The Region in Brief

November 8, 2023 Hoory Minoyan Briefs 0

Armenia

Armenia has declined to partake in the upcoming meeting of CIS Security Council Secretaries on November 8 in Moscow. The Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen Grigoryan will not attend the meeting with counterparts from other CIS countries. The press secretary of the Armenian Security Council did not state a specific reason for not participating in the conference. Similarly, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan refused to engage in the CIS leaders’ summit in October, without offering a reason. Before the meeting of CIS heads of state, a summit of CIS foreign ministers took place in Kyrgyzstan, where Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan also decided not to participate.

Artsakh

Artsakh civilian Vagif Khachatryan was sentenced to 15 years in prison by Azerbaijan’s authoritarian regime on alleged accusations of war crimes. Khachatryan will spend the initial five years in prison and the subsequent 10 years in a high-security correctional facility. Khachatryan was forcibly taken by Azerbaijani forces in July 2023 while being transported by the International Committee of the Red Cross from Artsakh to Armenia for emergency heart surgery during Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh. He maintains his innocence and denies the charges against him.

Azerbaijan

As Azerbaijan held a “Victory Parade” in occupied Stepanakert on November 8, its Foreign Ministry issued an ultimatum to Armenia, demanding the return of eight villages – Baghanis, Barkhudarly, Gizilhajili (near Berkaper), Nerkin Voskepar, Sofulu, Verin Voskepar and Xeyrimli – in Armenia’s Tavush province, and Tigranashen in the Ararat province. Azerbaijan continues to occupy over 200 square kilometers of Armenian sovereign territory. 

Russia

Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, announced that Moscow is prepared to arrange a forthcoming meeting involving the foreign ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Russian government has also given its approval for the establishment of a consulate general in Kapan, the capital of the Syunik province in Armenia. This decision was formalized through a decree signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The new Russian consulate in Kapan will be the second in Armenia, with the first one located in Gyumri. 

Turkey

During his address at the 10th Jubilee Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Astana, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated that Armenia must fulfill its obligations to Azerbaijan by opening the “Zangezur Corridor,” which would cut through the Syunik province of Armenia. He emphasized that the establishment of this route will contribute to the economic development of the entire region and establish a connection between Turkey and its “ancestral lands” in Central Asia. Erdogan said that to ensure the success of this endeavor, it is crucial for the Turkic world to provide continued support to Azerbaijan.

Hoory Minoyan

Hoory Minoyan

Hoory Minoyan was an active member of the Armenian community in Los Angeles until she moved to Armenia prior to the 44-day war. She graduated with a master's in International Affairs from Boston University, where she was also the recipient of the William R. Keylor Travel Grant. The research and interviews she conducted while in Armenia later became the foundation of her Master’s thesis, “Shaping Identity Through Conflict: The Armenian Experience.” Hoory continues to follow her passion for research and writing by contributing to the Armenian Weekly.

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