Category: 2017

The Artsakh-Azerbaijan conflict has recently entered a new stage, Vice President of the Armenian National Assembly says.

“Ignoring all agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg, as well as all international commitments, Azerbaijan periodically escalates the situation at the line of contact, undertakes infiltration attempts,” Vice-President of the National Assembly Edward Sharmazanov told reporters today.

“The recent developments show that the Azerbaijani leadership has drawn lessons from Hitler Germany and uses its own population as a human shield,” he said.

Speaking about the meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in Brussels on July 11, Sharmazanov emphasized three important points.

“The Co-Chairs once again reiterate the imperative of solving the conflict exceptionally through peaceful negotiations. Second, the Armenian side reiterates its stance that progress in negotiations is impossible unless the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg are called to life. Third, Azerbaijan continues its non-constructive policy by refusing to implement the agreements,” he said.

Sharmnazanov believes Armenia should remain committed to its ‘harsh stance.’ “President Serzh Sargsyan clearly stated at the National Assembly on May 18 that the security of the people of Artsakh is the utmost objective. Second, he emphasized that the Karabakh issue should be solved through the free _expression_ of will of the people of Artsakh,” the Vice-Speaker said.

He noted that “on the other hand, the international community, the co-chairing countries should seek ways for persuading or pressuring Azerbaijan to implement the agreements.”

“Azerbaijan wanted to establish a new status quo after the April military actions, to start negotiations from the scratch, but failed to do so,” Edward Sharmazanov said. According to him, the meetings in Vienna and St. Petersburg were a failure of Azerbaijani diplomacy.

He called attention to the statements of the Russian Foreign Ministry, urging Baku to stop discrimination against Russian citizens with Armenian surnames. “This is not now, but what’s important is that the statement is being made in the wake of June escalation at the line of contact, which could mean the Russian Azerbaijani relations are entering an unfavorable stage.”

Edward Sharmazanov believes the Karabakh issue should be solved exceptionally in a peaceful way on the basis of the three principles of international law, where the full realization of the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination should be the key point. He stressed that Artsakh has nothing to do with Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. “Artsakh has not been part of independent Azerbaijan at least for a second,” he stressed.

The Vice-Speaker rules out the possibility of a large-scale war. According to him, the Trump-Putin meeting showed that the superpowers will not allow a new hotspot next to Syria.

Artsakh Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Levon Mnatsakanyan received a group of MPs from Armenia’s National Assembly.

Referring to last year’s military actions unleashed by Azerbaijan, Minister Mnatsakanyan described them as “mass attack by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, taking into consideration the involvement of special forces, the large quantity of armor units, the use of rocket and artillery weapons, up-to-date technologies.”

Levon Mnatsakanyan presented the post-April work, noting that comprehensive analysis has been carried out, the complex of actions carried out to eliminate the gaps and shortcomings.

Describing today’s situation on the frontline as “stably controlled,” the  Minister assured that “the Defense Army is able to give an adequate response to the provocations of the rival and is ready to resort to offensive actions, based on the situation.”

The Army chief responded to the lawmakers’ questions related to the engineering equipment at the frontline, the innovations used in the army, the capacities and effectiveness of video surveillance systems.

The recent report on an agreement between Moscow and Tbilisi to implement the 2011 Agreement on Trade Corridors between Russia and Georgia has sparked new wave of discussion in Tbilisi. Views differ on the perspectives of its realization.

The announcement was made after talks between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigori Karasin and Georgaan Prime Minister’s Special Envoy, Ambassador Zurab Abashidze.

Some experts believe the issue has already been settled on the highest level, others say Georgia will not opt for it, as the step could actually mean recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Executive director of the Caucasian House, political analyst Giorgi Kanashvili calls attention to the fact that the parties referred to the issue on many occasions before, but have now started speaking openly about it.

“Taking into consideration the experience and caution of the two diplomats, I believe that the process is coming to an end. I think the issue has been settled on the highest level,” Kanashvili told Public Radio of Armenia.

The expert is confident that the highway passing through South Ossetia will benefit not only Armenia, but also Georgia.

“It will boost Georgia’s role as a transit country in the region and contribute to the normalization of Russian-Georgian relations. The financial aspect is also very important,” he said.

Political scientist Gela Vasadze does not share the opinion that the issue has been finally settled.

“We are still holding negotiations to have Russia implement the provisions of the 2011 agreement,” Gela Vasadze said.

According to him, restoring the transport communication at this point would mean that “Georgia recognizes the ‘occupied territories’ economically.”

“Besides, commissioning of the road will face resistance in Georgia, which the authorities will hardly manage to overcome,” he said.

The political scientist insists that the “commissioning of the railway will bring small revenues to Armenia and Georgia.” He considers all roads will open only after the conflicts are solved.

The rail communication between Georgia and Russia was disrupted during the War in Abkhazia in 1992.

Experts in Armenia believe restoration of rail communication will help ease the burden of the country’s partial blockade and will simplify Armenia’s communication with the outer world.