Author: Tambiyan Samvel

European Parliament condemned Azeri war crimes and called for accountability – FM spox

Tambiyan Samvel

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 10:12, 22 January, 2021

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Armenia attaches great importance to the fact that the European Parliament condemned that Turkey transferred foreign terrorist fighters from Syria and elsewhere to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan, in response to a question from ARMENPRESS, especially emphasized the European Parliament’s stance on humanitarian issues, namely the need for an immediate repatriation of Armenian PoWs who are still in Azeri custody.

 

ARMENPRESS:  Yesterday, the European Parliament adopted the annual report-resolutions on the “Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)” and the “Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP)”, which also include provisions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Turkey’s role. How do you assess them?

 

A. Naghdalyan:  There are a number of important provisions enshrined in the report-resolutions adopted by the European Parliament, which are related to the Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh and Turkey’s involvement in it, the committed war crimes, as well as the steps to be undertaken to eliminate the consequences of the aggression, especially to address humanitarian issues. We particularly emphasize that the European Parliament not only condemned the war crimes, including the targeting of civilian population and infrastructure, places of worship, but also stressed that these crimes should not remain unpunished. We agree with the European Parliament’s call for Turkey to refrain from any intervention in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including offering military support to Azerbaijan, and to desist from its destabilizing actions. In this context, it is especially important that the European Parliament has also condemned the fact that Turkey transferred foreign terrorist fighters from Syria and elsewhere to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. I would like to especially emphasize the position of the European Parliament on humanitarian issues, particularly regarding the immediate repatriation of prisoners of war. It should be noted that the issues of security of the people of Artsakh, protection of historical-cultural and religious heritage were properly highlighted in the resolution. It is crucial that the European Parliament expressed its position of providing unhindered humanitarian assistance to Artsakh. We emphasize the importance of the efforts of international community, in the form of such resolutions, to contribute to the elimination of the causes and consequences of the war, which in accordance to the resolution, supposes the lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the determination of the future legal status of Artsakh on the basis of the Basic Principles proposed by the Co-Chairs. As it was once again emphasized by this respective international body, right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination and security lies at the basis of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Armenian MFA spokeswoman comments on statement of Turkish FM

Tambiyan Samvel

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 12:59,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Armenian foreign ministry spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan has commented on the statement of Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu according to which “if the peace is lasting, Turkey and Azerbaijan are ready to undertake steps aimed at normalizing relations with Armenia”.

The MFA spokesperson gave a comment to PanARMENIAN.Net.

Question: Recently, Foreign Minister of Turkey Cavusoglu stated that if the peace is lasting, Turkey and Azerbaijan are ready to undertake steps aimed at normalizing relations with Armenia. Can you comment whether the Armenian side is ready to “normalize the relations”. What does this statement mean? Has any initiative been undertaken in this regard, particularly by the Turkish side?

Answer: I would not like to comment on the statements of Turkish-Azerbaijani leadership, which are not consolidated by any action. Moreover, they contradict each other. The Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercises carried out near the Armenian border in violation of relevant OSCE commitments do not prove that the Turkish-Azerbaijani leadership has peaceful intentions towards Armenia. The cessation of hostile actions against Armenia may create conditions for building trust in the region.

French-Armenian doctor Aram Ghazarian leads world’s first double-arm-and-shoulder transplant surgery

Tambiyan Samvel
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 23 2021

French-Armenian doctor Aram Ghazarian has led the world’s first double-shoulder-and-arm transplant surgery on an Icelandic man, who lost both limbs in an accident two decades ago, The Guardian reports.

The patient, Felix Gretarsson, 48, is recovering well after the operation, although doctors said it was still uncertain how much mobility he will recover following the operation earlier this month in the southeastern French city of Lyon.

But “giving a little to somebody who was missing so much, that’s already a lot” Aram Gazarian told a news conference on Friday.

“If he can recover the possibility to actively bend his elbow, that would be a life-changer,” he said.

On 12 January, 1998, Gretarsson, an electrician, was working on a high-voltage power line when an 11,000-volt surge burned his hands and flung him to the icy ground.

He sustained multiple fractures and internal injuries, and went into a three-month coma during which surgeons amputated both arms.

He underwent several more operations, including a liver transplant.

Doctors said the outlook for the right arm to become functional was better than for the left, which had also required a complete rebuild of the shoulder. No serious complications had been detected nine days after the operation, they said.

One of 3 fallen soldiers found on Sunday identified, Artsakh says

Tambiyan Samvel
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 18 2021

Three more bodies of fallen soldiers were found during the search operations in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) on Sunday, Hunan Tadevosyan, the head of the press service of Artsakh’s State Service of Emergency Situations, told Panorama.am on Monday.

Two of the bodies were retrieved from Jabrayil, while the third soldier’s body was recovered from Vorotan, he said.

The soldier found in Vorotan has been identified as Arsen Mamikonyan, with his birth date not known yet. The other two servicemen’s identity will be revealed through a forensic DNA analysis, he said.

Search operations continue in the Hadrut, Jabrayil, and Fizuli regions today, Tadevosyan added.

So far, a total of 1,238 bodies of fallen soldiers and civilians have been found during the search operations. 

Armenia-Azerbaijan: Putin urges ‘next steps’ after peace

Tambiyan Samvel
Deutsche Welle, Germany
Jan 11 2021
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Putin urges ‘next steps’ after peace
 
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are in Moscow for their first meeting since a Russia-brokered deal ended hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders on Monday in their first meeting since a peace agreement halted six weeks of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh.
 
Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev discussed the agreement signed last November. Putin said the peace agreement “created the necessary basis for a long-term and full-format settlement of the old conflict.”
 
Pashinyan and Aliyev did not shake hands at the meeting before sitting down opposite of Putin.
 
What was the outcome of the meeting?
 
Putin thanked both Pashinyan and Aliyev for their cooperation during mediation efforts that were aimed at “stopping the bloodshed, stabilizing the situation and achieving a sustainable ceasefire.” He said it was time to discuss the “next steps” in the peace agreement.
 
Pashinyan said Armenia was ready to discuss the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. However, the maintained the exchange of prisoners of war still had to be resolved.
 
The three countries agreed to set up the first working group meeting on January 30.
 
What is the Nagorno-Karabakh region?
 
The Nagorno-Karabakh region is a disputed territory that is in western Azerbaijan, but is under the control of ethnic Armenian forces. Those forces have been supported by Armenia since a separatist war ended in 1994. It claimed independence from Azerbaijan following the war, but it is not recognized internationally.
 
The region saw major fighting again in September 2020 as the Azerbaijani army pushed into the area. More than 6,000 people were killed in the six weeks of battle.
 
The peace agreement that followed saw Armenia cede territory back to Azerbaijan. Under the deal, Russia deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeeping troops to the region. They will remain in the area for at least five years. Putin said the “next steps” in the agreement should look into demarcation lines and humanitarian issues.
 
How did the peace agreement affect the region?
 
A Russian-brokered ceasefire in November stopped the conflict between Azeri and ethnic Armenian forces, but tensions remain with occasional fighting. Both sides continue to hold prisoners of war and there have been disagreements about a potential transportation corridor in the region.
 
Pashinyan said the issue surrounding the prisoners of war was not resolved during Monday’s meeting.
 
The ceasefire sparked mass protests in Armenia against Pashinyan, demanding his resignation. Protesters have claimed he mishandled the conflict, but he defended the deal as a necessary move that prevented a full Azerbaijani takeover.
 
Aliyev has said the conflict was a historic righting of wrongs, which Armenia has rejected.
 
What is the international influence in the region?
 
Azerbaijan has been supported by Turkey. Both countries shut their borders with Armenia since the 2020 conflict began. The blockade has weakened the economy of the landlocked country.
 
Dmitry Trenin, a political analyst for the Moscow Carnegie Center, said the talks would allow the Kremlin to reaffirm its influence in the region.
 
“(The) peacekeeping function is Moscow’s advantage in its competitive relationship with Ankara,” Trenin tweeted on Sunday.
 
kbd/rt (AFP, AP, Reuters)

Armenpress: Baku is challenging the trust-building efforts of international mediators – MFA Armenia

Tambiyan Samvel

Baku is challenging the trust-building efforts of international mediators – MFA Armenia

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 20:00,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS.  Creating obstacles for the repatriation of the Armenian prisoners of war, issuing a stamp glorifying the ethnic cleansing of Armenians, as well as the consistent threats being voiced by President Aliyev attest to the fact that Azerbaijan is challenging the trust-building efforts of international mediators, ARMENPRESS reports spokesperson of MFA Armenia Anna Naghdalyan said, answering the question of media outlets.

Question: The representative of the Foreign Ministry of Russia stated that the Russian side has always supported the implementation of the humanitarian contacts between the Armenian and Azerbaijani societies. Are there any prerequisites for such programs?

Answer: We highly commend Russia’s efforts aimed at establishing peace and stability in the region. The Armenian side has always supported the humanitarian contacts between the societies of the region, which should be based on mutual respect and tolerance and be aimed at creating mutual trust. Certainly, relevant prerequisites should be established for such programs.

The statements of the leadership of Azerbaijan in recent days demonstrate that Azerbaijan is not yet ready for that. Furthermore, creating obstacles for the repatriation of the Armenian prisoners of war, issuing a stamp glorifying the ethnic cleansing of Armenians, as well as the consistent threats being voiced by President Aliyev attest to the fact that Azerbaijan is challenging the trust-building efforts of international mediators. 

The provocative statements made by the President of Azerbaijan in Shushi, as well as the attempts to present the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Church, which had been targeted during the war, as a “war prize and symbol of victory” are particularly deplorable. 

These realities prove that the conflict is still far from being resolved, and the peace process is necessary to establish lasting peace in the region.

Major investment projects happening in Armenia, says economy minister

Tambiyan Samvel

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 13:59,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan assures that major investment programs are carrying on in Armenia. Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Kerobyan said there are many investors now in Armenia and he doesn’t differentiate them as being foreigners or locals. “I am meeting every day with several such investors and every day I am giving solutions to the issues they face,” Kerobyan said.

Asked when it would be possible to see major investments in Armenia, Kerobyan said there are such major investments happening right now. “We can go and I will show you a 100 million worth investment, the Renshin company,” he said, referring to the construction company active in the Armenian real estate market development. 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenian PM, Kazakh Ambassador discuss economic cooperation prospects

Tambiyan Samvel

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 17:14,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received today Ambassador of Kazakhstan Timur Urazayev who is completing his diplomatic mission in Armenia, the Armenian Parliament told Armenpress.

The PM thanked the Ambassador for the productive cooperation aimed at developing the Armenian-Kazakh relations. He highlighted constantly developing the bilateral ties and emphasized the fact of close partnership of the two countries also in the multilateral formats – in the EAEU, CSTO and CIS. According to Mr. Pashinyan, Armenia and Kazakhstan have a great cooperation potential in the field of economy.

Ambassador Urazayev thanked the Prime Minister and the Armenian government for the close partnership, assuring that he will invest all efforts in the future for the development of the Armenian-Kazakh friendly relations. The Ambassador said over the past five years the bilateral ties have constantly expanded in all spheres. As for the economic partnership, Mr. Urazayev said despite the COVID-19 pandemic the trade turnover volumes between Armenia and Kazakhstan have increased by 50% in 2020, which, according to him, is a good precondition for keeping and boosting the growth rates.

Issues relating to the economic cooperation prospects, Kazakhstan’s chairmanship priorities in the EAEU, as well as other regional topics were discussed during the meeting.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

More bodies retrieved from combat zones amid ongoing search operations in Artsakh

Tambiyan Samvel

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 11:10,

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Search and rescue teams looking for the remains of the Karabakh war victims have found the bodies of 7 servicemen in Fizuli and Jabrayil, as well as the section between Artsakh and the Syunik province, bringing the total number of retrieved bodies since the war ended to 1229, the Artsakh authorities said.

Artsakh State Service of Emergency Situations spokesperson Hunan Tadevosyan told ARMENPRESS that they are now conducting search operations in Karintak, Mataghis and Talish.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

CivilNet: 4 Points Signed by Pashinyan, Putin and Aliyev on January 11

Tambiyan Samvel
CIVILNET.AM

20:50

The following is an English translation of the joint statement signed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Moscow on . This is the second statement signed by the three leaders after the end of the Second Karabakh War. The first trilateral statement, signed on November 9, 2020, is available here: 9 Points Signed by Aliyev, Pashinyan, Putin on Karabakh

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Statement by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the President of the Russian Federation.

We, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan I. Aliyev, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia N. V. Pashinyan and the President of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin announce the following:

1. For the purpose of implementing the 9th point of the November 9, 2020 statement, which refers to the unblocking of all economic and transport links in the region, we support Russian Federation President V.V. Putin’s proposal to create a trilateral Working Group under the joint chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Ministers of the Republic of Armenia, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

2. The Working Group will hold its first meeting before January 30, 2021, based on which it will list the main areas of work that are needed for the implementation of the statement’s 9th point. Rail and road connections will be prioritized. Other areas agreed by the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the “Parties”) will be defined.

3. In order to implement the activities, the Co-Chairs of the Working Group will approve the creation of area-specific expert subgroups, which will include representatives from Parties’ authorized bodies and officials from organizations. Within one month after the meeting of the Working Group, in order to implement and receive approval at the highest level by the Parties, the expert subgroups will submit a list of projects that will include the necessary resources and measures.

4. By March 1, 2021, the Working Group will submit to the Parties, for approval at the highest level, a timetable and a list of measures to be taken for the organization, implementation, and rehabilitation and construction of new transport infrastructure facilities necessary to ensure security of international transport both through the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia – regarding those which will require intersecting / crossing the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia.