Author: Anna Tamamian

Dresden Symphony Orchestra will perform “Aghet” progam dedicated to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide at the German Consulate in Istanbul on November 13, reports.

Turkish-Armenian Friendship Association will host a reception after the concert. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Minister of Culture Nabi Avcı have been invited to participate in both events.

“Aghet” project caused a crisis between Germany, Turkey and EU. Turkey decided to leave the Creative Europe Program, because of the latter’s support for “Aghet.” German Minister of Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his support to Aghet project, causing further disturbance in Turkish government.

Expressing his support to Aghet project, Steinmeier stated: “The deportation of the Armenian people happened a century ago. However, Armenian and Turkish sides haven’t yet officially reconciled concerning the events of 1915-1916. With this project, three composers from Germany and Armenia echo the voice of the deceased and also bridge the gap between the present and a past full of hatred and violence. The project invites the audience to get out of the world of hatred. I am convinced that only the people who learn and acknowledge the dreams and traumas of the others can contribute to the bright future of this continent. And Aghet project is one of the most important milestones in this path.”

On October 18-19, the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan hosted a two-day workshop, bringing together Armenian and Georgian government officials and NGOs to exchange best practices in controlling the flow of weapons of mass destruction, delivery systems, and conventional weaponry.

During the workshop, organized by the Embassy’s Export Control and Related Border Security Program (EXBS), policymakers and technical experts from both countries shared the methods they currently employ to inform exporting industries about the latest regulations, procedures, and export requirements related to dual-use technology (which can be used for both weaponry and peaceful purposes). The Armenian and Georgian officials also learned new ways to safeguard dual-use technology from being transferred to proliferating states and terrorist groups.

Twenty representatives from relevant Armenian and Georgian agencies, U.S. Department of Energy officials, and NGOs from both countries discussed the mutual challenges they face and the approaches they have undertaken to achieve their goals.  They also discussed the important role that NGOs can play in educating businesses and governments on export controls. “Having agencies from both countries discuss how they reach out to export industries allows for mutual good practices among these neighboring countries to be shared. Also, the chance to network with each other’s counterparts in such a setting strengthens the bilateral relationship between Armenia and Georgia. This workshop provides a basis for future discussions on other relevant export control issues,” said Ashley Fullenwider, the principal Political Science Analyst from the Argonne National Laboratory.

The EXBS program takes a regional and multilateral approach to help harmonize national export control systems with international standards and facilitate information-sharing among nations.

Administered by the Department of State, EXBS operates in more than 65 countries, and is designed to strengthen a country’s export control system by providing legal and regulatory advice, training of licensing officials, enforcement and interdiction equipment, and industry-to-government outreach. Better export control systems help fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, conventional weapons, and related materials.

has released a private, high level email exchange within the Hillary Clinton campaign about the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) informs.

The letter dated April 19, 2015 authored by John Podesta, Chairman of the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign to Jake Sullivan, a top foreign policy advisor to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election.

The letter reads:

Friday is the 100th Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. I presume the Armenian groups will be looking for a statement or a signal from the campaign on whether she will call it a “genocide” if she is elected president. As a Senator and candidate, she was unequivocal in recognizing the genocide. As Secretary of State, she did not use the term genocide but rather focused on future reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia.

The White House has studiously avoided using “genocide” so far. There is an internal debate now about whether to change that posture given that it is the 100th anniversary. But in all likelihood they won’t change.

Two questions:

Do you all agree that she should embrace the position she took as Senator and candidate, even though she did not take it as SecState?

Do you all agree that we should just wait until we are asked as opposed to doing something proactive?

Sorry to bother with this, but as you all know this matters enormously to Armenian-Americans.

Photo: AP

 

Thousands of people have fled the Mosul area and more are expected as Iraqi troops move on the city to liberate it from the so-called Islamic State (IS), the BBC reports.

Some 5,000 people have crossed the border into Syria in the last 10 days, the aid agency Save the Children says.

They have arrived at the al-Hol refugee camp where conditions are already reported to be filthy and overcrowded.

Up to 1.5 million civilians are thought to still be in Mosul, with up to 5,000 IS fighters.

The UN is preparing for what it fears could be the biggest man-made humanitarian crisis in recent times.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received today French Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Jean-Francois Charpentier.

Stressing the special friendly nature of the Armenian-French relations, the Prime Minister praised the rich and comprehensive agenda of bilateral cooperation in different spheres and attached importance to the intensification of joint economic projects.

In this respect, Karen Karapetyan emphasized the significance of the second conference on Armenian-French decentralized cooperation to be held in Yerevan in December.

Jean-Francois Charpentier voiced his willingness to cooperate with the Armenian Government towards implementation of joint programs, further development of bilateral relations and expansion of economic ties.

The Ambassador said the French Development Agency will maintain support for the improvement of infrastructures and is going to invest about $40 mln for that purpose. He also stressed the willingness of a number of French companies to launch activity in Armenia.

The parties pointed to the fields of agriculture, information technologies, tourism as promising spheres of cooperation.

Photos:  Armenian National Committee of Canada

 

Asbarez – In partnership with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), the Armenian National Committee of Canada co-organized the premiere of the museum’s new film about the Armenian Genocide, “Acts of Conscience: Armin T. Wegner and the Armenian Genocide” on October 13th, 2016.

The event took place at the Armenian Youth Centre of Toronto and attracted hundreds of community members and supporters of the ANCC and CMHR. The event was also attended by Peter Farenholtz, Consul General of Germany in Canada, MP Arnold Chan. Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Agincourt and Chair of the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group, Councilor Jim Karygiannis, Toronto City Councilor, TDSB Trustees and a large number of activists.

After the screening of the documentary, the event featured a discussion with renowned Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, who narrated the short documentary which will play in the Museum’s “Breaking the Silence” gallery.

Subsequently, remarks were delivered by CMHR president and CEO, John Young, MP Arnold Chan – who also read a statement from The Right Hon. Justin Trudeau – and Councilor Jim Karygiannis, Toronto city councilor. Closing remarks were delivered by ANCC president, Shahen Mirakian. In his remarks, Mirakian said that it is only through our concerted efforts that we can stay true to our commitment and carry on the legacy of Wegner by standing up against any forms of injustice towards humanity.

The film “Acts of Conscience” looks at the genocide through the lens of Armin T. Wegner, a German war medic who photographed and documented atrocities against the Armenian-Christian minority that were occurring around him in the Ottoman Empire during the first World War – including forced “death marches” through the desert. In the 1930s, Wegner also voiced his opposition to the anti-Semitic policies of the Nazis and authored an impassioned plea to Hitler on behalf of the Jews of Germany.

Compelled by his conscience to take action despite great personal risk, Wegner’s story epitomizes the importance of efforts to combat the denial and minimization that often surround gross human rights violations.

An exhibit at the CMHR explores the efforts for recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Wegner and others. In 2004, the Canadian Parliament voted to officially acknowledge and condemn the Armenian Genocide.

The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian grassroots human rights organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues and works to eliminate abuses of human rights throughout Canada and the world.

The George C. Marshall Center (GCMC) of Security Studies hosted an alumni outreach event in Yerevan, Armenia on September 29^,  2016.  Thirty alumni and guests from multiple Armenian institutions attended the event which was led by GCMC staff.  The event featured two distinguished GCMC alumni – Ms. Hayarpi Mkhitaryan from the Armenian National Security Council and Ms. Yelizaveta Margaryan from the Ministry of Finance – who presented their views on the topic of “Corruption as a National Security Threat.”  Their presentation was followed by a question and answer session.

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard M. Mills, Jr. welcomed the Marshall Center alumni and congratulated them on the important role they have played in “collectively contributing to a better and more robust understanding in Washington and many European capitals of the unique security and defense challenges facing Armenia and the Caucasus region.”  Ambassador Mills added that “the intersection of corruption and national security is an issue of critical importance in Armenia and around the world, and I am pleased to see these two professionals, and the distinguished alumni and guests who have gathered here today, address this subject with such seriousness.”

The U.S. and German-sponsored George C. Marshall Center of Security Studies offers a unique opportunity to examine global and regional trends, contemporary security issues, national security strategies, defense planning, approaches to crisis management, countering corruption, and other related areas.  Armenia has participated in this program since 1995, sending 15 students per year on average to the GCMC.  Currently there are approximately 240 GCMC alumni in Armenia who hold a broad range of positions within the Armenian government, as well as other agencies and institutions.  GCMC carries George C. Marshall’s vision into the 21st century, following the motto “Democracy through trust and friendship.”

Private of the NKR Defense Army Sevak Hovhannes Khachatryan was killed in firing from the Azerbaijani side at about 10:40 on September 25.

Probe into the details of the incident is under way.

The NKR Defense Ministry shares the sorrow of the heavy loss and expresses its support to the Sevak Khachatryan’s family and friends.

Three Syrian men have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of being sent by so-called Islamic State (IS) to launch attacks, prosecutors say, the BBC reports.

The men – aged 17, 18 and 26 – were detained after a series of pre-dawn raids in the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony on Tuesday.

Police are reported to have seized “extensive material”.

But no concrete missions or orders had so far been found, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s office said.

In a statement, it said investigations so far suggested the three had come to Germany in November 2015 with the intention of “carrying out a previously determined order [from IS] or to await further instructions”.

They are said to have travelled through Turkey and Greece on false passports.

Investigators believe the men had volunteered for the alleged mission – and that the 17-year-old had been trained in handling weapons and explosives.

They were arrested when 200 police and security officers raided several premises including three refugee shelters.