Category: 2021

Armenia informed UN Security Council President about Azerbaijani aggression – MFA spox

Garo Vardanian

Save

Share

 11:12, 17 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has informed the President of the United Nations Security Council about the November 16th attack of Azerbaijan on Armenia’s sovereign territory, MFA spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan said in a statement, in response to the questions of media outlets.

“The Armenian Foreign Ministry has already informed the President of the UN Security Council about the current situation. We would like to note that the use of all tools of international law and diplomatic practice is being considered for protecting Armenia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty”, he said.

The spokesperson also added that Armenia is in direct and multi-level contact with its ally Russia. Mr Hunanyan reminded that yesterday the Armenian Prime Minister and the Russian President held a telephone conversation during which Nikol Pashinyan presented the situation to Vladimir Putin. “In this context, the leaders of the two countries discussed the possible joint steps the implementation of which is enshrined by a bilateral legal-contractual base and is in accordance with the allied relations”, Vahan Hunanyan said.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

COVID-19: Armenian healthcare ministry reports 982 new cases, 46 deaths

Hambardsumian Paul

Save

Share

 11:14, 17 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. 982 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 330,895, the Armenian healthcare ministry reported.

10,870 tests were administered.

The total number of recoveries reached 298,492 (1153 in last 24 hours).

46 patients died, bringing the death toll to 7153.

As of November 17 the number of active cases stood at 23,856.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Azerbaijan must acknowledge and respect Armenian sovereignty – US Congressman

Kalashian Nyrie

Save

Share

 11:30, 17 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. US Congressman David Cicilline condemned the November 16th attack of Azerbaijan on Armenia’s sovereign territory.

“Azerbaijan’s attack on Armenia’s eastern border is a clear violation of last year’s peace deal and can’t be tolerated. 6,000 died in last year’s conflict, not one more should be lost to this dispute. Azerbaijan must acknowledge and respect Armenian sovereignty”, the Congressman said.

ADVERTISEMENT:
01:06

Learn more

Earlier Congressmen Adam Schiff and Frank Pallone also made statements condemning the Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia.

Save

Share

 11:30, 17 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. US Congressman David Cicilline condemned the November 16th attack of Azerbaijan on Armenia’s sovereign territory.

“Azerbaijan’s attack on Armenia’s eastern border is a clear violation of last year’s peace deal and can’t be tolerated. 6,000 died in last year’s conflict, not one more should be lost to this dispute. Azerbaijan must acknowledge and respect Armenian sovereignty”, the Congressman said.

Earlier Congressmen Adam Schiff and Frank Pallone also made statements condemning the Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia.

Azerbaijan loses 7 troops in border clashes with Armenia

Ekmekjian Janet
Al-Arabiya News, UAE
Nov 17 2021


The Associated Press, Moscow

Seven Azerbaijani service members were killed and 10 more were wounded in clashes with Armenia on the border between the two ex-Soviet nations, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

Armenian officials reported one casualty and said 13 of their troops were captured during Tuesday’s hostilities, while 24 more have gone missing.

For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The clashes appear to be the worst outbreak of hostilities between the two countries since a six-week war last year over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh that killed some 6,600 people.

The Armenian Defense Ministry accused Azerbaijan’s military of opening fire on Armenian positions. The Azerbaijani government, meanwhile, accused Armenia of a “large-scale provocation” on the border.

The fighting ceased on Tuesday evening after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke on the phone with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts and urged them to stop. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation at the border.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a decades-old dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region that lies within Azerbaijan but was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994.

Moscow brokered a peace deal last November to end six weeks of fighting over the territory. The Russia-brokered truce allowed Azerbaijan to reclaim control over large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas that the Armenia-backed separatists controlled.

Tensions on Armenia-Azerbaijan border have been building since May, when Armenia protested what it described as an incursion by Azerbaijani troops into its territory. Azerbaijan has insisted that its soldiers were deployed to what it considers its territory in areas where the border has yet to be demarcated. Clashes have been reported ever since.

Pashinyan accused Azerbaijani forces Monday of another incursion, and reports of fighting, with the use of artillery, followed Tuesday from both countries.

Armenia’s Security Council has called on Russia to help protect the country’s territorial integrity.



https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/11/17/Azerbaijan-loses-7-troops-in-border-clashes-with-Armenia
Read also:

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/11/17/azerbaijan-border-clashes-armenia/
https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/2021/11/17/azerbaijani-troops-killed-in-clashes-with-armenia/
 

OSCE chairperson-in-office welcomes ceasefire between Armenia, Azerbaijan

Ani Basmajian
TASS, Russia
Nov 17 2021
Deep regret for loss of lives, Ann Linde said

STOCKHOLM, November 17. /TASS/. Ann Linde, Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Swedish Foreign Minister, has welcomed a ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, mediated by Russia.

“[I] spoke to Armenian FM (Foreign Minister) Ararat Mirzoyan, welcome ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan after Russian mediation and called for de-escalation. Deep regret for loss of lives. Reiterated support for continued process through Minsk Group Co-Chairs and my Personal Representative,” Linde wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10.

Under the statement, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides maintained the positions that they had held, and the Armenian forces turned over control of certain districts to Azerbaijan. In addition, Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the contact line and to the Lachin corridor, which links Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

On Tuesday, fierce fighting erupted between the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Armenian border region of Syunik. Yerevan said that Azerbaijani troops launched an offensive into Armenian territory. The highway that links Armenia’s capital with the southern regions and Iran was put in jeopardy. Baku put the blame on Yerevan, accusing the Armenian armed forces of provocation. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said that Armenian troops attacked Azerbaijani military posts.

In the wake of those developments, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had phone calls with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that after the telephone conversations, the Armenian and Azerbaijani defense ministers had taken measures to stabilize the situation on the border, which then went back to normal.

 

Azerbaijan appreciates Vatican’s balanced position on conflict with Armenia — ambassador

Emil Lazarian
TASS, Russia
Nov 17 2021
According to Rahman Mustafayev, the Vatican leadership pointed to the need to settle problems through a dialogue, based on respect for international law

ROME, November 17./TASS/. Azerbaijan greatly respects the position of the Vatican on the settlement of the post-conflict situation between Azerbaijan and Armenia and recognizes its important role in that process, Azerbaijani Ambassador to France and the Vatican Rahman Mustafayev told TASS on Wednesday.

“The issue of the post-conflict settlement and the Azerbaijani-Armenian relations is being brought up during contacts of Azerbaijan and the Vatican,” the ambassador said. “We note the very balanced position of the Vatican. Its leadership points to the need to settle problems through a dialogue, based on respect for international law, and this approach coincides with the position of Azerbaijan,” Rahman Mustafayev went on to say.

“We respect and trust the Pope and the Holy See and see the Vatican as an important partner,” the ambassador stressed.

Azerbaijan believes the Vatican could play a major role as a mediator to restore trust and mend ties between Azerbaijan and Armenia, he said. “The position of the Vatican in this context is unique, since this state is close to Christian Armenians, but at the same time it emphasizes the necessity of respecting the rules of international law. Besides, the Vatican pays great attention to the humanitarian aspects of the settlement. We value this position very much,” the ambassador stressed.

He also said that the government of Azerbaijan intended to allocate up to one billion dollars a year for the restoration of the regions of Nagorno-Karabakh that had returned under the control of Azerbaijan.

Intense clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, in Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in the conflict zone, which facilitated a complete cessation of hostilities. According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides maintained the positions that they had held, while several regions came under Baku’s control and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the contact line and the Lachin Corridor.

Intense fighting erupted between the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the border districts of Armenia’s Syunik region on November 16. Yerevan said that the Azeri troops had launched an offensive into Armenian territory. The highway that links Armenia’s capital with the southern regions and Iran was jeopardized.

Meanwhile, Baku blamed Armenia for the fighting, accusing the Armenian armed forces of provoking the situation. As the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported, the Armenian troops attacked Azerbaijan’s army posts.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held separate telephone talks with his counterparts from Armenia and Azerbaijan, Suren Papikyan and Zakir Hasanov. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that following the conversations, the Armenian and Azerbaijani defense chiefs took measures to stabilize the situation on the border.


Armenian Defense Ministry says Azerbaijani armed forces open fire towards Tavush region

Maral Chavushian
TASS, Russia
Nov 18 2021
Intense fighting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces broke out in the border areas of Armenia’s Syunik region on Tuesday
View of Armenia-Azerbaijan border in the Tavush region

© Vahram Baghdasaryan/Photolure/TASS

YEREVAN, November 18. /TASS/. The Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened indiscriminate fire along some parts of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border in the Tavush region late on Wednesday evening, the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

“Late on the evening of November 17, the Azerbaijani armed forces opened indiscriminate fire along some parts of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the Tavush region. Enemy fire was suppressed through retaliatory actions. The situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was relatively stable as of 10:00 am on November 18,” the statement reads.

According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, search continues for the service members who went missing during clashes in the Syunik region and efforts are underway to repatriate prisoners of war.

Intense fighting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces broke out in the border areas of Armenia’s Syunik region on Tuesday. Yerevan said that the Azerbaijani armed forces had launched an offensive into Armenia’s territory, which threatened an international highway connecting the Armenian capital with the country’s southern regions and Iran. Baku laid the blame on Yerevan, accusing the Armenian Armed Forces of staging a provocation. According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Armenian troops attacked Azerbaijani positions. In such a situation, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held separate telephone talks with his counterparts from Armenia and Azerbaijan, Suren Papikyan and Zakir Hasanov. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that following the conversations, the Armenian and Azerbaijani defense chiefs took measures to stabilize the situation on the border.


Russia has submitted new proposals on delimitation and demarcation – Armenian PM

Tatoyan Vazgen
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 18 2021
November 18, 2021, 11:19

 Less than a minute

The Russian Defense Ministry has submitted new proposals on the preparatory stage of delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Government sitting today.

He reiterated that the proposals are acceptable to the Armenian side and instructed Defense Minister Suren Papikyan to discuss the details with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu.

The Prime Minister said during the Q&A session at the National Assembly on Wednesday that since May 2021 the Russian side has submitted three proposals on the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

He said all three have been and continue to be acceptable to the Armenian side.

Rep. Jim Langevin condemns the latest Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia

Ani Basmajian
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 18 2021
November 17, 2021, 20:38

 Less than a minute

Congressman Jim Langevin has condemned the latest Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia.

“Once again, the Azerbaijani government has unleashed a volley of unprovoked violence against Armenia. Let me be clear – I condemn Azerbaijan’s latest aggression in the harshest terms,” Rep. Langevin said in a Twitter post.

“The United States must act quickly to ensure the stability of last year’s ceasefire,” he added.

One Armenian soldier has been confirmed killed, 13 have been captured, 24 are missing after the November 16th attack on Armenia’s sovereign territory.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry says seven of its soldiers have been killed and another 10 are wounded.

US aid to Azerbaijan helps enable heinous acts against ethnic Armenians – Sen. Menendez

Boshkezenian Garik
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 18 2021
November 18, 2021, 09:51

 2 minutes read

US aid to Azerbaijan helps enable heinous acts against ethnic Armenians, Chairman of the Senate foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez says.

“Reports of Armenian casualties and Armenian soldiers taken as political prisoners by Azerbaijan are deeply concerning. Defense aid to helps enable these heinous acts against ethnic Armenians. It is time to pass my NDAA amendment cutting this aid,” the Senator said in a Twitter post.

On November 4 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-CA) introduced a powerful amendment that would end U.S. presidential waiver authority of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, an Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) -backed measure that would effectively block U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan.

The amendment (#4177) is one of three amendments to the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that deals with U.S. aid to Azerbaijan as well as Azerbaijani and Turkish war crimes committed against Artsakh and Armenia during the 2020 war.  The amendment removes all references to presidential waiver authority of Section 907, a provision first put in place in 2001, and utilized by successive U.S. presidents – including President Biden, even in the wake of Azerbaijan’s 2020 brutal aggression against Artsakh in Armenia. Since 2016, the U.S. has provided over $120 million in U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan, in the face of objections by Members of Congress and the ANCA, which has long raised alarms about the Aliyev regime’s belligerence in the region.

Senator Menendez also offered a second amendment (#4150) to the NDAA which calls for a joint State Department and Defense Department report on Turkey’s use of U.S. technology in its Bayrakdar drones, with a special focus on whether their sale to third countries, like Azerbaijan, violates U.S. export laws.  The ANCA has identified a number of U.S. parts used in Bayrakdar drones that targeted Artsakh and Armenian civilians during the 2020 Artsakh war.  In addition to the ANCA, Amendment #4150 also has the support of a coalition of ethnic, civic, and faith-based groups including the Hellenic American Leadership Council, American Friends of Kurdistan, the Hindu American Foundation, and the Middle East Forum.

A third amendment (#4251) introduced by California Senator Alex Padilla (D) calls for a joint State Department and Defense Department report, in response to Azerbaijani war crimes during the 2020 Artsakh war, including the use of U.S. technology during the attacks; the use of white phosphorous, cluster bombs, and other prohibited munitions; and the hiring of foreign mercenaries.