Day: February 27, 2024

NPR News: 02-27-2024 4PM EST

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Baku continues to present new territorial demands to Armenia – FM Mirzoyan  ARMENPRESS

US Pushes for Lasting Peace Between Azerbaijan and Armenia Amidst High-Level Talks  BNN Breaking

Azerbaijan’s Rocky Relations with Europe: Between Political Tensions and Energy Partnerships – Australian Institute of …  Australian Institute of International Affairs

US continues to encourage Azerbaijan and Armenia to try to reach durable agreement – State Department  News.Az

Iran has reduced stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium, says nuclear watchdog  CNN

Gallant: Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas hope to turn Ramadan into ‘2nd stage of October 7’  The Times of Israel

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev repeatedly states: “I don’t care who says what about my country, I will continue doing whatever I want.” However, this is a cover up. Regardless of his public tough talk, Azerbaijan is working behind the scenes to manage its conflicts with other countries.

Last week, I wrote that Azerbaijan asked the Israeli government to intercede with France to improve their relations, which have deteriorated in recent years due to the French support of Armenia in the Artsakh conflict. Since Israel turned down Aliyev’s request to mediate with France, Azerbaijan started looking for other channels to resolve its problems with Europe.

After the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) suspended Azerbaijan’s membership, Aliyev asked the League of Arab States to intervene with the Europeans to restore Azerbaijan’s status. On February 13, 2024, at Azerbaijan’s request, Adel bin AbdulRahman Al-Asoomi, president of the Arab League’s Parliament, sent a letter to the president of PACE, Theodoros Rousopoulos, complaining about the resolution PACE had adopted refusing to ratify the credentials of the delegation of Azerbaijan.

The President of the Arab Parliament told PACE: “The Arab Parliament expresses its deep regret over the adoption of this resolution; the Republic of Azerbaijan is a friend and strategic partner of the Arab States and plays a significant and influential role to preserve cultural diversity and to promote dialogue among civilizations…The Republic of Azerbaijan is a member of the Council of Europe since 2001 and plays a major role in promoting activities of this organization and achieving its principles and objectives. At the global level, it makes concerted efforts to lower tensions and conflicts…”

The president of the Arab Parliament then counseled PACE: “Multilateral parliamentary diplomacy must be an instrument to reconcile points of view, and a wall of resistance in front of any divisions, and an added value for the diffusion of the principles of peace and tolerance.”

The letter ended by urging PACE to reconsider its earlier resolution that had refused to ratify the credentials of Azerbaijan’s parliamentary delegation, “which contradict the principles of dialogue and cooperation.”

Naturally, Azerbaijan’s Parliament (Milli Majlis) immediately publicized the Arab Parliament’s letter, which was also published by several Azeri newspapers.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev with President of the Arab Parliament Adel bin Abdulrahman Al-Asoomi, May 2023 (President of the Republic of Azerbaijan)

It is very odd that the Arab Parliament would intervene with PACE on a matter that has nothing to do with Arab states. Azerbaijan is neither a member nor an observer of the Arab League. How can the president of the Arab Parliament call Azerbaijan “a friend and strategic partner of Arab States,” when it is an ally of Israel and buys billions of dollars of Israeli weapons? That is the reason Azerbaijan’s request for observer status in the past was rejected by the Arab League. The only possible explanation for the Arab Parliament’s willingness to write a letter to PACE is that Azerbaijan was engaged in its usual practice of ‘Caviar Diplomacy,’ meaning that it made a very generous donation to the Arab League. Therefore, the Arab Parliament’s statement about Azerbaijan seeking dialogue and peace has nothing to do with reality.

Since Armenia has had an observer status with the League of Arab States since 2005, I am curious to know if Armenia’s representative in the League was aware that the Arab Parliament was considering sending such a letter to PACE in support of Azerbaijan. If yes, what actions, if any, did he or she take to object to sending such a letter?

In addition to the Arab League, Azerbaijan is pursuing its lobbying efforts at PACE through its big brother, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Yasar Yakis, the former Foreign Minister of Turkey and founder of the ruling AK Party, wrote in Arab News on February 25: “Turkey has strongly opposed the suspension of Azerbaijan [from PACE]…Even if Azerbaijan’s membership of the Council of Europe is suspended, it could survive without being a member.”

Earlier in February, when Aliyev visited Erdogan in Ankara, the Turkish president pledged to do everything possible “to get Azerbaijan’s credentials validated at PACE. We will continue our support and efforts for Azerbaijan until the decision [not to ratify its credentials] is overturned.” Erdogan added that Turkey will stress that PACE should be a platform for “parliamentary democracy rather than conflict.” However, Aliyev and Erdogan do not have parliamentary democracy and peace in their own countries.

If Aliyev truly does not care what actions other countries take against Azerbaijan, he would not have gone to such great lengths to lobby the Arab League and Pres. Erdogan to restore his country’s credentials at PACE. He would have simply ignored PACE’s decision.

The truth is that Aliyev deeply cares about his image. Most dictators, having violated all sorts of domestic and international laws, do everything possible to whitewash their crimes and try to look like an angel in the eyes of the world.

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The post Aliyev asks the Arab League and Turkey to pressure PACE to readmit Azerbaijan appeared first on The Armenian Weekly.

On February 24-25, the Council of the Socialist International held a meeting in Madrid, at the headquarters of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE).

Since 1907, the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun has been a member of this large political organization, which unites political parties from about a hundred countries. Mario Nalpatian, a former member of the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun Bureau and a member of the Armenian National Committee – International, as well as one of the vice-presidents of the Socialist International (SI), participated in the meetings of the Council and the Presidium and was elected a member of the SI Finance and Administration Committee.

President of the Socialist International and Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez referred to the Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh issue in his opening speeches at the organization’s Presidium and Council meetings.

At the meetings of the SI Presidium and Council, Nalpatian presented the situation and challenges caused by the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh by Azerbaijan’s genocidal actions and violence, as well as Azerbaijan’s threats and demands directed at the Republic of Armenia.

The SI Council adopted a resolution on the Artsakh issue, which states:

The Socialist International supports the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan aimed at signing a peace agreement. To contribute to the establishment of peace and stability in the region, such an agreement should be reached without the use of force or the threat of force, based on international law and diplomatic practice, including a commitment to an internationally sponsored peaceful process towards a final political settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue and the full realization of the fundamental rights and security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh on their ancestral territory.

President of the Socialist International and Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez speaking at the Council of the Socialist International meeting

In line with our longstanding principled policy regarding the Nagorno Karabakh issue and the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and considering the November 17, 2023 provisional measure by the International Court of Justice ordering Azerbaijan to “ensure that persons who have left Nagorno Karabakh after 19 September 2023 and who wish to return to Nagorno Karabakh are able to do so in a safe, unimpeded and expeditious manner” and “are free from the use of force or intimidation that may cause them to flee,” we reiterate our call:

1. Until the final political settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue and the full realization of the fundamental rights of the people of Nagorno Karabakh, for the collective, unhindered and safe return to their homeland. Also, for the provision of an intermediate status for Nagorno Karabakh – ensuring the full extent of the civil and political rights and providing effective security guarantees for the people of Nagorno Karabakh, as well as unhindered land connection with Armenia – guaranteed by international norms.
2. For the release of prisoners of war and detained persons. 
3. For the complete and simultaneous lift of the blockades of transport and other means of communication, without any restriction of sovereignty.

The Socialist International stands ready to assist in these processes through its good offices and with the participation of its member parties and organizations.

The meeting of the Council of the Socialist International also made decisions on organizational issues and adopted the Madrid Declaration.

The Socialist International is the worldwide organization of social democratic, socialist and labor parties. It currently brings together 132 political parties and organizations from all continents. The relevant structures of the ARF are full members of the Socialist International Women (SIW) and the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY). Sarine Abrahamian, from the ARF Youth, is a vice-president of IUSY. 

Armenian National Committee – International

2.27.2024

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The following remarks were delivered at the AYF-led protest in front of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington, D.C., held on February 25, 2024, commemorating Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian massacres in Sumgait-Baku-Maragha-Kirovabad (1988-1992) and demanding justice for the 2023 Artsakh genocide.

AYF D.C. “Ani” Chapter member Sune Hamparian at the February 25, 2024 AYF-led protest in front of the Azerbaijani Embassy commemorating Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian massacres in Sumgait-Baku-Maragha-Kirovabad (1988-1992) and demanding justice for the 2023 Artsakh genocide (Photo: Vartkaes Pamboukian)

1988 – Armenian blood was shed on the streets of Azerbaijan.

As we all know – too well – it was not the first time that Armenian families were torn apart.

Not the first time that screams and woeful cries filled Armenian lungs as countless eyes filled with tears.

Not the first time we strived to shield our hearts from yet more atrocities.

Nor was it the last.

Because, amid the Sumgait pogrom, streets across Azerbaijan were filled with protesters chanting “Death to the Armenians.”

And high off of their killings – the same thing took place in Baku and elsewhere.

Only worse.

More Armenian families ripped apart – more lives torn to shreds, more Armenian blood spilled in the streets.

These pogroms should not and can not be confused with the spontaneous acts of an angry crowd.

Like the Genocide of 1915, they were premeditated.

A planned effort to exterminate Armenians.

Lists of Armenian addresses, disconnected phones in Armenian households and the distribution of alcohol and drugs to angry hordes, all showed that it was a thoroughly planned effort.

A planned effort to kill Armenians.

1915 all over again.

Crimes left unpunished.

Genocide enabled and encouraged.

We saw the result of this in 2020, again during the blockade and again in the genocide of Artsakh just a few months ago.

These are not the victims of a century ago – or even three decades ago – but living, breathing families. All victims of the same crime.

The same intent: eliminating Armenians.

The same perpetrator: pan-Turkic killers.

Having emptied Western Armenia, then Nakhichevan and now Artsakh – they’ve turned their sights on Syunik.

Their goal: an Armenia emptied of Armenians.

Their weapon: terror and violence.

Their hope: Armenians – intimidated – afraid.

Armenians who have stopped caring.

We are gathered today to say that will never happen.

Our spirit is strong, and getting stronger.

As John Steinbeck wrote in The Grapes of Wrath, “The little screaming fact that sounds through all history [is that] repression works only to strengthen and knit the repressed.”

His words ring true.

Forged in fire – strengthened by struggle.

We are strong.

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