Category: 2022

Gayane (the name is not the real one) lives in one of the main cities of Armenia. She has been in great pain for 8 years, ever since she gave up her baby.

"I got married young, so young that I had no idea what a family was, what a marriage was… I was catapulted into family life when I found out I was pregnant. I had a pretty difficult pregnancy, I have been under medical supervision for a long time. I was subjected to various tests, during which I was told that the fetus was not in danger. Then, when my baby was born, the doctor came to tell me that the initial tests had yielded wrong results and that my baby had serious health problems", says the woman.

At the hospital Gayane was not only informed of the child's congenital health defect. The doctor told her about the difficulties that awaited her and suggested that she give up the baby.

"The doctors explained to me that I was still young, that I could still become a mother. They also explained to me that giving up the baby would be especially beneficial for him, because he would live in a specialised centre. Every day he would need special care that could only be lent to him by the specialists who worked in the centre. First they talked to me, then to my husband. We thought about it for a long time, it was very difficult, in the end we gave up our first child… He was taken to a special assistance centre. I was too young, I didn't understand what I was doing…".

According to Gayane, the child stayed in the centre for a very short time, then was adopted and never heard of it again.

"Even though we had given up on our baby, I had an acquaintance through whom I got some information about my baby, after all, I am a mother. Then my acquaintance informed me that he had just been adopted, my baby is almost gone in the void․․․․ I was informed only later that he was taken out of the country. I don't know what happened after…".

The thought of what has become of her baby continues to trouble Gayane: although she has become a mother for the second time, she constantly thinks of her firstborn and prays for his survival.

"When I gave birth to my baby, I was told he had several problems, including heart disease, and that he might not live long. Then, when it turned out he had been adopted and taken out of the country, I started to think that my baby was completely healthy. That they had deceived me, taking advantage of my post-partum depression. My suspicions were aggravated when I learned on television that a criminal group that was involved in the sale of children was operating in Armenia".

In 2019, the National Security Services of Armenia announced that a system of illegal adoptions had been running in the country for years and that Armenian children were being taken abroad with the collaboration of various local officials. The case has been under investigation for about 3 years and today many things are clearer.

Investigators recently announced that preliminary investigations have been completed on 11 defendants, accused of abuse of office in the process of adopting minors, children of Armenian citizens, by people of foreign nationality; of buying and selling children and money laundering in the period 2015-2018.

It was discovered and proven that in order to sell children, entrusting them to foreign citizens, a resident of the city of Yerevan, who worked for many years in a number of Italian companies engaged in the field of adoption and was the Armenian representative of these companies, had created an organised criminal group, which included people working in various sectors and in various state structures.

Since November 2015, it has been documented that money from companies accredited in a foreign country and engaged in foreign adoptions, their employees, as well as people who had applied for adoption, has been transferred to this Yerevan resident.

Over the years, the organisations involved have expanded their activities in several countries in Europe and Asia and published information on their website, also indicating the so-called "costs" established for adoptions which varied from country to country: the highest rates concerned children citizens of the Republic of Armenia, for an amount of 15-25,000 Euros.

Italians wishing to adopt children of Armenian nationality contacted the aforementioned bodies, specified the child's preferred sex and other characteristics, then filled in and submitted the application and other necessary documents, paid the required fees. Then the aforementioned person, together with his accomplices, took care of the adoption process. In total, 1,200,000 Euros have been paid into the defendant's accounts in recent years.

All this was possible only thanks to the chain of accomplices who played an active role in criminal activities, who worked both in state bodies that perform certain functions in the field of adoptions, and by employees of a medical institution who carry out activities in the field of maternity – friendly and close relations that made the adoption process possible.

Now, having concluded the investigation, the prosecutor has asked for an indictment. The defendants who have held high government positions during the group's activities no longer hold their positions.

 

Aug 18 2022

Since the 1990s, residents of the Armenian border village of Margara have looked at Turkey only through a barbed wire fence.

Now that there is finally talk of a tentative opening, many here find it hard to believe.

“For 30 years now, we have been constantly hearing rumors, talks about a possible opening of the border with Turkey. I don't believe these rumors,” one Margara resident, Armine, told Eurasianet. She showed a visitor her backyard; the garden where she grows tomatoes and other vegetables backs directly on to the border fence. She can even hear the call to prayer from a mosque on the Turkish side.

While locals may be skeptical about the opening, the Armenian and Turkish authorities say it is going to happen, at least on a limited scale. On July 1, the foreign ministries of both countries announced that they had agreed to open the land border to third-country nationals “at the earliest date possible.”

While the two sides have not yet announced any plans to let Armenians and Turks themselves cross the border, that appears to be the goal of the normalization process. And even as they still don’t believe it will happen, the announcement has sparked anxiety among residents of Margara about their security, both physical and economic. 

“I am against opening the border. Turkey cannot become a good neighbor for us. They cannot be trusted. They will come up with various ways to deceive us,” said Ashot Margaryan, who teaches military preparation at the Margara high school.

There are many things still unknown about what the open border will look like: what sort of visa regime there will be, customs duties on imported products, regulations on buying real estate. But many locals fear the worst.

“We now sleep with the doors of our houses open. After the opening of the border, I am afraid that the Turks will pour in and it will not be safe here,” Margaryan told Eurasianet.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, this border has been guarded by Russian border troops. They are backed up by Russia’s 102nd military base in nearby Gyumri, where roughly 5,000 soldiers serve. One observation tower of the Russian border guards is visible from Armine’s home. 

“The fact that there are no problems on this border is not due to anything we do but because of Russia, whose soldiers guard our border with Turkey,” Margaryan said.

There are rare incidents: Russian border guards occasionally report that migrants and smugglers try to cross. Those reports are more common in summer, when the Araks River, which forms the boundary, becomes shallower, thicker vegetation makes it easier to hide, and temperatures at night are more amenable to travel. In recent years the border guards have arrested citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Turkey for illegal border crossings.

"Turkey will kill our agriculture"

Some Margara residents support normalization or the opening of the border in principle, but worry about the potential economic impact.

"I am not against the establishment of normal relations with Turkey. Even neighbors who have enmity toward one another eventually begin to establish relations, talk to each other,” said one resident, Paruyr Antonyan. But he worries that the tomatoes, cucumbers, and other produce that local farmers grow won’t be able to compete with Turkish products.  

“Opening the border can have bad consequences, cheap and subsidized Turkish agricultural products will flood our market and kill our farms,” he told Eurasianet. “They have subsidized agriculture. We will not be able to compete.”

Customs duties in Armenia are regulated by the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), of which Armenia is a member. Still, some Turkish agricultural products like tomatoes are already competitively priced in Armenia, even with the extra costs that come from transport through Georgia. 

Responding to fears of a Turkish takeover, Armenian officials have instead tried to emphasize the positive. 

“Perhaps, in a certain segment of the economy, some goods will lose their competitiveness, but this will make you think about what new opportunities will appear after the opening of the border,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at an online press conference on January 24.

Meanwhile, work is underway to ease the future border crossings. The road leading to Margara has been under repair since June and is being widened, and the bridges along the route are being improved as well. 

The Ministry of Territorial Administration, which manages roads in the country, declined to comment to Eurasianet on the construction. But locals say it seems to be connected to the border opening and suggests an anticipation of a large increase in traffic. 

“The road was in a deplorable state for a long time. All of a sudden, renovations began. It is clear that the road is being repaired to open the border with Turkey,” one resident, who asked his name not to be used, told Eurasianet. 

Armenian businesspeople also are scouting out the area for potential opportunities. During a visit to Margara, one man approached a group of people including this correspondent, asking: “Guys, maybe you know people here who are selling houses or land?”

This is a regular occurrence, locals said. “Businesspeople, various entrepreneurs come here often,” one resident, Arsen, said. “They all ask the same thing – are the plots of land for sale, especially close to the highway.” 

That has spurred fears that locals may soon be pushed out of the area.  

“We are afraid of the Turkification of our village and the emigration of our fellow villagers from here after the opening of the border,” said another Margara resident who asked not to be identified. “Now my house costs 15-20 thousand dollars. If after the opening of the border, Turkish businessmen come and offer me or others 10-15 times the current value, what then? Many will sell their houses and leave the village and Turks will settle here.”  

Historical legacy 

Hanging over the question of the border opening is the fraught history between the two sides, above all the 1915 genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. The two countries opened the border shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, but Turkey closed it again in 1993 in support of its ally Azerbaijan in the first war over Karabakh.

There have been unsuccessful attempts to restore relations since then, the latest one beginning last year following Azerbaijan’s victory in the second Karabakh war. Special envoys from the two sides began meeting one-on-one in January. 

The agreement to partially open the border, along with a promise to restart direct air cargo transit between the two countries, was the first concrete result of the process. 

The timeline of the border opening remains unclear. While many expected it to happen in August, it now appears to have been pushed back. "We think it would be logical for this process to bring first results within the next few months," Armenia’s Foreign Ministry told Eurasianet. 

Georgia – Aug 18 2022

Aug 18 2022

President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov sent deep condolences to the President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturian and the Prime Minister of this country Nikol Pashinyan in connection with the loss of life as a result of the explosion in the territory of the “Surmalu” shopping center in Yerevan, announced the “Watan” news program of the Turkmen television today.

On behalf of the people and the Government of the country, and also on his own behalf, the head of Turkmenistan conveyed words of empathy and support at this difficult moment to the families and friends of the victims, and wishes for a speedy recovery to the victims.

On August 14, a warehouse of pyrotechnic materials exploded in the “Surmalu” shopping center. According to the Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations, the explosion killed 16 people, injured more than 60, and 18 are considered missing, including a Russian citizen and an Iranian citizen.

Investigators completely ruled out the version of the attack. The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia opened a criminal case on violation of the rules for storing flammable substances and fire safety rules.

https://turkmenportal.com/en/blog/50653/serdar-berdimuhamedov-expressed-condolences-to-the-leadership-of-armenia-in-connection-with-the-tragedy-in-yerevan

Aug 18 2022

Armenia – Aug 18 2022

“The Russian Embassy in Yerevan made a corresponding statement. Today Russian Charge d'Affaires had a constructive conversation with the Armenian Foreign Ministry leadership. We are waiting for a response,” Nechaev said during a briefing in Moscow.

 

On August 17 Russian Embassy in Armenia stated that it sent a note of protest to the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressing its indignation regarding the accusations against the Russian structures of the tragedy that happened at Surmalu trade center in Yerevan.

 

“We are outraged by the cynical information circulating in the local media, containing blasphemous and false accusations against Russian structures of their involvement in the tragedy that took place on the territory of Surmalu trade center on August 14.

 

We consider this as a direct provocation by the political forces behind such hints. The purpose of all this is to undermine Russian-Armenian allied relations. We expect the Armenian authorities to take steps to suppress such unfriendly manifestations, including the necessary public comments,” the Russian Embassy said in a statement.

Armenia – Aug 17 2022

The battle between Persian army and Russian detachment which included Armenian volunteers took place on August 17, 1827 and ended with the defeat of the Persian side.

 

Maxim Seleznyev, Charge d’Affaires of Russia in Armenia, first expressed condolences regarding the tragedy that happened in Yerevan on August 14.

 

“On this day of mourning, on behalf of the Embassy of the Russian Federation, I would like to express my condolences to the families of the victims and wish the survivors soonest recovery. I also want to thank the rescuers and volunteers who work selflessly at the site of the tragedy.

 

It has been 195 years since the Battle of Oshakan ended here. Paying tribute to the heroes of this battle, we first of all remember the Russian General Afanasy Krasovsky, the courage of Russian officers, soldiers and Armenian volunteers who gave their lives to save the Armenian shrine. I think that besides having a historical context, this also became evidence of how two fraternal peoples can defend common values,” the diplomat said.

 

The event was attended by the Vice-Governor of the Armavir region Artak Avetisyan, Mayor of Etchmiadzin Diana Gasparyan, Commander of the Armenian-Russian Joint Group of Units Lieutenant-General Tigran Parvanyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Alfred Kocharyan, representatives of the Armenian Apostolic and Russian Orthodox churches.

 

The Vice-Governor of the Armavir region Artak Avetisyan noted in his speech:

 

“Because of the exploits of the Armenian and Russian soldiers, the troops managed to save Etchmiadzin from the enemy. The Battle of Oshakan was crucial for the people of Armenia, because as a result of this battle, Eastern Armenia was liberated from Persian rule and joined Russia.”

Aug 15 2022

Despite the warnings pronounced by Nagorno-Karabakh authorities not to burn or damage their houses prior to abandoning them, a resident of the village of Akhavno has burned down his house, filmed the process and posted it in social networks.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 5, the Minister of Territorial Management and Infrastructures of Nagorno-Karabakh has a meeting with members of the communities of Akhavno, Sus and the city of Berdzor (the Azerbaijani name is Lachin) and said that they had to leave their houses by August 25, since the Lachin Corridor would be handed over to Azerbaijan.

According to the agreement signed by Aliev, Pashinyan and Putin, Armenia transferred the territory of the Lachin District to Azerbaijan. In June 2022, the Azerbaijan State Highway Agency reported that the construction of the 32-kilometre-long Azerbaijani section of the road continues at an accelerated pace and is scheduled to be completed this year. The transfer of Lachin (the Armenian name is Berdzor) under Azerbaijan's control was delayed due to the absence of an alternative road from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. After the launch of this road, Lachin will be transferred to Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani experts explained in July.

On August 14, a video appeared in a social network, in which a young man says that he, a resident of the village of Akhavno, is forced to evacuate, but is "categorically against" the government "selling his house to Azerbaijan," after which he burns it down.

The author of the video says to the camera that he is in his house, where he and his brother had grown up for 28 years; and his son was supposed to live there. "It breaks my heart that I will burn my house down with my own hands," he said, adding that he did not want to leave the house.

"The authorities threaten that they won't pay us compensations if we burn down our houses. No one in this world is able to replace this sacred land for me, where the blood of my relatives was shed. I am not selling my house, or my family, or my homeland," said the young man, whose words were translated by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 15, 2022 at 01:09 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:
Residents of Akhavno and Berdzor reproach authorities for demanding urgent evacuation, Demand to resettle outrages Akhavno villagers, Baku analysts assess prospects for return of Lachin under Azerbaijan's control.

Author: Alvard Grigoryan Source: CK correspondent
Источник:

© Кавказский Узел