11:55, 1 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The intensity of Azerbaijani gunfire targeting Armenian border outposts near Sotk has decreased, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Two Armenian servicemen were killed and another was wounded Friday morning when Azerbaijani Armed Forces targeted Armenian border outposts near Sotk in a cross-border shelling.
23:44, 2 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has expressed serious concern over Russia’s failure to implement its peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh.
In an interview with the Italian La Repubblica newspaper, Pashinyan said that one of the main objectives of the presence of the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh was to ensure the security of the civilian population.
“In this case security involves the freedom of movement, and this right is not implemented, which is a matter of concern,” Pashinyan said.
He warned that there will never be peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan if the two countries fail to recognize each other’s territorial integrity on the basis of the Alma-Ata declaration.
Pashinyan reiterated the Armenian government’s commitment to advancing the peace agenda.
The Armenian Prime Minister said that the Nagorno-Karabakh humanitarian crisis is a “crisis of the international legal order”, because Azerbaijan is disregarding the ICJ rulings ordering it to open the Lachin Corridor since February 2023.
“International Court of Justice has issued a binding ruling ordering Azerbaijan to ensure bilateral transit from Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia and from Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh for persons, vehicles and goods. But this ruling was passed on February 22, 2023 and was reaffirmed on July 6, 2023 is not being implemented. This comes to prove following the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh that, if we can say so, this is a crisis of the international legal order, if a binding ruling of the ICJ is not being implemented, such a conclusion may follow,” Pashinyan said.
Asked on the Russian peacekeepers, Pashinyan said that the mission has failed.
“I cannot make evaluation in this respect, except for agreeing with the formulation, that in fact, yes, it tuns out that the peacekeepers of the Russian Federation failed to implement the mission they have assumed under the tripartite statement and this is a matter of serious concern. Essentially, one of the main objectives of the presence of the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh was to ensure the security of the civilian population. In this case security involves the freedom of movement, and this right is not implemented, which is a matter of concern,” he said.
The Armenian Prime Minister said that the processes which resulted in the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict actually started in the Caucasus in 2020.
“I am of the opinion that the processes which resulted in the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, those processes had actually started much earlier, in 2020, in this region. There is serious and deep causality here,” Pashinyan said.
PM Nikol Pashinyan said that the peace architecture should feature guarantees around two issues – the reciprocal recognition of each other’s territorial integrity between Armenia and Azerbaijan and addressing the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Pashinyan also talked about the normalization with Turkey, Western efforts in the NK conflict settlement and Russia.
[see video]
11:35, 3 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Armenian military positions near the village of Kutakan in Gegharkunik province came under Azerbaijani gunfire in the early hours of Sunday, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia said in a statement.
The Azeri forces used small arms in the shooting.
16:28, 3 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. One person was wounded Sunday when Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, local authorities said in a statement.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Ministry said Azeri forces fired small arms and AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers at a water tanker in the village of Chankatagh in Martakert. The shooting occurred around 14:20.
The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
As of 15:30 the situation on the line of contact was relatively stable, the ministry of defense of Nagorno-Karabakh added.
12:14, 1 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Defense has denied accusations by Azerbaijan of amassing military equipment near the border.
In a statement, the Armenian Ministry of Defense warned that Azerbaijan, by spreading such disinformation, seeks to commit new provocations in continuation of its shelling of Sotk on Friday morning, which left two Armenian soldiers dead and one wounded.
“The Azerbaijani propaganda is disseminating disinformation that the Armenian Armed Forces are concentrating a large number of weapons, military equipment, and personnel in the Sotk [section]. By disseminating such false information, the Azerbaijani side creates an informational basis to continue yet another provocation that began this morning in the direction of Sotk,” the defense ministry said in a statement on social media.
12:25, 1 September 2023
STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. 11 patients requiring urgent treatment have been evacuated from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Ministry of Healthcare reported.
The ICRC plans to transport another 4 patients who’ve completed treatment in Armenia back to Nagorno-Karabakh on later on Friday.
All patients are accompanied by their attendants.
36 children are hospitalized in the Arevik clinic, 9 of whom are in neonatal and intensive care.
Another 97 patients are hospitalized in the Republican Medical Center in Stepanakert. 6 are in intensive care (2 are critically-ill).
Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. The ICJ reaffirmed its order on 6 July 2023.
Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.
12:31, 1 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and David Valadao (R-CA) were joined by Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) in introducing a series of amendments to the Fiscal Year 2024 U.S. House Defense Appropriations Bill (H.R. 4365) to block U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan, in the face of President Aliyev’s 260+ day genocidal blockade of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s failure of leadership on Azerbaijan’s genocidal blockade of Artsakh underscores the urgent need for strong Congressional leadership and strict legislative oversight,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We welcome each of these amendments – those in defense of Artsakh and also banning cluster bombs – and are working alongside a broad array of Congressional allies and coalition partners to see them enacted into law.”
The ANCA is urging U.S. Representatives to cosponsor and support passage of four pro-Artsakh amendments, including:
– Amendment 258 (presented by Rep. Sherman) – Preventing the use of funds to provide military assistance to Azerbaijan.
– Amendment 263 (presented by Rep. Sherman) – Preventing the use of funds to provide military assistance to Azerbaijan for use against Armenia or Nagorno Karabakh (also known as Artsakh)
– Amendment 272 (Led by Representatives Pallone, Bilirakis, Valadao, Schiff & Malliotakis) – Prohibiting military aid and security assistance to the defense, security, and border forces of the Government of Azerbaijan.
– Amendment 285 (Led by Representatives Pallone, Schiff & Malliotakis) – Allocating $1 million to support Department of Defense activities and partnerships that will help peacefully resolve the illegal Azeri blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and allow for the unimpeded movement of essential humanitarian assistance, including food and medication, and commercial activities through the Lachin Corridor.
The ANCA is also recommending support for two amendments that would prohibit the acquisition, use, transfer and sale of cluster munitions, citing the devastating consequences of Azerbaijan’s use of these weapons during the 2020 Artsakh war. These amendments are:
– Amendment 59 (Led by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) and Sarah Jacobs (D-CA)– Prohibiting funding for the acquisition, use, transfer, or sale of cluster munitions.
– Amendment 131 (Led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Sarah Jacobs (D-CA) – Prohibiting funds made available by the bill from being used to transfer cluster munitions.
The amendments are currently under review by the House Rules Committee, which will determine their consideration by U.S. Representatives upon their return to session in mid-September. Those ruled “in order” will be presented and voted upon during consideration of H.R. 4365
12:45, 1 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani military opened small arms fire at Armenian border outposts near Norabak hours after shelling another outpost near Sotk, the Armenian Ministry of Defense has said.
“On September 1, at around 12:25 p.m., Azerbaijani armed forces units fired from fire arms towards the Armenian combat outposts nearby Norabak,” the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
13:05, 1 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is amassing military equipment and troops near the Armenian border in the direction of Sotk, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Friday.
“As a result of the monitoring of the relevant units of the Armenian Armed Forces, measures of concentration of military equipment and additional personnel of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are recorded in the direction of Sotk,” reads a statement released by the defense ministry.
13:22, 1 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani military has deployed UAVs and mortars in targeting Armenian border outposts near Sotk, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
“At around 12:50 p.m., the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces used UAVs and mortars in the direction of Sotk. The Ministry of Defence will make an additional report,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.