Author: Torgomian Varazdat

Russia summons Armenia’s envoy over ‘unfriendly moves’

Torgomian Varazdat
Iran Front Page
Sept 9 2023

Armenian Ambassador to Moscow Vagharshak Harutiunyan has been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry for a stern remonstration amid “Yerevan’s unfriendly actions”, the diplomatic agency has announced in a statement.

“Armenian Ambassador to Moscow Vagharshak Harutiunyan was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry and received a stern remonstration,” the statement said.

“Additionally, he was handed a protest note pointing out the unacceptability of offensive remarks by Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Alen Robertovich Simonyan against Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova and the Russian foreign policy agency in general made on September 6,” the ministry added.

The diplomatic agency noted the emergence “of certain doubts in the practicality of allied ties within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and with Russia on a bilateral basis among the Republic of Armenia’s official circles and political elite,” as well as in the feasibility of the set of trilateral agreements between Moscow, Yerevan and Baku on the Azerbaijani-Armenian normalization.

“Against this background, over recent days, the Armenian leadership has made a series of unfriendly steps, including launching the ratification process of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Anna Vachikovna Hakobyan, the prime minister’s spouse, visiting Kiev and delivering humanitarian aid to the Nazi Kiev regime, and holding joint military drills with the US on Armenian soil,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.

The diplomatic agency expressed concerns over the detention of pro-Russian blogger Mikael Badalyan and Radio Sputnik Armenia observer Ashot Gevorkyan on September 7.

“Additionally, concerns were conveyed over the detention of blogger M. Badalyan and Radio Sputnik Armenia observer A. Gevorkyan in Armenia on September 7,” the ministry said.

The foreign policy agency also pointed out that Moscow firmly proceeds from the premise that Russia and Armenia are allies and their agreements on fostering and bolstering relations will be fully implemented to benefit both countries. “This, among other things, concerns organizing drills on the CSTO track and, in the future, sending the organization’s observation mission to the republic to facilitate a settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the ministry added.

“The Russian side will continue making all necessary efforts toward this end,” the agency concluded.

IDBank placed $5 million tranche

Torgomian Varazdat

 14:41, 8 September 2023

On July 24, 2023, IDBank issued a USD tranche of registered coupon bonds under the abbreviation AMANLBB2LER8, which were already placed. 

Financial Director of IDBank Arman Asatryan notes: “Interest in IDBank bonds is growing. And since demand significantly exceeds supply, we will continue issuing bonds,” Arman Asatryan said, adding that income from bonds is not taxable, which makes the instrument more attractive. 

The total volume of the bonds of the first tranche of 2023 is $5 million, the annual interest rate is 4.25%, the maturity of the bonds is 27 months, the bonds will be paid quarterly. 

The bonds will be listed in the “Armenian Stock Exchange” and will be quoted by the Marketmaker. 

The funds attracted by means of nominal bonds are considered to be guaranteed bank deposits and are guaranteed by the Deposit Guarantee Fund of Armenia. 

The bond prospectus was registered by the CBA, resolution № 1/392А of the Chairman of the CBA from July 23, 2021. Resolution № 1/392А.The electronic version of the prospectus and the final terms of issue are available . 

THE BANK IS CONTROLLED BY CBA

Pashinyan changing country’s politics to align with West — experts

Torgomian Varazdat
 TASS 
Russia – Sept 7 2023
It is believed that the Armenian prime minister is taking advantage of the situation in Ukraine, trying to sign an agreement with Azerbaijan with the help of the West

YEREVAN, September 7. /TASS/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has decided to change the country’s politics in a move that benefits the West, as evidenced by his recent moves, Eduard Sharmazanov, a former deputy speaker of the country’s parliament and member of the board of the Republican Party led by the third President, Serzh Sargsyan.

Last week, Pashinyan, in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica, argued that Russia was distancing itself from the South Caucasus and that Russian peacekeepers were not controlling the Lachin corridor, because Russia was either unwilling or unable to do so. The day before, Armenia’s Cabinet sent the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to parliament for ratification. This week, Yerevan announced joint exercises with the United States, due to begin on September 11, and Pashinyan’s wife Anna Hakobyan visited Kiev, where she took part in a “forum of first ladies and gentlemen” and was photographed with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

“Nikol Pashinyan is changing Armenia’s political course,” Sharmazanov believes. “This is a continuation of his statements that Russia’s military presence in Armenia is a threat, that Russia wants us to provide them with a corridor (meaning a proposed transportation corridor from the main territory of Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan through the territory of Armenia – TASS) or is forcing us to join the Union State. This is a continuation of the statements about the issue of Lachin (Lachin corridor – TASS) being put under the responsibility of Russia.”

He said this was not the first such attempt by the current Armenian authorities.

“Back in 2018, US presidential national security advisor John Bolton visited Armenia and said that the Armenian people should abandon their traditions. Among other things, he had in mind the destruction of Armenian-Russian relations. Pashinyan is consistently ruining Armenian-Russian relations,” the expert believes.

“Pashinyan is taking advantage of the situation in Ukraine, trying to sign an agreement with Azerbaijan with the help of the West. As a result, Armenia sustains territorial losses,” Sharmazanov warned.

Hayk Naapetyan, a security expert and retired colonel, agrees. “The plans for ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the Armenian-US military exercises, the statements about joining NATO, and the visit of Pashinyan’s wife to Kiev indicate that the Armenian leadership has made a final decision to start the process of distancing itself from Russia and leaving the CSTO and the EAEU,” he told TASS.

According to Naapetyan, in his interview with the Italian newspaper, Pashinyan clearly stated that security cooperation with Russia was the wrong architecture and that the CSTO was not fulfilling its legal obligations.

In Moscow, Pashinyan’s statements to the Italian media sparked criticism. A diplomatic source told TASS that the Russian side regarded them “as unacceptable in tone and content and aimed at shifting the responsibility for its own miscalculations and mistakes onto Russia.”

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, commenting on the news of the upcoming Eagle Partner 2023 exercises between Armenia and the United States, told TASS that Russia had made its allies in Armenia deftly aware of the fact that their military exercises with the United States were perceived in Moscow with certain concern. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the information about these exercises was worrisome, and Moscow would deeply analyze this situation and keep an eye on what happened next.

Russia also paid attention to the statement made by the Chairman of the European Committee for NATO Development Gunther Fehlinger to the effect that Armenia should join the North Atlantic Alliance. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said in this regard that the Armenian people had enough wisdom “not to buy” NATO’s attempts to draw their country into the alliance’s sphere of influence. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told TASS that the statements made in the EU about Armenia’s needing to join NATO were “grand fantasies.”

COAF & GIZ Host Arts, Crafts, and Music Festival to Promote Tourism in Lori, Armenia

Torgomian Varazdat

 16:45, 6 September 2023

YEREVAN — The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) announce the upcoming COAF Fest: Arts, Crafts, and Music, which will take place on September 16 at the COAF SMART Center in Debet village, Lori region. The festival will bring together Armenian musical talents, skilled craftsmen, and local producers from the Lori region, with the aim of fostering economic growth in the area and further enhancing its attractiveness as a premier tourism destination. The COAF Fest is an integral component of the larger “Lori, Your Next Destination” project, a collaborative endeavor between COAF and GIZ, supported by the EU4Business ITTD project.

COAF’s Managing Director, Liana Ghaltaghchyan, emphasizes, “Our partnership with GIZ under the ‘Lori, Your Next Destination’ initiative has been instrumental in promoting the untapped tourism potential of the Lori region, all while bolstering sustainable development. Beyond our commitment to providing non-formal education, our initiatives in Lori now encompass cultivating a thriving ecosystem centered around the SMART Center. In this context, our festival presents an excellent opportunity to bring the entire community together at our SMART Campus, allowing them to enjoy a remarkable blend of arts, crafts, music, and the rich flavors of traditional Armenian cuisine.”

In addition to the festival, COAF will mark the grand opening of Concept by COAF on the same day—the largest social enterprise in Armenia. This establishment features a boutique hotel, an expansive conference center, and a modern restaurant. Concept by COAF is set to become a coveted destination for leisure, professional gatherings, and formal occasions, contributing significantly to the continuous expansion of COAF’s educational and social initiatives. The inauguration of Concept by COAF commemorates COAF’s two-decade journey and heralds a new era of transformative change, underscored by the launch of four new SMART Centers across the regions of Syunik, Shirak, and Armavir, as well as the steady progress of programs in Artsakh.

COAF Fest will serve as a platform for local businesses, enabling them to promote their products and expand their visibility. The festival will showcase more than 30 booths from various companies, offering a diverse array of products, including tea, agricultural goods, clothing and fabrics, skincare and cosmetics, handmade items, bags, and souvenirs. Furthermore, the festival will unveil Ardēan’s captivating art installations adorning the COAF SMART Campus in Lori. These 12 exquisite art pieces draw inspiration from the region’s ancient monasteries and cultural heritage. The festival will also feature live performances by renowned artists such as “Hayat Project,” “Lav Eli,” “Miqayel Voskanyan & Friends,” “Vahagn Hayrapetyan Trio,” “Bambir,” and DJ Alen Hertz. 

To encourage active participation in bringing about positive, lasting change, donation boxes featuring QR codes will be placed throughout the SMART Campus during the festival.

The “Lori, Your Next Destination” initiative, launched in 2021, has already achieved success through a series of impactful initiatives. These include the “STARMUS Day at SMART” Festival hosted in 2022, the development of an extensive network of hiking and biking trails, professional training programs aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of local tourism service providers, and the establishment of the Visitor Center, complete with a roadside café, designed to serve as a welcoming gateway for visitors to the region, promoting tourism.

About COAF

The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) aims at improving the quality of life in rural Armenia, with a particular focus on the projects and needs of children and youth. COAF’s target development areas are education, healthcare, as well as social and economic development. COAF launched its programs in 2004, starting in one village and expanding to more than 82 communities in Armenia and Artsakh with an investment of more than $70 million, impacting well over 100,000 people across rural Armenia. 

About the EU4Business “Innovative Tourism and Technology Development for Armenia (ITTD)’’ project

The EU4Business “Innovative Tourism and Technology Development for Armenia (ITTD)’’ project is ongoing in Armenia. It is co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by German Development Cooperation (GIZ). It has an overall objective to ensure shared and balanced inclusive growth in tourism and innovative industries. 

This will be achieved through innovative tourism ventures in the Northern regions of Armenia, support to high-tech and innovative entrepreneurs, international knowledge exchange for high-tech researchers as well as networks to enable entrepreneurship culture for students and the general population.

Within the framework of the project, more than 100 ventures have already been supported, assistance has been provided in sustaining and/or creating 400 jobs, and more than 800 people have undergone various trainings.




PM Pashinyan holds meeting with Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman

Torgomian Varazdat

 18:25, 5 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has held a meeting with a South Korean delegation of businessmen led by Chey Tae-won, the Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

PM Pashinyan welcomed the delegation’s visit to Armenia and underscored the government’s eagerness to intensify trade-economic cooperation with the Republic of Korea, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

PM Pashinyan expressed conviction that the visit will contribute to the deepening of commercial ties.

Chey Tae-won said that the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry is ready to boost the development and expansion of Armenian-Korean partnership in the economy and investments.

Issues related to the ongoing steps for improving the business environment in Armenia, opportunities for investment projects in various directions and future cooperation in agriculture, tourism and green energy were discussed.

Armenian Educational Benevolent Union Scholarship Fund Celebrates 5th Anniversary, Announces 2023-2024 Awards Recipients

Torgomian Varazdat
by Contributor

 

 September 5, 2023

 

in Community, Latest, News, Top Stories

Armenian Educational Benevolent Union Scholarship Fund Committee members with three of this year’s scholarship recipients


PASADENA— The Armenian Educational Benevolent Union Scholarship Fund Committee on August 27 celebrated its 5th Anniversary and announced the 2023-2024 award recipients during a festive gala at the De Luxe Banquet Hall in Burbank, California.

The AEBU Scholarship Fund was established to encourage youth of Armenian descent to pursue higher education, be engaged in the Armenian community, and to give back through community service. This year, 14 recipients—seven in the United States, four in Armenia, and three in Lebanon—were selected from a large pool of highly qualified candidates who had applied nationwide and from overseas.

The Armenian-American selected recipients were awarded their scholarships in the presence of the AEBU Scholarship Fund donors, friends, and family members during the event.

Stepan Hovagimian, Master of Ceremony, opened the event with welcoming remarks.

The formal program began after dinner with a musical performance by the talented Nektarine Chilyan, who delighted the audience playing the qanun and singing a collection of popular Armenian and international songs.

The keynote address was given by Dr. Houri Berberian, who holds the position of Professor of History and the Meghrouni Family Presidential Chair in Armenian Studies, as well as serving as the Director of Armenian Studies at the University of California, Irvine. In her presentation, titled “Education, Scholarship, and Armenian Women at the Forefront,” Dr. Berberian established a connection between the AEBU mission and historical instances of Armenian women’s groups, their advocacy, and their active involvement in promoting education and supporting students.

Afterwards, Hovagimian invited committee members Tatios Koroghlian, Lousine Boyamian, and Karine Kojababian to present the 2023 Scholarship Awards to Sara Aprahamian, Sofia Gevorgian, Ani Hekimian, and Kathryn Sarkissian who attended the ceremony.

Aren Avetisian, Ani Mkrtchyan, and Joseph Tertzakian-Harris accepted their awards via video messages.

Award recipients in Armenia and Lebanon received their awards from the AEBU local chapters in Armenia and Lebanon.

The AEBU 2023-2024 Scholarship Fund award recipients are as follows:

U.S.:

  • Sara Aprahamian, Santa Clarita, California. Aprahamian is enrolled in the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, and will be majoring in Entertainment Design: Concept Art. This is a domain where she has observed a noticeable lack of Armenian representation among concept artists. Ms. Aprahamian is a graduate of Saugus High School (GPA 3.91).
  • Sofia Gevorgian, Los Angeles, California. Gevorgian will be attending University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and majoring in Political Science, with a Minor in Middle Eastern Studies. Her long-term goal is to study law and pursue a career in the realm of international affairs. Ms. Gevorkian is a graduate of AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School, Canoga Park (GPA 3.95).
  • Ani Hekimian, Pasadena, California. Hekimian is attending Pasadena City College and majoring in Biochemistry. She has demonstrated exemplary engagement in community service by devoting her time in Armenian and non-Armenian volunteer activities. Ms. Hekimian is a graduate of Marshall Fundamental High School, Pasadena (GPA 3.83).
  • Kathryn Sarkissian, Whittier, California. Sarkissian is enrolled in the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and will be majoring in Biology and minoring in Journalism. She will wield her love of writing and reporting to bringing attention to Armenian causes. Ms. Sarkissian is a graduate of the Armenian Mesrobian School in Pico Rivera (GPA 4.42).
  • Ani Mkrtchyan, Chevy Chase, Maryland. Mkrtchyan is enrolled in the University of Maryland, majoring in International Business and Marketing. She moved to the United States four years ago due to her father’s military diplomatic term in Washington D.C. Ms. Mkrtchyan is a graduate of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Maryland (GPA 3.88).
  • Aren Avetisyan, Chevy Chase, Maryland. Avetisyan will be studying Liberal Arts at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. Aren was born in Stepanakert, Artsakh. He moved to the United States at the age of three, when his father was appointed to serve as Permanent Representative of Artsakh to the United States. Mr. Avetisyan is a graduate of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Maryland (GPA 3.60).
  • Joseph Tertzakian-Harris, Alberta, Canada. Tertzakian-Harris is heading to the University of California, Berkeley, to study Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures with a double major in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies. He plans to devote his life to Armenian Studies and educating the public about Armenia through teaching and social media. Tertzakian-Harris is a graduate of J.H. Picard High School in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (GPA 4.0).

Armenai:  

  • Hagop George, Yerevan, Armenia. George will be attending Yerevan Haybusak University, Medicine Institute, studying general medicine.
  • Newart Izmirlian, Yerevan, Armenia. Izmirlian will be attending American University of Armenia with a major in English and Communications. Ms. Izmirlian is a graduate of Sahaguian Levon Meguerditchian College in Beirut, Lebanon.
  • Anna Gharibyan, Lechashen, Armenia. Gharibyan is enrolled in the National University of Architecture and Construction in Armenia, majoring in Informatics (Computer Science).
  • Nane Petrosyan, Lechashen, Armenia. Petrosyan is enrolled in Yerevan State University, majoring in the Services Education Program.

Lebanon: 

  • Dsovak Keuchkarian, Jal El Dib, Lebanon. Keuchkarian is enrolled in Haigazian University in Beirut, with a major in Social Work. She is a high School graduate of Sahaguian-Levon Meguerditchian College in Beirut, Lebanon.
  • Dalida Sharbarashian, Rawda, Beirut, Lebanon. Sharbarashian will be attending Haigazian University in Beirut and majoring in Social Work. Ms. Sharbarashian is a high School graduate of Sahaguian-Levon Meguerditchian College in Beirut, Lebanon.
  • Noushig Zadigian, Bourj Hammoud, Beirut, Lebanon. Zadigian will be attending Haigazian University in Beirut with a major in Biology. Ms. Zadigian is a high School graduate of Sahaguian-Levon Meguerditchian College in Beirut, Lebanon.



Armenians are facing genocide in Nagorno Karabakh. The world must not sit idly by

Torgomian Varazdat
The Telegraph, UK
Sept 3 2023

The Azerbaijani blockade in the Lachin Corridor is going unchecked. This must change

ROWAN WILLIAMS



Armenia has a solid claim to be the world’s first Christian nation. Since St Gregory the Illuminator emerged from a long imprisonment for his faith at the beginning of the fourth century, the Armenian people have been no strangers to violence and atrocity.  Surrounded by hostile neighbours and often – within and beyond their own boundaries – persecuted for their faith, they have preserved an unshakeable commitment.  This has been an inspiration to many, just as their sufferings have been a cause of shock and outrage. Now they once again need our urgent help.  

Since December of last year, more than 120,000 Christian Armenians — including elderly people, women, and more than 30,000 children — have been under siege. A long-standing territorial conflict with Azerbaijan has led to the blocking by Azerbaijan of the Lachin Corridor linking Armenia itself with the Christian Armenian communities of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh, cutting off supplies of food, medicine, fuel, and other essentials. Luis Moreno Ocampo, a former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has recently summed up the situation: “Starvation is the invisible genocide weapon. Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks.”

This is no rhetorical exaggeration. Hospitals in the besieged region are operating at severely limited capacity, unable to perform vital procedures. Miscarriages and stillbirths have risen by a reported 30 percent. Malnutrition is widely spread and cases of death by starvation are regularly registered. And things are only getting worse.

“You will find no crematoria in Nagorno-Karabakh, nor machetes, but genocide by starvation is no less devastating for being silent,” Ocampo wrote in his damning report. “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.” Starvation as a tool of war is condemned by every principle of international law and natural justice.  It is not acceptable to turn our faces away from this. 

Yet the blockade continues uninterrupted and unchecked. We know from the recent meeting of the UN Security Council that Azerbaijan is preventing the International Red Cross from visiting Nagorno-Karabakh, and the government in Baku continues to ignore calls from a wide array of international organisations — including the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) — to restore freedom of movement and the transfer of vital supplies through the corridor.  

Numerous religious leaders have already raised their voices to demand a response to this humanitarian crisis before it becomes much grimmer. All such crises grow more acute with the onset of winter. But the urgency is acute: lives are already being lost and blighted, and we are witnessing an open assault on a vulnerable civilian population.  

If our own government, the United States and all the world’s other committed democracies are serious about the absolute duty of protecting civilian populations, they have tools at their disposal – diplomatic and economic – to bring pressure to bear so that lives may be saved. 

It is a moment of opportunity. Russia – technically the guarantor of the Lachin Corridor – has been left significantly weakened by its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Its weight as the region’s traditionally most prominent player is diminished, leaving the door open to Turkey. Whilst Turkey is itself struggling with economic and political tensions it may, for this very reason, be more open to diplomatic pressures that might lead to some influence being brought to bear on an aggressive neighbour. 

In September, the United Nations General Assembly will meet in New York. Such events are usually more to do with political theatre than political change, an occasion for varieties of grandstanding. But the situation in Artsakh is a clearly identifiable issue that is not beyond resolution. The leaders of our democracies, including our own government, have the opportunity to send an unambiguous message about the unacceptability of genocidal tactics and ensuring that the blockade ends without delay. 

Time is running out – not only to save lives but to honour the possibility of a dependable moral commitment in international affairs. The Lachin Corridor crisis is not the only current threat to such a possibility, as we know all too well. But it is one that can and should be resolved without delay. Lives are at stake; but so is the principle of justice and security for the vulnerable.    

The Azerbaijani blockade in the Lachin Corridor goes unchecked and the region faces a genocide

The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dr Rowan Williams is the former Archbishop of Canterbury 

Armenia-U.S. defense cooperation discussed in Yerevan

Torgomian Varazdat

 14:28,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS. On August 29, Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan held a meeting with the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Armenia William (Chip) Laitinen, and the newly appointed Defense Attaché, Colonel Kevin Steele.

“The Minister of Defense congratulated Colonel Kevin Steele on the occasion of commencing the mission in Armenia and wished fruitful cooperation,” the Ministry of Defense said in a readout. “A range of topics related to the current status of the Armenia-U.S. Defense Cooperation and its development prospects, as well as regional security, were discussed,” it added.

Armenpress: Prince Michael of Liechtenstein expresses readiness to personally lead humanitarian airlift to Nagorno-Karabakh

Torgomian Varazdat

 21:46,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS.  Prince Michael of Liechtenstein and other humanitarian leaders have expressed readiness to lead a humanitarian airlift to Nagorno-Karabakh amid the Azeri blockade.

Switzerland’s Impact Investing Solutions said Monday that Prince Michael of Liechtenstein, expressed readiness to “lead a humanitarian airlift to besieged Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) and to be on the board that will fly to the region, bringing much-needed food and medication arranged by the Aznavour Foundation.”

“We from Impact Investing Solutions from Switzerland, who is partnering in facilitating this humanitarian mission, together with H.S.H. Prince Michael, other world leaders, current and former heads of state are also ready to lead necessary airlifts to Nagorno-Karabakh, where 120,000 people, including 30,000 children, have been deprived of food and medication for more than 8 months already,” Impact Investing Solutions said in a statement.

A call to organize a humanitarian airlift to Nagorno-Karabakh was first made in December 2022 by a group of global humanitarian leaders, including Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Bernard Kouchner, former French Foreign Minister and former Minister of Health, Paul Polman, climate and equalities campaigner; former CEO of Unilever; Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland; Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico and many more human rights defenders and peace activists.

“An international humanitarian airlift is being organized, delivering food and other essentials to the local population and evacuating those whose life is endangered to safety. Among these are several patients of the Republican Medical Centre Stepanakert in grave conditions requiring urgent medical care that cannot be adequately provided because of the blockade. In the meantime, while the road remains blocked, the humanitarian airlift should help the local population to survive and sustain. There already is an operational airport in Stepanakert, which can be used for this purpose. This will not require any additional efforts on the side of the international community except for those necessary to maintain the airlift and ensure its safety. Currently, there is a call to World Food Programme (WFP) and the Red Cross to organize the flight in the nearest days, and H.S.H. Prince Michael of Liechtenstein is ready to lead the first humanitarian mission.”

“Let’s rally together to bring aid and relief to Nagorno-Karabakh,” the organization added.

“Condemnable and inadmissible” – Armenia Human Rights Defender decries Azeri kidnappings in Lachin Corridor

Torgomian Varazdat

 16:06,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS. After receiving information about the abduction by Azerbaijan of a 22-year-old student who was being transported to Armenia accompanied by the Russian Peacekeepers from the illegal checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor, the Human Rights Defender’s Office initiated a study of the case, the Armenian Human Rights Defender’s Office said in a statement.

Furthermore, the Human Rights Defender immediately contacted colleagues from the competent bodies.

The issues related to other similar incidents that took place on the checkpoint were also discussed. The results will be analyzed and summarized, and letters will be addressed to authoritative international organizations with a mandate to protect human rights. The abduction by Azerbaijan of persons being transferred to Armenia through the mediation of international actors, including the Russian Peacekeepers, is condemnable and inadmissible.

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia emphasizes once more that this situation underscores gross violations of human rights by the Azerbaijani authorities, taking into consideration that international legal guarantees and standards universally recognized in the modern civilized world regarding interference with fundamental human rights are not observed.