Oct 30 2023

YEREVAN, Armenia – Members of the 35th Infantry Division staff met with the Armenian National Defense Research University, members of the ministry of defense general staff, and students of the Vazgen Sargsyan Military Academy September 1-16 as part of the Kansas Army National Guard State Partnership Program. The purpose of the visit was to facilitate discussions and training on mission command and the officer/non-commissioned officer relationship from a U.S. Army and National Guard perspective.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the State Partnership Program between the Kansas National Guard and the Republic of Armenia. Over the years, the Kansas National Guard has worked closely with the Armenian Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Health, Rescue Service, and other governmental offices and agencies, cooperating on military-to-military, military-to-civilian, and civilian-to-civilian events.

Topics for engagements are chosen through discussions between the two entities and depend on the capabilities and interests of each.

“One of the first things we did was meet with the commander of the NDRU – which is the equivalent of the U.S. Army War College – and his staff and talk through what he wanted out of the engagement,” said Lt. Col. Jason Inskeep, deputy operations officer for the 35th Inf. Div. “And then similarly, we talked with the commander of the military academy to see what his intent was. A big part of it is making sure we are meeting the commander’s intent.”

Mission command and officer/NCO relationships were chosen as topics in part because of the significant differences between the two countries’ doctrines.

“Currently, they are in the process of revising their doctrine and looking at how they utilize their NCO corps,” said Inskeep of the Armenian military. “Their NCOs don’t have the same types of responsibilities that NCOs have in the U.S. Army.”

Discussions centered around the U.S. Army’s concept of mission command, which allows for decentralization and the execution of disciplined initiative.

Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Peplow, senior operations NCO for the 35th Inf. Div., also noted of the differences in the way the doctrine of the two militaries codifies officer/NCO roles and responsibilities, remarking that the concept of mission command might seem somewhat strange to militaries in other countries.

“The Armenian idea of how their NCO corps works is completely different than in the United States Army,” said Peplow. “I hoped to be able to give the Armenian officers a different point of view. We weren’t there to say ‘Our way is the right way.’ It was about having an open dialogue about how we operate and the success we’ve had with it.”

Peplow, who recently returned from the 35th Inf. Div. 2022 deployment in support of Operation Spartan Shield, said it was helpful being able to provide real-world examples from his experiences.

“It was my first visit to Armenia and I didn’t really know what to expect,” said Peplow. “But I was pleasantly surprised with how open and accepting everyone was of us bringing a somewhat unusual, different way of doing things and their willingness to at least listen.”

With the Armenia/Kansas Army National Guard relationship being now well-established, Inskeep sees many more opportunities in the future to continue the conversations.

“Over the past 20 years, the amount of involvement we have had has only increased,” said Inskeep. “There’s a lot of opportunities to participate in exercises and instruction. The division is the unit of action for the Army, so it’s a good opportunity for us to teach what we know and what we do, and also for us to learn from their experiences.”

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/456824/kansas-national-guard-armenia-partnership-stays-strong-with-help-35th-infantry-division

Canada – Oct 31 2023

Canada and its allies have discussed sanctioning Azerbaijan over its military incursion last month into the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh — which triggered a mass exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians into neighbouring Armenia — a senior diplomat told the Commons foreign affairs and international development committee Monday.

"There absolutely have been discussions … continued debate about when it would be most appropriate to use that tool,"  said Andrew Turner, Canada's recently appointed ambassador to Armenia, in response to questions from NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson.

Speaking by teleconference from Yerevan, Armenia's capital, Turner also said there's a risk that punitive actions could undermine efforts to arrive at a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"The pursuit of sanctions right now would risk disrupting the ongoing efforts at peace," he said.

"While we have not seen anyone take the route of sanctions, we have seen announcements from France, for example, about the possibility of military support, and that has caused Azerbaijan to withdraw from planned international meetings and discussions that could have helped advance the peace process."

Turner's testimony came a few days after Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly visited Armenia to officially inaugurate Canada's embassy. Asked by journalists about the prospect of sanctions during her trip, Joly said "everything is on the table" — which prompted criticism from Azerbajian's foreign affairs department.

Prior to September's military shelling operation, Nagorno-Karabakh had a majority ethnic Armenian population. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought two wars over the region, which is recognized as part of Azerbaijan under international law but had a de-facto ethnic Armenian government. 

Turner also pointed out that Ottawa has told Azerbaijan that refugees who fled Nagorno-Karabakh should be guaranteed the right to return.

Canada has signed a multi-country declaration to the United Nations Human Rights Council to that effect.

While Azerbaijan has said repeatedly that refugees are welcome to return, one expert told the Parliamentary committee that few refugees are likely to take up that offer.

"In my meetings with displaced people scattered throughout Armenia," said Olesya Vartanyan, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, "I have not met a single person who is considering returning to Nagorno-Karabakh any time soon.

"They have no trust in [Azerbaijan's] rule and are too afraid to return."

Vartanyan said Azerbaijan could build some trust by allowing displaced refugees to at least visit their homes and the graves of family members who have been killed, perhaps with assistance from international bodies such as the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Some of the experts who testified disagreed with the ambassador's suggestion that punitive actions could drive Azerbaijan out of peace talks.

"Now is the time for targeted sanctions to be imposed on Azerbaijan," said University of Windsor law professor Christopher Waters.

"They would be a warning that Canada expects Azerbaijan to protect cultural heritage, to safeguard the few remaining ethnic Armenians, to preserve the possibility of the right of return for those who fled, and to ensure fair treatment for civilian leaders who have been detained by the [Azerbaijani] regime under the guise that they are terrorists."

He reminded the committee of how Canadian-manufactured drone parts wound up being sold to Turkey, Azerbaijan's ally in its conflict with Armenia, and then used in drones by Azerbaijan against Armenia in 2020.

Waters also pointed to how Azerbaijan has taken over some parts of Armenia's sovereign territory itself, and to Azerbaijani government rhetoric claiming another strip of land within Armenia.

Jean-François Ratelle, an expert in insurgency and the politics of Caucasus states at the University of Ottawa, also suggested the International Criminal Court could be another avenue for justice. He said Canada should support Armenia's recent move to ratify joining the body, which could lead to a probe of alleged ethnic cleansing in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

He cited the economic blockade imposed by Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh in the nearly 10 months prior to its military incursion, which largely stopped food and medication from making its way to the local population, as well as the exodus itself.

Bloc Québécois MP Stéphane Bergeron, also a member of the committee, suggested Azerbaijan could feel emboldened to attack because of its recent military successes.

"I find it particular to point to France, which has been Armenia's only ally in the last few months," he said, citing how Paris brought up the conflict at the UN Security Council and sold defensive weaponry to Armenia.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/armenia-nagorno-karabakh-refugees-1.7013145

HEAD TOPICS, Canada

Oct 31 2023

Speaking by teleconference from Yerevan, Armenia's capital, Turner also said there's a risk that punitive actions could undermine efforts to arrive at a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Canada has signed a multi-country declaration to the United Nations Human Rights Council to that effect. "In my meetings with displaced people scattered throughout Armenia," said Olesya Vartanyan, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, "I have not met a single person who is considering returning to Nagorno-Karabakh any time soon.Children sit on a curb as residents gather in central Stepanakert to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inhabited by ethnic Armenians, on September 25, 2023. headtopics.com

Some of the experts who testified disagreed with the ambassador's suggestion that punitive actions could drive Azerbaijan out of peace talks. "They would be a warning that Canada expects Azerbaijan to protect cultural heritage, to safeguard the few remaining ethnic Armenians, to preserve the possibility of the right of return for those who fled, and to ensure fair treatment for civilian leaders who have been detained by the regime under the guise that they are terrorists."

Waters also pointed to how Azerbaijan has taken over some parts of Armenia's sovereign territory itself, and to Azerbaijani government rhetoric claiming another strip of land within Armenia. He cited the economic blockade imposed by Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh in the nearly 10 months prior to its military incursion, which largely stopped food and medication from making its way to the local population, as well as the exodus itself. headtopics.com

Oct 31 2023

By GABRIEL GAVIN

GEOPOLITICAL TANGLE — For weeks now, there have been warnings that yet another bloody war could break out on the edge of Europe — pushing the U.S. and E.U. further into a geopolitical tangle with Russia. Now, all eyes are on the South Caucasus to see whether a decades-old conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan can be averted, or if it will be added to the growing list of geopolitical hotspots that require attention from the West.

While the standoff has flown below the radar amid growing tensions between Serbia and Kosovo; as well as war between Russia and Ukraine and Hamas and Israel, the space sandwiched between Russia and Iran has become increasingly tense. Washington and Brussels have laid out clear red lines that have since been crossed. And there’s a growing suspicion that peace isn’t in Moscow’s best interests.

Last month, Azerbaijan launched an offensive to take control of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, with thousands of troops and tanks pushing forward under the cover of heavy artillery fire. Within 24 hours, taking heavy casualties on the front lines, the ethnic Armenian authorities had surrendered, effectively ending thirty years of de facto independence since a war that followed the fall of the Soviet Union.

More than 100,000 people were forced to flee their homes with what few possessions they could pack into cars, buses and even open-topped construction trucks. Few think they’ll ever be able to return, despite Azerbaijan’s promises of “reintegration.” And the Armenian government has accused Azerbaijan of carrying out ethnic cleansing in the region, with concerns of more aggression to come.

While the U.S. and E.U. have condemned the use of force, they’ve been unwilling or unable to take a tougher stance. Azerbaijan is a close partner of both critical NATO ally Turkey and of Israel, and has also stepped up exports of natural gas to Europe as part of efforts to wean the continent off Russian fossil fuels. On top of that, Azerbaijan maintains it was only acting to take control of its internationally-recognized territories, and insists that makes it an entirely internal issue.

But concerns have been growing that Azerbaijan could be planning an invasion of Armenia itself to seize a strategically important transport route that would link it up with Turkey — known as the Zangezur Corridor. Armenia’s new ambassador to the E.U, Tigran Balayan has said his country expects the attack “within weeks.”

Now though, both Azerbaijan and Armenia are saying a long-awaited peace deal could be done over the next few months instead. Speaking to POLITICO, Azerbaijani foreign policy chief Hikmet Hajiyev insisted there was no plan for a confrontation and that the corridor project “has lost its attractiveness for us” because of alternative routes through neighboring Iran.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, meanwhile, said last week that a final ceasefire could be signed soon — and unveiled a “Crossroads for Peace” project designed to bolster transport links with Azerbaijan and Turkey.

The move would be a major blow to Russia, which still has troops patrolling Armenia’s closed borders — once the frontier between the Soviet Union and NATO. With talk of peace in our time, Pashinyan has even hinted it might be time to tell Moscow’s military to leave once and for all.

The efforts to secure a diplomatic settlement would also be touted as a win in Washington and Brussels, despite the mass exodus and shattered lives as a result of last month’s war. Behind the scenes, Western diplomats have been fighting to avoid a repeat of the violence and prevent the worst case scenario from coming about.

And, at a time when Russia is reportedly seeking to stretch the West thin between conflicts in the Balkans, the Middle East and in Africa, it would be a rare moment where calmer heads prevailed and chaos could be averted. Only time will tell if that’s the case — but both Armenia and Azerbaijan are, for the moment, optimistic.

B2B Chief

Oct 31 2023

Armenia in South Caucasus is a hidden treasure with its world class wines, pristine valleys, breathtaking views that caters to a variety of tourists and lagro products that would be savoured globally.

Not many are aware that the world’s first winery existed in Armenia 6,000 years back and in present-day Armenia it has been revived leading to a craze for tastier home-grown wine even as the locally produced Brandy remains popular in the region and beyond.

Over the last decade and a half almost 200 local wine brands have entered the market making a market not only locally but in Russia, Europe and the USA. India is the next preferred target for the Armenian wine industry in the backdrop of emerging strategic partnership.

Leading from the front is Armas and its dynamic CEO Victoria Aslanian – vineyards, Winery, Distillery, Hotel and Tasting room. “Wine existed in Armenia since antiquity and the industry has been revived successfully. Armas is leading from the front. 70 per cent of our produce are exported to USA-UK-Europe. Our brands have been lauded in France. We are now looking at Japanese market,” Aslanian told ET.

Armenia has the right elevation and soil and climate for growing right grapes for wine, Aslanian pointed out. “We are in a perfect geographical zone to produce best of wines and our products are testimony to that. We in Armas would be exploring the Indian market.”

Vahe Keushguerian, who in many ways fathered Armenian wine industry brining his Italian experience into play, eloquently explained prospects of the local industry. “Armenia has so much excitement to offer. Just like our long history, some of the grapes we use today — Voskehat, Khatunm, Areni — have been perfecting themselves for thousands of years. They have passed through the hands and selection process of countless winemakers. Our domestic winemaking industry has deep roots and an ancient history. That is why we must treat it like our legacy that we share with other wine lovers across the world. The second reason for the uniqueness of Armenian wines is its highland, volcanic soil terroir. This unique land, in my opinion, is the key to making great wine.” Keushguerian, a former restaurateur in the USA, moved to Armenia in 2009, where he realized the potential of the Armenian wine industry and consulted on new wineries while starting the Karas Wine project, which in 2010 was the largest winery project in the country. In 2013 he founded WineWorks as well as Keush, which is a pioneer of traditional method sparkling wine. In 2017, he co-founded OSHIN, another premium Armenian wine project.To bring this wine industry closer to Indian audience Armenian Tourism Committee is ready to welcome tourists from South Asia’s biggest country. 2023 has been the best year for Armenian tourism industry and 21,000 Indian tourists (primarily UAE based) have so far visited the county in 2023 making it 7th largest tourist group in terms of number. “Our top three countries in terms of tourists’ arrivals are Russia, followed by Georgia and then Iran. We are hoping to get big number of tourists from India once direct flights are launched,” Sisian Boghossian told ET.

“There is mystic and unknown factor associated with Armenia which travelers would like to explore. Armenia is an affordable and safe location. Besides pristine locations, Armenia can be gastronomical delight with Armenian diaspora bringing food habits from various parts of the world. And Armenia has a history dating back to hundreds of years. We are also working on adventure tourism in Armenia.”

The wine and tourism industries are well complemented by impressive growth in Armenia’s agro industry. And ArLeAM is leading efforts from the front with its cultivation being located closer to capital Yerevan. ArLeAM is a visionary brand that provides natural, high-quality products grown with extra care.

At ArLeAM intensive orchards, in the area more than 25 hectares four varieties of apples with distinctive, juicy and unique taste characteristics are grown. Armenian apricot has a history of more than 2000 years. In addition to traditional Armenian varieties, European apricot varieties are now grown in ArLeAM orchards. ArLeAM produces several finished products including juices, dried fruits, honey, nuts, fruit and veggie chips among other products. ArLeAM is looking to enter the Indian market via Dubai based distributors.

https://b2bchief.com/armenia-armenia-hidden-eurasian-treasure-awaits-indian-tourists/

Oct 31 2023

The New Indian

Oct 31 2023

https://www.newindian.in/as-opposition-mps-shared-screenshots-of-alerts-from-iphone-to-posit-claims-of-snooping-by-the-centre-additional-information-is-surfacing/

Oct 31 2023

Oct 31 2023