Author: Parkev Tvankchian

Renewed Dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia Worrying, Warns Foreign Minister

Parkev Tvankchian
Hungary Today
Aug 14 2023
Hungary Today 2023.08.14.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade called the news of renewed disputes between the two countries on the issue of humanitarian deliveries “disturbing”. Péter Szijjártó wrote that the role of international organizations, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross, could be of great help in this situation.

“Hungary is on the side of peace, and we urge an end to the suffering of people who have lived through a long war. I informed both my colleagues, Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, of this position by phone last night,” Péter Szijjártó stressed.

He emphasized it was regrettable that many security conflicts were complicating life in the world.

On the Azeri-Armenian conflict, the Foreign Minister pointed out that it had long bitterly affected the lives of people in the region. “Hungary has always stood for a peaceful settlement, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty. We welcome the peace agreement and hope that its implementation will put an end to the suffering of many, many people,” he concluded.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have not officially demarcated their mutual borders since becoming independent states following collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The issue of border demarcation between the two countries arose immediately after the defeat of Armenia in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, and Azerbaijan regaining control over its occupied territories. Before the 2020 war, there was no mutually agreed upon border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with certain Armenian villages and agricultural workers crossing over into Azerbaijan. During Soviet times, cross-border interactions and movements were common.

The military forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been engaged in a border conflict since 12 May 2021, when Azerbaijani soldiers crossed several kilometers into Armenia in the provinces of Syunik and Gegharkunik. Azerbaijan is currently occupying at least 50 square kilometers of Armenian territory. Azerbaijan has not withdrawn its troops from internationally recognized Armenian territory despite calls to do so by the European Parliament, United States and France. Since the end of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijan has made numerous incursions into Armenian territory.

Tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the key transit route in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region have been flaring up again in recent days, reports Magyar Nemzet. The tension has been caused by Azerbaijan’s setting up of a border checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin corridor, the only land link between the Armenian-led breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Armenia. Yerevan claims that this has put them under a blockade. Baku denies this and claims that they want to stop Armenian arms and ammunition smuggling. The checkpoint was temporarily shut down earlier this month to investigate the situation, thanks to the Armenian branch of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Center for Truth and Justice Welcomes Ocampo Report Citing Genocide in Nagorno Karabakh

Parkev Tvankchian
Aug 11 2023
  • Luis Moreno Ocampo, first prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, said Azerbaijan’s blockade applies as genocide under the Genocide Convention
  • Ocampo called on world powers to prevent starvation of 120,000 Armenians
  • CFTJ says turning a blind eye to the tragedy could ripple around the world

MONTROSE, Calif., Aug. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Center for Truth and Justice (CFTJ), a group of attorneys dedicated to collecting testimonial evidence of war crimes, has called on world powers to intervene in Nagorno-Karabakh after a report this week by renowned international legal expert Luis Moreno Ocampo found Azerbaijan’s blockade of the enclave constituted a genocide against the 120,000 ethnic Armenians living there.

“This hidden genocide, starvation by blockade, has been exposed,” the California-based group said. “It is now the responsibility of state parties, especially the US, to take measures to stop Genocide 2023.”

Maggie Arutyunyan, Esq. a founding member and member of the Board of Directors of CFTJ said the horror of genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh is the failure of the state parties to the Genocide Convention that keep repeating the words “never again” to mass atrocities but have not stepped up to prevent the latest case. 

“When put on notice by Mr. Ocampo’s thorough report, those who continue to turn a blind eye become complicit in Genocide 2023,”  she said, adding that ending the blockade will have the immediate effect of preventing  what Ocampo called the “physical destruction” of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. “At this point, it takes political will by the US and state parties to stop Genocide 2023, and stop starvation by blockade.”

Azerbaijan seized control of much of Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies inside Azerbaijan’s official borders but which has operated as a self-governing entity for decades, in a deadly 2020 war. What remains of the enclave – known by Armenians as Artsakh – is connected to the outside world by the Lachin Corridor. On December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan blocked the road, allowing only intermittent passage by the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers – and since June 15 all passage has been entirely blocked, cutting off food and other supplies.

“Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks,” Ocampo wrote in the 22-page pro bono report (read it here) entitled “Genocide against Armenians in 2023.” 

Ocampo, who was the first chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, noted that  Article II(c) of the Genocide Convention determined that “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction” constituted a genocide attempt.

“You will find no crematoria in Artsakh, nor machetes, but genocide by starvation is no less devastating for being silent,” Ocampo said. “It was the same deadly method used against Armenians in 1915, against Poles and Jews in 1939, and against the people of Srebrenica in 1993. And unless we intervene right now, we’ll have a Genocide on our hands by year’s end.”

Ocampo, who began his legendary career by helping to liberate his native Argentina from military dictatorship, had written last week to Azerbaijan’s authoritarian president, Ilham Aliyev, demanding explanations about his intentions and cautioning that his behavior could be investigated as a genocide. He did not receive a reply.  Ocampo said Aliyev should be investigated by the ICC, but the priority now is to prevent the physical elimination of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Ocampo’s meticulous analysis of President Aliyev’s intention of genocide, and possible avenues for state parties to prevent ‘physical destruction’ of Armenians, is crucial,” Arutyunyan said. “As neutral third parties we will continue to document first-hand evidence, using proper methodology ensuring its reliability and authenticity.”

The Center for Truth and Justice collects testimonial evidence of war crimes and provides them to international organizations and actors – especially amplifying the voice of Armenians affected by discrimination, ethnic cleansing, displacement, war crimes, mass atrocities and genocide.

Ocampo’s report, released Aug. 8, has been delivered to the President of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, to Armenia’s Ambassador to the United Nations Mher Margaryan, and to the Armenian Foreign Ministry in Yerevan.

During his time at the ICC, in 2008, Ocampo obtained arrest warrants against Sudan’s then-President Omar al-Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. Bashir was deposed and is in jail in Khartoum.

ABOUT THE CFTJ:

CFTJ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, established in November 2020 in response to the Nagorno-Karabakh war. We are a group of lawyers overseeing the collection of firsthand testimonial evidence from war survivors via in-depth, recorded interviews. We run two law clinics, one in Armenia and one in Nagorno-Karabakh, which are the first of their kind. Through our clinics, we train Armenian law students and young lawyers to interview survivors of the war and record their testimonies. To date, we have conducted hundreds of interviews and trained nearly 100 current or future lawyers. By being a permanent home for the testimonials, CFTJ serves as a resource to academic and legal practitioners who seek to use the evidence for purposes of education and/or legal action.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Maggie Arutyunyan, Communications Director,  at 1(818)749-8185

SOURCE Center for Truth and Justice

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/center-for-truth-and-justice-welcomes-ocampo-report-citing-genocide-in-nagorno-karabakh-301898485.html

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Center for Truth and Justice 

11 Aug, 2023, 08:44 ET


Armenia: media invited to apply for grants on justice reform

Parkev Tvankchian
Aug 8 2023

The Juremonia project funded by the European Union has announced a project proposal competition for grants to engage and support media organisations (or journalists) in their monitoring, reporting and advocacy efforts on justice reforms.

The call is open for media organisations and/or journalists from the Republic of Armenia.

The aim of small grants (€9,000) is to engage and support media organisations or journalists in their monitoring, reporting and advocacy efforts on justice reforms as well as to create public awareness on the reforms and to stimulate cooperation between civil society and media in advocacy initiatives.

The deadline for submission of the full proposals is 15 September.

Find out more

Press release

https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/648878341/armenia-media-invited-to-apply-for-grants-on-justice-reform

Armenian philosopher David Anhaght (the Invincible) – a prominent Neoplatonist thinker

Parkev Tvankchian
Aug 8 2023
by LIANNA AGASYAN

Armenian philosopher David Anhaght the Invincible was recognised as a prominent Neoplatonist thinker and acknowledged as the founder of several fields of Armenian #philosophy of the V-VI centuries; his works, originally written in Greek, survived in medieval Armenian translations.

He was given the nickname “invincible” and was one of the creators of a textbook of arithmetic problems. David was a member of the Neoplatonic school and the founder of a branch of Medieval Armenian philosophy.

His influence was so great that, as a rule, every Armenian thinker attempting to make judgments in the field of philosophy started with the interpretation of David’s main works.

David earned winning in philosophical debates with representatives of the Hellenistic philosophy of the time. David the Invincible acted in the Golden Age of Armenian literature era.

For an extended period, he studied and then taught philosophy in Alexandria, one of the major centres of scientific and philosophical thought. David was active in Alexandria and known as an expert in Aristotle’s Physics.

According to David the Invincible, philosophy aims to search for ways to avoid evil and achieve spiritual perfection. The significance of knowledge does not disappear after its achievement; it can and must serve the moral exaltation of man.

David developed Neoplatonic ideas in teaching the soul, including dialectical ideas. The concepts of David introduced a secular, rationalist principle to the Armenian medieval philosophy associated with theology.

The David Anhaght Medal, the highest-ranking medal granted by the Armenian Academy of Philosophy, is named after him.

https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/08/08/david-anhaght-the-invincible/

UN Armenia office representatives visit entrance of blockaded Lachin Corridor

Parkev Tvankchian

 15:44, 3 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. The representatives of the UN office in Armenia visited on Thursday the border section of Kornidzor, the entrance of Lachin Corridor, where the convoy of trucks trying to transport humanitarian aid from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh remains blocked for the ninth day.

Video Player

On August 2, candy-producer Grand Candy sent two trucks loaded with confectionaries to join the 19 trucks of the convoy.

The representatives of the UN office in Armenia were briefed on the situation on the ground, after which Nanna Skau, acting resident coordinator of the UN in Armenia, gave a short press briefing, during which she first read the UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ latest statement regarding the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

“Unfortunately, at this point I cannot go beyond the statement…,” Nanna Skau said.  “We do expect the statement issued will hopefully lead to some positive results,” she added.

Photos by Hovhannes Mkrtchyan

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. The ICJ reaffirmed its order on 6 July 2023.

Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno-Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

On July 25, the Government of Armenia said that it will try to send over 360 tons of flour, cooking oil, sugar, and other foodstuffs and medication to Nagorno-Karabakh to mitigate the humanitarian crisis resulting from the blockade of Lachin Corridor. Armenia requested the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh to escort the aid but Azerbaijan has blocked the convoy at the entrance of the Lachin Corridor.

German lawmakers condemn Azerbaijani blockade of Lachin Corridor, call for urgent reopening

Parkev Tvankchian

 20:26, 28 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. German lawmakers have called for an immediate reopening of the Lachin Corridor, which has been blocked by Azerbaijan for nearly 8 months, resulting in a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The Lachin Corridor must be opened,” Member of the Bundestag Renata Alt (FDP) tweeted. “The fact that even the transfer of humanitarian aid by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh has become impossible is unacceptable. It is necessary to pressure Azerbaijan so that the situation doesn’t escalate,” Alt, the chairwoman of the Bundestag Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid added. 

Robin Wagener, a Member of the Bundestag and Coordinator for Intersocietal Cooperation with the Southern Caucasus, the Republic of Moldova and Central Asia at the Federal Foreign Office of Germany said that he is following the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with deep concern. “All actions must be based on the welfare of the local population, and we must be guided by this. This includes the guarantee of uninterrupted and safe routes of transport of persons and goods, including of Lachin Corridor,” Wagener, who heads the Bundestag delegation to the OSCE PA, tweeted.

Member of the Bundestag Merle Spellerberg, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and rapporteur on South Caucasus of the Alliance 90/The Greens faction, underscored that “any blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan must immediately end.”

“Human lives cannot become geopolitical levers,” Spellerberg added.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps in Armenia visited on Friday the village of Kornidzor in the Syunik Province where an Armenian humanitarian convoy carrying emergency food and medical aid to Nagorno-Karabakh remains blocked by Azerbaijan at the entrance of Lachin Corridor for the second day.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno-Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

On July 25, the Government of Armenia said that it will try to send over 360 tons of flour, cooking oil, sugar, and other foodstuffs and medication to Nagorno-Karabakh to mitigate the humanitarian crisis resulting from the blockade of Lachin Corridor. Armenia requested the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh to escort the aid. Armenia has also requested Azerbaijan to not obstruct the convoy.

On Thursday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Azerbaijan would only corroborate Armenia’s fears that Baku seeks to commit genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh if the convoy gets blocked.

Azerbaijan reaches India for an explanation for providing military cargo to Armenia via Iran

Parkev Tvankchian
DND, Pakistan
July 27 2023

Monitoring Desk:

As India is caught while delivering military weapons to Armenia via Iran, the Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev met with the Ambassador of India to the country Sridharan Madhusudhanan on Wednesday to get the explanation for this Indian move that would surely endanger the region.

According to the state-run News Agency, Azertac, during the meeting, Hikmat Hajiyev said that the Azerbaijani side is concerned about deepening military cooperation between Armenia and India and the dissemination of photos and videos in the media about transferring Indian-made weapon systems to Armenia through Iran in recent days.
The Presidential Administration official noted that India’s delivery of lethal weapons to Armenia amid ongoing negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia on a peace agreement leads to the militarization of Armenia and aggravation of the situation, and poses obstacles to the establishment of sustainable peace and security in the South Caucasus region. It is incompatible both with India’s self-proclaimed foreign policy based on the norms and principles of international law as well as the historical “Bandung Principles” of the Non-Aligned Movement that India is party to.

Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmat Hajiyev called on the Indian ambassador to bring the serious concerns of the Azerbaijani side to the attention of official Delhi and to reconsider India’s decision regarding the delivery of lethal weapons to Armenia.

The Indian ambassador said that the question raised by the Azerbaijani side will be communicated accordingly and noted the significance of conducting a dialogue between the two countries to discuss issues of concern in bilateral relations. Hikmat Hajiyev mentioned that Azerbaijan is always open to a dialogue with India.

Food for Longsuffering Christians in Besieged Nagorno-Karabakh

Parkev Tvankchian

July 27 2023

Can You Help Send Aid to Christians and Alleviate the Growing Humanitarian Crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh?

“A few days ago in the Martakert region, two children in one of the villages drowned in search of food. Pregnant women have already been registered as children not born due to malnutrition.” This was just the beginning of Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan’s speech at a rally in Yerevan on July 25th.

Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian Christian region within the territory of Azerbaijan, has been cut off from Armenia for over seven months. Azerbaijan began its blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only land route linking Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, in December 2022.

The Bishop continues, “We have cases of premature death, problems with transport and lack of medication; many patients, especially those whose life depends on the periodicity of blood from dialysis, literally wait to see when they will die. What else is needed to realize the seriousness of the situation?”

Conditions continue to worsen in Nagorno-Karabakh, with many suffering from malnutrition due to shortages, with some even dying while they wait in line for what little food is available [Image credit: Artsakh Information Center]

A call for aid in this life-and-death moment

“We are receiving alarming news from [Nagorno-Karabakh] on a daily basis. 120,000 of our brothers and sisters continue to live the hardships of the illegal blockade by Azerbaijan,” said Bishop Hovakim Manukyan in a recent email to the Diocese of the Armenian Church of the UK and Ireland.

Praise God that Barnabas has been active in providing aid to suffering Christians since the blockade began. Through your generosity and God’s provision, we have been able to get aid into the region, delivering 200 tons of food and other aid, as well as supporting livelihoods through livestock so Christian villages can support themselves.

Food is desperately short, especially in the cities. Can you help? [Image credit: Marut Vanyan]

The need is still growing, especially in urban areas. Those in villages have their agricultural livelihoods, but those in the cities are desperately short of supplies. While the blockade and harassment from the Azerbaijani military persists, please pray for those who are struggling to survive in this trapped region.

If you can give a gift to help as well, thank you.

Giving any amount, large or small, will give hope to our suffering brothers and sisters in Nagorno-Karabakh, by providing essentials such as lentils, beans, rice, oil, flour, salt, sugar, and powdered milk for infants as well as soap, laundry detergent and toothpaste.

$20 could provide 22 lbs of food and hygiene essentials

$30 could provide 33 lbs of food and hygiene essentials

$100 could provide 110 lbs of food and hygiene essentials

https://www.barnabasaid.org/us/latest-needs/food-for-longsuffering-christians-in-besieged-nagorno-karabakh/



Austrian Foreign Minister calls for end to Lachin Corridor blockade

Parkev Tvankchian

 10:16,

YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS. Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has said that Austria is “greatly worried” about the blockade of the Lachin corridor, describing it as a “humanitarian concern”.

Schallenberg called for an end to the blockade of Lachin Corridor.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with Schallenberg in Vienna on July 18.

The occasion of the meeting was the signing of the implementation protocol on the readmission agreement between Armenia and the EU. Additionally, the regional security situation in the South Caucasus was at the center of their discussions.

During the meeting, the two foreign ministers exchanged views on regional security, particularly the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Austrian foreign ministry said in a readout.

Recently, there have been talks mediated by the EU and the United States between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which the Austrian foreign ministry described as having “raised hopes for an easing of tensions.” 

Austria has previously advocated strongly for a civilian EU mission in Armenia to support the path towards stability and security. “Despite the rightful focus on Ukraine, other potential hotspots must not be overlooked,” the Austrian foreign ministry said in the readout.

“I am grateful for the strong commitment of the EU and the talks in Washington. It is going in the right direction and I hope that one day there will be a sustainable peace agreement. However, there are still many open questions that need to be discussed. Among them, there is a humanitarian concern that greatly worries us – the blockade of the Lachin corridor. This blockade must end,” Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said after the meeting.

Furthermore, the relations between Armenia and other neighbouring countries, particularly Russia and Turkey, were also addressed.

He also emphasized that Vienna is of course available as a venue for talks on the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey.

Additionally, Schallenberg highlighted the important role of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), based in Vienna, in relation to security in the Caucasus and beyond.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations and the Red Cross has been facilitating the medical evacuations of patients.

Richard G. Hovannisian

Parkev Tvankchian
Dear Friends, 

As we prepare to lay our father to eternal rest, with deep sorrow and gratitude, I share this notice, hoping that it may be helpful in letting people know, in case they would like to and can be present. Please feel free to share. Thank you.
Sirov,
Ani



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