Yervant1 Posted January 7, 2025 Report Share Posted January 7, 2025 Business Media, Georgia Jan 6 2025 An Emirati Investor Considers Building an Oil Refinery in Armenia A new oil refinery may soon appear in Armenia. The "Enterprise Armenia" fund is in negotiations with an investor from the United Arab Emirates who is interested in implementing this project on the Armenian-Iranian border, according to Lilit Aroyan, Head of the Investment Promotion Department at the fund, during a broadcast on OTA. The project is currently in the development phase. The Investment Support Center is actively involved in preparing for its implementation, providing the necessary assistance to the potential investor. "Enterprise Armenia" serves as a key state institution for working with foreign and local investors. The fund focuses on attracting foreign direct investment and creating favorable conditions for reinvestment into the country's economy. It is worth noting that the idea of building an oil refinery on the border between Armenia and Iran is not new. It was first proposed in 2008 by then-President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, as one of several megaprojects alongside the construction of a railway to Iran and a large hydropower plant on the border between the two countries. However, none of these ambitious projects have been implemented. https://bm.ge/en/news/an-emirati-investor-considers-building-an-oil-refinery-in-armenia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 9, 2025 Report Share Posted January 9, 2025 Reuters Jan 8 2025 Armenia warns of escalation risk after Azeri leader calls it 'fascist' By Reuters Jan 8 (Reuters) - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has accused neighbouring Armenia of posing a "fascist" threat that needs to be destroyed, in comments that Armenia's leader called a possible attempt to justify fresh conflict. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought a series of wars since the late 1980s, when Nagorno-Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan that had a mostly Armenian population, broke away from Baku with Yerevan's support. In September 2023, Azerbaijan retook Karabakh, prompting almost all of the territory's 100,000 Armenians to leave en masse to Armenia. Both sides have since said they want to sign a treaty to end the conflict. But in an interview with Azerbaijani television channels on Tuesday night, Aliyev said: "Armenia is effectively a source of threat to the region. The independent Armenian state is essentially a fascist state. For nearly 30 years, this country was governed by bearers of fascist ideology, and they shaped the state in their own image. "Therefore, fascism must be eradicated," he added. "It will either be eradicated by Armenia's leadership or by us. There is no other way." In comments to Armenian state news agency Armenpress, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Yerevan remained intent on peaceful negotiations. "Perhaps Baku is attempting to form 'legitimacy' for escalation in the region," Armenpress cited Pashinyan as saying. Peace talks between the two sides have been fitful and progress has been slow. They have no formal diplomatic ties and their 1,000 km (620 miles) border remains closed and heavily militarised. Azerbaijan has said that Armenia must change its constitution to remove what Baku says are claims to its territory before a treaty can be signed. Armenia says it makes no claim on Azerbaijani lands. Aliyev said that his country wanted no return to war, but that Armenia, which is several times smaller than Azerbaijan in both population and area, was rearming for conflict. The Azerbaijani president has previously suggested that parts of Armenia are rightfully Azerbaijani lands. In the interview, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan would secure the Zangezur corridor, a route connecting the country's mainland with its Nakhchivan exclave and close ally Turkey. Armenia says it is not against unblocking transport routes across its territory, but must retain control of any such corridor. The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here. Reporting by Felix Light and Nailia Bagirova Editing by Ros Russell https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/armenia-warns-escalation-risk-after-azeri-leader-calls-it-fascist-2025-01-08/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 9, 2025 Report Share Posted January 9, 2025 JAM News Jan 8 2025 Opinion: 'Aliyev makes threats because he cannot neutralise Armenia's potential' JAMnews Yerevan Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has recently declared that Armenia must not “become a geographic barrier between Turkey and Azerbaijan. “The ‘Zangezur Corridor’ must be opened and will be opened,” he stated. Ilham Aliyev also raised concerns over Armenia’s arms acquisitions and issued a new demand: all contracts must be cancelled, and any purchased weapons returned to their suppliers. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan quickly responded in an interview, presenting the Crossroads of Peace project as a proposal to unblock regional communications. He emphasised that this is the only initiative on Armenia’s agenda, reaffirming Yerevan’s rejection of Azerbaijan’s demand for the “Zangezur Corridor.” Pashinyan reiterated that Armenia is ready to unblock all communications, but the term “corridor” implies a loss of sovereign control over its territory—something the Armenian government categorically opposes. On the issue of arms procurement, Pashinyan firmly stated—once again—that “no one can challenge Armenia’s right to maintain a capable defence force.” “Aliyev’s latest series of arrogant statements and threats—such as his dismissal of a peace treaty and his labelling of Armenia as a fascist state—clearly indicate he is preparing for a new political phase,” political analyst Robert Gevondyan told JAMnews. “This phase is likely to begin in about 10 days, when Trump takes office in the US. Armenia is also preparing for this, and it clearly worries Aliyev.” According to Gevondyan, Baku’s aggressive rhetoric is aimed at stifling Armenia’s development. He noted that Aliyev is increasingly frustrated by his inability to “neutralise Armenia’s potential.” Gevondyan further revealed that the US and Armenia are expected to sign a strategic partnership agreement next week, which will deepen cooperation in economics, security, and other areas. He concluded that Aliyev’s concerns extend beyond arms supplies to Armenia, as the broader geopolitical developments also appear to unsettle him. Opinion: ‘EU expects assurances from Armenia that Georgia failed to provide’ ‘Trump’s rejection of isolationism could weaken Russia’s influence’- opinion from Yerevan Armenia in 2024: Choosing between Europe and Russia, skepticism, and fight for future Aliyev: “Interpret it however you like“ “I hope that all our conditions for the peace treaty will be accepted because there is nothing extraordinary about them. The dissolution of the Minsk Group and constitutional changes—without these, a peace treaty is impossible. If Armenia does not need a peace treaty, then we do not need it either. We can live and carry out our policies without signing it.” “Armenia is a source of threat to the region. An independent Armenian state is essentially a fascist state. For nearly 30 years, this country was ruled by proponents of fascist ideology, shaping it in their image. We are neighbours with such a fascist state, and the threat of fascism persists. That is why fascism must be destroyed. Either Armenia’s leadership will destroy it, or we will. There is no other way.” “The Soros era in America has come to an end. The Biden administration essentially operated in the Soros style. Armenia’s leadership must take this into account. Azerbaijan is not a source of danger to them. We want peace and cooperation in the South Caucasus. We want them not to obstruct us. We want them not to act as a geographic barrier between Turkey and Azerbaijan. The Zangezur Corridor must and will be opened. The sooner they understand this, the better.” “France and other countries supplying arms to Armenia must cancel and annul these contracts. Weapons already delivered to Armenia must be returned. This is our condition. Now, interpret this however you wish. I mean what I say, and they, along with those backing them, know that when we say something, we take it very seriously.” Opinion: Armenia must use its trump card on road unblocking issue Ruben Safrastyan discusses Yerevan’s relations with Ankara and Baku, the Russia-West rivalry, and potential developments in the South Caucasus. Pashinynan: “Baku is trying to legitimise escalation” “Aggressive statements are being made in the hope that Yerevan will respond aggressively. This would allow Baku to issue even more aggressive statements, accompanied by spreading false information about ceasefire violations by the Armenian army to ‘justify’ new escalation in the region. We will not follow this path, we will remain committed to the strategy of peace and continue pursuing the peace agenda.” “The strategy of peace involves acknowledging how we are perceived in Azerbaijan [referring to the ‘fascist state’ comment], while they acknowledge how they are perceived in Armenia. Some provisions in the draft peace agreement aim to close the chapter on these perceptions. Others provide an opportunity to address all mutual negative perceptions within a bilateral agenda and work towards resolving them.” “Armenia has developed the Crossroads of Peace project and is preparing to implement it. The ‘Crossroads of Peace’ envisions unblocking all regional transport communications, including Azerbaijan-Azerbaijan routes through Armenian territory and Armenia-Armenia routes through Azerbaijani territory. We have made a very specific proposal to Azerbaijan regarding the opening of the Yeraskh-Sadarak-Ordubad-Meghri-Zangilan railway. This is more than a proposal; it is a concrete solution to specific issues. We await a positive response from Azerbaijan, after which the agreement will be formalized, and we will begin constructing our sections of the railway.” “As for concerns about armaments, we are also concerned about Azerbaijan’s militarization. We have listened to their concerns. That is precisely why we proposed establishing a mechanism for mutual arms control with Azerbaijan, and we are awaiting their response.” 'Yerevan sees risk of further escalation': views on the Pashinyan-Aliyev remote dialogue Akop Badalyan believes Baku may escalate situation, seize new territories, and use this in upcoming border delimitation process. Political analyst Robert Gevondyan Political analyst Robert Gevondyan believes that Aliyev’s recent remarks were “aimed not at Armenia, but at the United States and the international community.” He suggests that the Azerbaijani president is more concerned about the strengthening of Armenian-American relations than Yerevan’s acquisition of weapons. Gevondyan is convinced that a strategic partnership agreement between the United States and Armenia will be signed next week: “And this agreement will be signed not between the Biden administration and Armenia, but between the Trump administration and Armenia—even though it will be finalized before Trump’s inauguration. In recent months, the Biden administration and Trump’s team have been working in coordination on foreign policy matters.” He explains that U.S.-Armenia strategic cooperation will not resemble the strategic alliance between Armenia and Russia that existed before 2020 and still formally remains on paper. According to him, relations with the U.S. will reach a new level: “This means Armenia can have greater expectations from the U.S., particularly in the areas of economy and security, but also in other fields. This is precisely what worries certain regional players.” The analyst further stated that Aliyev’s aggressive rhetoric is designed to hinder Armenia’s progress and development: “Aliyev sees that, despite his prolonged efforts to weaken Armenia and neutralize its potential—for example, by securing infrastructure projects but ensuring Armenia cannot benefit from them—nothing is working. This tactic has failed. At Russia’s prompting, Azerbaijan keeps raising the issue of the ‘corridor,’ but even this matter has not been resolved in the way Russia desires and Azerbaijan supports. All of this has led to an escalation in Azerbaijan’s rhetoric.” "Armenia could present a counter-demand": analyst on "Western Azerbaijan" narrative Areg Kochinyan equates the return of “Western Azerbaijanis” to Armenia with restoring the rights of Armenians who fled Azerbaijan in the 1990s. As for claims that Armenia is a “fascist country,” Robert Gevondyan believes there are numerous examples that refute this and instead shift the accusations toward Azerbaijan: “This list includes ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, the use of weapons of mass destruction during the 44-day war in 2020, and the destruction of Armenian cultural monuments.” Gevondyan is convinced that the message about Azerbaijan “being able to live and pursue its policies” even without a peace treaty is not directed at Armenia but at the West: “Primarily, it is aimed at the U.S. and France. Essentially, Aliyev is calling for increased pressure on Armenia to meet his demands—not to arm Armenia, or else Baku will refuse everything. This blackmail is unlikely to succeed.” The political analyst believes it is clear that countries with agreements with Armenia will not abandon their geopolitical interests just because Aliyev demands the annulment of those agreements. He suggests that Azerbaijan aims to take Russia’s place by ensuring that all agreements with Yerevan are first coordinated with Baku: “Azerbaijan wants these matters to be discussed not with Armenia but with the countries seeking relations with Armenia. Then, it will decide whether to approve or block the implementation of specific deals.” Gevondyan warns that Yerevan should not dismiss threats from Baku as “empty shots.” He emphasizes that Armenia must prepare for possible aggression. At the moment, the analyst does not see a high likelihood of a new escalation. However, he does not rule out the possibility of tensions rising after Trump’s inauguration: “If the new U.S. leadership decides it has no interest in the South Caucasus and withdraws from the region, Baku might attempt to take the so-called ‘Zangezur Corridor,’ or even the entire Syunik province [southern Armenia], by means of escalation or military force. It could also involve its allies—first and foremost, Russia, and later Turkey.” https://jam-news.net/opinion-aliyev-makes-threats-because-he-cannot-neutralise-armenias-potential/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 9, 2025 Report Share Posted January 9, 2025 Armenpress.am Politics15:56, 8 January 2025 Not an obstacle, but a bridge – FM’s response to Aliyev Read the article in: العربيةՀայերենქართულიРусский简体中文 YEREVAN, JANUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenia doesn’t want to be an obstacle between other countries, FM Ararat Mirzoyan said at a press conference on Wednesday. Mirzoyan was reacting to Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s statement accusing Armenia of being a “geographic obstacle and a wall” between Azerbaijan and Turkiye. Aliyev also said that the so-called "Zangezur Corridor" must be opened. “Armenia doesn’t want and doesn’t plan to be an obstacle, and it is not beneficial for itself. We live in the 21st century, where all possible countries seek relationships, trade, movement with all other countries. And this stems from the vital interests of the countries. We are also interested in that movement and we want to be a bridge between various states, between our neighboring countries, and not an obstacle. We want to be a link, and not a wedge. This pertains to both the countries that are geographically close to us, to literally being a bridge, and for instance to the countries that are far from us, figuratively. So, not an obstacle but a link,” Mirzoyan said. Regarding the so-called "Zangezur Corridor", Mirzoyan said both the wording and the concept are unacceptable for Armenia. He said Armenia is ready and interested in swiftly reopening all regional transport infrastructures if the territorial integrity of Armenia is fully respected with all components of sovereignty, including the component of ensuring direct security. Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1208975?fbclid=IwY2xjawHsMNtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHe02kQxPjdBLTzoEyMaGN3hxw_yx0RSckeOLROiXQa2qlFgDgXnAuoEk8g_aem_blQrzYfUTiBUl4hgGy6slg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 9, 2025 Report Share Posted January 9, 2025 Azatutyun.am Yerevan Signals ‘Strategic Partnership’ Deal With U.S. Հունվար 08, 2025 Karlen Aslanian Armenia - Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan speaks during a news conference in Yerevan, January 8, 2024. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Wednesday did not deny reports that the United States and Armenia are poised to sign an agreement on “strategic partnership” that will underscore their deepening relations. “We have a strategic dialogue which we agreed to upgrade to strategic partnership,” Mirzoyan told a news conference. “A document or documents regarding this are certainly under discussion.” He said that officials from the two countries will hold more talks for that purpose soon. Asked when the talks will take place, he urged journalists to “wait for a few days.” Arman Babajanian, the leader of a pro-Western party not represented in the Armenian parliament, said on Tuesday that the agreement will be signed in Washington next week. He said that it will cover “several key directions,” including defense and security. Mirzoyan and James O’Brien, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, announced plans to “upgrade the status of our bilateral dialogue to a Strategic Partnership Commission” after chairing a session of a U.S.-Armenian task force in Yerevan in June. Russia’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern at that development which came Armenia’s deepening rift its longtime ally. It warned that “strategic partnership” with Washington sought by Yerevan could only create additional security risks and economic problems for Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government has since continued its efforts to reorient the country towards the West. Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikian met with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a visit to Washington last month. Austin said they discussed “our growing strategic partnership through training and exercises, military education, and capacity-building.” The corresponding U.S.-Armenian agreement would be signed just days before U.S. President Joe Biden will complete his term in office and hand over power to Donald Trump. Mirzoyan indicated that Pashinian’s administration is not worried that Trump may not adhere to it. “We are developing our relations with the United States, not with its incumbent or outgoing administration,” he said. “Also, we already have contacts with the incoming administration, the president-elect and his teammates.” https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33268780.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawHsPIRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWChUXsPkgcQZZAZQNgkaOT8l5pnBo-r9ZDpNKk0I5CkGhCCju9I-ss74g_aem_F4CXGRZXY8tf4sHOHJQKkA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 10, 2025 Report Share Posted January 10, 2025 Newsweek Jan 9 2025 Russia's Neighbor Takes Big Step Towards Europe in Blow to Putin By Isabel van Brugen News Reporter The Armenian government on Thursday approved draft legislation to kickstart the process of the nation's accession to the European Union, a move which will serve as a blow to its neighbor, Russia. Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment by email. Why It Matters Armenia's relations with Russia have deteriorated since President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The country has sought to distance itself from Moscow, while deepening its relations with Europe. In March 2024, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said the country was considering applying for EU membership. Armenia is also in the process of withdrawing from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)—a group of post-Soviet states considered to be Moscow's answer to NATO. What To Know Mirzoyan presented the bill on Thursday, saying Armenia and the EU have developed "quite intensive and dynamic" relations in recent years, Armenia News reported. Armenia has gradually distanced itself from Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in March 2024 that his nation wished to freeze its participation in the CSTO, telling France 24 television that the pact had failed his country, and that it "has not fulfilled its objectives as far as Armenia is concerned, particularly in 2021 and 2022." Formed in 2022, the military alliance also consists of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Pashinyan expressed frustrations that Putin hadn't provided adequate support in Armenia's conflict with Azerbaijan over the contested border region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Pashinyan said the draft legislation "does not mean Armenia's membership in the European Union in the literal sense of the word," as the decision on his country's accession to the bloc would need to be established through a national referendum. The prime minister said that before a referendum is held, Armenia must discuss a "roadmap" with the EU. What People Are Saying Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan: "The draft law on the start of Armenia's EU membership process was submitted for discussion in the National Assembly as a civic initiative, and now the government must express its position." "[Relations between Armenia and the EU] have been very rich and covered various sectors. The EU has repeatedly expressed its firm political support for democracy in Armenia. The EU, in fact, participates in ensuring the security environment around Armenia. I mean the deployment of the EU civilian monitoring mission. "The EU has also expressed its readiness to support the strengthening of Armenia's economic resilience. Obviously, the EU has very rich democratic traditions, strong democratic institutions, a free competitive environment, a modern economy, and advanced science. "You, Mr. Prime Minister, have also stated in the European Parliament that Armenia is ready to be as close to the EU as the EU considers it possible. We have also seen signs of this being possible. I mean the launch of visa liberalization and a number of other instruments that have been applied or are being discussed with the EU. "Based on all this, we propose a positive response. Of course, we also have some suggestions, which mainly concern legal techniques." Giorgi Koberidze, political analyst and professor at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs, on X, formerly Twitter: "The dynamics in the South Caucasus are changing rapidly: Armenia has approved the beginning of the country's accession to the EU. Long considered an ally of Russia, Armenia has found that Russia is one of the least reliable partners. "Rather than fostering Armenia's development, Russia sought its subservience, installing pro-Russian governments with a pro-Russian agenda. Now, this is all changing." What Happens Next The bill to kickstart the process of accession to the EU will be sent to Armenia's parliament for approval. https://www.newsweek.com/armenia-law-eu-accession-russia-putin-2012204 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 10, 2025 Report Share Posted January 10, 2025 Reuters Jan 9 2025 Armenian government approves bill to launch EU accession bid By Felix Light Jan 9 (Reuters) - Armenia's government on Thursday gave approval to a bill that calls for the country, once part of the Soviet Union, to launch a bid to join the European Union. Armenia has in recent years deepened ties with the West at the expense of its traditionally close relations with Moscow, which it has accused of failing to defend it from longtime rival Azerbaijan. The bill was drawn up following a successful petition. In a document seen by Reuters, the government backed its introduction to parliament, saying it would represent "the beginning of the accession process of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union". Brussels did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Three other former members of the Soviet Union - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - have joined the bloc, a years-long negotiating process requiring harmonisation with EU legislation, among other things. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan underlined to the cabinet on Thursday that the public should not expect a rapid accession, and that it would in any case require approval by referendum. In 2023, Pashinyan told the European Parliament that Armenia was ready to move as close to the EU as possible, although he stopped short of backing full membership. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia needed to understand Brussels' position, and that Armenia could not join the EU while remaining a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, a trading bloc of some post-Soviet countries. Though Armenia's relations with the EU are warm, joining will not be easy. The landlocked, mountainous country of 2.7 million people shares no border with the EU and has been in conflict with Azerbaijan, a major gas supplier to EU countries, since the late 1980s. Azerbaijan in 2023 mounted a lightning offensive to retake control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region that had been run for more than three decades by its ethnic Armenian majority with Yerevan's backing, prompting its population to flee. This week, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Armenia presented a "fascist" threat that had to be destroyed, in what Yerevan said might be a prelude to fresh conflict. The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here. Reporting by Felix Light; Additional reporting by Dmitry Antonov and Bart Meijer; Editing by Kevin Liffey \https://www.reuters.com/world/armenian-government-approves-bill-launch-eu-accession-bid-2025-01-09/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 10, 2025 Report Share Posted January 10, 2025 OC Media Jan 9 2025 Armenian government backs EU membership bill in move mocked by Russia by Arshaluys Barseghyan The European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) has reported that the southern Armenian–Azerbaijani border was ‘calm’ between 6–8 January, after Azerbaijan accused Armenia of violating the ceasefire. In a statement on X on Wednesday, the EUMA said ‘no out of ordinary movements’ had been observed by their patrols in the southern Sunyik region earlier in the week. The mission’s statement came after Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry twice reported on Monday that Armenian forces stationed near the town of Goris had fired on its military positions on 5 and 6 January. Armenia’s Defence Ministry refuted Azerbaijan’s accusations that day, stating that no incidents had taken place and accusing Azerbaijan of ‘spreading disinformation’. The ministry again pointed to a proposal by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to establish a joint Armenian–Azerbaijani mechanism to investigate reports of ceasefire violations and related incidents. On Wednesday, Pashinyan also spoke of the proposal, saying that Armenia was ‘waiting for Azerbaijan’s response’ and that the reports of ceasefire violations ‘do not correspond to reality’. Also on Wednesday, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated that Armenia would continue to need the EU Mission as long as Azerbaijan continued to accuse Armenia of violating the ceasefire. ‘We believe that as long as Armenia doesn’t have delimitated borders with Azerbaijan, and as long as there are false accusations [by Azerbaijan] on shootings by the Armed Forces of Armenia or breaching the peace, we will continue to have the need for the EU civilian mission’, he said. A day earlier, in an interview with local TV channels, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev again criticised the mission calling it ‘binocular theatrics’. ‘I don’t want to show them how quickly they might run if someone even accidentally sneezes on Azerbaijani territory, but we’re tempted. This is why we told them to stop these binocular theatrics, and it seems they have’, he said. Azerbaijan began to push for the withdrawal of the EU mission in September 2024. The mission was deployed to the Armenian side of the border in January 2023, following Azerbaijani incursions into Armenia. The mission’s presence is reportedly one of the sticking points in the peace talks, with Azerbaijan demanding its withdrawal, and Armenia offering to withdraw the mission from sections of the border with Azerbaijan that have been delimited. https://oc-media.org/eu-monitors-refute-azerbaijani-claim-of-ceasefire-violation-on-armenia-border/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 10, 2025 Report Share Posted January 10, 2025 Armenpress.am Politics13:59, 9 January 2025 Pashinyan calls on Baku to mutually abandon escalatory narratives and sign peace treaty Read the article in: EspañolFrançaisՀայերենРусский YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has once again responded to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s narrative of so-called “Western Azerbaijan”, noting that the term cannot indicate parts of internationally recognized Armenian territories. In a post on social media, PM Pashinyan said that the term can only denote literally the western parts of the internationally recognized Azeri territories, and called on Baku to abandon escalatory narratives. Below is the full post by PM Pashinyan: “1. Western Azerbaijan is Qazax, Tovuz, Aghstafa, Gadabay, Dashkasan, Kelbajar, Lachin, Kubadli, Zangelan. There is no Western Azerbaijan beyond this, and cannot be. If they really want to search for it elsewhere, then we can consider Nakhchivan as Western Azerbaijan too. 2. Western Armenia is Armavir, Talin, Maralik. There is no Western Armenia beyond this, and cannot be. 3. Eastern Armenia is Ijevan, Berd, Chambarak, Vardenis, Jermuk, Goris, Kapan, Nerkin Hand, Nrnadzor. There is no Eastern Armenia beyond this, and cannot be. 4. Azerbaijan insists for Armenia to discuss the issue of the rights of refugees, under the “Western Azerbaijan” narrative. When Azerbaijan is using the narrative of “the issue of return of Western Azerbaijan refugees” it is closing the possibility of any discussion by using this wording, because it makes it evident that it is attempting to use the issue of refugees to question the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, a sovereign state and subject of international law, and to form territorial demands against Armenia. First of all, in order to discuss the issue, Azerbaijan must abandon the “Western Azerbaijan” and similar narratives. 5. By questioning the right to have a defense-capable military in the outline of the circumstances mentioned in the previous point, official Baku is attempting to gain an opportunity to carry out unimpeded aggression against the Republic of Armenia. 6. The proposal of the Republic of Armenia on establishing lasting stability and peace in the region is clear: A) To mutually abandon escalatory narratives, To continue the delimitation process based on the experience of the delimitation carried out in Berkaber-Voskepar section and the regulation on the joint activity of the two countries’ delimitation commissions, C) To sign a Peace treaty, which is 90% ready, D) Implement the “Crossroads of Peace” project, by also resolving the issue of Azerbaijan-Azerbaijan connection through the territory of the Republic of Armenia, and the issue of Armenia-Armenia connection through the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in accordance with the proposals presented by Armenia to Azerbaijan with results of the meeting in Kazan, E) Introduce a joint mechanism for investigating ceasefire violations, F) Fully resolve the issue of detained persons, G) To work in full intensity to resolve the issue of determining the fate of missing persons, H) Withdraw the claims against each other, including, but not limited to, claims in international courts, I) To work on the complete and effective implementation of the provisions of the Peace treaty. J) To form a mechanism for negotiating around mutual arms control, quota allocation, restrictions of use, K) To discuss the issues pertaining to refugees from both countries in the whole, by forming a joint professional, expert commission after the signing of the Peace treaty, L) To dissolve the OSCE MG.” Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1209055?fbclid=IwY2xjawHtfmRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHdPQ9uO1ey-8iVvjXkJEYHRfbCXXr0XMgnH3oaaPH8PXTXyVrqJqtixsPA_aem_poYGtGEFMdziTpAullLqCg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 10, 2025 Report Share Posted January 10, 2025 Azatutyun.am Pashinian Indicates Another Concession To Azerbaijan Հունվար 09, 2025 Astghik Bedevian Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian attends a session of the Armenian parliament, Yerevan, December 3, 2024. Two days after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made fresh threats of military action against Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian voiced support on Thursday for the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh demanded by Baku. Aliyev again listed that demand among his preconditions for an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal in a televised interview aired on Tuesday. He also threatened to put an end to “fascism” in Armenia and to forcibly open a land corridor through Armenian territory. Pashinian has until now linked the dissolution of the Minsk Group, which had been set up in the early 1990s to deal with the Karabakh conflict, to the signing of the peace treaty. In yet another response to Aliyev’s bellicose remarks, Pashinian said he is proposing that the OSCE disband the Minsk Group that had for decades been co-headed by the United States, Russia and France. “When peace is an established fact, the existence of this format, I think, can really raise questions,” he said. “The question here is the time frame because … there is no need to put the cart before the horse.” The abolition of the Minsk Group has to be initiated by both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Pashinian did not specify when Yerevan will submit a relevant request to the OSCE. As recently as two weeks ago, the Armenian premier said such a move should also require Baku to stop to referring to much of modern-day Armenia’s territory as “Western Azerbaijan.” Aliyev kept using that term on Tuesday, however, saying that Armenia must ensure the return of Azerbaijanis who had lived there in Soviet times. Writing on Facebook earlier on Thursday, Pashinian said the continuing references to “Western Azerbaijan” amount to territorial claims to Armenia. He also claimed that by continuing to demand an end to Armenia’s arms acquisitions Baku may be preparing the ground for “unhindered aggression” against his country. At the same time, Pashinian reiterated his calls for the quick signing of the bilateral peace treaty and the establishment of Armenian-Azerbaijani transport links. Aliyev insisted on the opening of an extraterritorial corridor to Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave as well as Turkey which would pass through Armenia’s Syunik region bordering Iran. “The Zangezur corridor must be opened and it will be opened,” he said, adding that “the factor of force” is dominant in international affairs these days. Armenian opposition figures and other critics of the government portrayed Aliyev’s latest threats as further proof that Pashinian’s appeasement policy is only encouraging Azerbaijan to demand more Armenian concessions and will not bring peace. They claimed that Baku is gearing up for a large-scale invasion of Armenia. https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33270011.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawHtklBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXAm1I1NFiU6V72YZRIEYyujSK6G8i9xEaNs2KTEIdMlERfpG-WSZeCK8A_aem_lUOjDXYvK-CUMG0X2wqN3w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 11, 2025 Report Share Posted January 11, 2025 MediaMax, Armenia Jan 10 2025 EU proposes to keep its observers in Armenia for another 2 years Yerevan /Mediamax/. The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, has proposed extending the deployment of the European Union Civilian Mission (EUMA) on the Armenian border with Azerbaijan for two years. RFE/RL has learnt about it from the press office of the High Representative. They noted that the EU member states welcomed the proposal. The relevant decision of the EU Council is expected in the coming days. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has long expressed dissatisfaction with the activities of the EU’s civilian mission in Armenia and was accusing former and current EU leaders. EUMA has been deployed in Armenia since February 2023 with 100 observers. In December 2023, the EU foreign ministers decided to expand the mission to 209 observers. Later, a representative from Canada also joined the mission, in response, official representatives of Moscow and Baku announced that EUMA was “turning into a NATO mission.” https://mediamax.am/en/news/foreignpolicy/56657/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 13, 2025 Report Share Posted January 13, 2025 EU Today Jan 12 2025 Armenia’s EU Aspirations: Balancing Between Brussels and Moscow written by EUToday Correspondents Armenia’s recent steps towards European Union membership have sparked intense debate about the nation’s geopolitical direction. A lively discussion on the AnewZ channel, moderated by Orkhan Amashov, explored Armenia’s bid to align with the EU while maintaining its deep economic and political ties with Russia. The panel included Gary Cartwright, publisher of EU Today, Ashbek Kotchikian, Professor at the American University of Armenia, and Dmitri Babich, a Russian political analyst. The EU Membership Bid On 8th January 2025, Armenia’s government approved a draft law initiating the process for EU membership. While Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan clarified that the move is merely the beginning of a long diplomatic negotiation process, the step has nonetheless garnered international attention. “This is a very good headline for Prime Minister Pashinyan,” said Cartwright. “It creates the impression that he’s driving Armenia towards the EU, even though actual accession is likely decades away.” However, he cautioned that past enlargement rounds have made the EU wary of admitting new members, particularly post-Soviet states. Professor Kotchikian offered a nuanced view, describing the move as “a political gesture rather than a practical step,” adding that “Armenia is sending a message to both the West and Russia, demonstrating its intent to diversify its geopolitical options.” Russia’s Leverage The discussion highlighted Armenia’s economic dependence on Russia, which has intensified despite Yerevan’s recent political pivot. Trade turnover between the two countries doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching $10.2 billion. Armenia remains reliant on Russian gas and has reportedly facilitated re-exports of goods for sanctioned Russian entities. Babich dismissed the idea that Armenia’s EU bid could be immediately consequential. “Russia is trying to be as polite as possible,” he said. “But patience can run out if Yerevan’s actions jeopardise its obligations under the Eurasian Economic Union.” However, Kotchikian emphasised that Armenian public opinion has shifted over time. “Pro-Russian sentiments in Armenia have been declining for years, especially after the 2020 war, which left many Armenians feeling abandoned by Moscow,” he said. Regional Dynamics Azerbaijan’s response to Armenia’s EU ambitions also featured prominently in the debate. While Baku has generally supported regional neighbours joining the EU, it views the deployment of an EU civilian mission on Armenia’s side of the border as problematic. Cartwright argued that unresolved tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan could undermine Armenia’s EU aspirations. “Post-conflict situations are always difficult to manage,” he said. “A change of leadership in Armenia might actually facilitate better regional relations.” Babich, however, criticised the EU’s role in the region. “Western missions have historically been ineffective in resolving long-standing conflicts,” he said. “The Minsk Group is a case in point—it achieved virtually nothing over decades.” The Geopolitical Tightrope Armenia’s bid to align more closely with the EU is seen as part of a broader attempt to reduce its dependence on Russia. But as Babich noted, this is not without risks. “Armenia must recognise that closer ties with the EU could mean losing the economic benefits it derives from the Eurasian Economic Union,” he warned. Kotchikian agreed that the path to EU membership is fraught with challenges but underscored the symbolic value of the move. “This is Armenia hedging its bets, showing the West it is serious about reform, even if concrete results are far away,” he said. Cartwright struck a sceptical tone about the feasibility of EU accession. “I don’t think Armenia’s EU aspirations will go beyond the headline stage anytime soon,” he said. “But for Pashinyan, the optics are everything, especially domestically.” The panel concluded that while Armenia’s EU bid is unlikely to result in membership in the near future, its geopolitical implications are profound. It signals a clear intent to diversify alliances, potentially straining ties with Moscow while complicating the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process. As Kotchikian aptly summarised, “Armenia’s current actions are more about perceptions and signalling than immediate results.” Whether those signals resonate in Brussels or provoke Moscow remains to be seen. Babich issued a cautionary note: “This is not just about geopolitics; it’s also about ideology. Armenia must tread carefully to avoid destabilising the delicate balance in the South Caucasus.” The debate illuminated the complexity of Armenia’s strategic manoeuvring, which is emblematic of the broader challenges faced by small nations navigating between great powers. https://eutoday.net/armenias-eu-aspirations/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 14, 2025 Report Share Posted January 14, 2025 Armenpress.am Economy13:19, 13 January 2025 Armenia doesn’t consider replacing Eurasian Economic Union with anything else but will keep diversifying partners – minister Read the article in: العربيةEspañolFrançaisՀայերենქართულიРусский简体中文 YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia doesn’t consider replacing the Eurasian Economic Union with anything else but is diversifying its trade partners, Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan has said. “We aren’t at all thinking about replacing the EEU with anything else,” he said at a press conference when asked about the developments around the possible EU integration process. “We want to be independent, and independence is when you are dependent on everyone and not just one, and everyone is to some extent dependent on you.” Minister Papoyan attached importance to Armenia’s ability to produce and export competitive goods to various markets. “It shouldn’t be replaced. Those volumes must be preserved, increased and expanded within the EEU,” he said. At this moment Armenia’s top trade partner is the UAE. Other major trade partners alongside Russia are China and the EU, he added. Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1209321?fbclid=IwY2xjawHyr3hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRW56mMXEyOcA5VZaDpfA2Pl8dwoGvtbhOie3qoYWuRZOSjv7BVuc2AGCQ_aem_qBt1-ZrFt34qm3bQdjs2SQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 14, 2025 Report Share Posted January 14, 2025 Armenpress.am Politics14:11, 13 January 2025 French ambassador reiterates unconditional, unwavering support for Armenia Read the article in: العربيةEspañolFrançaisՀայերենქართულიРусскийTürkçe简体中文 YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies has reiterated Paris’ unconditional and unwavering support for Armenia. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the Ambassador reiterated French support to Armenia. He said that the “support provided to Armenia, as presented by President Emmanuel Macron, is unconditional, complete and unwavering.” Ambassador Decottignies reiterated French commitment to peace in Armenia. “This is a commitment to lasting and just peace in the region, but also a commitment to support Armenia, to preserve its territorial integrity and inviolability,” the French Ambassador said. Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1209328?fbclid=IwY2xjawHysBZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZONd-EH3IWqFCwMi5mqIJJ2FIEsKhngNHvHgpwmz6MqPFoVHjsjChehjQ_aem_YSwEhbo8Wv5ug_PECRqlMw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 15, 2025 Report Share Posted January 15, 2025 Armenpress.am Politics09:17, 14 January 2025 Armenia-United States Strategic Partnership document to be signed today in Washington D.C. Read the article in: العربيةفارسیFrançaisՀայերենქართულიРусскийTürkçe简体中文 Armenia and the United States will sign the document on Strategic Partnership today in Washington D.C., the foreign ministry has said. “Today in Washington Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will sign the document on Strategic Partnership between Armenia and the U.S," foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan has said. The event will take place at 22:00 (Yerevan time) and will be covered on channels of MFA of Armenia. The signing ceremony will be live-streamed by U.S. Department of State on YouTube. Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1209388?fbclid=IwY2xjawH0PgtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYHkWxU3qXR6gdiKfcdr1YQJkLg63Ktwbm6VoxNxI2ntXqVNKpQX46GMxw_aem_-pGdbgXkjDylk4N7NNwjWw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 15, 2025 Report Share Posted January 15, 2025 Azatutyun.am Government Signals Fresh Deadline For Drafting New Constitution Հունվար 14, 2025 Gayane Saribekian Armenia - Justice Minister Srbuhi Galian speaks during a news conference in Yerevan, January 14, 2025. Justice Minister Srbuhi Galian said on Tuesday that a government panel headed by her will draft a new constitution for Armenia before the country’s next general elections expected in June 2026. Galian is the current head of the Constitutional Reform Council that was formed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in 2022 with the initial aim of proposing amendments to the current Armenian constitution. Pashinian changed the ad hoc body’s mandate last May, saying that it must draft a “new constitution” from scratch before January 2027. The move came as the Azerbaijani leaders continued to make the signing of a peace treaty with Armenia conditional on a change of its constitution which they say contains territorial claims to Azerbaijan. Baku specifically wants Yerevan to remove a constitutional preamble that mentions Armenia’s 1990 declaration of independence, which in turn cites a 1989 unification act adopted by the legislative bodies of Soviet Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. The only legal way to do that is to enact an entirely new constitution through a referendum. Former Justice Grigor Minasian said in August that the referendum will likely take place in 2027. Galian, who replaced Minasian in November, indicated that it could be held earlier. “Our task is to have a new draft constitution before the elections,” she told a news conference. “As a new minister, I believe that I must assume the duty and responsibility to ultimately draft a new constitution,” she said. The Constitutional Reform Council has still not met to discuss the matter. One of its members, civic activist Daniel Ioannisian, said late last year that even the January 2027 deadline set by Pashinian is not realistic. Pashinian rejected last month Baku’s continuing demands for a change of Armenia’s constitution. He cited a ruling by the Armenian Constitutional Court that articles of the constitution take precedence over the reference to the 1990 declaration. But Pashinian has also criticized the declaration, claiming that it poses a serious threat to Armenia’s national security. https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33275637.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawH0ReBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWCGLHWgVcgoDiIP5_e0xenDB44HUtnFzE-2INd854-sD4x4J88amqJZlA_aem_TB9Qrv2bIVZjbOt9awtBBA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 16, 2025 Report Share Posted January 16, 2025 EurasiaDaily Jan 15 2025 "Bloody taste of American cookies": Armenia is destined for the role of Caucasian Ukraine Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Tuesday in The Charter on strategic Partnership between Yerevan and Washington, EADaily reported. Political scientist Beniamin Matevosyan claims that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan surrendered to the outgoing American administration on January 14: 1. Nuclear power industry of Armenia. 2. The system of border and customs control ("Zangezur Corridor"). 3. Armenia's energy sector as a whole. According to the expert, the geopolitical suicide of an entire country on the air has exactly this kind. And there are reasonable questions about the fact that Aliyev knew about the contents of this document even before the new year. That is why, in an interview with Dmitry Kiselyov, he tried to convince Tehran and Moscow that a potential war against Armenia would not be against the interests of Russia and Iran. Aliyev and Pashinyan played another deadly game under the American umbrella. Baku needs Yerevan to lose any support from Moscow and Tehran, which will open the door to an all-out war against Armenia. And to achieve this Aliyev and Pashinyan could only "pull the Americans into the region by the ears" (and they are happy to play along). The Armenian-Azerbaijani tandem believes that Putin and Khamenei will not understand their game. And here's what the author of the telegram channel "Comrade General" thinks about this: "ARMENIA HAS AGREED TO REPLACE GEORGIA IN ORDER TO BECOME A CAUCASIAN UKRAINE Americans have different cookies. But they always taste the same — bloody. Let's note the five most significant points in connection with yesterday's signing of the charter on strategic partnership between Armenia and the United States. 1. The document was prepared secretly, was not discussed publicly and became known only after it was signed. He was obviously preparing hastily and urgently. Moreover, shortly before the "historic signing", the US State Department denied the fact of negotiations on a strategic partnership with Armenia. From whom were they hidden? From "our own" — from trumpists oriented to Azerbaijan. That is, the charter is from the category of "podlyanok" to the new US president. 2. Strategic partnership with the United States always and everywhere implies the loss of sovereignty. See the recent history of Georgia and Ukraine. 3. The Armenia-USA Charter has an anti-Russian orientation. Russia will be squeezed out of national and regional energy (gas, new nuclear power plant), logistics (Zangezur corridor), from the borders of Armenia. In general, the Euro-Atlantic discourse, which has already taken shape in Armenia legally, puts it in the category of countries unfriendly to the Russian Federation. 4. The urgent signing of the charter took place against the background of Georgia's actual rejection of partnership with the West and the finalization of the strategic partnership between Russia and Iran. The United States is hastily relocating from Georgia to Armenia all its projects directed against Russian Federation and Iran. Armenia will be forced, under the threat of an Azerbaijani invasion, to give the Zangezur corridor under the control of forces coordinated with Baku in order to deprive Iran of the status of a member of the "club of countries of the Middle Corridor". 5. Why Armenia, and not Has Azerbaijan signed a charter with the State Department? Because it is more important for the United States to tear Armenia away from the Russian Federation, and Azerbaijan is already controlled by Turkey and Britain. The US is in a hurry. It should be understood that their agility entails the same rapid reduction of preferences for Armenia from the Russian Federation. Everyone can see what energy diversification is on the example of Europe, where production is now bending. It is obvious to Russia that economic leverage and pragmatic considerations do not work in Armenia. Meanwhile, Armenia does not even need to be expelled from the EAEU in order to bring down its economy, because Armenian trade within the EAEU is 95% trade with Russia. Pashinyan is pushing Putin to freeze economic ties." https://eadaily.com/en/news/2025/01/15/bloody-taste-of-american-cookies-armenia-is-destined-for-the-role-of-caucasian-ukraine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 16, 2025 Report Share Posted January 16, 2025 Azatutyun.am Tycoons Warn Against Armenia’s Exit From Russian-Led Trade Bloc Հունվար 15, 2025 Shoghik Galstian Armenia - Businessman and Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukian talks to journalists, May 8, 2023. Two prominent Armenian businessmen have expressed serious concern about the possibility of Armenia’s withdrawal from a Russian-led trade bloc raised by Yerevan’s decision to strive to join the European Union. One of the tycoons, Gagik Tsarukian, on Wednesday penned a rare op-ed article for Tert.am to warn of severe economic consequences of leaving the Eurasian Economic (EEU). “One wrong step can literally impoverish millions of people,” Tsarukian wrote. “I'm not scaring you, I'm telling you the truth. I want every citizen to try to imagine this prospect. This means lost jobs, bankrupt businesses, inability to pay children’s tuition fees, problems with paying off mortgages, paying for medical treatment and heating homes, and inability to go on vacation in the summer. “This means that our agricultural products will no longer be sold on the EEU market, that gas and electricity prices will increase sharply and therefore the prices of all goods will rise too. Our savings will decrease. We saw all this in the 1990s. We overcame it with difficulty and over many years. Do we want to go back now?” Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk issued a similar warning on January 9 hours after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s cabinet approved a bill on the “start of a process of Armenia's accession to the European Union.” Overchuk said that Armenia risks losing its tariff-free access to the Russian, guaranteed by its membership in the EEU, and having to pay much more for Russian energy resources and food. Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said on Monday that Yerevan has no plans yet to leave the EEU. Finance Minister Vahe Hovannisian did not rule out such an exit, though. Overchuk countered on Wednesday that the authorities in Yerevan “understand perfectly well that joining the European Union is a very hypothetical thing and certainly do not want to lose the economic benefits and advantages that they have as a member state of the EEU.” He reiterated that the bill approved by Pashinian’s cabinet is viewed by Moscow as the “beginning of Armenia’s withdrawal from the EEU.” Armenia - Billionaire Samvel Karapetian takes part in a Christmas Mass at the Armenian Apostolic Church's main cathedral in Echmiadzin, 6Jan2015. Such a prospect also prompted concern from Samvel Karapetian, a Russian-Armenian billionaire with extensive business interests in Armenia. He said on Tuesday that Yerevan must not “put political ambitions above economic interests.” “We can see examples of the consequences of such an approach in the situation in Georgia where political decisions have negatively affected the stability of the country,” Karapetian said. Meanwhile, Pashinian said on Wednesday that Russian-Armenian relations are now “more practical than ever before.” “We aim to develop these relations based on mutually beneficial cooperation and sovereignty,” he wrote on Facebook. The Armenian premier said nothing about his country’s heavy economic dependence on Russia which seems to have deepened further in recent years. According to Armenian government data, Russia accounted for over 41 percent of Armenia’s foreign trade in January-November 2024, compared with the EU’s 7.5 percent share in the total. Russia is also Armenia’s principal supplier of natural gas and nuclear fuel. Armenia pays the Gazprom giant $165 per thousand cubic meters of Russian gas used by not only power plants and households but also the vast majority of car owners in the country. Wholesale gas prices in the EU are currently three times higher than that. https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33276831.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawH1bspleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfizARUjkFy0jSAeGXZftKUWy5rU3x35vBZN-6QIIscwQxtPloKwLtD_SQ_aem_oa_w9_VqOSq7Card9YXjFA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 16, 2025 Report Share Posted January 16, 2025 Azatutyun.am Security Analysts Downplay New U.S.-Armenian Agreement Հունվար 15, 2025 Gayane Saribekian Karlen Aslanian U.S. - U.S. Secretary of State Atony Blinken and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan sign a U.S.-Armenia Strategic Partnership Commission Charter, Washington, January 14, 2025. Armenian analysts cautioned on Wednesday against excessive expectations from a U.S.-Armenian agreement to upgrade bilateral relations to “strategic partnership,” saying that Washington did not pledge to give Yerevan security guarantees or significant military aid. The agreement took the form of the charter of a newly established U.S.-Armenia Strategic Partnership Commission signed by outgoing U.S. Secretary of States Antony Blinken and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Tuesday. Blinken described it as a “framework to expand our bilateral cooperation in a number of key areas,” including defense and security. The relevant section of the charter publicized by the Armenian Foreign Ministry says that the United States will hold “defense consultations” with Armenia and assist its armed forces “through professional military assistance training” and with “reform programs intended to increase Armenian interoperability” with Western armies. It says nothing about U.S. arms supplies or other tangible military support. Pro-Western groups allied to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and other Armenian pro-government actors said on Wednesday that Armenia received a massive boost to its national security and territorial integrity. Some of them claimed that the document will deter Azerbaijan from invading Armenia. “This is not a document about security guarantees,” countered Tigran Grigorian, the head of the Yerevan-based Regional Center for Democracy and Security. “This is not a document about mutual military aid. If [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev decides to embark on some escalation against Armenia he will hardly look at that document.” At the same time, Grigorian described the charter signed at the U.S. State Department as a “serious diplomatic achievement” for Yerevan. “Even if nothing happens in the next four years, the very existence of this document will allow us to work with the United States on various issues in the long term,” the analyst told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. Eduard Abrahamian, an expert on international relations, was more skeptical, saying that the charter’s provisions related to defense and security are more ambiguous than those of similar documents signed by the U.S. with Georgia and Ukraine in the past. “The issue of external threats is not mentioned, whereas the Georgia and Ukraine documents stressed U.S. commitment to support the enhancement of [those countries’] military capabilities,” he said. “We can’t talk of any security guarantees in our case.” “The document does not mention that Armenia's environment is conflict-ridden,” complained Abrahamian. “It does not mention that Armenia is facing existential problems.” The charter was signed almost one year after Pashinian froze Armenia’s membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) amid mounting tensions with Russia. While Moscow’s official reaction to its signing was rather cautious, senior Russian lawmakers issued stern warnings to Yerevan on Wednesday. “I’m afraid that the galloping activity of Armenian representatives in signing various kinds of binding documents on cooperation with everyone and in everything may have unexpected and complex consequences for that country and its people,” said Grigory Karasin, chairman of the foreign relations committee of Russia’s upper house of parliament. Another lawmaker, Alexei Zhuravlev charged that Washington is trying to turn Armenia into “another Ukraine” and a “Russophobic enclave in the Caucasus.” https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33277055.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawH1cABleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRnpAeXwXiVtSTzVE5Z2ycBL3fUMB02EzarayH8TvonS6fAoJEbiKDPMiQ_aem_7lq5-BlHITpju1YsycHoCA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 17, 2025 Report Share Posted January 17, 2025 Jan 16 2025 COMMENT: Armenia makes a strategic turn from Russia towards the West By Robert Ananyan in Yerevan January 16, 2025 With relations with Russia at an historic low, Armenia is taking bold steps towards the West. The Armenian parliament, where Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract Party holds a majority, is set to vote in favour of a bill signalling the start of the European Union accession process. Pashinyan's government has already approved the draft law initiating this process, supported by 60,000 signatures from Armenian citizens. Moreover, on January 14, Armenia signed a strategic partnership agreement with the US. Pashinyan has announced that a roadmap for Armenia's EU accession will be agreed upon with Brussels. He is the first Armenian leader to publicly declare Armenia's goal of joining the EU. Pashinyan first mentioned Armenia’s European aspirations in October 2023, a month after the forced displacement in Nagorno-Karabakh, during a speech in the European Parliament: “Armenia is ready to be as close to the European Union as the EU deems possible,” he said. Brussels has already responded to Yerevan’s decision. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that the EU will examine Armenia's potential application for membership. She plans to visit Armenia in the first half of 2025 to coordinate upcoming actions with Pashinyan's government. Strategic mistake By initiating the formal process of joining the EU, Armenia seeks to rectify a strategic mistake made 12 years ago. After four years of negotiations with the EU on an Association Agreement, former president Serzh Sargsyan unexpectedly announced Armenia’s intention to join the Russia-led Customs Union following a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 3, 2013. Faced with the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the threat of war with Azerbaijan, Sargsyan calculated that joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) would secure Russia’s military-political support. However, since the 2010s, Russia has signed arms supply deals worth billions of dollars with Azerbaijan. Russian-supplied weapons were used against Nagorno-Karabakh during the wars of 2016 and 2020. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), from 2011 to 2020, Russia and Belarus supplied 67% of Azerbaijan's military arsenal, with over 60% coming directly from Russia. This led Pashinyan to accuse Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) of preparing a war against Armenia. These accusations laid the groundwork for Armenia's strategic pivot to the West. By arming Baku against Armenia, Russia failed to protect Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians during the 44-day war in 2020 and Azerbaijan's attack on September 19, 2023, which led to the forced displacement of 150,000 Armenians. Nagorno-Karabakh fell under Azerbaijan’s control. Russia also failed to protect Nagorno-Karabakh's pro-Russian leaders, who, under the supposed "protection" of Russian peacekeepers, ended up in Azerbaijani prisons. Moreover, Russia and the CSTO refused to fulfil their security obligations to Armenia during Azerbaijan's military campaigns from 2021 to 2024, leading to the occupation of 300 square kilometres of Armenian territory. Russia's and the CSTO's refusal to honour their security commitments convinced much of Armenia's leadership and society that Putin is encouraging Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to launch further attacks on Armenia. Putin not only denies Azerbaijan's aggression but has recently claimed that no external aggression has occurred against Armenia. For Armenia, membership in the EEU and CSTO is now widely regarded as a strategic mistake. Armenia abandoned the prospect of EU membership in 2013 for nothing. Although the EU is not a military organisation, its observation mission has played a stabilising role on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, more effectively than Russian forces. Armenia has received €10mn in support from the European Peace Facility. Armenia finds new allies Armenia sees signing the strategic partnership with the US and initiating the EU accession process as opportunities to enhance its sovereignty and economic prosperity, which, in turn, will strengthen its security. EU membership or candidate status may deter Azerbaijan from further aggression. It is no coincidence that Pashinyan’s government approved the EU accession bill shortly after Aliyev’s belligerent statements against Armenia. Under the threat of Azerbaijani attacks, Armenia needs reliable allies. After abandoning the EU Association Agreement, Armenia did not secure the promised protection from Russia, lost Nagorno-Karabakh, and saw its territory partially occupied. Having paid a heavy price, Armenia's political elite has realised that Russia is no true ally and has been forced to return to the EU membership agenda. Diplomatic sources say that Armenia's EU membership was discussed during the April 5, 2024 meeting in Brussels between Pashinyan, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. During that meeting, the US and EU committed to supporting Armenia’s resilience through economic diversification. In the first nine months of 2024, 42% of Armenia’s foreign trade was with Russia, while only 7.3% was with the EU. Armenia’s heavy dependence on Russia for energy and food poses a national security threat. Russian warnings With a broad arsenal of economic, political and energy leverage over Armenia, Russia has already begun warning Armenia about the consequences of leaving the EEU and joining the EU. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk warned that leaving the EEU could lead to higher energy and food prices in Armenia, and exports could drop by 70-80%. Russia is expected to increase gas prices to harm Armenia’s economy. It is also likely that Russia will ban Armenian goods from entering its market. Armenia’s significant trade dependence on Russia might raise skepticism about EU integration goals. However, Armenian officials consider the increase in exports to Russia to be situational, as Armenian businesses are temporarily benefiting from the vacuum in the Russian markets. Armenia also faces military-political threats from Russia. Moscow and Baku are demanding that Armenia provide a corridor linking Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan, known as the Zangezur Corridor, under the control of Russian security forces. Within Pashinyan's team, there is a well-founded assessment that the Kremlin is inciting Azerbaijan to launch attacks to secure the Zangezur Corridor. Pashinyan’s Crossroads of Peace project, aimed at improving Armenia's links to neighbours Georgia, Iran and Turkey and excluding Russian involvement, has the support of the US, EU and France — Western powers that support Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. A new Cold War Pashinyan’s government believes a new Cold War is emerging between Russia and the West, and Armenia will be forced to choose a side. Here, all calculations are against Russia. Not only is Russia not an ally to Armenia, but it is also making political demands together with Azerbaijan. Furthermore, it is highly likely that a new Iron Curtain will descend between the West and Russia as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war. To overcome the risk of “Belarusisation”, Armenia is initiating a process of disengagement from Russia and deepening ties with the West at an institutional level. Armenia has made a strategic choice in favour of the West. Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov and Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, have stated that Armenia must choose between the EU and the EEU, as these are mutually exclusive customs unions. This demand could accelerate Armenia’s withdrawal from the CSTO and EEU. While Russia may impose economic sanctions, Armenian officials are confident the EU is prepared to counteract these measures. During a meeting in Brussels on April 5, 2024, Armenia, the US and the EU agreed on economic programmes aimed at preparing the Armenian economy for EU membership. The EU announced the €270mn Resilience and Growth programme to strengthen Armenia's economy and, as EU Ambassador Vassilis Maragos stated, to bring Armenia closer to Europe. The US has also provided financial support. Signing a strategic agreement with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Blinken announced that the US is also cooperating with Armenia in the security sector to ensure the protection of Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Armenia and the US have established a strategic partnership commission to expand cooperation in economic, security, defence, democracy, inclusiveness and other areas. Of course, Armenia has significant work to do to align its state and economy with EU standards. It is suggested that Pashinyan's government establish a third deputy prime minister's office dedicated exclusively to managing the EU accession process. Russian retreat Russia, once Armenia’s principal ally in the South Caucasus, is retreating from the region. Moscow realises it is losing Armenia, which has been considered its main ally in the South Caucasus for decades. If Armenia progresses with EU membership, Russian military forces, including the 102nd base, will likely be withdrawn, and Armenia will assume full control over its borders with Turkey and Iran. During Pashinyan and Putin's last meeting, agreements were reached on the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Iranian border checkpoint and joint Armenian-Russian control of borders with Iran and Turkey. Russian border guards have already been withdrawn from the Zvartnots International Airport area, and 17 Russian military posts along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border have been dismantled. Armenia and the EU have begun negotiations on visa liberalisation. One of the EU's conditions is Armenia's independent management of its borders and checkpoints. Since Yerevan is determined to achieve visa-free travel with the EU within 3-5 years, it is logical to expect the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Iranian and Turkish borders in the coming years. Preparations are already underway for the de-Russification of Armenia’s external borders. With EU support, Armenia is currently enhancing its border security capabilities, enabling it to manage the borders with Turkey and Iran technically. A specialised US. border security team will arrive in Armenia to conduct joint border security operations. Tough talks ahead In the coming weeks, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Russia are expected to engage in serious political discussions about Armenia's European integration and withdrawal from Russian integration structures. Declaring that Armenia cannot sit on two chairs, Lavrov announced that he has invited Armenian Mirzoyan to Moscow. There is no doubt that Moscow will attempt to repeat the scenario of September 3, 2013, when Sargsyan, under Putin's pressure, abandoned the EU Association Agreement and chose EEU membership instead. That was not the choice of the Armenian people but Putin's imposition on Armenia's president. Waging war against Ukraine, Russia has failed to achieve its strategic goals and is not in the same position as it was in 2013. With the accession of Sweden and Finland, Nato has moved closer to Russia's borders, and Putin has been unable to counter this step. Russia surpasses Armenia in economic, military and energy terms. However, given its international isolation and sanctions, it is unlikely that Putin will open a new front in the Caucasus. Armenia does not share a land border with Russia, which reduces the likelihood of Russian military aggression. Indeed, Russia is already retreating from the South Caucasus. On November 9, 2020, Russia deployed a peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh, intending to stay for decades. However, three years later, Russia was forced to withdraw. Similarly, Russia invested billions of dollars and significant political and military resources to maintain Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria but stood by when Assad’s dynasty faced attacks. Consequently, Russia is losing its foothold in the Middle East, which is far more strategically significant than the South Caucasus. Overall, Russia has begun to reconcile with the trend of shrinking spheres of influence. It is likely, Russia will not be capable of launching a "special military operation" against Western influence in the South Caucasus, especially since it has not yet digested the Ukrainian “adventure”. Robert Ananyan is a journalist based in Yerevan, Armenia, who focuses on the political and security problems of the South Caucasus. https://www.intellinews.com/comment-armenia-makes-a-strategic-turn-from-russia-towards-the-west-361858/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 18, 2025 Report Share Posted January 18, 2025 Armenpress.am Politics16:29, 17 January 2025 Trump will bring peace to Caucasus, says congressman Read the article in: ՀայերենРусский U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson has expressed certainty that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will bring peace to the Caucasus. “We have an opportunity to Make Caucasus Great Again, a Caucasus built on shared Peace & Prosperity. For that, we need a peace deal between the Great Nations of Azerbaijan & Armenia. As Donald Trump is bringing Peace to the Middle East, I know he will do the same in Caucasus,” the Republican congressman said in a post on X. Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1209761?fbclid=IwY2xjawH3-hRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYPd4JjOPdudtsO_lmTLXtt6LTegt2CcDflHZNSjgJ4Uh0N6AqAwKCxpeg_aem_0TzgV3LYUi3IB53AFZ1Fdg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 19, 2025 Report Share Posted January 19, 2025 First Post, India Jan 18 2025 Silent but resilient: India-Armenia defence cooperation is a game changer in South Caucasus Vimal Harsh Armenia’s decision to acquire the Indo-French Trajan 155mm towed artillery system further strengthens its growing defence ties with India, solidifying New Delhi’s role as a key partner in military supplies and geopolitical affairs in a region where multiple powers have diverse interests Armenia, a country in the Caucasus region of West Asia, has chosen to induct the Trajan 155mm towed artillery gun system that has been jointly developed by India and France. This move strengthens India’s position as a major defence partner for Armenia’s military modernisation. India has been supplying advanced guns, rockets, radars, and missile systems to the landlocked nation in the last few years. In November 2023, Armenia received the first supplies of launchers and associated equipment of multi-barrel rocket launchers, Pinaka, valued at $250 million. Additionally, Armenia had ordered 15 Akash missile systems in 2022, worth $720 million, a consignment of which was delivered last November. Armenia has emerged as India’s top defence export destination, after the US and France. The Trajan artillery system, developed by Bharat Forge and Nexter (a French weapons manufacturer), offers superior accuracy, mobility, and firepower, making it an ideal choice for the terrains of a country facing threats from its neighbourhood. The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020 and the subsequent Azerbaijani offensive of 2023 have been an eye-opener for Armenia. In the former, the 44-day-long war resulted in Azerbaijan gaining control over 72 per cent of the territory of the breakaway state of Artsakh and a defeat of Armenia; in the latter, Azerbaijan gained control over the whole of Nagorno-Karabakh. These circumstances underscored Armenia’s need for modernising its defence sector and choosing the alternatives. Armenia, a Christian country, found itself compromised on having been overly dependent on Russia for its defence needs. While Muslim-majority Azerbaijan received support from Turkey, a middle power anxious to ‘regain’ leadership of the Islamic world. Consequently, Armenia took a West-ward turn, forging close relations with the US and EU as Russia’s closeness grew with Azerbaijan and Turkey. Remarkably, Iran supports Armenia, a Christian country, supported by the US! (Iran supported Armenia diplomatically, particularly in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict). Geopolitics in the 21st century for you! And India, with its growing defence production sector and strategic interest in the Eurasian region, became Armenia’s natural choice. Reportedly, India’s defence production has gone up 2.6 times since Financial Year 2015. New Delhi has set a goal of increasing defence exports to ₹50,000 crore ($60 billion) by 2028-29, which seems well achievable. Both India and Armenia have become crucial partners. New Delhi has been a trusted supplier of small arms, ammunition, and other light weaponry and has fit Yerevan’s equations for arms diversification. Armenia’s military supplies have been heavily dependent on Russia, and the changing geopolitical realities and experiences in the last couple of years have underlined the challenges of it, particularly in the context of Russia’s engagements in Ukraine and changing geopolitical equations in the South Caucasus and West Asia. For India this purchase signifies expanding defence export markets and growing influence in the South Caucasus and Central Asia—an expanded neighbourhood of India with historical ties, but now mostly covered up under the power equations of Russia, China, and Turkey. The ties between India and Armenia are crucial to balancing Turkish influence in the region, which is mutually beneficial to both nations. Turkey’s close ties with Azerbaijan have been a constant concern for Armenia. Meanwhile, Turkey under the presidency of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pan-Islamic ambitions, which include warm relations with Pakistan and advocacy of the Kashmir issue overlooking growing Islamic fundamentalism in the region and Pakistan’s use of terror as an instrument to further its interests, particularly against India, and India’s integral part—Kashmir. Turkey’s closeness with post-Sheikh Hasina Bangladesh has also been growing, and the nexus between Ankara and Islamabad now also includes Dhaka. Recently, in the second week of January, a Turkish delegation led by the country’s trade minister, Omer Bolat, met Bangladesh’s chief advisor, Muhammad Yunus, and discussed various issues of importance for both countries, such as defence, trade, and technology sharing. Beyond all of these, Russia’s ongoing defence ties with Armenia are unlikely to be disrupted, as Armenia’s strategic location remains vital to Russian interests in the region. Armenia is also a key member of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), and Moscow continues to influence Armenia’s security policies. Having robust defence ties with India fits this equation as well, as India and Russia have been historical partners. But there is still a lot left to be done; the partnership must not be limited to defence supply and purchase; it should expand to areas such as intelligence sharing, cyber defence, and joint military training so that a broader strategic alignment against common challenges, ranging from regional security threats to the evolving global balance of power, can be forged. The Indo-Armenian cooperation will not just be a military partnership in the Caucasus region but will have geopolitical implications beyond, becoming a cornerstone of regional stability in an increasingly unpredictable world. As Sun Tzu says in The Art of War: “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/silent-but-resilient-india-armenia-defence-cooperation-is-a-game-changer-in-south-caucasus-13853971.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 20, 2025 Report Share Posted January 20, 2025 Jan 19 2025 Armenia, US Launch Nuclear Cooperation Talks January 19, 2025 By PanARMENIAN Armenia and the United States have officially announced the start of negotiations on the 123 nuclear cooperation agreement. This marks a key milestone in the bilateral relationship as the U.S. has approved Armenia’s 2024 request to join the agreement. The timeline for signing the agreement depends on Armenia’s position and actions by the new U.S. administration. Former Deputy Minister of Energy Hakob Vardanyan noted that the agreement would enable U.S. nuclear companies to collaborate with Armenia in operating the existing plant, exploring other applications, or constructing new reactors. Without the agreement, U.S. entities are restricted from sharing nuclear technologies or expertise with non-signatory countries. Negotiations were announced during a briefing on the Armenia-U.S. Strategic Partnership Charter. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the agreement would ensure peaceful use of nuclear energy, while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken added it would open new avenues for collaboration in nuclear energy, science, and technology. Armenia is preparing to build a new nuclear plant, likely featuring small modular reactors, which are more efficient but subject to cost, fuel logistics, and other factors. Former Deputy Minister Vardanyan noted that realistic proposals have come from U.S., Russian, and South Korean companies, but detailed evaluation of U.S. technologies hinges on signing the 123 agreement. The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, after its latest upgrades, will operate until 2036. Armenia has allocated funds in its 2025 budget for the design, study, and evaluation of a new nuclear plant. https://www.eurasiareview.com/19012025-armenia-us-launch-nuclear-cooperation-talks/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 21, 2025 Report Share Posted January 21, 2025 Jan 20 2025 New US strategic partnership could be revolutionary for Armenia By Neil Hauer in Yerevan January 20, 2025 For proponents of Armenia’s ongoing move towards the West, it’s been a big couple of weeks. On January 9, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that his government would soon introduce a bill in parliament that would essentially begin the country’s process of applying to join the European Union. The bill follows on the heels of a nationwide petition last year calling for Armenia to move to join the EU, that gathered 52,000 signatures from supporters. That move was followed by another auspicious meeting in Washington, DC just days later. On January 14, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his American counterpart, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, signed a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries. The deal, described by Blinken as “a significant milestone in the relationship between the United States and Armenia”, provides for a raft of further collaboration between the two in the political, economic, energy and defence realms. For the US, the deal is but one of many it has signed with international partners. For Armenia — while there are caveats — it could be revolutionary. “While this document isn’t about security guarantees, it is an opportunity to deepen the [US-Armenian] relationship in different areas in the long term,” says Tigran Grigoryan, head of the Yerevan-based Regional Center for Democracy and Security. “It discusses several very important areas — energy, economy, military, international processes like democratic development and rule of law. So I think it will open a lot of doors, especially in the energy realm.” One clause in the agreement relates to the purchase of sensitive technologies related to energy — a crucial advancement in the ongoing discussions regarding the US building a new nuclear power plant in Armenia. With Armenia currently reliant on Russian support to maintain and operate its aging Metsamor nuclear plant, which provides nearly one-third of the country’s electricity, this could significantly reduce one point of Moscow’s leverage. “While talking to American officials in recent months, I could see their willingness for the US to be the party that builds this new nuclear plant [in Armenia],” Grigoryan says. “The existence of this separate clause in the agreement [on sensitive technology] probably means that Yerevan and Washington are going to agree on this as well.” Armenia has always collaborated with Western powers to a nominal degree, including in international security: a contingent of Armenian troops participated in the US-led mission in Afghanistan. As Armenia’s security relations with Russia, its traditional arms supplier, have waned in recent years, Yerevan has sought greater defence cooperation with France in particular. The new strategic partnership agreement includes clauses on American advisory support to reform both Armenia’s armed forces and internal security organs, as well as further iterations of the joint US-Armenia Eagle Partner drills that have occurred for the past two years. The new agreement also serves as an indication of shifting Western favour in the region. While Georgia had hitherto been the leading pro-Western actor in the South Caucasus, its star has fallen dramatically over the past years of leadership by the increasingly anti-Western Georgian Dream party. Georgia signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2009 — one that was suspended by Washington on November 30, in the wake of a government crackdown on protests that followed a flawed election and the halting of Georgia’s EU accession talks. While much depends on the incoming Trump administration, current trends suggest that Armenia is likely to be the primary American partner nation in the region in the near future, Grigoryan says. “If there is some sort of continuity in the American policies, then yeah, I would agree that Armenia is becoming the primary, and probably the only, partner of the United States of a strategic nature in the South Caucasus,” Grigoryan says. “But for example, Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani president, mentioned in his latest interview that he would be willing to elevate the status of [Azerbaijan’s] relationship with the United States to the strategic level under Trump. So a lot will depend on the new administration's approaches,” he says. Azerbaijani pro-government commentators have often speculated that Baku’s relationship with Washington could improve after Donald Trump returns to the White House on January 20. Their hopes are not misfounded: Trump, after all, has a penchant for treating autocratic regimes kindly and paying less heed to democratic credentials than most American leaders. As of now, however, Azerbaijan continues to move further away from cooperation with the US, with the latest move being Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov’s announcement on January 16 that USAID would no longer be allowed to work in Azerbaijan. Armenian cooperation with both the US and EU, in contrast, continues to deepen. The EU border observation mission, deployed to Armenia in February 2023 in the wake of Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia in September 2022, is up for a renewal of its two-year mandate next month. While Baku despises the mission, accusing it of spying on its territory and demanding its withdrawal, its extension is a foregone conclusion, Grigoryan says. “It will surely be extended,” he says. “It was clear already at the end of last year that this is going to happen. It’s just a matter of bureaucratic procedures, but it’s pretty much a guarantee.” The value of the EU border observation mission to Armenia’s security has been proven numerous times over. Since its deployment, Azerbaijan has not been able to occupy any additional Armenian territory, as it did in May 2021, November 2021 and September 2022. The observers have also been able to refute Azerbaijan’s regular claims of Armenian provocations on the border, as they did just days ago. The mission’s continuing importance as a deterrent has only been underscored by the continuing aggressive rhetoric of President Aliyev. Earlier this month, Aliyev described Armenia as a ‘fascist state’ and threatened to destroy it, stating "if the Armenian leadership does not destroy it [fascism], then we will”. In this environment, stronger ties with international partners are more important for Armenia than ever. In this vein, the new US strategic partnership is intended to create continuity and lay out a roadmap for how the new Trump administration will hopefully approach relations with Armenia. “I think there was concern, both on the American side and on the Armenian side, that Trump might be not interested in [further improving relations with Armenia],” Grigoryan says. “So there was an intentional decision after the election in the US to basically finalise all the processes that started under this administration before Trump's inauguration. There’s also some indications that [continuing these policies] has been discussed with Trump’s team,” he says. As the world awaits the start of Trump’s new term, Armenia has at least secured a significant win in its realignment towards the West. https://www.intellinews.com/new-us-strategic-partnership-could-be-revolutionary-for-armenia-362346/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 24, 2025 Report Share Posted January 24, 2025 CommonSpace.eu Jan 23 2025 Pashinyan in Davos: Armenia’s foreign policy a balancing act between the West and Russia Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia has decided to adopt a foreign policy that is balanced between relations with the European Union and Russia. He added that balanced relations are also being created at the regional level notably with Iran, by establishing diplomatic relations with Turkey and concluding a peace deal with Azerbaijan. Pashinyan said this approach is not easy but also not impossible adding that Armenia is being transparent with all its international partners about its intentions. “Yes, we have decided to get closer to the European Union, but we are very intensively trying to share our position with Iran and Russia and with all our partners”, Pashinyan stated. Prime Minister Pashinyan was speaking on Thursday as a participant in a panel discussion in Davos titled “How to Design Europe’s Power” that also featured the European Commissioner for Trade, Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transpareny Marco Sevcovic and the CEOs of Syensqo and TotalEnergies. The discussion was moderated by Arancha Gonzales Laya of the Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences Po. In his intervention, Pashinyan described himself as a pragmatist and said: “Armenia is an independent country and in these difficult times there are many, many challenges and numerous risks, but on the other hand, it is a huge period of change. It is obvious that times of change bring huge risks, but on the other hand, huge opportunities arise, and we are trying to manage the risks and use the opportunities”. “But we should not forget about balance, as losing balance can have very serious consequences for security, stability, not only for the country, but also in the region and in terms of global stability. We say that we want to be as interconnected as possible, but on the other hand, in this situation, any instability in any region of the world can start a chain process throughout the world, even in small countries, small regions, etc. And that is why I believe there is a need to be balanced and not forget about daily balance, which I believe is the most important thing” added the Armenian Prime Minister. Prime Minister Pashinyan referred to the objective of establishing diplomatic relations with Turkey and the importance of not deviating from the peace agenda noting that “we must focus on our goal and continue to work without giving up, without getting disappointed. In this case, we must have the support of the international community, and I hope that this support will be provided". He also referred prominently to the Crossroads of Peace project that will help overcome supply chain shocks: “It is about making our regional transport communications more efficient, creating new transport communications not only with Azerbaijan, but also with Turkey, deepening our cooperation with Iran, Georgia. This is about the EU also because if this project becomes a reality, we will have new chain routes through Armenia for the European Union. It is not only a matter of economy. It is also a very important for overall stability and security but of course, this project will work if we can establish a stable peace with Azerbaijan, which, unfortunately, is not the case now.” In his intervention on the margins of the World Economic Forum, Pashinyan also referred to Armenia’s path towards EU membership. He said “the initiative to start EU membership process came from civil society, they have submitted a draft a law in this regard, and our government has approved it. There is a high probability that our parliament will approve that law so that we can legally start the process of getting closer to the EU. Why did we want to be closer to the European Union? Because we are a democracy. When you are a democracy, you want to be closer or in the mainstream of democracy, as otherwise it would be illogical”. “And now we are cooperating very closely with the European Union. To be honest, in recent years, tremendous changes and improvements have taken place in our relations with the European Union. For example, we have just started negotiations on the visa liberalization agreement, which has been on our agenda for many years, but we could not even start negotiations. And I hope that we will be able to finish and sign it as soon as possible”. “Now Armenia is included in the European Peace Facility program, which is also very important. We now have a European civilian monitoring mission in our country, which is also very important. We are in the process of implementing the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with the EU, and we are working very closely,” the Armenian Prime Minister said. And speaking on Armenia’s economic ties with the EU, Pashinyan noted: “Of course, we want to be closer to the European Union also economically. But on the other hand, we want to be closer to the countries of our region also in terms of economy because, unfortunately, since our independence, we were in a kind of economic isolation because our borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan have been and are closed, and thus change is needed not only in our region, but also in the whole world”. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is also attending the forum and has held several bilateral meetings, including with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The World Economic Forum, which began on January 20 in Davos, Switzerland, will run until January 24 under the theme “Collaboration in the Age of Intelligence.” The event brings together around 3,000 leaders from over 130 countries, including 350 state officials and 60 heads of state and government from key regions worldwide. Source: commonspace.eu with World Economic Forum https://www.commonspace.eu/news/pashinyan-davos-armenias-foreign-policy-balancing-act-between-west-and-russia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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