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Minsk Group ready to arrange new Armenian-Azerbaijani talks over Karabakh – Russian co-chair

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The Russian co-chair the OSCE Minsk Group has expressed the mission’s readiness to arrange a new round of Armenian-Azerbaijani talks over Nagorno-Karabakh between the two countries’ foreign ministers.
“The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group have agreed to conduct individual consultations with the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers on the sidelines of the Munich Conference in mid-February,” the news agency TASS quotes Ambassador Igor Popov as saying.
The diplomat said they are continuing the trilateral peace efforts (Russia-Azerbaijan-Armenia) based upon the agreements reached at the St Petersburg talks last summer.
“The Nagorno-Karabakh issue has been recently discussed between [Russian and Armenian Foreign Ministers] Sergey Lavrov and Edward Nalbandian, and later also with [Azerbaijani Foreign Minister] Elmar Mammadyarov. Once the necessary conditions are met, we will be able to conduct the trilateral meeting,” he added.

 

U.S. Armenians protest crackdown on journalist who visited Karabakh

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The Armenian National Committees of Greater Washington (ANC of GW) and New York (ANC of New York) on Sunday, January 29 held simultaneous protests in front of Belarus’ diplomatic missions in Washington, DC and New York City demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the Russian-Israeli blogger Alexandr Lapshin.

Lapshin currently faces extradition from Belarus to Azerbaijan for traveling and reporting from Nagorno Karabakh and speaking critically of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s dictatorial regime.

The gathered voiced their discontent and outrage over Azerbaijan’s continuous assault against free media and journalists over the past several years, with Lapshin being the latest victim.

“We condemn in the strongest terms any attempt to silence or intimidate journalists and individuals who travel to the free and independent Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh),” said ANCA Eastern Region Chairman Steve Mesrobian.

“Azerbaijan and Belarus are two of Europe’s last remaining dictatorships and for us it is absolutely unacceptable to silence journalists for speaking up about human rights offences or for expressing their support for the free and democratic Republic of Artsakh. We also call upon the United States government to take a strong stance on this issue in solidarity with the people of Nagorno Karabakh Republic, our democratic and reliable ally in the region.”

On December 15, 2016, police in Belarus detained Lapshin, a popular travel blogger based in Moscow, for his prior visits to Karabakh and for his criticism of the Aliyev regime. In his postings, Lapshin had expressed support for the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh. On January 20, 2017, at President Aliyev’s request, the General Prosecutor’s Office of Belarus decided to have Lapshin extradited to Azerbaijan. An appeal to the ruling was recently denied.

Both Israeli and Russian diplomatic missions have made representations calling for Lapshin’s release and opposing the extradition. Lapshin was reported to be “in poor mental health,” “depressed,” and under pressure from Belarussian officials to agree to voluntary extradition.

Azerbaijan has declared 180 journalists personae non gratae – meaning they cannot enter the country – because of prior visits to the Republic of Artsakh.

We have learned lessons after April war, says Nagorno-Karabakh official

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The April blitzkrieg was a good lesson for Nagorno-Karabakh in terms of strengthening the military’s efficiency and revising gaps, the country’s top security official said today, as he met reporters at the military pantheon Yerablur.
“We have learned lessons after the April war and bridged the gaps. Moreover, we can counter-react to the adversary,” he told Tert.am.
Balasanyan added that the modernized defense system guarantees full security for all the border communities, especially the village Talish which came under the heaviest attack during the hostilities.

Two Armenian soldiers killed Today one defending Aleppo the other defending Karabakh

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Syrian Armenian servicemen Jano Gorachyan, 20, was killed in a fierce fighting on the outskirts of Aleppo city. Arevelk Daily reports, Jano was serving in the Syrian Army along with his brother Remo.

The Syrian Sana Agency earlier reported that seven persons were killed, including a girl, in a terrorist attack with a rocket shell on Salah Eddien neighborhood in Aleppo.

A source at Aleppo Police Command told SANA reporter that terrorist organizations fired a rocket shell on Salah Eddien neighborhood in Aleppo, injuring 7 persons, including a girl, and causing material damage to public and private properties.

Armenian serviceman killed by Azerbaijani fire

The Azerbaijani forces have violated the ceasefire along the Line of Contact between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan for 55 times on the night of January 22-23, firing around 430 shots toward the Armenian positions from firearms of different calibers.

As Defense Army of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) reports, the Azerbaijani forces intensively violated the ceasefire on the eastern direction f the Line of Contact using sniper rifles (92 shots) as well as 82mm mortars (2 shells).

As a result of Azerbaijani shooting, Karabakh Defense Army serviceman, Karen Marat Ulubabyan, 1995, received a fatal gunshot wound on January 22, at 23:25, on the combat position of a military unit in the eastern direction of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army.

According to the source, an investigation is underway to look into the circumstances. “NKR Defense Army shares the grief of the irreparable loss and conveys its support to the soldier’s family, relatives and fellow soldiers,” reads the statement.

“NKR Defense Army frontline units have retaliated to suppress the adversary’s activeness and continued carrying out their combat duties,” the ministry said in a release.

 

Source Panorama.am

Return of land possible only when determining Karabakh status: Lavrov VIDEO

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday, January 17 that the requirement to liberate “the occupied territories” of Nagorno Karabakh still remains on the agenda, but in no case by the use of force and exclusively upon determining the final status of Karabakh.

Commenting on the settlement of the conflict, the Russian foreign policy chief stressed that it is not an abstract notion and “is not merely a matter of Azerbaijan’s internal affairs.”

According to him, agreements on the implementation of a mechanism for investigating incidents and the increase in the number of observers in the conflict zone has not yet been implemented due to lack of consensus within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azeri leader Ilham Aliyev met on June 20 in Saint Petersburg to address the conflict, with Russian President Vladimir Putin mediating the talks. The Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents confirmed their commitment to the implementation of agreements reached at a Vienna-hosted meeting on May 16. To that end, they agreed to increase the number of international observers in the Karabakh conflict zone. Also, they expressed satisfaction that the ceasefire was now holding. Prior to that, a meeting between both leaders was organized on May 16 in Vienna, with top diplomats from the MG co-chairing countries hosting the summit.

Recalling the bloody events in early April, the Russian diplomat noted that the escalation caused deepest concern. Lavrov at the same time said that “Russia played a decisive role in stopping the bloodshed at that moment.”

Azerbaijan on April 2 launched an overt military offensive against Karabakh, which resulted in hundreds of military and civilian deaths on both sides. Yerevan and Baku reached an agreement on the cessation of hostilities on April 5 in Moscow.

Tass.ru. Лавров сожалеет, что механизм расследования инцидентов в Карабахе пока не реализован

Referendum on Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Constitution May Take Place in February

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The referendum on constitutional amendments in the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh republic is likely to take place in February, deputy speaker of National Assembly, the republic’s parliament, Vahram Balayan, said Sunday.

YEREVAN  The referendum will be conducted if the parliament approves the amendments bill, the deputy speaker underlined.

“The referendum will most likely take place next February,” Balayan told the Armenian News.

The Nagorno-Karabakh parliament will vote on the bill on January 7. The document envisages the change of form of governance in the self-proclaimed country – from the current semi-presidential republic to the presidential republic.

The parliament also approved the proposal of the ARF-D parliamentary faction to add the provision to the bill that one and the same person can not be elected as a prosecutor general and chairman of the Control Chamber more than twice, Balayan added. Azerbaijan’s Armenian-dominated breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh proclaimed its independence in 1991. After the military conflict ended in 1994, Azerbaijan lost control over the region. Violence erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh on April 2, 2016 and led to multiple casualties. The parties to the conflict signed a Russian-brokered ceasefire on April 5, but mutual accusations have not stopped so far.

Fruitless talks necessitate ‘divorce’ – Armenian politician on Nagorno-Karabakh

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Styopa Safaryan, the director of the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs.

Armenia did not draw lessons from the April war over Nagorno-Karabakh, as the hostilities provoked by Azerbaijan did not have a political implication, according to Styopa Safaryan, the director of the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs.

“If Armenia does not have a solution – the [only] solution being a process into a deadlock in the negotiations – then we need further efforts to make it [the country] powerful and prosperous as a restraining factor for Azerbaijan,” he said at a news conference on Saturday.

Commenting on the repeated calls for seeking Nagorno-Karabakh’s recognition based on the Kosovo precedent, the politician ruled out that possibility. “Whenever [international precedents] are not accepted, negotiations yield no results. So we need to consider a political divorce, a unilateral recognition,” he said, expressing regret that the Armenian authorities do not demonstrate willingness to move towards the country’s recognition.

‘Any violence simply postpones NK conflict settlement’ – Richard Hoagland

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Richard Hoagland, the new U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, is looking forward to a regional visit.

In an interview with ARMENPRESS, Mr. Hoagland mentioned his intention to work closely with his fellow Minsk Group Co-Chairs to encourage the sides to engage constructively in finding a way forward.

– Your Excellency Mr. Hoagland, as the new U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, what approaches do you have in terms of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict?

– I intend to work closely with my fellow Minsk Group Co-Chairs to encourage the sides to engage constructively to find a way forward. For my part, I know that the U.S. Government remains committed to a peaceful settlement through the mediation of the Co-Chair countries.

– The Minsk Group Co-Chairs avoided making addressed assessments in a statement released on January 9, regarding the December 29 Azerbaijani incursion attempt on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border near the Armenian village of Chinari. To what extent do unaddressed announcements contribute to the settlement of the conflict?

– The Minsk Group Co-Chairs stand by the January 9 statement calling on the sides to abstain from the use of force and strictly observe the agreements reached during summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg in 2016. Any violence simply postpones a settlement and prolongs the suffering of all the peoples in the region. The ultimate goal should be peace and prosperity for ALL peoples in the region.

– Do you find it possible for the representatives of Nagorno Karabakh to be included in the negotiations process as a full party to negotiations?

– I, personally, do not foresee any radical change in the near future. I want to emphasize that the Co-chairs have stated before that we understand the importance of hearing views from all sides of the conflict, including Nagorno-Karabakh. How to incorporate these views into the negotiations is something the Co-Chairs continue to discuss with the sides.

– Are the Co-Chairs planning a visit to the region in the upcoming months?

– My fellow Co-Chairs and I are consulting closely to find the most appropriate time for our next visit to the region. I, personally, very much look forward to such a visit so that I can hear all views.

– When is a meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan planned to take place

– The Co-Chairs are prepared to work with the parties in any way that can bring about a lasting settlement. We continue to encourage the Presidents and Foreign Ministers to meet at the earliest opportunity to continue the important discussion on key issues, including the importance of respecting the ceasefire and taking steps towards fully implementing decisions taken in Vienna and St. Petersburg.

Richard Hoagland is the Wrong American for the Karabagh/Artsakh Talks

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By David Boyajian,

Before leaving office, President Obama apparently couldn’t resist one more terrible appointment.
He just tapped career diplomat Richard E. Hoagland to be the interim American representative to the Karabagh (Artsakh) talks conducted by the OCSE’s Minsk Group (co-chairs: US/Russia/France).
Hoagland, who would replace the retiring, pro-Azeri James Warlick, is a notorious Armenian genocide denier.

Senate Rejected Hoagland Ten Years Ago

Recall that in 2006-7 Pres. George W. Bush nominated

Hoagland to be the ambassador to Armenia.

As expected, Hoagland declined to label as genocide Turkey’s murder of 1.5 million Christian Armenians from 1915-23. But he went much further.
Hoagland cast doubt on the factuality of the Armenian genocide and tried to damage Armenian legal rights.
Among the genocide-denying parasites that inhabit the bowels of the US State Department, Hoagland is one of the more repulsive.
Turkey, said Hoagland, lacked the “specific intent” — required by the UN Genocide Convention of 1948 — to destroy Armenians.
Yet nearly two dozen countries, the Int’l Assoc. of Genocide Scholars, Raphael Lemkin (who coined the word genocide and initiated the Genocide Convention), a 1951 US State Department filing with the Int’l Court of Justice, President Reagan’s Proclamation 4838 in 1981, and many more have recognized the Armenian “genocide.”
In 2006, Pres. Bush had just kowtowed to Turkey by yanking Amb. John Evans from the embassy in Yerevan because he’d publicly acknowledged the Armenian genocide. The White House also pressured the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) to withdraw the “Constructive Dissent” award it was to give Evans for his genocide acknowledgement. Evans was forced to resign from the State Department in September of 2006.
The above factors led Senators Allen (R-VA), Biden (D-DE) [now VP], Boxer (D-CA), Coleman (R-MN), Feingold (D-WI), Kerry (D-MA) [now Sec. of State], Menendez (D-NJ), Reid (D-NV), Sarbanes (D-MD) and several House members to express deep skepticism about Hoagland.
Then-Senator Obama (D-IL), not surprisingly, favored Hoagland.
In any case, the Senate refused to confirm Hoagland in 2006-7.

Hoagland’s Hypocrisy

As Deputy Ambassador to Pakistan, Hoagland held an event that opens a window into hypocritical aspects of his character and US policy.
In 2011, he hosted an “LGBT pride celebration” at the American Embassy in Islamabad. Hoagland, whose sexual orientation is no secret, is a founder of the Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies. Naturally, the event greatly offended traditionalist Pakistani religious and political groups.
One wonders, does Hoagland disrespect Turks as he does Armenians and Pakistanis? We know this: Hoagland heaped only praise on Turks when he spoke at the annual Turkic American Convention last year.
While laboring on behalf of those whom, like himself, he believes are treated unfairly, Hoagland tries to undermine Armenian legal rights. Thus, he and the US hypocritically cherry-pick the human rights issues they wish to advance.

Armenian and Diasporan Passivity

As far as we know, Armenia lodged no protest against Hoagland in 2006-7. Nor have Armenia/Artsakh done so now. Such passivity is a mistake.
The Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) questioned Hoagland’s nomination in 2006-7, but the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) vehemently opposed it.
Last month, however, ANCA said that while it notes Hoagland’s “denial of the Armenian Genocide,” it nevertheless expects “a constructive relationship with Ambassador Hoagland and looks forward to working with him” on Artsakh. It’s hard to see how “working with” an unrepentant genocide denier can be “constructive.”
AAA has yet to take a position on Hoagland’s Minsk Group appointment. Silence, in this case, is definitely not golden.
As an American, I can’t tell Armenia/Artsakh what do to. No nation, however, should be forced to deal with a diplomat who aggressively denies its genocide.
Indeed, countries often reject diplomats who are insulting or abusive. Armenia/Artsakh could continue to confer with the Minsk Group’s Russian and French representatives but not Hoagland.
The United States and OSCE would understand and — even if they say otherwise — agree that Hoagland’s appointment was an insult and blunder. Armenia/Artsakh would gain a new respect.
The people of Armenia/Artsakh have responded strongly to Azeri military provocations. But their governments are too often diplomatically passive.
For instance, when Azerbaijan flagrantly violates the ceasefire, the OSCE habitually fails to blame the obvious aggressor: Azerbaijan. Armenia/Artsakh protest, but tepidly. And they continue to meet with Minsk Group and Azeri representatives as if nothing had happened.
This demoralizes the Armenian people and encourages Azerbaijani aggression and disrespect by the Minsk Group.
But is it relevant which diplomats the US appoints? Don’t they all have to follow US policy anyway? Actually, no. Diplomats can diverge from US policy in positive and negative ways both in and out of office.

Diplomats Matter

John Evans, the US Ambassador to Armenia (2004-6), made a difference with his open acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide. He exposed the US State Department’s hypocrisy and its extortion of the AFSA.
Ever since, Evans has repeatedly spoken out and written about the Armenian genocide. He’s an advisor to the board of the US-based Children of Armenian Fund (COAF). He sailed across the Atlantic with three crewmates to raise funds for Armenia’s children. His wife Donna sits on COAF’s board. Contrast the principled John Evans with the pro-Turkish, pro-Azeri Matthew Bryza.
Bryza was Washington’s representative to the Mink Group (2006-9) and served as American ambassador to Azerbaijan (2010-11). He now sits on the board of Turcas Petrol, an affiliate of SOCAR (State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic). Bryza lives in Istanbul with his Turkish-born wife Zeyno Baran. She has worked for “Azerbaijan Focus: Journal of International Affairs,” a quasi-government publication, while Bryza’s writings continue to reflect his pro-Azeri sentiments.
Hoagland himself, being pro-Turkic and a Minsk Group mediator, is in a position to draft some very dangerous “peace” proposals for Armenia/Artsakh. Even as an ambassador to Armenia, he would not have had such power.
Richard Hoagland is the wrong man for America. His appointment should be withdrawn now.
Otherwise, Armenia, Artsakh, and the Diaspora should rightly declare him persona non grata.

David Boyajian is a freelance journalist. Many of his articles are archived at http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/David_Boyajian. 


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