Author: Ani Markarian

Footage has confirmed that at least one of the German-supplied Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks captured from Ukrainian forces has been sent to Russia’s main tank manufacturing facility, Uralvagonzavod, for study. Russian media outlets have reported that specialists are analysing the tank’s components, systems, and subsystems for intelligence on its capabilities, including “to assess the actual military-technical level of various systems and the captured vehicle itself.” Unlike Ukraine’s American supplied M1A1 Abrams tanks, which have also been captured in the past, Leopard 2A6 tanks sent to the country were not built specifically for export, and were instead taken directly from German Army…

After Tajiks were charged with a deadly attack in Moscow, the country has cracked down on signs of Islam. But experts say it’s not addressing the causes of terrorism. People in Tajikistan were expecting a government crackdown after Tajik men were arrested and charged with a terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall in March. But it still seemed excessive to Nilufar, a 27-year-old education professional, when she saw local authorities with scissors outside a K.F.C. in Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital, trimming beards that were deemed too long. Excessive, but not so surprising. In the span of a month, Nilufar herself…

Top global asset managers including BlackRock are among investors in an Asia-focused infrastructure private equity fund that raised $800 million, underscoring growing interest in the asset class amid market volatility. The Seraya Partners Fund I closed above its target of $750 million, according to a statement Tuesday by its Singapore-based managers, Seraya Partners. The fund targets mid-market investments aimed at enhancing energy transition and digital infrastructure development in Asia-Pacific markets and Southeast Asia. “Infrastructure remains an attractive asset class,” said James Chern, chief investment officer and managing partner at Seraya Partners. “Most major players have yet to put focus on capital deployment…

Young European Ambassadors from Armenia visited the Monte Melkonyan school in Yerevan on Monday, 11 December, as part of the Ozzy campaign to raise awareness of renewable energy. In total, 28 pupils from grade 5 had the opportunity to learn about the different types of renewables and their uses, as well as why it is important to lead a sustainable lifestyle. Participants also took part in a creative task to build a DIY wind turbine and were introduced to Ozzy, a comic book character featured in a series of online stories centred around clean energy. The #OzzyEnergy campaign by the…

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev accused France on Tuesday of creating conditions for a new war in the South Caucasus by supplying arms to Armenia. Aliyev used a speech at a conference on decolonisation in Baku to deliver a scathing broadside against France, which said last month it had agreed new contracts to supply military equipment to Armenia. “France destabilises not only its past and present colonies but also our region, the South Caucasus, by supporting separatist tendencies and separatists,” Aliyev said. “By arming Armenia, it implements a militaristic policy, encourages revanchist forces in Armenia, and prepares the ground for the start of…

EU and US welcome joint statement in which two sides agree to exchange prisoners of war and Armenia backs Azerbaijan COP29 bid. Armenia and Azerbaijan have said they will exchange prisoners of war and work towards normalising their relations, in a move welcomed by the European Union and the United States. The two countries have been locked in a decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, which Azerbaijan reclaimed after a lightning offensive against Armenian separatists in September. In a joint statement issued late on Thursday night, the two sides said they had agreed to seize “a historical chance to achieve a long-awaited peace in…

While making reasonable steps towards peace in the South Caucasus, Armenia is stumbling over the stone. They forget that peaceful coexistence in the region is the only way of building a better future in this geopolitically important space, where some forces are in wait for a chance to intrude by any means. However, it seems that Armenia’s plans for the future regarding the region are completely different. Everyone in the country, from the leadership to the society, serves one goal – to occupy a territory, but behind this goal, the contradictory claims form a ridiculous image. Next Armenian lies. It…

A delegation of the European External Action Service and the European Commission will travel to Armenia, from 27 to 29 November. This is reported by the Media Relations and Information team of the EU Delegation to Armenia. During the visit, various dimensions of EU-Armenia relations will be discussed, to explore where the ties can be deepened and strengthened, and how Armenia can exploit the full potential of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. The visit follows up on the tasking of the European Council of 26-27 October to present options on how best to strengthen EU-Armenia relations. Along with…

Armenia is taking an important step towards modernizing its public services delivery with the Strengthening Transparency, Accountability, and Access to Public Services through GovTech project launched today. Funded by the UK Good Governance fund, implemented by the Armenian Government, the launch of the initiative was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the World Bank, the Embassy of UK to Armenia, and the Yerevan Municipality. The project aims to simplify business processes within national and regional government services, including streamlining and digitization of notary services, construction permits, public sector internal audit functions, and others, making their use faster…

September 2023 saw the tumultuous and traumatic departure of over 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. This mass exodus of an indigenous people from their homeland followed nine months of starvation-by-blockade, which culminated in a murderous military assault on Sept. 19. These men, women, and children, terrified for their lives, left behind entire worlds: their schools and shops; their fields, flocks, and vineyards; the cemeteries of their ancestors. They also left behind the churches, large and small, ancient and more modern, magnificent and modest, where they had for centuries gathered together and prayed. They also left behind bridges, fortifications, early modern mansions, and Soviet-era…