Author: Tambiyan Samvel

Armenia PM: Final status of Nagorno-Karabakh doesn’t imply its independence

Tambiyan Samvel
News.am, Armenia
Dec 8 2021
Armenia PM: Final status of Nagorno-Karabakh doesn’t imply its independence
21:50, 08.12.2021

The final status of Nagorno-Karabakh doesn’t definitely imply its independence. Besides that, a territory for holding a referendum in regard to the status of Nagorno-Karabakh was not recorded during the negotiations. This is what Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said in response to questions from deputies during today’s question-and-answer session with government officials in parliament.

According to the Prime Minister, as a result of certain propaganda, an opinion has been formed in the Armenian public that ‘the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh’ definitely implies independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. “Who said that? Final status means a certain final status. I have already talked about the institution of referendum and the traps that lie within a referendum. For instance, during the process of negotiations, it was envisaged that the Azerbaijanis of Nagorno-Karabakh would also participate in the process. There was initially an issue of a share of potential participation of the Azerbaijanis of Nagorno-Karabakh in the referendum. I would also like to call your attention to the fact that during the process of negotiations and in the existing documents, it has never been recorded that the potential referendum will take place in Nagorno-Karabakh. There are many subtleties here,” Pashinyan clarified.

Armenian Church in Turkey’s Diyarbakir transferred to the possession of the local university

Tambiyan Samvel
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 6 2021

SOCIETY 19:52 06/12/2021 REGION

The Armenian Catholic Church in Turkey’s Diyarbakir has transferred to the possession of the local university for  a term of ten years after restoration by the state. As Ermenihaber reports, the Catholic Church along with other historical christian buildings had been expropriated by the Turkish government. 

Located in Diyarbakir’s Sur district, the St. Hovsep Church was heavily damaged during Turkish-Kurdish clashes in 2015. The restoration was carried out by the Directorate General of Foundations of Turkey.

According to the report, the Church will be now used by the local Dicle University for educational and cultural purposes. At the same time, the right of Armenian catholic community to hold  and attend masses is preserved. 

After the restoration of the church,  the spiritual leader of the Armenian Catholics of Turkey Archbishop Levon Zekiyan had consecrated the church and served a mass after a long break. 

Armenia-Azerbaijan foreign ministerial meeting in Stockholm didn’t take place – MFA spox

Tambiyan Samvel

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 10:08, 4 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. A meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on the sidelines of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Sweden didn’t take place, Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan told Armenpress.

“A meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers within the framework of the 28th OSCE Ministerial Council didn’t take place. I would like to note that the Armenian side has never avoided meetings in the framework of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship”, the spokesperson said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

European Court to deliver judgment on case of Derenik Mkrtchyan and Gayane Mkrtchyan v. Armenia on Tuesday

Tambiyan Samvel
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 29 2021

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will deliver a judgment on the case of Derenik Mkrtchyan and Gayane Mkrtchyan v. Armenia (application no. 69736/12) on Tuesday, 30 November, the press service of the court told Panorama.am on Monday.

The applicants, Derenik G. Mkrtchyan and Gayane Mkrtchyan, are Armenian nationals who were born in 1948 and 1976 respectively and live in Alapars (Armenia).

The case concerns death of Derenik G., the applicants’ grandson and son respectively, at the age of ten in 2010 following a fight in the classroom in his school. It also concerns the subsequent investigation and legal proceedings.

Relying on Article 2 (right to life) and Article 13 (right to an effective remedy) of the European Convention on Human Rights, the applicants claim, in particular, that the boy’s death was a result of a failure by the school authorities to protect him while under their control and that the subsequent investigation was ineffective.

See the detailed statement of the facts here.

California Senator Portantino makes emotional trip to Artsakh

Tambiyan Samvel
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 23 2021
, 10:05

 2 minutes read

California State Senator Anthony J. Portantino recently returned from an emotional trip to Artsakh, during which he toured the countryside and broke bread with heroes. It is believed that this is the first time a state or federal elected official has visited the region since the end of the 44-day war, Asbarez reports.
 
“I was honored to have been asked to go to Artsakh and deeply affected by my time there,” stated Senator Portantino. 

“In particular, in the village of Taghavard, I encountered the most resilient and strong people I have ever met. Their pride and determination to live peacefully on their lands was both inspiring and emotional.  At the Baroness Cox Rehabilitation Center, I observed a classroom of autistic children receiving loving care and spent time with war heroes who are dealing with the significant personal consequences of the war.

Government officials and residents made ardent pleas to the international community to recognize the sovereignty of Artsakh and to advocate for human rights and dignity,” Portantino added.
 
While in Artsakh, the senator met with President Arayik Harutyunyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Babayan, Minister of Education, Science and Culture Lusine Gharakhanyan and leaders of the Artsakh Parliament.  In addition, he visited the frontlines during a tour of Taghavard village in the Martuni region. 

Senator Portantino at the foot of the “We Are Our Mountains” monument

In Taghavard, he had the opportunity to witness the consequences of the unprovoked war.  He assessed destroyed homes and a prominent church that was leveled by Azeri shelling.  Additionally, he was privileged to have met with local village leaders, soldiers and survivors of the war.  At the Baroness Cox Rehabilitation Center, he was able to spend time and share a caring voice with veterans suffering from the aftereffects of the tragic conflict.
 
Senator Portantino was also able to tour a school damaged by bullets and bombs but later revitalized by the Armenia Fund.  At a church, he was shown remnants of missiles and was sadly taken to a cemetery where family members proudly and emotionally mourn the loss of young men and women who bravely fought for their country.
 
“This was by far the most emotional visit I’ve taken to Artsakh.  The personal stories and first-hand accounts of the war were both inspiring and sad.  Walking through the rubble of a once thriving home with the grandson of the owner was quite emotional.  And seeing the harsh reality of adjacent Azeri military camps and infrastructure advances were imminent and concerning,” explained the senator. 

“Standing below the deserted city of Shushi was particularly disturbing, as I have such fond memories of my last visit there.  And seeing the proximity to danger school children face every day when they go outside to play was unsettling and all too real,” added Portantino. 

“Given the recent and continued aggression in Syunik and the unprovoked actions on the Shushi-Berdzor road, we know that the international community needs to act with humanitarian passion and dedicated support for the Armenian people who are facing a well-funded military with destructive intent,” concluded the Senator.

Armenia informed Moscow about readiness to normalise relations with Turkey without preconditions

Tambiyan Samvel
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 23 2021

The Armenian authorities have informed Russia about readiness to normalise relations with Turkey without preconditions, Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan has told TASS news agency. 

“Number of international partners, including our ally Russia, expressed readiness to support the settlement of the Armenian-Turkish relations. In discussions with our Russian friends we informed that we are ready normalise relations without preconditions. If and when the process starts we will inform the public in due course,” Hunanyan is quoted by the news agency. 

The Armenian diplomat added that the Government programme of Armenia reflects the country’s readiness to normalise relations with Turkey. “At the same time, I want to stress that no negotiations are currently held with Turkey,” added MFA spokesperson. 

There is no border dispute, there is aggression against sovereign territory of Armenia – Pashinyan

Tambiyan Samvel

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 21:01,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The attack of the Azerbaijani armed forces against the eastern borderline of Armenia is a direct aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, PM Pashinyan said at the extraordinary session of the Security Council.

Today, at about 13:00, the units of the Azerbaijani armed forces launched an attack in the eastern direction of Armenia’s borderline. The Armed Forces of Armenia took countermeasures. The adversary has suffered significant manpower losses. At least 6 armored vehicles have been destroyed. We have also suffered casualties, and we will provide verified information on the number.

Dear colleagues,

Dear compatriots,

The current developments can be unequivocally assessed as a direct aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. As a result of the aggressive actions of Azerbaijan launched on May 12 of this year, Azerbaijan has occupied nearly 41 square kilometers of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. Under the lights of silence of our international partners, Azerbaijan continues its aggressive actions. My assessment is unequivocal: Azerbaijan and the forces encouraging it are targeting our sovereignty, our statehood, our independence. Yes, today we had a difficult day, and we are living difficult days. But today we also showed that we are here, we exist, we are a state, we are a nation and the language of compulsion is inadmissible for us. We can negotiate, we can seek and find mutually acceptable solutions, we act as a responsible member of the international community. But we will not allow to speak with us in the language of arrogance.

I call on the international community to make statements condemning Azerbaijani aggression, targeted statements. Talks about border disputes are absurd and senseless. There is no border dispute, there is aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. The borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been clear since the period of the Soviet Union, by the legally binding agreements.  And if the problem was the border dispute, Azerbaijan should have accepted our proposal of withdrawing forces simultaneously from the borderline between Soviet Armenia and Azerbaijan, deploying international observers along the borderline and launching the process of demarcation and delimitation of borders long ago. Azerbaijan, that does not accept this proposal, is an aggressor state and must unequivocally withdraw its forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia. Its hopes to impose its will on Armenia are futile. The Government and the people of the Republic of Armenia are determined, and we will defend our sovereignty, territorial integrity, statehood and independence by all possible means.

At the same time, we continue to emphasize the need for a peaceful resolution of the situation, all our previous proposals are valid. We are committed to the provisions of the November 9 and January 11 trilateral statements”, PM Pashinyan said.

At the beginning of the session the participants of the Security Council meeting honored the memory of the soldiers who fell defending the Motherland with a minute of silence.

Russian, French FMs discuss Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement

Tambiyan Samvel

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 14:34,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian discussed the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries during their meeting in Paris.

Summing up the results of the meeting with his French counterpart, the Russian FM told reporters that several days ago the meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan was held in Paris. He informed that all have expressed their support to the statement signed between the Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders on November 9, 2020, relating to the ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh.

As for the details of his meeting with Jean-Yves Le Drian, Lavrov said: “The progress of the activity of the Russian peacekeeping forces in solving a number of humanitarian issues was emphasized. Several directions, where a lot needs to be done, were highlighted. In this sense the activity of the Co-Chairs in the future will be concentrated on the solution of humanitarian problems, to create conditions so that Armenian and Azerbaijani communities establish an atmosphere of trust in the region, solve the daily issues with a spirit of constructive compromises”.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Mane Gevorgyan dismissed as Pashinyan’s spokesperson

Tambiyan Samvel
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 9 2021

Mane Gevorgyan has been dismissed as Nikol Pashinyan’s spokesperson, according to a decree published on the official website of the Armenian government.

The decision was made in accordance with Article 9 (Part 10) of the law “On Public Service”.

In a public post on Facebook on Tuesday, Gevorgyan said she was relieved of her post upon her request.

Armenian Security Council chief admits there was agreement with Azerbaijan

Tambiyan Samvel
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 12 2021

Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen Grigoryan said there was an agreement with Azerbaijan to use the Goris-Kapan highway section until the construction of the bypass road was completed.

“There was an agreement with Azerbaijan for Armenia to use the Goris-Kapan road section until the bypass road was ready,” he said in an interview to the Public TV Company host Petros Ghazaryan on Thursday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Grigoryan said that Azerbaijan would set up customs checkpoints along the Goris-Kapan road section from midnight.

According to the security chief, Armenian citizens used this road until yesterday.

“Starting from the midnight of November 11, we can also use it. However, we have an alternative road, which is renovated and fully passable,” he said.

Referring to the opposition claims that the news on Azeri checkpoints came immediately after the Armenian authorities announced that the bypass road was ready, he said. “There was a preliminary agreement with Azerbaijan.”

Asked why Azerbaijan was installing customs checkpoints when no border delimitation and demarcation work had been carried out, Grigoryan noted: “We acted within the logic of common sense. There are maps. The deviation will be just a few hundred meters.”