new promising era New Promising Era "President" & VP Nikol Pashinian

[Yervant1]

Reuters

March 19 2024

Armenia's PM says he must return disputed areas to Azerbaijan or face war

By Felix Light

TBILISI, March 19 (Reuters) - Armenia could face a war with Azerbaijan if it does not compromise with Baku and return four Azerbaijani villages it has held since the early 1990s, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a video published on Tuesday.

Pashinyan was speaking during a meeting on Monday with residents of border areas in northern Armenia's Tavush region, close to a string of deserted Azerbaijani villages that Yerevan has controlled since the early 1990s.

The four villages, which have been uninhabited for over 30 years, are of strategic value to Armenia as they straddle the main road between Yerevan and the Georgian border.

Azerbaijan has said the return of its lands, which also include several tiny enclaves entirely surrounded by Armenian territory, is a necessary precondition for a peace deal to end three decades of conflict over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Baku's forces retook last September.

Russia's TASS state news agency quoted Pashinyan as telling residents in the video clip that was circulated by his government that failure to compromise over the disputed villages could lead to war with Azerbaijan "by the end of the week".

"I know how such a war would end," he added.

Yerevan suffered a major defeat last September when Baku's forces retook Nagorno-Karabakh in a lightning offensive, prompting almost all of that region's estimated 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia.

Though Karabakh is recognised internationally as Azerbaijani territory, the region's ethnic Armenians had enjoyed de facto independence from Baku since the war of the early 1990s.

PEACE TREATY

Baku and Yerevan have said they now want to sign a formal peace treaty, but talks have become bogged down in issues including demarcation of their 1,000 km (620 mile) shared border, which remains closed and heavily militarised.

Pashinyan has signalled in recent weeks that he is willing to return Azerbaijani land controlled by Armenia, and suggested rerouting Armenia's road network to avoid Azerbaijani territory.

Mainly Muslim Azerbaijan also continues to control areas internationally recognised as part of Christian Armenia.

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday his country was "closer than ever" to a peace with Armenia, in remarks made after holding talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Baku.

Stoltenberg held talks on Tuesday with Pashinyan in Armenia, which is nominally a Russian ally though its relations with Moscow have deteriorated in recent months over what Yerevan says is Russia's failure to protect it from Azerbaijan.

As a result, Armenia has pivoted its foreign policy towards the West, to Moscow's chagrin, with senior officials suggesting it might one day apply for European Union membership.

In a statement posted on Tuesday on the Telegram messaging app, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested Yerevan's deepening ties with the West were the reason for Armenia having to make concessions to Azerbaijan.

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Reporting by Felix Light in Tbilisi and Nailia Bagirova in Baku; Editing by Gareth Jones

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/armenias-pm-says-he-must-return-disputed-areas-azerbaijan-or-face-war-tass-2024-03-19/

[Yervant1]

 

ABC News

March 19 2024

 

Armenia's prime minister says quick border demarcation needed to avoid new conflict with Azerbaijan

Armenia’s prime minister says the Caucasus nation needs to quickly delimit the border with neighboring Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities

By AVET DEMOURIAN Associated Press

YEREVAN, Armenia -- Armenia's prime minister said Tuesday that the Caucasus nation needs to quickly define the border with neighboring Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities.

Last year, Azerbaijan waged a lightning military campaign to reclaim the Karabakh region, ending three decades of ethnic Armenian separatists’ rule there.

In December, the two sides agreed to begin negotiations on a peace treaty. However, many residents of Armenia’s border regions have resisted the demarcation effort, seeing it as Azerbaijan’s encroachment on the areas they consider their own.

Speaking to residents of the border village of Voskepar in the Tavush region, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned that Armenia's refusal to delineate the border could trigger a new confrontation.

“It would mean that a war could erupt by the end of the week,” Pashinyan said. He noted that the border demarcation should be based on mutual recognition of territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan based on Soviet maps from 1991, when they were both were part of the Soviet Union.

“We shouldn’t allow the war to start,” Pashinyan said. “And this is also the reason that we decided to go to delimitation of the borders in these parts of Armenia.”

The opposition has blamed Pashinyan and has organized a long series of protests against him for allowing Azerbaijan to rout ethnic Armenian forces and reclaim control over Karabakh. The region, known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh, and large swaths of surrounding territory came under full control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia at the end of a separatist war in 1994.

Azerbaijan regained parts of Karabakh and most of the surrounding territory in a six-week war in 2020. It then launched a blitz last September that routed the separatist forces in one day and forced them to lay down arms. More than 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled the region after that, leaving it nearly deserted.

The hostilities have badly strained Russia-Armenia ties, with Armenian authorities accusing Russian peacekeepers who were deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh after the 2020 war of failing to stop September's onslaught by Azerbaijan. Moscow, which has a military base in Armenia, has rejected the accusations, arguing that its troops didn’t have a mandate to intervene.

Moscow, in turn, has been angered by Pashinyan's efforts to deepen ties with the West and distance his country from a Russia-dominated security alliance of ex-Soviet nations. Russia was also vexed by Armenia's decision to join the International Criminal Court, which last year indicted Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes connected with the war in Ukraine.

Pashinyan underlined Armenia's intention to forge close relations with the West when he hosted visiting NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg for talks on Tuesday.

“We want to continue and develop the existing political dialogue and expand our partnership with the alliance and some of its members,” Pashinyan said after the talks.

He said Yerevan would welcome NATO's efforts to help normalize ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“We expect strong support from the international community, including NATO, for the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he said.

Stoltenberg, who traveled to Armenia to wrap up his three-day tour of the South Caucasus region that also involved visits to Azerbaijan and Georgia, praised Armenia for its contribution to NATO peacekeeping operations, including the alliance's peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. “NATO supports Armenian sovereignty and territorial integrity, and your peaceful aspirations,” he said.

Stoltenberg emphasized the need for for Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach an agreement on normalizing ties, emphasizing that “this matters for Euro-Atlantic security as we face a more dangerous world.”

During his visit to Azerbaijan on Sunday, the NATO chief encouraged it to "seize this opportunity to reach a lasting peace agreement with Armenia.”

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/armenias-prime-minister-quick-border-demarcation-needed-avoid-108268783

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

No agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan over maps - Pashinyan

16:53, 20 March 2024

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. As of now, there is no agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the maps that should be used in the delimitation process, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this Wednesday during a question-and-answer session with members of the government in the National Assembly.

"There is no agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the maps. There is an agreement that Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity on the basis of the Alma Ata Declaration.

However, there is an understanding that a delimitation process should take place between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the political basis of which should be the Alma Ata Declaration,’’the PM said.

The Prime Minister clarified the process of conducting border delimitation based on the Alma Ata Declaration.

“It does not mean to create a new border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but it means to re-express the most recent de jure borders of the Soviet Union on the ground," concluded Pashinyan.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1132846.html?fbclid=IwAR0sjvWIwOklP89C1KiQU2gQMnQm3eS35zyniNWpY0I4VA6-jbSIJvrlu78

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Armenia is not going to cede any of its internationally recognized territories: Pashinyan

17:39, 20 March 2024

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. The Republic of Armenia is not going to cede its internationally recognized territory to anyone.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this on Wednesday during a question-and-answer session with members of the government in the National Assembly, responding to a question posed by Levon Kocharyan, deputy of the 'Hayastan' (Armenia) faction, who noted that the Armenian side consistently makes concessions in negotiations with Azerbaijan but does not receive anything in return.

“The agreement that was recorded at the international level specifies that Armenia and Azerbaijan must recognize each other's territorial integrity. The territorial outline of the Republic of Armenia is based on the Alma Ata Declaration of 1991.

"This is the internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Armenia, and Armenia is not going to cede any of its internationally recognized territory. I believe this should be clear to everyone," said Pashinyan, adding that there are territories of the Republic of Armenia that are currently under occupation.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1132852.html?fbclid=IwAR2rLwPE2n2rOC1bk3tRPGMeXrd_MpN0Q2mpK6gqnNFx4IoxxGQRx9rs2O4

[Yervant1]

 

POLITICO

March 21 2024

 

Von der Leyen to hold Armenia crisis talks with US amid war fears

The meeting comes as Yerevan turns its back on former ally Moscow.

MARCH 21, 2024 12:24 PM CET

BY GABRIEL GAVIN

YEREVAN, Armenia — Top European Union and United States officials will meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in two weeks amid concerns a new conflict could break out with Azerbaijan.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will host both Pashinyan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 5 in Brussels, said Armen Grigoryan, the secretary of Armenia's Security Council, on Thursday.

"They plan to discuss aspects of trilateral cooperation that will contribute to the development of Armenia. The event also aims to strengthen Armenia's resilience," Grigoryan added.

Armenia, historically a close ally of Russia, has boosted ties with the West in the wake of the Kremlin's war on Ukraine, sending humanitarian aid to Kyiv, staging joint exercises with U.S. troops, and freezing its membership in Moscow's military alliance, the CSTO. Pashinyan's government has said it may even one day seek to join the EU.

Armenia's break with Russia comes after the Kremlin refused to take its side in a simmering conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan, which Pashinyan this week said could descend into another bloody war between the two former Soviet republics.

An Azerbaijani offensive in September last year conquered the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, triggering a mass exodus of its 100,000 Armenian residents as Russian peacekeepers watched on. Azerbaijan denies it has plans to launch an attack on Armenia itself.

While European Council President Charles Michel had historically handled talks with Armenia and Azerbaijan before the events in Nagorno-Karabakh, his team did not immediately respond to requests for comment or confirm whether he would attend the meeting with Pashinyan.

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-armenia-azerbaijan-crisis-ursula-von-der-leyen-antony-blinken-war-fears/

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Pashinyan to meet Von der Leyen and Blinken in Brussels

10:21, 21 March 2024

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. A meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will take place in Brussels on April 5, Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia told Armenpress.

During the meeting the parties will discuss aspects of trilateral cooperation contributing to the development of Armenia.

Question. Mr. Grigoryan, according to the Pashinyan-Von der Leyen joint statement of October 5, 2023 in Granada, President Von der Leyen informed Prime Minister Pashinyan about the preparation of a joint EU-US event to support Armenia. Is there any progress on organizing that event?

Answer: Not only is there progress, but the date of the event is set. A joint meeting between President Von der Leyen, Prime Minister Pashinyan and Secretary of State Blinken is scheduled to be held on April 5 in Brussels where they plan to discuss aspects of trilateral cooperation that will contribute to the development of Armenia. The event also aims to strengthen Armenia's resilience. There will be an opportunity to talk about the event in more detail in the near future.

On October 5, 2023, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a joint statement after a meeting in Granada. Ursula von der Leyen announced the preparation of a joint EU-US event to support Armenia.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1132886.html?fbclid=IwAR15SWMjXn2vofyn9w30xlBlyywUbo_t3QwwlxGdMeGhRxeIZ8MEOS8Kb_0

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

French Prime Minister demands Azerbaijan to withdraw troops from occupied Armenian positions

16:28, 21 March 2024

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has demanded Azerbaijan to withdraw its troops from the positions they have occupied in Armenia, Le Figaro reports.

The French Prime Minister said this at the annual dinner of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France, noting that the President of Azerbaijan himself admitted that Azerbaijani forces have advanced in several areas of the Republic of Armenia.

"Our task today is to help Armenia protect its independence, democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity," Attal said.

The Prime Minister of France also added that Russia wants to punish Armenia for its aspiration for peace, respect for its sovereignty, as well as for the principles that Moscow disrespects in Ukraine.

Attal mentioned Armenia's joining the International Criminal Court, stressing that Armenia has chosen the path of democracy and the rule of law.

The French Prime Minister emphasized that Moscow did not condemn Azerbaijan's use of force in Nagorno-Karabakh, where Armenians had lived until the end of last year, adding that the so-called Russian peacekeeping forces allowed a humanitarian crisis to occur there.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1132933.html?fbclid=IwAR23LTaxmSq9zRAW7INXPWnv5OAvoUnemKUL0VbeeMWX1AcoMPceMIIdoxE

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Armenia, Italy discuss prospects for defense cooperation

21:38, 21 March 2024

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. From 19 to 20 March, the Armenia-Italy defense consultations were held in Rome with the participation of the delegation led by the Head of the Defence Policy and International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, Levon Ayvazyan from the Armenian side, the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Throughout the consultations, the delegation of the Ministry of Defense has discussed with the Deputy Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Defence of Italy and Defense Policy Director, Major General Enrico Barduani, and the Head of the International Cooperation Branch of the Italian General Staff, Colonel Mattia Zuzzi, the current status of the of Armenia-Italy defense cooperation and prospects of its development.

During the discussion, Ayvazyan introduced the security situation around Armenia and the ongoing reforms of the Armed Forces.

The consultations culminated in the signing of the annual program of Armenia-Italy military cooperation, and several agreements were reached.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1132978.html?fbclid=IwAR3yiLKcY7vHbWcyRIkEGngTyVmnFvQJpJ0skw9ylB7Hyp0UE3PuROz8Nfo

[Yervant1]

WION, India

March 24 2024

At least two injured after attempting to attack police station in Armenian capital

Yerevan, ArmeniaEdited By: Nishtha Badgamia

Three gunmen on Sunday (Mar 24) tried to attack the police station in the Armenian capital city of Yerevan, said the country’s interior ministry. The incident left two of those who attempted to storm the police station injured after the men detonated a grenade and the third man has been detained.

What we know about the incident

Armenia’s interior ministry, as per preliminary information, said two of the three men had been wounded after the hand grenades they were carrying were detonated. The two injured had to be taken to the hospital after they sustained shrapnel wounds.

Meanwhile, the third man remained outside the police station which is located in the Nor Nork district of Yerevan. According to local media reports, the police engaged in negotiations with the attacker in an attempt to neutralise him.

None of the law enforcement personnel present at the police station were injured, said Armenia’s interior ministry. The incident took place around 5:00 pm (local time).

Armenia’s special police force was eventually able to detain the third gunman who remained inside, reported Russian news agency TASS.

According to the Russian news agency, the third man was holding a hand grenade with its pin pulled out before the police chief Aram Hovhannisyan arrived at the site.

Hovhannisyan tried to talk the attacker into surrendering for about 90 minutes before the building was stormed by the country’s special police force, reported TASS.

An AFP reporter at the scene said that he saw a man in military fatigues who was standing at the entrance to the building and threatening to detonate a hand grenade.

Armenia interior ministry spokesperson Narek Sargsyan told AFP that he was later disarmed and detained.

“The man was in an inadequate state and it was impossible to understand what he was demanding,” said Sargsyan.

About the attackers

The Armenian health ministry described the condition of those injured as moderate and said their legs were wounded.

Prior to the attempted attack on Sunday, Interfax news agency citing local media reported that the gunmen might belong to the Combat Brotherhood organisation after around 50 of their members had been detained earlier in the day.

However, the organisation has since denied the report saying it had nothing to do with the incident, according to a report by Sputnik Armenia.

(With inputs from agencies)

https://www.wionews.com/world/armed-gunmen-attack-police-station-in-armenian-capital-several-injured-reports-703832

[Yervant1]

March 24 2024

Armenia: Armed men stormed a police station in Yerevan

According to what was reported by the Russian news agency "Tass", the three have asked for the resignation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan

The operation of the special forces of the Armenian Security Service at the police station in the administrative district of Nor-Nork has ended, in the northeast of Yerevan. The building had been attacked by three armed individuals.

Two of them were injured in the explosion of a grenade they had used during the break-in, while a third managed to remain inside the structure and the intervention of special forces was necessary to arrest him.

According to what was reported by the Russian news agency "Tass", the three have asked for the resignation of the Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan. None of the officers present at the police station were injured, according to Yerevan's Interior Ministry.

The deputy mayor of Yerevan, Armen Pambukhchyan, called the action of the three men "a terrorist attack".

https://www.agenzianova.com/en/news/armenia-uomini-armati-hanno-fatto-irruzione-in-una-stazione-di-polizia-a-erevan/

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

EU must reconsider its relations with Azerbaijan: Discussion on Armenia and Nagorno- Karabakh at the Belgian Senate

18:08, 25 March 2024

YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. A roundtable discussion titled “The Geopolitical Developments in the South Caucasus: Focus on Armenia and Artsakh took place at the Belgian Senate on March 25.

The purpose of the conference was a comprehensive analysis of geopolitical developments in the South Caucasus region since September 2020, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the challenges facing the Republic of Armenia.

The keynote speakers of the roundtable discussion were Els Van Hoof, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Belgian Federal Parliament; Paul Meerts, International negotiation analyst and co-founder of Clingendael Institute; Benyamin Poghosyan, Senior Research Fellow at the Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia; Gegham Stepanyan, Ombudsman of Nagorno-Karabakh.

 

Other Belgian politicians and public figures, representatives of the Belgian Armenian community, as well as representatives of other minorities, participated in the round table discussion. The round table discussion was led by Belgian Senator Mark Demesmaeker.

 

In his opening speech, Senator Demesmaeker mentioned that it is important for him, both as a politician and personally, to keep the events of Nagorno-Karabakh and Artsakh Armenians on the agenda. "Historical injustice does not leave Armenians. When I visited Artsakh, I saw people with values of freedom and peace, who, despite being isolated, tried to maintain an independent economy and resist challenges, with democratically elected authorities.

For me, the right to self-determination is a key issue, and I am convinced that democracies should unite around it," the Senator noted, adding that Artsakh Armenians want to return to their homeland in a dignified manner, and ignoring this desire is unacceptable.

Vardan Sargsyan, Deputy Head of the Armenian Mission to the EU, noted in his speech that although the war is over, Azerbaijan's aggressive rhetoric and unilateral demands continue. "Armenia itself is facing serious challenges today in order to preserve its sovereignty and independence," Sargsyan said.

The President of the EAFJD, Kaspar Karapetian mentioned that the current situation is the most difficult period for the Armenian people since the Armenian Genocide, but the struggle will continue.

 

"Azerbaijan is cynically demolishing the building of the Nagorno-Karabakh National Assembly and attempting to erase every Armenian trace, trying to conduct unbalanced peace negotiations. This behavior is not surprising at all. The EU should reevaluate its relations with Azerbaijan and exert diplomatic pressure on Baku. Ultimately, in order to end the injustice and impunity, sanctions should be applied against the regime in Baku," stated Els Van Hoof, who had long been blacklisted by Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan suddenly attempted to contact and invite Els Van Hoof to Baku, but was declined.

 

Gegham Stepanyan stressed the importance of holding such discussions on the European platform, stressing with regret that the issue of the return of Artsakh Armenians is not on the agenda as it should have been, and there is a need for the help of the international community in this matter.

"Our rights do not only have a financial aspect, it is important for us to return to our homes with dignity and preserve our identity," Stepanyan added.

According to political scientist Benyamin Poghosyan, the long-standing dream of Turkey and Azerbaijan is to have a common land border, which they can only achieve in the region at the expense of Armenia. Poghosyan also notes that there are obligations that Azerbaijan must undertake, but unfortunately, there is no effective mechanism that will compel President Aliyev to fulfill them.

Furthermore, the political scientist states that the EU cannot ensure Armenia's security due to its lack of an army. However, it is essential to encourage European partners to invest in Armenia and establish a presence to enhance security.

During the question and answer session, it was emphasized that in the current geopolitical context, it is necessary at all costs to prevent Azerbaijan's "salami tactics" and strengthen the Armenian army.

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1133240.html?fbclid=IwAR15BWaJ0-ONP0OhPo2Hs9drSPxOGqBluyfe1xRG6UbiBq60Gkw72uTe84k

[MosJan]

[MosJan]

i don't know

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Rasmussen considers the policy pursued by Armenian government “courageous”

11:12, 27 March 2024

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS. Former Danish Prime Minister and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called Armenia “a democracy in an incredibly difficult geopolitical neighbourhood”.

After the release of a report by the Friends of Armenia Network, led by him, Rasmussen said that Prime Minister Pashinyan’s government has made the courageous decision to diversify Armenia’s foreign policy and move towards the West.

“The world’s democracies - and the European Union, in particular - must act to support Armenia in this pivot,” he said.

Referring to the events in Nagorno-Karabakh, former NATO Secretary General said:

“This support has become even more important following Azerbaijan’s 2023 offensive against the ethnic-Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and the continued threat posed by Azeri forces.

“Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has shown that the European Union must do far more to stand up for democracies in its direct neighbourhood.”

Rasmussen also expressed the opinion that Europe has an opportunity to “support a stable democracy and lasting peace in the South Caucasus”.

“Today’s report outlines the tangible steps that can and should be taken, ultimately leading to Armenia joining the European Union,” he added.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1133367.html?fbclid=IwAR3kEvgZmwsF-GOtU_-adk4GUVA6smcRILl_exbLBPn1iRlZ7wPpdZ0S-YE_aem_AWAq2L16KF9F-PVxfMm8b3YHyRTbyM6oIjucjz2R4pOOsiDXCMb0BgAGwsqzllgjMV4CKS1kYIEQWSUeW-eBDCn4

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Upcoming Armenia-US-EU high-level meeting not directed to any third party - Foreign Ministry

21:35, 27 March 2024

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS. The high-level meeting scheduled for April 5 in Brussels will be dedicated to strengthening Armenia-EU-US cooperation and is not and could not be directed against any third party, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan said in response to Armenpress question.

The interview with Ani Badalyan is presented below:

- The Azerbaijani side, referring to the upcoming Armenia-EU-USA meeting, notes that it is not inclusive, and could also induce Armenia to destabilize the situation in the region.

- The high-level meeting of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan scheduled for April 5 in Brussels will be dedicated to strengthening cooperation between Armenia, the EU, and the US. It is not and could not be directed against any third party.

As for Azerbaijan's accusations of destabilizing the situation in the region and the lack of constructivness from the Armenian side in the negotiation process, let me once again confirm that based on the principles already agreed upon with Azerbaijan, Armenia is ready to immediately sign a peace treaty, conduct border demarcation, and open regional communications. We are referring to the following three principles.

Principle 1: Armenia and Azerbaijan mutually recognize each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. This principle was agreed between Armenia and Azerbaijan on October 6, 2022 in Prague, through the mediation of French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Council President Charles Michel, then reaffirmed on May 14, 2023 and July 15, 2023 in Brussels through the mediation of EU Council President Charles Michel.

Principle 2: Armenia and Azerbaijan reaffirm their unconditional commitment to the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration as the political basis for the border demarcation.

This principle was agreed upon by Armenia and Azerbaijan on October 6, 2022, in Prague, with the mediation of French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Council President Charles Michel. It was then reaffirmed on May 14 and July 15, 2023, in Brussels with the mediation of EU Council President Charles Michel.

This means that a new border between Armenia and Azerbaijan should not be created, but the borders that existed de jure within the framework of the USSR at the time of the adoption of the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration should be reproduced on the ground. After redrawing the border, de jure territories belonging to each country must be under that country’s control.

Principle 3: Regional communications should be opened on the basis of the principle of sovereignty and jurisdiction of countries, within the framework of equality and reciprocity.

This principle was agreed between Armenia and Azerbaijan on July 15, 2023 in Brussels through the mediation of the President of the European Council Charles Michel. Regarding the issue, the Republic of Armenia has expressed its willingness in the "Crossroads of Peace" project, which has been widely accepted by the international community.

Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani side is delaying and undermining the peace process under various artificial pretexts, including constantly rejecting mediation proposals from the EU and the United States. Instead of complaining about inclusiveness, Azerbaijan might eventually consider accepting proposals for a meeting at the level of foreign ministers in Washington and at the level of heads of state in Brussels. It is also worth mentioning Azerbaijan's ongoing actions, such as attempts to exclude Armenia from regional projects and their efforts to undermine the principle of inclusivity. A vivid example of this is their obstruction of Armenia’s participation in the Black Sea Electric Cable project.

- The Azerbaijani side has once again expressed its displeasure regarding the EU monitoring mission in Armenia. What do you think about this?

 

- It is important to assess the security situation in which the EU mission was deployed. This followed a large-scale attack and occupation of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia by Azerbaijan in September 2022. Even today, approximately 208 square kilometers of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia are under the occupation of Azerbaijan. We highly appreciate the role of the EU monitoring mission in curbing ambitions to use force in the region and strengthening stability on the Armenia-Azerbaijan interstate border.

 

We also welcome the EU's decision made several months ago, regarding the increase in the number of mission members. It is also appropriate to remind that during the quadrilateral meeting held in Prague on October 6, 2022, Azerbaijan itself welcomed the proposal of the President of the European Council and the President of France to deploy an EU observation mission not only in Armenia but also in Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, Azerbaijan later abandoned that position.

- What are the expectations of the Armenian side from the upcoming high-level meeting between Armenia, the USA, and the EU on April 5?

- The meeting is a valuable opportunity to discuss the bilateral agendas between Armenia and the US, Armenia and the EU, as well as issues related to Armenia-US-EU relations. We expect substantive discussions on political dialogue, the development of Armenia’s capabilities in the economic and energy spheres, and solutions to the humanitarian problems facing Armenia. The high-level meeting is aimed at developing and deepening existing relations and is not associated with any third countries. Claims that it is directed against anyone are irrelevant, baseless, and artificial.

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1133447.html?fbclid=IwAR3S_h9A01f4QyCqPJybTXb6g-DzFHlWZGurCdTrbxsT_pMXGhYNpw1VfJM_aem_AWDzi9egvAbufqE2Hulql72YOjNDQOOz3EusNgOOnssGen9f6LymWP56sZSrdTsdiD27ZY8mhVGiwP7EPVOHMUjF

[Yervant1]

MEHR News Agency, Iran

March 28 2024

Armenia does not recognize Karabakh government in exile

TEHRAN, Mar. 28 (MNA) – Statements that the so-called government-in-exile of the unrecognized Karabakh Republic is operating in Armenia are a threat to national security, official Yerevan does not recognize such a structure, Nikol Pashinyan said.

Former Karabakh Republic President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree on September 28, 2023, officially dissolving the unrecognized state effective January 1, 2024. However, he said today in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro that the government of the Karabakh Republic in exile exists and is in Yerevan, TASS reported.

"I cannot but note that some circles, forcibly displaced from Karabakh, voluntarily or involuntarily take actions and steps that threaten Armenia’s national security, declare some governments in exile. I would like to state very clearly that there is a government in the Republic of Armenia and this government is sitting in this room. The message is very clear: in case of necessity, appropriate steps should be taken so that foreign forces do not use certain circles to create threats to Armenia’s national security. I would like to make it clear that there can be no government in the Republic of Armenia other than the government of the Republic of Armenia. If someone in Armenia identifies with a government, it is a matter of national security. This is not a simple statement, it is a clear message, and this message must be expressed in real life," he said.

SD/PR

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/213325/Armenia-does-not-recognize-Karabakh-government-in-exile

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

US disagrees with Azerbaijani claims that upcoming Armenia-EU-US meeting could lead to escalation in the South Caucasus

10:15, 28 March 2024

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. Washington does not agree with the Azerbaijani claims that the trilateral meeting between Armenia, EU and US to be held in Brussels on April 5 could lead to escalation in the South Caucasus, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a briefing.

He disagreed with the reaction of the Azerbaijani side which described the Armenia-EU-US meeting as “dividing” and said the US and EU might share responsibility for potential escalation following the meeting.

“So, I obviously would not agree with those comments. The focus of this meeting is on economic resilience to help Armenia diversify its trade partnerships and address humanitarian needs. I fail to see why that would be escalatory or would be of a concern to any country in the world,” Miller said.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1133461.html?fbclid=IwAR1qAy6CCDDnLocWWb0APPHmPayc3WNsdILCkUNF3tGB5_XO33ktrzJkjBk_aem_AdvdFVvNIXVKE-WjiMzijXnPn_ZvzwvQ86uve3GVp87StYtWQZgWqgCXDCrOFWwtMTQ8andUNa3YrnfcXJgTi6bk

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

We have a duty to help Armenia in the fight against the aggressor - Anne-Laurence Petel

16:30, 28 March 2024

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. Anne-Laurence Petel, the head of the France-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group of the French National Assembly, believes that France has a role to play in strengthening Armenia's defense capability and sovereignty. According to her, France has become a key partner of Armenia in the field of defense, which allows the country to balance relations with its aggressive neighbor, Azerbaijan.

In an interview with "Armenpress," Anne-Laurence Petel discussed France's efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the prospects for cooperation between the two countries in defense, economy, and culture, and the resolution adopted by the French Senate. The resolution condemns Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenia and calls on Azerbaijan to ensure the safe return of those forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, providing suitable conditions for their safety and well-being.

-As the head of the Friendship Group with Armenia in the French Parliament, what is the agenda for your first visit to our country?

-This is my fourth, maybe even the fifth visit to Armenia. However, it is the first time I am visiting Armenia as the chairman of the friendship group. Our delegation includes MPs from different beliefs and factions. We have a multi-party delegation, which reflects the consensus of all political parties to support Armenia.

- In January, the French parliament adopted a resolution condemning Azerbaijan's aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh. It has not received much attention. Will you elaborate, what was the content of the resolution?

-Yes, indeed. The resolution was adopted by the French Senate. It calls on Azerbaijan to ensure the right of return for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, guaranteeing conditions that will ensure their safety and well-being. Additionally, it condemns the occupation of Armenian territories by Azerbaijan and calls for Azerbaijan to withdraw its armed forces from Armenian territory.

- It also calls to apply sanctions against Azerbaijan.

- Yes it calls for sanctions.

- What is your opinion about the cooperation between France and Armenia?

- The cooperation between France and Armenia occurs at several levels. The primary level, currently under active discussion and considered highly significant, pertains to safeguarding Armenia's borders and territorial integrity. This defense cooperation has significantly accelerated in recent months and has garnered unanimous support within the France-Armenia parliamentary friendship group, as well as across all political parties.

As the president of the friendship group, I find the unanimity regarding France's assistance to Armenia in the field of defense very encouraging. However, when it comes to economic cooperation, it still does not align with the depth of friendship and political relations between France and Armenia.

France is currently the 11th economic partner of Armenia, but it is important to accelerate this cooperation. Some time ago, during the reburial ceremony of Missak Manouchian, during the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan and Gabriel Attal (the Prime Minister of France), the parties agreed to resume the "Ambitions of France and Armenia" initiative initiated by President Macron two years ago.

We will now closely follow the implementation of this initiative to promote it. Working groups will be established on both sides to enhance our economic cooperation. It is a very positive step that both sides have taken to expedite these economic discussions and introduce concrete mechanisms for their implementation.

There is already a structure working to coordinate these efforts, and my next step will be to discuss with the ministries ways to strengthen this cooperation and advance it. As a friendship group, we also expect the active work of the deputies in this direction.

-How can France assist in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

Through diplomacy. It is obvious and France has done a lot in that direction. Even after 2020, France has done everything to contribute to the settlement of the conflict and, first of all, to the signing of the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

However, in recent months, especially since September 2023, and following the incidents that occurred on Armenian territory in 2021 and 2022, it has become clear that France has a role to play in strengthening Armenia's defense capability and sovereignty.

Indeed, it has become clear that Russia is no longer a reliable ally for Armenia. Consequently, France has emerged as a key partner for Armenia in the defense sector, enabling Armenia to maintain a more balanced relationship with its aggressive neighbor, Azerbaijan. Therefore, France's role is twofold: to contribute to peaceful conflict resolution efforts and to support the enhancement of Armenia's defense capabilities. As President Macron emphasized back in 2020, this entails identifying the aggressor and supporting the defending party in its defensive actions.

A very delicate diplomatic game is currently unfolding. Armenia is clearly expressing its desire to draw closer to Europe and distance itself from Russia. Particularly in this context, any declaration of support from France can create tension.

In reality, France supports Armenia in strengthening its institutions and realizing its aspiration to advance on the path of democracy.

That is why France is Armenia's partner, as Armenia has chosen the path of greater independence. It is not about replacing dependence on Russia with dependence on another country, but about strengthening Armenia's ability to become a true democracy with all the implications that this entails, including in the field of defense.

Indeed, Armenia is seeking partnerships in various sectors, including defense. We must be realistic: Russia is no longer an entirely reliable ally for Armenia. It did not fulfill its role during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which prompted Armenia to look for other, more reliable partners, such as France.

Regarding Europe, we would like to draw the attention of our European partners to these issues. Armenia needs to find reliable partners, and France is one of them.

The main factor in all of this is not just closeness but also the reliability of the partnership. Russia is geographically close to Armenia and still holds significant influence not only in terms of security but also in the economy.

- How do you assess economic cooperation between Armenia and France, and what opportunities do you see?

Regarding economic cooperation between Armenia and France, it is currently modest. As mentioned earlier, France is Armenia's 11th economic partner. Despite our strong friendship and significant support in the defense sector, our economic ties and the presence of French companies in Armenia remain limited. This is an area where we need to accelerate our efforts.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently met with members of the "French Enterprise Movement" organization (MEDEF), which also underscores the need for the development of economic partnership between Armenia and France. It is important to advance our economic interests. During the Prime Minister's recent visit to France, discussions also covered the possibilities of French investment in Armenian infrastructure, including participation in the construction of the North-South road and involvement in the energy sector.

- I would ask you to tell about the current initiatives aimed at strengthening cultural ties between France and Armenia.

We met with the former Minister of Culture of France at the end of October. During that meeting, several agreements on cooperation with Armenia in the field of culture were discussed.

I am going to meet with the new French Minister of Culture to take stock of these partnerships and make sure they are progressing as planned.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1133512.html?fbclid=IwAR1G8hsGwJIWC1ddfvX2BPeJ_POO4Nkq--oh9vHADTMIfJAMn_wv7LELuew_aem_AdtF7jDvwoenFxOWB7lxdPSHEW82NkCXcgSks9RVt8VZv3VpBkNl7n-YIaKzNIDqu6Gs-GWUGlp45trFuRYu219J

[Yervant1]

MSN

March 28 2024

RBC Ukraine

Breaking away from Moscow: How Armenia shifts toward EU and possible Russia's reaction

Story by Dmytro Levytskyi, Kateryna Danishevska

Why did Armenia lean toward Europe, whether the people support the position of official Yerevan, and how Russia might react to the Armenian aspirations - read in the material by RBC-Ukraine.

The articles by Hraparak, News.am, ArmenPress, TRT World, and Russian media, as well as comments from Armenian political analysts Armen Hovhannisyan and Ruben Mehrabyan were used to prepare the material.

In early March, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, confirmed rumors that official Yerevan is considering a course toward joining the European Union. At the same time, Armenian media reported that the application for EU membership may be submitted no later than fall of this year. Such deadlines were supposedly set by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Before this, Armenia suspended its participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), after which Pashinyan even threatened a complete withdrawal of the country from the organization. And the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, hinted that Russian border guards could be expelled from the Zvartnots airport in Yerevan.

Karabakh rift

Relations between Armenia and Russia began to cool several years ago. During the Velvet Revolution in 2018, when thousands of Armenians took to the streets against the appointment of former President Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister and demanded a renewal of power in the country, Russia's behavior was peculiar.

Although official Moscow essentially silently observed the events, some representatives of the Russian elite still spoke rather unfavorably about the events in Yerevan. In particular, the press secretary of Rosneft Mikhail Leontiev called Armenia "burdensome" for Russia, which led to the Kremlin spokesman having to justify it.

Already then, the majority opinion among Armenians began to drift toward greater openness of Yerevan not only to relations with Russia but also with the European Union and the United States, said Armenian political analyst Armen Hovhannisyan to RBC-Ukraine. "Moreover, these discrepancies between the Armenian government and the Kremlin have been widening all the time. And this also influenced the change of priorities in Armenian society," he explained.

Relations between Moscow and Yerevan began to cool as early as 2018 (photo: Getty Images)

But the turning point in Armenia's turn away from Russia, according to Hovhannisyan, can undoubtedly be considered the Second Karabakh War in 2020. During the escalation of the conflict with Azerbaijan, Armenia relied on the support of its CSTO ally, but it was obvious that Moscow had agreements with Baku and Ankara, and this overlap of the region was part of its plans.

"That became the starting point. Especially when after the war, people began to analyze Russia's behavior, what directives came from Moscow, and how the most closely associated with Russia political and military figures behaved, it became quite obvious that Russia in this war not only did not fulfill any obligations but was an ally of Armenia's enemies," explained Hovhannisyan.

The events of the fall of 2022, when Azerbaijan forcibly regained territories in Nagorno-Karabakh, Moscow essentially offered Yerevan to fulfill all of Baku's conditions, and Russian peacekeepers only hindered the Armenian troops, further influencing the attitude of the Armenian majority toward Russia.

After all the mentioned events, an ideological revolution of attitudes took place in Armenia, as well as a reassessment of attitudes toward the West. And Russia is no longer perceived by the majority as an ally. On the contrary, today Russia is in the "honorable trio" of Armenian enemies, along with Turkiye and Azerbaijan, according to Hovhannisyan, as evidenced by sociological surveys.

"This is how the population perceives it. Moreover, any steps or rhetoric by the state aimed at criticizing Russians receive a response. Specifically, an electoral response, let's say. For example, the "Republic Party" in the elections to the Yerevan City Council gained 11% of the votes precisely due to this anti-Russian rhetoric and became effectively a coalition partner of the ruling party," noted the political analyst.

Residents of the border regions of Armenia also have an unfriendly attitude toward Moscow, having experienced Russia's "allied assistance" firsthand. Especially when Russian peacekeepers fled from the border without warning Armenians about Azerbaijan's intentions to invade.

However, Armenia has never had friendly relations with Russia, another Armenian political analyst, Ruben Mehrabyan, pointed out in an interview with RBC-Ukraine. "There was never any friendship. It was imperial politics, combining soft power, repression, aggression, and instigation of neighbors. In an empire, there are no friends. There could be no friendship by nature," he explained.

Armenia fell into Russian dependence almost immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when, according to Mehrabyan, Russia was perceived as irreversibly undemocratic and imperialistic. In 1997, a treaty of friendship and mutual assistance was signed between Moscow and Yerevan. It was a strategic mistake of the then-Armenian government.

"And it immediately backfired against Armenia, literally within a year with a state coup, and another year later with a terrorist act in the Armenian parliament, when the legitimate government was decapitated, and a 20-year criminal dictatorship began in the country. As a result, all assets were transferred to Russia. Now it is time to correct these mistakes and eliminate the consequences," Mehrabyan added.

Heading West

After the Russian betrayal during the Second Karabakh War, Armenia de facto withdrew from the CSTO, but de jure remains a member of the organization. At the end of February this year, Pashinyan publicly acknowledged for the first time the suspension of Armenia's participation in the CSTO and did not rule out a full withdrawal.

By mid-March, the Armenian Prime Minister effectively issued an ultimatum to Moscow, stating that the final decision regarding participation in the CSTO would depend on whether the organization clarifies what they see as their zone of responsibility.

"If not, Armenia will withdraw from the CSTO. When – I can't say," warned Pashinyan, also recalling the organization's inaction during the escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Another blow to the Kremlin was Pashinyan's demand that Russian border guards stationed at Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport, under the 1992 agreement on controlling Armenia's borders with Iran and Turkiye, be removed by August of this year.

At the same time, discussions about a shift toward the European Union began in Yerevan. In early March, rumors circulated in Armenian media that Pashinyan intends to apply for EU membership, supposedly planning to do so by this fall. A few days later, in an interview with the Turkish channel TRT, Foreign Minister Mirzoyan stated that new opportunities are actively being discussed in Armenia, including the idea of EU membership.

The reaction of the Armenian population to the pro-Western steps of the official Yerevan is mostly positive, assures Mehrabyan. Moreover, there is a demand to expedite this process and not only limit it to statements but also to take concrete actions.

"Because there is now a real social demand to eliminate Russian military presence in Armenia, to officially withdraw from the CSTO, not only de facto but also de jure, and, of course, to apply for candidate status for EU membership," he added.

Armenia is also urged to take active steps within the European Union itself. In March, the European Parliament adopted a resolution hinting at readiness to support Armenia's European integration if official Yerevan chooses this path.

"Should Armenia be interested in applying for candidate status and continuing on its path of sustained reforms consolidating its democracy, this could set the stage for a transformative phase in EU-Armenia relations," the resolution text states, which, according to Pashinyan, is another reason to discuss Armenia's future vision.

It is necessary to understand that this is not a one-step process, Mehrabyan noted in a conversation with RBC-Ukraine, but it is very important for a political decision to be made and for some idea of its phased implementation to be formed.

"Because over the past 30 years, we have become so deeply entrenched in this swamp that we simply cannot get out in one day," he explained.

According to Armen Hovhannisyan, despite publications in the media, there is no talk today of Armenia applying for EU membership. In general, it is difficult to predict the behavior of the Pashinyan government, as it is tied to fears of Russia. But, as Hovhannisyan added, at the official level, a certain agreement between Armenia and the EU is being prepared.

"It is quite likely that it will be an association agreement. We have the CEPA agreement, which is an agreement on comprehensive cooperation between the EU and Armenia. In 2013, we were ready to sign an association agreement even before Nikol Pashinyan came to power. This caused a reaction from Russia. Former President Serzh Sargsyan was summoned to Moscow, and overnight, Armenia applied to join the Eurasian Economic Union. Many consider this a black day for Armenia," said Hovhannisyan.

According to the analyst, the association agreement between Armenia and the EU could be signed as early as this summer. Another document that could cement Armenia's desire to become an EU member, in his opinion, does not exist today.

Threat from Moscow

The main problem for Armenia on its path to the EU undoubtedly can be considered Russia. Moscow blocked Yerevan's pro-European course in 2013 and will try to repeat it. Moreover, Russia is already making significant efforts toward this today, say the experts to RBC-Ukraine.

Moscow has a large toolkit to pressure Yerevan - from military presence in Armenian territory to fueling a new phase of the war with Azerbaijan. Russia, as Mehrabyan explained, uses Azerbaijan as a "blunt heavy object," and Azerbaijan willingly allows it to be used.

"This is essentially a war provocation. Azerbaijan's attack on Armenia. This is already being talked about publicly. Personally by Pashinyan. This is practically hinted at in Russia," emphasized Hovhannisyan in a conversation with RBC-Ukraine.

Indeed, as early as February this year, Pashinyan spoke of Azerbaijan's preparation for war with Armenia, and Russia, according to him, is adding fuel to the fire. The threat of aggression from Baku was also discussed in the US Department of State. At the same time, Moscow doesn’t even hide the fact that it is a beneficiary of this instability in the region and resorts to overt threats toward Armenia.

"The continuation of Yerevan's current course may ultimately inflict irreparable damage on our allied relations, create serious risks to the sovereignty of the republic, and finally destroy the existing effective mechanisms for ensuring the country's security," said the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, in March.

Another scenario, according to Hovhannisyan, is the activation of the fifth column in Armenia. That is the activation of opponents of Eurointegration and supporters of Armenia's existence in the Russian orbit. This fifth column, as the political analyst added, includes the entire opposition in the Armenian parliament.

"Currently, there is such a moment, let's say, a pre-mobilization for such forces. And this can be perfectly combined. Azerbaijani aggression, a difficult situation on the front and the border, possibly a humanitarian crisis. And against this background, those whom we call the fifth column of Russia in Armenia are already being activated," explained Hovhannisyan.

However, as the analyst pointed out, even those forces that oppose the European choice, their main argument is not the goodness of Russia or that it is an effective form of ensuring security, but that the Kremlin's revenge would be terrible, and it simply won’t let Armenia go. In other words, the Armenian population is simply being intimidated.

"So even those propagandists who oppose the European and Western choice, they present Russia to the population as a bogeyman, as a scary monster, with whom it is better to live in peace than to be in conflict. But they get an adequate response, and although this scare tactic exists, it becomes less and less effective," he added.

The West's factor

Keeping Azerbaijan from a new war against Armenia could be aided by the West. Specifically, American intervention compelled Baku to halt its "counterterrorism operation" in Nagorno-Karabakh in the fall of 2023. NATO's Secretary-General recently visited Baku and Yerevan to emphasize the importance of peace in the South Caucasus and urge Azerbaijan to sign a peace deal with Armenia.

The European Union acts as a mediator between Baku and Yerevan. Last year, the President of the European Council convened leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for negotiations in Brussels. In early April, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, plans to meet with Pashinyan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss strengthening Yerevan's stability.

France undoubtedly stands as Armenia's main ally in the West, with a powerful Armenian diaspora within the country. French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly defended Yerevan and accused Russia of stoking the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"Do you see what is happening? This is Russia's attempt to destabilize the situation. It wants to create chaos in the Caucasus to destabilize all of us," said the French President during the height of the Second Karabakh War.

This year, Macron began supplying arms to Armenia. This marked the first instance of a CSTO country receiving arms from a NATO member. Initially, rifles, radars, and armored vehicles were discussed, but Paris was prepared to provide missiles and anti-aircraft systems to Yerevan.

"I won't delve into excessive details about what weaponry will be sent, but all of it is defensive equipment because the priority in this region is the protection of populations and borders," stated French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

Today, according to Armenian political analysts, the West is helping Armenia normalize relations with Azerbaijan and Turkiye. For example, the issue of opening the Armenian-Turkish border and establishing diplomatic relations is one of the conditions for selling F-16 fighter jets to Turkiye. Although Ankara tries to tie compliance with these demands to a peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan, it only increases pressure on Turkiye and Azerbaijan.

Alone, admits Hovhannisyan, Armenia finds it difficult to be prepared to confront Russia and Azerbaijan. But today, the West, diplomatically, and in the case of France, even militarily, demonstrates that in the event of a conflict, it will unequivocally support Armenia through all available means.

"This is not my phrase 'through all available means' – it's a phrase of Mr. O'Brien, the US Assistant Secretary of State. This phrase has already been voiced practically twice. Once during hearings in the US Congress, and the second time already in November 2023 when the conflict with Azerbaijan was very close to realization," Hovhannisyan added.

Ukrainian-Armenian relations

Since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, official Yerevan has attempted to avoid this issue in the public domain and effectively refrained from making statements regarding Kremlin aggression. However, against the backdrop of strained relations with Moscow, Yerevan's position began to undergo a radical change.

For instance, on the eve of the second anniversary of the start of the great war, Pashinyan stated that Armenia was not on Russia's side, and in general, regarding aggression toward Ukraine, Yerevan is not Moscow's ally.

"We regret that we cannot influence this situation. The people of Ukraine are friendly to us," emphasized Pashinyan.

Last September, the wife of the Armenian Prime Minister, Anna Akopyan, visited Kyiv to participate in a summit of first ladies and gentlemen organized by Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska. It was then also known that Armenia had sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine for the first time since the full-scale invasion. And in October, on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit in Granada, the first meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Nikol Pashinyan took place.

Another significant step toward the West and Ukraine was that Pashinyan did not congratulate Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on the victory in the election held by the Kremlin, including in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

"Undoubtedly, these are all symbols. This is such an obvious positive trend, although I consider it insufficient, it is impossible to deny that it exists," said political analyst Mehrabyan in a conversation with RBC-Ukraine.

According to him, this is due to the commonality of goals, interests, and values between Armenia and Ukraine, which are based on perceiving the international order in the post-Soviet space based on the 1991 borders.

"This is what Russia denies. Because Russia's obvious goal is to restore the Russian Empire within the former Soviet Union. And just like a hundred years ago, Moscow decided first and foremost to crush Ukraine, and dealing with the rest of the countries, according to Moscow's logic, would be easier. But everything has failed and continues to fail in Moscow," he said.

Mehrabyan is convinced that Ukraine will achieve the restoration of its territorial integrity. And this will be the guarantee that Armenia and Armenians will also succeed in holding out.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/breaking-away-from-moscow-how-armenia-shifts-toward-eu-and-possible-russias-reaction/ar-BB1kKlaH

[MosJan]

[Yervant1]

 

March 30 2024

 

The regional alliance of India-Armenia-Greece and the Caucasus

As is known, the war in Nagorno-Karabakh against the Armenians and the further strengthening of Azerbaijan, which ensured full control of the region, had a noticeable impact locally and outside the South Caucasus and has become a focus in the major geopolitical conflict between the West and Russia.

However, not only is the "collective West" struggling to strengthen its position in this region, but also India, the largest country in the world, which four years ago was hardly interested in the South Caucasus.

Today, India, worried about the further strengthening of the alliance between Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Turkey, formed during the last Nagorno-Karabakh war, saw it as a threat to its interests and rapidly expanded bilateral relations with Armenia.

Armenia opens to India

It is noted that Yerevan is trying to end its dependence on Moscow. New Delhi has not only become the leading supplier of weapons to Armenia but is also discussing plans with Yerevan to develop cooperation in other areas further.

However, to gain a foothold in the South Caucasus, India is not content with bilateral relations with Armenia; it is also considering multilateral partnerships. For example, today, Indian experts are increasingly discussing the prospects of an India-Iran-Armenia tripartite alliance.

And Greece enters the game.

The deepening of Azerbaijan's military-political alliance with Pakistan and Turkey and the strengthening of Ankara's role in the South Caucasus cause genuine concern not only in India but also in Greece, which has begun to deepen relations with Armenia in recent years.

Several weeks ago, documents on military-technical cooperation between Athens and Yerevan were signed.

The India-Armenia-Greece regional alliance

The fact that Greece and India are equally concerned about Turkey's growing role in the region creates concrete prospects for forming another regional alliance: India–Armenia—Greece.

Indian political scientist Mahesh Ranjan Debata believes this alliance can act as a balancing force against the region's Azerbaijan-Turkey-Pakistan axis.

Which, in all probability, is unlikely to please Russia.

The political scientist recalled that Armenia and India signed an agreement on the supply of weapons right after the Nagorno-Karabakh war and the Turkey-Pakistan rapprochement on the Kashmir issue.

The expert added that New Delhi and Yerevan have established mutually beneficial cooperation, with India expanding its arms export market and Armenia acquiring defensive weapons. India and Greece built axes in opposition to Azerbaijan's military-political alliance with Turkey and Pakistan.

Mahesh Ranjan Debata said the agreement between Azerbaijan and Pakistan to supply Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder fighters to Baku also impacts Armenia-India security cooperation.

At the same time, the Indian political scientist pointed out the importance of increasing the annual trade turnover between Armenia and India, which has reached one billion dollars, and also expressed the hope that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Armenia soon. This step will raise Armenia-India relations to a new level.

It should be noted that Russia has not publicly expressed displeasure at India's increased activity in the region, even though India has also become Armenia's leading arms supplier. For now, Moscow's attention is focused on stopping the West's plans to "kick Russia out of the South Caucasus," using Armenia as a springboard.

However, since Yerevan is at least eliminating its dependence on Moscow, weakening one of its levers of influence, Russia cannot be satisfied with New Delhi's presence in the South Caucasus.

And let's consider the possibility of India acting as a guarantor of Armenia's security, which is already being discussed in expert circles. The interests of Moscow and New Delhi in the South Caucasus become fundamentally incompatible.

The North-South Transport Corridor

However, it should be noted that India's interest in the region goes beyond strengthening the alliance of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Pakistan.

The South Caucasus is a crucial region through which India plans to build a strategically important International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which will allow it to connect with Europe and Russia through the Iranian plateau, which stretches from the Indus River valley to the east to Mesopotamia in the west.

To complete this transportation route, Indians must build a railroad from northwestern Iran through the South Caucasus to Russia or the Black Sea. Two possibilities exist: a railway through southern Armenia or along the Caspian coast through Azerbaijan.

An analysis published recently by Eurasia Review said that before the 44-day war, India favoured the second option. However, after the victory of Azerbaijan, India began to consider the route through Armenia more secure and profitable.

Concerns between Azerbaijan and Turkey

At the same time, India is watching Armenia's refusal to grant Azerbaijan a corridor in Syunik in southern Armenia. The possibility of a war breaking out over this issue between Baku and Yerevan is not excluded, which endangers the railway planning of India and Iran in this region.

If a military conflict breaks out, plans for the region may change as Azerbaijan and Turkey's concerns about the involvement of third parties increase.

This article first appeared in Echedoros. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.

https://greekcitytimes.com/2024/03/30/the-regional-alliance-of-india-armenia-greece-and-the-caucasus/

[Yervant1]

March 30 2024

‘Impossible to hide’ differences with Russia, says Armenia's top diplomat

Armenia’s Ararat Mirzoyan highlights security challenges and provides further evidence that Yerevan is embarking on geopolitical realignment; Foreign minister denies nation will look to join NATO.

James Grainger

30 March 2024

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan says it is “impossible to hide” the growing problems in his nation's relationship with traditional ally Russia, providing further evidence of the small Caucasus nation’s ongoing foreign policy shift.

"The problems that exist in the relationship with Russia are impossible to hide," admitted Mirzoyan during a press briefing with journalists in Buenos Aires this week.

The minister’s high-profile visit to South America comes at a time of great uncertainty for Armenia, which last year lost control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region to neighbouring rival Azerbaijan.

Baku recaptured the mountainous enclave from Armenians, who had controlled it for the previous three decades, in a lightning military operation.

In the aftermath of the attack, the entire Armenian population in the disputed region – numbering some 100,000 – fled Karabakh for their homeland.

Armenian leaders have accused Moscow of failing to come to its aid, especially given the presence of Russian peace-keepers in the disputed region since 2020.

Mirzoyan, 44, suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin is searching for “new avenues” that include “cooperation” with neighbours Azerbaijan and Turkey

“According to some analysts, in the midst of the conflict with Ukraine, Russia sought new logistical avenues, and found the solution in cooperation with Azerbaijan and Turkey.

“In this scenario Karabakh would be the price to pay,” said the foreign minister.

“In Nagorno-Karabakh there was a Russian peace mission,” declared Mirzoyan, who claimed that “ethnic cleansing was carried out” after peacekeepers failed to intervene.

The disputed region had been left “completely empty” of Armenians, said the foreign minister, who revealed that just a handful of citizens remain there.

Russia, for its part, this week accused Armenia of deliberately trying to sever strained ties between the nations.

"The Armenian leadership … is deliberately pursuing a course towards the collapse of relations with the Russian Federation," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Russian media this week.

He accused Yerevan of pushing “far-fetched pretexts” and “twisting history.”

Foreign policy shift

Mirzoyan used his time in Buenos Aires to highlight the security challenges facing his nation. His remarks provided further evidence of Yerevan’s ongoing foreign policy shift, which has seen it improve relations with Western powers such as France and the United States.

Last month, Armenia suspended its participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a Moscow-led security alliance of several ex-Soviet states. Armenia has also formally joined the International Criminal Court (ICC), a move that means it is now obliged to arrest Putin – the subject of an ICC arrest warrant issued in March 2023 – if he sets foot on Armenian territory.

Taking questions from journalists at a hotel in Puerto Madero, the foreign minister acknowledged a rapprochement with the West and praised the European Union for its assistance on security issues.

"Currently borders are being monitored by a civilian mission of the European Union. Following this monitoring, the level of security and stability has increased significantly,” he said.

"Armenia is ready to move closer to the EU as long as the EU is ready to welcome Armenia,” added the foreign minister.

But while Mirzoyan admitted that Armenia is looking for “new instruments of cooperation," he shot down speculation the nation would join NATO, saying that cooperation with the defence alliance on security is not the same as fully signing up. Any move to join NATO would be sure to provoke Putin’s ire.

"There is no intention to join NATO on our agenda,” Mirzoyan declared.

Last week NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign a peace deal and put conflict behind them.

"Armenia and Azerbaijan have an opportunity to achieve an enduring peace," Stoltenberg said in Yerevan last week while visiting the region.

Officials on both sides of the conflict, however, seem to be wary of fully committing to peace.

Mirzoyan, for example, argued that international treaties had not been respected, citing a November 2020 ceasefire agreement that followed intense fighting in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"At the moment we do not have that confidence that Azerbaijan has the intention to search for peace," said Mirzoyan, Armenia’s top diplomat.

"In negotiations you need commitments from both sides, otherwise peace will not be achieved.

“There are some basic issues where the positions of the two sides are very different. For example, the question of mutual recognition of borders, and that makes us think that Azerbaijan has not turned the page, does not consider the issue closed and that they have future plans for our territory,” he warned.

Nevertheless, Mirzoyan acknowledged the importance of inking an eventual deal and of normalising relations with neighbouring Turkey, a country with which it has a complicated history.

Bilateral ties

Armenia’s ties with Argentina are longstanding, with the South American nation home to one of the largest Armenian communities outside of their homeland. It is one of 34 nations worldwide that recognise the Armenian genocide of the early 20th century.

Underlining the importance of bilateral ties, last December President Vahagn Khachaturian flew to Buenos Aires to attend Javier Milei’s inauguration. The Armenian leader shared a meeting with the La Libertad Avanza leader prior to his investiture.

During his visit to Buenos Aires, Mirzoyan with his Argentine counterpart Diana Mondino, visited the City Legislature and held talks with Lower House Speaker Martín Menem. The foreign minister previously stopped in Montevideo, where he opened Armenia’s first embassy in Uruguay.

The foreign minister keenly highlighted the strength of ties between his nation and Argentina, which has a large Armenian community amongst its population.

Declaring that bilateral relations have “a longer history than 30 years” (the Republic of Armenia declared independence in 1991) and that geographical distance is not as key in the modern diplomatic age, Mirzoyan said there is a need to develop and deepen economic and political ties between the nations.

Quizzed about relations with President Milei’s government and if there had been a change in relations since the libertarian leader’s arrival in power, Mirzoyan expressed confidence and satisfaction.

“Nothing has changed,” he responded with a smile.

https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/amp/world/impossible-to-hide-differences-with-russia-says-top-armenian-diplomat.phtml

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Yerevan denies Baku's accusations regarding the movements of Armenian armed forces in different directions of the border

11:29, 31 March 2024

YEREVAN, 31 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The statement released by the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan regarding the alleged concentrations and active movements of personnel, armored vehicles, artillery, and other fire means by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia in various directions of the border doesn’t correspond to reality.

Additionally, the Armenian Ministry of Defence reports that on March 30, photographs of a motorcade of recruit drivers who recently joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia as part of the training process were disseminated a number of Telegram channels, attempting to portray them as a military movement towards the borders, which is untrue.

The RA Ministry of Defence assesses the recent operational situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border as stable and does not perceive the need to implement additional measures to protect the border.

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1133689.html?fbclid=IwAR2MW270EYeLisJ_Cc4WPyypfvqx3rY82zbAoxgr5fIdAKW8tnSn1JJ8fhs_aem_AZ73TAjzLotpFaSg3GfNPrUj1cTXsvFscJqlYerku2wYzeDUEgDfOHqxbXGefuIMmv08UMZTLOIQjj1A2ZGOhZc3

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Azerbaijani military spreads disinformation, warns Armenian Ministry of Defense

20:36, 1 April 2024

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS։ The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan continues to disseminate disinformation, alleging that the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia are actively concentrating, actively moving personnel, armored vehicles, artillery, and other weaponry in various directions along the border, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said.

Additionally, the Azerbaijani MoD has released edited videos depicting engineering, fortification, and construction activities of infrastructure of defensive nature and purpose in general undertaken in recent months in the rear protection areas of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, thus trying to present it as intensive activities and troop build-ups along the front lines in the last few days, the ministry said.

The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia asserts that the implementation of engineering works within the sovereign territory of Armenia is the exclusive sovereign right of the Republic of Armenia. These activities are purely defensive and are aimed at safeguarding the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia.

As previously stated, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia deems the operational situation along the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border to be stable.

Consequently, the MoD does not perceive the necessity to implement additional measures for border protection. Therefore, the information regarding troop concentration is not reflective of the current reality.

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1133778.html?fbclid=IwAR26i7bzLIA7F_mAUTQlRkVOUWv8-Ubgs_M2HCWlcmZ8vAsXU_XRRXVcUVE_aem_AeZOtA_uinBTIT8_20o6W-psQAlDkqjRTSuBHRvwUjB5dF2yaI41ZDW7NEdaUQQaL1g7w7yuW_BOvir7um1w5Jno

[Yervant1]

April 2 2024

Clashes reported on Armenia–Azerbaijan border

2 April 2024

ByArshaluys BarseghyanandAytan Farhadova

Azerbaijan and Armenia have traded accusations of attacks along their shared borders a day after Azerbaijan accused Armenia of building up its military presence on the border.

On Tuesday morning, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence accused Armenia of firing at positions in Sadarak and Shahbuz in Nakhchivan the night prior.

Armenia swiftly denied the accusations, with its own Defence Ministry accusing Azerbaijani forces of opening fire on Armenian positions on Armenia’s eastern border at 10:00 in Gegharkunik Province on Monday, and at 12:40 in Syunik Province on Tuesday.

The accusations came a day after Azerbaijan accused Armenia of building up its military presence on the border and, later on Monday, of constructing fortifications and transporting artillery weapons by the border.

[Read more: EU monitors deny Azerbaijani claims of Armenian border buildup]

In response to footage and images published by Azerbaijan purported to be evidence of Armenia’s buildup on the border, the EU Monitoring Mission stated on Monday evening that they had patrolled the border and did not ‘observe any unusual military movements’.

‘It was a calm and peaceful Easter Monday’.

Yerevan also denied the accusation, stating that the construction seen in the footage published by Baku was of a ‘defensive nature’ and that it was within their ‘sovereign rights’.

Armenia’s Defence Ministry added that the situation on the border was ‘stable’, and that it did not deem it necessary to ‘implement additional measures for border protection’.

Anger at the West

The reported clashes come ahead of a meeting scheduled for Friday between Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and top EU and American officials. The meeting has led to anger from Baku, who have accused the West of bias towards Armenia.

Rauf Mirgadirov, an Azerbaijani columnist and journalist linked the tension on the border to Azerbaijan being unhappy that Armenia was growing closer to the West, as Azerbaijan has distanced itself from Western countries.

He said Azerbaijan was avoiding the peace process and had ‘rejected the West’s support in achieving peace in the region’.

‘Now the West believes that Azerbaijan is acting in Russia’s political interests’, Mirgadirov told OC Media.

He argued that this was counterproductive. ‘Armenia and West’s relationship is not harmful. If Azerbaijan stays away from the West and close to Russia, this situation will harm Azerbaijan.’

‘Because the West wants peace in the region, the West generally wants the region to escape the impacts of Russia, and the West wants to open all regional [transport] communications.’

On Monday, Leonid Nersisyan, a senior researcher from APRI Armenia, an Armenian think-tank, also suggested Azerbaijan may be unhappy with Armenia’s growing relationship with the West.

He speculated that Azerbaijan could have several aims in inflaming the situation on the border, including to damage the reputation of the West in Armenia by showing it as ineffective.

He also said they could be attempting to extract additional concessions from Armenia: ‘one is the so-called Zangezur Corridor, the second is related to Tavush, the issue of those border villages’, Nersisyan told RFE/RL.

https://oc-media.org/clashes-reported-on-armenia-azerbaijan-border/