Putin's ERA betrayal backstabbing - Big Sister Russia

[Yervant1]

Feb 15 2023

Moscow Sees No Chance For Introduction Of EU Or UN Peacekeepers In Karabakh – OpEd

February 15, 2023

By Paul Goble

Russian officials and Russian commentators see no chance for the introduction of EU or UN peacekeepers into Karabakh. They are unanimous that Moscow will use its veto in the UN Security Council to block that, Baku will be against such a move, and Yerevan likely is raising the issue only to force Russian peacekeepers to become more active.

Pyotr Ilichev, head of the international organizations department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, says there is no need for an international mandate for the Russian peacekeepers or for the introduction of others with one, given that both Baku and Yerevan “agree with the modalities” of the Russian units there (kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/385796/).

According to him, the Russian contingent there is and will remain “the only guarantor of support for stability in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” adding that the only international organization on the group there at present is the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Russian diplomat said that any change in the situation would require that all three of the signatories of the November 2020 declaration agree, something that he suggested was unlikely especially given Russia’s desire to prevent any violence and the suspicions of both Yerevan and Baku that any change would weaken their current positions.

In his interview, Ilichev also took a swipe at the United Nations more generally. “In certain cases,” he suggested, “the blue helmets” had led those who asked them to come in to ask them to leave “because of their low effectiveness.”

Russian commentators echoed Ilichev’s words in their comments. Moscow security analyst Aleksandr Khramchikhin argued that “Russia is satisfied with the current situation and won’t give it up.” Indeed, he suggested that Moscow would be more than ready to veto any UN attempt to introduce an international group of peacekeepers in the Caucasus.

But in all probability, he suggested, Moscow won’t have to do that because the UN would be unlikely even to consider the matter unless Yerevan and Baku agreed, something that seems extremely unlikely at present. Thus, plans for even a European monitoring group are likely to go nowhere.

Aleksandr Karavayev of the Moscow Institute of Economics says that he believes what Yerevan has urged the EU to do is less something Armenia expects will happen but only a way to send a message to Moscow that Yerevan is less than pleased with the failure of the Russian peacekeepers to do more in Lachin and to try to force Moscow’s hand.

And Stanislav Pritchin of IMEMO says that Armenia’s actions won’t change anything because nothing can be fundamentally changed unless Baku and Moscow agree – and neither of them has reason to at present. The only way out of the impasse is for Baku and Yerevan to engage in face-to-face talks, something Yerevan has been reluctant to do in recent times.

Paul Goble

Paul Goble is a longtime specialist on ethnic and religious questions in Eurasia. Most recently, he was director of research and publications at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. Earlier, he served as vice dean for the social sciences and humanities at Audentes University in Tallinn and a senior research associate at the EuroCollege of the University of Tartu in Estonia. He has served in various capacities in the U.S. State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency and the International Broadcasting Bureau as well as at the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Mr. Goble maintains the Window on Eurasia blog and can be contacted directly at paul.goble@gmail.com .

https://www.eurasiareview.com/15022023-moscow-sees-no-chance-for-introduction-of-eu-or-un-peacekeepers-in-karabakh-oped/

[Yervant1]

 

Feb 15 2023

 

Armenia — Russia’s Disgruntled Ally

February 15, 2023

Emil Avdaliani

Russia’s ambivalence could cost it dear as relations stagnate.

As the blockade of the truncated Nagorno-Karabakh region by Azerbaijani nationalists continues, Armenia is growing impatient with Russia’s seeming inactivity.

Food, fuel, and medicines for the large Armenian community in the area are running low, while images have been emerging of Russian troops, deployed as peacekeepers, standing yards from the blockades but taking no action. The mood is fast souring, making the current crisis in Armenia-Russia relations the worst in recent decades.

Allied from the 1990s, right after the collapse of the Soviet Union, relations between Russia and Armenia have entered a turbulent period. Reasons vary from immediate issues to deeper, geopolitical differences, yet one inescapable conclusion is that Russia is no longer able to provide for its security dependencies and that its influence in the South Caucasus is in decline.

The Kremlin has on numerous occasions turned down Armenia’s requests for help through the framework of the six-member Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which includes Armenia but not Azerbaijan. The problem for Armenia is that wider strategic imperatives drive Russia to seek improved ties with Azerbaijan, which is a critical transit route for Russia’s ambitious projects to connect to Iran. Azerbaijan has also chosen its friends wisely — Turkey’s ally, which has, as a result of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, established itself as a major power in the South Caucasus. It is therefore sheltered from Russian adventurism.

To this changed geopolitical landscape should be added a recent spate of signals showing Armenia’s growing disillusionment about Russia. In January, the country’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan argued that “Russia’s military presence in Armenia not only does not guarantee Armenia’s security but, on the contrary, creates threats to Armenia’s security.” He also argued that the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh are “becoming silent witnesses” to the unfolding tragedy. Earlier Yerevan even canceled CSTO drills in Armenia, and Pashinyan refused to sign a joint declaration with CSTO member states in Yerevan, presumably for failing to address the country’s worsening geopolitical situation.

This has provided an opening for Iran. Politicians in Yerevan increasingly seek diversification of foreign affairs and military ties. Unhappy with Azerbaijan’s ambitions to attain greater regional influence and of attempts to coerce Armenia into allowing the operation of the so-called Zangezur corridor through the Syunik province (thus connecting the main Azeri lands with its Nakhchivan exclave), Iran sees a meeting of self-interest and opportunity. The opening in 2022 of the Iranian consulate in a strategically located south-eastern city of Kapan, which is located on the only major road between the two countries, indicated the Islamic Republic’s growing displeasure with the changed balance of power in the South Caucasus – especially growing Turkish influence.

Armenia has meanwhile been trying to patch up things with Turkey. In February, Armenian rescuers were sent to Turkey to help Ankara battle the devastating effects of the recent earthquake. This follows continuous hints and practical moves by both sides signaling that a long-closed border could soon open and bilateral trade grow, something underlined on February 15 when the two foreign ministers met in Ankara.

Armenia is also developing ties with the European Union (EU) which announced on January 23 it would be deploying a mission of some 100 observers to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. The mission would in itself be a significant upgrade from a much weaker, 40-member mission sent to Armenia following a significant escalation in September 2022 when Azerbaijan bombed several cities deep in Armenia, and far from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia is also working on diversifying military contacts. Almost entirely dependent on the Kremlin for its security, it has apparently struggled to import modern Russian weaponry. Pashinyan said in September that Armenia lacked arms and that the country’s allies had failed time and again to supply ordered weaponry. This pushes Armenia to seek alternatives; several military contracts signed with India underline the trend.

Tensions in Armenia-Russia relations will likely continue to grow and there are indications that there is a bigger malaise hampering Russia’s influence — the latter’s war against Ukraine. The aggression reverberates throughout the South Caucasus, where countries constantly test Russian weakness. Armenia is no exception. A preoccupied Kremlin provides Armenia with room for maneuver, which in other times would have been unthinkable. As the war in Ukraine will likely continue for a long time, so will Armenia’s willingness to question the foundation of its alliance with a weakened Russia.

Those weaknesses have become palpable in the way Moscow-led multilateral groupings have operated since the war in Ukraine began. The first is CSTO. Although many ordinary Armenians see the organization’s passivity as a deliberate Russian instrument of sabotage, there are indications that the problem with the grouping might be much more profound. CSTO’s feeble response to fighting on the Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan border in September 2022 was much like its inactivity on the South Caucasus front. Moreover, since the all-out war in Ukraine began, CSTO member states have been passive, bordering on hostile, to the Kremlin’s campaign. This begs the question of CSTO’s purpose if it won’t help the smaller members and the smaller members won’t help Russia.

It must be acknowledged that it would be a long and difficult process for Armenia to free itself from Russian influence. The country’s economic and security ties are linked to its giant neighbor to the north, whether it likes that or not. A near-70% growth in bilateral trade was registered in 2022.

And while Russia is distracted, it is not asleep. It will try to regain momentum. For instance, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov argued on February 9 that Moscow is working on a trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Nevertheless, a trend is undeniable. A multipolar era has begun in the South Caucasus where growing competition from other actors limits Russia’s old claim to be the dominant power in the region. When the EU unveiled details of its new mission to Armenia, the Kremlin was reduced to blustering that the bloc was stirring up geopolitical confrontation in the region. It was a far cry from the old days.

Emil Avdaliani is a professor at European University and the Director of Middle East Studies at the Georgian think-tank, Geocase.

Europe’s Edge is CEPA’s online journal covering critical topics on the foreign policy docket across Europe and North America. All opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position or views of the institutions they represent or the Center for European Policy Analysis.

https://cepa.org/article/armenia-russias-disgruntled-ally/

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Russia says ready to organize foreign ministerial meeting between Armenia and Azerbaijan

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15:09, 17 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Russia reiterates readiness to organize a meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing.

Zakharova added that Russia continues to support the process of signing a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. She said that in this context the Russian special envoy Igor Khovaev recently conducted “useful” visits to Yerevan and Baku.

“Both the Armenian and Azerbaijani parties confirmed their interest on our country’s mediation in this matter,” Zakharova said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Azerbaijan is currently being planned, the spokesperson added.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1104383.html?fbclid=IwAR3uRhyCPQrGDTUH18JgE12I3ymAG7pVOymIbHRpxR7ylLvJfaj-_84TXjU

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Russia accuses West of derailing efforts for Armenia-Azerbaijan settlement

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15:40, 17 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused the West of derailing the efforts in the direction of an Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement.

Zakharova was reacting to the US State Department’s statement which in turn accused Russia of disrupting the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement efforts as part of the OSCE Minsk Group.

“If anyone has derailed the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement efforts then it’s they themselves, the Western countries, led by the United States. The OSCE Minsk Group format was sent into the ash heap of history after the Russian and French co-chairs stopped cooperating with their Russian counterpart in February of 2022 under a made-up pretext,” Zakharova said, adding that no explanation has been issued since.

“Taking this into consideration, we are focused on providing support to Yerevan and Baku as part of trilateral formats, based on the respective agreements on the highest level, which we have talked about on many occasions,” the foreign ministry spokesperson said.

Zakharova said the Russian Foreign Ministry doesn’t see that the American mediation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement can include “real steps or have any added value.”

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1104386.html?fbclid=IwAR1-XmYWQn1mVJBlTBnDToG2rwwXpzcee4aUfc6mt56OvPImoNDguL-mndU

[Yervant1]

Part of the task is to open the Lachin corridor!

 

Armenpress.am

Russian peacekeepers deliver humanitarian cargo to Artsakh

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20:33, 17 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The Russian peacekeeping contingent continues to fulfill its tasks in Nagorno-Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation said in a message.

It is noted that Russian peacekeepers are monitoring the situation at 30 observation points and monitoring the ceasefire. "The command of the force continues negotiations with the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides on the issue of restoring the traffic of vehicles on the Stepanakert-Goris road (Lachin Corridor - ed.)," the message says.

According to the report, patrolling was carried out in the regions of Martakert, Martuni, Shushi and in the Lachin Corridor. Two convoys of Russian peacekeeping troops with humanitarian cargo were escorted along the Goris-Stepanakert route. Grocery packages were provided to multi-child families, families with disabled children and participants of the Great Patriotic War.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1104423.html?fbclid=IwAR3UBs791lgJTtR5LswkFweY2TNiE9n3nzdcwDggH1ih-tI92Qdg-v17v48

 

[Yervant1]

This is the result of Russia's inaction! Had you done your job of keeping the corridor open, as per agreement, the EU observers wouldn't be here!

 

Feb 21 2023

EU mission to Armenia aims to push Russia out - Moscow

RT.com
21st February 2023, 09:16 GMT+11

Brussels' "civilian mission" is nothing but a geopolitical project targeting Russia's "ally," the Russian Foreign Ministry said

A newly announced EU mission in Armenia supposedly aiming to "contribute to stability in the border areas" is nothing but a geopolitical project serving the West's interests, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday. The mission would hardly improve the security situation in the region, it added.

"It is not the first time that we see the desire of the EU and the West... to gain a foothold in Armenia... at all costs," the ministry said while calling Yerevan Moscow's "ally." Russia treats such moves as "geopolitical" actions that have nothing to do with the real peace process in the region.

The West "does everything to push Russia out of the region and weaken its historical role as a major security guarantor," the statement added. The ministry also doubted the EU mission's real ability to ensure peace and stability in the South Caucasus, pointing to the fact that a similar EU mission in the Serbian breakaway region of Kosovo failed to prevent a major flareup of tensions between Belgrade and Pristina last year.

Brussels also outright ignored public criticism of its initiative leveled by Baku. Last week, the head of the Azerbaijani parliament, Sakhiba Gafarova, warned that an EU mission could "impede the process of normalization" of relations between Yerevan and Baku.
The EU announced on Sunday that it would send what it called a "civilian mission" to Armenia's border with Azerbaijan to "contribute to stability in the border areas of Armenia, build confidence and human security in conflict-affected areas," and support the process of normalizing relations between the two neighbors.

The mission would involve some 100 civilian staff members, including 50 "unarmed observers," the EU said. According to Brussels, the mission, which was first announced by the bloc's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, in January, was established at Yerevan's request.

Moscow insists that only trilateral agreements reached by Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan could serve as a basis for normalizing the situation in the region. The agreements include the delimitation of the two neighbors' borders, the opening of transportation routes, and the establishment of contacts between civilian groups, lawmakers, and religious leaders from the two countries. Russia stands ready to contribute to this process, the ministry added.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have a decades-old dispute over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a part of Azerbaijan with a predominantly ethnic-Armenian population that claims independence from Baku. In 2020, the two nations fought a 44-day war, which ended with a Russian-brokered truce.

In September 2022, tensions on the border between the two neighbors flared up again, leading to a series of border skirmishes that reportedly claimed the lives of dozens of soldiers on both sides.

https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/273548241/eu-mission-to-armenia-aims-to-push-russia-out---moscow

 

 

[MosJan]

[MosJan]

[Yervant1]

I have no idea about this claim, that Russia will use Armenia! (According to electronic intercepts by Nato, Putin has sanctioned the training of Armenian troops to strike the pipelines which carry natural gas from Azerbaijan). Also (A second phase will see Russia build up Armenia’s army to take on superior Azerbaijani troops and capture the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, over which both countries claim sovereignty).

 

Feb 25 2023

Desperate Putin planning new assault to disrupt gas flows to Europe Vladimir Putin plans a new Europe assault by sanctioning the training of Armenian troops to disrupt pipelines that carry gas from Azerbaijan.

By MARCO GIANNANGELI - SUNDAY EXPRESS DIPLOMATIC EDITOR

Desperate Russia is planning a new assault to disrupt gas flows to Europe, ­intelligence sources have warned. Vladimir Putin has sanctioned the training of Armenian troops to strike pipelines which carry natural gas from Azerbaijan.

But the move is unlikely to please Chinese leaders who want an end to the economically disruptive conflict and have set out the framework for a “peace plan”.

According to electronic intercepts by Nato, Putin has sanctioned the training of Armenian troops to strike the pipelines which carry natural gas from Azerbaijan.

The plan has also caused concern among senior ministers and Nato commanders, who convened at the recent Munich
Sec­­urity Conference to discuss its impact.

Azerbaijan has become an increasingly valuable source of natural gas for Europe, following the decision by the EU to wean itself off Russian supplies.

While Russia accounted for more than half of Europe’s natural gas supplies before last year’s invasion, that figure is now hovering around 20 percent, and dropping.

In a bid to reverse this, sources say that Moscow has authorised its Spetsnaz special forces to build up a proxy force in Armenia, where Russia has planted thousands of peace-keeping forces following last year’s pause in the ethnic war with Azerbaijan.

The plan proposes an attack on the South Caucasus pipeline, which pumps natural gas from the Shah Deniz gas field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea to Turkey and beyond.

A second phase will see Russia build up Armenia’s army to take on superior Azerbaijani troops and capture the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, over which both countries claim sovereignty.

Moscow is unhappy with the increasingly western-leaning stance taken by Azerbaijan, since it joined Nato’s North Atlantic Co-operation Council and signed the Partnership for Peace framework document in 1994.

Crucially, it is also aware that its influence in Armenia may be waning.

A senior military source said: “This pipeline intelligence presents a classic grey-zone scenario, whereby Russia achieves the ­disruption of gas supplies to Europe while maintaining plausible deniability.

“Both Turkey and wider Nato will have to increase their defensive resilience.”

Alexander Lord, of Sibylline strategic risk group, said: “Russia has already shown a willingness to undermine energy security.”

China is set to formally propose its 12-point peace plan and Ukraine’s Pres­­ident Volodymyr Zelensky said he would speak to premier Xi Jinping but China’s move has been branded a PR stunt by many.

In the meantime, Mr Zelensky said he believes that Putin – facing increasing calls to be tried for war crimes – would be killed by one of his own inner circle.

He said: “There will certainly be a moment when the fragility of Putin’s regime is felt in Russia. Then the carnivores will eat a carnivore.”

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1739569/putin-gas-flow-europe-nato-azerbaijan

 

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Moscow “ought to understand” that Armenia must ensure its security – Speaker rebukes “emotional, nervous reactions”

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13:26, 28 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan rebuked what he described as Russia’s “emotional, nervous reactions” whenever another country or party is trying to make a positive step in the direction of the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement.

At the same time, the Speaker noted that Russia has a role in the discussions around the possible peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Of course Russia has a role, I don’t think it can’t have a role because nevertheless the Russian peacekeepers are deployed in Nagorno Karabakh. At the same time, I think that the spasms and nervous reactions from Moscow which happen whenever any other party tries to do something positive are a bit too much. I consider this to be far more emotional than what must be done by a big political structure. I think they ought to relax a bit, and be a bit restrained. They ought to understand the situation and realize that Armenia has an issue of its own interests and security which it must ensure notwithstanding any geopolitical [fluctuation] or anyone’s desire or jealousy,” he said.

Commenting on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement that Moscow welcomes efforts from other countries for the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Speaker Simonyan said: “What matters is that they themselves must resolve this issue. They should've had resolved this issue. They were the guarantors of our territorial integrity and security. The Russian 102nd military base is located here. And our treaties covered this situation. Where were you? Why aren’t you participating more actively?”

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1105205.html?fbclid=IwAR2J_Daq3dzfXn4SE2G-2aJzRW6Mvr4eRabALJVYmLNUkCsxqMyCU7BBDY0

[MosJan]

[MosJan]

[Yervant1]

Feb 28 2023

Russia, Azerbaijan Criticize EU's Armenia Border Mission

By AFP

Moscow and Baku on Tuesday criticized the deployment of an expanded EU monitoring mission to Armenia's volatile border with Azerbaijan.

Arch Caucasus foes Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars for control of the Nagorno-Karabakh border region but have recently made progress toward a peace deal.

The EU announced last week it had deployed a 100-member civilian mission (EUMA) for two years to the Armenian side of the frontier.

The move comes amid growing Western engagement in the ex-Soviet region viewed by the Kremlin as inside its sphere of influence.

"The EU is openly abusing its relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference in Baku alongside his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov.

He added that the EU mission "raises doubts in terms of its legitimacy... functions, mandate and duration."

Requested by Armenia, the border mission expanded a 40-member team that was deployed for two months late last year.

"Armenia's position at normalization talks with Baku has become more destructive after the EU mission had been set up," Bayramov said.

He said the previous two-month mission "failed to achieve its goals."

Last week, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that after what he called a "constructive" meeting with Armenian premier Nikol Pashinyan in Munich, Baku was studying Armenian proposals for a full peace treaty, which Yerevan had unveiled days before.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ethnic Armenian separatists in Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan. The ensuing conflict claimed around 30,000 lives.

Another flare-up in violence in 2020 left more than 6,500 dead and ended after a Russian-brokered truce that saw Armenia cede territories it had controlled for decades.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/02/28/russia-azerbaijan-criticize-eus-armenia-border-mission-a80357

[MosJan]

[Yervant1]

Hindustan Times

India - March 7 2023

Armenia gets Putin's backing; Russia calls for de-escalation after clashes with Azerbaijan

World News

Moscow has expressed 'serious concern' over mounting tensions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, where five people were killed after a shoot-out between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops. Echoing Armenia's account, Russia said Azerbaijani troops fired on a car with local law enforcement officials in the region. Azerbaijan has rubbished Russia's claims and accused Moscow of distorting facts. Watch this video for details.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/videos/world-news/armenia-gets-putin-s-backing-russia-calls-for-de-escalation-after-clashes-with-azerbaijan-101678197498121.html

[MosJan]

[MosJan]

ICC issues arrest warrant for Putin... like that's going to change anything

[Yervant1]

Panorama

Armenia - March 18 2023

Politician: Double standards ‘killing’ international law

Armenian politician Suren Surenyants has criticized the EU for “double standards” on international law after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

"Nearly 20 years ago, Tony Blair and George Bush Jr. violated international law, but the International Criminal Court in The Hague did not issue an arrest warrant for them, but now the court has issued a warrant for Vladimir Putin’s arrest,” Surenyants, the leader of the Democratic Alternative Party, wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

“The EU adopted 10 packages of sanctions against Russia for invading its neighbor’s territories, and not only is there no question of sanctions against Azerbaijan, but also Aliyev is encouraged in Western capitals as a "reliable partner".

“Double standards are killing international law, which weak and defenseless Armenia counts on,” the politician said.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2023/03/18/politician-international-law/2808749

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

‘Azerbaijan wants to commit ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh’, Armenian FM warns Russian counterpart in Moscow

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15:21, 20 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Monday in Moscow that Azerbaijan wants to commit ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh.

During the meeting with Lavrov the Armenian FM said that Azerbaijan’s aggressive rhetoric on the highest level, as well as its continual military provocations against the territory of both Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia is escalating the situation in South Caucasus even further.

“By blocking the Lachin Corridor, Azerbaijan violates its obligations assumed under the trilateral statements between the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders. The disruptions of supplies of energy resources to Nagorno Karabakh leave no doubts about the goals of official Baku, this is about ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh,” Mirzoyan said.

FM Mirzoyan called for the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor by strongly adhering to the 9 November 2020 statement’s terms. Mirzoyan also mentioned the ICJ ruling ordering Azerbaijan to ensure the free movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor.

The Armenian FM said that Azerbaijan has practically violated every single clause of the 9 November 2020 statement.

Mirzoyan mentioned the periodic ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan, occupation of the territories of Armenia, the illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor, the illegal detention of Armenian POWs, obstruction to opening of regional connections and creation of an international mechanism for the return of Armenian IDPs of Nagorno Karabakh.

“With its provocations, Azerbaijan is torpedoing the efforts for establishing long-term peace and stability in the region. In this context I’d like to stress the implementation of active steps by Armenia’s allies and partners in order for Azerbaijan to fulfill its obligations and stop the use of force or threat of force,” Mirzoyan said.

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106740.html?fbclid=IwAR3YtlFCCqR1w2OCvMb5InoD9PdsYPU2gDyQVJMhDGNkwjvC7O4GkL6eN5Y

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Russia prioritizes resolution of “situation” around Lachin Corridor

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15:42, 20 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that the resolution of the situation around Lachin Corridor and generally Nagorno Karabakh is a priority.

“We have no doubts that the key to implementing all our decisions still remains within the trilateral statements between the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, for the benefit of stabilizing the situation military-politically, economically and from perspective of interational law,” Lavrov said during his meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Moscow on March 20.

He added that Russia will continue to support by all means Armenia and Azerbaijan in the issues of unblocking the transport connections in the region, delimitation of the border and agreeing the parameters of the peace treaty.

The Lachin Corridor has been blocked by Azerbaijan since December 12, 2022.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106743.html?fbclid=IwAR27jO4s0C2td7eH5AMALcitaYIVtJnNWODRSyQklGRtaunVArZBD5uc8Kg

[MosJan]

[Yervant1]

What is Russia doing about it? Just accusation is not enough!

March 25 2023

Russia accuses Azerbaijan of violating 2020 ceasefire with Armenia

A Russian peacekeeper guards the Lachin Corridor, the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region's only land link with Armenia.

Russia as mediator in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, on Saturday accused Baku of violating the ceasefire agreement that ended the 2020 war between these two countries by leaving its troops cross the demarcation line.

On March 25, 2023 [saturday], a unit of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces crossed the line of contact in the Shusha district, in violation of the agreement reached in 2020, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

According to Moscow, Azerbaijani troops occupied a height and began the installation of a post.

The Russian peacekeepers on the spot take measures intended to prevent an escalation of the crisis situation and to avoid mutual provocations of the opposing parties.

“The Azerbaijani side has been informed of the need to comply with the provisions [of the agreement], to take measures to stop the engineering works and withdraw the armed forces to the positions they had previously occupied.

—The Russian Defense Ministry

Armenia and Azerbaijan, two former Soviet republics in the Caucasus, clashed in a short war in 2020 for control of the enclave of Nagorny-Karabakh.

This conflict resulted in an Armenian military rout and a Russian-sponsored ceasefire agreement, which deployed peacekeepers there.

< p class="e-p">Deadly clashes in Nagorny-Karabakh or on the border between these two countries, however, continue to break out periodically.

Armenia has also been warning for several weeks about a humanitarian crisis in Karabakh due to an Azerbaijani blockade that has caused shortages of medicine and food as well as cuts in food. electricity.

Yerevan accuses Russian peacekeepers of not acting to end this blockade.

Mostly mountainous region populated by Armenians and which seceded from Azerbaijan at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, Nagorno-Karabakh continues to poison relations between Yerevan and Baku.

The first conflict, in the early 1990s, during the dismantling of the USSR, which left 30,000 dead, ended in an Armenian victory with support from Moscow.

However, Azerbaijan got its revenge in the fall of 2020 in a second war, which did 6500 m orts and which allowed him to take over many territories.

https://thesaxon.org/russia-accuses-azerbaijan-of-violating-2020-ceasefire-with-armenia/2660/

 

 

[Yervant1]

March 28 2023

Moscow warns Armenia over ‘absolutely unacceptable’ plans to accede to the Rome Statute of ICC

By Chris King

Armenia has been warned by Moscow over its plans to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation has called Armenia’s plans to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) ‘absolutely unacceptable’. Coming against the backdrop of an arrest warrant President Vladimir Putin issued last week by the court in The Hague.

With reference to a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry, TASS quoted a source as saying: “Moscow considers absolutely unacceptable the plans of Yerevan to join the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court against the backdrop of the recent illegal and legally void ‘warrants’ of the ICC against the Russian leadership”.

The interlocutor of the agency also drew attention to the fact that the Armenian side was warned ‘about the extremely negative’ consequences of Yerevan’s possible steps for bilateral relations.

On March 24, the Constitutional Court of Armenia recognised the obligations under the Rome Statute of the ICC as constitutional. This decision comes into force from the moment of its publication. After that, the Rome Statute must be ratified in the Armenian Parliament.

Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Armenia’s representative on international legal issues, explained the country’s accession to the Rome Statute by the fact that the ICC obliged Azerbaijan to unblock the Lachin corridor.

In response, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin Press Secretary, said that Moscow had not yet discussed its position with Yerevan in connection with the recognition by the Constitutional Court of Armenia of the obligations enshrined in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Arman Abovyan, a member of the national assembly of the country, expressed confidence that even if the Rome Statute is ratified by the Parliament, no one ‘in their right mind’ in Armenia would arrest Putin.

Countries that recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC – of which there are 123 – are obliged to comply with the regulations, decisions, and orders of this body. Armenia signed the Rome Statute in 1999 but has never ratified it. In 2004, the Constitutional Court of the country recognised it as inconsistent with the Basic Law.

On March 17, the pre-trial chamber of the ICC in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, as reported by gazeta.ru.

https://euroweeklynews.com/2023/03/28/moscow-warns-armenia-over-absolutely-unacceptable-plans-to-accede-to-the-rome-statute-of-icc/

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Armenpress.am

Russia confirms readiness to deploy CSTO mission to Armenian-Azerbaijani border

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12:23, 29 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 29, ARMENPRESS. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is ready to implement the plan on deploying a mission to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border pursuant to the interests of ensuring Armenia’s security, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin has said.

“We confirm our readiness regarding the implementation of the plans to deploy a CSTO mission to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border pursuant to the interests of ensuring Armenia’s security, as well as other support programs stipulated in the respective draft decision of the CSTO on providing assistance to the republic. We are ready for this work as much as Armenia,” Galuzin told RTVI.

 

 

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Russia hopes for “constructive” solution to issues of cooperation between Armenia and CSTO

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12:31, 29 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 29, ARMENPRESS. Russia expects the “detrimental” discussions on Armenia’s partnership with its fellow CSTO members to stop and for issues in this relation to receive a constructive solution, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said in an interview with RTVI.

“We expect the ‘who’s leaving what’ detrimental discussions to stop and that all issues of partnership with Yerevan within the CSTO, including the deployment of a monitoring mission in the territory of Armenia, to be resolved in a constructive and mutually beneficial manner. We are openly discussing all concerns of the Armenian side within the formats of the existing partnership in CSTO, from the Permanent Council meetings up to the Collectively Security Council, the highest body of the organization,” Galuzin said.

Galuzin said that there are “difficulties” within the CSTO, noting that such difficulties exist in every international organization that is carrying out “real work based on the interests of all members.”

He said that the intensive process of implementing the decisions made in 2022 is underway. “Mostly due to Armenia’s chairmanship [in the CSTO] a lot has been done for the development of the CSTO’s capabilities in repelling the challenges and threats to our collective security. I’d like to emphasize that the results we have now wouldn’t be possible without the coordinated, effective and eager work of all member states.”

Galuzin added that the preparations for the forthcoming CSTO foreign ministerial, defense ministerial, and security council meetings are underway.

“The agenda is very broad, which proves the demand for the CSTO in issues of ensuring security and stability in the area of responsibility. This and other issues of strengthening cooperation within the framework of the CSTO were discussed in detail during the 20 March 2023 meeting of the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov with Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Moscow, as well as during the recent visit of CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov to Yerevan,” the Russian deputy FM said.

 

 

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