Month: February 2021

Armenian constitutional expert: PACE preferred to discuss Navalny issue instead of Armenia’s POWs

Yeghisabet Vorskanian
News.am, Armenia
Jan 25 2021    
Armenian constitutional expert: PACE preferred to discuss Navalny issue instead of Armenia's POWs
19:58, 25.01.2021

Constitutional expert Gohar Meloyan took to her Facebook to report the following:

“The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) preferred to discuss the arrest of Alexei Navalny instead of Azerbaijan illegally keeping Armenia’s prisoners of war.

Once again, this underscores the clearly biased attitude of European institutions on the one hand, and the subsequent failure of Armenia’s diplomacy, and this time the failure of parliamentary diplomacy.

What was the point of sending an entire delegation to Strasbourg with the money of Armenia’s taxpayers when the parliamentary delegations of many countries are participating in the PACE session remotely, and what was the point if, as a result, the Armenian delegation wasn’t even able to include the priority issue of prisoners of war in the agenda of the PACE?

Generally speaking, it is necessary to clarify if there has been at least an attempt to include the issue of prisoners of war in the agenda or not.

P.S.: Well, the delegation’s objectives are to travel and deal with the opposition.”

Iran Offers to Rebuild Azerbaijani Areas Won Back in Armenia War

Arsine Chaltikian
Bloomberg
Jan 25 2021
By 

Zulfugar Agayev
January 25, 2021, 8:59 AM EST
  • Azerbaijan welcomes Iran’s bid to help postwar reconstruction
  • Baku to spend $1.3 billion on infrastructure projects in 2021

Iran said it will help Azerbaijan reconstruct war-ravaged areas retaken from Armenia in last year’s conflict that ended with a Russia-brokered cease-fire.

The Islamic Republic is “the closest” and has “the highest comparative advantage in rebuilding areas for your population to come back and rehabilitate,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in a meeting in Baku on Monday.

Zarif, who is visiting Azerbaijan as part of a diplomatic tour that includes Armenia, Russia and Turkey and is his first foreign trip since U.S. President Joe Biden took office, congratulated Aliyev on his “victory” against Armenia.

Aliyev welcomed the offer, inviting Iranian companies to join the reconstruction of seven districts surrounding the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan recaptured the territory from Armenia in a 44-day war that killed more than 6,000 people on both sides.

“Only friendly countries will be our partners,” Aliyev told Zarif, according to comments broadcast on the state-run AzTV channel.

Azerbaijan Says Karabakh Conflict Over With Latest Moscow Deal

Azerbaijan plans to spend billions of dollars to rebuild infrastructure and residential areas that were largely destroyed while under Armenian control. The government allocated 2.2 billion manat ($1.3 billion) from the state budget for the projects this year.

Fighting in the disputed region, that had been held by Armenia for more than a quarter century, ended following a Nov. 9 cease-fire brokered by Russia, which has also deployed almost 2,000 troops to the area to maintain the truce.

Last October, Iran boosted security along its frontier with Azerbaijan and Armenia after several stray rockets from the fighting landed in its border towns.

 

Turkey Has Been Slowly Suffocating Its Christian Community

Emil Lazarian 
International Christian Concern


Jan. 25, 2021

Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – In 1915, Turkey
(the Ottoman Empire) slaughtered over one million Armenian Christians
in what is now known as the Armenian genocide. Turkey is still
oppressing Armenians living in the country today.

ICC recently released a report on the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh
(known as the Republic of Artsakh in Armenia), in late 2020.  Turkey
and Azerbaijan destroyed churches and other religious sites, abused
prisoners of war and hired known extremists, including members of the
Islamic State, as mercenaries to help regain control over
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Videos have surfaced showing Azeri soldiers beating and humiliating
defenseless Armenian POWs. Azerbaijan refuses to disclose the
identities of the prisoners, as well as the exact number of POWs it
still holds. Dozens of Armenians still do not know the whereabouts of
their family members who went off to fight in the war. If you would
like to sign our petition calling on the European Court of Human
Rights to investigate Azerbaijan’s treatment of its POWs and release
their identities, click here.

Transcript:

In 1915, Turkey (The Ottoman Empire) slaughtered over one million
Armenian Christians in what is now known as the Armenian Genocide.
Turkey is still oppressing Armenians living in the country today.

Hagia Sophia, which was once an iconic cathedral in Istanbul, has once
again been converted into a mosque.

Jeff King: If you had to sum up Turkey’s dealings with Armenia over
time… I just look at it, I see different notes. There’s Islamic
persecution, there’s Dhimmitude, there’s control. Basically slow and
fast strangulation of a Christian nation. Does that sum it up or
anything else you want to add to that?

Claire Evans: I think that’s exactly how the Church describes it, is
suffocation. It’s something where within the country, Turkey has been
slowly suffocating its Christian community since the genocide and
denying every attempt to shine light on that throughout the entire
time. But then we look at what they’re doing in places like Artsakh
where it’s very obvious that they’re being aggressive and human rights
abuses and violations, and they’re doing that all openly. So I often
think if that’s what they’re doing openly, when they think and
nobody’s watching, what are they doing in their own country where
everything’s controlled and limited and nobody can see it? It’s
sending a message. There’s still a few Armenians who live in Turkey
and they were heavily, heavily abused, just verbally and harassed and
threatened-

Jeff King: In this recent period or this conflict?

Claire Evans: Yeah. Not just in Turkey, worldwide. The Armenian
community found themselves targeted by Turks who were living in the
diaspora. That’s scary. If that’s what’s happening in other countries,
countries where you’re supposed to be more free or countries that
nobody’s paying attention to, then it’s got to be worse in the country
who restricts all free speech.

Jeff King: There is a very clear memory of mine. I hadn’t been working
downtown with ICC doing embassy. I hadn’t been working that long. I
ran into some Turkish diplomats. I’m trying to remember what the event
was, but it was on this issue. I think there were Armenian panelists
and then you had the Turkish diplomats in the crowd. If the Armenians
bring up this subject of the genocide, what happens? What do the
Turkish people do?

Claire Evans: Oh, it’s all denial. It’s all denial. They say that’s
the last stage of genocide, is continued denial. The problem is if you
keep denying it, then you’ll never be able to address the problems
that cause it. So it just becomes this cycle that goes on and on and
on. But I think the extra context for it is if you deny a person their
history, whether that’s the Christian history or a history of
genocide, then you’re denying some part of their identity and you’re
controlling it-

Jeff King: Which is just fine with them. They’re quite happy to do that. Yeah.

Claire Evans: It’s just fine. It also sets the stage for religious
freedom violations. If a person can’t be whoever it is that they
identify as, then it’s done. It’s controlled.

Jeff King: On the one hand, it’s like the Christian community is so
small and for the most part, they’re not being killed or stabbed. It
happens. But for the most part, so that’s not there. So it doesn’t
always get the press in our world, in the persecution world, that it
should. But you and I know, and others know, what the Christians
experience there. Just go ahead and talk about that a little bit.

Claire Evans: In some ways, it’s almost worse to not be stabbed or
bombed because then you’re stuck in your head. You’re stuck always
thinking, “Well, is this person going to harass me today?” And not
knowing what that’s going to be like. You can’t escape it. Armenian
community is often called dirty dogs or rats. They’re very common
derogatory terms. If you’re called that nonstop every day for the rest
of your life, I mean, at some point-

Jeff King: If you’re dehumanized every day of your life, every hour-

Claire Evans: Yeah. At some point, you just want it to stop or to end.
So you leave. That’s the easiest solution.

Jeff King: We are working right now trying to figure out how to help
victims. We are going to be doing that shortly, but stay tuned, stick
on the website and podcast. We will follow this up with more
information to let you know what we are doing and how we are helping
victims. Pray for your brothers and sisters and understand what is
going on and tell others. It’s a persecution story and needs to be
told. God bless, and we’ll be back next week.

Armenian American Museum Announces Historic Groundbreaking in Summer 2021

Ara Felekian
Press Contact:
Shant Sahakian, Executive Director
Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California
(818) 644-2214
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARMENIAN AMERICAN MUSEUM ANNOUNCES HISTORIC GROUNDBREAKING IN SUMMER 2021

Glendale, CA (January 25, 2021) – The Board of Trustees of the Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California have announced the historic groundbreaking of the highly anticipated landmark center in Summer 2021 – a major milestone for the community that has been years in the making.

The Glendale City Council officially kicked off the groundbreaking year with the approval of the refined museum building design and the waiving of city permit and plan check fees valued at $671,000.

The Armenian American Museum will rise to a two-level 50,820 square foot museum complex built on a one-level semi-subterranean parking garage. The first level will feature the grand lobby, auditorium, learning center, demonstration kitchen, gift shop, and administrative offices. The second level will be dedicated to the permanent and temporary exhibition galleries as well as the collections archives.

The cultural and educational center’s programming plans include producing and hosting powerful, immersive, and thought-provoking permanent and temporary exhibitions, leading meaningful dialogues and discussions through engaging public programs, providing educational programs for adults, youth, kids, and families, preserving Armenian heritage through the museum’s collections and archives, and serving as an iconic venue for memorable experiences, gatherings, and celebrations.

“The highly anticipated groundbreaking of the Armenian American Museum represents a historic accomplishment for our community, and we believe it will be a symbol of hope and spirited resiliency for America, Armenia, and Artsakh during these challenging and unprecedented times,” stated Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian. “The Board of Trustees and museum leadership wishes to express its sincere gratitude for the steadfast commitment and generous support of our donors, stakeholders, committees, volunteers, and government partners for this collective achievement.”

The Armenian American Museum was born in 2014 when the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee Western USA officially adopted the museum as its landmark project to honor the memory of the 1.5 million martyrs who perished in the Armenian Genocide and to help build and define the next centennial of the community as a message of strength, perseverance, and hope for future generations.

In 2015, the museum’s Board of Trustees was established, entrusting the governance of the project to ten united Armenian American cultural, philanthropic, and religious non-profit organizations. The Board of Trustees includes the Armenian Catholic Eparchy, Armenian Cultural Foundation, Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, Armenian General Benevolent Union Western District, Armenian Missionary Association of America, Armenian Relief Society Western USA, Nor Or Charitable Foundation, Nor Serount Cultural Association, Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, and Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

In 2018, the Glendale City Council approved the museum’s $1-per-year Ground Lease Agreement, officially marking Central Park as the future site of cultural and educational center. The initial term of the Ground Lease Agreement will be 55 years with options to extend the lease term for four 10-year periods totaling 95 years. The museum will neighbor the Downtown Central Library, Museum of Neon Art (MONA), and The Americana at Brand.

In 2019, the Glendale City Council approved an $18.5 million makeover and expansion of Central Park. The proposal includes the creation of a new central lawn connecting the museum and library, an outdoor amphitheater for live performances, a children’s park with playgrounds and splash pads, and outdoor recreational amenities for the community. The city and museum plan to collaborate on the programming of outdoor events in the downtown park.

The Armenian American Museum has assembled a team of experienced museum and industry professionals to provide guidance and expertise in construction, design, programming, and development for the landmark center. The museum’s design team led by Alajajian Marcoosi Architects will be formally submitting the project’s construction documents to the City of Glendale to initiate the plan check process.

The museum’s Groundbreaking Campaign has raised more than $14 million in contributions, pledges, and grants. The State of California has invested an unprecedented $8 million in support of the center through the efforts of Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Anthony J. Portantino, and Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian. Los Angeles County has contributed $1 million to the center through a generous grant by Supervisor Kathryn Barger. The Board of Trustees plan to announce naming opportunities for the legacy project later this year.

The museum will be announcing its plans for the Groundbreaking Ceremony in Spring 2021.

For more information, visit https://www.ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org.

The mission of the Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Armenian American experience. The vision is a cultural campus that enriches the community, educates the public on the Armenian American story, and empowers individuals to embrace cultural diversity and speak out against prejudice.

###

Shant Sahakian
Executive Director
Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California
116 North Artsakh Avenue, Suite 205, Glendale, CA 91206
Office: (818) 351-3554, Ext. 702
Direct: (818) 644-2214
www.ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org


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Turkish press: Tehran happy to see Azerbaijan liberate occupied territories

Arsine Chaltikian
 ISTANBUL EUROPE 
JAN 25, 2021 11:31 AM GMT+3
An Azerbaijani soldier fixes a national flag on a lamppost in the town of Lachin, Azerbaijan, Dec. 1, 2020. (AFP Photo)

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said late Sunday that he is happy to see that Azerbaijan has regained control over its occupied territories from Armenia.

Zarif arrived in Azerbaijan on Sunday night on the first leg of his regional tour of the Caucasus, which is aimed at promoting regional cooperation.

Upon his arrival at the Baku airport, the top diplomat said that Iran is "ready to help" people in Azerbaijan return to their homes in the liberated territories "as soon as possible."

He also reaffirmed his country's commitment to reconstruction efforts in war-torn Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but had been under the occupation of ethnic Armenian separatists for nearly three decades.

The territories were freed from Armenian occupation after a monthslong armed conflict between the two warring sides that ended with a Moscow-brokered truce in November.

Zarif, whose visit to Azerbaijan and other regional countries had been postponed earlier, is scheduled to hold talks with top Azerbaijani officials on Monday.

Among the issues to figure prominently in the discussions are reconstruction efforts in war-torn Karabakh and the implementation of joint economic projects.

The two sides reached an agreement last week to boost economic cooperation, with Baku welcoming Iran's offer to contribute to the reconstruction work in Karabakh.

Regarding the reconstruction of Karabakh, Azerbaijani officials have said that the country will simplify procedures for planned investment in its recently liberated territories, adding that Turkish companies will be prioritized in tenders in a bid to improve the quality of construction projects.

Baku immediately launched a reconstruction campaign across Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding seven provinces once they were liberated from Armenia in late 2020. The government plans to revive the area, which has been dilapidated since the Armenian invasion in the early 1990s, allowing for the return of the Azerbaijanis who once called the region home. An extensive rebuilding and development initiative is now underway under the directive of President Ilham Aliyev.

The government plans to help facilitate the reconstruction process for foreign investors. With the legislative amendments, the bureaucratic barriers in tenders will be removed and the base price list of construction material ordered by companies will be updated.

The regional tour will also take Zarif to Armenia, Russia and Turkey this week, which he said is aimed at the promotion of regional cooperation and expansion of bilateral relations.

Iran, which shares a 132-kilometer (82-mile) border with Azerbaijan, has traditionally maintained a neutral stance on Karabakh. However, following the latest flare-up, calls in the country have grown in favor of Baku.

Tehran recently announced its readiness to play a role in strengthening the cease-fire between Azerbaijan and Armenia, while emphasizing the need for a "permanent solution" to the crisis.

There have been reports of the Armenian side frequently violating the cease-fire deal reached between the two sides in November.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27, the Armenian military launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation.

The two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10 to end the fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution. A joint Turkish-Russian center has been established to monitor the truce, and Russian and Turkish peacekeeping troops have been deployed in the region.

Turkish press: Nakhchivan corridor to contribute Turkey-Kazakhstan trade: experts

Suren Karakhanian
 NUR SULTAN ECONOMY 
JAN 25, 2021 4:23 PM GMT+3
A worker controls the gantry crane to lift the export container at the station of Lianyungang logistics cooperation base of China and Kazakhstan, Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China, March 2, 2020. (Getty Images)

The opening of the long-shut Nakhchivan corridor between Azerbaijan and its southwestern autonomous exclave bordering Turkey is set to contribute to the rising of trade between Turkey and some Central Asian countries, namely Kazakhstan, experts said.

Saparbay Jubayev, a Kazakh economist, told Anadolu Agency (AA) in a report published Monday that the Nakhchivan corridor – newly created in an agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia following the Russian-brokered cease-fire between the two ex-Soviet nations – would strengthen Central Asia's geostrategic position.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have ports on either side of the Caspian Sea for cargo ships to dock, Jubayev said, adding that this provides the "opportunity to directly transport cargo from Europe and China among us without needing Russia or Iran," both poised on the northern and southern Caspian coastlines, respectively.

He explained that the corridor could pave the way for a route via Turkey, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

"Thus, reaching Central Asia and China will be easier for Turkey, while Kazakhstan will expand its way out to the Mediterranean and Europe via Turkey. Most importantly, it will increase travel to and from Turkish states."

Madiyar Kenjebolat, an expert from the Kazakhstan Economic Research Institute, said the corridor could also lead to a proliferation of Kazakh-Turkish joint facilities.

Products manufactured in Kazakhstan with raw materials brought from Turkey can be taken to the Russian market free of tax under the Eurasian Economic Union, Kenjebolat noted.

"The same facilities can be established in the Horgos – an international free trade zone – on the Kazakhstan-China border," he added.

Kazakh finance expert Sabit Rısbayev, similarly, pointed out that the Nakhchivan Corridor will provide a significant advantage to the countries in the Caucasus, as well.

"With this corridor, the Historical Silk Road will be revived," said Rısbayev.

After the 44-day war in the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region resulted in Azerbaijan's victory, Baku and Yerevan signed an agreement on Nov. 10. It allows Azerbaijan to create the "Nakhchivan Corridor" that unites Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan.

Turkish press: Iran’s Zarif says held ‘fruitful’ talks in Baku

Emil Lazarian
Syed Zafar Mehdi   |25.01.2021

TEHRAN

Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Monday termed his talks with top Azerbaijani officials in Baku as “fruitful”.

The top Iranian diplomat, who arrived in Baku late Sunday on the first leg of his five-nation regional tour, met with President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

The key to “sustainable peace”, Zarif said, lies in “inclusive regional arrangements”, which include “transit corridors benefiting all”.

During extensive deliberations with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Zarif expressed Iran’s readiness to contribute toward reconstruction efforts in the recently liberated Azerbaijani territories.

Zarif said he was happy to see Azerbaijan regaining control over its occupied territories, which were liberated from the Armenian occupation in November after a months-long armed conflict between the two sides that ended with a Moscow-brokered truce.

Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, is a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan. It was occupied by Armenia in 1991 and has since caused a deep rift with neighboring Azerbaijan.

When new clashes erupted Sept. 27, 2020, Armenia launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and even violated humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the six-week-long conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages, while at least 2,802 of its soldiers were martyred. There are differing claims about the number of casualties on the Armenian side, which, sources and officials say, could be as high as 5,000.

The two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement Nov. 10, 2020, to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

A joint Turkish-Russian center is being established to monitor the truce. Russian peacekeeping troops have also been deployed in the region.

The cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have withdrawn in line with the agreement.

Zarif termed the post-war phase as “key to bringing peace and stability” in the region, which he said is “in the interests of all the parties”.

The talks between the two ministers also discussed the implementation of joint economic projects, in line with discussions held last week during a meeting of the joint economic cooperation commission.

Zarif said the issues of energy cooperation, transit and activation of east-west, north-south corridors came up for discussion.

He said he will hold talks with leaders in other regional countries in the coming days to strengthen regional cooperation and efforts toward regional peace and stability.

Zarif, whose five-nation regional tour had been postponed earlier, is also slated to visit Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Turkey in the coming days.

Iran, which shares a 132-km border with Azerbaijan, has traditionally maintained a neutral stance on Karabakh. However, following the recent flare-up, calls in the country have grown in favor of Baku.

Tehran recently announced its readiness to play a role in strengthening the ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia, while emphasizing the need for a “permanent solution” to the crisis.

Asbarez: Sepetjian Family Donates $50,000 to ANCA-Western Region

Bedik Zaminian

January 25,  2020



Sarkis and Nune Sepetjian

GLENDALE–Long-time community benefactors, Mr. and Mrs. Sarkis and Nune Sepetjian and their family have donated $50,000 to the Armenian National Committee of America–Western Region to help expand advocacy efforts in pursuit of the Armenian Cause.

The Sepetjians have a long history of community involvement, philanthropy, and they have shared their success with organizations to humbly meet the needs of our community.  “We are so fortunate to be part of and contribute to an organization that has inspired us with its dedication to so many causes close to our hearts. Thank you for all your hard work,” remarked Mr. and Mrs. Sepetjian.

In appreciation of this generous donation, ANCA-WR Chairperson, Nora Hovsepian stated: “On behalf of the entire ANCA-WR family, I want to express our profound gratitude to Sarkis and Nune Sepetjian for acknowledging and encouraging our work with their magnanimous donation. It has been a tough year for us, first with the pandemic and then with the catastrophic war in Artsakh, but the work of Hai-Tahd never stops no matter how great the challenges we might face. The pursuit of our Cause requires participation by all, from staffers and volunteers to grassroots supporters and activists. But none of it is possible without the generous support of our philanthropic donors, and the Sepetjian family has once again heeded the call for which we are so thankful.”

Some of the organizations the family has supported in the past include the Armenian Cultural Foundation, the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Prelacy Schools, and Asbarez.

The ANCA-WR is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

Shots Fired at Sahag-Mesrob Cultural Center in Marseilles

Garik Boshkezenian

January 25,  2020


Shots were fired at the Sahag-Mesrob Armenian Center in Marseilles, France on Jan. 24

At around 6:40 p.m. local time on Sunday shots were fired at the Sahag-Mesrob Armenian Cultural Center in Marseille, France, shattering the window on the second floor, where piano lessons were being conducted.

No one was hurt in the attack, but the music teacher who was present at the scene at the time of the shooting, as well as the president of the cultural center lodged a complaint with the police, which sent several teams to investigate the incident.

“This is one of the most symbolic Armenian centers. More than 250 children study in the hall every week. My anxiety is boundless. I am confident that the government will guarantee the center’s further safe operation. We are unbreakable,” Karen Khurshudyan, President of Abovyan school that operates from the told the Armenians Today television program.

The Cultural Center also serves as headquarters for several Armenian organizations. During the Artsakh war, the center was the hub, from where humanitarian assistance sent from Marseilles and the south of the country to Armenia was coordinated.