Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani plans to visit Moscow in the next few weeks, Report informs citing the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
Day: September 23, 2023
Today three more Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestlers will perform at the licence world championship, which will be held in the Serbian capital Belgrade. Murad Mammadov, Hasrat Jafarov and Islam Abbasov will perform among Azerbaijani wrestlers. It is not known who will be Murad Mammadov’s opponent in 1/8 finals, Azernews reports.
The process of disarming Armenian illegal armed formations [which haven’t been withdrawn contrary to the trilateral statement signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war] in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh continues, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend.
The footage on social media showed that members of the illegal formations handed over a large number of machine guns, mortars and other weapons, as well as ammunition.
In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement, suppression of large-scale provocations in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.
Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent, an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.
At the invitation of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ramin Mammadov, responsible for contacts with the Armenian residents of Karabakh, met with Sergey Martirosyan and David Melkumyan as representatives of the Armenian residents of Karabakh on September 21, 2023, in Yevlakh.
In the context of discussing social and humanitarian issues, the representatives of the Armenian residents of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region informed that there is a special need for fuel. At the same time, they asked for humanitarian assistance in the form of foodstuffs.
As a result of the meeting, their request was taken seriously. In particular, it is planned to supply fuel for the heating systems of kindergartens and schools, as well as the emergency medical service and fire department, and to provide humanitarian support in the near future.
The post Armenian illegal armed groups in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh surrender their weapons appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.
Reintegration of Karabakh Armenians
Why Azerbaijani authorities’ proposals arouse skepticism
The one-day “counter-terrorist local actions” (this is how the third Karabakh war is officially called in Azerbaijan) ended with the complete defeat of illegal armed formations of Armenians in the territory of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
Many, including me, believed that information about the upcoming war was nothing more than a bluff, Azerbaijan would not go against “peacekeepers” from Russia and would not violate the first paragraph of the statement of November 10, 2020 on ceasefire. However, it happened, and the results are evident. After three years of stalling, representatives of Karabakh Armenians declared their readiness to lay down arms and cooperate with the Azerbaijani authorities on the fate of the region’s population. There is no talk of a special status for the region.
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Why did Azerbaijan stop a step away from the center of Khankendi, the administrative center of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast? It did not hoist its flag with brave cries of “Khankendi Bizimdir!” (“Stepanakert is ours!”). – meme from the times of the second Karabakh war, when every liberated city was accompanied by such a tweet and clip).
Let’s not deny that the Azerbaijani authorities would ideally like to have a Karabakh without Armenians. Why the headache with human rights, economic, humanitarian and other claims, while these very rights are not very well respected in the rest of the country for the representatives of the titular people. But this is the 21st century and for a long time separatists and those who support them abroad have been shouting about the upcoming “ethnic cleansing”. Under such conditions, the Azerbaijani authorities, in my opinion, took a theoretically correct step and invited the Armenians of Karabakh to reintegrate with the rest of Azerbaijan.
To begin with, the Azerbaijani authorities have offered all illegal armed groups to lay down their arms. This is understandable and correct. President Aliyev promised in his address to the nation that Karabakh Armenians would be guaranteed all rights and freedoms: “All their rights will be ensured – rights to education, cultural rights, religious rights, rights to municipal elections”. That sounds beautiful too. Aliyev emphasized in his speech that he is the master of his word, “my word is my signature”.
Before that, the Azerbaijani government amended the Tax Code and exempted all residents of Karabakh and East Zangezur (formerly occupied territories) from taxes for 10 years from January 1, 2023 (Article 227 of the AR Tax Code). This also applies to Armenians who have taken Azerbaijani citizenship. In general, it is wonderful.
President Aliyev promised a month before the start of “counter-terrorist measures” that those separatists who would voluntarily lay down arms would be granted amnesty. Presidential Aide for Foreign Policy Hikmet Hajiyev, already after the end of the “one-day war”, once again confirmed the amnesty proposal, adding that it would not apply to those who had committed war crimes during the first Karabakh war. (By the way, the list of these potential criminals has still not been published). Also a normal proposal. Amnesty for former fighters has been applied in Northern Ireland and the Balkans.
Then why such skepticism about the forthcoming reintegration? The most important reason is that Karabakh Armenians do not trust the Azerbaijani authorities. For a moment I imagined myself in their shoes and realized that I would not trust them either. This is a natural human reaction. So far, the Azerbaijani authorities are taking small steps to restore trust, but the time is too short and the degree of distrust is too high. It is difficult to expect serious changes here in the near future.
Secondly, it is not clear who will provide security for these people and how. Russian peacekeepers? Then we will have to extend their mandate (as Putin wants) for an indefinite period of time. Besides, as recent events have shown, it is dangerous to have much hope for Russian peacekeepers.
Third, there are legal issues. The Azerbaijani constitution does not provide for dual citizenship, and in order to acquire Azerbaijani citizenship, one will have to give up his Armenian passport. Are many people ready for such a step? They will be labeled traitors.
Fourth, problems in the field of culture and education. What textbooks will children and young men in Karabakh study with? It is clear that there are no problems with math and chemistry, but what about history? There are no textbooks in Armenian in Azerbaijan, even if we urgently organize translation and printing, what about the content, which is contrary to the content of textbooks in Armenia? It is possible to use Russian textbooks temporarily, but again Russia …
I think that the problem of conscription can be solved by compromise. There have been precedents in history when natives of certain regions were exempted from conscription (if they did not insist on it). Karabakh Armenians of draft age could serve in the engineering forces, rebuild towns and roads destroyed during the war.
Finally, about President Aliyev’s promise of municipal government. Today in Azerbaijan municipalities are the most powerless institution, just an appendage of the executive power. But there are persistent rumors about the forthcoming constitutional reform, where municipalities will be given more rights for local self-government. It would be good to bring these proposals to public discussion, and listen to representatives of Karabakh and other regions, and accept their proposals in the draft. So far it is a “cat in a bag”.
To summarize, I personally think that the plans to reintegrate the Armenian population of Karabakh into Azerbaijani society are still a fantasy. Most of them will decide to leave, those who cannot realize themselves in Armenia or Russia, mainly the elderly, will remain. But it would be good to enshrine in future agreements a mandatory right to repatriation. If after a certain period of time a person is unable to adapt and wants to return, he or she should be provided with all guarantees, including housing, employment and the entire social package.
Evacuation of NK Armenians by international structures
Gegham Baghdasaryan, a Karabakh journalist and head of Stepanakert Press Club, appealed to the authorities of the unrecognized NKR to organize the evacuation of all residents to Armenia. He believes that it should be urgently carried out with the assistance of international structures.
Here is his entry on Facebook, in which he explains why the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh cannot stay and integrate into the Azerbaijani state.
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Gegham Baghdasaryan, journalist
“There is no other way out: the Artsakh authorities must appeal to the international community, the UN and the European Union, proposing, demanding the evacuation of people under their auspices. Armenia will not go for that. In any case, it would be more correct for the Artsakh leadership to make such a statement – both in legal, political and all other aspects. Let the world react, and Armenia too.
There are no conditions, absolutely none, for the residents of Artsakh to live normally. Azerbaijani military are on the approaches to all settlements, all key road junctions are under their control. And in no case will they retreat, even if there is a UN resolution.
There are hungry and desperate people everywhere. There is no alternative to evacuation.
Even if we imagine such an unlikely scenario that the European Union would send hundreds of observers to Artsakh, little would change in the lives of the hostage-takers. And even if we imagine such a phantasmagoric version, according to which the UN or NATO will send peacekeeping forces to Artsakh and there will be a soldier near each house, even in this case there will be no normal life. There will be a version of hell.
Those who hold a different opinion should imagine the following. People remaining in Artsakh will be forced to obtain Azerbaijani citizenship. They will be forced to learn Azerbaijani, the language of hatred, the language in which anti-Armenian propaganda has been conducted for decades. They will be forced to take the subject “History of Azerbaijan” in schools, the textbook of which is full of hatred towards Armenians and humiliation of everything Armenian. But even this is not the worst of it.
Anush Gavalyan, an expert from Artsakh, wrote about the situation, which, at first glance, also seems phantasmagorical, but, unfortunately, in fact, it is very real, painfully real. The point is this.
Where will the youth of Artsakh serve? Naturally, in the Azerbaijani army.
Can you imagine the situation of our youth in this army? Now imagine another thing: Azerbaijan declares war on Armenia, and our Armenian soldiers have to participate in it. This is the hellish and monstrous situation in which we find ourselves.
The Russians do not want the people of Artsakh to leave the territory. Russia wants a significant part of the population to stay here to justify its criminal presence.
And Azerbaijan will want to keep the Artsakh people here temporarily. Baku wants to create a “civilized showcase” and talk about “tolerance” in its country, thus washing away all its atrocities and atrocities. And then, at an opportune moment, start bloody massacres again.
The West is also not yet inclined to the idea of evacuation, because it will have to recognize the ethnic cleansing carried out before its eyes and its shameful “powerlessness”.
But everything depends on us. If the Artsakh government is reasonable, consistent and courageous, we can achieve our goal. The Artsakh leadership is also trapped, forced by threats to accept the plan of the Azeris and Russians. But the people of Artsakh have no other choice, they must force their own authorities to turn to the international community.
We must not put people’s lives into geopolitical games again, we must not allow it. People who have seen three wars, suffered terrible losses, hunger and deprivation, must finally get the right to human life. We must give our children a chance to live a creative and dignified life.
An organized evacuation has another advantage: we will be able to transport and save our movable spiritual and cultural values and the state archive.”
A photo of Karabakh journalist Siranush Sargsyan published in a social network with the caption: “After nine months of enduring hunger, we are now in a bomb shelter — sleeping with kids who yesterday dreamed of bread & today dream of waking up tomorrow.”
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Evacuation of NK Armenians by international structures