Category: News

Armenian First Deputy Defense Minister David Tonoyan received today the Military Attachés of the Foreign Ministries accredited to Armenia.

David Tonoyan briefed them on the situation on the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, and presented the actions of the NKR Defense Army aimed at ceasing the large-scale military actions launched by the rival. Issues related to the possible reasons of Azerbaijani aggression and the expectations were discussed.

The Deputy DM noted that “the Armenian side is ready for any development and will provide all kind of support, including direct military assistance, to Nagorno Karabakh.”

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has convened consultations on the situation in Nagorno Karabakh. Senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, power structures and other bodies participated in the talks, Georgian Government’s Press Service reports.

The Prime Minister expressed concern over the aggravation of situation along the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact and resumption of military actions.

Kvirikashvili voiced hope that the hostilities would be ceased thanks to efforts of the international community and said ‘it’s important for the region.’

The Armenian forces have destroyed another Azerbaijani tank, a BM-21 (Grad) Multiple Launch Rocket System, an artillery system, engineering equipment, and one drone, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.

The Ministry will provide further information on developments.

Heavy fighting continues in the northern and southern directions of the line of contact of armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, Spokesman for the Armenian Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannisyan said. He added, however, that the Armenian side holds the initiative and there can be no talk about Azerbaijan’s success.

“We continue to take measures to restrain the actions of the rival, and are dictating the situation on many sections of the frontline. It should be noted, however, that the heavy fighting continues at some parts of the line of contact, where the rival has accumulated a large amount of armaments,” he said.

The Spokesman advises to ignore Azeri reports on the loss of Armenian troops and combat equipment and notes that the information is meant to create panic, as information war is an indispensable part of contemporary war.

The first groups of volunteers from Armenian have arrived in Artsakh. Thousands are volunteering to join the soldiers on the frontline as heavy fighting continues along the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact.

On April 1^st, the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) and the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) sent a joint letter to Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop.

The joint letter addresses the issues and concerns of both the Armenian and Assyrian communities in regards to the decision made by Turkey to take ownership of more than 6000 properties in the Sur district of the Diyarbakir region, including Saint Giragos Church, which is the largest Armenian Church in the Middle East, as well as the Virgin Mary Ancient Assyrian Church.

This expropriation comes after a violent crackdown on the Kurdish minority in the region, further contributing to the questionable human rights record that Turkey has with respect to the treatment of its minority groups.

The letter makes references to the reports covering this ruling. It also references statements made by Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament and member of the Kurdish Peoples’ Party (HDP), the Co-chair of the HDP, Figen Yüksekdag, as well as the Diyarbakir Bar Association.

The letter stressed that this “immediate expropriation” violates the right of property, and explicitly contradicts the Turkish Constitution’s Expropriation Law, and the European Convention on Human Rights.

The letter stated that there could be no justifiable “security” grounds to expropriate churches and other religious sites or property. Even more so because of Turkey’s atrocious record of destroying and desecrating both Armenian, Assyrian and Greek religious and cultural heritage, especially during and after the Genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks in 1915.

It was stressed that this was a renewed attack by President Recep Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on the Christian Communities of Turkey whose heritage and existence is increasingly under threat.

ANC Australia and the AUA jointly call upon the Australian Government urgently to:

1. add its voice to our Communities’ concerns;
2. convey its objection to the expropriation of these Churches (and all other religious sites and property) to the representatives of the Republic of Turkey; and
3. request the immediate return of all Churches and other religious sites and properties back to their rightful owners.

ANC Australia Executive Administrator, Arin Markarian said: “It is important that in times like these we stand united with our minority partners and ensure that religious and cultural centres for people to gather in are not under Turkish state control.”

“That is why the Armenians and Assyrians strongly condemn these expropriation actions taken by Turkey, and urge the Australian government to condemn this decision as well.”

 

 

 

The aggravation of the situation in Karabakh conflict zone was quite predictable, Russian political scientist Sergey Markedonov told .

“What’s happening today could be expected. The increased number of incidents in Nagorno Karabakh and the aggravation of the situation have been taking place over the past few years, but the clashes of the past two days were the worst ever since the conclusion of the ceasefire agreement,” Markedonov said.

According to the political scientist, there are several reasons behind Azerbaijan’s decision to escalate the situation at this point. “First, Baku was trying to ‘test’ the military solution of the issue, after which they will resume the peace talks. The second option is more pessimistic – the negotiation process has failed and the military logic is starting to work,” he said.

Markedonov is confident that there are opportunities for a diplomatic solution, but the Co-Chairs should stop inaction as soon as possible.

He political scientist believes that Russia could take up a more decisive role in the conflict settlement and is confident that unlike Donbas or South Ossetia, the United States will not mind.

According to Segey Markedonov, the de-escalation of the Karabakh conflict  can be very dangerous for Russia, as well. He considers Russia should protect the interests of its strategic ally in the conflict, but Azerbaijan is an important partner for Moscow, and the latter will hardly opt for breaking ties with Baku.

The further development of events is hard to predict, the political scientist says. He does not link the current escalation to the Russian-Turkish relations, but does not rule out that the tension  creates some background.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin has urged the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to step up efforts towards settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

“Concerned about the serious aggravation of the situation in Nagorno Karabakh. I urge the OSCE MG co-chairs to step up negotiations for a settlement,” Klimkin said in a Twitter post.

Concerned about the serious aggravation of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. I call on the co-chairs of the OSCE MG to intensify negotiations for a settlement.

— Pavlo Klimkin (@PavloKlimkin)

The ‪‎EU‬–‪Armenia‬ Friendship Group in the ‪European‬ ‪Parliament‬ has issued a statement on ‪Karabakh‬ escalation:

The bloody incidents, which erupted along the frontiers of ‪Azerbaijan‬ and‪ ‎NagornoKarabakh‬, on 2 April, 2016, constitute developments that can lead to a wider conflict and blow up the ‪Caucasus‬ region.

It is obvious that the escalation of the crisis puts stability and peace at a high risk. The EU and the international community in general bear their own responsibility since, for many years, they underestimated how dangerous the dormant conflict in Nagorno Karabakh is. Therefore, the EU should take initiatives and diplomatic actions with the aim of mobilizing the international community and thus prevent a further escalation of the crisis.

The current developments, with more than 36 soldiers and civilians from both sides losing their lives, come to prove the need for a comprehensive solution based on the right to self – determination. If international community and particularly the EU do not intensify their efforts towards a democratic solution, a new catastrophic war is to come.

 

 

 

Instead of chiding aggressor Azerbaijan, the German Foreign Minister is issuing blurred statements, President of the Union of Armenian Academicians of Germany Azat Ordukhanyan said, speaking to . He said the German press is also working unprofessionally.

“No German media outlets work on the ground. They all report about the situation referring to German agencies, present copied texts. Although the reports are not anti-Armenian, they blame ‘both sides,’ which is unfair and non-professional,” he said.

“The German Armenians are in a fighting spirit. If things continue this way, we’ll not leave the Azerbaijani and Turkish Embassies and Consulates calm. We’ll give a worthy response, at least on a local level. They should be held accountable for the life of every Armenian young man lost,” Ordukhanyan said.

He said Turkish President Erdona’s statement should also be criticized. “Turks must be aware that if they intend to stand by Azerbaijan, the 10-million Armenian Diaspora is ready to support brothers in Armenia and Artsakh.”