Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

Forecast: Artsakh-flagged protests in Yerevan weaken Pashinyan`s position in working with Western partners

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
ARMINFO
Armenia –
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.The goal of the political forces that have taken to the streets is far from the  security of Artsakh, not the creation and implementation of a new  domestic and foreign policy agenda and concept.

These people, having taken to the streets under old and boring slogans, seek to shake the foundations of the current government in Armenia in order to weaken  its position in working with Western partners, including around the  Artsakh problem. Sociologist Karen Sargsyan expressed a similar  opinion to ArmInfo.

According to the sociologist’s forecasts, everything that happens  today on the streets of Yerevan will inevitably be used against  Pashinyan in his negotiations with Russian President Putin in the  future in order to wrest concessions from Armenia on the same issue  of Artsakh. In other words, the connection between internal Armenian  politics and geopolitics, in his opinion, is evident today.

The analyst believes that despite the many questions and  dissatisfaction with the current government, it is due to this  government that the civilized world has not turned its back on  Armenia. And it will be so as long as this government remains and is  not replaced by forces whose main mission is to serve specific  foreign interests,” he stressed.

According to Sargsyan, the leaders of today’s protest are using a  symbiosis of technologies, on the basis of which Pashinyan himself  came to power in 2018, and technologies with geopolitical  “overtones”, for example, in the form of posters with Mevlut  Cavusoglu grinning and demonstrating the gesture of the “Grey Wolves”  to the Armenians. Thus, trying to ride the wave of protest under the  brand “no peace with the Turks thirsting for our blood.” “And this is  against the background of the fact that similar discontent reigns in  Turkey and Azerbaijan, which can be beneficial only to one country,”  the sociologist believes.

Artsakh’s Presient meets with a group of students of the Diplomatic School of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

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 19:14,

YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. On April 26, President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with a group of students of the Diplomatic School of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia headed by School Director, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Vahe Gabrielyan, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press servic eof the Artsakh President;s Office.

During the meeting, the Head of the State presented the issues facing Artsakh in the domestic, foreign, socio-economic spheres, the main directions of the policy pursued, as well as the latest regional and global developments.

President Harutyunyan also answered the questions of the participants. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Artsakh Republic David Babayan and other officials partook in the meeting.

Turkey FM’s visit to Uruguay on Genocide remembrance day eve causes outrage in local Armenian community

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
NEWS.am
Turkey FM’s visit to Uruguay on Genocide remembrance day eve causes outrage in local Armenian community
14:49, 22.04.2022

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will pay a visit to Uruguay on Saturday, the eve of the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Uruguay and Turkey are discussing, at the highest level, the possibility of signing a free trade agreement.

Cavusoglu’s visit to Uruguay on the eve of the Armenian Genocide remembrance day has caused outrage in the local Armenian community. And considering the atrocities committed in various countries by the security officers of high-ranking Turkish officials, the Uruguayan interior minister has been asked to beef up security during events to be held dedicated to the Armenian Genocide anniversary.

Separately, the Uruguayan foreign minister will address the event to be held at Armenia Square in the capital Montevideo on Sunday, and the country’s vice president will address the parliament on April 26.

Religious ceremonies, humanitarian events, a march, and demonstrations are also planned.


The Hague hosts concert dedicated to 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia –
, 19:39

 3 minutes read

A concert dedicated to the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was held in The Hague on April 20, organized by the Federation of Armenian Organizations in the Netherlands under the auspices of the Armenian Embassy.

The concert was attended by representatives of the Dutch Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, international organizations, embassies, public and political figures, representatives of the arts and culture, members of the Armenian community.

In their speeches, representatives of the Dutch Parliament underlined the importance of recognizing the Armenian Genocide and reaffirmed their commitment to making continuous efforts in that direction.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Tigran Balayan said:

Dear friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to express appreciation for your presence, next to the Armenian community of the Netherlands on the occasion of 107th commemoration of the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. 

Today I would like to pay tribute to the Dutch MPs, former and incumbent, for their tireless efforts for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Dutch Government. Very unfortunately, despite strong support by almost the entire political landscape of the Netherlands, reflected in an almost unanimous motion adopted at the beginning of last year, the new Government coalition agreement did not meet the widespread expectations. I hope to see that in the near future. 

In our public speeches, private conversations, we are patiently trying to present to our interlocutors the bare fact that the 2020 aggression of Azerbaijan, politically, technically and militarily backed by Turkey, the worst atrocities committed against civilians, the brutality of murders, inhuman treatment of everyone, who was in Azerbaijani captivity is the direct consequence of the decades of non-recognition of the Armenian Genocide and logical and factual continuation of the policy of ethnic hatred and cleansing, xenophobia and the manifestation of the Genocidal intent.

It is not a coincidence that during 44 days of the aggressive war the two top insitutions for the Genocide Perevention – The Genocide Watch and the International Association of Genocide Scholars issued warnings on the Genocidal nature of the Azerbaijan’s actions and an imminent threat of Genocde against the Armenians. 

It is not a coincidence that before the aggression Mr. Erdogan stated that they were going to finish what their grandfathers started, and after the war Mr. Erdogan standing next to the Azerbaijani dictator in Baku declared that the soul of Enver pasha is blessed now. For those who don’t know: Enver pasha was one of three top masterminds of the Armenian Genocide. 

And here again we saw the Dutch Parliament in its glory of a true temple of democracy, raising its strong voice against the repetition of the same crimes committed against Armenians in their historic homeland 100 years ago. As all of you know, during 15 months the Tweede Kamer has adopted two dozens of motions, calling upon the Government to take practical steps to stop the bloodshed, hold accountable and sanction Azerbaijani dictator, his inner circle and all those responsible for the horrible war crimes, immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian PoWs and civilians, provision of direct humanitarian assistance to the people of Artsakh, not to support deepening of EU-Azerbaijan cooperation, unless the situation with human rights in Azerbaijan is not improved, etc. Nevertheless, again, very unfortunately, none of these motions was implemented. We are patiently looking forward as the new Government pledged to pay more attention to the position of the Tweede Kamer. 

Geachte Leden van de Tweede Kamer,

Your presence here today is a manifestation of unwavering support and hope, and I want to thank you. Your presence shows that you didn’t forget what happened 100 years ago, and two years ago and you are the true torchbearers of the “Never again”. 

Your presence here today is a commitment that you are not giving up, amid all the troubles, catastrophes we are witnessing, you are not giving up regardless the difficulties the Dutch Government faces in getting European support for the implementation of your motions, and finally that you care about 3 milion people with an aspiration to live in a peaceful democracy on the Armenian highlands in the Caucasus.   

Dear compatriots,

I would like to pay tribute to you for your commitment to the cause, you believe in and are struggling to achieve your goals, despite all the challenges and difficulties. I would like to pay tribute to this country – the beautiful Netherlands for hosting you, providing you with the opportunity for the exemplary integration, for giving you the opportunity to raise your concerns and most importantly to be heard. 

Dear friends,

The music we are going to hear today is a kind of fusion and the hymn for survival of my nation, the Armenian music performed by the Dutch musicians, a bold response to those who sought to exterminate Armenians 200 or 100 years ago. Armenians are alive, commemorating their martyrs, struggling for justice and for the right to live freely in an independent and democratic country. 

Significant improvement made in debt composition – Armenian Finance Minister

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

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 15:10,

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS. An improvement has been made in the composition of the debt in 2021, the share of the dram debt in the government’s debt has increased, Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan said in the Parliament today.

In 2021, the government debt must have comprised the 62.3% of the GDP, he said. Based on the actual results of the year, the government debt comprised 4 trillion 209 billion drams or the 60.3% of the GDP, which is lower by 2 percentage points than the preliminary estimation made in the beginning of the year.

“We can state that the actual indicator of 2021 has registered an important progress in improvement of debt manageability due to the high economic growth than planned on the one hand, and the consistent fiscal policy on the other hand. Moreover, there has been a significant improvement in the debt composition during the year, by increasing the share of the dram debt in the total debt of the government”, he said.

The dram debt figure in the debt composition has increased, reaching 28.8%, compared to the 24.4% in 2020. The minister said this change in the composition is in accordance with the debt’s medium-term management guidelines which require that in order to reduce the risks connected with the exchange rate fluctuations, the share of domestic debt in the overall debt should be no less than 25%.

“The increase of dram debt in the government’s debt composition has led to a certain increase in the weighted interest rate of the government’s debt, which comprised 4.7% in 2021 compared to the 4.3% of the previous year”, the minister said.

However, he considered it necessary to take into account that as a result of the increase of domestic debt and interest rates in the government’s debt composition, the incomes of residents of Armenia become more of the latter. “In particular, 108.3 billion drams of the 180.8 billion drams interest payments paid in 2021 or the 60% of the overall interest payments were the internal interest payments, whereas the interest payments for the external debt comprised 72.5 billion drams or 40%. The fiscal policy of 2021, including the increase in tax revenues, the balance of expenditures, the cut in state budget deficit had a significant positive impact on the restoration of macro-economic stability and formation of positive expectations over Armenia’s economic development prospects”, Tigran Khachatryan said.

US Ambassador meets with relatives of captured Armenian servicemen

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

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 10:39, 5 April, 2022

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of the United States to Armenia Lynne Tracy met with relatives of Armenian servicemen who were captured in 2020 and 2021, the Embassy said in a news release.

“The discussion focused on human rights issues, including point eight of the November 2020 trilateral ceasefire statement by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia on the exchange of prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons, and dead bodies, and the Geneva Convention.

We urge the release of all prisoners as well as increased efforts to obtain information about the fate of missing servicemembers, including from the 1990s, noting the pain of families who do not know their loved ones’ whereabouts or fate”, the Embassy said.

Asbarez: European Lawmakers Alert EU’s Top Leaders About Azerbaijan’s Ethnic Cleansing in Artsakh

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
by Asbarez Staff

 

 April 6, 2022

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

European Parliament

Ahead of a meeting between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan in Brussels, 43 members of the European Parliament sent a letter to President of the European Council Charles Michel, who mediated the meeting and Josep Borrell, the EU’s representative for foreign affairs, alerting them about Azerbaijan’s policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh.

The letter was an initiative of European Parliament members François-Xavier Bellamy and Loucas Fourlas, reported the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy.

In the letter, the European lawmakers express their concerns about Azerbaijan’s policy of ethnic cleansing against the native Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh/ Artsakh. They urge the EU leadership to use all available leverage to pressure Azerbaijan to stop its aggressive policy in Artsakh, immediately withdraw its military forces back to their initial positions and stop any action that could endanger the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The letter refers in particular to the provocations unleashed by Azerbaijan in Artsakh in the recent weeks, such as the incursion of the Azerbaijani armed forces into the Armenian village of Parukh, to difficult situation caused in the village of Khramort, as well as to the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh following the cut of gas supplies by Azerbaijan. The European lawmakers concluded their letter by stating that the EU cannot allow ethnic cleansing in its neighborhood.
 
“This initiative of the Members of the European Parliament is a strong signal to EU executive leaders, as it provides a clear assessment of the policy pursued by Azerbaijan, qualifying it as a policy of ethnic cleansing. We must continue to be consistent for the EU to put pressure on Azerbaijan to end its anti-Armenian policy of forcing the native Armenian population out of Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh,” said EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian.

Read letter below:

Subject: Azerbaijani policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh
 
Dear President of the European Council,
Dear High Representative,
 
The developments in Nagorno Karabakh in the past weeks are extremely worrying. On 24 March the Azerbaijani forces took control of the Armenian-populated Parukh village in the Askeran region of Nagorno Karabakh as a result of which all the Armenian residents had to flee. Because of the Azerbaijani provocations, the entire Armenian population of the neighboring village of Khramort also had to be evacuated.   
 
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the Greek MFA as well as the US State department criticized the advancement of the Azerbaijani troops and urged them to withdraw to their previous positions. Despite this, the situation remains tense. On 25 March violating the ceasefire, the Azerbaijani forces used firearms and combat drones, including the Bayraktar-TB2 which led to tragic casualties.
 
It is unacceptable that in severe winter temperatures the entire Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh was deprived of gas, causing a humanitarian crisis because of the damage of the gas pipeline to Nagorno Karabakh, whereas the gas pipeline passes through a territory under the control of the Azerbaijani authorities. Threatening the Armenian population of the settlements on the contact line using loudspeakers and their native Armenian language cannot be tolerated.  All these factors combined with the destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno Karabakh as reflected in the EP resolution adopted on 10 March create serious concerns about the danger of ethnic cleansing of the native Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh.
 
We herewith urge the External Action Service and the Council to use all the leverage at EU’s disposal and put pressure on Azerbaijan to immediately withdraw its forces to their previous positions and stop any action that might endanger the safety and the well-being of the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh. The EU cannot allow an ethnic cleansing in its neighborhood.

Sincerely,

Loucas FOURLAS – EPP
François-Xavier BELLAMY – EPP
François ALFONSI – Greens/EFA
Attila ARA-KOVÁCS – S&D
Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU – EPP
Pernando BARRENA ARZA – The LEFT
Lars Patrick BERG – ECR
Fabio Massimo CASTALDO – NI
Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU – EPP
Emmanouil FRAGKOS – ECR
Gianna  GANCIA – ID
Alexis GEORGOULIS – The LEFT
Klemen GROŠELJ – Renew
Ladislav ILČIĆ – ECR
Evin Incir – S&D
Eva KAILI – S&D
Assita KANKO – ECR
Joachim KUHS – ID
Stelios   KYMPOUROPOULOS – EPP
Georgios KYRTSOS – EPP
Gilles LEBRETON – ID
Miriam LEXMANN – EPP
Nathalie LOISEAU – Renew
Costas MAVRIDES – S&D
Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR – EPP
Janina OCHOJSKA – EPP
Demetris PAPADAKIS – S&D
Peter POLLÁK – EPP
Carles PUIGDEMONT I CASAMAJÓ – NI
Diana RIBA I GINER – Greens/EFA
Bert-Jan RUISSEN – ECR
Annie SCHREIJER-PIERIK – EPP
Jordi SOLÉ – Greens/EFA
Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ – EPP
Martin SONNEBORN – NI
Maria SPYRAKI – EPP
Ivan ŠTEFANEC – EPP
Romana TOMC – EPP
Peter Van DALEN – EPP
Loránt VINCZE – EPP
Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI – EPP
Charlie WEIMERS – ECR
Theodoros ZAGORAKIS – EPP

President of Artsakh chairs regular sitting of Security Council

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

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 16:41, 8 April, 2022

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 8, ARMENPRESS. On April 8, President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan chaired a regular sitting of the Security Council, his Office said.

Issues related to the military-political situation in the republic, recent developments taking place in the region and their potential impact on Artsakh were on the discussion agenda.

Ad initium, Minister of Defense Kamo Vardanyan delivered a report on the situation on the line of contact, emphasizing that in recent days the operative-tactical situation has been relatively stable following certain tension.

The Head of State noted that active efforts are being exerted to maintain peace and stability in Artsakh, and in this regard the tendencies are quite positive.

“Of course, we continue our efforts with the Russian party to withdraw the Azeri troops to their starting positions from the village of Parukh and the Karaglukh height of the Askeran region. At the same time, I would like to state that the Russian Federation has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to guaranteeing the security of the people of Artsakh through peacekeeping contingent and other military-political mechanisms. The provisions of the trilateral statement signed on November 9, 2020 continue to apply and based on this logic, we will keep building a peaceful life in our homeland, at the same time constantly improving the effectiveness of our own security mechanisms”, said President Harutyunyan.

Arayik Harutyunyan also highlighted that considering the new realities and challenges in the region, the implementation of various programs aimed at the defense of the country and civil defense will be in the spotlight of the government.

The need to create an open social-political platform in the National Assembly with the involvement of parliamentary forces was also discussed at the sitting, the aim of which is to organize regular interaction and discussions with various public circles on the military-political developments in the country. Anyone can join the platform in the near future, addressing to the NA staff.

The President gave concrete instructions on a number of issues discussed during the sitting.

Canada to call for improvements to global air investigation rules

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

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 11:26, 29 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 29, ARMENPRESS. Canada is expected to call on Tuesday for improving global rules governing air accident investigations, telling a virtual safety forum that such changes are needed in cases like the 2020 downing of a Ukrainian jetliner, Reuters reported citing a government source.

Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra is to tell the Safer Skies forum that the rules need reform in cases where the main country investigating a crash caused or participated in the downing of the aircraft, the source said, according to Reuters.