Category: 2022

Russia vs West in South Caucasus – Opinion from Armenia

Kanayan Tamar

June 16 2022


  • Armine Martirosyan
  • Yerevan

Russia’s influence and the role of the West in the South Caucasus

The situation in the region is rapidly changing, and not in a safe direction. Amid the confrontation between the West and Russia, the South Caucasus is already turning into a bone of contention between the two power centres. While Russia is at war in Ukraine, the West is stepping up its actions in the South Caucasus, which unsettles Moscow and forces it to increase pressure on the countries of the region. Lavrov’s last visit to Yerevan again updated the somewhat forgotten “3 + 3” format, Moscow reminded Armenia that there was no alternative to its participation, both in the process of delimiting the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and unblocking communications in the region.

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Cartoon from Deutsche Welle

The situation that is currently developing not only in the South Caucasus, but throughout the entire post-Soviet space, except for its western part (Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine) can be called a “stand-by” situation.

Russia is heavily occupied with the conflict, moreover, the conflict means not only the actual war in Ukraine, but in general the format of Russian-Western relations. And Russia is trying to make sure that in the conditions of an unfinished conflict, there are no serious risks for it and some stability is maintained.

Russia has several main directions. These include relations with China, the situation in Central Asia, relations with China on Central Asian issues, relations with Turkey, the situation with Syria, where Turkey again plays its role, as well as the situation in the South Caucasus.

Russia does not want to get involved in difficult situations anywhere else, except for Ukraine. And Russia is working in this direction in the South Caucasus, including with Azerbaijan and Turkey.

There is no “3+3” format, but there is a system of pressure on Armenia. This is the pressure of the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem, the Russian-Azerbaijani format, the Russian-Turkish format.

The “3 + 3” format for resolving regional issues was put forward by Turkey. It involves the participation, on the one hand, of Turkey, Iran and Russia, on the other hand, of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Another question is, how well does it work? So far we see that it does not work.

Turkey’s influence in the South Caucasus region is growing, and the country is seeking legal ways to establish itself as a decision-maker, thus proposing 3+3 format, expert believes

The fact that there will be a road through the Armenian territory of Meghri, connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhichevan, and how it will function, has been discussed since the 2020 war in Karabakh itself. And this is the only point in the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, which is not about stopping hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, but about some future. It is about communications, but no progress has been made yet.

The positions of the parties differ so seriously, are so tied up into in the context of the Karabakh problem itself and are so confronted with a complex of problems that it is very difficult to resolve this issue.

Lavrov cannot come up with a ready-made solution and impose it on someone. This decision should be made by everyone, first of all, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.

No one can tell about Moscow’s plans better than Lavrov himself. Again there is an old trend – an attempt to squeeze the West out of the region, which has its own political and economic levers. One of these levers, and a completely new one, is the EU’s mediation in the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, of which Russia is very jealous.

In particular, the European Union is now acting as a mediator in the issue of delimitation of borders with Azerbaijan and unblocking communications.

EU mediation can lead to a significant weakening of Russia, because both of these issues Russia intends to use as leverage against both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

For example, in the case of border delimitation, every centimeter, every position will be negotiated by the parties from Russia, which will provide maps. Naturally, it will not provide them immediately, but piece by piece, and for each piece it will demand something from each side. These are Russia’s plans.

“It is not so easy to be a direct, honest, reliable partner for both Russia and the West, our duty is not to betray anyone” – Armenian PM Pashinyan’s interview to Al-Jazeera TV channel

EU mediation significantly weakens this prospect, because the process will follow international norms, procedural developments, including the delimitation of borders within Europe.

The same is true for unblocking of communications. Russia is trying to participate as much as possible in this process, including in the issue of providing escort services.

At the request of Azerbaijan, it plans to escort Azerbaijani cargo through the territory of Armenia. Armenia is not interested in this, because Russian troops (FSB) will not escort Armenian cargo through Nakhichevan. There are no Russian troops there, and Azerbaijan will not agree to their entry there.

As for the intentions of Russia and the use of the CSTO military bloc for its own purposes, on June 10 in Yerevan, at the summit of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the CSTO, Moscow raised the issue of forming some kind of peacekeeping forces of this organization, some new formats of cooperation and deepening of interactions. However, all this is practically sabotaged, primarily by Kazakhstan.

Armenia also resists and makes it clear that no troops with any peacekeeping mission will be provided to Donbass.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov’s visit to Yerevan sparked confusion in Armenia and Azerbaijan amid a controversial statement about the village of Parukh (Farukh)

Russia is trying to stop the advance of the West
Western involvement significantly weakens Russia. And it is no coincidence that Russia once again resurfaced the 3 + 3 format, which it seemed to abandon after the weakening in Ukraine and under the huge burden of Western sanctions.

But no, Russia is once again promoting this idea with the sole purpose of preventing the West from moving into the region.

Moscow does not consider Turkey to be the West. Turkey does not consider itself the West. Turkey is balancing, maneuvering, trying to take its piece from everyone. Turkey itself is worried that after the defeat of Russia and the actual victory of not just Ukraine, but the consolidated West, the entire region will gradually come under the control and influence of the West, which will significantly weaken its position in the region and its ability to maneuver.

Turkey has always relied on Russia when it opposed the West, when it tried to put pressure on the West. But when Russia is not strong, Turkey will have no one to rely on and will have to obey international rules, which it strongly does not want.

The same is with its henchman in the region, Azerbaijan, whose president on May 27 at a meeting with citizens said that the world order is changing, there will be no international law, all issues will be resolved by force, and Azerbaijan will continue to arm and live the way it wants.

“If we define the borders, then what status of NK can we talk about?” – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has been resolved

Armenia is now showing quite a lot of maneuverability.

This is due to the proposals of the West and some security guarantees on the issue of Azerbaijani aggression. Yes, these are not the most ideal guarantees, not comprehensive, not unconditional, not 100%, but they exist.

We saw how the West – the US, the EU – reacted very harshly to Azerbaijan’s attack on the village of Parukh in Nagorno-Karabakh [Azerbaijanis call it Farukh – JAMnews]. Moreover, for the first time they reacted specifically, accusing Azerbaijan of violating the agreements. There was no such reaction from the West even during the war.

PM Pashinyan appealed to Putin amid escalation in Karabakh, as Yerevan continues questioning the efficency of the Russian peacekeepers stationed there

This means that the West’s position towards Azerbaijan is becoming tougher, despite the fact that Azerbaijan, it would seem, is a very important partner in the energy sector.

This means that Azerbaijan’s responsibility to the international community has not been cancelled. This means that the West treats Azerbaijan not only as an authoritarian regime, but also as a regime that constantly violates agreements.

For example, the head of the EU, Charles Michel, in his harsh statement, actually accused Azerbaijan and said that Aliyev in Brussels agreed on one thing, while in his country he declared the exact opposite.

Charles Michel’s statement on Brussels’ talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan expressed regret over the manipulation of the extraterritorial claims

No less harsh was the resolution of the European Parliament adopted on March 10 on the Armenian cultural heritage in the territories that came under the control of Azerbaijan. Only the word “genocide” was not used in the resolution. But if we sum up all the accusations that fell on Azerbaijan, we can easily conclude that Azerbaijan is purposefully carrying out cultural genocide.

We also have an interim resolution of the International Hague Court, in which Azerbaijan is accused of ethnic xenophobia at the state level towards Armenians.

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It is no coincidence that EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar said that without the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, no one can decide its fate. US Ambassador to Armenia Lynn Tracy made a similar statement.

“The sole interest of the European Union is to help this process and reach a lasting and comprehensive settlement” – EU Special Representative’s statement on Karabakh talks

In a word, storm is gathering over Azerbaijan and over Russia due to their capricious and aggressive policy in the region.

The West makes it clear that the world order has not changed, international law exists and the West will consistently implement this law, including in our region.

The EU and the US make it clear to Azerbaijan that its aggressive expansionist sentiments will not have any support, moreover, they will be very severely suppressed.

Ella Madatyan brings the community delectable Armenian treats with a side of hope

Hovhannisian John

June 16 2022


By SARAH GOLDMAN

 



When it comes to Armenian culture and its exquisite delicacies, CEO of Papillion Bakery Ella Madatyan, has quite literally discovered the secret sauce to her success. From the sweetest custard filled ponchiks and Nutella bread boats to cheesy potato khachapuri and freshly baked perashki stuffed to perfection with spicy pork, Papillion’s eclectic menu serves as a nod to the rich heritage and offers patrons a modern take on its traditional delights.

Born in Armenia and relocated to America at the young age of three years old, Madatyan was very close with her father and observed him closely as he opened one business after the other in search of achievement and profitability. With unwavering curiosity about how each business was operated, Madatyan began working alongside him and eventually, she attended school for marketing until her father requested that she take over one of his failing ventures—Papillion Bakery. Not only did she gain control of the business, but she used her education and knack for social media to create further awareness and transform one lacking bakery into five.

And they are all thriving.

“We have advantages now that we didn’t have before,” says Madatyan. “We can use social media platforms to engage with our customers, push new products, and get feedback.” With locations throughout Los Angeles and two additional bakeries planned to be opened next year, Papillion has been in business for nearly 15 years and has become a flourishing bakehouse for those seeking to satisfy their sweet and savory cravings while inspiring the community to acquaint themselves with Armenia’s vibrant culinary history.

“The dough is the one thing that differentiates our bakery from others,” she says. “Only two people know the recipe, and that includes myself.” Since its initial opening in 2008, Papillion has gained notable eminence from Hollywood clientele, including Kim Kardashian, and has been featured on Fox News as well as KTLA 5. In addition, the bakery has been awarded a Certificate of Recognition by Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian, representing the 46th California Assembly District.

Unlike many other unfortunate business owners, Madatyan’s bakeries thrived during the Covid-19 pandemic, but her former restaurant OG Wingz, suffered greatly. Despite its highly regarded mango habanero pepper sauce and unparalleled customer service, the two Hollywood-based eateries shut down due to the high overhead and diminishing clientele. While she considers this one of the biggest obstacles faced on her road to success, Madatyan never gave up.

While Madatyan genuinely enjoys working and puts her heart into everything she does, she is also a wife, a mother of three children, and is currently on the brink of launching a clothing line to help in launching a non-profit organization for domestic violence victims. Following a very difficult public divorce, Madatyan was able to utilize her platforms to speak out about her experience and quickly became as a support system to other women navigating their way out of harmful relationships.

“Women in my culture are shamed so much for leaving marriages,” she says. “We are supposed to be okay with so much and put up with a lot. It’s embedded in our brains that toxic relationships are normal. My next goal is very important to me. I eventually want a place where women can come and receive the help they need to leave toxic relationships. I want women to know they aren’t alone.”

These days, Madatyan finds herself incredibly motivated by the messages she receives on Instagram from a diversity of women searching for guidance. So, as she continues to franchise her bakeries and open the non-profit, she keeps one big goal in mind: to make the world a sweeter place—with dessert and bringing hope to the younger generation.

This article was written in cooperation with Kimberly Haddad



Iran president meets Armenian parliament speaker

Badalian Vardan
IRAN FRONT PAGE
June 16 2022
ByIFP Editorial Staff
June 16, 2022

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met with the visiting President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan in the capital Tehran on Wednesday.

Raisi said Iran seeks to develop ties with neighboring and friendly nations, including Armenia, adding the Islamic Republic backs the territorial integrity of all countries in the region and lends its support to any plan, interaction and dialogue that ensures peace.

The Iranian president also said both countries have high capacities to expand cooperation in transportation, energy, industry, technical and engineering services exports and agriculture among others.

For his part, Simonyan praised Iran for its “constructive” role in the developments in the region and noted that Yerevan attaches great significance to the economic and transit ties with Tehran.

The Armenian parliament speaker is in Tehran at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Earlier on Tuesday, he met with Ghalibaf to highlight the agenda to boost bilateral relations.

Armenian opposition scales back protests but promises to impeach PM

Emil Lazarian
June 16 2022
Ani Mejlumyan Jun 16, 2022

Following weeks of street protests, Armenia’s political opposition is retrenching, removing a tent camp they had set up in central Yerevan while announcing that they intend to try to impeach Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Members of parliament from the ruling party, meanwhile, have said they are looking into stripping opposition MPs of their mandates because they have missed so many sessions as they have been boycotting since the protests began.  

Large scale protests began in early April after the Armenian government began to signal that it was preparing to make significant concessions to Azerbaijan, such as ceding control over Nagorno-Karabakh, the territory that has been at the heart of the decades-long conflict between the two sides. 

As Pashinyan made those signals more explicit – notably saying on April 13 that Armenia had to “lower the bar” of its expectations with respect to Karabakh – the protests gathered steam, leading to increasing conflicts with police and hundreds of arrests. On May 1 they took on a more sustained character, with organizers setting up a tent camp in central France Square. 

But the self-proclaimed “Resistance Movement,” which was led by the two opposition blocs in parliament, both associated with the deeply disliked former ruling regime, failed to gain much traction and participation in the protests began to peter out. 

In recent days, the protests also had become more violent. On June 3, protesters blocked all entrances to the main government building, demanding a meeting with Pashinyan. When that didn’t happen, they marched toward his official residence. Near the residence they clashed with police and more than 60, most of them police officers, were hospitalized with injuries. 

On June 14, organizers announced they would dismantle the tent camp and regroup. In a speech at France Square one of the opposition leaders, Ishkhan Saghatelyan, acknowledged that would-be supporters may have been turned off by the association with the country’s former leadership. 

“There are still people who think this is a fight for power, for the return of former rulers to power,” said Saghatelyan, deputy speaker of parliament from the Armenia Alliance and a leader of the diaspora-based party Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsyutyun. “We haven’t yet managed to get all those people to the streets and bring them to this square.” 

Opposition MPs, who have been skipping parliament sessions since mid-April, would be ending the boycott, Saghatelyan said. “We will return to parliament only with our agenda” of impeachment, he said.

By the morning of June 15 the tents and barricades around France Square were gone and it was again open for traffic.

Street protests would continue, organizers promised. One rally was planned for June 16, and another two days later.

Opposition leaders also said they were working towards initiating impeachment proceedings against Pashinyan. According to Armenian law they can’t formally impeach until August 2, which will be the one-year anniversary of when Pashinyan started his second term in office. 

The opposition currently has 35 of 107 seats in parliament, leaving them 25 short of what they would need to impeach the prime minister. But opposition figures have said they think there is a group of lawmakers from the ruling Civil Contract party who could vote for impeachment. Prospects for this seem slim, however, given the high degree of loyalty in the ruling party ranks.

And many have argued that the opposition and protesters have failed to offer another vision for the country, even as popular dissatisfaction with Pashinyan is deep. According to a recently released poll from the Caucasus Research Resource Center, while in 2019 70 percent of those surveyed trusted the prime minister and other ministers, in 2021 71 percent distrusted them. 

“This desire [to oust the government]  is quite understandable,” wrote veteran journalist Armen Dulyan in a June 15 column for Sputnik Armenia. “Certain people, who for incomprehensible reasons have appeared at the top of the power pyramid, are absolutely disliked by at least a part of the society. But to expect that at least something will change for the better after the departure of these people is also incomprehensible.” 

Meanwhile, Civil Contract MPs are looking into the possibility of stripping 14 opposition lawmakers of their mandates because they have missed so many sessions of parliament. 

“There is a discussion on this going on in our faction, which is the result of public demand,” one Civil Contract MP, Artur Hovhannisyan, said during a June 16 parliament briefing. “Many citizens have seen how the opposition behaves, how they use their parliamentary mandate,” adding that there wasn’t a consensus in the ruling party on the issue. “Different deputies in our faction have different opinions and no decision has been made,” he said.

Stripping MPs of their mandates because of missing sessions for organizing protests would be an unprecedented step in Armenia, and it would have to be approved by the Constitutional Court. 

Ani Mejlumyan is a reporter based in Yerevan.

https://eurasianet.org/armenian-opposition-scales-back-protests-but-promises-to-impeach-pm

Aliyev speaks of "verbal agreement" to not raise status of Karabakh

Kalashian Nyrie
PanArmenian
Armenia – June 16 2022
June 16, 2022 – 14:24 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has said that there has been a “verbal agreement” that the issue of status of Karabakh would not be raised.

Aliyev called on Armenia to stop raising the topic of the status of Karabakh, Interfaz.az reports.

“But unfortunately, we have been hearing statements from the Armenian government about the “status” of the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh”, which is absolutely counterproductive,” Aliyev told the IX Global Baku Forum on Thursday, June 16.

Aliyev claimed that Nagorno-Karabakh doesn’t exist and “therefore, any mention of status will only lead to new problems.”

According to him, if Armenia calls into question the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, it thereby forces Baku to take similar steps in relation to its territory.

The Second Karabakh war lasted 44 days and ended when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev signed a ceasefire statement on November 9, 2020. Under the deal, the Armenian side returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.

Aliyev: Azerbaijan has the right to demand corridor from Armenia

Emil Lazarian
PanArmenian
Armenia – June 16 2022
June 16, 2022 – 19:07 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has claimed that the early opening of the “Zangezur corridor” is one of the fundamental elements of future peace in the South Caucasus.

The Azerbaijani side has on multiple occasions spoken about a so-called “corridor” through the southern Armenian province of Syunik that would connect Nakhijevan to the rest of Azerbaijan. The Armenian side, however, has repeatedly denied being involved in negotiations for the provision of a corridor to Azerbaijan, stressing that they have only agreed to unblock transport communications in the region.

“If we are not given this permission, it will be difficult to talk about peace, and all the efforts of Azerbaijan aimed at establishing normal coexistence and neighborly relations with Armenia will fail,” Aliyev said.

He maintained that Azerbaijan has the right to demand the corridor, since Armenia has signed a “corresponding statement”.

A statement signed by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia to end the war in Nagorno-Karabakh doesn’t mention any “corridor” that Armenia must provide to Azerbaijan. It says: “All economic and transport links in the region shall be unblocked. The Republic of Armenia guarantees the safety of transport links between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic with a view to organizing the unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions.”

Ruling party to nominate Anna Vardapetyan for Prosecutor General

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia – June 16 2022
June 16, 2022, 17:34

 

The Civil Contract faction will nominate Anna Vardapetyan for the post of Prosecutor General, head of the faction Hayk Konjoryan told journalists at the National Assembly.

“With both her professional qualities, high moral and value features and the requirements of the law, Mrs. Vardapetyan corresponds to the key mission, which, in our view, the future Prosecutor General of Armenia should have,” he said.

Armenia, Iran interested in expanding cooperation in energy and transport

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia – June 16 2022
June 16, 2022, 10:45

 2 minutes read

The delegation led by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan was hosted by President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Raisi.

The meeting focused on Armenia-Iran multilateral cooperation, which is based on the centuries-old friendship between the two peoples, close historical and cultural ties.

Outlining the ways to promote cooperation, the parties expressed readiness to continue the dialogue through joint efforts and to further enrich the agenda of bilateral cooperation.

President Riaisi highlighted the cooperation of the legislatures in strengthening the existing warm relations between Armenia and Iran.

The interlocutors touched upon bilateral economic relations and implementation of joint infrastructure projects, the development of which has many preconditions.

Alen Simonyan said the Armenian side attaches great importance to the signing of mutual agreements in the fields of energy and transport.

“In the context of development of regional transport communications, the establishment of railway connection between Armenia and Iran is among the most important issues on our agenda,” said Alen Simonyan.

The Speaker briefed the Iranian President on the situation after the war unleashed by the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem against Artsakh, the humanitarian issues and the issue of preservation of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage of Nagorno Karabakh, which are currently under the control of Azerbaijan.

Alen Simonyan said that Azerbaijan is destroying its valuable heritage at the state level, and Iran can serve as an example for Azerbaijan in this regard.

The meeting highlighted Iran’s consistent efforts to establish peace and stability in the region.
Expressing gratitude for the reception, the Armenian Parliament Speaker expressed conviction that the Armenian-Iranian cooperation has a great potential for development and expansion and pledged his willingness to support the development of mutually beneficial cooperation for the benefit of two friendly peoples.

“We are friends of difficult days for all our friends, this is what we are guided by. On happy days, everyone can be by anyone’s side, but real friendship is shown in times of difficulty,” said Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi.

Alen Simonyan conveyed the warm wishes of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and an invitation to pay an official visit to Armenia.

The Speaker also informed the Iranian President that a working group has already been set up in the National Assembly to simplify the legislation on the implementation of the joint work of the Armenia-Iran agenda.

The President noted that he had given relevant instructions to his staff to present initial proposals for establishing closer ties with Armenia.

CoE Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić to visit Armenia

George Mamian
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia – June 16 2022
June 16, 2022, 14:24

 

On June 16-17, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić will pay an official visit to Armenia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs.

On June 17, the meeting of the Foreign Minister of Armenia and the Secretary General of the CoE will take place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

Ararat Mirzoyan and Marija Pejčinović Burić will participate in the ceremony of the release of memo envelope dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s accession to the Council of Europe.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia and the Secretary General of CoE will deliver statements to the press.

Within the framework of the visit, Marija Pejčinović Burić will meet with President vahagn Khachaturyan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the Catholicos of All Armenians. Meeting with the Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia and the Minister of Justice are also scheduled.

CSTO Security Council Secretaries arrive in Armenia

Chalian Meline
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia – June 16 2022
June 16, 2022, 19:29

 

Secretaries of the Security Councils of the Russian Federation, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan Nikolai Patrushev, Marat Imankulov and Nasrullo Rakhmatjo arrived in Armenia on May 17 to participate in the regular sitting of the CSTO Security Council Committee.

Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan welcomed his colleagues at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan.