Category: 2022

After meeting president, Karabakh activists stage rally

Antranik Varosian
Caucasian Knot
Aug 30 2022
The activists, dissatisfied with the transfer of the Lachin Corridor to Azerbaijan and the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, have demanded resignation of high-ranking officials. After meeting with the president, they gathered a mass rally in Stepanakert.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on August 26, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev announced that the Azerbaijani troops had taken control of Lachin (Armenian name is Berdzor, – note of the “Caucasian Knot”) and the villages of Zabukh (Armenian name is Akhavno, – note of the “Caucasian Knot”) and Sous, from which local residents left at the insistence of the Karabakh authorities.

The participants of the rally held in Stepanakert on August 29, demanded the resignation of the state minister (who heads the cabinet of ministers of Nagorno-Karabakh) and the heads of the Ministry of Finance and the Security Council of Nagorno-Karabakh, accusing them of incompetence and corruption. More than a thousand people gathered for a rally in Renaissance Square in front of the residence of the president of Nagorno-Karabakh.

On the eve of the rally, in the evening on August 27, in the Renaissance Square, more than 30 men demanded a meeting with President Araik Arutyunyan to present to him their demands for the resignation of the above officials. On that day, a source from the presidential office told them that Arutyunyan would be able to meet them on August 29.

Tigran Petrosyan, one of the activists, wrote in his social media page that the meeting with the president took place on August 29. "We are extremely dissatisfied with the meeting, since Arutyunyan failed to hear us and tried to talk us into some forthcoming fair elections," the activist has stated.

He invited citizens to come out at 7:00 p.m. local time to Renaissance Square "in order to start the fight against authorities' arbitrariness." After his appeal, people began gathering in the square; the rally began at 8:00 p.m. local time.

"Up to 1500 people have gathered. This is a lot, but not enough, since the issue is the life and future of our children," said Christine Balayan, a public figure and a former candidate for the presidency of Nagorno-Karabakh. She has stated that "it is necessary to ensure that people come out, fight and wouldn't let traitors and traders continue remaining in power."

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on at 08:46 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:
Launch of a new road from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia scheduled for August 30, Azerbaijani analysts explain new tasks of peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani military police posts set up in Lachin Corridor.

Author: Alvard Grigoryan Source: CK correspondent
Источник:
© Кавказский Узел

Azeri politicians criticize Armenia’s proposal on routes to Nakhichevan

Garo Vardanian
Caucasian Knot
Aug 30 2022
Azeri politicians criticize Armenia's proposal on routes to Nakhichevan
The transport routes offered by Armenia for Azerbaijan's communication with the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) are unprofitable for Baku, and are a ploy to disrupt the Zangezur Corridor project, the political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

On August 18, the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia presented a draft on making additions to the Resolution of the Armenian Government No. 703-N of 2011, which provides for the setting up of three checkpoints on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The sites of the checkpoints proposed by Yerevan are a tactical ploy invented by the Armenian leadership in order to disrupt the Zangezur Corridor project. They are unacceptable from the point of view of security and economic efficiency, said Vakhid Akhmedov, a member of the National Assembly's committee on economic policy.

Therefore, Azerbaijan, based on the trilateral statement, will insist on the opening of the Zangezur Corridor, Mr Akhmedov has stated.

Fazil Mustafa, the chairman of the "Great Creation" Party and a member of the Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis, also treats the checkpoints offered by Armenia for Azerbaijan's transport communication with the NAR as unacceptable. "These routes can be considered from the viewpoint of diversifying transport routes in the region, but in no way as a safe transport route for linking Azerbaijan with its NAR. There's no alternative to the Zangezur Corridor," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on at 03:28 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:
Launch of a new road from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia scheduled for August 30, Azerbaijani analysts explain new tasks of peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani military police posts set up in Lachin Corridor.

Author: Faik Medjid Source: CK correspondent
Источник:
© Кавказский Узел

Azerbaijan announces transfer of 1713 bodies of military personnel to Armenia

Bedik Zaminian
Caucasian Knot
Aug 30 2022
After the trilateral declaration had been signed on November 10, 2020, the remains of 1713 Armenian military personnel were found and transferred to Armenia, reported Ismail Akhundov, the secretary of the State Commission of Azerbaijan for Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), 776 Armenians are considered missing during the first Karabakh war, and 345 people – during the second Karabakh war, Ismail Akhundov said.

According to him, as a result of the joint activities carried out after the trilateral declaration signed on November 10, 2020, the remains of 1713 Armenian military personnel were found and transferred to the opposite side, the “News.am reports.

“During the first Karabakh war, 1480 Azerbaijanis were released from captivity, and 509 people were transferred to the opposite side. At the same time, dozens of bodies of people from both sides who perished on the line of contact between troops and in captivity were transferred to the parties through the mediation of the ICRC. After the trilateral declaration had been signed, the opposite side handed over to Azerbaijan 25 people, including 19 military personnel and six civilians, of whom five persons, including one military and four civilians, were detained until September 27, 2020. The Azerbaijani side released 159 people, including 118 military personnel and 41 civilians of Armenian origin, of whom five were women. Of them, six persons, including 4 military personnel and 2 civilians, were detained before September 27, 2020,” Ismail Akhundov said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on at 01:03 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:
Azerbaijani authorities announce search for mass graves near Karabakh village, Military's remains found in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia's IC counts 3809 casualties in Nagorno-Karabakh autumn war.

Author: The Caucasian Knot
Источник:
© Кавказский Узел

Analysts assess alignment of forces before meeting of Aliev and Pashinyan in Brussels

Hagop Kamalian
Caucasian Knot
Aug 30 2022
The Ilham Aliev’s position in the upcoming negotiations is stronger against the backdrop of the transfer to Azerbaijan of Lachin and two villages, Azerbaijani analysts Togrul Djuvarly and Mekhman Aliev point out.

On August 31, through the mediation of the President of the Council of the European Union Charles Michel, the Belgian capital is to host a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

According to Togrul Djuvarly, a member of the Azerbaijan National Public Committee for European Integration, Baku is entering into negotiations with the stronger positions. “During the interval between the previous meeting of Ilham Aliev and Nikol Pashinyan, which took place in May, and the current one, important events took place in the region. These events further change the balance of power and strengthen the diplomatic and military-strategic positions of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan carried out the ‘Retaliation’ counteroperation, as a result of which its forces took a number of strategic heights along the Lachin Corridor and along the perimeter of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region. After that, the Armenian side stopped resisting the return of the city of Lachin (Armenian name is Berdzor, – note of the ‘Caucasian Knot’) and the villages of Zabukh (Armenian name is Akhavno, – note of the ‘Caucasian Knot’) and Sous to Azerbaijan, and on August 26, it was announced that the Azerbaijani forces would enter the mentioned settlements,” Togrul Djuvarly told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

Mekhman Aliev, the director of the “Turan” news agency, believes that “serious progress in negotiations on a final peaceful settlement of the conflict” can be achieved in Brussels.

According to Mekhman Aliev, a decision can be made in Brussels to set up working groups to negotiate a peace agreement. A permanent negotiating mechanism is likely to start working soon, and working groups will start working on the text of a peace agreement somewhere in a third country, for example, in Georgia, where the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia already once met directly without intermediaries. At the same time, Mekhman Aliev believes that negotiations will go faster concerning the Zangezur Corridor and the delimitation of the state border.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on at 02:07 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:
Azeri politicians criticize Armenia's proposal on routes to Nakhichevan, Launch of a new road from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia scheduled for August 30, Azerbaijani analysts explain new tasks of peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Author: Faik Medjid, Tigran Petrosyan, Nakhim Shelomanov Source: CK correspondents
Источник:

© Кавказский Узел

Indian national arrested on suspicion of bludgeoning to death compatriot in Yerevan

Ani Tigranian

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 11:12,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS. A 45-year-old citizen of India is arrested on suspicion of killing a 27-year-old citizen of India in Yerevan.

The Investigative Committee said that authorities received a 911 call at 09:40, August 28 saying that there is a body in the territory of a stone processing plant on Davit Bek Street in Yerevan.

Officers found the body of the 27-year-old Indian national on a sofa. The body was covered in blood and had blunt force traumas on the head and face. A blood-covered metal pipe was found nearby.

The Investigative Committee said that the investigation revealed the identity of the suspect and the motive. The suspect is a 45-year-old Indian national.

According to the Investigative Committee, the two had an altercation on “personal issues” during which the suspect hit the 27-year-old several times with the metal pipe. The victim died from the injuries.

The suspect was detained and confessed in carrying out the homicide.

A forensic and forensic-biological examinations are underway.

[see video]

Nearly 140 amusement rides pass safety inspection

Maral Chavushian

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 10:51,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS. A total of 212 amusement rides are listed in the Ministry of Emergency Situations list of potentially hazardous industrial structures.

134 are located in Yerevan while the 78 are in other cities.

As of the latest data (2022 August), 139 amusement rides (89 in Yerevan and 50 in other cities) passed a general inspection and received the technical safety approval.

The Director of the Expertise Laboratory of the National Center of Technical Safety Martin Aslanyan told ARMENPRESS that all amusement rides will undergo the inspection prior to commissioning.

In the event of a given amusement ride failing the safety inspection, the conclusion is forwarded to the Urban Development and Fire Inspection Agency which bans the amusement ride until its standards are improved to match the regulations.

“In accordance with Article 11 paragraph 6 of the Law on State Regulation for Ensuring Technical Safety, every industrial structure, in this case the amusement ride, must undergo a technical safety inspection at least once a year, and it can be put into operation only after receiving the positive conclusion,” Aslanyan said.

Regarding the amusement rides which haven’t yet been inspected, Aslanyan said the previous conclusions on these structures are still in effect and the next inspections will take place as planned under the deadlines.

“As of this moment we’ve received a request for inspection from Gyumri city,  the application is now being processed and the technical safety inspection will be carried out in approximately 5 business days,” Martin Aslanyan said.

According to Yelena Zohrabyan, the Director for Public Relations at the Urban Development and Fire Safety Inspection Agency, if the businesses ignore the ban on operations after failing the safety inspection they are fined 1,000,000 drams and face suspension.

Zohrabyan said they’ve received information on 41 amusement rides from the Ministry of Emergency Situations which hadn’t passed the safety inspection as of May, 2022. However, when officers arrived at the addresses for inspection it was revealed that a part of these structures were already decommissioned, while others were being reconstructed or under development.

Gayane Gaboyan

IAEA mission to reach Zaporizhzhya NPP this week

Meline Chalian

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 09:58,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS.  Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi has announced that the organization’s support mission to assess and inspect the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is already on its way and will arrive later this week.

“The day has come, IAEA’s Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) is now on its way. We must protect the safety and security of Ukraine’s and Europe’s biggest nuclear facility. Proud to lead this mission which will be in ZNPP later this week,” Grossi tweeted.

The IAEA's announcement comes as both Russia's Defense Ministry and Ukraine's nuclear operator Energoatom said Saturday that the site of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was shelled repeatedly over the past 24 hours, blaming each other for the shelling.

Turkish press: Erdoğan congratulates Aliyev on return of Lachin to Azerbaijan

Garik Boshkezenian
 ISTANBUL AUG 28, 2022 – 11:21 AM GMT+3

An Azerbaijani soldier fixes a national flag on a lamp post in the town of Lachin, Dec. 1, 2020. (AFP)

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday congratulated his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev for reclaiming the city of Lachin, and two villages to Baku.

Erdoğan expressed his appreciation for Aliyev's efforts for "a just and sustainable solution aimed at stability and peace in the South Caucasus" over the phone, Türkiye's Communications Directorate said in a statement.

The Turkish leader reiterated Ankara's support for "brotherly Azerbaijan in every situation" and said he wished the normalization processes between Türkiye-Armenia and Azerbaijan-Armenia to progress with both supporting each other.

Erdoğan and Aliyev also discussed Türkiye and Azerbaijan relations and regional developments during the phone conversation.

Azerbaijan has reclaimed control of the strategic city on the edge of Nagorno-Karabakh, the leader of Azerbaijan said Friday.

Aliyev said Azerbaijani forces have moved into the city of Lachin and two nearby villages. “I congratulate Lachin residents and the entire people of Azerbaijan,” he tweeted.

"Today, on Aug. 26, we – the Azerbaijanis – have returned to the city of Lachin," Aliyev said on Twitter.

"Azerbaijan's Army is now stationed in the city of Lachin. The villages of Zabukh and Sus were taken under control," he added.

Aliyev also congratulated all the residents of Lachin and the people of Azerbaijan on this occasion.

"Long live Lachin! Long live Azerbaijan!" the president said.

A video on social media showed that Azerbaijan's flag had been raised on a building in the city center of Lachin.

Accompanied by a group of soldiers, Maj. Gen. Kanan Seyidov, the commander of the army corps, said that the Azerbaijani army has taken full control of the city of Lachin, as well as Zabukh and Sus villages, in line with the directives of the president.

Lachin sits on a road that has served as the main link between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan has reclaimed control of the city and the “Lachin corridor” after building an alternate route in line with a Russia-mediated truce that ended a 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Russian peacekeepers and the Armenian population have left the areas along the route known as the Lachin Corridor, where Lachin, Zabuh, and Sus are located. The area was temporarily put under Russian control in line with the tripartite declaration signed by Moscow, Baku and Yerevan on Nov. 10, 2020, following 44 days of the second Karabakh War between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

As part of the declaration, Azerbaijan built a 32-kilometer (20-mile) road passing around Lachin for the Armenian population in Karabakh to use on their way to and from Armenia.

Russian peacekeepers providing security on the route of the old Lachin Corridor were required to move the checkpoints to the new road.

Lachin and its villages were occupied by the Armenian army in 1992, and then Armenians brought from Syria and Lebanon were settled there in the following years.

Throughout the process, Azerbaijan has declared that it sees this as a war crime and a violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a decadesold conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of Azerbaijan but has been under the control of Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994.

During a six-week war in 2020 that killed more than 6,600 people, Azerbaijan reclaimed large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas that had been controlled for decades by the Armenia-backed separatists.

The cease-fire in 2020 was mediated by Russia, which deployed about 2,000 troops to the region to serve as peacekeepers.

Armenian lawmaker calls for not giving in to emotions at this crucial period for country

Yeghisabet Vorskanian

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 11:35,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS. Member of Parliament of Armenia from the ruling Civil Contract faction Arsen Torosyan calls for being very broad-minded and wise and not giving in to emotions at this crucial period for the state in order to make right decisions.

Asked what was the message of the Armenian Prime Minister’s address over the 32nd anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and what conclusions the society should draw, Torosyan refused to comment on the PM’s congratulatory address, stating that everyone can understand what the PM means. The lawmaker said that PM Nikol Pashinyan has always been sincere in his remarks both during the Cabinet meetings and the Q&As in the Parliament. Torosyan is confident that the Prime Minister will present in that way the agendas set before Armenia.

“I think that at this crucial period for the state and statehood, we need to be very broad-minded and wise for making right decisions, we should not give in to emotions in any way in order to be able to resist both the regional challenges, as well as those connected with broader, East and West, Russia-Ukraine conflict. I think that if we make decisions in that way based on facts and realities, we will be able to resist the challenges, no matter how much we like the decisions or not, because we may disagree with something, but the situation may not change with our disagreement. If we again give in to emotions and are not guided by common sense, we will have greater losses, which we must not allow”, he said.

In his congratulatory address on August 23, 2022, on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the process of Armenia’s independence de facto has not ended until today. He compared independence with health, stating that “even if you have it, you have to take care of it every day”. “The Government is fighting for the independence of the Republic of Armenia every day. Independence is security for us, the international structures that provide it are cracking in front of all of us, and one of the first cracks was unfortunately expressed in Nagorno-Karabakh. Independence is strong allied relations for us, but allies are not always allies of you, but of those who ally against you”, the PM said.