Day: December 27, 2023

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Wednesday said that the specifics of the delimitation of borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan must be included in an eventual peace treaty with Azerbaijan, thus countering Baku’s insistence that the border process not be linked to peace discussions.

Last week, Himet Hajiyev, the chief advisor to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, told reporters in London that Baku would consider separating the border delimitation process from the peace talks and an eventual peace treaty. A day later, Armenia’s Parliament Speaker, who has taken it upon himself to discuss and express approaches to foreign policy matters, said that he did not see a problem to separating the two issues.

With his remarks on Wednesday, Mirzoyan clarified that Yerevan wants the delimitation issues — including the the maps that are to be used in that process — to be included in the language of a peace deal.

“It is extremely important for us that the future delimitation process is predictable and its principles, its foundations are fixed in the peace agreement,” Mirzoyan told reporters on Wednesday during a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who was visiting Yerevan.

“For us, a reference to [concrete] maps would be such a way of ensuring that predictability without predetermining the results [of the process],” added Mirzoyan.

“The three principles pertain to the sovereignty of countries, mutual recognition of territorial integrity and inviolability of borders. When talking about transport and communication infrastructures, we once again address the jurisdiction within the context of these three principles. They are principles accepted by the international community and their legitimacy is recognized worldwide,” Mirzoyan emphasized.

Mirzoyan said that the Armenian government is making every effort to bring the peace process to its logical conclusion, but emphasized that a peace treaty cannot be achieve unilaterally and called for Azerbaijan’s cooperation.
“We have repeatedly emphasized the Republic of Armenia’s commitment to engaging in conscientious and constructive negotiations with Azerbaijan. The ultimate goal of these negotiations is the settlement of relations and the establishment of peace. We have consistently reaffirmed our dedication to the peace process and the establishment of lasting peace in our region,” said Mirzoyan.

“We have had negotiations with Azerbaijan in several directions and several phases; we are working on a concrete draft of the peace treaty. Recently, we have received new proposals from the Azerbaijani side, which we will thoroughly study and respond appropriately, submitting our own proposals,” he added.

“There is a real possibility to achieve peace; there is a window to bring the process to a logical end.  We do have a chance for peace despite the many obstacles and difficulties we have faced. Despite even the forced displacement of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the hate speech from Azerbaijan, the aggressive rhetoric, we really see that opportunity,’’ said Mirzoyan, noting that the Armenian government is doing its utmost to ensure that the process leading to peace reaches its logical conclusion.

Mirzoyan expressed hope that Azerbaijan would show such constructiveness. He added that positive signals are visible, such as the agreements reached due to the recent contacts, leading to the release prisoners of war and detainees. In turn, Armenia supported Azerbaijan’s bid to host the 29th Session of the UN Climate Change summit next year.

“On the other hand, we observe negative signals, given the aggressive statements and calls from Azerbaijan, and the avoidance of high-level meetings. Although there are proposals, the meetings have not taken place recently. We hope that in the near future, we will have the opportunity to sign a long-term peace agreement,” concluded Mirzoyan.

YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—A court in Yerevan ended the marathon trial of former President Robert Kocharian on Wednesday after he agreed to plead the statute of limitations despite strongly denying corruption charges leveled against him.

Kocharian, who ruled Armenia from 1998-2008, was first arrested in July 2018 shortly after the “velvet revolution” that brought Nikol Pashinyan to power. He initially faced only charges stemming from a 2008 post-election crackdown on opposition protesters in Yerevan.

The ex-president was subsequently also charged with receiving a $3 million bribe from an Armenian businesswoman. He, his former chief of staff Armen Gevorgian and two retired army generals, went on trial in May 2019. They all rejected the accusations as politically motivated. Kocharian claimed that they are part of a “political vendetta” waged by Pashinyan.

The coup charges against the defendants were dropped after Armenia’s Constitutional Court declared them unconstitutional in 2021. Kocharian and Gevorgyan continued to stand trial for the alleged bribery.

Anna Danibekyan, the judge presiding over the trial, closed the case without acquitting or convicting Kocharian. She argued that Kocharian has invoked the statute of limitations that expired in May this year.

Kocharian refused to make such a plea at the time, saying that he will keep fighting for his formal acquittal. One of his lawyers, Mihran Poghosyan, said he has changed his mind because he now needs to go abroad for an urgent medical examination. In recent weeks, Danibekyan has repeatedly declined to allow Kocharian to leave Armenia, Poghosyan told reporters.

Kocharian was last released from custody on bail in June 2020. The end of his trial means that the bail money worth 2 billion drams ($5 million) will be returned to his daughter Gayane. The presiding judge also unfroze the 69-year-old ex-president’s assets.

Kocharian, who now leads Armenia’s largest opposition alliance, would not go to jail even if he was found guilty.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who was in Yerevan on Wednesday, once again voiced his country’s support for Armenia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Official Tehran has been a vocal opponents of Baku’s ambitions to carve out a land corridor through Armenia to connect with Nakhichevan.

During a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan, Amir-Abdollahian also welcomed Yerevan’s efforts to establish peace in the region, specifically supporting the Armenian government’s so-called “Crossroads of Peace” plan.

He told reporters that during his meeting Mirzoyan, they “reflected on stable peace and stability in the South Caucasus and the role that Iran has as an active factor and can assume the role of a guarantor of peace and stability in the region.”

“I would like to emphasize that Iran supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Armenia. Iran has had historical relations with neighboring Armenia, which are further developing, deepening, and reaching a high level day by day,” Amir-Abdollahian emphasized.

“We fully understood that Armenia is very serious about achieving stable peace and is taking serious steps,” Iran’s top diplomat said.

Amir-Abdollahian reflected on recent telephone conversations he held with his Azerbaijani and Russian counterparts, Jeyhum Bayramov and Sergey Lavrov, saying that he is convinced that they too are commitment to “lasting peace” between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“I think that it is possible to achieve [agreement between Armenia an Azerbaijan] in the first months of the new year in order to achieve stable peace,” he said.

Amir-Abdollahian said that Tehran is optimistic about peace in region, and believes that there are various avenues, including the so-called “3+3″ format to ensure stability in the region “without external influences.”

The Iranian foreign minister stressed the importance of excluding “intervention of foreign forces” several times during his remarks.

“Iran supports the establishment of stable peace in the South Caucasus and the launch of the North-South transit route. Iran also welcomes the project proposed by the Prime Minister of Armenia, which was presented as the Crossroads of Peace. We are ready to be consistent for the development of the North-South transit route,” Amir-Abdollahian added.

Polish drivers have been blocking several crossings with Ukraine since November 6, demanding the European Union reinstate a system whereby Ukrainian companies need permits to operate in the bloc and the same for European truckers to enter Ukraine. 

Farmers suspended a protest at one border crossing on Sunday, but truckers have continued to block three others. 

“We are close to the belief that our actions can bring results, both the talks in Kyiv and Brussels,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a news conference. “I do not think that we will achieve the maximum that the truckers want, but it seems that what can be achieved will allow us to relieve emotions and relieve blockades on the border.” 

The permit system for Ukrainian drivers was lifted after the EU and Kyiv signed an agreement on June 29, 2022, four months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

Tusk said that the current regulations concerning permits would be in force until June and that it was unlikely that they could be changed before then. However, he said other solutions could be found at the “operational level.” 

He said that he would discuss the issue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an upcoming visit to Kyiv.  

“I will do everything possible to make the life and fate of Polish truckers easier,” Tusk said. 

Poland’s deputy infrastructure minister said on Friday after a meeting in Kyiv that he hoped truckers’ protests on the border with Ukraine could be resolved before the end of the year.