Category: 2023

 16:37,

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting on March 17 with Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Imangali Tasmagambetov.

PM Pashinyan congratulated Tasmagambetov on assuming office as CSTO Secretary General, wishing him effective work, according to a read-out issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Armenian Prime Minister and the CSTO Secretary General exchanged views on the current situation in the CSTO area of responsibility, regional developments and security challenges. In this context they also discussed a number of issues related to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border situation and the CSTO collective defense mechanisms.

 17:18,

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Mayor of Yerevan Hrachya Sargsyan has resigned.

He announced his resignation during a meeting in City Hall.

Sargsyan was elected Mayor of Yerevan in December 2021.

He did not give a concrete reason for his resignation but said he will continue to be part of his political team, the Civil Contract Party. He added that he’s completed his objectives as mayor.

The next mayoral election is scheduled to take place in September.

 17:38,

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. In Saudi Arabia, master Tauasif bint Hamid bin Muqbil al-Unzi defended a thesis on the topic of the Armenian Genocide with distinction, reaffirming the historical fact that the Armenian Genocide really happened. She also spoke about the reasons behind the denial of this fact by some states.

She defended her master’s thesis on “Great Britain’s policy regarding the Armenian massacres of 1915” at the Department of History and Civilization, Faculty of Sociology, King Saud University, Riyadh.

In a conversation with ARMENPRESS, Tauasif bint Hamid bin Muqbil al-Unzi spoke about the motives for choosing the topic, the process and results of the study.

“I am ambitious and eager to delve into controversial historical issues such as massacres and atrocities, which are often avoided by historians due to their sensitivity. My interest in studying these topics stems from the following reasons:

Firstly, there is a scarcity of critical analytical studies specialized in Britain’s policy towards the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Secondly, there is a lot of debate and mystery surrounding the motives behind Britain’s stance on the Armenian Genocide of 1915, which necessitates clarification and interpretation based on sources.

Thirdly, I am interested in exploring this complementary topic to previous studies that focused on European history, which has had a lasting impact to this day. It is important to interpret it objectively for future generations.

Fourthly, Britain’s contemporary relevance and leadership in important historical events during that time cannot be ignored, as it played a prominent role more than any other neighboring country.

Finally, there are numerous important documentary materials related to Britain’s policy towards the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and their connection to most aspects of this policy, especially military attaché and officer correspondence”, she told ARMENPRESS.

The purpose of her study is to uncover Britain’s policy towards the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The study has several objectives, the most important of which are:

– Clarifying whether the Armenian Genocide of 1915 is attributed to the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid or the members of the Union and Progress Party.

– Tracing the historical policy of the Ottoman Empire towards the Armenians.

 – Identifying the motives that led Britain to take a stance towards the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

– Revealing and documenting Britain’s policy towards the Armenian Genocide of 1915 in both its political and military aspects.

According to Tauasif bint Hamid bin Muqbil al-Unzi, the study is based on a critical analytical historical approach that aims to observe, analyze, and criticize historical events to understand their course. It relies on documents to analyze them and interpret the reasons behind the events and positions taken, and then criticize them.

The author attaches importance to the thesis since it sheds light on a significant historical event and its impact on international relations. It also provides insight into the policies of major powers towards human rights violations and their role in shaping the world order.

“One of the most significant findings is that it is difficult to attribute the Armenian Genocide solely to the Ottoman Empire or the Union and Progress Party. This is due to two fundamental reasons:

Firstly, there were a series of minor massacres committed by some Ottoman Empire sultans before the occurrence of the major genocide during World War I.

Secondly, there was a Turkish nationalist tendency towards non-Turkish ethnic groups since the days of the Ottoman Empire, which was characterized by superiority. This tendency continued until the Union and Progress Party came to power.

Secondly, the international intervention to protect Christian ethnic groups from the oppression of the Ottoman Empire was based on political pretexts. The ethnic groups that had a cause or demand for self-determination and independence paid the price for this intervention peacefully in their geographical and historical regions.

Thirdly, British motives towards the Armenian Genocide can be summarized in two important factors:

Firstly, the strategic motives, as the Armenian issue’s continuity for Britain may have caused other European countries competing with it to refrain from intervening in Egypt and its attempts to impose protection on it. The strategic location of Armenia enables Britain to control the trade routes that connect it to Asia, reaching India, which may create many competitors for it, such as France and Russia. This motive led Britain to take a position towards the Armenian Genocide in 1915/1333 AH.

Secondly, the natural resources that Armenia is characterized by, which made Britain take a motive and position towards the Armenian Genocide, as well as the Armenian crisis since its inception. Britain also aimed to counter Russian competition in the region, which would affect British areas of influence and, therefore, its domination in general”, she says.

Speaking about political motivations behind the Armenian Genocide, the author of the thesis notes,

“The British motivations towards the Armenian Genocide were not impulsive, but rather had strategic and political roots that shaped their varied reactions towards the crisis. The governing principle of all these motivations was the application of the end justifies the means principle, according to the requirements of the international political circumstances.

The deeper political motivation, which is considered the cornerstone of Britain’s stance towards the Armenian Genocide of 1915, was not to be challenged by any of the great powers in the region and to dominate the scene by adopting complex and thorny issues such as the Armenian issue. This policy left the issue to become more complicated through the policy of ebb and flow towards this crisis, and never sought to achieve independence for the Armenians or to find a radical solution for them.

It became clear that international colonial competition had a negative impact on the Armenian people. Hence, the Armenian issue clearly demonstrated the conflicting interests of the major European powers in a way that made their agreement against the Ottoman Empire unattainable. Therefore, we found that positions varied from time to time towards the Armenian crisis.

From Britain’s political stance, it became clear that they used the Armenian issue as a pretext to intervene in the affairs of the Ottoman Empire with irregularity and according to their political and military interests. They pushed the Armenians to bear the tragedies of war and benefited from those tragedies, leaving them to their miserable fate. It is evident that the British press and public opinion played an active role in the crisis, forming a pressure factor on British politicians. They had varied reactions due to the influential public opinion within Britain, which reached the point of adopting some Armenian newspapers’ publications.

It became clear from the British military position towards the Armenian Genocide that the British viewed Armenia as a strategic location that should not be dominated by rising great powers such as Russia. Therefore, Armenia was geographically a gateway for Britain to achieve its interests and cut off the road for the Russians who were aspiring for economic and political domination towards the Middle East and India.

The clarity of Britain’s deep strategy towards the Ottomans was to make them drown in the largest number of crimes and then use them later for political blackmail and other purposes. One of the results of Britain’s policy towards the Armenian issue was the occurrence of the Armenian Genocide during World War I in 1915, which resulted in the dispersion of Armenians around the world.

The important and influential role of embassies during World War I, especially military attachés, led to deep intelligence efforts that created many strategic opportunities and contributed to achieving the interests of the Allied forces, led by Britain.

There was a well-organized arrangement years before the trials by the Allied powers regarding the trial of many war criminals, including the Turks. Although the war itself was a crime, during World War I, it seems to me that the classification of massacres and atrocities as war crimes emerged due to their heinousness.

One of the most important results of Britain’s policy towards the Armenian Genocide was the entry of the United States into World War I”.

Noting that the massacre did indeed occur historically, the author adds that the denial arises due to the involvement of multiple superpowers in this heinous incident. Therefore, they cannot admit to it because of this entanglement.

Speaking about Armenia, Tauasif bint Hamid bin Muqbil al-Unzi noted that Armenia is one of the oldest regions in the Middle East, stretching from the western shores of the Black Sea to the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean. The Armenian ethnicity can be traced back to the Indo-European race, and they are considered one of the oldest peoples in western Asia. Some claim that they are descendants of Japheth, the son of the prophet Noah, and that Hayk is the father of the Armenians. He was the first to establish a state in Armenia, called the Haykian state, and was blessed with a son named Armen or Armenak. The Armenians were named after him.

“To obtain scientific material, several scientific expeditions were conducted between 2019 and 2021 to a number of countries where Armenian communities exist. These communities are descendants of those who fell victim during the First World War genocide. These countries include Lebanon, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the United States of America. I faced many difficulties during my trips, especially in Lebanon, where I visited the Haigazian University in Beirut and met with Armenian professors and specialists in politics and history. The most prominent of them was Dr. Antranik Dakessian, who provided me with support. I also went on a scientific trip to Egypt, where I visited the Armenian Studies Center in Cairo, Armenian national committee office and met with Dr. Armen Mazloumian, the head of the Armenian National committee of Egypt, who provided me with all the support I needed. During my scientific visits, I had the opportunity to meet Christian clerics from different sects and visit historical Armenian cemeteries. Despite the difficulties I faced during my travels, I was determined to gather as much scientific material as possible to shed light on the rich history of Armenia and its people.

Overall, the Armenian people have a rich history and culture that deserves recognition and respect. It is important to acknowledge the atrocities they have faced and work towards justice and reconciliation”, the author of the thesis concluded.

 17:52,

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. On March 17, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received Imangali Tasmagambetov, the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia.

At the beginning of the meeting Minister Mirzoyan congratulated Imangali Tasmagambetov on assuming the position of the CSTO General Secretary, wishing him efficient work and success.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the current military-political situation in the region.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the need for a clear and targeted response of the organization to the military aggression carried out by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of Armenia, which is a member of the CSTO.

The humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan was touched upon. The Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the imperative to implement the provisions of the November 9, 2020 Trilateral Statement and the decision made by the International Court of Justice on February 22 regarding the request for provisional measures against Azerbaijan.

During the meeting the General Secretary of the CSTO shared his impressions from his visit to the city of Jermuk the day before.

The Foreign Minister underlined that the Azerbaijani side with its continuous provocations is disrupting the efforts to establish peace and stability in the region, while Azerbaijan’s bellicose rhetoric is aimed at preparing ground for the use of large-scale force against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, as well as Nagorno-Karabakh. In this context, the importance of the need to undertake active steps by the allies and partners of the Republic of Armenia towards fulfilling Azerbaijan’s obligations and excluding manifestations of the use of force by Azerbaijan was highlighted.

In the morning of the same day the CSTO General Secretary, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, visited Yerablur pantheon.

 17:58,

YEREVAN, 17 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 17 March, USD exchange rate down by 0.35 drams to 388.28 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.37 drams to 412.90 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 5.07 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 3.08 drams to 471.18 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 29.76 drams to 24002.63 drams. Silver price down by 1.31 drams to 274.76 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

 18:44,

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had a telephone conversation. ARMENPRESS reports, citing the Azerbaijani media, the ministers discussed regional issues, including the current situation in the South Caucasus, as well as the restoration processes after the devastating earthquake in Turkey.

 19:35,

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh welcomed the adoption of resolutions by the European Parliament on EU-Armenia and EU-Azerbaijan relations, expressing its belief that the resolutions of the European Parliament, including the recommendations on imposing sanctions on Azerbaijani officials, will be an important contribution to the common efforts aimed at ending the blockade and preventing Azerbaijan’s criminal plans to carry out ethnic cleansing and genocide in Artsakh.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Artsakh, the statement reads as follows,

“We welcome the call in the European Parliament resolutions of 15 March 2023 addressed to the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure the free and secure movement along the Lachin Corridor, as prescribed by the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020, and to comply with their obligations under the Order of the International Court of Justice of 22 February 2023. In this regard, we support the call of the European Parliament on the EU Council to impose targeted sanctions against Azerbaijani government officials, if the Order of the International Court of Justice of 22 February 2023 is not immediately implemented.

We consider it important that in its resolutions the European Parliament has clearly acknowledged that the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict, which has lasted for more than three decades and has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties, immense destruction and the forced displacement of thousands of people, remains unresolved.

In particular, members of the European Parliament expressed their legitimate and justified concern over the fact that the ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020, introduced following the 44-day war waged by Azerbaijan in 2020, has not been fully implemented, deadly military clashes continue to erupt periodically, the ceasefire has been violated repeatedly resulting in hundreds of casualties and the occupation of new territory by Azerbaijani troops, including the territory of the Republic of Armenia, and since 12 December 2022, civilian traffic between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh along the Lachin Corridor has been blocked, which has a negative impact on deliveries of food and other essential supplies to Artsakh.

In its resolution on EU-Azerbaijan relations, the European Parliament also recognised and condemned Turkey’s expansionist and destabilising role in the South Caucasus, which manifested itself, among other things, in sending Syrian mercenaries to the conflict zone to fight on the side of Azerbaijan, and expressed the position that for Turkey to play a constructive role in the region, it should reconsider its unconditional support for Azerbaijan and take tangible steps towards normalising relations with Armenia.

We share the position of European Parliamentarians that sustainable and lasting peace cannot be achieved through military means and the threat or use of force, but requires a comprehensive political settlement in accordance with international law, including the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, the 1975 OSCE Helsinki Final Act, in particular non-use of force, territorial integrity and equal rights and self-determination of peoples, as well as the Basic Principles of the OSCE Minsk Group of 2009.

In this regard, we concur with the European Parliament members that comprehensive peace requires an end to all violence and addressing the root causes of the conflict, including those related to ensuring the security and the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh and determining its final status, and the issue of the prompt and safe return of all refugees and internally displaced people to their homes.

We are confident that the resolutions of the European Parliament, including its recommendation to impose targeted sanctions against Azerbaijani government officials, will become an important contribution to the common efforts to end the blockade and stop Azerbaijan’s criminal plans to commit ethnic cleansing and genocide in Artsakh”.

 19:43,

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. The Hague-based International Criminal Court has issued international arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Children’s Rights Commissioner under the President of the Russian Federation Maria Lvova-Belova, ARMENPRESS reports, the Hague International Criminal Court said in a press release.

“Today, , Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “the Court”) issued warrants of arrest for two individuals in the context of the situation in Ukraine: Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Ms Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova.

Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, born on 7 October 1952, President of the Russian Federation, is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute). The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022. There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, (i) for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute), and (ii) for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission, and who were under his effective authority and control, pursuant to superior responsibility (article 28(b) of the Rome Statute).

Ms Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, born on 25 October 1984, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the  President of the Russian Federation, is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute). The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022. There are reasonable grounds to believe that Ms Lvova-Belova bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute).

Pre-Trial Chamber II considered, based on the Prosecution’s applications of 22 February 2023, that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children.

The Chamber considered that the warrants are secret in order to protect victims and witnesses and also to safeguard the investigation. Nevertheless, mindful that the conduct addressed in the present situation is allegedly ongoing, and that the public awareness of the warrants may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes, the Chamber considered that it is in the interests of justice to authorise the Registry to publicly disclose the existence of the warrants, the name of the suspects, the crimes for which the warrants are issued, and the modes of liability as established by the Chamber.

The abovementioned warrants of arrests were issued pursuant to the applications submitted by the Prosecution on 22 February 2023”, reads the press release of the International Criminal Court.

 19:57,

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. On March 17, Kavita Belani, the newly-appointed Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Armenia, handed over the letter of accreditation to Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahe Gevorgyan, ARMENPRESS was informed

Vahe Gevorgyan congratulated Ms. Belani on her appointment and expressed confidence that cooperation with the Representation will be further strengthened under her leadership.

The interlocutors touched upon the recent developments in the region, as well as the priorities of the Republic of Armenia on the issues concerning refugees, internally displaced persons, migration, as well as other related issues.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia highlighted the involvement of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in ensuring the return of displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with the November 9, 2020 Trilateral Statement.

 20:35,

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the head of the Armenian mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Iva Petrova and her delegation on March 17, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

Expressing satisfaction with the IMF-Armenia partnership, the Prime Minister attached importance to the IMF’s support for the Government’s reform agenda. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that last year Armenia recorded high indicators of economic growth and state revenue growth. The Prime Minister of Armenia emphasized that the Government is determined to continue the reforms in various directions and emphasizes consistent work with international partner structures along the way.

The head of the IMF mission in Armenia thanked for the high assessment and noted that the IMF will continue to support the economic progress of our country and the reforms initiated by the Government. According to her, Armenia’s economic indicators are quite noteworthy, and the IMF is interested in the development of effective cooperation.

The interlocutors referred to the partnership agenda, discussed issues related to the IMF-Armenia joint action plan.

The Prime Minister presented the reforms and recorded results in the diversification of the economy, ensuring financial and economic stability, improving the investment environment, infrastructure development, legislative regulations, fight against corruption, tax sector, and other directions as well.

The sides exchanged ideas on current economic trends and expectations from 2023.