Author: Arsine Chaltikian

Professional potential of Armenian students for the homeland

Arsine Chaltikian
August 3, 2023 Yeghia Tashjian Tashjian’s Take, Columns 0

Recently, the ARF Bureau’s Office of Youth Affairs announced the launch of the research program “Armenian Students for Artsakh.” This program was initiated in “light of the critical period that Artsakh is currently experiencing and the pressing need to utilize the academic and professional skills of Armenian students and scholars for the greater Armenian cause, particularly in relation to Artsakh.” The main goal of the project is to bring together Armenian students in the fields of political science, economics, sociology, law, culture and investigative journalism, who will contribute their research to institutions involved in Armenian causes.

The 2020 Artsakh war showed that the period of weapons of the 20th century is over. To fight against the opponent or the enemy, it is necessary to study its current political and economic situation, promote analytical thinking among our students, develop the economy of our homeland, improve the border regions and strengthen our army, while encouraging the creation of a specialized generation.

In 2021, a similar program, “Towards Syunik,” was implemented to spotlight the challenges facing the Syunik region. Back then, some thought that by compromising on the Artsakh conflict, Armenia’s territorial integrity would have been secured. This narrative turned out to be wrong, as the ARF warned that without Artsakh, Armenians will never be secure in their homeland. “Towards Syunik” illustrated that Armenian students are not only interested in issues of importance to our homeland, but are also capable of highlighting problems with analytical and investigative approaches and developing solutions.

Through “Armenian Students for Artsakh,” Armenian students from around the world have the opportunity to critically assess the situation in Artsakh. They also have a unique opportunity to work with well-known, specialized consultants, to carry out important professional studies and to counter the challenges facing the homeland.

The materials included in the program can be divided into the following groups, with their accompanying mentors. 

The Armenian issue in general, and the Artsakh issue in particular, and its international perception and manifestations: 

  • The destructive impact of the blockade of Artsakh on the rights and mental state of the children of Artsakh
    Gegham Stepanyan, Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh
  • Blockade of the Berdzor Corridor as a war crime, from the International Law perspective
    Siranush Sahakian, Head of the Armenian Center for International and Comparative Law
  • Azerbaijan’s Caviar Diplomacy in Europe
    Heghineh Evinian, Director of European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy
  • The Aliyev family and Azerbaijan’s foreign investments and manifestations of corruption
    Harut Sassounian, Editor-in-chief of the California Courier newspaper
  • The importance of the implementation of sanctions against Azerbaijan
    Aram Hamparian, Executive director of the ANCA office in Washington
  • The importance of involving international humanitarian organizations in Artsakh
    Vicken Ashkarian, Collaborator at International Organization for Humanitarian Aid
  • Artsakh issue on the agenda of international organizations
    Mario Nalbandian, Member of the Central Council of the ARF Hai Tahd, Socialist International Vice President

These seven studies can be useful for the lobbying activities of the “Hai Tahd” and the executive bodies of the Republic of Armenia to Western governments, with the aim to counter Azerbaijani propaganda and exert pressure on Baku. These studies may also unearth new resolutions in favor of Artsakh and Armenia in the parliaments of foreign countries. Moreover, such studies can be the basis for the adoption of economic sanctions against the dictatorial regime of Aliyev.

Economic and diplomatic relations of Azerbaijan:

  • Azerbaijan’s Energy Policy with Russia and the West
    Yeghia Tashjian, Associate Fellow at the Issam Fares Institute – American University of Beirut
  • Relations between Azerbaijan and Israel
    Shahan Kandaharian, Editor-in-chief of Beirut Aztag Daily
  • National minorities of Azerbaijan
    Edgar Elbakyan, Co-founder of the Armenian Project
  • Azerbaijan’s relations with regional powers
    Abraham Gasparyan, founding director of Genesis Armenia Center

These four studies are related to Azerbaijan’s internal politics and its geopolitical and geoeconomic position within the region. After the 2020 war, the main challenge facing Azerbaijan has been to conduct a balanced policy with Russia, Turkey and the West, while using oil and gas as a pressure card in order to gain concessions from the West and Russia regarding Artsakh. Also, analyzing Israel’s role is closely related to Iran’s role in the region.

Artsakh, the stronghold of Armenian resilience 

  • The nation-army system ideology in Armenia and Artsakh
    Former Deputy Supreme Commander, Lieutenant General Tiran Khachatryan
  • Azerbaijan’s political and academic attempts to distort history
    Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Artsakh Lernik Hovhannisyan
  • The potential of unconventional water resources in Artsakh
    Hovsep Der Kevorkian, ARF Bureau member and water resources specialist
  • The urgent necessity to preserve the spiritual and non-material heritage of Artsakh
    Father Garegin Hambardzumyan, Director of Artsakh’s spiritual and cultural heritage preservation office in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
  • Possibilities of increasing the resilience of the Artsakh’s economy
    Suren Parsyan, ARF Bureau Economic Research Office director
  • Armenian humanitarian assistance to Artsakh Armenians after the 44-day war
    Lilit Martirosyan, Chairwoman of ARS Artsakh

These six studies are devoted to cultural, social, economic and political issues in Artsakh, Azerbaijan’s historical falsification and its genocidal policy. For both Armenia and Artsakh, the above-mentioned topics can be levers to protect Artsakh’s Armenians and preserve the Armenian identity of Artsakh against Baku’s genocidal ambitions.

About the competition

To fight against the opponent or the enemy, it is necessary to study its current political and economic situation, promote analytical thinking among our students, develop the economy of our homeland, improve the border regions and strengthen our army, while encouraging the creation of a specialized generation.

The submitted papers will be evaluated based on five criteria: modernity, feasibility significance, research work capacity, objective basis of the work and compliance with technical requirements. The goal is not necessarily to publish academic articles, nor to be satisfied only with analysis, but rather studies should present proposals that have the nature of a “policy paper/problem-solution” in which the student provides at least one policy proposal addressing the challenges mentioned. Such studies can open the door to discussions in the academic and political circles of Armenia. For example, rather than analyzing the blockade of Artsakh and its consequences or causes, students can suggest practical means of lifting the blockade, keeping in mind the current political and economic resources of Armenia and the Diaspora. In other words, being realistic is imperative. As critical thinkers, we have to go beyond mere slogan rhetoric or cheap populism. 

Completed projects will be examined by a judicial panel of consultants. All students who participate in the competition will receive symbolic gifts. The authors of the best studies selected by the jury will receive scholarships: first prize – $1,000 USD, second prize – $750 USD and third prize – $500 USD.

At the conclusion of the competition, an online conference will be convened where the best studies will be presented to the public. All the works will be published in the press. The results of the competition will be announced on November 1 of this year.

Every study will contribute to the Armenian cause, and today it is imperative that the political elite of Armenia listen to the concerns of our students and take into consideration their proposals.

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Yeghia Tashjian is a regional analyst and researcher. He has graduated from the American University of Beirut in Public Policy and International Affairs. He pursued his BA at Haigazian University in political science in 2013. In 2010, he founded the New Eastern Politics forum/blog. He was a research assistant at the Armenian Diaspora Research Center at Haigazian University. Currently, he is the regional officer of Women in War, a gender-based think tank. He has participated in international conferences in Frankfurt, Vienna, Uppsala, New Delhi and Yerevan. He has presented various topics from minority rights to regional security issues. His thesis topic was on China’s geopolitical and energy security interests in Iran and the Persian Gulf. He is a contributor to various local and regional newspapers and a presenter of the “Turkey Today” program for Radio Voice of Van. Recently he has been appointed as associate fellow at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut and Middle East-South Caucasus expert in the European Geopolitical Forum.


King Tiridates III – The first Armenian to participate and win the Olympic Games

Arsine Chaltikian

July 27 2023


 

By 

Lianna Agasyan

 

The first Armenian who participated in the Ancient Olympic Games and won the Olympic Games in 281 in ancient Greece was King Tiridates III of Armenia from the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia.

King Tiridates III of Armenia played in the races of quadriga – chariots harnessed by four horses. He won the wrestling competition in 281 at the 265th Games in Greece.

What distinguishes Tiridates III of Armenia is the fact that it was during his reign that Armenia became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as the state religion in 301.

In 393, in Ancient Greece, the Armenian king of the Varazdat Arsacid dynasty won a wrestling competition, and his name was engraved on a marble slab as the winner of the last Olympiad.

Movses Khorenatsi wrote about the reign of Varazdat: “The philosopher Augustus from Theodosia, nicknamed the Great, in the twentieth year of his reign appointed Varazdat from the same Arsacid dynasty of Armenia as the king of Armenia instead of the Pap.”

Varazdat was young, bold and strong, very skillful and smart. At the time he fled from Shapouh and, having come to the palace of the emperor, accomplished many feats.

First he defeated the fist fighters in Pisa, then in the City of the Sun, Hellada, he beat the lions, and then at the Olympic Games he was honored, and the feats he accomplished could be compared with the deeds of St. Trdat.

Russia Losing Its Predominant Role In Negotiations On Karabakh Issue – OpEd

Arsine Chaltikian
   

By Paul Goble

Given the increasing activity of the US and the EU in the Caucasus, “Russia is losing the exclusivity it used to have in talks about a possible Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement,” according to Sergey Markedonov, one of Moscow’s leading specialists on the Caucasus.

The director of the ethnic relations department at Moscow’s Institute for Political and Military Analysis says that most people have been so focused on the NATO summit in Vilnius that they have failed to pay attention to other events that should be attended to. Among those is what is happening in the South Caucasus about Karabakh (iarex.ru/news/103200.html).

One reason many have ignored this issue recently is that for a long time, they have viewed the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict as “hopeless” and thus think that Moscow need not do anything to maintain the status quo which for decades has worked to its advantage.

But a lengthy interview by Armen Grigoryan, the secretary of the Armenian Security Council, to the Voice of America on July 11 suggests that such confidence may be misplaced, that the situation around Karabakh is in motion, and Russia is being increasingly left behind and thus losing its influence.

The Grigoryan interview is in Armenian at amerikayidzayn.com/a/7176553.html and in English at jam-news.net/armen-grigoryans-interview-with-voice-of-america/. Because Grigoryan is a senior policy maker and often articulates new directions in Yerevan’s policies, it should be attracting more attention than it has so far, Markedonov says.

In his interview, Grigoryan makes four key points: first, talks between Aliyev and Pashinyan could take place far earlier than anyone thinks, second, the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh hasn’t lived up to expectations; third, “the problem of Karabakh Armenians is not about territory but about civil rights” within Azerbaijan; and fourth, Armenia’s relations with the US are especially important and must be strengthened in every possible way.

All this suggests that “a framework agreement mediated by the West is closer than ever before” and that it will be something that both Yerevan and Baku will be in a position to “sell” domestically. According to Markedonov, “for Russia this is not very good news.” Moscow can blame the Armenians but of late Russia has not devoted the attention to this issue it should.

Russians need to realize that Moscow “is losing its political exclusivity on an Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement every day and more and more. A framework agreement orchestrated by the US and the EU will alas intensify this trend.” Moscow must recognize that it has competitors and not assume that it can ignore them and what they are doing, Markedonov concludes.

Pashinyan, Blinken Discuss Karabakh

Arsine Chaltikian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 July 11, 2023

 

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

Azerbaijan installed a concrete barrier on the Lachin Corridor on June 22


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a telephone conversation with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.

According a readout from the prime minister’s press office, the two discussed “the situation in the region, the ongoing negotiations on the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the necessary steps to ensure the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, including the need for a Baku-Stepanakert dialogue with international involvement.”

Pashinyan reportedly also addressed the deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh caused by Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor and the steps necessary for ending that crisis.

The call comes days after President Biden’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, met with his Armenian counterpart Armen Grigoryan in Washington last week.

Meanwhile, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a briefing that U.S. is looking forward to the next round of talks between Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders, which are scheduled to take place on July 21. He added that the continuing talks will be a sign that the most recent meeting in Washington between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers were successful.

“We continue to believe an agreement is possible and we look forward to further talks in the coming months,” Miller said.

Creative Resistance: A Literary Reading in Paintings, Poetry, Collage and Fiction

Arsine Chaltikian
 Guest Contributor Literary Corner, Announcements 0

BOSTON, Mass.—The Midway Gallery will present poet Arthur Kayzakian and novelist Nancy Agabian on Sunday, July 23 at 4 p.m., who will read from their recent books which demonstrate creativity as a form of personal transformation and political resistance. A conversation and book signing will follow with books by both authors available for sale. Admission is free and refreshments will be served.

In Kayzakian’s The Book of Redacted Paintings, the narrative arc follows a boy in search of his father’s painting, but it is unclear whether the painting exists or not. The book, a poetry collection, is also populated by a series of paintings. Some are real, incomplete and/or missing, while most are redacted from reality. The withdrawn paintings concept is the emotional arc of the book, a combination of wishing one could paint the pieces he/she/they envision and the feeling of something torn out of a person due to a traumatic upbringing—a sort of erasure ekphrasis, to foresee artwork that was never painted.

Kayzakian is the winner of the 2021 Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series award for The Book of Redacted Paintings, which was also selected as a finalist for the 2021 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry. He is also the winner of the Finishing Line Press Open Chapbook Competition for his chapbook, My Burning City. He has been a finalist for the Locked Horn Press Chapbook Prize, Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize, the C.D. Wright Prize and the Black River Chapbook Competition. He is a contributing editor at Poetry International and a recipient of the Minas Savvas Fellowship. His work has appeared in or is forthcoming from several publications, including Taos Journal of International Poetry & Art, COUNTERCLOCK, Chicago Review, Nat. Brut, Michigan Quarterly Review, Witness Magazine and Prairie Schooner. 

In Agabian’s The Fear of Large and Small Nations, feminist writer and teacher Natalee—aka Na—seeks to reclaim her cultural roots in Armenia only to be confronted with the many contradictions of being a diasporan. When she falls for a charismatic younger man and returns with him to New York City, Na becomes trapped in an abusive web of codependency, bound by intergenerational trauma and political ideals. Written in short stories collaged with intimate journal entries and blog posts, the fragmented narrative reveals what is lost in the tightrope passage between cultures ravaged by violence and colonialism—and what is gained when Na seizes control of her story, pulsating in its many shades and realities, daring to be witnessed.

Agabian’s previous books include Me as her again: True Stories of an Armenian Daughter (aunt lute books), a memoir honored as a Lambda Literary Award finalist for LGBT Nonfiction and shortlisted for a William Saroyan International Writing Prize, and Princess Freak (Beyond Baroque Books), a collection of poetry and performance art texts. In 2021 she was awarded Lambda Literary Foundation’s Jeanne Cόrdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction. The Fear of Large and Small Nations, a finalist for the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, is her first novel.




Karabakh Separatist Official Urges Russia To Open Corridor To Armenia

Arsine Chaltikian
BARRON’S
By AFP – Agence France Presse

A separatist official in Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan on Thursday called on Russia to allow movement on the only road linking the breakaway region to Armenia.

“I appeal to the Russian Federation… to ensure unimpeded movement, transportation of people and goods along the corridor,” State Minister Gurgen Nersisyan said on social media, warning that “the situation is terrible, in a few days we will have irreversible consequences.”

bur/gw

https://www.barrons.com/news/karabakh-separatist-official-urges-russia-to-open-corridor-to-armenia-b6664c80


Turkish Press: ​French, Armenian foreign ministers discuss normalization process of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations

Arsine Chaltikian
Turkey – July 7 2023

French, Armenian foreign ministers discuss normalization process of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations


Lasting peace between two countries can only be achieved by respecting the rights and culture of those living in the region, says French foreign minister

11:45 . 7/07/2023 Friday

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna discussed the status of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on normalization of relations in a phone call Thursday with her Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan.

Colonna said that France, Europe and the US supported the mediation efforts between the two countries, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

She pointed out that lasting peace between the two countries can only be achieved by respecting the rights and culture of those living in the region.

She also expressed concern over the deterioration of the security situation there.

Music: Sergey Smbatyan Leads the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra in a Celebration of Sergei Rachmaninoff

Arsine Chaltikian
July 4 2023

The esteemed conductor will lead the orchestra in concert series on July 12 & 13 that celebrates Rachmaninoff’s 150th birthday.

YEREVAN, ARMENIA, July 4, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Sergey Smbatyan, the esteemed Armenian conductor, is proud to announce that he will lead the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra in a special concert series dedicated to commemorating the 150th birthday of the legendary composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. The concert series will occur on July 12 and 13 at the renowned Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall in Yerevan, Armenia.

Sergey Smbatyan, the Founding Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, is renowned for his exceptional artistry and leadership. As the Principal Conductor of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Smbatyan has also garnered international acclaim for his transformative interpretations and innovative programming.

The Armenian State Symphony Orchestra will showcase Rachmaninoff’s exquisite compositions in this extraordinary concert series. On July 12, the orchestra will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op.1 and Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30. On July 13, the program will include Piano Concerto No. 4, The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, and Piano Concerto No. 2.

“It is an incredibly moving experience to lead the highly acclaimed Armenian State Symphony Orchestra in celebrating Sergei Rachmaninoff’s 150th birthday with these monumental masterworks,” said Sergey Smbatyan. “We aim to deliver an unforgettable musical experience, capturing Rachmaninoff’s compositions’ profound beauty and emotional depth.”

The Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, renowned for its spirited performances and commitment to cultural awareness, seeks to bring the rich heritage of classical music to audiences worldwide. Sergey Smbatyan’s artistic vision and the orchestra’s unwavering dedication have resulted in numerous critically acclaimed performances, captivating audiences with passion and musical excellence.

Sergey Smbatyan is committed to promoting the arts in Armenia and developing young musicians. In 2019, he established the “Music for Future” Cultural Foundation intending to promote classical music education in Armenia and provide young musicians with opportunities to develop their talents.

The latest initiative of the “Music for Future” Foundation is the Donation-Concert of the scholars, which will be broadcast LIVE on the Foundation’s Facebook page on July 11 at 08:00 p.m.

Through its various programs and initiatives, Foundation is helping to create a new generation of talented musicians who have the potential to become cultural ambassadors for Armenia.

To learn more about Sergey Smbatyan and upcoming performances, visit https://sergeysmbatyan.com.

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https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/642844394/sergey-smbatyan-leads-the-armenian-state-symphony-orchestra-in-a-celebration-of-sergei-rachmaninoff

Armenia, Turkey leaders discuss normalization of ties

Arsine Chaltikian

Al Mayadeen
  • ByAl Mayadeen 

The Armenian PM and Turkish President exchange congratulations on Muslim and Christian holidays during a rare phone call.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone on Wednesday in an effort to repair their strained relations.

The common border between Armenia and Turkey has been closed since the 1990s, and the two countries have never had formal diplomatic ties.

In further detail, Pashinyan’s office said that the two leaders have exchanged congratulations on Muslim and Christian holidays and “discussed the process of normalization of bilateral relations.”

In early June, Pashinyan traveled to Ankara to attend Erdogan’s inauguration. He was among the first world leaders to congratulate the Turkish President on his re-election.

In December 2021, the two countries appointed special envoys to help normalize relations. The first commercial flights between Turkey and Armenia in two years were restored last year.

It is noteworthy that Ankara and Yerevan agreed to normalize their relations and open their common border in 2009 when they signed the accord. However, Armenia never ratified the deal and in 2018 ditched the process.

The relationship between the two countries, who have never established diplomatic ties, has been strained over historical and political disputes and has further deteriorated due to the Nagorno-Karabakh war after Turkey supported Azerbaijan’s claim to sovereignty over the region.

However, the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria last February has led to some firsts in many years as countries around the world have been raising efforts to send aid and resources to help with the disaster relief efforts.

One of such event was observed on February 11 at one of the Turkish-Aremnian border crossings where, for the first time in 35 years, the crossing was opened to allow aid to pass into quake-struck Turkey.

At the time, Turkey’s special representative for dialogue with Armenia said five trucks holding aid, such as food and water, in addition to a team that will participate in the search-and-rescue efforts, crossed into Turkey through the Alican border crossing.

On February 7, Erdogan thanked Pashinyan for Armenia’s assistance after the devastating earthquake, emphasizing how much the Turkish government values Yerevan’s assistance, according to sources in the Armenian government. 

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/armenia-turkey-leaders-discuss-normalization-of-ties

Russian President is working in the Kremlin. Peskov

Arsine Chaltikian

 15:53,

YEREVAN, JUNE 24, ARMENPRESS. The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, works in the Kremlin, ARMENPRESS reports, citing “RIA Novosti”, the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said.

“The President is working in the Kremlin,” Peskov said.

Earlier, a number of Telegram channels wrote that Putin has left Moscow for another region.