Thursday,
Azerbaijan Threatens Missile Attack On Armenian Nuclear Plant
Armenia - A general view of the Metsamor nuclear plant, 20May2013.
Azerbaijan threatened on Thursday to launch missile attacks on Armenia’s
Metsamor nuclear plant amid continuing deadly clashes on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
“The Armenian side must not forget that state-of-the-art missile systems of our
army allow us to strike the Metsamor nuclear plant with precision, which could
lead to a great catastrophe for Armenia,” said Vagif Dargahli, the Azerbaijani
Defense Ministry spokesman.
According to Azerbaijani news agencies, Dargahli responded to what he described
as Armenian threats to attack a large reservoir in central Azerbaijan.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry condemned Dargahli’s remarks as a “manifestation
of state terrorism” that "reflects Azerbaijan’s genocidal intentions.”
“With such statements, Azerbaijan’s leadership poses a threat to all peoples of
the region, including its own people,” it said in a statement.
An Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman, Artsrun Hovannisian, also condemned
Baku's threat, saying that it amounts to a “concrete crime.” “I am very glad
that our officials, politicians and diplomats are raising this issue with
relevant [international] bodies,” he told journalists.
Hovannisian suggested that the threat came in response to statements made by
“various private individuals” in Armenia. “There have been no official
statements by Armenian military authorities about hitting such civilian,
strategic or non-strategic facilities [of Azerbaijan,]” he stressed.
The Soviet-built nuclear plant located 35 kilometers west of Yerevan generates
roughly 40 percent of Armenia’s electricity. Baku’s threat to destroy it came
hours after fierce fighting resumed on a volatile section of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
At least 16 soldiers from both sides have been killed and dozens of others
wounded there since Sunday. The two sides blame each other for the worst
escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since 2016.
Azeri FM Sacked For 'Meaningless' Talks With Armenia
Belgium -- Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov gives a press
conference after an EU-Azerbaijan cooperation council meeting in Brussels, April
4, 2019.
(Reuters) - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sacked his foreign minister on
Thursday after accusing him of “meaningless negotiations” with neighboring
Armenia amid a flare-up in hostilities between two South Caucasus countries.
Eleven Azeri soldiers and a civilian and four Armenian servicemen have been
killed in border clashes between two former Soviet countries that fought a war
in the 1990s over the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Aliyev said on Wednesday Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov did not do enough to
try to resolve the conflict.
“What was the foreign minister doing? Where he was? We were all at work after
the July 12 events ... and I could not find him,” Aliyev told a government
meeting of the start of the clashes on Sunday.
“... Unfortunately, recently our diplomacy is not compatible with the successful
development of our country. In some cases it is engaged in meaningless work,
meaningless negotiations.”
Mammadyarov, 60, has been foreign minister since April 2004.
According to the president’s decree, former Education Minister Jeihun Bayramov
was appointed to succeed Mammadyarov.
Armenia, Turkey Trade More Accusations Over Azeri Border Clashes
Armenia -- The Armenian Foreign Ministry building, Yerevan.
Armenia and Turkey have accused each other of seeking to destabilize the South
Caucasus in a continuing war of words over the latest deadly clashes on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
Turkey was quick to blame Armenia for the fighting, which broke out at a
volatile border section on Sunday, and reaffirm Turkish support for Azerbaijan.
The Armenian government denounced Ankara’s “provocative attitude” on Monday.
On Tuesday Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan added his voice to the
Turkish criticism of Yerevan while his defense minister, Hulusi Akar, vowed
continued military assistance to Baku.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry responded by issuing on Wednesday another, more
strongly-worded statement that branded Turkey a “security threat to Armenia and
the region.”
“Invoking its ‘historical mission’ and ethnic or religious affiliations, Turkey
has already destabilized the situation in a number of neighboring regions: the
Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, causing immeasurable
suffering to the peoples of those regions,” said the statement.
The ministry again accused Ankara of undermining international efforts to
resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with its pro-Azerbaijani stance.
“We observe that Armenia now tries to resort to a hypocritical smear campaign
against Turkey in an effort to cover up its aggressive actions against
Azerbaijan,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry hit back on Thursday.
A ministry statement said Armenia itself prevents the conflict’s resolution by
“illegally occupying Azerbaijani territory for many years.” “Armenian
authorities need to come to their senses and comprehend, as soon as possible,
that they should be part of the solutions, not problems, in the South Caucasus,”
it added.
Meeting with Azerbaijan’s visiting Deputy Defense Minister Ramiz Tahirov later
on Thursday, Akar said that Armenia will be “brought to account” for its
“attack” on Azerbaijan.
“They will be drowned under this plot and certainly pay for what they have
done,” “Hurriyet Daily News” quoted the Turkish defense minister as saying. He
did not elaborate.
Successive Turkish governments have lent Azerbaijan full support throughout the
Karabakh conflict, reflecting close ethnic and cultural ties between the two
Turkic nations. They have made the establishment of diplomatic relations with
Armenia conditional on a Karabakh settlement acceptable to Baku.
Armenia has always rejected this precondition. It has forged close military ties
with Russia to counter what many Armenians see as a serious security threat
emanating from Turkey.
From Yerevan’s perspective, the presence of thousands of Russian troops in
Armenia precludes Turkey’s direct military intervention in the Karabakh dispute
on Azerbaijan’s side.
Fighting Resumes On Armenian-Azeri Border (UPDATED)
• Lilit Harutiunian
Azerbaijan -- A video grab shows the smoke from the explosions of the shelling
by Armenian forces of an Azerbaijani army position in the Tovuz region, July 14,
2020.
Fighting on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan reportedly resumed early
on Thursday, with the two sides accusing each other of attacking their frontline
positions and shelling villages.
The Armenian military claimed to have thwarted a pre-dawn Azerbaijani raid on
one of its border posts in the northern Tavush district.
“After a fierce gun battle the enemy was repelled, suffering casualties,” said
Shushan Stepanian, the spokeswoman for the Defense Ministry in Yerevan. She said
Azerbaijani forces then began shelling two Armenian border villages.
“Gunfire is continuing at the moment,” Stepanian wrote on Facebook in the
morning. “Units of the Armenian Armed Forces are neutralizing Azerbaijani
provocations.”
Stepanian reported shortly afterwards that Armenian Defense Minister Davit
Tonoyan has phoned Andrzej Kasprzyk, the head of an OSCE mission monitoring the
ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, to brief him on the latest
escalation. She said Tonoyan told Kasprzyk that the Azerbaijani side suffered
“many casualties.”
The official added that no Armenian soldiers were killed at the volatile border
section as of 9 a.m. local time.
Opening a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan later in the day, Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinian said that a hilltop border post of the Armenian army in Tavush
was the primary target of overnight Azerbaijani attacks.
Pashinian said that more than 100 Azerbaijani commandos stormed but failed to
seize it before other Azerbaijani troops launched unsuccessful attacks on
adjacent Armenian positions. None of the Armenian soldiers was killed or
wounded, he told ministers.
Stepanian claimed, for her part, that Armenian forces destroyed an Azerbaijani
tank and struck “artillery and mortar positions that were shelling our
settlements and positions.” She posted a short video of plumes of black smoke
rising from behind a hill on what appeared to be the Azerbaijani side of the
frontier.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry accused Armenian forces of attacking
its frontline troops and shelling Azerbaijani villages in the Tovuz district
bordering Tavush. It said one Azerbaijani soldier was killed in action.
Azerbaijani news agencies quoted the ministry spokesman, Vagif Dargahli, as
denying any incursions into Armenian territory attempted by the Azerbaijani army
and shelling of Tavush villages. “Our army units never shoot at settlements,” he
said.
Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian service in the morning, Tavush Governor Hayk
Chobanian said not only the local villages but also the town of Berd came under
Azerbaijani artillery fire. None of their residents was hurt as a result, he
said, adding that the shelling caused damage to civilian homes and
infrastructure.
“Residents are hiding in basements and shelters,” said Chobanian. “Their life is
not at risk.”
“There is no need for evacuation … I hope that this won’t last long,” added the
governor.
Renewed fighting in the area broke out after a one-day pause that followed three
days of deadly clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces which left at
least 15 soldiers dead and prompted serious concern from the international
community.
In a statement issued late on Wednesday, the U.S., Russian and French mediators
co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group hailed the lull in the fighting and urged the
parties to “make every effort to continue de-escalation.”
“The Co-Chairs welcomed the confirmation of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan to hold substantive negotiations on crucial aspects of a
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement as soon as possible and emphasized the importance of
returning OSCE monitors to the region as soon as circumstances allow,” said the
statement.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Vanyan Gary
SU-30SM fighter jets go on combat duty in Armenia to ensure inviolability of air borders
SU-30SM fighter jets go on combat duty in Armenia to ensure inviolability of air borders
16:43,
YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. SU-30SM fighter jets went on combat duty in Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Facebook, sharing a video.
“SU-30SM aircrafts go on combat duty to ensure the inviolability of Armenia’s air borders”, the PM said.
[see video]
The Sukhoi SU-30 is a Russian-made twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter aircraft. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions.
The first batch of these jets were delivered to Armenia in December 2019.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
New multi-apartment district in Stepanakert will be composed of 300 apartments
Panorama, Armenia
July 6 2020
Artsakh Republic President Arayik Harutyunyan convened a working consultation on house construction programs being implemented in Stepanakert.
Responsible officials of the “Dominic System” LLC presented to the President the process of the construction activities of the multi-apartment district being carried out by the company in the capital, the president office reported. Arayik Harutyunyan mentioned that the district should be complied with the requirements of the draft master plan of Stepanakert, and before being purchased by the Artsakh Investment Fund, the apartments must receive a relevant professional conclusion of the representatives of the Ministry of Urban Development. According to the President, in conformity with the logic of the announced policy, the purchase price of the apartments will be offered by the government, though the project owner will be free to make a decision in case of having a better offer.
Representatives of the “Dominic system” company expressed their appreciation to the President for the cooperation, and assured that, in accordance with the plan, 120 apartments will be commissioned in 2022, and 180 apartments will be put into operation over the next 3 years, the source said.
White House Press Secretary uses the term ‘Armenian Genocide’
JAM News
July 7 2020
07.07.2020
JAMnews, Yerevan
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany used the term ‘Armenian Genocide’ during a July 6 briefing, causing quite a stir in foreign media.
For many years, the American presidential administration has tried to avoid using the word ‘genocide’ in reference to the massacres and mass deportation of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. Instead, they generally used other expressions, such as the ‘Metz Egern’ [Arm. Great calamity].
The Armenian Genocide was a massacre that took place in Ottoman Turkey in 1915. Before that, about two and a half million Armenians lived on the territory of the Ottoman Empire. As a result of the killings and mass deportation, more than half of them died. Armenia, as well as several western countries and organizations officially recognize those events as genocide. Turkey categorically denies accept this version of the story.
Many Western media sources have already responded to this statement, noting that this move “is contrary to the official position of the United States” and could put President Donald Trump in an awkward position regarding relations with Turkey.
More details about exactly what McEnany said, how foreign media and Armenian-American organizations reacted, what experts think and what Armenians are writing on social media.
What exactly McEnany said
Kayleigh McEnany used the term “Armenian genocide” when she spoke about the consequences of desecrating monuments across the country by members of the Black Lives Matter movement, which began after the tragic death of an African American man named George Floyd.
During the protests against racial discrimination a few weeks ago, the “Armenian Genocide Memorial,” which is located in Denver, was vandalized.
“…there seems to be lack of understanding and historical knowledge, when the Armenian Genocide Memorial remembering victims of all crimes against humanity, including slavery, is being vandalized,” said the White House Press Secretary.
The reaction of Western media and Armenian-American organizations
“[This] move goes against the US government’s official stance and could place President Donald Trump in an awkward position with the Turkish government,” writes Business Insider, which was among the first to respond to the spokesperson’s statement.
The American publication also asked the Department of State whether the statement by the White House spokesman means that the Donald Trump administration is already recognizing the Armenian genocide. The Department of State, in turn, advised the publication to ask the White House spokesperson for an answer:
“The White House did not immediately respond to [our] request,” reported Business Insider, adding that the Turkish Embassy in Washington declined to comment.
The Washington Post has also already responded to the situation:
“The Trump White House finally—if unintentionally—invokes the Armenian genocide…The White House will surely argue that McEnany was simply referring to a memorial by its actual name, but even using that name has been a no-go for many years inside the White House.”
The author of the article writes that the Armenian Assembly of America has also commented on Kayleigh McEnany’s statement.
“We appreciate that the Administration has taken note that the Armenian Genocide memorial in Denver was vandalized and of the need for a better understanding of historical knowledge,” the newspaper writes, quoting the words of the organization’s executive director Bryan Ardouny.
Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs must respond to statement
Political analyst Suren Sargsyan was the first to write a statement about the incident on his Facebook page.
“The term that they try so hard to avoid has (intentionally or accidentally) come directly from the mouth of an official representative of the White House. In any case, I think that the press secretary of the [Armenian] Ministry of Foreign Affairs should respond to this statement and thank them for correctly assessing a known political reality,” the expert wrote.
So far, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to comment.
Comments on social media
The statement of the White House Press Secretary has become one of the most heavily discussed topics on social media.
Here are some of the comments:
“Every word spoken by a White House spokesperson has a price, not like empty statements from our party’s spokespeople.”
“It is better not to make our tragedy into a bargaining chip for our political leverage. They had 100 years to recognize the genocide!”
“She just said the name of the memorial – nothing else.”
“Don’t forget that elections are coming soon in the US.”
Voting on electing SCPEC member begins in Parliament
12:08, 8 July, 2020
YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. The voting on electing member of the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition kicked off in the Armenian Parliament.
The voting is being carried out in a closed-format.
It will last an hour, until 13:10.
The government nominated Karen Sedrakyan’s candidacy for the SCPEC member.
Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Yeghishe Kirakosyan: Armenia Government sends answers to ECHR’s questions, decision expected this week
News.am, Armenia
July 8 2020
Yeghishe Kirakosyan: Armenia Government sends answers to ECHR’s questions, decision expected this week Yeghishe Kirakosyan: Armenia Government sends answers to ECHR’s questions, decision expected this week
18:15, 08.07.2020
Pashinyan hopes Armenia will become more attractive to UAE business circles
Panorama, Armenia
July 9 2020
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Mohamed AlZaabi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Armenia, who is completing his diplomatic mission in our country.
According to the press department at the government, the Prime Minister said the Ambassador’s tenure was marked by effective cooperation between Armenia and the UAE. Nikol Pashinyan stressed that the Armenian government is interested in UAE’s reform experience. “We hope that in the near future Armenia will become even more attractive to your country’s business circles, which in turn will help us implement various investment projects,” the Prime Minister said, highlighting the contribution made by the Intergovernmental Economic Commission, which held its first meeting last spring in Yerevan.
The Premier highlighted the fact of high-level bilateral political relations and thanked the UAE side for its balanced position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Prime Minister also thanked the UAE government for supporting Armenia in the fight against COVID-19 and expressed confidence that the pandemic would be overcome through close cooperation.
In turn, Mohamed AlZaabi thanked Prime Minister Pashinyan and the Armenian government for effective cooperation, noting that he would continue to maintain close ties with Armenia and the Armenian people. According to Mohamed AlZaabi, bilateral trade and economic relations, as well as tourism saw tangible growth last year. Mr. Zaabi stressed that the UAE government, too, is keen to develop multifaceted cooperation with Armenia in agriculture, healthcare, food security, tourism, air communications and other spheres of mutual interest.
The parties expressed confidence that the two governments will be able to bolster the ongoing interaction through joint efforts after the global pandemic, the source said.
Armenpress: Azerbaijani defense ministry reports 2 deaths and 5 injuries
Azerbaijani defense ministry reports 2 deaths and 5 injuries
18:05,
YEREVAN, JULY 12, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan informs that as a result of the incident on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border 2 Azerbaijani servicemen have died and 5 have been injured.
Earlier, spokesperson of the Defense Ministry of Armenia Shushan Stepanyan informed that the servicemen of the Azerbaijani armed forces made an attempt to violate the Armenian state border in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush Province on July 12 at about 12:30.
”After the warning by the Armenian side the Azerbaijani servicemen left their UAZ vehicle and returned to their positions. At 13:45 the Azerbaijani servicemen repeated the attempt to occupy the Armenian position by using artillery, but were silenced by the Armenian side. They suffered casualties and were repelled”, she wrote, adding that the Armenian side suffered no losses.
Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan
Two Azerbaijani soldiers killed, five wounded in an attempt to violate Armenia’s state border
Public Radio of Armenia
Armed clashes reported on Azerbaijan-Armenia border
Prensa Latina
Baku, Jul 12 (Prensa Latina) On the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia there was an armed clash, with two dead and five wounded soldiers from this country, the military command said on Sunday in this capital, quoted by local television.
Since noon this Sunday, Armenian armed forces violated the cessation of hostilities regime in the Tovuzk region section of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border by firing artillery against our position, the military leadership said.
The national troops lost at least two men and reported five injured, but there were also losses on the Armenian side, said a source from the Armenian Ministry of Defense, to which the RIA Novosti agency refers.
On their side, from Yerevan, the military leadership denied having any losses and according to their version, it was the Azeri side that first tried to violate the border by passing a car with military personnel and then attacked a fortified Armenian border post, the same agency reported.
In 1988, Armenia and Azerbaijan clashed over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Since 1992, the two former Soviet republics have been holding talks to end the dispute, mediated by the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Russia, the United States and France co-chair this OSCE group, which discusses aspects related to the ceasefire regime, the location of troops and armaments, as well as border issues between Armenia and this nation.
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