Category: 2020

Armenian PM releases flurry of FB notes on Karabakh, recounts interactions with ex presidents

Andranik Taslakhchian
JAM News

Nov 30 2020

    JAMnews, Yerevan

The first President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan called Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ‘a national disaster’ earlier today, responding to the Armenian PM’s decision to release a number of Facebook notes pertaining to the Karabakh conflict, interactions he has had in recent months with both Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh presidents and other topics.

More about Pashinyan’s musings on these topics below.

  • Armenian PM Pashinyan on wife’s presence at command post, who’s to blame for war failures
  • More than 11,000 people return to homes in Nagorno-Karabakh

Meeting with former presidents

In one of his Facebook notes, Nikol Pashinyan said that on October 20 the former presidents of Karabakh Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan proposed to organize a meeting of the current and former leaders of Armenia and Karabakh, ‘which would become an _expression_ of national unity during the war.’

Then, according to Pashinyan, a nuance was added to this idea: he was offered to play the role of a ‘mediator’ so that Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov would accept ex-presidents of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Robert Kocharyan as special envoys, but he did not agree to this.

Pashinyan says he suggested instead of urgently organizing a protocol visit to Moscow for Ter-Petrosyan and Kocharyan as former presidents, where they would meet with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is also deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council.

The ex presidents were not so interested in this proposal, Pashinyan concluded:

“Unexpectedly for me, Sahakyan said that Ter-Petrosyan and Kocharyan had already agreed on a meeting with Lavrov. What then was needed from me? Let them go to Moscow and meet him. It turned out that Kocharyan’s passport was in court [ed. the ex-president is accused of overthrowing the constitutional order, is currently on bail and the trial is ongoing]. And then I advised they petition the court to return his passport, and that I would ask the prosecution not to object. And so it was. Kocharyan’s passport was returned, but he and Ter-Petrosyan never went to Moscow. “

Pashinyan’s entry on the ‘Karabakh impasse’

In another entry, Nikol Pashinyan said that by 2018, when he took office, the Karabakh issue was at an impasse, from which there was only one way out – the unconditional surrender of territories, “and without guarantees that Azerbaijan would not put forward new demands.”

In the context of these new demands, Pashinyan wrote, the likelihood of war increased again.

“But what should we do now? We must gradually stabilize the situation, not aggravate it. The most important issue now is the problem of prisoners, missing persons, perhaps those who were able to hide, a problem that needs to be solved very quickly,” the head of the Cabinet noted.

Attempts to stop the war

Pashinyan also presented some details of attempts to stop the Karabakh war. The fact is that now many accuse him of the being late with the decision to end hostilities.

As Pashinyan writes, on October 19, Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan told him that the war must be stopped:

“He also said that he expresses this point of view not only on his own behalf, but also on behalf of the former presidents of Karabakh, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, as well as [former presidents of Armenia] Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan.”

Then Pashinyan called Putin.

“He said that, in his opinion, this should be done according to the logic of the Russian proposals. That is, to postpone the question of the status of [Karabakh], to transfer the areas [around NK, which came under the control of the Armenian side during the First Karabakh war in the early 90s], and to introduce Russian peacekeepers,” Pashinyan wrote on his Facebook page.

He informed the President of Karabakh about Putin’s answer. Arayik Harutyunyan agreed with the proposal of the Russian President. But it turned out that the former presidents of NK Bako Sahakyan and Arkadi Ghukasyan did not accept any agreements without specifying the status of Karabakh or a clarification mechanism.

“In fact, they said this on behalf of Robert Kocharian, Serzh Sargsyan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan.”

As a result, almost a month later, on the night of November 10, a statement was signed, which many in Armenia now perceive of as a ‘traitorous’ document voluntarily transferring Karabakh to Azerbaijan.

Armenian Prez seeks Putin’s help to bring servicemen held by Baku back home

Hagop Kamalian
Siasat Daily, India
Nov 30 2020
MansoorPublished: 30th November 2020 9:22 pm IST

Yerevan: Armenian President Armen Sargsyan has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to assist the return of Armenian captives who are held in Azerbaijan since the escalation of the Karabakh conflict, Sargsyan’s office said on Monday.

“The letter sent to Putin says, in particular, that the Armenian society and expatriate community are deeply concerned over the situation around servicemen and civilians taken captive by Azerbaijan,” Sargsyan’s office said in a statement.

According to the statement, “the Russian president’s mediation would largely contribute to the solution of the highly sensitive problem of returning servicemen and civilians held by Azerbaijan, and the bodies of those killed.

Armenian expert calls for immediate measures to ensure Goris-Berdzor-Stepanakert road safety

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 30 2020

Armenian military expert Tigran Abrahamyan, the head of the Henaket Analytical Center, urges the authorities to take immediate measures to ensure Goris-Berdzor-Stepanakert road safety.

“The issue of Goris-Berdzor-Stepanakert highway safety is one of the matters around which no negotiations were held, but it requires urgent solutions.

“To date, its security is not fully ensured. In a day, when the Kashatagh region (Lachin) is completely handed over to Azerbaijan, it will become even more dangerous,” he wrote on Facebook.

According to the expert, these days Azerbaijanis are carrying out provocative actions on the road, since on the Lisagor-Shushi section of the same road one can see cars with Azerbaijani plate numbers, as well as Azerbaijanis walking or on horseback along the road.

“They not only threaten our compatriots passing along the highway with various movements, but also cause technical problems by all possible means.

“This is a serious issue that the incumbent prime minister of Armenia did not negotiate on time. Moreover, there are no serious discussions on the matter today.

“This problem will get worse after the complete surrender of Kashatagh, especially when the fate of the settlements located on different parts of this road remains uncertain,” he said. 

​Azerbaijan intends to involve Armenia POWs in parade, Armenia president sends letter to Putin

Jagharian Tania
News.am, Armenia
Nov 30 2020
 
 
 
Azerbaijan intends to involve Armenia POWs in parade, Armenia president sends letter to Putin
20:00, 30.11.2020
 
 
Armenian News – NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 30.11.2020:
 
•             Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian has addressed a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the matter of returning the Armenian POWs and detainees on the Azerbaijani.
 
According to the letter, the Armenian society and diaspora are deeply concerned about the situation regarding these Armenian soldiers and civilians in Azerbaijani captivity.
 
The Russian President’s respective mediation will provide great assistance to the issue of returning these Armenian military and civilians captured by Azerbaijan, as well as the bodies of the Armenian casualties, the letter added.
 
Meanwhile, Artsakh President Arayik Haroutyunyan noted that over 600 bodies have been retrieved from the conflict zone.
 
•             Armenia PM Nikol Pashinyan has provided details on ex-Presidents Robert Kocharyan, and Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s non-implemented Moscow visit.
 
According to him, on October 20, the second and third presidents of Artsakh, Arkadi Ghukasyan, and Bako Sahakyan proposed to arrange a meeting of the current and former leaders of Armenia and Artsakh.
 
The PM added that later Ter-Petrosyan and Kocharyan had an intention to go to Moscow and have high-level meetings there, and thus their meeting will be organized after their return.
 
The PM reportedly offered to arrange Ter-Petrosyan and Kocharyan’s ceremonial visit to Moscow as retired presidents, however, Bako Sahakyan said the ex-presidents have already had agreements in Moscow, and the only issue is R. Kocharyan’s passport, which is in court.
 
“The court returned Kocharyan’s passport, but Ter-Petrosyan and Kocharyan did not head for Moscow,” Pashinyan added.
 
Kocharyan’s office, responding to Pashinyan’s FB post, noted that ‘lying and falsification are inseparable from Nikol.’
 
Armenia’s first president Ter-Petrosyan’s spokesman, in turn, noted that he considers it meaningless ‘to reflect on the nation-destroying scourge’s mental anguish.’
 
•             Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to Russia has been canceled because the Prime Minister of Armenia could not get an opportunity for a high-level meeting from the Russian leadership, Mediaport Telegram channel reported.
 
All attempts by Armenia to set up a Pashinyan-Putin bilateral meeting have failed, and the head of the Prime Minister’s protocol has been recalled to Yerevan.
 
However, there is no official information in this regard yet.
 
•             PM Pashinyan had arranged a meeting Monday with the Supreme Judicial Council staff, as well as the courts’ presidents, including the presidents of criminal courts, of the country. The very fact testifies to the fact that the authorities are trying to ensure control over the courts in the course of repressions against the opposition.
 
According to PM’s press office, during the meeting, Pashinyan noted there is a growing public demand for the state bodies and institutions of Armenia to work clearly. “In this case, it refers especially to the law enforcement system, the protection of the rule of law,” he noted.
 
Summing up the meeting, PM noted that every citizen in Armenia, regardless of his position, should feel fully protected.
 
•             In the meantime, heated discussions are taking place after receiving information that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev intends to display Armenian POWs and military equipment during a parade in Baku.
 
Naira Zohrabyan, chair of the standing committee on protection of human rights told reporters that she had sent an official letter to the PACE leadership, the UN Secretary-General, the Council of Europe Commission for the Prevention of Torture, and to virtually all international organizations.
 
•             The relatives of the servicemen who are currently serving in Artsakh were once again protesting in front of the main building of the Armenian government.
 
They demand the return of their sons to Armenia.
 
•             TV star Kim Kardashian continues to support the homeland during the difficult days for Armenia and Artsakh.
 
“Initiated by UCLA and UC Berkeley HRI chapters, “Holiday Backpacks for Artsakh,” aims to bring holiday cheer to the children displaced by the war in Artsakh. Pack a backpack with toys, school and art supplies, personal care items, clothing and accessories, a personal note, and more, and gift it to a child displaced by the war in Artsakh. The backpacks will be distributed to students at Project Hope centers,” Kim wrote.
 
 
 
 

Armenian police begin detentions after opposition blocks Yerevan’s central avenue

Arsine Chaltikian
TASS, Russia
Nov 30 2020
“Nikol, a traitor, Nikol, resign!” the participants in the rally are chanting
© Artiom Geodakyan/TASS, archive

YEREVAN, November 30. /TASS/. The Armenian police started detaining activists who tried to block Yerevan’s central Mashtots Avenue, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a TASS correspondent reports from the scene.

“Nikol, a traitor, Nikol, resign!” the participants in the rally are chanting.

The situation on the Mashtots Avenue and adjacent streets remains tense and the participants in the protest rally are periodically trying to halt the road traffic.

The Armenian opposition demands Pashinyan’s resignation. The opposition politicians think that the November 9 joint statement he signed with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh is essentially a capitulation. They also hold the prime minister responsible for internal economic and social problems of the republic.

Pashinyan stated that after Shusha fell the fight became senseless for the Armenian side because from that moment Yerevan wouldn’t have been able to reach a breakthrough in military action. Armenian President Armen Sarkisyan urged to conduct early parliamentary elections, transferring power to the government of national accord until then.

Armenian defense minister meets with Russian ambassador

Arpi Talalian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 30 2020

Armenia’s Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan on Monday hosted Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopirkin.

During the meeting the sides highly valued the dynamics of the Armenian-Russian allied cooperation, the political dialogue, as well as the effective cooperation in the defense sphere, the Defense Ministry’s press service reported.

The minister specially highlighted the role and efforts of Russia aimed at stabilizing the military-political situation in the region and ensuring the efficiency of its peacekeeping mission in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) within the framework of the implementation of the November 10 statement signed by Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan.

The officials also attached importance to the activities of the Russian inter-departmental humanitarian response center in Nagorno-Karabakh aimed at the return of refugees, restoration of civilian infrastructure, search for those killed in action, captured and missing persons and combination of the activities of various humanitarian organizations. 

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Lack Of Support From Russia Disappoints Armenia After Downing Of Russian Helicopter By Azerbaijani Forces

Nahapetian Samvel
The Organization for World Peace
Nov 30 2020
 in Current Events by Dayna Li

Azerbaijan’s shooting down of a Russian military helicopter near Nagorno-Karabakh left Armenians and Azerbaijanis questioning how Russia might determine the outcome of conflict in the region. A short but bloody conflict has been waged in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the outcome finally being an Armenian concession to Azerbaijan the week of November 9.

The division over the region has been longstanding. After Armenia and Azerbaijan became independent from the Soviet Union, a war over control of it occurred from 1992 to 1994. The result was that the territory was within Azerbaijan but populated and governed by Armenians. In September, conflict broke out as Azerbaijan tried to reclaim its lost territory. On November 9, Azerbaijani forces shot down a Russian helicopter as it was escorting Russian military vehicles to a military base in Armenia near Yeraskh, in Armenian territory. The helicopter was flying in a space where Russian helicopters had not been sighted, according to the New York Times. It was shot down by a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS), resulting in the death of two on board and injuries to the third.

Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry quickly apologized to Russia after the incident, calling it an accident for which they would compensate. Russia has a military agreement with Armenia that it will support Armenia if its territory is threatened. The fact that the incident occurred on Armenian territory meant that Russia could have intervened on Armenia’s behalf and enforced a cease-fire; however, it stood by as Azerbaijani forces captured Nagorno-Karabakh’s second largest town of Shusha on November 8. Fearing that Azerbaijani forces would also take the largest city of Stepanakert, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was compelled to sign a peace agreement to turn over some areas of Nagorno-Karabakh that it previously controlled.

The peace agreement caused an uproar and protests in Armenia, while Azerbaijanis celebrated. Pashinyan called the deal “unspeakably painful,” according to the Daily Mail. The BBC quoted him saying, “this is not a victory but there is not defeat until you consider yourself defeated.” AP News said that Artur Vanetsyan, a center-right party leader and former leader of the national security service, was arrested on the conviction of planning to assassinate Pashinyan. The fighting resulted in 1,434 Armenian servicemen dead, according to AP News. Azerbaijan has not reported its losses. Many Armenians living in surrendered areas of Nagorno-Karabakh set fire to their homes and tried to destroy resources that would benefit incoming Azerbaijanis. Armenian civilian Seda Gabrilyan lamented to AP News, “our nation has lost everything, our heritage, everything. We have nothing left. I can’t say anything.”

The peace agreement has hardly created a feeling of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia and indicates an uncertain future. According to The Guardian, the agreement “leaves a cloud of uncertainty over parts of Nagorno-Karabakh.” Many Armenians are now displaced, which will only deepen Armenians’ resentment to Azerbaijan. Armenians feel abandoned by Russia, who has now stepped in to oversee territorial realignment and will send 2,000 peacekeepers to the region in order to do so. The peacekeepers plan to monitor both sides there for at least five years. The conflict has become a stage for Russia and Turkey to confront each other, as Azerbaijan is backed by Turkey while Armenians are counting on Russia’s support. Older citizens remark that it is unfortunate that there is now such a divide between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, when they co-existed before in the Soviet Union. Igor Badalyan, an older Armenian, commented to the New York Times: “it is sad that it happened this way. We didn’t want it to be this way.”

The conflict has also shown a complete lack of interest from the Western world, who has been more focused on the US presidential election. France, the US, and Russia were part of the OSCE Minsk Group that had  been trying to hold peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the 1994 conflict. However, France and the US were absent in this most recent dispute. This leaves Turkey and Russia to carry out their influence in the Nagorno-Karabakh, and indicates that there likely will not be much support from the West during the realignment of the region or in response to the displacement of many Armenians.

The recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has created deep-seated tensions between the two sides and an uncertain future for the region. Despite Russia finally intervening by deploying peacekeepers, the long-term effects of the current conflict and their humanitarian implications are largely unknown.

Dayna Li
Dayna is an OWP Correspondent. She received a BA in comparative politics from Princeton University, where her independent research focused on the European refugee crisis and victims of sex trafficking. In addition to having an interest in this area, she also has a broader interest in human rights, humanitarian relief, and ethnic reconciliation.

Armenian President Seeks Russia’s Putin’s Help In Freeing Captives Held In Azerbaijan

Talar Tumanian
Republic World
Nov 30 2020
Written By

Aanchal Nigam

Armenian President Armen Sargsyan has sought Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s intervention in assisting the return of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan since the Nagorno-Karabakh region dispute escalated, said Sargsyan’s office on November 30. As per an ANI report citing Russian news agency Sputnik, the letter to Putin’s office by Armenian President said that Russia’s “mediation would largely contribute” to the solution of the “highly sensitive” issue concerning the return of the servicemen along with the bodies of those who were killed during the unrest.

“The letter sent to Putin says, in particular, that the Armenian society and expatriate community are deeply concerned over the situation around servicemen and civilians taken captive by Azerbaijan,” Sargsyan’s office said in a statement. It further added, “the Russian president’s mediation would largely contribute to the solution of the highly sensitive problem of returning servicemen and civilians held by Azerbaijan, and the bodies of those killed.” 

Read – France Is Committed To Protecting Religious Sites In Nagorno-Karabakh Region: Foreign Secy

Read – Armenian Parliament Votes Against Lifting Martial Law Imposed Over Hostilities In Karabakh

Meanwhile, on November 29, Armenian President said that the government should step down and new elections should be held within a year allowing an interim government of national accord to be formed, preferable a technocratic one. As per reports, he also criticised the entire government during his meeting with the representatives of the Armenian community in Russia. 

Amid the soaring tensions, Sargsyan denounced the signing of a peace deal with Azerbaijan by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for a ceasefire in the disputed mountainous region as “great tragedy”. According to Armenian President, the government that led the nation into such ‘tragedy’ “has to go”.

The leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a joint statement on a complete cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. As per the statement, Armenia and Azerbaijan stop at their occupied positions, a number of districts come under Baku’s control, the sides exchange prisoners, and Russian peacekeepers are deployed along the contact line and the Lachin corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia.

Yerevan Opens ‘Terrorism Sponsoring’ Probe Over Militants’ Deployment to Karabakh

Garnik Zakarian
Sputnik
Nov 30 2020
 
 
 
Yerevan Opens ‘Terrorism Sponsoring’ Probe Over Militants’ Deployment to Karabakh
 
© Sputnik / Ilya Pitalev
World
14:28 GMT 30.11.2020(updated 14:33 GMT 30.11.2020) Get short URL

 

YEREVAN (Sputnik) – The Armenian prosecutor’s office said on Monday it had opened a criminal case under article “terrorism sponsoring” after accusing Turkey of transferring terrorist organisations to Azerbaijan to take part in hostilities during the conflict in Karabakh.
 
“Since September 27, more than 2,000 mercenaries of Sultan Suleiman Shah/Al-Amshat and Sultan Murad groups have been involved in pre-planned, coordinated and purposeful military actions against the Republic of Artsakh [Karabakh’s self-name] within the ranks of Azerbaijani Armed Forces. On the basis of the above, a new criminal case has been initiated in the central military prosecutor’s office of Armenia under the article ‘terrorism-sponsoring by a group of persons in a preliminary conspiracy or by an organized group,'” the statement says.
 
According to the Armenian prosecutor’s office, “for the implementation of terrorist activities in Armenia and Karabakh … the responsible officials of the military-political leadership of Turkey … provided appropriate financial resources, as well as weapons and ammunition to the international terrorist groups Sultan Suleiman Shah/Al-Amshat, Sukur, Al-Khamzat, Sultan Murad; chosen members of the mercenary terrorist groups to ensure their unhindered passage across the border of Syria and Turkey to the territory of Azerbaijan.”
 
  

Governor of Armenia’s Syunik Province resigns

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 30 2020

Governor of Armenia’s Syunik Province Hunan Poghosyan has resigned on November 30, his assistant Armine Avagyan confirmed the news to Armenpress.

“Hunan Poghosyan has tendered his resignation, but at the moment he continues to perform his duties until a respective decision by the government is made,” she said.

Hunan Poghosyan has been appointed Governor of Syunik in October 2018.