Category: News

In the aftermath of the summit between Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents Serzh Sargsyan Azeri and Ilham Aliyev in Vienna, ’s Francesca Sabatinelli interviewed Simone Zoppellaro, Armenia Correspondent and Contributor for Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso (Balcan and Caucasus Observatory).

According to him, the meeting of the two Presidents after the April clashes, the worst ceasefire violation since 1994, was an important sign. The Presidents agreed to meet again next month and it is hoped this will lead to a peace agreement.

But what has so far prevented, and what still prevents the peace agreement? Zoppellaro said “Interests of many actors in the field, internal and external respect to this conflict collide. Azerbaijan is a particularly rich state oil and gas country and has one family, that of Aliyev, in power since 1969. The Karabakh conflict is used by this family in power to justify the various limitations of freedom.”

“Then there is Russia which is officially allied with Armenia, but sells weapons to Azerbaijan. So Russia is playing a double game, because it maintains an important presence in the South Caucasus. Europe and America have had, instead, a great indifference to this conflict and have never really tried to fix it. So, unfortunately, this situation has dragged on for a quarter of a century,” the journalist said.

He said that putting an end to this tension, these deaths seems to be on no one’s agenda. “It’s not really on the agenda of anyone! Recall that, among other things, for this conflict we had over 30 thousand deaths, over one million of refugees and displaced persons; the damages that we can imagine for the economy, for freedom, for equality of these two small countries, but they are also part of the Council of Europe, so Europe should also have a much more cooperative attitude, a much larger engagement in the conflict.

“I visited the village of Talish, which has become a ghost town after the April raids; the entire population is displaced; schools destroyed; homes destroyed; many dead, wounded, injured. And then I visited the trenches, which are another scene very impressive, also because it brings us back a hundred years ago, to what happened in Europe during the First World War. We still have today, a hundred years after the First World War, the trenches in which young people, day after day, burn their lives and face death. And all this is a really forgotten war,” Simone Zoppellaro said.

He said the Pope’s expected visit to Armenia is seen as a sign of great hope for this conflict. He believes that religion can also be a positive element for its resolution.

Reporters of “Radiolur” news program of Public Radio of Armenia present a photo report from Mataghis. Unlike , the village of Mataghis is returning to normal life. People are returning to their homes.

Both settlements came under heavy shelling in early April, when Azerbaijan unleashed large-scale military actions against Artsakh.

 

 

 

The reports on the Vienna meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are positive, US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills told reporters today. According to him, the parties’ commitment to the 1994-1995 ceasefire agreements is the greatest achievement.

“The agreement on the implementation of a mechanism of investigation of ceasefire violations along the line of contact is an expression of goodwill. The agreement to meet for another round of talks in June is also inspiring,” the Ambassador said.

“The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the government of my country are hopeful that the meeting will produce positive results and will lead to what we all want – comprehensive settlement of the Karabakh issue,” Richard Mills said.

By Marc Woods

Germany is set to vote on branding as genocide the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians by the Turks a century ago.

It’s a diplomatic nightmare for Germany, and for Europe. Turkey has agreed to stop the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean from its territory and take back from Greece any who succeed in crossing. There are questions over whether it will work and whether it’s even legal, but it’s exacted a high price for doing so, including visa-free travel for its citizens. It can do so because it holds all the cards: the migration crisis has shaken Europe to its foundations.

But Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, unpredictable and authoritarian, is quite capable of taking the huff about this. One of his recurring complaints about Europe is that it’s a Christian club, profoundly lukewarm about Turkey’s application to join it. A resolution in Germany pinning guilt for the genocide firmly on Turkey might just be the last straw.

And just to be clear: Turkey did commit genocide.

Article Two of the UN Convention on Genocide of December 1948 describes genocide as carrying out acts intended “to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group”.

In 1915-16, hundreds of thousands of Armenians were murdered in their homes or in camps in circumstances of extreme brutality. Women were gang-raped, set on fire and thrown over cliffs. Men had horseshoes nailed to their feet. They were sent on death marches across the desert where they starved or died of thirst or were beaten to death when they fell behind.

Turkey has consistently denied, in the face of all the evidence, that there was a systematic programme of extermination. It has, subtly and not-so subtly, sought to eradicate all traces of the Armenians from the places they once lived.

Questioning the official account of the genocide in Turkey is risky. Turkey’s most internationally famous novelist, Orhan Pamuk, made an off-the-cuff remark to a Swiss interviewer in 2005. Discussing freedom of expression in Turkey, he said that “a million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds were killed in this country and I’m the only one who dares to talk about it”. The backlash was instantaneous, even though he didn’t use the banned word ‘genocide’. The press attacked him fiercely, he received death threats and had to go into hiding. Pamuk was threatened with prosecution, though the charges were dropped.

Journalist Hrant Dink, who also wrote about the genocide, was shot dead in January 2007 by teenage ultra-nationalist, Ogun Samast, who was jailed for 23 years in July 2011 for the crime.

Even Pope Francis has to walk on diplomatic eggshells. Last year he referred to the killings as “the first genocide of the 20th century”, resulting in the recall of Turkey’s ambassador to the Vatican, and his visit to Armenia next month will be another flashpoint.

Britain has declined to describe the events as genocide as it regards good relations with Turkey as more important.

But here’s the thing. If Germany had refused to recognise its responsibility for the Holocaust, no government would accept that it had a right to a place at the European table. It would still be an international pariah. In fact, it has unshrinkingly and painfully acknowledged what it did in a way that Turkey never has.

Turkey’s guilt is unquestionable. It owes it to the few survivors still living and to the descendents of those who escaped to acknowledge it. It owes it to history, too; and it owes If it does not, it can never be fully accepted into the community of Europe, whether it joins the EU or not.

In spite of the refugee crisis, in spite of the horrors unfolding on the other side of its border with Syria, in spite of the authoritarian crackdown on dissent and a renewed offensive against Turkish minority – all factors that would lead many diplomats to say that the less this boat is rocked the better – Germany’s parliament is doing a good thing. Whether it will sway Erdogan himself, or Turkish public opinion, is a different question. But the truth must be told.

“The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan committed themselves to respect the ceasefire, to put in place important confidence-building measures, and to begin negotiations next month that can lead to a comprehensive settlement,”  Spokesperson for the US Department of State John Kirby told a daily briefing.

“They demonstrated what we believe to be political will to move beyond the status quo and to take steps that can benefit all the people in the region. And so as the Secretary made clear, the United States, for our part, will stand ready to assist them in that regard in whatever way they can,” he said.

The Spokesman said “it was a positive meeting and a step in the right direction. And now everybody has to do the hard work of implementing the things that they committed to.”

Photos by Public Radio of Armenia
Photos by Public Radio of Armenia

Statement by Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia at the 126th Session of the Committee of the Ministers of the Council of Europe

Excellences,
Secretary General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to congratulate Bulgaria on its productive chairmanship at the Committee of Ministers and to thank Minister Mitov for the excellent ogranisation of this meeting.

I would also like to express our appreciation to the Secretary General for presenting his third annual report on the “State of Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Europe”. We share Mr. Jagland’s view on the concept of “Democratic Security”, according to which the democracies are less likely to go to war. Obviously, authoritarian regimes do not face such a dilemma.

Such case was most recently witnessed in early April when Azerbaijan launched large-scale military offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in many killed and wounded, along with gross violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

The tense situation of early April and possibilities of addressing its consequances were discussed two days ago in Vienna in a meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan attended by the Secretary of State of the United States, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia and State Secretary for European Affairs of France representing the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries.

In their joint statement the Co-Chair countries insisted on the importance of respecting the 1994 and 1995 ceasefire agreements. The Presidents reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire and the peaceful settlement of the conflict. To reduce the risk of further violence, they agreed to finalize in the shortest possible time an OSCE investigative mechanism. The Presidents also agreed to the expansion of the existing Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman in Office. This could pave a way for resumption of the negotiations for the resolution of the conflict.

Up until now Azerbaijan has been continously hindering the implementation of such proposals of the Co-chair countries and even reached agrrements. We hope that this time Azerbaijan would not deceive the hopes of the Co-Chair countries and the expectations of the international community.

Dear colleagues,

It is the primary goal of Council of Europe to safeguard common values and individual rights at pan-European level. We share the belief of many in this room that rights of individuals guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights must not be dependent on the status of the territory where peoples live. In this regard, we appreciate recent initiatives to discuss the subject of ensuring human rights in conflict zones.

Today violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism are direct threats to our values. To succeed in the fight against these appalling phenomena we should start with the root causes. Fight against racism, xenophobia and intolerance are essential in this regard. Armenia has been vocal in condemning hate speech and xenophobia, especially the kind, used in a political discourse. Combating these phenomena has been a priority for Armenia during our Chairmanship at this Committee and it continues to remain as such.

2016 marks the 15th Anniversary of Armenia’s accession to the Council of Europe. These have been years of fruitful cooperation in various areas of mutual interest. In a few days we will officially launch the Council of Europe 2015-2018 Action Plan for Armenia, which will further promote reform process in our country.

In conclusion, I would also like to join the previous speakers in wishing every success to the incoming Chairmanship of Estonia.

            On 18 May Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received a delegation of the German Die Linke Party led by of Bundestag deputy Ulla Jelpke.

Issues related to establishing and deepening ties between political forces of Artsakh and Germany were discussed during the talks.

President Sahakyan highlighted this cooperation for Artsakh, noting its importance from the viewpoint of strengthening friendly relations with Germany.

The Azerbaijani-Karabagh conflict settlement and regional processes were also touched upon during the meeting.

Connecting U.S. businesses to the Armenian market is a win-win proposition. Businesses are always looking for investment opportunities, and bringing more companies to Armenia diversifies and strengthens the nation’s economy.

To facilitate these new connections, the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, the American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia, the Armenian Ministry of Economy, and Converse Bank, organized a one-day business conference focused on investment opportunities in Armenia for U.S. businesses. The event was held on May 18 in Yerevan.

“One of my priorities, as Ambassador, is to further developing our bi-lateral economic ties,” said U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, Jr., who opened the conference alongside Armenian Minister of Economy Artsvik Minasyan. “The Embassy and our colleagues at the Ministry of Economy are working to strengthen our joint commercial ties to the benefit of both our nations’ economies.”

“Reliable partners are critical for building durable and lasting business ties, for implementation of mutually beneficial projects and for making long-term investments. Events like this are a serious boost for further strengthening of economic cooperation, identifying new opportunities for businesses and opening up new markets,” said Minister Minasyan. “I am convinced that this new round for development of Armenian-American relations will encourage closer and more effective cooperation between Armenian and American business communities and facilitate establishment of mutually beneficial business ties and identifying new areas of partnership.”
Attending the conference were many Armenian business leaders as well as executives from a dozen U.S. firms, which are successful in the region and looking at investing in Armenia. The conference was an opportunity for U.S. businesses to hear from experts and financial institutions about the investment outlook in Armenia. Armenian governmental leaders shared the nation’s economic development priorities. The day was also an opportunity for Armenian businesses to discuss future partnerships and deals with their U.S. counterparts.

“We know Armenian businesspeople are great deal makers and are always looking for ways to bring new products and services to the Armenian market and to find new outlets for Armenian-made products and services,” Ambassador Mills said. “By connecting Armenian businesses with some great U.S. companies, we hope to see an even larger growth of our bilateral trade. This is what the Armenian people need — the resources and connections to develop their economy.”

A dozen U.S. corporations, representing the IT, engineering, energy, consumer goods sectors, manufacturing and chemical industry, sent representatives to Yerevan for the conference, allowing Armenian business leaders access to well-known U.S. companies eager to enter and expand in the Armenian market.
The one-day program featured presentations by the Ministry of Economy and other Armenian Government officials, the Central Bank of Armenia, Armenia’s stock exchange, EBRD, IMF and the Asian Development Bank.
The event was conducted as a follow up to the first meeting of the U.S.-Armenia Council on Trade and Investment held in Yerevan in November 2015. The council was established after the two countries signed the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in May 2015.

The settlement of the Karabakh conflict should be a “package solution with stepwise implementation,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in an interview with Interfax.

“Over the past years we have been working on compromise formulations and have been very close to a settlement on several occasions, but every time Azerbaijan has made a step backward,” Minister Nalbandian said.

“The implementation of the agreements reached between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Vienna will create necessary conditions for the settlement of conflict and the search for compromise solutions,” the Foreign Minister said.

During the meeting the parties reiterated that there can be no military solution to the conflict. The Co-Chairs insisted on the importance of respecting the 1994 and 1995 ceasefire agreements.

The Presidents reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire and the peaceful settlement of the conflict. To reduce the risk of further violence, they agreed to finalize in the shortest possible time an OSCE investigative mechanism. The Presidents also agreed to the expansion of the existing Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in Office. Finally, they agreed to continue the exchange of data on missing persons under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to which the Presidents committed during the Paris summit of October 2014.

Minister Nalbandian noted that “the first-ever participation of the Foreign Ministers of the co-chairing countries in the meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan is a testament to the extreme importance the mediating countries attach to the implementation of the agreements.”

Minister Nalabandian voiced hope that Azerbaijan would not disappoint the hopes of the co-chairing countries and would come up to the expectations of the international community.