Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

CSTO TO ENABLE RRF IF BAKU LAUNCHES HOSTILITIES AGAINST KARABAKH

The CSTO rapid reaction force (RRF) is formed to combat security threats, a Russian expert said. “If Azerbaijan launches hostilities against Nagorno Karabakh, the Collective Security Treaty Organization will enable its RRF,” Mikhail Alexandrov, head of Caucasus chair at the Institute of CIS Studies, told PanARMENIAN.Net. At that, he reminded that Azerbaijan, as a CIS member state should behave in compliance with its obligations.

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

RA MFA: AZERBAIJAN’S ACTIONS SHOULD BE GIVEN INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENT

Currently in Warsaw, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski to discuss the Armenian-Polish relations, regional and international issues, economic and cultural cooperation, the RA MFA press office reports. The Eastern Partnership initiative and the Armenia-EU relations were also in focus. Besides, an agreement on cooperation between the Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Poland was signed. Minister Nalbandian briefed on the prospects of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations and on the current stage of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. For his part, Mr. Sikorski informed of his intention to visit Armenia in 2009

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

A Dangerous Approach to Karabakh Peace

The Turkish Hurriyet Daily reported Tuesday that Armenia and Azerbaijan had reached a partial agreement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The newspaper alleged that the agreement was a result of Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan's shuttle diplomacy with his Armenian and Azeri counterparts and the new peace plan would be mediated by Turkey.

This prompted both the Turkish and Armenian foreign ministries to refute the Hurrieyt report.

“No negotiations have taken place on the Karabakh issue with Turkey,” said Tigran Balayan Wednesday in response to an Itar-Tass reporter's inquiry on the Hurriyet report.

“As Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan has stated on numerous occasions, the negotiations over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution are taking place with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on the basis of the Madrid principles,” added Balayan.

Meanwhile, a spokesman from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Wednesday Turkey is not included in a solution plan to the issue, though it is an issue that concerns the country.

"There is no discussion of Turkey's inclusion in a Nagorno-Karabakh plan. We are just gathering information from both sides," Burak Ozugergin told the Anatolian News Agency.

No word yet from Azerbaijan.

What is most disturbing in the Hurriyet piece is the allegation that Armenia will return some of the towns surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to Azerbaijan in a specific timetable and repatriate Azeris who were forced to leave the regions. Furthermore, Hurriyet reports that the administration of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will be handed to a provisional body and Kelbajar will be returned to Azerbaijan after the status of the region is determined. Hurriyet adds that the railroad and highway between Azerbaijan and Armenia will be opened, while an international peace force will be deployed at the border region between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Hurriyet still prominently featured this piece Thursday with the original headline of “Azerbaijan-Armenia agree on Turkey-led Nagorno-Karabakh plan," matter of factly updating the piece to include the Turkish and Armenian comments about the story.

Is this a classic case of Turkey's and Azerbaijan's continued misinformation campaign or is it a new--and dangerous--diplomatic approach to the Karabakh peace process? The elements allegedly agreed upon with Babacan reek of the Turko-Azeri wish list for Karabakh.

It is not the first time that the Turkish or Azeri media have reported on the aftermath of talks between the foreign ministers in an exaggerated and sensationalist manner warranting further comment or explanation by government officials. This is not the Fourth Estate watching over the government, but, perhaps, a concerted effort aimed at fanning the flames of an already volatile situation in an effort to derail talks and shift the focus of the discussion.

There are stakeholders in the Karabakh peace process who have a lot to gain from undermining the current process and they operate by leaking and disclosing bits of information out of context to shift the focus.

On the other hand, if the points highlighted in the Hurriyet report are even being discussed by the parties to the conflict then it might be time to rethink the so-called Madrid principles, which from day one have been shrouded in secrecy. Those points are dangerous, objectionable and unacceptable and will only further exacerbate the conflict and its resolution process.

This is a dangerous precedent and one that has to be vocally and adamantly countered by, to begin with, Armenia's Foreign Ministry as well as all stakeholders who are interested in a peaceful and just resolution to the Karabakh conflict. This would require an immediate and more transparent accounting of meetings and discussions in order to impede efforts by others to disrupt the current process

[Federate]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

I congratulate Armenia Reporter on their excellent coverage of Artsakh and especially in the 'liberated territories'. Armenia Reporter is also one of the first to switch to using the correct maps of Armenia and Artsakh, refusing to portray the latter as an enclave. Great article, must be read!
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30 Armenian families live in liberated Van

“These lands were not given as gifts; these lands were liberated with blood and these lands will never be returned,” teacher Vardan Vardanian says.

by Tatul Hakobyan

Published: Friday February 20, 2009




Van, Nagorno-Karabakh - Vardan Vardanian and his wife moved to the village of Van when it was established in 1999. Their two children, five-year-old son Sergo and two-year-old daughter Ani-Van, were born here. The village is in the Kashatagh region of Nagornox-xKarabakh on the banks of the Voghji River. Mr. Vardanian and his family live in one of the rooms on the second floor of the local school, which is only 3 kilometers away from the Araks River, the border with Iran.

"When we came here, life was a bit hard in Armenia. I am from Berd city and my wife is from Sevan. When we came to live in Van, the monthly salary of a teacher here was twice that of a teacher in Armenia. Those who move here no longer want to leave. Apart from the fact that my wife and I are teachers and receive our monthly wages, we can also keep animals and tend orchards," he says.

Mr. Vardanian is a physicist and has been the director of the school in Van for the past seven years. Prior to that he used to work in the Aygehovit village school in the Kashatagh region.

"I have chosen the teachers of the school in Van. Today the school has 22 students. During its seven years, 15 of our graduates went on to receive higher education. If the state provides housing, I can bring high-quality teachers to Van. But let me say that currently we have good specialists," he boasts.

Yurik Yeghian, head of the village, agrees: Van faces housing issues. He adds that recently, state officials approached the residents and began allocating funds for different community projects as well as loans for the purchase of animals.

"Now there are no available homes for people; otherwise there are people willing to move to Van. It would be a good thing if the state helped with the apartment issue. If they are not constructing, they can at least give loans to people. A few days ago people came who wanted to move to Van from Meghri, but there were no available apartments," says Mr. Yeghian.

In the past, during the Soviet era, Van was called Jhangirbeyli and was populated only by Azerbaijanis. But the phrase "in the past" is relative, and the residents of today's Van believe that they live in their patrimony, a territory that had been populated by Armenians for centuries.

Mr. Vardanian does not even want to hear that one day these lands might be handed over to Azerbaijan as peace guarantees.

"There are such rumors, but these lands were not given as gifts; these lands were liberated with blood and these lands will never be returned. How can you return land? These are our ancestral lands, this is Armenia. I do not believe that anyone would be despicable enough to sign a document returning these lands. I cannot imagine such an Armenian traitor," he says emphatically.

It is not clear how many in Armenia, Artsakh, and the diaspora think like Mr. Vardanian. But if actions speak louder than words, then the fact is that few people have moved to the liberated territories.
High birth rate

Some 13,000 Armenians lived in these liberated lands ten to twelve years ago; today their number has decreased by half. Today the population is not growing, but it also is not decreasing.

The residents of Van are mainly from the village of Daratumb in the Yeghegnadzor region of Armenia. Daratumb is en route to the Selim mountain pass toward Lake Sevan. For more than half of the year, it is cold and the living conditions are not good.

"It is not because of good living conditions that we moved to Van. Daratumb was also a village of immigrants: our grandfathers, seven families, emigrated from the Ghorukh village in the Khoy province of Iran in 1830. Since present-day Daratumb is too small for its residents, part of the village, mainly the younger families, moved to Van. Currently this village has 30 families and 127 residents. We have families with many children. For example, Husik Khachatrian has seven children, one of whom is already married. The village is expanding not only because of resettlement, but also because of natural growth. This year we have already had five births," says Mr. Yeghian.
Naming the village

Van was established in 1999. Felix Hayrapetian was the founder of the village and the first village head. Why did they name the village Van? This is how the village head explains it: "Well, since its neighbors were Moush, Alashkert, and Berkri, naturally this village had to be Van."

Moush, Alashkert, and Berkri are the names of settlements in historic Armenia, now part of Turkey; the city of Van in today's Turkey is the cradle of Armenian civilization.

Mr. Vardanian, the school director, adds, "It was the initiative of Alexan Hakobian, the former head of the Kashatagh region, to restore the historical names."

Just like in the rest of the communities in Kashatagh, there are many difficulties and problems in Van. For more than 10 years the residents of Van have been bringing drinking water from Alashkert, which is about 10 kilometers away from their village.

"People have been carrying water for ten years now. We have reached the point where the state has now allocated means for providing us with drinking water. This year the drinking water issue will be resolved. This means that these lands will not be returned. Last year the state fixed our irrigation water system. In the past there was much talk about returning the lands, but now people almost do not talk about that. People have constructed houses from scratch and are creating orchards," says Mr. Yeghian.

Mr. Vardanian believes that those who have stayed here will never return and no one can return these lands, as they already have graves here.

Only a person who does not like to work will return and leave these lands. Those who moved here and then left simply did not want to work. They continued to live here up to the time when assistance was being given. When the aid stopped, they left and returned," says Mr. Vardanian.
A fertile land

"If they solve the apartment issue, many people will come to live here. Why have we come here and settled? Because these lands are fertile. The harvest is plentiful here and earning an income is easy. There is plenty of sunshine here and it rarely snows. The land bears fruit here 12 months a year. Everything grows here, even citrus fruits. You can keep animals here. All the conditions for breeding silkworm can be found here," adds Mr. Yeghian, the head of the village.

The first impression of Van is disappointing, as there are more ruins than houses. However, over time, some infrastructure and living conditions have been organized. During the past years communication with neighboring towns has improved. Every day a small passenger bus service runs from Kovsakan (previously Zangelan) to Kapan (in the Syunik province of Armenia), passing through Van and surrounding villages. Twice a week a bus service runs to Stepanakert, Berdzor (the administrative center of the Kashatagh region), and Yerevan.

Almost all of Van's residents have already installed satellite dishes. They bring in newspapers twice a week from Berdzor or Kapan. Computers have been installed in the school. Apart from that, it is possible to receive mobile phone service here through VivaCell.

This year is the 10th anniversary of Van's resettlement. The head of the village invited me to participate in the event and I, in turn, invite all those who want to see Van. This Van, which is located on the left bank of the Araks River, is still in ruins and is absolutely unlike the Van we lost, on the right bank of the Araks, in Western Armenia, on the banks of the blue lake, across from Aghtamar.

However, 10-year-old Van also deserves visitors, especially from those Armenians who suffered, who feel the loss and longing for the Yergir.

This Van, still partly in ruins, may serve as a comfort for their longing.

http://www.reporter.am/go.cfm?path=/go/article/2009-02-20-30-armenian-families-live-in-liberated-van&pg=2

[Federate]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Sratch three bogeys.
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Azerbaijani soldier killed after ceasefire violation
20.02.09 13:23

Azerbaijan, Shaki, Feb. 20/ Trend News, K. Akbarova/

An Azerbaijani soldier was killed after Armenian armed forced violated the ceasefire.

Soldier Suleymanov Javid Eynulla oglu was killed in the Fuzuli region.

Suleymanov began his service in January 2008. He was from Oguz.

A mine blast killed soldiers Asgar Mardanov and Tural Hajiyev in the Horadiz settlement on Feb. 19. Asgar Mardanov, 23, was called for military service from Ganja and Tural Hajiyev, 21, from Shamkir.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

http://news-en.trend.az/karabakh/1428277.html

[Federate]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

But will it apply to Artsakh?
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Agreement on military and technical assistance to CSTO member states ratified
20.02.2009 15:11 GMT+04:00


/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Russian Federation Council has ratified a protocol on the mechanism of rendering military and technical assistance to CSTO member states in case of a threat or aggression.

Chairman of the FC Committee on CIS Affairs Vadim Gustov said that the document envisages defense bargains free of charge or at reduced price to maintain the efficiency of armed forces.

The list includes armament, equipment, documentation, services and information, Russian media reports say.

http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=28789

[Federate]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Sratch three bogeys.
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Azerbaijani soldier killed after ceasefire violation
20.02.09 13:23

From a more official source
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TV: Azerbaijan troops killed near Nagorno-Karabakh

BAKU, Azerbaijan: A television report says three Azerbaijani soldiers have been killed in violence near the ethnic-Armenian held territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Calls to Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry for confirmation went unanswered and Armenian officials could not immediately be reached.

Private ANS TV said Friday that one soldier was killed when ethnic Armenian forces opened fire on an Azerbaijani position. It said two others were fatally wounded when they stepped on a land-mine allegedly planted by Armenian forces.

A war that broke out as the Soviet Union was nearing its breakup killed some 30,000 people and left Armenians in control of Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region and some surrounding territory. Violations of a 1994 cease-fire have been frequent and the conflict has remained unsolved.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/20/europe/EU-Azerbaijan-Armenia-Karabakh.php

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

CSTO TO ENABLE RRF IF BAKU LAUNCHES HOSTILITIES AGAINST KARABAKH

The CSTO rapid reaction force (RRF) is formed to combat security threats, a Russian expert said. “If Azerbaijan launches hostilities against Nagorno Karabakh, the Collective Security Treaty Organization will enable its RRF,” Mikhail Alexandrov, head of Caucasus chair at the Institute of CIS Studies, told PanARMENIAN.Net. At that, he reminded that Azerbaijan, as a CIS member state should behave in compliance with its obligations.

I think they will.

[Federate]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

NKR Defense Ministry: 3 Karabakh soldiers in Azeri captivity
28.02.2009 17:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On the night of February 28, three soldiers of the NKR Defense Army, Hrant Markosyan, Alik Tevosyan and Arthur Sargsyan have crossed the line of contact of the NKR and Azeri armed forces, colonel lieutenant Senor Hasratyan, spokesman for NKR Defense Ministry, told PanARMENIAN.Net.

The incident is being investigated.

http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=29021

[SoyElTurco]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Propoganda war from both sides. intersting. not very different from one another.

1 azeri becomes and armenian and 3 armenians become azeris.