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New Promising Era "President" & VP Nikol Pashinian

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#481 Yervant1

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Posted 17 January 2022 - 08:35 AM

Turkish Press
Jan 16 2022
 
 
Turkiye, Armenia normalization talks remain ‘fragile,’ experts say
January 16, 2022
 

ANKARA

After an hour-and-a-half-long meeting Friday, Turkish and Armenian foreign ministries published the same statement hailing the talks and agreeing to “continue negotiations without preconditions.”

As the communique noted the meeting was conducted in a positive and constructive atmosphere, experts told Anadolu Agency that talks remain “fragile.”

Former Ambassador to the US Serdar Kilic was named Turkish special envoy on Dec. 15, 2021 to discuss steps toward normalization with neighboring Armenia. Three days later, Armenia appointed its special representative, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan.

Before the meeting, Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that at the gathering, the envoys would exchange views on a roadmap for moving forward, including confidence-building measures.

In that context, the two officials conducted the first meeting in “a positive and constructive atmosphere” as they had “exchanged their preliminary views regarding the normalization process through dialogue between Turkiye and Armenia.”

A prominent geopolitics expert on the South Caucasus, Nigar Goksel, characterized the release of the same statement by both countries after the meeting as a “positive first step” even though it “doesn’t reveal much.”

Goksel, who is also the Turkish director of the International Crisis Group, added: “Now that there is a direct channel, the risk that public messaging can be misinterpreted is diminished.”

She said both parties “share an interest in normalization” and noted that mending ties would “pave the way for regional integration, with transport links expected to bring economic dividends and more stability.”

“The normalization process will likely proceed step by step, ideally building trust along the way between Turkiye and Armenia, and also ensuring all other neighbors are positively disposed of,” she said.

Although the opening of borders may still require some time, the International Crisis Group expert said, “there is an expectation that now bilateral talks will continue in Ankara and Yerevan, rather than in a third country.”

Regarding Azerbaijan’s position on Turkiye’s talks with Armenia, Goksel said: “Baku’s public statements are supportive, and this matters for Turkish public opinion.”

Noting that the opening of a new transit route to Nakhichevan via Armenian territory is particularly important for Baku and Ankara, she said normalization talks “remain fragile” as a potential “escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan could negatively affect Turkiye-Armenia negotiations.”

“Ankara’s expressed hope is that momentum in Turkiye-Armenia talks can feed into a broader positive dynamic in the region,” she added.

Yildiz Deveci Bozkus, a leading Turkish academician on Armenian studies from Ankara University, also told Anadolu Agency that the normalization process between Ankara and Yerevan is “highly fragile.”

Bozkus said the fact that Turkish and Armenian ministries shared identical statements is “very important,” as it shows that both parties “are on the same page.”

Though the date and location of the next meeting were not announced, a prominent academician said the statement also “gives clues on the continuation of a positive process.”

Both parties sharing the same statement is also important to prevent manipulation, she said. But “the process is very fragile, steps need to be taken very carefully.”

“Public opinion emerged regarding this meeting both in the West and the East. In fact, especially when we look at the US, there are reports of (US President Joe) Biden receiving letters criticizing Turkiye on the talks and that the Armenian diaspora creating pressure. In this respect, we can say that the process is fragile,” she said.

Stressing the importance of the continuation of negotiations without preconditions, Bozkus said such a move shows that “the events of 1915 will be discussed in the next period, but not in the near future. As part of normalization steps, the opening of borders, energy, and transportation will be addressed in the first place. Meanwhile, the events of 1915 are either placed aside or postponed to a later date.”

She noted that talks continuing without preconditions also had a backlash for Armenia as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was criticized by radicals in that country as well as former politicians.

But having conditions before negotiations would not lead to results, she added.

Noting that during previous negotiations there were third parties such as international organizations or countries, Bozkus said current talks are being carried out directly between Turkiye and Armenia.

“This process, unlike the previous ones, needs to be continued with more rigor and sensitivity so that both sides do not miss this opportunity for normalization,” she said.

Bozkus also drew attention to the necessity of normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, saying that success in talks between Ankara and Yerevan depends on it.

“Reopening of borders would benefit everyone, not only Turkiye or Armenia but will also have a positive effect on the region’s trade route,” she added.

Turkiye and Armenia have long been divided on a number of issues, from Armenia’s refusal to recognize their shared border to historical incidents with the Ottoman Empire’s Armenian population in 1915, during World War I.

https://turkishpress...le-experts-say/



#482 Yervant1

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Posted 17 January 2022 - 08:38 AM

pngkiYwMqqrtX.png
Jan 16 2022
 
 
 
Turkey anticipates opening of borders with Armenia
 
 

After a 13-year break, negotiations began between Turkey and Armenia on the normalization of relations between the two countries. According to the newly reached agreement, negotiations will continue without preconditions. The majority of the population of Turkey is positive about the normalization process and many are looking forward to the opening of the borders with Armenia.

Economic ties between Turkey and Armenia

Despite the fact that Turkey closed the border with Armenia in 1993 due to the first Karabakh war, trade relations between the two countries did not stop. Trade was carried out through the territory of Georgia.

According to the State Statistics Office of Turkey, the volume of trade with Armenia reached its peak in 2020 and amounted to 4.2 million US dollars. In 2021, despite the ban on the import of Turkish goods to Armenia, trade between the countries was made in the amount of $3.8 million.

pngV83LKymO71.png

Volume of trade between Turkey and Armenia in 2013-2021 Source: State Statistical Office of Turkey

Expert commentary: Not everything is as simple as it seems

According to Emre Peker, a London-based expert of the Eurasia Group (a political consulting structure headquartered in the United States) of Turkish origin, in the process of establishing relations between Armenia and Turkey, the leading role belongs to Moscow.

It is no coincidence that the first meeting of representatives of the two countries took place in the capital of Russia, the specialist emphasizes.

Peker is sure that the parties should focus their attention on the issues, which are able to give immediate results, and not delve into topics that are painfully perceived both in Armenia and in Turkey.

The expert expressed confidence that contacts will continue in the coming months, but not everything is so simple. “It is difficult to imagine that the agreements reached will be durable. There are many reasons for this – and the first of them is the tense internal political situation in both countries. If the topic of conversation touches on historical issues, then it will be difficult for the parties to agree on something”, said Emre Peker.

What is the opinion of ordinary citizens in Turkey?

Unlike politicians and experts, ordinary citizens in Turkey generally have a positive attitude towards the process of establishing relations with a neighboring country. This is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted by the publication Gündem Ortadoğu.

According to the results of the study, 67% of respondents are positive about the beginning of the process of normalizing relations with Armenia, 13% have not decided on their opinion on this issue, and 20% of respondents prefer to leave everything as it was.

“We are looking forward to opening the borders with Armenia”

Akyaka is a village in the Turkish province of Kars, where the railway station, inactive since 1993, is located. This station is the closest to Armenia. In an hour by train, one can reach the territory of a neighboring country. But for 28 years now, trains have stopped running on this route.

“Every day in the morning and in the evening a train from Armenia arrived here. Families from a neighboring country went here, or continued their journey to Kars. They would buy goods here, and on the next train they would return home.

The Turks living here did the same. We went to Armenia, bought the necessary goods and returned home. Trade was very lively. But after Armenia invaded the territory of fraternal Azerbaijan, the borders were closed”, recalls the writer Vedat Akchayoz.

According to local residents, the population of the village of Akyaka has significantly decreased after the closure of the border with Armenia. Engin Yildirim, head of the trade union of local entrepreneurs, spoke about the reasons:

“There are 27 villages besides this one. In 1993, 17,000-18,000 people lived here. At present, the population has decreased to 10,000. In other words, the population decline is 70-80%.

There is only one reason: this is the end point of Turkey. After the closure of the border with Armenia, the village turned into a “black hole”. There is no investment, it is impossible to go anywhere from here. Now, if the border opens, the village will immediately revive”.

“There are railway and motor roads leading to Armenia. But we cannot trade with them, because the border is closed. The resolution of the Karabakh issue gave us hope. We are anxiously waiting for the results of negotiations with Armenia”, says Ghaffar Demir, owner of a hotel in the village of Akyaka.

“Who does not want to develop trade, increase profits? I really want it. Let them come, buy from us, and we will go and shop there.

We also trade with European countries, and this country is very close. Just an hour away. Imagine an hour on the train and you are already there. I would leave in the morning and come back in the evening”, says Hussein Kanyk, a cheese producer from Kars, who is also anticipating of the opening of the border.

Journalists, as always, have more data. According to the owner of the local Serhat TV, Alijan Alibeyoglu, the population is waiting for the opening of roads linking Turkey with Armenia:

“Before the start of the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia in 2020, we conducted a survey among the local population. At that time, the absolute majority supported the decision to close the border.

But with the resolution of the Karabakh issue, the ratio changed dramatically. Now almost everyone is looking forward to positive decisions from the bilateral talks between the special representatives of Turkey and Armenia”.

“Currently, there are no official diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia. But as soon as the diplomats come to an agreement, our delegation will visit Armenia.

All importers of products from our region will go to Yerevan together. And I hope that the resumption of trade relations will take a very short time. This is my dream. We are waiting for positive decisions”, said Ethem Tanriver, head of the East Anadolu Importers Association.

https://jam-news.net...s-with-armenia/



#483 Yervant1

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Posted 18 January 2022 - 10:09 AM

png4SKC3UOwxK.png
Jan 17 2022
 
 
Armenia rejects preconditions, "corridor" discussion
297900.jpg
January 17, 2022 - 15:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - There can be no discussions on providing a "corridor" to Azerbaijan through Armenia, Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan has said in an interview with the Armenian service of RFE/RL.

"We have said many times that Armenia has not discussed, is not and will not be discussing any issue within the logic of a corridor," Grigoryan said in response to a question about whether Turkey is making the matter a precondition in negotiations with Armenia.

"The issue of the corridor is a red line for us, everyone is aware of it: Azerbaijan and all the countries that have have anything with Armenians are aware of it.

“In general, the attempt to speak in the logic of preconditions is a process that leads nowhere,” Grigoryan said, weighing in on the Armenian-Turkish negotiations, within which the first meeting of the special representatives of the two countries took place in Moscow on January 14.

Armenia has named lawmaker from the ruling Civil Contract party Ruben Rubinyan as special envoy to work on the normalization of ties with Turkey. Ankara, meanwhile, has appointed former ambassador to the United States Serdar Kilic for the same role.

Rubinyan and Kilic met in Moscow on January 14 in what the Armenian Foreign Ministry described "a positive and constructive atmosphere".

 
 

"Parties agreed to continue negotiations without preconditions aiming at full normalization. Date and venue of their second meeting will be decided in due time through diplomatic channels," the Foreign Ministry said.
https://www.panarmen...idor_discussion



#484 Yervant1

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Posted 21 January 2022 - 09:56 AM

IRAN FRONT PAGE
Jan 20 2022
 
 
Armenia seeking to resolve border dispute with Azerbaijan Republic
 
January 20, 2022


 

 
Armenia has tabled a set of proposals to the Azerbaijan Republic to resolve border issues between them following last year’s Nogorno-Karabakh conflict.

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced the proposals during an address to Armenia’s parliament.

He said the proposals were sent to the Azerbaijan Republic through Russia.

“The most important issues raised by the proposals are the simultaneous withdrawal of the forces of both countries from the border and creation of a security mechanism between the two countries,” he said.

His comments follow those of Russian Foreign Minsiter Sergei Lavrov that a commission will be established in the near future to discuss the proposals.

This comes amid persisting clashes between Armenia and the Azerbaijan Republic one year after the Nagorno-KArabakh conflict. The two sides are yet to agree on how to demarcate their borders.

Fighting erupted between Armenia and the Azerbaijan Republic over the long-disputed region in September 2020. 

The war came to an end after the two sides signed a Russia-brokered ceasefire agreement in November that year. 

Under the agreement, Yerevan and Baku ended hostilities but recognized territorial advances for the Azerbaijan Republic in Karabakh and seven surrounding districts. 

Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of the Azerbaijan Republic, since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989. The region, however, remains populated by ethnic Armenians.
 


#485 Yervant1

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Posted 21 January 2022 - 10:02 AM

  News.am  
Armenia - Jan 20 2022
 
Sabah: Ankara refuses to hold next Armenian-Turkish meeting in a third country
21:05, 20.01.2022
 
 
 

Turkish Sabah daily touched upon the next meeting of Armenian and Turkish special envoys.

According to the newspaper, Turkish Foreign Ministry diplomatic sources said they do not want the next meeting to be held in a third country. They want it to take place either in Armenia or in Turkey.

https://news.am/eng/news/683095.html



#486 Yervant1

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Posted 24 January 2022 - 08:47 AM

Reuters
Jan 23 2022
 
 
Armenian president resigns saying Constitution doesn't give him enough influence

MOSCOW, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Armenian President Armen Sarkissian tendered his resignation on Sunday, saying he believes the country's constitution does not give him sufficient powers to influence events.

Sarkissian, president since 2018, was in a standoff with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan last year over a number of issues, including the dismissal of the head of the armed forces.

The role of prime minister is seen as more powerful than that of president.

 

"I have been thinking for a long time, I have decided to resign from the post of the President of the Republic after working actively for about four years," Sarkissian said in a statement published on the president's official website.

"The question may arise as to why the President failed to influence the political events that led us to the current national crisis. The reason is obvious again - the lack of appropriate tools ... - the Constitution. The roots of some of our potential problems are hidden in the current Basic Law."

 

At a referendum in December 2015, Armenia became a parliamentary republic, while presidential powers were significantly curtailed.

Sarkissian in his statement did not refer directly to any particular events or issues.

Armenia agreed a ceasefire with Azerbaijan last November at their border, after Russia urged them to step back from confrontation following the deadliest clash since a six-week war in 2020 when Moscow also brokered a peace deal to end the hostilities.

 

Prime Minister Pashinyan has since been under pressure, with regular street protests demanding he step down over the terms of the peace agreement. Under the 2020 deal brokered by Russia, Azerbaijan regained control of territory it had lost during a war in the early 1990s.

Armenia seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991 but remains dependent on Russia for aid and investment. Many Armenians accuse the government of corruption and mishandling an economy that has struggled to overcome the legacy of central planning.

 


#487 Yervant1

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Posted 24 January 2022 - 08:49 AM

France 24
Jan 23 2022
 
 
 
Armenian president resigns citing 'difficult times' for nation
 
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian announced Sunday that he is resigning his largely symbolic position, citing the inability of his office to influence policy during times of national crisis.
 

"This is not an emotionally-driven decision and it comes from a specific logic," Sarkisian said in a statement on his official website.

"The president does not have the necessary tools to influence the important processes of foreign and domestic policy in difficult times for the people and the country," he said.

Sarkisian was at the centre of a domestic political crisis last year that erupted in the wake of a war between Armenia and its long-standing rival Azerbaijan for control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

His role is largely ceremonial and executive power rests primarily with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

 

Sarkisian and Pashinyan had disagreed over a decision to remove the chief of the military's general staff in the wake of the war and amid protests that brought thousands onto the streets of the Caucasus nation.

"I hope that eventually the constitutional changes will be implemented and the next president and presidential administration will be able to operate in a more balanced environment," the statement added.

Sarkisian was born in 1953 in the capital Yerevan. He served as prime minister between 1996-1997, according to an official biography, before being elected president in March 2018.

Armenia's economy has struggled since the Soviet collapse and money sent home by Armenians abroad has aided the construction of schools, churches and other infrastructure projects, including in Nagorno-Karabakh.

(AFP)
 


#488 Yervant1

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Posted 24 January 2022 - 08:50 AM

The following are links to the news about the resignation of the President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian.

______________________________________


Armenian President Resigns Saying Constitution Doesn't Give Him Enough Influence
https://www.usnews.c...esident-resigns


Armenian president resigns -Breaking
https://www.streetre...signs-breaking/


Armenian president resigns saying Constitution doesn’t give him enough influence
https://www.fxempire...-resigns-874582


Armen Sargsyan resigns, the president of Armenia
https://www.parisbeacon.com/34004/


Armenian president quits, citing office’s inability to affect policy during crisis
https://www.timesofi...-during-crisis/


President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian Resigns
https://sputniknews....1092468381.html


Armenian president resigns By Reuters
https://www.vivaraen...gns-by-reuters/


Armenian president Sarkissian resigns over lack of influence
https://toysmatrix.c...k-of-influence/


Armenia’s president announces his resignation
https://sawahpress.c...is-resignation/


Armenian president resigns saying Constitution doesn't give him enough influence
https://www.investin...resigns-2745724


Armenian president resigns
https://oc-media.org...sident-resigns/


Armenian president announces his resignation
https://tass.com/world/1392025


Armenian President Armen Sarkissian resigns
https://newsaf.cgtn....TNQc/index.html


Armenian President Sarkissian resigns after 4 years
https://gazette.com/...1e3b1d7dd3.html


Armenian President Armen Sargsyan resigned
https://oicanadian.c...gsyan-resigned/


Armenian president quits over lack of influence in 'difficult times'
https://www.france24...difficult-times


Armenian President Sarkissian resigns after 4 years
https://denvergazett...ece4d2c1a3.html


Armenia's president resigns unexpectedly
https://www.juneesou.../story/7591591/


Armenia’s president resigns amid political tensions
https://www.laprensa...tical-tensions/


Armenian president resigns citing insufficient constitutional authorization
https://www.presstv....national-crisis


Armenia: President announces resignation
https://www.parisbeacon.com/34045/


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#489 MosJan

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Posted 24 January 2022 - 11:00 AM

lets see what happens .. 



#490 MosJan

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Posted 24 January 2022 - 11:16 AM

https://hetq.am/en/article/140389

 

 

The Pyramid of Lies Collapsed: President Armen Sarkissian Had to Resign

 

 

In his statement yesterday, Armen Sarkissian noted some reasons for his abrupt departure from the presidency, but we believe they have little to do with his resignation. We think the reason for his resignation is just the one: he was a citizen of another country during his term in office.

When the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) asked President Armen Sarkissian if he was a citizen of another country, he asked for evidence to support the allegation.

The country in question is not Great Britain. Armen Sarkissian was a British citizen and and this was  known before he was elected president in March 2018. It is a small island country in the Caribbean - St. Kitts and Nevis.

Given Sarkissian’s British connections, it’s no surprise that the country is a Commonwealth realm, with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.

We had information that the president had a St. Kitts and Nevis passport, which was confirmed in correspondence with Sarkissian. We cannot provide many details of the investigation at this stage as it is a cross border investigation and not yet complete.

Yesterday, the president of Armenia announced his resignation. But there is a noteworthy fact here. Right before the resignation, he answered a series of our questions about his St Kitts and Nevis citizenship. Sarkissian was on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He left the UAE and went on vacation because of health problems. And he resigned without returning to Armenia.

When we sent Sarkissian his St. Kitts and Nevis passport details, he began to put forth the following argument.

Sarkissian said he had made investments in St. Kitts and Nevis. According to our correspondence with Armen Sarkissian, he had a share in one of the hotels in St. Kitts and Nevis and transferred it on to one of his family members before he became ambassador of Armenia to the UK in 2013.

Saint Kitts has a program (Citizenship-by-Investment) whereby people can be granted citizenship in return for making investment. Sarkissian claimed that he thus became a citizen without his knowledge. “...the investment was the driving factor. I was not interested in the passport at all,” he told Hetq.

He allegedly wrote a letter to the company that organized his investment after receiving citizenship and, according to Sarkissian, asked the company to put his citizenship “on hold”.

According to Sarkissian, before being appointed Ambassador of Armenia to the United Kingdom in 2013, he instructed his solicitor to return his passport to St. Kitts and Nevis.

In 2017, when he was soon to become president, he discovered that his above-mentioned instruction hadn’t been dealt with. It was revealed the person who was supposed to deal with his request (not his attorney) had died. Later, he wrote a letter to the son of the deceased who worked at the same company, explained the situation, and repeated his request.

The fact is that Armen Sarkissian started the official process of renouncing his citizenship in St. Kitts and Nevis not long before he was elected president in March 2018.

According to the Armenia’s Constitution, he thus wasn’t eligible to be elected president. Hence, all the decrees he signed, including various laws, the appointments of officials, the elections, even the appointment of the prime minister, are illegal.

Sarkissian told us that he believed that he was no longer a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis from the moment he requested to put his citizenship on hold after he received it in return for investments.

President Armen Sarkissian is unlikely to return to Armenia since he could be prosecuted for forging official documents.



#491 MosJan

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Posted 24 January 2022 - 11:20 AM

Համապետական ծառատունկ. Արմավիրի մարզում տնկիների 90%-ը չորացել է

 



#492 MosJan

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Posted 24 January 2022 - 07:48 PM

Hetq Edik Baghdasaryan

Պարզել ենք, որ Արմեն Սարգսյանը Կարիբյան ծովում գտնվող փոքր երկրի՝ Սենթ Քիթս և Նևիսի քաղաքացի է եղել։ Նախագահ Արմեն Սարգսյանը հավանաբար Հայաստան չի վերադառնա, քանի որ նա կարող է քրեական պատասխանատվության ենթարկվել փաստաթուղթ կեղծելու հիմքով:



#493 Yervant1

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Posted 26 January 2022 - 11:46 AM

pngJAg_rwTbwG.png
Jan 19 2022
 
 
 
Erdogan Triumphs as Putin Stabs His Best Ally in the Back
JANUARY 19, 2022

caucasus-map.jpg

Op-Ed by David Boyajian

President Putin has been making some astonishing demands, including:

  • NATO mustn’t admit additional countries near Russia, such as Ukraine and Georgia.
  • NATO must cease military activity in non-NATO territories: Georgia, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and parts of eastern Europe.

Yet, incredibly, Putin has himself been enabling a NATO member’s aggression bordering Russia.

In 2020, the Kremlin embraced Turkey’s sending American-designed/equipped F-16s and Bayraktar drones containing NATO components into Azerbaijan.

Turkey and Azerbaijan (“one nation, two states”) subsequently defeated the Armenian populated Artsakh Republic/Nagorno-Karabagh and Russia’s longtime ally, Armenia.  Israel backed Azerbaijan militarily.

 

The brutal 44-day war ended with a so-called peace agreement on November 9, 2020.

Russia facilitated Turkey’s (and, de facto, NATO’s) participation in Putin’s self-defeating grudge war against Armenians:

  • Putin stood aside as Turkey openly deployed troops, weapons, and thousands of Russian-hating international terrorists into Azerbaijan.
  • Turkey and Azerbaijan struck parts of Armenia, not just Artsakh. Yet Russia and the Russian-led CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) patently ignored their defense pacts with Armenia.
  • For decades, Russia had stopped battles over Artsakh between Azerbaijan and Armenians at an early stage despite Artsakh’s lacking a defense treaty with Russia. This time, though, Moscow intervened only belatedly (November 2020) as it posted Russian “peacekeeping” troops in parts of Artsakh.
  • Moscow welcomed Turkish soldiers to partner with Russians in “monitoring” the peace agreement.
  • Since the war ended, Putin and the CSTO (Azerbaijan isn’t a member) have shamelessly humiliated their Armenian ally. For instance, Russia is permitting Azeri troops — unquestionably at Turkey’s urging — to invade southern Armenia, seize highways, kill civilians, and attack Armenia’s diminished military.
  • Russia and the CSTO continue to rebuff Yerevan’s legitimate requests for assistance.

In contrast:

  • In January, Putin promptly dispatched CSTO troops into member Kazakhstan to subdue violent protests.
  • NATO never signed a formal agreement barring eastward expansion.  Therefore, despite the Kremlin’s contention, NATO isn’t legally required to bar Ukraine’s possible membership.  Russia and the CSTO are, however, legally required to adhere to their signed, formal defense pacts with Armenia but aren’t doing so.
Russia’s Angry President

Elected on an anti-corruption platform in 2018’s democratic “Velvet Revolution,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was reelected in 2021.

Russia dislikes democratic leaders.  They’re harder to arm-twist and bribe.  True, Pashinyan has been somewhat friendlier to Western nations than Armenia’s earlier leaders.

Yet, post-independence (1991), Yerevan has maintained excellent political and economic relations with the EU, U.S., and NATO.  In 2005, America built one of its largest embassies in the world under President Robert Kocharyan, a Putin favorite.

Regardless, Putin hated Pashinyan, barely spoke to him, and never gave him a chance.

European–Armenian relations go back thousands of years.  A strong U.S.–Armenian friendship dates to the 19th century.  This is natural for an ancient Christian nation speaking an Indo-European tongue.

Armenia has, nevertheless, allied itself with Russia for historical reasons and as security against genocidal Turkey and Azerbaijan.  A more reliable Russian ally doesn’t exist.

Yerevan and Pashinyan certainly made mistakes before and during the war.  But Putin’s angry betrayal of Armenians has been undeserved and irrational.

Pashinyan never oriented Yerevan away from Moscow.  He couldn’t.

Moscow’s Grip

Russia supplies nearly all its ally’s gas, oil, and weapons, controls much of its energy infrastructure, including the Metsamor nuclear power plant, and has two military bases in Armenia.

The Kremlin’s imperialist attitude towards small allies: ‘You wouldn’t exist if not for Russia, so be eternally grateful.  Otherwise, we’ll punish you even if it severely damages Russia.’

Indeed, due to Putin’s grudge war against Armenians:

  • Turkey and NATO are now embedded deeper than ever in Azerbaijan and the Caucasus — militarily, politically, and economically.
  • Russia’s foremost ally lost.

No wonder the neo-con U.S. State Department’s and NATO’s condemnations of Turkish/Azerbaijani aggression have been generally low-key.

True, Russia may now have more control over Armenia and has deployed 2000 troops in Artsakh.  But Russia could have gotten these without the war.  Instead, the Kremlin chose anger and war over sound judgment.

Ironically, though livid at Pashinyan’s mild Western outreach, Moscow seems fine with Turkey’s Western military, economic, and political memberships: NATO, EU Customs Union, and scores more.

Similarly for Azerbaijan: The UK has invested $100 billion, the EU is a major trade partner, and American investment is massive.

Western money helped build Azerbaijani energy pipelines which avoided Russia, going instead through Moscow’s adversary, Georgia.  Even Donald Trump attempted to build a $200 million hotel in Baku.

But no, Moscow prefers to bully and betray its best ally.

Is Armenia really an important ally?

The Turkish/NATO Threat to Russia

Were Armenia to somehow exit Moscow’s camp, Turkey and NATO would rapidly displace Russia from the Caucasus because:

  • Azerbaijan, a Western source for gas and oil, has long sided with Turkey not Russia.
  • Georgia is supported by the West, links Turkey and Azerbaijan, and is, in effect, a NATO candidate.

The Caspian would become a NATO/Turkic lake.

Moreover, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Turkey’s pan-Turkic aspirations lie just across the Caspian.

Russia would face a future grimmer than what NATO in Europe poses.

Is Russia Reliable?

Besides Moscow’s recent treachery, Armenians remember Moscow’s gifting Artsakh, Nakhichevan, and Western Armenian territory to Azerbaijan and Turkey in the 1920s,

Russia’s growing weakness also makes Armenians question its reliability.

Russia has lost most of eastern Europe to NATO.  Despite territorial gains in Ukraine and Georgia, Moscow may eventually lose them (and Belarus) unless it invades some or all of them, which is possible but risky.

Central Asia looks shaky due to Turkish, Western, and Chinese inroads.

Without allies in the Black Sea, Russia worries about NATO exercises such as Sea Breeze 2021.

Turkey poses other problems for Russia.

Over Putin’s protests, Turkey sells Bayraktars and other weapons to Ukraine.  Ankara demands that Crimea be returned to Kyiv.  President Erdogan has threatened Russia with a Muslim uprising and declared that Turkey is ascendant in Central Asia.  Russia still can’t oust Turkey from Syria.

Influenced by Russia’s Eurasianist theorist Aleksandr Dugin, Putin thinks he’s luring Turkey away from NATO.  Erdogan is unlikely to fall for that trap.

Armenia’s Dilemma

Suppose Yerevan could escape the Russian bear’s grip.  Joining NATO would not guarantee its security.  Turkey, which has murderous plans for Armenia, would vastly outweigh it.

Turkey threatens Greece, Cyprus, and others, invades whatever countries it pleases, and supports ISIS and other international terrorists while the U.S., NATO, and Europe look the other way.

Kowtowing to Turkey for 100+ years has destroyed the West’s credibility.

The Caucasus’s future is hard to predict, but some major things – unlikely as they seem now – could reshape the region in the medium and long terms.

  • To create a permanent Caucasus base, Russia may strong-arm Armenia into the Russian Federation and even, perhaps, make it Russia itself.
  • Russia – enchanted by Eurasianism – could sell Armenia to Turkey and Azerbaijan in pursuit of a Russo-Turko alliance.
  • At great political cost, Russia could shut down the entire NATO/Turkish eastward adventure by invading Georgia and Ukraine.

As for Armenia, it must maneuver between the region’s competing powers as it has for 3000 years.

David Boyajian’s primary foreign policy focus is the Caucasus.  His work can be found at http://www.armeniape.../David_Boyajian.

 

https://www.activistpost.com/2022/01/erdogan-triumphs-as-putin-stabs-his-best-ally-in-the-back.html
 


#494 Yervant1

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Posted 28 January 2022 - 11:15 AM

Al-Arabiya, UAE
Jan 27 2022
 
 
Armenian foreign minister to visit Turkey after decades of animosity

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan is to visit Turkey in March, his Turkish counterpart said on Thursday, as the neighbors work to mend ties after decades of animosity.

Turkey has had no diplomatic or commercial ties with its eastern neighbor since the 1990s. The two are at odds over several issues, primarily the 1.5 million people Armenia says were during the Genocide in 1915.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

Earlier this month, Turkey and Armenia said a first round of talks in more than ten years between envoys on normalizing ties was “positive and constructive,” raising the prospect that ties could be restored and borders reopened.

Armenia says the 1915 killings constitute a genocide. Turkey accepts that many Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces during World War One, but contests the figures and denies killings were systematic or constitute genocide.

Tensions again flared during a 2020 war over the Nagorno-Karabakh territory. Turkey accused ethnic Armenian forces of occupying land belonging to Azerbaijan. Turkey has since called for a rapprochement, as it seeks greater regional influence.

Speaking in Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had responded positively to Turkey’s invitation to the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), set for March 11-13, and that the normalization process was proceeding with confidence-building measures.

“The Armenian Foreign Minister and the Special Envoy Ruben Rubinyan were invited, and Pashinyan lastly said they could participate in ADF,” Cavusoglu said.

“We would welcome this, because Azerbaijan is coming too. So let Azerbaijan state its views and Armenia state its opinions too, and this can be part of the confidence-building measures,” he added.

This month’s talks were the first attempt to restore links since a 2009 peace accord. That deal was never ratified and relations have remained tense.

In December, Ankara and Yerevan appointed special envoys to lead normalization talks. Cavusoglu said the envoys would decide when the next round of talks would be and where they would be held.

Ankara has said it wants the talks to be held in Turkey or Armenia, after the first round was held in Moscow.



#495 Yervant1

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Posted 28 January 2022 - 11:18 AM

Valdai Discussion Club
Jan 27 2022
 
Armenia and Turkey: Rapprochement 3.0?
27.01.2022
 
 
      Vahram Ter-Matevosyan
 
 

Given the post-war realities and the pressure coming from different capitals, the Armenian authorities must slow down, take into account the institutional realities and capabilities within Armenia, and correctly analyse the primary and secondary layers of the statements coming from Turkey, writes Dr. Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, Program Chair of Political Science and International Affairs program, American University of Armenia.

The defeat in the 45-day war of 2020 has challenged the foundations of Armenia’s security architecture. The trilateral ceasefire statement of November 9, 2020, followed by months of unnerving domestic turmoil, professed a guaranteed demise for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government. However, the snap parliamentary elections on June 20 helped him emerge from what many had considered an unpreventable “political Armageddon”. Winning the elections, however, did not protect him from the need to face pressing issues like negotiating for the return of prisoners of war (POWs) from Azerbaijan, border security problems, rebuilding the tarnished army, starting the demarcation and delimitation of the border with Azerbaijan, restarting the negotiations on the status and security of Nagorno Karabakh, and containing Azerbaijan’s tough posturing vis-a-vis Armenia’s borders.

No less pertinent is the question of Armenia’s relations with Turkey, Azerbaijan’s pivotal ally in its recent war against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkey has refused to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia and has kept the border closed since 1991. Months after the 2020 war, Pashinyan stated that Armenia is ready to embrace an era of peace in the South Caucasus region. For months, there was no visible progress as Armenia received mixed reactions from Turkey, complete with a set of preconditions and demands. However, weeks ago, both countries appointed envoys who would work on the normalisation of relations. What is going on between Armenia and Turkey? Are they embarking on another process of rapprochement? What are the chances for it to succeed this time, considering the previous failed cases of rapprochement in 1992-93 and 2008-09?

Contrary to the constructive interpretations that Armenia’s government has recently advanced, Turkey's position on its relations with Armenia has not changed since 1991. On the surface, Turkey ascertains the following condition: “in the absence of any improvement in Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, any progress to be achieved within the Turkish-Armenian normalisation process alone would remain insufficient and would not be lasting or sustainable”, implying that the pro-Azerbaijani resolution of the Karabakh conflict is the only precondition for normalisation. Armenia, meanwhile, has viewed the normalisation of interstate relations with Turkey from the perspective of the logic established in the early 1990s: a) relations should be normalised without any preconditions; B) the Karabakh conflict, involving Azerbaijan and Armenia, should be decoupled from the Armenian-Turkish relations.

For Turkey, the Karabakh issue was, indeed, the most discussed and voiced precondition over the decades, however, it remains only one of the preconditions. The shadow of history looms large over relation between the two nations. First and foremost, Turkey continues to view the normalisation of relations with Armenia from the point of view of unsettled historical-political legacies, followed by Turkey’s long-term interests in the Caucasus and geopolitical objectives. Hence, the Karabakh conflict lags behind several fundamental issues in the Armenian-Turkish and Armenia-Turkey relations that I have raised over the last 15 years and summarised in the recent academic article. 

Over the last decades, using various platforms and opportunities, Ankara has raised several preconditions for Armenia to comply with, which included but were not limited to the following:

 

  • the Republic of Armenia and Diaspora should halt the worldwide campaign to recognise the Genocide and renounce any claims to land and property compensations and reparations from Turkey;

  • Turkey periodically insists on Armenia acknowledging the existing border with Turkey according to the 1921 Kars treaty;

  • Armenia should recognise Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and, thereby, close the Karabakh chapter;

  • Turkey periodically entertains — sometime through Azerbaijan (Aliyev demanded that Armenia adopt a new constitution) — the idea that Armenia should revise its Declaration of Independence adopted in 1990 (and Constitution of 1995), as the document indicates that the Armenian Genocide was committed in Western Armenia, which is the present-day eastern region of Turkey;

  • Turkey occasionally demands the closing down of Armenia’s Metsamor Nuclear Power Station, which is located a few kilometers from the Armenian-Turkish border.

  • Turkey has recently started to reintroduce another precondition which it failed to achieve a century ago: establishing a corridor between the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, an exclave of Azerbaijan, and mainland Azerbaijan through Armenia’s sovereign territory in the Syunik province in the south.

 

In essence, Armenia and Turkey continue to speak in different languages because the gap that has widened over the decades cannot be closed under the influence of suppositious claims about regional peace and stability. It is not accidental that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks about the gradual normalisation of relations, while Pashinyan is in a hurry to escape Armenia’s regional isolation as soon as possible. Turkey’s president insists on a lack of trust towards Armenia’s government and needs for the depoliticisation of history, while the Armenian prime minister speaks of Armenia becoming a crossroads in connecting the east to the west and the north to the south. Given the post-war realities and the pressure coming from different capitals, the Armenian authorities must slow down, take into account the institutional realities and capabilities within Armenia, and correctly analyse the primary and secondary layers of the statements coming from Turkey. Yerevan should learn from the achievements and slips of the last 30 years. Taking into account Turkey’s assertive ambitions in the South Caucasus and its plan to promote its 2020 “3+3” initiative, which was a slightly revised version of its own the 2008 Caucasus Stability Platform, it is unpromising to talk to Turkey with the expectation of becoming a co-author of peace in the region. Turkey has been blockading Armenia for 30 years and hindering its development without bearing any responsibility for its wrongdoings. Pashinyan, in turn, has crossed the point of no return in his policy of advancing “an era of peaceful development in the region”.  There are all the indications that he is eager to open the borders at nearly any cost. Turkey has spoken and will continue to talk to Armenia in the language of preconditions, as long as Armenia demonstrates haste in breaking the deadlock. Even if the parties make a breakthrough and establish diplomatic relations, Turkey’s policy of advancing preconditions will not cease, making it a difficult partner to work with. The aforementioned explicit and implicit preconditions will remain in Turkey’s foreign policy agenda. Those preconditions are too complex and firmly intertwined to untangle them with ease. In one form or another, they will feature in the future relations. To counteract, Armenia should advance the formula “normalisation first, reconciliation afterwards” and never repeat the mistakes of the Zurich protocols, which aimed at launching the two processes simultaneously.

There are serious doubts as to whether Armenia’s ruling party has sufficient resources to initiate parallel processes with Azerbaijan and Turkey, and many voices in the opposition and expert community question the wisdom of Pashinyan’s agenda. According to them, Armenia’s PM fails to grasp that the sporadic movements aimed at simultaneously embracing the agenda of peace with Azerbaijan and normalising interstate relations with Turkey without facing the political ramifications of the recent war and clarifying the questions of status and security of Nagorno-Karabakh are erroneous and risky. The fact of the matter is that the Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh and the joint Russian-Turkish Monitoring Centre do not have an international mandate and the prospects of peace remain fragile and elusive. Another pertinent question is whether, in addition to political ambitions and will, the Armenian government has sufficient professional-bureaucratic support — including from Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs — support advancing the process and withstand internal and external pressures? The question remains whether Pashinyan has pragmatically considered the anticipated gains versus the price Armenia will pay for embarking on this policy avenue. Does he clearly understand how his government will communicate Armenia’s grievances and accounts to the Turkish political elite and people? These questions beg for honest and open answers and this is where asking for advice and support will do no harm.

Russia’s stance on the Armenian-Turkish question is instrumental. Even though Moscow supports the Armenian-Turkish normalisation efforts and has made several statements and taken tangible steps, its assertions about a peaceful era in the region sound premature. With time, Moscow, slowly yet with tacit resistance, has shared various areas of strategic importance with Turkey. Turkey’s watchful posturing in the Caucasus and its control over certain economic, business, culture, infrastructure, and security sectors is slowly expanding and seems irreversible. How candid is Russia in supporting yet another display of Turkey’s expansion in the region if Turkey agrees to normalise relations with Armenia and open the border? The agenda of Russian-Turkish bilateral relations has become too diverse, yet the formula that both embrace – cooperation through competition or “frenmity” – continues to defy their complex relations in different parts of Eurasia and Africa. Armenia and the South Caucasus are no exceptions. Russia’s pre-conceived red lines in the post-Soviet space are becoming more and more blurry in the face of Turkey’s creeping geopolitical expansion. How long Russia can continue to counterbalance Turkey’s encroachment in the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Ukraine, and elsewhere remains a principal question among both politicians and policy experts.

The European Union, on the other hand, is a yet another primary stakeholder in the process of normalising relations between Armenia and Turkey. Brussels will be able to restore its tarnished reputation in Armenia in the face of its underperformance during the 45-day war and its aftermath, as well as the tolerance it has showed towards the forms of transgression of Pashinyan’s government since 2018. Washington, too, is in a position to extend its support to Yerevan, should the normalisation process go forward. The American government has constantly advocated for the normalisation of bilateral relations and the opening of the border. Secretary Blinken has also reaffirmed the US stance; however, Armenia’s government needs lasting support to overcome existing and potential challenges when talking to Turkey.

 
 
 
 
 
Views expressed are of individual Members and Contributors, rather than the Club's, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
 
 


#496 Yervant1

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Posted 30 January 2022 - 09:47 AM

pngImClefCjEm.png
Jan 29 2022
 
 
 
Armenians Fear Neither West Nor CSTO Will Block Baku On Zengezur Corridor – OpEd
 January 29, 2022

By Paul Goble

 

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement that he is prepared to use force to ensure that a transit corridor opens between Azerbaijan proper and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan opens as called for in the November 2020 declaration ending the 44-day war has sparked outrage in Armenia.

It has led Yerevan to appeal to numerous countries and international organizations in the hopes of finding allies for Armenia to resist this Azerbaijani “ultimatum,” but it has also led, Moscow’s Nezavisimaya gazeta says, to a recognition that neither the West nor the CSTO is prepared to block Azerbaijani assertiveness (ng.ru/cis/2021-12-08/5_8321_armenia.html).

What that means, Yury Roks, a specialist on the former Soviet space at that newspaper, says is that both the Armenian government and the Armenian opposition feel that the only hope they have to prevent Azerbaijan from moving in the direction Aliyev has indicated rests with the personal intervention of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

What that almost certainly means is that Armenia officially and unofficially will defer to the Kremlin on a variety of issues in the hope that doing so will prevent Yerevan from losing the Syunik region to Azerbaijan, something that would further isolate Armenia and allow for a further linking up of Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia’s worst nightmare.

The fact that both government and opposition in Yerevan have concluded that they cannot get effective assistance from elsewhere likely means that Nikol Pashinyan and other Armenian officials will defer to Putin in what would otherwise be unexpected ways, Roks’ article suggests.   

https://www.eurasiar...-corridor-oped/



#497 Yervant1

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Posted 05 February 2022 - 08:21 AM

pngYA0NZP2PaL.png
Feb 4 2022
 
 
Turkish and Armenian envoys to hold second meeting for normalising ties on Feb. 24 
  •  
  • Feb 04 2022 02:50 Gmt+3
  • Last Updated On: Feb 04 2022 02:50 Gmt+3

Turkey and Armenia’s special envoys will meet again for normalisation talks on Feb. 24, in Vienna, Austria, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday, Hurriyet Daily News reported on Friday.

“The next meeting of the Special Representatives of Turkey and Armenia in the Turkey-Armenia normalisation process, [between] Ambassador Serdar Kilic and Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Ruben Rubinyan, will take place on Feb. 24 in Vienna,” read the foreign ministry statement. 

Both Turkey and Armenia both appointed special envoys for normalising relations in December. The envoys held their first meeting in the Russian capital Moscow on Jan. 14. The talks aim to pave the way for establishing diplomatic relations and opening the borders between the two countries. 

The two neighbouring countries resumed charter flights between Istanbul and the Armenian capital Yerevan on Feb. 2. In early January, Armenia lifted an embargo on Turkish goods.

In another sign of thawing relations, Turkey invited Armenian officials to the Antalya Diplomacy Forum held from March 11-13 in the southern Turkish province of Antalya. 

 

https://ahvalnews.co...ing-ties-feb-24



#498 Yervant1

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Posted 10 February 2022 - 08:39 AM

pngJIeuMe4kfi.png
Feb 9 2022
 
 
 
Erdoğan seeking ‘quick fix’ with overtures to Israel, Armenia, analyst says
  •  
  • Feb 09 2022 01:23 Gmt+3
  • Last Updated On: Feb 09 2022 08:38 Gmt+3

Turkey’s efforts to normalise ties with Armenia and Israel are a tactical shift in diplomacy rather than a value-based commitment to cordial relations, said Aykan Erdemir, senior director of the Turkey Program at the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies (FDD) in Washington D.C.

 

 

Turkey and Armenia have appointed special envoys for re-establishing diplomatic relations, broken since the early 1990’s, and re-opening their common border. They held their first meeting in Moscow on Jan. 14. Israeli President Isaac Herzog may visit Ankara next month after Tel Aviv cautiously welcomed Turkey’s calls to repair ties ruptured by regional policy differences and the Palestinian problem.  

 

 

“Erdoğan is hoping that his outreach to Israel and Armenia will have a major impact on what he sees as very effective lobby, namely the Armenian lobby and the Jewish lobby, in Washington and the U.S. in general,” Erdemir said in the latest broadcast of Ahval’s ’12 Minutes’ podcast series.

 

 

He is hoping that this could be a quick fix to Turkey’s problems, Erdemir said.

 

 

The Turkish approach is very naive because it does not take into consideration the complexities of policy making in Washington, he said.

 

 

“The Erdoğan government’s tactical shifts, that rest on a very naive and simplistic understanding of how complex foreign and security decisions are taken in the United States will, I think, continue to pose an obstacle to their policy design and implementation,” Erdemir said.

 

 

Turkey’s attempts at normalisation with Armenia and Israel are based on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s models for reaching out to Egypt then to the United Arab Emirates and finally Saudi Arabia, Erdemir said.

 

 

Erdemir said Turkey’s diplomatic efforts across the region are based on the following major factors. Firstly, Erdoğan recognised that Turkey was becoming increasingly isolated in the eastern Mediterranean, which created both a diplomatic and military problem. Turkey is also seeking more access to export markets and to attract more investment from abroad, particularly from Gulf countries, after a financial meltdown, Erdemir said.

 

 

Ankara believes that the international perception of its conflicts with Armenia and Israel undermine its image and diplomatic sway both in Washington and in Brussels, so it also hopes that attempts at normalisation will serve to bolster Turkey’s soft power and to narrow diplomatic deficits in both capitals, Erdemir said.

 

 

Turkey and Armenia made a first attempt at normalising diplomatic relations in 2009, signing protocols in Zurich, Switzerland. The documents, which envisaged establishing formal diplomatic ties, opening the border, and forming a joint commission to study the Armenian Genocide, were not never ratified by the two countries’ parliaments.

https://ahvalnews.co...ia-analyst-says



#499 MosJan

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Posted 22 February 2022 - 12:15 PM



#500 Yervant1

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Posted 03 March 2022 - 08:25 AM

Public Radio of Armenia
March 2 2022
 
 
No decision on third meеting of Armenia, Turkey special representatives – FM Mirzoyan
March 2, 2022, 18:19
 
 

No dates has been set for third meeting of the special representatives of Armenia and Turkey, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said at a Q&A session at the National Assembly.

He assessed the second meeting between the representatives of the two countries as “positive.”

“As stated in the statement after the meeting, the parties reiterated that the process is taking place without preconditions and that establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of the border are the ultimate goals,” Minister Mirzoyan said.

He noted that the discussions were more concrete than during the first meeting, but added that it was hard to expect very tangible results even from the second meeting in a process that should give solutions to centuries-long or decades-long issues.

As for the invitation to the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, the Foreign Minister said the decision on participation of Armenian representatives is yet to be made.

 

https://en.armradio....es-fm-mirzoyan/






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