2022 February 22

Daily news wrap-up

News - Feb/22/2022: Armenia building another section of North-South Iran road w/tunnels __ Gen. Babayan recalls episodes from 2020 war & army command __ Ukraine mess __ Russia & Azerbaijan fix their allyship on paper __ Turkish court verdict on "Armenian Genocide" term __ 100 programs by students
by ar_david_hh

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This is your 14-minute Tuesday digest in 3669 words.

Gen. Samvel Babayan about the disorganization in the army during the war

Reporter: The opposition says you were the head of Artsakh Security Council during the war so you cannot join the War Commission because of bias.

Babayan: 1) Security Council chief has an advisory role only. 2) Artsakh as a state is detached from the army. In late December of 1999, Artsakh's political-military leadership signed a document with the Armenian political leadership to transfer the Artsakh army management fully under Armenia's control.

Reporter: Was that a legal transfer?

Babayan: We will investigate. [Before or during the war, doesn't clarify] I wrote a letter to Artsakh army command, seeking info about the enemy's weapon placement on our borders. Artsakh commanders responded saying they weren't authorized to share that information and that I'd need permission from Yerevan.

I call MOD Davit Tonoyan in Yerevan for help, but he instead reports to Pashinyan that "Babayan is trying to hijack the army".

President Arayik Harutyunyan instructed me to visit Artsakh's "bunker" command center every day to regularly report back to him.

Reporter: So you weren't making decisions in the "bunker"?

Babayan: I wasn't. Only once, on the 5th or 7th, they asked me for help in Jabrayil direction. I offered a solution and the army commanders began developing an operation. They couldn't carry out the mission. All of this should be investigated. Was my suggestion bad, or were the people who were supposed to implement the plan missing from their places?

Reporter: The parliamentary opposition party representatives are boycotting the Commission.

Babayan: I wouldn't use the word "opposition" because they are "participants".

Commission member [ARF] Gegham Manukyan's brother was the deputy Artsakh army commander and led the Hadrut front where we retreated up to Shushi. Can Gegham Manukyan, as a Commission member, be "unbiased" while investigating his brother? Today he is calling me biased while it is I who have the right to call him that.

Commission member [PU MP] Tigran Abrahamyan was Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan's military adviser for 6 years. They left after the May 2020 Artsakh elections. Artsakh Army commanders and CoGS were both appointed under their administration. Shouldn't we question Tigran Abrahamyan and Bako Sahakyan to understand their function and role? It is them, after all, who advised Pashinyan to formally appoint the army leaders who were incapable of managing the battlefield during the war.

Reporter: Where should the Commission start?

Babayan: Were the army commanders and generals in their place? Did we lose because of the army command, political command, or lack of weapons? I have facts that suggest that the army command wasn't able to properly manage the mobilization and other processes.

The role of the political leader is to authorize an operation that was drafted by the army command, to buy weapons, food, etc. I asked [army insiders] and they told me everything was normal in that regard. So what was the political leadership's fault? Do army commanders have an example of a report submitted by them that was ignored by the political leadership?

For example, the criticism is that mobilization of reservists started but was suspended soon after. We all know that the army needed more soldiers, and yet people remained in their homes; they weren't being drafted. The commissariats never called them. Don't you want to know why? Whose task was it?

If the political leader gave a late order, didn't give an order, or created a barrier, let's investigate and see if that happened. I have information on how the mobilization problems unfolded. Poor organizational skills by the draft organizers.

Did they have enough weapons to hand out to the mobilized reservists? We will investigate. If we find there weren't enough weapons, whose fault was it: politicians' for not buying them, army commanders' for not asking politicians to buy them in time, or perhaps we had the weapons but "lost" them?

The army can't win when it's disorganized and the subordinate with an attitude refuses to comply with the superior's orders. We would have won if the army was organized, strict, and had a strategy. The former two were missing.

We need to understand how and why the bad officers got promoted as generals and plundered the army for years. This is why they don't want me on this Commission.

[About General Movses "Mosi" Hakobyan]. As an adviser, I suggested assigning General Hakobyan to Jabrayil direction where we had sustained 1,500 losses. He refused to carry out the mission, citing "personal beef" with me years ago.

Reporter: Is this true?

Babayan: Yes. He admitted it during an interview. The thing is, since he was army CoGS just a year earlier and he was an active-duty general during the war, I suggested he manage the Jabrayil chaos. The troops in Jabrayil were disorganized and didn't even know where the frontline was; it was total chaos on the radio.

Besides that, General Hakobyan had close relations with the Artsakh army commanders and had personally assigned many of the officers who were struggling in Jabrayil, so I advised him to lead the Jabrayil front. He was familiar with the troops: how many weapons, tanks, etc. His knowledge could help end the chaos.

It's strange that Armenian authorities, to this day, have not investigated General Hakobyan's refusal to do it. Moreover, today, Hakobyan says he won't appear ~~[to testify]~~ in War Commission.

Reporter: Aren't you supposed to issue written orders in the army?

Babayan: Written or oral orders. MOD had invited General Hakobyan about the proposed plan, but towards the end, when Hakobyan learned that it was I who made the suggestion, he refused. I've never had a personal problem with him. I don't know what his problem is with me.

Reporter: For many years we claimed that Armenia had the most combat-ready army in the region. Was that a myth?

Babayan: For 10-20 years I've warned that we weren't preparing for war and that we were weak. I even submitted a letter under all administrations. I warned before the war that the army generals were incapable of making strategic decisions on the battlefield. They dismissed me as someone who "seeks attention". //

General Hakobyan responded about not going to South: On October 11 the MOD sent me to the army command office where they told me about a plan to send me to the southern front. I asked him why because Tigran Khachatryan was already leading that front. I asked him who made the decision to send me, he said Samvel Babayan. I refused to go there because Babayan isn't authorized to make such decisions, so I asked for a written order from the command, which they never wrote.

Reporter: But if the army command said they made a decision to send you there, let's say it wasn't Samvel Babayan who made the suggestion, then...

Hakobyan: The decision has to be made either by the MOD or the Premier.

https://youtu.be/8iUoIxubrLc?t=223 https://a1plus.am/hy/article/425181

post-recognition kerfuffle in eastern Ukraine

The U.S. imposed limited sanctions targeting DNR and LNR. Americans can't do business there.

The UK sanctioned 5 Russian banks, including the ones that handle defense contracts. They are owned by Putin's friends.

EU will sanction 351 Russian parliament MPs and 27 other individuals for supporting the independence of breakaway regions.

Germany paused the certification of the North Stream 2 Russian gas pipeline. It's supposed to import 55 billion m^3 gas annually.

Kazakhstan said CSTO peacekeepers cannot be placed in DNR and LNR because they aren't part of Russia (yet).

Turkey condemned their recognition, calling it a "violation of the Minsk agreement". Ukraine thanked Erdogan. Russia said Turkey's stance doesn't prevent Russia from building good relations with Turkey.

Ukraine is discussing a bill to end diplomatic relations with Russia. Russia said that would only "complicate things" and that the relations should be normalized sooner or later.

Lukashenka urged Slavic people to live in peace and harmony.

Breakaway regions and Ukrainian forces accused each other of ceasefire violation.

Germany will send financial aid to Ukraine.

Ukraine urged the EU to "set aside the hesitancy" and promise that it will be able to join the EU in the future.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076158.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076163.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076167.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076183.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076200.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076205.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076204.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076206.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076210.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076211.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076214.html https://factor.am/478639.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076221.html

Artsakh welcomes recognition of LNR and DNR republics; Armenia "abstains"

Artsakh president and Artsakh Parliament president congratulated the people of Luhansk and Donetsk and expressed hope that one day Artsakh will be recognized, too. "The right of nations to self-determination and to build their own state is inalienable for every nation."

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Euronest summit was held in Yerevan. One of the topics was Ukraine. The head of the Armenian delegation said she "abstained" during the discussion of a resolution relating to Ukraine, but didn't say how the other delegates voted.

Armenia's Foreign Ministry hasn't responded to media requests to clarify its stance regarding the conflict, as of writing this.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076142.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076152.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076157.html https://youtu.be/Y5mn2i_tLH0?t=248 https://factor.am/478562.html

analyst: Aliyev is returning the favor to Putin after the 2020 Karabakh war; Putin tells Aliyev "we aren't trying to revive the Russian empire"

Putin hosted Aliyev today to sign an allied cooperation agreement.

Analyst Saro Saroyan: Azerbaijan is returning the favor for the 2020 war, after receiving billions of dollars of weapons from Russia, and Russia's lack of action against Azerbaijan during the war. Everything has a price. After the war, there were talks about Azerbaijan possibly joining EAEU, but it could be just a direct allied military-economic cooperation agreement with Russia that we're seeing //

 

Putin to Aliyev: Today we will sign the declaration of allied cooperation. This is obviously a new stage in the development of our relations, which became possible including thanks to the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, which is not fully resolved yet but there is progress. //

There are still some disputes in Karabakh but Moscow will do everything to resolve it peacefully, said Putin. He discussed the need to open trade and transport routes in the region.

Putin thanked Azerbaijan for promoting the Russian language in 300 schools.

Putin straight-on told Aliyev that Russia "doesn't plan to restore the Russian empire" and that Russia recognized all republics after the fall of the USSR and that the goal now is to improve relations with them.

Putin continues: Sadly, we haven't had such close relations with Ukraine after the illegal coup. I just had a phone call with the president of Kazakhstan before your visit. Kazakhstan is a great example of how Russia supports its neighbors.

Aliyev: 340 schools promote Russian, actually, not 300. Thanks for the compliment as always. The allied declaration relates to 40 areas. Thanks for your help to shift the Karabakh conflict from the military to the political-diplomatic sphere. Russia plays the dominating role in the efforts to normalize AM-AZ relations and the opening of communication routes. //

What's in the Russia-Azerbaijan agreement?

1) Build allied relations. Respect each others' territorial integrity. Don't interfere in internal affairs.

2) Conduct independent foreign policy.

3-6, 19-20) Improve global and regional security. Help each other in UN, OSCE, CIS, Caspian, and Caucasus regions. Inform the other side ASAP if there is info about an event that can threaten peace.

7) Don't take steps that would harm the strategic relations.

8-10) Azerbaijan thanks Russia for the November 2020 ceasefire. The two will work to realize the agreements reached with Armenia on Nov 9, Jan 11, and Sochi tripartite meetings. Work towards achieving peace in the region.

11) Stop organizations and persons who act against the sovereignty of the other state.

12-15) Military cooperation not aimed at a third party. Joint drills. Provide modern weapons. Build centers to repair military equipment and produce weapons together.

16) Parties may consider providing military aid to ensure peace and stability in the country.

17) The parties refrain from any actions, including those carried out through third states, directed against each other.

18) Fight international terrorism, extremism, separatism, organized crime.

Also, economic cooperation, banking cooperation, promoting national currencies in transactions, consider cooperation in the nuclear energy field, cultural cooperation.

Reporter: Aliyev and Putin signed an allied cooperation agreement. Does that mean Armenia cannot expect Russian aid in the event of a conflict?

LHK chief Edmon Marukyan: That has always been the case. For 20 years, Russia has been telling Armenian elites that in the event of war with Azerbaijan, Russia would not help Armenia. Armenian elites lied to Armenia by giving the opposite illusion.

They sold Armenia's gas network to Russia under the pretense of receiving security assurances tomorrow. In 2013, while signing the agreement to become an EAEU member, they said it was needed to receive help in the event of the Karabakh war.

Meanwhile, the Russians were honestly and openly declaring that in the event of war they would not provide help. The elites lied to the Armenian public, and now the people are upset at Russia for not helping in 2020.

Azerbaijani economy took off in the late 1990s. No chance after that, because we were busy embezzling Armenia. [Criticized the diasporan nationalists who call for another war to retake the lost lands and to maintain the bad relations with Turkey.] //

http://www.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67830 http://kremlin.ru/supplement/5777 https://youtu.be/EKgnkSc54h0?t=970 https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076179.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076188.html https://factor.am/478601.html https://youtu.be/eNok3SlmZvw?t=1136

Turkish court acquits Turkish lawyers who used the terms "Armenian Genocide" and "Kurdistan"

11 people including Ahmet Özmen and Nahit Eren, the executives of Diyarbakır Bar Association, were persecuted for commemorating the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day a few years ago. Using that phrase is an "insult to the Turkish nation", according to the regime. They were also accused of using "Kurdistan".

The local court has acquitted them, affirming that the usage of "Armenian Genocide" and "Kurdistan" expressions is not a crime.

https://www.duvarenglish.com/turkish-court-acquits-diyarbakir-bar-association-executives-over-armenian-genocide-statements-news-60430 https://factor.am/478557.html

Euronest summit was held in Yerevan; Armenian and Azeri delegates were present

[Context here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/sy5n7l/news_feb212022_yerevans_cascade_might_be_finally/) A group of protesters gathered in front of the Hamalir building to protest the presence of Azerbaijani MPs.

Azeri delegates: The Karabakh conflict is over. We don't want a war. Our visit to Yerevan is a good step for the normalization of our relations.

Armenian delegate QP [Yeghoyan](https://youtu.be/NlCUwimsJGU?t=35): Karabakh conflict isn't over, no matter how much the Azeri MPs try to convince themselves and others. The conflict does not end just by announcing that it has ended. It ends when the root causes are addressed, which hasn't been the case with Karabakh.

Moreover, the Armenophobia has only gotten worse lately with the decision to remove Armenian inscriptions from Armenian churches, just as they destroyed Armenian historical cemeteries in Nakhijevan.

You claim to be a multicultural state. Where are the 500,000 Armenians who lived in Azerbaijan?

Peace must be built through mutual respect and respect for the rights of others. Are the rights of life and property of Armenians guaranteed in Azerbaijan? Of course not. They all disappeared.

Delegate HD Grigoryan: The EU should give a targeted political assessment to Azerbaijan and Turkey. Azerbaijan decided to violate the UN and Helsinki principles by starting a war almost 2 years ago, and yet the conflict hasn't been resolved. Armenophobia got in the way of a peace process in the region.

Delegate QP Gasparyan: Despite assistance from Armenia, Artsakh can't properly combat the COVID pandemic. It needs global cooperation.

Delegate HD Khachatryan: Azerbaijan and Turkey violated the ceasefire and used illegal weapons in the midst of the COVID pandemic.

Delegate QP Karapetyan after the session: We discussed the Karabakh conflict and the repatriation of POWs as part of the "Security in South Caucasus" topic. Thoughts were exchanged between Armenian, Azeri, and European participants. The European Parliament representative said the conflict isn't resolved and is yet to receive a comprehensive and peaceful resolution.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076150.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076155.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076156.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076161.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076168.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076193.html https://youtu.be/NlCUwimsJGU?t=15

Armenia and Iran discussed power grid upgrades and trade routes

Justice Minister Andreasyan's delegation was in Iran to discuss justice system cooperation, ensuring the rights of ethnic Iranians imprisoned in Armenia, etc.

Economic topics were also discussed, in particular about finishing the construction of a new 400 kV power line, cooperation in the Gulf-to-Sea trade route, the North-South highway construction progress in Armenia "and its impact on the economic development of Armenia and Iran".

They spoke about reducing pollution in the Araks River.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076171.html

there is another section of North-South highway in Syunik that needs to be built

The one we've so far been talking about is Sisian-Kajaran. The other one is Kajaran-Agarak (Iran border). The government held a meeting today and authorized the reconstruction plan to proceed.

32km. Class 2 road with 80km/h speed. 18 bridges and 3 tunnels. Heavy trucks will have a separate lane to make cargo transfers easier.

The commission discussed the need to ensure road quality and seismic resilience of bridges and tunnels. The design work of the 7.2km Kajaran tunnel was completed last year.

[If it's 18 bridges on a 32km road, does that pretty much mean they are going to blow through every rock they encounter?]

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076184.html https://factor.am/478570.html https://armroad.am/am/projects/north-south-road-corridor-investment-program/Artashat-Qajaran-Sisian-Qajaran-Qajaran-Agarak

Tags: #NorthSouth

man charged with insulting Pashinyan and calling for his assassination

Lawyer Mushegh Shushanyan is the defendant. His case began last year amid complaints about an "attack on free speech". The defendant believes it is a political persecution against him.

During today's trial, the prosecutors shared the Facebook posts written by the defendant. It says Nikol's death sentence was already given and that the only thing left was to execute it, and that his family should be tortured and killed instead of being merely shot like Talaat Pasha.

The user also wrote the usual "Pashi"-esque insults, called Pashinyan a "dangerous enemy and a Turk", "a tool for a genocide", and called for the murder of his family. "Put him down, Armenians!", concludes the Facebook post.

In a first-ever case, a man was recently fined $1,000 after calling the Police hotline and cursing Pashinyan because he wasn't satisfied with the bus service.

https://hetq.am/hy/article/141483 https://www.aravot.am/2021/08/17/1210540/ https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1074638.html

villages in Akhuryan (Shirak) will be connected to the gas network

There are several villages there. Some of them need just a few kilometers of pipes to deliver. The officials discussed the construction plan today.

https://factor.am/478690.html

Constitutional Reform Council wants the public to email its opinion

The experts want to know what ordinary people think should be changed in the Constitution. They published the email and letter format.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076203.html

students have 100 programs to develop the communities in Artsakh

[Teach For Armenia](https://www.teachforarmenia.org/) is a movement to improve education and socio-economic conditions in Armenia and Artsakh. It has partnered with global movements and the government.

Their students recently launched a new initiative. Each student will identify the problems in their community and propose a solution. Thousands of donors have collected $40,000 to help them.

One of the completed projects is in Katnarat village. 70% of residents were using dirty river water. The student activists raised the issue as part of the UN summit about climate change summit (COP26). The students studied the water quality, held public awareness campaigns to explain to residents the consequences of using that water, and installed water filters in schools. They hope the water network will be completely revamped soon.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076165.html

the first social-psychological support center opens in Artsakh's Martuni

Socially vulnerable groups will recent aid with the help of the government and private organizations.

The opening ceremony involved LOTS of surna and dhol. Video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=413281553903219

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076154.html

COVID stats

5588 tested. 753 infected. 2075 healed. 16 deaths.

vaccination stats in the adult population

48% at least one shot, 40% two shots, 1% boosted.

Unvaccinated people account for 82% of hospitalized cases.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076143.html http://arka.am/en/news/society/armenian_health_ministry_intends_to_vaccinate_at_least_70_of_adult_population_/

BA.2 super-spreader Omicron variant is detected in Armenia

Armenian scientists sequenced virus samples and detected BA.2 strain in Armenia. It is believed to be more contagious and likely more deadly, according to Japanese researchers, who recommend booster shots.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076139.html https://wsvn.com/news/us-world/as-ba-2-subvariant-of-omicron-rises-lab-studies-point-to-signs-of-severity/

authorities press charges against a criminal subculture boss who operated from a prison

Investigators: We investigated a 28yo inmate who was a "shot caller" in Armavir Prison. It turns out he held the highest rank in the criminal subculture. He was coordinating illicit activities and controlling other inmates. He's charged under Articles 223.2, 223.4, and 223.4. // [a recently adopted law envisages punishment for holding the title of a leader of a criminal gang].

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076195.html

Hungarian Christian school signs memorandum of cooperation with Yerevan's Gurgen Margaryan school

Azeri officer Ramil Safarov killed a sleeping Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan during a NATO training in Hungary in 2004. Hungary extradited Safarov to Azerbaijan despite knowing he wouldn't continue his sentence in Azerbaijan. At home, Safarov was greeted as a hero and received gifts and promotions from the Azerbaijani government, for almost beheading his ethnic Armenian colleague. Armenia suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary in response to the extradition.

In an attempt to improve the relations, Hungary recently helped mediate the release of several Armenian POWs and sent 100,000 vaccines to Armenia.

The reconciliation process continued this week. Hungarian ecumenical school delegation visited Yerevan and signed a memorandum with a school named after Gurgen Margaryan. The two will raise awareness among Hungarian students about Azeri soldier Safarov's act, and will work on preventing and condemning such crimes.

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1076138.html

today in history

1732: First U.S. president Washington is born.

1810: Composer and pianist Chopin is born.

1952: [James Baghyan](https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076128.html) is born to become the first Armenian astronaut.

2011: Bill Gates releases Windows 7.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1076127.html

planet Earth has literally dodged a bullet

A massive explosion on the far side of the sun could have been catastrophic for Earth. The coronal mass ejection was the largest in years.

>it would cause a massive worldwide aurora effect, which some say would represent similarities to the 1859 Carrington Event

The 1859 event had knocked out all telegraphs at the time. Today, it would have shut down many electronic systems such as GPS, cell service, and your Tamagotchi would probably die of hunger that poor f&&king bastard.

https://wgntv.com/news/massive-explosion-on-far-side-of-the-sun-could-have-been-catastrophic-for-earth/

more

The news in русский (by Impossible-Ad-).

News archive: http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/Daily_Anti-Corruption_Reports Donations: soldiers' families, humanitarian aid, US tax-deductible donation.

The accused are innocent unless proven guilty in the court of law, even if they "appear" guilty.

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Link to original report and comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/syysoe/news_feb222022_armenia_building_another_section/