cease-fire violations by azeris

[Yervant1]

When the enemy was arming itself continuously, our leadership was sleeping at the wheel engulfed in corruption. I hope lessons are learned! We have built enough churches to go for multiple lifetimes, let's arm the military.

 

Armenpress.am

 

‘We are obliged to stop the bloodshed’ – Armenia’s Defense Ministry, Armed Forces address message

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08:29, 10 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces have addressed a message over the stop of military operations in the Republic of Artsakh.

“Dear compatriots,

On September 27 a war has been unleashed against Artsakh which was unprecedented in terms of forces, means involved, number and types of armament. It was also unprecedented from the viewpoint that our Army, in fact, was fighting not only against the armed forces of Azerbaijan having a 10 million population, but also against Turkey’s direct military participation and its full, unconditional political, military and diplomatic support to Azerbaijan, as well as against several thousands of mercenary-terrorists.

Under these conditions our Army did everything possible to resist the adversary. Every soldier, officer and general of the Armenian Army did the utmost for the protection of the Homeland, unconditionally dedicating themselves to that fight and creating many heroic stories. This war took from us our best sons, whose memory will forever stay in the hearts of all of us as real heroes of our time.

Each of you should be sure, no one should have any doubt that our Army has done everything possible and impossible. We have once again proved that we have very courageous soldiers, officers and generals who are ready to sacrifice their life for the protection of the Homeland.

But it’s time to stop the bloodshed. The political leaderships of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan reached an agreement, and you already got acquainted with its content. The war is not fully over, and the military operations still continue in Artsakh. Nevertheless, we support and are obliged to fulfill the decisions of our country’s military-political leadership which were made based on the comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the situation. We are obliged to stop the bloodshed. We are obliged to find the bodies of all our heroes. We are obliged to soothe the pain of mothers of our heroes and heal the wounds of the injured. We are obliged to restore our Army’s potential and further strengthen it, turning it into a super-capable one. There is too much to do. The war is ending. The Army has done what it should do and will continue to do that unconditionally.

We call on to refrain from actions which can undermine the foundations of the statehood, and learning lessons from all possible mistakes made, create incomparably strong and combat army, which our heroic people deserve”, the message said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 

 

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[Yervant1]

Shame on those involved! This is the wrong way to judge him.

 

Armenpress.am

Prime Minister’s residence looted

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09:36, 10 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that the protesters who stormed into his official residence in Yerevan have ransacked it.

“[They] stole a computer, a clock, perfume, drivers license and other items from the residence of the Prime Minister. This all, certainly, “for the fatherland””, he said.

Earlier the Prime Minister called on law enforcement agencies to apprehend the protesters who violently breached into governmental buildings and physically assaulted Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

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[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

‘We have a dream, for that we should keep solidarity’ – President of Artsakh addresses the nation

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10:53, 10 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan has addressed the nation today, presenting what has served as a base for making a decision to stop the war.

He reminded that in the morning of November 8 he posted a photo from the Stepanakert square and stated that it has been one of the hardest daybreaks of his life. “Why I have announced that without opening the brackets? Because on November 7 we have completely lost the control on the city of Shushi. Today I want to announce that I perhaps had the most difficult night in my life, in case when I experienced many difficult days by losing many friends in 1992-1994, whose last word has been in my hands. But I managed to find a strength, concentrate and make decisions. But the decision, which was made yesterday, I don’t know what assessment the history will give, but we had to”, the President of Artsakh said.

He explained why: “During the military operations which lasted 43 days we have lost Fisuli region, Jabrayil, Ghubatlu, Zangelan, Hadrut region mostly, a part from Martuni region, Askeran region and especially Shushi. The battles were taking place on the outskirts of Stepanakert, 2-3 km away. If the military operations continued in this pace, we would have lost entire Artsakh within several days, we would have much more losses”, the President said.

He said for several days it seemed the Armenian side managed to be defended from UAVs, but in the past two days the adversary has applied new technologies, new UAVs and caused much more damages to the Armenian troops.

“Definitely, we didn’t fight against Azerbaijan only. Not only the Turkish officer staff or equipment, but also Turkish military, as well as terrorists and mercenaries have participated in the military operations”, he said.

“But everything is ahead. Artsakh, Armenia, the Armenian people have experienced many difficult days within the course of the history, but managed to move on in the right way by making clever decisions in the future and recording success. And who said that everything is over? Everything is just starting. We will have an opportunity to make a more sober decision, but for that we need solidarity firstly in Armenia, Artsakh and within the Armenian people. We have a dream, a dreamed homeland, therefore we need to keep the solidarity and refrain from phenomena which are not typical to the Armenian people. We have opportunities of making civilized decisions, holding discussions. Everything is yet starting, I don’t want to open the brackets, everything, we have not been defeated, everything is ahead, we should think, think again and assess, and again make decisions”, the President of Artsakh said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 

 

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[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Official text of Nagorno Karabakh armistice

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13:18, 10 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Prime Minister’s Office has published the official text of the statement signed by Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Nagorno Karabakh.

“Statement by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the President of the Russian Federation

10.11.2020

We, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan,

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev,

and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin state the following:

1. We hereby declare that a complete ceasefire shall be established and all hostilities shall be stopped in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone as of 00:00 Moscow time on November 10, 2020.

The Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, hereinafter referred to as the Parties, shall remain at their current positions.

2. Aghdam region shall be returned to the Republic of Azerbaijan until November 20, 2020.
3. Peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation shall be deployed along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor, including 1,960 servicemen with firearms, 90 armored personnel carriers, 380 units of motor vehicles and special equipment.
4. The peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation are being deployed in parallel with the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces. The peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation shall stay there for a period of 5 years, with automatic extension for the next 5-year periods, if none of the Parties declares of its intention to terminate the application of this provision 6 months before the expiration of the preceding period.
5. A peacekeeping center shall be deployed to monitor the ceasefire with a view to increasing the effectiveness of control over the implementation of the agreements reached by the Parties to the conflict.
6. The Republic of Armenia shall return the Kelbajar region to the Republic of Azerbaijan by November 15, 2020, and the Lachin region by December 1, 2020. The Lachin corridor (5 km wide), which will provide for communication between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia and at the same time will not affect the city of Shushi, shall remain under the control of the peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation.

The Parties have agreed that a plan for the construction of a new route along the Lachin corridor shall be determined within the next three years, providing communication between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, with the subsequent redeployment of Russian peacekeeping troops to protect this route.

The Republic of Azerbaijan shall guarantee traffic safety for citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions along the Lachin corridor.

7. Internally displaced persons and refugees shall return to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent areas under the control of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
8. An exchange of prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons and bodies of the dead is to be carried out.
9. All economic and transport links in the region shall be unblocked. The Republic of Armenia guarantees the safety of transport links between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic with a view to organizing the unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions. Control over transport communication is exercised by the Border Guard Service bodies of the FSS of Russia.

The Parties agree that the construction of new transport communications linking the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic with the western regions of Azerbaijan shall be provided.”

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[Yervant1]

 

Asbarez.com

 

A Letter to My People

November 10, 2020

Artsakh Defense Army units

BY TAMAR KEVONIAN

It’s been 44 days since the war for Artsakh began. 44 days of anxiety. 44 days of pride. 44 days of heartbreak. 44 days of loneliness. 44 of fighting. 44 days of sounding the trumpet. 44 days of solidarity.

As the wrenching shock of the end settles in, the tears come uncontrollably. Tears of anger. Tears for the loss. Tears for the heartbreak. Tears for the lives lost. Tears for a land lost.

But now, more than ever we must stand united. Take a hard look at the missed opportunities and plan for a better outcome in the future. This is not the end. It is the beginning: The beginning of a fight in the 21st century.

I have no party affiliations or children on the front lines or people who died in this war. I have never lived in Armenia or participated in its government. I am a child of the Diaspora, born and raised outside of the borders of Armenia. Perhaps I am the least qualified person to comment on this situation. My only qualification is my love and dedication for my people: Armenia and all Armenians everywhere.

We were given a chance almost 30 years ago to build a nation. For better or worse we have the Armenia we deserve. The outcome of the war is the result of a long line of decisions by all Armenians. We loved our country but allowed it to be looted over and over by those we entrusted it to. We loved our freedom but chose not to ensure its longevity by ignoring the threats, by relying on a superpower to save us, by not planning ahead, by not investing in our army; by playing by the rules and hoping someone noticed and rewarded us.

During this time, our enemy planned, strategized, leveraged its advantages and then took by force what it had always dreamed of.

We have no one to blame for the outcome but ourselves. Nikol Pashinyan, was democratically elected by the citizens of the country to right the wrongs of 30 years of mismanagement and graft. A herculean task impossible to accomplish in the 2 ½ years he has been allotted. He is our leader regardless of the party or group we belong to. Instead of a coup, we must stand by him for making an impossible decision in an impossible situation. No one stood up for us on the world stage; must we now abandon each other?

We accomplished much in these 44 days. We raised awareness, affected the course of many corporations, and rallied our allies on the ground even when their governments ignored us. We now definitely know who our friends are. Our united voice was heard from UEFA to Beringer Aero. We cannot falter now. We must stay vigilant. We must continue to protest and demand change. We must push for prosecution of the war crimes committed by our enemies. We must stand together always: tall and proud and loud.

Now through our tears, anger and disappointment we must still stay united and plan for the future. The Turks are not done with us. They will return to take the rest of Artsakh. Then they will return to take Armenia. Will we be prepared next time?

With love and Armenian pride.

http://asbarez.com/198383/a-letter-to-my-people/?fbclid=IwAR1GJ-9yCdHsRBMl3xx8jdJAwmQlufBMLNti1We-4ioi9sm7DV00xPC1Ry0

[Yervant1]

Is it all talk? Or action will follow!

 

Asbarez.com

Macron Warns Turkey, Says France ‘Stands by Armenia’

November 10, 2020

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French President Emanuel Macron

Saying France “stands by Armenia during this difficult time,” French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday called for a “lasting political solution” to the Karabakh conflict after Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed a deal to end weeks of fierce fighting.

Earlier the Elysee Palace said in a statement that France was studying the parameters of the ceasefire agreement, but said any lasting agreement needed to take into consideration the interests of Armenia, Reuters reported.

Macron also urged that Turkey, which backs Azerbaijan, “end its provocations” in the conflict, according to AFP.

“France firmly calls on Turkey to put an end to its provocations about Nagorno-Karabakh, to show restraint and to do nothing that compromises the possibility of a lasting agreement being negotiated between the parties and within the framework of the Minsk Group,” Macron said.

Macron’s office quoted him as saying that efforts should be made “without delay” to try to come up with a “lasting political solution to the conflict that allows for the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to remain in good condition and the return of tens of thousands of people who have fled their homes.”

The French president said he will actively pursue his consultations with Russia and will meet “very soon” with the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned Ankara that if it does not adhere to the terms of the agreement reached Tuesday between the presidents of Russia and France and the Armenian prime minister, the EU may impose additional sanctions against Turkey, reported Tass.

“We consider it important that Turkey absolutely strictly adhere to the agreed ceasefire, because otherwise it risks facing increased sanctions,” Le Drian said.

The minister added that in December the EU countries will hold another summit, at which, among other things, Turkey’s aggressive behavior will be discussed.

“Earlier, 27 countries of the community have already decided that if Turkey does not change its behavior, measures will be taken against it, including sanctions – these options are already on the table,” Le Drian stressed.

“I have spoken more than once about Turkey’s belligerent and unacceptable behavior. President Erdogan calls for hatred against our country and insults the values on which our nation is based,” Le Drian said.

http://asbarez.com/198385/macron-warns-turkey-says-france-stands-by-armenia/?fbclid=IwAR39Oa9_ztU29riWM0cSFbMuML2os7wlvsUBWnlSY2zixKQ-pigmArZ21QY

 

[Yervant1]

‘This is not the time for politicking and games of thrones’ – Serj Tankian calls for unity

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 14:46, 11 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. World-renowned rock musician, soloist of System of a Down Serj Tankian says obviously the agreement signed over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict was predicated upon Armenia due to the multitude of its enemies and the inaction of its allies in the international community.

In a video message posted on Facebook, Tankian called for unity and stated that he as well is grieving for the loss of young men, lands and collective unity.

 

“In the past 45 days despite the extreme hardships, I was inspired by the oneness of our people. By our ability to mobilize for the benefit of our nation and future. It’s obvious to me, as it should be to you, that the agreement that was signed was predicated upon us due to the multitude of our enemies and the inaction of our allies in the international community. I’m angry like you for being taken advantage of once more in our history”, Tankian said.

However, he said the instability should be addressed within.

“Since the 1994 ceasefire in Artsakh we have had the opportunity to strengthen our nation’s diplomacy and military, but instead fell victim to corruption and oligarchy. Instead of acting the political and economic potential of the Diaspora they chose to use us as a bank ATM machine”, he said.

“This is not the time for politicking and games of thrones. Nor disgusting images of thuggery and looting within our country. That is embarrassing and insulting to those brave soldiers who gave their lives fighting for our existence. We will not allow you to divide us ever again. We all have many questions. But in order for these questions to be answered objectively we must allow for the democratic process to take place. After all, unlike our neighbors, we are a democracy. Maybe young and inexperienced but a democracy nonetheless.  So let’s redirect our anger and fury and use them as stepping stones for a unified Armenia and work hard daily on attaining justice for the catastrophic events of this war. Let’s build a stronger, more powerful but just nation together. One that answers to no one and is subject to no one”, Tankian concluded.

Editing by Aneta Harutyunyan

 

Edited November 11, 2020 by Yervant1

[Yervant1]

4 Dutch political parties want EU to impose arms embargo on Turkey

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14:27, 11 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Four Dutch political parties – the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Democrats 66, Christian Democratic Appeal and the Christian Union, want the European Union to enforce an arms embargo against Turkey, as a punitive measure on Ankara for its involvement in different conflicts in the region, including in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, NOS reports.

Today the sides submitted a motion on that during the debate of the budget of the foreign ministry.

“The Ankara government violates the international law, engaging in the armed conflicts in Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkey is searching for oil there in a place which belongs to Greece”, the article says.

According to the coalition partners, the Cabinet should work on arms embargo within the EU context.

“It’s time for decisive measures”, Christian Union MP Joël Voordewind said, informing that Turkey has sent Syrian jihadists to Azerbaijan to fight against Nagorno Karabakh.

Sjoerd Sjoerdsma from the Democrats 66 said: “If Erdogan foments military conflict instead of promoting stability, we must draw a clear line: no more weapons to Turkey as long as this continues.”

“It is bad that we have to, but we want the EU to impose an arms embargo on our NATO ally. We must protect innocent civilians”, Martijn van Helvert from CDA said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

[Yervant1]

German newspaper editor says tough situation of Armenians of Karabakh is also a result of EU policy

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12:46, 11 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Peter Steiniger, editor-columnist of the German newspaper Neues Deutschland, says the current tough situation of Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh is also a result of the European Union’s policy.

In his article Peter Steiniger said the EU supported Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, by keeping to sell weapons to him which was used by Azerbaijan.

“The difficult situation of Armenians of Karabakh is also a result of EU’s policy, which supported Erdogan, as its profitable villain, by keeping to sell weapons to him”, the German columnist wrote.

He said “Armenia lost the uneven battle for Nagorno Karabakh which was imposed on the country by Azerbaijan’s leader Aliyev through a war aggression”. Peter Steiniger added that now “Russia is trying to again freeze the conflict with altered geography”.

“Baku receives a large price of pie. Aliyev ventured to strike the tiny “Republic of Artsakh” as Moscow made it clear that its assistance to the Armenian allies will end in the borders of the mother country. Russians didn’t take the risk of getting involved in the war in the south wing with NATO representative Turkey. It’s not in vain that Turkish President Erdogan has been given a carte blanche by the US to set fire in the region”, the German editor says.

He states that “the war has been ideologically motivated for Azerbaijan and the Great Ottoman Empire”.

“The triumph of victory strengthens Aliyev’s positions. All sides helped him to succeed in the deal”, Peter Steiniger wrote.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

[MosJan]

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Armenpress.am

French FM sees need for definition of future status of Nagorno Karabakh

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10:16, 11 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, sees need for the definition of future status of Nagorno Karabakh, the FM said in a statement.

“The resumption of negotiations between the parties on a lasting settlement of the conflict remains necessary, beyond the ceasefire announced yesterday. As co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, France will be an active participant in this effort. Discussions between the two parties must resume without delay. They must allow for the return of people displaced by the conflict in recent weeks, and for the definition of the future status of Nagorno Karabakh”, the French FM said.

He stated that France has taken note of the agreement reached by Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Russian authorities regarding the implementation of a ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh and is examining its terms and implications. “Clarifications are expected in order to assess their impact”, the FM said.

“The cessation of fighting is crucial. The parties had made this commitment several times over the last few weeks and we have been, and remain, strongly committed to this priority within the framework of the co-chairmanship of the Minsk Group. We therefore expect Azerbaijan to strictly uphold the commitments that it has made and to put an immediate end to its offensive. In this context, we call on Turkey not to do anything that goes against this key priority.

At this difficult time, France reaffirms its wholehearted friendship with the Armenian people in light of our close human, cultural and historic ties with Armenia. In these tragic circumstances, we stand alongside it. In particular, we will work to lend it all the humanitarian support it needs. Indeed, the situation on the ground, with displaced populations and fighting in urban centers, has resulted in serious humanitarian consequences.

France has mobilized its efforts in recent weeks through a very large number of civil society initiatives. The French authorities are contributing to these initiatives, providing medical assistance, which arrived late last week in Yerevan and included teams of surgeons specialized in treating conflict victims. Other initiatives will be taken in the coming days to provide Armenia with the help it will need”, the statement says.

 

 

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[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Not going to step on ending war would mean much more losses and casualties – Armenia PM

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11:33, 11 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Not going to the step on ending the war in Artsakh would lead to much more losses and casualties, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said live on Facebook, adding that that decision was made based on the analysis, assessments of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the President of Artsakh.

“The biggest guilt attributed to me is that I agreed to hand over Aghdam, Lachin, Karvachar to Azerbaijan. In fact, that episode is not about handing over, but about keeping, because that document has been signed in a situation when Shushi was fallen, when, in fact, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia was reporting that the resources were in quite a problematic situation. The political leadership of Artsakh was also sharing this view. What would happen if it was not signed? That document gave what we couldn’t keep at that situation according to military and non-military assessments. We had a situation when Stepanakert was left defenseless”, Nikol Pashinyan said.

According to him, if the military operations continued, there was a great probability that the Azerbaijani forces would have captured Stepanakert, Martuni, Askeran, the defense regions with soldiers would have appeared in blockade. A total collapse would have taken place. He said that decision was made based on this.

He said the video messages addressed by soldiers from the frontline are not coincidence because they are supporting the decision made, because they have seen and understood the situation, no matter how painful it was.

“At that moment we had a situation when Stepanakert was under a direct threat. Thousands of soldiers would have appeared in blockade, and as a result we would have lost what we have which is enshrined in that document”, he noted.

As for the rumors on the fall of Shushi, the conspiracies around Shushi, the Armenian PM said after the fall of Shushi attempts were made twice for returning it, the one was failed, and during the other one a squad managed to enter the city. Although, he said, a situation has not changed greatly. Pashinyan said all these contradictions were connected with this.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 

 

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Armenpress.am

Pashinyan denies “absurd” accusations of conspiracy over fall of Shushi

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11:50, 11 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has denied what he described as “absurd” accusations claiming that he wasn’t giving consent for Russian peacekeepers to be deployed to Karabakh until the fall of Shushi.

Opposition leader Gagik Tsarukyan (Prosperous Armenia Party) claimed in an interview that Russia was ready to deploy its peacekeepers to Karabakh as early as October 28, when the town of Shushi wasn’t yet captured by Azeri forces, but Pashinyan did not agree at that time. Tsarukyan vehemently lambasted the armistice conditions and claimed that Shushi fell because of a “conspiracy”.

“This is total absurd”, Pashinyan said in a Facebook video address on November 11.

He cited his interviews of October 22 and October 25 where he publicly said that he favors Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh. “By publicly speaking in favor of this, how could I be against it on October 28?”

Pashinyan then criticized the opposition leader for what he described as not fulfilling his pledge to lead a volunteer detachment to the frontlines. Tsarukyan had formed a detachment of volunteer soldiers and said he would lead them to active duty. “But seemingly we didn’t see any detachment of volunteers led by Gagik Tsarukyan fighting near Shushi,” Pashinyan said. “How come they make a public statement but no practical step?”

“Perhaps these detachments were formed not for conducting operations in Shushi but in Armenia? This must be investigated and assessed under criminal law.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

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Armenpress.am

Yerevan protesters demand resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan

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14:14, 11 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Hundreds of protesters, including opposition lawmakers and politicians from both parliamentary and non-parliamentary political parties, who gathered at Yerevan’s Freedom Square despite the martial law prohibiting public assemblies, have termed their demands: they seek the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan because of the conditions of the Karabakh armistice. The demonstrators say the PM’s resignation is the only solution to the current situation.

ARF Supreme Body representative Ishkhan Saghatelyan, Prosperous Armenia Party lawmakers Arman Abovyan, Naira Zohrabyan, Iveta Tonoyan, Shake Isayan, Fatherland Party leader and former NSS Director Artur Vanetsyan, Republican Party member Karine Ajemyan and many others delivered speeches at the rally.

Dozens of demonstrators are detained by police. Republican Party member, former Vice Speaker of Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov is among them.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

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Asia Times

Russia seizes primacy in post-war South Caucasus

Moscow's plan to end Azerbaijan-Armenia war in Nagorno-Karabakh puts
Russia firmly in the strategic region's driver's seat

By Richard Giragosian November 11, 2020

YEREVAN – After 40 days and 40 nights of often intense fighting, the
latest war for Nagorno-Karabakh halted with an abrupt midnight posting
early on November 10 on Facebook.

Couched in a confession of an “unspeakably painful” acceptance,
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced his acceptance of a
new agreement that effectively ceded territory to Azerbaijan.

The agreement to halt the war, which salvaged the remnants of
Armenian-held Karabakh and saved the Armenian population from
advancing Azerbaijani forces, raises only more questions about the
status and security of the enclave.

The Russian-crafted plan, signed by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev,
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinyan, is multi-faceted.

According to the agreement’s terms, a roughly 2,000-strong Russian
peacekeeping force was immediately deployed to Karabakh, establishing
a perimeter to protect and defend the vital Lachin Corridor, a
lifeline connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. Armenia is to
withdraw its forces from districts of Azerbaijan beyond the borders of
Nagorno-Karabakh.

In a staged withdrawal, this initial disengagement is to be followed
with a return of the two districts of Kelbajar and Aghdam by November
20, with a further Armenian pullback from the Lachin district by
December 1. By that time, Russian peacekeepers are to ensure the
Armenian use and control of a five-kilometer-wide corridor through
Lachin.

In a seeming attempt at parity, a similar but much more vague
“corridor” is also stipulated to connect Azerbaijan to its exclave
Nakhichevan, which borders Armenia, Iran and Turkey.

The agreement’s last point is one of the most potentially significant
outcomes, as the nature of such an Azerbaijani connection through
Armenian territory remains unclear and undefined, raising potentially
dangerous questions over sovereignty, legal standing and policing.

[Map. Image: Facebook/TRTWorld]

An additional concern stems from what is not stipulated or stressed in
the agreement. For example, there is no clarity for the “status” of
the remaining parts of Nagorno-Karabakh, with a disregard for earlier
negotiations. And there is an obvious need for direct negotiations and
further agreements on several other implications and issues.

Such diplomacy to come should also include and incorporate all parties
to the conflict, including the democratically elected representatives
from Nagorno-Karabakh. Otherwise, any further exclusion of Karabakh
would only undermine the durability and sustaining power of this
agreement.

Agreement under duress

Although all sides seem to have accepted the Russia-crafted agreement
under differing degrees of duress or discomfort, for the
democratically-elected leaders of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh there
was little choice and no alternative.

The Azerbaijani capture of the strategic city of Shushi, the
second-largest in Karabakh, was a pivotal tipping point. As the
Karabakh Armenians lost the city, the magnitude of the disaster became
clear.

Retreating to the Karabakh capital Stepanakert, leaders in both
Karabakh and Armenia came to the painful realization that in order to
save the remaining civilians and salvage what remained of Karabakh,
there was little alternative but to accept the terms of the agreement
imposed and demanded by Moscow.

Most armed conflicts and nearly every war eventually follow their own
tempo, falling into a cycle of sustained force and suspended fighting.
And like a wildfire, such clashes dictate their own intensity and
determine their own pace before eventually burning out.

The ongoing war for Nagorno-Karabakh is no different and now seems
poised to reach a final exhaustive end.

[Photo: A man stands among the debris of a destroyed house hit by a
rocket strike during the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over
the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in a residential area of
Ganja, Azerbaijan, October 21, 2020. Photo: AFP/Tofik Banayev]

Since the launch of a massive military offensive by Azerbaijan on
September 27, the unresolved conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh erupted
into a sudden and kinetic war. With daily combat driven by a sweeping
advance of attacking Azerbaijani forces, Armenian defenders were
largely overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the onslaught.

Empowered with direct Turkish military assistance and operational
support, the Azerbaijani offensive quickly expanded into an all-out
war that quickly achieved substantial gains in territory. Militarily,
this war was significantly different than the intermittent clashes of
the past three decades, with an offensive that was decisive in several
ways.

First, Turkey’s military support and direct engagement empowered and
emboldened Azerbaijani forces, helping to seize a vast swath of
territory to the south and a lesser area to the north and east of
Nagorno-Karabakh.

At the same time, Karabakh Armenian forces suffered staggering losses
of equipment, mainly as a result of precise targeting by Turkish and
Israeli military drones, or UAVs, that overwhelmed their outdated air
defense network.

Beyond the unexpected pressure from Turkish engagement, a second
equally significant factor that made this war so decisive was Russia’s
response.

Russia reasserts dominance

After a rather embarrassing public failure by Russia to conclude a
basic and temporary cessation of hostilities that fell short of a full
ceasefire, the sudden announcement of a Russia-backed “peace deal” for
Nagorno-Karabakh represents a real win for Moscow for several reasons.

First, the terms of this new agreement grant Russia the most important
of Moscow’s objectives: a dominant military presence on the ground.
The prior lack of any direct military presence in Nagorno-Karabakh was
one of the most distinctive aspects of the Karabakh conflict, standing
in stark contrast to every other such conflict within the former
Soviet Union.

That absence was a long-standing irritant for Moscow, reflecting the
limits of Russia’s capacity for effective power projection and
influence. But with this elusive goal now met, Russian peacekeepers
are now central to the credibility and sustainability of the new peace
deal, thereby granting Moscow an even more decisive role in the
region.

A second dividend for Russia stems from its enhanced leverage over the
Armenian government. Despite an uncharacteristically passive response
to Armenia’s “Velvet Revolution” in 2018, Moscow seems to have bided
its time and now has seized an opportunity to maximize pressure on
Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan and his government.

[Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinyan arrive at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic
Council in St Petersburg, Russia in a file photo. Image: Sergey
Guneev/Sputnik via AFP]

Enhanced Russian leverage will not only keep Armenia well within
Moscow’s orbit but will also greatly limit Armenia’s options and
orientation in seeking closer relations with the West.

In this context, Moscow may push for more Armenian compliance, whereby
Yerevan is in danger of mortgaging its independence and ceding
sovereignty to Russia.

And third, the Nagorno-Karabakh agreement was very much an individual
Russian initiative, meaning it was not pursued through the framework
or cover of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is co-chaired by the United
States, France and Russia.

This suggests that the Minsk Group’s format and structure is imperiled
by these latest Russia-led developments. Although the military phase
of the Karabakh conflict has ended, the diplomatic contest is only
just beginning.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://asiatimes.com/2020/11/russia-seizes-primacy-in-post-war-south-caucasus/__;!!LIr3w8kk_Xxm!_2e7z4ZHzpbdrin6Q9bcIzq5uBadITEox63ZGk4nmB4uitDuRQOequ7DW_G08g$

[Yervant1]

Politico

Russia’s win in Nagorno-Karabakh is EU’s loss

The EU risks becoming irrelevant in conflicts in its wider neighborhood.

By Nicu Popescu
November 11, 2020

After six weeks of fighting over the disputed region of
Nagorno-Karabakh — and several failed cease-fires — Russia has
mediated a deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan that appears likely to
hold.

With the conflict now officially re-frozen, the situation has yielded
two clear winners: Russia and Turkey, who flexed their muscle in the
region while the European Union sat on the sidelines, appearing
increasingly irrelevant in its own neighborhood.

Unless the EU rethinks its strategy in the region, it seems relegated
to observing as others take charge.

The Russia-brokered deal bears striking resemblance to what Armenia,
Azerbaijan and the international community agreed would be a
reasonable compromise, under the so-called Madrid Principles a decade
ago.

The main difference is that it is being implement by military force,
not diplomats or politicians.

As part of the deal, Russia will deploy some 2,000 peacekeepers,
ensuring that Nagorno-Karabakh will have a Russian-protected land
connection to Armenia, and that Azerbaijan will have Russian-protected
communication lines and transport links through Armenia to the Azeri
exclave of Nakhchivan.

But if Azerbaijan might seem the victor and Armenia the loser, the
situation is more complicated for both.

For Baku, this is more of a Faustian bargain than a victory.
Azerbaijan acquired seven territories around Nagorno-Karabakh,
previously occupied by Armenia, and will get to keep the territorial
gains it made in the enclave, but will have to accept constraints on
its future foreign policy and security.

With Russian military presence on what is internationally recognized
as Azerbaijan’s territory, and Russian security personnel ensuring
Azerbaijani access to its exclave in Nakhchivan, Moscow suddenly
acquires much more security leverage in the country.

Nagorno-Karabakh will now look more like Georgia’s secessionist
regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia before 2008. Georgia’s two
separatist regions have long been geopolitically convenient conflict
zones that allowed Russia to raise or lower the security temperature
to influence domestic politics and the security situation in Georgia.

Azerbaijan has joined the club now. In the short term, this will lead
to an Azeri-Russian honeymoon but could become a source of future
instability and acrimony in Moscow-Baku relations.

Armenia, meanwhile, retains de facto control of part of
Nagorno-Karabakh, and the deployment of Russian peacekeepers on the
ground makes the country less vulnerable to future conflagrations.

As a result, however, Armenia finds itself in the much more difficult
situation of having dramatically increased its already high dependence
on Moscow, with what remains of Armenian-controlled Nagorno-Karabakh
now indefensible without Russia. Yerevan now faces the possibility
that Russia will push it even harder into making painful concessions
in domestic or foreign policy.

The real winners of the latest flare-up over Nagorno-Karabakh,
ultimately, are Turkey and Russia. Moscow has tightened the screws of
its control of Armenia and the country’s domestic and foreign
policies. It also has much more military and security leverage on
future developments in Azerbaijan.

Turkey also has cause for celebration. Its ally Azerbaijan re-acquired
its seven districts and part of Nagorno-Karabakh thanks in large part
to Turkish support. The Turkish military and Turkish-made drones got
good publicity, as did Turkey’s credibility as a power that truly
supports its allies (unlike Russia). And despite Turkey’s bold
military maneuvering, Ankara and Moscow’s capacity to remain on good
terms remained unshaken.

None of the above bodes well for the EU’s own foreign policy and
international profile.

Foreign policymaking in the EU’s wider neighborhood has become
increasingly militarized. The key players in the region are not EU
countries; instead Turkey, Russia and now Azerbaijan increasingly see
bold military action as an efficient and sure way to success, from the
South Caucasus to Syria and Libya.

As long as the EU continues to focus almost exclusively on diplomatic
and economic means to exercise its power in its neighborhood, this
trend will continue.

There is no quick way out of this irrelevance for the EU. Still, short
of sending military troops and inserting itself into every military
imbroglio on its periphery, there is another possible way forward.

The EU must start developing military, intelligence and cybersecurity
partnerships with several countries around its eastern and southern
flanks. It needs to become a power that can exert influence in the
security realm, in addition to its political and economic clout. Only
then, with time, will the EU’s voice be better heard where it matters
most.

*
Nicu Popescu is director of the Wider Europe programme at the European
Council of Foreign Relations.
*

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[Yervant1]

CIVILNET.AM

12 November, 2020 16:24

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the nation today, explaining why he was forced to sign, in his words, the "infamous document."

According to him, the enemy had reached Shushi and Stepanakert. "These cities were in the rear during the war, they did not have defensive structures, and what would have happened after the fall of these cities? Several defensive sectors of the Defense Army would have been surrounded by the enemy, which means that more than 20,000 of our soldiers would have been under threat," Pashinyan said, adding that in these conditions, the fall of Kashatagh and Karvachar districts would have been inevitable.

The Prime Minister explained that the moment they realized that the Armenian soldier could not influence events, soldiers would no longer have to die for the motherland, instead the motherland would make a sacrifice for the soldiers.

"According to this logic, I signed the infamous document known to all of you, and when I signed it, I realized that the probability that I would personally die is great not only in the political but also in the physical sense, but the life of 25 thousand soldiers was more important, I think, for you too."

These soldiers, according to the head of government, had no chance to influence the situation that would unfold in the rear.

"It was time for the commander to endanger his own life for the lives of these soldiers, time for the Motherland to make sacrifices for the soldiers that spared nothing for sake of the Motherland," Pashinyan said, explaining that in this situation it was necessary to make a decision within a few hours, otherwise the process would have started, which could have ended with the death of 25 thousand soldiers or their capture.

He also touched upon the issue of resignation. "And why didn't I resign, so as not to sign this paper, because it would mean desertion, it would mean leaving the issue of fulfilling the hellish duty in the name of the soldiers on someone else's shoulders."

According to Nikol Pashinyan, the Karabakh issue is still not resolved. The next question that arises, according to him, is why in such conditions it was impossible to reach a ceasefire at the beginning of the war or a little later. "To do this, it was necessary to hand over seven districts without a fight, as well as Shushi, and we hoped that with the involvement of new resources, superhuman efforts, we would be able to make a breakthrough," Pashinyan said. According to him, this is the reason that he and the President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan periodically made calls for military conscription.

Pashinyan also touched upon the content of the document itself, saying that it is really bad for us, but we should not make it worse than it really is.

"In particular, there are rumors spreading about the surrender of Meghri, which is absolutely ridiculous, we are just talking about unblocking transport routes in the region, including from Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan, but this means that transport routes from Yerevan to Syunik via Nakhichevan, including the railway connection between Armenia and Iran, should also be unblocked," the Prime Minister said, adding that this may have a significant impact on our economy.

As for the territories under the control of Artsakh, according to Pashinyan, thanks to the Russian peacekeepers, the Lachin corridor from Goris to Stepanakert will operate smoothly, and Russian peacekeepers will provide the same safe road across the entire territory in the Shushi section.

He also called on residents of the territories located within the perimeter of the deployment of peacekeepers to return to their homes, if viable

He also said that the international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh is becoming an absolute priority. "There are stronger arguments for this now."

According to Pashinyan, at the moment, restoring the atmosphere of stability and security in the country is a priority for Armenia.

"The organizers and many of the active participants in the civil strife have been detained, but they will be identified and brought to justice.

"For decades, the country's property and income have flowed into the pockets of people you know well, and not towards the development of the army," the Prime Minister said.

According to him, our country has a future, and we must do everything to make this difficult test of ours an important cornerstone of this future.

"We must learn a lesson. Many will ask whether it is possible to talk about a good future after this brutal war. Yes, because there are countries in the world that were subjected to the most brutal capitulations of the 20th century, but today they are among the most powerful countries in the world."

https://www.civilnet.am/news/2020/11/12/Let%E2%80%99s-ensure-this-difficult-test-becomes-an-important-cornerstone-for-the-future-Pashinyan/407745

[Yervant1]

Couldn't be any clearer than this, one hundred percent in agreement with Eric!

CIVILNET.AM

13 նոյեմբեր, 2020 11:17

Welcome, we’re joined by Eric Hacopian, an expert n American politics. We’ll be discussing the end of the 2020 Karabakh war and what this means for Armenia and Armenians. Eric, thank you very much for your time.

So, what is the situation, what has happened and I’ve also like to ask specifically, what happened last night in Yerevan that saw the Parliament and government buildings ransacked?

Well, obviously there is a tremendous amount of anger, confusion about this agreement, even though we know most of what the agreement is, but not everything about the agreement. Some of those scenes were frankly quite ugly, and I think it was a combination of real anger from real people, and then I think it was taken advantage of by, to be kind, a group of opportunists and thugs, who … What was interesting about them is you have all of these people who are essentially saying the war should continue, and they are all young fit guys who were good enough to tear the whole Parliament apart, but they somehow never went to the front, if they really want the war to go on. So I think, some of it was that the public anger and confusion is real, but it was obvious that some political forces were trying to take advantage of that and use that for their benefit and trying to hurt the current government.

And with the 2020 war and now this subsequent peace agreement, what have we learnt as Armenians?

Well, let’s take one step back. I think, there’s two things that we need to study. The first thing is we need to admit defeat, and we need to learn from it. We need to understand what brought us to this moment, what caused the defeat to what extent all of us were responsible on some level, even obviously there’s other people who are responsible a lot more than others. I think first we need to face that, before we can move on. We shouldn’t be pollyannaish about this, we need to admit what happened was a calamity and a defeat, it’s not the end of the world but we need to be realistic about it and learn from it.

The second thing, and that’s the negative ledger. I think in the positive ledger, it’s more factual than positive is, we need to be eternally grateful as a nation and as a people for this fantastic effort that was put by this army that was outgunned, outnumbered, out-everythinged, for 43 days, and essentially by their heroism and their very valuable lives prevented a complete ethinic cleansing and genocide in Karabakh. So we need to be forever grateful for them, and as a people, we need to do everything we can to help their families and be forever grateful to them.

I think one thing that I’ve noticed in my conversations with people is I think since the government was always very positive about “Haghtelu enk, Haghtelu enk,” people never really understood what we were up against. Armenia was fighting 6 or 7 countries in different forces. You had thousands of Turkish special forces there, you have Azerbaijan itself that has an army twice the size of ours, you had massive elements of mercenaries and terrorists brought in by Turkey from Syria and other places. There have been reports of Pakistani special forces or Afghans that were brought in.

So people need to understand that what our guys were fighting was not Azerbaijan.

The closest analogy to this, historical analogy, a recent one is really the 1940 Soviet invasion of Finland, in which the Finns who were supposed to be defeated in a couple of days held out for a month or two, and by doing so they preserved their independence despite the fact that they lost some territory.

Armenia was taking on the combined powers of 90-100 million people. And that kind of imbalance cannot go on forever. We know from reports about military attaches that the initial plan for this war was supposed to be finished in 3-5 days. And that’s what everybody thought, in 3-5 days they would have caught across the south, gone up north, which is what happened, get to Shushi, and then the other group would have gone into Kapan, and that would have been a checkmate. Except that 3-5 days turned into 43 days, and in that process by the heroism of these fantastic young people that we have, they saved us from calamity.

So those are the two primary things that we need to acknowledge first. But what did we learn from it, I just want to give some background: These are the things we learned from it, that the most important thing for us from this point on and has been in the past, is to create an Armenia that is democratic, prosperous and just. Because everything else we want to do stems from that. Because if we don’t have that, nothing else matters.

The second thing is what we learned is that corruption kills. The corruption of the past 20 years, you know, our drones were in the houses of the oligarchs, our air defenses were in their bank accounts in Switzerland. That’s reality, we have to be cognitive of that and understand that and move on.

The other thing is, visionless or medicare diplomacy kills. We had diplomats without any vision who essentially left this country alone and stranded when this crisis started. The other thing is, Azerbaijan has friends in the world, we simply have acquaintances. They have friends that come through, ours just send us really nice words for the most part. That made a huge difference, as we know, on the last 43 days.

And the most important thing that we should learn, is that we should never ever send our guys into battle without the most modern equipment that we can buy, even if we need to borrow money to do it. We cannot rely on using 19th century bravery and 20th century weapons to fight 21st century wars. It doesn’t work. It can only take you so far. We as a collective, have to pledge that our fighting men and women will never ever go into battle without having the latest most modern equipment to defend themselves and to win the war.

Emilio - I want to ask what does this war mean for Armenia and Armenians, and in terms of Armenian history, what does this moment mean for the future?

Eric - Well, it’s a calamitous moment in so many ways. I mean, and I don’t want to exaggerate, but I mean it’s close to what happened in the start of the last century on the negative ledger. And we have to look at it in those terms, because let’s be honest, the purpose and the mission of the other side was ethnic cleansing and genocide. That’s never been not on the table. We all know that. So, 100 years, 105 years after the first genocide, we were actually looking at a serious chance of a second one. But having said that, by having a state and by having enough of a wherewithal, we prevented the worse from happening. And I don’t want to downplay that. We need to understand that and appreciate that. There's a reason that what happened to the Yazidis isn’t happening to us, is because we have a state and the ability to defend ourselves. Maybe not as much as we wanted to, but we have the ability to fight and prevent the worst from happening. So those are the two things that I would say

Emilio - And is there anything else you would like to finally add?

I think we have to look at what it is that we need to do from this point on. I think I would say there’s two things: we need to prepare for war and we need to prepare for peace. It’s not out of the question that this agreement that is done holds for the next 50 years. There's plenty of examples of it, Cyprus and other places, that for different reasons the parties don’t want to start another war. However, the way this agreement is written, in 5 years the peacekeepers can be asked to leave. And if the peacekeepers leave, that’s almost a definitive signal for another war, if any party asks for that, because why would you ask them to leave otherwise.

So we need to prepare for what could come, and be prepared for it, and the way you prepare for it, is we need to look at a development model of what I call a garrison state, where we need to create our own military industrial complex. I know that sounds very highfalutin for a country as small or not affluent as Armenia, but the truth is in modern warfare, with all these new drones and other things going on, none of these things are exceptionally expensive, and they’re not really that hard to do. We have plenty of Armenians around the world with money who can and should invest in that. So I think we need to create this garrison state model, where we use the fact that we should always be ready for war as a way to develop your economy.

I think on the other ledger, what I call the peace ledger, we need to have a concerted effort to use the way Azerbaijan conducted the war, against them as the absolute proof why we need remedial cessation and recognition of Artsakh. Because there’s no more excuses, there’s no more refugees, no more land to give back.

The issue now is does Azerbaijan have the right to rule the people of Artskah who’ve been independent for 30 years, have run themselves and who, Azerbaijan in this war proved, whose intentions towards were genocidal and criminal. Azerbaijan, by the way, proved in this war that it shouldn’t even be running its own people, much less people from other ethnicities. Just the way, the pitiful way that they handled their own soldiers and what happens to them when they’re injured.

So I think, as a collective, we need to have this push on the one side which is focus on economic development and creating this garrison state, while at the same time be very aggressive and try to get recognition for Artsakh, and by prosecuting Azerbaijan for the way it conducted the war in the criminal manner, because that’s the prima facie of evidence that they should have not only legal, but no moral right to rule the people of Artsakh.

Eric, thank you as always, and thank you for joining us on CivilNet.

https://www.civilnet.am/news/2020/11/13/The-Day-After-the-2020-Karabakh-War-Ended-An-Analysis/407884

 

[Yervant1]

[Yervant1]

CIVILNET.AM:

November 13, 2020 13:14:

The President of the Republic Armen Sargsyan met with a group of representatives of culture, sports, as well as non-governmental organizations.

During the meeting, both sides discussed the stability of the country and the atmosphere of tolerance, without which it is impossible to solve the existing problems and get out of the current situation.

"It is a difficult time for all of us," he said. - We must look into the eyes of the truth, analyze why we came here to be able to live today, to be able to live tomorrow. I think every Armenian experienced a storm, "that storm is still going on among many." And that is understandable. It is not possible where that person lives, in Artsakh, Armenia, Sochi, Moscow, Paris or Los Angeles. We are all Armenians, we are all connected to the Homeland through our spiritual, intellectual and national portal. And this, of course, is a severe storm. "

The President noted that after 1994, when we really had a victory, now the difficulty is twofold. "But this does not mean that those feelings, which are in the hearts of all of us, should be turned into vandalism, beating, directing that bitterness towards each other," said President Sargsyan. - I think each of us should realize that we as Armenians have one of the most important values ​​- Armenian life. And we can not be extravagant. A nation that lost 1.5 million people during the genocide cannot be lavish. Every Armenian's life, no matter what party that Armenian belongs to, regardless of whether that Armenian is good, bad, greedy, generous, woman, man, adult, child, is of great value to us : We are poor in human resources. Each of us should treat the Armenian sitting next to him like his sister-brother. What is the fault of the government building, the furniture in that building, the building that Tamanyan built, the furniture that was bought with our taxpayers' money? The same applies to the National Assembly building. If we have something to say, there is a human voice to speak, tolerating, listening to each other. ”

The President of the Republic noted that if there are problems, demands from a small or large part of the society, then we, like a civilized people, should discuss and solve all the issues. "Today we have problems, difficulties, disagreements, they should be solved only within the limits of law, legality and statehood," the President said. - As President, I call on all our compatriots that all our discussions should be within the framework of law and legality. We are a family և if there is misfortune in the family, blaming each other is not the problem right now. Analyze why this happened? Of course! To draw the right conclusions after that analysis? Of course! Make family changes if needed? Of course! But only with a civilized horse. It is unacceptable, even if you do not agree with the Speaker of the National Assembly,

At the same time, the President also used the activities of law enforcement, noting: "In any case, no police officer or service officer should give an opportunity to criticize himself or the service. No way: "Stability is essential."

Answering the question on the recently signed trilateral statement on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, President Sargsyan particularly said. "Russian peacekeepers are already on the ground today. Does this mean that everything is over? If you ask me, of course not. " The President of the Republic said that one of the first steps should be to return all this to the Minsk Group process. "This is not a Minsk process, this is a trilateral document, it is a ceasefire," the Armenian President said. - Everything must be done very quickly to return to the Minsk process with the co-chairs of France, the United States and Russia, which has been given a mandate to determine the final status of Artsakh.

This document does not determine the final status of Artsakh. The Minsk process must be resumed as soon as possible. Relevant statements have already been made by the Office of the French Foreign Minister and President. The French Foreign Minister spoke with Lavrov, there are signals from the United States, all this speaks of the return of the process to the Minsk Group.

The vision for the settlement of the issue is to return to the negotiations on the settlement of the Artsakh issue. But this is not enough. In order for those negotiations to succeed, a strong, powerful Artsakh and Armenia, the Armenian people must stand behind them. "

According to the President, the way to become strong militarily is to have a modern army. "Future wars will be much more complex, electronic, with modern technologies, soldiers must be trained to use those technologies. "Therefore, we are faced with the task of turning Armenia into a country of modern technologies in a few years," the President said. - It means that everything from our educational system to industry should be directed to the future. We can not lag behind. Each time we fall behind, in the economy, in the military, in all areas, we will find that we are a generation behind, so we will not be able to win. Victory is not only on the battlefield. Which countries will lead or be at the forefront? Countries that will have modern technologies. The world is going that way. We must be at the forefront of that path, both in terms of the economy and the future. Our path is clear, we must stand up and get organized. By organized I mean national-state discipline.

The time has come for us to assess what our army, our economy, our science are like today, to have a clear vision after giving assessments, and then a program based on that. The vision must be clear about where we will be, for example, in 20 years. This small country has no other way. And how are we going to make our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora more connected to Armenia? I am very grateful to everyone, including the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, for donating about $ 200 million. But I think we can do more. " The President stressed that everything must be done so that our compatriots in the Diaspora are truly connected with the homeland.

As for the resolution to move forward, in response to a question from one of the participants, the President said in particular: "The way forward is very simple. Let's learn not to lie to ourselves, look into the eyes of the truth, if we have 10 drams, let's say we have 10 drams, not say we have 1000. If today we see that our army is not modern, let's say that our army is not modern, we must do everything to make our army stronger than the army of any country in 10 years. We will not only build our army, but also our economy. We must build a strong homeland, one of its components is the following: we have no right to deceive each other, to present the desired as a reality. Let's be disciplined, respectful of each other. I call on all political forces to follow the example of our people. Do soldiers on the battlefield look who is from which party? No.

It's time to dump her and move on.

We have no other duty but to make the country strong, we have no other way but to unite the people. We are different, but we all belong to the same family. Have different opinions, different approaches, choose tomorrow according to your conscience, thought, idea, but never forget that you are the children of the same nation.

We can make any change or development in the country if we keep ourselves civilized, disciplined and realistic without cheating.

I urge you to be tolerant, even in the most emotional, difficult conditions, to be able to give the right assessments today and move forward tomorrow. It is inadmissible if we see clashes. There are all institutions to express your joy and dissatisfaction, to organize discussions, to listen, to debate.

Each of us must understand that we must redouble the energy we have had, because we have enormous difficulties: war, its aftermath, the coronavirus, the dire state of the economy, the loss of young people, the unwavering support of each of their families. It is the duty of each of us, but, above all, of the state, that every family of the victim be in the center of attention. The families of the victims, our wounded boys, should be in the center of the state's immediate attention. " The President also thanked the medical staff, noting that these days our medical system is doing a really heroic job.

President Armen Sargsyan wished peace to the people and all families. "We have a lot of wounds that need to be healed," he said.

https://www.civilnet.am/news/2020/11/13/%D5%8A%D5%A5%D5%BF%D6%84-%D5%A7-%D5%B3%D5%B7%D5 % B4% D5% A1% D6% 80% D5% BF% D5% B8% D6% 82% D5% A9% D5% B5% D5% A1% D5% B6-% D5% A1% D5% B9% D6% 84% D5% A5% D6% 80% D5% AB-% D5% B4% D5% A5% D5% BB-% D5% B6% D5% A1% D5% B5% D5% A5% D5% B6% D6% 84-% D5% B6% D5% A1% D5% AD% D5% A1% D5% A3% D5% A1% D5% B0-% D4% B1% D6% 80% D5% B4% D5% A5% D5% B6-% D5% 8D% D5% A1% D6% 80% D5% A3% D5% BD% D5% B5% D5% A1% D5% B6 / 407902

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Modern Diplomacy

Nov 13 2020

EASTERN EUROPE Azeri, Turkish War Crimes Against Armenians Must Not Go Unpunished

Published

18 hours ago

on

November 13, 2020

By

Uzay Bulut

The war launched by Azerbaijan and Turkey against the Armenian Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) in the South Caucuses on September 27 has been halted through an agreement, which was brokered by Russia and imposed on Armenia. Based on the circulating agreement, Armenians must relinquish most of their homeland in Artsakh to Azerbaijan by December 1, forcing any Armenians living in those regions to depart before that date.

During their indiscriminate shelling of Artsakh, the aggressors – Azerbaijan, and Turkey, accompanied by Syrian jihadist forces – have committed many war crimes against Armenians. They have murdered civilians and injured journalists. They have burned villages, forests, and churches. They have tortured and beheaded Armenians, and executed prisoners.

BBC reported on October 24:”One video posted on a messaging app shows what appears to be two Armenians in military uniforms being captured by troops from Azerbaijan.A second video seemingly shows the same Armenians being shot with their hands behind their backs.Armenian authorities have identified the men as Benik Hakobyan, 73, and 25-year-old Yuri Adamyan.”

Azerbaijani forces also used cluster munitions against Artsakh in an attempt to burn down forests where Armenian civilians were taking shelter. “Azerbaijan has repeatedly used widely banned cluster munitions in residential areas in Nagorno-Karabakh,” according to an October 23 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). “Cluster munitions have been banned because of their widespread indiscriminate effect and long-lasting danger to civilians,” it added.

The false, obsessive belief that Artsakh belongs to Azerbaijan has resulted in an ethnic cleansing against indigenous Armenians from their lands.

The area called Artsakh, originally one of the ancient provinces of Armenia, has preserved a majority Armenian population throughout the centuries. Despite this, Artsakh was annexed by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to the New Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan in the early 1920s. Armenian peaceful requests for self-determination were violently punished by Azerbaijan.

Under Azeri control, Armenians were subject to severe persecution such as pogroms in Sumgait and Baku from 1988 to 1990. The Soviet Union collapsed the following year, and Azerbaijan, Armenia and Artsakh declared independence. Azerbaijan, however, rejected Artsakh’s independence claim and chose to launch a war in 1992, which lasted two years and cost the lives of approximately 30,000 people.

26 years later, Armenians in Artsakh are once again assaulted by Azerbaijan. This time, arms supplies and diplomatic support from Turkey helped give Azerbaijan the upper hand in the conflict. Several news agencies, governments and the United Nations have also reported that Turkey sent jihadist terrorists from Syria to support Azerbaijan in its fight against the Armenians.

“We now have information which indicates that Syrian fighters from jihadist groups have (transited) through Gaziantep (southeastern Turkey) to reach the Nagorno-Karabakh theatre of operations,” French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters at an EU summit in Brussels. “It is a very serious new fact, which changes the situation.”

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights)also reported on November 11:

“The UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries said there were widespread reports that the Government of Azerbaijan, with Turkey’s assistance, relied on Syrian fighters to shore-up and sustain its military operations in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, including on the frontline. The fighters appeared to be motivated primarily by private gain, given the dire economic situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, the UN experts said. In case of death, their relatives were reportedly promised financial compensation and Turkish nationality.

“‘The way in which these individuals were recruited, transported and used in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone appeared consistent with the definition of a mercenary, as set out by relevant international legal instruments, including the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries, to which Azerbaijan is a party,’ said Chris Kwaja, who chairs the Working Group.

“‘Moreover, reports indicate that Turkey engaged in large-scale recruitment and transfer of Syrian men to Azerbaijan through armed factions, some of which are affiliated with the Syrian National Army. The alleged role of Turkey is all the more concerning given the similar allegations addressed earlier this year by the Working Group in relation its role in recruiting, deploying and financing such fighters to take part in the conflict in Libya,’ Kwaja added.”

The UN report was released two days after the treaty was signed, but Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was always transparent about his support for the war against Artsakh. “We support Azerbaijan until victory,” Erdogan said on October 6. “I tell my Azerbaijani brothers: May your ghazwa be blessed.”

Ghazwa in Islam refers to a battle or raid against non-Muslims for the expansion of Muslim territory and/or conversion of non-Muslims to Islam.

In another speech on November 1, Erdogan said, “We are in Syria, Libya, Azerbaijan. We have displayed the same dignified attitude from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, from Syria to Libya, from Cyprus to Karabakh.”

Prior to the war, Artsakh’s population was around 150,000. Turkish and Azeri aggression against the region has caused massive destruction on civilian infrastructure including homes and hospitals and the displacement of about 90,000 Armenians. On October 23, a group of genocide scholars issued a statement “on the imminent genocidal threat deriving from Azerbaijan and Turkey against Artsakh.”

Completely abandoned by the international community and faced with an existential threat, Armenia had to sign an agreement which allows Azerbaijan to take over much of Artsakh. With 60% of Artsakh destroyed and the remainder of land to be surrounded by hostile Azeri forces, many indigenous Armenians who have lived in Artsakh for generations see no choice other than to flee their homeland.

Meanwhile, during the war, hundreds of Turks and Azeris took to the streets in the French city of Lyon, looking for Armenians. They marched with Turkish flags, chanting Allahuakbar (Allah is the greatest), and “Where are you Armenians? Where are you? We are here… sons of bitches.”

Jonathan Lacôte, French ambassador to Armenia, announced that French police were protecting Armenian community centers in France from Turkish and Azeri attacks and vandalism.

In another move to counter Turkish aggression, the French Interior Ministry banned a Turkish ultra-nationalist group known as the Grey Wolves after a memorial to victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide was defaced.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the decision, saying that “there is no such a movement called ‘Grey Wolves’. Attempts to resort to imaginary decisions presuming the existence of such a movement or formation based on some individuals and their actions, reflects the latest contradictory psychology that this country lives in.”

The Grey Wolf movement, however, does exist. The Grey Wolves (Turkish: Bozkurtlar), officially known as Idealist Hearths (Turkish: Ülkü Ocakları) is a Turkish far-right, racist organization and movement affiliated with Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The movement has been involved in many acts of violence against civilians as well as political and religious figures. This includes the Alevi massacre in the city of Maras in southeast Turkey in 1978 and the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981.

Attacks against Armenians in the South Caucasus and Europe demonstrate that this war is not only about land. It is about pan-Turkic, expansionist aspirations of Turkey and Azerbaijanas well as their unrelenting, genocidal hatred against Armenians.

As was the case during the 1915 Armenian genocide by Ottoman Turkey, the international community has once again abandoned Armenians, who are an indigenous and peaceful people. If new and effective steps are not taken by the civilized world immediately, neo-Ottomanism, pan-Turkism and jihad will win through the agreement imposed on Armenia.

Meanwhile, some opposition to the agreement has begun emerging in Europe. On November 11, France 24 reported that the French presidency said it was studying the parameters of the Russian-brokered ceasefire, adding that a long-term deal should also “preserve Armenia’s interests.” Macron’s office quoted him as saying that efforts should be made “without delay” to try to come up with a “lasting political solution to the conflict that allows for the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to remain in good conditions and the return of tens of thousands of people who have fled their homes.”

To guarantee the return of Armenians to their ancient homeland and to prevent the complete erasure of the remaining Armenian cultural heritage by totalitarian Azerbaijan, Western governments must officially recognize Artsakh. The West must let dictators know that their war crimes and genocidal ambitions will not go unpunished.

https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2020/11/13/azeri-turkish-war-crimes-against-armenians-must-not-go-unpunished/?fbclid=IwAR3YfC7NOi0zvBuWo1-vJSNeC8O_06uiibgyuebACBywCm0MD8iNuPMPcUk