16:14, 1 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The death toll in the Armenian military in the unprovoked Azerbaijani attack has reached 4, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement Friday.
1 soldier is wounded.
Armenian border outposts in the Gegharkunik Province came under heavy Azeri cross-border gunfire Friday morning. In addition to firing small arms, the Azerbaijani military deployed UAVs and mortars in the shelling.
16:37, 1 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The EU strongly believes the Lachin corridor must be unblocked, the spokesperson of Charles Michel, President of the European Council, said in a statement on September 1.
The current humanitarian situation on the ground is deteriorating rapidly and it is imperative to take steps to address the needs of the local population, Michel’s spokesperson Ecaterina Casinge said in the statement.
Below is the full statement.
“President Michel has continued to be intensely engaged in advancing the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process. His efforts over the past weeks, supported by Toivo Klaar, EUSR for the South Caucasus, have focused as a priority on addressing the humanitarian situation of Karabakh Armenians.
EUSR Klaar and President Michel’s team have been in frequent contact with Baku, Yerevan and representatives of Karabakh Armenians to work out a solution for unblocking access.
The current humanitarian situation on the ground is deteriorating rapidly; it is imperative to take steps to address the needs of the local population.
European Council President Charles Michel has proposed a step-by-step approach which would reflect a sequencing in the full-fledged operation of the Lachin corridor and the opening of the Ağdam route.
Sequencing of these steps and the type of cargo that would be delivered by each of these roads, as well as attendant procedures, have been the core of the recent discussions.
The EU strongly believes the Lachin corridor must be unblocked, in line with past agreements and the ICJ Order, and notes that the use of the Ağdam road to provide supplies can also be part of a concrete and sustainable solution to the provision of urgent and daily basic needs. Discussions on these elements had started following the last meeting of the leaders in Brussels on 15 July 2023.
The EU side has also stressed the need for Baku to provide clarity to Karabakh Armenians in terms of procedures for their movements through Lachin corridor to and from Armenia.
In parallel, exchanges have also focused on restoring electricity and gas supplies to Karabakh Armenians as soon as possible.
Beyond the immediate situation, the EU side has stressed the need to address legacies of the conflict to facilitate a long-term sustainable resolution.
Dialogue between Baku and representatives of Armenians living in the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast will be essential in this regard. The rights and security of Karabakh Armenians must be guaranteed and discussions on specific modalities should start as soon as possible.
The dialogue between Baku and the Karabakh Armenians needs to strengthen confidence and trust. To this end the EU has provided various suggestions for international support to this process, as well as for engagement on the ground to underpin the implementation of agreements reached.
All the above efforts have only one goal: ensure irreversible normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan for the benefit of all populations on the ground. It is now time for courageous compromise solutions, also in light of today's escalation.
The EU has been engaged with other international actors in these efforts, through regular personal contacts and exchanges of views on how best address the current unsustainable situation.”
16:44, 1 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Ucom is set to embark on a comprehensive modernization of its mobile network, commencing from September 4th to 10th in the Kentron administrative district of Yerevan, with partial inclusion of the Arabkir administrative district.
“We wish to provide our valued subscribers with advance notice that this marks just the initial phase. The project will be executed in stages, with the ultimate goal of providing a smoother and more contemporary mobile experience on Ucom's already modernized network by the end of the year. In the interim, we kindly ask for your patience, as such improvements may entail potential fluctuations in connection quality, temporary reductions in network coverage, and intermittent service interruptions," explained Ralph Yirikian, Director General of Ucom.
Ucom is committed to providing advance notice regarding any ongoing work within the administrative districts of Yerevan. The company extends its apologies to its subscribers in advance for any potential inconvenience while assuring them of a high-speed mobile connection by year-end.
17:37, 1 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned Azerbaijan’s military aggression targeting Armenian border positions in Gegharkunik province and warned that Baku’s actions could seriously disrupt the efforts aimed at establishing stability and lasting peace in the region.
In a statement released Friday, the Armenian foreign ministry called on the international community to restrain Azerbaijan’s growing maximalist behavior.
Below is the full statement issued by the foreign ministry.
“On September 1, the armed forces of Azerbaijan opened fire on the positions of the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia located in the area of Sotk and Norabak in the Gegharkunik region, which resulted in casualties of 4 killed and 1 wounded. Azerbaijan’s armed forces also used mortars and UAVs,
“During this period, the Republic of Armenia has repeatedly signaled that Azerbaijan, aiming at carrying out pre-planned military actions, deliberately and systematically is spreading disinformation.
“The encroachments against the territorial integrity of Armenia, combined with the statements and bellicose rhetoric regularly made by the Azerbaijani side on various levels as well as channeled through various state media, are the continuation of Baku's aggressive policy aimed at settling existing problems and imposing its own will through the use of force and the threat of use of force.
“Under the conditions of targeted calls and growing pressure to lift the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor, Azerbaijan’s provocation is also aimed at diverting the attention of the international community and avoiding the fulfillment of its obligations.
“We strongly condemn this kind of aggressive behavior of Azerbaijan, which is accompanied by the factual siege of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh through the 8-month-long illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor, and can seriously disrupt the efforts aimed at establishing stability and lasting peace in the region. The Republic of Armenia reaffirms its principled position that all units of Azerbaijan’s armed forces must be withdrawn from the sovereign territory of Armenia.
“We call on the international community and the actors interested in real stability in the region to restrain Azerbaijan’s daily increasing maximalist behavior through the existing mechanisms and active and clear steps in order to prevent further escalation of the situation and to bring Azerbaijan to a constructive track.”
17:26, 1 September 2023
YEREVAN, 1 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 1 September, USD exchange rate up by 0.12 drams to 385.90 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.95 drams to 418.43 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 4.00 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.12 drams to 489.13 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 57.62 drams to 24098.06 drams. Silver price down by 0.95 drams to 304.41 drams.
17:51, 1 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The situation on the border has stabilized, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said after a day of intense gunfire from Azerbaijan.
“As of 17:30, the situation on the frontline was relatively stable,” the Defense Ministry said, adding that it would provide updates in case of any changes in the situation.
4 Armenian soldiers were killed and one was wounded when Azerbaijani armed forces opened small arms fire, and launched mortar and UAV strikes at Armenian border outposts in Gegharkunik province.
This August, an EU-supported summer camp for children from mine-affected families and communities was held in Armenia. The activity was organised in Dilijan (Tavush marz) within the framework of the project on ‘Strengthening National Mine Action Capacity in Armenia’, funded by the European Union and implemented by the UNDP.
Sixty children from Gegharkunik, Tavush, Syunik, and Vayots Dzor marzes, aged 12 to 15, took part in the camp. They were selected mainly from mine and explosive ordnance (EO) affected border communities, from families with direct mine/EO victims.
The aim of the initiative was to educate children about the risks of mines/EOs and safe behaviour and to improve their physical, mental and psychological well-being.
Children learnt about mine action, were taught first aid and safety rules for shelling and shooting, received critical thinking training, and participated in other activities.
Find out more
Press release
https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/653276420/eu-funded-project-in-armenia-organises-camp-for-children-from-mine-affected-families
Last year on World Food Day, President Joe Biden reaffirmed his commitment to a world where “no child has to go to bed hungry, no parent has to worry about how to feed their family, and no one has to face food insecurity.” In that same speech, Biden highlighted how the United States had that year alone committed more than $9 billion in lifesaving humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities around the world.
Sadly, Biden’s pledge is not reaching the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh, who have been locked in a conflict over their homeland with Azerbaijan since the fall of the Soviet Union.
In this latest chapter, since last December the government of Azerbaijan, under the leadership of its petro-dictator Ilham Aliyev, has implemented an illegal blockade of the only road linking more than 120,000 Armenians, including 30,000 children, in Nagorno-Karabakh to the outside world. It is one of the world’s most overlooked and underreported humanitarian crises taking place today.
By limiting access to food, medicine, gas, electricity and other critical supplies to be delivered by the Lachin Corridor, Azerbaijan is on its way to making living conditions so unbearable that Armenians are forced to leave the region.
In August, a 40-year-old resident of Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, died of starvation, becoming the region’s first reported victim of chronic malnutrition and protein deficiency. The lack of food has also contributed to the number of early-stage miscarriages, which reportedly have nearly tripled this summer.
Using food as a weapon has become a popular tool for autocrats to disrupt the lives of innocent people while trying to force concessions that benefit their interests. Russia’s Vladimir Putin has effectively held the global food supply hostage by attacking Ukraine’s ports and crippling grain exports via the Black Sea, as together the two countries export 30% of the world’s wheat, 60% of the world’s sunflower oil and 20% of the world’s corn.
Azerbaijan is turning to a similar playbook in trying to force its will on the Armenian people by attempting to break their spirit and resolve through food. Biden has steadfastly held Russia accountable for its egregious behavior, and the State Department has been working with European Union officials to attempt to reopen the Lachin Corridor. But those efforts have so far failed.
The lack of leadership from the White House has led other actors on the world stage to fill that void. In August, Luis Moreno Ocampo, former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, released an explosive report stating that when assessing the Azerbaijani blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, “there is a reasonable basis to believe that a genocide is being committed.” And, the report states, “Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks.”
Having been victims of genocide in the 20th century, Armenians know all too well the horrors of such crimes against humanity and feel their voices and concerns are once again being ignored and sacrificed at the altar of realpolitik.
That type of international gamesmanship was evident at the United Nations last month when the Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss the worsening humanitarian situation after Armenia urged the global community to help end the blockade. While France and other countries used the opportunity to highlight the principles of international law and humanitarianism as reasons to lift the blockade, other delegations — such as Great Britain, which has significant oil investments in the country — held back on condemning Azerbaijan.
And despite the evidence on the ground, Azerbaijan’s U.N. representative claimed that Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh were happy and well-fed by sharing printouts of Instagram posts that allegedly showed Armenians getting married and celebrating birthdays.
For Biden, as a president who took office claiming that human rights would be central to his foreign policy, this tragedy threatens to stain his legacy.
So, what can he do? For starters, he can begin by unequivocally calling for an immediate end to the blockade and apply pressure on Azerbaijan through sanctions, as Rep. Adam B. Schiff has called for. He can enforce Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act that bans U.S. aid to the Azerbaijani government — restrictions that he, like presidents before him, has waived each year since becoming president. And he can direct Samantha Power, the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, to allocate more resources and money toward helping Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The U.S. enabling of Azerbaijan’s authoritarianism is now costing lives and giving Azerbaijan cover to do what it wants with impunity. Time is running out for the Armenian people living in Nagorno-Karabakh. If Biden truly believes that no child should go to sleep hungry, then he’ll need to act with far greater urgency to break Azerbaijan’s blockade.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Stephan Pechdimaldji is a communications strategist living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a first-generation Armenian American and grandson of survivors of the Armenian genocide.
https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/world_news/commentary-armenians-are-starving-at-azerbaijan-s-hands-why-isn-t-biden-doing-more-to/article_87b0880e-1d3f-5e4a-88ee-ddf740a970f9.html
The war in Ukraine is already horrifying, with Russian torture chambers and the slaughter of civilians. However, there is another country taking advantage of the chaos to commit its own crimes against humanity.
Allow me to introduce Azerbaijan.
You may not be familiar with Azerbaijan’s brutality towards the ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, but it definitely deserves our attention. Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, who I’ve known since he sought accountability for the genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region, now compares the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh to a genocide.
In a recent report, Ocampo wrote, “There is an ongoing genocide against 120,000 Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh.”
When we think of genocide, we typically imagine mass killings. However, according to the 1948 Genocide Convention, it encompasses a broader definition that includes “acts committed with intent to destroy” a specific ethnic, racial, or religious group, even without mass killings.
Ocampo argues that Azerbaijan is carrying out this genocide by blockading Nagorno-Karabakh, causing people to die or flee and effectively erasing an ancient community. Starvation, he emphasizes, is the invisible weapon of genocide. Without immediate intervention, he warns that this group of Armenians will be destroyed within weeks.
Labeling this as genocide is of critical importance, according to Ocampo. It is crucial for the United States, Britain, and other world powers to step up pressure on Azerbaijan.
The concept of genocide emerged in response to the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and 1916, making Azerbaijan’s starvation tactics a chilling echo of history. Organizations like Genocide Watch, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, and the International Association of Genocide Scholars have all issued warnings about the risk of genocide and called for Azerbaijan to be held accountable for its crimes against humanity.
The crisis began when Azerbaijanis began blockading the only road into Nagorno-Karabakh, the Lachin corridor to Armenia, which is essential for the territory’s supply of food and medicine.
Reports from Nagorno-Karabakh paint a bleak picture. “People are fainting in the bread queues,” says a local journalist quoted by the BBC. The Halo Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to clearing minefields, had to suspend operations because its staff were too exhausted from queuing for bread all night and returning home empty-handed. A third of deaths in Nagorno-Karabakh are attributed to malnutrition, according to local authorities. While I cannot independently verify these reports, the evidence suggests a dire situation that is worsening day by day.
Unfortunately, it seems that the West is fatigued and focused on its own internal issues. It has shown little attention to global crises beyond Ukraine, from atrocities in Ethiopia to Sudan’s warlords slaughtering civilians. Dictators find this to be an opportune time to commit war crimes.
To understand the conflict, it’s essential to note that authoritarian Azerbaijan has a predominantly Muslim population speaking a Turkic language, while Nagorno-Karabakh has a mostly Christian population that speaks Armenian. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Nagorno-Karabakh sought independence. A war ensued, ending with a stalemate where the enclave operated autonomously but maintained close ties with neighboring Armenia. In 2020, Azerbaijan waged a brief war, retaking most of the enclave and now aiming to reclaim the rest, likely intending to displace much of the ethnic Armenian population.
While the world, including Armenia’s prime minister, recognizes that Nagorno-Karabakh’s sovereignty belongs to Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan argues for the political and economic integration of the territory with the rest of the country. However, what Azerbaijan is doing is not integration; it is starvation. Both the United States and Russia agree that Azerbaijan should reopen the Lachin corridor and end the suffering.
One potential compromise is outlined by Benyamin Poghosyan of the Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia. Azerbaijan would open the Lachin road while Nagorno-Karabakh simultaneously opens one or more roads into Azerbaijan. The U.S. State Department hinted at this approach in a statement condemning the blockade. As part of the compromise, Azerbaijan would guarantee the freedom of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Admittedly, this compromise is unsatisfactory, as it rewards Azerbaijan for starving civilians, and there is skepticism about Azerbaijan’s promises. However, diplomats often have to devise flawed agreements that are preferable to the alternatives. In this case, a defective deal is better than mass starvation and ethnic cleansing of Armenians.
https://vigourtimes.com/opinion-is-armenians-ethnic-cleansing-happening-once-more/