Author: Badalian Vardan

NAGORNO-KARABAKH MP SUGGESTS FORMING ARMED GROUPS FOR DEFENDING KESAB

Tuesday, March 25, 18:26

Member of the Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament, veteran of the Nagorno-
Karabakh war Vahan Badasyan has suggested forming armed groups for
defending Armenians in the Syrian town of Kesab.

He said that he is ready to command such a group and urged all
Armenians having military experience to join him.

The Al-Nusra and Islamic Front terrorist groups have attacked Kesab
since Mar 21. Syrian government forces and Armenian self-defenders are
rebuffing the attacks, while Turkey is supporting the attackers. On
Sunday the Turkish air forces shot down a Syrian military jet that
was pursuing a group of terrorists.

REPORTS ON THE LIBERATION OF KESSAB DISMISSED

19:46 25.03.2014

The Kessab committee of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
(SDHP) has dismissed the reports that the Syrian army liberated the
Armenian-populated city of Kessab.

“According to confirmed information, the rebels are moving towards
Latakia, where the Armenians of Kessab have found refuge,” SDHP
Chairman Narek Galstyan said in a Facebook post.

He said Kessab is being robbed with the stolen property being
transported to Turkey. Turkish servicemen are actively supporting
the rebels.

TURKEY CONTINUES ANTI-ARMENIAN POLICY – ARF YOUTH

March 25, 2014 | 13:15

YEREVAN. – On the threshold of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide,
Turkeycontinues its anti-Armenian policy whose last manifestation
is the operations, by the terrorist groups instigated by Turkey,
on the settlements near the Turkish-Syrian border.

The ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party Nikol Aghbalyan Student Union and the
ARF Youth Union statement reads the aforesaid.

“Turkey’s blow struck against [Syria’s predominantly Armenian-populated
town of] Kessab Armenians again takes place right before the eyes
of the international community. An international community which,
by its passive posture and connivance, encourages such crimes by
Turkey and its genocidal policy against the Armenians.

“We urge the United Nations [UN] to carry out its real mission, to
condemn and prevent Turkey’s covert aggression, and launch measures
toward the Kessab residents’ return to their permanent place of
residence,” the statement also reads, in particular.

In addition, the ARF youth informed that they will stage a respective
protest on Thursday, and in front of the UN Office in Armenia.

In the early morning on March 21, armed militants from the Jabhat
al-Nusra Islamic terrorist group infiltrated into northern Syria’s
Latakia Governorate, which is predominantly inhabited by Armenians
and Alawites. Two large groups of terrorists had launched the attack
from Turkey. Numerous displaced Kessab Armenians are currently
sheltered in Latakia city. On March 23, Turkish fighter planes downed
a Syrian military aircraft that was conducting a mission against
the Islamic terrorists in Kessab. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
had promised Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia of the
ArmenianApostolicChurch to do everything possible to protect the
Armenians in Kessab.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

UKRAINE-ARMENIE : L’AMBASSADEUR EXPLIQUE QUE LES RELATIONS SONT BONNES

ARMENIE

>.

Il estime, toutefois, que les moyens diplomatiques ne sont pas
epuises et que l’Ukraine est prete a negocier avec la Russie, ainsi
qu’avec la direction de Crimee et les representants de structures
internationales, et que Kiev est pret a reconsiderer l’expansion de
l’autorite de la Crimee.

Quant a la conversation telephonique mercredi entre les presidents
de l’Armenie et de la Russie, au cours de laquelle Serge Sarkissian a
fait une declaration sur la Crimee que la situation post-referendum,
est un autre exemple de la pratique du droit a l’autodetermination
des peuples par la libre expression de la volonte, Kukhta a dit
qu’il a ete mis au courant avec le contenu de cette conversation,
mais ne peut faire aucun commentaire.

Pendant ce temps, l’ambassadeur americain en Armenie John Heffern a
declare lors de la conference internationale sur “l’OTAN et le Caucase
du Sud : des approches strategiques pour la securite regionale”,
que la declaration d’Erevan concernant la Crimee est regrettable.

L’ambassadeur d’Ukraine a egalement parle de se retirer de la CEI :

ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472 USA
Tel: (617) 926-TREE
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
March 25, 2014

Spectacular Huntington Library Grounds Setting of ATP Los Angeles Gala on
May 4

LOS ANGELES–Armenia Tree Project’s 20th anniversary committee has been hard
at work organizing an unforgettable event to be held at the Huntington
Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California on
May 4, 2014.

The beautiful venue was founded in 1919 by Henry E. Huntington, an
exceptional businessman and a man of vision-with a special interest in
books, art, and gardens. During his lifetime, Huntington amassed one of the
finest research libraries in the world, established a splendid art
collection, and created an array of botanical gardens with plants from a
geographic range that spans the globe.

Originally the Huntington family residence, the Huntington Art Gallery
contains one of the most comprehensive collections in this country of 18th
and 19th century British and French art and is home to Gainsborough’s Blue
Boy and Lawrence’s Pinkie.

During cocktail hour on the Gallery Loggia, gala guests will have the
opportunity to walk through the gallery and enjoy cocktails and appetizers,
followed by a sit down dinner on the South Terrace of the magnificent
residence to celebrate ATP’s 20 years of greening Armenia.

ATP has planted more than 4.4 million trees during 40 seasons of planting,
established three nurseries and two environmental education centers, and has
greened villages, churches, parks, and open spaces throughout Armenia. In
the process, the organization has provided employment for hundreds of people
and provided vital resources to thousands of villagers throughout the
country.

The 20th anniversary committee in Los Angeles consists of Elizabeth and
Mihran Agbabian, Flora and George Dunaians, Sabine and Al Eiasian, Arax
Mansourian and Shahen Hairapetian, Zarmig and Garo Kazarian, Ani and Shant
Kenderian, Hilda and Haig Manjikian, Salpi and Viken Mankerian, Margaret and
David Mgrublian, Aleen and Mardik Oruncakciel, and Savey and Ralph
Tufenkian.

For information or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Western
Region Development Director Maral Habeshian at (818) 913-2563 or
[email protected].

BRITISH JOURNALIST BRIEFS ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN LA ON LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN SYRIA

15:51 24.03.2014

Lusine Avanesyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Los Angeles

Journalist Robert Fisk says was shocked by the condition of the
Christian church in the Syrian city of Yabroud, which has been razed
to the ground. Fisk, who has long been working as The Independent’s
correspondent in the Middle East, told about his impressions from
the visit to Syria at a meeting with representatives of the Armenian
community in Los Angeles. He said the Greek Church in Yabroud had
been completely destroyed.

Robert Fisk has taken an example of a burnt New Testament as a proof of
the vandalism taking place in Syria today. He met a woman, who spent
three years under the Islamist rule in Yabroud. She told Christians
had to by food twice as expensive because of their belief.

“Will it ever be possible to eliminate the huge gap between the
Christian and Muslim communities? Perhaps never,” Fisk said.

While in Syria, Fisk met with an Armenian clergyman, who told that
about 25-30 thousand Syrian Armenians had fled the country and he
does not believe they will ever return. “This is the case with other
Christian communities, as well, and this is the greatest tragedy. As
a witness of all this, I cannot imagine how this can be prevented,”
Fisk said.

According to the journalist, the dividing lines among the Syrian
population are the major problem. He said the western journalists
even have maps distinguishing the Shia, Sunni and Christian districts.

These maps and dividing lines exist in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon,
he said, adding that this is the major problem in the Middle East.

Robert Fisk noted that once a rich city, Yabroud is now in ruins.

Although it has been liberated by the Syrian army, it is destroyed
and unrecognizable today, like the rest of Syria.

Robert Fisk, an English writer and journalist, has been Middle East
correspondent of The Independent for more than twenty years, primarily
based in Beirut. Fisk holds more British and international journalism
awards than any other foreign correspondent. He has also been voted
International Journalist of the Year seven times. He has published
a number of books and reported on several wars and armed conflicts.

He is one of a few Western journalists to have interviewed Osama bin
Laden, which he did on three occasions between 1993 and 1997.

NKR PRESIDENT MEETS PARTICIPANTS OF THE ARF CONFERENCE

12:29 24.03.2014

On 23 March Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received the
participants of organizational conference of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation, Central Information Department of the Office of the NKR
President reported.

Issues related to Artsakh’s socio-economic development, domestic and
foreign policy were touched upon during the meeting.

The President stressed the importance of such meetings and expressed
gratitude to the attendees for patriotic activities aimed at objective
introduction of the Artsakh issue in various international fora,
international recognition of Artsakh, establishing and cementing ties
with different countries, developing and strengthening the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic.

During the meeting President Sahakyan awarded Gaspar Karapetyan,
chairman of Hay Dat Committee of Europe with the “Vachagan Barepasht”
medal for active work carried out towards international recognition
of Artsakh Republic.

ARMENIAN CATHOLICOS CONDOLES WITH SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

March 24, 2014 | 13:06

Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II sent a letter of condolence to
the Holy Synod of the Syrian Orthodox Church, expressing his sorrow
on the passing of His Holiness Mor Ignatius Zakka I, Patriarch of
Antioch and All the East.

Karekin II offered the deepest sympathies on behalf of the Armenian
Apostolic Church, her faithful, the Supreme Spiritual Council, and
the clergy; to the clergy and to all Syrian Orthodox Christians in
Syria and the dispersion.

“The Syrian Orthodox Church has lost a ‘good shepherd,’ who fulfilled
the mission of the Holy Church of Christ with deep and loving devotion
over the last thirty four years. With great zeal and wisdom, His
Holiness Ignatius Zakka I of blessed memory shepherded the Syrian
Orthodox Church especially during the current challenging period of
political upheaval in the Middle East.

“Thanks to the late Patriarch’s efforts, monastic life experienced
renewal and a blossoming, and the Syrian Church made significant
contributions to the inter-church and inter-religious dialogues,
as well as to the promotion of solidarity and peace in the world.

“The fraternal and warm relations between our Churches were manifested
during the various official visits and encounters, which we witnessed
during the pontificates of our predecessors of blessed memory as
well as in our own time through our personal meetings,” the Armenian
Catholicos’ letter of condolence reads.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

TURKEY SEEKS TO DEVASTATE ARMENIAN-POPULATED SYRIAN REGIONS – OPINIONS

13:31 * 24.03.14

The armed tensions in Syria’s north-west are a clear sign of Turkish
intentions to devastate the Armenian-populated regions across the
country, says an Armenian orientalist.

“All that is going on now was being plotted several years ago, as
Turkey began to be actively involved in the emerging disaster. We did
predict that the devastation of Syria’s Armenian-populated regions
could be one of Turkey’s goals, so we are now the eyewitness of that,”
Ruben Safrastyan told Tert.am, commenting on the Sunday militant
attack on Kessab.

He said the devastation plan is of a strategic importance for Turkey
given that the Armenian community of Syria (especially in Aleppo,
Damascus and the surrounding villages and regions) includes mainly
descendents of the Genocide survivors.

The expert noted that the Armenians in Syria had no intention to leave
(like those in other eastern countries who went moved to other states
in the course of time) up until the outbreak of the recent tensions.

“That’s very important; they are now doing all their best to force
the Armenians out. The next factor is that the community in Syria –
which is very literate and patriotic – has published a considerable
literature. It is attached to the Armenian communities in Beirut and
Lebanon, so I believe it is one of Turkey’s direct goals to empty
Syria of Armenians,” he added.

Safrastyan said he thinks it is important to urgently draw the world’s
attention to the problem. “At the same time, we must be able to be
a country giving hope to our compatriots. They must never lose the
hope that Armenia can lend a helping hand to them,” he added.

Safrastyan further stressed the importance of cooperation with the
Syrian authorities. “We must be maintain contact to maximum assist the
Syrian authorities to offer the maximum the best possible protection
to the Armenians there,” he said,

Catholicos Aram I of the Holy See of Cilicia had earlier contacted
President Bashar al-Assad’s office to call for sending more troops
to Kessab to ensure a better protection for the Armenians.

The Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, who later visited the patriarch
,said President Assad had given him assurances that the Syrian state
and army would do all their best to re-establish peace in the region.

A former foreign minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Arman
Melikyan, said in a post on Facebook earlier today that Armenia is
obliged to undertake measures to protect the Syrian-Armenians. He
called upon the authorities’ efforts apply the United Nations Security
Council and Syria’s ruling government in an effort to seek the best
possible protection for the Armenians in Syria.

Tigran Balayan, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry whom Tert.am
contacted for comments, declined to give any details, saying that
their activities are not subject to publication for the time being.

SYRIA’S ASSAD PLEDGES TO REESTABLISH PEACE IN KESSAB AFTER REBEL INCURSION

News | 24.03.14 | 12:31

Syria: Armenian families leave Kessab after Turkey-backed rebels
attack area

Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has pledged to reestablish peace in
Kessab, a mostly Armenian populated town in northern Syria near Turkey,
after hundreds of ethnic Armenian families had to leave their homes
in the face of cross-border attacks by extremists groups.

The violence in the area raised concerns among Armenians around the
world, bringing back memories of the genocide perpetrated in Ottoman
Turkey at the beginning of last century.

In particular, the Armenian National Committee-International condemned
the attacks and Turkey’s active role in aiding and abetting extremist
groups in their targeted attacks against the Christian and minority
populations in Syria.

Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel Karim Ali on Saturday met
with Catholicos Aram I of the Holy House of Cilicia to convey to
him President al-Assad’s assurances of re-establishing peace in the
region. During the meeting the envoy was quoted as saying that they
knew Turkey had not only encouraged the rebels’ entry into the town
but also given weapons to them to facilitate their advance.

The diplomat told the Catholicos that both the Syrian president and
state have a deep respect for the Armenian people whom they feel
committed to protect as faithful citizens of the country. He said
Kesab is a strategically important town for the Syrian Army, adding
that the local Armenians have been temporarily moved to Latakia for
security reasons.

The cathollicos noted for his part that Kesab has a symbolic
significance for the Armenian people.