Weekly update
24 September
Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan held a meeting with Natia Natsvlishvili, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative to Armenia. In line with armenpress.am Matevosyan highly appreciated the UNDP-supported ongoing targeted support and capacity development programs aimed at the implementation of Armenia’s democratic reforms and socio-economic development. The ongoing and planned reforms in the civil service area were especially highlighted, including in context of broad reforms of public administration. Deputy PM Matevosyan presented the aftermath of Azerbaijan’s large-scale aggression against sovereign territory of Armenia and the Azeri military’s intentional targeting of peaceful population and civilian infrastructure in Armenia. Natsvlishvili expressed concern over the situation and reiterated readiness to expand assistance for affected regions of Armenia.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1093260.html
23 September
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday warned the United Nations General Assembly that Azerbaijan is planning to occupy more land on Armenia’s sovereign territory, calling last week’s attack on the Gegharkunik, Syunik and Vayots Dzor province military aggression against Armenia. In line with asbarez.com “In the wake of this attack, the official narrative and other sources of information suggest that Azerbaijan intends to occupy more territories of Armenia, which must be prevented,” he said in a his address to the U.N. General Assembly. “I want to stress that the risk of new aggression by Azerbaijan remains very high, especially given that every day Azerbaijan violates the ceasefire and the number of causalities and those injured could change any moment,” Pashinyan emphasized. Despite reiterating Yerevan’s readiness to sign a so-called peace treaty with Azerbaijan, Pashinyan suggested that Azerbaijan only wants an agreement that would be beneficial to its interests and allow Baku to claim or occupy more territory in Armenia. He challenged President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan to “show a map of Armenia” that is amenable to Baku’s interests. “Could you show a map of Armenia that you recognize or are ready to recognize as the Republic of Armenia?” he said citing Aliyev’s repeated claims that much of modern-day Armenia is “historical Azerbaijani lands.”
https://asbarez.com/pashinyan-warns-of-new-azerbaijani-attacks-on-armenia-during-u-n/
22 September
President Joe Biden has pledged continued U.S. efforts to facilitate an Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement which he said should benefit “the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.” Congratulating Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Armenia’s independence anniversary marked on Wednesday, Biden also reaffirmed U.S. support for “the Armenian people’s democratic aspiration, sovereignty, and security.” According to azatutyun.am “The United States stands with Armenia as you continue working to combat corruption, develop accountable institutions, strengthen rule of law, and advance respect for human rights,” read his congratulatory message publicized by Pashinian’s office on Thursday. Biden also said: “Recent hostilities [on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border] underscore the need to redouble our diplomacy so Armenia can look to a prosperous and peaceful future, which includes normalization of relations with neighbors.” “We remain committed to working with you and other parties to promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict, including for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh,” added the U.S. president.
https://www.azatutyun.am/a/32046690.html
21 September
The United States and Russia pledged to continue supporting Armenia’s sovereignty and national security when they congratulated the South Caucasus nation on its Independence Day on Wednesday. In line with azatutyun.am The Russian Federation contributes and intends to continue contributing to economic prosperity, true sovereignty and strengthening the security of the Armenian people, including through consistent, very difficult and time-consuming work to promote the peace agenda in the region,” the Russian Embassy in Yerevan said in a statement. Russia has always stood and will stand with our brotherly country - and not in words but in deeds,” added the embassy. “We will continue to support the Armenian people’s democratic aspirations, sovereignty, and security,” read a statement released by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the occasion. Blinken said U.S.-Armenian relations are based on “shared values” and praised Yerevan’s “willingness to support efforts to bring greater stability to the region.”“We offer our condolences for the lives lost in recent attacks and we remain committed to working with you and other parties to promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” he said, alluding to last week’s deadly fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces.
https://www.azatutyun.am/a/32044918.html
20 September
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to “show restraint” and “strictly adhere to the ceasefire” that stopped last week’s large-scale fighting on the border between the two states. According to azatutyun.am while describing Armenia as a “close friend and strategic ally” of Russia, Putin again stopped short of voicing support for Yerevan in the face of what it sees as Azerbaijani military aggression. “Let me emphasize that any conflict situations between states close to us cause us serious concern,” he said after accepting the credentials of recently appointed ambassadors of 24 nations, including Armenia, at a ceremony held in the Kremlin. “We call on everyone to show restraint, strictly adhere to the ceasefire, and firmly follow the tripartite statements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia,” he added in a speech. Putin portrayed the border clashes, which left at least 280 Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers dead, as a territorial dispute. He said Baku and Yerevan should resolve it by demarcating their long frontier “with advisory assistance from Russia.”The Armenian government says that Baku resorted to military action in a bid to force it to fully accept the Azerbaijani terms of a bilateral peace treaty and open an “exterritorial corridor” connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave. The Azerbaijani side denies this and blames the Armenians for the dramatic escalation.
https://www.azatutyun.am/a/32042909.html
19 September
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi says the United States deplores recent attacks by Azerbaijan on Armenia, and has called for a negotiated solution to the countries' conflict. According to abc7.com Pelsoi visited Armenia with a congressional delegation after two days of shelling by both sides that killed more than 200 troops. It was the largest outbreak of hostilities in more than two years. The two ex-Soviet countries have been locked in a decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of Azerbaijan but was long under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. On Sunday, the Southern California Armenian American community took to the streets of west Los Angeles, demanding an end to the violence. Protestors peacefully rallied in front of the Consulate General of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Dozens of protestors surrounded the office, holding flags and signs, showing support. They believe Azerbaijan is responsible for the unprovoked attacks. "Before this specific breakout of war, there was also a war that occurred in 2020 and a 4-day war that occurred 2016 in which both times Azerbaijan did attack Armenians ... this is not a two-sided problem," said protestor Tenny Alaverdian.
https://abc7.com/southern-california-protests-west-los-angeles-armenia-azerbaijan/12240875/
18 September
In line with azatutyun.am the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, accused Azerbaijan of launching “illegal and deadly attacks on the Armenian territory” as she visited Yerevan on Sunday just days after border clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces. We in our delegation and on behalf of [the U.S.] Congress strongly condemn those attacks, which threaten prospects for a much-needed peace agreement,” Pelosi said after talks with Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonian. “We continue to watch the situation closely and we continue to support a negotiated, comprehensive and sustainable settlement to all issues related to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” she told reporters. Pelosi also effectively blamed Turkey, Azerbaijan’s closest ally, for the fighting that broke out on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border late on September 12 and left more than 200 soldiers from both sides dead.
https://www.azatutyun.am/a/32039652.html
17 September
The Human Rights Defender (HRD) of Armenia has published an Ad Hoc Report on the consequences of recent Azerbaijani military attacks on Armenia. According to hetq.am the report includes data on displaced persons, Azerbaijani attacks targeting emergency medical vehicles and journalists, violations of child's rights and the rights of persons with disabilities. The report also provides evidence of Azerbaijani attacks targeting the civilian population and vital civilian infrastructures as well as other material and environmental damage. Facts about torture and the ill-treatment of Armenian soldiers, as well as the debasement of dead Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani military forces are analyzed in the non-public part of this report. These facts have also been sent to various international organizations and actors.
https://hetq.am/en/article/148388