Day: December 5, 2023

Armenia’s National Security chief Armen Grigoryan met with his American counterpart Jake Sullivan and the White House on Tuesday.

According to a statement from Grigoryan’s office, he and Sullivan discussed issues of mutual interest in the areas of security and the economy, “and lauded the steady dynamics of development of Armenia-U.S. bilateral relations.”

“Secretary Grigoryan reiterated Armenia’s commitment to continue the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization and peace process,” the statement said.

Grigoryan is in Washington to meet with U.S. officials, among them Laura Cooper, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, at the US Department of Defense.

During their meeting the two reportedly discussed defense cooperation between the two countries and emphasized the need to ensure the stability of Armenia’s region.

“They exchanged views on the implementation of bilateral joint programs, and stressed cooperation within peacekeeping activities and the deepening of interaction between the armed forces of Armenia and the U,S.,” a statement from Grigoryan’s office said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, have confirmed the need to increase efforts to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia when they met in Moscow on Tuesday.

“In the context of the debate on regional issues, the need was confirmed to increase efforts to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the basis of tripartite agreements which were adopted in 2020-2022 at a high level,” a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

“Further joint steps regarding the implementation of the provisions of the declaration on allied cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan of February 22, 2022 were discussed,” the Russian foreign ministry statement added.

The Lavrov-Bayramov meeting took place on the margins of a summit of Caspian Littoral States foreign minister being held in Moscow.

Bayramov later said that Baku, as the main initiator of the peace process with Yerevan, is interested in the establishment of peace and stability in the region. He asserted that “the conditions have been created” for an agreement on a peace treaty.

Bayramov also said that Baku is in favor of the activation of negotiations on border demarcation between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which is considered one of the directions of settlement.

Ahead of his meeting with Bayramov, Lavrov hailed the so-called “3+3” regional scheme advance by Ankara and Baku and backed by Moscow. The plan envisions open borders between Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Georgia and Iran as a regional platform.

“This initiative by [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev, the so-called ‘3+3’ regional platform of the three South Caucasus countries and their three neighbors, is starting to get flesh and bones. It is a prospective format,” Lavrov told Bayramov ahead of their meeting.

Georgia has said it will not take part in the scheme. The foreign ministers of the remaining countries in the so-called platform met in Tehran recently to discuss issues related to the plan.

YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party replaced the opposition mayor of a major community in northern Lori province by one of its members on Tuesday through a vote of no confidence condemned by its political opponents as illegal.

The party led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan lost control of the community comprising the formerly industrial town of Alaverdi and over two dozen other towns and villages as a result of local elections held in September 2022. It fell just short of an overall majority in the 27-member local council empowered to appoint the community head.

The opposition Aprelu Yerkir party, which won 13 council seats, installed its member Arkadi Tamazyan as mayor after teaming up with former President Levon Ter-Petrosian’s Armenian National Congress (HAK) party. The HAK controls only one seat.

One of the council members representing Aprelu Yerkir, Simon Zakharov, unexpectedly defected from Aprelu Yerkir in July. Despite denying media reports that he was co-opted by his 13 pro-government colleagues, Zakharov backed last week a Civil Contract motion to oust Tamazyan.

The incumbent mayor and his supporters said the motion is illegal because Armenian law stipulates that no-confidence votes cannot take place more than once a year. They argue that Aprelu Yerkir already initiated a tactical motion of censure in October.

Civil Contract representatives counter that the initiative is null and void because the Alaverdi council did not make a quorum needed for a formal debate on it. They have also dismissed opposition calls for a snap local election.

Scores of riot police surrounded the Alaverdi municipality building on Tuesday morning as the 14 pro-government council members gathered for an emergency session and voted to replace Tamazyan by Civil Contract’s Davit Ghumashyan. The latter used to be affiliated with former President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party.

Tamazyan and Aprelu Yerkir’s Yerevan-based leader Mesrop Arakelyan broke through the police cordon to enter the municipality building and condemn the vote as “illegal.”
“Shame on you!” the ousted mayor shouted before trading insults with Civil Contract figures. Police officers intervened to prevent a violent clash between them.

Addressing about a hundred supporters protesting outside the building, Tamazyan said that he and his party will challenge his ouster in court. Several protesters were detained by the police.

Levon Zurabyan, The HAK’s deputy chairman and Ter-Petrosian’s right-hand man, also denounced the power grab, saying that it makes mockery of government claims about Armenia’s democratization.

“This is Nikol Pashinyan’s idea of democracy … Pashinyan brags about his democratic achievements, but what is happening in Alaverdi testifies to the opposite. Elected people are pressured by police and other law-enforcement bodies,” Zurabyan told reporters. He claimed that Pashinyan’s political team wants to also get rid of other opposition mayors in a similar fashion.

In July, two defections allowed Pashinyan’s party to unseat the opposition head of a local community in northwestern Shirak province encompassing the town of Akhurian and surrounding villages.

In local polls held across Armenia in 2022 and 2021, Civil Contract was also defeated in key urban communities, notably the country’s third largest city of Vanadzor. Some of those ballots were won by jailed or indicted figures at odds with the government. One of them was set free right after deciding not to become a town mayor.

In Vanadzor, the leader of an opposition bloc, Mamikon Aslanyan, was arrested in December 2021 just days after winning the municipal ballot. Aslanian remains in detention, standing trial on corruption charges rejected by him as politically motivated.

Baku Urged to Guarantee Rights of Artsakh Armenains

The European Union on Tuesday faulted Azerbaijan for attempting to resolve the Artsakh conflict through the use of force and urged Baku to guarantee the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh to return to their homes.

Addressing the EU-NGO Forum in Brussels, Josep Borrell, the EU foreign affairs chief lamented the current world order of what he called “the return of brutal power politics.”

“More and more conflicts are being solved by the use of force,” Borrell emphasized. “Something that was supposed to be forbidden. Not the use of force to solve conflicts, but what I see is that there are more and more conflicts [are] being solved by force.”

“Look for example at what has happened in Azerbaijan and Armenia. A long-frozen conflict that suddenly has been – I would not say solved – but decisively determined by a military intervention that, in one week, made 150,000 people move. In one week. Like this. 150,000 people had to abandon their houses and run. And the international community regretted [it], expressed concern, sent humanitarian support, but it happened [with] the use of force,” Borrell added.

Borel reminded that the European Union had condemned Azerbaijan’s military attack against Artsakh in September and had criticized the human casualties and the mass migration of Artsakh Armenians that took place due to the violence.

Later, while responding to written questions submitted by forum participants, Borrell called on Azerbaijan to protect and guarantee the rights of Artsakh Armenians, including allowing them to return to their homes.

Borrell also said that Brussels wants a permanent international presence in the region.

“The property and cultural heritage of Karabakh Armenians must be protected,” Borrell also said.

Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry reacted with a scathing statement that not only condemned Borrell, but accused the EU of having an anti-Azerbaijan bias.

“EU official’s erroneous opinions which once again gravely distort the reality are unacceptable,” Aykhan Hajizada, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry spokesperson said.

“The indifference by Josep Borrell, Vice-President of the EU Commission toward the illegal existence of the Armenian armed forces in the territory of Azerbaijan, which was the primary source of threats to Azerbaijan and led to counter-terrorism measures, is an example of a clear bias against our country,” added Hajizada.

The foreign ministry spokesperson scolded Borrell for saying that 150,000 Armenians had fled Artsakh as a result of Azerbaijan’s attack, saying that the EU leader’s “exaggeration” could “lead to serious misunderstandings.”

“Such false statements by Josep Borrell undermine EU’s mediation efforts and EU Council President Charles Michel’s mission in this direction,” added Hajizada.