Armenia approved to place its territory under US control
The small, landlocked country in the South Caucasus has a longstanding dispute with neighboring, oil-rich Azerbaijan, which in 2023 regained full control over the breakaway region of Karabakh.
On Tuesday, the Spanish publication reported that it had obtained a copy of a memorandum from unnamed members of the Armenian diaspora in France, outlining the creation of a 42-kilometer (27-mile) corridor through southern Armenia, connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan.
The area would reportedly be managed by a US company and protected by around 1,000 armed private contractors, who would be authorized to use force to 'preserve the integrity of the corridor.' The arrangement is said to be designed to last 99 years. According to the outlet, the text of the memorandum has been approved by the US, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
Periodista Digital described the document as 'a catastrophe' for Armenia, claiming it would benefit the US, as well as Armenia's regional rivals Azerbaijan and Türkiye, and strain Yerevan's relations with France.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Armenian government denied the report, calling it 'an element of hybrid warfare and manipulative propaganda,' and dismissing Periodista Digital as a 'dubious source.' The US and Azerbaijan have not commented on the matter.
Yerevan and Baku have been engaged in talks to normalize relations, with Azerbaijan demanding Armenia establish a transport corridor to Nakhchivan. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan rejected the proposal earlier this month, stating that the dispute must be resolved based on mutual respect for territorial integrity and equality.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Russia Today
Azerbaijan's demolition of monument to Russian painter is ‘unfriendly act'
The dismantling of a monument to renowned 19th century Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky in Karabakh, Azerbaijan, was a 'demonstrative unfriendly act' toward Russia, a senior Russian official, Mikhail Shvydkoy, has said. The monument in the town of Khankendi, known as Stepanakert in Armenia, was demolished on July 29 – on the artist's birthday – according to the Agency for the Development of Tourism and Culture of Karabakh. Mikhail Shvydkoy, the Russian president's special representative for international cultural cooperation, expressed deep regret over Azerbaijan's decision, calling it a violation of cultural respect. 'Such actions by the Azerbaijani side cause regret and deep rejection,' he said in a statement on Thursday. 'Instead of removing the monument without warning, Baku could have informed Moscow. I'm confident the issue could have been resolved in a civilized manner, such as relocating it to Russian soil.' According to the official, the move contradicts not only 'the spirit of alliance, partnership, and good‑neighborliness between our countries and peoples' but also 'common sense.' Aivazovsky was a Russian artist of Armenian origin, born in Feodosia, Crimea, in 1817. He became famous for painting dramatic seascapes and ocean scenes. His mastery of light, water, and atmosphere earned him acclaim as one of the greatest marine painters of the 19th century. The statue, created by Russian sculptor Sergey Shcherbakov, was erected in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in 2021. Baku claimed that the installation of the bust 'by Russian peacekeepers on our territory without the consent of the Azerbaijani side was illegal.' 'The dismantling of such so-called monuments, erected during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, is logical, fair, and in accordance with the law,' Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. Russian peacekeepers were deployed to Karabakh in 2020 after Azerbaijan reclaimed parts of the area in a brief war with the local Armenian militia. In September 2023, Azerbaijan fully recaptured the breakaway region. Tensions between Moscow and Baku have been rising following the deaths of two Azerbaijani nationals suspected of being gang members during a police raid in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in June. In response, Azerbaijani police raided the local office of the Russian news network Sputnik, detaining two journalists along with several other Russian nationals. Baku also suspended multiple Russia-related cultural events.
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Russia Today
Azerbaijan's demolition of Aivazovsky monument is ‘unfriendly act'
The dismantling of a monument to renowned Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky in Karabakh, Azerbaijan, was a 'demonstrative unfriendly act' toward Russia, a senior official in Moscow, Mikhail Shvydkoy, has said. The monument in the town of Khankendi, known as Stepanakert in Armenia, was demolished on July 29 – on what would have been the artist's birthday – according to the Agency for the Development of Tourism and Culture of Karabakh. Mikhail Shvydkoy, the Russian president's special representative for international cultural cooperation, expressed deep regret over Azerbaijan's decision, calling it a violation of cultural respect. 'Such actions by the Azerbaijani side cause regret and deep rejection,' he said in a statement on Thursday. 'Instead of removing the monument without warning, Baku could have informed Moscow. I'm confident the issue could have been resolved in a civilized manner, such as relocating it to Russian soil.' According to the official, the move contradicts not only 'the spirit of alliance, partnership, and good‑neighborliness between our countries and peoples' but also 'common sense.' Aivazovsky was a Russian artist of Armenian origin, born in Feodosia, Crimea, in 1817. He became famous for painting dramatic seascapes and ocean scenes. His mastery of light, water, and atmosphere earned him acclaim as one of the greatest marine painters of the 19th century. The statue, created by Russian sculptor Sergey Shcherbakov, was erected in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in 2021. Baku claimed that the installation of the bust 'by Russian peacekeepers on our territory without the consent of the Azerbaijani side was illegal.' 'The dismantling of such so-called monuments, erected during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, is logical, fair, and in accordance with the law,' Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. Russian peacekeepers were deployed to Karabakh in 2020, after Azerbaijan reclaimed parts of the area in a brief war with local Armenian militia. In September 2023, Azerbaijan fully recaptured the breakaway region. Tensions between Moscow and Baku have been rising following the deaths of two Azerbaijani nationals suspected of being gang members during a police raid in June. In response, Azerbaijani police raided the local office of the Russian news network Sputnik, detaining two journalists along with several other Russian nationals. Baku also suspended multiple Russia-related cultural events.
Russia Today
24-07-2025
- Russia Today
Armenia ready to place part of territory under US control
Armenia has quietly agreed to hand over a strategic part of its territory to the US, the Spanish news outlet Periodista Digital has claimed. The small, landlocked country in the South Caucasus has a longstanding dispute with neighboring, oil-rich Azerbaijan, which in 2023 regained full control over the breakaway region of Karabakh. On Tuesday, the Spanish publication reported having obtained a copy of a memorandum from unnamed members of the Armenian diaspora in France, outlining the creation of a 42-kilometer (27-mile) corridor through southern Armenia, connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan. The area would reportedly be managed by a US company and protected by around 1,000 armed private contractors, who would be authorized to use force to 'preserve the integrity of the corridor.' The arrangement is said to be designed to last 99 years. According to the outlet, the text of the memorandum has been approved by the US, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Periodista Digital described the document as 'a catastrophe' for Armenia, claiming it would benefit the US, as well as Armenia's regional rivals Azerbaijan and Türkiye, and strain Yerevan's relations with France. In a statement on Wednesday, the Armenian government denied the report, calling it 'an element of hybrid warfare and manipulative propaganda,' and dismissing Periodista Digital as a 'dubious source.' The US and Azerbaijan have not commented on the matter. Yerevan and Baku have been engaged in talks to normalize relations, with Azerbaijan demanding Armenia establish a transport corridor to Nakhchivan. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan rejected the proposal earlier this month, stating that the dispute must be resolved based on mutual respect for territorial integrity and equality.
