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Joint tactical and professional military drills kicked off in Armenia on March 16 at 09:00.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of Armenia, the units involved in the drills have been brought to relevant levels of combat readiness.
Preparatory works for combat shooting are underway.
The Russian media outlets report that the supply of the Russian gas to Armenia will be temporarily carried out via Azerbaijan’s territory.
ARMENPRESS has requested a clarification in this respect from Gazprom Armenia PR manager Mikayel Harutyunyan, who reminded that the gas supply to Armenia is being carried out via Karmir Kamurj-Sevkar-Berd highway gas pipeline. “We do not have another comment on that report”, he said.
Citing the statement of Gazprom Export, the Russian Interfax, Kommersant, Sputnik News and other media outlets have reported today that the Russian gas will be supplied to the consumers via Azerbaijan’s territory due to the planned repair works of North Caucasus-Trans Caucasus gas pipeline. It is reported that the Gazprom Export and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan have signed a short-term contract for the transit of the Russian gas via Azerbaijan’s territory on March 16.
According to the contract, during the planned repair works of the North Caucasus-Trans Caucasus main gas pipeline, the natural gas will be supplied to consumers through the territory of Azerbaijan to the Georgian border. The works will last for about three weeks. After their completion the gas supply will be ensured by the previous route –through the territory of Russia and Georgia.
ARMENPRESS is also trying to request additional clarification from Gazprom Export over the report.
YEREVAN. – Members of the Liberation Movement, which demands the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, staged protest in front of the main building of the government of Armenia.
They sit on the ground in a group and chanted, “Nikol, the traitor.”
A representative of this movement told reporters: “Our demand is but one: let’s liberate Armenia from all enemies, as well as from the people who work in the government (…). Our goal is to unite all Armenians, for the people to restore respect for each other, whereas the people were divided into different parts since 2018. Our demand is that the traitorous leaders leave. Our actions will be continuous. There were 5-6 of us at yesterday’s action, we were few. Today the youth are gradually approaching, joining. We are growing [in number] day by day.”
Police stand at the entrance to the aforesaid government building and guard the entrance.
After sitting in front of this government building for about 20 minutes, the protesters left.
The aforementioned representative of this movement informed that now they will walk around the capital Yerevan and chant.
A police officer stationed at the Presidential Protection Directorate was discovered dead in his apartment on Tuesday, in what has been ruled a suicide, Cumhuriyet newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Officer Mehmet Ali Bulut’s colleagues discovered his body when they went to his apartment to check up on him after he failed to show up to work and his phone was turned off.
“It must be what you do best to insult your personnel, threaten them, fire them, humiliate them and make them out to be liars,” Bulut said in a handwritten note. “Every man has his pride, and I couldn’t stomach those words.”
The president’s bodyguard cited two people with the initials C.B. and A.Ö., saying, “I wish you had treated your employees well and asked them how they are.’’
The victim also said he did not want any of his superiors to attend his funeral, except one police chief.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Murat Bakan submitted a parliamentary inquiry for Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu to answer, asking how many police officers had committed suicide. Bakan cited two other officers, Halil Akkaya and Ethem Dağdeviren, who had committed suicide in January and March respectively.
“These children, at the prime of their lives, want to become police officers, and then they commit suicide. What pushes them to give up on their own lives?’’ the deputy asked, addressing Soylu.
Bakan said in all cases of police suicides that became public to date, officers complained about harassment from their superiors, and asked whether the names the officers cited in their suicide notes were investigated.
Large-scale military exercises begin in Armenia on Tuesday, one day after Azerbaijan launched four-day drills involving thousands of troops.
According to Deputy Defense Minister Arman Sargsian, during the first major military exercises since a defeat of Armenian forces in a war against Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh last fall, Armenia’s armed forces will aim to test their defense capability.
Earlier, Armenia’s Ministry of Defense said that the March 16-20 drills will involve 7,500 soldiers, about 100 tanks and armored vehicles, some 300 artillery and anti-aircraft systems as well as aviation.
A ministry statement said they will take place in “all operational directions of the armed forces” in accordance with the Armenian army’s training plan for the first half of this year.
The statement added that the drills are designed to “check the combat-readiness of troops” and their ability to “rapidly act in the existing situation.”
“Every military exercise has its own clear goal: it is to check the defense capability of troops, the general use of available resources, and so on. I can say that at this moment the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia are in control of the situation,” Deputy Defense Minister Sargsian said.
In its statement the Ministry of Defense did not specify whether unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will also be used in the exercises. But over the past two weeks Armenia’s High-Tech Industry Minister Hakob Arshakian has been posting videos of tests of Armenian-made combat UAVs on Facebook and Twitter. According to the minister, these drones can operate at a distance of up to 500 kilometers and carry up to 12 kilograms of explosives.
According to military expert Karen Hovhannisian, the scale of exercises announced by Armenia shows that the nation also wants to demonstrate its force after the defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh, where hostilities were stopped due to a Russian-brokered ceasefire that took effect on November 10.
“In other words, it is a kind of message that after the war the armed forces of Armenia are quickly back on their feet, having restored their potential,” the expert said.
Political analyst Ruben Mehrabian also said that the current military exercises primarily carry a political message about Armenia “restoring its military potential and seeking to regain its role in regional events.”
“The fact that only four months after the end of the war large-scale tactical military exercises are being held in Armenia is already an important event on the way towards strengthening the security of Armenia,” Mehrabian said.
Meanwhile, on March 15, Azerbaijan began four-day large-scale military exercises with the participation of 10,000 troops, about 100 tank units, other armored vehicles, missile systems, aircraft, including drones.
The Defense Ministry in Baku said last week that the drills would be held in unspecified mountainous areas.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said on Friday that the Azerbaijani war games were planned beforehand and suggested that they would not jeopardize “stability and security in the region.”
Last month Armenian Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutiunian said that Russia, which has a military base in Armenia, is helping Yerevan restructure and modernize its armed forces. He said concrete “recommendations” have already been made on how to rearm the Armenian army but did not give any details.
In an interview with foreign media on February 26, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that Russia should avoid helping Armenia modernize its army and urged it “not to give weapons to Yerevan,” according to TASS.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde says the situation following the November 10 agreement on the ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh has changed in the region. According to her, the implementation of the ceasefire agreement will give a base for moving forward on the settlement of the conflict.
“I welcome the ceasefire, and by using this chance, I would like to express my deep regret over the wounded and those killed in action. As an OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, I welcome the work of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the efforts of our Personal Representative to find a long-lasting stable solution. Several issues still miss solutions. The OSCE and the international community as a whole have an important role in addressing the immediate situation and finding a way forward”, she said at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Aivazian in Yerevan.
According to Ann Linde, at this stage it’s important to show respect to the international law, including the international humanitarian law. She also emphasized the necessity of building trust. Mrs. Linde informed that her visit also enabled to discuss the Swedish chairmanship priorities in the OSCE.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde has arrived in Armenia as part of her regional visit. She is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President Armen Sarkissian, as well as civil society representatives.
GLENDALE – Consul General of Armenia in Los Angeles Ambassador Armen Baibourtian had a meeting with California State Assembly member Adrin Nazarian, who also holds membership in the California Armenian Legislative Caucus. During the meeting that took place at the Consulate General, the interlocutors discussed issues relating to the advancement of relations between Armenia and California and their perspective.
They emphasized the need to maximize the utilization of the existing potential in bilateral multifaceted relations, which are anchored now on the Framework Agreement on Cooperation between Armenia and California signed in September 2019. They also discussed the post-war situation in Artsakh and Armenia as well as in the entire region. The urgent need to release all the Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) held in Azerbaijan was underlined.
Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian (Democratic Party) was elected in November 2012 to represent California’s 46th Assembly District, which includes the Hollywood Hills, Lake Balboa, North Hills, North Hollywood, Panorama City, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Toluca Lake, Valley Glen, Universal City, Van Nuys, and Valley Village. He chairs the Aging and Long-Term Care Committee of the State Assembly and sits on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media, Health, Rules, Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on State Administration, and Transportation. He also chairs the Select Committee on 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
ԼՈՍ ԱՆՋԵԼԵՍՈՒՄ ՀՀ ԳԼԽԱՎՈՐ ՀՅՈՒՊԱՏՈՍ, ԴԵՍՊԱՆ ԱՐՄԵՆ ԲԱՅԲՈՒՐԴՅԱՆԸ ՀԱՆԴԻՊԵԼ Է ԿԱԼԻՖՈՐՆԻԱՅԻ ՆԱՀԱՆԳԱՅԻՆ ԱՍԱՄԲԼԵԱՅԻ ԱՆԴԱՄ ԱԴՐԻՆ ՆԱԶԱՐՅԱՆԻ ՀԵՏ
ԳԼԵՆԴԵՅԼ – Լոս Անջելեսում ՀՀ գլխավոր հյուպատոս, արտակարգ և լիազոր դեսպան Արմեն Բայբուրդյանը հանդիպել է Կալիֆորնիայի նահանգային ասամբլեայի անդամ Ադրին Նազարյանի հետ, որը նաև Կալիֆորնիայի հայկական օրենսդրական խմբակցության անդամ է։ ՀՀ գլխավոր հյուպատոսությունում տեղի ունեցած հանդիպման ընթացքում զրուցակիցները քննարկել են Հայաստան-Կալիֆորնիա հարաբերությունների զարգացմանը և հեռանկարներին վերաբերող հարցեր։ Նրանք վեր են հանել Կալիֆորնիայում նահանջի փուլ թևակոխած համավարակի այս շրջանում երկկողմ բազմաբնույթ հարաբերությունների առկա ներուժն առավելագույնս օգտագործելու խնդիրը։ Հայաստանի և Կալիֆորնիայի հարաբերությունների երկկողմ իրավական դաշտը խարսխված է ՀՀ-ի և Կալիֆորնիայի միջև 2019 թվականի սեպտեմբերին ստորագրված համագործակցության շրջանակային համաձայնագրի վրա։ Հանդիպման մասնակիցները խոսել են նաև հետպատերազմյան շրջանում ինչպես Արցախում և Հայաստանում, այնպես էլ ամբողջ տարածաշրջանում ստեղծված իրավիճակի մասին։ Հատուկ կարևորվեց Ադրբեջանում պահվող հայ ռազմագերիների անհապաղ ազատման խնդիրը։
Ադրին Նազարյանն ԱՄՆ դեմոկրատական կուսակցության ներկայացուցիչ է։ Նա ընտրվել է նահանգային ասամբլեայում 2012 թվականի նոյեմբերին՝ ներկայացնելով Կալիֆորնիայի 46-րդ Ասամբլեայի ընտրաշրջանը, որն իր մեջ ներառում է Հոլիվուդ Հիլզը, Լեյք Բալբոան, Նորթ Հիլզը, Նորթ Հոլիվուդը, Պանորամա Սիթին, Շերման Օքսը, Ստուդիո Սիթին, Թոլուկա Լեյքը, Վալի Գլենը, Յունիվերսալ Սիթին, Վեն Նայզը և Վալի Վիլեջը։ Նա նախագահում է Տարեցության և երկարաժամկետ հոգածության հարցերով Ասամբլեայի մշտական հանձնաժողովը, ինչպես նաև անդամակցում է Արվեստի, ժամանցային ինդուստրիայի, սպորտի, զբոսաշրջության և ինտերնետային լրատվության, Տրանսպորտի, Առողջապահության կոմիտեներին և Պետական կառավարման չորրորդ ենթակոմիտեին։
By Harut Sassounian
This is the surprising story of Azerbaijan, a country that buys weapons from others for its own needs, selling tens of millions of dollars of weapons to a Central African country.
The article, titled “Congo-Brazzaville Strongman Buys Secret Weapons Haul from Azerbaijan,” was published by OCCRP (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) on February 22, 2021. It was written by Khadija Sharife and Mark Anderson. Congo-Brazzaville is another name for the Republic of Congo.
Here is the OCCRP’s summary of the key findings of the article:
“Since 2015, Congo-Brazzaville has bought a huge weapons stockpile from Azerbaijan, with over 500 tons of weapons delivered to the country in multiple shipments.
In January 2020, more than 100 tons of weaponry was sent from Azerbaijan to Congo-Brazzaville’s Republican Guard, including 775 mortar shells and over 400 cases of rockets designed to be launched out of trucks.
Opposition figures claim that previous shipments of weapons from Azerbaijan were used to fuel a brutal post-election offensive in 2016 that led to a humanitarian crisis.
Saudi Arabia was listed as a ‘sponsoring party’ in at least two arms consignments sent in 2016 and 2017, around the same time Congo-Brazzaville’s admittance to OPEC [Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries] was being negotiated.”
According to OCCRP, “in January 2020, at the Turkish port of Derince on the eastern shores of the Sea of Marmara, a huge cache of weapons was loaded onto the MV Storm. Registered in the tax haven of Vanuatu, the ship set sail with an arsenal of mortar shells, multiple launch rockets, and explosives, en route from Azerbaijan to the Republic of the Congo, better known as Congo-Brazzaville.”
The above summary raises several serious questions: Why was Azerbaijan shipping weapons to the Republic of Congo, when Baku itself needed weapons? Is it Azerbaijan or Turkey the real source of the weapons shipped to Congo? Why did Saudi Arabia sponsor two of the weapon shipments in 2016 and 2017, meaning that the Saudi government paid for the weapons? Why were the dictators of Azerbaijan and Turkey trying to support President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, the dictator of the Republic of Congo, who has been in power ever since 1997? What did Azerbaijan or Turkey get in return for the arms shipments?
In January 2020, over 100 tons of weapons worth tens of millions of dollars were shipped by Azerbaijan to the headquarters of Congo’s elite Republican Guard. This was the latest of at least 17 such shipments since 2015. In total, over 500 tons of weapons, including hand grenades, mortar systems, and millions of bullets were sent by Azerbaijan to Congo, according to OCCRP.
Opposition forces have claimed that these weapons are to be used by the President of Congo to maintain his rule by force in the March 21 presidential election. He recently had the constitution changed so he could be president for life!
How can a financially bankrupt country like Congo afford to buy such a large quantity of weapons? By funding two of the weapons shipments, Saudi Arabia wanted to extend its political influence over Congo.
The most recent shipment of weapons from Azerbaijan to Congo on January 2020 included 775 mortar shells and over 400 cases of rockets. They were transported from Baku to Turkey by a Bulgarian company and then loaded onto the ship MV Storm at Derince, a port managed by the Turkish government. An inside source confirmed that Congo bought the weapons at discount prices.
The Congolese government used the weapons from Azerbaijan against the opposition in a scorched earth strategy, according to the leader of a political party in Congo. Given the regime’s brutal human rights record, no European country would sell weapons to Congo. In the 2016 presidential election, the United States criticized the government of Congo for “widespread irregularities and the arrests of opposition supporters.” The presidential election this month is expected to be just as corrupt as the previous ones. “The government is carrying out a pre-election campaign of intimidation, harassment and arbitrary detention against its political opponents,” said a representative of Amnesty International.
The OCCRP reported that “the first shipments of arms arrived in Brazzaville on Azerbaijani Air Force planes, but starting in 2017 a private [Azeri] carrier, Silk Way Airlines, began flying the weapons instead. …Silk Way is registered in the British Virgin Islands, a tax haven, and was previously linked to the Aliyev family. As well as previously winning lucrative contracts with the U.S. government to move ammunition and other non-lethal materials, Silk Way was found, in leaked correspondence reported by Bulgarian newspaper Trud, to have used flights with diplomatic clearance to secretly move hundreds of tons of weapons around the world, including to global conflict zones, between 2014 and 2017.”
The opposition in Congo is concerned that the weapons from Azerbaijan will increase the prospect of violence around the elections. “We are worried that the weapons that Sassou-Nguesso’s regime bought from Azerbaijan could be used to crack down on the opposition during the upcoming election,” said an opposition leader.
The United Nations should launch an investigation into these secret weapons sales from Azerbaijan to the dictator of Congo to oppress the human rights of the local population and rig the presidential election once again!
During today’s session, the Board of Trustees of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, the Government of Armenia needs to take a decision to ensure the return of $107,000,000 to the Fund. This is what former executive director of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Ara Vardanyan told reporters today.
“I believe there might be members of the Board of Trustees who will demand that the government returns those funds. This demand is rather lawful and substantiated,” Vardanyan said, adding that the Armenian government will be able to allocate $107,000,000 from the state budget.
In the same period, Armenia bought 94% of its arms from Russia.
Turkey’s arms imports fell by 59 per cent between 2011–15 and 2016–20. SIPRI report says that a major factor was the USA halting deliveries of F-35 combat aircraft to the country in 2019, after Turkey imported Russian air defence systems. Turkey is also increasing domestic production of major arms, to reduce its reliance on imports.