Author: Andranik Taslakhchian

Greece and Cyprus Formalize Military Agreements with Armenia

Andranik Taslakhchian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Armenia, Cypriot and Greek defense ministry representatives in Yerevan on Dec. 18


Greek and Cypriot defense ministry representatives were in Yerevan on Monday to sign bilateral and trilateral military cooperation agreements with Armenia.

Last week, Armenia announced separate military cooperation agreements with Greece and Cyprus, which also have a three-way component given the Greek and Cypriot relations.

The Head of the International Organizations Section of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, Brigadier General Vasileios Tsamis, led the Greek delegation while the Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Cyprus National Guard General Staff, Colonel Alkiviadis Alkiviadis, headed the Cypriot delegation.

The official ceremony took place at Armenia’s Defense Ministry, with the participation of minister Suren Papikyan.

The three officials reviewed the outcomes of Papikyan’s visit last week to Greece and Cyprus. The discussions, according to a defense ministry statement, focused on the cooperation projects dealing with regional and international security concerns.

Levon Ayvazyan, head of Armenia’s defense ministry’s international cooperation department presented a detailed overview of the ongoing reforms within the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia to his colleagues.

Concluding the consultations, the participating parties formalized agreements by signing the Armenia-Greece, Armenia-Cyprus, and Armenia-Greece-Cyprus Military Cooperation Programs for 2024.

The Saroyans, Chance Encounters and a Briefcase of Coffee

Andranik Taslakhchian
 Jane Partizpanyan Culture, Family Histories 0

Over a year ago, I uncovered a relatively forgotten story on the transfer of William Saroyan’s ashes from the United States to Yerevan, Armenia, where they were subsequently buried at the Komitas Pantheon. My report was based on research I conducted using online and print sources. This was when I discovered that my great-grandfather, Armenian playwright Aramashot Papayan, had been a part of this historic transfer and was one of the leaders and members of the Yerevan delegation that went to Moscow, Russia to greet the U.S. delegation tasked with bringing the urn to the homeland.

At the time, I did not know that I would, over a year later, have the unexpected chance to personally speak with a key figure of the U.S. delegation who brought Saroyan’s urn from the United States to Armenia. 

William Saroyan with the Jendian family: Allan Jendian and his wife Rosemary Jendian with their children Matthew and Megan (Micah not pictured). Witnessing William Saroyan’s will being signed. April 11, 1981. Fresno, CA. Photo captured by Penny Console.

Just a few weeks ago, as I sat celebrating my birthday at a Lebanese-Armenian restaurant, I received an excited text from Dr. Tony Saroyan, a distant relation of William Saroyan and a doctor of psychology, someone I had interviewed in the past about his family’s history and relation to William Saroyan. “Allan Jendian,” the text read as my phone lit up. “I met him right now. He was in charge of transporting William Saroyan’s ashes. He has amazing stories.”

“What are the chances?” I thought to myself. I immediately asked Dr. Saroyan to ask Jendian if he had any memories of my papik. “He said in a briefcase [Papayan] had a burner and coffee,” was Dr. Saroyan’s reply. “Yep,” I thought, smiling to myself. “That was definitely my papik.”

A few days later I got in touch with Jendian, who was gracious enough to lend me his time and shared a more revealing perspective of this historic moment. Jendian was born in Boston and raised in Watertown, Massachusetts. He graduated from Fresno State University in 1967 with a degree in accounting and worked as a Revenue Agent for the IRS until his retirement. 

Jendian has been, and still is, very active within the Armenian community. He is an ordained deacon and has been involved with organizations such as AGBU, the Armenian Assembly, ACYO Central Council, Knights of Vartan and many more. 

As a Fresno resident, his path crossed William Saroyan’s on several occasions. Jendian first met Saroyan at a laundromat, where Jendian approached him to hand him a booklet on the writer himself, one that had been created during his time at the United Armenian Commemorative Committee, on which he served as chairman for 15 years. 

They subsequently had coffee, and their relationship sparked from there. Years later, Saroyan asked Jendian to witness the signing of his will. This was the last signing of Saroyan’s will, which took place on April 11, 1981, a month before his death. Saroyan called Jendian and personally asked him to be present at the signing, insisting that he not forget to be there.

“I can’t forget, because April 11 is my daughter’s birthday,” said Jendian.

Jendian arrived at the signing with his wife and two of his three children. Saroyan had a book prepared and signed for Jendian’s daughter, Megan, in honor of her birthday.

After Saroyan passed away, a tribute committee was created by community members, of which Jendian was the acting chairman. The tribute was held in Fresno, California and attended by Vardges Petrosyan, president of the Writers Union of Armenia, and Lusine Zakaryan, beloved Armenian lyrical soprano, both of whom had hoped to return to Armenia with Saroyan’s ashes.

U.S. and Yerevan delegation arrive at Yerevan airport with William Saroyan’s urn. From left: Aramashot Papayan, Vardges Petrosyan, Vardges Hamazaspyan (chairman of Spurk), Robert Demir, Allan Jendian and Dr. Dickran Kouymdjian. 1982.

Due to the time pressure of the Armenian Orthodox tradition of conducting a requiem at the one-year mark of a person’s death, the organization agreed to create a delegation to transfer the ashes to Armenia. 

The delegation consisted of Jendian, William Saroyan’s attorney Robert Demir and Dr. Dickran Kouymdjian, former director of the Armenian Studies program at California State University, Fresno. Later, the Committee for Cultural Relations Abroad (Spurk) chose Osheen Keshishian, former editor of the Armenian Observer, to join the delegation in representation of their organization. The four of them garnered the endearing nickname, “Saroyan Quartet.”

Members of the Writers Union greet the arriving U.S. and Yerevan delegations. From left: Mkrtich Sargsyan, Vardges Petrosyan, Razmik Davoyan, Aramashot Papayan, Robert Demir and Allan Jendian. Yerevan airport. 1982.

When the U.S. delegation arrived at an airport in Moscow, a delegation from Yerevan was waiting to greet them. The Yerevan delegation consisted of Papayan, Petrosyan from the Writers Union, Perch Zeytuntsyan, Karlen Mikaelyan, Robert Galustyan, Albert Gasparyan and Garo Atoyan. 

The urn was revealed at the foot of the plane, and members of the Yerevan delegation took turns holding it. Following their arrival, the two delegations had dinner at the Budapest Hotel, which went on for hours as the writers took turns eulogizing William Saroyan. 

“You could see that Saroyan meant so much to them,” said Jendian. “They were all very somber. [Papayan] more so because they both had the same make-up as individuals. There was a lot of likeness. For them, being Bitlisian meant the world.”

Yet the urn was not officially transferred to the possession of the Writers Union until the group reached Yerevan and an event took place for the transfer. Until then, Jendian was primarily tasked with protecting the urn.

Writers Union event of William Saroyan’s urn transfer. Vardges Petrosyan and Vardges Hamazaspyan carry William Saroyan’s urn. Allan Jendian stands in the center. Yerevan, Armenia. 1982.

Early the next morning the delegations boarded the plane for Yerevan and were taken to Armenia Hotel, now known as Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan. Later, at an official event, the urn was transferred to the Writers Union. 

Over the course of the next few days, the Yerevan and U.S. delegations explored the city together and attended many events. They went around the city in free taxi rides, this being a luxury bestowed particularly upon the Saroyan Quartet on behalf of the generosity of the taxi drivers. Every time Papayan visited their hotel, he pulled out his briefcase, stuffed to the brim with ingredients and tools for coffee, and made everyone cups of coffee.

William Saroyan’s urn is presented to the Writers Union at the official event. Photo includes Vahagn Davtyan, Allan Jendian, Robert Demir, Dr. Dickran Kouymdjian, Vardges Petrosyan, Hrachya Hovhannisyan, Vardges Hamazaspyan and others. Yerevan, Armenia. 1982.

A day after watching one of Papayan’s plays at a theater, the group decided to visit one of the writer’s homes. There happened to be no taxis out at this time, so Papayan hailed a bus instead and earnestly explained who they were and the unfortunate predicament that had left them with no transportation. “The bus driver, then knowing this was the Saroyan Quartet, went off the route and took us,” said Jendian.

Several days later, on May 29, 1982, the burial of the urn took place at Yerevan’s Komitas Pantheon. The observance lasted two hours and consisted of numerous speeches. Jendian stood on the dignitaries platform along with the Writers Union Members, First Secretary of the Armenia SSR Karen Demerdjian, and other dignitaries, alongside thousands of admirers who came to honor Saroyan’s life and cultural contributions. 

The burial of William Saroyan’s ashes at Komitas Pantheon. The dignitaries’ platform. Vardges Petrosyan and Vardges Hamazaspyan stand behind the microphones, alongside First Secretary of the Armenia SSR, Karen Demerdjian (left). May 29, 1982. Yerevan, Armenia.

Jendian visited Armenia several more times after this event. In 1995, Jendian returned to Armenia as a delegate representing the National Ecclesiastical Assembly for the election of the Catholicos of All Armenians. At this event, 13 years after the burial of Saroyan’s urn, when Jendian entered the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin during a procession, his eyes met Papayan’s. 

The burial of William Saroyan’s ashes at Komitas Pantheon. The dignitaries’ platform, including the U.S. and Yerevan delegations, Writers Union members, Armenian government officials and other dignitaries.

Life has a way about it sometimes, as it delicately weaves the past and present together into images of unforgettable people.

“It took me back to when I first met him,” said Jendian. “Many years later, neither of us forgot each other. [Papayan] was a really nice man. Very bubbly. Somewhat reminds me of Bill.”

William Saroyan was the reason Jendian and Papayan met. Dr. Tony Saroyan was the reason Jendian met me, Papayan’s great-granddaughter. Life has a way about it sometimes, as it delicately weaves the past and present together into images of unforgettable people. Jendian and I are a snapshot of such moments. When worlds collide and memories revive, they help us breathe life into the photos in our possession. Through his own memories, Jendian helped me gain a clearer understanding of my great-grandfather.

“He was a warm, very gentle person. With his white wavy hair and all, you can’t miss him. Even today while we are talking,” said Jendian, “I could just picture him.”

Dignitaries and citizens gather around in Komitas Pantheon to mourn William Saroyan.

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Jane Partizpanyan is the Development Assistant for the Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California, a historic world-class project currently under construction. She is also a regular contributor to The Armenian Weekly and a published poet, having been featured in several literary journals and magazines. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations from California State University, Northridge, where she graduated magna cum laude.


Meet the lobbyists fronting for Azerbaijan in Washington

Andranik Taslakhchian
Dec 14 2023
REPORTING | WASHINGTON POLITICS

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) recently sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to get tougher on Azerbaijan for its “brazen campaign of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

This follows an earlier statement from Cardin, shortly after Azerbaijan’s September “lightning offensive” against Nagorno-Karabakh, that called for the U.S. to “halt security assistance to Azerbaijan,” and increase humanitarian support for the 100,000 ethnic Armenians who fled en masse from Nagorno-Karabakh.

As of this writing, neither of those things has occurred and the Biden administration has done little to address Azerbaijan’s military aggression. While there are undoubtedly myriad reasons for the U.S. government’s lukewarm response, one possible explanation is one of Washington’s oldest pastimes: lobbying. For years, the Azerbaijan government has been financing a well connected lobbying and influence operation in the U.S. that has worked diligently to keep U.S. military assistance flowing and to ensure that policymakers turn a blind-eye to the country’s consistent human rights violations.

As documented in a just released Quincy Institute brief, The Lobbying Battle for Nagorno-Karabakh, the government of Azerbaijan has spent millions of dollars on registered lobbyists and much more on illicit influence operations that have helped foster and maintain support for Baku across Europe and the U.S.

“The United States will not countenance any action or effort – short-term or long-term – to ethnically cleanse or commit other atrocities against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh,” was an assurance from then-Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Yuri Kim in testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 14.

Just five days later, the U.S. did exactly what Kim said it would not, standing idly by on September 19 as Azerbaijan launched an “anti-terrorist” operation against what remained of Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh, leading to the ethnic cleansing of over 100,000 of its residents as they fled to the neighboring Republic of Armenia.

The territorial dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh — the mountainous breakaway region internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but self-governed by Armenians — now appears over as the de facto officials announced that all institutions will be dissolved on January 1, 2024. These developments followed what had been a year of Azerbaijani escalation against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia proper, including an Azerbaijani blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh which lasted almost 10 months and saw the territory’s food, medical, and energy supplies all but run out. When Baku launched its military assault, Washington and Brussels were only able to muster strongly worded statements, but no meaningful reaction.

Don’t count out Azerbaijan’s influence operations in Washington for helping to thwart what should have been a stronger response on Capitol Hill and in the White House. The government of Azerbaijan has spent over $7 million on lobbying and public relations firms registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) since 2015, according to OpenSecrets. Chief among the Azerbaijan lobby’s hired guns is BGR Government Affairs, one of Washington’s top lobbying firms, which is contracted to serve as a liaison for the Azerbaijan Embassy in the U.S.

FARA filings reveal that the firm contacted congressional offices more than 1,000 times on Azerbaijan’s behalf in just the first half of 2023, and that their work included efforts “to ensure there were no negative Azerbaijan amendments on the National Defense Authorization Act” and “fair language for Azerbaijan” in the appropriations process. More generally, BGR “educated policymakers in Congress about the important role Azerbaijan plays as a key security partner of the United States.”

In 2018, BGR signed an agreement with another lobbying firm — Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, and Berkowitz — to aid its efforts on behalf of the Azerbaijan Embassy. An analysis of that firm’s FARA filings shows that they’ve been laser focused on the State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations, which is responsible for, among many other issues, determining how much U.S. military assistance flows to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Overall, it would seem both firms have been successful at allowing Azerbaijan to dodge criticism and continue to receive millions of dollars in security assistance every year.

Most notably in 2023,the Azerbaijan Embassy hired The Friedlander Group, whose namesake Ezra Friedlander has been a prominent American-Israeli lobbyist for years, rubbing shoulders with a number of top policymakers, including former President Donald Trump. When he was hired by Azerbaijan he immediately put his connections to work, according to his firm’s FARA filing, securing meetings with dozens of congressional offices, including even a face-to-face meeting with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

This is just the tip of the iceberg for Azerbaijan’s influence operations in the U.S. As documented by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the Azerbaijan government has a history of laundering its influence in Europe and the U.S. The “Azerbaijani Laundromat,” as described by the OCCRP, was “a complex money-laundering operation and slush fund that handled $2.9 billion over a two-year period through four shell companies.” This 2012-2014 scheme which involved funneling government funds through shell companies, included payments to several pro-Azeri Americans, one of whom later pleaded guilty to concealing the fact that a congressional trip to Azerbaijan he’d helped organize was secretly funded by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR).

Azerbaijan’s often illicit influence operations in Europe have dubbed it “caviar diplomacy,” given the country’s repeated attempts to bribe European officials with all manner of luxury goods, including caviar. At least one investigation resulted in FBI agents raiding the home of the co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), in January 2022.

Armenians have also sought to influence the U.S. public debate surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. However, this has been done at a significantly smaller scale than their Azerbaijani counterparts, and the main actors of Armenian lobbying efforts in the U.S. have been the estimated one to two million diaspora Armenians in the U.S.

In the early 1990s, during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, the Armenian diaspora in the U.S. achieved its first major political victory via Section 907 of the 1992 Freedom Support Act, which explicitly prohibited the vast majority of U.S. assistance from the Act to post-Soviet Azerbaijan until Baku “cease[es] all blockades and other offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.”

However, in 2002, as the “Global War on Terror” was heating up, Azerbaijan was granted a waiver for Section 907 that has allowed over $160 million of U.S. security assistance to flow to the country ever since.

Nevertheless, during the war in 2020, Armenians boycotted lobbying and PR firms working for Azerbaijan and, in 2021, President Joe Biden recognized the systemic mass killings of Armenians during World War I as genocide, a long-standing priority of the Armenian diaspora in the U.S. More recently the Senate unanimously passed the “Armenian Protection Act,” that would cut off aid to Azerbaijan for at least two years.

For Armenians, these developments are viewed as too little too late, however, as Azerbaijan has already achieved what it wanted in Nagorno-Karabakh with little international pushback. This result is likely due in no small part to Azerbaijan’s concerted influence operations in the U.S. For years, the lobbyists on Azerbaijan's payroll have worked to keep U.S. military assistance flowing to the country and to tip the scales of U.S. support in their favor.

While they may not have “won” this influence battle they have no doubt done enough to keep the U.S. on the sidelines of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.


Editor's Note: Artin Dersimonian was an intern at the Armenian Embassy in Washington in 2018. The Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program at the Armenian Assembly — which is mentioned in the QI brief on which this article is based — facilitated Dersimonian's internship with the embassy.

Turkish Press: Azerbaijan’s Aliyev says some French leaders try to be ‘more Armenian than Armenians’

Andranik Taslakhchian
Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Dec 15 2023

Azerbaijan's Aliyev says some French leaders try to be ‘more Armenian than Armenians’

President holds meeting on COP29, which will be held in Baku

BurC Eruygur
ISTANBUL

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Friday criticized French political leaders, saying some of them were trying to be “more Armenian than the Armenians themselves.”

“However, they will also have to come to terms with this situation,” Aliyev told a government meeting in the capital Baku related to COP29.

Azerbaijan was announced as the host of next year’s climate summit after Armenia announced it supported Azerbaijan’s bid by withdrawing its own candidacy.

Indicating that certain Western countries made baseless allegations against Azerbaijan after the anti-terrorism operation in the Karabakh region in September, Aliyev said these accusations had “no basis whatsoever.”

He said Azerbaijan “secured the supremacy of international law” by conducting the operation against separatists in the region, adding that they restored sovereignty according to humanitarian norms.

“Certain Western countries, traditionally including France, of course, are not going to put up with that. However, the international community already sees that even Armenia has come to terms with this situation, and the decision to hold the COP29 conference in Azerbaijan is further evidence of that,” he added.

Last week, Armenia and Azerbaijan said they would exchange prisoners and work towards normalizing their relations, a breakthrough after three decades of conflict over the occupation of Karabakh.

Aliyev had criticized France earlier for a deal to supply arms to Armenia.

Cyprus and Armenia build on long-standing ties

Andranik Taslakhchian
Cyprus Mail
Dec 12 2023
By Jonathan Shkurko

Cyprus and Armenia have reiterated their preparedness to confront unforeseen threats, Defence Minister Michalis Georgallas said on Tuesday following a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Suren Papikyan, on an official visit to Cyprus.

The reception took place early in the morning, followed by private discussions between the delegations of the two countries.

Both ministers stressed the long-standing relationship between the two nations, their defence cooperation and trilateral cooperation with Greece.

Among other topics discussed were the Cyprus problem, the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean region, including the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Georgallas also briefed his counterpart on recent provocations in Pyla and Ayios Dhometios and on Nicosia’s proposal concerning the humanitarian aid for Gaza.

The minister highlighted Armenia’s significant friendship with Cyprus and said that the current visit “builds upon the long-standing bilateral relationships, confirming the bonds of friendship, mutual trust and respect between the two countries.”

Moreover, he mentioned that he provided an opportunity to discuss strengthening these ties, with discussions covering bilateral defence cooperation, cooperation at the regional level, threats and challenges faced and readiness to counter unpredictable threats.

Papikyan highlighted the centuries-old relationship between Cyprus and Armenia and said his country strongly supports a resolution to the Cyprus problem based on UN resolutions.

He added that the two countries face common threats and join forces to counter them, confirming that they are not only friends but also allies.

Additionally, Papikyan mentioned discussions with his counterpart about developing cooperation in defence and security matters, expressing further prospects for bilateral collaboration that should be exploited.

He thanked Nicosia for its principled stance on Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity before extending an invitation to Georgallas to visit Armenia, which was accepted.

EU to increase monitoring mission in Armenia to 209 observers from 138

Andranik Taslakhchian

 09:54,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said that the bloc will increase the number of observers for its mission in Armenia (EUMA) to 209 from 138.

“You know that we are currently working on strengthening our relations with Armenia. I see that Armenia clearly sees the benefits of increasing cooperation with us, and we are ready to respond positively. As a first step of this increasing cooperation, today the Foreign Affairs Council agreed to strengthen our civilian [CSDP] mission in Armenia (EUMA), increasing our presence on the ground from 138 staff to 209. This is an important increase of the size of the mission, and this is a way of increasing the stability of Armenia’s international border with Azerbaijan.  We believe that there is a historic chance to achieve peace in the region. It is an opportunity. We are committed to continue our support to these efforts – by working together with both Armenia and Azerbaijan. The fact that we have decided to increase by such an important number our staff on this mission shows our clear commitment to the stability in the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and [is] an important contribution to the peace efforts,” High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell told reporters in Brussels after the Foreign Affairs Council meeting.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair calls on Biden Administration to hold Baku accountable for NK ethnic cleansing

Andranik Taslakhchian

 12:09, 6 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Senator Ben Cardin has called on the Biden Administration to hold Azerbaijan accountable for the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh’s indigenous Armenian population.

In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Cardin stated he is "deeply concerned that Azerbaijan could take further military action to achieve additional political gains, particularly in regards to the so-called Zangezour corridor."

The Senator called on Blinken to ‘continue to work with international partners and organizations to support accountability for the Aliyev regime’s actions.’

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair also warned that Azerbaijan has been seizing and destroying Armenian cultural property in pursuit of its efforts to erase Armenian history and culture.

Russia welcomes recent Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation meeting

Andranik Taslakhchian

 16:46, 6 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Russia welcomes the meeting of the border delimitation commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan and is ready to support the process, Russian Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova has said.

“We welcome the meeting of the representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia on the border,” Zakharova said at a press briefing.

“We are ready to provide any kind of support during the delimitation process,” she added.

Armenia’s Manuel Petrosyan wins Kazakhstan Chess Cup

Andranik Taslakhchian

 20:08, 7 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS.  Armenian Grandmaster Manuel Petrosyan has  become the winner of the Kazakhstan Cup.

The Kazakhstan Cup was held using the knockout system. Among the 16 participating chess players, Petrosyan competed with Iranian chess player Bardia Daneshvar in the final and won with a score of 1:5-0:5.

Manuel Petrosyan had the highest rating at the tournament held in Almaty.

Armenian Parliament rejects criminalization of recognition of NK as part of another country

Andranik Taslakhchian
Dec 5 2023
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Project “Hayakve”

The Armenian Parliament has voted against the inclusion in the agenda of a bill submitted by the Hayakve initiative on criminalizing the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of another state. “Twenty-six deputies representing the opposition voted in favo; 57 deputies of the ruling majority voted “against.” Nor was the draft was not approved by the commission on state-legal issues yesterday.

The authors of the initiative proposed to introduce an amendment to the Criminal Code, according to which violators of the law would face 10 to 15 imprisonment for recognizing NK as part of another state, as well as refusal of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide of the early 20th century.

Political observer Armen Baghdasaryan believes that the project is not directly related to the future of Nagorno-Karabakh. He characterizes the process started by the “Hayakve” initiative as “another episode of internal political struggle”.

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According to the Armenian Constitution, in order to put an issue on the agenda of the National Assembly, a civic initiative had to collect signatures from 50 thousand citizens. Collection started at the end of June 2023, and the project was supported by 58 thousand citizens of the country.

As a result, the issue reached the Parliament, but did not receive a favorable opinion among the relevant commission of the National Assembly, and during the regular session it did not reach the stage of discussion.

The project can be submitted to a national referendum. However, for that the authors of the initiative will need to collect many more signatures — 300,000. “Hayakve” have not yet announced whether they will go this way.

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The opposition believes that the deputies from the ruling majority ignored the opinion of more than 50 thousand citizens of the country who supported the initiative. This was stated at the session by the secretary of the Hayastan opposition faction, Artsvik Minasyan. According to him, the ruling team has confirmed by its position that it refuses to fulfill its pre-election promises:

“‘Civil Pact’ [the ruling party] also wants to come out with a message: forget what we promised, what we told you, we are doing what we need to do to keep our seats”.

Aram Petrosyan, representative of the Hayakve initiative, also recalled the provisions of the ruling faction’s pre-election program, with which it won the 2021 snap elections:

“They promised to guarantee the security of the people of Artsakh, talked about the settlement of the problem on the basis of the right to self-determination, but did the exact opposite. This is nothing but usurpation of power. Citizens would not give their votes if their program says that Artsakh will be recognized as part of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia will not protect the people of Artsakh when Azerbaijan unleashes a genocidal war against them, and the issues of the so-called enclaves and the return of Azerbaijanis to Armenia will also be discussed.”

The authors of the initiative and the parliamentary opposition announced that the government deputies reject the draft “without any legal arguments”. While the draft fully complies with the provisions of the country’s constitution and declaration of independence.

What the Armenian government offers to the Karabakh Armenians, their views on it and experts’ comments

MP Vladimir Vardanyan responded to the opposition that the parliamentary commission on state-legal issues, which he heads, issued a negative opinion on the draft after “substantial discussion for 7 hours”.

Vardanyan said he sees problems in the submitted draft “from the point of view of legal certainty.” In particular, he emphasized that the country’s criminal code already has provisions related to the denial of the Armenian genocide.

Deputies of the ruling team asked the opposition members what benefit this amendment would bring “besides the fact that it may create many problems.”

Opposition MP Artsvik Minasyan did not give a direct answer regarding the benefits and risks of the bill, but stated that “there are many reasons” for its adoption:

“The draft is important from the point of view of ensuring Armenia’s security, establishing Artsakh’s subjectivity, as well as ensuring the unity of the Armenian people, delivering the right messages to the international community from the point of view that the Artsakh issue is not closed.”

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Political observer Armen Baghdasaryan believes that the goal of the initiative’s authors was not to pass the bill at all. In his opinion, it was an attempt to show the society that “the authorities betray national and state interests, so it is necessary to get rid of them as soon as possible.”

“Even after there are no Armenians left in Artsakh at all, it becomes the main pretext for internal political struggle, struggle for power. Just a pretext.”

The analyst believes that the Armenian authorities also realize this and “conduct this not very meaningful discussion” simply because they cannot avoid it.

According to Baghdasaryan, at the session of the state-legal issues commission held a day earlier, the ruling team, once again, tried to prove that “the former authorities are to blame for everything.”

“Meanwhile, it would have been more serious if a much more urgent question had been discussed: will the adoption of this project somehow help to solve the Artsakh problem in the future, at least partially, or will it harm it?”

He emphasizes that instead of discussions about the future, debates with “accusations of each other’s actions in the past” continue in the political field of Armenia.

https://jam-news.net/hayakve-project-rejected-by-the-armenian-parliament/