Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

Storica Is Carving a Place for Armenian Wine in the U.S.

Nahapetian Zhanna

For the past five years, Storica Wines has worked to draw attention to this ancient terroir and raise awareness of Armenian wine amongst U.S. consumers

As someone who grew up close to his Armenian heritage in New York, Zack Armen has long felt compelled to engage in activities that benefited his ancestral homeland as well as its diaspora. It wasn’t until he founded Storica Wines, though, that he discovered how to do so in a way that was not only multi-generational, but scalable. 

Like so many others in the wine industry, Armen’s personal and professional path has been varied. He began his career in the world of financial services, which equipped him with key skills such as managing profit and loss statements and projecting future returns, that became foundational for launching an import company. Storica, which was founded in 2018, now holds the designation of being the leading import, sales, and marketing company for Armenian wines to the United States. 

Storica began as a tight-knit team of four, but they now have 19 employees working virtually and on the ground in order to help draw attention to a lesser-known part of the world. In Armen’s words: “Our company’s core mission is to build the Armenian wine category in the U.S. market by working with select wineries that are producing fine wine with indigenous varietals.” With 500 retailers and restaurants under their belt spanning 23 states from California to Louisiana, they are fast working toward that objective. In 2022, for instance, they sold 4,773 nine-liter cases of wine; In the first four months of 2023 alone, they sold 3,055, nearly triple the previous year.

In total, they have seven different brands from five different producers, such as Keush, which produces traditional method sparkling wine from indigenous grape varieties, and Voskevaz, renowned for fermenting their wine in clay amphorae. Storica’s goal is to increase the volume of sales in each of the states they currently distribute to, as well as nearly doubling the number of states in the next few years. For now, however, they are focused on channeling their efforts and resources toward building upon the brands they currently carry and strengthening relations with their clients, including James Beard award-winning restaurants like Galit in Chicago and O ya, Boston. 

Zack Armen: I visited Armenia pretty much every year over the last 20 years, but the idea of Storica Wines was inspired by a trip I took there in 2017. I noticed that there was seemingly all of a sudden a lot of really great wine produced from indigenous grapes by local Armenian wineries. So, being curious, I started to ask questions as to what was stimulating this wine movement. That was when I met the dynamic father and daughter team that is Vahe and Aimee Keushgerian, two of the leaders of this wine renaissance [and the founders of Zulal]. 

Over the course of many months after my visit, they explained Armenia’s unique terroir and heritage of winemaking to me. Their insights and passion were highly compelling. I not only saw an opportunity, but felt a responsibility to share the beautiful story of Armenia’s ancient traditions and modern wines with the U.S.  


WINE

High-profile winemakers aren’t the only ones who’ve discovered the country’s wines—here’s what to try

It soon became apparent how important it was for Armenia as a wine region to create a robust presence in the U.S. marketplace. Upon doing further research, I took it upon myself to develop a business plan that supports the growth of this category in the States, delivering a really valuable outcome to the Armenian economy via wine sales and wine tourism. 

We select wineries based on a pretty rigorous evaluation process that is led by our general manager Ara Sarkissian. Included in that is a focus on the styles and quality of wine that U.S. trade and consumers are looking for and the appropriate price points at which these wines will find demand. We also think about how these wines will fit into our portfolio and whether they will be complementary or disruptive and competitive with the existing brands. This process is repeated every year as [more] Armenian wineries seek representation.

Because we aim to gain a foothold in a majority of states, we have a pretty involved and proactive process in order to reach out to distributors in those which we’re not yet represented. We invest heavily in a team of seasoned wine professionals to travel the country visiting on- and off-premise accounts along with our distributors to ensure staff as well as consumers have an opportunity to hear about the unique terroir and attributes of Armenian wine directly from us. This helps create context within which the wines can be understood. 

Voskevaz Winery (above), one of the brands carried by Storica, is renowned for fermenting their wine in clay amphorae. Photo credit: Zenith Photography.

We faced a lot of challenges in our first two-and-a-half years of operations that we have learned a lot from. Even though we have unique wines that offer great quality and value, there’s still a lot of risk aversion in this industry post COVID. That, however, has been counterbalanced by consumers and wine professionals who consistently seek out quality wines that are new, adventurous, and off-the-beaten path. We strongly believe that those will ultimately win out over the risk aversion that exists in the middle of the value chain. 

Wine drinkers are always looking to explore new categories and interest in emerging categories is on the rise. Armenia, with its ancient winemaking history and unique extreme elevation viticulture, stands to gain from that.

https://daily.sevenfifty.com/storica-is-carving-a-place-for-armenian-wine-in-the-u-s/

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 18-07-23

Nahapetian Zhanna

 17:09,

YEREVAN, 18 JULY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 18 July, USD exchange rate up by 0.15 drams to 386.29 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.10 drams to 434.77 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.01 drams to 4.26 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.85 drams to 506.77 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 41.50 drams to 24213.08 drams. Silver price up by 0.62 drams to 308.13 drams.

"The negotiation process should be an internal affair of Khankendi and Baku." View from Baku

Nahapetian Zhanna

  • JAMnews
  • Baku

Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations

“Despite Michel’s appreciation of the leaders’ commitment to the peace process and his call for further bold steps, little progress has been made since the Prague meeting last October.” This is how head of Turan news agency, Mehman Aliyev, assessed the latest Brussels meeting between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, mediated by the President of the European Council.

Commenting on the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry, he noted that “neither Moscow, nor Brussels, nor any other intermediary capitals are no longer responsible for the situation in the region, and the negotiation process should first of all be an internal affair of Khankendi and Baku”

Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations

The meeting between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan, mediated by the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, took place in Brussels on July 15. At the end of the meeting, Michel made a statement following the talks.

“Our meeting was the latest in a series of intensive and productive high-level meetings involving the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, deputy prime ministers and foreign ministers, which have been held since early May in Brussels, Chisinau, Washington, Moscow and on the bilateral border.

We are going through one of the most complete and energetic stages of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Michel said after the meeting.

He “commended” the leaders for their “strong commitment to the peace process” and called on them to “take further bold steps to ensure decisive and irreversible progress towards normalization.”

“We agreed that our teams will remain in close contact to ensure concrete development of what was discussed today.

Real progress depends on the next steps to be taken in the near future. First of all, violence and harsh rhetoric must be stopped in order to create the proper environment for peace negotiations and normalization.

I also reaffirmed my intention to invite the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to another meeting in Brussels after the summer, as well as to another five-party meeting with the participation also of the leaders of France and Germany in Granada, within the framework of the next summit of the European Political Community (to be held in October),” he concluded.

Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations

Despite the optimism in Michel’s speech, Azerbaijani expert Mehman Aliyev believes that since the Prague meeting in October last year, nothing has been achieved in the Armenian-Azerbaijani talks.

“In Prague, Pashinyan agreed to recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, including the Armenian-populated territory of Karabakh (ANTK), on the basis of the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, which recognized the existing borders.

However, no significant progress was made in Brussels on any of the six agenda items, and some parameters even worsened. These include increased border restrictions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, especially in the Lachin corridor, continued problems with prisoners of war, lack of progress in delimiting the border and concluding a peace treaty, as well as increasing military incidents in Karabakh.”

Aliyev believes that the facts point to a stalemate in the negotiation process, “when both sides are reluctant to promote peace based on their respective interests.”

“Azerbaijan refuses to grant a separate status to the part of Karabakh where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed, while Armenia hopes to separate this part from Azerbaijan. It seems that the EU, as demonstrated in Michel’s statement, is seeking to keep the part of Karabakh with an Armenian population as a potential time bomb by imposing the former status of the NKAR created by Stalin in 1923. This is evident from the mention of the term “NKAO” in Michel’s statement.

The President of Azerbaijan called the disarmament of the Armenian military formations in Karabakh one of the conditions for resolving the situation

On the contrary, the statement of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, published on the same day as the meeting in Brussels, does not mention NKAR. Instead, it highlights the importance of guaranteeing the rights and security of Armenians in Karabakh, based on the November 9, 2020 statement. Moscow highlights Armenia’s public recognition of Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, which it claims changed the terms under which the statement was signed, as well as the status of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

The Russian Foreign Ministry states that the responsibility for the fate of the Armenian population in Karabakh should no longer be shifted to third parties. This suggests that neither Moscow, nor Brussels, nor any other intermediary capitals are anymore responsible for the situation in the region, and the negotiation process should first of all be an internal affair of Khankendi and Baku,” the expert says.

Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations

He also notes that in the light of these events, Russia expresses its intention to actively contribute to international efforts to restore normality in Nagorno-Karabakh:

“The Russian government proposes to hold a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers in Moscow in the near future to discuss the implementation of agreements at a high level, including negotiations on a peace treaty. It proposes to convene a Russian-Azerbaijani-Armenian summit in Moscow to sign the aforementioned document.”

According to Aliyev, this indicates that the Kremlin does not want to wait for the results of two European meetings scheduled for autumn.

“However, given the global confrontation with the West, it is unclear whether Moscow will be able to achieve the signing of a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Armenia may continue to drag out the process, relying on France’s recent assurances of solidarity with Armenians and the European Council President’s use of the term “NKAR”. Europe’s recent actions provide some justification for Armenia’s cautious approach,” Aliyev concluded.

Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations

On the same day, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement regarding Nagorno-Karabakh.

The statement notes that Armenia recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of the territory of Azerbaijan during the summits under the auspices of the European Union in October 2022 and May 2023.

“While the Russian government respected the sovereign decision of Armenia, it emphasized that this recognition fundamentally changed the conditions under which the Statement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia of November 9, 2020 was signed, as well as the status of the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in the region.”

Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations

The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the responsibility for the fate of the Armenian population in Karabakh should not be shifted to third parties. Instead, he called for immediate preparations for the signing of a peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan on the basis of previously agreed terms. The statement emphasized the importance of providing reliable and clear guarantees of the rights and security of Armenians in Karabakh as an integral part of the agreement. It also noted the need for strict implementation of comprehensive trilateral agreements between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, which include the unblocking of transport routes and the start of the process of delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

All information from the United States about the negotiations between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the demand from Nagorno-Karabakh to stop them until a truce is established, as well as an expert’s comment

In light of this, Russia expressed its intention to contribute to international efforts aimed at restoring the normal situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Russian government has offered to organize a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers in Moscow in the near future to discuss the implementation of agreements at a high level, including negotiations on a peace treaty. The statement suggested convening a Russian-Azerbaijani-Armenian summit in Moscow to sign the aforementioned document.

The Russian side expressed concern about the negative trajectory of the development of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. It highlighted the deepening humanitarian crisis in the region, with the local population facing severe shortages of food, medicine, basic necessities and basic services such as electricity and gas.

The leadership of Azerbaijan was urged to take immediate steps to unblock the Lachin corridor, which facilitates the unhindered movement of people, vehicles and goods in both directions. In addition, the restoration of energy supply to the region was emphasized as an important measure.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan expressed “perplexity” and “regret” about this statement by the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation.

“This statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry does not comply with the Declaration on Allied Cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation, as well as the speeches of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin on supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a comment.

The document points out the “unacceptability” of the attempts of the Russian Foreign Ministry to “comment on and condition the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the context of the recognition of Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijan by the Prime Minister of Armenia, which for almost 30 years kept Azerbaijani territories under occupation” .

Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations

As further highlighted in the document, Baku also demonstrates commitment to the tripartite documents signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia.

The statement notes that in order to prevent the illegal activities of illegal Armenian armed groups in the country and ensure the transparency of transportation, the Azerbaijani side established the Lachin border checkpoint, which was established in accordance with the legislation of Azerbaijan and international standards.

“Over the past few months, hundreds of Armenian residents have been allowed to pass through this checkpoint in an organized and transparent manner. Despite this, Armenia, which did not abandon military provocations against Azerbaijan, fired at this point on June 15, and in July made attempts to smuggle it through the cars of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Despite this, the Azerbaijani side, through the ICRC, again created conditions for the passage of Armenian residents, and also announced the possibility of meeting the needs of Armenian residents using the Agdam-Khankendi route. In this context, the complete groundlessness of attempts to politicize the creation of the Lachin border checkpoint, which is the sovereign right of Azerbaijan, and to voice the thesis about the allegedly existing difficult humanitarian situation in the region, is obvious,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a comment.

https://jam-news.net/the-negotiation-process-should-be-an-internal-affair-of-khankendi-and-baku-view-from-baku/








Remembering Dr. Hovannisian: The Father of Armenian Studies

Nahapetian Zhanna
 Sara Cohan Reflections, Diaspora 0

In academia, there are individuals who leave an unforgettable mark on their field, shaping it in profound ways that endure long after their passing. Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian, the Father of Armenian Studies, was undeniably one of those luminaries. As we reflect on his invaluable contributions, we remember that his influence extends far beyond the boundaries of academia; he was a mentor, an inspiration and a guiding force for all who ventured into the realm of teaching Armenian history.

Dr. Hovannisian’s dedication to scholarship was evident in his extensive body of work. His writing and compilation of books formed the very foundation of what we study today. Through meticulous research and an unwavering commitment to uncovering the truth, he unearthed and preserved the hidden chapters of our history. By doing so, he bestowed upon us a rich canon of materials that have deeply enriched our understanding of our past.

However, Dr. Hovannisian’s contributions were not confined to research alone. He recognized the importance of fostering a community of scholars and learners. He organized conferences that provided us with opportunities to come together, share our knowledge, and learn from one another. These gatherings not only expanded our understanding of buried histories but also forged strong bonds between us.

The relationships formed because of Dr. Hovannisian became the networks that propelled our work forward, enabling us to continue to expand and elevate the field of Armenian Studies.

Beyond his scholarly achievements, Dr. Hovannisian embodied the qualities of a true mentor and father figure. He was always there to guide and support us, offering his expertise, wisdom and encouragement. His presence provided reassurance that we were not alone on this journey of teaching Armenian history. From the early days of my career, I could always count on Dr. Hovannisian to speak at the workshops I helped run in the Los Angeles area and beyond. He believed in the importance of “showing up,” which was exemplified in his commitment to engaging with secondary level teachers. Whenever a workshop was held, we knew we could count on Dr. Hovannisian to address the teachers, delivering lectures that seamlessly intertwined the history of the Armenian Genocide with his own personal experiences growing up in Tulare. Through his articulate storytelling, he enabled American teachers to grasp the nuances of the Armenian American experience.

Dr. Hovannisian’s impact extended far. Together with his wife Vartiter, they traveled the world to expand the reach of Armenian Studies and provided endless support for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. As we mourn the loss of Dr. Hovannisian, we must remember that his legacy lives on through each and every one of us. He has paved the way for us to continue our journey towards justice and understanding, armed with the knowledge he imparted and the example he set. We stand upon the shoulders of a giant, and it is our responsibility to carry the torch forward.

In honoring his memory, let us recommit ourselves to the preservation of our history and the advancement of Armenian Studies. Let us cherish the relationships we have forged because of his efforts, knowing that they are the bedrock upon which our field thrives. Let us never forget the invaluable lessons Dr. Hovannisian taught us, as a scholar and a father to us all.

  •  Bio
  •  Latest Posts
Sara Cohan is a human rights and genocide education consultant. She worked for The Genocide Education Project for seventeen years as their education director. Her background combines research, study, curriculum development and teaching. She is a museum teacher fellow for the US Holocaust Museum and Memorial and worked extensively with the USC Shoah Foundation. In 2001, Cohan was named the research fellow for Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center and later she served on their advisory board in 2012. She also studied in Mexico as a recipient of a Fulbright-Hays scholarship and studied Islamic influences in Europe as a fellow for the National Endowment for the Humanities. She was an expert lecturer at the Council of Europe’s European Youth Centre in Budapest in 2009 and has worked with the Armenian Genocide Museum and Institute in Yerevan. Cohan has written articles and designed educational materials for a variety of organizations and publications. She is the granddaughter of an Armenian Genocide survivor.


Armenpress: United States reports ‘further progress’ in Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations, notes ‘hard work’ ahead

Nahapetian Zhanna

 10:20,

YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS.  United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday commended “further progress” made during the foreign ministerial talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington D.C., but acknowledged that “hard work” still needs to be done to achieve a peace deal.

“First, to both of my colleagues and their delegations, great thanks and appreciation for the important and hard work that’s continued in the effort to reach a durable peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as to deal with a number of other important issues that can help advance relations between the countries,” Blinken said at the closing session of the Armenia-Azerbaijan talks.

“ I’m grateful for the time that you’ve all spent here, now the second meeting that we’ve held.  I appreciated very much the opportunity to spend time with you, as did our team, the National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and appreciate again that, as we’ll share in a statement that’ll be released in a little while, further progress toward this shared objective of an agreement, to include agreement on some additional articles as well as a deepening understanding of the positions on other outstanding issues, as well as a recognition that there is – there remains hard work to be done to try to reach a final agreement.We’ve had a series of meetings not only here but also with our counterparts – hosted by our counterparts in the European Union, to include as well Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Aliyev, and we know that a further meeting is expected in a few weeks’ time with the European Union and the president and prime minister.  And we look forward to continuing this process as well in the weeks ahead to take advantage of the momentum that we’ve helped achieve through these meetings, through further agreement on different discrete pieces, with, again, the objective of reaching an overall and final agreement in the weeks and months ahead. I think there’s also a clear understanding on everyone’s part that the closer we get, the closer you get to reaching an agreement, in some cases the harder it gets, because by definition the most difficult issues are left for the end.  But I very much appreciate the spirit of candor, openness, directness that everyone has exhibited.  That is the way, ultimately, to reach understanding and, finally, to reach agreement. So again, thank you both for being here.  Thank you for the hard work that’s gone into these three days.  Thank you for the progress that has been made.  And thank you for the determination to continue this effort in the weeks and months ahead,” he added.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 28-06-23

Nahapetian Zhanna

 17:31,

YEREVAN, 28 JUNE, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 28 June, USD exchange rate down by 0.18 drams to 386.53 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.08 drams to 423.37 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.04 drams to 4.51 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.69 drams to 490.55 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 60.83 drams to 23846.61 drams. Silver price up by 0.31 drams to 283.78 drams.

Fall of Shushi played crucial role in approving 9 November ceasefire agreement, says Pashinyan

Nahapetian Zhanna

 11:06, 20 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has revealed the moment he realized in 2020 that the only possible option for ending hostilities was to compromise. 

Speaking at the parliamentary select committee probing the causes and course of the 2020 Second Karabakh War, Pashinyan said that the fall of Shushi played a crucial role in signing the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement.

He said what mattered was not only the symbolic but also strategic value of Shushi. After the fall of Shushi, Stepanakert would be targeted, the pressure on Martuni would unavoidably become stronger, and there would be a risk of nearly 25,000 Armenian troops being besieged.

The 9 November 2020 ceasefire agreement was the fifth attempt to end the war, Pashinyan said. The first such conversation took place on October 7, when Pashinyan phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin on the latter’s birthday. Putin attached importance to Pashinyan’s willingness to compromise. Putin told Pashinyan that he wants to mediate for a swift end of hostilities.

“I told him that I agreed and asked under what conditions the hostilities would end. Our understanding was that hostilities had to end without preconditions, the sides had to stop at their present positions, followed by talks on which compromise the parties agree to. I said that this option was acceptable for us. I had a second phone call with the Russian President later on that day, and he said that he had talked with the Azerbaijani President, but the latter had told him that he wasn’t ready to go for a ceasefire, meaning he didn’t agree to establish ceasefire,” Pashinyan said.

President Putin told Pashinyan that he’d talk with the Azerbaijani President again the next day.

The next day, Putin told Pashinyan that Azerbaijan had a precondition for a ceasefire: it expects Fizuli to be surrendered without a fight, and that Armenian forces must retreat from along the Araks River to the Khuda Aferin reservoir, so that the reservoir stays under Azerbaijani control to be able to take water for irrigation. In addition, the Azerbaijani leadership expected to repatriate Guliyev and Askerov, the two convicts that were serving prison terms in Nagorno Karabakh for kidnapping and murder, and considering the option of returning prisoners itself.

“Furthermore, and end to hostilities wasn’t being declared for this, but simply a humanitarian ceasefire, to organize the burial of the dead, without any condition or obligation on not resuming the fighting afterwards. I said that the preconditions were unacceptable because we agreed with the Russian President that a ceasefire was to be established without preconditions. And moreover, even if I were to agree to the retreat of troops there was no guarantee that Azerbaijan wouldn’t continue its offensive during the retreat. Nevertheless, I displayed some flexibility, recording that a joint use of water from the Khuda Afering reservoir was possible, meaning, I thought that NK could not obstruct Azerbaijani use of water from the reservoir, the condition on the return of Askerov and Guliyev could be discussed if Azerbaijan were to say how many Armenian captives it was ready to return with Russian mediation, the condition on surrendering Fizuli with the banks of Araks without a fight was unacceptable, while the proposal on a humanitarian ceasefire for burying the bodies of the dead was fully acceptable,” Pashinyan said.

Putin told Pashinyan on October 9 that Azerbaijan was ready to establish a ceasefire starting 9-10 October. The foreign ministers of the two sides were invited to Moscow for discussions, and the exchange of captives and bodies of the dead was also supposed to be discussed. Pashinyan said he agreed to the offer.

The Kremlin then published a statement. A statement was then issued after the foreign ministerial meeting. After this statement, Pashinyan ordered the military to maintain the ceasefire. But after little pauses, Azerbaijan launched a more intense attack, bombarding the territory of the former NKAO, Stepanakert, Martakert and assaulting Hadrut.

“Of course, the troops were ordered to take every necessary action to stop the Azerbaijani attack, but simultaneously diplomatic efforts were underway in the direction of the Moscow document on establishing a ceasefire. The deployment of Russian military observers on both sides of the line of contact for monitoring the situation was being considered. But Azerbaijan was constantly avoiding going for such a solution and was intensifying its military operations,” Pashinyan said.

The Armenian PM said he talked with Putin in the following days several times on how to achieve a ceasefire.

“Analyzing the situation in our internal discussions, my conclusion was the following: Azerbaijan won’t agree to a ceasefire until its advance gets thwarted. This was basically the balanced scenario of ending the hostilities. I realized that if such a scenario was impossible, while the situation on the battlefield wasn’t optimistic, the only possible option was the compromised ceasefire. Other variants were not realistic because days were passing since the rather balanced ceasefire statement but it was impossible to establish a ceasefire,” Pashinyan said.

New deputy prime ministerial meeting between Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan expected

Nahapetian Zhanna

 14:54, 21 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani deputy prime ministers will hold a new meeting of the task force on unblocking, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said on June 21.

“I think there will be a trilateral meeting, but there’s no agreement yet on the date,” Grigoryan told reporters.

Grigoryan said that the routes that are to be opened through the territory of Armenia will unequivocally function under Armenian legislation. Asked to elaborate why the Russian Federal Security Service will be deployed to the road in that case, Grigoryan said: “First of all, let’s talk about the border guards as part of the FSB, to clearly understand what this is about if you are quoting the 9th clause of the 9 November trilateral statement. Secondly, discussions have yet to take place on the functions and the method of implementing the functions,” Grigoryan said.

Council of Europe’s commission against racism and intolerance publishes monitoring reports on Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia

Nahapetian Zhanna

Council of Europe


Strasburg

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has published this week new monitoring reports on Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The Commission outlines areas of progress, outstanding issues and provides recommendations for improving the situation. 

In Armenia, ECRI says, over the past seven years, progress has been made and good practices developed in the field of inclusive education, migrant integration, and anti-discrimination legislation. However, some issues still cause concern, such as the absence of a full equality mandate given to the Human Rights Defender institution, insufficient action against hate speech and discrimination and bullying at schools, as well as delays with the adoption of the Equality Law and the fact that it does not cover all discrimination grounds.

Over the past seven years, Azerbaijan has developed good practices in education and migrant integration, but more needs to be done in the fields of legislation and tackling inflammatory rhetoric and hate speech, including at the highest political level, says the Council of Europe anti-racism body.

Despite some progress at legislative and policy levels in Georgia since 2015, racism and intolerance against some ethnic and religious groups and, in particular, against LGBTI persons remains a problem, ECRI notes. Teaching of Georgian to historical ethnic minorities is still vastly insufficient, and government officials and politicians undermined the reputation of the Public Defender (Ombudsman), which includes the function of national equality body.

For each country, ECRI has provided several recommendations on addressing the outstanding issues. It has requested the authorities of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to implement two of these recommendations as a matter of priority and will examine the follow-up given to these two recommendations by each country within two-years’ time.

 Press release
Armenia: Council of Europe’s commission against racism and intolerance notes progress, but says all discrimination grounds must be covered by law, hate speech tackled effectively

 Press release
Azerbaijan: Council of Europe’s commission against racism and intolerance notes progress, but says inflammatory rhetoric and hate speech should be tackled

 Press release
Council of Europe monitoring body says racism and intolerance against groups in vulnerable situations remains a problem in Georgia, despite certain progress

https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/council-of-europe-s-commission-against-racism-and-intolerance-publishes-monitoring-reports-on-armenia-azerbaijan-and-georgia


Deputy PM lauds ‘huge and significant’ capacity increase at Upper Lars checkpoint on Russia-Georgia border

Nahapetian Zhanna

 13:25,

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan has lauded the technical improvements at the Upper Lars checkpoint at the Russian-Georgian border, where 28 new clearance lanes were opened to increase capacity. The Upper Lars checkpoint now has 39 lanes compared to its original 11.

“This is a huge and significant change,” Grigoryan said at the Cabinet meeting.

“The record clearance capacity in 2020-2021 was 300 trucks per day. Today, 1500 vehicles pass [every day], and this is very significant. Moreover, yesterday there were 409 vacant spots at the checkpoint,” Grigoryan said, pointing to the increased capacity.

“It’s also very important that the number of lanes will be increased from nine to fifteen in Georgia by the end of 2024,” he added.