Sarkisian and Aliyev Could Meet before End of the Year
YEREVAN (A.W.)—The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group is concerned about increasing violence and the use of heavy weaponry on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, according to OSCE Minsk Group United Sates Co-Chair James Warlick.
“We are concerned about these tensions, in particular the use of heavy weapons, including mortars. We are concerned that this leads to increasing violence, heightened tensions, and civilian deaths,” Warlick told reporters in Yerevan on Mon., Oct. 26, reported Public Radio of Armenia.
During Monday’s press conference, Warlick stressed that both Armenia and Azerbaijan must respect the terms of the 1994 ceasefire in order to reduce tensions. He also spoke about the possibility of scheduling a summit between the presidents of the two countries before the end of the year.
“Both presidents have committed themselves to an intensified dialogue. They signal that they do want to meet with each other, and we’d like to use this visit as an opportunity to identify the possible dates and begin to make arrangements for the summit,” Warlick was quoted as saying.
Warlick said that although the OSCE does not have working means to conduct constant monitoring of the maintenance of the ceasefire by the parties, an independent mechanism of investigating cross-border incidents must be implemented. “We need an investigative mechanism so that we don’t see one side accusing the other and have no bases to know who committed particular acts of violence,” he said.
Minsk Group Co-Chairs Warlick, Igor Popov (Russia), and Pierre Andrieu (France), are currently on a tour of the region and will also visit the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic (NKR/Artsakh), according to Davit Babayan, spokesperson for Karabagh President Bako Sahakyan. The co-chairs will also be visiting Baku in the coming days.
On Sept. 24, the Minsk Group co-chairs, together with Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, held a meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and a separate meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on Sept. 25. According to a statement released by the Minsk Group, the delegation met jointly with Nalbandian and Mammadyarov to “discuss the immediate need to reduce tensions along the Line of Contact and international border, to advance negotiations on a lasting settlement, and to implement confidence-building measures.”
During the meeting, the Co-Chairs called on both the Presidents of Armenia and of Azerbaijan to accept an OSCE mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations. “Without such a mechanism, the sides will continue to blame each other for initiating deadly attacks on the Line of Contact and Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Armenia has agreed to discuss the details of the mechanism, and we urged Azerbaijan to do the same,” read a part of the statement released on Sept. 26.
Is this the same Warlick that keeps encouraging, in a roundabout way, the criminals and terrorists in Baku to kill Armenians by publicly inciting violence, in a backhanded way, against Armenians of Artsakh, when he bloviates about so-called “occupied territories” ?
I am sure the other two chairs of OSCE Minsk group – Russia and France – are genuinely concerned.
But I am not aware of representatives of either France or Russia publicly inciting violence, in a backhanded way, against Armenians as the official representatives of US have done on numerous occasions.
So that there is no doubt that officials of US State Dept are inciting violence against Armenians, in a roundabout way, I will remind fellow Armenians of what US Assistant Sec Victoria Nuland did in Yerevan:
Feb 2015: US Assistant Sect of State Victoria Nuland urges NKR authorities to release the two Turkbaijani terrorist murderers on “humanitarian” (sic) grounds. As a reminder the invaders are in jail for life for abducting, torturing and murdering a 17 year old Armenian youth, and murdering an Armenian officer. A civilian Armenian woman shot by the terrorists was saved by rapid medical response.
In June 2014, 3 Israeli youths on a hiking trip were abducted and murdered by Hamas terrorists. Two of the 3 kidnapping suspects were killed by Israeli forces. The 3rd got three consecutive life sentences.
Any day now Ms. Nuland will urge Israeli authorities to release the Hamas terrorist on humanitarian grounds.
As soon as pigs sprout wings and start flying.
The message Ms. Nuland conveyed to Baku was (my interpretation): “Ilham, keep sending terrorists into Artsakh or Armenia to kidnap and murder 17 year old Armenian youth. Don’t worry: US will demand from Armenian authorities that your terrorist murderers be released, so they can go back and murder more Armenians….”
http://asbarez.com/141092/minsk-group-co-chairmen-want-to-re-settle-displaced-persons/
{By using the same language as official Baku in characterizing certain aspects of the conflict, the co-chairmen are signaling that Armenian lives don’t matter and that a larger geopolitical chess game is being played, as a result of which Azerbaijan will definitely gain dividends.}
“Armenian lives don’t matter”
Well said Mr. KHACHTOURIAN.
(with one correction: it is not “co-chairmen” (plural))
(it is US co-chairman Warlick)
Avery, that is the perfect analogy for that snake Nuland with Hamas. I wish Armenia would have some kind of channel to tell these State Dept neocons off as soon as they start spewing their poison. They should have told her on the spot. “So when is the USA as well as Israel releasing all the terrorists e.g. in Gitmo, Federal prison, etc for humanitarian reasons?”
And it’s true, these snakes are a lot more evil than we even think, their tactics are calculated and premeditated. With such rhetoric, she was simply also sending subliminal messages, for example that “hey you can kill Armenians but you deserve to be set free thereafter because Armenian lives do not matter than much”.
Same with this nobody named Warlick. I wish that the NKR would declare him null and void and Armenia demand he be given the boot. In his latest tweet when “observing” from NKR, seeing first hand all the fire coming from the Azeri side, this coward could not even bring himself to admit where the fire was coming from. Someone remind me a again why this clown is even relevant.
{We are concerned that this leads to increasing violence, heightened tensions, and civilian deaths,” Warlick told reporters in Yerevan.}
Really? And we are concerned that it’s your statement about returning the “occupied” territories of Azerbaijan to Azeri control that led to increasing violence, heightened tensions, and civilian deaths. What to do? Maybe you’d do us the kindness to zip your lip… forever?
[“But I am not aware of representatives of either France or Russia publicly inciting violence, in a backhanded way, against Armenians as the official representatives of US have done on numerous occasions”]
Russia is inciting violence against Armenia in a much more direct, front-handed way: by selling billions of dollars worth of weapons to Azerbaijan. One of which was used to shoot down Armenian helicopter. It does not get any more inciting than that. And by the way, United States does not sell weapons to Azerbaijan.
The territories under Armenian control, including “NKR”, are occupied territories. They belong to Azerbaijan and are occupied by Armenian forces. The U.S. is being objective and truthful. If the U.S. can use the term for its own operation in Iraq, it can use it for Armenians’ occupation of parts of Azerbaijan. Just because some Armenians are offended by the term does not obligate the United States to shy away from the term just so it won’t offend Armenians’ feelings. The fact that the U.S. is taking a neutral stance is a gift to Armenia. Given Armenia’s pro-Russian and anti-Western stance on Ukraine, Armenia has to be thankful that the U.S. is treating it as a partner, as opposed to a semi-authoritarian aggressor. The U.S. could very well choose the second option.
As for Ms. Nuland, she was doing her job as a diplomat: encouraging a humanitarian gesture that could contribute to restoration of trust between the sides. It is not the United States’ fault that Armenians and Azeris cannot resolve their age-old local nationalist quarrel.
{Russia is inciting violence against Armenia in a much more direct, front-handed way: by selling billions of dollars worth of weapons to Azerbaijan.}
The Russian weapons sale disinformation campaign has been debunked completely on many threads.
However, weapons sales by Turkey and Israel to Azerbaijan, are proven to have been used to kill Armenian soldiers and Armenian civilians.
RoA and NKR military have captured Turkish and Israeli military equipment from specially trained Turkic commando invaders, after they were mauled by Armenian conscripts.
Turkish made TP-107 was used to repeatedly shell Armenia and Artsakh, resulting in multiple military and civilian casualties.
Oh, forgot: Russia prevents Turkic violence against RoA and NKR by selling RoA heavy weapons at cost, in addition to free transfers of heavy weapons.
RoA and NKR, with a defense budget of about $450 million @ year have completely intimidated the criminals in Baku, who spend $3.8 BILLION @year (2014) on offense, but are terrified to use them against RoA or NKR: they know what will happen if they do. Russians take Ilham’s billions, and sell him stuff he cannot use against RoA and NKR.
Russia+RoA: win, win.
Turkbaijan+Turkey: lose, lose.
{ One of which was used to shoot down Armenian helicopter.}
The Igla that was used by the nomad terrorists to shoot down an unarmed NKR helicopter on a training mission was not connected to Russian weapons sales.
{The territories under Armenian control, including “NKR”, are occupied territories}
{They belong to Azerbaijan and are occupied by Armenian forces}
{.. it can use it for Armenians’ occupation of parts of Azerbaijan}
Wow: did I read that right ?
“Occupied” by Armenian forces ?
Thank you, thank you very much: no need for me to point out who and what you are.
{ Armenia has to be thankful that the U.S. is treating it as a partner, as opposed to a semi-authoritarian aggressor.}
Baku calling, Baku calling.
{.. that Armenians and Azeris cannot resolve their age-old local nationalist quarrel}
Yep, nomadic Caucasus Turks massacring defenseless Armenian civilians in Sumgait, Kirovabad, Baku is a “quarrel” alright.
Sure, why not.
{And by the way, United States does not sell weapons to Azerbaijan.}
And by the way, United States does not sell weapons to Armenia, either. But Russia does. Weapons that surpass in their strategic purpose those sold to the Azeris in that they are capable of destroying the Azeri military installations and oil infrastructures in a matter of minutes.
{The territories under Armenian control, including “NKR”, are occupied territories. They belong to Azerbaijan and are occupied by Armenian forces.}
Is there a reader left in these pages who’d believe that this poster is an Armenian? How many real Armenians do we know who would put NKR in quotes and state that “territories under Armenian control, including ‘NKR’, belong to Azerbaijan and are occupied by Armenian forces”?
{The fact that the U.S. is taking a neutral stance is a gift to Armenia.}
To take a “neutral stance” basically means to keep your mouth shut on issues that you know might offend either side’s feelings. When a US rep officially states that “the ‘occupied’ territories of Azerbaijan must be returned to Azeri control”, he effectively transgresses the boundaries of neutrality and demonstrates his professional impropriety.
{As for Ms. Nuland, she was doing her job as a diplomat: encouraging a humanitarian gesture that could contribute to restoration of trust between the sides.}
Really? How would Ms. Nuland react to Armenia’s “encouragement” to release murderer Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as a “humanitarian gesture” to that it could contribute to restoration of trust between the US and Russia? And, I guess, “f*** the EU” was one hell of a demonstration of doing a job as a diplomat…
{ It is not the United States’ fault that Armenians and Azeris cannot resolve their age-old local nationalist quarrel.}
How many real Armenians would call the self-determination struggle of the Armenians of Artsakh a “nationalist quarrel”? How many real Armenians don’t know that this struggle cannot be “age-old” per se, because Azerbaijan, with its newly-given (stolen from Iran, actually) ethnic name, were nowhere to be seen on the world map until 1918?
“Vahagn” (and all his other alter egos that post anti-Armenian and Russophobic comments on this board) just proved to us all who/what he/she/it really is.
PS: US based “military contractors” train Azeri sharpshooters (i.e. snipers)
Why doesn’t the Azeri side agree to a shot firing directional indicator? Because it would prove that the losing Azeri side, who started the war and lost, that then asked for cease fire, is now doing all the provoking? Of course. Lets be clear: Artsak and the 7 provinces that Turkey is currently occupying, belong to Armenians. Have for millennia. Karabagh has been liberated that’s all. You Turks are the occupiers. You Turks came from the Asian foothills. Stalin partitioning Armenian lands to a newly created Muslim Turkish country called Azerbaijan in the early 1920’s doesn’t make it Azeri.
I trust non of the corrupt powers that are ‘mediating the peace’ however the state department rep Warlick is exceptionally dishonest when he try’s to portray the current hostilities as having “equal blame and share”. Those land will never go back. Peace will only happen when Azerbaijan understands that. And must rid the despot thief and eventually make good on the loss of all the Armenians who were killed, burned, stabbed, raped in Baku and Sumgait and were forced to leave with nothing.
Vahagn: “The territories under Armenian control, including “NKR”, are occupied territories. They belong to Azerbaijan and are occupied by Armenian forces”
Avery: “Thank you, thank you very much: no need for me to point out who and what you are.”
John: “Is there a reader left in these pages who’d believe that this poster is an Armenian?”
Great summary. It seems he/she is a lot more comfortable coming out of his/her ‘non-Armenian’ shell lately.
“United States does not sell weapons to Azerbaijan”
While we are on this subject, I will also add that the US not selling weapons to Azerbaijan is actually doubtful and a moot point in my view, given that Israel, an extension of the US, actually goes out of its way to make sure that Azerbaijan is well supplied with ‘Israeli’ weapons.
I have often thought, by this same token, perhaps in the future, both Armenia and Russia for example should use the NKR for the same tactic, supplying weapons to countries and organizations throughout the world which are “unpopular with the west”, thus relieving themselves of any accusations and/or liabilities and leaving it up to the “discretion of the NKR”. And because the NKR is supposedly “occupied” and not recognized, that would mean no one is liable. Given the so-called “peace talks” this may not be an option at this time, but it could be something that can be implemented at a future time in a scenario where Artsakh’s own demands are not met. The non-recognition of Artsakh needs to have a price for the west, and so far they have not paid it.
{Is there a reader left in these pages who’d believe that this poster is an Armenian?}
[John]: our guest has apparently abandoned all pretense and is now openly proselytizing for Turkbaijani interests.
Well, the OSCE Minsk Group is claiming to be deeply concerned about the increasing violence, and civilian deaths being caused by the use of heavy weapons along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, but yet, all three co-chairmen (United States, France, Russia) have never once condemned Azerbaijan who’s been the one committing these terrorist acts. Furthermore, with the combination of James Warlick making that horribly foolish statement in regard to “the territories under Armenian control are occupied territories and must be returned to Azerbaijan,” (which France and Russia happened to not disagree with) along with the European Union (represented by France) having stated that it has no intention whatsoever of recognizing the Artsakh Republic’s independence, along with Russia supplying the Azerbaijanis with four billion dollars worth of heavy military arms (for the purpose of killing Armenians), then therefore, all three of these countries are inciting the terrorist state of Azerbaijan to continue as well as escalate its campaign of terrorism against the Armenians.
{ While we are on this subject, I will also add that the US not selling weapons to Azerbaijan is actually doubtful and a moot point in my view, given that Israel, an extension of the US, actually goes out of its way to make sure that Azerbaijan is well supplied with ‘Israeli’ weapons.}
Right you are, [Hagop]. It is a moot point.
And pretty much all of ‘Israeli’ weapons are copies of US or based on US design/development: either stolen designs or developed under US aegis and US funds.
But first: why doesn’t US sell weapons to Azerbaijan _directly_ ?
Not because of any warm feelings towards RoA or NKR.
US does not sell, because years ago Armenian-American community, spearheaded by ANCA, had US Congress pass a law prohibiting such sales.
Sec 907 prohibits any direct aid to Azerbaijan (and only Azerbaijan).
There is an escape clause passed later by US Senate that says POTUS can provide some aid to “combat terrorism”, and he has done so from time to time. But it would be pretty difficult, if not impossible, to sell heavy US weaponry under 907 restrictions.
However US is allowing (encouraging ?) its anti-Armenian client states – Turkey and Israel – to sell all sorts of weaponry to Azerbaijan: “problem” solved. And as has been proven by captured equipment in 2014 and 2015, Israeli and Turkish military hardware has been used to kill Armenian soldiers and murder Armenian civilians.
But you’ll never read our Turkophile guests mention it: only false attributions to Russia.
Let me emphasize: despite the hysterics from certain quarters as to how Russian weapons sales to Azerbaijan might or might not be used against RoA or NKR in a hypothetical future situation, Turkish and Israeli military hardware _has_ been used and _are_ being used by Azerbaijan, extensively, to kill and murder Armenians.
But you’ll never read our Turkophile guests mention that Turkbaijanis are using Turkish and Israeli military equipment to kill and murder Armenians living on their own ancestral lands.
Could US force Turkey and Israel _not_ to sell military hardware to Azerbaijan if US wanted to ?
Did US force France (!) to cancel the $1.3 billion order of two Mistral ships to Russia: do pigs fly ?
So US is in fact indirectly helping Azerbaijan kill Armenians – via Turkey and Israel – while maintaining the fiction that it does not sell weaponry to Azerbaijan. No surprise there, btw: US Asst Secretary Nuland and US OSCE Rep Warlick have been indirectly encouraging Azerbaijanis to kill&murder Armenians by their public anti-Armenian pronouncements.
And unlike Russia, US is not giving Armenia anything to counter-balance NATO/Israel sales to Azerbaijan.
Speaking of Russia: let’s step back from our Caucasus back yard for a moment, and look at the geostrategic situation of the region at large, shall we.
Which country, the only country, in the world has stepped in forcefully to counter the Neocon’s 4-year anti-Christian, anti-Alawite, anti-Syrian terror campaign in Syria ?
Which countries are openly aiding and abetting anti-Christian, anti-SyrianArmenian throat-cutters and cannibals ?
Surprise: Turkey, US, UK, France, Saudi Arabia, other Gulf State Wahhabist sheikdoms and kingdoms,….. Israel (behind the scenes).
Which country was it that put the fear of God in Turks, who were making noises about establishing “buffer zones” and “no fly zones” in Syria (…read: invasion and theft of Syrian territory; Alexandretta theft redux) ?
Russian jets “mistakenly” visited Turkish airspace a couple of times, and told Syrians to radar-lock on TAF F-16s, just to let the Uguroğlar nomads know that Ursus Moscovanus is angry and hungry, and that Canis Lupus better run. The tough talking Turks, always ready to pounce on the weak and defenseless, quietly slunk back into their mange jackal lair.
No, Russia is not doing it for Syrian-Armenians.
Russia is doing for its own interests, like every other country in the world.
But isn’t it nice that right now geostrategic interests of Russia are perfectly aligned with that of the Armenian Nation and RoA ?
So, maybe a round of applause for the Russian Air Force and President Putin ?
Long live Orthodox Christendom.
Long live Armenia.
Long live Artsakh.
Long live Russia.
Long live and prosper the 200+ year old friendship between Armenian and Russian peoples.
God save Orthodox Christendom.
“So, maybe a round of applause for President Putin.”
As usual, you’ll never read anything in regard to our Russian nationalist guests mentioning that their country is guilty of furnishing Armenia’s mortal enemy (Azerbaijan) with four billion dollars worth of military weapons, which happens to be so much more than any single one of the other countries who supply arms to the Azerbaijanis. Putin and his Russia, certainly do not deserve a round of applause for this, nor do they deserve a round of applause for never once condemning Azerbaijan for its campaign of terrorism against Armenia and Artsakh.
Any luck digging out evidence to support your downright lie that the Russian OSCE Minsk group rep has ever stated that the ‘occupied’ territories must be returned to the Azeri control?
You still continue to have enormous difficulty reading simple English, which therefore propels you to invent false statements that people never made. Exactly where in my comments from above, have I stated that the “Russian OSCE Minsk Group representative stated that the occupied territories must be returned to Azeri control”? Here, let me read for you what I precisely wrote: “With the combination of James Warlick making that horribly foolish statement in regard to ‘the territories under Armenian control are occupied territories and must be returned to Azerbaijan,’ (which France and Russia happened to not disagree with)…”
“The OSCE Minsk group’s Russian representative […] lectures the Armenian side about what they must surrender […]”
–Someone posting under the pen name ‘Yerevanian’ // July 26, 2015 at 7:01am in “Paylan to File Complaint against Grey Wolves Leader for Anti-Armenian Hate Speech” [http://armenianweekly.com/2015/07/10/paylan-vs-adiguzel/]
Once again, you are inventing false statements that people never made. Let me read for you what I precisely wrote in regard to the OSCE Minsk Group Russian representative in that comment from July, 26, 2015 at 7:01 am:
“the OSCE Minsk Group’s Russian representative, who along with the United States, lectures the Armenian side about what they must surrender, while being totally silent about any kind of concessions they expect from Azerbaijan” (this has nothing to do with the Russian representative stating that “the occupied territories must be returned to Azeri control”).
That comment of mine, refers to the ninth paragraph of the July 16, 2015 Armenian Weekly article, titled, “US OSCE Co-chair Is Sounding More Like Aliyev,” in which it states: “The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) astutely observed that the OSCE Co-chairs (this obviously refers to the U.S., France, Russia) have developed this bad habit of very openly lecturing the Armenian side about exactly what they must surrender, while remaining effectively silent about any specific concessions they expect of Azerbaijan.”
By now, it’s perfectly clear what the U.S. representative has stated. On the other hand, it’s not clear what the Russian and French representatives have stated in regard to this topic, despite the fact that they both did not disagree with James Warlick’s horribly foolish statements.