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IRI - International Republican Institute
Oct 18 2024
 
 

IRI Armenia Poll Finds Majorities Support EU Membership, Peace Treaty with Azerbaijan

 
October 18, 2024
 

Yerevan, Armenia – A new nationwide poll conducted in Armenia by the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research (CISR) found that majorities support joining the European Union (EU) and striking a peace deal with Azerbaijan.

When asked how they would vote in a referendum on EU membership, 58% said they would vote to join the European alliance.

“This poll shows that most Armenians see their prospects for a bright future with Europe,” said Stephen Nix, Senior Director for Eurasia at IRI. Moreover, the people of Armenia understand that moving further away from Russia and towards the West is important to enhancing peace and prosperity.”

The survey also found that 56% of Armenians strongly support or somewhat support a peace treaty with Azerbaijan.  The two countries have been engaged in an ethnic and territorial conflict for decades where thousands of civilians have been displaced.

“A clear majority of Armenians would like to see their government engaged in negotiations with Azeri authorities for the purposes of reaching a lasting peace deal,” said Nix.

Read the full report at https://www.iri.org/resources/public-opinion-survey-residents-of-armenia/

 
 
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Azatutyun.am

 

Biden Offers ‘Bold’ Steps For Armenia-Azerbaijan Settlement

Հոկտեմբեր 22, 2024
 
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Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meets with Michael Carpenter, a senior U.S. National Security Council official, Yerevan, October 22, 2024.
 

The United States is ready to take “bold initiatives” to help Armenia and Azerbaijan reach a peace deal, President Joe Biden said in a letter to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian publicized on Tuesday.

Michael Carpenter, Biden’s a special assistant and a senior official at the U.S. National Security Council, handed the letter to Pashinian during a meeting in Yerevan held the day after his talks in Baku with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

In a separate message on Monday also delivered by Carpenter, Biden urged Aliyev to conclude a peace agreement with Armenia before the end of this year.

“As you know, finalizing the remaining articles of the peace agreement will require persistence, ingenuity, and compromise,” read the letter to Pashinian released by the latter’s office. “But putting patriotism above politics, you have courageously and consistently chosen the path of peace - and I encourage you to finalize an agreement this year.”

“As you do, my administration is prepared to take bold initiatives that would help pave the way for peace. I have asked my Senior Director for Europe, Michael Carpenter, to brief you on some of the steps we would be willing to take and get your feedback on discussions with Azerbaijan,” added Biden.

An official Armenian readout of Pashinian’s meeting with Carpenter made no mention of those steps or the results of the U.S. official’s trip to Baku. It said the Armenian premier again repeated his proposal to sign an Armenian-Azerbaijani agreement that would contain most of the 16 articles of a draft peace treaty that have already been agreed upon by the two sides.

Baku has repeatedly rejected the proposal as unserious. It has also made clear that any peace deal is conditional on a change of the Armenian constitution which it says contains territorial claims to Azerbaijan. Aliyev reportedly reiterated this precondition during his meeting with Carpenter.

Biden’s letter to Aliyev fully or partly publicized by the Azerbaijani presidential office apparently did not mention the “bold initiatives” offered to Pashinian. The U.S. president cited the COP29 global climate summit that it will begin its work in Baku on November 11. He described the summit as a “unique opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to peace in front of a global audience.”

Armenian officials have expressed concern that Azerbaijan could invade Armenia after COP29. Earlier this month, Aliyev made fresh threats of military action, accusing Yerevan of playing “dangerous games.”

 

 

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Armenpress.am

 
Politics10:50, 23 October 2024

Armenian parliament ratifies Azerbaijan border delimitation regulation

Armenian parliament ratifies Azerbaijan border delimitation regulation

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian parliament has ratified the regulation on joint activity of the Armenia-Azerbaijan commissions on delimitation and border security.

The regulation was signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan in late August 2024. 

The regulation was ratified by the Armenian parliament during the plenary session on Wednesday with 67 votes in favor. Only the ruling Civil Contract faction participated in the vote. The two opposition factions, Hayastan and Pativ Unem, boycotted the debates and vote. 

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1202976?fbclid=IwY2xjawGG2yJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQHhhbzptmx6556jQPM8LTEnT_PcF_gJOK0GfkrMD3B-7DCaEjuet1G9ew_aem_k4_ZjPDIIMaSx5ozqMpwtg

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Yerevan Rejects Another Russian Mediation Offer

Հոկտեմբեր 23, 2024
 
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Armenia - Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan speaks at a news conference in Yerevan, September 9, 2024.
 

Armenia is not interested in having Russia, Iran and Turkey mediate its further peace talks with Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Wednesday, dismissing a relevant offer from his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Lavrov publicized the offer right after a meeting in Istanbul on October 18 of the foreign ministers of the five states making up the so-called “Consultative Regional Platform 3+3.” He accused the West of meddling in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict for ulterior purposes.

“We, the Turks and the Iranians offered our colleagues, Yerevan and Baku, to use the 3+3 platform to complete the work on a peace treaty,” Lavrov said, adding that Russian-brokered understandings reached by Yerevan and Baku in 2021 and 2022 should serve as the “groundwork” for delimiting the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, opening it to commerce and settling other contentious issues.

“That proposal [cited by Lavrov] is not really on the table,” Mirzoyan told the Armenian parliament. “But even if it is, we do not find it expedient to respond positively to it.”

“We have a format of bilateral negotiations with Azerbaijan in all directions, both on border demarcation and on the peace treaty,” he said, answering a question from a parliament deputy.

Amid its mounting tensions with Moscow, Yerevan already declined earlier this year similar Russian offers to help resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. It has been far more open to peace talks with Baku mediated or arranged by Western powers.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony hosted such talks between Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in New York late last month. The two ministers met again on the sidelines of the Istanbul gathering.

Baku has since continued to reject an Armenian proposal to sign an initial peace deal and to link any settlement with a change of Armenia’s constitution. Mirzoyan criticized its “unconstructive approach.”

“But this does not distract us from our strategy: to make the signing of the peace agreement a reality as soon as possible,” added the minister.

Michael Carpenter, a senior official at the U.S. National Security Council, conveyed letters from U.S. President Joe Biden to the leaders of the two South Caucasus states during his visits to Baku and Yerevan earlier this week. In his message to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, Biden said Washington is ready to take “bold initiatives” to help broker an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal.

 

 

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From one liar to another, both parties did f*ck all for Armenians period. 

 

 

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Armenpress.am

 
Politics09:52, 24 October 2024

Trump vows to restore Armenia-Azerbaijan peace if elected, slams Harris for doing ‘nothing’ during NK ethnic cleansing

Trump vows to restore Armenia-Azerbaijan peace if elected, slams Harris for doing ‘nothing’ during NK ethnic cleansing

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump has accused his rival and Vice President Kamala Harris of doing “nothing” when the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) was forcibly displaced in 2023.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump vowed to “restore peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan” if elected President again.

“Kamala Harris did NOTHING as 120,000 Armenian Christians were horrifically persecuted and forcibly displaced in Artsakh. Christians around the World will not be safe if Kamala Harris is President of the United States. When I am President, I will protect persecuted Christians, I will work to stop the violence and ethnic cleansing, and we will restore PEACE between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Trump said.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1203077?fbclid=IwY2xjawGHl3VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHSKlEtdCu3UJVxZ9wayIuGIKvC8hSICWEfbayppTsC0i_LxRSB_eWRhLHg_aem_msk34trF-tk-xKuhyCvReg

 

 

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Politics14:52, 25 October 2024

Aliyev approves Armenia-Azerbaijan regulation on border delimitation - Azeri media reports

Aliyev approves Armenia-Azerbaijan regulation on border delimitation - Azeri media reports

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree approving the regulation on joint activities of the Armenia-Azerbaijan commissions on border delimitation and border security, the Azeri Trend news agency reported.

The approval comes after the Armenian parliament ratified the regulation on October 23. 

Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan signed the bill into law on ratifying the regulation on October 24. 

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1203220?fbclid=IwY2xjawGI-RpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQVXaEwHhSxVenuAP2sdCZNWMXzKS4hoqIswcUl3RZvsdOIiJlQOkso6nA_aem_PZDK2oeYhhegBOcULEJHzw

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Press centre17:05, 25 October 2024

Soaring citizenship applications prompt Armenia to digitize procedure

Read the article in: Հայերեն

 

Soaring citizenship applications prompt Armenia to digitize procedure

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The government plans to make changes in the citizenship application procedures. 

The services will be digitized and the fees for applying for/or revoking citizenship will be revised. 

According to Armen Ghazaryan, the Director of the Migration and Citizenship Service, the move will significantly improve the efficiency of the processes.

Speaking with Armenpress, Ghazaryan presented data showing the overloaded process. 

“In the 2000s there were about three to four thousand citizenship request applications, since 2010 the number was five to six thousand annually, and since 2018 the number of applications for Armenian citizenship has abruptly increased. This indicator reached its highest point in 2022, surpassing 25,000. In 2023 the pace decreased a little, amounting to 19,000. In 2024, in the nine months, we already have 16,060 applications. And these are only the numbers of the applications seeking to obtain citizenship, and in addition to this we have an average of three thousand applications on renouncing citizenship. This means that our service is studying up to 30,000 cases pertaining to citizenship every year,” Ghazaryan said, adding that the current instruments are insufficient to deal with such high number of cases. Thus, the authorities propose to introduce an electronic procedure for citizenship applications. 

Citizens will upload their documents in the system instead of in-person visitations to various agencies or departments. The applicants will make an appointment and visit the administrative body only once, after the application is approved and all necessary data uploaded.

Ghazaryan said the changes will help to avoid the time-consuming correspondence between government agencies. 

The fee for applying for Armenian citizenship will be raised from the current 1000 drams to 50,000 drams, while the fee for renouncing citizenship will increase from the current 25,000 drams to 150,000 drams. 

The current fees have never been revised since 1997. The new fees will not cover refugees, including the forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh who have temporary protection status. 

After passing parliament the changes will take effect in ten months. 

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1203236?fbclid=IwY2xjawGI-VdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfbadODL9_jl2N2N0hY-9QutHmEDEqDu74R5NOGijBuLDVLmXZ8YRfTUIQ_aem_ro0blaZsVGDapDWe66KIQg

 

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MEDYA News
Oct 27 2024
 

Armenia says it’s ready to open border with Turkey, awaiting Ankara’s response

Armenian Special Envoy Ruben Rubinyan has declared Armenia’s readiness to open the border with Turkey immediately, pending Ankara’s action. The normalisation process, he says, could play a key role in easing regional tensions.

Armenia is ready to open its border with Turkey and establish diplomatic relations “as soon as tomorrow”, Armenian Special Envoy Ruben Rubinyan announced on Thursday, stressing the mutual benefits this could bring to regional peace.

 

Speaking to reporters, Rubinyan confirmed that Armenia has completed all necessary preparations, restoring the Margara (Alican) checkpoint, and is awaiting action from Ankara.

“We have taken the steps required, the checkpoint is fully operational on our side, and everything is ready for the agreement to be implemented. Now, we’re waiting for Turkey to follow through,” Rubinyan said. He explained that while the Armenia-Turkey normalisation process and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations are related, they remain two separate diplomatic tracks. “Progress with Turkey could greatly contribute to our peace process with Azerbaijan,” he added.

Rubinyan noted that while an agreement to allow third-country nationals to cross the border had been reached and reaffirmed, it has not yet been enacted. Responding to questions about the delay, he stated, “I can’t speak to the reason for the lack of action from Turkey, but we are clear on our commitment to this agreement and hope to see it fulfilled soon.”

He also shared that officials from both Armenia and Turkey’s relevant ministries plan to meet to discuss the conditions for reopening the Gyumri-Kars railway—a significant step for regional connectivity. While no date has been set for this meeting, Rubinyan emphasised the importance of improving transport links for both countries and the wider region.

https://medyanews.net/armenia-says-its-ready-to-open-border-with-turkey-awaiting-ankaras-response/

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Politics16:50, 30 October 2024

Azerbaijan has occupied sovereign Armenian territory in Syunik, acknowledges French envoy

Azerbaijan has occupied sovereign Armenian territory in Syunik, acknowledges French envoy

GORIS, OCTOBER 30, ARMENPRESS. French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies has recorded Azerbaijani occupation of sovereign Armenian territory in the Nerkin Hand section of Syunik Province.

Speaking to reporters in Goris, the French Ambassador presented his impressions from his visit to Nerkin Hand.

He said that a part of Nerkin Hand is occupied by Azerbaijan. “This situation creates great difficulties for the residents. They have a sense of danger, and that danger is real, because the strikes could start again. There are problems regarding everyday life, people even have problems with water, there is human drama here, people are unable to visit the graves of their relatives,” the ambassador said.

Asked whether he acknowledges that Azerbaijan invaded from all four sides in that area into the sovereign Armenian territory, the ambassador said, “From three sides, because we went there from one side.”

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1203626?fbclid=IwY2xjawGPtPRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbBhGUKbGyZL2PQFDtkiIwJpg-SKKbav6bThg1PTXSbBUKDdbWXvDE0inQ_aem_jN-hVdpVfyUggyACZKf_-Q

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Armenia To Host UN Biodiversity Conference In 2026

Նոյեմբեր 01, 2024
 
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A poster about Armenia hosting the next UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17) in 2026
 

Armenia will host the next United Nations biodiversity conference in 2026, according to the country’s environment minister.

Hakob Simidian said on Friday that Armenia was selected as the host for the conference, also known as COP17, with 65 votes. The other candidate was Azerbaijan, which is set to host a UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) later this month.

During his working visit to Colombia earlier this week, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturian addressed the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Cali, stating that holding COP17 in Armenia will be “an excellent opportunity to advance multilateral efforts to protect global biodiversity.”

“Armenia will spear no effort to make sure that the CO17 will be another important milestone in our global efforts for biodiversity preservation and sustainable use of natural resources,” Khachaturian said.

 

 

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JAM News
Nov 2 2024
 

"Armenia isn't militarizing but raising cost of attacking it": opinion

Armenian experts are discussing the potential reasons and implications behind statements from Baku regarding Armenia’s alleged “militarization.” They believe these statements, made on various platforms, aim to portray Armenia’s arms purchases as a “threat to peace and stability in the region.”

“The Azerbaijani narrative on Armenia’s militarization is intended as self-justification. When they decide to start a war, they will be able to claim this as their reason for initiating military action. They have similar narratives prepared for this scenario. For example, every two or three weeks, they also spread messages alleging that Armenian armed forces supposedly fired on Azerbaijani positions at the border,” said Leonid Nersisyan, a senior analyst at APRI Armenia and military expert, on a local television broadcast.

He does not rule out the possibility that Azerbaijan might escalate the situation following COP 29. While winter weather conditions may not be favorable, Nersisyan believes the likelihood of escalation will increase in spring 2025. However, he notes factors that could accelerate the decision toward urgent military action.

In his view, possible catalysts include the upcoming U.S. presidential elections and the further intensification of the Iran-Israel conflict. The expert believes that if tensions escalate, Armenia must be prepared to defend itself. To achieve this, it requires adequate weaponry that “raises the cost of attacking it.”



Azerbaijan will not succeed in blocking Armenia’s arms purchases

In response to whether Azerbaijan could prevent Armenia from purchasing weapons, a military analyst noted that this is unlikely to happen through diplomatic channels. However, Baku might attempt to obstruct Armenia’s efforts to forge new partnerships:

“Take France, for example. I believe Azerbaijan miscalculated in its actions. It was actually their actions that helped us deepen our cooperation with France. I saw no signs that France had any strong desire to damage its relations with Azerbaijan. Baku damaged them itself. If the Azerbaijani side continues in the same way, it will achieve nothing.”

“Baku cannot completely block all arms markets for Armenia. However, if Armenia makes significant arms purchases in certain important countries, and corruption factors are introduced into these deals, as happened with Serbia and Slovakia, then they might be able to hinder us to some degree.”

“In 2025, the gap between Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s military budgets will be the smallest”

There were years when Azerbaijan’s military budget exceeded Armenia’s by five or six times, says Leonid Nersisyan:

“Next year, we will see the smallest gap in military budgets over the past 20 years. The difference will be less than twofold. We must work to ensure this gap continues to narrow each year.”

The expert also reminds that as Armenia acquires weapons, Azerbaijan continues to build up its already powerful arsenal:

“Baku has a serious arms supplier in Israel, which operates quite effectively. The country is strengthening its capabilities in various areas. For instance, they are now enhancing their aviation assets. We have four new fighter jets, while they have 20, plus 12 older ones.”

“Additional investment in air defense is essential”

According to Nersisyan, current arms purchases remain insufficient due to market shortages, particularly in air defense systems. He points out that while Armenia has acquired a considerable number of Akash missile systems from India, these systems cover only one segment—medium-range defense. Indian media report that part of the order will be delivered to Armenia by the end of the year.

He stresses the need for further investment in air defense capabilities.

Following the 44-day war in 2020, Azerbaijan has continued to expand its capabilities, says the expert. Azerbaijan is now purchasing a large number of drones, remotely operated weapons, and cruise missiles:

“The addition of 250-km-range cruise missiles to Azerbaijan’s arsenal means we must adopt a different approach. Air defense needs to be managed very efficiently, utilizing the latest control networks. For instance, if your radar detects five small drones, two large drones, and one Su-25 approaching, your control network should semi-automatically decide that anti-aircraft artillery should target the small drones, the S-300 should engage the Su-25, and the Indian Akash should intercept the large drones. And all of this needs to happen within one or two minutes.”

“New partnerships are needed”

Military analyst Nersisyan highlighted that in recent years, Armenia has been acquiring defensive weapons from India and France. However, he believes that it is essential to explore other promising directions as well:

“South Korea is currently one of the largest manufacturers. Looking at what Poland has ordered from South Korea, it’s clear that it has far outpaced Germany in this field.”

Nersisyan noted that South Korea has invested heavily in its military industry over recent decades and, unlike many European countries, can take on and fulfill large orders.

At the same time, he points out that while South Korean weapons are high-quality, they are also among the most expensive in the world:

“For instance, the K2 tank is considered the most technologically advanced in the world, but a single tank cost over $12–15 million a few years ago.”

“Collaboration with European countries is also essential”

The analyst urges defense policymakers to remember that weaponry and ammunition are not limited to tanks and anti-aircraft systems:

“There are also smaller components that should be considered. In the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, it’s important that any country Armenia wants to partner with not only shows interest in cooperating with Yerevan but also views Armenia as a priority alongside Ukraine. France has shown that it can do this, but we cannot say the same for other countries.”

Nersisyan believes that Armenia’s Ministry of Defense should also collaborate with other European nations, such as Poland, “whose role in the military sphere has been growing recently.”

https://jam-news.net/armenias-defense-sector-reforms-expert-opinion/ 

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