Weekly update
9 April
An enlarged meeting of the Artsakh government, chaired by President Arayik Harutyunyan, was held Saturday, news.am has learned from the Office of the President. First, the head of state presented the latest military and political developments in Artsakh, then noted the main things to be done in the system of state governance—and in accordance with the logic of the present-day situation. Artsakh President said that given the new geopolitical realities, a number of changes will be made as needed to the government's agenda, which will be based first of all on the risks expected from the external security challenges facing Artsakh."It is not about forming a coalition government. But we all realize that we need strong inner unity. Therefore, I also urge all members of the government, all circles of our society to stand with each other so that we can successfully overcome the problems facing our state and people," said the Artsakh President. Also, Arayik Harutyunyan noted that the Artsakh government is going through severe savings of financial resources, but this does not mean that the approved programs will not be implemented.
https://news.am/eng/news/695795.html
8 April
Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan discussed with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov the development of cooperation in defense, military-political and military-technical field, as well as the situation in the South Caucasus, in and around Nagorno Karabakh. According to armenpress.am during the joint press conference with FM Lavrov in Moscow, the Armenian FM said the Armenian-Russian cooperation in defense, military-political and military-technical field has a special place in the bilateral relations. The Armenian FM said the steps of Azerbaijan are directed to causing a humanitarian crisis in Artsakh, and recalled the recent case of the “damage” of the gas pipeline in the territory under the control of Azerbaijan. Moreover, FM Mirzoyan also reminded the regular ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan, particularly the March 24 incursion of the Azerbaijani armed forces into the Parukh village located in the responsibility zone of the Russian peacekeepers. He presented to Lavrov the position of the Armenian side on starting negotiations with Azerbaijan around a peace treaty. He once again highlighted the importance of the complete work of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1080176.html
7 April
As the war in Ukraine is continuing to cause more devastation and the loss of human life, countries around the world, particularly Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, had to make difficult choices in their policies, public statements and votes in international organizations. According to thecaliforniacourier.com, despite concerns about Turkey’s inconsistent positions, it is clear that neither Russia nor the West is willing to push Turkey to the opposing camp. Pres. Erdogan’s senior advisor, Ibrahim Kalin, pompously told CNN that Western countries have urged Turkey to maintain its ties with Russia, which is highly unlikely. Erdogan was quoted as saying: “we can neither give up on Ukraine nor Russia.” This is described as “strategic ambiguity.” Below is Harut Sassounian’s analysis of the repercussions of this war on Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. Will they be able to maintain their ambiguous positions or will they stumble and lose their delicate balance?
http://www.thecaliforniacourier.com/armenia-azerbaijan-and-turkey-caught-between-russia-and-the-west/
6 April
According to mediamax.am the President of the European Council Charles Michel issued a statement following the trilateral meeting with President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Brussels on April 6. The statement reads: “President Michel noted both President Aliyev's and Prime Minister Pashinyan's stated desire to move rapidly towards a peace agreement between their countries. To this end, it was agreed to instruct Ministers of Foreign Affairs to work on the preparation of a future peace treaty, which would address all necessary issues. The delimitation and demarcation of their bilateral border will be essential; to this end, in line with the Sochi Statement of 26 November 2021, it was also agreed to convene a Joint Border Commission by the end of April. The mandate of the Joint Border Commission will be to delimit the bilateral border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and ensure a stable security situation along, and in the vicinity of, the borderline.”
https://mediamax.am/en/news/foreignpolicy/47035/
5 April
The idea of "equitable withdrawal of troops" is part of the policy of peaceful surrender of territories Tigran Abrahamyan, MP from the "I have the honor" bloc, stated this during his speech at an opposition rally. In line with arminfo.info “This must be prevented, there is no other way,” the parliamentarian said. In this regard, he noted that such ideas can only be put forward by people who have no idea about the features of life in the border regions and settlements. Noting that the idea of equitable withdrawal of troops was voiced by the head of the Armenian government not only on the situation in Artsakh, Abrahamyan stressed that the Sotk-Khoznavar, Syunik, Gegharkunik, Vayotsdzor, and Yeraskh sectors in the Ararat region are under actual threat. The parliamentarian said that today Armenia has no alternative to the modernization of the Armed Forces, the creation of a modern technological army. However, the authorities, in response to such calls from the opposition, as Abrahamyan further noted, only increase funding for the law enforcement bloc, in particular the Police, the Investigative Committee, and the Prosecutor's Office. The MP assessed such actions of the current government as nothing but the latter's desire to maintain power, rather than to ensure the safety of the citizens of Armenia and Artsakh.
https://arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=68685&lang=3
4 April
It’s already the 10th day the surrounding of the Armenian village of Parukh in Artsakh is illegally occupied by Azerbaijan, journalist Jean-Christophe Buisson, who is the deputy director of the French La Figaro Magazine, said on Twitter. According to armenpress.am “Hundreds of villagers, including children, still live far from home. But the Azerbaijani army is not withdrawing its forces. Moreover, it strengthens its positions”, the journalist said. Member of the Senate of France, vice-chair of the France-Armenia friendship group Valérie Boyer shared the post of journalist Jean-Christophe Buisson on Twitter and reminded that during the 2020 large-scale aggression Azerbaijan, with the support of Turkey, massacred the Armenians of Artsakh through Turkish bombs, white phosphorus and drones. “The genocidal spirit has awakened in them. And the world is silently watching without doing anything. Encroachments continue in an atmosphere of indifference”, Valérie Boyer said.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1079745.html
3 April
In line with hetq.am former Armenian President Leon Ter-Petrosyan and Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan met today in Yerevan and discussed domestic politics. "During the conversation, both agreed that given the current stage of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Artsakh and Armenian authorities and opposition forces must take care regarding their rhetoric and actions in order not to escalate internal political conflicts and not to complicate the situation in Armenia and Artsakh," Ter-Petrosyan Spokesperson Arman Musinyan said in a statement.
https://hetq.am/en/article/143019
2 April
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian spoke by phone for the second consecutive day on Friday, discussing the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. The Kremlin reported that they continued “the exchange of opinions on maintaining stability in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.” It said they both stressed the need for “strict observance” of Armenian-Azerbaijani agreements brokered by Moscow during and after the 2020 war over Karabakh. A statement on the phone call released by the Armenian government said the two men talked about “ongoing steps to ensure security and stability in Nagorno-Karabakh” and the “tense situation” there resulting from last week’s Azerbaijani incursion into the disputed territory. Putin phoned the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders the day after the announcement of fresh face-to-face talks between them that will be hosted by the European Union’s top official, Charles Michel, in Brussels on April 6.
https://www.azatutyun.am/a/31781859.html
Sources: news.am, armenpress.am, thecaliforniacourier.com, mediamax.am, arminfo.info, hetq.am, azatutyun.am