Month: March 2023

Russian, Armenian top diplomats note importance of Yerevan-Baku normalization — statement

Emil Lazarian
 TASS 
Russia – March 3 2023
"The talks were held in a friendly and trusting atmosphere. It was agreed to continue contacts through diplomatic channels," Sergey Lavrov and Ararat Mirzoyan pointed

MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan at a meeting in New Delhi on Friday on the sidelines of the international geopolitics and geoeconomics conference ‘Raisina Dialogue’ pointed to the urgency of intensifying efforts on all tracks of Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"There was an exchange of views on regional issues. The parties stressed the necessity of stepping up efforts on all tracks of Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization in accordance with the agreements of the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan dated November 9, 2020, January 11, November 26, 2021 and October 31, 2022," the Foreign Ministry said.

As the ministry noted, the top diplomats discussed topical issues of the bilateral agenda. "Approaches to promoting cooperation on international platforms within the framework of common integration associations were coordinated," the Russian Foreign Ministry added.

"The talks were held in a friendly and trusting atmosphere. It was agreed to continue contacts through diplomatic channels," the diplomats pointed.

As it was previously reported, the Armenian top diplomat will stay in New Delhi until March 4.

Lavrov arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday evening to attend the March 1-2 G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting. The Russian top diplomat held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Thursday, and with the Foreign Ministers of Brazil, India and Turkey on Wednesday. Before the G20 events in New Delhi, Lavrov paid a working visit to Baku, where he met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ceyhun Bayramov.

https://tass.com/world/1584541

Peacekeepers recorded three violations of ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh — Russian ministry

Emil Lazarian
 TASS 
Russia – March 3 2023
According to the ministry, the command of the Russian peacekeeping force is conducting an investigation of these facts jointly with Azerbaijan and Armenia

MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. Russian peacekeepers have recorded three violations of ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to a Russian Defense Ministry bulletin on the activities of the peacekeeping force that was released on Friday.

"Three ceasefire violations have been recorded in the Martuni and Shusha districts. No casualties," the statement said.

According to the ministry, the command of the Russian peacekeeping force is conducting an investigation of these facts jointly with Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"The command of the Russian peacekeepers continues negotiations to resume unimpeded vehicular traffic on the Stepanakert-Goris road," the ministry said.

Artsakh sets up working group to discuss urgent humanitarian issues with Azerbaijan

Lara Antonian
Panorama
Armenia – March 3 2023

Artsakh’s government has set up a working group to discuss pressing humanitarian issues with Azerbaijan, the country’s Security Council Office said in a statement on Friday. The full statement can be read below.

"We inform that in accordance with the decision made at the session of the Security Council of the Republic of Artsakh on February 28, 2023, a working group has been established, the purpose of which is to discuss URGENT humanitarian issues with the Azerbaijani side.

The head of the group is Samvel Shahramanyan, Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Artsakh.

In accordance with the agreement reached through mediation of the command staff of the peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation deployed in the Republic of Artsakh, on March 1, 2023, at 11 a.m., a meeting was held at the headquarters of the peacekeeping mission with participation of the commander of the troops, Major General Andrey Volkov, which was attended by a similar working group formed by the Republic of Azerbaijan, headed by Ramin Mammadov, member of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan.

The following issues were on the meeting agenda:

1. Ensuring uninterrupted supply of natural gas to the Republic of Artsakh and excluding further disruption of the gas supply;

2. Ensuring the possibility of inspecting the section of the only high-voltage line entering Artsakh from the Republic of Armenia, which is under the control of the Azerbaijani armed forces, in order to carry out restoration works by the specialists of Artsakh Energy CJSC and restore the electricity supply to the Republic of Artsakh;

3. Conducting an one-time visual tour by an Azerbaijani specialized group on the territories of Kashen and Drmbon mines;

4. Complete opening of the Stepanakert-Goris highway.

In the opening remarks, the commander of the peacekeeping troops presented the participants of the meeting as parties of the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Azerbaijan.  After that, the head of the Artsakh group clarified to the Azerbaijani side the powers of the group he leads, that is the discussion of the above-mentioned specific issues and finding solutions on them.

At the beginning of the discussions, the head of the Azerbaijani group tried to lead the conversation towards the need for integration of Artsakh people with Azerbaijan, presenting prospects of obtaining possible socio-economic benefits in that case. However, the head of the Artsakh group called for discussion on clearly defined issues. The latter also emphasized that these contacts on urgent humanitarian and infrastructural issues cannot address the main issues of comprehensive settlement of the conflict, and for this it is necessary to establish a format with broad international support.

It should be noted that the other members of the Azerbaijani group were engaged in the discussion of the above-mentioned four specific issues and the search for solutions, accordingly, the subsequent course of the meeting was fully complied with the framework defined by the agenda.

As a result of the discussion of all the above-mentioned issues, specific agreements were reached, which the Azerbaijani side undertook to report to the higher authorities, and in the coming days to inform the Artsakh side about the results through the peacekeeping mission.

During the meeting, an agreement was reached on establishment of the stable two-way communication mechanism between the parties.

At the meeting, the parties agreed to publish only general information for the time being, given that the process is still in the working stage.  However, shortly after the meeting, the head of the Azerbaijani group gave interviews on various information platforms of his country, in which he spread disinformation, completely deviating from the actual content and process, in particular announcing that the meeting discussed "issues of the reintegration of the Armenian population of the Karabakh region into Azerbaijan." Unfortunately, some representatives of the Armenian media took this trick of Azerbaijani officials and media, thereby creating a false impression that issues related to the comprehensive settlement of the conflict are allegedly being discussed in Artsakh-Azerbaijani contacts. Meanwhile, as we mentioned, the meeting on March 1, in which the commander of the Russian peacekeeping troops participated as well, was dedicated only to the discussion of steps aimed at lifting the blockade of Artsakh and relating issues.

Another misinformation of Azerbaijan, according to which the next meeting of the official representatives of the parties "may take place in Ganja or Aghdam" and without the participation of the Russian peacekeeping troops, is without substance as well.

We urge the public not to succumb to the fabrications of the Azerbaijani propaganda machine and to be sure that the public will be given exhaustive information about the above-mentioned process and its results."

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2023/03/03/Artsakh-humanitarian-issues/2801992

Metropolitan Museum of Art revises information on Aivazovsky to reflect his Armenian heritage

Elizabeth Jabejian
Panorama
Armenia – March 3 2023

The world-renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has revised the way it identifies famous seascape painter Ivan Aivazovsky to reflect his Armenian heritage, following complaints from community members, Asbarez reported..

Along with many community members, Taleen Setrakian also chronicled her efforts to address the mis-characterization of not only Aivazovsky’s heritage but also that of Arshile Gorky, who is listed as an “American, born Van Province, Ottoman Turkey,” on the website of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

The Met told Setrakian in an email shared with Asbarez that it was “undertaking a review” of how Aivazovsky was identified.

“We are currently undertaking additional revisions to our cataloguing of Ivan Aivazovsky, in order to ensure that his Armenian identity is duly recognized on our website,” the Met’s European Paintings Department said in an email in response to Setrakian’s inquiry regarding Aivazovsky’s misidentification.

“The Met regularly researches and examines objects in its collection in order to determine the most appropriate and accurate way to catalogue and present them. This includes the best way the complex national and cultural identities in this region during the nineteenth century,” the Met explained.

Originally, the Met had identified Aivazovsky as Ukrainian, including in the biographical notes that he was “born into an Armenian family.”

In the revised iteration, the Met has added his Armenian birth name next to his professional name and has amended the “Ukrainian” moniker with “Armenian, born Russian Empire [now Ukraine].”

In his biography, the Met has also emphasized Aivazovsky’s Armenian heritage by writing, “As a member of the city’s longstanding Armenian community, Aivazovsky had a rich cultural and linguistic background. He worked and exhibited widely, including in cities in present-day Armenia, Georgia, Italy, Russia, Turkey, and mainland Ukraine.”


Armenian opposition seeks ouster of top court judge accused of gross misconduct

Alex Jidarian
Panorama
Armenia – March 3 2023

The largest opposition Hayastan faction in the Armenian parliament has drafted a decision asking the National Assembly to apply to the Constitutional Court to dismiss its new judge, Seda Safaryan, who is accused of a gross misconduct, lawyer Arsen Babayan said on Friday.

Safaryan hired her husband as her driver and continued to work as an attorney after being appointed as a court justice last fall, sparking allegations of abuse of power.

“I held a phone call with Hayastan faction secretary Artsvik Minasyan a short while ago. He said that the faction had already drafted a decision on applying to the Constitutional Court over the case involving judge Seda Safaryan and would put it into circulation,” Babayan wrote on Facebook.

“The ball is now in the ruling team’s court. It’s for the parliament majority to decide whether to allow the judge installed by them to continue serving as a “judge-suspect” throughout her tenure or to apply to the Constitutional Court to settle the issue,” he added.

Sports: Gymnastics World Cup: Armenia’s Artur Davtyan reaches final

Emil Lazarian
Panorama
Armenia – March 3 2023

SPORT 16:02 03/03/2023 ARMENIA

Reigning world champion Artur Davtyan has advanced to the final of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup second leg in Doha, Qatar.

Davtyan, a European champion and a Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze medalist, placed second in the vault qualification with a score of 14.766, the sports ministry said on Friday.

The athlete earned a gold medal in the first leg of the Gymnastics World Cup in Cottbus, Germany on February 26.

Two other Armenian gymnasts, Vahagn Davtyan and Artur Avetisyan, reached the World Cup final on Wednesday.

Pashinyan: Armenia has agreed to separate settlement of Karabakh issue from Armenian-Azerbaijani process

Diana Dabaghian
News.am
Armenia – March 3 2023

23:56, 02.03.2023

Azerbaijan's growing aggressiveness towards Nagorno-Karabakh makes clear Azerbaijan's intentions to carry out ethnic cleansing of Armenians. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at the discussion, entitled "Security and Stability in the South Caucasus: The Prospect of Armenia," at the German Council on Foreign Relations , according to First Channel News.

Recently, president of Azerbaijan Aliyev announced that the Lachin corridor is open for those Armenians who want to leave Karabakh. It means that the Lachin corridor is closed for those Armenians who live in Nagorno-Karabakh, Pashinyan said.

Despite this, the government of Armenia has shown political will and is taking decisive steps to open a new era of peace and stability in the South Caucasus and is constructively engaged in the Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations, he added.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiation process is proceeding in the following three main directions: agreement on the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, unblocking transport communications and economic ties in the region, and border delimitation and security he noted.

Armenia has agreed to separate the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue from the Armenian-Azerbaijani process, with the logic that an international discussion mechanism be formed between Karabakh and Azerbaijan, he said.

It is important for Armenia to create a guarantee mechanism aimed at solving the security and rights issues of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, which will have international visibility and engagement, he noted.

Humanitarian issues, such as the return of all Armenian POWs and the entry of international organizations into Nagorno-Karabakh, remain unresolved and are issues of primary concern for Armenia, the PM said.

Armenia strongly condemns Azerbaijan's continuous violations of the Geneva Convention on POWs, as at least 33 Armenian POWs have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment on completely fictitious charges, he noted.

The fact that Azerbaijan refuses to return Armenian POWs to their homeland is another violation by Azerbaijan of point 8 of the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, the Armenian PM stated.

AW: Law professor Milena Sterio to discuss the Artsakh conflict in ANC of Boston lecture

Kevo Kalantarian
March 2, 2023 Ara Nazarian, PhD Announcements 0

WATERTOWN, Mass. – The Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Boston is hosting a webinar on the current situation in Artsakh. This free and open online event will be held on Thursday, March 9, at 7:00 PM. Registration is required.

This online presentation, hosted by Ms. Ani Zargarian, will feature Professor Milena Sterio, the Charles R. Emrick Jr. – Calfee Halter & Griswold Professor of Law at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Professor Sterio’s presentation will be entitled “The Artsakh Conflict: International Law, Self-Determination and Remedial Secession.”

International Law establishes that specific groups are entitled to self-determination; that they have the right to auto-determine their political fate. The right to self-determination clearly applies to colonized and subjugated peoples; it is possible to argue that this right also applies to oppressed groups whose rights have been severely violated by their parent state. Self-determination is typically exercised through secession, whereby the relevant group secedes from the territory of its parent state to join another state or to form its own independent state. Professor Sterio will discuss the right to self-determination as well as the process of secession in the context of Artsakh, and she will analyze whether the people of Artsakh are entitled to the exercise of the right of self-determination through remedial secession.

The Managing Director of the Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG), Professor Sterio is a leading expert on international law, international criminal law and human rights. She is one of the six permanent editors of the prestigious IntLawGrrls blog and a frequent contributor focused on international law, policy and practice. In the spring of 2013, Professor Sterio was selected as a Fulbright Scholar, spending the semester in Baku, Azerbaijan, at Baku State University. In Baku, she had the opportunity to teach and conduct research on secession issues under international law related to Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh). She has participated as an expert at hearings of the International Criminal Court on various international criminal law issues. Serving as a maritime piracy law expert, she has participated in meetings of the United Nations Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia as well as in the work of the United Nations Global Counterterrorism Forum. She is a graduate of Cornell Law School and the University of Paris I, and was an associate in the New York City firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton before joining the ranks of academia full time. She has published seven books and numerous law review articles. Her latest book The Syrian Conflict’s Impact on International Law (co-authored with Paul Williams and Michael Scharf) was published by Cambridge University Press in 2020.

The audience will have the opportunity to engage the speaker in a Q&A session following the presentation. For all questions and additional information, please contact the ANC of Boston at [email protected].

  •  Bio
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Ara Nazarian is an associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a degree in mechanical engineering, followed by graduate degrees from Boston University, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Harvard University. He has been involved in the Armenian community for over a decade, having served in a variety of capacities at the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center, Armenian National Committee of America, St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.


Olaf Scholz emphasizes the right of self-determination of NK citizens for the resolution of the conflict

Emil Karabekian

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 19:00, 2 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Germany is concerned about the unstable situation on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan and the worsening humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Germany attaches importance to reaching a peaceful settlement from the point of view of the territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the right of self-determination of the citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports, Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz announced at a joint press conference after the meeting with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.

Scholz said that during the meeting with the Armenian Prime Minister, they exchanged ideas regarding the deepening of bilateral relations. He mentioned the fact that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has started a process of comprehensive reforms in Armenia. Germany wants to continue assisting Armenia on this way, within the scope of its capabilities. Scholz considered it important that last year Germany started cooperation with Armenia in the field of development.

Scholz also emphasized that Armenia and Azerbaijan should go step by step to a long-term solution. The Armenian Prime Minister presented Sholts with the latest developments in Nagorno-Karabakh. "We are concerned about the unstable situation on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan and the worsening humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. The status quo cannot continue and a long-term solution must be found for the good of the people. From this point of view, it is necessary to reach a peaceful resolution, from the point of view of the territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the right of self-determination of the citizens of NK. Moreover, all these principles are equal," said the Chancellor.

Germany supports the mediation efforts of the President of the European Council Charles Michel. Scholz emphasized that Germany did this by also sending German personnel as part of the EU civilian mission. Moreover, that mission will be headed by a German federal police officer.

Scholz considered the exchange of ideas between Pashinyan and Aliyev in Prague and Munich as an encouraging step for the resolution of the conflict.

Referring to the question and the observation that Azerbaijan does not even comply with the decision of the Hague Court to ensure free movement through the Lachin Corridor, Scholz reaffirmed. "We support the right to self-determination, as well as the principle of territorial integrity." He emphasized the improvement of security in the region.

Scholz and Pashinyan also talked about the countries' economic relations. The Chancellor of Germany encouraged Prime Minister Pashinyan to continue his fight against corruption.

Scholz also thanked the Armenian Prime Minister for his visit to Germany.

AGBU Announces ‘Women Shaping the World’ Conference in New York City

Emil Lazarian

 

 

 

March 3 2023

For immediate release

 

NEW YORK – To celebrate International Women’s Day, The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) will host ‘Women Shaping the World’ (WSTW) on March 11, 2023, in Manhattan’s Convene Center at One Liberty Plaza. The all-day conference will feature high-profile female keynote speakers and panelists who have made transformational change through their career, philanthropy, or volunteer work, including Shelby Scarbrough of Global School of Entrepreneurship, media personality Hagar Hajjar Chemali, and Zara Ingilizian of World Economic Forum, all moderated by TV producer Alexis Alexanian. The conference will feature EmpowerHour sessions ranging in topics from boundaries and balance to financial literacy and wellness, with a special focus on the themes of resilience and reflection. Breakfast and lunch are included. Proceeds will benefit AGBU’s EmpowerHer program, providing educational and psycho-social skills to support the women of Armenia achieving financial and social independence.

 

Who: The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU)

 

What: ‘Women Shaping the World’ (WSTW) Conference

 

When: March 11, 2023

             10:00 am – 4:30 pm (EDT)

 

Where:  Convene

               One Liberty Plaza

               New York, NY 10006

               United States

 

For more information, please visit https://agbu.org/women-shaping-world-2023 or contact:

 

AGBU Press Office

55 East 59th Street

New York, NY 10022-1112

 

The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a difference in the lives of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian diaspora.  Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more visit www.agbu.org.

This email was sent to [email protected]

AGBU, 55 East 59th Street, NY, New York 10022, United States

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