would become an annual event, but it did not take place in 1996 and 1998. Since 1999. the MIFF has been held every year. The president of the festival is Nikita Mikhalkov. This year, the festival takes place from August 26 to September 2.

Forecast: Geopolitical competition does not mean global changes in the South Caucasus

Manouk Vasilian
ARMINFO
Armenia – Aug 26 2022
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.Despite the sharp period of geopolitical competition for the South Caucasus, global changes in the region are not expected for Moscow in the long term. Fyodor  Lukyanov,  Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club, Chairman,  Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, Editor-in-Chief, Russia in  Global Affairs journal, expressed a similar opinion to ArmInfo.

“We understand that this period cannot but influence the general  situation in the region, including the situation in Armenia.  Accordingly, we do not exclude shake-ups, which, however, are already  taking place.  The Pashinyan-Aliyev-Michel Brussels negotiations to  be held on August 31 are also part of these processes., but, as we  see, these negotiations do not cause much concern in Moscow,” he  stressed.  Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani  President Ilham Aliyev and Council of Europe President Charles Michel  will meet on August 31 in Brussels. According to the Office of the  Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, the same issues that were  the subject of discussion in Brussels earlier will be discussed at  the meeting.

On August 20, information was spread in the mass media about the  preparation of another Putin-Pashinyan- Aliyev meeting on August 31  in Moscow. It should be noted that this is the second time that  instead of the meeting of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan  announced in Moscow, it takes place in Brussels. In total, three  Pashinyan-Aliyev meetings took place in the Brussels format.

The analyst connects the reasons for such loyalty of  Russia to the  strengthening of the role of the EU in mediation in the settlement of  Armenian-Azerbaijani problems, to the current priorities of Russia’s  foreign policy. Noting the importance for the Russian Federation of  any problems in the post-Soviet space, Lukyanov recalled that since  February 24, Ukraine has become Moscow’s priority in this very space  The reason for Moscow’s lack of proper response to all processes and  impulses in the South Caucasus, without exception, the analyst  believes is Ukraine. Hence, among other things, Moscow’s position  aimed at a long- term solution to the Karabakh conflict. The latter,  at the same time, retains all its geopolitical pillars throughout the  region, in order to intensify its own efforts and policies after the  resolution of the main Ukrainian problem.

“The South Caucasus, the post-Soviet space, like all of us, is going  through another transitional period with all the accompanying  difficulties and problems. And large and small geopolitical upheavals  are an inseparable part of it. The significance of the region for  Russia has not changed and will not change. And I don’t see any  special reasons for Moscow’s concern about the prospects for ongoing  geopolitical upheavals,” Lukyanov summed up. 

Joint staff trainings on defensive operations held under leadership of Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces of Armenia

Manouk Vasilian

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 21:15,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 25, ARMENPRESS. Under the leadership of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, Major-General Edward Asryan, joint staff trainings were held from August 23 to 25 on the topic “The work of the military management bodies of the Armenian Armed Forces at the stage of adopting the decision of the defensive operation and setting the tasks.”

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the MoD Armenia, the sequence of planned actions of structural units and military support units was determined, the actions of officials were checked in assessing the military-political situation, and adjusting the tasks of the troops according to the plan for the use of the armed forces, the abilities of the command staff for preparing and conducting combat operations, planning and managing defensive operations were improved.

During the training, the operational task was studied, the created situation was evaluated, and the formatting of all necessary documents for the management of the troops was developed.

Summarizing the results of the training, Major General Edward Asryan highly appreciated the readiness and fighting ability of the personnel and gave appropriate instructions to the commanders of the units.

Karabakh: Russia breaks silence on situation along Lachin corridor

Manouk Vasilian
PanARMENIAN
Armenia – Aug 22 2022
– 13:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The situation around the Lachin corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh should be tackled based on Paragraph 6 of the Trilateral Statement from November 9, 2020, lawmaker Taguhi Tovmasyan cited the Russian Embassy in Yerevan as saying on Monday, August 22.

The Lachin corridor currently used as connection between Armenia and Karabakh was supposed to serve its purpose at least until the fall of 2023, but Azerbaijan has built a new road and is now demanding that the corridor be moved now. Karabakh authorities have already informed the few remaining Armenian residents of the town of Berdzor and the villages of Aghavno and Sus – all three in the Lachin corridor – that no Russian peacekeepers will be left in the territory after August 25 and, therefore, they needed to leave their homes before the end of the month. However, a top Russian diplomat has said that the peacekeepers were not going to move an inch.

Tovmasyan said Monday she wrote a letter to Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopirkin to draw his attention to the fact that Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh (Karabakh) on August 1, using mortars, grenade launchers and attack UAVs and trying to cross the contact line.

The lawmaker said she then received a response from the Russian Embassy, according to which the situation in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is an important issue for Moscow.

“We would like to draw your attention to the Statement by the MFA of Russia on August 4 with regard to the escalation of the situation on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. The Ministry called the two sides to show restraint, hold the ceasefire regime and confirmed the necessity for the regulation in accordance with the Statements by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on November 10, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021. (…) Russian peacekeepers make all possible efforts to stabilize the situation on the ground. The important role of Russian peacekeeping contingent was stressed in Baku and Yerevan many times. They are sure that they totally deserve the trust. We are ready to further show any necessary support to the normalization of the ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan”, Tovmasyan cited the Russian side’s letter as saying.

The Embassay said in another letter that the situation around the Lachin corridor should be tackled based on Paragraph 6 of the Trilateral Statement.

According to Paragraph 6, “the Parties have agreed that a plan for the construction of a new route along the Lachin corridor shall be determined within the next three years, providing communication between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, with the subsequent redeployment of Russian peacekeeping troops to protect this route.”

Tovmasyan also noted that the the Russian side is said to be maintaining constant communication with the sides to settle the matter.

Expert: Based on Azerbaijan’s statements, Nakhchivan should be returned to Armenians

Manouk Vasilian
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 19 2022
Expert: Based on Azerbaijan’s statements, Nakhchivan should be returned to Armenians
22:10, 19.08.2022

If Azerbaijan considers itself the legal successor of the Azerbaijan Republic of 1918-1920 and does not recognize the Azerbaijan SSR within its borders, then we can remember that Nakhchivan was transferred to Azerbaijan during the USSR. In this case, let them return it to Armenians, famous cartographer Rouben Galichian told NEWS.am.

He reminded that from 1918 to 1936, there were no enclaves in Armenia and the USSR had created them.

“So the Azerbaijanis should not talk about them either, as well as about Allich, which was also handed over to them by the USSR. Everything that was handed over by the Soviet authorities should be returned to Armenians,” Galichian noted.

The expert reminded once again that the document on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan was ratified back in 1969 on the basis of the maps of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces.

“The Azerbaijanis have seriously advanced from this border deep into Armenia in the areas of Sevlich, Shroja, David Bek. Until they withdraw their troops beyond the border line, the document on which Azerbaijan itself ratified, we should not start the process of delimitation and demarcation,” he said.

Husband and wife rescuers, with two SAR Belgian Malinois dogs, race against time to find survivors in Yerevan blast

Manouk Vasilian

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 13:42,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, ARMENPRESS. Oxana and Denis, a married couple who are trained rescuers specializing in K9-assisted search-and-rescue (SAR) operations working for “@fire International Disaster Response Germany”, were spending their weekend in the mountainous Armenian countryside when they heard the news of the explosion in the Surmalu trading center in Yerevan on August 14.

Photos by Hayk Manukyan

Oxana, from Russia, and Denis, from Belgium, were contacted by their longtime colleagues from the Armenian Rescue Service with whom they had participated in international exercises and maintain close cooperation. They immediately raced back to Yerevan, geared up and arrived at the Surmalu market with Sheeva and Shakti – two highly trained search-and-rescue Belgian Malinois dogs.

Oxana and Denis (pictured in yellow protective gear) stand in the rubble at the Surmalu trade center in Yerevan which was hit by a powerful explosion on August 14.

The Belgian Malinois dogs are extremely versatile and are frequently trained for use as assistance dogs, detection dogs, guard dogs, guide dogs, police dogs, and search and rescue dogs.

“We were hiking on a mountain outside Yerevan but we immediately returned to the city upon hearing the news of the explosion. We have a daughter, we didn’t know with whom to leave her which caused some additional difficulties and that’s why we arrived at the scene a bit late, some 6 hours after the blast, but even if we had arrived earlier the search-and-rescue dogs couldn’t have been used because there were still some explosions and fire happening. First it is necessary to ensure minimal safe conditions for rescuers and dogs and then start the work. But even in this difficult conditions the Armenian rescuers did an excellent job and were able to save lives from the very beginning,” Oxana told ARMENPRESS.

Oxana at the blast site assisting in the search-and-rescue efforts for more than 48 hours

@fire International Disaster Response Germany has more than 400 members and provides support during disasters anywhere around the world. The search-and-rescue Belgian Malinois dogs Shakti and Sheeva were trained in the organization.  

“Our organization supports in tackling wildfires, explosions and earthquakes. Now some of our members are battling wildfires in Germany. Our organization provided support in the aftermath of the 2020 powerful explosion in Beirut as well,” Oxana said.

She once again praised the Armenian rescuers for their good work in such chaotic and difficult conditions.

Oxana and an Armenian rescuer inspecting the blast site after the search-and-rescue dog detected indication of a trapped person under the rubble

“The more time passes the less chances for finding anyone alive under the rubble, especially when there is fire and smoke. These were very difficult conditions. I am aware that there are questions in the society as to why the search and rescue operations aren’t proceeding faster. I can say the following, the work can’t be done any faster, this requires some time. These were very difficult conditions and the rescuers did an excellent job. This wasn’t the first time we worked together with the Armenian rescue service and our joint work was excellent. Yesterday night (August 16) our dogs were able to detect indication of a missing person after which rescuers began searching,” Oxana said.

Oxana and Sheeva – the highly trained Belgian malinois search-and-rescue dog searching for people trapped in the rubble

Oxana and Denis are working in Armenia for already 1 year.

“This is a small world. I met the Armenian rescuers during international exercises. We help each other, it was that way before, and I think it will be the case in the future as well,” Oxana concluded.

Sheeva asking for appreciation for job-well-done. 

Article by Karen Khachatryan

Photos by Hayk Manukyan




Armenian Ambassador to Kyiv raises issue of POWs held in Azerbaijan

Manouk Vasilian
ARMINFO
Armenia – Aug 8 2022
Marianna Mkrtchyan

ArmInfo. In an interview with the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukrain, Armenian Ambassador to Kyiv Vladimir Karapetyan raised the issue of Armenian  prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan.

Vladimir Karapetyan noted that Azerbaijan claims that 38 Armenian  servicemen are in captivity, while the Armenian side believes that  there are another 26 servicemen also in captivity.  Vladimir  Karapetyan noted that Azerbaijan claims that there are 38 Armenian  servicemen in captivity, while the Armenian side is convinced that  the number of servicemen in captivity is 26 more than indicated.

The ambassador stressed that there was an agreement at the highest  level that the exchange of prisoners should be based on the  principle: “all for all.” The Armenian side handed over all the  prisoners, even criminals convicted under completely different  articles, including murder.  According to the ambassador, the  Armenian side has relevant documentary evidence, video recordings, as  well as testimonies of prisoners who have already returned to  Armenia.  Karapetyan added that the Azerbaijani side released part of  the Armenian servicamen in exchange for maps of minefields.  “The  leadership of Armenia, as a manifestation of goodwill, handed over  maps of minefields that we had at our disposal since the 1990s, since  the first Karabakh war,” the ambassador explained, “Armenpress”  reports.  The diplomat emphasized that the handed over maps  significantly reduced the number of people who died due to landmines.  

“Despite the fact that Azerbaijan publicly and repeatedly complained  about some inaccuracy of these maps, however, after their transfer,  the number of explosions significantly decreased, there were only one  or two accidents. Our maps are quite accurate, but the elapsed time  must also be taken into account,” he concluded.  

It is worth noting that the exact number of prisoners of war and  civilians held in Azerbaijani captivity after the large-scale  military aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh in the fall of 2020  is still not known.  According to experts, there are several hundred  of them. Baku confirms that there are 38 prisoners of war.  Armenian  prisoners of war and civilians are subjected to inhuman treatment and  torture in captivity. Many of them have been sentenced to long-term  prison terms in fabricated criminal cases.

Pakistan, Turkey sign trade agreement

Manouk Vasilian

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 14:28,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 12, ARMENPRESS. Pakistan and Turkey signed a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) for promoting trade liberalization and enhancing bilateral trade, Turkish media reported.

The PTA includes provisions on bilateral safeguards, balance of payment exceptions, dispute settlement, among others.

The agreement was signed by Pakistani Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar and Turkish Minister of Trade Mehmet Mus in the presence of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

EU calls for ‘cessation of hostilities’ between Armenia and Azerbaijan after renewed clashes

Manouk Vasilian
euronews
Aug 4 2022
EU calls for ‘cessation of hostilities’ between Armenia and Azerbaijan after renewed clashes

The European Union has for a “cessation of hostilities” between Armenia and Azerbaijan after several soldiers were reportedly killed during renewed clashes in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The flare-up of tensions between the two countries took place “around the Lachin corridor and other places along the Line of Contact,” a statement from the EU’s External Action said on Wednesday. 

European Council President Charles Michel is meanwhile “closely engaged” with the leaders of both countries and has spoken with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, an EU official said on Thursday. He will speak to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev “soon”.

“His team and the EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar have been in intense contact with both sides over the past days, to push for immediate de-escalation and progress on all agenda items on the table via dialogue,” the official added. 

The two countries have blamed each other for the latest tensions. The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said one of its servicemen “died of a bullet wound” during the clashes while Armenia’s PM Pashinyan said on Thursday that two of his country’s servicemen “were killed.”

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a violent war in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union over control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region — a mountainous territory nestled between the two countries — in which an estimated 30,000 people died.

A six-week flare-up of tensions in 2020 led to an estimated 6,500 deaths and ended after a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement under which Armenia ceded large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Moscow also deployed some 2,000 soldiers it says are on a peacekeeping mission.


Forecast: With the surrender of Berdzor, Azerbaijani military blackmail will not stop

Manouk Vasilian
ARMINFO
Armenia – Aug 5 2022
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.The purpose of the latest Azerbaijani attacks on the positions of the Artsakh Defense Army is to force Armenia to build a road bypassing Berdzor in order to  surrender it. Political scientist Armen Vardanyan expressed a similar  opinion to ArmInfo. 

“And I absolutely do not expect such a policy of military blackmail  to stop after the construction of this road.  Baku’s recent military  provocations were just a warning and ultimatum. And they will  continue until they come across either a symmetrical response or  diplomatic agreements. One way or another , but Aliyev clearly does  not intend to make concessions on the issue of Berdzor. So the  surrender of the city is only a matter of time,” he said.

In making this forecast, the political scientist relies on the fact  of the inaction of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh,  which is absolutely not going to somehow interfere in the hostilities  in the territory under its control. And after the withdrawal of the  last units from Armenia, the Artsakh Defense Army will obviously not  be able to resist the large-scale Azerbaijani aggression.

“The inaction of the peacekeepers is explained simply – their goal is  not at all to protect the people of Artsakh at the cost of their own  lives. Moscow’s goal is monopoly control over the  Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict through its own military. In other  words, their goal is not peacekeeping, but geopolitics. And the  results of the clashes in the corridor in this sense are not new at  all. We have already encountered a similar situation in Khtsaberd and  Parukh,” Vardanyan recalled.

According to the political scientist, against such a background, the  only possible step for Armenia is to contain the militant impulses of  Baku by military means. Since the possibility of a serious  counteraction to Azerbaijani aggression by the Russian Federation, at  best, may be  in 2025, after the end of the term of deployment of the  Russian military in Artsakh.  And this is only if Baku demands their  immediate withdrawal. Commenting on the second, “corridor” vector of  Azerbaijani pressure on Armenia, Vardanyan noted that Baku’s attempts  to break through an extraterritorial corridor through Syunik are  unlikely to succeed. According to him, such a scenario is a red line  for Armenia. And any attempts by Aliyev to break through the corridor  by force will run into opposition from Iran, the West, and possibly  Russia,” the political scientist summed up.