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Author: Mary Lazarian

Memorial plaque unveiled in memory of crewmembers of Russian helicopter shot down over Armenia

Mary Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia

Dec 12 2020

A memorial plate was unveiled Saturday in Yeraskh in memory of the crewmembers of the Russian Mi-24 military helicopter that had been shot down by Azerbaijani forces on November 9 over Armenia. The event, which was initiated by ‘Peace’ Foundation, started with prayers, later the national anthems of Armenia and Russia were played. It was announced that a memorial complex dedicated to the Armenian-Russian friendship will be build in Yeraskh. 

The Head of Bright Armenia party Edmon Marukyan, present at the event, noted that the Russian pilots, who were in Armenia for a peacekeeping mission,  joined the thousands of Armenian servicemen, who fell during the Karabakh war. Marukyan condemned the terrorist act by Azerbaijan.  

Lawmaker form Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Arman Abovyan conveyed condolences on behalf of PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan and the whole party. 

“The killed Russian pilots  became the symbol of the century-long Armenian-Russian friendship,” Abovyan stressed. 

Spokesperson of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), Eduard Sharmazanov noted that shooting down the helicopter was not only against Armenia, Russia, but the Russian-Armenian friendship and even the Christian civilization. 

Highlighting the Armenian-Russian friendship, Sharmazanov stressed there can be no person in Armenia who can downgrade that friendship especially after the recent war. 

To remind, a Russian Mi-24 military helicopter was shot down over Armenia near the border with Azerbaijan on November 9. Two crew-members died and the third pilot was wounded. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry announced shortly that the helicopter had been shot down by the Azeri armed forces by mistake.



New report substantiates Azerbaijan’s organized hate speech and animosity towards ethnic Armenians

Mary Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 7 2020

The Human Rights Defenders of Armenia and the Artsakh Republic have prepared a new report on “Organized hate speech and animosity towards ethnic Armenians in Azerbaijan as root causes of ethnically-based torture and inhuman treatment by Azerbaijani Armed Forces.”

The report substantiates Azerbaijan’s policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide through terrorist methods. The report proves that the atrocities, torture and inhuman treatment of Azerbaijan during this war are the result of years of hostile propaganda and organized anti-Armenian policies (Armenophobia).

Hatred towards Armenians is in a closed chain: it is generated by the Azerbaijani authorities, including the high-ranking officials, largely promoted by cultural, sports and other public figures and earns public praise, very often targeting children.

Azerbaijani servicemen are well aware that the torture of Armenians will not only go unpunished, but will be praised by the authorities and the public.




Armenian FM invites Russian counterpart to visit Yerevan

Mary Lazarian

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 16:15, 7 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Aivazian has invited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to visit Yerevan.

“We had a very useful and first complete contact with the new foreign minister of Armenia. Ara Aivazian invited me to pay another visit to Yerevan. I will arrive with pleasure. We will agree over the dates in the future”, the Russian FM told reporters following the meeting with his Armenian counterpart in Moscow.

Armenian FM Ara Aivazian is in Moscow on a working visit.

Edited and Translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters demand Armenia’s prime minister resign

Mary Lazarian
Global News Canada
Dec 5 2020
By Avet Demourian The Associated Press
Posted December 5, 2020 4:36 pm


Tens of thousands of opposition supporters marched across the Armenian capital Saturday to push for the resignation of the ex-Soviet nation’s prime minister over his handling of the conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

In six weeks of fierce fighting that ended with a Russia-brokered peace deal on Nov. 10, the Azerbaijani army reclaimed lands that Armenian forces have held for more than a quarter-century.

Armenia’s opposition parties warned Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan there would be civil disobedience across the country if he does not resign by noon on Tuesday. Pashinyan has refused to step down, defending the peace agreement as a painful but necessary move that prevented Azerbaijan from overrunning the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Read more: Azerbaijani leader promises ‘life will return’ to region ceded by Armenia

More than 20,000 protesters rallied in Yerevan on Saturday, chanting “Nikol ,you traitor!” and “Nikol, go away!” and then marched to the prime minister’s official residence.

“The seat of the prime minister of Armenia is currently being occupied by a political corpse,” Artur Vanetsyan, the leader of the opposition party Homeland and the former head of the National Security Service, said at the protest rally.

Several priests of the Armenian Apostolic Church joined the protest, denouncing Pashinyan for allowing Azerbaijan to take over some holy sites.

Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. That conflict left not only Nagorno-Karabakh itself but large chunks of surrounding lands in Armenian hands.

In 44 days of fighting that began on Sept. 27, Azerbaijan troops routed the Armenian forces and wedged deep into Nagorno-Karabakh, forcing Armenia to accept the Nov. 10 peace deal that saw the return to Azerbaijan of a significant part of the separatist region. It also obliged Armenia to hand over all of the areas it held outside Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan completed reclaiming those territories on Tuesday when it took over the Lachin region located between the Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

Armenian opposition leaders hold Pashinyan responsible for failing to negotiate an earlier end to the hostilities at terms that could have been more beneficial for Armenia. They have emphasized, however, that the opposition wasn’t pushing for the annulment of the peace deal.

Veteran politician Vazgen Manukyan, whom 17 opposition parties have nominated as their candidate for prime minister, said at Saturday’s rally that his transition government would seek to renegotiate some vague aspects of the Nov. 10 peace deal.

Manukyan, 71, served as prime minister in 1990-91, when Armenia was part of the Soviet Union and later served as defence minister during the separatist war.

Armenia’s Health Ministry said Wednesday that at least 2,718 Armenian servicemen were killed in the latest fighting. At least 55 Armenian civilians also were killed.

Azerbaijan said this week that 2,783 troops of its were killed and more than 100 were still missing. The government said 94 of its civilians also were killed and more than 400 were wounded.

Azerbaijan celebrated the end of fighting as a national triumph, and President Ilham Aliyev established a new Nov. 8 national holiday called Victory Day to commemorate the event.

Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry said it will conduct a military parade next Thursday involving 3,000 troops and 150 military vehicles. It said the show will also feature trophy weapons seized from the Armenian forces.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to visit Azerbaijan that day. Turkey has strongly backed its ally and used the hostilities to expand its clout in the region. Earlier this week, Russian and Turkish military officials signed documents to set up a joint monitoring centre to ensure the fulfilment of the peace deal.

Russia deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers for at least five years to monitor the peace deal and to facilitate the return of refugees. The Russian troops will also ensure safe transit between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia across the Lachin region.

Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Aida Sultanova in London contributed to this report.

‘Government Cannot Act in the Spirit of 2018 Mindset,’ Says President Sarkissian

Mary Lazarian

December 5,  2020



President Armen Sarkissian

President Armen Sarkissian on Saturday called for an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect in the country, while warning that the Armenian government cannot act in the spirit of the 2018 public mindset, given the post-war realities in Armenia.

Sarkissian’s remarks seemed to be a direct response to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan who minutes before concluded an address to the nation on Facebook Live, where he once again criticized the opposition, which is demanding his resignation after he signed the November 9 agreement that ended the war but saw Armenia making major territorial concessions to Azerbaijan.

In his remarks Saturday, Pashinyan stressed that Armenia’s last parliamentary elections, held in December 2018, when his My Step bloc won a clear majority, were widely recognized as democratic. In an apparent reference to the opposition forces, which are calling for the creation of a “national accord” government and nominated Vazgen Manukyan as their candidate, Pashinyan said that “some circles” want to come to power through a fraudulent vote.

Sarkissian, who has himself endorsed the concept a “national accord” body and has pushed for snap elections with the current government’s resignation, said Saturday that Armenia is in a “deep post-war crisis,” adding that the government could not act within the 2018 public mindset since “today’s reality is completely different.”

The dueling messages from Sarkissian and Pashinyan came hours before a scheduled opposition-organized rally, which drew thousands to Yerevan’s Freedom Square, where among other representatives, Manukyan, the opposition’s prime ministerial candidate, addressed the public.

“Today our state and our public are in a deep post-war crisis. This has to be said without any hesitation, without deceiving ourselves, and, at the same time, without despair. We must fully comprehend and accept the existence of this crisis and do everything we can to overcome it, together, hand in hand,” said Sarkissian in his written message.

“Regardless of the positions we hold, our political beliefs and views, our personal likes and dislikes, we must think about the future of our state, our country and our people,” said the president. “Each of us has the right to express our opinions, dissatisfaction and demand an explanation from the authorities for the enormous human and territorial losses caused by the war.”

In emphasizing the need for an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect, the president’s appeal to the nation was to ensure that their actions were in accordance to the rule of law.

He also appealed to law enforcement bodies, which in the past weeks have brutally arrested opposition protesters, saying while maintaining law and order is important, they must remember that “the person in front of you—in the streets of Yerevan—is our compatriot, one of us, man or women, young or old. Among them are people who a few days ago defended the homeland, each of us, you.”

“Any violence, disproportionate use of force and measures are inadmissible and unacceptable. In your actions you must show responsibility and the highest professionalism and humanity,” added Sarkissian to his appeal to law enforcement.

“Today we need groundbreaking decisions. Any solution must receive national consent. We must be able to restore the atmosphere of tolerance, mutual respect, to bring together all the positive and vital qualities of our people, to turn them into a collective force, which will be the guarantor of our future success. The activities of the President and institution of the president are aimed at that very goal,” said Sarkissian.

Armenian PM continues meetings with business community representatives

Mary Lazarian

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 13:44,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan continues meetings with the business community representatives aimed at discussing issues relating to the restoration of Armenia’s economic activity and investment climate, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.

Today the Prime Minister received Director General of the Armenian Electric Networks CJSC Karen Harutyunyan, Gazprom Armenia CJSC Chairman of the Board-General Director Hrant Tadevosyan, RENSHIN construction-investment company General Director Eduard Marutyan, Nushikyan Association founder chairman Garegin Nushikyan.

Issues relating to the strengthening of the government-business ties, ensuring the continuation of investment programs, restoring the economic optimism were discussed.

Concrete agreements were reached based on the meeting results.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal a strategic disaster for Iran

Mary Lazarian
Asia Times
Nov 23 2020
The Russia-brokered pact is yet another blow to Iran’s self-image as a regional hegemon
By DNYANESH KAMATNOVEMBER 23, 2020
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will soon seek more details on the Armenia-Azerbaijan deal from Moscow and Baku. Photo: AFP

The terms of the ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict agreed between Armenia and Azerbaijan represent a grave threat to Iran’s long-term strategic interests. The effects of this are likely to influence the Iranian people’s perception of their regime, as well as alter Iran’s policy toward Azerbaijan and Syria.

Azerbaijan now is in control over the entirety of its border with Iran along the Aras River. While this may be a cause for celebration in Baku, it is viewed with alarm in Tehran. This is because an extension of Azerbaijan’s border with Iran will give Israel access to more territory from which to keep tabs on Tehran.

Despite denials from Baku, it is no secret that Israel and Azerbaijan enjoy substantive cooperation in intelligence, energy and military matters.

Azerbaijan is one of the largest buyers of Israeli weaponry. Its use of Israeli “kamikaze” drones in the Nagorno-Karabakh war played an important role in tilting the battlefield to its advantage – although the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones have been credited as a true game changer in the conflict.

Besides this, Israel and Azerbaijan maintain deep intelligence ties. And were Israel to launch air strikes against Iranian nuclear installations, Azerbaijan would likely play a vital role either as a refueling stop or a launchpad.

The other consequence of the war is the creation of a transit corridor across Armenian territory that will connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave. To be manned by Russian troops, this corridor likely will run parallel to Armenia’s border with Iran.

This has already raised concern in Tehran as it could in effect cut off Iranian access to Armenia and onward to Europe via Georgia. For a country already reeling from international sanctions, it is of great importance for Iran that it is able to gain access to friendly neighbors.

Such is the panic that has set in that Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was compelled to spell out explicitly that Iran’s access to Armenia will not be threatened by the transport corridor.

It is noteworthy Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif will soon travel to Moscow and Baku to discuss the issue in more detail. However, what is more important to note is the capital he will not be visiting – Ankara, another important winner of the conflict.

Turkey will maintain troops in Azerbaijan and now gets direct access to the Caspian Sea via the proposed Nakhchivan-Azerbaijan corridor. It can now also directly project influence to Central Asia, one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s most cherished ambitions.

Tehran will have also taken note of Russia’s reluctance to offer full-throated support to its ally Armenia. The takeaway from Russia’s role in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is that it is happy to sacrifice an ally if it becomes too bothersome.

Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia’s prime minister, came to power via the sort of “color revolutions” detested by Vladimir Putin. He further annoyed the Russian president by jailing Robert Kocharyan, Armenia’s ex-president and erstwhile Putin ally.

In this conflict, then, Moscow stuck to the letter rather than the spirit of its alliance with Yerevan, stating that its security commitments only extended to Armenia’s territory. Moscow has allowed Azerbaijan to reclaim all its lost territories, while allowing Armenia to retain rump areas around Nagorno-Karabakh’s capital.

Moscow will maintain influence in the region by providing peacekeeping troops in Karabakh and along the proposed Nakhchivan-Azerbaijan corridor.

Two soldiers attach a flag on a Russian peacekeeping force military vehicle as they move on the road toward Martuni, Armenia, on November 13, 2020. Photo: Handout / Russian Defense Ministry / AFP

Moscow also will be happy to see the back of Prime Minister Pashinyan, whose political career now seems over. It also appears to be guided by its broader goal of ensuring that Turkey stays out of the Western orbit.

Astute policymakers in Tehran will likely draw the right conclusions from this, particularly in terms of what this may augur for Iran’s ally in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad. Having seen the eagerness with which Russia and Turkey were willing to hash out a deal between themselves, Tehran is likely to push the Assad regime in the direction of concluding the Syrian civil war.

The main effect of how the conflict has played out on domestic politics within Iran is likely to be psychological. This is yet another blow to Iran’s self-image as a regional hegemon. Indeed, that Tehran was a bystander to the conflict and was unable to have a say in shaping the outcome will revive memories of the two Russo-Persian Wars of the 19th century, which resulted in Persia having to cede its control over the entire South Caucasus.

It reveals to the Iranian people that Iran no longer has the economic might, technological sophistication or alluring political model to influence a region that was under Persian influence for hundreds of years – one is tempted to say thousands of years, since the time of the Achaemenid empire.

In all, this represents yet another slight to the legitimacy of the regime that has ruled Iran since 1979.

This article was provided by Syndication Bureau, which holds copyright.


Russia defends Nagorno-Karabakh peace deal as western concerns grow

Mary Lazarian
Irish Times
Nov 22 2020
about 3 hours ago

Daniel McLaughlin

Azerbaijani tanks as army units enter the Aghdam region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Photograph: Azerbaijani defence ministry via Getty Images

Moscow has warned against any attempt to undermine the peace accord it brokered this month over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has sparked a political crisis in Armenia and caused concern among western powers.

Senior Russian officials visited Armenia’s capital Yerevan and Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, this weekend to discuss implementation of a deal that ended six weeks of fighting over an Azerbaijani province that has been run by its ethnic Armenian majority since a 1988-94 war.

The agreement has delighted Azerbaijan by cementing its battlefield gains and restoring its control over swathes of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas, but in Armenia it has fuelled angry demonstrations, widespread calls for the government to resign and an alleged plot to kill prime minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Russia has sent peacekeepers to the region and will monitor the ceasefire with help from Turkey, whose political and military support for Azerbaijan has boosted its influence in the strategic south Caucasus and prompted western capitals to warn Moscow and Ankara not to exclude them from the peace process.

In Yerevan, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Armenia’s leaders agreed with Moscow’s view that “attempts to cast doubt on the (peace deal) – not only inside the country but internationally – are unacceptable”.

Without naming which states he had in mind, Mr Lavrov said later on Saturday in Baku: “If they put geopolitical ambitions first there’s nothing we can do about that. But we will strongly rebuff any such attempts and focus on implementing agreements that meet the main interests of the people who live in this region.”

Mr Pashinyan, a former journalist who came to power after peaceful anti-corruption protests in 2018, was seen as a liberal moderniser who could move Armenia towards the west.

In talks with Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, however, he thanked Moscow for its “support”, and said he hoped for “deeper co-operation” with Russia, which is Armenia’s main trade partner and energy supplier, and maintains a military base on its territory.

The recent fighting also strained relations between Moscow and Ankara at a time when they back opposing sides in Syria and Libya, but Mr Lavrov said Russia accepted that “Turkey is a real factor in this region”.

“Turkey is our partner in many areas,” he said. “And, of course, sovereign Azerbaijan has the right to choose its own foreign policy partners, just like sovereign Armenia.”

Ankara has called for an end to decades of largely fruitless talks on Nagorno-Karabakh mediated by the so-called Minsk group, which is chaired by France, the United States and Russia.

Paris in particular is concerned about the possible emergence of an alternative peace process for the region, similar to the “Astana” talks that Russia, Turkey and Iran established to discuss the war in Syria.

“We understand the Russians are talking to the Turks regarding a possible formula, which we don’t want, that would replicate the Astana (process) to divide their roles in this sensitive region,” an unnamed French presidential official told international news agencies.

“We can’t have on one side Minsk and the other Astana. At one point the Russians have to make a choice.”