2023 August 24

Daily news wrap-up

Interview with ex-PM Aram Sargsyan & others || France is drafting a UN Security Council resolution || Genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh || Political infighting in Stepanakert || Get paid $180/mo to become a STEM teacher || Yerevan-Syunik road travel to get faster
by ar_david_hh

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Wagner PMC threatens retaliation after the assassination of top leadership: VIDEO

Yevgeniy Prigozhin ignored [warnings about his physical safety](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTFUsHbmEwo?t=2) after his failed attempt to overthrow the Russian military leadership. He was reportedly assassinated on Wednesday.

Theory 1: Two air defense missiles targeted the jet. The missiles are often used in pairs. Two explosions were heard. The jet's exterior has signs of shrapnel holes, possibly caused by the missile explosions, but the available images are blurry.

Theory 2: The jet was flying too high for many types of anti-aircraft weapons. It had to be BUK or something bigger. If it was BUK, there would have been a lot more damage to the jet than what is seen in the video. So it could have been a bomb inside the jet.

The deceased: founder, co-founder, head of logistics, 3 fighters, unknown, jet pilot, co-pilot, flight attendant.

Masked Wagner soldiers: There are discussions about what Wagner's next move will be. We'll tell you one thing: We are starting it. Expect us.

[video,](https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1694461280575181210) [source,](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/267298) [source,](https://factor.am/680172.html) [source,](https://nypost.com/2023/08/24/wagner-fighters-threaten-to-march-on-moscow-after-jet-crash/)

Azerbaijan wants Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to leave their homeland. Everyone will be allowed to leave, no one will be allowed to enter: PM Pashinyan

Pashinyan: We have received information that Azerbaijan plans to allow people to leave Nagorno-Karabakh via the Lachin Corridor, but not to enter it from Armenia along the roadway.

Currently, 5,000 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh are forced to remain in Armenia and cannot return to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Another 30,000 IDPs and refugees cannot return [to the Nagorno-Karabakh territories occupied by Azerbaijan] because Azerbaijan violates paragraph 7 of the Nov. 9 ceasefire agreement.

Azerbaijan's illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor continues and 400 tons of humanitarian cargo continues to wait at the entrance of the Lachin Corridor. At the same time, the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remains tense.

Azerbaijan's main goal is to displace the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians through ethnic cleansing, be it through starvation, military operation, or other measures.

Azerbaijan is continuously torpedoing the dialogue with Nagorno-Karabakh while trying to place the responsibility on Nagorno-Karabakh.

Issues related to the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh should be addressed through the NK-AZ dialogue within the framework of the international mechanism. In this context, the return of Armenian refugees to Nagorno-Karabakh *and* its surrounding territories is crucial.

Armenian civilians should return to their homes in Shahumyan, Getashen, Hadrut, and other regions.

The Republic of Armenia is committed to the peace agenda. I have to inform you that we have sent to the Azerbaijani side our new proposals for a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

[source,](https://hetq.am/en/article/159352)

interview with ex-PM Aram Sargsyan || Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations || UN Security Council || peace agenda

REPORTER: Yesterday Nagorno-Karabakh president invited politicians and civil society figures to inform them about the pressure to use the Aghdam road. Should this road open?

SARGSYAN: It is only up to the people of NK to decide if they want it or not. I will support their decision. It's a decision they can make collectively.

REPORTER: Why did Azerbaijan close the Lachin corridor, and what are they trying to achieve with Agdam?

SARGSYAN: To make NK dependent on Azerbaijan's economy, their wheat and food, to gradually "integrate" NK into Azerbaijan. I welcome the West's position that a second road would be great but it can't be a substitute to the Lachin corridor.

REPORTER: What did the UNSC session give us?

SARGSYAN: It gave an opportunity for Armenia and the West to pressure Azerbaijan to engage in constructive diplomacy with Armenia and NK. Our diplomacy should be proactive. {Repeats his ideas from [Wednesday report](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/15zhsb7/completely_false_us_denies_rumors_about_blocking/).} We could even bypass the UNSC and Russia's veto by appealing directly to UN's anti-genocide agency to send a monitoring group to NK for a period of 2 months.

This move could help Armenia and the West to achieve a status other than "ethnic minority within Azerbaijan" for the NK. A security zone would be formed.

The UN monitoring group will not come only if Azerbaijan caves in a agrees to give a status to NK.

Armenia should ramp up the pressure. There is a path for deploying international peacekeepers. If this happens, Armenia will have enough time to restore military balance with Azerbaijan within 5 years. This isn't a made-up number. Everything I tell you comes from a conclusion made by expert groups working with me. The government had earlier ignored these groups, so they approached me instead. They are Armenians based in the Netherlands, U.S., Czechia, Poland, etc.

REPORTER: There were rumors that the U.S. sent its envoy Louis Bono to Paris to convince France not to draft a resolution at the UN Security Council. *[The U.S. denied blocking a resolution, calling it "completely false".]* The U.S. was allegedly concerned that a resolution would anger Azerbaijan and lead to a military escalation. Are these rumors true? The official sources have denied it.

SARGSYAN: It's unlikely to be true. First of all, this rumor, which sounds more like a justification, could have originated from a source close to the West, who was attempting to justify the lack of resolution thus far.

Second, just because there is no resolution now that doesn't mean there will not be one soon. This is being used as pressure on Azerbaijan to return to the negotiation table with Armenia and NK.

We must frequently remind the West how they allowed Azerbaijan to launch a war in 2020 against democracy. We must pressure the West to constantly justify their actions/inaction. This way, they are more likely to apply pressure on Azerbaijan to be more constructive.

Pashinyan's "peace agenda" is a political strategy to show the West and the world that Armenia is pursuing peace. That's because Armenia doesn't have the means to fight a war. When we restore the military balance, we will be able to enforce that peace. Currently, Armenia has no other option but to announce that it wants peace. We *must* advocate for an "era of peace".

REPORTER: Who should be the mediator if there are negotiations?

SARGSYAN: At the moment, AM-AZ and NK-AZ negotiations with international standards can only take place under the mediation of either the U.S. or the EU.

Russia will also try to organize meetings but they will fail because the Armenian side will not agree to Lavrov's plan to integrate Armenians into Azerbaijan without recording the borders. Today, Russia is saying there will not be any NK-AZ line of contact, therefore there won't be a need for peacekeepers. Russia wants to leave NK.

Therefore, it's pointless for Armenians to negotiate in Russia. At most, we should meet Russians and Azeris on the Nakhijevan border, have a chat, and move on. Even Azerbaijan's proposal was better than Lavrov's 14-point plan. Russia is attempting to appease Azerbaijan again, at the expense of Armenians again.

Focus only on the EU and the U.S. I believe the U.S. platform is the only one that can be effective. All of our complaints and gratitude should be directed at the West.

REPORTER: Ex-State Minister or NK Ruben Vardanyan wants NK president Harutyunyan to resign. What's happening?

SARGSYAN: It's a coordinated campaign. There are some political parties in Armenia that demand Pashinyan's resignation. They are being funded and controlled by Russia. Shout-out to Russian ambassador Comrade Kopyrkin, the distributor of the funds.

Similarly, you have a figure in NK, also funded by Russia, who wants Harutyunyan's resignation. These efforts will fail in NK and Armenia.

First. Arayik Harutyunyan is a patriot who risked his life in very dangerous locations during the 1st war. He didn't hide during the 2nd war, either.

Second. Arayik Harutyunyan was elected democratically by the people of NK. Who is Ruben Vardanyan, other than a businessman who made money?

4 months ago, when NK's [former] parliament leader suggested President Harutyunyan resign to create the Defense Committee, Ruben Vardanyan was against it because he believed that any interruption in the government apparatus, "even for a single hour", would lead to Azerbaijan's invasion of NK. He wants that collapse to happen now? Is it possible that he is more concerned about the fate of his business empire and money in Russia?

REPORTER: The electoral campaign has begun in Yerevan. Your party is also participating. Are there any parties controlled by Russia?

SARGSYAN: Multiple. The only two parties fighting *for* Yerevan are us and Tigran Avinyan. The rest are fighting to *overthrow* the administration.

Even ex-mayor Hayk Marutyan has joined the Russian camp. There are reports that his party is being funded by Russia's Gazprom.

... why did Ruben Vardanyan move to Nagorno-Karabakh?

Analyst Vahram Atanesyan: I have been told by the former presidents of NK that Ruben Vardanyan had moved to NK to prevent President Harutyunyan and Vitali Balasanyan from surrendering NK to Azerbaijan. That is the official explanation. But Vardanyan's actions so far have not led to anything positive.

There is a lot of dishonesty in play here. The NK opposition party members [presumably ARF] took part in a security council session [last year] during which President Harutyunyan briefed them that Russia wanted NK to evacuate from Berdzor and nearby villages because the path of the Armenia-NK corridor needed to change [unrelated to the current blockade]. Despite being present in these discussions and knowing the truth, these opposition figures publicly blamed the administration in Yerevan for being behind the "surrender of the villages". It was Russia and the Harutyunyan administration who organized the process.

The relations/dialogue between NK and Azerbaijan further worsened starting 18 Feb 2022, after the opposition in NK, under the orders of their friends from Yerevan, drafted a law on the ["occupied territories"](https://www.civilnet.am/news/650078/բռնազավթված-տարածքների-մասին-օրենքում-պետք-է-շեշտել-նախկին-լղիմ-ի-վերականգնումը-և-զերծ-մնալ-պոպուլիզմից/). The law stated that Kelbajar, Qashatag, Akna, Jrakan, etc. [including NK's surrounding territories] will forever be legally part of NK. It was approved by the parliament unanimously.

What exactly did it achieve, other than making them look like clowns in the eye of the international community? The bill was drafted in Yerevan [likely by opposition parties] and emailed to the NK parliament with a street jargon տղայական language: "You are a son of a bitch if you do not vote for this." Do you think this is serious politics?

Go negotiate with Azerbaijan right now, without being an "equal party". Azerbaijan didn't treat NK as an equal party even during the 1994 negotiations, let alone now.

The Nov. 9 agreement stipulates that Nagorno-Karabakh had to return the Agdam region to Azerbaijan. That means the Nov. 9 agreement recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as a subject. In the case of other regions, it mentions the "Republic of Armenia", except for Agdam, which says "Agdam must be returned to Azerbaijan". By whom? By the legal subject known as Nagorno-Karabakh. Our diplomats should take advantage of the benefits provided by the Nov. 9 agreement.

[source,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88qK1G8zsI0) [source,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j09rWlVSAWA)

president of Azerbaijan will not host the foreign minister of Belgium over her comments about the need to reopen the Lachin corridor: source

Hadja Lahbib is scheduled to land in Azerbaijan on Thursday.

[source,](https://hetq.am/hy/article/159351)

Armenia bans the entry of another ranking Russian official

Viktor Krivopuskov joins the ranks of Zatulin, Margarita Simonyan, Aram Gabrelyanov, and others.

Krivopuskov was an ex-advisor to the Russian ambassador in Armenia, and the representative of RosSotrudnichestvo's Armenian branch. He is currently the Chairman of the Russian Association of Friendship and Cooperation with Armenia.

Krivopuskov's name was added to the list of undesirable persons, reportedly after he began promoting - at this time unclear - policies for the settlement of the NK-AZ and AM-AZ conflict.

His allies called the ban "illegal" and claimed that Krivopuskov supports NK's right to self-determination.

[source,](https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/267308) [source,](https://news.am/eng/news/776909.html)

France is drafting a UN Security Council resolution regarding Azerbaijan's blocking of the Lachin corridor: Le Figaro

France blasted Azerbaijan during the recent UNSC session, demanding it reopen the corridor in both directions.

In addition to drafting a resolution, France and its regions will send a large convoy of humanitarian aid to Armenia.

>France is preparing to submit a resolution to the UN Security Council to help the 120,000 inhabitants of Artsakh / Nagorno-Karabakh on the verge of starvation due to the blockade of Azerbaijan.

[full article](https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/160d2mf/in_nagornokarabakh_france_to_the_aid_of_the/jxlu7m0/)

[source,](https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/dans-le-haut-karabakh-la-france-au-secours-des-armeniens-20230824) [source,](https://factor.am/680476.html)

Armenia approves additional $10m in economic aid to Nagorno-Karabakh

Earlier, the Armenian government granted $373m in interstate loan [assistance] to Artsakh.

[source,](https://arka.am/en/news/economy/armenian_government_to_provide_artsakh_with_amd_4_bln_interstate_loan/)

government will pay you $180/mo if you study at a university to become a STEM teacher

University students with high grades are being paid $13/mo in stipends today. That is no longer enough for anything significant. The state wants to make this $2.2m/yr program more targeted, to help prepare STEM teachers in particular.

The average age of a teacher is too high. New teachers need to be prepared.

These students, most of whom will be in provinces, will receive $180/mo. They will all receive the payments during the first year. Only the highest performers will be paid starting the second year. This will apply to 227 students this year.

Pashinyan: We must move away from the mentality that a university is a place where you come to smoke 2 packs of cigarettes before going home. Vazgen Sargsyan and Monte Melkonyan military universities will also undergo changes.

[source,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V-ppcVQOVQ?t=492)

new roads will significantly reduce the time it takes to travel between north and south of Armenia

Pashinyan: We have launched a massive program to renovate or rebuild the existing bridges. It'll start with the small ones. When will the Shamb-Noravan road be ready? *[In Syunik, located between Tatev, Goris, and Sisian]*

Infrastructure Minister: It'll be ready next month. We're also improving the roads that branch out to Vorotan and nearby villages. Trucks aren't allowed yet because they slow down the construction work.

Pashinyan: We're talking about part of the new section of the Yerevan-Kapan road. Travel time between Yerevan and Kapan will be reduced by ~1hr.

Next: The road connecting the highway to Satan Bridge.

The main goal is to have at least 2 roads connecting to settlements. We cannot rely on one, including because of the ever-increasing traffic.

[source,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V-ppcVQOVQ?t=1755)

the government will spam you with text messages about the available state subsidy programs

Context: The government is discussing steps to raise awareness about various subsidy programs for families, etc.

Pashinyan: I don't understand half of the stuff written on forms used for signing up for programs. Had to call the deputy minister to have him explain what certain parts meant. The information should be more readily available.

The good news is, not long ago I received a text message promoting the [official] app where you can learn details about assistance programs. The app didn't work though. It was a great opportunity to address that issue, too. The app is very useful. I'm still receiving messages and I presume others do, too.

Example assistance programs: how to receive a subsidy for purchasing an apartment, family assistance, etc.

[source,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V-ppcVQOVQ?t=2242)

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Link to original report and comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/160i38k/interview_with_expm_aram_sargsyan_others_france/