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Azerbaijan said on Saturday that Armenian forces had fired on its troops overnight, and that Azerbaijan army units took "retaliatory measures". Azerbaijan's foreign ministry called the ethnic Armenian leadership of Karabakh a "puppet separatist regime" and said the vote was illegal. Both Ukraine and Baku's traditional ally Turkey condemned the election, and expressed support for Azerbaijan's claim to Karabakh. In the capitals of both Armenia and Azerbaijan, residents told Reuters they feared a new war between the two countries. In Armenia's capital Yerevan, a local resident who gave his name as Hayk accused Azerbaijan of wanting to start another war.

Persons: Artem Mikryukov, Baku, Armenia's, Armenpress, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Antony Blinken, Yuri Kim, Pashinyan, Samvel Shahramanyan, Shahramanyan, Mansura Lahicova, Mark Trevelyan, Felix, Felix Light, Ros Russell, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, International Committee, Reuters, Karabakh, U.S, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Taghavard, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia TBILISI, Baku, Armenia, Askeran, Russian, Soviet Union, Yerevan, France, Germany, Iran, Georgia, U.S, Turkey, Russia, Moscow, Reuters Baku, Ukraine, Armenia's, Tbilisi

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Lawmakers in Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan, voted to elect a new separatist president on Saturday in a move that was strongly condemned by the Azerbaijani authorities. Samvel Shakhramanyan's election as the new president of Nagorno-Karabakh follows the resignation of Arayik Harutyunyan, who stepped down on Sept. 1 as president of the region — which the Armenians call Artsakh. Nagorno-Karabakh is a region within Azerbaijan that came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian military after a six-year separatist war that ended in 1994. Armenian forces also took control of substantial territory around the region. Political Cartoons View All 1148 ImagesAzerbaijan regained control of the surrounding territory in a six-week war with Armenia in 2020.

Persons: Samvel, Arayik Harutyunyan, Nikol Pashinyan, Vladimir Putin, ” Organizations: —, Azerbaijan's, Ministry, Azerbaijan, Russian, Security, Organization, United States, Criminal Court, Russian Foreign Ministry Locations: YEREVAN, Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Russia, Stepanakert, Moscow, Yerevan, Russian, Soviet, Ukraine

☆ Russia Issues 'Harsh' Protest to Armenia Over Range of 'Unfriendly' Actions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Russia on Friday summoned the Armenian ambassador for a "harsh" protest about a list of what it termed "unfriendly steps", the latest sign of strain between Moscow and the small ex-Soviet republic in a region Russia considers its back yard. He said Moscow, distracted by its war with Ukraine, had been unable to deliver and was winding down its role in the South Caucasus. Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other on Thursday of moving troops close to their joint border as tensions over the future of the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave rose. The ICC issued an arrest warrant in March for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine. The Kremlin has dismissed the idea that Russia's actions in Ukraine could be war crimes and noted that Russia does not recognise the court.

Persons: Vagharshak Harutyunyan, Alen Simonyan, Maria Zakharova, Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev, Vladimir Putin, Kevin Liffey, William Maclean, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Reuters, Russian Foreign Ministry, International Criminal, Armenian National Assembly, Collective Security, Organization, Red, ICC Locations: Russia, Moscow, Soviet, United States, Ukraine, Armenia, Russian, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, Caucasus, Georgia

The Russian foreign ministry on Friday summoned the ambassador from longtime ally Armenia to protest upcoming joint military exercises with the United States and other complaints, highlighting growing tensions that are straining traditionally close relations. About 175 Armenian troops and 85 from the United States will start exercises on Monday focusing on peacekeeping operations. Landlocked Armenia has close military ties with Russia, including hosting a Russian military base and participating in the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization alliance. Political Cartoons View All 1148 ImagesHowever, Armenia has become increasingly disillusioned with Russia since the 2020 war with Azerbaijan. Armenia this year refused to allow CSTO exercises on its territory and it declined to send troops to bloc exercises in Belarus.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Maria Zakharova Organizations: Criminal Court, Russian, Security, Organization Locations: Armenia, United States, Ukraine, Rome, Russia, Moscow, Azerbaijan, Russian, Karabakh, Nagorno, Belarus

☆ Russia protests to Armenia as tensions rise over disputed Caucasus region
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Within hours, Armenia's foreign ministry issued a statement expressing willingness to resolve disputes with Azerbaijan over the territory, focal point of two wars in the past 30 years. Azerbaijan's foreign ministry, in a series of statements, said it was Armenia which was posing a threat to regional stability by abetting separatism in Nagorno-Karabakh. "Armenia pursues one goal: to sustain separatism in the territory of Azerbaijan through all possible ideological, political, military, financial and other means," the Azeri Foreign Ministry said. Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other on Thursday of moving troops close to their joint border. Armenia hosts a Russian military base and relies almost entirely on Russia for defence supplies.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev, Kevin Liffey, William Maclean, Mark Heinrich, Ron Popeski, Richard Chang Organizations: Azeri Foreign Ministry, International Criminal Court, Collective Security, Organization, Reuters, Red, Thomson Locations: Russia, South Caucasus, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, United States, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Soviet Union, Soviet, Caucasus

☆ Residents of Nagorno-Karabakh fear for future under blockade
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Caolán Magee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —Ani Kirakosyani found out she was pregnant a month after the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh began. “If not for the blockade, I would be playing with my child today,” Kirakosyani told CNN. He told CNN that before the blockade he had received most of his produce from Armenia. I only have one week left until the shop closes and I am jobless,” he told CNN. Meanwhile Russia, which brokered the ceasefire in 2020, has peacekeepers along the Lachin corridor but has refrained from intervening further.

Persons: Ani Kirakosyani, Kirakosyani, ”, ” Kirakosyani, Gegham Stepanyan, Tom Lantos, Cross, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Arayik Harutyunyan, Nikol Pashinyan, Mary Asatryan Max Mkhitaryan, Mary Asatryan, Brendan Hoffman, Ronald Suny, Azerbaijan’s, Ilham Aliyev, –, ” Harutyunyan, Peter Stano, Harutyunyan, Maria Zakharova, Artyom, Anahit, Vahe Gevorgyan, ” Gharaghazaryan Organizations: CNN, International Association of Genocide, Artsakh, Rights, International Committee, ICRC, Criminal Court, Armenian, Stepanakert Medical, University of Michigan, …, United States State Department, EU, Reuters, European Union, Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia, Hamline University, UN Security, “ Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Haterk, Republic of Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Artsakh Republic, Armenia, Artsakh, Stepanakert, Soviet Union, Turkey, Baku, … Baku, Azerbaijani, Aghdam, EU, Russia, United States, Ukraine

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica published on Sunday, Nikol Pashinyan accused Russia of failing to ensure Armenia's security in the face of what he said was aggression from neighbouring Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. "Armenia's security architecture was 99.999% linked to Russia, including when it came to the procurement of arms and ammunition," Pashinyan told La Repubblica. "This example should demonstrate to us that dependence on just one partner in security matters is a strategic mistake." His words underscore resentment inside Armenia about what many there see as a failure by Russia to defend their interests. Pashinyan accused Russian peacekeepers deployed to uphold the ceasefire deal of failing to do their job.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Andrew Osborn, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Russian, Italian, Repubblica, European Union, Russian Federation, Thomson Locations: Russia, Moscow, Azerbaijan, Karabakh, Armenia, Caucasus, Yerevan, United States, Ukraine, Russian, Baku, Nagorno

☆ Are Armenians Being Ethnically Cleansed — Again? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With its Russian torture chambers and slaughter of civilians, the war in Ukraine is horrifying enough. But what if another country is taking advantage of the distraction to commit its own crimes against humanity? You probably haven’t heard of Azerbaijan’s brutality toward an ethnic Armenian enclave called Nagorno-Karabakh, but it deserves scrutiny. “There is an ongoing genocide against 120,000 Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh,” he wrote in a recent report. We tend to think of genocide as the slaughter of an ethnic group.

Persons: Luis Moreno Ocampo, ” Organizations: Criminal Locations: Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Sudan’s Darfur

☆ Armenia-Azerbaijan: 'Reasonable' to believe genocide being committed, former ICC chief prosecutor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Eve Brennan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A former International Criminal Court chief prosecutor has said there is “reasonable basis to believe that genocide is being committed against Armenians” in the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been battling over the region for decades. On Monday, UN experts urged Azerbaijan to lift a blockade on the Lachin corridor, the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. An Azerbaijani checkpoint at the entry of the Lachin corridor, the Armenian-populated breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region's only land link with Armenia, on July 30. “It is essential to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of all individuals during this critical time,” they added.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Ocampo, KAren Minasyan, Vahe, Josep Borrell, “, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Karabak Organizations: CNN, Criminal Court, ICC, UN Security, Deputy, European Union, EU Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Eastern Europe, Western Asia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Netherlands, UNHCR, Azerbaijani

☆ EU tries to push Azerbaijan-Armenia peace as Russia offers more talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Armenia says the proposed peace treaty should provide special rights for them and guarantee their security. As a matter of priority, violence and harsh rhetoric should stop in order to provide the proper environment for peace and normalisation talks," Michel said. He told reporters: "The population on the ground needs reassurances, first and foremost regarding their rights and security." Besides the EU, the United States has also been pushing the sides to reach a peace deal. This could be followed up with a Moscow summit to sign a peace treaty, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Persons: Charles Michel, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Jeyhun Bayramov, normalisation, Michel, Aliyev, Pashinyan, Nailia Bagirova, Philip Blenkinsop, Mark Trevelyan, Frances Kerry Organizations: European Union, EU, Armenian, Azberbaijani, Reuters, Foreign Ministry, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, Brussels, Soviet Union, Nagorno, Karabakh, United States, Ukraine, Moscow

Those export controls, which "were imposed for important reasons," remain in place, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office said in statement. "The Prime Minister discussed Sweden's accession to NATO with our partners in Vilnius, including with President Erdogan," the statement said. Ahead of the NATO summit, Turkey, already seeking assurances over the F-16s in talks with Washington, asked that Canada's export controls also be rolled in to the final discussion, the person familiar with the talks said. At Vilnius, Canada outlined its position to Turkey on rules regarding uses of any exported technologies, and was awaiting a response. This means the talks on export controls are no longer frozen, a move that helped play a role sealing Erdogan's pledge over Sweden, the person said.

Persons: Erdogan, Tayyip Erdogan's greenlight, Justin Trudeau's, Joe Biden, Devlet Bahceli, We've, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, Steve Scherer, John Irish, Tom Perry, Jamie Freed Organizations: NATO, Atlantic, Organization, Canada, Canadian, Washington, U.S, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Nationalist Movement Party, Erdogan's, Thomson Locations: Turkey, Erdogan, ANKARA, Canada, Ankara, Sweden, Stockholm, Vilnius, Washington, United States, Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh, Finland, Turkish, Ukraine, Turkey's, Helsinki, European, Istanbul, Ottawa

☆ The US Army is looking for help from AI to predict what its enemies will do minutes or even hours before they do it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US Army wants help with "continuous, real-time predictive visualization" of enemy actions. The project is spurred by fears that human analysts won't be able to keep up with complex warfare. The Army wants the project to "take advantage" of emerging AI and/or machine-learning technologies. Military intelligence can't "assume an enemy whose behavior can be modeled via a doctrinal template," the Army RFI says. US Army military intelligence soldiers train at Camp Bullis in Texas in March 2019.

Persons: —, Daniel Schroeder, Melissa N, Lessard, ChatGPT, Michael Peck Organizations: US Army, Army, Service, Lewis, McChord, Army RFI, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, US Defense Department, RFI, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Washington, Nagorno, Karabakh, Ukraine, Russia, Bullis, Texas, Forbes

☆ Inside Ukraine's tech push to counter Russian 'suicide' drone threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

One man arrived in shorts and a baseball cap with a large drone under his arm. Another participant, Yuriy, an engineer and deputy head of a Ukrainian company, said his team presented designs for new anti-drone electronic warfare systems that would be more effective against Shaheds. "This really is an unprecedented war of drones," Fedorov said, adding that Ukraine's military technology innovation had boomed since Russia's invasion. Anatoliy Khrapchynskyi, who works for a firm developing electronic warfare technology, contrasted Ukraine's approach to technological innovation with Russia's. "There were seven companies that could sell drones to the state when we began this project last year.

Persons: Yuriy Motov, Alina Smutko, Mykhailo Fedorov, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Fedorov, Oleksandr, Yuriy, Yurii, Shchyhol, Anatoliy Khrapchynskyi, ", " Fedorov, Tom Balmforth, Mike Collett, White, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Russian, Reuters, Shaheds, Army, Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, KYIV, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Yemen, Syria, Nagorno, Karabakh, China

☆ Bayraktar TB2 drones were hailed as Ukraine's savior and the future of warfare. A year later, they've practically disappeared.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In the early months of the Russia-Ukraine war, Bayraktar TB2 drones were hailed as Ukraine's savior. However, a year later, nearly all of them are believed to have been shot down by Russian forces. "Once the Russian military got its act together, it was able to down many TB2s," Bendett said. Electronic warfare is a "critical component" of Russia's tactics and contributing to the enormous losses of Ukrainian drones, a report released by the UK's Royal United Services Institute found. Ukraine still had the initiative, but "as the Russian military adapts, there can be no room for complacency," it said.

☆ Leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan to meet May 14 in Brussels -EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Annegret HilseMay 8 (Reuters) - The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are to meet next week in Brussels, the European Union said on Monday, the latest attempt to secure a durable peace accord and resolve longstanding differences over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. An announcement on the EU Council's website said a three-corner meeting with Council President Charles Michel would take place at EU headquarters. Armenia and Azerbaijan, both former Soviet states, have fought two wars over 30 years focusing on Nagorno-Karabakh, recognised as part of Azerbaijan but populated mainly by Armenians. In a six-week conflict in 2020, ended by a Russian-brokered truce, Azerbaijan recovered territory lost in the first war dating from the collapse of Soviet rule. "The leaders have also agreed to continue to meet trilaterally in Brussels as frequently as necessary to address ongoing developments on the ground and standing agenda items of the Brussels meetings," the EU statement said.

☆ Armenia and Azerbaijan to hold peace settlement talks in Washington on Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, April 29 (Reuters) - Armenia and Azerbaijan will hold a new round of talks in Washington on Sunday to try to normalise relations, the spokesperson of Armenia's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. The mountain region is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but populated mainly by ethnic Armenians. "From April 30 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will be in Washington DC on a working visit. The next round of discussions on the agreement on normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan is scheduled," the spokesperson, Ani Badalyan, said on her official Facebook page. Despite years of attempted mediation between them, Armenia and Azerbaijan have yet to reach a peace agreement that would settle outstanding issues such as the demarcation of borders and return of prisoners.

☆ Podcast: The conflict Russia doesn't want
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Tensions escalate between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, with Moscow watching on warily. And a Republican AI-generated attack ad raises concerns about use of the technology in politics and beyond. Help us improve the Reuters World News podcast by taking this short survey. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertisingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia names new peacekeeping head as tensions rise between Armenia and Azerbaijan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Francesco BrembatiApril 26 (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday it had appointed one of its most senior army commanders to lead a peacekeeping force in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, as tensions rise again between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Russian peacekeepers were deployed in 2020 to end a war over Nagorno-Karabakh, the second that Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought since the 1991 Soviet collapse. The Russian armed forces said the peacekeepers were now headed by Colonel-General Alexander Lentsov, deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian ground forces. He added: "We continue to be in close contact with the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) and the Russian peacekeeping contingent to best facilitate humanitarian access." An Armenian spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ Tensions over Karabakh rise after Azerbaijan blocks land route from Armenia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Azerbaijan "took appropriate measures to establish control at the starting point of the road," the foreign ministry said. Armenia said the checkpoint at the Hakari bridge in the Lachin corridor was a gross violation of the 2020 ceasefire agreement which ended a 2020 war. It called on Russia to implement the agreement which states that the Lachin corridor, the only road across Azerbaijan that links Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, must be under Russian peacekeepers' control. Azerbaijan then claimed that Armenian soldiers fired on Azeri units at around 1110 GMT in the Lachin district, a claim Armenia denied. In recent months Armenia has repeatedly called on Moscow to do more to support the peace and ensure unfettered access between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin Corridor.

☆ Azerbaijan protests 'barbaric' flag-burning at weightlifting championship in Armenia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BAKU, April 15 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan lodged a strong protest on Saturday after its national flag was grabbed and set on fire during the opening ceremony of a weightlifting championship in neighbouring Armenia. Azerbaijan said it had become impossible for its athletes to take part in the championships and they had already left Armenia to travel home via Georgia. They condemned it as a "barbaric act" and as evidence of ethnic hatred and racism, saying Armenia was unfit to ensure the safety of athletes and host international sporting events. Armenia rejected that criticism, saying the incident had been resolved quickly and without any danger to competitors at the European Weightlifting Championships. Russia's RIA Novosti news agency quoted a lawyer for the man allegedly involved in the flag incident as saying he had been released without charge.

☆ One of Russia's longtime allies said it will arrest Putin if he goes there, leaving him a pariah in a region where he was once dominant
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Armenia, a longtime Russia ally, has been increasingly distancing itself from Vladimir Putin. Its ruling party said that if Putin visited Armenia, he would get arrested, Moscow Times reported. The party was referring to an international arrest warrant for Putin issued earlier this month. Armenia is among a growing group of countries that have said they would enforce an international warrant issued by the International Criminal Court earlier this month. Pashinyan has previously accused Russian peacekeepers of failing to take a more active role around the disputed separatist region of Nagorno-Karabak.

☆ Russia warns Armenia against allying with ICC after Putin arrest warrant - RIA
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) - Russia has warned Armenia of "serious consequences" if it submits to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which has issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin, the RIA news agency reported on Monday. The ICC issued the warrant this month, accusing Putin of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine, a move condemned by the Kremlin as a meaningless and outrageously partisan decision. RIA, a state Russian news agency, cited a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that Moscow regarded Armenia's ICC plans as "unacceptable". The ICC warrant has the potential to complicate Putin's global travel plans if a country he wants to travel to is an official party to the Rome Statute. Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Five dead in new Azerbaijan-Armenia clash over Karabakh
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 5 (Reuters) - Azerbaijani troops and ethnic Armenians exchanged gunfire on Sunday in Azerbaijan's contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh, killing at least five people, according to reports from Azerbaijan and Armenia. Nagorno-Karabakh was the focal point of two wars that have pitted Azerbaijan against Azerbaijan in the more than 30 years since both ex-Soviet states have achieved attendance. Armenia's foreign ministry said three officials from the Karabakh interior ministry were killed. Nagorno-Karabakh has long been recognised internationally as part of Azerbaijan, though its population is made up predominantly of ethnic Armenians. Armenian forces took control of Karabakh in a war that gripped the region as Soviet rule was collapsing in the early 1990s.

☆ Leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan set for first meeting since October
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are set to meet for the first time since October at trilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Munich on Saturday, the U.S. State Department said. The U.S. State Department said Blinken would meet Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev at 1235 GMT. Armenia has sent Azerbaijan a draft proposal for a peace settlement, Pashinyan said this week. Azeri civilians identifying themselves as environmental activists have been facing off since Dec. 12 with Russian peacekeepers on the Lachin corridor. Saturday's meeting would be the two leaders' first face-to-face encounter since late October, when Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted talks in the Black Sea city of Sochi.

☆ Armenia tells World Court Azerbaijan blockade is 'ethnic cleansing'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Stephanie Van Den Berg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

THE HAGUE, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Armenia told judges at the World Court on Monday that a blockade of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region by neighbouring Azerbaijan was designed to allow "ethnic cleansing", a claim rejected by Baku. Monday's hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, was called to hear an Armenian request for the court to order Azerbaijan to lift the blockade. "Such blatant acts of ethnic cleansing have no place in the modern era and this court is the last hope for the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh," Kirakosyan said. Mammadov also said that Armenia's claims of ethnic cleansing were "distorting reality deliberately" and were "fanning the flames" of conflict. On Tuesday the ICJ will hear a competing demand from Azerbaijan for the court to order Armenia to stop planting landmines in territories it once occupied.

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