Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

Iran hosts Armenian security chief amid unabating tension with Azerbaijan

Nahapetian Zhanna

The story: Reiterating Iran’s opposition to any border changes in the South Caucasus, the secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has hosted his Armenian counterpart in Tehran.

The meeting comes amid rising tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran. In the most recent escalation between the two neighbors, Baku has expelled four Iranian diplomats—with the Islamic Republic promptly declaring its intention to reciprocate the move.

The coverage: Armen Grigoryan, the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, met Ali Shamkhani in the Iranian capital on Apr. 9.

  • Shamkhani told the visiting top Armenian official that Iran opposes “any geographical changes in the Caucasus” because it would only “cause tension.”
  • The SNSC secretary was referring to Baku’s plans to establish a corridor to the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan. Iran fears that the route will cut its land border with Armenia.
  • Shamkhani hailed economic ties with Armenia and insisted that annual trade of 3B USD “is an achievable target.” Current bilateral trade is just over one-tenth of that figure.

Grigoryan spoke about economic cooperation with Tehran and particularly emphasized a proposed deal to transfer natural gas from Turkmenistan to Armenia via Iran.

  • Iranian Petroleum Minister Javad Owji said in May 2022 that talks on the gas swap deal had started.
  • Tehran has had a similar deal in place with Baku since Nov. 2021. In June 2022, the two sides agreed to double the volume of gas reaching Azerbaijan.

The meeting in Tehran took place just days after the foreign ministers of Iran and Azerbaijan held two telephone conversations amid a deterioration in ties.

  • The Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement on Apr. 8 that Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ceyhun Bayramov spoke “extensively” on the phone over Apr. 7-8.
  • The top diplomats spoke “frankly and transparently” and discussed how to address “problems and misunderstandings,” according to the foreign ministry’s read-out.
  • Referring to alleged Israeli “conspiracies” against regional security and unity, Amir-Abdollahian told Bayramov that “only enemies” benefit from disputes in the region.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani stated on Apr. 10 that he has a “positive assessment” of the phone conversations between the foreign ministers.

  • “We will try to take the next steps in coordination with the Azerbaijani side,” Kanani told reporters.

Azerbaijan on Apr. 6 declared four Iranian diplomats persona non grata over “provocative actions.”

  • The following day, Kanani criticized the expulsions as an “emotional and unconstructive” decision and said Iran intends to take reciprocal action.

The context/analysis: Azerbaijan and Iran have for years been at odds over Baku’s growing relationship with Israel. More recently, tensions have also surged over Azerbaijan’s alleged attempt to cut off Iran’s land connection to Armenia.

  • Israel and Turkey reportedly aided Azerbaijan during its war with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. Iran has long been an ally of Armenia, though it was careful to avoid taking sides during the conflict.
  • Azerbaijan captured large swaths of territory during the 2020 war, which ended with a Russian-brokered peace deal. Under the accord, Armenia agreed to the establishment of a corridor along its southern Syunik region linking the Azerbaijani mainland to the Nakhchivan exclave.
  • Iranian media see the corridor as a Turkey-backed attempt to cut Iran off from Armenia as Ankara seeks to expand its influence in the South Caucasus. Iranian officials, meanwhile, have repeatedly warned against “border changes” in the region.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf declared on Jan. 10 that “misunderstandings” with Baku had been “resolved” after meeting his Azerbaijani counterpart Sahiba Qafarova.

  • However, tensions have only worsened this year—especially following the deadly Jan. 27 attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran as well as Baku’s opening of a diplomatic mission in Israel on Mar. 29.
  • Azerbaijan ordered the evacuation of its Tehran embassy on the day of the attack, which left the head of security dead and two others wounded. The alleged assailant is reported to have been motivated by a personal dispute.

The future: An armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Iran would promptly drag in several external actors, pushing the South Caucasus into a second major confrontation in recent years. As such, neither side seeks all-out confrontation.

  • The escalatory discourse and diplomatic spats have reduced space for a political resolution to rising tensions. These dynamics are made more complicated by Israel and Turkey’s separate contests with Iran for regional influence.
  • If Baku and Tel Aviv pursue closer military and security collaboration that is perceived as a threat by Tehran, it could trigger targeted Iranian military action against select sites on Azerbaijani soil.


Asbarez: Armenian Film Society Joins ‘The Peace of All’ as Executive Producer

Nahapetian Zhanna
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Arts & Culture, Film, Latest, News, Top Stories
“The Peace of All” movie poster


The Armenian Film Society is joining Gary Gananian’s documentary “The Peace of All,” with Armen and Mary Karaoghlanian, the husband and wife team, serving as executive producers. Armenian Film Society will provide strategic marketing support to the film.

“The Peace of All,” which features music from Grammy-winning artist Serj Tankian, is a feature documentary about the history of Artsakh, its people, and their fight for survival in their historical lands. The documentary covers the Armenian Genocide, the end of the Ottoman Empire, the fall of the Soviet Union up to the 2020 attack on Artsakh that changed the region’s geography. The film explores the effects of war, crimes against humanity, and the impunity of the perpetrators

Gary Gananian’s work as a director spans music videos, short films, documentaries, and feature films. “Armenian Rhapsody,” a documentary that portrays Armenia in a musical and poetic fashion, was an official selection at the São Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil. The film won Best Documentary Film at the Yerevan Golden Apricot International Film Festival and was awarded with the British Council Special Prize.

“Mary and I are thrilled to work with Gary, who has a remarkable visual style and aesthetic. Gary is not only an incredible voice and talent, but his take on this subject matter is the most refreshing we’ve seen thus far. We are eager to support his work and look forward to the incredible stories he will continue to bring to life on the big screen,” said Founder and CEO Armen Karaoghlanian.

“I am very excited about the partnership established with Armenian Film Society. I was a fan of their work way before I got to meet Armen in person, and it makes me very grateful, as an Armenian filmmaker, to know that this kind of work is being done. We are few, and it is not easy to make projects come to life, but with the support of the community and organizations such as Armenian Film Society, we can all unite our strengths in putting our visions, themes, and subjects in the world,” said director Gary Gananian.

This marks Armenian Film Society’s second production as an organization, following the short documentary, “Back to Ashtarak.” The film, which is directed by Tigran Nersisian, won Best Short Documentary at the Pomegranate Film Festival, and through their partnership, has screened across California at universities such as USC, UCLA, UC Irvine, Fresno State, and will screen at UC San Diego on April 21.

The partnership on “The Peace of All” will launch with an online conversation between director Gary Gananian and executive producer Armen Karaoghlanian with historian Dr. Heitor Loureiro for the Armenian Institute in London. The event, “The Peace of All: A Conversation on Living History” will be held online on Thursday, April 13 at 11:30 a.m. PST and will examine living history as it applies to Armenian resilience, tracing the threads of time through the film.

Armenian Film Society will announce screenings for the film in various cities in the near future.

Armenia reports 4 killed, 6 wounded in clashes with Azerbaijani troops

Nahapetian Zhanna
 TASS 
Russia –
The Azerbaijani side also has many killed and wounded

YEREVAN, April 11. /TASS/. Four Armenian soldiers were killed and six more were wounded in clashes with the Azerbaijani side near the village of Tekh in Armenia’s Syunik Region, the Armenian defense ministry said on Tuesday.

“As a result of an Azerbaijani provocation, four Armenian soldiers were killed and six were wounded. The Azerbaijani side has many killed and wounded. As of 8:30 local time (7:30 Moscow time – TASS), the situation on the frontline is relatively stable,” it said.

The ministry released a video featuring Azerbaijani soldiers approaching Armenian servicemen engaged in engineering works and opening gunfire at them.

February tax data shows over 692,000 jobs

Nahapetian Zhanna

Save

Share

 13:23, 4 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, ARMENPRESS. The number of jobs totaled 692,266 as of February, the State Revenue Committee reported citing revenue tax and social payment data submitted by corporate taxpayers and businesses.

Furthermore, citing printed POS bills, the State Revenue Committee said that a total of 53,7 million transactions of 917,6 billion AMD were made in March 2023 (13,3% and 31% increase compared to March 2022 by quantity and value respectively).

Economy Minister highlights increased trade turnover between Georgia, Armenia, expects growing trend during year

Nahapetian Zhanna
AGENDA, Georgia
April 8 2023
Agenda.ge, 8 Apr 2023 – 13:36, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Friday highlighted the “significantly increased” trade turnover between Georgia and Armenia over recent years, with exports from Georgia amounting to $133 million this year and expecting the “growing trend” to continue further.

In his report at the Georgia-Armenia business forum with Gnel Sanosyan, the Minister of Infrastructure and Territorial Administration of Armenia, Davitashvili emphasised the importance of close cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries for the development of trade relations, in addition to the efforts of the countries’ governments to create a favourable environment to strengthen trade ties.

The increased dynamic of high-level visits between Georgia and Armenia, contributing to the further development of relations between the countries, was also reviewed by the Economy Minister at the forum, attended by about 450 businessmen from the two countries, the Economy Ministry said.

The policy of making Georgia a regional hub and attracting investments to the country are an important priority [for the Georgian Government]. Our goal is to show the world that Georgia is a reliable, competitive and effective partner in terms of doing business. The improvement trends of foreign direct investments clearly indicate investors’ confidence and positive expectations towards the business environment in Georgia”, Davitashvili said.

Earlier that day, Davitashvili and Sanosyan discussed the deepening of bilateral trade and economic relations in energy, transport, logistics, tourism, and other priority areas. 

The Georgian Minister highlighted the 4th international Silk Road Forum, which will be held in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi between October 26-27, aiming to provide a platform for high-level dialogue between the governments and business circles.

Azerbaijan spreads disinformation falsely accusing Armenia of opening fire

Nahapetian Zhanna

Save

Share

 16:46, 7 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan continues to spread disinformation claiming that units of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire towards the Azerbaijani combat positions located in the southeastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border zone on April 7, at around 1:20p.m-1:45p.m, the defense ministry of Armenia said.

West seeks to drive wedge between Russia, Armenia, undermine regional situation — Lavrov

Nahapetian Zhanna
 TASS 
Russia – March 20 2023
Meanwhile, the Russian foreign minister noted, the West is concerned not over the interests over the countries located in the region, but over its own selfish geopolitical interests

MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. Moscow sees obvious attempts of the West to drive a wedge between Russia and Armenia and to destabilize the situation in the South Caucasus, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a press conference with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan Monday.

“We talked about concerning trends in the situation in South Caucasus. We see obvious attempts by the West to drive a wedge between Russia and Armenia – let’s call things by their names – to undermine the regional security structure,” Lavrov said.

Meanwhile, he noted, the West “is concerned not over the interests over the countries located here [in the region – TASS], but over its own selfish geopolitical interests.”

“I am certain that such attempts are doomed to fail,” the Foreign Minister underscored.

FM describes EU mission as “additional important tool” for strengthening peace process

Nahapetian Zhanna

Save

Share

 17:10, 22 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has described the EU civilian mission which was launched in Armenia on 20th February as “an additional important tool” for the peace process.

“First of all, the mission is a civilian one, secondly, this mission is an additional tool for Armenia which must be served to the general peace process,” FM Mirzoyan told lawmakers during questions time in parliament.

He dismissed rumors and accusations claiming that Armenia is making some sort of “provocations” while “hiding behind the EU mission”.

“Firstly, the Armenian side isn’t making any provocations at all. Secondly, for Armenia, the EU mission is purely a tool which has to additionally strengthen the peace process, stability in the region, as well as the assessment and relay of the objective reality to our EU partners,” FM Mirzoyan said.

PM Pashinyan holds telephone conversation with the US Secretary of State

Nahapetian Zhanna

Save

Share

 18:01,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the humanitarian crisis caused by Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

Nikol Pashinyan and Antony Blinken exchanged thoughts on the perspectives of the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and the opening of communication channels in the region. The US Secretary of State reaffirmed his call for the immediate reopening of the Lachin Corridor and emphasized that the US is ready to continue supporting the above-mentioned processes.

During the telephone conversation, Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed his concern regarding the recent increasing aggressive rhetoric of Azerbaijan.

Baku calls on Yerevan to accept reality after end of combat operations in Nagorno-Karabakh

Nahapetian Zhanna
 TASS 
Russia –
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry says Armenia should not miss the opportunity to achieve peace

BAKU, March 19. /TASS/. Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry has called on Armenia to accept the reality which has developed after the completion of combat operation in Nagorno-Karabakh and not to lose the opportunities for reaching peace.

“We strongly call on Armenia, which cannot put up with the beginning of the return of former forces migrants, who fell victim to the policy of ethnic purges, to their home land, to recognize the reality which has developed in the region after the 44-day war and drop its aggressive steps and the revanchist policy,” it said in a commentary issued in response to the Armenian foreign ministry’s statement of March 18.

Armenia “forcibly expelled around one million Azerbaijanis from their soil and its allegations that the return of Azerbaijani forced migrants to their homes is a ‘violation of the trilateral statement’ and ‘illegal settlement’ are a flagrant manifestation of hypocrisy,” the ministry said.

According to Baku, the Armenian foreign ministry’s statement demonstrates that the country has not dropped its policy of hindering the return of the Azerbaijanis. The rhetoric and actions of the Armenian leadership demonstrate that “Yerevan is again unwilling to take this historic chance for peace.” In violation of the trilateral agreement, Armenian has not fully withdrawn its armed forces from Azerbaijan’s sovereign territory, the ministry stressed.

“We once again call on Armenia’s political leadership to demonstrate responsible behavior, to refuse from provocations and statements, false rhetoric impairing possibilities for reaching peace which emerged after the 44-day war,” the ministry said.

On Saturday, the Armenian foreign ministry issued a statement accusing Baku of “plotting a new aggression against Yerevan” and “implementing the program of resettling Azerbaijanis in a bid to eliminate any Armenian traces on the Nagorno-Karabakh territories, which have come over under its control.”.