Armenia's Votes Against the Territorial Integrity and Sovereignty of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine Received by NSD/FARA Regist
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Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 10/17/2018 10:05:53 AM From: Tavlarides, Mark Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2018 2:40 PM To: Tavlarides, Mark <[email protected]> Subject: Armenia's Votes Against Territorial Integrity at the United Nations Good afternoon, I thought you might be interested in the observations below regarding Armenia’s votes related to territorial integrity at the United Nations. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, Mark Tavlarides BGR Group Note: BGR Government Affairs, LLC has filed registration statements under the Foreign Agents Registration Act with regard to its representation and dissemination of information on behalf of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Additional information is on file with the Foreign Agents Registration Unit of the Department of Justice in Washington, DC. ------------------------------------- Armenia’s Votes Against the Territorial Integrity and Sovereignty of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine Since his rise to power, the new Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinian, has been continuing the previous government’s pro-Russia policy, emphasizing that Armenia should maintain its “special relationship”[1] and close partnerships with Russia[2]. Armenia is continuing to be a loyal follower of Russia’s foreign policy towards its broader neighborhood. Armenia’s voting stance at the UN that do not support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, is one of the indications of Armenia’s unchanged pro-Russian policy and continuing disregard to the rules-based international order. Moreover, the group that Armenia usually aligns with alongside Russia includes Iran, Nicaragua, Sudan, Syria and Venezuela. The following is information on several voting patterns, including during the latest UN General Assembly (GA) session: On September 22, 2018, Armenia along with Russia voted against the inclusion in the agenda of the UN General Assembly the item “the Situation in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine;”[3] On June 22, 2018, Armenia voted against the UN General Assembly resolution[4] calling on the Russian Federation to unconditionally withdraw its troops and armaments without delay from the [1] https://www.azatutyun.am/a/29289222.html [2]https://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2018/05/08/why_russia_wont_interfere_in_armenias_velvet_revoluti on_112792.html [3] https://ukropnews24.com/these-countries-that-voted-against-the-consideration-of-the-ukrainian-issue-in-the- un/ [4] http://papersmart.unmeetings.org/media2/19407255/vr-2.pdf Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 10/17/2018 10:05:53 AM Transnistrian region of Moldova. The resolution says stationing of foreign military forces on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, without its consent, violates its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that these forces should be immediately withdrawn[5]; In November, 2017, Armenia voted against the UN resolution supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, condemning occupation of its part by Russia and urging Russia to uphold all of its obligations in that territory as an occupying Power.[6] The resolution was related to the human rights situation in the Russia-annexed Crimea; Armenia also voted against the 2014 UN GA resolution on territorial integrity of Ukraine[7] and a Crimea-related similar resolution in 2016;[8] Armenia has also consistently voted against UN GA resolutions since 2008[9] supporting Georgia and the rights of its IDPs to return to the occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia, including the most recent one which was adopted on June 12, 2018.[10] These voting records demonstrate that Armenia once again has failed to show that it is capable of any form of independent foreign policy, regardless of which government is in power. Despite its new Prime Minister being touted as reformist and a leader who would take the country out of the Russian orbit and ultimately bring much needed democratic and economic reforms, the vote patterns show that hopes for any such change are not realistic at this time. 1 https://www.azatutyun.am/a/29289222.html 2https://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2018/05/08/why_russia_wont_interfere_in_armenias_velvet_revolutio n_112792.html 3 https://ukropnews24.com/these-countries-that-voted-against-the-consideration-of-the-ukrainian-issue-in-the- un/ 4 http://papersmart.unmeetings.org/media2/19407255/vr-2.pdf 5 http://www.ipn.md/en/dosar-transnistrean/91945 6 https://frontnews.eu/news/en/17528/Belarus-Armenia-and-Serbia-voted-against-UN-resolution-on-Crimea 7 https://undocs.org/A/RES/68/262 8 https://undocs.org/A/RES/71/205 9 https://www.un.org/press/en/2008/ga10708.doc.htm 10 https://documents.un.org/prod/ods.nsf/xpSearchResultsM.xsp [5] http://www.ipn.md/en/dosar-transnistrean/91945 [6] https://frontnews.eu/news/en/17528/Belarus-Armenia-and-Serbia-voted-against-UN-resolution-on-Crimea [7] https://undocs.org/A/RES/68/262 [8] https://undocs.org/A/RES/71/205 [9] https://www.un.org/press/en/2008/ga10708.doc.htm [10] https://documents.un.org/prod/ods.nsf/xpSearchResultsM.xsp Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 10/17/2018 10:05:53 AM From: Roberts, Walker Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2018 9:44 AM To: Roberts, Walker <[email protected]> Subject: Azerbaijan Updates Good morning, I thought you might be interested in a few updates on Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the United States Elin Suleymanov discussed his country’s relationship with Russia and Iran in an interview on Rising with The Hill’s Krystal Ball and Buck Sexton on Friday, October 5. The Hill reported on Ambassador Suleymanov’s comments on President Trump’s Russia approach. Text of the article is below. The Jerusalem Post reported that U.S. Rabbi Marc Schneier met with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev recently. Schneier said Aliyev confided that Saudi, Pakistani, Afghani, and Emirati officials have asked him “how to balance their identities as Muslim countries with a relationship with Israel.” Schneier further said Azerbaijan’s president “is interested in ways to bring Islam closer to the west.” The Jerusalem Post article can be found here. Also below is a map of the Ganja Gap, a narrow 60-mile-wide strip of Azerbaijani territory that can accommodate trade between Asia and Europe. This gap is necessary to help Europe reduce its dependence on Russian oil and gas. However, due to Armenia’s occupation of nearly one-fifth of Azerbaijan’s territory, as well as Russian influence over Armenia, this gap could be threatened if Russia decides to exert pressure in the region and reignite the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. To read more about the Ganja Gap and possible threats to European energy security, I encourage you to read The Heritage Foundation’s article from earlier this year titled, “Why the West Needs Azerbaijan.” Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, Walker Walker Roberts Principal and Managing Director, International Note: BGR Government Affairs, LLC has filed registration statements under the Foreign Agents Registration Act with regard to its representation and dissemination of information on behalf of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Additional information is on file with the Foreign Agents Registration Unit of the Department of Justice in Washington, DC. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the U.S. says he’s impressed with Trump’s Russia approach The Hill Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 10/17/2018 10:05:53 AM Julia Manchester October 5, 2018 Azerbaijan's ambassador to the U.S. said in an interview that aired Friday on "Rising" he was impressed with President Trump's approach to U.S. relations with Russia. "I think we have found a way to build a neighborly relationship [with Russia] with mutual respect. I think one thing that President Putin and Russian society as a whole needs and craves is respect," Elin Suleymanov told Hill TV's Krystal Ball and Ned Ryun on Wednesday. "In some ways I'm actually very impressed by President Trump's approach," he continued. "In some ways, he tries to find this balance between maintaining what he considers to be an important pressure from the United States, U.S. nationalities, and certain respect for both the nation [Russia] and [Russian] individuals. Finding that balance is very important. It's important for the outsiders, it's also important for the Russians," he said. Azerbaijan and Russia have had a rocky relationship in the past, but have worked to improve relations recently. Suleymanov's comments come as tensions rise between Russia and the U.S. regarding Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Special counsel Robert Mueller has been probing Russian election interference in the election since last year. Trump has referred to the investigation as a "witch hunt," and has taken part in meetings with Putin since the probe launched. He created a firestorm in July during a meeting with Putin in Helsinki, Finland, where he blamed the United States for straining U.S.-Russia relations and appeared to accept Putin’s denial that Moscow attempted to interfere in the election. The administration on Thursday indicted seven Russian intelligence officers on numerous federal charges for allegedly carrying out nefarious cyber operations against the United States and its allies. The Russians are being charged with conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to launder money. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 10/17/2018 10:05:53 AM Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 10/17/2018 10:05:53 AM From: Tavlarides, Mark Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2018 9:44 AM To: Tavlarides <[email protected]> Subject: Azerbaijan Updates Good morning, I thought you might be interested in a few updates on Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the United States Elin Suleymanov discussed his country’s relationship with Russia and Iran in an interview on Rising with The Hill’s Krystal Ball and Buck Sexton on Friday, October 5.