10:03,
YEREVAN, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS. The tension had reduced significantly in the direction of Sotk as of 10:00, the Armenian Ministry of Defense reported.
The Azerbaijani military has been shelling Armenian positions near Sotk since 06:00, May 11.
Three Armenian servicemen have been wounded in the attack.
By TOBIAS PIETZ
BERLIN, TODAY, 12:20
This Sunday (14 May), the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia will resume peace talks in Brussels. They follow the meeting of Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani foreign minister Jeyhun Bayramov and their delegations from 1-4 May at US-hosted talks in Arlington, Virginia.
Some sources even claim that the meeting in Brussels might lead to peace treaty. Even though not much has been said about the details of the talks in the US, it is still a rather surprising development looking at the number of incidents which have happened on the ground this year.
In the latest one, on 23 April, Azerbaijan set up a checkpoint on the only road that connects Karabakh and Armenia — the Lachin Corridor — blatantly ignoring a ruling of the International Court, which had called on Baku to stop the blockade of the enclave which had already begun in December 2022.
And in the beginning of April, a clash between Armenia and Azerbaijan even led to seven soldiers being killed. The general fear of a severe outbreak of violence was also echoed in an interview of the head of mission of EUMA, the EU’s monitoring mission in Armenia, where he claimed that “Many Armenians believe there’ll be a spring offensive by Azerbaijan. If this doesn’t happen, our mission is already a success.”
EUMA will (once fully operational) consist of 100 unarmed personnel, of which about 50 will work as monitors.
Baku has not been happy about the deployment, constantly complaining about EUMA. President Ilham Aliyev described EUMA with its expanded mandate as “very unpleasant” and felt it would disrupt direct negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
To ease tensions, the mission and the EU’s special representative (EUSR) inform Azerbaijan in advance about the routes that the monitors plan to take.
The clashes around Karabakh and at the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan during the last two months have shown how volatile the situation is, and that the EU is taking quite a risk in deploying EUMA to the border region.
The mission intends to contribute to reducing tensions in the conflict areas and near the border between the two countries. It also feeds into analyses of the situation on the ground and in that way helps inform the EU’s efforts on border delimitation and demarcation. This includes the area near the Lachin corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh.
But the EU is facing potential pitfalls.
Russia has been skeptical of EUMA, considering the mission an attempt to displace Russian influence in the region. In addition to the 2,000 peacekeepers in Karabakh, Russia has nearly 3,000 military and Federal Security Service (FSB) border guards in Armenia, controlling, among other things, the state border with Iran.
They also intercepted several patrols of the EU’s temporary predecessor mission in 2022 on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. This shows that in places where the demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan is unclear EUMA, too, could find itself in tricky situations.
An increased engagement through EUMA and the talks led by EU Council president Charles Michel are not only an opportunity for the EU to make an important contribution to the stabilisation of the conflict — it could also be a turning point for the South Caucasus, where the traditional Russian presence is struggling to retain its influence.
Germany has become the major contributor to EUMA, not only providing the German head of mission, but also about 15 percent of EUMA’s staff, by far the largest national contribution of any EU member states.
Berlin might be seen as a more neutral broker than Paris, which has been hamstrung by Azerbaijan’s claim that it is merely acting on behalf of the large Armenian community in France. Both chancellor Olaf Scholz and foreign minister Annalena Baerbock have highlighted the German contribution to EUMA in recent speeches.
And it was at the Munich Security Conference in February 2023, where Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan met the last time and even shared a panel.
In 2023, the EU commands an interesting combination of instruments, which now seem to yield useful results.
EUMA can observe, verify, and build trust on the border, complementing the demarcation process, the tripartite talks between Michel, Pashinyan and Aliyev, and the work of the EU special representative for the Southern Caucasus and Georgia.
For Armenia and Azerbaijan, the talks in Virginia and now in Brussels can offer a unique chance for peace — even tough incidents from the ground might continue to tell a different story.
Tobias Pietz is deputy head of team analysis at the Centre for International Peace Operations (ZIF) in Berlin.
Turkey on Saturday closed its airspace to low-cost Armenian airline FlyOne Armenia without warning, the domestic Armenpress news agency cited the carrier’s board chairman as saying.
“For reasons incomprehensible to us and without any visible grounds, Turkish aviation authorities cancelled the permission previously granted to the FlyOne Armenia airline to operate flights to Europe through Turkish airspace,” said Aram Ananyan, FlyOne’s chairman.
“Turkish aviation authorities implemented the cancellation without prior notification, putting our airline and our passengers in an uncomfortable situation”.
FlyOne Armenia, a subsidiary of Moldovan airline FlyOne, began operations in December 2021. In February 2023, Ananyan told Armenpress that the carrier had five Airbus aircraft and offered flights to 14 destinations in eight European and Middle Eastern nations.
Ankara has not had diplomatic or commercial ties with Armenia since the 1990s.
The two nations are at odds primarily over the 1.5 million people Armenia says were killed in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor to modern Turkey. The Armenian genocide[a] was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/05/01/turkey-closes-airspace-to-armenian-airline-flyone-without-warning-media/
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan over the weekend, expressing American support for the peace process and calling for the reopening of a vital road to a disputed territory.
For decades, the two neighbors have been in a deadlock, fighting two wars over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Tens of thousands of people have died in this conflict.
Blinken spoke with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and emphasized the importance of reopening the Lachin corridor, the only land link between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
A US State Department statement said that Blinken asserted to Aliyev US’s concern that “Azerbaijan’s establishment of a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor undermines efforts to establish confidence in the peace process,” stressing the importance of reopening the corridor to “commercial and private vehicles as soon as possible.”
Blinken also spoke with Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, reiterating the importance of Armenia-Azerbaijan peace discussions and promising continued US support.
Armenia had objected to Azerbaijan’s establishing a checkpoint at the corridor’s entry, calling it a violation of the 2020 cease-fire.
In 2020, Moscow brokered a cease-fire and posted peacekeepers along the Lachin corridor, but the US and the EU have sought to facilitate a thaw in ties since Russia is preoccupied with Ukraine and does not want to upset Turkey, Azerbaijan’s main ally.
17:26, 3 May 2023
YEREVAN, 3 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 3 May, USD exchange rate up by 0.13 drams to 386.98 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 3.05 drams to 426.96 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 4.87 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.48 drams to 483.96 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price up by 168.16 drams to 24826.16 drams. Silver price up by 0.16 drams to 308.18 drams.
The U.S. State Department said peace talks between diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan held outside Washington since Sunday are expected to conclude Thursday.
In a statement, the department said Secretary of State Antony Blinken will take part in a closing session of the bilateral talks between Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov shortly before 2 p.m. Washington time.
The two sides have been meeting at a state department diplomatic facility in Arlington, Virginia.
The talks were convened as tensions between the neighboring, former Soviet republics increased in recent months over Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor, which is the only land route giving Armenia direct access to the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
In a telephone briefing, a senior State Department official, speaking on background, told reporters Monday the United States expects the talks to conclude with “commercial movement of goods” to start soon in the blocked Lachin Corridor.
The official said, “About Lachin, we have been very clear throughout the last few months about the importance of ensuring the free movement of commercial and humanitarian traffic and people through the Lachin Corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. We continue to engage in those discussions.”
Early Monday, Blinken held separate meetings with the Armenian foreign minister and his Azerbaijani counterpart.
Monday’s meetings occurred after Blinken’s call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sunday, when the top U.S. diplomat reiterated Washington’s call to reopen the land route “to commercial and private vehicles as soon as possible.”
The State Department had voiced “deep concern” that Azerbaijan’s establishment of a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor undermines efforts for peace talks.
A representative from Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Mirzoyan’s working visit to the United States is to discuss “the agreement on normalization of relations” with Azerbaijan.
The two countries have had a decades-long conflict involving the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is inside Azerbaijan but populated mainly by ethnic Armenians.
The Lachin Corridor allows supplies from Armenia to reach the 120,000 ethnic Armenians in the mountainous enclave and has been policed by Russian peacekeepers since December 2020.
14:28, 1 May 2023
YEREVAN, MAY 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan will hold a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in Washington D.C., the U.S. State Department reported.
Before the meeting, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold separate meetings with Mirzoyan and Bayramov.
WATERTOWN, Mass. – The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) is pleased to announce that its 17th annual ANCA Eastern Region Gala will take place on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at the Royal Sonesta Boston Hotel located at 40 Edwin Land Boulevard, Cambridge, MA.
Hosted by the ANC of Eastern Massachusetts, the evening will feature a cocktail reception, seated dinner, silent auction and an awards program. The region will present the ANCA Eastern Region Freedom Award and ANCA Eastern Region Vahan Cardashian Award to individuals whose work advances the Armenian Cause.
“Mark your calendars for the 17th annual ANCA Eastern Region Gala in Boston this fall. Our gala committee is in the early planning phases and will be announcing more information in the coming weeks. We hope that our activists and supporters throughout the eastern region will attend and support our annual fundraising event and join us to mark the contributions we have all made to Hai Tahd this year with our focus on Artsakh advocacy,” said Steve Mesrobian, ANCA-ER board member.
12:54,
YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. The International Court of Justice has suspended the examination of the Armenia v. Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan v. Armenia cases until a decision is made regarding the objections filed by both sides against each other.
On April 21, Armenia filed its objections to the ICJ regarding Azerbaijan’s lawsuit, and received Azerbaijan’s objections.
Armenia filed its full case against Azerbaijan on 23 January this year in the case concerning Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
States are entitled to present preliminary objections within three months after receiving the case. The court suspends the case until a decision is made concerning the objections.
The preliminary objections filed by Armenia concern most part of the demands presented by Azerbaijan in its case, the Office of the Representative of Armenia for International Legal Affairs said in a statement.
It’s no coincidence that flyers calling to “complete the Armenian Genocide” are popping up around Los Angeles as Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian hostilities get worse.
Last month, flyers were posted on light poles throughout Glendale, California, calling for the “completion” of the Armenian Genocide. Earlier this year, similar flyers were found in Beverly Hills calling for the destruction of Armenia.
It’s been a brutal shock to the Armenian-American community in Los Angeles—upwards of 200,000 people—as tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to grow over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of historical Armenia. It’s not hard to connect the dots.Last month, flyers were posted on light poles throughout Glendale, California, calling for the “completion” of the Armenian Genocide. Earlier this year, similar flyers were found in Beverly Hills calling for the destruction of Armenia.
It’s been a brutal shock to the Armenian-American community in Los Angeles—upwards of 200,000 people—as tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to grow over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of historical Armenia. It’s not hard to connect the dots.
Armenians living in Los Angeles see these as hate crimes, meant to inflict pain as their families in both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are currently being terrorized by Azerbaijan’s petro-dictator, Ilham Aliyev.
They feel that these acts are not mutually exclusive. And as victims of the first genocide of the 20th century, when more than 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed by the Ottoman Turks, they see this type of aggression as a reminder of that painful past. (It is a history that both Turkey and Azerbaijan deny to this day.)
These latest attacks should be a warning sign that hate and violence in all its ugly forms don’t stop at the border.
In recent speeches and statements, Aliyev has unequivocally claimed that Armenia is Azerbaijan’s historical land, while calling Armenia “Western Azerbaijan.” He even said Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, belongs to his country.
This is the same leader who plants the seeds of hate by enacting a state policy that hatred towards the Armenian people be taught in schools across Azerbaijan. Since early December, Azerbaijan has implemented a blockade to the only road connected Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, which has rapidly become a humanitarian crisis.
By cutting off the only link to the outside world, Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh have been denied much needed supplies like food, medicine, and gas. This burgeoning catastrophe has led Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Pope Francis to voice their concern for the 120,000 Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh—including 30,000 children—who are being deprived of basic human rights. And in February, the United Nations’ highest court, the International Court of Justice, ordered Azerbaijan to end its blockade.
Put simply, Azerbaijan’s government is fostering a culture of hate and fear and is breeding a whole new generation of anti-Armenian sentiment—and it’s finding its way to Los Angeles.
Sadly, these types of hate crimes are not new to Armenians, but what is surprising is this type of bigotry is happening in Los Angeles, a region that prides itself on its progressivism, diversity, and acceptance of all cultures—and home to the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia.Armenians living in Los Angeles see these as hate crimes, meant to inflict pain as their families in both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are currently being terrorized by Azerbaijan’s petro-dictator, Ilham Aliyev.
They feel that these acts are not mutually exclusive. And as victims of the first genocide of the 20th century, when more than 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed by the Ottoman Turks, they see this type of aggression as a reminder of that painful past. (It is a history that both Turkey and Azerbaijan deny to this day.)
These latest attacks should be a warning sign that hate and violence in all its ugly forms don’t stop at the border.
In recent speeches and statements, Aliyev has unequivocally claimed that Armenia is Azerbaijan’s historical land, while calling Armenia “Western Azerbaijan.” He even said Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, belongs to his country.
This is the same leader who plants the seeds of hate by enacting a state policy that hatred towards the Armenian people be taught in schools across Azerbaijan. Since early December, Azerbaijan has implemented a blockade to the only road connected Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, which has rapidly become a humanitarian crisis.
By cutting off the only link to the outside world, Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh have been denied much needed supplies like food, medicine, and gas. This burgeoning catastrophe has led Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Pope Francis to voice their concern for the 120,000 Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh—including 30,000 children—who are being deprived of basic human rights. And in February, the United Nations’ highest court, the International Court of Justice, ordered Azerbaijan to end its blockade.
Put simply, Azerbaijan’s government is fostering a culture of hate and fear and is breeding a whole new generation of anti-Armenian sentiment—and it’s finding its way to Los Angeles.
Sadly, these types of hate crimes are not new to Armenians, but what is surprising is this type of bigotry is happening in Los Angeles, a region that prides itself on its progressivism, diversity, and acceptance of all cultures—and home to the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia.
That shock was only heightened when the Beverly Hills Police Department released a statement claiming that the anti-Armenian flyers were protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Since then, members of the Armenian community have been outraged by this type of selective policing and feel that their cries for help and justice are being ignored.
The Armenian people have suffered much pain and loss throughout their long and rich history. That is why Los Angeles needs to make sure that these hateful attacks stop and are taken seriously by city officials. They can start by using the upcoming Armenian Genocide Day of Remembrance on April 24 as an opportunity to ask themselves if they’re doing enough.
Holding Azerbaijan accountable for its role in perpetuating anti-Armenian hate in America is just one step in that direction.
Stephan Pechdimaldji is a communications strategist who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He’s a first-generation Armenian American and grandson to survivors of the Armenian genocide.That shock was only heightened when the Beverly Hills Police Department released a statement claiming that the anti-Armenian flyers were protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Since then, members of the Armenian community have been outraged by this type of selective policing and feel that their cries for help and justice are being ignored.
The Armenian people have suffered much pain and loss throughout their long and rich history. That is why Los Angeles needs to make sure that these hateful attacks stop and are taken seriously by city officials. They can start by using the upcoming Armenian Genocide Day of Remembrance on April 24 as an opportunity to ask themselves if they’re doing enough.
Holding Azerbaijan accountable for its role in perpetuating anti-Armenian hate in America is just one step in that direction.
Stephan Pechdimaldji is a communications strategist who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He’s a first-generation Armenian American and grandson to survivors of the Armenian genocide.