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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 11 January 2023
Armenia cancels military drills, widening rift with Moscow

By AVET DEMOURIAN sor. But the Kremlin also has
Associated Press sought to maintain warm
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — ties with oil-rich Azerbaijan.
The prime minister of Arme- Western sanctions over the
nia said Tuesday that his Russian invasion of Ukraine
country has refused to host have made Russia increas-
military drills planned by a ingly dependent on Azer-
Russia-dominated security baijan’s main ally, Turkey.
pact, an announcement With its attention focused
that reflected the Arme- on the fighting in Ukraine,
nian government’s growing Russia has taken a wait-
tensions with Moscow. and-see attitude on the
Nikol Pashinyan has re- Lachin corridor blockade,
peatedly criticized Russian angering Armenia.
peacekeepers for failure He noted that the block-
to secure free transit along ade of the Lachin corridor
a corridor linking Armenia is intended to “break the
and the separatist region will of the people of Na-
of Nagorno-Karabakh that gorno-Karabakh,” adding
Azerbaijani activists have that Armenia will also seek
blocked since last month. support from the U.S. and
Speaking at a news confer- the European Union to help
ence Tuesday, Pashinyan ease the tensions with Azer-
said that Armenia consid- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan speaks during a news conference in Yerevan, Armenia, baijan. After the Russian
ers the military exercise Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. Associated Press peacekeepers’ five-year
the Moscow-dominated mandate is over, Armenia
Collective Security Treaty separatist war there ended side the separatist region. jani activists, who demand- could invite U.N. peace-
Organization planned for in 1994. That conflict left not Lachin province, which lies ed access to what Azer- keepers to come in “if Rus-
later this year “inappropri- only Nagorno-Karabakh between Nagorno-Kara- baijan has described as sia fails to fulfill its function
ate in the current situation.” itself but large chunks of bakh and Armenia, was the unlawful mining sites in Na- to ensure security for the
“At least this year, these surrounding lands in Arme- last of the three areas on gorno-Karabakh. Armenian population of Nagorno-
drills won’t take place,” he nian hands. In 44 days of the rim of Nagorno-Kara- authorities have described Karabakh,” Pashinyan said.
said. Pashinyan’s move fol- heavy fighting that began bakh that Armenian forces the blockade as part of ef- The Russia-brokered 2020
lowed his refusal in the fall in September 2020, the surrendered in Decem- forts by Azerbaijan to ex- peace deal also called for
to sign a conclusive docu- Azerbaijani military routed ber 2020. Russia deployed tend its control over the re- the creation of a transpor-
ment from a meeting of the Armenian forces, forcing nearly 2,000 peacekeep- gion and urged the Russian tation link between Azer-
leaders of CSTO member Yerevan to accept a Rus- ers for at least five years to peacekeepers to unblock baijani and its Nakchivan
nations in Yerevan, Arme- sia-brokered peace deal ensure safe transit across the road. exclave via Armenian ter-
nia’s capital. that saw the return to Azer- the region, to monitor the The Azerbaijani move has ritory. Azerbaijani President
Nagorno-Karabakh lies baijan of a significant part peace deal and to help left Russia in a precarious Ilham Aliyev accused Ar-
within Azerbaijan but has of Nagorno-Karabakh. The refugees return. position. Armenia hosts a menia on Tuesday of re-
been under the control of agreement also required But travel across the Lachin Russian military base, and neging on its promise to
ethnic Armenian forces Armenia to hand over corridor has been blocked Moscow has been the provide such a transit cor-
backed by Yerevan since a swaths of land it held out- since Dec. 12 by Azerbai- country’s top ally and spon- ridor. q

U.S. Navy says it seized Iran assault rifles bound for Yemen

By JON GAMBRELL They discovered the Ka- Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a tos released by the Navy historically used to traffic il-
Associated Press lashnikov-style rifles indi- spokesman for the Navy’s later said the weapons licit cargo to the Houthis in
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- vidually wrapped in green Mideast-based 5th Fleet. appeared to be Chinese- Yemen,” Hawkins told The
ates (AP) — The U.S. Navy tarps aboard the ship, said Experts examining pho- made T-56 rifles and Rus- Associated Press. “The Ye-
seized over 2,100 assault sian-made Molot AKS20Us. meni crew corroborated
rifles from a ship in the Type 56 rifles have been the origin.”
Gulf of Oman it believes found in previously seized The Yemeni crew, Hawkins
came from Iran and were weapons caches. Simi- added, will be repatriated
bound for Yemen’s Irani- lar green tarping also has back to a government-
an-backed Houthi rebels, been used. controlled part of Yemen.
a Navy spokesman said The Chinook, along with A United Nations arms
Tuesday. It was the latest the patrol boat USS Mon- embargo has prohibited
capture of weapons alleg- soon and the guided mis- weapons transfers to the
edly heading to the Arab sile destroyer USS The Sulli- Houthis since 2014, when
world’s poorest country. vans, took possession of the Yemen’s civil war erupted.
The seizure last Friday hap- weapons. They resembled Iran has long denied arm-
pened after a team from other assault rifles previous- ing the Houthis even as
the USS Chinook, a Cy- In this photo release by the U.S. Navy, hundreds of AK-47 assault ly seized by the Navy, sus- it has been transferring
clone-class coastal pa- rifles sit on the flight deck of the guided-missile destroyer USS pected to be from Iran and rifles, rocket-propelled gre-
trol boat, boarded a tra- The Sullivans during an inventory process, Jan. 7, 2023. heading to Yemen. nades, missiles and other
ditional wooden sailing Associated Press “When we intercepted the weaponry to the Yemeni
vessel known as a dhow. vessel, it was on a route militia using sea routes.q