cease-fire violations by azeris

[Yervant1]

How can you have peace with barbarians who breaks the cease fire on a regular base!

Rest in peace son of Armenian nation.

Panorama, Armenia

Sept 28 2017

Artsakh soldier killed in Azerbaijani fire

On September 28, at around 15:00, Artsakh Defense Army soldier identified as Seyran Manvel Sargsyan (b. 1986) sustained a fatal gunshot wound due to Azerbaijani fire in one of the military bases of Karabakh Defense Army located in the southeastern direction. As the Press Service of Artsakh Defense Ministry told Panorama.am, a probe is underway to uncover the circumstances of the incident.

The Defense Ministry of Artsakh shares the grief of the loss and extends its condolences to the family members, relatives and fellow servicemen of the deceased soldier.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/09/28/Artsakh-soldier/1841911

 

 

[Yervant1]

Belling Cat

Oct 4 2017

Azerbaijan’s Militarization and the Status of Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic

October 4, 2017

By Masis Ingilizian

The peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan was severely weakened due to the April 2016 four-day war, with further complications due to Azerbaijan asserting its military prowess through a build-up in its exclave of Nakhichevan. This military build-up in Nakhichevan has led to Armenia becoming a more hesitant partner in the OSCE mediation efforts. Additionally, the four-day war has caused Armenia to shift its perception of the role of the West and Russia–who were reluctant to restrain Azerbaijan’s actions in the brief war–in the process of seeking resolution in the ongoing conflict between the two Caucasian nations. Over a year since the four-day war and through the ongoing Azerbaijani military build-up in the Nakhichevan exclave, it has become clear that Armenia is moving towards a change in its strategy with dealing with its neighbor.

2013 imagery of the garrison via Google Earth

During the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the 1990s, both nations took the opportunity to occupy the smaller enclaves within their respective territories that belonged to the other nation, leading to minor battles erupting outside the Nagorno Karabakh battlezone. Both parties raced to secure borders in order to create a fait accompli that would ensure a favourable demarcation line during future clashes. However, on the Nakhichevan border, geopolitics quickly put a stop to these incursions, as the major powers attempted to limit the battle space in order to avert a larger conflict between the superpowers. Turkey announced it would declare war if Armenia continued its expeditions along the Nakhichevan border, and Russia responded by saying that “we would be on the brink of a new war” if any other nation intervened. This deterrence has been the key factor in holding both nations back from renewed conflict over the exclave and was also a contributing factor to Azerbaijan’s reluctance to militarize the exclave up until 2012. As a result, the border was inactive up until 2012, with only rare clashes demonstrating how larger nations were able to restrain smaller foes from achieving their strategic goals. However, this unspoken status quo is now changing and could radically alter the outcome of a potential, if not likely, future conflict.

Azerbaijan’s television broadcasts and official videos on Nakhichevan’s military preparedness have shed more light on developments in the exclave. Along with war games with Turkey in the exclave, this renewed show of might indicates an Azerbaijani military rejuvenation. Google Earth imagery of Nakhichevan reveals a steady military build-up since 2012, in contrast to the minimum fire power indicated by Google Earth history prior to that year. Also significant is the Nakhichevan Separate Combined Arms Army established by President Aliyev in 2013.In the light of this build-up, Azerbaijan’s shift in policy, and the April 2016 4-day war, a resumption of violence on the Armenia-Nakhichevan border is a real possibility in the case of war.

 

Even without Nakhichevan entering a future conflict, the exclave will play a major role in a future war by potentially diverting Armenian troops from the Karabagh front, a tactic that would favour Azerbaijan. An exclave that previously had no role in any possible future hostilities is now becoming part of the extended battlefield. While the major powers have used a soft approach to contain the battle space to Nagorno-Karabakh, the military build-up in Nakhichevan has apparently broken this unspoken understanding.

Aerial view of the Nakhichevan garrison. Historical imagery on Google Earth shows us that, in 2008, the garrison is almost empty.

Display of a consistent build-up throughout the garrison. This 2013 imagery details various tracked vehicles, towed artillery and air defence systems.

The unspoken accords regarding the status of the exclave are not formal agreements; however, they provide a clear picture of the alliances and deter Armenia and Azerbaijan from drawing the major powers into a future conflict. Nakhichevan’s border with Turkey provides it with quasi-political protection by Turkey as the large power ally for Azerbaijan. The exclave’s lack of land access to Azerbaijan has forced it to find additional protection — in this case Turkey. At the same time, Armenia’s treaty with Russia currently allows Armenia to ask for Russian assistance in the case of an attack by an aggressor, including an attack by Azerbaijan via Nakhichevan (see: Shougarian, Rouben (1997). “Yielding More to Gain the Essential: The Factor of Timing of the Russian Armenian Treaty in 1997”, Tufts University.). This has effectively created an unspoken truce between Russia and Turkey, which, along with their support for their smaller allies Armenia and Azerbaijan, respectively, is indicative of a lack of will to engage in warfare on the Russian-Turkish front, irrespective of combatants.

Theoretically, the exclave’s potential role in a renewed conflict could tip the balance in Azerbaijan’s favour. However, this potential advantage needs to be weighed against the isolation of the exclave, which provides Armenia with an advantage.

In the case of a resumption of hostilities, Azerbaijan’s main objective would be to use Nakhichevan as a platform to hit strategic targets in Armenia proper. One of these targets is Armenia’s S300PS systems, a sophisticated air defence system that protects the skies of Nagorno-Karabakh and also deters Nakhichevan’s air force from their operations. A number main roads are also within range, including one that links Karabagh with Armenia. These roads lie within direct range of Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan-based artillery. Another major concern for Armenia is that its capital—Yerevan—is well within firing range of Azerbaijan’s MLRS and, while it is risky for Azerbaijan to strike a major city, this scenario still needs to be taken into account by Armenian military decision-makers.

The yellow pin placemark pins the Nakhichevan garrison in the exclave, the strip of territory lying between Armenia and Iran with a north-western border with Turkey. The red circular range rings represent the range of S300PS in Armenia, protecting the Nagorno-Karabagh region to the northeast as well as most of Nakhichevan.

Any attempt to strike the S300PS could potentially trigger an all-out war, which would require both nations drawing on larger forces rather than their reserves. For Armenia, this scenario would require practise-makes-perfect training to ensure sufficiently quick teardown times to relocate the batteries. This manoeuvre is achievable, as the batteries are designed to be relocated within 30 minutes (see: IMINT Analysis V1N3 April 2011). However, if the batteries are struck and become unoperational, this could provide the Azerbaijani Air Force with less sophisticated air defense assets to deal with in an air campaign against Nagorno-Karabagh’s forces. In addition to this difficulty, the mountain chain that runs along the entire length of the border between Armenia and Nakhichevan is around 4 to 6 thousand feet higher than the lowlands of the Nakhichevan plains, providing a natural barrier limiting Azerbaijan’s capacity for striking targets accurately.

The two yellow triangles depict the location of the S300PS, located well within the borders of Armenia proper (Picture courtesy Sean O’Connor). These air defense assets provide a sophisticated air defence umbrella over Nagorno-Karabagh (not shown on the map) as seen with the red circles in the previous picture. In a possible scenario of a second front in the next war, the S300PS systems (yellow triangles) are strategic targets for Azerbaijan from the Nakhichevan exclave. The Red triangles around Yerevan are also a sophisticated air defence assets which are also in range from Nakhichevan, not to mention Yerevan’s vulnerability.

Other targets from Nakhichevan include main roads that act as supply lines to Karabagh from Armenia. Strategic targets such as these roads are often first on the strike list and will be contemplated in a resumption of hostilities, creating a larger theater of war than originally anticipated. However, this scenario could quickly get out of hand if the Azerbaijani military decides to hit strategic targets, resulting in a potential all out war. Also, Smerch MLRSes have been identified in Nakhichevan and, with a 90 km range, these can strike at the heart of Yerevan. Furthermore, the mountain range that extends along much of the Nakhichevan border ends in the north, 20km short of the junction of the Turkish and Armenian borders, providing Azerbaijan with tactical ground to fire into Armenia from Nakhichevan. This also provides an opportunity for ground troops from both nations to enter from flat land.

On the other side of the picture is the geographical isolation of Nakhichevan, which carries its own risks for Azerbaijan in any resumption of hostilities. While the militarization of the exclave allows for a potential strike against strategic targets in Armenia, this would come at the cost of a massive retaliation from the Armenian side. It would therefore be unwise for Azerbaijan to sacrifice the whole region in the hope of getting Turkey involved or in the hope of diverting Armenian troops away from Nagorno-Karabakh. Nakhichevan’s geographical isolation would provide Armenia with an easy opportunity to fire into Nakhichevan from vantage points held by its military. It would also allow Armenian troops to easily seize mountain-top posts of the exclave as a buffer, as was seen in 2014 when Armenian troops established control over previously unmanned heights right on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in Nakhichevan during a well-planned surprise night raid.

A change has also been noted in Azerbaijan’s policy towards Nagorno-Karabakh, leading to a shift away from the negotiation process towards settling the conflict through military means. Azerbaijan’s attack on regions within Nagorno Karabakh itself (which fall under self-determination clauses) in the 4-day war has left many wondering why the superpowers, especially Russia, allowed Azerbaijan to attack regions other than the disputed territories (which are marked for return under the principles written for a negotiated settlement).

Furthermore, Russia, who plays the role of peacemaker between the two nations, simultaneously continues to arm both sides. Russia’s renewed interest in Azerbaijan and the sale of the S300PMU2 to Baku, an enemy of its ally, raises several questions, in particular why Russia is so hesitant to use its arms sales and status as a superpower as leverage in influencing Azerbaijan’s military policy towards Nagorno-Karabagh.

Bellingcat has been tracking military developments in the Nakhichevan exclave, covering artillery, tanks, close air-support aircrafts and attack helicopters. Various confirmed reports of the presence of Turkish-made TR-300MLR and Smerch MLRSes have been noted. Considering the status quo of the exclave to date and the accords that hold it back it from entering a conflict, its military build-up is concerning. However, this build-up is not surprising when seen in the context of the various shifts in strategic interests in the region, including an increasingly closer relationship between Russia and Azerbaijan. Therefore it is possible that a major power has changed its position on Nakhichevan’s unspoken status, providing Azerbaijan with geopolitical permission to engage in a future conflict and greater freedom to pursue militarization, as seen with the unfolding developments in current and historical imagery.

The reality on the ground has shifted from when many of the negotiating principles were drawn up and, with the larger powers playing their own game, it seems their lack of committed to the peace process will leave Armenia and Azerbaijan to battle it out themselves.

https://www.bellingcat.com/news/rest-of-world/2017/10/04/azerbaijans-militarization-status-nakhichevan-autonomous-republic/

[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

Oct 11 2017

Investigative Committee releases details over death of Armenian soldier due to Azeri shooting

The Armenian serviceman killed in Azerbaijan gunfire on October 10, at a military unit located in the north-eastern direction of Armenia sustained a fatal gunshot wound while doing engineering work, a probe by the Investigative Committee has revealed.

According to the report by the committee, soldier Chaplin Armen Margaryan (b. 1998) was immediately taken to hospital after sustaining the wound in the chest.

The Sixth Garrison Investigation Division of the Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case into the incident under Article 34-104 (Part 2, Point 13) of the RA Criminal Code.

The inquest body was informed from the hospital sources that the soldier's biological death was recorded at 9:00pm on Tuesday.

The preliminary probe is underway, with all the necessary measures taken to ensure a comprehensive, objective and full investigation.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/10/11/Investigative-Committee-death-Armenian-soldier-Azeri-shooting/1848231

[MosJan]

[Yervant1]

If there is no guarantee, why are we talking about the return of five districts. This makes no sense at all!

Pan Armenian, Armenia

Oct 13 2017

Armenia: No guarantee that Baku won't re-launch Karabakh offensive

Deputy Armenian foreign minister Shavarsh Kocharyan has said that there is no guarantee that Azerbaijan won't resume military operations against Nagorno Karabakh, Aysor.am reports.

"How can we talk about progress in negotiations when there is no trust between the sides?" Kocharyan was quoted as saying on Thursday, October 12.

"The fact that Azerbaijan backs away from its international commitments challenges any agreement in the future. Baku may sign a deal and fail to remain true to it the next day."

Lack of progress in negotiations, he says, stems from Azerbaijan's choice of the use of force policy against self-determination.

The deputy foreign minister reminded that the three co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group - the United States, France and Russia - are all permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

"N1 mission of the Security Council's permanent members is to ensure that no war breaks in any corner of the world. But when they are mediators (in the Karabakh peace process - Ed.), and hostilities still happen, this is a slap in the face for the three of them," Kocharyan explained.

Azerbaijan, according to the diplomat, is well aware of this fact and seeks to change the format by all means.

http://panarmenian.net/m/eng/news/247562

 

 

[Yervant1]

ARKA, Armenia

Oct 13 2017

Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents to meet in Geneva next week

http://arka.am/upload/resize_cache/iblock/860/344_258_2/860afb9c78962a4bc5e9845fab5edee0.jpg

YEREVAN, October 13. /ARKA/. Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev will meet in Geneva, Switzerland, next week in an attempt to resume the talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, the deputy chairman of the governing Republican Party of Armenia (HAK) Armen Ashotyan said following a meeting of the party’s executive body late on Thursday.

Ashotyan, who is also chairman of a parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, said during the executive body’s meeting the president spoke about a meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of State and the Supreme Council of the Eurasian Economic Union in Sochi and touched upon his upcoming meeting with Azerbaijani opposite number next week in Geneva initiated by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Ashotyan also noted that, despite recent statements by Azerbaijani officials that the Karabakh conflict negotiations will be started without preconditions, the Armenian president, nevertheless, will participate in the meeting to remain committed to the format of the negotiation process.

Speaking about expectations from the upcoming meeting, he said for a successful negotiation process, it is necessary to create an atmosphere of confidence, to provide the OSCE mission with broader powers, to create reliable mechanisms for investigating incidents (at the border) - in other words, to restore the existing, albeit weak trust towards Armenia’s neighbor, which was there before the April war.

In this regard, Ashotyan added that the negotiation process is continuing, but at this stage it is more important to restore the atmosphere of trust within this process, which will allow the sides to look more optimistically towards the negotiating future.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted into armed clashes after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s as the predominantly Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan sought to secede from Azerbaijan and declared its independence backed by a successful referendum. On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the military operations.

A truce was brokered by Russia in 1994, although no permanent peace agreement has been signed. Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh and several adjacent regions have been under the control of Armenian forces of Karabakh.

Nagorno-Karabakh is the longest-running post-Soviet era conflict and has continued to simmer despite the relative peace of the past two decades, with snipers causing tens of deaths a year. On April 2, 2016, Azerbaijan launched military assaults along the entire perimeter of its contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh. Four days later a cease-fire was reached. ---0---

[MosJan]

get ready Armenia. any time this 2 see each other same day something happens on the border

[Yervant1]

Another useless meeting!

EurasiaNet.org

Oct 16 2017

Aliyev and Sargsyan Tete-a-Tete Meets Low Expectations

October 16, 2017 - 10:52am, by Joshua Kucera

http://www.eurasianet.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/story/26498_b.jpg

The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev, during talks in Geneva. It was their first one-to-one meeting in more than a year. (photo: president.am)

The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan met October 16 for the first time in more than a year to discuss the smoldering conflict over Nagorno Karabakh. Expectations for the meeting were low, and the results of the meeting appeared to be meager.

After the meeting in Geneva, the two sides released a joint statement saying that they agreed "to take measures to intensify the negotiation process and to take additional steps to reduce tensions on the Line of Contact." It's not clear what those measures were.

Ahead of the meeting, MP Armen Ashotyan of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia told media that the main goal of the summit would be to “improving the atmosphere” to make more substantive negotiations possible.

At least superficially, the atmosphere did seem to be improved. A photo of the two presidents, Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan showed them both smiling, sitting outside in what appears to be a lovely Swiss fall day.

The mood may still have been good from last week, when the two apparently met informally, along with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, at a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Sochi. According to Lukashenko's account, he was discussing Karabakh with Aliyev. "You will be surprised to hear that the president of Armenia also took part in those discussions, and we all three made jokes at each other," Lukashenko said.

Other observers had had somewhat more optimistic expectations ahead of the talks. Carey Cavanaugh, who was the top United States official working on Karabakh negotiations from 1999-2001, tweeted: "3 easy items to watch for at #Armenia-#Azerbaijan Summit: movement on #Karabakh incidents mechanism; more #OSCE monitors; date 4 next talks." He continued: "2 hard items to watch for at #Armenia-#Azerbaijan Summit: bilateral military CSBMs [confidence- and security-building measures]; steps toward preparing for a future together."

And finally: "Hardest item to watch for at #Armenia-#Azerbaijan Summit: genuine commitment by both presidents to effect political compromise on #Karabakh."

Of the "easy" items, only the "movement on Karabakh incidents mechanism" could be said to have been met, and then only under a generous interpretation.

The dim hopes for any sort of breakthrough were perhaps illustrated by a spat between Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry spokesman Hikmet Hajiyev, and Nairi Petrossian, a foreign policy aide to Sargsyan, in response to Cavanaugh's tweets. Hajiyev insisted that a withdrawal of Armenian forces was the "fundamental issue" and that any technical steps were secondary; Petrossian accused him of "conjecture and speculation."

The last time Aliyev and Sargsyan met was last year, once in May in Vienna and then in June in St. Petersburg. That was just after the worst fighting in more than 20 years in Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but which has been controlled since 1994 by Armenian forces.

At last year's meetings, there did appear to be a real breakthrough, as the two reportedly agreed to strengthen ceasefire monitoring along the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact, something Azerbaijan had long resisted. Not long after, though, Aliyev walked back that promise and nothing seems to have come of it.

Still, it should be noted that while nearly everyone predicted that this summer would see a return to fighting in Karabakh, it's now mid-October (knock on wood) and the summer has passed without major incident. An Armenian commander in Karabakh said at the end of September that it was the quietest period he remembered in years.

As for the next diplomatic steps, the negotiators said that they will "organize working sessions with the [foreign] Ministers in the near future."

http://www.eurasianet.org/node/85561

 

 

[Yervant1]

The Armenian Weekly

Oct 16 2017

Artsakh MFA: Peace Talks Must Continue with ‘Direct Participation’ of Artsakh

By Weekly Staff on October 16, 2017

 

STEPANAKERT, Artsakh (A.W.)—The Artsakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its call to directly participate in the negotiation talks for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh) conflict following the meeting between the presidents and foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Geneva.

The presidents and foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan meet with OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and officials in Geneva on Oct. 16 (Photo: Press Service of the President of Armenia)

“The meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan on Oct. 16 is very important from the point of view of creating conditions for the activization of the negotiation process, which was seriously damaged as a result of the aggression against Artsakh unleashed by Azerbaijan in April 2016,” read a part of the statement released by the Artsakh Foreign Ministry.

The ministry went on to say that the strict adherence to the agreements of 1994 and 1995, as well as the realization of the earlier-reached agreements are necessary in the negotiation process. The statement noted the importance of the implementation of investigation mechanisms on the line of contact (LoC), as well as the expansion of the Office of Personal Representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office and the enhancement of its monitoring capacities.

“We believe that the restoration of full-fledged talks with the direct participation of the Republic of Artsakh at all the stages should be another step on the way to achieving real progress in the settlement process of the Azerbaijani-Karabagh conflict,” the statement concluded.

The presidents and foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Geneva on Oct. 16 under the auspices of the co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group.

Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov (Russia), Stephane Visconti (France), and Andrew Schofer (U.S.), as well as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, also participated in the meeting, which took place in a “constructive atmosphere,” according to a joint statement released by the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan and the Minsk Group co-chairs.

https://armenianweekly.com/2017/10/16/artsakh-mfa-peace-talks-must-continue-direct-participation-artsakh/

 

[MosJan]

https://www.facebook.com/uicarmenia/videos/970788973062268/

[Yervant1]

The only friend for an Armenian is an Armenian, the rest is just a voice with interests in mind.

[Yervant1]

Fake sultan talks fake peace and his army kills. No way that Armenians can trust these savages, hence peace talks are useless.

May you rest in peace, Armenian hero.

Panorama, Armenia

Oct 19 2017

19-year-old Artsakh soldier killed in Azerbaijani fire

Artsakh Defense Army soldier identified as Tigran Armen Khachatryan (b. 1998) sustained a fatal gunshot wound due to Azerbaijani fire in one of the military bases of Karabakh Defense Army located in the northeastern direction. As the Press Service of Artsakh Defense Ministry told Panorama.am, the incident occurred on October 19 at 15:50. A probe is underway to uncover the circumstances of the incident.

“The Defense Ministry of Artsakh shares the grief of the loss and extends its condolences to the family members, relatives and fellow servicemen of the deceased soldier,” the statement said.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/10/19/Artsakh-soldier/1852776

 

 

[Yervant1]

Peace process ala ASSarbaboon!

Panorama, Armenia

Oct 21 2017

Azerbaijani forces fire more than 2300 shots at Armenian positions over past week

The Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime along the Line of Contact between Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh/NKR) and Azerbaijan mainly from firearms from 15 to 21 October, firing more than 2300 shots towards the Armenian positions.

According to the press release by the Artsakh Defense Ministry, the frontline units of the Defense Army continue to maintain full control over the frontline situation and take necessary steps to ensure reliable protection of the military posts.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/10/21/Azerbaijani-ceasefire-breach/1853742

 

[Yervant1]

How many more innocent lives needs to be lost, before we respond in kind!

Panorama, Armenia

Oct 21 2017

Two soldiers fatally wounded in Artsakh

Two servicemen of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Defense Army reportedly sustained fatal gunshot wounds on 20 October.

According to the press release by the Artsakh Defense Ministry, the soldiers identified as Aram S. Khachatryan (b. 1998) and Hrach A Avetisyan (b. 1997) were fatally wounded as a result of violating the rules of firearms use.

Investigation is underway to uncover the details of the incident.

The ministry shares the heavy grief of the loss, extending its condolences to the family and co-servicemen of the deceased soldiers.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/10/21/soldiers-fatally-wounded-Artsakh/1853658

 

 

[Yervant1]

Restrain, restrain and more restrain when will this end?

Panorama, Armenia

Oct 23 2017

Politics 20:32 23/10/2017NKR

Azerbaijani forces again fire SPIKE guided missile at Artsakh positions

The Azerbaijani forces are reported to have breached the ceasefire regime at the eastern direction of the Artsakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact on 23 October, at around 15:05, again firing a SPIKE anti-tank guided missile at Artsakh positions.

According to the official statement released by the Defense Ministry of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic, the Defense Army frontline units continued to show restraint and refrained from retaliatory actions not to escalate tensions on the contact line.

The Azerbaijani armed forces breached the agreements reached by the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in the Geneva Summit initiated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and applied artillery fire at the north-eastern (Markatert-Mataghis) direction of the Line of Contact on October 22, firing 5 mortars and a SPIKE anti-tank guided missile at Artsakh positions.

“Azerbaijani actions once again demonstrate Baku is not inclined to direct the reached agreements to the peaceful settlement of the conflict and exclude unjustified loses, instead provoking destabilization of the situation through deliberate provocations,” the Artsakh Defense Ministry reported in a press statement on Monday morning, releasing a footage which proves the ceasefire violations provoked by the Azerbaijani military.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/10/23/Azerbaijani-forces-SPIKE-guided-missile-Artsakh/1854475

 

[Yervant1]

MediaMax, Armenia

Oct 23 2017

Artsakh promises painful response to Azerbaijan’s provocations

Yerevan /Mediamax/. On October 22, Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the agreement that Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan reached at their latest meeting.

Artsakh Defense Army informed that Azerbaijani forces applied artillery in the northeastern direction (Martakert-Mataghis) of the Line of Contact, releasing 5 shells from mortar launchers and one Spike anti-tank missile in the direction of Armenian positions.

“These actions prove that as usual, Baku not only isn’t inclined to maintain the agreement to settle the conflict peacefully and avoid unjustified casualties, but on the contrary, is moving towards destabilization of the situation through prearranged provocations.

Given the need for successful implementation of the OSCE Minsk Group processes, aimed at peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, Artsakh Armed Forces refrained for return fire. However, that doesn’t mean Azerbaijan’s further attacks will always remain unanswered.

With all due responsibility, the Defense Ministry of Artsakh Republic warns the military leadership of Azerbaijan that further provocations will receive the necessary and rather painful response,” stated Artsakh Defense Ministry.

http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/karabakh/25931/

[Yervant1]

MediaMax, Armenia

Oct 24 2017

Armenian President: You can’t shoot and negotiate at the same time

Yerevan/Mediamax/. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan announced today that "you can’t shoot and negotiate for a solution at the same time.”

 

 

President Sargsyan said this during the session, dedicated to the start of new educational program at Armenian National Defense Research University.

“You either negotiate or shoot, and we are ready for both cases,” Serzh Sargsyan said.

According to him, the negotiations should be held only in case of mutual trust, built by adhering to ceasefire regime, while any provocation may block the process.

Serzh Sargsyan stressed two circumstances on NK issue.

“First of all, currently we do not intend to announce or solve any military issue in Artsakh. We have provided long ago almost full protection of peaceful civilians from constant fire of the rival. Among other conditions, the peaceful settlement of NK issue should completely exclude the possibility of military threats against peaceful population.

Secondly, NK issue has no military solution,” President Sargsyan said.

According to Serzh Sargsyan, the Azerbaijani side has persistently tried to show that Armenia has allegedly violated certain agreements after the negotiations in Geneva.

“I am looking forward to our next meeting with my counterpart to ask him: “What exactly was our fault?” Moreover, the allegations are made by people, who are not at all supposed to know the details of our conversations with Azerbaijani President. We had an agreement of non-disclosure, so I would like to know how his assistants or, I don’t know, deputies or others could possibly know what we had discussed during the meeting. I can assure that I have not said a single word to anyone on our conversation. We negotiated in Geneva and agreed on weakening tensions, but that does not mean that Artsakh people’s strive for independence should somehow weaken too. Frankly speaking, everything seems quite strange to me,” President of Armenia said.

Serzh Sargsyan emphasized that the Armenian side has not accomplished any act of revenge or collective punishment.

“Nevertheless, we are committed to responding against any military loss.

NK issue is of no ethical or religious nature. We do not have anything against people of Azerbaijan, let alone Muslims in general. We are convinced that Azerbaijani people also want peace, but they need to move that desire into the right direction,” Armenian President announced.

http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/karabakh/25957/

[Yervant1]

We keep asking the civilized world to condemn the attacks, and they keep ignoring it.

Panorama, Armenia

Oct 24 2017

Eduard Sharmazanov urges international structures to condemn the use of Spike guided missile by Azerbaijan

Vice President of Armenian National Assembly (NA) Eduard Sharmazanov strictly condemned the next violation of the ceasefire by Azerbaijan, saying that shows Azerbaijan is not ready for constructive steps even after the Geneva summit. At a meeting with deputies Blanca Margarita Cuata Dominguez, Maria Cristina Teresa Garcia Bravo, and Carlos Hernández Mirón from Mexico Sharmazanov denounced the use of the Spike weapon system on the line of contact by Azerbaijan. According to the RA NA Deputy Speaker, the international structures should condemn the use of the Spike by Azerbaijan.

Eduard Sharmazanov next highlighted the foreign deputies’ visits to Artsakh and added: “They are considered to be one more step on the way of the international recognition of Artsakh Republic. The democratic and independent Artsakh and the Artsakh people’s freedom aspiring spirit make more recognizable to the world through similar visits.”

Mr Sharmazanov also touched upon the efforts aimed at presenting the problem of the Artsakh recognition in the international structures and underlined: “The RA NA parliamentarians will continue using all necessary levers for raising the fair demand of Artsakh people on parliamentary different platforms.”

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/10/24/Eduard-Sharmazanov-Azerbaijan-Spike/1854722

 

 

[Yervant1]

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
October 23, 2017 Monday


The Azeri Armed Forces fired upon the Karabakh positions from grenade
launchers and Israeli "Spike"

Yerevan October 23

Marianna Mkrtchyan. On October 22, violating the Geneva agreements of
the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Armed Forces of
Azerbaijan fired on the positions of the NKR Defense Army located in
the northeast direction of the line of contact from grenade launchers
(5 salvos) and Israeli multifunctional anti-tank missile systems
"Spike" 1 rocket). This is mentioned in the statement of the NKR
Defense Army, submitted to in ArmInfo.

"The past testifies that, as always, Baku not only is not inclined to
direct the reached agreements to a peaceful settlement of the conflict
and exclusion of unjustified losses, but, conversely, through
deliberate provocations, it is destabilizing the situation.
Considering the necessity of effective implementation of the processes
for the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict by the
international community, in particular, the OSCE Minsk Group, the
Armed Forces of Artsakh refrained from responding. However, this does
not mean that in the case of development of processes in the same
logic, the offensive actions of the enemy will remain unanswered. The
NKR JSC with all responsibility warns the military-political
leadership of Baku that in case of continuing provocations the answer
will be disproportionate and painful, "the NKR's message says.

On October 16, Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting took place in Geneva. The
meeting was attended by Armenian and Azeri FMs Edward Nalbandian and
Elmar Mammadyarov, Minsk mediators Igor Popov (Russia), Andrew
Scheffer (USA), Stefan Visconti (France) and Personal Representative
of the OSCE Chairman-in- Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. The meeting was held
in a constructive atmosphere. The presidents agreed to take additional
measures to intensify the negotiation process and reduce tensions on
the contact line. At the same time, the mediators expressed their
commitment to continue working with the parties to the Karabakh
conflict to find a peaceful way to resolve it. As a next step in this
direction, the mediator called the organization of working meetings
with the foreign ministers of the two countries.

[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

Oct 25 2017

SIRPI as a hidden tool of Azerbaijani propaganda

Author Gor Tsarukyan, economist

The propaganda thesis about Azerbaijan’s and Armenia’s defense spending suggesting the military expenditure of Azerbaijan surpasses Armenia's entire state budget is relied on simple data manipulation. Some international structures, the likes of the Stockholm International

Peace Research Institute (SIRPI), played inadvertently their part in that, unveiling total inconsistence in the provided figures.

The close inspection of the official documents of the Azerbaijani state budget for 2011-2017 reveals that Azerbaijan’s official defense budget figures included funds allocated to not only the Azerbaijani army but also law-enforcement bodies, prosecutor's office, and the judiciary as part of its military expenditure.

In reality, the Azerbaijani law on state budget provides the military expenses never exceed the two-billion-dollar threshold.

Table I shows that the SIRPI figures until 2016 used by number of international research and analytic centers as well as news agencies exceed twice the numbers provided by the figures set out in the country’s official defense budget. As stated, SIRPI included in its data also the budget-adopted sums on law-enforcement and judiciary.

For example, on 2013 SIRPI put the Azerbaijani military spending at 2,642 billion AZN while the official budget allocation to defense is projected at 1,528 billion AZN and 1,114 billion AZN for law-enforcement bodies and judiciary. The total sum of the both spending duplicates the figure provided by SIRPI. The same methodology is observed in 2015 figures. The deviations from the tendency for the other years could be explained by currency rate fluctuations yet they make no changes to the whole picture.

Notable, SIRPI changed its data methodology starting from 2016, comprising its military expenditure from the figures of the official budget spending - 1,378 billion USD for the indicated year. It shows that the military expenditure of Azerbaijan decreased by 36% to compare with the data of the 2015.

The inspection of the figures for the past seven years indeed show the Azerbaijani military budget exceeded the Armenian military budget, yet it never surpassed Armenia’s whole budget, as it had been erroneously claimed by Baku officials.

The widest gap between the defense budgets of the two countries was recorded in 2012, with the Armenian one an estimated 4,6 times lower. Later the gap narrowed. The Armenian state military budget will grow by 18% to reach 518 USD billion according to the 2018 budget which is only three times less than Azerbaijani military spending. Azerbaijani defense budget puts military spending at 1,582 billion USD for 2018, constituting 3,6% increase to compare with this year’s data.

It should be noted that the Azerbaijani budget had been subject to numerous revisions during the past three years in the light of the continuous devaluation of its national currency. The tendency is usually observed in December of every year and continues till February of the next year. If the scenario persists, the Azerbaijani military spending expressed in USD will significantly drop.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/10/25/SIRPI-as-a-hidden-tool-of-Azerbaijani-propaganda/1854947

[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

Oct 31 2017

Politics 14:03 31/10/2017World

Azerbaijani aggression shouldn't be rewarded with U.S. aid

Forbes has published an article written by Movses Ter-Oganesyan, a fellow at the Eurasian Research and Analysis Institute, and Suren Sargsyan, the cofounder of International and Comparative Law Center, Yerevan Armenia.

The article makes a reference to the fact that U.S. Congress passed Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act in 1992, banning direct aid from the U.S. to Azerbaijan unless the president determines that Azerbaijan takes demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other punitive uses of force against Armenia and NKR.

“This policy remained unchanged until just after the 9/11 terror attacks. President Bush requested a waiver of 907 to allow Azerbaijan to receive aid. Every year since then, the president has waived 907 allowing this oil-rich nation on the Caspian Sea to receive $20 million in American aid.

April 2016 saw the biggest explosion of violence along the Line of Contact between NKR and Azerbaijan since the 1994 ceasefire agreement signed by Armenia, NKR, and Azerbaijan. In launching these attacks, Azerbaijan violated the preconditions set by Section 907. The text of the waiver does not mention that aggression cannot be directed against NKR, a crucial point of the original text which helped ensure cessation of hostilities. Omitting this language has certainly emboldened the political and military leadership of Azerbaijan to see what they can get away with. Coupled with the laissez-faire attitude of the Trump administration toward the region, it is a matter of time before Azerbaijan tests the waters once more,” reads the article.

The authors of the article highlight the fact that in an obvious violation of the ceasefire terms, Azerbaijani Army officers trained by the U.S. Army as part of the U.S. aid to Azerbaijan – Colonel Vugar Yusifov, who was trained at the U.S. Army Intelligence Center at Fort Huachuca, Arizona in 2007 and Lieutenant Colonel Murad Mirzayev, who attended the Defense Language Institute in San Antonio – were found killed in action in the Armenian village of Talish during the fighting in April.

“What makes these violations more brazen are the heinous crimes (multiple beheadings, and the execution and mutilation of three elderly civilians) attributed to the regiments commanded by these men. The crimes prompted bipartisan calls for Leahy Law investigations by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY).

Lest the international community wait for Azerbaijan to engage in large scale military adventurism as witnessed in April 2016, America needs to rethink its position of providing aid to an already wealthy aggressor which violates U.S. law,” the article concludes.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/10/31/Azerbaijani-aggression-US-aid/1858240

[Yervant1]

PanArmenian, Armenia

Nov 6 2017

http://media.pn.am/media/issue/248/489/photo/248489.jpg

November 6, 2017 - 16:54 AMT

Norway rejected Azerbaijan's application for arms purchase

Norway rejected Azerbaijan's application for the purchase of defense equipment in 2016, the country's parliamentary report on arms export for last year revealed, according to Haqqin.az.

Alongside Azerbaijan, Israel and a number of other countries were rejected too.

The Norwegian government explained its decision by saying that it is against "the sale of arms and ammunition to areas where there is war between countries or there is a danger of civil war".

As reported earlier, Azerbaijan has been interested in acquiring Iranian ballistic missiles ever since Armenia unveiled its Iskander missile systems.

http://panarmenian.net/m/eng/news/248489

[Yervant1]

The Times of Israel

Nov 14 2017

Investigation launched into Israeli dronemaker suspected of bombing Armenia Court puts gag order on probe of deal between Aeronautics Defense Systems and an unnamed 'significant customer'

By Judah Ari Gross Today, 8:24 am

Judah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel's military correspondent.

An ORBITER 3 small tactical UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) model on display at the UVID 2014 Conference, at Airport city, Israel on September 17, 2014. (Illustrative photo: Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Police have opened a criminal investigation into an Israeli drone manufacturer that allegedly attempted to bomb the Armenian military on behalf of Azerbaijan during a demonstration of one of its unmanned kamikaze aerial vehicles earlier this year.

“An investigation is ongoing against Aeronautics Defense Systems Ltd. in regards to a deal with a significant customer,” police said in a statement Tuesday.

The Israel Police’s Unit of International Crime Investigations, known in Hebrew by its acronym Yahbal, is leading the investigation.

News of the investigation came out on Monday as an Israeli court approved a gag order for the case, limiting the information that can be published about it.

For instance, police would not identify the “significant customer.”

In a statement, Aeronautics said it would “fully cooperate with any examination on any issue and would work to the best of its capabilities so the investigation will be as swift as possible.”

The gag order shows that the company has been under investigation since at least September 4, a few weeks after the initial allegations came out regarding its live-fire demonstration against Armenia.

The company has also reportedly had dealings with the Myanmar military junta, which is accused of ethnic cleansing for its treatment of the country’s Muslim Rohingya minority.

An Aeronautics Defense Systems Ltd. Orbiter 1K drone. (Screen capture: YouTube/Practical Information)

In late August, the Defense Ministry Defense Export Controls Agency halted Aeronautics’ export license for its Orbiter 1K model UAV to a “significant customer,” which the company reported to the Israeli stock exchange, as required by law.

According to Aeronautics, the company was poised to make a NIS 71.5 million ($20 million) deal over the next two years with the “significant customer.”

“The company is working to clarify the issue with the Defense Ministry,” Aeronautics said in its statement at the time.

The company noted that the Defense Ministry’s decision only affected the sale of its drone to the “significant customer” and not to other foreign buyers.

As a rule, Israeli defense contractors refrain from naming their customers directly. However, it could be understood from the statement that the country in question was Azerbaijan.

The decision to halt the sale came approximately two weeks after a complaint was filed with the ministry saying that the company had, at the request of the Azeris, launched one of its Orbiter 1K model drones at Armenian forces in the contentious Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Colonel Armen Gyozalian of the Armenian army said two soldiers were lightly wounded in the attack on July 7, according to the Armenian defense ministry’s “Hay Zinvor” news outlet.

A copy of the complaint was first leaked to the Maariv newspaper.

According to the report, the firm sent a team to the Azerbaijan capital Baku to demonstrate the unmanned aerial vehicle, which can be outfitted with a small explosive payload, 2.2 to 4.4 pounds (one to two kilograms), and flown into an enemy target on a “suicide” mission.

Armenian soldiers pose near a frontline in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, April 6, 2016. (Karo Sahakyan/PAN via AP)

According to the complaint, while demonstrating the Orbiter 1K system to the Azerbaijani military sometime last month, the company was asked to carry out a live-fire test of the system against an Armenian military position. The two countries have been been fighting sporadically for nearly 25 years. The conflict has ramped up over the last 16 months over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Such a test would be illegal under Israeli law, as it would require a seldom-granted permit to carry out demonstrations against real targets. In this case, Aeronautics Defense Systems would be even less likely to receive such a permit, as Israel does not consider Armenia to be an enemy state.

The two Israelis operating the two Orbiter 1K drones during the test refused to carry out the attack, despite threats from their superiors, Maariv reported.

Two higher-ranking members of the Aeronautics Defense Systems delegation in Baku then attempted to carry out the Azerbaijani request, but, lacking the necessary experience, did not directly hit their targets, the report said.

The Yavneh-based Aeronautics denied the assertion when reports first came out, saying it “has never carried out a demonstration against live targets, including in this case.”

The Defense Ministry confirmed it was investigating the issue, but would not discuss the case further.

“As a rule, the Defense Ministry does not comment on issues concerning defense exports. The allegation is being investigated by relevant figures in the ministry,” a spokesperson said in a statement this month.

Photo of an alleged Israeli-made Harop drone used by Azerbaijan that exploded in Nagorno-Karabakh in April 2016. (Facebook)

Aeronautics Defense Systems, which specializes in UAV technology, manufactures other drones that are similar to the Orbiter 1K but lack its attack capabilities and can only be used for reconnaissance. Azad Systems, a subsidiary of Aeronautics Defense Systems that is run by the Azerbaijani defense ministry, currently manufactures at least two models of the Orbiter platform. Azerbaijani news outlets have reported that the country has its own Orbiter kamikaze drones as well.

Last year, Azerbaijan used another Israeli kamikaze drone, an Israeli Aerospace Industries Harop-model, in an attack on a bus that killed seven Armenians.

Azerbaijan is one of the largest importers of Israeli military equipment and is seen as an important ally to the Jewish state, given that it shares a border with Israel’s nemesis, Iran. Last year, the country’s president, Ilham Aliyev, revealed Azerbaijan had purchased some $5 billion worth of weapons and defense systems from Israel.

In 2012, Foreign Policy reported that Israel had reached an arrangement with Azerbaijan allowing it to potentially fly sorties out of the country.

“The Israelis have bought an airfield,” a senior US administration official told the magazine at the time, “and the airfield is called Azerbaijan.”

Israel has come under internal criticism for its cooperation with Azerbaijan over the country’s reported human rights violations, despite it being one of the few majority Muslim countries with which Israel enjoys an openly positive relationship.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/investigation-launched-against-israeli-dronemaker-suspected-of-bombing-armenia/

[Yervant1]

Eurasia Daily

Nov 17 2017

Erdogan admits: Putin planned no pressure upon Armenia in Karabakh issuePhoto: kommersant.ru

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that at a recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin he discussed the Karabakh issue, reports star.com.tr. The Turkish leader practically admitted that Moscow is not going to exert pressure upon Armenia, like Ankara and Baku expect.

According to Erdogan, Russia has influence upon Armenia. “There a decision made earlier on five of the seven occupied territories. We agreed that the decisions are to be implemented. Mr. Putin is positive about it, but, as far as I understood, he pins no hopes on it. I think his hopelessness is connected with the relations between the two countries,” Erdogan said.

Much before the visit to the Russian Sochi, the Turkish president promised to raise the issue of Karabakh at the meeting with his Russian counterpart, saying that “much depends on Putin” in the conflict settlement.

According to director of the Oriental Studies Institute at the Armenian Academy of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan, the Turkish president admitted he was unable to talk Moscow over. “It looks like the Russian president let him know that Turkey has nothing to do in Karabakh. By the way, I spoke of it before the Sochi meeting. Moscow will never allow Turkey and Azerbaijan strengthen their tandem at the expense of its ally in Transcaucasia. Besides, Russia is an OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, which is the only mediator format to settle the Karabakh conflict, and it will not be good for it if another mediator comes to the scene at the talks,” Safrastyan said in an interview to EADaily.

To remind, the official Ankara supports Baku in the Karabakh conflict saying that Armenia occupied the Azerbaijani territories. Besides, since 1993, Turkey has its border with Armenia closed.

Paradoxically, by his statement, the Turkish president broke myths alive in some political circles in Armenia that there are some “backdoor agreements” between Moscow and Ankara allegedly aimed against Yerevan and its interests. The main target of supposed deals in the “geopolitical intricacies” invented by Armenian talking heads is, as a rule, Nagorno-Karabakh. Evidently, after Erdogan’s statement, criticists of the Russian policies will have to invent other scenarios.

https://eadaily.com/en/news/2017/11/17/erdogan-admits-putin-planned-no-pressure-upon-armenia-in-karabakh-issue

[Yervant1]

The Times (London)
November 20, 2017 Monday


Defence Force drone firm 'used live target for tests'

Darragh Mc Donagh


A drone manufacturer contracted by the Irish government is the subject
of a criminal investigation by Israeli police for allegedly testing a
weapon on live targets in Armenia.

The Irish Department of Defence has said that it will monitor the
investigation into Aeronautics Defence Systems Ltd, which has received
almost (EURO)5.5 million since 2007 to maintain the Irish Defence
Forces's drones . The company's assets were frozen by Israel's defence
ministry last week after it and the country's police began their
inquiry. A court imposed a gag order on the details behind the state's
actions but it is understood to be related to an allegation that the
company live-tested an armed drone.

According to the complaint, the company tested an armed suicide drone
on an Armenian army position at the request of Azerbaijan, which is
also a customer of the company. It is alleged that two specialist
operators refused to carry out orders to strike the manned outpost and
senior company representatives instead took control of the drone. It
is said to have missed its target by about 100 metres.

Aeronautics Defence Systems has denied the claims. It said that only
purchasers operated its drones and it "never carries out
demonstrations on live targets".

The Irish Department of Defence said in a statement that it would take
"careful cognisance" of the investigations when the results became
available but it would be inappropriate to comment further. It added
that the department carried out its tenders in accordance with the
terms of all UN, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
and EU arms embargos or restrictions.

"There are no such restrictions or embargos in place on Israeli
companies. In following these guidelines and codes, the Department of
Defence must deal impartially with all companies that are entitled to
enter its procurement competitions," it said.

A total of almost (EURO)5.5 million has been paid to the company by
the Department of Defence for the provision, maintenance and upgrade
of drone systems. This included the purchase of four drones between
2007 and 2009 at a cost of nearly (EURO)2.4 million. Maintenance
services in respect of the drones cost (EURO)610,140 in 2009, while
batteries were bought between 2013 and 2015 for (EURO)45,498.

The unmanned aerial vehicle system had an upgrade by Aeronautics
Defence Systems last year, which cost the department an additional
(EURO)2.4 million.