Author: Anna Tamamian

A Visit to Australia and the Unfolding of My Stories

Anna Tamamian
by Catherine Yesayan

 

 

 

in Columns, Community Links, Latest, Top Stories
Catherine Yesayan feeding a kangaroo in Sydney, Australia


BY CATHERINE YESAYAN

I’d like to start my report on Australia with a personal anecdote.

A few years ago, I was babysitting my grandson, who was five or six years old at the time. He suggested that we play a board game. I had to ask him questions provided on a stack of cards, and he had to answer them in writing. 

The first question I pulled was: “Where do you want to celebrate your birthday?” I thought he would say Chuck E. Cheese or somewhere like that. When he finished writing, he showed me his answer. It was “Rmenia.” 

I was quick to realize his thought process. He had figured out that since the letter “r” sounds like “ar,” then there was no need to start with the letter “a.” I was very amused for two reasons; his skills and the fact that he wanted to please me, because he knew my sentiments toward Armenia. 

The next question was: “Name an exotic place.” For that question, he asked me, “Nana, how do you write the letter ‘sh’?” I said, “When you put the two letters (s and h) together it sounds like ‘sh.'” 

So he started to write, and I was curious to know what his thought process was. When he finished, he showed me what he had written — “Oshtrelia.” He meant Australia. I couldn’t help but notice the intelligence of this new generation of kids. 

Yes, of course, Australia, because nobody can deny that when thinking of Australia, the first thing that comes to mind is the most exotic wildlife, and you may very well consider Australia an exotic place.

So on March 29, my husband and I boarded a Fiji aircraft to first meet the Armenian community in Auckland, New Zealand, and then to fly to the exotic “Oshtrelia.” 

Our first stop in Australia was the city of Melbourne, and later Sydney. Although, today, my focus is on their Armenian communities, I’d like to say that the highlight of our trip in Australia was to visit the exotic animal sanctuary in Melbourne and then to see the March of the Penguins. It was an extraordinary experience.

FFtom left: Seta Hovakimian, Sylvia Iskenderian, Arax Mansourian, Catherine Yesayan

Now, about Sydney. I contacted three Armenian women who live in Sydney separately. However, I later found out that those three women knew each other. The first woman was Seta Hovakimian, who I had met in Armenia last year, and she had told me that she would be happy to meet me in Sydney and direct me to the local Armenian communities. 

The next woman I met was Sylvia Iskenderian. I met Sylvia through her daughter, Lisa, who was an instructor at a paint night organized by Hamazkayin, an Armenian benevolent group in Glendale. While I was talking to Liza at the paint night, by chance, I found out that her parents live in Sydney. 

The third woman was the well-known and beloved Armenian opera singer and professor, Arax Mansourian.

On the last day of my stay in Sydney, these three women had arranged a get-together at the Westfield Mall in downtown Sydney.

By any means, it was a remarkable plan. First, Westfield Mall was next to the hotel where we were staying, and the timing was just perfect. Right before meeting them, I met with the Mayor of the city of Ryde, where most Armenians live. Shortly, I will tell you about my meeting with the mayor.  

First, I’d like to give you a little background on these three distinguished women, how they arrived in Australia, and the ways they’re involved in the Armenian community.

When I met Liza at paint night, she told me that her parents are very involved with their local Armenian community in Sydney, and she was indeed correct. 

Liza’s mother, Sylvia, and her parents immigrated to Australia from Egypt in 1963. That was the start of the emigration of Armenians from Egypt, because of the socialist regime that the prime minister Gamal Abdel Nasser had created.

Sylvia met her husband, who was from Jerusalem, in Australia.

In 1992, when the Republic of Artsakh was newly created, Sylvia and her husband, with two other friends, supported the Republic of Artsakh by building a hotel in its capital city Stepanakert. 

They named the hotel Nairi. It served as a vital bridge between the Diaspora and Artsakh. For many years, it has accommodated many dignitaries as guests. 

Sylvia has been very much involved with several Armenian organizations, but she’s engaged chiefly with the Armenian Relief Society and Hamazkayin, where she has served for many years.

In 1999, she organized a one-day Armenian Cultural Symposium on Armenian history, architecture, language, and culture. The symposium was attended by many dignitaries, including Australian and indigenous guests, and members of parliament. 

Sylvia is also a freelance journalist with articles published in Armenian and Australian magazines. She and her husband are also benefactors of the AGBU Alexander Primary School in Sydney.

Arax Mansourian was born in Beirut, Lebanon. She was an infant when her parents, due to the post-WWII repatriation movement, decided to leave everything behind and move to Armenia. Arax has many nostalgic memories of growing up in Gyumri, Armenia. Life was not easy, however, she cherished the warmth of her tight-knit family. 

Arax was the youngest of four, having two older brothers and a sister. As a young girl in her school years, she demonstrated great musical aptitude, and performed in several concerts. 

She studied at the Romanos Meliqyan College of Music and later graduated from the Yerevan State Komitas Conservatory, where she was the only performer of modern atonal vocal classical music by young composers, who were writing songs specifically for her to sing. 

During her studies, Arax participated in different music festivals throughout the Soviet Union and, after graduation, she soon started to sing at the Yerevan State Opera as a soloist. Around that time, she received many invitations to perform in different countries, including Australia. 

Arax’s debut with the Sydney Opera House was in 1995, as Liu, in Puccini’s Turandot opera. She received great reviews for her performances in the principal role in that opera. Around that time, she met Jacob Kiujian, who she married and has been with for the last 30 years. 

The Sydney Opera House

Later, Arax worked at the Australian Institute of Music as a classical vocal teacher. Many of her students have learned Armenian songs and have performed in Armenia. She and her husband wish to move to Armenia soon.

Arax’s brother, Tigran Mansurian, is a world-famous Armenian composer of classical music and film scores, and is known as the “People’s Artist.”

Seta Hovakimian was born in Aleppo, Syria, where she was married and had four daughters. She, her husband, and her three girls, moved to Australia in 1989.

Today, three of Seta’s daughters live in Sydney. She has nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She attends a local Armenian Evangelical church, where she is the chairperson of the spiritual counsel and the lady’s auxiliary. The Evangelical church was established in 1965 in Willoughby, where many first-generation migrants from the Middle East lived. However, most Armenians living there later moved to other suburbs.

Armenians began to arrive in Australia, during the gold rush in the 1850s, from the Middle East and later from Turkey due to the political upheaval and other tragic events such as the Hamidian massacres in the 1890s, the 1915 Armenian Genocide, and after WWII.

In recent history, the main influx of Armenians arrived in the 1960s from the Middle East, mainly from Egypt, when Prime Minister Gamal Abdel-Nasser came to power and created a socialist regime.

Then, migrants arrived from Cyprus after the Turkish occupation of the island, and later from Lebanon and Syria due to civil unrest. The Armenians from Iran mostly arrived in the 1980s, right after the Islamic Revolution. 

In the early 1990s, a small number of Armenians from Armenia migrated to Australia to escape the hardships created by the collapse of the Soviet Union, the devastating 1988 Spitak earthquake, as well as the Azerbaijani aggression in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

Today, the Armenian community of Sydney is estimated to be around 40,000. The number of Armenians in Melbourne is less, maybe around 10,000. In both communities, there are established Armenian organizations that cater to the educational, cultural, athletic, and welfare needs of the Armenian community. 

Melbourne has two Saturday language schools and St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church.

Here, I need to mention that Melbourne had been ranked by the Economist Intelligent Unit as the world’s most livable city for seven years in a row, from 2011 to 2017. That’s a rare feat for a city.

The Australian-Armenian communities take pride in their significant contributions to politics, business, academia, sports, and culture.

The main concentration of Armenians in Sydney is in the suburbs of Ryde and Willoughby. Also, smaller communities exist in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth. Each year, Armenians in Sydney hold an annual festival that attracts over 25,000 visitors.

In 1966, the Church of Holy Resurrection was inaugurated in Chatswood, next to Willoughby. Also, as I mentioned before, the Armenian Evangelical Church of Sydney in Willoughby was inaugurated in 1965.

Sydney, the largest and most populous city in Australia, is best known for its opera house — which is built in the form of a sailboat — and the sweeping views of the harbor. It’s a city to fall in love with.

We arrived in Sydney on the “Holy” Thursday, before Good Friday. An old friend, who lives in Sydney, picked us up from the airport and drove us to Downtown. We crossed the iconic Sydney Harbor Bridge, made from steel and built in 1932, which is known as a “Coat Hanger.”

Our hotel was on George Street, across from the iconic Queen Victoria Mall.

The Queen Victoria Mall, built in the 1890s

Unaware of the neighborhood, we had chosen the best spot for our hotel. The stupendous Victoria Mall, built in the 1890s with impressive architecture similar to a grand cathedral, took my breath away. 

A few days later, when we had a chance to visit the inside of that mall, we were surprised to see the it had a similar floor plan to today’s malls. It was mind-boggling that, so many years ago, such a building was erected. To me, the most exciting aspect was the huge elevator and the original colorful floor tiles.

On Easter Sunday, my husband and I headed to the Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection in the suburb of Chatswood, which has served the Armenian community for the past 65 years.

The weather was just perfect in the low 70s. It was a joyful day and everybody was in a festive mood. Many families were enjoying the beautiful Easter Sunday. I had a big appetite to learn about the church and its activities.

Catherine Yesayan at the Queen Victoria Mall

Right next to the church, I noticed a stretch of fresh lawn where a booth was set up. I approached it. At the booth, there was an Easter Bunny character in costume and a few other young adults. They all were wearing the same uniform — a three button-down, white short-sleeve shirt with an emblem which read: ‘ACYA,’ an acronym for “Armenian Church Youth of Australia.”

As I introduced myself to them, they explained that the Youth Club has 25 members. They help with activities and the entertainment that the church organizes, such as picnics and other events. They said that there’s an activity that they help to organize almost every month. They also attend bible study and contribute to the publishing of the Looyce magazine.

It was a little late to watch the kids’ interaction with the Easter Bunny, because they had already dispersed.

After chatting with the Youth Club members, I stopped at the church office to get some more information. The Armenian Apostolic church of Holy Resurrection is located in Chatswood, New South Wales. The church, under the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, has a Sunday school with 30 kids between the ages of four and 12.

The church has an 11 member Diocesan Council, who take care of the many requirements of the church such as repairs, finances, and other needs. The church also publishes two magazines: Looyce and Paros. 

An Easter Bunny with members of the church youth group at the Holy Resurrection Church in Sydney

The Holy Resurrection Apostolic Church has a women’s auxiliary committee who prepare cookies and coffee for after the liturgies. Also, the church offers a welfare center, funded by the government, for senior citizens. The church has a total of 380 paid members.

The church has three different choirs. The participants of the first group are between 15 to 22 years old. The next group, which is named “Vardanantz,” consists of individuals between 20 to 30 years old, and then the last group is called “Loussavoritch,” which is for adults 30 years and older. 

Here’s the list of other Armenian churches:

  • The Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Trinity in Wentwothwille, New South Wales
  • The Armenian Catholic Church is located in Lindcombe. New South Wales
  • The Armenian Evangelical Church is located in Willoughby, New South Wales 
  • The Armenian Brotherhood Holy Trinity Church is located in Ryde, New South Wales
  • The Armenian Evangelical Brethren Church is located in Northbridge, New South Wales

The following are lists of Armenian organizations in Australia, which I pulled from Wikipedia.

The traditional Armenian political parties established in the country include:

  • Social Democratic Hunchakian Party
  • Armenian Democratic Liberal Party
  • Armenian Revolutionary Federation

There are also many associated political groups, including:

  • Armenian Youth Federation of Australia
  • Armenian National Committee of Australia

Other operating social and cultural organizations within the Armenian-Australian community are:

  • Armenian General Benevolent Union
  • Hamazkayin Regional Committee breaking down into subdivisions/committees.
  • SBS Armenian Radio
  • Armenian Chamber of Commerce in Australia
  • Homenetmen Australia
  • Hye Hoki

In Sydney, there are several cultural centers where Armenians gather. One such center is located in Willoughby, in New South Wales, and is called the “Armenian Cultural Centre.” Another center, the “Armenian Cultural Panoyan Centre,” is located in Bonnyrigg, New South Wales. There are smaller cultural centers in Neutral Bay, City of Ryde, Frenchs Forest (Ararat Reserve), and Naremburn, Sydney. Melbourne also has several cultural centers.

Armenian Schooling has become stronger throughout the Australian community, with two full-time schools operating in Sydney. These include the Galstaun College and the AGBU Alexander Primary School.

There are also a number of Saturday schools, including:

  • Toomanian Armenian Saturday School
  • AGBU Alex Manoogian Saturday School
  • Tarkmanchatch Armenian Saturday School
  • Serop Papazian Armenian Saturday School
  • Looyce Armenian Catholic School

Two days after Easter Sunday, on a Tuesday, a friend had made a prior arrangement for me to meet with the Mayor of the City of Ryde. Nearly 10,000 Armenians live in Ryde, which is the largest concentration of Armenians in Australia. The city is situated in the Northern part of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales.

Mayor Sarkis Yedelian with Catherine Yesayan in his office

Mayor Sarkis Yedelian welcomed my friend and I to his office, and we had a nice chat together. Yedelian is Armenian. He and his family arrived in Sydney from Beirut in 1979. He is a graduate of the Armenian Hamazgayin College in Beirut. A few years after of his arrival, in 1983, the very ambitious Sarkis Yedelian started an Armenian radio station, called “Sardarabad Radio.”

He also co-founded the Armenia Weekly magazine and served on its Editorial Board. Later, from 1994 to 2007, he established a community TV station, called “TV Sydney,” and helped young filmmakers air their productions. He also volunteered to train young journalists in video production and operating cameras.

Yedelian was first elected as an Independent Councillor for the City of Ryde in 2004, and was later re-elected for a second term in 2008. In May of 2010, Yedelian joined the Liberal Party and was re-elected for a third term. He was also re-elected for the fourth and fifth terms. He’s known as the longest serving councillor.

The City of Ryde is composed of twelve councillors. All members are elected for a fixed four-year term in office. The mayor is elected by the councillors for a two-year term at the initial council meeting.

Yedelian has served as Chair of the following committees: Ryde Planning and Environment, Ryde Community Harmony Reference Group, and the Ryde Economic and Development Advisory committee. 

Yedelian was instrumental in buying an old building in Ryde and turning it into a multicultural senior center.  

He has a background in journalism and electronic engineering. He is self-employed and runs an IT telecommunication and precision instrument consulting services company. He retired in 2019 and has dedicated his time to community needs. He is married with two adult children.

Yedelian is the first elected Councillor in Australia of Armenian decent and played a key leadership role in Ryde’s Multicultural Advisory Group, which advises Council on all multicultural issues. 

His fluency in five languages — Armenian, Arabic, French, English and Turkish — has helped him communicate with the immigrant and diverse ethnic population of the city of Ryde.

In 2005, Yedelian introduced a motion to recognize the Armenian Genocide to the council. As a result, the city of Ryde became the first local council in Australia to recognize the Armenian Genocide In June of 2018, a motion to recognize the Armenian Genocide was accepted for debated by Australia’s House of Representatives for the very first time.

Mayor Sarkis Yedelian and Catherine Yesayan at the Memorial Park where a Cross Stone is installed in the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide

First we met the mayor at his large offi,ce and then he took us around City Hall and showed us the chambers,where the council has sessions. We had the chance to take pictures in front of Queen Elizabeth’s portrait.

Afterward, the mayor took us to a nearby park to visit the memorial plaque installed in 2005 in memory of the Armenian Genocide, following the bipartisan recognition of the genocide by the city of Ryde. We also had the opportunity see the more recently erected khachkar (cross-stone) made of volcanic rock and imported from Armenia. We took some pictures and then returned to City Hall.

Here it is fitting to tell you that Gladys Berejiklian, who is of Armenian descent, was elected to serve as the 45th Premier of New South Wales and as the leader of the New South Wales division of the Liberal Party from 2017 to 2021.

To conclude my report of the very active enclave of Armenians in Australia, I’d like to tell you about an Armenian woman who runs a very successful business selling Indigenous art.

 

Anoosh Safarian in her store where she sells indigenous artifacts

On the last day of our stay in Sydney, our friends took us to the Sydney Harbor where there’s a small shopping center. Anoosh Safarian, an Armenian from Iran, opened a shop selling indigenous artifacts nearly 30 years ago.

Anoosh was 18 years old when, in early 1970s, her family immigrated to Australia. She has two sons, one of whom manages the store.

I had a great appetite to learn more about Australia’s Aboriginal culture. Anoosh explained that the Australian Aboriginals have been around for more than 65,000 years. 

Their tradition is rich, and it translates into thousands of relics and stories that celebrate their heritage. The art produced by indigenous people are not just relics – they tell stories of their history, laws, religion, and culture. 

We couldn’t say goodbye to Australia without buying some souvenirs, and Anoosh was very generous in offering us significant discounts.

Catherine Yesayan

This is how 10 fabulous days in Australia ended. We left the country with many fond memories, to say the least.

Catherine Yesayan is a regular contributor to Asbarez, with her columns appearing under the “Community Links” heading. She can be reached at [email protected].




Armenia plans to achieve 60% renewable energy by 2040

Anna Tamamian

 15:46, 7 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenia plans to increase the share of solar power in its energy system to 15% by 2030, President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan said in an interview with Armenpress after his participation in COP28 in Dubai. At this moment the share of solar power in Armenia’s energy system is only 5%, he said.

Furthermore, Armenia plans to increase the share of overall alternative energy, such as hydro power plants, wind and solar power and nuclear power, up to 60% in the energy system by 2040.

Armenia, like other countries in the world, has obligations to reduce and limit emissions and increase the share of alternative energy resources. “Recently there was a change in our energy strategy, and we plan to increase the share of solar power in our energy system to 15% by 2030. We find it realistic, that by 2030 we can achieve this,” the President said.

President Khachaturyan highlighted the fact that there is consensus about the need to stop using fossil fuels and gradually shift to the use of alternative energy-powered vehicles, i.e., electric vehicles, or in the event of finding new technological solutions, hydrogen-powered cars.

Majority faction votes against putting HayaKve initiative bill on Armenia legislature agenda

Anna Tamamian
News.am, Armenia
Nov 5 2023
11:01, 05.12.2023

The National Assembly (NA) of Armenia on Tuesday did not put on the agenda of its plenary session the draft law submitted by the HayaKve civil initiative, by which it is proposed to criminalize the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.

The NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs on Monday had not approved this law proposal to make a respective addition to the Criminal Code of Armenia.

The leader of the ruling majority faction in the NA, Hayk Konjoryan, announced that the faction will vote against this bill because the aforesaid committee had voted against it. He added that this draft law will not solve any problem, but will create many other problems.

And as a result of the voting, this bill was rejected—with 26 votes in favor, 57 against and 0 abstentions—and therefore was not put on the NA agenda.

https://news.am/eng/news/795999.html#google_vignette

Armenpress: Newly-appointed Ambassador of Colombia hands over the copy of his credentials to the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia

Anna Tamamian

 22:06, 5 December 2023

YEREVAN,  MBER 5, ARMENPRESS. On December 5, Paruyr Hovhannisyan, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia received Hector Isidro Arenas Neira, the newly-appointed Ambassador of Colombia to Armenia (residence in Moscow), on the occasion of handing over the copy of his credentials.

Congratulating Ambassador on the occasion of his assignment, the Deputy Foreign Minister wished him fruitful and effective work. The Armenian side noted the importance of developing multi-faceted relations with Colombia, the active cooperation of accredited Ambassadors was highlighted, the foreign ministry said.

The Ambassador of Colombia, thanking for the warm greetings and good wishes, expressed his commitment to make efforts towards strengthening relations between the two countries.

During the meeting, the sides touched upon the opportunities of the development of bilateral agenda, including the areas of common interest, as well as the activation of cooperation on multilateral platforms.

According to the source, the Deputy Minister briefed the Ambassador on the current security situation in Armenia, as well as the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The efforts by the government of Armenia towards addressy the needs and rights of the Armenians forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh as a result of the ethnic cleansing of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh by Azerbaijan were emphasized.

It is noted that a number of international issues were touched upon.




Second co-project of AraratBank and 4090 Charity Foundation to support education for war participants

Anna Tamamian

 16:57, 1 December 2023

Chess and Jazz format for the first time introduced in Armenia.

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. On December 15, the Aram Khachaturyan Concert Hall will host the "Menq u Munq" Armenian Chess and Jazz night. All funds raised from the event will go to 4090 Charity Foundation to support education for war participants by providing their tuition fees.

Tickets may be purchased on www.tomsarkgh.am and from the box office of the concert hall. For corporate requests, please visit [email protected].

The concert is organized under the general sponsorship of AraratBank, with the participation of the State Jazz Orchestra of Armenia and Avag Margaryan. Special guests of the concert are Levon Malkhasyan and Inga Arshakyan. Partners of the event are "Musa" Wines, "Chesifay" LLC.

The event will mark the first time that the international Chess and Jazz format will be introduced to the Armenian audience. The chess games will start at 6 p.m.: pre-registered participants will have a chance to play chess with grandmasters Tigran Petrosyan and Elina Danielyan while enjoying jazz and Armenian wine. The jazz concert is due to start at 8 p.m.

At the concert, the orchestra will perform new orchestration and arrangements of works of Armenian authors. In particular, works of Komitas, Artemi Ayvazyan, Alexander Harutyunyan, Arno Babajanyan, Robert Amirkhanyan, Stepan Shakaryan and Armen Hyusnunts will be presented. The special guest of the evening, Avag Margaryan, will perform blul (Armenian flute) and zurna.

"Menq u Munq" is the second collaboration of AraratBank with 4090 Charity Foundation. The initial co-organized event was "Symphonic Mansuryan" concert, all profits of which were also directed to the provision of tuition fees for participants of the 4-day and 44-day wars.

AraratBank was established in 1991 with a mission to foster the economic development of the country while also bearing social responsibility and creating value for its shareholders, customers and employees. The Bank’s ideology revolves around healthcare, education, environment, and art, and all their CSR projects to date aim to contribute to the advancement of society and the well-being of the country. Today’s strategic programs of AraratBank are dedicated to shaping a promising tomorrow.

4090 Charity Foundation was established after the third Artsakh war, seeking to provide education opportunities to participants of the wars of 2016 and 2020, who, despite different constraints, go after their dreams to become active agents in shaping the future of our homeland. Currently, the Foundation has 97 student beneficiaries studying in undergraduate or postgraduate institutions.

The Foundation is void of political, religious or trade union membership motives and is not affiliated with any political movement and has so far been funded mainly by individual benefactors.

Armenia PM defends move to hike military budget

Anna Tamamian
Nigeria – Nov 16 2023
By AFP

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday defended Yerevan’s decision to increase military spending next year, saying he was still committed to normalisation talks with arch foe Azerbaijan.

Baku and Yerevan have been locked in a decades-long territorial conflict over Azerbaijan’s Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Baku reclaimed in September in a lightning offensive.

Addressing lawmakers in Yerevan, Pashinyan said his government’s planned increase in defence spending by some seven percent next year “isn’t a preparation for war, but rather a preparation for peace.”

“I am confident, our neighbouring countries know it well that we are not going to attack anyone,” he said.

“Reforming armed forces is not only a right, but also an obligation of an independent country and that’s what we are doing.”

He also said that Yerevan’s “political will to sign, in the coming months, a peace agreement with Azerbaijan remains unwavering.”

Internationally mediated normalisation talks between the ex-Soviet republics have seen little progress but both Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev pledged to sign a comprehensive peace agreement by the end of the year.

The pair have held several rounds of talks under EU mediation.

But last month, Aliyev refused to attend a round of negotiations with Pashinyan in Spain, over what he said was the “biased position” of one of the participants, France.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had been scheduled to join EU-chief Charles Michel as mediators at those talks.

So far, there has been no visible progress in EU efforts to organise a fresh round of negotiations.

Russia, the traditional power-broker in the region, has been bogged down in its war in Ukraine and Europe has taken a lead role in mediating the decades-long dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

https://guardian.ng/news/armenia-pm-defends-move-to-hike-military-budget/

Armenian Foreign Minister, UNESCO Director-General emphasize importance of sending fact-finding mission to Karabakh

Anna Tamamian

 20:19, 9 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of the 42nd session of UNESCO General Conference in Paris, Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan on November 9 held a meeting with the Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay, the Foreign Ministry of Armenia said in a statement.

''At the meeting Ararat Mirzoyan touched upon the consequences of the ethnic cleansing of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, presenting the efforts of the Armenian Government to meet the priority needs of more than 100,000 refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Minister Mirzoyan emphasized the importance of realizing the right to education for about 21 thousand refugee children of school age, noting that most of them had already been provided with the opportunity to realize the right to education.

In this context, the Minister of Foreign Affairs appreciated UNESCO's   rapid deployment of the UNESCO emergency mission to Armenia for the assessment of educational needs of refugee children.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay touched upon the issue of preserving the Armenian cultural and spiritual heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Mirzoyan expressed concern about the serious risks of their destruction, desecration or appropriation, stressing the need for the active involvement of UNESCO in the protection of cultural monuments. 

The importance of sending a fact-finding mission of UNESCO to Nagorno-Karabakh to conduct independent monitoring and mapping of cultural monuments on-site was emphasized by both sides,'' reads the statement.

Why Has Turkey Banned Business Jet Flights From Armenia?

Anna Tamamian
Simple Flying
Nov 9 2023
BYNICOLE KYLIE
  •  The closure of Turkey’s airspace to Armenian carrier FlyOne signals a strained relationship between the two countries.
  •  Turkey imposed restrictions in response to the opening of the “Nemesis” monument in Yerevan, a memorial to fallen members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.
  •  This increases flight costs for airlines and business aviation operators, impacting connectivity, the air travel industry, and the tourism sector in Armenia.


On April 29, 2023, Turkey closed its airspace to FlyOne, an Armenian low-cost carrier, in what would begin a widespread air traffic ban on Armenian overflights. The airspace closure came without warning, yet the silence sent a clear message.

To decipher the reason behind this aerial exclusion, we have to take a look back at the turbulent history between these two nations, which is marred by complex and deeply rooted conflicts.

One of the most significant and tragic events in the countries’ shared history is the 1915 Armenian Genocide during World War I, where an estimated 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives under the rule of the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey). This event remains a point of contention: while 31 countries have recognized this as genocide, Turkey disputes the term used to describe this historical event.

The lack of official recognition and differing narratives (Turkey has challenged the Armenian depiction of the event’s circumstances and death toll) regarding this dark chapter continues to strain relations between the two nations.

In the week leading up to Turkey’s airspace closure, Armenia celebrated the opening of the “Nemesis” monument in Yerevan Ring Park. The towering shrine was erected as a memorial to fallen members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, who carried out Operation Nemesis in 1921 to assassinate Ottoman perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide.

The Turkish government took offense to the monument and, in response, imposed an air travel restriction on overflights, disallowing Armenian carriers to operate to a third destination from Turkish airspace.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry, together with the country’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, announced that it would not remove the airspace restriction until and unless Armenian officials order the removal of the monument.

While Turkey initially rescinded the ban on FlyOne’s flights, it later extended the restriction to private aircraft – an imposition that is still in place at the time of writing. Although Turkey has not officially issued NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) confirming the unexplained ban on private aircraft, AIN Online reported that some operators have been forced to make technical stops in neighboring Georgia instead.

Given Turkey’s strategic geographic position, this action effectively cuts Armenia off from much of Europe. As a result, flights have no choice but to fly significantly further to travel around Turkish airspace, impacting operations, flight schedules, and passenger costs.

It is clear why Turkey decided to respond to the “Nemesis” monument in this way: the impact on airlines increases costs at the expense of passengers, which in turn negatively affects connectivity, Armenia’s air travel industry, and the wider tourism sector. As for business aviation operators, this inconvenience affects the plans and pockets of those often on tight schedules – perhaps even those with enough pull to have a say in the demolition of the “Nemesis.”

Sources: Reuters, Brookings, AIN Online

Armenpress: Conference entitled ‘The Rights of Artsakh Armenians and the European Union’ held in European Parliament

Anna Tamamian

 21:36, 8 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS.  The conference entitled " The rights of the Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh Armenians and the European Union" was held in the European Parliament, which was organized and hosted by MEP Costas Mavrides (Cyprus, S&D) in cooperation with The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD)  and the "Europeans for Artsakh" platform. 

Armenpress Brussels correspondent Lilit Gasparyan informs the conference was aimed  at elaborating on the developments in Artsakh since 2020 war from the perspective of international law, human rights as well the response of the international community, the main players involved in mediation, with a particular focus on the role of the EU.

Costas Mavrides stated in his opening speech that the main goal of the conference was not only to not forget the ethnic cleansing carried out by the regime of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, but also to establish justice.

"Criminals must be punished for committing crimes against humanity, with the ultimate goal of preventing their recurrence in the future.

That is why I have been advocating for years the need to make the EU's acceptance of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court mandatory for the third countries.

It is equally important to ensure the safe return of the Armenian population to Nagorno-Karabakh and guarantee respect for their rights by Azerbaijan. The European Parliament has always been on the side of the Armenians because we defend respect for human rights and international law, and we will intensively continue our efforts in this direction,” Mavrides said.

Armenia's Ambassador to Belgium and Head of the Mission of Armenia to the EU, Tigran Balayan in his speech stated that he was present at the conference not only in his official capacity, but also as a person whose family had been subjected to ethnic cleansing and left their homeland after the aggression carried out by Aliyev in front of the eyes of the world and the international community.

"Since 2020, every step taken by the government of Azerbaijan has fully complied with the 14 factors of atrocity crimes defined by the United Nations. Our task is to use all possible legal means from our arsenal to hold the Aliyev regime accountable for ethnic cleansing and serious war crimes,” Balayan said, adding that the Aliyev regime must pay for everything and individual sanctions must be imposed. According to the ambassador, if crimes remain unpunished, they are doomed to be repeated. Balayan is confident that the European Parliament, within its powers, can apply individual sanctions against key members of the regime. 

The Chairman of Hay Dat Committee of Europe Gaspar Karapetyan, in his speech said that the European Parliament, as a body elected by the people, fulfills its task with honor. Gaspar Karapetyan noted that the European Parliament had repeatedly condemned Azerbaijan and demanded that the executive bodies of the EU take clear steps and impose sanctions against Azerbaijan. “Despite this, the EU executive body wittingly or unwittingly, served the interests of Azerbaijan. But we will continue to mobilize both civil society and political forces in Europe, to demand that EU executive bodies take responsibility for their policy both politically and legally. Human rights cannot be a tool for promoting geopolitical interests,” Karapetyan said.

 One of the key-note speakers of the conference, former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, mentioned in his speech that genocide is not just mass murder, and what happened to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh is a type of genocide. "Blocking the Lachin Corridor meant creating conditions for the extermination of the people," said Moreno Ocampo and emphasized that the Council of Europe can play an important role and call the EU member states to account, so that they also investigate and come to the conclusion that what happened is genocide.

Co-Founder of the Lemkin Institute and Director of Legal Affairs Irene Victoria Massimino in her speech drew attention to the issue of the  integration, which is often exploited by the EU. “How can some government officials ask people who have been discriminated, stigmatized, persecuted in prison, killed and tortured to integrate into a society that discriminates, stigmatizes, persecutes in prison, kills and tortures? Integration is, at a minimum, a naive option,” Massimino said, noting that during the genocidal blockade of the Lachin corridor, the international community had refused to adequately resolve the issue of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh with regard to the right to self-determination. In her opinion, the principle of “separation for salvation” could also be applied.

According to the speaker, diplomatic action could be taken to find a fair solution to the problem based on the demand for autonomy that has lasted for more than three decades. “Now the entire region of Nagorno-Karabakh is left without indigenous Armenians and under the definite and concrete risk that every trace of Armenian identity will be deliberately destroyed forever on this land,” added the Lemkin Institute co-founder.

In her opinion, today there are three important points that the EU should talk about. First, the EU must demand the immediate release of all Armenians illegally detained in Baku. It is necessary to help the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh register their property that they were forced to leave, and immediately create an independent fact-finding mission that will collect all the atrocities committed.

International human rights activist Karnig Kerkonian emphasized in his speech that calling crimes by their names is a legal obligation. According to the speaker, ethnic cleansing is part of a process that leads to crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes. According to the human rights activist, the international community, including the EU, had failed to protect the rights of Artsakh Armenians. ''They are now obliged to act towards the urgent restoration of these rights,'' he said.

Kerkorian noted that thinking about the past is necessary for accountability, because there can be no peace without justice.

"The law should be a tool for peace. In case of failure to prevent genocide and other mass crimes, accountability mechanisms should be put in place to determine individual and state responsibility. Responsibility cannot act as an option, but as an absolute necessity or a necessary step for restorative justice," said Kerkorian, emphasizing that even the territorial integrity cannot be a license for crimes and genocide.

During the conference an exchange of ideas took place, the main goal of which was to understand how the European Parliament and MEPs could be useful to the Armenians of Artsakh. Those present noted the Republic of Armenia is also in danger, and inaction could lead to serious consequences.

Armenpress: The Prime Minister, together with his wife, attends the funeral service of Matevos Asatryan

Anna Tamamian

 19:52, 7 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, together with his wife Anna Hakobyan, participated in the funeral service of Matevos Asatryan, MP from the "Civil Contract" faction of the National Assembly, in the St. Astsvatsatsin Church of Kuchak settlement of Aparan community, the Prime Minister’s Office said.