Tag: azerbaijan

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of March 17: European Parliament adopts resolution on EU-Armenia relations, strongly condemning Azerbaijan’s aggression, welcoming reforms made by Armenia; former NATO Secretary General visits Lachin Corridor, says EU must push Baku to lift blockade; Yerevan’s mayor resigns and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of March 10: Three police officers in Artsakh are killed following an Azerbaijani ambush; in the Freedom in the World 2023 report, Azerbaijan is designated as one of the “worst of the worst” in the world for political rights and civil liberties; U.S. Intelligence Community warns of Azerbaijan’s readiness to use “calibrated military pressure” to advance its goals in talks with Armenia and more.

Azerbaijan’s threat of military aggression and ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh’s indigenous Armenian population remains extremely critical. If not prevented, it will constitute another major blow to the international order.

Արցախաբնակ Թամարա Գրիգորյանի՝ չավարտվող շրջափակմանն ու այս օրերի դժվար պատասխաններ ունեցող հարցերին վերաբերող անդրադարձի ՁայնաԳիրը։

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of March 3: Despite the ICJ ruling ordering Azerbaijan to ensure free movement, the Lachin Corridor still remains blockaded; Azerbaijan violates the ceasefire in Artsakh three times; Germany’s Chancellor advocates for a peaceful resolution that respects the right to self-determination for the people of Artsakh and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of February 10: The population of Artsakh has been left without gas supply again Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor enters its 61st day; Armenia sends humanitarian aid and rescue teams to Syria and Turkey in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes; Seyran Ohanyan, Armenia’s former defense minister and member of the opposition Armenia Alliance was stripped of his parliamentary immunity this week.

Armenian experts help make sense of the ongoing discussions surrounding a possible peace deal between Baku and Yerevan, and what developments can actually be expected in the coming months.

Artsakh’s entire economy is heavily dependent on Armenia, and the blockade of the Lachin Corridor has made it more vulnerable, giving Azerbaijan the ability to weaponize Artsakh’s energy supply and control over its critical infrastructure.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of January 27: The population of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) continues to be under siege as Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor is now in its 48th day; this week the EU approved the deployment of a 100-person civilian mission to Armenia for a two-year term, triggering a furious response from the Russian Foreign Ministry; U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken tells Aliyev to reopen the Lachin Corridor, underscoring the risk of a humanitarian crisis and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of January 20: Fifteen soldiers are killed when a fire erupts in a military barrack in Armenia’s Gegharkunik region; Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor is now in its second month; Armenian children returning to Nagorno-Karabakh accompanied by Russian peacekeepers are harassed by masked Azerbaijanis and more.

For more than a month, Artsakh has been cut off from the rest of the world by the joint will of Azerbaijan and Russia as the international community watches silently because Artsakh is the blind spot of the peace negotiations, writes Gaidz Minassian.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of January 13: The blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan enters second month; Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev says the road is not closed for those Armenians of Artsakh who do not wish to become citizens of Azerbaijan, they can leave; a delegation headed by the President of France’s National Assembly arrives in Yerevan and more.

Why has the UN Security Council failed to react in a meaningful way to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict? Hovhannes Nazaretyan looks at some of the possible reasons.

EVN Report's Editor-in-Chief Maria Titizian speaks with political scientist and international security expert Dr. Nerses Kopalyan, author of the monthly series "EVN Security Report". The security context in December showed that regardless of negotiations or the general contours of a potential peace treaty, actual and sustainable peace with the Aliyev Government will remain elusive. This month’s security report introduces the concept of ontological security.

There are three scenarios of how the war in Ukraine might end for Russia and what this will mean for the three countries of the South Caucasus. Gaidz Minassian examines the strategies of the players in the region.

The United Nations Security Council’s emergency meeting regarding the blockade of the Lachin corridor demonstrated a remarkable shift in the international community’s reaction to the Armenia-Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts.

Baku does not want an equitable peace, the West struggles to advance the negotiations, and Moscow prefers freezing the process to create a new status quo it can control. Yerevan will need to enhance its bargaining abilities by engaging in asymmetrical aggressive bargaining.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of December 16: Artsakh continues to remain in a blockade after so-called Azerbaijani “environmental activists” shut down the Lachin Corridor; after international pressure, Azerbaijani authorities restore natural gas supply to Artsakh; Armenia’s parliament adopts bill on creating a Ministry of Internal Affairs and more.

Armenia's Human Rights Defender Kristinne Grigoryan speaks to EVN Report about the consequences of Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the violation of the rights of the people of Artsakh as a result of that blockade and the legal instruments that Armenia can and has implemented to counter the consequences.

As Artsakh is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster, three actors — Russia, Azerbaijan and the West — have taken the population of Artsakh hostage, writes Gaidz Minassian.

EVN Report's Editor-in-Chief Maria Titizian speaks with political scientist and international security expert Dr. Nerses Kopalyan, author of the monthly series "EVN Security Report". The security context for the month of November demonstrated observable decline for Armenia as Azerbaijan intensified and amplified its hybrid warfare activities, attempting to neutralize Armenia’s growing attempts at the diplomatization of its deterrence capabilities. Dr. Kopalyan speaks extensively about the blocking of the Lachin Corridor, Artsakh's only lifeline with the rest of the world, by so-called Azerbaijani eco-activists and the shutting off of the natural gas supply to Artsakh that will undoubtedly lead to a humanitarian catastrophe for the 120,000-strong population.

Armenian experts were hardly under the illusion that the CSTO would fulfill its statutory obligations toward Armenia, given strong military and political ties between Azerbaijan and some CSTO members.

The interplay between two conflicts, one in Eastern Europe, the other in the Caucasus provides a global dimension to the issues they contain. Beyond the common space-time matrix, what can we learn from what lies at the nexus of these two conflicts?

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of December 9: A group of Azerbaijanis in civilian clothes block only highway linking Armenia and Artsakh for several hours citing “illegal exploitation of minerals”; Armenia’s Parliament approves the Government’s 2023 budget and adopts number of new laws including the establishment of a Foreign Intelligence Service; airlines registered in Armenia to remain on the EU black list and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of December 2: Azerbaijani Armed Forces consistently violated the ceasefire with Armenia and Artsakh over this past week, injuring three Armenian servicemen; France’s parliament unanimously adopts a resolution supporting Armenia and calls for sanctions against Azerbaijan; Russia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov states that asking Moscow to reconfirm its offer regarding leaving the status of Nagorno-Karabakh to the future is not in the spirit of the negotiations.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of November 25: The CSTO Summit and Collective Security Council Session takes place in Yerevan; Armenia’s PM Nikol Pashinyan refuses to sign final CSTO document, says text does not include appropriate assessment of the September Azerbaijani attack against Armenia; Azerbaijani Armed Forces continue to violate ceasefire with Armenia and Artsakh on a daily basis and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of November 18: Azerbaijani Armed Forces violate the ceasefire several times in Armenia and Artsakh; France’s Senate adopts resolution calling on the French Government to sanction Azerbaijan for its aggression against Armenia and Artsakh; Russian President Vladimir Putin will be in Armenia taking part in the summit of the leaders of CSTO member states next week.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of November 11: Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan meet in Washington, agree to expedite negotiations; Azerbaijani President makes egregious comments in Shushi triggering a retaliation by PM Nikol Pashinyan; the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention expresses grave concern regarding Aliyev’s speech; Russian President Vladimer Putin to visit Yerevan for the summit of CSTO leaders and more.

Who is the most influential and determined mediator to prevent the possibility of another aggression against Artsakh or Armenia? The answer will define who can be the main guarantor of peace for the South Caucasus.

Հոկտեմբեր ամսվա հայաստանյան անվտանգության համատեքստը բնութագրող EVN անվտանգության զեկույցի ՁայնաԳիրը:

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of November 4: The leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia meet in Sochi; Armenia’s PM Nikol Pashinyan travels to Tehran; Artsakh’s Parliament holds extraordinary session, states that any attempt to forcibly annex Artsakh to Azerbaijan would be a gross violation of international law and a license to commit another genocide, while a massive rally takes place in Stepanakert’s central square and more.

An interview by Gaidz Minassian with former French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and former French Ambassador to Ukraine, Jacques Faure, who discusses the Ukraine-Russia and Armenia-Azerbaijan wars.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of October 28: The Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization holds extraordinary session about potentially providing assistance to Armenia; Russian President Vladimir Putin says Armenia has two options for settling the conflict; leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia to meet in Sochi on October 31 and more.

The security context for the month of October can be better understood as the changing configuration between Armenia’s implementation of its diplomatization-of-security doctrine against Azerbaijan’s multi-tiered hybrid warfare doctrine.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of October 21: OSCE Needs Assessment Mission expected to arrive in Armenia today; while in India for an official visit, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan meets his counterpart and takes part in DEFEXPO defense exhibition; while in Yerevan, Iran’s Foreign Minister reiterates Tehran’s stance that it will not accept any change of historical borders in the region, which he called a red line for Iran.

After almost three decades of remaining on the sidelines of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict negotiation process, the EU has now stepped in, positioning itself as a mediator in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conciliation process.

An existential crisis has erupted within the Armenian public discourse since the defeat in the 2020 Artsakh War. Gaidz Minassian argues that “all for the state and the state for all” must be the slogan of Armenians in the 21st century.

Ադրբեջանական զինուժի կողմից կատարված ռազմական հանցագործությունների իրական պատասխանատվության կենսունակ միջոցները քննող հոդվածի ՁայնաԳիրը։

A new video emerged of war crimes committed by Azerbaijani troops. The most viable way to have any real accountability for such crimes is for Armenia to sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of September 30: Three Armenian servicemen killed after another attack by Azerbaijani Armed Forces this week; Prime Minister Nikol Pahsinyan meets with French President Emmanuel Macron; diplomats accredited in Armenia visit Gegharkunik region to assess damage to civilian infrastructure following Azerbaijani attack and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of September 23: After days of relative calm, Azerbaijani forces have started violating the ceasefire on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border; Armenia’s Prime Minister delivers speech at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly; Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives leads a congressional delegation to Armenia and more.

There’s a sense of powerlessness among the Armenian people surrounded by two states—Azerbaijan and Turkey—whose sole intention appears to be our annihilation. But we are not powerless if we remain vigilant, rational and resolute.

On September 15-16, at France’s request, the UN Security Council dealt with the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict for the first time since 1994. As uncertainty reigns, all options are on the table, even the darkest—that of a renewed aggression by Baku.

Azerbaijan has made an enormous strategic mistake, Russia has allowed for a sizable power vacuum in the region, and the United States has determined to capitalize on these developments, undertaking a policy pivot in the South Caucasus.

For years, the EU did nothing to reign Putin in. Finding an alternative for its energy needs, the EU traded one gas supplier waging a genocidal war of aggression—Russia, with another—Azerbaijan.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of September 16: This week our editors Maria Titizian and Roubina Margossian present a chronology of events following Azerbaijan’s large-scale attack against the sovereign territory of Armenia that was launched just after midnight on September 13.

No analysis, no commentary, just facts: How Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev ideologically prepared Azerbaijani society for war not only against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), but also Armenia-proper.

Following Azerbaijan’s latest attack, this time against Armenia proper, international actors are calling on both sides to de-escalate the situation. Bothsidism in this context is ridiculous, tiresome, and shameful. Not naming the aggressor or who is benefiting from violence is not a neutral act. It is not telling the truth.

Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched a major attack on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia at approximately midnight on September 13, 2022. A US-brokered ceasefire came into effect late on the evening of September 14, which continues to hold.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of September 9: Five Armenian POWs are repatriated following the Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting in Brussels; the new U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group is in Armenia; opposition forces announce that they will boycott parliament again; Starmus Festival kicks off in Yerevan and more.

Baku’s aggressive rhetoric must not be normalized. In spite of their geopolitical, oil and gas interests, major international players should define their red lines, refrain from a policy of parity and prevent further military aggression by Azerbaijan.

If the EU is honest in its commitment to make peace possible in the South Caucasus, then it needs to address Baku’s ongoing anti-Armenian rhetoric and policy of creating permanent tensions on the borders to pressure Armenia for further concessions.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of September 2: The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan meet in Brussels; former Artsakh Defense Army commander arrested for negligence and abuse of power; three people arrested in connection with the deadly Surmalu market blast and more.

After its military victory in the 2020 Artsakh War, Azerbaijan elevated its war of narratives against Armenians to a new and increasingly aggressive level, often accompanied with disinformation.

The excess symbolic power that comes with “Westernness” explains how some authors and commentators on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict can get away with the most outrageous gaslighting, at times engaging in outright racism.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of August 26: The villages of Aghavno, Berdzor, and Sus were handed to Azerbaijan; a temporary road linking Armenia to Artsakh to be used starting September 1; Pashinyan and Aliyev to meet in Brussels on August 31

This year, Azerbaijan, along with seven other countries, is under review by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in Geneva. Tamara Voskanian is the co-founder of the Center for Truth and Justice (CFTJ) and lawyer Talin Hitik is heading up the CFTJ’s delegation in Geneva, presenting the organization’s report based on primary evidence on Azerbaijan’s ongoing violations during the CERD hearing. They spoke to EVN Report about their ongoing efforts to bring to the world’s attention the crimes committed by Azerbaijan and the impact this will have on the Armenia v. Azerbaijan case at the International Court of Justice.

The 2020 Artsakh War and the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war are the first classic interstate wars in almost two decades involving the regular armies on both sides of the conflict, highlighting trends in warfare, including the effect of the latest technological solutions.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of August 19: Major blast at a shopping center in Yerevan leaves 16 dead; Russian diplomat says peacekeepers will not be redeployed until the new corridor is complete; Armenian government intends to open three checkpoints on border with Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s motivations, strategy, manipulation, and attempts to legitimize its every military aggression against Artsakh are gross violations of the November 9, 2020 tripartite statement that ended the 2020 Artsakh War.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of August 12: Residents of the Armenian village of Aghavno, located on the Lachin Corridor have been told to leave their homes by August 25 when the village will be handed over to Azerbaijan; following another Azerbaijani attack in Artsakh, Armenia’s prime minister announces the necessity to clarify the actions of the Russian peacekeeping mission; Iran is set to open a consulate in Armenia’s southern town of Kapan in Syunik region and more.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has thrust the South Caucasus into a contest for control over transport routes. Despite being landlocked, Armenia remains at the center of Russian-Turkish ambitions to deepen cooperation.

Ներկա իրավիճակում Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի հակամարտության հնարավոր լուծում առաջարկող հոդվածի ՁայնաԳիրը։

Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի հակամարտության հետ համեմատելի՝ Նախիջևանի, Հարավային Օսեթիայի, Հյուսիսային Կիպրոսի, Բոսնիա և Հերցեգովինայի, Արևելյան Թիմորի և Կոսովոյի հակամարտությունների զարգացումը ներկայացնող Սոսի Թաթիկյանի հոդվածի ՁայնաԳիրը։

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of July 15: A new Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces has finally been appointed; Armenia’s Prime Minister has a telephone conversation with Turkey’s President; Armenia’s parliament discusses the reestablishment of an Interior Ministry and more.

«Քաղաքականություն» բաժնում հրապարակված՝ Սոսի Թաթիկյանի «Մաս 1. Ի՞նչ կարող է պատահել Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի հայերին. նրանց անվտանգության և մարդու իրավունքների երաշխիքների բացակայությունից բխող անորոշություններ» հոդվածի ձայնագիրը: Ընթերցում է Սոնա Ներսեսյանը: Երեք մասից բաղկացած հոդվածաշարի առաջին մասում Սոսի Թաթիկյանը վերլուծում է Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի անորոշությունները և հնարավոր սցենարները, եթե Հայաստանի ղեկավարությունը ճանաչի Ադրբեջանի տարածքային ամբողջականությունը։

Baku’s oil economy is not sustainable, as diminishing revenues in the long-term increase the probability of domestic instability in Azerbaijan, potentially triggering militarized interstate disputes.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of July 8: Azerbaijani Armed Forces open fire on Armenian villages twice in the Vayots Dzor region of Armenia; Artsakh authorities report that the Kanach Zham Church in Shushi is being converted to an orthodox church under the pretense of restoration work; Russia responds to Canadian embassy opening in Yerevan and more.

A collection of articles about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the lens of Moscow by Dr. Artyom Tonoyan entitled, “Black Garden Aflame” will become a classic and a major go-to resource for scholars, writes Dr. Pietro Shakarian.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of July 1: Parliament votes to strip two opposition MPs of their positions in the National Assembly for their prolonged absences; Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says several Armenian villages will be handed over to Azerbaijan; Armenia has its first woman Prosecutor General and more.

In this next installment of a series on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Sossi Tatikyan presents a way forward given the current situation to ensure security guarantees for the Artsakh Armenians and mark progress in the conflict’s resolution.

In EVN report’s news roundup for the week of June 24: An Armenian soldier is shot dead by Azerbaijani Armed Forces in Armenia’s Gegharkunik region; Artur Vanetsyan, head of the Fatherland Party and leader of the “I Have Honor” bloc resigns his seat in parliament; while in Baku, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the OSCE Minsk Group ceased its activities because of the U.S. and France plus more.

A new security environment was created after the 2020 Artsakh War, requiring a revision of Armenia’s National Security Strategy that was adopted before Azerbaijan launched the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hovsep Kanadyan explains.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of June 17: After more than six weeks of ongoing protests, the opposition Resistance Movement remove their tents from France Square; Armenia’s new Criminal Code will not include the article for grave insults; Armenia’s national airline FlyArna launches its first flight and more.

Instead of making Yerevan step back every time there is a deadlock in the negotiation process, the mediators should instead develop the tools to pressure Baku. If they do not, another war in the South Caucasus is likely.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of June 10: While in Yerevan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that Armenia will control any transportation links between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan; a Government bill proposes subordinating the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces to the Minister of Defense; an investigation has been launched following violent clashes between protesters and police in the country’s capital and more.

The global response to secessionist inter-ethnic conflicts is shaped by a number of factors, from the extent of the threat of ethnic cleansing, to possession and instrumentalization of energy sources and more. Sossi Tatikyan explains.

For over 30 years, there has been a constant refrain on the righteousness of Armenia’s national aims and precious little about the means towards those ends, and the feasibility of those chosen goals.

Estonia, Ukraine and Armenia inherited an appreciation for the hard sciences from the Soviet Union, helping to leave their mark on the global tech map. While Estonia is considered the rising star, Ukraine and Armenia still face challenges despite significant achievements in the field.

The resilience to persevere through unspeakable trauma was embodied by the tenacity to celebrate the May 8 and 9 holidays in Artsakh with a full schedule of events.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of May 13: Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations will meet in Moscow next week to discuss border demarcation issues; opposition protests continue in Yerevan; Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the Netherlands on an official visit and more.

Are we headed toward a better, or a more worrying future? Is the pendulum swinging toward more uncertainty or toward a lull? Two fundamental questions stand out: the survival of Artsakh and the independence of Armenia.

There’s an air of restlessness in Artsakh. It derives from the uncertainty about where the Republic of Armenia stands. The feeling is that Artsakh and Armenia are on diverging paths, and a rift has appeared between their governments.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of April 29: the Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia to meet in Dushanbe on May 13; ongoing opposition protests are calling for the resignation of PM Nikol Pashinyan; a number of former state officials issue statement on the critical situation in the country following the 2020 Artsakh War and more.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shaken the European continent, and there is one non-conventional weapon—energy supply—that is playing a big role. What are the opportunities for Azerbaijan and the implications for Armenia and Artsakh?

In order to understand what may happen to Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh if appropriate international guarantees for security and human rights are not put in place for them, Sossi Tatikyan presents the evolution of several comparable conflicts.

In Part 1 of a three-part series, Sossi Tatikyan analyzes the uncertainties and possible scenarios for Nagorno-Karabakh if Armenia’s leadership goes ahead with the recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

The West is openly implying that it intends to remain involved in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, even as its relations with Russia could potentially hobble the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmanship.

In the wake of lingering concern over the events unfolding in Ukraine following Russia’s February 24 invasion and its defeat in Artsakh in 2020, how can Armenia pull itself out of this chain of elevated conflicts?

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of April 8: The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan meet in Brussels; Russian Foreign Minister says French and U.S. co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group are refusing to cooperate with the Russian co-chair because of their “Russophobic stance” in light of the situation in Ukraine; parliamentary opposition factions stage a protest in Yerevan ahead of the Brussels meeting & more.

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Brussels on April 6, 2022, on the initiative of the European Council president. Why is the EU taking an interest now when it was a mere observer during the 2020 Artsakh War?

The impossible situation that Armenia finds itself in because of the Russo-Ukraine conflict can be mitigated through a policy known as strategic shirking, argues Nerses Kopalyan.

Reckless steps or imposed decisions regarding demarcation and delimitation, which are part and parcel of the so-called peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, might bring unintended historical consequences for the future of Armenia.

Latest developments in Nagorno-Karabakh demonstrate Azerbaijan’s intent to ethnically cleanse the indigenous Armenian population and highlight the necessity of introducing international norms in the peacekeeping architecture there.

Azerbaijan’s main goal is the removal of ethnic Armenians from Artsakh through the creation of conditions unfavorable for living, as well as creating an atmosphere of fear among the Armenian population.

After weeks of blocking gas supply to the population of Artsakh, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched an attack in the Askeran region, taking control of Parukh village and surrounding positions. While the international community has offered concern, sanctions are what’s needed.

Baku is consistently thwarting all post-war negotiations and existing formats, as the sole agenda of Aliyev’s regime is the total annihilation of Armenians from Artsakh, and possibly even the Republic of Armenia.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of March 25: Azerbaijan violates the ceasefire regime in Artsakh, dangerously escalating the situation while the world’s attention is focused on Ukraine; Armenia applies to the ECHR, asking the court to take urgent measures against Azerbaijan for violating the rights of the people of Artsakh; after briefly restoring natural gas supply to Artsakh, Azerbaijan shuts it down again, leaving residents without heat in freezing temperatures and more.

Azerbaijan openly announced that it would begin to destroy the Armenian cultural heritage of Artsakh and erase traces of the Armenian language from monuments. The European Parliament is one of the first institutions that has reacted to this Armenophobic policy.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of March 18: the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Turkey meet on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum; Azerbaijan proposes a peace accord with Armenia; although a damaged natural gas pipeline supplying gas to residents of Artsakh has been repaired, gas supply has still not commenced.

Over a year after Russian troops were deployed to Artsakh, here’s what we know about the Russian presence there, with the historical background for Moscow’s drive for boots on the ground in Artsakh.

In its historic “Uniting for Peace” session, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution reaffirming Ukrainian sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Sossi Tatikyan explains why Armenia abstained.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of February 25: As Russia launches a full scale war in Ukraine, tensions in the greater region surge; Russia and Azerbaijan sign historic declaration on a strategic alliance; two Azerbaijani MPs cause a scandal in Yerevan during the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly session and Armenia’s government sacks five top military commanders.

Is Russia’s escalation of tensions with Ukraine really about Ukraine or is Putin trying to reassert Russia as a regional hegemon? What does this mean for Europe and the South Caucasus? Political Scientist Nerses Kopalyan explains.

By meeting Azerbaijan’s demand for a €2 billion financial package to participate in “restoration and reconstruction”, the European Union is casting into doubt its sincerity in supporting democratic values in the South Caucasus.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of February 18: An Armenian soldier is wounded by Azerbaijani gunfire in Artsakh; Baku threatens to arrest Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan; Armenia’s former President Robert Kocharyan says Armenia should consider joining the Union State of Russia and Belarus and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of February 11: The Government of France and the European Council mediate the return of eight Armenian POWs; ruling Civil Contract party announces the establishment of an ad-hoc commission to investigate Armenia’s defeat in the 44-day war; Azerbaijani forces opened fire in the direction of two villages in Artsakh, targeting civilians early this morning and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of February 4: The ruling Civil Contract Party announces its candidate for the office of president; Azerbaijan rejects Armenia’s proposals on the demarcation and delimitation process; Azerbaijani culture minister says a working group will restore “Armenianized” Albanian temples, raising serious concerns yet again.

The strategic limitations of the last 30 years are no longer tenable, and there is an acute need for innovation, creativity and sophistication in creating a new chapter in U.S.-Armenia relations.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of January 14: Armenia sends peacekeepers to Kazakhstan as part of a CSTO-led peacekeeping mission; three soldiers have already been killed this year by Azerbaijani fire; the special envoys of Armenia and Turkey meet for the first time in Moscow.

2021 was a difficult year for the Armenian nation as it continued to confront external threats, Azerbaijani incursions into its sovereign territory and an unclear future for both Armenia and Artsakh. Here we present a brief overview of the main events from the past year.

Through a number of developing steps, the EU wants to open a space for a greater role in the South Caucasus and particularly in managing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is now dominated by Russia and Turkey, writes Anna Barseghyan.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of December 24: Yerevan has a new mayor after City Council impeaches now former Mayor Hayk Marutyan; 10 POWs return to Armenia through EU mediation; Armenia appoints a special envoy to start dialogue with Turkey and more.

As Armenia works to rebuild its positions following the 2020 Artsakh War, it must assess the challenges, threats and risks of the security environment and clarify a position that reflects state and national interests.

Are Armenians doomed to endure the contemptuous kleptocracy of the “old” and the cynical defeatism of the “new”? Gaidz Minassian proposes an alternate vision, one that was conceived of by Aram Manoukian over a century ago.

Western attempts to infiltrate into the sphere of Russian influence have meant to weaken Russia and maintain constant tension. Could this result in larger clashes with more unpredictable consequences, this time between large geopolitical players?

In light of Azerbaijan’s aggressive military operations, the international community’s response and the formation of a format for the delimitation and demarcation process, Sossi Tatikyan offers comprehensive suggestions on potential formats and phases.

The opening of the Armenian section of the Transcaucasian Trail means hikers can now walk the length of Armenia along a specially-constructed footpath that connects the Iranian and Georgian borders, taking in some of Armenia’s most spectacular landscapes and cultural sites on the way.

On December 7, the International Court of Justice announced its decision regarding the request for provisional measures by Armenia and Azerbaijan, marking the next stage in the ongoing conflict between the two states.

A year after the end of the war in Artsakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan are far from a sustainable peace. Regardless of how many olive branches are gifted to the leaders of the two sides, we are once again back to a “no war, no peace” situation, writes Tatev Hayrapetyan.

Turkey is Georgia’s main source of imports and finances strategic infrastructure such as energy projects. The imbalanced arrangement provided Turkey with “strategic depth” and opportunities for power projection. Armenians are apprehensive about the repercussions of going in the same direction.

This concept paper undertakes a reconfiguration of Armenia’s doctrinal policy on Nagorno-Karabakh, thus formulating the empirical and legal basis to develop a grand strategy on the concept of remedial sovereignty.

Since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, Russia has enjoyed an effective monopoly over the negotiation process. Recent initiatives by the EU suggest that Europe may be taking a more proactive role in the South Caucasus.

The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S. stemmed from its own interests. Other allied powers are considering following suit. Will Armenia be able to take advantage of this shift in global geopolitics?

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of November 19: Azerbaijan launches a large-scale offensive on Armenia’s eastern border leading to intense battles; a Russian-brokered ceasefire comes into effect five hours later; one day before the Azerbaijani attack, PM Nikol Pashinyan sacks Defense Minister Arshak Karapetyan; the 29th Eurasian Intergovernmental Session of the Eurasian Economic Union kicks off in Yerevan and more.

On November 16, 2021, Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched a large-scale offensive along the eastern border of Armenia, resulting in intense battles. There are confirmed casualties and wounded. Live Updates.

This is not a story about war. This is the story of what happens after the bullets, missiles, bombs and drones no longer fly through the autumn air. Maria Titizian recounts her journey to Artsakh last year, two days after the signing of the trilateral statement ending the war.

A year has passed since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War. The ceasefire statement signed by the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020, brought a new geopolitical reality to the region.

On September 16, 2021, Armenia instituted proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Azerbaijan on the basis of violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Armenia’s agent at the ICJ and international law expert Levon Gevorgyan who was an advisor and part of Armenia’s legal team at The Hague speak to EVN Report about the landmark case.

Back in early October, a resident of Martakert was shot dead by Azerbaijani fire while he was driving a tractor. A Russian peacekeeper was sitting right beside him at the time. What is behind Azerbaijan’s provocations?

A unique combination of causal factors at different levels made the 44-day war possible. Tigran Grigoryan presents a systematic and comprehensive explanation of the structural conditions and circumstances behind Azerbaijan’s large-scale offensive.

Controversy erupted after the Hayastan All Armenian Fund transferred 60% of funds donated during and after the war to the state budget. The absence of a complete audit almost a year since it was first proposed leaves donors still asking “where is the money?”

While Baku prepared for war, Armenia relied on overconfidence, willful ignorance and underestimated the enemy leading to its defeat in 2020. But Azerbaijan, intoxicated by its own victory, will also lose because of Aliyev’s strategic narcissism.

The UK embassy in Azerbaijan and British companies were very active during and after the 2020 Artsakh War. While the spilled blood was still fresh, British businesses were already focused on the profits to be made.

Back in the 2010s, Armenian policymakers were too short-sighted to assess the implications that the Arab Spring had for our own country. Does the recent American withdrawal from Afghanistan have any significance for Armenia?

Gaidz Minassian delves into the turbulent spaces of history, memory and identity and deconstructs why the mother of all battles—the construction of a State on its sovereign pillars—was undermined.

Azerbaijan and Turkey are not interested in peace. With the new realities on the ground following Azerbaijan’s military success, the Armenian Government should be careful when promising an “era of peace” to its people.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of October 8: Azerbaijan’s national air carrier operates its first flight through Armenian airspace since 2014; newly released Pandora Papers implicate former and current Armenian officials; Armenian-American molecular biologist Ardem Patapoutian is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and more.

What has Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Artsakh War revealed? Tigran Yegavian reviews a recently published White Paper that looks at a number of misconceptions, failures and dysfunctions within Armenian statehood and attempts to diagnose those ills and offer possible solutions.

Since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, tensions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Azerbaijan have been escalating. Although an outright military confrontation seems unlikely, it would have devastating consequences for the region.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of October 1: Iran conducts large-scale military training near its border with Azerbaijan; PACE adopts resolution regarding the humanitarian consequences of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; ICJ to hold hearings on Armenian and Azerbaijani claims in mid-October; Armenia’s former Minister of Defense arrested on embezzlement charges and more.

Since the 2020 Artsakh War, France has been at the forefront of diplomatic activity in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. What goal is Paris hoping to achieve with this issue that is so far removed from the concerns of the French?

Armenia instituted proceedings against Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice on the basis of violations of the Convention on Elimination of Racial Discrimination. A week later, Azerbaijan submitted its own claim against Armenia. Gabriel Armas-Cardona breaks it down.

Dictators are emboldened by the silence of those who claim to be proponents of human rights and justice. Turkey’s Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s Aliyev must be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity, writes Irina Ghaplanyan.

While the majority of women didn’t pick up guns to fight in the war, many used their skills to fight in their own way. On this first anniversary of the 2020 Artsakh War, Kushane Chobanyan presents the stories of six extraordinary women who were on the front lines.

Armenia will be looking to take advantage of its chairmanship of the CSTO to create a new Crisis Response Center. If its supposed allies continue their indifference even at the organizational stage, they should all be asking themselves why they are together in the first place.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of September 17: Armenia files a claim against Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice; Azerbaijan sets up a checkpoint on the Goris-Kapan highway, charging road tax from Iranian truck drivers; U.S. Ambassador to Armenia reiterates that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unresolved.

Canada has a finely-crafted international image as a champion of human rights. While different factors contributed to the outcome of the 2020 Artsakh War, one of them, the Turkish Bayraktar drone used against Artsakh, was heavily reliant on target acquisition optics made by a Canadian company.

Armenia’s Nuclear Power Plant in Metsamor is vital for Armenia’s energy security; it also poses dangers that are often overlooked. While the focus has been its location, less public scrutiny has been paid to its ongoing environmental impact.

After launching an attack against Artsakh in 2020, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has taken every opportunity to take personal credit for Azerbaijan’s military successes, along with his family.

Azerbaijani Armed Forces used internationally banned cluster bombs and weapons containing white phosphorus during the 2020 Artsakh War. The use of incendiary weapons caused severe burns to dozens of soldiers and irreversible loss to the environment.

China considers Turkey a key strategic partner under the Belt and Road Initiative. It has also intensified economic relations with Azerbaijan and is keen to diversify its commercial routes to Europe. Was China a silent observer or did it have any role to play during the 2020 Artsakh War.

Developments after the 2020 Artsakh War reveal that Azerbaijan has no intention to work toward regional peace and stability. Together with Turkey, Baku aims to change the regional structure at the expense of Armenia’s security interests and needs.

As Armenia seeks to develop a new national security framework following the defeat in the 2020 Artsakh War, relations with Iran could play an increasingly important role.

Following the 2020 Artsakh War, the creation of a new geopolitical reality in the region by Baku and Ankara opened a "Pandora's Box" forcing the main stakeholders to re-articulate their geopolitical agenda.

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Tavush clashes. This article looks into the chronology of events as they developed, the subsequent narrative that was perpetuated in Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the consequent reactions of regional and international powers.

Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Artsakh War was a collective failure of all state bodies and institutions. The new Armenian government must construct a foreign policy doctrine defined by “strategic engagement.”

Suren says if he had a magic wand, he would change people to make things better. Children of the 2020 Artsakh War continue to struggle with trauma. A center in Kapan is trying to change that.

After its victory in the 2020 Artsakh War, Azerbaijan started massive restoration projects in the seven conquered regions of the Republic of Artsakh. These projects will undoubtedly impact Armenia.

For decades, the Azerbaijani government has engaged in the destruction of Armenian monuments in its quest to erase all evidence of our culture. But the campaign of cultural erasure stretches beyond the physical, to the digital realm as well.

More than two weeks after Azerbaijani Armed Forces crossed into Armenian territory, six Armenian soldiers were surrounded and captured, escalating the already tense situation in Armenia’s border regions.

Armenia’s security infrastructure requires a robust defense doctrine, expansive reforms, rearticulation of geopolitical and geostrategic realities, closing the gap in power disparity with regional actors and competent institutional structures.

Nine days after Azerbaijani Armed Forces crossed into Armenian territory in the Syunik and Gegharkunik regions, the standoff continues. The absence of a resolution and the potential of a military confrontation has the people of Armenia on edge. Here is a timeline of events.

A day after the trilateral agreement ending the 2020 Artsakh War was signed, the first contingents of Russian peacekeepers were deployed. Six months in, clarifications regarding the size, mandate and mission of the peacekeepers are still not clear.

The 2020 Artsakh War highlighted the interests, strategies and positions of Iran and Russia, both regional powers, regarding the resolution of the Karabakh Conflict.

Armenian cultural, religious and historical monuments and sites currently under Azerbaijani control in the aftermath of the 2020 Artsakh War are under immediate threat of vandalism and destruction.

Following the First Karabakh War, landmines and explosive remnants of war became a major hazard for civilians. Today, four regions of Armenia are still contaminated with unexploded ordnance, impacting over 35,000 residents.

Azerbaijan increased its military spending by 17% in 2020; this was among the largest annual increases in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Ani Avetisyan breaks down the numbers of the military expenditures of both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

There have been numerous public accusations related to espionage and high treason since the start of the 2020 Artsakh War. Despite all the noise, only one case of high treason and one case of espionage were filed during and after the war.

A Military Trophy Park-Museum dedicated to Azerbaijan’s military victory over Artsakh was inaugurated in Baku. It is a gruesome display that includes hundreds of helmets of Armenian soldiers killed in battle and grossly exaggerated life-size figures of dead and dying captives.

Lucrative economic ties with Azerbaijan have influenced the United Kingdom, Italy and Hungary, among others, in their stance during and after the 2020 Artsakh War.

Armenia’s Government must quickly shape a coherent and powerful vision of what it wants to gain from the transport talks. If they get it wrong, the country is at risk of being outmaneuvered by Azerbaijan and taken advantage of by Russia.

Azerbaijan and Turkey are highly incentivized to make the Meghri corridor a reality as soon as possible. For Azerbaijan it’s to have a direct link with its exclave of Nakhijevan. For Turkey, it opens up a direct connection with Azerbaijan and the Turkic world beyond.

The November 10 ceasefire agreement ended the 2020 Artsakh War, but the issue of demarcating the new state borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been a major concern since then.

Along with a number of local fact-finding initiatives to collect evidence in relation to the loss of property following the 2020 Artsakh War, Armenia’s government has also filed an inter-state complaint with the ECHR, which includes issues related to property rights.

For nearly three decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been buying large quantities of weapons from a number of countries. Hovhannes Nazaretyan presents a comprehensive list of weapons acquired by both countries since independence.

Several popular myths that had become deeply entrenched in Armenian society began collapsing after the war. Today, new myths are being constructed. Will Armenians risk fooling themselves into disingenuous politics and disastrous policy based on a set of new myths?

The military phase of the 2020 Artsakh War seems to have ended but the legal fight for restoring and upholding human rights is just beginning. Armenia’s Inter-State Application against Azerbaijan to the ECHR marks the beginning of that strategic process.

Given the growing sense of global multipolarity and the apparent twilight years of the American-anchored liberal international order, Armenia cannot solely rely on friends and allies around the globe to ensure its survival. A more realistic approach is necessary.

The Homeland Defender’s Rehabilitation Center in Yerevan, known as Zinvori Tun (Soldier’s Home) has become a place of hope, healing and rehabilitation on the road to recovery for soldiers seriously wounded during the 2020 Artsakh War.

Armenia’s air defense systems were largely ineffective against the onslaught of combat and reconnaissance UAVs used by the Azerbaijani military. The single most important UAV used in the 2020 Artsakh War was the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2.

The operation of the Southern Gas Corridor raises the geopolitical significance of Azerbaijan and Turkey, contributing to the further isolation of Armenia from regional projects. The EU seems to limit its concern about human rights violations and war crimes in Artsakh to mere lip service.

The EU’s weak stance and incapacity to act during a time of great need for the Armenian people still reverberates. Today, Armenians are asking themselves if they can afford to trust the EU again.

Is it necessary to assimilate or exterminate a people to affirm one's identity? Has an Azerbaijani identity been founded upon the genocide of a people, who, like in Turkey, lived side by side with the Turkic populations until the rise of nationalism?

The 2020 Artsakh War changed the geopolitical picture in the South Caucasus, impacting all the countries in the region. While there were clear winners and losers, some countries both won and lost.

Azerbaijan’s premeditated war against Karabakh was a blow to the prevailing world order, particularly the principle that international disputes be resolved through peaceful means. The world powers must condemn Azerbaijan’s violation and mitigate the damage it has caused.

In December 2020, the EU passed the Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, equipping its foreign policy arsenal with a powerful new tool to protect human rights. Armenians should be paying close attention to how it will be used.

Will the formation of a Truth Commission on the 2020 Artsakh War make it possible to rectify persistent and systemic errors that led to such military and geopolitical failures?

EVN Report looks back at a year that forced the Armenian people to battle multiple fronts, from the COVID-19 pandemic to a 44-day war launched by Azerbaijan that resulted in devastating human and territorial losses.

A concerted effort is needed to overcome the crisis the Armenian nation is facing. To do that, we need to understand where we are now, be honest, admit mistakes, learn lessons and move forward, writes Hovsep Kanadyan.

Volunteers and mayors have been left to fend for themselves as Azerbaijani troops walk up to and past the edges of their border communities in an area that was never demarcated as an international border.

International human rights defending organizations have been speaking in a language of “neutrality” which, in the context of the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan during and after the 2020 Artsakh War, is anything but objective, writes Karena Avedissian.

The Yezidis of Armenia fought alongside their Armenian comrades during the 2020 Artsakh War. One Yezidi volunteer says that “this is our country, the graves of our ancestors are here and the future of our children is here.”

As part of its mirroring propaganda operation during the war that was intended to cloud the information landscape, Azerbaijan also systematically mirrored the Armenian side’s visuals as well.

Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan institutionalized their triangle long before the 2020 Artsakh War and have established deep roots of cooperation.

Faced with loss and uncertainty, the Armenians of Artsakh are trying to come to grips with the defeat following the war and finding a way to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.

The isolationism of former global powers in a fractured world has left vulnerable countries at the mercy of power-hungry regional players.

The defeat in Artsakh was a profound loss on multiple levels. The actions taken today, will impact the future of the Armenian nation.

Taking into account Turkey’s overt support to Azerbaijan during the 2020 Artsakh War, Armenia’s government has decided to ban the import of Turkish goods for six months. The ban will take effect on December 31 of this year.

Instead of presenting a detailed plan to help guide the country toward a number of clearly-defined national goals, PM Nikol Pashinyan’s road map resembled a laundry list of necessary post-war actions to take to mitigate the fallout.