Author: Manouk Vasilian

Detailed planning, implementation of steps for creating Ministry of Interior to be the biggest challenge – Ombudswoman

Manouk Vasilian

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 12:47,

YEREVAN, JULY 12, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender Kristinne Grigoryan says the detailed planning and implementation of steps and stages to create a Ministry of Internal Affairs in Armenia is going to be the biggest challenge because this is the largest re-organization.

During the parliamentary hearings today over the creation of the ministry of interior, the Ombudsperson said while making such structural changes in any country it is necessary to take into account the governance system, traditions and culture.

“Issues of internal security in any country cannot be considered separately from the external security challenges. The unique security environment in our country after the 44-day war and probably now will directly dictate principles for the formation of the ministry of internal affairs”, she said, adding that the Police should operate professionally and should protect the public.

She emphasized that the Police should get a proper education, be guided by laws and rules and should have an opportunity for constant professional education.

Armenia opposition lawmaker announces when they will start process of removing PM Pashinyan from power

Manouk Vasilian
NEWS.am
Armenia –
13:56, 11.07.2022

The formation of the councils of the offices is in full swing; councils of the Resistance Movement have been formed in virtually all provinces. Opposition MP Ishkhan Saghatelyan, who is also coordinator of Armenia’s Resistance Movement, told this to a press conference Monday

“Yes, we hold a rally once a week, on the rest of the days, a huge amount of work is done which is not visible to the public. All the gaps, organizational difficulties that we had, all of that is recorded, and a huge amount of work is being done to eliminate these gaps.

Councils of the movement are being formed in all provinces so that the movement is transferred in full to the provinces as well. In addition to the main [political] parties, we also engage various individuals, able forces.

Second, we have created eight committees, commissions which carry out very specific works in that regard. After completing these works, at some phase their results will be obvious to you. I assure [you] that we work at the same pace, but we also do back-office work,” he said.

Saghatelyan stated that the second president of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, also participated in the opposition rallies and will participate in them in the near future as well, and there is no problem in this regard.

Reflecting on the matter of political prisoners in Armenia, the opposition lawmaker said that they failed in this regard and the international community did not receive accurate respective reports from Armenia, and many of them were hearing this matter for the first time.

“But at least the issues that were covered up will be paid attention to from now on; in this sense there will be a change.”

As for starting the process of removing PM Nikol Pashinyan from power, the opposition figure stated: “I did not say that we have started the dismissal process as of August 2. As I said: as of August 2, another one is being added to our [relevant] mechanism: the possibility of dismissal. I said clearly, we will enter into that process only when there are sufficient grounds for achieving success. We will not enter as a formality into that process. And it is obvious that those grounds exist in legal and political terms. That process will end successfully only if the nationwide movement reaches the point where there will no longer be an alternative. Regarding [the opposition factions] returning to the parliament, I have said [that] we will return to the parliament solely with our agenda,” Saghatelyan said.

India has yet to receive official proposal from Armenian side about the "Persian Gulf – Black Sea" corridor. Ambassador

Manouk Vasilian

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 19:07, 8 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. Official Delhi appreciates Armenia’s strong interest in having direct transport and economic link with India and wants Armenia to be directly linked with India in any possible way, Ambassador of India to Armenia Kishan Dan Dewal said in an exclusive interview with ARMENPRESS on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, commenting on the North-South international transport corridor and Iran’s initiative of “Persian Gulf-Black Sea” international transport corridor.

According to the Ambassador, Iran’s Chabahar port, located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, has been developed with Indian investment, and India would like Armenia to use Chabahar port for the benefit of both countries.

“As for the “Persian Gulf – Black Sea” corridor, we have yet to receive an official proposal from the Armenian side, but negotiations are already underway. As you know, we have developed Chabahar Port in Iran and with Indian investment, Chabahar Port can be very valuable for transiting Armenian goods that can be transported through Iranian territory to Armenia and to the Black Sea. We have positive approach to this issue and will discuss it with the Armenian side,” Ambassador Dewal said.

Trade and economic ties between Armenia and Spain reach to the sky. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain

Manouk Vasilian

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 20:33, 6 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. The opening of the resident diplomatic representation of the Kingdom of Spain in Yerevan, which will take place in the near future, shows Spain’s interest in strengthening its relations with Armenia, the correspondent of ARMENPRESS reports that the Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno announced after meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

Reminding that this year Spain and Armenia are marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, the Spanish Foreign Minister emphasized that Spain and Armenia have excellent relations.

“This year, in 2022, we are marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations, and this is one of the reasons for my Armenian colleague’s visit. During these thirty years, we have built and expanded our relations,” said the Spanish Foreign Minister.

According to José Manuel Albares Bueno, his meeting with Ararat Mirzoyan and the Spanish government’s decision to establish a Spanish resident diplomatic mission in Yerevan show Spain’s special interest in strengthening its relations with Armenia and increasing the Kingdom’s presence in the South Caucasus region.

Both the Foreign Minister of Armenia and the Foreign Minister of Spain emphasized in their speech that sending the first Armenian satellite into space is the result of the excellent joint work of the Armenian state company “Geocosmos” and the Spanish company “Satlantis”.

“Our trade and economic ties have great potential and they literally reach to the sky, as the first Armenian satellite was sent into space in May of this year thanks to the joint project of Armenian and Spanish companies. There are also great opportunities for cooperation in various fields such as infrastructure, agriculture, transportation and renewable energy,” said the Spanish Foreign Minister.

Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan is on a working visit to the Kingdom of Spain on July 5-7. Within the framework of the visit, the Armenian Foreign Minister had meetings with the President of the Spanish Congress of Deputies Meritxell Batet and Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno. A meeting with Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization Zurab Pololikashvili is also scheduled.




Defense minister: Structural changes in Armenia army leadership are necessary

Manouk Vasilian
NEWS.am
Armenia – July 6 2022
15:32, 06.07.2022

Structural changes in the leadership of the Armed Forces of Armenia are a necessity. Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan stated this at Wednesday’s special meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defense and Security.

According to him, the respective matter is particularly about endowing the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces with the functions of the First Deputy Minister of Defense.

The defense minister noted that during the last years, two institutions were basically formed within one defense department, which, in his opinion, has violated the effective operation of the defense system in Armenia and created additional bureaucratic problems.

However, in the event of a war, the main political accountability, according to the minister of defense, falls on the shoulders of the defense minister of Armenia.

“And every official must have willpower to fulfill his powers. From this point of view, the changes assumed by the government decide as clearly as possible the scope of accountability of each official,” said Papikyan.

By and large, the defense minister believes that the proposed changes will make the defense ministry of Armenia more monolithic.

Also, he noted that within the defense structures of Armenia one can often come across divisions whose functions are repeated. According to the Minister of Defense, this is simply unacceptable.

Georgia bans exports of wheat and barley

Manouk Vasilian

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 12:11, 4 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 4, ARMENPRESS. The Georgian government’s decision to ban exports of wheat and barley came into effect today, on July 4, reports TASS.

The decision was adopted in late June and will remain into force until July 2023.

The decision, however, does not ban the export of Georgian corn.

According to the Georgian national statistical service, the country exported over 1,400 tons of wheat to Armenia(worth $365,000) in 2021, 49 tons to Turkey ($16,000) and 40 tons to Ukraine ($10,000).

Moscow Says Armenia Must Retain Sovereignty Over Zengezur And Azerbaijan Over Lachin – OpEd

Manouk Vasilian
June 29 2022
 June 29, 2022  

By Paul Goble

In Moscow’s latest move on the Qarabagh dispute, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that Armenia must retain sovereignty over what many call the Nakhichevan corridor through Zengezur and that Azerbaijan must maintain sovereignty over what has long been called the Lachin corridor between Armenia and what was Artsakh.

On the one hand, this reflects a Moscow tilt toward Yerevan as Armenia has objected to any talk of an Azerbaijani corridor through Zengezur; but on the other, it gives Baku something it has long wanted, clear support for Azerbaijani sovereignty over the Lachin corridor, something it can use to control the movement of people and goods between Armenia and Stepanakert

Lavrov’s words may allow Yerevan and Baku to make progress on delimiting the state border between them because they would appear to suggest that Moscow doesn’t want the area around Lachin to be the stumbling block to such an effort. Many observers had suggested that the two Caucasian countries will have little difficulty in drawing the border except near Lachin.

That is because drawing the border there would mean an acknowledgement by Armenia that the corridor is within Azerbaijan rather than a lifeline to what Yerevan hopes will be to a revived Armenian community or even political entity in and around Stepanakert protected by Russian “peacekeepers.”

Now, Moscow has come down on Azerbaijan’s side on this issue, something that will undercut European efforts to keep open the question of the final status of Qarabagh. But at the same time, Moscow has sweetened the deal for Armenia by taking a harder line on Zengezur/Syunik and insisting that there be no talk of an Azerbaijani-controlled corridor there.

Moscow clearly expects that the only way to make these twin positions work is for the Russian troops and border guards in both places to remain in place and that if that occurs, it will be Russia rather than the European Union that will be in a position to resolve or at least continue to exploit the Qarabagh conflict in the future (kavkaz-uzel.eu/blogs/83772/posts/55109).

Paul Goble is a longtime specialist on ethnic and religious questions in Eurasia. Most recently, he was director of research and publications at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. Earlier, he served as vice dean for the social sciences and humanities at Audentes University in Tallinn and a senior research associate at the EuroCollege of the University of Tartu in Estonia. He has served in various capacities in the U.S. State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency and the International Broadcasting Bureau as well as at the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 

https://www.eurasiareview.com/29062022-moscow-says-armenia-must-retain-sovereignty-over-zengezur-and-azerbaijan-over-lachin-oped/

UK commits a further £500,000 to landmine disposal in Armenia and Azerbaijan

Manouk Vasilian
   June 30 2022
Press release

The funding will enable the United Nations Development Programme to help with training and expert advice in effective mine clearance.

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and The Rt Hon James Cleverly MP
Published
30 June 2022

  • the UK Government makes second contribution of £500,000 to support the clearance of landmines in Armenia and Azerbaijan

  • funding will enable the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help with training and expert advice in effective mine clearance. The UK’s contribution to demining in this region – one of the most contaminated with land mines and unexploded ordnance in the world – now totals over £1 million

The UK Government is providing a further £500,000 to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support land mine clearance in Armenia and Azerbaijan.

New funding will provide vital training and expert advice to make the area safe, prevent injuries and save lives.

Minister for Europe and North America, James Cleverly, said:

This UK contribution will harness the UN’s expertise, reduce the risks to civilian life in both Armenia and Azerbaijan, and allow people to rebuild their lives.

In the spirit of protecting all the peoples of the region, the UK urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign the UN conventions that seek to eliminate the use of anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions. We encourage the authorities to ensure the UN and other humanitarian agencies are able to contribute fully to supporting peace and development across all parts of the region.

The latest contribution brings total UK funding for demining to over £1 million since the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2020. It builds on the UK’s £1 million donation to the International Committee of the Red Cross in 2020.

The region is one of the most contaminated with land mines and unexploded ordnance in the world.

  • launched in 2015, the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) is a cross government fund which works to build peace and stability in countries at risk of instability and in regions suffering from long running conflicts

  • the CSSF operates in over 80 countries and territories, delivering more than 90 programmes and combines Official Development Assistance (ODA) and other, non-ODA funding sources

Media enquiries

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Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-commits-a-further-500000-to-landmine-disposal-in-armenia-and-azerbaijan

CoE: Shaping a vision for future decentralised governance in Armenia

Manouk Vasilian
June 30 2022
CO-OPERATION YEREVAN, ARMENIA 30 JUNE 2022

“Armenia has an excellent opportunity to embark on the path of decentralisation and building a system of multi-level governance in the post-amalgamation context” stressed Bernd Vöhringer (Germany, EPP/CCE), President of the Congress Chamber of Local Authorities, at the opening of the conference on decentralisation in Armenia, in Yerevan on 28 June 2022. 

Congress Rapporteur Bryony Rudkin (United Kingdom, SOC/G/PD), presented the Congress recommendation on local democracy in Armenia, adopted in June 2021 following the monitoring of the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in the country. She particularly highlighted the importance of consultations with local authorities, raised the issue of the limited role of local authorities in delivering public services, and particularly stressed that the powers of the municipalities had not been extended to allow them to regulate and manage a substantial share of public affairs under their own responsibilities. 

The Conference allowed representatives of local and national authorities, including from 26 communities as well as the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Justice and the Cabinet of the Deputy Prime Minister, to discuss the immediate needs of local communities in the post-amalgamation context, as well as the roles of the stakeholders and their actions in the decentralisation process. 

Participants also discussed the risks and opportunities presented by decentralisation for open and ethical local governance. Vladimir Prebilic (Slovenia, SOC/G/PD) Congress Spokesperson on ethics and prevention of corruption, underlined that “while decentralisation carries risks of corruption, this can only happen in the absence of proper safeguard mechanisms and procedures”. He pointed to the need to establish mechanisms of ensuring accountability and integrity that lead to increased trust of citizens in their local elected representatives and in public institutions.

The Conference was organised by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, under the project “Strengthening the Communities Association of Armenia and Transparent, Participatory Local Governance in Armenia”. The project is implemented by the Congress within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2019-2022, with the financial support of the Government of Switzerland in the framework of the Swiss Program for the improvement of the local self-governance system in Armenia 2019-2023.


Lawyers warn of new violation in Avetik Chalabyan’s case

Manouk Vasilian
Panorama
Armenia – July 2 2022

Lawyers of arrested opposition activist Avetik Chalabyan have sounded the alarm on another violation in their client’s case concerning the assignment of an appeal against his arrest.

The defense appealed against the decision of a Yerevan first instance court to reject a request for Chalabyan’s release to a higher court. The appeal was first automatically assigned to a judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, but then “manually” passed to another judge, the legal team quoted lawyer Varazdat Harutyunyan as saying on social media.

According to the lawyer, on Friday the Court of Appeals said that judge Arshak Vardanyan had been appointed to the case, but today it turned out that the case had been unlawfully passed to lawyer Tigran Simonyan, who has the lowest rating on HelpCourt, a review site for judges, the legal team said in a statement.

Chalabyan was arrested on May 12 for allegedly trying to pay students of the Armenian National Agrarian University to participate in anti-government protests in Yerevan. He has denied the charges as politically motivated.

Chalabyan is a co-founder of Arar Foundation, a charity supporting the Armenian army as well as border villages in Armenia and Artsakh.