Category: 2023

                                        Tuesday, 


Russian FM Hosts Fresh Armenian-Azeri Talks


Russia - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets his Armenian and 
Azerbaijani counterparts in Moscow, .


Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov signaled lingering major obstacles to an 
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal late on Tuesday after hosting fresh talks 
between his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts in Moscow.

Lavrov described the trilateral talks as “useful” but reported no concrete 
agreements reached by the three ministers.

He said he stressed the need to end a grave humanitarian crisis in 
Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin corridor 
supposedly controlled by Russian peacekeepers. But he gave no indications that 
Baku agreed to unblock Armenia’s vital supplies of food, medicine, energy and 
other essential items to Karabakh.

In his opening remarks at the talks, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan 
said the “illegal” blockade is “complicating the negotiation process.” Speaking 
at a separate meeting with Lavrov held earlier in the day, Mirzoyan expressed 
hope that “some solutions” to the crisis will be found during their discussion 
with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

A peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan was also high on the agenda of the 
trilateral meeting.

“The path is not easy,” Lavrov said, commenting on prospects for its signing. 
“There are quite a few complex and important issues to be resolved.

“The most sensitive of them was and remains the problem of guaranteeing the 
rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in the context of 
ensuring the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in full accordance with the 
1991 Declaration signed by the leaders of the former Soviet republics in Almaty. 
Its validity is confirmed today by both the Azerbaijani and Armenian leadership.”

Russia - Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks after hosting talks between his 
Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts, Moscow, .

The Armenian government, Lavrov went on, “understands the need to convince the 
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to meet as soon as possible with Azerbaijani 
representatives” and ascertain their “rights” in accordance with international 
conventions designed to protect ethnic minorities.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has pledged to recognize Azerbaijani 
sovereignty over Karabakh during talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 
mediated by the European Union. In a clear jibe at Yerevan, the Russian Foreign 
Ministry said earlier this month that Pashinian’s move “radically” changed 
negotiation process.

Lavrov indicated that Armenia and Azerbaijan are much closer to working out 
modalities of planned transport links between the two South Caucasus nations. 
But he did not say when such an agreement could be finalized by a 
Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani task force dealing with the matter.

Mirzoyan and Bayramov held two rounds of intensive U.S.-mediated negotiations 
outside Washington in May and June. Meanwhile, the EU’s top official, Charles 
Michel, hosted a series of fresh meetings between Aliyev and Pashinian in 
Brussels. Russia claims that the main aim of the Western powers if to drive it 
out of the South Caucasus.

Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow “understands” the conflicting sides’ 
“interest” in not only Russian but also Western mediation efforts.

“But there should be no attempts to artificially impose certain agreements not 
in the interests of the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples but for the sake of 
nice headlines in the media and geopolitical and domestic political 
considerations,” he said.




Karabakh Leaders Blast Pashinian’s Stance


Armenia - People demonstrate in Yerevan in a show of solidarity with 
Nagorno-Karabakh, .


Nagorno-Karabakh’s leadership demanded late on Tuesday that Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian walk back on his plans to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over 
Karabakh through an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty.

It also said that the Karabakh Armenians will not give up their right to 
self-determination despite Azerbaijan’s seven-month blockade of the Lachin 
corridor and the resulting crippling shortages of food, medicine, fuel and other 
essential items in the Armenian-populated region.

“Artsakh and the people of Artsakh cannot be part of Azerbaijan,” the Karabakh 
premier, Gurgen Nersisian, told thousands of people who again rallied in 
Stepanakert’s central square in protest against the blockade.

“Any oral or written statements by Armenia recognizing Artsakh and the people of 
Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan are unacceptable,” Nersisian said. “As the ongoing 
events show, they are destructive for Artsakh and encourage new criminal acts 
committed by Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh. Azerbaijan is openly 
demonstrating what awaits Armenians under Azerbaijani rule.”

“We are demanding that the Republic of Armenia abandon its intention to 
recognize Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan and such an approach to normalizing 
relations,” he went on. “This approach cannot ensure peace in the region and a 
safe and dignified existence of the people of Artsakh. What is more, it cannot 
even guarantee Armenia’s existence because the target of the Turkish-Azerbaijani 
duo is not Artsakh but the Armenian people and statehood.”

Nersisian clearly responded to Pashinian’s statements made at a news conference 
in Yerevan earlier in the day. The Armenian premier defended his policy on the 
conflict with Azerbaijan and said that “Armenia cannot decide the fate of the 
people of Nagorno-Karabakh.” He chided the authorities in Stepanakert for their 
reluctance to embark on a dialogue with Baku on the “rights and security” of the 
Karabakh Armenians.

Nersisian claimed that most citizens of Armenia do not support Pashinian’s 
stance and are “ready to declare that if need be.” The restoration of 
Azerbaijani control over Karabakh would lead to a “subjugation” and 
“extermination” of its population, he said.

Pashinian already drew condemnation from Stepanakert as well as the Armenian 
opposition when he stated in May that he recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial 
integrity.




Red Cross Seeks Permission To Resume Aid To Karabakh


Nagorno-Karabakh - Empty shelves at a food store in Stepanakert.


The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Tuesday that it must 
be allowed to resume relief supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh which has been 
struggling with severe shortages of essential items due to Azerbaijan’s blockade 
of the Lachin corridor.

“The civilian population [of Karabakh] is now facing a lack of life-saving 
medication and essentials like hygiene products and baby formula,” the ICRC said 
in a statement. “Fruits, vegetables, and bread are increasingly scarce and 
costly, while some other food items such as dairy products, sunflower oil, 
cereal, fish, and chicken are not available. The last time the ICRC was allowed 
[by Azerbaijan] to bring medical items and essential food items into the area 
was several weeks ago.”

“Our humanitarian aid convoys are a lifeline for the population in this area. 
With these convoys blocked, our concern is that the humanitarian situation will 
further deteriorate,” the statement quoted the ICRC’s regional director for 
Eurasia, Ariane Bauer, as saying.

“This is life-saving work, and it must be allowed to continue,” Bauer added, 
urging the conflicting sides to reach a “humanitarian consensus” for that 
purpose.

The Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers stationed in Karabakh began sending 
limited amounts of humanitarian aid to Karabakh after Azerbaijan blocked 
commercial traffic through the Lachin corridor last December. Baku halted those 
relief supplies as well on June 15, aggravating the humanitarian crisis in the 
region. The ICRC has since been intermittently allowed to only evacuate 
critically ill Karabakh patients to Armenian hospitals.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said it “took note” of the ICRC statement while 
warning the Geneva-based organization against “abusing” its mandate. It also 
said the Armenian side has rejected its offer to supply Karabakh with basic 
necessities from Azerbaijan proper and the town of Aghdam in particular.

Karabakh’s leadership has described the offer as a cynical ploy designed to 
facilitate the restoration of Azerbaijani control over the Armenian-populated 
territory.

The ICRC noted in this regard that it is “not currently able to bring 
humanitarian assistance to the civilian population through the Lachin corridor 
or through any other routes, including Aghdam.”

Its statement came amid worsening food and fuel shortages that have brought 
economic life in Karabakh to a standstill. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat 
Mirzoyan said last week that the region is “on the verge of starvation” and 
called for stronger international pressure on Baku.




Armenia Can’t Protect Karabakh, Says Pashinian


Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks during a news conference in 
Yerevan, .


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Tuesday defended his recognition of 
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and said that Armenia is not in a position to 
“decide the fate” of Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian population.

“Our position is that Armenia cannot decide the fate of the people of 
Nagorno-Karabakh and it follows the logic that Nagorno-Karabakh’s 
representatives themselves must be a party to negotiations, dialogue [with 
Azerbaijan,]” Pashinian told a news conference.

“This is the agenda that we are furthering, bearing in mind that the rights and 
security of Nagorno-Karabakh should be discussed with the participation of 
Nagorno-Karabakh’s representatives in the format of a Baku-Stepanakert dialogue 
and within the framework of an international mechanism. And I think that the 
people, the representatives, the government of Nagorno-Karabakh will have an 
opportunity to address all issues preoccupying them within the framework of this 
formula.”

Pashinian sparked domestic uproar in May when he pledged to recognize 
Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh through an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace 
treaty. Members of his political team have linked the signing of such a treaty 
to an internationally mediated dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert on “the 
rights and security” of the Karabakh Armenians.

Karabakh’s leadership and the Armenian opposition have denounced Pashinian’s 
stance. They say the restoration of Azerbaijani rule would only force the 
Karabakh Armenians to flee the territory.

Arayik Harutiunian, the Karabakh president, insisted late on Monday Armenia’s 
leaders refrain from making statements recognizing the region as part of 
Azerbaijan. Pointing to the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin corridor and the 
deepening humanitarian crisis in Karabakh, Harutiunian said Baku is keen to “get 
rid of the people of Artsakh” through the blockade and “ethnic cleansing.”

“Saying that the Armenian government must be banned from recognizing 
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity effectively means banning Azerbaijan from 
recognizing Armenia’s territorial integrity or … contributing to the Azerbaijani 
policy of not recognizing Armenia’s territorial integrity,” Pashinian countered 
during his press conference.

“I am the prime minister of 29,800 square kilometers,” he said, referring to 
Armenia’s total area.

Speaking after Pashinian’s last meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 
hosted by him on July 15, European Council President Charles Michel said the two 
leaders reaffirmed their earlier “understanding that Armenia’s territory covers 
29,800 square kilometers and Azerbaijan’s 86,600 square kilometers.”

Azerbaijan’s total Soviet-era area cited by Michel includes Karabakh. Aliyev has 
not publicly confirmed recognizing Armenia’s existing borders.


Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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