Day: October 4, 2023
According to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) National Assembly (NA) member Davit Galstyan, Artsakh President Samvel Shahramanyan is already in Armenia. Galstyan said this in response to Armenian News-NEWS.am’s question.
On Tuesday, Azerbaijan arrested former Artsakh presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan and Arayik Harutyunyan, as well as NA speaker Davit Ishkhanyan.
And before that, Azerbaijan had arrested Ruben Vardanyan, the former Minister of State of Artsakh; Levon Mnatsakanyan, the former commander of the Artsakh Defense Army; Davit Manukyan, the former deputy commander of the Artsakh Defense Army; and David Babayan, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh.
According to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) National Assembly (NA) member Davit Galstyan, Artsakh President Samvel Shahramanyan is already in Armenia. Galstyan said this in response to Armenian News-NEWS.am’s question.
On Tuesday, Azerbaijan arrested former Artsakh presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan and Arayik Harutyunyan, as well as NA speaker Davit Ishkhanyan.
And before that, Azerbaijan had arrested Ruben Vardanyan, the former Minister of State of Artsakh; Levon Mnatsakanyan, the former commander of the Artsakh Defense Army; Davit Manukyan, the former deputy commander of the Artsakh Defense Army; and David Babayan, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh.
Russia’s ‘History Of Independent Journalism Is Over,’ Says Nobel Laureate Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
President Ilham Aliyev has canceled his visit to Granada, Spain, where a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was to be held with the participation of leaders of the European Union, France, and Germany, News.Az reports citing Trend.
There are several reasons for this, including France’s destructive position as well as disagreements between Paris and Berlin over Türkiye’s participation in the meeting. Under such conditions, the Azerbaijani side refused to negotiate.
In addition, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who visited Yerevan the previous day, was again in the spotlight with her anti-Azerbaijani statements. “Any action that threatens the territorial integrity of Armenia will be met with a very tough response,” she said ahead of the Granada meeting. These statements, calculated to aggravate the situation between Baku and Yerevan, serve only to accelerate the process of Armenia’s militarization.
Moreover, the French Foreign Minister’s repetition of tales of so-called “blockades” and “forced resettlement” at her meetings in Armenia does not serve peace in the region either.
Colonna’s words that “France is always on Armenia’s side” finally demonstrated that France’s statements that it is a “neutral and independent mediator” do not reflect reality. And the statements of the French Foreign Minister regarding the arming of Armenia once again reveal the true intentions and goals of Paris.
There is only one explanation for all this: France is interested in escalation in the South Caucasus. Apparently, for this purpose, Paris insists on preparing Armenia for a long-term terrorist war and, in particular, terror against Azerbaijan.
In the run-up to the Granada meeting, France made anti-Azerbaijani statements aimed at bringing tension in the region to a peak, in connection with which President Ilham Aliyev considered France’s participation in the process of normalization in the region illogical.
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NPR News: 10-04-2023 8AM EDT
The French government condemned Azerbaijan’s September 19-20 military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh that paved the way for the restoration of Azerbaijani control over the region and displaced its virtually entire ethnic Armenian population. President Emmanuel Macron suggested last week that Baku might now attack Armenia as well.
“The president of the republic said it: the integrity, sovereignty, protection of the Armenian population are an absolute objective for us,” Lecornu told the France Info broadcaster in a weekend interview.
“Could France intervene militarily?” he said. “I do not think so. It is up to the president of the republic and head of the armed forces, obviously, to answer this question.”
Lecornu did not rule out arms supplies or other military aid to Armenia. The minister noted that France opened recently a “defense mission” in the South Caucasus state which is looking into “their needs, particularly in terms of defense and protection.” He did not go into details.
Macron’s government signaled the possibility of arms supplies when it sent a delegation of French defense officials to Yerevan in October 2022. They met with Defense Minister Suren Papikian, Armenian army chief Eduard Asrian and High-Technology Minister Robert Khachatrian.
Papikian visited Paris in September 2022 and June this year. He met with Lecornu on both occasions. Visiting Yerevan in July, the French Senate speaker, Gerard Larcher, called for the “acceleration of the delivery of defensive weapons by France to Armenia.”
Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonian described France as a “real ally of Armenia and the Armenian people” when he met with the speaker of the lower house of the French parliament, Yael Braun-Pivet, in Dublin last Thursday. According to his press office, Simonian also “expressed confidence about the continuation of France’s efforts to ensure Armenia’s security.”
Azerbaijan has repeatedly accused Macron and other French officials of siding with Armenia in the Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev charged on July 3 that Paris is fomenting “Armenian separatism” in Karabakh. Yerevan rejected the Azerbaijani criticism.
France is home to a sizable and influential Armenian community mostly consisting of descendants of survivors of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey.
The French government condemned Azerbaijan’s September 19-20 military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh that paved the way for the restoration of Azerbaijani control over the region and displaced its virtually entire ethnic Armenian population. President Emmanuel Macron suggested last week that Baku might now attack Armenia as well.
“The president of the republic said it: the integrity, sovereignty, protection of the Armenian population are an absolute objective for us,” Lecornu told the France Info broadcaster in a weekend interview.
“Could France intervene militarily?” he said. “I do not think so. It is up to the president of the republic and head of the armed forces, obviously, to answer this question.”
Lecornu did not rule out arms supplies or other military aid to Armenia. The minister noted that France opened recently a “defense mission” in the South Caucasus state which is looking into “their needs, particularly in terms of defense and protection.” He did not go into details.
Macron’s government signaled the possibility of arms supplies when it sent a delegation of French defense officials to Yerevan in October 2022. They met with Defense Minister Suren Papikian, Armenian army chief Eduard Asrian and High-Technology Minister Robert Khachatrian.
Papikian visited Paris in September 2022 and June this year. He met with Lecornu on both occasions. Visiting Yerevan in July, the French Senate speaker, Gerard Larcher, called for the “acceleration of the delivery of defensive weapons by France to Armenia.”
Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonian described France as a “real ally of Armenia and the Armenian people” when he met with the speaker of the lower house of the French parliament, Yael Braun-Pivet, in Dublin last Thursday. According to his press office, Simonian also “expressed confidence about the continuation of France’s efforts to ensure Armenia’s security.”
Azerbaijan has repeatedly accused Macron and other French officials of siding with Armenia in the Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev charged on July 3 that Paris is fomenting “Armenian separatism” in Karabakh. Yerevan rejected the Azerbaijani criticism.
France is home to a sizable and influential Armenian community mostly consisting of descendants of survivors of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey.
