Turkish Press: Azerbaijan rejects allegations on targeting EU observers’ vehicles

Emil Lazarian
DAILY SABAH
Turkey – Aug 15 2023

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry rejected Armenia’s claims that its forces fired on EU observers’ vehicles in the Karabakh region on Tuesday.

“On August 15, at around 12:20 p.m. (0820GMT), the information spread in Armenian media resources about the shooting by the units of the Azerbaijani Army in the direction of EU observers and their car in the area of Yukhari Shorja settlement of Basarkechar district is not true,” said a statement issued by the ministry.

The statement said the allegations made were “another disinformation” attempt by the Armenian side.

The time, route, and registration number plates of the cars used by the EU mission were shared with Azerbaijan in advance, and Baku was aware of the mission’s trips, it added.

“For this reason, it is theoretically and practically impossible for such a situation to occur as claimed by the Armenian Ministry of Defense,” the statement concluded.

The European Union’s border monitoring mission in Armenia said Tuesday one of its patrols had come under fire on the volatile border.

“No EUMA member was harmed,” the EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) said on social media, confirming its personnel were “present to the shooting incident in our area of responsibility.”

The EU established a civilian mission in Armenia on the country’s border with neighboring Azerbaijan back in February.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes. The war ended with a Russia-brokered peace agreement.

Despite ongoing talks over a long-term peace agreement, tensions between the neighboring countries rose in recent months over the Lachin corridor, the only land route giving Armenia access to Karabakh.

EU says ‘no Armenian military buildup’ on Azerbaijan border

David Nargizian
Aug 15 2023
 

ByAni Avetisyan
The EU monitoring mission in Armenia. Image via Twitter.

The European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) has denied Azerbaijani claims of an Armenian military buildup on their border.

EUMA’s statement came after Baku accused Yerevan and Stepanakert of ramping up their military presence along their borders with Azerbaijan, as well as of building of Armenian military infrastructure within Nagorno-Karabakh.

EUMA is a civilian monitoring mission deployed on the Armenian side of the Armenia–Azerbaijan border.

‘In recent days, there has been a large concentration of weapons, military equipment and personnel along the state border in order to carry out another military adventure’, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry claimed.

On Monday, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry dismissed Azerbaijan’s statements as ‘fake’ and accused it of attempting to drive attention away from its blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

‘It is also evident that one of the objectives of Azerbaijan’s disinformation campaign is to divert the international community’s attention from the escalating humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is intensifying day by day, and from its steps to implement ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh through provoking a humanitarian catastrophe’, read the statement.

While Nagorno-Karabakh has been under Azerbaijani blockade since December, the humanitarian crisis in the region deepened further in mid-June when Azerbaijan barred the Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh from using the Lachin Corridor to supply the region.

Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan have also been growing, with the two countries continuously accusing each other of ceasefire violations.

Upon Armenia’s request, the UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting for Wedesday to discuss the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan has criticised Armenia’s appeal to the Security Council, accusing it of ‘deliberately and intentionally [obstructing] all the efforts made through international partners to find a balanced, law-based, and reasonable solution on the ground’.

In an Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry statement, Baku argued that ‘what Armenia cynically seeks’ from the UN Security Council was within reach had it and Stepanakert agreed to supplying Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijani-held territory in Aghdam in late July.

Last week, former International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Ocampo has called on the Security Council to adopt a resolution on the situation in the blockaded region to allow the tribunal to investigate Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for genocidal intentions.

[Read more: Former ICC prosecutor accuses Azerbaijan of ‘genocide’ in Nagorno-Karabakh]

However, despite international condemnation, Azerbaijan continues to deny that Nagorno-Karabakh is under blockade, and maintains that the region is not facing a humanitarian crisis.

 For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.


Azerbaijan’s blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh claims first starvation victim – distressing images

Jhanna Virabian
Aug 15 2023

Azerbaijan’s 8-month-long blockade of the historically and ethnically Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh has sadly claimed its first starvation victim.

According to the Human Rights Defender’s Office and the research conducted by its Staff, a resident of Stepanakert, K. Hovhannisyan, born in 1983, died due to chronic malnutrition, protein and energy deficiency.

“The catastrophic consequences of the ongoing 8-month-long blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan are more than noticeable in the public health sector, which primarily affects the health situation of the most vulnerable groups of the society – children, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, people with disabilities and older persons,” the Artsakh / Nagorno-Karabakh Human Rights Ombudsman wrote in a social media post.

“The catastrophic food situation caused by the blockade and especially the 2-month-long complete siege, leading to the malnutrition of people and the threat of hunger, the lack of necessary medicines and the inability of the full functioning of the healthcare system create direct and undeniable threats to 120,000 population of Artsakh,” the Ombudsman statement added.

Warning: Distressing images

The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Wednesday in response to a call from Armenia saying the mainly Armenian-populated region is blockaded and 120,000 people are facing hunger and “a full-fledged humanitarian catastrophe,” AP reported.

Armenia’s U.N. Ambassador Mher Margaryan asked for the meeting on the dire situation in Nagorno-Karabakh in a letter to the ambassador of the United States, which holds the Security Council presidency this month.

The U.S. Mission to the U.N. said Monday the emergency open meeting will take place on Wednesday afternoon.

In his letter to Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Margaryan said Azerbaijan’s complete blockade since July 15 of the Lachin Corridor – the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia – has created severe shortages of food, medicine and fuel.

“The deliberate creation of unbearable life conditions for the population is nothing but an act of mass atrocity targeting the indigenous people of Nagorno-Karabakh and forcing them to leave their homeland,” he said, stressing that this constitutes “an existential threat to them.”

Margaryan asked the Security Council, which is charged with ensuring international peace and security, “to prevent mass atrocities including war crimes, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and genocide.”

He accused Azerbaijan of violating the Russian-brokered armistice and international humanitarian law as well as orders by the International Court of Justice in February and July. The U.N.’s highest court said in its orders that Azerbaijan should “take all measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directors,” the Armenian ambassador said.

Last week, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court warned that Azerbaijan is preparing genocide against ethnic Armenians in its Nagorno-Karabakh region and called for the Security Council to bring the matter before the international tribunal.

Luis Moreno Ocampo said in a report requested by a group of Armenians, including the country’s president, that as a result of the blockade “there is a reasonable basis to believe that a genocide is being committed.”

He said the U.N. convention defines genocide as including “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction.”

https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/08/16/azerbaijans-blockade-starvation/

Azerbaijani forces open fire at EU observers: Armenia

Emil Lazarian
IRAN FRONT PAGE
Aug 15 2023

European Union observers and their car have come under shelling by Azerbaijani troops, the Armenian defense ministry has claimed.

“At around 0:20 p.m. (11:20 a.m. Moscow time) on August 15, Azerbaijani army units opened gunfire at European Union observers, who were on a patrol mission in the Verin Shorzha area, and their car. No one was wounded,” it announced on Tuesday.

In late June, top diplomats from the EU nations agreed to deploy a two-year civilian mission to Armenia. It was tasked to build up trust in border areas and create conditions for the normalization of the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.

The mission includes around 100 members, including about 50 unarmed observers.

Armenia, Azerbaijan & the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis that needs attention

Emil Lazarian
GZERO
Aug 14 2023

Ian Bremmer’s Quick Take:Hi everybody. Ian Bremmer here and a Quick Take to kick off your week.

I want to talk about an issue that is not getting the attention that it should, and that is the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. It is one of many impacts from the Russian war in Ukraine. Not new. There’s been a war for decades over this little territory, an autonomous Armenian populated territory inside Azerbaijan, former two Soviet republics.

Armenia and Azerbaijan became independent in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. It is small, it is mountainous, it is all of 120,000 people. It is fiercely contested. When the Soviet Union collapsed, in part would support from Russia, Armenia had military superiority. They were able to not only have control over it, but also buffer regions bordering it. They didn’t negotiate very seriously with the Azeris, in part because they had the upper hand. That is now changing. Azerbaijan has been building up their own military capabilities, in part from a lot of energy wealth from the Caspian, in part with support from Turkey, which is very aligned with Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, Russia, which is Armenia’s major supporter, really their only kind of strong geopolitical supporter with troops in Armenia and peacekeepers on the ground, very distracted given the invasion of Ukraine and under a lot of pressure. That has meant reduced troop presence and them acting largely on the sidelines. Azerbaijan, sensing opportunity, struck, took back occupied territory around Nagorno-Karabakh, and now have a functional lock on any ability to get in or out of the territory.

Now, Armenia, the Armenian government itself in Yerevan, has said that they are willing to renounce claims on this territory. They no longer see it as part of Armenia if these Armenians are given guarantees of rights and autonomy. That is not the view, at least not therefore, not thus far of the local government in Karabakh.

Meanwhile, in Azerbaijan, they have cut off the humanitarian corridor. In part, this is to force the local Armenians to the table, but it’s also a massive humanitarian crisis. And there is now a real possibility that 120,000 people are going to face starvation.

And that’s why I’m bringing this up right now. Look, there are lots of places around the world that need more international attention, and GZERO Media is trying our best to shine more of a light on them in Haiti, in Niger, in Yemen. Well, you can now add Karabakh to that list. And international pressure from the US, from the Europeans, from the Japanese, from everyone is needed to get that humanitarian assistance in immediately. And then hopefully, and quite plausibly a deal that allows both Armenian and Azeri populations to live in peace.It’s a small territory. These are not very powerful countries. A little bit of pressure and focus from these governments, from the G-7 governments in particular would go a long way. Turkey is a NATO ally of the United States. They have a lot of influence over the Azeris, but it’s not hitting the headlines right now. And in that regard, it’s worth all of us doing a little bit more.

So hopefully this makes a tiny bit of difference. You can spread the word too. I thank you for your attention for a few moments this summer. And I hope everyone’s doing well. Thanks a lot.

https://www.gzeromedia.com/quick-take/armenia-azerbaijan-the-nagorno-karabakh-crisis-that-needs-attention

Azerbaijan Concerned by India’s Weapons Sales to Armenia

Ani Kharatian
The Jamestown Foundation
Aug 14 2023

06:09 PM Age: 22 hours

India’s Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher System (Source: Armenian Weekly)

Recent events in the South Caucasus have highlighted an overlooked development in the global weapons market: the rise of India as an arms exporter. Armenia has purchased Indian armaments amid ongoing tensions with Azerbaijan, a close ally of Pakistan and Turkey, procuring a variety of munitions, including anti-tank missiles, Pinaka Multiple-Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) and long-range artillery. Baku became particularly concerned after Azerbaijani media outlets streamed a video allegedly showing the transfer of Pinaka MLRS complexes to Armenia via Iran. On July 26, Azerbaijani Presidential Foreign Policy Advisor Hikmat Hajiyev met Indian Ambassador Sridharan Madhusudhanan, informing him that the Azerbaijani government was closely following and increasingly concerned about “deepening” military cooperation between Armenia and India. Hajiyev also urged India to revise its decision to supply weapons to Armenia, as supplying lethal weaponry while Yerevan and Baku are holding peace treaty discussions “paves the way for Armenia’s militarization” and “impedes the establishment of lasting peace and security in the South Caucasus” (Trend.az, July 26).

New Delhi’s emergence as a defense exporter is relatively recent. While India currently remains the world’s leading arms importer, it has taken significant steps not only to diversify its defense procurement strategy but also to export weapons to over 80 countries, with the United States as a prominent customer. The Pinaka MLRS, developed by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), is often considered a counterpart to the American HIMARS (High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System). Moreover, Indian companies have received orders from major US defense firms to supply parts for advanced weapons platforms, including F-16 fighters as well as Chinook and Apache helicopters. The Armenian export orders, which include Pinaka MLRS, artillery and various caliber ammunition, along with other systems, have further boosted India’s 2023 weapons exports (Economic Times, June 13).

Beyond their potential to destabilize the fragile de-facto truce in the South Caucasus, Western concerns over Armenia’s weapons purchases were heightened by the fact that the Indian arms transited through heavily sanctioned Iran, being delivered through the Iranian Port of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf and then overland by road to the Nurduz border crossing to Armenia (News.ru, July 26).

Overall, Indian-Armenian armament deals predate the latest dispute, with security cooperation between the two sides dating back to at least 2011; military-technical cooperation dates back to 2017 (Media.az, July 31). Such defense exports are bound to rise as a result of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to make the country Atmanirbhar Bharat (“self-reliant India” ) in military supplies (Economic Times, June 13). India’s lucrative defense sector is closely linked to the Modi government’s economic and strategic ambitions and forms an increasingly central element in the government’s “Made in India” program. Spurring on New Delhi’s drive for self-sufficiency in arms production is rising governmental concern that the spate of additional sanctions imposed by the US and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization partners on Russia in the wake of its “special military operation” (SVO) against Ukraine is likely to constrain further Indian arms imports from Russia—a major concern for India’s military, which remains heavily dependent on them.

Despite the gaps in arms production, Indian defense exports have undergone an extraordinary 800-percent increase since 2016–2017, from around $184 million (₹Rs 1,522 crore) to about $1.66 billion (₹Rs 13,800 crore). Buoyed by this surge, New Delhi has set the goal of expanding defense exports to $4.23 billion (₹Rs 35,000 crore) by 2024–2025 (Economic Times, June 13).

Encouraging domestic arms production is spurred by the significant cost of imports over the past two decades, during which India spent over $60 billion on arms procurement, with nearly $39 billion being purchased from Russia. In response, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has articulated a vision of ordering over $100 billion worth of weaponry from the domestic arms industry over the next decade, symbolizing India’s commitment to increasing its self-sufficiency (IndraStra, August 2).

All in all, munitions purchases between the Armenian and Indian militaries have rapidly increased as of late (Caliber.az, July 26). The most recent deals build on earlier Indian-Armenian military contacts, as the pair had previously signed contracts worth over $400 million. For an earlier military purchase in 2020, Armenia bought four Indian Swathi latest-generation phased array radars for $40 million, jointly produced by the DRDO and Bharat Electronics to detect and direct counter-battery fire against enemy ordinance. (EurAsian Times, July 27).

New Delhi’s decision to sell military equipment to Armenia in greater quantities has had wider regional repercussions, leading Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to describe the sale as an “unfriendly move” (Daijiworld.com, August 4).

The sale of India’s first indigenously designed and developed Pinaka Multiple-Barrel Rocket Launchers further indicates a broader potential global niche market for Indian-manufactured weaponry, which can undercut more expensive US, European, Russian and Chinese armaments in hotspots throughout the Global South, including in Africa. In the interim, Indian-Azerbaijani ties continue to be lukewarm against the backdrop of Baku’s close security ties with Islamabad (see EDM, June 21).

Additional Armenian purchases of Indian armaments seem likely, as Yerevan has authorized a 46-percent increase from its 2022 defense budget to $1.3 billion for 2023 (Caspian News, July 27).

A primary objective of Modi’s “Made in India” initiative is to lessen the technological disparity with India’s better-equipped rival, China, which is further complicated by Beijing’s close alliance with Pakistan. A further challenge facing the Indian military is the impact of Russia’s stalemated invasion in Ukraine, which has hampered Moscow’s ability to fulfill arms and equipment orders, which may serve to further incentivize India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat program. While Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be happy about India’s weapons sales in the post-Soviet space, he cannot afford to alienate India, as it is a critical market for Russian arms and energy exports amid shrinking global demand for both (see EDM, April 27).

For Russia, Armenia broadening its options for arms imports is yet another disquieting reminder of Moscow’s diminishing influence in its “front yard,” as it sinks further into the mire of its Ukrainian assault, with the US, China and now India maneuvering in the resultant Eurasian geopolitical vacuum.

UN to hold emergency meeting on Azerbaijan’s blockade of road from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh

Yeghisabet Arthur
Aol
Aug 15 2023
EDITH M. LEDERER
at 1:46 AM

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Wednesday in response to a call from Armenia saying the mainly Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh in neighboring Azerbaijan is blockaded and 120,000 people are facing hunger and “a full-fledged humanitarian catastrophe.”

Armenia’s U.N. Ambassador Mher Margaryan asked for the meeting on the dire situation in Nagorno-Karabakh in a letter to the ambassador of the United States, which holds the Security Council presidency this month.

The U.S. Mission to the U.N. said Monday the emergency open meeting will take place on Wednesday afternoon.

In his letter to Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Margaryan said Azerbaijan’s complete blockade since July 15 of the Lachin Corridor – the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia – has created severe shortages of food, medicine and fuel.

“The deliberate creation of unbearable life conditions for the population is nothing but an act of mass atrocity targeting the indigenous people of Nagorno-Karabakh and forcing them to leave their homeland,” he said, stressing that this constitutes “an existential threat to them.”

Margaryan asked the Security Council, which is charged with ensuring international peace and security, “to prevent mass atrocities including war crimes, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and genocide.”

Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian military in separatist fighting that ended in 1994. Armenian forces also took control of substantial territory around the Azerbaijani region.

Azerbaijan regained control of the surrounding territory in a six-week war with Armenia in 2020. A Russia-brokered armistice that ended the war left the region’s capital, Stepanakert, connected to Armenia only by the Lachin Corridor, along which Russian peacekeeping forces were supposed to ensure free movement.

Margaryan accused Azerbaijan of violating the Russian-brokered armistice and international humanitarian law as well as orders by the International Court of Justice in February and July. The U.N.’s highest court said in its orders that Azerbaijan should “take all measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directors,” the Armenian ambassador said.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has accused Armenia of violating its territorial integrity and sovereignty and of smuggling weapons into Nagorno-Karabakh.

Last week, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court warned that Azerbaijan is preparing genocide against ethnic Armenians in its Nagorno-Karabakh region and called for the Security Council to bring the matter before the international tribunal.

Luis Moreno Ocampo said in a report requested by a group of Armenians, including the country’s president, that as a result of the blockade “there is a reasonable basis to believe that a genocide is being committed.”

He said the U.N. convention defines genocide as including “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction.”

https://www.aol.com/un-hold-emergency-meeting-azerbaijans-224638034.html

Turkish Press: Türkiye backs Azerbaijan’s actions on Lachin corridor

Alex Jidarian
HURRIYET
Turkey – Aug 15 2023

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has expressed its support for Azerbaijan’s recent actions regarding the Lachin corridor dispute while urging Armenia to cooperate and “refrain from provocative steps.”

In a statement released on Aug. 14, the ministry acknowledged that Türkiye has been closely monitoring the longstanding disputes over the mountain road that links Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh and understands Azerbaijan’s legitimate concerns surrounding the issue.

“Unfortunately, these concerns that Azerbaijan has voiced loudly for a long time were not taken into account, and as a result, Azerbaijan took the measures it deems appropriate within the framework of its sovereign rights,” it said.

Türkiye is of the opinion that there is no legitimate ground for criticisms against Azerbaijan concerning the road, the ministry highlighted, adding that Azerbaijan has ensured medical evacuations through the corridor and has designated alternate routes suitable for large-scale cargo transportation.

The statement also directed expectations towards Armenia, calling for the “avoidance of provocative actions and the recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.” It urged Armenia to support the utilization of Aghdam-Khankendi and other alternative roads to meet the needs of the Armenian population in Karabakh.

Türkiye’s stance on achieving peace and stability in the South Caucasus is grounded in the belief that supporting Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and humanitarian initiatives is crucial, the statement also underscored, pointing out the necessity of refraining from actions that could further escalate the situation.

https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkiye-backs-azerbaijans-actions-on-lachin-corridor-185507

Letter to the editor: The world remains silent about genocide faced by ethnic Armenians

Emil Lazarian
Portland Press Herald, Maine
Aug 15 2023

Opinion pieces have appeared in the Press Herald about the cruel and unlawful 245-day (and counting) blockade imposed upon the 120,000 ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) by the corrupt dictator Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan. We are now at the 11th hour, and mass starvation is imminent.

Luis Moreno Ocampo, the founding chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, has written an important article: “Starvation as a Means of Genocide: Azerbaijan’s Blockade of the Lachin Corridor Between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.” It is imperative to read this article. Russia, the United States and members of the European Union are obligated, as state parties, to the U.N. Genocide Convention to prevent atrocities. Time is running out.

Worldwide condemnation has failed to move the Azerbaijani dictator. The United States must fulfill its legal obligation and prevent mass starvation. This would include a humanitarian airlift, suspending all aid to Azerbaijan and imposing Magnitsky sanctions on the responsible Azerbaijani officials. Failure to do so is not only illegal, but also demonstrates unconscionable weakness by President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Why so little U.S. news coverage about an impending genocide? The Press Herald opinion pieces were written by Armenian Americans who have contacts in Armenia or scour the foreign press. The mainstream media coverage has been abysmal. When something doesn’t make sense, the cause is often money and power. Are lobbyists representing foreign governments blocking coverage for transactional and sinister reasons? This potential avenue of censorship should be investigated and exposed.

Gary Zartarian
 West Bath

https://www.pressherald.com/2023/08/15/letter-to-the-editor-the-world-remains-silent-about-genocide-faced-by-ethnic-armenians/

Iran, Armenia extend gas-electricity swap deal until 2023

Adrine Hakobian
MEHR News Agency
Iran – Aug 15 2023

TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) – Iran and Armenia signed an agreement to extend the term of the existing contract under which Tehran exports natural gas to Yerevan in exchange for electricity until 2030.

Iran and Armenia have signed a new agreement to export Iranian gas to the former Soviet republic. The agreement was signed in a ceremony in the Armenian capital Yerevan with Majid Chegini, Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister, Mehdi Sobhani, Iran’s Ambassador To Armenia, and Sanusian, Armenian Minister of Regional Management and Infrastructure being in attendance.

The Iranian embassy in Yerevan said the initial agreement was reached during Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to Tehran in November of 2022 and the final document was signed on Thursday, Iran Front Page reported.

Iran’s gas exports to Armenia will be within the framework of an energy swap deal and the talks between the delegations of the two countries focused on the amount of gas exports and the exchange rate of electricity and gas. Iran’s pipeline to Armenia is capable of transferring more than one billion cubic meters of natural gas to Armenia per annum while only about one-third of this capacity has been used since it was launched.

Armenia exports electricity to Iran in return for importing gas. Following the completion of the third electricity transmission line from Armenia to Iran, the line’s capacity will also increase by three times to hit 1300 megawatts.

MP/PR