Sunday, Putin To Host Armenian-Azeri Summit Russia -- President Vladimir Putin discusses the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with senior Russian officials from his Novo Ogarevo residence outside Moscow, January 10, 2021. Russian President Vladimir Putin will host talks between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on Monday two months after brokering a ceasefire agreement that stopped the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Kremlin said on Sunday that Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will discuss in Moscow the agreement’s implementation and “further steps aimed at resolving existing problems in the region.” “Special attention will be paid to providing assistance to residents of areas that suffered as a result of the hostilities and unblocking and developing trade and transport links,” it said, adding that Putin will also hold separate meetings with Pashinian and Aliyev. Putin discussed the Karabakh conflict with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and three top security officials in a video conference held later on Sunday. No details of the discussion were made public. Meanwhile, Pashinian’s press secretary, Mane Gevorgian, emphasized the “economic character” of the upcoming trilateral meeting, saying that it will focus on the opening of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border envisaged by the November 9 agreement. The truce agreement specifically commits Yerevan to opening a transport link between the Nakhichevan exclave and the rest of Azerbaijan, which would presumably pass through Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province. Gevorgian again insisted that that it will not serve as a permanent “corridor” and that Armenia will be able, for its part, to use Azerbaijani territory as a transit route for cargo shipments to and from Russia and Iran. She also reiterated that the opening of the transport links will be conditional on Baku releasing dozens of Armenians remaining in Azerbaijani captivity and facilitating the ongoing search for other soldiers and civilians who went missing during the six-week war. “Without a solution to or major progress on these issues it will be extremely difficult to discuss the economic agenda,” she wrote on Facebook. Gevorgian went on to dismiss Armenian opposition claims that Pashinian could agree to more Armenian territorial concessions to Azerbaijan during his talks with Aliyev. “No document on resolving the Karabakh conflict or any territorial issue is due to be signed in Moscow,” she said. An alliance of over a dozen Armenian opposition parties seeking to oust Pashinian has expressed serious concern over the upcoming Armenian-Azerbaijani talks. One of its leaders, Vazgen Manukian, demanded an urgent meeting with Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazian, National Security Service Director Armen Abazian and Armenia’s top army general, Onik Gasparian. Ayvazian met with Manukian and two other opposition leaders on Saturday. “Armen Abazian and Onik Gasparian avoided a meeting, which only deepened our concerns and suspicions,” Manukian said in a statement issued on Sunday. “The [opposition] Homeland Salvation Movement states that any decision [to be made in Moscow] against the interests of Armenia and Artsakh will be … rejected by the Armenian people and invalidated after regime change,” he warned. The opposition forces blame Pashinian for Armenia’s defeat in the six-week war and want him to hand over power to an interim government that would hold snap parliamentary elections within a year. The prime minister has rejected the opposition demands. Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Tatoyan Vazgen
Putin holds consultations on Nagorno Karabakh
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 10 2021
Ahead of the meeting with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, Vladimir Putin held a meeting to discuss the issues of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement and the situation in the South Caucasus, Kremlin informs.
The meeting was attended by Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin.
Armenpress: Armenian FM meets with Artsakh counterpart
Armenian FM meets with Artsakh counterpart
16:27, 5 January, 2021
YEREVAN, JANUARY 5, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Aivazian has arrived in the Republic of Artsakh on a working visit, Foreign ministry spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan said on Facebook.
The Armenian FM has already met with newly-appointed Foreign Minister of Artsakh Davit Babayan.
The two ministers signed a 2021 consultation plan between the Armenian and Artsakh foreign ministries.
UK sanctions on Armenia and Azerbaijan
The Government of the United Kingdom
Jan 2 2021
This page provides guidance on the arms embargoes in place on Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In February 1992, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) requested that all participating states should introduce an embargo on ‘all deliveries of weapons and munitions to forces engaged in combat in the Nagorno-Karabakh area’. This embargo is still in effect.
On 2 July 2014, the UK refined its interpretation of the arms embargo as covering the export, supply or delivery of all goods and items on the UK military list (which forms a part of the UK strategic export control lists) where this equipment could be used:
- in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, or
- on the land border between Azerbaijan and Armenia
This embargo is implemented through the Export Control Order 2008. All export and trade licence applications for Armenia and Azerbaijan as elsewhere will be assessed on a case-by-case basis against the UK Strategic Export Licensing Criteria and we will not issue a licence where to do so would be inconsistent with the Criteria.
Additionally, some goods which are not on the UK military list might also need an export licence. These are covered by the military end-use control.
For further information on financial sanctions: contact the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation [email protected] or subscribe to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation’s e-alerts
For further information on trade sanctions: contact the Export Control Joint Unit Helpline on 020 7215 4594 or email [email protected] or subscribe to the Export Control Joint Unit’s notices to exporters
For further information on transport sanctions: contact the Department for Transport on [email protected]
For general information on sanctions: contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s Sanctions Unit on [email protected]
Christmas gifts from London for Artsakh kids
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 30 2020
About 1,200 shoeboxes filled with New Year’s gifts are on their way from London to Yerevan, where they will be distributed by the NGO “Future is Now” to children of families displaced by the war.
An appeal was launched one month ago and word spread quickly within the UK and across all of Europe, engaging both non-Armenians and Armenians alike.
With the help of 39 volunteers working over two weekends at St Sarkis Church in Kensington, London, the boxes were collected, grouped by age and gender, security checked, itemized and packaged to be placed in transit to Yerevan, via Brussels.
The appeal was the initiative of Victoria Lazzari, 32, who together with her Armenian boyfriend Yuri Khodjamirian, 35, visited Artsakh last year.
“The idea came from my mother who reminded me how as a family we used to send boxes via our school around Christmas time to children affected by war. I felt compelled to bring a little joy and hope to this devastating tragedy that has displaced thousands of families. Sending a shoebox creates a connection between the donor and recipient that donating money alone does not. It also gives the receiving child a sense that someone far away made a great effort to show that they care,” said Victoria Lazzari.
These shoeboxes are not just gifts, they are a personal connection between people living in the UK to children far away in Armenia. One of those dropping a shoebox was Tatevik. She herself received one such shoebox 30 years ago and told of the affect it had on her. People enclosed cards containing hopeful messages, photos of themselves. Many had never heard of Artsakh or Armenia prior to taking the time to make a shoebox.
Mayor of Armenia’s Goris Arush Arushanyan at Investigative Committee, human rights activists
News.am, Armenia
Dec 21 2020
Mayor of Armenia’s Goris Arush Arushanyan at Investigative Committee, human rights activists standing outside
16:11, 21.12.2020
A little while ago, Arush Arushanyan, the mayor of the Armenian city of Goris, was brought to the main building of the Investigative Committee in Yerevan.
Earlier, we reported that the mayor of Goris was detained within the framework of a criminal case launched by the police, this criminal case was sent to the Investigative Committee of Armenia, but the Committee informed that they had not received this criminal case yet, and therefore they cannot provide details on which Criminal Code article this criminal case was launched under and on Arushanyan’s status of detention.
To note, Arush Arushanyan had announced Sunday that they will be at the gates of Goris Monday morning and will not allow Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to enter Syunik Province, after which Arushanyan was detained.
Armenian, Russian FMs discuss issues related with the trilateral declaration
19:09, 23 December, 2020
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazian and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed a number of issues related with the trilateral declarations signed by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, ARMENPRESS was informed from the official website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The sides also discussed a number of bilateral and international pressing issues.
Armenia village head: Azerbaijanis are in Shurnukh, they are standing in front of 12 houses
News.am, Armenia
Dec 24 2020
12:44, 24.12.2020
The Azerbaijanis are currently in Shurnukh village; demarcation works are being carried out. Armenia’s Shurnukh village mayor Hakob Arshakyan informed Armenian News-NEWS.am about this.
“They came about 20 minutes ago, they are in front of 12 houses—on the highway; they are measuring. It’s them, the Russians, our border guards,” Arshakyan said, noting that the new Armenian-Azerbaijani border had not been finalized at this sector yet.
It should be noted that in case of drawing this new border by GPS and the motorway, this village will be divided into two parts, and 12 of its houses will pass to the Azerbaijani side.
Earlier, the Shurnukh village mayor had stated that they would fight in every way to keep the village completely Armenian.
Top Armenian, Russian diplomats discuss Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 26 2020
Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan and his Russian counterpart have discussed over the phone the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process and the implementation of the trilateral statement on Nagorno-Karabakh.
The parties continued to exchange views on current bilateral, regional and international issues. Particular attention was paid to the discussion of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue in light of the implementation of the provisions of the statement signed by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on November 9.
Armenia PM: I’m inviting political forces to consultations over snap parliamentary elections in 2021
News.am, Armenia
Dec 25 2020
Armenia PM: I’m inviting political forces to consultations over snap parliamentary elections in 2021
Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has posted the following on his Facebook page:
“Dear people, compatriots,
Now it is already clear that the opposition’s demonstrations demanding the Prime Minister’s resignation weren’t supported by the people.
The opposition had all the opportunities to generate the people’s support since it had tremendous financial and media resources and had resources for organizing the demonstrations, had wide opportunities to organize rallies and protests, but not only did the opposition fail to ensure the people’s support, it also had a minimum number of supporters, and there are fewer demonstrations at the square.
Nobody can say that the authorities maintained power through brutality. On the contrary, the authorities are blamed for being soft.
However, this in no way changes my and our political team’s commitment to bearing responsibility before the people. I am not clung to the seat of Prime Minister, but I also can’t be negligent towards the power granted to me by the people.
The people need to determine the fate of the future political leadership of the country through _expression_ of free will, and I, as Prime Minister of Armenia, consider myself the guarantor of the _expression_ of that will.
I am also ready to leave the post of Prime Minister based on the people’s decision, but I can leave the post only upon the people’s decision.
I am ready to continue to serve as the leader of the Republic of Armenia in this difficult period, if the people reestablish their confidence in me.
There is only one way to receive the answers to all these questions, and that is the holding of snap parliamentary elections.
Based on the aforementioned, I am inviting parliamentary forces and interested extra-parliamentary forces to consultations over the holding of snap parliamentary elections in 2021.”