Author: Markos Nalchajian

Over 93.9 mln COVID-19 tests conducted in Russia

Markos Nalchajian

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YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. Russian medics have conducted over 93.9 mln tests for the presence of the novel coronavirus infection, TASS reports citing the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing.

“Over 93.9 mln tests for the presence of the coronavirus have been conducted in the Russian Federation”, the statement said. Over the past 24 hours, 383,000 tests were made.

According to the agency, to date, some 625,900 people remain under medical observation due to the suspected coronavirus infection.

Pashinyan’s spokesperson reacts to Aliyev’s statement on Nakhichevan corridor

Markos Nalchajian
Panorama, Armenia

Jan 7 2021

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s spokesperson Mane Gevorgyan has commented on the statement made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the Nakhichevan corridor in response to Armenpress inquiry.

– Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has talked about the “Nakhichevan corridor”, stating that it will open soon citing the November 10 joint statement. Are there any concrete agreements on opening such a corridor?

– Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly called attention to the fact that there is no talk about a corridor connecting Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan in the November 10 statement. Point 9 of the statement is about unblocking the transportation and economic infrastructure of the region and in this context about establishing a transport connection between the eastern part of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.

Armenia, of course, is interested in the possibility of transporting Armenian cargo through the territory of Azerbaijan to Russia and Iran and the opposite direction. We are interested in the possibility of the transfer of the Armenian cargo through road and rail transportation to Russia, and to Iran especially through railway transportation. In this context Armenia, naturally, is ready to ensure communication between the Eastern part of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.

However, the complete discussion of all these issues would be difficult without the complete fulfillment of point 8 of the November 10 joint statement which envisages exchange of captives, hostages, other detained persons and the bodies of the dead. The Armenian side also attaches importance to expanding the scale of ongoing search-rescue operations in the battle zones. The recent statements made by Azerbaijan on this topic are puzzling and question Baku’s commitment to implement the agreements of the November 10 statement. There are still Armenian captives in Baku, there are numerous evidence on ill treatment shown against the Armenian POWs. There is evidence on executions of the captives, and all these evidence must be investigated in detail, including in the international platforms.

At the same time, the anti-Armenian propaganda of the past decade still continues in Azerbaijan. In order to establish stability and peace in the region, it is necessary to put an end to the provocative actions and statements.

Iran issues Interpol notice for 48 US officials including Trump

Markos Nalchajian 
Aljazeera
By Maziar Motamedi
Jan. 5, 2021
[Second Interpol arrest request for US President Donald Trump comes
two weeks before he has to leave the White House.]
Tehran, Iran – US President Donald Trump has had a “red notice”
request for his arrest issued through Interpol by Iran.
Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili announced during a
press conference on Tuesday that Iran has requested the international
police organisation to arrest Trump and 47 other American officials
identified as playing a role in the assassination of top general
Qassem Soleimani last year.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is very seriously following up on
pursuing and punishing those who ordered and executed this crime,”
Esmaili told reporters.
Soleimani, Iran’s top general who led the foreign operations arm of
the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was assassinated on January 3,
2020, in a US drone strike in Baghdad ordered by Trump.
The assassination was deemed to be against international law by Agnes
Callamard, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial,
summary or arbitrary executions.
It was the second Iranian request for an international arrest warrant
for Trump and dozens of US officials in the Pentagon and US Central
Command, among other organisations.
In June, Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr issued an arrest warrant for
Trump and dozens of US officials saying they face “murder and
terrorism charges”.
But France-based Interpol rejected Iran’s request, saying its
constitution forbids it from undertaking “any intervention or
activities of a political, military, religious or racial character”.
Renewed talks of prosecuting Trump and other US officials come as part
of Iranian promises to avenge Soleimani one year after his murder in
an American drone strike in Iraq.
They also come shortly before Trump has to leave office on January 20,
something Iran hopes could boost his chances of facing consequences.
‘Accountable’
In a ceremony in Tehran to mark Soleimani’s assassination anniversary,
judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi said Trump was a main target of
prosecution and should not be immune because of his political status.
“Fortunately, Trump’s presidency has ended. But even if his term
hadn’t ended, it would be unacceptable to say someone shouldn’t be
accountable to law due to his administrative position,” he said.
The spokesman of the powerful constitutional vetting body, the
Guardian Council, also said last week Iran would legally pursue Trump
after he leaves the White House.
Ali Kadkhodaei said Trump’s legal immunity as head of state is
problematic for legally pursuing him, but “some international experts
hold the view that after Trump’s presidency is over this might be
possible”.
Tensions between Iran and the US have been on the rise around the
first anniversary of Soleimani’s assassination.
The US has flown nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over the Gulf several
times in the past month and on Monday reversed its decision to get a
Navy aircraft carrier out of the region for what it said was because
of renewed threats by Iranian officials.
Iran, on the other hand, has warned that hawks in the US and Israel
may be trying to start a war in Trump’s remaining days in office.

Armenia’s village head: Azerbaijanis set up a post in the village

Markos Nalchajian
News.am, Armenia
Jan 1 2021
 
 
 
Armenia’s village head: Azerbaijanis set up a post in the village
15:06, 02.01.2021
 
 
Azerbaijanis set up a post in a Shurnukh village of Syunik province, head of the village Hakob Arshakyan told during the live broadcast.
 
According to him, they gave time until January 5 to leave the village.
 
Earlier, Azerbaijanis claimed 12 houses in the village. Despite repeated statements by lawyers about the illegality of the process, the Armenian government continues to give the Armenian territories to Azerbaijan.
 
 
 
 

Turkish servicemen head out for joint Russian-Turkish monitoring centre in Karabakh

Markos Nalchajian
JAM News
Dec 27 2020

    JAMnews, Baku

A joint Russian-Turkish monitoring center will start operating in Karabakh in the first week of 2021.

25 servicemen from Turkey have already set out for Azerbaijan, and this number will eventually increase to 60.

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The Russian-Turkish Joint Center located in Agdam will analyze information about the latest developments in the region obtained from the patrols of Russian peacekeepers and through drones.

In the event of any incidents related to the violation of the ceasefire regime, direct contact will be established with both Moscow and Ankara, and with Baku and Yerevan, and measures will be taken to ensure the terms of the ceasefire.

In addition to monitoring the situation in the region, the Turkish military, within the framework of cooperation with the armed forces of Azerbaijan, will take part in activities to provide humanitarian assistance and mine clearance.

Recent hostilities in Karabakh, the largest since the last ceasefire in 1994, came to an end on November 10 after the signing of a trilateral truce agreement by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.

Karabakh Situation Should not be Used to Deploy Mercenaries, Lavrov Says

Markos Nalchajian

December 29,  2020



Syrian jihadists fighting for Azerbaijan

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday that Moscow and Ankara had agreed that the situation in Nagorno Karabakh should not be used for the infiltration of foreign mercenaries the region.

“Our joint opinion is that the situation in Nagorno Karabakh should not be used for the infiltration of foreign mercenaries to that region. We have completely the same position here with our Turkish partners,” said Lavrov after talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.

This statement comes on the heels of Ankara deploying to troops to Azerbaijan on Tuesday for the join Russian-Turkish Karabakh ceasefire monitoring base, which is to become operational in January. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has indicated that the base will be located in Aghdam.

On Monday, however, Russia voiced serious concerns over the deployment of foreign mercenaries in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone during the months of October and November, a statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry said on the occasion of Lavrov’s participation in the 8th session of Russian-Turkish strategic planning.

”The emphasis will be placed on reducing the risk of potential clashes and providing humanitarian assistance to the parties. The Russian side expresses serious concerns over the deployment of foreign mercenaries to Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone during the months of October-November,’’ said the statement.

”We consider this center as an auxiliary element of the post-conflict settlement, in addition to the Russian peacekeeping mission and other measures. The tasks of the center, as it is known, include monitoring the situation by visual observation methods, in particular, collecting, summarizing and checking data on violations with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles,’’ added the statement.

Mayor of Armenia’s Goris Arush Arushanyan is at Investigative Committee, supporters gather

Markos Nalchajian
Aysor, Armenia
Dec 21 2020

The mayor of the Armenian city of Goris Arush Arushanyan was brought to the building of the Investigative Committee in Yerevan.

The mayor was detained following his call to residents of Syunik to gather in front of Syunik’s gates not to allow PM enter the province.

The Investigative Committee issued a press release saying that an examination is underway to find out the circumstances of organization and conduction of rally by Arushanyan with the violation of order set by the law.

 

Head of Armenia’s Vorotan town: If we give Syunik Province, the Turks will want Yerevan as well

Markos Nalchajian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 17 2020
Head of Armenia’s Vorotan town: If we give Syunik Province, the Turks will want Yerevan as well
17:38, 17.12.2020


Head of Vorotan town of Armenia’s Syunik Province Surik Ohanjanyan has joined the demonstrators who have shut down the road to Goris.

“We all demand that the Turks don’t reach our borders. Even if the authorities are giving a territory to them, it should be a neutral zone. The issue of Kubatlu and Zangelan wasn’t stated in the joint statement signed on November 9. The sides to the conflict had to stop at their positions,” Ohanjanyan stated, adding that if Armenia gives one territory, it will have to give more territories.

“It’s easy for people living in Yerevan. If Armenia gives away Syunik Province, the Turks will want Yerevan as well. What we’re saying is that there should be a neutral zone that is far away from Syunik Province,” Ohanjanyan said.

According to Mayor of Kapan Gevorg Parsyan, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia has issued an order according to which all the positions of the city of Kapan of Syunik Province will be transferred to Azerbaijan by 5 p.m. tomorrow.


 

Republic of Armenia : Third Review under the Stand-By Arrangement and Modification of Performance Criteria-Press Release;

Markos Nalchajian
EIN News
Dec 16 2020

Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan, Armenia exchange prisoners as part of peace deal Access to the commentsCOMMENTS

Markos Nalchajian
EuroNews
Dec 15 2020
By Euronews with Associated Press


Azerbaijan and Armenia exchanged prisoners on Monday as part of the peace deal that ended a recent war over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Tigran Avinyan, Armenia’s deputy prime minister, announced that 44 captives had been returned to the country from Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, 12 captives were handed over to Azerbaijan, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed.

The exchange was facilitated by Russian peacekeepers that have been deployed to the region under the deal, which was brokered by Moscow.


It wasn’t immediately clear how many more prisoners the two countries intend to exchange.

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Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a bloody war over Nagorno-Karabakh in the early 1990s which ended in a truce although sporadic episodes of violence have since taken place.

The latest flare-up erupted on September 27 with both sides blaming each other for the renewed violence — the worst episode in decades.

More than 5,000 people lost their lives and tens of thousands were displaced.

The peace deal brokered by Moscow came into force on November 10. As part of the agreement, Armenia handed over some territory it holds outside of Nagorno-Karabakh’s borders, while Azerbaijan also retained control over areas of the disputed region it had taken during the conflict.

The peace deal was celebrated in Azerbaijan as a major triumph, and last week a military parade was held in Baku to mark it.

In Armenia, the truce sparked outrage and mass protests, with thousands regularly taking to the streets to demand the country’s prime minister be ousted over his handling of the conflict.

Thousands of people rallied in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, once again on Monday, chanting “Nikol, go away!” and “Armenia without Nikol!”