Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

Top brass visits servicemembers of peacekeeping brigade

Chakhmakhchian Vatche

 15:21, 29 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 29, ARMENPRESS. Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, First Deputy Defense Minister Major-general Edward Asryan, together with Defense Ministry and military officials, visited on Monday the Peacekeeping Brigade on the occasion of the International Day of Peacekeepers.

Addressing the peacekeeping troops, the Major-general extended congratulations on behalf of Defense Minister Suren Papikyan and thanked them for fulfilling their service and mission duly, the Defense Ministry said in a press release.

Praising the readiness level of the peacekeepers, Major-general Asryan underscored that the Armenian servicemembers – knowing very well the price of peace – are carrying out their objectives with honor and are having an important contribution in international security and peace.

A number of servicemembers of the brigade were awarded during the ceremony.

Armenian Church Leaders Unite to Warn Biden that Forcing Artsakh into Azerbaijan is a Death Sentence for Christian Armenians

Chakhmakhchian Vatche
by Contributor

 

 June 1, 2023

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories
The Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, and Evangelical Churches speak with one voice in supporting Artsakh’s right to self-determination.


Apostolic, Catholic, and Evangelical Churches Speak with One Voice in Defense of Artsakh
 
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES —The spiritual leaders of America’s Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, and Evangelical faithful have joined forces in a powerful public warning to President Biden that forcing Artsakh under Azerbaijan is a “death sentence for the Armenians of this sacred land, home to 120,000 men, women, and children.”

In a letter sent yesterday to the White House, the Church leaders wrote: “We, the spiritual leaders of American Christians of Armenian heritage, call on you to stand firmly against any attempt to force the Christian Armenians of Artsakh under Azerbaijan, a country that is openly committed to ethnically cleansing the indigenous population of this ancient part of the Armenian homeland.”

The signatories to the letter are Archbishop Hovnan Derderian (Western Diocese Prelate), Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian (Eastern Prelacy Primate), Very Rev. Mesrop Parsamyan (Eastern Diocese Primate), Bishop Torkom Donoyan (Western Prelacy Prelate), Bishop Mikhael Mouradian (Eparch Armenian Catholic Eparchy), Reverend Hendrik Shanazarian (Interim Minister, Armenian Evangelical Union), and Zaven Khanjian (Armenian Missionary Association of America Executive Director).

The full text of the interdenominational letter is provided below.

May 30, 2023

President Joseph R. Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We, the spiritual leaders of American Christians of Armenian heritage, call on you to stand firmly against any attempt to force the Christian Armenians of Artsakh under Azerbaijan, a country that is openly committed to ethnically cleansing the indigenous population of this ancient part of the Armenian homeland. Any settlement that subordinates the at-risk citizens of democratic Artsakh to dictatorial Azerbaijan is a death sentence for the Armenians of this sacred land, home to 120,000 men, women, and children, and, of course, countless holy sites.

We make this urgent appeal in the wake of our longstanding calls for you to withdraw your waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and fully enforce this provision of U.S. law. As we have shared with you in the past, Armenia, the world’s first Christian nation, remains a landlocked, blockaded, genocide-survivor state, striving to survive on the frontiers of global freedom. Our great nation must stand with Armenia in every way, beginning with a suspension of U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, a country that would erase our ancient nation from the map of the world. We must never, as Americans, be complicit in such genocidal violence.

We look forward to learning of your renewed leadership in saving Christian Armenian lives and advancing a truly democratic peace that respects the right to self-determination of Artsakh, an early cradle of Christianity.

We pray that the Almighty Lord bless you abundantly and His wisdom leads your endeavors with success, spreading peace, justice, and prosperity to the world.

Sincerely,

Archbishop Hovnan Derderian
Western Diocese Prelate

Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian
Eastern Prelacy Primate

Very Rev. Mesrop Parsamyan
Eastern Diocese Primate

Bishop Torkom Donoyan
Western Prelacy Prelate

Bishop Mikhael Mouradian
Eparch Armenian Catholic Eparchy

Reverend Hendrik Shanazarian
Interim Minister, Armenian Evangelical Union

Zaven Khanjian
Armenian Missionary Association of America Executive Director

Armenian Center Welcomes Executive Director Renato de Leon

Chakhmakhchian Vatche
June 1 2023
Debbie Weisberg,Community Contributor
It was a festive occasion at the Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (ANRC) when Renato de Leon was introduced as the new Executive Director. Renato noted that he was thrilled is to be joining the non-profit organization.

“A drive and passion for senior care has propelled me to keep reaching for excellence,” stated Ren.” I can’t think of a better organization than ANRC to continue my career. I am looking forward to getting to know each and every one of our families and residents.”

About Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is a not-for-profit membership organization, which has been in existence for over 100 years. The organization is dedicated to serving elders locally and internationally through the sponsorship of elder service programs Drawing on its rich history, generosity of spirit and work ethic of the Armenian community, ANRC provides short-term rehab and long-term care, aiming to ensure the good health and well-being of all Armenian elders and others in the surrounding area.


Lukashenko sends birthday greetings to Pashinyan

Chakhmakhchian Vatche

 11:24, 1 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has sent birthday greetings to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, BelTA reported citing the Belarusian presidential press service.

“I am convinced that your vast managerial experience and professional approach to solving state tasks will enable you to continue to successfully cope with the challenges that Armenia faces in the political, social and economic sectors and achieve all the goals set for the benefit of the Armenian people,” the message reads.

The President of Belarus added that he looked forward to further constructive dialogue aimed at developing a comprehensive partnership with Armenia, close interaction in the integration associations and strategic cooperation in the international arena.

Aleksandr Lukashenko wished Nikol Pashinyan new successes in his responsible activity, good health, happiness, peace and accord.

Armenia says two servicemen abducted by Azerbaijan

Chakhmakhchian Vatche
MEHR News Agency
Iran –

TEHRAN, May 27 (MNA) – Two Armenian servicemen were abducted by the Azerbaijani side, the Armenian Defense Ministry claimed Saturday.

According to the Ministry, the rear supply vehicle driven by the servicemen, who went missing on May 26, at 9 pm, was found on the inter-positional road. The car was loaded with food and water intended for the combat bases, Public Radio of Armenia reported. 

The Armenian side refutes reports of the Azerbaijani border guard service claiming that two Armenian soldiers were arrested while attempting a subversive infiltration, noting that the Armenian side has enough evidence to deny it, and it will be presented to international partners.

The weapon of one of the servicemen was found in the car, which proves that even if the servicemen got out of the car and lost their way in the area, the servicemen could not have had subversive intentions, the Ministry says.

Investigation in under way to reveal the circumstances of the illegal abduction of Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan.

These tensions occurred while the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are going to meet in Moldova to participate in the “European Political Community” meeting, and Baku’s ambassador to Paris announced the possibility of signing a peace treaty between the two sides.

SKH/PR

Russian President Putin claims that resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be advantageous for everyone.

Chakhmakhchian Vatche

The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has been ongoing for decades, with both Armenia and Azerbaijan claiming the territory as their own. The dispute has resulted in violence and bloodshed, with thousands of people losing their lives over the years. The situation has been particularly tense in recent months, with both sides accusing each other of escalating the conflict..

byGenevieve St. Clair
 

To bring it all to a close, President Putin’s efforts to mediate between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute are a positive step towards finding a peaceful solution to the conflict. He also stressed the need for all sides to work together to find a solution that would be acceptable to everyone.. The trilateral meeting held in Moscow on , is seen as a significant development, and the international community is hopeful that it will lead to a lasting settlement of the dispute.

– Advertisement –

The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has been ongoing for decades, with both Armenia and Azerbaijan claiming the territory as their own. The dispute has resulted in violence and bloodshed, with thousands of people losing their lives over the years. The situation has been particularly tense in recent months, with both sides accusing each other of escalating the conflict.

As per WION News, Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking on the role of peacemaker between Azerbaijan and Armenia in an effort to settle the conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. On Thursday, , President Putin held a trilateral meeting with the leaders of both countries in Moscow to try and resolve their differences.

President Putin’s efforts to bring the two sides to the negotiating table are seen as a positive step towards resolving the conflict. During the meeting, he emphasized the importance of finding a peaceful solution that would benefit all parties involved. He also expressed his hope that the talks would lead to a lasting settlement of the dispute.

As per President Putin, the situation is developing towards a settlement, and the three countries will meet again in a week to continue the negotiations. He also stressed the need for all sides to work together to find a solution that would be acceptable to everyone.

The meeting between President Putin and the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan has been welcomed by the international community, with many hoping that it will lead to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The United Nations has also expressed its support for the talks, calling on all parties to engage in constructive dialogue to find a way forward.

The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has been a major of tension in the region for many years, and its resolution would have significant implications for the entire Caucasus region. A peaceful settlement would not only benefit Armenia and Azerbaijan but would also have positive effects on the wider region, including Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

To bring it all to a close, President Putin’s efforts to mediate between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute are a positive step towards finding a peaceful solution to the conflict. The trilateral meeting held in Moscow on , is seen as a significant development, and the international community is hopeful that it will lead to a lasting settlement of the dispute. All parties involved must continue to engage in constructive dialogue to find a solution that is acceptable to everyone and that will benefit the entire region.

https://www.bollyinside.com/news/world-news/russian-president-putin-claims-that-resolving-the-nagorno-karabakh-conflict-will-be-advantageous-for-everyone/

Armenia would have secured a more stable situation with CSTO observers’ mission — Lavrov

Chakhmakhchian Vatche
 TASS 
Russia – May 17 2023
According to Russia’s top diplomat, the document was fully approved at the foreign ministers’ level

MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. Yerevan would have secured a more stable situation if it signed a document on deploying an observers’ mission of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Tsargrad television channel posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website on Wednesday.

“A document on the deployment of a CSTO mission of observers on Armenian territory in accordance with the request of our Armenian allies was drafted for the CSTO summit in Yerevan in the autumn of 2022,” Russia’s top diplomat pointed out.

“I am convinced that if Yerevan confirmed what had already been endorsed and if this document were ready for signing and entry in force, Armenia would have secured and had a more stable situation,” Lavrov stressed.

The document was fully approved at the foreign ministers’ level, he added.

“However, our Armenian friends asked us to postpone adoption at the last moment at the summit. This document is still on paper and cannot be implemented,” the Russian foreign minister said.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 05/09/2023

Chakhmakhchian Vatche 
                                        Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Armenia-Azerbaijan Summit In Brussels Confirmed
        • Artak Khulian
Moldova - European Council President Charles Michel speaks during a news 
conference in Chisinau, March 28, 2023.
The European Union confirmed late on Monday that its top official, Charles 
Michel, will host on Sunday fresh talks between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
“The leaders have agreed to convene again on 14 May 2023 in a Brussels 
trilateral meeting,” read a statement released by Michel’s office. “Their 
discussions will also be flanked by a meeting together with President Emmanuel 
Macron of France and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, in the margins of the 
upcoming European Political Community summit in [Moldova’s capital] Chisinau on 
1 June 2023.”
“The leaders have also agreed to continue to meet trilaterally in Brussels as 
frequently as necessary to address ongoing developments on the ground and 
standing agenda items of the Brussels meetings,” added the statement.
It said nothing about the precise agenda of the upcoming summit which will 
follow marathon talks held by the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers 
outside Washington last week. The U.S.-mediated talks focused on an 
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty.
The U.S. State Department insisted on Monday that the two ministers “made 
significant progress in addressing difficult issues.”
“And we believe that with additional goodwill and flexibility and compromise an 
agreement is within reach,” a department spokesman said, echoing U.S. Secretary 
of State Antony Blinken’s statements.
The secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigorian, told reporters on 
Tuesday that the conflicting sides still disagree on key terms of the would-be 
treaty. He said those relate to Azerbaijani recognition of Armenia’s existing 
borders, an internationally supervised dialogue between Baku and Karabakh’s 
leadership as well as “international guarantees” for the sides’ compliance with 
their peace accord.
Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovannisian announced, meanwhile, that 
the Brussels summit will be followed by Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks in 
Moscow. He did not specify whether they will involve Aliyev and Pashinian or 
their foreign ministers.
Russia has been very critical of the U.S. and EU peace efforts, saying that the 
Western powers are trying to use the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to drive Moscow 
out of the South Caucasus. It maintains that Armenian-Azerbaijani agreements 
brokered by Russian President Vladimir Putin are the only viable blueprint for 
settling the conflict.
Pashinian Attends Victory Day Parade In Moscow
Russia - Russian service members take part in a military parade on Victory Day, 
which marks the 78th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War 
Two, in Red Square in Moscow, May 9, 2023.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian joined on Tuesday the presidents of Russia and 
six other former Soviet states in attending a military parade in Moscow that 
marked the 78th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.
They laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin walls 
following the annual parade which was scaled back this time around, reflecting 
Russia’s continuing war on Ukraine.
Parades in several other Russian cities were canceled and the traditional 
"Immortal Regiment" processions, where people carry portraits of relatives who 
fought against the Nazis, also were scrapped.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly likened the war in Ukraine to 
the challenge Moscow faced when Adolf Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.
Russia - The leaders of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, 
Tajikistan and Turkmenistan take part in a flower-laying ceremony at the Tomb of 
the Unknown Soldier after the Victory Day Parade in Moscow, May 9, 2023.
Addressing thousands of soldiers and spectators at the start of the parade in 
Red Square, Putin accused "Western globalist elites" of seeking to carve up 
Russia and “sowing hatred, Russophobia, aggressive nationalism.”
The anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe has remained a public 
holiday, officially called Victory and Peace Day, in Armenia since the breakup 
of the Soviet Union.
Some 320,000 residents of Soviet Armenia, then a republic of just 1.3 million 
people, were drafted to the Red Army during the bloodiest conflict in the 
history of humankind. The total number of its ethnic Armenian participants from 
various Soviet republics is estimated at more than 500,000. About half of them 
were killed in action.
Armenia - Armenian veterans of World War Two attend Victory Day celebrations in 
Yerevan, May 9, 2023.
In a statement issued on the occasion, Pashinian again praised Armenians’ 
“invaluable” contribution to the defeat of “one of the greatest evils: fascism.”
“About 107 Armenians were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and many 
Armenians received high awards from the USSR and allied countries, ensuring the 
Armenian people's honorable place in the fight against fascism,” he said.
Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturian led a wreath-laying ceremony at a World 
War II memorial located in Yerevan’s Victory Park. Armenian and Russian soldiers 
marched past its eternal fire during the ceremony.
Thousands of people, among them elderly war veterans, visited the memorial in 
the following hours.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Are US-Brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Talks Dead on Arrival?

Chakhmakhchian Vatche
The American Enterprise Institute
May 1 2023

By Michael Rubin

AEIdeas

May 01, 2023

The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War upended the decades-long Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process. The hot take at the time was that Russia and Turkey were the victors. Both the United States and France, co-chairs with Russia in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, were caught off guard. Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, had initiated the ceasefire and crafted it to insert 2,000 Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkey also inserted troops as monitors in Azerbaijan.

Russian peacekeepers have shown themselves to be impotent as Azerbaijan flagrantly violates the ceasefire. While there are many parallel diplomatic processes—Russia’s, the OSCE’s, and the United States’—regional diplomats say that increasingly only Washington’s matters. Perhaps diplomacy is back.

How the White House and State Department craft diplomacy, however, is important. While the Biden administration seeks to promote a wide-ranging peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, by conflating three different conflicts into one, they may condemn themselves to failure.

There are actually three different conflicts: Turkey-Armenia, Armenia-Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan-Artsakh (the self-declared ethnic Armenian republic in Nagorno-Karabakh).

Turkey has blockaded Armenia since its re-independence in 1991, based not on any land dispute but rather on Turkey’s ethnic hatred toward Armenia. Ending this blockade should be an American interest, as it forces Armenia to use Iran as its economic outlook. Just last week, Turkey closed its airspace to Armenian passenger flights. The Turkey-Armenia diplomatic process should also address ending Turkey’s denial of the Armenian genocide. After all, if Germany’s official policy were to deny the Holocaust, no one in Washington would consider it an indispensable ally.

Armenia’s dispute with Azerbaijan should also be easily resolved. The two countries might appoint a third party—perhaps from a neutral Scandinavian country—to demarcate their borders. If Baku is sincere, it would drop its reference to fraudulent or extremist maps that show Armenia does not exist. Armenia, after all, could point to many maps from the pre-Soviet period that show a greater Armenia and no Azerbaijan. The 1975 Soviet General Staff map of the South Caucasus appears the most accurate map and can be the basis for peace. Azerbaijan, too, would have to end its blockade.

The Azerbaijan-Artsakh dispute will be the most difficult to resolve. Throughout the dispute, Armenia refrained from recognizing Artsakh’s independence so as not to undermine diplomacy. For Azerbaijan to negotiate with Armenia directly belies Azerbaijan’s insistence Armenia should have no role. Precedent is also against Armenia negotiating the fate of Artsakh. After all, Serbia and the United States did not insist Albania negotiate on behalf of Kosovo against the backdrop of that country’s fight for freedom against Serbia.

While Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev says the Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijan’s based on Joseph Stalin’s gerrymandering, the region’s Armenian population has reason to be worried based on Azerbaijan’s war crimes, bulldozing of cultural heritage and, most recently, efforts to starve the Armenian population. Residents are right to be concerned that if they visit Armenia, Aliyev simply would not allow them back, a slow motion ethnic cleansing. Residents are also concerned that Aliyev’s serial violation of the 2020 ceasefire and the failure of Washington to hold him to account will only encourage future violations.

President Joe Biden’s team deserves credit for turning its attention to a long-neglected region, but not all diplomacy is the same. How Biden’s team frames the issue matters. It will be far easier to achieve lasting peace if the White House recognizes that what they assume to be one conflict is actually three. Two of these conflicts will be easy to resolve if leaders have good faith. If Turkey and Azerbaijan show they do not, then diplomacy is premature absent a push through sanctions and other coercive measures to make both Ankara and Baku offers they cannot refuse.