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Category: 2023

Armenia and Azerbaijan clash over plight of 120,000 people in Nagorno-Karabakh facing food crisis

Markos Nalchajian
Associated Press
Aug 17 2023

BY EDITH M. LEDERER
Updated 5:20 AM GMT+3,


UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Armenia and Azerbaijan clashed at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council Wednesday over the plight of the 120,000 people in the Nagorno-Karabakh region that Armenia says are blockaded by Azerbaijan and facing a humanitarian crisis.

Armenia asked for the meeting saying Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting mainly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia since July 15, had left its people with dwindling food, medicine and electricity.

Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan, but the region and substantial territory around it came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces who were backed by the Armenian military in separatist fighting that ended in 1994. Azerbaijan regained control of the surrounding territory in a six-week war with Armenia in 2020, and the Russian-brokered armistice left the Lachin Corridor as Nagorno-Karabakh’s only connection to Armenia.

At the council meeting, many countries urged Azerbaijan to immediately reopen the road, pointing to orders from the International Court of Justice, the U.N.’s highest tribunal, and all 15 nations urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to find a diplomatic solution to their nearly 30-year conflict.

The Security Council did not issue any statement but U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who chaired the meeting, told the Associated Press afterward that “there were strong statements in the council from everyone that the Lachin Corridor needed to be reopened.” That was “the main accomplishment,” she said.

U.N. humanitarian coordinator Edem Wasornu told the council the International Committee of the Red Cross, the only international humanitarian body with access to the area, reported on July 25 that it had been unable to transport food through the Lachin Corridor since June 14 and medicine since July 7.

Wasornu said international humanitarian law requires all parties to facilitate rapid delivery of aid to all people in need, and “it is therefore critical that the ICRC’s delivery of humanitarian relief be allowed to resume through any available routes.”

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told the council that as a result of the blockade, there is no economic activity in Nagorno-Karabakh, thousands of people are unemployed, stores are empty and women, children and the elderly stand in long lines to be able to buy bread, fruit and vegetables. In addition, he said, Azerbaijan has disrupted the supply of electricity through the only high voltage line between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh since Jan. 9.

Mirzoyan quoted a report from Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, saying “there is a reasonable basis to believe that a genocide is being committed” as a result of the blockade.

“Starvation is the invisible genocide weapon,” he said, warning that “without immediate dramatic change this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks.”

Mirzoyan said preventing such a catastrophe is a duty of the Security Council, which is charged with ensuring international peace and security. “I do believe that this distinguished body, despite geopolitical differences, has capacity to act as genocide prevention body, and not as genocide commemoration when it might be too late,” he said.

Azerbaijan’s U.N. Ambassador Yashar Aliyev responded by “categorically rejecting all the unfounded and groundless allegations on (a) blockade or humanitarian crisis propagated by Armenia against my country.”

He accused Armenia of engaging in a “provocative and irresponsible political campaign” to undermine Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which includes Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan installed a border checkpoint on the road to safeguard its sovereignty and security and prevent Armenia from using the route “for illegal military and other activities” including rotating its 10,000 military personnel “illegally stationed” in Azerbaijani territory, and transferring weapons and munitions as well as unlawfully extracted natural resources.

He called the genocide allegations false, saying prominent British human rights lawyer, Rodney Dixon, in a preliminary report said there is no foundation for Ocampo’s claim, citing Azerbaijan’s offer to supply good via the town of Aghdam.

Aliyev also held up what he said were photos from social media of people in Nagorno-Karabakh celebrating weddings and birthdays, saying they refute allegations about starvation and a humanitarian crisis.

Aliyev and Mirzoyan blamed each other for so-far failed diplomatic efforts.

The European Union’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Silvio Gonzato, told the council “humanitarian access must not be politicized by any actors,” and the Lachin Corridor must be reopened immediately.

“Azerbaijani authorities bear the responsibility to guarantee safety and freedom of movement along the Lachin Corridor, and to ensure the crisis does not escalate further,” he said.

Armenia calls Iran special partner for peace

Nyrie Kalashian
Tehran Times
Aug 16 2023
  1. Politics
– 21:51

TEHRAN – Armenian National Assembly (NA) speaker Alen Simonyan received the newly appointed Iranian ambassador to Yerevan Mehdi Sobhani on Tuesday, congratulating him on assuming the mission and wishing him a fruitful activity, NEWS.am reported.

Also, Simonyan extended his condolences to the families and friends of the casualties of the recent terrorism in the city of Shiraz, Iran, and to the entire Iranian people, stressing that the joint fight against terrorism should be one of the primary goals.

In response, Sobhani noted that terrorism has no nationality and borders, and the basis of the friendship between Armenia and Iran is a strong condemnation of terrorist acts.

The Iranian diplomat added that has great hope that his mission in friendly Armenia will be crowned with success.

Simonyan, in turn, expressed his belief that the ambassador will invest his efforts in deepening friendly relations between the two countries.

The parties discussed the importance of interparliamentary relations, emphasizing the importance of legislative interaction to provide prompt solutions to the arising issues.

Armenian-Iranian friendly parliamentary cooperation was particularly highlighted in the meeting.

The NA speaker noted that Iran has been and still remains a special partner for Armenia, as it contributes—with its balanced policy—to the establishment of peace and strengthening stability in the region.

In addition, Alen Simonyan drew the Iranian ambassador's attention to the ongoing blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan and the resultant severe humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, stressing the need to immediately lift this blockade.

The efforts of the Armenian side are aimed at establishing stable peace in the South Caucasus, which will be beneficial for all the peoples of the region, the senior legislator emphasized.

Armenia-Azerbaijan: Crucial to have ‘unimpeded passage’ of aid through Lachin Corridor, Security Council hears

Emil Lazarian
Aug 17 2023
There must be "rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for all civilians in need" via the Lachin Corridor, the UN Security Council heard on Wednesday. Delivering a briefing on the latest situation there, the Director of Operations and Advocacy for humanitarian affairs coordination office, OCHA, made clear that the UN was unable to independently verify information on the movement of people and goods along the corridor "or on the well-being of civilians in the areas where Russian peacekeepers have been deployed." Edem Wosornu said that OCHA was aware of ongoing reports of food and medicine shortages, and disruption to energy supplies which are needed to keep critical services such as health and water facilities operational. ## **Aid blocked** According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which is the only international humanitarian organisation with access to the region in the South Caucasus, it has not been possible to transport humanitarian assistance through the corridor "or any other route", for several weeks, the OCHA official said. Conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region has persisted for more than three decades, but a ceasefire was agreed following around six weeks of fighting, by the President of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister of Armenia, and Russia's President, in November 2020, leading to the deployment of several thousand Russian peacekeepers. Ms. Wosornu said that although medical evacuations were continuing, the ICRC had not been able to bring any medical items into the area since 7 July, with food deliveries stopping on 14 June. "International Humanitarian Law is very clear: parties must allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for all civilians in need", she told ambassadors. ## **Freedom of movement** "They must ensure that humanitarian relief personnel have the freedom of movement required for their functions. What matters is that passage is as rapid as possible under the circumstances." She said the ICRC was doing all it could, but "as a single organisation it can only cover the most urgent needs", calling for other "impartial humanitarian relief" to be allowed into the region by the parties. She added that a "sustainable solution for safe and regular transit of people and goods must be found." ## **'Intensify efforts' towards normalization** Ms. Wosornu referenced the deep concern over freedom of movement along the corridor expressed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement on 2 August this year, where he recalled the need for Orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding unimpeded movement "in both directions", to be implemented. In that statement, Mr. Guterres urged "both parties to intensify efforts towards the long-term normalization of relations for the benefit of peace and security in the region."

Azerbaijani Press: The UN Security Council meeting fails miserably for Armenia

Garik Boshkezenian
Trend, Azerbaijan
Aug 17 2023
Tahmaz Asadov

Read more

BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. It was obvious that the plan to "attack" Azerbaijan from different directions with the support of Armenia's patrons would be unsuccessful, Azerbaijan's Permanent Representative to the UN Yashar Aliyev said, Trend reports.

Despite the fact that trucks belonging to Armenia were waiting in positions at the beginning of the Lachin road, separatists in Karabakh transported military equipment from one point to another, dug trenches, held "protest actions" initiated by the Armenian diaspora in different countries, and distributed provocative statements and appeals from pro-Armenian congressmen. These provocations led to the fact that the discussions organized in the UN Security Council were aimed at forcing Baku to retreat.

The goal of Armenia and its patrons, who developed an action plan on the topic "how can we force Azerbaijan to take a step back", was to incite the Armenians to another confrontation with Azerbaijan and suffer losses. But Azerbaijan once again, both on the battlefield and in the diplomatic sphere, managed to surpass the Armenians and Armenian protectors.

In addition, Azerbaijan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Yashar Aliyev, speaking at a meeting of the UN Security Council, managed to put all of Armenia and pro-Armenian Western diplomacy before the facts.

He responded with facts to the provocative speech and the unfounded claims of the Armenian foreign minister and showed the world community who was right. At the meeting, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated without any reason that "hunger is an invisible weapon of genocide, and if measures are not taken, the Armenians in Karabakh will be destroyed." However, the facts announced by Yashar Aliyev put him in a helpless position.

In particular, Azerbaijan's permanent representative to the UN proved to Mirzoyan with facts collected from the social network that Armenians in Karabakh do not suffer from hunger. Therefore, the political power of Armenia returned from a foreign trip having suffered another fiasco.

This event has gone down in history as the "night of proof of dishonesty" not only of Yerevan but also of France, Iran, and other anti-Turkic states. In fact, Armenia and France are used to failure these days. This is the second collapse in France and Armenia. There was an attempt to raise this issue in the UN Security Council in December last year. As a result, in both cases, these attempts were unsuccessful.

The "Lachin Evening" at the UN Security Council was not actually organized to show concern for the fate of the Armenian residents of Karabakh. Foreign forces, including countries that want to enter the region through Armenia, are trying to change the geopolitical order, using this issue to achieve their intentions faster. However, as Azerbaijan has stated from the first day, it will take the necessary steps against any step by any foreign force that will threaten the territorial integrity, security, and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan did so.

According to Yashar Aliyev, if Armenia really thought about the ordinary residents of the region, then it would never object to the delivery of goods to the Karabakh region along the Aghdam-Khankendi road. This road is connected to one of Azerbaijan's main transport routes, the highway known as the Silk Road or M2, which provides reliable links to international markets. Compared to the 59-kilometer Lachin-Khankendi road, which runs through mountain serpentines, the length of this road between Aghdam and Khankendi is only 18 km. Today, as part of a trip to Aghdam, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan, including the office of the UN Resident Coordinator and other UN structures, witnessed the functioning of the road and its readiness for the transport of goods.

Yashar Aliyev responded to the accusations against Azerbaijan regarding the "famine" of the Armenian residents of Karabakh with photos and facts. At a meeting of the UN Security Council, Azerbaijan showed the opponents its fair position.

Yashar Aliyev presented photo facts to those who protected Armenians. Baku managed to win against the opponent at the table with patience and restraint at the UN Security Council meeting. Photos of weddings, birthdays, and concerts held in Khankendi by Armenian residents allegedly living under the conditions of the "blockade" presented as evidence in the meeting room revealed the lies of the opponents.

As a result, an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council convened by Armenia on the situation in Karabakh with the issue of "famine" ended without a result.

Moreover, Baku used all its opportunities to present Armenia to the world community as a hypocritical, manipulative, and aggressive country. If the heavy defeat they faced in the Second Karabakh War did not make the Armenian army smarter, then the results of the meeting organized by Armenia's own initiative in the UN Security Council should make them think. The Armenian authorities, lobbying organizations, and protectors, who are unwilling to accept today's reality and think that they will achieve something by putting pressure on Azerbaijan, should realize that Yerevan may face an even greater fiasco.

"In addition, they should be responsible for the provocations committed, including attempts by separatist troops to dig new trenches and build positions on the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan. Another heavy defeat for Armenia and its so-called regime may happen on the battlefield. Therefore, the surest way for Armenians is to agree to use the Aghdam-Khankendi road, as Azerbaijan suggests. The peace and reintegration of Karabakh Armenians into Azerbaijan depend on this," said Yashar Aliyev.

Man dies of starvation in unrecognized NKR, blockade continues

Emil Lazarian
JAM News
Aug 17 2023
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Starvation in Nagorno-Karabakh

“A case of death from starvation has been recorded in Artsakh,” NK Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan announced yesterday. A 40-year-old man died “due to chronic malnutrition and protein-energy malnutrition.” Statements that there is a catastrophic humanitarian situation in the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic come from Yerevan as well. The Office of the Ombudsman of Armenia analyzed the state of affairs in Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been blocked for 247 days.

“There was also a case of the death of an unborn child due to the impossibility of an ambulance arriving – there was no fuel,” the Armenian human rights defender said in a report.

A group of local residents held a protest in front of the military base of Russian peacekeepers stationed in NK. They stated that “all deaths will remain on Putin’s conscience.”

The Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the outside world, has been blocked since December 12, 2022. Since mid-June, Azerbaijan has banned all types of humanitarian supplies, including medicines. On July 26, the Armenian government sent humanitarian aid, which is still awaiting permission to pass through the border. In return, Baku offers supplies through the territory of Azerbaijan, which the NK Armenians consider unacceptable.

Only the International Committee of the Red Cross has limited access to the unrecognized republic, which periodically transports patients in need of treatment to Armenia. This process is also accompanied by incidents. On July 29, Azerbaijan detained 68-year-old Vagif Khachatryan, who was being transported by ICRC staff to Yerevan for urgent heart surgery. Baku accuses him of killing civilians in 1991. Khachatryan’s daughters claim that their father then worked as a driver and could not be “the organizer of the genocide.” Armenia declared that “detaining a person under the protection of the ICRC is a war crime.”

  • “Respect, not recognize territorial integrity”: a proposal to Pashinyan
  • “It is impossible to abandon the idea of opening the Lachin corridor by force.” Opinions from Yerevan
  • “Is there an unspoken agreement to leave us alone with Baku?” – President of the unrecognized NKR

Armenian Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan made a statement on the situation in NK. She stressed that the blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan led to gross violations of the fundamental rights of the Armenian population. In particular, we are talking about a violation of the right to life, dignity, protection of physical and mental health, freedom of movement, personal and family life, housing, education, food, an adequate standard of living:

“The humanitarian crisis has a particularly negative impact on the rights of vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly, women, people with disabilities, etc. In particular, 30,000 children, 9,000 disabled people, 20,000 old people and 60,000 women are under blockade” .

According to the human rights activist, the humanitarian catastrophe manifests itself in all spheres of people’s lives:

  • “Grocery stores are completely lacking food, essentials and hygiene items, or there are extremely few of them, you can buy them only by standing in huge lines.
  • There have been cases of shortages of medicines, and in some cases their complete absence.
  • Due to malnutrition and a daily deterioration in the well-being of people, more and more cases of fainting are being recorded.
  • Due to the lack of sufficient food, the number of preterm births has increased.
  • Public transport has been completely stopped since July 25 due to an acute shortage of fuel.
  • Problems with the provision of drinking water due to power outages have been recorded.”

Manasyan focused on the problems of the residents of the villages of Yeghtsaoh, Khin Shen, Mets Shen and Lisagor in the Shusha region. Since April 2023, after the establishment of a checkpoint on the Khakari bridge by Azerbaijan, these settlements have been cut off from the rest of the territory of NK and have been under complete blockade.

“The current humanitarian catastrophe is a direct manifestation of the policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide, fueled by hatred towards Armenians on the part of the Azerbaijani authorities. The ultimate goal of this policy is the expulsion of its indigenous Armenian population from Nagorno-Karabakh,” she said.

The human rights defender announced the need to stop the irreversible processes of the deepening humanitarian catastrophe as soon as possible.

The body of a man who starved to death. Photo from the NK Ombudsman’s Facebook page

Since the middle of June, Azerbaijan has banned the delivery of not only food, but also humanitarian goods from Armenia. How people survive and what do they think about their future?

On the night of August 15, a group of local residents began a peaceful action, blocking the entrance to the base of Russian peacekeepers in NK. They demanded to unblock the Lachin corridor.

The protesters believe that the lack of food could result in mass loss of life. In this regard, they called on the peacekeepers to tell their commander-in-chief, Russian President Putin, that “all deaths will remain on his conscience.” They also reminded the Russian military that the Russian president had promised the locals a decent life, but had not kept his promise.

“If you do not notice the genocidal policy of Ilham Aliyev, then Russia becomes a participant in the genocide. You must comply with the provisions of the statement signed by your president on November 9 [2020] regarding the provision of unimpeded movement along the Lachin corridor]. Otherwise, Russia and Vladimir Putin become participants in the crime prepared by Aliyev,” Artur Osipyan, a member of the initiative group, said addressing the peacekeepers.

In the morning, the RCC servicemen managed to forcefully remove the car with which the protesters blocked the entrance to the military base.

It is not yet known when the meeting of the Security Council will take place.

Speaking about Baku’s proposal to deliver humanitarian supplies to the Armenians under blockade through the territory of Azerbaijan, NK Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan stated:

“We see the danger and threat that the Lachin corridor will be closed forever if the route through Agdam is activated. Thus, we will lose contact with mother Armenia. In addition, it is necessary to understand that any cargo delivered from Azerbaijan is unacceptable for the people, this is not a whim of the NK authorities. Citizens emphasized during the meetings that the supply of Azerbaijani goods would be an infringement on their dignity for them. Only after the complete unblocking of the Lachin corridor will it be possible to talk about alternative roads.”

Statements from Yerevan and Baku, comments by Armenian cartographers and analysts on the road proposed by Azerbaijan

On the eve of the Armenian Defense Ministry, it was reported that units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire on EU observers patrolling the border in the direction of the settlement of Verin Shorzha and their car. The mission initially announced that this information was not true. But after the publication of a video in the Armenian Telegram channels, where one of the observers talks about the shots in their direction, the information about the shelling was confirmed, and the refutation was deleted.

Political scientist Hovsep Khurshudyan believes that the shelling of European observers was Azerbaijan’s response to the refutation by the EU mission of misinformation, which was previously spread from Baku. Civilian observers monitoring the Armenian-Azerbaijani border denied the report that there is an accumulation of military equipment and troops from the Armenian side:

“We do not see any unusual military movements or concentrations, especially near the Lachin corridor.”

An Armenian political scientist said that the shelling that followed this denial was “a small punishment for Europeans from Aliyev.”

Baku announced the accumulation of Armenian troops on the border on August 14. Armenia immediately denied this information:

“One of the purposes of the disinformation organized by Azerbaijan is to divert the attention of the international community from the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh and its steps to carry out ethnic cleansing through a humanitarian catastrophe.”



Perspectives: Pakistan and India wage proxy struggle in Nagorno-Karabakh

Jhanna Virabian
EurasiaNet.org
Aug 17 2023
Svenja Petersen Aug 17, 2023

The India-Pakistan rivalry is most closely associated with the simmering conflict in Kashmir. Less known is the two countries’ deepening involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Karabakh is emerging as an extension of the Kashmir conflict for the South Asian rivals, with both now supplying arms to the principal combatants – Armenia and Azerbaijan. While Pakistan has been siding with Azerbaijan since the outbreak of the First Karabakh War in the early 1990s, India entered the picture as an arms purveyor to Armenia only after Yerevan’s crushing defeat in the Second Karabakh War in 2020. 

Pakistani support for Azerbaijan is intertwined with Islamabad’s close strategic relationship with Turkey, Baku’s primary patron. The Pakistani government was second after Turkey in recognizing Azerbaijan’s independence following the Soviet collapse in 1991, and Islamabad has never acknowledged Armenia’s independence. The Pakistani and Azerbaijani militaries have reportedly been conducting joint exercises since 2016 and maintain extensive strategic security contacts. Although officially unconfirmed, Pakistani military advisers reportedlyparticipated in the Second Karabakh War, providing tactical advice on operations in Karabakh’s highlands. Some observers believe Islamabad may sell Pakistani- and Chinese-designed JF-17 fighter jets to Azerbaijan. 

India’s support for Armenia shifted into high gear in the fall of 2022 with the provision of $245 million worth of Indian artillery systems, anti-tank rockets and ammunition. In May, Yerevan announced it was adding a military attaché to its embassy in New Delhi, tasked with deepening bilateral military cooperation. 

Increased Indian support may prove crucial for Armenia as it strives to counter Azerbaijan’s strategic pressure in Karabakh. Yerevan’s traditional strategic partner, Russia, is bogged down by its disastrous invasion of Ukraine, and now appears to lack the resources and the will to play a major role in fostering a durable Karabakh settlement. The hope in Yerevan is that Indian assistance can help Armenia offset the support that Azerbaijan receives from Turkey, Pakistan and Israel.

Pakistan’s involvement in the Karabakh conflict is helping cement an Ankara-Baku-Islamabad alliance, informally dubbed the “Three Brothers.” The three states are all nominally democracies that have drifted to varying degrees from a pluralistic path, and which likewise have predominantly Muslim populations. The fact that all three are engaged in territorial/ethnic conflicts also acts as a binding agent, encouraging them to assist each other strategically and diplomatically. Reports circulated in early August that Pakistan may soon join Azerbaijan as a partner in a Turkish-led effort to develop a new-generation stealth fighter, dubbed Kaan. 

India’s decision to get involved in the Karabakh conflict is driven by two factors – one strategic, the other economic; the country’s own complicated history with Islam also plays a role. Azerbaijan’s victory in 2020 set off alarms in New Delhi by upending what New Delhi perceived to be a geostrategic balance in the Caucasus. Wary of rising Turkish-Muslim influence there, Indian leaders felt they had to step up cooperation with Armenia, which they hope can once again act as a countervailing regional force. This tendency to side with a non-Muslim party of a local conflict is also seen in India’s support for Israel, Serbia and Myanmar.

The overriding concern in New Delhi is that if Azerbaijan achieves its strategic goals in Karabakh, the Ankara-Baku-Islamabad grouping may concentrate its energies on Kashmir. Indian support for Armenia, then, can be interpreted as a forward-defense tactic to keep Pakistan in check in Kashmir. India’s involvement in Karabakh is also encouraging closer ties between New Delhi and Iran, which likewise has strong relations with Armenia rooted in a desire to diminish Turkish and Azerbaijani influence in the Caspian Basin. 

India also sees Armenia as a potential economic opportunity. New Delhi hopes it can profit from being an arms supplier, filling a gap left by Russia’s strategic downsizing in the Caucasus. New Delhi’s ambitions, however, are complicated by the fact India itself is a heavy importer of Russian arms: roughly three-quarters of its military equipment comes from Russia. And Moscow is becoming increasingly hard-pressed to fulfill export orders, as it struggles to replace battlefield losses in Ukraine. The Indian arms industry will thus be challenged to meet the country’s own growing needs while supplying Armenia too.

On the ground, India is quickly finding itself drawn into the Karabakh conflict’s propaganda dimension. In late June, an Azerbaijani news outlet published a report claiming that Indians were being recruited to fight as mercenaries in Karabakh. A commentary published July 5 by the Indian newspaper The Statesman described the Azerbaijani report as a “cock-and-bull story” cooked up by Pakistan’s ISI intelligence agency.

While it’s too early to say how growing Pakistani and Indian involvement will shape further developments in Karabakh, the new geopolitical configuration is indicative of the declining influence of traditional power brokers, such as the OSCE, NATO and CSTO. India and Pakistan are proving in Karabakh that geopolitics is moving in a multi-polar direction.

Svenja Petersen is a Berlin-based political economist and researcher focusing on the former Soviet Union.

The forgotten crisis happening at the doors of the EU where 100,000 people are starving

Liana Toganian
Express, UK
Aug 17 2023
By TOM WATLING

Yury Melkonyan, 64, sits in his house damaged by shelling from Azerbaijan's artillery (Image: AP )

A territorial dispute on the doorsteps of the European Union has left more than 100,000 civilians facing starvation.

Ethnically Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, more than 60 miles from the Armenian border, have little to no access to food and medical supplies following a lengthy Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

Nagorno-Karabakh was recognized as Azerbaijani following a Russian-negotiated peace settlement with Armenia that ended 44 days of fighting, and which claimed the lives of 6,000 soldiers, in 2020.

Under the deal, Russian peacekeepers were deployed to Karabakh to guard the only road left linking the enclave with Armenia, the so-called Lachin Corridor.

But in December 2022, with Russia concentrating on its “special military operation” in Ukraine, Azerbaijan began a blockade of the three-mile road into Karabakh, closing the territory.

Justifying their decision, they accused Armenia of engaging in a “provocative and irresponsible political campaign” to undermine Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which includes Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor.

In the infancy of the blockade, Russian peacekeepers and Red Cross aid workers were permitted to cross the corridor.

But the Russians stationed there, with its governing forces focussed on Ukraine, have avoided risking conflict to ensure the corridor is not entirely claimed by Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, Red Cross aid workers, who had been ensuring the Karabakh population receive food and medical supplies in accordance with the peace settlement, have been accused of smuggling contraband into the territory.

Their last delivery of aid was on July 7, according to Zara Amatuni, a spokesperson for the charity in Armenia.

A 19-truck convoy carrying around 360 tonnes of humanitarian cargo from Armenia has now been stuck at the entrance of the Lachin Corridor for the past two weeks, waiting for permission to pass through Azerbaijan’s checkpoint.

Last month, Arayik Harutyunyan, the president of Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh in Armenia, declared the region a “disaster zone”.

Residents of Stepanakert, the de-facto capital of Karabakh, told The Daily Telegraph that being in the cut-off community was like “living in a concentration camp”.

Armine Hayrapetyan, 45, said: “We have lost our freedom, lost our rights. Now, it is like we are living in a concentration camp.”

Her diabetic aunt, unable to replenish her vital pills to lower her blood sugar levels, has only five left before she runs out. “After that she doesn’t know what to do,” she said.

Nina, a 23-year-old ethnic Armenian living in Karabakh, said she struggled to eat just a basic amount of food each day, adding: “If this continues, people will end up dying.”

In the latest United Nations meeting on the crisis on Wednesday (August 17), Armenia’s foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan told the council that as a result of the blockade, there is no economic activity in Nagorno-Karabakh, thousands of people are unemployed, stores are empty and women, children and the elderly stand in long lines to be able to buy bread, fruit and vegetables. In addition, he said, Azerbaijan has disrupted the supply of electricity through the only high voltage line between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh since January 9.

Mirzoyan quoted a report from Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, saying “there is a reasonable basis to believe that a genocide is being committed” as a result of the blockade.

AW: Camp Javakhk: A life-changing experience

Lara Chatinian
 Isabel Hagobian Reflections 0

Isabel Hagobian with an enthusiastic group of campers in Ninotsminda

Javakhk is so far away — yet it’s all about perspective. 

Camp Javakhk is an opportunity you can only experience if you take an extra step out of your comfort zone. Picture it: we take the journey across the Armenian border into Javakhk, our historic Armenian land, and have the chance to make an immense impact on its youth.

Camp Javakhk is a day camp program of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS). It takes place in the southern region of Georgia bordering northern Armenia. The region of Javakhk is part of Armenia’s rightful historic borders and consists of an Armenian-majority population. The camp is held in the four towns of Akhalkalak, Akhaltskha, Ninotsminda and Dzalka. Volunteers from the Armenian Diaspora serve as camp counselors and create valuable bonds with the youth in Javakhk. Last year, I participated in the program for a week in Akhalkalak. Fortunately, I was able to take time off from work this year to spend a week in Ninotsminda, and it was worth every second.

Day-to-day life at Camp Javakhk is as one might expect. The day begins with the Armenian and Georgian national anthems, morning exercises, arts and crafts, sports and other activities. The difference is the children of Javakhk. They arrive a half hour early, eager for the day to begin, and leave with the same smiles they started the morning with, even more excited for the next day. By the end of camp, the children have made an equal impact on you as you have made on them.

The attachment of the campers cannot be put into words. It wouldn’t be a day at Camp Javakhk without being welcomed in the morning with the sound of hundreds of campers screaming “բարի լույս” (good morning), Nareh proudly singing “Sardarabad,” Samo eagerly wanting to read aloud the educational about Armenia’s First Republic, Mane painting an Armenian flag on your arm, Khoren hugging you until you cannot feel your arms, Mari begging for Armenian dance to be the next activity, and Eva asking you to promise that you will return next year.

The relationships you form at Camp Javakhk are not only with campers. Counselors are also assigned an “օգնական” (helper). They are older and knowledgeable youth members of Javakhk who help the counselors run the camp smoothly. After camp hours, they show the counselors around town and take them on excursions. Participants are able to create real friendships with the locals. Ultimately, the hope is that our “օգնական” will continue as a young leader in Javakhk throughout the year, and we will bring back the lessons they taught us to our local communities.

Isabel Hagobian with a camper in Ninotsminda

The beauty of Camp Javakhk is that although the Armenians of Javakhk face restrictions by the Georgian government for being Armenian, we are able to instill the pride of being Armenian in our campers by teaching them Armenian history, songs, dance, traditions and more. This summer, one of the songs my campers learned was Hayortik. “Հայորդիք որ կ՚ապրիք դուք հեռուն, մի մոռնաք մեր հայոց պատմութիւն” (Armenians who live far away, do not forget our Armenian history). The lyrics of this song tie together our purpose for Camp Javakhk and one of the greater goals we have in the Armenian Diaspora. No matter how far we live from our motherland, we are the future of Armenia. The kids of Javakhk are the future, and the hope the children of Javakhk give us fuels us with the strength to continue our fight in the Armenian Diaspora. The song’s chorus repeats the word “բարձր” (high), which stresses that regardless of the challenges Armenians have experienced, we will never be defeated. Similarly, the Armenians of Javakhk represent Armenian perseverance under foreign limitations. Our presence in Javakhk displays that the Armenians of Javakhk will not be forgotten.

A short time spent volunteering in Javakhk is worth a lifetime of memories for the Armenian youth of Javakhk. We may not be able to see the immediate difference we make in the campers’ lives, but we notice a difference in ourselves. I encourage everyone to apply to Camp Javakhk. It may be out of your comfort zone. You may be anxious about working with a group of unfamiliar faces, unknown routines and new surroundings, but the most important thing to know is that there are no expectations that Camp Javakhk cannot beat. Javakhk will soon feel like your home too.

I cannot imagine not returning. So, until next time Javakhk.

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Isabel Hagobian is an IT analyst and a recent graduate of Villanova University, where she majored in mathematics and minored in computer science. Isabel is a member of the AYF New York “Hyortik” Chapter and is currently the chapter treasurer. She has served on the AYF Eastern Region Central Educational Council and Central Camp Javakhk Council.


Philadelphia-based artist Adam Torcomian publishes art book

Kanayan Tamar
 Vani Hanamirian Art, Culture 1

Adam John Torcomian (Photo: Vani Hanamirian)

Armenian artist Adam John Torcomian adapted his camera to his late mother’s lens. He looked at the world through her eyes and saw an opportunity to make an impact on the Philadelphia Armenian community. On April 1, he began working on his art collection book titled Torcomian, and on May 18 it was released to the public. 

The book was a success for Torcomian, not because it sold out in less than a month, but because the first page of his book outlines a dedication to his mother. Using her lens, he saw how his work could impact people and help the community.  

Torcomian graduated from Armenian Sisters Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has a bachelor’s degree in Computing and Informatics: Information Systems with a minor in music from Drexel University.

Since graduating, Torcomian has focused more on his art, specializing in black and white film, paintings and drawings. His artwork is “all on paper, and I use all different types of mediums. It’s all traditional; mainly I’ll use oil paint, oil, pastel, charcoal, graphite pencils,” he said in an interview with the Weekly. Torcomian creates his artwork with purposeful lines and colors that come together on the canvas and create something beautiful. His art is thought-provoking and open to interpretation. 

Torcomian’s art shows who he is on a canvas. While speaking with Torcomian, he had a warm, open approach. Torcomian has an Armenian personality, meaning he is friendly to all and eager to learn from others. He posed questions to me about my life and artistic opinions even though he was the one being interviewed. 

Torcomian is filled with curiosity. He is ambitious and up for a challenge or adventure. After our interview, he ran around Philadelphia to retrieve my lost bag that was left at the restaurant where we met. 

In March, Torcomian decided that he was going to make a book of his artwork. “A few of my buddies were like, ‘That’s way too ambitious,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, probably.’ But I knew I would figure it out, and I knew I wanted to do it all myself, because it was dedicated to my mom,” Torcomian said. 

A painting by Torcomian (Photo: Vani Hanamirian)

On April 1, Torcomian started working on his book. “Every single day I would just do something that had to do with the book. I didn’t take one day off, which doesn’t sound like much. People work a lot harder than that, but it was definitely interesting. Even when you don’t feel like it, you still pick up the pencil.”

When making the book, Torcomian focused on the message he was trying to send with his artwork. “You want to find a way to be true to yourself, but you also want to make something interesting, so I was really happy I stuck with this. Rather than looking at it like a form, I look at it as a moment in time or an event and think about it more emotionally, rather than thinking, ‘Is that a face?’”

On May 18, 2023, Torcomian released 100 copies of his self-titled book. The final product was 74 pages, filled with photographs, paintings, text and works on paper. Torcomian did all of the page design and cover himself, which took him one month to complete. 

“The art was the easy part. The hard part was figuring out the pieces that work in tandem to put in the spread of the book. The second hardest part was actually making a book in Adobe InDesign. [It was] so hard because I never learned that before,” Torcomian said. 

On June 11, 2023, Torcomian sold out all 100 copies, in just under one month since it was published. Most of the sales were through word of mouth, according to Torcomian.

Torcomian dedicated the book to his late mother, Laura (DerMarderosian) Torcomian, who passed away on April 14, 2021. Laura had a passion for art, despite never pursuing it as a career. “She had all these projects that she would do in school and she had a whole portfolio, and then I found her lens,” Torcomian said. He then decided to use his mom’s old camera and has since shot several images with it. “I figured out how to adapt it to my camera, because she had an old school film camera,” he said. 

Laura was involved with the Armenian Sisters Academy, from which Adam graduated. He donated 50-percent of the proceeds from the book to the Academy. 

He continues to make artwork, which are available for purchase on his website. According to Torcomian, “If you’re just trying to express yourself, you can never fail, and know in your heart it doesn’t really matter what people think.”

Torcomian’s art studio (Photo: Vani Hanamirian)

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Vani Hanamirian is a student from the Philadelphia area. She is currently enrolled at Emerson College with a major in journalism and a minor in marketing. She works primarily in freelance journalism, having been published in the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Moorestown Sun. Vani also works at her school newspaper, the Berkeley Beacon. She is a member of the ACYOA at Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Cheltanham, PA.


Charqute: A story of “heart and altruism”

Lara Chatinian
 Talar Keoseyan Food, Diaspora, Culture 1

Charqute board for the 95th Oscars (Instagram)

The latest trend captivating food enthusiasts worldwide is the craft of charcuterie boards. Karreno Alexanyan, a former corporate banker turned food entrepreneur, is at the forefront of this trend. His story is not just about reinvention, but also heart and altruism.

Alexanyan, with a 14-year tenure in corporate banking, opted for a sabbatical year, during which he ventured into diverse culinary experiences while traveling across the world. His curiosity about global cuisine inspired him to work as a private chef, a venture cut short by the pandemic. However, an intriguing proposition from a friend to create a “grazing table in a box” led to the conception of Charqute, an ingenious fusion of “charcuterie” and “cute.”

Karreno Alexanyan

Charqute was poised for an October 2020 launch, yet plans were abruptly thwarted by the onset of the Artsakh War. Amid such dire circumstances, launching a business seemed inappropriate to Alexanyan. Therefore, he chose to support the war-affected families by crafting charcuterie boards and channeling all proceeds toward Armenian organizations and families.

Charqute was officially launched on December 1, 2020. Alexanyan strategically utilized social media, specifically Tik Tok and Instagram, where he has since amassed over 160,000 followers through his innovative videos. 

Alexanyan’s social media success has garnered the attention of celebrities. He has received a collaboration invitation from Netflix for the Emmy Awards, closely followed by a partnership with Paramount Pictures. His content, featuring products from local and chain markets such as Costco and Trader Joe’s, has even caught the attention of Barbara Cochran from Shark Tank. He has also collaborated with 99 Cents Only Stores and Amazon Fresh. 

Reflecting on his journey, Alexanyan said, “It’s a cycle. The money that comes in is reinvested in the business. I started engaging with schools and contributing to fundraisers. Charqute is not a business operating solely for profit, but aims to give back to society. Every day presents a new adventure.” Emphasizing the importance of authenticity, relationship-building and loving one’s work, he inspires others to remain genuine, enjoy the process and support those who bolster our community.

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Talar Keoseyan is a mother, educator and writer. Talar’s book called Mom and Dad, Why Do I Need to Know My Armenian Heritage? is available on Amazon. Tigran’s Song is available at Abril Bookstore. She has been an educator for 25 years and resides in Los Angeles, CA. She can be reached at


https://armenianweekly.com/2023/08/16/charqute-a-story-of-heart-and-altruism/?fbclid=IwAR3kwmh-I-TlxOLCwpBw1arO9MpgjkY9WaKdWMPQ0OFuIpjsVOvX0hO_2nU