Gagrule.net

Gagrule.net News, Views, Interviews worldwide

Pashinyan Accuses Karabakh Officials Meddling in Armenian Election Video

By

Gagrule.net Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday lambasted senior Nagorno-Karabakh officials who he said are “meddling” in Armenia’s ongoing parliamentary race with their public statements.

One of his close associates, Sasun Mikaelyan, said on Monday that the success of this spring’s protest movement that brought Pashinyan to power was more important than the Armenian victory in the 1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan.

The remark was condemned by leaders of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia as well as some Karabakh Armenian government and military officials.

Pashinyan was quick to respond to the outcry. He accused the Republican Party of Armenia of deliberately misinterpreting Mikaelyan’s statement which he portrayed as a slip of the tongue.

The premier also hit out at the Karabakh leadership on Thursday during a campaign trip to the Gegharkunik province.

“Frankly, I don’t quite understand recent days’ activity of representatives of the Artsakk Republic,” he said at a rally held there. “Why have they become active? Why are they making various comments? And why are they trying to meddle in and show their presence in Armenia’s parliamentary election campaign?”

“I am calling on [Artsakh President] Bako Sahakian to rein in representatives of his government and make sure they do their job,” Pashinyan went on.“The press secretary of the Karabakh president comments on my statements every other day. What is this?”

 

168 Zham: Turkey and Russia in deal over Karabakh?

By

The statements by Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesperson of Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan, give clear signals that Turkey and Russia collaborated very actively in the past to coerce Armenia into concessions, according to an Ankara-based political analyst.

In recent comments to the paper, Cengiz Aktar referred to the processes initiated back in 2008 (“football diplomacy”), and the subsequent Zurich Protocols which he said implied progress over Karabakh. “Russia was very active in that period if you remember – although it was not a Russian initiative. Yet the statement makes clear that there were other developments running parallel with the Armenia-Turkey processes,” he said, commenting upon Kalin’s speech delivered at Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

According to Paul Stronski, a senior fellow specializing in Russia and Eurasia Affairs at Carnegie Endowment, a Russian-Turkish transaction over Karabakh is absolutely likely albeit not in line with OSCE Minsk Group format”. He said that he even predicts a successful outcome in the region in case of an undermined influence by the West (US and OSCE Minsk Group) and challenges to the Armenian-Russian relations.

Stronski he also highlighted possible changes in the US-Armenia relations, hinting also their future impact on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement talks. He cited particularly US National Security Advisor John Bolton’s recent statement – expressing hope that there will be chances for a real settlement after the parliamentary elections in Armenia.

Angela Merkel in Azerbaijan calls for peace with Armenia

By

Angela Merkel has offered Germany’s help in forging a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Baku is the chancellor’s last stop on a three-day visit to the South Caucasus.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that Berlin could help mediate between Azerbaijan and neighboring Armenia to resolve a long-running territorial dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Germany wants to help find peaceful solutions,” the chancellor told journalists in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, adding that the conflict was a major burden on the region.

Merkel called for stronger economic cooperation with Azerbaijan as she sat down for talks with the South Caucasian country’s president, Ilham Aliyev. The pair discussed the domestic human rights situation, the possibility of expanding energy markets to avoid dependency on Russian gas, and efforts to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijan is Merkel’s final stop on a three-day tour that has already taken her to Georgia and Armenia.

Frozen conflict

Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous border region, officially belongs to Azerbaijan but was seized by local Armenian forces during a war in the early 1990s following the break-up of the Soviet Union.

For more than 20 years, the two countries have been locked in a bitter dispute, with occasional flares in violence along the border. Azerbaijan has repeatedly threatened to take the region back by force, while Armenia says it will crush any military intervention.

Germany is a member of the Minsk group, which for years has been attempting to negotiate peace under the leadership of the US, Russia and France.

Merkel was expected to return to Berlin later Saturday.

nm/aw (Reuters, AFP, dpa)

Armenia PM says he cannot negotiate on Karabakh’s behalf

By

YEREVAN. – The talks on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict cannot be considered productive unless the leadership of Artsakh participates in them.

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday said the abovementioned at the special session of the National Assembly, as he presented the program of the new government of the country.

In his words, many people viewed this position as a novelty in the negotiation process, whereas there is nothing new in it.

“What is considered a novelty is just the well-forgotten old,” Pashinyan stated. “The fact that Artsakh is a full-fledged party to the negotiations was confirmed at the OSCE summit in Budapest in 1994. The negotiation process took place in that very format until 1998.

“The people of Karabakh don’t participate in the elections of Armenia. Instead, they have their own authorities, and the people of Karabakh can be represented [in these peace talks] solely by their [own] legitimate authorities. “

The Armenian PM noted that every time when such a matter is raised, Azerbaijan says representatives of the “Azerbaijani community of Karabakh” also must partake in these talks.

“This is a false argument because the legal status of the Azerbaijanis who lived in Karabakh underwent no change due to the conflict,” he explained. “They remain Azerbaijani citizens and continue to participate in Azerbaijani elections, as Azerbaijani citizens. It means that [Azerbaijan President Ilham] Aliyev is participating in the negotiations also with the mandate given [to him] by those people. It means that those people are already engaged in the negotiations, in the person of the Azerbaijan president.”

Also, Pashinyan said those who interpret these views of theirs as an attempt to terminate the Karabakh peace talks do not assess the situation correctly.

“I’m ready to negotiate with the Azerbaijan president, within the framework of the OSCE [Minsk Group] co-chairmanship,” he added. “But bringing the previously made arrangements to fruition is important in terms of increasing the effectiveness of the negotiations. It’s inconvenient to negotiate on new matters if the previous arrangements are not fulfilled. Each and every adventurism by the adversary will be met by our crushing counterstrike.”

 

Karabakh army soldier killed

By

STEPANAKERT. – A soldier of Karabakh army was killed in yet unclear circumstances on Sunday.

Norayr Grigoryan (born in 1999) sustained a fatal gunshot wound at around 11 am Monday in one of the military units located in the eastern direction of the line of contact, Karabakh Defense Army said in a statement.

 

NKR Defense Ministry releases video on enemy’s live force and military equipment accumulation on contact line

By

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh has released a video on the enemy’s live and military equipment movements on the line of contact, as well as touched upon the statement made by the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, noting that on April 21 the information distributed by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan distorted public attention from false and mass disturbances. The working style of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry was fully expected and completely fit in the tactics adopted by Baku’s military-political leadership.

In a statement issued to Armenpress by the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, “On April 22, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, in order to cover its provocations on the Line of Contact, issued a statement, in which the Ministry of Defense of Artsakh described the information circulated by the Ministry of Defense on April 21 as a distortion of public attention from fake and mass disturbances. This practice was fully expected and fully fit into the tactics adopted by Baku’s military-political leadership.

In fact, as for the movement and accumulation of the enemy’s live force and military equipment on the contact line of the Artsakh-Azerbaijani opposing forces, we suggest watching the video below without comment. ”

US ambassador in Baku calls for ‘internationally agreed peace deal’ over Karabakh

By

US ambassador in Baku

US ambassador in Baku

The United States ambassador to Azerbaijan has called for stepping up efforts towards reaching an internationally agreed peace over Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).

Speaking at an annual dinner event held by the Chamber of Commerce, Robert Cekuta called attention especially to the key principles underlying the conflict settlement plan.

“We need to know the persistent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the need to help realize a peaceful settlement based upon internationally agreed-upon principles,” Trend.az quotes him as saying.

According to the Azerbaijani news agency, the diplomat is completing his mission to the country.

Over 30 House of Representatives’ members join call for $70mn US aid package for Karabakh, Armenia

By

thirty-six US Representatives on Thursday joined with the Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone in calling upon Chairman Hal Rogers and Ranking Member Nita Lowey of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations to back a $70 million Fiscal Year 2019 aid package for Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Armenia, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“We want to once again express our appreciation to Congressman Pallone, his colleagues in the leadership of the Armenian Caucus, and all those who joined with them in backing this ‘peace and prosperity,’ aid package for Artsakh and Armenia,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “The priorities outlined in this letter represent investments in peace, prosperity, and long-term stability that will return dividends for decades to come.”

 

How Monte Melkonian fell in Karabakh

By

Monte Melkonian

Between April 18 and 29, 2011, Armand CICEK, ANACRA member and four veterans: Antoine BAKDIKIAN; Armand TCHITCHEKIAN; Achod SCHEMAVONIAN and Jean CHAGHOUGIAN (Achod and Jean = flag-bearers) went to Karabakh to pay the honors to Monte MELKONIAN at the place where he lost his life.

At this point, located between one to two kilometers from the Azeri border, is erected a monument in memory of the hero of the Karabakh war.Armand Cicek says that “Taking advantage of the opportunity, I interviewed Anton JAMGOTCHIAN companion of Monté and who was at his side at this dramatic moment. There were also several officers with us who asked us not to disclose their identity. “

Robert Kocharian, Monte Melkonian, Bako Sahakian and Samvel Babayan

Monte MELKONIAN and three other comrades aboard a Jeep were trapped in front of two Azeri tanks. Hit on the head by shrapnel, which is the honor of the Armenians, will die on June 12, 1993 at the age of 35 in Merzili. He is buried

Karabakh “Artsakh” President arrives in Washington

By

STEPANAKERT. – A delegation, led by Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR) President Bako Sahakyan, on Monday arrived in Washington, D.C., on a working visit.

Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned the aforesaid from the Central Information Department of the Office of the Artsakh Republic President.

To note, a relevant article by former US ambassador to Armenia John Evans was published in The National Interest magazine.