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Azerbaijan has not captured any territory in Nakhijevan section of border, says caretaker defense minister of Armenia

12 November, 2018

The Azerbaijani armed forces have not captured any territory in the Nakhijevan section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, caretaker minister of defense Davit Tonoyan told a news conference today.

He said the land in question was just a neutral territory within the territory of the Nakhijevan republic.

Tonoyan said the Armenian side has taken action for neutralizing the consequences of the advancement.

Asked if Armenia is carrying out reinforcements of positions, Tonoyan replied “yes”. “Yes, and not in one place. Moreover, not necessarily in Armenian territory,” he said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

News.am, Armenia

Nov 13 2018

Acting PM: Armenia population shall double within next 20 years 

                  

During Tuesday’s National Assembly debates on the 2019 State Budget draft, Armenia’s acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reflected on repatriation too.

In his words, people in Armenia do not emigrate for social problems alone.

“Here there is the issue of justice, the issue of lawfulness, the issue of opportunities; there is the issue of dignity,” Pashinyan said. “Today we [the incumbent Armenian authorities] guarantee that no one [in Armenia] can unlawfully bother anyone else for any reason. (…). Consequently, the concept of immigration is as follows: Armenia shall become the best place to live.”

The acting PM noted that real estate prices in Armenia are on the rise because Armenians living abroad are coming to the country, buying apartments, and making investments.

“Today we already are promoting repatriation; repatriation is promoted every day,” Nikol Pashinyan added. “The population of the Republic of Armenia shall be doubled over the next 20 years; and that political course has an ideological meaning to us.”

Georgia Today

Nov 12 2018

New Iranian Sanctions & the South Caucasus

On November 5, The Trump administration re-imposed sanctions on Iran following Washington’s decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed in 2015. Following the decision on withdrawal, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told state TV that his country had “the knowledge and the capability to manage the country's economic affairs.”

The worst disagreements coming as a result of the US decision were seen between the European and Russian counterparts. Both were against the break-up and still remain strong believers in the JCPOA. In order to diminish the economic effect on Europe, a special clearing house was designed to allow European companies that trade with Iran to bypass the new US sanctions. It was reported that the clearing house will be established within several months either in France or Germany.

The Europeans came up with the idea of the clearing house, also known as a “Special Purpose Vehicle” (SPV), to show Iran that Europe is still a strong supporter of the 2015 nuclear deal and that the SPV will even allow the European Union to expand business with Tehran.

While analysts discuss how the new sanctions will impact Iran and the world oil prices, it is interesting how it will influence the South Caucasus. It is clear that the region is important for the US in exerting pressure on Iran. One of the major reasons the US National Security Adviser John Bolton recently visited the South Caucasus countries was to enhance Iran’s isolation. The US remembers well how Iranians acted previously, before the 2015 agreement, using Armenian and other regional banks to circumvent the sanctions. Even though Washington exempted eight countries from new sanctions, none of them is from the South Caucasus.

Since one of the major goals of new US sanctions is to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan will not be directly impacted. However, although none of the three states in fact uses or transports Iranian crude, all three sometimes use Iranian natural gas either for transit or commercial usage.

For example, Armenia, where a major portion of gas is imported from Russia (via Georgia), also imported about 400 million cubic meters of gas from Iran in 2017, in exchange for which it sends electricity to Iran. In late 2017, there was even an agreement through which Yerevan would increase gas imports from Iran by some 25%, again in exchange for electricity. Now with the new sanctions in force, those plans are likely to be shelved. Moreover, Armenia’s position will be further worsened since the US sanctions will also touch other parts of the Iranian economy. Yerevan will now have fewer chances to build new pipelines or railways from Iran to Georgia in order to be a transit point. Talks around the construction of a $3.7 billion railway are stalled as there are difficulties finding finances for the project. Another reason is that neighboring Azerbaijan already has the necessary pipeline infrastructure and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway.

Perhaps Azerbaijan is the country which might benefit most from the new US sanctions, as global oil prices are likely to rise. Since natural gas prices are mostly indexed to oil prices, Baku might see a sudden growth in revenues.

Sanctions-stricken Iran’s influence will be curtailed in the South Caucasus region. The diminution of Iranian economic activities in the region will be followed by a decline in the country’s geopolitical force. In that regard, Russia is to reap the most fruit.

Russia and Iran have long been geopolitical rivals. Russia, for instance, wants to obstruct any Iranian moves to establish Russian-influence-free pipelines or railways to Armenia and Georgia. Now it will be easier for Moscow to block any Iranian initiatives. Yet both countries will nevertheless work together to block Western-led infrastructure projects. Another common interest will be to avoid any foreign military presence in the region, particularly in Georgia.

Iran already lags far behind its regional competitors in terms of economic and military influence in the region, and now the country is set lose more in the South Caucasus. Those geopolitical impetuses which existed before, primarily Europe’s willingness (however unsuccessful) to diversify its gas market from Russian gas, are now unlikely to bring results.

The next several months will show how negative the new sanctions will be for the region. However, one argument is clear: Iran, which hoped, following the successful negotiations and the lifting of restrictions in 2015, to increase its involvement in the South Caucasus, is likely lose the momentum it enjoyed. The European and Russian decision to stay in JCPOA might help, but as many believe, the US withdrawal is crucial.

By Emil Avdaliani

Banks.am, Armenia

Nov 13 2018

Alexis Ohanian launches Shakmat, new Armenian brandy

Reddit and Initialized Capital co-founder Alexis Ohanian has announced the launch of new brand of Armenian brandy, Shakmat.  

 

According to Ohanian, the first batch will contain 2400 bottles and be sold EUR 100 per bottle. A part of profits will be allocated to Armenia Tree Project, which has planted over 5.5 million trees all over Armenia.

 

“Shakmat 23 Year Old is a premium brandy originating from the birthplace of winemaking. It is an embodiment of Armenia’s two national treasures – Chess and brandy. The time has come for Armenian brandy to reclaim its rightful place on the World Spirits map,” emphasized Ohanian.

 

He visited Armenia with a team to find the right flavors for the new brandy.

 

“Shakmat (or shakhmat) is the Armenian word for chess. But our Shakmat is so much more than a game. It is a symbol; a symbol of life, persistence, patience, and wisdom of a people that do not fall, even when held in check,” concluded Ohanian.

Asbarez.com

12 November 2018

Pashinyan Hightlights Armenian Genocide, Wilson’s ’14 Points’ in Address at Armistice Event

PARIS—The circumstances that led to the Armenian Genocide, as well as President Woodrow Wilson’s famous “14 Points” that have served as a blueprint for among other things the establishment of the United Nations, as well as Wilson’s vision of an independent Armenia, were highlighted by Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday in a speech he delivered at the Paris Peace Conference that took place following an event marking the centennial of the World War I Armistice.

Pashinyan lamented that although the crimes against Armenians were condemned and later those crimes will be called the first genocide of the 20th century, lessons from the Armenian Genocide were not taken by the international community, thus resulting in the Holocaust, the Cambodian and Rwandan genocides.

“It was during World War One that the Allied powers, for the first time ever, used the definition ‘crimes against humanity and civilization,’ thus condemning the Ottoman rulers for the extermination of 1.5 million Armenians. Later, this horrendous crime was to be termed the first genocide of the 20th century,” said Pashinyan.

Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his wife, Anna Hakopyan are greeted by French President Emanuel Macron

“Nevertheless, only few decades later mankind went through the Holocaust, the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, the genocides of the Christians and Yezidis in the Middle East, the violence against the Rohingya people,” added Pashinyan.

Armenia’s acting prime minister also pointed to Wilson’s 14 Points to draw attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination—a concept highlighted by the U.S. president as an inalienable right of all people.

“The decades-long struggle of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to determine their destiny has not received its proper legal solution. In the 21th century it is absolutely unacceptable that people’s mere desire to exercise its right to self-determination may turn into an existential menace,” said Pashinyan.

Pashinyan had joined leaders from around the world to commemorate the end of World War I when on November 11, 1918 an agreement was signed putting an end to all combat operations in the War. This document served as a precursor for the Versailles Treaty and the Paris Peace Conference, both of which took place in 1919, with representatives of the then newly-independent Republic of Armenia taking part.

Among the leaders at the commemoration and the conference were President Donald Trump, President Vladimir Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Turkey.

The Conference was opened by introductory remarks made by Paris Peace Conference Executive Committee Vice President Trisha Shetty and French President Emmanuel Macron, followed by speeches delivered by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

After the speech Pashinyan presented an illustrated book by historian Hayk Demoyan entitled “The Armenian Genocide: Front Page Coverage in the World Media”

After the speech Pashinyan presented an illustrated book by historian Hayk Demoyan entitled “The Armenian Genocide: Front Page Coverage in the World Media” to be included in the Peace Library as Armenia’s contribution.

Pashinyan and his wife, Anna Hakopyan arrived in Paris on Sunday and were greeted by Macron and the French first lady, Brigitte. They then participated in the Armistice Centennial Ceremony joining other world leaders.

Below is the text of Pashinyan’s remarks provided by his press service.

Distinguished Heads of State and Government,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have gathered here to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. This is an event of exceptional significance called to pay tribute to collective memory and to articulate our common message of peace.

Today, we, as the leaders of the nations, which participated in that war, should first of all speak about the lessons learnt from the tragedy of World War One.

When a state wages a war or is tempted to solve problems by military means, it believes in its own strength and victory. Yet, World War One became a global tragedy for all the peoples engaged and resulted in the destruction of its mastermind states.

There is a belief, that from the geopolitical and military perspective there are always winners and losers in wars. However, from the human perspective, no one ever wins. Wars bring only loss, misery and devastation.

And regardless of our common efforts and appeals to learn from the previous mistakes, these lessons are easily forgotten.

Even though one hundred years ago, the humanity realized the need to ban weapon of mass destruction, regrettably it has not prevented the creation of new generations of arms.

It was during World War One that the Allied powers, for the first time ever, used the definition “crimes against humanity and civilization,” thus condemning the Ottoman rulers for the extermination of 1,5 million Armenians. Later, this horrendous crime was to be termed the first genocide of the 20th century.

Nevertheless, only few decades later mankind went through the Holocaust, the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, the genocides of the Christians and Yezidis in the Middle East, the violence against the Rohingya people.

As part of the lessons, learnt from the war the right of the peoples to self-determination was set out in Wilson’s 14 points. Later on it was included in the UN Charter, Helsinki Final Act, and became a basis for the independence of around half of the modern states.

As a result of World War One, the people of the world legally established the right to master their own destiny through the _expression_ of free will. Here, in France I cannot but stress that just days ago, France has clearly reiterated its principled position on this issue: the people of New Caledonia were given the opportunity to conduct a referendum. Painfully, this right is being exercised selectively.

This is why, the decades-long struggle of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to determine their destiny has not received its proper legal solution. In the 21th century it is absolutely unacceptable that people’s mere desire to exercise its right to self-determination may turn into an existential menace.

As a result of World War One the world established the League of Nations, the prototype for the United Nations, with the ultimate goal of achieving peace.

Nonetheless, the manifestations of extremism in the contemporary world are on the rise. We established those institutions first and foremost to protect human rights. Yet, today we are witnessing daily abuse of the most fundamental human right – the right to life.

After the end of the First World War, many believed that it would be the last ever war fought. However, the Second World War was not long in coming. The humankind entered into a new phase of war and arms race. Unfortunately, up to now we have been unable to put an end to it. Moreover, we get further involved in it every day.

This is why I attach high importance to such meetings. They provide us an opportunity to reflect on our past, on our common history of the humankind. Indeed, we are unable to change that history, and we do not need to. But the history is well able to change us to make our future better.

To this end, we need to learn the most important lesson of World War One. No state can build its success at the cost of others’ misery, no one can gain freedom at the cost of others’ slavery. We put an end to the First World War hundred years ago. And this is a perfect occasion to think of entering a century without wars – a century of peace.

I do believe, that the leaders that have gathered here, in Paris, are well able to achieve it. And this will be the best ever tribute to the innocent victims of the previous century.

ARKA, Armenia

Nov 12 2018

Autochthonous varieties of grape discovered in Armenia

Research work conducted this past summer in some winegrowing regions of Armenia revealed 160 previously unknown grape varieties, most of which are autochthonous, Frunz Harutyunyan, deputy chairman of the Armenian Foundation of Winegrowers and Winemakers told reporters on Monday.

He said many of them were cultivated in Armenia or imported during the Soviet era, but were lost or forgotten. ‘Two varieties with dark pulp, rare for Armenia, are of particular interest for winemakers," he said. According to him, these grape varieties will be registered and planted in the newly created National Collection Garden.

"The research is aimed at preserving the diversity of grape varieties, discovering the potential of less common varieties for use in viticulture and winemaking. In addition, we hope to find varieties most resistant to various diseases, in particular, to phylloxera," said Harutyunyan.

The deputy director of the National Wine Center Gagik Melyan said the discovered varieties may be varieties of species that were lost over the past 25 years. "For thousands of years a large number of local grape varieties were created, which were added by imported verities later," he said.

Melyan said until 1992, about 900 varieties of grapes were harvested at the Yerevan Institute of Viticulture, Wine-Making and Fruit-Growing, but after its closure more than half of the varieties were lost. 

"The discovery can be an excellent incentive for the revival of traditions. Work is underway to complete the creation of the National Collection Garden, where about 300 grape varieties have already been collected," he said. -- 0--

Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso, Italy

Nov 12 2018

Armenia: sexual minorities, the alternative to violence is silence

Armine Avetisyan

The situation of members of the LGBT community in Armenia is dramatic. And many of them, not to suffer the social stigma and sometimes even physical violence, choose not to reveal their sexual identity

LGBT individuals are definitely not accepted in Armenia. Some of them, already stigmatised by society, are even subject to physical violence if they do not hide their sexual orientation; others live in secret, choosing to keep their private life strictly confidential.

When I realised I was “different”

Levon (the name has been changed), 33, has been living in Yerevan for five years now, but is from Lori region. He says that he left when he realised his true self.

“When I turned 25, my parents began to try and convince me that it was time to get married. I was living in a village. 25 is indeed a mature age in our village, and according to the unwritten law I should already be a father of the family at that age. They started looking for a bride for me. At that time I did not yet realise that I'm not interested in girls at all, that I have another inner world. Without understanding myself, I rejected every proposal. Finally, it seemed to me I could like a girl from our neighbouring village. We organised the wedding, took the bride to our house, and we lived for about a year 'under one roof'. Every day of our joint life was a hell for both of us”, recalls Levon.

At the age of 27, under the pretense of financial problems, Levon left to work in Russia. In fact, he says, he wanted to escape his life of misunderstandings.

“No girl attracted me. I have lived most of my life lying to myself. I tried to convince myself that I didn't like any girl because I was too much of a perfectionist; that I was disgusted by them because I hadn’t found the perfect one. I convinced myself that in Moscow I would find a beautiful girl with Slavic appearance, who would give meaning to my life. But nothing like this happened. I saved money for half a year, went to a psychologist, asked him to help me love girls. But the psychologist showed me another way. He made me be honest with myself. I wasn't stupid, it's not like I did not understand that I was attracted in men. I have just always been afraid to talk about it. I even convinced myself that I was not like that. With the psychologist's help I learned to be sincere, to talk about sexual desires. I stayed there for about six months, returned to our village, and divorced from my wife”, says Levon, who thinks the greatest mistake of his life was to get married.

“I stole 2 years of my wife’s life. I hurt her for 2 years, as I was afraid of being different, of being condemned”, he says.

After speaking frankly with his ex-wife, it was the turn of his parents. Levon describes coming out to a traditional Armenian family as a horror movie. In the end, it was agreed that no one would speak out about Levon's real sexual orientation, and he left home.

“Now I'm happy. I live in Yerevan. I have a partner who has just left home like me. Unfortunately, I rarely see my parents. They have forbidden me to have any contact with them. Once a year I go to the village, it's their request, so that the villagers think I am just too busy, but I can't forget my parents”, says Levon.

I just want to love

Anush (the name has been changed), 29, left Armenia 10 years ago. She says she realised at a very early age that she did not need a boy, but she would have only a girl by her side.

“I consider myself a happy woman. When I was a teenager, I read some literature and I recognised myself, I realised that I could never wear girly dresses, makeup, and date boys. I wanted to be a boy, wanted to hug a girl… When I fully realised what I wanted, I told my parents. I thank God that they just gave birth to me. They listened calmly. Of course I know that I was hurting them with that news, but they tried to help. Sex change in Armenia is banned. They helped me to collect money and I came to Europe. I received a higher education here, now I have a good job and collect money to fulfill my dream- to have surgery”, says Anush.

According to Anush, being an LGBT person in Armenia is a serious problem. They are not accepted, they are stigmatised, and nobody gives them a job.

“I have friends in Armenia who become protagonists of various painful stories, when they try to tell about their sexual desires, protect their rights. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think, in fact you do not have to be so loud about being different. A person's sexual life should not be so advertised. When someone complains to me that he was beaten by some men who learned that he was gay, I say: 'You are responsible for this; if you see that the person will not understand you, don't communicate with him, don't try to explain anything, it's pointless anyway. Live for yourself quietly'”, she says.

Anush feels like a simple human being, who dreams of loving and being loved. At the moment she has no partner, she is still searching. She wants to find someone like her, who just dreams about love and a peaceful life. “I have never participated in LGBT parades in Armenia, it's pointless for me. I know I will be criticised for these words, but I will try to explain: the traditional family model in Armenia is so rooted that I think it’s impossible to struggle against it. I always recommend my friends to either move to Europe or live silently, otherwise their life will turn into chaos”.

Violence towards “the different”

According to the report on “The Human Rights Situation of LGBT Persons in Armenia, 2017”, presented by the “Pink Armenia” NGO, 30 cases of offenses based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity were registered in 2017.

8 of these cases went to trial, while for 14 no legal proceedings were initiated due to several circumstances. In 4 cases, charges were dropped following an agreement between parties; in other 4, because the victim was absent or wanted to remain anonymous and did not file a complaint. 8 out of the dropped cases involved domestic violence, and victims did not want to file charges against their own family members.