Author: Babajanian Karo

CONVERSATIONS: AN ALEPPO AUTO KING, NOW SELLING STREET FOOD

Syria Deeply
July 14 2014

by by Karen Leigh

In Aleppo, Sako, 60, owned an auto-repair business that employed 15
workers. Now the Syrian-Armenian, one of 11,000 to settle in Yerevan
since the conflict began, rents and operates a small falafel and
shwarma stand in the center of town.

YEREVAN, Armenia – He still has the same cell phone, an early
smartphone purchased in Aleppo before Syria’s three-year-long conflict
turned the life of this formerly well-off businessman upside down. On
it are photos of a life now long gone – a happy extended family of
Syrian-Armenians posing in its well-appointed home, unaware of what
was to come.

In Aleppo, Sako, 60, owned an auto-repair business that employed 15
workers. He made a substantial amount of money, he says – enough to
buy four apartments in Aleppo and two cars, and eat out regularly at
the city’s pricier spots. Then the war hit his business, forcing him
to flee with his wife to Yerevan, the Armenian capital, where years
earlier he had sent one of his sons to study to be a pharmacist.

Now he rents and operates a small, tidy falafel and shwarma stand
in the center of town, while his wife, a former anesthesiologist,
manages another outpost next door. Here, they share a one-bedroom
apartment with several other family members. There are no more nice
cars, few restaurants, no employees to perform the manual labor.

“It’s like going from a royal lifestyle to a gypsy lifestyle,” he says.

Sako and his wife, also 60, are among tens of thousands of people
seeking refuge in Yerevan. While hundreds of thousands of refugees
wear out their welcome in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan, the government of
Armenia, which considers itself the global center of the diaspora, sees
the thousands of Syrian-Armenians fleeing the conflict as undertaking a
homecoming of sorts. UNCHR has estimated that there were up to 80,000
Syrian-Armenians living in Syria before the conflict, and that 11,000
of them have moved to Armenia.

On a hot summer day, Sako served falafel on the shady, tidy patio
of his kiosk and discussed adjusting to life now – and dealing with
memories of a different time:

I left Aleppo two years ago and came directly to Armenia, it was
September 11, 2012. We were doing very well. We had four apartments
in Aleppo. We had a spare car-parts business in the industrial area.

That’s where our garage was.

Business was very good. And it was good even after the conflict
started. People still needed auto parts. But when violence finally
reached Aleppo, it stopped. Six months before coming to Armenia,
the business just stopped. Because of the lack of security on the
roads, we weren’t able to go to our workplace. It was 15 kilometers
away from my house, and the journey was very dangerous. I won’t give
you an exact figure, but I had a 93 percent drop in profits. There,
I had 15 workers. Here, it’s just me. I am the only worker.

I had two cars, a Hyundai Sonata and a Kia. Then cars for my wife
and my son. At least once a week, we went to nice restaurants and
cultural events.

Before we came, we were very connected to Armenia because my oldest
son studied pharmacy here. I sent him here to study. A year before
coming here, we applied for Armenian passports. We came here to sign
the papers and things got even worse in Aleppo, so we couldn’t go
back. We stayed for good. Remember, Armenia is not taking all Syrians,
it’s taking only Armenian-Syrians.

A lot of Syrian-Armenians who are here now who came after the conflict
are not finding proper jobs, it’s been a lot more difficult. After
we came, we were here for nine months doing nothing. We had savings.

[Still], we didn’t have enough cash, but I had relatives who loaned me
money. After nine months I realized I wasn’t going back to Aleppo and
I would be here a long time. I knew I could prepare good food, good
sandwiches, so I decided to rent this place and start the business.

I used to wake up at 8 a.m. and go to work at 9 a.m. At 5 p.m. I
would close. But I did nothing with my hands, I was the boss and
managed 15 workers. Now I wake up at 7 a.m., I go to the market at 8
a.m. At 10 a.m. I come here and open the kiosk and I work until 12,
12:30 a.m. at night.

Now we go out maybe once a month. In the winter, I never go out at
night but in summer, once a month. Still, this all hasn’t affected
me much psychologically, because I like to work.

We are living in a one-room apartment, all of us together. We’ve been
trying to find another place close to this area but everything is
too expensive. Our main residence in Aleppo was 170 square meters,
six rooms. We had central heating and air conditioning. My kitchen
was as big as this [restaurant]. Our things are all still there,
locked in the apartment.

The other three apartments, I bought for my sons. My biggest worry
now is to be able to get back to Aleppo to sell everything and to have
money for me and my sons for the future. Everything is standing still,
locked, I can’t sell the apartments or do anything. I only wish to
go back to Aleppo in order to sell my homes and my workplaces. At
the time we left, I was in the middle of expanding my business.

Some of my workers went to Latakia and are working in different places,
some are in Beirut and some joined the Free Syrian Army. I’m only in
contact with the workers who are still in Latakia.

I miss my home, my lifestyle, my freedom, my social life. Some of my
friends are still in Aleppo, others have gone to Beirut, to the U.S.

At night when I can’t sleep, I stay awake and I talk to them. Before
the conflict, I didn’t have too much to worry about. Everything was
on track in my life. My sons had finished their military service,
I had secured their futures. I had done well.

I don’t have one particular outstanding fear. I’m healthy and working
and good. My major concern is to be able to go back and sell my
belongings so that I can buy a home here and establish myself. I’m not
thinking of going back, or staying here. I’m thinking about emigrating
to the U.S.

Sako’s name has been changed and his answers have been edited for
clarity. Katarina Montgomery and Syria Deeply contributor Abu Leila
contributed reporting.

ARMENIA’S OPPOSITION ESPOUSES GRASSROOTS ISSUES

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
IWPR Caucasus Reporting #744
July 14 2014

Campaign groups now find that politicians are interested in their
causes.

By Gayane Lazarian – Caucasus

Popular protests about grassroots issues seem to capture the political
elite’s attention more than formal opposition does, even if the latest
one – a campaign to save a historic building in the capital Yerevan
– has ended in failure. Opposition parties have recognised this and
are making various campaign issues their own.

After weeks of protests, efforts to save the 130-year-old Afrikyan
House came to an end on July 8 when demolition workers moved in. The
government sold the centrally-located plot to a company called
Millennium Construction despite having designated the building –
the home of 19th century merchant Armen Afrikyan – a “site of public
interest” in 2008. The company plans to build a hotel on the land
and recreate the exterior of the Afrikyan House elsewhere in the city.

Photographer Hayk Bianjyan has been capturing images of Yerevan’s old
buildings since 2003, and joined the campaign to save the Afrikyan
House.

“Thirty-two buildings like this have been removed in Yerevan in the
last 20 years,” he told IWPR. “The old town no longer exists.”

The preservationist movement formed an alliance with another campaign
group fighting a ten per cent rise in electricity prices, although
that too failed in its objectives, as the higher prices will come
into effect in August. (See Armenians Shocked at Electricity Price
Rise on that issue.)

Despite these setbacks, issue-based rather than overtly political
campaign movements are gaining traction in Armenia.

Some issues raised in this way are making it onto the mainstream
political agenda in a way that has not been seen before.

“The political parties are taking these ideas from civil society and
putting them on the agenda,” Yerevand Bozoyan, a political analyst
and head of the Mitk research centre, told IWPR. “As a result, it’s
becoming a real headache for the government, and we’re seeing the
results in parliament. People have managed to find effective ways to
get their voices heard, thanks to civic groups and political forces.”

On June 10, the four opposition parties with seats in parliament –
Prosperous Armenia, the Armenian National Congress (ANC), Heritage
and Dashnaktsutyun – presented the government with a list of demands,
most of which were originally issues raised by campaigning groups.

The disparate demands include a review of fines for parking and driving
offences, a freeze on public transport fares, and a commitment to get
the Nairit chemicals factory back on its feet by paying off corporate
debts and back wages.

Manvel Sargsyan, director of the Armenian Centre for National and
International Studies, said the opposition appeared indifferent to
grassroots movements until recently, but this had changed.

“Even the ANC leadership has said that political parties are unable to
solve the problems facing Armenia without help from civic movements,”
he said. “We also saw how they worked with the Dem.am movement.”

Dem.am has spent the last eight months or so fighting against a
proposed pension reform introducing mandatory staff contributions.

After initially refusing to budge, the government has cracked and
sent new amendments to parliament that postpone the reforms’ start
date until 2017.

Bozoyan said public activism was still in its infancy in Armenia,
but was moving in the right direction.

“I think time is working against the government and in the public’s
favour. People see they can have an impact,” he said. “The prime
minister was replaced by someone else who has proposed various new
versions of the [pensions] law, which is a positive thing in itself.

Think about how it used to be, when dialogue of this kind was
inconceivable.”

Artur Avtandilyan, a spokesman for Transparency International, said he
doubted that Dem.am could take the credit for Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan being removed and replaced with Hovik Abrahamyan. (See Did
Economic Woes or Moscow’s Hand Force Out Armenian Premier? on some
of the other possible causes.)

Avtandilyan also cast doubt on the ability of civil society groups
to force change.

“Their activists have become too predictable for the government,
which knows how to use psychology and technology to unsettle its
opponents, whereas civil society [group] just uses street clashes
with the police and a few statements,” he told IWPR. “It’s time to
move from quantity to quality.”

And despite opposition parties taking up popular causes, Artur Sakunts,
head of the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Civic Assembly, said there
was still no organised political force capable of forcing parliament
to look into the issues that concerned Armenian citizens.

“If the country had such an opposition group, then our country would
be completely different. Of course that would take a lot of work,” he
said. “I wouldn’t say the government is not concerned, but it does not
believe there’s a group that’s able to harness public dissatisfaction.”

Gayane Lazarian is a reporter for ArmeniaNow.com.

WASC ACCREDITS CHAMLIAN FOR ANOTHER FULL SIX YEARS

Monday, July 14th, 2014

Western Association of Schools and Colleges

GLENDALE–Following many months of hard work and preparation, Chamlian
Armenian School has been granted another 6-year term of accreditation
through the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association
of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

In its official communication, the commission congratulates the school
on the “quality of instruction being offered and the commitment to
school improvement.” Retiring Principal Vazken Madenlian is very proud
of this achievement, stating that it is an “excellent recognition
and affirmation of Chamlian’s many accomplishments, as well as the
hard work and dedication put forth by its staff and faculty.”

Through rigorous standards and research-based criteria, WASC fosters
excellence in education by recognizing schools that meet a high of
level of quality. Chamlian has been accredited by WASC since 1983,
providing students with an excellent academic program in a nurturing
environment. True to its mission, the school seeks to develop
students who are life-long learners and productive citizens with
good character and a deep appreciation for the Armenian language,
culture and heritage.

TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES VAGUE ABOUT 1915 EVENTS – RUBEN MELKONYAN

20:56 â~@¢ 14.07.14

Topics related to Armenians have become most important issues on the
political agenda in Turkey, and each political figure addresses them
or has to do so, expert in Turkic studies Ruben Melkonyan told Tert.am.

The presidential election campaign in Turkey will be accompanied by
mentions of the Armenian problem, and the presidential candidates
are expected to state their stances.

One of the presidential candidates Ekmeleddin Ä°hsanoglu, in response
to journalists’ question about the 1915 events, said that the sad
events have always caused and will go on causing distress to Turks.

According to Melkonyan, Ä°hsanoglu’s words were not surprising.

“He noted it was their distress, but he did not stress it was their
offence committed against the Armenian people and citizens of the
Ottoman Empire,” he said.

Melkumyan believes that Selahattin DemirtaÃ…~_, the candidate of
the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and its sister party, Peoples’
Democratic Party (HDP) for the 2014 presidential elections of Turkey,
has so far most clearly stated his stance.

Nonetheless, Melkumyan believes that the candidates have a problem
of getting the Armenian community’s votes, even if they are few,
and their image-makers will advise them to use a few words to win
over the few votes in question.

Armenian News – Tert.am

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT VISITS FRENCH EMBASSY, SEND MESSAGE TO HOLLANDE ON BASTILLE DAY

17:14 14.07.2014

Today, President Serzh Sargsyan visited the Embassy of the French
Republic in Armenia on the occasion of the country’s public holiday
– the Bastille Day. The Armenian President congratulated Ambassador
Henry Renault and the embassy staff and in the person of them, all
French people on the occasion of the holiday.

In addition, Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory message to President
Francois Hollande of the French Republic.

Congratulatory address by President Serzh Sargsyan to President
Francois Hollande of the French Republic on the occasion of the
country’s public holiday

Your Excellency,

I cordially congratulate You and I would like to send my best wishes
to you and the friendly people of France on the occasion of the French
Republic’s National Day.

I remember with gratitude your state visit to Armenia in May this
year which gave a new impulse to the high-level political dialogue
between Armenia and France and the continuous reinforcement of the
friendly ties between our peoples. I am confident that the effective
fulfillment of the agreements made during your visit will further
stimulate the Armenian-French mutually beneficial cooperation in the
trade and economic sphere.

The atmosphere of mutual trust between our friendly peoples anchored
in close historical connections and shared values lays down a firm
foundation for making progress in all directions. I am sure that the
stable collaboration between Armenia and France both in bilateral and
multilateral formats, including within the framework of international
organizations, will continue the path of development and progress
for the benefit of our peoples.

Availing myself of this opportunity, I would like to once again present
my appreciation to You for the crucial mission carried out by France as
an OSCE Minsk Group co-chair country aimed at the peaceful resolution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and promoting peace and security in
the region.

I once again congratulate You on the occasion of the French National
Day and wish you success and all the best and I wish the friendly
people of France further progress and prosperity.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest
consideration.

FOREIGN MINISTRY: ARMENIANS AMONG THOSE INJURED IN MOSCOW SUBWAY ACCIDENT

Tuesday,July 15

Armenian Foreign Ministry has released updated information about
victims of the Moscow subway accident that occurred this morning.

“According to information provided by Armenian embassy in Russia,
there are ethnic Armenians among those injured in the accident that
occurred in Moscow subway this morning:

1. Kocharyan Mary Ashoti, 20, was transported to Moscow hospital No
67 with a spinal fracture and a brain injury.

2. Bulghadaryan Anna Olegi, 23, was transported to Moscow hospital
No 79 with a forearm fracture and traumatic shock.

The Armenian embassy said Mary Kocharyan is in an intensive care unit.

She is in critical condition. Anna Bulghadaryan is also in an ICU,
but het condition is of medium gravity.

A diplomat of the Armenian embassy visited Moscow hospitals 67 and
79 to get information about the medical state of both women. Their
citizenship is still not known”.

WHY IS SERZH SARGSYAN WORRIED?

July 15 2014

Is Russia again solving its problems at the expense of Armenian
territories? “I find it a very late, but necessary statement,”
said the NA National Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs
Standing Committee member, Khachatur Kokobelyan, in the conversation
with “Aravot,” referring to the President Serzh Sargsyan’s recent
statement. Recall, during his visit to Latin America, particularly
in his interview to Argentine Clarín newspaper, and then at the
meeting with the Armenian community of Argentina, President Sargsyan,
referring to issue of selling arms to Azerbaijan by Russia, has said,
“It is a very painful matter for us, and our people are very concerned
that our strategic ally is selling weapons to Azerbaijan.” Despite
everything, the NA opposition MP welcomes the president’s statement.

However, he believes that the president should not only voice this
issue, but also as demanding and representing the Republic of Armenia
in this specific case, is obligated to demand Russian authorities to
promptly cease the process of equipping Azerbaijan and “at least a
proper explanation about how it happens”. Khachatur Kokobelyan notes
that all citizens and politicians concerned about the future of Armenia
are already voicing this issue for a year and point out that it is a
violation of the 1997 Armenian-Russian friendship treaty, which the
first President of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, called “the agreement
of the century”. Pursuant to the third paragraph of the agreement,
the parties are committed to contribute to peacemaking with their
own resources. “It is obvious that equipping Azerbaijan, which is
not even a SCTO member, RF does not contribute to establishment of
peace in the region. In fact, Russia is also one of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs,” said our interlocutor, adding that obviously we
are dealing with breaching of interstate important treaty, therefore,
to be contented only with the fact that the president would say, it
is so painful, we have concern that the Russian side sells weapons,
is not enough. Moreover, Khachatur Kokobelyan believes that after the
president’s statement, the RA Foreign Ministry at least should have
sent a note to Russia and presented the response to the public. It has
been a long time that Russia equips Azerbaijan, while the official
Yerevan is worried now. To our question of what the time-period is
due to, Khachatur Kokobelyan reminded that the international centers
exercising buy-and-sale control of weapons by the states, namely,
the Swedish Center, recently, has stated that in Europe, at least by
the volume of arms’ purchase, Azerbaijan yields only to Great Britain.

Azerbaijan purchases the 80 percent of this munitions and military
equipment from RF. The second place among the countries selling
weapons to Azerbaijan ranks Belarus, which is also one of the
founding members of yet to be established Customs Union and the
EEU. “Russia and Belarus have not and do not take the interests
of Armenia into consideration,” says the NA opposition MP, adding
that selling weapons to Azerbaijan, these countries are guided by
exclusively their own economic and political interests. “The anxiety,
which is expressed by RA authorities today, of course, is normal and
not new. But, the anxiety on the borders and generally in the region
has compelled to voice them. In addition, I strongly believe that
Russian and Azerbaijani authorities, today, are leading rather an
active political and economic trade. The vivid proof of it are their
diplomatic and governmental meetings and relations, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Baku and subsequent statements. Also,
today, we witness discussions in the Azerbaijan press, still at the
level of expertise, which voices that if Russia could ensure return
of the three districts, then Azerbaijan will consider the issue of
membership to EEU. In this regard, I think, the RA authorities are in
a panic,” said Khachatur Kokobelyan. The leader of NA RPA faction,
Vahram Baghdasaryan, responding to Aravot’s observation of whether
the president’s statement was a proof that the official Yerevan
does not anymore trust its strategic ally, expressed outrage. “There
is no problem of not trusting or something else. The president has
ratified the fact. It is a very normal statement. Why are you looking
for reading in-between the lines? What is the distrust here? Doesn’t
Russia sell weapons to Azerbaijan? It does”. To the next observation
that so far the RA government was not displaying any visible signs
of anxiety, moreover, the RA defense minister repeatedly stated that
it is a business that does not harm the Armenian-Russian strategic
partnership, Vahram Baghdasaryan urged upon, “We are not worried, we
just state that there is such a thing.” The RPA MP does not condition
President Sargsyan’s statement with protraction of signing the EEU
document. “There is no protraction problem. Be patient and you will
witness everything in the near future.”

NELLY GRIGORYAN

Read more at:

AAA: OBAMA NOMINATES NEW U.S. AMBASSADORS TO ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN AND TURKEY

[ Part 2.1.2: “Attached Text” ]

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 15, 2014

Contact: Taniel Koushakjian

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (202) 393-3434

Web:

OBAMA NOMINATES NEW U.S. AMBASSADORS TO ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN AND TURKEY

On Armenian Genocide Recognition John Bass says “more can and must
be done”

WASHINGTON, DC – President Barack Obama has nominated a new slate of
diplomats to represent the United States to the Republics of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Turkey, reported the Armenian Assembly of America
(Assembly).

President Obama tapped John R. Bass to serve as the next U.S.

ambassador to Turkey last month. Today, the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee (SFRC) held a hearing on his nomination where he was
questioned about Turkey’s support of terrorists in Syria and Iraq,
Turkey’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s recent suppression of social media in the last municipal
election. In his opening statement, Bass urged Turkey and Armenia to
“move towards reconciliation,” for Turkey to “integrate Kurds” and
other minorities, and for Turkey to open the Halki seminary. Bass
also urged Ankara to “renew relations with Israel, Cyprus, and
Armenia.” Bass cited Erdogan’s April 24, 2015 condolence statement to
Armenians, saying that it “indicates that the space for dialogue is
opening,” before arriving at the conclusion that “more can and must
be done.”

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) presided over the Bass hearing and urged
his colleagues to confirm his nomination and to send him to Ankara
“before the August recess.”

On July 10th, the Assembly’s AAANews Blog was first to report that
Robert F. Cekuta has been nominated as the next U.S. ambassador to
Azerbaijan. The SFRC has not yet scheduled a hearing on Cekuta’s
nomination. It is more likely that his confirmation hearing will
take place after the August recess, according to sources familiar
with his nomination.

On July 10th, Obama nominated Richard M. Mills, Jr. to serve as the
next U.S. ambassador to Armenia. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he
will replace the current ambassador in Yerevan, John Heffern, who has
held the position since 2011. Like his colleagues in Ankara and Baku,
Heffern is term limited, as U.S. ambassadors serve three year terms.

Mills’ nomination will first be considered in the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee under Chairman Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ). A
date has not yet been announced for his Senate confirmation hearing.

“I am grateful that these impressive individuals have chosen
to dedicate their talents to serving the American people at this
important time for our country. I look forward to working with them
in the months and years ahead,” Obama said in a statement announcing
Mills’ nomination.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the
largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public
understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a
501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR: # 2014-038

Photo Caption:

[ Part 2.2, Image/JPEG 301KB. ]
[ Unable to print this part. ]

THE CENTENARY OF THE GERMAN-ARMENIAN SOCIETY, 1914-2014

PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Dr. Raffi Kantian
Tel: 0049-511-624733
Mail: [email protected]
Web:

The Centenary of the German-Armenian Society, 1914-2014

The German-Armenian Society was founded on June 16, 1914 immediately
before the outbreak of the First World War. Johannes Lepsius, the
driving force, had previously worked for decades for the beleaguered
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. In the Republic of Armenia, he
is highly revered. At the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, he has an
honorary grave.

100 years after its foundation the Society is still very active. Its
interests include conferences, lectures and publications, such as
the quarterly magazine ADK. For more information, please refer to
the website (see above).

The German-Armenian Society commemorated its establishment 100 years
ago with a conference and a ceremonial act on June 14, 2014 in the
Landtag (Legislative Assembly) of Brandenburg, one of the federal
states of Germany, jointly organized with the Lepsiushaus Potsdam
(LHP).

The Conference

The welcome by Dr. Raffi Kantian (German-Armenian Society) and Dr. Rolf
Hosfeld (LHP) followed the lecture “From the Armenian Reforms 1913
to the Armenian Genocide 1915 – Continuity and Change in the Tasks
of the German-Armenian Society” by Prof. Dr. Manfred Aschke. This
is a very interesting topic, because it was the last reform package
in favor of the Armenians. It was signed in February 1914, but was
revoked by the Ottoman side immediately after the outbreak of the
First World War. Important in this context is the role of Johannes
Lepsius, who was instrumental in bringing about the reform package.

Prof. Dr. Hacik Gazer’s lecture “The German-Armenian cultural
cooperation in the 19th century using the example of the Armenian
Students” went to the trail almost to the beginning of the 19th
century.

The focus of his remarks was the Armenian Evangelical Church and
the students who came to Germany through its help. Revealing was the
social positioning of the sponsors of these students, among whom was
Karl Richard Lepsius, the founder of Egyptology in Germany and father
of Johannes Lepsius.

“The German Bundestag and the Armenian resolution of June 2005” was
the topic of Dr. Christoph Bergner, Member of the German Bundestag. He
had the lead in the draft resolution of the CDU / CSU Parliamentary
Group in February 2005, which was the basis of the known bipartisan
“Armenian Resolution”. It was unanimously adopted by the German
Bundestag on 16 June 2005.

However, the speaker focused primarily – this is very rare in this
debate – on the ultimately failed petition of the Armenians in 2000
and subjected it to a critical scrutiny. In addition, Dr. Bergner
discussed the reasons why for the extremely belated reaction of Germany
to the Armenian Genocide. As expected, after his lecture a lively
discussion was held, questions concerning the share of Prof. Goltz
at the “Armenian Resolution” were asked.

Prof. Dr. Armenuhi Drost-Abgarjan was the speaker of the last
lecture. She talked about the “Cultural Cooperation between
Saxony-Anhalt and the Republic of Armenia”. The work of the “MESROP
Center for Armenian Studies” took a quite prominent place.

The meeting ended with the panel discussion “Armenia, Germany
and Europe – An Overview and Outlook Today”. The participants were
Marie Luise Beck, Member of the German Bundestag, Alliance ’90 / The
Greens, Dr. Ute Finckh-Krämer, Member of the German Bundestag, Social
Democrat, and Ashot Smbatyan, Chargé d’Affaires, Armenian Embassy in
Berlin. The moderator was Dr. Raffi Kantian. A deputy from the CDU /
CSU parliamentary group could not be won. The discussion focused mainly
on the issues related to the EU association and accession of Armenia
to the Customs Union and the political factors that have led to this
decision. What politics can do in 2015 for the 100th Anniversary was
one of issues touched upon subsequently.

Ceremonial Act

Quite a number of high-ranking guests honored our anniversary
event. Gunter Fritsch, President of the Landtag (Legislative Assembly)
of Brandenburg; Ashot Smbatyan, Chargé d’Affaires, Armenian Embassy in
Berlin; Hasmik Poghosyan, Minister of Culture, Republic of Armenia;
Stephan Dorgerloh, Minister of Culture of Saxony-Anhalt; Martin
Gorholt, State Secretary Ministry of Science, Research and Culture
of Brandenburg; and Jann Jakobs, Lord Mayor of Potsdam were there.

Also the prelates His Eminence Archbishop Karekin Bekdjian, Primate of
the Armenian Church in Germany; Bishop Dr. Markus Dröge, spiritual
head of the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper
Lusatia; Episcopal Vicar for Ecumenism, Rev. Dr. Matthias Fenski,
Archdiocese of Berlin; Heilgard Asmus, General Superintendent
for the Sprengel of Potsdam of the Evangelical Church of
Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia, attended the ceremonial act.

The speeches of Dr. Raffi Kantian, DAG, and Dr. Rolf Hosfeld, LHP,
opened the ceremonial act.

A special program was the Ecumenical prayer for the founders of the
German-Armenian Society and those whom they tried to help, which
was celebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Karekin Bekdjian, Bishop
Dr. Markus Dröge and Episcopal Vicar for Ecumenism, Rev. Dr. Matthias
Fenski and Father Gnel. Artak Kirakosyan, tenor, and Asatur Baljyan,
baritone, were involved in the liturgical chant.

The President of the Landtag of Brandenburg Gunter Fritsch opened the
round of greetings, followed by Ashot Smbatyan, Chargé d’Affaires,
Armenian Embassy in Berlin. He reverted at the one hand the history
of the German-Armenian Society, on the other hand he dwelled on its
current work, and in particular on the ADK.

The Armenian Culture Minister Poghosyan was also among the
well-wishers; she distinguished some of the attendees.

The Minister of Culture of Saxony-Anhalt, Stephan Dorgerloh, was one
of the well-wishers, too. His state is for quite some time involved
in a successful partnership with the Republic of Armenia. Recently
the parties signed in Halle (Saale) a letter of intent with which
the cooperation will be extended. He recalled, inter alia, the
family backgrounds of Lepsius family in Schulpforta in Naumburg,
Saxony-Anhalt. There Johannes Lepsius’ father, Charles Richard Lepsius
visited the school, as did Friedrich Nietzsche.

Martin Gorholt, State Secretary Ministry of Science, Research and
Culture of Brandenburg, and Jann Jakobs, Lord Mayor of Potsdam,
delivered the last two greetings.

The keynote address was given by Prof. Dr. Jan-Hendrik Olbertz,
President of the Humboldt University of Berlin.

Artak Kirakosyan, tenor, and Asatur Baljyan, baritone, were in charge
of the musical impressions. Komitas sounded at times hauntingly
beautiful and intricately engraved – with gentle tones.

Additional information both on the
conference and the ceremonial act is here:

enische-gesellschaft-ein-bericht-von-tagung-festakt/

The Festschrift

On the occasion of its anniversary, the Society published the book “100
Jahre Deutsch-Armenische Gesellschaft erinnern gedenken gestalten”.

The greetings of Serge Sargsyan, President of the Republic of Armenia,
Prof.

Norbert Lammert, President of the German Bundestag, Dr. Vahan
Hovhannesyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Germany, His
Holiness Garegin II., Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Aram
I., Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, His Eminence Archbishop
Karekin Bekdjian, Primate of the Armenian Church in Germany, the
chairman of the Protestant Church in Germany, the chairman of the
German Bishops’ Conference, and Prof. Manfred Aschke representing
the Lepsius family are at the start of the book.

This book is not just about the past and present of the German-Armenian
Society, but also about the German-Armenian cultural and political
relations over the past 100 to 150 years. Prominent coverage is given
to the German-Ottoman-Turkish relations of the time, to the extent
they relate to the Armenians.

The topics: Prof. Gazer addresses the academic relations in the
late 19th century and focuses in particular on the Armenian Academic
Association of Leipzig. Dr. Regina Randhofer deals in particular with
the Berlin years of Komitas, Prof. Hans-Lukas Kieser’s theme is the
role of the German Empire in the Armenian Question. When Dr. Axel
Meissner writes about the processes that led to the establishment of
the Society, he details also the Armenian policies of the Ottoman
Empire in the late 19th century. Prof. Armenuhi Drost-Abgaryan
introduces some of the founders of the Society, in his article
Dr. Ashot Hayruni focuses on the activities of Johannes Lepsius during
the First World War, his encounter with Enver Pasha is illustrated
therein. Dr. Rolf Hosfeld introduces Johannes Lepsius as an historian
of the time. Prof. Martin Tamcke’s piece is about the relationship
between Lepsius’ encounter with Enver Pasha and Franz Werfel’s
novel “The 40 Days of Musa Dagh”. The filmmakers Merlyn Solakhan
and Manfred Blank follow in “Ashes and Phoenix” the footsteps
of the humanitarian aid by Johannes Lepsius and his friends in
Urfa. Prof. Peter Frank Röseler traces the activities of the Society
in the years 1918-1956. In the following article Dr. Raffi Kantian
deals with the period starting with 1972and presents the Society’s
present-day activities in detail. A comprehensive description of the
process that led to the “Armenian Resolution” of the German Bundestag
in 2005 is delivered by Dr. Raffi Kantian. Zohrab Mnatsakanyan,
currently Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in the UN, outlines
the political and economic relations between Armenia and the Federal
Republic of Germany, whereas the Minister of Culture of Saxony-Anhalt
Stephan Dorgerloh summarizes the cultural and scientific relations
of his federal state with Armenia.

In the last section some of the organizations operating in Germany
are presented, for example the Diocese of the Armenian Church in
Germany (Serovpé Isakhanyan), the Central Council of Armenians
in Germany (Madlen Vartian & Tamar Hamouchian), the Association of
Armenian Entrepreneurs (Manuk Acemyan), Armen Haghnazarian and the
Organization Research on Armenian Architecture RAA (Giorgio Bavaj),
MESROP Center for Armenian Studies (Armenuhi Drost-Abgaryan & Hermine
Buchholz Nazaryan), Lepsiushaus Potsdam (Roy Knocke), Institute for
Armenian Issues (Alice Maroukhian) and AGA (Tessa Hofmann).

More details on the book including its ordering can be found here:

enische-gesellschaft-erinnern-gedenken-gestalten/

IN ASKERAN REGION CIVILIAN IS SHOT DEAD BY AZERIS

16:27, 15 July, 2014

STEPANAKERT, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. In Askeran region on July 14, 2014,
at about 14.00, a civilian was killed as a result of the fire from
the Azerbaijani side. As reports “Armenpress”, this is mentioned in
the NKR Prosecutor General’s press release, which, particularly, reads:

“On July 14, 2014, at about 14.00, in the locality called “Sarijalu”
in the outskirts of the Akna district located in Askeran administrative
region, Arvid Danielyan, during the plowing work with the tractor
– state number 13-97 NK, belonging to “Agroeconomy No. 1” CJSC
of the Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, with the aim of
illegally depriving a person of life deliberately, with the motives
of national hatred, in the result of a shot from the combat positions
of Azerbaijani Armed Forces, after sustaining a bullet wound on the
face immediately died on the spot.