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Category: 2022

"Karabakh is up for sale" – Armenian opposition on Pashinyan-Aliyev Brussels talks

Kajoyan Gevork

May 25 2022


  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Armenian opposition’s reaction to Pashinyan-Aliyev talks in Brussels

“The Armenian-Azerbaijani talks serve Azerbaijani interests”, “Nikol Pashinyan put Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh up for a geopolitical auction in order to save his office”. This is how the Armenian oppositionists assessed the Brussels talks between Nikol Pashinyan and Ilham Aliyev, which took place on May 22 with the mediation of the head of the European Council. The leaders of the parliamentary opposition and supporters of the ongoing resistance movement, who have taken to the streets of Yerevan for a month now demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister of Armenia, have once again reaffirmed their opinion that Pashinyan is “betraying the interests of the Armenian people”.

  • Third Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting in Brussels ‘productive’, parties say
  • Op-ed: ‘Armenia and Azerbaijan maneuver between Russia and the West’
  • Armenian MPs may lose mandates for protesting, skipping sessions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov received first-hand information about the next round of the Pashinyan-Aliyev talks in Brussels by talking on the phone with colleagues in Yerevan and Baku. According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, during a telephone conversation

  • issues related to the establishment of a demarcation and border security commission between Armenia and Azerbaijan were discussed,
  • the unblocking of economic ties and transport communications in the region was addressed,
  • Minister Mirzoyan confirmed the position of Armenia regarding the establishment of regional peace and stability and the settlement process between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
  • issues related to the bilateral and multilateral agenda of the Armenian-Russian cooperation were discussed, and an exchange of views took place on steps aimed at further strengthening of the allied relations.

On May 22, the third face-to-face meeting between Pashinyan and Aliyev took place with the mediation of the head of the European Council, Charles Michel. The previous Brussels talks between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan were held in December 2021 and April 2022.

Following the talks, which lasted more than five hours, the head of the European Council made a statement. It said that in the coming days, the first meeting of the joint commission on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border would be held on the interstate border, which already took place on May 24th.

Charles Michel also said that the parties agreed to unblock communications in the region. According to him, Pashinyan and Aliyev “agreed on the principles governing transit between western Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan, as well as between various parts of Armenia through Azerbaijan, through international transportation through the communication infrastructure of both countries. In particular, they agreed on the principles of border management, security, land fees, as well as customs duties in the context of international transport”.

During the meeting of the CSTO member-states’ leaders in Moscow, President Putin praised the bloc’s ‘growth’ while PM Pashinyan criticised it for inaction despite Armenia’s appeals for help

According to the parliamentary opposition, which has been actively fighting in the street for almost a month demanding Pashinyan’s resignation, the results of the trilateral meeting in Brussels once again confirmed that “the negotiations are fully in line with the agenda promoted by Azerbaijan”:

“Pashinyan put Armenia and Artsakh up for a geopolitical auction to stay in his chair. Armenia has reached the threshold beyond which not only the future of Artsakh is doubtful, but also the basic sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia”.

The opposition drew attention to the fact that in Michel’s statement

  • no mention is made of the right of NK residents to self-determination,
  • nothing is said about the mandate of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, on whose participation in the negotiations the Armenian side insisted all this time,
  • the issue of determining the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is ignored,
  • the toponym “Nagorno-Karabakh” is missing,
  • instead of the term “people of Nagorno-Karabakh”, the term “ethnic Armenian population of Karabakh” is used.

“This means that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, according to the agreement between Pashinyan and Aliyev, are considered as a national minority within Azerbaijan. The term “transit between different parts of Armenia through Azerbaijan” was even used, which entails extremely dangerous consequences – even for the sovereignty of Armenia, as well as the possibility of another unfounded territorial claims of Azerbaijan”.

The oppositionists said that Nikol Pashinyan does not have a mandate from the citizens of Armenia, because “the agreements reached with him do not express the opinion of the Armenian people, they are illegitimate.”

Armenian opposition’s program and proposals – what steps the oppositionists intend to take in the event of the resignation of the current government, as well as an expert opinion on their program

The press secretary of the president of the unrecognized NKR, Lusine Avanesyan, recalled the approach of the Karabakh side to the negotiation agenda at all venues:

  • “the full recognition of the right of the Armenians of NK to self-determination is not subject to reservations or concessions,
  • international recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh remains the benchmark,
  • any status within Azerbaijan is unacceptable,
  • a return to the past, not only in terms of status, but also in terms of demographics, is unacceptable,
  • the Republic of Artsakh is faced with the task of restoring its territorial integrity”.

What did the authorities of Armenia and NK agree on? A meeting of the Armenian authorities with the leadership of the unrecognized NKR was held in Yerevan, following PM Pashinyan’s visit to Moscow

In Armenia, Ilham Aliyev’s statement made during a conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also ambiguously perceived. The President of Azerbaijan said that an agreement was reached in Brussels on the “Zangezur corridor”, referring to the construction of railways and highways through the territory of Armenia.

The Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia was forced to comment on this statement. Armen Grigoryan stressed that no road or transport route “in the logic of a corridor” can pass through the territory of Armenia, and the agreements only concern the unblocking of regional communications.

Azerbaijan, after signing a tripartite statement on the cessation of hostilities in Karabakh, has repeatedly demanded a “corridor” through the southern, Syunik region of Armenia. This refers to the road connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave Nakhichevan. The Armenian side constantly replied that it was ready to unblock the roads, but categorically rejected the use of the term “corridor”, which implies the loss of sovereignty over this territory.

The Secretary of the Security Council also addressed the point of Charles Michel’s message, which refers to transit “between different parts of Armenia through Azerbaijan”. According to him, “this may be due to the fact that a railway passes through Nakhichevan, connecting the north of Armenia with the south”:

“We are talking about the possibility for Armenian citizens to get to Meghri from Yeraskh through the territory of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic and back on the same principles as the citizens of Azerbaijan — from Horadiz to Nakhichevan through the territory of Armenia”.

What is known at this time, what roads people used during the Soviet years, what do the residents of Meghri think about the construction of new transport communications, what they fear and what are they waiting for

Political scientist Tigran Grigoryan argues that the composition of the Armenian commission on border delimitation and demarcation was determined long ago, so the publication of the names of those who are included in it has nothing to do with the Brussels meeting.

He also took note of Russia’s special attitude to the talks between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan mediated by European partners. The political scientist believes that Moscow “wants to keep abreast”, which is also evident from telephone conversations with Yerevan and Baku after the Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting in Brussels:

“There is some jealousy about the EU’s active mediating role. Moscow is trying to show that all this is agreed with them, they are coordinating the process”.

According to Azerbaijani political scientist Elkhan Shahinoglu, Moscow resists direct Baku-Yerevan negotiations, but the West supports them

According to the political scientist, Aliyev’s statement on the agreement on the “Zangezur corridor” is primarily intended for an internal audience. On the other hand, he notes that the parallels with the so-called “corridor” can have positive consequences for the Armenian side:

“The Zangezur corridor, according to the Azerbaijani wording (which does not explain how it can be a corridor), is placed on the same plane with the Yeraskh-Ordubad-Julfa-Meghri railway through the territory of Nakhichevan. This means that the same regulations should work, communications should be opened according to the same principle. As far as the railroad is concerned, at least it eliminates the logic of a corridor”.

Referring to the principles of international transportation through the communication infrastructure of both countries, Tigran Grigoryan recalls that in December last year in Brussels, the parties already agreed on the construction of a transit railway communication on the principle of reciprocity, while respecting the sovereignty of the countries through which the roads will pass.

He considers the issue of the road route to be more problematic: specifically, of where exactly will the road connecting Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan pass:

“There are serious disagreements here, there is no agreement on basic principles, which is why there are no meaningful, practical steps in this process”.

Nagorno-Karabakh issue and the signing of a peace treaty. Despite the war in Ukraine and the attention of world centers being diverted to it, certain processes are still ongoing

The political scientist refused to comment on the statement of the Armenian opposition, but said that the use of the term “ethnic Armenian population of Karabakh” is indeed problematic.

According to Grigoryan, if Nagorno-Karabakh is an administrative-territorial unit adopted in the negotiation process, then the concept of Karabakh is wider:

“For example, in Azerbaijan there is the Karabakh economic zone, which includes not only the settlements that were part of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, but also a number of settlements outside it. Baku also includes the Terter region of Azerbaijan in the Karabakh economic zone. In this sense, the wording of Michel’s statement is indeed problematic. By the same logic, one could say “the rights and security of the Armenian population of Azerbaijan”, and in principle nothing would have changed”.

The political scientist notes that the rights and security of the NK population are mentioned in addition to the clause on the peace agreement with Azerbaijan. From this it becomes clear that we are talking about “the security and rights of Armenians in Azerbaijan”, which, according to Tigran Grigoryan, is unacceptable.

 

Armenia approves final reading of gambling cash payment ban

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
SBC News, UK
May 25 2022

 Ted Orme-Claye

Betting and gaming operators in Armenia can expect the payment options available to them to be significantly restricted following a legislative decision. 

The Bill passed with a total of vote count of 67 and the law will come into effect in 10 days, prohibiting cash payments for gambling.

After six months, bettors will be unable to conduct transactions via electronic cash and payment terminals, after which gambling payments will only be available via card, with winnings also paid out via this non-cash method. 

The legislation was drafted by MPs Tsovinar Vardanyan and Gevorg Papoyan, members of the governing CIvil Contract party, who cited social responsibility concerns. 

Local media reported Papoyan as saying: “With this bill we will significantly limit the ability of citizens to make easy bets.” The MP also stated that the government intended to address social welfare, health and education issues. 

A ban on cash gambling has been in the political pipeline in Armenia for several months, with legislators asserting that the ban would protect vulnerable people in the country. 

Addressing the Armenian Parliament in support of the ban last month, Papoyan said: “The main target of the bill is citizens who are socially vulnerable but at the same time have gambling addiction, which worsens their social condition.

“If the law takes effect, the cash option will be banned. Then, after six months, the e-money option will also be banned, leaving only the bank transaction, meaning the non-cash payment option.”

The passage of the legislation comes as Armenian authorities take an increasingly confrontational stance against the gambling industry, which has so far predominantly focused on advertising. 

Similarly to the recent payment legislation, Finance Minister Armen Hayrapetyan’s amendments to the nation’s advertising law passed through parliament by a large majority – 56 MPs voted in favour versus eight against. 

The legislation will impose greater restrictions on operators’ marketing abilities, prohibiting internet advertising and restricting adverts to ‘the premises of four-star and above hotels, border checkpoints and ‘in the front of buildings carrying out the similar business activities’.

Armenia’s oversight of gambling advertising has now been brought in line with the stringent regulations in other countries, including fellow CIS region country Georgia as well as Latvia, Estonia and the Czech Republic.

Lastly, a separate law has also seen an enhancement of age verification laws at casinos – under previous legislation, anyone under the age of 21 was able to enter casinos and gamble but the businesses themselves were not required to verify this. 

This has now been changed, with venues required to conduct and enforce age verification checks on anyone wishing to enter their premises.

 

Armenian juice company SIS Natural goes international

Badalian Vardan
May 24 2022

By Nick Thompson

SIS Natural is a market leader in Armenia, specialising in the production of quality juices and fruit and vegetable preserves. With support from the EBRD and the EU, the business revamped its branding and product packaging, and developed a new B2B website and portal to reach a wider audience and help it to grow.

Founded by entrepreneur and CEO Armen Hakobyan, SIS Natural was the outcome of many years of hard work, arising through the culmination of Armen’s formative business ventures in the 1990s.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armen was involved in many different consumer goods companies before settling on SIS Natural in 1999, which he perceived as having the most potential. “During that period, many Armenian producers were trying to copy European products, so we went against the tide and sought to stay true to our roots and create something truly ‘Armenian’ in terms of branding and flavours,” he says.

The ‘SIS’ in the company’s name is a reference to Mount Sis, a volcano located on the eastern flank of its massive neighbour Mount Ararat, the region where most Armenian fruits and vegetables are grown, and the ‘Natural’ reflects its focus on using natural ingredients to produce healthy products. The company’s main product line is called ‘Yan’, which is the suffix of most Armenian surnames.

Armen is committed to demonstrating that Armenian products can be attractive to international markets, and his business has proven that demand exists in spades across multiple geographic areas, vindicating his intuition.

As it entered these new markets, the company’s main objectives changed to attracting investment and advisory support in order to help it cope with this increased demand, diversify its product portfolio, and maintain competitiveness.

A blueprint for growth

The company received support from the EBRD’s Advice for Small Businesses team in Armenia, before becoming a client of the Blue Ribbon programme and taking a new strategic approach. This relationship has been instrumental in successfully creating and launching the new ‘Yan Sparkling’ brand and a B2B-oriented website, providing a better purchasing experience for customers and distributors around the world.

Armen is grateful for the support from the Bank. “Sustainable development requires consistent investment, so we are glad have a partner with the reputation of the EBRD,” he says.

Indeed, since becoming an EBRD Blue Ribbon beneficiary, the company has hired more employees, nearly doubled its turnover, and recently received equity financing to support its efforts to grow and continue to expand into new markets.

Novel packaging

The company’s product designs have achieved international recognition and the branding on its ‘Yan Sparkling’ range of bottles is particularly unique. The top of the packaging is spherical and depicts the rounded fruit contained inside, with a playful typeface and complementary colour scheme below.

“Yan is our premium brand of pure juices with extraordinary flavours and ingredient combinations,” says Armen, “whereas the SIS brand still produces quality juices, but at more affordable prices.”

Sustainable goals and economic challenges

SIS Natural also invests in sustainable business practices. “As a business, we dedicate a lot of resources to ensuring Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles are met, and have recently installed a large-scale solar power system to mark our commitment to the environment,” says Armen. “We also invest heavily in digital solutions to increase our operational efficiencies.”

The main challenges for the business are currently the price of international logistics, the lack of cultivated agricultural land in Armenia and a shortage of qualified labour.

In response to recent currency crises, the company has implemented a hedging system with a partner bank, involving different currency credit lines to allow it to mitigate the risk of FX fluctuations. Despite some uncertainties in the international marketplace, the business continues to thrive, propelled by the EBRD’s support and the receipt of equity investment.

SIS Natural now employs 220 people. “Our brands are already represented in more than 20 countries worldwide,” says Armen. “We would like to develop these markets and enter new ones in the future. Our main goal is to become a well-known, established international brand.”

A realistic ambition, given what he has already achieved.

 

Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders take tentative steps toward peace

Emil Lazarian
May 25 2022
Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders met in Brussels on May 22
Written byArzu Geybullayeva

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Brussels on May 22, as part of ongoing peace talks between the two nations in the aftermath of the 44-day Nagorno-Karabakh war the two countries fought in 2020. The meeting was chaired by the European Council President Charles Michel and is the third peace discussion hosted by the European Council. 

The disputed territory of Karabakh, an area of 4,400 square kilometers in the South Caucasus has been under the control of its ethnic Armenian population as a self-declared state since a war fought in the early 1990s, which ended with a 1994 ceasefire and Armenian military victory. In the aftermath of the first war, a new, internationally unrecognized, de facto Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was established. Seven adjacent regions were occupied by the Armenian forces. As a result of that war, “more than a million people had been forced from their homes: Azerbaijanis fled Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and the adjacent territories, while Armenians left homes in Azerbaijan,” according to the International Crisis Group, an independent organization that works to prevent wars and shape policies.

Following the second Karabakh war in 2020, Azerbaijan regained control over much of the previously occupied seven regions. Azerbaijan also captured one-third of Karabakh itself as a result of the second war. On November 10, 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia. Among several points of the agreement, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a presence of 1,960 Russian peacekeeping forces in those parts of Karabakh “not recaptured by Azerbaijan and a narrow corridor connecting with Armenia across the Azerbaijani district of Lachin.”

In his remarks on May 23, Michel said the three leaders focused on “the situation in the South Caucasus and the development of EU relations with both countries as well as the broader region.” 

The three leaders previously met in December 2021, and in April 2022. In a separate meeting under EU auspices in March 2022, the countries sent their senior representatives “to continue the engagement to ensure follow-up to agreements reached at leader’s level,” according to a statement by the European Council from April 2022. 

During their last meeting in Brussels in April, the parties also agreed to “the delimitation and demarcation of their bilateral border.” According to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe guidebook on demarcation and delimitation mean:

Delimitation – legal registration of the state border line between the neighboring states, the position of which is graphically depicted on a topographic map, with a corresponding description, which may be an integral part of the contract or an appendix to it.

Demarcation – marking on the ground the passage of the state border between the neighboring states with boundary signs with the drawing up of demarcation documents.

According to a statement released by the European Council, following the meeting on May 22, “the first joint meeting of the Border Commissions (on the demarcation and security of borders) will be held on the inter-state (Armenian-Azerbaijan) border.” The statement did not specify a date. However, following the meeting in Brussels, on May 23, both Armenia and Azerbaijan announced they were forming a state commission delegation on delimitation. And on May 24, the delegation met for the first time on the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Among other issues discussed during the meeting were unblocking of transport links, further progress on the future peace treaty, and advancing economic development for the benefit of both countries and their populations. 

Meanwhile, protests have erupted in Armenia, with protestors demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian resign over the so-called concessions over Karabakh. According to local media, some 200 protesters were detained on May 2, as demonstrations continued and police resorted to violence to disperse the crowds. By some accounts, over 10,000 people attended the rally.

The anti-government protests began in April when Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hinted at making concessions regarding the final status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, after attending a meeting on April 6 in Brussels with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, facilitated by President of the European Council Charles Michel. During the meeting, the two leaders pledged to explore a “possible peace treaty” to finally resolve the conflict.

Days after his visit to Brussels, Pashinyan said in his speech at the national parliament that the “international community was calling Armenia to lower the bars of the status of the disputed region.” 

In response, the Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament adopted a resolution that said, “no government has a right to lower the negotiating bar for a status acceptable to Artsakth [Nagorno-Karabakh] and the internationally rebounded right to self-determination under the pretext of peace.”

On May 24, demonstrators blocked the entrance to several government buildings, voicing continued demands for Pashinian’s resignation, reported Radio Liberty.

The next trilateral meeting is scheduled to take place in August according to Charles Michel:

Following the meeting in Brussels on May 22, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, spoke on the phone with foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Officials discussed the situation in the region and the ongoing attempts at normalizing ties between the two nations.

However, some analysts believe Russia is losing ground in the negotiations. According to political analyst Ahmed Alili who spoke to Contact.az, “Russia is trying to continue negotiations on Karabakh on its turf and unilaterally dominate in mediating process. It is unwilling to include an alternative mediator.” But is failing at that, argues Alili. “Charles Michel was able to break this pattern and appear as an alternative. The results are already visible. Three meetings have taken place under the auspices of the European Council already,” said Alili.

According to an analysis by the International Crisis Group, engagement of more parties in mediation does not have to be mutually exclusive. “The OSCE Minsk Group (which includes Russia, France and the United States) permits discussions about the future of Nagorno-Karabakh. EU-hosted discussions help build ties with Brussels and facilitate conversations about the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Russia should remain open to all of them. Despite Moscow’s concerns about exclusion, its peacekeeping presence and critical role in 2020 ensure its continued involvement. There is no evidence, at least to date, to suggest that any other party wants to usurp its position,” reads the ICG analysis.

The most recent meeting between Armenia and Azerbaijan mediated by Russia took place in Dushanbe on May 12 on the sidelines of the Russia-led Commonwealth of Independent States meeting. The foreign ministers of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan discussed the terms of the November 9 ceasefire agreement signed in the aftermath of the 44-day war, including similar talking points from the Brussel’s meeting: normalizing ties, border delimitation, and the opening of transport links.

Book: A Pathway Through Modern & Contemporary Armenian Art Dives Into an Often Overlooked History

Eduard Nalbandian
May 25 2022
This illustrated guide offers readers a broad and accessible introduction to the evolution of Armenian modern and contemporary art.
by Armenia Art Fair

Written by Dr. Iain Robertson and designed by Nona Isajanyan, A Pathway Through Modern & Contemporary Armenian Art (2022) stands before Armenian-American painter Arshile Gorky’s “The Betrothal” (1947) at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut (courtesy Yale University Art Gallery, Katharine Ordway Collection)

A Pathway Through Modern & Contemporary Armenian Art offers a broad and accessible introduction to the evolution of Armenian modern and contemporary art, highlighting its contribution to international modernism and more recent developments in global contemporary art. This book is a first-of-its-kind illustrated guide in English for those interested in 20th- and 21st-century Armenian art by artists from the republic and its diaspora, which the authors suggest has been largely overlooked until now.

Written by Dr. Iain Robertson — a specialist on emerging art markets and an honorary Fellow to Sotheby’s Institute of Art — with a contribution from Nazareth Karoyan — a founder and first president of the Armenia Institute for Contemporary Art — the book provides an overview of Armenia’s modern art developments and the era’s key artists. In it, they argue that Armenian modern art contains particular qualities different from other nations at the time and from the mainstream modernist tendencies emanating out of Western Europe. The publication examines how artists responded and sought to survive the social and political environment stretching through the Soviet period and into the post-Communist era, helping shape the Armenian art seen today.

Armenia Art Fair will be hosting a book presentation on May 28 at 12pm. For more information, visit armeniaartfair.com.

To learn more and purchase the book, email [email protected].

A Pathway Through Modern and Contemporary Armenian Art is published by the “Armenia Art Fair” Art Foundation with support from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.Written by Dr. Iain Robertson and designed by Nona Isajanyan, A Pathway Through Modern & Contemporary Armenian Art (2022) stands before Armenian-American painter Arshile Gorky’s “The Betrothal” (1947) at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut (courtesy Yale University Art Gallery, Katharine Ordway Collection)

A Pathway Through Modern & Contemporary Armenian Art offers a broad and accessible introduction to the evolution of Armenian modern and contemporary art, highlighting its contribution to international modernism and more recent developments in global contemporary art. This book is a first-of-its-kind illustrated guide in English for those interested in 20th- and 21st-century Armenian art by artists from the republic and its diaspora, which the authors suggest has been largely overlooked until now.

Written by Dr. Iain Robertson — a specialist on emerging art markets and an honorary Fellow to Sotheby’s Institute of Art — with a contribution from Nazareth Karoyan — a founder and first president of the Armenia Institute for Contemporary Art — the book provides an overview of Armenia’s modern art developments and the era’s key artists. In it, they argue that Armenian modern art contains particular qualities different from other nations at the time and from the mainstream modernist tendencies emanating out of Western Europe. The publication examines how artists responded and sought to survive the social and political environment stretching through the Soviet period and into the post-Communist era, helping shape the Armenian art seen today.

Armenia Art Fair will be hosting a book presentation on May 28 at 12pm. For more information, visit armeniaartfair.com.

To learn more and purchase the book, email [email protected].

A Pathway Through Modern and Contemporary Armenian Art is published by the “Armenia Art Fair” Art Foundation with support from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

https://hyperallergic.com/726919/a-pathway-through-modern-and-contemporary-armenian-art-dives-into-overlooked-history/“A Pathway Through Modern and Contemporary Armenian Art” Dives Into an Often Overlooked History (hyperallergic.com)

David Perdue: Former Senator who sought to block passage of Armenian Genocide Resolution loses bid to serve as Georgia Governor

Elizabeth Jabejian
Public Radio of Armenia
May 25 2022

David Perdue, a former Georgia Senator who unsuccessfully sought to block the Senate’s 2019 unanimous passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, has been defeated in his bid to serve as Georgia Governor.

Former US President Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party suffered a slip after his handpicked candidate for Georgia governor was trounced at the polls.

Mr Trump recruited David Perdue, an ex-senator, to challenge incumbent Brian Kemp in the Republican primaries.

Mr Kemp had rejected Mr Trump’s pleas to overturn the 2020 Georgia election results.

But as ballots were counted, Mr Perdue was so far behind that he was defeated before half the votes were in.

The primary was being closely watched as a test of Mr Trump’s hold over the Republican party, as voters decide who will be the party’s official candidate in the midterm elections in November.

The midterms will decide who controls the two chambers which make up Congress – the Senate and the House of Representatives – and fall halfway through President Joe Biden’s term in office.

Agenda of Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations pretty transparent and public – Foreign Minister

Chmshkian Vicken
Public Radio of Armenia
May 25 2022

What’s on the Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiating table or the supposed negotiating table is quite transparent and public, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said during a Q&A session at the National Assembly.

“There are several areas in which we already have some progress, and there are areas where we are still trying to understand the possible points where the positions can or have a chance to coincide. For example, there is already some progress on delimitation and border security issues. You know that yesterday the Deputy Prime Ministers, the commissions headed by them, met on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, and I suppose that the first meeting touched upon some working and methodological issues. There is an agreement to organize the next meeting in Moscow,” Minister Mirzoyan said.

Another direction, he said is the opening of transport and economic infrastructure. “Here also certain notions coincide,” the Foreign Minister said, confirming that all roads to be opened roads must be under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass.

Minister Mirzoyan noted that the logic of the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” with the logic that has long been circulating and the logic the Azerbaijani side has been trying to present is unacceptable to us. “There is a general understanding that this will not happen. Economic routes will be opened, but in line with the mechanisms and parameters acceptable to us.” he added.

Regarding the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement, the Foreign Minister said “for now there are only negotiations about negotiations.”

“Here the parties try to understand the parameters, structure, size, etc. We have our clear positions here. Azerbaijan has its positions. The mediators sometimes, from time to time, express their positions. These positions do not always coincide, or perhaps do not coincide much more often than they do. But negotiations are called to resolve such issues,” the Foreign Minister stated.

Second meeting of Armenian, Azerbaijani border commissions could take place in Moscow next week

Bedik Zaminian
Public Radio of Armenia
May 25 2022

The second meeting of the commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan on border delimitation will be held in Moscow next week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko told journalists of Wednesday.

“It will take place next week, we hope,” he said, TASS reports.

Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan’s Office has confirmed that the second meeting will take place in Moscow but the date is yet to be determined.

The meeting of the trilateral working group on opening of regional communications could also take place in Moscow next week, the Deputy PM’s Office said.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Mher Grigoryan and the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev was held on the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Monday.

The sides reiterated their readiness to work on delimitation and other relevant issues, including border security issues within the commissions.

Opposition MP briefs EU diplomats on human rights violations at protests in Yerevan

Kalashian Nyrie
Panorama
Armenia – May 25 2022

Taguhi Tovmasyan, an MP from the opposition With Honor (Pativ Unem) bloc and the head of the Armenian parliament’s Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs, on Wednesday met with ambassadors from the EU member states.

The meeting was held at the invitation of Head of the EU Delegation in Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, she said in a statement.

The lawmaker discussed with the EU diplomats issues concerning human rights violations at daily opposition protests in Yerevan.

“During the meeting, I voiced problematic issues regarding human rights violations during the whole period of peaceful protests, including the following:

– Excessive force used by the Armenian police against citizens carrying out acts of peaceful disobedience;

– Cases of violence against journalists;

– Issues on taking parliament deputies to the police stations and the violations of their immunity,” Tovmasyan said.

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Kristinne Grigoryan also participated in the meeting.

Opposition leader: Pashinyan simply asked Aliyev and his other partners for a ‘timeout’

Jirair Kafian
Panorama
Armenia – May 25 2022

Opposition protesters demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation blocked the Armenian presidential residence in central Yerevan on Wednesday, preventing employees from entering or leaving it.

“They [the authorities] cannot hide behind the police and security officials for a long time,” one of the opposition leaders Ishkhan Saghatelyan, a deputy parliament speaker, told reporters at the protest, responding to the statement of ruling Civil Contract faction MP Vahagn Aleksanyan, who called Tuesday’s blockade of the Armenian Foreign Ministry by opposition demonstrators an act of “hooliganism”.

“Before making such statements, they must realize that their rule is not eternal and each of them will sooner or later answer for their statements and steps,” Saghatelyan said. “They are hooligans themselves, who are consistently leading the country to disaster.”

Asked whether they will return to the parliament if they fail to force Pashinyan from office, Ishkhan Saghatelyan noted: “We will return to the parliament with our own agenda.”

He claims the opposition campaign has disrupted the plans of the Armenian authorities to make concessions to Azerbaijan in the near future.

“The meeting in Brussels is a clear proof of that. I am sure that in parallel with the verbal commitments, which were announced, Nikol simply asked Aliyev and his other colleagues for a timeout given the current situation in Armenia, hoping that the tensions would somehow ease or they would be able to stop the campaign. In this sense, the results achieved by the people are obvious,” Saghatelyan said.

The opposition leader says the Turkish-Azerbaijani duo is evidently in a hurry to capitalize on the advantages gained in the 2020 war in Artsakh.

“They understand that when they lose Nikol Pashinyan’s rule in Armenia, their plans will not be fulfilled,” the opposition figure said.

Saghatelyan stressed the need to step up pressure on the government.

“Obviously, the people have stood up and there is a public demand to oust the treacherous authorities. The task is to attract all our supporters to the rallies and to give new momentum to the morning protests,” he said.