Day: April 12, 2024

On April 10, yet another incident unfolded along the conditional border between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Armenian armed forces once again unleashed gunfire on an Azerbaijani border post, resulting in the injury of an officer of the State Border Service, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend.

Following an investigation by the Armenian National Security Service (NSS), Armenian border guards were accused of flouting regulations, which led to the shootout.

“On April 10, a conscript of the NSS border troops, upon learning that a shepherd and his flock had strayed into Azerbaijani territory, decided to cross the border unlawfully with fellow servicemen to retrieve the livestock, thereby violating service rules, which negligently caused significant damage, led to an unjustified shootout, and endangered the lives and health of people,” the department stated.

However, one can’t help but wonder: where was the EU monitoring mission in the middle of all this?

The EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia kicked off in January 2023. Initially, there were 100 staff members, a number that had risen to 209 by December. Yet, did none of them manage to react promptly?

Their total lack of response to the incident suggests that Europeans simply aren’t prepared to shoulder this responsibility.

This isn’t the first time Europeans have stayed mum or excused themselves by claiming they had no access to certain Armenian villages. When a similar incident occurred in February of this year, the EU mission shifted the blame to Russian border guards.

So, what exactly are their duties then? It was only in March 2024 that the Armenian parliament ratified the agreement with the European Union on the status of the EU observation mission, which should regulate the mission’s activities and clarify its functions. So, what were the observers doing for the past year remains unclear.

Clearly, Europeans have been playing favorites with their Armenian allies all this time. The Armenian side has already taken responsibility, while the EU continues to cover for them. Once again, “binocular diplomacy” has failed.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pashinyan is suggesting that the mandate of the European mission on Armenian territory could be extended for another two years. Besides the fact that Europeans have once again demonstrated their ineffectiveness, extending their mandate simply becomes another hurdle to the demarcation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and the conclusion of peace between the parties. At the same time, Pashinyan claims that all issues between Baku and Yerevan must be resolved independently, without third parties. What exactly is the Armenian leadership aiming for?

The post Injury of Azerbaijani border guard questions need for EU mission in Armenia appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.

The upcoming meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is scheduled for October 7 in Moscow, said Sergei Lebedev, CIS Secretary-General, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend.

He announced this decision at the CIS FMs meeting held today in Minsk, Belarus.

“In a closed-door session, it was agreed to hold the next CFM meeting on October 7, 2024, in Moscow,” he stated.

Lebedev highlighted that during the primary discussions among delegation heads, there was a candid exchange of views on pressing international matters and cooperation within the Commonwealth.

Attending today’s meeting were heads and representatives from the diplomatic bodies of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The post Sergei Lebedev: Upcoming CIS CMFA meeting to be held in Moscow appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.

Tajikistan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ilhom Abdurahmon, and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Co-Chairman of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan, Mukhtar Babayev, discussed bilateral cooperation within the frame of the upcoming 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend.

According to Tajikistan’s Embassy in Azerbaijan, collaboration within the Third High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028,” scheduled for June in Dushanbe, was also discussed.

During the meeting, the sides touched upon the progress made in implementing previous agreements in trade, economics, industry, transportation, investment, and other areas of cooperation.

Additionally, the upcoming session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan was addressed.

Azerbaijan will host the COP29 this November. This decision was reached during the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11, 2023. In less than two weeks, Baku is poised to become the epicenter of global climate discussions, welcoming an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 foreign delegates.

According to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan in 2023 amounted to $6.1 million, which accounted for 0.1 percent of Azerbaijan’s total foreign trade turnover with CIS countries. This trade turnover between the two countries increased by 2.98 percent compared to 2022 ($5.9 million).

Azerbaijan’s exports to Tajikistan in 2023 totaled $5 million, which is a decrease of 13.9 percent compared to 2022. Azerbaijan’s imports from Tajikistan in 2023 amounted to $1.1 million, which was more than 8.13 times the level of 2022.

The post Azerbaijan, Tajikistan discuss cooperation within COP29 appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.

A mine explosion occurred in Azerbaijan’s Agdam, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the General Prosecutor’s Office, and the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) said in a joint statement, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend.

Casualties have been reported.

Will be updated

The post Mine explosion reported in Azerbaijan’s Aghdam, followed by casualties appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov held a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Sergei Aleinik during his working visit to Minsk, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac.

During the meeting, the FMs hailed the level of strategic partnership between the two countries and stressed the importance of developing cooperation in potential areas, as well as arranging reciprocal visits. They emphasized the significance of expanding cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, and sports.

The sides highlighted the necessity of strengthening collaboration between the two countries within international organizations and explored the prospects for cooperation in diverse sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, transport, machine-building, and tourism.

Recognizing the significant potential for expanding economic relations, the ministers referred to the 13th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, held on May 15, 2023, where crucial decisions were made and areas for further strengthening economic ties were reviewed.

FM Bayramov provided Sergei Aleinik with an overview of the preparation process for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and they discussed potential cooperation within this framework.

The ministers also deliberated on the reconstruction and restoration efforts in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories, along with the possible contributions of Belarus to these endeavors.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov also briefed his counterpart on the mine threat in the region.

Additionally, the FMs exchanged views on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

The post Azerbaijani and Belarusian FMs discuss bilateral relations appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.

Iran’s Deadly Message to Journalists Abroad  The Atlantic

Israel-Hamas war latest: Israel kills son of Hamas West Bank leader  The Telegraph

The Daily Beat: 11 April  Civil Georgia

Russia`s Influence in Armenia

“War is always a possibility. Let’s say right now there’s a 70 percent chance of it. By taking some smart steps and boosting its own importance, Armenia could bring that risk down to just 10 percent,” says political expert Gurgen Simonyan.

He suggests one of these steps should involve taking away the tools other countries, like Russia, have to interfere in Armenia’s affairs.

On a local TV show, the analyst talked about what else Armenia’s leaders should do to make their position stronger and deal with the problems the country faces.

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• “Armenia does not create dividing lines in the region” – Pashinyan
• Peter Stano: “The EU can assist Armenia, but it will not impose solutions”
• “Russia abandoned us at the most critical moment,” said the speaker of the Armenian Parliament

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“We need to leave the Russian structures”

Gurgen Simonyan believes Armenia has no chance to thrive within military, political, and economic frameworks operating under Russia’s influence. He’s confident that within these alliances, everything will be done to “suffocate, finish off” Armenia.

Simonyan suggests that the authorities should have announced their withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) immediately after Azerbaijan’s military invasion of Armenian territory in September 2022. He sees this move as overdue but still necessary:

“Our task is to increase the country’s resilience; the war is not over. We need to associate ourselves with the developed community, the European Union, NATO, and establish interstate relations with European countries, particularly France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.”

The political analyst recommends seizing the opportunity and signing a cooperation document with the United States before the active phase of the pre-election campaign begins there:

“It can be signed at the congressional or presidential level. The main thing is to have a document of loyalty so that even if there’s a change in the presidency, it cannot be ignored.”

“We cannot crush Russia, but we can weaken it”

“When you know that an aggressor is about to strike you hard, it’s necessary to weaken them as much as possible. We cannot attack or conquer Russia, nor can we defeat the Russian army. But we can weaken Russia’s influence on Armenia,” says Simonyan.

According to him, to weaken Russian influence in Armenia, it’s necessary to:

• Ban Russian propaganda channels.
• Whenever possible, rid the country of infiltrated agents.
• Diversify the economy, establish connections with developed countries, so that the “Lars factor” [the only land route connecting Armenia with Russia] turns “from a hammer in Russia’s hands into a useless toy.”
• Remove Russian border guards from the state border.

The analyst thinks that if Moscow loses these tools, it’ll have less sway over Yerevan. In that scenario, it’ll likely keep seeking solutions through Baku, Simonyan believes. So, he advises Armenia’s leaders “play their game in the context of the conflict.” . He suggests they neutralize any potential military moves by Azerbaijan with U.S. support and counter Turkey’s influence through European nations.

“There are guarantees that are already in effect”

When asked if the West would provide Armenia with security guarantees, Gurgen Simonyan replied that Yerevan has already received them. He mentioned the European Union’s observation mission monitoring the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and arms supplies:

“The French ambassador to Armenia stated that France has military equipment that everyone desperately wants to acquire, and France provides it to Armenia. What other guarantees do we want? For them to come and use this weapon themselves?“

According to the political analyst, Armenia “should seek partners and allies, not masters.” Moreover, he believes that the authorities have already found them. Now, it’s just a matter of capitalizing on these achievements, meaning signing bilateral intergovernmental documents with the new partners.