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Author: Maral Takmazian

Armenia’s Constitutional Court to deliver decision on legitimacy of snap Parliamentary elections

Maral Takmazian


Armenia’s Constitutional Court to deliver decision on legitimacy of snap Parliamentary elections

In Daily Brief
Wescott Yeaw

Armenia held snap elections in June in response to political crises brought on by the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s party Civil Contract won the elections in a landslide victory of 53.9%. The opposition alliance, led by ex-president Robert Kocharyan has challenged the results as unfair—despite international support of the results.

Pashinyan’s victory is largely seen as a repudiation of the previous authoritarian government, rather than support for Pashinyan and despite widespread condemnation of his peace agreement with Azerbaijan. The results show the public wants to move beyond the political crisis, accepting the peace deal despite Armenia’s loss.

The court may rule in the opposition’s favor given their history of politicization and corruption. Should this happen, expect widespread protests from Civil Contract supporters.  Short-term, a favorable ruling will have little real impact as Pashinyan would almost definitely win another election. This will likely lead to a government crackdown on corruption and opposition. Medium to long-term, Pashinyan’s government will likely focus on popular domestic policies like anti-corruption reform and strengthening democratic institutions to increase his support following the Azerbaijan agreement.

Armenian duduk featured in Japanese textbooks

Maral Takmazian
Public Radio of Armenia

 
 

On June 28, Ambassador Areg Hovhannisyan welcomed Japanese duduk player Yasutaka Tarumi, who is contributing to the popularization of Armenian music in Japan.

The Ambassador thanked Mr. Tarumi for his efforts to promote duduk and Armenian music, and attached importance to closer cooperation with representatives of the field in Armenia.

Yasutaka Tarumi informed starting from 2021-2022 academic year the Armenian duduk is featured in Japanese school textbooks.

The perspectives of cooperation with the Embassy were also discussed during the meting.

 

Synod to elect the new Patriarch of Cilicia of the Catholic Armenians begins

Maral Takmazian
Italy, June 23 2021
Bzommar (Agenzia Fides) – On the morning of Wednesday, June 23, the Synod of Bishops of the Armenian Catholic Church, called to elect the successor of the Armenian Catholic Patriarch Krikor Bedros XX Ghabroyan, who died of illness on May 25 at the age of 86, begins. The synodal assembly takes place at the Convent of Our Lady of Bzommar, which houses the Armenian-Catholic patriarchal seat.
The elective Synodal Assembly was convened by Boutros Marayati, Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo, who on May 26 was appointed Administrator of the Patriarchal Church of Cilicia of the Armenians, as the most senior prelate by ordination, according to the provisions of Article 127 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Catholic Churches. In this capacity, the main task of Archbishop Marayati was precisely to convene the Synod of the Armenian Catholic Church in order to elect the new Patriarch. 12 members of the Synod of the Armenian Catholic Church take part in the elective assembly, who come from the episcopal see throughout the Middle East and in the countries with the greatest concentration of the Armenian diaspora. The new Armenian Catholic Patriarch, once elected, will take part in the meeting convened in Rome on July 1 by Pope Francis to reflect together with the main leaders of the Lebanese Christian communities on the worrying situation in Lebanon. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 23/6/2021)


The Renaissance in Armenian Wine

Maral Takmazian

The cradle of wine stages a comeback in the modern era

By

 Mark Spivak

 –

Wine is now made in nearly every country of the world, even if many Americans can’t locate those nations on a map and are totally ignorant of their culture, customs, lifestyle, cuisine, religion and politics. So it is with Armenia: aside from the occasional news story about conflicts with their Turkish neighbors, the country is largely a cipher here in the U.S.

In fact, Armenia is probably the oldest wine-producing region on the planet. A winery dating to 4000 B.C. was found in Areni, headquarters for the present-day cultivation of the eponymous red grape variety. Yerevan, now noted for both winegrowing and distillation, was a leading center of production from the 9th century B.C. onward. During the Soviet era, wine production increased nine times, brandy 17 times and sparkling wine 10 times. Although the majority of vineyards are still used for brandy, wine cultivation has experienced a renaissance since Armenian independence in 1991, and the country is once again a star in the Caucasus region.

Distribution of Armenian wine in the Southeast is widespread, thanks in large part to Storica Wines, an import company focusing on marketing, production, and direct-to-consumer sales. They’ve partnered with visionaries such as Syrian-born and Italian-trained Vahe Keushguerian, who repatriated to Armenia and founded WineWorks, a consulting firm and “winery incubator.” One of his properties is Keush, a house making sparkling wine by the Champagne method. Origins ($21) is grown in high-altitude vineyards ranging from 4500 to 6000 feet, and ages on the lees for at least 22 months before release. The grape varieties may not be household names (Voskehat and Khatouni), but the wine is delicious. The nose is fragrant and forward, yielding whiffs of citrus, melon and hints of vanilla. In the mouth, it displays good acidity, a generous texture, and a nutty, Sherry-like quality that emerges in the mid palate and continues on the finish.

Keush’s Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2013 ($31) spends three years on the lees before release and displays a richer and more sedate nose highlighted by aromas of crushed hazelnuts. It is layered and complex on the palate, with mouthwatering acidity, a medium-bodied texture and exceptionally long finish. Both of these wines are cost-effective alternatives to Champagne, and the Blanc de Blancs in particular has a quality level several times higher than the mass market brands.

Aimee Keushgarian, Vahe’s daughter, spent three years managing Keish before establishing the Zulal Winery in 2018. Her 2019 Voskehat ($20) hails from Vayots Dzor, which she fondly refers to as “the Napa of Armenia.” The expressive nose offers aromas of stone fruits, fig and quince. The wine is ripe and assertive in the mouth, with good acidity, a rich texture, a firm mineral backbone, and flavors of orange peel that emerge in the mid palate and carry onto the finish. Given its amplitude, it would make a good match for poultry, veal and pork, either sauced or roasted.

Zulal bottles two wines from the Areni grape, an ancient, thick-skinned variety cultivated in Vayots Dzor. Their 2018 Areni Noir ($19) displays hints of grapeskins and blackberry jam on the nose; on entry, the texture is bright and fresh, highlighted by flavors of black fruits, mocha, minerals and mint that deepen through the midpalate and extend to the finish. More reserved on the nose, the 2018 Arenia Reserve ($30) is more complex and layered in the mouth, with pleasantly earthy overtones tempering the rich flavors of dark berries. Like their sparkling counterparts from Keush, both these wines are significant bargains in today’s market.

 

Mark Spivak specializes in wine, spirits, food, restaurants and culinary travel. He is the author of several books on distilled spirits and the cocktail culture, as well as three novels. His latest release, Impeachment, is now available on Amazon.

 

Armenia ruling party promises $1,000 for videos proving vote buying, says acting PM

Maral Takmazian
News.am, Armenia
June 16 2021
15:22, 16.06.2021

Have you heard that anyone from the authorities distributes election bribes? Say honestly, please. Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is the ruling Civil Contract Party’s candidate for Prime Minister, said this Wednesday during their election campaign rally—ahead of Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections in Armenia—in Jermuk city, addressing those in attendance.

According to him, the aforesaid is one of the absurdities that the rumors about vote buying refer to the opposition. “But there is also good news. At the moment, five people have already been arrested on the case on vote buying. (…). at the moment, we have 55 people involved in the case on vote buying, and law enforcement promises us a ‘harvest’ quite ahead in the coming days.

But I want to make that ‘harvest’ further, and I want to make such a statement that the Civil Contract Party promises a reward of 500,000 drams—equivalent of 1,000 [US] dollars—for videos attesting to, proving vote buying,” Pashinyan added.

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijani, Turkish presidents make press statements (VIDEO)

Maral Takmazian
POLITICS 17:07 (UTC+04:00)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 15

Trend:

Following the ceremony of signing Shusha Declaration, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan have made press statements, Trend reports.

The head of state made the statement first.

Statement of President Ilham Aliyev

– Dear Mr. President, my dear brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan,

Distinguished guests from Turkey,

Ladies and gentlemen!

It is a significant day in our lives today. It is a historic day. Today, we are welcoming the dear President of the brotherly country, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to the Karabakh land, to the land of Shusha. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome my dear brother to Shusha and Karabakh on behalf of all the people of Azerbaijan.

My dear brother has visited Azerbaijan a number of times, but we are together in the Karabakh land, in Shusha for the first time. This visit has a historic significance because the Joint Declaration, the Declaration on allied relations, signed today raises our relations to the highest peak. The name of the Declaration is the Declaration on allied relations, and this name in itself indicates everything, it says it all. Today we have established a qualitatively new relationship, and all the provisions of this Declaration are a guarantee of our future cooperation.

I have repeatedly said in press conferences and in my speeches that Turkey and Azerbaijan today are the closest countries in the world. There are many factors that bind us together. First of all, history, culture, common ethnic roots, language, religion, national values, national interests, brotherhood of our peoples. Today, we are setting a unique example of cooperation and alliance on a global scale.

The Declaration signed today is based on history. The Declaration reflects the words of the great leaders of our peoples – Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and Heydar Aliyev. At the beginning of the 20th century, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk said, “Azerbaijan’s joy is our joy and its sorrow is ours too.” At the end of the 20th century, Heydar Aliyev said, “Turkey and Azerbaijan are one nation in two states.” These historic words are the key factor for us, for our activities. We remain committed to this testament, demonstrate our commitment to our ancestors and guide future generations by signing the Declaration on allied relations in the city of Shusha, which was liberated in the 21st century.

The Joint Declaration refers to the historic Kars Agreement. The historic Kars agreement was signed exactly 100 years ago. This also has a great symbolic meaning. The Joint Declaration on allied relations signed in the liberated city of Shusha after 100 years shows the direction of our future cooperation.

The Declaration covers many important issues. At the international level, it dwells upon our cooperation, joint activities, political relations, economic and trade relations, culture, education, sports, youth policy and practically all other areas. It demonstrates the importance of energy security and the Southern Gas Corridor for Turkey, Azerbaijan and Europe. Every issue reflected in it is of great importance. I would like to highlight two issues among them. First, the issue of cooperation in the field of defense. The issues of defense industry and mutual military assistance are reflected in this Declaration. This is a historic achievement. We are showing again that we will always be together. We will continue to ensure each other’s security, just as Turkey and Azerbaijan have been together on all issues so far. This will continue to be the case.

The second important issue is transport. The declaration contains very clear statements about the opening of the Zangazur corridor. This is the result of a new geopolitical situation that has emerged as a result of the second Karabakh war. Today, we are not only talking about the Zangazur corridor, which will connect Turkey and Azerbaijan by rail and road, we are creating this corridor through tangible work. It is important that this issue is reflected in the Joint Declaration on allied relations.

Today we are meeting in liberated Shusha. Today, the attention of the entire Azerbaijani people and indeed of the Turkish people too, I am sure, are here. The eyes of the world are here. Because this visit was eagerly anticipated in Azerbaijan. I know that it is of great interest. The statements made here in our ancient city of Shusha today will reverberate in the whole world. They will have great repercussions. The historic significance of this visit will be spoken about for many years to come.

The city of Shusha was liberated on 8 November last year. The liberation of Shusha required great heroism. Everyone who comes to Shusha and looks at these steep rocks can see that it takes great heroism, professionalism, courage and self-sacrifice to liberate this city, which is considered an impregnable fortress. Heroic Azerbaijani soldiers shed blood, became martyrs, climbed steep cliffs only with light weapons, liberated Shusha from the enemy and raised the Azerbaijani flag.

The Azerbaijani and Turkish flags waving in Shusha today show our unity. From the first days of the second Karabakh war, from the first hours, my dear brother, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed unequivocal, clear and open support for Azerbaijan. From the first hours of the war, he said that Azerbaijan was not alone. This both inspired us and, at the same time, stopped all the forces and circles that were going to intervene. He said that Turkey was with Azerbaijan, and from the first hours to the last minutes of the war, the support of my dear brother and the Turkish Republic, the brotherly Turkish people gave us additional strength. This political and moral support inspired us. Messages of congratulation, expressions of support and solidarity from all over Turkey once again demonstrated our unity to the whole world.

Today, the Turkish media are here in Shusha, and I want to emphasize their activities. They risked their lives to show the real situation at the most dangerous moments of the war and to convey it to the audience and the world. I personally often watched the reports on Turkish TV channels during the war and saw again that it was not only about professionalism, but also about solidarity and love. The true voice of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan’s just cause was conveyed to the world from the most dangerous places, from places where bombs were falling. The Turkish media immediately went there and prepared reports. They were well aware that since Armenia could not resist us on the battlefield, it fired on our civilians with long-range missiles, Tochka-U and Iskander M missiles, killing more than 100 civilians, including children and women. We saw the love, affection and solidarity of the entire Turkish people during the war again. We already knew that we are one nation in two states, as my late father said, but the war showed this to the whole world again, and we will never forget this support.

The second Karabakh war is now in the past. As a result of the 44-day war, the Armenian army was completely destroyed. Armenia was brought to its knees, waved the white flag, surrendered and was forced to sign an act of capitulation after the liberation of Shusha, after which our other districts were returned to us without a single shot being fired. The occupation, which lasted nearly 30 years, came to an end. Azerbaijan put an end to this with the support of brotherly Turkey. Thirty years of negotiations had yielded no results. This shows again that where there is a will, resolve, strength and justice, everything is possible. Of course, inspired by this support from an ally like Turkey in the second Karabakh war, Azerbaijan fulfilled its historic mission, restored justice and restored its territorial integrity.

A new era begins now. I met my dear brother in Fuzuli city today, met him there and showed him the ruined landscape of Fuzuli. There is no Fuzuli city. You have also been there and seen that there is not a single safe building. The hated enemy has destroyed all our buildings. Aghdam is in a similar situation. Our historical monuments have been destroyed, demolished and looted.

Notice what state the city of Shusha is in. Shusha is a historic city and not a single building has been built here in the 28 years of occupation. I showed this building to my dear brother. The building of Shusha governor’s office was built during the time of my late father. The buildings in Shusha were built both during his time and during the reign of Panahali Khan and Ibrahimkhalil Khan. The loathsome enemy did not leave a single stone unturned. You can see the ruined places of Shusha. In fact, we have slightly refurbished some places here. When I first came here earlier this year, the city was completely devastated.

Shusha is a historical city of Azerbaijan because Panahali Khan laid the foundation of this city in 1752 and after that 98 percent of the population of Shusha were Azerbaijanis. Despite the 30 years of occupation, Shusha did not bend, was able to preserve its national spirit, dignity, and was waiting for us. And we came and liberated Shusha.

Today, the President of the brotherly country is our guest in the historic city, and it is impossible to express the feelings we have. I am sure that everyone who comes here feels the same, and we are grateful to the Almighty God for giving us the opportunity to experience these very emotional days.

My dear brother, we were looking forward to seeing you in Shusha. I invited you. In December last year, we, the Presidents of the two countries, agreed to hold our next military meeting here, and this is what happened. Welcome again, welcome to your homeland, welcome to Shusha!

Turkish-Azerbaijani unity and brotherhood are eternal!

Then the President of Turkey made a statement.

[see video]

Mother See: Nikol Pashinyan continues to voice unfair accusations against Armenian Church

Maral Takmazian
Panorama, Armenia

The Information Service Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin on Monday issued the following statement:

“Within the framework of the election campaign, the prime ministerial candidate of the Civil Contract Party Mr. Nikol Pashinyan, continues to voice unfair accusations against the Armenian Church.

The attitude of the current government towards the national and spiritual values of the Church is known to our people. In this context, the behavior of the Acting Prime Minister towards the Church and the clergy should be considered.

The Armenian Church, despite all kinds of obstacles and the attitude of the authorities, will continue to implement its soul-saving, patriotic mission in the life of the Armenian people.”

Armenia’s caretaker economy minister receives Iranian Ambassador

Maral Takmazian

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 11:28,

YEREVAN, JUNE 10, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan received Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, the ministry told Armenpress.

The meeting was also attended by deputy ministers Varos Simonyan and Narek Teryan.

Welcoming the guest, Vahan Kerobyan said the close cooperation with Iran has further intensified recently, adding that a number of agreements have been reached with the Iranian delegations during their visit in Armenia, aimed at expanding the partnership in different branches of the economy.

Mr. Kerobyan highlighted putting the joint projects and initiatives on a practical base as soon as possible. In response the Ambassador informed that the Iranian side has already developed a roadmap and a timetable for the implementation of the joint programs outlining the program priorities.

The meeting participants discussed also the issues on the agenda relating to trade, industry, pharmaceutics, tourism and other sectors, as well as the implementation of prospective programs, attraction of investments, effective organization of exports and imports between Armenia and Iran. Highlighting the cooperation in pharmaceutics sector, Vahan Kerobyan informed that several Armenian pharmaceutical companies will soon visit Iran to discuss the cooperation opportunities and reach agreements.

The sides paid attention also to the development of inter-provincial cooperation. They noted that in case of effectively organizing the bilateral cooperation, the trade turnover volumes and tourism flows will increase considerably. In this respect the caretaker minister touched upon the necessity of operating Yerevan-Isfahan direct flights, adding that its launch will contribute to the development of relations between the two nations.

The Ambassador also informed that Iranian construction companies are interested in participating in the construction of Sisian-Kajaran section of the North-South highway.

The Armenian and Iranian sides agreed to take concrete actions to develop joint projects contributing to economic development and implement the already existing ones as soon as possible.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia and Azerbaijan suspend “corridor” talks

Maral Takmazian
EurasiaNet.org
June 4 2021
Joshua Kucera Jun 4, 2021

Armenia and Azerbaijan have stopped negotiating over reopening their borders and creating new transportation routes, setting the stage for more potential instability ahead even as on-the-ground tension has slightly abated.

On June 1, Armenia’s deputy prime minister Mher Grigoryan announced that the Armenia-Azerbaijan-Russia trilateral working group on transportation had suspended its work. “As of today the commission’s work isn’t continuing, because effective and successful work requires an appropriate environment,” he told a meeting of parliament. “When the situation on the border is like it is, I don’t think that constructive work is possible in this format. Contacts in this format have stopped, we will see what happens in the future.”

Armenia had always been the least enthusiastic participant in the working group, which was set up on January 9 when Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Moscow and the three signed an agreement on “unblocking” transportation corridors.

It is the only formal agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the November 10 ceasefire statement that ended last year’s 44-day war, and reflected above all Baku’s top strategic priority: a transportation connection between Azerbaijan’s mainland and its exclave of Nakhchivan through Armenia.

The January 9 agreement set out an aggressive timetable to work out the details of that and other transportation projects (though the Nakhchivan connection was the only one specifically identified): A working group (led by the deputy prime ministers of the three countries) would be formed by January 30, and they would present proposals to their respective leaderships by March 1.

The first benchmark was met: The group held its first meeting on January 30. Two weeks later, they had a videoconference. But little was heard from the group after that; Sputnik Azerbaijan reported that the group had held only four meetings, and the last had been a March 1 videoconference. Meanwhile the main item on the group’s agenda – the Nakhchivan connection – became one of the sore points between the two sides.

The disagreement was expressed terminologically: Aliyev and other Azerbaijani officials have consistently referred to the connection as a “corridor.” Whether intentional or not, the use of the term “corridor” suggests a level of Azerbaijani sovereignty over the route that Yerevan doesn’t want and hadn’t signed up for. In the lexicon of the conflict, it contains an unavoidable echo of the “Lachin corridor,” the strip of land connecting Armenia to its protectorate of Nagorno-Karabakh. Any possible peace deal between the two sides was likely to stipulate Armenia’s usage of that corridor, though the precise nature of who would enjoy control of the road and how was never finally determined. But in the 26 years following the end of the first war, it was Armenia which enjoyed sole (if internationally unrecognized) control over the Lachin corridor.

In the November 10 ceasefire statement, who controls what in the Nakhchivan route is relatively clear: “Armenia shall guarantee the security of transport connections between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in order to arrange unobstructed movement of persons, vehicles and cargo in both directions. The Border Guard Service of the Russian Federal Security Service shall be responsible for overseeing the transport connections. As agreed by the parties, new transport links shall be built to connect the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the western regions of Azerbaijan.”

That is, the territory would remain Armenian but Russian border guards would help ensure Azerbaijan’s free use of it for transportation.

And just as consistently as Azerbaijanis use the term “corridor,” Armenians reject the word. “I assure you that the Armenian side has not discussed and will not discuss ‘corridor logic’ issues,” Grigoryan told reporters on June 1. “If by saying ‘corridor’ some people mean transportation routes, it’s another question, if by saying ‘corridor’ they mean any degree of influence related to sovereignty, I assure you that this is impossible during my discussions.”

Whatever form the Nakhchivan route takes, the sovereignty is going to be complicated, and “corridor” could have a more innocent meaning. And Azerbaijanis have been pointing out that under the new conditions following the signing of the November 10 ceasefire, the Lachin corridor has an analogous situation – Azerbaijani territory that Armenians can use under Russian protection.

Farhad Mammadov, an Azerbaijani analyst, was asked in an interview with RFE/RL why Baku insists on the word. “After all there is something in it that sounds extraterritorial, which obviously alarms Armenia,” said the interviewer, Vadim Dubnov.

“It’s not about extraterritoriality, the issue is that Russian border guards will be providing security,” Mammadov answered. “There is no provision that the corridor will be extraterritorial. The Armenian side also will be able to use it. If there is a Lachin corridor, then there also should be a Zangezur one,” he said, using the name Azerbaijanis use for southern Armenia.

But those subtleties are easily lost amid the other aggressive rhetoric from Baku. Notably, in April Aliyev threatened to “open the corridor by force” if Armenia continued to stall.

Nevertheless, Pashinyan and other officials have been trying to argue – against significant public skepticism – that opening borders and creating new transportation routes would benefit Armenia, as well. But Armenia also has been pushing for an alternative route other than the one Azerbaijan wanted through Meghri. Yerevan’s preference was to restore another Soviet-era railroad, through Ijevan in northern Armenia and Gazakh in Azerbaijan. At the beginning of May, Grigoryan was reportedly preparing to propose that route to the trilateral working group.

But then tensions began to rise sharply between the two sides, starting with an advance by Azerbaijani troops along the southern border with Armenia, into what Armenia claimed was its territory. That led to several other border incidents and the tensest period between the two sides since last year’s war.

The border tension compounded previously existing grievances between the two sides, in particular Azerbaijan’s continued detention of Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees (Armenians have documented nearly 200), as well as Baku’s demand that Armenia hand over maps of the land mines that it appears to have laid in last year’s fighting and which regularly kill Azerbaijanis visiting the region. (Most recently, two journalists for Azerbaijani state media and a local official were killed on June 4 after their vehicle hit a mine in the Kelbajar region.)

It has become impossible to untangle this knot of claims and counterclaims, but one frequent Azerbaijani complaint had been that Armenia was dragging its feet on moving forward with the Nakhchivan route. The process was not very transparent and so it’s difficult to judge from publicly available evidence whether or not Armenia was dragging its feet, or simply not rushing at the speed that Azerbaijan wanted. Aliyev, in February, had already laid the foundation for a railroad in Azerbaijan’s section of the would-be Meghri route.

In any case, the suspension of the trilateral working group is only going to slow the process further. So it’s a bit odd that the reaction from Baku to the news has been muted. There have been some suggestions from Baku, though, that Azerbaijan could respond by shutting down the Lachin corridor. “Armenia is evading its obligations not to the commission, but to the November 10” ceasefire agreement, said Farid Shafiyev, the head of the government-run think tank Center for Analysis of International Relations. “In this case, of course Azerbaijan has the right to drop its obligations – if the corridors that we need aren’t open, then the Lachin corridor will be under question.”

Shafiyev added, though, that Baku would likely wait to respond until after Armenia’s elections, scheduled for June 20, when the Armenian government will likely have more room for maneuver.

Meanwhile, contacts between the two sides are continuing in other formats. Military officials from Armenia and Azerbaijan met with their Russian counterparts in Moscow on June 2 to discuss “de-escalation of the situation on various border regions of Armenia and Azerbaijan. It was agreed to continue working contacts,” a source familiar with the talks told the Russian news agency Tass. Sputnik Armenia reported that the delegations were led by Armenia’s deputy chief of general staff Arshak Karapetyan and the head of the border service Arman Gasparyan, Azerbaijan’s head of external intelligence Orhan Sultanov, and the commander of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh, Rustan Muradov.

 

Joshua Kucera is the Turkey/Caucasus editor at Eurasianet, and author of The Bug Pit.