Author: Adrine Hakobian

President Serzh Sargsyan received today students and schoolchildren – recipients of the RA Presidential Educational Awards for year 2016 in the area of information technologies (IT). At the award ceremony, which took place at the Presidential Palace, Serzh Sargsyan handed the awards received in different nominations. Together with each certificate, the young people received also souvenirs and monetary awards.

This year, the annual Presidential Award was bestowed on 28 students and 15 schoolchildren from 5 higher education institutions and 8 high schools. Until now, the RA Presidential Award in the IT area in different nominations has been given to 409 students and schoolchildren.

At the award ceremony President Serzh Sargsyan congratulated the students and schoolchildren who excelled in their studies and received Presidential Awards for year 2016 and wished them success.

President Serzh Sargsyan’s message at the ceremony of handing Presidential Educational Awards in the area of Information Technologies

Dear Students and Schoolchildren,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to once again congratulate you on receiving the RA Presidential Educational Award in the area of information technologies. One of the pleasing duties for President is to hand over awards but for me it’s a double pleasure because first of all, the awards are given to young people who will be shaping Armenia’s tomorrow, also because this is the area which is extremely important and prospective for Armenia. I am happy not only for you; and I am also happy for your teachers, your professors, your families, for our entire society because this proves in a way that we are moving along the right way. The Armenia of tomorrow must be better educated, moving in step with the time, in the hands of knowledgeable and creative citizens. The Armenia of tomorrow must be in the realm of the information-wise developed world. We have no other way to go. It’s a well-charted road. Throughout the millennia our people recognized, took in and accepted the progressive, made it their and thanks to that very ability have been able to exist, and we have to continue to go down this road.

Dear young people,

Your success inspires us with optimism and joy. Be more proactive, very daring in your initiatives and diligent in your studies. The 21st century is developing rapidly; we are living in a rapidly developing world. When we were your age, we didn’t know what would be the professions in the age of developed technologies, in the age of internet. The same will happen 20 or 30 years later. We need to be ready for that, and I am confident that you will be ready.

I once again congratulate you and express gratitude for your service, and service it is. Be assured that good performance in studies is a service to your country. I would like to thank the organizers of this event, thank you. And certainly I thank the award commission.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) welcomed the rise of Congressman David Valadao (R-CA), from California’s Central Valley, to his new role as Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues.

A longstanding friend of Armenians from Fresno and across America, he takes on this new post ready to work with his Caucus colleagues in support of a broad range of ANCA-supported priorities, including a U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty, the prospect of a new Millennium Challenge Corporation grant for Armenia, continued direct U.S. aid to Artsakh, and the regulatory framework needed to initiate direct international flights from airports in the United States to Zvartnotz airport in Yerevan.

“We are honored to see Congressman Valadao – a proud son of our Central Valley – take on this pivotal leadership position in the Congressional Armenian Caucus,” remarked ANCA Central California activist Sevag Tateosian “It holds special meaning for those of us in and around Fresno – one our nation’s first Armenian communities – to see our U.S. Representative helping to lead a bipartisan legislative effort to ensure that our voices are heard and our views are respected in Washington, DC. We look forward to vigorously working with him hand in hand in advancing the many issues on our shared agenda.”

Valadao was born and raised in Hanford, California in the center of the agriculturally rich Twenty First Congressional District. As a lifelong resident of the Central Valley, he has been active in agriculture and dairy industry groups, as well as many local causes including Children’s Hospital Central California, 4-H, Future Farmers of America, and various Catholic charities. The Valadao family emigrated from the Azores Islands of Portugal to the United States in 1969. After settling in the Central Valley, Valadao’s father started a small dairy farm in the Central Valley in 1973. Valadao was born on April 14, 1977.

In 2010, Valadao was elected to represent California’s 30th State Assembly District. Valadao served on several California Assembly Committees including the Agriculture Committee, where he held the position of Committee Vice-Chair. In 2012, Valadao was elected to represent California’s 21st Congressional District, which includes Kings County and portions of Fresno, Kern, and Tulare Counties. He was reelected for his second term in November 2014. Valadao is proud to serve on the influential House Appropriations Committee, which is the committee responsible for funding the federal government and determining where American tax dollars are spent.

The Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues was founded by Representatives Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and former Congressman John Porter (R-Ill.) in 1995. Since that time, the bipartisan panel has been at the forefront of Congressional action on a broad range of Armenian American concerns – from justice for the Armenian Genocide, to self-determination for Nagorno-Karabakh, stronger U.S.-Armenia ties, and support for Armenian communities in Georgia and oppressed Armenian and other Christian communities around the world.

According to a decree signed by President Serzh Sargsyan, Yuri Khachaturov has been relieved of the duties of the Chief of Staff of RA Armed Forces.

According to another presidential decree, Yuri Khachaturov has been appointed Secretary of the National Security Council.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region announced that the filmmakers of the newly-completed Armenian Genocide-era film, “The Promise,” will attend and be recognized at the organization’s 2016 annual gala banquet to be held on Sunday, October 16 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

As a part of the program, a special presentation will be made which will include a short clip from the film with behind-the-scenes footage compiled especially for this event.

Set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, “The Promise” is an epic human drama about a love triangle between Michael Boghosian, a brilliant medical student played by Golden Globe winning actor Oscar Isaac, the beautiful and sophisticated Armenian artist Ana played by Charlotte le Bon, and Chris Myers, a renowned American photo-journalist covering the war played by Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale. The film is also supported by an impressive cast of international actors. Their relationships unfold amidst the start of the Armenian Genocide, causing major upheaval of their lives and a struggle just to survive.

“It has long been the dream of every survivor and descendant of survivors to tell our story” said Kevin Matossian, production executive. “This is not only an important film for Armenians, but for every nation who has been unjustly persecuted. This is a human-rights story, that if untold, will simply repeat itself. We look forward to showing a special film clip to attendees of the ANCA-WR Gala, as this organization has consistently been at the forefront of the struggle for justice for the Armenian people.”

“The Promise” was directed by Academy Award-winner Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) and was written by Terry George and Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

Survival Pictures premiered the ground-breaking film at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, winning audience acclaim and accolades, mounting great anticipation and enthusiasm for potential viewers all over the world, and creating an expectation that upon wide release, the Armenian Genocide will finally be memorialized for a mainstream audience of both Armenians and non-Armenians. This international spotlight has already begun to shine.

Even before its festival premiere, “The Promise” has already become the international target of Genocide denialists and proponents of censorship who have initiated an online campaign to vote in droves to bring its iMDb rating down. Many celebrities, from Tyra Banks to Cher to Pharrell Williams and others have posted online tweets and comments generating excitement about the film to tens of millions of their followers. The sheer act of seeing the film through to completion has already been overwhelmingly successful in raising awareness, but much work remains to prevent the ongoing censorship efforts.

The ANCA has also called upon its grassroots activists to affirm the truth by breaking down walls of denial and opening the path to justice through this cinematic work of art by countering the efforts of Turkish propagandists, voting to maintain the film’s high stature and rating, and raising awareness among elected officials and circles of influence. Unlike the past when the Turkish government successfully blocked the production of an MGM epic film in 1934 based on Franz Werfel’s critically acclaimed novel, “The Forty Days of Musa Dagh,” Armenians of today are well-equipped and have gained enough experience and insight to overcome even the most well-funded Turkish lobbyists and denialist campaigns.

“The production of this unprecedented film was certainly a long journey filled with many challenges and obstacles, but with the late Kirk Kerkorian’s unflailing vision, resources and philanthropy, and the persistent dedication, commitment and sacrifice led by producer Eric Esrailian and his team to bring it to fruition, Armenians finally have the ability to reach millions with a message of truth and survival even from the ashes of Genocide. We are truly grateful to the filmmakers for standing strong in the face of a well-funded denialist campaign which has only just begun, and we pledge to stand together with them to ensure that this film fulfills its goal of engaging the public in our national story. After decades of work to secure recognition and justice for the Armenian Genocide, we are confident that an epic film of this stature will result in great strides for our Cause,” stated ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq.

The 2016 ANCA WR Annual Gala Banquet will be held on Sunday, October 16, 2016 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The main event will begin at 4:30p.m.with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a silent auction. A three-course dinner will follow at 6:00 p.m. with a powerful program and presentation of the awards.

In the last month, the organization also announced that it will honor California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson with the Man of the Year Award, Varoujan Koundkajian posthumously with the Legacy Award, California State Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian with the Legislator of the Year Award, Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr and the Kerr family with the Humanitarian Award, and German Parliament Member Cem Ozdemir and the German Bundestag with the Freedom Award.

Individuals interested in attending and sponsoring the Annual Gala Banquet are encouraged to purchase tickets online at www.ancawrgala.org or call (818) 839-1918. To obtain corporate sponsorship information visit ancawr.org/gala/sponsorship or call (818) 500-1919. For up to the minute updates on the event follow ANCA Western Region on social media: facebook.com/ANCAWesternRegion, Twitter and Instagram: ANCA_WR

The ANCA-WR Gala Banquet represents the single largest annual gathering of Armenian American public policy leaders throughout the western United States, and is attended by over 1,000 prominent Members of Congress, state legislators and officials, community leaders, and many of the organization’s strongest activists and generous donors from California, Nevada, Arizona, and throughout the western United States.

President Serzh Sargsyan, who is in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan on a working visit, participated at the meeting of the Council of the CIS Heads of State in Bishkek which was conducted in the restricted format. The meeting was presided over by the President of the host country Almazbek Atambaev.

At the meeting, which was conducted first in the restricted and later in the extended format, the Heads of State  discussed issues related to the cooperation of the member states in the political, economic, humanitarian and security areas, over a dozen of issues related to the countering the new challenges and threats. The discussions were followed by the document signing ceremony.

In Bishkek, the Presidents signed a Presidential Declaration on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Commonwealth of Independent States in which they summarized the results of the activities carried out by the Organization in the last twenty-five years and  specified the prospects of the expansion and deepening of the cooperation in the framework of bringing the CIS in line with the existing reality.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) held a productive and positive meeting with the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA), on a wide variety of topics, including efforts to bring peace and freedom to the independent Republic of Nagorno Karabagh (Artsakh). The meeting was held at the Chairman’s district office in Brea, California on August 17, 2016 and included the participation of national, regional and local ANCA officials. The ANCA has had a long and constructive relationship with Chairman Royce based on the outstanding work of the ANCA of Orange County and accompanied the Chairman during his 2014 Congressional Delegation visit to the Republic of Armenia.

“Armenian Americans living in California’s 39th Congressional District are fortunate to have a senior Member of Congress like Ed Royce, who chairs the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, representing them in Washington, DC,” expressed ANCA Western Region Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. after meeting with Chairman Royce. “Chairman Royce is unique because of his total command and understanding of issues ranging from Artsakh to the Armenian Genocide. We look forward to continuing our work with Chairman Royce to secure peace and freedom for Artsakh and to secure justice with respect to the Armenian Genocide. The ANCA is especially eager to work with Chairman Royce in the coming days to secure implementation of the Royce-Engel initiative,” Hovsepian added.

The meeting with Chairman Royce focused on the pressing need to make sustained progress on the Royce-Engel initiative launched last year by the Chairman and the Ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY). The Royce-Engel initiative, which is strongly backed by the ANCA, includes three common-sense measures to secure Artsakh peace. 1.) An agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers, heavy arms, or new weaponry along the line of contact. 2.) The placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact. 3.) The deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor cease-fire violations. Armenia and Artsakh have long agreed to all three measures; Azerbaijan opposes their implementation. The Royce-Engel proposals, have received the support of over 90 U.S. Representatives through two Congressional letters sent to the Obama Administration in November of 2015 and March of 2016.

ANCA leaders also highlighted the reckless nature of the “Madrid Principles,” which are being discussed in the context of a final settlement for Artsakh. Originally discussed in 2007 with the specifics largely kept secret until recently, the “Madrid Principles” set forth a proposed formula which purportedly calls for Artsakh’s up-front surrender of 7 regions of its sovereign territory in return for only a vague promise that Azerbaijan will allow a future “expression of will” that would determine its status, setting the stage for continued conflict and increased regional instability. The ANCA shared with Chairman Royce that the organization considers the “Madrid Principles” to be reckless, irresponsible and – as noted by many Members of Congress – not a sound recipe for peace.

Next month, ANCA leaders will join Chairman Royce at the In Defense of Christians (IDC) national advocacy convention in Washington, DC. The IDC convention, which is being sponsored by the ANCA, is seeking to safeguard health and welfare of the remaining Christians in the Middle East. During the 114th Congress, Chairman Royce was a powerful force in advancing legislation that led the Obama Administration to label the crimes against humanity occurring today against Christians, including Armenians, and other minorities in the Middle East – as a genocide.

 

 

 

There can be no negotiation process unless Artsakh is involved in talks, Executive Director of the Foundation Against the Violation of Law (FAVL), Armenia’s first Human Rights Defender Larisa Alaverdyan told a press conference today. She said the process under the aegis of the Minsk Group is living a crisis.

“Whatever we call the process under way within the framework of the Minsk Group, it is in crisis. The lack of agreement on meetings and the cautious statements of the Co-Chairs come to prove this,” she said.

Larisa Alaverdyan said the steps of the Armenian side are unclear to her. “The OSCE has other institutes beside the Minsk Group – the OSCE Fact-Finding Mission, for example.” She noted that Azerbaijan applies to the mission on every occasion, while we never do.

Director of the Modus Vivendi Analytical Center, political scientist Ara Papyan noted that “the document on the table today is not new. It comes from the 1994 agreement.”

He said “the last document that has been spoken about is that of Kazan” and added that the solution of the issue in that format is unacceptable.

Speaking about the steps of the Armenian side, Ara Papyan stressed the need to change the “ground and essence” of the negotiation process. “The principle of territories against nothing should be cancelled,” he said.

According to the political scientist, there are both positive and negative factors in the geopolitical developments. “The positive factor is that there are opportunities Armenia should use to develop relations with the West, thus creating an alternative,” he said.

Larisa Alaverdyan does not exclude the perspective of a large-scale war. “The possibility is high, considering the lack of cusses in diplomacy. That means that Azerbaijan’s failed nasty attack in April was a signal to our authorities to reinforce the armed forces,” she said.

Alaverdyan said she has no expectants form the Minsk Group, but added that she’s not against meetings. “Meetings at least mean there should be no war.”

Ara Papyan does not expect from a possible Paris meeting, either.

An army group in Turkey says it has taken over the country, with soldiers at strategic points in Istanbul and jets flying low in the capital, Ankara.

A statement read on TV said a “peace council” now ran the country and there was a curfew and martial law. There would also be new constitution.

It is unclear who the army group is. There are reports some senior army officials have been detained.

CNN Turk says President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is “safe”.

It did not elaborate.

PM Binali Yildirim had earlier denounced an “illegal action” by a military “group”, stressing it was not a coup. He said that the government remained in charge.

Today, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) Appropriations Bill, which covers assistance to Armenia and the region, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) reported. The bill maintains Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and includes language for aid to nations hosting Syrian refugees.

Specifically, the SFOPS Report highlighted the need for additional assistance to “vulnerable populations in Syria and in neighboring countries,” comprised of Syrian refugees, Christians, and other minorities afflicted by the Syrian civil war and persecuted by the Islamic State (ISIS). According to the bill, funds “shall be made available for programs in countries affected by significant populations of internally displaced persons or refugees.”

The Committee also recommends the expansion of humanitarian programs to ensure services reach these vulnerable populations. In addition, the House has incorporated a section on Genocide Victim Memorial Sites, where funds are appropriated “to establish and maintain memorial sites of genocide.”

Similar to Fiscal Year 2016, this year’s Committee report did not delineate funding levels for the South Caucasus generally, however, the Senate approved version provided $24.1 million in non-military assistance to Armenia as well as called for continued aid to Nagorno Karabakh.

“As Congress finalizes the House and Senate Appropriations Bills, the Armenian Assembly will continue to push for additional assistance to help Armenia cope with the influx of refugees fleeing from violence in Syria, as well as for much needed humanitarian assistance to help Nagorno Karabakh rebuild after the April war launched by Azerbaijan,” Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny stated.

Earlier this year, 33 Members sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee outlining funding and policy issues for the region. Ardouny, in testimony submitted to the Committee, outlined nine key policy priorities for the Armenian American community, including assistance to Christian Armenians in the Middle East, the majority of whom are descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide. According to Ardouny’s testimony: “The Assembly also urge[d] enhanced assistance to Christian and other minority communities at risk in the Middle East, with a particular focus of concern regarding the continued unrest in Syria, particularly the battleground city of Aleppo where Armenian churches and other institutions have come under attack.”

The House Appropriations Bill, similar to the Senate’s, maintains Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act as well, restating the six customary exemptions for humanitarian and other assistance to Azerbaijan. Section 907 of the 1992 FREEDOM Support Act was enacted to address Azerbaijan’s hostile actions against Armenia.

The official trailer for “Earthquake” – a movie about the devastating 1988 earthquake in Armenia, which claimed several thousand lives, has been released.

Directed by Sarik Andreasyan, the movie was shot on the territory of an old Moscow factory, where the decorations of ruined Leninakan (now Gyumri) were constructed.

The crew first focused on the documentary materials, but things changed after the authors spent time talking to people affected by the tragedy. “Emotionally, this project is a very complex one,” Production Designer David Dadunashvili said.

The director said in one of the interviews that the “Earthquake” is a film about people and about the uniting factor of the tragedy.

The movie will be released in Russia and Armenia at the end of 2016. Armenia will probably nominate it for the Oscar in the “Best Foreign Language Film” nomination.