Your Namak for Sunday, November 6
Leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia meet in Sochi, French Senate proposes resolution calling for sanctions against Azerbaijan, and Turkish-Armenian MP Garo Paylan visits Armenia.
Hi there, here’s your weekly briefing of Armenian news in English, curated, reported and fact-checked by journalists Astrig Agopian and Maral Tavitian.
Leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia Meet in Sochi
On October 31, the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia met for a trilateral summit in the Russian resort city of Sochi. The countries adopted a joint statement as a result of the meeting, reaffirming their commitment to the terms of the November 9, 2020 ceasefire agreement that ended the 44-Day Nagorno-Karabakh War. “We emphasized the importance of active preparations for the signing of a peace treaty between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan with the aim of achieving sustainable and long-term peace in the region,” the statement said, adding that Russia will support these efforts. Despite the parties’ readiness to reach a peace deal by year end, the summit did not directly address the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh’s status.
French Senate Proposes Resolution Calling for Sanctions Against Azerbaijan
A draft resolution filed in the French Senate on November 3 has called for sanctions against Azerbaijan and the immediate withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenian territory. The proposed bill acknowledges that Azerbaijan does not guarantee the “security and freedom” of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, and calls “for the Azerbaijani authorities and all their partners in the region, in particular Turkey, to respect the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Armenia in accordance with their obligations and international commitments.” The legislation also demands the release of all Armenian prisoners of war. The bill’s proposal follows an October fact-finding mission by French legislators to border communities in Armenia’s southern Syunik region, and its adoption will be debated by the senate on November 15.
Turkish-Armenian MP Garo Paylan Visits Armenia
Turkish-Armenian parliamentarian Garo Paylan met with high-level Armenian officials during a working visit to Armenia this week. Paylan, a zealous advocate for the Armenian cause in Turkey, traveled to Yerevan to participate in the Global Armenian Summit. In a meeting with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan, Paylan discussed Armenia-Turkey reconciliation efforts, including the prospect of opening the border between the two countries.
Dispatch from Armenia: When the Expression “We Are Our Mountains” Adopts a Literal Meaning
“Can you imagine how lucky we were to get out in time? My son was in his bed minutes before the rocket hit it.”
On the way back from my recent trip to Nagorno-Karabakh, I stopped in Goris to complete a photography assignment with a French reporter for Marianne Magazine. I had visited the southern Armenian city before and noticed the particular shapes of the mountains and the holes in them that looked like caves. The whole scenery resembles a movie set, some kind of fake, fantasy decor for a film like The Hobbit. But I did not know much about their history and current use.
On the night of September 12, Irina and Arman, a couple in their forties who live in Verishen, a village in the Goris area, woke up from the sound of explosions. Their 23-year-old son Gurgen joined them and they fled to a cave in the mountain right next to their house. A few minutes later, a rocket fell on Gurgen’s bed, destroying his bedroom and part of the house.
“Can you imagine how lucky we were to get out in time? My son was in his bed minutes before the rocket hit it,” Irina says with tears in her eyes. She works as a military nurse, her husband in agriculture.
“My father was born in one of those natural caves that we have in the mountains of Goris,” Arman explains. “Until the 1950s and even 1960s in some cases, people lived in them. Then they left them to build houses next to the mountains, but kept on using the caves, either in the summer when it’s too warm outside or to keep their animals in there.”
Artak Zadayan, the mayor of Verishen, says that he wished there was more tourism to showcase the history of these caves and how people have lived in them. But right now, there are no more tourists in the area. People are scared that war might start again, and Goris is a city on the border with Azerbaijan, the last Armenian stop before taking the new road that leads to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Kamo is Irina and Arman’s neighbor. He owns the caves in the mountain facing their houses in Verishen. “I am a farmer and I keep cows and sheep. When Azerbaijan bombed us, we came here with my children, grandchildren and some neighbors who also needed shelter,” Kamo says. “I am adding electricity and water, and making it a possible shelter. Who knows? We might need it very soon. And our mountains are the best protection.”
His granddaughter Ani sees the caves as a playground, and loves running around in them. Some temporary beds were made on hay inside. The way residents can run and merge with the mountains to protect themselves is a very impressive sight. As I was photographing this story, I thought, we really are our mountains.
To listen: Եկ Քինինք ԱՐՑԱԽ, a soulful new single and music video by musician Arthur Khachents, a veteran of the 44-Day Nagorno-Karabakh War who writes songs in his native Hadrut dialect.
To watch: “Peace is a necessity for Armenia, not for its neighbors” – A talk with Garo Paylan, a CivilNet interview with Turkish-Armenian parliamentarian Garo Paylan, who discusses the state of Turkish civil society and its implications for peace in the region.
That’s it for today, see you next week!
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