Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Haykakan Zhamanak: Production essentially cut down essentially in Armenia

12:50 * 28.02.15

The paper cites recently published official statistics revealing an
essential decline in the production of goods considered basic
necessities.

The report, published by the National Statistical Service, suggests
that last month alone, the production of salt, meat, flour,
confectionary, brandy and mineral waters, fell respectively by 37%,
8%, 13%, 21%, 31% and 41% compared to January 2014, says the paper.

From: Baghdasarian

Karabakh Justice Minister: Humanitarian actions shall be within legal framework

15:39, 28.02.2015

Armenian News-NEWS.am spoke with the Minister of Justice of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR; Artsakh), Ararat Danielyan. Below is
an abridged version of the interview.

The judicial process [in the NKR] with respect to the two Azerbaijan
citizens had the expected reaction in the Azerbaijani press, where
they are attempting to misrepresent the situation. How do you
interpret what is happening?

The NKR First Instance General Jurisdiction Court made a ruling
finding [Azerbaijan] citizens Dilham Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev
guilty of committing particularly grave crimes. [But] as is typical
for all civilized countries, the defendants were given the opportunity
to appeal this judgment; the [respective] litigation is conducted very
transparently. When the judgment enters into force, they can petition
to the President of the country, with a request for pardon.

Do you have [any] information about the citizenship of the defendants?

In my view, citizenship does not matter when carrying out justice.

Can Askerov and Guliyev petition to the European Court [of Human Rights (ECHR)]?

The status of living space does not matter when petitioning to the
ECHR. At the same time, a person’s citizenship likewise has no
particular importance for the exercising of his rights. The
Nagorno-Karabakh authorities do not evade liability, and they stand
ready to act as defendant in the ECHR.

Can the abovementioned persons be defined as “captive?”

In no way. The apprehension has not occurred during military
operations; they were not taken captive. In this case it is not about
captives. The members of the [Azerbaijani sabotage] team illegally
crossed the Nagorno-Karabakh border, with a special objective. The
[ensuing] death of the [Armenian] people is to their “conscience.” The
confiscated video footage bespeaks the objective of their visit [to
Artsakh]. [But] the Karabakh side stands ready to implement all rights
of the convicts provided by law.

The judgment on Askerov and Guliyev led commentaries, including from
the US Department of State representatives, who called for making a
humanitarian gesture to Azerbaijan [and returning them to their
country]. How would comment on this?

The humanitarian actions likewise need to be within the legal
framework. Guarantees are needed that the convicts will serve their
sentence if they are handed over to Baku. The example of Ramil Safarov
[, however,] is vivid evidence of how the [respective] actions by the
Azerbaijani authorities will be. [To note Ramil Safarov, a
then-lieutenant in the Azerbaijani military, was extradited on August
31, 2012 from Hungary, where he was serving a life sentence–and with
no expression of either regret or remorse–for the premeditated axe
murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a
NATO Partnership for Peace program in Budapest on February 19, 2004.
Safarov had planned on killing the other Armenian military serviceman,
who likewise was attending the aforesaid program, but he was unable to
carry out this plan. Ramil Safarov’s return to the Azerbaijani capital
city of Baku was welcomed, as was his act of murder, by the officials
of President Ilham Aliyev’s government and much of Azerbaijani
society, and the Azerbaijani president immediately granted him a
pardon, he was declared a national hero, promoted to a higher military
rank, and was allocated housing and pension.] All matters shall be
resolved within the legal framework. As for the calls for creating a
climate of trust, it is important to take into account the fact that
the Azerbaijani side wants no confidence-building [measures] at all.
This is the case when the people of Artsakh, unlike the Azerbaijanis,
feel no hatred towards them.

From: Baghdasarian

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710 or (973) 943-8697
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

** TOP STORY February 26, 2015
————————————————————
Sunday of the Prodigal Son
A detail from Rembrandt’s `The Return of the Prodigal Son.’

** Sunday of the Prodigal Son
————————————————————
This Sunday of Great Lent takes its lesson from the `Parable of the
Prodigal Son’-arguably the most concise, profound, and beautiful of
our Lord’s statements on the nature of God’s love.

In a story of fewer than 600 words (related in Luke 15:11-32), Jesus
depicts the follies of our fallen nature, the shame and self-loathing
that lie at the heart of human vice, the tender love that can heal a
fractured world, and the price such love exacts. And these grand ideas
are all conveyed through characters one might find in an ordinary
domestic comedy: `There once was a man who had two sons…’

Like all great works of storytelling, this parable invites the reader
to approach it at different times in his or her life-as a child, an
adult, a sibling, a parent-to experience it anew, and to discover new
rewards, new wisdom, with each encounter.

This Sunday in church is the perfect opportunity to have that
encounter, and perhaps to engage in the self-examination that is one
hallmark of the Lenten season. In the meantime, to read a reflection
on the Prodigal Son, click here
()
.

** Scripture of the Week
————————————————————

Is 54:11-55:13
2 Cor 6:1-7:1
Lk 15:1-32

** Prayer of the Week
————————————————————

Accept with sweetness, almighty Lord, my bitter prayers. Look with
pity upon my mournful face. Dispel, all-bestowing God, my shameful
sadness. Lift, merciful God, my unbearable burden. For you are
glorified by all creation, forever and ever. Amen.

** Upcoming Saints & Feasts
————————————————————

28 February: St. Cyril of Jerusalem

1 March: Sunday of the Prodigal Son

** CHURCH NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
————————————————————
Coptic Saints
A detail from an icon of the 21 martyrs-now acknowledged as saints of
the Coptic Church.

** Now They Will Pray for Us
————————————————————
Last week we noted, with sorrow and indignation, that 21 Coptic
Christians had died as martyrs in Libya, at the hands of the ISIS
terror organization.

In the days that followed, the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church,
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, announced that the names
of the 21 martyrs would be added to the synaxarion: the church’s
official compilation of saints’ lives. (The Armenian version of the
synaxarion is called the haysmavurk).

This procedure is the equivalent of canonization in the Coptic
Church. Henceforth, the 21 Copts will be commemorated as saints every
year on February 15 (in the Gregorian calendar): the day on which
footage of the killings was made public. That date coincides in the
Coptic Church with the feast day of the Presentation of Jesus at the
Temple. Already a holy icon has been painted depicting the new saints.

Also this week, the brother of two of the departed Coptic Christians
gave a radio interview in which he related that the name of Jesus
Christ was the last utterance to escape the martyrs’ lips. According
to Beshir Kamel, that revelation came from an unexpected source: the
grisly video released by the murderers themselves. `ISIS gave us more
than we asked when they didn’t edit out the part where [the martyrs]
declared their faith and called upon Jesus Christ. ISIS helped us
strengthen our faith,’ he said.

Click here
()
to listen to Mr. Kamel’s interview-an extraordinary testimony to a
family’s faith and grace. The faithful of the Armenian Church will
find it extremely relevant as we anticipate the historic ceremony on
April 23, when our church will canonize those who died as martyrs
during the Genocide.

In the meantime, please keep our Coptic brothers and sisters in your
prayers. And as for the 21 Coptic saints: they will be praying for us
now.

Vatican
Pope Francis’s action was undertaken in the full awareness that this
year marks the centennial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The
monastery of Narek on the shores of Lake Van was itself a victim of
that cataclysm: the monks were forced to abandon it, and the structure
was destroyed in the 1950s. Today a mosque stands on the site.

** From Van to the Vatican: A Saint’s Journey
————————————————————
On Saturday, February 21, a 10th-century Armenian monk was
acknowledged as a Doctor of the Universal Church, in a special-and
according to some, unprecedented-announcement from the Vatican.

His Holiness Pope Francis approved the designation for St. Gregory of
Narek during a meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the
Vatican’s Congregation for Saints’ Causes.

The Roman Catholic Church confers the designation `doctor’ on saints
whose writings are considered to offer key theological insights for
the faith. Throughout its history, the Roman Catholic Church has
recognized only 35 doctors of the church, including Augustine of
Hippo, John Chrysostom, and Thomas Aquinas. Narek will be the 36th.

For Armenians, St. Gregory of Narek is among our greatest thinkers and
artists, author of the most mystical prayers in the Divine
Liturgy. Born around A.D. 950 in Andzevatsik, he lived at the
monastery at Narek his whole priestly life, and taught at the monastic
school. It was there that he composed his masterpiece of spiritual
poetry, known as the =80=9CBook of Lamentations’ or `Narek.’ He died
at the monastery around 1005.

He will be remembered in the Roman Catholic Church on February 27; in
the Armenian Church calendar, St. Gregory of Narek is remembered on
several occasions each year, and is reckoned among the Holy
Translators.

Dzidzernagabert

** Supreme Spiritual Council Meets in Armenia
————————————————————
His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, presided over a meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council at
Holy Etchmiadzin, from February 24 to 26.

Council members reviewed the programs planned in observance of the
Armenian Genocide centennial year in Armenia, and discussed the
canonization of the martyrs of 1915, scheduled to take place on April
23, 2015. They also shared updates on centennial year activities
underway in the diaspora.

Other agenda items included a review of Holy Etchmiadzin’s programming
in Armenia over the past year and plans for the upcoming meeting of
the worldwide Armenian Church Youth Organization in July of this year.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Diocesan Primate, traveled to Armenia
this week to participate in the Supreme Spiritual Council meeting.

** DIOCESAN NEWS
————————————————————
First Things

** Expulsion and Temptation
————————————————————
In this week’s `Web Exclusives’ from
First Things magazine, Christopher Zakian, the Diocese’s director of
Communications, considers how Jesus’s Temptation in the desert is a
recasting of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

`By leading us to view these two stories together, the ancient
Christian tradition helps us to appreciate the depth of our human
intimacy with Jesus,’ Mr. Zakian writes. `Throughout the Temptation,
Jesus is being tempted to live as a god; but at every point, he
chooses to live as a man-to embrace the burdens mankind has borne
since the days of the Expulsion.’

Click here
()
to read the essay.

FAR
ANSEF award recipients pose for a group photo.

** ANSEF Awards Research Grants in Armenia
————————————————————
The Armenian National Science and Education Fund
()
(ANSEF) selected 30 research groups as recipients of $5,000 grants to
support their work. The research groups represent a number of fields,
including biology, physics, chemistry, biotechnology, and astronomy.

Eduard Karapetyan, the Fund for Armenian Relief’s manager of education
and science programs, opened the January 23 ANSEF award ceremony by
congratulating the 108 scientists who make up the 30 research
groups. Radik Martisoryan, president of the Armenian National Academy
of Science, emphasized the importance of ANSEF grants to young
scientists in Armenia.

`It is a pleasure to state that the Armenian scientists have quickly
learned to prepare outstanding proposals that would compete well
anywhere in the world with very significant science,’ said ANSEF
chairman and Cornell University astrophysicist Dr. Yervant
Terzian. `We warmly congratulate all the winners and wish them the
very best success in their research work.’

In the past 15 years, ANSEF has supported nearly 372 scientific
research groups, and 1,438 individual scientists, through a total
contribution of more than $1.86 million. Click here
()
to read more about this year’s awardees.

** PARISH NEWS
————————————————————
Very Rev. Fr. Shnork Kasparian
Very Rev. Fr. Shnork Kasparian (1929-2014).

** Remembering Fr. Shnork Kasparian
————————————————————
Tuesday, March 3, will mark the one year anniversary of the passing of
the Very Reverend Fr. Shnork Kasparian. A longtime clergyman of the
Eastern Diocese, Fr. Kasparian served as pastor to parishes in
Worcester, MA; Milwaukee, WI; Belleville, IL; and Providence, RI.

The Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian, Diocesan Vicar, will visit Holy
Virgin Mary and Shoghagat Church of Belleville, IL, on Sunday, March
1, where he will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and perform a requiem
service.

St. David Church, Boca Raton, FL
Artwork by Sarkis Mazmanian.

** An Art Exhibition in Boca Raton
————————————————————
St. David Church of Boca Raton, FL, exhibited the artwork of Sarkis
Mazmanian over the weekend of January 17 and 18. A wine and cheese
reception on Saturday evening opened the weekend’s event.

Mr. Mazmanian’s work includes portraiture, murals, painting, and
sculpture. Among the pieces on display at St. David Church were
paintings of Armenian dancers in costume and Armenian landscapes, as
well as classical and religious works. The artist gave a talk on his
influences and inspiration.

Click here
()
to view photos.

Farah Siraj
Farah Siraj performs at the Diocesan Center in New York.

** Farah Siraj: An Evening of Dinner and Music
————————————————————
More than 200 people gathered at the Diocesan Center on Saturday,
February 14, to celebrate Poon Paregentan and Valentine’s Day with
friends, and to enjoy a concert by singer Farah Siraj.

Special guests included the Diocesan Primate Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian; Diocesan Vicar Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian; St. Vartan
Cathedral dean Very Rev. Fr. Mamigon Kiledjian; the Jordanian
Ambassador to the United Nations Dina Kawar; Armenia’s Ambassador to
the United Nations Zohrab Mnatsakanian; Diocesan Director of
Administration Jacob Yahiayan and his wife Sylva; and Mrs. Astrid
Dadourian.

Continental Advisory Services, LLC, Mr. Yahiayan’s family office,
sponsored the St. Vartan Cathedral Community in NYC roll-out dinner
event.

Ms. Siraj performed Arabic, Spanish, and American music. She said that
`music is a medium for people to come together peacefully. It engages
the soul so that we can connect with each other on a deep level where
the superficial differences become irrelevant.’

Click on the following links to read more
()
and to view photos
()
.

Lent

** A Lenten Talk in Cheltenham
————————————————————
Holy Trinity Church of Cheltenham, PA, began its Lenten series on
February 20, with a talk by the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan,
director of the Diocese’s Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information
Center. More than 40 parishioners gathered to hear Fr. Findikyan
explain `Ten Things You Should Know About Great Lent.’

The Rev. Fr. Hakob Gevorgyan, parish pastor, welcomed Fr. Findikyan,
whose visit has become an annual Lenten tradition at the Cheltenham
church.

Following the Peace Service and a Lenten meal, hosted by Yn. Anna
Gevorgyan, Fr. Findikyan’s audience was informed and challenged with
his unusual list. He spoke of Lent as a `time to come to our senses’
like the Prodigal Son returning to the Father. On the subject of
fasting, he encouraged parishioners to think beyond physical diets and
to focus on spiritual renewal.

Click here
()
to view a schedule of other programs in the Holy Trinity Lenten
series.

Jacksonville Mission Parish
Fr. Tateos Abdalian and clarinetist Narek Arytunyan.

** A Special Performance in Jacksonville
————————————————————
The Armenian Church of Jacksonville, FL, mission parish welcomed the
Rev. Fr. Tateos Abdalian, the Diocese’s director of Mission Parishes,
earlier this month.

Fr. Abdalian taught a Sunday School lesson, held a Bible study session
for adults, and performed a Home Blessing service and a baptism. On
Sunday, February 8, he celebrated the Divine Liturgy and performed the
Blessing of Water service.

At a luncheon following services, young clarinet virtuoso Narek
Arytunyan, who was visiting the area from New York, gave a special
performance.

Click here
()
to view photos.

Upcoming events

** Upcoming Parish Events
————————————————————

St. George Church | Hartford, CT
The Women’s Guild of St. George Church of Hartford, CT, is hosting a
Lenten Dinner on Saturday, February 28, with guest speakers Ted and
Marianne Hovivian from `NY Friends of Gavar Special School in
Armenia.’ Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

St. Leon Church | Fair Lawn, NJ
St. Leon Church is sponsoring a course for high school students on the
Armenian Genocide. Sessions will be held on Monday evenings, beginning
on March 2. Instructor Khatchig Mouradian will guide participants as
they investigate the political, social, and economic environment in
the Ottoman Empire on the eve of the Armenian Genocide, and consider
questions pertaining to genocide denial, resistance, and
awareness. Mr. Mouradian, a Ph.D. candidate at Clark University, has
lectured widely on the Armenian Genocide and its aftermath. Click here
()
to view a flyer for registration information.

On Wednesday, March 11, St. Leon Church will host an evening with
author-photographer Matthew Karanian, whose recent book is the
first-ever guide to the cultural sites of Historic Armenia. Khatchig
Mouradian will reflect on the significance of the new volume. Click
here
()
to view a flyer for information.

St. Gregory the Enlightener Church | White Plains, NY
St. Gregory the Enlightener Church of White Plains, NY, will host a
film presentation and talk by writer George Jerjian on Sunday, March
1, at 12:30 p.m. Mr. Jerjian will show photos taken in Historic
Armenia during the early 1900s. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

On Friday, March 6, St. Gregory Church will host its second Lenten
program with guest speaker Herand Markarian who will lecture on the
writers martyred in the Armenian Genocide. The evening begins with a
service at 6:30, followed by dinner at 7, and the lecture at
7:30. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Sts. Vartanantz Church | Chelmsford, MA
Sts. Vartanantz Church of Chelmsford, MA, is focusing its annual
Lenten program on the Armenian Genocide. Each Friday evening services
will be held at 6:30, followed by a Lenten meal and program. On
February 27, the Rev. Fr. Dajad Davidian will speak about the impact
of the Genocide on the Armenian Church. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Church at Hye Pointe | Haverhill, MA
The Church at Hye Pointe of Haverhill, MA, is hosting Lenten lectures
on Friday evenings. Dinner is served at 5 p.m., followed by services
at 6:30, and the program at 7. This week’s speaker is Stepan
Piligian. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Holy Martyrs Church | Bayside, NY
Holy Martyrs Church of Bayside, NY, is hosting a Lenten lecture series
on Armenian history on Friday evenings during Great Lent. Artur
Martirosyan, Ph.D., will guide participants through the various
chapters of Armenia’s history, from ancient times through the
present. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

** YOUTH NEWS
————————————————————
ACYOA Retreat

** New England ACYOA Juniors Gather for Lenten Retreat
————————————————————
Some 30 ACYOA Juniors across the New England region gathered at the
St. Methodios Faith and Heritage Center in Contoocook, NH, from
February 20 to 22, for the first of nine ACYOA Lenten retreats being
held this year.

Themed `Living the Gospel of Christ: Legacy of Our Martyrs,’ the
retreat series is designed to help participants prepare for the
upcoming canonization of the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Lorie Odabashian, coordinator of the Diocese’s Department of Youth and
Young Adult Ministries, opened the retreat on Friday evening with an
introduction. The Rev. Fr. Vasken Kouzouian, pastor of Holy Trinity
Church of Cambridge, MA, led participants in a vespers service.

On Saturday, presentations were made by Stepan Piligian, of the Church
of the Holy Translators in Framingham, MA, and Jennifer Morris, the
Diocese’s director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries.

On Sunday morning, deacon Yervant Kutchukian and sub-deacon Arthur
Sabounjian led the group during morning service. The weekend concluded
with a reflection led by Maria Derderian, youth minister at St. James
Church of Watertown, MA. Click here
()
to view photos.

2015 ACYOA Retreat Schedule
February 27-March 1: ACYOA Juniors MI/OH Retreat – Camp Wise, OH
February 28: ACYOA Seniors New England Retreat – New Britain, CT
March 7: ACYOA Juniors and Seniors Texas Retreat – Carrollton, TX
March 7-8: ACYOA Juniors NY/NJ/Mid-Atlantic Retreat – White Plains, NY
March 14: ACYOA Juniors and Seniors Florida Retreat – Boca Raton, FL
March 14: ACYOA Seniors Midwest Retreat – Racine, WI
March 20-22: ACYOA Juniors WI/IL Retreat – Camp Hickory, IL
March 21: ACYOA Seniors NY/NJ/Mid-Atlantic Retreat – Bayside, NY

To register for these retreats, contact Jennifer Morris at
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) ,
or Lorie Odabashian at [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) .

Summer Camps

** Upcoming Summer Camp Deadlines
————————————————————
Visit the new Diocesan Summer Camps website at
to register for Hye Camp and St. Vartan
Camp; download CIT, staff, and volunteer applications; and learn more
about the camp experience.

St. Vartan Camp CIT and staff applications are due by March 1; Hye
Camp CIT and staff applications are due by June 1. To receive the
early-bird discount for campers, register for St. Vartan Camp by March
15 and for Hye Camp by June 1.

Both camps are recruiting volunteers to serve as doctors, nurses, and
lifeguards. If you are interested in serving the camp program, or know
of anyone who’d like to volunteer, contact Jennifer Morris, the
Diocese’s director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, at
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) ,
or the department coordinator Lorie Odabashian at
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

** EVENTS
————————————————————
Requiem Service at St. Vartan Cathedral

** Memorial Service for Armenian Victims of Azerbaijan
————————————————————
A memorial service honoring the peaceful Armenians who lost their
lives in the massacres of Sumgait, Baku, and throughout Azerbaijan
will be held at New York’s St. Vartan Cathedral on Sunday, March 1.

The morning service begins at 9:30 a.m. The Divine Liturgy will follow
at 10:30 a.m. A program will follow services in Vartan Hall of the
Diocesan Center.

Zohrab Center Events

** Book Talk at the Zohrab Center Next Week
————————————————————
On Thursday, March 5, the Diocese’s Krikor and Clara Zohrab
Information Center will co-host a book presentation by photographer
Ariane Ateshian Delacampagne, author of
Portraits of Survival: The Armenians of Bourj Hammoud. Ms. Ateshian
Delacampagne’s photographs capture the resilient spirit of the
Armenians living in Beirut, Lebanon.

The event is organized by the Zohrab Center, the Diocese’s Department
of Armenian Studies, and AGBU’s Ararat Magazine. It will be held in
the Guild Hall of the Diocesan Center (630 Second Avenue at 35th
Street).

Click here
()
for more information.

Alan Hovhaness
Alan Hovhaness composed “Holy Mystery of the Martyrs” in 1976.

** A Concert at St. Vartan Cathedral
————————————————————
St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral and St. Illuminator’s Armenian Cathedral
are co-hosting a concert featuring Alan Hovhaness’s symphony `Holy
Mystery of the Martyrs,’ on Friday, March 20. The Rev. Fr. Hovhan
Khoja-Eynatyan, pastor of St. James Church of Evanston, IL, will be
the guest soloist.

`Holy Mystery of the Martyrs’ was commissioned by the Eastern Diocese
of the Armenian Church and composed by Alan Hovhaness in 1976. The
`holy martyrs’ of the title are the Armenian Christians killed on the
field of Avarayr in 451 A.D. In its 17 movements, =80=9CHoly Mystery
of the Martyrs’ presents individual `prayers’ that convey both the
tragedy of loss and the triumph of survival. The March 20 concert is
dedicated to the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIANS STAGE PROTEST IN WASHINGTON CHALLENGING AZERBAIJANI AGGRESSION, CHAMPIONING ARTSAKH’S FREEDOM

12:55, 27 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Members, alumni, and supporters of the Armenian Youth Federation
(AYF) rallied outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington, DC to
commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Baku massacres, condemn Baku’s
ongoing anti-Armenian aggression, and call for freedom and security
for the independent Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.

“Armenians in the Greater Washington Area – like our sisters and
brothers across America and around the world – share a core commitment
to championing Artsakh’s freedom and confronting Azerbaijan’s
aggression,” said AYF “Ani” Chapter Chairwoman Sevan Simonian. “We
were proud today to stand up for our community’s values – even against
the hateful tirades of pro-Aliyev counter-protesters.”

A small group of staff and supporters of the Azerbaijani Embassy staged
a counter-protest, repeatedly chanting the name “Ramil Safarov,”
in an apparent attempt to intimidate those gathered for the AYF
vigil. Safarov is the admitted and unapologetic axe-murder who killed
Armenian Lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan during a NATO peace-training
exercise in Hungary. In 2012, after serving only a fraction of his
sentence in Hungary, Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan, where he
was immediate pardoned, promoted and praised Safarov, a moved that
was broadly condemned worldwide, including by President Obama.

Following the vigil, Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian of Soorp Khatch Armenian
Apostolic Church led the DC community members in prayer in memory of
the victims of the Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad and Maragha massacres and
all those who lost their lives during the Artsakh liberation movement.

From: Baghdasarian

ASSYRIAN COMMUNITY ‘AT RISK OF EXTINCTION’ FROM ISLAMIC STATE

Wednesday, February 25th, 2015

People from the Yezidi community flee from massacres by Islamic State
forces towards the Syrian border. Syria’s Assyrian community fears
a similar fate if nothing is done to stop the Islamic State. (Photo:
Reuters)

HASAKAH, Syria (RFE/RL)–An Assyrian Christian organization has warned
that Syria’s Assyrian community could face a mass killing and has
called on the international community to intervene, after militants
from the Islamic State (IS) group abducted Assyrian Christians from
villages in Syria’s Hasakah Province.

Karam Dola, a member of the Assyrian Democratic Organization in Hasakah
Province told Radio Free Iraq reporter Manar Abdulrazzaq on February
24 that militants had overran rural villages populated by Assyrian
Christians at dawn on February 23.

“In Tel Hormuz there were not many families, but there were more
than 13 people, elderly men, women and children who were kidnapped,”
Dola said.

According to Dola, up to 90 people from the village of Tel Shamiram
are also considered missing.

“They were unable to escape when [the IS group] overran the area at
dawn,” Dola added.

The British-based group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR),
which monitors the violence in Syria via a network of contacts, also
reported that at least 90 Assyrian Christians had been abducted by
militants in Tel Shamiram and Tel Hormuz.

Moreover, SOHR said that 14 Islamic State militants had been killed
in U.S.-led air strikes east of the town of Tel Hamis in Hasakah.

Dola said that on February 24, 34 villages on the banks of the Khabur
River in Hasakah province had been evacuated and residents moved to
Hasakah town or to the town of Qamishli.

The Assyrian community in Syria is extremely concerned about the
situation, according to Dola, who told Radio Free Iraq that there
are about 600 Assyrian families in Hasakah province.

“We in the Assyrian Democratic Organization have sent out a distress
call to the international community and to all national forces to
immediately intervene and prevent the occurrence of [the] expected
massacre,” Dola said.

Dola warned that the Assyrian community in Syria is “at risk of
extinction.”

According to the pro-opposition Step News Agency, the Islamic State
group’s military commander in Syria, the Georgian-born ethnic Chechen
Kist Umar Shishani, is leading the offensive in Hasakah. That news,
which is plausible based on previous offensives in northern Syria, has
not been independently reported on pro-Islamic State Russian-language
social media.

From: Baghdasarian

MOSCOW REVEALS WHAT NON-GOVERNMENT WAS NEEDED FOR

Lragir.am
Politics – 27 February 2015, 13:54

After the recent domestic developments interviews with Russian
experts appeared in the Armenian press who stated that Russia does
not interfere with Armenia’s domestic issues. They also state that
it is all the same to Moscow who will be the government of Armenia
unless it does not conduct the policy that Russia needs.

Most importantly, however, with regard to the so-called non-government
of Armenia, they are stating bluntly that it was necessary to keep
the Armenian government within Russia’s political interests. In other
words, the non-governmental format was leverage on the government,
and had the latter conducted a policy against Russia’s interests,
particularly of integration with Western organizations, there would
be a change of government in Armenia with the help of Moscow.

Of course, the Russian experts are not saying something new because the
Armenian political and media circles have dwelt on this circumstance
in detail. Besides, the non-governmental forces did not hide that
they serve Russia’s interests.

The problem is different. Moscow actually confirms this, thereby
giving up on its agents to some extent. One of the signs of this was
the statement of one of the Kremlin’s spokespersons that the Armenian
non-government are “clowns” if they wish to come to government and
maintain the oligarchic system with Moscow’s help. This was followed
by the famous developments and Serzh Sargsyan’s statement on refraining
from turning the political field to a circus.

Apparently, Moscow has achieved its goal in Armenia or certain problems
have occurred that have forced the governments of Armenia and Russia
to give up on clownery. Why have the Russians openly given up on the
non-government will become known in the future or will not become
known at all due to some subtleties.

The point is whether the non-governmental forces are aware how the
forces serving the interests of another state’s goals and interests
are referred to in history and political science. After all, do they
know how they are eventually treated at home and outside the country?

From: Baghdasarian

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: HAYRIKYAN FORMING NEW OPPOSITION FORCE

10:33 27/02/2015 >> DAILY PRESS

Over the past days, several extra-parliamentary political forces are
conducting joint discussions about Armenia’s domestic and foreign
political developments, Haykakan Zhamanak reports, adding that these
discussions have been initiated by National Self-Determination Union
leader Paruyr Hayrikyan.

Hayrikyan confirmed the report to the newspaper. He added that seven
political forces are participating in the consultations: National
Self-Determination Union, Heritage, Armenian National Movement, Free
Democrats, Constituent Parliament, Conservative Party, and Democratic
Homeland Party.

From: Baghdasarian

AN IMPORTANT DECISION HAS BEEN MADE

Igor Muradyan, Political Analyst
Comments – 27 February 2015, 12:31

There are two approaches to NATO enlargement: the U.S.-UK and the
French-German. However, controversies are not so sharp. Recently,
the approach of the United States and the United Kingdom has been
getting closer to that of France and Germany, including in terms NATO
policy in the regions.

During Sarkozy’s office France tried to be more active and become a
European leader of regional policy, and new positions were gained.

However, very soon it became clear that this policy is meaningful
only in case of the cooperation between the United States and the
UK. The Libyan developments demonstrated this, the same can be noticed
in Syria.

Now the essence of the politics of the leading states of the West
includes two important components – the financial-economic issues and
the regional strategy. In fact, the future international policy will
present the observation of the regional objectives. In this respect,
development of cooperation between NATO and partners has considerable
prospects.

This objective is not a NATO priority but only at this stage. In the
future, NATO will not be able to resolve the problems without new
partners. Some new partners may gain more importance in the solution
of NATO problems than some members of the alliance.

The issue of development of NATO cooperation with new partners will
have a powerful influence on the political situation of the regions
and on different strategies in global terms.

The issues relating to the South Caucasus are sensitive because
there are internal and external issues. Now the attention of the
Western community towards the South Caucasus is low but something
more important happened than the previous accelerated actions of the
Western community in this region.

There are no doubts that NATO and the European community have decided
to integrate this region, and the decision was not made equivocally.

However, along with different projects, all the Western states
have accepted the objectives of integration of Eastern Europe and
particularly the South Caucasus.

The situation in Ukraine has a crucial importance in Eastern Europe
but the South Caucasus has more importance in the Eurasian strategy.

Without presence in and control on the South Caucasus the Western
community cannot conduct a policy in Eurasia.

Armenia is a Christian country, in complicated geopolitical conditions,
but is capable of drastic political steps and building a policy aimed
at different “poles”, at the same time maintaining close relations
with Iran.

Some factors that Armenia has interest NATO and the European Union.

These two Western organizations integrate with the countries of
the South Caucasus and Eastern Europe at different pace. These two
organizations are independent from each other but include almost the
same states, and development of relations between Armenia and the
European Union affects relations with NATO.

Experts think that Armenia and Georgia have an opportunity for new
stages of development of relations with NATO, which will, in one way
or another, lead to the membership of these two countries. Azerbaijan
has a slightly different situation and prospects.

From: Baghdasarian

VISITE DE L’AMBASSADEUR DE FRANCE DANS LES LOCAUX DE L’INITIATIVE CIBLEE POUR L’ARMENIE

ARMENIE

L’Ambassadeur de France, M. Jean Francois Charpentier s’est rendu
le 11 fevrier 2015 dans les locaux du programme europeen “Initiative
Ciblee pour l’Armenie >>, lance en 2013 dans le cadre du Partenariat
pour la mobilite entre l’Union europeenne et l’Armenie.

Ce projet finance par l’Union Europeenne et porte par huit Etats
membres dont la France, qui est chef de file a travers l’Office
Francais de l’Immigration et de l’Integration, qui dispose d’un bureau
de representation en Armenie.

L’Ambassadeur de France a rencontre le nouveau directeur du projet
d’Initiative Ciblee pour l’Armenie, Monsieur Jean-Dominique Fabry, le
gestionnaire du projet Frank Rietveld, et leur equipe, qui oeuvrent
a la reinsertion (notamment professionnelle) des emigres armeniens
de retour dans leur pays.

Le soutien qu’apportent l’Union Europeenne et l’OFII a ce programme
permet le developpement de projets professionnels grâce a une aide
au financement ou a la mise en commun des connaissances et des
savoir-faire.

Ainsi, plusieurs projets en lien avec l’agriculture ont pu voir le jour
dans la region du Tavush, comme par exemple la construction de serres.

Ambassade de France en Armenie

vendredi 27 fevrier 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

ANC MEMBERS MEET WITH EU AMBASSADORS

16:24 27/02/2015 >> POLITICS

A delegation of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) on
Friday met with ambassadors of the European Union member countries
accredited to Armenia. The ANC delegation was led by party’s chairman
Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the press service of ANC reported.

The meeting addressed issues related to Armenia’s domestic and
foreign policy.

At the ambassadors’ request, Ter-Petrosyan made a brief speech. Then
he answered their questions.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian