Author: Maral Takmazian

State minister: Artsakh cannot be part of Azerbaijan with any status

Maral Takmazian
Panorama
Armenia –

Artsakh’s State Minister Artak Beglaryan has responded to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s fake claims at the April 12 meeting of his cabinet.

“President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made new statements and fake claims over Artsakh at the government meeting on April 12.

1. Despite of Aliyev’s statement, the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict has not been settled, and it should be done with international support primarily through unconditional and unlimited realization of right to self-determination of the Artsakh people.

2. In addition to sufficient legal and historical basis, the genocidal policy against Armenians and systemic policy of Armenophobia by Azerbaijan especially in the recent 34 years are additional reasons to say that Artsakh cannot be part of Azerbaijan with any status.

3. The armed forces of Artsakh have never opened fire at the Khachen reservoir and Akna (Aghdam) from Parukh and Karaglukh, and if Aliyev has contrary evidence, he can publish it. Instead, prior to the Parukh occupation, the Azerbaijani side were carrying out provocations, firing mortars at civilian communities.

4. It is not a “good will” to deliberately explode the gas pipeline and then restore it with delays,” Beglaryan said in a statement on Thursday.

Ontario declares May of each year as “Armenian Heritage Month"

Maral Takmazian
PanARMENIAN
Armenia – April 5 2022
April 5, 2022 – 16:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Ontario Legislative Assembly has unanimously approved a bill declaring May of each year as “Armenian Heritage Month,” Asbarez reports.

Bill 105 was sponsored by Scarborough-Agincourt Member of the Provincial Parliament (MPP) Aris Babikian. The Ontario Legislative Assembly is the first legislature in Canada to adopt such a measure to honor and pay tribute to Canadian-Armenian contribution to Canadian society.

“I am overwhelmed by the unanimous and unwavering support and solidarity of my colleagues in the Legislative Assembly,” said Babikian after the adoption of the bill. “I am humbled to be their colleague and represent the people of Scarborough-Agincourt in the Ontario house of democracy.”

“My heartfelt gratitude to Ministers Paul Calandar (Markham-Stouffville, Stephen Lecce (King-Vaughan), Lisa Macleod (Nepean), and colleagues Robin Martin (Eglinton-Lawrence), Vincent Ke (Don Valley North), Effie Traintafilopoulos ( Oakville-Burlington), Logan Kanapathi (Markham-Thornhill), Jennifer Stevens (St. Catharines), and Gurratan Singh (Brampton-Center) for their camaraderie and heartfelt expressions,” added Babikian. “I am proud to sponsor this Bill and uphold the memory of our pioneers who sacrificed so much so that the community may thrive and make it a model for so many other groups.”

In his speech, MPP Babikian cited the history of the Armenians in Ontario, the establishment of various Armenian communities in the province, Canada’s noble experiment in helping Armenian Genocide survivors and orphans, and why May was selected as the month to celebrate Ontario Armenians. In his speech, Babikian mentioned the names of some of the renowned Ontario Armenians who have left their indelible impact on Ontario daily life.

On April 24, 1915, a large group of Armenian intellectuals was rounded up and assassinated in Constantinople by the Ottoman government. On April 24, 2022, Armenians worldwide will be commemorating the 107th anniversary of the Genocide which continued until 1923. Some three dozen countries, hundreds of local government bodies and international organizations have so far recognized the killings of 1.5 million Armenians as Genocide. Turkey denies to this day.

U.S. sanctions failed, claims Russian Duma Speaker

Maral Takmazian

Save

Share

 09:47, 6 April, 2022

YEREVAN, APRIL 6, ARMENPRESS. The Speaker of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin claims that the US sanctions against Russia not only failed to dismantle the Russian banking system but are actually harming US citizens.

“Washington’s plans failed. The ‘hellish’ sanctions did not work. They were hoping to destroy the economy and bring down the Russian banking system. They failed,” Volodin said in a statement on social media.

He further claimed that Russia has sufficient resources to fulfill its obligations in transactions even in conditions of sanctions.

Volodin added that the situation created by the US is harming US citizens themselves.

Politician: The solution of the Artsakh problem is in the "remedial secession"

Maral Takmazian
ARMINFO
Armenia – April 7 2022
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.The solution to the problem of Artsakh in the current geopolitical realities seems to be in the implementation of the principle of international law –  remedial secession – secession for the sake of salvation.  Leader of  the party Aram Sargsyan expressed a similar opinion to  ArmInfo.

“I think that the time has come to take the initiative in the Artsakh  issue. The leadership of Armenia, by all its actions and behavior,  clearly demonstrated to the international community its own  unwillingness to seize any territories through military force. This  was a direct message to the international community, which, according  to my information, was properly appreciated,” he said.

According to politican, Yerevan’s second step in this direction is  the need for Armenia to recognize the independence of Kosovo.  According to him, nothing prevents Armenia from taking this step  today, there are simply no obstacles on this path. In this light,  Sargsyan recalled that Kosovo was recognized by the international  community precisely within the framework of the “secession for the  sake of salvation” principle. Otherwise, the Kosovo Albanians would  simply be forcibly deported. And by recognizing the independence of  Kosovo today, Armenia, in his opinion, will clearly demonstrate the  existence of clear parallels between the inhabitants of Kosovo and  the inhabitants of Artsakh, as well as between their problems.

Sargsyan describes all the recent actions of the Aliyev regime  against the people of Artsakh, in Parukh, Karaglukh, the explosion of  the gas pipeline, etc., as manifestations of ethnic cleansing, with a  clear intention to forcibly evict the people of Artsakh  from their  own homes. 

In this light, he drew parallels with the once-Armenian Nakhichevan,  whose population had been subjected to similar oppression for  decades. As a result, Nakhijevan became part of Azerbaijan after not  a single Armenian remained there.

In the opinion of the politician, one should not rely on the solution  of the Artsakh problem and in ensuring the security of the people of  Artsakh on Russian peacekeepers as well. According to his forecasts,  the Russian military will not stay in Artsakh forever and will leave  sooner or later, despite all the calls and entreaties of the  pro-Russian parties in Armenia and Artsakh. After that, Artsakh will  have no choice but to share the fate of Nakhijevan.

“That is why it is necessary to act here and now, within the  framework of international law. And I do not think at all that the  issue of the status of Artsakh was discussed in Brussels on April 6.  Discussion of this issue is the prerogative of the OSCE Minsk Group,  which US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made clear to Nikol  Pashinyan and Aliyev on April 5 by phone,” Sargsyan summed up.

Following the talks between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan,  Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and European Council President  Charles Michel in Brussels on April 6, an agreement was reached to  establish a bilateral commission on the delimitation of the border  between Armenia and Azerbaijan by the end of April. The trilateral  talks in Brussels were preceded by separate meetings between the head  of the European Council and the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan.   An agreement on the establishment of the commission was reached in  Brussels in accordance with the statement adopted on November 26,  2021 in Sochi. The commission will also deal with issues of ensuring  security and stability along the entire perimeter of the border. The  leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan instructed the foreign ministers to  begin work on preparing peace talks. 

Putin talks with PM of Armenia on Nagorno-Karabakh

Maral Takmazian
India –


By

 Suman Munshi

 –

The Presidents discussed the outcome of Ilham Aliyev’s April 6 talks in Brussels with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. They stressed the need to fully implement the agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh between the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia, as well as to step up the efforts of the trilateral working group on developing economic ties and transport links in the region.

They also discussed the launch of the delimitation of the Azerbaijan-Armenia border and preparations of the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The leaders reaffirmed their mutual commitment to continue close interaction on the current agenda of bilateral relations.

















Russian peacekeepers deal with Parukh incident, clarifications needed – FM Lavrov

Maral Takmazian

Save

Share1

 17:16, 8 April, 2022

YEREVAN, APRIL 8, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented on the March 24 incursion of the Azerbaijani armed forces into Parukh village of the Republic of Artsakh, stating that the Russian peacekeepers are examining all the circumstances of the incident.

During today’s joint press conference with Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Moscow, the Russian FM said he has discussed this issue during the meeting with Mirzoyan.

“The circumstances there are not completely clear. I do not want to go ahead now, let me not make a final judgment. We are convinced that our Armenian friends fully trust the Russian peacekeeping contingent. The calls for holding accountable, launching an internal investigation do not reflect the real attitude of the Armenian people and the leadership of Armenia and the big role that the Russian peacekeeping contingent plays for ensuring stability in the region. Yes, small incidents are taking place, and our servicemen are dealing with this particular incident. There are things there that need clarification”, he said.

In his turn Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said Armenia continues to believe that the Russian peacekeeping contingent will manage to restore the status-quo in Nagorno Karabakh, and that Azerbaijan will return to its initial positions.

“As I have already said, the peacekeeping contingent has been deployed in Nagorno Karabakh for ensuring the status-quo of 2020 November 9 and protecting the security of the population of Nagorno Karabakh. We continue to believe that the status-quo will be restored, and the Russian peacekeepers will continue fulfilling their important function and mission”, the Armenian FM said.

Armenia says it agrees Karabakh peace talks with Azerbaijan, will discuss border

Maral Takmazian
Reuters
April 7 2022
Reuters

April 6 (Reuters) – Armenia and Azerbaijan on Wednesday agreed to peace talks to address tensions over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which borders both nations, the office of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan’s office released a statement after he held talks in Brussels with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev. The two men also agreed that by the end of April they would set up a bilateral commission to delimit the joint border, the statement said.

“The Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan instructed their foreign ministers to begin preparations for peace talks between the two countries,” the statement said. European Council President Charles Michel also attended the Brussels meeting.

Both Russia and the United States had expressed concern about recent developments.

In 2020, Azeri troops drove ethnic Armenian forces out of swathes of territory they had controlled since the 1990s in and around Nagorno-Karabakh before Russia brokered a ceasefire.

Armenia said last month it expected Russia to take action to make Azerbaijan withdraw troops from an area of Nagorno-Karabakh policed by Russian peacekeepers. Azerbaijan said the area was its sovereign territory. read more

Pashinyan’s office also said the two sides agreed to create “a bilateral commission on the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which will also be authorized to deal with questions of ensuring security and stability along the border.” It did not give details.

Reporting by David Ljunggren and Ron Popeski; Editing by Leslie Adler
https://www.reuters.com/world/armenia-says-it-has-agreed-peace-talks-with-azerbaijan-over-karabakh-2022-04-06/
ALSO READ
https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/armenia-says-it-has-agreed-to-peace-talks-with-azerbaijan-over-karabakh
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-703454
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-04-07/Armenia-says-to-talk-peace-discuss-border-with-Azerbaijan-191WTFXRBEk/index.html

Ruben Rubinyan, Ambassador of France discuss regional situation

Maral Takmazian

Save

Share

 18:40, 4 April, 2022

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, ARMENPRESS. At the meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of France to Armenia Anne Louyot, the Vice President of the National Assembly Ruben Rubinyan presented the situation in the Nagorno Karabakh created as a result of the invasion of the Azerbaijani armed forces, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia.

According to Ruben Rubinyan, the policy of Azerbaijan is aimed at the eviction of Armenians from Artsakh.

The Ambassador considered the current situation in Artsakh concerning.

Other issues related to the regional security were also discussed.

The sides also exchanged ideas on the dialogue process between Armenia and Turkey.

Baku claims Russian peacekeepers relocated from Karabakh to Ukraine, Moscow denies reports

Maral Takmazian
March 30 2022


  • JAMnews
  • Baku

Russian peacekeepers left Karabakh

Since the beginning of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, large number of equipment and personnel of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh left this territory along the Lachin corridor twice. According to data from Baku, confirmed by the Ukrainian side, Russian servicemen have been transferred to Ukraine. The Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan denied this information, but Azerbaijani sources prove that it is, indeed, true, and provide video materials as evidence.

  • “Anti-Russian front in Caucasus?” – Moscow and Baku exchange accusations amid escalation in Karabakh
  • ‘Triarchy’ in Karabakh? Conflicting reports from Armenian, Russian, Azerbaijani state agencies
  • Russian MP threatened Azerbaijan with a nuclear strike, the Kremlin had to intervene

On March 9, 2022, the Azerbaijani caliber.az portal, known for its closeness to the authorities of the country, released a video about the withdrawal of “almost half” of the military equipment and personnel of the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in Karabakh since the signing of a tripartite statement dated November 10, 2020.

The source indicated that the footage was captured by the surveillance cameras installed by the Azerbaijani side in the area of the Lachin corridor.

Some time later, sources in Ukraine spread the news about the arrival of parts of Russian troops withdrawn from the territory of Armenia.

On March 26, another group of military equipment and personnel of Russian peacekeepers left Karabakh.

“Russians have withdrawn 4 pieces of UAZ patriot, 1 pc. of Tiger, 3 pcs. of KamAZ (kung, repair vehicle and fuel truck), one Ural and one GAZ-66”, the source notes.

Interestingly, this happened almost immediately after the Azerbaijani army occupied the village of Farrukh and the height of Dashbashi in the east of Karabakh, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent was temporarily stationed.

Escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh, as the Armenian Foreign Ministry reports that “Azerbaijani invasion in the zone of reponsibility of Russian peacekeepers continues”. Baku refutes Armenia’s reports

During a press conference on March 30, a journalist from the Azerbaijani agency ARA addressed the Russian Ambassador to Baku, Mikhail Bocharnikov, with a question:

“The Intelligence Service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine published information about the transfer of troops from Karabakh to Ukraine. Some time ago, images of the redeployment of Russian peacekeepers circulated on social media. What can you say about this, have the peacekeepers moved from Karabakh to Ukraine?”

Bocharnikov denied the information and answered the question very briefly:

“No, this is not true. Peacekeepers from Karabakh did not go to Ukraine”.

Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense

In his commentary on the issue of the transfer of Russian military personnel from Karabakh to Ukraine, Azerbaijani political scientist Zardusht Alizade partly confirmed the words of the ambassador. According to him, the peacekeepers left Karabakh, however, not for Ukraine, but for Armenia. In turn, Russian servicemen stationed in Armenia went to Ukraine.

“Peacekeepers from Karabakh were sent to the 102nd part of the Russian army, located in the city of Gyumri in Armenia. In turn, Russian servicemen of this unit went to Ukraine. Let me explain what is the reason for such castling.

About 5,000 servicemen serve in the military unit in Gyumri. Of these, about 3,500 military personnel are citizens of Armenia. They are there on the basis of a military contract and receive a salary from the Russian Ministry of Defense.

If Russia sent Russian troops from Gyumri to Ukraine, there would be practically no Russians left there. Therefore, the peacekeepers had to be redeployed from Karabakh to Armenia.

The Russian peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh, according to the terms of the tripartite statement of November 10, 2020, should consist of 1960 military personnel. In fact, they say there are more of them. Be that as it may, at present there are an order of magnitude fewer peacekeepers in Karabakh”, Alizade said.