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Category: 2022

Azerbaijan preparing ground for new provocations – Armenian Security Council

Emma Jilavian
Public Radio of Armenia
, 22:38

 1 minute read

At today’s sitting, the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia discussed the security situation around Nagorno Karabakh, assessing it as extremely tense.

According to the Security Council, the analysis of the situation shows that the Republic of Azerbaijan, trying to find imaginary justifications, is preparing the ground for new provocations and attacks in the direction of Nagorno Karabakh, at the same time accusing the Republic of Armenia of destructive actions when it comes to the peace agreement.

In the current situation, the Security Council considers it necessary to reaffirm the previous position of the Republic of Armenia and offers the Republic of Azerbaijan to immediately start negotiations on a comprehensive peace agreement.

The Security Council, drawing the attention of the international community on the probability for armed clashes in Nagorno Karabakh and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, considers it necessary to launch international containment mechanisms to prevent further military escalation and ethnic cleansing in the region.

“Cold, Ashamed, and Free”: Anti-Putin Russians Take Refuge in Armenia

Emma Jilavian
The New Republic

Within 48 hours of deciding to flee Russia, writer Maxim Osipov and his wife were in a Moscow airport. “I knew it should have been a sentimental moment,” said Osipov of crossing the Russian border and taking his seat on a plane bound for Armenia, a small country in the Southern Caucasus. “But it was like I was dead and observing the afterlife. I was more curious than sentimental.”

Tens of thousands of Russians have left the country since President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Some of those who headed for the exits in this unprecedented exodus feared the mass repression that was to come; others worried about the possibility of conscription into Russia’s forces, or the possibility that the borders could be closed. Almost all who have sought a haven away from their homes are horrified by the bloody violence in Ukraine and the ever-darkening political mood in Moscow.

On arriving in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, which has lately been in the grip of unseasonal blizzards and subzero temperatures, Osipov said he felt “cold, ashamed, and free”—a reference to a quote about emigration from German writer Sebastian Haffner, who escaped Nazi Germany in the late 1930s. “I am ashamed of Russia,” said Osipov, who lived in the picturesque town of Tarusa, just outside Moscow. “I’m ashamed of myself for not staying in Tarusa. I am ashamed because friends were unable to leave because of their elderly parents, or for other reasons. And, of course, I am ashamed to be Russian because of what we are doing in Ukraine.”

The influx of Russians is hard to miss in Yerevan, which is home to about a million people and known as the “pink city” because of the widely used rose-colored tufa stone. Most of the arriving Russians are from the country’s beleaguered middle class, and groups of lost-looking Muscovites are a common—and incongruous—sight on Armenian streets. Spoken Russian is now far more common in Yerevan than it was before the war, skyrocketing real estate prices have led to a flood of evictions, and there are long lines at banks.

Russians do not need a visa to enter Armenia, and the country’s Soviet heritage means most locals speak Russian, making it an attractive destination. Other post-Soviet capitals have also seen notable inflows of Russians in recent weeks, including Tbilisi in neighboring Georgia, and Bishkek in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan. The Turkish capital, Istanbul, and cities in the Baltic states also have rapidly growing Russian émigré communities. Some estimates put the total exodus in the last month at up to 250,000 people.

Many of those arriving from Russia are in a state of shock, communicating obsessively with friends and family and trying to understand what to do next—even going so far as to look to history for clues on what’s to come. “Everyone is reading Karl Jaspers on collective guilt, Hannah Arendt on the banality of evil, and Jonathan Little’s Kindly Ones,” said a museum curator from Moscow who flew to Yerevan with her boyfriend and requested anonymity to speak freely. “I haven’t made up my mind, but in terms of feelings I can say there is more pain than shame. I have so much pain for Ukraine.”

Even abroad, many Russians are still afraid of speaking freely—particularly if they hope to return. A law on “fake news” signed by Putin earlier this month includes jail sentences of up to 15 years, and many believe it could be used to unleash a new wave of repression. Several Russians declined to give an interview for this article, and the museum curator said she had deleted her anti-war Facebook posts. “A person has a limited quantity of mental strength, and at the moment part of this strength has been stolen by fear,” she said.

While most new arrivals are concentrated in Yerevan, Russians have also been heading to other destinations across Armenia, including the “northern capital” of Gyumri and the mountainous spa town of Dilijan. Many are intent on setting up a new home, while others are planning to move on to Europe or even further afield.

Maria Maiofis and her husband, Ilya Kukulin, both prominent academics, pulled their 17-year-old daughter out of school and bought three tickets to Yerevan eight days after the outbreak of war. Over coffee in Yerevan, they said that they couldn’t stay silent and didn’t want to go prison for protesting—so their only option was to leave.

Along with their dog, they had to change airports in Moscow after their flight was canceled at the last minute. When their plane was briefly held on the runway before takeoff, their daughter had a panic attack. “The three weeks we have been here [in Yerevan], I feel like I have been picking up the pieces,” said Maiofis. The couple added that they want to find jobs in a “free country,” but they will stay in Armenia for a few months.

While those fleeing generally have similar political convictions, they come from a variety of different jobs and industries. The exodus includes most of Russia’s remaining independent journalists—nervous about the new law on “fake news”—and a large part of the I.T. sector. As many as 100,000 I.T. specialists could leave Russia in April, according to the Russian Association of Electronic Communications. Privately owned Russian internet giant Yandex has said it is looking to rent a new office in Yerevan.

The loss of hundreds of thousands of highly educated men and women is likely to have a long-term economic impact on Russia, but these emigrants also represent some of the country’s most active anti-regime opposition. The consequences of this mass evacuation on both the current anti-war movement and the future opposition to the Kremlin are different to gauge—but look to be significant.

On a recent Sunday in Yerevan, several hundred Russians, Armenians, and Ukrainians gathered in a snowstorm for an anti-war march through the city center. As the demonstrators waved Ukrainian flags and chanted, “Putin is a murderer!” “No to war!” and “Glory to Ukraine!” bemused Armenian onlookers leaned out of windows and took videos on their phone. Academics Maiofis and Kukulin said attending a political rally without fearing arrest was a new—and cathartic—experience.

Opinion seems to be divided among emigrant Russians about if—and when—they will be able to return. “I definitely want to go back,” said the museum curator. “It should be possible to return when the rules of the game become clear again. At the moment, they are changing every day and it’s not clear what you can do and what you can’t. You need to be able to understand what the consequences of your actions will be.”

But others were less sure. “I said to my whole family that if you want a real life, not something fake, you need to think that it’s forever,” said 58-year-old writer Osipov. “Otherwise you’ll end up like those aristocrats in Paris in 1919, saying, ‘These Bolshevik gangsters need to go and the Romanovs come back.’ You could end up waiting for 70 years. Of course, I hope we can go back. But I should act as if it is forever.”

Some of the divergence in approach stems from age and experience. Those like Osipov, Maiofis, and Kukulin lived through the collapse of communism; their careers have embodied a hope that Russia could become a stable, European democracy. “There is a realization for me and my generation that we lost—that we are losers. We felt like we had won in the 1990s. But our victory has been taken from us. It’s like we’re being asked to get back into dirty bathwater that is full of hair,” said Osipov.

After several weeks in Yerevan, Osipov flew to Frankfurt, Germany, to stay with his daughter, a musician. Organizing his family’s evacuation had kept him busy, but when we spoke via Zoom, he said he feared the frenetic activity would soon come to an end. “The depression will follow,” he said. He added that he had started dreaming of his house in Tarusa—something that he had never done before.

In a similar way to Osipov, academics Maiofis and Kukulin do not believe that they will be able to go back to Russia anytime soon, and they are making plans for a new life. “The only thing left from our vanquished liberal, free society is people,” said Kukulin. “I hope that, in 10 years, the regime will collapse. Everything will be in total ruins—definitely institutionally and possibly also physically. No economy, no education, nothing. It will be necessary to construct everything again from these ruins, and it’s very important that there are people who will be able to rebuild. I say to my students that while I might not live to see such a moment, they need to keep this in their minds.”

Armenia seeks to bolster ties with Saudi Arabia in high-tech sector

Chalian Meline
Arab News, Saudi Arabia



RIYADH: Armenia seeks to learn from Saudi Arabia’s ongoing digital transformation experience and bolster ties with the Kingdom in the high-tech sector, the Armenian deputy minister of industry told Arab News on Monday.

Talking on the sidelines of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Riyadh, Robert Khachatryan said his country was also undergoing digital transformation, and “it will be interesting to” learn more from the Saudi experience.

He also told Arab News that Armenia was working to improve the startup ecosystem using different tools such as tax incentives. “We are now in the process of establishing a state venture fund” to support small and medium enterprises in the country,” the top official said.  

Highlighting the importance of his country’s high-tech sector, Khachatryan said Armenia was known for its electronic goods during the Soviet era.

The deputy minister said Armenia seeks to promote its high-tech sector in the region and boost cooperation with Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region in this regard.

“I think that we need to start a dialogue and strengthen our relations, it can be (done) by mutual visits,” Khachatryan said.

Law Firm Works with EBRD and Central Bank of Armenia to Craft Regulatory Regime for Securities Crowdfunding

Kalashian Nyrie

The London-based law firm Norton Rose Fulbright is working to help craft regulations to enable securities crowdfunding in Armenia, according to a note from the firm.

In partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Central Bank of Armenia, Norton Rose Fulbright is acting as International Legal Expert and Technical Legal Expert as the country aims to create an investment crowdfunding regime in Armenia. The mission is to provide a new path for access to capital for younger firms.

Partner Hannah Meakin and Counsel Matthew Gregory led the project, working alongside local law firm TK & Partners, to provide a combination of policy, legal and regulatory support to develop and implement the new regulatory framework. The firm said the work built upon international best practices including experience from the UK which is home to one of the most robust investment crowdfunding markets in the world.

On February 8, 2022, the Central Bank of Armenia approved a package of laws to enable the regulation of investment-based crowdfunding services and support the development of online capital formation. The project is now said to be in its final stage, publicizing and explaining the regime to the Armenian market and the wider public.

Meakin said they are grateful to have been able to contribute to such the project, which could make a significant difference to a broad range of businesses and investors across Armenia and the wider Armenian diaspora.

Gregory added:

“Crowdfunding is becoming increasingly recognised across the world as a key source of funding for SMEs and this is a trend we expect will continue to grow over the coming decade. We anticipate a growing need for jurisdictions to develop more sophisticated regulatory regimes as part of their wider framework to ensure that businesses and individuals are properly supported, and protected, and we’ve been delighted to work with the EBRD on this important area of policy.”


Azerbaijani press: Illegal Armenian groups forcibly distribute weapons, military uniforms to civilians in Khankandi

Chatinian Lara
21:33 (UTC+04:00)
955

Dissatisfaction has increased among members of illegal Armenian armed groups in Azerbaijani territories, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed.

Local volunteers, who have been staying at the military posts for days due to a lack of staff, are protesting because they have not seen their families for a long time.

According to sources in Khankandi, in order to prevent this discontent and to fill for those currently sick, the separatist regime forces teenagers and the elderly to wear uniforms and take the posts.

Those who do not want to obey this instruction are persecuted and insulted.

According to the sources, the number of sick has increased among the illegal armed groups due to the deplorable conditions at the checkpoints in the direction of Askeran and in the shelters of these groups.

Azerbaijani press: Baku rejects any change in Azerbaijani army positions in Karabakh

Jhanna Virabian
23:15 (UTC+04:00)
1 224

By Vafa Ismayilova

Baku has dismissed as inaccurate the Russian Defence Ministry statement on the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Farrukh village in Karabakh’s Khojaly region.

In a statement published on March 27, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said: “The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry regretfully informs that some points of the statement of the Russian Defence Ministry dated , do not reflect the reality. There have been no changes in the positions of the Azerbaijan army in Farrukh village and on the surrounding high grounds, which are part of the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan.
The information about the retreat of the Azerbaijan army units from these positions does not reflect reality. The Azerbaijan army completely controls the operational situation.”

The ministry also rejected the Russian ministry’s claims alleging the Azerbaijani truce violation and the case of injury among the Azerbaijani servicemen. It once again recalled the Russian Defence Ministry that there is no administrative-territorial unit called “Nagorno-Karabakh” on the Azerbaijani territory.

“The use of the _expression_ ‘Nagorno-Karabakh’ in the statements of the Russian Defence Ministry dated March 26 and 27 is disrespectful to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which is recognized and accepted by the international community, including the Russian Federation,” the statement added.

The ministry recalled the Russian Defence Ministry that the first paragraph of the Declaration on Allied Interaction signed by the two countries’ presidents on February 22, 2022, states that Russia and Azerbaijan establish their relations based on mutual respect for territorial integrity and inviolability of state borders, as well as non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, peaceful settlement of disputes and non-use of force or threat of force.

Furthermore, Russia and Azerbaijan join forces in the fight against and neutralization of international terrorism, extremism, and separatism, as stated in Article 18 of the Declaration, the ministry added.

“The statement of the Russian Defence Ministry also demonstrates disrespect towards the declaration signed by the President of the Russian Federation, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The [Azerbaijani] Defence Ministry reiterates that there is no village called ‘Furukh’ in Khojaly region of Azerbaijan.  The name of the mentioned village is ‘FARRUKH’. We hope that in the following statements the name of the village will be indicated correctly,” the ministry added.

It should be noted Farrukh enters the administrative area of Pirlar village in Khojaly region located 16 km of Asgaran settlement and 32 km of Khankandi.

The Azerbaijani armed forces regained full control over the village, clearing it from illegal Armenian armed groups, who had to leave Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territories in Karabakh under the ceasefire deal signed by Baku, Moscow and Yerevan on November 10, 2020.

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijani flag hoisted in newly-liberated village [PHOTO]

Tambiyan Samvel
09:00 (UTC+04:00)
760

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijani servicemen have hoisted the flag of Azerbaijan in Khojaly region’s Farrukh village cleared of the illegal Armenian armed formations on March 27, local news sources have reported.

The relevant video footage and a photo of Pirlar village, made from the Azerbaijani army positions in Farrukh, have also been circulated.

Baku earlier dismissed as inaccurate the Russian Defence Ministry statement on the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Farrukh village.

In a statement published on March 27, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said: “The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry regretfully informs that some points of the statement of the Russian Defence Ministry dated , do not reflect the reality. There have been no changes in the positions of the Azerbaijan army in Farrukh village and on the surrounding high grounds, which are part of the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan.
The information about the retreat of the Azerbaijan army units from these positions does not reflect the reality. The Azerbaijan army completely controls the operational situation.”

The ministry also rejected the Russian ministry’s claims alleging the Azerbaijani truce violation and the case of injury among the Azerbaijani servicemen. It once again recalled the Russian Defence Ministry that there is no administrative-territorial unit called “Nagorno-Karabakh” on the Azerbaijani territory.

“The use of the _expression_ ‘Nagorno-Karabakh’ in the statements of the Russian Defence Ministry dated March 26 and 27 is disrespectful to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which is recognized and accepted by the international community, including the Russian Federation,” the statement added.

It should be noted Farrukh enters the administrative area of Pirlar village in Khojaly region located 16 km of Asgaran settlement and 32 km of Khankandi.

The Azerbaijani armed forces regained full control over the village, clearing it from illegal Armenian armed groups, who had to leave Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territories in Karabakh under the ceasefire deal signed by Baku, Moscow and Yerevan on November 10, 2020.

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijani envoy urges end to Armenia’s "hate-driven" Karabakh agenda

Chatinian Lara
11:00 (UTC+04:00)
847

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijani Consul-General in Los Angeles Nasimi Aghayev has urged an end to Armenia’s and foreign-based lobby’s “hate-driven agenda” regarding Karabakh. 

He made the remarks on his official Twitter page.

“Armenia and its radical lobby must stop holding 25,000 ethnic Armenian citizens of Azerbaijan in Qarabagh [Karabakh] as hostages to their extremist, hate-driven agenda. Once illegal armed groups are withdrawn [from Azerbaijani territories] our [ethnic] Armenian citizens will enjoy equal rights like other Azerbaijani citizens,”  he tweeted.

Aghayev also shared an official map of Armenia submitted by Yerevan to the UN and questioned the presence of illegal Armenian armed groups on the Azerbaijani territories, namely in Farrukh village, which was regained by the Azerbaijani armed forces.

“Here is the official map of Armenia submitted by Yerevan to the UN, and the location of the village of Farrukh (site of the latest tension). The question is: What are the Armenian armed groups doing in the internationally recognized sovereign territory of Azerbaijan?” wrote the consul-general. 

The diplomat stressed that the reason for the current tension is the failure to completely withdraw illegal Armenian forces from Azerbaijan.

“Almost all media reports and statements from foreign officials conveniently omit to mention an important (and not fully implemented) obligation, enshrined in the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian joint statement of 2020. Complete withdrawal of Armenian forces from Azerbaijan. It is the reason for the current tension,” he tweeted.

Azerbaijani servicemen have hoisted the flag of Azerbaijan in Khojaly region’s Farrukh village cleared of the illegal Armenian armed formations on March 27.

Baku earlier dismissed as inaccurate the Russian Defence Ministry statement on the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Farrukh village.

Farrukh enters the administrative area of Pirlar village in Khojaly region located 16 km of Asgaran settlement and 32 km of Khankandi.

The Azerbaijani armed forces regained full control over the village, clearing it from illegal Armenian armed groups, who had to leave Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territories in Karabakh under the ceasefire deal signed by Baku, Moscow and Yerevan on November 10, 2020.

On March 20, 2022, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in Sugovushan that the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region functioned in Azerbaijan for many years during the Soviet era for purely political purposes.

“As you know, the Armenians pursued a policy of aggression against our people, and our native Karabakh and a part of East Zangazur were in the hands of Armenians for about 30 years. It had to end and it did. We saw that no negotiations or political steps were bringing us any closer to our goal. We saw and knew that we must be stronger and more determined to protect our rights and restore historical justice. The Azerbaijani state, the Azerbaijani Army, all our Armed Forces fulfilled this historic mission in 2020,” he said.

He stressed that Azerbaijanis will live on liberated territories comfortably, in peace, tranquility and security and that the guarantor of peace and security is the Azerbaijani state and the Azerbaijani armed forces.

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijan to supply gas to Khankandi, nearby settlements

Chalian Meline
11:33 (UTC+04:00)
965

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan’s Azerigaz Production Association has stated that the natural gas supply to Khankandi and other nearby settlements will be fully restored on March 29.

The association stated that the natural gas supply will be restored on March 28th, with preliminary testing taking place. In this regard, consumers are advised to use natural gas with caution and to strictly adhere to technical safety rules.

“The supply of natural gas to the territory of the Karabakh economic region will be fully restored after the completion of test work on March 29,” the statement said.

In recent days, the Armenian media has portrayed the gas supply problems on these territories as some kind of “sabotage”.

It is noteworthy that all of this coincided with the release of new information about the peace talks. As a result, it appears that Armenia is once again using fabrications to postpone the signing of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, as well as the opening of communications and the Zangazur corridor.

However, it is quite obvious that the malfunction of gas distribution lines in the territories included in the Karabakh economic region, which have been operating without maintenance for many years, has caused problems with gas supply.

Furthermore, despite the heavy snowfall, Azerigaz employees dispatched to the site are taking the necessary steps to mitigate the effects of the accident on the difficult terrain.

Another point worth noting is that the gas supplied to Khankandi is not Azerbaijani, but rather Armenian. The pipe is located on Azerbaijani territory, and Azerigaz has accepted responsibility for resolving the issues that arose as a result of Armenia’s fault.

“Gas is delivered to the territory where Russian peacekeepers are stationed temporarily from Armenia. After occupying a portion of Azerbaijani territory during the First Karabakh War, the separatists destroyed the gas pipeline connecting Aghdam and Khankendi, effectively cutting themselves off from the Azerbaijani gas network,” the Baku-based news website Day.az wrote.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated that Armenia intends to use the situation as a tool for political manipulation.

“We would like to remind that Armenia, which for many years kept the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic with a population of more than 400,000 people in a gas blockade, carried out water terror using the Sarsang reservoir for about 30 years, denied the existence of landmine maps that put an end to the life and health of hundreds of people for a long time, concealed information about the fate of about 4,000 Azerbaijanis who went missing in the early 1990s, and now makes baseless accusations against Azerbaijan – this is nothing but the political hypocrisy of this country,” the ministry stated.

The ministry also underlined that the only way to ensure peace and stability in the region is the full implementation of the provisions of the joint statements, including the complete withdrawal of the remnants of Armenian illegal formations from the region and the normalization of relations on the basis of the principles of international law.

Once again, technical accidents on gas pipelines are a common problem that occurs all over the world. The same problems often arise on the Armenian territory as well. In addition, there had also been problems with gas supply to Khankendi in the past, when Azerbaijani territories were under occupation.

As a result, looking for hidden motives in the issue of gas supply to Khankandi is pointless, and it is clear that Armenia is only attempting to postpone the signing of a peace agreement.